Xydexx Squeakypony's New Writeups

Ray Patterson (person)

2002-01-03T15:54:40Z

With a career spanning over six decades, Ray Patterson participated in almost every aspect of animation: Inking, storyboarding, animating, and directing.

Patterson started his career in 1929, at the Charles Mintz studio. Ten years later, he was animating Pluto cartoons for Disney. He also worked on Disney features such as Fantasia and Dumbo. In 1941, he joined MGM's Hanna-Barbera unit as an animator. Over the next dozen years, he animated sixty Tom and Jerry cartoons. He worked on several Droopy cartoons with director Tex Avery.

At Hanna-Barbera as a director in the late 1970s, he worked on cartoons such as Superfriends and Devlin. From 1982-1983, he directed the Gary Coleman Show. In 1986, he directed the feature film Go-Bots: Battle of the Rock Lords, based on the popular GoBots cartoon series. Other cartoons he worked on include The Jetsons Meet The Flintstones. In 1992, he directed The Addams Family animated series. He…

Clapham's Ferry (place)

2001-12-29T00:03:03Z

Clapham's Ferry is located about five miles east of Lucketts, Virginia, along the Potomac River.

The ferry was started by Josias Clapham, a Revolutionary War hero, in 1757. Clapham was in competition with Philip Noland, who operated Noland's Ferry three miles upstream. To cross the river, Clapham charged four pence for a person, and the same price for a horse.

The Clapham family operated the ferry until 1816, when it was taken over by William Hawling. Hawling bought the land from the Claphams in 1820, and eight years later the property was divided among his heirs.

The land was later combined again with additional acreage, and in 1833 sold to John Spinks. The ferry then became known as Spinks' Ferry, and operated until the Civil War.

Over the years, floods have washed away the remains of whatever buildings were on the bank of the river. However, a stone house built on higher ground (probably the ferryman's…

Midwest FurFest (thing)

2001-12-27T16:45:29Z

Midwest FurFest (MFF) is a furry convention which evolved out of Duckon, a sci-fi convention held near Chicago.

Midwest FurFest 2000 was held in Arlington Heights, IL, November 17-19. 475 people attended, and Guests of Honor were illustrators Robert and Margaret Carspecken, artist Derrick Dasenbrock, and Richard Concepcion (costumer and creator of Rapid T. Rabbit). MFF raised a total of $3,552 for three charities: Valley of the Kings Sanctuary (a big cat refuge in Wisconsin), Wolf Park (a wildlife education and research facility in Battle Ground, IN), and Chicago House (housing provider for persons with HIV/AIDS).

Over 500 people attended Midwest FurFest 2001, held November 16-18. Guests of Honor were illustrator Mary Hansen-Roberts, artist Jessica Ginger Willard, and writer Matt J. McCullar. MFF's charity auction (MC'd by Dr. Samuel Conway), raised $6,800 for Animals For Awareness, a…

pumpkin raisin bread (thing)

2001-12-26T14:44:28Z

Pumpkin Raisin Bread

2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350^oF. In a medium-sized bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon, salt and ground nutmeg. In a large mixing bowl, combine pumpkin, sugar, milk and eggs. Mix well.

Add dry ingredients, oil, and raisins, mixing until just moistened. Batter will be slightly lumpy. Do not over mix. Spoon batter into well greased (use vegetable oil) 9 x 5 inch loaf pan. Bake (in the middle of the oven) for 65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool 10 minutes in the pan. Use a knife to go around the edge of the pan to loosen…

Washington & Old Dominion Regional Park (place)

2001-12-21T17:09:45Z

Known as the skinniest park in the commonwealth of Virginia, the Washington & Old Dominion Regional Park extends a total of 45 miles from Alexandria to Purcellville. The park is home to the Washington & Old Dominion Trail, a paved multiple-use bike path. A crushed stone bridle path runs alongside the trail in some areas.

The Washington & Old Dominion Trail is built on the grade of the former Washington & Old Dominion Railroad. When the railroad was abandoned in 1968, the right of way was bought by the Virginia Electric and Power Company to use for power transmission lines. For years, the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority struggled to build a bike path on the property. In 1974, a small portion of the trail opened in Falls Church to prove whether the trail would be popular. Three years later, the park was allowed to purchase the right of way.

The bike path was finally completed in 1988, and is a popular recreation spot. The path…

bike path (thing)

2001-12-21T14:43:52Z

A bike path is a 10 to 12 foot path, usually paved, used for recreational activities. Although called a bike path they tend to be "multiple-use", accomodating pedestrians, inline skaters, bicyclists, and horseback riders. Since gentle grades make optimum biking conditions, many bike paths are built on abandoned railroad grades. This procedure is referred to as "rails to trails".

The longest bike path in the United States is the 225-mile Katy Trail. Built on an abandoned railroad grade, the path stretches from Clinton, MO to St. Charles, MO. Not wanting to be outdone, Nebraska has planned a bike path on the old Cowboy Line, which would extend 321 miles when completed. (Only 47 miles are open to the public currently.) Even more ambitious is the Grand Illinois Trail, which will eventually consist of a 475-mile network of bike paths.

Who has right of way on multiple-use bike paths? According to the International Mountain Biking Association:

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