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War in Space (US - DVD R1)
Lasers, flying rowboats, and green- faced men. Gabe braves space again...
In the far off year of 1988 (I know, do your best to imagine such an unimaginable distance of time) the planet Venus is very quickly inhabited by a warring race of average-sized green men. Earth is stuck defenceless against the 'Empire of Galaxies' spinning saucer brigade and all major cities are crushed in a fury of laser beams and fire. The planet's only hope is a haggard old man and his interplanetary star fighter, a ship whose construction he'd long since abandoned. When the U.N. finally convinces him to go ahead with the finalization of the project, Professor Takigawa gathers a crack team of scientists, technicians, and marines, including his own daughter and both her suitors, to destroy the alien menace.
Though the title War in Space may sound like a Japanese mistranslation of Star Wars, the two films have little in common, and according to box office accounts War in Space was actually released a few months before George Lucas' space opera smash. Accusing the producers of ripping off Star Wars is like accusing them of being psychic. There's no way they could've known that the modestly budgeted American production would become a worldwide phenomenon. Unfortunately this means the film is not Japan's answer to Italy's Star Crash.
War in Space does derive from similar Saturday Matinee origins, but owes more to the original film version of War of the Worlds than Buck Rogers or Flash Gordon. In fact, it pretty much lifts its first act from H.G. Wells' seminal story, making it a much smaller scaled affair. This lack of scope (silly or not), is ultimately what makes War in Space a scarcely average camp exercise. Had there actually been a war in space, rather than a skirmish on Venus, I may have found more to recommend the film. Unfortunately, the fun bits are a little too far between.
Viewers will instantly recognize the effects work of Toho's period Godzilla wranglers, and for their part the action is fun. There is a lack of man-in-suit action of course (though there is a Wookie looking executor aboard the alien ship), but the micro set explosion over-load is definitely in the same vain as that of the best adventures of our favourite radioactive lizard. It's too bad that models flying around and blowing up gets old as fast as it does. I mean, there is an abundance of mini-pyrotechnics of display here, but most of the time I found myself wishing for a little more, I'm just not 100% sure as to what I wanted more of.
What makes the film affectively charming and entertaining is in its campiness, specifically in the way it takes itself entirely seriously. The alien mother ship looks like a Viking schooner as decorated by your Aunt Alicia. Though the model is a detailed and well-built one, flying shots are incredibly funny looking. The aliens themselves are strictly guys in jump suits and sickly green face paint, with the exception of their leader, who looks like a Roman Empire themed Madre Gras reject. It seems the Toho technicians couldn't be bothered to put effort into the design of the non-miniatures.
When lead characters are blown away the remaining cast mourns them for all of three seconds before moving on, and the deaths themselves might as well come with a checklist. For the most part, none of the U.N. appointed technicians and solders seem to be very competent, even allowing one of the aliens to board their ship and kidnap the skipper's daughter. When a rescue squad is sent in after her, it seems they finally have the situation in hand as they efficiently make quick work of the equally inept aliens, even disposing of the body of a fallen comrade in an efficiently cold matter. This sudden competence is thrown for a loop when one of the rescuers empties his laser gun into an attacker's seemingly indestructible axe rather then the attacker's soft and supple flesh. It is moments like this that make the film worth watching.
Discotek Media has done a fine job of cleaning up what I'm sure was a messy source transfer, and presents War in Space in its original Tohoscope, which is actually closer to 2.40:1 than the box art advertised 2.35:1. There is visual damage, and your basic dirt, track lines, and artefacts are present, but this is still a fine effort. The actual centring of the image seemed to be a tiny bit off, as on my set the frame had a decent strip of black on the far left side (that's viewer's left, not projection left). The colours aren't as vibrant as I might have liked either but I understand that there's really only so much one can do with aged source material.
I should note that the Discotek website states that some of the War in Space discs suffer from an interlacing problem. If readers happen upon a damaged copy they can exchange it through the official Discotek Media website
Usually I'm not a fan of artificial 5.1 mixes, but when one considers that Discotek was working from a Mono source, you've got to be at least a little impressed with their work. Though the 5.1 Dolby Digital Japanese track isn't exactly what I'd call lively, it still manages to add some punch to the action and music. The dialogue track also sounds noticeably better on the 5.1 track. The Mono Japanese track is really for the purists only, and wasn't as nurtured as the new surround track.
Unfortunately, for all the work the producers put into the Japanese track, I have to confess that I watched most of the movie with the Mono English dub. I honestly enjoy B-movies such as this more with bad dubbing, it's a personal thing. The English track was unfortunately quiet, but there were no pops or distortions I noticed. The inclusion of this track insures that everybody is happy, the purists, the tech-heads, and the camp-eaters.
The real meat of the special features is, like every Discotek release I've reviewed so far, in the booklet. Here readers will find some design and poster art, along with a nice summing up of the film's history (though one written in an incredibly small font). The sides are a trailer and brief chat with the aging effects specialist, both worthy, if not exactly incendiary inclusions.
If you have patients for long, expositional speeches, and a blindingly silly plot, and you have a love for low-fi model work, I can readily recommend this film. It's not the best of its kind, and I was admittedly disappointed despite my overall approval. There simply isn't enough here to hold the interest of casual genre viewers, and the lack of men-in-suits is a little disconcerting. The disc is about as high class as one should expect, including a clear, widescreen transfer, and three differing audio selections.
Review by Gabriel Powers
Simon Abrams Member Join Date: June 2005 Location: United States Posts: 710
Seems like fun.
tanviper Member Join Date: July 2004 Location: United States Posts: 338
Worst Nightmare Senior Member Join Date: July 2002 Location: Australia Posts: 6,716
Gabe, sometimes you get the good ones! I was known as the B movie king a while a go (when I was a young lad) and used to get lots of little obscure movies that many a person liked in a strange sort of way.
Missed out on this one though! Great review man
Missed out on this one though! Great review man
Gabe Powers Editor Join Date: September 2004 Location: United States Posts: 4,719
It's funny you say that, because this one just showed up in my mailbox with absolutely zero warning. I ask for most the titles I get, but this was an exception.
This product has not been rated
Disc Details
Release Date: 25th April 2006
Discs: 1
Disc Type: Single side, dual layer
RCE: No
Video: NTSC
Aspect: 2.40:1
Anamorphic: Yes
Colour: Yes
Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1 Japanese, Dolby Digital Mono Japanese, Dolby Digital Mono English
Subtitles: English
Extras: Trailers, Stills and Production Art, Interview with Effects Director
Easter Egg: No
Feature Details
Director: Jun Fukuda
Cast: Kensaku Morita, Yûko Asano, Ryo Ikebe, Masaya Oki, Hiroshi Miyauchi
Genre: Fantasy
Length: 90 minutes
6Review Guide
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subset: commoncrawl


text: Adventure: Story Story Posted 06-13-2014 Destination Alaska Part II: A 66-Day Trek to the Last Frontier Oh, Canada! Heading Northwest Tunnel Mountains, Banff By: Sheryl Gallup This is Part II of an eleven-part series Click here for Part I Monday, June 10, 2013 When Woodzjoe and I woke up today, there was still a chill in the air from the cold, blustery night we had. It was difficult to crawl out of a warm bed into a cold trailer, so we sacrificed some battery time to run the furnace just long enough to take away the chill. I checked e-mail, did some office work, and got back on the road by 10:00a.m. Our plan for today was to drive around Banff National Park and do some sightseeing. Yes, the Rockies are beautiful and the landscape is breathtaking, but the wildlife intrigued us the most. All of the animals were scurrying about. The first thing we saw was a huge bull elk with an impressive rack in velvet. He munched on his breakfast of grass by the roadside and ignored all of the tourists who stopped to take pictures. Stone Sheep at Banff As we drove through the park, more elk greeted us from the roadsides, as did some mule deer. Later in the day we climbed up a switchback mountainside and saw what appeared to be a wall across the road. As we got closer, we realized the "wall" was a very large herd of stone sheep. The sheep spanned all across the mountain pass and nothing was going to make them move. We inched closer to them, but they held their ground. One of the larger sheep even stared us down as if he was daring us to move one more inch. In situations like this, it is best to know when to hold your own and when to back off. The sheep won. We put the truck in park, turned off the engine and got out the cameras. Banff Mountains The rest of the day we focused on our domestic responsibilities of getting gas, doing laundry, having lunch, and finding an electrical cord and a water hose for the trailer. Tuesday, June 11, 2013 Today we have electricity, all thanks to a little RV shop in Calgary. We drove more than two hours just to locate a power cord for our trailer. Fortunately, we found a place that carried one and then we got back on the road to our campsite in Banff. We took advantage of the quiet day to relax at camp and catch up on correspondence.Even though it had only been about a week, Woodzjoe and I both felt road weary. We both hoped to find a routine our bodies could adjust to,but we hadn't found one yet.The fact that the sun is up for almost 24 hours, makes it difficult for us to sleep at night when we feel like we should still play. Banff Campground at Tunnel Village As we sailed our way to Calgary, the main thing we saw was the scenery from the bug-splattered truck windows. We did, however, get a chance to see the bobsled run and ski jump used in the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics. Wednesday, June 12, 2013 Woodzjoe and I left Banff this morning eager to hit yet another one of Canada's magnificent National Parks. We drove north, along the Icefields Parkway and headed for Jasper National Park. As a Minnesota resident, honestly, the last thing I really wanted to see was more snow. But, admittedly, the snow-capped mountains are exceptionally beautiful. The glaciers were particularly impressive. As we winded our way through the mountain passes, we gasped at the magnitude of these mountains and wondered just how much wildlife was hidden among the pines. The Icefields are truly beautiful. Our favorite stop along the way was the Icefield Centre, about halfway between Banff and Jasper. From that vantage point, you could see a number of glaciers, including Columbia and Athabasca. We watched as tour buses took the pass up the mountain to give eager tourists an up-close view of the glaciers. Through our binoculars, we could see groups of people walking on the Icefield; it looked like ants walking across a sea of white. Since I am not an adventurous soul, as you already know, we opted to pass on the Icefields tour and instead stay on dry land. Columbia Glacier and Icefields Explorer Only eleven days into our trip and I have already had many moments of sheer panic as we drove through the mountain passes. Most of the time, I am proud of myself for keeping it all together, but on numerous occasions I have had moments where I have resisted the temptation to yell out, "OMG, we are all going to fall off this mountain and die!" The vistas almost always seem to be on a curve, with a little bitty guardrail to keep us from plunging to our death. When nausea sets in, I know that it's best if I close my eyes, grasp firmly with both hands onto my seat belt, and wait for my cue from Woodzjoe, "It's safe to open your eyes now."I'm gratefulhe always keeps his eyes open when driving. Lake Louise National Park Also, during the day we stopped at Lake Louise to take in the beauty of the lake. Yes, there is a great big famous hotel there, but it paled in comparison to the turquoise water of Lake Louise;it was breathtaking. Several days ago, when viewing turquoise waters at Banff National Park, I found myself wondering what made the water that gorgeous color. I learned that the meltwaters from six glaciers feed into Lake Louise. As the glaciers grind away on rock, which contain ores and minerals, it turns them into a fine powder called "rock flour."Meltwater then brings this powder into the lake. The silty water absorbs all colors of incoming light, except the striking turquoise and vivid blue that reflects back to our eyes. I knew that science had to have some handiwork here. We ended our day in Jasper and stayed at a very nice campground called "Whistler's," which is a national park campground. We hooked up our trailer to the utilities and set up camp, we saw two elk grazing very near us – splendid creatures. Wildlife Bridge Animal observation:Dismal start with just one Canadian Nutcracker, a couple more Magpies, and a striped gopher. Then, praise be, we saw a small herd of mountain goats on the Icefields Parkway, and ended the day with the two elk. I wanted to add this picture since I have been so impressed by these walkways. These bridges are built so that wildlife can safely cross the highway, which makes it safer for them and for motorists. I find it quite heart-warming that Canadians have such a strong commitment to their wildlife. Happy Trails, Woodchick Thursday, June 13, 2013 We spent our second day in Jasper because we got to camp too late the day before to see much of the town. I was actually impressed with Jasper. It has that same quaint and charming feeling that we found in Banff, but Jasper is far less congested and far fewer tourists. Banff had a beautiful backdrop, but it was overrun with tourists walking, biking and generally clogging up roadways with every turn. Jasper too had a beautiful backdrop, some great little shops, and some interesting history – with far fewer tourists. Woodzjoe and I made our first stop this morning the Jasper-Yellowhead Museum in downtown Jasper. It provided some interesting tales of how the land was first settled by aboriginal people, then fur trappers, then the railroads. We enjoyed the museum and the pleasant walk to get there. We had lunch at a charming little restaurant on the main strip of downtown Jasper and it was nice to just sit and take a breather. Maligne Canyon From Jasper, we decided to motor along the Maligne Valley and stopped at Maligne Canyon which is the deepest canyon in the Canadian Rockies. It was an interesting place and had six bridges in which to view the Maligne River as it roared through the canyon. The interpretive signs provided a nice education on the theory behind how the canyon was carved out. Apparently, it is believed that Maligne Canyon is actually a cave without a roof. Early glaciers sheared off the top of the cave and filled with glacier water. The Maligne River flows to Maligne Lake and then onto Medicine Lake. The interesting thing about that lake is that it doesn't have a visible outlet. Meaning, there's a hole in the bottom and the water flows through that to Maligne Canyon. That's why later in the year there is no water in the lake, because the melt water only flows down into it in the spring and summer. Medicine Lake On our way out of the Maligne Valley we saw a bunch of cars pulled over on both sides of the narrow road and we knew some wildlife action was happening.Sure enough, two big black bears were grazing just off the road. There were about eight cars and a tour bus completely blocking the road. One car was parked in the middle of the road so no one could get through. At least a dozen people were out of their cars snapping pictures. Several were less than 12 feet from the bears. I bet the bears were thinking, "Yum, tourist meat!" Friday, June 14, 2013 What a rude awakening this morning! Something, not sure if it was big or small, was rattling at the door of our camper. It was 5:30 a.m. and oh, how I wanted to sleep even just an hour later. Woodzjoe was snoring away, so I shook him until he woke up and I pointed to the door. The look of terror on my face was a shot of adrenaline for him too, and we both bolted to the window to see what was out there. Of course, with all the scurrying around and shaking of the trailer, we scared whatever four-legged creature was out there away. That sort of angered me, because I wanted to at least see what beast had disturbed my slumber. Woodzjoe and I have totally different viewpoints on what the beast actually was. Even though he heard the rattling at the door too, he thinks it was small. Now me, drama queen extraordinaire, I think it was big.I think it was either a bear or an elk. The campground in Jasper National Park has a resident elk herd and we saw them walking around campsites the two days we were there. My theory is arguably a good one. I believe that it was a big beast licking bacon grease off the door handle, since we had made bacon outside on the grill earlier in the day, and no doubt our greasy hands left some smell on the door handle. Now, you tell me, which theory is best?Bacon grease attracting a bear, or Woodzjoe and his theory that it was probably the wind or a squirrel? I strongly believe I won this one. We departed Jasper early and headed north.We drove to Hinton, Alberta, because I had an opportunity to interview a gun shop owner there for an article that I will be writing for a friend of mine who owns a website with a large audience of gun enthusiasts.It was a great interview and it gave us a chance to look at some outdoor gear and some fantastic taxidermy mounts. From Hinton, we headed along highway 40, Alaska Scenic Highway. It was beautiful country, and far different than the mountains we had been driving in for a week. The area was very hilly, and was a patchwork quilt of vibrant shades of green. The area is active with mining and forestry, and we came across more logging trucks than we would have liked. But, the drive, even in the pouring rain was beautiful. We stopped to stretch our legs and grab some lunch in Grand Cache. The town is built on the side of a mountain and overlooks three river valleys and 20 other mountains. We stopped at the Tourism & Interpretative Centre and they had some interesting artifacts, fossils, and taxidermy. They really appeared to have some interesting natural wonders too, but we wimped out due to the rain and decided to keep heading north. Muskeg Ranger Station We did snap a picture of one of the historical buildings they had there. This photo is of the Muskeg Ranger Station built in 1942 by Ranger Charlie Chapman in Muskeg which is about 30 kilometers south of Grand Cache. I took the picture mostly because it was quaint. We drove through the rain eager to get to Grand Prairie where we are camped tonight. I have only myself to blame for this horrific campground. I was so eager to stop travel for the day and I was intrigued by the Milepost write-up of this campsite because it has Wi-Fi,so I alone selected it.I do not recommend this campground to anyone unless you want to park next to a roaring highway, in the mud and level a trailer on a hill. To make matters worse, our site is the first one in, right next to the residence of the owner.By the way, the Wi-Fi only works when it darn well feels like it. What this town does have are two RV stores and some hardware stores. Good thing too, because in the morning we are going to stop and pick up a few parts that seem to have either broken or were road-rattled off on our adventure. The folding steps on the trailer broke and are now missing a bolt. Ironically, these are the same steps that the beast must have stood on to lick the door handle. Coincidence? I think not! Saturday, June 15, 2013 We were very glad to leave the RV Park in Grande Prairie this morning. Our neighbors in the campsite less than eight feet from ours, rudely decided to start chopping wood at 11:00 p.m. then decided to throw a party until 1:00 a.m. We decided to leave early and started hitching and packing up by 7:00 a.m. On our way out of town, we stopped for my third interview for the article that I am writing for the firearm-focused website. Barton's Big Country Outdoors in Grande Prairie is an amazing outdoor shop and had an impressive gun counter. We talked to two guys behind the gun counter and enjoyed hearing about how gun laws are so much different in Canada than in the U.S. They also carried a lot of hunting accessory brands that I am familiar with and it was surprising to see how stocked the store was with ammo. No shortage there! We left Grande Prairie and headed northwest. We landed in Dawson Creek early in the afternoon and were delighted to see what a cute town it was – not too small, not too big –and the people are friendly and some interesting little shops curbed our curiosity. We walked around town a little and ran some errands. Woodzjoe at Milepost "0" official start of the Alaska Highway Dawson Creek is known for being Milepost "0" and is the official start of the Alaskan Highway.We found it interesting that the mile marker isn't at a roadside rest in a pullout and it isn't at city hall, instead they built the monument right smack-dab in the middle of an intersection so that everyone must drive around it. We left Dawson Creek, and based on the advice of the women at the salon while getting my nails done, we decided to try out the campground they recommended. It was less than 30 minutes from Dawson Creek and is called Kiskatinaw Provincial Park. It is primitive, with no running water or electricity, but it was such a relief to get out of the concrete RV parks and just enjoy something peaceful and scenic. The park is located next to a very cool old timber bridge. The bridge over the Kiskatinaw River is the only remaining all timber bridge along the Alaska Highway that is still in use today. Two things about the bridge though. First, it is on the old Alaska Highway, and second, the 531-foot bridge is curved, not straight. Like I said, it is very cool. Kiskatinaw Curved Bridge, British Columbia First thing we did after we set up camp, is walk down and look at the river. It is a very muddy river, and we were intrigued by all the bear tracks we saw in the mud along the shore. Later that evening, the park ranger stopped by and informed us that what we thought were bear tracks were actually cougar tracks. Not sure why, but I found it far less unsettling when I thought they were bear tracks. Tomorrow we will hit the road again and head further northwest.We can almost "smell" Alaska we are getting so close. Sunday, June 16, 2013 We enjoyed our stay at Kiskatinaw Provincial Park and even considered staying an extra day, but we were eager to move onto the next destination so we packed up and headed out. Our first stop this morning was the much dreaded laundry chore. No one likes sitting in a smelly old Laundromat, not to mention it took a few hours out of our day and put us behind schedule. We had planned to spend the night at a campground at Pink Mountain, Milepost 143. But, when we got there, the campsites were all taken, so we drudged on. The road we traveled on had some extremely steep hills and there were signs advising trucks to do a brake check. I have learned from the early part of our journey that places like that generally have what is referred to as a runaway lane, just in case your brakes go out while going downhill. Today, no such runaway lanes existed. The inclines were so steep and curved, that Woodzjoe started calling these "no look zones."He is, of course, referring to me, and not himself. If he didn't look it would obviously have deadly circumstances. I am so thankful he understands that I can't participate in some of the vistas out of sheer terror. So I close my eyes, grip onto my seat belt, take slow, deep breaths and wait for him to pronounce "all clear". What a guy! Campsite at Sikinni Campground Shortly after the treacherous trip down the mountainside, we found a campground at a place called Sikinni Chief.The campground was small, but it was right on the Sikinni River and we were lucky enough to get one of the sites on the shore of the river. After we set up camp, we were actually grateful that Pink Mountain was full, because we like this spot so much better. My biggest challenge since we entered Canada is cell phone service.I purchased a very expensive data and voice plan through my cell phone provider, and was naïve in believing that this, combined with my hotspot would keep me connected most of the time. In actuality, I am more often unconnected from my life. This would probably be a good thing, if only I wasn't trying to run a business from the road. We have been so far out into the wild for days that I wouldn't be surprised if you can see "crop circles" from the air. Monday, June 17, 2013 Today was a travel day, not a long one, but definitely a remote one. For well over an hour or two, we didn't see a house, barn, or gas station. What we did see were thousands of acres of trees and grass. I felt so calm and relaxed that I fell asleep in the truck with the sun streaming in keeping me toasty warm. At one point I woke up just in time to see a steep grade sign up ahead, and what the Canadian's refer to as a "Slide Area." Comforting, eh? At Milepost 275 we did get an opportunity to see a cow moose, and with her she had two young calves. It seemed uncommon to us that a cow moose would have twins, so I did some research and apparently, it is more common when the human populations are less dense. Wild things in wild places! We saw a few buildings in our three-hour drive today, but really not much until we reached our day's end destination of Ft. Nelson. We found a campsite right away in Ft. Nelson, B.C., and promptly set up camp so that I could open the "office" for business. After not having access for a couple days to either cell phone or internet, I really needed to connect. Our campsite is called the Triple G and it is right alongside the Alaska Highway. Not the greatest of campgrounds, but it is full service and has Wi-Fi, which works … occasionally. At the end of the day, we decided to run our domestic chores – get groceries and find a drug store. We had a little dinner and pretty much called it a day. Tomorrow we plan to tour the Ft. Nelson Heritage Museum. It looks rather intriguing, at least from the outside. Editor's Note: Part Three will be published on Friday, June 20. Share This Story Next From Story Bad Cat: Girl Rescued from Jaws of Mountain Lion Related Adventure : Posted 06-06-2014 Destination Alaska Part I: A 66-Day Trek to the Last Frontier View Comments Categories News Stories Recipes Tips Gear Videos Photo Galleries Viewer Photo Galleries Features Behind the Badge with Carlos Gomez Adventure Check Out All The Photos Explore the United States. Find information about and activities within your state. Get Started


text:
Linked by Thom Holwerda on Thu 31st May 2007 21:08 UTC
"If you use a traditional desktop like GNOME or KDE, a keyboard-controlled desktop with a minimum of utilities may seem like stepping back 10 or 15 years in the history of interface design. Why bother, when traditional desktops are easy to use and RAM and disk space are so cheap nowadays?" On a related note, there is a new release of xmonad, a tiling window manager for X, written in Haskell. It now has full Xinerama and XRandR support, so you can add, remove, or rotate monitors on the fly.
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RE[2]: Keyboard == awesome
by soapdog on Fri 1st Jun 2007 13:28 UTC in reply to "RE: Keyboard == awesome"


text:
Obama proposes ban on assault weapons, other measuresBy Anita Kumar
McClatchy Newspapers
January 16. 2013 3:08PM
WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama proposed a broad package Wednesday designed to curb gun violence, including a ban on assault weapons, limits on ammunition magazines to 10 rounds, required background checks on all gun purchases and stiff new penalties for those who buy guns from unlicensed dealers.
He sent proposed legislation to Congress aimed at taking guns out of the hands of those who should not have them, getting "weapons of war" off the street, making schools safer and offering more mental health services.
Obama also signed 23 executive actions that do not need congressional approval. The executive actions include making it easier for federal and state agencies to make data available to the national background check system; launching a national campaign for safe and responsible gun ownership; reviewing safety standards for gun locks and gun safes; and nominating a director for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
In addition, he called for the training more law enforcement officers and implementing tougher enforcement and prosecution of existing laws. A senior administration official said the executive actions "are not a substitute for legislation action." The president wants to hire 1,000 new resource officers and counselors for schools and spend $10 million to research violence in the media.
Obama's proposal _ the most aggressive gun-control plan in generations _ comes one month after a mass shooting at an elementary school in Newtown, Conn., left 26 people, including 20 young children, dead.
The new proposals will cost an estimated $500 million, but White House officials said they do not know how many lives would be saved if they were enacted.
The announcement set off a fierce debate on Capitol Hill, where Republicans and some Democrats oppose changes they fear would chip away at American's Second Amendment right to bear arms. Some bills may not even get to a vote in the Republican-run House of Representatives. The Senate is expected to begin debate as soon as next week.
The president was joined at the midday event at the White House complex by Vice President Joe Biden, children who wrote to him after the shooting, gun control activists and lawmakers.
The proposals came after the administration, led by Biden, spent a month speaking to more than 200 organizations, including gun-control groups, gun owners, religious leaders, law enforcement organizations, the medical community and child advocacy groups.
The United States has more firearms than other nation in the world, 270 million, according to the international Small Arms Survey, an independent research project at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva.
Background checks to purchase firearms soared in the days after the Newtown shooting after potential buyers became worried about new restrictions.
Late Tuesday, the National Rifle Association released a video calling Obama an "elitist hypocrite" for not endorsing a proposal to install armed guards in all schools while his own children are protected by armed Secret Service agents at their school.
"Are the president's kids more important than yours?" the narrator asks. "Then why is he skeptical about putting armed security in our schools when his kids are protected by armed guards at their school? Mr. Obama demands the wealthy pay their fair share of taxes, but he's just another elitist hypocrite when it comes to a fair share of security."
Obama is likely to try to urge Congress to pass legislative by staging a public relations blitz, as he has done in recent months.
"I know that the president believes and has learned over the course of his first term that it is vitally important when trying to move forward on an agenda that is both necessary and enjoys popular support that we engage the public, White House spokesman Jay Carney said. "And that's an approach he's taken for some time now, and I think, broadly speaking, it's an approach he'll continue to take."


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May 18, 2007
For information about local HIV Vaccine Awareness Day events in the New York, NY area, visit www3.niaid.nih.gov/news/events/HVAD/. For more information about the "Be The Generation" HIV vaccine education initiative or HIV vaccine research, visit www.bethegeneration.org, or call 1-800-HIV-0440 (bilingual English/Spanish).
Visit NIH Radio (www.nih.gov/news/radio) to hear an interview with Dr. Fauci on "NIH to Mark 10th Annual HIV Vaccine Awareness Day."
These clinical trials, as well as efforts to design the next generation of candidate vaccines, are essential to developing a safe and effective vaccine to help eradicate the modern-day plague of HIV/AIDS. The urgency of finding a safe and effective HIV vaccine is underscored by sobering statistics: Forty million people are currently living with HIV infection. Every day, another 11,000 individuals become infected with HIV, most of whom live in resource-poor countries. Last year alone, it is estimated that more than 40,000 individuals in the United States were infected with HIV. In this country, available data indicate that approximately two-thirds of new HIV diagnoses occur among African Americans and Hispanics, and more than one-quarter of new HIV diagnoses are in women.
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) of the National Institutes of Health initiated the first HIV vaccine trial in Bethesda, Maryland, in 1987. Since then, the Institute has worked with its partners to conduct a variety of vaccine clinical trials that have enrolled more than 26,000 volunteers. In the coming years, several major trials testing different vaccine candidates and approaches will be completed. Results of two ongoing efficacy trials -- a large-scale 16,000-person trial in Thailand and a smaller 3,000-person trial in North America, South America, the Caribbean and Australia -- are expected in the next two years. Results of another 3,000-person trial in South Africa will follow. Later this year, we hope to launch an 8,500-person trial in the United States, Latin America, the Caribbean and Sub-Saharan Africa. Although none of these trials is expected to lead immediately to a licensed vaccine, each study adds to the body of knowledge that helps shape future vaccine efforts.
Developing an effective vaccine depends upon collaboration among academic, private sector and government researchers, non-governmental organizations, and thousands of volunteers who are committed to the fight against AIDS. NIAID works closely with such organizations as the NIAID HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN), the U.S. Military HIV Research Program, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Agency for International Development, the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, the AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and others within and outside the United States.
Local communities play a key role in HIV vaccine research. NIAID and the HVTN partner with community-based organizations in areas where clinical trials are under way or planned, to educate their communities about HIV vaccine development and help dispel myths about HIV vaccine research.
Today, we urge all Americans to show support for HIV vaccine research. You can take action by simply learning more about HIV vaccine research, by participating in community events being held across the United States, or by volunteering in a HIV vaccine clinical trial.
On HIV Vaccine Awareness Day, we also express our sincere gratitude to the thousands of volunteers, community members, health professionals and scientists involved in HIV vaccine research. Only through their collective and continued participation will an HIV vaccine become a reality. A vaccine is our best hope for controlling and eventually ending the AIDS pandemic in the United States and around the world.
Margaret I. Johnston, Ph.D., is director of the Vaccine Research Program, Division of AIDS, NIAID. Gary J. Nabel, M.D., Ph.D., is director of the Dale and Betty Bumpers Vaccine Research Center, NIAID. Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., is director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health.
The content on this page is free of advertiser influence and was produced by our editorial team. See our content and advertising policies.


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Iowa St.-Tulsa Preview
Tulsa has a chance to match its single-season wins record when
it makes its eighth bowl appearance in 10 years. The Golden
Hurricane's upcoming opponent, however, could make that very
Iowa State beat the eventual Conference USA champions in this
season's opener and heads into the Liberty Bowl on Monday motivated
to finish with a winning record for the first time in three
Tulsa (10-3) won 11 games for the only time in program history
in 2008, but it gave itself an opportunity to tie that mark with an
overtime victory over Central Florida in the conference title game
Dec. 1. Alex Singleton's school-record 41st career touchdown, a
1-yard dive, gave the Golden Hurricane their first C-USA
championship since they won the inaugural game in 2005.
"It certainly gives you momentum. You want to go into bowl
season with a win," coach Bill Blankenship said. "We're excited to
be going to Memphis. That's big time."
A rematch with Iowa State may also be appealing after the
Cyclones (6-6) rallied from an early deficit for a 38-23 home win
over Tulsa on Sept. 1.
The Golden Hurricane led 16-7 after the opening quarter of that
game but Iowa State took command by scoring the next 24 points.
Shontrelle Johnson ran for a career-high 120 yards and a touchdown
in that victory while Steele Jantz passed for two TDs.
Johnson, though, didn't gain more than 73 yards in any of his
next 11 games and is out for this one after injuring his right knee
in a practice earlier this month.
Jantz, meanwhile, was replaced by freshman Sam Richardson during
a 51-23 victory at Kansas on Nov. 17, which made Iowa State bowl
eligible for the third time in coach Paul Rhoads' four seasons.
The Cyclones defeated Minnesota in the 2009 Insight Bowl to
finish 7-6. They were 6-7 last season after losing to Rutgers in
the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium.
"This is a football team that's been very driven. We've had zero
motivational problems in all 12 weeks," Rhoads said. "Their
reaction to this bowl bid and the opportunity to play Tulsa was
ecstatic. They're excited to be playing football in December.
"The expectations in this program from day one are to win bowl
Iowa State, though, doesn't head into this bowl game with much
momentum, having lost five of seven after a 4-1 start that included
an upset at then-No. 15 TCU on Oct. 6.
After going 23 of 27 for 250 yards and four touchdowns against
Kansas, Richardson completed only 13 of 31 passes for 162 yards –
in part to due to blustery conditions – in a 31-24 loss to West
Virginia on Nov. 23, although he did connect on three TDs and run
for 119 yards.
Tulsa junior quarterback Cody Green, a transfer from Nebraska,
has nine of his 20 total touchdowns over the last four games, and
the Golden Hurricane also feature a trio of potent running
Singleton, Trey Watts and Ja'Terian Douglas each have topped 760
yards this season for one of the nation's top ground attacks (240.2
yards per game). Watts has a team-best 959 yards and Douglas has
857, while Singleton has scored 22 touchdowns.
Iowa State likely won't have three-time All-Big 12 linebacker
and captain Jake Knott to help stop those runners as he's
recovering from shoulder surgery.
The Cyclones have the 113th-ranked pass defense in the FBS,
allowing 279.7 yards per game, but they held Tulsa to 198 and
intercepted two of Green's 49 attempts.
Iowa State will try to force some more turnovers while earning
its third win in five bowl games. The Cyclones are 3-8 all-time in
the postseason, including a 31-30 loss to Georgia Tech in the 1972
Liberty Bowl.
Tulsa had a three-game bowl win streak snapped last year with a
24-21 defeat to BYU in the Armed Forces Bowl. After winning the
C-USA title in 2005, the Golden Hurricane defeated Fresno State
31-24 in the Liberty Bowl.


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Kennedy Auto Co. has about 600 cars in the salvage yard at any one time. And the most valuable parts — rare car engines, radiators, intact front ends, pickup beds — are pulled from the wrecks and warehoused.
Choose the plan that's right for you. Digital access or digital and print delivery.


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With so many titles to choose from, Netflix Instant's library can be overwhelming. So we bring you this biweekly column as a tool to cut through the clutter by highlighting some now streaming titles that pair well with the latest theatrical releases.
Looking to Elysium, Kick-Ass 2, and Lee Daniels' The Butler for inspiration, we've pulled together a selection of dystopian science fiction, dark superhero stories, and docudramas that chronicle major moments in U.S. history.
As follow-up to his critically heralded District 9, writer-director Neill Blomkamp presents a story of class struggle set in 2154. Elysium is a space station that houses Earth's wealthiest citizens in an ever-lovely manufactured environment free of crime and disease. On their home planet below, the poor and sick scrape by with big dreams of escape. But this class separation may be shattered when one scrappy have-not straps on a superhuman exoskeleton and aims to take Elysium down. Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, and Sharlto Copley co-star; Blomkamp directs. (Read our full review here.)
Science fiction is a genre that often warns us of the ills in society's present that could lead to horrific futures. Will we force children to murder each other for our amusement? Will emotions become criminal? Or will the rise of the machines push humanity into debauched chaos? Find out with these three dystopian dramas.
The Hunger Games (2012) Based on the best-selling YA novel by Suzanne Collins, this teen-centered adventure follows young Katniss Everdeen, a impoverished girl sent to fight in a cruel child competition set up by a tyrannical government. To survive, she must be the last one standing, but can she strike down the sweet boy who once saved her family from starvation? Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, and Woody Harrelson star; Gary Ross directs.
Equilibrium (2002) Christian Bale fronts this thriller that has him playing a trench-coat wearing cop in a fascist future where emotions are outlawed, a ruling enforced but subduing the populace with a mood-dulling drug. But when this law enforcer skips a dose of his prescribed mood meds, he awakes with feelings he refuses to give up. And so becomes a threat to this stoic society. Emily Watson and Taye Diggs co-star; Kurt Wimmer directs.
Metropolis Restored (1927) Arguably the most iconic dystopian drama ever made, Metropolis is set in the not-so-distant future of 2026 where the wealth disparity has become so extreme that poor live underground while the wealthy enjoy the jaunty splendor of the surface world. But when one rich man falls for a humble have-not girl, he decides to lead the charge to social revolt! Will his efforts be undone by a chaos-spurring robot who dances with fiery abandon? Note: this version is a recently restored edition that contains the most original footage since the film toured the world in 1928. Brigitte Helm, Joh Fredersen, and Gustav Frohlich star; Fritz Lang directs.


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Next: Xselect's files Up: Data Entry Previous: Obscats
After all this, if you want to read in data without the aid of a catalogue, there is the command
xsel > read event filename
If no data directory has been set you will be prompted for one. You can enter the files by hand on the command line, or dump their names to a file, say file.lis, and give @file.lis as the filename to the read command:
xsel > read event "@file.lis"
The double quotes are necessary to keep XPI from expanding file.lis onto the command line (q.v. @ in XPI section).
There are several other functions which give more information about the data. To view the contents of the Event, or GTI files that have been entered, use the command
xsel > show event,gti
To see a list of the data read in, use the command
xsel > show data
To view the contents of the work or data directories, use the commands
xsel > list workdirectory
xsel > list datadirectory
Finally, to clear the data use
xsel > clear data
Next: Xselect's files Up: Data Entry Previous: Obscats Keith Arnaud
HEASARC Home | Observatories | Archive | Calibration | Software | Tools | Students/Teachers/Public
Last modified: Monday, 19-Mar-2012 14:16:44 EDT


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BRIDPORT — Addison Central Supervisory Union Superintendent Gail Conley has decided to close Bridport Central School for the remainder of this week after most of the student body and several adults contracted a mysterious stomach ailment on Tuesday, March 6, and Wednesday, March 7.
Conley said roughly 75 percent of the school's 80 students did not show up for class on the morning of Wednesday, March 6, after complaining of a stomach bug. More children became ill during the course of the day, prompting school officials to send those students home. By day's end, 90 percent of the students were home sick, according to Conley.
This resulted in Conley cancelling classes for the balance of the week while contacting Vermont Department of Health officials to check out the building and determine if the illness might have been caused by food or environmental conditions within the school. Meanwhile, he said surfaces will be wiped down with disinfectants so that the building will be ready for students' return on Monday, March 11.
Conley said the rash of illnesses was reported only at the Bridport school.


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Dr. Hong's talk will discuss the common misconception in U.S. popular culture that Asian Americans are not funny, unless theyre being made fun of for their physical, cultural, and social difference. Asian American comedy and humor employ the very same mediums that have historically been used to exclude and mark Asian Americans as the racial other, in order to destabilize prevalent images of Asian Americans as the yellow peril, the perpetual foreigner, and the model minority. Through examining the past, present, and future of Asian American comedy and humor, it discusses how Asian American comedic tradition challenges stereotypes and fixed notions of race, gender, sexuality, and class.
Caroline Kyungah Hong is Assistant Professor of English at Queens College CUNY. Her research interests include Asian American studies, comedy and humor, ethnic studies, women writers of color, gender and sexuality studies, race and popular culture (especially film, TV, and comics/graphic narratives), and American studies.


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How Artists Have Responded to the Tragedy in Orlando
Artsy Editorial
Please be advised that the shipping of this work will occur after the exhibition closes by December 2018.
Signature: Initialed and dated lower right verso
Working primarily in sculpture and installation, E.V. Day explores sexuality and popular culture through a feminist lens, upending symbols of the feminine ideal. In her series of mummified Barbie dolls, Day presented the iconic female figurines encased in materials such as beeswax and silver, which she described as transforming "a sexual or feminized trope into a statement of power and independence." During a residency at Claude Monet's garden in Giverny, France in 2010, Day produced prints of flowers that were clipped, pressed in a microwave, scanned digitally, and magnified to 18 times their original size. She then manipulated their forms by mirroring half of each image so that the flowers appear perfectly symmetrical. Through this process, Day removed the suggestion of femininity and organic sexuality that flowers are often associated with, instead presenting images that recall religious iconography—mandalas, shivas, and chalices.
American, b. 1967, New York, New York, based in New York, New York


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While the Bruins were completely off Wednesday– no game and no practice — they still made news, even if Wes Welker and the new pope buried them on the airwaves.
Center Chris Kelly, who collided awkwardly with Ottawa's Chris Neil Monday night and missed Boston's loss in Pittsburgh Tuesday, was diagnosed with a broken left tibia.
General manager Peter Chiarelli had said on the radio Wednesday morning that he didn't think there was damage to Kelly's knee. So he was right. The Bruins declared Kelly out indefinitely, so you have to figure he's at least done for the remainder of the regular season.
There are several options for Chiarelli to fill in Kelly's spot going forward. But three weeks from the trade deadline, it's too early to panic. That's what I wrote about for CBSBostonSports.com last night.
•The Bruins host Florida at TD Garden Thursday night. The Panthers are last in the Eastern Conference and have lost four in a row.


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Quote from Sliding Glass Patio Doors Beautifying Home Inside and Out :
Why sliding glass patio doors? Well, glass patio doors may come in various designs, such as the fold one. However, we find the sliding glass ones are much more practical and convenient to use. It is because of how you will only need to slide the doors when you want to extend your living room to, let's say, garden patio or home balcony outdoors. Apart from that, even if you only have small outdoor room right next to your living area, such as a small balcony, sliding patio doors will not consume more rooms.
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Copyright © 2013 · Home Design Ideas. All Wrong Reserved.
Any content, trademark/s, or other material that might be found on this site that is not this site property remains the copyright of its respective owner/s. In no way does Badris claim ownership or responsibility for such items, and you should seek legal consent for any use of such materials from its owner.


text:
All Things Steam Press Related
Buying a Ironing Press! steam press reviews, compare steam press prices. Steam ironing press advice. Buy steam press parts and get related advice.
This page contains information on most aspects of ironing presses by an engineer with 30 years experience in the trade.
Steam Press Spares
Understand the important difference between genuine and non-genuine parts. How to buy the right ironing press part, including what information you need from the steam press itself, and where to find it. Buying Mega press parts from a spares supplier, what to expect, how these companies work. Insider tips to save wasted journeys. Do you really even need the part? Help on fitting steam press parts. Buy steam press parts
Review Steam Ironing Press
Thorough and unique steam press reviews, where you can find out about Ironing presses from a different point of view than that of the usual brochure or salesman. Unlike most ironing press reviews, these are free, and aren't trying to sell.
Already have one and need some tips Ironing press essential guides.
Fed up of Ironing! Don't waist another minute! Tedious ironing chores are a thing of the past with the new Elnapress. You'll enjoy its breathtaking ironing quality, its convenience, ease and comfort of use and of course, Elna's renowned innovative technology and quality control.
Imagine a Ironing press with it's ironing board almost 10 times the size of a conventional iron, great for big items like duvet covers or sheets. Easily portable, the Jaws lock together so you can use the pressing handle for carrying.
Half your ironing time! a Steam Press is the ultimate alternative to the back ache and drudgery of using an old fashioned iron. The presses are easy to use. With the temperature control panel, you can turn the steam press on and off, and regulate the ironing temperature. The use of advanced technology, non-heat radiating materials ensures the user is kept cool.
Buying a Steam Ironing Press
Advice on general issues relating to buying - professional or for DIY presses.


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JPMorgan Chase & Co.'s quarterly profit fell 7.3% on $2.6 billion of settlements tied to Bernard Madoff's Ponzi scheme as rising legal costs ended the firm's three-year streak of record annual earnings.
Fourth-quarter net income declined to $5.28 billion, or $1.30 a share, from $5.69 billion, or $1.39, a year earlier, according to a statement today from New York-based JPMorgan, the biggest U.S. bank. Results excluding the Madoff settlement and other one-time items were $1.40 a share. Twenty-two analysts surveyed by Bloomberg estimated $1.37 on average.
Chief Executive Officer Jamie Dimon, 57, is whittling down the firm's list of legal woes that include allegations it misled buyers of mortgage bonds, rigged markets and turned a blind eye to suspicious activity by customers. The Madoff agreement, which the bank said last week reduced fourth-quarter profit by about $850 million, capped a year in which JPMorgan spent more than $23 billion on legal settlements.
"All things considered, it wasn't a bad quarter," said Pri de Silva, senior banking analyst at CreditSights Inc. in New York. "They had something close to a kitchen-sink quarter getting some legal issues done."
Shares of the company rose to $57.80 at 7:22 a.m. in New York from $57.70 at the close yesterday. The stock climbed 33% last year, compared with the 35% gain of the 24- company KBW Bank Index, the benchmark's best annual performance since 1997.
Revenue Drop
Revenue dropped 1.1% to $24.1 billion while expenses declined 3.1% to $15.6 billion. Full-year profit fell 16% to $17.9 billion.
Earnings at the corporate and investment bank tumbled 57% to $858 million, driven by a $1.5 billion charge from changing the valuation of some over-the-counter derivatives to incorporate funding costs. So-called funding valuation adjustments, or FVA, estimate a present value of those funding costs rather than spreading them over the life of the derivative contract.
Revenue at the unit fell 21% from a year earlier to $6.02 billion.
Net income from consumer and community banking climbed 19% to $2.37 billion as provisions for credit losses fell and expenses declined. Revenue was $11.3 billion, down 8% from a year earlier.
Mortgage fees and related income dropped 46% to $1.09 billion in the quarter, from $2.04 billion a year earlier. Home-loan originations were $23.3 billion, down 54%.
Copyright 2014 Bloomberg. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


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AUSTIN, TX (press release) - An early and abundant acorn crop, combined with new growth of native vegetation may force Texas deer hunters to stray from supplemental food sources during the 2009-2010 general deer season, which opens Nov. 7.
Reports from Texas Parks and Wildlife Department field biologists indicate above average mast crop production and an early acorn drop. Recent rains across much of the state have also helped generate forb production, adding to the availability of native food sources for deer.
"It's been at least three years since ground moisture has been this good at this time of year," said Mike Krueger, TPWD district wildlife biologist in Kerrville. "It looks like springtime in the Edwards Plateau at this time.
Krueger noted the warm-season plants have put on a final burst of growth and flowers and there is a flush of early growth of cool-season grasses and forbs. That will probably contribute to a slow deer season for hunters, especially early in the season and especially for those hunters that are dependent on hunting over feeders.
"There is an abundance of food sources for deer right now, and deer movements are reduced because they don't have to move as far or as often to keep their bellies full," Krueger added. "Deer don't appear to be coming to feeders as often or as regularly as they would if it were still dry."
The only consolation is that bucks are becoming more active due to the onset of the rut in the Hill Country, so they'll be moving around as they typically do during the rut, regardless of the condition of the range.
Although the range conditions are good to excellent right now, the rains came too late to help with this year's buck antler growth which is probably no better than average throughout the Edwards Plateau region, or with the fawn production that is also no better than average. But if it continues to rain throughout the fall and winter, the stage is being set for better antler growth and fawn production next year.
While recent rains have improved range conditions across much of the state, whitetails in South Texas are battling through an extended stress period that started with last year's rut, according to biologists.
"Last season the rut was later and more spread out than normal and this did not fare well for mature deer," said Daniel Kunz, TPWD biologist in Alice. "By the first of February bucks were extremely drawn down and numerous reports of early antler shedding were occurring; an indication that bucks could be in poor shape. This will likely affect antler quality."
Hunters should expect a reasonable number of 2½ year old bucks and 5 ½ to 7 ½ year old bucks as 2002-2004 and 2007 were good fawn production years resulting in good carry over, added TPWD biologist Dustin Windsor in Cotulla.
"Everything's greened up and deer aren't coming to feeders as readily because there's so much forage out there," said Alan Cain, TPWD district wildlife biologist for South Texas. "That might affect hunting success early in the fall but deer will still be there."
Surprisingly, according to Cain, some of the helicopter surveys in the brush country are showing some decent body conditions on bucks and does. Some places have some pretty good deer despite drought conditions. Fawn crops are looking pretty pitiful this year.
One region of the state that is entering the fall hunting season in prime condition is the Panhandle, according to Calvin Richardson, TPWD district biologist in Amarillo.
"The Panhandle deer herds---both mule and whitetail---are in great condition and should go into the fall in great shape," said Richardson. "With harvest being down last year, we should have some older aged bucks carry over into this year's season. My guess is that both mule deer and white-tails are not going to have to move around much to find quality forage, so hunting feeders might not be as productive as in years that we have been dry.
Deer hunters in 52 counties this season will be joining those in 61 existing counties having buck antler restrictions. Legal bucks in those counties are those with at least 1 unbranched antler (e.g., spikes and 3-pointers) or having an inside spread of at least 13 inches.
Newly affected counties include: Anderson, Angelina, Archer, Atascosa, Brazos, Brown, Chambers, Clay, Cooke, Denton, Ellis, Falls, Freestone, Grayson, Grimes, Hardin, Harris, Henderson, Hill, Hood, Hunt, Jack, Jasper, Jefferson, Johnson, Kaufman, Liberty, Limestone, Madison, McLennan, Milam, Mills, Montague, Montgomery, Navarro, Newton, Orange, Palo Pinto, Parker, Polk, Robertson, San Jacinto, Smith, Stephens, Tarrant, Trinity, Tyler, Van Zandt, Walker, Wichita, Wise, and Young.
According to Clayton Wolf, TPWD big game program director, the antler restrictions have significantly improved age structure while maintaining ample hunting opportunity, based on data to date in the 61 counties where the rule is currently in effect.
Hunters should also note whitetail bag limits have changed in several counties across the state. Be sure to check the county listings in the 2009-2010 Outdoor Annual of hunting and fishing regulations for the county hunted.
The department got overwhelming support to increase whitetail bag limits in several areas of the state with growing deer numbers or populations sufficient to support additional hunting opportunity.
The department is increasing the bag limit in most Cross Timbers and Prairies and eastern Rolling Plains counties from three deer (no more than one buck, no more than two antlerless) or four deer (no more than two bucks and no more than two antlerless) to five deer (no more than 2 bucks). Counties affected include: Archer, Baylor, Bell (West of IH35), Bosque, Callahan, Clay, Coryell, Hamilton, Haskell, Hill, Jack, Jones, Knox, Lampasas, McLennan, Palo Pinto, Shackelford, Somervell, Stephens, Taylor, Throckmorton, Wichita, Wilbarger, Williamson (west of IH35), and Young.
In addition, the department is increasing the bag limit from four deer to five deer in Pecos, Terrell, and Upton counties. White-tailed deer densities throughout the eastern Trans-Pecos are very similar to densities on the Edwards Plateau, where current rules allow the harvest of up to five antlerless deer.
Another change increases the bag limit from three deer to five deer (no more than one buck) in selected counties in the western Rolling Plains. Counties affected include: Armstrong, Borden, Briscoe, Carson, Childress, Collingsworth, Cottle, Crosby, Dickens, Donley, Fisher, Floyd, Foard, Garza, Gray, Hall, Hardeman, Hemphill, Hutchinson, Kent, King, Lipscomb, Motley, Ochiltree, Roberts, Scurry, Stonewall, and Wheeler.
The department also opened whitetail hunting in Dawson, Deaf Smith, and Martin counties (three deer, no more than one buck, no more than two antlerless).
Areas of the state having sufficient antlerless deer populations to warrant additional hunting opportunity are getting more doe days this fall. The department is increasing antlerless deer hunting in the following areas:
- from 16 days to full-season either-sex in Dallam, Denton, Hartley, Moore, Oldham, Potter, Sherman and Tarrant counties;
- from 30 days to full-season either-sex in Cooke, Hardeman, Hill, Johnson, Wichita, and Wilbarger counties;
- from four days to16 days in Bowie and Rusk counties;
- from four days to 30 days in Cherokee and Houston counties;
- from no doe days to four doe days in Anderson, Henderson, Hunt, Leon, Rains, Smith, and Van Zandt counties.
The department is also expanding the late antlerless and spike season into additional counties. Counties affected include: Archer, Armstrong, Baylor, Bell (West of IH35), Borden, Bosque, Briscoe, Callahan, Carson, Childress, Clay, Collingsworth, Comanche, Cooke, Coryell, Cottle, Crosby, Denton, Dickens, Donley, Eastland, Erath, Fisher, Floyd, Foard, Garza, Gray, Hall, Hamilton, Hardeman, Haskell, Hemphill, Hill, Hood, Hutchinson, Jack, Johnson, Jones, Kent, King, Knox, Lampasas, Lipscomb, McLennan, Montague, Motley, Ochiltree, Palo Pinto, Parker, Pecos, Roberts, Scurry, Shackelford, Somervell, Stephens, Stonewall, Tarrant, Taylor, Terrell, Throckmorton, Upton, Wheeler, Wichita, Wilbarger, Williamson (West of IH35), Wise, and Young. In Pecos, Terrell, and Upton counties, the season would replace the current muzzleloader-only open season.
In East Texas, the department is establishing a special muzzleloader season in additional counties, lengthening the existing muzzleloader season by five days to be equivalent in length with the special antlerless and spike buck seasons in other counties, and altering the current muzzleloader bag composition to allow the harvest of any buck (not just spike bucks) and antlerless deer without permits if the county has "doe days" during the general season.
New counties affected include: Austin, Bastrop, Bowie, Brazoria, Caldwell, Camp, Cass, Cherokee, Colorado, De Witt, Fayette, Fort Bend, Goliad (North of HWY 59), Goliad (South of HWY 59), Gonzales, Gregg, Guadalupe, Harrison, Houston, Jackson (North of HWY 59), Jackson (South of HWY 59), Karnes, Lavaca, Lee, Marion, Matagorda, Morris, Nacogdoches, Panola, Rusk, Sabine, San Augustine, Shelby, Upshur, Victoria (North of HWY 59), Victoria (South of HWY 59), Waller, Washington, Wharton (North of HWY 59), Wharton (South of HWY 59), and Wilson.
The department is also adding one additional weekend and 10 additional weekdays in January to the current youth-only season.
The department also established a one buck only, antlerless by permit, nine-day mule deer season for Parmer County, the first ever deer season for that county.
The season concludes in the North Zone on Jan. 3 and the South Zone season ends Jan. 17.


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Dr. Milingo received B.S. degrees in physics and astronomy from the University of Kansas and her Ph.D. in astrophysics from the University of Oklahoma. Her current research interests include magnetic activity cycles in cool dwarfs and chemical abundance studies of Galactic planetary nebulae. In addition to teaching and research Dr. Milingo serves on the Pennsylvania Space Grant Consortium Affiliate Management Advisory Board and as the vice chair of the National Undergraduate Research Observatory steering committee.
Jacquelynne B. Milingo
Associate Professor, Physics
Phone: (717) 337 - 6076
Box: Campus Box 0405
Masters Hall
Room 209
300 North Washington St.
Gettysburg, PA 17325-1400
BS, University of Kansas
PhD, University of Oklahoma


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Two men were shot in Northwest Baltimore early Saturday morning and one remains in critical condition at a hospital, police said.
The men took themselves to Sinai Hospital at about 4:30 a.m., police said. One man was shot in his leg and is in stable condition, while the other was shot in his torso and leg and is in critical condition.
Police said the shooting took place at "Firehouse Nightclub," which they said was located at 4110 W. Garrison Avenue. However, that address appears on state property records and on Google Maps as an auto body lot.
Those with information about the shooting are asked to call detectives at 410-396-2466.


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In an ambulance with her face badly bleeding after a trick went horribly wrong in training, Gretchen Bleiler blurted this out: Snowboarding wasn't worth it.
Of course, that was just the pain speaking.
Seven months ago, the 2006 Olympic silver medalist was practicing a double backflip maneuver on a trampoline in Park City, Utah, when she over-rotated, sending her knee bouncing off the springy surface and into her face.
Bleiler shattered her right eye socket, broke her nose, split open her eyebrow and suffered a serious concussion.
Now, after surgery to repair the eye socket, dealing with double vision and headaches so severe she felt like she was constantly in a wave pool, Bleiler has a different take: There's no way she could ever give up snowboarding.
And, of course, that's the competitor talking.
"It was a terrible experience," said the 31-year-old Bleiler, who's from Aspen, Colo. "Now that I'm back, I have a new perspective. I'm just letting myself have fun, let everything come back when it comes back. That's where I'm at mentally with everything."
Bleiler plans to compete in the halfpipe next week at the Winter X Games in her hometown, her first event since the accident.
Nervous? Not really. She won't go overboard with any outlandish tricks as she attempts to capture a fifth gold medal.
That said, Bleiler reserves the right to change her mind at the last minute. Returns like this simply take time and there's no sense rushing into anything, especially with the Sochi Olympics just a year away.
"From any traumatic injury, you're going to experience a lack of confidence," Bleiler said. "There's a whole process you have to go through to break free of that."
Each day, Bleiler begins with a series of stretching exercises.
Not knee bends, toe touches or stomach crunches, either.
No, she simply looks up and back down without moving her head. She bulges her eyes out and closes them tight. She pulls and tugs on her eyelids.
Then, she repeats the routine over and over.
Hopefully, these stretches will someday alleviate Bleiler's double vision. Although, doctors have been up front with her and said it may never fully go away.
In late June, she was at the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association's "Center of Excellence" working on a double backflip routine with the help of a trampoline. It was safer that way because, really, what could go wrong on a trampoline, right?
After landing several attempts the day before, she was feeling quite confident.
On this particular go-around, she landed right in the middle of the maneuver, "which is something you never want to do," she said.
Her knee flew up and caught her in the face, shattering her eye socket so severely that there was basically nothing holding it in place. Her eye sank down in her head, she said.
Paramedics rushed her from Park City to Salt Lake City for treatment.
"I was bleeding everywhere and throwing up," she recounted. "At one point I was like, `This is definitely not worth it."'
The action sports world has recently seen its share of frightful training accidents, like the death of freeskier Sarah Burke a year ago in a halfpipe. That brought back many of the painful memories of when Kevin Pearce's career ended in a fall on Dec. 31, 2009, at the same Utah halfpipe where Burke sustained her fatal injuries.
And now Bleiler on a trampoline.
Worth the risk?
"You can't think about the worst-case scenario, because it takes all the fun away," Bleiler said. "You have to give the sport its proper respect and know risks are there. But then you transfer it out of mind and just live in the moment."
A few days after the accident, Bleiler was flown to Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore for surgery, where doctors inserted a titanium bridge to stabilize her eye.
Then, she waited.
"No one really knew when I would get better," said Bleiler, who had her family and husband by her side. "Or even if I would get better."
Steadily, her eye mended. So did her head from the concussion.
For six weeks, she couldn't do anything.
"Because getting my heart-rate up caused the concussion to kick in," she said.
Cleared by her doctor in October, Bleiler traveled to New Zealand to take a few training runs in the halfpipe. No major air or anything, just to get the feel back.
But when she dropped in, she immediately felt disoriented. With different perceptions in each eye, she had difficulty adjusting.
"I was like, 'Oh no, am I ever going to ridge the halfpipe again?'" Bleiler said. "I was so far from being all right. But that was also a kick in the pants. I needed to do something actively to make this happen."
So, she began working with Brad Jones, a physical therapist based in Carlsbad, Calif. He came up with exercises that would strengthen her eye by putting it in uncomfortable situations. For instance, Jones would have Bleiler jump around, then flash cards with small letters at her from different angles, just to retrain the damaged eye to instantly react.
"We were hoping this would ease the transition back to snowboarding," Jones said. "You could see eye the responding to what we were doing."
Pearce, who also works with Jones, played a role, too, by giving Bleiler all sorts of support, since he dealt with double vision from his accident.
"Things like this aren't easy, but she wanted to come back and wanted to continue to snowboard and has worked so hard," said Pearce, who will serve as a snowboard analyst at Winter X. "She's doing great."
Last month, Bleiler re-entered the halfpipe again, just to see if the eye exercises were working.
"My first run in the halfpipe was so good, so much better," Bleiler said. "I'm indebted to Brad. I don't think I'd be riding the halfpipe if it weren't for his creativity."
As for her double vision, well, it's gradually improving.
"If I just look straight up, I'll have double vision. If I look straight down, I'll have double vision," she said. "But my range is so much better that it's not an issue in the halfpipe. Luckily for me, even though I have it, I can adjust my head to make it go away.
"This is still a bit of a life-changer - a freak accident that changed everything. But I'm happy to be feeling better again and healthy and just be back on my snowboard."


text:
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On April 13, 2007, the Sex Offender Management and Treatment Act (SOMTA) went into effect to enhance public safety by providing for the civil management of recidivistic sex offenders upon the expiration of their criminal sentence. SOMTA provides for management of these offenders in a secure treatment facility in the custody of the Commissioner of the New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) for the most dangerous offenders; or through a regimen of strict and intensive supervision and treatment (SIST), for those offenders the courts have found appropriate to be managed in the community, under close supervision by the New York State Division of Parole. As part of SOMTA, Article 10 was added to the New York Mental Hygiene Law (MHL), which establishes the procedural provisions for the civil management of sex offenders.
The Sex Offender Management Bureau (SOMB) was created by the Attorney General to represent the state of New York in all Article 10 litigation. SOMB works in concert with the Article 10 partners, the Office of Sex Offender Management within the Division of Criminal Justice Services, NYS Department of Community and Correctional Services, NYS Office of Mental Health, and the NYS Office of People with Developmental Disabilities to develop state wide protocols to further the goals of Article 10 in ensuring public safety.


text:
The moment I sat down at my computer to write this column, an email popped onto my screen from WebMD. I subscribe to dozens of health-related websites and often see health-protection and prevention-oriented messages. Truth be told, I sometimes don't even open them. But this one spoke to me, literally: WebMD has an audio feature.
The article started with "small changes can have significant health payoffs." There were supposedly "10 little things" that would make a really big difference.
Flossing was at the top of the list.
"A small piece of nylon string can have dramatic effects on women's health." Men's health, too, I assume, but this particular article focused on women. Eliminating plaque and bacteria is obvious, but I had not seen research before indicating oral bacteria exacerbated diabetes and hypertension. It was a small epiphany, and I continued reading.
The next suggestion was "Eat every two to three hours — three meals and at least two snacks a day keep your metabolism moving and reduce the possibility of binge eating."
I particularly like that idea; it means I don't have to apologize for having two breakfasts most mornings. Oatmeal was strongly encouraged as a food item to be included at one of those breakfasts.
Other simple-to-execute, health-related suggestions met the test of common sense. If you have them in play already, hallelujah for you. They were things such as making coffee at home and not indulging in a drive-through. A grande Starbuck's iced soy vanilla latte has 190 calories and 34 grams of carbs. The tall salted (did you know they even did that?) caramel mocha has 330 calories and a whopping 51 carbs. I think I saw someone who looked a lot like you ordering one the other day.
By the way, you will find nutritional information of this nature on any coffee beverage and, in fact, any food you might be tempted to eat, at www.myfitnesspal.com.
Moving on down the list, wearing a pedometer was touted as "the most effective fitness tool known to man, or woman."
I suspect that's especially true if you just had that earlier-mentioned latte or mocha.
An idea that really caught my attention was to "sleep in your exercise clothes (comfortable ones)."
Wear loose-fitting gym clothes to bed and rise from sleep with an in-built incentive to walk, run or work out.
Or here's another suggestion: Play classical music at dinner time. It apparently slows down eating and helps people eat less, prompting them to chew foods more thoroughly and digest them better, too.
For women, there was a reminder to regularly do kegel (pelvic-strengthening) exercises, and have vitamin D levels checked. Low levels of vitamin D are correlated with everything from reduced energy to dementia and some cancers.
The suggestion I liked best was "give yourself a compliment."
The message was "focus on what your body can do other than how it looks."
To that final suggestion, more than any of the others, I would add, "Just do it."
Sharon Johnson is a retired Oregon State University associate professor emeritus. Reach her at 541-261-2037 or email@example.com
Small things to do for you
The moment I sat down at my computer to write this column, an email popped onto my screen from WebMD. I subscribe to dozens of health-related websites and often see health-protection and prevention-oriented messages. Truth be told, I sometimes don't even open them. But this one spoke to me, literally: WebMD has an audio feature.


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The information provided in the CHADD Advocacy Manual will help you become an effective advocate and communicator about issues affecting ADHD. The information has been put together by CHADD leaders and staff who have been advocating on behalf of children and adults with ADHD for many years.
You do not have to be an experienced advocate to be effective. It is the average citizen and voter who is the most credible and influential person with policymakers. Your experience living with ADHD and related disorders every day is the most important message you can share.
Together we can make a difference and build a social movement that continually supports the needs of those with ADHD.
Ruth A. Hughes, Ph.D.
To view the Advocacy Manual cover, click here (Adobe Reader required).
To view the Table of Contents, click here (Adobe Reader required).
NOTE: An "Adobe Reader" pop up appear here for each section is required to view all contents of the Advocacy Manual below. The numbers to the left of each section correspond to the page numbers within each section, following the pagination in the print edition.
Section 1: Introduction
Make it personal. For whatever reason, people are often intimidated by the thought of advocating for their cause. As a result, few people actually do it. That is why showing up and presenting your case to your elected official can have such a dramatic impact. You are truly the expert here. This section discusses concerns and allays fears about advocating, highlights rules for success, and suggests appropriate language to use to lessen the stigma against those with ADHD when speaking with legislators.
1.1 Introduction: You are the Expert
1.2 Cartoon: How a Bill Becomes Law
1.3 Rules for Success
1.4 People First Language
Section 2: How to Influence Policymakers and Rules for Effective Advocacy
Legislation affecting people with ADHD often revolves around the concept of disability. In Section 2 read about the many different variables that go into influencing policymakers. Also included is a brief, practical list of do's and don'ts to help you prepare to affect policy.
2.1 Top Ten Tips on How to Influence Policymakers and the Policymaking Process
2.2 CHADD's Rules for Effective Advocacy
Section 3: Crafting Your Message
3.1 Crafting Your Message
3.2 Turning Your Story into Effective Advocacy
Section 4: Developing Relationships with Elected Officials
Here you will find tips on developing relationships with officials and their offices, such as how to conduct research on your Congressperson's background, district demographics, and related interest groups that vie for his or her attention. This section also gives you instructions on how to open a two-way line of communication with an office to help you maximize your influence as a resource for the staff on ADHD or disability issues. In addition, a checklist in this chapter prepares you to meet in person with a policymaker.
4.1 Developing a Relationship with Elected Officials and Policymakers
Section 5: Letter Writing, E-Advocacy, Telephone Calls, and Giving Public Testimony
Section 5 gives you detailed instruction on how to craft relevant and meaningful letters or emails to your elected official, with in-depth tips on how to increase your know-how when phoning a policymaker's office. Part of this section teaches you how to create Action Alerts to inform your organization's advocates.
5.1 Letter Writing
5.2 E-Advocacy: Using the Internet
5.3 Sample Action Alert
5.4 Telephone Calls
5.5 Giving Public Testimony
5.6 Addressing Procedures for Contacting Federal, State, and Local Officials
Section 6: Media Tool Kit
This excellent chapter explains how to work with a reporter to get a story out, the elements of what a good story and a good interview entail, essential pieces to include in a press release and media advisory, and sample documents to help you get started.
6.1 The CHADD Media Tool Kit
Section 7: ADHD Fast Facts
Unfortunately, a good deal of inaccurate information exists about ADHD. As a CHADD advocate, you can help dispel these untruths and advance the rights of all people with ADHD and other mental illnesses. This section will update you on all the accurate ADHD information you need to know when a member of the media or a policymaker has questions.
7.1 An Introduction to Fast Facts
7.2 Fast Facts
Section 8: Model State Legislation and State Legislative Toolkit
Inform yourself on what both model mental health and anti-mental health legislation look like. Included are sample reaction responses to potential legislation affecting CHADD members, such as letters to editors, legislators, and fellow advocates. Also, find out how a bill becomes a law and how to build a coalition with other groups to magnify the attention that your cause receives.
8.1 Model State Legislation
8.2 Sample Anti-Mental Health & Anti-Psychiatry State Legislation
8.3 Utah: State Action Alert
8.4 Utah: ADHD is Real Fact Sheet
8.5 Sample Opinion Letters and Letters to Editors
8.6 Letters to Legislators and Governors
8.7 A Primer on the Legislative Process and Coalition Building, Media Clips
Section 9: Appendix
Here, find a diagram on the legislative process as well as website and contact information for legislative bodies and disability and advocacy organizations. Web links to ADHD health and policy information are also housed here. Finally, look for a glossary of policy terms to assist you in your advocacy efforts.
9.1 Appendix A: The Legislative Process, A Flowchart on How a Bill Becomes Law
9.2 Appendix B: Disability and Advocacy Resources
9.3 Appendix C: Glossary of Legislative Terms


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Mac App
Hide icons in your OSX menu bar9/3/2012 | Edgar Mutelbrünk
Bartender is a great little application that will let you hide all or some of your menu bar icons. I've only been using it for one day but really like it. You can download and try the beta for free over at Macbartender.com


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GameGrin: "After being told by what felt like everyone I knew that Telltale's The Walking Dead was the "best game ever" and I "had to play it", I bought and installed it; ready to see what all the fuss was about."
I just finished episode 5 about a half hour ago. It was pretty good, but I would have liked some of the decisions to have more impact. I also didn't really like the canned ending. I made choices in the hopes that things would turn out one way, but discovered you always get the same post-credits cutscene no matter what. Same goes for unavoidable deaths. You should be able to get around losing some people if you made the right choices.
Good game, overall. Looking forward to the next season, hopefully full of improvements.
I came into it as a fan of the comics expecting an interactive comic in video game form and got exactly what I wanted


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Joined: 07 Mar 2005
Posts: 271
Location: Manitoba
Posted: Feb 09, 2008 2:11 am
Post subject: GPSr adventures in Thailand
This email arrived recently from my geocaching niece Curiouser and Curiouser. She is travelling the world for the next 4 months and documenting her adventures. This one is interesting in particular for those of us who love our GPSrs.
As follows:
A GPS is global positioning system, which utilizes satellites to basically map out where you are at all times. In my family we like to use this handy device to play a game known as "geocaching". Google it if you don't know what that is. During my trip I have mostly used it to store the coordinates of the hotels I am staying at or where I park my motorbike. It then tells you how far away you are and in what direction to head. (This is one of many uses, but I won't go into all that now). It looks a little bit like a fat cell phone, if you don't look closely.
After four days of tearing around Chiang Mai, Thailand on motorbike without hitting anyone or being hit (and may I remind you they drive on the wrong side of the road here), one tends to very quickly build up what many writers like to call "hubris" - incidentally one of the major character flaws in many protagonists throughout the ages.
When I say "one tends to", I am referring more specifically to myself.
Yes, I've been roaring around this foreign city, able to speak only two phrases in Thai (and badly, at that), with only a rudimentary sense of direction - but in between maps and waypoints marked in my trusty GPS, I've done swimmingly. Indeed, as I was biking back to a friends house, GPS sitting jauntily in the front basket on top of a plastic bag containing some rather well-chosen silk pants, I was thinking the following thoughts precisely: "Give me one more week here and I will OWN this town" - referring to how well I had done exploring North, West, East, and a dash of the South of Chiang Mai that day. Sure, I had never driven back at night, but with a few quick glances at my GPS to steer me in the right general direction and confirm my instincts, I'd be fine.
You may have heard the expression "pride goes before a fall", and if you haven't, either English isn't your first language, or you've been living in the wilds of Canada somewhere with no access to television or books and no human contact whatsoever, in which case you wouldn't be reading this.
I know what you're thinking - and no, I didn't fall off of the bike. Not I. I was happily zooming through traffic, weaving deftly between cars, and listening to the plastic rustly sounds of my bagged purchase billowing in the wind. I knew it wouldn't fly away, though, because it was weighed down by my water bottle Siggsmund AND my GPS.
Never underestimate the power of wind in a plastic bag.
Clang, thunk, went a sound to my immediate left. What could possibly have fallen off my bike? I wasn't holding anything, nothing was in my pockets. I looked in the basket. My GPS was not there. This did not at first compute. Logic circuits turned on and began whirring and informed me that the only logical explanation of the mysterious sound plus mysterious disappearance of my GPS could only mean one thing: my GPS had bit the dust. At first I thought, "oh rot what a way to end a nice day" (believing I'd return empty handed and that was that). My next thought . . . "wait . . . wait . . . there is hope, I can turn around and get it!"
It being divided highway, and a RING ROAD much like the perimeter at home, complicated things, but after all, I OWNED this road now. I turned to the right, blasting down the highway, made a casual but elegant U-turn some time later, a feat which I am particularly good at by now, and then full steam ahead and back to the left. Awhile later I pulled over to the shoulder, estimating about where on the other side I had dropped it, and waited for a lull in traffic. I dashed across to the meridian, figuring I'd walk first one way, then the other, all the while scanning the street. But only a few feet in front of me, to my surprise, glinted a piece of some sort of electronic equipment. Not recognizable as anything, mind you. "Oh, some other sorry person has dropped their . . . oh, crap," I thought. "Nope, I think that's actually mine".
CRUNCH! Just then a motorbike roared right over one of the dozen pieces my eyes discovered already mangled by fast and heavy traffic. I resisted the urge to shake my fist at the inconsiderate motorist. Knowing my GPS was already very very dead, they couldn't hurt it anymore.
I looked up the road, saw the lovely wrist band still intact, chiding me in its wholeness, and in another lane, what appeared to be 2 batteries. I actually stood there for awhile guaging how many pieces I could rescue before each new vehicle ripped by. My brain did the math: one, or if I was lucky two, pieces before I'd get hit. And I had to remind myself that even if I could magically retrieve all the pieces without being killed by speeding traffic, I just don't have the technical expertise to reassemble something like that. In fact, I don't think anyone does.
So . . . R.I.P., dear G.P.S. You will be missed. A foreign country brought us much closer and then brutally, literally shattered our relationship forever.
Now I must rely on my own observation skills and almost non-existent inner compass to navigate new lands and territories. No more plunging into maze-like night bazarres without taking careful note of where I am.
Back on my bike, I sadly and defeatedly made my way home.
Then I drove some more. Then I made several turns and WAIT A MINUTE. I am going in circles. Well, I'll just try something a little diff - WHERE AM I?? Oh, I see, I've passed that sign three times. I'm really good at this intersection already.
I parked on the side of the road and got out my enormous map with teeny tiny writing. Eyes hurt. So tired.
My keys fall right on top of a grate. My heart starts beating again when I see they haven't fallen into the sewer and left me stranded, though they balance precariously.
I call one of two friends I know in the area: "So there's a sign saying Chiang Mai is to the right, can you tell me where I am? No? Okay, how about I drive toward Chiang Mai until I find a familiar landmark. Sounds good."
I drive some more. A sign! I turn on road 118, which I've never heard of before. Then I pass a huge ESSO, gleaming blue and red and ENGLISH and beautiful. I park and call my other friend, giving him my excellent landmarks.
I find myself on the map, I can even find their house on the map - not far actually, but it is as if my mind is caught horribly in the Bermuda Triangle - compass spinning wildly, unable to do anything but make perpetual right turns, wide circles.
A few minutes he pulled up on motorbike, and I was so happy not to have to rely on my own navigation and problem solving skills anymore, just follow the kind light ahead of me.
We pulled a U-turn, then went left, which I had done several times in the last half hour. Passing a 7-11 moments later I think: "Wait! That's one of the places where I stopped to look at my map!"
However we then proceeded to go STRAIGHT instead of making anymore turns, until the final turn into the residential streets. Yeah, I was about five minutes away from their house.
I never got a chance to tell them how I was so close to OWNING Chiang Mai. I decided at that point it may not be as true as it once had been. Chastened, a little dishearted, trying to take comfort in my silk pants, I went to bed a humbled woman.
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