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Here is a better link to live NHK World TV news from Japan:
Charles C. Goodin
Here is a better link to live NHK World TV news from Japan:
Posted by Charles C. Goodin on Tuesday, March 22, 2011
In About Large Earthquakes, I mentioned that "[F]ive (5) of the top 15 earthquakes since 1900 have taken place in the last seven (7) years. In other words, thirty-three percent (33%) of these earthquakes have taken place in just over six percent (6%) of the time."
I looked at the earthquake list again. Actually, it is also true that five (5) of the top 12 earthquakes since 1900 have taken place in the last seven (7) years. In other words, almost forty-two percent (42%) of these earthquakes have taken place in just over six percent (6%) of the time. What's up with that?
Another thing, when two bad things happen, watch out for the third. Bad things tend to happen in threes (I think this has to do with the shape of multiple universes or something). We had the earthquake/tsunami/nuclear reactor disasters (I'm counting this as one event) and the attack on Libya. What is next?
Charles C. Goodin
Posted by Charles C. Goodin on Monday, March 21, 2011
Fortitude is another way of expressing the Japanese concept of gaman (to bear the unbearable). Of course, fortitude is not a trait that it exclusive to Japanese. At times of great crisis, such as wars and natural disasters, people of all nations and walks of life, rise to the occasion and demonstrate the best characteristics of human beings.
What makes the Japanese stand out to many of us in the West, is not just their ability to bear incredible suffering, but their lack of complaint and the way that they remain so composed and orderly. It seems to me that Japanese are raised this way -- with an emphasis on these specific traits.
I remember once that a pair of sai were stolen from my home. They were very nice stainless steel Shureido sai. I thought to myself, "How could this happen?"
I did not mean, "How could someone steal my sai?" Instead, I meant, "How could anyone steal?" It was hard for me to believe that anyone could allow himself to do such a thing.
I know that this is very naive, and that theft is a reality in many places, but I was raised by a mother who was born and raised on Japan before the war. Theft is just something that his not done. I heard many stories about my grandmother. My mother always said that if she saw someone in need, she would invite them in to eat. If they needed something, she would give it to them. Perhaps if more people were like her, there would be less need for anyone to steal.
I was at a supermarket once and found a $100 bill on the floor. Of course, I turned it in to a cashier, because it was not my money. It must have been dropped by someone, who would be looking for it. The thought of keeping it did not cross my mind. It simply was not mine.
Sai and a $100 bill are very small things. The devastation faced by so many people in Japan is indescribably great. However, I wanted to explain why it is that we do not see looting in Japan. Looting is not something Japanese are raised to do. I'm sure that many Japanese could not even think about it. How could they take something that does not belong to them? Instead, I think that they would share what little they had. And if they did find cans of food or other items in the wreckage, and they did take it, they would try to find out who the items belonged to so that they could compensate them.
I am not saying that everyone in Japan, or any country, is perfect. However, we can clearly see that the Japanese reaction to the earthquake and tsunami reveals concepts such as gaman, fortitude, honesty, and cooperation -- values that are taught to Japanese children, and, by the way, to martial arts students. In Karate, we also learn such values -- not to become Japanese, but to develop our character.
I was sent a link to a Youtube video you might want to watch. It addresses these concepts much better than I possibly can. Please see:
Posted by Charles C. Goodin on Monday, March 21, 2011
I have to confess something. I check the usgs website at:
Posted by Charles C. Goodin on Wednesday, March 16, 2011
You can watch NHK World English live online at:
Posted by Charles C. Goodin on Wednesday, March 16, 2011
As those of us in the United States watch the devastation in Japan as a result of the 9.0 earthquake, the tsunami it unleashed, and the threat of the failure of multiple nuclear reactors, many of us are probably amazed by how calm and collected the Japanese have remained, even the victims. They seem to be able to bear the unbearable.
My mother was born and raised in Japan. I am hapa (half Japanese and half Caucasian). As I result, I sort of understand some Japanese concepts, but usually not quite correctly. Please let me try to explain my understanding of the concept of "gaman."
Gaman means to bear whatever happens without complaint. It is not good to draw attention to yourself by complaining. That would make you look bad. However, to bear the unbearable is a sign of real character and will be respected. We are supposed to endure physical injury without showing pain. We are supposed to bear natural disasters and immediately get on with the recovery and rebuilding. Complaining will not accomplish anything. If tears are to be shed, let them be shed while we are working on resolving the problem.
With respect to the earthquake and tsunami, these are natural disasters. Who is to blame? No person caused them. The same nature that makes the plants grow also made the earthquake and the tsunami. You cannot curse nature.
Japanese almost have a sense of resignation or inevitability -- natural disasters are bound to happen. You cannot do anything about them, except to prepare to the best of your ability. It does seem that Japan was ready for the earthquake but that no one could be prepared for such a severe tsunami. No one could do anything about the tsunami, so you just have to bear it, even if it is unbearable.
I am not saying that Japanese do not grieve and shed tears. Certainly they do, but mostly in private. If you see victims standing in the midst of indescribable destruction, they will usually appear to be calm. However, when you see them receiving aid, then they might cry. It is almost as if they are sad that they needed help -- as if they could bear the unbearable, but not the fact that they needed help.
I am certain that I have not explained this correctly -- perhaps 1/2. But I have done so for a reason. We should not let the calm and controlled looks on the faces of the victims in Japan lead us to believe that they do not need help. They do. And it does not mean that they do not appreciate help. They do. They just do not want to ask for help, not because they are arrogant or too proud -- but because they have been raised to bear the unbearable without complaint.
The earthquake and tsunami were natural disasters. The nuclear power plant problems, although caused by the earthquake and tsunami, are man made. I do not think that gaman applies to that disaster quite the same.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to all of the victims and people suffering in Japan. Especially here in Hawaii, we realize that but for the grace of God that could have been us. Given our proximity to the ocean, a similar tsunami would have wiped out most of Oahu and the other populated areas of Hawaii's islands.
Charles C. Goodin
Posted by Charles C. Goodin on Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Aloha from Hawaii.
I just wanted to let everyone know that my family is safe. We live inland at at a pretty good elevation.
At this point, I am not sure about the extent of damage on Oahu and the other islands. There seems to have been flooding in some areas (mostly on other islands) and I have not heard about any injuries.
Fortunately, we had many hours to prepare for the tsunami. It was eerie to hear the sirens going off. As usual, there were lines at the gas stations and grocery stores.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the people of Japan.
Charles C. Goodin
Posted by Charles C. Goodin on Friday, March 11, 2011
Next week, my friend and senior, Sensei Pat Nakata, will teach a class in sai basics for our students. Tonight, I went over some sai basics to help prepare the students.
The first thing I discussed were sai rules:
Posted by Charles C. Goodin on Wednesday, March 09, 2011
I was working in my son's yard (a multi-year project). His grass is so strong that it would grow under any plastic edging I tried. So I eventually decided to excavate a pretty deep trench (at least 1 foot) and make a cement edging about 8 inches thick. It took me a few days to dig a trench about 30 feet long.
Off I went to the hardware store to buy cement. I did not know how much to buy. I thought I might 3 or 4 bags. I asked a worker who made some calculations based on the dimensions I gave above. He said I needed about 25 bags of cement! I thought he was crazy!
So I bought 5 bags (which seemed like a lot) and went to my son's yard, mixed the bags and poured them. The guy was right -- 5 bags was only about 1/5th of what I needed. I had to go back and forth to the store four more times.
That trench required a lot of cement. I guess I thought that the cement would rise like dough.
So here is the point. Learning Karate looks easy but it takes more than a student might think. He might think it will take 5 bags, but the instructor knows it will take 30 (or 100, or 1,000). Experience tells us that learning Karate well takes a great deal of time, effort, dedication, and refinement.
Any good foundation takes a lot of cement!
Charles C. Goodin
Posted by Charles C. Goodin on Tuesday, March 08, 2011
Do you know the story of the three blind men who felt an elephant? Since each felt different parts, they thought they were feeling different animals. This shows that there can be many aspects to a single thing.
Karate is like feeling an elephant, a lion, an eagle, a turtle, a whale... basically a whole menagerie. There are so many aspects of Karate and no two students will have the same impression. They could easily think that they are studying two different things. There is one Karate but many interpretations... and each of them is valid.
I am biased because I learned Karate here in Hawaii, first from Filipino instructors of Kenpo Karate and then from an Okinawan instructor of Shorin-Ryu. I then learned also Shorin-Ryu from an Okinawan instructor of Shorin-Ryu in Okinawa. None of the schools/dojo I attended were commercial. None of my instructors did Karate for a living. None of the schools/dojo I attended participated in tournaments. My dojo has always been very family oriented. Okinawan culture, and Karate's place in that culture, became and remains an important focus to me.
If you take my background and my focus on Karate... that is like one of the blind man's impressions. It is just one impression. It is my impression. It is just one impression among thousands (even more).
The only difference is that I head a museum and write this blog and articles. My voice gets to be heard more than most, and I choose to express my opinions.
But my view is just one and I respect other views (although I might not want to pursue them). All the different views make up Karate.
I am tending to become a minimalist in Karate. I do think more about stripping away the unnecessary to reveal the essential -- in terms of technique, body dynamics, applications, and thoughts generally. I do not practice Zen or anything like that. I have just reached the point in my training where less is much more.
Which explains, to some extent, my post Take Away...
Charles C. Goodin
Posted by Charles C. Goodin on Tuesday, March 08, 2011
Take away the name of the martial art.
Take away the name of the style.
Take away the name of the dojo.
Take away the uniform.
Take away the patches and embroidery on the uniform.
Take way the belt.
Take away the patches and embroidery on the belt.
Take away the rank.
Take away the titles.
Take away the certificates.
Take away the organization.
Take away the tournaments.
Take away the trophies and medals.
Take away the demonstrations.
Take away all the external trappings of Karate and what are you left with?
Hopefully, quite a lot! And if you think about it, from a self-defense perspective, none of those things will help you.
So why did I mention those things? Because so many people spend so much time and effort on them, when the most important things in Karate are inside you (your skill, conditioning, and attitude).
Charles C. Goodin
Posted by Charles C. Goodin on Sunday, March 06, 2011
I have taught Karate for some time and written about it now for about 15 years. As a result, I am called "Sensei" by many people, not only including the students in our dojo. It seems to be my second name. My personal friends call me "Charles" but many other people just call me "Sensei." This is a respectful term among Japanese and Okinawans, so I accept the courtesy because I recognize that it is respect shown to Karate instructors generally. My Karate instructor friends and I also refer to each other as "Sensei."
However, I consider myself, first and foremost, to be a student. I should rephrase that. I consider myself to be first, second, third, and fourth, to be a student. Perhaps fifth, I am an instructor.
I try to learn every day -- each and every day. The way to learn is to train. Thinking about Karate is OK if you are thinking about things as a result of your training. It is not just idle, intellectual speculation. Thinking follows training, and you learn and improve as a result of training.
Even though I am 53 and a grandfather, I am still quick to ask questions and will often admit when I do not understand or have questions. This is easy to do, because I am a student. I do not let the fact that I am also an "instructor" get in the way of me being a student. As a student, I am training and learning, asking and listening, and working at it. That is what I mean when I say that our Karate is always a work in progress. It is a work in progress because we are constantly working at it.
If I ever get to the point when I think that I am done and "get it", then my Karate will no longer be a work in progress. It will be a dead thing, just a memory. Of course, I do not expect that to ever happen. I plan to keep working at it as long as I possibly can.
I often describe myself in this blog as a student. This is not false modesty. This is my honest view of myself. Compared to a new student, I might be a senior student. If the new student is a younger brother, I am an older brother. We are brothers in training. He is training, and I am training. I may be older and have more experience, but I am not different -- we are both students.
Some people, I have observed, let the title of "instructor" or "Sensei" (and a host of "higher" titles) get in the way. For some people, having reached this "higher" level makes it harder for them to learn. Some think they already get it. Some are afraid to admit that they do not.
As we say here in Hawaii, I am not afraid of "making A". I don't think I get it so I am not afraid to admit that I don't. I am not ashamed of this because I am still working at it. Of course I do not get it! I may get a little, but I am working on getting as much as possible of the remainder.
I do believe that my attitude of being a student first (second, third, and fourth) has helped me a great deal. I can honestly say that I have learned a lot about Karate from many instructors, not only my direct Sensei. For example, I have learned a lot about bunkai from Sensei Pat Nakata (who teaches Chibana Shorin-Ryu). When I explain a technique, I no longer remember if it is something that I learned from my direct Sensei, or from Nakata Sensei, or from other instructors in the Hawaii Karate Kenkyukai (and the Hawaii Karate Kodanshakai before that). I think that sometimes when I explain and demonstrate a technique at a Kenkyukai training sessions, the other instructors must be thinking, "Hey, I taught him that!" And it is true.
In about a week, I have asked Sensei Angel Lemus to visit our dojo and teach a class in takedowns. I really admire the way that his takedowns flow seemlessly from Karate applications. I am not going to stand around and watch when he teaches -- I will be there to learn!
As an instructor, I am not made less by bringing in other instructors and experts. I am not made to look bad by learning from them -- BECAUSE I AM A STUDENT.
The same week that Lemus Sensei is visiting, I have asked Sensei Pat Nakata to visit and teach the sai basics of Sensei Shinyei Kyan. That is going to be some week!
I have not only learned from senior instructors. I have learned a lot from my own children -- all of them. My first son practices Kendo and also practiced Karate with us. My second son is the head our dojo. My third son is an instructor in our dojo and also learns Ju Jitsu and MMA. My daughter is also an assistant in our dojo. I have learned from all of them, particularly my second and third sons who like to show me things (like how to choke dad). My second son and I also compete on koshi and dynamics and who can teach the best.
I have also learned from each and every student in our dojo. When I "teach" them I am learning by teaching, and I get to see the techniques anew through their eyes and physical expressions.
You do not need a rank or title to learn -- you just need to have the right attitude and a willingness to train, observe, question things, and train some more. If you do this you will become more skilled.
Will you be promoted? That is not the question. The question is whether you will learn and improve.
If your focus is on training, there is no time for nonsense and politics. If you are spending a lot of time on nonsense and politics, you must not have enough time for training. If someone wants to talk politics, I will politely excuse myself and get back to training. Politics, to me, is something idle people do. People who train are too busy.
I do have an intellectual curiosity about Karate. That is why I research, write, collect artifacts, and worked (with the help and generosity of many people) to create both the Hawaii Karate Museum and the collection at the University of Hawaii. But even these things are secondary to training. Training is first. Also, even as the head of a "museum" I am still a student. I am leaning so much about Karate's history and traditions. I don't get that either. I am still working at it.
Please let me be very clear about this -- when I say that I am a student first, I am being honest and serious. This is not false modesty or feigned humility. I mean it.
So let's celebrate being students and do what good Karate students do -- train!
Charles C. Goodin
Posted by Charles C. Goodin on Friday, March 04, 2011
I wanted to suggest an idea.
The Hawaii Karate Museum Collection is a collection of rare Karate books at the University of Hawaii. While is bears our name (to honor all the donors to the museum and the collection), the collection completely is owned by the University of Hawaii.
If you have any rare Karate books, or would like to acquire ones such as this one:
(Ryukyu Kenpo Karate by Gichin Funakoshi, originally published in 1922)
You could donate the books directly to the collection at the University of Hawaii, in your name or in the name of a person you would like to honor. You do not need to donate the book to our museum. However, we do still acquire and receive books and donate them to the collection.
So if someone out there would like to acquire the Ryukyu Kenpo book, read it, hold it, enjoy it... and then donate it to the University of Hawaii, that would be great! You could also donate money. None of this would go to me or our museum -- it would go to the collection at the University of Hawaii.
Here is a link to the Donations page for the collection.
Thank you very much. I hope that in my lifetime the collection will include every Karate book written before 1950, and most of the significant ones after that date as well. Wouldn't that be a great resource for Karate enthusiasts worldwide?
Charles C. Goodin
Posted by Charles C. Goodin on Friday, March 04, 2011
One of the rarest Karate books is up for auction. Please see:
It appears to be Ryukyu Kenpo Karate by Gichin Funakoshi, originally published in 1922 (arguably the first Karate book ever published).
I would love to acquire it for the Hawaii Karate Museum Collection, but it is beyond our means. If we cannot acquire it, I hope that one of our readers might acquire it for their own collection. But please confirm its authenticity, publishing date, version, condition, etc. I cannot confirm that information.
That is one of the 20 or so books we are seeking for the museum collection. Perhaps one day.
Charles C. Goodin
It is important to be realistic about your own strength. I am much stronger than my wife, but I am much weaker than my sons. Thanks to my sons, I am frequently reminded about how strong young men can be.
I can bench about 200 pounds once. My second son can bench about 245 pounds. My third son can bench about 310 pounds, and I think he is trying to work up to 350 or 360 pounds this year.
Of course, there are men (and women) who can bench much more than this.
I heard that at this year's NFL Scout Combine, one athlete bench pressed 225 pounds, 49 times. That was a new record for that event. 225 pounds, 49 times. I weigh about 170 pounds. That guy could lift me, easily, over 50 times! And I am sure that there are people who are stronger than him.
Last night I lift my second son and carried him a few steps. He put me on his shoulders and walked around the house!
As we age, our strength generally declines. Even if we become more efficient and learn to generate power better, we still have to realize that untrained people could be much stronger than us. This is even more true for women (and I fully realize that there are many women who are much stronger than me). But a 110 pound woman will almost never be stronger than a 210 pound man, let alone a 310 pound man in good shape.
Let me put this very clearly and directly -- if a Karate student were to wrestle or grapple with a good Ju Jitsu or wrestling student, he would almost certainly lose (unless he was also really good at grappling). If I were to grapple with my third son, who practices Ju Jitsu, I would literally have no chance at all. When he holds me down, I can barely breath (and he is being very nice to me). He would choke me out or break something really quickly.
And my third son is very quick to point out that he is still a beginner and the advanced students and pros would "kill him."
So... we should avoid grappling with grapplers. My best option with someone like my son, would be to avoid the encounter. If there was no way to avoid it, I certainly would try not to get into a grappling match (because I would definitely lose). And to make matters worse, my third son strikes very well. Hmmm, that only leaves very dirty techniques for me... and he knows those too.
We have to keep it real. We have to be aware of our own strengths and weaknesses, and be realistic about the strengths of other people. And don't forget that a drugged or deranged attacker will have seemingly superhuman strength! No matter how hard you hit him, he probably would not feel it.
That does not mean that we should not defend ourselves. It just shows how important avoidance is, and if there is no other way, quick self defense and escape. We do not want to "slug it out" with younger and stronger attackers (or multiple attackers) -- not to mention armed attackers.
Charles C. Goodin
I received a link to the following article and thought that it was very interesting:
Three more:
40. Don't just work hard, work smart.Respectfully,
41. If you have to walk to the other side of the building to get something, ask yourself if there is anything you could take there.
42. Karate training is always a work in progress.
Posted by Charles C. Goodin on Wednesday, March 02, 2011
Here are some things I tell my own children about work, and some things I have heard over the years.
Posted by Charles C. Goodin on Wednesday, March 02, 2011
Charles C. Goodin (email@example.com) is a Karate researcher and writer, and the head of the Hawaii Karate Museum. These are his personal thoughts... and those of some excellent Guest Writers. See our Table of Contents.
"Karate Jutsu" means "China Hand art". Karate came to Okinawa from China. Only in the 1930s or so, was the term "Karate" changed to mean "Empty Hand". "China Hand" was used in Hawaii until after World War II, and is still used in some dojo.
For more information, please visit the Hawaii Karate Seinenkai website.
The spirit of Karate is the Aloha spirit.


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You are here
No Fear Act
Notification and Federal Employee Antidiscrimination and Retaliation (No Fear) Act of 2002
The Notification and Federal Employee Antidiscrimination and Retaliation (No Fear) Act of 2002 was passed by Congress and signed by President Bush on May 15, 2002, and became effective on October 1, 2003. The purpose of this Act is to require Federal agencies to be more accountable for violations of antidiscrimination and whistleblower protection laws. The Act applies to Federal employees, former Federal employees, and applicants for Federal employment.
The NOFEAR Act requires Federal Agencies to:
Reimburse the Judgment Fund for any funds paid on discrimination and whistleblower related judgments, awards, or settlements in cases brought to Federal District Court;
Notify employees and applicants for employment about their rights and remedies associated with violations of discrimination and whistleblower protection laws;
Provide an annual report on the implementation and enforcement of the Act to Congress, the Attorney General, and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC);
Post statistical data relating to Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) complaints on the Agency's public website;
Develop an effective training program that supports the Act's objectives; and
Develop an appropriate disciplinary policy regarding actions against Federal employees who discriminate or retaliate in violation of the laws covered by the Act.
NOFEAR Act: Public Law 107-174 ( May 15, 2002 )
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's Interim Final Rule on No Fear Act
Office of Personnel Management's Implementing Rule on No Fear Act
2017 No Fear 1st Quarter
2017 No Fear 2nd Quarter
2017 No Fear 3rd Quarter
In addition, Title III of the NOFEAR Act requires Federal agencies to post certain statistical information on their public web sites concerning complaints of employment discrimination filed with them by employees, former employees and applicants for employment under 29 C.F.R. Part 1614. The specific data to be posted is described in section 301(b) of the Act and 29 CFR 1614.704. The required summary statistical data for EEO complaints filed with the SBA is posted below.

subset: commoncrawl


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The Italian was amongst the spectators for the Bhoys' 3-0 home defeat to Juventus in the Champions League on Tuesday and was subsequently linked with a move for the Kenya international.
|Manchester City are 11/2 with Bet365 to beat Leeds United 2-0
"At the moment, no [I do not want to sign him]. I think he is a good player," the City boss told a press conference.
Wanyama has been linked to a host of European clubs following his move to Celtic from Belgian club Beerschot two seasons ago but Mancini feels that conclusions were drawn too quickly from his attendance of the match.
"I saw him for the first time against Juventus, I never saw him before," the 48-year-old insisted.
"But every time I go to see a game, the next day people say 'Manchester City want to buy this player'."


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2018 Reference Guide: Page 435


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Look around you. There's a menu chalked onto a blackboard and displayed outside a restaurant. A scrawled political message on the side of a building. A name, tattooed onto the supple surface of skin. An index finger on a tablet. These are glimpses of handwriting alive today.
This 3,500 year old invention is now evolving towards new hybrids of analog and digital. We're collecting these marks written by hand on walls, on screens, on paper in a digital gallery that's open to everyone's submissions. These "exhibits" – all the more powerful in pixel form – celebrate handwriting in all its forms.
The gallery is part of Ecriture Infinie (Infinite Writing), an art project by Bili Bidjocka curated by Simon Njami that consists of eight gigantic volumes, almost sacred, that travel around the world collecting handwritten signs. Once full they are wrapped in linen and hidden in a secret place like time capsules. Will the people who find it in the far future be able to decipher them?
Moleskine, together with the non-profit foundation lettera27, is stewarding the Eighth Book in its journey around the world. It's latest stop is Berlin, on the occasion of the 13th international literature festival.
Join in the conversation: share your thoughts about the future of handwriting with us on #ishandwritingstillalive and upload your submission to the online gallery.


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Kristen Stewart Says She and Robert Pattinson "Will Be Fine" After Cheating Scandal
Kristen Stewart has carried herself quite well with the press since that whole cheating scandal thing, but not gonna lie — we wish she spoke out about it overtly rather than just ignoring the pink elephant in the room. But, it seems like Kstew has finally broken her silence, telling press at TIFF, "We're going to be fine. We're totally fine," obviously referring to her current relationship status with Rob. So, yay? At least that will make the Breaking Dawn promotional tour a tad bit less awkward. We hope.
Watch the vid from Clevver above for the rest of the scoop!


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Style # 204264
Feather Print Ruffled Tank is rated out of 5 by 4.
Rated 5 out of 5 by Sandra13 from Excellent choice I loved this blouse, the material and design is great. I bought it for my birthday party and I can't wait to wear it.
Date published: 2013-03-06
Rated 5 out of 5 by 2cute from Love it This top really very classy and beautiful, more so than in the pic. For real silk, now that it's on sale it's an excellent deal. I normally wear s in bebe but this seemed to run a little big so i got an xs-fits beautifully. Like the last reviewer said, very appropriate for work yet easy to throw over some jeans and add trendier jewelry for a night out look. I really, really love this beautiful top. The way it layers and flows is gorgeous. When I saw it online i thought "eh" but in person really,really pretty. I am 5'7 about 135 lbs too if that helps!
Date published: 2013-02-20
Rated 5 out of 5 by Egome818z from Appropriate for any occasion Love this top, perfect for work with a suit or with leather pants for a night out with the bf. XS worked maybe even XXS, but got the 1st because the store only had that size.
Date published: 2013-02-16
Rated 4 out of 5 by MagdaLenah from Great buy! I purchased this top on sale, only 26$ including shipping!! It runs a little big but with a thin satin ribbon belt it looks great. Overall I'm very satisfied, Bebe never disappoints! Shipping was very fast too. <3 Bebe
Date published: 2013-02-04


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Individuals and organizations spend thousands making their websites, design it, choose the CMS and still do not get visitors to their sites. Companies just forget that the search engines relay on a sound technical foundation of the site to work and design agencies and in most cases CMS companies have no clue what it is that makes them tick.
We just did a project with a company that spend thousands of dollars creating their site, it all looked ok, but there were no Google referrals, it just did not exist in Google. Google had partly indexed it's first page but beyond that nothing. In this case a small javascript for effect was killing Google's options to crawl it.
If you are going to use the site to market on the search engines pls. have this in mind


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PAWS is a 7-year-old tiger with lots of extra toes. He is very nice and likes other cats.
Milford Humane Society
Milford Humane Society is open for adoptions at 289 West St., (Rte. 140) on Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m. and on Thursday evenings from 7 to 9 p.m. Cats are also shown at Petco in Milford on Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Additional information about the cats listed can be obtained by calling 508-473-7008. The shelter Web site is www.milfordhumane.org. All Milford Humane cats have been given rabies and distemper shots, have been spayed or neutered and have been tested for FIV and FeLV.
WALKER is a 7-year-old tiger. He's a very nice boy and gets along with most other cats.
ABBY is a pretty brown tiger. She is about 2 years old and very sweet.
LISI AND LACEY are 8-month-old sisters. Lisi is a gray tortie and Lacey is black and white. Lacey is a little shy and would like to be placed with her sister. They are both short haired.
PAWS is a 7-year-old tiger with lots of extra toes. He is very nice and likes other cats.
MUDSLIDE AND MIMOSA are 6-month-old brothers. They are a bit shy but very cute and need someone willing to help them come out of their shells. They are shorthaired tigers with white and they need top be placed together.
LUNA is a pretty gray tiger. She is shorthaired and 7 years old. She may prefer to be the only cat.
GIGI AND GLITZ are 1-year-old gray and white sisters. They are short-haired and very cute. They're a little shy at first but very sweet when they get acclimated.
VIOLET AND AMETHYST are a mother/daughter pair. Violet is about 2 years old and Amethyst is a year. They are shorthaired torties and are mirror images of each other. They would like to stay together.
ARCHIE AND REGGIE are black and white siblings. They are about a year old. They are very nice but a little shy.
CHIPPY is a longhaired, 11-year-old male. He was surrendered when his owner became ill.
MIDNITE is a 3-year-old, shorthaired female. She is very petite and has Siamese-like features. She is a nice girl and is FIV positive.
JOEY AND JOSEPH are cute white and tiger-striped brothers. They are shorthaired about a year old. They are a little shy and would like to stay together in a relatively quiet home. They would be fine with other animals.
Greyhound Rescue of New England
The following dogs are available at Greyhound Rescue of N.E., Inc., Mendon. The shelter can be reached at 508-478-1617.
DAWN is a very spunky, happy girl. She loves life and wants to see it all. If you want a dog who would love an active lifestyle, she's the one. No small animals.
ABBY is a sweet, loving girl who is cat friendly. She does have some separation anxiety if alone, so another dog to keep her company is a must. She was in foster care and one of the foster mom's favorites!
CONMAN is a big, beautiful white dog – 4 years old – and ready for a big adventure exploring life outside of the kennel. He has some separation anxiety if alone, so another dog to keep him company is a must. He's such a magnificent looking boy.
COCO is turning 11 years old this month. She's not sure how she ended up homeless at this stage of her life, but she's pretty sad about it. She's not a Greyhound — she's a little 40-lb. hound cross — but she's so friendly and personable, they say she's like a cat. She just loves to sit with you and be patted forever. She would do best in a quiet household, probably as an only pet at this time in her life.
KATE is a gentle shy girl, with a happy dog hiding inside. She loves going out with the other dogs, or getting gentle pats in the kennel. She's shy in new situation but she slowly learns life isn't so scarey. She'd do best with a quiet patient family, a fenced yard, and another dog to show her the ropes.
DANNY is new to the kennel and seems like really sweet guy. He's calm and gentle, 2 years old, good in his crate or out playing with the other dogs. He loves attention, he waits patiently for his turn for loving. No small animals.
CASE is a sweet, happy boy who loves attention. He'd do best with someone who is around a lot and can make him feel comfortable. He can tend to be nervous in new situations. He's not really a shy dog, he just needs some consistency and stability and he's adore his new owners!
CLAIRE is a sweet little brindle girl who is new to the kennel. She seems a tad afraid of men, but comes around quickly with patient and gentleness. She's happy and sweet, and loves the other dogs.
Baypath Humane Society
Baypath is on Rafferty Road, Hopkinton. The shelter is open everyday from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. All Baypath dogs have been spayed or neutered, wormed, heartworm tested and have age-appropriate shots. They also have a Safewatch microchip and leave the shelter with a no-slip collar.
Baypath also has cats available for adoption.The following animals are available for adoption. Further information is available at 508-435-6938 or www.baypathhumane.org.
BOOMA is a shepard/Rottweiler mix. He is 4 years old. He needs of a home that will exercise and work with him. His family had to give him up, but brought him back to Baypath where he was first adopted. He is playful.
BROOK is an Australian cattle dog mix. Brooke is the cutest mini cattle dog EVER. She loves wiggling around and hanging with her friend, Darla. She has a good amount of energy and loves her toys.
BUCKSHOT is a handsome 4-year-old Chesapeake Bay retriever mix. He needs a home with lots of space to hang out and play. He is mellow and would make a great companion. He adores other dogs. He is a strong boy so will need leash training so he won't pull.
CALEB is a smooth coat collie mix. He LOVES everything. He loves his kongs, his toys, and his other shelter playmates.
CURLEY is a Pekingese/Pomeranian. He is a little ball of fun. He loves to be held and carried around like a purse. He likes to play all day with his buddy Daisy.
DAISY is a beagle/spaniel mix. Daisy is an active little girl. She has gorgeous eyes and a beautiful coat. She is shy at first, but just needs some extra TLC.
DALLAS is a retriever/Golden mix. He is a year old. Dallas is a gorgeous boy. He is timid, but wants to love people. He always has that little tail wagging under that beautiful black coat. Come meet him and his beautiful brother Houston.
DARLA is a beagle mix. Darla is a shelter favorite. She is good on the leash and super loving. She loves playing with her shelter pal, Brooke.
DOONEY is a retriever/Lab mix. Dooney is a lovebug. She is a year old and adores her brother Rooney and ideally would go to a home with him. Like her brother, she's energetic and attentive. She is also affectionate and loving. However, she is the shyer of the two and will take a little more to pull out of her shell.
HOUSTON is a 1-year-old retriever mix. Houston is a sensible little golden. He is a bit more outgoing than his brother, Dallas. They are a very bonded pair and would love to find a home together.
SEAMUS is an 7-year-old Jack Russell terrier mix. Seamus is full of energy. Seamus was surrendered to us due to his family having financial problems. Like a typical Jack Russell, Seamus is full of energy and loves to go on walks. He is great on a leash and can't get enough attention. Seamus should not be placed with small children and has lived with cats before.
ROONEY is a retriever/Lab mix. He is a year old and affectionate and cuddly. However, he is also immensely energetic. He is alert and pays attention to everything. Rooney is completely bonded with his sister Dooney and ideally would go to a home with her. We love him and you will too.
WALLACE is a Golden retriever. He is 8. Wallace is just a giant lug of a golden. He is ALWAYS happy. He is a senior, but he still loves his walks. Come meet him today.
JUPITER Jupiter is a Rhodesian ridgeback mix.. She's full of energy and loves long walks. Jupiter is super smart and knows sit, down, roll over, paw, circle, and she's even learning to dance. On walks, Jupiter enjoys carrying her toys especially if they squeak. Jupiter would do super in training classes and would excel at agility training. She's good with other dogs but she does like to play rough.
LOLA is a truly incredible little pup. She was surrendered to Baypath in need of extensive care. Thanks to one of our fabulous foster homes and our local vet and rehab partnerships, Lola is ready to find her forever home.
OAKLEY is a handsome bundle of fun. He is high energy so he needs a super active family. Oakley is very willing to learn and training would be great for him.
BUBBA is a handsome 1-year-old male Lab mix. Bubba is very active and friendly. He loves to go for hikes and plays. He lived with kids and was great with them. He is crate trained and can do tricks and knows "sit, lay down, give me paw, drop it."
OBIE is a gorgeous 7-year-old male Belgian Tervuren mix. Obie is a laid back love, but definitely enjoys some action. He'll run with you on a lead and play with you until he drops.
JOLI is an adorable 2-year-old female Boston terrier/pitbull mix. Jolie is a total sweetheart. She gets along well with others and loves to play with toys. She also enjoys her busy bones, wearing fun fuzzy coats, and spending some quiet time in her crate. Joli is a wiggly cuddlebug who would be totally content in your lap. She may grunt like a pig but this beautiful girl is easy on the eyes. She's not a fan of the snow and could use some work on the leash. Joli would do best in a home with no kitties.
ACE is a handsome 1½-year-old male American blue heeler mix. Ace is a smarty pants and a show stealer. He loves to smile and show off his pearly whites. He does great with other dogs, but can easily entertain himself for hours with toys.
IVY is a beautiful 2-year-old female Rhodesian ridgeback mix. Ivy is a friendly girl who loves other dogs. She is easy going but enjoys playing. She loves everyone and is in the process of looking for her forever home.
POLLY is a beautiful 1½-year-old female coonhound/bluetick mix. She is very playful and very loving. She could play all day long with her dog pals, however, when playtime is over, she calms down and turns into a 'leaner.' She has been known to hop a 5-foot fence, so leash walking would definitely be the way to go. She would love an active family.
SCARLET is a wonderful 2-year-old female Siberian husky/greyhound mix. Scarlet needs to go to a home with another dog so she can play all day long with them. She is looking for a home that is very active as she has heaps of energy and likes to keep herself occupied. Scarlet loves to play with people, dogs, tennis balls and stuffed animals.
Purr-fect Cat Shelter
Purr-fect Cat's felines can be viewed for adoption by appointment. The cats have been vaccinated, spayed or neutered and tested for FIV and FeLV. To arrange a time, please leave a message at the shelter message center at 508-533-5855. The shelter Web site is www.purrfectcatshelter.org.
PHOEBE is an adult female, longhaired tiger with white. Phoebe was picked up by our local Animal Control Officer and when she scanned her for a microchip, she found one. You would think that this would be a happy ending for Phoebe but it was not. It took five days for the ACO to be given the contact information. When she learned that the cat was from Natick and the phone number disconnected, the Animal Control Officer from Natick was sent to the address, only to find the house empty. Phoebe's fur was badly matted in some areas and needed to be shaved. She is a very nice cat with a gentle, loving nature.
DOLLY is a young adult buff-colored female. She is a short haired and came to the shelter when a woman called about a mother cat and kittens who had taken up residence on her property. Already having witnessed one of the kittens being taken by a hawk, she was desperate to save the others. Dolly is a very beautiful cat, with a quiet, gentle nature. She needed a little time to adjust to the shelter but is doing very well. An adult home would be the best situation for this wonderful cat.
POLLY AND MOLLY are older kittens It is amazing to see Polly and Molly with their Mother Dolly. They all look alike. They are all so beautiful. The two girls have just blossomed at the shelter. They are active, playful and are learning to enjoy human touch. They are both excellent with other cats and could easily make adjustments to a home environment. We would love to adopt the girls as a pair.
PETE is an adult male. He is a short haired brown tiger with white double paws. Poor Pete - He was turned over to our local Animal Control Officer after his elderly owner passed away. After a period of sadness, Pete has now made the adjustments to life at the shelter and is doing extremely well. Pete has very unique markings on his face and body and also has extra toes on all four paws. Pete is a great cat with a disposition you can't help but love.
SHILOH is an older short haired, black kitten. Shiloh came to the shelter after she had been dropped off at an Emergency Veterinary Hospital. They called PCS to ask if we would assist in the placement of this kitten. Shiloh had an upper respiratory infection when we first got her but is very healthy now. She is a playful cat and seems to enjoy the company of other cats. Shiloh also seems quite content with being by herself. She is sweet and gentle.
MAGGIE is a young adult, gray female. Maggie was picked up as a stray by our local animal control officer. Unclaimed, she was then turned over to PCS to find a home. Maggie is a big cat with a mellow disposition. She is a very talkative.
REX is an older black and white. He was one of two kittens living out of a dumpster. Two days after the first kitten was trapped, Rex went into the trap and was taken to the vet. He has now settled in and is playing and doing very well. He doesn't like to be picked up but certainly enjoys his grooming sessions with the volunteers. Rex has very unique markings and would really enjoy the companionship of another cat.
SOCKS is a young adult male. He is short haired and black and white. Socks came to PCS via our Animal Control officer. Picked up as a stray and never claimed, this big boy has a very gentle and friendly nature. Socks is mostly black with some white and a "Got Milk" moustache. He is very good with other cats and would be wonderful in almost any home.
ROSIE is a medium haired calico. She is a very small and gentle calico who was surrendered to the shelter in deplorable condition. This little girl was so flea ridden that she had lost a great deal of her fur; she was full of sores and scabs on her skin and was also suffering from a skin infection. Even worse, the fleas were so bad that she had become anemic from all the blood that they took from her! Rosie would love to find her a home where she can live as the only pet in a quiet environment.
AMELIA is an adult brown tiger. Amelia most likely was dumped by her owner. Found as a stray, she was already spayed and looked very well fed. Animal Control held her and waited for an owner to come forward and claim her. Amelia would be great for someone looking for a lap cat. She loves to be rubbed and groomed.
BETTY is a black and white, young adult female. Found in a local community and held by the Animal Control Officer until we were certain that she wasn't missing from her family, this very petite and sweet cat was not spayed and had most likely had numerous litters. Betty's days of having babies are over and this little cutie is so deserving of a wonderful home.
MJ young adult brown tiger. MJ was surrendered to the shelter with a litter of four kittens. The person who surrendered MJ had taken her from a friend who was not allowed to have a cat in her apartment. As a nursing mother, MJ was very protective of her babies and was not getting along with the cat that was already in this household. MJ is a bit intimidated by the other cats at the shelter. She is slowing making progress and adapting to shelter life but would make a nice companion to an older person who lives a quiet and relaxed lifestyle.
Glenda Hazard is a writer and editor for Gatehouse Media. She is also a volunteer at Milford Humane Society. She can be reached by email at email@example.com or by phone at 508-490-7454.


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The string of a tampon that acts as a beacon of nastiness as it hangs from betwixt the lips of strippers like an icicle hangs from a tree. The lipcicle is prevalent in strippers who are fueled on cocaine, crack, meth and other hardcore drugs. It is also common in strippers who were raised in trailer parks or ghettos where personal hygiene is frowned upon.
That nasty ass stripper with the erotic lipcicle asked if i wanted a lap dance. I was like help no last time you did that you ruined my jeans.
by gbv.3.0 December 08, 2011


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THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Former Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo was prepared to go to any lengths — including using lethal force — to cling to power after losing elections in 2010, and should stand trial for his alleged involvement in post-election violence, the International Criminal Court's prosecutor said Tuesday.
Fatou Bensouda said the world's first permanent war crimes tribunal must mete out justice to Gbagbo for victims of the violence that plunged his country, once a beacon of democracy in West Africa, into bloody chaos.
"We will show that Mr. Gbagbo and forces under his control are responsible for the death, rapes, serious injuries to, and arbitrary detention of, countless law abiding citizens" considered supporters of his rival Alassane Ouattara, Bensouda said.
She was speaking on the opening day of a hearing to judge whether prosecutors' evidence is strong enough to merit putting on trial Gbagbo, 67, the first former head of state to appear before the 10-year-old court.
Bensouda said prosecutors will focus on just four incidents to paint a picture of the violence that erupted after Ouattara was declared the election winner and Gbagbo refused to accept his defeat, declaring himself president and allegedly unleashing his forces and supporters to target his rival's backers.
The four incidents "will show that Mr. Gbagbo is responsible for the killings of at least 166 persons, the rapes of at least 34 women and girls, the infliction of serious bodily injury and suffering on at least 94 persons and for committing the crime of persecution against at least 294 victims," Bensouda said.
She called them "brutal, revolting acts" that amount to crimes against humanity.
Prosecutors say some 3,000 people died in violence by supporters of both Bensouda and Gbagbo in five months of violence after the election.
The current Ivory Coast government sent Gbagbo to The Hague for prosecution by the International Criminal Court, but his lawyers have urged its judges to rule that they have no authority to put him on trial on charges of murder, rape, persecution and inhuman acts.
Lawyer Dov Jacobs told the ICC judges on Tuesday that Gbagbo, a former history professor, is under investigation in Ivory Coast for his role in violence and that authorities in his homeland should be the ones to try him.
Gbagbo, wearing a suit and tie, sat silently in court listening to proceedings through a headset and made no immediate comment. He sometimes waved and smiled to supporters in the public gallery and looked healthy.
Gbagbo, who is charged as an "indirect co-perpetrator" in the violence, insists he is innocent.
He was arrested in Ivory Coast in April 2011 by forces loyal to Ouattara and extradited to The Hague eight months later.
Some 300 supporters demonstrated outside the court Tuesday, chanting "Free Gbagbo!" and insisting that he is their country's rightful ruler and not Ouattara. "The one who lost is controlling the country. That is ridiculous," said Patrice Koute, who traveled from London to The Hague to show his support.
The court's judges have already ruled that they have jurisdiction to hear the case, but a case can be ruled inadmissible if Ivory Coast is investigating or prosecuting Gbagbo for the same alleged offenses.
Ivorian officials say they have charged Gbagbo only with "economic crimes."
The Hague-based tribunal is a court of last resort, which only tries suspects if countries are unwilling or unable to prosecute them.
"Ivory Coast is neither unable nor unwilling to prosecute President Gbagbo," Jacobs said.
Human rights activists welcomed the start of the hearing, but also used the occasion to urge the court to press charges against supporters of Ouattara allegedly involved in months of post-election violence.
"Holding Gbagbo to account is a critical step for victims in (Ivory Coast)," Param-Preet Singh, senior international justice counsel at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement. "But the slow pace of investigations against pro-Ouattara forces feeds the perception that the ICC is going along with victor's justice."
While Gbagbo is in a jail cell in The Hague, his wife Simone, who also has been charged by the ICC in the post-election violence, remains in custody in Ivory Coast, where officials have charged her with crimes including genocide.
Gbagbo is not the only official who has served as a head of state to be charged by the court, but he is the only one to have been sent to The Hague.
Prosecutors also have indicted Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on charges including genocide in Darfur, but he refuses to recognize the court's jurisdiction and the ICC has no police force to arrest suspects.
Former Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi also was indicted for killing and persecuting civilians protesting against his regime, but the case was dropped after he was captured and killed by rebels during the uprising that toppled him from power.
The court has only successfully prosecuted one suspect, Congolese warlord Thomas Lubanga, who was found guilty of using child soldiers.
Associated Press writer Robbie Corey-Boulet in Abidjanm, Ivory Coast, contributed to this report.


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Devon Aoki Hits The Grove With Baby Hunter
Devon Aoki holds onto her adorable son, Hunter, while visiting The Grove on Wednesday (December 14) in Los Angeles.
The 29-year-old model, along with a nanny, checked out the holiday decorations and did some shopping at the outdoor mall.
Earlier in the week, Devon's fiance, financier James Bailey, tweeted a photo of her next to a string of Christmas lights with the hashtag "#beauty."
Devon and James welcomed baby Hunter in June and was spotted out with the newborn the next month.
FYI: Devon is using her Bob Revolution stroller!
10+ pictures inside of Devon Aoki and Hunter at The Grove in Los Angeles…


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Courtesy Beth Littleford
It's a girl for Beth Littleford!
The Crazy, Stupid, Love actress and former Daily Show correspondent, 43, and her husband, producer-director Rob Fox, have adopted a daughter, a rep confirms to PEOPLE exclusively.
Daughter Halcyon "Hallie" Juna was born at 1:05 a.m. on Friday, March 23. She weighed in at 6 lbs., 9 oz and measured 18 in. long.
The couple decided on the baby girl's first name — Halcyon is Littleford's middle name and her grandmother's name — but big brother Jackson, 6, "wanted to name his new sister Juna."
— Anya Leon with reporting by Ulrica Wihlborg
Courtesy Beth Littleford


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September 24, 2012
Liz Neal of Lansing and her dog Jodie compete in the best canine kisser contest. They walked away with first place and a prize donated from local businesses.
Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.
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Durable Goods Orders Increase on Uptick in Aircraft Orders
Today's financial recap and tomorrow's financial outlook.
The pending home sales index was released later in the morning, showing a large decline in December from November. The average economist estimate forecast no change month-to-month, but the index of home sales saw a decline of 4.3% and the annual rate slowing to 4.9% from 8.9%. The slowdown was not centralized to the Northeast, so any ancillary effects from Hurricane Sandy can be dismissed. Lastly, the regional manufacturing survey from the Dallas Fed ticked up to 5.5 in January, up from the lower revised 2.5 in December. Economists were expecting a reading of 4.0. The gain was led by a pickup in new orders, but the employment sub index declined.
The FTC announced today that it was taking direct seller Fortune Hi-Tech Marketing into receivership after allegations of an illegal pyramid scheme have manifested over the past six months. Because other direct sellers like Herbalife (HLF) and Nu Skin (NUS) have similar business models, both of these stocks saw losses of more than 6% in today's trading.
Pre-market, Caterpillar (CAT) reported earnings for the full year 2012 and released its forecast for 2013. For the current quarter, Caterpillar missed EPS at $1.46 after one-time items versus $1.70 estimates; revenues were relatively inline at $16.08 billion versus $16.06 billion estimates. Forward guidance was also on the negative side; the company forecast 2013 EPS of $8.00 versus $8.54 estimates and revenues of $64 billion versus $65.22 billion estimates. Nonetheless, the stock was up 2% in today's trading.
Tomorrow's Financial Outlook
Tomorrow morning, the S&P will release its joint home price index with Case-Shiller with economists forecasting a 0.70% monthly gain in November, up from 0.66% the prior month. Later in the morning, the Conference Board will release its Consumer Confidence Index for January, which is expected to continue to tick down to 64.0 this month from 65.1 in December. It's worth noting that the Bloomberg Consumer Comfort Index has shown three straight weeks of declines, so it is more likely that Conference Board's index will miss to the downside.
Globally, the GfK Institute will release its forward consumer confidence index for Germany in February, which is expected to tick up slightly to 5.7 from 5.6.
On the earnings front, Corning (GLW), Harley-Davidson (HOG), Pfizer (PFE), DR Horton (DHI), AK Steel (AKS), Ford (F), Amazon (AMZN), Broadcom (BRCM), US Steel (X), and JetBlue (JBLU) are all set to report tomorrow.
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Consensus Report
Atlantic Salmon in Maine (2004)Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology
Each report is produced by a committee of experts selected by the Academy to address a particular statement of task and is subject to a rigorous, independent peer review; while the reports represent views of the committee, they also are endorsed by the Academy. Learn more on our expert consensus reports.
Pervasive and substantial decline of Atlantic salmon populations in Maine over the past 150 years have taken the species close to extinction. Consequently, comprehensive statewide action should be taken now to ensure their survival. The populations of Atlantic salmon have declined drastically, from an estimated half million adult salmon returning to U.S. rivers each year in the early 1800s to perhaps as few as 1,000 in 2001. It has been determined that blocked river passage up and down stream and habitat degradation are the main reasons for Maine's salmon population decline. This report recommends implementing a formalized decision-making approach to establish priorities, evaluate options, and coordinate plans for conserving and restoring the salmon.
Key Messages
- A rich and complex network of governance institutions in Maine influences how humans affect salmon. As is often the case with complex environmental problems, more information is needed on how well governance institutions are working together, and whether the government authority is sufficient to develop and implement effective recovery programs.
- At the next level of importance, salmon farming has the potential to adversely affect salmon populations in Maine genetically and ecologically and might already have done so. Over the long term, hatchery supplementation of salmon populations in Maine is also likely to have deleterious genetic and possibly ecological effects.
- Because populations of wild salmon in Maine are so low, the mortality associated with research and monitoring could be problematic.
- Current agricultural practices, including forestry, do not appear to be an important problem for Atlantic salmon in Maine, although their effects should be monitored, especially for erosion, reduction of vegetation cover, and water withdrawals.
- Dams obstruct adult and juvenile salmon passage and alter riverine habitats, including water quality. As a result, they degrade or eliminate spawning and rearing habitat for Atlantic salmon in Maine. Although dams are not as important a problem on the DPS as on other Maine rivers, they have made an enormous amount of habitat unavailable to Maine salmon and have affected much of the habitat that is still available.
- Despite some uncertainty about the causes of the excess mortality, the committee concludes that acidification of streams has the potential to be a major impediment to the increase of salmon populations in Maine by contributing to that mortality.
- Despite the extensive additions of nonnative hatchery and aquaculture genotypes to Maine's rivers, the evidence is surprisingly strong that the wild salmon in Maine are genetically distinct from Canadian salmon.
- Fishing is currently prohibited; therefore, it is not an important problem for Maine salmon.
- Human activities that directly or indirectly threaten salmon include dams and hydropower projects, Atlantic salmon aquaculture, water extraction for agriculture, fishing, hatcheries, logging, road construction, development of land sites, acidification of their streams, and research.
- North American Atlantic salmon are clearly distinct genetically from European salmon.
- Predation and changes in oceanic conditions could be serious problems for salmon.
- The pattern of genetic variation seen among Maine streams is similar to patterns seen elsewhere in salmon and their relatives where no stocking has occurred
- There is considerable genetic divergence among populations in the eight Maine rivers where wild salmon are found.
- There is no reason to believe that the harm to wild fish that has been documented elsewhere could not occur in Maine.
- Wild salmon in Maine do not reflect only (or even mainly) the result of decades of hatchery stocking. It is not possible to say whether or to what degree the genetic differences reflect adaptation to local conditions as opposed to random processes associated with small population sizes or some influence of stocking.


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Kristian Dupont necesitaba un nuevo diseño de página web y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 25 diseños de 7 diseñadores freelance.
minimumnoise.com is going to be a site where buyers of sound production can get in touch with musicians and sound technicians.
We have the logo ( http://www.minimumnoise.com ). Now we need the site designed.
Minimum Noise
The site will be similar to 99designs and other crowdsourcing sites. A buyer of audio can create a contest and creatives will be able to participate by uploading audio.
A mock of the project in its current state can be seen here:
http://mock.minimumnoise.com - you can log in using "mock", password "mock".
Please note that the mock is made for functionality only. The layout and structure in general can all be modified to suit the design.
We want a rather clean and mimalistic design.
Some sites that could serve as inspiration include:
- http://www.dubspot.com
- http://www.missjools.com/
- http://www.last.fm
- Background color: white, black or perhaps a dark grey. (Or a combination of those)
- We need a general layout (tabs/menu, logo, columns etc.) as well as specifics: headers, tables, controls, buttons.
- We would like to see examples of the front page and the "create contest" page. Note that the contents of the front page are not completely decided yet, so feel free to be creative :-)
- No restrictions at this time. :-)


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Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey announced Thursday that Dr. Mark Calderon will assume the position of vice president and chief medical officer of its wholly owned subsidiary, Horizon NJ Health, the state's largest Medicaid and NJFamilyCare managed health care organization.
Most recently, Calderon served as the executive medical director of quality management for Horizon. In this position, he administered and provided clinical direction and leadership to Horizon's continuous quality improvement program in the commercial and Medicare market.
According to the announcement, Calderon replaces Dr. Philip Bonaparte, who served as vice president and chief medical officer beginning in 2002.
Digital content editor Joe Ross is @joeross on Twitter.


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FY01 Education
Boise Philharmonic, $5,000
To support the presentation of youth concerts and in-school visits in elementary schools throughout southwestern Idaho. The Boise Philharmonic will provide fourth and fifth grade students the opportunity to experience orchestral music.
Boston Symphony Orchestra, $75,000
To support the Composer-in-Residence Program. Between five and eight composers will participate in rehearsals, dialogues with audiences, composition classes and master classes.
Canton Symphony Orchestra, $15,000
To support Think Music!, an educational project for elementary school students. This project will explore how the brain processes and reacts to music through lecture/ demonstrations, performances, classroom visits and concert curriculum.
Cedar Rapids Symphony Orchestra, $7,500
To support the expansion of a music education program in area colleges and outreach programs for underserved communities. The symphony will increase the number of concerts at two area colleges, provide weekday concerts during its residency in Iowa City, and hold early childhood music sessions at Kirkwood Community College.
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, $42,000
To support Sound Discoveries, a comprehensive educational and outreach program. The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra will provide this three-part program to schools and communities in the Cincinnati metropolitan area.
The Columbus Symphony Orchestra, $20,000
To support the Elementary School Young People's Concerts and the accompanying SEATS (Symphony Education and Audience Training the Schools) curriculum booklets. The symphony musicians will perform full orchestral concerts as well as ensemble programs and educational activities for central Ohio's schoolchildren.
Detroit Symphony Orchestra, $50,000
To support the Summer Institute. This two-week intensive day camp will include coaching and instruction by the symphony musicians and music faculty from Oakland University in Rochester, MI.
Fargo-Moorhead Symphony Orchestra, $7,500
To support the Educational Series Concerts. This project will include daytime Pizza Pop concerts for high school students and their families and young people's concerts for the whole community.
Grand Rapids Symphony, $15,000
To support an artists-in-residence program in the schools. The symphony's musicians will provide in-school musical performances for elementary school children in the greater Grand Rapids area.
Greater Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras, $22,500
To support the Intensive Community Program. This project will provide string training for children in underserved communities of greater Boston.
Haddonfield Symphony, $5,000
To support the commission of a work by Carter Pann, winner of the Haddonfield Symphony's Young Composer's Competition in 2000. The new work will be performed at four concerts for young people at the South Jersey Performing Arts Center on the Waterfront in Camden.
Hartford Symphony Orchestra, $5,000
To support Symphony in the Schools. Members of the Hartford Symphony Orchestra will be involved in performance and educational programs for schools in Hartford, East Hartford and Bloomfield.
Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, $10,000
To support the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra's education and outreach program. This comprehensive, community-based program will provide educational enrichment for all ages.
New World Symphony, $25,000
To support the Musician Development Program. Up to 86 New World Symphony musicians will receive training in career development, audience development, leadership and musical technique to better serve the South Florida community.
North Carolina Symphony, $50,000
To support an in-school educational concert program and workshop for elementary school music teachers from communities throughout the state. All 65 full-time musicians of the North Carolina Symphony will travel more than 18,000 miles to perform 55 to 65 educational concerts.
The Philadelphia Orchestra (Consortium), $50,000
To support the Music Education Partnership. Philadelphia Orchestra and the Settlement Music School will partner in this music education project for 55 Philadelphia public elementary schools.
Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, $25,000
To support the expansion of the Tiny Tots music education program. The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra will increase the number of concerts in this program for inner-city children, ages two through six.
San Antonio Symphony, $15,000
To support a residency at St. Philip's College. The Symphony Society of San Antonio will conduct master classes, open rehearsals, lectures and concerts for primary and secondary school children.
San Francisco Symphony, $80,000
To support expansion of Adventures in Music (AIM). The project will conclude the final year of a three-year expansion to serve all 28,000 students in grades one through five in the San Francisco Schools.
San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra, $75,000
To support the artistic development project. Musicians of this pre-professional orchestra will participate in music training and career development programs.
San Jose Symphony, $5,000
To support the Music Mentorships program. Musicians of the San Jose Symphony will mentor students in three elementary schools located in San Jose's underserved neighborhoods.
Seattle Symphony, $50,000
To support ALIVE: A Community Gateway to Music Advancement. The Seattle Symphony Orchestra will provide a music education program to people of all ages through the Seattle Symphony Learning Center.
Sioux City Symphony Orchestra (Consortium), $7,500
To support the Tri-State String Initiative, an educational partnership program between the Sioux City Symphony Orchestra Association, Morningside College and the Sioux City Public Schools. The goal of this initiative will be to revive string instruction in Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota.
Springfield Symphony Orchestra, $7,500
To support the Western Massachusetts Youth Orchestras. This educational outreach project will feature a professional musician as artist-in-residence with two youth orchestras.
Utah Symphony, $20,000
To support Passport to the World of Music. This curriculum-based student program will feature in-school concerts, public young people's concerts, a family music fair, and Lollipops concerts for the very young.
Related Grants:
American Composers Forum (Consortium), $100,000
To support the New Band Horizons program. This project will complete the four-year development of an interdisciplinary curricula based on original compositions by 15 leading American composers, representing a diverse range of musical traditions and styles, including jazz, ethnic, folk, theatrical and classical.
American String Teachers Association (Consortium), $80,000
To support expansion of the National String Project Consortium (NSPC) to five additional institutions of higher education. NSPC will help alleviate the shortage of public school string and orchestra teachers and increase the number of children who have access to playing stringed instruments.
American Symphony Orchestra League (Consortium), $50,000
To support the National Youth Orchestra Festival. Young musicians from five youth orchestras will participate in a week of rehearsals and performances under the direction of renowned conductors and professional orchestras.
Boston University (on behalf of Tanglewood Institute), $10,000
To support artists-in-residence for the Young Artist Orchestra Program. The Boston University Tanglewood Institute will continue to expand its roster of faculty artists to provide intensive coaching for the Chamber Music component of the Young Artist Orchestra Program.
New School University (on behalf of New School Concerts), $5,000
To support the New York String Orchestra Seminar. This intensive music education project for young musicians will host 60 musicians between the ages of 15 to 22 for ten days of orchestra rehearsals with violinist and conductor Jaime Laredo, and culminate in performances at Carnegie Hall.
Project Step, $20,000
To support Project STEP, the String Training and Educational Program. This project, which prepares young, gifted musicians for careers in classical music, will offer participants, aged five to 18, a combination of instrumental lessons with master teachers, classroom instruction, performance and master classes, access to quality instruments, summer study, enrichment opportunities and career counseling.
Settlement Music School, $50,000
To support the Early Childhood Education Initiative. This project includes a preschool arts enrichment program and a teacher-training institute for the arts.


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Definitions of repay
v. t. - To pay back; to refund; as, to repay money borrowed or advanced. 2
v. t. - To make return or requital for; to recompense; -- in a good or bad sense; as, to repay kindness; to repay an injury. 2
v. t. - To pay anew, or a second time, as a debt. 2
The word "repay" uses 5 letters: A E P R Y.
Direct anagrams of repay:
apery payer
Words formed by adding one letter before or after repay (in bold), or to aepry in any order:
d - drapey prayed g - grapey j - japery l - parley pearly player replay n - napery p - papery prepay yapper r - prayer s - payers repays u - yauper w - yawper
Shorter words found within repay:
ae aery ape aper ar are ay aye ear er era eyra pa par pare pay pe pea pear per pray prey pry pya pye pyre rap rape ray re reap rep rya rye ya yap yar yare ye yea year yep
List shorter words within repay, sorted by length
Words formed from any letters in repay, plus an optional blank or existing letter
List all words starting with repay, words containing repay or words ending with repay
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Other words with the same letter pairs: re ep pa ay
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Brenda Lee honors ailing drummer
Friends gathered in Nashville Saturday for a living wake for drummer Richard Furman, who has Stage IV cancer.
Every night, singers from Nashville fill arenas and stadiums for their concerts. Sometimes, though, the city's most important performances take place on someone's screened-in back porch.
Saturday afternoon, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Brenda Lee helped organize a living wake for her one-time drummer Richard Furman, suffering from Stage IV esophageal and stomach cancer. A few dozen friends, family members and former bandmates gathered at Lee's daughter's house to enjoy the sight of Furman taking his spot at the kit for what might be the final time in front of an audience.
"I did it! He had no idea!" exclaimed Cindy Furman, as her clearly surprised husband of 18 years arrived, warmly embracing every one who came up to him.
Furman, 64, played with Lee from the late '70s through the mid-'80s. Before her, he had played with Drift Away singer Dobie Gray, Stella Parton, Vern Gosdin and many others, working primarily as a road musician. He retired soon after he left Lee's band to launch a lawn-care business.
"He played with me for a long time," Lee says. "We had a lot of good years together, because he's so funny. He's a good man — easy, easy, easy to get along with."
The afternoon jam session was the stuff of Nashville stories, with Lee singing Jambalaya on the porch, backed by a band that included Furman on drums, several current and former band members of Lee's band. Saxophonist Phil Kenzie, who recorded with The Beatles, as a group and as solo acts, and toured with the Eagles and Rod Stewart, played saxophone.
Lee soon handed the microphone over to her background singers, Richard's sister and Cindy, herself a former professional singer. Furman and the band played for an hour, an informal set that leaned heavily on '60s pop and R&B hits like Chain of Fools, Be My Baby, Will You Still Love Me and Bring It on Home to Me.
During a break in the music, Lee spots Richard across the room and shouted, "Hey, buddy! You want a beer?"
Richard responds with good-natured humor, one of the first traits his friends will mention when talking about him. "You know, I asked my physician if I could still drink beer with my condition," he says. "And he said, 'Live it up. If you're going out of here, you might as well have some fun.'
"It was kind of a mixed blessing."
Last July, Richard went to the hospital because he couldn't swallow. "Not even his spit would go down," Cindy says. Doctors told him he had two months to live. He has outlasted their best guesses, but the treatment, which has included 10 surgeries, have created complications as life-threatening as the illness. Cindy believes he's hanging around to help care for the couple's two adopted, special-needs children — a son, 11, and a daughter, 10.
"After the diagnosis, we were riding in the car, and this Oingo Boingo song starts playing called Dead Man's Party," Cindy says. "He said, 'By gumbees, if I have to have go out, I want to go out my own way, doing what I love to do, with all the people I love doing it with. We put the call out there, and Brenda and everybody else jumped and said, it's perfect."
Guitarist Barry Ingle played with Furman behind country singers like Stella Parton and Vern Gosdin during the '70s. "He's a sweet, gentle man," Ingle says. "He's one of those people who's funny even when he's not meaning to be. He's just funny."
The afternoon of laughter and tears was filled with stories, some told, some expressed with music shared between friends, with Richard supplying the beat.
"Oh, it felt great," he says. "This was my life. I thought I was going to do this till my dying days. I did it for a long time, so I was lucky."


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My kids LOVE this thing And, yes, they fight over it! The XO is awesome and very, very durable. My six-year-old is severely autistic and he has destroyed nearly every toy he has ever had, but this thing has survived constant use and abuse for almost 5 months now. If it can survive my son, it will certainly hold up to almost anything.
My other son is eight and he can't stop talking about it. He especially loves the etoys program.
I do feel really bad that so many people who have donated have not received their machine yet because it really is great. I especially feel bad because I didn't actually participate in the G1G1 program myself. A coworker of mine actually gave it to us! She didn't have any children, so she asked if I wanted it for my kids. Way cool!
I really hope they do the G1G1 again because I would love to participate and get a second one. I know I could buy one on eBay, but I would feel better knowing that a needy child was being helped. My kids are surrounded by techno toys and they enjoy the XO so much, I can just imagine how a child who has so little would like it.


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Since its introduction for the 1978 model year, the BMW 7 Series luxury sedan has remained true to its original character. It's the BMW flagship, and this full-size, rear-wheel-drive sedan has always represented the pinnacle of technology and luxury in the German automaker's lineup. As such, it's an obvious choice for discerning buyers seeking a spacious and elegant sedan with a high level of curbside prestige.
There's a fair amount of competition in this elite vehicle class, but the 7 Series sedan's athletic handling dynamics have long set it apart, starting with the early 733s and carrying through to the five present-day 7 Series models. While other manufacturers have historically been content to build high-end sedans with soft, serene rides, BMW engineers its 7s to engage their drivers on an emotional level. There are a few recent contenders that have gone after this emotional engagement, so the 7 Series is no longer the only game in town, but it remains a prime luxury sedan for people who like to drive.
Current BMW 7 Series
The current 7 Series is offered in five different models. The 740i and long-wheelbase 740Li feature a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-6 good for 315 horsepower and 330 pound-feet of torque. The 750i and 750Li feature a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 that cranks out 445 hp and 480 lb-ft of torque. The top-of-the-line 760Li features a 6.0-liter V12 that produces 535 hp and 550 lb-ft of torque. An eight-speed automatic and rear-wheel drive are standard across the board, while all-wheel drive (which BMW calls xDrive) is optional for the 740 and 750 models. All are very quick, with even the 740i doing 0-60 mph in a claimed 5.6 seconds.
A new 740e model joined the lineup for 2018, offering 27 mpg combined covering city miles and highway miles.
The 7 Series boasts a handsome, spacious interior with supple leather and rich wood accents adorning almost every surface. Highly adjustable front seats ensure comfort for virtually every body type. Large, flashy wheels and understated exterior trim contribute to a vehicle with powerful road presence. And it is particularly fetching in Black Sapphire Metallic paint.
The 7 also showcases a wealth of high-tech luxury features such as a night-vision camera and sideview cameras. Some may still find the iDrive electronics interface system a bit complicated, but we think the current model's improved layout is an elegant solution to a button-heavy dashboard.
Although rear passenger space is limolike, especially in Li form, the 7 Series remains a standout in the handling department. The Dynamic Driving Control system contributes to this status, featuring four different settings that alter the driving characteristics of the car. We'd bet good money that most folks will leave it on Normal, but it certainly rewards owners who like to customize their cars to their own driving tastes. Only recently has the 7 Series begun to be challenged by athletic new rivals in this segment.
Used BMW 7 Series Models
The current, fifth-generation 7 Series debuted for 2009. Compared to the controversial previous model, its styling is considerably more restrained, with tauter bodywork and a conventional trunk design. The interior is also more traditional. The gear selector has migrated from the steering column back to the center console, for example, and the iDrive electronics interface is vastly improved. Turbocharged engines are now the norm for BMW's top sedan.
There have been a handful of notable changes during the current 7 Series' production run. In its first year, the big Bimmer could only be had in 750i or 750Li trim with rear-wheel drive. The 760Li arrived for 2010, while the 740i debuted the following year, becoming the first six-cylinder 7 Series in two decades. For 2013, the 750's twin-turbo V8 was upgraded from its original output (400 hp, 450 lb-ft) to current levels, while the 740 received a new inline-6 with a single turbocharger in place of the original twin-turbo engine. The iDrive interface was also updated for 2013, and an eight-speed automatic became the standard transmission on all 7 Series models.
The previous-generation BMW 7 Series was produced from 2002 to '08 and was by far the most radical version of the nameplate. Traditional exterior styling cues from the previous 25 years were largely abandoned in favor of a more aggressive, avant-garde design. The car was still recognizable as a 7 Series, but many purists found the look abrasive. A refresh for 2006 smoothed out some of the harsher elements, but it's still a stretch to call this car beautiful, whether in standard-wheelbase 750i or long-wheelbase 750Li/760Li form (previously known as iL).
With the exception of 2002, when only a V8 was offered, the fourth-generation 7 Series lineup always included sophisticated eight- and 12-cylinder engines paired with a six-speed automatic transmission. The 745i and the 745Li sold from 2002 to 2005 were equipped with a 325-hp 4.4-liter V8, while the 750i and the 750Li that succeeded them had a 360-hp 4.8-liter V8. The 750s were slightly heavier, so performance was about the same as for the 745s.
Offered continuously from 2003, the 760Li had a 6.0-liter V12 capable of 438 hp. Unlike the V8s, which are eager to rev, the V12 delivers a massive wave of thrust as soon as you nudge the accelerator pedal. BMW offered a short-wheelbase 760i from 2004 to 2006.
The edgy exterior styling of this generation carried over to the cabin, where BMW's typically button-heavy control layout gave way to an all-in-one system called iDrive that governed climate, audio and navigation functions via a single console-mounted dial and a central display. Although iDrive assured the 7's place in the information age, its steep learning curve proved bewildering for many a 7 Series driver. During the car's lifespan, iDrive was consistently upgraded, so newer models will come with later (and less maddening) versions of this control device. Be sure to thoroughly exercise the iDrive system before purchasing a 7 Series of this vintage.
Despite its quirks, the 2002-'08 BMW 7 Series proved quite popular, not least because of its superb driving experience. Here BMW applied its arsenal of technology to great effect, as features like self-stiffening anti-roll bars, self-leveling air springs and adaptive shock absorbers worked together to keep the big sedan exceptionally stable when driven hard. However, it's complexity like this that makes the fourth-generation 7 Series an intimidating used car in terms of expected maintenance costs. "Buyer beware" is the operative phrase.
The third-generation 7 Series, sold from 1995 to 2001, is generally regarded as a high point in the model's history. It was a true driver's car just like today's 7, but there was less in-car technology to distract from the task at hand. And most people agree that its sleek, classically styled body is easier on the eyes.
The model lineup included the regular-wheelbase 740i sedan, which was offered every year except 1996, and the long-wheelbase 740iL and 750iL, which had an uninterrupted run. The BMW 740s were powered by a 282-hp 4.4-liter (4.0-liter in 1995) V8, while the 750iL had a 5.4-liter V12 good for 326 hp. All 7s came with a five-speed automatic transmission. Either setup provided strong acceleration, but fuel economy was poor by today's standards.
A well-kept third-generation 7 Series could be a rewarding purchase if you've got the time and budget to keep it on the road. The main advantage to choosing a car from later in the model cycle is added standard feature content. BMW's Dynamic Stability Control system, for example, debuted across the line for 1998. Quality was generally excellent on these cars, but like most high-end German products, this 7 Series can incur hefty repair costs over time.
Similar in style and focus to its successor, the second-generation BMW 7 Series was on sale from 1988 to 1994. This was the first 7 Series to include both regular- and long-wheelbase models, the advantage to the latter being increased rear legroom. For most of the cycle, the base engine was a 208-hp 3.4-liter inline six-cylinder offered in 735i and 735iL models. A four-speed automatic transmission was standard, but a five-speed manual was offered as well. The 282-hp 4.0-liter V8 replaced the inline-6 in 1993, yielding the 740i and the 740iL, both of which took a five-speed automatic only. The BMW 750iL was offered throughout the run; the first V12-equipped BMW, it had a 296-hp 5.0-liter engine and a four-speed automatic.
The first-generation BMW 7 Series enjoyed a long run from 1978 to '87. It was the largest sedan the company had ever built and directly targeted the Mercedes-Benz S-Class. All 7s of this era were powered by an inline six-cylinder engine.
Read the most recent 2019 BMW 7 Series review.
If you are looking for older years, visit our used BMW 7 Series page.
Our expert team of auto researchers have reviewed the BMW 7 Series and compiled a list of inventory for you to shop local listings, and lease a BMW 7 Series .


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Prince William crowned most popular royal
PRINCE William was crowned most popular royal ever yesterday as a magazine claimed he was about to become a dad.
A lot of people like the idea of William succeeding straight away. He is young and good-looking and popular
Wills, 30, is a huge hit with the public, amassing even more fans than his much-loved wife Kate, 30.
He also came ahead of the Queen, 86, and his mum, the late Princess Diana, in the poll.
Two-thirds of Brits gave him first place, the highest since the public survey began in 1984.
Pollsters say Wills and Kate have made the monarchy cool again, with younger people loving their more relaxed style.
Wills is three times more popular than his dad, Prince Charles, 64, leading to calls for him to succeed the Queen.
Prof Roger Mortimore, who masterminded the study for King's College London/Ipsos MORI, said: "I think young people can see something of themselves in William and Kate.
"They can see the monarchy looking more modern."
He added: "A lot of people like the idea of William succeeding straight away. He is young and good-looking and popular."
The poll boost comes after a close friend of Kate's claimed the Duchess is pregnant. Jessica Hay, her ex-roommate, told Aussie mag New Idea they'll become parents in the New Year.
She said: "They're planning to make an announcement in December. William and Kate are focused on starting a family."
The claim went online around the world yesterday, but a spokesman for Clarence House refused to comment.
HRH Hit Parade: Who are your favourite royals?
1 Prince William – 62%.
2 The Queen – 48%.
3 Prince Harry – 36%.
4 Princess Kate – 23%.
5 Prince Charles – 21%.
6 Princess Anne – 14%.
7 Prince Philip – 11%.
8 Prince Andrew – 2%.
9 Prince Edward – 1%.
10 None of them – 5%.


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Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Nov = Calendrier de l'Advent
21 comments:
- Linda12:43 AM
Love this post!ReplyDelete
I'd love to buy the one with different candy in each shop window!
We gave our sons the German ones with molded waxy chocolate pieces for each day.
They loved them as kids.
I still buy myself a pretty one to open a window each day....but they just have pictures inside.
Thanks for these beautiful images!
It looks like you've had a great time searching out these lovely advent themes. It's not the same now that my grandsons are teenagers I miss the thrill I had choosing things for their advent windows. Now, the question is Carol, ' have you been tempted to buy one for yourself ' ?ReplyDeleteReplies
Are you kidding?
Nunca jamais never niente
I can't be trusted near ONE marshmallow much less 24!
I still remember the thrill of opening my little doors:)ReplyDelete
My girls..and now the little ones have them..
I love them all..Those chefs are so different!
Love the shop one..and..
Love your carousel shot!
Advent Calendars with the candy already included - brilliant! You have such an eye, Carole, I love these images and those last 2 shots - magical!ReplyDelete
What a coincidence, Carol. Just yesterday, I remembered to purchase my own Advent Calendar (without any candy...the suprise images unveiled by the daily window openings are treat enough for me.)ReplyDelete
The card store nearest my home generally sells out of the calendars by Thanksgiving. The calendar that I bought was made in Germany by ... Richard Sellmer Verlag.
I'll post a picture of it when Advent begins. Meanwhile, I have so enjoyed seeing all those glamorous and whimsical Parisian windows in your photos. Merci!
Oh what a lovely post, and trip through Advent mania ... I love them, usually just with a pretty picture behind the window.Delete
I was once in England for Thanksgiving, and bought many home with me. I bet Germany has terrific ones, they do this thing so well.
Your photos showed some really clever ones .. thanks ... I loved them.
Karen in VA
excellent post - made me smile, sigh and a few other things....ReplyDelete
i'm a GREAT defender of traditional advent calendars, those with non fattening little doors and windows to open up a scene - I must have a collection of far over 20 and I send out many every year to my family and friends. one sister makes around a dozen 'baskets' with 24 individual (or 25 even!) personalized gifts, nicely wrapped and tied, numbered and distributed to her beloved ones. Since I told her once that I find she spends too much money on sending me mine (lived in UK at the time and now in France), she just struck me from the receiver list.... now it's a small calendar like I send out too :)
was in Germany twice around Advent and it looks stunning when they jazz up their buildings to look like Xmas calendars.
I one 'created' one with a photo of my home town Zurich, Switzerland on
Oh, I spoiled my kids early on with tiny toys and treats. No chocolate drops for them. That was akin to putting a penny behind the door. Young mothers take heed.ReplyDelete
Originally my friend and I were going to come to Paris the day after Thanksgiving. September ended up being when we came. I would not have my Palais Royal Jarden picture. The posts you have done about Christmas makes me wish we would have waited. At least I have your posts.ReplyDelete
Bonjour chère amie,ReplyDelete
Le fameux calendrier de l'avent !... J'aime énormément celui qui vous nous faites découvrir de "La mère de famille".
Cette année il est vrai que je n'ai pas prévu un calendrier de l'avent car je n'ai aucun de mes petits-enfants qui doivent venir durant cette période. Pour Noël c'est moi qui me rendraient chez eux...
Peut-être que je devrais le faire seulement pour moi-même, après tout !
Une très jolie publication aux saveurs sucrées.
Gros bisous
What a fascinating post Carol. I didn't know that they had a tradition of unfilled advent calendars in France. I've only ever seen the commercial chocolate filled ones here. We usually get one for Lachlan, but he's probably growing out of that- he does still like a daily chocolate though...ReplyDelete
I remember these with great delight!ReplyDelete
Wish I was in Paris.
We miss you in NY.
Buster says hi!