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Library Award for Undergraduate Research
2011 Winning Essay by Nicholas Derda
After reading a rather poorly written article about lesbian and gay advertising in a collection of essays for my Consumer Culture seminar, I decided that I would investigate this subject further for our final research paper. My hope was that I would be able to answer the questions that the author of this article had left me wondering.
Realizing that this topic was very broad, I decided to first find several advertising campaigns that I was interested in to use as a springboard for my research. After finding print and web ads from several magazines and different companies' websites, I began my search for secondary sources. I first turned to the Galileo search engine to see if we had any books on the topic in the Christopher Center. This quick search revealed that there were little to no resources in the stacks on this topic.
I next turned to Academic Search Premier to find articles. Before doing a broader search, I decided to look for the sources that were cited in the original article that I had read. While the article may not have been up to par, the sources the author had used were much more academically rigorous and introduced me to several of the central critiques surrounding the inclusion of lesbian and gay people into advertising.
After a search of the magazines and companies that I was interested in resulted in very few results in the EBSCO database, I decided to start entering more generic terms. This was problematic given the wide range of words and phrases used within the context of Gender and LGBTQ studies (e.g. "gay," "lesbian," "homosexual," "queer," etc). Using an ample assortment of search terms allowed me to find several very useful books and articles, which I ordered through Interlibrary Loan. Having learned to narrow my search criteria in several library help sessions during my past semesters at Valpo, I searched for articles in newspapers and magazines, like the New York Times and Business Week. These sources were helpful as they gave me a more straightforward, less jargon-filled survey of the topic from a business perspective.
When it looked as though I had exhausted all my search options within the EBSCO system, I turned to Google Scholar to find more sources. This search led me to several more books and articles. Rather than ordering all the books I found right away through ILL, I decided to look at them first on Google Books in order to determine which ones were worth ordering.
While I waited for my ILL sources to arrive, I conducted several searches on Google to see what people on blogs, LGBTQ websites, and electronic magazines, or "zines," as they are often referred to, had to say about this topic. While these may not have been traditionally "reliable" sources, they served my project well I was doing a cultural study where it is essential to know not just what scholars in the "ivory tower" have to say about the topic, but also how this is being discussed within the context of popular culture.
Having done research mostly in the humanities in the past, I was surprised when books oriented toward marketers and business students arrived in addition to the many critical critiques of advertisements from scholars in the humanities. At first this was frustrating because I was unfamiliar with many of the terms being thrown around in the business texts. Conveniently one of the books had a glossary of terms, which made reading these texts much more feasible.
Following a thorough skimming of the sources I had ordered, I realized there was a serious gap between what marketing scholars and researchers in the humanities had to say about this topic. I decided that I would try to put these two strains of thought in conversation with each other within the context of my paper, trying to answer one key question: why were marketers making these advertisements the way they were when scholars in the humanities found them so problematic?
The paper that resulted from my research was an intensive postmodern cultural study that integrated a wide variety of sources, ranging from comments left by Youtube users to scholarly journal articles. This project most definitely showed me the complexity of the relationship that exists between disciplines (i.e. the humanities and business) and the discrepancy of interpretations that exists between popular culture and academia. In approaching this topic from an interdisciplinary lens, I believe, my paper helped to contribute to the ongoing scholarly conversation on this topic that has often been bifurcated between the humanities and business studies.
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King County Assessor Lloyd Hara is studying whether large numbers of properties have been significantly undervalued for tax purposes — and whether the county could solve its budget problem by billing owners of those properties for underpayment.
King County Assessor Lloyd Hara is studying whether thousands of properties have been significantly undervalued for tax purposes, and whether their owners should be billed for underpayment — even though the owners may have paid their tax bills in full.
Because the county has the authority, in cases of "manifest error," to bill landowners for three years of past taxes, millions of dollars could be at stake.
Hara has been working closely with tax consultant and former Assessor Harley Hoppe, who has touted back taxes from underassessed properties as a solution to the county's projected $60 million budget shortfall next year.
Hara's office is examining records for three categories of property:
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• properties on which assessed values didn't change from one year to the next amid a volatile housing market;
• properties valued below the price for which they sold; and
• "personal property" such as art collections on which corporations and wealthy individuals may have failed to pay tax.
But sending a second bill to property owners who already paid their taxes is fraught with legal questions and political peril.
Any taxes collected would presumably have to be shared with cities, schools and other tax districts, according to sources in the assessor's and executive's offices.
Hara said he hasn't received legal advice on whether the county and other tax districts could keep the revenue or would have to refund it to other taxpayers.
Two Metropolitan King County Council members said they are leery of sending another bill to homeowners who already paid their taxes — particularly at a time when thousands of people are complaining their taxes have gone up even as property values have plummeted.
"For obvious reasons that strikes me as unlikely," Council Chairman Bob Ferguson said.
"I don't think that's going to be going over well," said Kathy Lambert, a member of the council's budget leadership team.
Because state law limits how much tax the county can collect, Deputy County Executive Fred Jarrett said the county can't solve its budget problem by collecting more from the owners of undervalued properties.
"I would expect that any taxpayer that receives that bill would probably take it to court, and they would probably win on the basis of the fact that it's an assessor's error," he said.
Hoppe, at 79 a sometimes-crusty figure as colorful as the star-spangled U.S. flag tie he wore to a recent County Council meeting, said he is personally aware of "thousands" of undervalued properties. As part of his consulting business, Hoppe monitors assessment records and property sales.
He said he doesn't know how much money the county could collect on undervalued properties — but he believes the amount is huge.
"Dow Constantine doesn't have to worry a bit about cutting anybody, he's going to have a lot of money coming in," Hoppe said, referring to County Executive Constantine's task of balancing the 2011 budget.
Hara, who was elected assessor and took office in November, said he doesn't know whether the county could collect a large amount from taxpayers whose properties were undervalued.
"Well, potentially," he said. "I don't want to make any flat statement. I want to see the data first and to see, potentially, the impact."
The Department of Assessments last week found the assessed values of 38,000 properties had not changed from 2008 to 2009. Staffers are taking a closer look at those accounts, said Chief Deputy Assessor John Arthur Wilson: "Is there a pattern in that? What's the explanation?"
That assessments on those properties didn't change in a changing market — property values were falling that year — made department staff wonder whether those assessments were valid.
Getting information from the Assessor's Office's 1970s-vintage mainframe computer is cumbersome and time-consuming because "queries" must be written in the COBOL programming language.
"Since I've been here, I've asked a lot of questions," Hara said. "They say, 'When do you want it, how much do you want to pay to get it, how valuable is it?' It drives me nuts because you can't ask a lot of what-if questions. We clearly need to upgrade that system because it's so critical."
Hara wants his budget boosted by more than $2 million to speed up his inquiry into possible undervaluations, add new construction to the tax rolls more quickly and respond to an unusually high number of appeals from commercial-property owners.
If the assessed values of undervalued properties are raised, that would shift the tax burden from some taxpayers to others in future years but wouldn't affect the total amount of tax to be collected.
Under state law, unless voters approve an increase, total tax collections can rise by only 1 percent per year, plus any taxes due on new construction.
Collecting back payments now could boost revenues available to the county and other tax districts next year, but only for that year, and only if the county isn't told to return the money to other taxpayers.
King County receives 17 cents of every property-tax dollar, according to the County Council figures.
Hoppe is also urging Hara to make sure wealthy taxpayers are paying personal property tax on art and other assets. Hara said he would check into whether Chase paid tax on art works it removed from Washington Mutual headquarters in Seattle last year after Chase acquired the failing bank.
A spokeswoman for Chase said she didn't know whether the bank paid personal property tax on those assets.
Keith Ervin: 206-464-2105 or email@example.com

subset: commoncrawl


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Martins, in his second MLS start this season, scored in the first half on a rebound from midfielder Shalrie Joseph's shot.
COMMERCE CITY, Colo. — First came the goal. Then came the flip.
Finally, and most important, came the win.
Sounders FC got a first-half goal from forward Obafemi Martins — followed by his trademark back-flip celebration — and just barely held on to beat the Colorado Rapids, 1-0, Saturday in front of 12,063 at Dick's Sporting Goods Park.
Seattle (1-3-2) had been the only team in MLS without a win. And while the Sounders are still off to a franchise-worst start and remain in last place in the Western Conference, the team will have some momentum going into a bye week.
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Victory, at last.
So what were coach Sigi Schmid's emotions when the final whistle blew?
"Happiness. Relief. A little bit of both," he said. "It's just good to get it behind us, and now we can move on. We've got that off our backs."
The Sounders have gone 26-0-7 since the end of 2010 when scoring the game's first goal, the longest active unbeaten streak in MLS. They have also won seven in a row against Colorado.
But this win didn't come easily as the Rapids (2-4-2) swarmed in search of an equalizer in the second half.
Rookie midfielder Dillon Powers ignited the hosts' comeback efforts in the 57th minute, but missed just wide with a left-footed shot from the top of the penalty area. Three minutes later, a deflected header by forward Atiba Harris hit the cross bar, and then forward Danny Mwanga headed the rebound into the hands of goalkeeper Michael Gspurning.
Colorado substitute Kamani Hill had an open chance off an 85th-minute cross, but slammed a volley off the post.
Lastly, a header by defender Drew Moor forced a heart-stopping save by Gspurning in the closing moments of stoppage time.
Seattle midfielder Brad Evans, who had vowed he wouldn't shave his beard until his team won an MLS game, said the Sounders were too cautious in protecting what was just their second lead of the season.
"It was in the backs of everyone's minds that we really want to get this, so let's not blow it," said Evans, who celebrated his 28th birthday Saturday.
However ugly it was in the end, Seattle has earned back-to-back shutouts after going without one in its first eight games of the year, including CONCACAF Champions League.
"We were sometimes a little lucky, but we also had some good chances, so I think we deserved the three points," said Gspurning, who hasn't allowed a goal in 235 minutes.
The Sounders scored in the 27th minute when Martins, making just his second MLS start, fired home a rebound past goalkeeper Clint Irwin. The play was set up when a blistering shot by midfielder Shalrie Joseph was saved in front of the goal.
Martins, who has been recovering from a knee injury, was pushed into the starting lineup late when forward Eddie Johnson didn't travel because of a hamstring injury.
"He was a real trouper," Schmid said of Martins. "He gave everything he had for as long as he could and obviously scored a great goal."
Martins said his thoughts after scoring immediately turned to his trademark celebration, one known around the world from his time in top leagues in Europe.
"I hope I score a lot of goals and I hope we win a lot of games," he said. "I'm very glad that I scored today and especially that we got these three points. We really needed it."
• Sounders FC next plays May 4 at Philadelphia.
• Seattle sporting director Chris Henderson, an Everett native, was one of four ex-players honored at halftime by the Rapids as the team relaunched its Gallery of Honor. Henderson played two stints in Colorado (1996-98, 2002-05) and is the franchise's all-time leader in assists.
• Seattle midfielder Steve Zakuani played for the first time in Colorado since he suffered a devastating leg injury here nearly two years ago to the day (April 22, 2011). He often matched up with Rapids defender Brian Mullan, who caused the injury with a reckless tackle. Said Zakuani: "I tried as best I could to focus on the game. It wasn't easy with Mullan as the right back, but that's the way it played out."
• There was a moment of silence before the game in memory of those killed in Boston last week.
|1 0 — 1
|0 0 — 0
First half — 1, Seattle, Martins 1, 27th minute. Second half — None. Goalies — Seattle, Michael Gspurning; Colorado, Clint Irwin. Shots — Seattle 10, Colorado 16. Shots on goal — Seattle 3, Colorado 3. Saves — Seattle 3, Colorado 2. Fouls — Seattle 14, Colorado 12. Corner kicks — Seattle 4, Colorado 6. Offsides — Seattle 2, Colorado 1. Yellow cards — Powers, Colorado, 41st; Traore, Seattle, 67th; Gonzalez, Seattle, 85th. Referee — Silviu Petrescu. Assistant referees — Jeff Hosking. Eric Proctor. 4th official — Edvin Jurisevic. A — 12,063 (18,086).
Seattle — Michael Gspurning, DeAndre Yedlin, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, Leo Gonzalez, Djimi Traore, Brad Evans, Shalrie Joseph, Osvaldo Alonso, Steve Zakuani (Alex Caskey, 70th), Lamar Neagle (Marc Burch, 89th), Obafemi Martins (Mauro Rosales, 61st).
Colorado — Clint Irwin, Marvell Wynne (Shane O'Neill, 55th), Drew Moor, Chris Klute, Dillon Powers, Hendry Thomas, Brian Mullan, Nick LaBrocca (Kamani Hill, 46th), Tony Cascio (Jamie Smith, 77th), Atiba Harris, Danny Mwanga.


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By Josh Jeffrey
BALTIMORE, August 4. BEN Michaelson and Michael Raab, both headed for the upcoming Pan American Games, put in some very impressive performances at the Speedo Mid-Atlantic Sectional Championships held in Baltimore, July 24-27, to set the stage for fast swimming in Santo Domingo.
Michaelson won three events in total, taking the 50 (23.53) and 100 freestyles (51.53) before winning the 100 fly in a scorching 54.39, taking more than a second off the meet record of 55.41 set by Raab last year.
Michaelson, Swimming World's June 2003 coverboy, has been on fire since his performance at this spring's Duel in the Pool, where he became the third fastest 100 meter-butterflier in US history with a time of 52.76. Pan Ams, just a week away, may prove to be his breakout meet, just as it did for Ed Moses in 1999.
Raab, not to be outdone, popped a 2:00.03 to win the 200 meter butterfly, some five seconds ahead of his nearest competitor, and also under his own meet record of 2:00.35 from last year. To his credit, his time for second in the 100 fly (55.23) was also under the previous meet record.
Though there were no other Trials standards met on the men's side, there were plenty of good performances. Mark Liscinsky of Curl-Burke broke the meet record in the men's 200 freestyle. His time of 1:52.55 erased the name of Olympic champion Tom Dolan from the books. Dolan set the old mark at 1:53.65 last year.
Double winners included NBAC's Scott Pitz, who took control of the 100 (1:05.72) and 200 (2:22.83) breaststrokes, and Steven Fleming, who won both dorsal events in 58.83 and 2:07.41 respectively.
Sixtten year-old Cory Knopp of North Baltimore took a difficult double in winning the 1500 free (15:54.94), and 400 IM (4:39.09).
Butterfly appeared to be on a hot streak at the meet on the women's side as well, as Jessie Brosch of Rockville-Montgomery notched the only women's Trials standard, seizing the 200 butterfly in 2:15.30, which also broke her own meet record of 2:15.43 from last year.
Rockville-Montgomery's Kassy Kugler showed her sprint prowess with wins in the 50 (27.03) and 100 (58.73) freestyles, while SoNoCo's Kristen Frost showed her heels to the field in the 200 (2:04.67) and 400 (4:22.45).
Fourteen year-old Jamie Marks swept the breaststrokes, winning the 100 in 1:13.05, and the 200 in 2:37.13.
Full results can be found at: http://www.racswim.org/


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U R my Jaan is a simple love story about Reena and Akash who're opposites. Staying miles away from each other, still Akash from New York and Reena from Chandigarh are brought together by fate in Mumbai. In their brief encounter, a vivacious & chirpy middle class Reena, who nurtures the dream of making it big in Bollywood, and the renowned, suave & ruthless billionaire Akash, who will go to any lengths when it is his business, manage to change each other's life forever. Their ...
Movie Details
Language: Hindi
Status: Released
Mikaal Zulfikaar, Rajesh Khera, Himani Shivpuri, Aman Yatan Verma, Ravi Dubey, Aishwarya Sakhuja, Priti Soni
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Yet again, the Jazz play horribly on the road (save for the very end) and come away with a loss in a game that they should have won (no offense to the Bobcats, but if the Jazz want to be considered "contenders", they have to win games like this). Yes, even if they're shorthanded and without 3 of their stars. They weren't the only shorthanded team (the Bobcats were without Jason Richardson). The Bobcats still showed up. And as a result, they picked up their 3rd win on the season, while handing the Jazz their 3rd loss.
The Jazz started out fast, jumping ahead 7 after 1. But, as Booner put it best…
Bobcats tomorrow night. Jazz fans are the only fans in the world scared to face the Bobcats.
Throw in the fact that it was on the road, and yeah… the Bobcats won the next 3 quarters (the 2nd by 8, the 3rd by 2, and the 4th by 5). Game. The Jazz made some sort of effort late, but it was "too little, too late" by that point. And yes, I'm blaming J-Slo again. Why not? I mean, just look at the minutes he handed out…
Other quick notes… Adam Morrison has a shot. Now, if he could do anything else on the court, he might show why he was a lottery pick. Until then, though, he's just an overdrafted Steve Novak. I like DJ Augustin. I wonder if they'd take someone like Almond or Fesenko or the likes for him. Actually, I guess not… the Jazz don't need 4 PGs. Though whether or not Price is really a PG is up for debate.
Player Notes Below
Ronnie Price: Look, I know he was impressive last year. But he was coming off the bench! And while he finally got some good numbers tonight (6-10, 2-4 from long range, 14 points, 3 assists, 2 steals, 4 turnovers), he's not a true PG. He's an undersized 2-guard… a spark-plug off of the bench. He should not be starting. And when he's not the biggest problem in the starting 5, something is wrong.
Ronnie Brewer: Don't get me wrong, I love the guy. But when you're taking 16 shots, something is wrong. Especially when you only make 4. The 4 assists & 3 steals are nice. The 2 turnovers and the 3 blocked attempts, not so much. And the 25% shooting is killer.
CJ Miles: Okay, J-Slo. Against Washington, CJ was a great play… and you didn't play him!!! And today, when he's launching up bad shots (2-7 shooting, 1-4 from long range), you give him extra minutes (25 minutes)? What? Why not play Kyle more, especially since he seemed to get his shot back? Or Almond? Late in the game, with the Jazz needing a defensive stop, he gave Adam Morrison all the space in the world, and Morrison (not much of a threat to drive… a la CJ, no less) buried it. Play up on him! J-Slo, you deserve blame for this as well. He shouldn't have even been in.
Carlos Boozer: Nice numbers. 9-17 shooting, 8-8 from the FT line… 26 & 15. And 5 fouls and 2 TOs, but ugh. What you don't see is that the Bobcats had their big men in foul trouble early (all like 3 of them), and yet Booze either wasn't on the court (his own foul trouble) or he just wasn't dominating inside. I don't know who's fault that is, but seriously. Take over down low. That's your job.
Kosta Koufos: Talk about making an impact. He played almost 30 minutes, despite not playing late because J-Slo doesn't get the basic concept of needing a 3-pointer late and can't seem to see when Booze is not dominating like he should. Koufos shined though, picking up 9 points, 10 boards & 5 blocks! Also nice… 6 of his boards were offensive. Now if only he could improve on the 4-10 shooting. I don't know where Fesenko is, but Koufos has just taken the back-up C spot from him.
Paul Millsap: 5-11 shooting, including a missed 3-pointer. 5 rebounds, and 5 fouls. The Bobcats obviously had the plan to attack inside, and as evidenced by the 24 FTs combined between Raymond Felton & Gerald Wallace (as many as the entire Jazz team), it worked. 'Sap & Booze each finished with 5 fouls, and 'Sap really didn't dominate as you would've liked given the Bobcats foul trouble for big men.
Brevin Knight: 2-5 shooting, and 4-6 from the line. 4 assists to 3 turnovers. 3 rebounds. 8 points, before fouling out. He needs to cut the TOs down, and he needs to be starting when Deron is out. He also needs to make his FTs (I thought he was a 90+% shooter). Oh, and dude… stop fouling. Please, please don't learn the Jazz method of "defense".
Matt Harpring: Explain this to me… No Knees got more minutes than Korver. Late, needing a trey… and Korver can't even pick up the extra 6 seconds to pass No Knees in time played. And you wonder why the Jazz have issues. J-Slo has to be happy though… No Knees got 4 points on 2 shots in 14 minutes. Just another excuse to play him major minutes down the road. There was the defensive breakdown late where he left Morrison open (just like CJ), but he's obviously not going to get a lecture from J-Slo about that.
Kyle Korver: What happened? All of a sudden, he's not getting any time at all. That too, today, he was 2-2 from long range and 2-4 overall. The 3 TOs hurt, yes, but J-Slo has never pulled No Knees for too many turnovers, so why Korver? And why not send him back in when we need the treys late? Koufos, Almond, Price, Korver… they should've all been on the court. None of them were until Price was forced in after Knight fouled out. And still no subs, so down 6 with under 24 seconds left, obviously the Jazz settle for a blown lay-up. Treat Korver like this, and he'll be out the door after the season in a flash. Why stick around to get insulted like this?
The Jazz didn't play hard early, and didn't play hard late (until the final couple of minutes). This 9 man rotation is hell… at least give Almond a shot. I mean, it's not like he could be worse than No Knees or CJ on nights like today. Of course, given that the Jazz didn't pick up the option, the question has to be whether or not Almond even sees as many minutes this year as he did last year. My big fear entering the game was that the Bobcats would have a big-man go off on the Jazz (a la JaVale McGee). That didn't happen (Okafor 6, May 8, Ajinca 0, Hollins 5), but the Bobcats didn't even need that. Just like last year, they just attacked the Jazz bigs with their guards, and it was enough to pull out the win. How can the Jazz not see this coming? The Bobcats do the same thing every year… and come out ahead every year. And now? A game tomorrow night (yep, back-to-back, again… because the NBA hates the Jazz) in Cleveland. I was worried about the Bobcats game, and that was thinking that we had Deron & AK. Without them… hopefully tomorrow isn't a total blowout.
Oh, and I'm not the only one feeling like this. This absolutely has to stop. How can they be so horrifically bad on the road?


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Argentines worship meat. Argentines adore pizza. And so, they figured out a way to unite these two great loves. For most of us, this would mean piling on the pepperoni, dotting the top with some meatballs or adding bulk Italian sausage to our favorite pizza. But clearly, our imaginations are limited.
You see, with this dish, Argentines don't put meat on the pizza. The meat is the pizza. Behold the ultimate pizza for carnivores: matambre a la pizza.
Matambre, a cut of beef that Americans know as flank steak, is the meat that covers the ribs just under the hide. Americans tend to cook flank steak to medium-rare or medium to ensure tenderness, as this cut is quite lean; however, most Argentines would balk at that level of doneness. In Argentina, matambre is often tenderized with milk and typically slow-roasted or grilled to medium-well or well done.
The classic toppings for matambre a la pizza include fresh tomato, roasted red peppers and—just in case there wasn't enough protein for you—sliced deli ham. Other popular pizza toppings in Argentina include green olives, chopped hard-boiled eggs, and hearts of palm, but the last two don't normally show up on matambre a la pizza.
So, forget about ordering from your local pizza joint this weekend, and whip up this "pizza" guaranteed to satisfy those meat cravings.
1 flank steak or matambre, 2 to 3 lb.
1 qt. milk
2 cloves garlic, smashed
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Approx. 1 cup store-bought or homemade pizza sauce
8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
Dried oregano, to taste
Sliced tomato
Strips of roasted red pepper
Slices of deli ham, optional
Trim away the silver skin and most of the excess fat from the meat. Place the flank steak in a large glass dish with the milk. Cover the dish with plastic wrap, and marinate the steak overnight (at least 12 hours) in the refrigerator.
Remove the meat from the refrigerator 1 hour before cooking. Preheat the oven to 325ºF.
Line a roasting pan with heavy-duty foil, and then place a lightly crumpled piece of foil in the center to raise the meat up off the bottom of the pan. Remove the flank steak from the milk (do not discard the milk), and season it with salt and pepper on both sides. Place the flank steak in the roasting pan, fat side up, and add the garlic and 1 ¼ cups of the milk used to marinate the flank steak. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and place in the oven.
After 45 minutes, remove the pan from the oven. Increase the oven temperature to 350ºF. Transfer the flank steak to a plate for a moment, and place a wire rack in the roasting pan. Return the meat to the pan and roast it in the oven, uncovered, for another 20 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven, and flip the flank steak over. Add a layer of pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, oregano and other toppings, as desired.
Return the flank steak to the oven for 10 more minutes or until the cheese has melted.
Slice and serve immediately with french fries, ensalada rusa (Russian salad), or mashed potatoes and a green salad.


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Not sure how Alonso even triggered his DRS. When he passed Rosberg it was working ok but sometime between then and lap 8 it was triggered. Vettel was more than a second away that whole time, so how could he trigger it???


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Professor David Kopel's Testimony to the Gun Control Senate Hearing
While his opening statement (gun control isn't unconstitutional if it actually proves effective in reducing crime) might be a little light on the jurisprudence, in classic professorial style, he uses facts and logic to dismantle the pro-gun control arguments presented. In fact, his testimony might actually have been more compelling than Wayne LaPierre's. Also, any man that uses the phrase "standard capacity" instead of falling for the 'high capacity' rhetorical trap gets an attaboy in my book.40


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cRYSTAL vALLEY fINANCIAL cORP. 2012 profits up on strong 4Q results
MIDDLEBURY — Crystal Valley Financial Corp. announced Thursday, Feb. 14, that its board approved a 9-cent dividend, the company had $3.13 million in net income for 2012 and will buy back some stock.
The board of the company, which is the holding company for First State Bank, approved the dividend, which was 28.6 percent higher than the dividend paid in the first quarter of 2012.
James Hiatt, president and CEO of the bank, reported the net income for 2012 was 24.1 percent higher than 2011, with roughly a third of the total coming in the fourth quarter.
The board also introduced a stock repurchase program, authorizing the company to buy shares on the open market or in private transactions. Hiatt said, "with the recent trading price of our shares at a discount to book value we believe this investment makes strategic sense."


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Cute hairstyles for a water park party with french braids!!?
I am having my bday party at a water park and i need a really really really cute hairstyle so i can impress my crush!! Because I am going to a water park I want a french braided hairstyle cuz they look god wet and dry. They are sooper cute but I don't want just do 1 or 2 french braids. And don't say the lauren conrad braid cuz I want something new. My hair is that far past my shoulders and I have side bangs. Pics and instructions and videos would be good too!!! Thanks in advance!!!


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Sunday, September 08, 2013
Well it's certainly been an interesting week. You all know about my hospital visit. The chest pains haven't stopped. But I know why they haven't. It is indeed stress. I'm usually perfectly fine when I'm at home after about the end of the day Tuesday. But the second I see my work place, they start up again. Goes on all day until I run out the door and get home. Definitely not good, I know. I am looking for another job, I promise. I'm checking out the state's workforce center website every day and checking the weekly paper for job openings I would be good for. Just trying to keep my eyes open and my hopes up. But at the same time, the realist in me doesn't want me getting my hopes up too high because chances are EXTREMELY slim of finding another job in this stupid black hole of an area. I guess we'll see what happens. But I am doing the best that I can to find some ways to help tame down my overly stressed out body. I'm trying to get back to exercise, but I'm not gonna get my hopes on that for this week at least due to the fact that the wedding is just 6 days away and there's still so much to do and I'm stuck staying an hour late at that evil place to make up for the hours I had to call in sick, and to top it all off, I'm getting a sore throat thanks to my lovely fiance who caught a bad chest cold last week. And I need to clean the house today. I would let it go and just not care if it weren't for the fact that people were going to be coming over soon. So if anybody has a housecleaning fairy, could I PLEASE borrow it so I can rest? I'd appreciate it a lot. But yeah, I've decided to start drinking chamomile tea every night that I have to work to try to ease things down that way. Um, I think that's it for an update for today. I don't think I'll be blogging next weekend due to everything going on. Finally getting around to saying "I do" if my voice hasn't disappeared. Man I hope not. But I'll blog when I can and post pictures and everything. So, take care everybody!
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My last job was just like that, but exercise really helps me get my stress out, even know that I have an amazing job. I didn't think I would find a better job either, but there is something out there that's perfect for you, you just have to stay positive!
992 days ago
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You've already gotten some good advice, so I'll just say take a few moments to breathe, keep your positive attitude up on finding another job, and don't worry too much if the housecleaning fairy doesn't make it. You and your fiance are getting ready to make a lifetime commitment to each other. Relax and enjoy building a happy memory together!
994 days ago
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I've had a lot of experience with anxiety in the past and I'm trying to think of some advice to give you. I get chest pains, pounding heart, and light headedness usually. You have to be careful or it could progress to a panic attack. If you haven't had one, those are scary but not physically harmful (e.g. not life threatening). The main thing that helped me was doing CBT training but you are pressed for time so here are a few tips. Try taking a fully 5 seconds to breath in and out. My counselor told me that a lot of anxiety symptoms are really symptoms of getting less oxygen because we are anxious and thus breathing more quickly. That is, a full 5 seconds to breath in and out again. Progressive relaxation has also helped me. It's where you go from head to go relaxing various body parts. For example, relax your face, relax your jaw, relax your neck, relax your shoulders, relax your back, ect.
The most CBT like thing you could do right now (without actually taking the course) is to write out the specifics of what is troubling you. These are called 'hot thoughts' and tend to be the kinds of thoughts that trigger bad emotional reactions (like anxiety). Then find evidence against that statement. For instance, you have faced obstacles in your life and overcome them. You have been in stressful situations before and you have stuck it out. There is also the possibility that you can find another job and that you can make it through work until then. This should allow you to revisit your original hot thought with a bit more positivity. When you do that, you create a more balanced thought like "this is hard but I have overcome obstacles before" rather than "I can't do this".
I've actually been having a return of a lot of my anxiety symptoms this week and after spending some time writing things out this way, I do feel a bit better.
It's worth a try anyways!
You could make it a point to try it in the evenings this week as you will be sort of mentally gearing up for the next day :)
994 days ago
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Good luck finding a new job. I live in rural b.f.e and there are a few jobs hiding out there...so I'm sure your area has a few floating around too!
Best of luck with the wedding!!! Don't let all the stress bring your happy day down!
994 days ago
Comment edited on: 9/8/2013 2:12:09 PM
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Wow, sounds like you are REALLY having a rough time at work. I hope you can find another job and get away from there asap!
I wish I had a housekeeping fairy! But good luck getting it all done, and getting some time to relax in between.
And HUGE good luck with the wedding!
994 days ago
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text: Elderly couple escape injury in arson 19 Apr 2014 A fire at the home of an elderly couple in Banbridge, Co Down, is believed to have been started deliberately. Share Share Share Story by UTV Staff, Belfast The couple were inside the Edenvale Avenue property when the attack happened at about 12.40am on Saturday however they were not injured in the blaze, but were left badly shaken.It had started when a Renault car was set alight and had spread to the house, damaging the front door, porch area and roof. A nearby property and a Citroen car were also slightly damaged.Fire crews said the vehicle was "well alight" when they arrived at the scene but it was quickly brought under control.David Lonnen, Station Commander of Portadown District, told UTV more than 30 vehicles have been targeted in arson attacks in Banbridge over the past year.He added: "We are treating the fire as deliberate ignition and the police are investigating."There were occupants in both of the houses but no rescues were required as they were out of the buildings when the fire service arrived."Police asked anyone with more information on the arson attack to get in touch. © UTV Share Share Share


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McGhee vows to turn Dons around
Aberdeen, Updated:
[[views]], BY ClubCall
Aberdeen boss Mark McGhee insists he is not afraid of the sack and accepts that he may lose his job if performances do not improve.
The Dons have managed just eight wins from 30 matches in the SPL this term and lie 16 points adrift of Hibernian in fourth in what has been a disappointing campaign to date.
The Dons have an outside chance of finishing in the top six but McGhee accepts that is not good enough and faces the sack if things do not improve next season.
"If Aberdeen don't do a lot better next season I know it's likely I will suffer," said McGhee.
"There are managers who never like to even talk about being sacked. But it's not a word I've ever been scared of because I accepted long ago it's what happens in football.
"I don't want to be sacked by Aberdeen. But I'm in the results business and accept clubs act if they see things aren't going as well as they would like.
"If that happens at Aberdeen and they sack me I won't be any worse a person or manager. It's my job to convince the people at Aberdeen not to treat me that way and I'm certain I will.
"I have no fears for my immediate future. I know what I want to do and how I'm going to go about it. It's been a blow to my pride I haven't been as successful as I would want to be so far but I will put that right."


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White Tea
White tea is the least processed tea; it is simply plucked and dried. Brewed white tea has a subtle, slightly sweet, smooth flavor with a light cream almost colorless appearance. It is high in catechins, which are natural antioxidants and packed full of health benefits. Usually enjoyed as a "self-drinker", which means that no sugar or milk are added to the cup.
Food Pairing Suggestions:
Because of its delicate flavor, white tea is most often enjoyed alone or with light foods or desserts.


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No Prologue.
No sprint finish on stage 1.
2 mountain stages in Italy (the Prato Nevoso, which sees the finish of stage 15, and the mighty Col de la Bonette (also known as the Restefond).
A formidable stage 17, over the Galibier and Croix de Fer passes before a finish at L'Alpe d'Huez, and a closing time trial of 53km from Cérilly to St. Amand-Montrond the day before the July 27 finish in Paris.


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EventsSearch Options
Rev. Karen's Mid-Month Devotional at Meditation Mount
All faiths welcome for half-day retreat at Meditation Mount, Sat., June 21
Category Lectures & Seminars Date: 06/21/14 Time: 9:30 A.M.
Arts & Crafts by the artists who made them
Category Festivals Date: 06/21/14 Time: 10 A.M.
Fresh Air: An Exhibit of Plein Air Painting
See the great outdoors in art.
Category art exhibit Date: 06/21/14 Time: 11 A.M.
We Are Spiritual Machines
We Are Spiritual Machines a multi-media exhibit by Mike Saijo at the Porch Gallery Ojai
Category art exhibit Date: 06/21/14 Time: Noon
The Dinner Detective
Interactive Murder Mystery Dinner Show!
Category comedy , food and drink , theater Date: 06/21/14 Time: 6 P.M.
The Goodvibe Studio hosts a Drumming event
Ongoing Drum Circle every Friday night.
Category Live music Date: 06/21/14 Time: 6:30 P.M.
NEXT TO NORMAL at Camarillo Skyway Playhouse
musicals, theatre, ventura county premiere
Category Community Happenings , Live music , Performance Art , theater Date: 06/21/14 Time: 8 P.M.
FUNDAMENTALS of Thai Yoga Massage - 24 CE hours
Fundamentals of Thai Yoga Massage is a 3-day module focuses on joint mobilizing and stretching with a series of assisted yoga movements where gentle rocking and acupressure is applied to the limbs in a variety of positions.
Category Classes Date: 06/21/14


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Justin does think quite highly of himself.
Time has released its annual list of the 100 Most Influential People in the world. Jimmy Fallon was included and Justin Timberlake was asked to write a few words in celebration of his friend's achievement.
Jimmy Fallon and instead made his piece about his wedding. You remember that wedding, don't you?


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Article Preview
SALLY RAMBEAU, P.A. SPOEHR WED; Nuptials Held in Bronxville --Bride Wears Gown of White Peau de Soie
Special to The New York Times.Edwin Kellogg ();
December 02, 1956,
, Section , Page 90, Column , words
BRONXVILLE, N.Y., Dec. 1 --Miss Sally Rambeau and Peter Adams Spoehr were married this afternoon by the Rev. Lowell Russell Ditzen in the Reformed Church here.
December 02, 1956
Thank you for visiting The New York Times archive.
New York Times subscribers* enjoy full access to TimesMachine—view 129 years of New York Times journalism, as it originally appeared. 99¢ for your first 4 weeks.
Or, purchase this article individually for $3.95 and download a high-resolution PDF.
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Congress Votes To Reopen Government
Last-minute debt deal keeps gov't open until Jan. 15
October 17, 2013
WASHINGTON — Up against a deadline, Congress passed and sent a waiting President Barack Obama legislation late Wednesday night to avoid a threatened national default and end the 16-day partial......
wonder, you and goosey wouldn't be trying to bait an argument with that flimsy gossip chatter.
Are you as petty as you appear?
Kind'a grade school playground don't you think.
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Oct-17-13 2:35 PM Agree | Disagree
Ted Cruz, not sure if he reminds me more of Mr. Haney from Green Acres or Pee Wee Herman. I know each time he opens his mouth I have to laugh at the fools who think this first term critter should run for President.
More like Grandpa Munster! No wonder Toolplayer likes him! Bloodsuckers! LOL
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The U.S. credit rating has suffered due, in part, to the self-destructive behavior of a Tea Party dominated Republican Party. Yes, the Democrats and the White House must share in the blame insofar as the overall deficit is concerned, but so must the Republicans. What became obvious to the international community is that the U.S. is in the process of pulling itself apart economically and politically. The extreme partisanship makes it almost impossible for differing political points of view to find middle ground - and without that a nation is ultimately doomed. It is likely that the rest of the world will soon shift from the U.S. dollar as the base currency and move to a more secure basket of currencies. Coupled with an almost certain downgrade of our national credit rating this will have a huge negative impact on the U.S. economy.
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I got me a O-BA-MA-PHOME!
mmm mmm mmm
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Would someone please tell one thing this man has done that has helped the average american. Please, I dont want to hear how he saved the auto industry etc. I mean the average middle class american.
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This corrupt government will soon have enough money to take over the entire globe thanks to the massive tax increase that is Osama care!!!
What is now CRYSTAL clear is that the corruption of BOTH parties is deep and to the core and NOTHING short of dissolving this government and replacing it with a new one will restore CONSTITUTIONAL government BACK to the people!!!!
"That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness." -- Declaration of Independence
That time is NOW!!!
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You mean the Bank of China might decline Barry Bankrupter's new TRILLION-dollar-limit credit card? Maybe Barry Bankrupter's $6 TRILLION in new debt in only four years has the Chinese nervous about whether Barry has an actual plan to pay that bill? Other than "hope and change" I mean? LOL
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China DOWNGRADES USA credit AFTER raising debt ceiling because we can't pay it back!!!!!
"AFP - A Chinese ratings agency downgraded its US sovereign credit rating Thursday despite Washington's resolution of the debt ceiling deadlock, warning that fundamentals for a potential default remained "unchanged".
Dagong lowered its ratings for US local and foreign currency credit from A to A-, maintaining a negative outlook, the agency said in a statement.
The announcement came after the US Congress passed and President Barack Obama signed a bill that extends the nation's borrowing authority and ends a two-week government shutdown.
"The fundamental situation that the debt growth rate significantly outpaces that of fiscal income and gross domestic product remains unchanged," Dagong said in the statement, adding Washington's solvency was vulnerable as old debts were still repaid through raising new debts. "
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Goosedown; Although you may have a closer relationship with the TV County Agent than I; How can you be sure that a TV actor would be a worse President than a community organizer turned "present voting" Senator that has not accepted responsibility for anything in the last five years, but has decided to accept as his namesake the now floundering DemoCare Healthcare Preference System.
How's that for good planning?
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Indentured hoopie; As you freely slander Mr. Cruz for standing up against those that would steal your constitutional rights and plunge you further into indebtedness, you would be wise to reconsider who you depend on for your well being.
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oldman... yawn... Canadianzzzz... Cruzzzzz... zzzzzz.... zzzzzzzzz......
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wvhoopie "At least Pres Obama follows the rules set up by our fore fathers."
Right. LOL hoopie, I looked all through the US Constitution again, but I STILL couldn't find mandatory Government Health Insurance anywhere. Are you sure that's what the "fore fathers" had in mind when they wrote "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people"?
I guess it doesn't matter. Because the rest of your argument – "shut up teabaggers blah blah blah get out of the way losers" – is so eloquent and powerful it really stands on it's own merit. LOL
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At least Pres Obama follows the rules set up by our fore fathers. Speak out on what you want to do, recruit others to join you, run for office, win that office and then govern. The tea party cannot win elections, they cannot voice what they want to do so they use extortion by threatening economic collapse because they can't win a majority. I believe the tea party is going to self destruct because Americans will not follow them and they will not win elections. So shut up teabaggers, America is sick of your foolishness. You cannot win the majority so get out of the way losers.
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"Ted Cruz, not sure if he reminds me more of Mr. Haney"
I do have to laugh at this one as the Mr. Haney thing has popped into my head occasionally. I so tired of the old guard though that someone trying to stand up and change things has some guts. We had someone a few years ago stand up and tell us how much he was going to change things! It turns out he's just really good at the same old/same old!
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Is anyone surprised Troll is a fan of t he Canadian Cruz. Please tell us some other foreigners you admire Troll. Do you admire Cruz because he enjoys universal health care in his homeland Canada
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The USA has millions of suicide bombers. They are called Democrats and they are committing suicide on the country.
Counting the Medicare/Social Security unfunded liabilities, the debt is:
• $215,311 for every person living in the U.S.
• $559,331 for every household in the U.S.
• 428% of the U.S. gross domestic product.
• 2,513% of annual federal revenues.
CONCLUSION: You can NEVER pay it back, therefore BANKRUPTCY and World Collapse.
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Gooseman "Mr. Haney blah blah blah Pee Wee Herman yadda yadda yadda..."
Yawn. When the left has NO valid criticisms they fall back on mocking and name-calling. Saul Alinsky tactics, but in this case crudely, pathetically executed by an amateurish radical Goose. Too funny.
The left's fear of Cruz is palpable. Keep trying, Goosy. LOL
2 Agrees | 3 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
Ted Cruz, not sure if he reminds me more of Mr. Haney from Green Acres or Pee Wee Herman. I know each time he opens his mouth I have to laugh at the fools who think this first term critter should run for President.
1 Agrees | 3 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
So the loony left is speaking Nazi now. How appropriate, and how hilarious. Sig Heil, Obamafuhrer! Snapping a smart salute, just to be sure you don't brand me a traitor, too, Fritz. Too funny.
3 Agrees | 3 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
A message for Ted Cruz and the rest of the Tea Party Traitors:
So wird immer Tyrannen scheitern.
A prediction in 1939, a fact in 1945. And that's how history repeats itself.
1 Agrees | 1 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
iheartwv - obviously penned by this paper's own republican journalist ...
Or...even Mr and Mrs Nuttcase, the owners of this rag.
4 Agrees | 1 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
Appears to me that the Rep. Party is performing like the Arabs. Lots of talk and unity, but when it comes to a crises they fall apart into different factions with their own agenda. Time to stick tt gether and unify to get the big spenders out. We are losing this country to those with their hands out, who do nothing.
1 Agrees | 2 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
The nation walked along the brink of a fiscal cliff over the past few weeks. The Democratic Party ineptly managed the crisis, and the Republican Party allowed itself to be taken over by a fringe group of fanatics who seemed to hope that the nation would implode. It was not America's finest moment. The crisis revealed deepening flaws in our political system and growing polarization between extremists. The nation's leaders have allowed themselves to become comic book images of themselves playing reality show drama for a mindless audience which cannot tell virtual reality from the real thing.
4 Agrees | 1 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
I find it interesting that we even allow the goberment to predict any economic outcome for more than 1 week! They have no FREAKIN clue what the economy will be this quarter (follow the predictions and then note the REAL outcomes, never the same and not even close), let alone in 2070......
1 Agrees | 2 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
"A year ago the debt was supposed to glide down to zero by the 2070s."
I guess that is what they mean by 3 generations later.....
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The price of petrol is subject to factors such as refinery gate prices, the freight for carrying petrol to refineries and the commission paid to petrol pumps. Then, there are umpteen taxes levied by the central and state governments to raise resources. Thus, about half of the petrol price paid by the users goes into the coffers of the government as tax levies.
Unintegrated policy
Taxes on petrol and its users are levied by both the Centre and state governments, independently. There is no comprehensive national policy for the taxation of petrol or its road use. The Centre levies excise duty on petrol and vehicles. The levy on petrol has been restructured from being a mix of specific and ad valorem taxes into a pure specific levy. The tax component of petrol price does not increase with every increase in its retail price. State governments also levy taxes on crude oil and vehicles. Octroi and entry tax on crude oil are taxes on inputs or intermediate products. This tax burden is irrecoverable and varies from state to state and from refinery to refinery. The effective protection provided has an impact on the margins of some refineries. Taxes on petrol and on its users (via tax on vehicles) are unintegrated. In view of the dire need to arrest environmental degradation, it is essential to integrate environmental issues within the framework of the policy for taxation of petrol and its users.
Multiplicity of taxes
In addition to the levy of Union excise duty on petrol by the Centre and sales tax by states, other road user taxes are also levied by states. These include sales tax on vehicles, motor vehicles tax, and passengers and goods tax. These taxes fulfil the regulatory objective of the vehicle transport policy and are levied for mobilising resources. The fact that road user taxes play an important role in achieving a desired level of growth in the number of vehicles, and investment in roads, these taxes need to take environmental considerations.
Taxes on motor vehicles are levied at three pointsat the time of purchase; on ownership of the vehicle, i.e. when the vehicle is registered in the state; and on the use of vehicles (taxes on fuel, tolls, permit fee, goods tax etc).
Tax on purchase of vehicles
Taxes related to the purchase of vehicles, viz CenVAT, stateVAT, CST, have a strong influence on the choice of the vehicle. These taxes also have an


text:
Information Sheets That Can Help You
The Judicial Council of California has created a number of information sheets about Domestic Violence Restraining Orders. These are available in English, and also have been translated into Chinese, Korean, Spanish, and Vietnamese.
To read the information that would help you, please click on the appropriate language:


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Professional DUI Lawyer When Seeking Justice
Driving under influence has been a black hand that has claimed lives on roads. In response, the state of Arizona has of over the time passed deterrent laws in a bid to curb the rising statistics of road accidents. The laws have stringent measures that don't allow low fines and shorter jail terms. When one has been booked with a DUI charge, it's imperative for one looking for Arizona DUI Lawyer.
This is to avoid a possible conviction. Apart from getting a jail term or hefty fine, an risk his driving license and be ordered to attend rehabilitation therapies. This damaging process can be halted when one gets a well seasoned Arizona DUI Lawyer to represent him.
One should go for a firm that has the latest investigating technique. The only way the officer would prove that one was drunk beyond the required legal limit is by producing reading on Alco-blow and other legal gadgets designed to measure the level of a given drug in one's body. A well trained Arizona DUI Lawyer will help one in verifying the accuracy of the gadget and use the findings to urged in favor of his client. The lawyer will also take steps such as visiting the scene to get the graphical feel on how the situation was. This would aid him in presentation before the jury.
The same can be said of the New York DUI Lawyer. This is because their level of competence with has been seasoned by the inflexible provisions of defense that the law provide. One can get online and either book the services or consult. The lawyer would be in a position to give professional advice with useful option one can pursue to get off the hook. even with the burden of proof weighing on the defense, one is sure that the case would be handled with expediency and high level of professionalism.


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The creative team behind "Doughboy," the movie that was filmed in Wheeling last year, is casting a new feature film, "Random Acts," to be shot in Wheeling in March.
The movie is the second for Flyover Films and Route 40 Films. Kristin Seibert, J.W. Myers, Ty DeMartino and Hartland Entertainment are listed as the producers of the new movie. Myers also is the director of the new production, based on a screenplay written by DeMartino.
Seibert said the holiday film is expected to be released in December. The producers describe "Random Acts" as "an uplifting drama for the holidays that focuses on one family's struggle to get their life back and the lessons they learn through simple acts of kindness."
Lead roles to be cast are those of a land developer in his late 40s; his wife, a woman in her 40s who is "a sensible soccer mom"; their son, age 16-18; their daughter, age 14-16; a former pastor, age 60-75, and an "arrogant" man in his early 30s.
According to casting information, there also are roles for two men, ages 40-50; four women, age 40; two girls, ages 16-18; two boys, ages 16-19; three men in the range of age 60-80; a man of 30 and two women, age 50.
Over the next few weeks, the film team plans to audition members of the Screen Actors Guild as well as non-union actors.
Are you as besotted with the PBS Masterpiece Classic mini-series, "Downton Abbey," as my friends and I are?
Well, big-spending fans of the period drama have a chance to discover the "real" Downton Abbey, with a private day trip to Highclere Castle, the filming location for the Golden Globe- and Emmy-winning series.
Last summer, my best friend and an English friend visited the grounds of Highclere Castle briefly, but security guards prevented them from touring the castle because filming for "Downton Abbey" was under way at the property.
Now, however, an organization called NoteWorthy Events has created a special package for fans to "step into the life of the real Earl and Countess of Carnarvon," owners of Highclere Castle. According to a press release, this package - designed for a maximum of four "devotees" of the series - costs 7,900 pounds sterling. At the current exchange rate, that translates into a cost of $12,218 in U.S. dollars.
For that amount, NoteWorthy Events officials said, the guests will be "greeted personally by the eighth Earl and Countess of Carnarvon," take a tour of the State Rooms with either the earl or the countess, enjoy a private lunch in the State Dining Room and, after lunch, be transported in one of the earl's private off-road vehicles to Beacon Hill to see the remains of an Iron Age fort and the burial spot of the fifth Earl of Carnarvon, "who funded and assisted Howard Carter's investigations, culminating in the discovery of Tutankhamen's fabulous tomb in 1922."
Officials said the visit to Highclere Castle will end with the serving of high tea, "at which guests have an opportunity to gain an intimate and informal insight into the working life of the countess."
Meanwhile, for those seeking a less costly way to enjoy the pleasures of "Downton Abbey," officials of Kanon Organic Vodka have concocted an Edwardian-inspired cocktail, dubbed "Keep Calm and Carry On," for fans of the PBS series.
The drink is made with vodka, Earl Grey tea, lemon juice, simple syrup, triple sec (an orange-flavored liqueur), club soda and bitters.
Alison Goggins, public relations representative for the vodka distiller, predicted that "this cocktail will have you making Maggie Smith-like quips." The incomparable Smith, of course, portrays the imperious Violet, dowager countess of Grantham, on "Downton Abbey."
Linda Comins can be reached via e-mail at: firstname.lastname@example.com


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Issue 106
May / June 2009
Breton hoard of stone axeheads is first for UK
Flint finds point to Scotland's first people
Antiquities Scheme unearths second Roman pan
Beneath the Sea Special: Part 1
Beneath the Sea Special: Part 2
THE BIG DIG: Wallingford
The Nighthawing Report
Proud of all humanity – and Homophobic (Latin or Greek?)
on the web
Recommended websites
CBA Correspondent
Gill Chitty introduces some recent examples from the CBA's advocacy files
Editor Mike Pitts
Found from the air
Star Letter
Chris Wardle
I congratulate Henry Chapman for his excellent article on the Where Rivers Meet Project, examining the two prehistoric henge-like monuments at the confluence of the rivers Mease and Tame with the river Trent (feature, THE BIG DIG Mar/Apr). This is the first time that these nationally important monuments and their setting have been the subject of systematic examination. I look forward to the publication of the full report later this year.
The existence of both the Sunburst Monument and the Woodhenge Monument had been recognised at least since the early 1960s, thanks to the late Jim Pickering. Jim's pioneering work surveying the cropmarks of the Trent and its tributaries opened a whole new chapter in our understanding of the prehistory of Staffordshire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire. I recall seeing those colour photographs of Catholme when I worked for Staffordshire county council a few years back. If the photographs were not actually taken by him, they were almost certainly taken from his cockpit by Fred Hartley, of Leicestershire Museums, who often accompanied Jim on his cropmark surveys in the late 1970s and 80s. The other possibility is that they may have been taken from a microlite operating from the field some 5km to the south at Whitemore Haye (now probably quarried away). One of my former colleagues, Chris Welch, got one of the fliers from that field to take photos of Catholme.
Jim was a fascinating character who fought in the RAF during the war, including as one of the pilots of the Gladiator biplanes Faith, Hope and Charity during the siege of Malta. Although he could sometimes be brusque in his dealing with archaeologists, his contribution to archaeology should not be forgotten.
Chris Wardle, Derby
Jeremy Lowe
Congratulations on the high standard of BA. The Catholme discoveries are most interesting – but where are they?
Jeremy Lowe, Llandaff
• They are at NGR SK 194167
The first dig at Wroxeter
Anthony Greenstreet
Your article on the history of excavations at Wroxeter, with its plea for their resumption, was of great interest (Roger White, feature, Mar/Apr). This archaeological site is one of the few that have been celebrated in poetry. In Section XI, Songs of the Three Rivers, of his immensely long patriotic poem The Island (1944), Francis Brett Young (1884–1954) wrote,
Perhaps these lines could feature in any re-presentation of the (hopefully, resumed) excavations at Wroxeter.
Anthony Greenstreet, Camberley
Joan Schneider
The history of excavations at Wroxeter is more than 60 years longer than was stated in your article. The first serious excavator of the Roman city was not Thomas Wright in 1859, but the great engineer and architect Thomas Telford in 1788. Early in his career he was appointed surveyor of public works for the county of Shropshire. He became aware that farmers looking for building materials and guided by cropmarks were digging up and destroying the Roman remains. Disturbed by this he informed the land owner, who stopped the quarrying and paid for Telford to carry out further excavations, in which he uncovered extensive remains of a bath house. He afterwards wrote a report and prepared drawings and plans of what he had found.
Telford's later achievements as a builder of roads, canals, bridges, harbours and much else have perhaps overshadowed his early activity as an archaeologist.
Joan Schneider, Dunstable. Information from Thomas Telford, by LTC Rolt (1958)
• Roger White comments:
Time Team cantata
Tom Welsh
I was much impressed by your interview with Harrison Birtwistle (My Archaeology, Mar/Apr). I think he is one of the few British composers who can be said to have drawn directly from archaeological inspiration; composers have used classical themes but not actual archaeological sites or evidence. It seems a bit remiss of them. Birtwistle's Silbury Air and Duets for Storab come within that scope, also the opera Gawain, and the suite from it, Gawain's Journey, evoke for me a very strong sense of the dark age British landscape.
So as a prompt I thought I'd spotlight some other British composers who have dabbled in archaeological inspiration, which might be subject matter for another article. The obvious first choice is John Ireland whose symphonic rhapsody Mai-dun and prelude The Forgotten Rite are amongst several archaeological inspirations. Another less familiar direct association is William Alwyn, whose Fifth Symphony subtitled Hydriotaphia draws on the inspiration of Thomas Browne's Urn-burial, or a Discourse on the Sepulchral Urns Lately Found in Norfolk (1658).
Possibly more landscape than archaeology, Arnold Bax did draw inspiration from heritage locations, of which the best known is his tone poem Tintagel. Another composer to touch on archaeological subject matter is David Bedford, with a choral work The Song of the White Horse. Maxwell Davies, mentioned by Birtwistle, did attribute one or two archaeological inspirations such as Stone Litany.
However archaeology influencing music seems quite rare, which is strange given the prominence of archaeology in the media, including television. Maybe it is time a modern British composer immortalised Time Team in a new composition. Or there could be a case for encouraging composition workshops and masterclasses to visit archaeological excavations and major exposed antiquities like Wroxeter for inspiration.
Tom Welsh, Northampton
Rupert who?
Helen Paterson
I visited the new centre when it first opened, and was distressed to realise that Rupert Bruce-Mitford was never mentioned (Letters, Mar/Apr). Rupert was a good friend and neighbour of mine, when I lived in Harrow, and was proud of his detailed work at Sutton Hoo, and would I am sure be saddened to know that he had been "airbrushed out". Without taking away from Brown and the earlier excavators and Martin Carver later, Rupert's volumes were certainly the definitive reports of his era at Sutton Hoo.
It would be good to see this omission rectified in future displays.
Helen Paterson, King's Lynn
Is stone engraved?
John Allen
You illustrate an "engraved stone" from a dig at Poulton, Cheshire (News, Mar/Apr), with the implication that the grooving is of human origin. The stone is identified as a limestone, and I would suggest probably came from the outcrop of the Carboniferous Limestone series to the west. I would also like to suggest that another interpretation should be considered.
If you superimpose a reversed tracing of one face over the other, it will be noticed that the pattern of grooves is substantially but not completely reproduced. Two grooves commence at prominent notches in one of the narrow faces of the fragment. This suggests that the grooves and notches could reflect the differential solution while in the soil of narrow veins of calcite that pass at steep angles through a thickness of limestone that is much more finely crystalline. If this is correct, the grooving is natural and not human.
Prof John Allen, Department of Archaeology, University of Reading
• Mike Emery, Poulton project director, comments:
Good work
Jenny Comben
Your quote from the Wrexham Chronicle, "A hoard of Roman coins found by mental detectorists" (News, Mar/Apr), gave us a laugh! I have subscribed to BA for our school library following much interest in Time Team, and what an interesting magazine it is. Something for everyone – novice to expert. Keep up the good work.
Jenny Comben, print resources manager, Thomas Hardye School, Dorchester
Brian Edwards
On entering my local newsagent to pick up the latest British Archaeology (Mar/Apr), I was stopped in my tracks by what stood out from the many magazines on the shelf. The cover was wholly unexpected and quite brilliant. Well done!
Brian Edwards, Devizes
Sure, there's military checkpoints, there's bureaucracy… but in a few years this could be a viable tourist spot.
Please send your ideas for the magazine: we may not publish them all, but we will read and take notice. Ed
We welcome letters from readers. They may be emailed to Mike Pitts the Editor at email@example.com or faxed to 01904 671384. They may be edited.
Beneath the sea – Letters special
Over the features pages, the controversial and difficult world of maritime archaeology is explored with discussion of two projects, one run for profit and one with public funding (a further consideration follows of what the sea has to offer beyond shipwrecks). Last issue's Spoilheap column, about Odyssey Marine Exploration's work on the supposed wreck of HMS Sussex, provoked a strong response. Here is a selection of letters.
Not archaeologists
Colin Martin
The anonymously-written Spoilheap (Mar/Apr) seems to have it in for underwater archaeologists, and to have swallowed the blandishments of the salvage lobby. It is facile to compare developer-funded archaeology on land with the targeted extraction of valuables from a shipwreck to reward investors. The former is a statutory requirement of development, and though the archaeologists profit from their labours (only modestly, given current rates of pay) what they do is real archaeology, moderated by peer-review within their profession. Treasure hunters, on the other hand, go for big bucks to the exclusion – and often destruction – of everything else. Shipwrecks can provide unique closed collections of just about everything, including the organics usually missing from terrestrial sites. Have you ever seen a treasure-hunting prospectus extolling the worth of shoes?
The argument that any information is better than none is spurious. Sale catalogues provide all the information numismatists are likely to need, while most of the rest will go hang, for it costs more to conserve and study than it would yield under the auctioneer's hammer. It would of course be technically possible for a treasure hunter to conduct an exemplary archaeological project culminating in a full published report, but in the 40 years I've been in this field it's never happened, and I don't think it will. Claims in a prospectus are no substitute for the real thing, however many tame and usually surface-bound "archaeologists" are hired to provide an aura of respectability. Let's see the results, and be permitted to peer review them on their archaeological merits without fear of litigation should the reviews be critical. I've avoided naming companies or individuals because this fear is a real one.
Please don't exalt the treasure salvors, for whatever else they may be they're not archaeologists. Instead Spoilheap should urge real archaeologists above and below the water to engage more constructively with one another, because the aims they pursue are the same. So are their mores.
Colin Martin, honorary reader in maritime archaeology, University of St Andrews.
Odyssey is successful
Chris Preece
Spoilheap has, as usual, hit the nail on the head (but should prepare for moral outrage in response). As an archaeologist who has worked both underwater and on land (for the last seven years in developer-funded terrestrial archaeology), I can assure my marine brethren that I too have ethical qualms. I am deeply concerned about the number of greenfield sites being built on in this country and my part in their development. This though is the real world, however imperfect and either I interact with commercial concerns (and take the opportunity to record data) or I devote myself to protest.
Odyssey Exploration are hardly the bad guys of salvage. They employ two qualified archaeologists (yes, they are real – though frequently vilified by their "colleagues" – their CVs are available for scrutiny in the project plan); they conduct photogrammetric pre-disturbance surveys to a high standard; all artefacts are plotted, logged and tracked. With regard to HMS Sussex, not only did Odyssey display the patience of Job when having to deal with the requirements of three governments (and years of costs born of delay and layers of bureaucracy) they also produced, as required, a comprehensive 186-page project plan. In addition they have already put into the public domain preliminary reports on the Sussex and the Victory (would that some of the designated sites were as quickly published). Many terrestrial developers are far less cooperative.
Unsurprisingly therefore, commercial archaeological firms have been willing to work with Odyssey – Gifford, Wessex and MoLAS amongst others. Marine archaeology graduates (many of whom pursue academic or administrative careers) are averse to bullion retrieval, an issue that has scarred generations of their predecessors, either through bitter experience (the wreck of the Hanover comes to mind) or by association, due to treasure hunters calling themselves archaeologists and using inadequate methodology. The reaction has been to resort to protectionism (impossible to police) and the virtual mothballing of sites, in contrast to terrestrial archaeology where excavation is normal practice.
It is surely time to progress the arguments as has been done on land. Bullion retrieval will continue to be a factor on underwater sites. Ships were the Securicor vans of their day. If the marine archaeological fraternity cannot come to terms with commercial interests, they will not only become increasingly sidelined but will also miss the opportunity to play a part in recording and developing innovative methodologies for deep-water archaeology (something Odyssey is already doing). There is a danger too, that people will draw the conclusion that what really ruffles feathers is Odyssey's success rate, allied to the fact that they are currently making all the interesting discoveries.
Chris Preece, via email.
Information is valuable
Margaret Rule
I have always welcomed my copy of British Archaeology, enjoying the obvious bias displayed by many of the contributors, but respecting its honesty and accuracy. The Spoilheap article on treasure hunting demonstrated the bias, but had little regard for accurate representation of facts.
The unnamed author is entitled to his opinion about the laws of salvage whereby a salvor may be recompensed for his efforts either by direct payment or by ownership of part of the salvaged material. This choice leads to sale of some of the objects after recovery. It seems to be an open question whether the salvaged coins recovered from HMS Sussex (if any) will be sold by the owners, the British government or by the salvor.
However, to assume that Odyssey Marine Exploration, the salvors of a naval vessel believed to be HMS Sussex, are conducting a "sample excavation, with otherwise unrecorded loss", assumes that the operation is nothing more than a treasure hunt and it goes too far. The Odyssey group has the appropriate equipment and an experienced team. There is no reason to assume poor standards. Whether the ship is the Sussex or one of the other ships lost at the same time, the standards of survey, excavation and salvage must be the same.
The author goes on to cite "the Mary Rose was as much of a treasure hunt as the Sussex". I wish I knew the source of this calumny. "The remains of the crew from the former, for example, were delivered to the specialist in a sack, with only one provenance – somewhere in the ship."
While lose bones from the upper levels of the silts, the equivalent of plough soil on a land site, were stored as a bulk sample, all the bones from the stratified levels within the ship were recorded in situ, recovered with associated silt samples and taken ashore to the finds department with a unique reference number. In the data base they are related to their position, context and associated finds. They were stored in conventional "bone boxes".
After the ship was recovered in 1982 the complete documentation on the human remains was reported to the coroner and a small committee was established to decide how to deal with them. At that time there was a demand from some residents of Portsmouth and Gosport that the bones should be reburied on site. This would have meant a complete loss of scientific and cultural information. After many months deliberation the committee chaired by the provost of Portsmouth together with the coroner, myself and Charles Douds, the chief executive of the Mary Rose Trust, agreed that there would be a ceremonial burial of an unknown sailor from the Mary Rose in Portsmouth Cathedral, and the remaining bones would be placed in a secure store and made available to accredited scientists. This enabled Dr Ann Stirland to complete her thesis and publish her results.
I sympathise with those people who do not wish to see "popular" displays from a war grave, but I believe the information still available from this group of healthy young men is too valuable to waste.
Margaret Rule, archaeology director Mary Rose Trust 1979–94.
Not for profit
Joe Flatman
I was extremely dismayed to read the Spoilheap article. The author suggests that recent work on the presumed site of HMS Sussex is comparable to PPG16-type developer funded archaeological work on land, "the goal is profit".
I beg disagree; the ultimate goal of a development such as an office block is indeed profit, but no building developer sets out with the aim to directly target an archaeological site, nor to profit from the site's destruction through the sale of artefacts recovered, unlike, it would appear, the case of the Sussex. As demonstrated time and again, the vast majority of developers are keen to avoid archaeological sites at all costs and to follow best-practice, guidance and laws for the management and interpretation of a site when necessity forces them to impact upon such locations. If given the option it can be assumed that most would prefer not to become involved at all. Can the same be said of the Sussex and countless other sites at risk in the marine zone like it?
As regards any comparison of the Sussex project with the recovery of the Mary Rose, this is then gross calumny to the many dozens of volunteers who worked so long and hard to help recover the latter. Did any of the volunteers involved financially profit from their labours? No. Did a single object from the site ever reach an auction room? No. Was the intention of the Mary Rose project from the outset the recovery of materials for profit? No.
Joe Flatman, Lecturer in Maritime Archaeology UCL Institute of Archaeology, Surrey county archaeologist.
• On You and Yours (Radio 4, Feb 2), Greg Stemm, Odyssey Marine Exploration chief executive, implied that the sale of wood from the Mary Rose was comparable to the sale of items from wrecks such as the Sussex or Victory. The Mary Rose Trust told British Archaeology that loose fragments from the ship are sold to raise money for research and conservation: a paperweight with a small piece of timber embedded is very popular, and a limited edition of 200 pens and pencils is to be launched in April.
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We mean, really? This is what you are going for you moron? "This guy got six Pokéball tattoos down his arm and the area beneath each stuffed with a subdermal implant to make them all appear 3-D." (Geekologie). And this guy is an I-D-I-O-T. You imagine if this guy is married? To a human?
Tags: 3d tattoos, implant, pokeball, Tattoo, Tattoo artPosted at 7:56 pm
In the category Headlines


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February 22, 2013
Foods To Avoid Like The Plague
Okay, so forgive the cliché in my title, but sometimes nothing says it better than a cliché. In the last week or so, the Huffington Post had an article about foods that are bad for our hearts. February is American Heart Month, so thinking about heart-damaging foods should be on the top of our list.
As the article explains, we know those foods that are good for our hearts, but we sometimes forget to identify the foods that are particularly bad for our hearts. So, I thought I would write a blog about those foods identified by the Huffington Post as bad for our hearts and contribute to heart disease.
The first food discussed in the article is processed meats, including hot dogs, bacon, and deli meats. All of these foods, even the lean options like turkey dogs, bacon, or deli meats, often have nitrates and nitrites, which have both been linked to heart problems. Moreover, these "meats" have a link to a higher risk of diabetes and pancreatic cancer.
I have a little analogy about hot dogs. My dear friend bought her 10 year old son crawdads (also known as crawfish or crayfish) as pets. One night he ran out of his regular crawdad food (don't ask me what that would be cause I don't know.), so he gave them bits of hot dogs. The next morning, he awoke to dead pets floating in a curtain of grease. As my friend says, "Hot dogs kill crawdads, so what are they doing to humans?"
The second food that we should limit in our diet is red meat. I know. I know. People love their steaks and burgers. However, they should eat red meat less often than not. As the article says, "consider it more a treat than a staple in your diet." Red meat is high in saturated fat, so minimizing how often people eat it will help provide better heart health. Also, choose lean or extra-lean cuts of beef.
This next food that is bad for our hearts is one that breaks my heart: pizza. One slice of pizza may contain up to two-thirds the daily recommended limit of saturated fat. I know; I am devastated, too. Pizza is one of my favorite bad foods, but heart health is certainly more important. Thinking of pizza as treat instead of staple is as important as opting for veggie toppings instead of extra cheese or pepperoni.
Fourth comes alfredo sauce. This seems like a no brainer since it is made from butter, cream, and cheese, all high in fats. Limiting the intake of this dish will help minimize one's saturated fat content. Yes, it is tasty, but it is also fatty. One or two tablespoons is all one should eat with a meal. And Huffington Post suggests, "If you're making your own at home, try a lightened-up recipe, like this one from SparkPeople, which replaces butter with olive oil, cream with skim milk and cuts down on the amount of cheese."
Trans Fats are fifth on the list of foods to avoid. Avoid foods that have hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils in them.
I know at this point our hearts are breaking at the foods we must avoid and minimize. Well, it is about to get worse for some of us. Fried foods take sixth place as foods that hurt our heart health. That means seriously limiting French fries, fried chicken, onion rings, and other fried foods.
As an accompaniment to fried foods, we should also avoid sodas. Not only are they bad for our hearts, but they also have empty calories that contribute to obesity. A link to depression has been found with sodas as well (click here to see my blog about that).
Naturally, if fried foods and sodas are no-nos, then so is fast food. We have long known that fast food is loaded with saturated fats, trans fats, sugar, and sodium, all of which are bad for our hearts, especially in excess. Plus, fast food joints also have processed foods, which were top of the list of foods to avoid.
Clearly, many of these foods are linked in one way or another, which should make it easier for us to avoid or at least control. If we want healthy hearts, we need healthy diets. This is a good start to knowing what foods to avoid.
Image Credit: Photos.com


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Bapak Stevan Chan. The compact formation in the linear granulations of this piece of coral have been used to accentuate the length of the face.
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The coral is from the Sunu incline around the area of Hane in the central highlands of West Timor and dates to the Miocene era. Timor is described as an "uplifted faulted margin of the former Australian craton composed of Permian to Cretaceous aged rock. Miocene and lower rocks form a thin layer in some areas.
After many months I have finally secured a positive identification and status for these amazing corals. The Department of Environment and Water Resources, who acts on behalf of CITES, has agreed that they are a petrified fossil and not a risk as they are a technically a rock. Certification will come in your parcel unless you request otherwise. This creation has been coated with metal armour to ensure its long lasting display.
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Goose down is better than goose down, the down groups are bigger, and at least 50/50 down/feather is better than mostly down, which are difficult and "crunchy", and they usually flow out of the best feather-proof covering eventually.
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is it possible to do a roll in the air on a bike while your on it
is it possible to do a roll in the air on a bike while your on it
Hey bikerguy welcome.
Check out the stunts in this thread maybe one of these is what you're looking for.
My BMX Stunts, Tips, Tricks
what is a role....you mean a flair?
he probably means like the fmx guys do. bike stays where it is, rider does a barrel roll sort of movement, and lands back on bike...
bewahret einander vor herzeleid
denn kurz ist die zeit die ihr beisammen seid
denn wenn euch auch viele jahre vereinen
einst werden sie wie minuten euch scheinen
The drano is a body varial done on a bike and was at least attempted on vert a good 10+ years ago by John Parker (I believe is the correct person).
BMX is way ahead of FMX for progression and you can expect that if those guys have done it, they were inspired by some BMX video they saw.
Barrel rolls are a different issue and seem a lot closer to what a backflip 360 looks like.
You have to be a bit more specific as there are lots of different interpretations of what you said.
For me - riding backwards is when you turn around and sit on the handlebars facing the back of your bike. For other people, they say 'riding backwards' and mean a rollback where they, and the bike is rolling backwards. So, please be more specific.
when i mean is it possible to do a roll on the bike i mean you and the bike do the roll
as in if you have played the game tony hawks underground 2 you can do a roll and like that but with a bikeOriginally Posted by bikerguy45
my friends been joking about doing a barrel role for a while, but I dont see it happening. not a clean one anyway, there could be some sort of kinda rolled around motion, but it would look like they jumped, then rolled around prefectly sideways and then landed.
As stated before, isnt a "flair" a role?
I saw on TV, I think it was Jeremy Mcgrath or someone with an Irish last name, was telling about how, most FMX riders, rode BMX when they were younger, and that most of their tricks came from their BMX days. Something like that. Its also alot easier to do these tricks on a 30lb bike, then on a 250lb dirt bike. Me personally I wouldn't try a barrel roll. And its on the list of thing I fear like, 1/2 pipes, Redline bikes, Barney the Dinosaur, Extremely Obese people(that look like amebas, and I know i spelt it wrong), and severely injuring myself so I can't ride my bike anymore. It also seems more like something you'd do on dirt, and I don't like dirt too much. Thats my rant of the day.Originally Posted by BMXTRIX
i think he means a roll like a kickflip in skateboarding. there is a trick called the bike flip, and if that can be done i'm sure it can be done in other variations
McGrath isnt irish and he dosnt do FMX. He does supercross, also he didn't do bmx tricks he raced bmx and he is one of the only people in supercross motocross and FMX that did BMX when he was younger.Originally Posted by FireTeamCharlie
i dunno about a barrel role or anything...it is called a flair
if it was a barrel role there wouldnt be n e backflip
A barrel roll is basically a 360 corkscrew, as opposed to a 180 (airing) corkscrew. In a sense it's a flair, but with the rotation being mostly roll as opposed to pitch and yaw.