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Poetry out loud from Paul Muldoon and Bill Murray
In honor of National Poetry Month, a pair of FSG's wonderful interns—Angela, a contributor to this blog, and Aurora—have been helping us procure examples of verse on video.
Today's first clip is a heartwarmer featuring actor and comedian Bill Murray reading to construction workers finishing the Poets House back in 2009. "I agree with the top comment," Angela writes. "If this weren't on video, no one would believe it!"
In this second clip, Pulitzer Prize-winning poet (and poetry editor for The New Yorker) Paul Muldoon reads "A Hummingbird," a selection from his collection published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux in 2010. As Muldoon explains, in his delightfully rich Northern Irish accent, the poem is based on snatches of conversation overheard at a garden party.


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Weinberg Senior Living provides quality, affordable apartments for seniors and younger residents with disabilities*. Weinberg Senior apartments were developed by CHAI, a local non-profit developer with the support of the Weinberg Foundation and other partners. Our goal is to provide affordable housing to as many senior residents as possible, while offering compassion and support by connecting them to campus services and activities. Find out which Weinberg community is right for you.
Weinberg Place
Minutes from the
heart of Baltimore,
this lovely community…
Read More »

subset: commoncrawl


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But innovative solutions do exist, if only governments would seize them. These solutions address the twin crises of economy and environment. They also generate much needed public revenue that could fund the transition towards efficient, low-carbon and climate resilient economies, while returning human beings to the centre of our economic system.
Deep crises facing the global economy and environment require new and innovative solutions. Such solutions exist, but the leadership has been lacking. If they reach agreement in Cannes on Financial Transaction Taxes, aviation and maritime bunker fuels, and fossil fuel subsidies reform, G20 leaders will seize the moment.


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posted by Thom Holwerda on Mon 23rd Jan 2006 19:22 UTC
Leading Linux developers are divided on whether the open source operating system should use the next version of the GNU General Public License. The first public discussion draft of GPL 3 was released last week. Over the weekend the Linux kernel mailing list started discussing whether this version could be used, as this may require a consensus among kernel developers.


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Carlton: Kliff Kingsbury fits Texas Tech job perfectly
Texas Tech athletic director Kirby Hocutt wanted to be certain Kliff Kingsbury hadn't forgotten his alma mater.
So early in the interview process for Tech's head football coach, Hocutt asked if Kingsbury had ever swayed in his one season as Texas A&M's offensive coordinator. Just once, Kinsgbury laughed, after the Aggies upset No. 1 Alabama.
No one doubts now that Kingsbury, the prodigal son, has managed to bring together a fractured fan base.
"I had no way to predict the excitement, the energy and the enthusiasm that Kliff coming on board as our head coach has created," Hocutt said. "He has immediately united Red Raider Nation. There's no talk about what has happened in the past. Everybody is excited about the future."
About 1,000 red-and-black clad fans came to the Dallas Sheraton on Thursday to hear Kingsbury talk about his first recruiting class and his vision for the program nearly two months after being hired.
"This is my school," said the 33-year-old Kingsbury, who threw for 12,423 yards as Tech's quarterback from 1999-2002. "To have an opportunity to lead it to a level where I want to see it is something I couldn't pass up."
Clearly, Kingsbury had options after overseeing an offense that produced the first freshman Heisman winner in Johnny Manziel, including staying in College Station.
"I loved my time at Texas A&M," Kingsbury said. "That team was unbelievable to me. Johnny is a once-in-a-lifetime player. But this is where I belong."
In many ways, Kingsbury fits the job perfectly. He says he has less pressure at Tech than at A&M.
He played three seasons for Mike Leach and still stays in touch with the pirate. At the same time, he's also his own man, comfortable adapting his personnel. At Houston, Kingsbury watched as Case Keenum set NCAA passing records. At A&M, with Manziel's unique talents, the Aggies led the SEC in rushing.
"We're going to do what we're good at," Kingsbury said.
He understands Lubbock and the sense of community on the South Plains.
Predecessor Tommy Tuberville never quite seemed to grasp that, despite solid recruiting and two bowl games in three years. The lasting image of Tuberville's legacy might be a half-eaten steak dinner on the way to Cincinnati.
Former Tech coach Spike Dykes likened the Tuberville-Tech breakup to a divorce that actually benefits both parties. Dykes, who recruited Kingsbury, likes his makeup.
"He never played in a game and probably never coached in a game that he didn't think he could win," Dykes said.
Kingsbury said his biggest frustration has been trying to accomplish everything overnight. A&M coach Kevin Sumlin warned him about tempering his enthusiasm and not trying to accomplish everything at once. So did Rick Neuheisel, who was the same age as Kingsbury when he was hired at Colorado.
Kingsbury has been told about his impact on Tech fans. He saw it in Dallas and will see more Friday in Houston.
"If that's what this has done, then it's awesome," Kingsbury said. "I think in the end, Texas Tech needs everybody pulling in the same direction for the benefit of the program."
Follow Chuck Carlton on Twitter at @ChuckCarltonDMN.


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Four goals from Lionel Messi - who became the youngest-ever player to score 200 Liga goals - and a Pedro strike, put the 10-man visitors to the sword and extended the Catalan club's lead at the top of the table to 11 points.
Attentions now turn to Wednesday night's Copa del Rey clash with Madrid and the Argentine is expecting a typically fierce and tight encounter, regardless of the sizable gap separating the two sides in La Liga.
"It is the best time to face Madrid," he told reporters after the game.
"It will be a great game regardless of how both teams are playing. We will face a Madrid that have great staff and great players and the quality to fight for everything."
The 28-year-old then gave his backing to teammate Victor Valdes following his decision not to renew his current deal at the club, when it expires in 2014.
"Victor is entitled to do what he wants to do," he added.
"As Tito [Vilanova] said, he hasn't asked for more money, he has just decided to pursue his future elsewhere. People will appreciate all that he has given the club over the years and is part of a special group that has won many trophies."


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Come learn how Mt. San Antonio College and College of the Desert have successfully increased income, built business and community relations through joint collaboration while benefiting the entire college. We'll discuss how the divisions and departments can use the CE/WD unit to leverage numerous opportunities without cost. Will also show how CE and WD units can benefit from campus referrals and by successfully implementing an integrated approach using organizational re-alignment, utilizing web-based technology with proven data collection to gain operational efficiencies. Presidents and CFO's will love this improved bottom line.
Learning Outcomes: Participants who attend will acquire techniques and knowledge needed to capture and manage expanding workforce and leadership training business in the community. Discussions will take place regarding how to implement an integrated approach to re-brand, re-energize and revitalize the economic and workforce development initiatives through strategic partnerships.
At the end of this session participants will:
§ Acquire tips on how to initiate and share this strategic process
§ Streamline operations and structure workforce development organization to meet student and customer demands
§ Use market data, past performance data and student/customer data to improve learning outcomes and operations
§ Establish strong internal relationships
§ Calculate ROI to determine investments in staffing, consulting and technology
Time will be allowed at the end of the presentation to answer questions, share similar opportunities and to create a network of interested participants from within the workshop.
Entrepreneurial Leadership
Faculty Development
Faculty Development
Louis Lautman
the yes movie
young entrepreneur
Presentation Title:
50 Word Presentation Description:
This session will provide information on ideablob.com and its offspring - ideablob University and Bloblive. As ideablob has done for entrepreneurs, ideablob University and Bloblive will transform the way students dream-up and breathe life into new business ideas. Find out how Web 2.0 is changing the way entrepreneurs develop ideas.
Learn more at www.ideablob.com
250 Word Presentation Description:
In 2007, Advanta, one of the nation's largest credit card issuers (through Advanta Bank Corp.) in the small business market, launched ideablob.com – an online community where tens of thousands of small business owners and entrepreneurs actively share business ideas, feedback, advice and support. Advanta awards $10,000 each month to the person with the best idea, as determined by the votes of the ideablob community.
Since ideablob's launch in September 2007, Advanta has awarded over $130,000 to eligible entrepreneurs. Perhaps more importantly, its community of over 80,000 registered users has posted thousands of business ideas and provided many more pieces of advice. This interactive session will highlight Advanta's most recent innovations: ideablob University and Bloblive.
Ideablob University is revolutionizing the way students dream-up and breathe life into new business ideas. This no-cost, interactive free market of ideas is easy to set up for classrooms and its unique platform provides professors a tool for experiential learning.
Bloblive is an interactive, in-person session that provides idea submitters, thinkers and advisors the opportunity to bounce entrepreneurial ideas off each other. Learn how to create your own Bloblive event and how it will change entrepreneurial brainstorming.
Learn more about ideablob at www.ideablob.com.
Ami Kassar, Chief Innovation Officer, Advanta
Plan-As-You-Go Business Planning
Guide Description:
Business planning for the new world is about planning, not just the plan. This new approach, based on 30 years of Tim Berry's work in the field, emphasizes planning for plan review, course correction and change. The heart of the plan is the strategy and the flesh and bones are the steps to take. Planning is for the company.
Full Description:
Presentation Goals:
Presentation Outcomes/Impact:
Sabrina Parsons, CEO, Palo Alto Software, OR
Kristen Langham, Manager of Business Development, Palo Alto Software, OR
MAKING IT NEW: Local Use of a National Curriculum/Courseware Package
Full Description:
A national multi-media curriculum and courseware package with web resources
Funded by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation
During the past year, Contemporary Learning Systems has begun development of a curriculum of study on the topic of innovation and enrepreneurship. The project was inspired by the appearance of Harold Evans' book, THEY MADE AMERICA: From the Steam Engine to the Search Engine, Two Centuries of Innovators (Little, Brown, 2004) and the American Experience television series it inspired (shown on public TV stations nationally in 2004-2005).
There are 13 units in the proposed course clustered into five broad areas of innovation that transformed America. These course modules are: Power and Light, Information, Production and Consumption, Services and Social Entrepreneurship. The courseware package includes:
· the Evans book with profiles of 72 American innovators;
· 10 video episodes of approximately 20 minutes, each embedded with web resources and featuring new segments with Mr. Evans;
· an electronic book of readings and an electronic student study guide;
· a web-based faculty guide; a course website with an interactive component so that students and faculty can connect with course designers, including Mr. Evans and the academic team of advisors.
The course elements have been designed for an introductory course on innovation to be taught independently in a variety of disciplines (e.g. History, American Culture and Civilization, Business, Science, Technology and Society, etc.) or used separately as modules to enhance existing courses.
At the NACCE session, project directors will introduce all course elements for two pilot units - one on Steam and one on Computers - and discuss distribution plans for fall 2009. Attendees will be asked for their comments on the materials.
Training Fitness Professionals: An Exercise in Entrepreneurial Education
This presentation presents an alternative to this "test preparation" training; a collaborative strategy for infusing entrepreneurial and experiential education into fitness curriculum and training. Learn how fitness educators and practitioners joined college, university and corporate educators and trainers to create a Personal Fitness Trainer (PFT) Certification Program. The PFT is currently offered for credit, CEUs and non-credit in partnership with over 300 colleges and universities and is approved, accredited and/or recognized by leading education and fitness industry associations. Program content covers essential knowledge, skills and competencies (KSC) and curriculum delivery includes: theoretical foundations and scientific principles taught in the classroom (soon to be online;) hands-on training in a gym; and an internship, which places students into a business setting for experiential learning, knowledge application, mentoring and networking.
Attend this session and learn how to replicate and customize the PFT program for your students. Don't miss the opportunities in this growth industry and be a part of preparing students to enter the workforce as self-employed entrepreneurs and succeed as industry leaders.
Dr. Amy Hyams, Director, World Instructor Training Schools, Las Vegas, NV
A Tribal College Model for Entrepreneurship Camp Indian Youth
Guide Description: The presenters will describe the model developed in 2008 for an entrepreneurship summer camp on the Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College campus for high school Indian youth. Students participated in exercises and activities that integrated American Indian culture and values with basic entrepreneurial skill development.
Full Description: Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College (FDLTCC) in northern Minnesota hosted its' first Entrepreneurship Camp for high school American Indian youth in 2008. The program integrated both Ojibwe culture and language into core business skills. Students never exposed to business before developed elevator pitches, created imaginary products to market and sell, learned the basics of entrepreneurship, and created individual American Indian Business Leaders (AIBL) Chapters for their home high schools. Staff included business faculty, student support staff, and FDLTCC business students who run a successful AIBL Chapter at FDLTCC that manages two successful on campus businesses. This fundamental exposure for high school students with no business experience is a model that can be easily replicated. The camp serves as a form of outreach that is indispensable to the recruitment and retention of students who are typically underrepresented in business programs in college. As a result of the summer program, a manual of culturally specific activities and lessons is in development. This manual will allow for the replication of such a camp on other college campuses by giving the "how to" strategies needed to be successful. Presenters will share both the model of the program, and a draft of the manual.
Diverse Populations
Student Entrepreneurship Clubs – Making Them Work on the Community College Campus
Guide Description:
Student entrepreneurship clubs are becoming an integral part of Entrepreneurship programs nationally. One such program - the Collegiate Entrepreneur's Organization (CEO) currently has 140 chapters on college campuses nationwide. In this session, a representative of CEO headquarters and a panel of CEO faculty advisors will focus on exchanging ideas on how to implement CEO on the Community College Campus.
Student entrepreneurship clubs are becoming an integral part of Entrepreneurship programs nationally.
The clubs provide an added experiential learning vehicle where students can discuss their entrepreneurial aspirations, invite distinguished entrepreneurs to speak, tour businesses with the founders and even start part time
In 1984, Professor Gerry Hills cofounded a student membership entrepreneurship organization which eventually became the Collegiate Entrepreneurs' Organization (CEO), a national organization which today has chapters at 140 colleges and universities. CEO hosts a national conference annually which draws over 1200 students from throughout the country.
The majority of current CEO chapters are at 4 years institutions. Currently, an important goal of CEO is to increase the number of chapters at Community Colleges so that those students might also reap the benefits of such experiences. Recognizing that establishing student organizations at community colleges brings challenges different
from those at a 4 year institution, this conference session will focus on exchanging ideas on how to implement CEO on the community college campus. A representative of the CEO headquarters will provide an overview of the organization followed by a panel of faculty advisors from existing CEO chapters.
Barbara Millard, Assistant Professor Entrepreneurship, Johnson County Community College, KS
Tim Putnam, Associate Director, John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center, North Iowa Area Community College, IA
Working with ten economic development organizations, the CFE is assisting entrepreneurs across our vast region to develop quality business plans while building ongoing local networks to support entrepreneurs. Programs are delivered using IP broadcasts and podcast are created for participants who may be unable to attend sessions. Local entrepreneurship coalitions invest in the program by supporting local business coaches and assisting with student recruitment, follow-up needs assessments, and scholarship funding. We train the entrepreneur coaches in order to create a consistent, knowledgeable support network. The coalitions are given considerable flexibility to meet their local entrepreneur needs, while the CFE assures that the program is of reliable high quality.
Cinch Munson, Associate Vice President, Center For Enterprise, Mid-Plains Community College, NE
Econ Dev Agencies
10/2/2018NACCE 2018 Important Reminders
9/24/2018RSVP for our Evening Receptions: Sundance Square + Boots N Bling
9/21/2018Use Your Platform!
10/29/2018 » 12/21/2018October 2018- NACCE's Entrepreneurship Specialist Certificate Online Training
10/30/2018October Member Webinar - Senior Entrepreneurship and the New Longevity
11/6/2018November Member Webinar - Sneak Peek of NACCE's New Book, "Community Colleges as Incubators..."
12/11/2018December Member Webinar - PFEP College of Excellence Award Winners
2/18/2019 » 4/12/2019February 2019 - NACCE's Entrepreneurship Specialist Certificate Online Training
NACCE | National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship
1 Federal St. Bldg. 101, Springfield, MA 01105
Contact us now!


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This morning, Nancy Pelosi announced that the House Democrats will change their rules so as to be able to table the pending trade agreement with Colombia rather than bring it up for a vote within 90 days, as is currently required:
Today, I discussed with my caucus the prospect of a rule change that we will bring to the floor tomorrow.
It's not really a rule change; it's sort of in keeping with the rules of the House. And that rule will say that we will remove the timetable from the consideration of the Colombia Free Trade Agreement.
Pelosi also said that if the agreement were voted on now, it would lose, a claim that I think is highly doubtful. In fact, Pelosi wants to protect Democrats from having to vote on an agreement that is pretty obviously in America's interest, but has been vociferously denounced by her party's Presidential candidates.
This morning, White House press secretary Dana Perino was asked about Pelosi's announcement:
QUESTION: And on another subject, do you want to talk about Speaker Pelosi's decision to put off a vote on the Colombia trade bill?
PERINO: Sure. I'm happy to have a chance to respond to that. Speaker Pelosi today did something unprecedented in the history of negotiating trade deals in announcing that Democrats would change the rules in the middle of the game. ***
Today's announcement shows that any sense of good faith in our process of negotiating trade has evaporated.
We think this is an awful precedent. We think it's a terrible thing for this administration, but it's also terrible for all future administrations, both Republicans and Democrats, because countries will not be able to have faith in our word when we're negotiating trade deals.
We worked tirelessly to work with members of Congress on this trade bill, and we did it according to the rules. We achieved a bipartisan agreement with Speaker Pelosi last May — May 10th, 2007 — to reopen trade agreements to address labor and environment standards that she was concerned about. Those concerns were addressed by us.
We held over 400 consultations with members of Congress. We provided draft implementing legislation in advance. We even shuttled members of Congress to see for themselves the progress in Colombia.
We went over and beyond the requirements of trade promotion authority to try to get this done.
Trade promotion authority also has requirements for Congress, and that is that at the end of a 90-day period — 90 legislative days — that there be a vote.
It is clear that there are many in the Democratic Party who would like to kill this deal. And they want to do so without having to have their fingerprints on it. And they want to do it in a way where they don't have to take a vote.
Perino went on to say, in answer to a follow-up question:
They also don't make the case that it would be bad for our workers. Because, right now, almost all of the products coming into our country from Colombia come in without tariffs. But that is not true for our products that we're trying to sell to Colombia. And that's all we're trying to do with this Colombia free trade agreement.
I liked this exchange, too:
QUESTION: You sound a little angry. Is the White House…
PERINO: I think we're pretty fired up about it. Look, I just — it is the right thing to do. The free trade agreement with Colombia is the right thing to do, and they know it. And that's why they don't want to have to take a vote on it because their special interests are pressuring them not to let this deal go through.
PERINO: The unions. The unions.
As usual, the Democrats have put politics ahead of sound public policy.


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An 81-year-old gunman who committed suicide after shooting two employees at his Torrance assisted living complex had repeatedly threatened to kill the manager, telling a resident "I'm going to take somebody with me" when he died, a tenant said Wednesday.
The gunman, who residents identified as Charles Wendell Christman, lived in a third-floor room at the Golden West Tower for more than 20 years. Some knew him as "Crazy Charlie." Others knew him as the intimidating big man who used vile curse words to describe women, hated the Asian residents, stalked other seniors, and boasted that he had been a young boxer who killed a teenager when he was 17.
"He threatened people here," said one resident of the senior complex who asked that her name not be published. "He intimidated people here. He's a bully."
Coroner's officials on Wednesday identified the female shooting victims as building manager Charlie Vanhagar, 54, and a caregiver, 53-year-old Maria Leon, who showed an address in Long Beach.
Although police and the coroner's office did not release the gunman's name as they worked to find his relatives, Christman's fellow residents knew him well as a man who sought to control what was on the communal television in a public room, and who utilized his 280 pounds to frighten them.
"He was a foul man," the resident said.
Torrance police Sgt. Robert Watt said detectives have reviewed surveillance footage from inside the building. The cameras captured a portion of the shooting.
Detectives believe Christman became angry with Leon for an unknown reason and had complained to Vanhagar about her. He was upset with Vanhagar because he believed the manager had done nothing about his complaint.
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, police and witnesses believed Christman targeted the manager and killed Leon because she was standing nearby. The women, who were in different rooms on the first floor, were both targeted, Watt said.
"He targeted Charlie just outside the lobby," Watt said. "He then sought out Maria in the lobby."
Christman killed himself immediately after shooting the two women.
Watt did not know why Christman was upset with Leon, who some co-workers said had arrived at work Tuesday with puffy eyes as if she had been crying.
According to the resident, Christman's violent act culminated years of threats against Vanhagar. Three months ago, he emphatically told her he was going to leave the building.
"He beat on his chest with his fist," the resident said. "He said, `I have a pacemaker.' I said, `You have a death wish.' He said, `I'm going to die, but I'm going to take somebody with me when I go … I'm leaving, but I'm not leaving alone."'
At the Golden West Tower on Wednesday, residents chatted about what had happened in the lobby a day earlier, requiring some to evacuate and others to remain in their upstairs apartments. The only sign that violence had occurred was the missing carpet, which had been pulled from the floor.
A manager residents identified as Ed Quigley refused comment and ordered a Daily Breeze reporter to leave the property. A security guard followed the reporter to the sidewalk.
The resident who spoke to the Daily Breeze said Christman terrorized Vanhagar for years, stalking her and threatening to kill her. Although she invited him into her office to talk and cooked him roast beef, he had become upset with her. Vanhagar used to park at a wall behind the complex, but Christman would meet her at her car and threaten her as she walked inside, the resident said.
The resident said she visited Vanhagar in her office a few months ago and found her crying.
"She was trembling and shaking," the resident said. "She said, `It's Chuck. He told me he was going to kill me."'
Vanhagar told the resident that management would not allow her to call the police.
Watt said police were never called to the building for any complaints about Christman.
The resident described how Christman once walked behind a female resident, grabbed her in a chokehold and said he could easily snap her neck. He sometimes stood in front of the elevator so the person riding inside could not get out.
"I just took my walker and ran over his feet," the female resident said. "He hated women. He called them the `cu' word. He called them the `B' word. He called Charlie the `cu' word all the time."
Leon's son arrived at Golden West on Wednesday morning to collect his mother's belongings. Tears in his eyes, he took a reporter's business card, got into his mother's car and drove away.
Co-workers and residents described Leon as a wonderful employee, who cared for residents, helped with Meals on Wheels and showed up seven days a week. She lived with her son, his wife and her grandchildren.
Vanhagar's daughter was reportedly on her way to Southern California.
Follow Larry Altman on Twitter at http://twitter.com/larryaltman


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NY man stable after destroying classic Porsche 911 in Route 16 wreck
May 19. 2013 11:16AM
DUMMER - A New York man destroyed a classic 1967 Porsche 911 and landed in the hospital in a serious one-vehicle accident Saturday afternoon on a scenic stretch of Route 16.
George Gates, 60, of Lloyd Harbor, N.Y., was headed south from Errol about 2:30 p.m. and was traveling too fast when he came to a section of "S" curves north of Pontook Dam, according to New Hampshire State Police.
The Porsche "was going too fast and the driver was unable to control the vehicle," police said. "The vehicle went off the west side of the road, scraping a telephone poll and then hitting a tree head-on."
The driver was wearing a seatbelt, but because of the age of the car it was only a lap belt. Gates received serious head injuries and had to be cut out of the vehicle by Milan EMS and Milan Fire Department. He was taken by Med-Flight to Maine Medical Center where he is in stable condition.
There were no other passengers in the vehicle. Gates was driving with two other vehicles, but they did not witness the accident, police said.
Speed appears to be the only cause of the accident, according to State Police, as the weather was clear and traffic was light.
Route 16 meanders along the pituresque west bank of the Androscoggin River as it flows from Umbagog Lake, through roiling rapids, to the Pontook Reservoir above Milan and Berlin. It's considered one of the state's most scenic byways, attracting thousands of motorists and motorcyclists each year.


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Ruby on Rails vs. Node.js at LinkedIn
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LinkedIn replaced their back-end mobile infrastructure built on Ruby on Rails with Node.js some time ago for performance and scalability reasons. A former LinkedIn team member reacted explaining what went wrong, in his opinion.
Kiran Prasad, Director of Mobile Engineering at LinkedIn, told ArsTechnica they had to reconsider their back-end infrastructure providing mobile services for LinkedIn clients because although only 7-8% of the clients were using their mobile application, the Ruby on Rails back-end suffered from severe scalability problems.
LinkedIn evaluated three possible solutions: Rails/Event Machine, Python/Twisted, and Node.js. According to Prasad, Node.js was eventually chosen providing a number of benefits:
- Better performance, Node.js being up to 20x faster than Rails for certain scenarios
- Using only 3 servers instead of 30, leaving room for a 10x traffic growth
- Front-end JavaScript engineers could be used for back-end code, and the two teams were actually merged into one
LinkedIn's story of dumping Rails due to scalability reasons triggered some reactions around the web. Ikai Lan, a former member of the mobile team at LinkedIn, shared his part of the story on the technology chosen and the problems encountered:
The stack we chose was Ruby on Rails 1.2, and the deployment technology was Mongrel. Remember, this is 2008. Mongrel was cutting edge Ruby technology. Phusion Passenger wasn't released yet (more on this later), and Mongrel was light-years ahead of FastCGI. The problem with Mongrel? It's single-threaded. It was deemed that the cost of shipping fast was more important than CPU efficiency, a choice I agreed with. … We deployed using Capistrano, and were the first ones to use nginx. …
[Later] we upgraded to Rails 2.x+ … Oh, and we also decided to use OAuth for authenticating the iPhone client. Three legged OAuth, so we also turned those Rails servers into OAuth providers. Why did we use 3-legged OAuth? Simple: we had no idea what we were doing. I'LL ADMIT IT.
The servers designated for mobile services were hosted by Joyent, so when a mobile application needed some information the request had to travel to Joyent then make another trip to LinkedIn's datacenter where the main API service was located, according to Lan:
That's a cross data center request, guys. Running on single-threaded Rails servers (every request blocked the entire process), running Mongrel, leaking memory like a sieve (this was mostly the fault of gettext). The Rails server did some stuff, like translations, and transformation of XML to JSON, and we tested out some new mobile-only features on it, but beyond that it didn't do a lot. It was a little more than a proxy. A proxy with a maximum concurrency factor dependent on how many single-threaded Mongrel servers we were running. The Mongrel(s), we affectionately referred to them, often bloated up to 300mb of RAM each, so we couldn't run many of them.
After pinpointing some of the problems, Lan eventually admitted that "v8 is freaking fast" but added: "Don't assume that you must build your next technology using node.js. It was definitely a better fit than Ruby on Rails for what the mobile server ended up doing, but it is not a performance panacea. You're comparing a lower level server to a full stack web framework."
Hacker News has a long thread of reactions to this decision of using Node.js over Rails.
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Tell us what you think
Why not Java or C#?
Jonathan Allen
Did they try it and find that it was still too slow?
Or did they not even consider it, perhaps because they were under the misconception that statically compiled languages are necessarily slower to develop in?
Re: Why not Java or C#?
Siva Katir
In all seriousness though I was wondering the same thing. Every time I see a Rails job I wonder how long that company will be around :(
Re: Why not Java or C#?
Jonathan Allen
But I'll still deride platforms like Ruby on Rails and Node.js for maintainability. The 5 seconds you save by not creating property Foo isn't balanced by the 20 minutes you spend making sure that no one else is already using Foo for something else.
Re: Why not Java or C#?
Deivid Bitti
Re: Why not Java or C#?
Maniek Barniek
Re: Why not Java or C#?
Michael Campbell
Not to belittle your very appropriate question, but I was around when java was brand spanking new, and the biggest/loudest threads on all the mailing lists then was, "JAVA ISN'T COMPILED, IT CAN'T BE FAST ENOUGH!"
It's just amusing to me to see these sorts of discussions putting java in the "fast" side of the fence; how times have changed.
This is archeology
Matias B
If you're going to write something about Rails and the great alternatives, do something serious, not this throw a bone so the dogs will start a flame war.
Remember 10 years ago when Java was the slowest language?
Sergio Rafael Gianazza
I don't know why still are people who thinks that the only way to achieve good performance is with either Java or C#. 10 Years Ago Java was the Slowest language ever created and now seems that Java is the only way to respond to thousands of request?
Re: Remember 10 years ago when Java was the slowest language?
Marc Stock
Github is an example of a website with lots of users using Ruby and Rails in the backend.
I don't know why still are people who thinks that the only way to achieve good performance is with either Java or C#. 10 Years Ago Java was the Slowest language ever created and now seems that Java is the only way to respond to thousands of request?
I'm pretty sure that the 2002 version of Java would still be faster than Ruby is today. I'm not slamming Ruby because I really don't care about it one way or the other.
Re: Why not Java or C#?
Erik Reppen
Valuable Reasons people prefer Node.js and Ruby on Rails
Kathreen Riya


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400 words to write a story. Moleskine Words, the surrealist writing workshop, returns, this time to New York City. There will be notebooks, journals and 400 stamps with nouns, adjectives, verbs and icons on the subjects of travel, writing and reading, connected to the new Writing, Travelling and Reading collections.
Two days of experimentation and visionary phrases with Nathan Sensel and Amanda Stern, the creators of +Drawing+Models+Music+Beer+ and Happy Ending Reading Series, respectively, two of the most interesting events to discover young artists in NYC.
Held in the Atelier Moleskine inside the A.I. Friedman department store. November 9 - 10.
A.I. Friedman
44 W, 18th St - NYC
November 9 - 10
2 - 7 pm: open to the public
4 - 7 pm: creative workshops - Nathan Sensel (9th) Amanda Stern (10th)


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Narayan Aluru
ORCID(not set)
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BiographyN. R. Aluru is currently a Professor in the Department of Mechanical Industrial Engineering at UIUC. He is also affiliated with the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the Bioengineering Department at UIUC. He received the B.E. degree with honors and distinction from the Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani, India, in 1989, the M.S. degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, in 1991, and the Ph.D. degree from Stanford University, Stanford, CA, in 1995. He was a Postdoctoral Associate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, from 1995 to 1997. In 1998, he joined the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) as an Assistant Professor. He received the NSF CAREER award and the NCSA faculty fellowship in 1999, the 2001 CMES Distinguished Young Author Award, the Xerox Award and the Willett Faculty Scholar Award in 2002. He is a Subject Editor for the IEEE/ASME Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems, Associate Editor for the IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems II and serves on the Editorial Board of a number of other journals.


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Julianne Hough has a pair of Dancing with the Stars titles. She's also been linked romantically with her partners on more than one season, but has always denied such romances.
This 20-year old star is insanely gorgeous - and she's also a rising country artist. Hough released her debut CD in the summer of 2008 and has gone on tour with such singers as Brad Paisley, Jewel and Chuck Wick.
As a child, Hough played the bongos and sang in her family's country band. Oh, she's also a virgin, crushing the hopes and dreams of millions of men around the globe.
Hough will teamed up with Cody Linley on season seven of Dancing with the Stars. On season eight, she was paired with real-life boyfriend Chuck Wicks.


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NetWellness is a global, community service providing quality, unbiased health information from our partners. NetWellness is commercial-free and does not accept advertising.
Monday, December 5, 2016
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Yale On Road Again This Week
Related Links
- Full Release in PDF
- Cornell Football Site
- Listen on WELI Radio
- Directions to Game
- Tickets
- Weather Report
- Ivy League Football
NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The 2012 Ivy League campaign kicks off for Yale (1-0, 0-0 Ivy) with a 1 p.m. start at Cornell (0-1, 0-0) this Saturday at Schoellkopf Field (25,597). The game at Ithaca airs live on NBC Sports Network, WELI Radio (AM-960, weli.com) and on WHCU Radio (AM-870).
Yale leads the series with Cornell 44-28-2 heading into the 75th meeting. The series began in 1889 with a 60-6 Bulldog win at New Haven. The schools have split the last four meetings.
Yale and Cornell combined for 520 passing yards in the 2011 Ivy League opener at Yale Bowl, but it was a 58-yard TD run by tailback Alex Thomas '12 that put the game out of reach in Yale's favor. The Bulldogs scored the first 17 points, but Cornell closed to within 23-17 in the third quarter. After a one-yard TD by quarterback Patrick Witt'12 extended the lead to 13, Thomas' run early in the fourth quarter provided the exclamation point for the 37-17 win.
Most expected mistakes from a young team opening on the road with a rookie quarterback against an undefeated team playing its third game. Yale, the team fitting that bill last week, overcame five turnovers to come from behind and capture a 24-21 win over Georgetown. The Bulldogs accumulated 447 yards of total offense and forced four turnovers to improve their all-time mark to 6-0 vs. the Hoyas.
Senior CB Collin Bibb (San Antonio, Texas) registered Yale's only interception of the season opener, and he saved it for the very end to clinch the win. A few plays after being called for a personal foul during an incomplete pass on Georgetown's final drive, Bibb leapt in the corner of the end zone to pull the ball away from a Hoya receiver.
The Yale defense allowed just one Hoya offensive TD on Saturday and limited them to 11 completions. However, Georgetown used six different players to accumulate 260 rushing yards, but could not break an opportunistic Eli defense that forced four turnovers.
Senior LB Will McHale (Old Greenwich, Conn.) fought off an injury and some very large Hoya linemen to lead the Blue with six solo and 13 overall tackles. McHale, who had Yale's only sack, made a number of key stops down the stretch on third and fourth downs. He was honored by collegefootballperformance.com for his day.
Yale freshman running back Tyler Varga (Kitchener, Ont.) earned the first Ivy League Rookie of the Week award today after galloping for a game-high 103 yards and two scores in a win at Georgetown on Sept. 15. He is the first freshman to run for triple digits in his Yale debut since Mike McLeod in 2005. Varga, who played at the University of Western Ontario in 2011, scored the first points of the Yale season on a two-yard run in the first quarter before adding the winning points in the third with a nine-yard burst. The 5-foot-11, 220-pound back, who did not start but alternated series with senior Mordecai Cargill, also had 65 yards on kickoff returns and caught a six-yard pass.
Running back Mordecai Cargill (Cleveland, Ohio) came to pre-season camp lighter, stronger and more intent on being a leader. That evolved into winning the starting job, being voted game captain against Georgetown and averaging a team-best 4.8 yards per carry in the opener. Cargill has 1,132 career rushing yards, including a career-best 230 (4th best at Yale) against Columbia last fall in the snow.
The longest Yale play from scrimmage, a halfback option pass from RB Don Gesicki to WR Gary Fencik at Princeton in 1975, stood until last week. Junior WR Cameron Sandquist (Redmond, Wash.) connected with QB Eric Williams (Portland, Ore.) on a 98-yarder in the second quarter at Georgetown. After a Hoya fumble gave Yale the ball on its own two with under a minute left in the half, Williams fired a pass down the right sideline intended for Sandquuist. A Georgetown defender tipped the ball around the 40-yard line and Sandquist, who finished with nine catches for 187 yards (6th best at Yale), ran under it and went untouched the rest of the way.
Cameron Sandquist, honored by collegefootballperformance.com in its weekly awards, also made the Ivy's honor roll for his career-best outing against the Hoyas. Sandquist, who has five career TD grabs, scored on his first two collegiate receptions as a freshman in 2010 against Columbia.
Yale has won six straight season openers, all against the Hoyas… Freshman WR Sebastian Little (Cheshire, Conn.) was impressive in his collegiate debut with three catches for 19 yards but was injured when a player fell on his leg in the second quarter…Seven different Elis caught passes while two running backs had multiple rushing attempts.
This is the first campaign in eight years that has Yale on the road the first two weeks. The Elis opened 2004 with games at Dayton (24-17, W) and Cornell (19-7, L).
Tony Reno, the Joel E. Smilow'54 Head Coach of Yale football, is in his first head coaching position after cutting his teeth in the Ivy League the last nine seasons. He was a Bulldog assistant under Jack Siedlecki (2002-08) and coached for the Crimson the last three falls. This isn't the first time an Italian-American, former Bulldog assistant in his mid 30s took over the Yale program. Carm Cozza did it in 1965 and amassed an Ivy record 179 wins 32 years later.
Yale players reported to campus on Aug. 15 and practice began two days later. The team had multiple Blue-White scrimmages and also competed with Brown at the Bowl on Sept. 1. The roster began at 111 players but has been slimmed to 96 during the Elis' most physically challenging pre-season camps in recent years.
Ancient Eight teams won five (Yale, Harvard, Brown, Dartmouth, Columbia) of eight games last week to open the season. Ivies were 2-3 vs. Patriot teams.
All of Yale's non-league games are against Patriot League squads this fall. The Blue beat Georgetown (2-1, 0-0) and have games remaining against Colgate and Lafayette. The Raiders beat Sacred Heart last week, while the Leopards knocked off Penn.
Freshman Eric Williams (Portland, Ore.) had an impressive collegiate debut at Georgetown with 19 completions and 250 yards against a strong defense. Williams, the brother of Yale football players Scott '13 and Sean '11, and the son of former NFL player, Larry (Browns, Patriots, Saints, Chargers), became Yale's first freshman starter behind center since Mike McClellan '01 in the 1997 season opener at home against Brown (McClellan was the first Eli rookie QB to start a varsity game since World War II). Williams was the starting QB at Jesuit High School in Portland for two years before his family moved, and he spent his senior campaign at St. Ignatius near Cleveland. One of the assistant coaches on the St. Ignatius team was former Yale captain Rory Hennessey '05.
Seven players saw action in the season opener, including one senior, three juniors, two sophomores and a freshman. The senior is RT Roy Collins (6-5, 266, Carbondale, Ill.). The juniors are LT Wes Gavin (6-6, 286, San Diego, Calif.), C John Oppenheimer (6-0, 264, Menlo Park, Calif.) and LT Kyle White (6-7, 268, Pompton Plains, NJ). The sophomores are RG Ben Carbery (6-5, 287, Oak Park, Ill.) and LG William Chism (6-3, 277, Ridgeland, Miss.), while the lone newcomer last week was RG Luke Longinotti (6-4, 265, Burlingame, Calif.). Gavin and Carbery combined to win freshman MVP honors the last two years.
There are an unprecedented eight (number could move up or down) freshmen on the Yale two-deep depth chart, including six on offense. Fifteen newcomers were on the travel squad last week, and at one time in the game there were four freshmen on offense.
Jeff Mathews completed 38 of 56 passes for 489 yards and three scores, but it wasn't enough to get Cornell a win over Fordham last week in the Bronx. The Rams had 480 total yards and held on for a 34-27 win.
Yale was picked fifth with 66 points and no first-place votes in the 2012 Ivy League Media Poll. Defending league champion Harvard holds the top spot with 112 points and 13 first-place votes. Penn and Cornell, each with a pair of top votes, follow the Crimson while Brown was slated fourth. Dartmouth, Columbia and Princeton were listed after the Bulldogs.
There are 3,543 names of Yale football players listed on 345 stones in Jensen Plaza outside Yale Bowl. The names include the first Bulldog squad in 1872 through the class of 2012.
Senior Philippe Panico (Boston, Mass.) can throw the football 60 yards, but he is not one of the Yale QBs. The Bulldogs' top place kicker is strong-armed and can often be seen launching spirals on the practice field. Panico has handled almost all of the PK and kickoff duties the last two years. Kyle Cazzetta (Slate Hill, N.Y.) is in his second year as the starting punter.
Three Bulldogs were honored after week one of the season, one from the Ivy and the other from the website collegefootballperformance.com.
Ivy League: RB Tyler Varga (Sept. 15), Rookie of the Week
CFPA: LB Will McHale, WR Cameron Sandquist (Sept. 15)
Yale Football has a new player lounge on the third floor of Ray Tompkins House replete with couches, tables, desks, games, TVs and life-sized images on the walls.
The Yale helmets have a slight "retro" look this fall with a change in the "Y" on the sides. Instead of having the "Y" outlined with a white line and then an outer blue edge, a thinner blue "Y" now stands alone, showcasing the look from the late 1960s through the 1980s.
For the second straight fall, the Elis host Dartmouth and play at Columbia. According to the league, the Ivy schedule format changed in 2008. In order to make the necessary changes and follow the scheduling parameters, these two game sites had to remain for a second straight year.
John Pagliaro Jr '11, a former Yale linebacker, played for the Ancona Dolphins (7-5) during the 2012 winter season, and then started at tailback and on special teams for the Italian National team in a tournament.
Two former Yale receivers are coaches on the 2012 Vanderbilt University football squad. Bob Shoop '88, a 24-year veteran of college coaching, is the defensive coordinator. Chandler Henley '06, the captain of the 2006 Ivy Champions, is a graduate assistant coach. A third Yale grad, Paul Rice '10 (2009 captain), is in the same region as a graduate assistant football coach at Georgia Tech.
The Yale JV has four games slated for this fall: Sept. 30 vs. Milford Academy; Oct. 28 vs. Bridgton Academy; Nov. 4 at Brown and Nov. 16 at Harvard. All games are 1 p.m., home contests are played at Clint Frank Field.
Blake Thomson '16 (Franklin, Tenn.) was busy last summer. In addition to starting www.myteamability.com, a web based company that helps college students find careers, he led a project (www.helpinghonduraskids.org) to collect soccer equipment and clothes for an orphanage in Honduras. A week before reporting to Yale, he visited Honduras to complete the project. Thomson, who plans to major in biomedical engineering, delivered soccer balls, cleats, jerseys and other items to the 22 children of Hogar de Amor orphanage in La Ceiba. Thomson toured the three-bedroom house where 22 children live and the Jungle School for 100 impoverished children. "I learned that over 40 percent of Honduras children suffer from abuse and many of these kids had to be removed from their homes. Many children walk an hour or more each way to attend the school. For many, it is their only meal of the day. I look forward to returning and would love to take some of my teammates with me."
Dartmouth owns the most Ivy League titles since league play officially began in 1956. Yale and Harvard trail Penn by one for second.
No Team Last Title
17 Dartmouth 1996
15 Penn 2010
14 Yale 2006
14 Harvard 2011
9 Princeton 2006
4 Brown 2008
3 Cornell 1990
1 Columbia 1961
Tony Reno, the Joel E. Smilow '54 Head Coach of Yale Football, and some of his players are at the world famous Mory's (306 York Street) every Tuesday (Sept. 11 through Nov. 12) at noon for the Dick Galiette Yale Football Media Luncheon. This event is limited to media only. Please contact Yale Sports Publicity Director Steve Conn (firstname.lastname@example.com) if you would like to attend.
Yale's marketing director Pat O'Neill is busy every home Saturday with special events: Sept. 29 (Youth Day); Oct. 6 (Chamber of Commerce Day); Oct. 13 (Parent's Weekend); Oct. 20 (Heroes Day, Air Force fly-over); Nov. 10 (Fill The Bowl).
All five home games this season are video streamed on yalebulldogs.com through Yale's All Access with Ron Vaccaro (follow @yalevoice on Twitter for Yale football updates)
and Carm Cozza providing the call for both All Access and WELI Radio. All home games are live broadcasts except for Penn on Oct. 20 (NBC Sports Network).
The Bulldogs, off on Mondays, are on the field from 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday behind the baseball stadium. Fridays are walk-through days either at Yale Bowl or on the road and times vary. Players and coaches are available for interviews with working media following the practice if there is no student-athlete scheduling conflicts. All schedules are subject to change.
Yale on YES includes three broadcasts this fall on the YES Network. The YES games are Columbia, Brown and Princeton. This is the fifth straight fall the Bulldogs appear on the network home for New York Yankees baseball. YES broadcaster Chris Shearn handles the play-by-play, with color commentary coming from former Yale defensive back Jack Ford '72, a well-known author and TV personality, and ex-National Football League and Princeton lineman Ross Tucker.
Yale football airs live on NBC Sports Network three times this fall. The Cornell, Penn and Harvard games will be shown by the TV group previously branded as VERSUS. The studio team of Liam McHugh, Doug Flutie and Hines Ward provide pre- and post-game coverage on NBC and/or NBC Sports Network every Saturday of the college football season. The NBC Sports Network has televised 17 Ivy League football matchups featuring all eight schools over the past four (2008-11) seasons.
The Yale Bowl press box has a taste of New Haven with Yorkside Pizza & Restaurant serving slices, pasta and salad to the media on home Saturdays.
Yale was the first football team of any type to reach 800 wins when it beat Dayton 42-6 on Sept. 16, 2000. It wasn't hard for Michigan (896 wins) to catch up playing three or four games more than Yale each season. The Bulldogs are second with 870 victories.
Shane Bannon '11 (Chiefs) and Jake Stoller '12 (Steelers) were in NFL Camps right up to the start of the 2012 regular season. Bannon, an H-Back on the Kansas City practice squad in 2011, suffered an injury midway through this year's camp before being released. Stoller, a defensive lineman, made it all the way to the final day of teams reporting their regular-season rosters.
Three former Bulldogs are coaching in the NFL this season. Dick Jauron '73, who has spent 34 years in the NFL as a player (25 interceptions, Detroit & Cincinnati) and coach, is in his second year as the defensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns. He has also coached in Jacksonville, Green Bay, Chicago, Detroit, Buffalo and Philadelphia. Jauron, the 2001 AP Coach of the Year with the Bears, was an NFL head coach three times, most recently with the Bills (2006-09). Pat Graham '01, a former Yale tight end and defensive lineman, is a defensive assistant coach for the New England Patriots. He is in his fourth season at Foxboro. Graham, a Waterbury, Conn., native, was a member of Yale's 1999 Ivy title team. Michael McDaniel '05 is in his sixth NFL campaign and second with the Washington Redskins. He also coached the Houston Texans and Denver Broncos.
Yale, which last played in the Golden State in 2005 at the University of San Diego, has another trip to California planned. On Oct. 5, 2013, the Bulldogs will play against Cal Poly Tech at San Luis Obispo. The only two games the Blue has played on the West Coast were against USD.
The Bulldogs open their home slate with Colgate coming to the Bowl for a noon kickoff.
The annual survey of Bulldogs produced the anticipated results; Yale is a team full of leaders who produced as much off the field as they did on it. Here is the 2012 breakdown.
50 players were captains of their high school football team
35 players were captains of another sport in high school
41 players were a national honors society member
4 players were class president at their high school
4 players were student body president at their high school
5 players were class valedictorian at their high school
4 players were class salutatorian at their high school
The following Yalies have distinguished themselves according to a vote by their teammates.
OL William Chism (So, Ridgeland, Miss.)… most humorous
TE Michael Leunen (Jr, Portland, Ore.)… most intelligent
TB Mordecai Cargill (Sr, Cleveland, Ohio)… most vocal leader (not captain)
DB John Powers (Sr, Hamden, Conn.)… most likely to be U.S. President
DE Beau Palin (Jr, Oconomowoc, Wis.)… most interesting activity (Capt. America, water skiing)
DE Allen Davis (Sr, Grand Praire, Texas)… best singer
DB Collin Bibb (Sr, San Antonio, Texas)… strongest player (pound-for-pound)
DE Beau Palin (Jr, Oconomowoc, Wis.)… most involved in community outreach
"Inside Ivy League Football" runs all 10 Wednesdays of the season at 7 p.m. on BlogTalkRadio.com (blogtalkradio.com/inside ivyleaguefootball). It will be available on-demand via BlogTalkRadio and IvyLeagueSports.com. Fans and alumni can interact with "Inside" via its social media platforms -- Facebook (Inside Ivy League Football) and Twitter (@insideivyfb) -- as well as provide ideas and content for the show's 'Twitter Talk/Facebook Fodder' segment. Selected episodes will feature Ivy football trivia with chances to win Ivy League-branded merchandise or a gift certificate to the League's official online store at shop.ivyleaguesports.com. The show will be hosted by two veteran Ivy broadcasters, Dan Loney and Brian Seltzer.
Be the first to know what's going on with the Bulldogs -- Follow @YaleAthletics on Twitter, become a fan of Yale Athletics on Facebook!. For more information on following specific Yale Athletics teams visit us online at www.yalebulldogs.com.
filed by Steve Conn, Yale Sports Publicity Director
Roy Collins image by Jack Warhola


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- Last call... (8/2/17)
- Time to put on our 'A' game (7/26/17)
- Annual Idaho State Police report offers some mixed news for county (7/19/17)
- Community Canvas effort made significant difference (7/12/17)
- Law enforcement must train to confront very evil people (7/5/17)
- Independence Day coming so don't get complacent (6/28/17)
- Angry rhetoric must stop (6/21/17)
News by 20-second sound bites
As a political junkie, I've been following the national presidential campaign pretty closely, and trying to either read the transcripts of speeches or catch the full speeches on CSPAN.
Barack Obama has been taking some hits lately over comments his former pastor has made, but CNN carried a full hour of Wright defending his remarks, and it was more than interesting. For those who watched it, they saw a highly intelligent man, with VERY strong opinions, but not a raving maniac.
He made a couple of good points about "20-second sound bites," noting for example, that the You Tube clip everybody has been seeing about him saying the U.S. was partially responsible for 9/11 was him actually quoting the U.S. ambassador to Iraq. That part failed to make the 20-second sound bite.
And the next day, before the National Press Club, when some reporters started questioning him about his comments he asked for a show of hands as to how many actually saw the entire CNN report, and nobody raised their hands. "How can you ask me questions, then," he demanded. Good point, even if a lot of what else he said was, well, a little outrageous at times.
It got me thinking. The other day, I got home late from work, missed the 5-6 p.m. news broadcasts, so I turned to the 24-hour news channels.
And couldn't find any news.
Not one was actually broadcasting objective news. What I saw was nothing but commentary shows.
I began to wonder if anybody actually had any trained objective journalists working for them. All we get these days are pundit's opinions disguised as news, and half the time, since I've either seen the original speeches or read the transcripts, I wonder if these guys are even looking at anything more than a 20-second sound bite before making up their minds what to rant and rave about. We seem to have devolved from reporting to rumor mongering.
And I kind of wonder why anything Wright says should make a difference in the first place, other than helping fill air time, since his comments really don't have anything to do with what the issues the candidates must address as they offer their solutions to solving our nation's problems. Let's hope McCain doesn't wind up having to defend the comments of say, Jerry Falwell, for example.
God knows I certainly wouldn't want to be held responsible for some of the comments made by some of my friends or associates. Some of my best friends are a lot more radical, to either the left or the right, than I am, and I cringe sometimes at some of the things they say (while defending their right to say them, even if I disagree).
Should any of us, in particular a candidate, be held accountable for the pronouncements of people we associate with? I sure hope not.
Only in American politics....
* * *
I've said it before, and I'll say it again, I really hope we wind up with a McCain/Obama race. I think the voters will get two clearly different approaches to the various problems our country has, and just as importantly, I think such a race would focus on the issues, not silly side matters.
And I truly believe it would be the cleanest race in U.S. history, with the issues, for once, actually dominating.
I offer two examples of that belief:
When Obama was given an opportunity, as a result of a question at his last debate with Clinton, to attack her on her "war stories," Obama passed, noting that wasn't relevant to the issues that needed to be discussed.
And when the North Carolina Republican Central Committee launched essentially a mudslinging attack ad against Obama, McCain asked them to pull it (which they did).
Mudslinging usually misdirects and confuses the voters (it's designed to do that). But that's not what McCain or Obama want. They want the voters to make good decisions based on their actual positions, and they'd like the media and the public to stay focused and on point about those issues and positions.
How wonderfully refreshing.
I like the integrity that both men display, and I think both are more interested in working for the betterment of all our citizens than they are in merely achieving power.
Which once again, is wonderfully refreshing -- and possibly unique in the annals of U.S. political history.
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Style # 213473
Simply chic and supremely versatile, this bebe leather tote bag features a front flap pocket with a metal turnlock, oversized chain links at handles and plenty of room to fit anything from a laptop to an extra pair of shoes.
- Leather
- H 12" (31 cm) x W 13" (33 cm) x D 7" (18 cm)
- Handle: 10" (25 cm)
- Fabric lined
- Media compartments
- Imported
Newport Leather Tote is rated out of 5 by 1.
Rated 4 out of 5 by BEBEGALOT from This product is a must have. I love the fact that this bag is leather and at the same time big. I am a fan of those. It comes in handy where ever I go. Its a must have for work, and school. You wouldnt want to miss out on this product at such a good price. Its like a steal. I wish they had a BEBE store in Brooklyn. I would have loved to shop more often.
Date published: 2013-07-19


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The DAC8830 and DAC8831 are single, 16-bit, serial-input, voltage-output digital-to-analog converters (DACs) operating from a single 3 V to 5 V power supply. These converters provide excellent linearity (1 LSB INL), low glitch, low noise, and fast settling (1.0 µS to 1/2 LSB of full-scale output) over the specified temperature range of -40°C to +85°C. The output is unbuffered, which reduces the power consumption and the error introduced by the buffer.
These parts feature a standard high-speed (clock up to 50 MHz), 3 V or 5 V SPI serial interface to communicate with a DSP or microprocessor.
The DAC8830 output is 0 V to VREF. However, the DAC8831 provides bipolar output (±VREF) when working with an external buffer. The DAC8830 and DAC8831 are both reset to zero code after power up. For optimum performance, a set of Kelvin connections to external reference and analog ground input are provided on the DAC8831.
The DAC8830 is available in an SO-8 package, and the DAC8831 in an SO-14 package. Both have industry standard pinouts. The DAC8831 is also available in a QFN-14 package.


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I've updated ScummVM through the Google Play store and now Land of Lore is not working anymore - it says that I have a missing or corrupted KYRA.DAT file.
I've tried to download it from your site and put it in my LOL directory but it didn't fix the problem.
Can you please help me?
I assume you mean you downloaded this file.. If not, download this and do a file compare against your kyra.dat:
This should be in the extra path directory, rather than the game data directory ... Putting this in the game directory was a bit of a hack:
Thank you for your reply, but it didn't fix the problem.
I've downloaded the file from your link, deleted the file that I put in the LOL directory, specified the Extra path and put the new file in it, but still have the same message.
I've tried as well uninstalling ScummVM and reinstalling it from the Play store, but the problem remains.
OK, I've managed to fix it thanks to the info on this page:
On this site
you have to specify the branch which corresponds to the ScummVM version which you are running - 1.8.1 in my case and then download the corresponding kyra.dat file.
Apologies, I should have realised that you need the engine-data from the release branch, not the latest master.
We probably should amend the download page to point to the stable branch version rather than the master (development) which would align with the downloads offered there.


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Watch The ::God Is Imaginary Videos On YouTube ::
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
I love this place..have for a long time..but you guys really hate newcomers..lol..
Seriously, you guys are the meanest people I have ever met. I hope you are happy and feel really good about yourself.
I love newcomers. Nobody else will talk to me.
I'm not up on current events. Who is beating up Madeline and why? Dammit. I want it to stop.
Thanks everybody for taking it easy on me. I expected to be black and blue.
I feel like I missed something here? Madeline why do you feel like we hate newcomers? If you stated it somewhere already I apologize. Unless it has big flashy lights I probably missed it[1]. 1. Suffering from a cold and not quite all here from the meds.
It's a tough board, in that anything said well be read critically to see if it holds up under careful examination. There's little patience for theists who arrive intent on saving us godless sinners, but can't be bothered to spend some time reviewing the history to see if they have anything new to add. There's little tolerance for assertions that aren't, or can't be, supported by evidence, ideally empirical evidence. No one gets away with BS on the "serious" topics, and may be called out for it on more light topics too. Many of the members have been here for a long time, and are often well read across a wide range of topics, so odds are good there's someone in the community who is fairly knowledgeable in whatever topic may be under discussion. And everyone knows how to use Google.It's all about critical thinking. Part of what I love about this place is that I can see a well-constructed argument in action. I can see logical fallacies in "real world" context, and watch them get dismantled. Sometimes the conversation takes a familiar path, and sometimes it deviates into completely unexpected areas, but it's almost always enlightening. You can get hammered on for a poor word choice. You will hear about it if you post without thinking through what your audience is going to read in your words that you may not have intended. Any bias that shows up will be brought into the light to be examined in minute detail. And you'll be a better communicator for it.
Jag seems to have summed it up well on the first page of the thread; madeline is welcome to correct me if I'm wrong:
Well Nam deserves to be loved regardless of his lack of social skills.
Hal,Since I can't watch vids on my phone, I am going to assume it's the Smurfs. I love the Smurfs.


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Feb 8, 2012
From staff reports
Compass recently asked students to voice their greatest concerns about the quarters to semesters (Q2S) transition. Students answered that call loud and clear – through Facebook, Twitter, emails and in person.
Here, we've asked some of OHIO's top advisors to address the most popular concerns on camera. To watch a YouTube video in response to the questions below, simply click on the links. Or, to view the complete playlist, click here.
Throughout winter quarter, Compass will feature tips and information on advising students through the Q2S transition, based on input from top student advisors.
Articles in this series include:
First completed TDCPs bring University one step closer to semesters
Regional collaboration promises streamlined advising across campuses
Chillicothe advisor enhances TDCP process with technology
Advisors step students through curricular change in preparation for Q2S conversion
OHIO is one of 17 public universities and community colleges across the state converting to semesters in accordance with the University System of Ohio's strategic plan. Questions about the quarters-to-semesters transition at Ohio University can be directed to email@example.com. For more information, visit http://www.ohio.edu/q2s/.


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Experiential Education Summer Camp
Who are we?
- We are the very first student-run college camp for Chinese students. Our primary goal is to provide a genuine college experience for Chinese students who are considering attending American college.
- We are passionate about helping YOU learn more about the American education and culture
- We are professional in planning YOUR detailed experience
- We will be proud of YOUR achievements as you complete this 15-day life-changing experience
What do we offer?
A 15-day Camp which offers:
- Intensive English Classes
- Cultural Activities and Visits
- Residential experience with access to all campus facilities
- Outdoor Activities and Teambuilding Training
- Site Visit and Interview at American company
- Weekend Stay with American family
- Insurance and Security Protection
- And More!!
When is this?
- Summer 2012 (July 1 - July 15)
Why EE Camp?
- You can be an "American college student" for 15 days
- You can make lifelong friendships with American faculty and students
- All English classes taught by college professor
- Simple application process and VISA assistance
- Competitive Price
How much does it cost?
- ¥32,000RMB (Includes Airfare/Transportation/Classes fee/Activities fee/Insurance/Room/Food etc, No personal spending included)
For more information, please email us at: [email protected].


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uncommon in the press
Scroll down and check out some of the Uncommon product sightings we've found in the media.
Hop on the celebrity bandwagon and sport your favorite Uncommon case!
Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
May 6, 2014
Our Hello Owls by Valentina Ramos ready-made case for the iPhone 5/5s was caught in tonight show skit with Jimmy Fallon, Seth Rogen And Zac Efron, and also posted on @FallonTonight official Twitter account here!
Lindsey Lohan Rockin' Uncommon's Rainbow Shade on Instagram
April 10, 2014
The always fashionable Lindsey Lohan posts a quick selfie using her iPhone 5s with our Rainbow Shade case on her official Instagram account.
The New York Times - Personal Tech
October 1, 2013
Our customizable battery case for the iPhone 5 and 5s was featured in The New York Times' Personal Tech section.
Honey & Silk Blog
September 17, 2013
Blogger Stephanie Liu opens up her handbag for a look inside and show us she's a fan of our iPhone 4/4s Julius Anchor Monogram case!
The Jonathan Ross Show
May 11, 2013
Vin Diesel rocks a Sorbet™ Series case on The Jonathan Ross Show. Get his case here.
USA Today
May 2013
You Are Beautiful cases were featured in USA Today's Mother's Day Gift Guide
May 2013
Personalized Uncommon iPhone cases made Esquire's Mother's Day Gift Guide as a great option for the nostalgic mom!
May 2013
Elle.com recommended Uncommon personalized cases to their readers for Mother's Day Gifts!
WCIU Chicago
May 2013
Personalized Uncommon iPhone cases were featured on You & Me This Morning on WCIU in Chicago.
May 2013
Ebony.com included our iPhone cases benefitting Susan G. Komen for the Cure® in their Mother's Day Gift Guide.
May 2013
Uncommon cases were featured on LifeAndStyleMag.com for Mother's Day!
Fox 8 New Orleans
May 2013
Uncommon iPhone cases sold at Apple stores were featured on Fox 8 New Orleans for Mother's Day.
April 2013
Our Sorbet™ Series iPhone cases were featured in TeenVogue.com's spring on-trend tech accessories story!
HOW Magazine
January 2013
HOW magazine featured Uncommon's iPhone and iPad monogram case collection designed by Jessica Hische. The collection features an alphabet from Hische's Daily Drop Cap project.
January 2013
Glamour magazine featured the Lemon Yellow iPhone case from our Color Wheel collection in the January issue. Check it out!
December 2012
Essence magazine included our customizable iPad (retina) Deflector case in the December issue gift guide! Shop iPad cases here.
Teen Vogue
November 2012
Shay Mitchell, the Pretty Little Liars star, features Uncommon's iPhone 4/4S Fragment Blocks case as one of her favorite things in Teen Vogue! Check out the case designed by Hiroshi Fujiwara in our Ready-mades section.
Latitudes Magazine
November 2012
Our Izak Zenou collection was featured in the in-flight magazine Latitudes! Uncommon cases make excellent travel accessories!
James Harden Brings Uncommon to USA Basketball Training Camp
James Harden is pictured using Uncommon's iPhone case for the "Believe Collection" launched by Jeep and USA Basketball. Harden, of the Oklahoma City Thunder, was traveling with Team USA in Barcelona for training camp. Uncommon's iPhone case was part of a capsule collection designed by Jeff Staple, and it was gifted to each player on the USA Basketball team. Check out more details about the collection on the Jeep High Altitude site. Go USA!
Kristen Stewart Rocks Uncommon iPhone Case
Twilight star Kristen Stewart is spotted leaving a Hollywood studio using Uncommon's Fragment Blocks iPhone case by Hiroshi Fujiwara.
Kendall Jenner Shares Uncommon Cases
We were excited to see Kendall Jenner sharing our cases with her Instagram fans! The above cases are sold in Apple stores nationwide right now - July 2012. You can also check out other flag cases on GetUncommon.com!
Uncommon on the TODAY Show
Our iPhone 4/4S Capsule Case was featured on the TODAY show as correspondent Sara Haines' "favorite thing." Skip ahead in the video to 1:20 if you want to get right to our shining moment!
More Coming Soon!


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Kung-fu Superstar Kickstarter failing in part to core's "hatred" of motion controls, says creator
Kung-fu Superstar, the simulation game containing both motion and traditional controls, seems destined to fail on Kickstarter due in part to hardcore gamers loathing the tech, according to creator Kostas Zarifis.
Speaking with Eurogamer, Zarifis admitted to making some mistakes with the Kickstarter: focusing just on PC; not emphasizing the game could be played entirely without motion controls; and Kickstarter UK not being the "extravaganza we were thinking it might be."
"We all know what the majority of hardcore gamers think about motion control," he said. "We're not talking indifference, we're talking hatred. And for good reason. Since the advent of motion control they've been constantly treated with disappointments. Unfortunately this is the climate we've been trying to pitch Kung-Fu Superstar in. And it doesn't matter that's exactly the landscape we are
"We were also too slow to go into detail about how Kung-fu Superstar is not exclusively motion controlled. Far from it. Anyone who has seen our demos and sees how we blend controller and motion control gameplay tells us, 'I can't believe how innovative this is. Why has no-one done this yet?'
"Unfortunately this is the climate we've been trying to pitch Kung-Fu Superstar in. And it doesn't matter that's exactly the landscape we are trying to change. People just don't care about that landscape any more."
Zarifis hopes his firm's failing Kickstarter isn't a precursor to the death of motion controls, as he feels the tech has oodles of potential.
"When motion control technologies were announced I think everyone's imagination was piqued. Even the most cynical among us," he said. "The realistic sword game, the immersive fighting game and that sense of longing, for something special, for something different took a big hit in the years to come.
"I can't help but fear that our potentially failed Kickstarter will be what completely kills that notion. The flicker of desire for truly immersive, hardcore games with motion control elements burning out, worries me even more than our Kickstarter failing. I hope that if we fail, people will help us fail decently enough so that at least we can keep that flicker alive."
Zarifis previously worked at Lionhead and had his hand in titles such as Fable 2, Fable 3 and Fable: The Journey. He left the firm after five years in May 2011 to found his studio, Kinesthetic Games.
With the Kickstarter for Kung-fu Superstar on the rocks, staff members are currently looking for other sources of work.
With six days to go, 425 backers have pledged £36,079 toward the project's £200,000 goal.


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Participating locations offer homework help, healthy snacks, physical activity and other school enrichment activities.
We work with schools in challenged neighborhoods to give students the opportunity to get the assistance and help they need to improve their academic performance. Our comprehensive services include academic enrichment, homework assistance, math and reading support, art, sports, events, and a host of other resources students need to succeed.
When schools are closed, structured activities and child care programs help to keep your child safe, engaged, and learning.
Many Y locations offer School Days Out classes to keep children busy and learning — and give parents peace of mind — on days when school is closed. Depending on the Y, programs can include swimming, field trips, math lessons, arts & crafts, sports, and more. Regardless of the program, our dedicated staff makes sure children are developing the values, skills, and relationships that lead to positive behavior, better health, and greater educational achievement.
Building a stronger Chicago by providing educational opportunities to neighborhoods that need the resources.
We believe we can advance communities by helping students learn more and develop the skills they need to succeed in school. We offer these programs at schools throughout the Chicago area.
Fall 1:
Sep 4-Oct 28
|Aug 6
|Aug 20
Fall 2:
Oct 29-Dec 23
|Aug 6
|Oct 15


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5th International Expert Meeting on Genocide, War Crimes and Crimes against Humanity
20-22 November 2012, Lyon, France
Attended by around 150 law enforcement and judicial experts from more than 40 countries, as well as representatives from more than 20 international organizations, the aim of this meeting was to enhance operational cooperation and the exchange of information in the investigation of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Discussions at the three-day meeting centred around the theme "Information for justice".
The latest developments in intelligence gathering, investigations, prosecutions, training, best practices and capacity building were presented and discussed.
With an increasing number of countries establishing specialized units to investigate genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity, the conference is part of INTERPOL's ongoing support in developing global expertise in this area.
Presentation by Serge Brammertz, Prosecutor, International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
Presentation by Adama Dieng, UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide
Presentation by Mick O'Connell, INTERPOL's Director of Operational Police Services
Presentation by Michel de Smedt, Head of Investigations Division, International Criminal Court


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September 21, 2012
An awkward time of year is upon us, the time when those of us who have called Florida home for decades notice something a little different in the air. It's faint: the morning breeze is just a bit cooler and drier, without heavy tropical fragrance.
It's fall.
The Gulf of Mexico temperature is falling dramatically. Average water temperature in August is 87°, then 86° in September, and then 81° in October, falling to 66° in January and February before starting back up.
Cooling is a result not only of lower sun angles; the days, too, are becoming much shorter. In August, days are around 13 hours. By December, days are 2.5 hours shorter with the sun much lower in the sky.
The plants, of course, know that the weather is changing. Swamp Maples and Cypress trees are beginning to show color and to drop leaves.
Here at Peace and Plenty, shorter days mean vegetable gardening. Last year, I started tomato plants in late August but didn't get fruit until January and I do not know why. I do know that Immokalee tomatoes appear in the stores in December, which means that they are put out in late August. This year all of our veggies will be planted in mid-october.
And the vegetable garden will be completely re-built this year, mostly because when Mrs. Pundit watches Victory Garden on PBS, and then she looks at our veggie patch, and then she looks at me, without saying a word, there is a certain unspoken energy in the air.
Do the plants care? Maybe not so much but then again they don't live with Mrs. Pundit.
Many multifamily communities apply mulch every year in the fall in anticipation of season. My own testing at two communities has shown that the cost of mulch can be dramatically reduced with a few sensible steps.
First, of course, shop around. Don't be afraid to pick up the phone…after all, mulch is usually an expense that ranks in the top four of all annual expenses for Homeowner Associations (HOA).
Second, remember that monoculture is your friend: use large numbers of a single species. Plants should be spaced at about 80% of natural spread and 120% of spread from pavement or buildings. When mature, you will have a bed that needs no mulch whatsoever, except at the margins, and during the grow-in, of course.
Third, do not waste money on dyed mulch. And do I have to tell you once again that red mulch is just bad? Mulch is not a design element, people. It is a necessary evil, with the emphasis on 'evil'. We use mulch as a temporary element in a well-designed garden to help plants establish a natural canopy. During the grow-in period, the ground is exposed to the sun, so we need a way to keep weeds out and water in.
But when a planting bed is properly mature, the plants themselves serve as the best possible mulch, shielding the ground from the sun. Here at Peace and Plenty, for example, and at many of my multifamily projects, are large beds of (for example) Ficus 'Green Island' with no irrigation and no mulch. Similarly very large beds of Macho Fern, and of Wart Fern. All of these beds are self-mulching and require additional irrigation only very occasionally.
Fourth, in many homes and communities maturing trees have obviated grass growing below them. So often, I see large mulch beds in these areas, mulch beds that must be sprayed to keep down weeds. A better solution is to use ferns or other low-light plants.
Fifth, if you have a large bed of mulch, something is wrong someplace. There are a few exceptions to this rule, but not many. Mulch is expensive and in the long term the use of plants is cheaper.
And finally, remember to use low maintenance or no maintenance plants. These are the shrubs that do not need pruning or trimming: the grasses and ferns are two examples. And there are many shrubs that require only irregular pruning, like Ficus Green Island.
Keep those emails coming.
A version of this piece appeared in the Naples Daily News 9.21.2012: Download 9.21.2012 Fall, Mulch.


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Why not start planning your holiday now? Search 'Haven What's On' in your app store and download to your phone
Your kids will love the chance to find out more about the countryside around them and pick up some exciting new skills when they get involved in our Nature Rockz activities.
There's so much to do with Nature Rockz, from exploring the park and coastline to finding out all about the wildlife that live in and around it. We've also got some great activities that might inspire your kids to become the next Bear Grylls as they learn all about various wilderness survival techniques!
Whichever of our Nature Rockz activities your kids take part in, they'll be learning about the world around them and having fun – all under the watchful eyes of our fully trained Rangers.
If your kids fancy themselves as the next Bear Grylls, we have the perfect activities for them. From building a shelter to making a fire and finding out how to purify water, they'll learn loads of exciting new outdoor skills!
Explore our parks from top to bottom with our Rangers and find out all about the local wildlife that make Haven their home.
Want to get creative outdoors? Try building a house for some of our resident wildlife, create a beautiful collage, or even make your very own creation from some of our recycled materials - there's so much to do!
Explore the beach, follow a nature trail, play in the rock pools or simply enjoy skimming stones off the water - there's so much to do at the seaside!
Sometimes the best thing about being close to nature is just to get outside and enjoy it. Get close to the great outdoors and appreciate the beauty of the world around you.
Our family activity is similar to orienteering without the compass. We'll point you in the right direction of the highlights of the unique and beautiful settings of our parks. So grab some treasured time with each other, tie up your walking shoes and set yourself on a voyage of discovery.
We all take water for granted don't we? Turn on the tap and it's there! Well with a little help from our friendly park Ranger, you can learn the art of water purification, how to extract water, clean the water and get it ready for drinking.
Let our clever Rangers guide you through the world of creating stick creatures. Which one will you create? A hedgehog, spider, owl or sheep – or think of one of your own. It's amazing what you can make with some twigs, pine cones, acorns, leaves, pipe cleaners and felt. This free activity is great fun for all ages. Kids must bring along an adult..
How much fun can you have with some leaves? Answer - lots. Think of a fun design, like a cat, bird or Caterpillar, then find your perfectly-shaped leaves to create this. Searching is half the fun. Practice your design on paper first, then when you're happy, stick it onto your canvas and paint it. This is fun for all ages so get the adults involved too.
Perfect for all the budding Van Gogh's in the family, and you'll end up with your very own sunflower. Grab a brush and paint your plant pot. Let your imagination run wild with spots, stripes, flowers or even a face. When your design is finished, fill the plant pot with compost then plant a sunflower seed. Sit back and watch it grow! This activity is suitable for all ages and an adult will need to be with the kids. It's £5 to take part and you can take your planted pot home.
Come along with our Rangers and let them help you find the perfect stones for your pebble art. Can you make a cat, caterpillar or even a ladybird? River stones are best, or stones found on the beach. Find unusual shapes and build your creation, then start painting and dazzle your friends with your amazing design. Kids must be with a grown-up.
Take a walk on the wild side with our expert Rangers, and follow the tracks of some of the unusual animals on our holiday park. Amaze yourself with your new-found tracking skills as you learn to spot the different prints made by different animals, their habits and direction of.
Have you ever noticed the many different species of plants and trees? Well let our expert Rangers teach you how to tell an oak from an elm, their uses for medicine, bushcraft, and which ones can be eaten, and which ones to keep away from.
After learning lots of fun skills from our Rangers, your young survival experts can put their talents to use making a para cord survival bracelet! This bracelet may look funky, but in an emergency the seven inner strands can be pulled out and used for everything from fishing line to sewing thread and loads more – astronauts even used this material to fix the Hubble Space Telescope once!
Learning how to start a camp fire is one of the most essential skills for budding explorers. With this activity, our Rangers will show you how to safely and effectively get a camp fire roaring. There may even be a tasty treat at the end' as this session offers a hot chocolate and a marshmallow.
Our expert Rangers will teach young explorers one of the most important survival skills – how to build a shelter using only what they can find in the natural surroundings.
Have fun making your own flower pot man. Give him a name and let his grassy hair grow out – then cut it all off and watch it start all over again!
Even woodland creatures need somewhere to live, and with this activity you'll get the chance to build a box suitable for bats or birds to call their home. When you've finished you can leave it in our park ready for a new occupant to settle in it, or take it home with you for your own local wildlife to enjoy.
Let your imagination run wild as you join our Rangers in scouring the park in search of recycled materials you can use to create your own giant scrap heap animal. Choose whatever animal you want to make, decorate it and even give it a name!
Ahoy me hearties, there's treasure to be found in our parks! With the help of our Rangers, you'll find items to help you along the way and solve cryptic clues as you hunt for the 'X' that marks the spot where the treasure is hidden.
Join our Rangers on a hunt for everything from beautiful butterflies to creepy crawlies as they help you explore our parks from top to bottom, show you where all these little creatures like to hide and tell you everything they know about a bug's life.
Let our Rangers take you on a walk along our nature trails and find out everything about the wildlife that lives in our parks and along the nearby coastlines, as well as the history and heritage of the surrounding countryside.
Can you tell an Aquatic Warbler from a Yellowhammer? Our Rangers can, and they can't wait to tell you everything they know about the birds that visit and live on our parks. You'll also get the chance to give the birds something to eat at the feeding station!
A fun, family-focused activity, led by one of our friendly park Rangers. Families can explore the coast and find out more about the RNLI, whilst learning how to keep safe beside the seaside. During a fun session, our Ranger will teach you the RNLI safety advice, a must for all coastal explorers. Our expert Ranger will take you on a guided trail and through mini games, help you to: get to know the coastal landscape, learn how to have fun in and around the sea and the safety measures you need to take to keep you and our family out of dangers way. Each family will receive a booklet and there'll be a sticker for all children.
Our eco-friendly brochures are just a click away.
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