It Takes All Kinds

It Takes All Kinds: "

Comments"

WordPress Cheatsheet: What You Need To Know In One Sheet

WordPress Cheatsheet: What You Need To Know In One Sheet: "

Today, we are glad to provide free a WordPress Cheat Sheet for WordPress theme designers or developers. It's created by Paul Maloney a UK based web designer or developer exclusively for Onextrapixel's readers. He particularly enjoys using and working with WordPress and has a keen interest in typography.

WordPress Cheat Sheet

WordPress is one of the very best content management systems available, it has won numerous awards, has a huge community and following with a number of high profile users.

The Content Management System (CMS) has moved away from being a blogging CMS to being a pretty compete solution to nearly every niche you can imagine, with plugins such as Buddypress you can even build a social network on WordPress.

So given its obvious success and attraction, designers and developers are getting up to speed with WordPress theme development, and producing themes for personal use, themes to sell and for their clients projects.

With that in mind, Paul Maloney has created a WordPress Cheat Sheet with pretty much everything you would want to know whilst designing and developing a WordPress theme. The theme is available in .JPG and .PDF formats.

Download .JPG Download .PDF

Conclusion

We hope this cheat sheet can assist you to speed up your WordPress theme development. Like this WordPress Cheat Sheet? Share it with others!

If you'd like to release any of your freebies to others, feel free to contact us and we will be more than happy to assist you with that.

• The Ultimate Essential Guidelines for WordPress 404 Error Pages

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Written by: Onextrapixel Team for Onextrapixel - Showcasing Web Treats Without A Hitch | One comment


Post Topic(s): Wordpress

"

Pay attention to this guy... sounds great

Just a cool prank site!

Depressing Lottery Simulator Lets You Play 1000 Times a Second, Shows All The Millions You Didn't Win

Depressing Lottery Simulator Lets You Play 1000 Times a Second, Shows All The Millions You Didn't Win: "

Thanks to one man, I don’t need to play the lottery. I already know that if I play twice a week every week for the next 10 years, I will win a staggering total of $93 by 2020. Or, put differently, I will make back eight percent of the $1,040 I'll spend on the tickets.

I learned this from the time-wastingly fun yet cripplingly heartbreaking Mega Millions lottery simulator created by Friend of PopSci Rob Cockerham (whom you may remember from his Supertanker tour.) You can play your favorite numbers just once, for a year, or for 10 years and find out how little you win. And for the record, playing the Lost numbers does not yield better results.

Try it out for yourself; the lesson becomes pretty clear after a few simulated decades.

"

Dedication, You Have It: Guy Builds 1:1 Scale Replica Of Starship Enterprise In Minecraft

Dedication, You Have It: Guy Builds 1:1 Scale Replica Of Starship Enterprise In Minecraft: "

Remember the guy who couldn't even build a fireplace in Minecraft without burning his entire house down? Hey McFly, YOU BOJO -- THOSE BOARDS DON'T WORK ON WATER! Well some other guy went and spent over a year making a 1:1 scale model of the Starship Enterprise. There's a video of him explaining the feat in exactly the voice I imagined from someone who just built a 1:1 scale model of the Enterprise in Minecraft after the jump, which is at least worth a skip-around. And speaking of skip-arounds, what do you say you and I hold hands and prance down the street? No? No takers? *pointing* HAIRY PALMS THIS GUY'S GOT HAIRY PALMS!

Hit the jump for video and a link to dude's Youtube page which has a ton more information about the build (which is ACTUALLY 22% bigger than the actual ship)."

Iran shows off machine-gun equipped flying boats

Iran shows off machine-gun equipped flying boats: "

Iran's 'Bavar 2' stealth plane/boat-thing is billed as a stealth craft that can cruise through the water or fly, and it's equipped with a machine gun and possibly missiles. Are you worried yet? The craft's been ridiculed before for being impractical, yet maybe we're writing it off too soon.

"

Eurocopter Launches X3 Propeller-Powered High-Speed Helicopter, Hopes to Outrace Sikorsky's X2

Eurocopter Launches X3 Propeller-Powered High-Speed Helicopter, Hopes to Outrace Sikorsky's X2: "

Less than two weeks after Sikorsky's X2 dual-rotor helicopter smashed the rotorcraft speed record, going 250 knots, European group Eurocopter announced a revolutionary high-speed winged helicopter.

The X3 hybrid helicraft pairs traditional overhead rotor blades with forward-facing propellers mounted on two short-span fixed aircraft wings, making a craft that’s half-plane and half-helicopter. It is the flagship of Eurocopter’s High-speed, long-range Hybrid Helicopter (H3) concept, which aims to combine vertical takeoff and landing capabilities with cruise speeds of more than 220 knots.

The faceoff between the two helicopter companies stems from competition to deliver more speed without losing efficiency, overcoming the usual trade-off between speed and hovering efficiency. When rotorcraft are pushed to high speeds, the rotor tips approach supersonic speeds, which threatens the stability of the base of the rotor.

The helicopter/airplane hybrid design is intended to address this problem, while Sikorsky's approach relies on two main rotors atop the cabin that spin in opposite directions, neutralizing the spinning force and providing a speed boost.

Since the X3’s first flight was only 3 weeks ago, on September 6, while the Sikorsky X2 has two years of test flights under their belt, it’s too soon to say who could come out on top. But since they both already boast sustainable speeds some 100 knots higher than typical helicopters, it's sure to be an exciting race.

[X3 via Reuters]

"

oddly compelling

Image of the Day: new winged helicopter is fast

Image of the Day: new winged helicopter is fast: "

Yesterday Eurocopter unveiled their new helicopter…and boy, is it fast. Created in part to compete with Sikorsky's speedy X2 concept, Eurocopter's X3 can fly comfortably at 220 knots, where most of today's helicopters stay around 130-140 knots.

"

Mexico complains about border crossings …

Mexico complains about border crossings …: "

… of Mexicans.

Mexico Asks U.S. To Stop Deporting Serious Criminals


Judicial Watch, Sept 27


In a flabbergasting request, a coalition of Mexican lawmakers has asked the United States to stop deporting illegal immigrants who have been convicted of serious crimes in American courts.

[The mayor] of Mexico�s most violent city, Ciudad Juarez, pointed out that of 80,000 people deported to his community in the past three years nearly 30,000 had committed serious crimes in the U.S. Around 7,000 had served sentences for rape and 2,000 for murder. The criminal deportees have contributed to the escalating drug-cartel violence in his city ... so he wants the U.S. to make other arrangements when prison sentences are completed.

If this seems unbelievable, consider that a few years ago Mexico�s government formally complained that too many Mexicans had been repatriated from the U.S. and that the entire country was overwhelmed with demands for housing, jobs and schools. Various Mexican legislators publicly chastised the U.S. for sending illegal immigrants back, explaining that the country could not accommodate the �repatriated.�

Yeah, we’re hip.


I’ve got an idea: build a wall or sumpthin’.

Uhm, the Spring Break invasion by Yanquis is still a “go”, though, right?

via Right Bias

"

SpeakerCraft BoomTomb

SpeakerCraft BoomTomb: "

Looking for a way to really bother the neighbors? Say goodbye to tinny outdoor speakers, and hello to SpeakerCraft’s BoomTomb, with its 250-watt amp and subwoofer you bury underground.

• Link

Related posts:

1. PICO Hybrid Radio


2. BoomCooler


3. Aqua Sounder Speaker

"

Making up Scripture because I Can

Making up Scripture because I Can: "

Not too long ago, in a temple far far away, the local Young Single Adults branch took a temple trip and had a fireside with the temple president. I am not sure what the temple president was ASKED to speak about, but I am guessing he felt free to talk about whatever he wanted. He decided to ignore the Young and the Adult aspects of the audience and went straight for the Single:

Women, let’s be real, some of you will never get married. That’s just the truth. Maybe even lots of you. I know some of you will eventually marry outside the Church and that is understandable and will not be held against you. Women can go to the Celestial Kingdom without a temple marriage.

Men, that is not the case for you. You will NOT be admitted to the Celestial Kingdom without a temple marriage. Get a move on.

Apparently, this ruffled some feathers. As usual, men felt picked on and women resented the powerlessness of their position. When I heard a recounting of this fireside, I must admit to having my feathers ruffled, too, but for a different reason. While what this temple president said just may be the way things shake out in the afterlife (without the gender-divide, I wouldn’t be too surprised to see people who did not have temple marriages go to live with their loving Heavenly Father), is this idea supported by scripture? I don’t think so. Why didn’t someone call the temple president on this? What calling can I get where I can make stuff up?

"

Air Force's Space-Based Surveillance Satellite Launches Tomorrow, to Scan for Space Junk

Air Force's Space-Based Surveillance Satellite Launches Tomorrow, to Scan for Space Junk: "

A massive collection of spacecraft parts, dead satellites, and spent rocket stages circle high above the Earth in a sort of “floating landfill.” According to recent estimates, about 4 million pounds of space junk currently orbit the Earth, including some 20,000 pieces of debris larger than 10 centimeters.

But a new U.S. Air Force satellite scheduled to launch Saturday night from Vandenberg Air Force Base will provide the first full-time, unobstructed view of both space debris and the hundreds of active satellites orbiting the Earth. The Space-Based Surveillance Satellite (SBSS) spacecraft includes a sensor mounted on a pivoted support that will allow controllers to move the camera quickly without having to reposition the entire spacecraft. Its flexible architecture also provides the option to add more satellites and sensors later.

Pieces of space debris—even objects as small as paint flecks—can pose serious threats to commercial and military space assets, such as satellites that provide communications, navigation, and weather forecasting capabilities.

Until now, the Air Force has relied on a global ground-based network of radar and optical telescopes to monitor about 1,000 active satellites, as well as space debris. But the telescopes only perform during clear conditions and are limited by weather and atmospheric interferences. In addition, not all radar stations can detect objects in deep space orbit—about 22,000 miles above the Earth. With its wide field-of-view, the SBSS will give controllers the ability to find and track objects in deep space more quickly and accurately than previous sensors.

Boeing is responsible for the overall SBSS system, including the ground system and initial mission operations; Ball Aerospace designed the spacecraft and sensor.

Boeing and Ball completed final testing of the SBSS satellite and ground system earlier this week, and the launch is scheduled for 12:41am EDT on September 26 (9:41pm PDT on September 25). Several previous launch dates were delayed this year due to technical issues.

"

My New Podcast!

I am starting a new podcast. No it isn't about me talking, or interviewing... it is simply my music. I have been playing and recording, and while no one is in danger of me taking over their spot on a top 40 chart... I do love it. I love my music and listen to it all the time. I hope you like it too.
My New Podcast!

Morning Bell: The Heritage Pledge

Morning Bell: The Heritage Pledge: "

My fellow conservatives,

The stakes couldn’t be higher for our nation at this moment. In the coming months, Americans will help choose which direction our nation’s future will take. Will the federal government continue to spend more, tax more, control more, and defend our liberties less? Or will we choose a new and bolder direction that returns power to the people? All indications are that we are approaching one of those pivotal moments in our political history, a tipping point. It will be a test of our national character.

Like many Americans, we here at The Heritage Foundation are not concerned with party labels or affiliations. We are motivated by principles and by the best policies that will advance and defend those principles in the public square. We are unabashedly conservative, because we work to conserve an America where freedom, opportunity, prosperity and civil society flourish.

So whatever composition we see in our next Congress, we want to see majorities that represent the consent of the governed and that will take control of our presently unlimited government. We intend to leave to our children and grandchildren an America even better than the one we inherited from our forebears.

In its “Pledge to America,” the Republican Party last week offered its own vision for America’s future. The pledge is a step in the right direction and rightly frames the debate around our core first principles and the role of the state, popular consent and self-government.

We have ourselves produced a set of recommendations that we think will heal much of what ails our country. We call them “Solutions for America.”

We’re happy that some proposals in the Pledge mirror proposals we have in Solutions for America. Both of these plans are headed in the right direction. But we want to be even bolder.

Our Solutions for America is an overarching blueprint for governing. It’s designed to replace the failed policies of the liberal establishment with solid conservative solutions that will shrink government, reduce debt, keep taxes low, put Americans back to work and keep us safe.

Solutions for America identifies the nature and scope of our most pressing problems in 23 policy areas and recommends 128 specific policy solutions to guide the new Congress. Here are some of our ideas:

• Cap Federal Spending: President Obama’s proposed budget would increase the national debt from $13 trillion now to $20 trillion by 2020. This is an unsustainable trajectory. We propose a “binding cap” that forces lawmakers back to fiscal sanity.
• Put Entitlement Programs Under the Budget: We propose putting Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid into the congressional budget process rather than continue to allow them to grow on auto-pilot without oversight. Lawmakers would establish a five-year budget for these programs and include triggers to keep spending with approved limits.
• Reform Social Security: We should raise the Social Security retirement age and encourage people to work longer by eliminating payroll taxes for those over the retirement age. This would lessen the burden on employers to keep people employed and lessen the burden on Medicare and other entitlements.
• Revive Federalism: We must reverse the current trend in which the federal government more and more usurps the traditional state role in areas such as transportation, education, health, homeland security and law enforcement.
• Loan Welfare Money to Able Bodied Recipients: Our plan advises treating welfare assistance to able-bodied adults as a loan to be repaid, rather than a free gift from taxpayers. This will reduce dependency while providing temporary help to those who need it.
• Keep Taxes Low: First, no tax increases, including the planned Obama Tax Hikes as well as the reintroduction of the Death Tax. Instead, cut taxes to spur economic growth.
• Implement a Pro-Growth, Pro-Jobs Strategy: We must reduce the top tax rate on corporate earnings, which is currently the second highest among ALL industrial nations, and let businesses immediately deduct investments in new plants and equipment.
• Peace Through Strength: Defense spending is near historical lows. We must refurbish our armed forces, especially our depleted Navy fleet and vital missile defenses.

These are just some of the many policy recommendations we include in Solutions for America. Please go read the entire document at Heritage.org. Share it with your friends and encourage them to join the debate, whether it is by going to a Heritage event, liking us on Facebook, or signing up for The Morning Bell. Every action you take towards a brighter future for America is – like the Pledge and Solutions for America – a step in the right direction.

Now is the time to be bold, and to act as befits our character. That is what our parents and grandparents would expect of us, what future generations demand—and what The Heritage Foundation offers to America. Thank you.

Sincerely,
Edwin J. Feulner, Ph.D., President, The Heritage Foundation

Quick Hits:

• Click here to watch a special message from Heritage President Ed Feulner.
• According to a new Politico poll, 51% of voters believe Republicans in Congress will be better at creating jobs, compared to only 40% who chose President Obama.
• Over 300 liberal groups, including the A.F.L.-C.I.O., the National Council of La Raza, and the S.E.I.U., are sponsoring a march on Saturday in Washington that they hope will bring more than 100,000 people.
• Citing concerns for workers’ safety, Los Angeles County is delaying the release of the names and salaries of its highest paid public employees.
• Using catapults and shotguns, Chinese homeowners are fighting back against the Communist Party’s seizure of their homes.

"

Air Force's Space-Based Surveillance Satellite Launches Tomorrow, to Scan for Space Junk

Air Force's Space-Based Surveillance Satellite Launches Tomorrow, to Scan for Space Junk: "

A massive collection of spacecraft parts, dead satellites, and spent rocket stages circle high above the Earth in a sort of “floating landfill.” According to recent estimates, about 4 million pounds of space junk currently orbit the Earth, including some 20,000 pieces of debris larger than 10 centimeters.

But a new U.S. Air Force satellite scheduled to launch Saturday night from Vandenberg Air Force Base will provide the first full-time, unobstructed view of both space debris and the hundreds of active satellites orbiting the Earth. The Space-Based Surveillance Satellite (SBSS) spacecraft includes a sensor mounted on a pivoted support that will allow controllers to move the camera quickly without having to reposition the entire spacecraft. Its flexible architecture also provides the option to add more satellites and sensors later.

Pieces of space debris—even objects as small as paint flecks—can pose serious threats to commercial and military space assets, such as satellites that provide communications, navigation, and weather forecasting capabilities.

Until now, the Air Force has relied on a global ground-based network of radar and optical telescopes to monitor about 1,000 active satellites, as well as space debris. But the telescopes only perform during clear conditions and are limited by weather and atmospheric interferences. In addition, not all radar stations can detect objects in deep space orbit—about 22,000 miles above the Earth. With its wide field-of-view, the SBSS will give controllers the ability to find and track objects in deep space more quickly and accurately than previous sensors.

Boeing is responsible for the overall SBSS system, including the ground system and initial mission operations; Ball Aerospace designed the spacecraft and sensor.

Boeing and Ball completed final testing of the SBSS satellite and ground system earlier this week, and the launch is scheduled for 12:41am EDT on September 26 (9:41pm PDT on September 25). Several previous launch dates were delayed this year due to technical issues.

"

Toronto Zoo: Polar Bear puzzle

Toronto Zoo: Polar Bear puzzle: "

Polar Bear Puzzle (54 Pieces). Did you know that a polar bear’s skin is black, not white? It’s true! Surprisingly, their fur is not white either. Each hair is a clear hollow tube. They look white because of the way their fur reflects the sunlight. This allows polar bears to blend into their Arctic environment, and helps keep them warm. Can you find the polar bears in this puzzle? Hint: Polar bears have no fur on their nose, and their eyes are black!

Advertising Agency: Lowe Roche, Toronto, Canada

Creative Directors: Steph Mackie, Mark Biernacki

Associate Creative Director: Sean Ohlenkamp

Writer: Rob Sturch

Producer: Brie Gowans

Illustrator: Matthew Walker

Print Production Manager: Beth Mackinnon

Studio Artist: Brad Kumar

Published: September 2010

Check out what clients are looking for on StockLogos.

"

Clever faucet lets you ditch the measuring cup

Clever faucet lets you ditch the measuring cup: "

Anyone who cooks knows that many recipes call for a precise amount of water. Normally that means busting out the measuring cup, but with this slick faucet that chore is history.

"

Giant Power Loader costume can toss us out the airlock any day

Giant Power Loader costume can toss us out the airlock any day: "

Want an elaborate costume for this upcoming Halloween? A huge, really elaborate one? Well, Instructables user alexthemoviegeek has just the thing: a faithful recreation of the massive Power Loader exoskeleton from the movie Aliens.

"

Image of the Day: badass high-tech wheelchair

Image of the Day: badass high-tech wheelchair: "

Gone are the days of clunky wheelchairs. Thomas Ross and Dave Cochrane put together a sleek, rather cool design and even made some practical improvements along the way.

"

Ahmadinejad’s U.N. Blustering: The U.S. could face a “real war”

Ahmadinejad’s U.N. Blustering: The U.S. could face a “real war”: "

Iran’s bombastic President Ahmadinejad once again has strutted to the U.N. General Assembly meetings in New York to denounce, whine about and threaten the United States, the West, Israel and various international institutions. Soon after arriving, Ahmadinejad told the Associated Press that “the future belongs to Iran” and that the United States “must recognize that Iran is a big power.” He proclaimed that capitalism was at the root of much of the world’s economic problems and called for reform of “undemocratic and unjust” international institutions dominated by the United States and the West, “Now that the discriminatory order of capitalism and the hegemonic approaches are facing defeat.”

But the most offensive part of Ahmadinejad’s propaganda offensive was his veiled threat of launching terrorist attacks against the United States if Iran’s nuclear weapons program is attacked. ”The United States has never entered a real war, not in Vietnam, nor in Afghanistan, nor even World War II,” the Iranian leader told American reporters when asked about how Iran would react to a U.S. military strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities. He warned that: “War is not just bombing someplace. When it starts it has no limits.” Ahmadinejad’s blustering reinforced previous Iranian threats to target Americans in retaliation for an Israeli attack. At the same time, he denied that Israel would dare to attack Iran, saying dismissively: ”The Zionist regime is a very small entity on the map, even to the point that it doesn’t really factor into our equation.”

But that did not stop him from once again belittling the Holocaust, describing it as “an historic event used as an excuse for war.” He added his usual disclaimer that he was “not anti-Semitic, but anti-Zionist.” Israeli President Shimon Peres criticized Ahmadinejad as a “living declaration against the charter of the U.N.”, noting that the Iranian leader has called for the destruction of Israel, a violation of the U.N. charter. (Meanwhile, a clueless U.N. bureaucrat reportedly praised Iran’s regime today for cooperating with the U.N.)

While Ahmadinejad has used the U.N. as a platform to lob rhetorical bombshells at the United States, Israel and other enemies, the Obama administration passively held its fire, clinging to its failed engagement policy. President Obama, responding to a question at a Town Hall meeting on Monday, downplayed the military option and said that a U.S. or Israeli military strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities “was not ideal.” Such a downbeat declaration unfortunately diminishes U.S. diplomatic leverage in the protracted confrontation over Tehran’s nuclear defiance.

President Obama is expected to stress his continued willingness to engage Iran’s thuggish regime when he addresses the U.N. General Assembly tomorrow. Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes told reporters that the president will emphasize that the “door is open” to Iran for further talks. This means that the door is open for more diplomatic duplicity and delaying tactics by Iran. And the door will be open for more contemptuous talk from Ahmadinejad, such as his sneering charges about American hypocrisy, while he continues to deny his regime’s blatant violations of Iranians’ human rights.

"

house…hijacking?

house…hijacking?: "

From the “too weird to be true but it is anyway” file: entire homes in Britain are being hijacked by squatters.A gang of Lithuanian squatters are moving into people’s homes and changing the locks while they are out. George Pope, 72, took his dogs for a walk and returned to find a family had moved in and changed the locks. And now it has emerged Angie Belalij, 37, also lost control of her home when illegal tenants allegedly moved in after she left to allow renovation work to go ahead. Police and the council say they are powerless to act unless they have a court order requiring the squatters to be evicted. The deadlock leaves the authentic residents in limbo and facing a potentially costly court battle to reclaim their own home.

How the hell does some bizzarro-world insanity like this even happen, you say? A picture taken outside the property yesterday showed a young woman clutching a sharp kitchen knife, leaning over the gate. Mrs Belalij says the squatters claimed they were paying �600-a-month to live there. A printed notice stuck to the window cites the Criminal Law Act 1977 and threatens to prosecute anyone who enters without permission. Wait, a knife? I thought sharp objects were banned in Britain...? Landlords cannot legally evict squatters without going to court. Police and councils have no power to act so even though squatters have no legal right to stay, you cannot physically remove them.

I guess this will be the next socially-progressive and environmentally-friendly idea brought over from Europe. Compulsory house recycling. People in the area are now afraid to leave their homes, not because of the crime on the streets (which actually increases when you remove police presence, who’da thunkit) but because they might come home to discover the home is no longer theirs.

And so goes the decline and fall.

epic headline is epic

epic headline is epic: "

Yes, it’s a real story.

"

Divorce lawyer fails to sugarcoat in local ad

Divorce lawyer fails to sugarcoat in local ad: "

Give Steve Miller points for honesty, if nothing else. He might look and talk like a coked-up ferret, but by the looks of him in this ad for his Divorce EZ law firm, he's as tenacious as one, too. It must be a lovely working environment, given Miller's open contempt for state employees and the clear enjoyment he takes from clients who 'hate each other like poison' and are trapped in the 'hellhole' of a marriage. I hope he's less of an asshole in court, as judges tend to be state employees. Via Neatorama.

"

The Poverty Solution: Marriage or Bust

The Poverty Solution: Marriage or Bust: "

Last week, new data from the U.S. Census Bureau revealed that the U.S. just saw the largest annual increase in poverty recorded in our nation’s history: In 2009, 3.7 million more Americans joined the ranks of the poor.

The recession bears part of the blame, but media outlets have failed to inform the public about the long-term root cause of poverty in this country: unwed childbearing. Buried in the Census report are startling figures revealing that the collapse of marriage is creating this crisis of poverty. Single-mother families are almost five times more likely to be poor than are married couples with children; overall, nearly 70 percent of poor families with children are headed by single parents.

The biggest secret in the Census report: Marriage is America’s number-one weapon against child poverty. Tragically, however, marriage has been rapidly declining in our society and the number of women who have children outside of marriage has soared. Historically, unwed childbearing was rare. In 1964, when the federal government launched its War on Poverty, 6.8 percent of births were to single mothers. Today, the unwed birthrate has climbed to 40 percent: four of every ten births are to single mothers. For Hispanics and African Americans, the rates rise to nearly 50 and over 70 percent.

While the media is quick to decry the crisis of teen pregnancy, the fact is that less than 8 percent of new single mothers are minors. In fact, the overwhelming majority of unwed births are to young adult women in their 20s. And because most of these women have little education, they are unable to provide for themselves and their children and, consequently, a large portion of them end up on welfare.

However, if these women were to marry the fathers of their children, nearly two-thirds of them would be immediately lifted from poverty. Contrary to conventional wisdom, nearly all unwed fathers are employed and earn enough money to move their families out of poverty. But, tragically, few unwed parents marry.

It’s not a question of money: The government has continued to pour funds into welfare programs over the past several decades, to the point that the United States will soon be spending $1 trillion a year on programs for the poor. Yet poverty rates have significantly climbed.

And while data clearly show the importance of marriage to reducing poverty — not to mention its association with numerous other positive outcomes for children — the federal government has done relatively little to promote it. In fact, the Obama administration has sought to undo efforts put into place during the previous administration aimed at helping low-income couples build strong marriages.

If Americans are serious about reducing poverty and getting control of federal welfare spending, it is vital to strengthen the institution of marriage. There are two steps that the United States can take to help low-income couples build healthy marriages, and by so doing, break the cycle of poverty. First, the federal government must reduce the marriage penalties in current welfare programs. Second, government and society should send a clear message to young people in low-income communities that having a child outside of marriage dramatically increases the odds of long-term poverty and other ills. Just as we tell young people that dropping out before you finish high school is likely to harm your future, we should forcefully inform low-income youth that having a child outside of marriage is self-destructive. It’s the surest road to long-term poverty.

The current growth of the welfare state is unsustainable. Over the next decade, government will spend more than $10 trillion on cash, food, housing, and medical care for the poor. It will be very difficult to slow the growth of welfare spending if marriage continues to disappear in the bottom half of the population.

Unfortunately, both government and popular culture treat marriage as an outmoded, irrelevant institution. To reduce poverty and limit the growth of the welfare state, that attitude must change.

?Cross-posted at The Corner.

"

Billboard touts South Bend's 'pubic' schools

Billboard touts South Bend's 'pubic' schools: "

Writing pubic instead of public is one of the classic typos of all time. It's extra embarrassing, though, when it appears on a giant billboard celebrating the achievements of your local pubic—sorry, public—school system. That's what happened in South Bend, Ind., this week. A communications firm called the Blue Waters Group issued a mea culpa for the ad, which promotes a local Web site called SouthBendOn.com. 'I feel terrible. It's a mistake we made, and we're guilty of it and responsible for it, and we take full responsibility for the error,' says Blue Water president, Patrick Strickler. 'Four people looked at it, eyeballed it and didn't see the mistake, and those people all work for me. We take responsibility for it. We simply blew it. We did not see the missing 'L.' ' Way to throw your employees under the bus, Strickler! Via Jalopnik.

"

muahahahabwahahahaBOO!

muahahahabwahahahaBOO!: "

apologies, Stilton...clearly you can see why I couldn’t resist:)

"

What You Did There, I See It: iPhone Bar

What You Did There, I See It: iPhone Bar: "

Clever, veeeeery clever. Still, better than the land-line of night clubs: incredible service, but only @ssholes ever want to talk -- usually while you're eating.

The iPhone of Nightclubs [geekosystem]

Thanks to Meredith, who runs the two soup cans and string of night clubs: built in a treehouse, outdated, and always running a special on tetanus shots."

This was really good

Star Wars vs. Star Trek: "

While it wouldn’t be the first time we’ve seen a mashup of these two, 2SunsNoWomen’s version is one of the better ones we’ve come across. Picard vs. Vader! Ultimate facepalm!

• Link

Related posts:

1. The Clone Wars In Theaters


2. Starship Xmas Tree


3. Trailer #3: Star Trek

"

Fast forward to 2:50... Awesome

You wish you were this good at Dirt 2: "

The above rally car porn, featuring leading rally car porn performer Ken Block, is a viral ad for shoes. But I noticed the Dirt 3 logo horning its way in on the action in a couple of places, so it's fair game for Fidgit. Watching the video doesn't just make me want to play Dirt 2. It makes me want to get really good at Dirt 2.

(Thanks, Charles!)

"

Dirty Car Art by Scott Wade

Dirty Car Art by Scott Wade: "

Meet Scott Wade – a talented artist, who like every creative and curious person can’t resist a dirty rear car window. We suspect that Scott started off with clever sayings, like, “wash me”, however his later works became much more sophisticated.

He lives on a mile and a half of dirt road – caliche, as the locals call it, road-base: a blend of limestone and gravel clay. Driving over this surface results in a fine, white dust that billows up behind any vehicle driven faster than a galloping turtle, coating the rear window. Being an experienced artist it wasn’t long before Scott started experimenting with techniques to achieve these amazingly detailed and shaded drawings.

Now let’s look at his amazing dirty car art, and if some of you’d like Scott at your event, you can always contact him here.

1. Two Thumbs Up – Portrait of Scott Wade

2. Uncle Albert

“Saw Uncle Albert on the cover of a magazine and thought he might appreciate the relativity of dirty car art…” – S.W.

3. Ronaldinho

“When Brazil’s TV Globo asked to do a piece for their show, Fantastico,” I wondered what image would be recognized and appreciated by their viewers.I figured I couldn’t go wrong with soccer (football in every other country in the world), and who better to use as my subject than the great Ronaldinho Ga?cho. I received many wonderful emails from Brazil. There’s apparently something about dirty car art that strikes a chord with many Brazilians. I hope they enjoy this” – S.W.

4. Girl With A Pearl Earring

“Felt a little bold taking on a Vermeer (not sure why I had no qualms about Da Vinci or Van Gogh), but I couldn’t resist “Girl With A Pearl Earring.” This one was tricky. I did it over a previous drawing that had been rained on. There were places where the dust had been caked on, and it didn’t brush off evenly at all. I had to kind of stab the clods with a bristle brush to break it up enough to get some intermediate tones. That’s what gives this one a sort of stipple effect.” – S.W.

5. On the Road

6. Happy Holidays

“Guess I did this one in December…Some of these early pieces were done very quickly, just really getting used to the medium” – S.W.

7. Friend in Need

8. American Gothic

“Grant Wood’s famous painting wwas a real challenge and great fun to attempt in dust.” – S.W.

9. Rapture of Pop and Fresh

10. Hylas & the Nymphs

“From the marvelous Waterhouse painting. I did this for the Seatlle Art Car Blowout at the Fremont Fair. What a wonderful time with some very cool & wacky people!” – S.W.

11. Mona Lisa / Starry Night

“This image featuring Leonardo’s “Mona Lisa” with Vincent Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” is shown at its peak. These images drawn in the dust are obviously quite impermanent. One of the cool things about them is how they change over time. More dust accumulates as the car is driven down the road. Early morning dew streaks and dots the image, creating a patina. A light shower creates a deeper patina…” – S.W.

12. The Hay Wain

“This one was also from my appearance on the Richard & Judy show. I had 4 days in London, only one of which was a working day, so I got to see a lot of great stuff. Spent a lot of time in the British Museum & the National Gallery. I’ve been very fortunate to get to travel some with Dirty Car Art. As my friend’s like to say, “who’d a thunk it?” –S.W.

13. Pet Fest

“My ex-hometown of San Marcos is host to a great event: Pet Fest. Every year, San Martians (some call them San Marcoans, but they’re just not cool) bring their pets to City Park for a day of music, contests, demonstrations, food and fun. In my role as local drummer, I often play with various musical acts there, and one year I also demonstrated some dirty car art. “– S.W

14. Mt. Rushmore

15. Trapped!

“Thought it would be funny to have a kid in the rear window, yelling for help. When I decided to try this, I took a picture of my 12 y/o daughter. Turned out kinda creepy. Might try this again with a younger, male kid, and do it more cartoony.”-S.W.

16. Wild Flowers

17. The Birth of Venus

“It was just a matter of time before I had to do a nude “Dirty Picture,” don’t you think? This one was a little ambitious for me to do in the usual hour or less. I didn’t time myself, but I’m sure I worked on this one for at least 90 minutes. Trying to pay homage to Botticelli’s brilliance in dust, I really appreciate the Master’s amazing talent and abilities. And if ‘Beauty’ isn’t a fitting subject for the art of impermanence, I don’t know what is.”-S.W.

18. Texas Women

19. Mad Hatter’s Tea Party

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Dirty Car Art by Scott Wade originally appeared on Bored Panda on September 16, 2010.

Possibly related posts:

1. 30 Creative LEGO Reproductions by Balakov


2. 10 Bizzare Sculptures by David Cerny


3. Creative Photo Manipulations by M. Archain

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