text:
After courtroom fireworks Tuesday morning from a video depicting drug use, gunplay and beer drinking by inmates inside the Orleans Parish jail complex, and one video showing an inmate hanging out on Bourbon Street, testimony in the week-long hearing over a proposed jail reform package turned to a corrections expert who called inmate violence in the jail the worst he's seen.
The testimony from Manuel David Romero, an expert for the U.S. Department of Justice, echoed the testimony Monday from another expert for the Southern Poverty Law Center, which represents inmates in the case.
Romero, former deputy secretary of the New Mexico prison system, reported a wide array of lapses in the jail facility during two visits last year, in April and December. Those lapses included inmates engaging in "sexual misconduct" in plain view of deputies who did nothing, Romero reported.
Also among the facts that emerged during his testimony was that 32 inmates suffered stab wounds in the jail facility last year. There also were 698 prisoner assaults, one for every three to four inmates."I have not seen numbers this large," Romero said.
Romero was asked to comment on the video footage, which showed inmates playing cash dice games, drinking Budweiser, unloading what appeared to be a Glock handgun, and one inmate shooting drugs into his arm.
No sheriff's deputies were in sight. How the gun got into the jail -- never mind the beer, drugs and video recorder -- and how the inmate got out to roam Bourbon Street, remained in doubt.
"What it tells you is, it's basically a total lack of a security program," Romero testified.
Romero cited a lack of manpower that makes it nearly impossible for deputies to closely supervise inmates in the jail, although he acknowledged that he did not conduct a staffing survey to see if deputies assigned elsewhere could be redeployed.Advocates for inmates, the U.S. Department of Justice and Sheriff Marlin Gusman agreed in December to a federal consent decree that would be overseen by U.S. Disrict Court Judge Lance Africk, who will decide after the week-long hearing whether to approve it.
After that, another hearing slated for late May would determine just how much the consent decree will cost.
Mayor Mitch Landrieu is balking at the potential cost, and lawyers for the city are trying to argue that the agreement is too broad and that many of the deficiencies have nothing to do with money.
The city took aim at Gusman for the blatant illegal activity in the video, which was filmed in the now-closed House of Detention.
"Have you ever seen a group of inmates have not only a Glock, but controlled substances, heroin and cocaine, a lighter, large cans of beer, all at the same time?" asked Harry Rosenberg, an attorney for the city."No, I have not," Romero said. "That's the first time."
The consent decree would mandate widespread changes at the jail, including increased staffing and training to address a raft of alleged lapses, including a raft of violence, death and escapes.
Attorneys for the city played up the fact on Tuesday that the jail facility is accredited by a national group on its health care and fire prevention measures.
Rosenberg also tried to ask Romero about murder rates in the jail, hoping to point out that killings in the facility are rare.
He also asked Romero whether he had considered the consent decree's cost to the city, and its possible effect on public safety throughout the city -- from cuts to other services -- should the consent decree go into effect.
Africk wouldn't entertain the line of questioning, however. Downplaying suicides and other deaths in the jail, or playing up the potential cost, won't work at least for now, the judge said.
"It wouldn't work for your family and it's not gong to work for the city of New Orleans," Africk said, while several family members of inmates who have died in the jail sat in the gallery. "Put aside the question of murders. It's much broader than that."
Romero spent awhile testifying to what he called a weak or non-existent prisoner classification system that would separate low-risk inmates from more violent ones, or predators.
He also described numerous incidents of shank stabbings in the jail, and called the jail staff woefully deficient in conducting regular inmate patdowns.
The video, he said, points to a jail staff that not only lets inmate conduct slide, but may allow or facilitate contraband entering the facility.
"The level of contraband was outrageous, particularly with the firearms and drugs, and the money, and the beer," Romero said of the video. "From a security standpoint it was shocking. They are found in jails, but not blatant like this."
Romero's testimony was ongoing Tuesday afternoon. Gusman is expected to testify later in the week.
Gusman responded to the videotape in a news release Tuesday, noting that he closed down the House of Detention last year because it was "in a state of disrepair" and had an "abhorrent lack of proper security measures."
Later Tuesday, he announced that he will be available to speak with the media after Wednesday's proceedings conclude.


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Basiks - Fairborn, OH - Phone: (937) 879-3141
D R ELEC - Fairborn, OH - Phone: (937) 878-2050
Electronix - Fairborn, OH - Phone: (937) 878-1828
Faulkner Electric - Fairborn, OH - Phone: (937) 878-9112
J & L Electric of Ohio Limited - Fairborn, OH - Phone: (937) 878-7368
Midwest Surplus Electronics - Fairborn, OH - Phone: (937) 879-2250
An electrician in Fairborn is a tradesman specializing in electrical wiring of buildings, stationary machines and related equipment. Electricians may be employed in the installation of new electrical components or the maintenance and repair of existing electrical infrastructure. Electricians may also specialize in wiring ships, airplanes, and other mobile platforms. Electricians are typically not allowed to perform work for the public unless under the employment of an electrical contractor. The job of an electrician is a regulated trade for safety reasons due to the many hazards of working with electricity, requiring testing, registration, or licensing. Licensing of electricians is controlled through government and/or professional societies in Fairborn.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The 1969 ford mach mustang is a favorite of both mustang fans and serious car collectors. The efficiency aspects and distinct design have helped cement the mach mustangýs position in car history. A lot of automobile shows will have at least one 1969 ford mach mustang on display that has actually been kept in prime condition. Even those 1969 ford mach mustang featured at vehicle shows that have actually not been kept in prime condition are sources of great adoration and can motivate much envy in those who have never ever owned a mustang, not to mention a classic mustang.
Production of the Mustang started in Dearborn, Michigan on March 9, 1964 and the vehicle was introduced to the public on April 17, 1964 at the New York World's Fair. It is Ford's 3rd earliest nameplate presently in production. Original sales forecasts predicted less than 100,000 devices for the first year. This mark was surpassed in 3 months from rollout. Another 318,000 would be offered during the design year (a record), and in its first eighteen months, more than one million Mustangs were built.
Best Deals Online For Buying Ford Mustangs
All these were VIN-identified as 1965 designs, but several modifications were made at the standard opening of the brand-new model year (start August 1964), including the addition of back-up lights on some models, the intro of alternators to change generators, and an upgrade of the V8 engine from 260 cu in to 289 cu in. When it comes to a minimum of some six-cylinder Mustangs fitted with the 101 hp 170 cu in Falcon engine, the rush into production consisted of some uncommon quirks, such as a horn ring bearing the 'Ford Falcon' logo below a trim ring emblazoned with 'Ford Mustang.' These qualities made sufficient difference to require designation of the 121,538 earlier ones as "1964 1/2" model-year Mustangs, a difference that has endured with perfectionists. Mustangs For Sale in Deer Lodge MT are easy to find now with online shopping.
The 1973 OPEC oil embargo brought with it more stringent pollution laws and the desire for fuel-efficiency. This was also the very first time in vehicle history that the Big 3 were needing to take on imports. The brand-new Mustang II was smaller than the first version however, due to the added devices needed to fulfill brand-new US emission and security policies, was much heavier than the very first model. Efficiency was minimized and in the very first year just 385,993 cars were sold.
2nd generation Mustangs for sale in Deer Lodge MT were readily available in between 1974 and 1978 and offered in a coupe and hatchback variation. 1979 the Mustang was redesigned a third time. This time it was based upon the bigger Fox platform and the interior was actually huge enough for four individuals. The trunk was larger therefore was the engine bay. The body designs readily available included a coupe, hatchback and in 1983 a convertible. In 1979 the Third generation Mustang functioned as an Indianapolis 500 pace automobile and Ford developed 10,478 commemorative reproductions. The 3rd generation Mustangs were produced from 1979 to 1982.


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BANGKOK - Members of the public are no longer allowed to feed fish at the deserted New World Mall, as the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has ordered the area sealed pending an inspection to see if the structure is safe and should be demolished.
This move followed pictures circulated on social media showing people feeding fish in a 500square metre pond created by rainwater pouring in through a gaping hole in the roof after the building's illegally built fifth to 11th floors were torn down.
People living nearby then reportedly released fish in 2003 to eradicate mosquito larvae and the "pond" became an attraction of sorts.
Phra Nakhon District Office director assistant Pramern Krairos yesterday inspected the fourstorey building that was closed in 1997.
He said a more detailed inspection would take about a month, during which time officials would test the water in the area and have it sprayed with mosquito repellent.
The city would then ask the building owner if he still wants the "pond", and if not he would need to pump out the water, relocate the fish and fix the roof in order to prevent the problem from recurring, he said.


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Monday, December 5, 2011
Getting Christmas Goodies out to Play
Posted by Diane Mars at 3:35 PM
15 comments:
- Vickie @ Ranger 911 said...
Well, you know may heart was going pitter-pat looking at all your treasures!
I love the green glassware with the red figurines. Such a festive combination.
- December 5, 2011 at 4:28 PM
- Cindy said...
Adore the little cuties on the cake stands...what a clever idea!!
Yes we went with little trees this year also. I hate saying no also...but I let them touch my villages with me Nana standing there..it seems to please them.
Cindy from Rick-Rack and Gingham
- December 5, 2011 at 4:51 PM
- ~Lavender Dreamer~ said...
I love all of your pretty vintage treasures! I see an elf...or Pixie (what I call them) sitting in a tea cup! How precious! I put my little pixies out today on a red ladder! ♥
- December 5, 2011 at 5:09 PM
- GARAGE SALE GAL ~ Deb's Earthly Delights said...
I do LOVE RED for Christmas! How blessed you are to have 7 Grands!
- December 5, 2011 at 5:31 PM
- Cindy said...
You have some beautiful figurines. they remind me so much of my parent's house when I was young.
- December 5, 2011 at 5:58 PM
- My Vintage Mending said...
Diane these little ladies are so darling I love them. The little one with the candle...be still my heart! Just so fun to pop over and see...enjoy...Renee
- December 5, 2011 at 6:16 PM
- A Vintage Chic said...
Everything looks so beautiful, Diane...I think we love the same things!
I'm having a tough time getting super motivated to decorate, as well...the bins are all over my house...piles here & there waiting to be settled...I'm just tired! Oh well, we'll get it all done eventually, won't we?!
- December 5, 2011 at 6:57 PM
- Blessed Serendipity said...
I am LOVING all your vintage Christmas and I spied some pixies in that cabinet. I did my tree last year in all pixies. You have some very sweet pieces.
- December 5, 2011 at 7:04 PM
- Carrie @ Cottage Cozy said...
...and the decorating begins. What a fun Christmas with all your little ones...and a new one on the way. Your guys are truly blessed. I love seeing all of your treasures for the season!
- December 5, 2011 at 9:48 PM
- Holly- Cutie Pie Cottage said...
You have such a great collection of pretties, Diane! I'm getting a hutch for Christmas and I plan on putting chiken wire in the doors too!
My grands come over tonight. My girls love my decorating and it's so fun to be near little ones again! Most of the time! Ha-ha!
- December 6, 2011 at 5:49 AM
- Jeanne said...
I adore those little angels in the top photo and the red Christmas elves with the jadite green dishes is a wonderful color combo.
- December 6, 2011 at 3:23 PM
- Pink Roses and Teacups said...
Hi Diane,
Love your little figurines on the cake stand. so cute. Love all the vintage things too!
- December 6, 2011 at 3:29 PM
- LizlovesVintage said...
These are great Diane! I love the elves looking as if they are into mischief. Ha, Ha. Thanks for sharing your Vintage!
Hugs, Liz
- December 6, 2011 at 4:35 PM
- GardenofDaisies said...
I love all the little elves tucked in your cupboard. It is tough to keep little hands away from the pretty ornaments on a tree. I use a baby gate across the door to the living room... so they can see it but can't get near.
- December 6, 2011 at 7:21 PM
- vivian said...
so many pretties! 7 little grands?? wow! next christmas I will have 3 and I can barely wrap my head around that! lol.
I love all your decorations. (as always!) and I love the little cupboard full of jadite and christmas elves!
happy Wednesday!
- December 7, 2011 at 4:18 AM


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In the Matter of
Mark Gilbert Platt, John Wayne Ezell and Richard M. Ohlhaber,
On June 18, 2003, the Securities and Exchange Commission ("Commission") instituted public administrative proceedings pursuant to Section 15(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 against Richard M. Ohlhaber ("Ohlhaber or "Respondent").
In connection with the proceedings instituted against him, Ohlhaber has submitted an Offer of Settlement ("Offer") to the Commission, which the Commission has determined to accept. Solely for the purposes of this proceeding and any other proceeding brought by or on behalf of the Commission or in which the Commission is a party, prior to a hearing pursuant to the Commission's Rules of Practice, 17 C.F.R. § 201.100 et seq., and without admitting or denying the findings set forth herein, except those contained in paragraph II. A. and B. below, and the jurisdiction of the Commission over him and the subject matter of these proceedings, which are admitted, Ohlhaber consents to the issuance of this Order Making Findings and Imposing Remedial Sanctions as to Richard M. Ohlhaber ("Order"), and to the entry of the findings set forth below.
On the basis of this Order and the Offer submitted by Ohlhaber, the Commission finds that:1
A. Ohlhaber, age 32, is a resident of Southlake, Texas. From September 1998 until June 30, 2001, he was the branch manager of the Addison, Texas branch office of Josephthal & Co., Inc. ("Josephthal"), a broker-dealer formerly registered with the Commission.2 Ohlhaber is currently associated with another broker-dealer registered with the Commission.
B. From at least September 1998 through March 2001, Ohlhaber failed reasonably to supervise two registered representatives who were subject to his direct supervision, within the meaning of Section 15(b) of the Exchange Act, with a view toward preventing their willful violations of the federal securities laws as described in paragraphs III. C. through J., below. The two registered representatives, each of whom had a disciplinary history or a history of customer complaints, engaged in fraudulent sales practices by making excessive (churning), unsuitable and unauthorized trades in certain of their customers' accounts.
C. From September 1998 through at least March 2001, a registered representative subject to Ohlhaber's direct supervision ("the first representative") engaged in sales practice violations of the federal securities laws in at least three Josephthal customer accounts.3 Prior to becoming associated with Josephthal in September 1998, the first representative was the subject of three customer complaints alleging that he had engaged in unsuitable and excessive trading while employed at another brokerage firm. Each of the complaints resulted in monetary awards to the customers, two through settlements and one through arbitration. When the first representative transferred his securities licenses from his prior brokerage to Josephthal, he was subject to a Texas State Securities Board ("TSSB") undertaking, which required Josephthal and Ohlhaber to implement special supervisory procedures for this representative. Among other things, the TSSB required Ohlhaber to perform a quarterly review of the representative's customer trading activity and to memorialize his findings in writing.
D. From September 1998 through at least February 2001, while purportedly under Ohlhaber's "special supervision," the first representative recommended unsuitable speculative small-cap technology stocks for the accounts of three elderly Josephthal customers each of whom had stated more conservative investment objectives. Additionally, the representative churned each of these three accounts causing the accounts to suffer realized losses totaling $252,741. The three customer accounts had annual turnover ratios between 8.42 and 35.22, and cost-to-equity ratios between 25.12 and 70.62.4 During this same period, the first representative received gross commissions from these three accounts totaling $66,650.
E. Between July 1999 and March 2001, the first registered representative also executed five unauthorized trades in one of the above referenced customer accounts. On two occasions, the customer complained to Ohlhaber about unauthorized trades in his account. On both occasions, Ohlhaber denied the customer's request to reverse the trades based on the representations by the registered representative that the customer authorized the trades.
F. In conducting his quarterly review of the first representative's customers' trading activity, Ohlhaber failed to take any action after being confronted with red flags showing evidence of excessive and unsuitable trading in the representative's customer accounts.
G. Moreover, Ohlhaber failed to effectively respond to another red flag of possible sales practice abuses-the fact that two of the first registered representative's referenced accounts appeared numerous times on Josephthal's monthly active account exception report. According to Josephthal's procedures, it was Ohlhaber's responsibility to contact customers whose accounts appeared on this report to determine whether the activity in their account was consistent with their investment objectives and instructions. However, Ohlhaber did not contact one of the referenced customers until two months after the customer's account first appeared on the report, and even then Ohlhaber did not question whether the account activity was in accordance with the customer's instructions and objectives. Further, Ohlhaber never contacted the other customer about the activity in the account even though the account appeared on the active account exception report eight times.
H. A second registered representative subject to Ohlhaber's direct supervision ("the second representative") also engaged in sales practice abuses in two Josephthal customer accounts.5 Prior to his association with Josephthal, this representative was the subject of seven customer complaints alleging that he engaged in either unauthorized or unsuitable trading. Based on five of these complaints, in December 1994, the National Association of Securities Dealers ("NASD") suspended the representative for 30 days and fined him $27,500 for unauthorized and unsuitable transactions, and for churning his customers' accounts. Ohlhaber recruited this registered representative, who in November 1998 began his association with Josephthal.
I. Almost immediately, this registered representative began to engage in churning and unsuitable trading. In September 1999, Josephthal's compliance department reviewed the second representative's five most active accounts, including the two accounts referenced in paragraph H, above. Significantly, this review revealed that, from January 1999 through September 1999, the second representative churned and engaged in unsuitable trading in these two customer accounts. During this period, the two accounts generated 22 percent of the second representative's gross commissions and the two accounts had turnover ratios of 13.15 and 17.17, respectively. As a result, Josephthal placed the second representative on special supervision for a six-month period and required Ohlhaber to review the above-referenced accounts monthly. The firm also specifically directed Ohlhaber to assure that the representative reduced the margin balances in each account.
J. Despite the firm's directive requiring him to specially supervise the second representative, Ohlhaber continued to approve numerous securities transactions involving unsuitable small-cap technology stocks for these two customer accounts. By ignoring this red flag that unsuitable trading persisted, Ohlhaber permitted the second representative to engage in excessive and unsuitable trading. During the six-month special supervisory period, the two accounts had annual turnover ratios of 7.19 and 13.65, and cost-to-equity ratios of 27.27 and 65.88, respectively. Additionally, Ohlhaber never contacted these customers and the representative executed 19 unauthorized trades in one of these accounts. The second representative's trading activity in these two accounts resulted in customer losses totaling $155,612, while he received gross commissions totaling $7,773. Finally, during this period the margin balance in one of these accounts increased and the margin balance for the other account was not eliminated.
Based on the foregoing, Ohlhaber did not reasonably discharge his duties and responsibilities and thereby failed reasonably to supervise, within the meaning of Section 15(b) of the Exchange Act, two individuals subject to his supervision with a view to preventing violations of the federal securities laws.
In view of the foregoing, the Commission deems it appropriate and in the public interest to accept the Offer submitted by Ohlhaber and impose the sanctions specified therein.
Accordingly, IT IS ORDERED that:
A. Ohlhaber be, and hereby is, barred from association in a supervisory capacity with any broker or dealer, with the right to reapply for association after three (3) years with the appropriate self-regulatory organization, or if there is none, to the Commission; and
B. Ohlhaber shall pay a civil money penalty in the amount of $50,000 to the United States Treasury. Such payment shall be 1) made by the United States postal money order, certified check, bank cashier's check or bank money order; 2) payable to the Securities and Exchange Commission; 3) hand-delivered or mailed to the Comptroller, Securities and Exchange Commission, Operations Center, 6432 General Green Way, Stop 0-3, Alexandria, VA 22312; and 4) submitted under a cover letter that identifies Ohlhaber as a respondent in these proceedings and states the file number of these proceedings, a copy of which cover letter and money order or check shall be sent to Harold F. Degenhardt, District Administrator, Fort Worth District Office, 801 Cherry Street, Unit 1800, Fort Worth, Texas 76102.
C. Any reapplication for association by the Respondent will be subject to the applicable laws and regulations governing the reentry process, and reentry may be conditioned upon a number of factors, including, but not limited to, the satisfaction of any or all of the following: (a) any disgorgement ordered against the Respondent, whether or not the Commission has fully or partially waived payment of such disgorgement; (b) any arbitration award related to the conduct that served as the basis for the Commission order; (c) any self-regulatory organization arbitration award to a customer, whether or not related to the conduct that served as the basis for the Commission order; and (d) any restitution order by a self-regulatory organization, whether or not related to the conduct that served as the basis for the Commission order.
By the Commission.
Jonathan G. Katz
|Home | Previous Page
Modified: 12/29/2003


text:
Censor.NET reports referring to the ATO Staff press center.
"In the Donetsk sector, Russian proxies repeatedly harass defenders of Avdiivka, pounding their positions by all types of weapons, including heavy mortars and tanks. Strong points around Butivka mine, Kamianka and Troitske were hit by 120 mm mortars. Attacks on Luhanske and Zaitseve involved various types of grenade launchers, IFVs and mortars. 82 mm mortars were used against Maiorsk, Pisky came under IFV fire. Positions in the vicinity of Novhorodske and Opytne were hit by grenade launchers and small arms. At around 11:00 p.m., the enemy used 152 mm guns to commit a provocative attack on the village of Kleshchivka located along the Bakhmutska highway and not at the contact line," the report says.
In the Mariupol sector, machine guns, IFVs and antiaircraft guns were employed against positions outside Shyrokyne and Vodiane. 120 mm mortars and 122 mm artillery pounded strong points near Pavlopil. In the area of Hnutove and Taramchuk, militants used machine guns and anti-tank missiles. IFV fire was registered around Novohryhorivka. Heavy machine guns were employed outside Marinka, Krasnohorivka was hit by 82 mm mortars and grenade launchers.
In the Luhansk sector, various types of grenade launchers and mortars were used in the area of Novooleksandrivka and Krymske. Orikhove was mortared, Lobacheve came under automatic grenade launcher attack. Attacks on strong points in the vicinity of Valuiske involved small arms. Around midnight, the enemy used 122 mm artillery against positions around Novooleksandrivka and Novozvanivka.
"Overall, 91 attacks were recorded yesterday, four Ukrainian soldiers got wounded," the report reads.
Related materials: Russian aggression against Ukraine
Russian war criminals shelled Ukraine from Russian territory with Grads in summer 2014. PHOTOinvestigation
Terrorists got more active along entire front line: 55 cases of shelling yesterday, - ATO press center
Terrorists bring up reserves to Novoazovsk and Shyrokyne, shelling continues - InfoResist
"Fire at F#cking Ukrainian Village! Kill These Assholes!" - Russian Army Shelling Ukrainian Village. VIDEO


text:
How To Find Best Day Trading Software
Selecting Best Day Trading Software
Selecting the best day trading software is perhaps the most under-rated
factor in making money consistently in the market. The modern day computers do
many wonderful things for us. It should therefore come as no surprise that we
can day trade in the stock market at home from our own personal computer, even
while wearing our comfy pajamas!
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Using the best day trading software can make you some good profits in the stock market. Do not think that you will download a program onto your home computer that will make you a financial genius overnight, because that is just not going to happen, but you can choose the right program that will give an advantage.
There are some incompatibility issues with some day trading software. Your trading software could become outdated in two or three month's time as technology changes frequently. It can become very expensive changing day trading software every four or five months! Using a variety of software may eliminate some of these inherent risks, but that in itself brings up a whole new group of issues to consider. Make sure your day trading software give you the option to upgrade down the road. Confirm with the software vendors that such upgrade options do exist before you buy the program.
Based on your trading experience and investment targets, look for the features you need most in your software. If you trade mostly one type of stock for instance, your best day trading software should be meant to track and chart that stock. If you deal with small bundles of computer stock for instance, there is no sense installing a program that has anything to do with gold futures and currency exchange rates.
You must be able to use the best day trading software to track and watch stocks for you. One feature of a good program is that you can be away from the computer and still be notified of any stock price fluctuations. Be sure the program will alert you by email or SMS, allowing you the option to check what is happening then or at a later time.
Day Trading Advice
- Day Trading Advice
Proven day trading advice to make money consistently daytrading in the stock market and learn to become a profitable daytrader
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text:
"I never wanted this for you. I worked my whole life, I don't apologize, to take care of my family. And I refused to be a fool, dancing on a string held by all those big shots. I don't apologize. That's my life. But I thought that when it was your time that you would be the one to hold the strings. Senator Corleone. Governor Corleone. There wasn't enough time Michael. Not enough time."
Don Corleone, The Godfather
"We'll get there Pop. We'll get there."
Michael Corleone
Bernard Jack Shapiro was surprised in May 2004 to be named Canada's first Ethics Commissioner. He wasn't even aware the position existed when Prime Minister Martin's office called. Shapiro would report directly and publicly to the Parliament of Canada. Max Shapiro's son Bernie. Who would have believed?
Montreal has always been, as it remains, the gastronomic capital of Canada. While the best restaurants are French, many of the city's most popular eateries in the mid-twentieth century were anglo: Dinty Moore's for corned beef and cabbage; Drury's, opened in 1887, modeled on a London Chophouse; Martin's Since 1861 featuring pea soup, roast beef and a nude disguised in a painting titled "What's On An Old Man's Mind". Colloquially known as Mother Martin's, it was a hangout for newspapermen. The Gazette was around the corner. Windsor Station, Montreal's first (1887) skyscraper and Canadian Pacific Rail's headquarters, was across the street. It was also the venue for a revival of musical revue in Montreal. After the family acquired it from the Martin heirs, Pammy's great3grandson produced a series of variety programs there, starting with the Cole Porter Revue in the mid-1960s. Performers imported for these shows such as Dinah Christie, Jack Creley, Tom Kneebone, Eric Donkin and Dave Broadfoot also helped two Loyola College (not yet Concordia) grads, Roger Abbott and Don Ferguson, launch what would become a three decade long hit on radio and television, Royal Canadian Air Farce. Cabaret at Martin's continued until the restaurant fell victim to the increasing dominance of franco preferences and a sharp reduction in anglo population and patronage. Dinty's, Drury's and Martin's are all long gone.
In 1945 Max Shapiro and friends opened Ruby Foo's, which served gourmet Chinese food and boasted it was the restaurant "preferred by the most interesting people." Away from centretown and near the track, it was also the largest, with some seven hundred seats. A beautiful Asian girl carried a tray of cigars and cigarette packages discreetly among the tables, a photographer was on hand to take a candid shot, the sommelier decanted wine, a washroom attendant provided hand towels, a trio played in the Black Sheep bar that served both as bistro and waiting room for busy tables in the restaurant. Ruby Foo's was the habitual destination of Montreal's business class, lawyers, politicians, gamblers and wiseguys. Politicians particularly wanted booths just past the entrance where they could see and be seen. A banknote discreetly slipped to maître d' Frank Goral would secure a choice table.
Montreal was party town through much of the century. During prohibition, it was one of the few places in North America to get a legal drink in public. Gambling flourished under the benign civic administration of the flamboyant Camillien Houde, jailed in wartime as an enemy of the state, and avuncular J.O. (Joseph Omer) Asselin, father of eight including two MPs, a Jesuit who taught at Loyola and a New York lounge singer. Entrepreneurial citizens exercised their business talents in shadowy, often illegal activities that enjoyed widespread public participation and were tacitly approved by cops on the take. Musicians, showgirls and gangsters from the United States flocked to town.
Montreal was also a flourishing sex bazaar. Judge Louis Coderre would write of the scene in the 1920s that "the traffic in human flesh, in its most shameful and degrading form, operates and flourishes in Montreal like a commercial enterprise perfectly organized. I would venture to say that few industrial establishments or businesses possess an organization as perfect, a means of operation as vast, personnel as well trained and discipline so well and rigorously applied. I know of none which has so quickly enriched such a large number of proprietors."
In February 1944 almost all the houses of ill repute shut down. "What decades of exhortation by social reformers failed to achieve," William Weintraub writes in City Unique, his exploration of Montreal's days and nights through the mid-decades of the 20th century, "was accomplished overnight by the Canadian army. Far too many soldiers were contracting syphilis or gonorrhea during their visits to the red-light district. In Quebec, five times as many servicemen were contracting venereal disease as in British Columbia. The war effort was being endangered."
The army "seemed to have no quarrel with Montreal's other main vice, gambling, even though plenty of soldiers were losing their pay at illegal tables all over town," according to Weintraub. "But soldiers' bets were small potatoes in the big joints run by operators like Max Shapiro . . .
"In those places, wagers of many thousands of dollars were common, with big wartime profits bulging in the pockets of many Montreal businessmen in the 1940s, much of it in 'black market money' that was not known to the income tax department."
However the 1940s saw the beginning of the end for the City of Sin. In 1945 Jacques Francoeur, then a reporter just 19 years old but destined to become owner-publisher of a chain of Quebec newspapers, wrote a series of stories about illegal gambling in the Gazette. Some city councilors called for a judicial enquiry but they ran into opposition from the power behind the mayor. Houde had been away for four years, imprisoned when he said publicly that he would refuse to register for conscription at the height of World War II and would advise others to do the same. On his return from prison camp he was enthusiastically re-elected and would hold office for another decade. But since the populist mayor par excellence had little patience for the details of administration, he left this to Joe Asselin, chairman of the city's executive committee. JO, as Weintraub writes, "insisted that the city simply didn't have enough money to close down the gambling dens. It would take five thousand more policemen to do it, he said. But several police officers told journalists, off the record, that they wouldn't need more than twenty-five good men to do the job, if they were ever ordered to do it."
This was just the start of the reform movement that would culminate less than a decade later in the election of Jean Drapeau on a morality platform that he would expand over the next quarter century into extravaganzas such as Expo 67 and the 1976 Olympics. In another series of articles, reform-minded lawyer Pacifique Plante made specific accusations. After Joe Asselin and police chief Albert Langlois, who were accused of tolerating vice throughout the decade and protecting dozens of unconvicted criminals, "came the list of those who were protected," Weintraub writes, "five owners of whorehouses and forty-one gambling bosses. The gambling roster was headed by Max Shapiro, often referred to as the kingpin of the industry in Montreal . . ."
These articles fomented concerns that culminated in 1950 in a commission of enquiry headed by Justice François Caron. It would run for four years. Max Shapiro admitted to Caron that he had operated a gambling establishment on Peel Street where wealthy Montrealers and tourists came to play roulette, baccarat and chemin de fer.
Tandem is the weekly English-language subsidiary of Corriere Canadese, the daily Italian-language newspaper aimed at the two million Canadians of Italian origin. Antonio Nicaso writes in Tandem about "the 'junta' that handled gambling, clandestine bets, prostitution and all the illegal activities connected to show business in the 1940s and 1950s in what was then called the Paris of North America.
"These are stories of bygone days, investigative craftsmanship, marked by black-and-white photos showing the sneering smile of many untouchable bosses, such as Max Shapiro, Frank Petrula, Louis Greco, and Harry Ship. Gambling alone generated profits to the tune of $50 million per year. And with money, the Montreal crooks bribed everybody, politicians, policemen, and middlemen included."
Shapiro's partners in Montreal's most lucrative gambling den included Harry Davis, for many years the undisputed overlord of Montreal's underworld, until he was gunned down in July 1946. Davis controlled much of the drug trade, brothels and gambling in the city, but he was imprisoned in 1933 for drug trafficking and corrupting public officials. While he served a dozen years in prison, Greco and Petrula took over many of his rackets and joined forces with the Italian Mafia, led by Vic Cotroni.
Greco never rose higher than number two to Cotroni but he was a formidable lieutenant. Highly active in gambling, loansharking, extortion and drug trafficking, Greco was a major financial backer of Giuseppe Cotroni's lucrative drug network and also a partner in the Alpha Investment Corporation with, among others, Vic Cotroni, Carmine Galante, a ruthless killer from New York, and Max Shapiro. By this time Shapiro also had diversified into the restaurant business with Ruby Foo's, located opposite Blue Bonnets race track on Decarie Boulevard.
The outcome of the Caron hearings was the dismissal of the police chief and retirement from politics of Joe Asselin, who became a bank executive as his wife ascended in the anterooms of the Liberal Party. Beatrice Tobin Asselin was the daughter of eight-term Member of Parliament and then Senator Edmund William Tobin, who had been a colleague, neighbour and friend of Wilfrid Laurier. A tireless organizer for Mackenzie King, she was president of the Women's Liberal Federation under Prime Minister Pearson. One of her sons was a long serving councillor in Montreal and then an MP. Another won election to Parliament from his grandfather's old riding in the Eastern Townships and later became mayor of Aylmer, Quebec. Both were present in the House of Commons for the lengthy, ugly, divisive, nation-defining Canadian flag debate. Bea and Joe's youngest married Pammy's great3grandson.
In the mid-1950s, Ruby Foo's management was turned over to two young men who had worked there during summers and breaks from their studies at McGill, which they had just completed. They were Max Shapiro's twin sons, born nine minutes apart on June 8, 1935. Harry and Bernie Shapiro ran the restaurant for a few years, until their father died, then sold out and returned to university. They both earned doctorates, Bernie at Harvard and Harry at Princeton, and would climb to the very apex of the academic structure. Harry Shapiro became chair of the board of the $1.9 billion Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, president of the University of Michigan and ultimately president of Princeton, where he remains emeritus professor. Bernie, who served as Ontario's deputy minister of education under Premier Bill Davis, would be appointed principal and vice-chancellor of McGill University in 1994, kicked upstairs to the same titles "emeritus" in January 2003.
His term as Ethics Commissioner, while not ignominious, was hardly noteworthy. An election mired his office in the gamesmanship of minority government. He never had the backing of PM Stephen Harper and came under increasing attack from politicians of all parties, including NDP icon Ed Broadbent. Conservatives wrote a "judicial or semi-judicial" requirement into their newly crafted position of Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner. With no legal background, he walked away before being pushed. He anticipated no more public responsibilities. He would continue to collect honourary degrees – at last count eleven – and awards for good works. One example: more than 1,100 people attended a tribute dinner in Toronto to honour Bernard Shapiro and the president and CEO of ATCO Ltd., Nancy Southern, as "great supporters" of public education in Canada. Max would be proud and, coincidentally, Joe Asselin would be too. Nancy Southern manages a worldwide corporation with more than 6,000 employees and is also executive VP of Spruce Meadows in Calgary, one of the world's finest equestrian facilities. She is a director of Shell Canada and the Bank of Montreal, the mother of three, and married to Olympic show jumping competitor Jonathan Asselin. Jonathan, who finished one place behind the legendary Ian Millar at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, is Joe Asselin's grandson.
But gathering accolades and resting on laurels wasn't to be the end of it for Bernie Shapiro. In 2010 he was asked by Concordia University to examine its governance and structure in the wake of the departure of two presidents halfway through their first terms in office. Formed in 1971 by a merger of Loyola College and Sir George Williams, Concordia had expanded geometrically to become the second largest university in the province (larger than McGill) and sixth largest in Canada.
"It's a lovely irony," friend Jim Hynes says, "that they adopted the name 'Concordia' for the ungovernable mish-mash they created out of two unrelated outfits, where it seems concord has never existed. Any resemblance between today's multicultural, secular stew-pot of divergent identities and the Jebbies' tight-knit, buttoned-down Irish/Franco redoubt vanished long, long ago. The Loyola of our day put us in a voluntary ghetto, where we were taught what we were supposed to know, and largely shielded from everything else. Like it or not, it was an institution that knew what it was, and what it was supposed to do. The new one has tried to do something much more difficult, i.e., create a modern, full-scale, secular university. History shows us that this usually takes a clear vision and exceptional leadership to make it happen. Obviously, Concordia has never had either of those things going for it."
That's pretty well what Bernie discovered and he pulled no punches in describing a "culture of contempt" that had paralyzed decision-making in the place for years. Earle McLaughlin's days as Chancellor ended long before the culture became twisted and crippling. Pammy's great2grandson also wore Concordia's gaudy gown and tassled flat hat for a while. But the Chancellor of a university is largely a figurehead, not an active participant in the governing structure. If blame were to be assigned for allowing a culture of contempt to flourish – Bernie named no names – it's highly unlikely any Chancellor would be held responsible.
Those who know Bernie best attest to a lively sense of humour, though he appears somewhat unapproachable. He has picked up a few simple convictions along the way. He defines an optimist as one who scans the list of exam marks down from the highest at the top, a pessimist as one who starts from the bottom and reads up. He learned the value of throwing oneself "body and soul" into achieving the best result by observing how a Chinese waiter at Ruby Foo's memorized the name of each guest, his food and drink preferences, where he liked to sit. As a result many clients would ask for this waiter by name when they arrived or made a reservation. This was naturally reflected in the generosity of the tips he received. Shapiro noticed.
He came to the task of Ethics Commissioner at a moment when the Liberal government, in power then for more than a decade and about 70 percent of the prior century, was awash in scandal and ethical dilemmas that would ultimately chase it from office and thence into an historic collapse. Prime Minister Martin was charged with peeking under the covers of a "blind trust" while in his previous role as finance minister. The nation's auditor general identified huge gaps in record keeping for a $250 million "sponsorship" fund dispensed at political direction through Liberal-connected advertising agencies, discrepancies that would lead to a commission of enquiry under Judge John Gomery (who once had been counsel to the family business of Pammy's great2granddaughter). Nobody knew where the buck stopped for huge cost overruns in controversial gun registry and computerization programs.
Shapiro, his judgment honed in public service and academic administration, readily admitted he had no particular insights into ethical issues, but expressed confidence he could rise to the challenge. "I think what [the job] needs is some magic combination of intelligence, wisdom and judgment," he told reporters. "I'm not modest about myself."
He got there Max. He got there.


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NAPA presents its Community Involvement Award to asphalt companies that serve their communities through outstanding programs and projects. Congratulations to the 2012 Community Involvement recipients! Read more about each community relations program in the September/October 2013 edition of Asphalt Pavement magazine.
MeadWestvaco Corporation located in North Charleston, South Carolina, was named a winner of this cateogry. Its community outreach program is connected to The United Way and its focuses on education, financial stability, and health. Last year, 290 employees and MWV's Foundation donated more than $720,000 to the local Trident United Way campaign, which helped the United Way identify and address critical needs in the local community.
During Trident United Way's Day of Caring, employees focused on community development and education. They spent the day in a local civic organization focusing on the Chicora–Cherokee neighborhood and the Charleston Promise Neighborhood. Later in the year, at the Youth Entrepreneurship and Volunteer Center, employees helped build a shed, plant a butterfly garden, hang drywall, and install insulation.
With education at the heart of the company's community involvement program. MWV's "Communities in Schools" campaign supports a nationwide dropout prevention program, providing at-risk students with moral support to help them stay in school. MWV employees also participate in the "Lunch Buddies" program at a local elementary school, meeting with students weekly to develop and cultivate lasting relationships. The company also participates in a job-shadowing program for high-school seniors where they get to follow MeadWestvaco employees for two weeks through different areas of business, such as carbon technologies, oil field chemicals, asphalt, and plant operations.
All of these volunteer activities are encouraged during business hours, and the company's engineers regularly share their talents in the local community.
Each year Tilcon New York, an Oldcastle Materials Company out of Wharton, New Jersey, tries to go the extra mile in being a good neighbor. The company keeps an open line of communication with local governmental officials, and is always willing to lend a hand in times of need.
Tilcon's open houses at its facilities in New York and New Jersey consistently draw large crowds. At each location, about 150 employees and their families volunteer to help as tour guides, traffic controllers, refreshment servers, grill masters, or aides at children's activities. The company's most recent open house drew a record-breaking 3,000 visitors.
Earth Day 2012 was celebrated with 100 second graders at the Catherine A. Dwyer Elementary School in Rockaway Township where Tilcon employees joined the chidren in donning sunglasses and visors for an Earth Day safari. Turtle Back Zoo in West Orange, brought reptiles, owls, and snakes for the safari, and the students learned about the wide variety of wildlife found at some of Tilcon's quarry sites.The presentation ended with a talk about safety and its relevance to the industry.
With the U.S. Army's Fort Drum as one of its closest neighbors, Barrett Paving Materials of Watertown, New York has long sought to take care of the local soldiers and their families. This past year, Barrett treated five Wounded Warriors who are transition back into civilian life following combat injuries to a chartered fishing trip on Lake Ontario. Barrett also participates in the Adopt-A-Platoon program. The company has adopted two platoons deployed overseas, sending the soldiers items over the past two years. Barrett Paving Materials also has other community outreach efforts, including their sponsorships of a road rally event that supports Our Race to Recover America's Missing Children.
The Sparks, Nevada, branch of Granite Construction Company often participates in community projects that help children and seek to advance education. Now in its 12th year, the company and nearby Whitehead Elementary School have partnered to ensure creative and fun learning experiences for students from kindergrarten through sixth grade. Granite's Partnership in Education program gives students incentives for time spent reading or solving construction-related math problems devised by Granite employees and school staff. Volunteers also spend a day each year at the school teaching lessons about the environment, materials, equipment, and safety. Then, the year is topped off with an annual company and school-wide barbeque.
In serving its neighbors, Lakeside Industries of Port Angeles, Washington, aims to be proactive, asking community leaders and service groups to prioritize the community's needs. Then Lakeside employees respond by rolling up their sleeves and getting the identified jobs done. In 2012, employees spent a day building a playground and pathway for the special-needs kindergarten at Jefferson Elementary School. Lakeside employees also conduct an annual tour of Lakeside's facility and visit a job site. The importance of safety is stressed, and the company discusses stewardship and the need to protect the area's natural resources.
Staker Parson Companies, a division of Oldcastle Materials Group Mountain West, out of Ogden, Utah, has a community relations program that includes participation in local parades, site tours, touch-a-truck events, career days, educational outreach, educational scholarships, and donations of time and labor.
The company is proactive in seeking opportunities to give back to the community. Its "Rocks Built Our World" program offers a geology lesson to local fourth grade students, teaching them about rocks, aggregates, and mining. Staker Parson employees teach the students about the three types of rocks and they learn about mine safety by wearing protective equipment.
Staker Parson employees also reach out to senior citizens, visiting residents of the Aspen Care Center, a local nursing home in Ogden.


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While searching for microscopic pond life in stagnant pools of water in and around the Tallahassee, Florida area, we have discovered and imaged a number of stentors.
Stentor protozooa (Stentor polymorphus) are single-celled animals that grow to a length of 1.5 to 2 millimeters, much larger than many co-habitating multi-cellular aquatic organisms. Often, stentors will attach the lower portion of their pod to debris and assume the trumpet shape illustated above. The circle of tiny cilia surrounding the trumpet rim beat continuously and serve to create localized convection currents in the water to draw smaller organisms into the rim or mouth (cytostome). When a stentor manages to capture some food (algae or other aquatic organisms) in the trumpet, they rapidly close the rim and force the food into their midsections, as illustrated by the lower two photomicrographs below. Stentors vary in color, depending upon their diet, but they can appear green, blue, or reddish-yellow.
Darkfield illumination digital images were captured using an Intel Play QX3 computer microscope modified for reflected light darkfield illumination. Oblique light was applied to the specimens using light pipes from a Dolan-Jenner Model 180 fiber optics illuminator containing a 150 watt projection lamp. The mixing chamber and diffusion screen were removed from the stage and a large piece of dark construction paper placed beneath the stage to avoid images of the paper being superimposed over the photomicrographs.


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This mod will help you to never lose track of your ore- and oil-fields again. All you need is your smart resource monitor ( and the required research for it of course ;))
How to use:
That's a piece of cake! Simply click with your monitor item on any resource-field. After that your little helper calculates the whole amount of the deposit. Of course you can name the monitor for this deposit as you wish. The creation for oil-monitors works similar, but you can also combine several oilwells into a single monitor. The first and second picture show how the gui will look like after you added some monitors. There is also a settings-menu (picture 3) in which you can adjust what kind of information you want to see. And last but not least there are also a minimize and close button. To open the gui again, just use your helper and click somewhere in the wilderness.
Credit: drs9999
Resource-Monitor-Mod_0.5.3.zip (885 downloads)


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L'Allan, a bucolic leather workshop | Hermès
L'Allan, a bucolic leather workshop
leatherworker and trainer at the Maroquinerie de l'Allan
Discover more
Montbron, from Charentaise slippers to Hermès bagsMontbron, in its picture postcard landscape, was sliding into oblivion. The opening of the Hermès leather workshop created over 250 jobs that contributed to the regeneration of this town in the Charentes area of southwestern France.
Living Heritage Companies in tune with the timeA dozen Hermès companies are certified Entreprises du Patrimoine Vivant (EPVs, or living heritage companies). This label is reserved for exceptional techniques, outstanding patents and archives, and long-established geographical roots. It is above all a breeding ground for innovation.
Saint-Junien, fitting like a gloveAlmost a century old, the Ganterie de Saint-Junien, situated on the banks of the River Vienne, is the oldest glove factory in France. Acquired by Hermès in 1998, it has been given a new lease of life.
Silk with a generous qualityA Hermès carré is more than just a scarf, particularly when it is socially responsible. Limited editions are regularly produced in support of actions by local non-profit organisations.
Our imprint on...
Hermès employs 13,500 men and women, including 4,500 craftspeople, who form the first métier of the house. This land of hand changes and hires nonstop. To train, pass on, develop, ensure well-being, health and solidarity… Our ambition is to stimulate the personal growth of everyone involved.Discover this imprint
Hermès endeavors to exalt, in twenty or so métiers, the most beautiful materials offered by nature. Our artisans' skillful hands respect leather, silk, fabric, wood, crystal and precious metals. To preserve, optimize, revalue and draw… Our duty is to achieve the sustainable use of these resources.Discover this imprint
Hermès owns 41 of its 52 manufactures in France and more than 300 stores around the world. Our proximity with suppliers, partners and territories is cultivated in the field. To fertilize, mesh, renovate and be committed… Our role, as an environment-friendly company, is to build sustainable ties.Discover this imprint


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Klug Tapped as Legacy's VP of Marketing and Training
- Aug 03, 2010
August 3, 2010
By Allison Landa, News Editor
Legacy Partners Residential has named Lynn Klug vice president of marketing and training. Klug, who will be based in the Irvine, California regional office, will lead marketing for a portfolio of 50 apartment communities as well as training for 250 associates.
Klug previously served as regional vice president of business deelopment at Western National Group and has also held executive marketing positions at SARES-Regis Group as well as Irvine Company Apartment Communities. At Western National, she oversaw the firm's new fee management business development opportunities.
Legacy Partners Residential, Southern California, a division of Legacy Partners Residential, Inc., is a developer and operator of residential and commercial real estate. The division's portfolio includes nearly 10,000 market-rate, affordable and senior apartment units managed under contract and/or developed by the firm, as well as nearly 400 boat slip and 500 lofts, 500 condominium units and 200,000 square feet of retail space.
The firm is based in Foster City, California and has been in business for four decades. Throughout that time, it has acquired, developed and managed a portfolio valued in excess of $7 billion. Having grown from its Northern California roots, Legacy now has more than 800 employees in 12 offices throughout the western United States.


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Hearing Aids
Alexandria Otolaryngology Associates offers comprehensive diagnostic and hearing aid services for children and adults. Our licensed and board certified audiologist will test your hearing and recommend the type of hearing aid that would be most beneficial for you.
Styles Of Hearing Aids
Receiver-in-canal (RIC) hearings aids are placed over the ear and are connected with a thin tubing or receiver.
Behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aids are placed over the ear and are connected with tubing to custom earpieces.
In-the-ear (ITE) hearing aids fill the bowl of the ear and part of the ear canal.
In-the-canal (ITC) hearing aids are smaller versions of ITEs and fill the ear canal.
Completely-in-the-canal (CIC) hearing aids are the smallest devices and fit completely within the ear canal.
Your particular hearing loss and listening needs, the size and shape of your ear, and the dexterity of your hands will all be considered in deciding what type of hearing aid is best for you.
Cost Of Hearing Aids
Hearing aids vary in price according to style and features. Purchase price should not be the only consideration in buying a hearing aid. Product reliability can save repair costs and the frustration of a malfunctioning hearing aid.
We offer hearing aids from a variety of manufacturers, including:
- Phonak
- Starkey
- GN Resound
- Oticon
- Siemens


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I took over a site that consisted of old football player pictures. It was pretty archaic and I thought taking the pictures and using any old regular Wordpress image gallery plugin would do wonders for it.
Was I wrong.
Well, after checking out about 8 of the "Best" Gallery plugins I am very disappointed and frustrated. So I thought I'd ask here for some suggestions.
For starters, I need albums and galleries - Albums for teams, Galleries for players. I would also like to be able to create galleries from filtered results. If a player played for more than one team I want it to be possible to to make a gallery from pictures of that player with that team. And one other thing as far as this goes. The generated gallery needs to be displayed like it was a normal gallery.
Secondly, I need to be able to put the gallery and/or album on a post. The "#1 Most Downloaded Gallery" only lets you post albums on pages. And as trivial as this may seem, it actually screws up the entire concept of what I want to do.
Anyway if anybody has any suggestions for image galleries please tell me about them.


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INTO President urges 'Yes' vote on strike ballot
The President of the Irish National Teachers Organisation (INTO) visited Donegal today.
Brendan O'Sullivan met members at the Mill Park Hotel in Donegal Town at 3.30pm urging a 'yes' vote in this week's ballot.
Teachers are voting on whether the union should take industrial action if the government imposes further pay cuts or changes to working conditions without their consent.
Members of INTO have already voted 70% in favour of rejecting the Labour Relations Commissions recommendations.
Mr O'Sullivan told the meeting that teachers have so far taken two pay cuts of 7%, been hit with the universal social charge and agreed to work longer hours.
After the meeting, he told the Donegal Democrat: "The INTO has always backed public pay agreements, until now. We're not mad people looking for a fight but our members' backs are against the wall.
"This is about fairness. There are young teachers and other civil servants who have had salary cuts of 14%, plus been hit with the 1% universal social charge, and been asked to work longer hours.
"We've done all that, despite many of our members struggling with mortgages that were taken out at the height of the property boom.
"Now, the government is looking for us to take further cuts in salary while many people in this country on higher incomes have not been hit at all."
INTO members are voting at specially convened branch meetings this week. Ballyshannon/North Leitrim branch and Donegal South West branch cast their votes on Monday. Today members of the Donegal, Letterkenny, Aileach and Carndonagh/Moville branches voted. On Thursday, the final votes in the county will be cast by members of the Stranorlar, Raphoe/Convoy, Donegal North West, Rosguil/Doe, Errigal and Rosses Branch.
The result will be announced on Friday.


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6:00am Awake and cosy in a borrowed bivvy bag, in the North Face car park. Birds singing. Crisp cold air as I fold back the top of the bag. Light the stove for coffee, eat an eccles cake, pack my bag and lock up the car. Off up the track by 7am.
8:00am Allt na Mhullain track. The Ben looming ahead, lots of snow and ice on the ridges and faces. Sun shining, blue sky and high clouds. Marching up just below a jog, sweating freely.
8:20am CIC Hut. Swap running top for dry Merino base layer. Lovely. Crampons & axe out, no other gear needed. Head off into Coire na Ciste.
8:45am Below Trident Buttress. Jubilee Climb is thin & incomplete, so off to Ledge Route. Traverse into No. 5 Gully & climb down to the first ledge.
9:30am Admire the view from Ledge Route over to Tower Ridge. Perfect conditions. Maybe I should have done that instead? No big deal, lots of options ahead.
10:20am Top of Ledge Route. Another eccles cake and a flapjack. Beautiful views all round.
10:30am Down No. 4 gully. Stepped out, and too bumpy to glissade. Stomp down the steps to the foot of North Gully.
11:00am First pitch of 'Wendigo'. Steep ice but perfect condition, solid and plastic and safe as houses. Using my old Vertiges, and getting first time placements every time. A joy to climb. The neve slope above continues the fun, pure white frozen snow which squeaks as the axes sink all the way in. Don't fancy the rock pitch above, so traverse easily to the top of North Gully and finish up just above No. 4 Gully.
11:30am Back down No 4. Head over to No. 2 Gully.
12:00 Bit of a slog now. Steep snow up to the gully, stopping often to rest aching calves.
12:30pm No. 2 Buttress looks more interesting than the Gully – three good ice pitches, linked by clean stretches of neve, weaving between the rocks. Looking up, choosing a line, spotting places to rest. Yeah. That'll go.
1:00pm First two ice pitches over, resting on the neve above. It's a long way up, sensationally poised above the gully, and looking across to a pair climbing on the other side. The leader pulls off a huge plate of ice. Cue shouting. Lots of shouting.
Above the third ice pitch, more ice tucked away between the rocks. Resting, flexing my ankles to ease cramping calves, wiggling fingers to keep them warm. Really a long, long way down. The ice is even better now though. No hurry, rest and enjoy the position. Savouring the climb, the views, the conditions, the pleasant ache of muscles working hard.
1:45pm Above the last rocks, steep neve to the plateau. No cornice. Feeling the effort now, thighs and calves protesting, sweat running into my face, breathing hard. Easy to get sloppy with the axe swings and front-pointing. Concentrate, make every one count. The gully yawns on one side, and the buttress falls away 200 clear metres below. Don't stop.
1:55pm On the plateau, flat on my back. Gasping up into the blue sky. Walkers plod past, politely curious. Did you just climb up there?
Yes. It's fine, really. Solid.
No problem.
2:15pm Lunch at last, on the summit. Another bright, clear, sunny day, in the best country in the world.


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Burlingame is no stranger to success.
That is especially true of its baseball team, which took the Central Coast Section Division II title a year ago.
The Panthers are back at it and, after winning the Peninsula Athletic League Bay Division title this season, have the 11th seed and will take on Saratoga in the CCS Division II playoffs on Thursday.
"I don't think [that] we should have a nerve factor," Burlingame coach Shawn Scott said about his team's experience. "They know what to expect, know it's not going to be a blowout."
Burlingame (20-6) has won seven of its past eight games and has its goals set higher than just a league title.
"They set their goals for us," Scott said. "They went for it."
It helps Burlingame's cause having Grant Goodman on the mound.
The junior right-hander has 1.34 ERA in 67 2/3 innings to go along with 83 strikeouts.
Déjà vu all over again
Carlmont came into last year's Central Coast Section Division I playoffs an enormous underdog as the 16-seed against No. 1 St. Francis.
The result? The Scots won 4-3.
They now have to prove it wasn't a fluke by taking on St. Francis again in the first round on this year's CCS Division I playoffs.
Carlmont (14-11) has struggled to string together long winning streak and needs to find that rhythm if they hope to beat St. Francis this time around.
The Scots had won two straight heading into the CCS playoffs a year ago and come into this year's postseason having lost their previous game to Menlo-Atherton.
Sophomore catcher Kyle Barret has steadied the pitching staff along with being the team's best offensive threat.
Barret is hitting .395 with a team-best 18 RBIs and 13 extra-base hits.
Rolling along
Serra (28-12) has been on a roll after winning three straight to take the West Catholic Athletic League tournament title and comes into the Division I playoffs as the No. 10 seed against Wilcox.
The Padres, who have won nine of their past 10 games, are seeking redemption for their first-round exit from the CCS playoffs last season.
Four other PAL schools (Terra Nova, Woodside, Sequoia and M-A) also reached the CCS playoffs.
Sequoia (16-8-1), which finished tied atop the PAL Ocean Division, draws last year's Division I runner-up San Benito (21-6).


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Hector Malkin is a casino owner on the planet Santo. He wants us to do bad stuff.
Ascendant campaigns can view previous versions of their pages, see what has changed (and who did it), and even restore old versions. It's like having a rewind button for your campaign.
We've already been saving your edits, so if you
upgrade now
you will have instant access to your previous versions. Plus, you get a 15-day free trial, so there's nothing to lose.


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Permanent Collection Catalogue Available
India, Kashmir, late 10th-early 11th century
Brass with silver and copper inlay, Overall: 98.1 cm (38 5/8 in.); Base: 28.2 cm (11 1/8 in.). John L. Severance Fund 1966.30
The Tibetan inscription on the pedestal identifies the owner of this stunning image as Nagaraja, a royal monk from western Tibet who was instrumental in revitalizing Buddhism in this region. Sculptures like this were the stylistic source for subsequent artistic traditions in western Tibet. The wear on the sculpture's face indicates that it was actively worshipped in Kashmir for some time before it was brought to Tibet.The slender athletic form of the body is clearly revealed. Vestiges of pleat lines that can be traced to the toga-like robes of Greco-Roman figurines—brought centuries earlier to the Indus River region—appear like stylized waves over the torso. The areas of articulation along the borders and hems convey a sense of energy emitting from the figure. His expression is serene, with silver and copper used to animate the face. His upraised right hand indicates that his teachings lead to the freedom from all fear.
Cleveland, Ohio: The Cleveland Museum of Art; April 24-June 24, 2001. "Object in Focus: Toward a Definition of an 'Early Western' Tibetan Style."Asia Society (10/2/2007 - 1/27/2008): "The Arts of Kashmir"The Cleveland Museum of Art (06/28/2009 - 08/30/2009); "Streams and Mountains Without End: Asian Art and the Legacy of Sherman E. Lee at the Cleveland Museum of Art"
To request more information about this object, study images, or bibliography, contact the Ingalls Library Reference Desk.


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I set a goal for myself of finishing two of my finishes, one framed and one "other" type of finish, each month. I have quite a number of finishes, exact number unknown at this time. Here's a pic of the tote where I store my finishes while they are awaiting final finishing.
|'Small Token"
Reward of Merit Pincushion from Blackbird Designs
Stitched using Vintage (?) 32 count linen and recommended overdyed floss. Finished using the fabic in the background as the backing and lace trim from my stash.
It feels good to have a couple of new finished finishes. For my next finish, I'm going to finally paint the frame that I made for my BoaF Sally Spencer Sampler. Then I need to cut a piece of form core and lace the sampler to it so it is ready to pop in the frame after the paint and finish coat are dry. By next weekend, I could have a new framed sampler! Wish me luck.
I'm so glad to be here. I'm looking forward to see how everyone is going to pick the projects to finish and the techniques that they use.
Happy finishing!
Robin (Samplerbird)


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Yeah Racing Adjustable Flywheel Remover Tool New Arrival!
Yeah Racing (#YT-0029) Adjustable Flywheel Remover Tool New Arrival!
CNC Machined from 6061-T6 Aluminum Anodized in 3 colors (Black, Dark Blue & Purple) with silver acent chrome steel push rod and Hex tool chrome steel threaded inserts Adjustable jaw to Fits 1/10 to 1/8 flywheels A must have tool for your box.
For: 1:10 / 1:8 RC Car
Material: Aluminum
Color Available: Black,Blue,Purple
Flywheel Remover Tool (1 Pc)
Where to Buy Yeah Racing Adjustable Flywheel Remover Tool?
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Tickets:$20 General Admission
Purchase at http://www.handsinservice.ca/product/magicalnightoflaughterticket/ or call 250 861-5465.
Wine tours, restaurants, golf and much more!
Online Auction begins Monday, Feb 12 at 10 AM.
Join us for the 4th Annual "A Magical Night of Laughter – Love Gives Back Campaign" at the KLO Theatre Okanagan College Saturday February 17th 2018!
We are excited to bring you this much enjoyed event featuring 2 winning performers: Comedian Tim Nutt and the magical talents of Leif David.
Doors open at 6pm & will include Roaming Magician, Dancers, SilentAuction and Live Auction featuring Door Prizes, Music & more with the stage show starting at 7:15!
Proceeds will support our Living Salads - the Portable Community Garden project. Help us supply 300 "At Risk" adults and children who are not receiving enough nutritious food the indoor/outdoor planters containing all they need to grow their own salads from May to October! .
Hands in Service offers free, caring volunteer services providing food security, basic housekeeping, referral, and resource to clients challenged with health, mobility and limited social and financial resources.
This year we are partnering with Global Citizen Kelowna; with partial funding through Heritage Canada as we together support and represent a number of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
For more info about Hands in Service visit www.handsinservice.ca or call 250 861-5465.


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Keeping kids imaginations active and their creativity flowing is an important part of helping them develop. Here are 30 fun and easy craft ideas for kids with instructions that are easy to follow and do.
1. Homemade Valentine's Day Cards with Plant Seeds
These cards are fun and easy to make. Watching the seeds sprout and grow and learning how to care for plants is a great way to encourage the love of gardening and science in children.
You Need:
Card stock in different colors
Double sided tape
Seed packets
How To:
1. Trace and cut out a pot shape from the folded card stock. Fold the card stock so you have a card that opens and closes. Use terra cotta colored card stock for a traditional clay pot or use bright colors for fun, decorative pots.
2. Cut a heart shape from your card stock and use the markers to write a message and use the double sided tape to attach it to the seed packets. Messages like "You have really grown on me!", "Looking forward to our friendship blossoming!" and "You are my favorite 'bud'dy!" are fun ways to reinforce the gardening theme.
3. Add a message inside the "pot", sign your name and you have the perfect homemade Valentine's card.
2. Snowflake Window Clings
This craft project is a fun, damage free way to dress up your windows. When the snow is falling and it's cold outside, looking out the window helps pass the time. These fun, festive, sparkly window clings add interest and are easy to remove.
You Need:
Pencil and paper
Waxed paper
Cookie Sheet
Dimensional fabric paint in glittery, shimmery winter colors
How To:
1. Draw a snowflake template with your pencil and paper. Small, compact snowflake designs are easiest to work with.
2. Place the template face up on the cookie sheet and place the wax paper on top of the template.
3. Use the paint to trace a thin line over the template on the wax paper. Make sure all the snowflake paint lines connect. Allow the paint to dry overnight.
4. Carefully peel the snowflakes off the wax paper and have fun decorating your windows.
3. Monster Mouths
Sometimes, you just need to have fun with your food. This easy craft project is a great way to get kids to eat fruit and make playing with their food acceptable. This easy, quick craft is perfect for an after school snack.
You Need:
Unpeeled apple slices
Peanut Butter
Mini marshmallows
Fruit leathers
Kitchen scissors
How To:
1. Unroll the fruit leather and use the kitchen scissors to cut long tongue shapes.
2. Spread peanut butter on the apple slices. Place the "tongue" on the peanut butter slice.
3. Arrange marshmallows and raisins on a peanut butter covered apple slice to create "teeth."
4. Place another peanut butter covered apple slice on top to create the top lips and gently press together. Enjoy!
4. Eggshell or Egg Crate Tulips
This fun craft project is a great way to brighten up the room or add some personality to your Easter table setting. Depending on the age of your children, you can use egg shells or egg crates to make the "tulips". Older kids will enjoy the challenge of working with delicate egg shells while younger kids will have fun using the egg crates.
You Need:
Hot glue
Tempera paint or markers
Green pipe cleaners
Egg shells or foam egg crate cartons
Buttons (optional)
How To:
1. Gently clean and dry eggshell halves or cut egg carton cups to look like a tulip.
2. Using tempera paint, paint the eggshells or carton to look like tulips. Allow the paint to dry overnight. Using markers, add details to add interest to the tulips.
3. Twist one end of the pipe cleaner into a spiral. Glue the spiral end to the eggshell or carton.
4. Arrange in a vase and admire your work!
5. Play Dough
Play dough is an inexpensive project that can entertain your kids for hours. Make play dough in different colors and prepare to be amazed at the things your kids create.
You Need:
1 tablespoon of cooking oil
2 cups of flour
1 cup of salt
1 cup of water
Food coloring of your choice
How To:
1. In a large bowl, mix together flour, salt and water.
2. Add in the oil. The oil keeps the mixture from hardening.
3. Knead in a few drops of food coloring to create the colors you want. You can make several colors from one recipe by simply dividing the dough into smaller portions.
4. Store the play dough in an air tight container.
6. Marbled Crayons
This is an easy craft project that also teaches the value of recycling. Take old, dirty, broken crayons and turn them into a beautiful, marbled crayon your kids will love.
You Need:
Old crayons with the paper removed
Muffin tin
Cupcake liners
How To:
1. Preheat your oven to 150 degrees.
2. Line the muffin tin with cupcake liners.
3. Using the knife, chop the crayons into small pieces.
4. Put some of the crayon pieces in the muffin tin. Combine whatever colors you like, get creative!
5. Put the muffin tin in the oven and allow the crayons to melt.
6. Once the crayons have melted, use the end of the spoon to swirl and mix the colors so your crayon is truly marbled. Wash the end of the spoon immediately so you do not have hard wax to remove later.
7. Allow the crayons to cool completely. Remove them from the tray and liner and enjoy coloring with your cool marbled crayons. Package these with a coloring book to make a great gift idea for your next birthday party.
7. Color Rice
Color rice is an easy craft that encourages sensory play and creativity. Make several different colors so your kids can create a rice masterpiece. Give them some funnels, cups and a few containers and watch them scoop, swirl and create with this gorgeous rice.
You Need:
Food coloring
Plastic zip bags
Essential Oil- optional
Wax paper
How To:
1. Pour 1 tablespoon vinegar for each cup of rice you are using and food coloring into a plastic zip bag. The amount of food coloring you will use will depend on the intensity you want. If you are worried about the smell of vinegar, simply neutralize it by adding a drop or two of your favorite essential oil.
2. Next, pour in the rice. Zip the bag and shake, shake, shake!
3. Once all the rice is coated in the vinegar and food coloring mixture, pour out onto a tray lined with wax paper and let it dry. Time to play! Let your kids play with this on an easy to sweep area and be amazed at how much fun they will have with color rice.
8. Sidewalk Paint
Easy, environmentally friendly sidewalk paint that washes away easily. Mix some up and let your kids make a hop scotch board, draw pictures, make graffiti and explore their artistic side.
You Need:
Paint brushes
1/4 cup of water
1/4 cup of cornstarch
Food coloring in a variety of colors
How To:
1. Mix the cornstarch and water. Add eight drops of food coloring of your choice. If you want white paint, omit the food coloring.
2. Go outside with your brushes and paint to your heart's content. Don't worry if it looks watery, as it dries it will become more intense.
3. Simply wash away with water or let the rain clean off your sidewalk.
9. Invisible Ink
Write secret messages with ink that only appears when exposed to heat! Make sure an adult is nearby to make sure everyone stays safely away from the heat source.
You Need:
White Paper
Cotton swabs or paint brushes
Small container
Lemon juice
How To:
1. Pour some lemon juice into your container.
2. Dip your cotton swab or brush into the lemon juice and write your message on the paper. Allow the juice to dry.
3. Hold your paper over a hot toaster or light bulb and watch the message appear.
10. Crayon Shaving Stained Glass
Make beautiful sun catchers with some old crayons, wax paper and your creativity. Create an abstract design or recreate your favorite scene from nature, a movie, a book or anything else you can imagine.
You Need:
Wax paper
Hole Punch
Crayon sharpener or vegetable peeler
How To:
1. Cut two matching pieces of wax paper. Lay one piece down on your work surface.
2. Arrange shaved bits from the crayon on to the wax paper. Use your sharpener or vegetable peeler to get thin pieces that will melt easily.
3. Place the second piece of wax paper on top of the first.
4. Put the newspaper on top of the wax paper to act as a heat buffer. Run the iron over the newspaper until the crayons have melted and fused the wax paper together.
5. Let the wax paper cool. Puch a hole in the top, thread through some yarn and hang it up where everyone can enjoy it.
11. Pine cone Bird Feeder
This one is a classic arts and crafts project because it is easy, inexpensive and satisfying. Watch the birds flock to this charming feeder and then look up the birds you saw to turn your arts and crafts project into a science project!
You Need:
Large pine cones
Peanut Butter
Knife or spatula
Hot Glue
How To:
1. Spread peanut butter over the pine cone. Leave the top of the pine cone clean.
2. Roll the pine cone in birdseed, pressing down so the seed will stick to the peanut butter.
3. Glue a loop of string to the top of the pine cone.
4. Hang the pine cone in a tree that you can watch from your window. When the birds arrive, have fun watching them eat and finding out what kind of birds live in your area.
12. Ocean In A Bottle
Enjoy the beauty of ocean waves no matter where you live. This easy project will give your child a relaxing, little ocean complete with waves they can enjoy any time.
You Need:
Vegetable Oil
Hot glue gun
Blue Food coloring
How To:
1. In your clean jar, add some sand.
2. Fill the jar half way with water. Add food coloring until you get your perfect shade of ocean blue.
3. Add the seashells.
4. Fill the jar until almost full with vegetable oil. Be sure to leave some space for air at the top.
5. With the glue gun, run a bead of glue around the mouth of the jar and then put on the lid.
6. Turn your jar, shake it, roll it and play around with it to watch the waves and see what happens to the sand and the shells.
13. Spin Art
This is a fun way to make abstract art. With nothing but paint, paper plates and a salad spinner, you can create masterpieces.
You Need:
Salad spinner
Paint, tempera works well
Paper plates
How To:
1. Take the lid off the salad spinner and place a paper plate inside.
2. Spoon paint onto the paper plate. Add as many colors as you want.
3. Close the lid and spin, spin and spin again.
4. Open the lid once the spinning has stopped and see what you created.
14. Make Your Own Stickers
Here is a great way to make fun, one of a kind stickers. This is a good project for all skill levels and lets little ones personalize their things with the stickers they made.
You Need:
Clear contact paper
Permanent markers
How To:
1. Tape the contact paper to the table with the shiny side up.
2. Draw whatever you want with the markers.
3. Remove the tape and cut out your shapes.
4. Peel off the contact paper backing and have fun sticking your stickers on all your things.
15. Shaving Cream Marbling
Make gorgeous marbled paper you can use as wrapping paper, book covers or for letters.
You Need:
Shaving cream
Baking pan
Food coloring
Card stock or poster board
Popsicle or chop stick
How To:
1. Spray shaving cream into the baking pan.
2. Drop food coloring onto the shaving cream.
3. Use the Popsicle or chop stick to swirl the colors together.
4. Press a piece of the card stock onto the shaving cream. Wipe away the shaving cream after one minute and let the paper dry.
16. Coffee Filter Snowflakes
A quick and easy craft that will leave you feeling like you're in a winter wonderland. Hang some in your window and use some as gift tags.
You Need:
Coffee filters
Water color
Glue Stick (optional)
How To:
Fold the coffee filters and cut out shapes to make snowflakes. When done cutting, unfold and paint with watercolors. Use the glue stick to glue them on your windows to create a winter scene that is easy to remove.
17. Colorful Night Lights
This is fun and easy and will help chase away things that go bump in the night. These night lights are great for children learning to sleep in their own beds and would make a great slumber party craft.
You Need:
Glass Jar
Tissue paper in various colors
Battery powered tea lights
How To:
1. Tear tissue paper into small bits.
2. Combine glue and water to make a thin glue wash.
3. Cover the jar in glue and press on the tissue paper. Be sure the jar is completely covered.
4. Once covered in paper, paint on another thin layer of glue wash to seal down the paper.
5. Let the paper and glue dry. When dry, place the battery tea light in the bottom and enjoy the color light show.
18. Snow Globes
Everyone loves snow globes! Create your own snowy scene with this fun project. Change it up when seasons change and have glitter globes all year round.
You Need:
Glass jar with lid
Plastic figurines
Hot glue
How To:
1. Glue your figurines to the inside lid of the jar. Be sure your figurines are not taller than the jar and that you leave enough space at the edges for the jar to screw back on.
2. Fill the jar with water up to the lid threads. Add a half teaspoon of glycerin and a teaspoon of glitter.
3. Screw the lid back on to the jar and shake it up to watch it snow!
19. Bubble Bottle
This is a fun twist on bubble wands and uses old socks and water bottles so it offers a great lesson in recycling. Make a few and have a friendly neighborhood bubble blowing competition.
You Need:
Clean water bottle
Clean sock
3 tablespoons of water
Liquid dish soap
Small bowl
How To:
1. Cut the bottom off the water bottle.
2. Add 1 tablespoon of dish soap to the water and mix well.
3. Pull the sock over the bottom end of the bottle. Secure with a rubber band if it is not a tight fit.
4. Dip the sock into the soap mixture and blow through the mouth of the water bottle to make amazing bubbles.
20. Oobleck
Oobleck is a classic craft kids of all ages love. Is it liquid? Is it solid? It's oobleck!
You Need:
Baking Pan
Food coloring (optional)
How To:
1. Pour cornstarch into the pan. Slowly add water and food coloring if you want colored oobleck and mix until the mixture becomes hard when you apply pressure to it.
2. Either in the pan or out, have fun pinching, pressing and playing with the oobleck.
21. Pudding Paint
A fun way to spend a rainy or cold afternoon. This paint project is easy to clean up and if you have some left over, you can enjoy a snack after you paint.
You Need:
Box pudding
Measuring cup
Food coloring
Paint brushes
Card stock or poster board
How To:
1. Mix pudding according to package directions. Divide the pudding into smaller cups and add food coloring of your choice to create "paint" colors.
2. Use the pudding paint to paint on your card stock.
3. Eat the leftovers!
22. Ghost Slime Time
It's slime time! Make your own ooey, gooey slime that will keep kids entertained for hours. This is fun anytime of the year but makes an extra special Halloween project.
You Need:
Whit glue
Plastic cups
How To:
1. Fill one cup with water and stir in one tablespoon of borax. Pour an inch of glue into the second cup and then stir in three tablespoons of water.
2. Now, stir in one tablespoon of the borax mixture into the glue and water. Watch how the mixture comes together and if it is still too loose, slowly add in a little borax mixture until you get a slime. Go slowly! Too much borax will make the glue solidify.
3. Once you have a slimy consistency, allow the mixture to set up for a minute. Then, pour out your slime and play!
23. Cloud Dough
This is an easy play dough to make. The light, fluffy texture is fun to play with and will hold shapes. If you make this in winter months, call it snow day and enjoy it on a snowy day.
You Need:
Baby oil
Mixing spoon
How To:
1. In a large bowl, mix 2 cups of flour with 1/4 cup of baby oil. Enjoy the cloud dough!
24. Fall Fingerprint Tree
When fall rolls around, this is a fun project to do with little ones. Talk about how the leaves change colors and have fun creating a fingerprint tree. As an added bonus, you will have their little fingerprints preserved. Frame them and enjoy them as they grow.
You Need:
Paint in fall colors
Paper plate
Card stock
Tree template
How To:
1. Print out or trace a tree template on the card stock.
2. Let the kids squeeze the paint onto a paper plate.
3. Have the kids put their fingertips into the paint and then press them onto the tree to make "leaves."
4. Let them dry, have the children sign and date them. Enjoy!
25. Sponge Garden
Watching their garden grow will delight kids and teach them about nature and science. Who knows, this project may encourage your kids to start a larger garden!
You Need:
Grass seed
How To:
1. Wet the sponge.
2. Spread grass seed on the sponge.
3. Place the sponge in a sunny spot and watch what happens. In just a few days, you will start to see sprouts.
4. In about a week and a half, you will have full grown grass! Let your children water the grass and "mow" it with scissors each week!
26. Magic Spoons
This is a fun way to bring some magic into your day. When dipped in vinegar, these "magic" spoons change color and create a magical fizz!
You Need:
Food coloring
Baking soda
Cookie sheet
Clear cups
How To:
1. Make sure your kids are occupied so they don't see this part, it's where the "magic" happens! Place a drop or two of food coloring on each spoon, do as many as you like. Now, cover the food coloring with the baking soda so it looks like just a spoonful of baking soda.
2. For every spoon you made, fill a clear glass with vinegar and put them on a cookie sheet.
3. Now, bring in the kids! Let them choose a spoon and stir it into the vinegar. They will be delighted when it starts to fizz and change color.
27. Glowing Jar
This glowing jar is fun to take when trick or treating, on camping trips or just to enjoy on the bedside table. Kids love anything that glows in the dark, so this craft project will be a big hit.
You Need:
Glass jar with lid
Glow in the dark paint
Pipe cleaners (optional)
How To:
1. Make sure your jar is clean and then let your kids squeeze glow in the dark paint into the jar.
2. Screw on the lid. Now, let your kids shake it, roll it and shake it some more to cover the inside of the jar with paint.
3. If you want to make a handle, use the pipe cleaners. Twist one around the other in a loop so you have a handle. Next, wrap the long pipe cleaner tightly around the jar.
4. Put the jar in the sun so it can "charge". When it gets dark, enjoy your glow jar!
28. Puff Paint Window Clings
Puff paint is just fun. Kids love squirting it, watching it puff up and touching it. Use this project to make Halloween ghosts and pumpkins, Fourth of July fireworks, Valentine hearts, Easter eggs and any other fun shapes you want.
You Need:
Puff paint in various colors
Plastic gallon bags
How To:
1. Using the puff paint, draw whatever shapes you want on the plastic bag. If you are working with young children, draw the outline of the design and let them fill it in.
2. Let the paint dry overnight. In the morning, peel it off the plastic bag and stick it to the window.
29. Story Spinner
This is a great way to combine art and language skills. You will have hours of fun creating this story spinner and spinning yarns together.
You Need:
Foam board
X-acto knife
How To:
1. Trace a large circle on the foam board. Divide the circle into eight equal pie shape sections. Next, trace an arrow on the foam board.
2. Now, draw different things you like to tell stories about in each pie section. Color and decorate the arrow, too.
3. Next, the adult should cut the circle and the arrow out with the X-acto knife.
4. Using the X-acto knife, cut a small "x" in the center of the circle and at the edge of the arrow. Use the brad to connect the two pieces.
5. Spin the wheel and tell a story based on where the arrow lands.
30. Snow Owls
Cute, fuzzy adorable little owls are fun to make. Make a whole family and decorate your window sill or mantle with this charming craft.
You Need:
Pine cones
Cotton balls
Googly eyes
Hot glue
How To:
1. Pull apart cotton balls and stuff the cotton in between the pine cone to fill in the space and create a fuzzy owl look.
2. Glue on googly eyes.
3. Cut out ears and a nose from the felt and glue them on. Adorable!


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Good Morning! Today starts a new 2 week challenge at Holly Jolly
Christmas Challenge . We would like to see your Christmas Snowflakes and
Sparkle. Those of you who know me, know the SPARKLE was no problem!
I used a pretty image from one of our sponsors - Flat Tyre by Stitchy Bear
Please stop over and see everyone's sparklies and join in the FUN for a chance
at WONDERFUL prizes!


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June is about enjoying life. Getting out of my comfort zone.
I'm a routine person and have my life planned out in a lot of detail. It makes sense to me to have plans. But sometimes those plans don't work out and that is a stress for me. Rather than focus on the plans as "written in stone" I need to see things more fluidly. Our trip this month will be perfect for that. Just go with the flow. Enjoy each day. In some cases, just make it through each day and start again tomorrow.
Live in the moment
- Stop looking at the future
- Make a plan and forget about it until later.
- Live TODAY
Find more fun
- Stop doing things that just aren't fun out of obligation.
- Find those things I have fun doing, and do them more
- board games, cards, movies, reading, french, dancing
Go off the path
- Try new foods, new places
- France!!
- Buy a french book to read
- Change the routine


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Lahaina, HI
This exquisite two bedroom condominium is bright and breezy and a pleasure for all those who seek luxurious accommodations.
The two retractable glass walls open to provides the ultimate indoor/outdoor living experience.
The full kitchen includes all new Bosch appliances and granite counter tops. The luxurious bathrooms offer a tub for soaking and a separate shower. You will also have the convenience of a full-size Bosch washer and dryer.
Honua Kai is one of the newest resorts in West Maui, completed in March 2010. Enjoy all the features of the four different and exciting pools, and Maui's only Duke's Beach House Restaurant.
Interior 1,240 + 505 Sq. Ft. Lanai
Ocean Front Resort
7th Floor – Ocean and Mountain Views
King beds in Master Suite
King Bed in Guest Room Converts to Twin Beds with Advance Request
Queen Sofa Sleeper in living room
Tubs and Showers, with Bath Amenities
Fully Equipped Kitchen, with all Bosch Stainless Steel Appliances
42" Flat Screen TVs
Completely Outfitted, to include Beach Towels and additional Linens & Towels
$15 Daily Resort Fee applies, subject to GET


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Today we have an awesome challenge up at Your Next Stamp Challenge Blog. Yippeeeee.
She is just a little darling thing, and worked perfectly with me new Cosmo Cricket Salt Air Paper packet. I see myself using this Paper Pack threw out the summer for sure!
Here is the charm I added - A Sand Dollar. Beaches always remind me of Sand Dollars. When I was kid my Mom would take us to the Beach in New Jersey and we spent our whole week in the water and the sand. We would always hit the cheesy tourist gift shops, and I always bought Sand Dollars. I actually have quite a collection from my childhood days. Now, I can not think of the Beach without thinking of a Sand Dollar.
I colored my image with copics and used a few different dies: MFT Flat Bottom Clouds, MFT Jumbo Scallop and TCP's Wave Cut-up Die. The sun I created using plain and scalloped circle Nestabilities.
I also used some Cork Paper and Felt (two new obsessions that are starting to really show lol) and some lovely Twine for accent.
Just a Reminder.....Karen is now offering a Weekly Sale. Yes, you heard that right WEEKLY SALES. We will be having a weekly special where every Sunday a new stamp will be posted in the weekly special section. This stamp or stamp set will be offered at a special price PLUS there is no shipping charges!!! This offer will be available all week or while quantities last, and all the details are available on the YNS website.
Thanks for visiting and make sure you check out all the other DT's cards as well for the challenge!
Thanks for visiting and make sure you check out all the other DT's cards as well for the challenge!


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The Cuba
For a single storey home that's both affordable and elegant, you can't go past the latest Essence specification designs from Ben Trager Homes. These homes represent the meeting point of clever design and great value for money, offering you more of what matters in your new home.
Ideal for those who love to entertain, the spacious Cuba also features a designated home theatre room, while the open plan living and dining area is sure to impress friends and family alike. What's more, as you would expect from any Ben Trager home, the large kitchen, scullery and walk in pantry comes equipped with top quality fixtures and fittings, including spectacular Essastone benchtops and stainless steel appliances throughout.
With all the bedrooms conveniently located towards the rear of the home, the Cuba also features a convenient IT nook that has been cleverly integrated between the minor bedrooms, whilst the well-designed and elegant master suite boasts two walk in robes.
For more information about this home design, contact one of our professional Building Consultants or visit one of our inspiring display homes today.