text:
Coffee News Restaurant Guide
Locally owned and operated by Gary and Cheryl Benne
Richard's Restaurant is conveniently located behind the courthouse in Ringgold, GA, on LaFayette Street. Serving breakfast and lunch and dinner on weekdays - and Saturday breakfast! - we have a full menu guaranteed to make your mouth water.
Located at 906 LaFayette St, Ringgold, GA. Take-out available at 706-937-7434.
Hours: 6:30am - 8:00pm M-F, 7am-11am on Saturday
Richard's also offers catering services! Follow this link to
our catering menu
or click here to
submit a request
Main Navigation
Richard's restaurant
and catering
Ringgold's Best For Home Cooked Meals!
Content Copyright 2012. Richard's Restaurant. All Rights Reserved.


text: This is the year Florida turned a corner. The seemingly eternal era of rapid growth may now be replaced with a new age of slower growth. Now is the time to envision a future where growth is not the state's premiere industry. Sunshine State Slowdown will examine what the growth hiatus could mean for the state's economic structure, its schools, the environment and residents' quality of life.

subset: commoncrawl


text: The ORA-600 codes of 2022 does not show up in the Metalink ORA-600 discovery tool. I do, however, get the following message in the alert log: Error 600 encountered while recovering transaction on (1,83) on object 22284. The DB has been bounced since this started. It opened cleanly but then started a new smon trace file with the exact same messages.


text:
(WUSA9) -- Elle Cosimano has just written her first novel. It's a thriller set in D.C. called "Nearly Gone."
In the book, when a serial killer starts systematically eliminating high school students, Nearly Boswell realizes she is the only person who can unravel the clues being left in the Classifieds section—and if she doesn't solve them soon, she'll be next.
Cosimano, who is the daughter of a a maximum security prison warden in D.C., told us about her inspiration for the book: a colleague's obsession over the personal ads every day on her lunch break.
See the rest of the interview above.
Cosimano has several appearances coming up:
Thursday, March 13th: Politics & Prose, 7:00 PM
Friday, March 14th: Curious Iguana (Frederick, MD), 7:00 PM
Saturday, March 15th: Hooray for Books (Alexandria, VA), 3:30 PM


text:
General (19)
Who is River House Adult Day Center best for?
River House is best for adults who:
•Have physical or cognitive limitations
•Find staying home alone during the day too challenging
•Want more social activity
•Require assistance with eating, walking, toileting, bathing, dressing, and/or may be incontinent
•Take medications and/or need treatments
•Need physical, occupational and/or speech therapy
•Want to have a good time!
River House's members include people with vision and hearing loss, chronic diseases, arthritis, diabetes, stroke victims, fractured hip, Parkinson's disease, and Alzheimer's or dementia.
Eligibility for financial aid is determined on a case by case basis. No person is ever turned away for financial reasons!
What is adult day care?
Adult day care provides daytime services to seniors who may be cognitively or physically impaired while giving a day of respite to their caregivers. The variety of services offered ranges from socialization and recreational activities to health and other support resources. Seniors are able to continue living with their loved ones in the comfort of their own home and receive the care and attention they need during the day while their caregiver is at work or having needed personal time.
What it is not:
•It is not a nursing home, which takes the person out of the home and community.
•It is not in-home care, which leaves the person isolated.
What are the advantages of adult day care?
•Social interaction – being with friends each day instead of being isolated at home alone
•Recreation – interesting daily activities designed to keep seniors active
•Health services – provided by professional nursing and healthcare staff to fulfill regimes prescribed by members' personal doctors
•Living at home – out during the day yet maintaining independence and pride in being in being at home each night
•Delaying full-time nursing home care – at a significantly reduced cost
•Caregiver's respite and peace of mind – family or friends can continue with personal activities outside the home knowing that their loved one is being cared for, stimulated, and safe
•Enhances the quality of life – a happier, healthier, better life for both seniors and their caregivers.
Are there any health conditions or physical impairments that River House would not be able to accommodate?
River House does not accommodate someone with a contagious disease, who is physically/verbally abusive, or is bedridden.
Are persons with Alzheimer's disease or other dementias accepted into the program?
Yes. A separate specialized program is dedicated to meeting the needs of individuals requiring more attention and those with advanced dementia/Alzheimer's disease. Click here for more information Alzheimer's & Special Needs.
Are grooming services available?
Showers and general grooming, including shaves for men, are available at no extra charge. Haircuts, permanents and other hairdressing services are available at the beauty shop for a nominal fee.
What is the procedure if an emergency medical situation arises?
The nurse is available to assess the situation and determine the appropriate action. If necessary, 911 is called and the member is transported to Greenwich Hospital for evaluation and treatment.
What are the days and hours of operation?
River House is open Monday through Friday from 7:30 A.M. to 4:30 P.M and Saturday from 8:30 A.M. – 4:30 P.M.
We are closed for six holidays each year: New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
What is the capacity and how many members are currently accommodated?
The capacity of the current space is around 55-60 members each day depending on our clients needs and makeup. We average 45 members a day at the present time with more than 90 enrolled. Not all members come each day. Some choose only two days a week while others attend the full six days a week.
Does River House have volunteers?
Yes. There is a wide array of volunteers, including students from local schools, adults who bring pets for visits, assist with meals and activities, garden club members who offer special seasonal programs, and a volunteer Board of Directors. To become a River House volunteer and for more information on volunteering, click here How to Help.
Are there any support services for the primary caregiver or family of the member?
Absolutely! River House is dedicated to not only increase the lives of our members that come to us each day, but also for their caregivers and care partners. You are very much a part of our family as well.
•Individual and family counseling, care planning, and referrals are provided by a licensed clinical social worker.
•Assistance with obtaining financial aid and entitlements.
•Care Plan for Caregivers closely evaluates an individual's situation and seeks out ways to best manage the challenges of caregiving, and searches for ways to get the caregivers life back under control.
•Caregivers' Support Group is open to the community and provides assistance and peer support to professional and family caregivers.
•Early Stage Memory Loss Support Group is open to the community and is for couples facing the challenges of early stage Alzheimer's.
What are the staff's roles?
The majority of the staff is involved with direct care of the members. There is a ratio of at least one staff person to every seven members. The professional staff consists of registered and licensed nurses, specially trained health, Alzheimer's and rehab aides, a licensed clinical social worker, therapeutic recreation director, recreation assistants and music, dance/movement and art therapists. Physical, occupational and speech therapists are available to members through a contract with Greenwich Hospital.
Does River House provide transportation?
Yes. Transportation Association of Greenwich (TAG) has a contract with River House to provide escorted, handicap available, door-to-door transportation with in Greenwich and Stamford. This cost is included in our daily fee.
Are meals provided?
Lunch, morning and afternoon snacks are provided daily. Lunches meet 1/3 of the daily nutritional requirement and are planned by a registered dietician. Special diets are available.
What is the cost per day?
The full fee is $95.00/day. There are subsidized fees available for those unable to afford this fee. Medicare does not pay for adult day care services but there are programs in Connecticut that will fund someone in an adult day care program.
How does one become a member of River House?
An admission application and physician's orders are required for enrollment.
In addition to personal direct contacts from individuals, referrals are made by a variety of persons including health and social service workers, physicians, caregivers of past and current members, clergy, and case managers.
Contact us to set up an appointment and we'll help you assess if River House is right for you email@example.com.
How is River House funded?
Direct client fees, third party reimbursement (long term care insurance, Connecticut Home Care Program for Elders, Alzheimer's Respite Program, National Caregivers' Program, Title III B), contributions from individuals, corporations, foundations, religious and community organizations, Town of Greenwich, the annual benefit, and United Way of Greenwich.
If a member becomes ill for an extended period of time, would he/she be able to return to River House after recovery?
Yes. In fact, members who become hospitalized often return to River House to receive needed treatments and therapies as they recover.
Are members separated into higher and lower functioning groups? Are activities geared toward higher or lower functioning groups?
The focus of River House's program is recreation and socialization. The therapeutic recreation director is responsible for planning appropriate activities for all members. Groups are developed according to ability and interest.
There is a separate specialized program dedicated to meeting the needs of individuals requiring more one-on-one care or attention and those with advanced dementia/Alzheimer's disease, for more information, click here Alzheimer's & Special Needs.


text:
Let`s Talk About Health, the seventh-grade textbook in the center of an ideological tug-of-war between conservative parents and the Palm Beach County School Board for three years, may be on its way out of the classroom.
But after years of placard-waving demonstrations designed to kill the book, its demise will likely be a natural one, when its six-year term on the state- and county-approved list expires in l987.
School administrators will ask the board at its Wednesday meeting in West Palm Beach to restructure the county health courses to eliminate duplicating topics required by the state.
As part of the process, three new seventh-grade textbooks will be reviewed and possibly used on a trial basis in some middle schools next year.
``We want to see if there are other books out there which fit our objectives better,`` said Harry Benson, the school system`s director of secondary education.
Teachers who will use the book then vote on which of three recommended texts they will use.
Let`s Talk About Health came under fire three years ago when Gail Bjork, a Jupiter parent, complained that the book`s use of a teaching method, called values clarification, promotes abortion, teen sex and homosexuality.
Values clarification is a teaching method in which students are asked to discuss moral issues such as euthanasia, suicide and drug use. Bjork and other parents contend that questions are biased and tend to undermine parental teachings.
Those who support the method say it encourages independent thinking by discussing tough moral issues.
Assistant Superintendent R. Camille Dorman said it is not a coincidence that a replacement for the book is being considered so early.


text:
Generation Alpha
Movers and Shakers of Tomorrow
My first grandchild, Kaleb, was born mid-July. I wonder about his future.
According to an Internet article from MoneyTalksNews called "Things Babies Born in 2011 Will Never Know" combined with an article in the Huffington Post titled "You're Out: 20 Things That Become Obsolete This Decade" my beautiful Kaleb will never know "video tape, travel agents, separation of work and home, books, magazines and newspapers, movie rental stores, watches, paper maps, wired phones, long-distance, newspaper classifieds, dial-up Internet, encyclopedias, forgotten friends, forgotten anything else, the evening news, CDs, film cameras, the yellow and white pages, catalogs, fax machines" and so much more.
He's of a new generation. Not Gen X, Gen Y or even Gen Z. He's Generation Alpha, otherwise know as Gen A. One that will use technology unlike I have ever thought of. Can't imagine. Can't fathom. One that will be the most educated ever. One that begins learning earlier than past generations and continues to learn longer than any before them, according to researchers and sociologists.
My grandson's parents know technology. They are hooked to their iPhones and iPads and text messaging. When my daughter, Sarah, was giving birth, she was texting my other daughter, Jennifer, from the delivery room. Now, who would have thought of that 20 years ago? But even they will be behind the times if they don't keep up with the changing world around them.
I can't fathom what my grandson will know that I don't know. I can't fathom a life without the things I am familiar with. But if there is any truth to these two articles, which I believe there is, in fact already am already seeing signs of, our lives and livelihoods are going to change drastically within 10 years and we all must jump on the technology bandwagon, learn and try new things, explore, comprehend, and run with it.
We must know things our parents don't know. We must learn things that we may not want to. We must grow, change, progress. Digging our heels in today won't work. Like it or not, we must enthusiastically join in thought with the new generation, my grandson's generation, or we will be left behind in a dust trail of things familiar.
Welcome to the world Kaleb. I already know you will be my teacher, leading me out of the baby boomer mindset into new realms of discovery and all things fascinating.


text:
Postelnik was kind enough to give us a transcript of this debate. Here it is in full. We have yet to secure permission to publish the names of his fellow debaters. We ask them to send us an email and we'll add their names.
Thanks for the link to Gateway Pundit. And thanks for clarifying your debate offer.
So, let's talk about an "intelligent creator." I'll abbreviate it "IC" to make typing easier. Do you base your belief in an IC on the complexity of life?
I accept the evolutionist explanation for biological diversity, i.e., speciation, however, evolution has nothing to say about the origin of life on this planet. So I need to know whether you are limiting the discussion to the origin of all life on earth, or whether you wish to include the diversity of species which we observe in our discussion.
I accept the evolutionist explanation for several reasons. One is the fossil record. Two is the distribution of genes in animal DNA. (BTW, did you see the recent articles about the sequencing of the platypus genome? It looks to me like the platypus is a living "transitional" species.)
Comment by Paul B*** — May 28, 2008 @ 10:27 am
We can talk about evolution as well. But the main point is the existence of an intelligent Creator. Specification is just one aspect, but it's a leading one. If we say that order formed out of a primordial pool, without intelligent guidance, we're saying that randomness begot intricate specificity, to the tune of billions upon billions of species, the existence of many being are interdependent. The difference between sudden random creation and evolved devolpment, in essence, would be whether a full set of Encyclopedia Britannicas was formed suddenly with the accidental spill of one massive ink blot or whether spilled ink first started out as dots, then gradually formed as letters and then words, paragraphs, etc. all without intelligent guidance. The latter possibility is even more illogical than the first. And it would be far, far easier for such an encyclopedia set to come about than a universe in which numerous stars and planets must be aligned enough so as not to collide, in which species need food, water, air, sunshine and other elements to survive and just happen to have all of them (if life adapts to the conditions that are prevalent it would have never been able to get off the ground, and many in cold parts could survive on merely snow, etc. – more on that later if you want), and in which each species has the exact organs and cavities that are necessary for life, with even one missing, added or in the wrong place making life unsustainable.
Also, please realize that it may take 24 hrs, sometimes 48 between responses. Those are the constraints of a kid and business, and are worth it.
By the way, the platypus genome is similar similar to other so-called "transitional" fossil, the Archaeopteryx. That one had fully developed feathers and nothing transitional in nature. A transitional fossil would have half scales and half feathers, etc. What we have instead is a species that's not uniquely mammal or amphibian, but it's not transitional.
By the way, feel free to email me for the global warming links. The 1998 study got a lot of coverage on the BBC in 2006 and wasn't mentioned again in the media for another year, but there are many links to it. That's just the tip of the iceberg (lousy pun intended).
Comment by Yomin Postelnik — May 28, 2008 @ 11:12 am
I think your idea of an IC is based on reasoning (correct me if I'm wrong): life is so fantastically complex, an IC is the only thing we know of that could have caused it. That's a reason, but I don't accept it as fact.
I do not think that life was caused by an intelligent creator. I have seen no evidence to support that idea so I have no good reason to believe it. I haven't seen good evidence for other explanations either. I think the origin of life is a mystery, which may be solved in the future. In the meantime, I am content to let it remain a mystery.
You've probably heard this before but I'll repeat it anyway. If life on earth was created by some being, what caused the creator? If that is a mystery, then a creator being is unnecessary. You are just moving the mystery "back" one level. If you think the creator always existed, I have to ask: how do you come by this knowledge? As far as I can tell, there is no way to know the nature of such a creator.
Comment by Paul B*** — May 28, 2008 @ 12:04 pm
Hi Paul,
I agree with you that the Creator can't be physical and to my knowledge no religion believes in a physical Creator, rather, one that is higher than physicality. All I'm saying is that physicality itself points to the fact that there is an Intelligent Creator, above the physical realm. What that Creator is remains a partial mystery, in as much as we only understand the physical and have an idea of the spiritual and the Creator needs to be higher than both (as physicality cannot emanate from spirituality – more on that later). But one thing is clear. The only way that an orderly universe with some many complex creatures, inter-reliant on each other, can exist is through the act of a conscious Creator. A plane can't build itself, and if it did so piece by piece that would be even more fantastic, much less a whole universe. To look for the answers as to more about this Creator, we need to analyze which texts have a logical source and tradition, and make sense. That's a different subject, but one we should discuss. But that can only be looked at after analyzing the Universe and recognizing that such a vast physicality mandates a conscious Creator.
Comment by Yomin Postelnik — May 28, 2008 @ 5:33 pm
Hi Yomin,
I think that it's a bit premature to talk about the whole universe. The only life we have knowledge about is based on earth, so I will address that.
Yes, life is unimaginably complex. However, I think that scientists, such as biologists and paleontologists, have provided us with reasonable answers to the complexity of life on earth with the the law of evolution. That law also provides good reasons for the facts that lifeforms on earth are highly adapted to their environments and are interdependent with each other. Because those reasons are based on verifiable evidence, I prefer them to those based on an Intelligent Creator.
As to how life originated on earth, it's possible that it's the result of intelligent creation, but IC does not exhaust the possibilities. So, I need a good reason to prefer the IC solution to any of the others. If I said that life came about accidentally, by a fortuitous combination of natural events, you would rightly want me to give you a reason that made sense to you.
Furthermore, if the complexity of life requires an explanation for its origin, I think that an IC would also require an explanation for its origin. The IC you refer to must be complex because you said that it transcends both the physical AND the spiritual.
Comment by Paul B*** — May 28, 2008 @ 10:29 pm
Hi Paul,
I agree that we have to look from the bottom up, so to speak. We live and understand this physical world and know much of the physical universe. But by looking at the numerous interactions needed to form physical existence as we know it, we can come to certain logical conclusions.
Evolution is a poor answer to creation. Even if we were to take it for granted as fact, it would only further show proof of a creator as orderly progress, down to the most minute detail, would need to be intelligently orchestrated. Going back to the analogy of an Encyclopedia Britannica being formed from an ink blot, if it commenced formation as a dot and then expanded in perfect order to form a complete set of thoughts, that would be greater proof of its intelligent design than even a sudden formation of the entire set. And that's only an encyclopedia, a collection of thoughts. Actual creation is far more complex, down to the last being. The life of one small mammal takes more simultaneous reactions and interdependent happenings than it takes to form an entire bookshelf of words. Looking at this physicality necessitates an intelligent Creator.
So in short, by considering just physical existence, no matter how it was formed, we see a need for a conscious Creator, just as a set of encyclopedias doesn't write itself, even in steps.
But evolution's not a fact. It's a theory. And it's one that mandates that life started from non-life, which is unattainable. The lack of transitional fossils also needs to be looked at, but even the scarcity of fossils that are considered evolutionary (though admittedly non-transitional as they aren't a combination/transition between two species) points to a huge problem. There's an overabundance of fossils of species known to us, dating throughout all timelines. By contrast, those cited as possible evolutionary fossils are scarce, decayed and inconclusive. If evolution showed the development of numerous species such fossils would be plentiful and many would be conclusive. The problem gets worse when examining hominids, as of the 12 known types, 9 have only monkey/ape characteristics and 3 have solely human ones. None contain features known to be uniquely human as well as uniquely ape in conjunction, as would be the case were evolution to play a role.
Regarding knowledge of the Creator, as we do live on this physical plane, we can only know a certain amount, perceiving a little bit about the Creator through the Creator's own acts. Even our understanding of spirituality is limited to how it connects with physical beings. Knowledge of purely spiritual existence is beyond us. We only see that it exists because it's the animating force of physicality. That's with regard to spirituality. The Creator is necessarily above being spiritual, as spirituality cannot create physicality. Therefore we're talking about a being that's higher than both, and that creates both physicality and spirituality and is able to combine the two. Obviously, such a being is out of the realm of understanding. However, there are ways we can understand something about its essence, that being through its acts. As the intelligent and purposeful creator of life (as existence demands an intelligent designer), we see its immense kindness. Through the way the world works, we see measured severity, needed for continuous harmonious existence and delving further we can see other attributes as well. This allows us, after much contemplation, to understand something about the nature of the Creator. But the fact that there is a Creator seems pretty open and shut from the immensity of physical existence as well as by considering the completeness of the entire creation, down to the smallest detail needed for life to exist.
Comment by Yomin Postelnik — May 29, 2008 @ 8:41 am
But evolution's not a fact. It's a theory.
In the scientific community evolution has the same status as the theory of gravity. There is no controversy. It's a law.
it's one that mandates that life started from non-life
The law of evolution says nothing about life starting from non-life.
The lack of transitional fossils . . . a combination/transition between two species
Consider the following physical features of the platypus.
Bird-like: duck bill, webbed feet, egg laying, toothless, one orifice for excretion / sex / egg laying.
Reptile-like: leathery eggshells, venom, multiple sex chromosomes, testes kept internally.
Mammal-like: milk producing (but no nipples), fur, beaver tail, 4-chambered heart, mammalian jaw hinge, middle-ear bones separated from lower jaw, digs ground burrows and has sensitive hearing although it spends most of its time in the water where these features are nearly useless.
This improbable combination of physical characteristics is now joined by an equally improbable combination of genes. The newly sequenced platypus genome includes some genes which are found only in birds, some found only in reptiles, and some found only in mammals.
The platypus is a living transitional form.
But the fact that there is a Creator seems pretty open and shut from the immensity of physical existence as well as by considering the completeness of the entire creation, down to the smallest detail needed for life to exist.
If life's DNA code were designed intelligently, it would be different than it is. It is easy to see ways to improve it.
There are 64 possible 3-letter words using the 4-letter alphabet of the DNA genetic code. Each word represents an amino acid from which proteins are constructed within the body. Because the proteins of life are made from only 20 amino acids, only 22 words are needed (taking into account one word for "start" and another for "stop."
In fact, DNA uses all 64 combinations, including 43 for synonyms. This 64-word vocabulary of DNA appears to be haphazard rather than orderly. For example, some amino acids have four or six synonyms whereas others have none or one. Moreover, the word ATG, depending on context, represents either the amino acid methionine, or "start," and there are no synonyms for either one.
It would be better if methionine and start each had its own word, rather than relying on context for meaning. There are many redundant words that could have been used for that purpose. The reality is what you would expect from a code that evolved by trial and error over millions of years.
It's hard to believe that a creator capable of making a universe would also create a hodge-podge such as our DNA code. It is much less problematical to think that it was not designed at all.
Comment by Paul B*** — May 29, 2008 @ 10:07 am
Hi Paul,
I'll write more later, but briefly – the complexity of the DNA code also attributes also helps different humans respond differently to certain diets, acclamations, etc. It seems purposeful. In any case, it doesn't negate the need for an active Creator to have formed something so massive and interdependent. It's a question as to why it was done in a certain way, but something so complex doesn't come into existence by itself.
Comment by Yomin Postelnik — May 29, 2008 @ 3:52 pm
There are many prominent creationist scientists. Granted, they don't get much media attention (what else is new), but their findings are challenging and profound.
Evolution does necessitate that life started from non-life, as the first step is lower than algae and more advanced swap life, which according to the evolutionist originated from a mix of chemicals, forming molecules etc. At its root, the first step is non-life and its supposed transition to life poses a greater problem than the missing link.
The platypus has features of different species types, but none are transitional (i.e. half formed feathers, half formed scales). Furthermore, they've been around exactly as they are, without transitioning, as long as any other species. Why they were designed in such a way is another question, but they're no different than the multitudes of species. The same question can be asked of any interesting species, although few are as diverse as the platypus. We don't see the platypus as a link in any evolutionary chain, just as a unique creature. The fact that all these characteristics are fully developed makes it even less likely to be part of an evolutionary chain and seems to point to it being a unique species in and of itself.
I was running into a meeting in my last post and didn't read it properly, thinking you were talking of the possible unnecessary complexity of human dna.
Comment by Yomin Postelnik — May 29, 2008 @ 6:29 pm
the complexity of the DNA code also attributes also helps different humans respond differently to certain diets, acclamations, etc. It seems purposeful. In any case, it doesn't negate the need for an active Creator to have formed something so massive and interdependent. It's a question as to why it was done in a certain way, but something so complex doesn't come into existence by itself.
You look at the complexity of life and the universe and think that implies a creator. My point is this: When I look at some of the parts of this supposed creation, I see sloppiness that could have been avoided. To me, that argues against a creator.
It seems to me that a creator with the power to create an entire universe such as the one we observe, and the extremely complex life on earth, which we also observe, would have been able to create things in a way that would be more efficient, orderly, uniform, and especially, conducive to the health and welfare of the life forms.
But what I observe is sloppiness, haphazardness, and inefficiency — functional but with many problems that could have been avoided.
I am only a human, and not a biologist or other specialist. Yet I can see many ways that human bodies could have been improved, body parts that are less optimal than the same parts in other animals.
For example:
1) In the human eye, the optic nerve goes through the retina, creating a blind spot. The eyes of octopuses are wired the "right" way, so that they have no blind spot.
2) Humans can choke on their food while eating. Chimpanzees (with whom we share 98% of our genome) have a better shaped throat, such that they cannot choke while eating.
3) Certain Africans have a mutation which confers immunity to malaria. However, this beneficial effect is offset by its also making the person susceptible to sickle cell anemia.
There are many such examples, as well as the suboptimal business of the DNA code that I mentioned previously.
So, when I consider these things, I say that a being powerful enough to create the universe easily could have avoided these problems when creating human beings. Especially since better "designs" are to be found in other animals.
To scientists and non-theists, like me, our observations of life are entirely consistent with the law of evolution. On the other hand, those observations seem inconsistent with the work of an all-powerful creator as described by the people who believe in such a being.
In light of the above, I conclude that life evolved and was not created by a supernatural being. I think that is a reasonable conclusion to make.
Comment by Paul B*** — May 29, 2008 @ 6:29 pm
Btw The platypus doesn't have any transitionary features (half, half). Its webbed feet aren't unique among mammals. In many ways, it's perfectly fit to its environment. It seems to be much more of a unique type of species than a mistake, especially given the fact that it uses each of its unique abilities to survive in an uncommon terrain.
Comment by Yomin Postelnik — May 29, 2008 @ 6:54 pm
"There are many prominent creationist scientists."
Do they really do science?
Where are the predictions they have made, the experiments they have run?
What have they published in peer-reviewed science journals?
Comment by Paul B*** — May 29, 2008 @ 7:02 pm
They present logically sound solutions. Their books are very indepth. You need to examine all sides. The so-called "global warming consensus" is challenged by hundreds of prominent climatologists, especially those studying primarily historic (as opposed to modern) patterns. Likewise with creationist science. It is compelling and is without the political attacks that are the hallmark of most evolutionary responses (though not yours, and I give you credit for that).
Comment by Yomin Postelnik — May 29, 2008 @ 7:28 pm
The platypus has features of different species types, but none are transitional (i.e. half formed feathers, half formed scales.
How did you decide what kinds of features a transitional species should have?
Comment by Paul B*** — May 29, 2008 @ 10:33 pm
Good morning. A transitional form is something that shows transition, i.e. scales developing into skin or feathers. As such, the scales would be partial and the feathers partial. Neither would be fully formed as the scales would be turning into skin or feathers. The platypus has nothing transitional, i.e. changing from reptilian to mammal. It has characteristics of both, which works very well in its fairly unique environment, but a)it has nothing transitional along the lines described above (which would be needed to show change and gradual development; evolution) and b) it's the same as fossils of other platypus. No change is evident over time (and, because of reason a, it doesn't fit into any "evolutionary" form or chain).
Comment by Yomin Postelnik — May 30, 2008 @ 8:06 am
To Yomin
A transitional form? Sure look at your hands. They are part way between Homo Erectus and whatever species replaces us. See? Humans are a transitional form- every species is. Except the species that is the last on its branch before it goes it extinct.
As for your actual article… lets see-
-The reason they focus on Republican scandals is there are more of them. There have been 12 compared to 1 with a Dem.
-Dems aren't liberals.
-Talking points? Like what? The media openly supported Bush for Iraq- I didn't see them helping out the dems or issuing their talking points.
-You make a long rant, but give no examples- or even evidence.
– The religious right is conservatives who are evangelicals. We CAN do blanket statements about them because the term covers people with a specific ideology.
-Bin Laden isn't the president… nor did he steal an election. Unlike you I happen to want to see Laden hang. I hate bush for failing to give us that opportunity.
-Analyze scientific data? We do that all the time.
-Conservativism has faults.
-It is called self justification, not bigotry. Take psych 101.
-A bigot is a person who stereotypes a whole group of people falsely. Please use a dictionary.
-Could it possibly be the reason they do this is… they are right? Conservatives do bad things, and some of the things liberals do are justified?
-Judging people by ideology is perfectly acceptable. It is similar to judging by action.
-Actaully the reason liberals do that is half a century of education at conservative hands. ID and the wedge document anyone? Liberals think conservatives are a cabal of plotting nuts because REPEATEDLY they have been shown to do that. Karl Rove anyone?
-Strawman liberal. I don't fight against old- I fight against wrong.
-The Greeks weren't hedonists.
-Gay rights? Class issues? Democracy? These aren't issues of societal change.
-If that is true why do all the racists wind up in the GOP?
-No, liberalism exposes a "it is the responsibility of the strong to aid the weak" philosophy
-He is on to us! We supported the abolition of the slave trade because we KNEW it would lead to the right of blacks and white to marry each other! Kidding aside you still haven't provided and actual example.
-Who cares what he thinks? He is a facist/commie… hmm. There ARE people we don't give a damn about what they think… because their beliefs are insane. And before you ask "what Nazi", the guy at Atheism Analyzed is close. "The atho-pagan conspiracy is working to destroy traditional values!" Or maybe Vox Day's "Killing when God tells you to is mandatory".
Don't take it personally. I hope you can see your error if I show you how, exactly you are wrong. Why do you refuse to accept facts and logic though? It is frustrating to have to deal with a bigot such as yourself.
Honestly the list at the end IS that offensive. Why? Because it assumes your opponents DON'T use facts and logic. In short it assumes your opponents are nuts.
I don't assume such things- I can see it clearly from your article.
Comment by Samuel **** — May 30, 2008 @ 4:37 pm
I do agree with the poster above who speaks about promoting discussion.
Like I said earlier in the thread, though I wish I could, I don't have time to debate all issues. I do deal with some of those issues in other articles. I think media bias has been the other way around, but don't expect them to question too much before it becomes a talking point. Unfortunately for both sides, they're followers, not leaders.
Re transitional forms – We're talking about the unavailability of half/halfs, true transitional forms that document transitions. Hands would only be transitional if you take for granted, as a leap of faith, so to speak, that they evolved from the palms of apes. There are no transitional skeletons/fossils that show half human hand, half ape palm, not even the inconclusive hominids usually cited. It's this that we're talking about with regard to transitional forms, actual documented transition (which is unavailable).
Have a good weekend if I can't get online before Mon.
Comment by Yomin Postelnik — May 30, 2008 @ 5:02 pm
You don't get what I'm saying- ALL living things are transitional forms. Saying something is a transitional form and another isn't is presuming evolution has a goal.
It doesn't.
What you are talking about is simply links between species people haven't found yet. However, this has NOTHING to do with the truth value of evolution. Why? Because we haven't excavated the entire planet AND fossils are rare.
Heck, if punctuated equilibrium is accurate we WON'T find transitional forms. (PE is stasis and bursts of rapid change)
Comment by Samuel **** — May 30, 2008 @ 9:04 pm
What I'm saying is that if you want to make a valid case for evolution, you need to find some forms that document it. These are what's referred to as transitional forms. They'd show real gradual transition from amphibian to mammal or something of that nature. This is the premise that evolution is based on and such fossils have yet to be found (a platypus has fully formed reptile features and fully formed mammal ones, nothing that shows gradual transition).
More compelling: There's an overabundance of fossils of multiple forms of species that exist today. A real overabundance. But out of all of these found, we have yet to find any with truly transitional forms (not fully developed mammal parts nor fully reptilian, etc.).
In essence, you're asking me to accept evolution as a leap of faith, in spite of serious questions about its premise and key parts to the theory behind it. I'm just asking for a sound basis for such faith.
Comment by Yomin Postelnik — May 31, 2008 @ 11:35 pm
Why? Although fossils are evidence for evolution, they aren't required.
Since we can see evolution occuring now we know it happens. Fossils are simply confirmations it occured in the past.
I'm not asking for faith. I don't know any "serious questions" against it- most turn out to be a lack of knowledge about what evolution is.
By truely transitional you are making an error.
Trait A reptile
Trait B mammal.
Why not trait AB- reptile/mammal? Maybe because the species went from trait A to trait B.
You are assuming there must be an intermediate form for certain traits. That is simply not true the majority of the time. Not to mention the overwhelming majority of stuff doesn't fossilive (skin anyone?).
I'd go on, but hopefully you will get the idea.
Comment by Samuel **** — June 1, 2008 @ 6:26 pm
I understand that you believe that evolution can be proven from A becoming B without an intermediary. My point is that:
a) That is a huge leap of faith – you're assuming that a became b without any proof of transition.
b) Evolution is based on the premise of gradual transition. The absence of such fossils goes against this theory.
c) Charles Darwin agreed with as much and said that such transitional fossils would appear over time. Given the enormity of fossils excavated in the last hundred years, none of which show true transition (which is again, documented transition, i.e. half/half or gradual), it's quite possible that Darwin would now reject or amend his own theory as he recognized the need for transitional forms to prove it, the existence of which is strongly questioned by the enormity of other fossils and the absence of truly transitional. The absence of such fossils actually makes a strong against evolution.
This is what the famous "missing link" that's always alluded to is about, just on a more complex level of discussion
Comment by Yomin Postelnik — June 2, 2008 @ 3:20 pm
Paul B*** says:
I think we better understand each other's views now but we are not making progress to finding common ground for productive discussion. As with so many other discussions of this type, I think the basic obstacle is evidence. You don't accept mine and I don't accept yours. Too bad. I gave it my best shot and now I want to conclude this discussion. Good luck to you.
June 3, 2008 at 9:53 pm
Samuel **** says:
No- I'm saying that evolution goes from form a to form b to form c and… whops- died out. How about this line? Them too… damn- what are the odds?
Evolution is not based on gradual transition. It can go in leaps- in fact it has to. DNA does work in degrees you know- well, not all the commands.
Transitional fossils have been found repeatedly. Read an anthropolgy text book.
The problem you have is you see a range of fossils. Than you put one half on one side and the other on the other side.
Then you ask where the middle is. It is a bit like upon being told the average height for several people, asking why none of them are that height.
Or, to put it simpler, all your arguments are based off of ignorance. You need to actually prove your case. Attacking alternatives doesn't work (except in ethics and social organization- but those aren't about truth, but effectiveness) You can't.
Not a single one of your arguments gives evidence- only an attack on the opposing view.
The basic problem is that you can't give a natural explanation for supernatural stuff. The problem is there is no reason to believe in the supernatural. You justify it with a circular argument.
design-> evolution flawed and supernatural
supernatural-> because of design
See the problem?
June 4, 2008 at 1:39 am
Yomin Postelnik says:
Thanks for giving the opportunity to debate. I would encourage you to examine all sides of the issue. That's what led me to these views. I do respect your forthrightness and willingness to have examined some of these. Who cares if we don't see eye to eye?
Yomin Postelnik says:
The late Steven J. Gould, who obviously had a very different take than I did on the issue of evolution, nevertheless said "the extreme rarity of transitional forms in the fossil record persists as the trade secret of paleontology." He, as did Darwin, understood transitional fossils in the way that I laid out. Their best argument used to be that fossils were still being uncovered. They understood evolution to be gradual. In fact, if it's not, you have no reason to believe in evolution at all because one could equally attribute similar fossils, with little directly in common, to the fact that they're two different species as opposed to the primitive and evolved forms of the same kind of species.
The DNA argument alone is extremely weak (and that's being mild). All physical life has very similar DNA. Look at us and mice, yet no credible scientist says we evolved from mice.
These are huge problems with evolution.
Now, more importantly (because this is what the whole debate here was supposed to be about), is that our physical universe necessitates a Creator. If you see a building, you know someone consciously designed and built it. If the universe was designed in such a way that everything was there to necessitate life except for the perfect combination of gases in the air, we wouldn't exist. If everything was perfect but the planets collided, as do meteors, we wouldn't exist. If the human being had one out of thousands of small things wrong with it, it could not survive. To argue that there's no conscious Creator is to argue that billions of buildings came into existence in and of themselves, either all at once, or, if you want to chalk it up to evolution, molecule by molecule perfectly forming bricks without any instruction and then brick by brick forming billions of buildings all by themselves, each without a builder. Now sure, we can argue that in theory such a thing might happen if a number of things happen, but in reality such a position is absurd, no matter how well argued. The only difference is that it takes thousands of more simultaneous happenings to give life to a person than it does for a whole slew of buildings to rise up.
You can't discount an entire field of logical thought without studying it at all, simply saying "it can't be known," without trying to discern it or without at least looking at thousands of years of logical arguments necessitating a creator, dating back as far as Plato.
Logical proofs of the existence of a conscious Creator range from the anthropic (that the world is too complex to create itself), to the cosmological (that finite matter cannot come to form a universe that is clearly larger than its original size) to the teleological (citing the inherent cooperation involved in all parts of the universe, showing that each works as a piece of a larger and well structured machine). Some of these arguments do date back to Plato and possibly before. But in the end, all are unnecessary. Proof of a Creator can be seen by just considering the enormity of the universe and how if one out of billions of things were off, life would never have taken root, or by looking at the small, detailed, individual factors on their own (perfect air balance, perfect nutritional balance, etc). In fact, off hand, I'd say that the small little details, that each small necessary ingredient to life is available, show a proof that's even more thorough than that seen by considering the larger picture (that being the enormity of the universe, as outlined above).
At this point a bystander challenged that man did indeed evolve from shrew, 250 million years ago. Postelnik reminded him that the main proponent of this argument was not from a credible scientific finding but rather the hypothesis of one scientist on CNN, talking about the mouse genome in 2002. Nothing was ever found to support this (not even the most far fetched examples of transition) and most credible proponents of evolution have not in fact support the claim that all mammals stemmed from mice (Although we will grant that since this hypothesis took hold in 2002, Gould had already passed on. Still, other leading proponents of evolution have resisted making any such claims. In fact, many clearly state that mice and humans are not part of a same evolutionary tree. At least far more than those who say otherwise). He further pointed out that aside from the fact that the statement lacks any basis, much has been done in the way of study of other genomes (unlike in 2002 when the mouse was the only such mammalian genome to have been studied) and the conclusions point much more readily to common characteristics of all physical life, not that any genetic relation.
Tags: creationism, debate, Myth Debunker, Yomin Postelnik


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The first FitFlop sandal was sold in 2007, after Dr David Cook and Darren James, expert biomechanists at London South Bank University, collaborated with Marcia Kilgore (an entrepreneur and multi-tasking mum) with the goal of creating the world's first leg muscle-activating flip flop. Built with simple sporty style upper straps and an ergonomically engineered Microwobbleboard™ midsole, the concept was a phenomenal and global success.


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Al Qaeda's Inspire Magazine's most recent edition uses quotes from unsuspecting politicians, media experts and journalists to promote its success in the western world. It is a glossy publication that resembles most western magazines sold on grocery store shelves.
The 66 page January issue quotes former Congressman Rep. Peter Hoekstra, Michigan Republican.
"It was unfortunately a well done magazine and a virtual how-to-guide for becoming a terrorist," it says in bold colorful letters at the top of the magazine's Reaction page, referring to the former congressman's comments about the publication made last July.
The magazine is the inspiration of American born terrorist Anwar al-Awlaki, leader of al Qaeda's Yemen branch. He has been involved with a number of attacks in the U.S., including the Ft. Hood shooting, the attempted Christmas day bomber and New York Times square bomber.


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The first three Karaoke Revolution games have been coming out on a regular basis since they started out in the fall of 2003, but Konami has been quiet about the series as we approached the summer. We had been expecting more songs and more duets, but developer Harmonix had a different idea. Not just content with two microphones and a PS2, they had to go and throw in a Dance Dance Revolution pad for their upcoming Karaoke Revolution Party. Oh, and the series is now going all-console with versions slated for PS2, Xbox, and GameCube.
Along with singing the songs, Karaoke Revolution Party will also require players to hit their marks on the pads as well as the notes on the screen. Along with the trademark vocal lines that scroll across the screen there are now occasional directional arrows to tell gamers when to jump on a particular direction. This is far from the aerobic insanity of the DDR games which can easily build up a sweat as dancers frantically try to keep putting their feet in the right place. Instead, the mode looks to be more of a light choreography addition to the game.
If this all sounds like the game is straying from its roots, that's far from the case. Instead of the usual three dozen songs that the previous games have included, KRP will be sporting 50 tracks that include some classics like "Sweet Caroline" and "Do You Really Want To Hurt Me" as well as modern hits like "Crazy in Love" and "I Don't Wanna Be." It's all more than enough for any Karaoke Revolution fan, but like the infomercials say: "wait, there's more!"
The multiplayer and party modes are going to be expanded with some new vocal tournaments and mini games. There are currently no details on what these will exactly be, but it's good to hear that the game will be exploring new options for the franchise. As for the characters, they will now be customizable. Instead of just choosing different outfit and makeup combinations, players can now choose body shape, hair, clothes, accessories, and even more options.
For those who are going to be playing on Xbox Live there will be the option to download song packs after the game is released. If this works out the same way as Karaoke Revolution on the Xbox, then the song packs should include five songs each to extend the life of the game. Over on the PS2 the peripheral madness goes even further with the option to plug in the EyeToy so that players can see their performance displayed on the big video screens in the game's venues.
This revolution is being televised and is getting bigger with every iteration. When it comes out in the fall, fans should be well rewarded for the year long wait.


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AB Tech Expo Rimini
21 January 2017 @ 9:30 - 25 January 2017 @ 18:00 CET€49 – €55
Now in its 38th year, the event confirms its undisputed international leadership as trade fair for professional operators all over the world in the artisan gelato, pastry and baking sectors, together with that of coffee.
An extraordinary showcase of everything new and trendy in the 4 supply chains. On show will be raw materials and ingredients through to plants and equipment, furnishings and services.
SIGEP was launched on the suggestion of Italian gelato maker members of artisan associations, who wanted an expo to support their activity. Its story is characterized by an increasing success that began with its inauguration, on January 17th 1980.
Today, more than ever, the secret of the very high calibre of the side events is their organization, which involves all-round proactive collaboration by the most important associations of the various sectors' artisans.
The idea of staging a busy program of spectacular events alongside the expo area was a winner right from the start
International relations are ensured by a network of collaborators in forty countries. To bring supply and demand together in the most efficient manner, the project Top Buyers from Five Continents has been operating for years, enabling exhibitors and foreign buyers to schedule their agenda of meetings to be held at the expo.
International contests, technical demos, seminars and conferences are an integral part of what SIGEP has to offer and are perfect opportunities for communication and exchange between companies, trade members, media and trade associations representing the entire production chains and the sector's opinion leaders.
A series of contests staged during SIGEP and around the world during the year ensure that artisan gelato is a key player in every season and at all latitudes: The Gelato World Cup, the selections of the teams held in each continent, the Gelato World Tour.
Dieter Welfonder
Latest posts by Dieter Welfonder (see all)
- Call for FoodTech / Agtech Startups: International Acceleration Platform - 13. March 2018
- Startup Stories: Agtech Champion PEAT Tackles Global Food Security - 6. November 2016


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Identify a type of rash by determining the cause of the rash, examining the rash's characteristics and comparing these characteristics with those of various rashes, according to HowStuffWorks. If these steps do not provide a determination of the rash's type, consult a doctor.
Most rashes are local rashes due to direct contact with an allergen or irritant, local rashes due to a fungal or bacterial infection, or rashes due to allergic reaction to a medication or virus, explains HowStuffWorks. Determine if exposure to fungi, parasites, viruses, heat or certain medications caused the rash. After identifying the rash's characteristics and possible cause, comparing its characteristics with those of various rashes helps determine its type.
Athletes are more prone to heat rash, older individuals are more prone to shingles, and younger children are more prone to roseola and chickenpox, according to HowStuffWorks. Common causes of rashes include ringworm, intertrigo, pityriasis rosea and swimmer's itch. If the rash is recurrent, it may be due to atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, granuloma annulare or lichen planus. Many other types of rashes exist that are less common. Consult a doctor if it is impossible to identify the rash type or cause, the rash is painful, the rash does not improve, and a fever develops.


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Why has autonomy been a leading idea in philosophical writing on bioethics, and why has trust been marginal? In this important book, Onora O'Neill suggests that the conceptions of individual autonomy so widely relied on in bioethics are philosophically and ethically inadequate, and that they undermine rather than support relations of trust. She shows how Kant's non-individualistic view of autonomy provides a stronger basis for an approach to medicine, science and biotechnology, and does not marginalize untrustworthiness, while also explaining why trustworthy individuals and institutions are often undeservingly mistrusted. Her arguments are illustrated with issues raised by practices such as the use of genetic information by the police or insurers, research using human tissues, uses of new reproductive technologies, and media practices for reporting on medicine, science and technology. Autonomy and Trust in Bioethics will appeal to a wide range of readers in ethics, bioethics and related disciplines.
'Amid so much hype and yammer in the suddenly fashionable field of bioethics, it is good to turn to a book by a professional philosopher with wide experience of how biomedical regulation works in practice ... It should be read by everyone concerned with this topic.' The Economist 'It is the mark of a truly good book that it stimulates criticism as well as agreement and praise ... The book is a notable contribution to understanding of the most important task facing those responsible for the NHS - to maintain trust where is exists (as it does in most cases) or to restore trust where it has lapsed.' Douglas Black, Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine 'They are alike ... not only in dealing with the topic of trust, but also in their sharp intelligence, their refusal to accept received opinion without examination and their humane common sense. The combination of serious philosophical discussion with journalistic presentational skills has been brought to a fine art by O'Neill ... if anything is transparent, it is the truthfulness and good sense of this most admirable lecturer' Baroness Warnock, The Times Higher Education Supplement 'This is a philosopher's account of what is a far more complex subject than may at first appear. Fortunately Onora O'Neill is one of the few philosophers who can write with the clarity to make her arguments very accessible, which will make this book particularly appealing to a much wider audience than philosophers ... Thought provoking and stimulating.' Bulletin of Medical Ethics 'The book is marked throughout by Professor O'Neill's customary mixture of clarity, forthrightness and common sense, and by an impressive determination to relate careful philosophy to actual practice and experience ... Autonomy and Trust in Bioethics provides a rich and stimulating basis for further debate in this area, and broadens the focus of discussion in a stimulating way. Even if non-Kantians remain unpersuaded by some of the philosophical moves, they will appreciate the lucidity, learning and good sense of this interesting book.' The Heythrop Journal
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Starting next month, BMW will be offering an M Sport Edition of the 2014 6-Series lineup (Coupe, Convertible, Gran Coupe).
Starting next month, BMW will be offering an M Sport Edition of the 2014 6-Series lineup (Coupe, Convertible, Gran Coupe).
It will be compatible with all engines offered for the three models and will include the M Sport package which brings 19-inch M double-spoke alloys, M aerodynamics package, LED fog lamps, black brake calipers, BMW Individual High-Gloss Shadow Line, dark chrome exhaust pipes and adaptive LED headlights.
Inside there's an M steering wheel and door sills, together with sport seats in Alcantara/Nappa leather. Other goodies include a head-up display, Nappa-covered dashboard, 12-speaker sound system (Convertible) or 16-speaker (Coupe and Gran Coupe). The M Sport Edition also brings 10-inch Control Display, ConnectedDrive services, park distance control, rear-view camera and a ski bag.
Those who opt for the 650i or 650xi M Sport Edition also receive lane departure warning and active driving assistance systems, as well as side and top view cameras, speed limit info and blind spot detection.
The 640i Coupe starts from 80,625 USD, Gran Coupe at 83,325 USD and Convertible at 87,925 USD. 650i Coupe kicks off at 91,925 USD, Gran Coupe at 94,625 USD and Convertible at 99,225 USD. Prices include 925 USD destination and handling fees.
Check out the press release for further info.


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Earth Week at ESF, 2011
Take a look at the 2011 Earth Week events below, and check back in late winter to learn about our 2012 celebration.
- Gallery of Images from Earth Week 2011
- Visit the Green Campus Initiative website to stay involved!
2011 Schedule of Events
|Saturday & Sunday
April 16-17
April 18
April 19
April 20
April 21
Sustainable Skill Share
Sustainable Skill Share Mission: To engage the Syracuse community in sustainable living practices through multiple workshops taught by local experts. This free event will feature up to 15 different skill building workshops that are focused around sustainability. Instructors will teach affordable, eco-friendly skills that families can use at home to better their own lives and the environment. There will be plenty of hands on skills to learn. Examples of events include gardening, bike fixing, making/using rain barrels, and cooking with local foods. Skill shares will be held for 45 minutes to 1 hour, with 15 minutes in between each. A list of all workshops will be posted before the event, and people may choose which shares they would like to attend. When not attending a skill share at the event people can take special tours of the Syracuse Center of Excellence building or visit with multiple tables that will highlight local environmental organizations. This event is designed for every one of all ages. It will feature local donations of food, a kid's corner with crafts, and entertainment. Special tours of the Syracuse Center of Excellence will be given throughout the day. Syracuse Center of Excellence, 727 E. Washington Street
2nd Annual Earth Week Hike for Honduras at Clark's Reservation
You are invited to join the 2nd Annual Earth Week Hike for Honduras at Clark's Reservation State Park, 6105 East Seneca Turnpike, Jamesville. The hike is a fundraiser for a community water supply project in Buena Vista, a rural mountain village in Honduras. Suggested donation is $10, however additional donations will gladly be accepted the day of the hike. Top donors will receive a prize and additional raffle tickets, which will be sold at the hike. Raffle prizes include gift certificates to various Syracuse-area shops and eateries, including Mello Velo Bicycle Shop, Sweet-on-Chocolate, etc. Participants are encouraged to seek sponsorship from their family or friends, where sponsors offer to pledge a given amount of money for the hiker's participation. Sponsorship cards and accounting sheets can be downloaded at http://bit.ly/iiC2SU. Payment and mailing info for donations is included on the pledge cards. If you want to participate, please email Emily Wilmott (email@example.com) stating your interest and your plans on attending. Family-friendly hike -- bring the kids! We'll be playing games and will have lots of free food! Clark's Reservation Park
Paper crane workshop for Japan Relief
We will be hosting a paper crane making workshop to help Raise $200,000 to Rebuild Japan on Monday 4/11 from 2:30-4:00PM. The Baobab Society will mail your paper cranes to Students Rebuild and the Bezos Family Foundation will donate $2 per crane. The goal is 100,000 cranes and $200,000 toward Architecture for Humanity's support of Japanese rebuilding efforts. For more info check StudentsRebuild.org. Snacks and refreshments will be served. Bring your own mug! AND BRING RECYCLED PAPER! There will also be a collection of paper cranes in Bray Space after the event until Monday the 18th at 6:00pm. Nifkin Lounge
Hula Hoops, hats, & organic care products at Earth Week
- Hula hoops(Michelle) Variety of colors, sizes and styles. Weighted workout hoops, trick style hoops, childrens sizes too! Prices range from 10-30 and customize options available! One extra special fabric decorated hula hoop will be raffled off with proceeds going to the humane society. LED hula hoops may not glow well in those daytime hours but be sure to inquire about them if interested! -Knit Hats & Hemp jewlery (Dara)- Beautiful knit hats made with love in a variety of patterns and colors. Heady hemp jewlery as well. Great prices!! --Organic products (Linsey)- Homemade soaps and witch butter...you'll never want to go back to regular lotion. This stuff is made with various esentially oils that absorb deep into your skin leaving it amazingly smooth & is scented with variety of natural fragrance oils ESF Quad
Yoga on the Quad
Join 'Chelle from the CNY Yoga Center for a beginner's yoga class on the quad! Blocks and mats are not necessary. Rain Location - 110 Marshall. ESF Quad
Come tie dye your favorite articles of clothing, bags, pillow cases and sheets with us on the quad during Earthweek for free! If you don't have anything to tie-dye, no worries, Earthweek merchandise (tee-shirts, etc.) will be available for purchase! Don't forget to bring a plastic bag with you to put your stuff in right after you tie dye. This is an ESF tradition, so make sure you join in the fun! ESF Quad
Activities Fair
Clubs will show off what they have been doing throughout the year and try to recruit new members for next year. ESF Quad
BBQ on the Quad
There will be regular burgers and veggie burgers, hot dogs; whole wheat, regular, and gluten free buns; lettuce, tomatoes, condiments, drinks, and chips. Bring your own utensils and plates to make it a sustainable event! There will also be a bounce house and bouncy boxing. The Quad
Morsoul Environmental Band
Morsoul is a band that educates about sustainability and biofuels. Nifkin
Morning Munch
Come get a bagel and coffee to start off your day. There will also be cookies, pastries, fruit to eat. If you want coffee, tea, hot chocolate or juice REMEMBER to bring your MUGS!!! Nifkin Lounge
Yoga on the Quad
Join Lorie from the CNY Yoga Center for a beginner's yoga class on the quad! Blocks and mats are not required. Rain location - 110 Marshall. ESF Quad
Open Forum on Sustainability at ESF
Join us for a discussion of ongoing sustainability efforts at ESF and let us know what ESF can do to improve current efforts. Marshall Auditorium
Climate Refugees Documentary
Climate Refugees brings awareness to the "human face" of climate change. Director Michael Nash travels the globe investigating climate induced disasters and migration. The movie is a call for environmental, social, and personal change as well as hope. "A must see film that puts the human soul in the science of climate change," (Sherri Quinn, NPR). Join us for a free Earthweek showing at SUNY ESF, Marshall Auditorium, April 19th at 6pm. Informal discussion and snacks to follow! First 50 people receive a free official Earthweek t-shirt. Marshall Auditorium
Climate Refugees Discussion
Come discuss the "Climate Refugees Documentary" afterwards and enjoy some good food. Bring Your Own Mug! 110 Moon Conference Room
Yoga on the Quad
Join 'Chelle from the CNY Yoga Center for a beginner's yoga class on the quad! Blocks and mats are not required. Rain Location - 110 Moon. ESF Quad
Cultural Crafts Fair
Local vendors, students and SUNY-ESF staff/faculty come together to sell their goods and crafts on campus. Part of our Earth Week celebration. ESF Quad (rain location is Moon 110)
Mello Vello
Mello Vello is a bike company. They will fix any damages on your bike for free. outside of Illick by Bray
Refashioning Clothing/ Recycled Arts and Crafts Workshop
Making amazing crafts. Nifkin
Ice Cream Social
Come Enjoy Ice Cream on the quad. Rain location will be in Nifkin Lounge. Remember to bring your ESF mug for ice cream!!! ESF Quad RAIN LOCATION: Nifkin Lounge
Tour of the park
The park is located on East Genesee, South State & Fayette Streets, basically right across from the former Renaissance Hotel and Strong Hearts Cafe. It's super close. There will be tours of the park, the guide will walk through the park tell visitors of the history behind the park and the monuments, and talking about how to identify the trees in the park. the guides are students from ESF in Beth Folta's EFB 417 Interpretive Design class, this event is part of an on going assignment in the class. Firefighters memorial park
Woodsmen Demonstration
Come see ESF's Woodsmen Team in action! They will be doing a wood chopping demonstration on the Quad following the Ice Cream Social.
Onondaga Lake Presentation
The Onondaga Lake Community Education Project is a collaborative effort between the Onondaga Nation, the Onondaga Environmental Institute, and Neighbors of the Onondaga Nation to provide historical and ecological education, facilitate the exchange of community knowledge and experience, and foster public participation in the restoration of Onondaga Lake and its watershed. We'll provide an introduction to the historical ecology of the lake environment, major sources of damage to the watershed, some of the current remediation and restoration efforts, and the Onondaga Nation's vision for the future of the lake. Join us and add your voice to the community conversation! Moon Conference Center
ERE Earth Week Games night
Come enjoy free food and fun with the ERE club. Play games like Twister and scrabble and relax for a bit! 408 Baker
Earth Week Student Showcase
There will be delicious food, alcohol, and a band. Come to see students projects and mingle. Nifkin
Yoga on the Quad
Join Lorie from the CNY Yoga Center for a beginner's yoga class on the quad! Blocks and mats are not required. Rain Location - Bray Rotunda. ESF Quad
Cotton Candy
Come enjoy delicious cotton candy on the Quad to enjoy the outdoors and appreciate Earth Week! Rain Location - Bray Rotunda. ESF Quad
TroutBums Demonstration
Demonstrating how to cast a line. Students are welcome to participate. The Quad
Comedy Show with Myq Kaplan
Last Comic Standing's Myq Kaplan, will be performing on-stage in Marshall Auditorium for Earth Week. Kaplan has appeared in the Tonight Show and has had his very own Comedy Central Presents special. Be sure to get there ahead of time, because Kaplan is sure to pack the house. P.S. his jokes are vegan-friendly. Marshall Auditorium
Earthweek "Quadstock" Coffee Haus
We're bringing Coffee Haus outside and we're making it HUGE for Earthweek!!! Come hang out with us and watch your friends and peers perform on the Quad. Enjoy amazing free food and coffee. This is a little to no waste event, so bring your mugs, plates, utensils etc.! Bring your blankets too! This Coffee Haus is going to be a charity event to help raise money for Bike Syracuse, so a suggested donation of $2 is greatly appreciated. Interested in performing? Contact Colleen Gallagher (email@example.com) OR Kristin Doherty (firstname.lastname@example.com). We ask that all interested performers send a short clip of yourself, or your group along with your interest to play. There will be two opportunities for all selected performers to win a raffle, one based on a random drawing and one based on the audience's favorite! The ESF Quad (Rain Location: Nifkin Lounge)
Jeremy Jackson - "The Future of Oceans Past"
The 2011 Holmes Lecture In Celebration of Earth Week presents: Jeremy Jackson, Scripps institution of Oceanography. We are proud to announce that SUNY-ESF is co-sponsoring Syracuse University's 2011 Holmes Lecture in celebration of Earth Week. This year's speaker, Dr. Jeremy Jackson, is one of the most prominent marine ecologists in the world. Dr. Jackson is the William E. and Mary B. Ritter Professor at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and a Senior Scientist at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in the Republic of Panama. Dr. Jackson is more than just an academic researcher, and he has a message to get out about the world's oceans declines in coral reefs, decreasing numbers of large marine fish, and losses of coastal and marine ecosystems, and he actively searches for innovative ways to reach the public to inspire action. All are welcome to join us for what will be a most interesting and informative evening. An event flyer is attached. Heroy Auditorium (SU Geology Building)
Ultimate Frisbee Tournament
How will you spend your class-free Earth Day? Why not play frisbee!? Come unwind, enjoy free food, and spend some time outside on our beautiful quad during Earth Day. The winning team will receive $100 to Alto Cinco. Form a team of 7 and email firstname.lastname@example.com to sign up!!! Sign up is FREE! The Quad
FOCUS Speaker
Learn about sustainability. Marshall Auditorium


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Reverse a General Ledger Entry after it has been posted. Batch is created exactly in reverse and placed on hold for your edit or release.
Manage Journal Entries effectively
Easily reverse any journal entry in Dynamics SL (formerly Solomon IV) General Ledger. JE Reverser simplifies the reversal process by eliminating the need to manually key in the reversing entry. Entries from any module can have their General Ledger entries reversed.
Put your information to work
The JE Reverser utility eliminates the time consuming process of keying in a reversing journal entry. You can quickly select the batch to reverse, enter the period to post and process the reversing entry. The system automatically enters the reversing journal information and places the resulting batch on hold. You can then release the batch or modify it.
Integrate powerfully
JE Reverser allows selection of batches from any ledger including statistical and budget ledgers.
This is an Enhancement Utility/System Module for the Microsoft Dynamics SL (formerly Solomon) suite of accounting applications, developed to integrate with, look like, and perform like the Dynamics SL Modules. This Utility/System requires a Microsoft Dynamics SL license/software platform as a prerequisite for installation.
This is a Dynamics SL (integrated) Utility Module designed by accountants for accountants.
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No reviews have been submitted. Do you use Journal Entry Reverser? Write a review, and help other organizations like yours make smarter, more informed software selection decisions!


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WASHINGTON — "Blessed are they who expect nothing, for they shall not be disappointed."
It was the early 20th century socialist Eugene V. Debs who pointed to the utility of this extra Beatitude. You don't have to be a lefty to appreciate its relevance to our politics after the shutdown disaster.
Cynicism about the political future is a default position with a great deal of evidence behind it. We seem incapable of reaching compromises or even finding ways to differ productively. Even elections don't seem to settle things.
Against this grain, I suggest that we allow ourselves a margin of hope in the wake of the decisive defeat of the extremists who closed the government down to accomplish absolutely nothing. It is a hope tempered by humility. Giant leaps ahead aren't in the cards. But some important things changed for the better because of this battle.
It almost certainly ended the GOP's routine use of threatened catastrophe as a form of leverage. In an interview with National Review's Robert Costa, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell was direct. "A government shutdown is off the table," he said. "We're not going to do it."
True, McConnell doesn't speak for the conservative fringe. But the costs of this escapade were so high that Republicans know how much they'd be hurt in the 2014 elections if they tried a shutdown again. As for not raising the debt ceiling, House Speaker John Boehner blinked before throwing the nation into the abyss, and thank God he did. Because it's now clear that the debt-ceiling weapon is so toxic as to be unusable, Congress might rid us of this relic of World War I finances.
With contrived crises off the table, there is the possibility of normal governance. The Democrats' overlooked victory (other than avoiding an economic meltdown) is the instruction that the House and Senate, having passed two very different budgets, sit down to work things out.
Outside groups: Please stop touting a "grand bargain." There can be no grand bargain right now because Republicans are not inclined to agree to any new revenues and Democrats rightly won't concede anything on the big retirement programs unless revenues are on the table. Pushing for a grand bargain now will only invite disappointment. And those who seek one even if it contains no new revenues will be revealing that their true priority is slashing Social Security and Medicare rather than achieving sustainable fiscal balance.
But Republicans and Democrats could come together around what we might call confidence building measures, a Cold War term sadly appropriate to the moment.


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8 Things Kimberly McCullough accomplished during her General Hospital hiatus
General Hospital fans rejoice! Robin Scorpio-Drake is returning to Port Charles this November. Fan-favorite actress Kimberly McCullough will reprise her role as Robin, and her storyline is already shaping up to be action-packed.
"There is some really cool stuff planned for Robin," said GH executive producer Frank Valentini via Soaps.com. "It's a race against time, and a trio is formed in a desperate attempt to help save a life that hangs in the balance, but that's all you're gonna get out of me."
McCullough herself is eager to return to daytime TV. "I'm back to kick to kick some butt and tell some truths!" she said.
More:Anthony Geary's final day on the General Hospital set is so emotional
Though McCullough is rightfully excited to jump back into the General Hospital world, it's not like she's been sitting around twiddling her thumbs since her last permanent residency in Port Charles last fall.
Here's a look at what McCullough has been up to since she left GH in September 2014.
1. She directed an episode of Pretty Little Liars
It was announced in early 2015 that McCullough was set to direct an episode of PLL, according to Soaps.com. Her episode will air Jan. 26, 2016.
2. And was also behind the camera for K.C. Undercover
McCullough also directed an episode of the Disney show, which stars Zendaya, titled "Operation: Other Side Part 2." The episode aired in July.
3. She started an interview series featuring women who inspire
"This is the first interview in which I plan to do a series of women who inspire me," McCullough wrote on her blog.
Read about her first interviewee, Sinea, here.
More: General Hospital just lost a huge character on the show
4. She got her directing diploma
McCullough participated in the WB Directors' Workshop this year. "I will pay it forward," she wrote in the caption of this photo.
5. She wrote a script
McCullough wrote a script for a television pilot titled Hey Day. The pilot was shot over the summer and McCullough was involved with producing, directing and editing the project as well.
6. She spent some QT with her pup
When she isn't working her butt off, it looks like McCullough's favorite pastime is hanging out with her dog, Jack.
More: Viola Davis' Emmys speech gets ignorantly bashed by General Hospital actress
7. Worked on her super awesome '90s project
McCullough is set to direct a film called Creve Coeur, a movie about a 16-year-old girl in 1993. The production reached its goal of $100,000 on Indiegogo, but has yet to start filming, according to McCullough's Instagram.
8. She conquered a beach getaway
She can't be all work and no play, right?


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Happy Priestess Release Day!
Gebronis and Gebronas! Today marks the digital worldwide release of the Priestess EP. And because it's Nikolaus day in Germany we have another huge present waiting in the wings: The new video for KILLING MACHINE, directed by The Gebs, edited by our own Florian "Lobman" Seiler, filmed by Cem Bahadir Mete and Gregor Hüttner and played by The Gebruders at November 1st at Schokoladen, Berlin. Giant thanks to everybody who supported us. DIY is never possible without your friends.
* PRIESTESS EP on itunes Germany
* PRIESTESS EP on itunes elsewhere
* PRIESTESS EP at amazon.com
* PRIESTESS EP at amazon.de


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Friday, June 24, 2011
{GWD Parties} Kacey and David's Pirates and Fairies Party!
Coming up with a theme for a party which needs to cater to both boys and girls can be rough. Recently I was asked to style a party for Kacey who was turning 3 and her brother, David, who was turning 1. Kacey is currently madly in love with Tinkerbell so the party simply had to have fairies! And, even if she has to share her party with her brother, who can deny a little girl a fairy party?! But, for David's sake, it couldn't all be fairies. (We simply couldn't have him looking back at pictures of his 1st birthday 20 years from now and feeling like he got ripped off!) So we needed to pull a little "boy" into it as well. After a bit of discussion with Kacey and David's mother, we decided to go with a pirates and fairies theme, very loosely based on Peter Pan.
We chose a fun palette of blues and greens with purple and gold accents. Partly because blue is Kacey's favorite color and partly because the mix can work for both boys and girls. Besides the typical pirate stripe, we worked to pull in all different types of patterns including many batiks and watercolor prints. These gave the party an islandy, oceany feeling very reminiscent of pirates and the home of Peter Pan and Tinkerbell!
When the guests first arrived they were met by a treasure map! Because, of course, there's no better way to direct guests at a pirate party!
They were asked to "follow the fairies". On the ground we laid out a dotted line which mimicked the line on the treasure map and flying above the guest's heads were a line of paper fairies "leading" them to the party.
The "treasure" which map alluded to was a yard bathed in green, blue and purple!
Over 200 feet of custom fabric bunting helped to created a magical outdoor room. Fairy wings adorn the chairs at the children's table, while pirate ships with custom masts were "docked" at the adult tables.
There was a brunch buffet ("Pirate Grub with Fabulous Fairy Flavoring"!)...
... as well as a dessert table.
Keeping with our theme, I skirted the dessert table with a watery printed fabric and then topped it with billowing burlap to mimic the rolling dunes of sand which might be found at the "water's edge".
Beautiful pirate cake pops, from Mom's Killer Cakes, were displayed in a treasure chest.
Then inspired by Kate Lander's gorgeous Mermaid dessert table, I used raw sugar to represent sand. And pouring it into lanterns, I used it to prop up lovely chocolate covered Oreos, with our fairy printed on them, from Serena's Party Boutique as a call back to Tink getting trapped in the lantern.
Fairy wands made of Pixy Sticks "wandered" amid a piece of drift wood.
And wonderful pirate ship cookies, made by Lori's Place, stood up in a sweeping piece of blue fabric and looked as though they were actually sailing the seas of "Cookie Cove"!
I was also lucky enough to find the absolute perfect cups for the kids at Party City (for only 99 cents!!) and decorated them with drink flags displaying each of the children's names so that no one lost their cup.
Aimee, of the fabulous Strawberrie Rose Couture Collection, made a beautiful tutu for Kacey and even adjusted the colors to match our party perfectly!
So that David didn't feel left out, I made him a t-shirt declaring him "Captain David" on the front and displaying the party's pirate ship icon on the back.
During the party there were pirate and fairy tattoos and fun cardboard fairy wings which the kids could decorate with markers, stamps and stickers. And, best of all, there was an appearance by a fabulous Tinkerbell. Kacey was in seventh heaven!
And David, although a bit shell shocked as most one year old's are at their first birthday bash, seemed to have a very fine time too!
Party Styling and Party Printables - Gwynn Wasson Designs
Cake Pops - Mom's Killer Cakes
Pirate Ship Cookies - Lori's Place
Chocolate Covered Oreos - Serena's Party Boutique
Tutu - Strawberrie Rose
Treasure Chest - Michael's
Cardboard Wings - Michael's
Striped Drink Cups - Party City
9 comments:
As Usual I LOVE it so Much Great WorkReplyDelete
Love the colors and how 2 different themes went so well together!!ReplyDelete
gorgeous!! And we had such a great time!ReplyDelete
Gorgeous! Gorgeous! Gorgeous! Love the colors, the amazing dessert table, all the fun decor, everything!!!ReplyDelete
I may be a bit biased but I think it was THE BEST PARTY EVER!!!!! Thank you so very much for all of your amazing hard work, our family will never forget this party!!!ReplyDelete
Arrr! Taline and Lorelei had a blast at the big shindig. Beautiful as always Gwynn.ReplyDelete
Very interesting post, I like your blog and appreciate for content - You can also have a look your related on my website tattoos shop in bangaloreReplyDelete
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text: was when I just read Tvision10 post on his poor family and friend being murdered a couple of days ago. Reading his thread about the situation was bad, but then to read the actual news article and see the victims and the murder's face, well, complete sadness and anger consume me. Before I read Tyler's thread i was totally consumed mentally with my next venture and how im not happy with the amount of money i've made this month. But after reading something like that, I could completely care less about money and material right now. This sort of thing comes a long sometimes, completely evil and life destroying, but at the same time while it hurts one person(s), it totally puts what's really important in life in perspective for another person(s). My heart goes out to you Tyler and your family, man. I really hope you find strength within the next few weeks. Ugh.


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It's not this cold yet (thankfully), but as the leaves shake and drift from the trees, we know that it's coming. Inspired by winter trees, this frosty vignette features many 'Just Arrived' pieces with opposites-attract style pairings.
- Minimalist black & white top + ornate Bohemian accessories
- Country cozy knit sweater + Ladylike structured handbag
- Rocker print top + DIY-esque colorful scarf (with coordinated nails)
Which one do you gravitate toward?
For shoppers: The tri-colored structured handbag is only $98 and is looking significantly more expensive than that, don't you think? Most items are less than $400 and click-able if you're looking for more info.
x Laura


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Former McGuinty chief of staff Chris Morley defends e-mail deletion
A former chief of staff for Dalton McGuinty testified that he saved 300 records from his time in the premier's office — just none related to the controversial and costly decision to cancel two gas plants.
Chris Morley said Tuesday he upheld the Archives and Recordkeeping Act, and that he deleted only e-mails as demanded of him under the rules.
Much of the discussion regarding the cancelling and relocating of the Oakville and Mississauga plants was done in person or over the phone, he said.
"I'm in strong belief that the government needs a very clear law that no document can be deleted on a go-forward basis. That's not the rule that has existed for the last 15 years," Morley said. "If the legislature wants to create that rule on a go-forward basis, they should do it.
"My view is if they're going to do that they should do it not just for government, but for MPPs and caucuses as well."
Morley produced 99 exemptions to the recordkeeping requirements, such as the need to delete temporary or duplicate documents.
The Ontario Standing Committee on Justice Policy is investigating the government's decision to cancel the two planned gas plants at a loss of $585 million.
As committee members sought government records that might shed light on the reasoning, it's become known that some senior political staff deleted all their e-mail records — in one case breaking the Archives and Recordkeeping Act, according to the province's information and privacy commissioner.
Morley testified at the committee Tuesday that he was involved in the discussions around the gas plants and agreed with the decision to cancel them.
"I live on the west end of town, downtown. I have a small son, and you know I have to say that I am pleased that he will not have to chew on smog or pollution because those gas plants were inappropriately placed," said Morley, who told the committee the plants would have been too close to homes and a school, and would have generated more air pollution.
Morley even praised the NDP and Tories for identifying before the government that the plants were poorly sited.
Opposition MPPs say the McGuinty government had a more vested interest in cancelling the plants — saving Liberal seats in the area — and that it acted with no care for the cost to taxpayers and hydro ratepayers.
Tory MPP Vic Fedeli said he found it hard to believe that McGuinty's chief of staff would not produce any gas plant documents worth keeping.
"He's claiming that every e-mail he ever had with respect to a gas plant was either of a personal nature … or a duplication," Fedeli said. "That's absolutely not credible whatsoever. I found him unapologetic, I found him very contradictory as well."
Former finance minister Dwight Duncan tweeted that the gas plant committee is a "kangaroo court," and that Morley showed more integrity than the opposition members on the committee.
Premier Kathleen Wynne told the Sun that her office has completely overhauled how it handles records to ensure staff is properly trained.
"We put in a strict protocol around retaining documents," Wynne said Tuesday.


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LUFKIN, TX (KTRE) - Black smoke filled the sky around 11:45 AM Sunday morning near FM 2680 and Bryce Rd.
Property owners were burning a pile of wood during a controlled burn when all of the sudden bullets started flying. The owner said some how there were bullets in or near the pile of wood the owners were burning and when the flames got near them, they started flying and the fire burned out of control.
The owners say they just recently purchased the property and do not know how the bullets got there.
Central Fire Department responded to the blaze and got it under control quickly before the fire could move towards the home.
A large tree in the front yard was completely blackened and lots of debris in the yard also caught fire.
Nobody was injured.
Central Fire Department is still on scene investigating the fire.
Copyright 2012 KTRE. All rights reserved.


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I decided to work on a Santa embroidery mini quilt... the pattern is available on my Craftsy and Etsy shops. I also made a couple of snowman coasters. I like having little things like the coasters on hand for the holidays for gift giving. I just love the striped fabric that I found, I should have bought more! I am partial to stripe fabric, love to use it in binding!
I will be giving the Santa Embroidery PDF pattern away to two lucky winners. I'm using rafflecopter for the giveaway, so for a chance to win, leave me a lovely comment on what you are working on... for extra chances like my facebook page and be a Doodle Blog follower. Wilson and I will choose two winners on the 10th. Good luck!!!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Ho Ho Ho!!! I get to share today with these lovely ladies...


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The Beyman Bros Taps Into Pleasant MEMORIES
When The Beyman Bros' debut CD, Memories of Summer as a Child, arrived in my mailbox, it was a gray and rainy day in Los Angeles. Within minutes of popping the disc in my player, I was cruising on a sailboat in the Caribbean and being serenaded on a gondola ride through Venetian canals. No, I wasn't dropping acid. These are the memories the music evoked in me. And some of them haven't even happened yet.
Who are the Beyman Bros? They're three unrelated guys—Christopher Guest (yes, that Christopher Guest), David Nichtern and CJ Vanston—who have adopted alter egos a la the Traveling Wilburys (Guest is Doc Beyman, Nichtern is Nudgie Beyman and Vanston is adopted kid brother CJ Beyman). Guest and Nichtern have been jamming together since childhood and eventually teamed up with long-time Guest collaborator Vanston (Spinal Tap's musical director/keyboardist, among other cool credits) to put out this album. They'll even tour if the accommodations meet their "medium-high standards."
The brothers may be made up but their music is for real. It's a warm, vibrant blend of jazz, Mediterranean, Western, folk and Mark Knopfler. It's instrumental but not boring, always moving, never stagnant. The multi-talented trio fuses so many instruments together—mandolin, accordion, clarinet, lap steel guitar, electric piano—you'd think they'd each need six-fingered hands to play them all.
But dissecting the sound is useless since this is the kind of music to be experienced more than described (click here to go to their website and sample several cuts). You should just kick back and let the music wash over you. Close your eyes and let it take you places. Some tracks had me sailing the Caribbean with wind through my hair and a masseuse at my back. Other times, I was on a horse trotting through the Irish countryside, driving a car on a long road trip in the rain at night and running through a grove of trees with the sun tickling my skin. All this is to say the album can give you a mental vacation for about ten bucks. What could be better?
After listening to their music, I wanted to know more about the Beyman Bros so I requested an email interview. Guest wasn't available but Nichtern and Vanston kindly obliged.
PCN: What are some of your favorite memories of summer as a child?
Nichtern: Having grown up as a city kid, definitely going away to the country, the beach, camp, whatever during the summer. The picture on the front cover of our album is actually a real pic of me and Christopher on the beach in Shelter Island one summer. We were both there with our families, who were good friends. (We didn't know CJ back then so we Photoshopped him in!) Riding bikes, playing baseball, swimming, roasting marshmallows, all the classic stuff.
Vanston: Watching Cathy Stewart play tether ball, the day Ann Pincumbe moved to town, kissing Cindy Smith on the swingset.
PCN: Who is the "Man of La Mantra" [title of the second track] and what is his mantra?
Nichtern: Ha ha, good one. His mantra would be, "Why hurry when you can take your time and still get there?" Appreciate the journey. Also, "Where is Sancho Panza when I need him? Have him get me a half-caf and half-decaf soy latte. Now, please!"
Vanston: This song is actually about David Nichtern, and his mantra is "Dear universe: Let us do another record."
PCN: What should people be doing while listening to your music?
Nichtern: 1. Actually listening. 2. Yoga. 3. Cooking. 4. Sensual interaction (with others, hopefully). 5. Relaxing/massage. 6. Playing or singing along? 7. Bathing. 8. Flowing along with the music. 9. Flowing along without the music.
Vanston: I didn't have this in mind when we did the record, but evidently this album is perfect to listen to while operating large farm machinery.
PCN: What kind of accommodations would meet your medium-high standards so that you'd tour? The Best Western? Bread large enough to accommodate lunch meat?
Nichtern: Ha ha again. I think we're talking the presidential suite at minimum and if they don't have that, then maybe the bridal suite. Definitely up high with a view, 24-hour room service, cable with pay TV and all the different kinds of channels they have in those places. If not, then a modest room with twin beds and 5 extra cots will be fine.
Vanston: I need the Golf Channel and free coffee in the lobby. Oh, and I only sleep on Haastens mattresses.
PCN: CJ, how does working with Doc and Nudgie compare with working with Spinal Tap?
Vanston: It's actually exactly 1/3 easier, because there is one less genius to deal with.
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8 Comments »
I saw something in the LA Times, but didn't really give it much more than a glance. Your article makes it sound interesting. Thanks for turning me on to these guys!
Had no idea Guest was making music that had nothing to do with Spinal Tap…..it's actually good.
Checked out the link. Not initially sold on the music 'cause it was a little too mellow, but it's now growing on me.
Thanks for the well thought-out review. I also liked the questions you asked them, PCN. They weren't the typical, boring basic questions. I think the music market could use a group like this……Maybe a 2010 Grammy nomination? Let's wait and see…….
I like your visual descriptions of the music. Funny interview, too. Nice job, PCN!
I checked out the link to the music. It's groovy! It's an interesting fusion of different styles, like you said. I love discovering new bands so I'm glad you wrote about these guys.
Great article! I never would've known about the Beyman Bros. if I didn't hear about it here! I also checked out the link and liked the music — it's different from what I'd normally listen to, but very interesting! I can totally mellow out to them. I appreciate all styles of music as long as it's well done and these guys are pretty talented!
Nice job, PCN…. I am always up for new and interesting sounds so I checked out their site and I have to say The Beyman Bros had me at "Tulong". I listened to all the tracks and I heard eastern and middle-eastern influences. I am a huge fan of Krishna Das and thought it was so cool the Nudgie Beyman has worked with him. Triad was a song that really surprised me and midway through I felt like I was in Morocco and amidst swirling sand and whirling dervishes. I bought it on itunes…thanks for the great cool tip!