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SACRAMENTO (CBS / AP) — After the 2001 terrorist attacks, California lawmakers sought a way to channel the patriotic fervor and use it to help victims' families and law enforcement. Their answer: Specialty memorial license plates emblazoned with the words, "We Will Never Forget."
Part of the money raised through the sale of the plates was to fund scholarships for children of California residents who perished in the attacks, while the majority – 85 percent – was to help fund anti-terrorism efforts.
But a review by The Associated Press of the $15 million collected since lawmakers approved the "California Memorial Scholarship Program" shows only a small fraction of the money went to scholarships. While 40 percent has funded anti-terror training programs, $3 million was raided by Gov. Jerry Brown and his predecessor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, to plug the state's budget deficit.
Millions more have been spent on budget items with little relation to direct threats of terrorism, including livestock diseases and workplace safety.
Moreover, the California Department of Motor Vehicles has been advertising the plates as helping the children of Sept. 11 victims, even though the state stopped funding the scholarship program seven years ago. The specialty plate fund continues to take in $1.5 million a year.
Californians who lost loved ones in the attacks take the raid on the license plate fund as an affront to the memory of those who died.
"I can't believe that they would do that," said Candyce Hoglan, who lives in the Bay Area and bought a plate to commemorate her nephew, Mark Bingham. "We're paying extra for the plate; we're making a point, and it means a lot to us."
Bingham was killed on United Airlines Flight 93, which crashed in Pennsylvania, and was one of the passengers who led the attempt to wrest control from the hijackers. His mother, Alice Hoagland, also was troubled by the program's apparent drift from its original purpose.
"I'm sorry that as we retreat in time from 9/11, we seem to be retreating in our resolve never to forget," she said in a telephone interview.
Late Tuesday, in response to the AP report, Brown ordered his finance department to audit California's entire specialty license program, which was established by the Legislature in 1992, said Elizabeth Ashford, a spokeswoman for the governor.
About $250 million has been collected through the sales of the state's 10 specialty plates.
The Sept. 11 plates cost an initial $50 plus a $40 annual renewal fee, feature an American flag partially obscured by clouds and the "never forget" slogan.
Residents of California, where all four jetliners were bound when they were hijacked, have bought or renewed the plates more than 200,000 times since 2002.
Of the other states directly associated with the 2001 attacks, only Virginia has established a similar specialty plate program. Yet it did not set up a special fund for the proceeds of its "Fight Terrorism" plate.
For the past decade, the California DMV has said on its website that the money will "fund scholarships for the children of Californians who died in the September 11, 2001, terror attacks and helps California's law enforcement fight threats of terrorism." It advertises the program with the slogan, "Be a patriot."
While the DMV description of the program was not "totally disingenuous," the department should probably remove references to the scholarship program, said Joe DeAnda, a spokesman for the state treasurer's office, which disburses the money.
"It's out of date and it's on DMV to update that," he said.
Late Friday, the department modified the description of the license plate on its website to remove the reference to the scholarship program in response to the investigation by the AP, which began in March. Spokeswoman Jan Mendoza said the reason promotional materials were not updated sooner was unknown.
The DMV still lists the scholarship program on the online and hardcopy form drivers fill out to buy the license plates, but Mendoza said the department will change this next time the forms are printed.
The legislation establishing the plates had earmarked 15 percent of the revenue for scholarships. Yet only $21,381 has reached the children and spouses of the three dozen California residents killed during the terrorist attacks. The state treasurer's office closed the scholarship program in 2005, the sign-up deadline for potential recipients, and has $60,000 in reserve.
The total amount dedicated to scholarships was 1.5 percent of the $5.5 million raised through the sale of the plates through 2005.
The original legislation said the remainder of the money would go to law enforcement, fire protection, and public health agencies to be used "exclusively for purposes directly related to fighting terrorism."
But in 2008, Schwarzenegger, a Republican, borrowed $2 million to close a budget gap. Last year, Brown, a Democrat, borrowed another $1 million.
Neither loan has been repaid nor are their deadlines to ensure they will be. Ashford, said the loans have done no harm and that the governor has no immediate plans to repay them.
"We're trying to simultaneously balance the budget and fund important programs," she said. "If there was an indication that borrowing this money was going to negatively impact this program, we wouldn't borrow the money."
The rest of the money has gone to a wide array of budgets and programs.
The Legislature sent $3.7 million to the California Department of Food and Agriculture, according to the Department of Finance, to establish an online food monitoring database and implement a variety of worker safety programs, including hiring industrial hygienists to tend to worker health.
But it is difficult to say precisely where the money has gone. Late Friday, the agriculture department delivered documents it said were in response to a California Public Records Act request the AP filed eight weeks earlier.
The response contained itemized budget reports going back six years and listing payments for all types of government functions, ranging from salaries and benefits, to printing costs and communication equipment. Among the details: $18,163 for furniture in 2006 and $11,492 for auto inspection in 2009.
The response also included a legislative report on the threats the agriculture department is targeting with an online database the license plate program helps fund. A similar report from 2006, when the license plate money was first authorized, lists bioterrorism as a potential danger. But the 2011 report focuses on food safety and livestock concerns, including foot-and-mouth disease and meat and poultry monitoring.
Director of Animal Health and Food Safety Services Annette Whiteford said the department does not track license plate money separately from other funds.
She said it would be wasteful to reserve the money exclusively for anti-terrorism work. For example, the department uses some of the money to buy safety suits that would be essential during an anthrax attack but also are useful for routine food investigations.
"The things that I worry about in the animal food safety division are very high consequence events, but very infrequent. So I always try to leverage those resources," she said.
Another $2 million has gone to programs that aim to protect Californians from all manner of potential threats, not just those related to terrorism.
The California Emergency Management Agency used nearly $1 million in memorial license plate money for general operations, including administrative costs, buying and fueling cars, and hiring a person from 2007 to 2009 to coordinate five so-called "fusion centers," according to documents obtained through a Public Records Act request.
The other $1 million went directly to the fusion centers, which were founded after the 2001 attacks to focus on terrorist threats but have since switched to an "all crimes" approach that includes gang activity and natural disasters.
Herb Wesson, who wrote the license plate bill when he was speaker of the California Assembly, said he was saddened to hear how the money had been spent.
"I understand the financial climate they find themselves in, but they are not following the spirit and intent of the legislation," said Wesson, now president of the Los Angeles City Council. "The lion's share of the money was supposed to be given to local law enforcement so that they could beef up their anti-terrorism operations."
About 40 percent of the total raised to date, or $6 million, has gone to anti-terrorism training programs for firefighters and law enforcement officers. There is a slight discrepancy between the DMV's revenue figures and the Department of Finance's expenditure figures that neither agency could explain.
Patricia Anderson, who paid $98 for a personalized memorial plate reading "WE R 4US," said she signed up for the program primarily to show respect for victims of the 9/11 attacks. Anderson said she was disheartened but not surprised to learn that much of the money has gone to fill the state deficit or used for general purposes.
"That's California," said Anderson, who now lives near Austin, Texas. "It's kind of a given these days – nothing is spent on what it's supposed to be."
(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – New federal resources have been awarded to a fire department in Tuscarawas County. U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) today announced that the Newcomerstown Fire Department has been awarded resources for operations and safety by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) program.
"Our first responders put their lives on the line every day across Ohio," said Brown. "These funds ensure that firefighters in Newcomerstown have the resources they need to perform their jobs safely."
This is round ten of the competitive Fiscal Year 2012 AFG announcements. The Newcomerstown Fire Department was awarded $109,805.
The Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) program helps firefighters and other first responders purchase protective equipment, vehicles, and gear, according to FEMA.

subset: commoncrawl


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I love this time of year. When fall rolls around I get even more excited about baking than I do any other time of the year. Summer ends and the real baking begins. The last months of the year are full of special reasons to spend time with family, share smiles, and bake sweet memories.
One of my favorite baking memories is making pecan pies with my uncle. We make them every year around Christmas but I thought I'd share the recipe with you again a little early this year. It's too good to wait until December.
My grandmother used to make these pecan pies. Her recipe made three perfect pies at a time. She made them every year for family and friends. She loved it. And when she became less able to keep up with the same quantity of pies she liked to make, my uncle Ronnie became the official pie maker. He doesn't bake and he's not really a dessert guy but he makes a mean pecan pie. He's been making them now for well over a decade since my grandmother passed away. He's continued making them every year for friends and family to carry on his Mama's tradition. And now I bake with him every year I can and if not I make sure to bake them in my own kitchen. It's our family's way of keeping her with us during the holidays.
And the pies are delicious too, so that's awesome.
Of course, I had to put my touch on them and make them mini. Major cute. But I still wrap them just like she did. Simple and sweet. I love these refrigerated and I eat them like a giant pecan pie cookie.
Here's the recipe how my grandmother made it and here's a link to the original post with step-by-step photos demonstrated by my uncle and a little more about my grandmother.
And keep scrolling for a fun giveaway below…
Mama's Pecan Pies
Makes 3 pies or about 32 individual pies
16 oz. pecans
2 sticks margarine
16 oz. package light brown sugar
1 heaping tablespoon (serving tablespoon, not measuring spoon) self-rising flour
16 oz. bottle Karo light corn syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla
6 eggs
3 regular size (not deep dish) frozen pie crusts – or make your own (enough for 3)
- Melt margarine in the microwave for about 2 minutes or until melted and set aside.
- Prepare your pecans. Remove any unwanted dark brown pieces from the pecan crevices and shake out pecan crumbs in a colander.
- Place brown sugar in a large bowl. Work out any lumps with the back of a spoon. If the brown sugar is too hard, you can loosen it up in the microwave. Heat it for a few seconds and it will be fine.
- Add a heaping serving tablespoon of self-rising flour and stir until the flour disappears into the brown sugar.
- Add the bottle of corn syrup. Then add 1 serving tablespoon of vanilla and stir until thoroughly combined.
- Add melted margarine. Fold carefully into the mixture so it doesn't splatter. Fold until the margarine is thoroughly worked in and disappears.
- In a separate bowl, crack open six eggs. Remove the "roosters" and loosely beat the eggs with your spoon.
- Fold the eggs into the pie mixture until they disappear.
- Add pecans and stir until completely coated.
- Remove three pie shells from the freezer at this point and check for cracks. (If you do have a crack, thaw and knead the crack together and refreeze.)
- Pour the mixture evenly into the three shells. You'll probably have a little bit leftover in the bowl. Tap tops with a spoon to check consistency and make sure there is the same amount in each pie. Redistribute pecans if necessary to make equal.
- Bake for 45 minutes to an hour at 350. Cook pies until they swell and then fall. At that point they are done.
- Remove and cool for about three hours to set. Store on the counter or in the refrigerator depending on how you like your pie. Or eat right away and really warm – the pie just won't hold it's shape at this point but it will be amazing.
- For mini pies: chop pecans, use mini frozen pie shells, removing them from the freezer as needed and bake in three batches on a baking sheet for about 35 minutes each. I'm guesstimating the time. Watch them and make sure they are done.
And now, I'd love for you to share your favorite baking memory.
Holiday or any day.
You could be the lucky baker to win a KitchenAid Stand Mixer and a Williams-Sonoma Gift Card.
- Prize includes a KitchenAid Stand Mixer (valued at approximately $650) and a $200 Williams-Sonoma gift card. Approximate Retail Value: $850. Tasty!
- Giveaway runs from September 24, 2012 at 12:00 am ET through October 8, 2012 at 11:59 pm ET. Sorry, Time's Up! Winner will be announced this week.
- One entry per person. You must live in the U.S. for this one (I'm sorry my international friends) and be 18 or over, too to be eligible to win.
- To enter for a chance to win the mixer and gift card, just leave a comment on the website and share your favorite baking memory. And if you don't have one yet, the giveaway lasts long enough for you to bake one. : )
- One winner will be chosen at random and announced during the week of October 8th in a follow up post here on the site.
- Note that it may take a few minutes for your comment to display.
Good luck guys and I can't wait to read your baking memories.
This post is sponsored by Nestlé® Toll House® Morsels, the perfect special ingredient for all of your family's favorite treats!


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Artists playing this Series
Drummer Feedbacks
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Download MP3 Sound Files RUDE
Home > Products > Cymbals > RUDE > Rides | Crashes | Hi-Hats | Chinas (& Swishes) | Splashes (& Bells) |


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Black Nordic Cariboo Shaggy Rug
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Thick Super Shaggy synthetic polypropylene rug. The thick pile dampens sound and provides a soft surface to walk on. Easy to care for and soft to the touch
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Swingin' Sundays! Free Dance lesson 8PM. Live band 9-12
January 13, 2019 @ 8:00 pm - 11:00 pm
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An event every week that begins at 8:00 pm on Sunday, repeating indefinitely
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I'm using a Motorola Atrix 2 for testing at work, don't want to use my SIM with it.
When I startup the phone I get an emergency calls only page and I can't get past it.
I have had a look at this very related question:
Can I use a Motorola Atrix without a SIM card?
but I seem to have a different experience than the suggested solution says I should.
When I try to boot with the volume down button pressed down and then press the volume down button again, I never end up seeing "Boot Android (NO BP)". The top of my screen only ever says "AP Fastboot Flash Mode (S)". Any suggestions?


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It's whack-a-mole time on a terrifically taut episode of FX's The Americans (10/9), as the uneasily married Philip and Elizabeth learn just how treacherous these spy games can get, while Agent Stan of the FBI concocts a gem of a ...
It's whack-a-mole time on a terrifically taut episode of FX's The Americans (10/9), as the uneasily married Philip and Elizabeth learn just how treacherous these spy games can get, while Agent Stan of the FBI concocts a gem of a plan to try to take the focus off the real mole, the lovely but understandably terrified Nina. Even a subplot involving the Jennings' kids Paige and Henry, stranded miles away from home when the parents are suddenly otherwise occupied, isn't as annoying as these things tend to be (think Kim Bauer or Homeland's Dana Brody). For what it's worth (to me, a lot), Keri Russell has her finest did-she-just-do-that badass moment yet when she realizes the level of mistrust she's dealing with at work and at home.Want more TV news and reviews? Subscribe to TV Guide Magazine now!THE VAMP FROM VERTIGO: The Hitchcock classic isn't part of TCM's night-long tribute to the glamorous Kim Novak, but fans should still be inclined to revisit her career with the channel's Robert Osborne, who conducts an emotionally candid interview with one of Hollywood's most reluctant superstars in Kim Novak: Live From the TCM Classic Film Festival (8/7c), taped a year ago. Four of her movies follow, starting at 9/8c with the bewitching Bell, Book and Candle, a personal fave in Picnic (recently revived on Broadway with Maggie Grace as Madge), The Man With the Golden Arm and the unfortunate 1964 remake of Of Human Bondage.CALL THE MEDIC: It's never a happy time on CBS' Survivor (8/7c) when a contestant has a medical emergency, but will it be a fan or a favorite whose time in the game is threatened? ... In a similar vein of no-one-said-it-would-be-easy, a new edition of Showtime's 60 Minutes Sports (9/8c) focuses on the thrills and dangers of extreme sports, with Anderson Cooper following a big-wave surfer from Hawaii to Portugal, Byron Pitts investigating the new trend of grueling obstacle racing, and Bob Simon catching up with free diver Herbert Nitsch in his first interview since a near-fatal dive in the Aegean Sea.THE WEDNESDAY GUIDE: If you like your cop drama real, TNT's docu-series Boston's Finest (9/8c) follows members of the Boston Police Department on their rounds. Or if you prefer it fictional but feeling real, TNT's underappreciated Southland (10/9c) presents patrol cops Ben and Sammy with a bizarre quandary: Why are bank robbers tossing their ill-gotten cash into the street during their getaway? Detectives Lydia and Reuben tackle a more gruesome case, involving the murder of a man slow-cooked to death. ... It's the guys' turn on another two-hour live episode of Fox's American Idol (8/7c). ... The green-eyed monster visits USA Network's Psych (10/9c), when Shawn discovers Gus has a girlfriend (ER's Parminder Nagra) while his own squeeze Juliet goes undercover in the world of online dating. ... Like a real-life Partridge Family, pop-star clan The Cowsills enjoyed a brief burst of fame in the late '60s. In the documentary Family Band: The Cowsills Story (8/7c, Showtime Too), we'll learn life was less harmonious than their squeaky-clean image indicated. Why couldn't they all get along, like the Osmonds? Or the Jacksons. Oh, wait.Subscribe to TV Guide Magazine now!
View original The Wednesday Playlist: The Americans, TCM Loves Kim Novak, Dangerous Reality and Sports at TVGuide.com
Other Links From TVGuide.com
American IdolBell, Book And CandleThe Man With The Golden ArmOf Human BondagePicnicKeri RussellKim NovakParminder NagraAnderson CooperRobert OsborneBob SimonByron PittsPsychSouthlandThe AmericansSurvivor: Caramoan - Fans vs. FavoritesBoston's FinestKim Novak: Live From the TCM Classic Film Festival


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With the recent official announcement of the quad-core Tegra 3 chipset making its way to Android devices soon, there were also a ton of games mentioned in the press release that a lot of people probably aren't familiar with. Right now there are over 15+ Tegra 3 games under development and 40+ Tegra Zone games will be available by end of 2011.
With the Asus Transformer Prime not too far off from being released, here is a compilation of most of the games that will be available for Tegra 3 devices. Some of these you already know about such as Sprinkle, Shadowgun and Bladesligner, while others you may not have even heard of before such as DaVinci THD.
Bladeslinger, Shadowgun, Riptide GP
Two titles already available for Tegra 2 Android devices as well as other non-Tegra based devices are Shadowgun and Riptide GP. For those of you who have missed the plethora of articles out there when these games were released, Shadowgun is a third-person shooter that features some pretty impressive console-quality graphics and gameplay. A Tegra 3 optimized version is already in the works.
Riptide GP, on the other hand, is a water racing game where you jump on your jet ski and start racing against computer AI opponents. Graphically and game play wise, this is probably one of the best racing games currently available for Android. Vector Unit is currently working on a Tegra 3 version of Riptide GP which will feature improved graphics and physics including a neat little feature where the water will actually 'splash' onto your screen.
Bladeslinger is a hack n' slash game coming from Luma Arcade that will be making it's way to Tegra 3 Android devices soon. While this is an action hack n' slash game, it also features a unique battle system that is based around cards, similar to that of Magic the Gathering but as a much faster pace.
Soulcraft THD
Shown off as a tech demo during CES 2011 at the Nvidia press event, Soulcraft from Mobile Bits is an action-RPG title that will finally be landing on Tegra 3 devices soon. There still isn't a whole lot of information to go on in regards to Soulcraft THD but it is a great looking title even back when it was being used to show off the dual-core Tegra 2 chip.
Combat Arms: Zombies
Nexon is making a bit more of a push into the Android gaming scene with an upcoming title developed using Unreal Engine 3 called Combat Arms: Zombies. This title is based off their MMOFPS game of a similar name, Combat Arms, but brings in the zombies with it. This will also be an FPS game similar in style to the Call of Duty Zombie mod.
Lost Planet 2
Capcom has been testing out Lost Planet 2 on quad-core Android tablets since Computex 2011 and it seems they are still working on bringing this title to Tegra 3 devices. This is a third-person shooter that takes place on a planet called Eden II and features some pretty impressive visual and game play mechanics which include using vehicles and mechs during combat. Capcom has yet to officially confirm this for Android but you can check out the tech demo of it running on a prototype Tegra 3 tablet from Computex 2011 in the video below at about half way through.
Zombie Driver THD
For those of you who are fans of all things related to zombies, there is another game coming to Tegra 3 devices soon called Zombie Driver THD. Unlike most zombie games where you run around shooting zombies in the face, vehicles will be your weapon of choice in this game. You'll be able to outfit your vehicles with weapons or just simply mow down a large group of zombies with the vehicle itself by drifting across all their blood. It isn't just about zombie killing though as you'll need to rescue survivors as well who are trapped in buildings.
Hamilton's Great Adventure
Moving away from the shooting and racing games for a moment, Hamilton's Great Adventure is a co-op puzzle game for one or two players (on the same device) where you are a treasure hunter going by the name of Ernest Hamilton. To solve each stage you will have to use both Mr. Hamilton and his bird, Sasha, to solve the puzzles in each stage, collect the keys and loot before moving onto the next. For those of you who can't wait to try this game out, you can also grab a copy off Steam.
DaVinci THD
Probably one of the more exciting titles to look forward to when it comes to Tegra 3 games is an MMOFPS called DaVinci THD. The PC version of this game just went into a closed beta and the developers, Bridea Corp., are currently making a version of this fantasy themed MMOFPS for Android as well. Unlike a lot of MMOFPS games that are strictly about PvP in some form or another, DaVinci features both PvP and PvE (Player versus Environment) content for people to blast their way through.
Siegecraft THD
Currently slated for release on Android Tegra 2 devices this month, Siegecraft THD will be getting an enhanced version for Tegra 3 devices as well which will feature high detailed graphics and, like most Tegra 3 games, higher FPS for smoother game play.Siegecraft THD is all about waging siege warfare but instead of being a king of some land and battling out with other nations, you are actually a mercenary for hire who happens to have their own siege army. The three races in the game will be hiring you to go after their enemy's castles.
Zen Pinball THD
Zen Studios' upcoming pinball arcade platform called Zen Pinball THD will be landing on both Tegra 2 and Tegra 3 devices soon. The free table that comes with this game, called the Sorcerer's Lair, has been the one seen on plenty of videos from past events this year where a Tegra 3 prototype tablet has been on display. The tables for Zen Pinball THD will all come with different themes like the Amazing Spider-Man, The Fantastic Four and the Sorcerer's Lair for example. All of the tables are fully animated even right down to the smallest details. The Tegra 2 version is slated for release this December 2011.
Max Payne and Grand Theft Auto III
Rockstar Games has a set of titles coming our way soon for Tegra devices in the form of Grand Theft Auto III and Max Payne. Rockstar Games is giving Max Payne a bit of a face lift by improving the graphics to sport a bit more detail with a revamped user interface and will be landing on Tegra 2 devices soon.
Grand Theft Auto III will keep true to it's console counter-part and will come with all the content the console version had including the ability to pick up hookers and then rob them to get your money back. Rockstar says the Tegra 3 version will have improved visuals with newly created textures, more complex characters with higher polygon count and higher resolution assets from the game's PC release. This should make the purists out there rather happy. No exact release date has been announce for either title.
The best is yet to come…
This certainly isn't all the Tegra games coming to Android, but it's starting to impress. Other titles slated for arrival soon include Big Top THD by Pitbull Studios, Sprinkle from Medicore, and Jett Tailfin Racers THD from Hoplite Research. IniS also appears to be bringing their once tech demo of Euphoria as a full game as well. Best of all, for those of you who plan to get a Tegra 3 device, all the Tegra 2 games should run on your new quad-core device and will see performance increases as well.
Which upcoming Tegra game are you most looking forward to?
« Android Game Review: Reflexions Over 20 different phones from Verizon Wireless, AT&T, and Sprint, all available for free right now from RadioShack »


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Life has a way of feeling a bit full at the moment. One of those times in life when a lot of big things seem to hit all at once. (I also think that the busy-ness of Valentine's Day might have had something to do with my fatigue today. I keep reminding myself that one day I will miss the hoopla of Elementary School Valentines Day. One day.) I won't bore you with the other details because I have a feeling you've got your own full plate, but lets just say that I needed a little bit of sewing therapy today.
Sewing Therapy Needed
44 Comments
MicheleFebruary 15, 2012 at 4:35 pm
Awww, you will miss the hoopla, but you can always create (and control!) your own down the road. Enjoy those littles.
Sarah CraigFebruary 15, 2012 at 4:47 pm
Great work! That's going to be a beautiful quilt! And I completely understand about the hoopla – I got sucked into reading to 18 four-year olds while the teachers got the party ready (I had just gone to pick up my granddaughter, and ended up staying for an hour!) But it was lots of fun!!
SherriFebruary 15, 2012 at 4:53 pm
Oh, I don't know if you will miss the hoopla…maybe like me you will rejoice for a few years first as I did yesterday while making Valentine's cookies for family and friends. I was sooo happy I didn't have to make several dozen extra to take to school parties!
AnitaFebruary 15, 2012 at 4:54 pm
So pretty!
DreeFebruary 15, 2012 at 5:01 pm
This was my first year of no hoopla–with a 6th grade boy (talk about NO INTEREST in the Valentine balloons his school offered LOL) and a 3rd grade boy who had optional homemade valentines (and he opted to NOT), it was so quiet. 6th grader made brownies with red frosting for the family.

I am enjoying the Valentine down-time I will have before older boy discovers girls. :/
LB3KFebruary 15, 2012 at 5:05 pm
ooo! that looks so beautiful! can't wait to see it finished. glad you were able to get some therapy today. . .

leisel
Katy CameronFebruary 15, 2012 at 5:10 pm
Yay for sewing therapy and getting to use your new room!
Dana - Old Red Barn Co.February 15, 2012 at 5:13 pm
I know EXACTLY what you mean. :)

Glad you had some sewing therapy today to smooth it all out . . . even if just a little.
Jeanne W.February 15, 2012 at 5:13 pm
That quilt is coming along SO pretty! I wish i had your scraps to work with!!!
sandybFebruary 15, 2012 at 5:39 pm
Nothing like a little fabric, thread and the hum of a sewing machine to help things feel better:) So very pretty!!!
amandaFebruary 15, 2012 at 5:45 pm
That really is a sunny quilt… like vitamin D for the eyeballs. 🙂
LeslieFebruary 15, 2012 at 5:51 pm
this is amazing. you have the prettiest scraps ever!!!
bethanndoddFebruary 15, 2012 at 5:54 pm
I needed a little therapy today as well 😉 LOVE the quilt…those beautiful colors make me happy. Smiles~Beth
KristieFebruary 15, 2012 at 5:57 pm
Oh, I am SO needing the same! I haven't worked on a quilt since (gasp!) Sewing Summit, believe it or not! Not sure what vortex all my time has gotten sucked into, but it seems there is always some fire to put out. I am really craving a quilting day. I am glad you got your fix and have Christened your new/old desk! This quilt looks like it will be a cheery beauty!
Sewing In CTFebruary 15, 2012 at 7:13 pm
you have the loveliest scraps. I'm not sure mine would look that nice.
I'm glad you got your therapy. Toni
ktquiltsFebruary 15, 2012 at 7:46 pm
I so get it! I will pray for you!
MicheleFebruary 15, 2012 at 7:59 pm
Wow! I am loving what you have completed so far. I can't wait to see the finished quilt.
ThimbleannaFebruary 15, 2012 at 8:33 pm
Take it from one who knows — you will definitely miss the hoopla. Hope you feel refreshed after working on that happy quilt — can't wait to see it all!
LanaFebruary 15, 2012 at 8:35 pm
This is a real beauty! It made my dreary winter day brighter!
Kirsten SmithFebruary 15, 2012 at 9:08 pm
This makes my heart happy too! I adore these bright sun-shiney colors. Its amazing what a few minutes parked at the machine can do for the soul. 😉
Melissa @ Happy QuiltingFebruary 15, 2012 at 9:13 pm
I love that quilt!! So beautiful and happy!!
NicoleFebruary 15, 2012 at 9:54 pm
Here's to sewing therapy! It always does the trick for me. Looks like it worked for you. That is one beautiful scrappy quilt!
Judy BlinkenbergFebruary 15, 2012 at 11:09 pm
Nothing brightens a day like Amy Butler! I love her fabrics. Wonderful Quilt.
NedraFebruary 15, 2012 at 11:22 pm
I've been out of the Elementary school loop of Valentines Day for some time now…and do I miss it? Nope!
I think sewing therapy sounds much more fun.
Stephanie HFebruary 15, 2012 at 11:35 pm
Love it! The colors are perfect for the winter blahs! I've been seeing some spring colors surfacing, it really makes me want to get in gear and sew something nice and cheerful too!
luciethehappyquilterFebruary 16, 2012 at 12:21 am
That's going to be a beautiful quilt. I hope you share the finished result.
Kristen516February 16, 2012 at 7:46 am
Beautiful quilt…do I see some Amy Butler in there? I love love love Amy Butler. I love your pattern too!
chrisFebruary 16, 2012 at 9:24 am
For now I'm doing decluttering therapy, and then I know some sewing will be required!
Claire JainFebruary 16, 2012 at 11:15 am
That's such a pretty one! The colors make me smile 🙂
BeckyFebruary 16, 2012 at 11:17 am
I can certainly relate to needing some quilting therapy. It is February, after all…sigh. I am working on a scrap quilt too, even though I have no idea what I'm going to do with it when it's done. Yours is so pretty!
Lucy @ Charm About YouFebruary 16, 2012 at 1:52 pm
It looks so pretty! Sorry about the blah, glad the sewing helped! Old desks are the best 🙂
Mary on Lake PulaskiFebruary 16, 2012 at 3:41 pm
That is some amazing therapy Amy! I love what you are doing with your scraps!
Jennifer @ Ellison Lane QuiltsFebruary 16, 2012 at 5:53 pm
That is looking lovely Amy! I love those pretty colors. 🙂
Live a Colorful LifeFebruary 16, 2012 at 7:00 pm
Such pretty colors together. Sewing is GOOD therapy!
kcFebruary 16, 2012 at 10:08 pm
I scored an old, not so pretty, but pretty functional wooden child's home desk at a yard sale, for $5 – this was even before we closed on our house! Hubby wanted to know what the heck I was gonna do with it! I've been keeping my serger on that desk ever since we moved in, and boy, does it work GREAt! Never the hint of a wobble or vibration, and I don't even have the serger on a mat
goletagirlwendyFebruary 17, 2012 at 6:59 am
Love the quilt, all those pretty colors. I think I need some sewing therapy myself. Have a great weekend.
Fabric FanaticFebruary 17, 2012 at 2:18 pm
Is it possible that you could direct me to where I could purchase the pattern for that quilt? If there is none, would you consider making one so that I could make that quilt?
JenniferFebruary 17, 2012 at 6:44 pm
Beautiful quilt! Are you willing to share some basic instructions on this quilt, it's soooo sweet and I badly need to do a bright scrap quilt like this one! Thanks :O)
Crafty Girls WorkshopFebruary 17, 2012 at 7:06 pm
I love those bright cheery colors, they are perfect for a dreary winter day.
SachikoFebruary 17, 2012 at 11:34 pm
I LOVE(scream)the quilt!! I can't believe you made this out of your scraps. I think I need to purposely make "scraps" to make this quilt!
Ashley K.February 19, 2012 at 8:20 pm
I love that you're a stay at home mom, your quilts are amazing! Any tips for beginner quilts?

Ash
http://knowlesashleyart.blogspot.com/
amy smartFebruary 21, 2012 at 4:41 pm
Thanks, Ash! I wrote a Beginning Quilting series (https://www.diaryofaquilter.com/p/beginning-quilting-series.html) that might be useful. I hope it helps!
PamelaFebruary 20, 2012 at 5:56 pm
Amy, love the look of this and it is a great "scrap" idea. Sorting as I text!! Thank you
AmberMarch 19, 2012 at 12:36 pm
i love that quilt Amy! what a great pattern! i love how the scraps are broken up into different colors!

amber


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Welcome to our digital branch! Our Digital Library is open 24-7 to serve you. Here, you will find books, music, magazines, research materials, account access, and much more available when you need it, where you need it. Some services do require your library card number and pin, so please have them handy.
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Special bonus! A second round of Slumgullion in a single day.
By the time you read this, it will probably be too late to catch Faith In The Fallen's 9:45 set tonight at Rock US Beer Company at 1801 N. Clybourn. The hard rock quintet, which features current New Millennium Theatre member and former Famous In The Future member Guy Schingoethe on lead vocals, has a gig in Kentucky on April 22nd, as well as one at the Penny Road Pub on June 18th.
Genral Patton & His Privates will be the closing act for the Peace Fest Battle Of The Bands (isn't that an oxymoron?) tomorrow night at Phyllis's Musical Inn on 1800 W. Division in Chicago. Other acts include Jagweeds, King Casey, Populele, and Ko Starz. There is a $5 donation.
The Second Disc online newsletter recently reported that The Go-Go's will be celebrating the 30th anniversary of their effervescent debut, Beauty And The Beat by releasing a variety of special editions in May. The options will include Beauty And The Beat on pink vinyl, and as a two-disc CD set that features live performances as well as the original tracks. The Go-Go's, who will be performing with The B-52's at Ravinia on June 17th, are slated to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame in August.
Bruce Springsteen will be Little Steven's special guest on the guitarist-actor's syndicated radio show Underground Garage for the next three weeks. Underground Garage airs on Sunday night from 9:00 to 11:00 PM on WXRT in Chicago. Fans can also hear a live stream via the station's website.
International power pop trio The Britannicas have released a three-sided single - - one song composed by each of the members - - that's available for free download at drummer-vocalist Joe Algeri's bandcamp page.
The Bad Examples have just announced their first full concert since the release of their long-awaited Smash Record CD will take place on April 29th at FitzGerald's in Berwyn.
Also at Fitzgerald's, the 2nd Annual Concert For Carlos, a tribute to the late journalist Carlos Hernandez Gomez, will be held next Thursday, April 7th. Scheduled performers include Miles Zuniga of the band Fastball; Material re-Issue, featuring singer-guitarist Phil Angotti, along with original members Mike Zelenko and Ted Ansani; The Phil Angotti Band; Eric Howell's Greatest Hitch!; and The New Fiction, which includes members of The Gear, along with guests Wes Hollywood and Johnny Million. There will be a silent auction with items donated by Rock And Roll Hall of Fame inductees and Grammy Award winning artists. Fitzgerald's is located on 6615 Roosevelt in Berwyn. Donations can also be sent to the Carlos Hernandez Award in Journalism by contacting Wendy Irvine at DePaul University at firstname.lastname@example.com
Back on February 15th, I did a post on director P. David Ebersole's Hit So Hard, an independent documentary about former Hole drummer Patty Schemel. Rolling Stone is now reporting that all four members of the band reunited for the premiere at New York's Museum of Modern Art. Bassist Melissa Auf der Maur described the film as, "an incredible survival story about Patty."
The Chicago band Empires has made it into the next round of Rolling Stone's Do You Wanna Be A Rock & Roll Star? competition and is now among the eight finalists. The group has just recorded two new songs, which can be heard at http://www.rollingstone.com/choosethecover/artists/empires


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Unfortunately for the industry guys like Doug Maxfield don't get book deals. His truths and clear cutting of the bullshit that gets reported about commercial fishing for one reason or another gets ignored by major media and instead bananheads with very little real commercial fishing experience get anointed experts in the field.
In the current day and age when it is so fashionable to hop on the green train the general public and even worse- food writers buy into whatever crap the environmentalists label green or not green or safe or not safe and more often than not once one of these people say it's so the rest of the minions of loyal environmentalists fall right in behind them without ever doing real investigative work for themselves.
They ought to talk to guys like Doug or better yet read his blog- North Shore Waterman for the real deal.
Like the header for his blog?
It's from a picture I took.
Here is your warning-Doug is RAW. If you are offended by sexual innuendo or harsh truths with extremely salty language about all things commercial fishing don't bother going there.
But if you want to read about what is really going on in the fishing industry from a back man's perspective check out Doug's blog and make it part of your daily reading.
Here's the first post that I'd suggest you read to further illustrate why I think Doug Maxfield should be the guy that gets the book deal-
get your soap box
So I'm on the crapper the other day, and with no other options within a step the width of my under-pants, I found myself flipping through the New Yorker. Wouldn't you know it I found an article about the tragic state of the worlds fisheries (http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/books/2010/08/02/100802crbo_books_kolbert?currentPage=1). Always interested in people's take, I read it. HOLY-SHIT. Do people outside of the industry and the towns of New Bedford and Gloucester actually believe any of the tripe?
click the link to read the rest of his post


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Privacy Statement
SEAT UK (including the CUPRA brand), a trading division of Volkswagen Group United Kingdom Limited ("we"/"us") are committed to protecting and respecting any personal information you share with us.
This statement describes what types of information we collect from you, how it is used by us, how we share data with others, how you can manage the information we hold and how you can contact us.
We will always give you the option not to receive marketing communications from us. We will never send you unsolicited 'junk' email or communications, or share your data with anyone else who might. We do not sell your information to third parties, but we do work closely with our authorised dealers and repairers, Volkswagen Financial Services and selected partners who help us to provide you with the information, products and services that you request from us. For example, the AA who provide roadside assistance on our behalf.
The contents of this statement may change from time to time so you may wish to check this page occasionally to ensure you are still happy to share your information with us. Where possible, we will also contact you directly to notify you of any substantial changes.
This version of our Privacy Statement is live from 13 June 2019
What information do we collect?
We collect information about you and your vehicle when you engage with our website, applications or authorised dealer network. We only collect information which is necessary, relevant and adequate for the purpose you are providing it for.
We collect information about you or your vehicle when you use SEAT UK's (including the CUPRA brand) websites, applications and our customer service centres. We also obtain information about you or your vehicle from our authorised dealers and repairers, Volkswagen Financial Services and other companies who provide services to us, such as external agencies, consultants and IT providers. Some of this information does not identify you personally, but provides us with information about how you use our services and engage with us (we use this information to improve our services and make them more useful to you).
The information we collect includes some or all of the following:
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19. Where you act on behalf of a business, any information we collect as part of business telemarketing activity; and
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How do we use this information?
SEAT UK (including the CUPRA brand) will only process information that is necessary for the purpose for which it has been collected. You will always have the option not to receive marketing communications from us (and you can withdraw your consent or object at any time). We will never send you unsolicited 'junk' email or communications, or share your personal information with anyone else who might.
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Where you have provided your consent, we may use and process your information to:
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You can withdraw your consent at any time by contacting us on the details here or, in relation to any marketing messages you receive, by using the unsubscribe option included in those messages.
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Processing necessary for us to support customers with sales and other enquiries
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Volkswagen Financial Services (UK) Limited
Volkswagen AG
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SKODA AUTO a.s.
We collect and analyse this information in this way so that we can deliver the most appropriate customer experience to you by tailoring and making relevant all our service and communications (for example, when you might be ready to change your vehicle and the models you may be interested in);
Processing necessary for us to promote our business, brands and products and measure the reach and effectiveness of our campaigns
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We may process your personal information to comply with our legal or regulatory requirements (for example to register your car with the DVLA, to assist, or respond to a request for information from, an authorised authority, regulatory body or court, or to respond to a court order).
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Sometimes we will need to process your personal information to contact you if there is an urgent safety or product recall notice and we need to tell you about it.
How do we share this information?
We do not sell your information to third parties, but we do work closely with our dealer network, Volkswagen Financial Services, our group companies and with third party suppliers who fulfil business activities for us (like roadside assistance, marketing, events and market research etc.)
We do not sell your information to third parties. However, we may from time to time disclose your information to the following categories of companies or organisations to which we pass the responsibility to handle services on our behalf: roadside assistance service providers, customer contact centres, mobility and car hire providers, direct marketing communications agencies and consultants, market research and market analytics service providers, our legal and other professional advisors.
We will also share your information with our dealer network in situations where we need to pass your information to them in order to manage any request, provide a service or handle any complaint you may have made to us. For example, where you have requested a test drive, we will need to share your personal information with your selected dealer so that they can contact you to arrange for the test drive to take place.
We will also share your personal information if we have a duty to do so, e.g. to register your car with the DVLA, to assist an authorised authority, regulatory body or court, or to enforce or protect our legal rights or to establish, bring or defend legal claims.
There are also circumstances where we share your information with our parent (or other companies within our Group) in order to understand you as a customer, fulfil orders, transactions, handle complaints or provide you with a service or information that you have requested. For example we will share information with Volkswagen Financial Services UK Limited where you enquire about their services through us or where you make a complaint to us and later make the same or similar complaint to them. Volkswagen Financial Services UK Limited may use your information to provide you with information and carry out their obligations arising from contracts you enter into with them. For more information, please see their privacy statement.
Due to the international nature of our business, there may be some instances where your information is processed or stored outside of the EU. In those instances, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place for that transfer and storage as required by applicable law.
We take steps to ensure that any third party partners who handle your information comply with data protection legislation and protect your information just as we do. We only disclose personal information that is necessary for them to provide the service that they are undertaking on our behalf. We will aim to anonymise your information or use aggregated none specific data sets where ever possible.
How long do we keep your information for?
We will not hold your personal information in an identifiable format for any longer than is necessary. If you are a customer or otherwise have a relationship with us we will hold personal information about you for a longer period than if we have obtained your details in connection with a prospective relationship.
We do not retain personal information in an identifiable format for longer than is necessary.
If we have a relationship with you (e.g. you are a customer or the registered driver of a leased or other vehicle purchased from us or an authorised dealer), we hold your personal information for 6 years from the date our relationship ends. We hold your personal information after our relationship ends to establish, bring or defend legal claims. Our relationship may end for a number of reasons including where the vehicle warranty or lease expires, or we have been made aware that you no longer own or drive that vehicle.
Where we have obtained your personal information following a request for information, test drive, brochure, quotation or any other information on any of our products or services, we hold your personal information for 1 year and 6 months from the date we collect that information, unless during that period we form a relationship with you e.g. you purchase or lease a vehicle or consent for us to send you marketing information.
Where you have consented to receive marketing, regardless of whether or not we have a relationship with you, we will retain information we need to market to you for 3 years and 6 months from the date consent was given. Each time you provide your consent, the time period will refresh.
We hold your personal information for the above periods to give us an opportunity to form a relationship with you.
The only exceptions to the periods mentioned above are where:
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- you exercise your right to have the information erased (where it applies) and we do not need to hold it in connection with any of the reasons permitted or required under the law (see further How can I manage the information we hold about you);
How can I manage the information we hold about you?
You have the right as an individual to access your personal information we hold about you and make corrections if necessary. You also have the right to withdraw any consent you have previously given us and ask us to erase information we hold about you. You can also object to us using your personal information (where we rely on our business interests to process and use your personal information).
You have a number of rights in relation to your personal information under data protection law. In relation to most rights, we will ask you for information to confirm your identity and, where applicable, to help us search for your personal information. Except in rare cases, we will respond to you within 30 days after we have received any request (including any identification documents requested).
You have the right to:
1) Ask for a copy of the information that we hold about you;
2) Correct and update your information;
3) Withdraw your consent (where we rely on it). Please see further How do we use this information;
4) Object to our use of your information (where we rely on our legitimate interests to use your personal information) provided we do not have any continuing lawful reason to continue to use and process the information. When we do rely on our legitimate interests to use your personal information for direct marketing, we will always comply with your right to object;
5) Erase your information (or restrict the use of it), provided we do not have any continuing lawful reason to continue to use and process that information;
6) Transfer your information in a structured data file (in a commonly used and machine readable format), where we rely on your consent to use and process your personal information or need to process it in connection with your contract.
You can exercise the above rights and/or manage your information by contacting us using the details below:
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Email: email@example.com
Phone: 0808 5 222 222
If you have any specific data protection concerns or a complaint, you can address it to our Data Protection Team at firstname.lastname@example.com.
If you are unhappy, you have the right to lodge a complaint with a data protection regulator in Europe, in particular in a country you work or live or where your legal rights have been infringed. The contact details for the Information Commissioner's Office, the data protection regulator in the UK, are below:
Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Call: 0303 123 1113
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com.


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At her restaurant, Amanda Cohen tosses herb fettuccine with pickled squash blossoms and grilled zucchini. This simplified recipe features squash that's pickled and then grilled, plus freshly sautéed squash.
How to Make It
Toss the 1/3-inch-thick squash slices with the 2 tablespoons of kosher salt and let stand for 45 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine the cider vinegar with the sugar and stir to dissolve the sugar. Rinse and dry the salted squash and add it to the bowl; toss to coat with the vinegar.
In a blender, puree the 1/2 cup of olive oil with the garlic and transfer to a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer, then pour the garlic oil over the squash. Add the tarragon sprigs and mint leaves and press to compact. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Light a grill. Lift the squash out of the marinade; scrape any excess marinade back into the bowl and reserve. Grill the marinated squash strips over high heat until nicely charred, about 1 minute per side. Cut the squash into 1-inch pieces.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. In a large, deep skillet, heat 1/4 cup of the reserved marinade and add the saffron. Add the 1/8-inch-thick squash slices and cook over high heat, tossing, until al dente, about 1 minute. Add the rice vinegar, season lightly with salt and toss well. Add the grilled squash and toss to heat through. Remove from the heat.
Cook the fettuccine until al dente. Reserve 3/4 cup of the pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta and add it to the skillet. Toss well over moderate heat, gradually adding the reserved pasta cooking water to make a sauce. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a large bowl. Drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil all over, sprinkle with the chopped tarragon and mint and serve right away.


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Craig on Detroit post: 'If you could go home, would you?'
Cincinnati chief could get job offer this week
Cincinnati's police chief says he's not been offered the top post in the Detroit department, but again indicated that he would strongly consider such an offer.
During an interview on the Lincoln Ware show Monday morning, Chief James Craig told the radio host that 'There's been no job offer."
But he later turned to the assembled media and asked, "If you could go home, would you?"
Craig started his career in Detroit and much of his family still lives in the area.
"Given the opportunity, I believe and know I would make a difference," he said.
Craig said that leaving Cincinnati after only 22 months on the job would be harder for him than leaving Los Angeles after 28 years was to take the Cincinnati post.
WDIV-TV reported Detroit's mayor and city manager were expected to meet this week to finalize an offer to Craig.
Craig said that he wasn't considering the move for money reasons, and he said a pay raise would not keep him in Cincinnati.
"If they offer me the job and I accept it, and we're going to lay off police officers, I hope they count me, too; don't replace me right now," Craig said.


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Ancient History/Human Evolution/Neolithic Age
The Neolithic "technological" revolution made the majority of people become more sedentary, dependent on farmed crops, farm animals, especially for labor at first. This in place promoted the emergency of sizable urban areas. Agriculture provided a safer way to guarantee abundant food, this lead to population growth, increase in trade and time for complex cultural advances. Why bother being a hunter gatherer when you could become a settler. Of course this step had advantages but also disadvantages, disadvantages go from increase in large scale armed conflict, to despotic rulers that could better control the population due to control of the food supply and land rights, those and other societal pests that even today plague human society arose from this cessation of personal independence to a greater and continual reliance of human systems and institutions.
This evolution also had large impact on the environment not only on an ecological level, but on the fragility of crops, especially in early time to insect pests, weather and water supply. The adoption of an agrarian culture was not immediate or complete, systems could be said to be in a competition, a energy competition, how efficiently they operated, how much one needed to put in and could take out of these processes and the outcome was determined primarily in population growth, population that permitted not only the assurance of a cultural but territorial dominance in the period and long after. A guarantee that continued up to our present day by legal social constructs, linked to land property rights. From inheritance to the rise of city states and finally into today's nation states, where population numbers, beyond a high enough threshold, becomes a moot point for protection of acquired rights.
The Last Ice Age[edit]
Perhaps it would be better to call it the most recent Ice Age, because in fact, the Earth has had quite a few Ice Ages. A British scientist first uncovered evidence of an ice age in the 1800s. At first he was ridiculed, because some people did not believe the Earth was more than 9,500 years old. Yet since then climatologists (people who study long-term weather conditions) have found at least indications of at least four earlier ice ages, and an older age for the Earth has become generally accepted.
Ice Ages tend to be similar every time they occur. The whole planet becomes significantly cooler, and a vast majority of the planet's water becomes locked in ice at high altitudes and at the North and South Poles. Sea levels drop precipitously, and a sheet of ice extends outwards from the poles and from high mountains like the Alps in Europe and the Rockies in North America to cover huge swaths of the planet's land area. The ice sheet can be more than a mile thick in places, and the ice is so heavy, and moves so forcefully in places, that the underlying soil is ripped up, and the bedrock below the soil is pummeled, cracked and ground into huge boulders and tiny pebbles. Everywhere else, sea levels drop about fifty feet—shorelines in some places stretch outwards more than a mile beyond the present shores, and numerous small islands and shoals appear even beyond that.
The last Ice Age, which geologists call the Würm III Ice Age, lasted from about 20,000 years ago until about 15,000 years ago. All of Canada and much of the United States were swaddled in ice sheets as far south as Oregon, Wyoming, Illinois and Pennsylvania. Europe north of the Alps was almost totally covered, as was much of central Russia. Tibet, western China and northern India vanished under the ice buildup on the Himalayas. World temperatures dropped an average of 12 °F, enough to make even Florida or India unpleasantly cool.
Hunting and Gathering[edit]
Anthropologists think that at the start of the last Ice Age, the human population of Earth was less than a million people. Their existence revolved around a style of living which still exists today, although it is gradually disappearing everywhere, by a combination of acculturation, economic, political and social pressures.
One should note that hunter-gatherers are so limited, in their way of life, by several factors. It may be only lack of know how or freedom and safety in settling or a need to maintain environmental sustainability. People who practice this way of life are defined as hunter-gatherers and it is often a transitory state in a society evolution due the its precarity.
Hunter-gatherers do not grow plants or raise animals for food. Instead, they practice a lifestyle in which the men go out to hunt wild animals every few days, while the women gather wild but edible plants and useful medicinal plants every few days. In any case animal domestication should not be excluded from the definition of a hunter-gatherer societies, but not as a very complex methodology in animals husbandry, even if they could also see those animals as a food resource. Dogs for instance seem to have been domesticated more than 18,000 years ago. Note that we are defining a frame of Neolithic Age societies (10,200 BC to 4,500 or 2,000 BC) not those that we may still define as hunter-gatherers today. By the end of the Neolithic, larger human societies had emerged.
In hunter-gatherer cultures; There is usually a very strong division of labor between the sexes though men may gather some plants, and women may do some hunting, the expectation is usually strong that women will stay close to a family's camp while the men go far afield in search of food.
Every few months, as these resources become scarce in one region, the people pack up their few belongings and move to a new location within their territory. Each family may have a territory of hundreds of square miles over which they may range quite broadly in the course of a year, living off of what the land produces. A hunter-gatherer family might have a dozen favorite campsites, with one on the seashore, one by a lake, one in the hills and one in the woods. Fish and shellfish form their seashore diet while they make baskets from marsh reeds; by the lake they may eat deer and make arrows and spears from nearby trees; in the hills they eat mountain goats and make stone tools from a deposit of obsidian; in the forest they eat birds and fill their baskets with nuts and fruits for the winter.
Hunter-gathering is a remarkably simple life, and it is the way of life practiced by humans and hominids since back into the Paleolithic age's earliest years, as near as modern scientists can agree. People tend to have very few possessions, because they are very mobile, and they have no animals to help them carry their gear from one place to another. A tent may be the most elaborate piece of equipment the whole family owns. Modern hunter-gatherer clans tend to have fairly long life expectancies, usually around 70 years of age; some modern developing societies do not have such long life spans as hunter-gatherers do.
Today we can only guess at the lifestyles of ancient hunter-gatherers, based on modern examples. Most hunter-gatherers live and travel in extended families of at least three generations—grandparents, parents, aunts and uncles, as well as children. Older children take care of the youngest and the oldest. The family has to take care of all the needs of all its members, because there is no larger society to take on the work of caring for the elderly or educating the littlest ones. Aunts help mothers watch the youngest children, and collect the necessary plants to keep the family fed and healthy; uncles help train young boys to hunt smaller animals, and to help on the hunts for larger game. The same was probably true of ancient hunter-gatherers, as well.
Additionally, anthropologists and historians speculate that hunter-gatherer families 20,000 years ago belonged to larger groups called tribes. Tribes are clusters of families bound together by common taboos and beliefs for social advantage. While families lived on their own most of the time, such an existence in an otherwise empty landscape would have been difficult, especially if every other family was potentially an enemy. Thus, some families that spoke the same or similar languages would form alliances with one another, by marrying their children into one another's bloodlines, and by trading luxury goods, and feasting together. As families became too large to live together, they would bud off into new extended families that remained attached to the old relationships with other families. Strangers who proved their usefulness and loyalty could also marry into these arrangements, giving them both protection and responsibility.
In this way, different families and peoples experimented with the most useful prohibitions, prescriptions and modalities for living in a complex world. The tribes formed a social network which made it possible for individuals to travel great distances in relative safety. However, tribes may have also led to conflict, as different tribes began competing for water, food and other resources. Tribes may have also become so large that they subdivided, with clans existing as groups of families within the larger tribes.
Clans and tribes also offered opportunities for leadership.It is believed that leadership of these tribes was reserved for men, especially due to inter-tribal violence for the preservation of territory. Within an extended family, the oldest adult usually has tremendous influence and receives the respect of his or her descendants, for living so long and the experience he has. Keeping in mind that in the Neolithic the medium life expectancy is 20 years. The eldest man ruled until his death. However, within a tribe issues other than age may be a factor in choosing a leader. Some tribes may have chosen the biggest and bravest as their leaders, while others may have chosen the wisest or the most clever. Many modern hunter-gatherer tribes, and presumably ancient tribes as well, gradually developed four types of leader: the big man, who was usually the most important hunter; the chief, who was usually an older man or woman who was respected because of years of experience; the medicine man or woman, or shaman, who worked with plants and minerals to cure the illnesses and injuries of the tribe; and the artisan, who was particularly skilled at manufacturing goods necessary to the tribe's survival such as spears, baskets or clothing.
The beginning of the Ice Age must have startled and surprised these leaders and their dependents and followers a great deal. Colder temperatures and ice probably killed some tribes completely. Others moved toward the equator, seeking warmer temperatures and easier living conditions. Some must have stayed near the ice and weathered the cold, changing their habits and patterns of living to accommodate the change in environment.
However, the end of the most recent Ice Age around 12,000 years ago, put even greater pressures on the tribes that survived than the beginning had. As temperatures and sea levels rose, the Earth experienced a substantial die-off of plant and animal types. Some historians blame this pattern of extinction on our earliest ancestors; others attribute it to rapid climate change unrelated to human activity. Neither side has a total lock on the truth at this point. There is no solid evidence to prove the debate either way.
What is true is that many tribes, particularly in areas that received little rainfall or where few animals lived to begin with, needed to find new food and medicine sources. Part of the reason for the search for new foods may have been not simply that old foods were running out, but that our post-Ice Age ancestors had developed a taste for new things, and had invented a custom called feasting.
Imagine that it is a major festival at your house. All your relatives and some of your family's friends are coming over for dinner. Your parents have gone shopping for food several times over the last few days, and everyone is bringing a favorite dish to eat. Some of the foods that will be served are traditional; you have the same things every year at this time. Other foods are novelties—no one except the person who brought it has ever tried it before, and you are all either eager, or nervous (or both!) to try it. If the new food is good, everyone wants to have seconds, there is none left over, and all the guests want the recipe. The guest who served the dish can be sure of a repeat invitation. A disgusting dish will still be there at the end of the night, and no one wants to keep the leftovers.
Prehistoric feasting was probably quite similar. Within a small family, the question of who was the leader was probably not disputed often: the kids were kids, the adults were adults, and the adults tended to listen to one person's opinion of what everyone should do. However, tribes were more capable of being influenced by outside factors. A good meal, with decorations and entertainment, was likely to sway an important decision one way or the other. The hosts of a good meal could show that their way of thinking was superior, because it allowed them to have access to extra food that fed and brought happiness to more people.
Where did all the extra food come from? Remember that, unlike your family, there is no market or grocery store for finding the ingredients of these celebrations. Every other day or so, the men and women of the tribe have to go out into wild countryside to find food, water, and medicines. How did they find enough time to find enough food to feed all those people, when they were already working hard to find enough food for the immediate family?
What did they eat?
Through a process called domestication, early humans began controlling the development of a number of plant and animal species. They probably began by planting the seeds of their favorite foods in gardens, in order to harvest luxury or high-status foods like fruit, berries, nuts or grains. By cultivating small plots of land, human families would gain substantial riches, both in terms of surplus food and status. The plants that produced the most food would be bred with each other, in order to produce a more reliable crop with greater substance useful to humans. A similar process developed fiber plants like cotton, flax and hemp. In like manner, other human tribes took the effort to capture live samples of their favorite food animals, from cattle and camels to reindeer and sheep. By killing off the most aggressive males in a herd, and breeding animals according to traits which humans found desirable, these early pastoralists created modern farm animals.
Domestication of Animals[edit]
Domestication of animals began earlier, at least as far as modern historians know. Because bones fossilize over time, and because they can remain intact in dry and pH-neutral soil longer, they appear in the fossil record much earlier than any sign of domesticated plants. Dogs appear to be the oldest domesticated species, and they may have been domesticated by the late Paleolithic age, around 20,000 years ago. Dogs made the crossing to the Americas with Siberian Ice Age hunter-gatherers, but no other domestic species made the transition. However, dogs did not cross into Australia with the people who became the Australian Aboriginals 40,000 years ago. The date of canine domestication is thus a little confusing.
However, the real appearance of domesticated animals begins much later. Sheep and Goat (Capra aegagrus hircus) appearing in 8000 BCE. The domestic cat (Felis domesticus), thought to descent from a few as five self-domesticating African Wildcats (Felis silvestris lybica) c. 8000 BCE, in the Near East, was found in the form in a kitten that was buried alongside a human in Cyprus, dating 7500 BCE. The Chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) in 6000 BCE. The Dromedary Camel (Camelus dromedarius) appear to have been domesticated by about 4000 BCE and the Bactrian camel (Camelus bactrianus) around 2500 BCE. The Horse (Equus ferus caballus) also join them around 4000 BCE, as well as Cattle (Bos primigenius taurus) and the Duck (Anas platyrhynchos domesticus).
The example of horned goats is instructive. At sites dated between 7000 and 6000 BCE, goat horns appear in the middens of ancient peoples living in the Near East. All of these goat horns have a slightly curved profile, like a scimitar or other curving sword blade, suitable for ramming and goring another goat, or a predator, or a human who got too close. At sites dated between 6000 and 5000 BCE, a new type of goat horn appears, representing maybe 10% of the total. These horns, instead of being wicked tools for battle, have become curled and twisted. Between 5000 and 3000 BCE, the number of twisted goat horns remains fairly steady. However, by 2500 BCE, twisted and curled goat horns have become the norm, and represent 80% of the finds. By 1500 BCE, they represent 100% of the finds; the wild goat with its sharp and vicious horns had been replaced by a domesticated goat with twisted horns. Where the wild goat's horns could kill a man with a single strike, the twisted horns might batter someone but leave him alive.
From this, modern historians deduced that horn shape was not the only characteristic which early human breeding programs sought to preserve and pass on to future generations. Early humans must have also been concerned with things like meat, milk, and wool — all useful products derived from both goats and sheep, as well as other animals. Additionally, for most of the period covered by this book, most parts of the Near East were not typically well-settled, and the goat-herders must have preferred that their animals had some ability to defend themselves against predators such as wolves and lions. Historians call people who herd animals for their living, and who derive only minimal benefit from farming, pastoralists. All types of animal-rearing, taking into account both pastoralism and farming, is called animal husbandry. Animal husbandry lends itself well to a variation on the hunter-gatherer lifestyle, in which nomads, or people who travel widely seeking food for their herds or flocks, roam between several areas which provide food and water for both themselves and the animals they tend.
Domestication of Plants[edit]
Domestication of plants followed a similar but later process to the domestication of animals. Historians term all sorts of deliberate human growth of plants, cultivation. Cultivation is a process by which humans plant seeds, care for the seedlings, harvest the mature plants and store some seeds for future use even while eating the majority of the harvest.
Most wild plants do not produce many seeds. They do not flood the ground around them with seeds, because any such seeds will quite naturally compete with the mother plant that created the seeds in the first place. Birds and animals may carry a number of seeds away in their feces, but the majority of new plants wind up competing for the same ground in the same ecological niche. Humans changed the balance of nature by first identifying plants that were good to eat, and then establishing seeds from those plants under favorable growing conditions.
The first type of cultivation, then, was probably horticulture. Horticulture is the care and tending of gardens — small plots of land yielding a variety of plant products for the use of an extended family or tribe. Many tribal peoples, including nomads, found horticulture to be a highly successful strategy for feeding themselves. In many areas, horticulturalists employed a technique called the slash-and-burn technique to prepare their garden areas. The largest and least useful trees in a proposed garden were de-barked in a broad ring at the base of the tree; the gardeners cut down smaller trees and shrubs with knives and axes. The whole area was then burned, creating a bed of ashes from the dead plant material. The garden would thrive for several years in the ashes, before the soil nutrients became exhausted; then the gardeners would move on.
A second, later type of cultivation is called agriculture. Where horticulturalists establish small gardens supporting a variety of useful plants, agriculture involves converting large stretches of territory to a single plant, in essence creating fields. Evidence of agriculture, as opposed to horticulture, does not appear in the archaeological record until about 4500 BCE, when it made rapid inroads in five areas world-wide. These five areas are sometimes called cultural hearths, for their role in helping establish both culture and civilization in their regions of the world. Each area developed a particular group of food and fiber plants for cultivation in fields, and these plants remain the core of the modern world's diet today.
Four of these areas came into existence in the Old World: Africa, Asia, and Europe. Because these areas were located in river valleys, the archaeological record is somewhat confused about which area arose first, and which has the best claim to be the origin place of agriculture. The best guess is that they each invented agriculture independently of one another. The first area is Egypt, whose Nile River became a garden country quite early, involved in the production of domesticated cotton, wheat and barley. The Tigris and Euphrates river valley, commonly called Mesopotamia, was the second region, and it was involved in the cultivation of barley, wheat, and hemp. The Indus River valley in India was the third region, involved in cultivating rice, barley, beans and other crops. The fourth region of the Old World was China, which produced rice, wheat and lentils.
(Paragraph on Egypt)
(Paragraph on Mesopotamia)
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The fifth region followed a substantially different pattern. Mesoamerica, or southern Mexico and the nations of Guatemala, Honduras, Belize, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and El Salvador, had no vast river systems in which to build elaborate agricultural systems. Here, agriculture grew out of horticulture, as the gardens needed to sustain the local populations became larger and larger. In about 5200 BCE, a local grain called teosinte became the focus of an intense breeding program. By 2500 BCE, its seed stalks had doubled in size, and the seeds themselves had also doubled. By 1 CE, these seed stalks had increased in size by another third. This plant is today known as maize or corn, and it formed the basis of the diet of the Americas from around 2000 BCE even to the present day. Mesoamerica also domesticated a whole host of other plants, including cotton, chili peppers, gourds, squash, melons and potatoes. All of these modern-day agricultural crops originally came from Mesoamerican gardens.
Early Settlements[edit]
Early humans may have seeded gardens at one campsite, and then gone on to visit other campsites for several months before returning to check on their plants. They would have found at least some of their efforts trampled or eaten by wild animals, stripped of their leaves by ravenous insects, or eaten by other hunter-gatherer family groups. Although the earliest tribes to practice horticulturalism may not have had strong senses of ownership over their gardens, later generations might have felt seriously inconvenienced, or perhaps even robbed. They would make plans to stay at campsites with gardens over longer periods of time, and harvested the results of their efforts. If they had planned on using the produce from their gardens for the purposes of holding a celebratory feast, they may have been even more irritated than usual with the thieves.
These humans usually developed their gardening campsites a little more thoroughly than they might at hunting or gathering grounds. Occasionally buildings of rough stones and roofed with branches and straw replaced tents. People dug wells or cisterns to provide local water sources for animals and people; they also dug irrigation ditches to provide water to their gardens in dry seasons. As people invested more time and energy into their camps and gardens, packing up and moving to a new campsite became less and less desirable. Eventually, people may have just decided to stick by their gardens year by year. The hunter-gatherers, once nomadic, now became sedentary.
Modern Homo sapiens sapiens[edit]
By the start of the Neolithic Age around 10,000 years ago, modern humans or Homo sapiens sapiens had become the dominant primate species on the planet. Except for a few islands in the Pacific, humans had spread to every land in the world, from the highlands of the Himalayas to the Amazon basin. Hawaii would not be colonized until about 500 CE, while New Zealand would remain empty of human settlement until about 900 CE. Otherwise, humans were everywhere.
It is difficult to say just how culturally diverse humanity was, just at the end of the last Ice Age. The stone tools and small figurines called Venuses found at many early Neolithic sites suggest a remarkable uniformity of culture. However, humans tended to make stone cutting tools out of only four basic types of rock: chert, flint, obsidian and quartzite. The flaking properties of these stones lend themselves to particular shapes and forms quite well, but these prevent substantial differentiation in types. Some forms are sufficiently widespread and unique to be identified with specific cultures: the Clovis People of New Mexico, for example left behind spearpoints with a distinctive ogival shape and a thumb-shaped groove for binding the point onto a wooden spear half. A great many stone and bone tools, though, are anonymously uniform, carrying over their shapes from one generation to the next over thousands of years.
However, modern culture is not written in tools so much as in materials and gear that rot and decay. A young man in Europe and a young man in India and a young man in South America dressed very differently from one another in 5000 BCE, largely as a result of where they lived. Each spoke a different language from the others; each may have used similar tool sets, but one used that toolkit to hunt elk and moose, another to hunt cassowary, and another to hunt water buffalo. Each heard different stories from their elders, and wanted different things in life from one another. Each even had different standards of beauty when considering potential mates and marriage partners. In the same way, a Chinese woman, an Egyptian woman and a Mesoamerican woman learned to cook with different foods, and worked with different materials to clothe their families. They told their children different bedtime stories, played different games, and had different standards of beauty and ability when considering potential mates and marriage partners.
It is difficult to assess today what these ancient cultures looked like. However, by 4500 BCE the world was a patchwork of cultures. Some were gardeners, some were farmers, some were pastoralists, and some were hunter-gatherers. Some were straddling the dividing lines between methods of food production, and some people were actively traveling back and forth between different groups, carrying luxury food items, beads, precious stones and other goods between cultures, peoples and individuals. There were thousands of languages and millions of people world-wide. There may have been nations and kingdoms, but we know almost nothing about them, not even whether they existed. Writing was still more than a thousand years in the future.
Yet for archaeologists, things were about to get very interesting indeed.


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