text:
Context's Threat Intelligence analysts uncovered that the secondary payload, Trojan:W32/MMCore has been updated, likely in response to the exposure of BaneChant.
This version, labelled as '2.1-LNK', tags the egressed communications with 'StrangeLove' opposed to the previously identified '2.0-LNK' version that was using 'BaneChant'. Perhaps this tag is also a reference to music on a movie soundtrack - in this case Tim Burton's 'Frankenweenie' – or maybe to the cult classic film 'Dr. Strangelove'.
One notable difference was that the downloader (first stage) expects binary data which includes the JFIF header, 20 bytes that was missing from the previous incarnation. The downloaded data is obfuscated using the 'Shikata ga nai' encoder[2], likely in an effort to avoid detection by anti-virus products.
Similar to the downloaders used to deploy BaneChant and its predecessors, this latest downloader connects to a domain that redirects via an HTTP 302 response to another that houses the second stage implant. In this case the outgoing request takes the form:
GET /images/banners/foo.jpg HTTP/1.1
Accept: images/jpeg
User-Agent: Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows NT 5.1; SV2)
Host: pingr.redirectme.net
with the subsequent redirection to www.solidsec.net:80.
At the time of analysis, pingr.redirectme.net resolved to 184.108.40.206 (as do many domains provided by noip.com), with www.solidsec.net resolving to 18.104.22.168.
The functionality of MM Core remains the same, with only minor changes. Specifically, the temporary file created for 'download and execute' commands, uses a prefix string of 'jv' instead of 'java', and the path to the implant is now:
In this instance, outgoing communication of MM Core is via HTTP POSTs to:
and uses MIME multipart message boundary:m
Context has been tracking this adversary since December 2012 and will shortly release more details on infrastructure and attribution.
[1] http://www.fireeye.com/blog/technical/malware-research/2013/04/trojan-apt-banechant-in-memory-trojan-that-observes-for-multiple-mouse-clicks.html


text:
I had a half-awake dream last night that I could write this entire post as an extended limerick. (Please don't question the way my brain works.) Turns out writing a rhyming poem about crochet hooks and yarn is actually kind of hard, so we'll just stick to plain ol' prose for now. I may need to revisit this idea though.
So last night I decided to get my crochet supplies out and dig in. Following a lifelong pattern, it's been about 4-6 months since I last picked up anything yarn-related. I've known how to knit since I was 10-ish (if you define "know" very loosely) and learned to crochet about 5 years ago. Neither is particularly difficult – I realize that. However, in true Sophie-style, I tend to like to say I knit and crochet more than I actually like taking the time to knit and crochet.
Here are some general musings after 5 years of pretending.
Yarn addiction is a thing.
There's so much about yarn that I like! It's colorful and fluffy and has so much potential. Plus it allows me to justify spending copious amounts of money because "I'm totally going to make this giant poncho with this incredibly expensive finger weight yarn." Totally.
What this really means is that I have skeins of yarn stuffed in every unoccupied crevice in my house. I can't keep it out in the open (at any height) because my cats have a sixth sense for destroying things that cost money. (Seriously, I've watched them unzip my knitting bag to get at yarn they shouldn't even have known was in there. They don't even have thumbs!) I also have lots of single skeins of yarn because I saw it in the store and thought it was pretty and/or soft, but didn't really know what I wanted to do with it so I just bought one. Turns out, it's pretty hard to make a blanket out of 60 yards of light-worsted weight yarn. (If you don't know what any of these terms mean, please see below.)
Pro-tip: I've found that Goodwill and other secondhand stores (there's one I like near me called Houseworks) can be a goldmine for cheap, unused yarn. This will not help with your addiction problem at all.
Nobody tells you you're going to have to learn to a new language.
The following is a pattern I am currently (read: started 2 years ago and haven't touched since) working on.
I'll give you $100 bucks if you can tell me what it says right now. (Note: This is meant for my Dad since I'm pretty sure he's the only person who reads all my posts. Thanks Dad!) In all seriousness, what the hell, crochet??? I've been (attempting to) read patterns for 5+ years now and I have yet to encounter one that doesn't involve googling terms or YouTubing directions or posting questions on Ravelry.
Then there's the whole issue of yarn weight. Did you notice that I referred to light-worsted and finger weight yarn as if I actually know what I'm talking about? (Protip: I never know what I'm talking about. You should really know this by now.) It took me years (YEARS!) before I knew what that meant. Plus I just had to google all the different weights of yarn because the only one I can ever remember off the top of my head is "chunky". Go figure.
I am not a patient person.
I'm sure Adam could've already told you this, but patience isn't really a strength for me. This particular characteristic doesn't really mesh well with knitting or crocheting. First, every pattern will condescendingly tell you to "remember to check your gauge!" at the beginning of every pattern. I have never done this.
For those of you who don't know, checking a gauge involves knitting up half the project and then measuring to make sure it matches the dimensions given in the pattern. If it's not the same, you're supposed to tear the whole thing out and start again with a new size needle or hook and then keep doing this until you get it right. Who has time for that? (People who want properly-sized sweaters, that's who.)
Frogging is also a thing. (I told you it was an entirely different language.) Frogging involves reaching the end of your project, realizing you made a mistake (usually from reading the pattern wrong) and then tearing the entire thing up to start again from the beginning. I've seen people on knitting forums casually mention that they had to frog a certain project 3 or 4 times before getting it right. All I can say to that is "WHAT???" I've been working on the same sweater for a year and a half and it's still only halfway done. If I have to frog it 3 or 4 times, you're going to end up leaving my unfinished projects on my grave.
So many good intentions. So little time.
As you may have gathered, I have a few unfinished projects lying around my house. In fact, I've only ever finished one crochet project I ever started. (A blanket that took 2 years to finish and I have to repair every 3 days.)
The problem with not being able to read the patterns (and refusing to learn) is that you'll most likely get really frustrated halfway through. My solution for this has simply been to start a new project (because that makes sense…) in order to keep myself interested. (Fun fact: Spooled yarn takes up way less space than yarn that's been unspooled and half-knitted into a lopsided sweater.)
Anyway, that brings us to last night's most recent attempt which I am fully committed to finishing! Adam's mom was nice enough to buy me more yarn for Christmas (I think that's called "enabling") so I thought I'd give it a whirl. Thanks to inspiration from Red Agape's Instagram, I've decided to try my hand at a simple puff stitch pillow.
I'll post the finished product here in approximately 8 years.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
It's fashionable to despise movies like I, Frankenstein, the newest entry in a series of supernatural action thrillers typically released immediately after the awards season. I have to admit, I'm baffled by the persistent hostility. Why are critics and audiences so reluctant to accept such movies? Are they afraid that they might actually enjoy themselves? Or do they honestly expect something more than escapist entertainment? We should never be afraid to embrace simple, uncomplicated, goofy fun, which is exactly what I, Frankenstein is. And unlike intelligence-insulting garbage like the Transformers saga or the Expendables films, it has the decency to not condescend to the audience by taking itself seriously, nor does it aspire to blind us or make our ears bleed.
Adapted from the graphic novel by Kevin Grevioux, this delightfully preposterous movie, presented in glorious IMAX 3D, utilizes all the stylistic approaches that should by now be instantly recognizable. Visually, these would include the juxtaposition of ancient architecture in contemporary structures, mythical creatures of old inhabiting modern-day settings, and fight scenes in ruined or abandoned areas, such as warehouses. You can count on one hand the number of scenes set during daylight hours; the overwhelming majority of the film takes place at night, and from behind a veil of heavy gray clouds shines a bright, full moon that bathes a cityscape drenched in moisture. And, of course, there are the special effects, which is to be expected in any story that involves not only Frankenstein's Monster, but also gargoyles and demons.
The Monster, here named Adam (Aaron Eckhart), has been in the middle of a war between gargoyles and demons for centuries. Naturally, it's a war in which mankind itself hangs in the balance – although it's interesting how few actual human beings are seen in this movie. It might help to know that gargoyles, who alternate in appearance between winged creatures of the night and regular-looking people in ancient costumes, are the good guys; when slain, they transform into an ethereal blue light that ascends to heaven. Compare this to the evil demons, who also alternate in appearance; when struck down, they turn into an orange fireball that descends to hell. It's not adequately explained how it is immortal beings came to be on Earth in the first place, or why they can't return from above or below once their bodies are destroyed, but then again, is an explanation really needed?
Adam is, to the best of my knowledge, the only creature built from human corpses to have the fighting skills of a stunt coordinator and the abs of a bodybuilder. He's covered with scars, and yet they somehow only make look even more handsome. Be that as it may, because his creator was a man rather than God, he lacks a soul. This is part of the reason why the demons want him; the dark prince Naberius (Bill Nighy), who masquerades as the head of a medical research institute, has orchestrated an evil scheme to summon forth his demon minions and have them possess soulless human corpses, creating an army capable of taking over the world. They also want Adam because he might be in possession of Victor Frankenstein's journal, the only document capable of explaining how to reanimate dead tissue.
Adam, immortal presumably because he lacks a soul, is a bitter loner type who continues to despise his long-dead father, mistrust all of mankind, and long for another creation like him. Despite this, Leonore (Miranda Otto), an angel sent to Earth to lead the gargoyles in their fight against the demons, is moved by Adam, sensing within him the potential to gain a soul. At the same time, she's aware of the dangers brought on because of his existence. Should she help humanity by eliminating this threat against it, per the suggestion of the gargoyle warrior Gideon (Jai Courtney)? Or should she allow Adam to live? The opportunity for him to gain a soul comes in the form of Terra (Yvonne Strahovski), a scientist specializing in experimental reanimation. She has been hired by Naberius, unaware that he wants her to expedite his scheme.
Given the ridiculous, practically B-movie nature of the story, perhaps it was nothing more than a happy accident that the Adam character ended up vaguely Christ-like. He was, after all, created outside the laws of natural conception, and by fighting against demons, he is, in effect, humanity's savior. Or perhaps I'm overthinking this. Indeed, I have no real defense for I, Frankenstein, apart from the fact that I simply had a good time watching it. When you consider the millions spent making it and the willingness to release it, with the knowledge that it completely flies in the face of edification, it represents an act of audacity. Of course, I say this under the assumption that there exists any audience that wants to be edified by every single movie it sees. If you ever come across such audiences, pity them. They obviously don't know how to have fun.


text:
Native Voices, Environmental Resistance: A Fundraiser for Historic Lawsuit
Share this:
Facebook, Tumblr, Email, Google, Twitter,
This entry was posted in Coyote Valley Band of Pomo, Events, Lawsuit, Round Valley Indian Tribes on March 21, 2016.
New Video: Ceremony For Pomo Ancestor Sites Destroyed by CalTrans
Following is a terrific video by Maria Gilardin, summarizing much of what has led up to the Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians and Round Valley Indian Tribes lawsuit against CalTrans.
Save Our Little Lake Valley is assisting the Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians with fundraiser for their lawsuit. Although they have an excellent pro-bono legal team, the cost of taking on an institution like CalTrans in federal court is nevertheless quite high. After watching the video, please consider donating.
PayPal – The safer, easier way to pay online!
"An unnecessary freeway bypass cut through ancestral sites near Willits, CA. This is a summary of their resistance, ceremonies and appeals for help. All leading up to the filing of a lawsuit in Federal Court in October 2015."
Share this:
This entry was posted in Coyote Valley Band of Pomo, Lawsuit, Round Valley Indian Tribes, Sherwood Valley Pomo, Videos on March 1, 2016.
Sign On to to Support California Indian Tribes v. Caltrans
Fred Short, Spiritual Leader with the American Indian Movement, takes part in a ceremony held on a former village site located on Willits Bypass Project Mitigation Lands, July 2015. Photo by Steve Eberhard – The Willits News.
From: Save Our Little Lake Valley (SOLLV)
In solidarity with Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians
January 8th, 2016
We are writing to share an opportunity to build alliances with Native communities. We are asking you or your organization to sign on to letters to state and federal agencies and, if possible, for your financial support of an important lawsuit.
You have probably heard of the collaboration between First Nations' Idle No More and environmental and community groups that stopped the Keystone XL pipeline. Continue reading →
Share this:
This entry was posted in Coyote Valley Band of Pomo, Lawsuit, Literature, Round Valley Indian Tribes, Sherwood Valley Pomo, Updates on January 12, 2016.
Send Letters In Support of Coyote Valley Band of Pomo and Round Valley Indian Tribes
Please send letters to the State Historic Preservation Office and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation asking them NOT TO SIGN the Programatic Agreement on the Willits Bypass Project.
The Coyote Valley, Round Valley and, indeed Sherwood Valley Indian Tribes, are all thoroughly disgusted with Caltrans' treatment of both them and their cultural heritage. Coyote Valley and Round Valley have gone so far as to file a suit in federal court. It is unconscionable that the agencies tasked with historic preservation would sign an agreement that the local tribes vehemently oppose.
There are two documents (The PA and the PRDMP) currently before the agencies (The State: SHPO and the Federal: ACHP) tasked with Historic Preservation.


text:
Call me clairvoyant, I think I can see into the future today. If that pesky bill filing deadline hadn't already come to pass in the NC Senate, I have a vision of what Sen. Janet Cowell's (D-Wake) next bill might be.
Already this session, Sen. Cowell has introduced a bill limiting the use of choke and pinch collars on dogs and outlawing the chaining of dogs for more than three hours at a time.
Well, now comes word of a proposal from Massachusetts that a lawmaker wants to introduce a law requiring seat belts for dogs.
These Northeast liberals need to stop giving her ideas.


text:
Crystal Palace midfielder Mile Jedinak has been named Male Footballer of the Year at the Australian Football Awards.
The Eagles' stand-in captain was named as the winner of the prestigious prize at the fifth annual Australian Football Awards, which were held at a gala event at the Sydney Convention Centre earlier today.
The awards bring together all levels of the sport from the grass roots football community through to the international ranks of the Socceroos, providing a unique opportunity to recognise and reward outstanding achievements.
The top gong has previously been won by the likes of Chelsea goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer and prolific Al Nasr striker Brett Holman.
Jedinak, who also won personal honours when he was named Palace's Player of the Year last season, is set to play for Australia on Tuesday 19th November when they face Costa Rica at the Allianz Stadium in Sydney.


text:
25.4. Apache HTTP Server Configuration
/etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf configuration file for the Apache HTTP Server. It does not use the old
srm.conf or
access.conf configuration files; leave them empty. Through the graphical interface, you can configure directives such as virtual hosts, logging attributes, and maximum number of connections. To start the HTTD Configuration Tool, click on
System > Administration > Server Settings > HTTP.
/etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf configuration file by hand if you wish to use this tool. The HTTP Configuration Tool generates this file after you save your changes and exit the program. If you want to add additional modules or configuration options that are not available in HTTP Configuration Tool, you cannot use this tool.
- Configure the basic settings under the Main tab.
- Click on the Virtual Hosts tab and configure the default settings.
- Under the Virtual Hosts tab, configure the Default Virtual Host.
- To serve more than one URL or virtual host, add any additional virtual hosts.
- Configure the server settings under the Server tab.
- Configure the connections settings under the Performance Tuning tab.
- Copy all necessary files to the
- Exit the application and select to save your settings.
25.4.1. Basic Settings
Figure 25.1. Basic Settings
ServerName directive in
httpd.conf. The
ServerName directive sets the hostname of the Web server. It is used when creating redirection URLs. If you do not define a server name, the Web server attempts to resolve it from the IP address of the system. The server name does not have to be the domain name resolved from the IP address of the server. For example, you might set the server name to www.example.com while the server's real DNS name is foo.example.com.
ServerAdmin directive in
httpd.conf. If you configure the server's error pages to contain an email address, this email address is used so that users can report a problem to the server's administrator. The default value is root@localhost.
Listen directive in
httpd.conf. By default, Red Hat configures the Apache HTTP Server to listen to port 80 for non-secure Web communications.
httpd can be started as a regular user.
Figure 25.2. Available Addresses
25.4.2. Default Settings
Figure 25.3. Virtual Hosts Tab
Figure 25.4. General Options
220.127.116.11. Site Configuration
Figure 25.5. Site Configuration
DirectoryIndex directive. The
DirectoryIndex is the default page served by the server when a user requests an index of a directory by specifying a forward slash (/) at the end of the directory name.
http://www.example.com/this_directory/, they are going to get either the
DirectoryIndex page, if it exists, or a server-generated directory list. The server tries to find one of the files listed in the
DirectoryIndex directive and returns the first one it finds. If it does not find any of these files and if
Options Indexes is set for that directory, the server generates and returns a list, in HTML format, of the subdirectories and files in the directory.
ErrorDocument directive. If a problem or error occurs when a client tries to connect to the Apache HTTP Server, the default action is to display the short error message shown in the Error Code column. To override this default configuration, select the error code and click the Edit button. Choose to display the default short error message. Choose to redirect the client to an external URL and enter a complete URL, including the
http://, in the Location field. Choose to redirect the client to an internal URL and enter a file location under the document root for the Web server. The location must begin the a slash (/) and be relative to the Document Root.
404.html, copy
404.html to
DocumentRoot/../error/404.html. In this case, DocumentRoot is the Document Root directory that you have defined (the default is
/var/www/html/). If the Document Root is left as the default location, the file should be copied to
/var/www/error/404.html. Then, choose as the Behavior for 404 - Not Found error code and enter
/error/404.html as the .
- Show footer with email address — Display the default footer at the bottom of all error pages along with the email address of the website maintainer specified by the
- Show footer — Display just the default footer at the bottom of error pages.
- No footer — Do not display a footer at the bottom of error pages.
126.96.36.199. SSL Support
mod_ssl enables encryption of the HTTP protocol over SSL. SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) protocol is used for communication and encryption over TCP/IP networks. The SSL tab enables you to configure SSL for your server. To configure SSL you need to provide the path to your:
- Certificate file - equivalent to using the
SSLCertificateFiledirective which points the path to the PEM (Privacy Enhanced Mail)-encoded server certificate file.
- Key file - equivalent to using the
SSLCertificateKeyFiledirective which points the path to the PEM-encoded server private key file.
- Certificate chain file - equivalent to using the
SSLCertificateChainFiledirective which points the path to the certificate file containing all the server's chain of certificates.
- Certificate authority file - is an encrypted file used to confirm the authenticity or identity of parties communicating with the server.
SSLOptions with the following options:
- FakeBasicAuth - enables standard authentication methods used by Apache. This means that the Client X509 certificate's Subject Distinguished Name (DN) is translated into a basic HTTP username.
- ExportCertData - creates CGI environment variables in
SSL_CLIENT_CERT_CHAIN_nwhere n is a number 0,1,2,3,4... These files are used for more certificate checks by CGI scripts.
- CompatEnvVars - enables backward compatibility for Apache SSL by adding CGI environment variables.
- StrictRequire - enables strict access which forces denial of access whenever the
SSLRequiredirectives indicate access is forbidden.
- OptRenegotiate - enables avoidance of unnecessary handshakes by
mod_sslwhich also performs safe parameter checks. It is recommended to enable OptRenegotiate on a per directory basis.
Figure 25.6. SSL
SSL and using only
TLSv1.1 or
TLSv1.2. Backwards compatibility can be achieved using
TLSv1.0. Many products Red Hat supports have the ability to use
SSLv2 or
SSLv3 protocols, or enable them by default. However, the use of
SSLv2 or
SSLv3 is now strongly recommended against.
220.127.116.11. Logging
/var/log/httpd/access_log file and the error log to the
/var/log/httpd/error_log file.
TransferLog directive.
Figure 25.7. Logging
LogFormat directive. Refer to http://httpd.apache.org/docs/2.2/mod/mod_log_config.html#logformat for details on the format of this directive.
ErrorLog directive.
LogLevel directive.
HostnameLookups directive. Choosing No Reverse Lookup sets the value to off. Choosing Reverse Lookup sets the value to on. Choosing Double Reverse Lookup sets the value to double.
18.104.22.168. Environment Variables
mod_env module to configure the environment variables which are passed to CGI scripts and SSI pages. Use the Environment Variables page to configure the directives for this module.
MAXNUM to
50, click the button inside the Set for CGI Script section, as shown in Figure 25.8, "Environment Variables", and type
MAXNUM in the Environment Variable text field and
50 in the Value to set text field. Click to add it to the list. The Set for CGI Scripts section configures the
SetEnv directive.
env at a shell prompt. Click the button inside the Pass to CGI Scripts section and enter the name of the environment variable in the resulting dialog box. Click to add it to the list. The Pass to CGI Scripts section configures the
PassEnv directive.
Figure 25.8. Environment Variables
UnsetEnv directive.
220.127.116.11. Directories
<Directory> directive.
Figure 25.9. Directories
Options directive within the
<Directory> directive. You can configure the following options:
- ExecCGI — Allow execution of CGI scripts. CGI scripts are not executed if this option is not chosen.
- FollowSymLinks — Allow symbolic links to be followed.
- Includes — Allow server-side includes.
- IncludesNOEXEC — Allow server-side includes, but disable the
#includecommands in CGI scripts.
- Indexes — Display a formatted list of the directory's contents, if no
DirectoryIndex(such as
index.html) exists in the requested directory.
- Multiview — Support content-negotiated multiviews; this option is disabled by default.
- SymLinksIfOwnerMatch — Only follow symbolic links if the target file or directory has the same owner as the link.
Order directive with the left-hand side options. The
Order directive controls the order in which allow and deny directives are evaluated. In the Allow hosts from and Deny hosts from text field, you can specify one of the following:
- Allow all hosts — Type
allto allow access to all hosts.
- Partial domain name — Allow all hosts whose names match or end with the specified string.
- Full IP address — Allow access to a specific IP address.
- A subnet — Such as
- A network CIDR specification — such as
Figure 25.10. Directory Settings
.htaccess file take precedence.


text:
The Democratic Party Committee Abroad, otherwise known as Democrats Abroad, passed a resolution on April 25 recommending the legalization of marijuana in all 50 states.
The news appears to have gone completely unnoticed by all mainstream outlets.
The Democrats Abroad are considered a state party by the Democratic National Committee, which affords them eight elected, voting members. They help U.S. citizens who are traveling and living outside the United States cast ballots in national elections.
The DNC maintains a pool of 200 voting members divvied up by individual states' populations.
The resolution was first put forward by the Japanese branch of Democrats Abroad. After only minor debate, according to Daily Kos diarist YoYogiBear who says he created the resolution, it passed, moving up for debate by the Democratic Party Committee Abroad, where it was met with some resistance.
"Once the resolution passed our country committee, it was put on the agenda with the rest of the DA resolutions for consideration at our global meeting in DC," he wrote. "A couple of members of the leadership of DA seemed to think that this issue was not an area of 'core competence' for our organization and questioned vigorously whether we should be considering any resolutions that contradicted President Obama's position at all. Our primary function as a part of the DNC, according to the opponents, was to support the President and his agenda and to help elect Democrats. Implicit in their argument was that this issue would somehow hurt the Democrats and Obama though no evidence was ever presented to backup that assertion."
The resolution was put to a voice vote during the Democrats' Abroad April meeting in Washington, D.C.. After two attempts, it was passed.
In the 2008 election, Democrats Abroad aided the votes of American citizens in 164 countries, according to Toby Condliffe, a Democrats Abroad superdelegate to last year's DNC.
President Obama opposed, but…
Although President Barack Obama made light of a question about marijuana legalization repeatedly promoted on his Change.gov Web site, efforts to topple marijuana prohibition have reached a fever pitch.
The president's position on the matter, however, is unclear.
Obama, as a candidate for state and national office, said repeatedly that he's in favor of decriminalization, but during a Democratic primary debate he raised his hand in opposition to decriminalization. (His campaign later said he was confused by the question and still supports decriminalization.) The campaign later added that he does not support decriminalization, but feels that current laws are sending too many to jail.
Obama has written about his experiences with marijuana and cocaine as a young man. In January, his half-brother was arrested in Kenya for possession.
Drug policy reform activists were given a small dose of hope with the nomination and confirmation of Gil Kerlikowske, the former Seattle police chief, as the nation's drug czar. In Seattle, he was a strong proponent of treating addiction as a medical, not criminal, problem.
Shortly after his confirmation, Kerlikowske declared an end to America's "drug war," although substantive policy changes — apart from ceasing police raids on legal medical marijuana patients — have yet to arrive.
Another possible route by which marijuana policy may change during the Obama presidency is by the proposed commission on prison reforms, sponsored by Sens. Jim Webb (D-VA) and Arlen Specter (D-PA). Sen. Webb said the commission, which would make recommendations on how to lower US prison populations, will examine drug criminalization.
Sen. Webb told CNN in April that with this commission, marijuana legalization would be "on the table."
"We are not protecting our citizens from the increasing danger of criminals who perpetrate violence and intimidation as a way of life, and we are locking up too many people who do not belong in jail," he said.
Full text of the Democrats Abroad resolution follows.
The Obama Administration has wisely stopped Federal prosecution of marijuana sold for medical purposes in a manner compliant with state regulation, thus alleviating the suffering of cancer patients and others who would benefit from medical marijuana.
Only thirteen states regulate the sale of marijuana for medical purposes.
Criminalization of non-medical uses of marijuana continues to contribute needlessly to organized crime at home and abroad, illicit drug trade, overburdening of the criminal justice system, and diverts valuable criminal justice resources away from more serious crimes.
The Latin American Commission on Drugs and Democracy heavily criticized U.S. drug policy and called on the U.S. to decriminalize marijuana in a report coinciding with increased drug-trade violence in Mexico;
The dominant argument against liberalized marijuana regulation, the gateway theory, has been consistently disproven, most recently by a RAND Corporation study commissioned by the British Parliament;
According to a World Health Organization survey conducted in 2008, the United States of America has the highest rates of marijuana use in the world.
In the Netherlands, where adult possession and purchase of small amounts of marijuana are allowed under a regulated system, the rate of marijuana use by both teenagers and adults is lower than in the U.S.
55% of Americans believe possession of small amounts of marijuana should not be a criminal offense, according to a 2005 Gallup poll.
In the U.S., almost 90% of more than 9.5 million marijuana-related arrests since 1995 were for simple possession – not manufacture or distribution.
We praise the Obama administration for its bold step to make marijuana available for medical purposes,
We call upon states that do not yet provide the reasonable regulation of medical marijuana to do so as soon as possible, to alleviate suffering wherever possible.
We recommend replacing the current policy of marijuana prohibition with a taxed and regulated system modeled on how alcohol is treated in the U.S.


text:
Adapter is a magnificent video converter, displaying a suitable environment for converting multiple file formats. Cropping videos and transforming image formats or even converting audio files from .wav to .mp3 has never been easier. Video exports settings are saving your time by figuring out the best features for your files by itself! So as to convert any media type, you can allow the program decide for you, if you're not certain of the format you need to convert to. Select the audio format or video type and then click convert.
From here, the program does all the work for you. On the other hand, the advanced settings provide even more options, that include multiple channels, video and audio encoder and all kind of rates meant to facilitate but also diversify your project. The Resolution Control takes care of the file quality, fitting it so that it would be compatible with the media. Moreover, Time Cropping helps cutting out unnecessary material or grabbing different parts, while accepting multiple formats for conversion.
This tool is so great that one can convert and import the created files to iTunes, iPhone or iPad, which means it fits all need and saves your precious time. Using this free multimedia files converter means caring about methodical results technology can provide.
- capture images from video files
- support for .flv to .mp4, .flv to .mp4, .flv to .avi and .flv to .mov formats
- batch conversion
- create iPhone ringtones
- output filesize estimation


text:
My kids have always enjoyed having an Advent Calendar for keeping track of the days left until Christmas! A Christmas Countdown Calendar is a great way to keep add some enjoyment to the anticipation of the holiday. Â This year we worked together to make a DIY Advent Calendar that we can re-use year after year.
The general idea of the DIY Advent Calendar is pretty simple, since it is made out of paper mache boxes. We picked up paper mache boxes in all different shapes and sizes, and then decorated the boxes and arranged them in a Christmas tree shape. The kids can one box a day during the month of December.
I envisioned this as a fairly simple project, but my daughters had much grander plans! They ended up spending hours decorating the boxes, and used all kinds of scrapbook paper and decorative items on the boxes, along with glitter paint and ribbon. Arranging the boxes in the Christmas tree shape was another undertaking, since they disagreed on the best way to arrange the boxes. But the final result was worth all the effort, and I know we are going to use it for years to come!
DIY Advent Calendar
- 25 Paper Mache Boxes
- Scrapbook paper
- Glue
- Paint
- Decorating supplies like glitter glue, findings, sequins, ribbon and more
- 1/4 thick sheet of wood
- Wood stain
- Double stick tape
- Paint the edges of the boxes in a variety of colors.
- Cut scrapbook paper to cover the lids of the boxes and glue it on the lids.
- Add more decorations to the lids if desired using what ever decorating supplies you have.
- Arrange the boxes in a Christmas tree shape. We ended up using 25 boxes instead of the more traditional 24 because we found it was easier to arrange the boxes with one extra. And no one will mind having an extra box to open on the 24th!
- Cut a piece of thin wood to fit the shape. We used a 3′ x 6′ piece of 1/4″ thick wood and cut it a little bit smaller.
- Stain the wood and let it dry.
- Attach the boxes with double stick tape, and then fill them with candy or small toys or whatever works for your family.
Our DIY Advent Calender looks great on the hearth next to our fireplace. Let me know what you are doing to get ready for the holidays!
For more Christmas and winter ideas, visit a few of my favorite bloggers:
- Cranberry Stove Top Potpourri Recipe by Confessions of an Overworked Mom
- Christmas Practice Writing Sheets by A Mom's Take
- Red Velvet Cookies with Cream Cheese Drizzle by Mom Does It All
- Christmas in a Jar by 2Boys+1Girl=OneCrazyMom
- Ornament Christmas Tree Picture by Simply Southern Mom
- Winter Wonderland Peppermint Playdough by Food Fun Family
- Easy Challah Bread Rolls from Your Bread Machine by Day By Day In Our World
- DIY Christmas Mouse Ornaments by Blessed Elements
- Homemade Cinnamon Snowflake Ornament by MommaDJane
- Graham Cracker Reindeer by This Mama Loves
- DIY Glittered Christmas Ornaments by How Was Your Day?
- Peppermint Lip Scrub by Style on Main
- Cream Cheese Biscuit Puffs by Jennifer Sikora
- Make a Snowman Cake by Kids Fun Reviewed


text:
Tue 5 Mar 2013
A Review by Walter Albert: VAL McDERMID – The Grave Tattoo.Posted by Steve under Reviews
[3] Comments
VAL McDERMID – The Grave Tattoo. St. Martin's/Minotaur Books, hardcover, February 2007; reprint paperback, April 2008.
I was fond of McDermid's early work, but after I became disenchanted with the Tony Hill serial killer series, I've not been a Faithful Reader of her books. The Grave Tattoo is a stand-alone novel in which Jane Gresham, a Wordsworth scholar, finds clues to a lost manuscript by the Romantic poet that appears to be a poetic version of Fletcher Christian's story, recounted by him to the poet.
While Jane's interest is that of the researcher who senses she's on the trail of a career-making subject, the interest of others is distinctly mercenary, and they quickly show themselves to have few (if any scruples) in how they get the manuscript. A series of murders begins to narrow the possible sources for the recovery of the document, with Jane a prime suspect.
This is a competent literary mystery that I found initially difficult to get into but that eventually picked up enough momentum to keep me reading. I thought the pages from Fletcher Christian's diary were engaging and had more narrative drive than the rather ponderous main plot line. This is a book that requires a patient reader.
Note: For Geoff Bradley's recent comments on Val McDermid's A Place of Execution (both book and TV adaptation), go here.
3 Responses to "A Review by Walter Albert: VAL McDERMID – The Grave Tattoo."
Barbara Says:
March 6th, 2013 at 3:01 am
I really liked and enjoyed this book. True, a bit hard to get into at first. I was telling someone it had everything (I exaggerated), it had history, it had literature, it had genealogy and it had mystery. What's not to like?
Steve Says:
March 7th, 2013 at 12:13 am
I wish I could say that I've read this one. As you say, Barbara, it's a book that seems to have everything.
I can't even say that I've read anything by Val McDermid, but this review along with the recent one I posted here by Geoff Bradley makes me think I might have missed something.
Jeff Meyerson Says:
March 7th, 2013 at 7:48 am
What's not to like? Annoying, tedious characters in the modern sections that had me skimming and ultimately returning the book unread.
Read A PLACE OF EXECUTION, one of the great mysteries of the last 25 years.


text:
I'm Cait Scott and I'm a master's student in the Archaeology department at Durham University. This is my first Day of Archaeology post, so I thought I would talk about my typical day as I learn about being a researcher, ready for a collaborative PhD placement with Historic England and the University of Sheffield that I am starting in October.
Unlike a lot of students, my days often start with early mornings. Now that I've finished lectures and am firmly in the thesis production stage of my MA, I have the freedom to structure my own time around researching, writing, and meeting my dissertation supervisor. I find it difficult that I don't have a day-to-day routine, that my progress is mostly down to my own dedication to the topic, and that I could just stay in bed for the day if I wanted. To make this easier, I've made my own routines away from academia; I wake up at the usual time, do the usual work-out routine, and leave my house at the usual time ready to start the day. I find that setting my own boundaries of where and when I work on the thesis, and making myself feel like I have a day plan, is my best defence against the stress of setting my own independent research goals.
My fieldwork this year usually starts with a bus trip out of Durham, bumping along past little towns and fields until I find the church that I want to explore. I'm looking at early medieval church towers in the area, so I'm primarily interested in the form and features of each one. I've never had training in buildings archaeology, but there are some great guidelines written by Historic England, BAJR, and experienced authors. At MA level, although there are lots of opportunities in classes, a lot of us are working independently on our skill sets, one of the reasons why I think that accessible online resources and guides are so important. I'm working on a descriptive record to gather data for my wider research question. Firstly, I take digital photographs of the external and internal features, then take measurements so that I can create a measured plan. I take notes about the different bits of the tower, including the windows, doors, blocked-up openings, areas where the masonry changes, and the structural relationships between the tower and the rest of the church. All this information comes back on the bus with me, to be written up as part of the thesis.
I'm also working on documentary research for each tower, looking at how the building and its churchyard has been developed, altered, or even destroyed over time. My first place to look is at Historic Environment Records and the Historic England Archive, then I look at the records held at Palace Green Library and the Northumberland Archives. This can include historic maps, pamphlets, written by local historians, and faculties, listing 20th century changes to ecclesiastical buildings; it can be photographs, architect plans, cemetery records, and even dusty copies of the notes written by antiquarians about the churches that they were researching. The aim of this is to construct a narrative of building; although my focus is on the early medieval, I need to understand how different concerns and events of the past have changed the Anglo-Saxon and Anglo-Norman fabric of the original space, so that I know the extent to which I can discuss the earlier functions of the building. I'm lucky that a lot of this has already been done by Peter Ryder as part of the Durham and Newcastle Diocesan Offices' archaeological assessments, and that a lot of primary sources, like the writings of Symeon of Durham in the early 12th century, have already been translated. Learning how to be an academic means making use of the work of others and to research collaboratively to produce a meaningful piece of work.
St Peter's, Monkwearmouth
After my research, the final step is to bring it all together. My typical day is transitioning away from fieldwork and into days in the library, writing and rewriting, reading and referencing, and creating my plans with drawing software. This is inevitably demanding; it needs focus, investment, and determination to get it done in time for my upcoming deadline. As an early career researcher, I often struggle with academic confidence. This is when I find it so useful to have a community, whether my fellow students at Durham who sit next to me in the library, the people I have met through conferences and events, and the online community through Twitter and elsewhere. Events like the Day of Archaeology remind me of the fact that I am one part of such an inclusive field of study, of the potential opportunities for me in my potential career, and that everyone may struggle with the challenges of their research but that together we are moving towards a better understanding of the past.
Cait Scott, MA Archaeology (Medieval and Post-Medieval), Durham University


text:
Click a term to initiate a search.
Famous Scottish Golf Courses and Scottish Golf Clubs
Planning a golf break this year? Then look no further than Scotland - the Home of Golf!
In 2009 Scotland confirmed its No. 1 status as the home of golf by taking the top prize of 'Destination of the Year' in the annual industry awards held by Britain's best-selling magazine Today's Golfer beating the Algarve (Portugal) into second place and Ireland into third. With over 550 golf courses across the country, Scotland has courses to suit all types of player from championship layouts to links courses, beautiful parklands and memorable hidden gems. Accommodation ranges from cosy family-run B&Bs to luxury five-star hotel resorts offering a number of accommodation deals and golf packages to ensure all budgets are catered for.
Check out some other famous Scottish courses including St Andrews, Carnoustie and Gleneagles. Why not make your golf holiday base around Loch Lomond and then visit some of the other famous Scottish golf courses.
Golf Holidays and Golf Breaks at Loch Lomond, Scotland.
Par 70, 6601 yards
The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers is the oldest club in the world, with continuous records from 1744. They began on Leith Links, in Edinburgh, moved out to Musselburgh when the links became too congested, and then to their present home at Muirfield.
Regularly rated in the world's top twenty, we are frequently complimented by leading tour professionals. Another compliment we value highly is that visiting golfers regularly return to take up the ever varying challenge of our links. While it is a matter of pride to be able to say one has played a number of the world's best courses, once a golfer has played a few, the fact that he wants to come back to Royal Dornoch underlines how special are our links.
Home to the iconic Ailsa, an Open Championship course four times over, Trump Turnberry Resort offers one of the world's great golfing experiences here in Scotland, one of the most magnificent destinations for golf breaks.
Watson, Norman and Price have all won the famous Claret Jug here at Turnberry. And, in 2009, Stewart Cink added his name to that exclusive list following his play-off triumph over Tom Watson at the 138th Open Championship.
Glasgow Gailes Links is owned and managed by Glasgow Golf Club, the ninth oldest golf club in the world. Visitors are welcome to share the golfing traditions and excellent facilities enjoyed by the members. Less than an hour from Glasgow, Gailes is a challenging links course - tough and traditionally Scottish - consistently selected by the R&A as a final qualifying venue for the Open Championship.
For those who are addicted to the game of golf, Gleneagles offers the chance to play on the world's finest courses.
As well as the challenge of the King's, the secluded charms of the Queen's, or the nine hole Wee Course, there is now the exceptional PGA Centenary Course designed by Jack Nicklaus. This plays between 5,072 and 7,088 yards, due to five optional tees at each hole and is a course of baffling ingenuity.
The game of golf has been played at Carnoustie since before Columbus discovered America, making it one of the oldest courses in the world. The links have been played over the years by all the golfing greats and have acquired a deserved reputation as a demanding test of golfing ability. These facts alone, however, are but a small measure of the contribution Carnoustie has made to the history and development of golf today.
Founded in 1878 by a few enthusiasts Troon Golf Club soon outgrew its purely local reputation. The Old Course today presents a stern golfing examination and in particular the inward half of Royal Troon is widely accepted as the most demanding of any Course on the Championship rota.
Old Course Par 72, 6566 yards
The Home of Golf and venue for the Open Championship 28 times, the Old Course attracts thousands of golfers from around the world every year.
New Course Par 71, 6604 yards
Opened in 1895 and laid out by Tom Morris, it is considered by many as one of the best courses on the links.
Loch Lomond
Stay informed on our latest news!
Visit Loch Lomond Link Partner: Visit Stirling
Copyright ©1999-2020 visit-lochlomond.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy - Sitemap


text:
I felt very privileged to be asked to write a short story of how I am now working for Action for Children at The Pines residential short break service in Hertford and the steps that led me here.
I am mum to two young boys. My eldest, Nathan, is 23 years old and my youngest, Joshua, is 20. Nathan is the typical older sibling and very caring towards his brother. Even though their household generally resembles typical family life, my Joshua has severe autism and is non-verbal. Signs of any developmental delay weren't seen until around the age of 22 months where, rather than progressing, Joshua regressed and any speech formed and interaction stopped completely.
Confusion, sadness and uncertainty over what lay ahead caused immeasurable heartache. My boys wouldn't be following in each other's footsteps, or go to the same school together, and socially would require very different support. My Joshua was not going to be mainstream.
However, Joshua started at a wonderful Severe Learning Difficulties (SLD) school local to our home; he started at 4 years old and finished at 19. It was a wonderfully supportive and caring school, where Joshua was encouraged to meet his full potential.
Despite this, Joshua was finding life increasingly hard to cope with, suffering severe anxiety and episodes of great distress. As I was generally on my own, it left a very unsafe situation in the family home. This is when we started working with The Pines.
Unsure of what exactly was going on with my son - who was gaining weight way over a normal pattern - and unwilling to put him on a variety of drugs which may not even help, I fought to get him an assessment. Eventually he was assessed in Northumberland, but as he was only allowed weekend visits and was so far away, it was like having my heart ripped out and was very hard to cope with. But he needed this, so the costs didn't matter.
I always saw them as a form of seizure – even startling him could bring one on. The Pines were aware of everything I was going through and were very supportive of Joshua and the family. With lots of professionals and assessments involved, it was a great help for Rob and the other staff to present at meetings about how we could all meet Joshua's needs. It meant so much that they went the extra mile for our family.
My Joshua finished his three month assessment in January 2012, only coming home for 9 days over Christmas. Things were still uncertain, with no clear answers to his distress other than it being seen as a 'fight or flight' response. Although it was lovely to have Joshua back to his normal routine and have my son home, supporting him safely was my top priority and residential care was recommended to best meet his needs.
When Josh left The Pines to go into residential care, his leaving party was fantastic - complete with Elvis banner, Elvis cake and an Elvis CD as a present - I was very touched. Throughout his time at The Pines, they were always accommodating, taking everything into consideration and providing a safe environment where so much care, love and support was shown during the massive transition to residential care. I'm in admiration of everyone that helped provide the warmth of a family atmosphere and it was then that I really decided I would love to work at The Pines.
I'm very proud to be working with a great caring team, here to support and care for young people and learn lots from each one. I'm hoping to gain my NVQ Level 3 soon, fingers crossed! Our staff training is fantastic and I can use my own personal experiences as well. My Josh still has seizures but with love, great understanding and the ability to step into his world, he will receive all the care to meet his needs, as well as love and hope.
I must emphasise the importance and much needed short break services The Pines offers for the children/young people and their families too. The staff at The Pines were involved in Joshua's transition to residential care, went along on visits with him and helped give information to help him settle in. The Pines encourage independence and participation from all the young people, where they are very much valued – it's a great step to helping them move into the bigger world.
Love Kitty, Joshua and Family.


text:
Tips from the Best Baton Rouge Roofing Company!
Roofing repairs need professionals who have been in the industry for quite some time. Finding quality roof repair professionals to perform the task requires one to pay attention to some tips as follows:
* Search locally- This is of great help since the local professionals clearly understand the weather conditions within the area.
* Consider years of experience- The longer the number of years a service has been repairing roofs, the much experience the company has.
* Check for proper license- A high-quality roofing Repair Company needs to have a license as well as other documentations showing their legality for the business and hence serving as a clear proof that the company conforms to standard codes and laws.
* Read customer reviews online- This is of great importance when finding quality roof repair services since one can determine what others have to say about the services they got from a particular company.
In conclusion, by simply following the above tips from a Local Roofer in Baton Rouge, you will be able to get a quality roof repair service.
Please visit their website for more information: https://www.bhconstructionbr.com/


text:
|Project by glooblooz
|posted 09-12-2013 08:15 AM
|5259 views
|29 times favorited
|18 comments
Yesterday I finished this flip top planer stand for my very small garage workshop. It fits under the workbench and when needed the planer can be flipped over very easy. I think this is a good idea especially for small shops so I wanted to share it with you.
I added some drawings made with SketchUp to show more details about the construction. Very simple, isn't it? :-)
18 comments so far
#1 posted 09-12-2013 10:03 AM
Nice work made a Flip top as well, only it has a tool on both side so it dont fit under the bench. Very useful. Well done…
-- Ken, "Everyday above ground is a good day!"
#2 posted 09-12-2013 11:01 AM
Cool project – how does it pivot? On a piece of black pipe?
#3 posted 09-12-2013 11:41 AM
@Dan: thanks. The axis is made of 20mm solid beech wood. I'm very impressed from the stability of the construction.
#4 posted 09-12-2013 05:19 PM
Very Nice. First time I have seen this. How do you lock it in place when you flip it over?
-- "The only man who never makes mistakes is the man who never does anything." Teddy Roosevelt
#5 posted 09-12-2013 05:52 PM
@Judson: thank you. The planer is locked by the little iron thing you can see in Pic 3 (what is the english word for it?). For good standing on the floor two of the four wheels have brakes.
#6 posted 09-12-2013 06:03 PM
Oh, I see it now. Thanks for pointing that out. I believe the proper english word is "gate lock thingie"
-- "The only man who never makes mistakes is the man who never does anything." Teddy Roosevelt
#7 posted 09-12-2013 07:26 PM
I think either Shopnotes or Woodsmith has plans for a similar flip-top planer cart. can check my back issues if someone is interested
#8 posted 09-12-2013 08:40 PM
Very cool. A picture of it half way through the flip would be nice. Just to get a better idea of how it all works. It's a great idea though. I love that it fits under the bench. My space is limited and I'm always thinking of ways to fit things. Thanks for sharing :)
-- Marty, Ohio
#9 posted 09-12-2013 09:34 PM
That Rocks! Great design.
-- Thanks for all the lessons!
#10 posted 09-13-2013 01:46 AM
That is really cool, thanks for sharing
-- The Old Rednek Workshop https://www.facebook.com/theoldrednekworkshoptn
#11 posted 09-13-2013 03:57 AM
Nice cart. Looks like a good fit under the bench. I also made one with two tools. Mine pivots on a 5/8 inch aluminum rod about 5 inches long on each side,
-- Handcrafted by Mike Henderson - Channelview, Texas
#12 posted 09-13-2013 06:24 AM
Hi together,
thanks a lot for your comments. Next time I've my camera in my shop I'll make a photo of the planer flipping over.
@MT_Stringer: my first attempt was similar but I've found it will be more robust to build it with one long shaft instead of two short pieces. I also had a thought on aluminium but then I found the right piece of beech wood in my scrap box :-)
#13 posted 09-13-2013 06:35 AM
I really like this. Did you get the idea from somewhere? Can you post some simple drawings? This is perfect for my shop!
-- John from Jackson, Michigan
#14 posted 09-13-2013 08:17 AM
@Rev_John: some months ago I've seen a photo of a similar construction. So I decided to design my own which perfectly fits my needs. I've updated the project with three photos (drawings) which should make my construction a little bit more clear to you. If you have any questions further, don't hestitate to ask :)
#15 posted 09-13-2013 10:31 AM
showing 1 through 15 of 18 comments
Have your say...
You must be signed in to post the comments.


text:
Day 8 – (3/21/09)
Really no break in the days, just a continuation from yesterday. The bus got going on-time from Chihuahua. I think almost everyone was sleeping right away, except Hannah and I talked for a while about lots of stuff, but I was going through my mp3 player and it seems as though we like lots of the same music – and I was thoroughly impressed that she knew The Boss wrote Blinded by The Light. We talked for a while then we started sleeping on and off for the next 4 hours. We stopped it seemed about every half hour for food or to be searched buy Federal Police, and they had some big guns. So we got woken up often, which blew, so never really got any good sleep. Stopped at the same restaurant in the middle of nowhere that Hannah bought chocolate wafers and we talked with Saul at on the way up. It was a cool night yet again, and it brought back good memories – seemed so long ago that we made our journey down and it seemed like so much had happened.
El Paso
We finally made it to the border and there was a long backup to get into the U.S.A. We waited in the bus for about 45 minutes to get to the front, and then we unloaded everything and went through customs. Everything went through just fine and they only scanned my passport, no stamp! Took like 15 minutes for them to finish searching our bus, then we reloaded the bus for our 5 minute ride to the El Paso terminal. Sylvia was there waiting for us, it was very nice to see here again. We loaded up her van with our bags, and she had Kerry's cell phone that she had lost a week previous in Sylvia's van.
Sylvia brought us to a restaurant to get some food, we were all starving and tired and beat and emotionally drained. We went to a Mexican restaurant of all places – like we haven't had enough Mexican food yet. I ordered sausage & eggs and a cheeseburger. They came with fries and refried beans and hash browns, and I ate it all, so I dominated. We bought Sylvia her lunch that was Margie's idea. P.S., I've been traveling all day with my nice Cowboy hat, so I feel pretty badass. Sylvia brought us to El Paso airport, and we had some stereotypical airline moron check us in, he finally got it all done, and we moved through the 16 gate airport in a matter of minutes. We had about 2 hours to spend in our gate – Margie immediately scoped out a spot on the floor to sleep, we got a great picture of it – she looked hilarious! We had a really good time just sitting around and laughing. We continued a conversation about me being "On the market," and got personal with that. It's amazing how comfortable everyone is with each other in this group.
We boarded our plane, and we were all sitting right with each other, except Margie was in the back. I fell asleep right during takeoff along with nearly everyone else – we passed out! I was in the middle of writing in my journal, and I just went comatose. Got to Dallas and took a little train to our next gate, and immediately grabbed some Subway – first American meal in a week. We still had an hour to wait, so we met some EIU alumni there, so we talked to them for a bit. I took a walk and had to clean some sauce off my pants, so after that I did some classic Dumb & Dumber "Send out the vibe" moves and the girls thought that was pretty funny. Hannah was deep into her Twilight book, she had been since El Paso. We boarded up, and we were all scattered in our flight to Chicago. We all felt rejuvenated from our nap and food, although Jen and I had been talking about eating bagels when we got back to the states, since we couldn't' find any in Mexico –but sadly we found none in Dallas, although we did not look too hard.
I talked to Rooster today on the plane for about 5 seconds; he was running the track meet, the high school girls. Also talked to mom & dad, and I only talked a little bit about the trip, but I almost started crying just thinking about it. I look back on it and the kids were a little slow to accept us, but even the first day at the river, we bonded – but I would have never guessed it would have been so hard to say goodbye. Carmen and I were talking too, that on Friday we all had a weird feeling in our stomachs. It's crazy how the mind & body works, and even though we didn't think about it, our body & mind knew it was our last day, and it was so hard.
Back to EIU
We finally made it to Chicago, and it was nice to be back. We started walking towards baggage claim and we saw Doris! She was there to bring us back to Charleston, her and Brian. We waited about 15 minutes for our luggage to come through. In the meantime Carmen and Margie left with their families – Margie on the way to the Carolina's for family, and Carmen home with her family. We found Hannah's bag, and then the body bag. I almost grabbed a black bag instead of our maroon one, so everyone got a good laugh about my color blindness. Sun block had exploded in the body bag, but not too bad. We loaded into the Newman van through the front door since the sliding door is in bad shape. Me, Jen, and Hannah on one bench, and Victoria and Kerry on the bench behind us. We were pretty low on gas, and barely got to a station in time. Also, Doris had never used an I-Pass, so who knows how many we successfully went through. We got gas then went to a McDonald's across the street, but they closed the lobby an hour early, it was only 10:00. So we did drive through, and Jen & I got large chocolate shakes, and there were huge and good. Hannah wanted to sleep, so she used my shoulder. She passed out and got about an hour of sleep, although I had to keep pushing her head back up on my shoulder. We finally made it back to Newman, then we all hugged each other goodbye – they all went to Kerry's house, and I walked through the south quad back to the shithole alone, in the quiet night of a dead campus. Just as I got into the quad, I realized I left my cowboy hat in the van – guess I'll have to get that later.
Thus ends our odyssey – a trip filled with evidence that the hand of God guided us the whole way. The clearest evidence being the people God put on our journey. People to help & guide, and be examples of true love & compassion. This trip has given me a new motivation, a new spark for giving myself away because of the example of people like Paco, Raul, John, Mary, Janiene, Luis, the sisters, my group members, and mostly the kids. The way we opened ourselves to each other was so refreshing, and for them to love us the way they did makes me want to go and see them again and show them I really do care.


text:
2016 Ford Ka
When it is about city cars, Ford came with its model called Ka in 1996. So far, we have seen two generations of this small car. Both versions came in a three-door hatchback body style, while original model was also available in two-door convertible variant. According to the latest reports, this model will once again come in Europe, probably next year, so we can say that it will be probably called 2016 Ford Ka.
2016 Ford Ka specs
According to the latest information, 2016 Ford Ka will share pretty much all of the mechanical characteristics with Indian-market model called Figo, which means that will be based on the shortened version of the chassis that was used for the fifth generation of Fiesta, which was in production between 2002 and 2008. The biggest novelty for this new model will definitely be new engines. Just like most of the models of this class, 2016 Ka will come with three-cylinder engine. The base model will be probably offered with a 1.0 liter naturally aspirated petrol engine, which will have an output of around 80 horses.
However, that will not be the only engine in offer. It is rumored that there will be also a 1.0 liter EcoBoost engine, which will have an output somewhere around 100 horsepower. Some reports go even further and claim that there will be also a diesel engine in offer, which is pretty much unusual for this class of cars. It should be a 1.5 TDCi engine with 75 horsepower, same that is used for Fiesta. However, all of these details you should take with big reserve, because it is all based on speculations.
2016 Ford Ka competitions
Nowadays, these types of cars are nothing unusual, so many of manufacturers have them in their lineup. Some of the models that are expected to be main rivals of 2016 Ford Ka are Smart Forfour, Renault Twingo, Opel Karl, Kia Picanto etc.
2016 Ford Ka release date and price
Details about launch date and price are still unknown, so we must rely just on rumors. The 2016 Ford Ka will probably come early next year. When it is about price, there are still no predictions, but we don't expect big differences, compared to previous model.
Incoming search terms:
- ford ka 2016
- ford ka 2016 release date
- new ford ka 2016
- kia picanto 2017
- new ford ka release date


text:
Dream Makers by Chris Evans (book review)
I'd quite forgotten that back in the 1980s before Paper Tiger switched to glossy paper, they used a quality texture paper. Considering three of the six artists Chris Evans interviewed in this book use pen and ink a lot, this has made for an interesting texture experience. A book of this nature is also a time capsule into the past as each artist discusses how they do or did their work and the kind of preferences they had then.
Charles Vess references the Spider-Man graphic novel, 'Spirits Of The Earth' (1990) he did so much have completed long before it was printed and I think that might have been my first encounter with his work at the time. I find it interesting that although he doesn't like to do full colour covers, he doesn't mind re-drawing, albeit via a light box, a picture for purely pen and ink and then in colour. He uses subtle shaded tones that gives his pictures an ethereal touch.
Julek Heller doesn't even use watercolour but textile dyes which gives a richer look to his work. I like his attitude to being given lee-way by art directors to do what he feels is right than being dictated to doing what they want because it staves his imagination.
Melvyn Grant is a firm believer in oils although whether it's the paper used, you might think he did his work here in acrylics. If you have a look at his website, his paintings look a little richer there and might be one of the reasons why Paper Tiger back then changed to glossy paper, not so much for the gloss but in how it handled the colours given to it.
Remember me commenting in the recent TwoMorrows publication, 'Comic Book Creator', that I wished I could see inside Mike Kaluta's studio. Although this goes back nearly 30 years now, you do have a time capsule of what it looked like then with a couple photos here. He also reveals he uses a variety of other substances to obtain some of his colours but says to avoid whiskey as the colour doesn't dry in.
Chris Moore reveals that only 30% of his output is in our genre, making his money from advertising at the time. He also admitted he paints what is asked of him and found American publishers tend to ignore the first idea regardless of how good it might be. I did come away from this book wondering if this was true today. After all, a good idea is always a good idea. Alternatives only confirm this, not where it is in the list.
In many respects, Berni Wrightson is the joker in the pack as, even at that time, he was known more for his comicbook work and, of course, his illustrated 'Frankenstein'. I'm still debating getting a copy of that book, more from a reading schedule point of view, more so as there are several illustrations, including one of those he decided not to use, shown in this book that look superb. Of the hundred illustrations he did, less than fifty ended up in that book. Wrightson's use of texture is used less and less these days which is a shame because it's becoming a potential lost medium because it is so time-consuming but deserves a revival. He also has a perchance for collecting what is described as 'ugly' bric-a-brac.
With all the artists in this book, we see a couple photos of their studios at the time and something which I think is shown less today. An artist's work environment isn't always likely to be tidy and whether what they have their is for inspiration or to relax the eye, it's there to make the artist comfortable. For those of you who paint or draw, it's a good reminder that we share a cluttering environment. If you can get a copy of this book, it's a nice addition to add to your collection.
GF Willmetts
January 2016
(pub: Paper Tiger, 1988. 127 page illustrated large hardback. Price: well, I pulled a second hand copy for £ 3.50 (UK) off the Net in near mint condition. ISBN: CN2255)
check out website: http://greenmanpress.com/, http://www.julekheller.com/, http://www.melgrant.com/, http://www.kaluta.com/, http://www.chrismooreillustration.co.uk/ and http://berniewrightson.com/
Category: Books, Illustration, MEDIA


text: nthdgreee 4 Posted February 13, 2016 Share Posted February 13, 2016 Premium user here, I tend to create Tags or Notebooks based on Logical events. For instance if I were to create a "Cruise 2016" notebook or tag and place all of those specific items in there, I will have a "one stop" place to find everything related to this. But once that cruise is over I would still want to keep all my info. Chances are I will not use a Cruise 2016 Notebook or Tag again so it would be great if those could be "Hidden" or "Archived" in such a way that they no longer appear in my active list. They would hidden until I wanted to see them. I realize there are potentially other ways to organize, for instance using key words or "Intitle" type searches to bring up what I need, but sometimes just having a folder (Notebook) to click on makes it easy. Thanks for listening. Link to post


text:
Become a member and join the national and local Slow Food communities.
We invite you to join the Slow Food movement! Across the nation, and across the world, Slow Food is working hard to preserve and protect local foods and food traditions. Slow Food is a member-based organization with members worldwide in more than 150 countries. In the U.S., we have 175 local and campus chapters that coordinate local activities, projects and events.
When you become a member of Slow Food, your support helps us move towards a more delicious and sustainable future. Your membership dues support and further the growth of national and international programs such as the US Ark of Taste, Slow Food in School, US Presidia and many more.
Take part in your local food community.
Slow Food Austin seeks to localize the mission of the national and international organizations through separate donation and fundraising efforts that allow us to host our unique monthly Slow Sessions, give local Farm Tours, tastings and Happy Hours, and partner with other local groups in supporting good, clean, and fair food for all.
Thanks to the passionate commitment of Slow Food Austin's leadership and others who volunteer their time, funds, and resources, we are able to do these things and look forward to growing and expanding our efforts with your support.
Donate to Slow Food Austin:


text:
While it may be an exaggeration to say the The Force Awakens was thirty years in the making, it was a long and involved process, beginning the moment Disney bought Lucasfilm. Mr Sunday Movies tells us about some of the many ideas, concept artworks, and plans that the creators went through and ultimately changed or rejected before the final product was unveiled. Contains spoilers, but if you haven't seen the movie by now, you probably don't care about any of this.
In the process of winnowing all this down to what was actually put into the movie, they ended up with the best that was left and would fit into two hours and 16 minutes. It sure didn't seem that long. -via Geeks Are Sexy


text:
You see this 6 yr old little monster above? That's my son Kane, who besides seemingly trying to send me and my wife crazy... is obsessed with art and has come up tonight with an amazing technique to break out of the box when concept sculpting. It's not often I see a technique that literally changes the way I sculpt them, but also I feel is so good that I am compelled to share it.
The theory behind it (that I'm sure Kane had no idea of when he come up with it tonight) is similar to when a 2d concept artist maybe use a series of random shapes and then similar to a Rorschach test 'see' the idea within it and then flesh it out. Sort of in a similar to one of my favourite apps 'Alchemy' does in 2D. The beauty of Kane's idea is that it's exactly the same thing but in 3D.
If you take note of the 1st few seconds of the video above, you'll notice I create a random shape in Zbrush (as Dynamesh works perfectly for this), and then use a series of random placements of lips and noses to create and interesting shape. Then I see in this some things I meld together with the clay build-up. I keep this up until the sculpt 'emerges' from the randomness. Then it's just your usual concept sculpting / speed sculpting.
Obviously this is not just limited to using noses and lips..you could use any low-ish res shape at all, but I urge you if you're a sculptor to give it a try. I ask only one thing that as my sons came up with this wonderful idea that he does get credit for it and not ripped off wholesale as has happened to idea of my own in the past. He's 6 years old and to be honest it'd be a bit fucking harsh if the 3d world starts using this and then 'forgets' the little boy who came up with this wonderful idea. I'm sure many will lay claim to this technique, but the bottom line is this...no one shared it with the digital sculpting world.period.
This could be done equally as well in 3DCoat as well of course....although not as easily in Mudbox as you'd be reduced to using vector displacement stamps and stencils.
Now in my workflow at the point this video gets to mid res / locked down(ish) I'd export to Mudbox and continue from there and only retop if the design was approved. (Until if / when mesh creation that could be used for this appears in Mudbox, which i would hope it does.) The strong part of this technique is that as artists we can often get locked into a family of shapes and forms that we find ourselves treading out time after time and that can lead to staleness. I often feel that models done in a group can end up feeling stale to me using the same shape language. This forces you kicking and screaming into new shapes and forms. To me that is probably the biggest change to my concepting workflow I can get!
Hopefully many of you can see the power of this way of concepting once you give it a try. I'm calling it The Kane Technique.


text:
The Polyvine Chalk Paint Waxer is a unique, low odour, brush on wax finish varnish that maintains the velvet smooth, chalky finish of your paint. It also has the added benefit of protecting it from scuffing and moisture. It is ideal for vintage look furniture, upcycled furniture, distressing and shabby chic finish.
Apply sparingly, brush out well using a good quality brush. Apply the first coat and allow to dry, then apply a second coat. For maximum protection of surfaces in working areas, eg worktops, apply two coats of satin and a top coat of clear dead flat finish.
- Drying Time: 1-2 Hours.
- Coverage: 15m².
- Size: 500ml.
Note: Polyvine Chalk Paint Waxer has a dead flat finish that maintains the look and feel of the chalky paint.
Payment & Security
Your payment information is processed securely. We do not store credit card details nor have access to your credit card information.


text:
Nineteenth Texas Infantry
The Nineteenth Texas Infantry Regiment, organized in the spring of 1862 under the Confederate States of America's Trans-Mississippi Department, consisted of men from the counties of Northeast Texas, including Davis (now Cass County), Franklin, Harrison, Hopkins, Marion, present-day Morris (was Titus during the war), Panola, Rusk, San Augustine, Titus, and Upshur. Richard Waterhouse, a prominent merchant from Jefferson in Marion County, held the commission from the state of Texas for the contingent's creation and oversaw the establishment of the original ten companies (A through K) between February and May. When the mustering was complete, elections were held among the 886 men that made up the Nineteenth on May 13, 1862. The field officers selected were Col. Richard Waterhouse, Lt. Col. Robert H. Graham, and Maj. Ennis Ward Taylor. With elections complete, the men assembled at Camp Waterhouse and formed into two battalions. The first was composed of companies A through D (the first four mustered) and F (mustered in Jefferson), and the second consisted of E and G through K.
In June 1862 Colonel Waterhouse received orders to march to Little Rock, Arkansas, from Brig. Gen. Henry E. McCulloch, commander of all units in Northeast Texas. Both battalions, marching at separate times, reached Camp Josephine McDermott near Rondo, Arkansas, by August 29. The Nineteenth remained at Rondo for more than a month, during which time an outbreak of measles, dysentery, and diarrhea killed twenty-four men and necessitated leaving between thirty and forty sick behind. After arriving at their destination, Camp Nelson in Little Rock, Arkansas, on October 24, the Nineteenth Texas Infantry remained in the region for more than two months. During this time, more men died from inclement weather, lack of equipment and food, and disease, bringing the total losses from their beginnings at Jefferson to the end of the year to 119.
Toward the end of 1862, McCulloch's eleven regiments and one battalion from Texas, including the Nineteenth, were divided into three brigades and placed under the command of Maj. Gen. John G. Walker, where they remained for the duration of the war. What came to be known as Walker's Texas Division was the largest individual unit of Texans and the only one from either the North or the South consisting of regiments from a single state in the Civil War. The Nineteenth Texas Infantry was assigned to the Third Brigade, which was put under the command of McCulloch upon Walker's arrival in Arkansas in early January 1863.
Due to indecisiveness by the Confederate commanders of the Trans-Mississippi Department, in the first few months of 1863, Walker's Texas Division was sent from Vicksburg to northwest Arkansas and back again five times before being ordered to central Louisiana on April 23. There, the artillery of the Third Brigade exchanged volleys with a gunboat at Perkins' Landing on May 31, which marked the first military engagement witnessed by the Nineteenth—more than a year after mustering. Two days later, Walker's Texas Division boarded transports once again heading for Vicksburg. Because of all the marching and countermarching during the first six months of 1863, which totaled nearly a thousand miles, Walker's Texans acquired the fitting nickname, the "Greyhound Division."
At Vicksburg on the morning of June 7, the soldiers of the Nineteenth and the rest of Walker's Division participated in their first major engagement of the Civil War. The Third Brigade, attacking a Federal camp at Milliken's Bend on the west side of the Mississippi, drove the Union forces to the river before heavy naval shelling compelled General McCulloch to withdraw his troops. When both sides counted their killed, wounded, and captured/missing, the Federals lost 652, or half their garrison, compared to the Confederates 185, or 12 percent of the soldiers involved. The Nineteenth Texas reported 2 killed, 11 wounded, and 6 missing after the battle. In his official report of the battle, General McCulloch noted that "Colonel Waterhouse with his [19th Texas] regiment distinguished themselves particularly."
After Vicksburg, Walker's Texas Division spent the next four months in northeast Louisiana and endured the most miserable conditions encountered during the entire war. This was due to the humid and disease-infested lowlands of the state, indecision by the Trans-Mississippi command, the falling of Vicksburg and Port Hudson to the Federals, very low rations, and lack of pay for more than a year. In the Nineteenth, at least fifty men deserted that summer; one was executed, and two took the oath of allegiance to the United States. There was also an issue with changes in the division's hierarchy. On July 22, General McCulloch was transferred from Walker's Division, and Col. George M. Flournoy, the senior regimental commander, was temporarily put in charge of the Third Brigade. In October of that year, Flournoy was replaced by Brig. Gen. William R. Scurry of Texas. In the Nineteenth Texas Infantry, the regiment's Lt. Col. Robert H. Graham resigned as did three company commanders. Maj. Ennis Ward Taylor was promoted to lieutenant colonel when Graham's resignation became effective on July 2.
In the spring of 1864 Walker's Division, including the Nineteenth Texas Infantry, participated in the Red River campaign—their most significant contribution to the Southern cause in the Civil War. Between March and May the Texans engaged in three pitched battles against Union forces, which equated to more fighting in two months than the rest of the war combined for the contingent.
Union Gen. Nathaniel P. Banks, intent on occupying Texas and breaking up the Confederacy's Trans-Mississippi headquarters, marched a force of nearly 30,000 men, supported by the largest naval fleet ever assembled on inland waters, up the Red River toward Shreveport. The Confederate forces, including cavalry and artillery, stood at fewer than 9,000. As the Federals made their way north, the Texans under Gen. Richard Taylor retreated for three weeks until making their stand three miles south of Mansfield on April 8. Taylor chose the location because the narrow road leading to the field was surrounded by heavy woods on either side, meaning all the Union forces could not be utilized. Because General Scurry's contingent was stationed on the far right of the Confederates line and the Nineteenth Texas Infantry was positioned on the far right within the Third Brigade, Colonel Waterhouse's unit was fundamental in breaking the enemy's left, which resulted in a rout of the Federals. After the battle, the rebels counted 1,000 men killed, wounded, or missing, while the Union lost 3,500 men, 20 artillery pieces, 250 wagons, and thousands of small arms.
The very next day, April 9, once the Confederates were reinforced with two regiments from Missouri and Arkansas, Taylor moved his forces to Pleasant Hill, where General Banks was stationed. The battle of Pleasant Hill was far less successful for the rebels, as it ended in a tactical draw and the Union army withdrew during the night back to Grand Ecore. Also, both Scurry and Walker were wounded, although not mortally. In the two battles, Taylor estimated that he lost more than 2,600 men out of his 12,000 total, compared to the Union's 3,600 casualties out of 28,000. In the Nineteenth, there were 2 killed, 5 wounded, and 21 captured.
Not long after Pleasant Hill, Gen. Edmund Kirby Smith, commander of the Trans-Mississippi Department, took control of most of Taylor's army, including Walker's Division. Because Smith was worried about Union Gen. Frederick Steele and his 10,000 troops coming from Little Rock toward Shreveport, the Nineteenth Texas Infantry was once again on the march by April 14, this time to Jenkins' Ferry, Arkansas. Steele, running low on supplies and nervous about Confederate forces moving in his direction, ordered a fast withdrawal back to Little Rock. In turn, Smith saw this as an opportunity to crush Steele's army and so marched his men to fatigue in pursuit. The battle at Jenkins' Ferry on April 30, 1864, was the Nineteenth's final major engagement of the Civil War. Although the Union force lost between 600 to 800 men and the Confederates lost at least 800, Walker's Texas Division endured the heaviest losses. All three brigade commanders received serious wounds; two, including Scurry, were mortally wounded. The Texans, numbering around 2,000 men, lost nearly 450 of them or almost 25 percent.
Although only the battle of Mansfield was a distinct victory, the Confederacy was successful in the overall Red River campaign in that Union forces were repelled from taking Shreveport and therefore from destroying the Trans-Mississippi headquarters and invading Texas. In the seventy days of the campaign, Walker's Texas Division, including the Nineteenth Texas Infantry, marched some 900 miles, fought and contributed substantially to three major battles, suffered heavy losses (1,450 men, or 36 percent of their original 4,000), but ultimately prevented an invasion of their home state.
Due to the death of Scurry, the Nineteenth's commander, Col. Richard Waterhouse, Jr., was appointed brigadier-general of Walker's Third Brigade by Gen. Edmund Kirby Smith in May 1864. In turn, Lt. Col. Ennis Ward Taylor became commander of the Nineteenth Texas Infantry and was promoted to colonel. Unfortunately for the Texas Division, differences between generals Kirby Smith and Richard Taylor resulted in the latter's transfer in June and, consequently, General. Walker's reassignment to command of the District of West Louisiana. Maj. Gen. John H. Forney was chosen to replace Walker, a decision which proved unpopular with the Texans due to his strict disciplinarian style and questionable character. The Texas Division also underwent substantial reorganization in early 1865. When the regiments were shuffled to create a fourth brigade, the Nineteenth became a part of the Second Brigade, still under the command of Gen. Richard Waterhouse.
All of the bureaucratic reorganization proved futile when, on April 22, 1865, word came that Richmond had fallen and Lee's army had surrendered. After this news, many of the citizen-soldiers from the Nineteenth and the rest of the Texas Division left the Confederate Army for home. Even the return of General Walker on May 12 did not cease the tide of departure, and by May 20, the division had effectively disintegrated. Six days later, Gen. Edmund Kirby Smith officially surrendered the remaining Trans-Mississippi Army. The men of Walker's Texas Division and the Nineteenth as part of it had remained together with few exceptions from the contingent's inception in the fall of 1862 until the war's finale. In the end, the unit disbanded before the final surrender of Confederate forces in June 1865.


text:
February 2017
Perry S. Nicholas
I am an Associate Professor of English at Erie Community College North in Buffalo, N.Y. I have 5 books, 2 chapbooks, and 1 CD of poetry. I am married to Maria Sebastian, a well-known singer/songwriter, and we perform our poetry and music together at many venues in the WNY area. For more information please visit my website: www.perrynicholas.com
We rode a little rough in the beginning.
But things smoothed out. They often do.
Or not, but who are we to straighten out
all the parallels of our pasts
in a week, month, even a year?
Now we are idling, more accepting,
and trust stays with us longer as we
double ourselves around each other,
hands high on chests to accept all kisses.
Acceptance the parking lines of passion.
Show me you want me for what I am,
and what I am not. I know I've stalled.
So hard to be open when one has never opened.
Please know this, love, in this tight space:
the beginning has passed—we've parked.
Life Is Beautiful (La Vita è Bella)
Overhearing a political argument outside the restaurant
The clip-clopping of horse's feet
on wet pavement, the boundary
between rain and snow, darkness and light,
squeal of children in the chilly air.
My inner voice louder than the outer world,
so when someone speaks below the window,
it startles—lost in these thoughts,
winter images I'll try never to forget.
A curtain of snow yields to a forgotten moon.
Remembering an old movie, I whisper la vita è bella
so only you can hear, above the clacking of street signs
and chatter of smoking, drunken Americans.
©2017 Perry S. Nicholas
Editor's Note: If this poem(s) moves you please consider writing to the author (email address above) to tell him or her. You might say what it is about the poem that moves you. Writing to the author is the beginning of community at Verse Virtual. It is very important. -FF


text:
Gerald Brisco might be All Elite tomorrow.
Gerald Brisco might be All Elite tomorrow.
So question time -- Is tonight's "Late Night Dynamite" thing supposed to have any first-run action on it? Because my cable preview thing just has it replaying a couple matches from last week's TV.
Just looked it up -- 3 matches signed for tonight.
Matt Sydal vs. Shawn Spears is the most intriguing one. I'm sure those two guys can put together a great little TV match.
Last edited by Spudz Mackenzie; September 22nd, 2020 at 6:00 PM.
What time is this on at? 2am? LOL
After the NBA game is over, we get our post-game coverage, and then 45 minutes of these assholes self-flagellating themselves for being virtue signalling SJW's.
Is it really any surprise the blackest sport in the country supports #BLM stuff? No? Then why the fuck do we need to waste TV time about it?
Putting WNBA "highlights" on the NBA show is like showing your peewee football league's "highlights" after an NFL game.
Man, if I need to be "up all night" to watch something good on TV, I'd rather watch Ronda Shear then Shaq, Da Big Hurt, and two other boring black guys.
Turn on Dynamite -- Up All Night Edition, and the first thing I see is Leva "Blue Pants and Blue Balls" Bates shaking her tits around and singing "Judas".
Always a welcome sight.
"Highly regarded newcomer" aka "we're unopposed and don't want to book anyone important for the show nobody's actually awake for".
If Ben Carter is a UK guy, how'd he escape the country during the Covid travel lockdowns?
Is "jobbing to Scorpio Sky on TV" an "essential job"?
Good shit.
Ben Carter is green and indie as shit, but Sky knows how to make that style make sense. He led him by the nose through a pretty good match.
Tay Conti's favorite wrestler, Anna Jay.
Alex Marvez constantly looks like an ISIS hostage being forced, at gunpoint, to read a hostage statement.
This guy could make breathing oxygen look fake. If they showed him eating a cheeseburger, I don't think I'd be able to believe he's chewing it.
If they replaced him with a cardboard cutout or a big rock, I don't think many people would notice.
Brodie Lee hasn't had a really good match since he left the WWE.
Him vs. Orange Idiot is a nightmare match waiting to happen.
NXT could counter program that match with 20 minutes of The Gargano family eating dinner and watching their broken TV, and it would still be better.
Like a man without a penis, Matt Sydal literally came outta nowhere!


text:
Fly Away Peter
This idea of a countenance between the peaceful world of the sanctuary and the the chaotic world of war is one adapted by many, and with good reason. Through his novel, Malouf seeks to convey to the reader various themes. This is cleverly done in a number of ways, just one of which is this juxtaposition of the relationship between Imogen, Ashley and Jim and how it represents a peaceful world, and the 'despair created by war', its destructive nature and the effect it has on the world.
The bond between Imogen, Ashley and Jim is founded on their passionate interest and love of the birds, and the individual gifts that each brings to that interest: Jim's special knowledge, Imogen's photography and Ashley's sense of the land and nature. The relationship between the three reflects the calm, balanced and tranquil order of the natural world. Their appreciation of the 'primitive power' of the bush represents a harmony, it goes 'beyond mere convention or the law'. Malouf, in creating such a powerful representation of the natural world, has prepared us well for the impact of war.
The relationship established between Imogen, Ashley and Jim in the first half of the novel is skilfully juxtaposed with the trauma and upheaval of war in the second half. It is indeed a stark contrast to the tranquility of the sanctuary. The 'catastrophe' and 'madness' of the war hearlds Jim's 'fall from innocence'. This provides a dramatic contrast in mood, setting and action from the harmonious peace of the sanctuary section. The 'natural cycle of things' that Jim has been so in tune to has disappeared with the disturbance and destructive nature of war.
Throughout the latter half of the novel, during which Jim is caught like a fly in the web of war, the layers of discontent are evident - disharmony is a constant theme. This is made far more...
Please join StudyMode to read the full document


text:
If your kids are anything like ours then animals come high on the family wish list when planning a holiday.
Prior to planning a journey from Panama to Columbia, I had no clue that the Darien Gap even existed.
In the charming mountain town of El Valle de Anton is the APROVACA Orchid Farm. It's a quick site to see while discovering El Valle but worth the time as the orchids there are beautiful and there are MANY varieties, some so small a magnifying glass was needed to look at the blooms!
Very resonably priced villa (especially if there is 2 or more guests) about 1.5 hours west of Panama City along the Pacific Coast in Playa Blanca Resort (Panama is covered with resorts that are villas, condo
In this episode, I'm in Boquete, fooling around at "work" and watching Champions league finale.
Greetings earthlings,
Just to give you a small amount of background information before we launch into this assault on shipping the Darian Gap.
Some questions may arise otherwise...such as, why do Alex and Gaby have full facial and body tattoos?
Hi Everyone,
When I tell people we are heading south during the winter, most people seem to assume something like Mexico.
Well, we are going to Panama just for that reason!
No posts shared yet. Be the first one to inpire other travelers.


text:
UN condemns North Korea for firing missiles as people starve
The UN General Assembly's human rights committee adopted by consensus a resolution drafted by the European Union and Japan that expressed international concern over Pyongyang's rights record.
Published: 15th November 2017 12:09 AM | Last Updated: 15th November 2017 12:09 AM | A+A A-
UNITED NATIONS: UN member-states on Tuesday condemned North Korea for gross human rights violations and for conducting missile and nuclear tests while its people suffer from severe hunger.
The UN General Assembly's human rights committee adopted by consensus a resolution drafted by the European Union and Japan that expressed international concern over Pyongyang's rights record.
The measure will now go to the General Assembly for debate next month.
North Korea conducted its sixth nuclear test this year and test-fired a series of advanced missiles, including intercontinental ballistic missiles, even as 18 million North Koreans, or 70 percent of the population, are struggling with food shortages.
The resolution co-sponsored by 61 countries condemns North Korea for "diverting its resources into pursuing nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles over the welfare of its people."
Over half of North Korea's population face food shortages and nearly a quarter suffer chronic malnutrition, the resolution said.
The measure condemned "the long-standing and ongoing systematic, widespread and gross violations of human rights" in North Korea, and said those violations have led to severe hunger and malnutrition.
It expressed "very serious concerns" that Pyongyang has carried out torture, summary executions, arbitrary detention and abductions of foreign nationals within and outside its territory.
After the death of US student Otto Warmbier, the resolution stressed that North Korea must provide detained foreign nationals with access to consular services and allow them to communicate with their families.
Warmbier, a 22-year-old student, died in June just days after he was released by Pyongyang and sent home in a coma following his arrest in January 2016 while visiting the North as a tourist.
His parents have said their son showed signs of torture, including teeth that appeared to have been "rearranged," and hands and feet that were disfigured.
Presenting the resolution on behalf of the European Union, Estonian Deputy Ambassador Minna-Liina Lind said rights violations in North Korea "are too often overlooked due to the headline-grabbing missile and nuclear issue."
North Korea's envoy said his government "categorically rejects" the resolution, dismissing it as a political ploy to undermine the Pyongyang leadership.
The resolution also expressed concern that reunions of separated families on the Korean peninsula have been suspended since October 2015.