Come On Feel the Illinois

Sufjan Steven (pronounced Soof-yawn) has been making music for several years now and is now considered a veteran in the indie and underground pop scene. But what is unique about Sufjan is that he isn't your typical artist you would hear on the radio or even at a underground club. He is known for using all intrusments in his music. Anything from banjos, xylophones, trumpets, you name it and he has used it in his music. He has even has gone as far as to use a whole Orchestra in some of his songs.

Many of Sufjan's songs have undertones and have meanings behind them. He writes a lot of his songs based on his life growing up and even on people. For example, the song "John Wayne Gacy Jr.' Sufjan wrote about the notourious killer of the same name. In case you don't know, the real John Wayne Gacy Jr. was jailed for the killing thirty-three young men and boys under the alias Pogo the clown.

Illinois are songs based from cities in the state in the same name. Chicago to Bloomington even Decatur Sufjan has written songs about them. Sufjan has been rumored to be writing either albums or song about all fifty states! North Carolina will be coming out soon, hopefully!

But I digress, Sufjan wrote this song because one, it happened while he was growing up and two, since he wanted his listeners to understand his meaning behind the song. If you were to listen to the song you would completely forget that the song was written about the a serial killer due to its very mellow and drone. But if you are looking for a historic and very light and poppy song then listen to "They Are Night Zombies!! They Are Neighbors!! They Have Come back from the Dead!! Ahhhh!"  its historical reference to Zombies and Ronald Reagan and other dead presidents and how they come back to life are really noticeable to the listeners.

Whether you are in a mood for a slow and mellow song or a light and airy song. Sufjan provides it in classy not tacky way. He is not your ordinary folk artist. You will be seeing me write  A LOT about him in the near future. If you have any sense you will go out and download(legally, of course) his album.

Until Next Time,

Courtney

(h/t to PeaceNerd at Daily Kos for this great photo)

• Sarah Palin has 3 houses and the McCains have at least 7 houses, so between the McCains and the Palins, there are at least 10 houses. How many houses do you have? Compare that to one house for Joe Biden and one house for Barack Obama. The GOP must think that we can't count. It's all part of their "No Child Left Behind" legislation, or is that really "All Children Left Behind".
• When it comes to simple minds, Cindy McCain is right up there with Dan Quayle. Why just yesterday she reminded us that "Alaska is the closest part of our continent to Russia. So it’s not as if she doesn’t understand what’s at stake here." This is the extent of Sarah Palin's foreign experience.
• Don't let Sarah Palin fool you with her statement about being against building Senator Steven's bridge. The truth is, she was for it before she was against it. Palin only canceled building the bridge when she found out that the taxpayers from all the other States weren't going to fully fund building this bridge. In other words, Congress refused to provide full funding for Senator Stevens bridge.
• John McCain likes to say that he is a "Maverick" and that he chose Palin because he thinks she is a "Maverick", too. From what I remember about the TV show "Maverick", he was a gambling man that had a woman in every town. Guess John McCain is telling us that he is willing to gamble on our national security, our economy, our Social Security, our health care, our Veteran's benefits, and everything else. John McCain is telling us that he is a gambling man. He is even gambling on his own health, that is, he is healthy enough to serve four years because he chose someone with no experience and has no knowledge about the role of the Vice President. Didn't Sarah pay attention in school? As far as a woman in every town, we'll need to ask the Secret Service about that.
• Sarah Palin is good pals with the indicted Senator from Alaska, Senator Stevens. Here's video of Palin and Stevens. Just look at her smile. She loves this guy. Notice, first they want to strip Alaska of its natural resources and then think about renewable sources of energy.
• Senator Stevens SUPPORTS a National ID. Next thing we know, the Government will want to place tracking chips in each of us. They'll start with the children and the babies and they will use fear to get the parents to cooperate.
• Happy Labor Day. Support our Unions because it is the Unions that helped Americans get a 40 hour work week, vacation time, health benefits, minimum wage and all the other Labor Laws. Without the Unions, we would still be working in sweat shops.
• UPDATE: There's this from My2bucks... seems like Sarah has some 'splainin' to do. There were illegal contributions during her campaign for Governor that connect to Abramoff money.
• Sarah Palin, the gift that just keeps giving.  She has connections to the Alaska Independence Party (AIP) video and more about it here...
  • WHAT IS THE ALASKAN INDEPENDENCE PARTY
    The Alaskan Independence Party is, according to their website, "no longer a fringe party." Its views include:
  • A belief that "the vote for statehood was invalid because the people were not presented with the range of options available to them" and that "the federal government has since breached the contract for statehood on numerous occasions in over a dozen serious and substantial instances."
  • A belief that there should be a vote on Alaskan secession.
  • Remaining "steadfastly opposed to environmental regulations and actively promotes the private ownership and widespread development of Alaskan land."
  • A platform which includes:
    

    Amending the Constitution of the State of Alaska so as to re-establish the rights of all Alaskan residents to entry upon all public lands within the state, and to acquire private property interest there in, under fair and reasonable conditions. Such property interest shall include surface and sub-surface patent.

    Foster a constitutional amendment abolishing and prohibiting all property taxes.

    Seeking the complete repatriation of the public lands, held by the federal government, to the state and people of Alaska.

  Sure sounds like Sarah Palin put Alaska first and American second.  She is not VP material.

When we were told about the idea we naturaly said, "Sign us up!" We will gladly offer up some photography coverage just for the opportunity to see all of the beautiful couples in their full regalia!

Needless to say, we are totally stoked about getting to photograph this great event. Not sure how we will handle having to keep up with more than one bridal couple at a time, but it sounds like a fun challenge!

For additional information, go to http://reunionofthebrides.com and GET YOUR TICKET!!!!!!

Katherine Heigl como Izzie Stevens en Grey's Anatomy (3x01)

Vice President Dick Cheney has been linked to Alaska Senator Ted Stevens, who the Justice Department has accused of seven counts of falsely reporting hundreds of thousands of dollars, Newsweek reported.

In a conversation secretly recorded by the FBI on June 25, 2006, Stevens "discussed ways to get a pipeline bill through the Alaska Legislature with Bill Allen, an oil-services executive accused of providing the senator with about $250,000 in undisclosed financial benefits."

Stevens told Allen: "I'm gonna try to see if I can get some bigwigs from back here and say, 'Look … you gotta get this done'."

Only two days later, Cheney took the unusual step of writing a letter to the Alaska legislature which pushed the members to "promptly enact" a bill that would approve the pipeline.

Stevens revealed that he asked the vice president to send such a letter.

Today I added to the collection of computer progams, GenSmart (GenSmart.com). I am not sure what I had done before without it. Thanks Genealogy Guys! Adding some of what I found on my fathers side combined with all I already have on my mothers side, I only have about 2000 things on my "To Do List". Thanks GenSmart, I think you gave me so much work to do that "putting in for vacation" will never happen! :) Great program though and thanks to the makers! I will say thinking backwards is not all that easy but I will figure it out. For example, the very top clue is "Tennessee 1880 Census for Tom Cowden". Then for explanations is the following:

Why?
Researching the Tennessee 1880 Census makes sense because his spouse, Nancy Crewse [467], died in 1878 in , Bradley,
Tennessee, USA and he died in 1884 in Bradley County Tennessee. The 1880 census is important because it contains birthplace
information for parents of the people listed, as well as the relationships between people living in the household.

Missing Data
This suggestion is important because his father's birth place and mother's birth place have not been recorded, and you could obtain this
information by researching this record.

Background
Some background on Tom Cowden [540]: He was born in 1780 in NC?, and he died in 1884 in Bradley County Tennessee. He married
Nancy Crewse [467] on 1805 in , Person, North Carolina, USA, and had the following child: James [295] (1805).

The confusing part is that the Tom Cowden on the link given me is 26 years old so someone's son and once I figure out the relationship, perhaps that will be the clue. It will take time to turn my brain to that thinking but this weekend I seem to be in such an excited state about finding the Stevens link that concentrating on anything is just not going to happen!

Tonight for dinner:  Fried Chicken, Garlic Mashed Potatoes with Cheese, Glazed Carrots.

A stranger.. someone who just happened to see a post of mine on a Michigan board, reading my frustration in finding a family that I feel should not be so hard to find and yet finding it impossible.. he found it within a day after I had been searching for the last 6 months! He sent me the following email:

Sharon: Lets start with why I do this genealogy for total strangers, such as yourself. It is a hobby/addiction. I rationalize, I suppose, that my "hobby" costs much less than other hunters and fishermen. Then also I have found my ancestors back to Charlemagne as a result of kind genealogists who helped along the way . . . none of them seeking recompense for same. I have to tell you it was and is a great pleasure to "payback" those people. I won’t go into my career, that being mundane for strangers, but a treasure for me and mine.

So here is the good news. Your sibling Leona did a family tree and you can find it if you have access to ancestry. com. (if not, let me know) in short, your line starts with John Stevens, 1887 Yugoslavia who came to Detroit in 1912,and had among others, Theodore J. Stevens 1913, Felix, 1916, Englebort,1918, Gabriel 1920, Mary 1924.you were right about the Shufelt connection. Bernadine was a Sheufelt and born, if I remember a Magyar (or Hungarian) and john though born in Yugoslavia was Hungarian also. The tree includes a picture of your grandfather and Bernadine. (kind of unusual, but a gift from Leona eh.)

Let me know whether you have access to ancestry com or not. if not, don’t fret, I will get it for you.
Name withheld, Flint Mi

Today I am on top of the world. A few reasons, the most important, my people are out there. My Aunt and I have something in common by our interest in genealogy. Another, that all the recent months (and years) of frustration are replaced by a hunger and enthusiasm to know more and to find out more. Sending off an email to the owner of this family tree was a bit daunting. I have no idea what sort of relationship my estranged father had with them. I kept it basic, information and asking if she was who I was looking for. Underneath is a lot of excitment.. I have an Aunt who is out there! And there are more. For years I have wondered about this side of my family. My mother says she remembers them being a nice family. I feel a bit emotional since I have seen the names of my grandparents and great grandparents. I have wanted this day so long. This family has not seen me in 45 years or so, when I was 3, maybe a bit younger. Do they even know I have a sister?

I am eager to see where this chapter goes.

There is a lot of debate around whether the explanation given by Vernon is actually what Stevens did. I shan't go into the logistics of that argument, although the problem of deck burning and whatnot certainly seems very real and the relative inability to catch 3 cards cleanly without stuttering. A very interesting thread can be read on the subject here. I do believe the explanation given about the cull being used in the game of Faro to be highly plausible.

I can not, however, believe that the cull is completely useless at the poker table. Whilst I wouldn't dream of culling (and then stacking) a full house, flush or quads from scratch, used in conjunction with the pick-up, I can see its uses.

Consider this. In slow company, looking at your hands when you shuffle is not strange. So, as long as you can do the cull and stack smoothly, you're made. You are in a 5 handed game of Hold'em. On the pickup, you need to get a pair on the top of the deck. Ideally this should be comprised of the previous burn cards so their reappearance in the next round flies unnoticed. After the pick-up, imagine you have two kanves on top. In the FIRST shuffle, you search for another knave to make your pair a set. Whether you catch it or not, shuffle 4 cards on top of the Js, and either 1, 2, 3, 5 or 7 in between them (the lower the better.) Now either cull the 3rd J on top of the deck, or shuffle again in search of a one. Once the 3rd knave is atop the deck, Zarrow stack or riffle stack carefully or simply cut 4 cards on top the slug.

Then hop the cut, of course.

When you deal, you will receive pocket Js and then hit the flop, turn or river depending on how many you put in between the Js.

If you miss the cull, just shuffle 5 cards on top and be happy with a pair I guess.

This means you are only culling one card, not all 3 as is suggested by Vernon.

Whether or not it would work at the table, I do not know for sure. But its a fun procedure to practice.

--Arthur--

Michael Clayton ha avuto una buona serata nel suo complesso, ma ha lasciato cadere dalle mani una palla impeccabilmente lanciata da Luke McCown. Nemmeno un handoff sarebbe stato più semplice da afferrare.

Sul primo sack subito da Simms, Jerramy Stevens si è completamente dimenticato del blitz all'esterno del linebacker avversario. Sarebbe bastta anche una semplice spallata per tenerlo lontano dal QB. Stevens può essere un buon bersaglio in end-zone, ma errori come questo sono gravissimi e probabilmente non valgono un paio di buone mani in più.

Nel secondo quarto Eugene Wilson è stato completamente aggirato su un lancio di media profondità. Altre volte ha fatto bene, ma quell'azione rimane impressa perchè è sembrato veramente spaesato e confuso.

Credo che Michael Bennett debba essere usato più spesso che l'anno passato: è un giocatore che ad ogni azione ha i mezzi per ottenere un guadagno importante. Quando ha corso lungo la sideline, ha evitato perfettamente il placcaggio distendendo il braccio; inoltre non è solamente veloce: ha anche una eccellente potenza, e non ha timore di buttarsi nel mezzo.

Brian Griese non ha commesso particolari errori, ma ha dato l'impressione di volersi liberare troppo affrettatamente della palla. McCown ha lanciato alcune bombe a lunga distanza, ma ha mancato un Clayton liberissimo in end zone. Dietro di loro, Chris Simms non ha commesso errori. La battaglia è ancora aperta...

Le statistiche dicono che la difesa ha giocato bene, lasciando i Dolphins al di sotto delle 200 yards totali. Però a volte il gioco alla mano di Miami è sembrtato penetrare con troppa facilità, e anche la linea titolare è sembrata a volte demotivata, lasciando troppa libertà a Ricky Williams.

La seconda linea difensiva è sembrata decisamente migliore, con Jimmy Wilkerson che ha colpito un paio di avversari come un toro: sembrava un probabile candidato per il taglio, ma un altro paio di prestazioni come quella di Miami basterebbero per far cambiare idea.

Dre Moore ha combinato poco e non ha messo alcuna pressione agli avversari. Forse la sua condizione non è ottimale, ma con il talento che è disponibile nella DL, sarebbe un azzardo lasciare uno spot a lui. Se non migliora rapidamente, sembra destinato alla practice squad.

Josh Johnson ha lanciato un passaggio perfetto. Purtroppo, su uno solo tentativo.

Spero che Chad Lucas trovi un posto nel roster: non si accontenta mai, e anche in questo esordio in preseason ha compiuto due eccellenti ricezioni.

Buone notizie per i ritorni: quest'anno tra Clifton Smith, Dexter Jackson e Micheal Spurlock non dovrebbero esserci problemi.

I Bucs hanno chiuso la partita con zero penalità. Spero che conti qualcosa.

In conclusione una buona gara, ma qualche preoccupazione resta. I Dolphins sono reduci da un modesto 1-15, e avrebbero dovuto essere un avversario più semplice. La linea d'attacco dovrebbe spingere meglio e aprire buchi più agevoli per le corse centrali, mentre la difesa deve creare più turnover. E ora arrivano i Patriots...

Grazie a Bucstats.com

Non ci sono molte sorprese: tutto sommato a questo punto della preparazione ci si poteva aspettare Dan Buenning dietro a Jeremy Zuttah come centro di riserva, ma in ogni caso il posto nel roster per Zuttah è pressochè certo, quindi la posizione non sarà determinante.

Alex Smith non sarà il migliore TE in nessuna delle singole abilità per quel ruolo, ma sembra avere la migliore combinazione, al momento. Per ora Jerramy Stevens è il migliore a ricevere e John Gilmore il migliore nei bloccaggi. Quest'ultimo ha però anche delle buone mani, e non è improbabile che entro la fine del Training Camp il posto da titolare possa essere suo.

La posizione di Ike Hilliard davanti a Michael Clayton tra i flanker è basata solo sulle precedenti esperienze. Durante questo camp Clayton è stato praticamente inafferrabile, e se mantiene queste premesse non potrà non partire da titolare. Gruden ama il "cervello" di Hilliard, che è quasi come un coach sul campo. Ma Clayton stà disputando forse la miglior preparazione tra tutti i giocatori di qualsiasi ruolo.

Kevin Carter è davanti a Greg White, e lo sta meritando. Sta crescendo davvero forte.

Più incerta la situazione tra i DT. Dre Moore compare come backup nose tackle, ma sembra quasi che lo abbiano inserito nella prima posizione disponibile (probabilmente sarebbe una terza scelta tra i T). Jovan Hayes sta incontrando serie difficoltà a mantenere Ryan Sims dietro di lui tra i titolari: Sims sta dominando tra le linee.

Micheal Spurlock è sia punt returner che kickoff returner. Probabilmente non durerà, e Dexter Jackson finirà col prendersi il posto di punt returner titolare.

Il WR Joey Galloway continua a rimanere sulla sideline (dolore all'inguine) e non sembra che il suo ingresso in campo sia imminente. Lo staff medico sembra però certo che non avrà problemi per l'inizio della stagione.

Infine i quarterback. Luke McCown è indicato come primo backup di Jeff Garcia, ma non lo rimarrà a lungo se continuerà ad avere giornate come quella di ieri (in un precedente post avevo già parlato dei due fumble, ai quali vanno aggiunti due intercetti durante uno scrimmage 11 contro 11). In particolra e sorprende la difficoltà che sta avendo nel ricevere gli snap dal centro (Gruden l'ha definita "ridicola"): ogni mattina sta dedicando oltre dieci minuti a questo problema, che davvero non dovrebbe essere tale.

Grazie a Bucstats.com e a Sportingnews.com

Este argumento, que en la actualidad nos parece manído y facilón, fue un éxito en su época. Y todo gracias a su creador, Fujio Akatsuka, ha fallecido de una neumonía, a las cinco menos cinco de la madrugada de ayer. Todavía estaba recuperandose de un cáncer de esófago y un derrame cerebral que sufrió en los años 1998 y 2002.

Akatsuka es conocido por ser un pionero del manga cómico y del magical girl o shojo. Creo personajes como Akko-chan, Osomatsu-kun o Hennako-chan... Akko-chan fue la primera chica con poderes mágicos del manga (estaba basada en Samantha, la conocida bruja norteamericana de Embrujada), y hace poco se hizo un remake de la serie.