My last column focused on ancient house and tomb forms, agriculture and the first chiefdoms in the several centuries before and after Christ, and how they seem to have been influenced by Mesoamerica, the lower half of Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and the western tip of Honduras (TT, March 27). This time, let's focus on what else was going on in that time period in Costa Rica, and why that early northern influence gave a Mesoamerican aspect to those peoples who occupied the country some 2000 and more years ago: lapidary work in jade or similar hard, greenish stones.
It has long been one of archaeology's enigmas: How could it be that more jade pendants, many of the highest quality, have been found in Costa Rica than in all of Mesoamerica, where the jade-carving tradition began and flourished for the first time, in the Olmec civilization of Mexico's Gulf Coast?
The reverence and esteem for jade artifacts began in Mesoamerica, even before the first Olmec civilization. There, it took the form of pendants, tiny free-form sculptures and even masks and small vessels before 1200 B.C. The importance and sacredness of jade artifacts cannot be overestimated – it was by far the most prestigious material controlled by the high-ranking social strata, with strong religious overtones.
Among Mesoamerican cultures, especially the Maya, jade symbolized water, fertility and young green maize plants; it was seen as the holy symbol of salvation in the real world, and only the highest-ranking personages owned and displayed the best jade pendants.
This same conception of jade was held in Costa Rica, perhaps even more strongly, in the centuries around the time of Christ. Whereas Maya jades often portrayed ceremonial or mythic scenes, carved in low relief, Costa Rican jades, like Olmec examples, stressed iconic images of different birds or human shamans, most often situated above a symbolic polished axe, the tool of primary clearing of agricultural plots, to fell trees and split logs used as a wedge. The continuity between Mesoamerican and Costa Rica jade symbolism is notable; agriculture and the control of its products was the basic underlying motif.
Most pre-Columbian jade carving in Costa Rica took place in the country's north-west quadrant – Guanacaste-Nicoya – and also the central and northeast Caribbean watershed. The central highlands were also included, but to a somewhat lesser degree. It is interesting to note that the northwest Costa Rican jades, between about 400 to 500 B.C. and A.D. 400, were primarily rather stiff and imposing axe-gods, mostly avian and human motifs. Some of the human effigies even seem to show curlicues that, in Mesoamerica, were always interpreted as speech scrolls – that is, the shaman or chief was depicted making a pronouncement. Further, the imported Olmec and Maya jades found in Costa Rica (mostly by looters, unfortunately) have tended to be found in that part of the country.
In the Caribbean watershed, jade carving styles and symbolism were different, frequently emphasizing openwork complex carvings with double or triple aspect symbolism. But they also produced the typical axe-god form, in many different stones.
For several decades now, archaeologists have realized that much of the lapidary corpus known from Costa Rica around the time of Christ is not actual jade (mineralogically, only jadeite and nephrite are true jade).
In fact, the only fairly close, scientifically confirmed source of all colors of true jadeite is, so far, the MotaguaRivervalley of Guatemala.
Other similar hard green stones were used with great frequency in Costa Rica – serpentine, chalcedony, opal, quartzite and others, even including black slate, which in the tombs oxidizes to a light green and is much softer than jade. The greenstone symbolism was key. Even though lesser stones constitute much of the Costa Rican lapidary complex, the best-carved, largest and most sophisticated examples have been shown by mineralogical analysis to be true jadeite, implying a thriving trade in crude jade or axe-shaped blanks from Mesoamerica to Costa Rica.
A still-to-be-solved enigma is the geological presence in Costa Rica's far northwest corner – the SantaElenaPeninsula – of a suite of naturally occurring minerals that, in other parts of the world, are associated with true jadeite. At present, I am one of those archaeologists who believes (like many before me) that there was a source of jadeite in that part of Costa Rica, today either exhausted or beneath sea level. The sheer quantity of superior-quality Costa Rican jades makes this hypothesis worthy of continued investigation.
Dr. Snarskis guides tours to Guayabo, an ancient city and ceremonial center near Turrialba, and to all local museums. Queries may be directed to snarskis@racsa.co.cr or phone/fax 2235-8824. See his Web sites at www.archaeocostarica.com and www.arqueocostarica.net. Reserve tours at Costa Rica Outdoors Travel Division, www.info.costaricaoutdoors.com or call toll-free from North America at 1-800-8308-3394.


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Bearbrick (rendered [email protected]) is a collectible toy designed and produced by the Japanese company MediCom Toy Incorporated. The name is derived from the fact that the figure is a cartoon-style representation of a bear and that it is a variation of MediCom's Kubrick design. The at sign in the place of the letter a is a visual device that is a part of the Bearbrick brand, and as such, a trademark of MediCom Toy.
The figure is an anthropomorphized bear with an extremely simplified form and a pot belly. Each plastic figure features nine parts (widely referred to as tools in the toy industry): head, torso, hips, arms, hands, and legs; These nine tools allow eight points of articulation: swivel head, swivel waist, ball joint arms, swivel wrists, and ball joint legs.
Allan Banford Bearbrick limited edition features the basic structure of the Bearbriks covered by the digital artwork and NFT Picnic from the Digitalism series.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Many estates provide fencing, front and/ or back landscaping, sustainability features such as rainwater tanks, even a holiday or cash back offers are included.
When considering these offers think about how much you will actually be saving and how much these things might cost if you had to pay for them yourself.
Your lot might require extra earthworks or other works to prepare it for the house building stage. This might include items such as a retaining wall. Often these are included in the purchase price so make sure you find out from the developer or sales team.
Some new developments attract special area levies on top of standard council rates due to the superior community facilities such as high standard parks or buildings that residents have access to.
Dependant on your location within a development, such as being within a certain distance from the coast or within a bushfire zone, may also attract added costs for building standards that must be met.
Ask your developer and builder about any potential additional costs associated with building in the location you have chosen.
While the lot price is one component of a total home cost, it is important that purchasers consider all of the costs involved in purchasing land and then building.
Ask home builders about what exactly is included when building your new home, don't just rely on advertised prices. Many advertised home prices don't include items such as carpets, tiles or curtains. If not included, purchasers will need to budget for these costs upon completion.
Buying a home or building a house may be more affordable than you think. You may be eligible for up to $10,000 in first home buyer's grant, as well as stamp duty or other concessions.
Government programs such as Key Start or shared equity arrangements may also be available to you, making it easier to achieve your home ownership dream.


text:
Q: I don't understand why my python code for random contraction algorithm return None type I have written python code for doing random contranction algorithm, the problem I ran into is that the return of this function is None type. However, for each recurrence, I can print out the result.
so I don't have a clue why this is happenning.
also, it would be nice if you could point any improvements I can make to my codes to make it more efficient or friendly.
The input is:
[[1, 2, 3, 4, 7], [2, 1, 3, 4], [3, 1, 2, 4], [4, 1, 2, 3, 5], [5, 4, 6, 7, 8], [6, 5, 7, 8], [7, 1, 5, 6, 8], [8, 5, 6, 7]]

the output is None
def randomContractionA(adjacencylist):
    n=int(len(adjacencylist))
    print(adjacencylist)
    if n==2:
        return adjacencylist
    verticeChosenF=random.randint(0,n-1)
    verticeChosenS=random.randint(0,n-1)
    while verticeChosenF==verticeChosenS:
        verticeChosenS=random.randint(0,n-1)
    contractionedVertice=[]
    for vertice in adjacencylist[verticeChosenF][:]:
        contractionedVertice.append(vertice)
    for vertice in adjacencylist[verticeChosenS][1:]:
        if vertice in contractionedVertice:
            continue
        else:
            contractionedVertice.append(vertice)
    i=1
    for vertice in contractionedVertice[1:]:
        if vertice==contractionedVertice[0]:
            del contractionedVertice[i]
        i+=1
    del adjacencylist[verticeChosenF]
    if verticeChosenF<verticeChosenS:
        del adjacencylist[verticeChosenS-1]
    else:
        del adjacencylist[verticeChosenS]
    adjacencylist.append(contractionedVertice)
    randomContractionA(adjacencylist)
result1=randomContractionA(adjacencyList)
print(result1)

A: You need to return the recursive calls to randomContractionA:
import random

def randomContractionA(adjacencylist):
    n=int(len(adjacencylist))
    #print(adjacencylist)
    if n==2:
        return adjacencylist
    verticeChosenF=random.randint(0,n-1)
    verticeChosenS=random.randint(0,n-1)
    while verticeChosenF==verticeChosenS:
        verticeChosenS=random.randint(0,n-1)
    contractionedVertice=[]
    for vertice in adjacencylist[verticeChosenF][:]:
        contractionedVertice.append(vertice)
    for vertice in adjacencylist[verticeChosenS][1:]:
        if vertice in contractionedVertice:
            continue
        else:
            contractionedVertice.append(vertice)
    i=1
    for vertice in contractionedVertice[1:]:
        if vertice==contractionedVertice[0]:
            del contractionedVertice[i]
        i+=1
    del adjacencylist[verticeChosenF]
    if verticeChosenF<verticeChosenS:
        del adjacencylist[verticeChosenS-1]
    else:
        del adjacencylist[verticeChosenS]
    adjacencylist.append(contractionedVertice)
    return randomContractionA(adjacencylist) # added return

adjacencyList = [[1, 2, 3, 4, 7], [2, 1, 3, 4], [3, 1, 2, 4], [4, 1, 2, 3, 5], [5, 4, 6, 7, 8], [6, 5, 7, 8], [7, 1, 5, 6, 8], [8, 5, 6, 7]]
result1=randomContractionA(adjacencyList)
print(result1)

Out:
[[2, 1, 3, 4, 5], [8, 5, 6, 7, 4, 2, 3, 1]]

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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text:
Mustapha Hadji: Coventry's Moroccan Prince
Alex Caple
The Premier League of the 90s was defined by an influx of exciting attacking midfielders and deep-lying forwards from abroad – just about every team had one. And Coventry City were no different, they had Mustapha Hadji; a World Cup star.
Eric Cantona set a standard in the Premier League for foreign imports being their team's creative spark, and everyone promptly followed suit. Arsenal got Bergkamp, Chelsea with Zola, City had Kinkladze, Juninho at Middlesbrough, just to name a few standouts.
Coventry's move for Hadji was the kind of move that you don't really find these days, even with all the money in the Premier League. Here was Hadji, a player who shone for his country at two World Cups, the 1998 African Footballer of the Year (the first of which who wasn't born in West Africa), and someone who was a part of an incredibly exciting Deportivo side, signing for a mid-table Premier League side.
It wasn't so strange at the time though, and the league was quite accustomed to welcoming exciting attacking players from all over the world. Coventry supporters' excitement showed, though: inspired by their new star, along with the arrival of Hadji's compatriot Youssef Chippo from Porto the same year, it was far from uncommon to see fans wearing a fez.
Hadji was born in Morocco but emigrated to France at the age of ten, where he got his football education. His career started at Nancy, where his brother now plays, but his time there was hampered by never managing to blend with incoming coach Laszlo Bolini. He still shone, though, and his performances – as well as his brief time in the 1994 World Cup's group stages – saw him move abroad to Sporting Lisbon.
"It was a great adventure. I had to prove myself in a country I didn't know and where I didn't speak the language. I was absolutely determined to succeed."
Mustapha Hadji on his time in Portugal.
Sporting only held onto the Moroccan for a year, although there was enough time for Hadji to lift what would prove to be the only trophy of his career: the Portuguese Cup. In 1997, Hadji moved to Deportivo, then one of football's most exciting projects. Boasting some of the top Brazilian talent around, Hadji grew as a player in a team that would become champions of Spain in 2000 – unfortunately a year after he left.
"I learned so much in that time as virtually half of Brazil's World Cup winning team were in the side; players like Bebeto, Donato, Rivaldo and Mauro Silva."
While at Depor, the 1998 World Cup came around, giving Hadji his second opportunity to show the world what he was capable of. He took it, too, most memorably scoring a brilliant solo goal in a 2-2 draw with Norway.
"It was one of my most exciting goals for the national team along with one I scored against Egypt in the African Cup of Nations that year, a last-minute overhead kick that put us into the quarter-finals."
Morocco again struggled, and were eliminated in the group stages once more, but Hadji's impact was awarded with the 1998 African Footballer of the Year award – making him the very first non-west African to win it.
A year later, Coventry would splash £4m on Hadji – their club record fee at the time. Coventry had a somewhat disappointing season however, finishing in 14th – three places lower than the previous season – despite the successful signings of Hadji and Robbie Keane. His second season would prove even more unfortunate.
Captain Gary McAllister left for Liverpool and star striker Robbie Keane moved to Internazionale, leaving Coventry struggling badly. The team sank, even with a young Craig Bellamy making a name for himself, and was relegated in 19th place.
Even though his two seasons at Coventry were in less-than-ideal conditions, Hadji still made an impact. He was a creative influence and a goalscoring midfielder, netting some memorable strikes against Arsenal.
He also left an impact on Aston Villa. In his penultimate game for the Sky Blues, Hadji scored twice away at Villa Park. The game was a must-win for Coventry, needing a win to keep them up. Hadji would fire his team 2-0 up, only for Villa to reply with three, relegating City and their Moroccan star.
What the Birmingham side saw that day prompted them to spend £2m + Julian Joachim (who was currency, apparently) to bring Hadji to them.
Unfortunately, the move didn't work out. After 62 appearances and 12 goals for Coventry in two seasons, Hadji managed just 35 and two in his two and a half seasons at Aston Villa.
Nothing more than a squad player at Villa Park, Hadji eventually left on a free transfer to Espanyol, eventually retiring as an amateur in Luxembourg's top flight.
Nowadays Mustapha Hadji is the assistant coach for his native Morocco, working with the current generation of Moroccan playmakers, such as Southampton's Sofiane Boufal, and Ajax's Hakim Ziyech.
Hadji may not have been a world-class player, and he certainly never ended up with a full trophy cabinet, but the former African player of the year still managed to have an adventure of a career, even managing to leave his mark on the Premier League.
In an era when there was more competition than ever, Mustapha Hadji still managed to stand out, and that in itself is a fantastic achievement.
Alex	Caple


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There's a book titled "The Knowing-Doing Gap" describing why it is so many organizations fail to take action on ideas and knowledge that they already have. They know what to do, but don't do it. Kind of like "diet and exercise" in your personal life. (Why don't you exercise more?). Whole swaths of "best practices" fall in this category. So, here's one such basic best practice: Measuring ROI.
Occasionally I get to go to a CIO/IT Leadership conference. Invariably someone will raise the topic of business/IT alignment. And then, someone else will remark on how unfortunate it is that "in their organization" IT does not audit or review past projects to determine if the business benefits that were projected are indeed being realized. And, as a consequence, IT's contribution to business success remains shrouded in mystery.
Before addressing the question of whose responsibility measuring ROI actually is, I'd like to spend a few moments reflecting on this idea in general. According to Gartner, each year, on average, companies spend roughly $12,000/employee on IT, about 65% of which is to keep the lights on and 35% to support transformation and growth initiatives. So, an enterprise with 10,000 people will spend around $42 million on new stuff. I think we can all agree that not tracking if this magnitude of investments achieves the desired ROI and/or planned intangible benefits, is likely not a "best practice".
So, now that we agree that this should definitely be tracked, the question is who should do the tracking? Clearly IT has a vested interest, because the numbers will show "IT value". But actually, since the investment was made on behalf of a business sponsor, the business sponsor is also accountable for realizing the ROI. Presumably, he or she presented a pretty good case in the IT Steering Committee or similar governance body to make sure that, of all the presented initiatives, this particular one got funded. Measuring this is not too difficult. I recommend organizations stay away from attempts to isolate the IT contribution and simply measure the success of the overall program according to the metrics originally proposed in the business case. Did sales go up? Did personnel get freed up? Did cost savings materialize? Did customer satisfaction increase? The business case should provide success metrics that allow you to attribute these effects to the particular initiative. Track these numbers on annual basis for minimum of three years or as long as the business case projected with intermediate numbers on 6 months intervals if needed. While, just as with stock, past performance is no guarantee for future success, the business sponsors that can prove they were good stewards of the investment funds awarded to them in the past, will have an easier time securing funding for future initiatives.
To make all this work, a governance body needs be in place such as an IT Steering Committee with senior representatives from the business and the CIO, that oversees and act as a steward of the investment portfolio. ROI is clearly a metric, and not just projected ROI. In some cases, the Committee may appoint separate people to measure benefits, or to streamline the measurement processes, but this is not a requirement. What is required is that the business sponsor is held accountable.
And for those of you that hear people say that "their organization doesn't measure return on past (IT) investments", you should probably take note. Perhaps you need to sell some stock!


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Las Vegas: With an aim to deliver tailor-made devices to customers to meet their needs and fit their usage habits, Chinese tech giant Lenovo on Thursday announced a new range of laptop and tablet products at the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2017) here.
Lenovo showcased its premium work and play experience device ThinkPad X1, Miix 720 detachable, new gaming sub-brand Lenovo Legion and two laptops under the new sub-brand — Lenovo Legion Y720 and Lenovo Legion Y520 Laptop at the event.
"Our approach to innovation is to ensure we are constantly evolving and understanding how technology is infused within every individual, business and home," Gianfranco Lanci, President and Chief Operating Officer at Lenovo, told reporters here.
The next generation of ThinkPad X1 products cater to the need of professionals who blur the line between work and personal PC use.
Lenovo's 5th generation ThinkPad X1 Carbon — available in classic ThinkPad Black and new metallic silver colours — is the lightest 14-inch business notebook that weighs just 2.5 pounds (1.1 kg) and packs a 14-inch IPS display into a new sleek 13-inch form factor.
The new X1 Carbon offers up to 15 hours of battery life and has been redesigned to include Thunderbolt 3 ports (the fastest port available on a PC), super-fast LTE-A Wireless WAN and WiFi certified WiGig options that deliver superior performance and connectivity.
"Over 80 per cent of our consumers were concerned about battery life. Other thing the customers were worried about is colours, so we are now offering a choice of silver colour this year," Dilip Bhatia, Vice President of Global Marketing, User and Customer Experience Lenovo PC and Smart Device Business Group, said.
Taking a note of increased cybercrime threats, the new device offers enhanced security features.
It comes with a fingerprint sensor with a dedicated chip that handles biometric processing and helps secure and simplify the Windows Hello login experience with a new face recognition Infrared camera.
Adding to the list is the updated ThinkPad X1 Yoga which is flawlessly flexible, offers true multi-mode capabilities and delivers stunning colours on the only 14-inch notebook with an OLED screen.
Also, a redesigned rechargeable pen and improved "rise and fall" keyboard complete the improved experience.
"Rise and Fall" feature pulls in the keys of the device when working in tablet mode, giving a flat surface feeling. Also when a user folds the laptop after turning it off, it again pulls in the keys to keep the display free from any marks and scratches.
Alongside continuing to impress with its lightweight, modularity and serviceability is the ThinkPad X1 Tablet. The device has unique modules that offer port expansion and up to five hours of additional battery life and an integrated projector option.
Meanwhile, the Miix 720 Windows detachable combines a 12-inch QHD+ display and precision touchpad-enabled keyboard with up to 7th Gen Intel Core i7 processor and Thunderbolt 3.
One can simply remove the keyboard to instantly transform the Miix 720 into a touchscreen tablet. Paired with a multifaceted Lenovo Active Pen 2, the Miix 720 is ideal for effortless note taking or bringing creative concepts to life.
"Why Mixx 720 is better than its competitors? Its simple; the 150-degree tablet kickstand easily adjusts to the users' preferred viewing angle, ensuring comfort and entertainment," Bhatia added.
The Thunderbolt Lenovo Active Pen 2 is sold separately and may be hard bundled or optional depending on the geography.
Also to meet the evolving needs of the gaming community, the company also launched a new gaming sub-brand Lenovo Legion and two powerful gaming machines under this name — Lenovo Legion Y720 Laptop and Lenovo Legion Y520 Laptop.
"The reason why we launched these gaming laptops is we needed to provide legitimacy to our product. Legion is all about the community of gamers. In future we will have a line of gaming desktops under the legion sub-brand," Bhatia noted.
The new devices allow a greater gaming experience powering VR through the latest NVIDIA graphics, sound with Dolby Atmos and increased performance with the 7th Gen Intel Core i7 processor.
The devices ThinkPad X1 Carbon — which starts from $1,349 — and ThinkPad X1 Yoga — which starts from $1,499 — will be available in February.
While ThinkPad X1 Tablet (starts from $949) will be available in March, Miix 720 (keyboard included) which starts at $999.99 will be available in two colour options champagne and iron gray beginning in April 2017.
Lenovo Active Pen 2 starts at $59.99 will be available beginning in February.
While, the Lenovo Legion Y720 Laptop is price range starts from $1,399.99 and will available from April, Lenovo Legion Y520 Laptop will be available from February at price range starting $899.99.


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Start Over You searched for: Names Confederate States of America. Army -- Officers -- Correspondence ✖Remove constraint Names: Confederate States of America. Army -- Officers -- Correspondence
Benjamin S. Williams papers, 1792-1938 4 Linear Feet — 859 Items
Bookmark: Benjamin S. Williams papers, 1792-1938
Confederate Army officer, planter, and official of Hampton County, S.C. Mainly personal letters of Williams and his family, concerning his Civil War military service in the 25th and 47th Georgia Infantry Regiments, his efforts to become a planter after the war, his personal life, and his work as sheriff and auditor of Hampton County, S.C. Includes early land deeds, and letters from a physician who served in Cuba and Puerto Rico during the Spanish-American War.
Papers of Benjamin S. Williams, Confederate soldier, cotton planter, businessman and local politician, consisting of land deeds; a marriage license; several papers relating to the sale of slaves; clippings; correspondence; general orders of the South Carolina militia in 1877; and commissions of Williams for various offices. Civil War letters from Benjamin S. Williams, from his father, Gilbert W. M. Williams (d. 1863), Baptist minister and colonel in the 47th Regiment of Georgia Volunteer Infantry, and from A. D. Williams describe camp life; Colonel Williams's duties as commander of the 47th Regiment; deserters; Abraham Lincoln; military activities in Georgia from 1861 to 1862, in Mississippi in 1863, around Chattanooga (Tennessee) during 1863, and Smithfield (North Carolina) in 1865; charges against the 47th Regiment; the death of Sergeant Albert Richardson; and the disbanding of the Brunson branch of the South Carolina militia. Other correspondence discusses the destruction in South Carolina after Sherman's troops passed through; the behavior of the freedmen; articles written by Benjamin S. Williams regarding his war experiences; Tillmanism; the United Daughters of the Confederacy; affairs of the Confederate Infirmary at Columbia; South Carolina; the United confederate Veterans; Williams's pension claim; efforts of William A. Courtenay to write a history of the battle of Honey Hill, South Carolina; the service of Dr. Abraham Dallas Williams, brother of Benjamin S. Williams, in Cuba and Puerto Rico during the Spanish-American War; the activities of the "red shirts" in South Carolina; and an investigation of the financial condition of Hampton County, South Carolina, in 1906.
John Hendricks Kinyoun papers, 1851-1898 .5 Linear Feet — 1 box — 163 items
Bookmark: John Hendricks Kinyoun papers, 1851-1898
Chiefly consists of correspondence of John Hendricks Kinyoun (1825-1903), physician and surgeon in the Confederate Army. Correspondence between Kinyoun and his wife, Elizabeth A. (Conrad) Kinyoun, during the Civil War discusses camp life; the health of the troops; supplies; his work in Winder Hospital, Richmond, Virginia; troop movements and military engagements, especially of the 28th North Carolina Volunteers and the 66th North Carolina Infantry; the Siege of Petersburg; and his views on the Confederacy and its cause. The earliest letter, 1851, from Kinyoun while a student in college, describes a meeting of the American Colonization Society. There are also letters written to the Kinyouns after they moved to Missouri; and a folder of writings which includes a political speech, 1896, by Kinyoun criticizing the Cleveland administration and espousing the free silver doctrine.
Personal correspondence of John Hendricks Kinyoun (1825-1903), physician and surgeon in the Confederate Army. Correspondence between Kinyoun and his wife, Elizabeth A. (Conrad) Kinyoun, during the Civil War discusses camp life; the health of the troops; supplies and food; his work as a surgeon for Winder Hospital, Richmond, Virginia; troop movements and military engagements, especially of the 28th North Carolina Volunteers and the 66th North Carolina Infantry; the Siege of Petersburg; and his views on the Confederacy and its cause. The earliest letter, 1851, from Kinyoun while a student in college, describes a meeting of the American Colonization Society.
Also included are postwar letters written to the Kinyouns after they moved to Missouri; and a folder of writings which include a political speech, 1896, by Kinyoun criticizing the Cleveland administration and espousing the free silver doctrine.
Marshall McDonald papers, 1777-1926 and undated bulk 1819-1896 4.1 Linear Feet — 5,090 Items
Bookmark: Marshall McDonald papers, 1777-1926 and undated bulk 1819-1896
Born in 1835 in area of Virginia that is now West Virginia; Confederate officer during the U.S. Civil War, and U.S. Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries from 1879-1895. The collection concerns early history of the fur trade and the French-Indian War; events during the Civil War, including McDonald's position as ordnance officer at Vicksburg, Miss. for the Departments of Mississippi and Eastern Louisiana; his appointment in 1879 as Fisheries Commissioner; the organization and work of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) and to a lesser extent the Sons of the American Revolution. The Civil War papers are particularly substantive, giving details on the Vicksburg Campaign, the role of African Americans in the war, and topics such as supplies, movement of troops, and other logistics. Letters from the 1820s written by his grandfather, A. W. McDonald, a colonel in the French and Indian War, touch on the fur trade and related topics; and early letters of the Reverend Robert T. Berry and the Griggs family, of Virginia, contribute to the genealogy of those families. Marshall's correspondents include Virginia politicians and U.S. scientists. Includes correspondence of McDonald's wife, Mary Eliza McCormick McDonald, who served as a leader in the DAR.
Correspondence, invoices, receipts, requisitions, and other personal and military papers of Marshall McDonald and others, dating chiefly from 1819-1896. The collection concerns early history of the fur trade and the French-Indian War; events during the Civil War, including McDonald's position as ordnance officer at Vicksburg, Miss. for the Departments of Mississippi and Eastern Louisiana; his appointment in 1879 as Fisheries Commissioner; the organization and work of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) and to a lesser extent the Sons of the American Revolution.
Early items include two letters from the 1700s: one is a copy of a letter dated Mar. 16, 1777, from George Washington, urging McDonald's grandfather, Angus McDonald, to accept an appointment as lieutenant colonel in the Continental Army; the other letter of 1798 is from a John Henry. The letters from the 1820s belong to Angus McDonald and primarily concern the career as colonel during the French and Indian War, and his occupation as a fur trader and partner in the Missouri Fur Company, which dissolved in 1824. There are descriptions of several Plains Indian tribes including the Sioux and the Aricaras.
Marshall McDonald's Civil War papers include a small handwritten volume that notes military tactics, supplies, and the organization of the First Army Corps of the Confederate Army. Other Civil War papers include letters and orders from Gen. Martin Luther Smith and other army officers; slave rolls from 1862-1863 which indicate the payment to the owner for the use of slaves at the Vicksburg Arsenal; a list of free African Americans turned over to the engineers at Fort Anderson; and a report of enemy operations in West Virginia in 1864. There are good accounts of the First Battle of Bull Run and the Vicksburg Campaign. The Civil War papers from 1863 were also microfilmed and a negative reel is available in the library.
Includes family correspondence of McDonald's wife, Mary Eliza McCormick McDonald, who served a leading role in the DAR, and his grandfather, A. W. McDonald, a colonel in the French and Indian War; and early letters from the 1830s of the Reverend Robert T. Berry and the Griggs family, of Virginia. There are letters sent to Mary from prominent women of the time such as Flora (Adams) Darling and Mary Desha. The original spelling of the family name was MacDonald, which Marshall shortened to McDonald, but his wife Mary continued to sign her letters with the original spelling.
Marshall's later correspondents include scientists F. Baird and William Stimpson, and Fred Mather, editor of Fish and Stream, George A. Anderson, John Warwick Daniel, John M. Forbes, Frederick W. M. Hollyday, James Wilson Alexander McDonald, Charles Triplett O'Ferrall, James L. Pugh, William Lyne Wilson, and George D. Wise. There is a large amount of correspondence from the 1870s on McDonald's patented fish ladder, which won a gold medal at the International Fisheries Exhibition in London; McDonald traveled to and received letters from European persons about fish conservation and the use of fish ladders. The letterpress volume listed at the end of the collection consists of McDonald's correspondence while U.S. Fish Commissioner, chiefly concerning his inventions.
Robert E. Lee papers, 1749-1975 3 Linear Feet — 204 Items
Bookmark: Robert E. Lee papers, 1749-1975
Robert E. Lee was a Virginia-born career military officer, Confederate general in the U.S. Civil War, and president of what is now Washington and Lee University. Family and military correspondence of Robert E. Lee (1807-1870), Confederate general-in-chief; and of his descendants; and a few letters of Francis Lightfoot Lee, Richard Henry Lee, Henry Lee, and Mary Ann Randolph (Custis) Lee. The letters deal with many phases of Robert E. Lee's life from his marriage in 1832 until his death, including family and personal affairs, especially in his letters to a cousin, Mrs. Anna M. Fitzhugh; settlement of the Custis estate; and improvements at the family house in Arlington, Virginia. Included also is one volume of 295 telegram dispatches sent by Robert E. Lee from the field to Jefferson Davis and the Confederate War Department; two scrapbooks memorializing Robert E. Lee; a small notebook in Robert E. Lee's hand, 1857-1860, containing amounts of meat purchased for the Arlington household; and a letterpress book of Robert E. Lee III, a lawyer of Washington, D.C.
Family and military correspondence of Robert E. Lee (1807-1870), Confederate general-in-chief; and of his descendants; and a few letters of Francis Lightfoot Lee, Richard Henry Lee, Henry Lee, and Mary Ann Randolph (Custis) Lee. The letters deal with many phases of Robert E. Lee's life from his marriage in 1832 until his death, including family and personal affairs, especially in his letters to a cousin, Mrs. Anna M. Fitzhugh; settlement of the Custis estate; and improvements at the family house in Arlington, Virginia. During the Civil War the correspondence consists of official and family letters, the former containing much information on military activities. The postwar letters reveal details of domestic arrangements following the family's removal to Lexington, Virginia.
One volume contains 295 telegrams (collected and arranged by C.C. Jones, Jr., and published by D.S. Freeman, Lee's Dispatches, New York, 1915) sent by Lee from the field to Jefferson Davis and the Confederate War Department, many having been endorsed by James A. Seddon. These dispatches relate to troop movements, reports of the intelligence service, skirmishes, enemy activities, transportation of prisoners and wounded men, and other details of military operations. Included also are two scrapbooks memorializing Robert E. Lee, chiefly consisting of clippings and engravings; a small notebook in Robert E. Lee's hand, 1857-1860, containing amounts of meat purchased for the Arlington household; and a letterpress book of Robert E. Lee III, a lawyer of Washington, D.C.
William Holland Thomas papers, 1814-1900s and undated 30 Linear Feet
Bookmark: William Holland Thomas papers, 1814-1900s and undated
White agent and representative for the Cherokee, merchant, lawyer, and trader, of Haywood Co., N.C. Collection includes correspondence, account books, day books, ledgers, and other papers, relating to Thomas's life in western North Carolina; the removal of the Cherokee and the status of those who remained; the development of intrastructure including turnpikes and railroads in North Carolina; Civil War fighting in east Tennessee; postwar administration of Indian affairs; and his private business operations as a white trader among the Cherokees. Includes records of Thomas's five stores in Haywood and Cherokee counties, and business correspondence and accounts of Thomas's son, also William Holland Thomas, a merchant and farmer of Jackson County, N.C.
Collection contains letters and papers of William H. Thomas (1805-1893) concerning his life and businesses in western North Carolina; his role as a white agent representing the Indians in negotiations and communications with the U.S. government; the removal of the Eastern Band of Cherokee on the Trail of Tears; the legal and financial conditions of Cherokee who remained behind in North Carolina; the building of roads and railroads through Western North Carolina; fighting during the Civil War in East Tennessee, including Thomas's leadership of Thomas's Legion in the Confederate Army; postwar administration of Indian affairs; and private business of Thomas, including some documentation of his declining health and his institutionalization for mental instability. There are also account books, day books, and ledgers showing a record of goods bought and sold in Thomas's five stores in Haywood and Cherokee counties. Included also are business correspondence and miscellaneous accounts, 1875-1890, of his son, William Holland Thomas, Jr., merchant and farmer of Jackson County, North Carolina.
Benjamin S. Williams papers, 1792-19381
John Hendricks Kinyoun papers, 1851-18981
Marshall McDonald papers, 1777-1926 and undated bulk 1819-18961
Robert E. Lee papers, 1749-19751
William Holland Thomas papers, 1814-1900s and undated1
Kinyoun, John Hendricks, 1825-1
Lee, Robert E. (Robert Edward), 1807-18701
McDonald, Marshall, 1835-18951
Thomas, William Holland, 1805-18931
Williams, Benjamin S., b. 18431
Confederate States of America. Army -- Officers -- Correspondence✖[remove]5
Arlington House, the Robert E. Lee Memorial (Va.)1
Confederate States of America -- History, Military1
Confederate States of America. Army -- Ordnance and ordnance stores1
Confederate States of America. Army -- Surgeons1
Confederate States of America. Army. Georgia Infantry Regiment, 25th1
Confederate States of America. Army. Thomas Legion1
Confederate States of America. War Dept.1
Daughters of the American Revolution -- History1
United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-18652
Cherokee County (N.C.) -- History1
Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians -- History1
Hampton County (S.C.) -- Officials and employees1
Haywood County (N.C.) -- History1
Jackson County (N.C.) -- History1
North Carolina -- History -- Civil War, 1861-18651
Petersburg (Va.) -- History -- Siege, 1864-18651
Tennessee -- History -- Civil War, 1861-18651
United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- African Americans1
Cherokee Indians -- Government relations1
Cherokee Indians -- Legal status, laws, etc.1
Farmers -- North Carolina -- Jackson County1
Fish culture -- United States -- History1
Fur trade -- United States -- History1
General stores -- North Carolina -- Cherokee County1
General stores -- North Carolina -- Haywood County1
Hospitals -- Confederate States of America1
Indians of North America -- North Carolina1
Medicine, Military -- Confederate States of America -- History1
Scrapbooks1


I was going to put together my system details but I keep coming back to how all that stuff fits and works in my room and since I pretty-much view the room as an important - maybe the most important - part of my system, I'll start by detailing it.
My listening room is a 12.5' x 23' x 7.5' below-grade, dedicated room that started with some good basic ingredients and didn't require too many family compromises, so I built it out with some fairly extensive room treatments. It's absolutely 'old-school' textbook, passive, analog, dinosaur technology, built with a little science, planning, and DIY elbow-grease quite some time ago - pretty much before digital room correction for the masses existed. I fully understand that I may be missing out on the possibility of going further by converting everything to PCM digital, applying DRC in a little computer then converting back to analog with a DAC in-that-box, but I'm just fine with staying in a (mostly) analog world, and this room lets me do that.
It works very well to my ear now when I play a record (through an all tube system to a passive crossover and old alnico drivers) and it works just as good when I play digital down the same path from the pre-amp inputs. Analog is my gold standard and with this approach I enjoy vinyl to a pretty high level, and as digital catches up, well, the room is already there.
When we went looking for a house several years ago, I tried to get something with a room having a favorable W x L x H ratio and solid construction to support decent bass and isolation from the rest of the house - and maybe got a little lucky. It's in the basement (where the family is OK with it being dedicated to audio), 12.5' x 2' and has a 'visual' 7.5' ceiling -visual because there is a lot going on behind that black cloth that extends that height in places.
The floor is laminated wood on poured concrete with drywall over concrete block on the 4 side walls and it's proven to support very solid bass. There is 1 door, 2 short windows high on a side wall and a small bulkhead, so not much to get in the way of tuning to a simple rectangular model, which I think made planning easier and the results more predictable.
I started by burying myself in Everest's Acoustics texts (fantastic books for this!), then playing with the numbers in a spreadsheet where I tried different materials and combinations of diffraction and absorption techniques to get to a reasonably balanced reverb time (copy of spreadsheet below). I tried not to overdo absorption in the mid to high frequencies (it's very easy to go overboard there as most acoustic treatments only work there) and concentrated absorption in the first reflection points.
Doing all this planning in Excel was extremely helpful as I could just adjust the areas of various treatments or construction materials and see the theoretical effect on reverb time, balance, etc. I think going through this phase in software saved me a lot of time adjusting and changing things after the fact and the results seemed to nicely match the sims - at least to my ear. I have not measured anything in there yet, can get past just listening.
The ceiling treatment is notable in that it uses some tuned bass trap sections and some open areas to expose the floor-joists above for some strategically placed diffraction ("scatter" according to tomlinmgt ) and absorption. This was all done using black grill-cloth covered plywood panels so it looks like a flat ceiling, but has bass-absorbing perf-panels in the corners (tuned to the problem frequencies) and the open areas (diffraction and absorption) over the listening position at the first reflection points. The drawing below shows how I distributed these mixed ceiling panels and how I worked it into my initial equipment layout. The rear wall (behind the listening chairs) is mostly taken up with an Expidit rack for storage of records, CDs, equipment, etc. which is pretty randomly loaded so provides a decent level of dispersion. I also have 2 of the wall panels at 45 degree angles back there in the corners.
My original plan was to use curtains for absorption to add a level of adjustability to the space but I fell into some free office partition panels (heavy MDF panels covered with mineral wool) which work very well as substitutes. These combined with a carpet and the open absorption area of the ceiling, cover all the first-reflection points, but I use more of them in there and move, add, remove these panels to 'tune' the room. If I remove a few, reverb goes up and the space becomes more lively, adding some makes things a little darker, intimate and smokey-good like a small club. It's pretty immediate and cool to play with this but in the end I've found a sweet spot that suits most of my listening (leaning towards intimate) and I pretty much stick to that configuration.
Also worth noting is that when I had the ceiling torn down, I put in 2 dedicated circuits back the breaker panel for audio using 12ga romex with hospital grade outlets. I also keep all the digital on its own circuit - not sure if this has much of an effect on things but since I can, I do, and the more I isolate noisy switching-mode digital PSs from all the analog, the better things sound to my ear. I currently stream digital over copper so have a few 1G Ethernet connections into the room from my switch & file server in another room.
Some recent additions to my system have really enhanced what this room is capable of - like 'helper' woofers behind a big SS amp and some digital EQ - but this space was put together to let my simple SET>high-efficiency speaker system perform at it's best and I think it's pretty effective at that. In this house, I'm pretty much done on the room front.
Nice write up Bill. Noticed on your room diagram you have the speakers back to the corner, with a toe-in. but the pictures look like you brought them out and have them straight ahead. I got about the same placement on my 620's, but have a toe-in so I'm looking down the throats of the horns. I don't know if its a psycho-visual-acoustic thing, but I ended up doing the same thing with all my horns. Could you share your thoughts on your placement.
Speaker placement really changed when I added a pair of Altec 416A helper woofers in the corners (ratty old aristrocrat cabinets for now).
This completely changed what I was after from the mains as it was no longer about bass-extension and squeezing the most out of my little flea-watt amps. With the bass well taken care of by 416s (which nicely load the room and match the 604 on the big-tone front) I found the 604s sounded more open out in the room and had better depth and image accuracy. It was also nice to leverage the reduced ballsy bass power requirements on the 2A3 amp, and I started messing with 45 SETs again and 2A3s that excelled in the mids and highs (like the RCAs I now use) instead of some of the newer 2A3s that do better bass.
I haven't messed with toe-in much as the image really seems to snap-in where they are now (a little toe-in) but there was a bit of a trade-off in width (less toe-on) and razor-sharp focus (looking down the horn throats). This get's even more complicated if you start messing with the obsorption panels on the side walls and this really IS a narrow room for these so it's been a matter of choosing my compromises, and in this room, a little less toe-in seems best.
I've always admired the effort you put into designing your room, it's amazing. Do you have side wall absorbers as well as the ceiling? how many sq ft did you use?
Always loved your room......Great write up and explanation.
Beautiful write-up of a beautiful room.
Thanks everyone! Building out rooms that focus on audio performance (I've done it to varying degrees before) have been by far the most important things I've done towards improving my systems and aside from the house ( ), the most cost-effective.
Thanks Kyle - you have to get over sometime for a listen.
On the side walls I use those office partition panels I mentioned, which you can see in the photo of the room above on the front wall (have to update that, not a great view of things). The panels are very heavy MDF covered on both sides with rockwool and trimmed out in grey cloth and oak so look reasonably decent. I just lean them against the wall so there is an increasing air gap behind them; from nothing at the top to about 5" at the bottom.
They are about 5' high and I have widths of 2-6", 3-6" and 4'. With the balance I've settled on I use 2 of the 2-6" panels on the front wall, 2 of the 3-6" at the first reflection points and 2 in the rear corners next to the expidit rack (angled at 45 degrees, in the positions taken up by cylinders in the above drawing). The side wall location was first located using a mirror but it's moved a bit over the years, as has the listening position, especially after adding the 416 woofers.
The cool thing about having a few of these panels to choose from and avoiding permanent mounting is the flexibility - I choose and move them to suit things as small as system changes or the type of music I'm leaning towards over time. In the end though, I have found a personal sweet-spot and pretty much stick to it and as mentioned, it's leaning towards a slightly soft, intimate space which nicely suits the Jazz, Blues, Folk & Americana I listen to a lot lately. Still lights up with huge dynamics and drive (4 15" Altec drivers in the room ) when called for though, so my rock seems well served as well.
I don't think there are many folks out there who have taken such painstaking measures to "engineer" their room as you have Bill.
That must have been a lot of time and effort to get it to the point it is now. Awesome job!
Do you happen to have any photos of the ceiling treatments before covering it?
Thanks Anthony. I never took any pictures of it under the covers back when I built it. The ceiling was spread out over a pretty long time and I did it one 2' x 8' panel at a time where I'd lay out the pattern using CAD, drill or jig-saw the wood, give it a quick coat of black paint then stretch fit and glue the grill-cloth onto it. I'd then put thin strips of foam sill-plate insulation on the wood joists above, air-nail the panel into place with brads and cover the seams with black painted trim strips.
Took a while but worked out great from a sonic perspective and has even proven to be sort of future proof - it wasn't too big a deal to tear part of it down temporarily a little while back when I wanted to add some network cable runs for the living room above.
Brilliant Bill, bloody brilliant!!! I can tell all who have not had the pleasure of hearing Bill's set up that it sounds bloody brilliant as well!!!! All of this time and effort have paid off to reflect perhaps THE best system I have ever heard, bravo mate!!!!
I like it. If I had a dedicated listening room there would be problem's around here.
Very nice Bill, you have a wonderful room. How did you decide where the first reflection points were? Is it a certain angle from the center of the speaker?
When I was in the design stage, I determined first reflection points using math calculations, which was pretty easy using CAD once I drew up the room. I assumed things like wall treatments and the floor (carpet) would be pretty easy to change so didn't sweat them much but for the ceiling I modelled different speaker locations and seating positions to make sure I covered them all with the cut-out panel sections. Basically, just drew incident/reflected lines from the speaker tweeter center to approximate head locations.
The easy way just use a mirror and move it till you see the tweeter, trying a few locations to get coverage as wide as you'd like. This works great and we just used this in a friend's room to find the optimum position for his treatment panels and IMO, they sounded best where the mirror said they should go. Of course that assumes you can live with those locations (which I don't think he could) which is why it was nice to start with a fairly 'clean' rectangular room in my case, and not worry too much about ascetics and regular space use requirements. It's all about trade-offs and I was lucky enough to be able to minimize them.
That is a great idea. I will have to try that, however I'm guessing I may have similar problems as your friend. It would be very exciting starting with a blank canvas.
I had someone ask me questions about my listening room and how I treated it, so searched out this old thread and noticed that some of the images and text were messed up. I think forum upgrades or more likely - the platform change the site has gone through - broke some things, so I cleaned it up so it all makes sense again - at least to me it makes sense.


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Matt Britton
CEO/founder of Suzy
Matt Britton is an entrepreneur, best-selling author, and high-energy speaker who is considered America's leading marketing expert on Gen Y Gen Z consumers. His unique ability to connect the dots between the consumer culture of today and the business trends of tomorrow has attracted more than half of the Fortun 500 companies to engage him as a brand consultant over the past two decades. Matt's best-selling book, YouthNation, debuted at #1 on Amazon's business book list in 2015 and has become a textbook for businesses wanting to reach younger consumers. In November he was featured on the cover of Radio Ink magazine and dubbed, "Modern Day Don Draper."
In 2002 Matt founded MRY, a digital and social media marketing services agency, He grew it from a one-person startup to a global powerhouse with more than 500 employees. Over 14 years at MRY, the agency helped corporations such as Microsoft, Procter & Gamble, Ford, Visa, and Google develop innovative strategies and successfully launch products aimed at Millennials. In 2011, MRY was acquired by the Publicis Groupe.
In 2016, Matt became CEO of CrowdTap, which he incubated and spun-off from MRY in 2011 and later renamed Suzy. Suzy is a consumer intelligence platform touted as "Siri for brands." Suzy helps companies such as Netflix, Coca-Cola, P&G, J&J, Citibank, Verizon, Nintendo & Nestle, validate critical assumptions so they can focus on creating compelling new products, developing effective marketing strategies, and validating direct offers. Suzy has secured more than $15 million in venture capital from investors that include The Foundry Group, Tribeca Venture Partners, fashion icon Kenneth Cole & NBA star Kevin Durant.
Join us in Miami in March 2020 for conference.
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In a medium size, skillet on medium to medium high heat, cook bacon, thoroughly until crisp. Remove from pan, place on a paper towel. When cooled..crumble and set aside.
In a food processor, add shrimp, scallops and bacon.
In the same skillet that bacon was cooked in, melt butter and add celery and garlic. Cook until lightly tender, remove from heat and add celery/butter mixture to the food processor with the meats.
Then add remaining ingredients to the food processor: chives, mayo, tomatoes, bread crumbs, parmesan cheese and water.
Secure lid to food processor on processor. Then pulse all ingredients together, until well combined and ingredients look like a stuffing.
Using 2 cookie sheets, line pans with parchment paper. Taking a spoon, measure out a heaping tsp of mixture and place mixture into the mini phyllo cups.
Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until tops of cups are a medium golden brown. Remove from oven sprinkle shredded cheese on top and serve.
Note: water can easily be adapted to broth. Use either seafood or chicken broth.


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Conceptual Multi-Media
Neil Bender:
Nether Regions
2D mixed- media
September 13, 2003 through Oct 16, 2003
Opening reception with the artists:
Saturday September 13, 7:00PM to 9:00PM
with surprise guest DJ
In the main gallery...
Kathryn Refi:
Since receiving her M.F.A. from the University of Georgia in 2002 Ms. Refi has had a one-person exhibition at the Saltworks Gallery, exhibited in the Atlanta Biennial, and been selected for an emerging artist exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia in 2004. She is an Adjunct Instructor at The University of Georgia in Athens.
Refi collects data and information that examines her life and habits in a conceptual way. Her visual conclusions are presented in a manner that opens up a dialog between her exterior world, interior world, and her artwork.
In Every Word i Spoke Refi carried a tape recorder (discreetly in her purse) and recorded everything she said over the course of a day. Transcribing and alphabetizing the tapes she generates 2D and audio results.
With My Half of the Duplex, Apt. A, 346 N. Pope St. Refi creates an exact scale model of the apartment she lived in for 3 years. Unsure of how to represent the The following is an excerpt from the 2003 Atlanta Biennial catalog concerning Refi's Light Readings. neighbors half, occupied by two brothers...
"I NEVER went in their apartment. I would hear the TV on all the time, one brother coughing incessantly every morning, occasional yelling matches. They were right on the other side of the wall from me, and yet I could not visualize their environment. I would be in my apt. surrounded by so much that was familiar and accessible, and right on the other side of the wall was a world I knew only a part of through sound alone. This contrast between the familiar and unfamiliar, what is known and what can only be imagined, really fascinated me."
The following is an excerpt from the 2003 Atlanta Biennial catalog concerning Refi's Light Readings.
"Light Readings refers to a common tool of photography. Refi's painting, though initially read as an abstracted grid of graduations on black on paper, is surprisingly a "true" self-portrait documenting one day experienced in light levels, beginning at midnight in the upper left corner, reading left to right, and ending the following day at midnight.
Refi was interested in ways that she experienced her day in visual terms. The work explores the relationship between technology and the artist's hand. To record the information, Refi worked with an ecology professor. Using a hand-held data-collecting computer that had a photo cell attached to it, Refi mounted the photo cell on top of a hat that she wore for a day. She programmed the computer to record a reading of the light level every minute. Later Refi converted the numerical readings into a value scale. The work is made with India ink. There is a tension between the desire to make the ink behave in ways that are precise and mechanical, and the underlying quality of the medium which is washy, loose, and expressive."
In the entrance hall…
Receiving his M.F.A. in 2002, Mr. Bender was awarded the prestigious Joan Mitchell Foundation MFA Grant, a nationwide search for excellence in M.F.A. achievement. He is featured in the slide registry of The Drawing Center in New York, recently was curated to fill the project space at the Atlanta Contemporary Art Center and,like Refi, exhibits at Saltworks Gallery. He splits his time between teaching at The University of Georgia, in Athens, and teaching in Cortona Italy at U.G.A.'s satellite program.
The following is an excerpt from Mr. Bender's artist statement:
"I'm interested in a faux-seduction, in art maneuvers that are plastic and organic, loving and harsh. My paintings and drawings use 'hooks' such as lurid pinks and reds, decorative fabrics, cream-colored paper, glossy surfaces, meaty paint, and fluid, curvy lines. I want the work to contain some of the visual cues used by mass media to engage the viewer to stop and consider my images amongst the miasma of many in a saturated popular culture. Upon further investigation, I hope the surfaces open up to an underbelly that probes how we subjectively digest sexualized media. My personal experiences are layered with objective observation to create an overflowing, lascivious world of pleasure and pain that is more "real" to me because of its inherent flatness and manipulability. The fiction of two-dimensionality allows me to create forms that oscillate between figuration and abstraction, between describing "things" and creating my own visual language. The images refer to comic books, illustration, art history, and kitsch with a critical black humor. Pink is important to me for its passive and feminine connotations, which I turn on end and free from these constraints to create aggressive images of our biology, sexuality, and psychology that are multi-layered spectacles."
His rap group Suave Prospects have released an LP, "The Pumping", and a new single "The Body Malone".
PLEASE JOIN US AND THE ARTISTS FOR THE OPENING OF OUR 2003-2004 SEASON WITH A SPECIAL GUEST D.J.,
SATURDAY SEPT. 13, 7-9.


Clear skies. Low 37F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph..
Clear skies. Low 37F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph.
How are you doing on your New Year's resolutions? That may seem like an odd question to pose in April, but research indicates that many people don't even make it to month six with new goals.
If you started off the year motivated to do something differently but are no longer pursuing that effort, why did it drop off?
Speculation would lead some to believe that it is because you are lazy or that you stopped caring. Rather, it may have just been easier to go back to what you were doing before.
Blue Zones Project was brought to Dodge County by Beaver Dam Community Hospital after a health needs assessment was done and the results revealed a high prevalence of preventable diseases. As with New Year's resolutions, when people try to tackle something on their own, sometimes it just doesn't stick. However, when the environment lends itself to making the healthy choice easier, people will have greater success.
The Blue Zones Project team works with schools, churches, organizations, grocery stores, restaurants, work sites and local government to create an optimal environment for achieving well-being. Research from places around the world where people live the longest, shows that moving naturally, eating more fruits and vegetables, putting family first, connecting socially and finding our purpose contributes to well being.
One example of a Blue Zones Project initiative that helps keep me on track includes using the Blue Zones inspired checkout at Blue Zones Project Approved grocery stores. These checkouts feature quick grab food and beverage options that are healthier. The stores still maintain the "regular" checkouts as well. Blue Zones Project is about adding choices, not taking them away.


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Jan. 16, 2018 / 6:22 PM
Donald Trump touts economy in surprise visit to White House panel on women
Daniel Uria
President Donald Trump's daughter, Ivanka Trump, (R) and Small Business Administrator Linda McMahon led a discussion about the economy at a panel titled "Conversation with the Women of America" Thursday. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo
President Donald Trump made an unexpected appearance at the panel Thursday, touting the strong stock market and discussing the state of immigration reform negotiations. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo
The panel was focused on advancements for women at home and in the workplace and featured three separate discussions about the economy, health care and national security. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo
Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao joined Ivanka Trump and Linda McMahon to host a conversation about the economy. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo
Kellyanne Conway led a discussion about health care and the opioid crisis alongside health policy consultant Seema Verma. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo
Jan. 16 (UPI) -- More than a dozen top White House officials discussed advancements for women at home and in the workplace during a "Conversation with the Women of America" event Tuesday.
More than 200 guests were invited to observe the three part panel.
"As part of an ongoing conversation this administration has been having with American women there will be a focus on the economy, healthcare and national security during the president's first year in office," White House spokeswoman Lindsey Walters said.
Senior White House officials and Cabinet members, including President Donald Trump's daughter and senior adviser, Ivanka Trump, press secretary Sarah Sanders, counselor to the president Kellyanne Conway and Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao, took part in the panel.
RELATED Doctor: Trump 'fit for office,' could improve diet, exercise
Topics included the Republican tax bill, the opioid crisis and human trafficking.
President Trump, who wasn't scheduled to speak at the panel, made a surprise visit.
During his appearance, Trump touted low unemployment rates for women and African Americans, and a strong stock market, which he said would have suffered had his Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton been elected president.
RELATED Homeland Security chief says DACA recipients won't be deportation priority
"Had the other side gotten in, the market would have gone down 50 percent from where it was," Trump said. "Fifty percent from where it was. Remember that. It was stagnant and it was going down."
He also discussed the state of immigration reform negotiations, which he said were being held up by Democrats.
"We are working on immigration and immigration reform," Trump said. "Hopefully at some point we will be able to solve that problem. If the Democrats really wanted to, they could, but they really sometimes don't want to. We are working on it and we will get it done one way or the other I hope."
RELATED Gallup: Number of uninsured Americans rose by 3.2 million last year
Elaine Chao
Immigration & Border Security
U.S. News // 1 hour ago
LSU wins College Football Playoff National Championship


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Home > Facts > Biography Facts > Vasco Nunez de Balboa Facts
Vasco Nunez de Balboa Facts
Vasco Nunez de Balboa was a Spanish explorer most well-known for crossing the 1513 crossing of the Isthmus of Panama, which made him the first European expedition to reach the Pacific Rim via the New World. He was born in 1475 in Jerez de los Caballeros, Spain to a nobleman Nuno Arias de Balboa and Lady de Badajoz. As a child he was a squire and a page to the lord of Moguer, Don Pedro de Portocarrero. He was inspired to become an explorer when his master told him Christopher Columbus's New World voyages, and ventured on an expedition to the Americas in 1500 with Rodrigo de Astidas who had a license to bring treasure back for the queen and king.
Interesting Vasco Nunez de Balboa Facts:
In 1501 Vasco Nunez de Balboa crossed the Caribbean coast. He was traveling east of Panama toward Cabo de la Vela, northeast of South America.
The expedition realized they were too short of men and sailed to Hispaniola. Vasco used his share of the earnings of the expedition to settle in Hispaniola in 1505.
Vasco unsuccessfully raised pigs and was a planter for several years, which sent him into debt. He eventually left the island.
Vasco left the island and his creditors as a stowaway in 1509. He hid in a barrel with Leoncico, his dog, but was discovered aboard the ship before arriving at San Sebastian de Uraba.
The crew pleaded for Vasco's life, but it was likely his knowledge of the area they were set to explore saved him from being deposited on the first uninhabited island they encountered.
Vasco suggested they settle San Sebastian in Darien, to the west of the Gulf of Uraba. The soil was more fertile but they were met with resistance.
Following battle against 500 warriors but the Spanish won. The natives left their village and the Spanish founded Santa Maria la Antiqua del Darien - the first permanent settlement on the American mainland.
Vasco used a legal maneuver to remove the mayor Fernandez de Enciso from power, as he had grown very unpopular with the settlers.
A municipal council was elected and Vasco Nunez de Balboa and Martin Samudio were elected as alcaldes.
The governor Diego de Nicuesa attempted to take over Santa Maria but was unsuccessful and was sent to sea aboard a boat that was no seaworthy. He was never heard from again.
Vasco Nunez de Balboa became the governor of all of Veragua which gave him absolute authority.
Vasco sent a ship back to Spain with a request for more supplies and men, and continued to explore the New World.
On Sept. 1st, 1513, Vasco Nunez de Balboa began the expedition across the Isthmus of Panama. His request for more men for the expedition had been denied. He took 190 Spaniards, some native guides and a pack of dogs along the voyage.
He found many treasures along the voyage and returned to Santa Maria in 1514.
Vasco was sentenced to beheading after a trial in 1519 that found him guilty of trying to create a separate government in the South Sea.
Biography Facts
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Not very long ago if one were to suggest exploring Katowice by Bike one might have questioned your sanity. Those days are long gone however and after years of recent infrastructure improvements and new investments in world class architecture, greater Katowice is an exciting and exceedingly eclectic destination to discover on two wheels. Follow IYP as we show you around some of the best spots and give you some survival tips for getting the most out of a bike day trip in Katowice.
Our grand adventure began outside the centrally located angelo Hotel where Silesiatrip.pl have one of their rental bike pickup points. You can rent a bike right at the Hotel reception and return whenever you're done. Silesiatrip.pl also have bike pickup points at other Hotels in the city or you can arrange for a rental bike pickup from their ul. Mariacki headquarters. Alternatively you can pick up a rental bike from one of the dozen or so City By Bike rental stations scattered around the city/region.
Starting from the angelo Hotel we set a course for Silesia Park. Using the two-page Katowice City Map from the back of the guide (ps. 84-85) we planned our course from Sokolska Street to the park. We rolled North and crossed the upper part of the four lane highway that makes up Chorzowska Ave on foot. We made our way to the bike path that parallels the tram lines that head Northwest towards Chorzów. The bike path is shared with a pedestrian path but well-marked. It was smooth sailing all the way to Silesia City Center when the signs clearly mark that bikes should head under a pedestrian tunnel to the left side of the highway. Perhaps we misunderstood the signage but we followed suit only to find ourselves in a parking lot of a car dealership on the other side with no further bike signage in site. Force of habit drew us to the sidewalk with no clear bike lane. We awkwardly continued to make our way Northwest again, this time with oncoming traffic rushing towards us on Chorzowska.
Once we passed the Silesia City Center we could see construction where the bike lane on the opposing side would be. Upon further inspection it seems the bike/pedestrian path on the North side of Chorzowska Ave is currently undergoing maintenance. Keep this in mind as it may be open again in the near future. Nevertheless, we continued our journey onward and finally crossed back over to the North side at the Southernmost tip of Silesia Park where Chorzowska Ave intersects Złota Street. There isn't actually a direct entrance to the park here as it is the entrance to the Silesian Amusement Park. So we followed a pedestrian path North along Złota Street and finally entered the giant park on a marked path just after the Gondola/Ski lift entrance.
We sped through the park and enjoyed the two wheeled freedom to explore Silesia Park's vast natural beauty and many attractions at our own pace.The first thing that caught our eye was the gorgeous Rosarium which was in the process of being pruned by a team of gardeners. We weaved in and out of rows of bushes and beds filled with all shapes and sizes of colorful roses. We were highly fortunate to have embarked on our Silesian cycling trip on a gorgeous early Summer day.
We continued on lazily winding our way through the many pedestrian pathways of the park and quickly arrived to the Kontener Cooltury (p. 58). This pleasure island of tranquility comes alive during the weekend when it hosts a hugely popular concert as well as plenty of burgers, beers and basking in the Silesian sun. Nothing was on at the moment so we sped Northwestward past the central pond and took a turn North to hunt down the Silesian Sculpture Garden. The route took us uphill and we had to avoid some fallen limbs on the pedestrian trails as a storm had passed through earlier in the day. Once we finally found the Sculpture Garden we took a short break to admire the beautiful and sometimes oddball sculptures sunken deep into the forest and fields of the Northern stretches of the park. For more ambitious riders there is an official cycle route which is clearly marked and circumnavigates most of the park on well-marked and well-paved roads. We came close to bisecting this path but being the amateur enthusiasts that we are, we avoided taking this route entirely and decided instead to double back and head for some refreshments.
We sped happily downhill through more felled brush and some other back trails and ended up near the entrance to the Zoo. It was here we saw the familiar green sign of the Rebel Garden and chose its lovely summer garden to plan the next phase of our adventure. Rebel Garden is a bar, pub and somewhat of a cult favourite that regularly holds open air concerts on their back deck and in front of the gilded gates of the Zoo. We grabbed a local Silesian beverage, took a load off and opened up our trusty IYP map to plan our next move. We were torn between heading due South to the Valley of Three Ponds (where the Off Festival is held) or due East to cruise around Nikoszowiec. Both destinations have their pros and cons but the lateness of the hour dictated that Nikoszowiec was the safest option as it looked to be pretty much a bee line from Silesia Park and we had to be back in the city centre before nightfall.
So we packed up and jetted out of the park the same way we came in. We contemplated taking an alternate route back to the city centre but after taking a slight detour through some side streets we made our way back to Chorzowska Ave and followed the same route back Southeast. This time however we sped past Sokolska Street on the bike path and headed straight for the Spodek. The great infrastructure redevelopment of the city centre also saw extensive bike paths built including a ramp that allows cyclists to ascend the eye of the city (formerly known as Oko Miasto, now as Królestwa), which offers the best panoramic views of the new and improved downtown skyline. We paused for a few seconds to take some Kato glamour shots and then continued on our way weaving through the city's newest architectural marvels.
We whizzed by the Spodek and past the new International Convention Center with its angular grass roof terracing and then headed straight for the pedestrian/bike bridge that crosses over to NOSPR. The glorious brick building and the surrounding squares have been so deftly designed that there is ample space for an outdoor restaurant, a gaggle of gawking tourists, several sly fountains and speeding cyclists, without any collisions. We resisted the urge to grab a bite at Cadenza and instead continued on our way. In front of the new Silesian Museum we were faced with a choice of whether to cross over Aleja Walentego Roźdzeńskiego (aka Chorzowska Ave on the West side of Królestwa). It appears that there is a bike path on both sides of the Aleja (Avenue) however looking at the map we assumed at some point we would have to turn right to head towards Nikoszowiec so we chose to cross over the pedestrian bridge to the South of the Avenue and continue Eastward.
We were cruising smoothly when all of a sudden the bike path seemed to disappear just North of the Novotel. Since cycling on the busy 3-lane Avenue was totally out of the question on our rented city bike, we started to use our cyclist's intuition and went a bit freestyle. We headed South for a block until we found another cyclist who seemed to be heading in the same direction, so we followed him. He led us to an amazing secluded canal (see picture) that had two paths on either side both heading due East. We couldn't believe our luck and without thinking we sped off down the canal. We ducked under branches and admired the shady park tucked under the noisy Avenue above when all of a sudden the path ended abruptly in thick brush. We could see across the canal that the path also ended but there was an outlet to the street. We were forced to double back to the last overpass we had just gone under. The overpass turned out to be Bogucicka Street and it led us South to the May 1st Boulevard (1 Maja) where we were once again reunited with an official bike lane.
Once we were on May 1st it was pretty much smooth sailing biking due East. There is a fairly well marked Bike path that goes straight to Nikoszowiec and avoids the many overpasses and underpasses of the Silesian highway system. Keep your wits about you and in about 20 minutes you can make it to the first stop for any trip to Nikoszowiec, the Wilson Shaft Gallery. We took a quick peak into the giant gallery which is currently hosting the Art Naif Festival through mid August and then remounted and headed for the heart of the bucolic workers district. In under 5 minutes we were parked up under St. Anne's Church flashbulbs flying. We circumnavigated the whole of the district several times although from the look on the locals faces, they have yet to see many renegade tourist bikers in these parts. We grabbed another refreshing drink at Riksza Pub, our favourite Nikoszowiec haunt. We noticed the sun was beginning to set so we saddled up one last time for the return journey.
We took the exact same route to get back to the city center although this time we kept following the May 1st boulevard until it turned into Warszawska Street and then we followed Warszawska until the start of ul. Mariacka. We did a quick buzz of the pedestrian thoroughfare from East to West to take in the sights of the gathering crowds of early summer revellers and then bee-lined it for the Rynek to see if all the new construction had made it more bike friendly. Much to our delight, the wide open spaces and open design of the new Rynek is not only bike friendly but the palm trees, beach loungers and flowing river mean it's also sunbather friendly! We took our last photo as the sun dropped lower on the horizon before we made our way back to the angelo Hotel to return our noble green steed. We had a great day exploring some of the best hidden spots the city has to offer and were generally impressed with the cycling infrastructure Katowice has in place and which only looks to increase in the near future. While we certainly encourage you to take the same routes as us (and definitely rent a mean green Silesiatrip.pl bike), greater Silesia is filled with even more amazing architecture, an abundance of parks and plenty of post industrial curiosities well worth exploring on two wheels.