text:
(Ok, here's the rest of the post on the importance of virtue in the stability of a republic. Sorry it's in two parts...I didn't get a chance to finish it yesterday, plus it's kinda long!)
And so the Founders of this great nation (some may say it's the greatest nation ever, myself included) believed firmly in the idea of public virtue. This idea was taken a step further in the ideology of Republicanism. Republicanism (having nothing to do with the currant Republican Party except the name) was borne of the idea that corruption in government had a root in personal corruption. The greatest threat to liberty in America was depicted as corruption...not just in England but at home as well. The corruption of the British government was viewed as being associated with the corruption of the aristocracy. The colonists associated that with luxury and ostentation. In the minds of the Founders, luxury and greed led to more luxury and more greed which resulted in corruption. Therefore most colonists were committed to republican values, which required people to put civic duty ahead of their personal desires. People had a duty to be prepared to fight for not only their rights and liberties, but had to be willing to put aside all personal luxury and comfort in order to fight for their countrymen and countrywomen as well. This idea so permeated the culture that for women, "republican motherhood" became the ideal, exemplified by Abigail Adams and Mercy Otis Warren; the first duty of the republican woman was to instill republican values in her children and to avoid luxury and ostentation.
With Republicanism the main ideology of the Founders, personal virtue became just as big an issue as public virtue. In fact, it was John Adams who said in a letter to Mercy Warren that "public virtue cannot exist without private, and public virtue is the only foundation of republics." The Founders had recognized that in republics of old, when the virtue of the people was lost, the republic crumbled. Drawing from history and intellectuals such as Montesquieu and Rousseau, the earliest Americans concluded that in a republic the balance of power experiences periodic, unstable shifts, but stability can be recovered. The loss of public virtue, however, occurs slowly and is not recoverable.
In the eyes of our Founders, this idea of virtue was supreme. Samuel Adams even went so far as to say: "We may look up to armies for our defense, but virtue is our best security. It is not possible that any state should long remain free, where virtue is not supremely honored." Yet the Founders realized that the past republics, with an emphasis on public virtue alone, still crumbled into tyranny. They were determined to not allow the mistakes of the past republics be repeated in the new American Republic. And so, private virtue was raised to the same level as importance as public virtue. John Adams put it this way:
"The form of government, which you admire, when its principles are pure is admirable, indeed, it is a production of every thing which is great and excellent among men. But its principles are as easily destroyed, as Human Nature is corrupted. Such a government is only to be supported by pure religion or austere morals...
Our dear Americans perhaps have as much of it as any other nation now existing, and New England perhaps has more than the rest of America. But I have seen all along my life such selfishness and littleness even in New England, that I sometimes tremble to think that, although we are engaged in the best cause that ever employed the human heart, yet the prospect of success is doubtful, not for want of power or wisdom, but of virtue.
The Spirit of Commerce, Madam, which even insinuates itself into families, and influences holy Matrimony, and thereby corrupts the morals of families as well as destroys their happiness, it is much to be feared as incompatible with that purity of heart and greatness of soul which is necessary for a happy Republic."
In these statements, John Adams brings up the concerns the Founders had over the success of the nation. Interestingly, he says that "such a government is only to be supported by pure religion or austere morals." Dr. Seaver also mentions the role that religion played in the success of the American Republic by saying, "religion, and anglo-protestantism in particular (of concept not people), focused on doctrine and the individual over collective ritual which reinforced public virtue." The religious predilections of the earliest Americans led to a belief in the importance of private morals and virtue. Virtue wasn't just seen as a value for political leaders alone, but for everyone as encouraged by Christianity. Morals and values had a deeper, personal importance to the majority of Americans due to their religious beliefs. And to those without religious beliefs, John Adams says that "austere morals" are still necessary. So the Founders believed that a sincere personal morality was deeply important to each citizen of a republic.
Samuel Adams echoed that sentiment when he wrote:
"Since private and public vices, are in reality, though not always apparently, so nearly connected, of how much importance, how necessary it is, that the utmost pains be taken by the public to have the principles of virtue early inculcated in the minds even of children, and the moral sense kept alive, and that the wise institutions of our ancestors for these great purposes be encouraged by the government...
Therefore "wise and able politicians will guard against other vices," and be attentive to promote every virtue. He who is void of virtuous attachments in private life, is, or very soon will be, void of all regard for his Country. There is seldom an instance of a man guilty of betraying his Country, who had not before lost the feeling of moral obligations in his private connections. Before [Dr. Benjamin Church, Jr.] was detected of holding a criminal correspondence with the enemies of his country, his infidelity to his wife had been notorious."
The idea of the connection between public virtue and private virtue was so strong that the Adams cousins (as well as many of the Founders) believed that someone's personal life was a good indication of their public life. How different is that idea today! In today's society, we choose to believe that someone's personal life is no one else's business and that as long as no one gets hurt, personal choices have no impact on public affairs. In the Founder's minds, infidelity to one's wife was a cause for concern; in today's society infidelity (even by the president of the United States) is dismissed as unimportant to public success.
The Founders sincere belief in private virtue being a measure for public good had a tremendous impact on how the new American country was set up. Realizing that private virtue may be easily corrupted, a system of government was established to limit power to any one person or group of people. As described by Bernard Bailyn in his 1992 book, "The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution":
"Yes, people were innately evil and self-seeking, and yes, no one could be trusted with unconfined power. That was true in America as anywhere else. But under the Constitution's checks and balances power would be far from unconfined, and for such a self-limiting system there would be virtue enough for success."
And so the Founders decision to separate powers was based upon their belief that while certain men may lose their virtue, the government as a whole would continue to operate under an umbrella of virtue. They were not so naive to think that all people would remain virtuous...but their hope was that enough people would retain virtue enough to sustain the republic. They knew that Human Nature could corrupt private virtue, but they also believed that as long as the majority of individuals in the republic remained virtuous, the government would run successfully.
They eschewed personal avarice and luxury. They understood that in the capitalist system, the desire for more power and greed could enter the heart of men and women. They believed that in order to avoid the mistakes of past republics and to ensure liberty, that a degree of personal virtue and morality was necessary to keep the republic free from corruption. They understood that Human Nature leads a person more towards a life of comfort and apathy...and the idea of Republicanism attempted to thwart that slide away from concern of the public good towards concern solely for private good. The Founders understood that, even in their day when patriotism and asceticism were considered equal, the hearts of men and women were easily drawn towards comfort and luxury...and while comfort and luxury are not evil in themselves, they do tend to lead to greed and apathy. John Adams stated it this way to Mercy Warren:
"But, Madam, there is one Difficulty which I know not how to get over.
Virtue and Simplicity of Manners are indispensably necessary in a Republic among all orders and degrees of men. But there is so much rascallity, so much venality and corruption, so much Avarice and Ambition, such a rage for profit and commerce among all ranks and degrees of men even in America, that I sometimes doubt whether there is public Virtue enough to support a Republic. There are two Vices most detestably predominant in every part of America that I have yet seen which are as incompatible with the Spirit of a Commonwealth, as Light is with Darkness; I mean Servility and Flattery. A genuine Republican can no more fawn and cringe than he can domineer. Shew me the American who cannot do all. I know two or three, I think, and very few more. However, it is the part of a great politician to make the Character of his People, to extinguish among them the follies and Vices that he sees, and to create in them the Virtues and Abilities which he sees wanting. I wish I was sure that America has one such Politician but I fear she has not."
The greatest fear of the Founders was not war or poverty. It was not about money or power. The greatest fear of the Founders was that in this great republic, the virtue of the people would be overwhelmed by greed and corruption. Thomas Jefferson said, "Yes, we did produce a near-perfect republic. But will they keep it? Or will they, in the enjoyment of plenty, lose the memory of freedom? Material abundance without character (virtue) is the path of destruction."
The Founders did all that they could to protect the republic from corruption by separating powers and instituting checks and balances. But they knew that in order for the republic to succeed, the citizens of that republic would need to retain a certain degree of virtue; of moral clarity and austere values. They knew that if the virtue of the people was lost, the republic would fall...just as all republics in the past had fallen. The lesson that they tried to instill in the American people, the one thing that they wanted all Americans to know, was that the strength of the nation depended on the private virtue of its citizens. This lesson has been buried in today's America...and private virtue has been replaced with personal gain and material abundance. The public good has become second to people's personal comfort, and the welfare of others is given a back seat to our own desires and luxuries. What is the greatest problem in America today? There would be many different answers if that question was asked of Americans today. But virtue, the main concern of our Founders, might not even make the list. What is the greatest problem in America today? If the Americans of 1776 were asked that about America 2012, I'm sure that the loss of virtue, both private and public, would be at the top of their list. I wouldn't disagree. And without Virtue, no republic has lasted. Can America?
"For no people will tamely surrender their liberties, nor can any be easily subdued, when knowledge is diffused and virtue is preserved. On the contrary, when people are universally ignorant, and debauched in their manners, they will sink under their own weight without the aid of foreign invaders."

domain: sociology


text:
Release Date: iParty with Victorious
Release Date: 2011-06-11
Movie Overview: Carly is enjoying life with her new boyfriend Steven Carson, a home-schooled boy with divorced parents who spends part of his life in Los Angeles. What she doesn’t know is that while in Los Angeles, Steven has another girlfriend, a student at Hollywood Arts High School named Tori Vega. An internet search makes Carly’s friends suspicious of her new beau, and sends them on an LA road trip to a party at the home of Kenan Thompson in an attempt to find out whether or not he’s cheating on her.
Movie Genre: TV Movie, Comedy, Family, Music
Movie Release Date Disclaimer:
Note: These Release Date From The Official Publishers. in Some counties Release dates are Deferent due to Some Reasons. So Always check the Movies official website for the Release Dates!

domain: entertainment


text:
Hellooo, Lee Je Hoon. Welcome back.
The Bleak Night boy returned to kdrama screens in the premiere episode of Tomorrow With You, this time as a time traveler (co-starring Shin Mina).
Finally, a decent romance (hopefully) for LJH! (I don’t count the one from that other horrible thing.)
He was last seen on Signal as criminal profiler Park Hae Young, who stumbles across a police radio sending transmissions from the past.
With the recent wrap-up of major dramas Goblin and The Legend Of The Blue Sea, we’ve got a slew of new shows to dive into.
And, more importantly, Lee Je Hoon is back! Stay tuned.

domain: artistic


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text:
With the holidays hard upon us, I have to ask an important question: do kids’ tables still exist during festive occasions? In my childhood, they did. Of course with eight or ten kids at the party, parents found it much easier to isolate all of us at one central location rather than sprinkle us among the adults where we’d outnumber and outmaneuver them.
I believe I continued the tradition with my own family. I’d blame the small size of our early apartments rather than any conscious decision. We had to break into mini-groups. However in gatherings with my husband’s extended—and extended, and extended—family, the issue rarely surfaces. Every party is a buffet, and people hunker down wherever they can find a square foot.
Fast forward to the third generation. My sister tried to have a kids’ table several times. This has fallen by the wayside, perhaps because we both have opinionated, stubborn children who refuse to take orders, such as “Sit at the kids’ table.”
The grownups’ table used to represent status, a step forward from childhood to adult. I looked forward to my own transition. I remember one of my last Christmas family dinners with my aunt and uncle. My aunt broached the subject of seating oh-so-delicately . I believe I was about 16 or 17. She phrased her request so deftly, I thought she was telling me I’d be at the adults’ table. I believe she mentioned my increasing age and ability to take responsibility. You guessed it! This translated into yet another year at the kids’ table, ostensibly as the leader. I was not fooled.
Now people give good reasons for phasing out the kids’ tables, other than wanting more control over their offspring. Parents cite family togetherness, setting a good example about manners and conversation, encouraging intergenerational cross-fertilization of ideas. Regardless, in my corner of the world, fewer folks set up these enclaves. The one exception seems to be wedding parties. Maybe the per-person cost for meals is so extravagant, even parents aren’t willing to see good food thrown out in heaps.
I’m not enamored of kids’ tables. I can take ‘em or leave ‘em. I know sometimes children’s conversations and insights are hysterical and fascinating. In other instances, they are whiney, rude beyond words, and annoying. I have about a fifty-fifty chance of preferring any given adult table over kids’. I’m fortunate because I can exercise choice in the matter. Now that I’m legally of age (three times over) I could automatically be eligible for adults’. However, with my height, less than five-feet, I’m shorter than many preteens, so I still qualify to sit at any kids’ table in view.
Sometimes the big barriers in life aren’t abject poverty, dreaded disease, or death. Sometimes it’s the subtle ones set upon us by time and place. We don’t know they are there; if we sense them at all, we choose not to turn and face them.
When I applied for a job as a writer at Hearst Corporation in New York in 1961, I was required to take a typing test. “No typing test, no interview.” I took the test and was offered a job in the ranks of those who could type 70 a minute. All the while, I had to insist upon the interview I had been promised.
In college, I took sound advice and studied education. I began to pay for my schooling by working as a staff writer at the Salt Lake Tribune – at 75 cents an hour. That I was making a living writing didn’t occur to me.
Something similar was at work when I married. My husband’s career took precedence; that was how it was done. Then there were two children, carefully planned, because that was how it was done. I happily accepted a new direction to accommodate my husband’s career and the life the winds of the times presented to me. I left my writing with hardly a backward look.
Writing as a career was not a consideration. It didn’t fit any of the requirements of the time. So when I gave it up, it didn’t feel like I was giving up much. But I was. My dream of sitting in an office, a newsroom with a pencil in my hand was a victim of the status quo. It never occurred to me to just strike out in my own direction – my husband and children needed me. My husband and I built a business. We raised a lawyer and a mathematician, grew in joy with a grandson, lived through floods and moves, enjoyed travel. I didn’t write for forty years.
In midlife I became aware that there was an empty hole where my children had been. The hole was more vast than the space vacated by offspring. I knew I not only would be able to write, but also I would need to write. After all, I dreamed writing, lived writing, loved writing.
One day, I read that those who live until they are fifty may very likely see their hundredth year. That meant that I might have another entire lifetime before me – plenty of time to do whatever I wanted. In fact, it’s my belief that women in their 50s might have more time for their second life because they don’t have to spend the first twenty years preparing for adulthood.
So I sat down and began to write the “Great Utah Novel.” I thought it would be a lot easier than it was. After all, I had majored in English Lit. Writing a novel should be pretty much second nature. It wasn’t long before I realized that it wasn’t as easy as writing the news stories I had written as a young woman. There were certain skills I didn’t have; there was plenty I didn’t know about writing.
After writing about 400 pages (easily a year’s work), I knew something major was wrong. I took writing classes at UCLA. I attended writers’ conferences. I read up on marketing. I updated computer skills. All the while I wrote and revised and listened and revised again.
This Is The Place (http://bit.ly/ThisIsthePlace) finally emerged, about a young woman, Skylar Eccles, a half-breed in Utah where she was born and raised. Half Mormon and half another religion. Skylar considers marrying a Mormon man in spite of her internal longing for a career. By confronting her own history (several generations of women who entered into “mixed marriages”) and by experiencing a series of devastating events, she comes to see she must make her own way in the world, follow her own true north.
Much of what I wrote about is my own story. I’m glad that I waited until I was sixty. I believe that forty years brought insight and a unique vision to the story in terms of the obstacles that women faced in those days. I really like being proof that a new life can start late – or that it is never too late to revive a dream.
# # # # # #
Carolyn Howard-Johnson, a novelist and poet, brings her experience as a publicist, journalist, marketer, and retailer to the advice she gives in her “How To Do It Frugally” series of books for writers and the many classes she taught as instructor for UCLA Extension’s Writers’ Program. The books in her “How To Do It Frugally” series of books for writers have won multiple awards. She is also the recipient of a number of community awards. The author loves to travel and has visited eighty-nine countries. She has studied writing abroad. She admits to carrying a pen and journal wherever she goes. Her web site is www.howtodoitfrugally.com.
The huge silver maple in front of our house in the parking strip began shedding sections of trunk and branches. I might have thought the sky was falling, until I saw the entire road blocked by wood. These weren’t a small inconvenience. They blocked the entire road, smashed cars parked underneath, and required emergency (and expensive) removal by tree services.
Needless to say, the city forester told us the entire tree has to come down. We’ve adjusted to this order, but every time I look at the plant, my heart contracts. It’s got to be about 120 years old, 75 feet high, and 15 feet in diameter. It’s kept us cooler in the summer and served as home to birds, squirrels, probably other critters I don’t know.
What I didn’t realize was the amount of affection our neighbors held for our giant. I’ve never met so many residents as I have in the past few weeks. Without exception, they all bemoaned the pending loss. I began to hope the tree is able to receive some of these good feelings as it prepares for termination. It’s given us so much, it deserves to know of our appreciation.
So I began to wonder if trees have consciousness or spirits? When I was a child of about eight, I thought everything had a life-force. Small animals, bugs, flowers, trees, perhaps even rocks and earth. I later learned this is called animism, the belief that all objects and creatures possess a spiritual essence, common in primitive cultures. Little did I know I was dabbling with philosophy and anthropology, but I managed to outgrow the cumbersome compulsion to apologize to every ant I stepped on or insure all my dolls received their bottles.
However, my animism reactivated toward my tree. I think of what the tree must have been like when it first started growing. Since I live on the plains, prairie was all around, not forests. Did it grow from natural seeding, or did a human coax a sapling into survival? How many parents and children stood in its shade as it grew, thankful for its shelter? Did it feel pain when branches broke in blizzards?
There are religions and spiritual values that believe in the consciousness of all things, or at least living things. Some people who believe plants can feel and react, have systems similar to nervous systems of animals.
One of these was poet Joyce Kilmer. “I think that I shall never see a poem as lovely as a tree,” he wrote. This classic exposition about a tree contains in its simple lines the entire relationship of living things to one another. “Poems are made by fools like me, but only God can make a tree,” he finished.*
So when the noisy, violent chainsaws start up outside my house and bite into my maple, I hope on some level it realizes how much it will be missed.
*An interesting aside, Kilmer died in battle during WW I, cutting short his outpouring of poetry and making him one of millions sacrificed throughout the centuries on the altar of human brutality. No tree would put a bullet through a living thing’s life-source.
(In this guest article, Dr. Laurie Weiss points out the benefits of work that you really enjoy.)
When I was about 12, I learned a secret! I could do something I loved (at the time it was sewing) and, if my mother approved of it, she would think I was working (as I was supposed to) when I was really playing. It’s a secret worth sharing because it made all the difference.
My life has been richer, fuller and more exciting than I ever imagined it could be. During my undergraduate career I agreed with my physics professor to not pursue advanced courses because, after all, I would just be getting married. I did get married and worked to put my husband through graduate school. Fifty-six years, two children and five grandchildren later, I can look back with amazement.
Along the way I have also been a lab technician; a science teacher; psychotherapist; trainer of psychotherapists, teachers and business professionals; lecturer in 13 different countries; executive and life coach; a business owner; and author of 8 self-help books (with spines) and assorted other materials. I have also been blessed by elephants in India, walked on hot coals, visited Camelot, flown over the pyramids, and viewed the erotic temples at Khajurajo, India.
Two accidents (my introduction to transactional analysis in 1968 and to feminism in 1970) led my husband and me to create a business and personal partnership that far exceeded my wildest expectations.
Having the tools to make a positive difference in people’s lives turned out to be both intoxicating and addicting. And the kind of learning I was exposed to along the way transformed how I experience the world. When I considered retirement, I discovered that it was difficult to have the kind of meaningful conversations I love and that people actually pay me to have. So I keep on looking like I am working but really playing.
Then about 5 years ago another accidental encounter led me in a new and fascinating direction. I was introduced to an almost unknown healing method. You can ‘look inside the book’ at http://www.BooksbyLaurie.com/go to read about that strange experience in my newest book Letting It Go: Relieve Anxiety and Toxic Stress in Just a Few Minutes Using Only Words (Rapid Relief with Logosynthesis®)
I am committed to helping people learn to love and appreciate themselves and each other. I have an unshakeable belief, based on over 45 years of experience, that people are doing the very best they can with the resources they have available to them at any given moment.
Laurie Weiss, Ph.D. and her husband Jonathan B. Weiss, Ph.D. live and work in Littleton, CO. They are the only Certified Master Logosynthesis Practitioners in the US. LaurieWeiss@EmpowermentSystems.com
My dentist and hygienist tell me at every visit, “Keep up the flossing.” And I do, even though not everyone agrees about the benefits of the practice. Those who favor it think, In addition to the potential for reducing cavities and gum disease, flossing makes their mouths feel fresher, cleaner.
Flossing seems to have become wide-spread in the 80s. Prior to that time, I can’t remember a dentist pushing the practice nonstop. And late in that decade a variation made its mass-market debut—the flosser pick. Pretty clever. It eliminates the onerous chore of pulling out the floss, cutting it, twining it around your fingers. Plus it often comes on colorful and artistically designed holders.
Therein lies the problem. Flosser picks are so cute, so appealing, thousands are using the tools in any location they find themselves. They then abandon the devices, dropping them randomly everywhere. I happen to see the ones outside. They dot sidewalks, parks, beaches, gutters, streets, playgrounds.
I wonder if our collective dental health has improved significantly with the proliferation of flosser picks. Perhaps they’ve simply become substitutes for cigarettes. Many of us seem to be orally fixated. Since we can’t suck our thumbs in public, we substitute food, gum, nail biting. And cigarettes. Now that cigarette smoking is frowned upon socially, have people switched in flosser picks?
I’ve got to believe that flosser picks are just as much litter problemsas cigarette butts. They’re not biodegradable, they’re ugly once abandoned, they can stab toes and soles, and animal health would be threatened should any ingest the flosser picks. In the litter competition, flosser picks are challenging the butt’s domination.
Here’s the kicker: you may pat yourself on the back that you’re using flosser picks even if they create a bit of litter. But experts say picks aren’t as effective as the old fashioned string floss. So don’t break your arm congratulating yourself.

domain: literature


text:
Most Likely To Die The Musical
What do you do?
We are a new slasher horror musical debuting as a reading at this years New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF).
What is the exact name you would like in your logo?
Most Likely To Die A Slasher Musical
What is your industry?
Musical Theatre.. Think Broadway
Describe the target audience for your logo
We are targeting a general audience of theatre goers and producers.
What are the top 3 things you would like to communicate through your logo?
High-School (or 10 year high-school reunion), Horror/Slasher genre, and an eye-catching image.
Style and Concept
What logo styles do you like (text only, image only, text and image, etc.)?
Image and text. Some examples:
What colors do you want to see in your logo?
open to anything
What colors do you NOT want to see in your logo?
open to anything
Where will your logo be used (print, website, etc.)?
Website, print... Would be a bonus if it looks good in a smaller size. Think brochure of many shows listed.
Do you have other info or links you want to share?
The title of the show is "Most Likely To Die" the subtitle is "a slasher musical" Just wanted to clarrify since that "whats the complete text of your logo" question was a little confusing in our case. The subtitle should be included in the logo, but the title should be given prominence.
The main character in the musical is of course a scream-queen, ala Jamie Lee Curtis, so if you use an image of a person in the logo, it should be female.
We are really looking for something clever, that really captures the mood of the piece (horror musical, scary, yet fun).
Attached are three files to help: a complete synopsis of the script, and two songs from the show.
No Files Added


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I tried my best to keep Cheryl claims Cowell
Simon Cowell today said he made every effort to keep Cheryl Cole on at least one version of The X Factor.
Cole is being replaced as a judge on the upcoming US version by Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger.
However, Cowell denied reports that Cole lacked chemistry with the other US X Factor judges, Paula Abdul and Antonio 'LA' Reid.
He said Cole missed family and friends back in England and didn't seem herself during the filming of the show.
Cowell added that efforts to negotiate her return to the UK The X Factor were derailed by media leaks.
A statement confirmed Cole would be replaced by Nicole Scherzinger.
"Nicole will join Simon Cowell, LA Reid and Paula Abdul on their search across America to find the next global superstar or group to win the life-changing five million dollar recording deal," it said.
"Nicole has previously joined Simon Cowell as a guest judge on The X Factor for the UK version of the show in 2010. Steve Jones will act as sole host of The X Factor."
The first reports linking Cole to a role on the US show surfaced last year but were not confirmed until May 5 this year, when Cowell announced she had got the job. But only three weeks later it was reported she had been dropped from the show, leading to feverish press speculation about her next career move and her relationship with Cowell.
Some reports linked the Newcastle-born star with a judging role on a new BBC talent show, but publicist Max Clifford said Cole would have been a judge on American X Factor if Cowell "has his way".
Speaking to Sky News, the PR guru said Cowell insisted: "I've made that clear from the start, I've made it clear to everybody at Fox and Fremantle, the people involved, that my choice would be to have Cheryl Cole on the show."
Some commentators have suggested the uncertainty of the judging situation was deliberately engineered by Cowell to increase publicity for the show, but Mr Clifford rubbished those claims.
"It's certainly not Simon Cowell hype, as someone that has looked after Simon for 10 years," he said.

domain: celebrity


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First, pick your material. Plywood is a good starter, and many professionals use nothing else. Apparently beech ply is good, but we are just exploring the possibilities so find a piece of strong ply large enough for your planned design, and about a quarter to half an inch thick.
For tools, you will need a saw capable of cutting complex curves in your ply (such as a coping saw or scroll saw), a selection of rasps and files and sandpaper to finish the shaping. If you can, get a range of "grits", rough to smooth. Clamps or a vice of some description would also be useful.
- Or you can use what I did, which was a jigsaw and a dremel.
At the testing stage, you may find it useful to treat your boomerang with sanding sealant, to stop water and mud spoiling the wood.
To finish, you will need a tough, waterproof varnish. You may also wish to paint your boomerang, or add your contact details, just in case you lose it.
- I bought a sheet of beech-faced ply from a local hobby store. With careful planning, it should be enough for about four boomerangs, which makes the raw material cost of them at around a pound each (roughly $2).

domain: hobby


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Tails We Win Dog Training COVID-19 Preparedness Plan
Tails We Win COVID-19 Precautions
Please stay home if you are sick. If you display any Covid symptoms or suspect that you have been exposed, please get tested and quarantine until you test negative. If you actually contract Covid, you must quarantine and follow CDC guidelines.
Masks are optional but please respect anyone who chooses to wear a mask. Social distancing still applies.
Unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated persons must wear a well fitting mask covering nose and mouth. We are trusting our health and the health of our fellow students that unvaccinated persons will follow this guideline. Masks are optional for those persons who are fully vaccinated. Please respect any individual's decision to continue wearing a mask. We are still requiring social distancing and hand sanitizing.
This policy is subject to change if circumstances warrant either facility wide or in individual classes.

domain: medical


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Two fossils found three months apart were found to fit together perfectly to make a complete skull of a completely new crocodile species.
The ancient species, Koumpiodontosuchus aprosdokiti, which means the "unexpected button toothed crocodile," was discovered on the Isle of Wight, a county located in the English Channel. The findings, published in the Acta Palaeontologica Polonica, describe the new species as measuring 2 feet long and living about 126 million years ago.
“The sheer serendipity of this discovery is quite bizarre,” Dr. Steve Sweetman, a paleontologist from the University of Portsmouth, said in a statement. “Finding the two parts is in itself remarkable. That they should be found three months apart by different collectors and taken to the museum where the same members of staff were on duty and therefore able to recall the first specimen defies belief!”
The first part of the tiny skull was found by Diane Trevarthen, while on a fossil-hunting holiday with her family. She later brought the fossil to the museum, Dinosaur Isle, believing it belonged to one of the island’s well-known larger crocodiles from the Cretaceous period.
It was only three months later, when two other fossil hunters found a tiny fragment of a skull, did the staff from the Dinosaur Isle museum decide to compare the two discoveries. The two specimens, one of the back half of the skull and the other of its snout, fit together perfectly.
At first, Sweetman thought the fossils belonged to a crocodile known as Bernissartia fagesii.
“I was convinced it was a Bernissartia skull because of its small size – the fully grown animal was only a little over 2 feet long from nose to tail – but particularly because of its button-shaped teeth, which are unique among crocodyliforms. They were used to crush mollusc shells and other invertebrates with tough outer coatings,” Sweetman said.
Sweetman took a closer look at the find and discovered the way the bones were arranged in the ancient reptile’s skull differed from his previously held theory. Specifically, the bones of the palate and the inner opening of the airway of the nose were not positioned the way he expected.
“The location of the hole in the mouth, where the airway from the nose opens, was surrounded by bones at the very back of the palate,” Sweetman said. “This tells us that the discovery is not only a new species but also a new genus of ancient croc closely related to, but subtly different to those alive today.”

domain: news


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Pizza… one starts drooling hearing the name. Each and every ingredient has an impact and contributes to creating a yummy treat to the palette.
Here, we have 8 wonderful people bringing out stories and poems that ooze out the characteristics of the pizza ingredients. Flour, yeast, mushroom, bell peppers, basil, onion, ketchup and cheese come to life as characters in La Javvaab. The intricate features and uniqueness of each ingredient is brought out well by the writers.
The depiction of Bell Peppers, Mushroom, Yeast and Cheese stand out for me.
It is a breezy read filled with emotions and life’s ride.
The name La Javvaab is another highlight. It is formed taking the letters from the names of all the eight authors.
You can grab a copy of this delicious pizza from Amazon


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“Wait, they’ve signed Boateng? The Bayern Munich defender Messi left scrambling on the ground?”
“No the other one, Kevin-Prince Boateng.”
“That guy who was at Las Palmas? Are you joking?”
This conversation overheard in a Barcelona newsroom on Monday is one that likely played out in a number of different variations across the city, if not the world, as the news of the most surprising transfer of the season broke.
Yes, it was true; Barça’s masterstroke signing to provide back-up for Luis Suarez at centre-forward in the crunch stage of a season chasing the treble is a 31-year-old who isn’t even really a striker, and had been playing for a team in the bottom half of Serie A.
At his presentation as a Barça player on Tuesday Boateng looked as surprised with the news as everyone else. “I said to my agent I would run all the way to Barcelona, not take the plane. I’m very happy.
“These couple of days have been incredible,” the former Tottenham Hotspur and AC Milan star said – unable to hide his awe at the move which had just unfolded.
Boateng made every effort to sell himself as a selfless team player who has no delusions that he will be a starter (“I’m a realist,” he noted). Barcelona need to work hard to sell the move to their fans, too. Sporting director Éric Abidal talked up the attacker’s experience in big games and his knowledge of La Liga.
One journalist even reminded the duo that Boateng once nutmegged the Barça legend in the process of scoring a stunning goal against Barça in the Champions League.
But that was eight years ago, and Barcelona haven’t signed the Boateng of 2011.
Nor have they even signed the Boateng that shone briefly in La Liga, his time there now two seasons in the past.
On Tuesday Abidal and the forward made an effort to turn the questions over his advancing age into a positive, insisting that Boateng has matured into a true centre-forward at Sassuolo and therefore fits the profile of the back-up number nine the Blaugrana are in desperate need of, following the sale of Munir to Sevilla.
The truth is though that while the deal is definitely left-field, it is no stranger than the other name doing the rounds in the Barcelona rumour mill in recent days, Carlos Vela.
If the choice of centre-forward is between a winger playing in MLS, or an attacking midfielder who has developed into a number nine in far more demanding Italy, Boateng suddenly doesn’t seem like the worst of options.
Both pursuits, and this week’s eventual signing, mean there are reasonable questions being raised in Spain about Barça’s transfer strategy in this winter window.
Kevin Prince Boateng's senior career
The former Ghana international has enjoyed a long and winding road to the top...
- Hertha BSC – 2004 – 2007
- Tottenham Hotspur – 2007 – 2009
- Borussia Dortmund (loan) – 2009
- Portsmouth – 2009 – 2010
- AC Milan – 2010 – 2013
- Schalke 04 – 2013 – 2105
- AC Milan – 2016
- Las Palmas – 2016 – 2017
- Eintracht Frankfurt – 2017 2018
- Sassuolo – 2018
- Barcelona (loan) – 2019 –
Yet the same could be said about when they signed Paulinho, Arturo Vidal, or even Ousmane Dembele, who was in no way considered an adequate replacement for one of the top forwards in the world when Neymar left for Paris Saint-Germain.
All of those moves have produced positive results for the Catalans, so perhaps the people making transfer decisions at the Camp Nou know something the critics and online experts don’t.
Even if Boateng and Barcelona deserve the benefit of the doubt, what may yet prove to be a missed opportunity however is the inability to find a player who more closely resembles Suarez in his style of play.
A reasonable case can be made for Boateng as a rotation striker to use in Copa del Rey and less challenging La Liga clashes, in order to give the Uruguayan some much-needed rest considering a persistent knee problem is still bothering the former Liverpool man.


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Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
In an attempt to get back to my nerd roots, I’ve been seeking out a lot of old sci-fi lately. That’s sci-fi radio, the original Jeckyll & The Time Machine, some old sci-fi short stories … and this here book by Richard Matheson, “Button, Button.”
Mattheson wrote a lot of old Twilight Zone episodes (the few that Serling didn’t write himself), and did the original stories for “I Am Legend,” “Somewhere in Time” and “What Dreams May Come.” The proximate cause for this collection is the movie “The Box,” starring Cameron Diaz, based on the title story “Button, Button.”
The stories themselves cover a lot of ground. The title story feels like original Twilight Zone. In my head, I saw it in black and white, the wife played by Agnes Moorehead or someone like that. The twist is pretty corny, but there are worse ways to pass 20 minutes.
“Girl of My Dreams” reads like an especially dark Twilight Zone … a small-time hood romances a girl who can see the future, and is left with a terrible prophecy for himself. “Mute” is a domestic drama about a mute boy who can read feelings, not words. A few are lighthearted, like “A Flourish of Strumpets,” about a door-to-door prostitution service; and “The Creeping Terror” a truly wacky piece about Los Angeles spreading across the country. I’m not so sure that didn’t happen.
I read this book about six months ago, and I had to get it back out of the library to review it. Danged if I could remember any of the individual stories, other than “Mute” and “Button, Button.” I just have an impression of SO MANY TWIST endings.
In terms of quality, it’s solid. But more than that, the stories tend to be about ideas, rather than being action movies in space, as much of our modern sci-fi is. And it’s an interesting look at the early days of our sci-fi cliches.
Hey, I have a webcomic version of “Downs.” It’s been running for a few months, but I’ve held off promoting it until I could get the site really straight. But you hate to let the “perfect” be the enemy of the “good,” so …
The current storyline is “The Evil Eye” with artist Tom Williams. So check it out, tweet it, facebook it, and thanks.
That’s updating every Sunday at ITradedMyEyes.com.
My impression of SPACE 2013 is actually a series of compliments.
First, there was Bryan (I didn’t catch his last name) from Cincinnati, who told me my current artwork looks a lot better than my stuff from 2006. Generally, I think it’s better, but not wildly better.
Second, I got a couple of good comments on Downs issue 3, “Teckeli” (with art by Boisterous Brent Bowman). One guy said it was a great update of Lovecraftian themes.
On to compliments from me: One of my new favorite things is Parisel313, who kinda bullied me into paying $1 for an unknown number of one-page gag strips. They’re the kind of middle-school margin-doodle comics I remember from the early days of SPACE, but really witty, and with just that right touch of outsider art. Check out Parisel313.
I read a few of those Saturday night, so I was able to shake his hand Sunday and thank him for making the sale.
But my best went to a guy named Gabriel Dunston of Firelights Media. His wife bought one of mine, so I wandered over to his table to see his stuff. We bonded over our childrens’ love of My Little Pony and, even though he’s an Applejack fan, I picked up one of his children’s books.
It’s called “There’s a Monster in the Bathroom” and my daughter loved it. We read it three times, and we actually acted it out. She ran into the bathroom, pretended to see a scary monster, and I pretended to get it.
So I got to tell Gabriel this in person, and I got to see a grown man do a completely unironic fist-pump. “That made my day,” he said.
In other publishing news, friend-of-the-Ferret Terry Eisele’s four-year labor of love, “With Only Five Plums,” is now available through Amazon’s CreateSpace.
Terry describes it thusly:
With Only Five Plums addresses the same themes as Art Spiegelman’s Maus, Joe Kubert’s Yossel, and Miriam Katin’s We Are on Our Own. The story is set in Germany and Czechoslovakia before, during, and after World War II. It is told through the recollections of one of the massacre’s few survivors, Anna Nesporova. The author, Terry Eisele, interviewed Ms. Nesporova on four occasions for a total of almost fifteen hours in the mid-1990s. These interviews provide the foundation of the graphic novel. The story is told in three chapters.
Art is from local boy Jonathon Riddle, who tore out 320 pages to bring this beast to life. There’s a taste at the top of the post.
Terry will be at SPACE if you want to chat with him in person, or head on over to Amazon’s CreateSpace and give him your money right now.
I was saddened yesterday to read that Iain M. Banks, one of my favorite authors, has late-stage cancer.
I have cancer. It started in my gall bladder, has infected both lobes of my liver and probably also my pancreas and some lymph nodes, plus one tumour is massed around a group of major blood vessels in the same volume, effectively ruling out any chance of surgery to remove the tumours either in the short or long term.
The bottom line, now, I’m afraid, is that as a late stage gall bladder cancer patient, I’m expected to live for ‘several months’ and it’s extremely unlikely I’ll live beyond a year. So it looks like my latest novel, The Quarry, will be my last.
The loss of a human life is always sad. I could easily write this post about Roger Ebert, Carmine Infantino, or my friend Courtney, or any of thousands of poor bastards in Syria. But here’s what sticks out for me:
2. Many of Banks’ recent works center on death the afterlife … specifically the idea that there is no afterlife. In Banks’ Culture novels, anyone who believes in an afterlife is frankly treated as delusional. However, they have the technology to “back up” an entire life and “revent” you into a new body. Other civilizations upload their dead to a computer, and thus achieve an actual virtual afterlife. Banks can clearly imagine eternal life, but he won’t live to see it.
3. It must be torture to die with the kind of imagination Iain M. Banks has. Banks is a master at matter-of-factly describing the really horrible. I’m recalling a scene from “Matter” where a character is beheaded, but is conscious long enough to unleash an antimatter bomb. I’m recalling another scene where a character is stabbed in the heart, and Banks describes all of her sensations until her consciousness fades out.
Got you from the title, right? In truth, it’s crazier than that.
Sex & Rockets is a book about Jack Parsons, one of the cofounders of what became NASA’s Jet Propulsion lab. He was a pioneer in early rocketry, perfecting solid-fuel rockets that grew into the space program.
Aaaaaand he was an occultist and a close follower of Aleister Crowley. He did a 12-day spell to bring about the goddess Babalon, and the spell apparently brought in a hot, crazy redhead. And his roommate for a while was L. Ron Hubbard, who stole his girlfriend. Oh, and he was influential in the budding Libertarian movement. And he blew himself up in 1952.
Author John Carter draws heavily on primary sources, such as Parsons’ spell notes, his own writings, and his extensive correspondence with Crowley. So Carter doesn’t get too much into Parsons’ head, but the primary sources are still pretty amazing.
If you’re curious about the wild and woolly early days of rocketry — or want an intro to Crowley’s scene — here you go.
I can’t stop thinking about story ideas. What if the whole rocket thing was just a way to stick a thumb in the eye of God … or prove He doesn’t exist? And JPL is where they made the Mars rovers … maybe there’s a black magic working on the red planet?
I09.com had a neat rundown of the book, or you can get it (as I did) from your local library.
Via Diversions of the Groovy Kind, here’s my favorite comic book artist doing a story by one of my favorite sci-fi writers. It’s Howard Chaykin on Larry Niven’s “All the Myriad Ways.”
It’s a neat little sci-fi “grabber” about a rash of philosophical suicides after the discovery of multiple timelines.
Oddly enough, Ol’ Groove notes that this same story was adapted another time, by Jeffrey Catherine Jones. The Jones version is shorter, and thus has a bit more impact, whereas the Chaykin version is longer and includes more setup and action. It’s really fascinating how they both approached the same story, and use some of the same verbiage.
Buzzfeed has a rundown of some of the top comic books of 1993, which was apparently the high-water mark for comic book sales.
The only of these books I bought were Robin No. 1, Static No. 1 and Death: The High Cost of Living No. 3.
I dropped Batman a year or so before, and The Shadow Strikes wrapped in 1992. I was never an X-fan, and I missed the Rob Liefeld arm of the Image-Verse. I remember my friend Jason had the return of Superman in art class, and I read Deathmate many years later. I went to college the next year, and my fandom went more-or-less dormant until I got into Starman and Transmetropolitan around 1998.
I notice I’m less negative about the 1990s than a lot of people are. Apparently that’s because I missed it.
I do remember Static, though. Milestone comics were a pretty exciting development for me, back in those days. “You don’t start none, there won’t be none.”
An update from Dara “Duke” Naraghi on Persia Blues:
“My publisher NBM is doing something they’ve never done before: they’re serializing my graphic novel Persia Blues as 4 digital “issues” before the print edition comes out. And right now, you can pick up the first part (28 pages of story) for a mere 99 cents through the Comixology app.”
Continuing on with Columbus’ comix love affair, the Wexner Center is having a month long film series mixing medicine, film and comics.
Narrative Medicine: A Film & Comix Series
Find out why medical students and practitioners are turning to the humanities (especially narrative studies of literature, film, and comix), and see how the arts and humanities have often honed in on stories of patients, doctors, and other health care practitioners. This series of screenings and events illuminates an exciting new “narrative medicine” movement based on the premise that narrative competence enhances medical competence even as medical experiences reshape narrative forms. The series complements a two-day multidisciplinary conference.
I found out about this as one of the guys (Ezra) involved contacted me about this. He’ll be at the Wexner on March 28th presenting a live interactive presentation (of his digital comic Upgrade Soul) accompanied by music. David Small will be giving a talk on his graphic novel Stiches: A Memoir on April 4th. They’ll also be screening Safe and The Diving Bell & the Butterfly. Two films I’ve seen but never on the big screen.
The Wexner Center will be showing a double feature Thursday night. Important note is the short documentary preceeding the feature film (Wild Bill’s Run) is on our pal Matt Kish. The short film ‘Inside the Whale‘ is all about his Moby Dick inspired art book. Matt will be on hand signing copies of said book (beginning at 6pm). The film starts at 7pm. General public $8. Students and seniors $6. See you there.
I only saw two of the Best Picture nominees, and one of them was by accident. Skyfall was sold out, so I saw Argo.
I thought Argo was a good movie. It’s “ripped from the headlines,” and it manages to do a lot of business in 120 minutes. You only get glimpses of the hostages, but you still get a sense of who they are. The Iranians are definitely the villains, but there’s no sense that they’re all terrible people. Ben Affleck is a bit of a cipher at the center of it, but you do get some hints of his character. I really was at the edge of my seat at the end.
But I had no idea I was watching the year’s best picture. I figured it would go to Lincoln of Zero Dark 30, which seem like “bigger” pictures. I thought maybe their voters canceled each other out? But of course, I haven’t seen either film, so I can’t say. I hate it when people judge a piece based strictly on “buzz.”
I dunno, I feel like I don’t know what’s good anymore.
An update from our very own Matt Kish:
A great review of “The Graphic Canon: Volume 2” from Paste Magazine. 12 of my “Moby-Dick” illustrations are included in the anthology, and Paste had this to say: “The other revelation comes from Matt Kish, who has created a unique image for every page of Moby Dick (all of which can be seen on his blog). Intense and surreal, these visions are a triumph, keeping a strong tether to the original prose while launching into electrifying worlds of their own.”

domain: library


Open Letter To Justice Minister Frederick Cherue
If you have read any of ours-whether facts, or opinions, you will agree that we rather climb the pepper tree than move around it.
Hence, we go straight to the point in this case, where besides exhibits (actual evidence, documentary evidence, and demonstrative evidence) published by FPA, revealing direct and circumstantial evidences established in the email exchanges between FPA Editor Rodney Sieh and Sebastian Muah, the Managing Director of the Liberia Telecommunications Corporation have clearly linked the latter Sebastian Muah to his alleged investment in a multimillion dollar casino in Bangui.
Why would Mr. Muah or anyone in his or her right mind offer public relations contract to a newspaper while the very newspaper is bombarding the very person amid his or her denials? Think hard, Cllr. Cherue!
Mr. Justice Minister, upon your designation as Minister of Justice, you made the following vow: that “power is nothing without control, and that as Justice Minister you will not only “work in the interest of the Liberian people, but that your “tenure at the Ministry will be very consultative in order to ensure “that the right things are done.”
So, we ask you here, Mr. Minister, is it how a Justice Minister works in the interest of the nation, and “ensure that the right things are done”, by:
(1) You Mr. Minister of Justice disregarding the evidences linking Mr. Muah to the multimillion dollar casino investment in Bangui, and
(2) Employing techniques to divert the attention from the culprit (Sebastian Muah), at least as far as the exhibits produced are concerned, that is:
(3) by you deliberately changing the subject (a public official´s alleged investment in a multimillion dollar casino in Bangui) to:
(4) evade a direct enquiry and thus providing misleading answers to questions which interest the Liberian people – whether it is true the former Deputy Minister of Finance and now LIBTELCO´s MD has investment in a multimillion dollar casino in Bangui?
That is, the facts speak for themselves (res ipsa loquitor)!
There is nowhere in the communications between Mr. Muah and Mr. Sieh, or Mr. Muah and FPA Business Manager, linking Editor, his Business Manager, or FPA to the commission of “extortion”!
As a matter of fact it is Mr. Muah the former deputy minister of finance and now LIBTELCO MD who can be said to attempted “extortion” or even bribery by and through his Mr. Muah´s made a couple of overtures to suggest to FrontPageAfrica a media arrangement in which the paper would carry public relations articles about LIBTELCO under a contractual arrangement even while the very FPA was bombarding Mr. Muah with indictments viz his (Muah’s) investment in a multimillion dollar casino in Bangui!!! What a telling scenario!
Hence, Frederick, in view of that which we have articulated supra, Cllr. Cherue, we like to reverberate here as others in this matter that the Liberian people may be poor and powerless now, but we are not stupid!
And that your RED HERRING obviously intended to change the subject matter and divert the attention from the culprit – Sebastian Muah – former Deputy Minister of Finance, and now LIBTELCO MD are extremely mis-representative and indeed contradictory of your promise infra which you made to the PRESS, the Liberian people, the President, and by all implications to God when you were appointed as Minister of Justice!
Here below we paste your promise to the PRESS, the Liberian people, the President, and by all implications to God:
Happy New Year!
Dortu-Siboe Doe, Contribiting Writer


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Discover the secrets of Bringing Stillness Into Everyday Life. The compulsion to think and identify with our personal history is a deep seated habit. Learn to let go of compulsive thinking and of who you think you are ? your story. Begin living as the aware Presence that is the essence of your being. This talk reveals practical hints on accessing that field of still Presence. Lessons contained in this series: * How to be in this world, but not of it. * What the Now is. * Stepping out of conditioning into the eternal aliveness of Now. 1 x DVD Running time: 1 hour, 36 minutes DVD Region free (suitable for regions 1,2,3,4,5 & 6) NTSC format (will play on all recently manufactured PAL DVD receivers, year 2000+)
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
Eckhart Tolle is widely recognized as one of the most original and inspiring spiritual teachers of our time. He travels and teaches throughout the world. Eckhart is not aligned with any particular religion or tradition, but excludes none. His profound yet simple and practical teachings have helped thousands of people find inner peace, healing and greater fulfillment in their lives. At the core of his teachings lies the transformation of individual and collective human consciousness - a global spiritual awakening. Eckhart was born in Germany and educated at the Universities of London and Cambridge. At the age of twenty-nine, a profound spiritual transformation virtually dissolved his old identity and radically changed the course of his life. The next few years were devoted to understanding, integrating and deepening that transformation, which marked the beginning of an intense inward journey. Later, he began to work with individuals and groups as a counselor and spiritual teacher. Eckhart Tolle is the author of The Power of Now, a #1 New York Times Bestseller, which has been translated into 32 languages and become one of the most influential spiritual books of our time. In his most recent book, A New Earth, he shows how transcending our ego-based state of consciousness is not only essential to personal happiness, but also the key to ending conflict and suffering throughout the world.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Book Description Book Condition: New. Bookseller Inventory # 96083903
Book Description Eckhart Teachings Inc, 2015. UNK. Book Condition: New. New Book. Shipped from UK in 4 to 14 days. Established seller since 2000. Bookseller Inventory # H8-9781894884464
Book Description Eckhart Teachings, 2004. DVD-ROM. Book Condition: New. Eckhart Teachings (illustrator). book. Bookseller Inventory # M1894884469
Book Description Eckhart Teachings, 2004. DVD-ROM. Book Condition: Brand New. 1 pages. 7.40x5.40x0.60 inches. In Stock. Bookseller Inventory # __1894884469
Book Description Eckhart Teachings, 2004. DVD-ROM. Book Condition: New. Never used!. Bookseller Inventory # P111894884469


Amazon just released a new update to its Kindle app for iOS, and it basically just told Apple to go f*** itself in the process. The Apple App Store bible absolutely forbids in-app purchases unless the company is willing to give Apple a 30 percent cut, but Amazon has finally found a way around this little speed bump: likely-soon-to-be-banned free samples.
Previously, Kindle iOS users who wanted to purchase an ebook were pushed onto Amazon's website—a particularly obnoxious little side trip. Now, however, you can download the available free samples that, once finished, offer an option to send an email with a purchase link. Still not as convenient as an in-app purchase, yes, but it's worlds better than merely being able to search your existing library and nothing else.
As of now, the new search ability doesn't seem to violate Apple's App Store rules, but as we all know, the App Store isn't exactly conservative with their terms changes. So only time will tell if Amazon really has managed to get (at least somewhat) around a major inconvenience. [The Next Web]


January 13th, 2022
Written by: Josh Speer
January 17th, 2022
Written by: Andrew Thornton
Nintendo’s NES library is bursting at the seams with substantial games that have withstood the test of time, many of which have have even evolved into major franchises that still produce…
A JRPG stuck in the past. God Wars: Future Past has all the makings of what should constitute for a “Nathaniel” game. It’s a tactical RPG that has an interesting…
Titan Books celebrates 30 years of extraterrestrial terror with Aliens: The Set Photography Few horror movies carry quite the legacy as Ridley Scott’s 1979 masterpiece, Alien. However, while Ellen…
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We know how hard it can be to eat out with the family. But while it may seem tempting to head directly to the drive-thru or a fast-casual spot—you don’t have to anymore! There are plenty of restaurants in Denver that now offer specially designed kids’ menus, specials and fun atmospheres that make dining with the kids easier than ever.
To help make your dinner selection a bit easier, we rounded up some of our favorite restaurants in Denver that are 100% kid-approved. Enjoy!
Photo courtesy of Ace Eat Serve
Ace Eat Serve offers an elevated menu full of Asian-inspired dishes that will please even the pickiest of eaters. Each $9 kids’ meal comes with complimentary shave ice and is served on an old school lunch tray. But it’s the 12 ping pong tables—that you can rent for $10 an hour—that make this space so great. Your little ones will love challenging you to a match, and it will keep them happily entertained until your food arrives, which is a win-win in our opinion!
Nestled in LoHi, Acova feels like it was made just for kids. We can’t think of a better way to spend a nice day than enjoying a drink on the sunny patio while the kiddos play in the mini play yard, full of swings, colorful tires—and plenty more things to explore and climb on. Even the menu is full of kid-centered whimsy. For example, if your kids say they want “nothing” for dinner, you can order just that. “Nothing” is the name of Acova’s mac and cheese. If they say “I’m not hungry”, they’ll get a hamburger with a side of sweet potato fries. As an added bonus, $2 from every kids’ menu order is donated to a children’s charity.
Photo courtesy of Biker Jim’s Gourmet Dogs
Do you have a hotdog aficionado in your family? Then you definitely don’t want to miss Biker Jim’s Gourmet Dog. Located in Denver’s Ballpark neighborhood near Coors Field, Biker Jim’s has been featured on countless food shows and magazines. Here, you can expect to find traditional hot dogs (like some wrapped in bacon) along with some unusual dogs made from elk, veal, buffalo, reindeer, pheasant and even rattlesnake!
While Board Game Republic, a pub in the Art District on Santa Fe, is most known as a spot for pints and cocktails—it’s also Denver’s first and only café dedicated to board games. They are home to more than 700 games shelved by category along a massive wall that are completely free for you to play. Want to test your surgical skills? Try Operation. Interested in buying Park Avenue? Head straight for Monopoly. You can spend an entire day playing with the kids and enjoying one of the pub’s delicious crepes—we recommend one filled with strawberries and Nutella!
Photo courtesy of Boondocks Food & Fun
Boondocks Food & Fun is a family fun center that will allow you to challenge your kids to a multitude of games and activities! Boondocks features attractions such as bowling, a two-story laser tag, bumper boats, miniature golf, Go-Karts, arcade games and more. During your family fun day, you can also keep all of the family members’ energy levels high by ordering food from their full restaurant menu and grill.
What would this list be if we didn’t mention Casa Bonita? This Mexican restaurant is more than just a place to grab a bite to eat—it’s a unique experience. There are cliff divers, exciting stage shows, musicians and arcade games. There’s no doubt this Denver destination will be a hit with the kids!
Photo courtesy of the Downtown Aquarium
Denver’s Downtown Aquarium is more than just an aquarium—it’s a unique dining destination! After your kids are finished exploring the aquatic exhibits, head to the restaurant, where you can dine beside a 50,000-gallon centerpiece aquarium, which offers floor-to-ceiling views of marine life from every table.
When choosing a spot to dine with the family, pizza is always a great choice. And you can’t go wrong with Homegrown Tap and Dough, a casual pizza and pasta joint with locations in Olde Town Arvada and Washington Park. They offer a true Rocky Mountain dining experience with ski lift chairs, wood accent tables, al fresco dining tables and dishes full of homegrown, Colorado ingredients. The kids’ menu is full of your little one’s favorites like pasta, sliders, ice cream sundaes and, of course, pizza! Plus their vintage arcade game room will be a hit with the whole family.
Photo courtesy of Liks Ice Cream
Liks Ice Cream in Capitol Hill has been around for nearly 40 years. It was once known as “Lickety Split“, and while the name has changed, the local neighborhood feeling (along with their great ice cream) has not. The owners, Jay and Leslie, have conjured over 300 flavors that you and the kids can spend an entire afternoon tasting!
Nearly every item on The Old Spaghetti Factory’s menu is made on-site, from scratch, using fresh ingredients. Unlike most restaurants, when you order your entrées, they serve you a complete meal, which includes bread, soup or salad, and dessert. And with their famous kids’ menu, special treats and fun activities, they encourage every member of the family to feel at home.
Photo courtesy of Punch Bowl Social Denver
While this Denver lounge is considered a hotspot for adults at night, it is certainly a kid-friendly oasis during the day. The kids’ menu features a ton of delicious items like a banana almond butter sandwich, chicken tacos, mac n’ cheese and flatbreads. Before or after you eat, explore all of the activities at Punch Bowl Social, such as table games, bowling, virtual reality, arcade games and private karaoke!
Sam’s No. 3 is one of the oldest diners Denver, first established in 1927, at 1527 Curtis Street. Today, there are three Sam’s diners in the greater Denver area, each of which features ‘50s old-fashioned décor, with vinyl countertops, brown vinyl booths, black counter stools, retro-style signs, pictures, and light fixtures. Their menu includes all-day breakfast items, and American, Greek, and Mexican food—and the kids’ menu is just as fabulous. It features favorites like burgers, corn dogs and grilled cheese served with tater tots or fruit salad and a drink starting at $4.
Photo courtesy of Steuben’s Food Service
It doesn’t take long to see why families love Steuben’s. From the kids’ meals served on nostalgic lunch trays to the classic menu favorites like lobster rolls, green chili cheeseburgers and Monte Cristo sandwiches—Steuben’s feels like it was created with kids in mind. The children’s menu is full of entrees that they’ll love along with a variety of bite-sized nibbles that will keep their hands and mouths busy while you wait for the main course.
Did we miss one of your favorite kid-friendly restaurants in the area? Let us know in the comments!

domain: food


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Today I released Artifact-1.0.2 after finally getting my ass around to create a close to fully automated build script for Mac OS X (a topic for another blog post). The full changelog is listed below, but I instead recommend you go get it and try it!
- Added full screen and resolution management in game.
- Removed splash screen.
- Adjusted difficulties and added new names (Apprentice, Journeyman, Master).
- Added additional fire button, allowing better control using a touch-pad.
- Redesigned second orb with additional graphics and new behavior.
More in detail:
- The splash screen in Artifact was unnecessary and the only issue keeping me from removing it was having in-game window and resolution management.
- See above.
- The Normal and Hard game difficulties were hardly different in version 1.0.0, while the Not sane difficulty was extremely hard. Now the Apprentice difficulty is much easier then the old Normal, Journeyman is similar to the old Normal, while Master is slightly easier then the old Not Sane difficulty. The change was mainly done to make the initial difficulty easier for new players.
- On a touch-pad moving the mouse and clicking might interfere with each other, so I added an alternate fire welder button for those who might prefer that.
- The Second orb was very hard to predict and its mechanic felt wrong. The new version is cooler , and most of the time way easier to predict. It also has a slight comeback factor, which is nice in this cutthroat game.


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Most foreigners and tourists only know Singapore as “garden city”, “lion city” or “food haven”. Many people only know about Marina Bay Sands, Sentosa and Orchard Road, but Singapore has much more to offer than just sightseeing.
Singapore is one of the few countries in the world that is truly multi-cultural. Singapore is mainly made up of four races – Chinese, Indians, Malays and Eurasians.
If you want to find out more about the multi-cultural heritage of Singapore, you should check out these 7 places:
National Museum of Singapore
The national museum is always the best places to understand more about the culture and heritage of a country.
National Museum of Singapore is the oldest museum in Singapore.
Please read: National Museum of Singapore
Chinatown Heritage Centre
Driven by famine, floods and unrest, and seduced by hope of a better life elsewhere, millions of Chinese left China during the 19th-20th centuries. Singapore was sought out as a place where one could make a living.
Chinatown Heritage Centre recreates the shophouse and cubicle living conditions of Chinatown in the 1950s.
Please read: Chinatown Heritage Centre
Indian Heritage Centre
The Indian Heritage Centre on Campbell Road explores how Singapore Indians contributed to Singapore’s development in the past and present through exhibits and interactive stations.
Please read: Indian Heritage Centre
Malay Heritage Centre
Housed in the bungalow that Malay royalties used to live in, Malay Heritage Centre showcases the heritage, culture and history of Malay Singaporeans through six galleries.
Please read: Malay Heritage Centre
Asian Civilisations Museum
Asian Civilisations Museum explores the diverse heritage cultures of Singapore and Asia, their interconnections, and connections with the world through themetically-organized galleries.
Please read: Asian Civilisations Museum
The Straits Chinese peranakans in Singapore are not to be confused with the peranakan ethnic group which descended from Chinese settlers from southern provinces who came to the Malay archipelago between the 15th and 17th centuries.
The Peranakan Museum explores the art and culture of Peranakan communities in Southeast Asia, but it is currently closed for renovations.
Eurasian Heritage Centre
Eurasian Heritage Centre allows you to understand more about Singapore Eurasian history and culture through three galleries as well as cultural workshops and musical performances.
The Eurasian Heritage Centre is currently undergoing restoration and it is closed to the public.
National Heritage Board
The National Heritage Board aims to foster nationhood, promote identity building, and champion the development of a vibrant cultural and heritage sector in Singapore.
The National Heritage Board is only open on weekdays during office hours, which makes it hard to visit for office workers like myself.
If there are any other heritage sites that you think should be on this list, please comment below. ”


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Last Updated on June 7, 2022, by eNotes Editorial. Word Count: 86
Danziger's ability to create believable, funny dialogue and to capture the feelings and thoughts of a 14-year-old is highly evident [in There's A Bat in Bunk Five]. Episodes roll along without much tension or drama, unfortunately, and what is there is too quickly resolved; but readers will be captivated by the natural flow and breezy style.
Barbara Elleman, "Children's Books: 'There's a Bat in Bunk Five'," in Booklist (reprinted by permission of the American Library Association; copyright © 1980 by the American Library Association), Vol. 77, No. 8, December 15, 1980, p. 571.


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Baking with kids can be a fun and rewarding experience for both parents and children. It can help teach children about math, measurement, and science, while also helping to foster a sense of independence and accomplishment. Here are a few tips for baking with kids: -Choose recipes that are simple and straightforward. -Make sure all ingredients are premeasured and ready to go before starting the recipe. -Assign different tasks to each child (mixing, stirring
How To Bake With Kids
There is no single answer to the question of how to bake with kids, as the approach you take will likely vary depending on the age and abilities of your child or children. However, some tips on how to bake with kids include: -Starting simple. When baking with kids, start with recipes that are simple and have few steps. This will help reduce stress for both you and your child, and will make the overall baking process more enjoyable. -Letting them help
-A baking dish, measuring cups and spoons, a bowl, an oven, ingredients
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray it with non
- Stick cooking spray
- In a bowl, mix together 1 cup of allpurpose flour, 1/
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit
-Get a simple recipe that is easy to follow -Make sure the ingredients are easily accessible -Create a fun and relaxed baking environment -Encourage kids to be creative and experiment with flavors -Be patient and take your time while baking with kids
Frequently Asked Questions
What Can A 4 Year Old Cook?
A 4 year old can cook a variety of things, such as scrambled eggs, macaroni and cheese, and grilled cheese sandwiches.
Can Four Year Olds Cook?
Yes, four year olds can cook. Many children start helping out in the kitchen at a young age. They can measure ingredients, stir, and even help bake.
What Can Kids Make For Cooking?
There are a number of things that kids can make for cooking, such as simple snacks like toast with toppings or scrambled eggs, or more involved dishes like pasta with sauce or a quiche. Kids can also help to prepare meals by measuring ingredients, mixing them together, and stirring them on the stove.
When Can You Start Baking With Kids?
Parents can start baking with their children as soon as they are able to follow simple instructions. For younger children, parents may need to help them measure ingredients and mix the dough, but older children can be responsible for most of the steps in the baking process. This is a great way to teach kids about math and science, while also giving them a fun activity to do together.
Can You Bake With A Toddler?
Yes! My toddler loves to help in the kitchen. We usually bake together by measuring out the ingredients and stirring.
What Can I Bake With A Toddler?
There are many things you can bake with a toddler, such as cookies, cupcakes, and cake. You can also make simple breads or pizzas. Be sure to choose recipes that are easy to follow and have few ingredients. Toddlers will enjoy helping to measure and mix the ingredients, and they will love licking the spoon!
What Can A 10 Year Old Make For Breakfast?
A ten-year-old can easily make scrambled eggs or toast with peanut butter for breakfast.
What Can I Bake With My 2 Year Old?
There are many things that can be baked with a two year old. Cookies, cake, bread, and pizza are all great options.
What Can I Bake With A 4 Year Old?
There are many recipes that are easy to make with a 4 year old. Some ideas include baking cookies, brownies, or cake.
Baking with kids can be a fun and rewarding experience for both parents and children. By following a few simple tips, baking with kids can be an easy and enjoyable process.


Classic TTC Cherry Red switches
With a low actuation force, one of the lowest of the four most common switches, TTC Cherry Red switches are marketed as a gaming switch, with the light weighting allowing for more rapid actuation, and have become increasingly common in gaming keyboards. Extended life expentancy, withstanding 50 million reliability tests.
PC+ABS Dual Color Key Cap
PC+ABS dual color key cap endows exquisite feel on your fingertips, with excellent fading and scratch resistance performance. Specialized processing conducive to the improved durability of every key cap, allow for replacement and ensures enduring beauty.
6 Degrees Man-Machine Aesthetics
When unfold the bracket, a 6-degree angle will be formed to further comply with ergonomics. In conjunction with key cap radians, it alleviates the pressure against your finger.
Elegant Warm White Backlight
XIAOMI mechanical keyboard is equipped with 3528 back-mounted LED, 6500K Color Temperature, 6 Lightning Modes.
Rugged Shell, Magnetic both in Appearance and Application
The durability and delicacy of the aluminum alloy shell attributed to the secondary stamping and CNC processing in the course of production. Thanks to the anodic oxidation sand blasting, the hardness of the surface has climber up to H32, which in turn spirals the scratch and corrosion resistance performance to the body.
It`s what it Appears to be
6 Layers structure, Matte Black Zinc-Plated shaft locking steel plate, corrosion resistant, sturdy and firm. 175 wave solder dots, 270 SMT solder dots, more stable electric performance. 5 Customized automatic production and testing equipment, 6 rounds of testing, to deliver you a robust keyboard.
Independent Cable Design, Easy to Use
Plug and play, replaceable. Pure copper core 48-weave shielded cable to guarantee stable and efficient signal transmission, delicate both inside and out.
- Brand: Yueme (Xiaomi)
- Model: MK01
- Layout: 87 Key
- Material: PC/ABS + Aluminum Alloy
- Switch: TTC Red Switch
- Dimension: 358 * 128 * 31.6mm
- Connection: USB to Micro USB Wired
- Weight: 940g
- Sizes: 385*128*31.6mm
- Keycap: Double shot ABS Keycaps
- Warranty: 3 Months Replacement


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Islamophobia is ever increasing, owing to many factors and has translated into large scale violence against Muslim minority community in India
ON Thursday, 23 September 2021, the Assam police killed two members of a poor Muslim community in Dholpur area of Darrang district during an eviction drive that has displaced nearly 800 families. The victims were identified as 12-year-old Sheikh Farid and 33-year-old Moinul Haque, a daily wage labourer, whose family has lived in Assam since several decades. A viral video of the incident shows a photographer (identified as Bijoy Bania, associated with the local administration) stomping and mercilessly pouncing on the body of Haque as he lay dying due to a bullet wound.
While anti-encroachment drives are a regular affair in different parts of India, and such measures oftentimes result in some form of a clash between the government officials, police and the affected people, the Dholpur incident has garnered attention because it occurred in a particular political context, and was, of course, accompanied by abominable cruelty by the photographer Bania and disproportionate force by the police.
Violence against members of the Muslim community in Assam was preceded by a series of attacks on poor Muslims (usually vendors and small traders) in different parts of India by vigilante groups (reportedly) belonging to Hindutva organisations and outfits.
For example, on 22 August, Tasleem Ali, a bangle-seller, was thrashed in Indore’s New Govind Area (Madhya Pradesh) for selling his wares in a Hindu-locality. On the complaint of the daughter of an accused attacker, Ali was booked under POSCO and IPC sections 354 (assault or criminal force on a woman), 354-A (sexual harassment), 467, 468, 471 (forgery), 420 (cheating) and 506 (criminal intimidation). In Vikas Bazar area of Mathura (Uttar Pradesh), a right-wing mob led by some Devraj Pandit harassed a Muslim dosa vendor and vandalised his stall while shouting “Krishna bhakt ab yudh karo, Mathura ko bhi shudh karo (Devotees of Krishna wage war, help purify Mathura).” The mob objected to the stall’s name ‘Shrinath Dosa Corner’, and accused the Muslim owner of waging “economic jihad.”
Such incidents abound. For a complete list, you can follow Alishan Jafri (@asfreeasjafri) Twitter account, which documents anti-Muslim violence and hate crimes in India.
Some political observers see increasing anti-Muslim incidents as linked to the upcoming Lok Sabha and State elections, because religious polarisation play in favour of certain political parties.
Whatever be the case, the genie has been let out of the bottle. A vast majority of young Indians, from the majority community, have been ideologically radicalised. And this does not portend well for the future. As Debasish Roy Chowdhury (Haaretz, 26 Sep) says, “In reality, the radicalization of the majority is a much bigger threat confronting India than minority extremism.” Islamophobic narratives and anti-Muslim attacks have been almost normalised, and Indian Muslims and many conscientious Indian Hindus are afraid (and warning) that this anti-minority bigotry may eventually lead to a more violent future, something akin to Europe in the 1930s.
While the situation seems utterly pessimistic, there are possible ways which could be tried to arrest the rising wave of anti-Muslim movement. Firstly, it is important to meticulously document the incidents of anti-minority hate crime, so as to provide evidence during the judicial process, whenever that happens, and get people involved in the crime prosecuted. Secondly, raising awareness about Islamophobia through varied mediums, channels and platforms. Making people understand Islamophobia and its different facets could potentially act to prevent the youth from the majority community from becoming radicalised under the influence of extremist ideologies that have a free run and robust infrastructure for their amplification. Finally, to campaign for a legislation (on the model of The Prevention of Atrocities Act, 1989) that recognises Islamophobia as a religious form of discrimination. Such a legislation will potentially act as a deterrent against anti-Muslim abuse and violence, and instil some confidence among the members of the largest minority community in India.
The views expressed in the article are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent the editorial stance of Kashmir Observer
- The author is an independent researcher
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"El Diablo" Review
I love the idea that each episode spans a day. We get to follow the procedural aspect throughout the day, while the tension mounts to a powerful conclusion at night. It’s a great formula that allows for a literal and figurative darkness to permeate the second-half of each episode.
There’s so many layers to The Killing so it’s hard to touch on each aspect in a review. However, the show essentially boils down to three story-arcs: Rosie’s family coping with their grief, Darren Richmond’s political campaign, and the police investigation. All three intertwine, but I’ll try to touch on the three in each review.
Picking up from last week, Stan and Mitch Larsen have a really rough road ahead as they continue to cope with the loss of their daughter. From the answering machine to accidentally setting Rosie’s place at the table, “El Diablo” is filled with dramatic moments. It never really falls into melodrama, and the moments are handled realistically. One thing that bothers me is Rosie’s brothers’ reaction to her death. I get that they’re young and trying to cope in their own ways, but I think most kids that age would understand what’s happened and cry more often.
Mitch’s moment in the bathtub was especially disheartening, as she struggles to come to grips with her daughter’s horrendous murder. It was a nice character moment to have Sarah lie and say that Rosie was unconscious when the car hit the water.
Meanwhile, Darren Richmond’s political career seems to be falling apart when his dubious involvement in the investigation goes public. He continues to toe the line between a fierce political figure and a likable guy. I really liked his line not to send flowers because they die. It was a quick and subtle line, but tremendously effective.
We also find out that Richmond’s campaign manager, Jamie, may have leaked the information about Rosie... though it is left intentionally ambiguous. Still, when the confrontation finally erupts in the second half of “El Diablo,” we see Jamie walk out of Richmond’s office. I have a feeling he’ll come back but we’ll just have to wait until next week to see the full implications.
The actual murder investigation was just as strong as the rest of “El Diablo.” Sarah and Stephen continue to investigate Rosie’s murder, picking right up where “The Cage” left off. As expected, there are a ton of red herrings, and we know it’s going to be a while to finally get a resolution on Rosie’s murder. That being said, things still move relatively fast, as multiple suspects are questioned throughout “El Diablo.”
Stephen definitely becomes more likable (and less creepy) than last week, while Mireille Enos continues to steal the show as Sarah. There’s something so genuine and true in her facial expressions that really captivates. Her character is juggling so much at the moment, and Enos does a great job bringing that emotion to the screen.
The final reveal - the rape of Rosie by both Jared and Kris - was shocking and frightening in its ramifications. It really ended “El Diablo” on a bleak tone, and I can only wonder where next week’s story will take us.


Firstly, let's cover the boring technical bit - what is iBeacon? iBeacon technology, originally developed by Apple, allows mobile apps, (both iOS and Android) to emit and/or listen for small Bluetooth, (BLE), signals and use these to get an understanding of it's physical position on a micro-local scale. That covers Apple's description as to what iBeacon technology is, and unless you have a developer's background, likely makes no sense at all; so we'll and try and explain it further with an example and show you why it could be useful for your app.
Let's say we have developed a mobile app that is using iBeacon technology to both emit, and listen for, BLE signals. When 2 or more people with the app installed on their phones come in to close proximity of each other, (e.g. within 10 metres), their app will detect that there is another user of the app nearby. iBeacon technology allows these apps to measure the distance between each other to within centimetres, so in a group of users it's possible to detect not only how many are in the area, but which is closest to you. For a real-world example, think of how Snapchat allows users to connect with others that are close to them.
Another use case for iBeacon technology is through purpose built sensors/beacons, (see Estimote as an example), that can be placed in a location and set to emit a signal in the same way as above. Using this approach, we can develop our mobile app to listen for these signals and then react accordingly depending on the sensor it is closest to. An example of how this might work in the real world, could be having a number of these beacons placed around a shop in different sections or departments, and then having a mobile app that is able to detect what department the user is in. This can be used to give a much more personalised user experience, giving them information such as latest offers or details of new products, but only for the section or department they are currently in.
As mentioned at the outset, iBeacon technology offers location-based features on a micro-local scale, and hopefully that now makes a bit more sense with the examples outlined above. While simple geolocation can be used to find out if a user is in the general area of a building, iBeacon allows us to not only work out if the user is in the building, but in which room.
Find out how Sugar Rush implemented iBeacon technology for Angling Direct to present personalised store specific offers when their customers were in proximity of a physical Angling Direct shop.


text: I have been meaning to visit the Ice Castles for several years! Every winter I would think – THIS is the winter I would make the trek. And every year I would miss it. Not this time. I was determined to bring the kids and take some fun pictures of these spectacular, man-made ice castles….