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I'm going to go out on a limb here and admit that I find the Mission: Impossible films perversely fascinating, not because I think they're particularly great action or suspense pictures, but because I can't think of another high-profile movie franchise where the individual entries have so little to do with one another, much less with the old television series from which they're purportedly adapted. Although Tom Cruise stars in all three movies as a character named Ethan Hunt, the character himself seems to be a totally different person from movie to movie. Brian DePalma's 1996 Mission: Impossible at least made a token effort at referencing the 1960s TV show with a couple of character names and the basic premise, but took a great many liberties in its zeal to turn the teamwork emphasis of the original into a Tom Cruise vanity project. The 2000 sequel Mission: Impossible - 2 (or M:I-2 as the posters dubbed it) didn't even bother pretending it was in any way connected to the previous movie, instead changing the Hunt character from an idealistic yet inexperienced secret agent into an invincible superhero trapped in an indulgent John Woo action melodrama. And now we have Mission: Impossible III (even more ridiculously dubbed M:i:III), in which television auteur J.J. Abrams uses the franchise name and attending budget to essentially just make a $150 million episode of his own Alias TV series.
All three of the movies do carry over certain predefined trappings that supposedly link them together: Cruise, Ving Rhames as his loyal sidekick, numerous plot red herrings, the "This message will self-destruct" instructions from his IMF superiors, and the knowledge that at some point the plot will hinge on Hunt wearing a silly rubber mask to imitate the main villain. Other than that, there's no point in judging one movie against the next. Each should be taken on its own terms as an independent storyline. To that end, Abrams makes an effective debut as a feature film director, wrangling the logistics of a huge action movie without breaking a sweat. While he doesn't exactly reinvent the wheel, he's given the film a decent script and some exciting (if derivative) action scenes. That's really all you can ask for in a movie of this type.
In this one, we find Impossible Missions Force agent Ethan Hunt in a state of semi-retirement, forsaking field work for duties as an instructor as he attempts to settle into domestic tranquility with his new, clueless fiancée (Michelle Monaghan). Those plans go awry when he learns that one of his recent graduates (Keri Russell from Abrams' Felicity) has been captured, prompting Hunt back into action on a rescue mission. From there he's led to evil arms merchant Owen Davian (Philip Seymour Hoffman), who has reportedly obtained a big bad secret weapon thingamajig Macguffin known only as the "Rabbit's Foot". Of course, capturing Davian becomes the next order of business, which really pisses the baddie off, and before you know it Hunt's girlfriend is kidnapped and our hero has to travel to Shanghai to save her.
As he did in the first couple seasons of Alias, Abrams tries to strike a balance between the action-adventure elements and a more emotionally-grounded relationship drama. Fans of that series will also recognize the story structure of the movie (starting out confusingly in media res and then flashing back to fill in the details) as one he used in a great many of the show's important episodes. Abrams certainly has a talent for getting character nuances right, but the integration here isn't entirely smooth. From the moment we meet her, we know that the sole purpose of Monaghan's character is to inevitably get captured so that Hunt can rescue her. The girlfriend-in-jeopardy plot is too predictable and quite disappointing. The movie would be better served building up the Keri Russell storyline instead; the actress proves a revelation in her first action role but her time in the story is way too short.
Abrams makes it a point to bring back the teamwork element that was so lacking in the last film. Casting Maggie Q and Simon Pegg as part of the IMF crew were inspired choices. The director also spends a lot of time setting up Hunt as vulnerable, but by its second half the movie is right back in superhero mode with Cruise machine gunning hordes of goons, swinging from skyscraper rooftops, and racing through the streets of exotic locales (the star spends so much time running in the movie you expect him to sign a sneaker endorsement deal before the end credits). The big action set-pieces are suitably impressive in detail and scope, but rarely feel fresh or groundbreaking. In fact, more than a couple of scenes in the movie feel like they were lifted out of James Cameron's True Lies, including the big car chase on a bridge and the bit where Cruise crashes through a high rise window and finds a janitor vacuuming there. You'll note that Second Unit Director Vic Armstrong is a veteran of similar duties on recent entries in the James Bond franchise, which ironically brings Mission: Impossible back to its old TV roots as a Bond knock-off.
Philip Seymour Hoffman makes a menacing villain, and Abrams infuses the movie with a fair bit of wit and clever dialogue. More importantly, he proves himself a viable feature film director. If Mission: Impossible III's box office returns didn't quite live up to their preceding hype, I think everyone realizes that had more to do with the public's dissatisfaction with Tom Cruise as a couch-jumping publicity whore and Scientologist jackass than it had anything to do with the movie itself. M:i:III may not be a masterpiece of the genre, but it's a solid action movie with plenty of repeat viewing potential.
The Blu-ray Disc:
Blu-ray discs are only playable in a compatible Blu-ray player. They will not function in a standard DVD player or in an HD DVD player. Please note that the star rating scales for video and audio are relative to other High Definition disc content, not to traditional DVD.
I watched both the Blu-ray and the HD DVD editions and compared them extensively. Since they look more similar than not, I'll start by reiterating my HD DVD review comments and then move into Blu-ray specifics at the end.
This disc looks amazing, and will no doubt become the new default show-off demo in many home theaters. The movie was shot with a mix of 35mm film and High-Def video, and its sharpness, detail, and eye-popping colors are just stunning, on a level that seems to go beyond even previous "reference" discs. Every pore on an actor's skin is visible in stark clarity, to the point where you might cringe away from getting scraped by Laurence Fishburne's sandpaper complexion. Black levels are inky with excellent shadow detail, and contrasts are rich across the entire range, lending the image a great sense of depth. The movie's photography is very stylized, with heightened contrasts and pumped up colors, and the disc reproduces every bit of it with exacting precision. I can't say it strongly enough, the video transfer is fantastic.
What it is not, however, is flawless. The issues I found are very minor, fortunately. The movie's style incorporates some deliberate graininess, which looks fine and well-compressed for the most part but in some sequences (most likely those shot on HD video) comes across as video noise with a distinctly un-filmlike texture. I don't really know whether I can count this as a video transfer flaw or just an artifact of the original photography, and truthfully it isn't too distracting. In some scenes there's also a noticeable loss of resolution whenever the shot is in motion (more so than typical with 35mm film), which again may or may not be a limitation of the cameras used. What I did find disturbing in a few scenes were what appeared to be strange noise reduction artifacts such as grain in the background of shots that would pulse in and out of visibility. This is rare and probably won't be noticeable to the majority of viewers, but nit-pickers like myself may pick up on it. On-screen text (especially the location ID of the German factory at the beginning) is sometimes a little jagged and the end credits look pretty jittery.
The biggest problem I ran into was the first shot of Chapter 8. The staircase in the background is a jittery mess until the shot changes. I'll note that at the time of this writing Blu-ray player video decoders are limited to 1080i output which must then be deinterlaced by a separate chip either in the player or externally. This artifact may have something to do with the way the player interlaces the original 1080p data and then deinterlaces it afterwards, but this is the first time I've seen such a problem on any Blu-ray. I tried every deinterlacing option on my (normally excellent) video scaler, and while some reduced the artifact none eliminated it. When future players capable of raw 1080p24 output are available, I'll have to revisit the scene.
In comparing the MPEG2 compressed Blu-ray to the VC-1 compressed HD DVD, differences were subtle but observable. On my screen, the Blu-ray looks slightly softer throughout, with just a bit less vibrancy and "pop". I'll concede that at the present time I don't know whether this is attributable to the first-generation hardware currently available or a distinction between MPEG2 and VC-1. Where I do think the compression codec comes into play is that the Blu-ray is noisier in many scenes. For example, the green wall in the background of the shot at the 13:35 mark is grainy on both discs but less so and more stable on the HD DVD. Neither disc looks poor by any means. Both look excellent, and the difference between them are so minor that I'm rating both equally until I can definitively rule out a hardware problem causing them.
The Mission: Impossible III Blu-ray disc is not flagged with an Image Constraint Token and will play in full High Definition quality over a Blu-ray player's analog Component Video outputs.
Subs & Dubs:
All but one of the supplements from the 2-Disc Collector's Edition DVD have carried over. The commentary is obviously found on Disc 1 with the movie, while everything else is on Disc 2.
Easter Eggs:
If not quite the revelation it was hyped up to be, Mission: Impossible III is a pretty good action movie that goes a long way toward redeeming the franchise from the ridiculous excess of John Woo's second installment. The High-Def video quality is fantastic and demonstration-worthy. Paramount has also taken a big step in providing most of the bonus features in HD resolution, even if none of them are particularly innovative otherwise.
The Blu-ray has a slightly softer picture than the competing HD DVD and lacks the Enhanced Commentary feature, but has included three extra (frankly worthless) easter eggs. Either version is excellent, and the disc comes recommended on whichever format you prefer.
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Eric Alterman is Distinguished Professor of English and Journalism, Brooklyn College, City University of New York. He is also the "Liberal Media" columnist for The Nation, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress in Washington, DC, and at the World Policy Institute in New York, as well as former columnist for The Daily Beast, The Forward, Moment, Rolling Stone, Mother Jones, the Sunday Express (London), etc. Alterman is the author of 10 books, including the national bestseller What Liberal Media? The Truth About Bias and the News. He has been called "the most honest and incisive media critic writing today" in the National Catholic Reporter and author of "the smartest and funniest political journal out there" in The San Francisco Chronicle. A winner of the George Orwell Prize, the Stephen Crane Literary Award, and the Mirror Award for media criticism, he has previously taught at Columbia and NYU and has been a Hoover Institution Media Fellow at Stanford University. Alterman received his PhD in American history from Stanford, his MA in international relations at Yale, and his BA from Cornell. He lives with his family in Manhattan, where he is currently at work on a book about the history of the Israel/Palestine debate in the United States for Basic Books. More information is available at ericalterman.com.
Critics like Maureen Dowd of the Times live in an Oz-like dream world.
Al Jazeera—just the news… BDS: Palestinians' "best hope"… younger than springtime…
Eric and Danny with the latest reviews, and Reed on the media.
A brilliant book has named the problem of our time. But will anything change?
Many Israelis, Netanyahu included, were never serious about seeking a two-state solution in the peace negotiations.
Eric with the latest reviews and Reed on the McCutcheon ruling.
Eric with the latest reviews and Reed on Obamacare and the right-wing media.
The NYC mayor as fumbling amateur: this story writes itself, no facts required.

subset: commoncrawl


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Product description
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These boxers are made using jersey fabric, made with 95% GOTS certified organic cotton and 5% elastane.
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Saarinen's living room, Hvitträsk (1901-03), Kirkkonummi, near Helsinki, Finland
- Title : Saarinen's living room, Hvitträsk (1901-03), Kirkkonummi, near Helsinki, Finland
- Artist: Eliel Gottlieb Saarinen Artist Gesellius, Lindgren, Saarinen Helsingfors Architect
- Accession: TD1993.154.1
- Country: Finland Helsinki
- Date: circa 1905
- Dimensions: Inches 21-7/8 17-5/8, Centimeters 55.6 44.8
- Collection: Object
- Category: Prints, Drawings, and Photographs
- Subject: Furniture/Furniture Design , Architecture/Architectural Design , Interior Decoration , Art Colony/Art School
- Credit Line: The Wolfsonian–Florida International University, Miami Beach, Florida, The Mitchell Wolfson, Jr. Collection
- Tags: Architecture~Decorative Arts and Furniture~Prints, Drawings, and Photographs
Description: Ink on paper lithographic print of the main entrance hall for the Villa Hvitträsk, the studio home of the architectural firm of Saarinen, Lindgren & Gesellius and their families; depicts interior entrance hall with wooden floors, ceiling, columns, staircase, bed, built-in furniture and other decorative elements; the studio home was named after a lake eighteen miles from Helsinki -- Hvitträsk or "White Lake". Note: On July 18, 1922, a fire broke out in the tower of Hvitträsk destroying all portions north of the studio. The following year the Saarinen family moved to USA but returned to Hvitträsk almost every summer. Saarinen tried to rebuild the north wing many times but it was to complicated and costly.


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Be the envy of your friends
With the Bluetooth Beanie you'll never mess with wires again. Just sync up and go. It's really that simple. Let them worry about weaving their earbuds and headphones from their pockets, through their jackets, finding the right hole, and making sure they stay in while they ride.


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Yemenis protest over journalists detention
Dozens of Yemenis demonstrated outside the presidential palace in the capital of Sanaa Wednesday to demand the release of two journalists held for allegedly "inciting confessional sedition."
The protesters, who included opposition politicians, lawyers and journalists, handed palace officials a petition to President Ali Abdullah Saleh calling on him to "intervene to secure the release of Abdul Rahim Mohsen and Ibrahim Hussein."
The petition, a copy of which was obtained by AFP, said the arrest of the pair "over their political writings makes us fear for our security and lives."
A Sanaa court on June 4 convicted Mohsen, Hussein and a third Yemeni journalist of "inciting confessional sedition," handing them five-month suspended prison terms, their lawyer said.
Mohsen, Hussein and Khaled Suleiman were sentenced for a series of articles published in February in the weekly newspaper Ath-Thawri, Jamal al-Jahbi said.
The information ministry filed the complaint. Informed sources in Sanaa said Mohsen and Hussein had been detained "in mysterious circumstances."
In January 2001, a Sanaa court ordered a Yemeni weekly closed for a month for libeling Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. (Albawaba.com)


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In the 1986 hit movie Top Gun, Actor Tom Cruise embodied the image of the modern, macho fighter pilot: close-cropped hair, aviator sunglasses and, of course, the classic brown leather flight jacket. Unlike Navy flyers, like the one Cruise portrayed, Air Force pilots have not been issued leather jackets since the late 1940s. Last month the Air Force won congressional approval for a plan to supplement the current supply of synthetic jackets with genuine leather. Although several Congressmen grumbled about the $7.4 million cost, Air Force Chief of Staff General Larry Welch argued that the jackets will enhance esprit de corps...
Air Force: Full Leather Jacket
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My Nonprofit Reviews
Review for One Dollar For Life, Palo Alto, CA, USA
One Dollar For Life (ODFL) is a great non-profit working with schools and students to raise money for international projects. Bay Area students raised a sginficant amount of money for Proyecto Itzaes to purchase much needed books for our villages in Yucatan. Gracias ODFL!!
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Review for Mujeres de Maiz Opportunity Foundation, Sequim, WA, USA
Mujeres de Maiz does fantasitc work with women in Chiapas, Mexico, creating lasting change and creating opportunities in desperately poor communities! Five stars! And Gracias for what you do
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Some key points from analysis:
- White's attempt to get Black out of book on move 3 was ill-advised; an inferior move like that offers no practical benefit in exchange for its weaknesses.
- Black could have played the more challenging 6...Bg4 (and I probably will the next time I'm in a similar position).
- Houdini validates the active 12...e5 for Black, striking in the center with White's king still there.
- Unfortunately the bishop retreat soon after on move 15 invalidates this strategy and puts Black in a hole for the rest of the game.


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Nonprofit Water is Life has a new book available that not only educates readers on safe water drinking tips, but also acts as a tool to purify water and kill deadly waterborne diseases.
"The Drinkable Book" is designed to educate people who are unaware of the risks of contaminated water and at the same time serve as a functional object that can help readers do something about it. The book uses technology invented by chemists at Carnegie Mellon University.
We've embedded a video with more details above.


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The Level 2 Diploma in Team Leading (QCF) has been designed for those who have responsibility for the work of others as a team leader. It is suitable if you are entering a management role, or who have the ability and the opportunity to demonstrate recognizable management and leadership skills, for example, providing leadership for a team, encouraging innovation, allocating and checking work. This qualification provides you with an opportunity to demonstrate the skills and knowledge needed for a career in management and leadership. The units encompass a broad range of competencies from the management and leadership sector.
You need to be able to demonstrate competence through their job role in the workplace.
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Princess is out of my real nice Mustang mare and my Paint stallion.. I was going to make mules with her but have decided to slow down the breeding around here.. She has been handled since birth and does a few tricks.. easy to catch, ties, leads, been ponied and has had lots of attention. She has a beautiful little head and is real smart.
I train horses, donkeys and mules, for western english and buggy, show or pleasure. I also stand a spotted mammoth jack, a red jack and a 100% color paint stallion..
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Independence campaigner Dennis Canavan explains why he thinks now is the time to examine what kind of country Scotland is and where we want it to go.
Vision. A word used as frequently today by government ministers as it is by ministers of religion.
Politicians like totell us how their ideas – their vision – will make our lives better. But today in Scotland we stand at a unique place in history where all of us, not just our elected representatives, have the chance to make the vision thing personal, tangible and meaningful.
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It has been a long, drawn-out affair, but apart from a few outstanding, important details, the process that will facilitate the independence referendum in 2014 is complete. It is not too much of a cliché to say that this will be Scotland's day of destiny, for the outcome of the autumn ballot will shape Scotland's future for generations to follow.
It is therefore right that people should start thinking seriously about what kind of Scotland they want for themselves and their children. To start forming their own vision.
To achieve a clear picture, it is necessary to see through the fog of day-to-day party political discourse which, it has to be said, has become thicker in recent weeks as debate at Holyrood has degenerated into insult, invective and ire. (Do politicians honestly believe that their playground behaviour endears them to the voting public?)
Refreshingly, we had one example this week of a senior politician setting out her vision, free from party political varnish. Nicola Sturgeon's thoughtful speech on the why of independence was praised even by those normally hostile to independence. As the independence debate unfolds, we need more such contemplative insight.
I do not praise Nicola Sturgeon simply because I share her vision of a fairer, more socially just Scotland. I am not a Nationalist. But, like her, I very much want an independent Scotland.
When I became a member of Yes Scotland's Advisory Board, I made it clear I was interested only in running a positive, optimistic campaign, free from the traditional but jaded Punch 'n' Judy antics associated with party politics, chiefly at Westminster but now, increasingly, at Holyrood too. This was not an attempt to occupy the moral high ground; it was because I genuinely believed the independence referendum was – and is - far too important to be routinely fed into the party political mincer while the rest of us become disengaged or bemused bystanders.
If ever there was a time for the people of Scotland to be involved - to examine howtheir vision might become reality - then it is surely now.
The debate that takes place over the next two years must be of a quality and calibre that matches the vital importance of the decision people will be asked to make at the ballot box. That necessarily means lively and robust argument; an exciting, life-changing prospect deserves energetic and enthusiastic debate. But it needs to be illuminating, not illusory; responsible not reckless.
Over the past five months, from Yes Scotland's HQ on Glasgow's Hope Street, we have been busily building the largest community-based campaign in Scotland's history. Through our nationwide network of 32 regional Yes groups, special interest and local groups, thousands of volunteers and specially-trained ambassadors, our task is to spread the message about the benefits of an independent Scotland, backed up with top quality research and information.
Everywhere I have been on the campaign trail, I have been struck by the sense of hope and opportunity, not only among committed Yes supporters, but also among those people who are as yet undecided but are interested in learningmore about the possibilities and promise of independence. They are all, in their own ways, trying to sharpen their vision. For most people, it is an exciting process.
The reason is simple. No one pretends that independence will, in itself, solve all our problems, but it will mean the solutions are in our own hands. The people of Scotland have the greatest stake in making our nation a success. That means we are more likely to make the right choices for our society and our economy.
So this is a time to examine carefully what kind of country we are, how we have arrived at this crossroads in our future and what direction we will choose to take.
Not many people realise that out of the last eight Westminster General Elections since 1979, Scotland has got the government it voted for on only three occasions. As an independent country, we would always get the government we choose.
For me, this goes to the very heart of the debate.
It is, of course, vital that answers are provided to the many questions people have about independence. Can we afford it? Will we remain members of the EU? What currency will we use and what border controls will be put in place? Will pensions be affected and what tax system will we use? The answers to these questions and many others are already provided on our website and in our literature and it will be a key task of the campaign over the next two years to continue supplying quality answers to the many detailed questions people rightly have.
But I believe that as more and more of these questions are settled, more and more people will begin to focus on the vision of a better, more prosperous, fairer and more equal Scotland. Framed in this way, I am convinced people will begin to see just what opportunity independence offers us to fulfil the values, priorities and aspirations that make us the people we are. This is not about being anti-British (I am convinced independence will make us closer, better neighbours as well as valuable and responsible players on the international stage); it is about taking responsibility for our own future and being comfortable in our own skin.
No one, not even our opponents, doubt thatScotland has the resources, the know-how and the character to be a successful, self-determining country. Economists have worked out an independent Scotland would be the sixth wealthiest nation in the industrialised world. And we know from the latest official figures (GERS) that while Scotland gets 9.3% of UK spending, it generates 9.6% of UK taxes. While it's true that every Western democracy currently runs a deficit (many major corporations do also), Scotland is in a stronger financial position than the rest of the UK. If Scotland had been independent over the past 30 years then, according to the UK Government's own figures, we would have £19 billion less debt than we currently have as part of the UK.
We also know that the UK is one of the most unequal societies in the West – according to Professor Danny Dorling of Sheffield University, the fourth most unequal. So when it comes to envisioning the kind of society Scotland could become, we should focus on what needs to change to make that vision sharper. Does the Trident nuclear arsenal, for example, sit comfortably within our national outlook or is there, as I believe, a growing consensus in Scotland that nuclear weapons are both immoral and increasingly irrelevant? How else, as an independent nation, would we decide to spend the billions currently being squandered on nuclear weapons?
How, as an independent and free-thinking country, would we approach welfare policy? What priority would we set in caring for the poorest and most vulnerable in our society? Would we recognize the something-for-nothing culture to which Scottish Labour Leader Johann Lamont so infamously referred recently?
Through devolution, we are already meeting some of the priorities we value such asno tuition fees for our university students, free prescriptions and free personal care for our older people. How greater would our scope be to follow our values and meet more of our priorities if we had the independence to make all suchdecisions for ourselves?
As the proponents of change, we have a duty to spell out why Scotland would benefit from independence. Equally, our opponents have a responsibility to explain why they think the UK remains the better option for Scotland rather than just aimlessly attacking self-determination.
But the anti-independence parties – Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrats – also owe it to the Scottish people to reveal their visions for Scotland in the event of a Yes vote in 2014. After all, they will all be vying for your votes in the first independent Scottish Parliament election in 2016. The Scottish Government has said it will lay out its vision in a White Paper next year. But the people of Scotland deserve to know what all parties would do in an independent Scotland. It is simply not good enough to ignore it in the hope that there will be a No vote.
Some in the pro-union lobby are deliberately misrepresenting the 2014 referendum as a vote for or against the SNP. This, of course, is untrue since the referendum is not about electing a government but about giving people in Scotland the opportunity to vote for a government of their choice, whether that is Nationalist, Labour or a coalition of different parties.
Our opponents have also attempted to contrive splits within the pro-independence movement, citing the fact that different people have different views about, for example, the monarchy, currency or Nato membership. As I have said many times, the only admission ticket to Yes Scotland is a belief in independence.
The different visions and diversity within our movement is a strength to be cherished and I derive huge encouragement from the support we are receiving from groups such as the Scottish Green Party, the Scottish Socialists, Labour for Independence, Women for Independence, Trade Unionists for Independenceand Students for Independence, to name but a few.
Hopefully, you are now in the mood to think about your own vision for Scotland. However, if you are an exponent of lateral thinking, there is another, interesting way of framing the debate. Imagine that Scotland had remained independent in 1707 and the referendum question being asked in 2014 was: 'Do you agree Scotland should join the United Kingdom?'
In those circumstances what would be the case for a Yes vote? Your main parliament will move hundreds of miles away, and your MPs will be in a tiny minority; you will probablyget a government you didn't vote for; all of your oil and gas revenues will be handed over to the London treasury. The biggest nuclear weapons arsenal in Western Europe will be built on the River Clyde, 30 miles from your largest city. You will be joining a country where the health and education services are rapidly being privatised. Now and then you will get dragged into an illegal foreign war. An austerity budget will be imposed from London, cutting jobs and threatening the provision of vital public services. Weak regulation of the banking sector will bring your economy to the brink of disaster. And, on top of all that, the most vulnerable people in society, instead of getting protection and support, will be interrogated and humiliated in order to deprive them of the very meagre level of provision to which they are entitled.
There is a much, much better vision for Scotland than that.


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Some people praying into the "Abbaye de La Cambre" in Brussels, Belgium.
They are praying "Je vous salut Marie" (in French).
Sound recorded by a MS setup Schoeps
Microphone CCM41+CCM8
Sound Devices 302 mixer
MS is encoded in STEREO Left-Right
recorded in Brussels in 2008
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Woa, this is amazing, thank you so much!
woooow.... this is so mysterious.. very very nice.... I love it
oh wow! this is gorgeous!
Realy nice one !
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|About Us
Gourmet Raw Food Chef Raquel
Raquel Smith is the Premiere Gourmet Raw Food Chef and Mentor. She is also the CEO and Founder of the Raw Done Tastefully Education Program which mentors individuals on living healthy abundant lifestyles.
Raquel has been a featured speaker in the Conscious Life Expo hosted in Los Angeles and is a host on the Los Angeles Public Access Channel. Raquel has been a contributor to publications like the Mindset newspaper and Healthy Wealthy N Wise Magazine. Raquel is also a featured as an expert writer on EzineArticles.com.


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Calls Sold on Eclipsys Corp. (ECLP)
Shares of Eclipsys Corp. (NASDAQ: ECLP) are higher on the session by 1.59%, currently trading at $17.87. The stock has been drifting lower over the past two months and is now trading below both the 50-day and 200-day moving averages.
Options traders are betting that any rally in the name will be a small one. The September $17.50 strike call was sold, near the bid, 2,500 times; open interest on the strike is only 500 contracts.
Call volume is now running at 2.69x the daily average.
Eclipsys Corporation is a provider of advanced integrated clinical, revenue cycle and performance management software, and professional services that help healthcare organizations improve clinical, financial and operational outcomes.
Posted-In: Short Ideas Technicals Options Trading Ideas
© 2017 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.


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If you're old-school, like I am, you like your ornamental flowerpots made of hard-fired terra cotta, not plastic. Pumpkin-orange clay pots do not appeal to me, but the powder pinks of containers made in Crete and Greece and the soft russets of Italy and England — the former rustic, the latter classic — suit my garden aesthetic.
Last June, I spied garden pottery in the distance at the Tesuque Pueblo Flea Market, held Friday through Sunday in March through December, near the Santa Fe Opera.
Not many gardeners are foolish enough to consider shipping clay flowerpots from Santa Fe to Dallas. Present company excluded.
But Lisa and Avelino Jimenez will be in Canton today through Sunday, if that location 60 minutes due east of Dallas seems more reasonable. They are set up outdoors at First Monday Trade Days with the remains of their 2011 inventory. It is their first trip to the massive flea market.
They throw broad, shallow pans for succulents and tiny spring bulbs, curvaceous urns, jars for water features and pots embellished with fired-clay calla lilies and roses. Combine an hourglass-shaped stand and a shallow bowl crimped around the rim like my mother's pie crusts, and you have a handsome birdbath. Take a tall, svelte urn and convert it to a graceful, burbling water feature. Put simply, these garden containers are just as ornamental empty as they are filled with flowers.
This is no tourist pottery, nor is it mass-produced. There is even a rain barrel made of fired clay, with a pierced terra-cotta plate to filter leaves and debris, and a three-piece primitive oven for grilling and baking.
The owners of Regalos de la Tierra Pottery Co. spend their summers in Silver City, N.M., and sell their wares every weekend at the Santa Fe flea market. In winter the Jimenezes return to southern Oaxaca to practice his family's centuries-old craft, the handmade, high-fired pottery of the Zapotec Indians.
The pieces historically are used to prepare and serve meals: ollas (rounded earthenware pots), casuelas (casserole dishes), pitchers and platters. Lisa, however, recognized that the beauty of the traditional shapes and the pleasing, soft colors of the hand-dug clay lend themselves to garden ornament and are especially compatible with the colors of the high desert of New Mexico.
The couple aims to return to Mexico pulling an empty trailer. She says prices for the terra-cotta pieces will be "essentially wholesale."
I'm calling in sick.
Regalos de la Tierra Pottery Co. will be in row 96, booth 7335, near the landmark called Log Cabin and closest to the West Gate entrance and parking area. For more information, call 575-574-5473 or email firstname.lastname@example.com. www.regalosdelatierra.com


text:
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text:
WASHINGTON (CBSDC) — There's a disease you've probably never heard of that affects newborns. Doctors are now recruiting for two clinical trials in hopes of find a cure for Tuberos Sclerosis Complex.
TSC is a genetic disorder that causes tumors in the brain, eyes, heart, kidney, lungs and other organs.
It affects some people severely, while others are so mildly affected that it often goes undiagnosed.
Experts estimate at least two children are born with TSC each day. There are approximately 50,000 people with the disease living in the United States.
The disease develops from a genetic mutation and produces non-cancerous but still potentially deadly tumors in the body's organs.
Learn more at TSCAlliance.org.


text:
|"In my opinion, policy is the expression
of our collective dreams."
« C'est mon opinion que la politique est l'expression
de nos rèves collectifs. »
Thank You!
I'd like to thank all those delegates who supported me and
I'd also like to thank the other Candidates for a race well run.
And now, on with rebuilding the Liberal Party of Canada...
© Maryanne Kampouris and Perfect Vision (Productions) Inc., 2011-16 / Comments to Maryanne Kampouris Webmaster


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An Antioch girl who was kidnapped and forced into prostitution was able to escape her alleged captor last week in Stockton, police said.
The 17-year-old girl ran away from home after a fight with her parents two months ago and called 20-year-old Chester Brown to pick her up, Stockton police Officer Joe Silva said. The girl, he said, had met Brown a few months ago in Antioch.
Brown allegedly took the girl to Stockton where he sexually assaulted her and forced her into working as a prostitute, Silva said.
"He had her walk the Wilson Way corridor looking for johns and threatened her several times he'd kill her if she left," Silva said.
Brown also allegedly made her set up a myRedBook account — a social media site where prostitutes solicit themselves.
On Sunday afternoon, police received a call from the girl's father, who said he'd received a text from his daughter saying she was in Stockton against her will and had been forced into prostitution.
About an hour later, the girl called 911 from a Motel 6 off Interstate 5.
Officers arrived at the motel a short time later and found the girl, who was later reunited with her parents.
Shortly after, Brown drove into the motel parking lot with two 14-year-old girls and a 16-year-old girl in his car, Silva said. One of the 14-year-olds had been reported missing out of San Francisco and had an outstanding arrest warrant, he said.
That 14-year-old girl had been teaching the other girls how to be prostitutes, Silva said.
During a search of his car, officers found condoms and a book titled "Pimpology: The 48 Laws of the Game."
Police arrested Brown on suspicion of kidnapping, making terrorist threats, pimping and sexual assault, and on several outstanding warrants.
Police on Thursday were investigating whether Brown had also victimized the other girls in the car with him.
Anyone who suspects someone is a victim of sex trafficking or other types of human trafficking is asked to call 911.
Victims of human trafficking can call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center at 888-373-7888 or send a text message to 233733.
Contact Natalie Neysa Alund at 510-293-2469. Follow her at Twitter.com/nataliealund.


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California lawmakers have moved to to reverse a court ruling that they believe has crippled the ability of cities and counties to force developers to set aside affordable housing units or pay a fee, particularly in high-cost regions like coastal San Diego.
The push is being led by San Diego Assemblywoman Toni Atkins, who crafted legislation clarifying the authority of cities and counties to impose ordinances designed to help house those with modest paychecks.
These "inclusionary housing" laws, adopted by some 140 cities and counties, require developers to either set aside a certain percentage of units or contribute money into a general pot that is then used to subsidize home as part of a new project.
"My bill gives local governments a green light to continue using this tool without fear of conflicting with state law," said Atkins, a Democrat.
The measure is on its way to Gov. Jerry Brown's desk after passing both the Senate and Assembly without a vote to spare.
Builders, Realtors and apartment associations have been fighting the legislation, arguing that it would grant local governments rent control authority over new development, not just existing units. Others say complying with inclusionary housing is costly and an unfair intrusion in the free market.
The San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce has come out in opposition, saying in a letter that it would "hurt the state's housing recovery and its economy."
"The high demand and low inventory of available housing also attribute to the high housing costs in the state," continued the letter signed by its president, Jerry Sanders, the former mayor. "The governor and Legislature should focus on policies that incentivize or lower housing construction costs rather than discourage or increase it."
The Legislature granted local governments the power to adopt inclusionary housing ordinances more than 40 years ago. As a result, tens of thousands of families have been able to find a more reasonably priced place to live, supporters argue.
But in 2009 a California appellate court tossed out an inclusionary housing ordinance adopted by the city of Los Angeles because it conflicted with a 1995 state law that set the rules for local rent control. But it left untouched the inclusionary housing policies governing for-sale housing.
As a result, a number of the 140 cities and counties using inclusionary housing ordinances were sent scrambling. Some opted to charge fees, or limit the reach of their housing requirements. But others simply abandoned their affordable housing rules.
Atkins said her bill returns to the status quo so local governments can adopt ordinances covering both rental and for-sale housing.
"You just don't want to deal with that legal liability," said Atkins, who as a councilwoman wrote the city's initial ordinance.
The city of San Diego in 2011 overhauled its policies in the wake of the court ruling. The city's current ordinance requires developers of homes for sale to set aside 10 percent of their units or pay a fee. The set aside for condominium conversions is 5 percent.
Rental properties are subject to a fee only. The 2013-14 fee was set at $8.20 per square foot for developments of 10 or more units, up from $4.98 in the previous year. Condominium conversions are charged half the rate if the owners chose the fee option.
The city has created 946 affordable units over the past five years using the ordinance.
The City Council endorsed Atkins' legislation in an Aug. 5 resolution.
Susan Riggs, executive director of the San Diego Housing Federation, called the measure critical.
"We're in a place right now where we have a dearth of affordable rental housing stock," she said.
She said there are 41,000 families on the city of San Diego's waiting list for Section 8 subsidized housing.
San Diego County does not have a specific inclusionary housing ordinance, nor rent control so it has not been affected by the court ruling. The county does require developers to provide "an affordable housing component when requesting a general plan amendment for a large-scale residential project when this is legally permissible."
Housing is generally considered affordable if it does not exceed 30 percent of a household's monthly income.
The Legislature rejected similar legislation in 2011, but since then Democrats seized large majorities in both houses, providing the bare minimum number of votes for passage this year
The governor has not taken a position on Assembly Bill 1229. He has until Oct. 13 to act.


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Kruger has taken down fences along some of its borders, allowing elephants to migrate west into private reserves and east into Mozambique's Limpopo National Park, a drier region where the animals are still scarce. Limpopo should act as a safety valve for at least the next five to ten years, says Norman Owen-Smith of the University of the Witwatersrand. Others note that people living in Limpopo have already complained about elephants damaging their crops.
The free-range approach is also alleviating pressures in countries neighboring South Africa. Northern Botswana's more than 150,000 elephants—Africa's largest population—are roaming in and out of Zimbabwe and reclaiming areas in Angola and Namibia from which they were driven by war and poaching. The once steep growth curve of the Botswana population is flattening, and Michael Chase, a researcher with Botswana-based Elephants Without Borders, estimates it will be at least 20 years before it climbs again. Nevertheless Botswana's elephants, up from perhaps 8,000 in 1960, are very dense in some areas, such as along a 12-mile stretch of the Chobe River, where they've destroyed most of the trees. A proposed new regional management plan includes the possibility of culling. In Zimbabwe, the government says the elephant population has risen from 46,000 in 1980 to more than 100,000 today, claiming that is twice as many as the land can support. In the past two years it has allowed nearly 150 elephants to be shot for meat. Critics respond that Zimbabwe simply wants to kill elephants for their ivory, and indeed government officials have been accused of illegally exporting tusks to China in an ivory-for-arms deal.
When culling resumes in South Africa, it will likely not be in Kruger but in smaller parks, those between 200 and 400 square miles that have populations too large to be easily controlled by contraception or translocation and are too compact and bounded by human settlement for their elephants to migrate outside. Rob Slotow of the University of KwaZulu-Natal believes that in most cases it will be possible to avoid culling. But, he says, in Tembe Elephant Park, with its rare sand forest vegetation, it may eventually become necessary to shoot bulls that cause irreparable habitat damage.
Ian Whyte, who recently retired from Kruger, says he's glad he'll no longer have to take part in what he sees as inevitable: "Culling has to happen at some stage," he says. "I can't imagine it will be a long time."


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SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) - The San Francisco 49ers waited until the fourth round Saturday to add the speedy vertical threat to their passing game that many expected them to grab near the top of the NFL draft.
Two-sport star Bruce Ellington may prove worth the wait.
The 49ers selected the South Carolina product with the 106th overall pick in the fourth round, bringing to San Francisco an explosive prospect that will challenge for a regular role in the team's passing game behind starters Anquan Boldin and Michael Crabtree.
The 49ers always are on the lookout for athletes in the draft, and Ellington displayed his merit in college on both the football field and basketball court, where he was a three-year starter at point guard.
He also was a two-year starter at wide receiver for the Gamecocks after not playing football as a freshman. But as Ellington developed on the gridiron, he determined his future as a professional was there. He led South Carolina last season in receptions (49), receiving yards (775) and touchdown receptions (8) while averaging 15.8 yards per catch.
''I finally realized football is what I want to do,'' Ellington said. ''It was pretty difficult because I love to compete and I love playing both sports. They just told me to come in here and be ready to compete. I'm going to be ready to do that and ready to come in and help build the program even better than what it is now.''
Ellington brings to San Francisco's program the field-stretching speed and athletic burst the 49ers are looking to add to an attack that ranked 30th in the NFL last season in passing offense.
He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.45 seconds at the NFL Combine. He also had a vertical leap of 39.5 inches, showing off the hops that led to Ellington's highlight reel of basketball dunks despite standing only 5-foot-9.
The 49ers have been seeking a legitimate speed element in their passing game since Jim Harbaugh arrived to coach the team in 2011. That component was sorely lacking most of last season, when Crabtree missed the first 11 games after suffering a torn Achilles tendon in May.
San Francisco was expected to use one or more of its five selections among the draft's top 100 picks on a wide receiver. But after signing veteran Brandon Lloyd during the offseason and trading a 2015 draft pick to Buffalo on Friday to acquire veteran Stevie Johnson, the 49ers instead finally tapped the position on the draft's final day.
''I know those guys can play, and I'm going to learn from them,'' said Ellington. ''They're going to help me become a better player. I feel like I have a lot of growth because I've only played (receiver) for three years. There's a lot more things that I can put in my game and become a better player.''
Ellington said his basketball experience will help with that. He started 66 games at South Carolina, where he was named to the Southeastern Conference All-Freshman team.
He left the team last winter after playing just three games of his senior season, opting to focus on football All-Star games and preparing for the draft.
''Playing (point guard) has helped me (at receiver),'' Ellington said. ''You want to be the best player on the court. Because you're the point guard, you've got to lead everybody that's around you. I think that's going to help a lot when I get to the NFL.''
With their next two picks Saturday, the 49ers bolstered last season's fifth-ranked defense by selecting North Carolina State cornerback Dontae Johnson with the 129th overall pick in the fourth round and South Florida linebacker Aaron Lynch with the 150th overall pick in the fifth round.


text:
Message-Id: <email@example.com>
Date: Thu, 19 Feb 2004 10:17:51 -0500
From: "D. Eric Holt" <firstname.lastname@example.com>
To: <firstname.lastname@example.com>, <email@example.com>
Subject: inquiry regarding a deceased member
Dear Mr. Dryfoos,
I'm trying to find out more about a member, Jeremiah Casselman, my
wife's deceased father.
He died in California in 1996 at the age of 65 in Palm Springs, I
believe it was, and had a white apron, but nobody knew what it was or
what to do with it. We now know/suspect that it supposed to be part of
his burial; however, though Jeremiah was a Mason, his burial
unintentionally neglected that heritage.
Is there any way to confirm what Lodge he belonged to, and how some
sort of posthumous recognition might be given, or other appropriate
steps taken?
Our own records are sparse and not easily located, but it would mean
a lot to my wife, who feels like she let her father down in this
Very sincerely,
Eric Holt
Lucian Casselman Holt
From: email@example.com
Message-Id: <firstname.lastname@example.com>
To: "D. Eric Holt" <firstname.lastname@example.com>
Subject: Re: inquiry regarding a deceased member
In-Reply-To: Your message of "Thu, 19 Feb 2004 10:17:51 EST."
Date: Fri, 20 Feb 2004 19:37:16 -0500
Dear Mr. Holt
You have to find your father-in-law's lodge if you can. Was he
active in the Masons in California, or did he only live there for a
short while before his passing?
If you know what town/city he lived in, you can more easily find out
what lodge he belonged to. Maybe you already know. Do you have
anything Masonic in your possession? A copy of his lodge's notice,
mailed to every member each month -- that would give you the information
you need. Or his lodge certificate? Or a dues wallet card?
If you have none, you can contact the Grand Lodge of the state where
he was an active Mason. They can tell you what lodge he was a member
of. Explain your situation to the nice people at the Grand Secretary's
office at Grand Lodge, and they will probably help you contact his
lodge. The lodge may have performed a Masonic memorial service at a
meeting when they received word of his passing. Or perhaps they never
heard? and still don't know? In that case, they would perform a
memorial service during a regular meeting once they are notified.
Perhaps they would invite you and do some kind of public Masonic
memorial at a nearby chapel, and make use of his white apron
symbolically. The usual practice is for the brother's lodge to attend
his funeral and (with permission of the family) perform a Masonic
memorial service preceding the regular service.
Traditionally, the family has given the apron to the funeral home,
and the departed brother is wearing his white apron -- white as a emblem
of purity of spirit and conduct in this life, the condition in which we
all hope to approach any life hereafter.
It's sad but true that most Masons don't inform their family about
their white apron and wish for a Masonic funeral or memorial
When I post your letter on-line, to warn other brothers to remember
this important matter, I will also have a suggestion from a brother in
Pennsylvania that could help avoid this regret in future cases.
I will be out of town for several weeks. I hope my answer will help
solve your problem. If not, simply contact the grand lodge of
your state, and identify yourself (or in this case your wife)
as the orphan of a Mason asking for advice.
best wishes,
| Gary L. Dryfoos <email@example.com>| Ocean Lodge AF&AM, Saugus, MA (PM)
| P.O.Box 425400, Camb, MA 02142 | Mt. Scopus Lodge AF&AM, Malden, MA (PM)
| | Richard C. Maclaurin Lodge, MIT, MA
| "A Page About Freemasonry" | Internet Lodge #9659, E. Lancs UGLE
| http://mit.edu/dryfoo/Masonry/ | 32~; MPS; B'hood o/t Blue Forget-Me-Not
| | RWG Rep.GL Russia near GL Massachusetts
| "...one sacred band, or society of Friends and Brothers, among
| whom no contention should ever exist, save that noble contention,
| or rather emulation, of who best can work and best agree."


text: Hello everyone! I am new to the Forum, have ordered an Audi A3 which will be collected Tuesday next week Looking forward to pick up as I have been waiting for 3 months now! Looked into quite a few forums and this one looks to be the best, hoping to get good advice as it is my first new car purchase!


text:
What are the devices compatible with RPS1000?
Related Information
This article is one in a series to assist in the setup, troubleshooting, and maintenance of Cisco Small Business products (formerly Linksys Business Series).
Below are the devices compatible with RPS1000:
Linksys One Ready Network Storage System Devices
Linksys One Ready Stackable Switches


text:
Washington DC (SPX) May 20, 2008
Superconductors can convey more than 150 times more electricity than copper wires because they don't restrict electron movement, the essence of electricity.
But to do this, the materials have to be cooled below a very low, so-called, transition temperature, which often makes them impractical for widespread use.
Now for the first time, scientists have found that in addition to chemical manipulation, the superconducting state can be induced by high pressure in so-called high-temperature superconductors.
The discovery, published in the May 30, 2008, issue of Physical Review Letters, opens a new window on understanding and harnessing these miracle materials.
The early superconductors had to be cooled to extremely low (below 20 K or -423degrees F) temperatures. But in the 1980s scientists discovered a class of what they call high-temperature superconductors made of ceramic copper oxides, called cuprates.
They found that at temperatures as high as about 135 K, or -216degrees F, these materials transition into superconductors. Understanding how they work and thus how they can be manipulated to operate at even higher temperatures is currently one of the most important unsolved problems in physics-a holy grail for many.
"In cuprate superconductors the atoms are arranged in a layered structure," explained co-author of the study, Viktor Struzhkin at the Carnegie Institution's Geophysical Laboratory. "When the material goes into the superconducting state, changes occur in the copper-oxide planes, the electron spins behave differently, the vibrational energy is altered, the charges move differently, and more."
Another co-author of the study, Alexander Goncharov, elaborated: "Over the years scientists have found that the transition temperature can be increased with a specific amount of 'doping,' which is the addition of charged particles-either negatively charged electrons or positively charged holes.
"We wanted to see the effects of high pressure on one bismuth-based high-temperature cuprate (Bi1.98.Sr2.06Y0.68Cu2O8+d). Pressure has the added bonus that it can be applied gradually, like tuning a radio. We gradually tuned in to the superconductivity and could watch what happened over a broad range of pressures."
The scientists observed the subatomic effects on the material of pressures close to 350,000 times the atmospheric pressure at sea level (35 GPa) using a diamond anvil cell to squeeze the sample and specialized techniques, Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction, to measure the changes.
"21 GPa was the magic number, or critical pressure," remarked Tanja Cuk, the lead author and a student at Stanford University, who carried out this work as part of her Ph.D. thesis research.
"By compressing the structure, we were able to observe changes in six different physical properties. But even more exciting, the changes were similar to those observed when the material has been doped to its optimal level.
"This means that the critical pressure is likely related to doping. Plus, by finding that pressure can be used instead of temperature and doping, we've found an entirely new approach to studying what's behind superconducting properties of high-Tc superconductors."
According to Struzhkin: "This study brings us one step closer to understanding the mechanism of high-temperature superconductivity by giving a completely new perspective of the superconducting state driven by a continuous variable-pressure. It appears that superconductivity is favored on the borderline between insulating and metallic states.
"By applying these high pressures, we may be able to discover the missing clues to the mechanism of the high-temperature superconductivity and move a few steps closer to using superconductors in daily life. This could change our whole energy system."
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Greenwood Technologies Brings Clean Tech Wood Boilers To Heating Industry
Bellevue WA (SPX) May 20, 2008
A Pacific Northwest renewable heating solutions manufacturer - Greenwood Technologies - is blazing a new trail in the clean technology market. The company has overhauled the traditional outdoor wood boiler to create a next generation of indoor and outdoor wood-fired furnaces, and investors are starting to take notice.
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text:
Manchester United face battle to persuade Adnan Januzaj to commit himself to club
Manchester United are facing a battle similar to the one which saw them lose Paul Pogba to Juventus, as they attempt to persuade their prodigious new talent Adnan Januzaj to commit himself to the club beyond the end of the season.
Manager David Moyes and his chief executive Ed Woodward must come up with a financial package which is to the satisfaction of the player's father – a key influence in negotiations – as well as Januzaj himself. That may be challenging – despite the United manager's claim after the Belgian-Kosovan scored two priceless goals to stave off another calamitous defeat for United at Sunderland that "all boys want to play for Manchester United." Moyes has already said that "influences" close to Januzaj have already complicated attempts to extend his contract. Juventus are understood to have been circling again, accelerating attempts to attract another United prospect.
Moyes is also facing the headache of £27.5m acquisition Marouane Fellaini likely needing surgery on his wrist.
There is no prospect of Januzaj playing for England until 2018 at the earliest, despite Roy Hodgson stating on Saturday night's Match of the Day that the Football Association have been exploring the idea. Articles 15 to 18 of Fifa's regulations state that a player must have lived in a nation for at least five years, "after reaching the age of 18" to play for it. Brussels-born Januzaj only turned 18 on February and his decision not to play for Belgium stems from the influence of his Kosova-Albanian father. Fifa's non-recognition of Kosovo, who can only play friendly fixtures, currently leaves Albania as Januzaj's only option if he wishes to play competitive football for his influential father's native country.
With Januzaj's goals in the 2-1 win at Sunderland serving to strengthen his bargaining position, United must now decide whether to agree to a size of contract which would remove potential challengers for his signature from the picture. The player's agent, Dirk De Vriese, told Voetbal Niews five days ago that Sir Alex Ferguson's departure had caused "a break in the negotiations" – though it was Ferguson who had most distaste for Pogba's agent, Mino Raiola, during attempts to persuade the French teenager to stay.
The benefits to Raiola of Pogba's move to Juventus a made the task of keeping him more complex than has generally been appreciated, though United may have to take financial pain on this occasion if they are to keep Januzaj. United hope that Moyes' clear vote of faith in Januzaj, illustrated by his determination to give him first team football, will help their case. Ferguson gave Pogba only three substitutes' appearances in the Premier League and a further three in the League Cup. United said yesterday that they did not discuss contract negotiations.
Fellaini seems to have suffered ligament damage to his wrist and will see a hand specialist in Manchester today before leaving for his native Belgium. The 25-year-old is likely to be out for several weeks and will need to play with a brace on the wrist when he returns.
Belfast Telegraph Digital


text:
Last month - I put together a page which has brought quite a bit of positive feedback.
It's on emergency travel kits, particularly a 2 - KIT system I use.
One half of it is my regular hiking pack.
Photo is a test fire my son and I tried, making a fire work with only wet forest debris to choose from on the mountain trail. It proved that contents of out emergency kit can provide fire and heat, even when everything in the forest is wet.
This message was edited Feb 26, 2007 8:25 AM
Emergency Travel Kits Page >> For Hikers, Campers, Travelers
Last month - I put together a page which has brought quite a bit of positive feedback.
informative site! thanks for putting all that info together. your info on the parts from your car that you can use in an emergency reminded me of an episode of "i shouldn't be alive/survivorman" that was on the discovery channel this past fall. les stroud was talking about a young couple with an infant that got stuck in the snow when they took a wrong turn on a trip from california to idaho (think they were stuck somewhere in remote nevada). anyways, les gave many ideas of what you could use from your vehicle to help you survive in a situation like this and some were similar to what you listed. not sure, but if my memory serves me correct, i think he even used the seat foam for snow shoes or to help protect his feet from the cold. so basically, the bottom line is don't be afraid to tear apart your car and use whatever means you need to save your life.


text:
It's been six months since Kate, Michael, and Emma confronted the Dire Magnus, but the trail to their long-missing parents remains cold. Then Michael and Emma find a man who saw them ten years ago - three days after they disappeared. He knows about a map of a distant land, a place shrouded in mystery that may lead them to their parents.
Meanwhile, Kate's connection to the Book of Time is growing stronger and stronger, until a dangerous trick gets her stuck in the past, searching for a friend to help her.
Only a perilous quest and a daring risk will help the children to harness the power of the Books of Beginning. But will it be enough to save them?
©2012 John Stephens; 2012 Listening Library
"Irreverent humor and swashbuckling adventure collide in a fetching fantasy." (Kirkus Reviews)
"Great follow up to the Emerald Atlas"
In this second installment of the Books of Beginning, Kate, Michael and Emma have been sent to the Edgar Allen Poe Home for Children for their safety while Dr. Pym takes care of some needed tasks.
It isn't long until the whereabouts of the children is discovered, forcing them to flee. Kate ends up going back in time and becoming trapped, while Michael and Emma remain in the present, searching for the Book of Life, known as the Fire Chronicle.
While at times you will be reminded of Harry Potter, this story does set itself apart and is very entertaining in its own right. Narrated by Jim Dale, whose performance is flawless, as I've come to expect. Listening to Dale is like being tucked in to bed with an epic adventure about to begin.
"The second child ascendant"
Jim Dale's reading! Michael's growing maturity!
Michael & Emma
Michael tricking the dragon
Michael reviving his sister
One of the best children's books in many years. Better than Fablehaven, Maximum flight or Percy Jackson. My son is riveted.
"Great series!"
I love this series! Jim Dale is a great narrator and does a phenomenal job with this already epic story! This is fantasy at its finest.
"GREAT for a Book 2 of a trilogy"
The 2nd book of any Trilogy has a tendency to lack significant action/conclusion on account of needing to set up a lot of plot line for the big finale--- but this book was different. The story really took on a character of its own with the kids going in different directions including in time and space. This story added a lot of depth to the series which was lacking a bit in the first book--- the plot line of the Emerald Atlas being a bit more whimsical. This is a great series for kids of the Harry Potter age group because although there is danger, death, and betrayal the stories maintain an underlying sense of humor/bewilderment and are very enjoyable.
"Even better than the first!"
The first book was good but the second book is better. Jim Dale killed it on narrating the story. So many cliff-hangers! On to book 3
The first book I was on the fence about, but it was still good enough that I decided to go to the second. I'm glad I did; this was an awesome ride!
"engaging, excellent storytelling and lessons"
i loved it, This was a wonderful story of sibling love and of course magic!
"Excellent if You Liked Harry Potter"
Jim Dale does a fantastic job once again. The story is excellent as well, and an wothwhile purchase unless you want a more adult-themed fantasy adventure.
"Fantastic follow up"
Loved this audio book. Themes of love & hate with adventure and humor. I can't wait for the next book.
"Great second book"
I have to first say that I was so wrapped up in this book that I didn't pay attention to what chapter I was on, and then it ended! I was so shocked it was over, what a cliff hanger! I love how the story has developed with this second book. Sometimes the middle book of a trilogy feels left behind, but this one was fantastic. the author included excellent character development amid the action and plot. I feel like I was able to witness the children growing up a bit in this book and I appreciated the insight into each of their thoughts. Now I need the third book!
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Welcome to Made.com Unboxed
Ever wondered how other people style their MADE pieces? Have a snoop here on Unboxed, where MADE customers share photos to inspire others. Post your own snaps, and you could win a £100 voucher.
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Wolseley Armchair, Wolf Grey Wool Mix
The Wolseley armchair in wolf grey wool is a classic piece that will suit any modern household. Designed by home expert Alison Cork and made here in the UK.Buy Now


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Local school budgets get green lightValidation vote set for June 10 ballot
Rockport — The Five Town Community School District and Maine School Administration District 28 both are one step closer to the finalization of respective budgets after a public budget meeting May 27.
Two meetings took place in Strom Auditorium at Camden Hills Regional High School — one for each district — to allow public comment and a vote on articles that will be on town warrants. A "yes" vote will approve the school budget; if a voter is in opposition to the budget, they should cast a "no" vote. Voting takes place in all towns June 10.
Residents of Camden and Rockport will decide on a $12.5 million proposed budget for SAD 28 — the elementary and middle schools — after the approval of all 15 articles on the warrant with little discussion.
The school board voted in April to approve the costs to operate Camden-Rockport Elementary School and Camden-Rockport Middle School for the 2013-2014 fiscal year. It is a 1.63 percent increase when compared last year's budget.
Taxpayers in Camden will see an increase of $858,000 (16 percent increase) toward the SAD 28 budget with the total share at $6.2 million. Rockport taxpayers will also see a slight increase of $208,000 (4 percent increase) with that town's share totaling more than $5.2 million.
Five Town CSD
Residents of Camden, Rockport, Hope, Appleton and Lincolnville in attendance May 27 voted in favor of all 21 articles of the budget proposed for Camden Hills Regional High School.
The Five Town CSD board in April approved the $11.7 million budget to operate Camden Hills Regional High School for the upcoming year — an overall increase of $546,700 (5.7 percent increase), when compared to last year's budget.
Rockport's share of the school budget will increase by $251,000 (4.29 percent), Camden by $189,000 (5.32 percent), Hope by $29,800 (5.5 percent) and Appleton by $14,200 (3.47 percent). Lincolnville's portion increased by $62,200 (4 percent).
The Five Town CSD budget will be voted on in each town June 10.
Lincolnville voters last week approved the budget for Lincolnville Central School; Hope voters already passed the budget for Hope Elementary School. Appleton residents will meet May 29 at 7 p.m. at Appleton Village School to vote. The elementary schools in the three towns make up Union 69 and are subject to the budget validation vote June 10.


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The Task Force considered the possibility of an appeals process, but decided against this. There were a number of grounds. We are concerned with our ability to construct a process that would be seen to be fair. We are concerned with the limited ability of the CMS to administer such an appeals process, especially at this early date when we do not know how many proposals we can expect in any given year. We further believe that an appeals process may be unnecessary when there is an opportunity to reapply in a year's time. On the other hand, we do want the community and the applicants to be encouraged to write the members of the EGC, the Executive and/or the Board with their comments. It may or may not be possible for the EGC to provide feedback to individuals on the structure and/or suitability of their proposals. This seems to depend upon the number of applications received.
We recommend this issue be revisited upon the review of the EGC.


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Artist description:
Found this on the internet and thought it was cute/funny to put here for the funny comp :)
Flash Draw Created Aug 05, 2008 470 x 338px Unless noted Copyright 2008 Sitmer.
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LMAO... this is funny ^^
WHAHAHAHA =D HAHA ^^' hilarious =D can't believe i never saw this drawing before
lolz 5♥'z CHUxx
haha!! poor boy..:( well, this is funny and creative!! 5 hearts!!
Hahahaha!!! lol.... poor fellow, watch out!!!!!
eeewwwwww!!! hahaha ..das so gross! 5 hearts!
XD eww!no dont do it birdies!♥♥♥♥♥ XD and faves
xDD HAHA, lol! I didn't fully get it until I read some of the comments~ xD; ♥♥♥♥♥
hahaha!! that would be so funny if they did!always watch the the trees for evil things!lolol[10]+favs check out my pics!
oh no...ewww..LOL


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Hodges, Wallace compete to carry GOP flag for House District 96
One of the few races garnering attention in the run up to the May 20 primary is the race for House District 96. The race pits Republicans Grant Hodges and Damon Wallace against each other in the largely rural Benton County District.
Rep. Duncan Baird, R-Lowell, is term limited for the District seat.
Hodges and Wallace said the state's income tax is a large concern, with Hodges falling in line with gubernatorial candidate Asa Hutchinson's proposal to cut the income tax over time.
"I fall more in line probably with Asa Hutchinson's plan, which would be a gradual phase out of the income tax over time," Hodges said. " think that's the most responsible way to cut taxes. It's still funding the services we need but moving toward a more pro-growth tax code."
Wallace said he had not researched Hutchinson or other gubernatorial candidates' tax cut plans, but said he is "for getting rid of any taxes we can."
"But I also realize that Arkansans have a certain expectation of, 'We want to fund our schools. We want to fund parks and some of the amenities that just go with living here in our state.' The lakes, and the mountains and the things like that. If we're going to get rid of the income tax, we of course need to find a way to make up for that lost income."
He said that some may argue that lower taxes could result in increased economic activity and therefore more revenue for the state. Wallace said regardless of what action is taken, something must be done to reduce the state's income tax, which he said is higher than many surrounding states, including Texas and Louisiana.
Wallace also said he would like to see more work done to attract business to the state, though he said it would take more than just cutting taxes. It would also involve finding other things to sweeten the deal for companies who may be looking to establish or re-locate from another state, such as incentives and tax credits.
"I think it's a combination. It depends on what the businesses need. But we also have to be out there asking for those businesses. There was a situation out in Colorado last year where they passed some legislation that was hurtful for some of the gun magazine makers. MagPool was one of them I believe. My understanding…I never read anywhere, and of course I'm not on the inside, but I didn't read anywhere where we had sent any representatives to MagPool and said, 'Hey, we want you here in Arkansas.' I think we need to be proactive on that. It's not just the big companies, but even the smaller and mid-sized companies. If we go after them and say, 'We want you here. Tell us what you need,' then we can structure some kind of plan in order to help facilitate their relocation here to Arkansas."
An area on which both men agreed is tackling the healthcare issue in Arkansas, with Hodges saying he was for a repeal of the Private Option.
"The main reason being that we can't afford it and there's no plan to pay for it on the state level. Essentially, if there's no plan to pay for it, we're going to raise taxes, which no one wants to do, or we'll have to cut spending from somewhere else. It may come from education, prisons or Medicaid. Higher education could be on the chopping block, as well. So that's my main reason for opposing it, is the cost."
Wallace did not fully come out for a repeal of the Private Option, but instead said each mandate dealing with the federal healthcare laws need to be looked at in depth to determine whether the state should fund certain federal mandates. He said his background as a respiratory therapist would give him insight that others may not have.
"Having someone in there that understands what the relevant studies are behind certain regulations or mandates will help us decide whether we fund those mandates or not."
The race for the District 96 House seat has not been without some controversy, as The Arkansas Project has run stories on Wallace's $30,000 debt to the Internal Revenue Service, as well as a question over the legitimacy of his bachelor's degree from LaSalle Extension University in Louisiana, which was raided by the FBI as a degree mill and eventually shut down.
Hodges said it was time for Wallace to "tell the truth."
"What is the truth about his college degree? Is it fake? Has he been honest about it? I haven't heard him respond to some of the other issues, as well. I think it's time for him to comment on it. I think he owes the people of this district the truth."
Wallace addressed the topics, first explaining that his degree was completed via correspondence, claiming that it took two years of coursework to complete the degree in business administration. It wasn't until later that he said he found out that the school was not necessarily on the up and up. "As far as whether the degree is from a reputable school or not, no. But I put forth the effort and stuff and as far as I can tell, I did the due diligence that I could at the time to make sure that they were a valid entity. But things just didn't work out for them."
Regarding the IRS debt, Wallace said he was in the process of repaying the debt that he incurred from the purchase of an auto repair store, where he ended up racking up the IRS debts and penalties due to his never having run his own business with a staff before.
"A lot of these (employer-paid) taxes caught me off guard and basically after we bought the shop, it was at the beginning of the recession and I wasn't charging high enough prices for what I was paying the people. And basically it just snowballed. And of course, with the IRS if you get penalties and interest, it can get out of hand pretty quick. It has been as high as $60,000 or more. I can't remember the exact figure. But again penalties and interest. But I've got it down to about $30,000 and on a regular payment thing."
Statewide Republican and Democratic primaries, as well as judicial races, will be held May 20. The winner of the District 96 GOP primary will face Democratic candidate Tom McClure and Libertarian candidate Michael Kalagias in the November general election.


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Our future ability to attract jobs to Georgia depends on making improvements in areas long neglected by our state leadership.
Two top issues businesses look at when deciding to relocate are the quality of the education system and the quality of the transportation system.
Georgia has been lacking in both areas, and on top of that, we have a problem with water sourcing - having been told by a federal judge that Atlanta has been illegally drawing water out of Lake Lanier for years and must stop within two years - and no plan to address it.
Failure to solve these issues is driving business away from Georgia and will only continue to do so unless addressed, urgently.
Source: http://www.elenaparent.com/issues/


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Hawaiian OLA
by Hawaiian OLA
Product Type
Functional: Energy Shot, Tea: Yerba Mate
2.5oz Platic Bottle
Nutritional Info
Nutritional information is not available for this product.
Ingredients are not available for this product.
Review: Hawaiian Ola Shot
Posted: Aug 27, 2012 at 12:00 AM (Last Updated: Oct 25, 2012 at 10:24 AM)Hawaiian Ola is an energy shot that is made with 75 percent juice (noni, mango, pear, apple, acai, goji, and lilikoi juice. For energy, it contains green tea and yerba mate, which give the product 140 mg of natural caffeine. As far as drinkability is concerned, this is much better than some of the medicinal tasting products that are currently on the market. It's tart and sweet, with a rich fruit flavor that requires sipping rather than just knocking it back. From a textural perspective, there's some slight grit to the product, which might take some getting used to for certain consumers. Visually, we like the tropical design that they've used, which borrows colors from acai and yerba mate products that are already on the market. However, the logo for the brand hasn't been given enough emphasis, which might make it easy to misread. Beyond that, there's a lot competing for your eye -- noni, goji, acai -- although the big "energy" call out and "75% juice" tagline makes it pretty clear as to what it is. Whether those are meaningful points of differentiation for a category that really has only one player is tough to say, but it certainly seems like something that will be right at home in the natural channel. If the plan for Hawaiian Ola is to go beyond natural, we think that further branding work needs to be done. Overall, a nice start that can definitely be improved upon.


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Things To Do In Dallas Tonight: Nov. 12
I spent most of yesterday feeling like it should be Wednesday, so things are little weird with me right now.
In the Arts District, the Dallas Wind Symphony puts on sequel to last year's concert of Oscar Award-winning movie scores. The evening includes music from The Wizard of Oz, the main theme from 1998's The Red Violin, "Colonel Bogey March" from director David Lean's 1957 World War II film The Bridge of the River Kwai, and more. If you arrive early, take part in a conversation in the Meyerson lobby with the Dallas Wind Symphony's director of education, Carl Johnson, about the songs of the silver screen. Speaking of wind(s), the heavy outdoor variety today is on the annoying side, but that shouldn't stop you from walking over to Lark on the Park for drinks and dinner. Tuesdays can be fancy, too.
In Fort Worth, the Modern Art Museum hosts their evening lecture series. Tonight's guests are eco-artists Newton and Helen Harrison. It's a discipline I'll admit to not knowing too much about, but their work, usually done in partnership with biologists, urban planners, and architects, sound fascinating. The Harrisons will present "The Force Majeure – from the Tibetan Plateau, to the Highlands of Europe, to the Sierra Nevada, and then the Bays of San Francisco," a piece that illustrates the effects of global warming across various climates, and the whole thing is a collaboration of the Make Art With Purpose Festival.
For more to do tonight, go here.


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Hey guys!
I hope you all had a GURREAT weekend and relaxed a little bit! I just wanted to share with you guys my NEW haul video which is now up on my Youtube Channel so please go check it out and subscribe! It would mean sooooo soooo much to me! I do not know if I am going to be doing Youtube besides my blog, it is kind of a test run to see how my youtube channel does. So please let me know if you like my videos or have any suggestions for new videos! Also, the winner of my giveaway will be announced tomorrow night so if you entered please stay tuned for that!
I love you all and thank you for reading this post and maybe even watching my video:)


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World Briefly 11.21
Syrian rebels capture weapons trove
BASE OF THE 46TH REGIMENT, Syria — After a nearly two-month siege, Syrian rebels overwhelmed a large military base in the north of the country and made off with tanks, armored vehicles and truckloads of munitions that rebel leaders say will give them a boost in the fight against President Bashar Assad's army.
The rebel capture of the base of the Syrian army's 46th Regiment is a sharp blow to the government's efforts to roll back rebels' gains and shows a rising level of organization among opposition forces.
At a rebel base where the much of the haul was taken after the weekend victory, rebel fighters unloaded half a dozen large trucks piled high with green boxes full of mortars, artillery shells, rockets and rifles taken from the base. Parked nearby were five tanks, two armored vehicles, two rocket launchers and two heavy-caliber artillery cannons.
Around 20 Syrian soldiers captured in the battle were put to work carrying munitions boxes, barefoot and stripped to the waist. Rebels refused to let reporters talk to them or see where they were being held.
Church of England blocks move to approve female bishops
LONDON — The Church of England's governing body blocked a move Tuesday to permit women to serve as bishops in a vote so close it failed to settle the question of female leadership and likely condemned the institution to years more debate on the issue.
The General Synod's daylong debate ended with the rejection of a compromise that was intended to unify the faithful despite differing views on whether women should be allowed in the hierarchy. But backers failed to gain the necessary majority by six votes.
The defeat was a setback for Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, who retires at the end of December, and his successor, Bishop Justin Welby. Both had strongly endorsed a proposed compromise that would have respected the decision of those who objected to the ordination of women bishops.
Woman sentenced to 80 years in Houston day care fire
HOUSTON — It had been Jessica Tata's dream to run a day care.
She was soon in over her head, caring for too many kids and taking chances by leaving them alone to run errands. The young woman's actions ultimately proved fatal: Four children died and three others were injured when a fire broke out at her home day care after she had left them alone to go shopping at a nearby Target.
On Tuesday, jurors sentenced the 24-year-old woman to 80 years in prison for the death of one of the children, 16-month-old Elias Castillo. She still faces charges related to the rest of the children.
Elmo puppeteer resigns amid new allegations
NEW YORK — Elmo puppeteer Kevin Clash resigned from "Sesame Street" on Tuesday amid allegations he sexually abused underage boys, bringing an end to a 28-year career in which he turned the furry red monster into one of the most beloved — and lucrative — characters on TV and in toy stores.
"Personal matters have diverted attention away from the important work 'Sesame Street' is doing and I cannot allow it to go on any longer," the 52-year-old performer said in a statement.
His departure came as a 24-year-old college student, Cecil Singleton, sued Clash for more than $5 million Tuesday, accusing the actor of engaging in sexual behavior with him when he was 15. Singleton charged that Clash made a habit of trolling gay chat lines for underage boys and meeting them for sex.
It was the second such allegation in just over a week. On Nov. 12, a man in his 20s said he had sex with Clash at age 16. A day later, though, the young man recanted.
By wire sources