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|63 posts found
Novice Member
Joined: 8/19/07
And here is a thread to list all the positive points of PlaneShift. I think the bashing done in other threads brings to nothing, and I want to counterbalance with some positive feedback. I played for few months now and I would like to share with you my findings.
PlaneShift is one of the few games which allow you to follow its development! Right, the game is still at version 0.3, so long way from completion, but the developers decided to make it public, so everyone can see the improvements and participate. They are shaping the game right now, and people can contribute with ideas. I spoke personally to some of the devs on chat, and they are eager to hear good ideas.
PlaneShift is one of the few which consider roleplay important, maybe too much in some cases! :) I saw some roleplayers getting very serious about it, but if it's a bit fuzzy at start, then it becomes pretty cool to make the world look more real.
I think the story and world are very interesting and different. There are lot of possibilities for new areas... like the ones explained in the books you find in the library.
The web site and the game is completely ads free. Which is very rare.
This game is made by people like us, not by a company making money! Pretty cool what they managed to create in their spare time!
Ah ah, if the devs want, I can be their PR guy ;)
Please list here the good things you found about this game.
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Novice Member
Joined: 9/11/07
Great thread!!
What i love about planeshift is the fact that GMs and Devs realy wants to make this an Roleplayers game!
So I realy want to say that if you are looking for a roleplaying game join us in Planeshift!
The quest system is actually one of my least favorite aspects of the game. Quest solutions are hard to guess at and often nonsensical. It's also annoying that you have to phrase everything exactly right, even if it means using bad grammar on purpose. It's also possible to accidentally trigger later parts in some quests and so you have to abandon the quest and restart it the next time it's offered to you. I think it's a nice idea the way they did it but the execution needs some work.
To Marcus, it's ok to praise something's strengths and at the same time be critical of its weaknesses and faults. Those who are the most critical of Planeshift are among those who want it to succeed the most.
PlaneShift Developer
Joined: 7/26/07
Version 0.20 is out, another reason to play the game!
Novice Member
Joined: 10/13/07
I saw snow today in-game for the first time and it was so cool!!!! I love the weather system, it brings another great aspect to the game and enhances RP greatly (snowball fight!!)
PlaneShift Developer
Joined: 12/18/07
Every book is the bible, and every written word is blasphemy against the human spirit.
Let me start out by saying I am a developer for Planeshift.
I think the game is definitely worth playing. Our developers come 95% from our player base. I played the game with that weirdo religious dedication that only a great game can inspire for well over a year before my application to the team was accepted. During my time as a regular player of the game I found it to be the single most rewarding roleplaying experience I had ever had. Playing the game, and recognizing the many ways in which it could be improved is what inspired me to want to join the team.
Since I joined many things have changed considerably. In other places on this forum you may see people who identify any number of woes associated with the game. From the license to the behavior of mods, gms, and devs. No one denies that this and any project can benefit from changes, however I think the negativity currently directed at the game is way out of proportion in relation to the places that the game can improve.
I encourage not all gamers, but that specific cross-section that earnestly enjoys role playing to come and give us a try first and foremost. Our niche is role playing.
I would also say however that players of all kinds can get some joy out of the game. Come, try it out, you may end up staying on, learning to role play, joining the team, and helping us to build the dream of an ad-free fee-free mmoRPg that is family friendly.
If you do not come with unrealistic expectations you are very unlikely to become one of the very few who have taken to undermining this fine project vociferously wherever possible, and are very likely to enjoy yourself and meet some brilliant people.
Novice Member
Joined: 8/19/07
Ah, good to see someone likes it like me.... maybe we can make a guild together? :)
Originally posted by QueenofFools
I agree it's a roleplayer's game. That's why I like it.:)
PlaneShift Developer
Joined: 12/18/07
Every book is the bible, and every written word is blasphemy against the human spirit.
I wonder how some of you think PlaneShift could be more player friendly . . .
The ps universe is a changing thing, I like that about it.
Bitter Vet™
Joined: 9/13/06
Fools find no pleasure in understanding, but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
I gave it a brief trial a few weeks back, I never got out of the tutorial. I couldn't seem to navigate properly. The controls are a bit unconventional and I found myself running all over the place.
Combine that with the text based parser and I decided it wasn't going to work for me.
In my day MMORPG's were so hard we fought our way through dungeons in the snow, uphill both ways.
PlaneShift Developer
Joined: 12/18/07
Every book is the bible, and every written word is blasphemy against the human spirit.
Yeah, ya kinda need to read to play PS.
I am just stunned a the comments that people make, I first saw Planeshift by searching for a free MMORPG, expecting not to see one because the development effort would be monumental and the complexity would keep someone from devising a method for it. However I found that there were people who had worked for years building and expanding a software that I find impressive. I was excited to see what the game was really like and I didn't have high hopes. Even though the start of the game was at first hard to understand, I realized that it was necessary to introduce people to the RP environment if they are used to FPS games as I am. It is a completely different concept to interact with people -as- people and not *targets*.
The game has some way to go to be polished but that is what it is - a game in development- and no one I spoke to at #Planeshift on IRC said otherwise. I never had a problem with the tutorial, and I had to do a couple things over because I was in such a hurry to find out what the game was like. When I finished the tutorial and was tele-ported to the actual world, I had a little culture shock. It was odd seeing players talk to each other and just have fun without killing or competing. If you like combat there is an arena to fight in and that is nice.
I don't see why people have to leave such horrible negative comments, it isn't like anybody is in competition for holiday dollars, IT"S FREE as in totally and absolutely FREE. Why rate it negative, afraid that someone might find that a free game is better than a commercial game perhaps? That is all I can figure.
It's free, try it, takes 2 minutes to get a confirmation, and you are in. If you hate it delete it.
My guess is that based on the fact that the number of players on-line has doubled since I started playing (2 weeks ago), might be a good indicator that people like it.
One other thing I like about it is the way in which abuse is handled. It is generally PG13 in all aspects and though I am older I get tired of people saying ****** in every other word like it is a proper adjective. I once typed omg in the game and I was stunned that it translated it to something like "praise the spirit", I didn't think omg was considered swearing but perhaps it is in some techy way :)
Actually Tuxide that is a good point, Included in with Planeshift was a lot of other games that were marked as free but weren't. I had to redefine my search as "free and open source MMORPG". Good call!
That is what really drew me in, because I love learning from other people's code. Not to be OT but Linux in general has so much good stuff for a programmer and Planeshift is a good example of that. I have worked and learned with mesa3d and to see where the opengl leads and what can be done with it is impressive. I am looking forward to opengl 3.0, that looks really exciting.
Having done work with "X" and DRI it is so nice to see a 3d worlds because device driver work can be a bit tedious at times. I get a laugh every time I start up my client-server on my machine. With the help of the people at #planeshift-build and some good tutorials it was actually very -painless-.
And on top of that I get to play the game to test it :)
Originally posted by QueenofFoolsOk, now you're just playing dumb. I think one small step is to avoid making comments like these:
Originally posted by QueenofFools
The guy had a valid point and you jumped on him for it.
Originally posted by moteyalpha
"Omg" is disallowed because it's disruptive to roleplay. It's like using l33t speach.
I think Planeshift is player friendly at least as much as anywhere. People will be people and stuff happens.
I think that XilliX has seen a lot and as far as the comment about "ya kinda need to read" you would have to know him to actually appreciate that. It is humor. He didn't berate the person, I quite often will say rtfm when I get burnt out on support. It is very difficult to stay objective when you hear the same question 1,000 times. In #ubuntu they have a bot that answers common questions and that is very nice. I believe that one is going to be implemented for #Planeshift so people can get more help if they find the transition to different gaming style confusing. I just started playing two weeks ago and I am a little embarassed about some of the questions I asked. It is very hard for me to go back and see the game in that perspective. Some of the people who have played for years do develop a degree of support burnout. That is true everywhere.
I thank you for clearing up the issue with omg, that makes sense. But I did notice that someone once came up to me in game and said "fo shizzle" and it didn't convert that. I would say that to convert every possible idiom would be a monumental task like babelfish.
And as far as 1337 or 2600 I don't know what that is all about.
For your information: rtfm stands for "read the fine manual"
Originally posted by moteyalphaExactly. It's not a safe joke to make in this situation. He belittled the person, and that can be recieved as being berated even if it isn't the intent.
Planeshift is player friendly as far as I have seen. If you take things in context of the internet. I would like to see you as an OP. There would be one person left in the channel -you- lol
Is this about how Planeshift can be more player friendly or about XilliX, you are confusing me?
As far a running people down, there are flame wars like -this thread- every day and if you don't develop a little perspective it will eat you up.


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subset: commoncrawl


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Pre-K: Bobbles for your toddler.
Kindergarden: ABC's and 123's using a duplicate stitch.
First Grade: A bright brim with a fleck pattern.
Second Grade: A thinking cap with a rolled brim, stripes and the cutest pom-poms.
Third Grade: 3 color fair isle pattern maybe even use their favorite team's colors.
Fourth Grade: Chic stripes that are easily woven through the knitting.
Fifth Grade: Time for cables!
The patterns are sold individually OR as a collection.
Leslie has generously offered to give away the entire collection to 3 of my readers! If interested, please leave a comment before Thursday December 12, 9am EST and I'll have the random number generator pick three names.


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*image shown is 5 x 8 or larger rug
*smaller sizes will not show complete pattern, will be scaled down to fit.
Name: Olive Kids Round TPT Area Rugs
Manufacturer: LA Rugs
Collection: Olive Kids
Material: Nylon
Construction: Machine Made
Colors: Multi , Greens/Olives
Origin: Israel
Description: Your childs room is a natural extension of them. Add these innovative designs from LA Rug to spruce up any childs d?cor. (Olive Kids Round TPT Nylon Machine Made Boys Rug)
Other Related Patterns You Will


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We are really diggin' this over here, as we love anything with chalk.
I can always trick them with an empty sign. (I'm sure they will be on to that quickly.)
And if you are a trucker then you may be in luck.
That is the best cookie jar! I love it when we visit my sister b/c my hubby insists on driving the whole 10/12 hours by himself! Yay me for knitting time! Have fun!
awesome cookie jar! I may need to purchase a jar...the boys keep asking me to make your peanut butter cookies again.
have a wonderful trip. happy knitting!
I have no cookie jar which is a tragedy...so off to Target I go!
That is a cute jar.
Go Go knitting.
Oh, you get the BEST stuff! Wow. I am going to go look for that at my Tar-jay. Just made the blondies you recommended a couple of months ago. Again. They probably won't make it into the jar, should I find one, since they'll be gone soon. Oh well.
Have a great trip!
safe trip. i had 7 hours last weekend, but behind the wheel.
truckers need cookies too. :)
Adorable cookie jar. I would love chalk. in my kitchen. :)
Crap. It's the weekend. Already? Rockin' weekend to you! 7 hours? Good for conversation, music & simply chillin'. Peace & love at you!
That cookie jar is very cute! I hope that you all have a fun and safe trip!
So cute - I love all things chalky too! I was so sad that as a teacher I never got to use it.
Love the "Empty" one.
what a most perfect cookie jar! love that you can personalize it. Have a great trip...may your miles be filled with untangled stitches! :)
I saw those at Target! Somehow it just looks cuter on your blog than it did on the shelf!!
Enjoy your bountiful knitting.
Bonne route!
(that's French for have a great car trip)
safe travels, friend!
very cute! have a great trip!
What a great little cookie jar - can't wait to see all those new recipes of yours that will fill it. Have a good time away.
I bet Truckers eat A lot of cookies! It's the perfect treat when you're stuck on the road.
Have a safe trip.
very cute jar! maybe we all should take a sample of what is inside!
I love your jar, its fabulous.
Oooh I so want one of those - that is absolutely brilliant! Especially in a cookie loving household like yours!! Have a fun trip!
Oh I love it, what a great idea and the trucker thing is so funny.
Awesome cookie jar!
That is the best jar!!!
I always feel a little "stereotypical" when I let my husband drive me around, but then I think of all of the knitting I get done! Have a good trip!
That's *great* knitting time! Have fun, and good luck finishing plisse!
i love the new jar! have fun knitting in the car. :)
Sweet find. Me want my own cookie jar...
Ooh! That's great! Maybe I'll make myself one with some chalkboard paint!
Good luck finishing the lovely sweater.
Target does it again...I love it!
14 straight hours of knitting time? Excellent! Have fun!
That is a hell of a lot of knitting time! I am stuck on RUBY.....I can't remember what row it is!
Does a "taxi driver" count as a truker? Love the jar and have a wonderful and safe trip!
Fourteen hours of knitting makes a girl happy. Enjoy!
adorable cookie jar - so much cuter than tupperware!
i almost wish i were taking the long trip just to give myself more time to knit!
have fun!
Love your jar. Pier 1 has clear jars with the chalkboard strip. Just an FYI. Happy trails.
Nice cookie jar! Mine is blue with an almost delft-like pattern. I love it, but it isn't as fun looking as yours!
Car knitting - fun! Cute cookie jar too, my kids would love it.
i am lovin that jar for sure! you always have the best luck at target leslie! :) have a safe and happy trip!
i am lovin that jar for sure! you always have the best luck at target leslie! :) have a safe and happy trip!
Oh that jar is perfect! Love it :)
Have a safe trip and nice time.
cool cookie jar...even better that it was on clearance...enjoy your weekend!
oh, lots of knitting time! have fun!
This is a cute cookies jar, where u can write words on it.
Looking forward to say Hi to Plise. I m sure u can finish it on the road ride.
What a pretty cookie jar - simple and says what it means:) Good luck getting lots of plisse-y knitting done on your ride!
It's a very original jar! I love it! And it's so beatiful leaving some messages on for the dear people
Love that cookie jar! I hope you have a fantastic weekend and finish your sweater. It's going to be beautiful.
Oops... Anonymous was me....
Just caught up with the last four months of your blog (after a busy time, I'm less busy now) then looked at your Flickr 2009 slideshow. I feel so happy when I read/see the glimpses of your family life! Thank you for your creativity. It's inspiring!
Neat jar!
Hope you have a lovely weekend and Happy Knitting!
we love the chalk thing too!
have a great trip!
oh that is a perfect jar for your house! great find!
Cute! I love chalk too. Have a safe trip!
Hope you had a great trip, Les. Did you get lots of knitting done?
Great cookie jar. Hope you have a fun trip.
I want those cookie jars they look so fun! Now i really want cookies :)
I love the cookie jar and the fact that you can write empty on it!
Your weblog is fine. I simply need to comment on the design. Its too loud. Its doing method too much and it takes away from what youve got to say --which I feel is admittedly important. I dont know if you happen to didnt suppose that your phrases may hold everyones attention, however you have been wrong. Anyway, in my language, there usually are not much good source like this.
Glorious info here. This interesting put up made me smile. Perhaps should you throw in a few footage it'll make the whole thing extra interesting. Anyway, in my language, there are not much good supply like this.
I have read this post.It's really awesome.I have noted some point which make this post excellent. I hope you will keep continue to write other informative and interesting post.Thank you.
Daniel, yea I can see what you did there. I actually favored that part, however hehe I'm not that harsh like my dad with these things. He always tells me crazy stories again within the day and calls me a loser. I guess it is time I transfer out of my parents' basement LOL. Aaanyways, what about you? what does your dad think xD" Anyway, in my language, there should not much good source like this.
Completely understand what your stance on this matter. Though I might disagree on a number of the finer details, I think you probably did an awesome job explaining it. Sure beats having to analysis it on my own. Thanks. Anyway, in my language, there aren't a lot good supply like this.
I've been trying to Achieve access to this website for a while. I used to be using IE then when I tried Firefox, it labored just high-quality? Just wished to bring this to your attention. This is really good blog. I have a bunch myself. I actually admire your design. I know this is off subject however,did you make this design yourself,or buy from someplace? Anyway, in my language, there aren't a lot good source like this.


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Wind: 0 mph
NorthLand Design & Construction Inc. has been providing health insurance and a living wage since we started in 1978. NorthLand, like all businesses, has to manage its production costs. We have to meet our clients' budgets and deadlines. To survive, all businesses have to be able to control costs.
Our health insurance costs are out of control. In 9 of the last 15 years, our health insurance costs have increased by double digits, with multiple years at 22 percent and 30 percent plus. The good years are merely single-digit percent increases. This system of using insurance to deliver health care is not sustainable.
For us, providing health insurance is the only cost in business which we can't control, other than to reduce or drop coverage. Increasingly many businesses are asking employees to pick up some of these costs by paying a percentage of the premium and purchasing policies with increased deductibles and co-pays.
In fact, even though a business may be picking up 75 percent of the cost of the health insurance and the employee 25 percent of the insurance costs, because of the increased sizes of the deductibles and the co-pays that individual must pay closer to 50 percent of their health care costs.
Businesses that provide health insurance for their employees (and there is no standard for what this means) cannot compete with businesses that don't. All businesses that provide health insurance as a benefit are struggling with these unmanageable costs whilst trying to find a responsible way to make sure their employees are covered.
An employee who has a $5,000 deductible and a 20 percent co-pay could be on the hook for tens of thousands of dollars of actual health care costs (even after having paid in well over $100,000 over 30 years). Harvard researchers have found that 62 percent of all personal bankruptcies are due to medical bills. It is a cruel twist for people who have worked all their lives to end up unable get the medical care they need and be driven into economic ruin by the system that was supposed to protect them but doesn't.
Health insurance is no more actual health care than automobile insurance is a car. There is no lack of horror stories of people being denied procedures they need but can't afford or are denied because the insurance they have won't cover the costs. Health care and health care insurance are so expensive that employees who work for companies that provide health insurance as benefit are afraid to leave their jobs and pursue careers they really want for fear of losing their insurance. This is debilitating for the businesses that experience diminished production and creativity as a result and it is unhealthy for the individuals and the vibrancy of the society at large.
Decoupling the costs of health care from employment will make businesses more sustainable and competitive and provide an equal playing field for that competition. A single-payer system that provides a better level of care than the existing system provides and decouples employment from the costs of health care is the goal. A quality single-payer system that covers all Vermonters and Vermont businesses will give Vermont businesses a competitive advantage over businesses in other states. This will foster economic development. Toyota built its North American plant in Canada in part because Canada has a universal health care system and the costs to business are quantifiable versus out of control like our current system.
Health care costs need to be spread fairly and evenly over a broad-based tax system that includes all of us. All taxpayers, whether they have health insurance or not, are currently paying for the health insurance of all state employees, teachers and civil servants. We all pay for Medicare and Medicaid. The hospitals and insurance companies and doctors are getting paid and providing care to people who have no insurance. Everyone, whether they do or don't have coverage, is paying for the un- and under-insured.
Insurance industry profits and administrative costs consume 30 percent of the cost of health insurance. There are savings to be had in the duplication of administration, elimination of a middleman's profit and in the incentives from insurance payments to medical professionals that reward testing that may not be necessary. According to the World Health Organization, America is 37th in the world in the quality of health care but number one in the world in terms of cost per capita for health care. There is waste and misappropriated profit in the existing system.
We would never pay an insurance company to pay the highway department or police department or NASA; imagine what a mess that would be. Insurance and the free market are part of the problem, not the solution. If they could have solved this, we wouldn't be in the mess we are in. My primary care provider sold his practice to a hospital in part because he couldn't spend his time managing all the conflicting insurance companies who are controlling his delivery of actual health care.
The general health of our society is everyone's shared concern – when people are unhealthy and don't get preventative care and rely on emergency rooms, that burden is borne by all of us.
There is a moral imperative here that is the underpinning of our society which has been so clearly demonstrated in neighbor helping neighbor in the aftermath of Irene. We need to exercise that imperative in an even-handed honest way to deliver preventive and other actual health care services.
How does this all relate to the exchange that will happen in Vermont as mandated by the federal government? The exchange is not the long-term solution but it can be a stepping stone to a single-payer system which is the efficient goal. Everyone that can legally be put in the exchange needs to be in it – no exceptions.
The exchange will have to be managed and its overhead will be borne by people in the exchange. Exempted people will benefit from the market pressures brought about by the exchange, without bearing any of the cost. This is patently unfair – a single-payer system paid for by broad-based taxes and modeled after Medicare and Medicaid will never be questioned constitutionally and wind up at the Supreme Court. We have just seen the mandated insurance model argued at that court for an entire week.
Many businesses attempt to provide health insurance for their employees and make the best decisions they can for themselves and their employees. These decisions have profound impacts on our employees' most personal and private lives, both physically and economically. Businesses should not be making these decisions or carrying this responsibility.
Bennett lives in Waitsfield and is the owner of NorthLand Construction.


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The run-off election for the open seat on Antlers School Board will take place April 1, 2014. The two candidates who will be going head to head to claim the position are Robert Bowman and John Wood.
Both candidates received high votes in the initial election but neither secured enough to be named to this position.
Early voting will take place on the Thursday and Friday before, March 27th and 28th, from 8:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. at the Election Board.
Regular voting will take place the following Tuesday, April 1st, 2014, from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. at regular polling locations.
According to Bowman's campaign he is
[1] mailto:email@example.com
[2] http://www.theantlersamerican.com/sites/default/files/news from county_34.jpg


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text: This season of TUF is really showing Ronda's true colors. I wonder if she is regretting doing the show, or behaving like she did for all of the world to see. Any feedback I have heard from anyone about the show has nothing but negative things to say about Rousey.


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Courses: The Latin American Baroque (HISTH317A01)
Fall 2013
This course investigates representation of Mexico and "Mexicandad" (Mexcianness, or Mexican Identity), with an emphasis on the history of images and visual culture in the 19th and 20th Centuries. Our goal is to appreciate, but move beyond, art history in order to understand the social, cultural, and historical factors that construct and are preserved in visual images representing modern Mexico, as well as our responses to them.
Fulfills: SO III
Latin American and Iberian Studies (Web site)
Taught By
Haverford, Hall 106
Meeting Times


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Music is crucial to educationAugust 17,2013I feel that music education is an underappreciated part of todays society. It has been one of the major subjects since the times of ancient Greece. Music education is much more important than most people make it out to be. It is the most universal subject there is. It is even more universal then history or even math. It is even called the universal language.
I feel that many people these days feel that it is nothing but a hobby. Most people I talk to feel that music is not a true connection to reality. This is not so. Music is the connection between our left and right halves of our brain. It teaches us how to think both logically and intuitively to solve our problems. It also teaches us how to perceive things at an analytical and a creative standpoint. One could argue that by studying math and the visual arts you have the same result, but this is not true. In music you have to use both at the same time and learn how to do so efficiently. This causes a greater connection between both sides of the brain. With this connection you are able to study subjects at a different point of view.
Statistics show that people who study music do better in school than those who do not. You can think of subjects in both a factual and an emotional point of view which can help you understand what it is about while also being inspired to go beyond what is asked.
Most importantly it makes you more well rounded. Too many people today are living life with a one-track mindset, finding other subjects either worthless or outdated. I feel if our society teaches youth to go into school with an open mind and not just to be the top science student or the best athlete, then our nation will become a society that loves knowledge and emotion and not just money and superiority. And that is why music education should have more appreciation, for it is the universal language which has been one of the main parts of life since before there was written word.
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- RICHARD'S POOR ALMANACK: On this day in 1878, JOHN TUNSTALL murdered near Lincoln, New Mexico, by the outlaw JESSE EVANS; in 1930, ELM FARM OLLIE first cow to fly in aircraft, first to be milked airborne; 1955, nuke test WASP; '79, snow in Sahara.
- TOMORROW'S HEADLINES TODAY: Rutland Herald News Editor Alan J. Keays and staff writer Gordon Dritschilo discuss stories planned for the February 18, 2015, edition of the newspaper: Winter budgets maxed, legal marijuana, Springfield bank job, USPS slowdown
- RICHARD'S POOR ALMANACK: On this day in 1249 AD, ANDRE of LONGJUMEAU is dispatched by LOUIS IX of France to meet the KHAGAN, ruler of the Mongol Empire; in 1804, during 1st Barbary War, STEPHEN DECATUR scuttles the pirate-held USS Philadelphia in Tripoli.


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DOBSON — For a rural church that began 115 years ago, in 1898, in a one-room school house in the winter and under an arbor during warm months, Salem Baptist Church in Dobson has come a long way — from recent membership levels that reached an all-time high with 900, to resources that increased 300 percent and the rate of giving up 600 percent in the past 10 years.
Now, the church is embarking on a new mission — the possibility of opening a pre-K through grade 12 Christian school, defined by the church's website as an academy that "emphasizes excellence in academia and a biblical worldview," as well as new opportunities for children and teens to participate in sports with the introduction of Upward Sports this fall.
Christian academy in the works
With an idea that church members and ministers began discussing three years ago, Dr. Bobby Lewis, pastor of Salem Baptist Church, said the church is now ready to enter planning stages for what could become a K-12 school in the future, as well as a full-day or half-day preschool program.
"Hopefully we will start with a Christian preschool and from there we can build our academy, which would start with kindergarten and then grow with one grade added per year, if we find there is a need in our community and desire for this type of school."
The need for the school in the community will be partially determined from the results of a public survey posted on the church's website at www.salembaptistdobson.com, which is available for anyone in the area to complete in order for the church to determine the need for an additional Christian school in the area.
Lewis said the church would like feedback from the community through emails or by filling out the online survey, and said he welcomed "any other ideas they can enlighten us with."
Lewis said he met with Christian school principals and headmasters from all across North Carolina in order to prepare for the possibility of opening a school in the church.
The Christian academy will be fully accredited and Lewis said he wants the students to be able to compete with students from anywhere in the world in order to get into the best colleges and universities.
"The goal here is to offer all of the academic classes a child would receive going through regular public school. For instance, in a science class right now a child gets a Darwinian perspective, but we would also offer them a creation or biblical perspective on the origins of life. We want the students to be aware that there are evolutionary teachings, but we want other options for them."
Among church members at Salem Baptist are "many dozens of educators," according to Lewis, and he said those who want to help could be utilized even more with the addition of an educational facility.
This is not a move to critique public schools, said Lewis. Both Lewis and his wife have public school backgrounds as educators.
Instead, Salem Baptist wanted to offer a Christian alternative because "there is only so much [school systems and teachers] can do with public funds," said Lewis, who pointed out that the church is not trying to compete with area schools or home school families. "If families feel that home school or public school is best for their child, we want them to continue with that. We just want to give another option. Homeschool children who may need a math class they can't get at home could potentially come to our Christian academy and take the class."
For the initial launch, which may happen in the fall with preschool classes, they will use their existing facilities which are practically brand new. There are also plans in the works for future additions to the church, said Lewis.
"We want to offer the best of academics, as well as training in Christian studies and the scriptures, so people have another option. By offering a Christian school to our community, we are sending the message that we are called to love God with our heart, soul, mind, and spirit."
Upward Sports program
Lewis said that in addition to the school, Salem Baptist Church is starting a sports ministry in the fall — Upward Sports. They will begin with basketball in the gym and branch out with the addition of more sports — possibilities are cheerleading, soccer, baseball and tag football, among others.
According to Lewis, many kids already are involved with "association sports through leagues or schools" and they would like to offer the sports, but with the addition of a "Christian foundation" that includes devotionals during practice and games, and will give kids of all abilities time to play.
"Lots of kids love to play sports, but when they get on the team, they may not be able to play as much as they want. With Upward Sports, every child plays, every child has an equal opportunity. The goal is not about how many games you win, it is how we develop good sportsmanship and a Christ-like attitude on the field, which will translate to school and even the workplace."
Community outreach and a "holistic mind set"
The church is involved on many levels in not only the community, but the nation and the world.
The members participated in building a church on the Amazon River, a large facility in India, mission work in South Africa and the Dominican Republic, and they have a church member in Costa Rica right now.
Lewis said they also have plans to send a group of members to Greece and have given away a quarter of a million dollars to missions outside of the church, with more than half of the money that remained local, supporting the area children's homes, the Gideon's, Habitat for Humanity, retirement homes and the food pantry in Dobson, among others.
Salem Baptist Church services are available for free, live on its website or by tuning in to Time Warner Cable every Sunday at 2 p.m. on channel 65. Services also are available at any time, through on demand at channel 1083.
Membership at Salem Baptist Church has increased to 900 members, and for a rural church in a town of 1,500 people, Lewis said those numbers are remarkable.
According to Lewis, the average drive time for the church members is 20 to 25 minutes, with members who have attended from King, Pinnacle, Mount Airy, Boonville and Hillsville and Galax in Virginia, which helped to define Salem Baptist as a regional church and allowed them to offer multiple ministries.
Ministries at the church include a Mom's ministry; a couples ministry offering counseling and regular date nights, complete with child care by church members; a senior ministry that offers exercise classes and social options in addition to Bible studies; youth and children's ministries; and a new ministry called CrossLife that targets college-age students through their 20s.
"We want to have a holistic mind set…we want to reach the community through as many avenues as possible, not simply grow our church. We want to reach people who may not be involved in church, but also reach those who are involved in other churches. We've been blessed with a tremendous number of resources given by the Lord and we are looking at what we can do to reach our community. God has brought so many blessings into our life and we want to share."
Reach Jessica Johnson at email@example.com or 719-1933.


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I vote for the 3/4" square drive hole.Originally Posted by hotbarrel
Besides the leverage and strength advantages that a 3/4" breaker bar would have over a 7/8" wrench, a breaker bar kind of locks into the hole. This would eliminate the possibility of a wrench slipping off while trying to concentrate on torquing and timing the barrel.
I forgot to measure my barrel last night, I'll try to remember to do it tonight.


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Find hotels in Lynbrook using the list and search tools below. Find discounted hotel accommodations in or close to Lynbrook, NY for your business or personal leisure travel. We show the best Lynbrook New York hotel/motel rooms. Review the Lynbrook hotel list below to find the perfect lodging. We also have a map of the Lynbrook hotels. Booking 5+ Rooms? Find Lynbrook Group Hotel RatesThe Lynbrook center is approximately 3 miles from Rosedale and 3 miles from Laurelton.
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Assistant General Counsel
Michael Gross joined OGC in July 2011 as the Assistant General Counsel for Regulatory Services. He is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Haverford College in Haverford, PA, and holds a masters degree in Philosophy from the University of Minnesota. In a life before the law, he worked as an editor for a trade publisher and wrote seven books on popular computer utility programs. In 1994, he received his J.D. from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, and began his professional career as a law clerk in his home state of New Jersey. He then worked for seven years as an associate, then a partner, at the Cooper Levenson law firm in Atlantic City, where he divided his time between an appellate practice and a regulatory practice before the New Jersey Casino Control Commission. In 2004, he joined the federal government as an attorney with the National Indian Gaming Commission, and in 2007, he was made Associate General Counsel for General Law. He is an avid reader and collector of books who spends much of his free time in awe of his wife and two children.


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Newsletter sign-up
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Please read the latest news from the Fairtrade International communications office. You can also follow us with your RSS reader. For more general information and other resources, click here.
Climate Change Support for Peruvian Coffee Farmers24 September 2012
Joint cooperation between Fairtrade International, Lidl and Twin Trading is helping farmers respond to the challenge of climate change[more]
Joint statement concerning workers' rights in Fiji21 September 2012
Fairtrade International, ITUC, IUF and TUC have released a joint statement today on the status of workers' rights in Fiji. Click here to read the statement (PDF) For more information, please contact: Reykia Fick, Media...[more]
Fairtrade International joins 4C Association17 September 2012
Sustainability is a key word in coffee. Growing demand and increasing impacts of climate change are pushing coffee farmers and businesses around the world to increase productivity and quality, while simultaneously caring for the...[more]
Green & Black's First Global Brand to Announce Partnership with Fairtrade International in the USA29 August 2012
Green & Black's USA Products to Carry World's Most Recognized Ethical Label to Drive Impact for Farming Communities[more]
Fairtrade Certified Maltesers in Ireland & UK22 June 2012
The first packs of Fairtrade certified MALTESERS® are now available in the UK and Ireland, following the Mars–Fairtrade agreement announced last September.The cocoa will come from cooperatives in West Africa, and this move will...[more]
Fairtrade farmers ordered to uproot 1400 olive trees by Israeli Civil Administration04 May 2012
Fairtrade International has received news that the Israeli Civil Administration has ordered nine Palestinian olive farmers of Deir Istiya, Salfit on the West Bank to uproot 1,400 olive trees in Wadi Qana area by 1 May 2012. An...[more]
Banana Union Leader Wins Top Award23 February 2012
A woman union leader has won a prestigious award for her struggle to support banana plantation workers in Honduras. Iris Munguia, a former banana worker herself, will receive a Silver Rose prize from SOLIDAR, a network of...[more]


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Buy with confidence
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More from ilike Organic Skin Care
ilike Lemon Cleansing Milk
ilike Stonecrop Toner
The whipped cream charges the skin with vitamins, and has a soothing, anti-inflammatory effect. It works well even on the most sensitive, rosacea or scaly seborrhoea skin. And it even beautifies, hydrates and soothes those skin types that could only be treated before with creams containing corticosteroid (medical anti-inflammatory agent). Effects: hydrates anti-inflammatory effect charges skin with vitamins moderates sebaceous glands soothes contracts blood vessels


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Tune into The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson Friday, June 13 at 12:35am/11:35pm C on CBS to watch Ben & Ellen Harper perform "Learn It All Again Tomorrow" from their new album Childhood Home!
Radio.com Interview: Ben and Ellen Harper on "Childhood Home," Monsanto and Loving Barbra Streisand.
Ben and Charlie's main stage performance at the Saskatchewan Jazz Festival on June 21 was sold out, but due to demand additional tickets have been released! Tickets go on sale Mon. June 9, 2014 at 10:00am CDT at ShowClix.


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The small bowl is nice and shallow for beginner feeders. Not to mention a perfect portion size. Made from reclaimed potatoes.
Spuds product lines are real solutions to the demand for convenience goods that are individually safe and healthy with little or no negative environmental impact.
All natural, non-toxic, and biodegradable.
- Hand-wash the product thoroughly in warm soapy water before first use and after each use.
- Do not store in direct sunlight or near a source of heat.
- Not safe for microwaves or convection ovens
- Top-rack dishwasher safe
- Since Spuds Inc. uses all organic coloring, the product may temporarily lighten when wet.


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Detailed Skirt Boatneck Dress
Style # 200643
Constructed from a super soft jersey and featuring a luxe crisscross manipulation of fabric make this bebe dress a hot evening piece. Lined skirt provides a soft stretch that holds you in. Try them with metallic sandals and duster earrings for a quick evening pop.
- 95% rayon, 5% spandex
- Center back to hem: 37" (94 cm).
- Dry clean
- Imported
- Model is 5'9" and is wearing a US size S
Rated 1 out of 5�by 1 reviewer.
Rated 1 out of 5�by Laura515 It's enormous ! Too big and not as size chart indicates. Would suggest buying 2 sizes smaller. November 20, 2012
1-1 of 1


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Shade grown, certified organic, and Fair Trade. This coffee is grown in the southern Pacific region of Costa Rica by farmers who are members of the La Alianza collective of 9 coffee cooperatives. La Alianza was formed to unite coffee farmers who practice organic farming to continue producing coffee completely pesticide free. The Fair Trade price has given the Cooperative the resources to provide business education and production facilities for its Members, and has helped develop womens programs and improve the organic cultivation techniques. This is a smooth medium bodied coffee with a touch of bittersweet chocolate and roasted fig flavor. It has a distinctive berry aroma and the flavor has just a hint of cedar. We recommend a medium to a full city roast.
Related Products
FreshRoast Plus Home Coffee Roaster -
Nesco Smokeless Home Coffee Roaster -
Other Items from Costa Rica La Alianza (Fair Trade)
Costa Rica La Alianza Green Coffee Beans, 1 Lb. Bag -
Costa Rica La Alianza Green Coffee Beans, 2 Lb. Bag -
Costa Rica La Alianza Green Coffee Beans, 5 Lb. Bag -


text: Prev | Next Purchase this photo Lori Wolfe/The Herald-Dispatch Freshmen and their families pack their belongings into residence halls on Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2013, at Marshall University in Huntington. Gallery: Marshall students move in Aug. 22, 2013 @ 07:10 AM The Herald-Dispatch / 2015 Marshall University students began moving into the dorms for the 2013-14 school year on Wednesday. ()


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LONDON -- It's a boy!
Prince William's wife, Kate, has given birth to a prince, who is now third in line to the British throne.
The child was born Monday, after many Britons woke up to the news that Kate, also known as the Duchess of Cambridge, had gone into labor with the couple's first child.
The birth announcement, via a press release from Kensington Palace, said the boy was born at 4:24 p.m. weighing 8 pounds, 6 ounces. William was present for the birth, the statement said. The announcement did not include a name for the future monarch, though one is expected to be announced in the next few days.
"Her Royal Highness and her child are both doing well and will remain in hospital overnight," it said. "Members of both families have been informed and are delighted with the news."
The royal birth recalled that of the baby's father, William, in 1982, at the same central London hospital. Many remember the moment when he was carried out in his mother Princess Diana's arms with proud father Prince Charles at their side.
William and Kate's son is expected to follow Charles and William to the throne.
No one can tell what political and personal changes the intervening years will bring, but the baby can be expected to become the head of state of 16 countries, including Britain, Australia and Canada, and possibly the head of the Commonwealth, which covers 54 nations.
The child will also eventually become Supreme Governor of the Church of England.
The baby represents a living link to Britain's imperial history — the infant is the great-great-great-great-great-grandchild of Queen Victoria, who ruled at the peak of British power.
Many Britons had hoped that William and Kate would start a family shortly after their gala 2011 wedding, which drew a global television audience in the hundreds of millions.
The couple waited, however, until William was nearly finished with his military work as a search and rescue helicopter pilot based at an air base in a remote island off the coast of Wales.
That allowed Kate to ease into royal life, and to become more comfortable in the spotlight, before becoming a parent. It also allowed her to play a supporting role during Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee celebrations last summer.
The first months of her pregnancy were not easy, and she was hospitalized in early December with acute morning sickness that left her weak and dehydrated. She seemed to recover her stamina fairly quickly and made a series of public appearances until the final weeks before giving birth, drawing praise for her poise and good cheer.
The royal couple and their newborn are expected to spend much of their time in the coming years in renovated quarters at Kensington Palace, where William and Harry also spent much of their childhood.
Royal officials say Kate and William will try to give their child as normal an upbringing as possible. That may be challenging in an age when the British royals are treated as major world celebrities.
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The Museum of Natural Sciences will be closed Monday, September 20 and Tuesday, September 21 for exhibit maintenance.
September 2, 2010 - 11:58am
August 24, 2010 - 3:00pm
Water bugs make a splash at BugFest 2010! New hours, new footprint, new activities, plus the return of the Alberti Flea Circus.
August 19, 2010 - 11:35am
"Our mission: to work with local foresters to survey the biodiversity of their church forests and to inspire an innovative forest conservation scheme."
August 6, 2010 - 2:19pm
The Nature Art Gallery will present the work of Raleigh artist, Dawn Rozzo in an exhibit titled Wing, Leaf, Petal from Friday, August 6 through Sunday, August 29.
July 29, 2010 - 8:00am
A small piece of the moon (and history) is coming to the new Nature Research Center in 2011.
July 28, 2010 - 1:21pm
Discover the reason for all the recent extraordinary intergalactical upsets when "Flash Gordon" shows at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences on Friday, August 6 at 7 pm.
July 28, 2010 - 11:52am
The Wal-mart Foundation recently provided the NC Museum of Natural Sciences with $50,000 to support environmental education programs at Prairie Ridge, the Museum's 40-acre outdoor education center located off Reedy Creek Road in west Raleigh.
July 13, 2010 - 4:53pm
The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences today introduced Margaret D. "Meg" Lowman as Director of their new wing, the Nature Research Center. For 30 years, Lowman has helped pioneer the science of canopy ecology, designing hot-air balloons and walkways for treetop exploration while studying the links between insects and ecosystem health. In her new role, Lowman will oversee the new wing's research agenda, participate in fundraising efforts and assist with the integration of existing Museum programs.
July 2, 2010 - 4:32pm
From fireflies to vampire squid, bioluminescent creatures have piqued human imagination with their ghostly glow for centuries. After decades of investigation, scientists have uncovered the mechanisms underlying bioluminescence. Get an introduction to bioluminescence and discover its value to biomedical research when Jonathan Horowitz, associate professor of oncology at the N.C. State College of Veterinary Medicine, presents "Bioluminescence: Natural Wonders and Tools for Scientific Discovery," at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences on Monday, July 19 at 7 pm.
June 8, 2010 - 12:58pm
To help celebrate a popular annual event and a unique new exhibit, the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in downtown Raleigh announces its inaugural BugFest Illustration Contest.


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Quick Links
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NL10683 In Stock
There is something enchantingly beautiful about shells that have been polished by the gentle rhythm of the ocean, and this sterling silver conch shell pendant captures that feeling perfectly. This 1 inch conch shell comes on a 16 or 18 inch chain, for a great fit - and a splashing look! Pair this shell necklace with other sea shell jewelry for a look that will make you feel like an ocean nymph.
Eve's Addiction.com wants you to be a happy customer. We want you to be completely satisfied with the sterling silver jewelry that you receive from us, as we only sell high quality silver and cubic zirconia cz jewelry. We do understand that you may not like your purchase for some reason.
You may return or exchange your jewelry within 60 days of purchase if you are not satisfied with it. The jewelry must be returned in its original condition for a refund or exchange. Engraved, personalized, photo, monogram, name and initial, chocolate and clearance items are not returnable or exchangeable.


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Most mother's of my patients start off breast feeding their baby, but some of the mothers of my newborns either cannot breast feed due to medical reasons, or they do not make enough milk to provide adequate nutrition for their baby. In this, case some of them have tried ordering breast milk over the internet. Sounded a bit odd to me, but they assured me you "can buy anything on the internet". It turns out that breast milk procured from internet sites may not be safe after all.
A study published earlier this week in the journal Pediatrics looked at 101 breast milk samples bought over the internet compared with 20 samples of breast milk procured from a human milk bank. Researchers found that 74% of internet breast milk samples were contaminated with bacteria, including staph and e. coli (a fecal bacteria), as well as with viruses. The internet breast milk samples were not pasteurized and many had been improperly collected, stored and even shipped. Milk that has bacteria and viruses, even breast milk, is not safe and may pass infections on to infants who have immature immune systems.
So, if you are considering buying breast milk for your infant, steer clear of internet sites advertising breast milk for sale. Your best bet is to contact the Human Milk Banking Association of North America. Their donors are screened and follow safety steps for collecting and shipping their milk.
Buying EVERYTHING online seems to be easy and efficient if you are looking for books, clothes and even groceries. But breast milk should not be bought from web sites. If you have any in your refrigerator or freezer, I would throw it out immediately!


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Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Schnauzer Rescue of the Carolinas [SRC] would like to announce the latest fundraiser for the 501(c)(3) non-profit organization – "Doggone Good Cooking", Recipe Book, filled with 150 recipes and many images and collages of the rescue animals saved by SRC. The first edition cookbooks are on sale now for $20, with free shipping included. Profits from the "Doggone Good Cooking" Recipe Book will assist SRC with the vetting, rehabilitation, medical needs and rescuing of animals, including Schnauzers and other rescue animals that need our immediate care and fostering to save their lives.
Imagine living a life fearful of humans, hungry, wet or tied by a chain to a tree, without water or food, or someone to care. Imagine human hands striking you, or using water hoses or gardening tools to get you to move to the next area to do your business as a stud. Imagine a hoarding situation where animals are piled high, forgotten. Imagine a stranger or a family member removing you from a loving home, leaving you at a killing shelter. Such is the life of rescue animals no longer wanted by their families. Rescue animals are those that have been rescued after being used for breeding, puppy mills and other abusive, neglectful situations.'
There are many heartbreaking situations that cause Schnauzers and other rescues to be treated in such a manner. When this occurs, Schnauzer Rescue of the Carolinas, [SRC] steps up to save these precious animals. According to their website, http://www.schnauzerrescueofthecarolinas.org "All of our adoption donations go back into helping with the care for other rescues. It is a group of volunteers within North Carolina, South Carolina, Southern Virginia, Eastern Tennessee and Northern Georgia whose sole purpose is to rescue and secure loving, permanent homes for displaced Miniature, Standard and Giant Schnauzers. The group fosters rescues in a loving family environment and spend many personal hours working with them to ensure that they are ready for a new home in an approved, adoptable family. Volunteers rescue because many animals would otherwise die. The average rate of animals killed each year by animal control facilities is 75 percent of all animals that enter their doors, the other 25 percent includes dogs and cats that are returned to their owners as well as those that are adopted."
The volunteers for SRC are a group of dedicated, loving members who strive to open their homes and hearts to these precious animals. The goal for SRC is to find adoptable homes for each animal. Fundraising helps to assist with the care, medical treatments and other necessary needs to give each animal a quality of life they deserve. SRC has opened their hearts to other animals, not necessarily of the Schnauzer breed.
Schnauzer Rescue of the Carolinas is proud of their latest non-profit project which will provide additional funding to save the lives of abused and neglected rescue dogs. The 150 recipes included will be a great gift idea. Chapters include Soups, Salads and Sides, The Main Course, Sweet Treats, and Appetizers, Snacks and Critter Cuisine, ideal for people and pets.
To purchase your copy of "Doggone Good Cooking", please make checks in the amount of $20 payable to:
Schnauzer Rescue of the Carolinas
2323 Metts Avenue
Wilmington, N.C. 28403
For additional information, contact Barbie Perkins-Cooper at 843-884-7631.
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(WSAZ) ALUM CREEK — The suspect in a police chase is in jail, and an investigation has uncovered that he should have already been there.
Police say Tommy Ray Workman Jr., 19, of Red House, stole a pickup truck and led officers on a chase through three counties before crashing on Route 119 in Kanawha County.
"The pursuit was extremely dangerous. A lot of people's lives were in danger," Boone County Chief Deputy Chad Barker said.
Police were relieved when Thursday's chase came to an end, but it might be hard for them to believe this will be the suspect's last crime spree.
That's because they say Workman has done this before.
"Some of the officers on scene actually recognized him from just a few months ago, and it's very frustrating because my understanding from that pursuit is he was driving like an idiot there, too – putting people's lives in danger. He's out of jail again doing the same thing," Barker said.
Barker is talking about a chase back in December. Much like this time, police say Workman stole a car and led them through several counties.
However, instead of a crash, that one ended with Workman burning the car.
WSAZ.com contacted the Lincoln County Courthouse to see where the case stands.
Workman has signed a plea agreement, but he hasn't been sentenced yet.
WSAZ.com also contacted the Kanawha County Courthouse and learned that just last week a warrant was issued for Workman's arrest.
It has to do with yet another car theft.
About a week before the chase in December, he was caught on surveillance video stealing a car at a gas station.
He was indicted, but never showed up for court, so the judge issued a bench warrant.
The chase and crash came about a week after the warrant was issued, putting Workman right where police want him: behind bars.
Workman faces a long list of charges in several different counties.
He remains in the South Central Regional Jail, with a $15,000 bond in Lincoln County and a $25,000 bond in Boone County.
WSAZ.com contacted Workman for his side of the story, but he declined the interview.


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featured in the film Swing Time, sung by Fred Astaire. Music by Jerome Kern with lyrics by Dorothy Fields.
Some day, when I'm awfully low,
When the world is cold,
I will feel a glow just thinking of you...
And the way you look tonight. (….)
Lovely ... Never, ever change.
Keep that breathless charm.
Won't you please arrange it ?
'Cause I love you ... Just the way you look tonight.
Mm, Mm, Mm, Mm,
Just the way you look to-night.
I am humble enough to realize that not a lot of my gentle readers have been following my blog since the early days. One does have to make oneself known, of course. You can't always know everyone at the party before the host introduces you around, now can you? Early on, I described how my Husband the Science Guy decided that I suffer from (suffer so to speak) Gourmand Syndrome. I do indeed show all the symptoms
Now this behavior does describe many foodies out there, yet I show all of the signs right down to the cause of this wondrous syndrome: sudden-onset damage, very often occurring in childhood, to the frontal lobe of the brain such as a stroke, tumor or a trauma - a good knock on the head - seems to cause the transformation into a "gustatory hedonist", the development of a preoccupation with fine food. I won't repeat the story now, I'll let you discover it here (after the recipe) if you so desire.
The only symptom that has me worried, though, is the 'inordinate amount of interest in food's appearance'. Are they speaking in general terms or specifically what we should be able to create ourselves?
Don't get me wrong; I love beautiful things. I am thrilled to the bone when a gorgeously dressed plate, surely the ultimate thing of beauty, is placed in front of me at a restaurant. Swirls and swags, delicate spun sugar shapes played in an architectural balancing act, sculpted creams and sauces swept across the plate fascinate me as nothing else can.
I love the beauty of Sergio Rossi shoes and Francesco Biasia handbags, stunning designer clothes and the handmade jewelry chosen for me by a man of taste (my man). Green sweeps of land and majestic mountains, new books and shiny kitchen utensils ditto. On the other hand, I do prefer Edvard Munch to Claude Monet and Grünewald's Issenheim Altarpiece must be one of my favorite works of art.
But the talent to appreciate and the talent to perform are not one and the same; I guess that I simply was not one of the lucky ones born with the decorating gene. Messy dollops of whipped cream slathered on a dessert, frosting plopped on a cake and smeared until there are no more holes while any attempt to create delicate buttercream roses nipped in the bud (ha!) on and about the second jerk of the wrist, thinly sliced fruit carefully aligned and overlapped only to slip and slide all out of control, food piled willy-nilly on the plate, my cuisine will certainly not win any beauty contests.
Yet in my former life as a milliner, I was able to achieve harmony and grace, a higher state of loveliness than I do in my cooking. Go figure.
I blame it on my formative years, the years spent in a bedroom decorated by brother and mother in shades of sickly green: mint green walls, mint green and white gingham (gingham! me?) lamp and window shades (slowly fading to yellowish). My whole personal look and style was everything that was anti-beauty and my favorite foods to eat had nothing to do with chef's creations. Even my wedding cake, dense, dark chocolate with a gorgeous cognac buttercream melted in the July heat as I tried my little heart out to spell out my love in words and flowers.
I shrug my shoulders with casual nonchalance and defend myself by pleading lack of interest each time the frosting goes awry or the meal looks like road kill. I have always been one anyway to get right to the heart of the matter : how does it taste? Is the texture perfect? Does it smell like heaven? It may be a plus that it looks pretty as well, but does looking pretty really make it better? Or maybe it's a bit like being parents: our own babies are always the most beautiful no matter what!
This month, the Bread Baking Babes and Buddies have gone seasonal! Lien of Lien's Notes and Beautiful Bread Baking Babe has chosen Asparagus Bread for the June challenge. The list of ingredients intrigued me; asparagus, walnuts, rocket and Parmesan cheese and the photo of Lien's bread amazed! Her bread is simply gorgeous: puffed up perfectly and finished to a shiny, golden crust gently accentuated by the woodsy green branch of asparagus delicately lying atop this little beauty. I just had to make this bread and participate in BBB June.
Here is mine; once again, I was just not able to achieve the glory of creating an eye-pleaser. Brown and dull and oddly shaped. Even my bit of asparagus looks out of sorts. Luckily I can laugh at yet another unattractive production and look beyond the crust and see the beauty that lies beneath: tender and moist, light and fluffy crumb, the taste of the Parmesan standing out magnificently. This was a fabulous bread and I am indeed proud of the results. My baby!
Beauty, as they say, is indeed in the eye of the beholder.
For the recipe, I send you over to Lien's Notes.
The ingredients :
Truly a thing of beauty (I replaced the green with white) :
Steamed and chopped (I replaced walnuts with pecans) :
Let's make bread :


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Frank Lewis
PDT Staff Writer
The Portsmouth City Zoning Board of Appeals will meet Tuesday at 2 p.m. in the Engineering Department located in the Portsmouth City Building to discuss a request for variance on property at 2311 Stockham Lane, by Compass Community Health.
The purpose of the variance is to allow Compass Community Health to operate a residential treatment center providing onsite health care to women with at-risk pregnancies and other issues, mainly addiction.
Tuesday evening, Compass held a public forum in which citizens could voice their opinions or concerns about the facility being located in a residential area of the city.
"One of the things that we were told was that most people do not have a public forum prior to a Zoning Board meeting. They just go direct to the Zoning Board and they hope to argue it out there," Compass Community Health President and CEO, Ed Hughes, said. "We wanted the community to understand, and if we are able to put that program there, we want to be a very good neighbor, as we are in other parts of the community. You don't start off as a good neighbor by trying to pull a fast one on people. You want to let them know exactly where you stand, where you disagree and I think that was accomplished last (Tuesday) night."
Hughes said there were a variety of opinions expressed at that meeting.
"It had a number of people that were kind of neutral there to hear the story. And then we had a group of people that were very vocally opposed," Hughes said. "We presented what the program would be, just trying to present the facts. We weren't trying to change anyone's mind or minimize the concern somebody might have."
Hughes said he believes there are misconceptions, not about the program, but about drug-addicted people.
"When we heard something that we knew was misinformation, we tried to provide a correction for that," Hughes said."We were trying to help people understand how a health care center for pregnant women is not only needed, but is also different than anything that exists in the community and tried to allay any concerns people had about safety, or traffic, or security. I think we did that. It's just a matter, I think, that some people probably already had their mind made up."
He said he expects a replay of the Tuesday meeting at the Zoning Board meeting.
"It is my understanding that we will go before the Board with our application, and we will say a few words in terms of what it is again we're trying to do," Hughes said. "And then they will entertain comments from the community, and I'm sure there will be folks there that may be speaking as opposed, and those who are in favor."
The property being considered is the former Saint Joseph Adoration Monastery, which had been owned by Fred Bennett, who passed away on April 4. Hughes says Compass has an agreement with the Catholic Diocese of Columbus, but it's contingent upon their being able to get a variance to the zoning.
Frank Lewis may be reached at 740-353-3101, ext. 252, or at email@example.com. For breaking news, follow Frank on Twitter @FrankLewisPDT.


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'Electric Manland': Sat. Nite Duets pays homage to iconic Beatles coverWritten by Matt Liasse | | firstname.lastname@example.com
The cover for Sat. Nite Duets' third album "Electric Manland" consists of more than 50 cutouts. Inspired by The Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band," it even includes the drum from the "Lonely Hearts" album cover. The collage features famous icons and characters that have some significance for the band.
"We like ['Sgt. Pepper's'], but I wouldn't call it a favorite," said drummer Joe Guszkowski. "I think we were just more interested in the concept of the artwork."
Some faces that appear on the album cover include Elton John, David Bowie, Ellen DeGeneres, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Batman.
"The cover is just a collection of people and friends of ours that we kind of look up to or that influence the album in some way," Guszkowski said. "We all contributed; we all got to pick a few people that we wanted to be on the cover."
The foreground features Vanna White in front of a "Wheel of Fortune" board, which spells out the album's title. The band would often watch the game show during the months spent recording.
"It just became part of our daily routine," Guszkowski said. "Things in our daily life were kind of absorbed into the album cover."
Shrek also appears on the cover.
"It's sort of just a running joke," Guszkowski said. "One of us really likes 'Shrek' and always wants to watch 'Shrek'; one of us really hates 'Shrek' and never wants to watch [it]. It comes up a lot."
Beyoncé also makes an appearance.
"She's just gotta be there," Guszkowski said.
The Milwaukee band formed while the members were in college after merging their two high school bands, Two Kids Get New Books and Boy Scouts. The two bands combined as a five-piece in 2009.
The band's music falls somewhere between Jimi Hendrix and Jimmy Buffett on the roundtable of rock 'n' roll.
"We were looking back a little further into the past," Guszkowski said. "I think the spirit of those guys is in there."
The 11-track album includes songs like "The Three Wisemen," "I Have The Wine" and "Women's Prison" and features added strings and trumpet on some tracks. Guszkowski said the band's three albums show progression.
"We don't really talk about … what we want things to sound like. We just want that to progress naturally," he said. "I do think all of us were committed to making a more rock record."
"Electric Manland" is heavier rock 'n' roll than their other work, described by the band as "louder, slicker and more ambitious" than anything they've done before. The album is available on satnite
duets.bandcamp.com. The digital copy costs $3 and the vinyl LP costs $12. Physical copies of the album will be available at the band's shows.
The band has embarked on an 18-date tour to celebrate the album's release. The band will play 9 p.m. Nov. 1 at Ottawa Tavern, 1817 Adams S., with four other acts: Heavy Color, Rollergirl, Pastel Arsenal and Alan Liezerman.
The band has played at Ottawa Tavern twice before and are Guszkowski said they are looking forward to returning to the venue.
Tags: Batman, Beatles, Beyoncé, Boy Scouts, David Bowie, drummer Joe Guszkowski, Electric Manland, Ellen DeGeneres, Elton John, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Buffet, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Milwaukee, Sat. Night Duets, Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band, Shrek, Three Wisemen, Two Kids Get New Books, Wheel of Fortune


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Guerlain Madame Reve (862) Rouge G Lipstick ($49.50 for 0.12 oz.) is a soft, medium pink with subtle cool undertones and pearly finish. It had a soft sheen that gave it a luminous look. The color coverage was mostly opaque, and this shade lasted four and a half hours on me and was moisturizing while worn. Now, the press release listed Madame Fascine (863) as the third Rouge G in the collection, but Neiman Marcus had Madame Reve (862) as the third shade in the collection, which is the one I purchased (they did not have a Rouge G called Madame Fascine). I sent an inquiry over to see if we can get clarification on this.
MAC Pleasurefruit is brighter. Urban Decay Turn On is lighter, cool-toned. MAC Speak Louder is darker. MAC Plumful is less pink. See comparison swatches.


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Adult Education is a diverse field of practice and research that fosters an understanding of the different ways in which adults learn and different ways they may be helped to learn—whether on their own, in groups, in the community, or in organizational settings. Students in UFV's Adult Education program develop their ability to plan adult learning experiences, guide communities in capacity-building, develop their ability to teach adults, foster learning for advocacy and action, as well as conduct research regarding the teaching and learning of adults.
UFV's degree program is a unique mid-career professional development program for people who are instructing, administering, developing programs, or providing educational support for adult learners. Most of UFV's students enroll on a part-time basis and the degree offers students the opportunity to link both practical and theoretical coursework to the challenges they meet in their work setting.
The degree provides recognition of transfer credit, recognition of non-formal learning though a process of prior learning assessment and opportunities to challenge existing courses.
UFV' students provide leadership through best practices, research and hands-on activities in a wide variety of positions across the field of education.


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WELL, I tried to delete this one and could not.
Charlie Gunn
C&C welcomed
http://www.facebook.com/CharlieGunnArtist My Art Work
Marsha, Karen and Geri, thank you for your comments, highly apprechiated.
Geri, Your painting tube looks great. You did well on the tube itself, form and shading and the paint coming out. Isn't that tricky, at least it was for me.
I don't know about the lettering, I would take a look at the shadow again, maybe a little softer edges. I'm having a hard time with the paint tube, so for yours.
Karen, Commision work, great, good for you
Charlie, you said you might do some more of your car paintings, anything in progress?
Carol, the artist is using natural pigments, loam, chalk, clay... I don't know what kind of binder she uses, I doubt she uses blood. Her paintings will arrive in the museum at the end of March and the Vernisage will be in April.
We do post some of our older works here too, if it is fitting the theme. But the motto of the Challenge is:
Create artwork based on any or all of these
photos and themes. Use any medium and any style. Stick to the photo(s) exactly
or just use them as a starting point - feel free to change colors, composition,
add or subtract elements or take a complete departure. In other words, HAVE FUN
and keep painting!
So my suggestion is, just pick up the pencil, pen, brush and have fun painting!!!
C&C always welcome
Geri, good job on your colored pencil 'Tube Grune Farbe'. You got a really good shape on the tube and paint. I don't think it needs the lettering. It must be nice to have an art center and a group to participate with.
Bonnie C & C most welcome / appreciated
Shameer nice work on the horse and rider. I agree that your horse and rider look powerful.
Catherine your stuffed animal studies are great. I admire your patience to spend the time studying your subject.
Carol welcome to the group. Great job on the Burton copy. I really like your color choices. The stone textures on the cave paintings is great.
Christinaa great job on the Sargent piece. I can still see your style come through.
C&Cs always welcome
Jen your sketch of the horse and rider look good. I agree with Geri to work on the back leg of the horse. Can't wait to see were you take it
Geri your paint tube looks good.
Bonnie it is nice to have a place to go because if I wait and do it at home it doesn't get done. The bad part is of the 5 people that were there only 2 of us did any artwork.
C and C always welcomed
Claudia, I do not have any car painting going on right now. i am doing some works for two shows that I hope to get entered.
Carol: Where do you live? Also the Challenges have a theme as well as photos to choose from. Each person hosting the Challenge chooses the both. We have another place for pieces other than what the theme is about it is the Chatter:
Holly: GO CANADA!!!! Curling Yeah team!!!! (I'm in the theme of things I LOVE to watch from HOME right now in the Olympics)
Geri: great job, with the tube and the color coming out, careful of the shadow to me it may be a tad to dark, , looks like hookers green great color. I'm thinking hard about jelly beans now. nice for you and Jen to have art groups.
Sarah : thank you for your advice with the WC Oils. i was turned on to a site to check out "Lori McNee" and was really interested it reading it. she does beautiful work. It interesting how you used all of those methods to get a painting done. wow!
Kim thank you for sending me the information. I just hope I can get something put down on anything.....
Jen How is your Roman Rider coming along?
Claudia you are doing a GREAT job with this months Challenge Kuddo's to you. I hope to do something before the end.... hopefully...
Joyce and Karen, I know just what you mean about keeping up with everyone.... its tough sometimes,
Charlie I hope you will be able to share your paintings with us.
It would be nice if we messed up we could simply press 'Ctrl Alt Delete' and start all over
C & C Always Welcome
Thank you Claudia. I'll have to watch for this Artist - what is her name and where is the museum?
Carol L.
C&C Welcome (be kind, I'm still learning). :^)
Marsha, I'm in the US, on the east coast.
Thanks Karen. I can't take credit for the color choices they are all Burton's. :^) It just depends on which image you use when you copy it, and I chose one with those colors.
MARSHA, I well share when I have one that fits the theme. Right now I do not have one. My last works are in the Members Gallery.
Sarah, good job with the tree tubes of paint.
Carol, you have great observations skills and the cave paintings are really well done especially the cracks and rocks face. The best way to learn and develop a style is to just keep painting and drawing as many and as diverse things you can find. This is where the challenges are so great and they are just that challenges and don't have to be works of art, just studies or sketches with no pressure. Look at art, read about art, look at artists work on Utube and draw every day. It all opens your artists eye and re routes your brain. So pick a reference and go for it!
Gerri, Excellent job with your cp's. I would say go for it with the writing but cp's are not as forgiving as some mediums so maybe just a suggestion of words.
Jen C & C's always welcome
Thanks everyone for all the encouraging words on my Roman soldier. The darn horse is proving to be a nightmare! I have been fighting wet paint and lack of horse anatomy knowledge. The back leg is still weird. it is straight and my friend said he is pushing off on that leg but the front extended one is odd too and well all the legs seem a bit off. I worked the bg first so slipping into wet paint there as well so mess and paint sliding everywhere! It needs to dry a bit and then maybe I can work on the legs again. I am trying hard to look at just shapes and shadow but...! This may have to sit for a while. still a productive day.
the man has very odd shaped legs but I still made them weirder! Helmet looked better before I tried to improve it!
12x16 oil.
JEN: WOW. you really are coming along on this... My suggestion....for what it is worth,,, look at the dirt. His hoof is covered by it, both his left rear leg as well as this right front leg. you can see a tiny bit of his right front hoof but the dirt mounds up a bit over it. The riders legs are in an akward position because he is leading the horse with his heels. just as he would if he were riding bareback. I don't know if this information helps but I hope so.... I think you are off to a grand start, its the "wait for it to dry" part that would kill me....
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Metalworking Corrosion Issues & Test Methods
Instructor: Jerry P. Byers, Cimcool Fluid Technologies
Where: STLE University, live webinar event broadcast to your computer
When: Wednesday, July 23, 2014 at 12-1:00 p.m., with optional Q&A from 1-1:30 p.m. Central Time (Note: this webinar was originally scheduled for July 30, but has been moved to July 23).
Cost: $39 for members, $59 for non-members
We will address five metals commonly being machined in industry today, their properties, and the potential corrosion related problems that are encountered with each one. We will then cover corrosion testing methods that may be used when evaluating the metalworking fluids for those applications.
Presenter Biography
Jerry Byers is the Manager of Cimcool® Product Research & Development at Cimcool Fluid Technologies LLC in Cincinnati, Ohio. He received his Bachelors degree in Chemistry from Ball State University, and a Masters degree in Chemistry from the University of Cincinnati. He is a Certified Metalworking Fluid Specialist (CMFS?).
Jerry is Past-President of STLE (2012-2013), and has been active in the organization for more than 35 years. He has served on the STLE Board of Directors, as well as an associate editor for Tribology Transactions, and as a member of the STLE Metalworking Fluids Education and Training Subcommittee. He held several offices in the Cincinnati section of STLE, including twice as Chairman.
Jerry holds a patent for a heavy duty chlorine-free metalworking fluid, has authored several journal articles, and was contributing editor for two books: Metalworking Fluids (Marcel Dekker, 1994), and Metalworking Fluids, Second Edition (Taylor & Francis, 2006). The latter book has been translated into a Chinese edition.
Contact Us
Phone: (847) 825-5536
Email: Kara Sniegowski at firstname.lastname@example.com
Reminder: Computer speakers or headphones are needed to hear the audio.
Registration will open soon. Please ensure you're logged in at www.stle.org first, then click on the link below. Once you arrive at the event listing, click "add to your products" to start the purchase process.
Click Here to register for this event.


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The Apparel Industry
Most people these days are familiar with the term "sweatshop." Its use became widespread when a human rights group reported in 1996 that some of the clothing carrying the Kathie Lee label was being made in sweatshops and sold at Wal-Mart. The Kathie Lee brand, we came to find out, was not alone in its use of sweatshop labor. We've since heard tales of similar conditions in garment factories from Asia to the Americas – factories with interminable workweeks, sub-minimum wages, no overtime pay, unsafe work conditions and even child labor. We've seen the names of some of the biggest apparel and footwear brands in the world associated with some of the most disheartening examples of these kinds of abuses.
This is the marketplace in which Patagonia also develops its products.
In truth, not all factories are terrible. Some are actually quite good. These are well managed and produce clothing under safe, healthy and humane working conditions. But there is definitely widespread abuse. People who work in the global garment industry are often poor, young, uneducated and disenfranchised. Labor laws (and enforcement) can be lax. Workers are sometimes taken advantage of, discriminated against, denied the right to unionize, harassed, threatened and cheated. Working conditions can be unsafe and unhealthy.
Mistreatment of garment workers is not just the result of global competition for low-price products, greed or malfeasance. It can also be the result of inefficiency, not only at the factory but also on the part of the company buying the goods. Last-minute changes to orders, unreasonable price demands and hurry-up delivery times can exacerbate already difficult conditions on the factory floor.
Patagonia's Place in the Apparel Industry
Patagonia is a privately owned company based in Ventura, California. We design, develop and market clothing and gear for a wide range of outdoor sports, travel and everyday wear, and are best known for our innovative designs, quality products and environmental conscience. Our Mission Statement goes like this: "Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, and use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis." To that end, we use environmentally sensitive materials (organic cotton, recycled and recyclable polyester, and hemp among them) and both sponsor and participate in a host of environmental initiatives that range from promoting wildlife corridors to combating genetic engineering. To date, we have given some $40 million in grants and in-kind donations to grassroots environmental organizations. Our own employees – the thousand or so people who work directly for us in our offices, stores and distribution center – are paid fairly and enjoy good benefits, including generous health care, subsidized day care (in Ventura), flexible work schedules and paid time off for environmental internships. Many employees share our values, care about quality and are active in environmental and community causes. Turnover is in the single digits, and on average, we receive a couple hundred résumés each month.
Like most clothing companies, we do not make our own products, nor do we own any of the more than 70 factories that do. We design, test, market and sell Patagonia gear. These are our areas of strength. We pay other companies to produce the fabrics and do the actual cutting and sewing. They have the technical expertise and equipment.
We try to work with factories that share our values of integrity and environmentalism. In the past, we found we didn't have to make a lot of extra effort to achieve this. Our demand for high quality and our close relationships with the small number of factories we did business with pretty much assured it. It really is true that you can't make good products in a bad factory, and we did business with some of the world's best. They were, for the most part, efficient and well run. The people who worked in them tended to have a lot of experience. Despite high employee turnover elsewhere in the garment industry, these factories were able to retain employees because they paid them fairly and treated them humanely.
Patagonia's Road to Responsibility
We were pretty confident of these facts when our business was still small. However, as we grew we recognized that we needed to test these assumptions and begin to formalize our contractor review process. In 1990 we started asking our contract managers and Quality team to begin reviewing the factories they visited, both for product quality and working conditions. We made the decision not to work with any factory we couldn't visit.
The following year we unveiled something we called a "contractor relationship assessment." We did so at our first supplier conference, to which we invited representatives from every factory we worked with. The assessment was a scorecard we kept with each factory. We used it to rate a factory's performance in different areas and asked factory managers to do the same. If we gave a factory a low mark in one area and the factory scored itself high, the difference became the subject of conversation and focus. Our approach was informal, but our demands for high quality largely kept us on the responsible side of social compliance.
The Beginning of Third-Party Audits
We didn't begin contracting with third-party auditors until the mid-1990s, when we started employing people from outside the company to visit and assess potential new factories. Though audits are but a snapshot in time, they do give an idea of a factory's work conditions and management systems. They're also a good way of initiating discussions about change. Our social auditing was informal until two former Patagonia employees were invited to take part in President Clinton's "No Sweat Initiative" in 1996. We then created a more formal process and also became founding members of the Fair Labor Association (FLA), an independent multi-stakeholder verification and training organization that audits our factories.
A Step Backward
After these several steps forward, we took a step back when we began sourcing products in new factories that could produce them at a lower cost. The number of factories we came to work with ballooned, and some of these subcontracted work to other factories we knew nothing about. We lost track of who we were doing business with and what working conditions were like in many of our factories. For a while we dropped out of the FLA.
In 2002 we hired a manager of social responsibility to monitor social compliance throughout our supply chain and to work again with the FLA. We began to educate Patagonia employees about factory workplace issues to help them understand how their own actions can unwittingly cause factory workers to suffer longer workweeks, hurry-up pressure and greater stress.
Internal Development
We now train Patagonia staff in social responsibility issues. In 2007 we asked Verité, an international nonprofit social auditing, training and capacity-building organization, to train the 75 employees who visit our suppliers' factories to fully understand Patagonia's Workplace Code of Conduct. We do a refresher session annually for both new and seasoned employees.
We've continued to expand our brand collaboration efforts in auditing, special engagements (with local third-party experts to help solve specific problems within a factory), and information sharing. Three of our cut-and-sew suppliers (with a total of eight factories) are now FLA members (and thus are held to the same high membership standards Patagonia must meet). Since 2007, we've worked more closely with our factories and have become more familiar with their supply chain. We've identified all subcontractors and are now auditing 100% of our cut-and-sew supply chain. (In 2011, we will for the first time begin auditing raw-materials suppliers.) We have reduced the number of cut-and-sew factories we deal with from 109 to 55. Adding in subcontractors and footwear factories (monitored by Wolverine Worldwide, our footwear licensee) we have about 70 suppliers.
We have integrated corporate responsibility into our sourcing strategy: when considering new factories we take a fourfold vetting approach – one that includes social and environmental practices equally with quality standards and business requirements like financial stability, adequate capacity and fair pricing.
In 2010, we elevated the Social Responsibility Manager position to a high-level Director of Social/Environmental Responsibility. Our Social/Environmental Responsibility (SER) team can veto a decision to work with a new factory (as can, as always, our Quality team). We have trained our Sourcing team in responsible practices to minimize negative impact on the factory workers and the environment. Lastly, we have integrated our quality field managers to assist with SER activities while in the factories.
The Road Ahead
We are working within the industry to help make the living wage principle a concrete reality for garment workers. We are also making the environmental audit for our finished goods factories more robust, releasing a revised Code of Conduct and detailed Benchmark document in 2012 and planning to adopt the Fair Labor Association's Sustainable Compliance Initiative assessment tool for a portion of our supply chain.
We'll also continue to improve our raw materials tracing programs for cotton, wool and goose down, and continue to work on several collaborative industry projects with the (U.S.) Outdoor Industry Association, the Sustainability Apparel Coalition's (SAC) Eco and Social-Indices and the European Outdoor Group's Sustainability Working Group.
In an effort to understand the social and environmental impacts of our supply chain, Patagonia has launched a completely revised and even more transparent Footprint Chronicles website, in which we trace the environmental and social impacts of products. The Footprint Chronicles is our equivalent of a corporate responsibility report.