text:
Just as American gay marriage advocates enjoyed "the single biggest night for gay rights in electoral history"—scoring milestone victories in ballot initiatives and reelecting a pro-gay marriage president in Barack Obama—France is hotly debating its own brand new "Marriage for All" plan. In Paris on Wednesday, the French cabinet approved a draft bill to allow homosexual couples to marry and adopt children as early as 2013. The controversial bill marks President François Hollande's first major societal reform. "Progress not just for a few but for all of society," he said Wednesday.
For years, a majority of French people surveyed have expressed support for gay marriage, and the reform makes good on an explicit Hollande campaign promise, duly inscribed in a platform that saw him elected only six months ago. But that hasn't stopped the fight in France from turning ugly.
In recent weeks, religious leaders have joined members of the political opposition in virulent condemnation of Hollande's gay marriage pitch. Rivals have smelled blood, as the president has struggled with critiques of his leadership from allies and foes alike. Detractors have charged that solving the economic crisis should top the president's to-do list, not planning gay weddings. With unemployment high and rising, Hollande's grim approval ratings have plummeted as low as the mid-30 percent range.
In the pilgrimage town of Lourdes last weekend, Archbishop of Paris André Vingt-Trois called the initiative "a trick," as it does away, he argued, with "the recognition of sexual difference." The Catholic cardinal said the initiative "would shake the foundations of our society," earning a hail of insults from gay marriage supporters. (Charlie Hebdo, the French satirical weekly that stirred controversy in September with lewd caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed, was typically crudest, depicting the Christian trinity in a graphic ménage-à-trois cartoon on its cover this week.)
France is historically Catholic, with 64 percent identifying as such in a 2009 poll. But only 4.5 percent identify as practicing Catholics—fewer, as it happens, than the French population identifying as gay or bisexual (6.5 percent). Still, in a nation fervently attached to the separation of church and state, the archbishop's unusually intense incursion was enough to dominate headlines.
Some opposition politicians, including far-right National Front leader Marine Le Pen, have called for a referendum to decide the matter. Mayors hostile to the prospect of marrying two men or two women in town halls across the country have launched a petition asking for exceptions of conscience. Last month, François Lebel, the mayor of the Paris district that includes the Champs Elysées and the Elysée Palace, where he married former President Nicolas Sarkozy and Carla Bruni in 2008, controversially wrote against Marriage for All in a municipal newspaper, "Why then would the legal age for marriage be maintained? And why forbid marriage between close relations, pedophilia, or incest which are all still common currency in the world."
Heavyweights in Lebel's Union for a Popular Movement (UMP in French), the party that led France for 10 years before Sarkozy lost his bid for a second term in May, have variously asked that the bill be pulled or, like former Prime Minister François Fillon, have promised to repeal it at their next opportunity. One key former Sarkozy cabinet minister responded in the affirmative when she was asked whether gay couples who will have married legally by then could be "de-married" when her party returns to power.
"The population isn't renewing itself, what sense does this make? We want a country of gays? Well, then, in 10 years there'll be no one left, so it's stupid," UMP Senator Serge Dassault told a France Culture radio reporter. At 87, Dassault's stance might not be surprising demographically, but his influence isn't negligible; the patriarch of the Dassault family is 93rd on Forbes's global billionaires list and heads a vast fortune. He owns Le Figaro, France's top right-of-center daily newspaper, and Dassault Aviation, which makes France's fighter jets. In his radio remarks, Dassault blamed homosexuality for the "total decadence" of Greece and concluded it posed "an enormous danger to the entirety of our nation." (It is presumed he was referring to ancient Greece. The decadence of contemporary Greece, overwhelmed by debt, isn't gay people's fault, apparently.)
As a matter of fact, France already allows a form of civil union, known as the PACS or civil solidarity pact. It passed despite similar bluster in 1999, during France's last stretch of Socialist rule. But PACS unions don't confer the same rights or responsibilities as marriage does—for instance, on inheritance, on the right to adopt a partner's child or even surname—hence the demand for the new draft bill.
Ironically, while PACS unions were primarily intended for gay couples, they were massively embraced by heterosexuals; today, 95 percent of PACS unions are contracted between a man and a woman. Another collateral effect, observers argue, was to accelerate the acceptance of homosexuality in France. An IFOP poll published Wednesday in Le Monde showed support for the statement that homosexuality is "a means like any other to experience one's sexuality" was 54 percent in 1986, 67 percent in 1996, and 87 percent this year.
But polls have been a source of turmoil in the bitter debate over François Hollande's gay marriage pledge. Support for gay marriage and adoption by homosexual couples seemed to peak in 2011—as Hollande mounted his presidential bid—before suddenly sliding this year. BVA, a polling firm, found 63 percent of French people surveyed were in favor of gay marriage in 2011, up 15 points from 2000; meanwhile, support for adoption for gay couples rose to 56 percent last year, way up from only 28 percent in 1998. But approval has dropped enough recently to raise eyebrows; a BVA poll released this month shows gay marriage down five points. Gay adoption is down six points, to a fence-sitting 50 percent.
Some of the sudden turn could be due to the prospect of gay marriage becoming more concrete with Hollande's election. But a closer look suggests another explanation: bad timing, although not solely because the grim economy deserves undivided attention. In fact, with a tough opposition leadership fight into its very last days—the UMP votes to pick a new leader on Nov. 18—discourse on a range of hot-button topics like Islam has appeared to radicalize in recent weeks as blocs of right-wingers clash ostentatiously for control of the party. (It bears noting that nearly 80 percent of practicing Catholics voted unsuccessfully to reelect Sarkozy back in May.) The result may be a perfect storm of dissent just as Hollande's first signature progressive reform is tabled.
Indeed, most of the sudden drop in French support appears to be due to a change of heart by right-wingers. Over the past year, according to BVA, support for gay marriage and adoption has each dipped a full 20 points among right-wing voters. Another pollster, IFOP, shows that backing—between August and October alone—among right-wing sympathizers dipped 10 and 17 points, respectively. Some observers expect the virulence of the opposition to gay marriage to cool accordingly after the UMP leadership convention. In that context, pledges to someday repeal the law, or even to de-marry gay couples five or 10 years on, comes off as mere rabble-rousing, a short-term play for quick votes. French media this week have outlined the trouble encountered by similar repeal attempts elsewhere, pointing to the overturning of California's Prop 8 and a Madrid court's decision Tuesday to uphold gay marriage, despite a challenge from the party now ruling Spain. Parliamentary debate in France over the Marriage for All bill was initially scheduled to start in December; it has perhaps wisely been delayed to Jan. 29.
Still, the bill is due to face another sort of challenge from those who feel it doesn't go far enough. Advocacy groups protest that it doesn't give gay couples access to medically assisted procreation, limited for now to heterosexual couples (not necessarily married, unlike the rule for French adoptions, but no singletons) and conditioned on medical grounds. In practice, French lesbians have crossed the border to Spain or Belgium for such treatment. But advocates feel leaving it out of the draft bill perpetuates gay discrimination. Government officials suggest it will appear instead in a future bill on family issues. But Socialist parliamentarians have promised to table an amendment to get it passed sooner rather than later, while the majority Socialists enjoy a rare window without midterm election pressure until 2014.
In the end, Hollande—who, ironically, has never been married—may well come out on top. Gay marriage in France could ultimately give him progressivist credibility with leftists disillusioned over his economic policies, without irking conservatives who might not be as principally opposed as current numbers suggest. All of which is to say, expect a bevy of invites to rainbow weddings in the south of France next summer.


text:
Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer are the proud parents of newborn twins.
Reps for the acting couple confirm Paquin gave birth to the babies a few weeks early but say they're in good health and their parents "are overjoyed." The statement issued Tuesday didn't specify when or where the babies were born or the sex of the children.
News of the births was first reported by people.com.
The babies are 30-year-old Paquin's first children. Moyer, 42, has two children from previous relationships.
The True Blood stars were married in 2010. The show is in its fifth season on HBO.

subset: commoncrawl


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Vermont Tortilla Company , April and Azur Moulaert
After devoting their careers to science, April and Azur Moulaert decided to take a left turn. The couple met at a scientific research station in Costa Rica in 1992. Eight years later, they moved to Vermont, where they started a family. But in 2015, tired of the extensive travel that April's job demanded, and the unreliability of grant-funded projects that Azur worked on, they decided to start their own business.
Inspired by the local foods movement and the Mexican cuisine they'd fallen in love with during visits to the Yucatán Peninsula, they sought a unique product using local organic produce: stone-ground corn tortillas.
Their research showed that only a handful of producers in the United States made stone-ground tortillas without additives and preservatives and that even fewer made them with locally sourced corn. Their local co-op happened to be looking for just such a product, so the Moulaerts got to work.
The Moulaerts have grown from having just one employee to hiring two full-time and four part-time staff members. In less than two years, their revenue has soared to a projected $450,000 for 2018.
The Vermont Tortilla Company was featured on the Martha Stewart Test Kitchen blog and in Looking Tasty, The Boston Globe, the Heritage Radio Network, and their local NBC affiliate. In 2018, the company was named a finalist in the American Small Business Championship.
April says, "The resources SCORE provides have proved invaluable to folks like us who had an idea but no experience with running a business!" April made use of SCORE's webinars, business plan templates, and financial spreadsheets.
Their first SCORE mentor helped them move past the initial concept phase of their business. They work with three different mentors with expertise in accounting, product distribution, and the natural foods industry.
April advises other small business owners: "Don't try to reinvent the wheel – develop and maintain a list of targeted connections whether it is through SCORE or trade associations. You will be amazed at how many talented people want to help you! And one day, you can do the same."


text:
Dirty WHOers Podcast - Episode 46
Mercifully better than the last time, this episode we ponder upon Tom Bakers (arguably) finest season, and the episode 'The Robots of Death' [1977]. Annoying cousins, blue cars and boats, the usual rating and tipping shenanigans, art and colonic irrigation, fashion, the difference between small and really far away, seasonal awesomeness, mice in wainscoting, yada, yada.
Gird your liver for another round of the Dirty WHOers Drinking Game, and don't forget we're also on Facebook, 'n Google Plus, n shit. Plus, ignore Sputters, he will be at Whooverville 4 in Derby on Saturday (and you should be too).


text:
By Olivia Just
The Stamford Advocate, Conn.
As women are being urged to "lean in" to corporate jobs, there's another challenge for management-minded ladies: breaking the proverbial glass ceiling — with a hammer.
Working out in the field as a construction manager, Dianna Barrella likes to be the first one on the job site every morning.
She likes the ever-changing nature of the work, the variety of people she meets on each project, the opportunity to work with different teams of consultants, architects or engineers.
Over the past 16 years she's spent at Turner Construction in Shelton — almost her entire career — Barrella has relished her roles, which have included overseeing jobs like in-house building projects at UBS in Stamford. But it took time to get there.
"When I started at Turner, I think I may have been a little intimidated, being the only girl out in the field," Barrella said.
"But in the industry, that has changed. There's many more women now. The challenges are pretty much the same for men and women."
Construction has traditionally been a male-dominated business, with the small percentage of women who do join — just 8.9 percent of the industry nationwide, according to the U.S. Dept. of Labor — often relegated to doing clerical or support jobs.
In Connecticut, based on the state's demographics, it's likely the numbers are even lower, said Jacob Kovel, associate professor and chair of the department of construction management at Central Connecticut State University.
Women in management positions at construction businesses can often start their careers with a fight to gain respect.
For MaryJean Rebeiro, president and CEO of NY-Conn in Danbury, construction was the business she grew up in, with three brothers alongside. Navigating a man's world as a woman was a matter of course, though not without its natural challenges. She now runs NY-Conn, an electrical construction firm started in 1987, along with her younger brother, Ross Rebeiro.
"I think getting into this business is about trying to prove yourself," Rebeiro said. "It's being a female in a male-dominated industry. I'm challenged by it, I guess. Women don't usually go into this field. I think it's hard for women to break into it."
There are slight indications, however, that a new generation, if given the right encouragement, might be gearing up to shift the dearth of women at the top of the industry.
Trade schools, the traditional feeder institutions for the construction industry, are seeing girls who are more willing and eager to sign up for classes like masonry and carpentry.
The student population at Bullard-Havens Regional Vocational Technical School in Bridgeport is over 50 percent female, and all students have full access to the same training in construction skills, said the school's principal, Richard Cavallaro.
Freshmen have the opportunity to experience all 13 available shops in the school and pick their top 3 choices, settling into their permanent shops by January of their first year.
Bullard-Havens offers five construction-related classes: carpentry, electrical, plumbing, masonry and architectural drafting. All of them have seen fairly well-integrated groups of male and female students.
"Girls' attitudes have changed from the past and they have the confidence that will get them into college and reach the managerial level," Cavallo said.
Emily Brenner, from Danbury, "fell in love with building" through her experiences doing construction work in other countries, like Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic and Mexico, while still in high school.
She chose to study construction management at Central Connecticut State University because it's the only college in the state that offers the major.
Now in her second year, Brenner has already gained firsthand experience as a construction worker, project manager and general contractor; while shingling a roof in Mexico, she received a job offer from one of her colleagues.
But she's also clear-eyed about the still-difficult process of being a woman in construction.
"There are probably plenty of women who have been turned down for jobs because of their gender, but are instead given another reason as to why they were not hired just to cover up the tracks," Brenner said.
"Voluntarily and involuntarily women are stereotyped as being weaker and at times less intelligent because that is how women have always been perceived in this world. Women will get the easier jobs to perform on site and be told not to do the heavy lifting and to let the big, strong men do it."
At CCSU, the number of women undergraduates studying construction management has remained stagnant over the past 10 years, while the ratio of graduate-level students has skewed increasingly female, Kovel said.
He speculates that graduate classes are being filled by a growing number of women who are finding themselves in the construction industry with a different business background and are seeking additional training.
Still, construction management is not a popular choice, Kovel said.
"We get a bad rap," he said. "When people talk about construction and aren't in the industry, the impression they get is that it's people laying bricks or running pipes. That's not what we do here. Our program is a management program and a lot of people don't understand that."
When women are excluded from management-level jobs in construction, they're also missing an opportunity to earn a higher living wage.
Women in construction management make "much more" than in similar positions in other industries, Kovel noted.
Contrary to the inequality between the genders in jobs held, the ratio of women's to men's earnings in the industry nationwide was 92 percent in 2009, the highest ratio in the country, according the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Construction manager is one of the best-paid positions in the industry, with a national median pay of $38.39 per hour in 2008, as numbers from Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate.
Female managers are also better qualified for jobs at construction firms than traditional perceptions might suggest.
Some of the key skills that are required for construction management jobs — dealing with customers, solving personnel issues- are those at which women particularly excel, Kovel said.
So what, if anything, is keeping women from holding many of these jobs?
Much of it comes down to encouragement, or current lack of it. Showing women both that these jobs are available and that success within them is possible could have an impact, Kovel said.
Rebeiro's company has taken a large percentage of its 49 employees from trade schools; many have been with NY-Conn since they were 16 or 17 years old, she said. Reaching out to girls at a high school level to pique their interest in a construction management future could be a first step.
"If they had someone who came in and spoke during that training period, it might open the door for them," Rebeiro said.
For women or men, construction management as a job choice has shown potential for advancement. The profession is expected to grow 26.1 percent by 2018, according to the state Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the construction industry growth rate nationally is projected at 18.5 percent.
"I have been told by my professors and my co-workers in construction that I will do well in this field because I am a female and a minority pursuing construction," Brenner said.
"In the end, I believe it can be easy to spark one's interest in construction being a female, but this does not necessarily mean that a female will more likely get hired than a male."


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PerlMonks |
How can I use a filehandle indirectly?by faq_monk (Initiate) |
on Oct 08, 1999 at 00:23 UTC ( [id://650] : perlfaq nodetype . print w/replies, xml ) | Need Help?? |
Current Perl documentation can be found at perldoc.perl.org. Here is our local, out-dated (pre-5.6) version: An indirect filehandle is using something other than a symbol in a place that a filehandle is expected. Here are ways to get those: $fh = SOME_FH; # bareword is strict-subs hostile $fh = "SOME_FH"; # strict-refs hostile; same package only $fh = *SOME_FH; # typeglob $fh = \*SOME_FH; # ref to typeglob (bless-able) $fh = *SOME_FH{IO}; # blessed IO::Handle from *SOME_FH typeglob
Or to use the use FileHandle; $fh = FileHandle->new(); use IO::Handle; # 5.004 or higher $fh = IO::Handle->new();
Then use any of those as you would a normal filehandle. Anywhere that Perl
is expecting a filehandle, an indirect filehandle may be used instead. An
indirect filehandle is just a scalar variable that contains a filehandle.
Functions like print, open, seek, or the functions or the ($ifh, $ofh, $efh) = (*STDIN, *STDOUT, *STDERR); print $ofh "Type it: "; $got = <$ifh> print $efh "What was that: $got"; Of you're passing a filehandle to a function, you can write the function in two ways: sub accept_fh { my $fh = shift; print $fh "Sending to indirect filehandle\n"; } Or it can localize a typeglob and use the filehandle directly: sub accept_fh { local *FH = shift; print FH "Sending to localized filehandle\n"; } Both styles work with either objects or typeglobs of real filehandles. (They might also work with strings under some circumstances, but this is risky.) accept_fh(*STDOUT); accept_fh($handle); In the examples above, we assigned the filehandle to a scalar variable before using it. That is because only simple scalar variables, not expressions or subscripts into hashes or arrays, can be used with built-ins like print, printf, or the diamond operator. These are illegal and won't even compile: @fd = (*STDIN, *STDOUT, *STDERR); print $fd[1] "Type it: "; # WRONG $got = <$fd[0]> # WRONG print $fd[2] "What was that: $got"; # WRONG With print and printf, you get around this by using a block and an expression where you would place the filehandle: print { $fd[1] } "funny stuff\n"; printf { $fd[1] } "Pity the poor %x.\n", 3_735_928_559; # Pity the poor deadbeef. That block is a proper block like any other, so you can put more complicated code there. This sends the message out to one of two places: $ok = -x "/bin/cat"; print { $ok ? $fd[1] : $fd[2] } "cat stat $ok\n"; print { $fd[ 1+ ($ok || 0) ] } "cat stat $ok\n";
This approach of treating print and printf like object methods calls doesn't work for the diamond operator. That's
because it's a real operator, not just a function with a comma-less
argument. Assuming you've been storing typeglobs in your structure as we
did above, you can use the built-in function named $got = readline($fd[0]); Let it be noted that the flakiness of indirect filehandles is not related to whether they're strings, typeglobs, objects, or anything else. It's the syntax of the fundamental operators. Playing the object game doesn't help you at all here. |
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text:
- Artist
- Roger Hiorns born 1975
- Part of
- Beachy Head
- Medium
- Ceramic, felt, resin, silicon hose, plastic, metal, polyester foam, stainless steel wire and other materials
- Dimensions
- Display dimensions variable
- Collection
- Tate
- Acquisition
- Purchased 2007
- Reference
Untitled is one of a series of six untitled, hollow ceramic vessels collectively known as Beachy Head (Tate T12457–T12462). These works are designed to be suspended from the ceiling with stainless steel wire and filled with soap detergent. The ceramic vessel that constitutes the body of Untitled is constructed from three forms stacked upon one another: the top cylinder is decorated with a narrow banded relief much like a bolt or screw thread; the central cylinder echoes this form but has a wider diameter and the relief has a more elongated pitch. The lowest part of the vessel is a downward pointing cone with a flattened tip. The vessel is finished with a matt black glaze. From the centre of its base runs a transparent silicon hose that is connected to an air compressor that feeds oxygen into the vessel. When the air compressor is switched on, the oxygen mixes with the soap detergent to produce frothy white foam that exudes out of the vessel's spout. This column of foam, which maintains the cylindrical form of the inside of the vessel, grows steadily upwards until it can no longer support itself. The foam bends and flops flaccidly around the vessel before oozing on to the floor below, leaving a sticky entropic residue. The device continues to produce the foamy precipitate until the emission is entirely dispersed.
The volume capacity of each sculpture in the series is different, meaning that the lifespan of the discharge varies. Curator Emma Mahony has written that the sculptures 'have a function but not one that is easily defined; they exist simply to produce foam in an endless cycle of self-replication until they inevitably wear themselves out, fulfilling the law of entropy, which states that all matter must come to a state of rest' (Haywood Gallery 2005, p.68).
Hiorns's sculptures, collages and drawings consider the transformation of matter from one state to another, and how such changes are perceived. The artist commonly works with substances that produce unpredictable or uncontrollable growth patterns, such as copper sulphate solutions, which allow crystal formations to accumulate on materials through a chemical process. For example, Untitled 2006 (Tate T12456) was made by submerging a BMW car engine in copper sulphate solution, encrusting it in shiny blue crystals.
Hiorns has explained the creative processes involved in making his work:
I was very interested in the idea that the artwork would exist aesthetically without my hand and in me not being present for most of the making. I would put together some kind of basic structure which would then grow into something else, the unanticipated other ... Sculpture is slow, and object-making is very slow. The object is being made, is made by the reaction that happens over time, these materials are introduced to each other. That was interesting to me, instead of processes like welding, sawing and, importantly, the hammer.
(Artangel 2008, p.71.)
In that they produce a substance that grows and develops organically, the Beachy Head sculptures take on the guise of animate life forms, the air compressors being approximate to breathing apparatuses. Indeed, the critic JJ Charlesworth has written: 'If there is one constant that operates throughout the work of Roger Hiorns, it is that he makes objects and images that contain the paradox of being both inert and alive.' (Milton Keynes Gallery 2006, p.5.)
The hanging vessels were displayed together at Milton Keynes Gallery in 2006 and are generally exhibited as a group.
Further reading
Alex Farquharson and Andrea Schlieker, British Art Show 6, exhibition catalogue, Hayward Gallery, London 2005. pp.68–71.
Roger Hiorns, exhibition catalogue, Milton Keynes Gallery 2006.
Seizure, exhibition catalogue, Artangel, London 2008.
Thomas Scutt
August 2012
Does this text contain inaccurate information or language that you feel we should improve or change? We would like to hear from you.
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- Beachy Head(18)


text:
After one hour and 40 minutes, tickets for Glastonbury 2013 have now completely sold out (in record time). We would like to say an enormous thanks to everyone who managed to buy a ticket – but we'd also like to extend our sincere apologies to the many thousands who missed out.
We're genuinely humbled by the sheer number of people who would like to come to the Festival, and we dearly wish we could have you all along. Sadly, that just isn't possible, which means a significant number of people have missed out. Tickets were being sold throughout the morning – but demand simply outstripped supply.
If you were one of those who managed to get a ticket, then we look forward to welcoming you to Worthy Farm in June. If not, then there is likely to be a resale of returned tickets in the spring, and your registration will also remain valid for future Glastonbury Festivals – so we hope to see you down here at some point.
Thank you all again for your incredible support for Glastonbury Festival.
Michael & Emily Eavis


text:
Wednesday, 28 December 2011 10:13 AM EST
The worst Nigeria offshore oil spill in more than a decade has been contained before reaching the West African nation's coast, officials with Royal Dutch Shell PLC said Monday, less than a week after one of its lines bled crude into the Atlantic Ocean.
An investigation into how the spill of less than 40,000 barrels — or 1.68 million gallons — happened remains ongoing, though company officials acknowledged workers only discovered the leak after seeing a sheen of crude in water surrounding its Bonga offshore oil field.
Meanwhile, Shell officials say the company will clean up another spill it discovered while containing its own — highlighting how prevalent pollution remains in oil-stained Nigeria after more than 50 years of production.
"We can undeniably say we traced our oil ... and stopped it," said Cliff Pain, who manages the Bonga operation for a Shell subsidiary.
Shell organized a helicopter flight Monday for journalists to see the Bonga field — controlled from a large ship as opposed to a stationary rig — about 75 miles (120 kilometers) off Nigeria's coast. There, waters appeared free of the oil sheen as ships continued to patrol along the underwater lines linking the vessel to oil fields and transfer buoys for filling tankers.
The leak discovered Dec. 20 came from a break in a flexible line about 360 meters out from the vessel that sends oil to tankers, Pain said. While the vessel has a variety of gauges to check pressure on the line, it wasn't until daylight broke that workers noticed a sheen surrounding the Bonga vessel, he said.
It takes about 25 hours to fill a waiting tanker with 1 million barrels of oil from the vessel, Pain said. That means the leak could have spewed for hours before being noticed.
At its height, Shell statistics show the sheen spread across about 350 square miles (900 square kilometers), matching an estimate earlier issued by an independent watchdog group called SkyTruth. Nigerian government officials previously said the spill only affected an area a third that size
Using ships and aircraft, workers spread chemical dispersants to break up the oil, which also evaporated in the region's warm water and air, said Steve Keedwell, a Shell employee who helped oversee the cleanup operation. Shell ultimately stopped the sheen about 11 miles (18 kilometers) before it made landfall, Pain said.
However, workers then discovered a separate oil spill around the mouth of a river in Delta state, said Mutiu Sunmonu, Shell's Nigeria country chairman. Sunmonu said samples of the oil showed it came from a different source, though the company would clean it up as well.
"When I sighted it myself, my initial reaction was anger, but I told myself: 'You know, you just cannot afford to be angry, just deal with it,'" Sunmonu said.
The Nigerian group Environmental Rights Action, which monitors spills around Nigeria's oil-rich southern delta, has blamed Shell for the new spill. Nnimmo Bassey, the group's executive director, could not be immediately reached for comment Monday night.
Shell operates the Bonga field in partnership with Italy's Eni SpA, Exxon Mobil Corp., France's Total SA and the state-run Nigerian National Petroleum Corp. It produces about 200,000 barrels of oil a day — around 10 percent of production in Africa's most populous nation. The field remains shut down and Shell officials offered no estimate Monday of when production could resume at a field vital to Nigeria's government finances.
Nigeria, an OPEC member nation producing about 2.4 million barrels of crude oil a day, is a top supplier to the United States. However, pollution from spilled oil stains its Niger Delta region, with crude lapping against beaches and leaving a black ring around creeks in an area about the size of Portugal.
Some environmentalists say as much as 550 million gallons of oil poured into the delta during Shell's roughly 50 years of production in Nigeria — a rate roughly comparable to one Exxon Valdez disaster per year. Many blame Shell and foreign companies working in Nigeria for the pollution. However, Shell in recent years has blamed most of its spills on militant attacks or thieves tapping into pipelines to steal crude oil, which ends up sold on the black market or cooked into a crude diesel or kerosene.
Talking with journalists, Sunmonu acknowledged that the limited spill, open ocean and favorable weather had helped Shell quickly contain the spill. If it had been on land, the oil could have sunk into the soil, remaining there for years, he said.
It also would have pushed Shell into negotiations with village elders to clean up the spill, something it often contracts other companies to handle. Many view the company with hostility after its years in the delta, and its employees remain targets of kidnap gangs and militants.
"You don't have communities to contend with" on the ocean, Sunmonu said.
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Avoid Overgrazing, Check Forage Inventories Now
US - Drier weather in the last month has led to slow growth of forages in parts of Indiana, meaning livestock producers need to double-check their forage supplies for the rest of the season now, a Purdue Extension forage specialist says.Last year producers saw drier weather at the start of the season with timely rains beginning in August. This year, the soil was moist in the spring with dry weather later in the season. As of Thursday (Sept. 12), the US Drought Monitor rated portions of 11 counties in northwestern Indiana in the moderate drought category, and much of the northern half of the state was listed as abnormally dry - a drought-watch category.
"There are many regions that did not get the amount of moisture in August and early September needed to keep forage production moving forward," Keith Johnson said. "We shouldn't be overgrazing pastures that aren't growing well because of the lack of moisture.
"If pastures are grazed too aggressively this fall, there will be less forage available in the spring."
Cool-season grasses such as timothy, perennial ryegrass, tall fescue and orchardgrass should be accumulating new growth now as cooler temperatures occur and will produce tillers in the fall that initiate new growth in the spring. The late-summer growth that typically occurs has been deterred by hot conditions and lack of rain during this period.
Along with avoiding overgrazing, Johnson recommended that farmers know what they have in inventory to evaluate if they have sufficient forage supplies to get through the late fall and winter.
Farmers who think they will be short on forages going into winter have many options for supplementing current supplies.
"If forages are insufficient, producers should find additional or alternative feed sources, or reduce the number of mouths to feed," Johnson said. "First, I would have them think about whether corn residue grazing or feeding harvested corn residues is a possibility in their livestock operation."
Farmers should also start contacting other producers who might have a forage surplus and consider supplementing with byproduct feeds that work with the quality of forage being fed.
"Lastly, I would say if there happens to be late planted corn and grain production is going to be heavily sacrificed, producers could consider making corn silage," Johnson said.
Farmers with cornfields under severe drought stress should check with their crop insurance representative before silage harvest occurs.
TheCattleSite News Desk


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We think it's a bit to late to show up for a screening of The Avengers in full costume, but an arc reactor T-shirt would be pretty cool. [4ndreas] built a chest strap that looks much like [Tony Stark's] chest-mounted power source. It has a 3D printed enclosure which hosts the ATmega8 and 22 LEDs which provide the pulsing goodness. The thin cellphone battery helps to keep the size of the package to a minimum and a strategically placed hole in a black T-shirt completes the look. It's even bright enough to shine through the fabric of this black T-shirt.
But if you insist on head-to-toe regalia you'll appreciate [James Bruton's] Ironman suit replica build. Not only does he look the part, but he's trying to build as much functionality into the project as possible. Most recently he finished the helmet. It's got a motorized faceplate and LED edge-lit eye plates to impress hackers and cosplay fans alike.
Find video of both projects after the break.


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We gratefully acknowledge gifts, grants and partnership donations from the following business supporters:
AVEDA, supporting Clean Water Fund programs in California, New England and Pennsylvania through Earth Month fundraising.
Ethical Electric, offering electricity from clean, renewable wind and solar to customers in Illinois, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, New York, Ohio and the District of Columbia, and expanding soon to Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Maine and eventually Texas.
Guacamole Fund, supporting Clean Water Fund through tabling opportunities and special fundraising with touring artists Crosby, Stills and Nash, Jackson Browne and Bonnie Raitt.
Kleen Kanteen, sponsoring Clean Water Fund's ReThink Disposable project.
Patagonia, supporting Clean Water Fund's programs with grants and product donations.
Sungevity, providing free iQuotes on rooftop solar installations for Clean Water supporters and making donations to Clean Water Fund for each installed system.
SurveyMonkey Contribute, with 353,000+ volunteer survey panelists who have raised more than $600,000 for Clean Water just by sharing their opinions.
Philadelphia Eagles, a sustainability leader among professional sports franchises, supporting water protection programs in Pennsylvania.
Tango Card, offering its clients the opportunity to donate rewards and incentives to Clean Water Fund.
We-Care.com has helped hundreds of thousands of online shoppers donate more than $1.5 million to Clean Water Action. The new Sweeps4aCause platform is engaging even more people, with a chance to win $10,000 and other great prizes.
Interested in partnering with Clean Water Action or Clean Water Fund to protect clean water, now and for the future? Contact us to explore ways we can work together.


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O.P.P. Pinot Noir 2022
Other People's Pinot is classic Oregon Pinot—earmark Willamette Valley. It is accessible, a great value, and stays true to the character of the vineyards from which it was born. Earthy, spicy, floral, herb-framed flavors of cherry with gingery wood spice tones.
13.5% abv
Despite having a successful career with Citicorp Investment Services, André Hueston Mack decided to leave his "desk job" to pursue his passion for wine. While working as a sommelier in San Antonio, Mack discovered the joys of introducing guests to the little known vineyards that first attracted him to the business and "the instant gratification of a guest's reaction." While still in Texas, Mack was awarded the prestigious title of Best Young Sommelier in America by the highly regarded Chaine des Rotisseurs. This recognition propelled him into the opportunity to work as a sommelier at Thomas Keller's world-renowned The French Laundry in Yountville, California. Mack went on to accept the position of Head Sommelier at Keller's equally famed Per Se in New York City, where he managed a 1800 selection award-winning wine list and consulted with Chef Keller on menu and pairing development regularly. Winemaking has always been a dream of his and came to fruition when he set up shop under the moniker of Maison Noir Wines. Throughout his career Mack has forged unique relationships with luminary growers and winemakers from around the planet. It is with this prestigious group that Mack currently creates his wines.
Mack has been featured in major publications, such as Food and Wine, Wine & Spirits Magazine, The New York Times, Women's Health, Ebony, and Wall Street Journal. Mr. Mack was honored in 2007 with The Network Journal's 40-Under-Forty Achievement Award for his outstanding contributions to business. Mack is a zealous wine educator who has been invited to host seminars as well as conduct panel discussions at numerous esteemed food and wine events. He enjoys sharing his fondness of wine with others.
This product is unavailable


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TOHO 8/0 Cube Beads – Transparent AB Ruby #165C Round Seed Beads
Size: about 3mm in diameter, hole: 1mm, about 10000pcs/450g.
Shape: Round
Material: Glass
Color: 165C Transparent AB Ruby
These tiny seed beads are favored for their high quality, precision crafting, and uniformity in size. They are wonderful in bead weaving, bead embroidery, stringing projects and more. It's the perfect way to add small accents of beautiful color to your designs.
- Toho's precision-sized round seed beads are manufactured with a slightly larger hole than other seed beads, making them the bead of choice for advanced bead weaving techniques that require multiple passes of thread through each bead.
- Toho translates to "Eastern Treasure" in English. Japanese seed beads are favored for their high quality, precision crafting, and uniformity in size. Toho™ beads come in a vast array of colors and finishes that are sure to inspire your bead weaving projects.
TOHO seed beads are precision-made Japanese seed beads that are among some of the finest in the world. The color and size consistency of TOHO beads makes bead weaving, looming, peyote stitch, and basic stringing projects easy and beautiful every time.


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A WSPR in your ear.
Like many of us, I am still amazed by the amount of radio spectrum we have to freely play with. Shots are being fired and eyes are being gouged by companies for small slices of precious bandwidth. Multiply our many electric playgrounds by the number of games (or modes) available and the permutations are enough to overload your front end.
I've decided to catch up with WSPR, a mode well known to many but new to me. I'm going to give it a go – the difficult way. Julian, G4ILO has an excellent article on the system here.
WSPR stands for Weak Signal Propagation Reporting and is a computer programme that runs your VHF/HF transceiver automatically in order to receive others running the same system. Successful contacts, one or two-way, are reported automatically to a website. It's like having a worldwide net of propagation beacons for every band available at your fingertips and the results appear quickly after automatic contact confirmation. What a great thing to leave your equipment running overnight or during the day when you're otherwise occupied!
Screenshot of WSPR.net Map Page |
The best thing is that WSPR works below the noise threshold and you can use very low power. I was staggered the other day to see that Tim, G4VXE had hit Australia on 40m with just 1W! One Watt! So I'm going to give it a go with 1W and just an indoor Miracle Whip antenna. I know many QRP CW experts may cracked this one before – but I'm new and excited. I'll try 40m and work my way up to 2m and see what happens!
I'll use my FT-817. A CAT lead arrived this week from Hong Kong but it seems I'll also need an audio interface between the transceiver packet port and computer sound card to make it all work. Another option is to buy an external interface that has a sound card and interfaces to the computer with a USB. It's not quite going to be a 'plug and play' job, I'm afraid to report.
In the meantime, I'll be satisfying myself to regular chats on 2m with nearby stations on FM, SSB and even DV mode. So many ways of talking – and that's just on 2m. I'll 'whisper' my progress here as soon as I'm up and running.


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If you were looking for someone with decision-making authority on the baseball side in the Chicago Cubs' organization yesterday, you were going to have to go somewhere other than Chicago (or Pittsburgh).
President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein, General Manager Jed Hoyer, Scouting and Player Development Chief Jason McLeod, and Amateur Scouting Director Jaron Madison were all at the University of Oklahoma yesterday to meet with prospective first round pick Jonathan Gray, per Cubs.com. The big Sooner pitcher could be the number one or number two pick in this year's draft, which begins June 6, and very few believe there's even a chance he slips to number three. That's obviously important to the Cubs, since they pick second.
In that regard, to find the Cubs visiting Gray with the top men in the front office should be no surprise. It doesn't mean the Cubs are putting the full-court press on Gray – pre-Draft deals are not permitted (technically) – or that they expect he'll necessarily be their pick. Instead, I'd imagine that they're doing the final stages of due diligence on a guy that could legitimately be their pick. Indeed, I'd expect similar visits to Stanford righty Mark Appel, and maybe San Diego third baseman Kris Bryant.
The Cubs' number two overall pick of is of critical import to the long-term rebuilding process, and they can't afford to whiff. To that end, they're going to make sure they know everything they possibly can about any player they consider selecting.
That said, the fact that the Cubs are making this kind of visit to see Gray this close to the Draft confirms that he could be the guy, if he's still on the board at number two. Not that the Cubs' interest at this point was a secret or in doubt.


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This is a nutritious, fun and easy to prepare snack or desert for kids. It makes a fantastic breakfast too!
Kids can be picky eaters. Setting them up for success with good nutrition is key to maintaining good health. Including a variety of foods, like yogurt, fruits, veggies, and nuts in their daily routine lays a great foundation in good nutrition choices.
Adding nuts (for those who are not allergic) is a great way to boost nutrition. There are so many different kinds of nuts to choose from. The most popular nut used, peanut, isn't even a nut but is actually the seed of a legume. But there is a huge variety of nuts and seeds that are seldom included in the standard American diet for kids that are great options.
A few of the nut and seed varieties to try out with your kids are:
Hazelnuts / Filberts
Hickory Nuts
Hemp Seeds
Sunflower Seeds
Pumpkin Seeds
Pine Nuts
A fun way to get nuts like walnuts in your kids diet is putting them into special treats like a sundae. If you grind the nuts, they hardly know the nut is there. Walnuts have a stronger taste and most kids don't usually choose to eat them on their own. If I leave out a big bowl of nuts of different varieties, my kids would eat all the cashews! Next they might finish of the peanuts. Then the rest of the nuts would sit there until Dad and I ate them. So to get more variety of nuts into their diet, a sneaky banana nut sundae piled high with lots of yummy ingredients is a win win!
Walnuts are great for brain food. They also help to purge parasites from the body. They contain essential fatty acids that are needed by the body
Banana Nut Sundae
Set out your ingredients out on a table or counter and let the kids fix their own sundaes.
Optional: Syrup, berries, chocolate chips, chocolate covered nuts, ground nuts, whole nuts in the shell that they must remove before using, nut butter, ice cream, angle food cake, cookies, pumpkin cake, etc.
We used vanilla yogurt, ground and halved walnuts, bananas, chocolate covered peanuts, and chocolate syrup. I also set out some grapes and nut butter covered pretzel crackers in case they wanted to experiment with some other ingredients.
We have made similar treats for desert too. This is a fun and delicious way to eat nuts and eat healthy!
Similar ingredients with pecans and whip cream.
Substitute angel food cake for the yogurt.
Serve as a fancy desert for company.
We also made homemade nut butter with a mixed nuts. We ground some smooth and some chunky and mixed it together for a delicious spread for our pretzel crackers.
You can add mini chocolate chips and these will taste like Reese Peanut Butter Cup Pretzel Treats! Even Daddy likes these treats!


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IBM posts lower 1Q earnings amid hardware slump (Update)
IBM's first-quarter earnings fell and revenue came in below Wall Street's expectations amid an ongoing decline in its hardware business, one that was exacerbated by weaker demand in China and emerging markets.
The world's largest technology services company has been working to expand into new areas as its hardware business falters, but the latest results show that these efforts have yet to fully pay off.
The company in the process of selling its low-end server business to China's Lenovo Group as it continues to shift its focus toward more lucrative software and services. It is also investing heavily in Internet-based computing services and in Watson, its cognitive computing operation made famous in beating a pair of "Jeopardy!" champions.
IBM Corp. said Wednesday that it earned $2.38 billion, or $2.29 per share, in the January-March period. That's down 21 percent from $3.03 billion, or $2.70 per share, a year earlier. Excluding an $870 million charge for reorganizing its work force and other one-time items, IBM's earnings were $2.54 per share in the latest quarter, matching analysts' expectations.
Revenue fell 4 percent to $22.5 billion, below the $22.9 billion that analysts polled by FactSet had expected. It's the eighth consecutive quarter of revenue decline. The biggest drop was in its systems and technology unit, or hardware, where revenue tumbled 23 percent to $2.39 billion from $3.11 billion.
IBM's stock fell 4 percent after the results came out.
"Hardware was a lot worse than I thought," said Daniel Morgan, a Synovus Trust portfolio manager who focuses on technology. He was expecting a 12 percent decline and said IBM is "really getting hurt" by the slowdown in China and emerging markets.
Software, on the other hand, performed better than he had expected. IBM said revenue in this business grew 2 percent to $5.66 billion from $5.57 billion. Morgan said he had expected a decline of less than 1 percent.
Revenue at its biggest segment, technology services, slipped 3 percent to $9.33 billion.
"In the first quarter, we continued to take actions to transform parts of the business and to shift aggressively to our strategic growth areas including cloud, big data analytics, social, mobile and security," said CEO Ginni Rometty in a statement. "''As we move through 2014, we will begin to see the benefits from these actions."
IBM laid off an undisclosed number of workers in the past year, though it has also hired in other areas. It ended 2013 with 431,212 employees, down less than 1 percent from the end of 2012.
For the full year, IBM still expects adjusted earnings of at least $18 per share. That's higher than estimates of $17.88.
Shares of Armonk, New York-based IBM fell $8.20 to $188.20 in extended trading. Earlier, the stock had closed at $196.40.
© 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.


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The ethnographic field research included in this collection comprises materials researched and compiled by the Works Projects Administration staff working on the California Folk Music Project in addition to ethnographic fieldwork documented by Sidney Robertson Cowell during the course of the project. It includes song transcriptions and research, field reports, and articles written about the project.
Ethnographic Research Compiled During WPA Project
Instructions to Workers.
Forms to assist in doing fieldwork.
Bibliographic Key Work [Subject Heading] List.
Field Reports written by Sidney Robertson Cowell and submitted to the Northern California WPA.
Notes on miscellaneous songs recorded for the California Folk Music Project.
Five Portuguese Folk Dances from the Azores.
Song Transcriptions of miscellaneous English- and Portuguese-language songs.
List of Portuguese Songs Indexed and Organized by Alice Avila, WPA Staff.
Ethnographic Writing About The WPA Project
Sidney Robertson Cowell article, "The Recording of Folk Music in California," (1942).
Sidney Robertson Cowell's outline for a book never published, "Folksong in California," (1954).
Brett Topping article, "The Sidney Robertson Cowell Collection," (1980).
am Jun-27-97


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Rethinking the Romans
Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, Rhode Island, 2009
The catalogue Rethinking the Romans can be viewed as a companion volume to the original catalogue, Classic Sculpture by Brunilde S. Ridgeway, and as a proposal for another way of organizing the exhibition. It is a documentation of reinstallation process and a proposal for other ways of seeing these ancient sculptures by merging them with more accessible public environments. The storage room reveals unexpected arrangements. The juxtaposition of sculptures and objects allows for a new perspective. These fragments are photographed and sequenced to create a second narrative and present new ways of ordering.
Juror Notes
The author-designer invites us to rethink the construct of a museum experience through an arresting, low-tech yet meticulous assembly of images and text.
- Design firm
- Rhode Island School of Design
- Creative director
- Jae Un Jeon
- Art director
- Jae Un Jeon
- Designer
- Jae Un Jeon
- Jacket designer
- Jae Un Jeon
- Photographer
- Jae Un Jeon
- Picture editor
- Jae Un Jeon
- Trim size
- 7.5 x 10.5
- Pages
- 76
- Quantity printed
- 20
- Typefaces
- Berthold Akzidenz-Grotesk, Trade Gothic
- Paper
- Wausau, natural vellum finish
- Binding method
- Stitched binding with thread


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There are few things more satisfying than doing science experiments with your children. There are so many benefits! First, it's a great way to spend family time together. Second, it will feed your child's curiosity and spark an interest in science. Third, it's a lot of fun! And fourth, but most important, you will impress your child with your intelligence and skills. And you don't even have to have intelligence and skills if you have the right guidance.
That's why we are happy to bring you an excerpt from Dad's Book of Awesome Science Experiments: From Boiling Ice and Exploding Soap to Erupting Volcanoes and Launching Rockets, 30 Inventive Experiments to Excite the Whole Family! It's a new book by Mike Adamick that gives you step-by-step instructions adn explanations for impressive science experiments that will convince your children that you, Dad or Mom, Grandma or Uncle, are indeed awesome. The book ships on April 18th, but as a sneak preview, here are three of the thirty awesome experiments from the book.
Volcano Time!
If you grew up watching endless Brady Bunch reruns you're probably familiar with Peter Brady's volcano—a mud-spewing, steep-sided science project that sent showers of muck and sludge all over Peter's sister, Marsha, and her snooty friends. It was the coolest thing ever.
There's a good chance that this one episode alone launched our love affair with kitchen-sink volcano projects—an experiment so simple that you and your lab partner can most likely do it right now with stuff you already have in the kitchen. All you really need is vinegar, baking soda, and a bottle to mix them in, but it is much cooler to use good ol' fashioned backyard dirt to construct a volcano model around the bottle first and then conduct the experiment.
Either way you do it, this is a science experiment with serious thrills. But it also expertly mimics what happens under the earth's crust to create volcanic eruptions.
Here's Why It Works
When the solid baking soda (sodium bicarbonate—a base) mixes with the liquid vinegar (acetic acid—a weak acid), a chemical reaction occurs and forms a gas (carbon dioxide). All those bubbles and foam? They're evidence of gas, and as the gas expands, it looks for an escape route for all that built-up pressure. So the foam and bubbles rise until they flood out of your bottle's opening.
Pretty much the same exact thing is happening under the earth right now.
The earth's crust is made up of many sections of superthick shell—65-plus miles thick!—called tectonic plates that are always moving, very slowly, over the much, much hotter inner earth. Most of the world's volcanoes are found where two or more of these tectonic plates meet one another. Sometimes those plates shift and sometimes they collide, forming escape routes in the earth's crust for molten rocks and gas, called magma. Much like the carbon dioxide in your baking soda–vinegar experiment seeks the quickest escape route to relieve pressure, the gases in the underground magma do the same thing before erupting out of a volcano.
Not all eruptions are alike, however. Sometimes the gases in the magma are easily released from the earth's crust and the result is a slow, oozing spread of superhot lava. But sometimes the gases stay trapped beneath cooled magma and rock building up pressure until they erupt in violent explosions that can send ash and boulders flying up to 20 miles high. In fact, airplane pilots keep track of volcano activity around the earth, just to be sure they don't fly into clouds of dangerous ash.
Here's What You Need
Baking soda
A bottle (a good vase with a wide bottom and slender top also works well, but use whatever you can find)
Red food dye
Toilet paper
Here's What You Do
1. First add the vinegar to your bottle and dye it red with food coloring. Then, rip out a few sheets of toilet paper and make a pouch for the baking soda. Use your string to tie the pouch and then insert the pouch into your bottle, using the bottle cap to hold the other end of the string so that the pouch dangles above your "lava." (See Fig. 1.)
2. If you're feeling super science-y/crafty, let your lab partner shape a volcano model out of backyard mud and dirt around the bottle. Note: you don't have to do this, but go big or go home, right?
3. When your volcano model is ready, lift the cap and watch the pouch drop into the lava. It will foam up slowly, mimicking the slow buildup of earth's gases, until the vinegar fully soaks the tissue paper. Then, the fun really begins, as the foam begins to climb the bottle, looking for an escape route. Just stand back, and watch the foam erupt. It's really that easy!
Want More?
There are many, many ways to perform this experiment, so don't be afraid to get creative.Try mixing the vinegar and baking soda in a bottle, and then quickly place a balloon over the bottle opening. While this doesn't create a lava explosion, the gases will inflate the balloon. Pretty cool, right? Or, put baking soda in small snack-size zip bag and seal tightly with a bit of air in the bag. Place the baking
soda bag in a larger zip bag that is filled with vinegar and seal that bag tightly, with as little air as possible in the big bag. Now use your fist to smash the tiny baking soda bag and stand back. You just made a sandwich bag bomb, using the same chemical reactions as your volcano.
Rock Candy Crystals
Full disclosure: We messed up with this one. We messed up with this one gooooood.
Not only did we—I—mess it up, but we invited over a friend, got her superduper excited about making rock candy, and even gave her extra rock candy sticks and jars of goo mix to share with her brother and sister.
"It should be ready in a week!" we told her, "Have fun!"
Then we sent her merrily on her way with a rock candy kit that was just absolutely, completely messed up.
I imagined her checking her rock candy stick every day for a week, just waiting for it to work—maybe, perhaps, telling her siblings how amazingly awesome it was going to be. Poor kid. She had no idea I had messed up this experiment.
But you know. Sometimes science is like that. So what do you do? You roll up your sleeves and experiment some more.
Rock candy making is usually one of the coolest ways to see the formation of crystals in action. It's really quite simple: You boil some sugar and water, add some flavoring or some food dye—or heck, both. And then you dump it in a jar, add a sugar-coated stick for the rock candy to form on, and then a week or so later there it is: pure sugar joy. It's the process of molecules clinging together in action. It's also quite delicious.
Just make sure not to accidentally scrape the sugar off the stick when inserting it into your jar, because then you'll have nothing for the sugar crystals to form on— and you'll also have a pack of upset seven-year-olds who think you enjoy teasing children. Not. Fun.
So here's what will hopefully be a surefire way to make rock candy, see crystals in action, and not upset all the neighborhood kids.
Here's Why It Works
In short, the sugar molecules stick to each other, growing and growing as more and more molecules stick together.
Now for the long explanation: With the sugar water, you have created a saturated solution, which basically means the liquid (water) can't hold any more compound (sugar). The molecules, a mashup of atoms that make sugar sugar, are crowded around in your solution and start to bump into each other, sometimes sticking together in a process called nucleation. During this process, the crystals form and grow bigger when more and more sugar molecules stick to each other. After just a day or so, the growth is visible. After a week, it should be big enough to look mighty tempting. I don't know what it looks like after two weeks, because we can never resist eating it for that long.
By adding a sugarcoated string or stick to your solution, you kick-start the nucleation process by giving the molecules a great place to latch onto. (Remember how we messed this one up? By scraping the sugar off the stick, we didn't give the sugar molecules a place to latch onto in order to kick-start crystallization. Instead, all the crystals started forming on the bottom of our jar, where all the starter crystals had fallen. Hopefully you will learn from our mistakes. You're welcome.)
If you'd like, set up two experiments. In one, sugarcoat a stick before adding it into the solution, and in the other try not sugarcoating a stick. See what happens. Just be prepared to be the one scraping sugar crystals off the bottom of the jar while your kid's snacking on some delicious rock candy.
Here's What You Need
2 cups water
4 cups sugar, plus a little extra to coat sticks or pipe cleaners
Mason jar—small, big, whatever you have
Food dye and/or flavor oils (optional)
Long wooden toothpick and/or pipe cleaners or butcher's twine
Pencil or more wooden toothpicks
String for tying, if needed
Here's What You Do
1. Heat up your water to a light boil and then add sugar a bit at a time until it is dissolved in the mix before adding more. Keep adding more until all your sugar dissolves in the boiling syrup and you have a nice goopy soup of sugar. Then let the mixture come to a rolling boil for a little bit—maybe 30 seconds.
Note: I usually don't preach adult supervision because kids can, more often than not, do stuff a lot better than adults anyway and how are they going to learn if they're not allowed to make mistakes? But boiling sugar absolutely scares the bejesus out of me. If that stuff gets on anyone, it's not only going to burn, it's going to stick and burn. And that just sucks beyond words. So there you go. A warning. Be careful.
2. Once the mixture has boiled for 30 seconds, remove from heat and add food dye or flavor oil if you'd like. A few drops of dye or a capful of vanilla or spearmint should do the trick quite nicely.
3. Let the mixture cool, then have your lab partner add it to the Mason jar, and set it aside to cool some more.
4. While the mixture is cooling, wet your stick or pipe cleaners and then sprinkle with sugar. If you use butcher's twine, dip it into your newly created sugar mix and then remove to dry for a day. This gives a rough surface for the sugar crystals to latch into and begin formation. It's like seeding them for crystal growth.
5. Once everything is relatively cool—it doesn't have to be room temperature; warm will do—add your stick or cleaner to the mix. You can tie the pipe cleaner to a pencil and then lay the pencil over the mouth of the jar, so that the pipe cleaner doesn't touch the bottom of your jar. (This is where we messed up, because we put the Mason jar tin lid back on, poked some holes in it, and then tried to force our sugar sticks through the holes. All the sugar scraped off and there was nothing for crystals to form onto. Oh well. Keep Calm and Science On.)
6. Now the waiting game begins. You should start to see some good crystallization in a day or so. Store in a dark space for a week and keep track of the crystal growth. Feel free to let the crystals grow as big as you'd like. But a solid week usually does the trick. When you're ready, remove the cleaner or stick from the mix and let dry on a plate or in another jar for a few hours to dry. Then, inspect and enjoy. Crunch, crunch, crunch.
Did You Know?
People all over the world and throughout history have used rock candy for medicinal purposes, mixing herbs or alcohol in the solution to create throat lozenges, for instance.
Mentos and Coke Rocket
This is a home science project and play-date experiment that your kids will love! At its heart, it's very simple. You add Mentos mints to a bottle of Diet Coke (this particular soda works best!) and watch what happens. Trust me, you're going to be impressed by the massive, foamy eruption that occurs.
Although this is a simple experiment using simple household foodstuffs, you'd be surprised at the level of study it has spawned in the scientific community, as researchers tried to determine whether the eruption came from a chemical reaction or a physical reaction. Even the popular show Mythbusters conducted Mentos and Coke experiments. So the next time you're at the store, stock up on the supplies and get ready to spend an afternoon playing mad, happy scientist in the backyard. But take note: Make sure you have a hose on hand to wash away all the excess soda and candy.
Science is fun. Household ant invasions?
Not so much . . .
Here's Why It Works
In short, when you combine the Mentos and cola, an eruption occurs. Instead of a chemical reaction—the event that occurs when the ingredients of the mint and soda combine—the eruption comes from a physical reaction called nucleation, which basically means that you've given the gas in the liquid a place to form bubbles. You see, soda is made fizzy when carbon dioxide gas is added into the water. Because water molecules like to stick very tightly together there typically isn't a place for the gas to form bubbles so the gas remains suspended in the water. But then you add the Mentos . . .
These mints are unique because their surface is covered with millions of tiny craters and holes: the perfect little places for the suspended gas to suddenly cling to and form bubbles. When you put your finger in the soda or in bubbly water, you'll see how bubbles suddenly form on your skin. That's nucleation in action. The same thing happens with the Mentos mints, but on a much, much larger scale. Plus, the mints sink, allowing gas bubbles throughout the bottle to form on the mints' downward journey. More bubbles means more gas is being released and pretty soon all those bubbles add up and voilà: eruption!
Here's What You Need
Mentos mints
Diet Coke (The bigger the bottle the better; again Diet Coke works best but feel free to experiment with other liquids.)
Rocket materials: used paper towel or toilet paper roll, paper, scissors, tape, twine or floss, decorations as desired
Here's What You Do
1. The rocket building and launching can all be done by your junior rocket scientist, with you on the side for help. Have her use a toilet paper or paper towel roll for the rocket body. Cut out some paper and roll it into a nose cone, applying it to the top of the rocket with tape. Cut out some more paper for side wings, which will act as stabilizers during liftoff. (See Fig. 1.)
2. Next, cut two long slits in the side of your rocket, parallel to the bottom and across from each other. Later, you should be able to slip a piece of paper between these slits. Turn the rocket over so that the nose is facing the ground and then add as many mints as you'd like through the bottom of the rocket— the more the better. (See Fig. 2.)
3. Then, add a slip of paper or card stock into the slits, so that when you turn the rocket back over, the paper provides a barrier and the mints won't fall out. Tape string to the slip of paper to act as a "launch cord."
4. Place the rocket on top of the open bottle and back away with the "launch cord" in hand. (See Fig. 3.) The mints will rest on the paper until you pull it out—at which point the mints will then fall into the bottle and the soda will erupt. The geyser is fast and fun and worth doing on its own just to see the amazing gush of gassy foam. Have fun!
Want More?
If you don't want to build a rocket, the absolute easiest way to do this experiment is to open the Diet Coke bottle and quickly slip in a handful of Mentos mints—and then stand back as fast as possible. You'll likely get soaked in sugary bliss if you don't.
In addition, the really great thing about this experiment is how many variables you can add. Will fruit Mentos work just as well as mint Mentos? How about other candies? Or materials? How about other sodas, or bubbly water? Have fun trying different sodas or bubbly liquids with different candies to see how high you can boost your rocket. This is a perfect experiment to work on your graphing skills, charting out which materials and which sodas create the biggest eruptions. Or, for a really messy experiment, pop a Mentos into your mouth but don't chew it. Take a small swig of Diet Coke and prepareto start foaming at the mouth! For an even cooler option, try adding a Mentos to a bottle, screwing the lid on quickly, shaking it up and throwing it in the air as high as you can–but watch out; that bottle could go anywhere. Fun times.
There are 27 other experiments in Dad's Book of Awesome Science Experiments by Mike Adamick, available at Amazon and other bookstores.


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There are a number of opportunities for employment for individuals with undergraduate degrees in physics or engineering disciples who have not yet made the decision to pursue an advanced degree. Such positions can lead to a variety of highly rewarding managerial and executive careers.
The financial sector, for example, considers physics majors for entry-level positions in quantitative research and developing models for financial analysis. In general, positions in computer programming will be given to physics majors if the programs being developed require technical knowledge in some area of physics.
Medical physics is a large field that includes radiation safety officers and physicists who calculate radiation doses for cancer treatment. Medical physicists also calibrate and test equipment for ultrasound, x-ray, magnetic resonance, and radioisotope imaging.
Physicists also work in the manufacturing and marketing of medical diagnostic and therapeutic equipment, as well as in high tech industries such as aerospace, telecommunications, semiconductors, computer manufacturing, and nuclear energy.
Government agencies involved in national security and research have a need for individuals with a physics background too.
Whatever your interest, if you are seeking an entry-level engineering or technical science job, Physics Today Jobs has a wealth of job openings that might interest you.
Click the link to view our Entry-level Physics and Engineering Job Openings


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Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry Summary
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry is a novel by Mildred Taylor in which nine-year-old Cassie Logan narrates her experience of growing up as a Black child in rural Mississippi.
- Cassie Logan's family owns land thanks to the efforts of Cassie's grandfather, a former slave. However, their White neighbors resent the existence of Black landowners.
- Racial tensions arise in the community and malicious "night riders" begin burning the fields of Black landowners.
- When the night riders come for the Logans, they set fire to their own crops so that their neighbors will be forced to help extinguish the fire.
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry is a psychologically realistic, historically accurate picture of African American family life in rural Mississippi. It is also an excellent initiation novel about a young girl growing up to learn about the values and dangers of her Depression-era world.
The Logan family lives in Spokane County, Mississippi, on four hundred acres of land that Cassie Logan's grandfather, a former slave, purchased years before. Harlan Granger, whose family originally owned the Logan property and who owns all the farms around it (now sharecropped by poorer Black families), wants the Logan parcel back, and it is a struggle for the Logan family to hold onto their land. The novel is set in rural Mississippi in the early 1930's, and conditions for African Americans could hardly be worse. Just how bad they are, Cassie Logan soon learns.
Cassie, who narrates the novel, is a smart, curious girl who loves her parents, especially her father, who is off working in Louisiana. When Papa Logan returns home in chapter 2, he is accompanied by Mr. Morrison, who has been fired from his railroad job for fighting with Whites and whom Papa is bringing home to help protect the family against a recent wave of vigilante terrorism; distant neighbors have just been visited by the dreaded night riders, and one man has already died of burns.
Several plot lines grow out of this opening situation. Papa tells the children to stay away from the Wallaces' crossroads store, knowing the Wallaces are involved in the recent terror, and he organizes a boycott. Mama is soon fired, allegedly for teaching Black history but actually for being involved in the boycott. When Papa and Morrison go into Vicksburg for supplies, Papa is shot, and his leg is broken. Morrison saves Papa, but another income has been lost. As the momentum of the novel builds, these two stories coalesce: The fight to save the land from Harlan Granger and the fight against the racism and brutality of the Wallaces are intertwined, because the Wallace store is on Granger land.
After a series of adventures for both children and adults, the exciting climax comes when the night riders try to lynch T. J. Avery, a friend of the children who has been involved in a robbery. Stacey acts quickly, sending the other children to warn the Logans that the crowd will come to their house next. The resourceful David Logan sets fire to his own cotton field, which borders Harlan Granger's land, and the mob rushes to put it out. Black and White, men and women, the community fights the fire through the night.
The crisis is not over. The land has been saved, the Logans have survived as a family and are probably even stronger, and two of the children—Cassie and Stacey—have learned more about the world of cruelty and injustice and how to maneuver in it safely. The novel does not end on any note of false optimism, however: the Logans are still poor, and racism and violence are still everywhere about them. "I cried for T. J.," Cassie says at the end of the novel, "For T. J. and the land." Her growth over the course of the novel indicates that the strong, independent Cassie will be able to operate in this racist society after the novel closes, but her tears at the end are also a sign of sadness for her loss of innocence.
In the course of the novel, Cassie comes to learn a great deal about the sacrifices her family is making to keep their land, about their struggle for equality, and about their pride in themselves and their heritage. As much as from anyone else, Cassie learns these lessons from her family; the Logans overwhelm readers with their warmth and mutual support. Big Ma tells Cassie about the importance of the Logan land and, by the lesson of her hard work in the Logan household, how much she is willing to do to hold on to it. Cassie's mother is, like her daughter, a real rebel, but she is fired for holding on to her principles.
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If you are looking to invest in real estate in India, then Anantapur is one of the best places. This is true about both commercial and residential properties. Over the years, investors realized that putting money in real estate is the best type of investment. Let's find out why Anantapur is a great choice as far as real estate investment is concerned.
In Anantapur, the number of land registrations has doubled over the past few years. But the million dollar question is, what makes this city a great hub for this type of investment? In this article, we are going to answer this question.
The Advent of Kia Motors
Kia Motors is a South Korean automaker. The production unit of this company was established in Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh. The unit covers an area of 536 acres in Erramanchi village, and transforms the city into a real estate hub.
Earlier, the region suffered a lot of problems, such as drought because of the low rainfall. On the other hand, Kia has allowed the city to get fresh air once again. Kia is the 8th largest automaker in the world, and is all set to make 300,000 vehicles on an annual basis at the plant.
The company creates more than 3,000 direct and over 7,000 indirect posts for the needy people of Anantapur. This is one of the main reasons why this city has become an apple of eye of realtors. Also, many plots and gated communities have emerged in the city.
Strategic Location
Although Bangalore is the Silicon Valley of Bharat, the drought-like conditions in most of the city triggered a 5-year ban on construction of apartments. And this worried a lot of real estate builders.
Before opting for investment area, investors give a lot of importance to the location factor. Although Anantapur was not a very attractive location for investors, its closeness to Bangalore is a solid reason why more and more investors are thinking of Anantapur as a good alternative.
The good thing about Anantapur is that it can be accessed through a road or rail from anywhere in India. And the good thing is that bus services are also available for people to reach the city. For public convenience, both public and private bus services are available.
Although Anantapur doesn't enjoy any direct air access, it's just 190 kilometers from Kempe Gowda International Airport, which is the closest airport that allows you to reach Anantapur from anywhere in India. This is another great reason why more and more investors are showing interest in building real estate in this city.
As a matter of fact, connectivity is one of the most important factors when it comes to choosing a place to put your hard-earned money in.
Long story short, these are some of the main reasons why Anantapur is a great city from the real estate investment point of view. If you are looking for a great city in India where you can buy an apartment or flat, we suggest that you try Anantapur. You won't regret your choice.


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Democrats on the Armed Services panel battled each other Wednesday over how to deal with the growing incidence of sexual assault in the military, a rift that pitted the party's own campaign committees against those who want to preserve the military's traditional chain of command.
Despite some support from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York watched as fellow Democrats stripped the annual defense authorization bill of her legislation to remove sexual-assault reporting from the military chain of command. Instead, in a rare open session, Armed Services Chairman Carl Levin, D-Mich., prevailed 17-9 on an amendment authorizing more modest changes to address the epidemic of sexual misconduct in the military.
Gillibrand's bill, which never had the support of Levin or uniformed military leadership, brought together a strange coalition of senators, from Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut on the left to Ted Cruz of Texas on the right. Cruz also suggested that the Senate should revisit Gillibrand's solution if Levin's proposal did not stem the rise of incidents. Six senators who caucus with Democrats voted with Levin, including Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri. The panel's two GOP women, Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire and Deb Fischer of Nebraska, also voted for Levin's offering.
"I am deeply disappointed the voices of the victims of sexual assault have been drowned out by the military leaders who have failed to combat this crisis. While, in my view, we did not take all the steps required to solve the problem, there is no doubt we have taken several significant steps forward with the current version of the bill," Gillibrand said in a statement following the vote. "Our advocacy on this issue to remove the sole decision making of the chain of command in serious crimes has only just begun."
The division exposed on the panel soon could be Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's problem, as Gillibrand has vowed to continue the fight for her legislation, even given the opposition of fellow Democrats.
In addition to Gillibrand, Blumenthal and Cruz, Sens. Kay Hagan, D-N.C., Mazie K. Hirono, D-Hawaii, Joe Donnelly, D-Ind., Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., Mark Udall, D-Colo., and David Vitter, R-La., voted against Levin's amendment, which would keep sexual-assault cases within the chain of command. Levin's proposal would require the next-highest officer in the chain of command to review any decision not to prosecute a sexual assault. Levin's measure also would make any retaliatory action against a victim of sexual assault a crime.
As Gillibrand promised another vote, some Democratic senators campaigned on the issue, launching an online petition co-sponsored by both the House and Senate Democratic campaign arms. Eight senators launched a petition to "Stand with the victims of sexual assault" in conjunction with the DSCC and DCCC. The petition specifically endorsed Gillibrand's bill.
"Together we must ensure that decisions about whether to prosecute sexual assault cases are made by independent prosecutors, not senior commanders," the online petition reads. "Together, we must ensure that commanders can no longer unilaterally overturn a verdict rendered in military court. Together we can — and we will — do right by our service men and women."
The Department of Defense estimated that 26,000 incidents of sexual misconduct occurred in 2012. And in recent months, news stories have revealed that some officers in charge of sexual-assault prevention task forces were themselves accused or charged with sexual assault.
The battle over Gillibrand's bill is not necessarily a family fight Democrats want playing out, especially on a problem that has so deeply embarrassed the military. Even longtime hawk Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., recently said he could not make "unqualified" recommendations to women seeking spots in the armed services. McCain voted for Levin's bill.
Still, a Reid spokesman said Gillibrand would be given an opportunity to push her proposal when the defense authorization bill comes to the floor. "Sen. Reid believes very strongly that this is a crisis and it must be addressed aggressively and promptly," the spokesman said.
Both supporters and detractors of Gillibrand's measure commended the New York Democrat for pushing the issue into the forefront. As CQ Roll Call reported in March, the Senate until recently had been silent on the issue.
"Her proposal has helped to move this debate," Blumenthal said of Gillibrand. He added: "From the standpoint of the victim — how the system looks for him or her and my fear is that for the victim, it will look like we're just tinkering with the system."
Not all senators felt that way, however. Republican Lindsey Graham of South Carolina expressed concern that the increased attention on the issue could create a culture of presumed guilt in the military for individuals accused of sexual misconduct.
"What I fear is that we're creating an environment where it's going to be impossible to be found innocent," Graham said, after the panel voted to strike down Gillibrand's bill.


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For the first time in a really long time , I'm not wishing I had something , I'm not missing anything and I don't feel guilty about anything . I'm just happy .
Now there's plenty of people , who tar me with a brush that says ' your a single mum , your lazy, your unhappy , your a scrounger , uneducated, selfish , it's all your fault you put yourself here '.
That's ok they can think them things .
In actually fact I've struggled with those comments , feelings and self doubts .
But when I woke on on Monday morning , I realised I'm happy ,. Pure and simply happy .
I am one very lucky women . I have a stunning daughter who amazes me everyday. I get daily hugs and kisses from a person who loves me with there whole heart. I get to watch a person explore the world and help them on that journey .
I have true friends , proper friends for the first time in my life . They are truly amazing to put up with my talking habits ;-)!
I have an amazing family . With are bonds getting stronger everyday .
I have dreams , I have goals and I'm working towards them :-).
I have my health and I have strength .
I have hope , I have belief and I have a smile I'm not afraid to use .
I'm happy and right now for me , this happiness has come from the good and the times the last 18 months as a single mum has taught me .
I wouldn't change this happiness for anything !!!


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Welcome to Kendalia Halle!
We provide a fun and clean environment suitable for the entire family to experience one of the oldest historic dance halls in Texas.
Kendalia Halle usually hosts dances and live music on Saturday evenings once a month. Be sure to check the dances page for upcoming events and bands. At every dance we sell tacos. In addition to tacos, we sell beer, wine, sodas, and bottled water.
On concert evenings, the doors open and taco service begins at 7:30pm and the music starts at 8:00pm. Please see dance listings for specific times and cover charge information.
In addition to regularly scheduled dances, Kendalia Halle is also available to host any type of private event. Specifically, the hall is well suited to host weddings, receptions, reunions, and birthday parties. The hall is very spacious and provides a unique and historic atmosphere that cannot be found elsewhere.


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Eating Our Own?
Recently, someone accused Illinois Family Action of "eating our own" for criticizing the positions of a Republican candidate for the Illinois State Senate. Here are the thoughts of one IFA reader, attorney Mark Rouleau, to the notion that conservatives ought not criticize any Republicans running for office:
The description of criticism of Republicans as "eating our own" is the product of a reprobate mind and a seared conscience. Such a charge reflects a kind of tribalism. Yeah, rah, rah for our team and our guys because they wear our colors (a la gang style). It doesn't matter if they are upholding godly positions.
Personally, I will vote for pro-life Democrats or third party candidates who believe in traditional marriage and limited government over a Republican who doesn't believe in those things, even if that means that they will cost Republicans on other votes.
Eating one's own is exactly what our society does when it allows people to kill their children. When people think it is all right to kill a baby because the baby is not wanted (their only crime is not being loved enough), it is usually premised upon the thought that everyone (primarily the parents but of course the rest of society) "can live a better life" as a result of the killing. Some with this reprobate thinking extend the argument to say that the baby is better off being dead than with parents that do not want them. It is a moral decision that is bought off with money, lifestyle, or convenience. An even scarier basis for the belief that abortion on demand is a good thing is premised in eugenics (see Maafa 21) and the Nazi ideal of creating a "master race."
IFA's point is well made that those who think this way are not our own. Those who espouse the idea that we should support someone who morally disagrees with our very core simply because they wear the same team jersey do not have the same Father as we do. They have an entirely different father who has been a liar from the beginning of time.
The fact is that when the Republican Party backs free markets without morality the implicit statement is society should devour its young and refuse to take care of those who need our help (some people go as far as to call them "useless eaters"). This is contrary to the views of Adam Smith (an ardent Scottish Presbyterian), the father of the "Free Market" theory who clearly argued in the "Theory of Moral Sentiments" that morality was necessary to make the free markets work.
While amoral, fiscal-only Republicans argue that taking care of the poor is a role for private charity (which I agree with) then they strip morality away from governance, they also remove morality from the consciousness of the public (i.e., the culture of death). People then apply the moral ambiguity of perceived "enlightened self-interest," and come up with all kinds of excuses for disposing of the "useless eaters." They, in fact, devour the young.
Even the agnostic Thomas Paine recognized the moral underpinning of 1776 England when he wrote: "But Britain is the parent country, say some. Then the more shame upon her conduct. Even brutes do not devour their young, nor savages make war upon their families."
His argument is that England was devouring her young (the colonies and the people in the colonies) and, therefore, England was not the legitimate parent of the American Colonies. Rather, European Christendom was the legitimate parent. We know that the devouring was the result of "mercantilism" (controlling the means of production), which required the colonies to ship raw materials to England and to purchase their finished goods from England. We also know the outcome of this policy was a Revolution.
The person who wrote that "tribal" comment is willing to sacrifice the young for the "good of the tribe." He is not unlike the Spartans who were willing to throw their weak and defective infants over a cliff for the good of their society.
I for one do not want to be a member of that tribe or family. My family is with brothers and sisters in the biblical Jesus Christ.


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Today is the release of Shannon Dittemore's debut novel, Angel Eyes. Check out my interview with the author and leave her a comment below :)
Can you tell me a little about yourself and how you got into writing?
Sure! I could say I've always written--and that's true--but I've had times when my creativity was primarily unleashed elsewhere. When I was a teenager, our church had a performing arts team and we traveled around, performing and competing a bit. We danced and did skits. We did mime and puppetry. That's right, I said it: puppets. Later, I ventured into community theatre, but, in all of it we were telling stories. I owe a lot to our director, Sherry, and to those years. They helped shape who I am as a storyteller. When it came to noveling, Angel Eyes was really my first whole-hearted endeavor. At the time, I was doing bookkeeping for a consulting company, which is a laugh because math and I do not get along. One day I realized that if I wanted to do something else--if I wanted storytelling to be my job--then I needed to get back to telling stories. So I did. I sat down and wrote what I knew.
Can you tell us a little about your debut novel Angel Eyes?
Angel Eyes is about a girl who had plans and potential and she lost it all the minute her best friend was killed. She feels scared and guilty and very much alone. And she thinks she deserves to feel those things. But, with the help of the boy next door and a very strange gift, she begins to see fear for what it is. She realizes she's not alone in her despair, but that's not entirely comforting. Good and evil. Angels and demons. And a world that isn't what it seems. That's Angel Eyes in a nutshell.
Where did you get the idea for Angel Eyes?
My husband and I serve as youth pastors at our church and when I was drafting the story, I was surrounded by tons and tons of kids with more potential than they knew what to do with. Still, so many of them seemed unfocused. A bit lost, even. And the more I thought about why, the clearer Brielle's journey became. As for the angelic stuff, angels and demons have always been on the backdrop of my storytelling experience. I've played Satan in more dramas and puppet productions than I can even remember. Once, early on, we used the wrong kind of face makeup and my neck was demon-red for days. It's much funner now than it was then, I assure you. Anyway, when it came time to sit down and tell a story, it's the one I had in me.
I love the cover of Angel Eyes. Who designed it and did you have much say in the designing process?
I love the cover too! And I can say that because I had absolutely nothing to do with it. Dual Identity is the design team hired by my publisher. They've done a ton of fantastic stuff and I'm elated they're on board. Thomas Nelson, my publisher, was great to include me and ask for feedback, but mostly I just gushed and told them how fabulous it all was. We did make one substantial change. Originally the model on the cover was a redhead, but Brielle's blond. So, they brought in another model and re-shot the cover. I'm so grateful because she's perfect.
How does it feel to be releasing your first novel?
It's like... 60% awesome and 40% terrifying. Some days those numbers are flopped. I'm so blessed to be in this position and so overwhelmed to be working with the team at Thomas Nelson Fiction. On the days when my nerves take over, I try to remember that.
Why should we read Angel Eyes in one sentence?
Because, like Brielle, you're not alone, and everybody needs to know that.
Stalk Shannon:
Buy Angel Eyes:


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TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) - The U.S. Coast Guard says boating under the influence of alcohol or drugs remains a serious problem on the Great Lakes.
Personnel stationed on the lakes had issued 89 citations for drunken boating this year through Aug. 13. That's up from 84 during the same period in 2012.
The Coast Guard's district office in Cleveland says the numbers are better than they were a decade ago. Even so, they're worried about an uptick in recent years, especially since it's likely that many violators are not being caught.
Alcohol is a leading cause of fatal boating accidents. Penalties for piloting a boat while drunk can reach $5,000.
Lt. Davy Connor says many people don't realize that a boat's rocking motion, engine vibration and noise can intensify the effects of alcohol.