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since the beginning of time (yes, i went there for the sake of irony), we have postulated how we came to be. without sparking a debate on the origin of our existence, i wish for others to put forth their OWN ideas on WHY we are obsessed with our origin. why must we have an origin? why do we theorize on something that it is seemingly impossible to determine?
i have many ideas on this phenomenon. i'll start with the one i believe is the most simplistic.
in our youth, we are taught to explore and question what things are, what they do, and why they are. 'why do we brush our teeth?' we ask. well, to keep your teeth clean and healthy. 'why must they be clean and healthy?' well, so you can be healthy and live a long and happy life. ostensibly, at a young age, we are not wondering when and how the act of brushing our teeth came into existence, but we are wondering why it is indeed in existence. making the assumption that everything has a purpose (in some form of its definition), we can assume that knowing why something exists is inseparable from knowing how it came to exist. essentially, we wonder why we exist, whilst simultaneously wondering how we came to exist. this trait of curiosity carries on into adulthood, and here we are--still debating our origin frivolously.
i'll offer up another theory: the world around us is filled with things that have a 'beginning' and an 'end'. these two terms are obviously relatively subjective in most cases, but i'll try to keep it as objective as possible. looking short term, a human's life begins when it is born and ends when it dies. a day begins at midnight and ends directly before the next midnight. the list of examples is endless, but you can see my point. this embosses our minds to focus on the finite, and attribute all that we can to as being finite (although the infinite is a cogitation). we apply this predisposition to existence and become obsessed with determining our beginning and predicting our end.
the third theory is derivative of the current theories. to start, we look at the theory of evolution and we see a progression of complexity. this progression suggests that at some point in time, there was in fact an extremely primitive form of life. again this raises a microcosmic question: how did this primitive life form enter existence. obviously the theories are innumerable, but the basic foundation is there--the progression of complexity makes us retrace our steps, and resultingly we wonder how we made the leap from non-existence to existence.
putting my atheistic views aside, i'll delve a little into religion and its attempt to provide an answer on existence. i'll keep it very basic, and define it in rather christian terms. they theorize god created all there is. herein lies the seed of our curiosity. there was nothing, then there was something.
in the end, why can't existence be cyclical? we have always existed, just been going 'round the existential merry-go-round.


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Dog-friendly Helston & 5 People
This charming detached cottage is situated just 100 yards from the beach in a pretty and quiet valley location. The property dates back over 200 years and is tastefully furnished to provide comfortable and cosy holiday accommodation. Porthallow is a peaceful, unspoilt fishing village with easy access to the beautiful…
- 1

subset: commoncrawl


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Presidential Medal of Freedom excerpt
12 May 1986 — Washington DC
". . . When a soldier rising, sword in hand, reaches to protect an idea -- freedom, liberty, human kindness -- the world is, for a moment, hushed. Greatness is often born in quiet, in stillness. And so it was that night in June of 1944 when General Matthew B. Ridgway prayed the words God spoke to Joshua: "I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.'' D-day saved a continent, and so, a world. And Ridgway helped save D-day. Heroes come when they're needed; great men step forward when courage seems in short supply. World War II was such a time. And there was Ridgway."
--President Reagan
(source: http://www.reagan.utexas.edu/archives/speeches/1986/51286b.htm)


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April 27 Board of Supervisors Meeting Features 8 Presentations
April 26, 2010
News Highlights
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, at its meeting on Tuesday, April 27, scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m., will make the following presentations to residents and county staff. For more information, call 703-324-3187, TTY 711. More information on the April 27 meeting, including an agenda, can be found online.
Financial Literacy Month
The Board of Supervisors will designate April 2010 as Financial Literacy Month in Fairfax County to raise awareness of the importance of being financially savvy.
Lyme Disease Awareness Month
The Board of Supervisors will designate May 2010 as Lyme Disease Awareness Month in Fairfax County. Early symptoms of Lyme disease include a bulls-eye rash, fever, aching muscles, headache and fatigue. To aid in prevention, wearing a repellent, checking for ticks and proper tick removal are imperative.
Temple Douglas
Temple Douglas, a senior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, will be recognized for her work in developing a quick and accurate test for Lyme disease and resulting and being named a semifinalist of the 2010 Intel Science Talent Search, a program of the Society for Science & the Public.
Foster Care and Foster Family Recognition Month
The Board of Supervisors will designate May 2010 as Foster Care and Foster Family Recognition Month in Fairfax County. Approximately 370 children are currently in foster care in Fairfax County. More than 150 foster families throughout the county provide support and care for these children.
Parents Who Host Lose the Most
The Board of Supervisors will designate May 2010 as Parents Who Host Lose the Most Month in Fairfax County. It is illegal for anyone under 21 to consume or possess alcohol or for an adult to provide alcohol to anyone under 21. According to the 2008 Fairfax County Youth Survey, alcohol is the single most abused substance by young people, with one in four high school seniors reporting binge drinking.
Nurses Week
The Board of Supervisors will designate May 6-12 as Nurses Week in Fairfax County. The Bureau of Labor Statistics ranks nursing among the top 10 occupations for projected job growth through 2010, as demand for registered nurses increases because of the aging work force and population.
Building Safety Week
The Board of Supervisors will designate May 9-15 as Building Safety Week in Fairfax County. It has long been the responsibility of states and local governments to adopt legislation and enforce laws and ordinances to protect the health, welfare and safety of residents. Fairfax County, working with other jurisdictions across the state, enforces the uniform Statewide Building Code, designed and maintained with the assistance of the building industry and residents, to ensure safety.
Internal Audit Awareness Month
The Board of Supervisors will designate May as Internal Audit Awareness Month in Fairfax County and congratulate the Northern Virginia Chapter of the Institute of Internal Auditors on its 25th anniversary. Internal auditors help organizations meet objectives by monitoring risks and ensuring that controls are in place to mitigate risks. They work with a board, executive management and external auditors to assist organizations in complying with new legislation and regulations for enhanced corporate governance.
Contact: Merni Fitzgerald, Director, Office of Public Affairs
703-324-3189, TTY 711, Media Pager: 703-324-NEWS (6397)
To request this information in an alternate format, call 703-324-3187, TTY 711


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Can someone enlighten me as to why would I use a templating engine like Smarty when I could just flush templates into variables with a really simple class like the following? :
Class Template{
public function __construct($file,$variables=null){
return $this->getTemplate($file,$variables);
private function getTemplate($file,$variables){
foreach ($variables as $name => $val) {
$this->html= ob_get_clean();
public function dataAttributes($attr){
if(!is_array($attr)) $attr= array();
foreach ($attr as $key => $attribute) {
$attributes.=' data-'.$key.'="'.$attribute.'"';
return $attributes;
I just had to start working with Smarty and feel it's quite odd and defeats the purpose but of course maybe I'm wrong and it's just fear to the new. I would really appreciate your comments.
Many thanks,
The motivations behind templating engines include...
Many thanks for the above. I had a read and still not convinced templating engines are for me. Reasons are:
More concise.
<?php echo $var ?>
{{ var }}
(Most projects consider PHP's shorthand <?= to be unsafe because short_open_tag is often off.)
Don't really regard this as an advantage as in my humble opinion it helps only in obscuring the code with some foreign syntax. Text editors give visual clues that disappear when we abstract code like that. Agree that the php tag is a bit long but I really don't mind it. "php" + tab key will give me "<?php ?>" in my text editor.
Enforce separation of concerns.
PHP templates require self-disciple to not do more than you should in a template. Libraries like Twig make it impossible to do more than you should. This is especially good when designers (non-programmers*) start working on the templates.
*And let's face it, even actual programmers will botch this sometimes.
The class I posted above does just that. It will only make available to the template the variables that you pass onto it. It will also store the output in a variable so that you can print it at a later stage.Also... why eliminate in a template all the other power PHP offers? You might be required to do something in it that an engine would not let you do, innit? I see no point.
Template inheritance
It's a cleaner, more reusable, more OO way to include common template code. It's nice.
I'm not sure how this works yet. But I believe good coding achieves just that.
Escape by default
<?php echo htmlspecialchars($var, ENT_QUOTES, 'UTF-8') ?>
This is tremendously good for security. It's the "secure by default" approach.
I'm not sure I buy into this either. If me and my application, (not the users) are the only ones in need to handle the templates, how does this pose a security concern?
Just some thoughts....
Hope everyone is having a nice holiday!
To me separating PHP and HTML is a huge advantage that I'd always go with, so I'll use a templating engine even if its not smarty. Its just painful to my eyes whenever I see HTML file with lots of PHP tags, its fine for really simple ones with a few PHP tags for Table/Form's default values but quickly become unreadable once there is a PHP if condition or foreach loop in the HTML file. I know some people may be comfortable with PHP embeded in HTML, but there are also half of the developers who completely hate it. In the end its the developers decision whether or not to use a template engine, I wont say either is right or wrong but both do exist for good reasons. So yeah you may not see it as an advantage to separate PHP from HTML, but for me it makes my development at least 2x faster and more enjoyable.
On the other hand PHP is indeed not a suitable templating language in the modern era, it did start as a templating language back in the 90s but nowadays it has evolved into more of a programming/scripting language than its original purpose. Again this may be personal opinion, but I am pretty sure I am not the only one who consider PHP an ugly templating language if used as one.
The bottom-line is that every coder/designer prefers a different style to write their code, there are benefits and issues that people weigh differently. Like I said before, you do not have to be convinced by the reasons to use a templating engine like smarty or twig, you are perfectly fine with or without it. There are some practices that are considered bad because there are insurmountable disadvantage/problems with them, one example I can give is global variables. There are also practices that are more of personal opinions/preferences, in these scenarios theres no right or wrong answer. Choose whatever suits you better and stick to it, thats what I believe a programmer is supposed to do for his/her application development.
Well, your code sample is actually a templating engine even if its a very simple one. But it's important to distinguish between a templating engine and template language. It looks like you appreciate the former as it provides separation of concerns. However, your templates can use a variety of template languages like Smarty, Twig or plain PHP. If you use PHP then your templating engine can be very simple because PHP understands the language already. For other languages the templating engine needs to be much more elaborate because it needs to understand a foreign language.
What template language you use is up to your personal preference and there will be endless discussions on which one is better. Just choose which one you like best and you'll be fine. Personally, I prefer a dedicated template language because I find PHP a bit clumsy and too verbose - in a template I want my main focus to be on HTML, not on the template language so I find it more readable to have short template syntax like Smarty. And it's not only a matter of <?php echo $var ?> versus {$var} - template engines usually have many convenience functions or structures built in that help shorten the clutter, for example {html_options}, {cycle}, etc. - writing their equivalents in plain PHP takes many lines of code and I simply prefer not to do that if I don't have to. I was using Smarty for some time and then for a small project I wanted to try out templates in PHP like in your example. All was fine but I really missed the simplicity and succinctness of Smarty syntax and I wished I didn't have to type so much for such simple things. Yes, PHP is a templating language but a very primitive one and hasn't been evolving in this respect at all.
Another big thing is template inheritance - if you've never tried it you can see a few short examples on the Smarty web site. This may not look like anything great but after some time I find this really helps organize things better than including files. PHP doesn't have this built in so if you want to use inheritance you have to code it into your template engine. I prefer to use one that is already made by someone and that works well. AFAIK Twig also offers inheritance.
Apart from that template engines offer a lot more small convenient things that may not be that important but add up over time. Of course, there is a trade-off that you first have to learn a new template engine to get you going. But I suggest you first try to use a template engine with a dedicated template language for a small project and see how it goes - often it's not easy to judge things before using them in real life.
maybe I'm wrong and it's just fear to the new It is a small fear. I felt it and I also had a strange feeling about those "tags".After the first project it will look so natural
There are few great features, like plugins (blocks, modifiers, functions) that may be used multiple times.
Even this does not look nice to you for now, you may also check some syntax_comparison aguments.
In the short example above, Smarty saved 110 characters, or a 36% syntax reduction. Also notice that Smarty takes care of boilerplate functions wherever it can, such as the empty() test in the above example. Smarty cleans up the syntax of templates, making them less fragile.
Thank you so much everyone for your answers, really enlightening and appreciated.
For the time being I find that Smarty slows me down because I'm still learning, but also because I might have to translate templates at some point, which then wouldn't be portable to non-smarty projects and that I don't like. Prefer to keep things with as less layers as possible. As you folks well say it's a matter of preference.


text:
Rock Rock RockRebus brain teasers use words or letters in interesting orientations to represent common phrases.
Can you decipher the following common phrase?
rock rock rock
rock clock rock
rock rock rock
AnswerRock around the clock
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Anger ManagementRebus brain teasers use words or letters in interesting orientations to represent common phrases.
What statement does this rebus represent?
Behavior Evaluation
Little Tommy Tucker: Bad
Little Boy Blue: Average
Little Miss Muffett: Good
12 inches: Poor
3 feet: Fair
1760 yards: Good
AnswerA miss is as good as a mile (the behavior of Little "Miss" Muffett is the same, or as good, as the behavior of 1760 yards, which equals a "mile").
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Did you know?
Herman Charles Bosman is buried in Westpark Cemetery in Johannesburg. His headstone simply reads "The Writer".
The bushveld characters he met while teaching in Groot Marico inspired some of his best-known work, the Oom Schalk Lourens series. In this series, an elderly Oom Schalk Lourens, his skilfully created raconteur, paints a vivid picture of a world full of the hardships that come from scraping a living off the land, but also rich with its beauty and triumphs.
Oom Schalk Lourens' perspective is at times ironic, humorous, imaginative and romantic. His stories often have a twist in their tails and deserve their place among the best short stories produced in South Africa.
This South African writer's teaching career was cut short when, while on a holiday in Johannesburg, he fired a hunting rifle at his stepbrother and killed him. He was sentenced to death, but later a reprieve was granted and he was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment with hard labour.
He wrote his first "Oom Schalk Lourens" stories in prison, and this experience also provided the background for his stories in "Cold Stone Jug".
Bosman was released four and a half years into his sentence. Then came nine years spread between Paris, Brussels and London, where he wrote a number of stories, later collected as "Mafeking Road".
At the outbreak of the war in Europe he returned to South Africa where he worked as a journalist and literary editor and became well known for his off-beat lifestyle.
Only three of his books were published during his lifetime; Mafeking Road, Jacaranda in the Night and Cold Stone Jug. Many of his stories were originally published in magazines and journals so there are a number of different collations.
His original books have also been republished many times since his death.
Travel tips & Planning info
Who to contact
Marico Tourism
Tel: +27 (0) 83 272 2958 or +27 (0) 14 503 0085
Email: email@example.com
How to get here
Groot Marico hosts the annual Herman Charles Bosman Festival and is two hours drive from Johannesburg. Take the R563 or R24 to Magaliesburg, then the R509 to Swartruggens where you join the N4 "Platinum Highway" to Groot Marico and Zeerust.
Best time to visit
You can visit Groot Marico all year round, however, the annual Herman Charles Bosman Festival is in October. See their website for details.
Around the area
Groot-Marico is well known for its beautiful African bushveld surroundings and the hospitality of its people. There are a number of game farms in the area and the towns of Zeerust, Swartruggens and Nietverdiend are a short drive away.
Tours to do
Try the 'Mampoer' (traditional Afrikaans liqueur) tour, the Battlefields tour or the traditional village tour.
Where to stay
There is a wide choice of B&Bs and farmhouses in Groot Marico.


text:
STUDENTS all over the world have been mourning the loss of former headteacher, Huw Evans OBE, who lost his battle with melanoma last week.
Huw, who was head teacher at Watchfield Primary School for more than 30 years before he retired in 2006, died surrounded by his family at his Wanborough home on January 11 at the age of 67.
His widow, Judith, has been overwhelmed by the number of tributes which have poured in on the news of his death from former students who still remember him from their school days.
She said: "He was wonderful. We have had so many tributes to him from Watchfield students and from the Military Academy. The Military Wives Choir have also asked to sing at his funeral.
"He had a great sense of humour and was a real Welshman.
"He had a passion for education and giving children every opportunity he could in life.
"He was so kind as well."
Huw, who originally came from Swansea, was awarded with an OBE in 2007 in recognition of his tireless work in education.
He is survived by his wife, Judith, his daughter Cerys and son-in-law Miles, and grandchildren Oscar and Felix, who knew him as T'cu – meaning 'grandfather' in Welsh.
His funeral will be held on January 23 at St Andrew's Church, Wanborough at 2pm, followed by a cremation at Kingsdown Crematorium.
The family request no flowers but donations will be appreciated for Melanoma Focus www.justgiving.com\HuwEvans OBE


text:
A 50-YEAR-old man has been banned from approaching his mother's house for 20 years – when she will be 98-years-old.
Blackburn magistrates jailed David Woodward for 20 weeks for breaching a non-molestation order his mum obtained against him.
Catherine Allan, prosecuting, said the order was due to expire next month and asked the magistrates to impose a restraining order to afford June Howard protection from her son.
They imposed an order banning him from going within 100 metres of her Darwen home for the next 20 years.
Woodward, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to two charges of breaching a non-molestation order.
Miss Allan said Woodward had already breached the order seven times and had been jailed on the latest occasion.
She said: "He comes to her house begging for money to finance his drug addiction.
"She wants to help him but felt she had to have some protection from him."
Angela Rossi, defending, said Woodward had started getting himself into trouble in 2010 as a result of misuse of amphetamine which was still his main problem.
"You might think he isn't showing it very well but he loves his mother," said Miss Rossi.


text:
Sharpie Squad Member, Alli Whitmore of One Pearl Button has come up with a creative tutorial that you can not only use year round, but the end result also makes a great gift and makes an even bolder statement when hosting a holiday party! Follow along as Alli takes you through this picture perfect DIY project.
Hello Sharpie fans!
I'm so happy to be a member of the Sharpie Squad this year, and so excited to be blogging here today. This simple tutorial combines two of my favorite creative tools – Sharpie markers (of course!) and Polaroid photos. It only requires a few minutes to make, and the end result is really fun. Make a set and package them up for a quick and cute holiday gift, or keep them all for yourself!
Supplies: white vinyl magnet sheet (this should be available at your local craft store); craft knife; pencil; ruler; Sharpie markers!
Step 1: Draw a 3.5 x 4.25″ rectangle (the size of a polaroid picture) on the back of your magnet. Use a ruler to keep your lines nice and straight.
Step 2: Using a craft knife and a ruler (metal is best, to keep from accidentally cutting it!), cut along your lines to make a rectangle.
Step 3: Draw a line .25″ away from one short edge and from both long edges. Draw a line .875″ (7/8ths) away from the other short edge.
Step 4: Use the lines you just drew as a guide to cut a box in the center of the rectangle.
Step 5: Now it's time for the fun part – grab your Sharpies and decorate! I went with simple captions, but you can do absolutely anything – add drawings or designs, or even color the entire border.*
That's it! Stick them on your fridge or magnetic message board and enjoy the retro look. You can either trim your photos to fit or just slap them on top -either way looks great.
For more on Sharpie, Polaroid, fashion, photography, crafting, and life in general, stop by my blog, One Pearl Button. I'd love to meet you!
Big thanks to the Sharpie team for hosting me today!
*you can also use Sharpie sister-brand EXPO Dry Erase markers for captions that can be erased and changed whenever you'd like!


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Get the Recipe
If you spend a any time in Tuscany, you'll find two ingredients popping up again and again: rosemary and pine nuts. For me they're indelibly linked to having an espresso and a pastry in a cobblestone square, or drinking a glass of earthy Chianti while nibbling on some aperitivi and watching the sun sink lower towards a distant line of Cyprus trees.
It's a completely romantic collage of memories and fantasy, and it's just the type of thing I want to imagine when I'm feeling stressed or very much stuck in the States. To help round out the scene, I'll make a batch of these sablés. Though their origin is the French butter cookie, they take very well to added Italian ingredients.
At once savory from the piney rosemary and nutty pignolis, sweet from a little sugar, and full out buttery, they're the perfect cookie for those times when you don't know what type of snack to eat. A basket of these also makes a nice addition to cocktail parties, paired with sweeter champagne or dessert wine.
Get the Recipe
About the author: Carrie Vasios is the editor of Serious Eats: Sweets. She likes to peruse her large collection of cookbooks while eating jam from the jar. You can follow her on Twitter @carrievasios


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"Service was great and I had the best time. I managed to leave with a great assortment of fabric and thread."
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Robert Kaufman Fabrics Kona Cotton Solid Dresden Blue 100% Cotton, 44 Inch Wide Fabrics. Sold by the yard.
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text:
syntheticshadows says: "Pesky's New Year's Eve party goes horribly right."
Only voters receive the private messages a model sends to her fans.
Voting is how you show love and appreciation to your favorite models & photographers.
Zivity pays them a cash royalty for each vote they receive.
Congrats on the win - truly an outstanding set!ArtiztikFoto
Buy votes to support this artist on Zivity. Votes are $1 each, and when you vote on a set you like, 55% goes to the model and 30% to the photographer. You can vote in the next step after registering and purchasing votes.


text:
South Koreans have grown familiar with the sight of prominent businessmen being convicted of fraud, only to steer clear of jail. So the imprisonment last August of Kim Seung-youn, chairman of the major conglomerate Hanwha (pictured left being arrested for a separate incident), raised hopes of a shift in the treatment of high-profile wrongdoers.
Now, suspicious types might fear a return to lenient practices, after Kim was released this week due to health problems. Read more


text:
Submit an Event
All events for An exhibition of drawings by artist Michael Polomik
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February 2014
An exhibition of drawings by artist Michael Polomik
The Piercing Gaze of Royalty is a solo exhibition of recent drawings by Michael Polomik. Polomik's work has garnered recognition for depicting clouds of schematic marks and symbols surrounding divine beings, ultimately projecting a "narrative diagram" into the air like a holograph. Polomik holds an MFA from Western Carolina University and has exhibited in Chicago, Brooklyn, and Atlanta and at such venues as the Cameron Art Museum and William King Museum. www.michaelpolomik.com Reception: Feb 14 from 6-8pm.Find out more »


text:
Blog Directory
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Browse blogs from wide range of categorized blogs on our blog directory. Whether you are looking for niche blogs, personal blogs, Singapore blogs, Sports blogs, Golf blogs you can find them all in our blog directory.
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Singapore GolfBrowsing Singapore Blogs » Sports Blogs » Golf Blogs
Review the latest blog sites about golf and sports at BlogsDB. Add Golf blogs and get listed on our latest generation blog directory on cyberspace.
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text:
This article, Kirigakure, is canon and uses Creative Commons licensed content from our mother site, Narutopedia's Kirigakure article.
The list of authors can be seen in the page history there.
Kirigakure (霧隠れの里, Kirigakure no Sato; ; Literally meaning "Village Hidden by Mist"; ), infamously known as the "Village of the Bloody Mist" (血霧の里, Chigiri no Sato; ; ; ), is the shinobi village located in the Land of Water. As one of the Five Great Shinobi Countries, Kirigakure has a Kage as its leader known as the Mizukage. There have been five Mizukage, the current one being Mei Terumī. An unusually high number of missing-nin seem to originate from this village and as such a unique classification of ANBU known as hunter-nin are specifically tasked with eliminating these defectors.
The standard attire in this village revolves mainly around a striped material which the shinobi wear around their wrists and legs which merge into their sandals. Underneath this, they wear a full-black shirt and pants over which they wear the villages' standard grey flak jacket. Some also wear waist-guards. The shinobi from this village are very proficient with Water Release techniques and kenjutsu. Kirigakure's architecture is composed of several cylindrical buildings, with the Mizukage's office being the widest and largest. Most of the taller buildings have trees on them. Befitting its name, the village is surrounded by a thick mist, with several mountains in the background, making it difficult to find by foreigners.
History Edit
Little of Kirigakure's early history is known. Sometime in the past due to great enmity between the Second Mizukage and the Second Tsuchikage, the two men eventually killed each other in a final confrontation.[1] At one point, Kirigakure captured Rin Nohara and made her the jinchūriki of Isobu, hoping to use her to destroy Konohagakure. They allowed Kakashi Hatake to retrieve Rin and sent jōnin and ANBU pursuing them, so they would get to Konoha as fast as possible, where the beast would be released on the village.[2] This however failed as Rin willingly let herself be killed by Kakashi in order to protect Konohagakure. The Kirigakure shinobi were subsequently killed by Obito Uchiha who had witnessed everything.[3]
Kirigakure does seem to have experienced a number of internal conflicts. The Kaguya clan once waged war against Kirigakure to quench their lust for battle and were slaughtered by the village's superior forces.[4] Because of their efficiency on the battlefield, those with kekkei genkai are fielded in times of war, but Kirigakure ninja and most other citizens of the Land of Water are suspicious of those with genetic abilities and have persecuted them in the past.[5] This persecution is known to have reached the point where parents imprisoned children or attempted to kill their children and entire clans were wiped out.
During the reign of the Fourth Mizukage, Kirigakure began using a new graduation ritual for their academy: death matches for students who wish to move on into the ranks of ninja. This act reinforced the infamous nickname "Village of the Bloody Mist" (血霧の里, Chigiri no Sato; ; ; ). Students who did exceptionally well during the graduation became prime candidates for the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, a group of ninja skilled with bladed weapons. Though this practice was eventually discontinued after Zabuza Momochi slaughtered an entire graduating class, not yet being a student himself. Yagura's term as Mizukage caused great turmoil for the village: ninja began craving power and taking part in questionable activities such as in Zabuza's case when he attempted to assassinate the Mizukage. Kisame Hoshigaki, a member of the Seven Swordsmen who was disillusioned by the corruption was among those who knew the truth that Yagura was really being controlled by Obito Uchiha, yet sided with the masked ninja and eventually defected after trying to overthrow the government and assassinating several officials. Because of this association, many believed the Akatsuki was created in Kirigakure rather than Amegakure.[6] Since Mei has taken office, the village has taken a new stance and has begin working on their diplomatic relations and internal policies as well as their overall image while aiming to be recognised as a more open-minded nation.[7]
In the anime, ten years before the Shinobi Alliance was formed, it was revealed that Kirigakure bore a grudge against Iwagakure for the event known as the Tragedy of Yosuga Pass where Iwa ninja caused the deaths of Junsai and Suiren to take an important scroll that Iwa ninja helped a Kiri team including Ganryū steal from Kumogakure.[8]
Kirigakure had two tailed beasts in its possession: the Three-Tails and the Six-Tails. The Three-Tails was sealed within Yagura, though by the time Akatsuki went after it, it was roaming free. The Six-Tails' host, Utakata, was captured and had his tailed beast extracted by Akatsuki. Utakata's capture is the subject of its own arc in the anime.
Trivia Edit
- The village is named after Saizō Kirigakure of the Sanada Ten Braves, a group of legendary ninja that served under daimyō Yukimura Sanada during Japan's Warring States period, and rival to his comrade Sasuke Sarutobi. His surname is a play on his association with fog and illusions. The village's trademark technique, Hiding in Mist Technique also plays on Saizō's ability.
- The second fanbook gives Kirigakure a population size of two out of five stars, a military strength of three out of five stars, and an economic strength of two out of five stars.
- Kirigakure does not seem to have a ninja registration system.
- Despite the persecution of people with kekkei genkai in the past, the village's current Mizukage has two kekkei genkai.
- During the second fight between Zabuza Momochi and Kakashi Hatake, the former used a kunai with an edge of the blade curving inward, making the point sharper and more suited for stabbing or thrusting. Later in the anime, this blade was depicted as Kirigakure's special variation of the standard kunai.


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Topic: prognosis advice
Not sure if this would be the right forum to post in or not. My father is no longer taking treatments. He has several spots in the liver with one inparticular that is growing. Also found 2 spots in each lung base 2 weeks ago. The chemo did not work, and he has decided against any further treatments to gain a better quality of life. My question for any of you out there who have had similar experiences, is what time frame are we looking at before he is "debilitated"? We were told originally 6-12 months, but his wheezing is getting worse. The reason I even ask, is that we are planning to take a family vacation together for his 60th birthday in April. Although the doctor said it sounds "feasible" I have had others to tell me not to wait that long, that we probably do not have that much time. I just don't know what to do. We are all still in such shock.


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CALNE Town's clash with Chippenham Park looks set to be one of just a handful of local games to escape today's washout.
Matches across the country have fallen foul of last night's heavy rainfall but Simon Gardner's Lilywhites and Dave Ferris' Park remain set to meet at Bremhill View this afternoon (kick-off 3pm).
Elsewhere in the Toolstation League First Division, Devizes Town's home meeting with Welton Rovers has passed a pitch inspection whilst Warminster Town's Weymouth Street ground has also been passed fit, with Roman Glass St George the visitors this afternoon.
Westbury United are also primed for action as they make the trip to Ashton & Backwell United.
In the Calor League Premier Division, in-form Frome Town are on the road at Corby Town, with Steel Park, in Northamptonshire, given the green light earlier this morning.
But the elements have put paid to the remainder of today's schedule, with wind and rain warnings still in place for the South West today.
Today's postponements:
Calor League Premier Division: Arlesey Town v Chippenham Town
Hellenic League Premier Division: Wootton Bassett Town v Cheltenham Saracens
Toolstation League Premier Division: Melksham Town v Buckland Athletic
Toolstation League First Division: Corsham Town v Portishead Town, Wincanton Town v Bradford Town.
Sydenhams League Division One: Andover Town v Pewsey Vale.
MORE FOOTBALL NEWS, PICTURES AND REACTION IN NEXT WEEK'S GAZETTE AND HERALD AND NEXT WEEK'S WILTSHIRE TIMES. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @gazsport AND @WTSport


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Sony SSCCB574R Analog Color Fixed Outdoor Camera
Sony SSCCB574R Analog Color Fixed Outdoor Camera
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Item: SSC-CB574R
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Serves 14.
Prepare Peach Melba Cake batter following instructions; bake in petal pan following recipe instructions. Cool in pan on cooling grid 15 minutes; remove from pan and cool completely. Cut cake board to shape of pan; cover with Fanci-Foil.
Prepare Raspberry Filling following recipe instructions. Stack bottom cake layer on prepared cake board; with tip 12 and buttercream icing, outline layer about 1 in. from edge. Spoon filling inside outline; add top cake layer. Prepare cake for fondant by lightly icing with buttercream.
Tint fondant yellow; roll out 1/8 in. thick; cover cake with fondant. Imprint fondant on cake tops and sides with butterfly cutters from sets.
Tint buttercream icing burgundy, rose, blue, orange and black. Working in small areas at a time, outline butterfly imprints with tip 3 and tinted icing; immediately brush out lines of icing toward center of pattern area with damp brush. Work in quick, short strokes. Clean brush with water after brushing each flower to create distinct lines of icing. For larger butterflies, repeat with second color. Add butterfly body with tip 5 black icing and tip 3 black antenna.
Pipe tip 22 yellow buttercream shell bottom border around cake. Insert butterfly icing decorations into border. Add tip 3 yellow buttercream bodies and heads.


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SWINDON Town midfielder Massimo Luongo has been selected in Australia's preliminary 30-man squad ahead of this summer's World Cup in Brazil.
The former Tottenham Hotspur man, who made his international debut for the Socceroos in a friendly with Ecuador in March, will meet up with his Aussie teammates in Sydney for a training camp at the end of this week .
Australia play South Africa in a friendly on March 26, after which coach Ange Postecoglou will trim his squad down to 27 before the final 23 men who will represent the country in Brazil are named on June 2. The 2014 World Cup begins on June 12.
Postecoglou said of his initial selection: "We're excited to announce the preliminary 30-man Socceroos squad for the World Cup. We've selected a squad we believe will represent the people of Australia with pride on the biggest stage in world sport.
"The squad has been selected with form and fitness as key indicators as well as having one eye on the future.
"We face a formidable challenge in Brazil but it is also a big opportunity and we head to the World Cup with no barriers as we look to write a new chapter in our rich football history."
"We've named 30 players for the camp and will leave Australia with 27 before cutting the squad to 23 before the first game but we want all 30 players and the staff to get a meaningful experience out of the camps and World Cup.
"We want the camp to be competitive to make sure the training intensity is as high as possible as players strive to make the final 23 squad but everyone is equally important as we also have one eye on the future."


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Discussion of the nature of Ultimate Reality and the path to Enlightenment
Kunga wrote:so...if you don't have love or hate towards anyone/anything what do you feel ? Indifference ? Apathy ? Nothing ?
Are you emotionless ?
Are you that way naturally or because you've come to understand that it's not cool (if you're wise) to be associated with those feelings.....it's just too beneath you to have those primative emotions..... (rolls eye-balls)
Dan Rowden wrote:Those years of Buddhist instruction didn't teach you much, did they? :) It's a product of the dissolution of the Ego, which is the wellspring of all such responses to stimuli. i.e. it's the product of hard friggin' work.
Dan Rowden wrote:There's no "balance" to be found between the conscious and the unconscious
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AACU Annual Meeting 2014
February 1–3, 2014 is the annual meeting of Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities. This year's theme is "Living the Vision of Gaudium et Spes". (Joy and Hope) The conference is a 3 day schedule of educational sessions focused on social issues facing … Continue reading


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The subtitle of The Beak of the Finch A Story of Evolution in Our Time is the vital thematic thread of this groundbreaking Pulitzer Prize-winning book, rendered into audio by Victor Bevine's masterful narrative performance. "Charles Darwin never witnessed natural selection in action," states the author, Jonathan Weiner. But Princeton University professors Peter and Rosemary Grant have seen the evidence, in flourishing abundance, during their 20-year study of finches on the Galapagos Island of Daphne Major. The Grants and their assistants did so with the very finches that famously captured Darwin's attention during his five-week exploration on the Galapagos Islands. "Evolution in our time" means that wherever there is life, the force that drives evolution, natural selection, is everywhere and always present. Evolutionary changes thus occur at a much more rapid pace than had been envisaged by Darwin, indeed, than had been thought by the Grants' contemporary scientists. The stunning and startling beauty of this book is achieved through the convergence of an interesting collection of scientists, newly discovered findings about finches, great writing, and the extraordinary, ultra-exotic island of Daphne Major.
Victor Bevine narrates with a powerful, expressive voice, always actively modulating with the flow of the text, shifting his narrative delivery and tone with shifts of meaning, stress, and emphases, capped with a fluent on-the-mark narrative momentum. He has one of the most dynamically active voices in the business. His The Beak of the Finch narration is an expressive merging of the scientific and the polemic with the overflowing living biological island of wonder that is Daphne Major: its finches and the scientists studying them, the evidence gained from the research, and the island itself, which is unique even by the standards of the Galapagos Islands. Bevine is keenly and imaginatively in touch with everything in this book. He finds himself on this enchanted island that embodies, to a near miraculous degree, the driving force of life on earth. And these finches! With no fear of humans, they will land right on you: your hand, your head, your nose, into your cup of java. It is these finches, more specifically the beaks of the finches and the oscillating changes of size and shape within 20 years of research, that demonstrate evolution in rapid action and mark a fundamental change in our understanding of the theory of evolution. The spirit of Bevine's inner cello is tuned to these extraordinary representatives of the life force, the scientists studying them, and the wondrous stage upon which these events take place, Daphne Major. David Chasey
Pulitzer Prize, General Nonfiction, 1995
Rosemary and Peter Grant and those assisting them have spent 20 years on Daphne Major, an island in the Galapagos, studying natural selection. They recognize each individual bird on the island, when there are 400 at the time of the author's visit or when there are over a thousand. They have observed about 20 generations of finches - continuously. Jonathan Weiner follows these scientists as they watch Darwin's finches and come up with a new understanding of life itself.
©1995 Jonathan Weiner (P)2010 Audible, Inc.
"An engaging account of a seminal study that introduces the reader to Darwin and to the dedicated, tireless biologists who have proved him right." (Booklist)
"Narrator Victor Bevine's English accents include Australian, American, and British, with seamless switches to Ecuadorian Spanish. He senses just the right pace for his well-pronounced deluge of scientific words and arguments. His enthusiasm for what the finch studies demonstrated heralds the Grants' momentous contribution to our knowledge of biology today." (AudioFile)
"Evocative writing, exhaustive research, and Weiner's memorable portrait of the engaging Grants assure The Beak of the Finch membership in the select pantheon of science books that spark not just the intellect, but the imagination." (Washington Post Book World)
"Fascinating in-depth look at evolution in action"
A wonderful science/biology book that combines depth (the Galapagos finch study by Rosemary and Peter Grant) and breadth (impressive overview of Darwin's discoveries, and work by his scientific followers). Accessible to a non-biologist like me, while at the same time introducing many new concepts and insights from field studies. At times, the book seems to be written in a thriller style, with cliffhangers and plot turns that make you look forward to the next time you can spend time with this excellent book. Highly recommended.
"More than birds here."
The narrator.
At the end when the thoughts are being conclusive- It is so insightful that I will think about this book for the rest of my life. It affects my everyday living and I NEVER expected that from this book. I thought it was just going to be an interesting book about Darwin's finches and the people who have studied them.
Not really. There is just too much information and I need to process it in more than one sitting.
Sometimes there are a few too many details and measurements, but overall this is a really good book. Maybe great, well it would be great with a few less bird details.
I like bird stuff but what was the most amazing was side stories on other animals like the white and black moths in England etc. Wow!
Our planet is wonderful and after reading this my commitment to taking good care of it is even stronger.
You can never see the world the same again if you read this. We live on a beautiful planet and this book really gives a clear view of just how wonderful it is, thanks to the hard work of a lot of very patient people.
I'm a son, brother, husband and father. I design software and consider myself a free-thinker.
"One of my favorite books that I've listened to"
This was an extremely interesting book. I listened to it twice. If you want to really understand how evolution works, how the environment molds and shape species then this is the book to get. If you doubt evolution is real...listen to this book. It's probably the best case study of evolution in motion.
"Excellent Info, sometimes a bit too much"
The book was excellent and really detailed, which was good to a point. I don't know what I would have cut as an editor because it was an insightful examination of the Finches and other examples of speciation, but I found that at the halfway point I found myself thinking "really only I am only half way through the book? I could teach a course on this from the information that I have been given so far. What more could they possibly have to say?" Then the author would give me more great information that backed what he was saying.
Really an insightful and information packed read that gives the Real world life of scientists actively doing science and teh results that they are coming up with. Just a bit too long.
"Powerful narrative; fascinating subject"
For people who don't have a strong science background, but do believe in evolution and natural selection - the next time some fan of Fox News tells you with great confidence that "Darwin's Theory of Evolution was just a theory. It hasn't been proven," you can whip this book out of your backpack and beat them with it.
Completely accessible, written with a strong narrative arc that keeps you turning pages, Weiner has created a compelling work of popular science. He summarizes, in layman's terms, some of the great field research projects that usually scientists only talk about to each other. Projects where natural selection, sexual selection and hybridization have been observed to change species within the span of human observation. That's right, folks, proof after proof of evolution in various ways - theory no longer.
Weiner then goes on to relate these proofs to other touchstones in our lives - drug-resistant viruses, catastrophic weather events.
This is a darn good read as well as being a sensible antidote to the anti-science wave of foolishness sweeping the U.S.
Private intellectual, writer, and retired academic. Currently R&D director for Gravitational Systems Engineering, Inc.
"This book clearly deserves all its awards"
Evolution made material, without anthropology. Did you know that the illegal ivory trade is causing elephants to be born with shorter or non-existent tusks. Well written and fascinating for the evolution buff. A must read!
"evolution results"
yes. the knowledge and science were very enlightening. the observation of evolution in real time is very fascinating.
"Why Evolution is True" by Jerry Coyne
his voice was as captivating as the subject matter.
amazed that this information gathering was possible in less than a person's lifetime and the additional proof of evolution.
"A good overview of evolution"
Just to be clear: I never read the print version. I am taking an evolution course at my university and the professor "suggested" this book. The beginning is very slow; the first maybe four chapters. But then it gets interesting and then...even more interesting. This book covers evolution as it is visible and measurable as well as the theories of Darwin and the like. I enjoyed the reading by Victor Bevine, but I cannot say whether this has added to the book or not, being that there were no "characters" to be portrayed and no real "story" to be told.
"Remarkably tedious account of the obvious."
A cripplingly tedious account of cripplingly tedious field work that tends to confirm things that you thought were totally obvious. For most people with a high school education, natural selection, at the level depicted in the book, is pure common sense. Environmental pressures favor the survival/fecundity of those certain phenotypes that then tend to displace others. Sexual preference, adaptive behaviors, and cross-breeding affect this in several ways and, if the pressures are extreme, the changes can come fast. The selective process can move in many directions and can recede altogether with the arrival and departure of such pressures. You can write the whole substance of it on the back of an index card. However, the book invites you experience every trial and tribulation of the marooned Galapagian finches and of the pathetic scientists who waste their lives watching and measuring them. Predictable things happen in predictable ways. You are along for the ride. You could have read something else, but the reviews were so good you convince yourself that the book just HAS to get better soon. There are efforts made to spice up the narrative--the scientists heroically tell droll jokes in the face of unimaginable boredom, the finches are induced to enjoy inter-species necrophiliatic intercourse with decapitated bird cadavers—but no indulgence in humor or kinky sexcapades can make the finches very interesting.
The book gradually runs natural selection down and pounds it relentlessly into the guano-encrusted tuff of Daphne Major. However, mere natural selection does not alone give you "evolution." The book only dabbles in the critical issue of speciation. It always refers to phenotypically distinct finch groups that tend not to interbreed as "species," but, amazingly, the book never attempts a formal definition of "species" and does little more than offer conversations amongst the forlorn scientists that the finch varieties indeed really just have to be separate species despite noisome interbreeding and whatnot. This could have been the interesting part—the critical part—where durable evolutionary divergence happens. Leave it to the finches to start interbreeding and melting back toward a single type.
The book actually comes alive when it ditches the finches in favor of something (anything) else. Sadly, this happens in the final quarter, when you are also told of other things you already knew from high school and a few thing you might not have known (a real treat) and this happens at an intelligent pace (another treat). Then, to tie up the book, the author indulges in some big picture/philosophical treatments that are too repetitive and uneven to be very satisfying.
Don't get me wrong, the book is very "well-written" in a mechanical sense. Truly artful biblical references and adroit and soothing language serve to dull the reader's suffering as the pages slowly go by. Even so, I have never hated the experience of a non-fiction work as much as this. I feel stupid for having finished it. I now hate "Darwin's finches" and their vicissitudinous, environmentally selected beaks. What a waste of my time. I find myself hoping they soon go extinct and that the circumstances and causes of their extinction pass unobserved and unknowable.
So, why do people like this tome?
(1) Some readers may be surprised to discover what natural selection is, having neither any education nor imagination that would have previously acquainted them with the idea.
(2) The book strives to support the theory of evolution, which many people reject for irrational or unscientific reasons. Many readers need to be associated with the smart crowd who like evolution and "liking" this book reaffirms their participation in that smart group and further assures them they are totally unlike the other group, who instead intensely dislike the book for analogous reasons.
(3) They are, or are related to, one of the scientists whose tragic sacrifice on the altar of pointless empiricism is depicted in this heart-wrenching monument to wasted lives.
--Recommended for scientifically inclined boys of middling intellect, aged 12 to 16 years.
"The "brief history of time" for evolution"
Spoiler alert: when times are tough evolution diversifies and during times are abundance evolution unifies and uses that luxury to create intelligence. Either way, the stories of proof of evolution from Darwin to modern day expierimentalists and tireless observers is enchantingly shared with us in a clear and poetic way. Worth the journey!
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Tuesday, June 28, 2011 at 12:42PM
I am now on a blog break and I will have some kind of vacation during July. What will I do during the summer? I will read plenty of books and listen to podcasts on social media and business networking.
Talking about books, I look forward to read Business Networking and Sex (not what you think) by Ivan Misner, Hazel Walker & Frank De Raffele.
As a Certified Networker® by ReferensAkademin in Gothenburg, Sweden, one of my goals this year is to reach 500+ connections on LinkedIn. I will reach this goal by visualize my LinkedIn network with InMaps and study LinkedInfluence by Lewis Howes.


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Altoids Chocolate Peppermints
How can you make anything better? Deep fry it or cover it in chocolate! Thankfully the clever folks at Collard & Bowser picked the latter of the two options! Chocolate Covered Altoids! Seriously! I'm not a huge mint and chocolate fan but these do the trick and make me itch for more! Each mint is covered with a rich layer of rich dark chocolate. The mixture balances the two into a poppable treat. I nearly went through an entire tin the first time I tried them! You have to try these! Its fresh breath and a chocolate fix in one!
Keeps your breath fresh and sharpen's your mind.Added 10 Years Ago from Altoidsshoppe


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Are you new to game development? Struggling to find your footing in the ActionScript game development world? So am I. Although ActionScript and programming are not new to me, game development and gaming in general are. In my blog I'll be exploring how to get a game going, what kinds of existing games are out there, cutting edge technologies, and how various technologies work together towards a great gaming experience.
Come along for the ride, and please share your experiences and insights! http://actionscriptandotherthings.wordpress.com/


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B.A. English, Sonoma State University
M.A. English, California State University, Chico
Ph.D. English: Rhetoric and Composition, Washington State University
Office: Truly House, Room 203
Phone: 425-352-5267
Mailing: Box 358563, 18115 Campus Way NE, Bothell, WA 98011-8246
Email: email@example.com
BCUSP 114: Comic Books, Graphic Novels and Cultural Critique
BIS 300: Interdisciplinary Inquiry
BIS 399: Portfolio Reflection
BIS 499: Portfolio Capstone
BISSEB 331: Family in U.S. Society
BWRIT 134: Interdisciplinary Writing
BWRIT 135: Research Writing
My research largely concentrates on the intersections of rhetoric, power, and literacy practices. As such, I focus on classical and contemporary rhetoric, composition studies, writing program administration, writing center theory, cultural studies, gender studies, and queer theory. My recent research involves examining student digital video projects and the development of graduate-level writing support. Both projects demonstrate the use of valuable and increasingly necessary avenues for the advancement of reflective writing practices.
© University of Washington Bothell Privacy | Terms


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By Michael Lucibella
Amy Daradich
Leslie Kerby
Sujatha Sampath
It was her high school teacher's passion for physics that first drew Amy Daradich to the subject.
"It was genuinely exciting," she said. "When people have enthusiasm for what they do, it's really infectious."The experience sparked a deep interest in her to understand how things work, and to get to the root of problems. She decided physics was the path for her.
Daradich hails from Toronto and enrolled at the University of Toronto after graduating from high school. For her undergraduate degree she dabbled in several fields, but ended up focusing on biophysics. However, once she started taking the required fundamental courses for her master's, she found herself drawn more towards geophysics and studying the long-term evolution of terrestrial planets.
"There are so many interesting things to work on," she said.
She met her husband while at the University and they were married while attending school together. However, in early 2007 he landed a job in Edmonton, Alberta, about 2,000 miles away.
Also in early 2007 Daradich discovered she was pregnant, and would be due shortly after defending her PhD thesis. She graduated in September of 2007, then immediately moved to Edmonton to be with her husband. Her son was born in November, but there was a complication. He had a congenital heart defect and needed several surgeries early in life. Daradich planned to take some time away from research to care for him while he was undergoing these procedures.
She had originally thought she would be able to take only a year off from work to care for him, and had placed his name on numerous wait lists for childcare facilities. However when that year was up, no slots had opened up for her son, so she continued to stay home with him. In the fall of 2009, while she was still waiting for childcare, her husband's startup relocated to Québec City.
Unfortunately, at about the same time, her father's Parkinson's disease took a turn for the worse and she spent much of 2010 traveling between Québec City and Toronto to care for him. Her father passed away in October of 2010.
"After not working for four years and having that gap on my résumé, I was like 'I've got to work,'" Daradich said.
In early 2011, she finally located a childcare service that would watch her son four days a week. She was able to find work at a bio-photonics lab, through a friend she knew from graduate school. Although glad to be back doing research, she really wanted to return to studying the evolution of planets.
"I really missed it, but I didn't realize how much until I got back to work," she said. "Research is really something you think about all the time, even when you're not right there."
Transitioning back to doing research has not been easy. "I think it's a big problem in academia right now," Daradich said. "All fellowship opportunities really dry up within about three years of finishing your PhD."She added that the Blewett fellowship was a welcome exception. She plans to use the award to travel to Cambridge, Massachusetts for a year and collaborate with researchers at MIT and Harvard.
"I think having this award will do a lot for getting me back in the game," she said. "I wouldn't have had this opportunity if not for the fellowship."
Leslie Kerby has returned to academia after nearly fifteen years away from research.
Kerby received her bachelor's degree in physics when she was 22 years old. She was first drawn to physics because of the mathematics that underlies so much of the field.
"I love mathematics but I'm not a pure mathematician. I wanted to apply it to something," Kerby said. "I kind of sit on the fence in my work between physics and engineering."
However, after she received her bachelor's degree, she put her career on hold in order to raise her children. She had married her husband at a fairly young age and had children young as well. In keeping with her religious family background, it was up to her to raise the children.
While she was raising her kids, she occasionally tutored and taught physics as an adjunct at the local physics department. She also is an accomplished classical collaborative pianist and briefly considered pursuing it as a career.
"I love music but I also love science," she said, adding that she didn't think that she would be able to support her five children as a musician.
After her divorce three years ago, Kerby decided to return to research. She enrolled at the University of Idaho and started working towards her master's and PhD. As an undergraduate, she had always been drawn to quantum mechanics, so she started looking around for ways that she could mix quantum mechanics with applied research.
"That was my favorite field," Kerby said. "[It] probably stems from my love of mathematics as well."
Her advisor, Akira Tokuhiro, recommended that she study nuclear engineering, in particular the computational quantum mechanics of it.
"This is a field that I would both enjoy and be pretty good at," Kerby said.
While in graduate school, she got an offer to work on nuclear physics at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico. There, she's been working to upgrade the code that's commonly used by physicists calculating nuclear reactions.
"I've been working on upgrading it so it includes the emission of light, high-energy fragments in nuclear collisions," Kerby said.
She finished her master's degree last spring and is on track to earn her PhD in about two years. Working as a full-time student has not been easy for Kerby. She has full custody of her five children, ranging in age from 15 down to two. In addition, because of budget cuts and a divisional reorganization, the amount of funding she is set to receive from Los Alamos in the coming months is less than she had budgeted for.
She said the Blewett scholarship will go a long way to pay tuition costs at the University of Idaho, while still leaving money left over to care for her children.
"It's a great honor," Kerby said. "The future is bright and promising."
This is the second year of Blewett fellowship funding for Sujatha Sampath.
Her career stalled somewhat after finishing her postdoc research in 2003. She followed her husband, who was working as an engineer in Milwaukee, but she had trouble finding a permanent research position there. Since then, she's worked a series of short-term and part time research positions in order to maintain her visa status.
In 2010 she got a temporary appointment at the University of Milwaukee, where she has been continuing work she started years earlier. In 2005, she joined a team of researchers from Arizona State University. They were studying the molecular structure of spider silk using synchrotron X-rays at Argonne National Laboratory. She also currently holds another temporary appointment at the University of Wisconsin.
"The fellowship has really helped me diversify the areas in which I'm doing research, within the scope of the project," Sampath said.
Over the last year she started using infrared tomography and electron microscopy to investigate the structure of silk.
"These are sort of independent techniques but they will give very complementary information," she said. She added that the infrared tomography will help her understand more about the chemistry of silk, while the electron microscope offers a better physical picture of the strands.
"The idea is to understand the structure from different angles."
She also started working with another team of polymer researchers who have been working to develop a synthetic spider silk. Spider silk is a remarkable material, stronger than steel, yet more flexible than Kevlar or nylon. Researchers have been trying to reproduce the natural substance for years, and Sampath is seeing how close researchers are getting.
"What we are trying to look at is the structure of the synthetic silks," she said. "That will allow us to compare them to the natural silks."
In addition, over the last year she's published two research papers based on data taken years before, and is currently working on submitting a third. She said that over the next year she hopes to work with other kinds of biopolymers and to find a permanent position.
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Staff Science Writer: Michael Lucibella