text:
This is the most I've been into a game intensely in a long time.
This is the most I've been into a game intensely in a long time.
Sig made by Sons of Thunder
Come on, Anthony, don't take those shots.
Sig made by Sons of Thunder
Carmelo has been an absolute ABOMINATION this 4th qrt.
Winner winner
Chicken dinner and yes I WATCHED the 4th
What a win. My favorite game of the season.
Sig made by Sons of Thunder
We kind of backed into this win but 2 back in the loss column now....
Huge win. No letdowns against Utah now. We are very much in the playoff hunt with not much basketball to play. Need Atlanta to lose 3 more than us here on out and they have a couple more games than us to play. Let's go Knicks!
Utah was where they turned around an up and down mid-season performance last year to finish strong. It was a win but we lost every qtr save a big second and won that because we scored I think 13 points in the final 2 minutes of the qtr so you might say the Knicks balled for 2 mins not 48. But they beat a good team on their court so the up and down Knicks still have a chance.
i was waiting for the Knicks to lose this game the entire 4Q. any other day this woulda been a loss, but thanks to Stuff Curry for not taking that final 3, for Iggy Dolla for fouling like crazy, to Klayman Thompson for missing most of his shots, Knicks squeaked this one out. Super clutch shooting all game by Timmay, great game all around by STAT, and good shooting in the first half by Melo and JR... but like most Knicks losses, those same 2 chuckerbockers could not hit a lick in the 4Q, stinking up the court left and right. Melo did hit that clutch shot with a minute left, but this game was a recipe for disaster if GS didn't f*ck up on the O&D. all I can say is whew!
http://testicle.com is House of Dong
No Bogut, no Lee.....i feel we would had lost this game with those 2 playing, so we dodged a bullet....Tonight D was impressive, though Chandler had a easy go without the 2 bigs not playing. 1 game out, should be an interesting finish. Let go guys
Defense carried the win which was GREAT to see!!! No David Lee sure helped but we have guys out and Knicked up as well so....that was a good team we beat last night our playoffs have already started!!!!
Defending the guards was a huge problem, which the Knicks did a solid job on D last night, so even without Lee and Bogut that was a good win for them. Also, as chief said, the Knicks didn't have everybody either.
Sig made by Sons of Thunder


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When Jody Kinberger earlier this year learned his hotel had been selected to be featured on the Travel Channel hotel makeover reality show "Hotel Impossible," he expected it would result in the replacement of a few pool chairs and perhaps the renovation of a room or two.
DAYTONA BEACH SHORES — When Jody Kinberger earlier this year learned his hotel had been selected to be featured on the Travel Channel hotel makeover reality show "Hotel Impossible," he expected it would result in the replacement of a few pool chairs and perhaps the renovation of a room or two.
Instead, he was left with a completely repainted hotel, thoroughly cleaned rooms, new uniforms for his staff and a redesigned pool area after the show's crew left.
And, it didn't cost him a dime.
"It was a big shock," said Kinberger, who co-owns the Dream Inn at 3217 S. Atlantic Ave. with his parents, John and Cindy. "To have somebody come in and repaint your hotel is a big deal. It's a huge expense."
The Travel Channel featured the Dream Inn in the Aug. 6 season finale of "Hotel Impossible," a show in which hotel-fixer Anthony Melchiorri and a crew of cleaning personnel restore and renovate struggling hotels. All told, Kinberger estimates the show performed at least $25,000 in upgrades to his hotel to make the outdated facilities more competitive.
And it worked.
Business has been way up since the show aired. Occupancy was up nearly 50 percent in September, and it stayed strong through October, Kinberger said.
Traffic to the hotel's website has doubled since the episode originally aired, and the number of visitors to the Web page spikes whenever the Travel Channel reruns the episode, Kinberger said. The latest re-airing of the episode was 2 a.m. Tuesday.
Several guests have told Kinberger they saw the Dream Inn on the Travel Channel and that, overall, they like the changes, he said.
Now, the hotel is scheduled to appear on a special update episode of "Hotel Impossible" slated to air on the Travel Channel at 10 p.m. on Feb. 4.
"It's been great," Kinberger said. "It's something that a lot of people can't say — that their hotel was on the Travel Channel."
The Kinbergers are inviting the general public to see the renovations at an open house for the hotel on Thursday, from 5 to 8 p.m.
Daily room rental rates at the hotel currently range from $49.95 to $100. During peak season, which starts the week right before the Daytona 500 in February and runs through August, the rates rise to between $59.95 and $149.95.
The work the Travel Channel performed on the 25-room hotel was extensive, even by "Hotel Impossible" standards.
"It's the only hotel we completely painted on the outside all season," said Andy Singer, the cable channel's general manager.
Singer said the show selected the Dream Inn because of its back story and because the show's staff thought the struggling beachfront hotel could thrive if fixed up.
The Kinbergers have owned the hotel since 1992.
Things got rocky for the family last year when Jody's wife was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Two months later, his mom also was diagnosed with cancer and had to scale back her involvement at the hotel.
The Kinbergers had a hard time keeping up the hotel, making it even harder to weather an already tough economy.
"The family dream turned into a nightmare when the recession hit this tiny hotel hard, and the owner who ran things her way got cancer and had to back away," Singer said.
Both Jody's wife and Cindy learned they were cancer-free just few weeks before the crews arrived to film the episode.
Jody Kinberger said he appreciates the interest the show has generated.
Local photographer Jennifer Toegel, owner of Jennifer Juniper Photography, said she saw the show shortly after it aired and thought the hotel would be perfect for a new wedding-planning services concept she wanted to try.
"(The hotel) had such a cute little back patio," Toegel said. "I just thought it would be really cute and convenient for the bride."
Toegel has partnered with the hotel to offer a full range of wedding-planning services. Guests who are having weddings at the hotel can hire Toegel to arrange for vendors, DJs, bakers, photography and other wedding services. The public can meet the wedding vendors at the hotel's upcoming open house.
Kinberger said he hopes the new wedding services, which went live two weeks ago, will bring one or two weddings to the hotel each month.
"I hope it works out for us," Kinberger said. "We need all the help we can get."

subset: commoncrawl


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Most other threads seem to be heading in to ATG team discussion territory, and going off topic.
Post your ATG teams here, so others can tell you why you know nothing about cricket.
I'll kick off with my ATG Australian combo.
1. V. Trumper
2. B. Simpson
3. D. Bradman
4. G. Chappell
5. K. Miller
6. N. Harvey
7 . A. Gilchrist
8. S. Warne/ R. Lindwall
9. D. Lillee
10. B. O'Reilly
11. G. McGrath


text:
Now we have some bits and pieces for you. We have heard that the 15" Beagle, Torquay Midnight Confession, was Best at the Fort Doge (IA) Kennel Club's Saturday show, the Affenpischer, CH Tamarin Tug was tops at today's Pocatello Kennel Club show in Blackfoot ID, and the Welsh Terrier, CH Sanherpinc Paisa went BIS at the Bahia Sur Kennel Club Of Chula Vista (CA) this afternoon.
CH Starline Chanel
And our little Scottie juggernaut, CH Roundtown Mercedes Of Maryscot, won the 400 plus Terrier smorgasbord hosted by the Great Lakes All Terrier Association in Grays Lake IL today. And just to show you we are not playing favorites with the Terriers, we also heard that the Whippet, CH Starline Chanel was Best at the all Hound hoedown known as the Cascade Hound Association held today in Hillsboro OR.
Aren't you sorry you weren't at a dog show today?
Aren't you sorry you weren't at a dog show today?


text:
Hi, I hope this hasn't been asked before. I couldn't find anything in the forum.
I tried to read the text A.2.29 "kala kule mute" from the book "Toki Pona, the language of good - the simple way of life".
I had quite some difficulties and I think I found out why:
Doesn't "kala kule mute" mean "many colorful fish"?
The supposed meaning "rainbow fish" should be "fish of many colors", thus "kala pi kule mute", shouldn't it?
Same thing with "kala luka mute". Doesn't this mean "many fish with arm", or maybe "fish 5 + 20". OK, that last one is pretty far fetched, but it certainly cannot mean "fish with many arms", can it?
Am I right here?


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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Isolating a gene that allows a type of fern to tolerate high levels of arsenic, Purdue University researchers hope to use the finding to create plants that can clean up soils and waters contaminated by the toxic metal.
The fern Pteris vittata can tolerate 100 to 1,000 times more arsenic than other plants. Jody Banks, a professor of botany and plant pathology, and David Salt, a professor of horticulture, uncovered what may have been an evolutionary genetic event that creates an arsenic pump of sorts in the fern.
"It actually sucks the arsenic out of the soil and puts it in the fronds," Banks said. "It's the only multi-cellular organism that can do this."
Without a genome sequenced for Pteris vittata, Banks and Salt used a method of gene identification called yeast functional complementation. They combined thousands of different Pteris vittata genes into thousands of yeast cells that were missing a gene that makes them tolerant to arsenic.
The yeast was exposed to arsenic, with most of it dying. The yeast strains that lived had picked up the genes from Pteris vittata that convey arsenic resistance.
To confirm that this was the correct gene, its function was knocked down and the plant was exposed to arsenic. Without the gene functioning properly, the plant could not tolerate arsenic.
"It tells us that this gene is necessary for the plant to function on arsenic," said Banks, whose findings were published in the early online version of the journal Plant Cell. "We looked for a similar gene in the plant Arabidopsis. We couldn't find it. It can't be found in any flowering plant."
Banks and Salt found that the protein encoded by this gene ends up in the membrane of the plant cell's vacuole. Salt said the protein acts as a pump, moving arsenic into the cell's equivalent of a trashcan.
"It stores it away from the cytoplasm so that it can't have an effect on the plant," Salt said.
Banks said understanding how the Pteris vittata functions with arsenic could lead to ways to clean up arsenic-contaminated land.
"Potentially you could take these genes and put them in any organism that could suck the arsenic out of the soil," Banks said.
Salt said rice plants could be modified with the gene to store arsenic in the roots of plants - instead of rice grains - in contaminated paddies.
Banks and Salt found another gene in Pteris vittata that looks almost exactly the same as the one that controls arsenic tolerance. When the fern was exposed to arsenic, the confirmed arsenic-tolerance gene increased its expression while the similar gene did not.
Salt said the gene that regulates arsenic tolerance could be a duplicate of the other that has changed slightly to give itself a new function.
"The fact that it has these two genes could be a sign of evolution," Salt said. "One of the thoughts of gene evolution is that one copy could continue to do what it has always done, while the duplicate can develop another function."
The plant might have evolved to accumulate arsenic, Banks and Salt theorized, as a defense against animals or insects eating them.
Banks hopes findings such as this will lead to more research emphasis on non-flowering plants. She said there are characteristics in plants such as Pteris vittata that cannot be found in other organisms.
The next step in their research is to put the arsenic-tolerance gene from Pteris vittata into Arabidopsis to see whether it gives the new plant the same characteristics.
The National Science Foundation funded the research.
Abstract on the research in this release is available at: http://www.


text:
Money quote from the latest Eric Hellman offering:
eBook portability is Amazon's kryptonite. If the vaunted Agency Model were not a sham, publishers could simply make portability a standard provision of their agency contracts: "Thou shalt enable portability". And that would be it. No collusion around pricing or discounts would be needed. Amazon could discount the living daylights out of their ebooks, but customers would still judge its competitors on their merits.
Stop what you're doing and go read the rest of the post. I'll wait.
As I see it, I'm not why publishers would get involved in the price aspect to this extent; it seems akin to dairy farmers telling Walmart what the price of a gallon of milk should cost.
Eric is right. Locking people into platforms is what gives companies like Apple and Amazon an obscene amount of power over the market. You make books platform agnostic and give people the ability to shift them around as they want and it sucks some of the pricing power out of companies like Amazon. (Either that or raise the wholesale prices and let Amazon figure out how much it wants to soak up in terms of loss leaders.) But the key aspect is to make their books portable which will in turn work to break open the market.
(Note: In posting about eBooks, I do feel like that Michael Corleone quote from the third Godfather movie, "Just when I thought I was out…they pull me back in.")


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The district will be cut up next year, but the fact that this race is so close is a good sign that political machines are not always well oiled. The 27th District, like so many in the city, has a huge registration advantage for the Democrats.
In my own research, I have found that when minority party candidates win in special elections, many times they go on to be re-elected in those same districts where they are politically outnumbered. We saw this with City Councilman Eric Ulrich in Queens.
Ulrich's district is heavily Democratic, yet he has managed to build comfortable support since winning his special election. Why is this important? If Storobin is officially declared the winner over Fidler, there is reason to think that in normal circumstances (meaning in a non-redistricting year) he may have proved himself to the district regardless of the party breakdown.
Storobin's story is the kind of narrative that cannot be pinned to the typical GOP stereotype. He came here with his mother from Russia when that government was in transition.
Even if Storobin wins and goes on to be re-districted out of a job, he would have this victory to his credit. This may not seem like a big deal, but Republicans never get groomed for elective office, which is why they rarely win in the city.
If Storobin captures this seat, he gets around that speed bump by building his own political capital. Should he lose the race, he has still come very close in what is a tough district.
Storobin has published some bold views on international policy that have been open to some criticism, but that did not seem to be a big issue in this campaign. Fidler, by picking up the often sought-after endorsement of Ed Koch, made a big gain as well.
The NFL and Congress
National Football League commissioner Roger Goodell handed down suspensions and penalties to the coaching staff of the New Orleans Saints due to their policy of encouraging their defense to injure opposing players by offering rewards.
Professional sports have been going down this road for some time now, mixing actual sportsmanship with the easy to sell macho (insert expletive) that is now changing sports. Some say that the Saints are being singled out and that there was no official policy to hurt other players.
We love the toughness of the NFL and football fans want to see a tough defensive line be effective, but to set out to injure a person is a different ball game. Good for Goodell for taking a tough stance on this.
Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois has mentioned a congressional investigation into this practice. This is not the business of Congress. The situation has been dealt with appropriately by the league.
While it is true that purposely trying to injure someone else (with the exception of boxing and MMA fighting) is illegal inside or outside a stadium, the league has managed to investigate and punish the Saints in a much quicker manner than Congress ever has with their own wayward colleagues.
Until it is a legal matter, it is really only a league matter. Goodell was right to come down hard on New Orleans for this, and Dick Durbin needs to put his sights on more important things.


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Jessica Sabatini necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 184 diseños de 44 diseñadores freelance.
The 360 Woman
Professional speaker, writer, and coach.
Private and group coaching,
Teleseminars and workshops,
Audio affirmations and meditations,
A resource for the woman who wants to have it all (love, success, health, home, family)
Hip, savvy, busy, professional woman who are open to new age thinking and either:
A. Single and looking for a relationship that actually enhances their life, or
B. Have a family and a career and want support in managing it all with ease and grace
an icon or illustration with the name (The 360 Woman) next to it. Think vibrant, sexy, go-getter.
The famous drawing of the man in a circle is called The Vitruvian Man, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitruvian_Man
It would be cool to have a woman in a business suit/skirt/heels in a circle in the same position.
The circle is important. I also see a woman who is sparkling with everything she wants all around her. Open to your creativity!
Want visitors to think, "Wow, she has everything together! Fun, powerful, authentic, in the flow, and full of life. Yes, I want that!"
Colors for the site are Green, Purple, Orange, and Dark Grey
vector, .ai preferred on transparent background
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


text:
Size: 38
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83 cm
48 cm
58 cm
100% Lambskin
33% Mohair
Lining : 100% Silk
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The flagship Champagne from Veuve Fourny & Fils, made with 100% chardonnay grapes rested for 7 months on lees. The bottles spend two years maturing in the Veuve Fourny & Fils cellars before they make their way out to the world of Chamapagne drinkers.
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text:
Serves 2
drizzle of olive oil
2 salad onions or spring onions, peeled and finely chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
1 tbsp soy sauce
freshly ground black pepper
8 (or more) uncooked king prawns
mixed salad leaves
1 ripe avocado
2 tomatoes, sliced
juice of 1 lemon
handful of fresh basil, torn
handful of shelled pecan nuts
Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the chopped salad onions or spring onions, crushed garlic, soy sauce, black pepper and raw prawns. Sauté until the prawns have turned pink all the way through.
Arrange the salad leaves, watercress, avocado and tomatoes in a big dish, then pour over the prawns and other cooked ingredients. Squeeze over the lemon juice, sprinkle with torn basil and pecan nuts and serve.


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Don't connect them to each other.
#1: Design stage??? what's that... #2: I guess I could run the waste below the joists.. I was concerned about freezing. That may not happen. Only gets in the 20's a couple of times down here
I think my name became "Bruce" at somepoint. Maybe it's from that movie "They call me Bruce". Anyway, my name is Scott but I'll go by Bruce now. I am doing my own electrical and plumbing. I have done some electrical before. Plumbing is completely new to me. It's just $#$$ work right? I want to follow best practices/code as best as I can.


text:
Hazardous Livestock Weather Over the Next Two Weeks in Many Areas
October 2013 started off with a historic and devastating blizzard across South Dakota, Wyoming and Nebraska. Since then it has been colder than normal for many areas of the Rockies and adjacent states to the east, while temperatures have been warmer in the far west and far eastern areas of the USA.
This week will bring a shot of colder air into Upper Midwest and Great Lakes while the Rockies and far west will enjoy a nice stretch of fall weather. Some late effect snows will be possible and temperatures will plunge into freezing territory over portions of the Upper Midwest and even sections of central and northern Corn Belt by the end of the week.
Therefore, stock growers in the above mentioned areas should be prepared for a taste of cold and some rain/snow in the Upper Midwest, Great Lakes and Corn Belt while stock growers in the Rockies get a break (albeit a temporary one) this week and into the weekend.
As you can see in the 6 to 10 day outlook from the National Weather Service, the core of the cold air will settle all the way south into the lower Mississippi Valley sending temperatures plunging to near or below freezing in the deep south.
For the following week, stock growers should be prepared for another wave of cold. While this week will have the cold centered in the nation's mid section, the next wave of cold will penetrate further to the west.
By next Monday and Tuesday, expect falling temperatures and likely snow to break out over the northern and central Rockies and northern and central High Plains. Snow will likely push at least as far south as Denver and perhaps farther south into New Mexico and the Texas Panhandle by next Monday or Tuesday.
Hazardous livestock conditions should be expected next week from the Rockies and points east from next Monday through next Friday or Saturday. Halloween week is likely going to be a very cold and stormy week for most areas with the exception of the west coast.
All indications continue to suggest that this cold and stormy October is likely going to be followed by more cold periods in November, December and January resulting in the winter of 2013/2014 being much colder in many areas than the winter of 2012/2013.


text:
Tom Branson, Love Guru
Clip: Season 6 | 1m 25s
Hear some of "love guru" Tom Branson's best love advice to the Crawley sisters--just in time for Valentine's Day! Downton Abbey's Final Season continues on Sunday nights through March 6, 2016, at 9/8c on MASTERPIECE on PBS. #DowntonPBS
Aired: 02/21/16
Problems Playing Video? | Closed Captioning


text:
Dozens of Brevard High School students, teachers and administrators held a "walk-in" Monday morning to protest the state's latest education budget.
BREVARD — Dozens of Brevard High students, teachers and administrators held a "walk-in" Monday morning to protest the state's latest education budget.
"Teachers are fed up" with decreased funding for teacher assistants in grades K-3 and higher class sizes, and the fact that the state ranked nearly last in the country in terms of per-pupil spending, said English and journalism teacher Meredith Licht, who also serves as president of the Transylvania County Association of Educators. "Let's focus on the students, because that's who is being impacted by these cuts."
She encouraged students and staff to arrive to school Monday wearing red to show support for education. The walk-in was part of a statewide effort started mainly on social media asking state schools to stage walk-ins or walk-outs Monday. At Brevard High, school staff presented a petition to parents dropping off their children in the school's car line calling on Raleigh legislators to change their current course.
Licht said she wanted to make a visible statement and bring together teachers and students "who are tired of bearing the brunt of trying to balance North Carolina's budget" on the backs of education.
"We try to give our students the best possible education we can, but that tack is no longer tenable and students have to be aware of what their elected officials are doing to them and their prospects for the future," she said.
Licht added that cuts to teacher assistant funding in grades K-3 is particularly troubling.
"That's when students are just learning how to read at different levels," she said. "Reading is a cornerstone to being successful. … A full-time TA makes a huge difference. TAs are really teachers. They're educators 100 percent."
"Today you see a nationwide trend developing of a devaluation of public sector employees, especially in education, and it really seems like there's a movement to undermine public schools," she added. "You can't continue to cut funding years on end and tell me education matters. Education deserves to be better funded."
Fellow teacher Jane Fuller teaches AP calculus and also works with struggling students at Brevard High. She has been an educator for more than 30 years.
"We are in a crisis mode in the state because the state has not prioritized education," she said.
She added that both Republican and Democratic administrations are to blame for overburdened, underpaid teachers. She held up a graph from the website teachingspeaksvolumes.com that indicated North Carolina teachers have seen a decrease in pay of more than 15 percent from 2002 to 2012.
"I have dedicated my life to education, but the only way I have been able to do that financially is because my husband doesn't work in education," she said. "Some of the young teachers can't pay their bills."
Meanwhile, she added, "In Wyoming, which is also Republican-controlled, their teacher salaries have increased more than 18 percent."
Brevard High Principal Jason Ormsby said Licht and her fellow teachers have been "working hard to get everyone involved, which is a good thing." Asked if he supported the walk-in, Ormsby responded, "I support public education. If there's one thing in the world we cannot do without, it's public education, where whether you're poor or rich, everyone gets the same chance to make something of themselves."
Budgets "are tight," he acknowledged. "Our county does a wonderful job of supporting education and trying to be frugal with the amount of money they've been given," but sometimes that's just not enough.
"If we need a literacy coach or a math coach, textbooks or extra materials, we have to just do without, which just adds to the teachers' already busy schedules," he said. Ormsby also noted that positions at the school system's central office have been cut due to retirement, which means some remaining employees "have to pull double-duty."
After the walk-in, Kelsie Koffman, a junior, said she took part "because a lot of the programs in our school like band represent our school and we work hard to achieve a lot, but we're extremely underfunded."
Senior Brittany Woods said, "It's really important that teachers get the pay they deserve because they work really hard." She just moved to Brevard recently, she said. "Both of my parents are teachers in Florida, where they get paid more."
Fellow senior Kristy Stodola said she and Woods are both in chorus.
"Our auditorium has a lot of problems we can't fix because of a lack of funding," she said. Recent improvements were made to the auditorium stage, but the space still needs an updated sound system, lighting and seating, she explained.
After students dispersed to return to class, Licht said she was "pleased to see so many students participate today. This is their future, and I'm glad to see they're invested in it."
N.C. Sen. Tom Apodaca said he's also invested in education, is also in favor of granting local school board officials more control over how they spend money from the state in terms of setting class sizes and employing teacher assistants. When crafting the state budget, "We thought local officials knew better how to allocate their funds than we (in Raleigh) do. We gave local authorities the chance to make decisions."
"No. 1, we didn't cut K-1 (TA funding)," he added. "It was grades 2-3. The Excellent Public School Act specifically deals with reading and a child being able to read at school level out of the third grade. We added reading teachgers and tutors. It's not a TA's place to instruct children. It's a certified teacher's place. ... I'm married to a third-grade teaacher so I know the TA fuctions: class preparation, classroom testing, getting kids from and to where they need to be."
In terms of teacher pay, the senator said, "Sometimes the teacher's union is a little selfish — it's all about them. We have to look after all state workers, and we take that very seriously. It's frustrating. We have been through the worst recession since the great deep depression. And we're still not out of it total. Our unemployment numbers in Transylvania County are still somewhat elevated and we're trying to do the best we can, but we're not totally out of the financial woods yet and flush with cash again."
"I'm on the education oversight committtee and we're very concerned about starting pay for teachers," he continued. "We want to get that 0-5-years teacher more competitive and move that bar up. We're discussing different models for that."
N.C. Rep. Chris Whitmire said he thought the walk-in was "a very good show of support for education ... that reflects the great community involvement we have here in Transylvania county and across the 113th district of Henderson, Polk and Transylvania counties. I can't say enough good things about the excellent public education we have.
"Specific to TAs, I greatly value and recognize the importance of TAs in the classrooms. They are most cost-effective multipliers of value in the public school system. If you look at their pay, it's barely half of what a teacher makes and they make the teacher more effective, especially the lower grades, K-3, where reading and math are so important. Many area school systems that have a strong record have TAs that are credentialed teachers who are tyrying to get their foot in their door, maybe because that's the only position open, and you're getting double for your money. TAs are absolutely cost effective."
"When it comes to where education money comes from, state monies are the majority, although federal and local make a difference," he added. "Most states put a heavier burden on the local level. Federal guidelines drive about 80 percent of the regulations and then provide only about 10 percent of the school system funding. Those are ballpark figures."
Federal regulations mean "local administrators don't have a choice" on where to spend a lot of funds. ... When the economy took a downturn, the fat had to be trimmed and trimmed and trimmed. There's a point where you don't have anything left to trim," he said. "When it comes to funding for students or for teacher pay, for nearly a decade there has been a shell game played with distcretionary cuts, which we did away with this time. That said, there are still some tough choices superintendents have to make.
Whiymire said there's a positive side.
"...Look at the performance that Henderson County has had year after year. One of the highest ACT and SAT scores in the state. WNC schools in general, Henderson County in particular, just beats the socks off the state national average," he said. "I have to tip my hat to the administrators and educators who stretch their dollars and do the best they can to educate our students."
Reach Tanker at 828-694-7871 or email@example.com.


text:
Article content
When Mike Dawson walked out the front door of his Midnapore home Saturday morning, the first thing he saw was a swastika on his porch.
The Nazi symbol, in heavy, black spray paint, was scrawled across the cover of his hot tub.
"As soon as I saw that I looked over at the gate, the gate was wide open. I'm thinking, 'what else did they do?' "
Dawson found another crude swastika (both were backwards) inked onto the brickwork on the side of his house, and beside it the words 'I'm in!' written on weatherboards.
His home was one of five properties across Midnapore and Sundance tagged with similar graffiti overnight Friday.
"To me (the tagger) is not a real Nazi," he said.
"It's someone just trying to offend people and doesn't have a clue what they're doing. It's a kid that just wants to upset someone with the most offensive symbol there is. And they don't even get it right."
Incorrect swastikas were a signature of the graffiti spree, along with coarse writing such as "Capitalist Pigs" and "Bitch Dog." Most of it had been cleaned up by Saturday afternoon.
"This is the one I'm worried about," Dawson said. running a finger over the greasy mark on the brick wall.
"I don't know what to do with brick."
In nearby Sundance, one resident, who asked not to be named, had spent most of the morning trying to scrub a swastika off an exterior wall and a giant 'X' from his front door.
"I've been at it for two or three hours and I still have to do some more," he said.
The air on his front porch was thick with the smell of paint thinner. The swastika was all but gone from the wall, though a dark stain remained.
The man was shocked, but not angry about the tone of the attack.
"The fact that it was a swastika was not really relevant. Maybe if I was Jewish it probably would have meant a little more. If it wasn't that, it was going to be . . . something else that was kinda stupid."
Calgary police believe all five homes were hit between 11 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m. Saturday.
Staff Sgt. Jason Bobrowich said investigators would be assisted by the police crime prevention and diversity resources teams.
"Obviously, with any markings of that type it brings some significantly negative connotations.
"People in our service deal with that ethnic-type portfolio. They can address concerns of community members."
Vandalism sprees on residential properties are not common, he said.
"Typically, you see a lot of graffiti on commercial-type structures. (This is) definitely not a normal occurrence."
Police had no suspects in the case or anyone in custody, Bobrowich said. No other damage has been reported.
Neither of the vandalism victims the Herald spoke to heard anything overnight to alert them to the taggers.
Dawson, a pet store owner who also runs a pet care business from home, had four dogs in his house overnight Friday.
"Now they bark," he said ruefully Saturday afternoon.
"Why didn't they bark last night?"


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18th August 2006, 10:30 PM
What the heck can get the stain out of the hair caused from tearing eyes? My vet just said to wipe them clean daily. I do, but that isn't removing the stain already there. Are there drops of any sort that help with the eye tearing, or is it just a breed characteristic?


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Charlie Sheen may be on the verge of putting out one of the many public relations fires currently burning in his world.
The "Two and a Half Men" star dropped hints on Twitter March 3 that he may have come to an agreement with his ex-wife, Brooke Mueller, that would keep the estranged couple's custody battle out of court for now, reports People.
On March 1, authorities removed Sheen's 23-month-old sons Bob and Max from his home, leading to an escalation in his legal fight with Mueller, who filed for divorce last month. They were due to face off in court on Monday, March 7, but the actor says that hearing won't come to pass.
U.S. & World
The day's top national and international news.
"not sure what all the legal noise is about ... just verbally reached a deal with B. no court mon. yay," he wrote on Twitter, adding, "Yet the opposition felt it necessary to still harass me with old gibberish .... odd? perhaps. transparent? you betcha'!"
Sheen did not offer further elaboration on the terms of the deal, though he also talked about it in a radio interview with a Philadelphia news station Thursday afternoon.
"We reached a deal," he said. "I can't say what it is obviously. But there's no court Monday," Sheen told Wired96.5. He also mentioned that the police visited him earlier in the day.
"Everything was fine until everyone started calling me saying 'the cops are coming to arrest you', and I'm like 'but it's not even three o'clock,'" he quipped.
Sheen said that the cops acted as a delivery service for a court notice.
"It's alright, it's fine, whatever it is, it's fine. I'm not worried," he said.
Selected Reading: People, Access Hollywood, Radar Online


text: Seller: antiques_os (692) 100%, Location: Osijek, Ships to: Worldwide, Item: 254579250424 very good condition dimensions: 25x21mmdiameter of the ring (interior): 18mm Shipping for Europe 10 USD, other world 15 USD. Payment must be made in 7 days after the end of the auction. Item will be adequate and well protected and packaged. I accept Paypal. Condition: VERY GOOD CONDITION


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We can check in as early as 5.30pm! Ship leaves at 9pm.
Casiono gambling starts at 10pm when the ship is in INTERNATIONAL WATERS.
THE ROOM. With a tiny window. Double bunk beds that are hard to climb up & down without proper ladders. Option not to have a room : Standing pax at RM152 per head.
Starcruise's service is execllent! Staff mainly comprises of workers from The Philippines & China. They meet our every needs (without any discrimination)
Had a wonderful trip exploring the whole ship although my stay was just for a day. At 3.30am after completing my 4 hour karaoke session, I walked the deck at level 10 and tried to "feel" the breeze. The sea breeze gave me the chills and I could not stand it for more than 15 mins. Wonder how ppl can take it. It's freezing out there. Brrr....And pitch black. at night, cannot see anything. But daytime it's a different story. It's so great to see the sea in great light with clear blue skies. Wind at my face, the sun at my back. This is an awesome SHORT vacation. Took lots of pics. Here are some to share it with you. Overall satisfaction 9/10. Room for improvement: FOOD!
Make sure you bring your swimwear for a dip in the pool.


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Expensify.org/hunger SNAP campaign status
The number of families signing up for reimbursement has vastly outnumbered the limited funds available. Though we're unable to provide a specific timeline on when your report will be reimbursed, we're doing our best to drive donations and keep our fund moving forward. Rest assured, we'll review every report that's submitted per our instructions.
Thanks for your patience!
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Prisoner Profile
Youcef Nadarkhani
Released, Sept. 8, 2012
Youcef Nadarkhani, a 34-year-old pastor from Rasht, about 750 miles northwest of Tehran, was arrested in October 2009 after he protested a government policy that required children, including his 8- and 9-year-old sons, to study the Quran in school. Youcef told school officials that the Iranian constitution allows for freedom of religious practice. As a result, secret police called him before a political tribunal and arrested him for protesting. The charges were later amended to apostasy and evangelism of Muslims. Youcef was tried on Sept. 2122, 2010 by the 1st Court of the Revolutionary Tribunal and sentenced to death on Nov. 13 for apostasy.
The pastor was imprisoned in Lakan prison, where authorities have used various methods, including medication, to convert him back to Islam.
After Youcef refused to convert to Islam, his wife was arrested, put on trial without an attorney and sentenced to life in prison. She was later released after an attorney appealed her sentence. The Nadarkhanis children were cared for by a relative while they were both in prison.
Youcef was released Sept. 8, 2012 to much fanfare. But in a surprise move, authorities rearrested him on Christmas Day 2012, claiming he needed to complete 45 day still left in his original sentence.
Youcef Released, Again
Iranian officials re-arrested Youcef Nadarkhani on Christmas Day, stating that he still had portions of his three-year prison sentence to complete. However, he was released again on Jan. 7. He was ordered to report back to the prison in 30 days in order to complete some documentation. Yousef was released on bail on Sept. 8, 2012 having served 2 years and 11 months.
Youcef Released
Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani was released Saturday, Sept. 8, after a trial where he was found guilty of evangelizing Muslims. Youcef was not charged with apostasy, or leaving Islam. He was sentenced to three years, which he had already served.
New Charges to Come?
Two reports came out this week: one stating that on July 4th, Youcef was told he would face new charges in September. The second report said that after a Russian Orthodox church patriarch wrote a letter to the Supreme Leader, he received a reply saying the death sentence against the Iranian pastor would be dropped. It seems that Youcef will face a new trial in September for crimes against national security. Lord willing, this also means the charges of apostasy from Islam have been dropped.
Will Youcef's Lawyer Be Sent to Prison?
The main defense lawyer for Youcef Nadarkhani was himself sentenced to nine years in jail for allegedly acting against national security. Human rights lawyer and defense attorney Mohammad Ali Dadkhah received the word while defending another of his clients in court. Dadkhah is also banned from teaching or practicing law for ten years.
It is unclear what will happen in Nadarkhanis case if his lawyer is imprisoned. Dadkhah told the ACLJ that no other attorney will represent Nadarkhani out of fear of being imprisoned or disbarred themselves.
Iranian Government: Nadarkhani Offended Islam
An Iranian envoy has denied an execution order was issued for Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, but revealed a list of charges against the evangelical Christian that allegedly make him guilty of "offending Islam." The envoy said Nadarkhani was inviting juveniles into his home, without their parent's permission, to preach Christianity. He also claimed Nadarkhani converted his basement into a church without the government's permission. He also said that in preaching Christianity, Nadarkhani was offending Islam, a serious charge that shows the true reason why his case is so concerning to the government.
Youcef Again Pressured to Recant
VOM contacts say the chief justice in Gilan province told Youcef's lawyers last week (Jan. 16, 2012) that if Youcef repents, he will be released. Youcef told his attorneys repenting means leaving Christianity to return to Islam. He said it was impossible for him to "return" to Islam, since he was never Muslim.
Our contacts write, "Because of your prayers and concerns, the regime is afraid to issue a negative verdict, and yet they do not want to release him..."
Please continue to surround Youcef with your prayers. Pray that the chief justice will have a change of heart.
Nardarkhani to Remain in Prison
Youcef Nadarkhani, an Iranian pastor sentenced to death for apostasy, will remain in prison for at least one more year. The presiding judge ordered authorities to keep Youcef in prison, using whatever means necessary to force him to recant his Christian faith and convert to Islam. VOM contacts believe the orders intent is to keep Youcef in prison for an extended period so that the international Christian community will forget about him. The Iranian courts may then feel free to carry out the death sentence.
Verdict Referred to Supreme Leader
VOM contacts report that Pastor Nadarkhani's verdict has been delayed again by the court in Gilan province. The reason for the delay, according to his attorney, is that they have referred the case to the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. It is highly unusual for the court to ask for the legal opinion of the Supreme Leader.
Please continue to pray that Youcef will be pardoned. Pray also for his wife, family and those supporting him.
Youcef Still Needs Prayers
Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani remains in prison awaiting re-examination of his case. This is likely to take place sometime in September. Until then, it is critical that we continue to pray for him. Our contacts report that he is standing firm and strong in his faith, and is even encouraging those who are discouraged, exhorting them to trust in the Lord.
Supreme Court Sends Case Back to Lower Court
VOMs contacts are reporting a new development in the case of Youcef Nadarkhani. His lawyer has finally received the written ruling from the Supreme Court. According to one source, the Supreme Court has agreed with the death sentence verdict. However, the court pointed out procedural flaws and is asking the lower court to re-examine the case. The judges would like clarification as to whether Youcef was truly a Muslim prior to becoming a Christian. If Youcef is determined to have been a true Muslim, and he does not recant his Christian faith, the death sentence will stand.
Death Sentence Annulled Temporarily
On Sunday, Iran's supreme court has overturned a death sentence handed down to Youcef Nadarkhani.
"The supreme court has annulled the death sentence and sent the case back to the court in Rasht, asking the accused to repent," Mohammad Ali Dadkhah said.
The courts decision will lift the death sentence only if Youcef recants his Christian faith. It is not clear what will happen if he does not recant.
Youcefs lawyer was also sentenced on Sunday to nine years in jail and a 10-year ban on practicing law or teaching at university for "actions and propaganda against the Islamic regime".
Death Sentence Upheld
The Iranian Supreme Court has upheld the death sentence of Pastor Youcef. He has been in prison since October 2009, and the appeal of his death sentence was rejected by the Iranian Supreme Court on June 28, 2011. He is to be executed by hanging. If the death sentence is carried out, it will be the first court-ordered execution of a Christian in Iran in 20 years.
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Physical addresses are also available.
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Silent Night
31243, Hymns, Silent Night, no. 204
1. Silent night! Holy night!
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon virgin mother and Child.
Holy Infant, so tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace;
Sleep in heavenly peace.
2. Silent night! Holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight!
Glories stream from heaven afar;
Heav'nly hosts sing Alleluia!
Christ, the Savior, is born!
Christ, the Savior, is born!
3. Silent night! Holy night!
Son of God, love's pure light
Radiant beams from thy holy face,
With the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord, at thy birth;
Jesus, Lord, at thy birth.
Text: Joseph Mohr, 1792-1848; trans. by John F. Young, 1820-1885
Music: Franz Gruber, 1787-1863


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Accommodating students with disabilities - Roles and responsibilities (fact sheet)
2000 - The Ontario Human Rights Code guarantees the right to equal treatment in education, without discrimination on the ground of disability, as part of the protection for equal treatment in services. Education providers have a duty to accommodate students with disabilities up to the point of undue hardship. Students with disabilities are not always being provided with appropriate accommodation, and, in some cases, are falling victim to disputes between the various parties responsible for accommodation. The accommodation process is a shared responsibility.


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Hey there loves! Thank you for clicking on this Magazine!...
Too Beautiful83685060
- by Black_Cat_Suicide_x
- Rating:
- Published: 19 Dec 2013
- Updated: 25 Mar 2014
- Status: Complete
[This story has other celebs in it] Kenzie Roberts has been in pain for the last 14 years. Ever since she was 3 and her mother passed away her father has been beating her. She cries herself to sleep every night and in the morning she covers up the bruises. She's a turtle in a school, keeping to herself and out of everyone's way. She's afraid to love and afraid to let anyone in. Above all that she's the most beautiful girl in school. She can't see her beauty because of her fathers vicious words. Can one guy teach her that not all men are like her father? Can he show her that she's beautiful? Read(:
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Leonard Orr
|This article is a stub. You can help by expanding it.
Biographical Information
"Leonard Orr is the discoverer and founder of the worldwide Rebirthing Breathwork movement. As a result of spontaneous rebirthing experiences, from 1962 to 1975, he discovered and developed the technique known as 'connected breathing', where the inhale and exhale are merged with no pause in between. This is the natural breathing rhythm of babies, animals, and most young children. This technique is used today in hundreds of various forms of breathing styles.
"Leonard was spiritually enlightened in 1960, unraveled the death urge he learned from his family tradition in 1967, and had numberless spontaneous birth, prenatal and infancy memories. Leonard sometimes says that his healing and personal evolution was caused by spiritual accidents in the bathtub.
"Rebirthing Breathwork, as taught by Leonard Orr, is the original form, which is being practiced widely today by thousands of professional Breathworkers. It is estimated that more than 10 million people around the globe have experienced the healing power of Rebirthing Breathwork as a result of receiving at least 10 high quality individual completed energy cycles with a high quality Rebirther.
"Leonard is considered as one of the originating pioneers of the New Age movement and Prosperity Consciousness. He has devoted over 40 years of his life to spreading his ideas and the healing power of Rebirthing Breathwork around the globe, covering six continents and circling the globe dozens of times. He has authored over 20 books in more than a dozen languages.
"He is famous not only for discovering Rebirthing Breathwork, but for also defining the 8 Biggies of Human Trauma, which are birth trauma, parental disapproval syndrome, specific negatives, school trauma, past life karma, the unconscious death urge, religion trauma, and senility.
"In 1975, he founded Rebirth International (RBI), a nonprofit organization dedicated to uniting breathworkers around the world and improving the quality of Rebirthing Breathwork, as well as teaching the practical methods to personal mastery of body, mind, and spirit.
"Leonard is a lifelong student of self mastery, body mastery, and is a leading pioneer in the field of human potential and the Physical Immortality movement. Over his years of study and exploration, Leonard has met over seven immortals, including: Babaji, Deva Raha Baba, Bhartriji, Gopichand, Ram, Sita.
"From 1977 to 1984 Leonard visited and worked closely with Shri Mahavatar Babaji, visiting him every year. Babaji taught him the principles of Spiritual Purification and self mastery with the practices of earth, air, water, and fire. Babaji also told Leonard that Rebirthing Breathwork, including spiritual purification with the elements, was the new yoga for liberation and self mastery, appropriate for our present civilization.
"Currently, Leonard Orr is based in Virginia, USA, with his lovely wife Elvi Orr, and the Rebirth International Headquarters and RBI Training Center. He offers monthly trainings, lectures and events worldwide. There is an annual Breathworkers' convention in Virginia every July."[1]
- Speaker (2013), Wesak Festival
Resources and articles
Related Sourcewatch
- ↑ Wesak Festival Leonard Orr, organizational web page, accessed September 24, 2013.


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e-CFR Navigation Aids
Advanced Search
— Boolean
Related Resources
Electronic Code of Federal Regulations
Title 10: Energy
Subpart C—NRC Seal and Flag
§1.51 Description and custody of NRC seal.
§1.53 Use of NRC seal or replicas.
§1.55 Establishment of official NRC flag.
§1.57 Use of NRC flag.
§1.59 Report of violations.
§1.51 Description and custody of NRC seal.
(a) Pursuant to section 201(a) of the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, has adopted an official seal. Its description is as follows: An American bald eagle (similar to that on the Great Seal of the United States of America) of brown and tan with claws and beak of yellow, behind a shield of red, white, and blue, clutching a cluster of thirteen arrows in its left claw and a green olive branch in its right claw, positioned on a field of white, with the words "United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission" in dark blue encircling the eagle. The eagle represents the United States of America and its interests.
(b) The Official Seal of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is illustrated as follows:View or download PDF
(c) The Secretary of the Commission is responsible for custody of the impression seals and of replica (plaque) seals.
§1.53 Use of NRC seal or replicas.
(a) The use of the seal or replicas is restricted to the following:
(1) NRC letterhead stationery;
(2) NRC award certificates and medals;
(3) Security credentials and employee identification cards;
(4) NRC documents, including agreements with States, interagency or governmental agreements, foreign patent applications, certifications, special reports to the President and Congress and, at the discretion of the Secretary of the Commission, such other documents as the Secretary finds appropriate;
(5) Plaques—the design of the seal may be incorporated in plaques for display at NRC facilities in locations such as auditoriums, presentation rooms, lobbies, offices of senior officials, on the fronts of buildings, and other places designated by the Secretary;
(6) The NRC flag (which incorporates the design of the seal);
(7) Official films prepared by or for the NRC, if deemed appropriate by the Director of Governmental and Public Affairs;
(8) Official NRC publications that represent an achievement or mission of NRC as a whole, or that are cosponsored by NRC and other Government departments or agencies; and
(9) Any other uses as the Secretary of the Commission finds appropriate.
(b) Any person who uses the official seal in a manner other than as permitted by this section shall be subject to the provisions of 18 U.S.C. 1017, which provides penalties for the fraudulent or wrongful use of an official seal, and to other provisions of law as applicable.
§1.55 Establishment of official NRC flag.
The official flag is based on the design of the NRC seal. It is 50 inches by 66 inches in size with a 38-inch diameter seal incorporated in the center of a dark blue field with a gold fringe.
§1.57 Use of NRC flag.
(a) The use of the flag is restricted to the following:
(1) On or in front of NRC installations;
(2) At NRC ceremonies;
(3) At conferences involving official NRC participation (including permanent display in NRC conference rooms);
(4) At Governmental or public appearances of NRC executives;
(5) In private offices of senior officials; or
(6) As the Secretary of the Commission otherwise authorizes.
(b) The NRC flag must only be displayed together with the U.S. flag.
When they are both displayed on a speaker's platform, the U.S. flag must occupy the position of honor and be placed at the speaker's right as he or she faces the audience, and the NRC flag must be placed at the speaker's left.
§1.59 Report of violations.
In order to ensure adherence to the authorized uses of the NRC seal and flag as provided in this subpart, a report of each suspected violation of this subpart, or any questionable use of the NRC seal or flag, should be submitted to the Secretary of the Commission.


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Zippy Star Promises to Be Relativity Laboratory
At the heart of our galaxy is a giant black hole, four million times as massive as the sun. How do we know? One important piece of evidence comes from studies of stars in the galactic center. Several stars loop around the inner galaxy in a high-velocity swarm. And their orbits betray the presence of a gigantic black hole at the core of that swarm exerting the pull of gravity on those stars.
Until recently the shortest known orbital period for any of those stars was 16 Earth years. But a newly discovered, much fainter star completes an even tighter orbit around the black hole, in 11.5 years. The new find was reported in the journal Science. [Leo Meyer et al., The Shortest-Known–Period Star Orbiting Our Galaxy's Supermassive Black Hole]
The quick-lapping star may soon find use in tests of Einstein's general theory of relativity. The region around the black hole is an ideal laboratory for studying how gravity works near an extremely massive object. And any deviations from the predictions of relativity will likely reveal themselves over multiple orbits of nearby stars.
And a faster orbit means more data sooner. Because a given astronomer only has so much time to figure out spacetime.
—John Matson
[The above text is a transcript of this podcast.]


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Happy endings: Throwing off the bad boy-- Kindle
I'm a little embarrassed. Not so long ago (Has it been two years? Seriously?) I spouted off in this public forum about my love– well, let's call it infatuation– for you, my Kindle e-reader.
Back then, I thought you were The One, and I was so over all those clunky paper books. I cleared the dusty to-be-read pile from my bedside, and it was all about you (only about you!) every night. The sleek warmth of you in my hand, your immediate response to my every desire– I didn't know who I was anymore. Whatever it took to keep you filled with new titles, I was happy to do.
You were the bad boy in my life. And I loved it.
Suddenly, privacy meant nothing to me. I just didn't care anymore. Amazon wanted to keep track of my reading habits? Okay. And when I discovered that they could reach into my collection of electronic books and delete something if they felt like it, I merely shrugged and accepted it.
Just let me have my sweet plastic toy, push those buttons and swing from title to title, switching books, all the while caressing the same warm, smooth unit. I was happy– we were happy, weren't we? For a while, anyway.
And, oh, you make it so easy to acquire new electronic books! Click and voilà. Click and voilà. I could do that all day. Want it, get it. Want it, get it. I have pages of titles nested inside your memory, Kindle, but I have no idea what those titles are.
Well, I do remember the ones I got for free: the complete works of Shakespeare, all the Oz books. Will I ever read those? Doubt it. But I have to admit that acquiring them felt good.
Here's the part that's tough to say, dear Kindle, but I have to be honest with you: I still have feelings for paper.
I know, I know! We thought this would never happen— couldn't happen. You and I, we seemed so inevitable. We were what progress looked like, right? And how could I turn my back on progress? I swear I didn't set out to do this; it just happened. Oh, it kills me to have to tell you this.
One by one, paper books have crept back into my life. People pass them along to me, or maybe it was a title you couldn't give me, and I was forced to turn to paper. And the tactile allure has become overwhelming. Paper and ink books call out to me wherever I go.
Sometimes I trip over them. Or I'll have to push aside a book or two when I've lost the remote. Or I hear the phone ringing from inside a heap of books and papers.
The red letters over black that run down the spine of La Seduction beg me to pick up that book and fall back into Paris. The slim new novel, We the Animals, by Justin Torres sits atop the pile next to my bed, whispering, "You could finish me in an evening. What're you waiting for?" And Jon Stewart's Earth lives just inches away from my pillow, ready to send me into convulsions of giggling when I open it to any page. I can't help but smile whenever I move it aside to reach my alarm clock.
I find myself with some reason to handle a paper book, and before I know what's happening, the world falls away and I'm tumbling into a story, stroking each page as I turn to the next one and the next one, and just one more, always wanting just one more.
Here's what it comes down to, Kindle: Paper and ink books try harder to seduce me.
It's their heft and scent, their colorful covers, engaging fonts. And I'm sure it seems trivial to someone as complex as you, but I like that I can write in them, flip back and forth from one part to another. You know, all that 3-D stuff.
Oh, forget it. Just forget it. I knew you wouldn't understand.
But here's another thing, something I know you can relate to: when I'm packing for a trip, it seems like your battery is always run down, and I don't have time for hours of charging, so I tuck a paper book into my carry-on.
Face it: we just don't communicate like we used to.
But the allure of the bad boy is a powerful one, and I'd be lying if I didn't admit that I'm still drawn to you. That sleek profile, the way you're filled with information about my reading preferences. You know me. When I turn to you, I know you can give me what I want.
The thing is, I find I'm turning to you less and less. For me, dear Kindle, the kick– the spark between you and me– is all about the thrill of instant acquisition. And that thrill is entirely separate from the experience of reading.
Oh, Kindle: it's not you, it's me. You still have all the magic you've always had. It's just that I never could get paper out of my mind. You were an exciting fling– something shiny and new.
But with you in my hands it's so easy to click around in your menu and go from title to title (I don't even have to cross the room to a bookshelf) that I seldom make it all the way though to the end of a book.
And so, if I want to finish what I start, live a substantial, meaningful life, I need to go with what works for me. And paper is what works for me.
We can still be friends, of course. It's not like I'm planning to get rid of you or anything. It's just not what it used to be. We're not what we used to be.
But some late night, I might find myself drunk dialing you, downloading a book when I just can't wait another second, looking for a quick thrill.
You'll still be there for me, right?
Janis Jaquith has decided not to toss her Kindle into the fireplace of her home in Free Union.Read more on: kindle
1 comment
Big advantages to electronic books=free downloads, ability
to read really big books comfortably esp in bed, light weight for
traveling and ability to take lots of books, screen much easier
to read than paper books in environments with any glare
Big disadvantages=difficulty flipping back and forth esp
for reference, nonfiction, scientific books, impossible
to annotate, graphics reproduction hugely inferior


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Thursday, February 12, 2009
More NYCC '09 Head Shots
Here's the rest of the head shots from this year's NYCC, including a Thor that I only finished yesterday. They all took much longer than I had intended, but I was juggling a lot of other responsibilities, from signings to panels to plain ol' blabbin'. I might scale things back next year so I can actually mix and mingle on the con floor.
Also, just a technical note, I know many of you out there are Bloggers yourselves, so I thought I'd share some recent finds (at least for me). I've started to publish via e-mail, which makes composition and editing a whole lot easier. There are some quirks to get used to, but the overall process is much more streamlined. You can find more information at Blogger Help.
In addition, I've added a new translation feature that is activated through flags — the code for which you can find at Digital Inspiration.
If all goes well this weekend, I'll have a special President's Day announcement on Monday. Should be entertaining at the least. Have a great weekend!
6 comments:
- AnonymousFriday, February 13, 2009
These headshots are really awesome!ReplyDelete
Oh my damn!ReplyDelete
I am in love with the Doc Ock piece. I'm glad that it's not in color because it is perfect as it is in black and white.
The other head shots are simply great as well, but that Doc Ock shot rules them all! :D
Dude, whoever asked you to do Thor is a genius really. They should like, bring you on full time to do the bookReplyDelete
- AnonymousFriday, February 13, 2009
These are all excellent as usual - but that Doc Ock is REALLY doing it for me!ReplyDelete
The "My Cup O Joe" of this friday at Myspace.com/comicbooks has what i think is your President's Day suprise.ReplyDelete
I wasnt sure it was yours, since i usually see any pieces here first, but it looked too much like your style, and i saw the bottom right corner for reasurance, and sure enough...
Awesome stuff all around!
Glad you like the piece, Jordan.ReplyDelete
And yes, that's my cover featured on myspace. I'll do post the cover here on Monday.
Happy Valentine's Day!