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Feast of Our Lady of Mercy
- Nuestra Señora de la Merced
- Our Lady of Ransom
Commemorates the foundation of the Mercedarian Order and the apparition of Our Lady of Ransom. In this appearance she carried two bags of coins for use in ransoming Christians imprisoned by Moors. On 10 August 1218, the Mercedarian Order was legally constituted at Barcelona, Spain by King James of Aragon, and was approved by Pope Gregory IX on 17 January 1235. The Mercedarians celebrated their institution on the Sunday nearest to 1 August because it was on 1 August 1218 that the Blessed Virgin showed Saint Peter Nolasco the white habit of the Order. This custom was approved by the Congregation of Rites on 4 April 1615. On 22 February 1696 it was extended to the entire Latin Church, and the date changed to 24 September.
- Dominican Republic
- —
- Delaware, USA
- Bahía Blanca, Argentina, archdiocese of
- —
- Barcelona, Spain
- Barlovento, Venezuela
- Candarave, Peru
- La Paz, Bolivia
- Maule, Chile
- Quito, Ecuador
- San Juan de Pasto, Argentina
- Santiago de Cali, Colombia
- —
- Army of Argentina
- "Feast of Our Lady of Mercy". CatholicSaints.Info. 4 February 2019. Web. 23 October 2020. <>


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The Surface Stereo Imager Left on NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander acquired this image at 17:13:23 local solar time at the Phoenix site on the mission's Martian day, or Sol, 0.
The Phoenix mission is led by the University of Arizona, Tucson, on behalf of NASA. The mission is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California, USA. The spacecraft was developed by Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver.
Beginning late on 25 May, Mars Express executed a series of pre-programmed commands specially designed to support the Phoenix EDL.
Mars Express's Lander Communications Antenna was pointed toward Phoenix's planned entry trajectory to record the signals transmitted as it plunged toward the surface.
During this time, two Mars Express instruments, the High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) and the Ultraviolet and Infrared Atmospheric Spectrometer (SPICAM), were turned on for observations.
The aim was to visually capture the trail of the lander's trajectory to the Martian surface, to study the characteristics of the atmosphere during the lander's descent, and to monitor the lander's performance during EDL.
Additionally, the Planetary Fourier Spectrometer (PFS) on board Mars Express has been collecting relevant data since 8 May this year. This includes information on the physical conditions of the Martian atmosphere (temperature, pressure and density) above the expected the landing site. This data has been provided to NASA in support of their observations of the physical conditions in the atmosphere prior to landing.

subset: commoncrawl


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The Domaine de la Solitude - Châteauneuf du Pape - A Wine, a Village
IThe village of Chateauneuf du Pape is today worldwide reputed for the beauty of its historical heritage and n particular for the quality of its exceptional wine. Several time awarded by the top world-wine critics, Domaine de la Solitude wine is one of Chateauneuf du Pape's jewels throughout the world. From '' the Cuvée Secrète '' to regularly rewarded vintage wine, Domaine de la Solitude invites you on a journey that will stimulate your senses.....
To learn more
Domaine de la Solitude and Chateauneuf du Pape Village History.
LDomaine de la Solitude belongs to one of the most ancient families native from Chateauneuf du Pape. In France as early as the 15th century, the MARTIN'S traces can be found, but in Italy they go further back up to the ancient but just as renowned illustrious BARBERINI. François BARBERINI, born in Tuscany in 1264, lived in Provence for a few years. The best known, MAFFEO BARBERINI apostolic nuncio in Paris from 1604 to 1606, was made Pope in Rome under the name of URBAIN VIII. ...
Discover in Châteauneuf du Pape Domaine de la Solitude Wines.
Rigour, ancient know-how plus knowledge of alchemy secrets are the necessary ingredients to make a wine in Domaine de la Solitude.Each cuvée is meticulously worked in order for the connoisseurs to recognize the unique specificity of Chateauneuf du Pape wines.
Domaine de la Solitude invites you therefore to discover the secrets of its Red and White wines from Chateauneuf du Pape appellation and Côtes de Rhone appellation, great quality wines which reputation has long ago crossed the borders of our continent...
Chateauneuf du pape Terroir and Vignoble
There are lands blessed by gods' hand, Domaine de la Solitude ones probably belong to these.
Previously covered by the Mediterranean sea and then by the Rhone, those lands have kept this mineral signature made of stones and pebbles polished by the waters flow. Chateauneuf du Pape terroir benefit also of a Mediterranean climate, dry and hot in summer where the ''Mistral'' play its part in keeping the vignoble in a good sanitary state.
To learn more
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Découvrez les gites du Mas Mellou : cliquer ici
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Forget those rumors about Oprah and Gayle King — we're beginning to suspect that there's something going on between Oprah and Sarah Jessica Parker. First SJP gave Oprah the exclusive (well on TV) of her (boring! cheap!) Bitten apparel line, and now Oprah has anointed Parker guest editor of the July issue of O: The Oprah Magazine. The magazine is setting aside eight pages for SJP to style (here it comes!) "real women...of all ages and sizes" in her cheapster wares. We're sure they'll look nothing short of giggly and girlish, though we're curious as to whether SJP will be borrowing the trick utilized in her June Glamour shoot in which her plain-Jane designs are hidden by the occasional Burberry dress and Louboutin pump. You know, all the usual things that "real women..of all ages and sizes" have at their disposal when they dress themselves in the morning!
Another Role [WWD, 2nd item]


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Classroom Instruction
The students initially receive extended instruction on Saturdays in mathematics through pre-calculus, laboratory science, foreign language, writing (composition), literature (reading), study skills and other subjects necessary for success beyond secondary school.
ACT Preparation
Classes provide student with skills for taking the American College Test (ACT) through the use of preparation booklets which include test information, practice tests questions with scoring keys, writing prompt sample essays, test descriptions and testing tips.
Career Research Skills
This computer based class allows students to take self-assessment surveys to determine possible career choices through skills building, interest surveys and job selection. Included are resume writing and career research based on individual student assessment outcomes.
Academic and Career Planning
Individual, small group sessions and workshops assist participants with exploring career options, especially professional and career in which persons from disadvantaged backgrounds are traditionally underrepresented.
Each week the tutoring sessions include basic and college prep instruction in english writing, literature, foreign language, math through pre-calculus and science.
College and Financial Aid Advising
Parents of students in their third and fourth year in high school are invited to attend an informative hands-on financial aid session where a Southwest financial aid counselor explores, informs, and even assists in completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Cultural Enrichment
Whether it is the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater, tickets to the Phantom of the Opera, or visiting the FDR memorial in Washington D.C., Upward Bound is dedicated to assuring that the participants are allowed to develop and expand their cultural horizons.
Experience Living on a College Campus
The summer session of the Upward Bound Program allows the participant to get a taste of college life by residing in the dorms of selected college campus with a roommate. The students spend five (5) weeks in the dorms and are bussed to the Union Avenue Campus for their classes.
As a first generation college student, we understand that the Upward Bound participant may experience feelings of displacement. In Upward Bound, community leaders, faculty and staff have been invited to advise and talk to our students using confidence-building and morale boosting workshops.
Small Monthly Stipends
Each student is paid a small monthly stipend that is to be used to buy supplies and other necessities.


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The Variable Star Plotter (VSP) API provides a RESTful interface to VSP, allowing application developers to write programs that obtain charts and photometry data from the AAVSO. This document outlines how to use the VSP API. It does not assume the reader is familiar with REST practices; however it does assume that you know how to make an HTTP request, as well as how to handle JSON or XML data, in your language of choice.
IMPORTANT: The interface described on this page is deprecated, and will be shut down in the near future. It is replaced by the new VSP API. If you have a program that is using this interface, please update your program to use the new API immediately.


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May 15, 2009
Submitted by:
Julie Palakovich Carr, Public Policy Associate
Robert Gropp, Ph.D., Director of Public Policy
American Institute of Biological Sciences
1444 I (Eye) Street, NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20005
Phone: 202-628-1500
Submitted to:
Committee on Appropriations
Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
United States Senate
The American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) appreciates the opportunity to submit testimony in support of increased appropriations for the United States Geological Survey (USGS) for fiscal year (FY) 2010. AIBS requests that Congress provide the USGS with $1.3 billion in FY 2010, with at least $240 million for the Biological Resources Discipline.
AIBS is a nonprofit scientific association dedicated to advancing biological research and education for the welfare of society. Founded in 1947 as a part of the National Academy of Sciences, AIBS became an independent, member-governed organization in the 1950's. AIBS is sustained by a robust membership of some 5,000 biologists and nearly 200 professional societies and scientific organizations; the combined individual membership of the latter exceeds 250,000.
The USGS has been chronically underfunded and the long-term vitality of the agency may be at risk without increased funding. The funding we request would restore past cuts to important science programs, provide a needed inflation adjustment, and implement important science and information dissemination initiatives. While the President's budget request of $1.1 billion is encouraging, we believe that this level of funding is insufficient to fully meet the needs of the agency.
The USGS provides independent research, data, and assessments needed by public and private sector decision-makers. A unique combination of biological, geographical, geological, and hydrological research programs enables USGS scientists to utilize innovative interdisciplinary research techniques to answer important questions. Moreover, the USGS collects data that other federal agencies and nongovernmental scientists do not collect. We cannot afford to sacrifice this information; rather, we should increase our investments in this work.
USGS scientists do not work in isolation. Through offices located in every state and partnerships with more than 2,000 federal, state, local, tribal, and private organizations, the USGS has built the capacity to leverage additional research expertise, such as through the Cooperative Research Units. Together, the USGS and their partners are addressing the pressing issues facing natural resource managers, such as invasive species, wildlife diseases, and endangered species.
A legacy of funding shortfalls and shrinking workforce has put undue burdens on the bureau, its employees, and the science it conducts in service to the Department of the Interior and the nation. AIBS urges Congress to provide $1.3 billion to the USGS in FY 2010.
Past Funding Shortfalls
Over the past decade, the USGS budget has not kept pace with inflation. In constant 2009 dollars, the USGS received less funding in FY 2009 than it did in FY 2002. The decline in real terms of the agency's budget has corresponded with a 15% decrease in the number of full-time employees at the USGS since FY 2000, according to the agency's annual budget requests.
The loss of over 975 government employees in less than a decade comes at a time when demand for the agency's services has increased. Each year, natural disasters such as flooding, wildfires, earthquakes, and landslides cost billions of dollars and cause hundreds of deaths. Demand for high resolution elevation maps has increased with concerns of sea level rise due to climate change. Mercury contaminated fish highlight the need for water quality monitoring and further biological research into the function of our environmental systems. Additionally, over 1,100 species are currently being managed as endangered or threatened species under recovery plans informed by USGS science. Data collected by the USGS are crucial to reducing risks from natural hazards, generating maps needed for commerce and resource management, monitoring water quality and quantity, and managing our nation's living resources.
The Biological Resources Discipline (BRD) in the USGS has also suffered the effects of a budget that has not kept pace with the rate of inflation. In four of the last five fiscal years, the BRD's budget has increased at a rate smaller than the rate of inflation. This has resulted in at least $19 million in lost purchasing power cumulatively since FY 2005. Since FY 2004, the BRD suffered an 18% decline in the number of full-time employees, according to USGS annual budget requests.
These funding shortfalls have come at the expense of important science programs that inform natural resources managers and reduce economic losses from invasive species and pathogens. The BRD provides scientific data that helps us understand how our nation's ecosystems are changing due to climate change and that informs our efforts to address these changes. Research conducted by the BRD addresses the risks of contaminants to our nation's living resources. The BRD also provides the science necessary to understand and manage our nation's endangered fish, wildlife, and plants. All told, these services contribute significantly to the health of our nation's environment and economy.
The USGS Budget Request
AIBS requests that Congress provide the USGS with $1.3 billion in FY 2010, with at least $240 million for the Biological Resources Discipline. This budget increase would go a long way towards rectifying past budget shortfalls and to ensuring that the agency continues to provide critical information to the public and to decision-makers at all levels of government. Given the valuable role of all programs within the BRD, AIBS requests that any budget increase for certain BRD programs not come at the expense of other BRD or USGS programs.
Natural resource managers demand reliable, relevant, and timely information. The Biological Informatics Program develops and applies innovative technologies and practices to the management of biological data. However, the ability of the Biological Informatics Program to fulfill this function has been jeopardized by a budget that peaked in FY 2004. The program received less funding in FY 2009 in actual dollars than was appropriated in FY 2003. Increasing funding for the BRD would enable the Biological Informatics Program to continue ongoing activities and begin to implement initiatives the resource management and research communities have identified as priorities, such as adding new nodes to the National Biological Information Infrastructure program.
The Cooperative Research Units facilitate collaboration between USGS scientists and researchers at 40 universities. These partnerships make additional intellectual and technical resources available to address the biological, ecological, and natural resource questions the USGS seeks to answer. As with other programs, funding for the Cooperative Research Unit has not kept up with inflation. The $2.4 million increase requested by the President will help to fill a backlog of staff vacancies at Cooperative Research Units across the country and would ensure that the program's contributions to biological research and to science education and training will continue.
The BRD provides the scientific data needed by the Department of Interior and others to effectively manage our nation's fish and wildlife. The Biological Research and Monitoring program develops new research methods, inventories populations of plants and animals, and monitors changes in these species and their habitats over time. This information is used to recover endangered species and prevent the establishment of invasive species, as well as to determine the impacts of climate change on natural systems. The science funded by the Biological Research and Monitoring program is vital for maintaining the health and diversity of our nation's ecosystems while balancing the needs of public use. These data are critically important for resource managers at the federal and state levels and should be fully funded and supported. The President's requested $11.3 million increase will help to address several pressing science needs, including the impacts of climate change on ecosystems.
Additionally, we also ask Congress to fully fund fixed costs at the USGS. The President's budget fully funds these costs, without which USGS science programs would likely be forced to reprogram funds that would otherwise support important scientific research.
The USGS is uniquely positioned to address many of the nation's biological and environmental challenges, including energy independence, climate change, water quality, and conservation of biological diversity. Biological science programs within the USGS gather long-term data not available from other sources. These data have contributed fundamentally to our understanding of the status and dynamics of biological populations and have improved our understanding of how ecosystems function, all of which is necessary for predicting the impacts of land management practices and climate change on the natural environment. This array of research expertise not only serves the core missions of the Department of the Interior, but also contributes to management decisions made by other agencies and private sector organizations. In short, increased investments in these important research activities will yield dividends.
There is growing concern from within the government and outside that funding for the USGS must improve if it is to continue to serve its mission. Without an increased investment in USGS science, core missions and national priorities will suffer. Thus, any effort that Congress can make to fundamentally improve funding for the USGS will be appreciated.
Thank you for your thoughtful consideration of this request.
Read more AIBS Position Statements


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Chest Congestion
GENERIC NAME(S): Acetaminophen-Guaifenesin
OTHER NAME(S): Chest Congestion Tablet
One ingredient in this product is acetaminophen. Taking too much acetaminophen may cause serious (possibly fatal) liver disease. Adults should not take more than 4000 milligrams (4 grams) of acetaminophen a day. People with liver problems and children should take less acetaminophen. Ask your doctor or pharmacist how much acetaminophen is safe to take.
Do not use with any other drug containing acetaminophen without asking your doctor or pharmacist first. Acetaminophen is in many nonprescription and prescription medications (such as pain/fever drugs or cough-and-cold products). Check the labels on all your medicines to see if they contain acetaminophen, and ask your pharmacist if you are unsure.
Get medical help right away if you take too much acetaminophen (overdose), even if you feel well. Overdose symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, sweating, stomach/abdominal pain, extreme tiredness, yellowing eyes/skin, and dark urine.
Daily alcohol use, especially when combined with acetaminophen, may damage your liver. Avoid alcohol.
Who should not take Chest Congestion?Show More
This combination medication is used to temporarily treat symptoms caused by the common cold, flu, allergies, or other breathing illnesses (such as sinusitis, bronchitis). The expectorant helps thin and loosen mucus in the lungs, making it easier to cough up the mucus. Acetaminophen (APAP) is a non-aspirin pain reliever and fever reducer.
This medication is not usually used for ongoing coughs from smoking, asthma, other long-term breathing problems (such as emphysema), or coughs with a lot of mucus unless directed by your doctor.
Cough-and-cold products have not been shown to be safe or effective in children younger than 6 years. Therefore, do not use this product to treat cold symptoms in children younger than 6 years unless specifically directed by the doctor. Some products (such as long-acting tablets/capsules) are not recommended for use in children younger than 12 years. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more details about using your product safely.
These products do not cure or shorten the length of the common cold and may cause serious side effects. To decrease the risk for serious side effects, carefully follow all dosage directions. Do not use this product to make a child sleepy. Do not give other cough-and-cold medication that might contain the same or similar ingredients (see also Drug Interactions section). Ask the doctor or pharmacist about other ways to relieve cough and cold symptoms (such as drinking enough fluids, using a humidifier or saline nose drops/spray).
How to use Chest Congestion
See also Warning section.
Read and follow all directions on the package label. If you have any questions, consult your pharmacist.
Take this medication by mouth with or without food, usually every 4 to 6 hours as needed, or as directed by your doctor. Drink plenty of fluids when you use this medication unless otherwise directed by your doctor. The fluid will help loosen the mucus in your lungs.
If you are using the liquid form of this medication, carefully measure the dose using a special measuring device/spoon. Do not use a household spoon because you may not get the correct dose. If your liquid form is a suspension, shake the bottle well before each dose.
The dosage is based on your age, medical condition, and response to treatment. Do not increase your dose, take it more frequently, or use it for a longer time than directed. Do not give children medicines labeled only for adults.
Tell your doctor if your condition persists for more than 1 week, if it worsens, or if it occurs with rash, persistent headache, or fever lasting more than 3 days. These may be symptoms of a serious medical problem and should be checked by a doctor.
Side Effects
See also Warning section.
Upset stomach or nausea may occur. If any of these effects persist or worsen, tell your doctor or pharmacist promptly.
A very serious allergic reaction to this drug is rare. However, seek immediate medical attention if you notice any symptoms of a serious allergic reaction, including: rash, itching/swelling (especially of the face/tongue/throat), severe dizziness, trouble breathing.
This is not a complete list of possible side effects. If you notice other effects not listed above, contact your doctor or pharmacist.
In the US -
Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or at www.fda.gov/medwatch.
In Canada - Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to Health Canada at 1-866-234-2345.
See also Warning section.
Before taking this product, tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are allergic to any of its ingredients; or if you have any other allergies. This product may contain inactive ingredients, which can cause allergic reactions or other problems. Talk to your pharmacist for more details.
If you have any of the following health problems, consult your doctor or pharmacist before using this medication: breathing problems (such as asthma, emphysema), liver disease.
Some brands of this product may contain sugar, alcohol, or aspartame. Caution is advised if you have diabetes, alcohol dependence, liver disease, phenylketonuria (PKU), or any other condition that requires you to limit/avoid these substances in your diet. Ask your doctor or pharmacist about using this product safely.
During pregnancy, this medication should be used only when clearly needed. Discuss the risks and benefits with your doctor.
This medication may pass into breast milk. Consult your doctor before breast-feeding.
See also Warning section.
Drug interactions may change how your medications work or increase your risk for serious side effects. This document does not contain all possible drug interactions. Keep a list of all the products you use (including prescription/nonprescription drugs and herbal products) and share it with your doctor and pharmacist. Do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any medicines without your doctor's approval.
A product that may interact with this drug is: ketoconazole.
The ingredients in this product are available in many prescription and nonprescription products. Check the labels on all your medicines (such as pain/fever drugs or cold/allergy products) because they may contain the same or similar ingredients. Ask your pharmacist about using those products safely.
This medication may interfere with certain laboratory tests (including urine 5-HIAA), possibly causing false test results. Make sure laboratory personnel and all your doctors know you use this drug.
If someone has overdosed and has serious symptoms such as passing out or trouble breathing, call 911. Otherwise, call a poison control center right away. US residents can call their local poison control center at 1-800-222-1222. Canada residents can call a provincial poison control center. Symptoms of overdose may include: nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, sweating, stomach/abdominal pain, extreme tiredness, yellowing eyes/skin, dark urine.
Keep all regular medical and laboratory appointments.
Missed Dose
If you are taking this product on a regular schedule and miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember. If it is near the time of the next dose, skip the missed dose. Take your next dose at the regular time. Do not double the dose to catch up.
Store in a tightly closed container at room temperature between 59-86 degrees F (15-30 degrees C) away from light and moisture. Do not store in the bathroom. Do not freeze liquid forms of this medication. Keep all medicines away from children and pets.
Do not flush medications down the toilet or pour them into a drain unless instructed to do so. Properly discard this product when it is expired or no longer needed. Consult your pharmacist or local waste disposal company for more details about how to safely discard your product.Information last revised June 2018. Copyright(c) 2018 First Databank, Inc.
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Fine painting contractors located in Wilmington MA, Pama Painting specializes in interior and exterior painting services for commercial and residential properties. We realize that your home or business is the biggest investment you will ever make, and you want to protect it by using professional and skilled professional painting company to do the work. Our painters in Wilmington deliver remarkable workmanship You will find our rates to be reasonable.
Our service timely and our attention to detail superb. We beat any competitors price. Our Wilmington painters loves to paint, and we are good at it. We're craftsmen and we take great pride in our work. Most people can pick up a brush and paint. However, it takes skills and knowledge to do it well.
Over the years Pama Painting has earned Super Service Awards and hundreds of Grade A reviews. With our reviews and awards, we have established a reputation that speaks for itself.
Pama Painting is the only choice for all of your residential and commercial painting projects in Wilmington , MA. When it comes to painting we believe quality is in the details, clean lines and quality craftsmanship can make your living room or kitchen look truly fabulous. The team at Pama Painting is comprised of skilled painters and contractors who love to help customers achieve their dream homes. Whether interior or exterior painting, one room or your whole house, no project is too big or small for Pama Painting.
Before, during, and after your project our customer support staff is always available to answer any questions you might have. Plus, we have a customer loyalty program that helps you save money. With thousands of happy customers and grade A reviews online, and our sensational Satisfaction Guarantee, you can rest assured when hiring Pama for your home remodeling needs.
Painting houses are both a skill and an art. This is the reason why Pama Painting professional exterior house painters have years of experience painting houses in and around Wilmington, MA and be familiar with Wilmington's various residential architectural designs and building materials used in house construction over the past years.
Pama Painting is a leading provider of interior & exterior house painting services Wilmington, MA. Our expert exterior painters have years of experience and can make your home or office look new again. Our pro painters start by preparing surfaces, removing fading paint, washing dirty areas, filling in cracks and dents, and sanding any rough areas. Pama Painting then apply one, two, or three layers of primer and paint as needed to create a long lasting high-quality finish to your new happy house. Learn More About Additional Services We Offer In Wilmington, MA:
At Pama Painting of Wilmington MA, we know that getting the right team for your painting project can be stressful. We want you to have the best experience as we help your property come to life and we strive to deliver on our commitment to care and quality. With our pros working for you, the process will be easy and convenient — leaving you time for what matters most.
Over nearly a decade of quality service we have collected hundreds of rave reviews from real customers. Below is a selection of testimonials we acquired as well as reviews from our Houzz and Angie's List profiles.
We offer many services, including but not limited to interior painting, exterior painting, deck staining, wall repairs, carpentry, pressure washing, wallpaper removal, and cabinet painting.
Yes, we offer 100% free estimates, with no strings attached. Additionally, we guarantee you will receive you detailed estimate in under 24 hours.
Yes. We know accidents happen and for the safety of our customers and employees, we carry full insurance coverage and are licensed by Consumer Affairs.
Pama Painting is a well established painting company that was founded in 2011.
Quality paint jobs deserve quality paint. Tried and true, we prefer to use Benjamin Moore paints.
We never ask a customer to pay in full up front. However, in order to be best prepared for your job the moment we arrive, we do ask for a minimal deposit the day you sign with us.
People choose our painting contractor in Wilmington because we know what we are doing when it comes to not only painting walls, but making over homes. We start by carefully preparing the surface by removing old fading paint, filling in cracks and dents, and sanding any rough areas. Pama Painting then apply one, two, or three layers of primer and using the best Benjamin Moore, Sherwin Williams paint as needed to create a long lasting high-quality finish.
We can help you turn your home or business in Wilmington to make it look brand new again.
The first step is to contact us for a quote. We ask for a few details to help us with the estimate. Most quote requests are answered within one business day.
If our estimate falls in line with your budget, we will set up a day and time to get started.
Our team of house and commercial painters will show up on time to prepare, paint, and clean up the area before or on time. Once we are done with the painting project, we do a walk through with our customers to ensure complete satisfaction. Customer service is our to priority. Reach out to us today to get started with us. Call us at 508-408-3137


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We'd never heard of sugru before this year's Maker Faire, where it caught our attention by having hands-on demos and the unabashed enthusiasm of everyone who worked in the Shed. We came home with a pack, not entirely sure what we'd be using it for but thinking it could be a fun material to have around.
Fast forward to the other day in the car, when I idly mentioned that my ideal phone mount would attach to this part of the dash and be angled just so. S's instant response was, "Why don't you just make that with some sugru?" That's how much faith we have in this sci-fi amazing material now.
Sugru is a moldable silicone that cures at room temperature in a matter of hours. It adheres, flexes, and is heat resistant. And it comes in colors, which you can mix. It's like silly putty, but brighter and more durable. It's also like the grip on your favorite kitchen utensil—one you can mold to fit the contours of your own, individual hand.
In just a year, sugru and its users have repaired, tweaked and created a full gallery of applications.
We've used it for typical fixes, like this storage bin whose lid had cracked from being stuffed too full.
Or to cover up a large picture hook which didn't seem decorative enough to hang my favorite broom from.
I'm not much of a baker and have absolutely no talent for decorated sweets; nevertheless, something in me really wanted to make this melted snowman cookie as soon as I saw it. I'm also linking to it because of its story, a likely too-common tale of an idea published for free, only to have others appropriate it as their own.
But back to the cookie: her original directions call for cutting out the melted puddle shape with a knife. I knew I would not have the patience for that and thought it would be faster to make a melted puddle cookie cutter instead.
And yes, you guessed it, sugru was used.
In fact, this is the sum total of what was used: the metal strapping discovered at Halloween (I knew I'd be using it again!), some J-B Weld, and the sugru.
The strapping was bent into shape and epoxied.
Sugru was applied to the top, both to seal the shape and as a bit of a grip.
Had I meant for this to be a lasting cookie cutter, I would have used enough to cover the entire top; but I really wanted to just try this as an experiment first. What is on here is the contents of a single packet. It might take 2-3 packets to cover the entire top edge.
Here are the melted snowmen, made in gingerbread instead of sugar cookie dough (not an improvement, I have been told by the kids) and with the lazy-baker modifications of half a marshmallow for the head and candy-covered sunflower seeds for the nose.
Here are the melted snowmen, made in gingerbread instead of sugar cookie dough (not an improvement, I have been told by the kids) and with the lazy-baker modifications of half a marshmallow for the head and candy-covered sunflower seeds for the nose.
Thank you, Meaghan Mountford, for sharing a fun and adaptable cookie idea. May you regain all the credit you deserve.


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Bevy of lefties vying for spot in Angels bullpen
TEMPE, Ariz. -- Angels camp is stacked with southpaw relievers who have a history of being effective against left-handed hitters, and that's no coincidence. With lefty-swingers Robinson Cano (Mariners) and Prince Fielder (Rangers) joining the American League West, and Sean Burnett coming back from August forearm surgery, lefty specialists are of particular need this time around.
But Angels manager Mike Scioscia doesn't feel compelled to pick one.
"We're not going to take a left-handed arm that we don't feel is as effective just to have a lefty," Scioscia said. "We went for a number of years without a lefty and had great success with it. We have some really talented right-handers in our bullpen who get lefties out. If we get a lefty, it's a definite tool we'd like to have. But we're not going to do it at the expense of losing a good arm."
From 2002-08, a stretch in which they made the playoffs five times, the Angels ranked no lower than seventh in the Majors in bullpen ERA in six of seven seasons. During that span, they never really had a second lefty, and in two of those seasons -- '04 and '05 -- they didn't even deploy one.
Now they can make an entire bullpen of lefty relievers if they really wanted to.
Burnett -- still only playing catch from 90 feet, but also still targeting Opening Day -- has a guaranteed spot late in games if healthy. Then there's Buddy Boshers (a product of the Angels' system), Robert Carson (claimed off waivers by the Mets), Brian Moran (Rule 5 Draft pick) and Clay Rapada (signed to a Minor League contract), all of whom are fighting for a spot as a second lefty -- and hoping Scioscia even wants one.
Moran is the most interesting, because if he doesn't make the Angels' Opening Day roster, he must be offered back to the Mariners. If he makes the 25-man roster, he'd be the first Rule 5 selection to stick with the Angels since Derrick Turnbow in 2000.
Moran, 25, had a 3.45 ERA, a 1.44 WHIP and a 4.25 strikeouts-to-walk ratio in 62 2/3 innings for the Mariners' Triple-A affiliate, but it was mostly the righties who did damage against him. Lefties hit just .235/.272/.322 against him.
"There is no doubt that he has a chance to help us as more of a situational lefty," Scioscia said. "I don't think he's going to wow you with a lot of his stuff, but there is no doubt that he's very effective against lefties."


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Maybe Marcin Held wants to try to take Rich Clementi's leg home with him Friday night.
And maybe Clementi doesn't really care. He knows Held has half of his wins by submission, and lately that has meant latching onto a leg and cranking for all it's worth.
But when the two meet at Bellator 81, Clementi believes his vast edge in experience will make all the difference and put him into the Season 7 lightweight tournament finals.
Clementi (45-21-1 MMA, 2-1 BFC) and Held (11-2 MMA, 3-1 BFC) meet in the semifinals of the event, which takes place at Ryan Center at The University of Rhode Island in Kingston. The MTV2-televised main card follows prelims on Spike.com.
"I know Marcin Held is very good at what he does," Held told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "But I've trained with the best leg-lock specialists in the world over in Japan. I spent two years of my career focusing on leg locks over there. I know they're very dangerous, but they can also be a double-edged sword. There are times where going for a leg lock will put you in a really bad spot on the ground."
And that may be what Clementi is counting on. One slip from Held, and he might be able to take advantage and make it lights out.
"He's tricky on the ground, and you always have to worry about those kind of fighters," Clementi said. "At the same time, if I'm able to squash him when he's going for a takedown and just pound on him, that's what I do best."
A trip to the lightweight finals at Bellator 84 next month in Hammond, Ind., is what's on the line. And a win there, of course, would get the veteran a shot at the title.
But after a fight career nearing 70 pro bouts, he knows better than to put the cart before the horse.
"I'm not even thinking about the Bellator lightweight world title right now," said Clementi. "I'm only focused on what I have to do to beat Marcin Held. I've made that mistake earlier in my career – but again, that's where experience comes in."
Clementi's first pro fight came when Held was 7 years old. And don't think he doesn't realize that.
His pro experience has taken him all over the MMA map, including 10 fights in the UFC. So at one point or another, Clementi has seen a little bit of everything – including that world-class ground game Held brings to the table.
"I've been grappling as long as Marcin Held has been alive," he said. "He's only 20 years old, and there's a huge mental aspect to fighting. A lot of younger fighters just don't have the life experience that I do at this point in my career, and I'm going to try to use that to my advantage.
"I'm going to make him doubt himself and really attack him mentally and physically out there."
The Clementi-Held winner moves on to face the winner of Friday's other semifinal bout between Ricardo Tirloni (15-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) and Dave Jansen (18-2 MMA, 4-0 BFC).
For more on Bellator 81, check out the MMA Rumors section of MMAjunkie.com.


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The U.S. Supreme Court will take up cases that may change everything about same-sex marriage -- a situation that has some people cheering.
The court will be looking at California's Proposition 8 ban on same-sex marriage and the federal Defense of Marriage Act.
The federal law, known by the shorthand DOMA, defines marriage as the union of a man and a woman, and therefore keeps legally married gay Americans from collecting a range of federal benefits that generally are available to married people.
The cases will be argued Tuesday and Wednesday with rulings not likely before late June.
At Ferndale-based Affirmations, the region's community center for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, Antonio David Garcia, the center's director, said the region's gay community is hopeful.
"The hope is that the court will decide we can marry the person we love," Garcia said.
This isn't a yes or no decision by the court, officials have noted.
"If they send it back to the states, we are going to continue to push with our allies here to overturn the same-sex ban in our own state constitution," said Garcia.
In a poll issued by the Washington Post-ABC, nearly six in 10 Americans said they support the legalization of gay marriage -- the highest level of support ever measured in a Post-ABC survey. In 2004 only 41 percent supported legalization.
Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson said he isn't in favor of any change.
"I'm a traditional guy and always thought marriage is between one man and one woman," he said.
Patterson said years ago he was in favor of adding sexual orientation to the federal hate crime bill.
"I have tried to be fair (to the gay community)," he said.
As for his gay marriage position, he explained, "It's the way I was raised. If the Supreme Court opens the floodgates, then I'm going to marry my golden retriever."
Garcia said some people in the area will be driving to Washington to demonstrate in front of the Supreme Court. He said the straight community should be aware of what is happening.
"The straight community needs to come out of the closet and support the gay community," Garcia said. "We can do it on our own."
State Rep. Tom McMillin, R-Rochester Hills, agreed with Patterson, saying he stands by marriage defined as "one man, one woman."
"We voted for that in Michigan," he said.
"I certainly hope that is not overturned. It's the bedrock for society. I know Hollywood is pushing for it to change, but it better not."
As for the change in polls showing a majority favoring gay marriage, Garcia said the justices don't follow polls.
"Whatever decision they make in June, I believe the gay community is on the right side in this," he said.
"Sooner or later we will win equality for all lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. Whether it's in June or a decade from now, we're going to win."
The U.S. Supreme Court has many options with the historic same-sex cases it will hear this week. The justices might come out with rulings that are simple, clear and dramatic. Or they might opt for something narrow and legalistic. The court could strike down dozens of state laws that limit marriage to heterosexual couples, but it also could uphold gay marriage bans or say nothing meaningful about the issue at all. A look at potential outcomes for the Proposition 8 case and then for the case about the Defense of Marriage Act:
Q. What if the Supreme Court upholds Proposition 8?
A. This would leave gay Californians without the right to marry in the state and would tell the roughly 40 states that do not allow same-sex marriages that there is no constitutional problem in limiting marriage to a man and a woman.
Such an outcome probably would trigger a political campaign in California to repeal Proposition 8 through a ballot measure and could give impetus to similar voter or legislative efforts in other states.
Q. What if the court strikes down Proposition 8?
A. A ruling in favor of the two same-sex couples who sued to invalidate the voter-approved gay marriage ban could produce one of three outcomes. The broadest would apply across the country, in effect invalidating constitutional provisions or statutes against gay marriage everywhere.
Or a majority of the justices could agree on a middle option that applies only to California as well as Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, and Rhode Island. Those states already treat gay and straight couples the same in almost every respect through civil unions or domestic partnerships. The only difference is that gay couples are not allowed to marry. Gov. John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., signed his state's civil unions law Thursday.
This "nine-state solution" would say that the Constitution forbids states to withhold marriage from same-sex couples while giving them all the basic rights of married people. But this ruling would not implicate marriage bans in other states and would leave open the question of whether states could deprive gay couples of any rights at all.
The narrowest of these potential outcomes would apply to California only. The justices essentially would adopt the rationale of the federal appeals court that found that California could not take away the right to marry that had been granted by the state Supreme Court in 2008 before Proposition 8 passed later that year.
In addition, if the Supreme Court were to rule that gays and lesbians are deserving of special protection from discriminatory laws, it is unlikely that any state ban on same-sex marriage could survive long, even if the justices don't issue an especially broad ruling in this case.
Q. Are there other potential outcomes?
A. Yes, the court has a technical way out of the case without deciding anything about same-sex marriage. The Proposition 8 challengers argue that the private parties defending the provision -- members of the group that helped put the ban on the ballot -- did not have the right to appeal the trial judge's initial decision striking it down or that of the federal appeals court.
The justices sometimes attach great importance to this concept, known as standing. If they find Proposition 8's proponents lack standing, the justices also would find the Supreme Court has no basis on which to decide the case.
The most likely outcome of such a ruling also would throw out the appeals court decision that struck down the ban but would leave in place the trial court ruling in favor of same-sex marriage. At the very least, the two same-sex couples almost certainly would be granted a marriage license, and Gov. Jerry Brown, D-Calif., who opposes Proposition 8, probably would give county clerks the go-ahead to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
Q. Are the possibilities for the DOMA case as complicated?
A. No, although there are some technical issues that could get in the way of a significant ruling.
Q. What happens if the court upholds Section 3 of DOMA, defining marriage for purposes of federal law as the union of a man and a woman?
A. Upholding DOMA would not affect state laws regarding marriage but would keep in place federal statutes and rules that prevent legally married gay Americans from receiving a range of benefits that are otherwise available to married people. These benefits include breaks on estate taxes, health insurance for spouses of federal workers and Social Security survivor benefits.
Q. What if the court strikes down the DOMA provision?
A. A ruling against DOMA would allow legally married gay couples or, in some cases, a surviving spouse in a same-sex marriage, to receive benefits and tax breaks resulting from more than 1,000 federal statutes in which marital status is relevant. For 83-year-old Edith Windsor, a New York widow whose case is before the court, such a ruling would give her a refund of $363,000 in estate taxes that were paid after the death of her spouse, Thea Spyer.
Q. What procedural problems could prevent the court from reaching a decision about DOMA?
A. As in the Proposition 8 case, there are questions about whether the House Republican leadership has the right to bring a court case to defend the law because the Obama administration decided not to.
House Republicans argue that the administration forfeited its right to participate in the case because it changed its position and now argues that the provision is unconstitutional.
If the Supreme Court finds that it does not have the authority to hear the case, Windsor probably would still get her refund because she won in the lower courts, but there would be no definitive decision about the law from the nation's highest court and it would remain on the books.
-- The Associated Press
Contact Carol Hopkins at 248-745-4645 or email@example.com. Follow her on Twitter @OPCarolHopkins or on Facebook @OPcarolhopkins. The Associated Press contributed to this report.


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P&I stands for Protection and Indemnity. This is a specialist class of liability insurance protection for ship owners and charterers. It is rather useless to go into deep details of P&I practice as most of the dedicated insurers are publishing their own guides into P&I world, however, we would be pleased to go into academic discussions about P&I over a pint of beer with anyone interested!
The initial idea of P&I cover is to protect the ship owner's interests against claims from third parties and to indemnify him in case ship owner is liable to compensate third party losses.
Normally you would face two "classes" of cover available from most P&I insurers, namely:
Class I - Protection & Indemnity (P&I)
This is general liability insurance, which would cover ship owners' liability for main exposures they may face in today's shipping, including, but not limited to
Class II - Freight, Demurrage & Defense (FD&D)
This insurance is covering ship owners' reasonable costs for necessary legal assistance in relation to disputes, which are directly connected with the operation of the insured vessel. It goes without saying that you do not need to be liable to be held liable, so FD&D cover is becoming more and more popular within shipping community these days.
To make things simple P&I insurance providers could be divided into two categories:
The basic principle of mutuality is that you would be a member of the Club (similar to the shareholder) and will be able to participate in general routines of your Club's operations. The benefit of the Club is that you automatically obtain the maximum possible coverage and certain flexibility and service level in claims handling and risk management, but on the other hand the premium you pay is also mutual and you may, in the end, contribute to somebody else's claim by paying a supplementary call (that's how Clubs are calling extra premium for already expired period of insurance) when you have not budgeted it.
Major mutual Clubs are forming International Group (http://www.igpandi.org).
Fixed price facilities are commercial organizations (as a regular insurance company), which are able to provide limited insurance cover (normally up to USD 250 or USD 500 million) on similar insurance conditions as any Club. You hardly will have any extra member benefits, but your premium will be predictable and fixed for a certain period of time.


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Change Comes to Dinner is a new book about sustainable food by Katherine Gustafson which was released on May 8, 2012 by St. Martin's Press. Mark and Farm to Family are featured in Chapter 1. Katherine is a DC based journalist who visited with us in 2010 a few months after we had started Farm to Family, and traveled to the farms we work with, including Polyface Farm. Katherine also did a YouTube video of her time with us, which illustrates the first chapter of the book including the Polyface bee swatting incident.
Change Comes to Dinner is a fascinating exploration of America's food innovators, that gives us hopeful alternatives to the industrial food system described in works like Michael Pollan's bestselling Omnivore's Dilemma.
Change Comes to Dinner takes readers into the farms, markets, organizations, businesses and institutions across America that are pushing for a more sustainable food system in America.
Gustafson introduces food visionaries like Mark, who turned a school bus into a locally-sourced mobile grocery store in Richmond, Virginia; Gayla Brockman, who organized a program to double the value of food stamps used at Kansas City, Missouri, farmers' markets; Myles Lewis and Josh Hottenstein, who started a business growing vegetables in shipping containers using little water and no soil; and Tony Geraci, who claimed unused land to create the Great Kids Farm, where Baltimore City public school students learn how to grow food and help Geraci decide what to order from local farmers for breakfast and lunch at the city schools.
Change Comes to Dinner is a smart and engaging look into America's food revolution. Check out what critics and other writers of the food revolution are saying about Change Comes to Dinner.
You can purchase Change Comes to Dinner at your favorite local bookseller, or online at Amazon.


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How can I generate turn-by-turn directions using PgRouting?
At the moment, I have a web-page where a user can enter and start/end location and a route is generated on a map (using PgRouting and OpenStreeMap). I know how to list all of the street names, but I don't know what the best approach for stating which direction the user should take at intersections.
I have read through previous questions on this site: Does pgRouting support turn-by-turn routing? and How to emulate Google Maps driving directions using pgRouting? but both of these questions are over two years old, and several of the answers link to sites that no longer exist.


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Set up your porcelain pendant with Brown Cotton textile cable RC13: Choose the length of the cable and if you prefer to receive it already mounted by our staff or in the DIY kit.
Our pendants are ideal to give a touch of style and color to your home. Depending on the length of the cable you can decide whether and how to invent special effects, rolling or tying the cord to give more evidence to the chosen color.
Warning! Lamp is NOT included, you can find a wide choice of light bulbs in the "accessories" board or in dedicated section.
Do you like this configuration but would like to change a detail? (e.g. cable length, colour or material of the components) ?
Simply contact our friendly Customer Service via chat, phone or email and we will be happy to assist you!
Hanging Lamp consists of:
0.5, 1 or 2 mt of 2x0,75 cable of the select color,
1 Porcelain Rose with dowels,
1 E27 Porcelain Cup.
We ship all our orders using either Royal Mail or DPD services. Orders are usually dispatched within 24/48 hours, if the items are out of stock the dispatch time will be around 5-7 working days. See more details here.


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First FY09 NEA Grants Announced (12/11/08)
The first FY09 National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) grant awards were announced on December 4 through the Access to Artistic Excellence, Part One grant category and the Challenge America Fast-Track Review grant category.
Grant awards in the FY09 Access to Artistic Excellence, Part One category include $1,430,500 in grants to orchestras providing educational activities, concerts, festivals, professional development, and residencies through 55 distinct projects serving communities across the country.
Orchestras in 14 communities will provide performances, workshops, festivals, and master classes with the support of $10,000 grants through the Challenge America Fast-Track Review grant category, including $140,000 in awards to orchestras.
The League has compiled the project descriptions for grants to orchestras and grants related to the orchestra field. Complete lists of grant amounts and project descriptions for the 151 Challenge America grants and 886 Access to Artistic Excellence, Part One grants awarded in all disciplines and may be found on the NEA website. Future FY09 grants will be announced in the categories of Learning in the Arts for Children & Youth and Access to Artistic Excellence, Part Two.
View Orchestra Project Descriptions


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(CMT Offstage keeps a 24/7 watch on everything that's happening with country music artists behind the scenes and out of the spotlight.)
When Justin Moore says he's playing a lot of fairs this summer, you picture him on stage. Right? Well, yes and no. When he and his wife Kate bring their daughters Ella and Kennedy on the road, "playing the fairs" also means playing a lot of carnival games.
"Kate brought the girls out for a week, and my oldest daughter, who's two and a half now, loves the fairs. I've won her so many Dora the Explorer blow-up dolls, it's just unbelievable. I'm the best at the basketball games, and thankfully I'm a good shot. I always win by the third or fourth try," he told me last week. He also said Ella is obsessed with riding the ponies, and eating the hot dog out of the corn dogs.
But this week, the Moores are all leaving the touring schedule behind and heading for a family reunion in Destin, Fla.
"It's good for our family, my voice and my sanity," he said. He plans on golfing, building sandcastles with Ella, sitting on the beach and "eating a bunch of seafood and drinking some beers."
I asked if he was an iPod-on-the-beach kind of guy and he said no: "I try to get as far away from the music as I possibly can. But if I listen to anything, it's just old country and Southern rock."


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Svenskt Tenn's classic bag is decorated with a brass zipper, buckle and leather details. Inside, there is a detachable key ring and a pocket. Estrid Ericson designed the print and Svenskt Tenn designed the form.
Svenskt Tenn's founder Estrid Ericson travelled a lot to different places around the world. She always looked for beautiful items and textiles and souvenirs that she could take home and sell in the store on Strandvägen in Stockholm. She designed this print with small elephants, based on a model from the Belgian Congo. The Elefant (Elephant) textile was printed for the first time in the end of the 1930s.


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Eury Jr. named Stremme's crew chief at Swan Racing
Tony Eury Jr. has been named crew chief for David Stremme at upstart Swan Racing.
The team was purchased by Brandon Davis in early September, and the new owner is using the offseason to put together the pieces needed to make the No. 30 Toyota competitive.
Eury's hiring Monday is part of that process. Eury won 19 Sprint Cup races with Michael Waltrip and Dale Earnhardt Jr., and was most recently Danica Patrick's crew chief in the Nationwide Series at JR Motorsports.
He is a cousin of Earnhardt Jr. and a co-owner of JR Motorsports, but a difference in philosophy between Eury and Earnhardt led to a late season split.
Davis purchased the assets of Inception Racing, which was a start-and-park team last season.


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Cretekrēt [key], Gr. Kríti, island (1991 pop. 539,938), c.3,235 sq mi (8,380 sq km), SE Greece, in the E Mediterranean Sea, c.60 mi (100 km) from the Greek mainland. The largest of the Greek islands, it extends c.160 mi (260 km) from east to west and marks the southern limit of the Aegean Sea, the southern part of which is also called the Sea of Crete. The rocky northern coast of Crete is deeply indented, and the interior is largely mountainous, culminating in Mt. Ida (8,058 ft/2,456 m). Iráklion is the capital of the Crete governorate and is the island's largest city; Khaniá is the only other large city.
Crete has many small farms, whose chief crops are grains, olives, and oranges, and food processing is its main industry. Sheep, goats, and dairy cattle are also raised. The island has few mineral deposits, but tourism is an increasingly important industry. Transportation facilities include a developed highway system and an airport.
Sections in this article:
- Introduction
- History
- Bibliography
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: Greek Political Geography


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Nearly 80 years after their deaths, two dozen items associated with notorious bank robbers Bonnie and Clyde are up for auction.
The pair are well-known for robbing dozens of Depression-era banks while leaving in their wake numerous dead bodies before they were killed in an ambush in 1934 by a posse of law enforcement that included a former Texas Ranger.
According to a report on NPR, the posse was allowed to keep whatever they found in the Bonnie and Clyde death car -- and that included dozens of weapons.
U.S. & World
The day's top national and international news.
Those weapons, and numerous other items including a pair of Bonnie Parker's silk stockings, wanted posters, photographs and a watch, are now being offered up to collectors.
Many of the wanted posters are expected to go for only a few hundred dollars, but several of the handguns are expected to sell for tens of thousands of dollars if not more.
At this time, the .38 Special found taped to Parker's leg is at $80,000 but expected to be sold for 2 to 3 times that amount. Also up for sale are Clyde Barrow's .38 Special and his 1911 Army Colt .45 pistol as well as several other handguns.
See the items up for auction here.
Absentee online bidding takes place until 6 p.m. CT on Sept. 29. Live bidding starts at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Nashua, NH, on Sept. 30.


text: To commemorate Yakuza 5's release for PlayStation3 December 6th in Japan, Dining Darts Bar Bee has cooked up "the ultimate evolution" of their demi-glace sauce omelet rice as a collaboration menu item. Marketed as "super huge" and "super spicy," does this monster dish deliver? Find out when we scarf it down after the break!


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You say your secret ambition in life is to build the world's greatest mobile flatulence app? Here's your chance.
Taking a page from Microsoft's Big Book of Boring Product Names, Google is launching Google App Inventor for Android, an app-building kit that's allegedly so simple even a Kardashian could do it.
[ Want to cash in on your IT experiences? InfoWorld is looking for stories of an amazing or amusing IT adventure, lesson learned, or war tale from the trenches. Send your story to firstname.lastname@example.com. If we publish it, we'll keep you anonymous and send you a $50 American Express gift cheque. ]
Per the New York Times' Steve Lohr:
The Google application tool for Android enables people to drag and drop blocks of code -- shown as graphic images and representing different smartphone capabilities-- and put them together, similar to snapping together Lego blocks. The result is an application on that person's smartphone.
For example, one student made a program to inform a selected list of friends, with a short text message, where he was every 15 minutes. The program was created by putting three graphic code blocks together: one block showed the phone's location sensor, another showed a clock (which he set for 15-minute intervals), and third linked to a simple database on a Web site, listing the selected friends.
(And then his friends immediately created an app that blocked that friends' messages -- at least, that's what I would have done.)
Great news? Well, maybe. Jennifer Allan of the UK's ElectricPig blog fears this tool could push the Android app market into a "heavily diluted, low quality state."
Dear Jennifer: Have you seen the Android app market lately? Once you've hit bottom, it's hard to sink lower (unless, of course, you work for BP). Besides, when you write for a site called ElectricPig, I think you have bigger things to worry about.
In any case, the apps you might create with GAIFA won't exactly be top shelf. Android Power blogger JR Raphael has the skinny:
To be clear, App Inventor isn't about to replace or even threaten the traditional developer model -- far from it. Apps built with Google's new tool will be less robust and advanced than what any professional developer could create; we're talking about two entirely different leagues of programs. In fact, despite what you may have read elsewhere, apps created with App Inventor won't even be published to the Android Market as of now.
Interested in becoming the Bill Gates of mobile app development? Though the app-building app is still in a closed beta, you can spin the wheel by signing up for the waiting list. (Naturally, you'll need a Gmail address, so Google can start tracking wherever you go.)
Once you get approved, please do me a favor and build one of the following apps:
G-Man 2.0. This app would make Google CEO Eric Schmidt look and sound less like a geeky version of Howdy Doody and more like a real human. Put him in a black turtleneck and watch him come alive -- or at least simulate a pulse.
JobsMail. How about an app that automatically generates responses from Steve Jobs to random reader emails? Oh wait, somebody already did that.
The Perspirator: Who sweats more, Steve "The Mad" Ballmer or Mark "Boy in the Hoodie" Zuckerberg? We need an app that can calculate changes in relative humidity when one of them enters the room and starts schvitzing.
Stink Different. This app can give you an precise measurement, in bars, of just how much Apple PR is lying at any given moment about reception problems with the iPhone 4. The noise-to-signal strength almost never dips below 4. Talk about great coverage.
Appholes. This app measures how many times you use the word "app" in a single blog post and warns you if you're exceeding human tolerance. So far I'm up to 18 "apps" (oops, make that 19), which translates into a threat level of burnt umber.
Got more ideas for silly Android apps (20)? E-mail me: email@example.com.


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Most cartographers will tell you that a map is only as good as the source information from which it is gathered. This United States map, first published in March of 1892, shows the US with an overlay describing the relative quality of source maps, or "Mother Maps" available at that time for various sections of the country. The map was painstakingly compiled by mapping pioneer Henry Gannett of the US Geological Survey.
Coverage Area: United States, northern Mexico, southern Canada


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Ramos catches for first time since injury
VIERA, Fla. -- Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos caught pitches from right-hander Stephen Strasburg and left-hander Zach Duke at the team's Minor League facility on Thursday. It marked the first time Ramos was behind the plate since tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee against the Reds last May.
Ramos acknowledged that he was nervous before going to work on Thursday. He wondered how his knee would react when he blocked balls or squatted behind the plate. As it turned out, Ramos didn't feel any pain, but his right knee felt tired after the bullpen sessions were over. Ramos' knee was packed with ice after the session.
Ramos hopes he can start blocking balls behind the plate soon. Duke threw two balls in the dirt, but Ramos tried to catch them with his glove instead of dropping down to block them.
"I was a little bit scared behind the plate. I felt excited to be behind the plate again," Ramos said. "[During the bullpen sessions], I felt my knee getting tired, a little bit weak. I have to keep working out, trying to get my knee stronger for the next bullpen [session]."
Manager Davey Johnson has already said that he plans to start Ramos off slowly because of the knee injury. As of now, Kurt Suzuki is slated to be the No. 1 catcher.
"Hopefully I will work hard and be behind the plate for Opening Day," Ramos said. "I feel I need a little bit more time to feel … 100 percent. I feel I'm close to that. Right now, I feel like it's 90 percent. It's pretty close."
Ramos' biggest test will come when he plays in a Spring Training game.
"There is more excitement behind the plate -- block the ball, run behind first base for every ground ball to short and second," Ramos said. "You have to keep moving. It's going to be more and harder in the game. I'm working hard to be behind the plate in the game. When I start playing again, hopefully, I will be good."


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Welcome back!
Last Thursday I celebrated the Confirmations for 60 young men and women at Holy Name in West Roxbury. Last year I was supposed to have celebrated confirmations there but it coincided with the Holy Father's visit to the United States. I was happy to be able to come back this year.
It was a very fine group of young men and women. Msgr. George Carlson is doing a very good job in the parish and it is always a joy to be able to go and personally express our gratitude to the priests, the staff and the leadership in the parish for all that they do.
Holy Name is certainly one of the most beautiful parishes in the diocese, and it was from there that Cardinal Wright was buried many years ago.
– – –
On Friday, Martin Doman came to speak with me about some of the projects he is involved in and others he would like to do. He came with his wife and gave me a copy of his latest CD, "Legacy."
He is working in the Diocese of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania in the area of Evangelization but he has been very generous to come to this area often to help with events. His musical gifts are a great asset to the Church's ministry.
– – –
On Friday I was given an award from the Portuguese Consulate in Boston. The event took place at St. Anthony's in Cambridge and there were several hundred people there for the event.
Every year the consulate honors three individuals, a Portuguese national, a Portuguese-American and an American for their dedication on behalf of the Portuguese immigrants in Boston. Of course, I was the recognized under the last category, and was very honored to receive the award.
They gave me a beautiful crystal statue of St. Antonio de Lisboa, (also known as St. Anthony of Padua if you are not Portuguese!) The focus of the evening this year was the island of Madeira and they had a wonderful Rancho Folclorico from Madeirenses living in New Bedford who danced and sang for us.
– – –
This year, our Men's and Women's Conferences were on the weekend after Easter, also called the "Domenica in Albis," and recently "Divine Mercy Sunday."
The response was very good. We had a couple thousand men on Saturday and maybe 2,500 women on Sunday who assembled in Boston College's Conte Forum for the conferences.
The speakers were excellent and were received with great enthusiasm. Many priests came to the events and heard confessions for hours on end. All of those who participated were very grateful to be there. There were many fathers and sons on Saturday and mothers and daughters on Sunday.
I was very pleased that we were able to initiate a new Catholic of the Year Award this year at the women's conference, The Culture of Life Award. We honored Nellie Gray, who came up from Washington to receive the award.
Nellie was a lawyer working for the government at the time the Roe vs. Wade decision was handed down in 1973. I think many Catholics were blindsided by the whole event, but she immediately gave up her job and dedicated herself to the March for Life. The first year, 1974, there were 20,000 people at the March and this year there were over 300,000. It has been one of the most important pro-life events in the country and it is consistently the largest annual demonstration in the city of Washington.
The March for Life has been an opportunity to introduce many young people into the pro-life movement. I have gone to every March since Nellie started them over three decades ago.
At the conference, I told Nellie that some of the Latin American students that went with me to the early marches later went back to their countries and became pro-life leaders there.They later told me that their inspiration came from her and the pro-life march. So we were very pleased that she was able to come and address the crowd.
The other awardees were Sister Marian Batho, who received the Religious Sister of the Year award and recognized for her work as the Delegate for Religious and Loretta Gallagher, who was recognized with the Laywoman of the Year Award for her extensive work both at the parish and archdiocesan levels.
Loretta Gallagher receiving the award
Awards were given at the men's conference as well. Father Rodney Copp of St. Charles Borromeo Parish in Waltham was presented with the Priest of the Year Award; Deacon Leo Donoghue, former director of the Permanent Diaconate Office for the archdiocese was given the Deacon/Religious of the Year Award; and Steve Guillotte, a Knight of Columbus from St. Anthony of Padua Parish in New Bedford, received the Laymen of the Year Award.
I was grateful that Jim Caviezel was able to return for the men's conference this year. He spoke very eloquently.
Also, I had not heard his wife speak before but I was very impressed by the talk that she gave at the women's conference on marriage and family life in today's world.
– – –
The Greek Orthodox and the Catholics of the Eastern-Rite follow the Julian Calendar so their feast days don't necessarily coincide with ours. This year their Easter was a week after ours, so on Saturday night they had their Easter Vigil.
Father Jonathan and I went as we do every year. They invited me to read the Gospel and to address the people, to bring Easter greetings from the Catholic community to them. It is always a very moving event, much like our own Easter Vigil.
They bring the flames into the Church around midnight and as the bishop blesses them they sing the "Khristos anesti"
Khristos anesti ek nekron,
Thanato thanaton patisas,
Kai tis en tis mnimasi
Zo-in kharisamenos!
Which is translated as: "Christ is risen from the dead, Trampling down death by death, And upon those in the tombs Bestowing life!"
They repeat that song over and over again as they are blessed with the candles.
You see people leaving the Greek cathedral with the flames that they take home and use to light oil lamps in front of their icons with the paschal flame.
They gave us two Easter baskets with red eggs, which is a very Greek custom.
We got back to the cathedral around 12:30 a.m. for the ending of the Easter Vigil for our Geez community – the Ethiopian community which meets regularly at the cathedral. I was able to wish them a happy Easter and to bless the food for their Easter meal that began around 1 o'clock in the morning.
– – –
This year I regretted very much having to miss the annual Knights of Columbus Lantern Award ceremony but the nuncio had invited me to partake in a celebration of the Holy Father's anniversary in Washington. I went down for the day and there was a very lovely celebration at the Apostolic Nunciature and it was an opportunity to connect with many of the bishops and Catholic leaders throughout the nation who were gathered for this event.
The next morning, I celebrated the Mass of Saint Conrad of Parzham for the Capuchin community in Washington. Saint Conrad is the only saint from my province, and we hope not the last one!
He was a German lay-brother at the famous Marian shrine of Altoetting in Germany — a place the Holy Father visited in his last trip to Germany. The Holy Father was actually born right near that monastery and has always had a great devotion to Our Lady of Altoetting and "Bruder" (brother in German) Conrad so I was happy to be able to celebrate that.
– – –
Tuesday evening I was invited to BC to attend the book launch of "Two Centuries of Faith," a historical project celebrating our diocese's bicentennial.
The book's editor, Tom O'Connor, gave an address on the genesis of the project and spoke about the essays included in the book.
The book focuses on the influence of our Catholic Church on Boston over the past two hundred years. Afterwards, Father Leahy gave me a copy of the book—a special deluxe version!
I am so pleased at how the book turned out and know that it will be a very valuable resource for many years to come.
In the photo, from left, François Gauthier, Aubrey J. Scheopner, Joseph M. O'Keefe, James M. O'Toole, Thomas H. O'Connor, Father J. Bryan Hehir, Libby MacDonald Bischof, Carol Hurd Green and Father William T. Schmidt
– – –
I understand that a movie based on Brown's book Angels and Demons is about to premier. Portions of the plot take place in my titular church in Rome.
I read the book a few years ago and I didn't find it a great piece of literature. The ending is a kind of a "deus ex machina" and, although it does not present a favorable picture of the Church, in my recollection is not as damaging as The Da Vinci Code, which calls into question the basic tenets of Christianity — Jesus' divinity and the divine origins of the Church.
I understand that "The Da Vinci Code" was not a successful movie and this one will probably not be very successful either, but Dan Brown's books were very profitable.
But "The Da Vinci Code" was a particularly virulent attack on the Church filled with many untruths that underscores the need for our Catholics to be more informed about their faith and the history of the Church.
The story line of "Angels and Demons," I'm sure, will underscore many of the interesting architectural and artistic aspects of the city of Rome, including my own Church, Santa Maria della Vittoria, which has one of the finest statues in Rome: the Bernini statue of "The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa."
I always joked that I wanted to bring that statue back to Boston, but the Carmelite friars who run my church told me that Napoleon tried to take it to Paris and not even he was able to. They also tell me that they get a lot of tourists coming to the church because it is on the Angels and Demons tour of Rome. But, apparently, the director of the film was refused admission into the Church (although I'm sure they will still do something to replicate it in the film).
– – –
Wednesday, I visited with Bishop Musie Ghebreghiorghis, O.F.M. Cap. He is the bishop of a relatively new diocese in Ethiopia. There are 10 dioceses in Ethiopia and three of them are led by Capuchin bishops. The Capuchins have been very involved in the history of the Church in Ethiopia because it was a Capuchin missionary, Cardinal Massaia, who in the 1800's reintroduced the Catholic Church into Ethiopia.
Cardinal Massaia was a missionary there for almost 40 years and wrote a several volume history of Ethiopia, which has been very important to understanding the history of the country. He was also, along with other missionaries, responsible for writing down the native language and translating the bible into their native language. His cause of beatification has been introduced; he is certainly one of the great Capuchin missionaries from Italy.
The first friars who went there were Italian, but now we have a province of friars in Eritrea, which was the first province of Capuchins in Africa, and another province in Ethiopia.
The bishop was here as part of the 800th anniversary of the Franciscan order and he gave a lecture at St. Bonaventure's University in New York. While he was in the country he wanted to visit Archbishop Chaput and myself, the two Capuchin bishops in the U.S. We were very pleased to have him celebrate Mass for our own Ethiopian community in Boston and he brought me a beautiful Ethiopian icon of Our Lady.
– – –
In the afternoon I had a meeting with the major superiors of communities of men that are present in the archdiocese. Some of them were visiting the Pastoral Center for the first time and they were pleased to see it. It was an opportunity for information sharing and updates on what is happening in the diocese as well as an opportunity for the religious communities to share with each other what is going on within their own individual ministries.
– – –
In the evening, Fathers George Szal and Carlos Flor invited me to preside over a Liturgy of the Word at Immaculate Conception in Revere where a team of catechists of the Neocatechumenal Way have been catechizing for two months.
There were about 40 people who had gone through the program. Towards the end, the people came to receive the bibles that they will be using as they begin their formation in a neocatechumenal community.
There was great enthusiasm among the people and, even though the catecheses were given in English, quite a number of Hispanics were there.
With the team of catechists
Father George and Father Carlos are doing a wonderful job in Revere and the parishioners are very pleased with what has been happening in the parish.
Until my next post.
In Christ,
Cardinal Seán


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Fight to keep Kings in Sacramento takes political turn
The push to keep the Sacramento Kings from moving to Seattle has officially become political. And the gloves, as was expected, have come off in this seemingly-unfair fight.
In a letter intended for California Department of General Services director Fred Klass that was distributed to USA TODAY Sports and a select few other media outlets, California Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg raises questions and concerns about Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer's involvement in the proposed purchase of the Kings while lobbing veiled threats all along the way. Ballmer is part of the Seattle-based group that has reached an agreement with the Maloof family that owns the team to buy a majority interest for approximately $341 million (based on a $525 million total valuation of the franchise).
With a net worth that is reportedly $15.7 billion and the recent revelation that he appears to be all in when it comes to bringing the Sonics back to Seattle, Ballmer finds himself in these political crosshairs because of his extensive business dealings in California and, specifically, the epicenter of the technology industry: Silicon Valley in Northern California.
Steinberg, a former Sacramento City Council member who has no shortage of influence in California's Capitol, has shown a willingness to fight to keep the Kings before: When they were on the verge of moving to Anaheim in April of 2011, Steinberg threatened to introduce legislation that would force a team's owners to pay off all outstanding debt to the city in which it plays before signing a lease in another California city. The Maloofs inherited a $77 million loan (including a prepayment penalty) from the city of Sacramento that must be repaid if the team leaves.
Steinberg is hardly the only Sacramento-based politician attempting to keep the Kings in Sacramento, as Mayor, former NBA point guard and Sacramento native Kevin Johnson is moving forward with his plans to produce a counter-offer to the Seattle group that he is expected to eventually present to the NBA's Board of Governors.
Here's the letter from Steinberg:
January 22, 2013
Fred Klass, Director
California Department of General Services
707 Third Street
West Sacramento, CA 95605
Dear Director Klass:
I read with distress recent media accounts reporting that Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft Corporation, is actively engaged in discussions and may now have a general agreement to purchase NBA's Sacramento Kings -- a franchise which has generated significant jobs and revenue for both our region and the State of California for 27 years -- and move it to another state.
If true, I am troubled that a company and a CEO that has for so long enjoyed a prosperous and beneficial working relationship with the State of California and its taxpayers would blatantly engage in activities which are clearly and measurably detrimental to our State's job and revenue base – not to mention use profits earned through business with our State to appropriate a California-based asset.
As a legislative leader with direct budget authority, I'm obviously concerned about what impact these events might have on state and regional revenue, as well as our recovering economy.
I would appreciate your help – as the director of the department in charge of most state procurement – in obtaining some information that in light of these reports is certainly relevant to California taxpayers, particularly those in the Sacramento region.
- How many technology contracts and at what total cost to state taxpayers does Microsoft Corporation currently have with the State of California?
-In total dollars, how much has the State of California paid Microsoft Corporation for its products and services over the last 10 years?
- Can you send my office terms of contracts and representations made by Microsoft Corporation regarding their contracts with the State?
-To your knowledge, does any other state in the United States pay more annually to Microsoft Corporation for products and services than the State of California?
- What is Microsoft Corporation's record of performance with the State of California?
As a state legislator, I am well aware that I have no direct role in the day-to-day management of the State's technology procurement processes, but I cannot stand idly by while a prominent out-of-state company that has significantly profited from business with the State of California actively attempts to acquire and remove one of my State and my region's leading private assets.
Thank you in advance for your time and assistance in responding to this information request. Please do not
hesitate to contact my office to discuss this issue in more detail.
Senate President pro Tempore
State of California
6th Senate District
cc: Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr.
Secretary Anna Caballero, State and Consumer Services Agency


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Chicago man accused of spitting on agent
A Chicago man has been charged with spitting on a Secret Service agent who was guarding President Barack Obama's home last month.
The Chicago Sun-Times reports ( https://bit.ly/VEHgVT ) that Kevin Lawrence is accused of spitting into the agent's vehicle on Dec. 29 outside the Chicago home, hitting the agent in the face and neck. He's charged with aggravated battery of a peace officer.
The 46-year-old Lawrence is jailed on $50,000 bail. Cook County Jail records show he was booked Sunday. The records don't list an attorney for him.
His next court date is Friday.
Information from: Chicago Sun-Times, https://www.suntimes.com/index


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This post originally appeared on the Geek Feminism blog and is reposted here for posterity.
The Linux.conf.au 2012 proposal deadline is in a few hours, which gives you plenty of time to cut and paste the following into your speaker proposal:
I believe conferences should provide a safe, harassment-free environment for everyone. I ask $CONFERENCE to officially adopt and enforce a code of conduct or policy for attendee behavior that specifically forbids known problem behaviors such as pornography in public spaces, sexual harassment, and bullying.
If $CONFERENCE does not have a policy in place by the speaker notification deadline, I must regretfully decline any invitation to speak.
For more information, see:
Conferences value their speakers' opinions greatly and listen when they speak. Donna Benjamin showed this when she organized a demonstration of support for a code of conduct at OSCON 2011; at least nine speakers in favor of the proposal edited their official OSCON speaker biographies to include a statement of support.


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Twenty five rooms. Historic schoolhouse, garden and vineyard cottages eclectically styled and hopelessly romantic. Classic passenger vessel the "Faded Glory", vineyard and tasting room, fine dining with Chef Anne Kirkmyer, a small spa featuring Patricio, hip pool, extravagant gardens, trendy waterfront resort town with chic shops. Couples escape. Families unite. Fortune 500 corporations retreat here. Brides and grooms tie the knot here and remember year after year. If you choose one place to stay in Virginia, this is it.
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Posted July 26 2012, 4:33 PM PDT by Matthew Gardner, Chief Economist, Windermere Real Estate
Too Early To Call Bottom, But Things Are Looking UpPosted in Market News by Matthew Gardner, Chief Economist, Windermere Real Estate
Right now, the talk around Seattle, where I live and work, is all about the long-awaited rise in home prices.
On a local, as well as national, basis there is clear evidence of home values rising so far this summer. Several data sources that look at national price levels are all showing roughly the same, but there was one that stuck out. Clear Capital published a report suggesting that sale prices were up by 1.7% across the U.S. during the second quarter, and that "the West led the regions in price recovery and forecasted growth."
They even went as far as to suggest that the Seattle-Bellevue-Tacoma market should exhibit annual price growth of 14.4% by year's end, and that this market ranked first out of all the metropolitan areas analyzed.
But before we start celebrating the long awaited return of the market, I want to add a few words of caution to this very rosy story.
The data that I am looking at does, indeed, show several regions that have seen an extraordinarily good second quarter, but there is also data that suggests that we should not get too excited too quickly – and it's all about foreclosures.
Whilst it's undoubtedly true that foreclosures brought home prices down initially, they actually then started driving them up due to rabid demand from both investors and first-time buyers who were looking for bargains. (This has certainly been the case here in Seattle where over 30% of all transactions in 2011 were all-cash, investor purchases.)
Supplies of these cheap homes have now started to dwindle as banks continue their efforts to modify many underwater loans. Additionally, states that require a judge in the foreclosure process are facing a huge backlog that is dramatically lowering — albeit temporarily — the number of distressed units for sale.
Additional scrutiny on how lenders and servicers process foreclosures, along with aggressive foreclosure prevention efforts by the federal government, and several state governments, continue to hobble the foreclosure market at a national level.
Combining these two things indicates that prices are now being driven higher by the sale of more expensive, non-distressed units.
"So it's all good", I hear you way. Well hold on just a minute.
Overall foreclosure activity was down in the second quarter of this year, driven primarily by a drop in bank repossessions (REO's). But according to RealtyTrak, 311,010 properties started the foreclosure process during second quarter, which represents a nine percent increase from the previous quarter and a six percent increase from the second quarter of 2011. This marks the first year-over-year increase in quarterly foreclosure starts since the fourth quarter of 2009.
It looks to me as if lenders are now, slowly but surely, catching up with the backlog of delinquent loans, which is why the average time to complete the foreclosure process started to level off, or decrease in some states, in the second quarter.
I believe that the increases in foreclosure starts in the first half of this year will likely translate into more short sales and bank repossessions in the second half of 2012 and into next year.
What does this mean? If we see a dramatic increase in distressed listings, in concert with a persistently low level of non-distressed homes coming to market, we are sure to lose the price gains that we have been seeing recently.
That said, I would add that not all markets are equal, and some will certainly do better than others, but I am afraid that it is still too early to call a bottom on the U.S. housing market just yet.


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| 11.4°C Belfast
The body of a teenager who got into difficulties in a reservoir has been found by police.
The boy, aged 17, was one of several youngsters who were using a raft yesterday evening near Burwain Sailing Club, at Foulridge, Colne, Lancashire.
A body was recovered from the reservoir this morning after a search by specialist units.
A police spokesman said: "A rescue operation was launched, with the underwater search unit continuing to search for the 17-year-old throughout the night.
"Sadly, around 5.40 this morning, a body was recovered from the reservoir. Next of kin have been informed."
Police said the 17-year-old was part of a group of seven who were on the water.
Five were rescued unhurt and a sixth was taken to hospital for a check-up.


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