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Make your time in the field more productive - and enjoyable - with the new Field Essentials Collection, an exclusive bundle of products handpicked by the pros at Deer & Deer Hunting magazine.
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Rincon de Puembo
Puembo (Outer Quito), Ecuador
Rincon de Puembo offers peaceful, atmospheric accommodations in close proximity to Quito's new airport on the city's outer edge. Just 15 minutes away, this quiet inn is a desirable alternative to most Quito hotels, which involve a 1-hour or longer drive to the airport. Originally a colonial hacienda, the inn's spacious rooms are individually decorated in a palette of warm earthen tones, each with king-size bed, cable TV, wireless Internet, international direct-dial phones and mini bar. Lush gardens, a swimming pool and Jacuzzi invite relaxation outdoors, while indoors, guests can take advantage of the fitness center or enjoy a round of pool in the recreation room. Two restaurants on site provide a wide selection of dining options.

subset: commoncrawl


text: > Is there a standard amount of time we wait after a group is dissolved > before their name is released? [Eirik] Having been around some, I haven't seen anything official. To my limited knowledge, it seems to be an agreement between Star, the Kingdom Seneschal, and the Crown. Mainly, it seems to be whether there is a group that may want to use the name and arms again. Also, I think there should be consideration of the arms being used again by another group or for another purpose by the Kingdom.


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The TAPS Academy team is working the details of the new TAPS Academy location with the selected city. We thank all of those cities that applied to have TAPS Academy hosted in their cities. We expect to have more details and an major announcement soon. Please check back in with us to follow this great news!
If your organization is interested in learning more about bringing a TAPS Academy or TAPS Clubs to your city, please contact Dr. Everette Penn at (281) 283-3363 or via email firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Welcome from Texas.
Hello Org,
Been a lurker for years now, finally decided to get on board. Been a He-Collector my entire life, hope I can add to the discussions.
Welcome from the land of ice and nice (MN)! Did you hear about the Iowan MOTU charactor? Husk-or!
On behalf of He-Man.org's admin, staff, and moderators, allow me to extend an official Hello and welcome to He-Man.org, Spikor1982!! We're very glad to have you join our site hope you have a fun time discussing Masters of the Universe and Princess of Power here.
Please be sure to read over the rules for posting here when you have an opportunity. Most of them are pretty easy to follow.
We hope you really enjoy your time here! Welcome!
Trust me, trust me, be a'right,
Drink a little poison 'for you die,
Sign' blood or fool night,
Drink a little poison 'for you die.
Welcome aboard.
Another Iowan! Welcome! We are legion...or at least 5 or 6 now!
QUEEN ANGELLA! BLAST ATTAK! Buzzsaw Hordak Dragstor Flying Fists He-Man GWILDOR!
Lazer Light He-Man Lazer Light Skeletor MERMISTA! MULTI-BOT! NINJOR! Peekablue Perfuma
Rotar Saurod SPINNERELLA! SSSQUEEZE! Terror Claws Skeletor TUNG LASHOR! Twistoid
Welcome from California.
I see your from the land of potatoes, lol.
"You killed Captain Clown, YOU KILLED CAPTAIN CLOWN"-Joker.
Welcome to He-man.org!!!
As we express our gratitude,
we must never forget that
the highest appreciation
is not to utter words,
but to live by them.
~John F. Kennedy
thanks everyone, i feel like ive been on here much longer because ive been reading for years
"I feel the best when I can't remember anything."


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|Oct. 15
|SAINT is releasing an out of cycle update tonight in response to the latest risk to SSL - POODLE. We advise all of our customers and partners to update tonight to get this latest check.
|Sep. 23
|SAINT releases version 8.5 including SAINT 8 support for MAC OS X and PostgreSQL database platform; Active Directory integration and more.
|Jul. 25
|Saint Corporation's SAINT Scanner has successfully completed the PCI Scanning Vendor Compliance Testing.
|June 13
|SAINT launches SAINTCloud, SAINT's next generation cloud product with all the capabilities of the SAINT 8 security suite and no downloading or software installation required. Press Release
|See SAINT 8's easy workflow in these new video demonstrations.
|Read about SAINT 8 in this white paper: Next-Generation Vulnerability Management


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Latin America Culture Studies
The Latin American Culture Studies specialization offers an interdisciplinary planned curriculum of studies on Latin America through the following courses:
- Introduction to Latin American Culture Studies (3)
- Spanish Composition and Conversation (3)
- Civilization of Mexico and the Caribbean (3)
- Civilization of South America (3)
- Latin American Culture Studies Seminar (3)
- Modern Latin America (3)
- Governments and Politics of Latin America (3)
- 12 additional elective hours of courses in history, geography and Spanish
Students choosing the Latin American Culture Studies specialization must fulfill the Spanish language requirement by completing Spanish at the 351 level or demonstrate competency in the Spanish language, e.g. by completing intensive Spanish language and culture courses through the summer abroad program in Mexico.
For more information, see the Undergraduate Program overview.


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Strength and wisdom.Clary sage and lavender are the perfect labor companions. Use labor massage oil any time after your due date has arrived. Try in your labor tub or for massage. Trust the wisdom of your body! Do not use until after your due date.
Ingredients: *Olive oil, *jojoba oil, lavender essential oil, tocopherol (vitamin e), and clary sage essential oil.*certified organic ingredientSize: 1 fl. oz.


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Kerikeri Garden Safari
To enjoy the height of spring gardens, the annual Kerikeri Rotary Garden Safari will be held on 30/31 October 2010. You can order safari tickets here, and book online for accommodation staying at Avalon Resort.
Explore 7 acres of landscaped gardens, river, ponds and a newly built natural swimming pool all at Avalon Resort – promising to be a highlight of your weekend!
Filed under: Bay of Islands, Kerikeri, Kerikeri Events on October 19th, 2010


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Disaster preparedness should include pet microchipping, says county
Two-hour clinic scheduled today
The county's Department of Animal Services will offer pet microchipping, rabies vaccinations, dog licenses and discount spay and neuter coupons during a clinic from noon to 2 p.m. today at Woodglen Vista Park in Santee, in advance of wildfire season.
County officials said as wildfire season approaches, disaster preparedness plans should be updated and should include pet microchipping.
"We have rescued hundreds of animals during past fires and the first thing we do is check for a microchip," county Animal Services Director Dawn Danielson said. "A microchip is the best way to reunite animals with their owners quickly after a disaster. It could save your pet's life."
Pet microchipping and rabies vaccinations will be available to anyone, but dog licenses and spay/neuter coupons will only be given to those who live in unincorporated areas such as Ramona, Julian and Santa Ysabel, or contract cities of San Diego, Carlsbad, Encinitas, Solana Beach, Del Mar and Santee, according to the county.
Pet microchips will cost $20, which includes the registration. Rabies vaccines for dogs of four months and older and cats three months and older are $6. Dog owners who have not licensed their pet or allowed its annual license to lapse will be granted amnesty from late fees, county officials said.
Spay/neuter discount coupons will be $100 for female cats, female pit bulls and mixes and chihuahuas; and $75 for all females of other breeds and male dogs and cats, officials said.
County officials said dogs visiting the clinic must be leashed and cats must be in a carrier.
Related posts:
- County to sponsor pet microchip clinic in Country Estates Dog Park on Jan. 21
- Spaying and neutering helps fight pet overpopulation
- County uses coupons to encourage spaying
- County reports first rabid bats of 2009
- Vote on Disaster Preparedness poll
Short URL: http://www.ramonasentinel.com/?p=23783


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This is so stupid. This girl should kill herself. Like, grow up
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Home remedy facial cleanser
N today's chance, no doubt more medicines and administrations for your face are entering the business sector. All things considered, with all the new advances being created, it is just common that there will be medicines and administrations created to exploit these innovations. Notwithstanding, today's day by day granulate additionally has a great deal of individuals pressed for time, which implies next to no possibility of appreciating the profits of these cutting edge medicines and administrations.
Anyway this doesn't essentially imply that you're simply going to need to scrap your facial consideration schedule. You can make a home cure facial cleanser. Aside from being successful, a home cure facial cleanser likewise has the included focal point of being moderately less expensive contrasted with its marketed partners. Simply what sort of a home cure facial cleanser would you be able to make? Here are a couple of alternatives for you to go for:
Sweet-and-harsh cleanser – mix together three tablespoons of lime squeeze, two tablespoons of nectar, and four tablespoons of plain yoghurt. In the event that the mixture necessities thickening, you can include some cornstarch into it. Apply to your face, kneading for something like one to two minutes, then flush totally. The fusion of parts in this cleanser will leave your skin brilliant and smooth.
Thyme cleanser – mix together a large portion of a tablespoon of dried thyme and two teaspoons of pulverized fennel seeds. Blanket down the middle glass of bubbling water. Include the juice of a large portion of a lemon and after that let soak for 15 more minutes. Spill in a hermetically sealed holder and place in the cooler. You can utilize this cleanser to decrease aggravations and puffiness while delicately toning facial skin. Simply touch onto a cotton ball, wipe everywhere all over, and afterward flush off.
Cereal shedding scour – for a fast clean, join two piling teaspoons of fine oats and a teaspoon of preparing pop. Add some water to make a thick glue. Rub everywhere throughout the face, flush, and afterward pat dry.
Numerous individuals are deciding to utilize a homemade facial cleanser rather than purchasing a made item. We're barraged day by day with new investigative discoveries and the items that result, however the greater part of these are unmanageable, and some don't even satisfy desires. In this way, how is best facial cleanser more useful?
They're Less Expensive
Unsurprisingly, in the event that you make a homemade facial cleanser, it'll inexorably be less expensive. The magnificence business is enormous business and, as individuals get to be more health cognizant, these organizations can adventure people groups' needs by charging a considerable measure of cash for their items. As a general rule, the elements included in regular cleansers have a tendency to be segments you can undoubtedly find in a store or may recently have in your kitchen at home. What's more, because of the way that homemade facial cleansers are less unreasonable, you can go for various remedies to figure out which suits your skin best.
They're Quick And Easy To Make
Most homemade cleansers are both brisk and easy to assemble. Not just do they typically require only a few parts, however they have a tendency to just need blending or mixing at the most.
They're Good for all Skin Types
Diverse sustenances hold distinctive profits that could be useful for any skin sort, if ordinary, sleek, or dry. In the event that you have delicate skin, then its especially vital to realize what a cream holds to forestall any unfriendly responses. The way that a homemade facial cleanser holds just common fixings makes it quite great in the event that you discover you respond severely to specific segments.
They're Made From All-Natural Ingredients
The excellence of a homemade facial cleanser is that you know precisely what it is you're putting onto your constitution. Your skin is made out of pores, so anything you put on it is consumed inside. It's like when you consume sustenance. Numerous fabricated items hold fixings that add nothing to your skin. Truth be told, some are harmful. They're essentially there as a thickening executor or to build the timeframe of realistic usability of the cream.
They Usually Contain High Amounts of Alpha Hydroxy Acids (Ahas)
Numerous homemade face cleansers use soil grown foods in their parts. This is on account of foods grown from the ground acids hold Ahas. Ahas help in the breakdown of dead skin units, which then permits new cells to create and the skin to revive legitimately.


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A Womens Wear Daily item indicates that Carol Smith has jumped from Elle to Cond Nast, where shell be the president and publishing director of Bon Apptit and the Gourmet brand. Wait a minute, the Gourmet brand? Is there still a Gourmet brand? Indeed, it seems Smith may revive it.
Regarding her plans for Bon Appetit and Gourmet, Smith said she hopes to breathe life back into Gourmet which was shuttered last October to much outcry perhaps creating a custom magazine, whereby an advertiser such as Kraft or Target would produce a newsstand Gourmet magazine and own every ad. Other ideas include working with retailers on Gourmet-branded items, as well as television projects and events for both titles. Then, Smith indicated, there is the potential of the Web Bon Appetit and Gourmet form Epicurious.com, which is part of Cond Nast Digital.
So there you have it: Gourmet brought to you by Target.


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Highway A was shut down Monday afternoon after a tractor trailer hauling transformers left the road and struck a utility pole. There were no injuries in the crash. Washington firefighters and Ameren Missouri workers were on the scene of the crash that occurred about 2 p.m. See the Wednesday Missourian for more information.
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This blog has been established for the exchange of ideas. Posts do not necessarily reflect the philosophies of the Seminary.
Dr. Nijay Gupta
Dr. J. Richard Middleton
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Many churches experience anxiety in these days as attendance declines, budgets tighten, and the younger generation heads for the exits. The church has faced anxious days before, and then, as now, responses among its people have varied, ranging from respiration and preservation to innovation and expansion. However, Jason E. Vickers, Ph.D., featured speaker at the Church Renewal Conference hosted by Northeastern Seminary in March, recommends that before we respond we must be theologically rooted in the holiness of God.
Although not a new thought to me, the following charge by Vickers has dominated my thoughts: if people can't experience God in the church and be undone by him, then we're missing it. The question, he says, we must ask ourselves is: "Whether visitors believe us or not, if they came to our church, would they know that we believe the power and presence (i.e., the holiness) of God is in this place?"
Typically, we respond in the affirmative. But are we truly cultivating a people who expect and experience the holiness of God? Or are we simply providing fellowship, inclusivity, good music, practical teaching, and hospitality?
Not that we shouldn't do those other things. It's just that apart from the holiness of God, the church doesn't exist. We're just another political caucus, another charity organization. People can find those things anywhere. What they cannot find anywhere else is reconciliation to God, to be made whole by him, to be reunited with him.
Therefore, our mission is twofold: 1) faithfully worship our holy God—the one altogether unlike any other—and 2) witness in word and deed to his salvific work in Jesus Christ. Fulfilling this mission will renew our churches, but its implementation depends on the leading of the Spirit within our local contexts. May we take the time necessary to prayerfully consider the answers to what, where, when and how.
-Ray Hammond (M.Div. '08) Family Ministries Pastor, Brockport Free Methodist Church, Brockport, N.Y.
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© 2014 www.nes.edu


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- Quicklinks
Five Nights rounds out season with a visit from University Chorale and Symphonic Choir
The Ohio State University at Marion is pleased to welcome the OSU Chorale and OSU Symphonic Choir to Morrill Hall Auditorium, Thursday, May 10, 7:30 p.m., as part of the Five Nights on Campus cultural and performing arts series.
The Ohio State University Chorale is a select ensemble comprised of graduate students and upper-level undergraduates. Members are selected by competitive audition and represent the finest talent at the university. The Chorale sings a variety of distinctive choral literature chosen to challenge both singers and audiences, and its repertoire is representative of the most recent trends in choral composition. The ensemble tours extensively in the United States and overseas.
Enrolling approximately fifty singers, Ohio State's Symphonic Choir is open to all members of the campus community by audition. This ensemble prides itself on diversity of literature, quality musical performance, and nurturing singers through its commitment to improving musical literacy and supporting healthy vocal technique. In addition to a regular performance schedule, the Symphonic Choir often combines with the Chorale and various instrumental ensembles for extended works.
Ticket prices for the OSU Chorale and OSU Symphonic Choir concert are $10 for general admission, $9 for seniors, and $4 for students. There is no charge for children 5 years of age or younger. Marion campus faculty and staff, which includes all Ohio State Marion and Marion Technical College personnel, are eligible for $8 discounted individual performance tickets. Tickets are available in advance or at the door. For advance tickets or for more information contact Bronwen Babich, Ohio State Marion Office of Community Relations at 740-725-6341, or email: firstname.lastname@example.com.
Five Nights on Campus is a performing arts series designed specifically for the residents of the seven-county regional service area of Ohio State Marion and is intended to complement the other entertainment opportunities which are available in the area. The mission of Five Nights is to provide exceptional and diverse cultural and educational opportunities and to encourage the community to be a part of campus life. The series, which began in autumn 1995, is in its seventeenth year. This season offers an outstanding blend of talented national and international performers.
Five Nights on Campus is made possible by local community-minded businesses and organizations such as: Arcelor Mittal; Clear Channel Radio, Marion; Frontier Communications; Marion Technical College; Marion General Hospital; Morral Companies, L.L.C.; Sims Bros., Inc.; The Herald; The Marion Star; The Ohio State Bank; Whirlpool Corporation, Marion Division; and Wyandot, Inc. Ohio State Marion wishes to recognize The Ohio State University Alumni Club of Marion County and the Buckeye Backers, our campus group of community volunteers, for their continued support of Five Nights on Campus and the arts.


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- More signs that U.S. growth is accelerating; with 7% unemployment rate, look for qualitative communication changes at next FOMC meeting.
- Higher odds of December taper but we still think January is more likely (with possible hint in December press conference).
- We wonder whether front-end rates can remain anchored as growth picks up.
The November employment report brought more positive news on U.S. activity, with a healthy gain in nonfarm payrolls of 203k. The three-month moving average continued to hover around 200k (193k this month), and the payroll diffusion indexes pointed to a broadening of gains. We were also encouraged to see a further acceleration in construction and manufacturing employment. It bears mentioning that even the large rebound in household employment leaves the three-month average gain at just +72k. The participation rate also failed to recover all of last month's large decline, suggesting that some of the weakness reflected more than the government shutdown. But on the whole the employment report continues the recent streak of better than expected economic news.
Taking all the latest data into account, we now see a convincing rebound from the government shutdown and a good amount of evidence of broad-based acceleration. The chart below shows our U.S. activity indicator, which now reports a three-month average growth rate of 3.0% (October was depressed by shutdown and November benefitted from the bounce back).
U.S. growth indicator, % annualized
Broadly speaking, improving activity data should bring forward the timing of tapering and probably motivates some reworking of the Fed's communication framework. There remains a great deal of uncertainty about the details, however.
Given the decline in the unemployment rate to the symbolically important level of 7.0%—the original guidepost for the end date of QE—we now think communication changes of some kind are likely at the December meeting. Many observers continue to believe this will include mechanical changes to the threshold rule—a lower unemployment threshold and/or a new inflation floor. We continue to see both of these changes as unlikely.
On the lower unemployment threshold, minutes from the October FOMC meeting said that only "a couple" participants favored this approach, and subsequent public comments by Fed officials have focused communication for the "post-6.5-percent world" (Williams, Dec 3). We would not rule this option out entirely, but a lower threshold does not seem to be policymakers' base case. Similarly, the minutes said only "a few" participants liked the inflation floor idea, and others expressed hesitations about modest benefits and communication challenges. While interesting, the Cleveland Fed paper on this topic published this week has no bearing on our views about the odds of such a change.
Instead, look for qualitative changes in the forward guidance, focused on what happens after the unemployment rate reaches 6.5%. We think this could include two main aspects: (1) more (qualitative) information about the conditions for an eventual rate hike and (2) more details about the economic rationale for the slow pace of hiking in the Fed's Summary of Economic Projections (SEP). The former could be a sentence in the statement like: "In deciding when to raise rates—which may come a considerable time after 6.5% unemployment—the committee will consider a broad set of job market indicators, including consumer price inflation, wage growth and measures of underemployment."
We expect that communicating the rationale for the slow pace of hiking in the SEP will prove challenging. So far Bernanke has talked about "headwinds" and a slow recovery in the neutral funds rate. Look for more of this in December—possibly in the statement itself.
The QE decision looks like a close call, but on balance we think tapering begins in January rather than December. On the one hand, there are strong tactical arguments for starting in December. First, it keeps intact Bernanke's June guidance that tapering would begin "later this year" if "the incoming data were broadly consistent" with the Fed's forecast. That forecast included second half GDP growth of about 2.5%, a Q4 unemployment rate of 7.2-7.3%, and Q4 core PCE inflation of 1.2-1.3%. Today's dataset certainly looks "broadly consistent" with this picture. Second, tapering in December avoids the risk that a soft patch in the data—even if just noise—delays tapering deep into 2014.
On the other hand, Fed officials have set a high rhetorical bar for the conditions needed to begin slowing QE. Before the September FOMC meeting the Fed's QE guidance stressed "cumulative progress" in the labor market—the level of the unemployment rate and total job gains. After the meeting policymakers added the condition that tapering required "convincing evidence that progress will continue". Because we doubt officials are worried about a recession, we took this communication to mean that tapering could only occur in the context of "fast growth". With Q4 GDP growth tracking below 2%, we suspect officials will still not see enough evidence to begin the process of winding down the program.
From a market perspective the precise tapering details may be beside the point. Long-dated forwards have priced in tapering, and the curve has started to flatten in sell-offs (see charts below). Rates investors seem to be focused less on tapering and more on growth. To us the big question is: will forward guidance become a victim of its own success? That is, will front-end rates remain well-anchored even as growth finally picks up? We suspect that the current equilibrium of accelerating growth and anchored front-end rates will not be sustained for long.
One-year forward rate curve, %
Source: Columbia Management
Change in one-year forward rate curve this week, basis points
Source: Columbia Management


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bird callLine breaks: bird call
Definition of bird call in English:
1The characteristic cry of a bird.
Example sentences
- As the moon was waxing and a nasty storm had just moved through, I was sitting near an open window about 8pm when I heard it… a distinctive bird call not like the usual night birds I hear.
- We had left the woods and were walking on the other side of the fence bordering the park when we heard an unfamiliar bird call.
- Canary creates a spectrogram, or visual representation of each bird call.
1.1An instrument imitating a bird's characteristic cry, used especially by hunters.
Example sentences
- Supporters counter that it is no more unfair than using bird calls and decoys to attract birds or using baited hooks to catch fish.
- New Agers of either sex will have collections full of warbling pan pipes, waterfalls and bird calls.
- Students were carving birds, making bird calls (this was a surprisingly big group), making leather bracelets, candles, and glass jewelery, as well as doing some pottery.
Definition of bird call in:
- US English dictionary
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Word of the day ingratiate
Pronunciation: ɪnˈɡreɪʃɪeɪt
bring oneself into favour with someone through flattery…


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My shopping cart0 Items
For a comfortable bed, high quality bed linen is indispensible. Designed to cover Novotel Store's mattress, or any other mattress of the same size, this elegant fitted sheet will satisfy your need for comfort with its pure and simple design and a high quality, 100% cotton percale. Match the fitted sheet with Novotel Boutique's duvet cover.
Enter your promotional code in the your shopping cart detail to see what offers are available to you.
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European Toll free or, + 33 1 41 51 54 24
The wide range of products found in this shop means you can enjoy all the comfort of Novotel.
© 2010 NOVOTEL and Hotels At Home, simplified joint stock company. The names, brands and referenced logos above are registered trademarks or brands of ACCOR SA and all of the subsidiaries of the ACCOR Group, which owns the NOVOTEL and NOVOTELSTORE brands.
All rights reserved.


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Even though the list of paradise fruits I've consumed continues to grow--sipping juice right out of the coconut for example ("look like one tourist!" my friend's mother scolds)--a simple, plain, old-time treat still woos my palate. Paradise's flashy fruits and magnificent blossoms could not make this treat look any more plain: flat, sort of roundish, pale cream colored, hard, not even any scent.
I first visited the Big Island of Hawaii in 1996 when I went with my best friend to stay with her parents in the Hilo home where she grew up. When her parents took us to the volcano, we stopped at a little bakery on the way and bought some cookies for later. Nothing suggested that I stood in the presence of the one item that can take me back to the Big Island in full sensory detail with one bite.
Later, relaxing in my friend's parents' mint green and white kitchen, feeling the ocean breeze enter the window of the sugar plantation house, my friend's mom made coffee and brought out the cookies. I must have tried to take a bite of the rock-hard treat because I remember her telling me to dunk the cookie in coffee first...and that was the moment...the Proust moment of cookie and tea that unleashed a multivolume novel of memory...except for me, the cookie and coffee bite preserved a moment of my first visit to Hawaii that comes into full-sensory detail any time I taste the cookie and coffee, no matter where I am.
Thirteen years later, as we were all shocked to calculate, I return for my second visit--this time with a husband, the best friend on the mainland and not able to join us. We sit in my friend's parents' kitchen, still mint green and white with ocean breezes. We talk story and eat pineapple. The next day, my husband and I drive to the volcano, but first, we stop in Mt. View, a town of about six still-standing houses, the rest fallen or on the way, and two shops, the Mt. View Video Store and the Mt. View Bakery--home of the famous Stone Cookie.
As the story goes, in 1936, the baker aimed to make one thing, but ended up with the Stone Cookie--a mistake--a hard, flat, almost-white cookie. The bakery clerk compared the stone cookie to a biscotti, but that's ridiculous, like comparing tea sipped in your kitchen to high tea at the Empress Hotel. Stone cookies do not involve the kind of effort or display or variety of biscotti. Incomparable.
Three generations later, the bakery and the Stone Cookie still exist, even though the building next to the video store has fallen to rubble. The clerk, unaware of my allegiance to the Stone Cookie, points out the new flavors of coconut, peanut butter, extra crispy, and "old-timer," which bakes less time and is soft for the old faithful whose teeth can't manage the original. I barely hide my immediate rejection of these other cookies as my husband orders a package of "old-timers." I point to the original as if no other option exists. We get three packages but go back today for three more.
Amidst the vibrancy, perfume, and flare of lychee, papaya, dragonfruit, the stone cookie offers something elemental, like the striking primordial landscape of the volcano. They're made out of basics anyone can obtain--mostly just flower, water, sugar, shortening. And yet, only one place makes them, and sold in only a few places on the Big Island. Refreshingly hard to find in a Starbucks landscape.
The only way to eat them, in my unwavering opinion, is dunked in plain, black coffee, the way my friend's mom taught me to do. Not sweetened coffee, not coffee with soy creamer, not herbal tea (I tried it), just plain, black coffee. I've had three regular coffees since quitting caffeine in April, and I knew this morning would be the fourth exception.
While looking out at the volcano rainforest from our bedroom window, I poured maybe 1/2 cup coffee into a mug, dunked the first of my two stone cookies in, soaking it for a good 30 seconds (the fresher they are, the longer to soften), then took a bite. Bitter warmth of coffee meets simple sweetness and solid cookie. I turn the cookie to find the right angle, the most depth to dunk, and soak again, methodically repeating and turning until the whole cookie fits in the mug to dunk. Each bite soothes and warms.
I marvel dutifully and genuinely at the twenty-foot tall ferns, the heavy-as-a-bowling-ball banana blossom, the trumpet-sized tulips drooping heavily from branches, and the fact that it all sprouts from lava. But what I really love about Hawaii is how little I need to find happiness and peace: a towel, some sunscreen, and an adventurous friend who has already scouted out the most beautiful and empty beach; the drip of rain off the giant fern leaves singing me to sleep; and the perfectly accidental ratio of sugar, water, flour, shortening, and heat to dunk in coffee while talking story at the kitchen table.
So well said. Hawaii brings out gratitude so effortlessly. I've never had one of these cookies, but I will be sure to next time I'm there. And thanks for "the mint green and white kitchen". I needed the breeze. :o) xo heather
I'm thrilled to read that the bakery was there a month ago! The phone number I've found in all the search results doesn't work, and I feared they had closed. I want to get some Stone Cookies for my brother's birthday. They used to send them to me, then they directed me (if memory serves) to another business who shipped for them, but now I can't even get in touch with Mt. View bakery to ask how to accomplish what I want to do. Do you have a way of reaching them, or do you know who ships Stone Cookies now? Much mahalo in advance if so!
(I can probably find some friends 'on the other side' to buy and mail them, if the bakery is for sure still there, but I'd rather not ask-- 'cause it is, after all, a Big Island...)
This is the info. they print on their current label:
Mt. View Bakery, Inc.
PO Box 102
Mt. View, HI 96771
I hope that helps. Let me know if they ship some to you! Of course, I'll limit myself to getting them in person--more motivation to save my pennies and return to the island!
They are still open. I grew up in Mt. View. My mom just sent me some last week. I think she must have sent me the softer ones. My husband likes this one, but it's not the one I grew up up eating. I like the hard ones better. We were there last December and tried the chocolate ones (which my husband and daughter liked) and the raisin ones (which I liked).
I was on the Big Island last the week before last visiting family and we made sure to get our stone cookie fix while we were there, my uncle loves the chocolate ship, I always loved the original but decided to try something new and got the coconut which I loved because I really enjoy coconut anything. Well written story, really brings the cookie to life! :)
Oh, I don't remember seeing a coconut one. If it's not soft, but the original STONE cookie, I might venture beyond my tradition! Lucky you for being on the Big Island...I've been daydreaming about it lately and seriosly missing all the fruit....
Just returned to Puako from Hilo/Volcano via the Saddle Road. We stopped in Mt. View and checked out the bakery there. Never heard of Stone Cookies but bought a bag of the choc chip ones. Had no idea about dunking them in coffee but figured they would be better that way - can't wait to try the combo. Loved the story and now wish I had bought more. Aloha.
Are the chocolate chip ones soft, or are they "stone" hard like the original? If they're hard, I imagine that dipping them in black coffee will taste delicious! Let me know how you like them.
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Marijuana could be America's No. 1 cash crop — raking in more money than corn, wheat and soy — and could bring in billions in tax revenue, advocates for its legalization will tell you.
It would be worth as much as a whopping $35 billion, if you believe the former director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.
Of course, that would be a boon to cash-strapped governments, which are slashing city jobs and releasing inmates early in an effort to save money, as Michael Montgomery at California Watch points out.
Now, new research concludes marijuana is far from the No. 1 most lucrative crop.
It's more like No. 15, behind almonds and hay, a team of researchers from Carnegie Mellon University, Pepperdine University, UCLA and the RAND Corp write in "Marijuana Legalization: What Everyone Needs to Know."
Montgomery sums up their findings:
No one can know the actual value of the domestic marijuana crop with any certainty, as most cultivation is hidden in the shadows, all the more since federal prosecutors began cracking down in states that have legalized medical marijuana. The authors' best guess is that it's worth about $2.1 billion to $4.3 billion.
That's closer in line to a Harvard economics professor's study published in 2005. In it, Jeffrey A. Miron estimated the legalization would rake in $2.4 billion in tax revenue — plus save governments $7.7 billion a year to not enforce the law.
But does it even matter in this debate?
When Assemblyman Tom Ammiano proposed legislation in 2009 to legalize marijuana in California, he argued it would bring billions of dollars into the state.
Voters still knocked down the referendum, 53.5 percent to 46.5 percent.


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This blogsite began a little over two years ago, as a personal attempt to provide a resource for gay/queer Catholics attempting to reconcile their faith and sexuality. Over those two years, it has changed in character: there has been much more of my opinion and news commentary, and correspondingly less of the resource material than I intended originally; and the focus has broadened, to included other denominations as well, and also some attention to some purely secular discussion of sexuality. It has also acquired an extensive archive of material. Readers who have been with me from the start may know their way around, but newcomers will not. There are a number of new readers coming in just now, as I am in the process of moving to a new hosting company, and with it to a new domain name. Some readers who thought they were being directed to a specific post by a search engine may be surprised to find that they have simply arrived at a generic front page for the blog. I hope these notes will help.
There are three primary methods you could use to find your way around: the search box, the categories and tags, and the back pages, shown on the horizontal navigation bar across the top. None of these are yet working entirely satisfactorily, but the occasion of the current migration is an opportunity to beef them up substantially.
If you are looking for a specific post or topic, try using the search box in the top right corner. If you have the exact wording of the post you are looking for, place it in quote marks. Otherwise, use key words. This tool is at present the basic one that comes as standard with WordPress: I may replace it with something more sophisticated later – we'll see.
If you are looking for a particular topic, but not one specific post, you could also use the category box in the right hand side bar. The number and definition of categories at present is not satisfactory, and I will revise it later – but not yet. Other issues are more important.
If you simply want to browse the content, explore the pages listed in the horizontal navigation bar at the top of the page. It is these pages that originally I wanted to be the heart of the site, but it has taken me all the past two years to work out just how to implement them. I think I now know where I want to go with them – but getting there will take time. In principle, the pages that you see are top-level pages, each holding specialist pages as subdivisions. Hover over a page in the navigation bar, and you will see the sub-pages it holds. Go to any page, and you will find (or will, in time) a general description of that topic, and a series of links to specific posts on that subject. Building these pages is very much a work in progress, and will never be completed. Right now in particular, there are some big gaps I am working to fill as a top priority, and many of the links are not yet working. (If you find one that is not, try searching for that post in the search box).
You could also take a look at what other readers have done: see this list of the most popular posts over the past 30 days (compiled by combining readers from both domains).
The migration to my new domain is creating a great deal of work for me, and may cause some short term disruption for my readers: rest assured that I am working constantly to get beyond these temporary difficulties to make the site what it was always intended to be: a comprehensive resource base for gay, lesbian or trans Catholics, other Christians – and anybody else interested in following the path to full LGBT equality and inclusion.
Welcome to the Queer Church – and I hope you enjoy your exploration.


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Six clicks: Best Black Friday deals in tech
Looking to snap up a new PC, tablet or free downloads? Check out this selection of the best deals we've seen so far.
Charlie Osborne talks about (and to) the next generation of IT users.
London-based Charlie Osborne is a journalist, freelance photographer and former teacher. She holds a degree in Medical Anthropology.
Looking to snap up a new PC, tablet or free downloads? Check out this selection of the best deals we've seen so far.
Advice from teacher to student on technology, privacy, and why turning off that smartphone is a good idea.
Seeking tips for using mobile devices in class? Check out these articles, how-to guides and tutorials.
ARM has revealed the Embedded Education Kit, a low-cost toolkit for teaching embedded systems design and programming concepts.
Apple has pledged $100 million to President Obama's ConnectED initiative, a scheme designed to promote the use of technology in schools.
How do you vanish online? Follow these 10 steps to get started.
In what ways can teachers use tech to enrich their lessons?
From controlling your child's device to keeping track of their movements, here is a list of useful apps for modern-day parents.
A roundup of educational articles, apps and tutorials for educators looking to integrate technology into the classroom, updated for 2014.
Lacking enthusiasm this Halloween? These apps will get you in the mood.


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The blissfully long Jubilee weekend is fast approaching - yeeep! - so when Grazia Daily bumped into Pixie Lott earlier this week, we naturally grilled the 21-year-old singer on her celebratory plans and all things British...
Grazia Daily: What do you like about being British?
Pixie Lott: British music is the best - I would say that, though! But this year being British is even better because we have the Olympics and the Jubilee. It's definitely the place to be.
Grazia Daily: Are you a big fan of the Queen? What do you think of her style?
Pixie Lott: I am! Her style's great because she's not boring. I actually am really into pastels at the moment! But I like to wear black with them too, to mix it up a bit.
Grazia Daily: What are you going to wear for the celebrations?
Pixie Lott: I've actually got red, white and blue coloured nails today! I thought I would make the effort and I definitely think everyone should wear red, white and blue the whole weekend.
Grazia Daily: What are your plans for the weekend?
Pixie Lott: I'm in Bristol on Friday as I've got a Jubilee gig and then it's Oliver's [Cheshire, Pixie's model boyfriend] birthday on Sunday and I've got my best friend's 21st too which we're going to celebrate by having a weekend festival type party at her family's farm. I'll definitely keep an eye on what's going on in London though!
Grazia Daily: Can your friends expect a surprise performance?
Pixie Lott: No! It's all of my friends! Imagine if I started singing 'Mama Do' or something [laughs]. We're quite a musical crowd anyway so people are going to bring their guitars and play around the fire.
Grazia Daily: What do you think of Kate Middleton's style?
Pixie Lott: I think she's lovely. She always looks beautiful and classy and I like it that she wears pieces more than once too. her wedding dress was amazing and I saw a picture of her wearing a cute little pale pink dress too which I really liked too.
Grazia Daily: She was snapped sharing clothes with her mum; do you share clothes with yours?
Pixie Lott: I don't share clothes with my mum, but I do share jewellery with her. I swap clothes with my 24-year-old sister, she always takes everything! It comes in handy for her that we're the same size.
Grazia Daily: If you could dress Kate in anything, what would it be?
Pixie Lott: I think she's looks lovely, I think she looks just how a Duchess should look. She has a style as well, she's not just boring, and I like that she wears the same thing more than once!
Grazia Daily: Who are your favourite British Designers?
Pixie Lott: I really like Christopher Kane, Vivienne Westwood and Burberry. They're probably my favourites.
Grazia Daily: What's your favourite thing in your wardrobe?
Pixie Lott: My favourite thing in my wardrobe are a pair of blue shoes from Miu Miu that have cats all over them, I've worn them so much.
Grazia Daily: What five items in your wardrobe can you not live without?
Pixie Lott: First, it's got to be shorts, I have a pair in every colour and I can wear them in the summer and in the winter with tights. I think always a LBD because you can wear it plain for occasions you can make it look completely different by putting accessories on it. Also, a leather jacket because it always edges things up if they look too girl. A pair of brogues because I always wear brogues in the day and finally, a blazer!
Grazia Daily: Are you planning to do any shout outs to the Queen at your gig this weekend?
Pixie Lott: I haven't thought about it yet really, but maybe it will get everyone in the Jubilee spirit… Watch this space.
Pixie Lott launches the Samsung Galaxy SIII in store.


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Take Time To Enjoy Your Passions
It's good to have something in life that you are passionate about. I have several. Beyond family and faith, I am passionate about writing, coffee and daylilies.
I've said before that I love to write and am so blessed to be able to do this as an occupation.
Like many of you, I love a good cup of coffee in the morning, followed by several more cups until the pot is dry. I enjoy the taste of it, but it is probably more functional in that it helps me wake up nicer than I would without coffee. I like to say that I drink coffee more for the people that have to live with me more so than for myself, but it really goes both ways.
Finally, I love daylilies. This sunny, sandy hill that I live on won't grow much, but it's perfect for a daylily. As long as I continue to water them almost daily, they reward me with long green leaves and bloom after bloom. Fortunately, the only problems I have encountered are weeds, as daylilies are affected by almost no diseases or insects.
This year I dug up every daylily and divided it. Each bush yielded from five to seven new plants. It is amazing.
Every morning I take my coffee in hand, walk out into the yard and peruse through my lily bed. I pull any weeds and look for new scapes, the stem from which the flowers grow. I remove any blooms from the day before, which is called "deadheading."
Do I lead a sheltered life? Do I need to get out more? Perhaps. But I wish everyone could find the simple pleasure in life that I do in following these few passions.
Maybe I'm waxing poetic this month because my birthday is approaching, and I get to roll that front number over and put a zero behind it. It's not bothering me, but is just a reminder that time goes so very fast. As you plant and care for your crop this season, I hope you will also take time to enjoy your passions.
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Blogging, From Both Sides, Part One
Aug 4
In Friends, Lighting, Thoughts at 6:55am
Tom. July 11th, in his backyard in New Jersey. Father, fighter, lover of photography.
In his words:
In March of 2005, after a long battle with nine herniations in my spine, surgery to remove two of them had to be done. The surgery was a complete success and as soon as I awoke from the 10 hour operation, I began to look forward to my life with my son, Jared. Finally, I would not be stuck to a bed, couch or wheelchair. E ven when I could not walk or play with my son or make him breakfast, I never let a negative thought in my mind. I had nothing but a positive attitude and knew what I was up against. Thankfully, the odds seemed pretty darn good in my favor.
It was perhaps just two weeks later, after the intense yet very successful surgery, that some very strange things started to happen. Severe cramps, shocks throughout my body, stuttering and, well, a buffet of conditions that are simply too long to write about. We were concerned not only with blood clots forming, but it seemed that something had gone wrong during the surgery. These conditions went one for months. I endured dozens of painful tests and numerous cocktails of different medications to see what would curtail these symptoms, all to no avail. Finally an MRI of both brain and spinal cord revealed to all of us that the trauma of the surgery had awoken a dormant condition in my body that carried the label "MS".
Now, after three years of being a warrior fighting MS, I was losing. This was impossible for me to accept, as I have a 12 year old son to raise and teach all the things that he needs to know about being a good man. I want to show him how to treat people fairly , how to have passion for what he chooses (no matter what it is) and most of all, how to have kindness in his heart. But the MS was getting the better of me and I was giving up hope. Quite frankly, I was becoming tired of fighting it. It was both embarrassing and painful to have to tell my son " no" all the time. I began to think of ways to fight harder and could not come up with anything. Being somewhat of a serious hobby photographer, I tried to turn my vision of fighting into a picture and failed continually. My pictures kept reminding me that I had MS, not that I was fighting for a cause to be able to raise Jared. Then I had a thought of making a picture, my son and I in the foreground with all my dozens of MRI's behind us . To me, somehow this would say "no matter what, I will win and raise this boy". The problem was, I had no idea how to take this picture.
Every morning I would wake up with this photo in my mind. I never felt more strongly about anything that would help me continue to fight and give me renewed strength and cause to go on.
Like so many photographers, I had recently purchased Joe McNally's book, "The Moment It Clicks". The idea came to mind to just write to him, share my vision and see if he could guide me into making this picture. I explained all of this in an email to Joe. At that point, I figured I had nothing to lose by asking. Several days later, I received an email back from Joe that very simply stated , "let's do this". One week later, Joe and his first assistant, Brad Moore , arrived at my humble town-home and began to set up an actual studio in my backyard. I couldn't stay outside in the heat too much to watch. However, when I walked out of my home, it was as if I walked into an indoor professional studio that was part of the house. It seemed that, after some discussion with Joe and his studio manager, Lynn, he realized my vision exactly and they worked together to come up with ideas to make this picture. In order to execute this picture, Joe and his entire staff asked me the right questions and listened to my thoughts . They helped me turn my vision into a picture.
What Joe and his staff did not know is, that while I have the willingness to fight, I was losing hope. Living in pain every moment takes it's toll. I was beginning to live in a very dark place.
I knew that this picture might give me a chance to turn my hope around. It's already begun.
I'm still pretty new to blogging, and truth be told, I enjoy it. I went to school thinking I'd be a sports writer, covering some basketball beat for a metro daily, trying to infuse the big biz of modern sports with a bit of old timey Frazier-to-DeBusschere-to-Bradley-to-Reed-SLAMDUNK-YES! feeling. You know, that kind of high school, chest thumping love of team that had your ear glued to a AM/FM transistor radio at night instead of your eyes glued to your physics workbook. (Thank goodness Clyde didn't go away altogether. He's in the broadcast booth, still boundin' and astoundin'….)
I switched it up in school and ended up a photog. (Mom was not pleased.) I've had my eye in a lens quite happily for, oh, 25 plus years now. But life is funny. I wrote a book, and now I've got a blog. And I find myself writing about what I shoot, as well as tossing in a few sidebar rants and raves.
I met Tom because of this blog. When he floated the notion of doing the picture, I said yes, for lots of reasons. It might be a photo that would do somebody some good, for one. Of course, another is, plain and simple, I like time behind the camera. I love shooting pictures. Even in the middle of a hot one in Jersey in July.
The other deal always in the back of my head is the challenge of it. Could we build this thing at high noon, shoot CLS with small strobes ( a mix of SB800 and 900), make it work, make the lights trigger and get it done in a way that might come close to Tom's imagination? I thought we had a chance.
I took it in steps:
Fix the sun so Tom could stand in shade, and my lights would have a prayer. Tabletop a 12×12 solid on 4 stands. SOP. Check.
Backlight the MRIs. Best way to backlight stuff like this is to first wash your background lights off a reflective surface (white no-seam is good). Use a cross light technique. Right side lights aim to the left side of the drop, and left side lights aim for the right. They cross over the middle that way, and hopefully produce a surface that is even within a third of a stop. (If you pump the background lights into their respective near sides, the sides get heated up and the center goes dead. Not good.) Likewise it is tough to just aim your lights at the plexi without first bouncing it off something big and flat. If you use 4 lights, you'll most likely get 4 hot spots. It'll drive you nuts. Re-direction is key here. Bounce 'em and you'll save money on all that Advil for location driven headaches.
Okay, seamless is up, and lit. Just like in the doc's office, MRIs read best off of white plexi. Lynn hunted for a 6′ square, but tough to get and pricey, so we made do with two odd sized pieces butted together horizontally and seamed with clear packing tape. Bogen super clamps did the rest of the job, along with A clamps. Those two pieces stand behind the subject, about 2′ in front of the (hopefully) glowing seamless paper drop.
Arranged the MRIs, lit them with 4 bounced SB800 units, went to the camera, made an exposure, and hoped for the best. We got backlight. And, in intense sun, from about 30 feet, we got sensor pickup. Okay, hurdle cleared.
Next deal, light Tom. Boomed a reflected umbrella, with the skin still on it to control spill. Okay light, but got a splashy high light on the reflective MRIs.
Moved in a Lastolite panel, up high and between the umbrella and the plexi, and draped it in black material. That cut out a lot of light flying towards the background.
Now Tom. Quality of light works, but just works. Gotta snap him with a bit more edge. I'm constrained cause the whole bloody back of the picture is reflective. Okay, small source. Do this a lot actually. Snoot an SB unit (used to use blackwrap, now I use Honl snoots). Move it into the subject's face as close as the frame will allow. Power way down to just a flick of light. (There's a setting called "flick" isn't there?) Little pop of light, and your subject's face snaps to. You can just about see this unit, an SB900 zoomed out to 200mm, on the right side of my frame, just below the umbrella.
That technique is killer, by the way. You don't really alter the quality of overall light in your subject's face, but you do ramp up the contrast, and sharpen the edge where highlight rotates into shadow. Think of it as moving the contrast slider in Photoshop, only much more fun!
Closing with this one. Suburban scene. Tom, Jared, a wagon, a gate, grass, bushes, trees, and then, jarringly, the MRIs. Medical dispatches from the interior, telling Tom things he never wanted to hear. They stand there, silent, yet at the same time screaming like a siren in the midst of the backyard bird chatter. Through sheer effort of will and a determination to see Jared through to stuff like his first car, his first college class, his first good job, and maybe, a couple of grandkids, Tom's gonna fight this thing. Hopefully, we made a picture that day that will hang on his wall and remind him that he's still in the game.
139 Responses to "Blogging, From Both Sides, Part One"
an says:
on August 5, 2008 at 1:14 am
Thanks, thanks, thanks!
Thanks Tom and thanks Joe for sharing the pictures AND the story.
Sure I am not the only one affected positively, big way with this. I am a father and somedays that is the only thing that gives a purpose to this life.
Jay Mann says:
on August 5, 2008 at 1:27 am
Everyone has said it all before me, nothing I can say will add to the humanistic and photographic inspiration of this post.
When I view your images for the first time, I try to reverse engineer the lighting setup. Its an interesting exercise and I have learned a lot by doing it. There is a slash of light on Tom's right jaw line, but I cannot see where it is coming from. Can you give us a hint?
Thanks again,
Rob Brown says:
on August 5, 2008 at 1:29 am
I hate to sound like a broken record, but this is great post. i always get excited when my email tells me you posted a new blog but this one stands out a bit. Amazing photography and a great story. Hang in there Tom, you have alot to keep fighting for. And Joe, thanks for the details. Be good!
Mike Nelson Pedde says:
on August 5, 2008 at 1:34 am
Tom: This may or may not work for you, but you might want to see if there's a Taoist Tai Chi Society club in your area. Tai chi is, at its essence, a martial art, but the Taoist tai chi style was developed by Master Moy Lin Shin specifically to target health benefit and health improvement. My wife Marcia and I used to be instructors in the society and during that time we saw many people with a host of diseases including MS, MD, Parkinson's, ankylosing spondylitis, cancer, arthritis, osteoporosis and others either reduce or eliminate their need for medication by doing tai chi. It's not a 'magic pill' – it only works if you practice it regularly. The Taoist Tai Chi Society also has a 'special needs' club for people with different medical conditions. Doing tai chi will strengthen the tendons and ligaments, work the joints, strengthen the muscles, work the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, improve balance, and a host of other things. Of course you should check with your doctor first, but it's quite probable s/he will recommend it. If you can walk you can do tai chi, and if you can't walk you can do tai chi in a wheelchair. For two people I've known, practicing tai chi helped them walk again. Check them out at http://www.taoist.org
And from the sounds of it, you're raising your son very well.
Jamie says:
on August 5, 2008 at 2:40 am
Simply a beautiful story. Goof on ya Joe. Hang in there Tom!
Daniel K says:
on August 5, 2008 at 2:58 am
Hi Joe,
Love your work.However, this one is not about you.Having a 9year old son myself as well as the fact that my wife is going in-to hospital today,i know what Tom is going through.Hang in there Tom and fight it with all you have! You are in our prayers.Remember God have a plan with everything-how ,crual it might sound to us.Your boy will be a great man-no doubt,you tought him that allready!
Thanks for all your help and info through this blog,Joe.
Mark C says:
on August 5, 2008 at 4:09 am
Tom – Our thoughts are with you. Keep fighting.
Joe – You're a mensch.
Steve Johnston says:
on August 5, 2008 at 4:27 am
Truly moving and inspirational story Joe. You are one of a kind! Best of luck to Tom and his family.
Sybren Stüvel says:
on August 5, 2008 at 5:47 am
A very moving story, Joe. You really are a visual poet and a great storyteller.
Tom says:
on August 5, 2008 at 7:09 am
Good Morning.
I did not want to write here because this place is about Joe's art, professionalism and teachings. Also, because I can tell you that Joe is a VERY humble man in fact as he is reading this he is already wondering if he should post this. (Joe, if you don't, when the weather cools I can travel North) When I first met Joe he, with the shyness of a boy, bowed his head and said in a low voice "I'm just a guy with a camera."
But, after reading your comments I am very overwhelmed and want to thank each one of you for such heartfelt comments. MS, like so many other invasions to our bodies is triggered by stress, the opposite happens when joy is introduced as it is with me when this blog went up and I read your comments.
That is the power of the picture.
I have my own way of thanking Lynn, Brad and Joseph but we want to Thank you so very much.
Tom and Jared.
Ted says:
on August 5, 2008 at 8:21 am
An outstanding shot. It shows well the determination of Tom.
Kevin Henry says:
on August 5, 2008 at 8:37 am
WOW ! Talk about a 'profile' in courage .
Charlie Trotman says:
on August 5, 2008 at 9:30 am
Tom (a flickr buddy) is a total inspiration and also a wonderfully kind and caring guy. Great story..and thanks for sharing your amazing skills too!
Paul Plummer says:
on August 5, 2008 at 11:46 am
Joe, there you are again "making it click" and connect in so many different ways.
Tom, your story and devotion to your son have touched a lot of people in ways you might not think.
Thank you both.
Karen says:
on August 5, 2008 at 3:10 pm
An incredible story. I love the portraits. The story makes them even richer. Thanks for blogging about it.
John Lewis says:
on August 5, 2008 at 3:44 pm
Joe, thank you for such a great post. Your whole team are to be commended for showing such compassion and kindness. Sometimes you just read something and it goes much further inside you than you are used to, and restores your faith in humanity. i have just watched the news and every thing was so bleek. this story really helps to put things in perspective.
Tom, may the Lord bless you and your family and work a miracle in you life. Be strong and have faith.
Jason Bell says:
on August 5, 2008 at 3:46 pm
One of the best and heartfelt things I've read all year.
Steven says:
on August 5, 2008 at 5:22 pm
Joe, you humble me. Thanks.
Doug Evans says:
on August 5, 2008 at 5:34 pm
Dear Mr. McNally,
I have been a fan and follower of yours for some time. I love, "The Moment It Clicks" and while I'm an absolute amateur, do enjoy the process – even if my shots are yet another great exposure of the floor. Your humor and good nature are a gift and your work is truly inspirational!
But this time, your act moved me beyond any of your photographs!
I think you're awesome – hope to meet you in Vegas this September (if I can manage to make it)!
Tom, you are amazing! The photo idea was fantastic! Now, I know this is going to sound like nonsense, but if your reading this – Please contact me. I have a friend who's dealt with MS and has a simple yet effective way to combat the pain and symptoms. I'd like to share some info with you.
Thanks & Kind Regards!
Fernando Hiro says:
on August 5, 2008 at 5:52 pm
Chris Homan says:
on August 5, 2008 at 7:49 pm
Tom, you are quite the man. I sincerely admire how you are fighting to be able to raise your son the best way possible under those testing circumstances. Your son will do just fine with an example like you!
To Joe and his staff, thank you for showing this wonderful example of humanity. The world needs this now more than ever. This was a truly inspirational, unselfish act. Thank you all!
Bill Moore says:
on August 5, 2008 at 9:46 pm
Joe, thanks for sharing so much info with us in this blog and your books…looking at your frames in "At the moment it Clicks" opens up a world of possibilities to this rank amateur…I love to look at photos, but yours are just downright exciting, and they make be want to learn how to take better photos. Thanks for showing us how your art can help folks, as in this truly remarkable blog entry about Tom…
Please don't stop…you've got us hooked!
Rob Davies says:
on August 5, 2008 at 10:59 pm
Good on ya, Joe. Stand up thing you did.
Best to Tom.
Cathy Scrivnor says:
on August 6, 2008 at 2:40 am
Tom and Jared and Joe, thank you for sharing your story and the set up of your portrait. My son was 14 when I was diagnosed with MS. Photography became my therapy when I found I could no longer control a paintbrush without pain. It took many years to arrive at my diagnosis, but everyday, I still get a thrill when I hear my son comment on a photo from behind me as I post-process or asks for a print of one. I have a long way to go to reach any level of perfection, but it is wonderful to find a creative outlet.
Thank you again for sharing.,.. Tom, you are an inspiration!
Richie Owens says:
on August 6, 2008 at 7:15 am
All the best to Tom and his family.
It's great to see that someone (You Joe) is willing to get out there and meet someone just from an email. I know there is probably alot of photogs at the top of their game which wouldn't. So good on you Joe (The People's Photog!)
Richie Owens UK
Sebastian Schroeder says:
on August 6, 2008 at 8:48 am
people like you made me choose my profession as a photographer. There is so much more in a picture than a smile or a tear. It´s the story behind it that makes me move.
This story is exceptional! Thank you so much for sharing!
all the best for you and your son! Hope this picture gives you power to not loose hope and fight again!
Levi Webb says:
on August 6, 2008 at 9:05 am
That's one hell of a moving blog that just shouts Toms fighting spirit which you have managed to capture so darn well.
Am amazed by Toms determination, love and drive. Truly an inspiration.
April Andrews says:
on August 6, 2008 at 1:51 pm
Thank you, Joe. You are the best.
JQ says:
on August 6, 2008 at 2:41 pm
Joe- You're much more than just a photographer. Most photographers only take pictures, you make a difference.
Firggy says:
on August 6, 2008 at 3:05 pm
Joe – you are the man!!! Thanks for doing this for Tom.
David Stark says:
on August 6, 2008 at 5:27 pm
Thank you Joe for taking the "Light" to the people.
Pat W says:
on August 6, 2008 at 7:55 pm
Joe – I've always admired your photography, but never more than now. Thank you for doing this for Tom. You are a good man.
Tyler Rogers says:
on August 6, 2008 at 9:09 pm
There are some days when I ask myself why I take photos?
There are days when I fight with myself – what do I want to say with my photos?
Recently, it's started to become clearer to myself – something that matters. something that makes a difference. something that means something to people.
and then I read that post. About how fragile life really is, how so many of us take it for granted. and how a photograph can move so many people. Tom, his family, the readers here, and anyone who sees the photograph and reads the story.
You are a hero among men, Joe. in a world of darkness and greed, you are one who shines, and gives us all hope. A job well done.
Timo Wolthof says:
on August 7, 2008 at 4:35 am
Joe – Really amazing, makes me realise there's much more then just earning and making good pictures. This is a killerpicture because it'll help someone. It's got immense value.
Tom – Goodluck fighting your disease, never give up! I'm pretty sure the picture Joe made will make dreams come true
Kaimana Pine says:
on August 7, 2008 at 8:11 am
Fantastic & heart warming. I'm inspired to do the same should my talents be called upon. Be well and strong Tom. Aloha.
Clayton says:
on August 7, 2008 at 9:29 am
This may have been the most important shot of your life ( it was certainly his)…
Sometimes we find that the defining moment of our lives is to have meaning in someone elses.
Daniel Kulbacki says:
on August 7, 2008 at 1:04 pm
Real photographers can capture a feeling. Another fantastic picture Joe and great Idea Tom. My Mom suffers from that same terrable illness.
Diane says:
on August 7, 2008 at 1:05 pm
Joe, YOU ROCK! I've know ever since I got your book that you were a very special guy. You talent is amazing, but your compassion is the GREATEST!
Tom, keep on fighting. As you can see, you can surmount great obstacles. Jared is a lucky young man to have a dad with such determination. I fully understand you determination to teach your son the right things…and you are doing just that.
Bless you all!
Jessica says:
on August 7, 2008 at 3:59 pm
Thank you for bringing hope back. Through your willingness you've touched more than just one person.
Elizabeth Douglas says:
on August 7, 2008 at 4:00 pm
Just wanted to let you know that I that I think what you have done here is AWESOME!! I am a wife and a mother of 3 boys, as well as a fellow MSer. My dad is also a photographer (retired) so I truely can understand all the work it took to make this WORK. I love all of the pictures but mostly the one with you and your son (Tom). Thanks for sharing this on the WebMD site. I have shared it with other friends of mine on another MS site.
Keep your chin up and hang in there. Blessings to you and your families!
-EJ mom to Nathan 12 , Ryan 11 (aka Frog) Wife to Gary and step-mom to Brady 10 Take Life as it comes, at your own pace… one day, one hour, even one minute at a time!
Jeri Mearns says:
on August 8, 2008 at 12:46 am
Tom – thank you for sharing this personal moment. It makes us all remember what's really important in life.
Joe – thank you for helping Tom make it happen. And sharing it with us.
Danielle says:
on August 8, 2008 at 11:37 am
In a world where so many people seem intent on grabbing headlines, it is nice to read about people who support each other in quiet yet meaningful ways. As always, I couldn't be more impressed Joe.
Tom, my prayers are with you and your family. You are providing a great example for your son. God bless.
Mikey says:
on August 8, 2008 at 7:10 pm
This is what photography is about …
Daniel Gomes says:
on August 8, 2008 at 7:26 pm
Such an amazing and inspiring story… It really puts thing into perspective I think.
And the way you helped this man to accomplish is vision speaks volumes about the kind of person you are, once again, I feel inspired by your actions and the way photography can make a difference in peoples lives!
Tom, I wish you all the best.
Jeff Lynch says:
on August 8, 2008 at 8:49 pm
You make me proud to be an Irishman laddy!
Bob says:
on August 9, 2008 at 12:00 pm
Great shot as always and a reflective story.
Two things though.
(a) On the sketch, I think you've missed a flash off the drawing which was fired camera left to the rear of the guy to separate him from the background? Or was it just spill from the rear flood lights?
and (b) every time I read your story behind the image I am impressed at the approach to time you have. There is never a feeling of panic or urgency which can over run us and spoil the picture out of fear of 'wasting too much time'.
Love your work and as a result spent a small fortune here in the UK importing Honi gear. Great kit though, and now I've added more of home made kit.
Safe travels … Bob
Andy Glogower says:
on August 9, 2008 at 12:45 pm
Thanks for sharing this with us. Echoing the prayers here. Love the numnuts reference.
Paulo Rodrigues says:
on August 10, 2008 at 6:55 am
Joe, you never cease to amaze me.
Tom keep up the fight, I'm full of admiration for the both of you.
Eric Schwab says:
on August 10, 2008 at 2:41 pm
I have watched my best friend go through back surgery's for 5 years. Then get incorrectly diagnosed with MS, only to find out a month ago that he has ALS. This story absolutely brought tears to my eyes as I saw my best friend standing with that same pride as Tom
robert norman says:
on August 10, 2008 at 11:32 pm
Joe : as always – your writing and humanity come together into what is truly the heart of your work and vision. Thanks so much for sharing!!


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Education - Colloquium - WPI Only
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Higgins Laboratories
Although the promise of environmentally friendly, low-cost energy harvesting for heating and cooling
of residential properties has been known for nearly 30 years, the adoption of the technology has been
slow in the United States. These geothermal systems, known as ground-source heat pumps (GSHP),
consist of a field of vertical boreholes in the ground with pipes carrying a coolant into the earth to
gain access to the stable year-round temperatures underground. However, a significant portion of the
cost of these systems is in the installation of the pipes, with a return on investment on the order of
8-10 years. The main cost in the installation is the depth of the borehole. Minimizing this length
makes these systems more economically competitive to traditional fossil-fuel systems, but the
effectiveness of the system depends on the temperature variation within the soil during operation and
the efficiency of the residence. Any improvements in the performance of these systems needs to
understand the coupling between the energy harnessed by the coolant and the thermal response within
the surrounding soil. In this talk we present and discuss some of our recent theoretical and
computational results by taking advantage of the small aspect ratio of the pipe radius to the borehole
depth of these systems.
Suggested Audiences: College
Phone: 508-831-5459
Last Modified: November 5, 2012 at 7:49 AM
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TerminalYou can check out some of the other new options in the preview grid below. Unfortunately I still don't see the Themes tab in my Gmail settings, but Google is an expert of the slow rollout, so we can all expect them sometime in the next few days. I'm partial to the ascii/Terminal theme, though it's probably a touch on the impractical side. Other than that, a lot of the offerings actually look really nice—especially compared with some of the lame duck skins Google offers in iGoogle. Let's hear which themes you like best—and whether or not they're actually enabled in your accounts yet—in the comments. Thanks Mark!
Spice up your inbox with colors and themes [Official Gmail Blog]


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HTC Freestyle First Impressions by Sydney
HTC has built up a solid reputation in the smartphone world as having top-of-the-line products and one of the best User Interfaces in the business with HTC Sense. Now HTC has decided to take their talents to the featurephone market and create a smart non-smartphone.
Though the Freestyle does run HTC's Sense UI, it doesn't run any sort of smartphone OS. Instead, it runs on the BREW MP, something that we don't see very often. And though all of you made fun of me for having a hard time getting the phone out of the box (yes, I do read those comments) I was very impressed with it as soon as I did manage to free it from the packaging and power it on and I've enjoyed my time with the Freestyle since then. Here are a few of my first impressions of the HTC Freestyle:
- It looks great. I initially thought that it was made completely out of plastic and other sites reported that it was, but after checking out HTC's info page, I discovered that it is actually built with a "brushed metal alloy body". This gives the phone a high-end, "smartphone" feel to it. It's not very thin, though it's still only .5-inches thick, but it doesn't feel thick or bulky at all.
- The display is beautiful, that is, compared to other featurephones. It is very clear and bright and though the resolution is somewhat low, text is crisp. I'm also impressed by the responsiveness of the capacitive touchscreen. So far, it's been terrific. The phone even supports mutli-touch for pinch-to-zoom and this has been very responsive as well. Not perfect, but certainly better than what I expected.
- It's pretty cool to have a device with Sense UI that's not a smartphone. This means that you get all the cool widgets like Weather, Friendstream, HTC Calendar, Messages and more that you typically only see on a smartphone. Not only are these widgets and apps gorgeous, but they're also well-designed and useful. Sense also adds a lot of customization features, a nice option for those who like to personalize their device. There are a lot of other useful features that HTC has added, but those will be covered in the full review.
- I haven't quite decided what I think about the keyboard just yet. There is no physical keyboard, so it's touch-only in the typing department. On the one had, the 3.2-inch display means that the keyboard is very small when in default portrait mode, but on the other hand, the Freestyle is equipped with one of the best autocorrect keyboards I've seen on a featurephone. So right now, I'm kind of on the fence about it. You can use the keyboard in landscape mode but you have to press a rotate button as the phone has no accelerometer.
- The phone does not support WiFi, so it's 3G-only for web browsing. In the few pages that I've opened up I haven't had to wait too terribly long for it to load. It did take about 20-30 seconds, but nothing a little patience won't cover.
- I am a little concerned about battery life. I turned on the phone for the first time yesterday and it had about a 75% charge. Now, about 12 hours later, I've been told that the battery is low. I think this should still be plenty of time for you to make it through a full day on one charge, even with heavy use, but I'll keep an eye on it and comment about it in the full review.
That's all I've got for right now. I'l be working with the Freestyle for the rest of the week so check back in for the full review!