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University of Virginia alumnus James Gilmore III has devoted a career of service to his home state of Virginia and to his nation. He served as governor of Virginia from 1998-2002. From 1999-2003, he was the chair of the U.S. Congressional Advisory Panel to Assess Domestic Response Capabilities for Terrorism Involving Weapons of Mass Destruction, commonly known as the Gilmore Commission. In 2001 he served as chair of the Republican National Committee. He is currently chairman of the National Council on Readiness and Preparedness. You may read his official blog at Virginia Patriot.


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Bombardier Supports Educational Establishments Affected by Flooding with 40,600 Euro
July 12, 2013 Berlin Transportation, Press Release
Rail technology leader Bombardier Transportation donated 40,600 euro in support of educational establishments affected by flooding near its Bautzen and Görlitz sites in Germany. Bombardier employees raised 15,600 euro, with Bombardier's management contributing a further 25,000 euro, totalling 40,600 euro.
Together with the site management and the works council in Bautzen and Görlitz and in accordance with the company's Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategy, Bombardier selected three institutions for support in terms of building repairs and the re-acquisition of school and working materials. Donations were made to "Veensmännel" Integrative DRK Daycare Centre in Ostritz and the vocational school in Zittau, both near Görlitz, and to Halbendorf outdoor learning centre in Malschwitz, near Bautzen.
The commitment of the employees and management of Bombardier in this fundraising effort for the flood-affected regions of Bautzen and Görlitz exemplifies Bombardier's approach of contributing in support of communities in which the company is commercially active. For more information about Bombardier's CSR activities and its sustainability report for 2012, visit www.csr.bombardier.com/en/media.
About Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation, a global leader in rail technology, offers the broadest portfolio in the rail industry and delivers innovative products and services that set new standards in sustainable mobility. BOMBARDIER ECO4 technologies – built on the four cornerstones of energy, efficiency, economy and ecology – conserve energy, protect the environment and help to improve total train performance for operators and passengers. Bombardier Transportation is headquartered in Berlin, Germany, and has a very diverse customer base with products or services in more than 60 countries. It has an installed base of over 100,000 vehicles worldwide.
About Bombardier
Bombardier is the world's only manufacturer of both planes and trains. Looking far ahead while delivering today, Bombardier is evolving mobility worldwide by answering the call for more efficient, sustainable and enjoyable transportation everywhere. Our vehicles, services and, most of all, our employees are what make us a global leader in transportation.
Bombardier is headquartered in Montréal, Canada. Our shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (BBD) and we are listed on the Dow Jones Sustainability World and North America Indexes. In the fiscal year ended December 31, 2012, we posted revenues of $16.8 billion. News and information are available at bombardier.com or follow us on Twitter @Bombardier.
Notes to Editors
For news releases, related material and photos, visit our media centre at
Follow Bombardier Transportation on Twitter @BombardierRail.
BOMBARDIER and ECO4 are trademarks of Bombardier Inc. or its subsidiaries.
For Information
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subset: commoncrawl


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Edwina Rooker
- Details
- Category: Hats Off!
...to Edwina Rooker. Her work "It Was All About 'The Circle'" won 2nd place in the nonfiction category of the 2007 Carteret Writers contest. Her poem "Billy Strayhorn" won Honorable Mention in the James Larkin Pearson Contest sponsored by The Poetry Council of North Carolina. Her World War II poem, "Lost Romance," appeared in the "Looking Back" anthology of Old Mountain Press.


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Disposal Guide
Check out our disposal guide on how to safely recycle or dispose of common household or business items.Learn more
Hours & Facilities
WLSSD has multiple locations to provide services for the 530-square-mile region it serves.View hours and facilities
Preventing pollution, protecting the environment
Established in 1971 to improve and protect the waters of the St. Louis River, Western Lake Superior Sanitary District (WLSSD) treats all municipal and industrial sewage in the Duluth-Cloquet area. It operates multiple wastewater treatment and solid waste facilities.
WLSSD is committed to preventing pollution and protecting the environment, including the region's most precious resource – Lake Superior.
Clean water. The benefits are clear.
Rewarding careers in a broad range of professions.Work with WLSSD
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Is part of the Bibliography
- yes (1) (remove)
- Libanon (1) (remove)
- Extern (1) (remove)
- A Thousand and One Nights between Orient and Occident (2006)
- No other country is influenced in its political, social and cultural structures by both western and eastern mentality such as Lebanon, and hardly any other country has such a pivotal function. In this mediator function it can be compared with a literary work, that merits its role in world literature as hardly any other piece of literature in regard to the co-operation of Orient and Occident. I am thinking of the collection of "A Thousand and One Nights", or with its original title "Alf Laila wa-Laila".


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The Western Migration
The Early Black West
The Far West
To Kansas
Migration to Oklahoma
Moving Further West
The Golden State
World War II and After in the Black West
View all texts
The Way West: Migration and the African-American Search for Freedom and Opportunity in the Western United States
Quintard Taylor, University of Washington
"The Early African Heritage in California"
Seeking El Dorado: African Americans in California
Jack D. Forbes and Lawrence B. DeGraaf, Kevin Mulroy and Quintard Taylor, eds.
University of Washington Press (Seattle, 2001)
Chapter 2 - "Blacks Join the Gold Rush"
Blacks in Gold Rush California
Rudolph M. Lapp
Yale University Press (New Haven, 1977)
Chapter IV
Shadow and Light: An Autobiography with Reminiscences of the Last and Present Century
Mifflin Wistar Gibbs
M.W. Gibbs (Washington D.C., 1902)
Chapter 7 - "Ben Kinchlow: A Trail Driver on the Chisholm Trail"
Black Cowboys of Texas
Texas A&M University Press (College Station, 2000)
Part 2 - Testimonies in Indiana
Report and Testimony of the Select Committee to Investigate the Causes of the Removal of the Negroes from the Southern States to the Northern States: In Three Parts
Government Printing Office (Washington D.C.)
The New Man: Twenty-nine Years a Slave, Twenty-nine Years a Free Man
Henry Clay Bruce
P. Anstadt (York, PA, 1895)
Chapter Two - "Law, Politics and Leavenworth: A Beginning"
A Black Odyssey: John Lewis Waller and the Promise of American Life, 1878-1900
Randall Bennett Woods
Regents Press of Kansas (Lawrence, 1981)
Chapter 12 - "Migration to Kansas Preceding the Exodus"
Exodusters: Black Migration to Kansas After Reconstruction
Nell Irvin Painter
Knopf (New York, 1977)
Interview with Bill Sims
Kansas Narratives, Volume 6
Born in Slavery: Slave Narratives from the Federal Writers' Project, 1936-1938
Prepared by the Federal Writers' Project (Washington D.C.)
Chapter 6 - "The Eldorado of their Foolish Dreams"
In Search of Canaan: Black Migration to Kansas, 1879-80
Robert G. Athearn
Regents Press of Kansas (Lawrence, 1978)
United States. Congress. Senate. Select Committee to Investigate the Causes of the Removal of the Negroes from the Southern States to the Northern States. "Testimony of Benjamin Singleton," Report and
Govt. Printing Off. (Washington, 1880)
United States. Congress. Senate. Select Committee to Investigate the Causes of the Removal of the Negroes from the Southern States to the Northern States. "Testimony of J.W. Wheeler," Report and testi
Govt. Printing Off. (Washington, 1880)
Chapter 1 - "Nicodemus, Kansas"
Black Towns and Profit: Promotion and Development in the Trans-Appalachian West, 1877-1915
Kenneth Marvin Hamilton
University of Illinois Press (Urbana, 1991)
The Negro Exodus from the Gulf States
Douglass, Frederick, 1817?-1895
Frank Leslie's Publishing House (New York , January 1880 )
The Exodus of 1879
from The Journal of Negro History, vol. 21, no. 2 (April 1936)
John G. Van Dusen
Benjamin, or 'Pap,' Singleton and His Followers
from The Journal of Negro History, vol 33. no. 1 (January 1948)
Roy Garvin
Negro Exodus: Report of Col. Frank H. Fletcher, Agent Appointed by the St. Louis Commission to Visit Kansas for the Purpose of Obtaining Information in Regard to Colored Emigration
Frank H. Fletcher
Black Dreams and 'Free' Homes: The Oklahoma Territory, 1891-1894
from Phylon
Lonnie E. Underhil and Daniel F. Littlefield Jr.
Boley, A Negro Town in the West, The Booker T. Washington Papers, vol. 9
University of Illinois Press (Chicago, 1980)
The Crisis, vol. 6, no. 5, (September 1913)
The Rise of Black Phoenix: African-American Migration, Settlement and Community Development in Maricopa County, Arizona 1868-1930
from The Journal of Negro History Vol. 85, no. 3 (Summer 2000)
Matthew C. Whitaker
Negro Homesteading in Nebraska: Introduction
from Sod House Memories, vol. IV
NE: Service Press (Henderson, 1991)
American Daughters: Black Women in the West
from Montana: The Magazine of Western History (Spring 1988)
Riley, Glenda
The Evolution of Black Music in Los Angeles, 1890-1955
Seeking El Dorado: African Americans in California
Bette Yarbrough Cox and de Graaf, Lawrence B.; Mulroy, Kevin; Taylor, Quintard, eds.
University of Washington Press (Seattle, 2001)
Chapter 9 - "Wartime Tensions and the Struggle for Housing"
Black San Francisco: The Struggle for Racial Equality in the West, 1900-1954
Albert S. Broussard
University Press of Kansas (Lawrence, 1993)
Chapter 16 - "After the Fire"
Fire This Time; The Watts Uprising and the 1960's
Gerald Home
University of Virginia Press (Charlettesville, 1995)
The Early Black West
The Far West
To Kansas
Migration to Oklahoma
Moving Further West
The Golden State
World War II and After in the Black West
View all texts
Privacy Policy
Rules & Regulations
Using the Internet
Website Terms & Conditions
© The New York Public Library, 2005.


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Development of Halo 4 is complete with the game now in certification, franchise development director Frank O'Connor told an audience at this morning's Halo 4 press event taking place at the London Film Museum in Covent Garden.
"We had a big piece of news yesterday back in the office, which is that the game is literally finished at this point," said O'Connor. "They are handing it off through the various certification processes and that, and we're done.
"It's been three years of incredibly hard work by about 300 people."
With the game now in certification it's only a matter of time until the gold disc is sent to manufacturing to begin printing the millions of copies which will flood stores worldwide this holiday season.
Halo 4 will be released November 6 only on Xbox 360.


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NorCal Estate Sales & Liquidation ServicesRedding Red Bluff ChicoLocal Online Auctions Serving Northern CA530-366-1659
Lot # 202 - Schoenhut Giraffe (Glass Eyes)
Non Smoking EstatePlease Read! We are not Schoenhut Collectors -We have taken multiple photos so you decide condition & value. We do not know if items are repainted or repaired. Please be advised all items are sold as is with no returns. We will ship to US only - there will be a 10.00 handling fee per item or 5.00 per items on multiple items plus shipping & insurance. There will be a separate invoice for shipping and handling once the auction invoice has been paid.There is a 10% buyer premium on all lots sold.Bidding platform is structured like ebay time auctions - Hard close no extended bidding
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Toddler Boys Toys
Giant Range of Toddler Toys for Boys
Amazing selection of early learning toys and activities for toddlers
Challenge and develop your toddler with the best toddler toys for boys and other toddler stuff from Pink Taffy Designs. Get the best toddler toys for boys and shop our superb range of early learning educational toddler toys from Pink Taffy Designs. Our toddler boys' toys come with high recommendations and our educational toys for toddler boys encourages both hand eye coordination and also helps to develop motor skills. Shop our awesome and fun range of outside toys for toddler boys and search for outdoor toddler toys that are made from good quality materials. Have fun outdoors with our durable range of outside toys for toddler boys and let your kids' get some sun and fresh air! Also find quality indoor toys and toddler stuff to do for rainy days and cold nights. Get the best educational toys for toddler boys and let these premium baby toys help boost your toddlers' brain development. Keep your toddler happy and satisfied with Pink Taffy Designs' quality educational toddler toys and let your toddler develop a skill set through play today. Come check out our awesome range of toddle toys for boys today and shop from Pink Taffy Designs for the best bargains online!
Ahoy Doggie Pirate Ship Rocker
Owliver Green Owl Chair Rocker


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Am I Pleasing To God
April 11, 2013
"Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,"
Romans 5:1
At the moment of our salvation we were placed in Christ Jesus. This is true of you and true of me. If we are going to move forward in the Christian life, we need to understand that we are fully acceptable and totally pleasing to God. If you are not clear on this you will live your whole Christian life in a subtle form of bondage, not knowing if you have ever done enough to feel pleasing and acceptable to God.
To enjoy fellowship with God, we must know all of our sins have been taken away by the shed blood of Jesus Christ, we have been forgiven of every sin, past, present, and future, and we are clothed with His righteousness that is acceptable to God.
For more resources from Above & Beyond Fellowship, visit www.above.org.


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Up is down, black is white, dogs and cats are living together and now reliable bear David Rosenberg is going bull.
Rosenberg (left), former economist at Merrill Lynch & Co. who now is chief economist and strategist of the Canadian firm Gluskin Sheff, wrote commentary this week titled "Parting of the Clouds?" that is causing quite a stir.
The reason for his sudden optimism? Gov. Scott Walker's survival of the recent recall in Wisconsin, combined with austerity measures approved by voters in San Diego and San Jose, Calif.
"If liberal California recognizes the depths of its public-sector union problems, no doubt others will too," he noted, quoting an Investor's Business Daily editorial before adding, "Amen to that."
"As it stands, the average college student has an average debt load of $30,000 and the male unemployment rate for those between 20 and 24 years old is 14%," he wrote, temporarily echoing his pessimistic persona. "That, my friends, is the statistic that keeps me up most at night."
Explaining that it's all about "resolve, courage, discipline … and the right political moment to strike," he added that he could "sense it coming down the pike."
"I may be cautious on the outlook for risk assets and cyclical securities over the near- and intermediate term. But change is always at the margin. And it usually starts in the political sphere. The future is brighter than you think."
However, it's not all sunshine and roses (this is Rosenberg, after all), and he noted the possibility of another recession, just as the country experienced in the first two years of the Reagan presidency, "but we endured nonetheless and came out stronger on the other side once the inflationary excesses of the day were purged (today, it is a case of curing a deflationary debt deleveraging)."
"I'm noticing a certain degree of despair these days, just as I am getting enthusiastic about the future," he wrote. "Much depends on what happens on Nov. 6, and between now and then we still have the European mess, China hard-landing risks and the U.S. debt ceiling issue to confront."
Be that as it may, he concluded that those "with some dry powder on hand will have their clients in a solid position to take advantage of whatever forced 'panic' selling takes place. For the record, I do see a light at the end of the dark tunnel.
"I'm so excited I just can't hide it. But for now, I'm keeping the powder dry."


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Active ingredient
- umeclidinium bromide
Legal Category
POM: Prescription only medicine
POM: Prescription only medicine
The Patient Information Leaflet (PIL) is the leaflet included in the pack with a medicine. It is written for patients and gives information about taking or using a medicine. It is possible that the leaflet in your medicine pack may differ from this version because it may have been updated since your medicine was packaged.
This medicinal product is subject to additional monitoring. This will allow quick identification of new safety information.
Stockley Park West, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB11 1BT
+44 (0)208 990 4328
0800 221 441
0800 221 441


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Events Calendar
Fresh Check Day
Join us for St. John Fisher College's first Fresh Check Day, a fun event with interactive booths, free food, and awesome prizes!
Date: October 3, 2019 - October 3, 2019
Time: Noon - 2 p.m.
Location: LeChase Commons
Hosted by the Office of Student Engagement & Inclusion
Fresh Check Day is an uplifting awareness raising event with music, free food, prizes and giveaways, and interactice booths that strive to break down mental health stigma, connect students to resources and to each other. Fresh Check Day is a program of the Jordan Porco Foundation.


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Welcome to the Dockwalk.com Forum
In order to post a comment in one of the forum topics, you must log in or sign up. Your display name will appear next to your posts unless you check the Post Anonymously box. When writing a post, please follow our forum guidelines. If you come across a post that you would like us to review, use the Report Post button. Please note the opinions shared in the forums do not necessarily reflect the views of Dockwalk.
Dockwalk.com Forum
What Went Wrong
Dockwalk magazine's regular column, What Went Wrong by Kelly Sanford, highlights a different marine accident each month, focusing on the lessons learned. We've received feedback that some readers would like to comment on it. So we're republishing it in the forum so you can have your say.
The December 2010 column recounts a story of a captain who was fatally injured when his vessel broached in violent surf and two other captains share their near-misses.
In early September 2010, Capt. Tom Henry, an experienced 61-year-old sportfishing captain, was fatally injured when his 51-foot sportfish broached in violent surf on the approach to the Jupiter Inlet in Florida. A notoriously difficult passage in poor conditions, the veteran captain was making his approach when a quartering wave picked up the stern and knocked the vessel on its side. Upon impact, the captain was thrown from the vessel, striking both the gunwale and lower deck before landing in the water. The entire chain of events was captured by a photographer.
"I've seen [the Jupiter Inlet] pictures," says USCG Spokesman Lt. Cmdr. Matt Moorlag. "We would say not to come in with significant breaking surf from the stern, but I know it can be difficult to avoid sometimes, even with plenty of diligence and preparation."
"I saw those photos and immediately thought about the time the exact same thing – minus anyone being killed – happened to me," says Capt. E. "I was coming across from The Bahamas and I knew conditions were crappy coming through Whale Pass. I even discussed it with my crew. I told them it would be rough. I said we could wait for better weather or we could buckle up the boat and go for it. We were all ready to get home and I'd been through that pass enough times before that we went. It was a combination of bad luck and a bad choice. I thought I'd timed the set, but we were part way through the pass when a random breaking wave came at us, quartering the stern. It just picked us up and knocked us on our side. Furniture went flying, dishes were broken, even large equipment in the engine room shifted. Fortunately, there was no major damage or injuries, but it was a day that changed me as a captain."
The images of the Jupiter Inlet event also brought back memories for another captain, who asked we not use his name, but suggested calling him Capt. Wiz, "Because I damn near wet my pants that day. I remember it well – one of my first harrowing experiences as a captain." Another member of Capt. Wiz's crew at the time explains, "Bad weather had been chasing us for days. We had put off the trip from Cancun to Puerto Aventuras as long as we could. But the owners were arriving, so we did what we had to do – we hunkered down and went. We had been in six- to ten-foot seas for the whole trip down so the swells coming into PA just didn't look that bad."
Capt. Wiz continues, "With the three- to four-foot swells coming in that narrow channel, you had to come in at a decent enough speed so as not to get turned sideways. A combination of throttles, steering and speed all had to work in tandem, or at least that's what I thought. The problem was that not only was the channel narrow, but it also doglegged to the right immediately upon entering so you couldn't come in too fast. I approached at a speed that I thought was fast enough and would get us in without any problems. Such was not the case. "We made it about halfway in and I thought we were doing pretty well. Then all of a sudden, a wave picked up the stern, slid the boat sideways and sent it careening towards the jetty. I remember hollering [to the crew] 'HOLD ON!' By then we must have been less than ten feet from the rocks. Adrenalin, reflex, sheer luck, whatever you want to call it, I spun the wheel, slammed the port engine in reverse and the starboard in forward. Fortunately, that was just enough to slow our forward motion and slightly swing the bow around. I could not have missed that jetty by more than just a few inches. I continued to swing the boat back to the center of the channel. Just as the next swell started to pick up my stern again, I gunned the engines forward. That turn in the channel came at us extremely quickly. Another round of wild steering and engine throttling ensued along with the help of a pitiful little bow thruster. Somehow, we made the turn and glided into that peaceful little marina like nothing had happened. It was at this time that I looked up to see all the locals running out onto the jetty to see the 'big, pretty white boat' get dashed on the rocks. I was not sorry to disappoint them – especially with the owner waiting for us at the dock.
"The whole escapade could not have taken more than ten seconds and created a number of early gray hairs. It seemed like forever, though. Thankfully, we did not have a delay in our throttles and transmissions like some boats do otherwise those locals would have had the show they wanted."
A potential knockdown situation is not a boat maneuvering skill with which many pleasure vessel captains have practice – and it's something they typically have the luxury and good sense to avoid. It's the kind of situation a captain encounters once and a moment of bad judgment is quickly replaced by a newfound respect for a breaking sea.
This is a link to the original article posted in the Seen and Heard forum on Dockwalk.com where you can view three of the photos: http://www.dockwalk.com/Essentials/DockTalk.aspx?g=posts&t=34172
We somewhat agree with the anonymous poster above and did not include the photos of the captain falling off of the vessel out of respect for the deceased and his family.


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Trick-or-treating hours are set in area communities, with all but Waldron scheduled Friday night.
MORENCI—Trick-or-treating is scheduled from 6 to 8 p.m. and a party will follow at Wakefield Park. Fire department members will build a bonfire and the Church of the Nazarene will offer hay rides.
FAYETTE—Fayette children will have no shortage of treats.
The evening starts off Friday with hot dogs and chips at the fire hall, sponsored by the Fayette Area Chamber of Commerce. The event is planned from 5 to 6 p.m.
Trick-or-treating is scheduled from 6 to 7 p.m., followed by doughnuts and beverages back at the fire hall from 7 to 8 p.m. The Lions Club and fire department members are working together for that party.
LYONS—Trick-or-treating is planned from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Friday, followed by costume judging, and cider and doughnuts at the VFW Hall.
WALDRON—In Waldron, trick-or-treating was delayed until Saturday in case the football team's playoff game was scheduled Friday night.
The Spartans play at Mendon Saturday afternoon, but trick-or-treating is planned from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Saturday. No party is scheduled this year.


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Anti-Gay Hate Group Calls on Fla. AG to Step Down in Marriage Ban Case
Claiming that she is not presenting a "vigorous defense" in the cases against Florida's ban on same-sex marriage, Mat Staver of the Southern Poverty Law Center designated anti-gay hate group Liberty Counsel, is calling for state Attorney General Pam Bondi to step down.
Fresh off his failure to have the U.S. Supreme Court accept their petition to have California's ban on gay conversion therapy last week, Staver appeared in a Florida court for the second time in a week Monday in an attempt to intervene in the cases challenging the state's ban on same-sex marriage. In the Monroe County case, he is representing Florida Family Action, Florida Democratic League, and People United to Lead the Struggle for Equality.
In a statement released by Liberty Counsel on Monday, Staver had harsh words about Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi's defense of the state's marriage ban.
"Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi is giving only window dressing to the Florida Marriage Amendment," said Staver. Bondi sent one of her staff attorneys to argue the case against the constitutional amendment, and her office filed a short, 14-page brief only a week before the court date.
"If Attorney General Pam Bondi does not want to present a vigorous defense, she owes it to the voters of Florida to step down and allow someone else to represent the interests of the State," Staver said.
Staver also had a message for Florida's Republican Governor.
"I call on Governor Rick Scott to get off the sidelines and appoint an independent counsel who can adequately represent the people of Florida," he said.
According to Associated Press, in March, Bondi argued in court documents that recognizing same sex marriages performed in other states would disrupt existing marriage laws and "impose significant public harm."
Eight gay couples and the American Civil Liberties Union sued the state in federal court in March. The lawsuit argues Florida is discriminating against the couples by not recognizing same-sex marriages performed in states where they are legal. Attorney General Pam Bondi, a Republican who was named in the lawsuit along with fellow GOP Gov. Rick Scott and other state officials.
As reported by EDGE, last month, Liberty Counsel received a well deserved setback today when the U.S. Supreme Court passed on the Southern Poverty Law Center designated hate group's petition regarding California ban on harmful gay conversion therapy for minors.
Gay Marriage
This story is part of our special report titled Gay Marriage. Want to read more? Here's the full list.


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Seriously Asian: Hooked on Udon Recipe
"Finally, these were the noodles of my dreams, noodles with the kind of the flexible yet creamy strands that I had only ever tasted with homemade Italian pasta."
Note: Every week, SE intern Chichi Wang will be discussing some aspect of Asian cookery, with an emphasis on the traditional, underappreciated, or misunderstood elements thereof.
Recently, I had an epiphany on the noodle-making front. For years I'd been successfully rolling out tagliatelle or cutting papardelle by hand; every week, I'd rub my palms to the rhythm of trofie. Yet deep down, I was ashamed. I was ashamed because I'd never had success with a batch of homemade Asian noodles, the ones using only water and flour. My problem? Without the addition of eggs, the doughy strands were never quite chewy enough. Meal after meal, I would slurp down my homemade noodles floating limply in a bowl of broth with the nagging feeling that somehow, I could do better.
I wondered if it were possible to make truly fine Asian noodles at home. I wanted to find a recipe that would yield limber and slightly chewy strands, with the kind of dexterity evident upon first bite. I'd tasted such strands from relatively expensive packages of thin Korean noodles, but even those lacked the freshness that I had come to appreciate with my own Italian pasta.
Looking at episodes of No Reservations didn't boost my prospects. As I watched Anthony Bourdain visiting master noodle makers in Asia, I started to wonder if the only way I could produce a nearly perfect noodle was to take up the craft wholeheartedly, perhaps with a giant wooden dowel that would thump the dough like an overbearing masseuse.
Lacking such physical prowess, I instead tried different proportions of flour-to-water-to-salt and, after that stage, another period in which different resting times and kneading techniques were attempted. One year, I became convinced that a type of powder the Chinese call "kansui," an alkaline-related ingredient that imparts a certain aroma to the noodles in China, was my missing ingredient. I even had my eighty-six-year-old grandfather in Shanghai inquire about the matter of kansui and obtain a bag for my own use, but one taste of the powder-laden noodles left my tongue numb for well over an hour.
Just when I had set aside my dreams of making Asian noodles at home, the noodles found me. While revisiting the Dengaku technique in Japanese Cooking: A Simple Art, a recipe for udon noodles fell open onto my lap. The recipe looked similar to any other I'd seen for flour-and-water noodles, yet there in the list of ingredients, Tsuji had included egg yolks as an optional element in the dough. In that moment, I felt the force of noodle enlightenment enveloping me, and I knew that I had found my recipe.
In the past, I'd added yolk after yolk into a decadent agnolotti recipe from The French Laundry Cookbook, but I hadn't considered adding yolks to my Asian noodles. Call me parochial or just plain silly, but now, I'm kicking myself for never before plopping an egg yolk into my previous flour mounds. This time around, doing so made all the difference.
The udon noodles were slick and supple, possessing a bouncy chew that came apart in my mouth with just the right amount of resistance. Finally, these were the noodles of my dreams, noodles with the kind of the flexible yet creamy strands that I had only ever tasted with homemade Italian pasta. An egg yolk they contained, but eggy they were not. The overwhelming taste of the strands was that of the water-and-flour noodle, yet the addition of just two yolks, with their all-important fat, added a critical litheness to the chew of each stand.
Kneading the noodles was another revelation. In the book, Tsuji advises that the dough be kneaded until it is firm yet supple like the earlobe. At first I chuckled but eventually the incredible wisdom of this statement became evident as I continued to knead the dough. As I passed the ten-minute marker, I began to realize that the dough was becoming stronger yet slightly yielding. And, well, it felt uncannily like earlobe.
I served the noodles in a basic Japanese broth consisting of dashi, soy sauce, and mirin. The slippery strands, like eels swimming in a limpid pool, were so satisfying that few, if any, embellishments were needed. As I happened to have on hand a bag of fresh baby bok choy, I wilted a few pieces into the broth. Verdant and barely cooked through, the bok choy completed the sparse yet elegant canvas that so frequently defines Japanese cookery.
It was really difficult to do, but I waited for about two hours to try the noodles in a pork bone soup and found that they were just as delicious in the meaty broth as they had been in the dashi-based soup. As such, I am officially dubbing these udon noodles my homemade Asian noodles of choice.
Homemade Udon in Japanese Noodle Broth
Adapted from Japanese Cooking: A Simple Art by Shizuo Tsuji.
- Rated:
- For the noodles:
- 1 3/4 cups cold water
- 2 1/2 tablespoons salt
- 2 egg yolks
- 8 1/3 cups (2.5 pounds or 1 kg) all-purpose flour
- For the broth:
- 8 1/3 cups dashi
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 3 tablespoons dark soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons mirin
Dissolve the salt in the water, then add the egg yolks to the mixture. Stir to combine. Mound the flour on a board and make a well in the center. Gradually add the liquid mixture to the flour. Depending on what type of all-purpose flour you use, the amount of liquid will vary slightly. (I generally use King Arthur, and I find that it needs a little more liquid.) The dough will start to come together when approximately half of the liquid is incorporated into the flour.
Knead the dough vigorously, for about fifteen minutes, until it is smooth and firm yet pliant like an earlobe. Cover with a damp kitchen cloth and let rest for 8 hours during the winter or 3 hours in the summer.
Divide the dough into four equal sections for ease of rolling. On a flour-dusted board, roll out the dough to a 1/8 inch width. Sprinkle the sheet of dough with flour, and then gently fold into fourths lengthwise. Cut into approximately 1/4-inch strips with a sharp knife. After cutting, spread out loosely to ensure that the strands will not stick together as you are rolling and cutting the rest of the dough. This batch, in total, will make approximately 10 servings.
To cook the noodles: bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook for approximately 4 to 7 minutes, depending on the thickness of the noodle. Boil until the noodles are just cooked through the center; drain and rinse under cold water. Unlike Italian pasta, for which it is desirable to retain the surface starch, you want to make your udon noodles slicker.
Meanwhile, make your basic Japanese noodle broth. In a large pot, bring dashi to a boil and add the salt, soy sauce, sugar, and mirin. Keep at a low simmer until you are ready to use it. This broth may be made in advance, cooled to room temperature, and refrigerated in a container for up to 3 days.
To assemble: Place the cooked noodles in the broth, along with accoutrements, if desired. If the broth is fresh, then the noodles will be delicious on their own with very few additions needed. A poached egg, sliced green onions, or fish cake are some of my favorites.
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Grenade launchers, munitions, seized
The police have seized some 300 tonnes of grenade launchers and munitions at a site in Bojkovice in the area of Uherské Hraďiště, Czech TV reports. According to the police, the weapons and munitions were improperly stored. The owner, a company named Pyro-Technology, denies the claim. The removal of the material secured will take place over the course of several days.
Latest News
Hamáček for commission exploring mistakes ahead of second Covid wave10/31/2020
The head of the Czech Republic's coronavirus task force, Interior Minister Jan Hamáček, says he strongly supports the creation of a Chamber of Deputies commission to investigate who made mistakes, and how, in the country's preparations for the second wave of Covid-19. He made the comment in an interview for news outlet Seznam Zprávy.
The Czech Republic was one of the countries in Europe that registered relatively low numbers of coronavirus cases and deaths in the spring. However, during the current second wave it has recently seen some of the world's highest per capita infection and death rates.
Covid-19 restrictions impacting how Czechs travel10/31/2020
The coronavirus situation is impacting how Czechs travel, Czech Television reported. The country's public transport system has seen a major fall-off in passenger numbers, with figures currently at around 30 percent of the norm. In spring, during the first wave of the virus, public transport used by only around one-tenth of the usual number of people, Czech TV said.
While the share of Czechs getting about by car has risen, there has been a fall of around 15 percent in the number of vehicles on Czech motorways since the current Covid-19 restrictions were introduced. This is a smaller decline than seen in the spring.
Weather forecast10/31/2020
It should be overcast in the Czech Republic on Sunday, with an average high temperature of 13 degrees Celsius. The start of next week is expected to see highs of 17 degrees Celsius but from Wednesday they will be down to 9 degrees Celsius.
November weather expected to be relatively mild10/31/2020
This November should be slightly warmer than usual for the time of year, according to a regular four-week forecast issued by the Czech Hydrometeorolgical Institute.
Average daytime highs will hover around 11 degrees Celsius next week. Temperatures should then drop through the month, with snow possible in low-lying areas by the end of November, the meteorologists said.
All Soul's Day exemption for sales of candles and wreaths10/31/2020
Because of All Soul's Day (Dušičky in Czech), before which many Czechs visit and tend family graves, an exemption is being made this weekend to restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of Covid-19.
While all shops must close on Sunday, stands near cemeteries selling candles and wreaths will be allowed to operate until 8 pm after the government approved the exception on Friday.
Covid-19 deaths in Czech Republic pass 3,000 mark10/31/2020
The number of deaths with Covid-19 in the Czech Republic now exceeds 3,000, reaching 3,078. The great majority of those deaths have occurred in October and there were over 170 on Thursday alone.
Some 13,605 new cases of the virus were registered on Friday. That was around 1,650 fewer than the previous Friday, though the total number of active cases now stands at over 183,000.
The number hospitalised with the coronavirus now stands at 7,281, with over 1,000 in intensive care.
Blatný admits once signing petition calling for Babiš's resignation10/31/2020
The new Czech minister of health, Jan Blatný, has admitted that he did in the past sign a petition calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Andrej Babiš. Mr. Blatný had previously evaded questions on the matter, telling the newspaper Právo that it was possible somebody else had signed under his name.
The new minister told journalists on Friday evening that he had been selected for the post because of his professional expertise.
For his part Mr. Babiš said the most important thing was handling the current public health crisis, regardless of party membership of political views.
Smart Quarantine project to cost CZK 400 million next year10/30/2020
The operation of the national Smart Quarantine programme focused on Covid-19 will cost around CZK 400 million next year, the Czech News Agency reported on Friday.
The programme will be operated by the Ministry of Health in cooperation with the National Agency for Communication and Information Technologies.
The programme, which was launched in the spring, assists regional hygiene stations in tracing potentially infected people by mapping the contacts of positively tested individuals for COVID-19 with the use of modern information technologies.
Lower house votes to extend state of emergency until November 2010/30/2020
The lower house of Parliament has voted to extend the state of emergency in the Czech Republic until November 20. The present state of emergency was announced in the country on October 5 and is in place until November 3rd.
Prime Minister Andrej Babiš said the extension was necessary to keep in place the emergency measures aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19, including restriction of free movement and closure of non-essential businesses and services.
The government's original proposal for an extension until December 3 did not win approval.
Deputies approve CZK 5,000 bonus for pensioners10/30/2020
The lower house of Parliament on Friday approved a proposal to give pensioners a one-off bonus of CZK 5,000, in view of higher living costs and additional expenses linked to the coronavirus crisis.
The sum is to be added to pensions in December. The bonus should cost the state CZK 15 billion altogether.
The proposal still has to be approved by the Senate and signed by the president.


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|Images here from the Encyclopedia of Life
I can't tell you how many times I've read something about starfish in pop culture or even in pop sci-and the writer assumes that starfish are the SAME all over the world! As if there was only one type.
This gets to be annoying..so let me just make sure everyone knows: There's a LOT OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF STARFISH. And they live in different places all around the world.
Similarly, I've talked about my field work in Antarctica and in the middle of my story, someone stops me to ask "Wait, there are starfish IN ANTARCTICA??"
So here are five things about the diversity of sea stars that will razzle your dazzle and make you a favorite at echinoderm-themed invertebrate zoology parties (esp. those where people are ignorant of starfish)!
1. How Many Starfish Species Are there?
here), but I assure you, that I am doing everything I can to kick that 1900 up a notch every chance I get!
Here's a post where I keep track of many of my new species!
More importantly, that's 1900 species in 36 FAMILIES. That means there's 36 different distinct groupings found all throughout the world in different habitats at different depths in different settings. So, its not just 1900 different kinds spread out all over the place- its 1900 species divided up into 36 distinct body types adapted to living in many different ecological niches!! (note that 1900 is a rounded figure due to questionable status for some names)
For those who need to know: the full list is in the PLOS paper listed above. So feel free to click and go!
Of the many weird kinds, there's Tremaster, as I discussed here awhile back..
the deep-sea brisingids! Crazy lookin' things that live in the deeps! Here
This Antarctic monster! Labidiaster annulatus! The Slime Stars! Yay Mucus!
Predatory Sun Stars! And just for good measure- here's a neat assortment from Hawaii!
2. Where Do Starfish Live?
All echinoderms, including sea stars, live in the ocean-on the sea bottoms (although their larvae swim in the water column). They are among the few groups of animals which live exclusively in marine habitats.
Starfish live in all the oceans! Atlantic! Pacific! Indian! Arctic! Southern!
And in answer to the question "Do starfish live in Antarctica?" and "Under the Ice?" Yes!
The video below is from the famous "brinicle" video released awhile back showing starfish (Odontaster validus, probably) getting around some hardcore Antarctic ice! (narrated by 30 Rock celebrity Alex Baldwin!)
Of the 36 living families of sea stars, nineteen of them occur exclusively in the deep-sea (436 species)! Four families are mostly deep sea but with some shallow-water members (1191 species) and several families include large numbers of deep-sea members. Only 8 families live ONLY in tropical habitats (218 species).
It turns out that MOST starfish live in cold-water (or temperate) settings, such as the deep-sea or in the polar or near polar regions!
So among those deep-sea starfish species, which ones live most deeply? As it turns out several starfish groups occur in the deep abyss below 5000 meters!
One of the most commonly encountered deep-sea asteroid groups at that depth is the Porcellanasteridae.
|Image from the EOL page
Another group known to occur down to 6000 meters? Brisingids (go here to learn more) in the family Freyellidae...
3. Which Group of Sea Stars is Most Diverse? (i.e., Which one has the most species?)
What's weird about this question is that the group with the MOST number of species is probably the group you are least familiar with... Enter: The Goniasteridae!
Ding!Ding! This group rings in at a whopping 256 species in 65 genera! Deep sea! Tropical! Antarctic! Shallow! Goniasterids are everywhere (but mostly in cold-water places, in the deep sea)!
But usually, in out of the way places, so they don't really turn up in places where people encounter them. So not many folks think of them you ask "what does a starfish look like?"
Goniasterids vary in size and shape as you can see.. but some get REALLY large! Such as this monstrous Mariaster giganteus from Japan !! (held by my colleague Yoichi Kogure!)
Goniasterids are diverse-and there remain MANY different species yet to be discovered....They are ecologically important in deep-sea AND shallow waters.
I'll probably do a full post on this group at some point-but in the mean time here's a bunch so far!
Tosia-the biscuit star: hidden species and brooding behavior! here!
New genera and species of deep-sea corallivores! here! and some video!
4. How Many Undescribed Starfish Remain to be found?
|Image by Island_girl
Sea stars/starfish are big, obvious creatures. One would think that we have found most of them...but you'd be wrong!
One subject group: The Goniasteride has 256 species in 65 genera. Out of the total # of genera and species: 14% (approx n=9) of genera and 12% (approx n=31) of species were discovered ONLY recently (since 2001).
I have further unpublished data on many MORE new goniasterids! Which suggests that the total number of newly discovered genera could go up to 37% and the number of new species could go up to 32%!!
These are rough estimates from one group. Most people might expect that new species would be found in inaccessible and poorly studied places such as the deep-sea or perhaps in distant tropical lands such as New Caledonia. But another possible source may already be right in front of us....
Cryptic species are those which are distinguished by genetics or reproductive differences, some other source of evidence OTHER than external morphological characteristics to demonstrate they are separate species. Molecular genetics shows great potential as a tool to discover diversity where cryptic species are concerned...
Again, the case of Tosia-the biscuit star: hidden species and brooding behavior! here! is a great example.
5. How Long Have We Observed Starfish in the Fossil Record?
|Hudsonaster USNM 40882, early asteroid from the Ordovician. Copyright Dan Blake. Image via www.tol.org/Asteroideahttp://tolweb.org/Asteroidea
Some very early ancient forms (i.e., predecessors to modern day "proper" asteroids) are observed in the Paleozoic (540 to 250 million years ago!).
But we really don't start to see modern asteroids until the Mesozoic, that is early Triassic....where the record is poorly preserved...
|Left to right: Trichasteropsis weissmanni (specs. MHI 843/1, SMNS 3173/5 and Noriaster barberoi (MPUM 8420) on far right. Images copyright Dan Blake, Images via www.tol.org/Asteroidea
But basically, from then on, ALL modern asteroids continue on to the Recent. In other words, starfish which are alive today are part of the same lineage which has been around since the Triassic (250 to 200 million years ago). A distinct, separate lineage from those in the very, much older Paleozoic.
But just to give everyone a "landmark" to gauge what I'm talking about: YES. Starfish are OLDER than dinosaurs.
Some starfish deposits from the Cretaceous are very well preserved and so, when T. rex was running around, starfish were there, doing their thing. Thanks to some excellent fossil preservation, we know that some of them looked like this...
Metopaster parkinsoni
|Fr. Discovering Fossils UK
Also M. parkinsoni, I believe...
Calliderma schulzei
|Image by Claire H
But, fossil goniasterids were highly diverse and the number of fossil species is very high. The actual number of fossil "species" is difficult to compare with living species owing to differences in what geologists called "species" versus what biologists observed in living animals. Uh.. trust me, its complex and I'll get into it another day.
But yes. Starfish have been around for quite a long time. Longer than humans (and primates). Longer than dinosaurs.
To sum up this week?
- There are about 1900 species of starfish and that number is climbing.
- They live everywhere in the ocean! Especially in cold-water habitats like the deep-sea!
- The family Goniasteridae is the MOST diverse (i.e. most number of species)
- MANY more species of asteroids remain to be discovered!
- The fossil record shows that starfish have been around for a LONG time, since before big reptiles roamed the Earth!


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In a recent interview with Elle, Taylor Momsen spoke about her "budding" musical career (in which she often flashes her breasts onstage) and mentioned in passing that she "quit" acting:
ELLE: And any acting projects planned?
Momsen: I quit acting, actually. I quit Gossip Girl and now tour and am in a band and that's pretty much all I want to do. Hopefully I'll be able to only do that for the rest of my life.
Wait, wasn't she fired? What's true? What's a lie? What's reality anymore? Oh, how about her daily beauty regimen?
ELLE: Any products for when he's not around?
Momsen: I tend not to bring a lot. [Just] a lot of black eyeshadow, and dry shampoo because a lot of the time you don't have time to wash your hair or shower, it's very chaotic. So black eyeshadow and dry shampoo and I'm good to go. I love the Bed Head black eyeshadow. If I can't find it, whatever works, whatever is the blackest eyeshadow I can find.
Yeah, we could've told you that.
Taylor Momsen's "Quit Acting" Forever [Elle]
5 Reasons To Worry About Taylor Momsen
For The Last Time: Taylor Momsen Is Not A Role Model!


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Even before hurricane Irene makes landfall, it has already had a powerful impact on millions of Americans rushing to adjust their lives.
In part, this is no surprise for any hurricane targeting such a densely populated area, as residents rush out to snap up supplies of bottled water and D batteries.
But it also represents an attempt to apply the lessons of past emergency-management failures, particularly by federal agencies. With hurricane Irene's current path taking it directly toward the thickly settled Northeast corridor, the nation's emergency-response capacity is facing scrutiny not seen since hurricane Katrina in August 2005. Even as projections of the storm's clout weakened on Friday, the official response remained the same: not Katrina, not again.
For Washington's Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), shamed by a slow and inadequate response to Katrina in 2005, Irene presents a special test. The federal bureaucracy did not mobilize for Katrina – or even follow its own procedures for emergency response.
This time, Washington is pushing itself and local officials from the Carolinas to New England to get out ahead of the storm. The National Hurricane Center is mapping storm surges at a worst-case high-tide scenario, and FEMA mobilized assets along the storm paths days ahead.
"We're taking this storm very seriously, and I know that our state and local partners are as well," said Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano at a teleconference with reporters on Friday. "In fact, we've already seen a number of states declare emergencies even ahead of the storm."
Asked whether the government might be overhyping the threat by comparing hurricane Irene (a weakening Category 2 storm) with Katrina (a strong Category 3 storm), FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate told reporters on Friday: "I think when people think of Katrina, they think of the homes that were destroyed with the flooding. And that may be something we see in the storm surge areas along the coast."
The point of the official warnings and preparation was to save lives, he said. Government may not be able to prevent storm damage or avoid power outages, "But the one thing we can change the outcome on is loss of life, and that's why the evacuation orders that are being issued in the coastal areas are key," he said.
This has resulted in traffic snarls, thousands of airline and event cancellations, and mandatory evacuations affecting millions. But, depending on the aftermath of the storm, that could be part of a new emergency-response normal – at least so long as the sting of Katrina remains.
By Friday morning, hurricane warnings, meaning hurricane conditions could arrive withing 36 hours, extended from the Carolinas to Sandy Hook, N.J. A hurricane watch, meaning hurricane conditions could arrive within 48 hours, were issued north of Sandy Hook up to the Merrimack River in New England, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Not since hurricane Isabel in 2004 has the Atlantic Coast, especially New England, prepared for such a powerful storm.
Govs. Andrew Cuomo (D) of New York and Chris Christie (R) of New Jersey declared states of emergency on Thursday. Subway, commuter rail, and buses will be shut down on Saturday across the region.
New York City ordered the first mandatory evacuation in the city'shistory, including plans to shut down the city's subway and transit system. The evacuation order now covers mainly shore areas, affecting some 250,000 residents. If a major hurricane (Category 3 or 4) makes landfall just south of New York City, significant low-lying areas in lower Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island could be evacuated, according to the New York City map of hurricane evacuation zones. "A major hurricane is unlikely in New York City, but not impossible," the map notes.
In response to another evacuation order, Atlantic City is shutting down its casinos for only the third time since voters legalized gambling in 1976. More than 1 million residents and tourists, many on buses, joined a surge of traffic in evacuation zones moving away from the coast. The slots and gaming tables must shut down by 8 p.m. on Friday.
Sports, theater, church, and concert events dropped off the calendar as the storm approached. The New York Mets called off baseball games Saturday and Sunday, and the Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillies rescheduled Sunday home games. But the US Open tennis tournament is still set to open in New York on Monday.
In Washington, organizers postponed the dedication of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, set for Sunday to coincide with the 48th anniversary of Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech. That speech, delivered just across the Mall at the Lincoln Memorial, inspired the Memorial's towering "Stone of Hope" sculpture: "With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope." Some tens of thousands of visitors had been expected in Washington for the event.
After a dismal record coping with hurricane Isabel—when some 6 million people lost power, many for more than a week—power companies say they're better prepared for Irene. Crews have been working for months to upgrade equipment, trim trees, and overall harden the reliability of the Pepco power system, which runs from the Washington area into New Jersey. When 150 employees of First Energy in Ohio found they weren't needed in Florida to help cope with Irene, Pepco tapped them to help with the emergency response in the Washington area.
"Despite the skepticism, we believe we're going to get the job done," says Bob Hainey, a spokesman for Pepco. But despite all the reliability upgrades, "with 70-mile winds, the trees will not just sway but come down on poles and wires," he adds.
By midday on Friday, Pepco had sent robocalls to customers to prepare for "potential and likely widespread power outages" this weekend. "Due to the magnitude of the storm, the company expects the restoration effort to extend over multiple days," Pepco warned.
Irene also poses a formidable threat to the region's vast boating community from commercial ports up and down the coast to the army of recreational boaters that typically heads out on the water for the last days of summer.
For the US Coast Guard, it's the most significant challenge since hurricane Isabel. Coast Guard C-130 cargo planes are acting as flying radio stations, broadcasting warning notices on marine-band channels for mariners to take "appropriate action" to avoid the damage from the storm. For recreational boaters, that means getting their boats on trailers and inland to avoid high winds and flying debris in the ports—or doubling up on lines on the pier. For bigger ships, that means getting far out to sea and riding out the storm.
At the same time, the Coast Guard has to protect its own capacity to help with rescues after the storm passes. All four C-130s based in Elizabeth City, N.C., are flying on patrols on Friday, but will move inland as far as West Virginia as the storm approaches. Coast Guard helicopters, too, are moving inland.
"We're making sure that everybody is aware of what's in store for them," says US Coast Guard Senior Chief Petty Officer Steve Carleton. After the storm, the planes and helicopters swing back into service. "As soon as it is safe for them to be airborne, they will do so," he adds.


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CLASS: Senior
SPECIALTIES: 200 freestyle; 100 butterfly
COACHES: Eileen and Dan Thurston
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Class M and open champion in 200-yard freestyle and 100 butterfly. Set a Class M record (1:40.86) in 200 free, won the open with a time of 1:40.31. Set a state and open record (49.34) in 100 fly and won the Class M title with a time of 50:84. Anchor of 200 free relay team that placed sixth (1:35.05) at Class M final. Anchor of 400 free relay that placed 11th (3:31.31) at Class M final.
KLOTZ SAID: "I started off with the main focus to drop a lot of time in my fly and 200 free based on what happened at the end of last year because I had the mindset to work on those two events specifically… There were a lot of setbacks… Stuff just kept going wrong… By the end of the year, I was able to drop some time… I didn't think I was going to get the record (fly) at that point based on how the season was going. When I got the record, that was a big surprise."
EILEEN THURSTON SAID: "Dan believed in us and that was awesome. I'm very excited to see where he goes from here. I think he has a long way to go and I think he will balance. He may hit some bumps in the road but he'll balance it. He has a lot to offer… For as well as he's done, he's very humble at heart and a class act… I'm proud to have been a part of his swimming career and it's been an absolute pleasure."
DAN THURSTON SAID: "I'm thinking what it's going to be like not seeing him…looking up at me on his way to the block and I'm going to say, 'He's got it in the bag.' I don't think I've ever once heard him come up with an excuse when it came time to perform. That's a rare thing."
UP NEXT: Will swim at Brown next year. "I'm excited about the atmosphere of the school and getting to know some of the other kids on the team." Is nervous about juggling Ivy League workload and life as a student-athlete. Plans on enjoying the end of high school by swimming with club team, relaxing while keeping up his good grades.
IN 10 YEARS: Depends on what happens with his swimming career after college. Said the sport is tedious but when he takes time off, he doesn't know exactly what to do with his time. Has scoliosis and the doctor said his swimming helps his back from getting worse. Coaching will depend on how much he misses the sport or if he feels there is something he needs to give to incoming swimmers.
MISCELLANEOUS: Younger brother, Kevin, will swim at Berlin next year. … Spends most of his summer on family's boat in Mystic. … Grew up around the water and it contributed to interest in swimming. … Volunteeres at overnight sailing camp during summers. … Applied to volunteer at Mystic Aquarium this summer. "I'll see how that turns out."
— Matt McDonough


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PORTLAND — The U.S. Department of Education said Thursday it has reached an agreement with Portland's public schools to ensure that female students in the district will have athletic opportunities that are equal to those of boys.
The agreement, announced by the department's Office of Civil Rights, addresses inequities under Title IX found in an audit of the athletic programs at Portland and Deering high schools that began in 2011.
"We were chosen randomly," said Melanie Craig, the athletic director at Deering High. "The OCR comes in and they go through every piece of your athletic department. They go back through three years of rosters and they come in and evaluate your facilities."
Two major discrepancies stood out:
• The first was that the district failed to provide girls with athletic opportunities in proportion to their enrollment numbers at either high school in 2010-11 and 2011-12.
"OCR's investigation revealed a disparity of close to 4 percentage points between the enrollment of girls in high school and their participation in the district's athletics programs," the office said in a statement. "Had the district provided equal participation, girls would have been offered approximately 120 additional athletic participation opportunities."
• The second discrepancy was that the district's athletic facilities favored boys. In particular, a room for coaches at Deering High was accessible only through the boys locker room, which also had a team room with benches and a white board.
In addition, the baseball teams at both Deering and Portland play home games at Hadlock Field, a professional minor-league facility that seats 7,000, while the softball teams play at Payson Park (for Portland High) or at Deering High.
"There's obviously a pretty severe discrepancy there," Craig said. "We're never going to be able to build another Hadlock Field, but what can we do to make the playing field a little more level?"
Early in the process, Craig said, there was a fear that programs for boys would have to be cut back in order to comply with Title IX, the transformational 1972 law that prohibits discrimination based on sex in any educational program that receives federal funding.
Instead, Craig said, "the focus was on, how do we make some of these (girls) programs better?"
Construction at Deering High over the summer resulted in a team room for girls similar to that available to the boys, as well as an office for Deering's female coaches.
The district also consolidated its various booster programs under one umbrella to more equitably distribute funds raised outside the school budget. The OCR audit reported widespread use of "volunteer" coaches of boys sports receiving compensation from booster clubs. The same was not true for girls sports, a discrepancy "substantial enough to deny female athletes an equal opportunity to receive coaching," according to the compliance review.
A survey taken in the spring revealed significant interest in adding girls volleyball, the only sport sanctioned by the Maine Principals' Association not currently offered for girls at either school. Accordingly, both Deering and Portland will start volleyball programs beginning next fall.
Mike Connolly, now in his second year as athletic director at Portland High, said a group of about 20 girls began playing informally this summer at Deering Oaks park and continues to play indoors this fall.
"We're very raw," Connolly said, "but we have a teacher supervising intrasquad scrimmages. There's clearly interest."
Kelly Libby, now entering his third year as the Portland High softball coach, said the field at Payson Park will never be on a par with Hadlock, but significant upgrades are in the works.
"It's been obvious that the girls field wasn't up to even what I thought was a safety standard, let alone equal facilities," he said. "You've got two girls teams and all the parents and fans and there's one (portable toilet). If a lightning storm came up, there would be no place to go, no shelter."
Construction of storage space, enclosed dugouts, concession and bathroom facilities along with new lighting, bleachers and a scoreboard are planned for Payson, where both Portland and Deering will play their softball games and Portland will practice.
"You'll see some of those implemented by spring," Craig said. "It is a process."
Libby, whose softball team doubled its victory total from his first season (one) to his second and saw participation rise from 20 to 22 girls, welcomes the upgrades. "We're excited about that," he said. "It's been a long time coming."
As one who benefited from the changes required by Title IX, Craig reflected on her high school playing days in Rhode Island, her softball career at Saint Joseph's College in Standish and her current stature as one of six female athletic administrators in Maine high schools.
"It is kind of neat," she said. "Girls are playing harder, faster and stronger and it's because of the opportunities we've created to ensure the playing field is equal."
Gone, too, is her initial fear of the OCR audit resulting in reduced opportunities for boys.
"This wasn't about taking away from athletes," Craig said. "What it's done is elevated all of our programs."
Glenn Jordan can be contacted at 791-6425 or at:
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Looks like Rudy Moise, the Haitian-American doctor/lawyer/businessman/amateur actor who lost the 2010 Democratic primary to Frederica Wilson is going to try for the (newly redrawn) seat again.
Moise filed his candidacy with the Federal Election Commission in December -- and his bare-bones campaign website is already up and running.
Wilson was elected to Congressional District 17, formerly held by U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek, after defeating eight primary challengers and coasting in the general election against a no-party-affiliated political novice. Moise placed second in the primary.
Wilson won the primary with almost 35 percent of the vote -- with nearly 9,000 more votes than Moise's 16 percent, despite Moise's considerable campaign war chest, which was eight times larger than Wilson's. At the time, critics argued that if Moise and three other Haitian-American hopefuls had settled on a single Haitian-American candidate, district voters could have elected the first representative of Haitian descent to Congress.
The district extends from Overtown to Miami Gardens to Pembroke Pines. But that will change come the August primary, now that the Florida Legislature has completed the once-a-decade process of redistricting.
Wilson and Moise will now be vying for the new Congressional District 24, which remains solidly Democratic and stretches slightly further south and east than the existing district.
The new maps still have to be approved by Gov. Rick Scott; Democrats have filed suit saying the maps violate anti-gerrymandering standards.
Moise could not immediately be reached for comment.


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Literature Across Cultures, 5e Sheena Gillespie/Anthony P. Pipolo/Terezinha Fonseca 0-321-46007-3 This thematic introduction to literature anthology distinguishes itself by including both classical and contemporary writers, writers from the British and American tradition, ethnic writers from the United States, and writers from other cultures. Now in its fifth edition,Literature Across Culturesfocuses on the political and multicultural aspects of literary works in relation to self and society, gender and identity, war and violence as well as issues of class, sexuality, race, and ethnicity. The revised introductory unit,Reading and Writing as a Social Act,provides strategies for reading closely while encouraging students to see themselves as members of a literary community. New discussion questionsfollow each short story, play, and cluster of poems to assist students in making informed responses to the reading selections, suggesting multiple possibilities for the production of meaning. Film Anglesat the end of each unit demonstrate the continuity between literature and film as well as the ways in which films have shaped cultural attitudes towards the subjects dealt with in the literature. New material in Part One reflects an emphasis on"coming of age"and "rites of passage." There is also a section onterrorism and its influenceworldwide. Journal entriesprovide students with an interactive approach to literature and culture, emphasizing students'personal and critical responses to the literature (Units 1-5). [MyLiteratureLab ad] [MyLiteratureLab logo] With a wealth of interactive, multimedia literature resources, MyLiteratureLab can help you get a better grade. Listen to our "Longman Lectures," test your knowledge of literary elements, see sample papers, get advice on writing and research, and more. [in very small print] *Access to MyLiteratureLab came packaged with this book only if your instructor ordered it that way. You can purchase access online or through your bookstore.Gillespie, Sheena is the author of 'Literature Across Cultures ', published 2007 under ISBN 9780321460073 and ISBN 0321460073.[read more]
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The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) announced today that Rolena Adorno, the Reuben Post Halleck Professor of Spanish and Chair of the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at Yale University, and Marvin Krislov, the President and a professor of politics at Oberlin College, have joined the National Council on the Humanities. The Council is the NEH's 26-member advisory body. Ms. Adorno and Mr. Krislov were nominated by President Barack Obama in July and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Nov. 5. The new members were sworn in and began their official duties on Thursday.
"We are delighted to welcome two such learned scholars and leaders in the field of humanities to our council," said NEH Chairman Jim Leach. "We look forward to the special expertise they bring in the important areas of Hispanic literature and culture and of college governance and modern jurisprudence."
The National Council on the Humanities meets four times a year to review grant applications and to advise the NEH chairman. Ms. Adorno and Mr. Krislov assume seats previously held by Elizabeth Fox-Genovese and Celeste Colgan and begin terms that will expire on January 26, 2014.
Biographical information about the new members can be found below:
Rolena Adorno is the Reuben Post Halleck Professor of Spanish and Department Chair of Spanish and Portuguese at Yale University where her focus of study and teaching includes Colonial Spanish American literature and history, manuscript culture and textual transmission in Colonial Spanish America, and the nineteenth century origins of Hispanism in the United States.
Adorno's most recently published books are The Polemics of Possession in Spanish American Narrative (Yale University Press, 2007), for which she won the Modern Language Association of America's Katherine Singer Kovacs Prize, and De Guancane a Macondo: estudios de literatura hispanoamericana (Sevilla: Renacimiento, 2008). In 2008, she published, with Ivan Boserup, studies of the making and censorship of the seventeenth-century manuscripts of Fray Martín de Murúa at the Getty Institute, Los Angeles. Her earlier books include Guaman Poma: Writing and Resistance in Colonial Peru (1986, 2000); Cronista y príncipe: La obra de don Felipe Guaman Poma de Ayala (1989); and a three-volume study entitled Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca: His Account, His Life, and the Expedition of Pánfilo de Narváez,which she co-authored with Patrick C. Pautz. This study received the J. Franklin Jameson Award from the American Historical Association, the Dwight L. Smith Book Award from the Western Historical Association, and the Best Book Award from the New England Council of Latin American Studies. Adorno is the editor of From Oral to Written Expression: Native Andean Chronicles of the Early Colonial Period (1982) and co-editor, with Kenneth J. Andrien, of Transatlantic Encounters: Europeans and Andeans in the Sixteenth Century (1991). She has co-edited print editions of Felipe Guaman Poma's Nueva coronica y buen gobierno (1980, 1987), and since 2001 she has been the academic advisor to the digitized edition of the work on the Guaman Poma Web site at the Royal Library of Denmark, Copenhagen.
Adorno has received various awards for her work in the humanities including the Graduate Mentor Award of the Graduate School of Yale University as well as a Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award from her alma mater, the University of Iowa. Prior to teaching at Yale, Adorno taught at Syracuse University, The Ohio State University, the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, and Princeton University. She received her Ph.D. from Cornell University. She has held fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation. She is an Honorary Associate of the Hispanic Society of America and holds an Honorary Professorship at La Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú. Adorno is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Marvin Krislov is the President and a professor of politics at Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio. Previously, he served for nearly a decade as both vice president and general counsel at the University of Michigan; during that time he led the University's legal team in the 2003 Supreme Court case that upheld the constitutionality of the consideration of student body diversity in university admissions. While at Michigan, he was also an adjunct professor, teaching undergraduate level political science courses, as well as seminars in the law school and a course in the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy Summer Program. Krislov taught law at George Washington University in 1991-93.
Prior to his time at the University of Michigan, Krislov served as the Acting Solicitor and the Deputy Solicitor for National Operations at the U.S. Department of Labor. He also worked as an Associate Counsel to the President in the White House Counsel's Office. Earlier, Krislov worked as a Federal prosecutor in the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department on cases involving racial or religious violence as well as police brutality. From 1988-89, he clerked for Judge Marilyn Hall Patel of the U.S. District Court in San Francisco.
Krislov has been a member of the American Anthropological Association's Project Advisory Board on Race and Human Variation, as well as several academically-oriented boards while at the University of Michigan, including the University's Center for Institutional Diversity, and as co-chair of the University of Michigan's President's Initiative on Ethics in Public Life. He has served on past Rhodes Scholars Selection Committees and the proposals review committee for the University of Michigan Arts in Citizenship grants. Additionally, Mr. Krislov has contributed articles and commentaries to several publications, and is the co-author of the upcoming book The Next Twenty-five Years: Affirmative Action in Higher Education in the United States and South Africa.
Mr. Krislov received a B.A. degree from Yale University in 1982. As a Rhodes Scholar, he studied at the University of Oxford's Magdalen College where he received an M.A. degree in modern history in 1985. He earned a doctor of laws degree from Yale Law School in 1988, where he also served as editor of the Yale Law Journal.
For information about all members currently serving on the National Council on the Humanities visit www.neh.gov/about/national-council-on-the-humanities.


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Incumbent Anna-Marie Mason is expected to leave in the coming weeks. She joined Game in 2010 from pharmacy business Alliance Healthcare.
Mason's exit follows cuts to senior management in the wake of Game's rescue from administration in 2012 by OpCapita. Chief commercial officer Tricia Brennan, who oversaw marketing, left the company last year.
In September, Game unveiled a fresh strategy based on value and 'honesty', following the merger of its Game and Gamestation brands.
It has also partnered gaming media company IGN Entertainment for a series of activities, beginning with an offer to play Xbox 360 game Gears of War: Judgement in-store ahead of its release.
Game chief executive Martyn Gibbs said he is keen to forge a deeper relationship with customers. 'Our strategy is to be the most valuable community of gamers,' he added. 'We have 12m reward-card customers, the third biggest behind Boots and Tesco, and we want to grow this.'


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I am having some fun these days trying to implement c functions using pointers and c prototypes. So far i got strlength and stringCopy done. However i am moving along to memcopy and have to admit that i lack some knowlegde or pointers here. The following is what i started out with. I have been going back and forth a while now. Can someone explain how the memcpy function is implemented in c. Or do they use bit manipulation etc.
I know the below is wrong, but i backed up to the start of me mucking around with it.
Cheers,Code:int memCopy(void *destination, void *source, int size){ char *dest = (char*)&destination; char *sour = (char*)&source; int c; for(c=0;c<size;c++) *dest++ = *sour++; return c; }


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You must...
- ...be willing and able to write funny G-rated newspaper format strips that appeal to a broad readership. No crude or perverse humor, gaming humor, or anything else that I don't enjoy or find disagreeable will make the cut. Also, the comic will be translated into Norwegian and be brought to a Norwegian audience, so pure pun-based humor or humor that is too regional for wherever on earth you live probably won't work.
...be in the position to commit to a long-term comic writing job should the opportunity arise.
...work fast and professionally, always meet deadlines, and such.
...have lots of original and creative ideas.
...be open to my ideas and criticism. I'd be your partner, not your art slave.
...be the kind of person I would enjoy working with. So it helps if you're a nice person.
They want 15 finished strips by June 1st and a summary of the comic's concept and future plans.
Which puts a heck of a pressure on us, eh?
I am very tempted to work on this by myself and receive all the potential glory and gain alone, but I am not sure I can come up with just the right idea and I don't know if I am capable of doing both the writing and the drawing duty. I have a job and a lot of other commitments. But if I don't find anyone with an idea good enough to make me want to work together with that person, I will try to do something on my own.
However, I thought I'd give it a shot and see if there's someone out there who would do.
Interested in trying?
I need you to:
- - Write a brief summary of your comic strip idea(s), the setup, main characters, etc.
- Write at least 5 strip scripts.
- Send both to me via email gimmecookies(at)gmail(dot)com by May 1st.
If we win: A fair share of the prize money and a professional writing job. Also, your and my name in print, baby. Details will be discussed, but I will likely demand a bigger than 50% share since I will not only be doing art duties but also translating. I will also take care of all mail and correspondence with the newspaper and publisher because it will all be in Norwegian.
If we don't win (the more probable option): The joy of working with me and seeing your ideas put into pretty little pictures! Other than that, I am not interested in making the comic a web comic because I don't have time for that. So we either get published, or our collaboration ends after 15 strips.
Why do I even think we could possibly stand a chance? Because we will compete with Norwegian competition only, and this competition is much more limited than American or others. I have seen former winners of this contest. They are not that great. Norwegians in general are lazy, so I doubt there will be a flood of entries. With some real big effort on both sides, yes, I think it's not impossible to win. I at least want to give it a shot.
If this sounds like a good idea to you, follow the above steps and contact me.


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Possibility of death penalty for Dzhokhar Tsarnaev provokes a range of reactions
From Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's roommate in college freshman year to Governor Deval Patrick, reactions varied today to the news that federal prosecutors have decided to pursue the death penalty against Tsarnaev, the young man accused in federal court in April's deadly Boston Marathon terror bombings.
Jason Rowe, 20, Tsarnaev's former roommate at UMass Dartmouth, said he found out through a news alert on his phone. He said it brought back vivid memories of the bombings and the "seriousness of the situation and everything that happened.''
Now a junior, Rowe said he was unemotional about the death penalty news because he felt Tsarnaev was a stranger to him.
Even though they shared a room for their entire freshman year, he said, "Clearly, I didn't know him like I thought I did.''
Jarrod Clowery, a 36-year-old carpenter from Milville whose legs were badly burned and struck by shrapnel during the bombings, said the news had no effect on him.
"I'm moving on with my life,'' he said. "It has no bearing on my life whatsoever … I don't even think about the trial or anything like that. [The attackers] were tried and convicted by a power higher than us the moment they did what they did.''
Tsarnaev, 20, has pleaded not guilty to 30 federal charges in the twin bombings April 15 that killed three people and wounded more than 260 others. He has been in custody since his capture several days after the bombings, which devastated a renowned sporting event, rocked the region, and made headlines around the world.
In potential death penalty cases, federal prosecutors must declare at the outset whether they are seeking the death penalty. US Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. announced today he had authorized the US attorney's office in Boston to seek the penalty.
Tsarnaev's brother, Tamerlan, 26, who allegedly joined him in the attack, was killed in a confrontation with police in Watertown several days after the attack. Hours later, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was captured. Both brothers allegedly killed an MIT police officer before the Watertown confrontation. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is also facing state murder charges in that case.
Gilberto Tercetti Jr., owner of Junior Auto Body in Somerville, knew the Tsarnaev family. He said the death penalty decision announced today was "awesome.''
Tercetti said he once had tender feelings toward Tsarnaev, who used to come to his auto body shop regularly when he was a boy because he loved cars. Tercetti knew Tsarnaev's father through the auto repair business, and Tercetti's shop was blocks from the Tsarnaev family's Cambridge home. Just weeks before the bombing, Tsarnaev had brought a college friend's car for repairs at the shop.
But Tercetti said his opinion of Tsarnaev radically changed after he realized the destruction Tsarnaev and his older brother had caused. When someone from Tsarnaev's defense team approached him recently about being a possible character witness, Tercetti said he responded by saying, "Are you crazy? How dare you come to me?''
Tercetti said he liked to see the death penalty on the table in this case, but he also wouldn't mind seeing Tsarnaev languish for decades in isolation in prison because, in some ways, "death is too easy.''
If he gets life without parole, he said, "at least, you know he's suffering.''
Steve Fiola, of Fitchburg, a first lieutenant with the Army National Guard, was at the finish line and helped pull scaffolding away so rescuers could reach victims.
He said he was not for or against the death penalty. But he said in this case, he supported the attorney general's decision because of the comfort it will bring to some victims.
"This is the most severe punishment that they could seek and that is indicative of the level of commitment the justice system has in going after this and that will help everyone in their recovery,'' he said.
"There is solace in the dedication of the justice system,'' he said.
Fiola and 15 other Guard members under his command had marched the Marathon route to honor fallen comrades; they had carried heavy loads meant to mimic those that soldiers carry on training marches.
After pulling away the scaffolding, Fiola aided the injured, applying tourniquets and helping to put out a fire burning one man.
Former Boston police commissioner Edward F. Davis, who led the department during the attacks and the aftermath, said Holder's decision to seek the death penalty was not surprising, given the strength of the evidence against Tsarnaev.
"I support the decision,'' Davis said. "The attorney general, who I know personally, doesn't enter into a decision like this lightly. I think it's the right decision.''
Davis said he hoped a jury would have the option to select the death penalty, rather than have prosecutors and the defense reach a plea agreement for a life sentence.
"It doesn't make any difference to me how it plays out,'' he said, regarding whether Tsarnaev is executed. "This is a crime against the Commonwealth and against the nation. … I think the facts and circumstances dictate that this should be an option for the jury.''
Edward P. Deveau, police chief in Watertown where the Tsarnaev brothers engaged in the showdown with police in which an MBTA officer was seriously wounded, said, "I support the decision that was made today, and we're pleased to see the court case continue on. I think it's a well-thought out decision, based on all the facts that have been outlined by the US attorney general. I support it based on that. I have spoken to my officers here, and they feel the same way.''
Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley said her thoughts "continue to be with the victims who were murdered and their families, as well as the other victims who are still dealing with the horrific consequences of this grievous and intentional act of terror. The Marathon bombers may have tried to put the people of Boston in fear, but instead only made us stronger and brought us together as a Commonwealth.''
Governor Deval Patrick said, "One way or another, based on the evidence, Tsarnaev will die in prison.''
"In each milestone of this case — today's announcement, the trial and every other significant step in the justice process — the people hurt by the Marathon bombings and the rest of us so shocked by it will relive that tragedy. The best we can do is remind each other that we are a stronger Commonwealth than ever, and that nothing can break that spirit,'' Patrick said in a statement.
Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh said his thoughts and prayers were with the families of the victims and survivors. "I can't imagine what they are feeling today. Over the past nine months, the people of Boston have shown the world that we are a city full of heart and courage. We stand together as One Boston in the face of evil and hatred. Attorney General Holder has applied the law in this case, and I support the process that brought him to this decision,'' he said in a statement.
Carol Rose, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts, said in a statement that her organization was disappointed in Holder's decision and that it opposes the death penalty "because it is discriminatory and arbitrary, and inherently violates the Constitutional ban against cruel and unusual punishment.''
Rose noted that Massachusetts does not have a death penalty under state law. She pointed out how the community rallied around the slogan, "Boston Strong,'' which, she said, "means not letting terrorists or anyone else shake us from staying true to our values.''
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What you need to know before you go
Kaohsiung is one of the biggest and busiest areas of Taiwan, and a hub of the island's economy. Built around the port, the city is fast becoming a shopping and dining destination to rival Taipei. The skyscrapers in the city center are reaching higher and higher and more and more people are discovering the historical and cultural gems in the area.
The main attraction in Kaohsiung is the Love River – also called the 'Thames of Kaohsiung'. The river runs through the town for more than 12 km and there's a number of great cafés, shopping areas and sightseeing spots along its banks. There's a lot to do here, ranging from shopping and adventure outings to trying out the interesting cuisine.


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There's an App for That!
I struggle with character flaws. Daily. No, hourly. Forget it … I struggle constantly. So when I hear the phrase "There's an App for that", I often wish I could download an app that would correct my flaws. In a snap! (Tweet That!)
Turns out, there is an app for fixing things. It's downloadable. And flawless.
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Romans 12:2
What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus.
2 Timothy 1:13
Trouble is, I tend to ignore warnings like "ANTI-VIRUS PROTECTION! DOWNLOAD IMMEDIATELY!" or "RENEW TODAY OR LOSE MEMBERSHIP!"
And so this past week when my granddaughter Ella sat with me for her first sewing lesson–the old-fashioned kind where the "app" is on paper–I was reminded of my old flaws and new-fangled technologies and tried-and-true wisdom.
The result of Ella's effort was a new garment, a lesson in following a pattern, and more.
First: Find a store. For us, that meant Hobby Lobby. Because it's nearby. And carries reasonably priced fabrics and notions.
Second: Locate a pattern. She had to find the one little spot in that big store where three big pattern books lay open. Then the children's section in each book. She flipped pages and considered the styles most becoming to her body type.
But where were the patterns themselves? In pattern cabinets, of course. She found the correct cabinet, drawer, number, and –voila!–the pattern for her.
Third: Choose the fabric. With pattern in hand, she scanned the bolts of fabrics, imagining which design, color, and composition best fit the pattern–and herself.
Fourth: Measure. Ella had to determine how much fabric she needed, which meant double-checking her own measurements. On the pattern package were the measurements and amount of fabric needed for each size.
Fifth: Cut. Ella asked the clerk to cut the appropriate amount of fabric. That involved knowing the fabric width and locating the selvages and the fold–pretty important sign posts.
Sixth: Choose extras. On the back of the pattern package Ella found suggested notions: thread and bias seam tape. She found the store's notions section, matched thread and tape to fabric, and made her way to the check-out counter.
Seventh: Identify, separate, and follow directions. Back home, Ella learned each pattern package contains pattern pieces for more than one style (as seen on the package front). So she had to find the pieces that were needed for the style she had chosen. She did of a rough cut of those pattern pieces to separate them from all the others.
A nice surprise was finding that each pattern piece provides cutting lines for several sizes. How convenient.
Ella discovered instruction sheets for her chosen style. And she learned she must follow the directions to a T.
She learned that fabric has a "straight" and a "bias." And that her pattern pieces must be lined up on the straight of the fabric, as the illustration showed. Once again, measurement was required to assure she cut the pattern on the straight of the fabric. Otherwise, her garment would have "sagged."
Ella also learned the construction of a garment is best accomplished by sewing the pieces together in the correct order. For this, she had to refer to her instruction sheet. Veering off resulted in a redo–without fail.
Eighth: Exercise patience. At times Ella became impatient with the time requirements. She doesn't live at my house, so her lessons were days apart. Lifting the machine's pressure foot and snipping the last thread each evening required that Ella reach down deep for an oft-evasive trait: patience.
Ninth: Persevere. Sometimes seams veered too far left or too far right and had to be redone. Re-dos–snipping stitches and pulling out used thread–rank 10th on a girl's list of 10 favorite things to do. And preparing seam edges so they don't ravel stirs up not a single drop of creative juices. B-o-r-ing.
But Ella persevered. And the result was fantastic.
Tenth: Celebrate!
Ella learned a lesson in more than sewing. She learned to set a goal and stick with it; to evaluate styles and quality; to make astute purchases; to exercise patience; follow directions; and to persist when tempted by discouragement.
The "app" Ella and I chose was a paper pattern for a darling tunic top that hiked in the front and dipped in the back. Perfect!
Best of all, she trusted the instructions and her Mama D to direct her steps.
Which reminds me … Whatever the lesson or the flaw, "there's an app for that" in Scripture. (Tweet That!) Now if Mama D would only trust The Father to direct hers!
P.S. I suspect another blog or two of applications from Ella's sewing lesson are waiting in the wings.
Father God, you designed us but gave us choice. Trouble is, we choose to do wrong. And the result is a mess. Would You stand beside us, keep You hand on ours, direct our choices, and fix our messes for Jesus' sake? Amen