text:
Options and Accessories (View All)
Marketing Information
Digi Neo Universal PCI (3.3v & 5v) card leverage an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) to provide throughput speeds exceeding 460.8 Kbps, large buffers for data transfer, low latency and baud rate customization. These features, along with on-board surge suppression on each signal and the low profile size, make the Digi Neo ideal for applications with tight workstation constraints and specialized server environments.
Support for the most popular operating systems and the variety of cabling options allow the user flexibility during installation set-up. The enhanced software monitoring and diagnostic tools ensure that the Digi Neo has been installed properly and is working at the specified serial port settings.
General Information
|Product Type
|Multiport Serial Adapter
|Manufacturer Part Number
|Manufacturer Website Address
|Digi International
|Product Name
|Neo Universal PCI 8-ports Serial Adapter*
|Product Line
|Brand Name
Technical Information
|Host Interface
|Data Transfer Rate
|460.80 Kbps
|Ports Expandability
|8 x 25-pin DB-25 Male - Serial, Via Cable
|1 x 68-pin HD-68 - SCSI
Physical Characteristics
|2.5" Height x 4.7" Width x 0.7" Thickness
|Weight (Approximate)
|2.00 oz
|Form Factor
|Plug-in Card
|Cable Information
|DB-25 Male Fan-out Cable
|Standard Warranty
|5 Year
This product is shipped only within Canada and Warranty valid for Canada only.
Computer Valley makes every effort to provide accurate specifications, descriptions, images and price on all products that are found on www.computervalley.ca
However for complete and updated descriptions, compatibilities, specifications and actual photo we recommend our clients to consult with manufacturer's websites or simply call us for proper clarifications. Computer Valley is not responsible and will not accept returns for items purchased that are not compatible with your system. Please ensure that you have verified compatibility and actual photo with your system by visiting the manufacturer's web site prior to purchase or give us a call to make sure what you are purchasing.
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|Read Reviews Write Review


text:
Rushing finishes single shy of cycle in Dutch baseball win
TUCSON, ARIZ.—Senior designated hitter Robbie Rushing (West Des Moines, Valley HS) finished 3-for-6 with four runs batted in and a single shy of a cycle as the Central College baseball team closed out its spring trip in style with a 12-9 win over Hamline University (Minn.) Thursday at the Kino Sports Complex.
Serving as the Tucson Invitational Games opener for the Pipers (2-1), the Dutch (8-3) scored five runs in the first inning and lead the rest of the way in the three-run victory.
"We did a great job competing all nine innings," coach Adam Stevens said. "We had an early lead, but a lead is never safe against a quality team like Hamline. We were able to tack on a run here and run there, which proved to be the difference."
Senior catcher Jace Ahrendsen (Clarence, North Cedar HS) opened the scoring with a two-RBI single in the opening frame. Junior outfielder Zach Zylstra (Pella) matched that feat in the next at-bat, followed by an RBI single by senior outfielder Jake Effron (Glendale, Ariz., North Pointe Prep HS). The handful of runs chased Hamline's starting pitcher Eickman from the game after retiring only two Dutch batters.
"Eickman is one of their top pitchers and we knocked him out of the game early," Stevens said. "We came out ready to play. They made a run and closed the gap, but we pushed through and kept them at bay."
Central added another run in the second on Rushing's triple.
The Pipers got on the board in the fourth with two runs, but the Dutch responded in the fifth with RBI singles from Effron and senior shortstop Jordan Judkins (Marshalltown). Hamline scored four unanswered in the sixth and seventh to draw within two, but Rushing pushed the Central lead to four runs with a two-run home run with no outs in the eighth.
The Pipers scored two in the eighth to cut it to a pair once again, but a RBI groundout by senior second baseman Adam Ariola (Bloomington, Ill., Normal HS) and a RBI double by Rushing in the top of the ninth was enough for the Dutch to hold on. Rushing is batting .510 (25-for-49) through 11 games this season with three home runs and 20 RBIs.
Judkins and Zylstra finished with three hits apiece as well, while Ahrendsen, Effron and junior third baseman Kirby Coppess (Urbandale) each had two hits. Ahrendsen, Zylstra and Effron each tallied two RBIs, while Ariola scored three runs.
"We swung the bat well the entire trip," said Stevens. "I was happy with the offense again today. We're hitting well throughout the entire order."
Sophomore pitcher Dakotah Wolken (Dillon, East Marshall HS) allowed six runs on five hits and three walks with three strikeouts in 6.0 innings for the win. He improved to 3-0 on the young season with the result. Senior pitcher Judson McKown (Independence, Minn., Orono HS) once again shut the door with a three up, three down ninth inning. Sophomore pitcher Mark Schroeder (Chariton) pitched 1.2 innings in relief, helping get the ball to McKown, who sports a 1.89 ERA in 19.0 innings this season after notching his third save.
"We weren't quite as sharp defensively, but our pitchers did a great job working out of jams," said Stevens. "Dakotah had another quality start today and kept a good offensive team off balance. Mark came in with the bases loaded and one out and allowed only one run, which was great. Our entire bullpen was spectacular today."
Central committed two errors defensively and left 11 runners on base, while Hamline also made two errors and left seven on base.
With the Tucson Invitational Games behind them, the Dutch return home for Wednesday's game against Grinnell College (4-2). The Pioneers, who took two of three from Central in the opening weekend series, are playing in Orlando until Sunday.
"It was a good trip for us," Stevens said. "We learned a lot about our team. We're a competitive group and that's how we want to play. The most important day of the year is Monday, when we get back to practice and start working on some things again."Print this ad for $10 off your next oil change

subset: commoncrawl


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|Mark Salling
|August 17, 1982
|Noah Puckerman
|Actor, Composer, Singer, Songwriter
|Years Active:
Mark Wayne Salling (born August 17, 1982) is an actor, sing-songwriter, composer, and musician. He portrayed the character Noah Puckerman on FOX's hit musical comedy, Glee.
Early life
Salling was born in Dallas, Texas. He is the younger of two children of Condy Sue (née Wherry), a school secretary, and John Robert Salling, Jr., an accountant. He was home-schooled at an early age. Salling was raised in a "strict Christian home" and attended Providence Christian School and Our Redeemer Lutheran during elementary school. He attended, but did not graduate from Culver Military Academy, and later graduated from Lake Highlands High School in 2001. While he attended high school, he was a member of the school wrestling team. Performing was also an integral part of his teenage years; he often performed in bars despite being underage and participated in school talent shows.
After graduating from high school, he attended the Los Angeles Music Academy College of Music in Pasadena, California and began studying guitar, giving guitar lessons to make a living.
In January 2013, Salling was accused by a woman who claims he committed sexual battery by forcing sex without a condom. He has denied the charges and has filed a countersuit for defamation of character.
He, reported in July 2014, is in a relationship with Denyse Tontz.[1]
Salling sings, writes, and produces his own music, and plays the piano, guitar, bass guitar, and drums. His solo project (under the stage name "Jericho"), was debut album Smoke Signals, released on February 8, 2008, under Jericho Records. On October 25, 2010, Salling released a rock/jazz album entitled Pipe Dreams, which was inspired by Alice in Chains, Nine Inch Nails, Miles Davis, and Herbie Hancock. It was released by Pipe Dreams Records,
Salling's own label, in partnership with Fontana Distribution. He is the composer, performer, and producer of each track. The first single, "Higher Power," premiered on August 10, 2010.
For the television show Glee he soloed and dueted on cover versions of various songs including, Sweet Caroline, Only the Good Die Young, The Lady Is a Tramp, Run Joey Run, Beth, and Good Vibrations. During filming, Salling paid tribute to the cast of Glee by writing a song and creating a video entitled "Chillin' on Glee'," which featured various cast and crew members.
Salling acted in Children of the Corn IV: The Gathering (1996) with Naomi Watts, and also in The Graveyard (2006). In 2008, he was cast as a regular character, Noah Puckerman, on Fox Broadcasting Company series, Glee. On June 28, 2013, it was reported that Salling will not be returning as regular on Glee's fifth season, but will instead be a recurring guest star on the series. along with Harry Shum Jr. and Amber Riley.He is filming the TV movie, "Rocky Road", and also write and record an original song for the film.
|Children of the Corn IV: The Gathering
|James Rhodes
|The Graveyard
|Glee: The 3D Concert Movie
|Noah Puckerman/Himself
|Rocky Road
|Harrison Burke
|Walker, Texas Ranger
|Episode:Rise To The Occasion
|Noah Puckerman
Main Character (Season 1-4)
|The Glee Project
Links and Social Networks
- He has his nipple pierced.
- His ancestry includes English and German, along with smaller amounts (to varying degree Dutch, Irish, and Scottish.
- His favorite movie is Amadeus.
- One of his best concert was Pantera concert when he was 13 years old.
- Mark Salling's first concert was The Toadies.
- Mark wants to cover Radiohead's "Karma Police" or "Paranoid Android" on Glee.
- The first album he bought was The Crow (Soundtrack).
- He taught Darren Criss to play Frisbee Disc Golf.
- Darren Criss loves Mark Salling's taste in music.
- He wrote a song for his movie "Rocky Road"
- He enjoyed slushing Lea.
- Before Glee, he used to give guitar lessons at the "Hollywood Academy Of Music on Melrose."
- He and Lea joke about the make out sessions that their characters often have.
- He taught Lea how to ride a skateboard.
- He thinks that Puck and Quinn are a great couple.
- He thinks that Lea has cute hands.
- It took him 8 years to write the songs for his album Pipe Dreams.
- He likes to look at birds, especially Corvids.
- He has a dog named Hank.
- He is a fan of the music from Radiohead, Elliott Smith and Rufus Wainwright.
- He calls himself a night owl.
- His celebrity crush is Emma Watson.
- Lea Michele sometimes calls him MaSa (Mark Salling) in her tweets.
- Lea enjoys touching Mark's butt when he had a pelvic injury.
- He has played piano since age 5.
- In real life he is Christian.
- He is close friends with Dianna Agron, Lea Michele, Cory Monteith, Harry Shum Jr, Chord Overstreet, Naya Rivera, Ashley Fink, and Darren Criss.
- He hangs out a lot with Cory Monteith, Harry Shum Jr. and Chord Overstreet.
- Most likely, he always bring his skateboard on set.
- According to Ashley Fink, Mark during Glee Live 2011 tour, everytime he sings "Fat Bottomed Girls" girls in the crowd were screaming and shouting for him.
- He used to be in a relationship with Naya Rivera.
- He is six feet tall.
- Lea has taught him how to speak Gibberish.
- He is good friends with Rob Kardashian (Kim Kardashian's brother). They usually hang out together or play golf.
- Dianna Agron's nickname for him is 'Ookie', according to a handful of tweets.
- Dianna Agron stated in one interview that Mark Salling is sweet.
- Dianna Agron said on twitter that Mark Salling is an indescribable solo guitarist.
- Lea Michele finds Mark Salling very good on playing guitar.
- Darren Criss thinks he's an incredible musician.
- Darren Criss said in one interview that Mark Salling is a handsome man.
- Has a dog named Noah Saw Salling for which Lea Michele helped him pick out that name.
- He refers to Lea as Shell and himself as Saw in his tweets.
- If he would slushy anyone, he picked Spencer Pratt.
- He volunteers with the James Hunter Wildlife Rescue charity.
- Top 40/70 in Sexiest & Hottest Men in 2011.
- Mark predicted that Puck would probably flunk out of high school.
- Unlike Puck, Mark is actually quite shy and quiet.
- He claims to be "nothing like Puck," but "worse" instead.
- Mark is a baritone.
- He auditioned for Glee with Juanes' La Camisa Negra
- He is the third person on Glee to sing his audition song, La Camisa Negra, on the episode, Acafellas.
- He was voted the Biggest Flirt by the Glee Cast.
- According to Chris he is the Most Adventurous of the Glee Cast.
- Amber finds Mark very funny.
- It was his idea to let Puck have a mohawk.
- According to Lea, if Rachel and Puck will ever have a duet, she would want them to sing "Lucky" by Colbie Caillat.
- He is a fan of Family Guy and The Simpsons.
- He had an obsession with corvids.
- His favorite actor is Edward Norton.
- His favorite musical is Wicked.
- His favorite animal is a raven and a crow.
- His favorite singer is Stevie Wonder.
- His favorite book is Indian in the Cupboard
- His favorite food is sushi and ribs.
- He likes to sketch nature and animals.
- In 2010 he wrote a song about Glee and his cast-members.
- He plays the piano, guitar, bass guitar, and drums.
- When he auditioned for Glee, he lied about his age, saying he was 19 when he was really 26.
You don't really have time to watch TV if you work on TV.
—Mark Salling
I've been playing piano since I was 5, and started writing when I was 6 or 7. It was never a revelation I had, it was just what I did. Playing music was always a part of my life, I don't know anything else.
—Mark Salling
Growing up, I was into that '90s grunge movement like Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam and Nirvana. I've gone through every phase -I'll be into country music for a while, or rap music. Now I'm just a snob, I only listen to smooth jazz and that's about it.
—Mark Salling


text:
PHOENIX — Turns out there is life in the Team USA dugout after all.
A night after the Americans showed up to the World Baseball Classic virtually lifeless, they arrived at Chase Field on Saturday not knowing if they would be having to play for their WBC lives. As it turned out, the game before, filled with thrown punches and Canadian positives, gave Team USA some relief as Mexico was eliminated before the U.S. took the diamond.
— Canada-Mexico (video): Run differential rule catalyst for all-out brawl | Canada wins 10-3
That didn't stop it from punching the gas and rolling to a 6-2 victory over the already advanced upstart Italy club in Pool D of the WBC. This victory means Sunday's showdown with the Canadians is a must-win for both teams, with the winner advancing to Round 2 in Miami and the loser sending its players back to their respective professional clubs, or home if they don't have one.
Game time is 4 p.m. ET at the Phoenix home of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
"It's a good feeling just knowing that we have a chance to win and go to Miami," USA second baseman Brandon Phillips said. "The way we played tonight was beautiful, and hopefully we can take that into the game tomorrow and get a win. We really want this bad. We want to play for our country.
"If we play like we did today, we'll be going to Miami."
Team USA was under heavy criticism after Friday's loss to Mexico. The team lacked pitching, timely situational hitting and an overall buzz. Against Italy, those trends shifted in the opposite direction, although it didn't seem like they would in the first couple innings.
U.S. starter Ryan Vogelsong was touched for two runs and several hard-hit outs in the first two innings, and the offense couldn't find hits with runners on base through the first three.
World Baseball Classic: Schedule, results of all games
But Vogelsong eventually settled in and the hitters started to barrel up to Italy's inferior pitching staff. After Joe Mauer doubled in Ryan Braun to get the States on the board in the fourth inning, the bats really came alive in the fifth, striking for five runs to put the game out of reach.
With a run already in, Mauer drew a walk to load the bases for David Wright. With two strikes on Wright, Italy's Matt Torra threw a flimsy changeup that caught way too much of the plate and Wright launched it over the left-field wall for the second grand slam in the history of the WBC. It gave Team USA a 6-2 cushion, and the relievers made sure Italy's hot bats from the day before — the Italians scored 14 runs against Canada on Friday — were doused.
"It was emotional," Wright said. "You hear the USA chants. You look in the stands and you see the flags. You look in the dugout and see USA across the front of guys' chests and hats. You get caught up in the game and you get a little emotional."
It wasn't all peachy for Team USA. They still stranded nine runners and were 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position, but the pitching was better and the long ball was present for at least one critical moment. And it was a win. So these guys will take it.
As will the WBC. Had the pieces fallen into the right place Saturday, the U.S. could have been playing Sunday's game for nothing more than trying to avoid being shutout in pool play. It would have been a national embarrassment and bad for WBC marketing.
But with this team still kicking, the hope of MLB that the Americans can win this whole thing is still alive, and they are still the hunted even if they aren't the defending champions.
"When you put that USA jersey on, you have a bull's-eye on," Wright said. "Teams want to beat you, so it makes it a great atmosphere every time out. All of us take a great deal of pride putting this uniform on. We want to represent the country well."


text:
Choose wisely.
'); var yuipath = 'clientscript/yui'; var yuicombopath = ''; var remoteyui = false; } else // Load Rest of YUI remotely (where possible) { var yuipath = 'http://yui.yahooapis.com/2.9.0/build'; var yuicombopath = 'http://yui.yahooapis.com/combo'; var remoteyui = true; if (!yuicombopath) { document.write('
Choose wisely.
Hicks..........where are you!
Write-ins are not allowed, by the way. This isn't an NBA All-Star ballot.
Well, I guess you do, since you keep posting that.Originally Posted by ReggieMiller8325
I thought profanity was against the forum rules? If I get banned for speaking my mind, why should you get off scot-free?
Its HICKS!!!
Wait... 2 people have voted in the poll!
Poll has been switched...?
Yep thats what I've been saying over in the "Who is Jumpin Shaq Flash thread".Originally Posted by 3ptmiller
It all makes perfect sense.
We cannot find Hicks anywhere, and the other admins are not on this guys case because they are all in on it.
That is why there is no Btown, or Shade, or anyone else putting a stop to this.
House Name: Pacers
House Sigil:
House Words: "We Kneel To No King"
What the hell happened to my poll?


text:
Colon could draw interest in waiver-trade deal
LOS ANGELES -- The Mets have placed starting pitcher Bartolo Colon on revocable waivers, according to FOX Sports, opening the door for a potential trade. The team has not confirmed the report.
Colon, 41, will start Sunday at Dodger Stadium in what could be his final outing with the Mets. Several teams, most notably the Angels, are in need of starting pitching, increasing the chances that the Mets deal Colon if he clears waivers.
Clearing will be the tricky part. The Mets cannot trade Colon freely unless he goes unclaimed by every other National League team in reverse order of standings, and then by every American League team in reverse order. If that happens, the Mets can negotiate a deal with any big league club prior to Aug. 30.
If a team claims Colon during that process, the Mets can either let the claiming team take him and absorb his full salary, work out a trade, or pull him back. If they pull Colon back, he becomes ineligible for a trade.
There is a chance a team could claim Colon in an attempt to block contenders such as the Angels from acquiring him. But that strategy carries with it the very real risk that the Mets will simply let Colon and his salary go.
Colon is 11-10 with a 3.85 ERA in 24 starts. He missed his last outing due to the death of his mother.
Anthony DiComo is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @AnthonyDicomo. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text:
Available Software
| Go Back to List
Qualtrics Individual
|Cost to your department: $500
|Enterprise Campus Licenses (Fee Based)
We offer an "opt-in" licence program for the full featured web based survey tool called Qualtrics. If you have been using Survey Monkey or LimeSurvey in the past, you now have the option to switch and use Qualtrics. This tool allows users to design online survey instruments, distribute, collect and analyze data and create custom reports.
Information Technology Services in partnership with several units on campus has been able to obtain Qualtrics for institutional use. In an effort to facilitate research, teaching and departmental needs, Qualtrics was identified as a leader amongst survey tool applications and was evaluated by our team and determined to be an effective, flexible and powerful application, suitable and adaptable for many types of data collection and analysis.
Opt-in Program
Read about the USD "opt-in" license program for Divisions ($2,000) or Individuals ($500)
Qualtrics offers training for all users and ongoing support throughout our Qualtrics license.
Divisions that have "opted-in" have a person who serves as the Division Administrator.
Contact Information
Client Support Services
Information Technology Services
University Center 117
5998 Alcalá Park
San Diego, CA 92110
Phone: (619) 260-7900


text:
Undergraduate Degrees, Majors and Concentrations
SOCI4800 - Senior Research Project
Spring 2014
This course is designed to provide students with the opportunity to develop a research question relevant to sociology, select appropriate research methods to answer specific questions, analyze the data collected, write a research paper, and present findings to a larger audience. It is the capstone course of the sociology program.
Prerequisites: SOCI3420, 90 credits and Department Head permission
3 Credits
Schedule Book for All Active and Available Future Terms, Course starting with SOCI4800
No Courses Found


text:
Light-Scattering Spectroscopy for Detection of Breast Cancer
This study is currently recruiting participants.
Verified April 2017 by University of Southern California
University of Southern California
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Information provided by (Responsible Party):
University of Southern California
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
First received: December 18, 2012
Last updated: April 11, 2017
Last verified: April 2017
- Full Text View
- Tabular View
- No Study Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
No Study Results Posted on ClinicalTrials.gov for this Study
|Study Status:
|This study is currently recruiting participants.
|Estimated Study Completion Date:
|November 21, 2019
|Estimated Primary Completion Date:
|November 21, 2018 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)


text:
Hi everyone
I was wondering if "Nama" (in the phrase Name & Form) means only Feeling, Perception and Formations, or does it include also consciousness?
In the suttas, it seems that in general it excludes consciousness but in the Visuddhimagga, it is said that the characteristic of nama is to be bent on the object, which seems to mean that it cognizes it. But cognizing is the characteristic of consciousness.
Sacha G


text:
Dear friends,
I'm currently in Singapore visiting my folks. I visited the Asian Civilisations Museum yesterday and snapped many photos of Buddhist artefacts from South East Asia, China and South Asia. Most of these artefacts are from the 8th-15th centuries, if I remember correctly. A few are more recent.
As flash photography wasn't permitted, I had to work with a high exposure. So many of the photos are rather grainy and some are out of focus. But I hope you like them.
Thai and Burmese Buddhas
First Sermon
Thai and Khmer Buddhas
Thai Buddha
Another Thai Buddha
Yet another Thai Buddha
Buddha with Nagas (Khmer I think)
Khmer artefacts
Buddhapada (Thai I think)
Dhammachakra in the middle of Buddhapada and other auspicious symbols
Buddhist with first four disciples (Burmese)
Burmese artefacts
More Burmese artefacts
Burmese kammavaca (excepts from the Vinaya I think)
Burmese kammavaca
Burmese scroll painting
Vietnamese Avalokiteshvara
Vietnamese Guanyin
Vietnamese monk and Guanyin
Vietnamese monk
Chinese Avalokiteshvara
Chinese Buddha
Chinese seated Guanyin
Guanyin and other Chinese deities
Indian Buddha
Emaciated Gotama
Life of Buddha
Crowned Buddha (Indian or Tibetan)
Sri Lankan artefacts
Tibetan vajras
Tibetan artefacts
Tibetan scrolls
Rupas on display in restaurant


text:
I currently have a Discarrier full of plastic and I'm trying to cut down on the molds soon. I do however have a couple of big events coming up and I don't have time to make big changes before them. But after those I'll really try to work on my technique and at the same time rationalize my disc choices. Here is what my bag looks like at the moment:
Distance drivers:
Star ECHO XCaliber 175 g (for headwind distance)
Champion Destroyer 175 g (for distance in moderate headwind)
Pro Destroyer 172 g (my go to distance driver)
Pro Destroyer 168 g (for tailwind distance and big annys)
Star Wraith 166 g (turnover distance)
Champion Wraith 164 g (turnover distance)
Fairway drivers:
Champion Starfire 172 g (my main sidearm disc, I suck sidearm)
Champion TeeBird 175 g (my more stable fairway driver)
Star TeeBird 175 g (a little less stable than the Champion one)
Star TL 175 g (for shots with very little fade and annys)
Champion Roadrunner 175 g (turnover shots)
ESP Wasp 178 g (my most stable midrange at the moment)
CryZtal Buzzz 180 g (almost as stable as the Wasp but with a smaller fade)
ESP Buzzz 178 g (turnovers and annys)
Classic Roc 172 g (overstable, wind shots and hyzers)
Star XD 174 g (trying to get a feel for this)
Several DX XDs 171-174 g (putting and short turnovers)
DX Beast 175 g (rollers)
11x KC Pro Banshee 174 g (competing with Whippet for overstable fairway driver/midrange / overhead shots / spike hyzers slot)
Star Whippet X 175 g (competing with Banshee for overstable fairway driver/midrange / overhead shots / spike hyzers slot)
I use my putters for almost all shots under 250 feet and midranges up to around 330 depending on the shot. Fairway drivers come out of the bag when I need accuracy and distance drivers when I need raw D.
I can hit about 380 quite consistantly at the moment with the longest throws probably being around 450. My problem is that I don't seem to find my distance drivers to very much longer than my fairway drivers. That's why I'm planning to replace my Xcaliber and Champion Destroyer with Firebirds or Predators and the rest of my Destroyers and Wraiths with Starfire Xs and SLs. Then decide between the Whippet and Banshee and most likely I'll be adding a Z Wasp to my bag for some more midrange stability.
So when I get done with the changes I'm planning, my bag should look like this:
Firebirds or Predators (Star/Champion/both or Z)
Starfire Xs (Star and Champion)
SLs (Star and Pro)
TeeBirds (Star and Champion)
TLs (Star)
Banshees or Whippet Xs (Champion or Star)
Wasps (Z and ESP)
Buzzzes (CryZtal or Z and ESP)
Classis Rocs (Champion)
XDs (Star and DX)
Does any of this make any sense to anybody? Comment, please!


text:
Made with Curapixa Hardwood.
About Stair Nosing:
Place your order now through our web site, call 1-800-HARDWOOD to talk to one of our sales representatives, or click here to find the closest store to you.
Reviewed by 2 customers
Best Uses
Comments about Prefinished Bolivian Rosewood Stair Nose:
It is a beautiful wood. very happy with it.
Best Uses
Comments about Prefinished Bolivian Rosewood Stair Nose:
CAUTION: The bullnose is thinner than the flooring itself. If installed 'as is' it would taper down and could cause people to slip.
Do you have questions about this product?
AnswerBox - Get answers from Staff Experts and real customers by clicking "Ask a question" or click here to ask our Customer Service Team
Q:I am looking for the stair nose to mach the Brazil Rosewood engineering floor pieces with the thickness of 0.5 inches.
1 answer
A:This product question would be better answered by our Sales Department, they are more familiar with all of our flooring products and can better assist you with your questions.
1 answer
A:No this will not fit; it is for our 3/4" product.


text:
New Google Image Search
Google Announces Revamped Image Search
In a press conference today, Google announced huge changes to its image search, aimed both at refining search results for users and introducing a new advertising unit to the mix.
In terms of image search, there are some major changes: a new layout displays larger images with far less white space, leaving room for up to 1,000 results on a single page, while hovering over an image brings up a larger, more detailed image containing more information. But that's not all — hear about the rest of the impressive new features and when to expect the update when you read more.
Clicking on an image result takes you to the website location with a blown-up version of the image floating above the page — no more clunky frame at the top of the page. You can easily refine your image search results using the left-hand navigation; sort by type of image (clip art, photo, line drawing), color, and size.
In addition to running traditional ads on the page, advertisers will be able to include image and text ads targeted toward specific search terms.
The changes to image search have already begun to roll out to users and should be completed over the next few days.


text:
It's not what you wear. It's how you wear it.
Either one is nice
Thread: What looks classier on men?
I've always preferred gold to silver, but I'm seeing more men wear silver (rings, watches, necklaces) recently. Thoughts?
- - - Updated - - -
For the record: I realize that I did not include titanium. I know that titanium is trendy right now...but it's not something I can wear, so I left it out.
"We don't fail because we aim too high and miss, but because we aim too low and hit" - Les Brown
"When you're all alone, when no one is watching, and there's no one around to impress, that is who you are" - Greg Laurie
I decided for either one. Yet, considering strictly versatility, not the factor of looking better, I usually prefer to wear, at least what wristwatches are concerned, silver, stainless steel, white gold or titanium. Simply because they are easier to accessorize with both casual and formal wear.
Silver, stainless steel, white gold, are more versatile and easier to accessorize. For example, a wrist watch with a stainless steel band can be worn with just about any outfit or shoes whereas a gold colored band is more restrictive.
Depends on style, skin tone, etc.
Personally I don't wear anything anymore but it was silver when I did.
Gold - in any color.
I tend to wear silver more but I do wear white gold and I think its looks better then yellow gold imo.
It depends on the man and the clothing. Some men can wear a bracelet, too.
What about platinum?
It is a matter of taste.
"...put on clothes that are well-scented with incense. Even if youre somewhere where no one special will see you, you still feel a heady sense of pleasure inside." Things that make your heart beat fast (translated by Meredith McKinney), Sei Shonagon. The Pillow Book.
"The sunset is deeper and longer. The scent of the jasmine is stronger." Miracles. Pet Shop Boys
I'd say gold looks classier on more mature men.
Silver - stainless steel - white gold, but it depends - sometimes gold can look very classy
eden <3 <3 <3
To each their own....for me if you are speaking about a watch...a black leather band is my preferred way to go. An all black watch is my other choice. Don't wear bracelets or rings....I do wear something around my neck and it is gold.
"It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it."
"I've been everywhere but the electric chair seen everything but the wind."..
I've always preferred white metals to gold. Gold has just always seemed sort of tacky to me.
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I would be curious to see the ages of the voters. I have a feeling the younger guys went for silver whilst the older guys went for gold.
I agree with it depends on your skin color and I have fair/medium skintone and prefer to wear silver. However, I try to not wear necklaces and bracelets because I have a tendency to turn and turn them obsessively. It's a shame because I love jewelry!
I'm not OLD...I'm VINTAGE!
I prefer silver, it seems classier looking for some reason. It is also easier to match with clothing, belts, etc.
Silver. I like to be accentuated.
Gold makes too loud of a statement.


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'Revolution' Recap: We (Finally) Learn Something About the Blackout
Obviously we have to start with this line, spoken by Randall to Monroe before the title crawl: "I could have gone to Governor Affleck in California." This is the future, people — after being snubbed for Best Director at the 2013 Academy Awards, Hollywood icon Ben Affleck hunkered down, preparing for the inevitable blackout. And when it came? He was READY. Harnessing his network of powerful friends, like Matt Damon and Alan Arkin, and putting his creative goodwill to work, Affleck quickly gained in strength. And even the people who would oppose him — I mean they were just rooting for the guy, you know? Good for him finding another career that really suited him.
RELATED: 'Revolution': Elizabeth Mitchell and the Cast Tease New Secrets
But enough about Affleck, who won't be a featured character until at least the halfway point of Season 2. Last night's installment, "Ghosts," sent our ragtag group of rebels in multiple directions as they realized the need to TAKE THE FIGHT TO MONROE, or whatever tag next year's promos decide to run with. Lovers/fighters Miles and Nora hit Virginia to try and recruit one of Miles' old militia colleagues. On the home front, Rachel finally divulged a bit about the origins of the Blackout as their base* was infiltrated by her old boss, Randall.
*Echo Base. The Empire Strikes Back. Come on!
The part of Virginia we visited last night seemed like it had its s**t together! Very Woodbury on The Walking Dead vibe, minus the not-so-secretly psychopathic town leader. Hell, there were hand-painted signs everywhere and nerds to yell "hey, Shakespeare!" at while you're strolling the street. Even a library, which is where Miles found his buddy, Jim Hudson. Now, you don't expect to see Malik Yoba ("Yul Brenner" in the classic Cool Runnings) just hanging around stupid books, but this was his cover — "Henry Beamus." And Henry Beamus was married. Why any woman would believe that "Henry Beamus" could be a real name/person I have no idea, but "Henry" had nevertheless found happiness — something he'd prefer for Miles to not blow up (figuratively or literally, as is often the case on Revolution.
Within moments, Miles learned that he'd accidentally led a group of militia to the town and well shoot, man we're probably gonna have to sword fight our way out of this! Hats off to the choreography team who puts these together. Where the gun battles on this show often devolve into confusing sprays of bullets, each sword fight has felt fast, vicious, and logical. The only time I truly believe Miles as the "ultimate badass" we're constantly told he is? When they guy's got a sword in his hand, taking on a squad of militia.
Miles, Nora and Jim of course emerged victorious…but not without Jim's wife discovering his true identify (when he stabbed some guy to death in front of her, oops), and leaving him. "You ruined my life, Miles. Again." But by some combination of Miles' endless rogue charm and the realization that there was nothing else left for him in town, Jim decided to saddle up. Good choice, pal! Loads of sword fighting adventures ahead with quips aplenty from your old buddy, Miles.
Because the worst thing in the world would be to slow down for ten minutes and give us a walk-and-talk of the rebel camp or learn anything about our characters, Charlie's group came under almost immediate attack. How? THOSE DAMN PENDANTS. Turns out they can be accessed remotely, specifically accessed by Randall — who used the two in Rachel's possession to track her whereabouts. Why? Because Rachel was not merely a scientist, like she was on LOST, but a high-ranking developer of whatever "weapon" it was that may have (definitely) triggered the Blackout in the first place. She was working with her husband at the Department of Defense. Randall was her boss. Most of which spilled out of Rachel and into the ears of Charlie and Aaron while they evaded (and of course eventually escaped) the attacking militia. Once upon a time Randall was probably a decent guy. But the death of his soldier son, stationed in Kabul, reinforced his desire to "get the weapon built" and finally, in a still mysterious scene, order the it be executed. What is the weapon, exactly? What was its aim? 42 being a limited number of minutes in which to tell all this story, we got only hints. "There's this place," Rachel finally relented to Aaron. "It's called The Tower." And roll your eyes, snark it up (I sure do) but hey — there are worse shows to emulate than LOST. There are certainly storytelling lessons Revolution could still take to heart.
Let's backtrack a minute to look at one of the more interesting snippets of the episode, and maybe the series thus far. Randall had found his target, Rachel, and as he lead her to their fleet of trucks he told her with as many specifics as can be given at this moment what he wanted to do with a renewed power source. "Let's make this a better world, by putting power in the hands of the few." He summarizes what human beings had done with power up until the Blackout. "We just used it to wage war and kill each other." And now, starting over…maybe we can make a better world? I don't agree with him — and we're not meant to — but there's a thoughtfulness here, a sense of what this Blackout has actually meant to people and structures, that until this point I don't think had been raised. I like helicopter explosions. I like bras (and this "family" show seems weirdly willing to help me out!). I like mythology, even when it's LOST-lite. But any show dealing with BIG QUESTIONS has to be prepared to explore what they actually mean. "Ghosts" felt like a good start in that direction.
What did you think? Excited to finally hear the origins of the Blackout next week? Or bracing yourself for the inevitable disappointment of finding out two God figures tripped over an earth-shaped light switch as they were playing chess, and are still stumbling around trying to flip it back? Man, that would be a wacky season finale.
Follow Henning on Twitter @HenningFog
[PHOTO CREDIT: Brownie Harris/NBC]
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September 12, 2011
11:51 a.m.
Miami, FL
We are here! Mark and I are now busy unpacking boxes and settling into our new home.
On Sunday my family greeted us to a wonderful welcome home lunch of Arroz Con Pollo! The chef for the day was family friend Rene Viera. He's a charismatic man who's quick with a joke and has a contagious laugh. He's also a good listener which is the first indication that he has the patience required to be a wonderful cook! I ask him what he likes about cooking. He thinks about it for a second before calmly replying, "It relaxes me."
Rene was born in Havana, the son of a prominent journalist. Now that I am home I want to begin learning Cuban recipes so I can one day share them with our daughter. Rene offered to teach Mark and I how to make Arroz con Pollo. This lunch was also the first time Mina got to meet her Great-Grandfather Andrew Vazquez. It was nice having the whole family together!
As Rene cooked, I took notes and pictures for me and for you! This recipe feeds 8 people.
Chicken: Rene says he always buys skinless drumsticks and thighs. The reason?: Chicken breast is very dry, whereas the drumsticks and thighs are juicier. Since he wanted to cook for 8 people, he guessed 3 pieces each for a total of 24 pieces.
Olive Oil
Sweet Peas (8 oz)
Roasted Red Peppers (12 oz)
Tomato Sauce: (4 oz)
Bijol Seasoning (two 1 ½ oz jars): Did you know?: Bijol was founded in 1922 in Cuba http://bijol.com/history.php
Onions: 1 ½ to 2 large size Yellow Onions
Goya: California Pearl Rice Arroz Tipe Valenciano (two 14oz bags)
1 Bulb of Garlic Did you know?: A clove of garlic is Spanish is called a "diente de ajo." Diente means "tooth" in English.
First you want to let the chicken marinate overnight in a simple rub of garlic powder and salt. Just sprinkle on the chicken and let it sit in the fridge overnight.
Next you want to work on the sofrito. In this case it is a combination of onions and garlic. Dice 1 ¾ Yellow Onions and a bulb of garlic. Rene will place each clove of garlic, or diente de ajo, under a knife to mash it and then cut it. Place in pan with some olive oil and let that simmer. Rene explains how the onions add flavor to the rice.
Up next, set the oven to 450-degrees.
In a pot, place some onion with a touch of olive oil and then at 3-4 pieces at a time brown the chicken, don't cook it. Just flip several times on either side to slightly brown the skin.
Boil enough water to make the rice. Follow rice package instructions. Usually 2 cups of water for every cup of rice.
The onions and garlic are cooked first. When the onions are caramelized, (they reduce and look glassy), then you add the tomato sauce. When all that is well mixed and hot, you add it to the boiling water and the chicken. Add bijol and salt to taste and boil all that for about 5 minutes.
After about 5 minutes, take the chicken out and pour the water/sofrito mix into the pan and stir a little bit . Then place the chicken on top.
Cover with foil and transfer into the oven right away, you can't let the water get cold.
In 40-45 minutes you will have a yummy dish!
The rice in Arroz con Pollo should be what's called humedo, or damp. Never dry.
So when you are trying to gauge if it is ready you want the rice to be moist but not soggy (If you are using Valencia Rice). The rice should absorb all the water.
When it is done you garnish with the roasted red peppers and baby peas.
Some people chop the roasted red peppers but I have most often seen it placed on top in strips.
Rene explains that the peppers and peas are really for decoration or garnish more than for flavor.
3 p.m.
Ocala, FL
We take what will be our final major break at a rest stop in Ocala! As we get back on the road we see the first sign for Miami! Almost there!
Christine Armario is an Associated Press reporter and President of the South Florida Chapter for the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) .
Networking guru Ken Olivas, Parity Project Director for NAHJ, connected Christine and I through Facebook. She was kind enough to invite me to an event tonight commemorating the one year anniversary of the Florida Center of Investigative Reporting.
We?ll be getting into Miami pretty late but it would be nice to meet other reporters on our first night! Mark says if they have food he?s in! Vamos a ver.
Thank you for reading our travel blog! It has been a fun adventure and I hope you learned something along the way -- I know we did!
I begin with WPLG October 3rd. If you have any story ideas feel free to contact me through my website: www.ChristinaBoomerVazquez.com.
8:30 p.m.
Tallahassee, Fla.
Four time zones, four days, 1,890 miles and roughly 50 diapers later we arrive in Tallahassee, Florida. Woo-hoo! Almost there!
My very tired husband wants to lounge in the hotel for the night so I run next door to Julie's Place for some grub. Turns out this place is rich in Tallahassee history. The gregarious bartender and general manager Troy Kirkingburg explains how they are the oldest continuously operating restaurant in the city. Its website claims the restaurant is, "a Tallahassee Tradition Since 1978."
Troy is busy getting ready for Karaoke night. Everyone in the bar seems to know him by first name. As a man orders two glasses of zinfandel Troy tells me how Tallahassee is a "big city with a small town feel." He said we are 3 miles from the capitol building on the north side of town. He adds that everything north of here is, "country, about as country as you can get." As if to prove his point two men in cowboy hats cozy up to the bar behind him.
When I went to Boston College and told people I was from Miami some would say, "Oh, I've never been to the South," and I'd reply, "Neither have I." You have to travel north from Miami to get to the South. Tallahassee certainly has a Southern feel.
The last time I was here I was a teenager participating in American Legion Auxiliary's Florida Girls State. Girls State is a hands-on way for teens to learn how local and state government operates. You have to compete to attend. Activities include debating and voting on mock bills as well as campaigning. I ran as a Lt. Governor and faced a crushing defeat. It began with Boys State in 1935 which their website explains was founded in Illinois, "to counter the socialism-inspired Young Pioneer Camps."
Wikipedia says famous alumni include: Neil Armstrong, Bill Clinton, Mike Huckabee, Rush Limbaugh, George Pataki, Harry Reid, Michael Jordan and Mark Wahlberg. Really? Marky Mark? Hmm...I called American Legion and rattled off the names. A woman is quick to confirm. Yep. They all participated.
2 p.m.
Pass Christian, Mississippi
During a stop for gas in Waveland I chatted up a man standing in front of the food mart. Want to know the best places to eat in a new city? Skip the internet and ask a local. He scopes out our silly arrangement in the car. Dog in the back, baby in the middle, a meowing cat in the front, he smiles and in a wonderfully thick Southern accent tells us to cross the bridge into Pass Christian. "Just before the harbor make a left, eat at Pirate's Cove." He tells us to get a roast beef, shrimp or soft shell crab po-boy.
When we arrive I ask the woman behind the counter what she recommends. "I'm known for my roast beef and shrimp po-boys." She sure is! I order one of each so Mark and I can share. Then I spot "corn nuggets" on the menu. I've never heard of such a thing and so order immediately. They are tasty deep fried balls of creamed corn. We polish it off with a glass bottle of Barq's root beer. BeverageHistory.com says Barq's was first bottled in the French Quarter of New Orleans in 1890.
That's also the supposed birthplace of the "po-boy." A po-boy everywhere else in the country is called a sub. The first thing we noticed was the bread. It was perfectly crunchy on the outside, soft on in the inside. According to Gumbopages.com, "What makes a po-boy special is the bread. A po-boy isn't a po-boy unless it's made with good quality, fresh French bread."
Frenchquarter.com offers this explanation of how the sandwich got its name: "The most widely accepted story holds that the sandwich was invented by Clovis and Benjamin Martin, brothers and former streetcar drivers who opened a restaurant on St. Claude Avenue in the 1920s. When streetcar drivers went on strike in 1929, the brothers took up their cause and created an inexpensive sandwich of gravy and spare bits of roast beef on French bread they would serve the unemployed workers out of the rear of their restaurant. When a worker came to get one, the cry would go up in the kitchen that 'Here comes another poor boy!' and the name was transferred to the sandwich, eventually becoming 'po-boy' in common usage."
A big thank you to Local10.com's Managing Editor Barb Besteni for recommending that we take the coastal route instead of the highway. She even mapped us here from New Orleans! Thanks!
11:36 a.m.
Waveland, Mississippi
We are cruising the Mississippi coast along Highway 90, enjoying the sight of water until it hits the horizon. My husband grew up sailing off the south shore of Boston and I am from Miami. That?s what makes us self-professed "ocean people."
This is our first time in Mississippi. We marvel at the grand mansions on the north side of the highway and white sands to the south. The Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) says this stretch of road is one of the most scenic in the South. The coastal roadway was part of the Old Spanish Trail and used to be known locally as Beach Drive.
MDOT has been working to repair the damage done to Highway 90 since Hurricane Katrina decided to pay a visit in 2005. Pictures on their website show a road rippled with deep cracks.
We just can?t resist the call of the water and decide to pull over. On our various trips to California we learned Fahrenheit loves to play in the ocean. Plus our cat Buddy could use a walk. It is hard for most people to believe it, even when they see it, but our cat can walk on a leash.
It seemed like a great idea, even to Buddy, who was thrilled to be free from his soft carrier. Then it hit him, this sandy beach leads straight to WATER! If you have a cat you know exactly how much they love getting wet. So there we were, the whole family enjoying some beach time. Mina was gripping the soft sand with her long toes while Fahrenheit swam and Buddy...well...while Buddy freaked out realizing a large body of water was so close. Who the heck brings a cat on a leash to the beach? I guess we do! That?s how we roll.
10 a.m.
New Orleans
We are headed out of town today. Up until this point we hadn't decided where to go next. Options included Tallahassee, Jacksonville and Tampa. Our cat Buddy is beginning to grow weary of traveling so we picked the city with the shortest commute: Tallahassee.
Before hitting the road we walk up the Mississippi river to play Frisbee with our pup. Local10.com managing editor Barb Besteni recommended taking the coast instead of the freeway. We figure what the heck? Why not?! This will be my first time in Mississippi. Stay tuned!
8 p.m.
Belle Chasse, Louisiana
After dinner Dave and Dina Illg invite us to meet their kids and see their business. Dave gives us a tour of a large empty building currently under construction behind their existing hardware store. The gleam in his eye and pep in his voice are clear indications of how excited he is about the expansion. He'll employ about 16 full time workers; another 6-7 are part time. His son Evan shows us a rendering of what the new storefront will look like.
Dave experienced part of Hurricane Katrina in his hardware store. The powerful storm left battle wounds on the landscape and souls of everything and everyone in her path. In his front store window Dave keeps a satellite image of Katrina's massive footprint with the center right over Plaquemines Parish.
It was one of the hardest hit yet least assessed areas. The compassion I witnessed between people in Plaquemines Parish left an impression on me when I was there covering the storm. At the same time news crews were feeding back video of some people looting in New Orleans, the folks in Plaquemines were turning to each other for survival. Businesses and private residents were donating clothing and food to the local high school where volunteers cooked meals for first responders and area residents who had lost their homes.
Video: Tropical Storm Lee, Myrtle Grove, La. - Courtesy: David Illg
Dave recalls how after the storm he left his back door open and wrote a note that told people to take what they need, just leave your name and phone number. As we stand in his hardware store he walks over to the counter and taps it as he explains, "there was a stack of paper right here". Everyone complied and he doesn't know of a single person that didn't pay.
This is why despite predictions of an active hurricane season Dave thinks they will do alright. The people of Plaquemines are an industrious bunch who stand by each other come hell or high water. "We're prepared, we're ready, we're experienced," he tells me. "God willing, we'll be good."
6:30 p.m.
Belle Chasse, Louisiana
One of the reasons we wanted to stay in New Orleans an extra night is to ensure we had a chance to pop down into Plaquemines Parish.
That's where I was when I covered Hurricane Katrina. Photojournalist Max Benitez and I were working for KVIA-ABC7 in El Paso at the time and traveled there as embedded reporters with the New Mexico National Guard. Once we landed we spent much of our time with the Plaquemines Parish Sheriff's Office. An experience like that bonds you. I stayed in contact with Captain Robert Cosse ever since, even traveling back down there for a visit in April of 2010. It was at that time that I met "Sea Plane Dave" as he is called in Mark's cell phone.
Dave is David Illg. He used to be Captain Cosse's partner when the pair worked undercover narcotics. After 16 years in the Plaquemines Parish Sheriff's Office David decided to retire and run his Belle Chasse hardware store JeanFreau's fulltime. As you might be wondering, yes, he has a sea plane. On our last visit he arranged a trip onboard so Mark and I could get an aerial view of some of the restoration projects under way to build up surrounding barrier islands.
On this trip we wanted to surprise Captain Cosse and so arranged a dinner at Lil G's in Belle Chasse with David and his wife Dina. But Tropical Storm Lee decided on a change of plans. Captain Cosse was out of cell phone range, at the mouth of the Mississippi handled flood damage. Dave shows us cell phone pictures of washed out roads in Myrtle Grove. Dina tells us the reason it flooded so fast is because Lee was only moving 2 miles per hour and dumping a lot of rain.
3:00 p.m.
New Orleans
Lunch was so great I thought it was worth a post.
Our casual stroll led us to the corner of Washington and Magazine Streets where we stumbled into Coquette, a bistro and wine bar. http://www.coquette-nola.com/
I think it was the "$5 Wine Wednesdays" sign that caught our eye. Waitress Kaylie Siekkinen was quick to greet us with a smile. Her brother Gavin is the general manager and explained how Chef Michael Stoltzfus opened the restaurant after Hurricane Katrina, a difficult time for many businesses.
After the storm many people left town which means there weren't enough people to support area restaurants. Shortly after that the economy began to tumble.
Not only did they survive, but they are expanding with plans to open a second restaurant with a different concept in the French Quarter. I asked Gavin why he thinks they've been successful during a troubling time. He tells me it's all about the food. A lighter fare packed with flavor. He tells us how the Chef will often substitute stock in recipes that traditionally call for cream. He believes this taps into a new societal awareness to eat healthier.
We give it a try and love every bite. The appetizer was a curiously delicious pairing of oysters with a pickled peach salad. I know that sounds weird but boy did it work! Up next, a chicken breast that Kaylie told us is vacuum-sealed in a marinade before it is served was savory.
Being in New Orleans we had to go with the beignets. Kaylie says theirs are made with a French pastry so are actually lighter than the traditional beignets you'll find at Café Du Monde. They were served with two dips. Mark preferred caramel whereas I enjoyed the "coffee pot de crème" which had the consistency of pudding.
2:00 p.m.
New Orleans, Garden District
Just as National Weather Service meteorologist Gavin Phillips predicted it was a beautiful day; low humidity and plenty of sun. This was the day we built into the trip to take a breather. It was nice not to be on the road.
The historic St. Charles street car line runs right past our hotel so we boarded for a trip down to the Garden District. According to NewOrleansOnline.com, in New Orleans, we call our vintage electric rail vehicles streetcars - never trolleys.
With Mina strapped into a Baby Bjorn we wandered around brick paved roads with nowhere to go and in no particular direction. Simply enjoying the surrounding architecture was a treat. Gorgeous historic homes with delightful details like ornate molding, wrought iron balconies and tall wooden shutters.
Coming from the beige landscape of Phoenix's stucco homes and strip malls, our eyes feasted on the range of home colors. There were canary yellow ones and cotton candy pink. Electric blue and sea foam green.
It may sound grim, even morbid, but we also strolled around Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 which was founded in 1833. I found a website that catalogues the various types. http://www.nolacemeteries.com/
The city's high water table is what prompted the creation of these decorative above-ground tombs.
10:15 a.m.
New Orleans
We are enjoying a nice and easy start to our day. We decided to stay in New Orleans a second night and so there was no rush to the morning. Before Mina I would say "sleeping in" was at least noon. Since her birth in June that's moved up a couple of hours to 8am? by that measure we got the chance to sleep in, which was fabulous. I was grateful because my pup Fahrenheit and I wound up having a late night. It all started when Mark asked for a beer.
We had just rolled into New Orleans from San Antonio. Mark said he'd watch the baby and our cat Buddy if I'd fetch him a beer. A good plan given Fahrenheit needed to stretch his legs. The hotel receptionist recommended I visit a neighborhood market which was a few blocks away. When I arrive I ask the clerk if I can leave my pup just inside the front door. In an abrupt and gruff tone he barks at me to get my dog out of there. Under his breath he mumbles something about dogs. His co-worker quickly offers to watch Fahrenheit but I decide I'm all set. Fahrenheit could use a longer walk and I'm sure there's another establishment that won't mind the company of a smiling pooch.
I follow the sound of big brass to Bourbon Street. There on the corner of Canal was a Brass Band performing for the handful of tourists who had gathered by a hot dog stand to take pictures and record video. Fahrenheit and I join the ranks. We enjoy a tune, toss $5 in their bucket and then continue on our mission to find Mark a beer.
As we walk past several bars I remember that in New Orleans you are allowed to walk around with beer in an open container. On the backside of large wooden doors are rows of plastic "to go" cups. I ask a nearby bouncer just to be sure. "Are you restricted to Bourbon Street or?" he cuts me off as he says with a smile, "Nope the whole city!" Perfect. Now I can just buy Mark a beer at a bar, pour it into a cup and walk it back to the hotel. I ask the bouncer which bar he thinks might welcome Fahrenheit.
He points to a frozen margarita joint down the street. "They have turtles so I am assuming they are pretty pet friendly." Inside are three bartenders with large grins and a lot of empty chairs. I'm the only person in the place. Reggaeton is blasting on the speakers. I order my beer and chat about dogs. One bartender tells me that he has three Pit Bulls who think they are lap dogs. The conversation quickly changes to Hurricane Katrina. He was in Baton Rouge at the time, which didn't suffer as much damage as New Orleans. He says the crime rate has dropped since the storm and people just seem friendlier to one another.
As I am about to wrap up, a crew of Canadians walk in to meet Fahrenheit. As they shower him with high-pitched greetings they explain how Fahrenheit reminds them of their dog.
Their pup is a Shepherd-Pit mix, scandalous in Toronto where Pit Bulls are banned. If you decide to get one you have to pay a fine and buy dog insurance. I looked it up when I got back to my hotel. According to Ontario's Ministry of the Attorney General's website the ban took effect in August of 2005. "The legislation bans pit bulls in Ontario, places restrictions on existing pit bulls, and toughens the penalties for the owners of any dog that poses a danger to the public." If you already owned a Pit Bull at the time of the law you were allowed to keep it as long as you muffle the Pit in public and sterilize it. To make life easy, they just tell people their pup is half-Boxer. This shocks the bartender who leans across the bar to show us cellphone pictures of his Pit Bulls.
Turns out Sarah, Scott, Robin and Jason were all in town to visit their buddy Chris. Chris is also from Toronto but explains how shortly after Hurricane Katrina he decided to move to the Crescent City on a whim! The place was a mess. He arrived as the city was barely emerging out of chaos. He found a job at a local restaurant and that's where he met his future wife Brandi. Notice that her name is spelled with an "I" at the end. "That i is very important," he tells me. "She'll be sure you let you know if you forget the i."
Brandi is from the Ninth Ward, an area hit hard by Hurricane Katrina. Chris says luckily she evacuated before the storm hit, but it took a long time for her to ever come back. Like so many others there wasn't much to go back to. She first traveled up the Gulf to Mississippi and then over to Houston, Texas, looking for work and shelter. After more than a year Chris tells me Brandi knew it was time to go home. She missed the feel of the place, the culture, the food and her family. When she got back Chris was already there. They now have a 3½-year-old son. He shows me a picture on his cellphone. A super cute kid draped in Mardi Gras beads.
This is the fourth time his friends have come down to visit. I ask the group for restaurant recommendations. If there is one thing you should know before visiting New Orleans it is to bring your appetite! The food here is amazing and so just about everyone has a favorite place to eat. Take Local10.com Managing Editor Barb Besteni, who wrote in an email this morning, "If you're in New Orleans for a couple of days, venture on over to Mandina's. It's off the beaten path from the Quarter, but definitely worth going. My mouth waters just thinking of that place."
As for the Canadians, it takes them less than a second before they rattle off these places:
Mahony's Po-Boy Shop on Magazine Street. Robin's eyes sparkle as she talks about Mahony's Louisiana Po-Boys.
Up next, Port of Call in the French Quarter. Sarah tells me their hamburgers are the best in the world.
And if you are looking for authentic New Orleans jazz, Chris says Fritzels on Bourbon Street is THE place to go. You have to check out their website: www.fritzelsjazz.net . It offers a sneak peek at the sound you'll hear walking into the place. Mina loved this site! The music being the only thing keeping her calm enough to write this post. Good to know; I may be picking up a jazz CD today!
Fritzels bills itself as the "Oldest Operated Jazz Club in New Orleans." The Canadians tell me they are also the first bar in America to ever serve Jagermeister. Sarah believes that alone is worth a visit! My brother Jonathan would probably agree. I called them this morning and sure enough, the man on the other end of the phone confirms the fun fact, although he doesn't know what year the first shot of Jager was poured. Chris says their manager Kate is a doll who I should meet. I hope to swing by tonight.
Today we plan ride a street car and appreciate the Garden District before meeting a group from Plaquemines Parish for dinner. That was the area I covered during Hurricane Katrina when I was a reporter for KVIA-ABC7 in El Paso. We've stayed in contact ever since, even visiting them last year. We happened to be here just as the BP Oil Rig explosion happened. Today the crew is dealing with flooding at the mouth of the Mississippi River due to Tropical Storm Lee.
Mark thinks about that and says, "So you met then during Katrina, last time you saw them the BP Oil Spill happened and now they are flooded. They might just ask you not to visit anymore."
12:58 p.m.
Houston, Texas
I'm happy we won't be meeting Lee. He's been raising hell in the Southeastern states, fueling fires and promising floods. The tropical storm is inching so slowly across land that some area rivers and urban draining systems have been struggling to absorb all his rain. As he drowns certain parts of Louisiana in up to 13 inches of rain the wind he has generated is helping whip a wildfire in Texas.
On the eastern edges of San Antonio the horizon view along I-10 was filtered by a grey hue of smoke. About 90 miles North a massive wildfire was burning near Austin. Local news reports said the blaze had already destroyed 500 homes and evacuations were underway. A National Public Radio report stated that on Monday winds from Tropical Storm Lee had been clocking-in at 20-to-45 miles per hour.
Highway advisory signs remind drivers that Texas is in "Extreme Wildfire Danger." On its website the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) says that the state is experiencing a record-breaking severe drought: "The 10 months from October 2010 through July 2011 have been the driest for that 10-month period in Texas since 1895, when the state began keeping rainfall records."
You wouldn't know any of that standing along the River Walk in Downtown San Antonio. It was a stunning morning. The air felt clean, crisp and cool. Then again, pretty much anything compared to Phoenix's 117-degree heat feels cool. If you have been reading this blog than I am sure you won't be surprised to learn that we had another late departure. After enjoying a free hotel continental breakfast we swung by the Alamo and took the dog for a walk along the river before heading back on the road.
Next stop is New Orleans. I wondered about Tropical Storm Lee's impact on the city and decided to call Gavin Phillips, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in New Orleans. Phillips explained that due to rain over the weekend some small rivers in Louisiana's Northshore such as Bogue Chitto are on flood watch. "We currently have 19 different points where the water in the rivers is above flood stage," explained Phillips. But he added that it is nothing new for the folks who live in those parts. "It's a part of life." In fact those areas will sometimes see worse damage from a routine isolated thunderstorm than what they experienced from Tropical Storm Lee.
So how's New Orleans looking tonight and all day tomorrow when we are in town? Dry and gorgeous according to Phillips, "79 and sunny and low humidity," he tells me. "It's two months ahead of schedule, unheard of weather for this time in September."
11:30 p.m.
San Antonio
We are happy to be done with the drive through vast stretches of West Texas. Buddy is grateful to be out of his carrier and Fahrenheit is in need of a walk. Mina is already fast asleep so I decide to take the pup down to River Walk, just a few blocks from our hotel. Mark and I visited San Antonio last year. It happened to be the one weekend each year where they drain the water to clean out the river. Lucky us right? The city should really halt all flights into town when that happens. Ever since then we?ve wanted to return and so I was very happy life presented us this chance.
River Walk is a real gem. Restaurants, shops and bars are tucked away along the river?s sidewalk banks. I think what makes it feel so quaint is that the river is quite narrow and bends and twists allowing for plenty of intimate-feeling nooks and crannies to enjoy a glass of wine or quiet conversation.
I decide to catch a cab back to our hotel. Ali, a Persian cabbie driving a Prius Hatchback, agrees to allow the dog in the car. Within seconds I discover this man is fascinating.
He?s one of four children, nearly each born in a different country. You see he was a teenager during the Iranian Revolution of 1979. So while he was born and raised in Tehran he tells me his brother was born in Germany, (their family?s first stop after fleeing Iran), and the other two were born in Texas. He said back then he truly thought the overthrow of the Shah would lead to an American-style democracy. ?The Shah? refers to Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi which was Iran?s monarchy.
Ali told me how many young people at the time thought the revolution would rid them of a dictator in favor of elected representation. So against his parents? wishes he returned to Iran after the royal regime collapsed. ?I was 17,? he told me, ?and I was willing to lose my life for democracy. I wanted to help rebuild my country.? He discovered that his idealism didn?t match reality. The power vacuum resulted in a power grab by Islamic fundamentals. He was drafted to fight in the Iran-Iraq War. Then he turns to me and points to his stylish frames as he adds with a chuckle, ?but they rejected me for having bad eyes. Thank goodness.?
I naturally ask him about the ?Arab Spring?. This is the expression many use to describe the recent and relentless march of pro-democracy protests across the Middle East. What began in Tunisia has spread across the region, leading to the fall of Egypt?s regime and a civil war in Libya. I wonder if the youth of today will repeat his own past. Will religious extremists hijack the protestors? well-intentioned fight for representative democracy? Ali shakes his head, ?no, I am optimistic.?
The reason? He believes what differentiates this generation is that they have access to the internet. He tells me that it allows even the most common man to be more educated because he has access to a world of ideas and information. He adds that, ?a life without bread to eat, without jobs or opportunity is a life without hope.? That these people are able to find hope in their grim circumstance is in part why he thinks they?ll have the courage and stamina to continue the fight for a true democracy.
Ali tells me driving a cab is his second job. By day he is a structural engineer for a San Antonio engineering firm. He picked up the cabbie gig to help pay for his daughter?s college education. We spend another 10 minutes chatting about American politics. He?s worried about two things: 1) voter apathy; and, 2) lack of reasonable and respectful public discourse. Without those two things he wonders if a revolution will knock on our door someday.
After paying him I realize we never had any dinner. Mark usually skips an evening meal but I am starving. Our hotel offers some basic grocery items near the front desk so I decide on a can of tuna and peaches for desert. Mina is still sleeping soundly and Buddy is enjoying cuddle time with Mark. Now it is off to bed so we can hopefully start early in the morning. On my walk with Fahrenheit I spotted a sign for a large Farmer?s Market near River Walk. At just nearly 3-months old Mina has never experienced a Farmer?s Market and so I think that would be fun for her. A great experience to introduce her to new colors, scents and textures.
6:45 p.m.
I finally get the chance to take a nap. When you are a new mom parents always advise you to ?sleep when the baby sleeps?. It is truly the BEST advice! When I awake I find Mark is counting road kill. ?4 raccoons, 3 deer and 1 coyote,? he explains. A sure sign he is absolutely bored. We stop for gas and another diaper change on my lap, (I?ve gotten really good at those), before cruising into San Antonio.
2:00 p.m.
Fort Stockton
We decide to stop into Fort Stockton, Texas for lunch. Not being a fast food eater we venture around town to find regional cuisine that won?t take forever because we did get a late start to the day. One problem is that we are traveling with animals. We spot the answer to our needs: Bien Venidos. A mural on the side of their building declares that Bien Venidos is ?a Great Mexican Food Restaurant.? I am excited about the other sign painted on the tan cinderblock wall, ?Drive-Thru?. That?s right; this restaurant has a drive-thru window! It is perfect for our traveling family. We decide to order and enjoy the meal at a local park. This gives us a chance to play ball with the pup and take the cat for a walk. You read that right; Buddy knows how to walk on a leash! The park had a special feature we were truly impressed with?a sizeable BBQ smoker! How many public parks do you know have a BBQ Pit? It is one of those, ?you know you are in Texas when?? moments.
Fort Stockton is home to the world?s largest roadrunner?it even has a name! That?s according to the website Tourtexas.com. The site explains that, ?Paisano Pete is 11 feet tall, 22 feet Long and is a favorite snapshot subject in Fort Stockton?. Of course it is! How many times in your life do you see a ridiculously large roadrunner statue? I am sure Paisano Pete will keep his world record for years to come. Can?t imagine why anyone else would erect a roadrunner statue.
Gotexas.About.com describes Fort Stockton as being ?way out in West Texas? and they are absolutely right. It was formerly a military installation in the late 19th century established to protect travelers and early settlers. The National Park Service states that Fort Stockton also protected the El Paso-San Antonio Road. Fitting since that is exactly our course this afternoon. It is now on the National Register of Historic Places with some of the remaining military outposts serving as a showcase of frontier architecture.
11:35 a.m.
Before we head out of town I wanted to get one last look at Downtown El Paso and the Santa Fe Bridge leading to Juarez, Mexico. When I worked here in 2005 and 2007 I frequently visited Mexico both for work and pleasure. Some weekends I would cross the border just to get a café con leche and pan dulce at Café Central near the old mission in Juarez. How things have changed. Since then Juarez has erupted into drug violence as the Juarez and Sinaloa Cartels engage in a bloody turf war. According to Loan Grillo who wrote an extensive special report on the city for Global Post, Juarez ?is the murder capital of the world, claiming more than 5,500 killings since January 2008. It is responsible for one-fifth of the more than 25,000 drug-related murders that have occurred in Mexico since 2006 when President Felipe Calderon officially declared war on the country's heavily armed drug cartels.?
Monday9/5/20119:15 a.m.
It's always hard to say goodbye to good friends. Andrea Simmons, her husband Jerry Wallace and their pup Winston were gracious enough to host our family as we passed through El Paso. Andrea is a FBI agent who is simultaneously studying to be a pastor! She's also an AMAZING cook! When Andi invites you over for dinner you always say yes. For our first meal on the road she prepared whole wheat pasta with a homemade pasta sauce and roasted heirloom tomatoes. The desert, a scrumptious pear phyllo pastry with toffee syrup á la mode (made with pears from her yard). They were also gracious enough to let us run a load of laundry and be patient as we juggled the demands of dog, cat and baby. Come morning Andi had a pot of coffee ready as well as yogurt, granola and fresh berries for breakfast while her husband checked our tire pressure. He's an attorney with experience in litigation involving SUV accidents. Thank goodness he thought of it because unbeknownst to us our tire pressure was low. It was a great suggestion that we'll certainly remember for future trips!
8:12 a.m.
El Paso, Texas
Our first morning on the road kicked off with a knock on the door, bark from our dog and a sharp startled cry from our swaddled baby. We wanted to leave by 8 a.m. My friend was knocking on the door to tell us that it *was* 8 a.m. Mina slept in! That means she slept about 9 hours! Yeah! The bad news: we didn't set an alarm and so now we are, once again, starting a bit later than we had wanted. C'est la vie! Next stop will be the Riverwalk in San Antonio.
3:52 p.m.
The day started with Mark's preferred menu item. The Wolfpack at Over Easy, our favorite breakfast joint in Central Phoenix. Owners Brad and Andy were kind enough to treat us to a farewell breakfast (and hold Mina so we could eat).
We began our voyage a wee bit later than we had planned -- like 5 hours later! As with any move there were some last minute items we had to tackle in the morning. Plus Mark had to play a game of Tetris to comfortably fit everything into our car. A stroller, travel crib, travel bassinet, clothes, a cooler and a whole heck of a lot of diapers!
With the cat and dog in tow we are essentially a mobile petting zoo! Our dog Fahrenheit truly has the best seat in the house. He's set-up in the back on a large dog bed with his own fan. At 75 pounds we wanted to make sure he had plenty of room to stretch his legs along the way. It is our 14-pound cat Buddy that's not too happy with the arrangements. We bought him a large soft carrier so he too would have room to roam. So far he's decided to just ball up in a corner and belt out whimpers of discontent. We did get him a Rescue Remedy cat collar to take the edge off. Learned about this trick from a neighbor who volunteered at a nonprofit that rescues stray cats. Rescue Remedy is a blend of flower extracts that help calm a cat's nerves. Lucky for us Buddy is a travel pro! He already has several moves under his belt and has lived in more states than some people. Born in Cumberland, Rhode Island, this cat has survived New England winters, a hawk attacked in Texas and Phoenix's oppressive summer heat. He's the kind of kitty that can whip even the largest dog into submission with just the narrowing of his eyes and presentation of his large polydactyl paw. You see, Buddy is what they call a "Hemingway Cat." Like the cats you'll spot at Ernest Hemingway's home in Key West, Buddy essentially has an opposable thumb -- which means he has an extra claw per paw. No one messes with Buddy. If there is any cat that can not only survive a cross-country trip but take it in stride it's Buddy!
And so, to the soundtrack of Buddy's protest meows we drove out of Phoenix. Mina slept like a champ. Last night was our farewell party which came on the heels of a VERY busy day. Our baby girl was pretty fussy at the gathering. She was tired and hot and cranky. Aren't we all some days? So I think this car ride is helping her little body catch up on the sleep she may have missed.
The drive is absolutely beautiful! I suspect due to the Monsoon rain the desert just past Tucson is exceptionally green. Cradled by large, calm mountains patches of white rock and beige sand cut through the lush landscape of desert brush and ocotillo cacti.
When you are on I-10 East bound for El Paso you quickly spot large billboards for "The Thing?". It is a tourist curiosity that helps bring business to a gas station rest stop. Walk past lollipops made to look like feathers in a Native American's head dressing and stands of cowboy hats to a black door. Pay $1 and you can find out what "The Thing?" is all about. I won't spoil it for you in the event you ever find yourself out this way. Let's just say I'm sure you will find it appropriately priced.
I ask Carmaletta at the cash register where exactly we are. Her response, "I tell folks we are out in the middle of nowhere." Nowhere is somewhere between Benson and Wilcox in Arizona. Not knowing when we might return I decide I have to buy Mina a pair of pink moccasins. So Southwest right? It's not until hours later when I am in the car do I notice they are made in the Dominican Republic. Seriously?
While there I also buy a bag of my favorite pistachios. Grown by the McGinn Family in Alamogordo, New Mexico, the Pistachio Tree Ranch always offers pistachios seasoned with fun flavors like red chili or lemon lime.
By 5:30 p.m., we entered New Mexico, the Land of Enhancement. Just thinking of New Mexico makes my mouth salivate. The reason: red and green chili! Yum, yum, yum! I have to say New Mexico is one of my favorite states. Understated and rustic. Lots of natural beauty and southwest charm can be found from Santa Fe to Ruidoso. But mostly I love their food! When I lived in El Paso I would often travel a ribbon of black road that snaked through pecan trees to Mesilla, New Mexico just to eat!
7:09 p.m. we pass the Continental Divide! Elevation 4,858. The one drawback with traveling from West to East is you lose part of your day? one hour at a time. In Arizona we were on Pacific Standard Time, we are now entering Mountain Time and by tomorrow will be on Central. With each change you tack on an extra hour to the trip.
7:35 p.m. We drive straight into a classic Southwest sandstorm. Strong gusts of wind lap against the side of our car kicking up sheets of sand along the freeway. Visibility drops, the horizon turns beige and both of Mark's hands hold the steering wheel steady.
9:03 p.m. We roll into El Paso. Mina has pretty much had it with the car seat. Can you blame her? She's a bit hungry and certainly bored. Every once in a while she blurts out a sharp noise. Not quite a coo, not quite talking, it sounds a bit like a baby raptor dinosaur. Right now she is clearly trying to make a point. We'll just assume she's begging for a change of position and scenery.
That "west Texas town" is one of the most profound and enriching experiences in my career. Due to its proximity to the border I covered many immigration and bi-national issues. I also frequently reported from Juarez, Mexico. While I was there long-standing Anchor Gary Warner was still on the desk. He was a newsman from the days when people took time to tell stories and everyone knew to check more than one source before putting something on the air. He was a role model who always made sure we remembered that it is better to be right than to be first. The people of El Paso are full of warmth and generosity. I will always treasure my time there.
Well, time to get my little raptor out of the car? friends and a pasta dinner await us.
1 p.m.
There it was. Our life, packed neatly in boxes, piled up on the front porch of our Phoenix home. As I stared in disbelief at the mounting wall of cardboard I remembered the day when all our stuff used to fit in just one car!
This would be our last 113-degree day in Phoenix. There is much I will miss about the Valley of the Sun. The exquisite Sonoran Desert with its majestic saguaros and breathtaking sunsets; the smell of the creosote bush after a Monsoon rain and prickly pear margaritas!
11:56 a.m. (PST)
Phoenix, Ariz.
The day has finally arrived -- packing day!! Movers are packing the house as we scramble to grab all the last minute items we need. Last load of laundry? Check! Dishes clean? Check! Uh oh... dash to the dry cleaners to pick up a suit we forgot about! Whew... made it!
We are so excited to be Miami-bound! I was born and raised in Kendall. A graduate of Bent Tree Elementary, McMillan Middle School and G. Holmes Braddock High School (Go Bulldogs!).
Video: Before The Big Road Trip
At Braddock I was co-captain of the color guard team and anchor on WBHS, the school's news station! I then took off to Boston College before pursuing my passion for journalism. My career has taken me to London, Boston, Rhode Island, California, Texas and Arizona. Along the way I picked up several awards to include two Emmys and the Water Cronkite Award for Excellence in Television Political Journalism.
But just three months ago I was given my most important role, mother. Now I've decided to return home to raise my daughter and invest my experience into a reporter position at WPLG. Both my maternal and paternal grandparents and my father were born in Cuba. Making sure Mina is exposed to our family customs is also something that was important to me. Meantime my husband Mark is from Boston but his parents now live in Stuart, Florida. Having them nearby is also a blessing!
I can't wait for our Mina Sophia to know the taste of a guayaba y queso pastelito, or my childhood favorite, a batido de mamey!! I'm SO looking forward to hearing salsa music on the radio again; enjoying a Rum Runner at Holiday Isle in Islamorada; and, listening to someone play Jimmy Buffett songs while in Key West! When you live away from home those are the small things you miss. Miami is a very special place. I've spent years missing the food, the music and Miami's diversity. So saying I am thrilled to be coming back home would be an understatement.
This Sunday Mark and I will be loading up our baby girl, our 75-pound lab mix Fahrenheit and feisty cat Buddy into our family car for the cross-country trip to Miami! It is sure to be an adventure and you will be there!
We will be snapping pictures and recording video along the way. Wish us luck -- and if you have any tips for traveling with an infant please send them our way!
Copyright 2011 by Post-Newsweek Stations. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed


text:
SIX Hampshire women were treated to a day of luxury as part of an event coordinated by members of The Business Collective.
The group, which is made of small firms and sole traders, organised a raffle which saw women of Trinity House spoiled with a day of pampering, a cookery master class and a gourmet lunch.
Adrienne Marsden, who started the collective two years ago, said: "An awful lot of people who work for themselves do a lot for charity in their spare time, such as running a marathon, but very few use the skills and resources from their business to charitable ends – The Business Collective brings them together and together we can act like a big organisation."
The event was held at Jaga kitchen shop in Alresford and local butchers, pub owners and shopkeepers donated food parcels and raffle items. Another Collective member also transported the women via a minibus.
"Charities have an awful lot of resources that can be very useful to small firms," Ms Marsden added. "The chief executives and trustees of many charities are often former businesspeople in their own right who have a breadth and depth of commercial knowledge that can be shared with our members. There is growing evidence that doing good is also good for business."


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Has anyone attained Nirvana here ?
Im asking this question coz it seems a lot of posts etc seem to be not of the main goal. a simple yes or no.
Forum = investigation into buddism.
Lets Investigate Nirvana a bit.
no more rebirth, not samsara bound but attained in samsara.
looking at that. excessively trying to purify karma and any other samsaric things would be most part frivilous.
know what i find this amusing, im sitting here doing my best not to break any rules even looking into wat meta discussion is.
i aint trying to troll, spam nor waste peps time with spam etc. otherwise i wooda looked for a spam or some sorta casual chat area etc.
If this thread still dont meet the rules, i kindly ask for my account to be deleted if that happens best regards gl on everyones Conquest.


text:
While I'm fairly new to DG, I'm very new to backhand shots. In an effort to develop a workable backhand shot i'd like to generate a few videos of my progression. The following are three vids throwing backhand. I attempted to slow my appraoch speed down to help me concentrate on better form. Having some place to start from, I present the following for any advice and critique you can offer. My buds and I shot several takes of each of our drives and I intend to update them as I progress so i can track my progression. These shots were all around 250, with one stretching to 300.
The video has helped me somewhat in seeing how my foot work on my left foot seems to be working against me as I am dragging it, due to my heel being planted and not staying on my toes. I can also see that ive got some work to do on stopping my elbow. I've watched a few of my frinds videos we shot and have seen some of the things they are doing to get some D going, so im excited to see where this goes.
Thanks in advance for anything you can help me with.


text:
A wayward camel that busted out of its enclosure twice on Tuesday, apparently just looking for some company, was doing fine despite being clipped by a minivan on a busy street in the hills between North Concord and Pittsburg.
UC Davis veterinarians examined the camel -- whose name is Phil, not Rudy as reported earlier -- on Wednesday morning and said it did not suffer any broken bones and was otherwise fine, said Raymond Ferrante, a land manager for a company overseeing property where the camel lives.
The camel is being housed for the time being in a 10,000-square-foot outdoor pen enclosed by a 9-foot fence. "The vets want him to take it easy," Ferrante said.
Ferrante had previously said the camel's name was Rudy, but on Wednesday he said the animal's name is really Phil. Phil is a single-humped camel that has been on its own since early last year, he said. Rudy, a double-humped camel that previously roamed the hillside, was sent to Missouri, Ferrante said.
Phil and Rudy are the same camels that have lived on the land for several years and have been known by the names Bob and Bailey, Ferrante said. It's unclear how the camels ended up with so many different names, but Ferrante is in touch with the animals' owner and vouched that Rudy and Phil are their true names.
"Camels are very much animals that like to be around other animals. They're very social," Ferrante said. "They'll bust down a fence to go be with the cattle if the mood hits them."
Ferrante suspects that may have been what drove Phil onto Bailey Road twice on Tuesday. The 10-year-old camel, trailing a leash, was walking south on Bailey Road when it collided with a red Honda minivan at 6:45 p.m., the California Highway Patrol said. The animal got up after the collision and first walked, then ran around the road, according to the CHP. People were out on the road for several hours getting the camel back to safety.
Phil also escaped its enclosure about 3 p.m. Tuesday and was seen grazing on the grass along the shoulder until citizens and the CHP helped shepherd it back to safety.
Phil will not be able to escape its current corral, Ferrante said.
Staff writer Katie Nelson contributed to this story. Rick Hurd covers public safety. Contact him at 925-779-7166 and follow him at Twitter.com/3rdERH.


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I talked a bit about taking care of your sourdough starter yesterday. But what happens if you don't take care of it?
People often worry if they've killed their starter by leaving it in the refrigerator for a long time without feeding it. When it's refrigerated, the yeast slows down and becomes practically dormant. A yellowish liquid usually forms on top, referred to as "hooch" by sourdough folks. Hooch isn't a big deal. Sometimes the hooch starts looking like it has a little black sediment in it. This also isn't a big deal. It's yeast cells that have died off, but chances are that there are plenty more still alive.
Just for the fun of it, I left some starter unfed and at room temperature for a week. At that point it smelled strongly of acetone—not something you'd want to eat. I stirred in some flour and water, and it sprang back to life even better than before. So, it wasn't dead or dying, it was just napping and waiting for a little food and a little stirring.
I've never had a refrigerated sourdough go bad on me completely, but it's possible that you can get mold or really nasty stuff growing in an unrefrigerated one if you leave it undisturbed for long enough. I know, because I have left some starters for quite a while. Some simply fell into a deeper sleep while others developed truly nasty odors and some grew fur. I didn't try reviving any of those—the acetone-smelling one was about my limit. I figure that it's easy enough to grow a new starter if I have to. I might have gone to greater measures to revive one of my foreign starters, though. Maybe.
About the author: Donna Currie has been cooking for fun and writing for pay since the days when typewritten articles traveled by snail mail. When she combined those talents in a food column for a newspaper in her area, she realized that writing about food is almost as much fun as eating. She launched the blog Cookistry and has now joined the Serious Eats team with a weekly column about baking.
Sourdough from Scratch
Day Zero: What You'll Need »
Day 1: A Half-Ounce Flour and an Ounce of Water »
Day 2: No Feeding, Just Stirring »
Day 3: Feed Me More Flour! »
Day 4: 100% Hydration »
Day 5: Keep Feeding and Stirring! »
Day 6: Keep Stirring and Feeding! »
Day 7: Feed and Wait »
Day 8: Getting Close! »
Day 9: First Harvest »
Day 10: Second Harvest »
Day 11: Time for Storage »