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A troubled family has claimed that a nuisance neighbour who has been punished for breaching a restraining order has made their lives a misery.
Chesterfield magistrates' court heard how Leopold Wrobel, 56, of Ravensdale Close, Inkersall, had previously been jailed in 2009 for breaching an ASBO and for harassing neighbours in Wingerworth.
He also had a two-year restraining order imposed on him in 2012 to protect new neighbours Peter and Angela Vickers and son Scott after alleged complaints.
But a trial, last Tuesday, found Wrobel guilty of breaching his order after he tormented Scott Vickers by repeatedly driving by his work and making obscene hand gestures and following him to his new home.
After the hearing Scott Vickers said: "I thought this was behind us until he kept turning up at my work and then I was shocked when he followed me home."
Mr Vickers told the court Wrobel had made hand gestures while he was at work at Staveley Market Place and when their cars had passed the defendant followed him to his own new home where he turned into a garage and made more gestures.
Wrobel claimed he drives past the market because he shops in Staveley and denied making gestures and following Scott Vickers.
But magistrates found Wrobel guilty of breaching his order after the incidents between August 2012 and June 2013. Defence solicitor Robert Sowter said Wrobel has recently suffered from the deaths of his father, his auntie and his dog and others have said he is a nice neighbour.
He stressed there were no threats or confrontations during the incidents involving Scott Vickers and that Wrobel is now planning to move to Worksop. Peter Vickers said: "There is no reason for his behaviour. He has made our lives a misery. It is on your mind when you go to bed and it's there when you wake up."
Wrobel was sentenced this Tuesday to a 12 month community order with a 12 week curfew between 8pm and 7am and was ordered to pay £625 costs and a £60 victim surcharge. His restraining order will continue until August 14 but magistrates did not impose a fresh order.
Angela Vickers said: "It feels like he's got away with it. He won't be outside anyway during curfew times, he can pay the money and he could start bothering us when his order is lifted.
"He's not been dealt with properly."


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Britney Spears spent nearly $11 million on massages, pet care and clothing
Britney Spears spent almost $11 million of her $16 million earnings last year, splurging on pet care, massages, and clothes.
The Toxic hitmaker's finances for the past year have been revealed in new court documents filed as part of her ongoing conservatorship, which was set up in the wake of her 2007 meltdown.
According to paperwork obtained by TMZ.com, Britney's biggest expenses include $122,613 on regular massages, grooming and nail sessions, as well as a further $24,392 on hair and make-up.
She also spent $69,668 on updating her wardrobe, in addition to $29,852 to have her beloved dogs well taken care of.
Despite her heavy spending, Britney still enjoyed a $5 million bump to the value of her property and other assets from 2015 to 2016, totalling just over $55.7 million. That figure does not include the millions more she reportedly also holds in various trusts for her sons Jayden, who turned 11 on Tuesday, and Sean, who marks his 12th birthday on Thursday.
Britney's father Jamie and her attorney Andrew M. Wallet are expected to continue maintaining control of her estate indefinitely.

subset: commoncrawl


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Download link (right click and 'save-as') for playing in VLC or other compatible player.
We study the naturalness problem using a model
independent bottom up approach by considering models where only the interaction
terms needed to cancel the Higgs quadratic divergences are present. If
quadratic divergences are canceled by terms linear in the Higgs field, then the
collider phenomenology is well covered by current electroweakino and fourth
generation searches. If quadratic divergences are canceled by terms bilinear in
the Higgs field, then the signatures are highly dependent on the quantum
numbers of the new particles. Precision Higgs measurements can reveal the
presence of new particles with either vevs or Standard Model charges. If the
new particles are scalar dark matter candidates, their direct and indirect
detection signatures will be highly correlated and within the reach of XENON100
and Fermi. Observation at one of these experiments would imply observation at
the other one. Observable LHC decay channels can also arise if the new
particles mix with lighter states. This decay channel involves only the Higgs
boson and not the gauge bosons. Observation of such decays would give evidence
that the new particle is tied to the naturalness problem.


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2010 Hummer H3T Values
Select a 2010 Hummer H3T trim level
This pickup version of the H3, the 2010 Hummer H3T has an impressive EPA estimated fuel economy of 13 mpg city/18 mpg highway. The H3T is a four-door, five-passenger FWD vehicle capable of EPA estimates in the range of 14 mpg city/18 mpg highway. A 3.7-liter, 5-cylinder engine produces 239 hp that works in an off-road environment. Standard features include StabiliTrak, daytime running lights, front and curtain airbags along with Bluetooth capabilities.


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"From the early days of this award to the present, you have always found the best of the best in human instinct. The rush to respond in an instant is not in every person who is witness to accidents and tragedies. However, when the instinct to react is there, it is genuinely and act of heroism. It should always be clear that this is a damn good program." -Boyd Lowell Applegate, truck driver and recipient of the 1993 Goodyear national highway hero award
I don't know Boyd Applegate, but I wish I did - just like I wish I'd been able to meet any of Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.'s national highway heroes. These folks are more than truck drivers; they are living, breathing proof that everyday people are capable of extraordinary things.
Boyd recently wrote a letter to Donn Kramer, director of Goodyear's commercial tire marketing department, talking about how he found himself in the middle of yet another potentially fatal highway scene - an injured man in the roadway - earlier this year (on Good Friday no less) yet managed to not only avoid hitting the pedestrian but also stopped to render much needed aid.
Months later, he wrote that the trauma of that evening came back to him upon reading a small item about the latest Goodyear highway hero winner, causing him to shake and cry. Yet Boyd's nerves were solid as steel when he saved that pedestrian - never flinching for a second when he braked and swerved in such a way to avoid the man but also prevent his rig from jack knifing. Only other drivers in this industry know how hard something like that is to accomplish - and here Boyd did it almost instinctively.
I relate Boyd's tale here because nominations for this year's highway hero are still open, until November 30 [and you can clink here to nominate one of them or call the Goodyear hero hotline at 330-796-8183.]. I know there are many, MANY noteworthy stories out there worthy of this award and I encourage you to submit them because, frankly, these are tales worth telling.
[It's important to emphasize here that all nominees for this award must be full-time truck drivers and must reside in the U.S. or Canada]
I've talked to lots of drivers over the years and heard just amazing stories of heroism - made all the more amazing because the drivers themselves didn't give their deeds much of a second thought. Someone needed help - they rendered aid. From their perspective, that's the long and short of it - period.
Oh, but it's so much more than that. Take Charles Ingram, for example - Goodyear's 2002 highway hero. A veteran owner-operator for FedEx Ground, Ingram was driving his 18-wheeler in the metro Atlanta area when he came upon an accident with a car on fire. Two passengers were trapped inside the burning vehicle, but none of the gathered bystanders were attempting to fight the fire or rescue the pair. Ingram grabbed a hammer and rushed in to the scene, breaking out the windows to pull both driver and passenger to safety.
As you can see, not everybody can do what the Ingram's and Applegate's of the world do. People stood around and nearly watched a care fire consume two lives - Ingram jumped in there and stopped that tragedy from occurring. Rightfully, he takes a lot of pride in what he did that day six years ago - and hopes his actions help shine a more positive light on what his brothers and sisters behind the big rig wheels do for a living.
"It's so important to the image of our industry to be seen helping others," Ingram said. "That's why I hope more people will consider nominating those drivers who they think deserve the Highway Hero award."
"Since receiving this honor I have rescued and additional five drivers from overturned or wrecked vehicles," added Boyd. "All of that would not mean as much as it does if it were not for this beautiful ring [one of the honors bestowed on Goodyear highway heroes]. It is a constant reminder that I am a good person. To this day, the ring is on my finger day and night for the world to see ... and I never tire of answering questions when people notice it. This program was an inspiration to me three years before I was nominated - and it still inspires me today."
There are a ton of drivers out there like Charles and Boyd - men and women alike - and they need to be recognized for the good deeds they've done.


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Pre-Alpine Express
St. Gallen - Lucerne
"This train is definitely not designed to take you from A to B via the quickest route. Climb aboard the Pre-Alpine Express from St.Gallen to Lucerne, and there's one thing you'll require in abundance – time. Because there's so much to see. First there's St.Gallen with its famous Abbey Library, one of the most ancient and impressive monastic libraries in the world. The route then crosses into neighbouring Canton Appenzell with its distinctive landscape and impressive Alpstein massif. Rolling hills and pristine villages pass by your panorama windows as the train winds its way through the idyllic Toggenburg and the peaks of the Churfirsten range come into view. In Rapperswil, the "City of Roses" at the eastern end of Lake Zurich, you pass the scenic Seedamm; and then the Rothenthurm upland moor before the Mythen cliffs (landmark of Canton Schwyz) come into view. When the Pre-Alpine Express passes Arth-Goldau and Lake Zug you're nearing Lucerne, your journey's end.
St. Gallen – Lucerne travel time 2.15 hours
St. Gallen and region
- Abbey Precinct and Library – the spirit of the Benedictine monks still lingers in this UNESCO World Heritage site
- Mount Säntis – one of Switzerland's most scenic panoramas at 2502 metres
- Appenzell – extends from Lake Constance to the Säntis, is steeped in tradition and easy to explore by public transport or on foot
- Rapperswil and region
- Rapperswil Castle – this impressive 13th century citadel has been a Polish Museum since 1870
- Lake Zurich cruise – choose from a fleet of two steamships and 12 motor vessels
- Lucerne and region
- The Lion Monument – commemorating the death in 1792 of Swiss mercenary soldiers during the French Revolution
- Lake Lucerne cruise – enjoy a leisurely boat trip in scenic Central Switzerland
- Goldau Wildlife Park – nature area for wildlife such as deer, wolves and lynx"


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Online booking
Airport Transfer
Whenever you arrive at Budapest, Ferihegy Airport, the easiest way to get to your pre-booked hotel, is if you have a transfer waiting for you. We recommend the best Budapest airport shuttle, a comfortable and reliable door-to-door service.
If you order it in advance, they'll be waiting upon you at your arrival. No credit card is needed, payment will be made at the hotel.


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Featured News - Current News - Archived News - News Categories
by Janet Schultz
The Lewiston-Porter Board of Education voted to bring a $39,647,771 proposed budget, featuring a 3.95 percent tax levy increase, to the voters on Tuesday, June 18. A public budget hearing will be held Tuesday, June 11, at 6:30 p.m. in the Community Resource Center.
"This is $825,004 less than the 2013-14 budget and $1.8 million less than the 2008-09 budget," said Superintendent Christopher Roser.
Lewiston-Porter is the only district in the area that has reduced its budget, and yet, due to state aid cuts and like all other area districts, it is seeking a tax levy increase.
In order to take the defeated budget of a 5.52 percent tax levy increase down to the 3.95 percent tax levy, the board made an additional $353,597 in cuts. Those cuts include:
•Laying off an additional eight teacher aides, saving $215,489
•Eliminating all field trips, $13,578
•Eliminating modified sports, $44,830
•Elimination of the After School Assistance Program, $26,800
Since the budget vote and as the administration began the second round of cuts, it was learned they have more BOCES placements and Alternative Education placements (children with special needs) coming to the school next year than anticipated. This called for an additional $326,790.
Therefore, the administration and board made an additional reduction of $334,721 by cutting an additional three aides; moved part of the principal's and secretary's salaries to Title II funding, which comes from the federal government; will not replace a nurse who is leaving, laid off one additional elementary teacher with duties to be picked up by another staff member and eliminated all co-curricular activities. These cuts are due to an unexpected increase in students coming into Lew-Port next year with special needs.
Those cuts in co-curricular activities include, but are not limited to, the musical and drama productions, yearbook, Student Council, class advisors, school newspaper, Honor Society (five members) and a number of clubs, including Key Club, Ski Club, Art Club, Masterminds, Science, Builders and Safety Patrol.
Also, all day pre-kindergarten is eliminated.
At this point 39 positions have been cut, including 10 teaching, 19 teacher aides, two aides due to retirement, and reducing monitors from full- to part-time but maintaining the number.
In order to present the budget that was defeated, the administration and board had moved staff from local budget lines to federal grants where appropriate, made changes in the services provided by BOCES, made cuts in transportation costs, reduced legal fees and overtime, reduced substitute teacher costs, eliminated curriculum and professional development, reduced teacher supply requests, reduced security, reduced summer work for counselors, psychologists and the social worker and made 33 cuts to staffing (included in the count of 39 above).
"There is no fund balance, every penny in the budget was spent," said Roser firmly.
"For anyone in the public to think we have extra money, we do not!"
"Our budget is considerably less than it was five years ago," he went on. "Our staff has been cut significantly from where it was 10 years ago, 20 years ago, let alone five years ago.
"We have been cut $9 million in state aid we normally get. It's gone and it's not coming back anytime soon," said Roser. "We have no place else to go (referring to the tax levy)."
Should the second budget be defeated, and a simple majority is required because the board is not exceeding the tax levy threshold set by New York state, the board would be forced to go to a contingency budget.
Roser explained that at that point the school district would have to make the elementary librarian a 60 percent funded position, the home/careers teacher 60 percent, cut all interscholastic sports and cut three cleaners (meaning that the school buildings would be cleaned every other day).
"What's more important, the quality of education, or things that really aren't mandated?" Roser asked. "People in front of the kids make the difference."
"I would like the legislature to go and get us a higher yield from the poison that comes into this community," said Roser referring to the gross receipts tax paid by a local hazardous waste disposal company.
"Everyone in education is a problem. Their whole system for funding education is a sham and we have to work to change that.
"Instead it's going to be a slow strangle," he continued. "I am not sure this is going to pass. Oh, yeah, I'm worried."
"I can't recommend cutting any more staff," Roser explained. "They make a difference."
"I was surprised at last Tuesday's vote, but I don't think people believe how bad things are," Roser went on. "We don't have pots of money."
"I was disgusted by the way the public perceives this," said board member Keith Fox. "They don't look at the facts and the actual figures. You want everything simplistic. I don't think the general public has any comprehension about what's going on."
Board member Michael Gentile agreed and went on to say that the Niagara USA Chamber of Commerce's publicly not supporting the budget should be addressed.
"They cut our throat," said Gentile. "While it probably didn't make a difference in the vote, we need to address that."
"We are the only direct democratic method and people just don't see what's happening," said board member Jerome Andres. "The older population is reluctant to raise taxes and see their children move out of the area because of taxes."
"People have to get out and get involved," said board member Michael Skowronski. "We had three open positions and only three people were willing to give it a try."
The budget vote will take place Tuesday, June 18, from noon to 8 p.m. in the Community Resource Center.
In other business:
•Students Brennan and Colin O'Mara were recognized for their humanitarian efforts during their vacation helping Haitians rebuild.
•Student Wyatt Wolf was recognized for a second-place finish in the Skills USA Competition for Project Based Engineering I.
In addition, the board:
•Accepted a revision to the current school calendar, which will make June 17, 18 and 19 full days of school with June 19 the last day for students.
•Approved the resignation of Library media specialist Walter E. Cook IV effective June 30.
•Approved the layoffs of 11 teachers.
•Approved the layoffs of 19 teacher aides.
•Approved placing those laid off to a preferred eligibility list for recall within 48 consecutive months, if the budget would permit.
•Granted tenure to Michael Antonelli and Lorraine Yaeger, effective Sept. 1.
•Tabled the school report card review by Roser.
"To hear how well we have done in a meeting where we are eliminating staff that got us there is a conflict," said Roser.
The report will be presented at another meeting.
In other district news:
•Roser commented on the Niagara River Greenway Commission's vote that Lewiston-Porter wasn't consistent with the Greenway Plan in its proposal, and funding could be refused. Roser explained this has happened before and that the proposal would move forward.
The vote to actually fund the project is left with a panel of host municipalities and the New York Power Authority, the Host Community Standing Committee, not the Greenway Commission, which voted against the project.
•Principal Tamara Larson reported that instead of making special items for their mothers, students at her school collected necessary items for mothers in need in honor of Mothers Day.
•Principal Andrew Auer's Intermediate Education students read 160,657 pages, outdoing last year's record, and their reward was putting Auer in a dunk tank with each student having an opportunity to dunk the principal.
The IEC will also hold a paperback book exchange, where students will bring in a used paperback book and exchange it for one they want to read.


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NetWellness is a global, community service providing quality, unbiased health information from our partners. NetWellness is commercial-free and does not accept advertising.
Wednesday, September 14, 2016
Physicians say lumps in the head and neck region could mean more than swollen glands. They could be the sign of cancer.
If people don't have obvious symptoms, they tend to dismiss lumps as swollen glands. Lumps could be due to allergies or a cold, but if they persist more than a few weeks then they need to be investigated. The first step is often to be evaluated by your primary care physician.
A lump in the lower central neck could be thyroid cancer and can be easily diagnosed by examination and inserting a small needle into the mass.
The thyroid is just one part of the human endocrine system, a complex arrangement of glands that exist throughout the body to produce the hormones that help control bodily functions.
Located beneath the larynx (voice box), the thyroid helps regulate growth and metabolism. Four pea-sized organs, known as the parathyroid glands, surround the thyroid and produce a hormone that helps the body use and store calcium and maintain it at normal levels in the blood.
According to the American Cancer Society, more than 32,000 new endocrine cancer cases, 30,000 of them thyroid cancer, were diagnosed in 2006. Endocrine cancer growth rates vary, ranging from very slow growing to very aggressive, so the five-year survival rate varies between 50 and 80 percent.
As with most cancers, early detection leads to less radical treatments and better outcomes.
There are four types of thyroid cancer, but papillary cancer, the most common, is often slow growing and can occur in younger patients.
You may be at increased risk for thyroid cancer if you have any of the following risk factors:
Abnormal parathyroid glands can lead to high blood calcium levels. The problem can be picked up on routine blood tests and may cause a variety of different symptoms, including:
Very high levels of hypercalcemia (excessive calcium in the blood) are also associated with parathyroid cancer.
When the parathyroid gland becomes overactive, it can produce too much parathyroid hormone and allow higher than normal calcium levels into the blood. Extra parathyroid hormone can also sap calcium from the bones, which can lead to bone pain and kidney trouble.
Physicians use different imaging tests to evaluate the thyroid and parathyroid glands. If tumors are detected, surgery can cure the disease. In some cases, surgery is followed by radiation to fully eradicate the disease.
This article originally appeared in UC Health Line (1/4/07), a service of the NetWellness.org Academic Health Center Public Relations Department and was adapted for use on NetWellness with permission, 2007.
Last Reviewed: Nov 07, 2008
Associate Professor of Surgery, Chief, Division of Surgical Oncology
College of Medicine
University of Cincinnati


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Playing with home field advantage
For several years of my Christian life, I wrestled with what God would have me to do concerning reaching others. I had heard sermons and read material teaching that I should be a witness for Him, and that if I really loved Him as I should, I would be eager to talk to folks about their eternal souls. I wasn't. I was chicken. I was downright petrified. I was fearful that I would offend and possibly lose a friendship that I valued. Because of my work, I knew many different kinds of people, and my family members were pretty much like me and not into church things. Not being reared in a Christian home with strong moral values, I did not feel I was insulated and protected from the world in which I lived, and I knew that the folks I knew best were not going to be eager to hear the gospel — especially from me.
I remember once after a powerful, butt-kicking revival message given with the fire and brimstone effect that was so often the ticket in those days of evangelism, I declared to God and man that I would attend church sponsored visitation and go out and knock on doors to try to reach men, women, boys and girls with the gospel message. That sounded and felt good as long as I was safe in the beautiful church building or riding along in my automobile. But when I parked that car and my partner and I got out to knock on that first door, I was petrified. Who could know what was behind that door and who would answer or the mood they would be in when they did? I did not know the person I was assigned to visit with, and she did not know me. The streets of Atlanta, Ga., were mean and busy and it was getting dark.This is probably not very spiritual to some of you godly souls, but I prayed fervently all the way to the address. I wasn't praying for a successful visit or that souls would come to know Christ. I was praying no one would answer the door, that the house would be dark, and we would find no need to continue on this adventure. I knew very little about the power of the Holy Spirit of God going before, with and after you. I had very little Bible memorized and stored in my heart in those days. I did have zeal, but it was waning low on this cloudy, stormy night in Georgia. Sure enough, as we located the house number and got out of our car, we could not see a light in sight. The door was closed firmly and no one was home. I breathed a huge sigh of relief – as did my partner, I believe – and we headed to the local Dairy Queen to get something to drink and eat. My first soul-winning adventure came to a close as a dismal failure, in my book.
Years later, and after much study and some prayer, I felt more comfortable in speaking to folks or, more often, listening to their problems and burdens. Of all the things I desired most, being sincere and genuine in my love and approach topped the list. I have always loved people in general and found it easy to get to know most folks. Much of the time, the listening ear and compassionate heart do more good for Christ than a lengthy sermon or sin-condemning monolog. I continued to attend the church sponsored visitation and made a variety of friends among both those who went out and those we met. Some people chose to trust Christ and many others agreed to visit a church to hear more about the gospel message we attempted to share.
One thing stuck out in my mind about Christ. He went where the people were, and He wasn't frightened about talking to anyone He met. There are many instances recorded in Scripture where Christ spoke one-on-one with sinners, people unlike Himself, and folks who needed a change of life. One of the stories I love best is where Jesus went out of His way to speak to the woman at the well in John 4:6-13. We learn that it was about noon and the disciples were getting hungry, so Jesus told them to go to the nearby city to buy meat. Jesus went to Jacob's well and sat resting about the sixth hour. The Jewish women usually drew water in the late afternoon when the sun had lowered. However, on this day, as Jesus sat resting, a lone woman came to draw water. She was a woman of Samaria, and in this day and age, the Jews and Samaritans did not fellowship together. Jesus knew this woman and simply said, "Will you give me a drink of water?" He met her at the well, on her home turf.
The woman asked Him why he would ask her for water since He was a Jew and she was clearly a Samaritan. Jesus said, "If you knew the gift of God, and would drink from this well, you would never be thirsty again." Jesus went on to tell her about her own life, but He was not unkind, critical or judgmental. She was amazed and trusted Him for her own salvation there at the well.
How many people do we each meet that we could influence positively if our attitudes, compassion and concern were only for others? Can we learn to cross lines, boundaries, and bridges to reach those unlike ourselves? Can we go to their home fields and let our testimony and our speech reflect Christ so that they will desire to have what we profess to have in our lives? The true Christian life is lived every day, and not just on Sundays in the church house.
Brenda Cannon Henley is an award-winning journalist and writer living on the Southeast Texas Gulf Coast. Having enjoyed more than four decades in ministry, Brenda shares her columns with our readers and works with churches and faith-based programs nationwide. She can be reached at (409) 781-8788 or at brendacannonhenley [at] yahoo [dot] com.


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Archdiocese of Chicago
Andrew Lyke is the Director of the Office for Black Catholics. He and his wife are co-founders of ArusiNetwork. From 1999 to 2009 he was the Coordinator of Marriage Ministry for the Archdiocese.
Monday, February 10, 2014
February is Black History Month. Some say Black Heritage Month. In this shortest month of the year we usually give emphasis to accomplishments of Black historical figures in the United States. Sometimes, though, it seems that instead of our heritage we celebrate and commemorate the month. There is nothing of deep historical significance about February that we should reverence it. And the heritage and history of African slaves in America and their descendants should not be articulated only in the shortest month but throughout the year, every year. Therefore, in this blog I want to focus on something of our heritage that demands constant focus throughout each year: resilience.
Read more...
Monday, February 11, 2013
In 1926 Carter G. Woodson, an African-American historian, author, journalist, and founder of the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (1915), and founder of the academic quarterly, Journal of Negro History (1916), founded the second week in February as Negro History Week. For me, growing up in the 1950s and 1960s, Negro History Week, was one week in the year when we focused on the achievements of Americans of African ancestry – achievement in the arts, sports, science, education, politics, business, religion, community uplift, and other areas of success. Marian Anderson, Booker T. Washington, W.E.B. DuBois, George Washington Carver, Harriet Tubman, Ralph Bunch, Sammy Davis, Jr., Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, Sidney Poitier, Jackie Robinson, Dorothy Dandridge, Father George Clements, Father Rollins Lambert, Bishop Harold Perry, and so many other individuals living and dead were lifted up with pride as if to say "Because they did we can."
Monday, November 05, 2012
I grew up in Bronzeville, the neighborhood where the Cardinal Meyer Center is located. The grammar school I went to is just around the corner, and the building of the Ida B. Wells housing projects where I lived from 1954 to 1967 was only a couple of blocks away. While this neighborhood was where I was raised and nurtured into my mid-teens, it was also an area from which my family hastened to leave at the dawn of open housing in the mid-1960s. Yet, in my adulthood I often reminisce on my childhood among people who cared about each other and where community bonds were strong.
Monday, September 24, 2012
The Archdiocese of Chicago's website dedicated to Fr. Augustus Tolton's Cause for Canonization, www.toltoncanonization.org, notes February 24, 2011, as the Proclamation and first session of the Cause for the Beatification and Canonization of Father Augustus Tolton. It is quite amazing how much has transpired in less than two years. Bishop Joseph N. Perry, Postulator for the Cause of Fr. Tolton, has been working tirelessly, and his dedication and enthusiasm is contagious. One year after the first session, the Vatican's Sacred Congregation for Causes of Saints granted the title of "Servant of God" to our very own Father Tolton. For the many who are familiar with his life story, we are not surprised that the Vatican has bestowed the title which best describes the life he lived.
Monday, February 27, 2012
This is Part II of my Blog post on February 6, which expresses my profound reaction to a presentation by Elder Bernice King at St. Sabina's on Chicago's Southside last month on the subject of non-violence.
Monday, February 06, 2012
Last month I attended a special presentation by Elder Bernice King at St. Sabina's on Chicago's Southside. Bernice King is the youngest of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott-King's four children. A renowned speaker worldwide, Elder King addressed the full to capacity church on the topic of non-violence. Her oratory stirred my soul and has me reflecting on our purpose as Black Catholics. While I cannot share all of what impressed me about the presentation here, I will offer one important focus and hopefully share more in a later blog. She began her oratory by referencing three scriptural passages:
Monday, October 31, 2011
Last March (2010) Cardinal George introduced to the Archdiocese of Chicago and the world the cause for sainthood for Father Augustus Tolton. Father Tolton was the first recognized black priest to serve in the United States. Tolton studied and was ordained in Rome because no seminary in the U.S. would accept blacks. He came to Chicago in 1889 to serve a fledgling black Catholic community that had been gathering for worship in the basement of St. Mary Church. He established the first black Catholic parish in Chicago, St. Monica's, which was located at 36th and Dearborn.
Tuesday, October 04, 2011
I was born into a Catholic family and have been a practicing Catholic all of my life, with the exception of a few years in my late teens and early twenties. In my childhood (1950s and most of the 1960s) there was a difference, practically speaking, between "Mass" and "church" as it was the practice of many Catholics who are also African Americans to go to Mass on Sunday then return home to turn on the radio or TV and "have church." Then the innate spirituality of people in the African Diaspora seemed to be squelched in the confines of the Roman Liturgy. We who were Catholic had to express our spirituality outside the celebration of the Eucharist and in the context of the broader Black Christian community. There seemed a dichotomy between being Black and being Catholic.
Monday, August 08, 2011
A compelling irony that drives my energies as the Director of the Office for Black Catholics is that in Chicago, a city founded by a Black Catholic (Jean Baptiste Point du Sable), a city with a vibrant Black community, a city where the Black church has much muscle, and a city that's so very Catholic, to be Black and Catholic today is predominantly an impoverished experience. When people talk about about the awesomeness of the Catholic Church they don't mean us. Nor do they mean us when referring to the power base of the Black church in America. Black Catholics in Chicago and throughout the United States are marginal on both counts.
Monday, May 09, 2011
Recently I sent a letter to the pastors of the Archdiocese to introduce myself as the new director of the Office for Black Catholics. In that message I talked about the focus the office will have under my direction. One area of focus is on family life.
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The Green Bay Packers cruised past the Joe Webb-led Minnesota Vikings 24-10 Saturday night at Lambeau Field, securing a trip to San Francisco to take on the 49ers in a Week 1 rematch next Saturday at 7:00 p.m. CT.
It was over when...
Aaron Rodgers found John Kuhn for a touchdown on the first drive of the second half, doubling up on the decision to defer and giving the Packers a 24-3 lead. In reality, the chances of Minnesota winning this game evaporated when Christian Ponder was made inactive with an elbow injury.
Game Balls
- Aaron Rodgers: The Packers offense struggled to move the ball after the second half's first drive, but Rodgers did enough in the first 40 minutes to put away the Vikings early. Rodgers threw for 274 yards and one touchdown, connecting with 10 different receivers and looking a lot like the surgeon he was during the 2010-11 playoff run. The Packers quarterback is getting hot at the very best time.
- Erik Walden: After losing contain on a quarterback bootleg in the first half, Walden played lights out in both setting the edge against the run and attacking an ultra athletic quarterback outside the pocket. He finished with a sack, two tackles for losses and another quarterback hit. The Packers defense would get a big boost during this playoff run if Walden can provide a steadying presence opposite Clay Matthews.
- DuJuan Harris: The rushing stats don't jump off the page (17 for 47 yards, TD ), but Harris provided a check down option in the passing game and seemingly never went down on first contact with the football in his hands. He's patient, explosive and hard to get to the ground. Overall, he tallied 100 total yards on 22 touches. Expect him to start again in San Francisco.
- Sam Shields: The box score will show Shields' one interception of Webb, but it was his containment and willingness to tackle in the running game that earned the Packers' third-year cornerback a game ball. He's locked in as the Packers outside cornerback opposite Tramon Williams.
- Tramon Williams: The former Pro Bowl corner didn't allow a career-worst performance in Minnesota to beat him the following week. He defensed three passes and held Jerome Simpson to just two catches and 21 yards.
Key Stats
The Vikings had just six passing yards at the half, as Webb struggled to find any semblance of accuracy with the football. He was just 2-for-11 after 30 minutes and finished 11-for-30...Minnesota was just 5-for-16 overall on both third and fourth downs...The Packers held the ball for 32:58, compared to Minnesota's 27:02...Green Bay defensed five passes and hit or sacked Webb nine times...The Vikings sacked Rodgers three times...The win was Rodgers' first at Lambeau Field and fifth overall (5-2)...Adrian Peterson carried 22 times but was held under 100 yards (99). Overall, the Vikings rushed for 167 yards...The Packers entered the red zone four times and came away with three touchdowns and a field goal. The Vikings kicked a field goal on their only trip inside the 20-yard line...The Packers scored their first touchdown with seven runs and no completions to a receiver...Green Bay is now 3-4 in their last seven home playoff games.
Other Notes
--What can you really take away from this win? The Packers were playing a quarterback that had no business starting a postseason game. Webb finished 11-of-30 for 180 yards, one TD and one interception, with a large chunk of the yards coming on a broken coverage with the game in hand in the fourth quarter. The 49ers are very similar to the Vikings in style and approach on both sides of the ball, but they also possess an athletic quarterback who can actually complete NFL throws.
--The Packers went three-and-out on five straight possessions in the second half. Was the play-calling aimed at milking away the clock up three scores? Absolutely. But you'd have to assume Rodgers and the offense would have liked to carry some of the first-half momentum into San Francisco.
--Turnovers are important in every game, but the postseason always amplifies the effect. With such a small margin of error available, Minnesota's three turnovers all but doomed any winning chances for the visitor. Webb had to be perfect with the football for this game to stay close.
--Jermichael Finley left in the third quarter and didn't return. Early indications was only a cramping issue, but the Packers announced it as a hamstring injury. Jordy Nelson was kicked in the back of the leg and should be fine.
--The 49ers punched the Packers in the mouth at Lambeau Field back in September. With Colin Kaepernick at quarterback, however, San Francisco is both more dangerous and more vulnerable. The Packers will still need their best game next Saturday to punch their ticket to the NFC Championship Game.
Zach Kruse is a 24-year-old sports writer who contributes to Cheesehead TV, Bleacher Report and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He also covers prep sports for the Dunn Co. News. You can reach him on Twitter @zachkruse2 or by email at [email protected].
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Whoever was most responsible for the acquisition of Tim Tebow should lose their job. That was obviously a huge waste of time.
Whoever made the offense as bad as it was this season. That cannot be anyone other than Tony Sparano. Under Schotty, the offense was MUCH better and even then the fans were not satisfied. There's just no justifying keeping Sparano around.
Sanchez's extension - As much as I've wanted to defend Tanny, he leaves me no room to defend him. Every time I think of some of the good things he did for the organization from 2006 through 2010, you then have to see what he did the last couple years. The offensive side of the ball is a train wreck.
Then, of course Sanchez needs to go somehow. As crazy and morbid as it may sound, if he continues to QB the team, there's a good possibility some nut case would go postal on him.
Yes, Woody should fire himself.
Postal comment is not proper considering what has gone on. I am no Pollyanna but you should be ashamed of yourself.
Having said that, there are many more issues, how about going to battle with this offensive roster? How about the TD'less pre season and how we were told they were keeping the "wildcat" under wraps and going "vanilla" until Buffalo in week 1, and ultimately fielding arguably the worst offense in NFL history? How about shoveling at us loyal fans who obviously know zero about football, that Wayne Hunter was the answer at RT then at week 1 he gets traded and some unknown plays out the rest of the season fairly well, just by the stoke of luck?
They all have to go, none of them has the first clue what they are doing, then, the ultimate, they bring in a guy who flat out calls it like he sees it by calling them all idiots...
which they are.
Rex Ryan has a lot of culpability here. He's cretainly not blameless.
He shoud be given an ultimatum in the offseason. Win X amount of games next season or lose your job. He should be TOLD that Sanchez is no longer the QB even if he is still on the team.
These are the areas that Ryan is most responsible for.
And it is not enough IMO, given all the good things he did for the organization, to FIRE him. And I don't care what you say, he is not deserving of losing his job. End of subject.
Sparano, Sanchez, Tebow, and Tanny, gone.
Whoever was most responsible for not starting tim tebow should lose their job. If tebow started every game this year we are a 10-6 football team and in the playoffs.Whoever was most responsible for the acquisition of Tim Tebow should lose their job. That was obviously a huge waste of time.
I don't agree with Rex for sticking with Sanchez. I was pi$$ed like most of us that McElroy did not start vs. Jax. But I understood the move given the contract situation. But keeping Tebow as the #2 and not even dressing McElroy the last 2 weeks was a colossal blunder. Any leader in any capacity needs to have a plan B when plan A is shaky. Rex intentionally went all in with Sanchez and lost.
Its really is too bad since Rex does have a lot of positive qualities. But to mismanage this QB situation so terribly nullifies any of those positives. Sad to say but Rex has gotta go. We need a HC who understands that the QB, not the Defense is the most important piece of being a successful NFL franchise.
Tanny, Rex, Sparano, Cavanaugh, Sanchez, Eric Smith and Tebow are all musts.
Everyone else is debatable.


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To conserve biodiversity and the ecological processes that support ecosystems and people, by developing capacity and improving conservation management and policy through high-impact research.
DICE is part of the School of Anthropology and Conservation, and a Research Centre at the University of Kent.


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Snowed in
Wintery weather mix forces cancellation of state Veterans Cemetery wreath pickupBy DAN SEUFERT
Union Leader Correspondent
January 08. 2014 3:18PM
BOSCAWEN — A yearly event to clean up the holiday wreaths from the grave sites at the New Hampshire State Veterans Cemetery scheduled for this weekend has been cancelled because of the recent storms, which brought snow and ice to the graves.
Mike Horne, the cemetery's director, said the wreath pick-up event is scheduled each year for one of the first weekends after New Year's Day. The unnamed event has been held for the past five years.
Wreaths are removed from the grave sites and disposed of, Horne said. This is the first time it's been cancelled.
Horne decided to cancel the event because the recent snow, which was followed by rain and sleet, anchored the wreaths to the grounds near the stones.
In some cases, they are frozen to the stones themselves.
"We know that the volunteers would be here Saturday if we let them, but with the snow and ice, there would be a lot of wreath pieces left behind, or there could even be damage to the grave stones," Horne said.
"I just don't want to take that chance," he said.
The wreaths are laid against the gravestones each year by the Blue Star Mothers, a group supporting veteran causes. In line with the procedure at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C., one-fourth of the more than 4,000 graves at the cemetery are decorated with the wreaths each year on a rotation schedule.
The local chapter of Blue Star Mothers raised several thousand dollars to pay for the wreaths this year, Horne said.
But the pickup of the wreaths will have to wait.
"The rain we had seeped down through the snow and froze many of them. If it had stayed just powder snow, we would have been all right," he said. "There are safety issues as well, it's slippery out there."
Horne said he is considering two options for removal of the wreaths: The cemetery staff could pick them up, or another day may be scheduled – if the snow and ice conditions improve – in February or March.
"It's a nice big event, we know people have it on their calendars," Horne said. "We're disappointed, I'm sure a lot of people are disappointed, but it was the right thing to do."


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Vietnam protests Chinese oil rig in disputed sea
May 5, 2014
HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — Vietnam has protested China's decision to send an oil drilling platform to a disputed area of the South China Sea.
The move by Beijing is the latest in a series of provocative actions in the waters that have raised tensions with Southeast Asian countries and drawn the attention of the United States.
According to the China Maritime Safety Administration, the deep see rig CNOOC 981 would be drilling in the South China Sea from May 4 to Aug. 15, and that entering a 3 mile (4.8 kilometers) radius around the area is prohibited.
Vietnam's foreign ministry on Monday said the area was well within Vietnam's exclusive economic zone and China's act was "illegal."


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The Brooklyn Museum of Art, as if persuaded by its own ill-advised publicity that the art in its "Sensation" show might endanger the welfare of its viewers, at first thought it prudent to turn away children under age 17 unless accompanied by an adult. It ought instead to have turned away adult viewers unless accompanied by a child, preferably one well under 17. Children are not squeamish, nor capable of indignation. They giggle at things that make adults uneasy. They do not carry a burden of art history, so they will not dismiss things on the ground that it has all been done before. They are not cynics, nor are they "taxpayers." And they exist on the same level of feeling as do many of the artists in this extraordinarily youthful show. So borrow a child if you don't have one–or better still, be your own child, and treat the exhibition initially as if you were making an expedition to FAO Schwarz. There is, surprisingly given the title of the show, no sex to speak of, though there are some oddly distributed penises that the child will find hilarious. Whatever may be said on the floor of the Senate, it really is art. Whatever has been said in City Hall, it is not sick. It is, on the contrary, healthy. The worst that can be said of it is that it is brash. It is the brashness of art students the world around. There is an exuberance, a confidence, a swagger unfortunately not to be found in the demoralized American art world of today (for explanation refer to the floor of the Senate and the offices of City Hall).
The first work you will encounter, dominating the first gallery of the show, is a real shark in an immense tank. The child will gasp at the majesty and beauty of a work it would have been difficult to anticipate from photographs of it or from descriptions or representations on the Internet. The artist is Damien Hirst, effectively the chef d'école of the post-Thatcher London art world. Putting a huge fish in a large tank of formaldehyde sounds easy enough for even a city official to do. But imagining doing it requires a degree of artistic intuition of a very rare order, since one would have to anticipate what it would look like and what effect it would have on the viewer. The work in fact has the power, sobriety and majesty of a cathedral, some of which, of course, must be credited to the shark itself. It does not look preserved but as if it rests in its fluid medium ready to strike. Hirst is given to florid titles (as well as to rude and silly ones): This work is called The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living. It is a very philosophical title, which goes perfectly with the work itself. Heidegger pins his entire philosophy of authenticity on the difficulty of envisioning one's own death–a difficulty Wittgenstein explained by saying that death is not an event in life, not something we live through.
The child, having registered the shark and emitted its admiring "Wow"s, will want to press on, pulling you away from the metaphysical reveries in which Hirst's work has entangled you. There is, after all, more to experiencing art than what the involuntary "Wow" implies. (Being your own child simply helps keep you open to what you see–it will not enable you to understand what anything means.) The show, like any, is almost always more than mere sensation, and the works of art more than toys for the rich. You have to function simultaneously as child and adult, and it is to the credit of the art on view that "adult" does not mean "mature enough to deal with sexual content" but "wise enough to respond to philosophical significance."
Let us at this point tour the first gallery, which serves as a prologue to the show you are about to see. To your right as you enter the gallery is a large painting (156 inches by 126 inches) of a woman's head. It is titled Myra. The child will have but a modest interest in the work until it discovers that the paint resolves itself before our eyes into a pattern of tiny handprints. Wow. The child resolves to give this a try in her next art class. You, hypocrite lecteur, will see it as a kind of knockoff of Chuck Close, especially a painting he once did of his mother-in-law using fingerprints. Close's fingerprint painting is a virtuoso performance, but the fingerprints play no role to speak of in relation to the content of the portrait. The subject of Myra, however, is Myra Hindley, a notorious and reviled child-killer. That makes it difficult not to see the tiny handprints as referring to her victims. (In Britain, the painting is seen as a greatly enlarged police photograph rather than a distant derivative of a format Close has made his own.) It was Myra that was detested most when "Sensation" was installed in the Royal Academy of Art two years ago–as if the wickedness of the subject were transferred to her effigy in paint. It was Myra for which a Plexiglas shield had to be made, Myra that was declared sick by right-thinking Londoners. Brooklynites, unfamiliar with British headlines, give the painting an aesthetic once-over and pass on to the next work.


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Should I be Worried About My Child's Language Development?
- Cari Ebert, M.S., CCC-SLP The Old Schoolhouse Magazine
- 2012 10 Jan
Having children and watching them develop new skills is as rewarding as anything else we do as parents. We cherish our children's achievement of milestones from their first tooth to their first step, but hearing a child speak his first word is like music to our ears!
What should we do if those first words don't come or if our child's speech is difficult to understand? Do we take the "wait and see" approach, or do we seek answers to our questions? Many of us turn to the Internet to try to find information about our concerns and answers to our questions. However, that can be an overwhelming experience for concerned parents. While the Internet may provide some answers, it often creates more confusion and more questions because of the over-abundance of information available.
I would like to speak directly to parents who are concerned about their child's development of communication skills and provide you with some information regarding communication milestones, red flags, and strategies to enhance your child's speech and language development.
It is important for parents to be aware of general time frames for communication milestones. Remember that skills are developed in age ranges and that all children develop skills at different rates. If your child is missing one or two skills in an age range, it does not necessarily imply that a delay is present. Consulting with a pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist (sometimes called a speech therapist) is the best way to determine if there is reason to be concerned.
Speech and Language Developmental Milestones
Birth to 6 Months
- Makes cooing sounds
- Makes eye contact with adult
- Smiles and laughs
- Expresses pleasure and displeasure by vocalizing
- Makes sounds when talked to
6 to 12 Months
- Waves bye-bye
- Says 1-2 words by first birthday
- Babbles many different sounds
- Participates in speech games such as "pat-a-cake" and "peek-a-boo"
- Responds to own name
- Says "mama" or "dada"
- Shouts or vocalizes to gain attention
- Understands the names of familiar objects
12-18 Months
- Says 5-15 words
- Imitates new words
- Indicates wants and needs primarily by pointing or grunting, but words are emerging
- May leave off the final sounds of words (says "ca" for "cat")
- Imitates several animal sounds
- Follows simple one-step commands
- Can point to 3-4 body parts on self
- Understands at least 50 words
18-24 Months
- Says 50 words by 24 months of age
- Understands at least 300 words
- Speech is about 60% intelligible by 24 months of age
- Speech is more intelligible to parents than to less familiar listeners
- Imitates animal sounds, car sounds, and other noises during playtime
- Starting to put the sounds on the ends of words (now says "cat" instead of "ca")
- Imitates two- and three-word phrases
- Points to 5 body parts
2-2½ Years
- Says 200 words by 30 months of age
- Understands about 500 words
- Speech is 70% intelligible
- Starting to combine 2 words together frequently
- Names pictures in books
- Understands and uses action words
2½-3 Years
- Says 500 words by 36 months of age
- Understands about 900 words
- Speech is 80% intelligible
- Asks and answers simple "wh" questions (e.g., where, why, when)
- Talks in two- to three-word phrases consistently
- Can count to 3
- Says first name
3-4 Years
- Speech is easily understood by all listeners
- Talks in complete sentences
- Says first and last name
- Asks and answers a wide variety of questions
- Can now carry on simple conversation with others
4-5 Years
- Speaks in complex sentences using phrases, such as "If . . . then" and ". . . because . . ."
- Can speak of imaginary conditions, such as "I hope . . . "
- Understands common opposites (hot/cold, up/down)
- Carries on elaborate conversations
- Tells jokes that may not make any sense to adults
Now that you have a basic knowledge of communication milestones, let me provide you with some warning signs about when to be concerned about your child's speech and language development.
When to Be Concerned
- No back and forth sharing of sounds and smiles by 6 months of age
- No babbling by 9 months of age
- No true words by 12-15 months of age
- Limited eye contact at any age
- No pointing to request something or identify things of interest by 15 months of age
- Does not follow simple one-step commands by 18 months of age
- Does not verbally imitate the names of familiar objects by 18 months of age
- Uses mostly vowel sounds and very few consonant sounds after 18 months of age
- Relies primarily on gestures and grunting to communicate after 18 months of age
- Does not say at least 25-50 words by age 2
- No two-word meaningful phrases by age 2
- Excessive drooling even when not teething
- Leaves off many sounds at the beginnings or ends of words after age 3
- Not using three-word phrases by age 3
- Does not ask or answer "wh" questions by age 4
- Not using complete sentences by age 4
- Stuttering after age 4
- Voice quality is always hoarse, even when not sick
- Consistently sounds as if talking through the nose (hyper-nasal)
- Child is frustrated, embarrassed, or disturbed by own speech at any age
If you suspect a speech and language delay, there are two initial steps you should take. First, it is always a good idea to have your child's hearing formally evaluated by a pediatric audiologist. If your child has a history of frequent ear infections or fluid in the middle ear, this can contribute to speech and language delays.
Second, if you have significant concerns about your child's speech and language development, it may be beneficial to have an evaluation completed by an ASHA (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association) certified Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP). Every state has an early intervention program for infants and toddlers (ages birth to 3), and every school district has an early childhood program for 3- to 5-year-old children. You also can contact your local hospital or a private speech therapy clinic in your area for an evaluation.
As a parent and your child's primary teacher, there are many things you can do to help your child learn to communicate more effectively. Below are ten strategies you can use to stimulate your child's speech and language development. The main goal of these strategies is to instill in your child the need and the desire to talk. Many children can make their wants and needs known by pointing and grunting. They need to be shown that language is a critical component in influencing the actions of others.
Language Stimulation Strategies
• Don't anticipate your child's needs. Wait for him to communicate to you that he wants something. When your child walks into the kitchen, don't automatically assume he wants a drink.
• Be a good language model. Modeling is the most important strategy that we use to help children learn to talk. We need to model language that is easy for young children to understand and imitate. To become a good language model, try using the following techniques when you talk to your child:
—Use short, simple phrases.
—Speak slowly and deliberately.
—Repeat words and phrases frequently.
—Get down to your child's eye level so he can see how you move your tongue and lips.
—Use an animated voice with lots of inflection.
—Pair words with what your child is seeing or doing.
—Avoid asking "What's that?" or instructing your child to say words.
—Praise your child for trying to say new words, but don't put pressure on him to perform.
—Do not withhold things from your child if he doesn't say the words you want him to say.
• Encourage your child to imitate actions and sounds. Imitation skills are crucial for the development of speech and language.
• Expand on your child's words. When your child says something, repeat back what he said, adding one or more words. Like building with blocks, build on his original words.
• Name objects in your child's world to help expand his vocabulary.
• Sing with your child. Singing facilitates good listening and imitation skills, which are necessary for the development of language. The key is to slow down; use a reduced tempo when you sing, which will help your child to be successful.
• Model for correction. When your child says a word or phrase that is incorrect, repeat what he said, using the correct form. Do not expect your child to say it again. Just model the correction for him (e.g., child says "Look at the wabbit" and adult says "I see the rabbit").
• Prolong difficult sounds. When your child has difficulty producing certain sounds, prolong those sounds when you say words, both to draw attention to them and to increase his auditory awareness (e.g., child says "Big nake" while pointing to a snake and adult then says "Yes, big ssssssnake").
• Pause and wait. Once you have modeled a word for your child, you should pause, wait, and look expectantly at your child to give him an opportunity to talk.
• Give choices. Avoid asking too many questions that can be answered with a "yes" or "no" response. Instead, give your child choices between two items to encourage him to use his words (e.g., instead of "Do you want a cookie?" try "Do you want cookie or yogurt?").
Effective communication equips us to interact, socialize, and learn. If you have concerns about your child's speech and language development, I encourage you to follow your instinct and seek help to find some answers to your questions. As parents, we can easily be overcome with worry. The best advice I can give you is to stay positive and don't get frustrated. Learning to talk is a marathon, not a sprint!
*First published on August 19, 2009
Interested in having The Old Schoolhouse magazine delivered to your door? Sign up with promo code "5OFFCW" and receive 20% off your subscription.
Cari Ebert is a pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist in private practice. She and her husband Jim homeschool their three children, and she is the author of the recently published small talk, a homeschool diagnostic and teaching curriculum for young children who demonstrate speech and language delays. For more information about Cari and small talk, please visit her website at www.homeschoolsmalltalk.com.
Copyright 2009. Originally appeared in The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, Summer 2009.
Used with permission. Visit them at www.TheHomeschoolMagazine.com.
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October 14, 1932 - April 20, 2013
Liberty, NY
Louis H. Hemmer, age 80, of Liberty, NY passed away Saturday, April 20, 2013, at home. Lou fought a long, valiant fight in which he never lost his sense of humor or drive for life.
Lou was a lifetime resident of Sullivan County, born in Jeffersonville, NY, son of the late Leo and Catherine (Griebel) Hemmer, a devoted husband, father, grandfather and uncle, as well as a member of St. Peter's Church. He was loved by and respected by all who came in contact with him.
Lou was a 30-year employee of NYSEG as a Mechanic First Class. He was a member of NYSEG's Liberty Quarter Century Club, a proud lifetime member of the NRA, an avid hunter, fisherman and a diehard Yankee's fan.
He leaves behind his loving wife of 56 years, Charlene (McCorrison) Hemmer, at home; a daughter, Maureen Miller and four grandchildren: Sam, Keeley, Madison and Julia, all of Oceanside, CA; a sister, Marion Hamilton of Port Jervis, NY; two sisters-in-law: Gloria Hemmer of Jeffersonville and Julia Hemmer of Liberty; in addition to many nieces, nephews and cousins. He was predeceased by two brothers: John and Robert Hemmer; a brother-in-law, George W. Hamilton, and a nephew, George E. Hamilton.
He will be greatly missed by his loving family and many, many dear friends.
Friends may call Tuesday, April 23rd from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. at Stewart-Murphy Funeral Home, Route 52, Jeffersonville, NY. Funeral services will be held at St. Peter's Church, 264 North Main Street, Liberty, NY on April 24th at 11:45 a.m.. Monsignor Edward Straub will officiate. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery, Youngsville, NY.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Peter's Church, 264 North Main St., Liberty, NY 12754, Hospice of Orange & Sullivan, 800 Stonybrook Court, Newburgh, NY 12550, or a charity of one's choice.


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G6950, Revised September 2005
You can't look at the soil, or smell it, or feel it and tell whether it has 10 pounds or 100 pounds of available phosphorus per acre. But if you bring a sample of this soil to your local MU Extension center or mail it to an MU Soil and Plant Testing Laboratory, it can be tested to determine the level of available nutrients it contains.
Soil samples may also be submitted to any MU Extension center.
Why is it so important to know how much phosphorus is in your soil? Because vegetables and flowers grow poorly where soils contain less than 60 pounds per acre.
Your soil test report also tells you the level of potassium, calcium, and magnesium in your garden, and provides the pH of the soil. In addition, it tells you the percent of organic matter, which is an indicator of the naturally available nitrogen that is released as the organic matter breaks down. This is about all you have to know to fertilize your garden soil properly.
To make it easy for you to interpret the soil test results, your report form will indicate how much fertilizer (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) and lime you should apply in carrying out Step 2.
How do you take a soil sample?
Results usually take from one to two weeks, depending on the mailing time and number of samples coming in to the soil testing lab.
Any time of the year — but if you can take your sample during October, November or December, you probably will get faster service than in the rush season, January through March. This also provides sufficient time to plan your fertilization schedule.
Once every three years is sufficient if you follow Steps 3, 4, 5 and 6.
Yes, a nominal fee covers costs of chemicals and a technician.
This just means putting fertilizer — the right kind and right amount — on your garden. Your soil test report will indicate the kind and amount to apply.
Remember that this basic application is a fertility-building process and will not be needed every year. After this level is established, it can be maintained by following Steps 3, 4 and 5.
The best method for making the basic application is to put on half the recommended fertilizer and plow or spade deeply, then apply the other half and disc or rake in lightly. This distributes the fertilizer throughout the upper 7 inches.
Your soil test report may recommend "no basic application." This means the fertility level of your garden is fine. If the report shows you have too much of an element, leave it out of fertilizer applications. Plowing just a little deeper for a year or two and sowing green manure crops also will help reduce the effects of those elements present at levels that are too high.
You can skip this step if you are establishing the basic level this year. But each year thereafter, it is important that you apply maintenance fertilizer. It is usually applied in the spring before the soil is worked into a seedbed. It need not be worked deeply into the soil — the upper 3 to 5 inches will do. The purpose of this maintenance application is to replace the fertility you took off in the form of vegetables, flowers and crop residue the preceding year.
Again the question comes up: "How much of what kind of fertilizer should I use?" A mixed fertilizer is used for this maintenance application. A mixed fertilizer contains three elements: nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.
When you see a fertilizer bag with a combination of numbers such as 5-10-5, 12-12-12 or 6-24-24, you are dealing with mixed fertilizers. The first number tells how many pounds of nitrogen are in 100 pounds of the fertilizer. The middle number always refers to the pounds of phosphorus, and the last to the pounds of potassium per 100 pounds of the fertilizer.
Thus, for example, in every 100 pounds of a 5-10-5 fertilizer you buy, you get 5 pounds of nitrogen, 10 pounds of phosphorus, and 5 pounds of potassium.
The mixed fertilizers most commonly sold in Missouri are listed in Table 1. Check your bag of fertilizer and find the corresponding analysis in the table. The second column indicates the amount to use per 1,000 square feet of garden area. If the analysis on your bag is different from those listed, choose the analysis that is nearest to it, and use the rate indicated.
Table 1
Analysis and application of mixed fertilizers.
A starter fertilizer is a water-soluble fertilizer used in the transplant water.
Phosphorus is the most important element needed in getting your transplants off to a good start. Select a water-soluble fertilizer with a high phosphorus content in relation to the nitrogen and potassium.
The best and most commonly available water-soluble fertilizers are 10-52-17, 8-32-16, 12-24-12, 15-30-15, and 13-26-13. Use any of them at the rate of two level tablespoons per gallon of water. Apply one cup of this solution around the roots of your plant after you place it in the hole.
Table 2
Recommended nitrogen side-dressings.
1. One week after blossoming begins.
2. Three weeks later.
1. When plants are 8 to 10 inches tall.
2. One week after tassels appear.
1. One to two weeks before first tomato ripens.
2. Two weeks after picking first ripe tomato.
3. One month later
The major portion of the nitrogen your plants use comes from three sources:
Until the plant starts fruiting or makes considerable growth, the first two sources of nitrogen supply enough. But afterward, the demand of the plant for nitrogen often exceeds that supplied by the first two sources and a nitrogen side-dressing is needed. Because vegetable crops vary so greatly in amounts and times of application of nitrogen side-dressings, Table 2 was developed for handy reference.
Unlike vegetable crops, many modern flowering annuals have been developed to flower early and are less influenced by high nitrogen levels early in the season. Cool-season annuals, such as pansies, that are set out early in the season when soils are cool will benefit from early nitrogen side-dressings. Warm-season annuals should receive a high nitrogen side-dressing four to six weeks after they have been set out and if the season is rainy or frequent irrigation is applied. For annuals that grow throughout the summer, an additional side-dressing after another four to six weeks can stimulate late-summer growth and flowering. For an organic source of nitrogen, blood meal provides about 12 percent nitrogen in a fairly quickly available form for side-dressing. Always water well directly after applying fertilizer side-dressings to plants.
Just as important as the chemical aspects of garden soil are its physical properties. Two major factors contribute to physical properties of your soil, type of soil, whether sandy or clay, and organic matter. You can't alter soil type much, but you can control organic matter.
Sandy soils and most soils in the southern part of the state should contain 2 to 3 percent organic matter. Clay-type soils and soils in northern Missouri should contain 3 to 4 percent. Annual applications of organic matter are required to reach and maintain these levels.
Use and application
For farm gardens, use animal manures and green manures; for town gardens, use peatmoss, leafmold, compost and, if available, animal manures.
Peatmoss makes an excellent source of organic material for the small garden, but it is expensive to use on large gardens. Coarse types will provide the best soil conditioning.
To make a compost pile, gather all waste material, such as grass clippings, leaves, and plant refuse, and place in layers 6 to 8 inches deep. The pile can be as long as desired but should not be more than 5 feet wide and 5 feet high. Add a little soil and a handful of fertilizer to each layer as you build it up. Keep the pile moist. It will be ready in 6 months to a year.
Animal manures are excellent. They should be well rotted, applied in the fall and plowed under. Weed seeds are the chief objection to using animal manures.
Peatmoss, compost or animal manure should be applied to the soil surface to a depth of about 2 inches, then worked in thoroughly.
Green manures are legumes or small grain crops that are plowed under while still in the green stage. Winter green manure crops include rye, wheat, barley and winter vetch. Summer green manure crops include Sudan grass, soybeans and cowpeas.
An excellent way to handle the organic matter problem on farms is to plant half of the garden to a winter green manure crop in September or early October, then put some well-rotted animal manure on the other half, fall plow it, and plant spring vegetables in this part. The following spring, turn under the green manure crop, and plant your summer vegetables. Rotate these areas each year. After turning under a green manure crop, always wait three weeks before planting.
Order publications online at http://extension.missouri.edu/explore/shop/ or call toll-free 800-292-0969.


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"In March last year, at a screening for "Indie Game: The Movie", a panel was arranged containing two of the stars of the documentary. One was Jonathan Blow, developer of Braid, and the other was Phil Fish, developer of the unreleased (at the time) Fez. During the Q&A session, an unnamed Japanese developer asked the panel what they thought of modern Japanese video games. Fish's response was about as blunt as they come:
"Your games just suck".
Predictably, the comment caused a small out roar amongst the gaming press. Many sites seemed set to demonize Fish, despite his unapologetic yet semi-explanatory comments later on Twitter, where he clarified that he wasn't a racist, didn't judge the Japanese as a race or culture, but disliked their games, or at least, their modern games. It was a sentiment shared by fellow panelist Jonathan Blow, who described most modern Japanese games as "joyless husks"."
Microsoft. Look at what you have done to the gaming industry.
Bigger money does not necessarily mean better games. Your "Go Big or Go Broke" take on gaming has taken its toll on so many game developers' minds and pockets.
Your billions has disrupted the industry with devastating effect like an atom bomb to the flourishing industry the Japanese has nurtured since the 1980's.
If Japan wasn't able to protect it you can be damned sure Japan will avenge it.
The western is lost, with all their shooters and space marine games, maybe the west holds the key to good graphics, but they do not hold the key to good gameplay and originality. Come on, you cannot look at Hollywood when you are making games ...
I am generally not a fan of their art style and narrative quality. The narrative style just doesn't , for me, works as well as what western developers put out. The eastern developers narrative and art style definitely suits the eastern culture more than the western culture
It's not the gamers, it's the media. Most media outlets don't have translators and don't have access to japanese developers.


text:
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (September 10, 2010)—Prepping for a possible third victory in the $250,000 Lady's Secret Stakes on Oct. 2, Zenyatta worked six furlongs in 1:13 1/5 Friday morning at Hollywood Park.
Undefeated in 18 starts for owners Jerry and Ann Moss and trainer John Shirreffs, the 6-year-old Street Cry mare worked with stablemate El Vino and completed the last quarter mile of the drill in 23 3/5, according to Hollywood Park clocker Russ Hudak.
Successful in the Lady's Secret, a Grade I at 1 1/16 miles the last two years at Santa Anita, Zenyatta will seek to defend her title this time at her home track with Hollywood Park playing host for the first time to the Oak Tree meet. The inaugural Oak Tree at Hollywood Park season will begin with the first of three Thursday night programs – 7:05 p.m. post – on Sept. 30.
The Lady's Secret is one of four Grade 1's that will be run on Oct. 2. The others are the $250,000 Norfolk Stakes for 2-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles over Cushion Track, the $250,000 Goodwood Stakes for older horses at 1 1/8 miles over Cushion Track and the $250,000 Yellow Ribbon Stakes for older fillies and mares at 1 1/4 miles on turf.
Each of those events are Breeders' Cup Challenge "Win and You're In'' races. Winners will automatically qualify for corresponding divisional races in the Breeders'Cup, which will be held on Nov. 5-6 at Churchill Downs.
Zenyatta, who has earned seven of her victories at Hollywood Park, is being pointed for the Breeders' Cup Classic on Nov. 6, a race that is scheduled to be her final career start. Zenyatta became the first female to win the Classic with a memorable victory last fall at Santa Anita.
Copyright © 2009-2012, Hollywood Park. All rights reserved. Site design by Love Has No logic Design Group


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First-wave baby boomers will begin turning 67 this year -- and they're STILL imposing their ways on younger people, such as tail-end boomers like me.
Though maybe I'm still upset about the David Cassidy haircut my sisters made me get in 1973.
Like every teen girl then, my sisters were smitten with Cassidy. They exploited my chief insecurity to get me to cut my hair like his.
"If you part your hair down the middle and feather it over the sides, you'll be able to hide your big floppy ears," they said.
And so it was that I would do the unthinkable: I would become the first kid in St. Germaine School to don the Cassidy look.
I pedaled my bike three miles to the unisex hair salon. I approached the salon's owner, a cranky middle-aged woman with a cigarette dangling from her lip, and set a pile of crumpled bills and coins on the counter.
"Make me look like David Cassidy," I said.
She clipped and she cut, she styled and she set. She applied goops and sprays of every kind.
When she finished, she turned the chair around so I could see in the mirror what she had done. I didn't look a whit like David Cassidy.
I looked like Danny Bonaduce.
I pedaled home as fast as I could and I hid in my room the rest of the day. I finally had to come out when my father called me down for supper.
I took my seat to his right. He sensed something was off immediately.
As he washed his burger down with man-sized gulps of Pabst Blue Ribbon, he kept looking over to me.
"What the hell happened to your hair?" he finally said.
"I got it cut."
"But it's parted down the middle."
"Who parts hair down the middle?"
"The unisex hair salon."
"The uni-what?"
"A place that cuts hair for both men and women."
"You went to a lady's hair salon!"
"A unisex salon."
"But your hair is parted down the middle!"
My David Cassidy haircut was as painful for my father as it was for me. Our suffering had a common source: first-wave baby boomers.
Since the first boomer was born in 1946, boomers have been setting the pace. They've foisted their politics, their music and their clothing on younger generations.
Now, as they begin pushing 70, they're foisting all kinds of problems on us.
As millions retire, they will stop contributing to Social Security and begin receiving payments. Our taxes will surely rise to keep their cash flowing.
That's because older boomers have the numbers to demand lots of government goodies from politicians eager to trade taxpayer dough for votes.
Will hair transplants and facelifts be paid for by government-directed healthcare programs?
Though it's not like older boomers are broke. Dow Jones reports that many have amassed a fine nest egg -- which they do not intend to leave for their kids.
Some will sell their suburban homes and flock to resort areas in other countries -- further driving down the value of homes here, while driving up the home values elsewhere.
To be sure, younger generations have spent their lives fighting off the influence and agitation of the older boomers, and we've failed at every turn.
It wasn't until my mid 20s that I finally got rid of my David Cassidy haircut. I told the hairdresser to try something modern and original.
She cut my hair short and slicked it straight back. When she spun my chair around to show me her work, I was horrified by what I saw.
I looked like Eddie Munster.
Tom Purcell is a Pittsburgh Tribune-Review humor columnist. Send comments to Tom at email@example.com.


text:
Leigh Bale grew up in the rural Western United States. As the daughter of a U.S. forest ranger, she saw some of the most beautiful back country in the world. Her parents taught her a deep and abiding love for family, country and God.
As a child of eight years, Leigh started writing plays and made her girlfriends act them out for the entire neighborhood. She has always been a voracious reader with a curious mind. She wrote her first full-length book when she was in middle school, and felt mortified when one of her classmates found and read the story. Years later, she gained the confidence to submit her work to a national publisher.
She has a degree in history and is a member of Phi Kappa Phi honor society, Romance Writers of America, the American Christian Fiction Writers, and the Faith, Hope and Love Chapter of RWA. She has worked for years in the education industry, but nothing is more important to Leigh than her family and the Lord. She is the mother of two adult children and lives in Nevada with her professor husband of twenty-eight years. Her favourite diversions are traveling with her husband, playing with her beautiful granddaughter and spending time with her family.
Leigh is an award-winning author of inspirational romance and she won the prestigious Golden Heart for best Inspirational in 2006. Her debut Love Inspired novel, The Healing Place, was published by Steeple Hill in December 2007. Her second book, The Forever Family, is an August 2009 release. She is currently busy working on her next book for Steeple Hill.


text:
Jamie Baribeau is really excited about this cheese project. As the director of food and nutrition for Brattleboro Memorial Hospital for nearly 28 years, the veteran food industry pro and part-time caterer has seen some great food initiatives over the years, but talking to him, you get the sense that the collaboration between the Vermont Healthcare Nutrition Network and the Jasper Hill Cheese Co. is really special.
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Rachel Abramowitz had a front-page story in the Los Angeles Times this week on the angst among Hollywood actors as they watch more major filmmakers embrace performance-capture techniques and animation approaches. Here's a great follow-up as she talks to Steven Spielberg about the making of "Tintin."
Steven Spielberg says there was only one reason to make his new "The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn" with the cutting-edge performance-capture technology that James Cameron used on "Avatar."
"It was based on my respect for the art of Hergé and wanting to get as close to that art as I could," says the director, referring to Tintin's author-illustrator, who created the international blockbuster graphic novel series (200 million copies in print) starring intrepid cub reporter Tintin, and his irrepressible canine companion, Snowy, as they venture through the pre-WWII world.
"Hergé wrote about fictional people in a real world, not in a fantasy universe," Spielberg said. "It was the real universe he was working with, and he used National Geographic to research his adventure stories. It just seemed that live action would be too stylized for an audience to relate to. You'd have to have costumes that are a little outrageous when you see actors wearing them. The costumes seem to fit better when the medium chosen is a digital one."
"Tintin" stars Jamie Bell ("King Kong") as the title character, Andy Serkis (Gollum in the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy) as his buddy Captain Haddock, and Daniel Craig (Bond, James Bond) as the evil Red Rackham. Produced by Peter Jackson, with the animation done by Jackson's Weta wizards, the film is due in theaters in 2011.
Like Cameron, Spielberg shot the actors on a special performance-capture stage. The performers donned lycra suits, covered in reflective markers, and their every movement was tracked by more than 100 cameras. They also wore a head-rigging with a camera near their jawline that recorded intensely detailed data of their faces — enough detail to avoid the "dead eye" faces that had an unsettling lack of movement or emotion in many previous motion-capture films. Ultimately, all the camera data was fed into a computer to create a 3-D replica of the actor. The digital document of the actor and the performance is so all-enveloping that the director, in this case Spielberg, can go back and change the "camera" movement and orientation long after the actor has left the set.
For the director of such films as "E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial," "Jurassic Park" and "Schindler's List," the new experience was transporting.
"I just adored it," he says. "It made me more like a painter than ever before. I got a chance to do so many jobs that I don't often do as a director. You get to paint with this device that puts you into a virtual world, and allows you to make your shots and block all the actors with a small hand-held device only three times as large as an Xbox game controller."
With that small monitor, Spielberg could look down and watch what the actors were doing — in real time — on a screen that showed them in the film universe. Working on the motion-capture stage — which is called the volume — Spielberg was routinely dazzled by the liberating artistic value of the new science.
"When Captain Haddock runs across the volume, the cameras capture all the information of his physical and emotional moves," the director said. "So as Andy Serkis runs across the stage, there's Captain Haddock on the monitor, in full anime, running along the streets of Belgium. Not only are the actors represented in real time, they enter into a three-dimensional world."
So though Jamie Bell will be digitally made to look exactly like Hergé's classic renderings of Tintin, "it will be Jamie Bell's complete physical and emotional performance," Spielberg said. He added: "If Tintin makes you feel something, it's Jamie Bell's soul you're sensing."
— Rachel Abramowitz
John Dykstra talks about his fav scene in "Star Wars"
Cameron as cinema prophet: 'Moving a mountain is nothing'
"Wonderland" left cinematographer feeling green
Ken Ralston's favorite effects enterprise? It wasn't "Trek"
Stan Winston and the tricky business of Legacy
Photos: Steven Spielberg in 2008. Credit: Bebeto Matthews / Associated Press. John Dykstra on the set of "Star Wars," photo courtesy of Dykstra. Tintin image: Casterman/Le Lombard