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Escape to the Sea Ranch!
Sea Ranch Escape offers a selection of wonderful vacation homes in a variety of settings along the ten miles of the northern California coast that is the Sea Ranch. Stay in one of our magnificent homes and escape from the stress and strain of daily living. Perfect for a family retreat or a secluded hideaway for two kindred souls. Dine in or enjoy one of our local restaurants. Swim, hike, read, play tennis or golf, browse the art galleries, or just snooze – your call. Do what you want when you want to do it.
Please remember that we offer three nights
for the price of two in most of our homes
starting after Labor Day until June 30,
excluding holidays including Easter break, July through Labor Day.
Please note the minimum nights required for the following holidays:
Three night minimums for President's Day, Easter, Memorial Day, & Labor Day weekends.
July & August are three-night minimums.
Four night minimum for Thanksgiving.
Five night minimum for Christmas & New Years.
Increased rates are in effect for all holidays noted and summer months
for most of our homes starting in 2020.
Our Vacation Rental Homes
Couples Special | Hillside | Oceanside Meadows | Oceanfront
Architectural | Premier | Pet Friendly
Online Booking


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Messaging Trust solution recognized with GSMA Global Mobile Award at Mobile World Congress 2013
Syniverse and AdaptiveMobile today announced they have been jointly recognized with the GSMA Global Mobile Award for Best Mobile Safeguard and Security Service at Mobile World Congress 2013. The award recognizes Messaging Trust, a mobile security solution developed by Syniverse and AdaptiveMobile to protect end users from advanced SMS spam and fraud threats, thus helping mobile service providers deliver high-quality end-user experiences.
"SMS is often regarded as a trusted form of instant communication, so protecting this channel from spam and fraud is vital to both end users and mobile service providers," said Todd Boerner, Senior Vice President, Messaging, Syniverse. "Empowering our customers to provide a safe, high-quality end-user experience is our top priority, and this Global Mobile Award is a testament to our dedication."
"We are delighted to be recognized as a leading global provider of mobile security solutions," said Brian Collins, CEO, AdaptiveMobile. "This both validates our success to date and confirms the future direction of our joint proposition for the sector. Mobile security is evolving fast and we have created Messaging Trust in conjunction with Syniverse to preserve the cleanliness of the mobile messaging channel without interfering with, or slowing down, legitimate traffic. Mobile messaging is a trusted channel, and technologies that ensure high-quality end-user experiences further position all types of mobile ecosystem players for long-term success."
Messaging Trust is a network-based protection solution that a mobile service provider can provide across its end-user base without requiring individual downloads or configuration. Unlike traditional ISP and enterprise security products, the Messaging Trust platform provides a highly accurate analysis of traffic in order to identify the sources of fraud and spam within mobile networks where the majority of traffic is legitimate and potentially revenue generating. Integrating Messaging Trust with Syniverse's platforms, which currently process more than 2 billion messages per day in the United States alone, creates an easy-to-deploy, cost-effective solution.
"Through these awards, we are proud to shine the light on the mobile industry's many innovators and leaders, from all corners of the world," said John Hoffman, CEO, GSMA Ltd. "This year's new categories reflected the industry's reach into many new sectors and we received more than 600 high-quality entries from across the mobile ecosystem. We would like to congratulate all Global Mobile Awards winners and thank the many hundreds of companies and organisations that support these awards by entering each year."
About Syniverse
Syniverse makes mobile work for more than 900 mobile operators, cable and Internet providers, and enterprises in over 160 countries. With unmatched expertise and more than 25 years simplifying the complexities of roaming, messaging and networking, Syniverse serves as the force at the center of the mobile communications universe, keeping people connected today and forging new connections for tomorrow. Nobody knows mobile like Syniverse. For more information, visit [url=http://www.syniverse.com]http://www.syniverse.com[/url], follow Syniverse on Twitter or find Syniverse on Facebook.
About AdaptiveMobile:
AdaptiveMobile is the world leader in mobile security, enabling trusted networks for the world's largest operator groups and protecting one in six subscribers globally. AdaptiveMobile provides Operators with the most comprehensive network-based security solutions enabling them to protect their consumer and enterprise customers against the growing threat of mobile abuse. www.adaptivemobile.com

subset: commoncrawl


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Visit the forum if you have a language query!
Permission error
Happiness is understanding that friendship is more precious than mere things, more precious than getting your own way, more precious than being in situations where true principles are not at stake.J. Donald Walters
You do not have permission to read this page, for the following reason:
The action you have requested is limited to users in the group: editor.


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What Was I Thinking with Brian O'Nuanain
Thursday Mornings at 7:35
- Local Host Brian O' Nuanain
Commentator Brian O' Nuanain hails from Ireland used to teache 2nd grade in Bossier City. He currently teaches a class called "Ireland Here I Come," and conducts tours of Ireland in the summer. He also teaches a class called "Italia' and will take a tour to Italy in the summer of 215. In addition he writes this weekly commentary interjecting a wry and often sardonic eye for the humor or absurdities in the subject at hand. From travels, to thoughts on teaching, to his ongoing quest to please "She Who Must Be Obeyed," each week he'll offer up something that might, ... well ... make you ask, "Just What Was He Thinking?"


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Peter Harbocian necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 72 diseños de 20 diseñadores freelance.
Green River Adventures
I'm an expert paddler who enjoys all aspects of canoeing. I have been an elite athlete of long distance canoe racing which has given me expertise and knowledge of the sport. I would like to share and pass on these skills to others who love canoeing. I enjoy nature, the outdoors, canoe tripping, wilderness camping, cross-country skiing and any type of human powered activity. I would like to instill the passion and drive for these activities in others. I also have extensive technical knowledge of the related products associated with paddling and skiing products that I will offer in my retail shop. I also have many years of experience in the materials used in the construction of related equipment and will offer a service of repair and modification.
Family reunions, people who enjoy the outdoors, athletic competitors, business team-building groups, youth, active retirees, patrons of existing resorts, company picnics, school coaches and students, college/university students, tourists,
no cartoons. classy and witty. fun and eye pleasing, green and earthy. An idea that we came up with was two canoes, one right-side up the other up-side down. On the top of up-side down canoe could be written part of the company name "Green River" and on the bottom of the right-side up canoe could be written the other part of the company name: "Adventures"
Perhaps, in between both canoes could be written some contact information. Please see attachment.
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


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shove (one) around(redirected from shove them around)
shove (one) around
To harass, bully, or threaten one; to give one orders in a domineering or forceful manner. The larger kids in the class tend to shove the smaller ones around. Don't let Tom shove you around like that—stand up for yourself, or report him to HR if you need to.
shove someone around
1. Lit. to push someone around. The bigger boys shoved him around easily because he is so small, Karen shoved around the little kids until they got mad at her.
2. Fig. to harass someone. Stop shoving me around! Who do you think you are? Do you think you can shove around just anybody?
shove around
To give someone orders in a forceful or unpleasant way; bully someone: We refuse to allow corporate lawyers to shove us around. The restaurant management shoved around the employees.


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The epigonation (from Greek, "upon the knee") is a stiff, diamond-shaped vestment worn on the right side by priests and bishops.
In the Byzantine tradition, the epigonation is awarded to a priest upon his elevation to exomologos (confessor) or the rank of οικονόμος. In the Russian tradition, it is an award given after many years of service.
It represents a shield, originating from the thigh shield worn by soldiers during the days of the early church. The epigonation holds a dual meaning. First, it denotes the celebrant as a "soldier" of Christ. Second, it symbolizes the Word of God, fighting the wiles of the enemy. The epigonation is known as the palitsa in the Russian tradition.
This article or section is a stub (i.e., in need of additional material). You can help OrthodoxWiki by expanding it.


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Be sure to read Lynn's first impressions of this book here!
I'd have to say this didn't sustain it's promise. Not a short book (436 pages), To Be Sung Underwater peters out and gets repetitious. The romance between Judith and Willy, Judith's present-day career problems, her relationship with her husband and daughter…. all these plot strands show promise and you wonder what's going to happen, but there's no real payoff for investing so much time in them.
McNeal has a few literary ticks – he repeats adjectives again and again: the "flutish" sound of the wind, as well as portentous phrases such as "she would realize later…" or "she'd always remember such and such later…"
After a while, you realize this isn't a book about plot; it's a book about place. The dry, remote landscape of northwestern Nebraska is what's really memorable. The people who pass through it are transitory and not that important in the long run, as Willy comes to believe.
That may be true but I still felt like Judith's story arc wasn't completed. If you are a reader who likes resolution and closure, this may not be the book for you.


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A video of two boys fighting in a high school locker room seems to indicate a "fight club situation," a school official said.
The video, taken at Groveport Madison High School in Groveport, Ohio, showed two boys fighting for one minute and 22 seconds in what seemed like a planned fight in the high school locker room, with bystanders shouting comments like, "Watch the face" and helping a fallen fighter to his feet.
A school spokesman, Rick Playko said the altercation appeared organized, with some students serving as referees. "That's what makes me think that it's more of a fight-club situation," he told the Columbus Dispatch.
U.S. & World
News from around the country and around the globe
Fights on Facebook aren't new, we know because they have been written about several times, but an organized "fight club" is a little different. The odd part is that it was a local TV station that brought it to the attention of school officials -- so reporters are apparently watching what high school students are posting on their Facebook pages more than school officials or parents.


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Anniversary of Title VI Marks Progress and Reminds us that Every Child has the Right to an Education
Anniversary of Title VI Marks Progress and Reminds us that Every Child has the Right to an Education
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has issued a statement recognizing that Thursday, July 2, 2009, is the 45th anniversary of the enactment of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination in public schools. But Duncan noted that the nation's public schools still have a tremendous amount of work to do to ensure students of color and those growing up in poverty have equal access to schools that offer them the quality educational opportunities that they need and deserve.
"Title VI was a great victory in the pursuit of equality in education," Duncan said. "But many schools are still struggling to serve students of color and students growing up in poverty. Many communities are underserved with respect to having access to college-level coursework in high school, math and science, talented and gifted programs, after school programs, and much more.
"Education is the civil rights issue of our generation," Duncan added. "If we are to emerge from this global recession and ensure the future prosperity of our nation, every school must provide every child with a quality education that offers the path out of poverty and toward equal opportunity."
Since President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act on July 2, 1964, minorities have made significant progress in their educational attainment. But minorities still trail whites in college completion and other education indicators.
"Forty-five years after Title VI, the promise of equal education for all has yet to become reality for all," Duncan said. "The Obama administration has dedicated unprecedented resources to education through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. It is time for unprecedented reforms that offer children of all races, nationalities, and ethnicities the education they need and deserve."
Attached is a fact sheet on the state of education for minority children.
FACT SHEET – TITLE VIWhat is it?
Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI) was landmark legislation, passed into law on July 2, 1964, to prohibit discrimination based on race, color, or national origin in programs or activities that receive Federal financial assistance – including racial harassment, school segregation, and denial of language services to national-origin-minority students who are limited in their English.What has changed?
The U.S. Department of Education's vigorous enforcement of the Title VI law and the efforts of our nation's education institutions to eliminate discrimination based on race, color, or national origin, have removed many obstacles and increased access to educational opportunities for minority students.How has access to education improved?
In 1964, when the Act was signed, only 26% of African Americans age 25 and over earned at least a high school diploma. By 2007, that percentage had grown to 82%.*
In 1964, only 4% of African Americans age 25 and over earned at least a bachelor's degree. As of 2007, 19% of African Americans, and 13% of Hispanics, age 25 and over, had at least a bachelor's degree. *
In 1976, African American, Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander, and American Indian/Alaska Native students made up 17% of college undergraduates. In 2004, these students comprised 32% of college undergraduates. **
There have been similar increases in graduate school enrollment for minority students. In 1976, minority students made up 11% of the graduate school population, and in 2004, minority students represented 25% of the graduate school population. **
Since 1995, the number of high school Advanced Placement exams taken by African American students has tripled, and the number of AP exams taken by Latino students has quadrupled.***What work still needs to be accomplished?
Although college enrollment rates for African American and Hispanic students have increased since 1976, significant disparities exist between underrepresented minorities and their white and Asian peers in terms of college enrollment:
In 2004, 60.3% of Asian/Pacific Islander 18- to 24-year-olds and 41.7% of white Americans were enrolled in college, compared to 31.8% of African Americans, 24.7% of Hispanics, and 24.4% of American Indian/Alaska Natives in the same age group. **
Similar disparities exist for college completion. In 2003-2004, African Americans represented 12% of the population, but earned only 9.4% of bachelor's degrees and 5.9% of doctorate degrees. During the same school year, Hispanics represented 14% of the population, but earned only 6.8% of bachelor's degrees and 3.4% of doctorate degrees. **
Significant disparities also exist in elementary and secondary schools throughout the country:
According to the U.S. Department of Education's 2006 Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC), African American students represented 13.4% of graduating seniors in U.S. public schools, and represented only 7.9% of students enrolled in Advanced Placement courses. ****
According to the 2006 CRDC, African American students represented 17.13% of enrolled students, but comprised 35.67% of students receiving corporal punishment, 37.40% of students who received out of school suspensions, 37.86% of students who were expelled, and only 9.15% of students in Gifted and Talented programs.*** *
According to the 2006 CRDC, Hispanic students represented 20.41% of enrolled students but comprised only 13.72% of students receiving a high school diploma, 12.79% of students in Gifted and Talented programs, 11.53% of students enrolled in an AP Math course, and 12.04% of students enrolled in an AP Science course.*** *
* United States Census Bureau
** National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
*** The College Board
*** *U.S. Department of Education's most recent Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC):


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"Most toxic affair in football history"? – Or most toxic media coverage? March 31, 2012Posted by dissident93 in Censored, Media Criticism, Racism.
This is off-topic for me. But when a newspaper publishes over 100 articles on a story without mentioning certain key facts – and censors a comment which does mention these facts – I'm inclined to write about it. Particularly as the deleted comment was mine.
With charges of racial abuse, it's crucial that reporters get the facts right and not resort to conjecture. Sadly, this wasn't the case with the Guardian on the Suarez-Evra story.
I don't want to rehash the details (the background, regarding media failures, has already been provided in two incisive articles from @NewsFrames) – but to address the responses from journalists. Many people complained about the Guardian's coverage of the Suarez case. The Guardian's "Readers' editor", Chris Elliott, eventually responded to complaints in an 'Open Door' article. Elliott's first two paragraphs frame the issue – with all the subtlety of a large shovel – in terms of irrational fan loyalty. He then replies directly to just one complaint:
I think it is entirely reasonable to use the word "findings" when describing the commission's outcome. The independent regulatory commission was properly constituted, acting within clear parameters that were clearly explained in an exhaustive report. The dictionary definition of findings is conclusions reached following an inquiry. (Chris Elliott, Guardian, 15/1/12)
An unsatisfactory reply. The complaint (which is quoted in Elliott's article) had been about the Guardian's misleading statement, that Suarez "was found to have used the word 'negro' or 'negros' seven times". (Variations on this claim were printed in several Guardian articles). Regardless of dictionary definitions of "findings", a responsible newspaper would have informed readers that there was no evidence for this "seven times" claim (the FA commission's "findings" included uncorroborated allegations). The Guardian failed to inform readers of this crucial point in every instance.
Elliott's article concludes with this paragraph:
Re-reading the complaints made me think that what the readers – who were very open about their allegiance – really wanted to do was argue with the findings of the commission and they expected the Guardian to do the same. The report is based on the balance of probabilities and the commission's members have gone out of their way to explain in minute detail how they reached their decision. (Chris Elliott, Guardian, 15/1/12)
There are two problems with this. First, the complaint which Elliott quotes is not asking the Guardian to "argue" anything, but to inform readers of certain crucial facts, so they are not misled with a partial account of the report's findings. Second, the "minute detail" merely reveals that the commission's decision was based on a lack of direct evidence. The "balance of probabilities" rule requires strong evidence in serious cases such as this – a point acknowledged in paragraphs 76, 79 & 80 of the FA commission's report (but ignored in over 100 Guardian articles):
80. The FA accepts that the Charge against Mr Suarez is serious, as do we. It is for this reason that we have reminded ourselves that a greater burden of evidence is required to prove the Charge against Mr Suarez.
(FA commission's report)
Toxic hyperbole
Ian Prior (Guardian Sports Editor) wrote of the Suarez affair that it was "possibly the most toxic affair in the history of English football. It deserves every inch it gets and more". He added that "Every escalation that has fuelled this story has come from Liverpool or the FA investigation".
Let's be charitable for a moment, and assume this isn't just an editor being defensive over the Guardian's tabloidesque coverage. Perhaps Prior really believes, for example, that Liverpool players wearing T-shirts (with a picture of Suarez) represents a toxic "escalation" in itself, without the Guardian interpreting it for us, running a series of articles about it, raising it to the status of "news" by collating the outraged opinions of a small handful of blogger-tweeters (whilst ignoring the views of those who thought it was about as newsworthy as the Pope wearing a funny hat).
The implication of Ian Prior's remarks is, of course, that the events themselves were toxic – not the media circus. But, subtract the media spectacle (eg over 100 Guardian articles – I stopped counting after I got to 120) and what bare facts are we left with? Here are perhaps the most crucial ones, which – tellingly – were not mentioned anywhere in the Guardian's remarkably voluminous coverage:
- There was no direct evidence or witnesses of Suarez making the alleged racial remarks.
- Evra changed his allegation of what was said ("n***er" to "negro"), and the number of times it was said.
- The FA's language experts said that Suarez's account of his use of the word "negro" (Spanish) "would not be offensive. Indeed, it is possible that the term was intended as an attempt at conciliation and/or to establish rapport". (FA panel's report, paragraph 190)
The Guardian's hyperbole ("shameful", "beyond the pale", "pigheaded", etc) was aimed largely at the reactions by Liverpool to the FA ruling (eg the statements and T-shirts supporting Suarez). But these reactions stem from an honourable stance:- namely, the right to question a questionable verdict (ie one based on no direct evidence) – and/or to support a person you believe to be innocent. In most cases, the Guardian – supposedly a "liberal" newspaper – would actively support such a basic right.
Presumably Guardian editors and writers – and anti-racism campaigners given space by the Guardian – can tell the difference, if pressed, between supporting someone accused of an offense, and condoning the offense itself. At least I hope they can.
Sadly, the illiberal reasoning applied by the Guardian to the Suarez case seems widespread. Thus, Ian Prior quotes Garth Crooks (speaking at the Guardian Open Weekend): "there was an acceptance in football media that racism wasn't as important as other matters … we are now in danger of returning to that, with complaints of too much coverage for Suarez or Terry affairs".
The implication of such "logic" is pretty chilling: whatever valid reasons you may have for criticising such media coverage (and there are many), you'd better shut up, because some people might infer that you aren't taking racism seriously enough. It's an insidious and counterproductive form of reasoning. Bad logic will not help the fight against racism.
Ian Prior (Guardian Sports Editor) appears to have read the above – he writes that my piece is "loaded" with "bad logic". Ian, if you'd like to provide some examples of where you think my logic is at fault – rather than hiding behind 140-character Twitter assertions – you can contact me here.
Update #2 (3/4/12): It seems Ian's not up to the challenge of backing up his own assertions. He tweets that "life's too short" – although it's apparently not too short for him (as Guardian Sports Editor) to publish over 100 articles on the Suarez case.


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Cricketer Irfan Pathan Wednesday shared the stage with Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi at an election rally in Kheda, signalling the ruling BJP's desire to woo the youths and the minority community ahead of the balloting for the state assembly.
Pathan was with Modi during the rally for the second phase of elections in the state Dec 17. The first phase polling will take place Thursday.
The BJP has not fielded any candidate from the state's main minority community in the polls but has been making efforts to woo the community to widen its electoral base. Former state deputy chief minister and Congress leader Narhari Amin joined the BJP last week.
Congress leader and External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid took a dig at Modi over Pathan's presence at the rally.
Khurshid said Modi was trying to pull a rabbit out of a hat to ensure his victory. He said in an election one cannot expect the opponent to fight as "you would expect".
"I am surprised he is fighting it in this manner," he said.
BJP MP Smriti Irani defended Khan's presence and said that people would vote for the party on the basis of development brought about by Modi in the state.
She said the Congress was "demonising the player (Khan)" and "hitting below the belt".


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Part of the post that was initially here has been removed for legal reasons. - Grave Encounters
To contact Saving Graves WA, please email at Sandra Playle firstname.lastname@example.com if you have further questions or require further.
Last of all I would like to share a poem that has been provided by a former member of the Saving Graves WA team. The author unknown but poignant all the same;
Your tombstone stands among the rest, Neglected and alone. The name and the date are chiselled out, On polished, marbled stone.
It reaches out to all who cares, It is too late to mourn. You did not know that I exist, You died and I was born.
Yet each of us are cells of you, In flesh, in blood, in bone. Our blood contracts and beats a pulseEntirely not our own.
Dear Ancestor, the place you filled, One hundred years ago, Spreads out among, the ones you left. Who would have loved you so?
I wonder if you lived and loved, I wonder if you knew That someday I would find this spot, And come to visit you.
Saving Graves Western Australia can be supported by


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By COLLEEN LEDDY
Level 3, Brown, Zone E4
I texted that to three people when we parked at the Big Blue garage at Detroit Metro before flying to Savannah a couple weeks ago. And David wrote it on a piece of paper. And I repeated it over and over to myself until I had a chance to also write it down.
But do you think we could find our car when we arrived back in Detroit? We walked all over hell and half of Georgia, suitcases in tow, listening for the honking as David pressed the alarm button on the remote car door opener, before realizing that we needed to lug our suitcases up a flight of stairs.
Echolocation is not the easiest thing in the Big Blue, but we'd probably still be there searching for our car if not for that alarm button. We're in the market for a new-to-us car and, after this episode, "remote car door opener" rose to the top of the list of required features in any vehicle we buy.
Locating our vehicle was the only blip in a very lovely long weekend in Savannah—except for GMO Guy.
We changed planes in Charlotte on our way to Savannah and sat across from a long-winded guy who seemed a bit full of himself—and full of talk about GMOs. His poor seatmate—she patiently listened as he went on and on about his company and what they were doing with the latest generation of seeds and how they were modifying them.
They were both around 60, I'd say, she with a long, long faded blonde braid all the way down her back, dressed in cotton and wools and looking very earthy. GMO Guy finally took a breather and seemed to assess his captive.
"Do you understand genetics at all?" he asked.
"Well, I went to Oberlin..." she said, her voice trailing off, as if that explained why she might not understand what this guy was telling her.
Oberlin is a liberal arts college and conservatory of music in Ohio known for its academic and musical excellence and its commitment to social justice, sustainability, and diversity. If genetics was among the course offerings, Blonde Braid didn't sign up.
But she was a real trouper of a seatmate, nodding her head and interjecting with an occasional "Huh," and an "Oh," and an "Ah." She was reading "The Universe is a Green Dragon: A Cosmic Creation Story." I never heard of it, but I'm guessing someone reading that probably isn't tremendously interested in plant genetics.
He was reading "The Art of Racing in the Rain," a book that says, I'm a literary kind of guy, a nice guy, a you-don't-have-to-worry-about-me kind of guy. A book that wouldn't let you know he was going to talk non-stop about genetic engineering.
Planes are such weird places. You're stuck. You're sitting next to people you don't know, cramped together for hours. It's a rare plane ride these days when you can move to another seat; most flights I've been on this past year have been totally full.
But plane rides (especially on Southwest), are often a good source for an unexpected laugh. Flight attendants with a good sense of humor make flying so worthwhile.
As we took our seats on the return flight home, I noticed two high school boys a couple rows ahead of us rapidly scarfing down hamburgers as the rest of the passengers boarded.
Before the plane left the gate, one of the flight attendants was making her way down the aisle, helping passengers and closing the overhead bins.
She reached her hand out toward the boys as if to collect their McDonald's bags. They each gobbled one more big bite and were putting the rest of the sandwich in the bag before handing it to her.
"Did you all see them giving me their food?!" she exclaimed to all of us within earshot.
The flight attendant looked bemused.
"You boys need to know your rights!" she said.
"I didn't want your garbage, I just wanted a bite of your sandwich," she joked.


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Didn't get your fill of awkward CG movie-making from The Spirit? Then watch the trailer for Bunraku, which has an amazing cast: Josh Hartnett, Demi Moore, Woody Harrelson, Ron Perlman and Kevin McKidd. But a very sour Frank Miller taste to it even though it was written and directed by Guy Moshe.
The movie is labeled fantasy, and is named after the Japanese puppet theater, but we're not sure what that has to do with anything, here's the synopsis:
A mysterious drifter (Josh Hartnett) and an ardent young Japanese warrior on a mission both arrive in a town that is totally terrorized by outrageous and virulent criminals. Each obsessed with his separate mission; the two eventually join forces to bring down the corrupt and contemptuous reign of NICOLA, the awesomely evil "woodcutter." This classic tale is re-vitalized and re-imagined in an entirely fresh visual context, set in a unique world that mixes skewed reality with shadow-play fantasy, a place where even the landscape can betray you. Heroes triumph here only because the force of their will transforms and transcends both space and time. The world of BUNRAKU is past and present, fantasy and reality, Samurai and Western all combined. Resonating with any number of cultures, and showcasing a mind-blowing array of martial arts disciplines, Bunraku presents a totally fresh arena for breathtaking fight action.
Still no word on a release date, but we'll keep you posted. Any hints or guesses as to what this movie really is about would be greatly appreciated.


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The Chicco KeyFit Caddy Stroller is designed exclusively to carry the #1-rated Chicco KeyFit� and Chicco KeyFit� 30 rear-facing infant car seats. The Chicco KeyFit Caddy features a lightweight aluminum frame that weighs under 11 pounds! For added ease of use, the Chicco KeyFit Caddy has a one-hand fold and the frame free stands when folded. We all know how important a stroller's under carriage storage is, so Chicco outfitted the KeyFit Caddy with a two-way expandable storage basket that has both front and rear access!
Car Seat:
The Chicco KeyFit 30 Infant Car Seat is the premier infant carrier for safety, comfort, and convenience. With its removable newborn insert, the KeyFit 30 Car Seat will accommodate your baby from four to thirty pounds. The KeyFit 30�s thickly cushioned seat includes a five-point safety harness and is lined with energy-absorbing foam for increased safety and comfort. The KeyFit 30 Base�s spring-assisted level foot, two precision bubble levels, and �Center-Pull� LATCH adjustment guarantee quick and correct installment from either side of your vehicle and give you confidence that your child is safely secured in your vehicle.
Redeem $5 For Every 500 Points
Earn Up to 20% On Purchases
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Dear HyperPay users,
HyperPay adheres to transparency and self-discipline in industry, and is gradually opening up transparent supervision mechanism. The HC/HX double reward revenue in the period of 5/4/2019 15:00 -5/5/2019 14:59:59(UTC+8) is now reported as follows.
Due to HX team's readjustments of rewarding rules, For the 2nd round investors , Reward:1630.81734 HX
HX rate of return(take compensation into account)
The 2nd round:0.000677032HX / 1HC / day
* All data takes reference of HPY holders stake weight, discrepancy may arise from other pledged accounts
During the event HyperPay would give away 99% reward to HC holders, leftover 1% will be used for community operation. The rewards are to distribute in two parts. Firstly,HC principal and reward will be transferring to your account after the end of 28 days. Secondly,the HX rewards is paid daily. It takes at least 24 hour for users to receive the first HX reward, then you will receive the previous day's HX reward every other day.
Please stay tuned with more of our revenue data release, thanks for your attention
HyperPay Team
HyperPay's Next POS Currency, Your Choice
HyperPay Will Support JUST (JST) Airdrop Program for TRON (TRX) Holders


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I just received a call from one of the descendants of the Young family from the Friends Album. This is the gentleman to whom I mailed a letter with a photo of Cornelia Morris (his 4G-grandmother) and a copy of the family tree that I put together.
He said he just returned from out of the country and my letter was waiting for him amidst a huge stack of mail. He called me as soon as he opened it. He confirmed that I had the right family.*
He said both of his parents are still alive and in their mid-80s. He confirmed the family has strong connections to Danbury, Conn., and Yonkers, N.Y. (where this gentleman was born).
They are thrilled to have the album coming their way — I hope to send it to them this weekend. I can't even describe how elated I am to be reuniting these photos with the family!
* Updated 7/1/2011: I spoke with Stanley Young III again last night and he said he was mistaken and he actually hadn't seen the photo of Cornelia Morris before. Nevertheless, he now has the Friends Album and couldn't wait to show it to his parents over the 4th of July weekend.


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There is much debate as to whether Science and Religion are compatible and in particular can Evolution and the Biblical creation account co-exist as valid worldviews or does one negate the other. As far as I am concerned the debate is only a bone of contention for religionists. Science is the study of the natural world. It does not look for supernatural outcomes to its investigations. Religion has for the last 400 years has been continually discounted as a reliable tool to discover anything new. It's explanations of the working of the natural world are being proven incorrect and Science is filling the gaps it used to dwell in.
When I am referring to the Theory of Evolution I am talking about Modern Evolution Theory and not just "Darwinism". Creation as used will mean the Bible story and Creationism in general.
If I posted this 400 years ago it would read "The theory of Heliocentricity and the idea that the Earth is at the middle of our Universe – are they compatible?" The religious did their utmost to thwart the advancement of scientific discovery. They did not "believe" it was true that the sun was at the center. It was "only a theory" and the scientists behind it were deemed to be heretics. Only as people became educated did they understand it. Now this once special knowledge is deemed almost to be common sense. The churches now accept the Theory of Heliocentricity as being true. That is mighty of them but irrelevant to me because like the Theory of Evolution it was never a matter of faith. It is only a matter of education. Knowledge is power. They controlled the flow of it for too long in schools and even Universities. Information takes away more power from religion so it will do whatever it takes to keep as much of it as it can. So religions come up with alternative "theories" to counter the modern day heretics.
Even today I still get told by apologists that the Bible knew the world was round. Many have become "Hebrew scholars" and love informing me about the meaning of the word "chug" to insist Isaiah know the world was round. He did not. He "knew" it to be flat as did everyone else at that time.
The same people will then try to argue with me that Intelligent Design is a credible scientific alternative to the Theory of Evolution and should be taught in schools. They "don't believe in Evolution". So they read more biblical science and come up with the idea that their god created every animal including man in his present "form". I will not discuss I.D. any further but if anyone else thinks it a good idea and has any merit please fire ahead. Maybe the dinosaurs died because they fell over the edge of the planet. These theists are the same as they were 400 years ago. They still maintain their book is the one and only truth necessary and deny the validity of the Theory of Evolution just as they denied the fact the sun is at the center of the galaxy.
I am not a scientist and do not claim any academic qualifications in this area. Due to my lack of believe in any god or the veracity of written accounts I turned elsewhere for answers. I find that the Theory of Evolution is a fact because I understand it to be proven. It therefore reinforces my reasons for remaining an Atheist but in itself it did not make me an Atheist. I will reference my replies later to any questions I try to answer.
I consider it fair to say that most Theists deny the fact of Evolution because they do not know it. Those that think they do usually have only learnt it from the science section of the bible or from their local preacher. I have never met a Theist (I mean never) who could explain it to me correctly. I also consider it fair to claim that one does not need be an Atheist to see that the Theory of Evolution is a Fact.
The Theory of Evolution is the scientific study of how life of earth has evolved over time. To start with we need to get some concept of the time scale. It started about 3.5 billion years ago. You need to stop a minute and think about that. It is almost impossible to conceive of such a scale. Millions of species have lived and died out before man appeared a relatively short time ago. We are about as a modern species for the last 200,000 years. 40,000,000 years before us Mt. Everest rose up and yet 25,000,000 years before that the dinosaurs became extinct. A few billion years further back and our early ancestors were getting ready to crawl out of the sea. Sound as fantastic as other stories? Well yes but all of this can be and has been fully proven. When all the various fields of Science, geology, chemistry, anatomy, fossil studies and especially DNA are taken together we see that all life on Earth is connected. No matter what species we look at once we go back far enough we see a common ancestor is shared amongst us all.
I am not going to further explain the Theory here other than say that the word "Theory" in this case means a body of facts and not an hypothesis that is still in need of evidence to make it acceptable. It is because Evolution is a proven fact that it is deemed to be a Theory.
I fully acknowledge that the Theory of Evolution does not explain how life on Earth began but that is not what it is about. I also accept that the Theory of Evolution does not disprove the existence of any particular deity.
However if anyone accepts that the Theory of Evolution is a fact (which it is) then we humans are descended from other species and if we keep going back we are evolved from simple life forms that lived in the sea. Therefore we could not have been created in human form in one day. Therefore the Christian story of creation is not true. It is a myth like those of all other religions.
Feel free to tell me where you think I am wrong and show me how the bible is right or at least compatible with Evolution. We can discuss the Theory of Evolution in greater detail and clear up any misconceptions held about it if this discussion EVOLVES.
Views: 1492
Reg - I've seen that enormous time scale demonstrated graphically on a 24-hour clock, in which the clock face was divided into 24 equal segments, rather than the usual 12 - it may have been in Carl Sagan's Cosmos. On that time scale, Humans first appeared on the planet at 15 seconds before the hour of 24.
Don't take this as a criticism of your work, as it's quite well done and well said, but it's your use of the phrase, TOE, to mean the Theory of Evolution, that jars me every time I hear it, as that acronym is one that is actually used in the area of physics to signify a grand Unified Field Theory that will unite Einstinian Relativity, Gravitational Theory and the sub-atomic world of Quantum Physics, and it's known by scientists as the Theory of Everything, or the T.O.E.
There's also a variant where the entire life of the universe is compressed into one year.
I saw one lecturer, though, do something a little different which I liked better; he treated a billion years as one year, so the total span was 13.7 yeas for the 13.7 billion year life of the universe. 13.7 years is a long time but it's still comprehendable by adults.
Hey SteveInCO,
I think temporal constriction is the only way to make it work, but that would require a completely new set of theory about nature. And frankly, General Relativity and QFT are yet more solid than TOE.
- kk
Whoah! I was just talking about variations on the "imagine the entire lifespan of the universe as one year" or "...one day", not about how to reconcile 6000 years with 13.7 billion.
(Incidentally the age of the asteroids is given as 4.567 billion years; multiply that by three and you get 13.701. Proof that doG exists!!! Alas someone recently refined the best estimate for the age of the universe a bit, and while 13.7 billion is in the new range, it's not at the center of it, so they ruined it.)
OK I suppose I'd actually better talk about the topic.
I do know some "old earth creationists" who don't deny anything the science tells us about the age of the universe, its size or even seeing progressively more complex organisms in the fossil record. They think that god created the big bang, got life started, and eventually gave some species of ape souls.
Through some very creative interpretations of Genesis they claim it's consistent with what we know today. For instance, the Hebrew word for day can be metaphorically used to suggest a period of time--it's a valid dictionary definition of the word--much as we might say "back in Jefferson's day" not literally meaning a "day." Also they claim the Genesis narrative describes what someone standing on the surface of the earth would see, according to our best scientific description of the process. Darkness (because the atmosphere is full of gunk), followed by light (diffuse, through an atmosphere still loaded with gunk), then the sun, then the stars as the atmosphere clears out. Most people who read Genesis sort of take a "god's eye view" as they read along and of course under those circumstances, it's absurd to have light before the sun, and to relegate the stars (each a sun unto itself) to an afterthought. Of course what that means is that the famous six "days" would have to have elapsed after the earth was actually formed, but if you read carefully, it says "in the beginning god created the heavens and the earth" and they will claim that that is NOT a summary of what is to come, but that once you read that sentence, the stuff in the heavens existed, and so did the earth, and the first "day" happens after the earth has accreted from planetesimals--i.e, at least 9 billion years after the big bang.
It's an interesting interpretation but still fails for lots of other reasons.
All criticism is welcome.I tend to agree with you it's just I wrote it quickly. I should have done a global edit. Cosmic Clock
I think the Bible has been misunderstood for centuries. It's still misunderstood by the very people who claim to understand it most. The Bible is a poetical work of literature. One of its primary subjects concerns the personal identity in relationship to anything other than itself. The reason the Bible gets butchered is because when one understands certain of its subjects, they become "free" and difficult to control politically (plus they are able to derive insights into things other than themselves). The story of creation, for example, is a story about how to create. It uses grand and extreme metaphors to make a point that the creative individual is made of the same stuff as any creative being. If you accept there are creative beings at all, then this makes an interesting point. But instead, the so-called Christians and others have turned into some sort of pseudo-scientific nonsense. A different question toward reconciling science and (Christian) religion might be this: Is the idea that a creative person can exist compatible with the idea that the theory of evolution is true? I say yes, perfectly compatible.
Hey onecae,
That may be, but I tend to call a duck a duck. In other words, I think the narrative is a conspicuously Earth-based narrative that is obviously not correct and belies the fact that its author is not the architect of the universe, imo.
- kk
I did call a duck a duck. You and I are on the same page here. The Bible is a poetical work of literature. (However, calling it correct or not is irrelevant- sort of like "The Poems of Robert Frost are not correct.") Saying that the author is the architect of the universe is hyperbolic metaphor - something one might find on the dust jacket quoting a NYT book review. For me it's like asking if the works of Shakespeare are compatible with the theory of evolution. The contents should be evaluated in completely different ways. However, sadly, many people do not know how to interpret and evaluate literature. They keep coming to this really strange idea that's akin to saying "if only we could find Hamlet's sword or Ophelia's dress, then we'd prove that the play Hamlet, Prince of Denmark is true."
Hey Reg,
I commend you for taking on this topic. You know why I hate TOE? Because certain personalities in the extreme end of a certain set of belief systems are obssessed with trying to disprove it to such an extent that its nauseating and loaded with mass ignorance. The poor biologists working on this stuff are inundated with nonsense on a daily basis. But I digress.
Sorry, but it has poisoned the entire thing for me. I do find it an elegant and satisfactory theory, though. I think its incomplete but a lot of science is.
So, they are absolutely incompatible if we are speaking of the Genesis narrative. Only if something really obscure and quite surprising jumps out of the incompleteness side of this will that ever be true. The only thing I can think of is it will come from physics: that the flow of time is historically and probably spatially highly variable. But that is total conjecture.
- kk
Did you neglect to read the premise, Kir? - TOE in this instance refers to the Theory of Evolution --
Hey - Uh, I know, that's what I'm talking about ... Arch ...
Remeber, I'm heterodox ... and pertly.
- kk


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Tag / lightsaber
sith army lightsaber
the skywalking dead
hbd chick's ride
hand of the…
linkfest – 09/29/13
Do Elite 'Power Sport' Athletes Have a Genetic Advantage? – "A specific gene variant is more frequent among elite athletes in power sports…. A 'functional polymorphism' of the angiotensiogen (AGT) gene is two to three times more common in elite power athletes, compared to nonathletes or even elite endurance athletes, according to the new research by Paweł Cięszczyk, PhD, of University of Szczecin, Poland, and colleagues."
Ballet Dancers' Brains Adapt to Stop Them Getting in a Spin – or maybe they start off with somewhat different brain structures: "Scientists have discovered differences in the brain structure of ballet dancers that may help them avoid feeling dizzy when they perform pirouettes…. The brain scans revealed differences between the groups in two parts of the brain: an area in the cerebellum where sensory input from the vestibular organs is processed and in the cerebral cortex, which is responsible for the perception of dizziness. The area in the cerebellum was smaller in dancers."
Math explains history: Simulation accurately captures the evolution of ancient complex societies – "The question of how human societies evolve from small groups to the huge, anonymous and complex societies of today has been answered mathematically, accurately matching the historical record on the emergence of complex states in the ancient world. Intense warfare is the evolutionary driver of large complex societies, according to new research…." see also: Math and History Collide. response: No, math cannot predict the rise and fall of empires. (party pooper.)
Genetic study pushes back timeline for first significant human population expansion – "Using new genetic tools, the authors conclude that the first significant expansion of human populations appears to be much older than the emergence of farming and herding, dating back to the Paleolithic (60,000-80,000 years ago) rather than Neolithic age (10,000 years ago). They also suggest that strong Paleolithic expansions may have favored the emergence of sedentary farming in some populations during the Neolithic." – h/t malcolm pollack!
Scientists Created a New Form of Matter and It's Like a Lightsaber – AWESOME! – see also: Scientists create never-before-seen form of matter
New Approach to Explaining Evolution's Big Bang – "[T]he Cambrian Explosion was preceded by a rise in sea level that submerged vast swaths of land, eroding the drowned rocks…. But these great floods also poisoned the ocean. The erosion of the coastlines released calcium, which can be toxic to cells. In order to survive, animals had to evolve ways to rid themselves of the poison. One solution may have been to pack the calcium into crystals, which eventually evolved into shells, bones, and other hard tissues. Dr. Smith doesn't think it's a coincidence that several different lineages of bilaterians evolved hard tissues during the Cambrian explosion, and not sooner."
No, You Don't Have Free Will, and This is Why – best post from jayman. ever. (to date! (~_^) ) a response to this.
Robert Ardrey: Incidents in the Disappearance of an Unperson – ok. i've run out of ways to say how brilliant helian's posts are. just go read him already!
The IQ Breaking Point – How Civilized Society is Maintained or Lost – "[I]t seems like there is a point, somewhere around 97, above which a modern civilization can be maintained and below which things abruptly begin to fall apart." – from staffan!
Maths is a man thing* – from dr. james thompson!
Myths about IQ: Episode I – from elijah!
HBD: On Puerto Ricans and Their Heritage, Part I: Before the Taíno – from nelson!
Understanding how infants acquire new words across cultures – "[I]n English, 24-month-old infants were better able to learn novel verbs for novel actions (e.g., petting) if the surrounding noun phrases were explicitly mentioned (e.g., 'The girl is petting the dog') than if they were dropped from the sentence (e.g., 'Look. Petting!'). In contrast, the new research shows that in Korean (a language in which noun phrases are typically dropped in conversation) 24-month-olds were better able to learn novel verbs for novel actions if the surrounding noun phrases (e.g., the girl, the dog) were dropped; in fact, unlike English-acquiring infants, those acquiring Korean struggled if the nouns were explicitly mentioned." – don't know, unfortunately, what the ethnicities of these infants are.
The Science Fiction Future of Genetic Genealogy – "Next month at the American Society of Human Genetics 2013 meeting, researchers from AncestryDNA will present their work detailing the reconstruction of portions of the genomes of an 18th-century couple using detailed genealogical information and Identity-by-Descent ('IBD') DNA segments from several hundred descendants of the couple in the AncestryDNA database. In other words, researchers identified several hundred descendants of a certain couple living in the 1700s and then used the DNA shared by those descendants to recreate as much of the couples' genomes as possible." – cool! from the genetic genealogist.
Black men have lower sperm counts than white men – @race/history/evolution notes.
Low-Hanging Fruit: Consider the Ant – "Some spiders somehow fly by using silken threads. They've been detected at altitudes over 4 km, and more than a thousand miles from land. The usual notion is that these threads catch air currents, but that may not be the real explanation. For one thing, they seem to be able to take off fairly rapidly in a dead calm. It looks instead as if these spiders manage to impart a negative charge to these threads and are then propelled upward by the atmospheric electric field – electrostatic levitation, a totally novel mechanism for flight." – whoa! – from greg cochran.
Brainwashed by a microbe? – "*T. gondii* is being studied for possible behavioral effects mainly because it has attracted so much attention. But we're probably being manipulated by other parasites. 'A large number of parasitic organisms probably exist in helminths, protozoa, fungi, bacteria, archea and viruses that may influence the phenotype of their human host even more than the Toxoplasma. These organisms are, however, still waiting for research teams to engage in a systematic study of their influence on the human host.'" – from peter frost. previously.
When the Melting Pot Reaches a Boil – "If there is one constant in the travails of *Homo sapiens sapiens*, it is that he gets on best with his own kind. Yet to the social engineers who would shepherd us into multicult euphoria, it is as if these millennia of inter-ethnic strife didn't exist."
Humans are not the only primates who whisper – so do the cotton-top tamarins. shhhhhh! don't tell anyone!
What Else Can I Do With My DNA Test Results? – @the genetic genealogist.
That's not autism: It's simply a brainy, introverted boy – "Autism spectrum diagnoses are up 78 percent in 10 years. We're dramatically overdiagnosing it in everyday behavior." – #longread.
The 16 Most (and Least) Honest Cities in the World – wallet test – finns ftw!
Ancient language not heard for 4,000 years is recorded for the first time – PIE (proto-indo-european).
2,500-year-old horse remains found in Bulgaria that suggest the creatures were buried standing up – "The carriage and horse skeletons were discovered in the village of Svestari in north-east Bulgaria. They were found in a Thracian tomb along with some decorations." – cool photos!
How Alcohol Conquered Russia – "A history of the country's struggle with alcoholism, and why the government has done so little about it." – take note of anatoly's comments!
bonus: mitual shah – one of the good guys. one of the VERY good guys: Briton died saving children in terror mall – "A British marketing executive was shot dead in the Westgate massacre in Kenya after offering himself as a hostage to bargain for the lives of 33 children."
bonus bonus: I'm sorry, but we have to talk about the barbarism of modern Islamist terrorism – from brendan o'neill.
bonus bonus bonus: hero of the week, via everyone on twitter – After Told He's Racist, UW-M Student Rejects Further Diversity 'Training'
bonus bonus bonus bonus: The silence of our friends – the extinction of Christianity in the Middle East – from ed west @the spectator.
bonus bonus bonus bonus bonus: from india – 'Family honour' and 'values' give immunity to the predator at home – h/t mark weiner!
bonus bonus bonus bonus bonus bonus: The US government has been running a quantum Internet for over two years – cool! – h/t michael anissimov!
bonus bonus bonus bonus bonus bonus bonus: The Demons of Moldova – "In Europe's poorest country, young people are turning to occult religious practices — even exorcisms — to escape everyday life."
(note: comments do not require an email. cotton-top tamarians!)
the only thing missing from sherlock. that and r2d2. obviously. (~_^)


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September 3, 2014 by ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK — Home Depot is investigating a potential credit card data breach.
The Atlanta home improvement retailer told The Associated Press Tuesday that it's looking into "unusual activity" and that it's working with both banks and law enforcement.
The possible data breach was first reported by Brian Krebs of Krebs on Security, a website that focuses on cyber security. Krebs said multiple banks reported "evidence that Home Depot stores may be the source of a massive new batch of stolen credit and debit cards."
The Krebs report says that the responsible party may be the same group of Russian and Ukrainian hackers suspected in last year's massive breach at Target Corp.
Shares of The Home Depot Inc. are down 2 per cent to $90.91 in late trading.


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You'll Love Living in Spain
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Today morning i got a brief call from india.. that says my grandma is no more...i really wished for a while to see her and talk to her again.i know i will miss her...it sounds to be a paradox coz i left india after my wedding and its been 2 years that i have seen her..
I froze all my day and just kept thinking about the days we were all together.good old days...its so true that.."all gud things in life shall come to an end"..i miss my childhood days where i use to visit my grannys place and had so much fun.when i think of her the first thing that comes to my mind is her big bindi and her thick silver toe rings(mettelu).we can easily make out her presence with the noise of toe rings.she was a feast to eyes with big bun,bright saree,anklets,bangles.i always shared many good times with her and she dint want to die without seeing me getting married and thank god she was there wid us.
Look at the irony of life my 6 month old son he does'nt even know her and he never gets to be held in her arms.life is unfair what can we do???
i can only pray to god to let her soul rest in peace.


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At the Pitzer College Art Galleries, Joyce Cambell presents two distinct bodies of work that inform and support each other. Te Taniwha comprises photographs and a film that tell a story of allusive mythology and sacred landscapes in her native New Zealand. The Crown Coach photographs were taken in Los Angeles (which was the artist's home for a decade) on a factory brownfield. Campbell selected native and non-native plants for her project in LA, weed-like vegetation that is also bountiful; variously hallucinogenic, medicinal and nutritional. Both projects were undertaken using 19th Century photographic techniques.
While looking at Wild Oats, from the Crown Coach series (2008/2012) 33.5″ x 25.2″ (Fiber-based silver gelatin hand-printed photograph – from ambrotypes), as well as others from the series, I think that there is something about the way it is photographed that separates the plant sample from its environment, also that the plants, or the photographs themselves, appear to hold and give light in a Lovecraftian display of spectral luminescence. Each print has two borders – a black within a white one, and both borders feel like functions of photography as much as aesthetic choices of the artist. Focus is generally lacking in the pictures, yet resolves itself in each in brief, exultant passages of startling clarity, and I suspect that this variety of focus can be attributed to the artist's use of old fashion equipment.
Presented as they are, one close to the next in a horizontal band, these pictures have little to do with the plants being photographed and much to do with photographic technology,, and with Photography: for all the detail they show – tiny hairs on a stem, a crisp edge where a leaf crosses a flower, etc., they are not "good" in the sense that they illustrate typical features of the plant types – rather, Campbell's pictures feel like ikons, objects that have mystery and are created to stand for something beyond the image, perhaps a sacred spirit or an idea or a political sensibility.
My reference above to the writing of H.P. Lovecraft is purposeful, for his antiquarian affectations toward art came at an early Twentieth Century moment when modernity was overstating its claim on the future and the early vigor of industrialization had given way to a middle age that was variously spreading woe and benefits on all it touched. The tales of mystery that Lovecraft crafted – employing repurposed and invented old styles – showed that communication is an expansive field, that perhaps old gods had not been swept away, and that language which calls attention to itself as a tool makes us question our suppositions. I sense this questioning in Joyce Campbell's work.
On the remaining wall of the gallery Campbell has made good use of the height of the room, installing large prints from the Te Taniwha series (these prints are fiber-based silver gelatin hand-printed photographs, 48″ x 67″ and 42″ x 60″) fixed to the wall in a wandering salon style. I must look up, and this affect of distance gives the photographs power. The prints abut each other and in some cases they overlap, bringing to mind another act of representation – this time narrative. The images begin at the top left with Whakapunake – The Sacred Mountain and continue through fifteen prints, among them The falls where the Taniwha Hine-körako resides,The spring, The dry valley, where the river ran before Rua-mano created the falls, andSometimes she resides where the two rivers meet. Three joined prints make up a portrait of the eel Taniwha herself. This arrangement felt to me as I looked like a 'stations of the cross' experience. The images are powerful and work like symbols, being specific yet generic. The feel like history and also they hold me in the moment of my looking – the eel, the mountain, and the falls work in my mind the way I imagine Hiroshige's Views of Edo might have worked when they were new – so real as to make the viewer feel present with the viewed.
In a small anteroom, a film installation of an eel in water repeats in a loop. (Toro-rau-iri, 2010, 16 mm film, 8 minutes) The film doesn't quite eat itself and neither does it regenerate, it presents stasis – as though the eel, or what it represents, always has been, is, and will always be. That the mechanical looping isn't perfect and requires a human hand to operate feels nice, if possibly beside Campbell's point.
Climbing the stairs to a landing I find The roto, a large picture of a waterfall and grotto which is hung at my own height; instead of looking up I am faced with it. In the photograph I see rain drops as they happen, some bounce off the pond, and the light seems to filter through clouds at my back; the focus of the picture is at the level of my chest – my heart – and further out, where my gaze is hazy, it seems natural that it be so. On this landing I first confronted the idea of the present in this work, where previously all had seemed antiquarian. My insight of "a viewer being present with the viewed" had its roots in second thoughts on my own observations. Returning downstairs, I also noticed that Campbell's use of loosely hung sheets of paper in her Te Taniwhaprints invite a viewer's immediate entry and resist idealization; the soft, matte finish of their surfaces underline the effect. These are images without quotation marks.
Upstairs, a series of Daguerreotypes require almost an obeisance of looking. A low shelf holds prints which lie flat on a box-like surface, the image is invisible in the Daguerreotype and is reflected for viewing in a vertical mirror-finish plate of glass. This arrangement is fascinating and charming without being very pleasant. While ducking and weaving to catch an image in the reflective plate I felt an enforcement of the artist's will that went beyond a feeling that "I can find mystery here" to "I must find mystery here" – the artist has highlighted her intent so. The objects embody mythology even as they represent it in Campbell's project.
Campbell's use of ambrotype and Daguerrotype tools for making pictures (her use of the looping film projector is another example) at first put my back up, and I delayed for several weeks my writing on the show. Every time I look at such photographs and films, I think that they are cursed by the specificity of their making and exhibition; I feel the weight of history, and little else. Sitting down this morning to write, I thought of my love of weird Lovecraft. This saved me. I think Campbell is using these old methods of making and exhibiting precisely because they make the viewer uncomfortable, they take one out of oneself, and they make one aware of looking. I imagine the practice of making does something similar for her – I think how self-aware she must be humping a large old-fashioned glass-plate camera across an abandoned industrial field, how thoughtful of her choices. (If at first I am lulled into disfavor by the preciosity of her project, as I look and think I am caught short by the callowness of my response. Campbell's work does as much to invite criticism as it does to inspire thought - and this is one kind of success.)
Finally, because these technologies date to the 1850′s, the period that began one of Los Angeles' early growth spurts, and which began Britain's aggressive actions in New Zealand, this exhibition makes me think of the relation between the history of photography and the history of the sites; the show makes me think of several types of immigration: of plants into a place, brought by people to use for food, for medicine, for ceremony; of people into place, as colonists, for employment and to escape; and yes, I think also of the diaspora of technology.
Overall, Joyce Campbells' of 19th Century technology makes me think "Damn! This person means it." And so, by virtue of her effort, I'm forced to consider the sacred status of photography and of images in our culture. I'm invited to wonder whether such a religion of images is wise, or even interesting. I am encouraged to consider the chemically reactive nature of the artist's craft and to think about its effect on the environment, then and especially – considering the poisons associated with contemporary, digital technology – now.
When Campbell pairs the Crown Coach series of images with Te Taniwha she reinforces my spiritual appreciation for the land, and for the land in the city. Campbell reminds us in herTaniwha series that the origins of her "ancient water deity precede (the) structures of atomization, quantification and exploitation that come from wedding capitalism to science in the form of technology." The, or a spirit breaks through, and offers an "outside to capital structures." (Quoting from an interview between Joyce Campbell and Pitzer Art Galleries Director/Curator Ciara Ennis, which is available in the gallery.) This act of breaking throughcorrelates to the plants the artist photographed in Los Angeles. Nature – the primordial – the spiritual succeed in these challenged places.
"I don't regard the primordial as having gone away, or as being truly in the past. Rather, modernity lies on top of it, smothering it, while it continues to break through." (ibid.)
Campbell's work tells me that technological civilization without spirit – or (using my terms) without faith – is irrational because we are of this world, and these spirits precede us in this place. I would add that these seemingly irrational, spiritual things accompany and inform our every act. I imagine that Campbell and I agree that we lose track of them at our peril.
The exhibition Joyce Campbell:Te Taniwha/Crown Coach is on view at Pitzer Art Galleries through December 7, 2012.


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Duke Women's Weekend: "Find Your Moxie" - Durham, NC
February 22, 2014 • 9:00 AM • Durham, NC
Main Content
All Duke alumnae and friends are encouraged to attend the fourth biennial Women's Weekend. This is the highest profile University event for alumnae and will provide a singular opportunity to connect and celebrate Duke women. This year's program will explore change on multiple levels: personal, familial, professional, institutional, and cultural. It will be held at the Washington Duke Inn. For more details, a complete schedule and to RSVP, visit: http://dukealumni.com/alumni-communities/womens-programming/womens-week….


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Place all ingredients in a blender and pulse several times until the fruit is crushed and the matcha has dissolved. Pour into a glass.
Per serving - 318 calories, 4 g fat (11% calories from fat), 8 g protein, 65 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 0 mg cholesterol, 92 mg sodium


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A few weeks back I was contacted by Samantha of Dr. McDougall's Soups to see if I wanted to sample & review the soups. Of course I accepted! Samantha sent me a package out that not only contained all 7 of their soups, but a great soup bowl, placemat, napkin & napkin ring holder. I was especially excited about the bowl, as I love huge bowls for my salads and this one is just perfect.
Okay, onto the soups. There are 7 different varieties (2 of which are not gluten-free: split pea & minestrone). All of these soups happen to be vegan.
- Lentil
- Vegetable
- Black Bean
- Chunky Tomato
- Split Pea
- Minestrone
- Roasted Red Pepper Tomato
The soups I tried were Lentil, Vegetable, Black Bean, Chunky Tomato & Roasted Red Pepper Tomato. All of the soups had a good flavor & I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of vegetables in the Vegetable Soup. Not only were there veggies, but brown rice & lentils as well, which added to the staying power. Jon enjoyed the Chunky Tomato Soup with a grilled cheese sandwich, his favorite combination. Aaron tested out the Split Pea & Minestrone for me. He said they were both not salty enough and were a little on the watery side. Unfortunately I couldn't taste them due to them both containing gluten.
Some important facts about Dr. McDougall's Soups
- · Dr. McDougall's Right Foods® new Ready-to-Serve Chunky Soups are available in seven flavors. Low-calorie varieties include Lentil, Vegetable, Black Bean, Chunky Tomato, Split Pea, Minestrone, and Roasted Pepper Tomato
- · These great-tasting flavors cater to those with gluten allergies as all varieties, with the exception of Minestrone and Split Pea, are gluten free. All flavors feature cholesterol-free plant based complete protein except Chunky Tomato and Roasted Pepper Tomato.
- · The soup's innovative packaging is free of Bisphenol A (BPA) concerns and is made from paper sourced exclusively from sustainably managed forests. They feature innovative Tetra Recart packaging that is recyclable and has a lower carbon footprint than cans. The packages are shelf-stable and never contain preservatives.
- · The soups are available on grocery shelves for a suggested retail price of $3.29.
- · Plus, they have 25 percent more soup than most natural canned soup brands.
- · Until now, carton soups have only been available in broths and purees. The new Ready-to-Serve Chunky Soups are the first nationally available carton soup with whole pieces of vegetables, beans and pasta.
Thank you Samantha & Dr. McDougall's for sending the samples to me to review.
Filed under: Family, Gluten-Free, Gluten-free Products | 6 Comments »


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My husband and I were trolling around last week trying to find a new breakfast spot to try and stumbled across the Athenian Restaurant on Reading Rd in Sharonville.
Why Should You Go? I think if I'd gone in looking for diner food - I would have been fine. Just know that if you want Greek food - don't go here. The staff was very friendly, service was quick and the meals weren't bad - they just weren't Greek. :-( But we'd go back for a burger or something like that.


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Further proof that iPads are everywhere has emerged. Orangutans at the Milwaukee Zoo have been given donated iPads via the Apps for Apes program, and have taken to them naturally. Favorite apps? They love drawing, playing the drums and above all — checking each other out. One guy even cozies up to David Attenborough documentaries. Go ahead. You can collectively say, "Awww..."
Plans are underway to hook up wi-fi and expand the program to other zoos in Atlanta and Phoenix so the apes can arrange "primate playdates" via FaceTime, according to DigitalTrends and Dvice.com. When shown video on their iPads, the Milwaukee apes were very curious about primates that were in a different enclosure at the same zoo — so imagine meeting apes from other cities? OMG!
The iPads were first trialed with gorillas but they showed minimal interest; but when they were given to the orangutans, the red apes immediately became animated and engaged. The primates' keepers help the apes with the iPads each week to keep them stimulated and entertained — since orangutans are so powerful if they were left to play unsupervised they'd likely break the devices.
U.S. & World
News from around the country and around the globe
Sounds a bit like kindergarten, doesn't it?
The Apps for Apes program is organized by the charity Orangutan Outreach; they accept financial donations or "gently used" iPads. Their goal with the experiment is to raise awareness and funds for apes in the wild that are facing extinction.
Richard Zimmerman from Orangutan Outreach had wanted to find a way to use the iPad with the red apes since the device was launched in 2010. He told the BBC, "The original idea came literally when Steve Jobs gave his opening presentation introducing the iPad."
At the same time a volunteer at the Milwaukee Zoo donated her iPad to the Zoo much to the apes' delight. The two ideas came together and the Apps for Apes program was born.
So it seems all those kids out there complaining they didn't get an iPad for Christmas have reason to be even more depressed. Now even orangutans are more plugged in than you.


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NASHVILLE, Tenn. – On Wednesday afternoon, First Lady Crissy Haslem read the story of former Tennessee State Tigerbelle Wilma Rudolph to local fifth grade girls as part of the READ20 Family Book Club.
Members of the current TSU track and field team were also in attendance along with one of Wilma's daughters, Yolanda.
"It is really good that children learn about Wilma," Yolanda Rudolph said. "[Wilma's story] instills the idea that no matter what the circumstance, they can do anything. Anything is possible."
The short story illustrated Wilma's rise from a young girl with polio into a three-time Gold Medal winner in the 1960 Rome Olympics.
Following the reading, the TSU track and field teams taught the young girls how to run the 100-meter dash and the 4x400 meter relay.
First Lady Haslam launched the Read 20 Family Book Club in June 2012 to highlight the importance of early literacy and parental engagement in children's academic lives, encouraging Tennessee families to read together for at least 20 minutes each day. One book is selected each month as the featured "Book of the Month," but families are encouraged to continue reading other books after finishing the featured book. Family friendly activities for the Book of the Month can be accessed by visiting the book club website, www.tn.gov/read20.


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'Colour Cast' by Sureen Gouws. Original abstract wall art in mixed media: powder-coated steel and hand-painted oil on powder-coated steel. Composition permanently fixed on steel powder-coated board in Tasmanian oak frame. Size 620 x 420 x 20mm. The artist plays with the concept of combining multiple colours in one shape. The use of bold playful colours gives these artworks a vibrant energy that can compliment any interior. Melbourne, Australia, TOO designs. Instagram: @sureen_gouws_art
Kits consist of a variety of finishes in geometric shapes with a magnetic backing. The shapes are your brush and paint. Choose your shapes and colour palette from our Kit collections. Collect and combine kits to create infinite designs.
Sizes of geometric shapes:
Squares (300 x 300mm)
Rectangles (300 x 150mm)
Stripes (300mm x 30mm)
Quadrants (300mm radius)
Packaged in a brown kraft box with total weight ranging from 1.7kg - 3,8kg
(depending on number of pieces in each collection)
The timber frame adds natural warmth to the art, complimenting the flat vibrant colours of the geometric shapes. A custom timber profile in sustainably harvested solid Tasmanian Oak was developed to give the elegant shadow line effect of a front load frame while acting as structural stiffener for the thin metal canvas plate.
The canvas consists of a hand-framed unfinished raw Tasmanian oak frame and a matt off-white pre-powder coated steel plate. A two point wall hanging system is used to ensure stability when operating - brackets and screws included for frame. Portrait or landscape hanging format possible.
Overall sizes including frame:
- Standard Rectangular Blank canvas: 620 x 420 x 20mm @ 1.9kg
(Packaged in a brown cardboard box with total weight of 2.9kg)
- Standard Square Blank Canvas: 620 x 620 x 20mm @ 2.8kg
(Packaged in a brown cardboard box with total weight of 4kg)
- Large Rectangular Blank Canvas: 920 x 620 x 20mm @ 3,6kg
(Packaged in a brown cardboard box with total weight of 5.2kg)
- Large Square Blank Canvas: 920 x 920 x 20mm @ 5.2kg
(Packaged in a brown cardboard box with total weight of 7.3kg)
-Indoor use only
-Not suitable for children
-Please handle with care, powder coated steel finish is not scratch resistant
-Design and Manufacture in the Melbourne area, Australia
-TOO D(ynamic) Art is a patented geometric wall art system: Patent number 2019100319
TOO Tone Clock is a minimalist design wall clock. The clock face consists of a combination of two folded powder coated aluminium plate parts (Part A & Part B) forming a circular disc. The clock can be rotated around the mechanism axis to create different visual effects.
Please handle with care, the powder coated steel clock face are not scratch resistant
Packaged in brown cardboard box
TOO Tone Clock is a Registered design: Number 201913269
Please allow 5 business days for processing orders plus extra days for delivery time (as selected by rate for shipping carrier and time frame)
Please see calculated rates at checkout to get an accurate cost (depending on your location).
We are based in Melbourne region of Victoria, Australia.
Subscribe to get updates & be entered in our MONTHLY GIVEAWAY!!! (See Home page for details of giveaway prize)


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ANKARA, Turkey, March 25 (UPI) -- A cease-fire from Kurdish rebels in Turkey will endure only if both parties to the conflict respect the agreement, a militant leader said.
The Turkish government approached Abdullah Ocalan, jailed leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, in October about a possible peace deal. Ocalan said last week the group, known by its Kurdish initials PKK, would lay down its weapons and leave Turkish territory.
Acting PKK leader Murat Karayilan said rebel fighters in Turkey have taken their fingers "off the trigger" but maintained the right to self-defense.
"In the face of attacks (from Turkish forces) seeking to destroy us, the militants have the right to self-defense and to retaliate," he was quoted by Turkish newspaper Today's Zaman as saying. "The cease-fire will not live on too long if it is not mutual."
The Turkish Interior Ministry last year called for bounties of as much as $2.6 million for several of top PKK leaders, including Karayilan.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said last week he welcomed the efforts at peace. The PKK has waged a military separatist campaign against the Turkish military since the 1980s.


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When an performance issue occurs, do you think that the employee came to work that day with the attitude to perform below expectations? I just don't think so. The Gallup Organization tells us that people thrive in an environment where they can do their best work every day. So what factors could prevent people from doing their best work every day?
Early in my career, there were times when I was expected to make Chicken Salad out of Chicken Sh_t. One of our roles as leaders is to make sure that our team members have the proper tools to do their jobs. This process starts by interacting enough with them (i.e. rounding) to ask that question. I started working on ambulances in the days when they were gasoline burners before they were switched to diesel burners. The gasoline burners were notorious for overheating given the rigors of rapid response, followed by idling at the scene, followed by rapid transport. Mechanical problems were certainly not rare. Employees who spend hours upon hours of their shift repairing, switching out equipment, or looking for absent equipment tend to become cynical. It is so easy for this cynicism to come out in their interactions with patients, customers, and co-workers. I am not saying that the leader is responsible to provide the absolute best in class of every piece of equipment, but certainly, when we ask someone to do a job they must have adequate tools.
One of the more telling assessments to make after an incident of poor performance is to simply ask, "tell me how you were trained to handle this situation." It has been my experience that you expose deficiencies in both your initial orientation program and your ongoing training when you hear the answer. The problem is VARIATION. We should be shooting for consistency in how our new people are oriented. However, how it usually goes in a busy environment is that we put the new person with one of our more experienced "preceptors" or "field training officers". These individuals may or may not have had formal training in how to precept others, and may or may not meet together as a group to work on interrater reliability to assure that they are evaluating new employees consistently. Each new employee gets a little different orientation which results in wide variation in performance once each person puts their personal "twist" on how to do each job. If there is one word that an Education Director or Training Officer should have as a motto, it should be CONSISTENCY.
Another issue present under this section is the drive to push people through a prescribed orientation process. One of the best processes I have seen involves a careful assessment of where each new candidate is and then modifying their track of orientation to where they need the most work. Some people, based upon their past experiences may be able to be competent in a new role in days where others may take months.
The last issue I want to address here is the tendency to put an item for increased focus in new orientation after an incident, but fail to add that item in ongoing annual re-training. Higher reliability organizations train almost constantly. Unfortunately, healthcare has not always apportioned sufficient dollars to training and education to get the results that are expected.
So, this couldn't be it....you're reading a blog to sharpen your skills! This is when your peers come into play. Employees tend to perform at the lowest acceptable level. This is influenced by both the lowest performing member of the employee group and by the most easy going manager in the management group. Employees who continually see one of their peers getting away with something tend to migrate toward that behavior. Sort of a "bad apple" effect. With regard to the most liberal manager, if you are managing as part of a group, it is hard to hold to high standards if one or more of the group is trying to play buddy. The management team needs to spend some time to agree upon the minimum standard behavior to eliminate the "bad apple" effect and to spend time on consistency within the group.
There are a lot of situations that could be used as examples here. Some, the employee may not be aware are causing a problem in the workplace. An employee who is not being productive to the level expected after the manager has assured proper training must be assessed for other reasons for poor performance. Over the years I have been shocked by some of the things that employees have done that endangered their positions. Some of the more frequent distractions seen today are:
- time on phone with personal calls (This could be initiated by the employee or a needy significant other)
- time on internet (email, shopping, chat rooms, gambling, games, facebook, etc)
- excessive meal time and breaks
- watching television
If there are performance issues related to personal distractions, the manager can look for engineering controls such as locking down internet access and installing surveillance cameras to monitor employee activity.
Once reasons for Poor Performance are identified, they must be dealt with. The biggest danger is that other employees will begin to lower their performance to the performance they are observing in their co-worker.


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James Earl Jones had just finished a matinee performance of "Driving Miss Daisy" with Vanessa Redgrave in London when Sir Ben Kingsley stepped on stage – and presented him an honorary Oscar.
"I am deeply honored, mighty grateful and just plain gobsmacked," the iconic 80-year-old actor told the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Governors Awards Saturday night in his acceptance, which was filmed on the stage of London's Wyndham Theatre.
The third annual awards ceremony celebrated the careers of Jones – best known on screen for his legendary Darth Vader voice in "Star Wars" – and makeup artist Dick Smith, while Oprah Winfrey received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, The Hollywood Reporter said.
U.S. & World
In London, Redgrave asked the "Miss Daisy" audience to stay in their seats for the presentation of the Oscar, which former Academy president Sid Ganis had brought with him across the pond, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Later, in Hollywood, the program began with "Darth Vader" making his way to the podium. He took off his black helmet and turned out to be Tom Sherak, the current Academy president.
Acknowledging the main Oscar show's topsy-turvy week (goodbye Brett Ratner and Eddie Murphy, hello Billy Crystal and Brian Grazer), Sherak asked "How was your week?" to a round of laughter, the Hollywood Reporter said.
Smith, whom the BBC referred to as "the godfather of makeup," did pioneering work in "The Godfather" (1972) and "The Exorcist" (1973), and won an Oscar for "Amadeus" (1984).
Now 89, he apologized for not having a very good memory these days, but concluded, "I will never forget tonight from the bottom of my heart."
Winfrey was recognized for her philanthropic work with the Oprah Winfrey Foundation and elsewhere.
"I never imagined myself receiving an Oscar, certainly not for doing what I believe is a part of my calling, a part of my being," said the 57-year-old media personality.
Jones first appeared on the big screen in Stanley Kubrick's "Dr. Strangeglove" in 1964. He was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor for his performance in "The Great White Hope" (1970), and his memorable movie roles include "Field of Dreams" (1989), "The Hunt for Red October" (1990), and "Cry, the Beloved Country" (1995). In his tribute Saturday, Alec Baldwin noted the range of roles Jones has played, saying, "I wanted James Earl Jones' career – that's what every actor wants."
Yet that career has mostly been spent on stage, as Jones highlighted in a recent interview with the Hollywood Reporter.
"I am primarily not a film actor – that's what's so ironic about [this honorary Oscar]!" he said. "I'm still a novice in film work."
Selected Reading: Hollywood Reporter's Q&A with Jones, BBC News