text: Microsoft is busting out version 1.5 of its Kinect for Windows runtime and SDK that includes a raft of new features for the Xbox-lacking hoi polli. The update includes 10-joint skeletal tracking that'll work even when seated, face following capabilities and joint orientation -- the latter enabling it to predict how your body will move for greater accuracy. It's also gaining four extra languages for speech recognition: French, Spanish, Italian and Japanese, not to mention Kinect Studio, which will help developers record and play back your movements to fine-tune their applications. In addition, Redmond is offering language packs to ensure the sensor will play harmoniously with your local dialect, cobber.


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- Japanese Grand Prix - Qualifying
Front row lockout a 'great tonic' for Red Bull - Webber
- Race:
- Japanese Grand Prix
- Drivers:
- Mark Webber
- Teams:
- Red Bull
Mark Webber said Red Bull's first front row lockout of the season at the Japanese Grand Prix was just what his team needed as it prepares for the run in to the end of the season.
Webber took second place on the grid behind team-mate Sebastian Vettel at Suzuka and was 0.2s clear of Red Bull's next competitor Jenson Button. It is Webber's first top six grid position since the British Grand Prix, which he won, and he said it was important for the team to rediscover its form over one lap.
"It has been a good weekend for us so far," he said. "Seb and I had a clean run in Q3 when it mattered at the start there, with pretty big laps from both of us. Obviously Seb got me a bit so that was a good lap from him, but to be this much further up for us, obviously with a bit of a rough run in qualifying of late, is something we're really happy with.
"On my side it's been penalties and bit and bobs and it just makes the race that bit more difficult and you have to start doing wacky strategies and stuff like that. I am happy to be on the front row and I'm really looking forward to a good result tomorrow. For the team, it's just a great tonic at this point of the championship to have the cars towards the front again."
Webber had to back off on his final lap when he came across yellow flags for Kimi Raikkonen's spun Lotus, but said he felt he could have found more time in the final sector.
"I had to back off for the lights and the flags. There was no car when I got there so it was very close. JB was behind me and I saw he was still committed to his lap so obviously the lights just cleared for him. It would have been nice to have another look at the final chicane, I would have liked to have got it a little bit better."
Asked why Red Bull had come good at this weekend's race, Webber said: "It's always challenging and we've had to work like hell to get the car in the window where we like it. This weekend seems pretty good and we would be very, very disappointed if we're not competitive here and it should be a track where we can challenged for very good results. The car is quick here because it's in the DNA and the philosophy of the car."

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Artivate sees the transformative power of the arts as an essential part of community life – enhancing education and creating connections that transcend language, culture, and individual circumstances to cultivate cultural awareness and a broader world perspective.
Artivate engages communities to create interactive arts experiences that inspire learning.
We offer arts-based learning to motivate and invite audiences to participate through performances and workshops representing a wide range of artistic disciplines and cultural traditions in order to captivate the imagination and activate human potential. Through our focus on education, we enable access to the arts for all, particularly under-resourced communities, throughout Maryland, the District of Columbia, and northern Virginia.
We are committed to providing arts programming of the highest quality that is integrated into education and the life of the community, as well as encouraging professional development opportunities for artists.
We respond to community needs and seek to ensure the availability of the arts to everyone, including those with limited access and people with disabilities, by bringing programs to audiences in diverse settings and venues.
We believe that education is among the most important building blocks of human growth and development, and are committed to broadening and expanding learning opportunities through the delivery of arts and cultural experiences to the communities we serve. We also encourage ongoing education and learning by our artists, staff and board to ensure program and service delivery that surpasses accepted educational and artistic standards.
We are dedicated to connecting people through arts engagement that values differences and celebrates commonalities. We believe that promoting cultural exchanges through shared exposure to the arts not only provides enjoyment, but also creates community and has the power to transform lives.
We are committed to artistic and operational integrity, meeting our commitments to our stakeholders and being responsible stewards of our financial resources.


text:
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Size: 5 oz
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For three generations,Chimes has been making the pure ginger chews candy that awaken your senses and lift your spirits. Using the traditional time-honored technique of stone grinding, we are able to extract the purist ginger essence that gives Chimes its invigorating warming sensation. Chimes gives your mouth that shooting musical experience.
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Type: Candy


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Ja Rule is back on the road to being a free man.
According to Associated Press, the former Murder Inc. rapper will be released from prison on July 28th. The annoucement comes in the wake of last week's news that he left state prison in central New York after serving most of his two-year sentence for illegal gun possession and went straight into federal custody for charges stemming from a tax evasion case.
Ja is currently incarcerated in Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center for prisoners awaiting court dates or have short terms left on their sentences.
The emcee was initially pinched in 2007 on a gun charge outside of New York's Beacon Theater. He began serving his two-year sentence in June 2011, and a judge ruled that he could concurrently serve that sentence and another for tax evasion. His lawyer recently said that Ja is excited to be released from prison so he can pay back his $1.1 million debt to the government.
"Many people are looking forward to experiencing his talent again," said defense attorney Stacey Richman, who also noted that he's looking forward to his daughter's graduation. "He's a devoted father."
RELATED: Ja Rule, MC Hammer Top Complex's "30 Worst Falls-Offs In Rap History"


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By Nathan Jones
The New Age Movement, this Westernized form of Eastern Mysticism, is a system of belief that tells you to look inside of yourself and to yourself for enlightenment and wisdom and power. Many Christians are falling for this false teaching, abandoning the life-saving message of Jesus and instead embracing the lie Satan told Eve in the Garden of Eden — "You will be like gods."
Eric Barger, the founder and director of Take a Stand! Ministries, tells us what we as Christians can do to recognize and avoid being sucked into this dead-end New Age thinking. Eric is an authority on the cults, the New Age, and rock music today. From his past as a former drug addict and rock n' roll musician who was deeply involved in the New Age movement, Eric has emerged since he gave his life to Jesus Christ to become one of today's greatest defenders of Christianity in America.
Eric, the Bible says that in the End Times right before the return of Jesus we are going to enter into a period of great deception (Matt. 24:4,11). And, it seems to me that we are in that period. One of the greatest needs in the church today is discernment. How can we as Christians become more discerning since all of us are capable of being deceived?
If you go on your feelings you will be deceived, but if you go on the absolute truth of God's Word you will never be deceived.
There is no shortcut for sound Bible study. There is no shortcut for the preaching of the Word of God. I say enough with the programs; enough with the spin doctors from the pulpit! We must come back and teach the Word of God to our people because there is a famine of the Word. And, there is a famine of the Gospel today among our people. I am talking about in evangelical circles, places that say they believe the Bible. Let's preach the Word of God and enough of the programs. Come back to the Word! Look at what is happening in the lives of the people and tell me there isn't a need.
And, it's not just the responsibility of the preacher or the teacher. It is the responsibility of each of us as Christians to study. Don't let recreation and television and everything else get in your way. Obviously, I am not against TV, but the point is that we have forgotten what the off button does. We let everything get in our way. We let Sunday morning soccer tournaments get in our way. We let all this other stuff get in our way from being first of all constant in the church, but maybe even more important, constant in the Word of God. If you had to look at what's the most important thing — know the Word — because from there everything else emanates that we are supposed to be.
The bottom line is you can just never become a discerning Christian if your only spiritual experience is one hour a week on Sunday morning. I'll never forget when I was a youth pastor. I had a distraught mother come to me and say, "My son is doing all this stuff. Can't you do something about it?" I replied, "Ma'am, I only have him for an hour on Friday nights. I cannot replace what the school system has taught him, what his friends have done to him, and what is happening in the home." I mean, she looked at me like, "I thought you were the problem fixer, the problem solver for my son's problem." And, it is the same with us as adults.
When I first became acutely aware of this problem of discernment was when freshmen in evangelical colleges and universities were coming out of evangelical churches and could not even name the four Gospels or name two of the Apostles. You don't even dare ask them where Philemon is! It makes you wonder, but this is also the era we live in.
We live in the time when the Apostle Paul said in 2 Thessalonians 2:7 (KJV) that the "mystery of iniquity would abound." That is a mysterious, occultic, direct affront to the Word of God. That's what those words mean, the "mysterion of anomia" — "mystery of iniquity." When he said that when the occult rises up we know that is a prophetic sign that has to happen just before the return of the Lord. At the same time there is going to be this famine of the Word of God, where we have a lot of people that have a form of godliness but deny the power thereof. We see these very things today.
To the Christian, to the pastor, to the Sunday School teacher, examine what you are going to present to the people. Examine what you take into your heart. It's fine to read other books than the Bible, but if the Bible isn't being read, do you really have time to read another book?
Test everything! Test it by the Word of God. If you don't know the Word of God you cannot test it, but you've got to test it. The fact that a person is smooth and charismatic and dynamic and can speak well and mentions Jesus name a whole lot of times does not necessarily mean that he is teaching the truth. Maybe 90% of what he is saying is absolutely true, but it is just that 10% that is so off base, so you've got to test it. Paul complemented the Bereans for testing everything that he taught by the Word, and he was an Apostle of God. How much more should they test what you teach and what I teach?
I say this so often when I am teaching to test what I'm telling you, to test what I am teaching, to test what I have on the screen behind me in my seminars, to test what I am saying. And, if you do, you're going to come out there ahead and be more Biblically sound. We need Christians who will test through the Word of God, use the Word of God as the strainer to strain everything through.
If you stay in the Word of God, you will be able to discern the false teachings of the New Age Movement.


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Lewis Carroll#56 on top 500 poets
» Click to list general statistics » OR, select a date :
The Sea
There are certain things -a spider, a ghost,
The income-tax, gout, an umbrella for three -
That I hate, but the thing that I hate the most
Is a thing they call the SEA.
read more >>
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text:
I want to include some drawings with Erlenmeyer flask, Bunsen burner and so on in LaTeX.
I browsed the http://texample.net gallery. I found some examples for chemical structures, molecules and so. But I did not find any example for lab equipment.
- Does TikZ provide a library that helps to construct this?
- Are there any other TikZ sites where I can find examples?
- Does anybody had a similar task and found a solution to share?
I am not fixed on TikZ. Are there other means to make this drawings?
I looked at
pst-labo. How difficult would it be to extend the options it provides?
Any suggestions are welcome.


text:
VICTORIA — WorkSafeBC has ordered sawmills across the province to immediately investigate sawdust levels and other possible workplace hazards in their facilities, saying the review is urgently needed given explosions at two northern mills in just under three months.
"We are issuing orders immediately to all sawmill employers in British Columbia and directing that they conduct a full hazard identification risk assessment and safety review, and we're asking them to focus on combustible dust and dust accumulation and potential ignition sources," WorkSafeBC vice-president Roberta Ellis said Tuesday.
The order came after a massive explosion and fire at the Lakeland sawmill in Prince George Monday night.
In January, a similar explosion and fire at Babine Forest Products killed two men and injured 19 others.
Ellis was reluctant to draw any direct links between the two explosions, but did say there were obvious parallels, including the presence of dust and the milling of wood that had been infested by the mountain pine beetle — known to be extremely dry.
"The accumulation of dust in these sawmills is certainly being examined in the explosion in Burns Lake and it will be examined in this sawmill as well," said Ellis, warning against jumping to any conclusions.
"That pine beetle wood has been milled in British Columbia for over a decade," she said.
"So while we recognize that there were similarities between the explosions — dust was present as in all sawmills and they were working with beetle-infested wood – it's too soon for us to speculate on the basis of the pine beetle wood being milled."
Ellis added WorkSafeBC investigators will be visiting every B.C. mill over the next two weeks or so to ensure the safety reviews and hazard assessments have been done properly.
She said her office has not yet conclusively determined the cause of the Burns Lake explosion, adding the results of that investigation will likely not be made public for another few months.
Meanwhile, the United Steelworkers union is calling on Worksafe BC and the B.C. government to release immediately any preliminary findings from a three-month-old investigation into a sawmill explosion in Burns Lake now that a second sawmill has exloded in Prince George.
Two workers were killed in each explosion, and dozens more seriously injured.
Any kind of information that could shed light on these explosions needs to be made public, if it can help prevent further injuries, said local 1-424 president Frank Everitt.
He said union officials are meeting with WorkSafe BC Wednesday to discuss the Steelworker's demands.
The United Steelworkers international headquarters has also put a researcher to work to compile information on any forest industry plant explosions worldwide.
That research will also include explosions at other industrial worksites including mining and paper, said Everitt.
Minister of Labour Margaret MacDiarmid said Tuesday that although it is too early to draw any firm conclusions, she understands people have many pressing questions.
"These explosions, two of them in such short order, are extraordinary. There are people who have worked in this industry for over 30 years and have never seen an accident of this type," MacDiarmid told reporters in Victoria.
"There is a common factor here and we're all aware of it and it's sawdust," she added.
MacDiarmid said mills will be asked as part of the comprehensive review to look at what they can do to deal with the potentially dangerous buildups of sawdust.
"At the moment there is a concern about combustibility but there isn't actual policy around it at this point," she said.
MacDiarmid said she will also be meeting today with forest industry officials, labour leaders and people from WorkSafeBC to determine what can be done in the short term to help improve worker safety.
Despite the very public focus on dust, however, some said sawdust may not have played a significant role in the Prince George explosion.
Lorne Hartford, who was not on shift when the mill exploded, said one of his best "buddies" was badly burned.
He said he does not believe dust from dry pine-beetle killed logs was a factor in the explosion.
"The explosion was way beyond that. More like a bomb. More like something that was charging up — and ready to blow — and cut loose," he said.
Minister of Jobs Tourism and Innovation Pat Bell, also the MLA for Prince George-Mackenzie, also questioned whether the Prince George mill — which he called a "very clean, very modern mill" — was processing pine beetle wood at the time.
"I actually drove by the timber decks on Sunday on my way down to Victoria and much of it looked very green to me," he said Tuesday.
Keta Kosman, publisher of weekly industry newsletter Madison's Lumber Reporter, said she is concerned maintenance issues, largely resulting from five years of depressed markets and prices in the North American sawmilling industry, could be at the heart of several recent fires.
"There's been an unusual number of sawmill fires in the last few months and it's not just here in B.C.," Kosman said.
On April 9, a sawmill near Cambridge, Ont. burned in a blaze that could be seen for kilometres, according to local news reports. On Jan. 22, a sawmill at Timmins, Ont. was destroyed in a fire news reports stated "was being fuelled by tonnes of sawdust, timbers, grease, hydraulic fluids and conveyor belts."
The Burns Lake sawmill fire killed two people on Jan. 20.
Kosman said there have also been several mill fires in the United States this year as well.
As markets begin to improve, mills that have not been operating full time are beginning to get more orders, she said.
Fine particles of sawdust created in the milling process cause explosions, no matter how dry the wood is that is generating the dust, said Kosman.
"That fine-particle dust is extremely explosive."
Prince George fire chief John Lane said Tuesday afternoon he thinks it is "way, way" too early to speculate about sawdust from dry, beetle-killed timber as a factor in explosion.
Frank Everitt, president of United Steelworkers Local 1-424, which represents workers in the Prince George mill, also called for patience.
"We're focused on looking after the folks [who are injured] and make sure that we bring the family around them and support them," he said.
"We can all speculate what happened and what it was. But it's just speculation and we have no reason to go there except for fear. We should let the investigation take its course."
He added the investigation right now is under the purview of the RCMP and will later be picked up by WorkSafeBC and the Prince George fire department for a thorough analysis.
Earlier Tuesday, Independent MLA Bob Simpson called for an immediate inspection of all mills that process mountain pine beetle logs.
"There may be absolutely no correlation between Burns Lake and Lakeland, I want to be very clear about that. But it's very unusual in British Columbia to have two mill explosions like this that have a similar feel to them, like this — instantaneous, catastrophic, people not even getting an opportunity to get out of the mill," Simpson told reporters.
He also said it will be important for WorkSafeBC to release the results of its investigation from the explosion in Burns Lake, and reveal whether dust from the drier wood contributed to the blast in any way.
"If they can tell us anything about whether or not this is a possibility, all of our sawmills in the mountain pine beetle area must be given that heads up and must look at changes in their system to deal with this fine material," he said.
NDP caucus chair Shane Simpson said he too thinks the WorkSafeBC report should be completed and released as soon as possible.
"We will be encouraging and calling on the government to expedite a WorkSafeBC investigation, a full investigation that will determine for us whether there were practices at the facility that may have caused this or played a role in this tragedy," he said.
"If there is anything that was found in the practices there that may be applicable in another facility in the province, then we need to know that."
— With files from Gordon Hamilton and Gordon Hoekstra


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Custom Biker Tights
Art is not created overnight, customized outfits usually take about 4 weeks to make. If you have a particular design in mind, it's probably wise to send a sketch or drawing of it to us. You don't have to be an artist, just enough to give us an idea of what you're trying to design.
We will also need some more infomation about the type of material, the cut, colors, design (if any), and of course sizing.
Select the Type of Fabric: We start with Regular Spandex as the base material. You can upgrade to Heavyweight Spandex, Pleather, Metallic Spandex, Hologram Spandex or Wet Look Spandex. Please note on Pleather, this will eventually rip or tear; that is the nature of this material.
Color: Just fill in the base color you want
Contast Color: If you want a contrasting color around the openings (neck, arms, leg) just let us know
Design: We start with a Solid Color. You can upgrade your design to Simple Lettering (block lettering), Complex Lettering (you have a certain font you want to use), Simple Design (such as simple stars or shapes), Complex Design (if you have to question is this a complex design then the answer is probably yes), or PPV Quality (if you really want to stand out! Extra time & exotic material are typically used).
If you aren't sure, you can also e-mail your designs/sketches to firstname.lastname@example.com and we will give you the proper pricing for your design.
Waist: Measure completely around your waist (this is NOT necessarily your normal pants size. Sizes over 45" waist will incur a $10 up-charge.)
Crotch Height: Measure from the front of our waist (where you measured your waist), in between your legs, and up your backside to your waist (where you measured your waist)
Inseam: Measure from your crotch down the inside of your leg.
Thickness at Leg: Measure around your thigh/leg at the end of your inseam
Any and all descriptions, fonts, colors, designs, etc. include in the Special Instructions box.
After you receive your Order Confirmation e-mail from us, just reply back and attach any of your pictures/sketches and other special instructions. After receiving all your info, we will put your new custom gear into production!
Average Customer Review: 2 Reviews
Write an online review and share your thoughts with others.


text:
LETTER: Upstate New York's gone downhill on Assemblyman Bill Magee's watch
To The Editor:
I am old enough to remember when New York really was the "Empire State," where businesses thrived and good paying jobs were everywhere. Our 10 million population was the country's largest, followed by California (9 million) and Texas (6 million). We had 45 House of Representatives members; our public school system was the envy of all.
Fast forward to now. California (32 million) and Texas (26 million) have surpassed our current 19 million population and Florida (19 million) is about to. House membership has declined to 26 and, according to Governor Cuomo, our public school system has slipped to No. 32. We rank 49th in new business starts and 48th in both business and population growth. Unless one works for a state agency or educational system, good-paying jobs are scarce. For decades New York businesses have been closing or moving, and with them go our neighbors, our children and grandchildren. Just last year in Oriskany Falls, my hometown, Covidien, a medical supplies manufacturer closed, transferring 250 good paying jobs with benefits to Massachusetts, New Jersey and Georgia. Open for more than 100 years, this plant, will likely never reopen.
Why does this keep happening? A number of reasons. New York is saddled with the highest per-capita taxes in the country (except Maine). Our electric rates are among the nation's highest and our suffocating regulatory framework makes it nearly impossible for businesses to compete. It's why the National Business Council ranks New York the "least-friendly business state."
We're to blame. Election after election we elect the same overpaid career politicians who purport to represent us, then trot to Albany to receive their marching orders from their downstate party leaders. Consequently "downstate" survives while "upstate" slowly dies.
Meet our representatives Bill Magee and Dave Valesky. For too long our attitude has been -- "it's the other politicians who are to blame, not ours." How much further must CNY decline before we realize that our guys are no better than the others? How many more empty storefronts, closed factories, and deteriorating neighborhoods must we view before we say -- "Enough, we can do better!"
Each of us should ask ourselves two questions before voting on Nov. 6. Is my community better off now than it was when Dave and Bill took office? The obvious answer is a resounding "No!"
And there's another reason Bill Magee should be voted out. As an assemblyman, Bill shares responsibility for our high property taxes. Many people are unable to pay these excessive taxes, which leads to their property being sold at auction. Last summer we learned that he benefited to the tune of $27,000 for auctioning off this year's parcels. He claims there was no "conflict of interest." Really? Partially responsible for the high property taxes those owners were unable to pay, thereby having to relinquish their property rights, he then directly benefits from their misfortune, and it's not a "conflict of interest?" It is more than a "conflict of interest," it's reprehensible.
The Oneida Daily Dispatch welcomes letters pertaining to the Nov. 6 General Elections.
Saturday, Nov. 3 is the last day The Dispatch will print any election letters. They must be received and verified by Thursday, Nov. 1 at 2 p.m.
In order to give an opponent or his or her supporters opportunity to respond, letters that mention a candidate's opponent will not appear after Wednesday. The deadline to receive them has passed.
The Oneida Daily Dispatch welcomes letters from our readers about subjects of interest. Letters should be fewer than 500 words.
Letters are subject to editing for clarity, brevity and taste and limited to one per writer per calendar month. For more information call 363-5100 ex 137 or visit: http://bit.ly/Pes27p
All letters must include the author's name, address and a daytime phone number to verify the letter's authenticity; phone number and exact street address will not be published.
Please send to Oneida Daily Dispatch,
130 Broad St. Oneida, NY, 13421


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Imprisoned Fathers and their Children
Gwyneth Boswell and Peter WedgeMore than 125,000 children in the UK alone are 'sentenced' to separation from their imprisoned parents. This book draws on extensive research and experience to examine the effect this kind of separation can have on the emotional development of a child and on family relationships. They make suggestions for work with prisoners and families. Learn More2001, Paperback / softback, 9.13in x 6.06in / 232mm x 154mm, 176pp, £29.99ISBN: 978-1-85302-972-12001, Ebook, PDF, 176pp, £29.99ISBN: 978-1-84642-303-1
Parenting in Poor Environments
Stress, Support and Coping
Deborah Ghate and Neal HazelWith a unique focus on the effects of poverty on parenting in Britain, this book explores what professionals and policy makers can do to support families living in poverty. The authors examine community-level poverty and its relationship to family and individual problems such as low income, poor mental health and child behavioural difficulties. Learn More2002, Paperback / softback, 9.13in x 6.06in / 232mm x 154mm, 320pp, £29.99ISBN: 978-1-84310-069-02002, Ebook, PDF, 320pp, £29.99ISBN: 978-1-84642-348-2
Supporting South Asian Families with a Child with Severe Disabilities
Chris Hatton, Yasmeen Akram, Robina Shah, Janet Robertson and Eric EmersonSocial workers will find this book to be a valuable tool, highlighting ways of improving the cultural sensitivity of disability services and parental and family support. Combining a wide-ranging survey and in-depth interviews, the authors build a rich picture how culture and ethnicity can impact on a family's experience of disability. Learn More2003, Paperback / softback, 9.25in x 6.10in / 235mm x 155mm, 224pp, £29.99ISBN: 978-1-84310-161-12003, Ebook, PDF, 224pp, £29.99ISBN: 978-1-84642-222-5
Supporting Parents
Messages from Research
David QuintonSupporting Parents brings together authoritative research on supporting parents and carers. Underpinning the government's developing policy for children's services, it is essential reading for practitioners, policy makers and academics working in child care. Learn More2004, Paperback / softback, 11.73in x 8.31in / 298mm x 211mm, 272pp, £19.99ISBN: 978-1-84310-210-6
Foster Carers
Why They Stay and Why They Leave
Ian Sinclair, Ian Gibbs and Kate WilsonFoster carers look after two-thirds of the children cared for by English local authorities at any one time. The recruitment and retention of these carers is one of these authorities' central concerns. Against this background, this book examines the joys and strains of fostering, the support carers want and need, and the reasons why they foster. Learn More2004, Paperback / softback, 9.17in x 6.22in / 233mm x 158mm, 192pp, £21.99ISBN: 978-1-84310-172-72004, Ebook, PDF, 192pp, £21.99ISBN: 978-1-84642-066-5
Fostering Adolescents
Elaine Farmer, Sue Moyers and Jo LipscombeBased on government-commissioned research and part of the Supporting Parents initiative, this book addresses each stage of the care process, from placement selection to leaving foster care. The authors consider which kinds of professional support at which stages make a difference, and the foster carer parenting skills that are crucial. Learn More2004, Paperback / softback, 9.06in x 6.14in / 230mm x 156mm, 256pp, £25.00ISBN: 978-1-84310-227-42004, Ebook, PDF, 256pp, £25.00ISBN: 978-1-84642-014-6
Foster Placements
Why They Succeed and Why They Fail
Ian Sinclair, Kate Wilson and Ian GibbsBased on exhaustive research, the authors discuss the primary concerns in foster placement planning, considering the high frequency of placement breakdowns, their impact on the child's behaviour and school performance, and the challenges this places on foster families. Learn More2004, Paperback / softback, 8.50in x 6.18in / 216mm x 157mm, 272pp, £25.00ISBN: 978-1-84310-173-42004, Ebook, ePUB, 272pp, £25.00ISBN: 978-1-84642-067-2


text:
Paul Scholes believes Wayne Rooney should resist the appeal of Chelsea and stay at Manchester United.
The Blues had a bid for the England striker turned down last week - but their pursuit of him is ongoing.
However, 38-year-old Scholes said: "I don't think there's anywhere better than Manchester United to play your football.
"It's up to Wayne - but he's a top, top player and every player and fan wants him to stay."
Scholes, who made his United debut in 1993 and went on to make more than 700 appearances for the club, does not believe manager David Moyes is under pressure to recruit.
The Barclays Premier League champions have made two offers to Barcelona for midfielder Cesc Fabregas, for a reported £25million and £30million respectively, both of which were rejected by the Catalan club.
Scholes, who retired from action for a second time in May, added on Sky Sports News: "I don't think there's that much pressure.
"He's got a quality squad there, with already 18-20 quality players.
"Even if Sir Alex Ferguson was there he would want to sign two or three players. That's the norm every season - to improve the year after, even if you've won the league.
"I'm sure David Moyes is trying to get players - and hopefully he'll get the ones he wants."


text:
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GREEN: Who ya gonna call? 'Goat busters' change the local landscape
What do a goat, a weedwhacker, and President Bush have in common? All are skilled at clearing brush, but according to Afton goat farmer Jace Goodling, only one can claim the "most environmentally friendly" title.
"It doesn't create any pollution; there's no compaction of the soil; there's no toxic herbicides involved; there's no noise," says Goodling. "If you're looking for a green way to get rid of vegetation, this is the greenest way to do it."
The idea came to Goodling when he heard of a few fellow goat farmers getting some use out of their less-than-best stock.
"I've got a bunch of goats, and some of them just aren't good enough to eat, so I've got to make them earn their keep somehow," says Goodling. "So then I heard about this farmer in Seattle who was using his goats to clear building lots before they lay the foundation."
Since getting the business started in April, Goodling says he's had clients ranging from homeowners to golf course pros, each seeking to clear the land while keeping clear air, too. It didn't take long for Goodling to realize he had a method that worked.
"The first one we did was a vineyard, and they wanted to get rid of the vegetation on the ground of the forest, so they couldn't give the pests that attack the vines a place to hide," says Goodling. "After seven weeks, it was the difference between an Amazon jungle and scorched earth."
In each case, there have been dogs on the premises, a cause for concern given that canine attacks are one of the most common causes of goat death. For this, Goodling had an immediate solution.
"I found this kind of fencing that's 42 inches high and looks like the netting in a soccer goal," says Goodling. "Each of the strands has an electric charge running through it, and once the goats or the dogs touch that, they don't want to go near it."
As it is with most landscaping work there's the concern of what gets left behind. On this point, Goodling says he'll take the Pepsi Challenge against conventional tactics any day.
"Usually, you have to get rid of a bunch of dead leaves and branches, and you may have dumped poison into the ground if you used an herbicide," says Goodling. And if environmental concerns weren't enough to compel clientele, there is, of course, the whole concept of natural herbal processing.
"With this," he says, "there's nothing to haul away, and you get a nice natural, fertilizer at the end."


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Win a Barneys Warehouse Gift Card
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YouTube Brings Its "Channels" — And Vice Media — To Japan
Last month, YouTube announced that it was expanding its "channel" strategy beyond the U.S. by funding video programmers in U.K., Germany and France.
Now add Japan to that list.
Google's video guys aren't talking about it openly yet, but they'll be replicating the same idea — YouTube advances programmers production money in exchange for exclusive content — with a handful of partners in Asia. Among that initial group will be Vice Media, the controversial/successful video maker/ad agency which already has three funded YouTube channels in the U.S.
Here's a teaser trailer, which doesn't look to be very Japan-specific, but more of a greatest-hits compilation:
Vice, a Brooklyn-based company that specializes in an edgy-but-not-too-edgy mix of youth- and sponsor-friendly content, is generating lots of attention these days — some of it glowing, some of it not. They also seem to be generating lots of money, and are reportedly on track to generate $200 million this year.
We'll talk to co-founder Shane Smith — who makes several appearances in the clip above — about his plans, in February, at our D: Dive Into Media conference in Dana Point, Calif.


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Dr Nicolas Pilcher - Malaysia
Nick saves sea turtles. In a nutshell that's what he does. But he has to look far beyond their nesting grounds to make it work.
Nick has a PhD in turtle biology, but he says it did not prepare him for the real-world challenges of turtle conservation.
|"Knowing their biology may be one thing, but working with communities, fishermen and industry to make conservation happen is a whole different story," he says.
After an early career in Saudi Arabia, Malaysia and Palau as a marine biologist, Nick settled down in north Borneo and established his own non-governmental organization, the Marine Research Foundation (MRF), a non-profit entity geared to saving marine life across various countries and facing differing threats. MRF, an IUCN Member, now serves as a base from which Nick addresses turtle conservation at various levels, and with an ever-growing diversity of people.
Thank the turtles!
In Papua New Guinea Nick has brought together seven communities who all share one special thing in common: their beaches are nesting grounds for the Critically Endangered leatherback sea turtle. This community-based conservation project employs villagers to serve as rangers and protect the turtles, their eggs and their hatchlings.
But conservation in Papua New Guinea is tricky because natural resources are owned by the people and reaching consensus about conservation issues is a massive challenge. One of the greatest problems was that there were not enough ranger jobs to satisfy everyone in each village and the benefits of conserving turtles, rather than eating them, were not being felt by the entire community.
To overcome this problem, Nick provides a fixed lump sum 'grant' to each community to be used for village development or 'legacy projects' as he calls them, so that everyone benefits from having turtles around. These small projects range from repairing school roofs, organizing new church furniture, to the expansion of the fresh water system. And even if one does not get to be a ranger each season, at least there are benefits which all can enjoy.
Nick tells the communities to thank the turtles – and not the project – each time they pass by the new elementary school building, for it is they who bring them benefits. Judging by the continued involvement of all of the communities six years on, it appears to be a winning formula.
No head-butting with business
In India, Nick worked with the industry to get it right. Not more than 15km away from a proposed site for the development of a large port was a beach where hundreds of thousands of turtles nest in a wonderful natural phenomenon called an arribada.
But the Port needed to dredge a long channel for the ships to navigate safely, and lights were a concern as they could disturb nesting females and disorient the emerging hatchlings. Nick developed a plan with the Port authorities and the help of many IUCN Marine Turtle Specialist Group members (of which he, incidentally, is Co-Chair) to devise strategies to counter these potential threats. These were developed at an initial stage of port development, and so they did not cost the Port any major financial or time losses.
Nick and his team developed ways to stop the dredgers from ever sucking up any turtles, and designed a lighting scheme to overcome the concerns over light pollution. They even helped the port develop a world-class environmental management plan to address all kinds of other concerns and risks, so that the surrounding ecosystems upon which the local villagers depend are well protected long into the future.
|"Working with industry, rather than against them, and understanding that although industries have their own needs, much of what is needed for conservation can often be built into their plans, is a much more practical approach to conservation than continually butting heads with them," says Nick.
The fisherman's friend
In Malaysia, Nick helps fishermen keep turtles out of their nets. Shrimp trawlers often fish in areas where turtles feed, and the turtles drown accidentally in the nets. But the use of a simple metal grid and an escape flap called a Turtle Excluder Device can save the turtles and allow the fishers to continue to earn a living.
But convincing a fisherman to put a hole in his net for turtles to escape is not easy, as he fears he will also lose his catch. So Nick spends many days at sea with them, and shows them how to use the devices correctly, and showing that he is also concerned that they don't lose any of their catch. Sitting on the back of a boat fixing nets and sewing in the grids makes Nick part of the fishing community, and allows him to gain their trust. Today this project is gaining momentum and spreading wings to Pakistan and even India.
The list of projects Nick has been involved with is long and the list of problems he has helped to solve – even longer. But he says that it is all worth it:
|"I look back on the projects I have been lucky to help with, and think of all the wonderful people that are now part of the solution when once they were the cause of the problem, and I am convinced we have to be optimistic. I certainly am!"
Nick can be contacted at firstname.lastname@example.com


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I have a backup script (rsync via ssh) which is run by cron (configured in /etc/crontab)
0 2 * * * root /bin/bash --login /opt/aebackup/sshbackup.sh
If I run it as logged in root like following it runs prefectly fine.
root@server:~# /opt/aebackup/sshbackup.sh
If I run it via cron it would just stop after a while (not always on the same task in the script.. it seems pretty random, like the process is killed at some point randomly)
Does anyone have an idea why my cron would do that? thanks for anything... I'm desperate!


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My child stutters. Why does he do this? What can we do to help him?
I remember the first time I met someone who stuttered. He was a playmate when I was in grade school, whose parents knew my parents. He talked about his parents a lot, but I never heard him say the words "mother" or "father." It was always "m-m-m-mother" or "f-f-f-father."
When I asked my mom about him, she explained that he was probably having "emotional problems." That made sense to me; I couldn't think of another reason why someone would have trouble saying such simple words.
My mom's "diagnosis" reflected common beliefs. For a long time, stuttering was believed to be a psychological problem. But recent research suggests that stuttering has a strong biological basis, even though it may also be affected by emotions.
For example, stuttering tends to run in families. Obviously, that could be explained by emotional tensions in the family. But it also could indicate that genetic (inherited) factors play a role.
In fact, recent studies indicate that genetic factors probably play a larger role than scientists once thought. A study published in 2010 in the New England Journal of Medicine identified specific changes in genes (short sequences of genetic material) that may increase the risk of stuttering. At least one of these genes is particularly active in parts of the brain linked to motor function and emotion. Speech involves tremendous motor coordination.
There also is evidence that strong emotions and anxiety can intensify stuttering. You can't change your child's genetic inheritance, but you can influence his emotional state. In particular, you can help your child by doing the following:
- Be a patient, attentive listener.
- Do not finish your child's words or sentences and do not interrupt.
- Do not pressure your child to speak to strangers or perform in public.
- Work with family members or teachers to provide a relaxed environment for your child.
Your child may benefit from working with a speech-language pathologist (SLP). SLPs use many different types of speech therapy to treat stuttering. Some of the most effective methods include:
- Modeling slower speaking.
- Teaching exercises for breath control and reducing tension on the vocal cords.
- Using a computer or other devices to give immediate feedback on how the child is doing with various strategies.
It is possible that discovering genes that cause stuttering might one day lead to specific treatments that reverse the adverse effects of these genes.
More likely, recent genetic discoveries may help identify kids who could benefit from early treatment. Such treatment of stuttering is the best hope for preventing symptoms from getting worse and becoming a long-term problem. Genetic studies could identify newborns who are at risk for stuttering and begin treating these high-risk children early in life.
Such treatment helped my childhood friend. He learned to reduce his stuttering and became a highly accomplished doctor.


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Expect the Unexpected
|Architects broke down the juvenile detention center's massing so it would resemble a school or a rehabilitation center. The hip roofs add interior volume and allow windows and electrical fixtures to be placed out of reach.
At the October 31, 2002, dedication of West Valley Juvenile Detention and Assessment Center in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., all the right politicians and county officials showed up; there was plenty of hot coffee, bagels, and rolls; and architect Patrick Sullivan was on hand to celebrate completion of the $21.7 million project, which started in 1995. Completed in three phases, this last phase represents total build-out, with Sullivan remarking how rare it is to see the master plan accomplished. "I can't tell you too many times in my career where that's happened," he said.
Not that it seemed this 182-bed facility was in danger of being delayed or scaled-back. Quite the opposite, actually. The 77,000-square-foot facility required three grants to finance each phase of construction, and each cycle in which the project competed for grants, it won. "What was significant was that the grants kept coming," said Sullivan when asked if anything unexpected occurred during design or construction. "The ability to build the whole facility was what was unexpected."
The Facility
Project Team
Architect: Patrick Sullivan Associates
The whole facility consists of two buildings and includes three housing units; two units with with four groups of 10 rooms that can be double-bunked and one 22-bed unit. There are two classrooms per housing unit-the ratio of kids to classrooms is 15 per classroom-and a large, centrally-located multipurpose room. The multipurpose room can be used for calisthenics, different group activities, large-group instruction, and indoor recreation-in Southern California's San Bernardino County, indoor recreation is scheduled when it's too hot to be outside.
San Bernardino County officials wanted the spaces within the high-security juvenile detention center to be as flexible as possible. The county's central juvenile facility, a former orphanage, dates back to 1946 and never could handle different classification levels, something the county needed from the new project. Kids serving sentences at the facility-usually 30- or 90-day terms-can earn the privilege of moving off their unit into one with a lower classification level. At the same time, because of the building's role as a transport point, kids sentenced as adults and staying at the facility en route to state prison are kept in a high-security unit. The outdoor exercise yards even reflect the different classification levels. Some units open to walled-in exercise courtyards, while other units open to lawns and basketball courts. The buildings even are separate, connected by a covered walkway. "There's really no reason for the different groups to interact," says Sullivan.
|The open lawn and basketball court connect to the rear building, which is a lower-security unit that affords juveniles more privileges. Walled courtyards are used by those in higher-security units.
The idea of flexibility also extends to how the staff secures the facility. "The county wanted the staff to be aware of what was going on throughout the building," Sullivan explains. "The security stations are not enclosed, the security stations are meant to be counters for the staff; it's meant to be direct supervision." Security controls are located in a room connected to the multipurpose room.
Occupied and Evaluated
Because the facility was built in phases, a smaller, 22-bed portion built during the first phase has been in operation since mid-1998, allowing the team to conduct a post-occupancy evaluation before completing phase three plans, which added 160 beds and 65,000 square feet. The post occupancy evaluation is a good indication of how well a building is operating relative to its intended purpose-the designers were able to note what worked and what could be improved.
Architect Sullivan said the first things that were modified were the control stations. They were made to feel more like staff stations and less like security stations. Another change was made to the size of the juvenile's bedrooms. It turned out that 70-square-foot rooms were too small to easily accommodate double occupancy, so they were enlarged to 100 square feet.
|The 22-bed unit on the right is the first structure completed. The unit on the left and the unit at the back were added during later construction phases and brought the total bed count to 182.
The biggest item the evaluation uncovered was the facility's popularity among staff members. When West Valley was first built, its remote location, at least relative to the existing central juvenile hall, turned off potential staff who didn't want to travel so far. The mood changed. "It turned out that after it was built, staff became very comfortable and it became the venue of choice to work. It turned out that everybody applied to work here," Sullivan says. "The important part is that the environment is not just conducive to kids, but to the staff and that's why we think it's a safer facility and has been so accepted." Sullivan speaks of a very low number of incidences and knows of no major disturbances at the facility.
Safer Environment
When talking of a correction center as a comfortable environment, there's always some concern that inmates-juveniles or otherwise-are being coddled. Sullivan assures that's not the case, noting that "It's a much stronger building than we used to do because we tend to build for more serious offenders," referencing a trend showing an increased seriousness in juvenile crime. "About 60 to 70 percent of the kids brought here are on felony charges. That's different from 20 years ago when most juvenile offenses were burglary or stealing a car or even truancy," Sullivan says. The "comfort" features he added contribute to a better living environment, which translates into better behavior among residents and therefore a safer facility overall. Although the facility wasn't first planned or funded as a prototype back in 1995, it has since become one.
|Natural light filters into a multipurpose space, which is used for a number of different activities. Carpeting and wallboard help control noise levels, making the environment better for inmates and staff.
Abundant natural light is one of the facility's standout features. High, hip-roofed ceilings and large clerestory windows bring in light from above without compromising security-the juveniles can't reach the windows. The high ceilings also position security devices, sprinklers, and light fixtures out of reach so Sullivan didn't have to specify-and the county didn't have to pay for-traditional and expensive tamper-resistant units. Sullivan notes that the items are not cheap, but the savings were noticeable. Tamper-resistant products were installed in the sleeping areas because their design does not incorporate cathedral ceilings.
Carpeting and acoustic panels also were used to finish the concrete-block buildings. "Carpeting prevents a lot of sounds from starting and the wallboard keeps noise levels, from talking and TV, it keeps the noise level down." Sullivan specified softer colors of cream and green with accents of deeper green and blue. "Nothing that gets you too excited. Nothing major, but the colors set it apart so it's not a vanilla box. We don't have one shade of institutional green," says Sullivan.
Sleeping rooms are a little harder and more functional, but the windows are large and the beds are staggered and not traditional bunk units. "There's glass looking to the outside and it's in the upper part of the room so you're aware of daylight, weather, and distant views," Sullivan explains, although he says the views don't include many trees because the facility's 12-acre site is in an industrial area that has a functional landscape.
Academic Facility
The facility's hip roofs are a dominant exterior feature, giving the juvenile center the appearance of a school building. "That was the concept, to break down the scale," says Sullivan. "It is concrete block, but at the same time it looks more like a school or rehabilitation center. The concept is based on rehabilitation and behavior modification, so we wanted it to read as an academic center, if you will, and give it a sense of normalization." And, indeed this detention center is a school, a San Bernardino County school.
Project Suppliers
Access Control: Andover; Checkpoint
Sullivan explains that academic endeavors are the facility's primary programs. Directed study, assessment, and school classes are all very important to this facility, which is why there was an effort to create so many classrooms and to keep the class sizes around 15 students. Originally, class size was assessed at 20 students, but during the project's planning process, the state changed its standards and more classrooms were added. Classes are taught by county teachers-in California, the county staffs a school-who are challenged to maintain continuity for these offender-students. "The county considers this building a school and it's their mission that kids don't miss a day of school," Sullivan says. "The kids, by coming to juvenile hall, still don't get out of school."
To aid in the rehabilitation process, Sullivan notes an increase in focused programs and mental health personnel. Treatment classes are scheduled along side math and English. "More and more we're finding drug problems and kids classified as special education. They need extensive counseling or treatment, which is held at the facility," he says.
Family contact and visitation are other means of maintaining continuity in a juvenile offender's life. Sullivan says he spent a lot of time planning and designing for visitation, which can be accommodated three ways. Juveniles can meet with family one-on-one or in large group rooms, and there's an arrangement for high-security residents. The facility can handle about 50 visitors at one time, with Sullivan estimating that two or three family members come for each visit.
Opening Day
While the facility's October 31 dedication meant the facility opened on Halloween, Sullivan explains that what he finds really scary is what the state is doing for its kids. "California is so far behind on facilities for juveniles that it's just sort of embarrassing," he says. The up side, he explains, is that since 1996, funding filtered down from the federal government to various counties throughout the state has added a tremendous amount of new beds, estimated by Sullivan to number around 3,000. "But, the point is, we need to do a better job with our kids," he says. "A much better job."


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Character traits in German Shepherd Dogs - Psychological and Genetic Traits
Psychological and Genetic Traits traits in German Shepherd Dogs
Just as all breeds have their own respective characters German Shepherd Dog has its very unique character traits too. A German Shepherd lover would always describe the breed as royal, assertive, courageous, adaptable, intelligent and powerful and last but not the lest the most talked about dog breed in the world. Well, now it's important to discus the character traits that have made German Shepherds the most popular of all dog breeds. Picking the right breed is of utmost importance for you if you are a first time owner. If you are in love with this breed, you need to know his character traits in advance so that you can handle him correctly as he grows.
Here are the details of the character traits of German Shepherd Dog breed:
Since the character traits of the dog depend of more than factors, they are grouped under heads such as Purely Psychological traits, Psychological + Genetic traits, Psychological + Physiological traits and Purely Genetic traits. This post is all about the character traits in German Shepherd Dogs that are purely Psychological and Psychological, but genetically based. My next post will talk about the Psychological + Physiological traits, followed by a post on Purely Genetic Traits in GSD.
Purely Psychological Traits in German Shepherd Dogs:
Trainability: GSD, by nature, is one of the most intelligent dog breeds that can be easily trained to work on a wide range of projects. This is a multi purpose dog breed that have been trained for war, guarding, guiding blinds, as companion dogs, working in movies, working in police and detective departments, working in drug detection departments, working as PAT (Pro Dogs Active Therapy) and shepherd dogs to herd cattle. His inquisitive to learn things helps him learn new tricks in short span of time, and this is what helps the trainers to train him easily.
Confidence: German Shepherd Dog, by nature, is highly confident. This psychological trait has been environmentally engineered into the breed. This is a by-product of the ability of the dog to bear more stress than many other dog breeds. German Shepherds have been bred to tolerate comparatively more stress than others. This means the break even level of bearing stress is higher than many other dog breeds. This makes the dog enhance his ability to struggle and win more stressful situations, which in turn makes him more confident as compared to many other dog breeds. Remember, as soon as he reaches the optimum stress point – that is the break even point he cannot accept more stress and in such situation he will normally respond back adversely due to lack of confidence like any other dog breed.
Psychological + Genetic Traits in German Shepherd Dogs:
Courage: Courage is a psychological trait that is defined as the absence of fear. German Shepherd Dogs are courageous, which means he doesn't fear the danger. This trait can be viewed as a by-product of confidence trait. Courage this can also be viewed as one of the genetic traits, because this has been bred into the dogs by breeding out the fear, through selective breeding programs. Dogs in natural state are usually soft and not so courageous.
Fear: Fear is both psychological and genetic trait. Rather more of the Psychological trait than genetic. Many well breed German Shepherd Dogs that have been bred to discard out fear have still shown fearful behavior. Fearlessness is a natural psychological trait in German Shepherd Dog, but Fear, on the other hand also acts as the natural measure for protection form real danger. Excessive fear in German Shepherd Dogs is a serious fault. Proper socializing to sounds, strangers, and different situations is a must to nurture the dog's natural fearless trait, although in few cases socializing doesn't help to regain or nurture the fearless trait in German Shepherd Dogs. This happens due to incorrect breeding when fearfulness becomes a genetic trait.
Moodiness: Moodiness is also psychological trait, but also genetically inherited. Moodiness is a typical behavior, which should be viewed as the inclination or tendency for inconsistency in behavior. Moodiness leads the dog to work great one day and worst just the next day. This inconsistency does not imply that the dog is a worst working dog or suffering from under nutrition. Moodiness is just a psychological or sometimes genetic fault, which cannot be noticed until it reaches the extreme level.
Viciousness: Viciousness is again another psychological trait, but genetically based. It is an inclination to outburst with an unwarranted vicious aggression which deviates from the GSD standard as a behavioral fault. Though noticed not too often, such aggression is observed under unpredictable situations. When exhibited, such behavior may be quite detrimental to the pack members and owners.
Temperament: Temperament is a psychological trait, which can be significantly influenced by the environment, but at the same time can be observed as genetic trait too. Temperament is determined by three distinctive categories… full, moderate and poor. A GSD with full temperament will be full of zest and zeal, while moderate temperate means the dog has a moderate level of zesty attitude and a poor temperament is used to describe a sluggish dog that is lethargic.
Stay tuned for the up coming post on Psychological + Physiological Character traits in German Shepherds.
Meanwhile check out my post on basic instincts of German Shepherd Dog


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3 Washington State Breweries You Should Know
Washington has a great brewing history. In 1982, a little brewery called Red Hook started hauling its beer to Seattle bars, confusing lager lovers with a beer whose yeast emitted banana flavors. The same year, Scottish-born publican Bert Grant opened the first post-Prohibition US brewpub, Grant's Brewery Pub, in Yakima—the same Yakima Valley that produces so many of America's hops. Grant is also credited for creating the hoppier American version of imperial stout in the 90s and helping popularize the modern IPA in the US.
A wave of breweries followed in their wake, including Pyramid in 1984 and less world-famous but very well-regarded breweries like Big Time (founded 1988), Elysian (1995), and Walking Man (2000).
But we're not here to tell you to drink a Red Hook for old time's sake—a ton of interesting small breweries have opened in Washington in the last 3 or 4 years. Here are a few of them to seek out on your next trip west.
Foggy Noggin (Bothell, WA)
If you started geeking out on beer in the late 70s, like Jim Jamison did, there weren't a lot of options. Jamison got his beer education working through the large menu of imports at Portland's Produce Row Cafe. "I tried every one of those beers," he says. "It took a while." He kept coming back to English, Scottish, and Irish suds. Thirty years later, he opened a brewery in his house to make his own versions of those venerable styles.
With a half-barrel system that produced 120 bbl last year, Jamison's venture, Foggy Noggin, is a textbook nanobrewery. He runs the show with help only from family members, including his wife, his daughter who runs the tasting room, a son who helps brew, and another son who cleans and does deliveries. His 2.5 acre space draws hundreds of people to his residential neighborhood on a typical Saturday. He's looking for another location partially because he's afraid of wearing out his welcome with his neighbors.
Foggy Noggin's two flagship beers are Bit O' Beaver, an English bitter, and Christmas Duck, brewed year-round despite the name. He modifies his water to more closely resemble the chemical composition of London water and, despite easy access to the hop-growing Yakima Valley, sometimes has to import hops from abroad to get it right. "We do get a lot of English people who come to the brewery," says Jamison."It tastes like home to them." Not bad for a guy who's never been to England.
Foggy Noggin is also reviving historical styles. Wasky is a Burton ale, the style brewers in Burton-on-Trent made before dialing in on their signature pale ale. It's made with brown sugar, blackstrap molasses, and English Target hops, and if you've been studying brewing water and never got the hang of what "minerally" is supposed to taste like, here's your chance to review it without flying into Heathrow. I cheated and drank mine fresh, but it can also be aged it for a year.
Jamison firmly believes that there's a place for misunderstood and underrepresented beer styles like these even in the hop-happy Pacific Northwest. "If you dedicate 3/4 of your taps to IPAs, you don't really have much of a selection."
Reuben's Brews (Seattle, WA)
Reuben's Brews was founded last August, won its first World Beer Championship medals in October, and has brewed about 30 different beers already. Founder Adam Robbings—who runs the place with his wife Grace Robbings and his brother-in-law and fellow brewer Mike Pfeiffer—has a lot more up his sleeves, too. Variety is key at this 7-bbl operation named after Adam and Grace's son.
Unlike many breweries, which use one yeast strain for every style to save money, Reuben's has no house yeast. "I didn't want our beers to all taste similar, and having a house yeast can do that," says Adam Robbings. At the time of our interview, the 12 beers on tap at the tasting room used 6 yeasts between them.
Yeast isn't the only area where things get creative. The male Robbings is British and has an affinity for their malts, but "really started brewing when I fell in love with American styles" and is likely to match those UK malts with American hops. There are plenty of German- and Belgian-inspired beers in the mix, too.
One of the many flavors they're having fun with is rye. Reuben's Roggenbier, with a malt bill of 50% rye, is a great take on a neglected old German style (imagine a darker hefeweizen with a nice spicy rye bite). The flavors of Reuben's Imperial Rye IPA and American Rye ale will be more familiar to hop-loving Americans but are no less interesting and satisfying, with the non-imperial version being the more citrusy and approachable of the two.
Only some of Reuben's plethora of beers are bottled and none are distributed far from the Seattle metro area. If I was in town I'd head to the tasting room inside their brewery, which has 12 taps and often a cask. What'll be on tap? Your guess (and the brewer's) is as good as mine.
Sound Brewery (Poulsbo, WA)
There's been a brewery explosion on Washington's Kitsap Peninsula, with three new operations opening recently in the town of Poulsbo (population 9,200) alone. Part of this burgeoning scene is Sound Brewery, founded in 2011 by longtime homebrewers Mark Hood and Brad Ginn and differentiating itself with Belgian-inspired beers with west coast twists.
Hood came to Sound with 25 years of homebrewing experience and a computer game industry resume dating back to the '80s. "Instead of just trying to make awesome games, the industry became about big brands and franchises," says Hood, whereas craft brewing "still has that feeling of everyone trying to break through to the masses." He also enjoys the spirit of cooperation in the local beer community. "We are all good friends, have beers together, share deals on ingredients and materials, go to events together, and generally just all work together to make craft beer bigger and keep bringing beer fans to our area," he says.
Sound Brewery walks the tightrope of pushing style envelopes while maintaining balance. "You will never see us brag about 120 IBU, because we don't do that," says Hood. What they do are beers like Monk's Indiscretion, which surprises anyone expecting a straight abbey-style beer by delivering an unexpected dose of juicy hops. Koperen Ketel BPA, Dubbel Entendre, and Triple Entendre are enjoyable homegrown versions of classic Belgian styles, while Humulo Nimbus will please fans of piney, chewy double IPAs like you'd expect from the Pacific Northwest. Then we're back to twists like an imperial stout with Belgian yeast. It's fun stuff.
The Sound team has brewed 19 styles so far and they have more on the way. "We haven't even done lager yet, and we've got a lot of homebrewing awards for lagers between us," says Hood. I'd love to see what this outfit does with a doppelbock!
Sound Brewery sends beer around the area and to eastern Washington, Idaho, western Canada, and occasionally Japan, but it sounds (ha ha, sorry) like a side trip to this beery peninsula would be a worthy part of a visit to Seattle.
Locals and travelers, what are your favorite smaller breweries in Washington? Let us know in the comments.
Beer samples provided for review consideration.
All products linked here have been independently selected by our editors. We may earn a commission on purchases, as described in our affiliate policy.


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new garden
Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2009 7:05 pm
I have just planted my first vegetable garden. I bought 4-inch bell peppers, strawberries, tomatoes, melons, watermelon, zuchini, and cucumber. What I wanna know is for how long should I pinch off the flowers or fruit on these plants so that they may grow faster and give a better crop later? Also, how many fruits should I leave on the plants later on? The watermelon vines are about the size of a basketball now and have several blossoms and 1 tiny watermelon each. The melons and strawberries are only about 3 inches tall. The peppers, zuchinis, and cucumbers are about 1 foot tall and have flowers and/or some tiny fruit, and the tomatoes are about 2 feet tall but no fruit yet. Thanks, appreciate any advice!


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Investors plowed record $183 billion in ETFs in 2012January 11, 2013: 2:35 PM ET
U.S. investors plowed a record $183 billion into U.S.-listed exchange traded funds last year, surpassing the previous record of $178 billion set in 2008, according to State Street data.
"Last year's impressive overhaul amounts to yet another clear sign that ETFs are not only here to stay, but are increasingly chipping away at the dominance of mutual funds," said Olivier Ludwig, managing editor at IndexUniverse, which also tracks ETF assets.
Like mutual funds, ETFs, or exchange-traded-funds, offer exposure to a wide array of investments, from the broad stock and bond markets to individual sectors. But they're often cheaper and more tax friendly than traditional funds. ETFs can also be bought or sold at any time of day since they trade like stocks.
Related: Individual investors have insatiable appetite for ETFs
The world's largest ETF, the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY), remained the most popular among investors, who poured nearly $16 billion into the fund in 2012.
Emerging market ETFs were also among the most successful. Both the Vanguard and MSCI Emerging markets ETF (VWO) and the iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (EEM) pulled in more than $10.5 billion each.
And bond ETFs raked in $56 billion, or about 30% of all total assets, last year, with iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF (LQD), iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF (HYG) and the Pimco Total Return Fund ETF (BOND) among top 10.
In fact, Pimco's Total Return ETF, which debuted in March 2012 and is managed by Pimco founder and chief investment officer Bill Gross, ended the year with nearly $3.9 billion in assets, making it the second-most successful ETF launch in history after the 2004 entrance of the SPDR Gold ETF (GLD).
Overall, ETFs ended 2012 with more than $1.3 trillion in assets, nearly 30% higher from a year earlier.


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A collection of scholarly works about individual liberty and free markets. A project of Liberty Fund, Inc.
1850 - 1906
Historical Period:
The 19th Century
Frederic William Maitland (1850–1906) was an English jurist and historian who, like Pollock, attended Eton and then Trinity College, Cambridge. Maitland began publishing legal history in 1884 and four years later he was elected to the Downing Chair of the Laws of England. He founded the Selden Society in 1886 and served as its general editor.