text:
A Level Results 2018
Students and staff at Felixstowe Academy were today once again celebrating a successful year for the Sixth Form with a record number of A*/A grades achieved.
This year's results saw a further increase on last year's achievement of A* to B grades to 34%, an increase of 15% over the past two years, and A*-C grades rose to 67%. The Academy was delighted with the record number of A*/ A grades which were gained in subjects such as Maths, Further Maths, Accounting, Psychology and Sociology. All students entered for the new BTEC qualifications achieved a pass grade or above.
Felixstowe Academy's student Victoria Walker achieved A* in both Maths and Further Maths as well as A grades in Physics and English Literature, Victoria will be the first Felixstowe Academy student to gain entry to Oxford University to read Maths.
Victoria was 'thrilled' that her results had secured her place at Oxford. As she shared her results with teachers Victoria explained 'I felt really confident with my Maths exams but I am so pleased and surprised to have gained an A grade in English. That was a really pleasant surprise!'.
Victoria added 'I am really looking forward to starting university and seeing what it brings.'
Also celebrating was; Jack Brewer who achieved an A* grade in Psychology and A grades in Biology and Chemistry, Marcio Patricio who achieved an A* in Accounting, and A grade in Spanish and a Distinction* in Travel and Tourism.
Jack had advice for students who will be choosing their A Level subject next week which he feels will help them to succeed 'I feel it is really important to study topics you feel passionate about at A Level as this will give you the best opportunity to do well in the exams. You have to study hard outside of lessons, almost from the start, and not rely just on teachers. Having a passion for your subjects will help you secure good grades and give you more options when it comes to choosing your university courses.'
Mr Darryl James, Assistant Vice Principal in charge of sixth form said 'The results again reflect the huge efforts made by staff and students to achieve the very best. The progress made by our students at the academy's sixth form reaffirm that our provision is good. Our students performed to the very highest levels securing A* grades in some of the most demanding subjects. As a result students will now be attending a range of top Universities, including Oxford University. '
Academy Principal Mr Anthony Williams said 'The fact that we have been able to further improve the top grades achieved at A Level and in most vocational subjects, reflects the high expectations from teachers and great work ethic from students. This achievement, coupled with our first student to successfully gain entry to Oxford University, is fantastic news for the whole school community.'
Percentage of A*-B grades 34%Percentage of A*-C grades: 67%
Percentage of A*-E grades: 94%
54% of learners achieved grade C in GCSE English (above national average).
5 others achieved a higher GCSE grade post-16 than they achieved at 16.
This year's results saw an 11% year on year increase in the achievement of A* to B grades, along with an increase in the number of students (64%) securing A* to C grades. The Academy was particularly pleased with the performance of vocational courses where a record figure of 73% of students achieved the highest Distinction*/Distinction grades.
Academy Principal Mr Anthony Williams was 'delighted with the continuing improvements in results for our A Levels and vocational courses'. Mr Williams added 'What has really struck me as a positive outcome from today is that our students have a very clear idea of how their next steps will help them achieve future careers, whether that is through completing a degree course at university, or through the completion of advanced apprenticeships. I think this highlights that the strength of support from Mr James and the Sixth Form pastoral and teaching team has prepared our hardworking students over the past two years. We are very proud of the improving achievement and outcomes of our students.'
Mr Darryl James, Assistant Vice Principal said 'Today's results highlight the continued upwards progress our students are making, alongside recognising the efforts and hard work of students and staff. These results have enabled so many of our students to secure places at University and on prestigious apprenticeships.'
Felixstowe Academy's former Head Girl, Lucy Fossett, was 'very excited' to have confirmed her place at the University of Nottingham to study Politics and International Relations. Lucy explained 'My aim is to build a career in politics either within the Civil Service or with a Non Governmental Organisation. I initially considered pursuing a role in law, but soon realised that if I want to make a positive difference to people's lives it was be better to work in politics and try to help other people within society. I can't wait to start my degree!'
Also celebrating was Jordan Astley whose A Level results secured his place at the University of Bristol, bringing him a step closer towards his career aim of becoming an Engineer. Jordan explained 'Bristol was my first choice University because it had the highest entry requirements and was part of the Russell Group of Universities. I can't believe that I will be there to study for my degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering!'
Alongside students celebrating securing university places, a record number of Felixstowe Academy students will be joining BT on their full degree Apprenticeship programme in the Autumn. Hannah Cook described Results Day as 'Fabulous and wonderful!' as her higher grade A Level results secured her place on BT's Technology, Service and Operations Apprenticeship in IT Software. Hannah went on to explain 'I was so impressed with the Apprenticeship programme at BT. Not only will my degree be sponsored by BT, but I will also gain valuable work experience and I get to work for a company I really want to work for!'
Leon Harris secured Distinction* grades in Media Studies and Art, along with a B grade in Product Design (Textiles). Leon shared that he was 'relieved that all the hard work in Year 13 helped to achieve the grades that secured my place at the University of Bournemouth to study a degree in Costume Design and Making'. He explained 'I am pretty amazed and excited! I don't have to dread going home to share my results!'
Holly England's Distinction* grades and experience gained from her Business Studies and Media Studies course helped her to secure a role as Personal Assistant to the owner of an events company who stage events across the country.
Megan Fisher secured her place at the University of Suffolk to study Psychology and Early Childhood Studies, to help her towards her career goal of working within Social Services or being an Education Welfare Officer.
Opening his results to discover he had achieved a Distinction* in Music and B grades in A Level Film Studies and Art, Benjamin Hall shared that results day brought 'a bizarre mixture of feelings of both being happy and sad at the same time.' Benjo went on to explain 'I feel really happy to have secured my first choice course of Film and TV Studies at the University of East Anglia, but I am also sad to be leaving the Academy after seven years. I think the past two years at Sixth Form have been great - it has a sense of family as you build such camaraderie with your fellow students and develop a better working relationship with teachers. I will miss that.'
We wish all our Sixth Form students the very best in their future courses and careers.
On a beautiful, sunny August morning Felixstowe Academy Sixth Form students arrived to collect their A Level and BTEC results that were the reward for their hard work over the past two years.
Academy Principal Mr Williams was on hand to meet with students as they collected results and to chat to them about their next steps after Sixth Form. He shared 'We are extremely proud of the achievement of our students in terms of their attainment and more so with the progress they have made. The students and teachers have worked hard to achieve these results and witnessing this shared success was something very special.'
Mr Williams went on to add 'It was so pleasing to speak to students who shared their aspirations and next steps using the qualifications they had achieved to fulfil their career goals. These next steps varied from starting apprenticeships, embarking on university courses and entering employment. This has shown how the students have matured and are clear how their qualifications will be a foundation or springboard to future success.'
Gemma Crane, Andrew McKenna and Lucy Sayer were the first students into the Academy to collect their results, and couldn't wait to get confirmation that their hard work and long hours of coursework had paid off. The opening of the exam result envelope confirmed a string of Distinction* grades for the trio of Health and Social Care students!
Gemma, who achieved four Distinction* grades, was delighted by her grades and praised her 'amazing' teacher Mrs Couto saying 'Mrs Couto was brilliant, she gives you the time out of lessons and is prepared to work late with you just to offer support when needed.'
Andrew, who also achieved Distinction* grades, agreed with Gemma adding that 'good time management, being organised and having good friends working around me helped to stay on track to get these results.'
Luke Grant, pictured with Sixth Form Pastoral Support Manager Mrs Meredith, explained that he had been 'nervous throughout the summer ahead of Results Day.' With his Distinction in Business Studies and two higher grade A Levels, Luke will be studying Computer Science at the University of Lincoln in September.
The Maths department were celebrating strong performance in results in A Level Maths and Further Maths, and were on hand to congratulate Jordan Amos. Jordan secured his place at the University of Bristol with an A grade in Maths and Bs in Further Maths and Physics and is 'excited and looking forward' to starting his course in Engineering and Mathematics.
Heading in completely different directions, both geographically and politically (currently!), are Michael Meredith and Alisha Lewis. Michael confirmed that he had accepted a place at the University of Portsmouth to study Politics, whilst Alisha is heading to the University of Liverpool to study Politics and Philosophy.
Michael, who is well known for his passion for politics and discussion, encouraged students to think beyond just their academic success saying 'Your personal statement is a really important part to your university application, so make sure you get involved in a range of extracurricular activities, as it really makes a difference.'
Alisha 'can't wait' to get to university and feels that her degree course in Liverpool will give the chance to start building towards a career in politics. Alisha explained that 'there are real opportunities to get involved in grassroots projects in Liverpool. They have great links to political parties and you have the opportunity to start making contacts very earlier on. I can't wait!'
The English Department were celebrating excellent results, with 100% of students studying English Language and Creative Writing, and 83% of English Literature students achieving A* to C grades. One of these students, Ashley Colbourn will be using his higher English grade alongside his Distinction* in Creative Media Studies in a Sports Journalism course at Leeds Trinity University.
With all Textiles students achieving A* to C grades, it was great to hear how some of the students will be using their grades to support future careers. Lucy Hayfield confirmed that she will be heading to Nottingham Trent University to study Fashion Management, a course that Lucy feels would prepare her for a career in the business elements of the Fashion Industry.
Naomi Arnold beamed as she explained that she be heading to Anglia Ruskin University to study Fashion Design. She advised students to follow their 'passion for the subject' as she had done, and encouraged students studying Art or Textile to 'build a portfolio or work that shows your passion for the subject as universities will value this.'
Celebrating with Naomi were Taryn Mason and Keelan Swift-Stalley. Taryn, who gained higher grades in A Level Film Studies and Drama alongside Distinction* grades in Music and Production Arts, changed her earlier degree course choice. Taryn explained 'I have decided to study Business Management instead of performance related courses. I have a dream to own my own theatre in the future and think that Business will definitely aid me in achieving this!'.
Keelan will be using his higher grade results from three English subjects and Drama to head off to the University of East Anglia to study Performance and Script Writing. As a student who took part in so many performance related activities at the Academy, it is brilliant to see him going on to develop his natural talent further, which he hopes will lead to a career in acting.
Joining Keelan at the UEA will be Jake Goddard, although Jake will be reading European Law. Having achieved two A* grades and two A grades, Jake is looking forward to starting his four year degree course in September. Jake explained even with the EU Referendum result, he felt it was a good time to study European Law 'The recent result will mean that there will be a lot a career opportunities within this area of law. This course will also mean spending a year in a work placement in a European organisation. I am really looking forward to it!'
It wasn't just about A Level and BTEC results for some students. Although Giedre Skeiryte was delighted that her excellent grades for Music, Performing Arts, Photography, Textiles, Product Design had secured her place at the University of Chichester to study Music Performance, it was the higher grade pass in GCSE English that brought tears to the eyes of both her and her mother!
Lithuanian born Giedre had been determined to pass her GCSE English as her first language, and finally achieved this as she looks forward to the start of her university course. Giedre explained 'I was determined that English result would be as my first language and I am so relieved and overjoyed! I am now looking forward to starting uni, and have already made contact with other new students already. I am so grateful to staff at the Academy for giving me the opportunity to perform and build my confidence - every student should take up the opportunities offered to them!'
Oliver Hazell is heading off to Nottingham Trent University to study Property Finance and Investment thanked 'all the teachers and staff that have made my time at Felixstowe Academy special.' He went on to add 'They have all helped me to this point in my life, where I am now going to University to study a subject that I love. Of course there were obstacles in the way but through hard word and determination I have been able to secure my place at Nottingham Trent. For anyone that is attending Sixth Form in September I would just like to say that if you keep your head down and get involved in the many opportunities on offer, you will be a success and get the best grades possible.'
Ollie Spink, Chester Tooke and Matt Taylor where all celebrating their results and the opportunities their results have created. For Ollie and Matt, this will mean starting university courses at Roehampton and Cheltenham respectively, but for Chester it meant confirmation that he had secured a place on the world-class apprentice scheme at BT Adastral Park.
Mr James Assistant Vice-Principal (Raising Standards Leader for KS5) said 'Our results this year are a testament to the work put in by staff and students to achieve their best. Again our vocational students have performed very well with nearly half of all entries achieving the Distinction* grade. There were also some fantastic A level results for students in English, Maths and Social Sciences. I am pleased that many of our students have been able to secure their first choice university places and wish them well on the next stage of their journey.'
As a cohort, 63% of A Level students achieved an A* to C grade, with 99% of students achieving A-E grades. The Academy's vocational courses secured increase in the highest results with 46% of students achieving Distinction* grade and 72% of students achieving Distinction*/Distinction grade.
A Level Results 2015
The hard work of Sixth Form students at Felixstowe Academy paid off with a great set of results for A Level and BTEC students. A Level Results for Felixstowe Academy Sixth Form students show an increase of 10% in the number of students attaining the highest grades in 2015.
Student Amy Fountain was one of the Sixth Form cohort celebrating with an A* in Sociology and three additional A grades helping to secure her place studying Law at Essex University in the Autumn. Amy acknowledged that 'these results didn't come easily and the hard work paid off. I am absolutely delighted by these results and can't wait to go to university'.
Letitia Butcher was celebrating double A* grades for Sociology and Psychology, with the support of her sister and former Sixth Form student Felicity. An elated Letitia was thrilled that these results secured her place at the University of York to study Sociology and that 'the stress of waiting is finally over!'.
Once again A Level English Language and English Literature students achieved excellent results, with all students studying Literature achieving A* to C grades and 60% of English Language and Literature students achieving A* to B grades. The introduction of the Creative Writing A Level course to the Academy subject portfolio was a massive success with all students achieving A* to B grades!
Students Abigail Fossett and Emma Stanbridge arrived together to open their results and offer each other moral support. The joy on their faces as they opened their envelopes confirmed that their places at university in September were secured. Emma who will continue studying English Literature at Bishop Grosseteste University in Lincoln, thanked her teachers for all their support and offered this advice to students 'you have to be prepared to work hard but I found that being part of a smaller Sixth Form meant that the teachers were really supportive to help me achieve my place at university.'
Abigail, who achieved an A* in English Literature as well as a B grade in German is really looking forward to starting her degree in German at Essex University. Leader of Learning for Modern Foreign Languages, Mrs Breeze praised the contribution Abigail made to her A Level course and to peer mentoring other students saying 'Abigail has been a model student, helping to mentor Year 9 students, who absolutely loved her! There is a national shortage of students studying languages at degree level, which Abigail has chosen to do, and this will put her into a unique situation on completion of her degree.'
Lauren Walter celebrated achieving an A* in English Literature along with an A and B grade in French and History.
Within Maths, 80% of students achieved A* to C grades whilst the Academy Science Department were celebrating fantastic results for A Level Physics and Chemistry students, with 75% of Physics and 60% of Chemistry students achieving A* to B grades.
It was also a great year for students studying Sociology, German, PE, Geography and Production Design as all students achieved A* to C grades; in particular Sociology stands out with 40% of students achieving A* Grades.
In addition to the increase in the number of students achieving the highest A Level grades, 63% of BTEC students attained Distinction*/Distinction grades, an increase of 7% compared with last year. This improvement was shown in key vocational subject areas such as Business Studies, Music, Media and Health & Social Care.
Securing great grades in the Extended Diploma for Health and Social Care were students Jess Couto and Grace Lake. Jess, who achieved three Distinction* grades, is now looking forward to studying Diagnostic Radiography at Canterbury Christ Church University and can't wait for opportunities university will bring saying 'my degree course will include placements in working environments that will offer me great career prospects when I graduate!'
Grace plans to gain work experience for a year before using her Distinctions and Merit to head off to university to study Audiology, a subject that Grace has a personal experience of and adds 'I would love to have a career where I can help others in similar circumstances to myself'.
Having secured three Distinction* grades to ensure his place at Sheffield University to study Music, student Ben Topliss praised the opportunities that were available to him at Felixstowe Academy saying 'I took advantage of the opportunities to perform and develop skills on my course. My advice to anyone starting on a Music course would be to stay committed to practicing and take every opportunity to perform that comes your way - and enjoy it!'
Two other students echoed Ben's comments about seizing the opportunities on offer at the Academy to build confidence through performance. Ben Greer and Josh Cuthbert, who will be studying Music at the University of Northampton, both identified playing in the band for the Academy production of 'Back to the Eighties' as a key moment their personal journey. Ben said 'Playing in the band for the Back to the Eighties production was awesome and showed that I could perform at a high level. I loved taking part in the concerts and it all contributed to me achieving a Distinction* grade in Music'.
Josh highlighted that performing helped him move from being the 'shy drummer' to being the front man - singing to hundreds of people, saying 'The whole experience of playing for the Back to the Eighties production boosted my confidence tremendously. Such a great opportunity. After the production I have thank my friend Connor Trimble for encouraging me to try singing and then performing in the Academy concerts. I really can't wait to get to university now!'
Atos, an international leader in digital services, working in London.
Rhys was delighted to have secured his apprenticeship saying 'There are only eight of us starting an apprenticeship with Atos. I was sent the details of my contract today and I am so pleased that it is a permanent contract as it means I starting to build career with a world wide company!'
This brilliant news will also mean that not only will Rhys be entering the world of work through an apprenticeship, he will also be a 'London commuter' catching the train to the capital everyday!
Mr Salter added "These results reflect the original comments that the Ofsted team reported, giving us a 'Good' for our Sixth Form in their original report. Here at Felixstowe Academy we have a small but good Sixth Form where we strive to give more individualised support, to know our Sixth Form students and to ensure that we create a positive atmosphere in which everyone who works hard, and wants to, can achieve and realise their potential. I want to take this opportunity to wish all our students well in the future and to say a huge thank you, on their behalf, to all the staff at the Academy who have helped and guided them to their individual successes once again this year."
Director of Sixth Form, Mr Darryl James added 'These results confirm that we are now improving both our academic qualifications as well as our vocational and are indeed offering good provision to all our students including those who have undertaken courses equivalent to GCSEs. The progress made by students in all areas is pleasing and plans to further improve bode well for our Academy.'


text:
If you have a HTC One M9 and are on EE in the UK, then you will soon be able to make calls over a wifi connection - ideal for if your house is a mobile blackspot.
Unlike say, Skype or O2's TuGo app, wifi calling is baked into the handset's normal phone app so you can make and receive calls and texts as though your phone was connected directly to an ordinary mobile transmitter.
According to Cool Smartphone in order to use the new functionality you'll need to install the latest system update, which will be rolling out shortly. Apparently once enabled, your phone will monitor both wifi strength and cell transmitter strength to figure out the best way to route your call.
The new feature isn't unique the M9 - the technology is slowly being rolled out across different devices and networks. EE already supports the iPhone 6 and Samsung Galaxy S6, for example. [Cool Smartphone]

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Episode 27
"I'll get the latest," Wendell said, pulling open the glass door.
The STA gave a distracted nod. The red phone pressed to his ear, he was listening to the next question from the NRC officials in
Wendell headed for the center panel, detouring around two men crouched over a drawing spread out on the floor. The assistant operator had returned from the diesel and was working with another shift supervisor who had just arrived. At the operator's table, Fleck was on the radio, while the chief operator and another reinforcement were beside the STurDI panel.
The reactor level indicator now showed twelve inches of water remaining above the top of the core. Twelve inches. Wendell could hardly bring himself to believe it. Jesus, we're almost uncovered. He thought of Karen. She had been going to bed when he'd left for work. She probably doesn't even know. The sirens would only be to five miles. Their small house on the east edge of Brixton was nearly twice that distance from the plant. If we could just get this under control, by the time she wakes up it'll be over.
"Got to be a way to get water in there," Wendell heard the chief operator say, as he and his companion racked their brains.
"Hey, wait a minute," the newer man said. "Remember when they cleaned out that old oil tank last month?"
"They used a high pressure pump. Diesel, wasn't it? I'll bet we still got it. We could get some water in the vessel with that thing."
The chief operator's face brightened. "Maybe..." Then his features sagged. "No. That pump had an electric motor. I hooked the damn thing up."
There was pained silence. Then, without warning, the chief operator swung around and kicked a metal wastebasket, the sound of the impact echoing across the room. "How the FUCK could this much go wrong?" he yelled, his face growing red. "Didn't fucking maintenance do their job!" As abruptly as he had snapped, the tall, gangly man regained his composure. He took a deep breath, then pulled out a handkerchief and mopped the sweat off his scalp.
Turning back to the panel, Wendell watched the level indicator jiggle and then slide down another fraction of an inch. The water in the reactor vessel was boiling away at a high pressure and 550 degrees Fahrenheit. Even if they pumped water in right now, they couldn't prevent level from dropping below the top of the core. Compared with the hot fluid in the reactor, any new water would be ice cold. The sudden chill would collapse the steam bubbles holding vessel level as high as it was, and the fuel would briefly be uncovered. But, Wendell reminded himself, those tubes of enriched uranium were built to take that punishment -- up to a point. After a few minutes with their tips exposed, the finger-sized tubes would begin leaking -- first a radioactive gas, and then bits of melted uranium itself.
"What we at?" a terse, familiar voice said.
Wendell looked over his shoulder as Ted Cervantes came up alongside, his brown eyes narrowed with intensity. "We're plus twelve inches. Maybe four or five minutes 'til we start to uncover. Have you been briefed?"
"Just a little. Do it quick."
FIGURE 5 (again)
"Ya got continuity?" Karl Leeman asked the man kneeling behind the panel in the darkened #1 diesel room.
"Yeah, it's there." The electrician's flashlight framed his face in shadows.
Leeman's bushy, graying eyebrows turning up at the corners as he frowned. "So where's the fool problem?"
Time: 3:37 am.
Time from Start of Event: 46 minutes
Reactor Water Level (above Fuel): +7 inches
Steve raced down the murky hallway and into the emergency center. The low-ceilinged room was filled with an antiseptic glow from the fluorescent lights on each table. The plant manager was glad to see Tarelli on the phone at his desk. Nearby, Langford stood beside the in-plant maps conversing on a walkie-talkie, while two other staff members were retrieving drawings from a cabinet.
Tarelli looked up as Steve approached. His face was smudged by an unshaven beard. "I got Cervantes in control."
Good. He's here. Steve picked up the phone on his desk and punched in. "Ted, this is Steve. I just missed you up there."
"I know," was Cervantes' sullen response. "We're in deep shit. Get as many people on STurDI-2 and the diesel as you can."
"We're on it."
"Level's gonna hit top of fuel in a minute," Cervantes said. "Not many options 'til something gets fixed. What do you think about drywell temp?"
"We have some time on that, don't we?"
"Some. 280 now. Slow rise."
"I don't want to do anything just yet," Steve said. No quick decision when I can avoid it. "If we have to vent later, we will, but let's hold off. We could get ourselves in worse trouble."
"I agree, but don't cut it too close. Takes a while to set up. No power at the vent valves."
"Understood. We'll get someone on it."
Steve hung up. Vent the drywell. God, what a lousy option. There hadn't been any release of radiation thus far, and if they vented now it wouldn't be too bad – the air in the drywell was still fairly clean. But some radioactive gas would escape. A plant releasing any radiation in an emergency was an ugly scenario. T.M.I. had brought that lesson home. Yet, if they waited and things kept deteriorating, they would have gas from damaged fuel to contend with. That would make any release much worse. What were the alternatives? If the drywell kept heating up, Steve knew, there wouldn't be any. They had to keep the concrete shell surrounding the reactor vessel from falling apart. Steve turned to Tarelli. "Lou, give me status. Plant condition and repairs."
"There's an HP in the reactor building now, getting some quick readings," Tarelli said, nodding towards Langford on the walkie-talkie. "Nothing out of the ordinary yet." He pointed to the back of the room. "I've got two guys looking at the diesel logic, and there's a mechanic headed out to help Leeman and his electrician. Another I&C is going to STurDI-2. People are starting to come in."
"You aware we went to a General?"
"Cervantes told me. Two mile evacuation, five mile shelter downwind. By the way, winds are out of the northeast," Tarelli said. "Light. We should have a team at the site boundary in a few minutes."
"Good," Steve said. "You're way ahead of me."
Tarelli shrugged. "I'm afraid this thing is way ahead of both of us."
Using his flashlight to guide him,
"Yah." Relieved to see his fellow mechanic,
"Diesel. I just got here."
"Help me first." Together they hurried on.
"Plant sure is fucked up, as dark as it is," Tama said. "What's wrong with STurDI-1?"
"Oil line's busted. We got the stuff to fix it in here."
"I think there's somebody at the other diesel," Tama said. "Maybe they got keys."
The two rushed to a nearby door and found it propped open. Inside, emergency diesel generator #1 was a huge, hulking shadow. There was light behind the control panel and
"Good, another body," Leeman said, glancing up.
"I got Tama with me too,"
Leeman cast a stern look at the mechanic. "Then do it!"
"I've gotta get in the other diesel room for parts. It's locked."
"I got a key," the operator in front of Leeman said. He stood.
"I'll tell Control," Leeman said. "Git that turbine ready."
"God, yes, get it working," the operator added, as he came out from behind the panel. "Things are going to hell."
"What do we need?" Tama asked as they stepped around the parts strewn about the floor of the #2 diesel room. There was a single light overhead.
"Tubing and tape,"
"What we at, Wendell?" Cervantes said. He had perched on the table beside the radio. An alarm began blaring and was cut off.
"Just under an inch," Wendell's attention was focused on the wavering level indicator. No boiling water reactor had ever been this far. Christ, we're really gonna do it. Uncover the fuel. All his training, all those nights of study, and it had come to this. He remembered how Karen would bring him snacks and kiss him as he reviewed for his exams. And now? Was her husband part of another T.M.I.? Or worse?
Fleck came up alongside and studied the panel. "God damn it," he said. "Where's STurDI-2? Where the fuck is the diesel? We're running dry here."
"There's a chance at STurDI-1," Wendell offered. Leeman had called in moments before to report that some mechanics thought they could fix the turbine-pump.
"Better be damn quick," Fleck said. "Cold water's gonna be tough on the core." Even before the fuel became hot enough to crack apart on its own, the sudden introduction of a cool fluid might cause damage. It would be like dumping ice water in a hot glass. Fleck leaned forward to get a closer look at the reactor level. "Zero," he announced in a loud, steady voice. "Level is at zero."
Phyllis Broeder scrawled some notes as she listened to the sheriff on her headset. He was at the civil defense office a few miles east of Brixton, and they were preparing to evacuate the area within two miles of Fairview Station.
"That's it," the sheriff said. "Get the word out. What's our patrol status?"
"Four cars near the plant. Fifth on the way."
"They got their radiation monitors?"
Phyllis fingered the dosimeter and film badge clipped to her blouse. "The car en route is delivering. Barry and Don have also called in. They're taking their own cars out there."
"Good. Sheriff out."
Phyllis sat quietly, gathering herself. The youthful grandmother had been with the county police for fifteen years, and she had taken many bad calls, but never anything like this. For the first time, she herself was afraid. The outside line rang and Phyllis looked across the squad room to be sure the detective on duty answered. The calls hadn't stopped since the sirens had begun.
It must be very bad if they're evacuating, Phyllis reflected, trying not to shudder. She thought of her husband, and her daughter and grandson. They would all be headed out of town. She had seen to that. The evacuation didn't extend as far east as Brixton, but Phyllis wasn't taking any chances. Now all she could do was pray for her family's safety. And her own. She was in the center of town, eight miles from the plant, in a windowless basement. During the drills, the Hoosier Electric trainer had said it was a good place to be in an emergency. Phyllis could only hope he was right.
Liz had been listening to the state police direct it's officers towards Fairview Station, and when passing the exit for Brixton, she instinctively looked to the west, but all that was visible was a hazy glow from the lights of the town. The plant was miles beyond that, she knew. What had John Donner done? Was it a plan out of
Karl Leeman grimaced and dug a thin hand into his back as he pulled himself from his crouch behind the electrician. "Hey!" Leeman yelled to the operator working nearby, "gimme that radio!"
The operator pulled the walkie-talkie from his belt and Leeman took it. "Control!" he said. "Leeman at the diesel. Gettin' close. Thar's a trip signal, but I can bypass it."
"How long?" the control room asked.
"Figure ten minutes. Then we do a local start an' give ya some power."
Beneath an emergency light, Carol Halvorsen began going through the crates pulled from the locker. Unable to sleep after
Arriving at the staging area, Carol had tried asking about her husband, but the few workers present had not seen him. Shoot. Information about the plant was lacking as well. It was dark everywhere, which she knew was a terrible sign, but beyond that she could only hazard a guess. Then she had run into Marty, her driver, and they had each thrown on a set of anti-c's over their clothes before he left to get the truck while she checked the supplies. It's real this time, Carol kept telling herself, wishing it wasn't true and trying to concentrate on her work. This is no drill.
The phone at Steve's desk buzzed twice. "Steve Borden."
"Good, you're there." Steve recognized the voice of Bill Chambers, the offsite emergency manager, at corporate headquarters in
"I just got in," Chambers said. "How bad is it?"
"It's serious," Steve said, his stomach curled tight. "We lost offsite power and our good diesel, then STurDI-1 and STurDI-2. The water over the core is boiling off and we can't replace it."
"Oh, Lord. That explains the General Emergency. Any rad releases?"
"No. The vessel sealed off when we lost power."
"For the moment. But the fuel is going to split open in a few minutes from the heat, or before that if we put water back in. The gas from those cracked tubes will get blown down to the torus, and a tank that big always has a few air leaks around the seams. So hot stuff could bleed on into the reactor building.
"How about it getting outside?"
"The building is closed off," Steve said. "No ventilation. But it's not airtight, and there's no power for the ARAFS filters. So no guarantees."
"Got it. Anything else?"
"Drywell temperature," Steve said. "It's getting too hot in there. That'll make the whole structure unstable. Either we restore power to the cooling system, or we vent in about thirty minutes. That might include fuel gas from the torus."
There was a pause, and Chambers sighed. "Steve, you know if this keeps going much longer, we may have to upgrade on protective action. If you really do release some high rads, clearing out two miles may not be enough."
Steve finished with Chambers and hung up. Something's got to give. Something. He glanced around as he composed himself, spying Tarelli just outside the small radio room, working with Langford to dispatch the new personnel who were just arriving.
The phone rang again. It was Cervantes. "Leeman thinks he'll have the diesel soon."
"Great!" Karl, you old bastard, turn this thing around.
"We need to talk strategy," Cervantes went on. "We don't know how much the diesel can handle. But I can't see an option except blowdown and flood up with VEPI."
"Understood." Steve said. It would be a big step – but there was no other way to re-fill the vessel quickly and they had to get the core cooled down as soon as possible.
"We'll probably crack some fuel too."
"Right." Just what I told Chambers. Fuel gas into the torus, and maybe further. We'll need to filter the building air if we can. "You think we should get ARAFS running first, before the VEPI pumps?"
"Worth the risk. Doesn't take much juice."
"Agreed. ARAFS, then VEPI." And, please God, let it work… "What else?"
"Drywell's warm, but I'd worry more about the torus overheating. We'll be dumping a lot of steam in that tank to get pressure down so VEPI can inject." Keeping the torus cool was crucial, so that it could absorb more steam if that became necessary.
"You're right – run torus cooling right away. We can wait a bit before going after drywell temperature. I don't want to push that diesel too hard."
"We'll be ready when Karl is," Cervantes said. "Maybe we'll get lucky. Not crack the fuel tips."
Steve closed his eyes. Just maybe... God, let it work.
End Post 27
"Now, if we'd just get the diesel back."


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A man has had his appeal against an anti-social behaviour order which banned him from a Wellingborough street after he threatened residents dismissed by the courts.
In April Mechone Jordan, 28, was given a five-year Asbo banning him from entering Albert Road in Wellingborough, threatening or intimidating residents of Albert Road, approaching members of the public to gain money and acting or inciting others to act in an antisocial manner.
He appealed against the order, but that appeal was thrown out by officials at Northampton Crown Court this week.
Jordan was also ordered to pay £1,500 court costs.
The order was originally brought by Wellingborough Council and Northamptonshire Police's Anti-social Behaviour Unit.


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Sample Reports
Southern Colorado Chapter - ASHI
Site Map
Click to Call
[email protected]
Standard Residential $300
A standard residence is 4000 square feet with one kitchen and one furnace / air condition unit built after 1960. Larger and historic home rates are negoitated based on complexity. As a standard practice we only provide you with full color, digital reports. We charge an addition $50 to print and mail your report.
What you will recieve:
We comply with the stringent clauses of either the ASHI or InterNACHI "Standards of Practice" and "Code of Ethics"
Your inspection focuses entirely on issues concerning health, safety and integrity of your purchase.
A statement of the expected life of air conditioning units, furnaces, boilers, water heaters and roofs (the biggest potential cost items facing the typical home owner). To the best of our ability we will provide you with manufacture date of the system and a condition statement of "good," "fair," or "poor."
We operate your furnace and air conditioning to determine if they operate. We measure the temperature output at one register. We will operate two faucets simutaneously in a single bathroom to determine adequacy of flow and we measure the maximum temperature output of one faucet. We operate all faucets and toilets to assure proper operation.
We document the electrical service wire size and composition and provide you the location of your service panel. We remove and reinstall your service panel cover to determine if the internal wires meet generally accepted safety requirements (no double taped lugs, frayed wires, proper grounding and bonding, and that your panel is not one of the models considerd a significant fire hazard. We test all bathroom and kitchen outlets within 6 inches of a water source for operational and properly wired Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter outlets or breakers. We test one or two outlets in each room (if accessible) for proper wiring and operation.
We test all major appliance for basic operation and record all available manufacturer's face plates for serial and model numbers in your HomeBinder. If easily discernable, we record manufacture and install dates.
We assess the health of the major structural components of your home. Understand, many of these components are hidden behind finishes and insulation.
What we won't do:
Assess your home for code compliance. While we are well versed in current codes, the codes change from year-to-year and your home was only required to meet the codes which were approved at the time of construction or remodel. Therefore, it is impossible and impractical to assess your home's compliance with code.
Enter unsafe areas as defined by ASHI and InterNACHI's Standards of Practice.
Move the homeowner's stuff to enter rooms, crawl spaces and attics.
Identify strictly cosmetic damage. You have the same ability we do to recognize worn carpet, damaged gypsum board, scratched finishes, and non-structural cracking.
Provide you with cost estimates, engineering assessments or architectural opinions. We are not insured to delve in to these areas.
Condo/Town Home $200
Since Home Owners Associations own the exterior of these properties, we will provide you with a Stanard Residential Inspection, minus the exterior assessments.
Sewer Scoping $150
This price is part of a Standard Residential home inspection. A stand alone sewer scoping is $250. You will recieve a video highlighting any major obstructions and collapse.
10% Military and Veteran Discount


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Growing Up in the Lord
This album was released in the early 90's by Acappella. It includes some very popular songs, and most songs from the album itself were eventually repackaged under the name Acappella Platinum.
Let's Connect
Sign Up for our newsletter and receive regular updates on what is hot and get exclusive access to offers and discounts.


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It's easy to be stupid
When we look at voting results, we see the idiocy of the people by the politicians and the religious they choose to follow. The idiots mind is much easier to maintain because it takes little to no effort to be stupid. To be smart take time and effort to learn those things that might actually be a benefit to a man. But stupid is easy. All it takes is to sit on one's fat ass and expect someone else to handle your problems. A lawyer is a good example of this. Christ has been reported as saying to them: "Woe unto you lawyers...." and he even called them "...a brood of vipers." Now, isn't it stupid to have a viper or a poisonous snake handle your affairs or speak for you? The reason lawyers are so successful is that they get the complete trust of their victim, and if the lawyer does a shitty job, the client goes to jail and not the lawyer. If the client is really stupid, he may pay the lawyer millions of dollars for the privilege of going to prison. This is one example of stupid. But it would take an effort to learn the ins and outs of the court system and to learn to file their own paperwork.
Usually, stupid people have bad grammar, spelling, and cannot write much past the level of Dick and Jane and see Spot run. In my opinion, stupid is self-inflicted but with some effort, it can be defeated.
Stupid cannot be fixed
Stupid cannot be fixed. Just like the comedian Ron White said: "You can't fix stupid." Most people would agree that a communist political and economic system is just plain stupid. You can't fix it. I never thought that a comedian's words would ring so true. Not even Donald Trump can fix a stupid government should he get elected. Hillary and her husband is a part of the reasons why the government is stupid. The government's stupidity is "forever." But the idiots flock to the polls every few years to elect their dummies to represent them in a very stupid system. In addition to being very stupid, the government is also very evil. Again, stupid has its strength in numbers.
These are the stupid things people do to destroy their lives
- Elect communists, socialists, and fascists into their governments
- Tolerate communists, socialists, and fascists
- Allow themselves to be persecuted by the LGBT movement
- Allow their children to be influenced by LGBT
- Purchase home which they do not really own
- Engage in promiscuous sex
- Allow themselves to be treated like animals in a zoo
- Ruin their lives with divorce
- Taking drugs and engaging in substance abuse
- Putting tattoos on their bodies thus destroying their appearance
- Making war
- Running up debt
Take control of your life by not being stupid
When making decisions, it is important to make the effort to not make stupid decisions. Have the patience to wait and think something through. I would have saved myself a lot of problems if I had only taken the time to think things through to their most sensible conclusions.
Stupid people chose it for themselves and there's no other way to remedy stupid other than to separate from it. All of us do stupid things because we haven't taken the time to use right reason and common sense. By taking a little more time and thought we can all make better decisions for ourselves and our families. Remember, it takes no effort to remain stupid. In order to be good as something, takes time and patience to make it happen.
The main thing to remember is that the people in political and religious circles will manipulate you by lies using your stupidity against you.
The main thing to remember is that the people in political and religious circles will manipulate you by lies using your stupidity against you.
Walter Allen Thompson has a new book called Natural Law: The True Supreme Law of the Land


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Breed Standard
Breed standard for the size of a PUREBRED Australian Shepherd is posted at asca.org and akc.org. DO NOT have unrealistic expectations for me as a breeder. Height and weight for EVERY male and female in our program here are CLEARLY posted under their picture so YOU can determine what size their offspring has the potential to be. And while we are on the subject of breed standard ...... BREED STANDARD FOR AUSTRALIAN SHEPHERDS IS TO DOCK THE TAIL. IF YOU WANT A DOG WITH A TAIL THEN YOU SHOULD CHOOSE A BREED WHERE BREED STANDARD IS TO HAVE A TAIL. So if you contact me looking for an 'Australian Shepherd' but you want it to have a tail and demand that it be a size other than what breed standard is at www.akc.org and www.asca.org we are not going to get along.
*******WE DO NOT RAISE TOY's OR MINI'S. Toy's & Mini's are NOT a breed recognized by AKC or ASCA BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT PUREBRED. This information is CLEARLY posted on both of their websites. Do NOT take MY word for it. See for yourself. Go to www.akc.org then click on the Breed list. See? NO Miniature Australian Shepherd or Toy Australian Shepherd breed is listed on AKC's website because mini's & toy's are NOT PUREBRED. Also visit www.asca.org and scroll to the bottom. ASCA CLEARLY states they do not recognize OR register the mini or toy "variety" BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT PUREBRED. If you purchase(d) a dog labeled as a Miniature Australian Shepherd by his/her breeder you have been fooled. Look on your AKC registration paperwork under Breed listed at the very top of your Dog Registraion Application: It says Australian Shepherd NOT Miniature Australian Shepherd. I do not know why breeders are doing their Aussies such an injustice by labeling them as mini's or toys. http://asca.org/ ASCA's website clearly states they do not recognize ANY breed labeled as anything other than AUSTRALIAN SHEPHERD & WILL NOT REGISTER THEM. Scroll down towards the bottom of their homepage to read their statement. AND be aware that if any person who owns a dog on your dogs ASCA paperwork decides to stop calling his/her Australian Shepherd an Australian Shepherd & start calling him/her a mini and/or registers their dog as a mini with a sub-standard breed registry because ASCA will not only revoke that dogs paperwork but will revoke EVERY dogs paperwork on down the line .... ALL SUBSEQUENT PROGENY's paperwork will be revoked is what ASCA's letter states.
We do not raise, recommend, or promote the breeding of toy's or mini's. They do not possess the same attributes an Australian Shepherd has & should not be considered an Australian Shepherd. They are NOT PUREBRED and do NOT represent an Australian Shepherd AT ALL. Australian Shepherds have always been 18-23" in height. We did not wake up one day & now they are 10" tall. For this to be possible, they have had smaller toy breeds bred into them to reduce height. Most toy's & mini's have bug eyes, prick ears, & stringy hair. These are NOT purebred Australian Shepherds & should not be referred to as Australian Shepherds. Do your research & take the time to educate yourself on this subject BEFORE making a purchase. Anyone can label any animal with a name. That doesn't make it factual. Please do not call or email asking for a toy or mini. These calls & emails are a VERY big waste of my time.*******


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Entering the gate with his ticket proudly pushed forward, he heard the words, "You've got to be kidding me," from the ticket agent, folding his arms across his massive chest. He stared down at the boy in the blue zip-up jacket and shook his shaved head. "You can't bring that thing in here.
The lad stood stock-still in the unfriendly shadow. In a state of disbelief, with the throng of anxious fans pressing in on him, he stared sorrowfully, then ever so slowly, he lowered his head and turned away, back into the darkness. Suddenly, the crestfallen child stopped, sharply turning and petitioning one more time, "Please sir, I can't leave my dog Billy, he is my…." Before the boy could finish, the bald usher barked, "No mutts allowed! Beat it kid."
It was at that very moment, as the street light exposed his miserable face to the gloomy, cold, fateful night (which was Wednesday, October 11th 1967 when the St. Louis Blues would play their first NHL game against the Minnesota North Stars), that the curse of the Billy dog was born. For it was at that precise tick in time that the boy was heard in a hail of tears and chatter, as he and his faithful dog ran from the crowded gate, "Them Blues ain't ever gonna win the Stanley Cup, ever!"
And so it continues, forty-seven years later, the curse of the Billy dog still hangs from the rafters at every Blues playoff game, as a warning sign to Lord Stanley to stay away from this team.
All of this futility because of one act of cold-heartedness towards a young Blues fan and his dog Billy.
"Skeptical," you say. "Who would enforce such a spell?" The enforcer of the whammy is none other than… the infamous Hockey Gods themselves.
Eternally stationed in front of the net, where the Blues shoot twice. Wielding two flaming sticks spinning like propellers, deflecting any potential game winning playoff goals into the stands.
Of course there have been a few exceptions to this ban, none bigger than the May 12, 1986, Monday Night Miracle…which fortuitously coincided with the 1986 Hockey Gods lockout.
But either way, the Curse is in full force and has shown no other signs of wavering until, of course, an equal and opposite – benevolent act – would be carried out by the new St. Louis Blues ownership group. Then, perchance, the Hockey Gods would convene and vote in favor of removing the curse and allowing one of the most formidable teams ever amassed by the St. Louis Blues franchise to throw their hat into the rink and truly contend, for the first time in their history, and be allowed to capture the glorious Lord Stanley's Cup.
Exactly how can this be accomplished?
As fate would have it, our protagonist is none other than Ron Baechle, A.K.A. "The Towel Guy", who forty-seven years ago was spurned at the Pearly Gates of the St. Louis Arena.
It needs to be mentioned that the Towel Guy is in no way holding a grudge and has long ago let go of his disappointment.
He now serves as a sterling example for all loyal Blues fans.
And yet the curse he set into motion by his anguished cry still looms large over the franchise.
To balance the scales of justice we here at the Toast Dispatch suggest the St. Louis Blues right the wrong bequeathing to Ron Baechle – The Towel Guy and his wife tickets for the entire playoffs.
Tweet @StLouisBlues Buy tickets for the Towel Guy #liftthecurse
May the Hockey Gods have mercy on our souls.
– Amen Brother
P.S. To Guarantee a Blues Dynasty we recommend that annually on October 11th the Captain, David Backes, lay a wreath of Mr. Barky's Organic Dog Biscuits on the grave of Billy the dog.


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Main Phone #: (717) 394-3238
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Stop Addiction Now
We are here 24 hours a day to help you!Tap to Call 1-844-566-9632
Learn about addiction treatment financing options.
Talk with other Members in the TheGoodDrugsGuide.com forums.


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Encyclopaedia Metallum
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or higher.
I can dig Mastodon's rationale for making an album like this; a bit tired of heavy themes, just wanting to have a good time, can't be arsed explaining to confused musical journalists the increasingly labryinthe concepts of their albums. The other alternative is that they just sold the fuck out, although I've always been of the opinion that if a band wants to do a catchy, rocky album then it's all good. Perhaps this is best described as a transition album, though; there's a lot about this that is rather awkward- it's not quite the good times bro-metal album that Mastodon were going for.
The huge amount of filler aside I think half the problem is that Mastodon are still a bit too, well, Mastodon-y. You want to be catchy and direct that's fine, that's beautiful. But it's hard to do it when the song structures are still all over the place and definitely not when a lot of the riffs are quite simply lacking in that direct punch that's required to pull this off. So many profoundly average songs here- from the title track to Bedazzled Fingernails it's a pretty horrible six song slog, from the profoundly uncatchy (Dry Bone Valley) to pretty awful pisstakes (Creature Lives). It doesn't help that the vocals, while generally competent, are rarely anything more than that, generally being these bright, poppy, vaguely Ozzy-esque vocals that while not annoying certainly aren't commanding attention with their all-too-inoffensive presence.
Fair call to Mastodon though, when they nail this sound they fucken nail it and it's a serious pleasure to listen to. The first half is all solid but clearly there's a few songs where stuff just clicks. "Curl of the Burl" is some seriously infectious, seriously groovy shit with a mean chorus riff and a short but excellent bridge- I wonder how much influence the producer had on shaping that song? Far catchier and more direct than anything Mastodon have ever done. Meanwhile, "Octopus has no friends" is a really good mix of the usual adventurous Mastodon guitar playing with the catchiest vocal lines of the album. These tracks combined with the titanic, surprisingly heartfelt Floyd + arena ballad ender "The Sparrow", (featuring a guitar solo with a tone I can only describe as "bitching") definitely suggest that with a bit more effort- and a similarly deft choice of producer- Mastodon could do something that would be black album-esque in it's mix of catchiness and heaviness.
...But they aren't there yet. Yeah, there's a few songs here that are fantastic, but you've gotta judge an album as a whole, right? And for every good song here there's some painfully uncatchy, forgettable filler- thus, the square 50% Regardless, I'm very much looking forward to the next Mastodon album; great things could well be forthcoming.


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Sunday School
Children and youth are invited to participate in Sunday School at Kenilworth Union Church. Programs run from September to May in coordination with local school calendars.
For those under the age of 3, infant and toddler care is available most Sundays during worship.
Throughout the year, several age groups reach milestones in their Christian education.
An overview of the program is below. You may also view details and additional opportunities by age.
Preschool through First Grade
Children begin Worship for All Ages with their family in the Sanctuary at 9 a.m. before accepting an invitation to process to Children's Chapel.
Preschool through Eighth Grade
Traditional Sunday School runs during 10:30 a.m. worship during the school year.
Seventh through Twelfth Graders
Smell Bacon? Breakfast Club starts at 10:15 a.m. on Sundays! We meet in the Warwick Manse until 11:30 a.m. Besides breakfast, youth enjoy video-based Bible instruction and discussion. Casual dress and bringing a friend is welcome and encouraged!
Infants, youth, and adults of all ages may receive the sacrament of baptism.
Infants and young children may be brought forward for the sacrament of baptism by parents who are ready, in, and with the Church, to bring up their child in the Christian faith.
Scripture Milestone Third Grade
In this milestone year, third graders learn scripture by heart that they will encounter throughout their lives. The year culminates in the presentation of a personalized Bible during worship.
Confirmation Ninth Grade
High-school aged students engage in the basics of the Bible with the expectation that they can and will be global Christians in an increasingly diverse religious world.
Choose from two paths:
Centennial Confirmation Program
- A school-year long classroom program plus Confirmation mini-retreat.
Wilderness Confirmation Program
- Adventure on an eight-night trip where study takes place outdoors in small teams.


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What a wonderful website!
I am a complete novice and have only recently got to grips with my Premiere Elements 7 package but have successfully managed to put together a little video for youtube. The film is of a trip we did to Monument Valley in Arizona and I have found the perfect soundtrack to accompany it - Sacred Spirits Chants & Dances by Cesar Espinoza. I found the track on iMesh and have added it to my playlist (I mean my playlist on iMesh, not my computer).
However, I have absolutely no idea how to download the track to my computer's music file as I've never downloaded music before. iMesh only includes a button to add the track to your cell phone - and I don't even have one of those!
Can anyone help?
I think I know how to then add the music to the track (go to file/get media from/pc files & folders ?
Thanks in advance!


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I've been thinking a lot about addiction lately. I have ancestors who have struggled with addiction. And people close to me, in my everyday life, have struggled with it as well. I'd argue, at this point, that nearly everyone on this planet has an addiction of some kind, if you define addiction as "something one compulsively turns to for comfort."
Addictive personalities. I'd argue they are anxious personalities. People who need comforting easily become addicts. Because they need comforting.
My addictions of choice: junk food, and buying stuff on sale. When I eat junky, fatty, cutely-packaged, sugary, salty, easily-consumable food, I feel like I'm comforting myself. In the moment. And often, after I'm done eating it, I need more comforting because I know it wasn't the best choice. So then, I'd eat more food.... you can see how it would take a downward spiral. If the thing you're turning to for comfort is actually ruining your life, the spiral would be more pronounced. And not until you hit rock bottom; not until you've lost absolutely everything that you find important in the long term, do some addicts finally become grounded to their reality. That the thing they are seeking doesn't actually provide long-term comfort, and that often, the short term comfort is really a mix of adrenaline and cortisol that causes more anxiety.
You could, in fact, say that anxiety itself is addicting. Anxiety is not fun to experience in the moment, but afterward, all these soothing, calming chemicals rush in to repair the damage that a run of anxiety has done to the mind and body. I think that often this is the turn anxiety takes, creating a spiral that lands someone in a real disordered state. Sometimes the answer is to get help--find ways to out-think anxiety and avoid it and break free and wear new tracks in the brain, and sometimes the answer is to ingest chemicals that block receptors that are sucking up too much of the soothing neurotransmitters, leaving the mind bare and triggerable in the wake of life events like giving birth or going through a divorce or being in a situation where you fear for your life.
Often, someone addicted to something mistakes anxiety for drive. For instance, when I feel anxious, often I interpret that as hunger. Both are painful sensations, and consuming food actually does, for a while, soothe both feelings. You could see how that would be easily confused.
I think the same goes for pornography. People who are addicted to pornography have learned to interpret anxiety or depression as sexual drive, because when they indulge themselves, both feelings--any sexual drive that might actually be there, and also the anxiety which is actually the dominant feeling they're trying to hide from--are soothed.
I guess what I'm saying, really, is this:
don't judge addicts. Because you are one. I am one. We all are addicts. We all need soothing. And we all turn to mistaken places for that soothing at times, and get our feelings all tangled up, all mixed up, and end up wondering why in heck we're such horrible people that we are so hungry all the time, so driven all the time, so financially depleted all the time and yet we want more... what kind of monster are we?
Which feeds back into the anxiety, and puts us at an even more lively pace down that spiral of addiction, as we turn back to the thing we hate for yet more comfort, yet more reassurance.
And then there's an added layer--the self-deception that can come along with all this anxiety, drive, and self-loathing. If you're a really, really good person, sometimes you just can't face wrong things you've done. You just can't.
Like the child who struggles to admit they took all the donuts off the fridge and ate them, even though they knew their siblings would be coming home from school anticipating them... the six year old, with only small amounts of impulse control, who did not withstand the lure of fried dough and chocolate frosting, and then struggled to handle the reality that they'd taken treats from people they love. Like this six-year old we often struggle to admit to ourselves how our break in will, our action, hurt another person. And when faced with that other person, quite often we can't form the words of truth--"I did this to you." Because it's too painful. Because you love them.
A lot of women know what I'm talking about. A lot of men, too. I glanced off the mention of pornography, but... I can't tell you how many people I've talked to, who are utterly heartbroken in the wake of addiction, not necessarily because of the behavior itself--though that is a very difficult thing to face and understand and it does hurt--but because of the lack of honesty. The betrayal. That's the clincher.
The thought is always "well, how much do they really love me? How much of a spouse are they to me, really? If they can lie so many times, so sincerely, even angrily, even tearfully...what kind of a person are they really? What else have they hidden from me? Do they really love me?"
They do love us. They really do.
And I, confirmed bad-for-me-food-and-shopping-addict, love my husband. Even though (I admit this openly, but it's hard!) I have not always been entirely honest about this to him, either, because I didn't trust him enough to love me, in my imperfection. Maybe that's the real clincher--someone who feels so horrible about themselves doesn't fully trust those around them to love them in all their reality. So they become fake. They put on a front. And meanwhile, it builds up inside them, hurting and swelling and finally, erupting, in the form of anger, dissatisfaction, avoidance, misplaced blame....
It really struck me the other day, as I discussed this subject with some friends of mine, that addiction really is common to all of us. We all have something we struggle to tell the truth about. And as we grow older, wiser, more secure and more willing to apply the atonement with humility, we grow more honest. We start telling ourselves the truth, and then, telling the truth to those around us.
I'd love your thoughts on this.


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Our hearts go out to all of the families affected by Hurricane Sandy. As our east coast begins to rebuild for a better future, we must not loose sight of what is at stake during this election.
Daughters for Obama
If you are like me, I am tired of all the negativity shown on both sides of the asile. PLEASE pass along this POSITIVE endorsement for President Barrack Obama and all who support equality, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
If you know anyone in OHIO or surrounding areas and PA…
PLEASE encourage them to volunteer in the final stretch!
We neeeed to BaROCK the VOTE!!!
Special Thanks:
- Alex for your boundless talent, positive energy, and for sharing your story.
- Carly Augenstein and Anna Conception for lending their unbelievable voices to a cause near and dear to their hearts. You two are THE BEST!
- Anna Conception for her GORGEOUS arrangement of Lighter's by Bruno Mars and Eminem. You are my ROCK. Your constant support, friendship, and weird pumpkin obsession does not go unnoticed or unappreciated.
- Dylan Charles for his MAD quick guitar skills on Confetti by Tori Kelly
- Johnny for Piano tinkling
- And Alex's NAILING it Fathers for raising such a strong, courageous, and aMAIZEing daughter. P.s. Thanks for the pictures… I think viewers thought adoption judge was Alex's Mom


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Managing your own continuing professional development
Learn the skills for professional development.
Developing individual mental toughness
Learn strategies to become resilient in the modern workplace.
Developing people in the workplace
Learn the benefits of encouraging the development of your employees
Dignity at work
This module looks at how managers can help create a positive work environment in which everyone is treated with dignity and respect.
Getting started with social media
Understand what social media is and how it can benefit you and your organisation.
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Volunteers provide a valuable service to the public by imparting knowledge about and appreciation for the historic Washington State Capitol Campus and its buildings. Positions include State Capitol Tour Guide and State Capitol Information Associate.
If you enjoy providing visitors with a fun and educational experience in a historic setting, a volunteer position may be perfect for you!
For information on how to become a page, please visit:


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EditorsNote: adds quotes
Jonathan Marchessault scored two goals, and Marc-Andre Fleury made 30 saves to lead the visiting Vegas Golden Knights to a 3-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Monday, leveling the Western Conference finals at one game apiece.
Tomas Tatar scored a goal and Reilly Smith added two assists for Vegas. Game 3 in the best-of-seven series will be played Wednesday night at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
"Definitely excited about our effort tonight," Marchessault said. "Every time we need a big game out of our group, we show up. And tonight we definitely showed up. I think we showed the hockey world that we earned the right to be here and worthy to play against a great team."
It was the 71st career playoff victory for Fleury in his 125th playoff start, moving him into a tie with Jacques Plante for ninth place on the all-time postseason wins list.
Kyle Connor scored for Winnipeg, which lost for the third time in its past four home playoff games. Connor Hellebuyck stopped 25 shots for the Jets.
"We were chasing the game again, down two goals, made it tough," Jets captain Blake Wheeler said. "We just couldn't get any momentum going."
Winnipeg, which jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first 7:35 of a 4-2 victory in Game 1, peppered Fleury early but was unable to get one past the Vegas netminder.
"We didn't feel we started poorly at all," Jets coach Paul Maurice said. "We liked the way we started. We didn't do a whole lot of clean things with the puck. But they were good. They were on the puck and didn't make it easy."
The Golden Knights then dominated the final seven minutes of the opening period, scoring two goals less than four minutes apart and hitting the post on two more tries.
Tatar, acquired from the Detroit Red Wings at the trade deadline but a frequent scratch near the end of the season after scoring just six points and amassing a minus-11 in 20 games, scored his first goal in five playoff games to give Vegas a 1-0 lead at 13:23. He tucked in his own rebound from the right side of the net.
Tatar had been scratched from the previous three playoff games before returning to action Monday.
Marchessault made it 2-0 at the 17:22 mark, taking a pass from Smith at the blue line and then breaking in and beating Hellebuyck through the pads with a backhand. Erik Haula and Ryan Carpenter then both hit the post in the final 2 1/2 minutes of the period.
Connor cut it to 2-1 with 12:43 left in the third period on a power-play goal, sneaking a bad-angle wrist shot from the left side of the net off Fleury's arm and into the net.
Marchessault answered with his second goal of the game just 88 seconds later, finishing a two-on-one with Smith with a backhand shot past Hellebuyck's stick side.
"Marchy was real good tonight, he scored two big goals," Vegas coach Gerard Gallant said. "I thought all our team did their job tonight. Everybody played their role tonight. Obviously that top line, when they get going and they make some plays and they've got some time and space like they did, they scored a couple of beautiful goals. They were really good, and they were strong defensively also."
Winnipeg pulled Hellebuyck with a little over two minutes remaining but managed just one shot on goal.
—Field Level Media


text: Prior to 1914, a good team of horses or mules provided all the power the typical Midwestern farmer needed. If his tillable land exceeded 100 acres, he may have had more than one team. At harvest, when belt power was needed to drive a threshing machine, the farmer hired a steam engine. Horses pulled wagons loaded with bundles to the threshing site and hauled the separated wheat, barley or oats to the storage bins. After 1915, though, two unrelated events contributed to a rapid change from horses and mules to tractors: the introduction of the automobile, and the scarcity of food in Europe resulting from the upheaval caused by World War I.


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Research papersHigh Quality, Scalable and Parallel Community Detection for Large Real Graphs. Arnau Prat-Pérez, David Dominguez-Sal, Josep-Lluis Larriba-Pey: WWW (2014)
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Sparsity Technologies new headquarters at Parc UPC K2M
Sparsity Technologies announces its new offices opening this April at the K2M (Knowledge to Market) building. UPC Park was conceived with the mission to become a socioeconomic dynamic between UPC, administration and companies in order to promote research, innovation and … Continue reading
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DAMA-UPC project RECOMANA using DEX winner of BDigital congress prizes
We would like to congratulate DAMA-UPC that has just been awarded with the Bdgital congress prize in the category of Research institutes and Universities. RECOMANA* uses the potential of graph databases with the high-performance and billions of objects storage offered … Continue reading
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First University-Industry Meeting on Graph Databases (UIM-GDB)
The First University-Industry Meeting on Graph Databases (UIM-GDB) is an initiative to gather companies developing graph database management systems together with researchers from academia. The main objective is to join efforts to overcome some of the main obstacles in the … Continue reading
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Sparsity Technologies born as spin-out of UPC
Sparsity-Technologies (formally Sparsity, S.L.) is a new spin-out of the UPC (Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya) created on March 2010to commercialize and provide services based on the technologies developed at DAMA-UPC. The team of Sparsity Technologies is formed at DAMA-UPC and … Continue reading
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Avon Coupon Code 2018 |Avon Promo code 2018|Avon Voucher Code October 2018.
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Swing Bands in Cambridgeshire
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By Toni Sharp
I have a problem when I fly……what to wear. I want to be comfortable but stylish without being too over the top. I don't want to look as if I have tried. I just want to look as if I chose my outfit minutes before leaving the house, simply throwing it together with style ease.
We all know those sorts of outfits are the worst to put together and I always leave thinking I have it right but later find my new flat (sensible!) ankle strap (didn't think it through!) sandals struggle to be fastened when I am departing the plane because my feet have swollen to an unrecognisable sight.
If you are travelling in the winter, a maxi dress is amazing. You can wear leggings underneath and even boots to brave the British winter as these are hardly seen. On top, pop on a cardigan and carry a pashmina in case you need it. When you arrive at your exotic destination, you can take off all your winter wear and be left with your summer maxi dress. Make sure you carry light weight flip flops in your hand luggage to quickly pop on (the boots would give the game away).
Try to avoid white. I have worn white several times and have been lucky but I always worry it wont be white when I arrive. You never know who you will be sitting next to or what could be spilt on you! If you want to wear your whites then pack a light weight spare top/bottoms in your hand luggage if you can to change into if the worst happens.
Do not wear strappy sandals or evening shoes. Unless you're Victoria Beckham it's not a practical look and not a particularly stylish one. Your fellow passengers will think it's odd and you will be getting looks mostly for all the wrong reasons. THINK COMFORT! I chose a pair of Toms to fly to Malaysia in. They were flat and comfortable when I tried them on in the shop and were quite classic and stylish. However, I didn't break them in (although they are now broken in they're very comfortable but still….not for the plane). After the first leg of our flight, I hobbled off the plane as they were rubbing my heels and the strap was at bursting point with my feet having swollen because they had been strapped in. The 20 minute walk that followed was not pretty and certainly not stylish. Try your most comfortable flip flops or a pair of pumps and make sure you break them in!
Always take a pair of socks with you in your hand luggage. If you want to take your shoes off, you may not wish to put your bare feet onto the floor. Socks provide a good barrier! Also, you usually get pretty high up in a plane and it's much cooler up there and your little toes may get cold and so socks keep your feet warm. That pashmina from earlier may come in handy too to act as a blanket.
Don't wear fabrics which are susceptible to snagging, tearing or staining easily. You will be bending down, stretching, moving past objects quite closely. You will probably also look as though you really did just pick something out to wear that morning as your outfit will most likely be creased. Pick denim (skinny black jeans tick every box but feel free to go for colour), cotton or a viscose/elastane mix.
A final thing…..if you want to sleep on a plane take ear plugs as a minimum!


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Wild Fibres - Natural fibres for spinning & felting
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Wild Fibres
Educational fibre packs
We also sell natural dyes, extracts & mordants
& handmade paper for printing, artists & gift wrap
Follow @wildfibres
Wild Fibres > fibres store > fibre to spin > silk fibres > buy silk fibre
Click on arrows to view silks
Throwsters waste (degummed) 100gm
Throwsters' waste (degummed): High quality textured silk strands which are soft and lustrous. Contains short and long pieces as well as curly and tangled ones. Dyes well. Can be used to add lustre to felt, or made into silk paper with the addition of an adhesive. If you want to spin it, you will need to cut it into small pieces first.
Teresinha at Wild FibresStudio I-319, Scott House, The Custard FactoryGibb Street, Birmingham B9 4DT, UK
Contact Teresinha for enquiries onTel: +44 (0)7979 770865email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Delivery charges in the UKDelivery in Europe & rest of World here
Last updated on 14 May 2019Website and photos by Mike Roberts © 2008-19 Wild Fibres


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Marriage Mentoring
November 30, 2018 @ 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm
Our church family can only be as healthy as the families that make it up. Come be encouraged, challenged, and invest in your marriage! There will be a speaker, Q&A/Discussion, and a time of prayer. Contact email@example.com to learn more.


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Type: Red Rubber All-Purpose
Tip: Round Hollow with Two Eyes
Lubrication: No
Material: Red Rubber Latex
Size: 18Fr
Length: 16"
Red Rubber All Purpose Urethral Catheter from Bard are available in a wide selection of materials, configurations and french sizes. Radiopaque red rubber catheter with a round, hollow tip. Can be used as a Robinson or a Nelaton catheter. Two opposing drainage eyes. Single-use, sterile and 16" length.
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As we've discussed on our Raw Emotion Podcasts, this year of The Bachelor has been all about doubling down on the formula because, after all, the formula works. So that's why ABC decided to double down on The Bachelor this week with not two but FOUR HOURS of Bacheloring. Who exactly was demanding this?
Our Raw Emotion Podcast is going down Tuesday night and will include new Big Kibitz theme music. It's going to be huge.
In the meantime, download our Bachelor Viewing Guide. It will be the second best decision you ever make. The best will be downloading it, then telling a friend to download it. It's free, and you will like it.


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Design: R&D Bontempi
Mago by Bontempi is a table with different personalities, it's extensible and can be considered in a
living room, rather than in a kitchen-but it's also a console changing into a dining table or a study
desk if necessary. It can suit any furnishing style, besides, quality-price ratio is absolutely at best.
This extensible table is among the most requested and sold of Bontempi's production.It's easily
adaptable to any finishing style.
Advised the chair: Shark, Aria, Hidra
Structure finishing:
Chromed steel
Aluminium lacquered steel
White lacquered steel
Sand lacquered steel
Dark brown lacquered steel
Matt black lacquered steel
Anthracite lacquered steel
Light grey lacquered steel
Top finishing:
Melamine finishing: (stretches in matching the top)
Aluminium melamine
Anthracite melamine
White melamine
Sand melamine
100/140 x 70 x h 75 cm Mago
120/180 x 80 x h 75 cm Mago
140/200 x 80 x h 75 cm Mago
120 x 45/75 x h 75 cm Mago Console


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Monday, January 25, 2016
Happy Birthday!
I made the following card using the sketch from Sketch~N~Scrap for a 7 year old little boy in my Sunday School class who's birthday is today. I gave him the card yesterday and he loved it!
The card base is Recollections A2 Cards. The only difference in my card and the sketch is I didn't add an extra image. I thought the paper was busy enough that it didn't need anything else. I also couldn't find any of my smaller Happy Birthday stamps. The PP is from My Mind's Eye Boy Crazy 6"x 6" Paper Pad- both pieces. I decided to cut the vertical strip like a ribbon to make the card look more masculine. The Happy Happy Happy Happy Birthday stamp is Stampabilities Happy... birthday stamp that I bought at Hobby Lobby and I used VersaFine Black Onyx Fine Pigment Ink pad to stamp it on a piece of typing paper and then put it on a piece of light green Colorbok Deluxe Textured Cardstock Paper and fussy cut it with some decorative scissors. The orange & black enamel dots are from my stash that I boughr from TJ Maxx around Halloween- I can't think of the name of the collection right now.
I added a small journal square to the inside from the same My Mind's Eye Paper Pad. The little boy I made the card for loves to draw and has a great imagination! That's one of the first things I noticed about him when he started coming to my class 2 years ago! I hope you can try to play along with this sketch! The deadline to enter is January 31! TFL!
9 comments:
- Lisa in Texas said...
What a sweet card!! Sounds like it was for a sweet little guy as well! Thanks for joining us at Sketch N Scrap!
- January 26, 2016 at 8:37 AM
- Kelly said...
Awww how sweet! I bet he did love it and what a creative card as well! Thanks for playing along with Sketch N Scrap! :)
- January 26, 2016 at 11:02 AM
- Leah Burgett said...
That is so sweet! I bet he loved it! Thanks for joining us at Sketch N Scrap!
- January 26, 2016 at 8:58 PM
- Jan Vint said...
What a sweet memory for both of you to treasure. Nice work!
- January 26, 2016 at 10:23 PM
- Karen Lai said...
Lovely card - How sweet! Thanks for joining us at Sketch N Scrap!
- January 27, 2016 at 10:46 PM
- Lori said...
This is a great card, Amanda, and perfect for a little boy! Thanks so much for joining us at Sketch N Scrap!
- January 29, 2016 at 7:05 AM
- Golden Goddess Designs said...
cute, cute, cute! what a nice gesture...I love making a kid smile! thanks for playing with us at Sketch N Scrap this month!
- January 30, 2016 at 7:52 AM
- sfcherry said...
So so cute. Anyone would be happy to get this card!
- January 30, 2016 at 10:54 AM
- Mandy Reedyk said...
Cute card!! Thanks for joining us at Sketch N Scrap! :)
- January 30, 2016 at 2:51 PM


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Last year, Channel 4 Education announced it was ditching much of its TV output and devoting its £6m budget to "high risk" cross-platform projects that could more effectively engage youngsters.
With more and more teenagers spurning traditional media, we asked the broadcaster's commissioning editor Matt Locke about how it is planning to reach them through digital services.
He tells us if production houses are ready to fulfill its objectives and how Channel 4 is rethinking its focus towards metrics and measurement. Amen to that.
Can you give us a quick outline of Channel 4 Education's commissioning strategy for educational content this year? Why the big change?
For us, it was clear that we were not getting any impact on the audience. My job as I see it this year is to try and find out how to get that audience's attention. That's increasingly about going to where they are, rather than expecting them to come to the channel.
So we're exploring a wide range of strategies about working with partners like Bebo and MySpace, looking at mobile projects and working with Channel 4 Radio on podcasts. We're looking at a broad range of activities.
The way I see it is reaching our audience is a bit like a roulette table. They were placing all £6m on one bet and it just wasn't coming off. This year, my job has been to spread the bets and see which ones work.
What types of projects have you been commissioning so far?
Broadly, we are commissioning across four categories. Firstly, we're commissioning a couple of cross-platform initiatives which are time-limited and content-based, and will work mainly on other people's platforms, not Channel4.com.
One project we are doing is called The Insiders with Twenty Twenty Television and the digital agency Holler. It's a project about the world of work. But rather than doing a career site, we've hired a policeman, a doctor, a teacher, a fashion PR, a lead guitarist in an indie band and an actress and asked them to write about their lives for three months. Holler and 20/20 are creating a lot of micro-content around it.
That will launch in June or July this year and run for about three months. It's an experiment for us about how to make content that people will want to view via YouTube or social media platforms like Bebo or MySpace. Rather than building a career site, we wanted to build a very fun project.
The second category is where we think there is a bigger need for a new tool or service, rather than a content-based project.
We are investing in a couple of new services. We have invested in SchoolofEverything.com, which is trying to create a market for informal education – people wanting to teach other people things that they know. We thought that it could be interesting because it could underpin a lot of projects we are doing this year, where we are encouraging people to use the web to share learning. We are working with them on a number of projects this year, but chose to structure that as an investment.
We are trying a couple of experiments in education about investing in start-ups where we think there is a long term need to support a community or a platform. It's much better to do that through an investment. What I didn't want to do was start a new community around a project that didn't have an end date, and find I had to re-commission it each year because the community was still there. For projects with a longer term reach, I'd much rather structure them as an investment.
The third category is games. We are doing lots of experiments with different gaming platforms and genres. We are also doing some experiments with widgets that teens could use in their social network profiles. We're not sure how they are going to work yet, they are just coming out of development right now.
What are you looking for from content producers now?
We're doing a lot of projects which are collaborations between TV companies and digital agencies. That's really interesting because you get the TV indies' storytelling abilities and the digital agencies' expertise about the digital world – how to seed audiences and grow and engage them.
That's the sweet spot for me and what we are not seeing is a lot of digital agencies who have their own story and development team. Most seem to work as guns for hire and don't develop their own IP.
We are starting to see that change – Mint has started its own TV arm called Menthol, for example. That is what I am looking for – the combination of the storytelling and delivery expertise.
Is there any area you think they could improve when submitting proposals?
Probably the biggest single mistake people make in pitches is they don't tell the story about how they can build attention and interest in the project. Everyone tells me about how it will work when there are 500,000 people, but not many people talk about how they will get from 0 to 500,000.
At Channel4Education, we are not working off big brands like Hollyoaks or Big Brother and we're not working off Channel4.com. So we really need to go out and build our audiences from scratch. What I'm not getting is pitches about how they will market projects and bring an audience to them.
What are you doing to update how you measure usage of your content? How challenging will that be?
We're working with iCrossing in Brighton, and they are doing a pilot project to come up with a whole new range of engagement metrics about how people are using the projects we are coming up with this year.
Channel4 Education is moving from a world of BARB ratings, which are not very representative, to a whole basket of measures – sentiment analysis, conversations on blogs, friends on Bebo, delicious tags and so on.
With iCrossing, we are trying to get as broad a picture as we can about how people are using our content and how they are impacting around the web. When projects are being run across up to a dozen different platforms, it's quite a challenge for us to capture those metrics. We've hired iCrossing because they are one of the first people out there doing these social media metrics.
Can you explain how Channel 4 as a whole could monetise cross-platform projects?
Across the channel there are negotiations underway with third parties about how we share content on their sites and revenue share. Those conversations are going on around the channel.
One of the reasons I was attracted to Channel 4 Education was the really open remit to innovate and find our audience. It is nice not having to worry about making money on these projects but I know the channel is looking at that very seriously.
We have a brilliant digital sales team that do very well for us online. As a channel, we need to think about how we extend those strategies onto other platforms.
What are your thoughts on the efforts we've seen from different broadcasters to transfer existing online projects to TV?
In a way, you need to think about cross-platform from scratch. I don't think there is going to be a lot of mileage in upscaling content to TV, although there are a lot of people looking online to identify talent.
We are seeing a few attempts to port one to the other, but you can't assume that if you are getting a few hundred thousand users on an online project that they will all follow you to a scheduled TV programme. Holler's work on Skins was very good at building an online audience and getting them to watch the TV programme, but that was always the aim of that project.
Matt will be speaking further on Channel 4 Education's plans at the
Thinking Digital
conference in May.
Related posts:
We don't need no television
Young people prefer internet to TV


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I want to state clearly for the record that I have never and will never accept advertising on Boxing the Compass. I also have never accepted any gifts from companies or vendors, excluding of course, the occasional gift from bloggers or readers with whom I have become friends. This blog is barely anything at all, but it would be nothing without readers. The comments, the emails, the photos, and meeting new people have made this silly little thing (and all blogs are silly little things) a surprisingly wonderful and enjoyable micro-hobby. Without all of you, this would not be worth it, and I am dearly thankful for every single eye that reads this, like it or hate it.
I will never exchange favorable content for money or gifts from marketeers hoping to slip in a message or two.
I rarely decide not to publish comments that seem legitimate, and unless they represent a conflict of interest or are gratuitously vulgar or harmful, they go up. Advertisements poorly disguised as comments generally get deleted.
Also for the record, I support all blogs and bloggers regardless of their content. If you dislike a blog and opinions expressed, just stop reading it. Simple. Besides, like punch bowls, variety is always more interesting.
Please keep reading, commenting, occasionally insulting, and meeting up with me in various cities and towns. I truly love it and enjoy what it has become.
The main blog is here.