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The time may even come when the AHA takes on a role in making that possible (at least I hope so and think that would be appropriate.... do you?).
but I also don't feel it should be part of the AHA agenda.
Bill Owens beat them to it:American Distilling InstituteYou'll note a LOT of the same players there as in brewing.
I can't speak for the AHA, but my feeling is that it's a separate issue. I don't have any problem with legalizing distilling at home, but I also don't feel it should be part of the AHA agenda.
Seems like a natural extension of the organization's objectives to me. The only big bright line I see is the federal legality and that's the one the AHA doesn't want to cross in their lobbying efforts. Our hobby is making booze. Why is distilling that booze verboten?


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This is wine country! Wine-tasting is one of my favorite things to partake in. In California, we are spoiled for choice with the ideal climate for growing and producing some of the best wines in the world.
I decided to visit Paso Robles, California to discover a few boutique wineries that many people might not be familiar with. El Paso de Robles, or "Pass of the Oaks" is a community of 30,000 people. It's located in San Luis Obispo County near the Central California coast and will be celebrating 125 years in 2014.
With over 180 wineries in the region, I had the enviable task of trying several so that I can pass along my favorites to you. Most are family owned and operated with tasting rooms. They also offer wine clubs with special membership pricing so you can have them delivered right to your door – even if you live in another state.
It should go without saying that you should always have a designated driver when doing any wine tasting trips. So I graciously bribed my friend Tom with food, and then shamelessly put him to work driving me around Paso Robles. We hopped into his convertible (with the top down of course) and cruised down the 101 jammin' to Springsteen.
Our first stop was for lunch. I always encourage people to eat before they do any wine tasting, especially in Paso Robles where pairings with food are not standard. Most wineries will pour 6 to 7 glasses in their "flight", so it's important to have a good meal before you head out.
We landed at a new restaurant called La Cosecha that just opened this Summer. It is the vision of Executive Chef, Santos MacDonal, and his wife, Carole MacDonal. We enjoyed everything about this place, including the sweet story of how they met. Carole was a former Producer on The Amazing Race TV show and had frequented a restaurant in Los Angeles where Santos was the chef. She first fell in love with his truffles…and the rest is history. They got married, then moved to Paso Robles to launch their dream of opening a restaurant together.
The signature cocktail menu was so inviting and intriguing, I couldn't resist trying several of them. My favorites were the Vida Licuado and the Watermelon Thyme with cucumber vodka, watermelon juice, and thyme. The Botanicos Espumosos was also a hit with refined gin, Cava, thyme, and rhubarb bitters.
Next, we savored the brunch menu with Pastelitos Catracho (Honduran style empanadas) and Sopa de Frijoles (black eyed pea soup with rice, topped with a poached egg).
The Ensalada de Granos salad and Caprese Latino sandwich were equally impressive. It was topped off with Tres leches cake for dessert. Everything was excellent and we didn't want to leave – but had a tight schedule and wine was beckoning us.
Next, we ventured to Villa San-Juliette Vineyard in San Miguel, where we sipped wine under a beautiful great oak at the 168-acre Tuscany-inspired estate. After a quick tour of the vineyards, and production facility, we sampled many lovely bouquets from this boutique winery that produces 24,000 cases per year. It was built as an escape by owners, and former American Idol Producers, Nigel Lythgoe and Ken Warwick. We sipped and lounged all day there, listening to a live band and soaking up the sun. The views were equally stunning, especially from the wine club's private balcony. The 2010 Chorum and the 2009 Reserve Malbec were our favorites - and both of them came home with us.
We then cruised over to Epoch Winery just before closing time and enjoyed a tasting of four key wines. My favorite was the rare 2009 Reserva Tempranillo, where only 6 barrels were produced. You gotta love 100% Tempranillo, baby! It was aged for 35 months, begging for extended barrel aging in the traditional Rioja 'reserva' style. The tasting room is fairly new, but the original vines date back to the 1800's.
After that, it was time to check into our beautiful 2-room Whirlpool Suite at La Bellasera Hotel & Suites. I've stayed here a few times, so it's like my second home when I'm in Paso Robles. The hotel boasts a beautiful outdoor pool, an exercise room, wireless internet, attentive staff, and a delightful onsite restaurant, Enoteca. It's conveniently close to downtown Paso Robles and most of the wineries in the region, so it makes for a great home base.
We were so impressed with Santos and Carole MacDonal from dining at their restaurant for lunch, that we decided to go to their other restaurant for dinner, Il Cortile Ristorante, where we enjoyed a vast array of rustic Italian fine dining. We asked them to bring us their favorite and most popular dishes as we trusted them with our plates and palates. This is something anyone can do at a restaurant and most chefs love the opportunity to serve adventurous guests their favorite dishes.
We started out with the "Sformato" sweet corn and goat cheese soufflé with heirloom tomato sauce paired with a Prosecco wine. Then we tried the grilled octopus and Carpaccio Tartufo with white truffle oil beautifully paired with a 2012 Elena Walch "Kastelaz" Pinot Bianco (Carole's personal favorite).
Next, we dined on amazing homemade pasta, Fettuccine Tartufo as we sipped a 2010 Vietti Tre Vigne Barbera d'Alba and 2010 Giornata Barbera.
We shared a few entrees so we could savor more food and wine together. The Chilean sea bass came with a 2010 Selvapiana Chianti Rufina, the Pork Osso Bucco paired with a 2010 Halter Ranch Syrah, and the Veal Chop paired with a 2008 Masi Rosso del Veronese. All were incredibly tender and juicy. For dessert, we enjoyed Panna Cota Tiramisu with a 2012 Vietti Moscato di Asti.
Il Cortile offers multiple "flights" where guests can choose a meal and have 3 wines that go with each type of meal – so you know you are getting the absolute best pairing with your meal to enhance the experience. This is not something you should try at home, leave the work behind and trust your experts to create the best dinner and wine – with no clean up. The conversation, the meal, the wine choices, the atmosphere, and service were all exceptional. This is certainly a must-stop if you are in the area.
The next morning, we started out at Adelaida Cellars. We got there just in time to help feed Jessica (the Alpaca) and Liam (the Llama) on this small farm and vineyard.
We were also lucky enough to be there during harvest and nibbled on fresh-picked Nebiolo grapes. We marveled at how those very grapes will go through an extensive process of being stemmed, pressed, barreled, aged, bottled, and eventually become wine over the next 18 months.
We enjoyed nine tasting wines with my favorite being the Syrah Viking Vineyard Reserve 2005. The Wine Advocate, Robert Parker, rated this wine with 90 points and it's 100% Syrah. My second favorite was the Cabernet Sauvignon HMR/Viking Vineyard Reserve 2004 that is also 100% Cabernet. Call me a purest, but I love the old-fashioned 100% wines more than the blends lately. Tom's favorite was "The Don" Port. He ordered extra to take home with us and I hope he will share!
The next stop was lunch at one my personal favorites, Thomas Hill Organics. Each time I eat there, it is like a religious experience. I doubt you have ever enjoyed fresh, organic food prepared in such a creative and ethereal way. Owner Debbie Thomas and chef Julie Simon continue to reinvent the way fruits and vegetables commune. It simply makes me happy and is the perfect detox to a few days of living like a complete glutton. They recently opened their new entrance, complete with a beautiful bar and seating area so guests no longer have to enter through the back alley.
We started out with the ahi tuna Tataki with cucumbers, sunflower sporuts, nectarines, avocado, and wakame, with ponzu sauce, green onion and ginger relish. It was also served with a Di Stefano Burrata with sungold tomatoes, basil, arugula pesto, and pine nuts.
Next, was the salad course that included the summer fruit salad with raspberries, strawberries, watermelon, melon, sungold tomatoes, mint, basil, sesame, brittle, and lime-kumquat olive oil. Most people would never brave fruits and vegetables together, but if it grows together, it goes together. Most of these are vine-grown and actually blend well in a salad. We also loved the raw kale salad witih miso-honey vinaigrette, apples, sunflower sprouts, macerated onions, and avocado.
For the main course, we had the pork belly Bahn Mi sandwich with green onion relish, carrot sambal, and roasted garlic aioli and the cold smoked salmon sandwich with Sriracha aioli, onion, avocado and sunflower sprouts.
For dessert, an olive oil cake and a stone fruit cobbler were the perfect complements. Everything was fresh and light, but equally filling. This is the type of restaurant that should be required in every city. It would make even the pickiest eaters love vegetables!
Our last stop was Vina Robles, a beautiful estate winery amidst 30 acres just off Highway 46. The company is owned by two Swiss businessmen (the two Hans), who have created an incredible vision that embraces and balances the heritage of the Old World and the opportunity for business in the New World. Their wines have the same unique mission and have successfully blended the two worlds together.
They started doing a summer concert series a few years ago, and then built an entire outdoor Amphitheatre for 3,300 people to enjoy live shows. They are known for bringing Bonnie Raitt, Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Moody Blues, and many other well-known acts to the region. They also offer many festivals and events throughout the year and have many special rates and deals for wine club members.
It's often difficult for a large production winery with 33,000 barrels produced annually to reserve the taste and feel of a boutique winery, but Vina Robles managed to pull off this feat. Their 2012 White 4 is an estate blend from four different grapes, each with a separate harvest. Most were hand picked at night to preserve the fruit flavors. This blend just received 92 points from Wine Enthusiast and also won Best of Class in the Central Coast Wine Competition 3 years in a row.
The most popular is their 2010 Red4, which also combines four different red grapes for a showcase of spices and cherries of Syrah, Petite Sirah, Granache, and Mourvedre. The limestone in the soil gives a smooth, elegant tannin to their wines.
My personal favorite was the 2008 Syree, which is derived from the Syrah and Cuvee blend, then aged for 16 months in French oak barrels. The wines, the property, the process, and everything Vina Robles produces, has a distinctive excellence and elegance to it. This experience is worth the stop when visiting the area.
As you can tell by now, there is plenty to do in Paso Robles. We only just scratched the surface – even with tasting over 40 wines in 24 hours. We hope that our trip inspires you to take your own and make sure you visit the new friends outlined here. Wishing you safe travels, adventurous experiences, excellent food, memorable wine, and warm people along your own journey. Cheers!
Melanie Warner (aka Wander Woman) is a travel and lifestyle journalist for over 20 years and reaches 3 million readers each month. You can read other travel stories or follow her adventures here.

subset: commoncrawl


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Bruno Tonioli & Len Goodman Get Their Tango On in Strictly Come Dancing Promo
TGIF!!! It's t minus 1 hour till the weekend on the east coast, and what better way to celebrate than with this kind of awesome promo for the latest season Strictly Come Dancing, DWTS's cousin from across the pond? 😎
It doesn't get much better than Bruno & Len (and fellow judge Craig Revel Horwood) taking judge Darcey Bussell for a spin around the dance floor to some Bowie 😛 I must say, Len still impresses, even years after competing himself – dude still has great lines. Bruno wasn't too shabby, either…although I would say the bulk of his appeal was the drama with which he carried off the steps. 😉 Just one question: when do we get to see Carrie Ann establish some street cred like this?
Thanks to Marianya for finding this little ditty our way – she's currently traveling and was unable to post this herself.


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Many of you in our community may be aware that Henry Medical Center (HMC) is seeking to affiliate with a major health care system for the ongoing delivery of health care services to the residents of its community. After a comprehensive review process, HMC has selected Emory Healthcare as one of two finalists for this partnership. We believe Emory is uniquely qualified to serve in this role.
The decision to partner with any health system is an important one that could potentially change the delivery of health care in the Henry County community for years to come. As these important decisions about the quality of the community's health care are being carefully evaluated by HMC leadership, we would like to share some insights about why extending access to Emory care would benefit our Henry County community members.
As one of the nation's leading academic health care systems, Emory understands the challenges families face every day. Local care should be delivered in the community by local physicians, and we believe the Henry community has experienced and well-qualified health care providers. Our partnership with Henry County's local providers and HMC would support the continuation of HMC's capacity to offer the highest quality of care in the local community, a level of care that Emory is known for both locally and nationally.
When a physician seeks highly specialized care or treatments for complex conditions that may not be available in his or her community, collaboration can be the best medicine. Emory has been honored to serve as a trusted resource for many physicians within Henry County when they have sought care for their patients outside of the community. In fact, 50% of the complex cases referred outside of Henry County last year were sent to an Emory facility. As the only academic medical center in metro Atlanta and the largest, most comprehensive system in Georgia, just a few of Emory Healthcare's achievements include:
- Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University is the only National Cancer Institute (NCI) designated center in Georgia, which means faster access to the latest research and better outcomes for cancer patients.
- For the past 20 years, Emory has been ranked as one of the nation's best hospitals by U.S. News & World Report. In 2010, Emory and the Shepherd Spinal Center were the only hospitals in Georgia ranked in this key national survey.
- Emory delivers groundbreaking clinical care. For example, we are currently one of only 21 health care facilities in the nation participating in a trial of a minimally invasive option for aortic valve replacement. This results in a tiny incision without open heart surgery and faster recovery for patients.
Emory has a long-standing tradition of serving our community. To learn more about our commitment to our local, state, national and global communities, please visit: www.emoryhealthcare.org/community.
If you have questions or comments about our interest in Henry Medical Center, please post them here and I will be happy to answer them.
Tags: community, Georgia, health care, local, local partnerships, partnerships, patient care


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Uruguay's 0-0 draw with Jordan Wednesday night in Montevideo brought to end the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying cycle which saw 816 games played on six different continents over the course of nearly two-and-a-half years.
With that, the 32-team field for next summer's big show in Brazil are set ahead of the final draw in Bahia on Friday, December 6.
What better way to celebrate an easy road to the knockout stage or begin commiserating about being drawn into the "Group of Death" than by gathering with local Chicago soccer fans that morning?
Join us and Chicago Fire midfielder Jeff Larentowicz for our World Cup "Bracket Brunch" party from 10am-noon at Fado Irish Pub (100 W. Grand Avenue! The Fire will be running a Bracket Prediction Pool with prizes handed out for the person that most closely picks the first nation drawn and the U.S. Men's National Team's three group opponents (or closest to it).
Prizes will include a $300 Happy Hour at Fado's, Chicago Fire primary jersey and Fire prize packs!
Watch Chicago-Fire.com for more details but until then, download our Tournament Bracket (PDF) and learn the "Drawology" to run through your very own Mock Draw here.


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The head of the NHL players' union said yesterday that negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement will begin "very quickly" — perhaps as early as this week — and didn't rule out talks stretching into the season.
New NHL Players Association executive director Donald Fehr said negotiations will begin after tomorrow's meeting of the NHLPA's executive board, though he did not specify a date. He was in Chicago for three days of union talks.
The NHL canceled the 2004-05 season before a labor deal was reached that included a salary cap for the first time. That agreement expires on Sept. 15.
Fehr was asked whether a work stoppage was inevitable.
"None of that is coming from our side," he said. "That's the first thing. Secondly, we have not made a proposal. We haven't heard an owners' proposal."
He also shrugged off concerns about having a deal in place by the time the season begins.
"There's nothing magic about Sept. 15. The law is that if you don't have a new agreement, and as long as both sides are willing to keep negotiating, you can continue to play under the terms of the old one until you reach an agreement," he said.
Asked if that could happen in this instance, Fehr said, "All I know is that in baseball, there were any number of occasions in which we played while the parties were continuing to negotiate."
A work stoppage, he said, would be a "last resort."
"The problem that we've had in the salary-cap sports going back 20-plus years now is that in many instances, historically — I'm not saying it'll be true this time — a lockout has been the negotiation strategy of choice," Fehr added. "It's unfortunate because it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Hopefully, that's not going to be true this time."
The league declined comment.
Fehr said he expected 40 to 60 players to attend the meetings, and some of the game's biggest stars were in attendance yesterday, including Washington's Alex Ovechkin and Chicago's Jonathan Toews.
"I think everybody has to be involved," Ovechkin said. "It's our lives."
Toews said, "I think it's important for all of us."
He called it a "learning process," particularly for players who were not around for the lockout, and he senses an urgency to reach an agreement.
"I don't see why not," he said. "That's obviously what everyone wants."
Commissioner Gary Bettman said during the Stanley Cup finals last month that he believes the labor scene is different this time around. One big change is that the players are now being led by Fehr, the former head of the powerful baseball union.
Fehr is working with a group that was in disarray following the lockout and went through several changes in leadership including a scandal that led to the demise of former executive director Ted Saskin, who was accused of ordering spying of player e-mail.
Fehr was brought in as an adviser before becoming the union's head about a year and a half ago. He has since spent time catching up on hockey and his members' needs. He has been having informal discussions with Bettman for some time.
"From our standpoint, the starting place is the players made enormous concessions the last time around," Fehr said. "The second item that comes to mind is the game generates a lot more revenue than it did before. And you put those two things together, it ought to point you in the direction as to where this negotiation should go."
Bettman said last month that the league had record revenues in excess of $3.1 billion, but he refused to say how much of that was profit. How to divide the revenue is a huge issue, with owners wanting to cut the players' share from 57 percent.
"We want to keep it where it is and they want to probably bring it down," Phoenix's Shane Doan said. "I understand that's the way it is. ... Everybody wants more. I'm sure they do, too. It's part of labor. That's the way it is."
How deep the sides dig in could go a long way toward determining whether the NHL becomes the third major sports league in the past two years to go through a work stoppage. The NBA played a shortened season with a condensed schedule after a labor dispute pushed the start of the season back to late December, and the NFL went through a lockout that wiped out most of the offseason training program a year ago and delayed training camp.
Fehr is already showing signs he won't be a pushover.
The union scuttled the NHL's plans to realign and switch from two three-division conferences to four seven- or eight-team conferences in January, because it was not consulted.
Another issue is the Olympics.
The players want to compete. Bettman has long made it clear that he doesn't see the benefit in it for the league, even though it provides many players to the Olympics right in the midst of the NHL season.
For now, the league wasn't conceding that a stoppage is inevitable.
"I don't know if it's inevitable," Doan said. "That threat's there. That's what's going to get everything done. Everything tends to go to the deadline of what's going to cost people the most. We'll just have to deal with that."


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Royal gem
This tiny shrine inside Phraya Nakhon Cave on the Gulf of Thailand is the pride and joy of Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park – and gives visitors a glittering reception.
Accessing this shrine is no walk in the park, but it is definitely well worth the effort. The trek to Phraya Nakhon Cave from Laem Sala Beach leads uphill through dense jungle. Once you arrive, the view is magnificent, but you need to be a good walker and wear suitable shoes to get there. Make the climb first thing in the morning and you'll be additionally rewarded by the magical sight of Kuha Karuhas Pavilion – built in honor of King Chulalongkorn in 1890 – gleaming golden in the early morning sunshine thanks to a hole in the cave roof.


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- Professional and friendly staff
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- Top-notch Services!
Awareness of the strategy
It is important to be knowledgeable with regards to Basement Framing in Mathews, AL. We won't encourage you to come up with imprudent choices, since we understand exactly what we'll be doing, and we ensure you know exactly what to expect with the work. We will take the unexpected surprises from the situation through providing precise and complete info. Begin by calling 888-666-1248 to discuss your task. We'll explore your concerns once you call us and get you arranged with an appointment. We consistently appear at the arranged hour, all set to work together with you.
For the best Basement Framing in Mathews, Wyoming, choose Basement Framing Guys
Many good reasons exist to consider Basement Framing Guys regarding Basement Framing in Mathews, AL. Our equipment are of the very best quality, our cash saving solutions are realistic and powerful, and our client satisfaction scores will not be topped. We have the expertise you will want to meet all your objectives. If you need Basement Framing in Mathews, call Basement Framing Guys by dialing 888-666-1248, and we are going to be beyond pleased to help.


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This article examines the views of a selection of national governments on the desirability of ubiquitous high speed broadband and any plans or policies in place to achieve this. It notes that 82 percent of investment in 2012-17 in the world?s developed countries is estimated to be in FTTH.
February 2013


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Exterior Painting and Power Washing in Dunwoody GA
Do you have a home or building in Dunwoody that needs the care and attention of an experienced painting and power washing contractor? The exterior of your home or building won't look beautiful for very long if it's being poorly maintained.
The Paint can peel, crack and begin to fade if the surfaces below weren't properly prepared. Metal roofing and siding surfaces can begin to oxidize and show signs of surface corrosion in just a few short years if left unprotected or with inferior surface coatings. When it comes to painting, power washing and concrete coatings it's important to work with the professionals so everything is done right the first time.
White's Painting and Power Washing is a full service painting and power washing contractor serving Dunwoody GA. We have over 30 years experience cleaning and painting residential exteriors and a wide variety of exterior surfaces such as steel siding, aluminum siding, metal roofing, concrete, cedar, natural wood and more.
More than just painters we are your corrosion and weather protection experts for all of your exterior surfaces. Just read our reviews to see what our customers have to say about our services…
Residential Painting Services Dunwoody GA
When it comes to residential work we specialize in exterior painting projects of all sizes. We can repaint the exterior of your home, or out-building, seal your driveway or carport, refinish your old wood deck or paint all of the trim around your windows and doors.
We also very specialized services such as concrete and paver sealing and also painting aluminum siding which many painting contractors do not offer, or if they do very seldom is it done correctly. Our specialized residential painting services will help you keep the exterior of your home looking great for many years.
Aluminum Siding Painting
Hardieplank and Fiber Cement Painting
Painting Cedar Siding
Stucco Repair and Repainting
Wood Deck Repainting
Wood Fence Painting
Exterior Wood Staining
Paver and Concrete Sealing
Agricultural Painting Services Dunwoody GA
Agricultural operations are no stranger to wear and tear on their buildings from the elements. If you have steel buildings such as storage sheds, barns and morton buildings, large steel buildings, steel sided buildings or even metal roofed buildings then we can offer you a very specialized service in power washing and painting these for you.
We have intricate knowledge of the coatings that we apply and many years of experience painting these type of buildings in agricultural or rural settings. We can offer you high quality workmanship and excellent durability that we're happy to stand behind.
Commercial Painting Services Dunwoody GA
Does the exterior of your Commercial building need a repaint? We can repaint and refinish many types of commercial building exteriors including stucco siding, cement brick walls, metal sided buildings, aluminum sided buildings, fiber cement siding and more.
From single buildings to small strip malls and even commercial new construction projects we can offer our exterior painting and coating expertise.
Power Washing Services Dunwoody GA
Before any surfaces are painted they must first be cleaned and prepared. Power washing is one such method that is very popular for preparing exterior surfaces. From concrete to vinyl or aluminum siding and everything in between our expert power washing team can clean up your project in no time.
If your building exterior is dirty and the thought of having to wash it yourself seems daunting then you need to give us a call today and see how affordable our services can be!
White's Painting and Power Washing
When you choose White's Painting and Power Washing to complete your exterior painting and power washing needs you are partnering with a company that has over 30 years experience in our trade. As an owner operated company you'll have owner supervision and attention to detail at every step of your project. If you want your exterior to look it's best then give White's a call today.


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For last couple of days, I was thinking of putting this. I was thinking of some way to get the IP address of the client directly rather than going through some site or parsing the content. So here it is.
Now the trick here is simple. There are two ways to get the IP address of the client in the php script and thus a simple script like the below would capture both of them.
echo \"IP Address= $ip
\";
echo \"IP Address= $ip1\";
Now this can be used in scripts to get you IP address very quickly if only there were no html tags and no junk and only the IP address. So here is a direct link to your IP alone.
This is a php which does not create any text and thus you can get the IP adress directly without parsing too. There are two lines in the file and both contain the IP address 🙂
Here is an example to use in bash scripts:
wget http://amit-agarwal.co.in/mystuff/getip_txt.php -O ak 2>/dev/null && ip=`tail -1 ak`
After you have executed the above the IP address used by your client is put in the variable ip. You can check this with http://whatismyip.com for this first time to verify it is working fine. So enjoy scripting.


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Stream restoration project that would address major erosion currently damaging private property near the south end of Ashbrook Drive (Ward 3).
This project would help alleviate the continued erosion and loss of private property as well as reduce the amount of pollutants being discharged into our streams and waterbodies.
Funding for the project comes from the Bond Issue approved by voters in April 2019.


text: USB open source stack test PCB December 22, 2012, 07:10:31 pm It would be nice to be able to have a board with a bunch of the most common USB-capable PIC microcontrollers on it to be able to easily test & debug the Open Source USB stack and bootloaders.In essence it is a pcb with a single USB connector and a single ISCP and then jumpers to connect them to a particular chip on the board. A reset button and bootloader buttons with status leds might come in handy too. The clock frequency is selectable between 48MHz and 1.5MHz in 15 rather common frequencies.I did schematics and a pcb design for this a while back, but I never decided what PIC's I should add to the board. The board supports up to 8 target microcontrollers. I'm not sure if it would be worthwhile to have multiple versions of the same series like 18F24J50/18F25J50/18F26J50 where only the amount of memory differs. It might be good to have all of them on the board(s) to verify that the linker scripts is ok. This would require multiple boards since there are at least 3-4 memory variants of the different product groups.[attachment=0]Can someone help me decide which PICs I should put on the boards for it to be useful as a testing tool? Last Edit: January 01, 1970, 01:00:00 am by Guest


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Year: 1990
The Simpsons Xmas Book is a hardcover picture book, retelling the very first episode, "Simpsons Roasting On An Open Fire." It's pretty damn lovely.
Year: 2009
Set: 16 – Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, Maggie, Grampa, Krusty, Mr Burns, Chief Wiggum, Barney, Duffman, Itchy, Scratchy, Moe, Apu, Snake
The Simpsons Stick 'ems are weird little rubber figures with suction cups on the back, released in September 2009 to celebrate the show's 20th anniversary. They could apparently be used to play some half-assed Jacks-style game, but I doubt anybody ever did.
One was available each day for sixteen days with the purchase of an Overlord Murdoch – I mean, News Corp Australia – newspaper. That's the Herald Sun in Victoria, The Courier-Mail in Queensland, etc. I'm not sure if they were ever available outside Australia.
Along with the basic set (pictured above), there were also rare, special edition versions of each: the six family members (including Grampa) came in a pseudo-gold variant, while the other ten had glow-in-the-dark versions. Those are pictured below, but I'm still missing a few of them.
Year: 1991-1993
Line: Franklin Mint collector plates
Set: 6These plates are too beautiful to ever eat off of, and it's a good thing too, since a note on the back warns that "pigments used for color may be toxic." Not that anyone would risk scratching or staining these beauties, anyway. This set of six Franklin Mint collector plates was available in the early '90s, primarily through mail order – there are ads for them in The Simpsons Illustrated magazine series. Each one comes with a certificate of authenticity stating that it "is crafted of fine porcelain, and is bordered and individually hand-numbered in 24 karat gold." I have the full set of six plates, but unfortunately, I'm missing the certificate for "Caroling with The Simpsons."Released in 1991, the first in the set depicts Our Favourite Family in one of the most commonly recurring locations: on the couch, in front of the TV. It's the only plate in the set which doesn't feature a specific scene, but rather a commonly-used stock image. It proves The Simpsons truly are a "A Family For The '90s" (and the '00s. And the '10s. And…)Also released in 1991, "Caroling With The Simpsons" captures the classic family shot from the very first episode, "Simpsons Roasting On An Open Fire."Released in '92, "Family Therapy" shows the Simpsons in Dr Marvin Monroe's electroshock therapy session, from the season one episode, "There's No Disgrace Like Home".Also out in '92, "Maggie and the Bears" shows a scene straight out of the classic "Call Of The Simpsons" episode, where the family get stranded in the woods.The unimaginatively-named "Three-Eyed Fish" plate captures the moment Mr Burns' political career went belly up, as Marge and the family serve Blinky for dinner, in the second season episode, "Two Cars In Every Garage And Three Eyes On Every Fish."Only slightly-more-creatively-named, "Lisa And Her Sax" rounded out the Franklin Mint's Simpsons collector plate set. Released in 1993, it shows Lisa and her jazz mentor, Bleeding Gums Murphy, jamming out on the bridge, as seen in the iconic episode, "Moaning Lisa".
Year: 1990
I don't know much about this, apart from the fact that it's a tablecloth from 1990, featuring the family in weird, apparently-mid-dance poses, with a logo proclaiming this is "The Simpsons Party".
I've seen other party favours, like paper plates and hats and everything, from around the same time, but this doesn't seem like it's part of that set: most of those follow the pink colour scheme they used a lot in the early years of the show.
Anyway, expect to see a LOT more of this around here. It's going to be the background for basically all future photos.
Year: 2009
Line: Hungry Jack's Kids Meal toys
Set: 4 – Lisa, Marge, Homer, Bart/Maggie
This four-piece snap-together couch set came in Hungry Jack's in 2009, to celebrate The Simpsons 20th anniversary. One piece was available in Kids Meals each week for four weeks, and all together it looks pretty damn nice.
Since Hungry Jacks is the Australian equivalent of Burger King (the different name is due to a trademark issue back in the 1970s, apparently), this set might have been released in Burger Kings in other countries, but I can't find any record of it.
Year: 1996
Line: Sweet Ring Imports
Set: 3 – Homer, Bart, Lisa
These are Simpsons Bubblegum heads from Sweet Ring Imports, and I kinda love them. I mean, they're nothing too special: hollow plastic figures of Homer, Bart and Lisa's heads, with their names on the bases in case you're not from this planet and don't know who's who. And the fact that they're full of gum is a nice bonus (even if it's almost 20 years old and slightly less edible than it was when new).
No, the thing I love about them is those eyes. Everyone's pupils are just a little too small, and it gives them a vacant, creepy stare that will consume your soul if you look at them for too long.
Year: 1997
Line: Vivid Imaginations
Set: 7 – Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, Maggie, Krusty, Homer badge
The Simpsons Gift Collection, from Vivid Imaginations, is an exception to my rule of not displaying boxes. Why this? I don't really know. I just found it still boxed, and it seemed like if I wanted to open it in the future I could, but I could never unopen it.
Weirdly, I've noticed that when this set is being sold online, it's almost always still in the box. Why is this the one thing that absolutely everyone was reluctant to open?
Well, everyone except for the original owner of this extra, individual Krusty figure I have.


text:
(CNN Student News) -- August 17, 2009
Quick Guide
Health Care Debate - Find out why the debate over U.S. health care reform is heating up.
Typhoon Rescues - Discover how rescue workers are reaching typhoon victims in Taiwan.
59 Years in Teaching - Hear what motivates a teacher who's been on the job for 59 years.
CARL AZUZ, CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR: Launching into a brand new school year, this is CNN Student News. We are and have always been your commercial-free source for news for the classroom. Broadcasting from the CNN Center, my name is Carl Azuz. Here's what is first up in our first show!
AZUZ: Health care! This issue is heating up as President Obama pushes Congress to reform the country's current system. Now this has been a big focus for the president since he took office, but it might be a new one for some of you. So, we are breaking down the details.
When we talk about health care, we're referring to the system of doctors, hospitals and insurance companies that provide medical care. But we're also talking about how that care is paid for. Some people think the system is just fine the way it is now. But others, including both Democrats and Republicans, think it's broken. However, they don't agree on how to fix it.
A lot of people have health insurance through private companies. But President Obama is suggesting the idea of a government-run, or public, health insurance program in addition to other government health programs, like Medicare. However, some lawmakers are strongly opposed to a public plan. They've raised concerns that some Americans who are happy with their current coverage might lose it if the companies they work for switch to a less-expensive goverment option.
Members of the House and Senate have written several proposals to try and address health care reform and some of the concerns that the issue has raised. For example, about 46 million Americans don't have health insurance. Should they be required to by law? Some plans say yes; others no. Also, if people are required to have health coverage, how would that be enforced? Another major concern: cost. How much would it take to reform the country's health care system, and where would that money come from?
Congress is out of session right now, but that doesn't mean the debate is on hold. Many lawmakers are holding town hall meetings with the people that they represent in order to get their input on the issue. Some of those meetings have gotten pretty heated, which is understandable This is a big issue. It's definitely one we'll be talking more about as it continues to unfold.
Word to the Wise
TOMEKA JONES, CNN STUDENT NEWS: A Word to the Wise...
typhoon (noun) a tropical cyclone or hurricane located in the western Pacific Ocean area
source: www.dictionary.com
AZUZ: Rescue workers in Taiwan are struggling to reach the victims of a deadly typhoon that struck the region more than a week ago. Typhoon Morakot roared into the area last weekend, claiming at least 123 lives and dumping more than 100 inches of rain on some parts of Taiwan. That triggered severe mudslides. John Vause shows the lengths that relief personnel are going to in order to reach the remote areas devastated by this storm.
JOHN VAUSE, SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Even before Typhoon Morakot hit, getting to Taiwan's remote mountain villages was tough. But now, it's nearly impossible. Major roads are blocked by mudslides and debris. Some are partly washed away.
And then there's this bridge. It's simply gone, brought down during the storm, completely cutting off the village of Shin Ki. The river below is still swollen and rapid. A few who tried to cross there were swept away, plucked to safety by rescue crews. So, the only way in and out is by this harness. This is how they're getting villagers out of Shin Ki, so far more than 100 people. So, they say it's pretty safe, but it's still a long way down, probably about a 200-foot drop straight down onto the rocks down there. This water is moving pretty quickly. All that's really holding me right now is this one hook there, which is connected to these three cleats.
Walking into the village, the road has collapsed in places, power lines are down, there's been no electricity or running water here for a week. But there is mud, lots of it. Just getting across is not easy. It really is just like walking through quicksand. This village has been all but abandoned except for one family refusing to leave. Everyone else, almost 300 people, have made that perilous journey to safety.
CHONG CHIAHSIANG, HSINKAI VILLAGER: "I'm not sure I'll go back," says this young man. "We'll wait until the roads are clear and try and clean up."
VAUSE: And this is now life here for so many, villages and houses cut off by mudslides and debris. It will be a long time before the people of Shin Ki will ever be able to go home again. John Vause, CNN, Shin Ki, Taiwan.
Tropical Weather
AZUZ: Staying with severe weather, but shifting closer to home, where forecasters are tracking a trio of storms: Ana, Bill and Claudette. As of Sunday afternoon, Ana was moving west through the Caribbean but losing strength, while Bill was following behind. Claudette though was gaining strength while bearing down on the Florida panhandle. Of the three, Bill may pose the biggest threat. One CNN meteorologist predicted the storm could strengthen into a Category 3 hurricane by later this week.
AZUZ: On the other side of the country, firefighters are battling blazes in northern and southern California. Officials declared a state of emergency in Santa Cruz County, where the Lockheed Fire was scorching an area near the Pacific Ocean. And in Santa Barbara County, firefighters have been working for more than a week to contain flames that have burned more than 131 square miles of land there. Investigators say that blaze was started by a cooking fire.
Michael Vick Practice
AZUZ: Back to the East Coast: The NFL's Philadelphia Eagles have signed Michael Vick to a one-year contract. You might remember that the quarterback was convicted of running a dogfighting ring. Vick's been out of the NFL for over two years battling legal issues, completing his sentence. He says he regrets his dogfighting days. Protesters and supporters turned out during practice last week. We wanna know what you say: Given the chance, are you any more or less likely to go see Vick play? Tell us on our blog at CNNStudentNews.com!
ERIK NIVISON, CNN STUDENT NEWS: Time for the Shoutout! Which of these terms describes someone in his or her 80s? If you think you know the answer, shout it out! Is it: A) Septuagenarian, B) Octogenarian, C) Nonagenarian or D) Centenarian? You've got three seconds - GO! An octogenarian is someone who is between 80 and 89 years old. That's your answer and that's your Shoutout!
AZUZ: One Oklahoma octogenarian has spent almost 60 of his 84 years in the same job. As a teacher. In the classroom. And in almost six decades of teaching, he's only missed two days! Dan Bewley of affiliate KOTV introduces us to one really dedicated educator.
DAN BEWLEY, REPORTER: A bustling hallway marks the start of a new school year in Haskell.
SYLVESTER FRANKLIN, HASKELL SCHOOL TEACHER: Well, I'm so glad you all are here this morning.
BEWLEY: A day Sylvester Franklin has repeated 59 times.
FRANKLIN: Make sure you're ready for class, that's the main thing.
BEWLEY: Franklin is starting his 59th year as a school teacher in Haskell. This year, it's math to sixth graders.
FRANKLIN: Mainly, I stayed here all those years because I didn't have any particular reason to leave.
BEWLEY: Now 84 years old, Mr. Franklin started teaching shortly after fighting in the Battle of Okinawa during World War II. He spent 16 years at Haskell's all-black school before desegregation. Since 1967, he's taught thousands of Haskell students the ins and outs of math and science.
FRANKLIN: I try to teach them responsibility, self respect, respect for others. Those are the main things. I try to teach them just a Christian way of life.
BEWLEY: It's hard not to find someone whose life was touched by Mr. Franklin. Matt Stephen's mom and dad and Blake Wells' grandmother were once Franklin's students.
BLAKE WELLS, HASKELL STUDENT: He was raised right, he likes to teach, he does his thing, he's a good leader.
BEWLEY: Love for Mr. Franklin is nearly everywhere here in Haskell. Just look across the street from the school where he teaches: the Franklin Events Center. No doubt who it would be named after when it was built in 2002.
FRANKLIN: I just can't express how much that means to me.
BEWLEY: These days, Mr. Franklin only teaches a few hours a day, but it's time he loves and time he hopes to never give up.
FRANKLIN: As long as I feel good, I have nothing else that I aspire to do except to be with young people and teach.
AZUZ: It's our first day back, too, and our Facebook page has been up and running all summer long! So, head to Facebook.com/cnnstudentnews and check out all of our recent videos, including the one we're adding today. It gives you a behind-the-scenes look at what I had to deal with on my first day back.
Before We Go
AZUZ: Before we go, it's an event that's spinning out of control. It's the world yo-yo contest! You might be able to walk the dog, but these guys can walk it, teach it to roll over, shake hands and defy physics! These spinning sensations ran circles around the competition, with the winners being crowned at the end of the three-day event. It's probably good that they announce the results so quickly.
AZUZ: After all, a yo-yo competition wouldn't want to string anyone along. We'll wind it back up and rope you in tomorrow. For CNN Student News, I'm Carl Azuz.


text:
Hidden California State Parks Funds Incite Outrage
California state parks Director Ruth Coleman resigned and her second-in-command was fired after officials discovered the department has been sitting on "hidden assets" totalling nearly $54 million.
By Matt Weiser and Kevin Yamamura, The Sacramento Bee, Calif.
California state parks Director Ruth Coleman resigned and her second-in-command was fired Friday after officials discovered the department has been sitting on "hidden assets" totalling nearly $54 million.
The money accumulated over 12 years in two special funds the department uses to collect revenue and pay for operations: $20.4 million in the Parks and Recreation Fund, and $33.5 million in the Off Highway Vehicle Trust Fund.
The money accumulated, state officials said, because the parks department had a pattern of underreporting the actual size of the funds in its regular dealings with the state Department of Finance.
Why and how this occurred remains a mystery and will be the subject of investigations launched Friday by the Department of Finance and the state attorney general's office, said John Laird, secretary of the California Natural Resources Agency, which oversees the state Department of Parks and Recreation and who announced the discovery of the funds on Friday.
Officials said they don't yet know whether any laws were broken or if additional employees will be disciplined.
State officials did not directly say there was intention to keep the money secret. But they implied as much, with Laird terming the surplus "hidden assets."
Coleman, the longest-serving director in the 150-year history of the parks department, said in her resignation letter she did not know about the surplus. Laird said it is not yet clear who is to blame for allowing the money to accumulate.
"It's an incredibly troubling discovery," said Laird. "Ruth has stepped up and taken personal responsibility."
Coleman submitted her resignation late Thursday. Her second in command, acting Chief Deputy Director Michael Harris, was removed from his job and no longer works for the parks department. Friday morning, Gov. Jerry Brown announced that Janelle Beland, an undersecretary at the Natural Resources Agency, would serve as acting parks director.
Laird said, once the surplus was discovered, Brown moved immediately to begin investigating and inform the public.
"We can't answer every question because we thought it was more important, within 48 hours of finding out about it, to go public," Laird said.
Advocates for the state parks system reacted with alarm and dismay. The money would have been enough to cover -- twice over -- the $22 million in state budget cuts imposed on parks in 2011. In response to the cuts, the department moved to close 70 of the state's 278 parks, an unprecedented act. Virtually every other park has had its hours and services cut to save money.
Ted Jackson, a retired park ranger and former deputy director of operations at the department, said the surplus funds could have served as a safety valve to keep parks open while the state's economy recovered.
"The department has been going around telling people we had to close parks, and it comes to light we had been sitting on this kind of money," Jackson said. "It's devastating for the department and it's devastating for state government. This is the worst violation of the public trust that one could imagine."
Most of those park closures were avoided because numerous nonprofits and local governments put up their own money to take over parks or subsidize state operations. This made the revelations of "hidden assets" even harder to stomach, because all the heartache and fundraising might not have been necessary.
"It could not be more damaging to everything that we're trying to do here -- to the public faith and confidence in the work that we put in," said Caryl Hart, director of Sonoma County Regional Parks, who helped coordinate local groups to rescue state parks targeted for closure in that region.
One swift fallout was that Sonoma County park advocates on Friday canceled a local sales tax ballot measure planned as a long-term funding solution for parks in the region. The news of financial mismanagement at the state level, Hart said, was "just too much" to overcome in a campaign for the measure.
"We were on the brink of doing something transformative in Sonoma County when this happened," Hart said. "This has so many layers of destruction."
Vacation buyouts program probed
Friday's revelation came in the wake of an investigation The Bee published Sunday into an unauthorized vacation buyout program at the parks department last year that cost the state more than $271,000.
The program, in which employees were allowed to sell unused vacation time back to the state, was carried out in secret, according to an internal department audit and subsequent investigation by the state attorney general's office. To avoid a paper trail, the buyout requests were submitted in some cases only on Post-It notes, not official forms, according to the internal audit obtained by The Bee.
Numerous sources told The Bee that the program was carried out by Manuel Thomas Lopez, 45, of Granite Bay, who was deputy director of administrative services at the parks department. According to payroll records obtained by The Bee, Lopez received one of the largest single payouts in the buyout program, amounting to at least $20,600.
The Natural Resources Agency would not confirm Lopez was involved, citing personnel confidentiality laws. But state officials did say that he was demoted in October -- the same month his superiors learned of the buyout -- and resigned in May.
Prior to publication of Sunday's article, The Bee began asking about rumors of a large budget surplus at the department and on Wednesday filed a Public Records Act request to obtain related documents. Forty-eight hours later, the Natural Resources Agency announced the discovery of the "hidden assets."
Laird said the money was discovered by Aaron Robertson, who replaced Lopez as deputy director of administrative services. Robertson found the money, Laird said, after Coleman directed him to look into the secret buyout program.
In an interview Friday, Coleman said she first learned about the surplus from Robertson last week. Its large size did not become clear until recent days, she said.
"I have to take responsibility for it even though I didn't know about it. I'm accepting that responsibility," said Coleman. "I just don't like all state parks staff being somehow painted with this. They are extraordinary people and they deserve respect." Coleman blamed Lopez for not informing her about the surplus during his five years as a budget official, and then deputy director, at the parks department.
"Manuel should have elevated it. That was his responsibility," Coleman said. "He shouldn't have kept it hidden, that's all. He was making a judgment call that was not his to make." Lopez did not respond to numerous phone messages left at his home last week and on Friday.
Former parks director 'dismayed'
The surplus has existed for 12 years, Laird said, which predates Coleman in her decade at the department's helm. The prior state parks director, Rusty Areias, now a political consultant, said in a statement he also did not know about the surplus.
"I was as surprised and dismayed as anyone to hear that parks department staff might have been underreporting state funds," he said.
The Department of Finance relies on state departments to self-report funds each year as a basis for building the governor's January budget. Those figures are the foundation of the budget act that lawmakers and the governor ultimately pass months later.
The Controller's Office pays state bills, but does not have a direct role in the budget process. Still, it produces its own year-end cash reports, which repeatedly showed that the parks department had tens of millions of dollars more than parks officials were reporting to the Department of Finance.
In most cases, the controller's numbers differ from the Finance Department's for legitimate reasons, said Finance Chief Deputy Director Michael Cohen.
The controller's report "is really a history document of what's been spent and how it's been spent," Cohen said. "A budget is a planning document about how dollars will be spent and in what way.
So we have different rules governing the way things are reflected, how dollars are treated and which fiscal year shows dollars being spent and received."
Cohen said Finance Department officials routinely compare data from departments against controller figures when it comes to the state general fund. In those cases, Cohen said his department must explain why differences exist, and usually attribute it to accounting techniques.
But when it came to the 560 special funds that generate revenues from dedicated sources, including the parks funds backed by visitor fees and off-highway vehicle enthusiasts, Cohen said the Finance Department did not compare its data against the controller's numbers. He did not know why that was the case.
"Finance should be using our numbers to craft their budgets but apparently they haven't done that," said Hallye Jordan, spokeswoman for state Controller John Chiang. "The numbers in our report are actual. If Finance did not look at the actual numbers and relied on other numbers in building their budgets, the question should be asked of Finance. We don't help Finance build budgets."
In the wake of Friday's revelation, Cohen said his department has launched a study of all special funds to see where the Finance Department's reports differ from the controller's -- and determine why.
State lawmakers from both parties questioned Friday whether the same multimillion-dollar discrepancies exist in other state departments and wondered if the data upon which the state budget rests are flawed.
"We've clearly got to figure out what happened, why, how this is possible," said Sen. Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto. "An obvious question is, how can we be sure the problem doesn't exist elsewhere in the same (parks) organization or in other state organizations?"
Simitian worried the incident could further erode public trust in state government.
"On a larger level, this is unfortunately one more thing that will lead too many folks to say they just don't have any trust or confidence in public institutions," he said.
Laird said the Legislature eventually must decide how to spend the hidden money. He as well as Coleman and Hart said they hope it can be used to restore services at the state parks targeted for closure and other cutbacks.
"This is the worst violation of the public trust that one could imagine." TED JACKSON, former deputy director of operations at the parks department.
(c)2012 The Sacramento Bee (Sacramento, Calif.)
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text:
Researchers are concerned about a fish that's turning into a new threat to the ecology of Lake Tahoe.
Biologists with the University of Nevada, Reno say they're finding a growing number of giant goldfish in the lake.
While officials have been working for years in trying to keep the lake's water crystal clear, researcher Sudeep Chandra told KCRA-TV ( https://bit.ly/Yo0lIn ) the discovery of the goldfish is particularly worrisome because goldfish eat a lot and excrete "lots of nutrients."
Those nutrients stimulate algae growth.
The goldfish, some of which have grown to 18 inches, could also eat smaller fish, creating new competition for native trout.
Chandra says with no prior studies on goldfish for guidance, researchers are catching the giant goldfish and bringing them back to their lab to study.
It's not clear how the goldfish got into Lake Tahoe, but it's believed to be from people dumping aquariums into the lake.
Information from: KCRA-TV


text:
Title: The Nanabot - Do Electronic Nanas dream of Electric Sheep
Characters :
Tammy - 24 year old Electronics Technician – Played By: Miki Yamuri
Nanabot - The Genetic AI – Played By: Miki Yamuri
Daniel - 18 year old College student - unemployed and not currently in school Played By: Elladan Kenet
Scene: Laboratory ... Gen / Sci Electronics R&D Department
The excitement had run high ... The Genetic AI brain had performed well above expectations. The new Cyber Electronic Nanabot had performed all her functions well beyond any safety standards for infant care.
It was hard to distinguish Nanabot from a real human. Especially with the temperature controlled nano-skin that felt almost human to the touch.
The Scientists had Nanabot out in a field test. Her duties were to identify the infant that was her charge and to care for it as a Good Mothering Nana should. She had performed her duties well above the human test group performing the exact same tasks.
A sudden summer storm ... Lightning crashes across the sky. Nanabot takes her charge and attempts to leave the area and seeks shelter in the sciences building.
Lightning strikes the Oak tree in the middle of the location of the test. Nanbot dives into the bolt to protect her charge and is struck and goes off line. She collapses in a heap ... her charge was completely safe ... Nanabot had sacrificed herself to save the Charge. This was unheard of anywhere in the Cyber-Robotics Field.
There was damage to the Genetic AI. The old program had been rewritten by the massive electrical overload. Nanabot's new program ... identify the first subject she sees as her infant charge and to perform the nursing duties accordingly. None are allowed to take the charge from her. She will defend her charge with all her resources.
The Techs are devastated. They hope they can repair this ... They have extreme difficulty
disabling the Nanabot ... when they finally manage to, Nanabot is put in storage in the basement to await the hoped for repairs.
Daniel had been dating Tammy for a few months now, so it wasn't surprising when she
finally insisted they go on another date. He was young, with shoulder-length black hair and grey eyes. Skinny, he often wore clothes that were too big on him, but he still looked handsome.
Tammy had called him last night, asking if she could take him to her workplace and show
him her latest project. He was a bit hesitant at first, but when she offered him dinner after, he couldn't possibly resist. At 7 PM, he showed up on her doorstep and rang her doorbell.
Tammy was sitting at her vanity applying the last of her lipstick. It was strawberry and tasted really nice. She heard the door bell and rises. She goes to the door and opens it.
She sees Daniel and screeches pleasantly as she throws her arms around his neck and kisses him.
She says, "So nice to see you."
She is wearing tight hip hugger jeans and a baby T top. Daniel thinks Tammy is extremely beautiful. He blushes, hugging her back. He'd been a bit worried if she'd ask him out again, following the last date where he spilled water on her jeans ... she seemed to be over that.
He asks, "How are you?"
Tammy replies in a happy voice, "I'm doing wonderful. I want to take you to the Lab Museum and show you the Break through in Artificial Intelligence. It's really cool. Almost can't tell it's a robot."
Tammy Remembers the water glass all over her new jeans. She thinks it would be funny to see Daniel diapered and pampered by Nanabot.
He nods a bit. "Are you sure you can take me there? Your boss won't get mad, will she?"
Tammy takes out an ID Badge. It gave her top clearance to the Cybernetic Sciences Center
She says sweetly, "I can go anywhere in that building."
He sighs and nods again. "Alright then. Want to go now?"
Tammy says softly, "Umm humm. Then we can go to dinner at the Sliding Door. Heard the food there is wonderful. I made reservations for the 2 of us."
She picks up her purse, closes and locks the house door. She takes Daniel by the hand and begins to leave. He blushes some as she takes his hand, following after her as she leads the way.
She leads him to the driveway where her Mini Copper was parked. She unlocks it and they both get in. She turns on the radio and Rock n Roll begins to play
She says softly with a gleam in her eyes, "Better fasten your seatbelt love, my sports car ain't slow."
With this, she fastens her seatbelt and cranks the car. He smiles, fastening his seatbelt, and relaxing while she drives.
The tuned exhaust makes a wonderful sound as she back out of the driveway. She shoves it in First, the car jumps forward amid squealing tires and they are off.
The drive to Gen / Sci was fast and exciting.
She pulls to the gate and shows the guard her ID badge. He snaps to attention and opens the gate with a sharp salute. She drives up to the front of the Lab and parks. There are a good many cars in the lot. She gets out and rounds the car and opens Daniel's door.
She asks sweetly, "How do you like my toy love?"
He nods some. "It's a nice car. I'm guessing you get paid pretty well to be able to afford it."
Tammy giggles softly and replies, "It pays the bills I suppose."
She takes him by the hand and leads him to the front door. She slides her card through a reader under a large plate. She places her hand flat on the plate. The red light above the plate turns green and her name appears on the LCD screen with the words ID Positive.
The door slides quietly open and she leads them in. The guard sitting at the console looks up and scrutinizes Daniel with narrowed eyes.
Tammy says, "Hi, Tony, This is Daniel. I'm going to show him the Lab."
Tony picks up a tablet and makes a notation in it. He pushes another button and the elevator door opens. Tammy Escorts Daniel in and the door closes.
3 buttons ... Basement, Lobby, Labs ... She pushes the one marked Basement. Daniel notices.
He raises an eyebrow and looks at her. "The basement? I thought we were heading to the labs?"
Tammy hugs Daniel around the neck and snuggles close.
She says cooingly She kisses his cheek softly, "I said I was going to show you the Museum sweetie. It's in the basement."
The door opens. One of the arrows points off to the left and says "Museum and storage."
Tammy Pulls Daniel softly along by the hand towards the Museum / Storage.
He, sighs a bit as she kisses and cuddles him, leading him in. "Okay, Tammy...."
Tammy knows Nanabot is in the storage tube in the Museum. She doesn't quite understand the extent of the glitch in Nanabot's AI. She thinks it would be really cute to see Daniel diapered and bottle fed.
Tammy comes to the door marked Museum and slide her ID badge through the reader. It turns from Red to Green and makes a buzzing clack noise as the door unlocks ... then slides open to reveal the technological wonders of the 23rd century.
In the middle of it all stood a clear tube on a small base ... Nanabot.
He walks inside, looking around at the various inventions, then the Nanabot. His eyes are
full of wonder as he looks around at everything.
"Wow...." he gasps softly.
Tammy smiles and says, "It's pretty amazing isn't it? Go over there by Nanabot and let me introduce you to her."
She turns and begins to type things into a keypad on a large control panel.
He nods and walks over curiously to the droid. "Mmkay..."
Lights come on inside the tube. Nanabot is a very beautiful Female Droid. Daniel can hear sounds of pressure escaping from some location close by.
Nana's eyes open suddenly and focus on Daniel in a most loving way. The tube rises quickly and silently ... only Daniel is standing in front of Nanabot. He looks up at the robot, confused a bit. Nervous, he looks around, but can't see too well because of the bright lights.
He looks back up at the android and stutters out, "Um.... hi?"
Nana puts her hands together and says cooingly sweet, "Hello baby, Nana will make you feel so nice. I promise to watch over and keep baby at all times."
Nanabot's AI has positively IDed her new baby charge.
He blushes, looking shy and nervous and says shyly, "Oh.... um... okay. My name's Daniel."
Nana says sweetly, "A baby girl named Danielle. Such a sweet little baby girl."
He blushes, backing up some. "I'm not a baby girl."
With this, Nana was off the pedestal and had Daniel in her arms. She hugs and kisses him as lovingly as his mother ever did.
She tickles him softly in his ribs as she coos breathily, "Of course you're a baby girl."
She takes a large square flat purse looking thing from a rack behind her. It pops open into a table with several pockets. Each pocket was well stocked with all the necessary items to tend to a baby girl of 3.
Daniel finds himself on this table with his pants sliding gently over his ankles. He squeaks some, squirming in the robotic woman's grasp as she hugs and kisses him.
"Lemme go!" He fights desperately, trying to pull his pants back up as she slides them down.
Nana treats Daniel as any baby that is being fussy. She pats him on his bottom with just enough force to let baby know she means business. He squeaks more, flushing as she pats his bottom. His pants slip out of his grasp as he reacts to the bottom pat. He realizes his underwear is gone too as he feels the coolness of the lab air around his squeaky places.
He feels Nana gently wiping him with something cool and wet that smells like jasmine.
She says cooingly, "Nana has something to get rid of all this dirty hair too."
Daniel feels something very wet and tingly being poured on him. He feels Nana's hands softly and very pleasantly caressing him all over from his neck down.
She again wipes him with something cool and tingly. He has no body hair except his eyebrows, eye lashes, and on his head.
Nana says cooingly in a breathy voice like she's talking to a baby, "Now baby girl is so cute."
She turns and picks out a pink colored oil in a bottle and opens it. The smell of Strawberries fills the air. She pours a thin line from Daniel's tummy to his privates and begins to lovingly caress it in.
Nana Blows in his tummy making a large raspberry sound. He blushes deeply pink, squirming a lot and fussing as she wipes him down and removes his hair. By the time she lifts his shirt to rub the oil in, he's fighting back the sensation to coo and giggle as Nanabot massages him all over with it and blows into his tummy.
Nana has completely stripped Daniel. She takes him by his ankles and lifts. She places a soft and very thick diaper under his bottom and sets him on it.
Nana says in a breathy cooing voice, "Oohh ... baby gots piggies."
She begins to tickle his feet and toes lovingly as she coos, "This little piggy ..."
Tammy could be heard giggling off in the distance. She thinks this is the funniest cutest thing she has ever seen ... Daniel being diapered and played with like a baby.
Daniel is beside himself at what's happening. In less than two minutes, he's been stripped
and oiled, and is being tickled by some silly robot that thinks he is a baby. So many thoughts are going through his head, he can't begin to sort through them all as he is set on the diaper and tickled. He giggles, unable to muddle through his confusion with all the loving attention he is getting.
Nana takes another bottle and opens it. The heavenly aroma of baby powder fills the air.
She powders him generously and pulls the very thick diaper up between his legs. He is still squirming and fighting as she powders him and begins to pull the diaper up.
Nana says softly in a breathy cooing voice, "Nana gonna make sure diddum can't open her pins and hurt herself. I'm gonna use locking diaper pins. Baby will have to use her diaper before Nana will change her."
With this, she pins he diaper snugly on and locks the pins. He fusses more at the prospect of being locked into a diaper and forced to wet it. He feels ridiculous at this treatment and realizes he is near tears.
Daniel could hear Tammy laughing as he is diapered.
Nana turns and sees Tammy. A sparkle in her electronic eye flashes. She has Positively IDed ... another baby charge.
Nana says cooingly, "Aww, another sweet baby girl. Now jus be patient for a few more minutes, Nana will have you all diapered n dressed too."
Tammy pushes the recall button. Nana stands suddenly and stiffens for a moment ... there is some electronic noise emanating from her. She then resumes what she was doing. Tammy Pushes the emergency shut down ... same reaction from Nanabot. All the lights in the cylinder and most of the ones in the Lab go out as the emergency protocol does it's job. Nana is no longer under anyone's control. She is completely autonomous.
Tammy yell's, "I'm going to get help!"
Tammy quickly leaves. Nana notes the second charge is no longer there and forgets about her so she can devote full attention to Danielle ... this most precious baby girl..
Nana produces a cute pair of white, plastic panties with cute little clowns and balloons in pink and blue. There are even 3 rows of pink and blue ruffles on the bottom and around the waste and legs.
Daniel suddenly realizes Nana has slipped them over his ankles and is hold him by them as she slips the panties on over the diaper with gentle ease.
She sets him back on the table and helps him sit up. He fusses more, squirming and crying as Tammy leaves him with the Nanny. The mere thought of being alone with Nana is nearly overwhelming his sense of security as she panties him and sets him up.
From one of the pockets, Nana brings out a very short and beautiful Peter pan baby dress. It had adorable puffy sleeves and a cute white cotton pinafore. A very stiff Crinoline was sewn into it.
Nana says in her cute breathy voice, "Lift your arms baby so Nana can put your dress on."
Daniel refused, folding his arms, he scoots back. "No!"
Nana pops Daniel smartly on his bare thigh and says in a scolding voice, "Nana spank baby if she's naughty."
A red welt rises on his thigh. He yelps some, whining and crying as she pops him, feeling small as his complaints are punished by the droid.
Nana takes one of his arms and fits his hands into the sleeve. She takes the other and quickly repeats the maneuver. Daniel can feel the dress as it slides pleasantly over his body. Nana zips it up in back and ties the pinafore onto a cute bow.
She then gets a brush from one of the many pockets in the table and brushes Daniel's hair until it shines. She produces 2 white ribbons and ties his hair into cute ponytails. Daniel watches as Nana completes dressing her baby girl charge by placing soft locking booties on his feet and locking mittens on his hands.
He is totally helpless and in Nana's complete control
He whines some more, fussing a bit as she finishes dressing him. He couldn't get away
from her even if he wanted to.
Nana bends down and softly kisses him on his nose as she tickles his ribs lovingly. Daniel can't help it, he suddenly starts giggling as she kisses and tickles him.
Nana says in her sweet cooing voice, "Aww now ... baby girl so pretty."
He blushes hotly pink, looking up at her. "Baby girl?"
She helps Daniel off of the table and leads him by his hand towards a chair against one wall. He can clearly see himself in the reflections from the mirrored observation windows. He looks at his adorable reflection in the window. Ponytails, dress, diaper... he is the epitome of baby girl.
Nana sits in the chair and softly and effortlessly picks Daniel up and sits him in her lap.
He watches in a dazed way as she unfastened the strap across her shoulder and lowered the flap in the front of her uniform.
Nana has a very firm and beautiful breast. She gently squeezes the nipple and a drop of white liquid forms on it. Before he knew what was happening, the nipple was in his mouth and Nana gave her breast a squeeze.
A very rich and watery, very nice tasting liquid filled his mouth. It made his mouth tingle pleasantly as it went down his throat.
Nana says in her cooing voice, "This will make baby girl feel so much more baby.'
Confused , Daniel instinctively began suckling, whining a bit as she held him on her lap, the wonderfully nice tasting fluid flowing into his mouth. Daniel feels it as it hits his stomach gently.
A very warm and tingly infantile contentedness begins to fill him. Nana hums a soft lullaby as she rocks her body slowly back and forth with the baby girl she holds most special in her cybernetic heart.
Daniel helplessly drifts slowly and contentedly off into a pleasant baby dream as the special 'milk' Nanabot has formulated for her charge regresses him and makes him into the cute infant she sees him as.
Tammy has run to the nearest guard station. She picks up the emergency phone and calls the
crash team. She explains about Daniel and the Nanabot. What she hears from them is not pleasant. The possibility that Daniel may be regressed permanently to a baby is very high. If the emergency recall failed ... they are not real sure how to turn her off.
Tammy is horrified. There are even vague thoughts of surrendering herself to Nanabot for
permanent regression if that's what happens to Daniel. She loves him and would willingly be his baby playmate since this was all her fault.
There is more strength to doing it ... than there is not to do it ... she very slowly begins to walk back to the Museum/Storage area in turmoil as the Emergency claxons begin to sound loudly
Daniel is still suckling on the teat when he is awakened b the claxons. Confused he looks
up, instinctively trying to pull out of the teat that is just finished feeding him the liquid regression drugs and diuretics. He struggles on Nana's lap. Going through his mind, he's wondering why on God's green earth he is on this thing's lap, suckling from a teat, wearing a dress, hair ribbons, and a diaper.Slowly his regressing mind reminds him that he's been captured by this nanny bot, and that he is her charge.
Nana reaches into Daniel's panties and diaper and checks to see if baby needs to be changed.
Baby is barely damp and doesn't need it yet. Nana knows baby will need changing soon as the 'milk' he has just been given will make him totally diaper dependant.
Nana removes the nipple from Daniel's mouth and tucks her breast back into the top of her uniform. She then fastens it back in place.
She stands up with Daniel on her shoulder, patting him gently on the back.
She coos to baby, "ok sweetums. Nana will find a playpen for you so baby can play with her toys."
Nanabot carries Daniel with her to the far side of the lab. There is a door she opens. He burps as he is patted, blushing and squirming some as he is held and carried into the next
room: the nursery.
Inside, is all the things a nursery would need to properly care for and pamper a baby.
Nana says softly, "You are such a good baby."
She kisses Daniel lovingly on the cheek and sit him in the playpen. Nana walks to a large toy chest and opens it. She takes out several large dolls and a tea set and brings it to the playpen and sits it in for Daniel.
He flushes, folding his arms grumpily as she sits these in the playpen. "You MUST be
joking. I refuse to be treated this way."
Nana leans over and gently takes Daniel's chin in her hand and says so softly, "Is baby being naughty?"
She lifts his head gently and looks him square in the eye. Daniel is startled to realize how real Nana's eyes appear
He flushes some, briefly mesmerized by her eyes, but shake his head. "No. I'm not a baby, and I refuse to be treated like one. My name is Daniel!"
Nana suddenly has Daniel standing. Her hand smacks him on the back of his bare legs 3 times sharply ... hard enough so the he knew he was getting a spanking.
Nana says in a chastising voice, "Danielle, you will be a good baby or Nana will punish you."
She takes him out of the play pen and stands him in a corner with his nose to the wall. He feels a small chair behind him as it buckles his knees and he sits.
Nana says, "Baby will be in time out till she decides to quit being naughty."
He pouts and simpers some as he is spanked then put into the corner for timeout. He still
doesn't want to be a baby, but it cant be helped, since she is in charge, and wants him to be baby. Right at the end of the session, he squeaks and fidgets. When she looks over to him, she can see him wetting his diaper.
Nana lets Danielle sit in her wet diaper for about 5 minutes. She then comes over and pulls open Danielle's panties and diaper and makes a big deal out of checking to see if she was wet.
Nana say, "Aww sweetums aww wet?? Nana fix that right away."
He is humiliated and begins squirming some as she checks him. "no I'm not..." he insists.
Nana picks Danielle out of the chair and walks to the Museum/storage. She then lays Danielle on her back on the changing table.
Danielle can see the window in the door has Tammie and several other important people
looking in and taking many pictures
The boy is fussing once again as he is laid on the changing table for his diaper to be
removed. He looks over to the window, and gasps when he sees Tammy and the others taking pictures. He starts crying.
Nana bends over and kisses Danielle on the nose as she tickles her gently.
Nana says lovingly, "Aww baby, Nana will have you changed and all comfy in a jiffy ... no need to cry."
With this she softly tickles Danielle's feet.
[11:55 AM] amyyamuri: She takes her by the ankles, lifts, and pulls off Danielle's plastic panties. She drops them into the trash can sitting by the wall. She unlocks the diaper pins and removes Danielle's diaper.
She takes several sweet smelling baby wipes and cleans all of Danielle's squeaky places.
She picks up a bottle of special baby oil from one of the pouches in the table. When she opens it, the heavenly aroma of honeysuckle fills the air
Danielle blushes, squeaking and cooing a bit as the droid expertly stops his crying, undiapers him and wipes him down.
As Nana rubs the oil in and caresses Danielle with it, Nana says lovingly, "This is a special oil sweetie. I promise it will make you feel so much like a sweet baby girl."
He squeaks, cooing a bit as he's rubbed all over with the oil. Nana turns and presses a button on the wall. A panel slides open and what appears to be a rather large wash basin locks into place. She turns on the water and makes it warm and comfortably steamy.
Nana adds a sweet honeysuckle smelling oil to the water and picks Danielle up and places her into the soft tingly water. He sees this and immediately thinks bath. He starts squirming as he is lifted and set into it.
Nana takes a very soft cloth and lathers it up well with a bar of soap. She washes Danielle in all her squeaky places. She rinses out the cloth and begins to wash behind Danielle's ears too.
Nana says in an breathy cooing voice, "Ohh, baby gots potatoes behind her ears."
He blushes, squirming more, and stifling giggles as Nana rubs and cleans him all over
in every place, including his groins and bum. Nana rinses him completely from head to foot. She then pours some very nice smelling shampoo on his head and begins to wash his shoulder length hair. She removes the old ribbons and throws them in a trash can as
she washes his hair.
He fusses and squirms even more as Nana washes and perfumes his hair. She rinses Danielle's hear completely and stands him on his feet on the floor.
Suddenly, Danielle finds a super thick and soft towel drying him briskly from his head to his feet. He wiggles a bit, shivering when the cool air hits his flesh as she starts drying him off.
Nana coos softly, "Baby all nice and squeaky clean."
She rubs noses with him and tickles him in his ribs. He giggles a bit, trying to squinch up his body in an effort to stave off the tickling and giggling it cased.
Suddenly, Nana whisks Danielle off his feet and he finds himself lying on his back on the
changing table again. He is lifted by his ankles and Nana places a super thick cloth diaper under Danielle and sits her on it. Nana powders her generously with sweet smelling baby powder. He blushes, squeaking and cooing more as she rubs it in, caressing his thin body as she babies him. He is then set on the diaper and powdered.
Nana bends over and blows in his bellybutton making a very loud noise.
She coos, "Such a sweet baby girl."
She begins tickling baby's feet softly. He squeals, wiggling and cooing as she does this. He is absolute putty in her hands, just as her programming wants him to be.
Nana opens Danielle's legs and pulls the diaper between them. she pins it on and the sound of the locks snapping closed is heard. He cannot get out of the diaper at this point.
Nana suddenly has a pair of plastic panties in her hands. They have many colored kittens on them. She Slips them over his feet and pulls them up to his knees. She stands him on his feet and finishes pulling up them up.
She picks Danielle up and carries him back to the chair against the wall. She sits with him in her lap. Daniel squirms for a bit at this, trying to get off of her lap as she sits down with him.A large bottle is sitting by the chair ... Nana picks it up and puts the nipple to Danielle's lips. Even with him trying to squeeze his lips together, the nipple found its way into his mouth.
Nana gives the bottle a squeeze and a large swallow of formula is suddenly in his mouth.
Blushing, he squawks, trying to spit it out, but is unable to do so as the formula violates his mouth, flowing into his stomach.
Nana coos to baby, "It's aww right sweetie. This will make you such a sweet little girl."
Nana give the bottle another squeeze. Another large swallow goes into his mouth and to his stomach.
In Nana's mind, she knows this will make Danielle go potty in her diaper and let her have
wonderful sweet baby girl dreams.
Daniel feels violated and ridiculous. He is amazed and scared at how easily this droid
managed to catch and baby him. Somewhere in the back of his mind, as the milk begins putting him to sleep, he knows that there's no escape from being Nana's baby girl.
Nana rocks slowly back and forth with her body as she hums a sweet little tune and watches her most precious charge go contentedly to sleep.
The sounds of the rest of the Rescue team can be heard outside the main lab door
They have no clue as to how to rescue Daniel from Nanabot.


text:
Of Human Relations
The Springfield Township Commissioners are considering an ordinance to protect the rights of all residents and business owners under the law.
The ordinance will create a Township Commission on Human Relations, virtually identical to that of several Montgomery County townships, as well as the City of Philadelphia. The Commission will be made up of four volunteer Springfield residents (or business owners).
After training by the state, this Commission will seek to mediate complaints that come before it. If not resolved, complaints may be taken to the Court of Common Pleas.
We enthusiastically support the Commissioners to pass this ordinance. We believe the goodwill that prevails in the Township will be enhanced by this legislation.
This Township Code will mirror the U.S. and state constitutional law already in place. By enacting the proposed ordinance, the commissioners will declare it to be the public policy of the Township to foster equal opportunity for all citizens.
The Commissioners will vote on this proposal at the Sept. 14 meeting. We urge our neighbors and all Township residents and businesses to support passage of this ordinance and to let your Commissioner know of your support.
Julie and C. Richard (Rev.) Cox
America . . .
I saw the head of the Statue of Liberty downcast with tears streaming down her cheeks because the children of immigrants who were welcomed to these shores have forgotten how to extend their hands to those who are in need.
The spirit of our founding fathers is restless because we are chipping away at the very foundation which they built with tremendous personal sacrifices.
The Constitution that they gave us is continuously being altered to benefit the privileged few.
Now is the time for us to forget our differences, set aside our prejudices and join hands and put our energy into rebuilding our country. The task is not insurmountable for a united people and a united nation. When we are finished, Lady Liberty will hold her head high again and the tears in her eyes will be that of joy.
The spirit of our founding fathers will rest in peace once again, knowing that we are on the right path again.
Restore the Constitution of our nation so that we will be proud of it, and it will be once again the envy of the entire world. The colors of our flag will be brighter than ever and the united stars will dazzle the universe. People all over the world will look up and say, "That's the United States of America."
This is America. We are Americans. We can do it. Yes we can!
Suresh Meswani


text: IMG_20160524_172541232jbr By Sophia Smith, 01/24/2017 @ 9:24 am= | Full size is 4160 × 2340 pixels Date Taken: 01-Jan-1970 00:00:00Focal Length: 0mmAperture: f/0ISO: 0 Sophia SmithSophia is the managing editor of the Make: blog. When she's not greasing editorial gears, she likes to run, ride, climb, and lift things, and make lo-tech goods like zines, desserts, and altered clothing. @sophiuhcamille


text:
"Wonder is still alive," says Todd Ray. "People are still curious."
Ray sure is. Wonder and curiosity led him to bail on a flourishing career as a music producer seven years ago to indulge his passion for the wondrous and odd.
Today, with the enthusiastic participation of wife Danielle, teenage son Phoenix and daughter Asia, 20 - along with their extended family of wondrous exhibitionists - Ray is the impresario of a freak show on the boardwalk of Venice Beach, Calif.
And, now, they're all poised to become TV stars, thanks to "Freakshow," an unscripted series premiering Thursday (9:30 p.m. EST) on AMC.
The Rays invite viewers to meet the gang, and - don't worry - it's OK to stare at Amazing Ali, the miniature woman; Goth-fashioned Morgue, whose bag of tricks includes plunging a drill bit up his nose; Marcus "The Creature," whose body is a tableau of tattoos and piercings; and George, who, at 7-feet-8-inches, is, well, the resident Tall Man.
Even Asia Ray has gotten into the act, transforming herself from a dutiful student and aspiring classical musician into a radiantly charming fire-eater, sword swallower and contortionist. Music school can wait. The "Freakshow" calls.
Granted, much of the reality-show genre could be branded a freak show, with the likes of Honey Boo Boo, Snooki and the Real (pick your city) Housewives freaking out for the cameras.
But in Ray's lexicon, "`Freak' isn't a bad word at all. We're all freaks of the universe," he says, meaning everyone on this exceptional planet Earth. "We're all individuals so unique that we're actually magical creatures."
No wonder he celebrates people who are even odder than most. During a recent interview he explains that, "when they join us, they're respected and they're treated well."
Ray says the series explores why they do what they do as performers, "and, if they're born uniquely different from most people, how they cope with the struggle against the `normal' world - how they deal with society that puts them on the outside."
How should the "normal world" deal with them in return?
"You can look at those who are different from you and be excited about them," Ray proposes, "and then you can look in the mirror and be excited about yourself."
Amid all this, some viewers may wonder what an unscripted series like "Freakshow" is doing on a network known for feature films and acclaimed dramas like "Mad Men" and "The Walking Dead."
But "Freakshow" isn't AMC's only departure from scripted fare.
On Thursday at 9 p.m., "Comic Book Men" resumes its second season of informed geek-chat originating from filmmaker Kevin Smith's New Jersey comic shop, Jay and Silent Bob's Secret Stash.
Then, at 10 p.m., following "Freakshow," AMC will premiere "Immortalized," a wondrously odd competition show.
Let other competitions settle who can rustle up the best grub or shed the most pounds. "Immortalized" focuses on taxidermy.
With the motto "No guts, all glory," each episode features one of four expert "Immortalizers" facing off against a lesser-known challenger in a competition to create a winning piece that a panel will judge on originality, craft and interpretation of an assigned theme.
This unscripted trio of programs constitutes AMC's new "real original Thursdays," which builds on the run of "Comic Book Men" in its previous Sunday berth and other reality programming including "The Pitch" and "Small Town Security," which have aired in the past and will be back.
It's fitting that AMC is going off-book. A number of reality-based networks are doing just the opposite.
In 2010, AMC's sister network Sundance Channel, long acclaimed for its devotion to the unscripted genre, aired the miniseries "Carlos," which starred Edgar Ramirez as notorious terrorist Carlos the Jackal. In December, it presented "Restless," a miniseries starring Michelle Dockery of "Downton Abbey."
And now, with a heightened emphasis on scripted fare, Sundance has planned a slate of shows that include, starting in March, "Top of the Lake," a seven-part series written and directed by Academy Award-winning Jane Campion and starring Holly Hunter and Elisabeth Moss ("Mad Men"). Airing in April, "Rectify" is a six-part drama about a man who has served 19 years on Georgia's death row before DNA evidence calls his conviction into question.
Meanwhile, Discovery Channel recently announced the production of its first-ever scripted miniseries, "Klondike," starring Chris Cooper. And reality-centric Bravo has signed actress Anna Gunn ("Breaking Bad") for the lead role in "Rita," one of several scripted pilots it has in development.
Does it seem a little strange that these networks are revising their time-honored policies? Maybe they just share Todd Ray's mantra: "Say `No' to normal."
Frazier Moore is a national television columnist for The Associated Press. He can be reached at fmoore(at)ap.org and at https://www.twitter.com/tvfrazier


text:
As we wish our friends and family a happy, healthy New Year, these words have renewed meaning in 2014.
January 1st is a new day in health care for millions of families and individuals in the Baltimore area and throughout Maryland.
It's now against the law for insurance companies to deny you coverage or charge you more because of a pre-existing medical condition like diabetes, high-blood pressure or asthma. And they can no longer drop you from coverage just because you get sick or get into an accident.
What's more, insurance companies can no longer impose an annual cap on your health benefits. They can't deny you coverage simply because you made a mistake on your paperwork. Most plans must now cover preventive services like cholesterol and cancer screenings, at no out-of-pocket cost. And, being a woman is no longer a pre-existing condition.
It's all thanks to the health care law: the Affordable Care Act.
If you do not have health insurance through your job, you have an opportunity to obtain quality, affordable coverage through marylandhealthconnection.gov. In fact, you may even qualify for financial assistance to help lower the cost of your premiums.
The Health Insurance Marketplace has brought choice and competition to Maryland that were previously unavailable. And as millions of Americans learn about their new options, they're finding just how affordable health coverage can be under the new law. Nationwide, six in 10 uninsured Americans can obtain coverage for $100 a month or less.
Make no mistake: The plans offered on the marketplace are actual, honest-to-goodness health insurance. By law, they must cover a set of essential benefits, including visits with doctors, prescription medications, hospital stays, ambulatory care, preventive services and maternity and newborn care.
You still have three more months to enroll in affordable coverage — the deadline is March 31, 2014.
If you want your health insurance to begin Feb. 1, you'll need to sign up by Jan. 15.
You can enroll online at marylandhealthconnection.gov, by phone at 1-800-318-2596/TTY 1-855-889-4325, on paper, or directly through an insurer, agent or broker. You can also find in-person assistance in your own community at LocalHelp.HealthCare.gov.
This is a milestone for the many families who have waited too long for affordable health insurance because of a broken system that was stacked against them. Before today, Americans could be dropped from coverage when they got sick, or locked out of the system if they had a health condition, or priced out in the first place because of their health status. Now, not only are there new rights and benefits, we are also seeing the slowest health care price inflation in 50 years.
Whenever I travel, I meet folks who tell me how long they've been waiting for the opportunity to obtain affordable coverage. Some have even been waiting their entire lives.
I keep thinking about Diane whom I met recently in Michigan. In the past, Diane's pre-existing medical condition had made finding quality, affordable health insurance nearly impossible. After being uninsured for over six years, Diane recently enrolled in coverage using HealthCare.gov. Now, Diane no longer needs to worry about treating her condition — or going bankrupt because of an unexpected illness or injury.
For Diane and for millions of Americans like her, it's a new day in health care because of the Affordable Care Act. And we continue to work together toward the goal of making affordable coverage accessible to every American who wants it.
Kathleen Sebelius is secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Her email is email@example.com.
To respond to this commentary, send an email to firstname.lastname@example.com. Please include your name and contact information.