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NoBC4U Note: Yet another "journalist" from Hromadske.tv advocating genocide. And Hromadske.tv is financed by the Dutch and the US government. Nice friends you've got there... Hromadske.tv journalist Anastasia Stanko suggested a missile and bomb strike be carried out against Donbas On her Facebook page, she openly put forth this idea as a way to stop the sufferings of the starving people. Some visitors to her page, the so-called Ukrainian patriots, have openly supported her appeal. "I’ve been thinking about it for a while, but then I think that they’re our towns and we will have to rebuild them afterwards…however…" one of them wrote. In late August, Stanko was detained in the Luhansk People’s Republic on suspicion of spying. The "cruel Luhansk terrorists" treated her and her cameraman to a cup of tea with cookies and let them go. Complete story at - Ukrainian journalist suggests Donbas residents be 'mercifully' killed | Ukraina.ru |
Like most brides, I think our wedding was wonderful. We were surrounded by family and close, amazing friends who came in from everywhere (Germany, Colorado, California, Massachusetts, Virginia, New York , a 19-hour drive from Wisconsin!, Arizona and more places). It was like being in a honey pot –surrounded by so much love and support. My mom and I joke about the honey pot – being surrounded by love. I feel like that when my mom is in town, and I have her and my husband (!) with me. A wedding is the mack-daddy of honey pots. My beautiful cousins (who could wear whatever they wanted in the pink/orange/red family) served as bridesmaids and nieces and a best friend's daughter were our flower girls/pink princesses. Talk about laid-back, the groomsmen were chosen that week. His brother, his oldest friend, my brother, my cousin-in-law, plus a nephew for the ring "helper." After I entered, he kissed me. Whoops....
My dad, my mom and I waited in the wings for my name to be called. The crowd let out whoops of joy, calling my name and the nervousness I felt earlier disappeared. I entered the garden between my parents, and was flooded with love and jubilation. I was smack in the middle of the honey pot, and life couldn't have been grander. My future husband stood in front of me, my parents were beside me and my closest friends and family plus my new family surrounded me. It was, to use a cliche, heaven on earth.
As I stood, reciting the vows I wrote for my husband, I looked into his eyes, and the rest of the people melted away. It was just us, together, saying how much we love each other, how important we are to each other and how excited we are to take this journey together. And then, bam! We were married! And the party started, and the chaos kicked back in as people moved from the garden to the tent and the photographer gathered the wedding party together for more pictures. I never saw the tent before everyone walked in. In fact, I never saw the garden until I walked in. The flowers that were supposed to decorate the alter were missing. The sake and cups for the sake ceremony were missing. And none of it mattered. It all looked beautiful and worked out perfectly. We're married!!!
More on the reception later.... |
Drew's comedy improvisation show on when I came home (preferred to the neverending The War)...then a Feed the Children plea...Africa seems to "have all the pain"...then CSI New York which I paid little attention to...now the news... And...I want to make something of this Thoreau famous quote, but I'm not sure what! I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. Henry David Thoreau, Walden I think the blue indicates it's linked, which is cool as there were 64 quotes of Thoreau... Now, letme put this side by side with something Henry Dana wrote...brb...well, this might take awhile...a pleasant awhile going through Two Years Before the Mast, to find this.... San Juan is the only romantic spot in California. The country here for several miles is high table-land, running boldly to the shore, and breaking off in a steep hill, at the foot of which the waters of the Pacific are constantly dashing. For several miles the water washes the very base of the hill, or breaks upon ledges and fragments of rocks which run out into the sea. Just where we landed was a small cove, or "bight," which gave us, at high tide, a few square feet of sand-beach between the sea and the bottom of the hill. This was the only landing-place. Directly before us, rose the perpendicular height of four or five hundred feet. How we were to get hides down, or goods up, upon the table-land on which the mission was situated, was more than we could tell. The agent had taken a long circuit, and yet had frequently to jump over breaks, and climb up steep places, in the ascent. No animal but a man or monkey could get up it. However, that was not our look-out; and knowing that the agent would be gone an hour or more, we strolled about, picking up shells, and following the sea where it tumbled in, roaring and spouting, among the crevices of the great rocks. What a sight, thought I, must this be in a south-easter! The rocks were as large as those of Nahant or Newport, but, to my eye, more grand and broken. Beside, there was a grandeur in everything around, which gave almost a solemnity to the scene: a silence and solitariness which affected everything! Not a human being but ourselves for miles; and no sound heard but the pulsations of the great Pacific! and the great steep hill rising like a wall, and cutting us off from all the world, but the "world of waters!" I separated myself from the rest and sat down on a rock, just where the sea ran in and formed a fine spouting horn. Compared with the plain, dull sand-beach of the rest of the coast, this grandeur was as refreshing as a great rock in a weary land. It was almost the first time that I had been positively alone — free from the sense that human beings were at my elbow, if not talking with me — since I had left home. My better nature returned strong upon me. Everything was in accordance with my state of feeling, and I experienced a glow of pleasure at finding that what of poetry and romance I ever had in me, had not been entirely deadened by the laborious and frittering life I had led. I know exactly where this is...and it's now called Dana Point...lemeget the poem that brought me here... Oh, I thought to go back and have a visit Looking about California again As you did not so long ago Really, I wonder about myself sometimes Too it’s good just to have a look Half Dome is always there John Muir on an overlook Cliffs at Dana Point Harbor now Is over the tide pools Wading in as a kid Reached down and picked up the hermit crabs Trout in Le Conte Canyon Like a whole row of El Capitans. The attentive reader of Tree in the Door might even, now, make sense of that!! Now, the Pilgirm was Dana's "Cabin"... They really need to name a Sierra peak after him....and maybe another just called "Henry"... (and, while it was unintended, my little poem has led me to think of the rock climbers hereabouts as "trout", insomuch as trout are alway nose into the current, sorta going uphill....cometothink of it oflate, maybe the climbers are like "certhia americanas"!) Tree in the Door |
The Woman and The Seed tour at the Met is a must for anyone who is interested in archeology and the Bible. The first prophecy in the Bible Genesis 3:15. Jehovah said a seed would crush Satan. Did anyone know who the seed would be at that time? No, it was a sacred secret. Still Satan sets up false women and false seeds to take attention away from the true seed. The pyramid represents the trinity. The trinity of gods in Egypt was Isis/Horus/Osiris. |
My main goal in life is to raise a son that God Himself would be proud of. Someone who tries to be kind first, and selfish last. There are a lot of bad people in this world (well that was a very negative thing to say), but I want my son to contribute to the good. I want him to shine light on others lives, and to be someone that he is PROUD to be. With that in mind I wrote him this letter with the hopes to provide some values and ideals that I hope he follows. Dear son of mine, I love you. More than myself. More than this earth. I dedicate my life to give you the one that you deserve. You were my greatest blessing from God, and the only way I can come close to showing Him how much I appreciate His blessing is to make you a man that He is proud of, one He can call his own. I realize that I can’t do that on my own. So I pray for you everyday that He keeps you wrapped in his arms and protects you the only way HE can. This letter is just a list of things I find very important for you to know. This isn’t a guideline of how you should live your life, or who you HAVE to be. They are just..suggestions. However, growing up with me I’m sure you’ll learn I expect my suggestions to be taken SERIOUSLY. (But it’s all out of love) Love yourself. One of the hardest things in life to do is accept yourself for who you are. Flaws and all. And also remember that you are not perfect, nor were you put on this earth to be perfect. Don’t ever be afraid to love who you are. To love yourself is the only way to TRULY love others. Uphold your faith in Jesus. Hold fast to your faith in The Lord son. There will be tough times in your life and you won’t think you have any strength or answers. This is when you rely on your faith. He will give you the strength to get through anything that He brings to you. Do your best to pray every morning and night. Be a friend a friend would like to have. You can’t make it in this life alone. Good friends are huge blessings. They can provide the best umbrellas when life is raining. (If that made sense.) But be wary of who you call a friend. If they don’t treat you the way you want to be treated, they aren’t a friend. Good friends are selfless, humble, and dependable. You always treat a LADY like a lady. Even if she doesn’t treat herself as one. Open her door, pay for her meals, tell her she’s beautiful. Don’t you dare raise your voice to her. If all else fails when you’re in a tough situation with the lady of your choice just think: How would I want a guy to treat my mom or sister? Work hard at everything you do. Even if you don’t like what you do, be the best at it. Your work ethic is part of your character. Don’t let anyone think you’re lazy or afraid of hard work. You weren’t raised that way. Respect your ma and pa. I have just always wanted to say that. I brought you into this world, and I can take you out. There will be times we won’t see eye to eye but remember every thing I do for you, to you, I do out of love. (unless I think something is just funny.) Value education. Unfortunately you can lose money, clothes, and jewelry. Cars can be wrecked, toys broken. But no one can EVER take away your knowledge. So try to gather as much as you can. FAMILY above all else. Yes they can be annoying, we fight and we argue. But family is forever and don’t forget it. Love deeply and whole heartedly. Love is a beautiful thing. Do not toss that word around to every girl you think deserves it. When you love a lady you treat her with the upmost RESPECT. Communicate with her. Take her on dates. Show her she’s worthy of respect and loyalty. Don’t CHEAT!! You cheat on her, you cheat yourself. If you don’t want to be with one lady by herself, let her go. This isn’t a rule, or a suggestion, or a tip. It’s an order. If a girl gives you her virtue, honor that. Treasure that. She gave you something that she can only give away once. Respect your elders. All of them. Strangers or family. Your Granny and your Paw Paw love you. You show them respect at all times, and never say a word against them. Yes Ma’am, and No ma’am is something you say to show respect, not mockery. It says “I hear your wisdom and appreciate you sharing it with me.” (it doesn’t say that ALL the time, but still.) Help others. Not everyone is as fortunate as you are. Don’t be afraid to give a helping hand. Whether it’s to a lady needing help in the grocery store, a buddy who is down on luck, or a stranger whose car has broken down. Treat people you would want to be treated if you were in their situation. Be a Gentleman. Chivalry is not dead. It’s just a little injured. Be a gentleman son. Open doors for ladies, take out the trash. If you see an eldery person struggling with groceries help them. If you see a lady standing, offer her your seat. It goes along way, and shows your mama raised you right. Use your words. Violence is NOT the answer. You do not use your fists to solve problems, you use your words. There is too much hate and violence going on in this world because people haven’t developed a large vocabulary. But if someone puts their hands on you, you defend yourself. And then you let mama handle it. Eat healthy. You’ll feel better, look better, and will appreciate it later. Read. You can live a thousand different lives if you love to read. That’s it for now. This list isn’t in any particular order or design. I wish you a life of happiness and love son. I will do my best to bring as much as that to you as I can. I love you son. To the Heavens and back. |
Sprinting towards Week 13 in Art 110, I had finally met the wonderful and charismatic Antonio Lavermon! He is a sophomore at CSULB and is currently majoring in Film. He recently just switched to film from theatre arts, but still has it as his minor. Antonio has always been interested in film and acting so he wanted to base his entertainment career living in SoCal. He hails from Sacramento, but dreams to live in Malibu or Hollywood. Antonio would want to go into screenwriting through film. He said that acting has been his main passion in life. His plans for the future include starring in his own show and having his own cameos. He is currently writing and working on something. He is interested in all genres for writing, Antonio’s favorite one to write is drama and supernatural. If he does pursue his own show, it would be LGBTQI related. He wants to aim for a young audience. He wants his show to be mainly gay. I had to ask what he thought about the media showing more openly gay scenes in shows. Antonio proceeded in telling me that it’s a good way to spread awareness and open up the public to gay culture. Antonio says, “In order to make the world move, we need to reach out.” Through his writing and inspirational attitude, Antonio will definitely change the world. I had to ask how he was feeling that day and he said that he was a little anxious because he had to print out this essay, but he said he was just being overly ambitious. His plans for Thanksgiving include going back up to Sacramento to see his family and have a big feast! He normally goes back up home just for major holidays because he also has a job down here. Antonio’s favorite animal is a dog, but snakes do come in pretty close to first. His spirit animal would most likely be a dog. This was great because I am definitely a dog person too. This concludes my amazing interview with Mr. Lavermon! He was such a pleasure to talk to and was very passionate in his plans for the future. Can’t wait to see what else he has in store for this world to take in! For more posts on Antonio: |
The preparations have begun! If you're in the Arlington area and want to celebrate the upcoming theatrical release of New Moon with other teens, drop by the Arlington Library from 7 pm - 9 pm tonight (Friday, Nov. 13th). We'll have Twilight Saga Jeopardy, a scavenger hunt, and tons of fun prizes! |
Turkish baths, although sharing certain Roman historical connections with their Hungarian counterparts, are far different. First, I entered, having left Trina at the women’s portion. I walked down into a smoky room, was given a key and with much charades was shown to my room and told to take off all my clothes and wrap myself in a sort of table-cloth like towel. The bath was, well, old (over 500 years). And I’m into history, which is nice. It had some nice architectural elements, but it seemed a little grimy. Fortunately, I knew it was authentic. It was in a neighborhood away from tourists (no English menus) and the only other clients were Turks. Our hostel had recommended it. Anyway, so I eventually come out in my sporty kilt. I ask where to go to the bathroom and get shown the squat toilet room. Fortunately, I’m a guy, and I didn’t need to do the squatting thing. Afterward, I wandered out into the room next to the bathroom, unsure of where to go. So I went back into the first room. No, no, no, I was told, this, room. It seemed they thought I was stupid. Anyway, so I’m shown to the central room, and told to cross it into the sauna. First, let me describe the central room. It was very large, a steam bath of sorts, with a massive "table" in the middle. The table was marble (well, so was most of the room) and it didn’t have legs; it was solid. Like some sort of alter, only huge. There were a few guys laying on it, kilts on, thank goodness. I went to the sauna and stayed as long as I could handle it. I’m pretty good with saunas, but I was starting to think I might die of heatstroke, so I left the room, worried that I’d get in trouble for being stupid again. I found one of the many sinks with washbasins on the side of the giant room (which also had other smaller similar rooms (minus the altar) for washing on its corners).
I stood there for a minute, and then went back into the sauna. An unfriendly looking guy came in, and I left again, too hot to handle it. Turns out that was my "bather". Granted, I knew this was going to happen (that I’d be bathed by another man), so I didn’t suspect foul play, but I had no idea what I was in for. He yelled a t me. I don’t think of people as yelling unless they are yelling. Like a gruff old drill sergeant he just kept yelling at me, in Turkish, and pointing wildly (which made it very hard to understand what I was to do). I eventually sat down on a side bench. Another client leaned over to me and told me in very broken English that I was being teased. I had suspected as much, thinking I hadn’t probably offended anyone (although my kilt was a little short), but I was relieved to know this. The guy came back and yelled a bit more. Then he hit me on the back, like a pat on the back, but with a big, old man burly hand against my soaked back. The noise echoed through the room and was far less significant than the string. And so began the fun. Woosh. He dumped like a gallon of water on me at a speed that was certainly greater than gravity afforded. What? Woosh again! Then he pulled out this glove and started scrubbing me. Hard. He did things hard. Yelled, washed, scrubbed. I figured it would be worth it when the massage came, since I like a firm rub. After my washing, he took me over to the altar stone. Lay down (in Turkish)! Which way (in English?). This way! Not that way! This way. Another slap on the side. He got out this girly looking poof thing and started exfoliating me, I think. There was lots of soap. Lots of twisting my arm until it almost broke. This sudsy torture thing soon morphed into my massage. Some of it felt good. Most of it didn’t. He curled my biggest three toes under on each side until they pointed farther than I knew they could. He dug into my calves and quads in a manner that made my whole body jerk. He whapped me again. On the butt (in a sportsy way, nothing else).
After yelling some more, he started rubbing my spine. Not next to my spine. My spine. The whole lower half of my back I think he might have been knuckling directly on my spine. It hurt. Really hurt. If it hadn’t been so quick I would have turned around and yelled at him. But usually when I get a massage, I figure the pain is good. It took me a second to realize why I hated it. He was bruising the bones. They hurt for days. But before I could realize that was what he had done, it was time to head back to the washbasin for more whooshing. And then he threw a bucket of water across the room at the altar and in one fell swoop washed all my suds off it. He managed one English word the whole time. Tip. Tip. Tip. Then he told me to go back into the sauna. After nearly passing out in there again, I finally worked my way out to the front room, where they took my towel, re-covered me, and then toweled the rest of me off. This was done by the first gentleman who had shown me where the bathroom was, and it was done vigorously, although by no means as roughly as the old guy. Anyway, I ended up in the front room, waiting for Trina, given some cold water, and it was time to pay. Suffice it to say, grumpy old man came out and acted all friendly like we were old war buddies or something, and hung over me while I paid (basically with his hand out). I did tip him, although I’m still not sure why. I kind of want to go back and beat him up. |
Do you keep a journal? Journal writing is a very important part of your weight loss journey. It is good to write down your goals, successes/struggles, feelings, thoughts, food/exercise tracking, etc. When you choose to keep a journal, remember your daily entry doesn’t have to be about you all the time. Just write in a journal every day. Relish the feeling of pen on paper. It can truly set you free. Better to write for yourself and have no public, than to write for the public and have no self. -Cyril Connolly Here are a few journal prompts: Five things you would like to do more throughout your weight loss journey.
What is the view from your window right now?
What was the best thing that happened this week?
Write down something you are stressed about.
What holds you back as it relates to your weight loss? Write about something you feel strongly about.
Something you always think “what if…” about.
Write about someone you admire or describe a vivid dream.
Write about nature. |
Grass Fire Smokes Out Mandalay Residents MORE than two hours after smoke was first reported, a grass fire in the Mandalay Peninsula Private Estate appears to be under control. The sole fire engine on the scene when the Whitsunday Times arrived was quickly joined by four further appliances at the uninhabited gated development. "Given conditions, there were concerns about it taking off and heading up the mountain," the spokesperson said. "But it looks like they've managed to avert that. The back-burning was successful and there are now only rural crews on the scene monitoring the situation." A nearby resident who reported the incident, told the Whitsunday Times she first spotted the smoke at the lower end of the hill, near Mandalay Road. But by 4pm the fire had carved a wide gash and moved 100 metres higher with flames clearly visible to those on the scene. "Our house is full of smoke already - I just hope the wind doesn't get up any more than it is," said the concerned resident. --- |
Today has already been a bit challenging, and for more reasons than I had originally expected. Buttercup was scheduled for dental surgery, and this is the second time she's needed teeth pulled since I've had her. It is an expensive, and stressful procedure, that I had done my best to avoid and obviously failed. It's gonna cost a pretty penny, but at least she'll be more comfortable. I actually just got off the phone with the vet, and he said it was pretty bad. I slept in this morning, completely on accident. Somehow I'd set my alarm for tomorrow, instead of today and woke up at 8, which was when I was supposed to be at the vet office. I got there half an hour late, and thankfully, the staff was cool about it. East River Vet has always been good to us like that, considering it is a struggle to get Ivan out of the house on time most nights, or I have a brain fart, and estimate how much time we need to get there incorrectly. Anyway, that was stressful in itself, but because I was late, I was also rushing, and in my haste, clipped a car with my right mirror on my way off of Akron. Turning left on there always gives me problems. The lady was understandably angry, but I did apologize, and she wasn't hurt or anything, so it definitely could have been worse. Half-awake, cursing myself and fried from Buttercup keeping me out all night, it was a rough morning. Of course, I knew Buttercup was going to have a much tougher time. The last time I took Buttercup to get her teeth done was interesting. Originally, her doctor was only going to clean them, and didn't think an extraction would be needed. When they put her under, they discovered that I think, two or three teeth were dead, and had to go. So I gave the OK, and picked her up that night, after her teeth had been pulled and she'd had some time for the anesthesia to wear off. It hadn't completely though, and she wouldn't walk when I got there to take her home. I carried her out, and she cried for the entire ride back, softly, otherwise quiet in the seat next to me. When we got home, she didn't move much, didn't eat or drink much either. I kept her on the bed, where she'd be comfortable and did my best to comfort her. Ivan helped, but she maintained a constant soft whine, probably still in pain and confused. At one point, I did convince her to eat some lactose free ice cream, with a hint of enthusiasm, and that gave me hope. When we woke up the next day, she emerged from under the blankets, looked around, a bit confused, saw me, and went crazy with excitement. I genuinely think that she hadn't realized she was home until that moment, poor thing. She was nearly back to normal after that, though I had to keep her on soft foods and lactose free ice cream for a while (which she thoroughly enjoyed, I might add). The following was written once Buttercup got home. Poor baby is drugged up, confused and whining occasionally. She alternated between sleeping and looking up at me, utterly bewildered on the ride home. Five teeth are gone, all four canines, and a loose molar. She'll be on soft food for a week (she's gonna love that) and is currently resting on the bed. Hopefully she recovers quickly with some rest. Her tongue is sticking out a bit. I don't think she knows what's going on, but she's OK, which is all that matters. |
I made a green pea dip for a snack tonight...it pretty much became my dinner once I ate a bunch of it and spoiled my appetite. Oops! Juice and zest of 1 lime 1/2 fresh green chili pepper, seeded and finely chopped 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley 1 tbsp chopped cilantro 1 1/2 cups thawed frozen peas 1) Place all the ingredients except the lime zest in a food processor (I used our magic bullet and it work amazingly) and process to a rough puree. 2) To serve, garnish with lime zest. I didn't totally follow the recipe tho...okay, okay I didn't follow the recipe at all, but the recipe gave me a general idea. So if you want to try it, you should play around with it with whatever you think you'd : ) I ate it with Wild Harvest's organic black bean tortilla chips (not the ones int the pic) YUM! I didn't really measure anything and I used a few jalapeno slices instead of green chili, didn't use cilantro because I hate it, used some onion instead of scallions, I also added some red pepper, some salt and pepper and jalapeno salsa...see, really didn't follow the recipe. |
Another medium size city (or maybe I should say little, by American standarts, since it has less then 100.000 inhabitants) on the shores of San Diego, California is Carlsbad (nothing to do with the UNESCO Carlsbad Caverns, those are in New Mexico)
. According to Ron, for more than two years now this region in under serious drought conditions and wildfires are threatening the city (the green hills we see on the horizon of the postcard photo are not green anymore). Thank you very much Ron for the card and your message. This postcard took 7 days to arrive! Carlsbad Beach, San Diego - CALIFORNIA - USA Carlsbad is an affluent seaside resort city occupying a 7-mile (11 km) stretch of Pacific coastline in North San Diego County, California. The city is located 87 miles (140 km) south of Los Angeles and 35 miles (56 km) north of downtown San Diego. Referred to as "The Village by the Sea" by locals, Carlsbad's Mediterranean climate attracts visitors year-round to its quaint hotels and five-star luxury resorts. |
Marsden March Well done to Kieran (11LS) and Jake (7SE) who took part in the Marsden March on Sunday 19th March. The boys walked 14 miles from the Royal Marsden in Chelsea to the Royal Marsden in Sutton, raising nearly £900 for cancer research. Congratulations to Kieran and Jake and to other students and staff who took part in this tough but fantastic event. |
PITTSBURGH — Nobody expected the ledge to come this quickly, but here it is. The Pittsburgh Penguins had the fourth-best record in the National Hockey League this season, sported perhaps the two best players in the game, and were the betting favourites to win the Stanley Cup. What could be better? And now they are down 2-0 to the Philadelphia Flyers and heading back to Philadelphia after two games in which they watched an early lead slip away, in pieces or in bursts. They haven’t just lost; they have been beaten. And much like the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Vancouver Canucks, two games into the post-season it has become a question of identity and trust, and whether the Penguins can hold onto either one. “I mean, I think if you really watched the game closely it’s not like they’re carrying the play and all of a sudden it’s five shifts that they’re wearing us down and then they’re putting one in,” said Sidney Crosby, who had a goal and an assist in each of the first two games. “It’s the other way around. We have possession for most of the time and we make one mistake, and it ends up in our net. Unfortunately that’s the way the game goes sometimes — it doesn’t seem fair, but that’s the way it goes. So we really, really have to focus on not making those mistakes, and we all believe we we have the guys to score goals. “I think eventually, we keep doing good things, we keep going hard to the net, keep doing the things that we’re doing, hopefully we get some bounces too.” Bounces is one thing; free-range defensive play is another. Philadelphia didn’t luck its way to eight goals in Game 2 — they did it on a rebound off a breakaway, a power play, an open rebound, an open shot from the slot extended, a defensive zone giveaway for a breakaway, a contested wrist shot from near the faceoff circle, a 3-on-1, and an empty netter. The Flyers had acres of room, and came flying at Fleury as if he was standing in the middle of an expressway. In Game 1 Philadelphia came back from a 3-0 deficit; in Game 2 Pittsburgh led 3-1, 4-3, and 5-4, and lost going away. “If you’re asking does it affect the mindset, I think it does,” says Pittsburgh coach Dan Bylsma. “You can say that losing 4-3 is a 4-3 loss no matter how it goes down, and an overtime game is painful for anybody who’s losing 4-3. But I think we understand we had leads, 3-0 leads and two-goals leads, and they were able to come back … It’s difficult to deal with those losses but at the same time, we have to put it behind us.” The question is what is wrong, and how to fix it. Down the stretch holes opened up in Pittsburgh’s defensive ice — an 8-4 loss to Ottawa, two 5-3 losses to the Islanders, a 6-4 loss to this same Philadelphia team in which the Flyers scored four third-period goals. Marc-André Fleury started three of those games, and finished two of them. As Penguins defenceman Paul Martin puts it, “when you think of playoff games, and it being tight, the last couple of games I think for the most part have kind of caught us off guard as to what you expect, some of the chances given up … But I think we know the type of team that we are. I think the hardest part is we spend too much time trying to figure out why we let the lead slide.” Pittsburgh was 32-0-3 this season when leading after two periods, tied for the sixth-best winning percentage in the league in that situation. But they were tied at the end of two in Game 2, and were only 19th in the league when leading after one period. They were 17th in goals-against, and 24th in save percentage. In their final 14 games with Sidney Crosby in the lineup, they went 1-4-1 when scoring fewer than five goals, and 8-0 when they scored five or more. They have become, it appears, a sort of run-and-gun team, and against the Flyers — third in the league in scoring this season, two slots behind Pittsburgh — they have proven incapable of turning off the spigot once they race out in front. But the Penguins believe this is wholly uncharacteristic. Maybe they’re right. Maybe they have no choice. “This is who we are, this is our team, this is our identity, then as it unfolds down the stretch and you end up going goal for goal or you end up giving up some goals late — it can definitely be frustrating for teams,” said Martin. “For us, I think we still believe in who we are. We know who we are.” Who are the Penguins? They think they know, but it’s time to find out again. And in Game 3 they can either peer into the abyss, or pull themselves away from it. We’ll see who they are. They will, too. “We faced a lot this year. We had a lot injuries, a lot of media questioned our team, how fragile it was, and we always responded well,” says Pittsburgh defenceman Kris Letang. “We have a lot of character, I think, we have a lot of leaders in that dressing room. I’m really confident in this group. “A good rivalry like that, you just want to live for those games. It’s fun to be part of, and we’ll see the true face of our team. And I think we’ll see if guys have character, and we’ll prove a lot.” Flyers follow comeback script to take 2-0 series lead over Penguins Jaromir Jagr’s evolution comes full circle |
, asked a great question about networking that I'm sure many people have wondered about. She explained, "It seems that people in the job search are reluctant to let their network know they are actively in the search." She goes on to add, "I'm wondering if the issue is the For approximately 5 or 6 years, I spoke monthly to a group of people being helped by to find their next job. My talk was to help those clients think about the contacts they already had that they could use to help them gain the next opportunity. What was really interesting to me was almost each one had never left his or her office to network had left previous connections lie fallow. Obviously it felt awkward to now try to awaken those relationships. So a commercial break here! A word to the wise. Continue to stay connected with old friends and acquaintances. When you need help, you probably will have already provided that very same help for them previously. Then it's not so awkward to ask for help now. A real conundrum. But not so much. In my opinion most people like to help. If you let people know of your situation, that you are in the job market, they will probably help if they can. And they won't begrudge you. Take an old colleague to lunch or to coffee if that's what you can afford. Make sure you pay. Listen and take notes. Before long, these lunches will begin to pay off in new connections that might help. You just never know. |
Nourish Well, I like playing Scrabble. When I first started, I usually lost in the game. But gradually I picked up the ways and technics. Now I can play easily as words can come easily too. Recently, I had my first Bingo and I scored 75 points for that word, NOURISH. Nourish is a good word as now I want to share with you the nourishment of this herbal soup. to nourish our spinal and backbones ingredients: pat kei, tou chong, par kat, ngau chat, longan and kei chee Rinse all the ingredients. Boil 4 cups of water in a slow cooker. Put all the ingredients into the pot of boiling water. Slow boil for three hours. Can boil with meat. I just had a cup of the herbal soup after dinner yesterday. |
Page 2 of 5 According to Carrey, "It’s a story about a wave named Roland who’s afraid that, one day, when he hits the beach, his life will be over. But when he gets deep, he’s struck by the notion that he’s not just a wave — he’s the whole big, wide ocean! It shows humanity’s interconnectedness through the metaphor of a wave in the ocean." There’s a personal story behind the book... "When I was a child," Carrey shares, "my parents were smokers and I had a deep fear that they would pass ... and then what would happen to me? I think that’s a common fear for children – the fear of loss. It’s an early existential crisis, if you will. But when we realize that beneath the surface of things – the activities of our lives -- we are all connected, all one energy, that fear of loss gets softened. At times, it disappears entirely. At least that’s been true for me." How did Roland the Wave emerge as a character for Carrey? "Years ago," he recalls, "when I first arrived in Los Angeles, I spent a lot of time on the beach in Malibu, watching the waves. I started to think of them as people, all moving in the same direction, and contemplated about where they go once they hit the beach and lose their form. Each wave travels all around the world. The first drop of water ever is still here now! That’s pretty profound stuff. I found that fascinating and comforting, and thought children could find that same comfort." As a parent, and now a grandparent, Carrey reflects on the time he spent reading to his daughter, Jane. “I believe the closest we get to heaven in this world is when we get completely involved in something we love. One of those moments is when we read to our children. It’s total freedom from self, from our worries and problems. We always feel terrific afterwards, and so do the kids. For them, it’s an experience of focused, enveloping love." Carrey believes that "everything we do that’s hurtful stems from a feeling of not being worthwhile, not feeling loved. Parents help their children feel worthwhile by being completely involved, spending moments together that are only about them. Through the loving attention of parents, children gain self-worth. Through the innocence of children, parents rediscover the wonders of life." Why write a story for children? "First," Carrey notes, "I’ve always been drawn to work geared for children. That’s what attracted me to the Grinch, Horton Hears a Who, and Mr. Popper’s Penguins. Story is important to all of us. It’s how we order life the way we’d like it to be. Stories stimulate faith and hope." "Through stories we make our children feel secure, and that good conquers evil. All the characters in a story are parts of ourselves, of course, so through stories we gain self-knowledge. We are inspired to embody heroic archetypes. We learn how to not let worries ruin our lives -- how to make that brave move into the unknown, then find that we’re usually pleasantly surprised by the outcome." Just like Roland, Carrey had big dreams and goals as a child. At a very young age, he wrote poetry and even tried to get his poetry books published. "I learned pretty quickly that, in the publishing business, there was virtually no market for poetry written by an eight-year old. But, hey, I kept ‘rollin’!" "I’m just telling a story," says Jim. "Kids don’t get credit for their deeper thoughts, beyond simple play ... for their efforts to figure out life. I hope Roland will help guide them along their way." A Note to Parents from Jim Carrey Hi, there! Jim Carrey here. I know you recognize me from a whole raft of fairly wacky movies ... and quite a few pretty serious ones, too. But I'm reaching out to you and your children now for a serious purpose. As a father and grandfather, I know there's nothing more important in our lives than the well-being and future success of our children and grandchildren. They are, in the most real sense, the future of our society. Indeed, the future of our global community. When I contemplate their future success, I'm not just thinking about their financial prowess in the world though there¹s certainly a place for that. But rather, their success as human beings -- their ability to experience themselves as loved, loving, compassionate, empowered, and worthwhile. There¹s nothing more important than that. Indeed, it's the foundation for all the other successes in life ... the foundation for humanity's success in the world. How do we help our young people experience that kind of personal success? I believe it's directly connected to the quality of engagement and involvement we have with them. So many children today are suffering from their parents' busy lives, how much time and energy it takes just to provide for the family and keep the household working. Often, the kids are relegated to electronic games, TV, and surfing the Internet — all poor substitutes for parental involvement. I wrote How Roland Rolls specifically as a way for parents and grandparents to engage with children in quality together-time. Not only will the message of the story help them feel connected, worthwhile, and a part of something vast and grand ... the very act of you spending time simply to be with them, and only with them, will pay off in an experience of fulfillment that¹s truly beyond compare. I wish you happy reading. And even more importantly... happy together time! A significant part of the charm of How Roland Rolls is the book’s extraordinary illustrations. Award-winning illustrator and animator Rob Nason met Jim Carrey after Carrey had seen samples of his work (which he loved!) then flew him to Los Angeles.Rob Nason “It was a day I’ll never forget,” says Nason, from his home in Scottsdale, Arizona. “Jim is a total class act, a gracious, down-to-earth human being, and a deeply interested and interesting man.” The plan was to see how their personal chemistry felt, discuss the book and the possibility of working together. Soon after they began talking, they discovered that they were both from the same city in Canada – Burlington, Ontario – and the chemistry was underway. Burlington is Nason’s hometown, and Carrey lived there for about eight years. Nason is not just an illustrator, but an award-winning animation artist and fine arts painter, as well, specializing in lake home scenes. He has deep childhood memories of living near a major lake, vacationing at a lake home his parents owned. “Life is about a body of water for me,” he admits. And How Roland Rolls is a story about a wave in the ocean. More chemistry! With a deep appreciation for the classical art tradition, Nason uses all of the skills of his eclectic art background in his illustrations, making his work relatively unique and highly identifiable. “I’m always trying to get a painterly look with a natural environment,” Nason says. To that end, when Nason is working on an illustration, he uses a water-filled airbrush in his left hand while painting with his right. “It helps create the reality of an atmosphere,” he says. Then he enhances the result digitally. It’s his special blend of technologies, woven from years of traditional painting, illustration and commercial art experience, plus, now, the wonders of the computer. “I don’t want to be just a digital painter,” Nason affirms. “I always want to incorporate my experience with the earlier art forms. Very few younger artists even know those mechanics.” Nason’s art background is multi-dimensional and life-long. As he says, “I began my work on the inside of my diaper. It was lovely finger painting!” A year later, Nason was hired by Sullivan and Bluth, a leading U.S. film animation company, founded by former Walt Disney animator Don Bluth, to work in their Dublin, Ireland, office. Again, the instruction was, “You start next week!” There nearly five years, Nason painted backgrounds for their animated films, producing anywhere from five to 10 paintings a week. “Dublin is a great place,” Nason enthuses. “I must return!” Nason moved back to Canada with his wife and Ireland-born son, continuing his animation work via courier, before the days of online file-sharing. Soon, Sullivan and Bluth moved to Phoenix, Arizona, becoming the animation unit for 20th Century Fox Film Corporation. The Nason family followed, moving to suburban Scottsdale. The film company set him up with a state of the art digital home animation studio, and Nason taught himself digital animation. So, with his background in illustration and fine arts painting, he could now add the magic of the digital world, and his unique hybrid style was born. Over the years, he worked on a variety of important animated feature films – Thumbelina, Anastasia, Pebble, Theo, Titan A.E. and many more. The crew won a Golden Reel award on Anstasia, as well as an Annie Awards nomination. His work on Thumbelina garnered the Hans Christian Andersen award. His cover for the best-selling children’s book, Saltwater Taffy, was nominated as Cover of the Year and was a finalist for the prestigious Benjamin Franklin award. One of today’s most respected (and recognized) illustrators, Nason is ecstatic about his work with Carrey on How Roland Rolls. “It’s truly a co-creative process with Jim,” says Nason. “Jim really knows what he wants. He’s an extraordinary visionary and communicator, and a natural art director. It’s a joy to be working together.” |
We are in need of fundraising ideas for the coming year and would like your imput in order for it to be a big success. In the past we have done various things like our Microchip Fundraisers, Adoptions Fairs, T-Shirts, Books and most recently Glass Hearts. We have had a few suggestions lately like Handmade Christmas Ornaments & Calendars to name a few, and would love for our supporters to made some additional suggestions or let us know if we had these items if you would be interested in them. Please email us at with any ideas or items that you would be interested in if we had. We put alot of work into our fundraising and it is well worth it as it allows us to continue the work that we do. |
Please remember I am NOT the photographer of the family, unfortunately he wasn't available when I was taking these photos. My cousins daughter is getting married next month and as a shower gift I made towels for the kitchen, I told her since I didn't know which of the 2 would be doing the cooking this covered them both! Also did these pillowcases, this is a first for me and I think I'll do them again, I am very please with how they turned out. |
My 2015 goals (rather than resolutions) Things I'm going to try and achieve, or at least get closer to. Start some form of exercise I'm going to start with the exercises from the NHS and see if I can at least make it round the park without throwing up. Take more photos, videos, write things down... I'm going to aim to take a roll of film a month or something like that and have some tangible photos I can stick on the fridge and shit. I've also started Just keep drawing, keep getting commissions, keep enjoying it. I really want to have done a lot more amazing work for my portfolio in a year's time. I didn't travel as much as I'd have liked in 2014. I've got mates living in Sweden and Iceland so planning to visit them hopefully in the Spring, and possibly go on a weekend to Amsterdam. Cooking, reading, writing, watching films, going to exhibitions, seeing bands. Take more in, digest. I've lived in London for a year and a bit now and still feel like I've seen hardly any of it. I'm going to make a concious effort to visit more and just explore all the districts in general. I currently have a paper map of London stuck to my bedroom wall and when I've been somewhere I mark it on there to remind me of it (worringly I feel a bit silly wanting to play the drums at my age but my boyfriend assures me anyone can learn and to go for it... so I think I might! Learn French. Or slightly progress, at least I took French at school and did awfully, but now I'd really like to be able to learn the basics and order a beer in Paris so I'm going to re-visit and see if I can stick to it this time. I'd love to hear about your 2015 goals! |
Eco-Cha's Jin Xuan (April 2014) (Tea Provided For Review) Today I decided to look at Eco-Cha’sJin Xuan (April 2014). I know I’ve been looking at a lot of oolongs, recently, but I decided to try this today rather than a green tea or even a nice puerh. The leaves aren’t particularly aromatic like some teas; in fact they are quite subtle. Sometimes I overlook the subtler teas that don’t instantly grab my attention so I decided to try this one. Origin: Zhu Shan NanTou, Taiwan There is a very intense floral aroma to the dry leaves and a little bit vegetal. And the dry leaves have a very interesting shape, sort of like tightly twisted crossed with pearls, there is some uniformity to the tea leaves, but you can see a lot of uniquely shaped pearls as well. At first I thought the dry leaves were kind of ugly, since I really like uniformity in tea leaves, although after I studied the leaves for a bit, they started to grow on me. Some of them have a rosebud-esque look and you can see a lighter green one that looks a little like popcorn. Aroma: Fruity, Floral and Green bean Flavor: Bamboo leaves, Woody and Creamy Tasting Notes: There was not a strong milk taste so far and it had a slightly thin mouthfeel for a Taiwanese oolong, although the milk taste did linger. This steeping was very subtle, I was correct I my suspicion that I’d taste many of these flavors in subsequent steepings. Aroma: Peach, Milk, Floral, and Green Beans Flavor: Milk, Bamboo Shoots, Malty and Sugarcane. Tasting Notes: It became very milky this steeping, and had a thicker mouthfeel this time although not particularly thick for a Jin Xuan. I was surprised to find that this Jin Xuan had malty notes in it, I haven’t had many lighter oolongs that come close to anything resembling malty. It was quite pleasant, this is probably my favorite steeping, I like the progression from Bamboo leaves in the previous steeping to bamboo shoots; it had a lovely green tea feel to it, most of the unflavored Jin Xuans I had this year leaned more towards the floral oolong side rather than vegetal green and I quite enjoyed it Brewing Time: Three Minute Aroma: Mild Peach and Floral Flavor: Creamy, Woody, Bamboo Shoots and Honey Tasting Notes: It became considerably less sweet this time, although I could still taste some sweetness in it. Considerably milkier then the last infusion; I liked the return of the wood taste and it meshed really well with the Milk taste. The bamboo shoot taste was lighter than the previous infusion and it felt less like a green oolong, more like a lightly roasted one. With the exception of the bamboo shoots, this tea lost it vegetal edge. Overall very nice Jin Xuan, most of the Milk Oolongs I’ve tried tended to be more floral so I was surprised at the vegetal elements in this tea. I forgot to take a picture of the used leaves, but you can definitely tell they were machine harvested (although Eco-Cha has that listed on their website, I always appreciate a store that is honest when they could have not listed that) there was some slight tearing on the leaves, but they were in fairly good shape for being machine harvested. For 38 grams at $8, this is definitely worth the price, this is a nice everyday tea, not as milky as other Jin Xuans, but not as floral. So if you want a Jin Xuan with a light milk taste and a mild floral aroma, this is the tea for you. |
Attend courses in New York City one weekend per month Experience cutting-edge educational practices at museums throughout the greater New York City area. Learn from leading practitioners in the field Instructors come from a variety of museum settings and professions across the country. --- --- The Leadership in Museum Education program meets one weekend per month over two years, plus one week in June each year. It prepares museum educators for leadership roles in museums and related cultural institutions across the United States. One year is focused on museum education theories and practice. One year is focused on management, organization and leadership theories and practices. Faculty come from some of the nation's leading museums and consultancies. The ideal candidate is a museum education professional with five years experience (minimum three) who aspires to greater leadership positions and who can think strategically about how museum education can advance organizational inclusion, engagement and community participation. Admissions Requirements Excellent academic record and references reflecting strong leadership potential
Experience working in a professional capacity for a museum (art, history, science, natural history, zoo botanical garden, aquarium) or related organization (cultural center, foundation, gallery, historic site)
See the Admissions Criteria. Career Development Students build skills to advance from administrative, coordination, and junior manager level jobs to positions with increased responsibility, vision and capacity for change within museums and cultural organizations.
Students learn from and connect with peers in a variety of institutions and alumnae who hold leading positions at museums throughout the country. Course Highlights In the education year, discuss learning theories, programming for children and adults, community engagement, interpretation and exhibition development.
In the management year, discuss organizational theory, leadership, strategic planning, marketing and finance. Supervised Fieldwork/Advisement Supervised by a Bank Street advisor who is or has been an experienced educational leader of a museum or cultural institution.
Extends over the two years of the program.
Generally located at the site where you currently work, with visits from your advisor, monthly advisement and peer support. Guest Instructors Marianna Adams, Audience Focus, Dallas
Swarupa Anila, Detroit Institute of Arts
Leslie Bedford, author, The Art of Museum Exhibitions
Anne Bergeron, author, Magnetic, The Art and Science of Engagement
Rika Burnham, Frick Collection
Kent Chabotar, Guilford College
William Crow, Metropolitan Museum of Art
Brigid Globensky, Milwaukee Art Museum
Donna Walker Kuhne, author, Invitation to the Party
Mary Ellen Munley, MEM and Associates, Chicago
Kathleen McLean, Independent Exhibitions, Berkeley
Laura Roberts, Consultant, Strategic Planning
Deborah Schwartz, Brooklyn Historical Society
Lois Silverman, author and consultant on museums and social work
Sally Yerkovich, Institute of Museum Ethics, Seton Hall University |
While I know we’re over a month out, I’ve been having a lot of fun with Halloween crafts and decorations! The internet is full of Fall Festival links (where different people link up to show crafts they’ve made), so I’ve found a ton of cute ideas from really creative mommies! For instance: Giant Candy Corn and friendly spiders, Halloween signs (I have an extra B if anyone wants to make this. The letters come in a two pack.) and cheese cloth ghosts (I made the ghosts a couple years ago so I don’t have a link), and candy corn bunting. I have a few more crafts on my to-do list, but I’m working on our little monkey’s costume now. I’m crossing my fingers that it’ll turn out how it looks in my head! We’ll see! |
I love soup! Really love soup. I could eat it every day of the week and be happy. The problem is canned soups are extremely high in sodium and there are all kinds of things that, well, I can't pronounce! So as my family is trying to eat better and less of the processed foods I needed to start with my own soups. So far I have had great success with Stuffed Pepper soup, white bean Chili, and Beef Stew. So time to step it up and go out of my comfort zone. I love barley but have NEVER cooked with it. So without further ado! Chicken and Barley Soup 8
cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (or make your own!!!) 1/2
cup regular barley (make sure it's not the quick cooking kind...) 4
skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (1 to 1 1/4 pounds total), 1/4
cup snipped fresh parsley or 2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes 1
tablespoon snipped fresh sage or rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried sage or rosemary, crushed 1/4
teaspoon ground black pepper 1
cup chopped green, yellow, and/or red sweet pepper Now as with all my recipes the spices are very much adjustable but for the recipe's sake I measured as best I could. In your crock pot put down your chicken, veggies, spices (excluding the fresh parsley), and barley. Then pour over the broth. My crock pot is a 5qt and it all fit. Cook on low for 4-6 hours. When ready to serve pull out the chicken and dice or shred. Add in the fresh parsley at the very end. Make-Ahead Directions: Prepare as directed. Let cool for 30 minutes. Transfer to airtight freezer containers. Seal, label, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight (soup may still be a little icy). Place soup in a saucepan; heat through over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Makes 8 Servings: approx 1 1/2 cups each. The only change I plan on making is possibly adding some more barley since as I said before I love it! |
Snow has started to fall across the South Island and gale-force winds have toppled trees and powerlines as a fierce polar blast takes hold. A severe weather warning is in place for heavy snow in the far south of the country as the first significant cold snap arrives with a vengeance. Up to 20cm of snow is expected to begin falling this afternoon. It will last for the next 18 hours in southern Otago and Southland hills. Some alpine roads are expected to be impassable with snow falling down to 200m today. Alexandra will get the worst of the winter chill overnight with temperatures set to drop below -2C. The MetService has updated its forecast predicting snow to fall near to sea level in Dunedin today. Bitterly cold gales of 120km/h are also expected to lash the south. The wintry weather is expected to hit the North Island tomorrow where the Desert Rd is now expecting 3cm of snow tomorrow morning. Snow is falling in Central Otago between Omakau and Ranfurly and motorists are being warned to take extra care on highways. There was a light dusting of snow in the township of Naseby overnight. The MetService says heavy snow is expected to coat parts of the Southern Lakes and Central Otago from the Crown Range southwards, Dunedin, Southland and Clutha. Fierce gales are battering eastern regions and monster 6m swells will pound the country's western coastline today. The MetService said the biggest waves could easily double to 12m in height - and be incredibly powerful. Colossal 9m waves are due to hit Puysegur Pt in the far southwest of the South Island this afternoon. People are being warned to be careful on coastal roads at high tides. The Interislander ferry is warning passenger sailings across Cook Strait may be cancelled this weekend because of the predicted giant waves. The Bluebridge Cook Strait Ferry has suspended passenger bookings from Saturday afternoon until early Monday. Firefighters say they were busy overnight securing roofs and clearing trees and powerlines felled by the destructive gales from Canterbury to Wairarapa. A Fire Service spokesman said it had about half a dozen callouts across the Canterbury region between 7.30pm and 1am as the winds picked up. In the North Island trees and powerlines came down across roads east of Woodville. But the worst weather is reserved for the next 24 hours, and snowfall warnings have been issued for all South Island alpine passes and the Dunedin to Waitati highway. Snow is expected to coat Queenstown today as temperatures dive from 10C to below zero. The NZ Transport Agency said the highway linking Te Anau to Milford Sound was likely to be closed overnight and up to 15cm of snow is expected today. Queenstown Lakes District Council said the Crown Range had a light dusting of snow overnight. The road was open but motorists were asked to carry chains or take an alternative highway. The MetService said the worst weather will arrive today as bitterly cold air direct from Antarctica sweeps up the country. |
Topic: New Year’s Day Nashville, TN – The National Weather Service reports cold arctic air will persist across Clarksville-Montgomery County as well as Middle Tennessee tonight, New Year Day and into Tuesday. Steady winds ushering in this cold air will begin to drop wind chill values below zero New Years Eve with some locations approaching -5 degrees by midnight. By the morning hours of New Years Day, most of the mid-state may see wind chill values below -5 degrees. «Read the rest of this article» Donors of all blood types urged to give blood, platelets this holiday season Nashville, TN – The American Red Cross is urging eligible donors to give more life to patients now and into the new year by giving blood or platelets. Donations decline during the time between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day when busy holiday schedules cause regular donors to be less available to give and many blood drives may be canceled due to severe winter storms. «Read the rest of this article» Ride with CTS on New Year’s Eve Clarksville, TN – Clarksville Transit System will conduct Operation Safe Ride to help make sure New Year’s Eve revelers enjoy their celebrations and still start the New Year safely. To fight impaired driving, CTS buses will provide free safe rides home for anyone who may have celebrated too much. «Read the rest of this article» Clarksville, TN – Clarksville Online and it’s staff would like to wish you a Happy New Year with hope that you will have many blessings in the year to come. May this New Year bring you everlasting happiness and peace, success in whatever you do, and prosperity to you and your family. Begin this New Year in a very special way with your friends, family and loved ones. Have a Safe and Happy New Year. American Heart Association Rapid Access Journal Report Dallas, TX – Heart-related deaths spike during Christmas, but the effect may have nothing to do with the cold winter season, according to new research in Journal of the American Heart Association, the Open Access Journal of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. “Spikes in deaths from natural causes during Christmas and New Year’s Day has been previously established in the United States,” said Josh Knight, B.Sc., study author and research fellow at the University of Melbourne in Australia. «Read the rest of this article» Tampa, FL – The holiday season is in full swing, attracting an estimated 103.1 million American travelers. An estimated 93.6 million Americans are expected to take a road trip during the 11-day period (December 23rd – January 2nd). Yet, despite the elevated demand for gasoline, prices at the pump remained unchanged throughout the Christmas weekend. «Read the rest of this article» Tampa, FL – Retail averages have increased 28 of the past 30 days and prices have moved higher by fractions of a penny since Friday. The national average for regular unleaded gasoline currently sits at $2.29 per gallon, which is five cents more than one week ago, 16 cents more than one month ago and 29 cents more year-over-year. Heading into 2017, gasoline demand is expected to drop drastically during the month of January following the busy holiday travel season. «Read the rest of this article» Clarksville, TN – From all of us at Clarksville Online, we wish you a merry Christmas, and a Happy New Years to you and all yours. May the magic of Christmas gladden your heart with the joys of the season. May the spirit of Christmas bless you with greater strength. May the promise of Christmas bring you and yours endless blessings. May this new year bring you joy and laughter. To be happy is the greatest wish in life. Tampa, FL – More than 103 million Americans will travel for the year-end holidays, according to AAA’s Year-End Holiday Travel Forecast. This represents a 1.5 percent increase, or 1.5 million more travelers than last year, and the highest total volume since AAA began tracking holiday travel data in 2001. “This will be the most-traveled year-end holiday season on record, particularly for those who drive,” said Joseph J. Richardson Jr., President and CEO, AAA – The Auto Club Group. “If you are planning a road trip, now is the time to get your vehicle inspected. Look for a facility displaying the ‘AAA Approved Auto Repair’ sign to ensure a trustworthy inspection that could catch any problems before they arise.” «Read the rest of this article» Tennessee vs. #10/10 Stanford Knoxville, TN – Tennessee will renew its cross-country women’s hoops rivalry with No. 10/10 Stanford at Thompson-Boling Arena on Sunday afternoon at 2:00pm CT. The contest will be televised on SEC Network. It will also be available online through SECN+/WatchESPN. Visit WatchESPN.com or download the WatchESPN app to view the game on a computer or mobile device. Beth Mowins (PxP), Rebecca Lobo (Analyst) and Steffi Sorensen (Reporter) will describe the action between the Lady Vols and the Cardinal. Fans can also tune into their local Lady Vol Network station to catch Mickey Dearstone describing the action. «Read the rest of this article» |
I like those free and easy weekends when you don't plan anything much but just meet with friends and do whatever you guys feel like or chill at home and kick-back with a movie!
Spent the whole or most of the Sunday eating and shopping about town with Addison, whom I haven't seen in sometime while he's getting adjusted to University life. Heard many nice things and I cannot wait to start my University in 2 years! "I see the glass as half full. You see it as half empty. I think we have a problem." |
Athena was turned into Animal Welfare League because, as her former owner said, she was "too much trouble." Our AWL Liasion Leslie S. fell in love with her while volunteering, and just a couple weeks ago decided to take her home, where in fact Athena was no trouble at all. She was happy to be in a home, happy to be in a lap, happy to be in Leslie's arms. Athena died last night at 3:08 am, in Leslie's embrace, perhaps from a septic infection (she had been receiving veterinary care but could not fight it off in the end). Leslie wrote of Athena that "she was very loving and loved being held. Before she got really sick, she purred so much and so loud. As small as she was, she was not intimidated by my other cats; in fact, she usurped Chet's favorite spot, the top of the middle cushion on my sofa. Athena was one of the sweetest kitties I've been blessed to have and I will always treasure our time together." Hyde Park Cats sends our love to you today, Leslie. Leslie's work coordinating our volunteer days at AWL is documented in this recent from the University of Chicago magazine. Please consider joining us at a future volunteer day in honor of Athena. Our next volunteer day is December 2nd. |
I'm in love with my cute little design. The nail art theme for PAA was splatter. I tried doing it with a straw, but I think mine were too big, so I grabbed a sponge. Came out really cute, I think. Artificial Light No Flash as the base color with Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear (Green), and No6 Party Punch (Pink/Red) as the splatter. I was in love with the idea of using strawberry colors splashed across each nail. The red berry, yellow seeds, and green leaves. The method to do this design was super easy. I'm going to make a video tutorial for it this week, my first one ever. If you want something fun and easy, you should try it. The color combinations are endless. |
The next two pages show closeups from the previous picture of some of the stores at Hockerville, Oklahoma. Here we see men standing around in front of the bank. A barbershop and drug store are located north of the bank. On farther up is a two story building that may be the one whose walls are still standing today. A mine derrick is visible in the distance. The house at the right side of the picture is across from the bank and on the east side of the street. The rooming house is where the miners rented rooms. The mill in the background is probably at the Farmington mine. SScene at Hockerville about 1947 showing what looks like Morelands Grocery store and the bank building. This was just before the giant mine cave-ins that doomed Hockerville. Photo courtesy of Billie White. |
Last night I took a good look at my face. My skin looked like it had been kissed by the sun in a way only July and August could; my freckle count had increased significantly and they appeared to have run into each other. But my skin looked dull; it was missing the glow that well moisturized skin generates. Ready to correct this problem, I quickly layered on Sircuit's Cool Lychee Wa and parked it in front of my TV to watch Jeopardy. My skin felt cool, it started to slightly tingle and the soft scent was refreshing. I kept the mask on for 15 minutes before rinsing it off, and I was blown away by the results. My skin was GLOWING. I couldn’t get over how soft it felt. How refreshed I looked. How much better I looked! I used to think the lychee martini at Nic’s Martini Lounge was the best use of the lychee nut… but it doesn’t even come close to what Sircuit created with their Cool Lychee Wa. Sircuit Junkie - Amy |
I was charged with bringing a pan cookie to a Halloween party. To make this pan of brownies more festive, I came up with this idea to create a skull face on the pan. I made a template from an on-line image, pinned it to the brownies with toothpicks, then carefully applied a thin layer of royal icing to fill it in. When I realized I had a "hatchet" that would add to the image, the blood naturally followed (... so to speak.) Here's what I used (for the brownies): 1¼ cups all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder 4 teaspoons ground ancho chile pepper 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger 9 ounces quality dark chocolate (60-72%), coarsely chopped 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), cut into 1-inch pieces 1¼ cups granulated sugar 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar 5 eggs, room temperature Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the sides and bottom of a 3-quart square baking dish or a 13x9x2-inch baking pan; set aside. In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, chile pepper, cinnamon, salt, and ginger; set aside. Place the chocolate and butter in the top of a double boiler or a large heat-proof bowl. Set over a pan of barely simmering water (the bottom of the pan should not touch the water). Heat and stir occasionally until the chocolate and butter are completely melted and combined. Remove from heat, keeping pan or bowl over water. Add both sugars; whisk until completely combined. Remove from water. Mixture should be at room temperature. Add three eggs to the chocolate mixture and whisk until just combined. Add the remaining eggs and whisk until combined. Do not overbeat the batter or your brownies will be cakey. Sprinkle the flour mixture over the chocolate mixture. Using a spatula (not a whisk), fold until there is just a trace amount of flour mixture visible. Pour the mixture into the prepared dish or pan and smooth the top with your spatula. Bake the brownies for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with a few moist crumbs, rotating the pan halfway through baking. Cool completely on a wire rack. (If desired, sprinkle with 2 tablespoons cocoa powder mixed with 1/2 teaspoon ground ancho chile pepper.) Hmmm... as I re-read this recipe now, I thought I had increased the quantity of ancho chili because it seemed too low. Now I'm wondering if I was looking at the 1/2 teaspoon at the end of the recipe. I'm sure I would have thought 4 teaspoons was plenty! If I bumped it up to 1 teaspoon, then no wonder it wasn't noticeable. Perhaps it was the ginger I increased. Well, this is what happens when you wait two months before writing up the blog post. I wasn't very pleased with these. They had the somewhat chalky dryness that I think comes from too much chocolate, and weren't fudgy at all. (I suppose I might have overbaked them, though I checked them early.) And even with increasing the spices, the spices still weren't especially noticeable. Sweet & Spicy Brownie Bites Better Homes and Gardens |
Do you meet unusual people in unexpected places? Do you get pleasant surprises when you least expect them? Mr. and Mrs.Loh Mee Sing walked past a coffee shop in Sarikei and stopped to say hello to a total stranger. In Foochow this practice of asking a stranger some questions is "Chueh muong" or " borrow and ask" in English. And what a warm gesture it was. He found the sister of a long lost customer from 40 years ago! His haunch proved to be very pleasing on a wet Sunday morning in a town like Sarikei. And in bigger cities and towns not many people are friendly and outgoing like Mr. and Mrs. Loh today. (white shirt standing in the middle; Mrs. Lawrence Wong is seated first from left)of Ling Chu Ming Secondary School with his relatives and former students in Miri in 2009. Photo courtesy of James Wong (former student of Mrs. Lawrence Wong and Madam Judy Wong ) It is quite common for some Foochows to go up to a total stranger to ask if she was "so and so". It has happened to me and it has happened to a lot of my friends. And so last Sunday it happened to my friend Judy Wong the Principal of Methodist Pilley Institute. I call it a "Beautiful Foochow Recognition Moment" . It is a indeed a human Connection Moment. My friend Judy Wong and I were having breakfast at a coffee shop in Sarikei and an elderly couple passed by the shop. The man kept on looking at Judy and then asked her if she was "so and so...." because she looked familiar. He must have been reading lots of newspapers and he was a little certain that she was a "principal". Then they started to introduce each other like all warm hearted Foochows do. After the usual Foochow manner of greeting and introduction they started tracing their history. Judy also said that she herself looked the most like her brother Lawrence Wong Liong Ming. And that got them talking even more. Social communication between two total strangers become warmer when both are humble and willing to reveal their relatives' names and their origins. If it is just an exchange of yes and no the conversation or communication would be killed. Genuine interest easily creates a better atmosphere for conversation and subsequent deeper understanding. There is thus the kind of social connection which makes people feel that the world is such a great place to be in. In many young people's vocabulary this moment is called "clicking". Lo and behold Mr. Loh Mee Sing remembered that he used to serve 30 cents kampua mee to her brother Lawrence Wong when he was still a Form Three student in St. Anthony School.In those days every one in Sarikei would be on the look out for each other and helping each other so to speak. And this is the remarkable story: Lawrence Wong was in despair because he really wanted to study and complete his Form Five. The Principal of St. Anthony School at that time was very sympathetic and allowed him to leave school one lesson earlier every day so that he could teach in Sg. Bore (Boleh Gurng) as a temporary teacher to earn a meagre salary of $30 per month.(How many Heads would do this today?) And before Lawrence went to the school he would stop by Mr. Loh's stall to eat his lunch. It was a bowl of 30 cents worth of noodles be it soup or dry. Sometimes when he had slightly more money he would eat two bowls. It is only common knowledge for all of us that a growing boy's stomach could not be full with only one small bowl of noodles. But Lawrence was determined enough not only to educate himself but all his siblings. In the next few years he worked hard and finally went to study in the US. He did not even attend his own graduation but return immediately to teach in Methodist Secondary School Sibu so that his father would have a lighter burden and his siblings could continue their studies who by then were in Sibu. He took his siblings from the Methodist Children's Home (Sibu) and provided a home for all of them by renting the upper floor of a terrace house in Tiong Hua Road Sibu. The rest is a story of success that we in Sibu all know. And Mr and Mrs. Loh have definitely been richly blessed in different ways for their contribution to Sarikei. P/s We would like to know the name of the Rev Father who was the kind principal of SAS of that time who helped Lawrence. That was about 1957. |
Pretty amazing week of ideas, idea sharing, and implementing some new things at my school. All thanks to the legislation called RTI! The very first thing the 8th grade math team is starting is "Homework ER," which, essentially is homework detention for students who habitually don't turn in their homework - as defined by 3 or more assignments missing within two weeks. I already have a list of students who fall in this category, and thus will receive this intervention. The entire plan for the 8th grade math team, including Homework ER is still very experimental (ER - as in Emergency Room, although the one time I was actually in an emergency room, this acronym was used for something else, so we might be perpetuating a common mis-nomer....). It may or may not get the results we want. But Homework ER is supposed to be structured in a way that gets students to do what they are supposed to do. It's to change their behavior, which will change their experience, which will change their attitudes - or so goes Gardner's theory. More updates to come. The first Homework ER is in October. But besides that, I do want to change up a whole bunch of things about my own instruction. It's mind-boggling to think about right now - so I'm only handling it one piece at a time. Still very excited about what will happen. |
Rauner make proper response of lottery chairman's remarks, Morrison says Rep. Tom Morrison (R-Palatine) says it is time to move on from speculation about the state’s Lottery Control Board chairman, Blair Garber, who has resigned following a tweet disparaging East St. Louis. Garber’s resignation was announced by Gov. Bruce Rauner’s office following a tweet by the chairman that called East St. Louis “the shhole of the universe.” Morrison, who represents the 54th District, said he agreed with how the governor’s office handled the situation. “It seems like the Rauner administration responded properly to the situation; Blair Garber apologized and resigned,” Morrison said in a statement to the Chicago City Wire. Morrison also said Rep. Jeanne Ives (R-Wheaton) campaign responded by condemning the comment and called for Garber’s resignation. “Ives further alluded to the fact that Illinoisans across the state, in East St. Louis and plenty of other cities from Cairo to Antioch, Rock Island to Danville, and of course, Chicago and collar counties, have suffered under Democratic policies for too long,” Morrison added. “Those kinds of statements from a person in a position of service to the state of Illinois cannot be tolerated,” Ives said in a statement according to the State Journal-Register. Following the post on Twitter, leaders on both sides of the aisles lined up demanding Garber’s resignation including Rep. David McSweeney (R-Barrington Hills), Sen. Kwame Raoul (D-Chicago) and Sen. James Clayborne Jr. (D-Belleville). Morrison agreed that Garber's comments were out of line. “Individuals, and especially public officials, should be careful about the kind of language and attitudes we exhibit both publicly and privately,” he wrote. Garber had been appointed to his position with the Lottery board by Rauner in May 2016. Morrison's district includes Inverness and Palatine. Want to get notified whenever we write about Illinois State Representative Tom Morrison Organizations in this Story Illinois State Representative Tom Morrison More News |
The past week went really well. I am working on my thesis, learning ZBrush, threading through Processing and getting new projects to animate on. This next week is going to be stellar by means of what I hope to accomplish. This weekend was the big Halloween-celebration weekend. I got to dress up as Rafiki (complete with three layers of pants that included some leggings with a hole cut in them). Simba and I got to meet lots of people such as . Hence the excited baboon-y selfie I have created for the week. The Halloween festivities will reach their peak on Thursday when I get the chance to attend a student-only conversation with The Brothers Quay at the Wexner Center This week I learned about three new awesome resources. are cool ways to help organize messy social media madness. is a creative solution/reaction to Kickstarter ( is in the process of setting up a cool page). Check them out! I am in the process of tightening up my website and demo reel for the . Part of this experience means I get to take a silly drawing such as this little doggie on my right into a fun lively little guy to greet visitors to my page. I am also going to be sculpting him in ZBrush! This doggie will also end up being slightly interactive. Thank goodness for how helpful is. What is a helpful resources that you recommend? |
Thousands of students at Long Beach Wilson High School counter-protest members of the Westboro Baptist Church who carried anti-gay and racially-discriminatory signs. 5:00pm Friday | Thousands of Wilson High students staged a peaceful rally against a handful of anti-gay protestors outside their campus this afternoon. Demonstrators from the Westboro Baptist Church in Kansas planned to stage an anti-gay demonstration outside the campus but were drowned out by the peaceful but spirited cries from students that spilled into the streets under police supervision. “They wanted to make the school proud,” said Wilson High co-principal Sandy Blazer. “It was a nice, peaceful day considering we had 4,500 kids out here. I knew they would protest hate in a respectful way.” LBUSD Superintendent Chris Steinhauser was also on hand. “The kids and others that came did a great job of passive resistance,” he said. “It was a great day where Long Beach came out to say that hatred is not in the heart of this community.” The Westboro Baptist Church group carried signs that said awful things like “The Jews Killed Jesus” and “God Hates Fags” … I think the Wilson High School students carried much more clever signs, boasting slogans like “If God Hats Fags then why are we so CUTE?!” and I really love this one above featuring Kyle from South Park Long Beach is for Lovers. Love it!!! Go Long Beach!!! Councilmember Robert Garcia waves goodbye to Westboro Baptist Church protestors as they drive away from Wilson High School with students chanting “Long Beach!” around them. |
Quote of the Day: Forrest Griffin “This is What You Get for Christmas When You’re Naughty” This is what you get for christmas when your naughty Griffin was forced to withdraw from this Saturday’s UFC 155 card and a bout with Phil Davis several weeks ago due to a torn MCL. The 33 year-old fighter, who is coming off a unanimous decision win over Tito Ortiz in July, has only fought five times since 2008. Prior to facing and beating Ortiz in their rubber match, Griffin was stopped by “Shogun” Rua at UFC 134 last August. |
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup honey
1 cup nonfat dry milk
36 mini marshmallows
1 cup chopped peanuts In a medium bowl, combine the peanut butter, honey and dry milk. Stir until well combined and resembles cookie dough.
Take 1/2 Tablespoon of dough and wrap around each mini marshmallow creating a ball with a marshmallow center. Roll each ball in crush peanuts to coat. |
Timeless: Reflection on the Year of the Motu Proprio Today, July 7th, is the 3rd anniversary of the Holy Father’s motu proprio, (SP). I think of SP as the document that reclaimed a priests AND a lay persons right to participate and have available to them the Mass according to the 1962 Missal (a.k.a. the TLM or Traditional Latin Mass). We now refer to this Mass as the EF or extraordinary form of the rite. 2007 was a huge year for me; not just because of the motu proprio; though that was not an insignificant event. I was finally BACK in 2007. After a journey of several years I had fully removed myself from my former circle of dissent. I still may have seen or talked to a few of that group but our conversations were awkward as without talking about how much we hated the Church and the Faith we had nothing in common. Trying to share the love you have come to know via authentic and timeless liturgy and prayer with folks who “make it personal” and of the moment is tough. Eventually, we quit trying and I have to admit I only very rarely speak with any of my former crew now. When we talk we kick it Minnesotan and talk about fairly neutral topics like the weather and food. (However, in land of the bland, Minnesota , global warming and spice can be troublesome) I switched parishes. I was taking a second go-round of Catholicism courses. I was, finally, Confirmed. But, I was, also, finally ready for Confirmation. I was, truly, ready to go forth and make disciples of all nations. I really meant what I professed. If I had been Confirmed earlier in life that would not have been the case. The Lord always has a plan. Now, I’d like to say I’ve been totally good since 2007, but, well, yeah. There have been bumps in the road. I’m not always the best evangelist for clean living that there is; must less the best advocate for lived expressions of Catholicism that there is. Often I’m more “Do as I say; not as I do” However, any education that ‘takes’ should, in my humble opinion, bring introspection and, if not clarity; then a recognition of where clarity is lacking in your self. You may have noticed I’ve been more reflective and introspective than “cranky” of late. I’m not claiming any sudden burst of wisdom but I’ve suddenly realized how far from it I really am. I’ve quit, recently, railing on how much better and enlightened I am than all my dissident buddies, not because I think they are right; because I realize how wrong I am as a spiritual person. Who am I? If Moses and St. Elizabeth can ask these questions, really, who am I to act like a pompous know it all because the Lord finally reached me and I saw Him? It’s not the more you know the less you know; it’s the more you are exposed to the more there is to absorb. The truth is not out there-it’s in here (pointing to heart and head). I’m trying to absorb it and use it-that’s the phase I’m in now. 2007 will always be for me a pivotal year. It is, for me, THE pivotal year as a Catholic. It was the year I finally felt like one and started acting like it. In any event; 2007 a VERY good year! |
Yesterday was Wyatt's 1st day of Parent's Day Out. There are many reasons why I feel so strongly about getting children into a "school/structured" environment early but that's for another day. Since I am able to stay at home with Wyatt he is only going 1 day a week. The program is at a church near our house from 9am-1pm. The night before was a rough one. I am pretty sure tooth #8 finally broke the skin so we were up what seemed like all night. I honestly thought he would be missing his first day. ;( When morning came he was ready to go...playing and laughing so I decided to take him. No fever so might as well try.... Look at this kid...seriously couldn't be ANY cuter! He is big into Dinosaurs right now, thanks to his Daddy. ;) I found the cutest lunchbox and matching mini backpack at online at Pottery Barn and even caught Mark didn't have to be at the clinic yesterday so he was home in time to go with me to pick him up. :) When we got there this is what we found.... Since it's just until 1pm they don't usually nap but Wyatt passed out before we got there. Ha! I blame it on the rough night....no pacifier or anything! His little locker space and his first craft project. (I know, I am crazy...LOL) Phone picture sorry for small image I know you all wanted to be able to see future Picasso's artwork. ;) |
Since May, my lone Conwy from Knitting on the Road , has been languishing. The of its mate in security in Madrid has been a surprisingly difficult emotional blow. I have given a great deal of thought to the lonesome sock #2. I seriously considered just ripping it out: after all, I'm not all that happy about the rampant pooling of the pretty colours. I also could not locate the tag, which I assume was thrown out by the grandparents while we were out of the country, and so I didn't have a hope in matching the colours to another skein. However, I went ahead and earlier this summer, balled it up, and stuck it in my bag. Where it stayed. Yesterday morning I pulled out the half-made sock, the new ball, and the book, and had a long moment with them all. I decided that the lone sock reminds me so strongly of meandering through olive groves on a tour bus north through Adalusia, that I absolutely have to keep it. I love the feel of the yarn so much that I will go ahead, make a mate, and complete the socks. I have had to stop fussing about the fact that the socks don't match. They cannot match. They will never match. I must just love them for what they are. I made a great deal of progress on sock #3 this weekend, attaching new memories to the pair of socks, for we were high up the mountains in a condo with some friends. |
“October is the fallen leaf, but it is also a wider horizon more clearly seen. It is the distant hills once more in sight, and the enduring constellations above them once again.” Hal Borland, American Author 1900-1978 Seems like I always post a picture of pumpkins around this time of year. These little guys were in a seasonal display with some mums, hay bales and full sized pumpkins. This year we actually grew a couple of pumpkins although after a late start the vines climbed up a fence and eventually the pumpkins broke off the stem from bring too heavy. Baby pumpkins can add an interesting twist to the holiday table when used as a single serving dish for soup or a bit of rice. Bake them for 25 minutes at 350 degrees and remove the seeds and you have the perfect holiday server. Now I wanted rain but it looks like there is a little too much coming right now. This week has been tough to get anything done and today is no exception. On top of the couple inches of rain we are going to have some strong winds, which is never a good combination. The weekend is supposed to be nice. |
I thought a lot this morning. Coming down the W's at sunrise, I was nearing the end of a pretty special run. At that moment, I thought about what I had been thinking. Here, I think about what I thought. What do you think? I thought about my next footstep. There are moments on the trail where every other thought, every external event, the past, the future...they all fade to the background and the only thing that matters is to be here now. Those moments are gold. The trails allow me to go there. Wish I had a camera for this one. I thought about my place in the world. I couldn't help but think how fortunate I am to be able to witness the winter sun rise from a wooded mountainside the morning after a fresh snowfall. Barr Trail was truly at its best this morning. Trees, bushes, and the trail itself clung to a white dusting of powder. A slight breeze created the illusion of a sun-drenched blizzard. Clouds blanketed most of the city, and I was given the feeling that I was hovering above it. The view was reserved only for those who were willing to put in the work to experience it. How many people were still hours away from rolling out of bed, simply to curse the cold, curse the inevitble passing of the weekend, and wonder what chores and errands they needed to fulfill before nightfall? How many people allowed ten-degree windchill to keep them holed up for the day? How many people didn't think twice about how much better it is to be alive than dead, too consumed with TPS reports, candle parties, and treadmill sessions? I then thought, "Sean, you are one smug bastard, aren't you?" Guilty at times...aren't we all? I thought about what people do for fun. My brain understands fully the saying, "Different strokes for different folks", but I simply cannot fathom any feeling better than what I experienced up on Barr. For example - skiing at a resort. I kinda like taking some turns in the snow. Powder days are like an extended recess for me, as I'm sure they are for most folks. But I don't get the endorphin kick. Honestly, I don't think there is a drug out there that could give me a stronger high than what I felt this morning. That high remains with me now, hours later, in the form of satisfaction of a job well done. Add in so many other factors...running is essentially free. I am bettering myself at something I enjoy. I am warding off disease. I am not spending any money - not on lift tickets or food or gas or lodging. I am leaving a scant environmental footprint. Elitist attitude? Hell yes it is. But I can't help it - it just feels so damned good to run. Plain and simple. I thought about my training. I'm fortunate to have had a long string of good health. Without trying to bit off more than I can chew, I'm on pace for a much bigger base than I was last year...considering 2011 went better than any previous campaign, that's saying a lot. On Feb. 12th last year, I had 322 miles and 19k under me. While I'm only 335 miles in this year, I've already put in about 41k of climbing...just under 1k a day and I haven't even hit climbing season yet. Good stuff. I thought about my family, friends, relationships. As I hit the pavement by the cog railway, I figured the kid and gf had probably just rolled out of bed. I looked forward to spending the day with them. My folks had been down to visit earlier in the week. The thought hit home yet again - not everyone gets to see their parents as much as I do...I'm finally at the age (and maybe moreso, THEY are at the age) where I appreciate every chance I get to see them. I had just run across one of my best old friends while heading up the incline - how many people run into those who they care about during the course of their daily routine? I thought about LEADVILLE and my journey ahead. I daydreamed (daydremt?) of the fun adventures that lay on the horizon before me. I visualized success in these endevours...in as many different forms as possible. Painting the picture of a positive outcome always seems to makes goals easier to accomplish. I do hope that this time around will be no different. I thought about shoes. I wore my freebie pair of La Sportiva Crosslites this morning...while I no longer abhor them, I'm still not convinced. The tread grippiness was apprecated, but the traditional postive heel-to-toe angle and extreme stiffness of the rig kept my feet from being as blissful as the rest of me. I realized just how infrequently I blister when descending in any of the Inov-8 models...I wonder if the neutral angle has anything to do with it. Seems to keep the foot from wanting to slide forward into the toebox. I had no such respite today...but I hear blisters are good, as they form callouses, which will prevent further blisters. Or something like that. I thought about the narcissim of sharing all this crap with what could amount to the rest of the world. Obviously it didn't stop me. I think now of how I may be judged for who knows what...and then I realize that is why I do it. To bare my thoughts to the world, to say "here I am, for better or worse" is a liberating...thought. |
Should guns be in Church? Update: Turns out you can bring a gun into places of worship as long as the leadership permits. That's what a state attorney argued Thursday. The suit was brought on by the gun rights group GeorgiaCarry.org saying the gun ban was a violation of the first amendment. Assistant Attorney General Laura Lones said the group was misreading the law. Still a three judge panel from the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals is expected to rule on the case at a later date. that Georgia has some of the most relaxed gun laws in the country. But there are still certain places you can't tote a firearm. Churches are included but a gun rights group was to take it off the list. "You're restricting people from being able to defend themselves in a specific place and it's been proven time and time again that when you do that those places become soft targets," said Chuck Turney of GeorgiaCarry.org the group suing claiming Georgia's prohibition on guns at places of worship are a violation of the first amendment. "It's private property. Why is the government getting involved in what the government can and cannot do on private property that should be the owner's decision?" said Turney. Members of the clergy say they do understand people's need to feel protected, even in church, but they say bringing firearms into the sanctuary is probably better left to the professionals. "If you have properly trained security, then I think that the guns should be in their hands not the hands of the parishioners," said Nathan Paige, pastor at Albany's Victorious Life Church. Paige does have security but says his main concern is making sure that his congregation can worship comfortably and in peace." "I don't want to worship next to someone and they're lifting their hands and I see a gun. That can cause a little fear," said Paige. "I'm sure that right now there are a lot of people that carry in churches illegally for one reason or another that people don't even know they're there," says Turney. "There has always been this argument of what if they go crazy and do something. You know they have been saying that for years but it hasn't happened." A three judge panel will rule on the case at a later date. |
I hope I didn't offend anyone with the photo of the pronghorn caught in a personal activity. I didn't notice what was happening until a more observant reader pointed it out to me. It is, after all, a nature photo. Weather improved a little for a couple days, still cloudy at times but no rain. I drove into the main entrance of the monument, but chose not to visit the quarry/fossil exhibit, saving it for a rainy day, if one should come along. Instead, I drove to the end of the scenic road, along the way stopping at the several petroglyph sites within a ten-mile span. Petroglyph on the high rock The next day, I drove to another section of the monument, much farther from Jensen than the main section. The road I took leads to Rainbow Park and Island Park, two beautiful areas used by rafters for put-ins and take-outs. Here are even more varied rock formations and more petroglyphs. Some of the humanoid figures are about five feet tall, larger than most sites. Also, the shields being held are quite un usual. |
my apologies for not posting in months. college certainly kept me busy, but i'm proud to say that i finished my first year of college off strong and i'm now a sophomore at utah state university! i even passed math 1050 which i was so worried i wouldn't pass. thank the lord i did! but, i have some better news i'm more eager to share...drum roll please... i have a boyfriend and boy, am i the luckiest girl in the world. over the past few years i've crushed pretty hard on various guys. i've gone on dates with different boys, but i've never dated anyone seriously. quinton (yes, isn't his name just rad?!) would be the first! how we met and how fast we fell in love is a pretty interesting tale. a little over a month ago he and i matched on tinder and the funny part about this is that 1) tinder is something most people don't take seriously. it's a dating app, but i was just using it jokingly. i was never intending to score myself a boyfriend. 2) his tinder bio stated that he doesn't usually initiate conversation on tinder (when you get a match on tinder, you can message the other person) and he totally messaged me first so that basically made me smile a lot. anyways, we messaged on tinder for about a day. our conversations were very genuine and long. we were just getting to know each other. he started the conversation by stating how i had "an amazing taste in music." ladies and gents if there's one thing you should know about me, it's that i value listening to good music and whomever i date must share a similar taste in music. this boy and i share a very similar taste in music which makes me so happy! after chatting on tinder for about we day, we decided it'd be easier to start texting so we exchanged numbers and we've been texting each other daily ever since! our text conversations in the beginning were crazy long. we're talking multiple paragraphs. :) it was great though! we learned so much about each other before our first date a week later. yes, a week later. also, can i mention that he lived over an hour away from logan, utah where i attend school? he drove all that way to come and take me on a 12 hour date. our first date consisted of indian food, cuddling and holding hands, seeing oculus, a long walk, delicious italian food, good music and a long drive, and he attended lds institute with me. our first date went really well. we clicked so well. it's as if we had known each other for ages even though we had only been texting for about a week. after our first date we discussed the potential for us to date seriously, but we felt like we needed to go on a few more dates before we could define our relationship. so, we continued to text daily after our first date and then the following week we spent 3 days together! tuesday, wednesday, and thursday. on wednesday we shared our first kiss and said "i love you" for the first time. after those 3 beautiful days we spent together, we were official. yes, as you may have already guessed, quinton and i are in a long distance relationship. sort of. quinton plans on hopefully moving out here to washington this summer to work (he's a barber- sexy, right?) and go to school, but he's also trying to decide if he should serve an lds mission. we're definitely in a pretty complicated relationship, but we are so determined to make it work. we are madly in love. we talk on the phone and text every day that we're apart. this past week quinton came out to washington to check out some barbering jobs and look at places to live. we had so many lovely adventures while he was out here. we went to seattle and tacoma, went on many long walks, spent time at my house (and he even met my parents and they love him). we even got in a car wreck with a somalian taxi driver who was on his knees begging quinton not to call the cops. it was a pretty memorable experience hahaha. as crazy as this relationship may sound, it works for he and i and we couldn't be happier. i certainly hope he's the one. it feels so right. everything between us comes so naturally even though we don't get to be with each other, physically, every single day. he is so kind, caring, a good listener, loving, smart, and a faithful member of the church of jesus christ of latter day saints. he's also super duper handsome. ;) and he has an amazing voice. he loves to sing! he apparently even sings opera music at the top of his lungs in his underwear at home from time to time (woops, tmi? hehehe). he's all that i could ask for in a guy and more. i'm madly in love with this boy. so, yeah! that's our love story. ;) pic from our first date! pic from a few days ago when he came out to visit me in washington! aren't we just the cutest? ;) |
May came and went. I'm not sure why I could get in a blog entry...just not in the mood I suppose. I've been too busy playing with my ipad. ;) No that's what I WISH I was doing! I went to physical therapy a couple of times for my knee, then stopped. I couldn't stand paying 30 bucks each time I went. It WAS very helpful, but I decided to be frugal and do some of the exercises at home. On the 10th, I did activity days, and we did a 'picture yourself in the temple theme.' The girls brought a framed self protrait and we took a translucent photo of the temple and put it over the picture, making it so you could see the girl's face through the temple image. For the second May activity on the 24th, I wanted to take the girls to the temple grounds, but the Ogden temple is under extensive reconstruction, so instead we made paperbag scrapbooks. On each page, I glued a paper with different statements such as 'The type of person I want to be when I get married,' and 'What my wedding will be like,' and 'What type of man I want to marry,' etc. Then we took magazines and cut out words and pictures that described each statement. The books turned out SO cute. I worked Sunday, May 15th, and when I woke up from sleeping the next day, my mom called me to tell me that my Grandpa Mecham had suffered a massive heart attack. Both mom and dad came out by plane, because it was uncertain as to whether or not Grandpa would survive his emergent open-heart surgery. I spent the rest of the day arranging to go down to Utah Valley hospital to see him. I took the kids to the Bringhursts and drove down with Allison, picking up Angela on the way. We were all so worried! We arrived at the hospital around 6 PM, just in time to for the Physician to come out and give us the good news. Grandpa had done well in surgery! He require 6 bypass grafts. Mom and Dad arrived shortly after this. I went in with my Mom to visit Grandpa in the ICU. I think he was on like 6 drips and was still intubated. He also had a SWAN catheter, 3 drainage tubes, and about every other tube one could imagine. What suprised me was that although I see patients in this condition all the time at work, it was just TERRIFYING when it was my Grandpa laying in that bed! My heart was in my throat the entire time. All I could do was just pray for him. He had such a good doctor and such a good nurse, I knew he would be taken care of. On Thursday the 19th, it was Kaylee's preschool graduation. She had school that day, and I had worked the night before, and Nate had school that morning. I tried to wake myself up to get Kaylee to school by 9, but I felt like I'd rather die than get out of bed. Later, Kaylee's teacher called me, hoping Kaylee would make it to school because they were taking a class picture. I thought about it a moment, and then said no, sorry, it's just not happening today! I felt bad. When Kaylee got her school picture, it read at the bottom, "Absent: Kaylee Bringhurst." I promised myself I'd get her to her Kindergarten picture no matter what! Anyway, later that night was her graduation like I said. Since my mom and dad were in town, they were able to come! It was so cute. Kaylee was so loud when she said her part, "When I grow up, I want to be a hair stylist!" I was so proud! It made me feel so old, because now I'm going to have a Kindergartener! Crazy! Afterward, we went to Farr's in Clinton with my mom and dad. On Saturday the 21st, I drove down with Kaylee and Ammon (Brenna was sick-ish) to visit Grandpa in the hospital again. It was amazing to see the difference! He was not requiring oxygen, was walking/talking just like good ol' Grandpa! He was a little tired, but considering he just had open heart 5 days before, it really was a miracle to me! He got to go home later that evening! We met at a Chinese restaurant for lunch with my mom and dad. Carissa couldn't make it because she had been puking. I was hoping I'd be able to see my aunt Jennie since she had driven up from Arizona, but Ammon was really needing a nap, and Nate was really needing to study. My poor mom had been at my Grandpa's bedside non-stop and was ready to crash. What a week for her! That very Saturday was the day I was supposed to run the Ogden marathon. It had been so rainy all week, so I was thinking I would feel better knowing that everyone was running in the freezing cold, but Saturday was actually perfect sunshine weather. Grrr! So my good friend Debby also had to forfeit her spot in the marathon due to an injury, so she had our family over for dinner so we could have a 'pity party' together. She has the cutest family, and they fed us well! Our kids were crying when we left because they were having so much fun! I couldn't think of a better way to spend my non-marathon day. :) Tuesday the 24th was Kaylee's field trip to Lowe's. I couldn't imagine what they could possibly do with kids at Lowe's but to my suprise, they had the cutest little workshop! They lined all the kids around a few tables, gave them an apron, goggles, and a mini hammer. The kids hammered nails to put together little wooden toys. Kaylee's was a 'fortune teller' with a little wooden di in the middle. It was seriously the cutest thing ever! Ammon and Brenna came along. Brenna watched Kaylee and Ammon sat in the cart, entertaining himself the whole time! On the weekend of the 28th, I worked 3 in a row. I don't think I've done that since before Brenna was born. In a way, it made work doable because I was in the groove and got the same patients back. Plus my sleeping was normalized, so I didn't 'hit the wall' nearly as hard as I normally do. But BOY was I ready to have some time off when it was over! I had a FULL week off after, and it took at least 3 days to fully recover from it. I literally spent the next several days cleaning and getting ready for the big birthday bash for Brenna and Ammon. We made rainbow jello jigglers, purple cake pops with sprinkles, icecream cone cake pops, peanut butter brownie bites, and rainbow cupcakes, all to go along with the candyland theme. I got out the gameboard to make sure we had all the appropriate 'landscape titles.' You know, like 'Lollipop woods,' 'Icecream slopes,' 'Chocolate mountain,' 'Licorice Lagoon,' 'Cupcake commons,' 'Gummi Valley,' etc. Brenna kept saying, "Mom, these are for my party? I'm so excited for my party!" This is Kaylee, helping me make cake pops! Ammon also wanted to 'help.' How could I be angry at that face? On Thursday, June 2nd, it was Grandma's setting apart for her Church History mission. It was very nice. I was able to record her testimony, which I think will be a treasure for generations to come. She is so excited about this mission, and she has been busy as a bee getting ready for it! She left permanently Saturday night, and peeked her head in while we were having a party to say one last final goodbye. Walked in to this precious moment. :) |
This afternoon I got my blogger report and realized that some of you faithful ones are checking for updates. I really do intend to keep blogging while we are in Canada, though I haven't been very faithful to this point. Life, however, is beginning to fall into a semi-normal routine and I trust I will do better at keeping our blog up-to-date. So please, keep checking back! Kevin and Kaleb have started carving with their grandpa. They're enjoying the opportunity to learn a new skill and spend time with Grandpa. Kevin made me this cowboy boot for my birthday. I'm pretty impressed! Kaleb is working on bird now and Kevin's busy with a polar bear. This weekend Garry is up north with several other EMC missionaries. Several of the churches are having their missions conferences this weekend and Garry was glad to be able to participate. He called for a short chat last evening and it sounds like the trip is going well. I'm excited to hear the rest of what God has been doing this weekend when he gets home! While Garry was gone the boys and I enjoyed junk food-- pizza, Pepsi, sandwiches, hotdogs. We thought maybe we should eat all the things Garry can't eat while he's gone so at least he doesn't have to suffer through watching u s enjoy them. Between eating we've been busy relaxing, playing games, and spending time with family. Kaleb had his first sledding accident since I last wrote-- he came down the hill the boys made in our front yard and his face was the first thing to contact the ice. He had a pretty good black eye for a day or two! It hasn't dampened his enthusiasm for sledding at all. This past week Garry spent a lot of time on e-mail and the telephone with people from the Philippines. Several different things have come up that needed his attention as we look to the future of the flight program in the Philippines. He's been encouraged by his interactions over the past week and we continue to pray that God would lead clearly as we make plans for the future. I thought you might enjoy this short video of the birthday gift Kaleb made for me-- a homemade gumball machine... which actually dispenses grapes instead of gumballs because they are more readily available in our house! |
Katherine O’Regan Confirmed as HUD Assistant Secretary for Policy Development & Research The NYU Furman Center congratulates Katherine O’Regan for her confirmation this week as Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research (PD&R) at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). A Professor of Public Policy at the NYU Wagner School of Public Service and a longtime affiliated faculty member with the NYU Furman Center, O’Regan was nominated by President Obama in June of 2013 and confirmed by the Senate on Monday, April 28th. Prior to her nomination, Kathy served as the Director of the Public and Nonprofit Management and Analysis Program at the NYU Wagner Graduate School for Public Service, where she has taught since 2000. Her research has focused on issues affecting the urban poor and the neighborhoods in which they live. She has also co-written numerous publications with Furman Center researchers, including: The Assistant Secretary for PD&R directs HUD’s independent research and policy arm. PD&R's research activities are designed to have immediate relevance to the policy issues facing the HUD Secretary (currently Shaun Donovan) and his principal staff. |
de vere, de vere wychwood park, european tour, european tour school, europro, golf, golf pro am, jason dransfield, jason dransfield golf, mar hall golf club, PGA Europro, The last week of the regular season on the 2014 PGA Europro was upon us and Mar Hall on the banks of the River Clyde in Glasgow had the honour of staging the event. Due to playing a Pro Am on Monday, it meant I traveled up to Glasgow on Monday night. I did get on the course on Tuesday morning for a full practice round and the course was in very good condition with the greens being the best they have been in the three visits I have made to Mar Hall. There is a good mix of demanding holes and very scoreable holes, without doubt this was going to be a low scoring week. I started my first round as last off in the morning wave and I was one over through three but two birdies in the next three holes and now under par, with plenty more chances to come. From here in, my game was very steady only picking up one more birdie before coming to my last hole which yielded another birdie and an opening 67. A steady if not spectacular start. On our back nine we did have the company of Gordon Strachan (Scotland manager) as the national team were here preparing for their Euro qualifier against Germany. So after round one I was sitting just outside the top 10 and looking to make a move up the leaderboard. Round 2 started slowly with five pars before throwing in a couple of bogies on 6 and 9 after three putting, not the move I was hoping for. No need to get impatient as my game was in good shape and lots of birdie chances to come. The only birdie that I did convert was on the driveable 14th and unfortunately this was cancelled out on the par 3 17th when I found the front bunker and couldn’t get up and down for par. This meant a second round of 72 and I had fallen short of the cut line which fell at 2 under par. It is obviously disappointing to miss the cut, but I now have a week at home before the journey starts that is the European Tour Qualifying school which is three stages and 14 rounds of golf to earn a European Tour card for 2015. |
That pretty much sums up the last few days. Bike ride along the lake on an area of the centennial trail that we will likely not repeat (part of it was right along the main road with no barrier in between...not ideal for small kids on bikes!), followed by frozen yogurt. Super exciting for the kids. Mostly just stressful for me - the bike riding part anyway! The neighbor's grandsons have been staying with them, so our boys have some new playmates! It's been so nice for them to have some friends right next door (all of our neighbors are grandparents, so we are slightly lacking in the young kid department in our neighborhood!). Poor B was over playing in the neighbor's yard when he got to experience his first bee stings. Yes, 2 of them. Thankfully he is not allergic...in fact he barely swelled up at all! And in garden news...we are getting lots of strawberries and more greens than we can eat (and we eat a lot of greens). Just today I harvested kale, Swiss chard, red lettuce, romaine, and bib lettuce. I gave away 3 large plastic sacks full, and we still have plenty for us! We've only had a couple of ripe cherry tomatoes, but we have lots of green ones on the plants. The raspberries and blueberries are just starting, and they seem to disappear before they come inside! Our snow peas are done, and I think it's maybe gotten too hot for our other peas as they have really slowed down. Sad, but hopefully we'll have green beans and plenty of zucchini and cucumbers soon! |
It's a long time since "The Lord of the Rings" movies put New Zealand on the map. I remember when publicity came out for the movies, I was ambling through The Cutting (the entrance way to Miramar, just beyond the Miramar Wharf). I looked up at an Air New Zealand plane appoaching the airport runway, and flying low. On the side of the plane, from top to toe, were pictures from the Lord of the Rings movie. There was Legolas and Frodo, and many great scenes. I was at Queenstown Airport recently and in a glass case beside the cafe was a replica of The Hobbit plane. It brought back memories. It's a crumby photo and I took it into the light, but if ever you're at Queenstown Airport, you'll know to hunt for it. |
The Los Angeles Lakers are nearing that point when they will have their superstar Kobe Bryant back in the lineup. Just not on Friday when they travel to take on the Sacramento Kings, though. Bryant practised for a third straight day on Thursday without any complications, but will not travel with the team for the Kings game, instead focusing on Sunday's encounter against the Toronto Raptors. "I'm trying [to make it against Toronto]," Bryant said after practice on Thursday. "We got to see how it feels tonight. I'm going to try to get another hard session in and then [Friday] morning try to push it again and the same thing tomorrow evening. Continue to just keep on measuring it. "The perfect-case scenario is that we get it right the first time. But if it's not, then you have to be smart about it as well and take a step back and build up the strength and say, 'Hey, listen, it's not as good as we thought it was going to be, so let's take a step back and get it to where we want it to be and try again.'" The Lakers, 9-9, are on a decent run at the moment, having won five of their last seven games, even if they suffered a loss in their previous encounter against the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday. During that 114-108 loss, the already short-handed Lakers were dealt another blow with Jordan Farmar tearing his hamstring and with it ruling him out of action for the next four weeks. That leaves just Steve Blake as a true point guard for Mike D'Antoni at the moment with veteran Steve Nash still sidelined and no return date known. "We have guys down right now, but we can't do anything about that," Xavier Henry said. "The guys we do have can still give any team a run for its money." The Kings at the other end are on a five-game losing streak, albeit most of them extremely close contests, including the most recent 97-95 defeat to Oklahoma City Thunder. Sacramento, however, did fall to a heavy loss to the Lakers late last month, with Henry and Pau Gasol controlling the game in a 100-86 result. The Lakers will hope for more of the same on Friday night, while the Kings will be desperate to get out of their slump as soon as possible. Live Streaming Information and Where to Watch Live The game is scheduled for an 8.30 am IST start with live coverage on Sony Six. You can live stream the game online by clicking HERE. |
Here is a card I loved making... and finally, Pa in law is also convinced I haven't lost my mind.. ;-) The Patterned Paper is again a sheet from Itsy Bitsy (Pebbles Inc). I loved it so much I couldn't cut even a centimetre more ;-) I am submitting this card for I have been ogling at The Play Date Cafe blog for some time now, and promising myself to play every week. This time, the colors were so yummy, that I decided to play without wasting any time. Though, now that I look at it again, my colors don't seem to be perfect, but still... Though the challenge could mean grey or silver, do you think I would not use silver?!?! I love my bling and use it wherever I can. These metallic flowers are gorgeous and I wonder why I didn't get more. I'm also submitting this card for Cinema Saturday Creative Challenge #96 (use metal in your creations). No inspiration drawn from the movie directly though :-( The little handbag charm and the flower centers are all metal. Hope you like it. PS: And ohhh... did you see the stapling pins at work again? I was going to use a different color because I forgot that regular silver pins exist :-p Such is my obsession with colored staples these days!! I just can't have enough of these :-) |
I had a Mother's weekend instead of just Mother's Day! Friday night Caleb and Ella spent the night at and Papa's house - they were ecstatic about staying there and even more excited that their cousins would be there. Since Scott and I just had little bit, we went to dinner together and then downtown to Lake Mirror to watch West Side Story at Pics on the Promenade. It has been really hot lately, but that night it was surprisingly cool and beautiful outside. Lillian slept through most of the movie and Scott and I couldn't believe how calm it was with just one child! :) It's funny how differently people react when you have one baby with you versus a baby, toddler and preschooler. You go from sweet, adoring looks to looks of bewilderment and horror... if only those people knew what a blessing and joy it is to have a house full of children. Unfortunately, Scott had a meeting at work Saturday morning, but since it was just Lillian and me, I decided to walk around at . It was HOT HOT HOT outside even though we went early in the morning, but Lillian slept most of the time we were there since that is her morning . After that we had a birthday party to go to for another one of our neighbors - happy 2 birthday Henry! After naps we went to and Papa's house for a Mother's Day dinner. Scott got all the fixings for a yummy steak dinner and even cooked the steaks for us! It was better than any meal we could have gotten in a restaurant (and cheaper!)... we had steak, mushrooms, baked potatoes, garlic bread, spinach salad and cheesecake for dessert, complete with a cup of ' Donuts coffee for Papa and me. Sunday morning I had my cards and a hot cup of coffee delivered to me in bed since I got to sleep in later than everyone else. We went to church and Scott offered to take me to lunch somewhere, but after our experience last year going out to lunch on Mother's Day, I decided it wasn't the effort, especially since there is another child in the mix this year! So we had a quiet lunch at home with just us and then Scott and I took a nap while the kids slept - wow, why don't I do that more often?! Mom relaxing with the girls in Mima and Papa's room Card from my kiddos |
I really am becoming very frustrated by this enforced semi-idleness. There are still so many things I can't do - and they vary from day to day. For example, yesterday I was trying to dry a glass but found myself unable to put the tea-towel inside the glass. Today I could do it. Then again, I have been unable to drive for the last two days as my left hand has been too weak for me to grasp the steering wheel. I'm hoping for better things this afternoon. It doesn't help that my wife is partially disabled. Her main problem is walking. She has difficulty balancing and quite frequently needs help. Realistically, I suppose she needs a zimmer frame or similar but I would not wish to make the suggestion to her: it has to come from herself. When I saw my doctor last week he proposed referring me to the rheumatological department at the hospital. It seems that there are newer drugs on the market than those I am using, better at controlling arthritis. As always, there are possible side-effects and the doctor wants a specialist to talk me through the matter. I rang the doctor today and asked him to refer me as a private patient in an attempt to speed things up. Pic by Steinsky from Wikipedia. |
Norwich winger Anthony Pilkington questions Samir Nasri after reaction Anthony Pilkington has questioned whether Samir Nasri would have squared-off against Sebastien Bassong off the field. Manchester City star Nasri was red-carded on Saturday after reacting angrily to a challenge from Canaries defender Bassong at Carrow Road. And Pilkington has defended his team-mate by claiming it was not a foul and suggesting that Nasri over-reacted to the situation. "I think Nasri put his head into Seb and the linesman has seen it, not the referee," said Pilkington, quoted in The Sun. "I didn't think it was a foul. Seb won the ball - maybe he has lifted his leg up as he came through - but the surface was wet out there. "Nasri had a few of his lads behind him. "I am sure he wouldn't have done it if he wasn't on the football pitch." Don't miss any live and exclusive football coverage this festive season. Click here to visit Sky Sports' Festive Calendar |
episode title, "Daddy Daughter Time," does not refer to Chris ( ) spending time with baby Amy, which happens most weeks. In fact, Chris begins working at the show, instead of being home during the day. He is horrible at first, but with a little coaching from Reagan ( ), he improves markedly. Unfortunately, his popularity on screen and behind the scenes annoys Reagan, who feels as if her work space has been invaded. "Daddy Daughter Time" actually refers to Ava's ( ) father, Marty ( Childrens Hospital, Royal Pains Who would have guessed that the mixed race daytime TV host would have a hippy Jewish father who writes children's books about African American youths? If that sounds like a weirdly amusing improv sketch, that's OK, because Winkler and Rudolph are veterans of comedy. Their chemistry is easy and realistic, and seconds after Winkler's first appearance on screen, any lingering questions about paternity go right out the window. The story itself isn't particularly original. After all, how many kids, even after they grow up, feel neglected when one of their parents starts a new family? However, Ava handles the situation with less narcissism than she does many other things, and seeing the two performers together makes up for any staleness. Chris coming to work with Regan also smacks of it's-been-done-a-million-times-before syndrome. This is a common cliché for sitcoms, though in the past it's mostly involved a stay-at-home wife going to their husband's place of employment. And maybe that's the point. In this gender reversing series, perhaps just wanted to show that it can work the other way, too. The problem is, using these worn out plots doesn't help set itself apart as a series that should be watched. Fans can tune in sporadically, whenever they have time, and don't miss much. What's more, each episode does little to carve out its own niche identity, and "Daddy Daughter Time" is no exception to that rule. So what's left is a show that's enjoyable, because of the awesome trio of performers at the center, but has no hook to keep viewers coming back week after week. Somehow, enough still do. is a serviceable, but far from brilliant, sitcom. The actors deserve better. Sadly, a second season looks like a very real possibility, keeping the cast stuck in this world a bit longer. Though if the writing gets a little smarter, the producers ditch Missy ( ), and Jason Lee comes back full-time, there could be something great here. Oh, and more of The Talk, America's Got Talent ) as a rival of Ava's wouldn't hurt, either. If you are so inclined, catch If you like my reviews, please on Twitter! To catch up on episodes of |
The Feast of Integrity's Patron Saint, Aelred, Abbot of Riveaulx, was celebrated in grand style at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in Portland, Oregon. Thanks to the planning of our Integrity Chapter under the leadership of Andy McQuery it was a wonderful evening. Member of the Portland Gay Men's Chorus supplied an introit and post communion anthem. The Rev. Dennis j. Parker presided and The Rev. Robert Bryant preached. Robert's homily gave the most complete and understandable oral history of Aelred's ministry and theology I have heard. Marcos Domingues was liturgical assistant and... ... turned this feat day into a real feast! There was wonderful attendance (not an empty pew) and more tables and chairs had to be found to seat all at the banquet. Matt and Andy introduced as a "visiting dignitary" and many people expressed gratitude for my presence representing the Board of Directors of Integrity. Andy McQuery also sang "Little Lamb, Who Made Thee?" with great skill and charm. It was a great night. |
Good morning everybody on this rather cold Friday morning. My car was covered in a layer of frost this morning so I had to let the motor run for a while before I could see out the windows and leave for work. Remember yesterday when I said how cold it was? That even my coffee wouldn't stay warm for very long? Well, as the day went on, and all my toes and fingers were about froze to popsicles, my son in law came over to have a look. For goodness sakes!!! We had run out of fuel oil, and therefore had no heat. Seven hundred dollars later after a full tank of fuel oil, the house started warming up. There are so many things that I have to start doing for myself that I never had to worry about before. My hubby and my brother always took care of looking after the fuel gauge, and checking to make sure we had a plow guy in the winter. They always checked to make sure there was no water in the basement after a rain storm. And lots more things that I will now have to learn to do all over again for myself. When I was younger and my children were small, I was very independent, and took care of things myself. Then later I found that it was quite nice to have someone else to do a lot of things for me. My Michael and my brother spoiled me quite a lot, I must say. And it is times like this, when we are alone, that we realize how blessed we really were. Okay, on to funner stuff. I don't have any new photos, so I reached into my stash of photos from earlier this year. (I have tons of stash!!) I dug out two nice photos of a starling at the bird bath. This particular day, Mom had a young one with her, and was trying to get a moment to herself to enjoy a refreshing sip of water. I've been listening to the weatherman and he says that we have a nasty snow storm coming in this weekend. It is supposed to get here Sunday afternoon just in time to make it difficult for me to get out to go to work. Then it is supposed to snow all through the night into Monday. Naturally! That will make it very difficult for me to get home on Monday morning, and to get into my own yard. The town plows come by and leave a few feet of snow piled up in front of my driveway. Not just my driveway, everyone's driveway. I guess that's just to make life a bit more interesting. (No, I'm not laughing!) I'm at work and it's 8 am, and the Mrs. is beginning to stir. So it is time for me to get busy and start her breakfast tray. Till tomorrow, stay warm and Y'all have a wonderful day. |
—who seems to imagine (rightly so) that her father is snowed down under tons of surplus stuff—is always delighted to hear that I've had the courage and determination to get rid of some of my junk. In particular, whenever she drops in at Gamone, she makes a point of examining the contents of my refrigerator, deep freezer and larder for products that have gone beyond their use-by date. This morning, I was surprised to discover that Manya had apparently failed to detect the presence, in one of my kitchen cupboards, of a dusty packet of spaghetti dating from so long ago that I'm almost ashamed to indicate the date. Come on,
William
. Don't be ashamed. What's a dusty 4-year-old packet of spaghetti between you and your understanding readers? The stuff was probably still quite good. In any case, I put it in boiling water for ten minutes, with salt and appropriate herbs, and served it up to my dogs… who've never been too concerned about human inventions such as use-by dates. In fact, the dogs eat precooked canine pasta regularly, and they gulped down the spaghetti with enthusiasm. , of course, has always functioned with food in the style of a vacuum cleaner. She hoovers up her fodder as if it were stuff to be cleared away and cleaned up as rapidly and completely as possible. On the other hand, I was interested to observe trying to invent efficient ways and means of dealing with all those slippery white worms. Finally, like an imaginative and amused child, I think he mastered the suck approach. |
Here is the inside of the card. Here is this week's sketch. Why not head on over to the TSSC site and enter your project? You can also see the samples by the other design team members. Here's a little bonus using the same DSP and stamps as my challenge card (and also the retired set, On Your Birthday). It's the first stair step card I've ever made. The view is from the top so you can see each section better. Now that I know how it goes, I think next time I'll add some more to it. |
No I haven't been missing because I won the lottery, although to be honest I haven't even checked my number yet, I have been swamped under a mountain of cards I've been making for Barbara's TV show next weekend and my Granddaughter had the laptop to do her homework. So I thought that I would steal it back briefly to share the card that I sent my Mum. I always send her a card for things like my Dad's birthday just to show that he and of course she are always in our thoughts. Not that she needs reminding but I hope it helps. This card was made using my favourite Hobby Art clear stamp set stamped and embossed onto background papers. The central images are cut from paper which has also been spritzed with glimmer mist. For once I think you can actually see it in the photograph. I think you can probably see a circular theme running through the last couple of posts lol. Better get back to the samples now, I need to deliver them to Barbara tomorrow. Perhaps I'll get the chance to pop back later, if the homework is finished of course. Have a great day. |
"From 9th to 27th of July, Ruth Biller, Anni Küpper, Roxana Küwen, Carolina Braus and Marianna De Sanctis will live and work together at aspern Die Seestadt Wiens. Devised by Norwegian dramaturgue Kirsti Ulvestad and accompanied by producer Elena Kreusch they will research the feminist potential of Henrik Ibsens female characters. Check out the blog:
AIR/?cat=3 and come to the public showing on 26th and 27th of July!!" |
Last year I brought home a few sticks from a friends cassava plant and stuck them in the ground. They have provided our back yard with a very lush screening of foliage but the plants became too big and with heavy monsoonal rains the wet leaves were dragging the plants down on top of the clothesline and other plants. So I decided it was time to harvest. cleared space for new planting I went through the garden ripping cutting the tops off the plants and putting them aside for replanting and then proceeded to pull the tubers out from the remaining trunk of the bushes. I couldn't believe the size and number of tubers I collected from just a small corner of the garden. Some of the harvest. There were many more just like these Cassava can be toxic if not prepared properly and I've not been in much mood for learning anything new or actually doing anything productive at all for that matter, so I gave the whole lot to Yolngu friends at work. My friends and colleagues from North East Arnhemland love cassava, it's been a staple in Arnhem Land ever since the Fijian missionaries arrived in the early 1900's. You can buy it at the Alpa stores across Arnhem Land but I haven't actually seen it for sale here in town so it was a welcome addition to their dinner pot. New crop of cassava sprouting amongst the pigeon pea All up I reckon I harvested about 20 kilos of cassava tubers and I didn't bother digging around to find any that broke off in the ground. Some of them were like elephant trunks! |
Taranaki people have the chance to see rarely seen carpets from Tibet. 28 May 2013 – Dharamsala: - When a group of students from Emory University in the United States recently visited the Gyalwang Karmapa, he spoke candidly with them about his life. Dharamshala: - Culture is an indispensable tool in the expression of both personal and collective identity. The Tibetan culture in particular is increasingly fractured as it is suspended without geographical grounding, and the identities of Tibetans living in exile as well as those who remain in Tibet teeter on precarious footing. London: The soaring melodies of Tibetan folk music have blessed not just the ears of those living in the land of snows. The Tibetan community in exile based in London have been fortunate enough to enjoy the rich vocals and melodic harmonies of Tibetan musicians, with performances by a trio of Tibetan performers, who have all come from Eastern Tibet's Amdo region. |
John Denbat
Statistics
Japanese Name:
ジョン・デンバット
Romanized Name:
John Denbat
English Name:
John Dingbat
First Appearance:
Chapter 104 (Manga)
Episode 25 (Anime)
Affiliations:
X-Laws
Team "X-II"
Occupations:
Former member of the British SAS
Epithet:
n/a
Japanese VA:
Katsuyuki Konishi
English VA:
n/a
Furyoku Level:
7.500(Initial)
8.300(Final)
Guardian Ghost
Japanese Name:
Raphael
English Name:
Raphael
Meaning:
"God has healed"
Type:
Seirei Class John Denbat (ジョン・デンバット,"John Denbatto") is a fictional character in the manga and anime series of Shaman King. He is a member of the X-Laws and Team "X-II". He is average sized slim man that has long blonde spiky hair. He wears a slightly modified X-laws uniform with a tall slim shoulder guard, a black sash around his waist and knee long black boots. His street clothes are an open red dress shirt, a tie with the English flag on it, a cross necklace, dark blue and white dress pants, and brown leather shoes.[1] When preparing his final attack on Asakura Hao, he wore his tactical military suit, complete with a pair of pockets strapped to each of his legs and a pair of black military boots and glows. He also wears a tactical vest with two pockets for grenades, a field bottle and straps above the left chest with a knife attached to it. He carries his rifle in a sheath-like strap placed on the left side of his belt. Like many of the X-Laws, John is an extremist believer that the end justify the means. He is very similar to Marco, in that he is quick to anger and loose his temper, such as when Luchist Lasso showed up at the X-Laws Cargo Ship, where he blamed him for the death Meene Montgomery. His hobby is playing darts.[2] After Learning that Marco had lied about Jeanne´s origins, John, along with the rest of his team lost their faith in Marco as a leader. See More: Raphael His spirit is that of the Archangel Raphael (アークエンジェル・ラファエル, Rafaeru). Raphael is a mechanical Archangel spirit that runs on the "Angel Engine". Like all other archangels Raphael has the ability to shatter souls. It was first seen when the X-Laws revealed themselves and were attacked by "Big Guy" Bill.[3] John Denbat was born on September 4, 1975 in Oxford, England and was once a member of the S.A.S. forces. Shaman Fights Second Round One night, Marco and the remaining X-Laws were visited by Yoh, who wanted Marco's permission to once again participate in the Shaman Fights. However instead of arguing with them Yoh quickly revealed his resolve to fight with them.[4] In turn Marco was quick to decide that Yoh was allied with Hao and therefor his soul had to be destroyed, and together with Team "X-II" attacked Yoh, but Yoh easily dodged all of their attacks as he had used Hyoi Gattai with Amidamaru. After the failed attack by Luchist Lasso on their cargo ship, and the revelation that Iron Maiden Jeanne was not a holy person, John alongside Porf Griffith and Larch Dirac decided that Marco could no longer be trusted and that it was time to face of with Asakura Hao one last time.[5] The mission was planned so that Larch and John would take guard posts while Porf would target Hao from a small distance, with his sniper rifle. After a small chit chat about whether or not they should go through with the mission, Porf reported that he was in position, but when he had Hao's head in his target, he suddenly lost focus due to seeing Hao crying. As Team X-II's attempt to kill Hao fails, Porf is heard being killed by Hao over the radio, which in turn made Larch flee in fear. Larch was however caught by Hao and burned to a crisp. John curses Hao for killing his comrades when he realizes that Porf and Larch are dead. Hao questions why John chooses to stand against him instead of stopping if he was aware that he, Porf and Larch would likely die in the process. Aware of the possible consequences, John reveals that he had prepared a test satellite in space wired to his Archangel with a laser known as XDI. Using himself as a target knowing it would also hit Hao, John fires the laser from Orbit at Hao. The blast is, however, deflected around them and John meets his unfortunate end at Hao's hand, who claims that he had seen something he shouldn't. “
"I am in a bad mood...Your friends... Saw something forbidden. Your soul will be consumed with you... In every way! You wont be going to Heaven or Hell!"
-Asakura Hao to John, before killing him.[6]
” When Hao created a Black Hole within the Great Spirit, the X-Laws appeared in their "Supercars" to protect the Soul Train.[7] Following the events of the Gate of Babylon, John is killed by Turbine who not only uses his "Beam" attack to make several holes in Raphael, but also makes a hole right through Johns chest, killing him.[8] England - A Wikipedia Article about John Denbat's Hometown
Archangel Raphael - A Wikipedia Article about The Archangel who his spirit is based on. |
Still in bed. Watching some really bad TV. I guess I picked some good days to be down - it's snowing out. Sunday was a warm 82+ degrees and today - snow. That's Denver for you. How am I feeling? Physically, I am fine. I don't feel "pregnant" or anything. Spiritually, I feel so incredibly blessed. My faith and hope are high. I know that I have very little control over what happens from here. I have laid it all down in the hands of my Heavenly Father. He has a plan for us. Mentally, my mind is way too active right now. According to my blood results my progesterone and my estrogen levels are NOT what they should be. I am trying to not read too much into it, but I know that in order for this pregnancy to be successful, they need to increase. I am trying not to worry. It would just be so heart breaking to have this journey end because my hormones wouldn't cooperate. They have added an extra pill of Estrace (estrogen) to my daily intake and a shot of progesterone oil (in my fleshy hip/butt). I also have to make sure the progesterone suppositories get up as high as humanly possible. The doctors think that maybe the pills are absorbing where they should, so I have been working really hard at that. now that's a needle our sweet neighbor Amy taking the plunge! I go back in Friday for more blood. Hopefully the tests will be more positive. Until then, I am trying to just take it easy, laugh as much and possible and shove those suppositories as high as they will go. Today Jason juiced me some carrots, beets and kale. According to the internet, dark leafy greens, beets and carrots all help boost estrogen. Berries, sugars, broccoli (and some other things I really like to eat) all decrease natural estrogen levels. it tasted like I was eating mulch So, I am really just trying to wish and hope for the best. If there is a chance to squeeze out a few more thoughts and prayers that my levels increase, I would really appreciate it. These little babies need all the help they can get right now! |
Young punk no more Guillaume Desbiens only spent one season apart from the Vancouver Canucks organization, but in talking to him you would think he was gone for a decade. He is a more mature individual that has gone from a “young punk,” as he puts it, to a soon to be family man that is now looked upon for leadership with the Chicago Wolves. Canucks.com caught up with the Wolves alternate captain to shed some light on his decision to return to the Canucks organization, his soon-to-be dad status, and those hated Calgary Flames. Canucks.com: What went into the decision for you to come back to the Canucks organization? Desbiens: “We were talking to a couple teams, but for me and my wife I think it was the best fit; Scott (Arniel) coached me for a few years in Manitoba with the Moose and I had my best seasons playing for him. I played with Vancouver, they know me, they know what I can do, I have familiarity with them, and if the chance comes, I know they will give one to me if I play well enough.” CDC: How nice is it to have that familiarity with the organization, both in Vancouver and Chicago? D: “I played in Chicago for the Wolves in the past and I have played with most of the guys that are on the team now while in Manitoba, so I already knew most of the guys. My wife is from Minnesota and she is about to give birth, so it’s nice to be close to her family when the baby comes so her mom will be able to come and help out.” CDC: Safe to say it was a pretty easy decision to come back? D: ”It was a really easy decision, as soon as I mentioned it to my wife she was like ‘yes we are going there, sign there please!’” CDC: Is this your first child? Do you know if it’s a boy or girl yet? D: “Yes it’s our first child, it will be a girl, and she is due on Christmas Eve. It’s all pretty exciting.” CDC: Christmas Eve seems like good timing considering you guys will be off from December 23rd to the 26th. D: “Yeah, hopefully she can deliver a couple days before the break so we can enjoy the break and get some rest, or lack there off.” CDC: When you made your NHL debut with the Canucks back in 2009, the guys hid your helmet on you prior to warm-ups. Now that you’re a veteran, would you ever do anything like that to a rookie? D: “Nothing like that, but a few times in Abbotsford last year when a player would get called up and it was his first game with us, we would tell him to lead us on the ice for warm-ups but would stay back and let him do a couple ‘hot laps.’ It’s pretty funny, everyone laughs and the player would be pretty embarrassed.” CDC: What has changed the most about you since the last time you were part of the organization? D: “I think I have matured quite a bit, back then I was just a young punk, I didn’t know how to be a professional. I have played with some exceptional leaders that have showed me the way to prepare, to play, and to recover.” CDC: Vancouver vs. Calgary is a huge rivalry, what was it like playing on the other side? D: “I didn’t get the chance to play against Vancouver so I didn’t get the chance to enjoy the rivalry, but I had a couple friends say to me ‘how go from Vancouver to Calgary?’ When you’re with one team, you’re with that team and when you’re with the other, you’re just with the other. It’s exciting and hopefully I will get to experience the rivalry at the NHL level.” CDC: Did some of the Flames players ever ask you for any tips on how to shut down the Sedins? D: (Laughs). “like I said I didn’t get the chance to play them, and even if I did I am pretty sure they wouldn’t have asked me because there really isn’t a secret to shut them down, you basically just have to do your best and hope. They are that good.” CDC: One last one, did you ever see former Flames head coach Brent Sutter smile? D: “Surprisingly, I did. Before I signed with Calgary I was like wow, he doesn’t smile a whole lot, but when you know him as a coach and in the locker room he actually is a lot nicer than you think he is when you see him on TV. I was surprised with that. He was really nice to me and gave me a pretty good chance, and yeah, I saw him smile a few times.” CDC: Thanks for taking the time to chat with us Guillaume, welcome back to the organization and all the best. D: “Thank you; it was no problem at all.” |
Smooth drive
My wife and I picked up Lim at 3pm. Traffic was fine all the way to Johor. We stopped at City Square for dinner and also managed to pick up some items from the Watsons store. By the time we left City Sqaure, it was almost 9pm.
We cleared both immigrations quite quickly, and stopped over at the Autopass office to purchase the card. I was very impressed with the efficiency of the staff and how quickly everything was processed.
Getting lost
Now we hadn’t picked up a map before arriving into Singapore. Both Lim and I were ‘wrongfully’ confident that it could not be that difficult for us to find the way into the city and oh boy, were we proven wrong.
After driving for 2 hours, we still had not found River Valley Road, where the apartment was located. No matter how many people we asked for directions, everyone seemed to have their own idea of where the street was located.
After driving all over Singapore and even reaching the airport, we managed to get ourselves into the city. With River Valley Road nowhere in sight, Lim hopped into a taxi and I followed the driver. Thankfully the apartment was just 5 minutes from where we had picked up the taxi. By the time we reached the apartment it was almost midnight.
Saturday
Saturday morning came too quickly. From the dissected city map I had managed to get from the Internet before I left, Lim and I managed to find our way to City Hall. We were quite happy when we realized that the apartment was just 5 minutes away from the race site and also Peninsula hotel where our friends were staying.
After meeting Wong (Pacesetter member from Klang) and collecting Lim’s bib, we went back to the apartment to pick up Chiew Chin. We had our breakfast in a nearby Hainanese restaurant and headed back into the city. Raffles City mall was a strategic place to park the car since it is walking distance from the Marathon expo.
We headed to the expo where I collected my bib, vest and goodie bag. My wife and I left Lim at the expo and headed back to Raffles mall for some shopping. On the way back we met Jamie (pm5) who had just arrived in Singapore and was heading to the expo.
We drove back to the apartment around 4.30pm to rest before meeting Jamie and some other friends for dinner near their hotel. Lim came back an hour later and decided not to join us. He wanted to rest for the big day ahead.
Later we caught a bus and managed to get to ‘PastaMania’ at 7pm. Almost everyone was already there. Jamie introduced me to some of the others. I met Jason Lim, Kelvin and Rohaizad for the first time. I also met Justin and his wife (they arrived later) for the first time. It was a quick dinner, since everyone had plans for the evening… but nevertheless it was still good to meet more of the gang finally.
My wife and I took the MRT to Orchard Road for more window-shopping. We were pleasantly surprised to see that the Christmas decorations were already up and the street was beautiful! Needless to say it was crowded as well, and traffic on the road was at a standstill.
After picking up some toys for Nick and just strolling down the street, we decided to head back. With the long taxi queues and heavy traffic, we hopped onto the MRT to Sommerset station and walked back to the apartment from there. It took us 30 minutes to walk back, and I realized later that all the walking I had done for the day was probably not going to do me any good for the race! Wife and I enjoying our first view of the beautiful Orchard Road decorations I should be in bed by now...but I can't leave just yet! The tallest and most lit Christmas tree on Orchard Road
Race day
Lim woke me up at 4.15, and I was really reluctant to get up having slept at only 1am. We managed to get ready and drove out by 4.50am. I had decided to park the car at Raffles City since the charges was only $2 for the first 4 hours. On the way there we met Ms. Leong and her husband John at one of the traffic lights.
After parking the car, we followed the crowd to the padang for Lim to deposit his bag. I had left mine in the car since I would be going back after my race. Toilet visits were made and we then headed to the starting point. Soon after we arrived, the full marathoners were asked to get into the pen. I wished Lim luck and moved to the front of the starting line to get a better view of how such a big race would be managed.
I spend the next hour just sitting around and observing different groups of people get ready for their race. I really did not want to figure out at that point how such a big crowd was going to run together. Once the half marathoners had mostly left, the 10k runners started moving into the pen. I followed suit and positioned myself right in front, just 3 feet from the starting arch. I did not want to have to battle with the other 9000 runners in the 10k right from the beginning.
A slow race
We were allowed to start at exactly 7am. The first 5k were pretty uneventful and I was running at quite a decent race pace. While running I realized that the distance markers were very accurate. What surprised me was the first water station which was located so early at the 3km mark. I grabbed a bottle and took a few gulps of water while still running.
A few minutes later I heard someone calling out my name and saw Lim running with John on the opposite side of the road. I waved back and cheered them on. Later someone else called out my name, and this time it was Kenneth (pm20). At the 5k mark I made the u-turn and almost immediately had to slow down since we now had merged with the other thousands of runners who were running the full and half marathons.
When I had passed the 5k marker, my watch showed 26m27s. I was happy with this timing as it meant that if I pushed a little harder I could still achieve a PR. However this was not meant to be, as with the new crowd we had now joined after making the u-turn, I had to slow down quite a bit to avoid any collision.
I ran the rest of the race at a comfortable pace, pushing forward whenever I saw any open space. I skipped the next two water stations, and in the last two kilometers I was starting to feel really thirsty. The sun had come up and was already starting to heat things up. I wondered at that point how the full marathoners were going to cope with the heat that day.
After passing the 9km marker, instead of pushing harder as per my race plan, I felt lazy and just maintained a steady pace. I did a little sprint at the last 100m and crossed the finish line with the clock showing 54m13s. I just checked the official results online today and it showed me the following statistics.
Gun time:
54m:17s
Chip time:
54m:11s
Placing in the entire field:
315th place with 6531 finishers behind. About 5% of finishers ahead
Placing in Gender (Male):
260th place with 3465 finishers behind. About 7% of finishers ahead
Placing in Division (Men from Malaysia):
12th place with 253 finishers behind. About 4% of finishers ahead Race Summary
I did not stay back after completing the race. I was just too tired, so I went straight back to the apartment and slept for a few hours to refresh myself for the drive back. Lim called me later and he had completed in 6h28m. I was happy for him, since his target was just to finish the race because he had not completed the KLIM this year.
Overall I think this event was extremely well organized, considering the number of participants it had. I am not sure if I will go back again next year as I do not really enjoy running in large crowds. The medal is a nice medal. I would however like to note that the organizer should not have given a poorer quality vest for 10k runners since the registration fee is the same as the other race categories.
On my personal performance, I feel the need to strengthen my legs with more speedwork and hill training. I don’t have any high personal targets set for me to achieve, since I would like to enjoy my running and not make it into a medal hunt like I’ve seen some runners do. However it wouldn’t do me justice to sit back and be complacent either. Next race…Mizuno 10k! |
organic brown rice flour 1/2 c. organic buckwheat flour aluminum free baking powder 1 t. baking soda 2 t. xanthan gum (optional) 3/4 c. unsweetened organic apple sauce cinnamon to taste (~ 2 T.) 1/4 c. fresh ground sesame seeds ~1 T. organic raw pumpkin seeds 1/4 c. organic raw (unsalted) sunflower seeds 1/2 c. frozen or fresh whole raw cranberries 2 bananas, roughly mashed 3 T. Stevia powder or natural sweetener of your choice or organic maple syrup Combine all of the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. In a small coffee grinder or blender, grind up the sesame seeds into a grainy paste. Add the ground sesame, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and cinnamon. Stir the mixture as you drizzle in the agave nectar (maple syrup). Spoon in the apple sauce and add the bananas in large chunks. I used a potato masher to roughly mash the bananas into the dough and mix in the applesauce. Add the water and fresh whole cranberries stir well.
Coat either your baking loaf pan or muffin tins and spoon the batter into them. Baking directions follow below: Coat a small loaf pan or a small baking tin with nonstick spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes or until the top is brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Let completely cool before cutting. Coat a large muffin tin with nonstick spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-17 minutes or until the tops are golden and a toothpick comes out clean. Although this recipe is nut free, both the muffins and a slice of the bread go great with a sprinkle of my Caramelized Cinnamon Walnuts and Pumpkin Seeds |
This morning I was admitted to for preparation linked to a planned Cancer operation taking place on coming Monday. After lunch I was told that the operation was postponed till next Wednesday. OK, my special body and previous medical history are a bit complicated so I accept that the hospital want to peak their professional medical team, and the illustration above is only a way to make fun of the delayed situation. Instead of sleeping at a corridor bed tonight, we went to DS Louise, Aker Brygge and had Skrei for dinner. Try it you too. |
Art by Cynthia Lane Armstrong So, I've struggled with 'clinical depressive disorder' for as long as I can remember (though admittedly, my memory is terrible). Various abuses (non-familial, mind you. My family is very great) during my childhood lead to low self-image which in turn lead to a self-deprecating attitude. Upon reaching middle school, I had become suicidal and obsessively self-mutilating. It was a dark time in my life; I had isolated myself emotionally, fallen away from my faith in Christ, and reciprocated my hurt by lashing out at others and acting rebelliously. By grace of God, I emerged from this dark place thanks to so many blessing He poured into my life all at once, when I needed them the absolute most. Before the day arrived that I would take my own life, the woman who would become my fiance grew to care for me and this relationship that had burgeoned pulled me away from the proverbial ledge. Together, we put my pieces back together and resolved to found our relationship by our faith. To this day, it bewilders me that the young, selfish, ignorant boy that I once was could possibly make such a decision. But again, all by the grace of God. Those days, I had very little solidarity with friends or family. Many of them were as troubled as I was in varying degrees, and I was ashamed to reveal my angst lest I be discarded by my peers. So, we would play video games and later, tabletop games as I discovered Dungeons & Dragons. But being the sort of person I was, the games were frivolous; saturated in 'murder-hoboism' and crude humour. Today, however, I have learned to use this painful past as a powerful tool in my experience with other people who are hurting. Dozens and dozens of times, I have been stopped and asked about the absonant marring that webs across my forearm. At the store, during my time at college, at friends' houses, people ask me why I would resort to something so drastic, why I choose not to hide the scarring, if I have any regrets. My answer, summarily, is this: With that past behind me, I must live with the repercussions. And in doing so, I have been given the opportunity to help others who hurt the way I did. Now before I start to ramble, this is not some sob story. My life is grand and I love living it. Rather, I want to signify the importance of building relationships that is oft overlooked (at least to the extent that I have perceived) and how detrimental an absence of them can be. To finish this terrible segue, this is why I fell in love with tabletop games. By living vicariously through a fictional character, I could allow myself to build relationships with the others at the table. Thanks to the great guys over at the podcast, I learned clinical therapy had taken a foray into the world of roleplaying games. The Bodhana Group; a non-profit organization that specializes in the holistic treatment of children and adolescence impacted by sexual trauma, uses therapeutic role-playing games as a medium to socialize, build empathy, and provide insight into moral decision making. At the time I had learned about them I thought it was an amazing prospect. Really, it is a very logical strategy and I'm not sure why it was so surprising to me. Roleplay being used for therapy is exceptionally common. Revolving the roleplay around a constructed and ordered game would logically provide further benefit, both for the therapist and the patient. So, from the perspective of a naive young man, this 'gaming therapy', if you will, sounded sensational. I'm totally jazzed about the prospect of role-playing and tabletop games being able to provide more than just a source of entertainment and actually people who are hurting. However, before I jump to any conclusions, the right half of my brain yearns to know if it . This is difficult to quantify as I am not a therapist, nor do I have any experience in the discipline. So, I thought I'd do some research on the subject and its efficacy. I won't bore you by regurgitating the condensed notes of the studies and organizations I found, as I had trouble understanding a portion of it even as I read it (I'm afraid I am unfamiliar, as it seems, with the therapist vernacular). Most prominently, I came across two studies: one was a study conducted in France on the effects of regular tabletop gaming on cognitive decline and dementia in the elderly. Of the 3675 non-demented patients, 32.2% reported regular play of at least once per week. Of the 3675 participants, 840 developed dementia during the 20 year follow-up. According to their results, the risk of dementia was 15% lower in game players than in non-players. Additionally, a study was conducted in Grand Valley State University , Michigan, on the use of tabletop game intervention to reduce mental illness stigma among nursing students. 38 nursing students participated which showed an increase in empathy from the students. So, it would appear that there is evidence to support the efficacy of tabletop games and their uses in mental health. These are excellent steps to take, but it is important for me to reiterate; while playing games and providing therapy for those of us that are hurting and need treatment is certainly an admirable act; it seldom results in a permanent fix to the problem. The emphasis that we should place on this is the we build with each other. As a Christian, I am called to be engaged in others' lives. Sadly, it is easy to disconnect relationships from good deeds and charity and we tend to have difficulties making that distinction as a culture. What's important is to build relationships with those who are pushed to the margins. Defend them, be with them, be in solidarity with them. Show them Christ by I would say that someday I hope to build a ministry of games to help those that hurt the way I did those years ago. But far more importantly, I pray that I can step into those peoples' and show them the love and caring that they require. |
One of my current projects is to get back to "proper walking" - in hiking boots and the rest of the gear. This was put on hold after a swollen foot incident, which I blamed on the boots. After a rest of a good six weeks, the foot is perfectly ok and the boots are getting a second chance, worn for short walks which will soon get longer. Today I set off early along the Parkland Walk, heading for that "free" coffee at Crouch End Waitrose, and determined not to stop and take photos. But then there were these - Parkland Walk attracts diligent and ever-changing grafitti, no need to photograph that really - unless it's a byproduct of something else. Here you can see several of those sapling-truncations - Much more has come from the house to my flat than I thought possible. Just a few more things to squeeze in, once you get past the
carpentry tools in the hall And what to do with it all, now? Bit by bit, bag by bag, it will get sorted, but not this week or this month ... maybe this year. Meanwhile my studio has become a storeroom, which is sort of ok. I'm not bursting to get on with any creative projects that need tools&materials gathering, or space for working on them. Rare sighting of floor in studio/storeroom! The week offered two chances to sit&absorb&look. One was a talk by Martin Gayford about his (and David Hockney's) book, A History of Pictures . Pictures of all sorts, not just paintings - photos and movies too, going way back to the cave art that, in the flickering light of torches, must have seemed to be moving. The other, Philip Hoare (author of on the minds of whales - how we are learning about their social groups. And not to forget the discussion on Sunday about the role of national libraries in a digital age (very well attended) - Roly Keating from the BL and Aviad Stollman from the National Library of Israel. I popped in to the Spring Knitting & Stitching Show (hello Yvonne!), on the way to the house on Friday - it was the day that, thanks to a WWII bomb being discovered near the Overground, that convenient train wasn't running. Never mind, it was good to see my "On the Edge" piece on display. I had to wait quite a while for the crowds to clear to get a good shot - Next week the CQ newsletter/magazine goes to the printer, come hell or high water, and in between trips to the house and sorties to save my soul I've done some work on it at last - a great relief to have it underway, and thanks to its contributors, it's shaping up well. Thanks to a job finishing early, the Domestic Carpenter has been designing my bookshelves. Start small - first part to be built will be the unit on the left, and we'll see how it looks and reassess. |
I remember my senior year of high school very well. As summer approached and came and went, my friends and I spent countless hours together. I think we were very aware that our lives were about to shake up a good bit...especially those of us who weren't going to the same college as everyone else. My friend Erryn and I would crash at each other's house at night, watching hours upon hours of Shag, Steel Magnolias, Dirty Dancing, Pretty in Pink, and Beaches. Movies about friendships. Movies about enduring life together. I still love Erryn , and I would still throw my body in front of a car just to save her. I don't see her as often as I should, but she still means the world to me. She is part of who I am. When I took this picture of the girls out front today, I thought about the movie Beaches. The girls meet on the boardwalk as little ones and literally see their friendship through the years--the good and the bad. Such a heart breaker (and quite frankly, I cannot watch it anymore. It goes against my on sad movies), but riveting. These have been friends through the years. Emma visited Ellie in the hospital on the day she was born. I am not kidding. They may not realize it, but they have known each other the entire spectrum of their little lives. Maggie and Ava are two peas in a pod. Their mommy is one of my best friends. We balance each other out so well. I look at this picture (and the thousand more we have just like it), and I imagine that our girls will grow old together, passing notes and notebooks back and forth, watching silly old movies into the night, and making memories... |
Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship When a rider struggles all season and then suddenly scores a wire-to-wire win in the main event, it’s easy to think he just won because he had a great day. But race winner James Stewart and his crew actually feel like they were better last weekend in Dallas—Stewart says he was struggling with the track all day in Atlanta and never really felt that great. And when he got the holeshot in the main event, he actually felt like he had put himself in a tough position. Stewart hadn’t grabbed the early lead in a main event in a long, long time, so to go from a year of mid-pack starts to a holeshot was a big step. “Getting a good start and being out there after you haven’t been in awhile is probably not the best situation,” said Stewart. “To do that and have Ryan on me, it was a test to where my fitness was. To see if I would fade out. But I was strong.” Stewart and the Yoshimura Suzuki crew were beyond pumped after the race--it's easily the happiest we've ever seen his trainer, Pablo. Certainly last week's dissapointing DNF made this one even sweeter. But while Stewart and most of the crew were high fiving and celebrating at the rig, a few other Suzuki technicians were over at the bike, downloading data and dissecting the machine. The work continues! You can spin the main event two ways. In one sense, it was still a good one for Ryan Villopoto, since he made up two more points on points leader Davi Millsaps. In another, though, he left points on the table by not being able to get Stewart and shove him between himself and the points leader. Villopoto and the Monster Energy Kawasaki crew are taking the angle that finishing in front of Millsaps is all that matters, so they were content with the way the race went in Atlanta. At least, that’s what they said. Stewart was jumping a difficult rhythm through a timing section that Villopoto wasn’t doing. It appeared that Villopoto was fast the rest of the way around the track, but he couldn’t make up the ground he lost there. But you’ll never get two sides to agree in racing. Kawasaki people think Villopoto was losing about four tenths of a second per lap in that area alone, but Stewart thinks he was picking up only a tenth. Davi Millsaps has been sick at the last two races. He's scored two podiums. That's how you win championships.
Simon Cudby photo Davi Millsaps has actually just crossed through another difficult test and passed with ease. The points leader has been sick for the last two weeks, and rain and general rough weather has kept him away from the practice track much. By the end of the night in Atlanta, Davi was just beat, physically. “I haven’t ridden much for the last two weeks just to being sick with the weather and stuff,” he says. He hopes to finally clear this illness and get back to a normal training week this week, with plans to ride three days. But he admits the weather forecast, again, might keep him off the bike. By the way, Millsaps pretty much matched the speed of Stewart and Villopoto in front of him, but he was about four seconds behind by the time he got to third. And, really, Justin Barcia, Trey Canard and Ryan Dungey stayed at about the same distance, too. There's hardly any seperation between the fastest riders in the game right now. Andrew Short looked fast on his new BTOSports.com KTM, but he washed the front end in a bowl turn in the main event, and hit the ground pretty hard. He picked himself back up to deliver a 14th. Here's what Shorty looks like on his new ride.
Simon Cudby photo Justin Barcia still has some Bam Bam in him. He washed out in in his heat race while running second to Stewart, and then got up right in front his teammate Trey Canard. The two battled for a few corners, and then Barcia put some contact in trying to make the pass, and Canard ended up breaking some spokes. In the main event, Barcia took Justin Brayton down early, dropping Brayton from fourth to last. Some weeks, Barcia is a fresh revelation in the class, in other weeks, he’s making enemies.
Canard ended up with a nice bounce back race, scoring a solid top five and holding strong under pressure from Ryan Dungey. You could really sum most of this race up with the start, though, as once again the track offered few places to pass. The matter was made worse due to the sticky Atlanta dirt, which actually makes roost a vision a bigger issue than most SX tracks. Dungey pulled a ton of tearoffs behind Canard for example. It’s telling that the top six riders basically stayed in the same spot after the first few laps. If starts have always been 85% of a supercross race, they have probably been ratched up to about 90%, in this loaded field. Ryan Dungey didn't gate well and ended up sixth. That cost him dearly in points. Eli Tomac showed the speed to run with the best of the 450 class, but learning to race with them will take some more experience.
Simon Cudby photos Eli Tomac qualified second overall in his 450 debut, but starts, which have been an issue for him on 250s, plagued him again on the big bike. In general, he was a factor watching qualifying, but much less so in the races. He started poorly in his heat, then got a bad gate pick in the main and started badly again. "It's ridiculous when you look at the top eight, 10 guys in this class and they're all champions," Tomac said. "This class is no joke. I got a bad gate pick and it made it tough for me.
"It was a great learning experience, for sure," continued Tomac. "I learned a lot about the bike. It's a beast. There are some things I want to change in the suspension and gearing that I think will help. I also need to get past guys quicker on the track. Hopefully, it will all come together for me in St. Louis." Starts also, again, did in Broc Tickle, who is not having the season many expected he would with the Dodge/RCH team. “I got a pretty good jump,” said Tickle. “(Davi) Millsaps, (James) Stewart and I were all side-by-side in the first corner. I tried to hug around the inside and Millsaps came right in front of me. I was trying to follow him and got a little bit close to him, so I slowed down. I almost hit him. That’s when all those guys kind of funneled by me and I went back to 15th.” He finished 12th.
Dean Wilson apparently had a big crash at the test track this week, and that may have had an impact on his riding in the Atlanta main event. Still, his Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki team wasn’t happy finishing second, and they no doubt know what this type of confidence and momentum might mean for Wil Hahn.
Not like Hahn wasn’t suffering, too. He was battling with his teammate Zach Bell in his heat race and smashed his boot against his engine cases, breaking his toe. But winning is the ultimate pain reliever. "My toe is shattered," said Hahn, who had eight previous podium finishes before this victory. "They stitched it up in the Asterisk Medical Trailer and I'll need to get it examined again but it looks pretty bad. Still, I wasn't going to let it stop me."
Marvin Musquin was a favorite heading into the night show after topping both practice sessions, but he couldn’t find that kind of speed again. Hahn was able to get him in his heat race, and in the main, Musquin made a brief run at Wilson from third, but then Wilson pulled back away, leaving Musquin to ride all by himself.
Much, much better for rookie Jeremy Martin, who didn’t qualify for last weekends main event. In this, his actual first 250 SX main, he was fifth, and challenging class veteran Blake Wharton for fourth late in the event. He also looked smooth doing so—Martin is going to be good. |
These photos are part of a bunch I took on the way home from my brother's wedding, last weekend. This is part of why I love living where I live. This weekend is Thanksgiving, here in Canada, and I can honestly say the countryside I get to claim as my backyard makes me very thankful. It's big, it's beautiful, with room to run, room to breathe. Honestly, the list of what I'm thankful for goes far beyond what I can even write. I don't live in a fancy house or drive a fancy car. I've never been on a vacation that lasted more than three days. I don't have a brimming bank account or a portfolio of investments. I have a home. One that echoes the joyous sound of children's laughter. One that has marks on the walls, and knicks in the furniture. One that tells the story of a family that lived very real lives. It houses the memories of tears shed from heartbreak, the mews of smuggled kittens, countless hours of homework, and a four year old's dream of putting together a "cricket circus." It holds the memories of snuggled naps, movie nights and sleepovers. I have a home. I have a car. We have had a lot of cars. Ones that held two car seats at a time. Ones that were able to handle the "are we there yets." Ones that carry the memories of the Barbie Broadway reviews that would take place the headrest of my seat to keep the kids entertained on the 20 song, 9 corner drive to Grandma's house. I have a car. I have vacations. I have vacations between the covers of a book, between the opening and ending credits of a movie. I have vacations behind the door of my candlelit bathroom as I soak my cares away. I have vacations. I have a bank account. A bank account that was taxed to it's limits. One that was made to stretch one dollar into twenty, more often than not. One that had to choose between electric bills and groceries, because both weren't an option that month. One that provided full tummies and warm beds to four carefree little girls. I have a bank account. I have a portfolio of investments. I put everything I had into our marriage in July of 1987. This investment has been maturing and growing stronger ever since. I invested my entire adult life into being a Mom. An investment that will be paying dividends long after I am gone. I have a portfolio of investments. This week was another crazy one. They actually finally caught that horrible man I was telling you about last week. He had gotten across the border to the US. Where, now they is some kind of problem in arresting him! Something to do with paperwork. Seriously?!?!?! Neighbours to the South, you do not want this guy roaming your streets! I hope they get that straightened out very soon! My brother's wedding, on the other hand, was a blast. It was so good to see everybody. The week at the shop was hectic, as usual. Awesome! Today was a tradeshow in Rosetown as part of the Harvest Fesitval. Tomorrow, we have a wedding for which we are providing the music. So, that about does it for me, for now. Happy Thanksgiving! May your turkey be tender, and your cranberries perfectly tart. May your pumpkin pie be beautifully spicy, the pastry, a piece of art. May those that surround your table be full of jovial stories, making conversation an effortless flow. May you make the most of these occasions, to help your memory bank grow. May you have a most awesome turkey induced nap, as you lay down your turkey stuffing, pie making weary little head. May you awaken refreshed, renewed, with enough energy to carry yourself to bed. |
Yesterday I went to a class held at the local hospital about nutrition and managing cholesterol. It was very informative. When I was pregnant with Emily, about three years ago, I developed gestational diabetes. I had to meet with a nutritionist and develop a meal plan that would help in managing my blood sugar levels. I learned so much and during my pregnancy. My blood sugars stayed in the normal range and I developed healthy eating habits to last a lifetime. Well, since then, I've little by little neglected the good that I learned and replaced that with my previous bad habits.
Well, I've decided that I need to get back into the healthy lifestyle that I had with my last pregnancy. So, I enrolled in this one time class so that I could hear a lot of what I once knew with renewed motivation. Here is some of what I learned:
---There is good cholesterol (HDL) and bad cholesterol (LDL). Some ways to combat the bad cholesterol is to cut back the fat in our diets. Eat more dietary fiber, found in fruits, vegetables, and whole grain products. Exercise regularly.
---Keep blood pressure in check by exercising regularly. Limit sodium intake. Eat a low fat diet.
---We went over the dietary guidelines and how to choose wisely in the different food groups.
---Bad fats (saturated, trans fatty acids). Good fats (Omega 6, Omega 3, monounsaturated)
---Reading and understanding a food label will help in making healthy food choices.
---Benefits and importance of fiber.
We also received numerous charts about the different foods and their amounts of fat, cholesterol, fiber, sodium, etc. All this information is a little overwhelming for me right now so I've decided to concentrate on improving one part of this at a time.
My goal right now is to drink at least 6 glasses of water a day (working my way to 8). I also will try to increase my fiber intake. I haven't been doing too well in the fruit and vegetable area, so that is where I'll start. Increasing the fiber should be done a little at a time because if it's done too quickly, abdominal distress can result.
Hopefully, I'll be on my way to a healthier me. |
Our next topic in our new Sakai Gradebook Blog series will focus on how instructors can view the Gradebook as a specific student in their course. Often times, students will have questions about their grades, so it helps for the instructor to see what exactly the individual students are seeing in the Gradebook. Viewing the Gradebook as a specific Student Here are the steps for an instructor to view the Gradebook as a specific student. (Click on images to enlarge in a new window) Select the Gradebook from your course menu on the left
Select All Grades from the top Gradebook menu
Click on the student’s name whose Gradebook view you want to see Click on the student’s View of Grades link towards the top right Now you will see the student’s view of the Gradebook To return to your regular view, click on the Return to Instructor’s View of Grades link in the top right. NOTE: Grades listed in parentheses are available for students to see but are not included in final course grade calculations. Displaying released Gradebook items to Students Sometimes students may tell you that they can only see their course grade, but they also want to know the score they received on each individual item. If you look on the main Gradebook page (Gradebook Items), there will be a message indicating what students can and cannot see in the Gradebook. If a message is displayed similar to the one below, students can see their course grade but not their Gradebook item scores: To display released Gradebook item scores: Select Gradebook Setup from the top menu
Place a check in the box next to “Display released Gradebook Items to students”
Click Save Changes Here is a video tutorial explaining all the steps listed above: If you have any questions, please contact the ITS Service Desk at 962-HELP or submit a help request. |
This weekend was Brenna's much-anticipated solo/ensemble festival. She has been working tirelessly on a duet with her very dear friend. Those two have practiced and practiced and practiced this song. Over and over and over. And over again. They went to the mall on Friday to find matching skirts for the occasion. And they looked mighty adorable, if I do say so myself. (It is so funny to me to watch the different approaches that Alex and Brenna take to these. I have to look Alex over head to toe, ask him if he has white socks on with his dress shoes, etc. With Brenna, I have to do nothing but offer the occasional assistance with hair curling.) Friday night also brought a dress rehearsal for all the parents. They were able to practice playing for an audience, playing through distractions, and containing the nervous giggles. It all paid off on performance day. No nerves, and they did a stellar job. One thing that made the adjudicator chuckle was that there were a couple places where they were out of tune, but they were perfectly out of tune together. Yep, they stick together, these two. Even in the sharps and flats. Way to go, Brenna!! You once again let hard work lead you straight to success! I'm so proud of you! |
I was sort of at a loss for supper ideas tonight. I thawed out some chicken, but had no idea what to do with it. I contemplated slathering it in barbeque sauce and tossing it on the grill, but that seemed like too much work (I was already in the kitchen, it was already a mess, and it just made sense to stay there and make supper.) The kids had eaten cucumber and watermelon for snack this afternoon, so it was still out on the counter. I decided to make a little salsa with some fresh mint from my herb garden (which currently only consists of cilantro and mint, since my basil decided to perish.) Super simple: about 1/4 c. each of diced watermelon and cucumber, and a few leaves of mint, finely chopped. Then I wondered what kind of chicken would go well with this condiment. It needed to be something light and fresh, so I opted for a mixture of lemon juice and maple syrup (1 tbsp. lemon juice and 3 tbsp. maple syrup). I pounded the chicken breasts flat, brushed them with the maple lemon goodness, and grilled them in my grill pan for about 4-5 minutes per side (I'm guessing at the time, it could have been a little more or less, sorry for the inaccuracy of this recipe!) I sprinkled some freshly ground pepper on our chicken breasts, but not on the kids' since that might have caused problems. As a side dish, we had some sweet potato fries with curry mayo (slice a sweet potato into large french fry pieces, and drizzle with oil on a baking sheet. Bake at 375 F for 20 minutes, turning once.) For the kids, I sliced up cucumber and watermelon and put it next to their chicken (not mixed together, just one pile of chicken, one pile of cucumber, and one pile of watermelon.) They didn't have any sweet potato fries, but I am really tired today so I couldn't care less. Anyway, this was a nice light meal, and with the exception of the mayo, I think it was pretty darn healthy! Everyone ate, no one whined, and hopefully the family is cleaning up the dishes right now while I sit in the basement and type! |
Head of Secondary Job Purpose: To implement the vision and leadership of the school helping shape the school’s future and ensure that everyone is enabled to contribute effectively to the progress and development of the school. To assist the Executive Principal in ensuring the highest possible standards of education through the promotion of effective teaching and learning, a balanced curriculum, the provision of excellent pastoral care and support for students and a rich extra-curricular programme, which reflects the school’s development priorities. Hours: Full time term time. It is expected that at this level normal office hours will not apply and you will need to be flexible. Overview: This is a new position in a new school. Any job description will therefore not cover all eventualities and there is a need to reflect the pioneering spirit that will be needed. Extensive experience of systems and education is required as we will be setting up our systems from scratch and much of this direction and planning will fall to you. Equally you will be responsible for appointing and creating your team of secondary teachers who will implement the vision of the school and your vision. In short this is a very exciting role. It is not often a Headmaster can shape and mould the direction of a school to this extent. You will need vision, experience, a strategic overview and a strong work ethic. There will be setbacks along the way but also huge successes, and the realization of your plans and dreams from scratch is exciting in itself. If this sort of considerable challenge appeals to you, then please do apply. More searches like this |
It’s nice that Sara has returned to Lincoln BJJ after many months of scheduling conflicts, but now that she’s an LPD officer, she keeps threatening to tase me! As if it’s not bad enough that even after all the time off, she can still submit me without trying too hard, but now she wants to tase me, too. Talk about an abuse of power! I think the days of me essentially being the only woman training at Lincoln BJJ are finally over! Not only has Sara made her triumphant return, but we also have two new women attending classes. LBJJC seems to have a high retention rate with the male students who try it out, so hopefully we will see the same kind of success with the female students. I just hope Sara doesn’t threaten to tase them, because I don’t think that will help! Seriously, it was good to roll with Sara yesterday, especially since the other people I rolled with were Fuji and Ray, so it felt nice to grapple with someone I could actually close my guard around! She gave me some pointers and encouragement about competing, which helped lessen my nerves, and yesterday she only threatened to tase me if I don’t go out there and give it my all at the tournament on Saturday…which I already fully intended to do. |
Yesterday I spent a wonderful afternoon with a friend that I haven't seen in years. Lynn and I have known each other for nearly forty years, our story began when our husbands taught school together. Life happened and they moved on to other places and we each had families to raise and homes to keep going. Of course the guys would run into each other now and again and were able to keep up on farm things. Lynn and I kept in touch through Christmas cards. A year or so ago I found my friend on Facebook and we have been connected by the internet. Out of the blue she calls me on our house phone a couple weeks ago. I rarely answer the house phone, I figure if someone needs me, they know my cell phone number. But on this day, in the middle of the afternoon, our house phone rings and something tells me to answer. It was my friend Lynn. I, of course, was a little surprised to hear from her and she was wondering if I would be interested in putting some of my artwork in her little gift shop and greenhouse. I thought is sounded like a fun idea and we got together, the four of us. After driving a couple hours we arrived at their beautiful country home sitting in the middle of Ohio's rich farmland. Farmers on big tractors, pulling hugh discs were working in the fields, spring was certainly showing all signs of planting season in this flat farm country. The guys immedately headed outside to do "farm" stuff. Lynn and I were quickly catching up on years of family information, finding a common bond immediately. We weren't together for thiry minutes before we discovered our other connection. We were totally on the same page about the things many people don't talk about........ that would be the spiritual part of living on this earth. We know that "accidents" don't just happen. We know that things have happend that we could never have planned. We know there are reasons and perfect timing for all things to happen, we call that Devine timing. We understand that our thoughts are the first action to bringing whatever it is we want into our lives. We know there is a heaven above, that spirits live, angels surround us and they communicate with us on a daily basis, if we listen. We know we have the power within ourselves to create what we want to happen. We know that all things are connected! We know it and shared our stories, our proof these things are true. Our goosebump stories went back and forth for hours. Who does this with someone they haven't seen and only shared Christmas cards with for forty years? I don't often just put this out there for the world to see, because there are those that would tell me I am wrong or think I have an active imagination. I have nothing to hide. I have many stories of moments and happenings that have made me a believer in a higher power. I have seen and experienced things that I couldn't make up, I have shared some of those "stories" in other blogs. Thanks Lynn for a wonderful day, I know we will be connecting soon, there is much more we have to share with one another! And so today, this Good Friday, 2012, I wish nothing but blessings and peace to all who come and read about my life. It is real and amazing and I am filled with gratitude. |
Susan Bourdon Anderson Maple Grove, Minnesota Travel Agent Specializing in Worldwide Adventure Schedule an appointment with me in Maple Grove to plan your next big adventure. I enjoy working with clients planning their first trip to Europe as well as snowbirds who travel to Mexico and the Caribbean every year. As an avid skier I would love to talk with you about alternative winter experiences. My Travel Experiences You’ve spent months anticipating your perfect trip and then something out of your control happens and the plan takes an unexpected turn. This happened to my husband and I when we traveled to France a few years ago. If you haven’t been to Portugal, I highly suggest you make the trip. Here are just a few of its hidden treasures: |
Kaysen spent the day with Maddie and Lily on Saturday. I love seeing my grandbabies all playing together. So sweet. Tomorrow, May 8, is a SPECIAL day. will be arriving some time tomorrow. His Mommy is being induced at 5 am. Can't wait to meet him this weekend. He is our first grandson and last grandchild. Very exciting! |
Embrace the Night Recently named the world's chief clairvoyant, Cassandra Palmer still has a thorn in her side. As long as Cassie and a certain master vampire---the sizzling-hot Mircea---are magically bound to each other, her life will never be her own. The spell that binds them can only be broken with an incantation found in the Codex Merlini, an ancient grimoire. The Codex's location has been lost in the present day, so Cassie will have to seek it out in the only place it can still be found---the past. Searching for more content… [Old Saybrook, Conn.] : Tantor Media, 2008 Related Resources --- Opinion From the critics --- Community Activity Notices There are no notices for this title yet. Quotes There are no quotes for this title yet. Explore Further Subject Headings |
Harris tweed pencil skirt ShareThis Description This is a fully lined pencil skirt I made in beatiful Harris tweed which I bought direct from the weaver while on holiday there. I chose a hot pink lining in a fairly heavy satin to avoid the material bunching up inside the skirt (see ‘inside-out’ photo). It peeks out from under the ‘pockets’ (these are just flaps, by the way, see detail photo). I found that hand-finishing the lining produced the best results here. I also added a clasp closure which is more for decoration than anything for that celtic feel (see detail photo). The skirt could have done with a press before taking the pictures but that would have meant getting the ironing board out on a Sunday morning… ;-) The pattern is from the 10/2005 edition of Burda Magazine, which unfortunately is not available in the Burdafashion Archives, sorry! It is the perfect pencil skirt: very elegant, precisely the right length, pretty and easy to wear despite it being quite a tight skirt. Not being able to take big strides in this skirt makes the wearer walk like a lady. I guess we could call this one a fifties-inspired wiggle skirt! Bang on trend for autumn/winter 09/10. The same pattern undoubtedly works very well in other medium weight fabrics such as woollens, brocade or even a black denim for a cheeky weekend version. Maybe one day I’ll figure out how to rotate pictures (using very unfamiliar software here) so you don’t do yourselves an injury trying to look at my work… Sorry everyone! Material Notes 80cm of tweed, 150cm wide
75 cm of lining, 140cm wide
22cm zip
buttons
thread
interfacing H410 to reinforce and shape the waist Categories |
I am posting this so I have an easily remembered place for the artist's name, as I really like his giant monster, dai kaiju, if you will, paintings. here we have King Shisa, and had this been a more action packed pose, I might have him on my leg instead of Gorosaurus. heck, I may still get him tattooed on me somewhere. Torisawa-san doesn't seem to have a website of his own, these are paintings he did for Uchusen Magazine in the summer of 2008. I think there are some more of his pieces out there, but I have yet to find them again. |
TGIF crafty peeps! It's time for another , seriously every month I'm blown away by the talent... and the reminder of how to use some of the fabulous PTI goodies I already own. My inspiration started with the doily and red flowers at the bottom of the inspiration photo by . I started off with some green paper that I die cut with the PTI tag and added a layer of vellum over it and heat embossed the PTI In Bloom flower and a Mat Stack sentiment. I wanted to incorporate some green, so I added a Building Block of green behind the sentiment (it's a bit hard to see, but)... And tied a piece of luxurious to the tag. I used a Top Dog Dies for the doily and made my own wine tag using PTI kraft card stock (dry embossed with a woodgrain folder). I love using burlap to decorate my wine bottles (click to see my Pinterest board with other projects), but I was just given a spool of May Arts 2 1/2 inch Cotton blend and I love the rustic feel to the ribbon, so I layed three strips of the ribbon around the bottle to complete my "look" (can you tell I've been watching Project Runway?). And I had one of those moments this morning where I thought, "I can make a hop project, photograph it, schedule it and get to the gym on time" that was not based in reality. So, for those of you who wonder why I didn't try to race against the clock for one of the first top 10 hop projects, I took a card from the book of acceptance, and walked out the door with an unfinished hop project and got a great workout. Summer is my busiest time of year at and I am trying to cut myself a tiny bit of slack in my regular game of let's do it all. I have unrealistic expectations of what I can on a daily basis, so three cheers for a fun project that didn't have to be finished by 5:59am. |
12 – Half-Pint Wide-Mouth Mason Jars 3 – 9-inch Pie Crusts (double that, if you’re making a pie that needs crust on top) Directions:
Wash and dry the Mason Jars.
Cut the pie crust into quarters. You’ll use 1/4 of each pie crust for each jar.
Press the piece of pie crust into the jar, completely covering the sides and reapplying excess crust as needed.
Fill the jar with your pie filling and top with crust if needed.
Ok – now, you can put the lids on and freeze the individual pies (before baking) to have them set aside in the event you need a quick dessert for company.
You’ll just pull ‘em from the freezer and bake them as directed in the recipe.
Or, you can go ahead and bake your pies according to the recipe. I've found no variation in cook time needed from a 9-inch pie to the Pies in a Jar. You might want to keep an eye on your pies, though, just to be safe.
Once they’re ready, just let ‘em cool and serve when desired. |
Lucknow. Addressing a rally organized as part of her 53rd birthday celebrations, India’s dailt leader and Prime Minister in waiting, Kumari Behen Mayawati announced her elephantine vision for India’s future. Showing no signs of the acute PMS (Prime Minister Syndrome) she was reportedly suffering from, Behenji vociferously lashed out at the opposition who called her corrupt. She even threatened to celebrate her 53rd birthday next year and stay 52 for a year more if the protests continued. In a move that surprised all, she expressed unhappiness over Obama’s victory. “What if he is a black?” wondered the CM. She said that the Republicans were always close to her. “Aap logo ne dekha nahi kya unka haathi (haven’t you guys seen their elephant)?” she said linking her party to the Republicans. In her inimitable style, she changed sides half way through the rally. She said that she may now change her party symbol to gadha (donkey) not only to pledge support to the most powerful president in the world but to reflect the ethos of her drove. She blasted the media for projecting Rahul Gandhi as the future PM. When asked about his ongoing Amethi tour with UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband, Mayawati retorted,”us bande mein kya hai?” leaving the media perplexed if she was referring to Milliband or Rahul. Mayawati also informed about her recently launched blog and said that it would bring the newer generation to the polling booths. A reporter, who asked if she was trying to copy L K Advani’s idea, was taken away by her bodyguards. She said her blog was (a) hit even before the launch. When asked for the link, she smirked and claimed that the linking business was a forte of Samajwadi Party’s Amar Singh and she didn’t believe in creating linkages and liaisons. To counter the oft abused slogan "Bijli Sadak Paani" by pro development parties, she announced her new slogan, "Behenji Sadaa PM" (Behenji as PM forever). Faking News managed to get a copy of her grand plans for India. We will focus on building the morale of the Indian armed forces to make them self reliant. Undue stress on discipline has affected the Indian forces and hence they were not able to advocate a single coup in the last 60 years, unlike our enemy neighbor that has mastered this art.
The center’s plan to set up NSG hubs across India is waste of precious resources. We will rename every state’s police force as Elite Commandoes like we have done to the UP Police (Now UP Elite Commandoes). Cost cutting starts at home.
We promise to have a separate ministry for protection of elephants; it is high time to change our national animal from the soon to be extinct tiger to the pachyderm. We will soon have elephants to take members to and from the parliament.
I am angry at ICC for not including even a single dalit cricketer in the list of 20 test cricketers of all times. We will ban ICC, a racist organization working against the secular fabric of India. Unlike her earlier birthday celebrations, the chief minister did not announce a single project for the state and said her outlook was now national. The CM told that her rule has made UP a healthy state. She seemed convincing with the numbers she produced, “In some parts of UP, there is only a doctor for 30,000 people and that means people are healthy”. The Rs. 12 Crores collected for the CM’s birthday will solely spent for her own good and not for the state, said a press release from her office. “It is her birthday and not the state’s”, the release added. |
I've lost a corner somewhere. The corner use to be in my bedroom but for the last six or seven months its been lost. It all started when I was trying to find a place for some large watercolor and newsprint pads. In order to keep the pages flat it really needed to be at rest on a flat surface. With only 384 sq feet in this apartment, finding that spot would take some sluthing... but I found one. The corner, of course. And it would just be for a few days until a permanent place could be found. A few weeks later I began looking through some boxes I had stored in the closet. They had been there since move-in day. ooohhhh... look what I have! I had forgotten about this... and this, oh.... and that!! In order not to forget what I had, I decided to put the boxes in the corner with the other large pads, you know, until I could figure out a place to put the things in view. Out of sight, out of mind. What I discovered, besides the dust bunnies, is that even with the boxes of art supplies (and other 'office' type of things) out in the open, I still forgot what was in them. And in order not to lead you astray I must clarify that the boxes were not necessarily full. A few things here... a few things there. So far I've moved the pile of pads. They are now resting comfortably on my bed along with the dusty, unuseable printer that had been on the floor. (I'm out of ink for the printer.) Today I plan on going through the boxes to see what I can consolidate and what I can toss. Then the challenge will be where to put the boxes that are left. My ultimate goal is to rearrange the bedroom. Its a long room rather than a square one. The bed currently protrudes out into the room with the head up against the wall. I want to put the bed length wise against the wall to free up more floor space. My hope is to be able to set up my large easel and have room on the side for placing paint palettes, brushes, and whatnots. It sounds like a do-able goal, doesn't it. But we'll have to wait and see. I make great lists but thats usually as far as it goes. Last evening my neighbor brought me 8 oz. of Christmas Blend decaf Starbucks coffee. Her timing was perfect. I had just used the last of what I had to make a pot. As a new Starbucks employee she gets one of these free each month. I almost keyed in a sarcastic comment about a a whole 8 oz. a month but thought that would be tacky and show off my cynical side. Luckily I caught myself in time. A freaky accident here locally... is it a case of destiny? Four guys in an extended cab pickup driving at freeway speeds. No rain. No wind. A huge tree falls and crushed the front seat area of the cab killing both occupants. Those in the tiny back seat were not injuried. How freaky is that. No wind. Freeway speed. Gives pause for consideration about destiny. My pc is acting crazy. Things freeze up, I finally get a dialog box saying there is something abnormal about the display. No shit, Sherlock. It goes into "safe mode" and I'm instructed to reboot and when I get an error message I should send it off to Microsoft. I do the reboot but don't get the error message. Sigh. Is it related to the beta software I'm currently dealing with? Who knows, but thats what I'm blaming it on. Whine Whine I wanna go back to the old version... the tried and true version. |
I have been reading some old Celtic prayers lately, and I appreciated their ability to create a sense of nearness to God through the created order. Too often, I rush through life, only praying in pragmatic ways. I was inspired recently to create a couple of my own Celtic-style prayers that I might commit to memory and use on a daily basis. Disclaimer: I am NOT a poet, and I am NOT pretending like these are noteworthy. Rather, they are examples of how you might want to glean spiritual blessing from the great Irish tradition by trying this exercise as well. I know it was a blessing for me. FWIW. For light and for darkness, bright day and dark night,
Deep waters below, heavenly waters of height,
For the dry land called Earth, and pooled waters called Seas,
For bountiful harvests from plants and from trees,
For the great ruling lights- Sun, Moon, Stars in the sky
Swarms of creatures of glory, those that swim, those that fly,
For livestock and creepers that crawl on the earth,
For the gift of dominion we thank thee with mirth! Raise me this morning to newness of life
Cause me to learn from each trial and strife
Show me thy goodness and grant me thy joy,
Make me as Jesus to each girl and boy,
Fill me with food- hearty meat and cold beer,
The meat for my strength and the ale for my cheer,
But if want comes my way and I suffer great pain,
Give me faith that tomorrow the morn comes once again. |
Welcome back to George vs the Listener Crossword – and a return to the kind of normality from six months ago. Back in Asheville at last and it only took about three shots at cleaning the print heads on the old inkjet before the big black machine started churning out crosswords printed on the back of unusued participation certificates. We have normality, I repeat, we have normality. Which is good, because I would have had a hard time with the circular grid without having a printout – crossword compiler doesn’t do circular grids (that I know of – feel free to tell me I have no clue how to use that software as well). Aelfre! I thought this was a new setter but it appears to be another alias of Salamanca (I didn’t know that until just now)… circular grid with crossing (and it appears very generous crossing) rings. Some in, some out, and a line (presumably from a song). This looks like it could be deceptively straightforward, hmm? There is a 1 (in/out) and it is a nice gentle reversal of DE,SUER for REUSED and so we have a big pass on the 1 in or out test. Then I realised I should have started with the arcs, since we know where all of them go… d’oh! If I’d remembered ENID was a place in Oklahoma I would have been off to an even more flying start, but it was ERAS that went in first, confirming that ASIANS went inwards. AVIARY, LEGLIN and MALGAM later and I have GALI in the third ring. Is it Bohemian Rhapsody? 6 is HAMLET and this is looking promising. I put in GALILEO and looked at the outer ring – LYMAT suggests that the quotation is NOTHING REALLY MATTERS. Hooo boy! I’m 46, I was just starting high school when Queen made it big in Australia, and I was a huge fan. I never had this as a single – I had vinyl copies of most of the albums. With the outer ring filled, it was back to the radial clues, now knowing the first or last letter of each – this was all done in well under an hour, one of the fastest Listener solves ever for me. Aelfire’s clues were fun and direct, so I didn’t mind having the thematic material in place with only six clues solved. EMI appears in the scratches. Fun theme and a new use of the spherical grid. There have been some other outstanding uses of the spherical grid (Brighton Rock comes to mind) over the last few years. I believe I can call this one a Victory to George and Game Over with 100% completion. 2016 tally, with three to go (fear not – at least one more will be a bust) 42-2-6. Feel free to tell me that I should have misspent my youth in better places and see you next week when Paddock decides it is time to put away Cards Against Humanity and bring out Battleships Filed under: Listener Crosswords, Uncategorized | Tagged: Aelfre, Salamanca | |
Owen and Roger's first trip to UNCLE FRED'S CABIN! Roger and I took our small group from church up to Uncle Fred's cabin for the weekend. Everyone brought tents and Owen brought his pack-n-play. We had a lot of fun: campfires, 500with the frizbee off the dock, fishin' for sunnies, pudgy-pies and s'mores at night, walks on South Shore Road, and naps in the afternoon! Owen stayed happy and kept on schedule. He took naps... hung out by the fire... even ate around the fire like the rest of us!... Then was so tuckered out by the time we left...he zonked out before we crossed the bridge and dam. Great times and fun memories...to remember! :-) |
Snapshots of Prague in Winter Ice-skating Near Podolska Vodarna, Prague 4 Let me apologize off the bat for the poor image quality. Amy is away in America, along with her nice camera. Anyway, the past two weeks in Prague have finally been like winter. A sudden cold-snap has frozen most of Europe, with record-breaking lows. Apparently, birds on the continent have been falling dead out of the sky. During the first week, I was so sick of people talking about it being "freezing" outside. It barely even dropped below 20 degrees Fahrenheit. To me, that just means it's winter. However, last week, it got legitimately cold. Single digits. A few mornings, I woke up to find it was below zero--Fahrenheit. I accepted it was cold enough for complaints. However, I often relished the cold. I felt like I could breathe clearly for once. I enjoyed the sun that came with the frigid temperatures. Give me this over damp and dreary weather any day! Today, I woke up and looked out the window to see snow for the first time in Prague 1 this winter! We live right in the center of the city where no snow had collected so far. On the outskirts, it had snowed quite a few times but mostly just turned to slush. Learning to Skate Among the Boats at the Marina This snow is not in jeopardy of turning to slush any time soon! It's soft and powdery, like walking through icing sugar. Last week, I had noticed from the window of the tram, there were boys playing hockey at the marina by Podolska Vodarna. This little inlet off of the Vltava had frozen over. The marina roped off sections that were not safe to skate on but the rest was fair game. I went back today to take pictures in the snow. Surprisingly, no one was playing ice hockey. Mostly, there were just families sledding and skating. Using Docks As Benches For Putting On Ice-Skates I love marinas in general, having grown up in a harbor village. But I'd never had the opportunity to walk around boats stuck in the ice. The Tram Back to the Center I enjoyed myself, even without ice skates. What is it about walking on ice that's so exciting? Is it that it could snap beneath you at any moment? Or is it the idea that you have conquered water? Small Boat Frozen in the Ice The freezing weather will not be letting up any time soon. I look forward to more wintry adventures! |
I believe in evidence. I believe in observation, measurement, and reasoning, confirmed by independent observers. I'll believe anything, no matter how wild and ridiculous, if there is evidence for it. The wilder and more ridiculous something is, however, the firmer and more solid the evidence will have to be. -Isaac Asimov, scientist and writer (1920-1992) Evidence-based finance can be viewed as a subset of quantitative investing. While the pure quant will develop models and do all of his own testing, an evidence-based manager may use other information to drive the process. The evidence-based manager will scour as many sources for information of some relationship and use the work of others to serve as a prior for forming an idea or make a decision. Inherently bayesian, evidence-based decision-making weighs all of the prior evidence to derive an opinion on a decision rule. Actual new testing will be used to further support these priors from others. Evidence-based decision-making is being used extensively in medicine and is used more often than admitted by many in finance. The key to good evidence-based decision-making is effectively weighing different evidence based on the quality of the tests and the analysis that is used. Now many quants will review the literature before they undertake their own tests, but evidence-based decision-making is more than just a simple review of past tests. It is means of weighing the work of others. An evidence-based approach can follow a simple process: Form a specific question to be analyzed;
Find all of the existing evidence on the question;
Categorize the quality of testing and data employed as evidence;
Form a decision rule based on the power of the evidence available;
Test using your own database and specification
Apply the developed rule based or prior and new analysis to your investment process;
Evaluate relative to past evidence;
Adjust the decision rule or eliminate. This approach may be viewed as simple but the value is in forming a defined research structure that can stand up to and a weighing process. |
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