NFL Eagles get their man, hire Oregon's Chip Kelly

Published: Wednesday, January 16, 2013 at 12:43 p.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, January 16, 2013 at 12:43 p.m.

Philadelphia hired Kelly on Wednesday, just 10 days after he decided to stay at Oregon. The 49-year-old Kelly, known as an offensive innovator, becomes the 21st coach in team history and replaces Andy Reid, who was fired on Dec. 31 after a 4-12 season.

He'll be introduced at a news conference Thursday at 1:30 p.m. at the Eagles' practice facility.

Kelly, who was 46-7 in four years at Oregon, interviewed with the Eagles, Cleveland Browns and Buffalo Bills in a two-day span after leading the fast-flying Ducks to a victory over Kansas State in the Fiesta Bowl Jan. 3.

Kelly ended a whirlwind day by boarding a plane in Eugene, Ore., headed for Philadelphia, at 3:30 p.m. EST. When he arrived at Philadelphia International Airport, shortly after 7 p.m., he quickly saw a glimpse of what this team means to this city. Not only were general Howie Roseman and president Don Smolenski waiting for him on the runway ? they arrived with a police escort ? there were fans, decked out in green, on hand, as well.

The Eagles are known to have interviewed 11 candidates, including two meetings with Seahawks defensive coordinator Gus Bradley. All along, Kelly was thought to be Philadelphia's first choice in a long, exhaustive process that took many twists.

"Chip Kelly will be an outstanding head coach for the Eagles," owner Jeffrey Lurie said in a statement. "He has a brilliant football mind. He motivates his team with his actions as well as his words. He will be a great leader for us and will bring a fresh energetic approach to our team."

On the day he fired Reid, Lurie appeared to be describing Kelly when he said he wanted to find a "real smart, forward-thinking coach" who is "strategic, a strong leader, very comfortable in his own skin."

The enigmatic Kelly reportedly was close to signing with the Browns after a long interview Jan. 4. He met with the Eagles for nine hours the next day, setting up a soap-opera scenario in which the Eagles were competing with Browns CEO Joe Banner, their former president and longtime friend of Lurie who left the organization after a falling out. But that roller coaster ended when Kelly opted to remain ? temporarily ? in Eugene.

"It's a very difficult decision for me. It took me so long to make it just because the people here are special," Kelly told KEZI-TV. "The challenge obviously is exciting for me, but it's an exciting time and it's a sad time ? saying goodbye to people you love and respect, and I wanted to make sure I talked to my players and did it in the right fashion and talked to our staff. I feel I did."

The Eagles interviewed two other high-profile college coaches ? Penn State's Bill O'Brien and Notre Dame's Brian Kelly. Both elected to stay with their schools.

Bradley was considered by many to be the leading contender, though former Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt and former Ravens coach Brian Billick were in the mix.

That all changed when Kelly had a change of heart.

The visor-wearing Kelly built Oregon into a national powerhouse. The Ducks went to four straight BCS bowl games ? including a bid for the national championship against Auburn two seasons ago ? and have won three conference championships.

Kelly originally went to Oregon in 2007 as offensive coordinator under Mike Bellotti. Before that, he was offensive coordinator at New Hampshire, where he started devising the innovative hurry-up offense the Ducks are known for now.

Oregon finished last season 12-1. The team was ranked No. 1 and appeared headed for another shot at the national championship until a 17-14 loss to Stanford Nov. 17.

Ducks athletic director Rob Mullens said Wednesday that Kelly called him at 7:15 a.m. PST to tell him he had changed his mind: "He wasn't sure if that opportunity would present itself again, so he felt this was the right one at the right time."

Mullens now faces a coaching search amid recruiting season.

"I've turned the page," Mullens said. "I was surprised when I got the call this morning, but as the leader of this organization, my focus is on moving forward and that's what we're doing. I'm laser focused on what's next, and that's finding the right fit to lead Oregon football."

It's unknown whether the possibility of NCAA sanctions based on Oregon's use of recruiting services factored into Kelly's reversal. He indicated in Arizona that he isn't running from anything.

"We've cooperated fully with them," he said. "If they want to talk to us again, we'll continue to cooperate fully. I feel confident in the situation."

Kelly doesn't have any pro coaching experience, but aspects of his up-tempo offense are already being used by New England and Washington.

The Eagles fired Reid after two forgettable years. A late flurry brought the team to an 8-8 finish last season, but this season, Philadelphia endured an eight-game losing streak, and dropped 11 of its final 12. A 3-1 start soon washed away, and Reid's 14-year tenure ended not long after. Within a week, Reid was Kansas City's new coach.

Still, Kelly has tough shoes to fill. Reid won more games than any coach in franchise history and led the Eagles to nine playoff appearances, six division titles, five conference championship games and one Super Bowl berth.

Kelly and the Eagles have the No. 4 overall pick in the draft as well as some talented players on offense who could fit his scheme. Running back LeSean McCoy and receivers DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin seem like ideal matches. Quarterback Nick Foles, however, isn't.

"I've never run the zone read," Foles said after the season. "I'm more of a dropback guy. I've been under center. I've been in the gun. If I can adapt, I want to. But I'm not a zone-read quarterback. Some people are gifted with different things. That's just not one of my skill sets. I can work on the speed in the offseason and get better with that. But I've always been a dropback guy in the pocket. I've been able to make plays on my feet throwing the ball or running for a first down."

On the other hand, Michael Vick could be perfect. But it's unlikely the Eagles would want to pay the $16 million they'd have to shell out for an injury-prone quarterback, who will be 33 next season.

Kelly had high praise for Foles after Oregon beat Arizona 56-31 in September 2011.

"I'll tell you what; I'm glad Nick Foles is graduating," Kelly said at that time. "I catch myself watching him in awe sometimes. Nick is a hell of a football player. That kid's a warrior. He's as good as anyone in the country."

Others interviewed by Lurie, Roseman and Smolenski were former Bears coach Lovie Smith, Atlanta assistants Mike Nolan and Keith Armstrong, former Broncos offensive coordinator Mike McCoy and Bengals offensive coordinator Jay Gruden.

The first Eagles to react to Kelly's hiring on Twitter were defensive players.

Defensive end Brandon Graham wrote: "Happy to have Chip Kelly!! Now it's time to get to work!"

Safety Kurt Coleman wrote: "Welcome Chip Kelly to the Eagles family. Can't wait to see what he brings to the team in 2013!"

As he walked by the fans at the airport, he accepted an Eagles visor from Roseman. He then stopped to sign some autographs and share some laughs with the faithful.

It indeed was a long journey. But if Wednesday is any indication, Kelly appears to fit right in with Philadelphia.

Source: http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20130116/wire/130119714

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NASA Mars rover preparing to drill into first Martian rock

Jan. 16, 2013 ? NASA's Mars rover Curiosity is driving toward a flat rock with pale veins that may hold clues to a wet history on the Red Planet. If the rock meets rover engineers' approval when Curiosity rolls up to it in coming days, it will become the first to be drilled for a sample during the Mars Science Laboratory mission.

The size of a car, Curiosity is inside Mars' Gale Crater investigating whether the planet ever offered an environment favorable for microbial life. Curiosity landed in the crater five months ago to begin its two-year prime mission.

"Drilling into a rock to collect a sample will be this mission's most challenging activity since the landing. It has never been done on Mars," said Mars Science Laboratory project manager Richard Cook of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. "The drill hardware interacts energetically with Martian material we don't control. We won't be surprised if some steps in the process don't go exactly as planned the first time through."

Curiosity first will gather powdered samples from inside the rock and use those to scrub the drill. Then the rover will drill and ingest more samples from this rock, which it will analyze for information about its mineral and chemical composition.

The chosen rock is in an area where Curiosity's Mast Camera (Mastcam) and other cameras have revealed diverse unexpected features, including veins, nodules, cross-bedded layering, a lustrous pebble embedded in sandstone, and possibly some holes in the ground.

The rock chosen for drilling is called "John Klein" in tribute to former Mars Science Laboratory deputy project manager John W. Klein, who died in 2011.

"John's leadership skill played a crucial role in making Curiosity a reality," said Cook.

The target is on flat-lying bedrock within a shallow depression called "Yellowknife Bay." The terrain in this area differs from that of the landing site, a dry streambed about a third of a mile (about 500 meters) to the west. Curiosity's science team decided to look there for a first drilling target because orbital observations showed fractured ground that cools more slowly each night than nearby terrain types do.

"The orbital signal drew us here, but what we found when we arrived has been a great surprise," said Mars Science Laboratory project scientist John Grotzinger, of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. "This area had a different type of wet environment than the streambed where we landed, maybe a few different types of wet environments."

One line of evidence comes from inspection of light-toned veins with Curiosity's laser-pulsing Chemistry and Camera (ChemCam) instrument, which found elevated levels of calcium, sulfur and hydrogen.

"These veins are likely composed of hydrated calcium sulfate, such as bassinite or gypsum," said ChemCam team member Nicolas Mangold of the Laboratoire de Planetologie et Geodynamique de Nantes in France. "On Earth, forming veins like these requires water circulating in fractures."

Researchers have used the rover's Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) to examine sedimentary rocks in the area. Some are sandstone, with grains up to about peppercorn size. One grain has an interesting gleam and bud-like shape that have brought it Internet buzz as a "Martian flower." Other rocks nearby are siltstone, with grains finer than powdered sugar. These differ significantly from pebbly conglomerate rocks in the landing area.

"All of these are sedimentary rocks, telling us Mars had environments actively depositing material here," said MAHLI deputy principal investigator Aileen Yingst of the Planetary Science Institute in Tucson, Ariz. "The different grain sizes tell us about different transport conditions."

JPL, a division of Caltech, manages the Mars Science Laboratory Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington.

To see an image of the rock, visit: http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA16567 .

For more information about the mission, visit: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/msl , http://www.nasa.gov/msl and http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl . Follow the mission on Facebook and Twitter at: http://www.facebook.com/marscuriosity and http://www.twitter.com/marscuriosity .

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

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Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/space_time/nasa/~3/qiLgggW5Ttg/130116092321.htm

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When Pixar's ?Up? Becomes Real: China's Land-Use Rights Saga ...

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What could be the most adequate real-life example of the fictional, fantastical Pixar movie ?Up?? ? China?s land?use rights saga! In ?Up,? Mr. Frederickson?s entire life and all his cherished memories are threatened when real estate developers want to usurp his home and his land.? Through constant harassment, the developers finally force Mr. Frederickson to give up everything he owns ? or so they think.? To everyone?s surprise, Mr. Frederickson uses thousands of helium balloons to carry his home to the mystical place of his childhood dream:? Paradise Falls.? In reality, the battle between Mr. Frederickson and the real estate developers reflects the heartaches of many Chinese rural villagers, and unfortunately, the Chinese villagers cannot fly their homes to Paradise Falls.

When I learned about China?s land-use rights system ? that all land is owned by the government, and the citizens receive ?rights? to use the land ? I felt even more fortunate to live in a free country where people are entitled to own private land and personal properties. In recent years, land-use rights in China have been put to the test as corruption among the local government and real estate developers worsens. China?s rapid urbanization and the local governments? need for additional revenue created a ferocious phenomenon of illegal land seizures. Farmers suffer from losing their land-use rights, and the compensation from the local government often barely makes up the loss.

The lack of solid compensation guidelines and the increase in illegal land seizures has resulted in many court disputes and large protests. In late 2011, we saw what the Wukan villagers accomplished as they successfully elected their own leaders to reacquire their lost land. Despite some criticism of the new leaders? inability to perform up to the villagers? expectations, what took place in the Wukan village remains a remarkable achievement: Wukan villagers, as well as other rural residents influenced by the Wukan incident, demonstrated their desire and determination to protect their land-use rights. What is seemingly lacking, though, is the legal knowledge that these villagers need to truly empower themselves in the process of protecting their rights.

In 2012, CIPE launched a project in Guizhou which focused on protecting rural land-use rights by educating villagers on the legal aspects of Chinese land laws. The project included legal training workshops, rights protection workshops, and cross-village exchange programs in Hainan province. The training workshops provided opportunities for the rural villagers to gain legal knowledge and raised awareness of the importance of property rights. Training topics included ?Rural Land Contracting Law,? ?Land Management Law,? and ?Property Law,? which many villagers, especially the ones who spend the majority of their time working away from home, found particularly useful.

During the course of this project, two rights protection workshops were conducted in the city of Zunyi, where illegal land requisition is a common occurrence. Due to the outstanding reputation of the legal training workshop, the rights protection workshop attracted an unexpectedly large number of villagers to the meeting. The focus of the rights protection workshops was property law education and strategies for safeguarding land-use rights. Furthermore, experts leading these workshops introduced examples of rights violations, how farmers should react to these violations, the legal procedures to file cases, and information on legal aid availability.

Legal aid workers and rural rights defenders were invited to speak at the workshops in order to help establish a legal aid network of experts on rights defense and to provide basic legal assistance for rural residents who are in need. To further stimulate a participatory and interactive style of learning, a case study about the Wukan protest incident in Guangdong province was presented to the participants. Through this case study, rural villagers learned that the best way for farmers to protect their rights is to have thorough knowledge of land-use laws and regulations and to mount joint efforts by farmers through collective legal action.

The cross-village exchange program enabled participants to travel to Hainan province to learn from the experiences and to share their gained knowledge with other villages. Hainan has experienced large-scale protests about land takings by local governments for economic development projects; these protests provided unique, on-the-ground case studies for the workshop participants. The exchange programs incorporated more than 120 participants from fifteen different villages, many of whom learned that rural villagers can exert pressure on the local government via spreading the truth of incidents on the Internet and with the media.

A learning center was established to provided space and land-use rights materials for learning purposes. Residents in Wolong village who participated in the legal training workshops utilized the learning center and met for discussions about land-use rights disputes with the government. Learning center legal-aid workers assisted the villagers to present their collective efforts in a request for a higher compensation for giving up their land-use rights. Villagers collectively refused to sign the land-taking agreement unless the government agrees to their request. Consequently, the government consented to such request and the villagers were satisfied with the outcome.

Feedback from the workshop participants was extremely positive. One participant commented that ?education on land-use rights is crucial to the life of Chinese citizens; nevertheless, the central government has neglected to provide such a service while local governments continue to perform illegal land-use seizures.? After attending the cross-village exchange program, another participant commented that ?only through collaboration can vulnerable farmers like us protect our rights.?

Opportunities to learn about land-use laws and rights have been especially rare for the women and ethnic minority villagers; however, they were able to participate in the workshops, and they showed great interest and enthusiasm during the discussions. A female participant shared that she has learned a great deal about land-use rights protection, and she felt more empowered to cope with these challenges.

The positive impact derived from the rights protection cases, in which villagers utilized the learning center and applied knowledge learned from the workshops to protect their land-use rights collectively, indicates the importance of this project. To date, more than 400 rural villagers have directly gained knowledge of land laws and strategies to protect their land-use rights, and more than 30,000 rural villagers indirectly learned about these laws and strategies through word-of-mouth information sharing. This estimation is based on 10 villages with an average of 3,000 residents.

In light of this overwhelming, positive response from the rural villagers who attended the rights workshops and demonstrated their eagerness to protect their land-use rights, CIPE will launch a second phase of the project in 2013 to continue all training workshops and the cross-village exchange program. A central focus of this phase will be to strengthen the in-village education work. As such, the number of participating villages will double and more female and ethnic minority residents will be invited to the workshops.

In Pixar?s ?Up,? Mr. Frederickson was able to escape the clutches of the real estate developers.? Our hope is that the Chinese rural villagers will not have to escape hardships of illegal land-takings; rather, our hope is that the villagers will stand their ground and win with the legal knowledge learned from these training workshops and the help from legal aid networks established.

Michelle Chen is Program Assistant for Asia at CIPE.

Source: http://www.cipe.org/blog/2013/01/15/when-pixars-up-becomes-real-chinas-land-use-rights-saga/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=when-pixars-up-becomes-real-chinas-land-use-rights-saga

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Golf: Irishman McGinley named Ryder Cup captain

ABU DHABI: Paul McGinley became the first Irishman to be named European Ryder Cup captain when the announcement was made for the 2014 match-up here on Tuesday.

The 46-year-old, a three-time Ryder Cup winner as a player who holed the winning putt in the 2002 edition, was seen as the hot favourite to get the nod to skipper the defending champions.

McGinley, who was World No.1 Rory McIlroy's preferred choice for the role, replaces Jose Maria Olazabal and will pit his wits against US captain, legend Tom Watson, at Gleneagles in Scotland between September 26-28, 2014.

Watson tweeted his congratulations to McGinley.

"Congrats to Paul McGinley on your R/C Captaincy. Looking forward to our future competition. You're a class act."

McIlroy too tweeted his delight at the appointment.

"Common sense prevailed in the end.... Paul McGinley 2014 European Ryder Cup captain!!! Couldn't be happier for him... Roll on Gleneagles."

McGinley's appointment was announced after an hour-long meeting of the Tournament Players Committee.

"I am absolutely thrilled and delighted to have this honour," said McGinley, a four-time winner on the European Tour.

"To be leading this European Team at a time when the European Tour is arguably at its strongest in terms of depth, will be a great honour and it's a very humbling occasion to be in this position."

McGinley was the unanimous choice.

Thomas Bjorn, the European Tour's Chairman of Tournament Players Committee (TPC) Chairman, revealed five names were discussed in the meeting.

"It never got to voting. It was a unanimous decision.

"Five names were discussed - Paul Lawrie, Colin Montgomerie, Sandy Lyle and Miguel Angel Jimenez apart from Paul. The committee is 100 per cent behind McGinley. Our players wanted this decision. It's never an easy choice to make, we needed to choose one and we chose the right one."

McGinley impressed in the role of vice-captain in Europe's last two Ryder Cup wins. He has also been captain of two winning Great Britain and Ireland Teams in the Vivendi Seve Trophy.

Several leading Ryder Cup stars had supported McGinley lately with McIlroy voicing his support on Monday.

"I have a very strong opinion about this," he said.

"I really think Paul deserves it. He's been a great player and a great personality for The European Tour over the years. I played under him at the Seve Trophy in 2009 and I thought he did a great job. And from all the captains that I've played under, I think he was the best."

McGinley admitted he had heeded some advice from his wife.

"A lot was going on but I decided to stay quiet. My wife and my friends told me that was the dignified thing to do," he said.

"But I had such a strong hand when the players were endorsing me. And for Rory, Luke (Donald), Ian (Poulter) and Justin (Rose) to say all that they said, was very humbling."

On matching wits with the US Captain Tom Watson, McGinley said: "I am relishing the thought of taking on one of my greatest golfing heroes, Tom Watson. Taking him on in Scotland would be such a pleasure."

When asked what he brought to the table, McGinley said: "I have got so many things. I have played under the who's who of European Tour captaincy. I will take a little bit from each of them. And I have some of my ideas too.

"I do not have the record in Major championships, but I have great passion for team sports. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that I used to play Gaelic football before I started playing golf."

- AFP/jc innity_pub = "66368270ffd51418ec58bd793f2d9b1b"; innity_zone = "12251"; innity_width = "**"; innity_height = "**"; innity_country = "SG"; -->

Source: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_sports/view/1248174/1/.html

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London Poetry: A Hornchurch Commuter By Luke Wright

We like poet Luke Wright. He?s one of the irreverent crew who perform at Homework;?very witty and not afraid of a bit of politics (check out this poem he wrote for us during the Mayoral election). His debut collection, Mondeo Man, is about the people who commingle at London?s edges, but this poem will be recognisable to anyone who?s ever clacked down the line to work.

If you want to go to the launch party for Mondeo Man (on 9 February at 47/49 Tanner Street, 8pm start), get in touch with info@pennedinthemargins.co.uk.

A Hornchurch Commuter from Mondeo Man by Luke Wright

It?s Winter and I leave my home in darkness
to schlep down Suttons Gardens, Stations Lane,
then past the rows of houses lost to commerce:
the florist, cabbies, bookies, caf?, train.

They call this game the rat race but it?s not ?
these sad and silty mornings pocked with sighs;
there?s nothing fast about this way of life ?
just deep ruts cut slow into the mind?s eye.

I spend my Mondays living for the weekend ?
who doesn?t here, eh, that?s the way it works;
that?s why we brought our families to the suburbs
to live on London?s green and pleasant skirt.

Inside this fizzing fence of motorway,
our tiny crumbs of Essex neatly mortgaged,
a low-rent Metroland for boys done good;
a place to deckchair doze in heavy August.

And for that right we clatter down these traintracks
through greyish sprawl from Dagenham to Bow
where London?s mouth lies waiting. Grin and bear it:
inhale, exhale then underground you go.

Mondeo Man is available from Penned in the Margins, ?9.99.

Source: http://londonist.com/2013/01/london-poetry-a-hornchurch-commuter-by-luke-wright.php

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Hollie Hill's Atlanta Home Tour | The Everygirl

Upon entering Hollie Hill?s southern home, it would be impossible not to be charmed with its character. The 28-year-old nanny and blogger behind Home With The Hills, lives in the bustling city of Atlanta with her husband, Wesley. Their home may host a backdrop of neutral and classic pieces, but Hollie has made it come to life with vivacious pops of color and a surprise in every corner. From the chalkboard wall in the kitchen to the minty fresh paint on the front door, this couple?s home is truly unique.

While Hollie loves to add a ?design curveball? to her rooms, she prefers to invest in traditional basics. Over the last few years, she has patiently acquired antiques and custom pieces from local shops and markets. Hollie uses these pieces to add a simple, classic feel to their home and leaves the trendy touch to her accessories. By using the same tones throughout her home, she can mix and match accents in any room ? one week you may find a pillow on her dining room settee and the next on her guest bed. Sit back and relax as we catch up with Hollie on the entire design process and take a tour around her colorful Georgia abode.

Full name: Hollie Hill
Age: 28
Location: ?Atlanta, Georgia
Current title/company: ?Nanny and blogger behind Home with the Hills
Educational background: Graduated from University of Georgia with a degree in Journalism

You and your husband purchased your home in December of 2011. At what point did you feel secure enough to stop renting and become a homeowner? How did you work towards saving for a down payment?
We decided when we got married to rent for a couple years. It worked perfectly for us. It allowed us to save money and start collecting furniture. Decorating can be expensive, and we didn?t have any hand-me-downs to help us get started. We both put away money into a joint savings account every month to help us get ready to buy. Once we felt we had enough money to put down on a house, we knew we were ready.

What main attributes were you looking for in a home? What sold you on the home that you purchased?
Location was really important to us. We knew we wanted to be in the heart of Atlanta and weren?t ready to sacrifice on that. We were also looking for a house with a little character and charm. That way, we could add our own touches to make it a home, but it wouldn?t be too much of a project for us to take on. ?The house we bought didn?t require any major renovations. It had three bedrooms so we could grow, and it had two closets in the master (which is really rare for an older home). It had good bones, just needed a little love. Oh, and a paint job!

What advice would you give to a woman wanting to purchase her first house?
Stay within your budget! It is so hard not to go higher and higher on your price when looking for a home. I would advise you to stick to your budget so you have some room once you buy to do projects, decorate, and still go about your social life as you did before. There will always be unexpected expenses that come up?from air conditioning problems to falling tree limbs. And of course, you have to save some money for clothes!

What are your favorite/least favorite things about your home?
My favorite thing about our home is the neighborhood. There are so many young, fun girls living just around the corner. You don?t feel like you are in the middle of a busy city. I love that this house is ours, and we can do anything we want to it. It has been so much fun to paint, rip out tile, and install tile to make this house something we are proud of.

My least favorite thing would be the landscaping. We have been working so hard on the inside and making it pretty, but the outside needs some landscaping help. Yard work is on the To Do List, but I just haven?t gotten into gardening yet. I love decorating, and I hope one day I can love working in the yard just as much.

How would you describe your decorating style? Where do look for inspiration?
I am definitely a mix of a couple different styles. I would have to say I am traditional with a trendy touch, while keeping a simple and clean look. I have invested in traditional neutral-toned pieces as my basics. I like to accessorize with trendy, colorful pieces, and I love to find something odd or unique to add to a room, just to throw a curveball. One of my favorite things to do is to take something old and make it new. I love to see the opportunity in antique pieces. I don?t follow many decorating rules?if I love it, I buy it, and I find a place for it. I have used the same tones throughout most of my house, which allows me to mix and match my accents. I can take a pillow from my dining settee and throw it on my guest bed when I get bored. I love to rearrange! I enjoy looking through magazines and other blogs for inspiration. I have found so many great DIYs and cheap ideas by reading blogs.

You and your husband have done many renovations since purchasing your house. How do you decide whether a project is worth hiring out to a professional, versus going the DIY route?
Honestly, it?s by how much it costs. If the cost seems really high and we feel like it is something we can tackle, then we will try it! If it is something we know nothing about, then we will get a couple different quotes to make sure we are getting the best deal. Now, just because we take on some of our own projects doesn?t mean they all end perfectly. Not too long ago, Wesley fell through the ceiling while doing work in our attic. Then we learned how to patch drywall. Sometimes projects are learning experiences.

What was the decorating process like? How long has it taken to get your home to look the way it does now? Would you say that your home is still a work-in-progress?
Once we moved into our house, I was determined to buy pieces I loved, not just pieces to fill space. I have had to learn to be patient and wait. We are just now coming up on a year in our house, and even though there are still projects on my list, I feel really good about the progress we made in one year. I have had to pick up a paintbrush myself and knock out a couple of DIYs to get to the point we are at. My husband and my family have been a huge help in the process. I am known to one friend as a ?machine? because I will work non-stop until I can complete a project.

How did you save money when decorating/renovating your house? What advice would you offer others to do the same?
I made a list in the beginning of things that ?needed? to be done and things I ?wanted? to be done. Then I planned a party at my house a couple months later. Crazy? Maybe! But it gave me a goal to get things done by a date. After the party, we took a break and let our pocketbooks fill back up. Then I set a date for another party and got out my lists again.

Another way I saved money was by having pieces for my house custom-made. It sounds like it would be the opposite, but actually, I saved a ton. I found dealers at Scotts Antique Market and told them what I wanted, and they built it for me. I had my dining table, coffee table, console table and a light fixture all custom-made for a lot cheaper than if I had bought them from a store. And the best part is that they are just mine, my color choice, stain, dimensions, and even design. I got to personally design my dining table?it doesn?t get better than that.

I would tell others to find an antiques show near you and keep an open mind?its not all granny chic. Also, be patient! Sometimes if you just wait a month or so, there will be some holiday or other reason stores are having a sale. Fall Sale, Columbus Day Sale, End of Summer Sale, Friends & Family Sale? there are a lot more sales out there than just Black Friday!

What is your favorite budget-friendly piece in your home, and why?
That?s tough! I have found a lot of good deals on furniture, lighting, and accessories. I think I would have to say a painting by one of my friends is my favorite piece. It means so much to me to have something hanging in my house that was?done for me by a friend.

When did you start your blog, Home with the Hills, and why? What were you hoping to get out of it?
I started my blog a couple of years ago as a way for my family and friends to keep up with us and what we were doing. We are go, go, go all the time, and it made it easy for them to follow us. It is so sweet when my grandmother tells me she checks my blog everyday to see if I?ve done anything new. I really liked being able to share personal pictures and stories for them to see.

Now, I have realized I really enjoy blogging and like to share my thoughts, inspirations, recipes, DIYs, gift guides, shopping trips, everything with readers. It is a way for me to have a creative escape. I hope that my friends, family, and readers enjoy the content on my blog.

What are your current career aspirations? Where would you like to see yourself in five years?
I hope to continue to do things that I love. I have so many interests and would love to take some of those ideas to an entrepreneurial level. ?In five years, I hope to continue working the kinds of jobs that give me the most personal, inner satisfaction and allow me to positively influence the lives of others.

What advice would you give your 23-year-old self?
When it comes to decorating, I would like to tell myself that my style will change greatly in the next couple of years. Do not spend a lot of money on cheap furniture to fill the space. Live with hand-me-downs and empty spaces. Wait until you really know the styles you like and invest in good, nice pieces of furniture. Those are the pieces you will take with you from house to house for many years.

Source: http://theeverygirl.com/feature/hollie-hills-atlanta-home-tour/

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Civil Marriage is Not a Right, so Same-Sex Marriage Cannot be a ...

gay_marriage_banner_rightsWhile there exists a natural right to form marriages, and while we have a right to form those marriages without government interference (a negative right), we do not have the right to government recognition of our marriages (a positive right).? The State regulates marriage because it is in their best interest to manage the procreative potential of opposite sex couples, not because they have a moral obligation to do so.? The institution of marriage is a natural union that exists prior to, and wholly independent of government recognition.

What basis is there, then, for SSM advocates to claim they have a right to civil marriage?? While those with homosexual orientations have a right to form same-sex relationships[1], they have no corresponding right to have their relationships recognized and regulated by the government.

Of course, homosexuals could argue that since the government has chosen to recognize and regulate marital relationships, however, that equality and fairness requires that they regulate both same-sex and opposite-sex relationships.? Unfortunately, the equality argument works against them.? The principle of equality is that equally positioned parties should be treated equally, but same-sex relationships are not equally positioned to opposite-sex relationships.

Each kind of relationship functions very differently in society.? As a rule, opposite-sex couples produce and prepare the next generation of society: children.? The very survival of society depends on opposite-sex relationships.? That is why society has deemed such relationships worthy of social approval and support.? The same cannot be said of same-sex relationships.? As a rule, they neither create nor rear children.? The future of society does not hang on their relationships.? Same-sex relationships only benefit those who participate in them, whereas opposite-sex relationships benefit society as a whole.

If the two relationships do not function the same way in society, then there is no reason for society to recognize them as equal.? Indeed, to legally declare two unequal things to be equal, proving them both with the same benefits and name, is unjust.? Put another way, not only is there no compelling social interest in regulating same-sex relationships, but to treat same-sex relationships as if they were equal to marital relationships would be unfair. Since marriage is a social declaration, society has both the right and responsibility to limit the institution of marriage to those who, in principle, are capable of forming families, which is what the institution of marriage has always been about.

See also Marriage, Same-Sex Marriage, and Fundamental?Rights


[1]?Although, unlike opposite-sex marriages, these unions are unnatural, and thus there is no natural right to engage in same-sex relationships.? As such, governments can either prohibit or permit such relationships at their own discretion.

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Source: http://theosophical.wordpress.com/2013/01/15/civil-marriage-is-not-a-right-so-same-sex-marriage-cannot-be-a-right/

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MassHealth Programs Help Keep Seniors Independent

MassHealth (Medicaid in Massachusetts) is a joint federal and state program that helps seniors pay for long-term care. However, this is not all that the program does. Often the goal of planning for long-term care is to help keep the senior involved as independent as possible for as long as possible. For many people, this means staying put in their own home. MassHealth has created several programs that can help facilitate this with proper planning, ensuring that Massachusetts seniors do not have to leave their homes just because they require chronic care.

In Massachusetts, MassHealth is the only resource which will pay for ongoing, daily, home care services for the chronically ill. MassHealth also pays for Medicare D prescription drug insurance plans, adult day programs, lifelines, medical equipment and short term respite stays in nursing homes for seniors who qualify.


The Personal Care Attendant Program (PCA) is a MassHealth funded program that pays for home care services for seniors who need daily assistance with at least two activities of daily living (ADLs). ADLs basically consist of dressing, eating, ambulating, toileting and hygiene.

In addition, participant must have MassHealth Standard or ComrnonHealth, have a permanent/chronic disability or medical condition that required personal care and be living in the community. A participant must also have a physician issue a referral for services based on their medical condition. After approval, an assessment of the senior?s particular needs will help determine a care plan. Care plans can increase or decrease, depending on the senior?s need or changing medical conditions. The senior will then be able to self direct (hire, fire, etc.) the care provided by the PCA worker.

Of particular benefit to many Massachusetts families is that the PCA program allows a senior to hire a son, daughter or any family member except their spouse to act as the care provider. In essence, this often results in a family member getting paid for providing necessary services that they would otherwise have to provide for free.


When a senior cannot safely live alone but does not wish to enter a nursing facility, the Adult Foster Care (AFC) program may be appropriate. Like foster care for children, the elder is matched with a ?host? family. A nursing assessment determines the level of care needed and social workers support the host and participant.

Like the PCA program, any family member of the senior (except spouse) can serve as the host provider. The senior can move in with the host provider, or a host can move in with the senior. The AFC host/provider must be 18 or older, maintain a private home in good repair and of sufficient size to accommodate both the AFC participant(s) and other residents of the home, pass certain health and background checks and be physically able to supervise and/or provide hands on care to AFC participant(s).

Caregivers receive a stipend of up to $18,000 per year from MassHealth to provide care to seniors who otherwise would need institutional care. Service providers, including a social worker and registered nurse, train the caregiver and provide ongoing support.

There are various rules pertaining to income and assets limits and asset transfers for participants of these programs, just like there are for MassHealth?s long-term care programs. Arranging assets to help a senior qualify can result in maximizing the value of their estate while also protecting their independence and maintaining a high quality of life. If you or a loved one are interested in MassHealth qualification, contact the Heritage Law Center today.

Related posts:

  1. Caring for Seniors at Home in Massachusetts
  2. MassHealth Dental Benefit Cut-Backs Affect Seniors
  3. MassHealth Home-Based Programs for Children and Elders
  4. Options for Paying Massachusetts Family Caregivers
  5. Avoiding the Nursing Home Using Pooled Trusts

Source: http://www.mamedicaidlawyer.com/masshealth-programs-help-keep-seniors-independent/

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The ?Gay? Attack on the Scouts and the Church

I love the Boy Scouts. All the people who hate them are the same ones who demonize pro-lifers and people of faith. When your enemies are those who advocate murdering babies and engaging in perversion, you can be proud of yourself for standing for truth. But the assault on the Boy Scouts just goes on and on. The latest media blitz involves a ?gay? scout who is over 18 but is demanding to be named an Eagle Scout retroactively.

John Fenoglio, Scout executive for the Mount Diablo-Silverado Boy Scout Council, said the Eagle rank application from Ryan Andresen of Moraga, California, wasn?t approved because of ?membership standards,? specifically ?duty to God, avowed homosexuality, and the fact that he is now over 18 years of age.???The Eagle application was forwarded, by a volunteer, to the local council but it was not approved because this young man proactively stated that he does not agree to Scouting?s principle of ?Duty to God? and does not meet Scouting?s membership requirements,? Smith said. ?Therefore, he is not eligible to receive the rank of Eagle.?

The Scouts refused to award Eagle Scout and being attacked for their ?bigotry and intolerance.? A related issue to the battle over the Scouts determining their own policies and standards is the attack on religious freedom. An open letter recently released by Catholic priests in the U.K. says,?gay marriage is biggest threat to religious freedoms since the reformation. Amen! Catholics are being denied the right to make a living unless they bend to ?gay marriage.? (Thomas More could tell us a few things about being persecuted for refusing to bless an immoral ?marriage.?) B&B operators, caterers, photographers, vineyard owners all ?must bow to the demand that their facilities and services cooperate with intrinsic evils or face lawsuits. The choice? ? Cooperate or close down. And we are the intolerant ones? Some days I feel like I live in an X-rated Wonderland.
LES FEMMES ? THE TRUTH

  1. More on the Girl Scouts A reader commented on my Girl Scout post earlier today...
  2. More from the Just Say No to Girl Scouts Department Don?t want to support the perversion of little girls?...
  3. The Girl Scouts Are Pro-Abortion Don?t kid yourselves; the Girl Scouts are pro-abortion and they...
  4. Boy Scouts Find New Home Amid Mountains In West Virginia, an Appalachian mountain is being transformed into...
  5. It?s Not Your Mother?s Girl Scouts They?re still at it at GSA, shilling for abortion...

Source: http://www.topusnewstoday.com/the-gay-attack-on-the-scouts-and-the-church.html

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