text:
The elusive victory - war with Taliban will be long and protracted!
Speaking at a reception for Twenty Twenty world cup winning Pakistan cricket team Prime Minister Gillani is reported to have said that "the way the cricketers have won the Twenty20 cup, similarly the Pakistani army will win the war against terrorists in Swat and Malakand...".
Recent statements by him and some other officials remind me of one of the most embarrassing images for US is the image of President Bush declaring victory in the illegitimate war in Iraq while standing on an aircraft carrier with a banner "Mission Accomplished" flying behind him.
I hope the similarity ends here and that the lives being sacrificed by young men of Pakistan army are not being lost on another un-winnable war. Military operation against Taliban in Swat and FATA (Federally administered tribal areas of Pakistan) continues and according to Pakistan Army number of Taliban casualties can now be counted in thousands rather than hundreds. Military commanders have been pointing out, and rightly so, that a complete victory over Taliban will take months rather then weeks but key towns in Swat region are now back under central control.
It is worth noting that the terrain and the enemy are the same where the mighty Soviet Union fell and where US and its cronies in NATO are engaged in a long un-winnable war. But they have the luxury of being invading and occupying forces who can leave it all behind and wash their hands if they chose to. Pakistan army is fighting on its own territory among its own people and cannot afford to mess it up - or let the politicians turn it into a mess.
Public opinion in Pakistan is still broadly in support of the military operation to rout the menace of Taliban out of the region once and for all. Pakistan governments efforts to build a national political consensus in support of the operation have also been successful and political parties across the spectrum have largely stayed behind the army operation.
It is, however, important to ensure that what appears to be a qualified victory in the short term doesn't turn into a long term defeat.Though a large number of Taliban fighters have been killed in the operation and remaining appear to be on the run, the top tier command structure of Swat Taliban is still intact. Military action has not succeeded in capturing or eliminating key targets like Mullah Fazlullah, Muslim Khan and the like. While these hard core terrorist are alive there will always be a risk of Taliban resurgence once the army has gone back into the barracks.
It is also now public knowledge that the Taliban in Swat and FATA are not simply a local religious outfit with some international jihadis in their ranks. Their free access to American, Russian and Indian ammunition and other advanced tools of warfare points to a wider international involvement and support. Until these supply lines are open and the top tier command still at large the war in Swat will neither be over nor won.
Pakistan Army is not an occupying force in the region and should strive to ensure that it does not lose the credibility of a saviour it has at the moment. Army does not have the luxury of continuing to carry out aerial assaults in populated civilian areas like the Americans have been in Afghanistan. The extent of collateral damage is currently unknown due to blackout on independent media coverage. But nationally there is flexibility in public opinion to this end provided the Taliban do not reappear and the loss appear to have been fruitless.
And lets not forget millions of IDPs who, at the height of unforgiving summer in Pakistan are stuck in ill-equipped and ill-resourced camps. They need to return to their homes soon. The military operation has resulted in destruction of physical infrastructure in the region. In order to repatriate the IDPs they will need to return to a live-able environment which is secure. It is vital to ensure that the IDPs are brought back home as soon as the military leadership confirms a military victory in Swat. But this should accompany at least the following:
A new police infrastructure that is trained, equipped and willing to take on the responsibility of establishing the law and order and provide security to citizens without having to rely on military support;
A civil administration that does not simply rely of doing deals with the remnants of Taliban or their supporters;
institutions of justice and law and order - absence of these gave credibility to the demands of people like Sufi Muhammad in the first place;
active counter insurgency mechanism in place with bodies on the ground and in the streets. Having just a military cantonment is not going to achieve this;
engage national and regional political parties to create a national voice against the menace. While doing so not to cave in to pressure groups like Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman who are still in the business of making money from dead bodies.
All of this cannot happen overnight even if the government was full of passionate, committed and loyal leaders. It would be almost unachievable if the national leadership takes its eyes of the ball. Lets hope I am not writing a lament on a lost war next summer.
Labels: IDPs, Internally displaced persons, Pakistan, Pakistan Army, Security, Swat, Taliban, Yousuf Raza Gilani
Maternal and infant mortality in Pakistan - the silent killer
Every 30 minutes, one Pakistani woman loses her life due to reproductive health complications that leads to 276 maternal deaths per 100,000 births.
One in 23 Pakistani women die in childbirth, compared to one in 5,000 women in developed countries. Most of these deaths are preventable. There is widespread poor reproductive and nutritional health among women.
Sixty-five percent of women in Pakistan deliver their babies at home and only eight percent of home births are supervised by a trained attendant.
Pakistan's average fertility rate of 4.1 children born per woman is one of the highest in South Asia.
And in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), 135 out of every 1,000 children under the age of five die from curable illnesses.
(sources: World Health Organization and USAID)
It is very likely that the actual situation on the ground is more serious. In the absence of a comprehensive mechanism for recording mortality and its causes, and the fact that while most of the data is available from urban areas majority of population in Pakistan still lives in rural areas where mortality figures are likely to misreported or misrepresented.
At a time when the media headlines in and about Pakistan are focussed almost entirely on war against Taliban, suicide bombers, corruption, electricity shortages and dire national economic situation - a major piece of news went almost unnoticed. After a relentless campaign by civil society and advocacy organisations government of Pakistan has finally endorsed the Maternal Mortality & Human Rights Resolution in the UN Human Rights Council (HRC). This would go a long way towards raising awareness about this issue which has until now been a low priority for the government policy makers.
But this is not a menace that the cash starved and intellectually deprived government of Pakistan can deal on its own. Civil society and independent charities are increasingly becoming active at advocacy and practical levels of support. Once such organisation is the UK based charity International Foundation for Mother and Child Health (IFMCH) who have set out as their mission to reduce maternal and child mortality in Pakistan and improve life expectancy for mothers and children through increased awareness of personal health among young mothers to be, improvement in community knowledge and attitudes towards mother and child health, training for health care providers, and expansion in access to health services through a state of the art maternal hospital to serve as a centre of excellence.
Dr. Saleem Khan, Chairperson of IFMCH, was among scores of British Pakistanis who went to Pakistan to help the victims of earthquake in Kashmir valley in 2005 and had a first hand experience of the gravity of problem with maternal health and came back convinced that government and aid agencies alone cannot solve the problem on their own and that a wider and actively hand on intervention from civil society is needed. Trained as a maternal health expert he is a successful property tycoon in Cheshire. He has declared to give it all up to focus his energies in delivering the vision of the IFMCH. Strong believer in Allama Iqbal's (national poet of Pakistan) verse
"Fard Qaim Rabte Millat Say Hai Tanha Kuch Naheen
Mauj Hai Darya Main Aur Baroon-e-Darya Kuch Naheen"
(literally meaning that an individual is successful connected with the nation but nothing without it - just like a wave is a wave when in the river but nothing outside it), Dr Saleem is looking for citizens of the world irrespective of nationality, religion or race to come along and join him in achieving this herculean task. Over the last few days IFMCH has also launched a Facebook group for anyone interested to join the conversation.
Posted by Chaudhry Javed Iqbal at 23:55 2 comments:
Labels: Maternal health, Pakistan
Cricketing nomads paint the Lords green
They are the pariahs of the cricketing world. No sporting nation in their right mind wants to travel to their country to play cricket or any other sport for that matter. World cricketing powers, due to vested political interests of certain friends with whom we share history and geographical boundaries, are bent upon stripping them down of any role in the global cricket community. They have not played much inernational cricket over the last two years because at home the powers to be are generally incompetent and more interested in petty politics. Their own performance has been less then ordinary and patchy during this period. Their moral character has been marred by allegations of drug abuse, sexually transmitted diseases and ball tempering.
Yet the nomads of the cricketing world Pakistan picked up the Twenty Twenty cricket world cup last night to remind the world why they, despite all their problems, have always been one of the most exciting teams to play with. They also provided a nation starving for good news something to cheer about.
Lords cricket ground is not used to the noise, colour and excitement that comes along with matches played by Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka. Last night was a spectacle but a clear indicator for the cricketing authories in Pakistan on the preferred course of action for future. Due to security concerns, that the world very rightly has, about travelling to and playing in Pakistan sports will be in exile for the coming few years. UK is second home to Pakistan cricket and can provide enough fan base for "home cricket" to be played here. Do not let these talented cricketing nomads rot in obscurity. While our armed forces and political masters try to tackle the Taliban menace at home, let the boys play international sports overseas at our second home.
And well done! to Sri Lanka. No other team deserved to be in the finals than you. It was not just the night for your talented team.
Labels: Cricket, Pakistan
Pakistan has Laws, but not the Rule of Law
Closing line of the press release from Transparency International Pakistan announcing the publishing of results from 2009 National Corruption Perceptions Survey reads that "Pakistan has Laws, but not the Rule of Law". How apt!
On a positive note survey reveals today Judiciary appears to be the institution that has been able to repair its reputation compared to last year and has moved from the coveted position of 3rd most corrupt institution down to number seven. I believe that this is more to do with the high regard and esteem that general public gives to Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry and the continued trust that people have in his intentions and ability to change the judicial infrastructure for the better.
Judiciary are followed by the Media in enjoying public confidence in their ability to influence change. Movement by the civil society that lead to undignified departure of dictator General Musharraf, and subsequent reinstatement of judges sacked by him for defiance against tyranny would not have been successful if independent Media was not standing besides the civil society facing all sorts of oppression from the military and later civilian rulers.
Biggest loser and rightly so is the Health sector i.e. the medical profession in Pakistan who are now perceived to be the 3rd most corrupt sector behind only the Police and Power (the electricity people!!!).
Unsurprisingly "lack of Accountability, "Lack of transparency " and abundance of "Discretionary Power" in all walks of life are considered be to the root causes of spread of corruption.
There are some interesting results as well. Looking at the global corruption barometer produced by Transparency International [map below] I found it interesting that our regional neighbours India rate the Political parties as the most corrupt institution but not according to us Pakistanis. We give this dubious honour to our civil servants and public officials - although if asked the question who is the most corrupt person in Pakistan the honour will still be bestowed upon one Mr. Asif Ali Zardari our erstwhile president.
That brings me to the UK MPs who have become household names because of their household claims. The expenses scandal has resulted in some interesting media coverage and ways of exposing "within the rules" corruption. One interesting representation of this scandal is the heat map of MP expenses produced by MSN. One glance at the map gives you an idea of the scale of gravy train that the MPs had in place for God knows how many years. Click on your constituency and you can look at the details of what your local MP has been claiming from you during 2007/08. Made me wonder if we were to produce a similar map for Pakistan our green traditionally green coloured map would turn red hot all over.
Posted by Chaudhry Javed Iqbal at 15:55 1 comment:
Labels: Corruption, Judiciary, MP expenses, Pakistan, politics
Day of the vigilante
Not many might remember a development in Karachi around May 2008 that sent a chill down every god fearing (or just caring) human being's spine. Fed up with the deteriorating law and order situation in the city vigilante inflicted justice began to flourish and there was a series of episodes where robbers caught red handed were brutally murdered by the mob - in one case burnt alive. Images (disturbing images - discretion advised) published by Pakistani media shocked the nation and an outcry by those who believe in human rights brought this form of justice to an end before it took roots.
In the Upper Dir district of troubled North West of Pakistan a group of villagers took up arms against what has been reported as a group of Taliban and their supporters, razed their houses to the ground and killed four alleged militants. This is widely being reported as a positive development and that it could mark a return of Tribal Lashkars (literally meaning militias) to begin fighting against Taliban.
In a discussion on Pakistani security situation a friend raised a question that in North West Pakistan - where carrying arms is a local tradition and every household has a weapon of some sort, automatic assault weapons like Klashinkovs are widely and cheaply available - why don't people of every town and village pick up their arms and stand up against Taliban! This is a question that is raised by many but troubles me equally.
In the civilised world it is the duty of the state to provide security to its people and put in place institutions, mechanisms and tools to enforce law and order and justice for all citizens - whether they are in Karachi or Swat. When state fails to provide this security chaos ensues. Whereas the mobs in Karachi had no right to take law in their own hands and take life (even of those who committed crimes), it is also not right of anyone of us to expect citizens in the North West to take up arms to protect themselves.
Letting and asking common people to take law into their own hands can have other consequences as well. Over the last few decades we have seen religiously motivated mobs goaded by uneducated and hateful local mullahs murder those belonging to other sects or religions for the crime of committing blasphemy. We have also seen mobs being exploited by clever unscrupulous people to score personal vendettas and get away with murder.
I wouldn't like to see a group of MQM activists attacking a Pathan settlement in Karachi under the guise of attacking a Taliban hideout - a mob doesn't use brain - for them every Pushto speaking bearded man in a turban will be a Talib(an).
Vigilante justice has no place in a civilised world (all areas of Pakistan included).
Labels: Pakistan, Swat, Taliban, Vigilante justice
The elusive victory - war with Taliban will be lon...
Maternal and infant mortality in Pakistan - the si...


Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry.
The oral and poster contributions will be published in a special number of Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry (2017 Impact Factor: 2.209) at Springer, but only after the standard reviewing procedure. Every registered participant at ESTAC12 conference is allowed to send maximum two works for the special issue dedicated to this event.
It is essential to type in the "Comments" window that this paper belongs to ESTAC12 Conference.
The papers will be refereed by appropriate experts.
The papers will be published within 8 months in the electronic and paper forms; however the individual papers can be read on the OnlineFirst much more earlier.


text:
Auxo version 1.4 released on Cydia
Jeff Benjamin ∙ April 9, 2013
One of my favorite jailbreak tweaks of all time, Auxo, has been updated to version 1.4. This release, as we highlighted in our preview of the update, brings bug fixes, new toggles, and additional settings to the table.
The biggest feature in my opinion, is the adjustment that has been made with the tap zones on the brightness and music control sliders. in the past, those slider knobs have been really difficult to key in on with your finger, but after the 1.4 update, this is no longer an issue.
The other big feature is the addition of new toggles. These toggles include Do Not Disturb, Auto Lock, and a direct shortcut to the stock Settings app. The flashlight toggle and the power toggle also feature new auxiliary features, which are configurable in Auxo's preferences.
For those of you that have already purchased Auxo, this update is a free download on Cydia's BigBoss repo. If you've yet to purchase Auxo, it's available for $1.99 on Cydia.
Tags Cydia Jailbreak Jailbreak Apps & Tweaks

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Above the Fray Miniatures
Above the Fray Miniatures produces affordable, small-batch 28mm miniatures for tabletop gaming.
We're commissioning the types of miniatures we want to see on our own gaming tables and are launching a Kickstarter--starting Nov. 9 and ending Nov. 24--believing that kindred spirits in the gaming community would enjoy including these figures in their own role playing and tabletop miniatures games.
Icons of Pulp Fantasy
We're kicking off this enterprise by launching a miniatures line we've dubbed the Icons of Pulp Fantasy, which will consist of casts of pulp-era inspired sword & sorcery miniatures as homages to the types of heroes and villains found in the works of writers such as Edgar Rice Burroughs, Fritz Leiber, H.P. Lovecraft, R.E. Howard, Clark Ashton Smith, and others.
We are currently Kickstarting the first set in what we anticipate to be an annual release of miniatures in the Icons of Pulp Fantasy line. Like you, we are gamers, and this is our way of trying to contribute something to the community that has inspired us over a lifetime.


text:
Candy Hole é uma animação americana criada por Brian Frisk para a Mondo Mini Shows, conta a história de Bunny e Cat um coelho e um gato que cairam em um buraco que os levou para o mundo doce.

Personagens
Bunny: um coelho branco adora doces e é ele que se mete em encrenca
Cat: um gato preto adora doces e segue Bunny não importa se está certo ou errado

Desenhos animados dos Estados Unidos
Programas de televisão que estrearam em 2009
Programas de televisão encerrados em 2010

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Q: events.js:142 error in node.js I have a file , in javascript , that find all the directories that match the parameter.
And i got this error:

my code:
    function getUserHome() {
        return process.env[(process.platform == 'win32') ? 'USERPROFILE' : 'HOME'];
    }

var home_path=getUserHome();

var findit  = require('findit'),
    path    = require('path'),
    finder  = findit(path.resolve(home_path));
    var myArgs = process.argv.slice(2)[0];
    var  filter1 = new RegExp(myArgs);

    //This listens for directories found
    finder.on('directory', function (dir) {
        var directories = dir.split('\\');
        var last= directories[directories.length-1].toLowerCase();

        if(filter1.test(last)){
            console.log('Directory: ' + dir );

        }
    });

(My code is a mess, i will clean it later)
How to fix that?

A: Why you didn't user the fs from Node, and look for dirs recursively? I think the error should be on the findit module...
That a look on https://nodejs.org/api/fs.html#fs_fs_readdir_path_callback or try instead the https://www.npmjs.com/package/recursive-readdir that also does it. I think that the things you use from the module findit, will be available there (like ways to ignore files)...
EDIT1: Example using recursive-readdir:
var recursive = require('recursive-readdir');

var filter1 = new RegExp(myArgs);
function ignoreFunc(file, stats) {
  return !(stats.isDirectory() && filter1.test(path.basename(file)));
}

recursive('directory', [ignoreFunc] ,function (err, files) {
  // Files is an array of filename (only the ones that matched the condition)
  console.log(files);
});

A: @Moran, can you add a console.log directly in the callback of you "directory" event ?
finder.on('directory', function (dir) {
        // Here
        console.log(dir);

       var directories = dir.split('\\');
        var last= directories[directories.length-1].toLowerCase();

        if(filter1.test(last)){
            console.log('Directory: ' + dir );

        }
    });

To see what directory is problematic ? Then compare the rights applied on this folder and a directory that work, as "comverse" for example. It would help to find your error

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


01 December 2011, 16:04 p.m.
Andrew Ashe, MD of EuroTalk, advised developers to focus on the first 60 seconds of the user's experience within an app, in order to keep them interested in your application. "If you've lost them in the first 60 seconds, you've lost them forever. Don't think that you've got something amazing later on, you've got to get it right early on," said Ashe.
Benjamin Beaumont, LiveCode Product Manager from RunRev, added that simplicity is a key part in the development and prototype process. Developers need to work on the design of an app, alongside the content. However, Beaumont said: "We are great developers but doesn't mean we are great designers." Hiring an external designer may help your process to building an app that engages with your audience.
Be aware of your own enthusiasm. Developers are to publish something that people want to use, but need to be aware that their own thoughts on the app should not cover the needs of the customer.


Boom anti-collision electronic sensor technology has been readily available for use on quay cranes for a number of years. The introduction of such technology has undoubtedly been a positive development in terms of both safety and mitigating potential losses.
In common with all technological solutions, quay crane boom anti-collision sensing equipment has been improving rapidly to a point today where selection of an appropriate system, installed correctly can prove to be a cost effective tool in the protection of what is a major capital asset for most terminal operations.
Given the established existence of such a cost effective solution, the frequency of collision incidents around the globe is perhaps surprising. Incidents where the boom of the quay crane collides with the ship's bridge, mast or antennae, can result in claims that range from the fairly modest to multi-million dollar losses.
The types of exposure will vary on the circumstances from simple repairs to the ship and/or crane to potentially significant delays to the planned departure of the ship. Ship demurrage may be financially substantial, but reputational damage particularly if the incident involves personnel, can be more damaging. In the extreme, the collision may result in the collapse of a quay crane, extensive damage to the ship, injury or fatality of personnel and business interruption for the terminal. The quay crane is a high value asset and not easily repaired or replaced; it would not be uncommon for such equipment following a severe incident to be out of operation for several months. It is a potentially sobering thought for a port or terminal to consider how the operation would cope with the absence of one of these assets.
Since technology to prevent these types of incidents is now well-established, it may seem puzzling that all terminals have not taken the decision to protect their assets, effectively eliminating this particular exposure. Unfortunately, it seems that the perceived benefit of such a comparatively modest investment is generally only fully realised once an incident has actually been experienced.
The TT Club's latest claims analysis shows that this type of incident continues to be commonplace. Over the last five years the TT Club have received over 100 boom collision claims. All types of quayside crane are at risk, including those involved in container, bulk and general cargo operations.
The most basic form of boom anti-collision technology is a 'trip wire' system, which in the absence of an explicit request for higher specification equipment may be supplied by the manufacturer. While the trip wire system is inevitably the least expensive, there are high maintenance costs due to the need to keep tension on the wire. Further, a collision will often have occurred before the device can stop the crane. At full speed a crane may be expected take about 3.5 meters to stop and the wire will typically only be activated at around one meter from the boom. Although better than nothing, this trip wire system is far from effective and should not be considered a fail-safe.
Electronic sensors are now proven to be effective and can provide warning, slow down and stop signals to prevent this type of incident entirely. TT Club recommends that such sensors are retrospectively installed to all existing quay cranes and explicitly specified for all new quay cranes. A laser sensor system from supplier Sick Sensor Technologies (www.sick.com) is widely considered as the most proven and cost effective system; this is supported by the TT Club's experts and experience. The latest sensors are simple to install and require minimum maintenance. For a cost in the region of US$15,000 per crane including installation, this is a very worthwhile investment.
However, the sensors must be installed and commissioned by a competent person. The TT Club has identified several situations where such sensors were installed and/or commissioned incorrectly,which have given rise to false alarms and nuisance operational interruptions, thus providing an unreliable experience. Where correctly installed and commissioned in our experience the equipment is in fact effective and reliable.
In one example a terminal had the sensors installed on the crane front legs looking out along each side of the boom. As a result, when the boom was raised to travel over the ship's bridge, the boom anti-collision needed to be disabled. Almost inevitably, a collision occurred on the occasion that the boom was not raised fully; incorrect installation and commissioning was the root cause. It is understood that Sick Sensor Technologies has taken positive steps to improve their installation and commissioning instructions, as well as establishing a global network of approved and competent installation contractors. The TT Club welcomes this initiative since incorrect implementations have only occurred where non-specialists have been involved at the point of manufacture or retro-fitting.
In summary, the effective selection and installation of proven electronic sensor devices to all quay crane booms, mitigating the not-unlikely risk of accidentally colliding with ships' superstructures, could save the port industry millions of dollars of damage and operational downtime.


text:
Community SpotlightNational News
Throwback: When the Olympic Torch came to Sydney's Oxford St
With Sydney recently commemorating 15 years since it hosted the 2000 Olympics, we take a look at how the LGBTI community celebrated the arrival of the Olympic Torch along the city's famous "gay strip".
Matthew Wade — October 15, 2015
Sydney Star Observer: Thursday, September 21, 2000 (Issue 526)
Sydney Star Observer; Thursday, September 21, 2000 (Issue 526)
EVEN if sport generally goes under your radar, in 2000 the chances of being caught up in the excitement around the Sydney Olympics would've been very high. The city's LGBTI community certainly made the most of it, swamping Oxford St on the day the Olympic Torch made its way through the city, arriving at midday to celebrate and see the passing of the flame.
Barry Manilow's Copacabana was played from the awnings of the Oxford Hotel as a tribute to the 81-year-old Olympian torchbearer, Lola Hardinge-Irma. Behind her, a glittering troupe of drag queens swept in with their own torch relay.
It was a festive and camp celebration, and as the torch reached its final destination at Sydney Town Hall, lesbian poet Dorothy Porter recited her poem Torch Song.
The Sydney Star Observer is what the Star Observer was known as in 2000.
Sydney's famous "gay strip" was a flurry of colours when the Olympic Torch went by Oxford St. (Sydney Star Observer; Thursday, September 21, 2000, Issue 526)
The story by Sean Maher on page 7 of SSO's issue 526 recounts the day the Olympic Torch visited Oxford St ahead of the Sydney 2000 Olympics. (Sydney Star Observer; Thursday, September 21, 2000, Issue 526)
**This article was first published in the November edition of the Star Observer, which is available to read in digital flip-book format. To obtain a physical copy, click here to find out where you can grab one in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Canberra and select regional/coastal areas.
PREVIOUS 'THROWBACK' STORIES:
WHEN PATRICK BROOKES WAS CROWNED MR LEATHER AUSTRALIA
SYDNEY STAR OBSERVER, FRIDAY JUNE 26, 1987
A HIGHLIGHT IN NSW'S DECRIMINALISATION OF HOMOSEXUALITY CAMPAIGN
ONE YEAR SINCE NEW ZEALAND ENACTED GAY MARRIAGE
AUSTRALIA MARKS GAY PRIDE WEEK
JULY 1979: A STAR IS BORN
THE STAR OBSERVER IN 1979
LAST BUT NOT LEAST: WHEN TASMANIA DECRIMINALISED HOMOSEXUALITY
[showads ad=FOOT]
Tags: 2000 Olympics. Olympic Torch RelayBarry ManilowDorothy PorterGay Historygay SydneyLGBT historyLGBT SydneyLGBTI historyLGBTI sydneyLola Hardinge-IrmaOlympic GamesOxford HotelOxford StSean MaherSSOSummer OlympicsSydney 2000Sydney Olympic TorchSydney Star Observer
Next post Queensland LNP MP Ian Rickuss slammed for seemingly anti-gay slur
Previous post Oriented: A new documentary that sheds light on unheard voices of gay Palestinians
About the Author Matthew Wade
Matthew Wade is the Editor of Star Observer. When he isn't covering the latest LGBTI news across the country, he indulges in queer cinema and nineties hip-hop. Follow him on Twitter: @MatthewRWade
Sydney Star Observer Magazine | December 2020


text:
Mechanisms of Change | Gestalt Psychotherapy in Wales
Show yourself some compassion
Show yourself some compassion today.
Even if the best you could manage was to get up, show yourself some compassion. Talk kindly to yourself and don't adhere to impossible standards imposed upon you by society or even those around you, who may be trying to be supportive. You are not here to live up to anyone else's standards.
Put your own needs first for once. Celebrate even the tiniest accomplishment. Do things that you know support you - take a bath, go for a walk, eat good food, read a book.
Looking after yourself doesn't mean 'me first', it simply means 'me too'.
So, show yourself some compassion today.
cardiff is psychotherapy right for me psychotherapy west wales
Losing a beloved pet - can therapy help?
We're about to adopt another dog - a beautiful, two year old Great Dane called Willow. She's been abused, badly treated, underfed and is covered in scars. We will never know the full story of her life up to this point but we can't wait to give her a safe and loving new home. We will welcome her, spoil her a bit, support her and train her; she will go where we go and, without a shadow of a doubt, she will sleep on our bed at night. She will be treated like one of the family - because that's exactly what she will be.
As "one of the family", pets embed themselves not just into your life but into your heart, so when they become unwell, it can be deeply emotional. Then the day you dread finally dawns - either they die or, sometimes even worse, you have to make the decision to euthanise.
This can be utterly devastating but we somehow feel as if we're not allowed to grieve publicly because it's "just" a dog or a cat. For me, there's no "just…
Game of Hormones
Game of Thrones star Kit Harington has reportedly checked into a wellness retreat to deal with "personal issues," after the blockbuster series recently came to an end. His agent said that "Kit has decided to utilise this break in his schedule as an opportunity to spend some time at a wellness retreat to work on some personal issues".
Harington, who played Jon Snow throughout the show's eight-year run, has spoken openly in the past about his struggles dealing with fame, and the emotional adjustment he was forced to make after the conclusion of the hit series.
I couldn't be more impressed or delighted to hear this and although I have no connection to the actor whatsoever, I am deeply encouraged to hear of a young man, taking an informed decision to practice some essential self-care and invest in his future. I take my hat off to him.
We men don't do half enough of it because there is still an astounding volume of stigmatisation, wrongly, I may add, surrounding men …
I can't afford it....
Reasons to not contact a therapist #1:
"I can't afford it / it's too expensive." Many people are perfectly happy with spending hundreds of pounds every year on new clothes, gadgets, beauty products, concert tickets, rugby matches, unused gym memberships, new smartphones, the latest tablets or smart-watch etc but many people are still very reluctant to spend money on themselves in terms of "self-care". Generally, we all want to be happy, worry less, stress less, and enjoy more peace and satisfaction at home, at work, and in our relationships. Seeing a therapist can help with all of those things and many others besides, so why are so many people so reluctant to "invest" in their own wellbeing?Often, we don't want to face our feelings. We crave a "quick fix" and feel that investing in happiness is "frivolous" but, if you want to change your life and you're curious about therapy just take a moment to self-reflect - on the fears, doubts, and the opinions that might be fuell…
Damian George Psychotherapy


Location: A13 (43) exit Widnau or Oberriet, about 10km to Altstätten, 15km to Appenzell, 1km before Appenzell turn left to Steinegg, Weissbad, Schwende. Follow signs to Ebenalp cable car. At the end of the road, behind the cable car parking. The caves are 15 mins walk from the upper (Ebenalp) station. Follow signs.
Dimension: A=1,477m to 1,500m asl.
Address: No address for the cave itself.
1524 first mentioned in a description of the Pilatus mountains by Joachim Vadian.
1621 cave first visited by P. Philipp Tanner, first altar in the cave built.
1646 Bau eines steinernen Altars, einer Sakristei und eines Eremitenhäuschens in der Höhle auf Veranlassung von P. Philipp.
1658-60 first hermit in the cave was Paulus Ulmann. From this time hermits, called Waldbrüder lived in the cave.
1716 first detailed description by the Capuchin P. Clemns from Appenzell in the book Naturhistorie des Schweizerlandes (Natural History of Switzerland) by Johann Jakob Scheuchzer.
1786 first copper engraving by the artist Georg Leonhard Hartmann from Sankt Gallen.
1853 the last hermit died after he took a purler when collecting leaves.
1864 first hydrogeologic dye tracing experiment, using brasilian wood, unfortunately without result.
1902 relief in the Aescher wall by Viktor von Schäffel inaugurated.
1903-1908 excavations by the St. Gallen archaeologist Emil Bächler.
1958-1960 excavations by Elisabeth Schmid.
The Wildkirchli, the name may be translated into "little church in the wilderness", is a huge cave ruin in the southeast flank of the Ebenalp mountain. It was used for several hundred years, by shepards staying there with their herds and sometimes as a church.
All in all there are various caves summarized under the term Wildkirchli or Aescher Wildkirchli. They are located at about 1,500m asl. A small wooden church is built into one entrance of the cave.
Wildkirchli at the Museum Appenzell.


text:
declare module "graceful-fs" {
  declare class Stats {
    dev: number;
    ino: number;
    mode: number;
    nlink: number;
    uid: number;
    gid: number;
    rdev: number;
    size: number;
    blksize: number;
    blocks: number;
    atime: Date;
    mtime: Date;
    ctime: Date;

    isFile(): boolean;
    isDirectory(): boolean;
    isBlockDevice(): boolean;
    isCharacterDevice(): boolean;
    isSymbolicLink(): boolean;
    isFIFO(): boolean;
    isSocket(): boolean;
  }

  declare class FSWatcher extends events$EventEmitter {
    close(): void
  }

  declare class ReadStream extends stream$Readable {
    close(): void
  }

  declare class WriteStream extends stream$Writable {
    close(): void
  }

  declare function gracefulify(fs: Object): void;
  declare function rename(oldPath: string, newPath: string, callback?: (err: ?Error) => void): void;
  declare function renameSync(oldPath: string, newPath: string): void;
  declare function ftruncate(fd: number, len: number, callback?: (err: ?Error) => void): void;
  declare function ftruncateSync(fd: number, len: number): void;
  declare function truncate(path: string, len: number, callback?: (err: ?Error) => void): void;
  declare function truncateSync(path: string, len: number): void;
  declare function chown(path: string, uid: number, gid: number, callback?: (err: ?Error) => void): void;
  declare function chownSync(path: string, uid: number, gid: number): void;
  declare function fchown(fd: number, uid: number, gid: number, callback?: (err: ?Error) => void): void;
  declare function fchownSync(fd: number, uid: number, gid: number): void;
  declare function lchown(path: string, uid: number, gid: number, callback?: (err: ?Error) => void): void;
  declare function lchownSync(path: string, uid: number, gid: number): void;
  declare function chmod(path: string, mode: number | string, callback?: (err: ?Error) => void): void;
  declare function chmodSync(path: string, mode: number | string): void;
  declare function fchmod(fd: number, mode: number | string, callback?: (err: ?Error) => void): void;
  declare function fchmodSync(fd: number, mode: number | string): void;
  declare function lchmod(path: string, mode: number | string, callback?: (err: ?Error) => void): void;
  declare function lchmodSync(path: string, mode: number | string): void;
  declare function stat(path: string, callback?: (err: ?Error, stats: Stats) => any): void;
  declare function statSync(path: string): Stats;
  declare function fstat(fd: number, callback?: (err: ?Error, stats: Stats) => any): void;
  declare function fstatSync(fd: number): Stats;
  declare function lstat(path: string, callback?: (err: ?Error, stats: Stats) => any): void;
  declare function lstatSync(path: string): Stats;
  declare function link(srcpath: string, dstpath: string, callback?: (err: ?Error) => void): void;
  declare function linkSync(srcpath: string, dstpath: string): void;
  declare function symlink(srcpath: string, dtspath: string, type?: string, callback?: (err: ?Error) => void): void;
  declare function symlinkSync(srcpath: string, dstpath: string, type: string): void;
  declare function readlink(path: string, callback: (err: ?Error, linkString: string) => void): void;
  declare function readlinkSync(path: string): string;
  declare function realpath(path: string, cache?: Object, callback?: (err: ?Error, resolvedPath: string) => void): void;
  declare function realpathSync(path: string, cache?: Object): string;
  declare function unlink(path: string, callback?: (err: ?Error) => void): void;
  declare function unlinkSync(path: string): void;
  declare function rmdir(path: string, callback?: (err: ?Error) => void): void;
  declare function rmdirSync(path: string): void;
  declare function mkdir(path: string, mode?: number, callback?: (err: ?Error) => void): void;
  declare function mkdirSync(path: string, mode?: number): void;
  declare function readdir(path: string, callback?: (err: ?Error, files: Array<string>) => void): void;
  declare function readdirSync(path: string): Array<string>;
  declare function close(fd: number, callback?: (err: ?Error) => void): void;
  declare function closeSync(fd: number): void;
  declare function open(path: string, flags: string, mode?: number, callback?: (err: ?Error, fd: number) => void): void;
  declare function openSync(path: string, flags: string, mode?: number): number;
  declare function utimes(path: string, atime: number, mtime: number, callback?: (err: ?Error) => void): void;
  declare function utimesSync(path: string, atime: number, mtime: number): void;
  declare function futimes(fd: number, atime: number, mtime: number, callback?: (err: ?Error) => void): void;
  declare function futimesSync(fd: number, atime: number, mtime: number): void;
  declare function fsync(fd: number, callback?: (err: ?Error) => void): void;
  declare function fsyncSync(fd: number): void;
  declare var write: (fd: number, buffer: Buffer, offset: number, length: number, position?: mixed, callback?: (err: ?Error, write: number, str: string) => void) => void
                   | (fd: number, data: mixed, position?: mixed, encoding?: string, callback?: (err: ?Error, write: number, str: string) => void) => void;
  declare var writeSync: (fd: number, buffer: Buffer, offset: number, length: number, position?: number) => number
                       | (fd: number, data: mixed, position?: mixed, encoding?: string) => number;
  declare function read(
    fd: number,
    buffer: Buffer,
    offset: number,
    length: number,
    position: ?number,
    callback?: (err: ?Error, bytesRead: number, buffer: Buffer) => void
  ): void;
  declare function readSync(
    fd: number,
    buffer: Buffer,
    offset: number,
    length: number,
    position: number
  ): number;
  declare function readFile(
    filename: string,
    callback: (err: ?Error, data: Buffer) => void
  ): void;
  declare function readFile(
    filename: string,
    encoding: string,
    callback: (err: ?Error, data: string) => void
  ): void;
  declare function readFile(
    filename: string,
    options: { encoding: string; flag?: string },
    callback: (err: ?Error, data: string) => void
  ): void;
  declare function readFile(
    filename: string,
    options: { flag?: string },
    callback: (err: ?Error, data: Buffer) => void
  ): void;
  declare function readFileSync(filename: string, _: void): Buffer;
  declare function readFileSync(filename: string, encoding: string): string;
  declare function readFileSync(filename: string, options: { encoding: string, flag?: string }): string;
  declare function readFileSync(filename: string, options: { encoding?: void, flag?: string }): Buffer;
  declare function writeFile(
    filename: string,
    data: Buffer | string,
    options?: Object | string,
    callback?: (err: ?Error) => void
  ): void;
  declare function writeFileSync(
    filename: string,
    data: Buffer | string,
    options?: Object | string
  ): void;
  declare function appendFile(filename: string, data: string | Buffer, options?: Object, callback?: (err: ?Error) => void): void;
  declare function appendFileSync(filename: string, data: string | Buffer, options?: Object): void;
  declare function watchFile(filename: string, options?: Object, listener?: (curr: Stats, prev: Stats) => void): void;
  declare function unwatchFile(filename: string, listener?: (curr: Stats, prev: Stats) => void): void;
  declare function watch(filename: string, options?: Object, listener?: (event: string, filename: string) => void): FSWatcher;
  declare function exists(path: string, callback?: (exists: boolean) => void): void;
  declare function existsSync(path: string): boolean;
  declare function access(path: string, mode?: any, callback?: (err: ?Error) => void): void;
  declare function accessSync(path: string, mode?: any): void;
  declare function createReadStream(path: string, options?: Object): ReadStream;
  declare function createWriteStream(path: string, options?: Object): WriteStream;

  declare var F_OK: number;
  declare var R_OK: number;
  declare var W_OK: number;
  declare var X_OK: number;
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


After months and months of anticipation, it's finally here.
It's our time! We get to sew, to make quilts, to sew, to create neat stitchy-stuff, to sew, to have fun, to sew with friends, etc. Okay, so I hope you're doing that every month but this month is extra-special. If someone asks if we're "sewing again?", we get to reply that we're celebrating an important national event! Betsy Ross? Without her, there wouldn't be a Flag Day and the 4th of July… I rest my case.
So stock up on ready-to-eat meals, lay in a supply of your "sewing snack" of choice and pull out a new package of rotary cutting blades because it's National Sewing Month!
Zippers. Make sure to stock up on zippers… okay, maybe that's just me.
Help me. I can't stop making zipper bags. This was made using scraps – literally! – from the cuttings left after making the headers/cap-sets for the sales reps. The prints are from the "coming soon" Regent Street 2015 Lawns collection and the base-fabric is the new Barkcloth. It's a little thicker than the Mochi Linen but it is so dreamy-soft – I'm looking forward to playing sewing with this for other projects. The bag pattern is the Wide Open Zipper Bag by Anna Graham – Noodlehead.
The first Frivol is with Hello Darling by Bonnie & Camille. You knew that, right? The title of this quilt is Kindred. This was one of the blocks I drew up before we knew what the fabric collections would be. When Hello Darling was chosen, I knew this would fit the fabrics well, and I liked the association of an Album Block with Bonnie and Camille. The block is associated with family, friendship and community, and that's them, Moda's first mother-daughter design duo.
I also knew that the block was one of Camille's favorites, she had used it for Vintage, a quilt in her best-selling book, Simply Retro. So while this was in the planning stages, I asked if she had any objections to our using this block for this quilt. I don't recall the exact reply but it was something to the effect of "I didn't invent the block… it's in every block book… are you kidding?".
The block is relatively easy to piece – it's just squares, rectangles and setting triangles. The only thing that will mess anybody up is seam allowance – this is one of those blocks where accuracy matters.
There is one important thing to mention about the block and pattern – a discrepancy that is the result of a new pattern-writing process for many of us. The numbers in the pattern are correct but there is still an error.
In the Kindred pattern, the setting squares are cut at 3 1/4″ x 3 1/4″, and it states that the squares are cut over-sized to allow for trimming. Trimming instructions are provided. The 3 1/4″ x 3 1/4″ size is for true-to-size piecing. With accurate – perfect – cutting, seam allowance and pressing, the blocks will measure exactly 9″ x 9″. Only the four corners will need to be trimmed.
As originally written, those squares were to be cut at 3 1/2″ x 3 1/2″, and the yardage is calculated for cutting the strips and squares to that size. During the technical editing process, the numbers were changed to the exact-piecing size. That wouldn't be a problem except that the pattern says the squares are over-sized.
So I goofed. When I did one of the final proofs of the pattern, I should have compared the pattern to my original notes. The "new" numbers are correct but the pattern is misleading… so it's wrong. And I'm sorry for that.
If there is an upside, it's that we've gone over our process to ensure that we get better. The next three "finished" Frivols patterns have been re-read, re-proofed and re-tested.
So if you haven't cut out your background squares yet – where it has you cutting 3 1/4″ strips and squares, make that 3 1/2″.
I did make a couple of the Maker blocks – enough to make something cute to use right away. The block instructions are on the really cute quote/block cards included the Frivol. We asked the designers of the fabric collections to send us one of their favorite quotes, and it's been a lot of fun to learn a little bit about them by reading their selections.
We're posting blocks and quilts to Instagram and Facebook using the #modafrivols tag.
Yes, making more blocks is on my "to do list" for September. I am hoping to make a small sampler quilt using one of each block… and another larger quilt using multiples of each block – the same block, just made differently to make them look like different blocks. And both sizes – yes, I'm making both sizes of blocks. At least that's my plan… we'll see how that goes.
And more of these. Really. I'm obsessed.
These are the Moda Crossweaves – the textures. (The 12120 SKUs instead of the 12119s.) And another Open Wide bag.
I'm also going to try to finish my Log Cabin Swap quilt. Did I ever show you my blocks? This picture was taken before the blocks were cut into quarters and swapped.
So what are you going to sew this month?
I look forward to hearing from you … your Frivols sound like fun!
What a timely post, as I was going to work on my #1 Frivols a few days ago, but got delayed. Fate!! LOL Thank you for the correction.
What am I going to sew in September? Are you kidding: Well, where do I begin? September has always been my "time to make a Christmas Projects List" month. I think it might have to do with the kids going back to school, etc., although now I have grandchildren that are going back to school. Not living with me, but you get the picture. I have 5 Christmas quilt WIP's; not to mention these WIP's: a set of 12 Christmas placemats and a fabric basket to hold them; a flannel Miss Kate quilt to finish; about a gazillion zippered pouches, some pincushions, some quilted tote bags, and this is in addition to 1)rebinding an old quilt, 2)finishing up a hand quilted charm quilt, 3) and more projects too numerous to mention. Of course I won't get all these done, mind you, but these are what I have to play with for the next 4 months (actually minus 5 days). Sorry this post is so long. But, you did ask what we would be sewing……………………..
I am so excited! At the end of the month I am taking 2 classes at Alden Lane Quilt in the Garden. Freddie Moran and Alex Anderson! Did I say I was excited? Before that I am going to work on Lucy! Fabric all starched and pressed, now to cut and sew. And a few craft sewing projects, pennants for my granddaughter's rooms and a Bendy Bag or two…Christmas is coming!
I enjoyed reading your post! Thank you for the information on National Sewing Month, I had no clue about the history behind it and found it fascinating. Your bag is great, I have an obsession of NOT putting in zippers. LOL. But I am getting better at them. Great to know about the piecing accurately with the block. I have to many other projects going on right now, but have book marked this post to hopefully get to soon. I think it would be the perfect block to make a quilt for a family reunion coming up. Thanks for sharing everything and have a wonderful creative day!
I enjoy reading your posts.I have many projects to play with and UFO`s.You made gorgeous projects!
So many new goodies!!! I love them all!
I finished my First Frivol at a quilt retreat with my small group ! But I also decided it needed a nice border so I got two charm packs at my LQS for a nice piano key border. I didn't have any issues with the pattern so no worry on the pattern. Lots so sewing on my September list, finish My Small World by Jen Kingwell and then the border for the Frivol. Cannot wait for the next Frivol to arrive! Love reading your posts! Keep them coming!!!
ha ha. My husband will be discouraged about this news. I think he feels like EVERY MONTH is sewing month!
Ignorant question . . . The term "frivols" doesn't show up in Wiki. Is it related to "schibbles"? or does it have something to do with that cute metal box I keep seeing. Who makes it? one person or moda in general? I seem to be missing the party. See you in Houston!!!
Hi Carrie, thought of you today for reasons other than quilts or fabric. I am so glad all is well with you, and that your new life is bringing you much joy.


text:
Hi | My Account | Logout
Login | My Account | Subscribe
Serving Greeley and Weld County, CO
Go & Do
TribuneTix
The Road Ahead: Greeley seeks ways to woo its own residents
Dan England dengland@greeleytribune.com
Share Tweet Comments (0)
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY JOSHUA POLSON/jpolson@greeleytribune.com
" " |
JOSHUA POLSON/jpolson@greeleytribune.com
Matt Ellis makes a big splash as he works his way through the mud at the end of the Poudre River Trail Challenge on Sept. 22 in Greeley.
Piña coladas shine in the sun as the Rio Grande's bartender Rachel Artz pours out a few Go-Cups for two customers on the 9th Street Plaza in downto...
of images
A few ideas on how to get engaged
» Attend a high school football game. Northridge High School is off to a great start.
» Visit art galleries during First Friday, then stop by the 9th Street Plaza in downtown Greeley and enjoy the new Go-Cup district, which allows you to carry a cup of alcohol outside.
» Subscribe to your local newspaper. Just saying.
» Call the city clerk's office and volunteer for one of the many boards and commissions that help govern the city.
» If you love something about the city, there's probably a way to volunteer to make it better. Find out how.
» Defend Greeley when prairie dog lovers from Boulder disparage it.
» Attend Greeley's major events.
» Greeley-Evans School District 6 is promoting community engagement as one of its goals, as well. Go to http://www.greeleyschools.org and click on the Get Involved initiative.
» Call the United Way of Weld County. The organization can match your desire to volunteer with an organization that may need your skills. You can also go to http://www.unitedway-weld.org.
» Shop locally. You might run into people you know.
» Take one of the many homeless dogs for a walk at the Humane Society of Weld County.
Mandy Alvarez once lived in California, home of Hollywood, Mickey Mouse and Surfin' U.S.A.
But Alvarez, 37, is glad to be home in Greeley. She moved back to her hometown to raise a daughter, who is now 19. She worked at the Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant as a manager for 15 years and just left to become a nursing student at the University of Northern Colorado.
"Since the move back, I have been bitten by an odd and rather unexpected love bug for my town," Alvarez said.
A big reason for that is Neighborhood Nights, a simple slumber party and free movie hosted by the city of Greeley several times a summer in different areas of town. Alvarez adores it. She brought her daughter there for years, and now she carts her two other kids, 5 and 7, and their air mattress and takes in "E.T." or a nap.
The first time Rhonda Welch met Alvarez, Alvarez raved about Neighborhood Nights, and Welch, special events coordinator for the city, gave her a hug.
If only there were more like her. In fact, Welch may have given Alvarez a hug because she, like many others who work to make Greeley a better place, usually hears the opposite.
How Greeley residents feel about their own city may be creating a toxic problem: Many don't want to invest in it, emotionally, physically and economically. They aren't buying into Greeley. And when that happens, they don't vote for extra taxes to improve schools or roads. They don't attend events that make Greeley proud. They don't encourage others to come out for a visit. They don't spend their money here. They work somewhere else.
In the past year-and-a-half, in The Tribune's Road Ahead series, we've presented many issues facing Greeley in the next 50 years. But it's possible that its own residents, and their attitudes about Greeley, may be the biggest. Just listen to Sarah MacQuiddy, president of the Greeley Chamber of Commerce. The chamber promotes sunshine — literally, 300 days out of the year — and metaphorical rainbows. Yet she's worried.
"I've been here 35 years, and the dynamics have changed from what I remember Greeley to be," MacQuiddy said. "I think there's been a real shift. I think people do respect Greeley and like it here. 'Just don't ask me to do a whole lot.' "
In the past, city officials might have simply hoped that one day, Greeley residents would just get over their inferiority complex and the ambivalence that results from it. But now, for the first time in Greeley's history, city and school officials have a plan.
'You have to start internally'
Becky Safarik, Greeley's assistant city manager and a longtime resident who raised her kids here, really has just one overarching goal.
"I want Greeley to be her best," she said.
If Safarik does ever need a pick-me-up, all she has to do is look at her office wall decorated with snippets of examples when Greeley was her best, like events on the Poudre River Trail that just this year drew hundreds more than expected.
Safarik had heard for years about how Greeley smelled like cows, or how gangs ran free downtown, or how it just didn't seem to belong with glorious Boulder or Fort Collins or even Loveland. What's worse, her optimistic self began to believe it.
It made her angry. One of her favorite quotes, one she keeps handy, goes like this: "The moon would never rise if it paid attention to all the dogs barking at it."
"You know, in the past, we've probably been a little soft, or embarrassed, about all these perceptions that just weren't true," she said. "No more. It's time to tell our own stories."
Mayor Tom Norton and the Greeley City Council agreed and named the city's image as a top-four priority this year among the predictable things such as public safety, infrastructure and economic development. That means devoting staff time, and thousands of dollars, in an unusual attempt to change how the city's perceived. Plans call for a marketing initiative that will cost Greeley more than $700,000 during the next four years. The money comes from the lodging tax, which was designed to raise money to promote Greeley, and the work's already started with four marketing firms charged with dispelling those perceptions. The top five appear to be about Greeley's odor, gangs, its school system, immigration and racial issues, and the belief that Greeley is a small city with nothing to do.
This is not a marketing campaign to promote tourism. Plenty of cities have those. What makes this unusual is that city officials and the mayor both say they must focus on Greeley's own residents, who believe many of those same perceptions that Denver or Boulder residents appear to believe.
"You have to start internally," Norton said. "Then it becomes easier because they become your salespeople."
It's a new approach for Greeley. Norton talks to many other city councils and mayors, and he's never heard of anything similar.
"I think a lot of councils are concerned about image," he said, "but this is unusual in the sense that we are spending some dollars and being so up front about it. But people do want an identity where they live. They want to tell their family about it, and when people come out here, they want to show it off."
Safarik, for all her positivity, knows Greeley has problems, and those perceptions, like all stereotypes, have a smidgen of truth to them. It will be a tough fight, she said, one that will take several years.
But without a base of residents who believe in Greeley, no serious progress will be made to solve those problems. She saw a real spark lit by Jamie Vollmer's visit to Greeley a couple months ago: His message, one that's taken him across the country, is "schools can't do it alone." Neither can Greeley.
"How we change Greeley is with each other," Safarik said.
The reason residents do buy in to their communities may have a great deal to do with their perceptions, but those perceptions may come from a number of factors that may not have anything to do with stinky cows.
David Thomas was an executive in the airline and travel marketing industries before he began teaching at UNC in 2005. When Thomas was 6, his parents moved him from the northwest Kansas farm he loved to the city. That was a long time ago, decades ago, and he still looks wistful. It drove him to study why places have such a pull on people.
Exactly what places mean to people, and how the actions of those places affect the way people buy into them, was the basis of his dissertation at Colorado State University.
"I think it's really interesting what Greeley is doing," Thomas said. "It's taking a good, hard look at itself and asking where it wants to be. You have to step backward with an unguarded eye. That's a tough question to ask, and the question is, do you really want to hear the answer?"
Talking up Greeley
Thomas believes successful cities do three things well: They act as the center of commerce, provide safety and cherish and protect their sacred places. What are sacred places? That depends on the person, but residents generally name parks, churches, schools, neighborhoods and places to gather, such as Red Rocks in Morrison. If those places are valued, Thomas said, that's what leads people to invest emotionally, socially and economically. So if someone falls in love with, say, Josephine Jones Park because it's a quiet, beautiful place to run in the morning, it may lead that person to consider Greeley home.
"And if you value it, you don't let others devalue it," Thomas said.
That's where the city's image campaign comes in. Others have essentially devalued Greeley for years, and it's possible those comments have kept residents from appreciating what's great here, which in turn makes it harder for them to buy into their city.
Thomas, like many others, is hearing more conversations than ever about Greeley's future, and that excites him. But he also sees a small problem with the city's campaign, and that's a serious mistrust with government, whether it's local or national. That's a tough hurdle, and that's why businesses generally are the ones that most impact a community's sense of place. Another hurdle is only 10 percent of all businesses, organizations and places make what he calls a "transformational" impact. It goes beyond just caring or a desire to do better.
"That's because it takes a lot of energy and smarts and resources to be transformational," Thomas said. "Many people don't want to be engaged."
Safarik recognized this, as well, and that's why part of the plan was to have others talk up Greeley. As she said, she can't do it alone. As it turned out, someone else, a business leader, had the same idea for years.
On Monday, Chalice Springfield had her first Champions Group meeting. It's a group of influential people from nonprofits, churches, businesses, education and government who will not just defend Greeley but spread the word about what's great about it.
Springfield is the chief executive officer of Sears Real Estate. Springfield knows what you're thinking: This is a sales pitch. Not true. The commissions in Fort Collins or Loveland are higher. This was an idea she'd kicked around in her 21 years of living here, the top of what she called her "someday maybe" list. But she got tired of friends leaving. She continues to be tired of top executives at JBS USA, UNC and North Colorado Medical Center living somewhere else.
She loves Greeley because she grew up in Colorado Springs, and that city was insular. She didn't know any neighbors. She started working at Sears Real Estate when she was 19 while she attended UNC and was struck by its openness. She doesn't know how the group will go, but a goal could be to spread the word about positive things about Greeley, all those little cool things about it that get buried under all the complaints about cows. She doesn't necessarily want to sell everyone on Greeley, but she does want to give it a chance to compete with the other cities in northern Colorado.
"We want a seat at the table," she said.
Springfield hoped to restart an older tradition of residents gathering to talk up their towns. Rotary seems to be the only place that still does that, she said. That's a void. Even so, she doesn't want a weekly meeting either.
"I don't want this to be an albatross," she said. "I just want it to be engaging. It's time to spread the word."
Schools battle 'Bright Flight'
Despite the efforts of Greeley's city officials to improve its image and get its residents engaged, perhaps no organization could use one of Safarik's pick-me-ups more than Greeley-Evans School District 6.
The perception of Greeley's schools has hurt the town's business prospects to the point where Greeley's chamber formed an education committee to lend a hand. Jim Elsberry, The Tribune's former publisher who now teaches at UNC and consults for newspapers, is a member of the committee and led the first drive to increase taxes back in 2008 to get our impoverished district more money. It was crushed. Elsberry expected that because of the timing: The country was in the worst recession since the Great Depression, and Greeley suffers from a higher poverty rate than its neighbors to the west and north.
It's also true that the city's street tax to fix the withering roads was also crushed. Greeley is a conservative district with an anti-tax mentality. Perhaps a greater indictment about schools comes from the hundreds of adults who pulled their kids out of Greeley for other schools in Windsor and Severance.
"Bright Flight is the issue," Elsberry said. "My opinion is once those parents pull them out, they're gone. I don't think it's ever too late. I don't think we're at a tipping point. We have 19,000 students. It's a big district. The point is to improve so they don't want to pull them out."
Elsberry was encouraged by the large number of school board candidates in the last election, and he worked to get District 6 Board of Education President Doug Lidiak elected. Elsberry said that's proof that not all residents are disengaged from the district.
He's also encouraged by the education committee's efforts to reach parents who either did pull their kids or may do so soon.
"We want to have a community conversation," Elsberry said. "What pissed them off? Why did they leave?"
That's the same kind of unusual outreach city officials are proposing to have with residents, and those on the school board believe it may be a way to get residents engaged again. Board members visit schools, for instance, and now they want the public to come along with them. Community engagement is one of the primary goals of the district this year, as well.
"We want to build up that rapport," Lidiak said. "We need to do more showing than telling."
There's all kinds of ideas on how to do that, some as simple as replacing paper placemats in restaurants with information about District 6. But that rapport must happen soon, Lidiak said. Because of the baby boomers, just a quarter of the population in Greeley has a child in public schools. Sure, families are pulling their kids, but that's also a reflection of the aging population, a population that doesn't see the value of schools once their kids graduate. That's a nationwide problem. The district needs to win those people back.
"Our community has lost that concept that the success of a school system is an indication of how your city will go," he said. "We want to reconnect our school system with the success of our city. If we could do that, that would be huge."
But even those who love Greeley are worried about District 6's efforts to get any new tax issues approved at all.
"I don't have a whole lot of trust under the current atmosphere that any of that will be done," said Al Dominguez, Greeley's former longtime district attorney who serves on many boards, including chairman of NCMC. "How do we educate folks that these are necessary expenses?"
Dominguez went on to say that he thought this was a statewide problem, and that raises the question of whether residents in other cities buy in to their town. Certainly many other cities don't have Greeley's image problem. But are residents engaged even if they like where they live?
This is, after all, not the first time someone raised this issue.
Declining social capital
Almost 20 years ago, Robert Putnam wrote "Bowling Alone," a book about America's "declining social capital." Putnam argued that the reduction of in-person, social connections between people undermined the civic engagement that makes democracy work. Civic organizations have lost members or don't exist at all, which is one reason Springfield, Sears Real Estate CEO, wants to start her Champions Group.
Putnam was criticized by some for reaching those conclusions, given there's evidence to the contrary, such as the high voter turnout in the last two presidential elections. You could also argue that social media such as Facebook has replaced the need for civic organizations or bowling leagues.
But many others did think Putnam raised some good points, and there's no doubt his concern is the concern of many, which is why Putnam's book receives so much attention.
MacQuiddy, the chamber president, worries about Greeley because of its residents' reluctance to embrace it.
The Greeley Blues Jam has grown into a national event, thanks to the hard work of people such as Pam and Al Bricker, but that growth comes from traveling blues fans such as the Brickers, not from Greeley residents, MacQuiddy said. The city's Farmers Market is empty on weekdays, even now, during its peak growing season. Even the Greeley Stampede, the city's centerpiece event and its time to shine, isn't getting the attendance it could.
Yet while those are local examples, she also believes this is a national problem, one raised by Putnam and one many cities face, whether or not they have an image crisis. There are many bedroom communities across the country — just look at the Denver area — that split residents' time between two places. Employers are asking more from their employees, especially since the economic crisis, MacQuiddy said. The lower-paying jobs that many have to take mean both parents are working and may have to take second jobs to make it.
There's also the simple fact that Greeley isn't a small city any longer. It's pushing 100,000. And that small-town feel that helps engage residents isn't there any longer. Many small towns are now small cities.
MacQuiddy believes all those problems can be addressed by informing residents about the opportunities Greeley, or any city for that matter, has to offer. But she's at a loss at the best way to do that.
The local paper (ahem) is an option, although it's not the only option these days. MacQuiddy doesn't know where to reach the most people, and social media, which seems to be a good way to engage residents, at least with each other, is also part of the problem, she said. Some read Facebook, some do Twitter, some read the paper, some read forums at, say, 14ers.com. Some play Angry Birds. There's no local TV station in Greeley, and some listen to the radio, but there are many different stations.
This is why MacQuiddy wishes the Stampede, Blues Jam and other events were more popular with Greeley residents. That's an opportunity for interaction and engagement and a place for people to gather and pass along what else is great about Greeley and what else she has to offer.
"People become so embedded in work and kids and life," MacQuiddy said, "that they forget about the amenities we have here."
Yet there are events that encourage the kind of engagement city officials are looking for. Neighborhood Nights, for instance, hooked Mandy Alvarez on her hometown. Welch started it in 1988. The Discovery Bay in east Greeley offered a free night at its pool to go along with a screening of "Winter." The pool was so packed with residents from all areas of town, even the west side, that some had to bring their kids the next day.
"We see folks from all walks of life sitting out there," Welch said.
Before this sounds like "We Are The World," Welch acknowledges that putting Neighborhood Nights in different areas of town also keeps some people away. That's a challenge, she said. The event averages 400-500 people per showing. Other events, such as the Arts Picnic, can draw 10,000 in a day, Welch said, but Neighborhood Nights has a certain charm despite Greeley residents' reluctance to travel across 23rd Avenue.
"People always feel comfortable in their own neighborhoods," she said. "That might make it more difficult for us than in other cities. But I see families with beds out there, with kids in their PJs and blankets. We have a huge variety of people who are regulars.
"That makes me happy. We want people happy here."
Setting a culture
Greeley officials can take heart in the fact that they are not fighting a lost cause. There are people who love Greeley and are engaged in making it a better place. These people offer hope that the city's plan to polish its image could recruit others to the cause.
John Haefeli carries a last name that's on the lips of every cause in Greeley. Sometimes that's a burden, even after his mother's death. Maybe especially after Julianne's death.
"People have said, 'You know, your mother would want you to do this,' " John said and laughed. "That's kind of a lowbrow line actually."
But John also knows it's probably true. Julianne died in March at age 82, but up until her passing, she served on dozens of boards, started the Guadalupe Shelter and raised millions for organizations such as NCMC and A Woman's Place. Her husband, Joseph, an eye doctor who died in 1997, served in the Catholic Church and the Salvation Army.
Now that John is "retired" from teaching at Greeley West High School, a term he uses with air quotes given that he still coaches baseball and teaches at UNC, he serves on many organizations himself. That was always his decision, he said, but it was expected, and Catholic guilt goes a long way. He serves on the foundations of the Chamber of Commerce, NCMC and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Weld County.
John jokes about the burden of being a Haefeli, but he loves being engaged in his town. In fact, he may run for a local office one day, perhaps on the city council.
"I thank God for the way they raised me," John said. "She had a belief in what Greeley could be."
It was the Haefeli culture that pushed John into buying into Greeley, and culture may have as much to do with service as any other factor.
Jeff and Kelly Cook started the Atlas church, a funky place of worship that showcases its talented artists and musicians along with a philosophical approach to God. It is a house of intellectuals, a place to serve what Jeff calls the "16th Street" culture, a population in Greeley that values liberal ideals, education and independent thought. But the underlying desire of the Atlas' population is a desire to serve. That's partly because that's the kind of person the Atlas attracts, both said, but that culture also rubs off on others. The Cooks call it "creating an atmosphere."
"We think they were tired of their parents of the '80s who tended to be insular," Kelly said. "They don't want that for themselves. It's a general idea they have about stepping outside their comfort zone."
That could come from their love for Greeley, and therefore, their desire to make it better. Kelly is an artist who once did a show on Greeley's strengths, and Jeff teaches philosophy at UNC.
"I've never felt any snottiness in Greeley," Kelly said, "and there's so much to do here, you actually have to pay attention."
Though the city isn't ready to release what those marketing firms are creating for Greeley, a common theme may be not only acknowledging its differences, but also embracing them, Safarik said. If this sounds like one of her pick-me-ups, well, here goes.
Arron Chambers, pastor of Journey Christian Church in Greeley, came from Florida, had many job offers and could live anywhere. Yet he chooses Greeley. He and more than 300 volunteers painted the walls of John Evans Middle School and saved the district tens of thousands of dollars. He's helping to lead an effort, along with some of Greeley's city leaders, to diminish the number of new gang recruits by reaching out to the kids one at a time. He and his wife want to build a playground.
Why? Ask him that, and he gets a little fired up.
He visited the Family FunPlex the other day and got a magazine crammed with activities to keep his kids busy. There are more parks in Greeley than anywhere else he's seen. You want nature? Look at those mountains, he said. You want a good climate? The weather here is pretty great, he said as his voice rose. There's more arts than you might think. There's music downtown on Friday nights, and if it's First Friday, at least a dozen places are open late to show off their new art exhibits, he said. Sports teams are less than an hour away, and so are those mountains.
"What else do you want in a community?" Chambers said.
Can he get an amen?
Trending In: Local
After two decades, John Sandoval leads authorities to body of Tina Tournai Sandoval, missing now 21 years
Action Line: Do news anchors wear their own clothes?
Action Line: Smoking near gas pumps is illegal and dangerous
Man receives 24-year sentence in sex assault on UNC student
Trending Sitewide
Wind 6 mph North West
Was Trump right to declare an emergency on the southern border to fund a wall?
Yes. It is an emergency.
If it's the only way to get it done, I'm OK with it.
No. It's just politics.
Let's build a wall around Trump.
Vail – Colorado
Aspen – Colorado
Winter Park – Colorado
Breckenridge – Colorado
Snowmass – Colorado
Rifle – Colorado
Eagle Valley – Colorado
Colorado Ag News – Fence Post
Windsor – Colorado
Glenwood Springs – Colorado


text:
Ford Wheelchair Vans
Mobility Conversion
Ford Mobility Program
Ford Accessibility Features
Safety Reviews
You Are Here: Home » Road Tests » Road Test : 2007 Ford E-Series Wheelchair Vans
Road Test : 2007 Ford E-Series Wheelchair Vans
Filed in Road Tests.
The 2007 Ford E-Series Wheelchair Van
Most E-Series vans are destined for use in commercial settings. Some do become personal vehicles and some of those are wheelchair vans.
There is a significant downside to using a full-sized van as a mobility vehicle. Fuel economy isn't impressive and the aforementioned handling issues are an issue, as well.
However, full-sized vans offer more space for access than do minivans and they're capable of utilizing heavy-duty lifts in both rear- and side-entry configurations.
Most conversions involve lowering the floor of the vehicle, installing an auto kneel system and setting up the ramp or lift. Seating can be reconfigured as necessary and the E-Series is amenable to all other popular conversions.
Overall, converting a Ford van for wheelchair use provides a great deal of convenience in terms of access, but also brings with it a full slate of unique issues and limitations.
Not Very Different
Ford hasn't significantly changed its full-sized E-Series vans for well over a decade. The exterior design hasn't changed a great deal. The mechanics remain consistent year after year, as well.
That hasn't hurt Ford so far. They continue to dominate the full-sized van market on the basis of reputation and durability. The E-150, E-250 and E-350 are solid, nearly indestructible working vans.
However, this may mark the last year that Ford is able to rest on its laurels. The Dodge Sprinter is offering many of the same benefits touted by the E-Series while providing a much better overall driving experience.
Rome wasn't built in a day and Ford won't lose its position in the marketplace that quickly, either.
The 2007 line of E-Series vans still provides a range of solid choices for those who need a heavy-duty work vehicle. However, one must wonder how long these vehicles will remain in the top spot.
Ford Handicap Van Model Lineup
E-Series vans come in three different trim levels.
XL: The XL is the base model. It's a no-frills version of the van. Its features include:
XLT: While the XL is up to the task for many commercial applications, the XLT creates a more well-rounded package. It adds:
Superior headlights
Improved sound system
Chateau: Some buyers plan to use these full-sized vans as standard passenger vehicles. The Chateau package turns the E-150 into more attractive everyday driver. Exterior improvements include:
Two-tone paint job
E-Series vans are available in special package options, as well. These are designed to make conversions easier for some special applications. There's no option for wheelchair van conversion, though. Buyers will need to consult with a conversion manufacturer to create an ideal mobility vehicle.
Lack Of Style and Appearance
E-Series wheelchair vans are boxy, rectangular and, quite frankly, old and boring. While there's a strong underlying logic supporting the decision to focus on utility over appearance, the lack of a significant update since the 1990s is beginning to show. When compared with the European styling of the Dodge Sprinter, for instance, the E-Series vans look positively retro.
The interior isn't exciting, either. Again, the focus is squarely on function and that's understandable. However, that doesn't justify Ford's continued use of old-fashioned dashboards and instrumentation. The seats aren't particularly comfortable, either. These vans are well-built, but they aren't exciting.
Ford does provide some interesting interior options, however. Buyers who have particular plans in mind for their vehicles may be interested in special bin storage systems, tool racks and other from-the-factor features.
The E-150, E-250 and E-350 are available with a range of different engine options. There are three gasoline burning Triton engines. Two of those are V8s and the third is an extremely powerful V10. All of those options come with a four-speed automatic transmission.
You can add a turbo-diesel V8 to the E-350. It provides 235 horsepower and an impressive 440 pound-feet of torque. The 32-valve engine is matched with a five-speed automatic transmission.
Driving the 2007 E-Series Wheelchair Van
For many years, it was easy to overlook the obvious performance shortcomings of the E-Series handicap vans. Competitors weren't providing a better driving experience and there are inherent limitations associated with the class.
It's getting harder to accept the E-Series' lack of acceleration, slow braking and poor responsiveness, however. Technology has improved considerably over the last several years and Ford just hasn't kept up with it. Its competitor, the Dodge Sprinter, is often compared to SUV in terms of drivability. The E-Series full-size mobility vans, however, still feel more like old trucks than anything else does.
Ford offers the E-150, E-250 and E-350 with standard safety equipment including antilock brakes, stability control and a full complement of airbags. Other safety features, including front and rear parking sensors are also available. The E-Series continues to score well in collision testing and its sheer mass makes it even safer in crash scenarios.
If you're considering a Ford E-150, E-250 or E-350 for use as a commercial vehicle, you can justify the purchase. Ford's days in the sun may be approaching their end, however, and there are superior options available.
If you're considering an E-Series van for your next mobility vehicle, you'll want to weight the access advantages against the driving quality limitations, lack of fuel efficiency and overall expense. While it may be a good choice for some individuals, most will find it bigger than necessary and will be turned off by those problems.
On the Road: 2003 Ford Windstar Wheelchair Vans
Road Test : 2008 Ford E-Series Wheelchair Van
We Road Test : 2010 Ford E-Series Wheelchair Van
On the Road: 2005 Ford Freestar Wheelchair Vans
How Best to Pay for Ford Wheelchair Vans
Tips: How Ford Wheelchair Van Finance Really Works
Ford Wheelchair Van Finance & Insurance
Before You Adapt Ford Wheelchair Vans
Ford Adapting & Conversion Guide
Driving Evaluators Ensure Your Ford Wheelchair Van Is Right for You
Editorial: Second-Rate 2009 Ford E-Series Wheelchair Vans
Editorial: Undesireable 2010 Ford E-Series Wheelchair Vans
Editorial: Disappointing 2003 Ford Windstar Wheelchair Vans
Editorial: Lackluster 2006 Ford Freestar Wheelchair Vans
Safety Considerations: Ford E-Series Wheelchair Vans
Don't Miss Safety Reviews
Safety of Ford Windstar and Freestar Wheelchair Vans
© 2010-2020 Ford Wheelchair Vans All Rights Reserved.
| Ford Mobility Program
| Consumer Guide
| Ford Wheelchair Van Reviews
| Finance & Insurance
Ford Wheelchair Vans is an independent Ford wheelchair van information website only. Ford Wheelchair Vans is not in any way related to, affiliated with, endorsed or sponsored by Ford Motor Company. The Ford names and logos are trademarks owned by Ford Motor Company. Information published on Ford Wheelchair Vans is only the opinion of Ford Wheelchair Vans authors and editors for entertainment purposes only. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of the Ford Wheelchair Vans Terms & Conditions & Privacy Policy


text:
Published on J.R.'s Family Bar-B-Q (https://www.jrsbarbq.com)
Home > RINGSIDE w/ Jim Ross in Knoxville & Houston, PWInsider Rocks Ross Report Podcast, Big News on Taz, WWE2K16, @JRsBBQ on Twitter
RINGSIDE w/ Jim Ross in Knoxville & Houston, PWInsider Rocks Ross Report Podcast, Big News on Taz, WWE2K16, @JRsBBQ on Twitter
Greetings to all and thanks for stopping by. Hope that if you live in the Knoxville or Houston area that you are getting excited for our September RINGSIDE w/ Jim Ross Shows coming your way. Thursday Sept 10 at the Interpretational in Knoxville at 8 pm and tickets are available at www.ticketweb.com [1] starting at $20 plus Sunday Sept 20 in Houston at Warehouse Live Ballroom, only a 10 minute walk from the Toyota Center where WWE will present Night of Champions after our 4 pm show, and tickets are on sale now at www.ticketfly.com [2] with general admission only $20. VIP seats that include a meet/greet/photo op are available for both shows with limited availability. Hope to see you there.
Congrats to my friend Taz on his new gig with CBS radio that will see him doing digital radio that will be available worldwide Monday-Friday mornings from 7-9 am ET. This venture will also be available via video streaming like so many radio shows are produced today. I'm happy for Taz and look forward to supporting his efforts on this ground breaking show. Fans will be able to access Taz' show globally on their phone, tablets, etc either live or on demand. He will be talking wrestling and main stream sports as well. Here's to my former partner having great success and being suporting by one and all.
Can't say as I'm sorry to see Tough Enough end. The show's format never resonated with me even though the look of the show was slick. I was never enamored with the "cast" especially after Patrick was eliminated. Patrick Clark will be a 'player' in the biz at some point sooner than later and WWE would be well served to sign the 19 year old who is a natural heel with a terrific work ethic and product knowledge. His training at Maryland Championship Wrestling has served him well.
If Tough Enough returns to the USA Network, I'd see major changes being made in the format and the voting plus getting Steve Austin back to host the show would be a major step forward. My congrats to Josh and Sara Lee. Hope that they make it but both appear to be long shots.
Really good Ross Report this week with @DaveScherer of @PWInsider reviewing and analyzing the NXT Takeover and Summer Slam among may other topics that you can listen to for free on iTunes and via podcastone.com plus on the home page of this website. Dave knows his stuff and provided some strong analysis on this week's show.
Next week I will be joined by Josh Barnett, former UFC Champion, actor, broadcaster, Billy Robinson aficionado, and pro wrestler which will make for a fun Ross Report Podcast. Subscribe for FREE at iTunes and you won't miss a show pus you subscribing helps us.
Happy to see those Damn Dudley's back with WWE as they can be great mentors/teachers to many on the young roster. Every team in WWE will become a better duo after having worked with Bubba and Devon.
Getting lots of questions on Twitter about when will WWE call up more NXT talents. I have no idea but I do know that it is more crucial on how the talents are brought in to the main roster. than who is brought in to the fold. Debuting with some degree of impact isn't optional. It's a must.
Q&A's here on the site are updated.
www.jrsvideos.com [3] is my new, You Tube channel. Subscribe for FREE and check it out.
www.americansoda.co.uk [4] in England now has JR's in stock and ready for immediate shipping. Stock up and don't be caught without the good stuff!
The three, Norman Homeland Grocery stores are all fully stocked with JR's products. We are still working on getting into the Ingles stores throughout the Southeast. Stay tuned.
We're getting great feedback on Jerry Lawler and me reuniting for WWE games 2K16 video game due out in October. I'd guess that this will be the final time that the two of us will work together in any WWE projects at least to the best of my knowledge. I hope that the fans support our efforts on this new video game that is loaded with new innovations, whistles and bells.
Jerry and I did not miss a beat and we got to call a ton of Stone Cold bouts for the game.
JimRossBBQ on Facebook.
Our new SlobberKnocker cap is now available at www.prowrestlingtees.com/jimross [5].
Rumors have it that WWE is interested in AJ Styles who is as good as there is in the biz these days and has plenty of tread left on his tires. Again, it's only a rumor but AJ would be a great 'get' for WWE and his matches with Seth Rollins, etc would be epic.
Thanks for stopping by and come back soon.
Boomer Sooner!
J.R. @JRsBBQ
Source URL: https://www.jrsbarbq.com/blog/47659
[1] http://www.ticketweb.com
[2] http://www.ticketfly.com
[3] http://www.jrsvideos.com
[4] http://www.americansoda.co.uk
[5] http://www.prowrestlingtees.com/jimross


As a "blogger" (and just all-around critical person), I find myself very hard to impress when it comes to fashion and personal style sites. I am not easily inspired or fashionably-motivated. Oh I'm sorry, did your ensemble of basicness dripping in designer labels cost you more than my rent? Yeah, I don't care, that is not "style". I am also as a harsh a critic when it comes to my own content, if that makes it any more justified. Needless to say, I don't find many "famous" blogs that I connect with, or even like for that matter. But WhoWhatWear has remained on my radar throughout these years, creating an inspiring space and turning that into a brand and business model envied by fashion girls far and wide. So when I heard about their collection launching at Target, I knew this would probably be the only blogger collection to ever make it into my closet. The pieces come in a wide range of sizes and styles, and are the perfect price point for the Target shopper and fashion-obsessed (I'm throwing side eyes at you, failed Neiman Marcus collection). Usually with launches like this, I have a very easy time finding a standout piece, and I honestly think I stood in the store for 15+ minutes trying to make up my mind over 5 different looks. The items are all very on-trend, without being "trendy", and so effortlessly cohesive. I decided on the matching polka-dot ensemble as I always need more mostly-white styles, and threw in the neck scarf as a last minute whim. I know all the cool girls are doing it, but I'm never totally sure if I am one of them. I paired the look with some deep navy booties, and my trustee leather bomber which helps not only break up an all-over pattern, but makes the scarf seem less focal and more like an after thought.
The best part is, this collection will roll out new pieces over the upcoming months! I can't wait to see what else is in the works, sorry bank account.
Also, attention lipstick lovers! The shade I'm wearing here is Teddy Bear from Lime Crime, and I absolutely love it. I'd heard good things about the brand and liked the price point enough to give it a try. The formula is a very light gloss that dries matte, and lasted all evening without any bleeding (and no lip liner needed).


text: Dover, Jefferson City, Salt Lake City, Anini Beach Park, Alpena, Ashland TOP, Altoona, Amicola Falls State Park, Alyeska Ski Resort DOWN, Alyeska Ski Resort TOP, Buffalo National River, Bruneau Dunes State Park, Buffalo, Beckley, Beaufort, Beaumont, Big Spring, Bishop, Berkley, Cook Forest State Park, Clarksdale, Evansville, Farragut State Recreation Area DOWN, Fredericksburg, Fort Myers, Florence, Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, Green Bay, Gunpowder Falls State Park, Greensboro, Granby, Hastings, Harpers Ferry, Hattiesburg, Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, Jay Cooke State Park, Kapa'a Beach Park, Keyhole State Park, Kingsport, Katmai National Park TOP, Kobuk Valley National Park TOP, Lincoln's New Salem State Park, Liberal, Lincoln City, Lake Placid DOWN, Lake Placid TOP, Lexington, Leadville, Muskogee, Moses Lake, Mobile, Myrtle Beach, Mount Graham, Moab, Oshkosh, Oregon Caves National Monument, Ogonquit, Orlando, Pendleton, Point Pleasant Beach, Rohoboth Beach, Richmond, Rocky Mountains National Park DOWN, Spring Mill State Park, Sault Sainte Marie, Shenandoah National Park, St. Augustine, Stockton, Snow Summit, San Francisco, Sequoia- and Kings-Canyon National Park, Squaw Valley DOWN, Squaw Valley TOP, Toledo, Tonopah, Vincennes, Valentine, Virginia Beach, Vail TOP, Waimanalo Beach, Whiteface Mountain, White Sands National Monument, Wrangell - Saint Elias National Park DOW, Airlake, Ajo Municipal, Akron-canton, Albert Lea, Altus, Aspen, Barnegat, Baudette, Beaver Falls, Bloomington, Bullfrog Marina, Buzzards Bay, Camp San Luis, Cape Neddick, Chadron Municipal, Chesapeake, Davis Point, Decorah, Denison, Erie Airport, Flagstaff Nexrad, Fort Eustis, Fort Huachuca, Hanford, Hermosa Beach Pier, Heron Neck, Houlton, Keokuk, Kingsville, Kinston, Lebanon Airport, Lewistown Municipal, Litchfield, Little Falls, Marfa, Marshfield, Mc Gregor, Medford, Melfa, Merced, Middletown, Nantucket, New Dungeness, North Adams, Otis Angb, Paso Robles, Payson, Pickstown, Point Reyes, Redmond, Reedsville, Roseglen, Sandy Hook, Saranac Lake, Sedona Airport, Selfridge, South St Paul, Southern Pines, Springfld, St. Johns Air Park, St. Simon Island, Tooele, Volk, Waikii, Warroad, Atigun, Cape Decision, Deering, Noatak, Soldotna, Willow, Baxter, Hope, El Monte, Vacaville, Georgetown, Alligator Reef, Homosassa, Keystone Heights, New Port Richey, Cartersville, Danville, Mount Carmel, West Chicago, Johnson, Springfield, Jackson, Maple Lake, Louisville, Hendersonville, North Wilkesboro, Ogallala, Elyria, Lambertville, Metcalf, Fort Sill, Orangeburg, Poinsett, Sisseton, Cookeville, Knoxville, Borger, Celburne, Giddings, Hearne, Hillsboro, Huntsville, Perryton, Sheppard, Vernon, Emporia, Franklin, Springfield, Hanford, Juneau, Prairie Du Chien, Schloredt


Title-chasing Grange entertain mid-table Hillhead (11.00) on Saturday and Clydesdale (13.30) on Sunday as they bid to retain their league title and keep their double dream alive.
The champions have won 12 of their 15 Division One matches so far and have drawn three for 39 points.
Hillhead are fifth with 21 points from six wins, three draws and six defeats.
They have scored 39 goals and conceded 36 while league pace-setting Grange have scored 58 and lost 17.
Elsewhere, Watsonians, who are eighth, entertain seventh-placed Clydesdale (Peffermill 13.00) and only two points separate the teams.
Watsonians have 17 points and Clydesdale 19 and the Edinburgh side have scored 32 goals against Clydesdale's 27.
However, Watsonians have conceded 44 goals against 38 by the West of Scotland outfit.
Edinburgh University are in sixth position and coach Graham Moodie is keen to accumulate more points in a bid to move into the top four.
Grove Menzieshill provide the opposition and the Dundee side are third in the table with 32 points, 13 more than the students. Push-off is at 16.00 at Peffermill.
In Division Two, Inverleith face a crucial clash (push off 15.00, Edinburgh Academy) with Dunfermline Carnegie, their main rivals for a promotion spot.
They have climbed to second spot on 34 points, two ahead of Carnegie who beat them in the first game of the season.
Inverleith have scored 85 goals and Carnegie 69 but the Edinburgh club have let in 42 against the Fifers 31.