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Total Housefull 3 10th Day Box Office Collection Worldwide Earning Report :- Satire show "Housefull 3," featuring Akshay Kumar, Abhishek Bachchan, and Riteish Deshmukh, had a decent eight-day keep running at the overall film industry. The Akshay-starrer has netted more than Rs. 150 crore mark at the overall film industry in only eight days. "Housefull 3," the third portion in "Housefull" arrangement, has had a wonderful keep running in the cinema world. While in India, the film earned more than Rs. 116.11 crore, at the abroad film industry, "Housefull 3" crossed $ 5 million imprints in the main week. In seven days, the film has raked in Rs. 150.19 crore from the overall film industry.
Housefull 3 10th Day Box Office Collection
The month of June brought extraordinary news for hotshot Akshay Kumar as his film Housefull 3 film industry accumulations have transformed into his Highest Opening Week grosser ever! The Sajid-Farhad multi-starrer Housefull 3 that discharged a week ago on Friday has been generally welcomed by the groups of onlookers. Truth be told, the film that elements Akshay Kumar, Abhishek Bachchan, Riteish Deshmukh, Jacqueline Fernandez, Nargis Fakhri and Lisa Haydon has been doing lively business in the cinema world. In this film industry report, we investigate the Opening Week accumulations of Housefull 3 while contrasting the same with Akshay Kumar's past discharges.
As anyone might expect, the film which is the third portion in the Housefull establishment that has built up a clique taking after among the group of onlookers has figured out how to wind up Akshay Kumar's most elevated opening week grosser gathering Rs. 80.10 cr. Truth be told, the film hardly figures out how to surpass Akshay Kumar's past discharge Rowdy Rathore that gathered Rs. 79.52 cr in week 1, and the performing artist's different discharges like Airlift that gathered Rs. 78.5 cr, Singh Is Bling that gathered Rs. 77.6 cr and Brothers that gathered Rs. 72.6 cr.
Housefull 3 Box Office Collection
Housefull 3 was discharged in 3,700 screens on Friday netting Rs. 15.21 on its first day jumping the primary day accumulation of Airlift and Baaghi said Trade Analyst Taran Adarsh. Fans turned out in enormous numbers at night and night demonstrates in this manner having any kind of effect in the principal day profit.
[Week 2] Fri 3.50 cr, Sat 5.05 cr. Total: ₹ 88.65 cr. India biz… Is nearing the ₹ 100 cr mark…
#Housefull3 showed 44.29% growth on 2nd Sat… Like its performance in the opening weekend, the biz should jump yet again on Sun…
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ACHA Rankings l ESPN3 Stream l Ticket Info
ADRIAN, Mich.--Adrian College has been selected to host an American Collegiate Hockey Association Division 1 Men's Game of the Week shown live on the ESPN3 platform on Saturday when the Bulldogs host Midland University in a battle of nationally-ranked squads. The puckdrop is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Arrington Ice Arena.
The video streaming link is http://golivesportscast.com/2017/02/acha-on-espn-game-of-the-week-midland-at-adrian-sat-feb-11th-7pm-est/. The game also is available on WatchESPN and the Watch ESPN App.
This marks the second time this season the Bulldogs will be shown as part of the ACHA Game of the Week produced by GoLiveSports. Adrian previously played Davenport University in an ESPN3 contest back on Oct. 28, a tough 5-4 loss for the only blemish on its ledger.
Adrian comes into the weekend series ranked No. 3 in the latest ACHA national poll while Midland is 16th. The Bulldogs are riding a 16-game winning streak on the way to a 24-1 overall record under first-year head coach Gary Astalos. The Warriors are 20-10 on the season.
Adrian opened the 2016-17 campaign in Fremont, Neb., where it swept Midland in a two-game non-conference series, 10-1 on Sep. 30 and 4-2 on Oct. 1.
#AdrianBulldogs #GDTBAB #GoDawgs #Arrington10thSeasonAnniversary
(Editor's note: Photos by Mike Dickie.)

subset: commoncrawl


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Ok, be warned, this feature is about to get a little crazy…or Goofy…or Dopey.
It is almost time for runDisney to throw open the registration period for the granddaddy of them all, the Walt Disney World Marathon weekend. This means that Casual Runners need to make some tough decisions as to what event, or events, to enter. As we know, registration for runDisney events is an event until itself, so knowing what events you plan on running before registration opens really is essential.
In recent years, individual events have been overshadowed by the increasing number of challenges: The Coast to Coast, the Dumbo Double Dare, the Glass Slipper Challenge, and even the Parks to Paradise Challenge. In these, runners are challenged to complete multiple races, and, if successful, they will be rewarded with special SMOs and additional commemorative race shirts. This brings us to the order of the day, helping you choose between the Goofy and Dopey Challenges during the WDW Marathon weekend.
First, let's catch you up on what these challenges are. The Goofy Challenge is in its 11th year, and requires runners to complete the Donald Duck Half Marathon and Mickey Mouse's Walt Disney World Marathon in consecutive days. Yes, running 39.3 miles in a little over 24 hours really is a Goofy notion.
Because Casual Runners were not quite Goofy enough, 3 years ago runDisney rolled out the Dopey Challenge, which is the Goofy Challenge PLUS Pluto's 5k family fun run AND Minnie Mouse's 10k. That's right folks: 4 races, 4 consecutive days, for a grand total of 48.6 miles.
Two years ago I ran my first marathon, which happened to be the same weekend as the first ever Dopey. In 2015, I planned on "Going Goofy," but then allowed myself to be talked into "Doing Dopey" at the last minute because, well, it was only 2 more races, and after you are committing to 39.3 miles, what are another 9.3 miles on top of that? Full disclosure: I really enjoyed completing the Dopey Challenge, and am glad that I did it. But now that a lot of Casual Runners have been asking me my recommendation as to whether they should go Dopey or Goofy, I want to give you some things to think about when you are making your decision.
First Timers. First of all, while some runners have succeeded in doing so, I would strongly recommend against either challenge if this is going to be your first full marathon. The marathon is a really big deal, and you have no idea how your body will react to it. Do we need to be reminded that the first guy who ever attempted one died (I thought that I would throw that one out there for you history geeks, it may also be a hint of things to come on Casual Runner). So do yourself a favor, if it is your first time going the full 26.2, skip the challenges for this year, you will have your shot at them next year.
Value. Do the math, you are paying for these races. runDisney does not offer any bulk discounts, so you do not save any money by registering for the challenges. In fact, the Goofy costs $10 more than if you were to register for the Donald and the Mickey separately. It is interesting to note that, for 2015, the full and half marathon events cost the same ($175), so, when you think about it, the marathon is the only real bargain in the lot as each mile only costs half as much as the miles in the half marathon! Similarly, the Dopey costs $20 more than the total of all 4 races. So you do not save any money registering for the challenges, you actually end up paying a little bit more.
But what are you getting for this money? For me, I ended up running a 10k that I enjoyed but did not "need" to run, and a race that I really didn't care about, the 5k. I am not knocking Pluto's 5k as plenty of runners enjoy this event (as evidenced by the fact that it sells out), but if I am being honest, I had zero interest in running it other than I needed to in order to complete the Dopey Challenge. Then again, the feeling of accomplishment at conquering the Dopey Challenge is pretty awesome, and no one can take that feeling away from me.
So, if you are keen on running the 10k and 5k, go ahead and go for Dopey. But, if you are not 100% certain that you want to run the 10k and 5k events, you need to ask yourself: is it really worth the extra money to run a race or races that you did not really want to run?
All or nothing. If you want to run a challenge, you have to register for the challenge itself. As there are a set number of bibs set aside for each challenge, runDisney will not allow you to register for the individual events and claim the challenges later. They do not work that way.
On this point, if you hear anyone tell you that you can split the races up amongst multiple runners, you cannot. The challenges must be run and completed by a single runner, so there is no relay option on these, and anyone who tells you otherwise is wrong.
Sleep. Most Casual Runners will be travelling to WDW Marathon weekend, which means this is more than just planning running races, it is about planning a runcation. The amount of time you will need to take off of work and the amount of time you get to visit the Walt Disney World theme parks will necessarily be impacted by how many races you run. Keep in mind, every race you enter means a morning with a super early wake-up call.
For me, the hardest part of Dopey was waking up 4 days in a row and getting moving. I remember sitting and waiting for Fantasmic to start on the second of 4 race days, and I was so exhausted that I nearly fell asleep…and this was at only 6:15pm! For the record, Jake and Jennifer were the smart ones who decided to go back to the resort earlier for some much-needed rest.
Are you a WDW First Timer? Along those same lines, if this trip will be your first visit to Walt Disney World or you are not a WDW veteran, doing the challenges may not be for you. I ran my first half marathon as a part of a family vacation, and it did not impact our touring plans all that much. However, doing a race challenge will dominate your trip planning.
When I ran Dopey I did not see a single rope drop, and only saw one nighttime spectacular – two things that I usually never miss in Disney World – during the entire trip. You also have to save your legs, which means not covering as much ground in the parks. If making these sacrifices will prevent you from getting the Disney vacation you want, a challenge may not be for you, and you may want to stick to running single events instead of multiple ones.
Training. Race events are a big deal. Half Marathons are a big deal. Full marathons are a big deal. Put them all together over 2-4 consecutive days and you have a really big deal. This, after all, is what these race challenges are all about, challenging yourself to run farther than you ever have before and maybe even thought possible. This requires a lot of training. When making the registration decision, do not only focus on what race or races you want to enter, but what race or races you will be able to properly train for, as the training is crucial to your enjoyment and ultimate success.
After thinking long and hard about this, I decided that, even though I loved the Dopey Challenge, I will pass on reprising that challenge in 2016. Instead, I am going to do what I originally intended for 2015: I'm Going Goofy! I will be cheering on all of you Casual Runners who decide to Do Dopey and those who run individual races during the weekend, but I will be doing so a little bit more well-rested and with a little more money in my pocket.
The Casual Runner Team wants to hear from you. If you have any questions about anything we cover here on Casual Runner, if you have any questions regarding running gear or training for your own Casual Running needs, or if there is anything that you would like us to cover on Casual Runner, please leave a comment or email us using the links below. To ensure that you do not miss all of the great content from Casual Runner, please be sure to like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, subscribe to our YouTube channel, and add us to your circles on Google+. See you out on the running trails!


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We are delighted that Ascendant will be joining us all the way from California. This ambient duo comprises Chris Bryant, well-known in the ambient world from his solo releases as S1gns of L1fe, along with grammy-nominated mastering engineer Don Tyler, aka Phase47. Together, its a European debut not to be missed!
Ascendant brings together two forces in the ambient world to form an ambient duo like no other. Sonic soundscapes and drifting melodies of unearthly celestial origin define their sound as they offer listeners a taste of their own creativity and vision combined. Hailing from the Bay Area in California, S1gns Of L1fe specializes in deep texture, drones, and pulsing ambient rhythms, a quality his fans have come to recognize as his signature sound. From down the coast, Phase47 rises from the wreckage of Los Angeles and brings forth a sound stemming from his dark ambient and melodic roots. Their mission, to ascend. Their platform, the ambient super-group known as Ascendant.
S1gns Of L1fe has an incredible energy and passion for ambient music. He is a owner of the ambient website Ambient Online, for which he also produces a bi-weekly podcast featuring ambient tracks from members of the forum. Chris also fits in time as a sound designer, creating demos for various ambient soundbanks, and is a talented guitarist, running his own guitar school, the Chris Bryant Guitar School.
Ascendant have put together an unforgettable set for the Ambient Music Conference 2014, incorporating some of some existing favorites along with some stunning new material written especially for the event. We can't wait to hear it!
Register for the event here.


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A leading elevator and lift company in the US, DAY Elevator & Lift offers a range of certified pre-owned wheelchair lifts. The company makes available products from leading manufacturers in the industry.
DAY Elevator & Lift is a renowned elevator and lift company that offers a range of certified pre-owned wheelchair lifts from major manufacturers such as Savaria and Adaptive Engineering.
DAY's certified pre-owned wheelchair lifts come with the same uncompromising standards as that of brand new models. From Savaria, the company offers portable wheelchair lifts, and vertical and inclined platform lifts. The models offered include Roby Powered Stair Climber, Multilift, and V1504.
Adaptive Engineering's Mobilift CX is another product available. The Mobilift CX portable wheelchair lift is an economical option that ensures speedy and safe access to various levels of the home. Savaria's Multilift vertical platform lift comes with a rugged construction, perfect for low-rise travel indoors or out.
The company purchases all types of used mobility equipment at the best prices in the industry. Before being offered for sale, the pre-owned mobility equipment undergoes rigorous inspection.
DAY Elevator & Lift also provides efficient post-sales service with custom installation, maintenance, inspection and testing services. For details regarding the various products offered, customers can contact at the toll free number 1-800-758-5438.
About DAY Elevator & Lift
Established in 1992, DAY Elevator and Lift is an elevator and lift company that serves the Tri State area of New York and New Jersey. As an authorized dealer, the company offers accessibility equipment including elevators, wheelchair lifts, and stair lifts. Visit www.dayelevator.com to check out their diverse product line. The company is committed to providing customers with ongoing customer support and on-call service 24/7.
Contact and Location Details
50 Hempstead Gardens Drive
West Hempstead, NY 11552
Phone: (800)758-5438
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com


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One of our Spotlight Groups is looking at Transport issues. The group is now being led by Barbara Kettel and had its first face to face meeting on 27 March 2017. Notes of that and subsequent meetings can be downloaded here:
Identifying the issue of parking in the centre of Great Shelford as being a key issue, the group undertook a 12-hour survey of the car parks in September 2017. Their report showed that of the nearly 100 spaces monitored throughout the day, only 10 were available at any one time to short-stay visitors to the shops and facilities, all the other spaces having been occupied by cars staying for at least two hours, often a lot longer. Their full report was presented to Great Shelford Parish Council's Highways sub-committee meeting. This graphic illustrates the results well:
Originally led by Jim Chisholm, the group had started off by discussing these issues by email, under the broad headings of:
- Rail (in particular, Shelford Station)
- Buses
- Park & Ride
- Goods vehicles
- Parking
- Speed limits
- Cycling
- Pedestrian routes
More thoughts on this can be seen in the group's blog posts. If you would like to contribute, then do get in touch.


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Volunteer Driving
Many people undergoing cancer treatment are unable to drive themselves to their treatment appointments. This makes volunteer driving one of the most important volunteer roles at the Cancer Society.
Volunteer drivers pick patients up from their home, take them to their appointments and return them home again. This service helps take some of the stress off people and their families during what is already a difficult time.
Being a volunteer driver may only take a few hours once a week, once a fortnight, or even once a month. You can choose to drive as little or as often as you like on days that suit you.
To become a volunteer driver you need to have:
- A friendly caring manner
- Good driving skills and a current full New Zealand driver's licence
- Up-to-date motor vehicle insurance and warrant of fitness
- Complete a Cancer Society driving assessment
- The ability to maintain patient confidentiality
- Empathy for people being treated for cancer
- Excellent communication skills with the ability to establish rapport with people who may be stressed or upset
- Confidence and professionalism in challenging situations
We provide you with full training and on-going support, and a contribution to your travel costs is available.
Contact your local Cancer Society centre to find out more.


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WJ Magazine
About the Print Version
The Waterways Journal includes a wide range of news articles that provide a window into the people and technology behind a thriving major sector of industrial transport in the United States. Topics covered include inland shipyards, lock and dam construction, the Corps of Engineers, dredging news, inland ports and terminals, barge and towboat construction and launches, new technology relating to towboats, and regulations of the U.S. Coast Guard, Environmental Protection Agency, and other federal agencies that affect inland waterways commerce, as well as news about major commodities that travel the waterways, such as grain, coal, steel and fertilizer.
In each issue of the Waterways Journal, readers can expect to find a variety of weekly columns that range from editorial to late breaking news. Other columns include:
- Washington Updates
- Forthcoming Events
- Obituary Notices
- This Week (a historical look at past issues of the WJ)
Subscribe to the Print Version
We welcome you to subscribe to our print edition of the Waterways Journal by clicking Subscribe above, or simply click here to be taken to the page. You can also call us at 314-241-7354.


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Sheila graduated from the Alberta College of art and Design and has worked as a graphic designer for 25 plus years and paints as much as time allows. She was born and raised in Quebec but followed the setting sun west where she now divides her time between Alberta and British Columbia.
Her love of the outdoors provides the inspiration to interact with and interpret the ever changing and fascinating qualities of nature whether hiking in the woods or floating on the water. It's all an opportunity to learn about yourself; intuitively interact and connect. You learn to see and savour your world with gratitude and humility through light, colour, composition and your own unique filter.
She's also a member of the Calgary artists Society, the Alberta Society of artists and the Federation of Canadian artists. Her work has found its way into private and corporate collections in Canada, the U.S. and abroad. "It is wonderful to feel the grandness of Canada in the raw, not because she is Canada but because she's something sublime that you were born into, some rugged power that you are a part of." — Emily Carr
Email | Website


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The most thrilling game that will bring Goosebumps is right here. It's none other than WWE Immortals. The latest version has many added features and characters in the game. It doesn't matter what type of mode you select in the game but you are sure to have the best of action-gaming. And the good news for all the gaming freaks is that you can now play this game on your PC as well and that too for free! Before you get to know all about downloading and installing process of WWE Immortals for PC, let's first see what all you can enjoy in this thrilling game.
Read More: Badlands for PC (Windows 7/8/XP)
Features Of WWE Immortals Game:
Other than the gameplay, one interesting features about this game is graphics. The game delivers the best results for graphics on android mobiles and tablets. But when it comes to PC, they are delivered even better. Not talking much about this feature, let's now see the game play and few more other interesting features.
You are free to select your favourite WWE Superstars which includes Triple H, The Undertaker, The Rock, John Cena, Hulk Hogan, etc. But these players do not have enough powers and abilities to beat any opponent in the game. So, your first aim will be to upgrade the powers and ability to fight with any opponent in the game. This is why the game is named as Immortals, a never ending game. There are many options to customize your superstar's power so that you can adjust their moves according to the rival in the ring. And one more thing which is quite useful is you can watch the videos of the previous matches that you have played. By this, you will come to know that what your weak points were and where is the need for you to improve.
The most interesting feature about this game is you can fight against the unknown players by switching on to the online mode. You can also take part in some mega events held at the venues. With this, you can collect many rewards and points to strengthen your superstar's power. The additional feature of getting more powers through online mode can be helpful to you when you are playing the championship modes in the game later on. Now that you know what to do and what not to do in the game, it's time for you to know how to play WWE Immortals on PC. Let's face it off!
Read More: Frontline Commando 2 for PC
How To Play WWE Immortals On PC?
Basically, the game is supported for Android devices. With tons of downloads every month speaks all about the game. And the fact that the game visuals are in 3D makes it even more interesting to play on PC. Here are three steps you need to follow:
- Download and install Bluestacks on your PC.
- Hit the search box and type WWE Immortals.
- As soon as you find the results of the official game, download and install the game on your PC.
Just three steps and you are on the way to play the most thrilling game on your PC. Download WWE Immortals on your PC for free now!


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Beginner advice
Hiya all, haven't been on here for a while since i had a little break from bread making due to total baking exhaustion breakdown! I have given up on my sourdough for the time being, i did throw my starter which was everything i could hope for and more, but was just taking too much effort to feed and wait for bread to rise. Don't be put off in making a starter as it was real easy to get going and rise bread with, but personally couldn't fit the long rises into my schedule and as i wanted to perfect a few bread making and baking skills i thought that returning to packet instant yeast would allow me to produce more and quicker.
Anyway the reason i post this is for everyone who experiences problems with fan ovens, overly hard tough thick break your teeth crust, not enough oven spring, dense gummy crust at the base of the loaf and bread that dosen't rise quite enough or in the wrong direction. Unfortunatley i have suffered all of these problems to some extent and with little or no obvious solution!
I am not a quitter and don't really do things by half so i has been a hard period of my life when i consider all the recent baking failures i have had with just plain old simple bread. I see all the beautifull bread posted in glorious technicolour on this site and am left whispering to my sad little misformed loaves ''Why can't you be more like that'' and ''Stop crying and act like a man'' . Yes my techniques are 100% sound and i knead, rise, amylase and proof just as good as any pro, and should think so when i recollect the hundreds and thousonds of times i have done it but still somthing was going wrong.
I had used all the priceless and free advice that the 'Gods of Bread' on this site had given and gifted me putting it all into practice but still i lacked that finished product that would make my mouth water and heart race. What was i doing wrong or have i missed somthing out, why oh why was my bread not award winning with a personallity to match?
To be honest my sheer stubbonness and financial situation were to blame, but mainly my sheer stubbonness (sorry ladies) due to being a man. Everytime i posted a problem in looking for a solution i was told that a dutch oven or makeshift cover for the loaf would vastly improve and eradicate most problems and enhance what little i was getting right. Fine i thought but i couldn't afford one at the moment and would this simple little cast iron cooking pot really kill four to five birds with one stone?
YES, YES, YES, YEEEESSSSS and i'll have what she's having. As i said i couldn't afford a lecrueset or similar so i used cheap old glasswear instead, found a glass casserole pot with lid and preheated to 250 degrees centigrade in my fan oven. When it had had a long enough preheat i dropped the loaf in from my makeshift peel covered in pollenta and replaced the lid for 15 mins, then removed the lid and finished the bake. God the results were astounding, thin storebought soft crust, a full oven spring and then some with an even crumb from top to bottom. Gone were the weird sideways blowouts due to uneven heat in my fan oven and no thick tough old crust. The base crumb baked and looked like the crumb at the top of the loaf with no gummy strip and most of all it looked just as good as some of the bread i so idolised in the pictures that the pros were posting on here.
So the moral of my story is that if someone recommends a dutch oven to bake your bread in or to cover the loaf, don't dismiss this as just an idea that people give but follow their advice to the letter and go out and buy one or better still make one from glass or what ever you have available as it replicates the proffessional environment given in a bakers oven and not only solved one or two of my problems but all of them. I post this for any beginners or people that simply can't get their bread right when baking as it took me a while to realise the awsome potential of this baking method and how much time i would of saved if i'd only listened to the members of the fresh loaf in the first place. Thankyou all for being so patient with me and i will post some pictures of my bread very soon now that it is perfect.
dutch oven bread baking
Home bread bakers have two problems: home ovens don't create or retain heat like commercial bread ovens, and home ovens don't have the humidifier systems that professionals use to create the "crackling crusts" that artisan bread bakers treasure. In November 2006 New York Times food writer Mark Bittman published an article on the work professional baker Jim Lahey has done to develop home techniques for bread baking, using Dutch ovens (covered metal or ceramic pots) to solve both the heat and moisture problems.
It's no exaggeration to say that the article has revolutionized home bread baking in the last several years. It reduced a complex, fussy process to something you could do on a Saturday afternoon in-between errands, and still produce loaves that look like the work of artisan bakers. By placing the risen bread dough into a 425°F Dutch oven, you get the massive surrounding heat of a professional oven, and in the covered pot the bread itself supplies the moisture needed to produce a great crust.
Author Pat Lynch


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Your Starter Kitchen – A Guide to the Basics
Welcome to Your Starter Kitchen–a series of posts dedicated to helping you build out your very first kitchen if you're just starting out–or to fill in some important gaps if you've been cooking for awhile. I'll cover everything from equipment to appliances to pantry items, giving you the info you need to build the perfect Starter Kitchen. Then, from there, you'll find a series of basic recipes that make use of the Starter Kitchen recommended items with as few extras as possible: the kinds of recipes everyone can make and just about everyone happens to like. Please note: all linked items are quickly found suggestions at best–look around local stores, and do a little research to find items that suit your particular needs! Please feel free to ask about specific items in the comments, and I'll do my best to answer!
So, without any further ado, let's get started!
Equipment covers the basic hardware of cooking, and it's hard to do much of anything without this stuff. From pots and pans to knives and spoons, these are the tools you'll use at every stage of every recipe, from prep to plating!
- 1x Wide, High-Walled Non-Stick Skillet – 10-12″ is good. Go to someplace like Ross/TJ Maxx and get it on-sale. The nonstick coating's gonna come off in a year or 3 anyway, so why blow $100 on it? Get a heavy-feeling one, and despite the internet's obsession with them, nonstick is gonna work a lot better as your primary than cast iron–they're generally lighter, less finicky about what's cooked in them, and quicker to clean. Down the line, do invest in a good cast iron skillet, of course–they are pretty great!
- 1x Medium Sauce-Pan (2-4 qt) – Handy for making small portions of soup (Ramen!) and other pre-packaged meals (Mac n Cheese), but you can make simple sauces and the like in here, too. Nonstick is your call, but you're generally not gonna throw eggs in here, and stainless steel will last you longer. Again, get it cheaply, but get the heaviest cheap one you can find.
- 1x Large Dutch Oven/Stockpot (6-10 qt) – Handy for making stews, curries, soups, and other large-quantity meals, which are a cornerstone of cheap, healthy dining :). As before, nonstick vs. stainless steel is your call (stainless will last better, but might scorch aromatics/spices early in recipes if you aren't careful, since they tend to heat faster and "catch" food), and again, get the heaviest one you can find for a reasonable price.
- 3x Baking Dishes – I think glass 8″ Square and 9×13″ Rectangle dishes, plus a flat metal cookie sheet will come up most often and will provide a strong basis to start from; expand from there as needed for specialized dishes (e.g., pie dish, bundt pan, etc.).
- 1x Good Plastic Spatula with Metal Handle – You want a wide (for pancakes, etc.), sturdy (for burgers, etc.), and plastic (to avoid scratching your nonstick pan(s)) one. A metal handle will give it more body, though a plastic or rubber grip is OK in the name of ease of use. One that has a "heat resistant" head is even better!
- 1x Wooden or Plastic Spoon – Something big, hefty, and long enough to easily stir your biggest pot with. Wood or plastic again to avoid scraping your nonstick cookware. A deeper-set spoon will be more useful for serving yourself stuff, but is tougher to cook with. On that note. . .
- 1x Wooden "Wedge" Spoon – I don't know what these are called, but flat, boxy, or wedge-shaped heads are great for cutting up ground meat, stirring stuff around, etc. If you have a weird obsession with digging food out of the corners of your pot while stirring like I do, this is very handy!
- 1x Chef's Knife/Santoku – Your daily, workhorse knife. This is worth spending a little money on, but on the cheaper end, I hear great things about Victorinex. 6-8″ is ideal for most people, and you want something with a full metal tang (more durable) that you can sharpen yourself (get a cheapo sharpener). From slicing through meat and heavy veggies to bashing out garlic, a good knife will serve you well!
- 1x Paring Knife – For quicker work with smaller fruits and vegetables that don't require the power of your big knife. If anything, sharpness is even more important here, since a lot of paring is done in-hand, and a dull knife is very dangerous (they have a lovely tendency to slip off of whatever you're cutting and into you), so keep that sharpener suggestion in mind!
- 1x Can Opener – While cooking, you'll find yourself opening plenty of cans, from canned veggies to evaporated milk. A solid can opener will take you a long, long way, and there's no need to clutter up the kitchen with a fancy electric one unless you're also caring for a dozen wet-food-addicted cats!
- 3-5x Sets of Kitchen Flatware – Buy depending on your household size and washing preferences. I'm cooking for two here, so about 5 sets of everything lasts us a couple of days, most of the time, whereas my parents have at least 12 sets and seem to never have to do dishes. . .
- 3-5x Sets of Dinnerware – I mean, you gotta have something to eat off of, right? No need to get super fancy or invest in a ton–you'll wind up washing it all the time, anyway.
- 3-5x Sets of Glassware – By a similar token, drinking tends to accompany eating in most homes, so, you know, have cups.
- 1x Large Cutting Board – May as well go big so it can handle big stuff like celery or eggplant easily without loose food falling off everywhere. Plastic's easier to maintain than wood (which appreciates semi-regular applications of mineral oil to keep it from cracking), and something with rubber feet is nice for safety. And please, no glass! It has a nasty tendency to ruin knives.
- 1x Set of Mixing Bowls – Small/Med/Large (e.g., 1qt, 2qt, 4qt) is nice, but even just a double-set is okay. You'll need places to hold ingredients and mix together batters and marinades, and if you get a set with lids, they'll fill in as food storage, too!
- 1x Set of Measuring Cups and/or Pourable Measuring Cup – Measuring is vital in many areas, but especially baking. Your call which you prefer, but you may eventually want both. You might even want a second cup/set at some point to let you measure wet and dry quantities without having to wash/dry in-between. Later on, a plunger-based measuring cup might even tantalize you for easily plopping out portions of sticky ingredients like honey and mayo, but we're getting ahead of ourselves!
- 1x Set of Measuring Spoons – 1/4 tsp, 1/2 tsp, 1 tsp + 1 tbsp is common and highly useful in so many recipes it'll make your head spin. You may eventually pick up a second set for the same reason as above.
- 1x Set of Sealable Food Storage Containers – A big secret to eating well and cheaply is making enough for leftovers! Something that'll easily move from counter-top to fridge to microwave to dishwasher is definitely handy, and a variety of sizes and shapes will make your life easier in the long run.
- 1x Colander and/or Strainer – Subtly different, either of these tools will come in handy whenever you boil pasta, potatoes, or even rice. A strainer can double as a sieve for sifting flour into baked goods, whereas a colander is a little easier to use when you're by yourself.
- 1x Set of Kitchen Towels and/or Mitts – Messes happen and–frankly–sometimes you just need to dry stuff off. Kitchen towels are also handy for covering rising baked goods, whereas a real kitchen mitt is a little safer for extracting blazing-hot items from the oven. If you do opt for just towels, keep a dry one around at all times for heat-resistance purposes–a wet towel will burn you quicker than you can say "Well that was dumb!"
- Anything Else? – If you'll be baking or making a ton of omelets, consider a good, sturdy wire whisk. By that same token, a rolling pin often comes in handy for particular kinds of baked goods and the like. Cooling racks crop up a lot in baking, too. Kitchen tongs are so handy in so many ways I am tempted to add them to the main list, but alas, they are, in the end, a luxury.
Appliances are the big, honkin' power-sucking gadgets that make a kitchen come alive. Some are basically standard in just about any house or apartment in the Western world, while others are a little more "buy it yourself." As before, I will try to stick to stuff I think you really need early on. Perhaps even more than with regular old equipment, there's an absurd variety of awesome, tempting gizmos out there!
- Stove or Electric Burner – It's pretty daggum hard to get by without this. Not impossible, mind you, but very difficult, and it tends to involve starting small fires. If you have a choice (you lucky dog, you), gas tends to be more versatile (and gets way hotter) than electric, while electric's often a little less fussy and easier to clean/maintain.
- Oven – Ditto for the above. A toaster oven will do in a pinch, but they aren't well-suited for long-form baking and just plain aren't as big. I don't think gas or electric matters nearly as much here, but if you're lucky enough to grab something with convection. . . well, I guess you're lucky!
- Microwave – This will make re-heating leftovers much easier, plus it can make simple things like boiling water, melting butter, or just thawing out some frozen veggies or meats way quicker. So, if at all possible, grab one!
- Slow-Cooker – It's dead simple to use and allows for easy one-pot cooking. There are tons of websites around the net that have great recipes to use, and I hope to share some here, too. 2-3 quarts is fine for one, but I think the 4-5 quart range is a little more versatile (if somewhat less portable) if you don't mind leftovers. You don't really need anything other than High, Low, Warm, and Off, but timers are a nice extra.
- Blender and/or Mini Food Processor – Comes up in so many different places that even a cheapo $10-15 blender from Walmart will serve you well to get going with. Later on a full-featured food processor will make a lot of annoying recipes much easier, but wait till you can spend on it.
- Anything Else? – Well, like I mentioned, a larger food processor winds up coming in handy all the time, from making dough to grinding meat. A good stand mixer will make baking much easier, from batter to icing, but they're big and pricey. Also, if you make a lot of blended stews and/or curries, you might be surprised by how handy an immersion blender winds up being. Oh, and if you're a caffeine addict, a coffee machine (or french press, if you're fancy) and/or electric water kettle will prove invaluable–which one may very well depend on how British you are. . .
Pantry Basics
A well-stocked pantry is the first step toward great food! These are the timeless ingredients and add-ons that you'll use again and again in recipes across all sorts of cuisines and styles. Best of all, most everything here will keep for months or even years with careful storage, so if you buy a good bit early on, you'll be set for many, many recipes.
- Rice – Brown or white, cheap or fancy, you'll use it all the time. A staple of Chinese, Japanese, Mexican, Indian, Thai, and other world cuisines, plus very common in classic Southern US cooking, it adds bulk and nutrition to recipes and keeps you full. Buy some baggie clips and buy it in large quantities, and consider double-bagging it, just in case you're unlucky enough to get weevils. If you'll mostly be doing bog-standard cooking, you'll want a bog-standard rice: long grain white (not parboiled or boil-in-a-bag, please! We have a little class around here, okay?). If you're looking to up your fiber intake and don't mind a 3x as long cooking time, long grain brown is just fine, too.
- Dried Beans – Red and black are most common for a lot of uses and cuisines, but Pinto and Navy are taste great, too. Like rice, they show up in tons of different kinds of foods from across the whole world, and are rich in protein, fiber, and the vitamins/nutrients you need to live! Plus, they keep you full and seem to make gigantic quantities almost without any effort at all.
- Dried Lentils – A little less common in the West than beans, lentils are amazing. From the cheapo little split brown lentils at the supermarket to more exotic stuff like chickpeas, urad dal, and pigeon peas, these guys are just as good as beans and give you more options, to boot.
- Dried Oats – A great breakfast option that can be modified in all sorts of tasty ways, plus oats are handy for healthy baking and other recipes, too. Honestly, oats are pretty much yours to do with as you please. Old Fashioned have a little nicer texture than Quick-Cooking (but, well, don't cook as quick), while Steel-Cut are the slowest-cooking and heartiest of all the common varieties.
- All Purpose Flour – Comes up in all sorts of baking, from the batters and doughs themselves to a rolling aid and even a pan-duster, plus it gets used elsewhere as a sauce-thickener. I can't stress this enough: it's very handy to keep a big bag of it around–again, double bagged, if you can manage it.
- White Sugar – More common than brown (and it lasts a heck of a lot longer), sugar is another baking and cooking staple you'll always want around the house. Sure, sure, it's not the healthiest thing in the world, but in moderation, it can do so much!
- Cornmeal – I'm a good ol' Southern Boy, so I'll add this to the "baking essentials" section, but feel free to drop it if you aren't too big into stuff like cornbread or chess pie. Even if that means that you are unquestionably insane. . .
- Cooking Oil – Canola is a good one to start with (it's fairly neutral-tasting, reasonably healthy–for oil, mind–and has a decently high smoke point so you can cook a lot of things with it), but some people swear by keeping olive oil around, too–and there are recipes that just aren't the same without it. But if I had to pick, I'd go with canola to start with.
- Baking Soda and Baking Powder – Used in baking recipes almost constantly, you do need both. Soda is added to acidic ingredients (like buttermilk or lemon juice) to create rise via the same acid+base reaction that powered your elementary school volcanoes, while powder can do it on its own. A lot of baking involves the careful balance of the two.
- Kosher Salt – Easier to work with, better-textured, and better-tasting than regular salt, and you can buy it in bulk, too. Used in virtually every recipe ever, so you will need it! I suppose I should technically mention that it doesn't contain iodine, an essential nutrient found in most brands of table salt, but you'll get it from other places unless you're a medieval peasant. . .
- Black Pepper – While a fancy grinder (or even a cheapo plastic one) will taste better, just starting out, a medium-sized shaker of the pre-ground stuff will suffice if you really insist. The fresh-ground stuff tastes leagues better, but until you get good at eyeballing ingredients, I'll be honest and say that the pre-ground is a lot easier to get into a measuring spoon. . .
- Basic Spices – Below, you'll find what I think is a good assortment. No, you can't cook everything under the sun with them, but they are a great start to any kitchen and will come up again and again. If you like a certain kind of cuisine, feel free to fill in with spices from it as needed–and keep an eye out for guides on this very site to doing that!
- Paprika – This pungent, sweet, red spice is made from ground up red peppers (typically the not-spicy kind). It's great for color or a splash of exotic flavor, and rounds out tons of otherwise-bland dishes. Try it in breading on fried chicken or mixed into stew!
- Cayenne – The quintessential American hot pepper powder. Yes, there are all sorts of delicious chili powders from around the world–and I'll explore and recommend many of them–but when it comes to adding a touch of heat to a dish, it's tough to beat ol' Cayenne. Boom!
- Cumin – An earthy, deep spice that adds all sorts of body and flavor to a dish, cumin is common on both sides of the Atlantic, from Mexico to the Mediterranean to India. It's great in chili, curry, and soup, and while fresh-ground is better, the pre-powdered stuff is way more convenient when you're just starting out.
- Cinnamon – An altogether different kind of earthy than cumin, cinnamon is also hot, spicy, and sweet all at once, and all-but-essential to classic Western dishes prepared in the fall and winter. From baked goods (Pumpkin Spice everything, anyone?) to drinks, cinnamon is a rockstar!
- Basic Dried Herbs – Below, you'll find what I think is a good assortment. No, they're not as good as fresh for most recipes, but buying a $2 package of rosemary once a week isn't cheap in the long run. Also, no, you can't cook everything under the sun with those, but they are a great start to any kitchen and will come up again and again. If you like a certain kind of cuisine, fill in with herbs from it as needed.
- Parsley – Handy as both a flavoring tool and a garnish, parsley is sort of the most basic herb. Fresh, it has a fairly noticeably herby kick to it, but dried, it's very mellow indeed, but is still fun to shake all over stuff.
- Oregano – With a more noticeable, almost minty tone than parsley, oregano is immediately recognizable and shows up everywhere from Italy to Mexico. It's a great herb, and one I know you'll get a lot of use out of.
- Thyme – Perhaps the herbiest of all my suggestions, thyme is a little sharper and cooler than oregano and often pairs very well with it. Works great in Cajun cuisine, or on chicken.
- Bay Leaves – Bay leaves are a thing of mystery folks. Somehow, when added to a stew or soup, they impart a subtle, deeply important flavor that you don't realize you miss till it's gone. . . but the second you bite into one, you wonder why anyone would cook with them at all!
- Basic Flavorings – Not quite herbs, not quite spices. Below, you'll find what I think is a good assortment. As before, this covers the basics very well, and you can expand to fit your tastes as needed.
- Vanilla Extract (Artificial) – Vanilla's a delightful flavor that shows up in tons of places, from baked goods to candy, and honestly, it takes a pretty darn sensitive tongue to tell the difference between the real stuff and the fake. Just, you know, don't buy it from a truck on the side of the road or anything.
- Garlic Powder – Sure, fresh garlic is better-tasting and more authentic. But, sometimes, you just gotta cook something quick, and garlic is a great flavor to be able to toss in, so keep a shaker of this stuff around.
- Onion Powder – Ditto for the above, except, you know, about onions, instead.
- Cocoa Powder – From hot cocoa to mocha to brownies to oatmeal (no, really!), cocoa powder adds the bold, rich flavor of chocolate to anything you'd like without a lot of calories (those mostly come from the copious amounts of sugar and oil, you see).
- Spice Mixes – You're just starting out, so buy what you like until you're more comfortable making your own. Lemon Pepper, Caribbean Jerk, Cajun, etc.–get a couple of cheap ones to throw on meat or vegetables when you're lazy or strapped for ideas. Don't worry–no one will judge you!
- Honey/Syrup – A liquid sweetener always comes in handy, and both last for ages! If you're a pancake fiend, go for the syrup, but otherwise, honey is a little more versatile for actual cooking.
- Canned/Packaged Soup – A quick, hearty meal you can nuke or boil real fast is nice to have handy. Sometimes, having a bowl of Chicken Noodle or Tomato as a fast, easy accompaniment to a sandwich or some fresh veggies is a great way to close out a hard day. Plus, some soups are great for cooking, too. In particular, Cream of Mushroom, Cream of Celery, and Cream of Chicken come up in a lot of classic recipes.
- Canned Vegetables – While fresh veggies are almost always preferable, like with the soup above, sometimes you just need to be realistic! You'll use tinned tomatoes for cooking a lot, and canned corn/green beans/etc. is nice as a quick side you can toss in the microwave or a pot.
- Canned Meat – Despite the heinous odor and icky looks, canned chicken and tuna are a quick way to add protein without a lot of effort. And even Spam, the butt of countless bad-food jokes, is beloved by the people of Korea and Hawaii alike!
- Coffee and/or Tea – Healthier than soda (unless loaded down with sugar and cream/milk) and more flavorful than water. Plus, you know, that magical caffeine stuff that runs the entire world. I make my own iced tea each week with zero-calorie sweetener; it's awesome!
- Anything Else? – Aside from additional spices, herbs, and flavorings (as above), you might well find use for wheat flour for healthier baking, peanut butter for sandwiches and cooking alike, powdered sugar and cake flour for more specialized baking (desserts, mostly–hence the name, eh?), and vinegar–either white or cider.
Fridge/Freezer Basics
So, yes–if something's in the chillbox to begin with, it's usually because it'll go bad pretty quick. You'll mostly use these storage-spots for fresh ingredients in the lead-up to cooking them. But, there are a few kitchen staples that'll live in your fridge long-term (whether weeks or months), and you'd be pretty sad if you were missing them!
- Ketchup – From fries to hot dogs, Ketchup's bound up in Americana like few other ingredients. But aside from a great dipping sauce, it even shows up as a quick way to add acidity or sweetness to recipes. Buy a good-sized squeezie bottle and enjoy it!
- Mayonnaise – Aside from being delightful to spread onto sandwiches, mayo also crops up as the base for lots of all sorts of interesting sauces and spreads, so keeping some around is always a good idea. And who can forget the joys of chicken salad. . .
- Mustard -A little less calorically dense than its brethren, mustard rounds out the classic American sauce trio with its bitter, pungent flavors accented by tanginess. While the fluorescent yellow stuff is great at a cookout, brown mustard is a little more refined. . . if you're into that kinda thing.
- Lemon/Lime Juice – If you live somewhere where you can get fresh limes/lemons on the cheap all year round, great! For the rest of us, the bottled stuff has to suffice sometimes. Squeezed into a recipe or mixed drink, it adds a subtle, bright flavor that you'd hate to miss.
- Unsalted Butter – Used all the time in cooking and baking, plus it makes a great spread on bread when softened (or get a tub of spreadable butter substitute, but go easy on that stuff!). Honestly, butter doesn't keep all that long in the fridge compared to other stuff, but you'll use it so fast you won't even notice.
- Shredded/Sliced Cheese – Like butter, cheese doesn't last as long as the other stuff, but you'll love being able to add a bit to a ton of meals. Whether a quick grilled cheese sandwich or a tasty, melty sprinkle on top of a baked potato, cheese makes the world go round. Unless you're lactose intolerant. . . you poor, poor soul, you.
- Frozen Vegetables – It winds up that frozen vegetables are pretty darn healthy, since they can be picked at the peak of ripeness and then preserved via the magic of flash-freezing. Whether your favorite veggie is outta season or you just never use enough to justify buying it fresh, there's all sorts of reasons to use frozen veggies. Here's a few of my favorites:
- Spinach – Frozen, chopped spinach is great to throw into everything from omelets to smoothies, and it's a lot less finicky to deal with than fresh. Sure, it's not as pretty, but since when have we let looks come between us and good health?
- Corn on the Cob – Those little mini-cobs are great to bake or nuke for a quick side dish to a ton of different meals, and with a bit of butter and salt, you almost forget they're nowhere near as good as fresh. . .
- "Mixed" Vegetables – The classic corn/carrot/pea combo (sometimes with green beans added) is great for tossing into soups, stir fries, and tons of other applications, and it's pretty darn healthy, to boot!
- "Stir Fry" Vegetables – It's all in the name here. This random mix of larger veggies like snow peas, asparagus, broccoli, and more is great for tossing together a quick stir fry, whether you're going Asian or fajita-style.
- Anything Else? – If you're a fan of them, soy, barbecue, and hot sauces all last a good long while in the fridge and can be tossed into tons of different kinds of food. Deli meats like turkey or ham keep for a couple of weeks at least and are great for sandwiches. And, uh, no one ever said no to a little ice cream tucked away in the back of the chill-chest. . .
And that's it! If you pick up a goodly portion of the above, either all at once or in batches, you'll have such an awesome kitchen that you'll be a world-class chef, guaranteed* (*not actually guaranteed). If I had to put a figure on it, I bet you could probably load up on all of the above (making use of deal-stores like Ross, TJ Maxx, Aldi, and Big Lots) for about $300-$350 here in the Southeastern US, while more expensive areas might require closer to $500 (d'oh!).
Sure, that seems like a lot(!) when you're just starting out, so do feel free to spread it out over the course of a few weeks or even months, based on what you want to cook. "Hey, I'm gonna make a lot of stir fries this month–better get my skillet, soy sauce, and rice!"
And, of course, years down the line, when life and money are easy, you'll start to eye goofy crap like $500 uber-mixers and $250/bottle genuine pig-sniffed truffle oil, but you'll always fall back on these basics. Well, until you replace 'em all with fancier versions of the same stuff (oh man, I can't even tell you how much I'm jonesing for one of those fancy SUPER-BLENDERS from Blend-Tec right now. . .)!
Buyer's Guides are Learn To Food's way of helping you build out a list of essentials for a project or even entire cuisine. Where possible, I'll make them generic so that you can easily find matching items wherever you live, but sometimes, specificity's necessary. Moreover, I'll rarely recommend specific vendors, unless they're just the only/best choice available, although I will usually include links to example items to help newbies figure out just what the heck I'm talking about.


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Emmanuel my son – a down syndrome child has basically been a fighter, and he has always been the winner, as I shared earlier, he has been improving remarkably well day after day listening to our affirmations, and I had tried my best to create an environment at home which is loving, accepting and conducive for him.
Emmanuel is the favorite child of all of us in the family, and he is very affectionate, loving and full of life, he loves music, and he will just start dancing if he hears good music, and he loves to listen to music and dance.
The only problem I faced was, with his respiratory infections, he was a very sensitive child, even small cold and cough will effect him badly, he is very prone for congestion in the chest, this was a real challenge for me to handle, and the most difficult part is to look at him struggle and not be able to do anything.
One day he had severe cold with cough and fever, and it was getting worse, myself and my husband tried to help him with some home remedy, took him to the pediatrician, and also took medicines for 5 days, despite that he was not getting better, as I am a working mother, it was difficult to take leave, I managed with half days, and few hours of work, going lat to the office and me and my husband took turns to look after our son.
One evening as usual I finished my work and reached home to find my son breathing differently, I saw he was struggling for his breath, I did not know what to do, my mind was disturbed, and I was frightened and shaken, I called up a CGHS doctor to find out where I can take my son, as I found him struggling for breath, she advised me to go the nearest clinic first and take the doctors advice.
I went to the regular pediatrician, and he told me immediately to take him took a nursing home otherwise he will collapse, unable to handle myself, me and my husband took him to the nearby nursing home, which was being painted, and smell of it aggravated, it was already late evening 9p.m they refuse to take admission, as they were getting the whole clinic painted, so we had to move to a bigger hospital in the city, and by then my son's conditioned worsened, I was getting giddy, and losing my hope, regaining my strength and prayerfully I handed over my child in the ICCU.
Then began my trauma for the next 18 days of my life, my son was put on the ventilator, and every day I had to check whether he is alive, I have never faced a trauma severe than this, not even at child birth. We lost hope, and we were shattered to see our son's condition worsening and every specialist gave his opinion about what could be the problem, the chief pediatrician felt it could be the heart, the cardiologist felt it could be the lungs and there was endless tests and lots of opinions, we just trusted God, and continued to pray.
We are grateful and happy to have our friends, relatives and well wishers who not only prayed for our son, but even supported us in various ways and there was a miracle, exactly on his second birthday on 8 December 2005 the ventilator was removed, and Emmanuel was given back to us.
This experience has not only shaken us from within, but it has also helped me to look at life closely, renew myself to live a life of gratitude… and it has also confirmed my belief that Emmanuel, which means - God is with us, and has accompanied us in our journey in life.


text: Write at least 100 words of someone suddenly becoming blind. While it doesn't have to be the person whose point of view you're writing from, I would recommend it. It's a good exercise in writing the other senses when so many people focus only on what they see. It's also just fun. Good luck!


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Owen Frager likes this
"To all the new managers out there, you shouldn't try to do it alone." Insights from LinkedIn's SVP of Global Talent, Pat Wadors, on becoming an effective manager: https://lnkd.in/g7w8-z9 #StartSomething
Share your knowledge and grow your network, courtesy of Jill Rowley
Best Buy, Macy's, Target, JCPenney, Nordstrom, Walmart, Kohl's, and Sears should all be concerned.
Why Domain Recall Matters: GE Pays Boston Celtics $7 Million a Year for Naming Rights on Jerseys


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A common criticism of a full-face respirator is the stifling and isolating effect it has on people. Full-face respirators also have a price tag many struggle to invest in. This simple but effective mask overcomes both criticisms while still performing well.
The 4x AA battery pack clips on to the belt and then plugs into the standard-shape half-face respirator where it can run the cooling fan for up 6 – 10 hours. It has the two-speed setting built into the battery pack to provide adjustment to maximize comfort on days of differing humidity/temperature.
The mask itself is made from a soft and comfortable silicone compound that fits comfortably around the face reducing the likelihood of fogging up prescription or safety glasses.
Combining the included P1 main and pre-filters means that filtration is rated down to 0.4microns – removing all hazardous wood dust from the air you're breathing.
It comes in a kit with 3 P1 main filters and 10 pre-filters as a well as a handy, durable storage case. The standard P1 and pre-filters are available to be purchased separately as required.
Also available separately is an optional carbon-loaded P2 filter that can filter nuisance organic vapours such as the fumes from most spray painting and other fume-generating applications.
Timbecon Family Newsletter Signup to get the latest news and specials


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picking wheels tomorrow, pics as soon as that happens.
just wanted say a big thanks to both members and visitors for checking out the page and giving this unique car a chance to have some quality suspension. big thanks also ae86dc and shockworks for putting up such a great giveaway.
many plans for this little wagon, stay tuned to see what they are


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MOCA Staff
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Danielle Lim, Marketing Manager
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Natasha Minaeva, Finance Operations Officer
Lucy Westell, Development Associate
Avia Wiseman, Production & Programming Assistant
MOCA Board of Directors
Brad Keast, Chair
Julia Ouellette, Chair Emeritus
Dale Lawr, Treasurer
Rachel Hilton, Recording Secretary (Staff)
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Neill Kalvin
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We would love to hear your feedback on how you'd like to see MOCA Toronto evolve. Chat with one of our Visitor Experience guides or let us know in the feedback form here.


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The /30 means the subnet. A subnet mask of /30 = 255.255.255.252. So the IP addresses you can use are 10.14.6.1 and 10.14.6.2.
Have a look at this 3com PDF, which should help you understand the basics of IP addressing and subnetting.
The /30 subnet allows you 4 IP addresses in the range 10.14.6.1 – 10.14.6.4, your usable ip addresses are the .2 and .3 addresses, where 10.14.6.1 is your network address and 10.14.6.4 will be your broadcast address.
Register Hereor login if you are already a member


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Santa Barbara, CA.
August 5-9, 2020
Celebrating 93 years of tradition - La Presidente Rhonda Ledson Henderson - Gathering for Fiesta, Nicholas S. Firfires (1919 – 1990) , Oil on canvas – Courtesy John & Lauren Mullins – Designed by Jon Patrick Hyde. This year's Fiesta theme of " Unity through Community" is in honor of the late Father Virgil Cordano, O.F.M. (1918 – 2008) – May his spirit and the love he shared for our community be remembered always.
Hover over image for detail view.
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98 S. Pennsylvania St.Denver, CO 80209
Top of The Town Winner"Best Burger" by City Search
Join a fun and dynamic team at The Spot Bar & Grill in Denver, Colorado!
Please fill out this general interest form and the Employment Application below. Email your Employment Application along with a copy of your resume to email@example.com.


text: Triangular Nine Point Nanogram Star Small 319×320 Medium 638×640 Large 1021×1024 Download TIFF Original 2393×2400 | (427.1 KB) Description A triangular nanogram star with 9 points. This nine point star is created by drawing nine diagonal lines at an acute angles, creating a triangular look. Keywords 9 Point Triangular Nanogram Star, Nine Point star, star, stars Galleries Star Polygons Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica (11th ed., vol. 22) (New York, NY: The Encyclopaedia Britannica Company, 1910)


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Startup Weekend Edu Recife (Brazil) organizer, Gerson Ribeiro shared some "words of wisdom" for SWEDU participants:
1 – Right now Education is going thru a Global Revolution, and all the participants and organizers of SWEDU are active members in this international movement.
2 – All actions that happen inside the event will echo for the years to come. Like a rock in a lake. These small ideas will have impact in thousands of peoples lives. This is a great responsibility and a honor. Be proud 🙂
3 – Think about the problem and come with solutions to that. But always start with the problem.
4 – Always remember there must be a solid business model behind your business. Your solution could be beautiful, but if there is no cash flow it will die soon.
5 – Have fun!!!
Gerson believes that the most important legacy we can give to our community is to empower it by teaching people how to be real entrepreneurs. Organizing an event is training people how to move out of the status quo, learning by doing, and making them realize that they can make great things happen in only 54 hours. He says that it's truly one of the most rewarding experience that he has ever had. He also believes that we will never be able to measure the everlasting and deep positive impact in our community that an event like this has.


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Matches can be used for multiple reasons, The Q decided to make a unique match craft.The matchstick John Deere Tractor looks fabulous and is great fun to make!It is definitely creative and does not need any glue, but for this video, they used a total of 14 match cubes.
source/image: The Q
It's quite mesmerizing to watch as each and every piece comes together, making this John Deere Tractor come to life.As these small matchsticks are combined together to create each and every piece individually before assembling them all together and bringing us to an end product that looks a lot like the real-life version of itself.
Shortly after assembling the John Deere Tractor entirely out of matches, a duty that probably took a lot of skill and planning, they immediately set it on fire, crushing the dreams of anyone who would want to add this piece to their personal collection!
Watching it burn is equally as frustrating as it is entertaining, it just adds another layer of an artistic outlook to this project as it comes to its final stages when it's set ablaze. Be sure to check out the video that shows the construction and destruction of this beautiful work of art all within five minutes.


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We live in a century of highly accelerated advancements in science and technology. At the turn of the last century, man began to fly. Today, we can even fly to the moon. Isn't it reasonable to expect that science today should discover the technology of reverse aging? Here is the simple process of aging. Every living cell within our body… read more →
Sang Whang was a brilliant and talented individual with a heart for making the world a better place. Actively involved in his church and community, Sang Whang dedicated his life to working hard for the things he believed in. Sang Whang was born on October 16, 1931. He lived in Korea until the age of 20, when he was able… read more →
Some people question what effect alkaline food and water has on the body. They argue that, since the stomach is highly acidic, any alkalinity for the body would be neutralized well before it was able to affect the body. These arguments fail to look at the bigger picture, and it is important for everyone to know how alkaline water affects… read more →
Approximately 70,000 water molecules surround a single protein molecule. The number of proteins in a cell varies by function but can be estimated to be between seven to ten billion. The number of cells in the human body has been argued to be between 10 and 50 trillion. That's at least 4,900 septillion water molecules shielding, maintaining, and hydrating our… read more →
Good health is not a destination but a continuous journey. The best definition of health is 'ease of flow'. When everything flows easily in your body, you have good health. As we know, sickness is referred to as disease, i.e., 'dis-ease'. Water is a strong solvent and more than 90% of blood is water. Therefore, blood carries everything around in… read more →
Water sustains all forms of life, including human life. The Chinese character "sea†consists of three parts: water, man and mother. In other words, sea is the mother of mankind. Although water is all around us, it is one of the most mysterious substances on this planet. Scientists are still discovering amazing facts about water. Most substances are lightest in… read more →
One question often asked about alkaline water is, "What happens to the alkaline water once it reaches the stomach, which is highly acidic?" People who have some knowledge of the human body, including medical doctors, ask this question. Let's answer that question once and for all to erase any doubts about the health benefits of alkaline water. In order to… read more →
When Alkalife founder Sang Whang first published Reverse Aging in 1990, little was known about the alkaline-acid balance. The only concept that people were familiar with was alkaline food and acid food. Drinking alkaline water was considered to be a hoax because the stomach is acidic and would neutralize alkaline water. We've come a long way in twenty years. Today… read more →


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This is one of about 24 selfies of me I photographed today. I am adding them to my blogs because ID thieves reported me as dead, and I am not even sick and definitely alive; and because ID thieves/criminals tried to hijack my blogs [this one and also my https://gloriapoole.wordpress.com blog. I also posted different selfies of me that i photographed today on my https://gloriapoole.livejournal.com; and on my https://twitter.com/glorias_writing [ a new twitter for me] and on my medium account at :
and other sites, online albums of photos and blogs that include art I created, photos I photographed and words I wrote. I incorporate all my content, all copyright , seals, symbols, selfies, and legal notices to ID thieves into this blog. IF you steal my content you risk prison.
You can follow me on twitter at these accounts of mine: @gloriapoole; @gloria_poole; @ProlifeNurse; @tweetie0817; @personhood1; @Tartan_Bliss; and @glorias_writing. Each is different because I log in to them at different times and on different days usually.
COPYRIGHT. GLORIA POOLE. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Copyright notice: I, Gloria Poole, own all rights to all content on this blog. Usually I sign the art I create as simply Gloria since that is my first name, that I was born with; but on pencil and or ink drawings I sometimes also sign my born with surname of Poole which is my legal name again because I removed the Pappas name from my name at time of final divorce decree in Oct 2007 from male DBP, and I resumed my full maiden name by Court order at the same time. I am also known on the web and in real life as Gloria; Gloria Poole; Gloria J Poole; Gloria Poole, RN, artist; and on the web as : gloriapoole; gloria-poole; gloria.poole; Ms Gloria Poole; gloriapoole.RN; gloriapoole_RN; gloriapooleRN at yahoo; gloria0817; gpoole817; artist-gloriapoole; gloriapoole-paintings; artist-gloria; Poole,Gloria; gloriapoole1749; and other variations of my real, born with, and legal name of Gloria Poole. For the record, I am a white, single-again, twice divorced, Southern Baptist, born again, Christian, woman and the mother of only two children who are grown daughters who are named Jennifer and Leigh. I am also a prolife activist, blogger, artist in all mediums; photographer for my own purposes, Registered Nurse with a license in Missouri but before that for most of my life in the state of Georgia, U.S. citizen born in the state of Georgia; University of Georgia alum, Georgia Baptist College of Nursing alum, writer, illustrator, author, personhood promoter. This blog may not be downloaded, nor copied individually or collectively as a whole; nor have domains forwarded to it that do not belong to me, nor may the photos or art on it be reproduced or saved to disk by anyone .
I create all content on this blog and I, Gloria Poole , own all rights to this blog collectively and individually as single posts. All telephones listed on this account and any account of mine on the web belong to me personally and are in my apartment in Missouri or in my possession at all times. Some of my numbers are wired, landline telephones and some are mobile phones. This blog and all blogs that I create and that contain my words I wrote and or art I made and signed and or photos that I photographed belong exclusively to me Gloria Poole, of Missouri and Georgia. Copyright. Gloria Poole / Gloria / gloriapoole /gloria-poole /gloria.poole/ Ms Gloria Poole/ Poole Gloria / G-L-O-R-I-A / gloriapoole1749 /gloria0817 /gpoole817 / gloriapooleRN at yahoo / gloriapoole.RN / artist-gloriapoole /Gloria Poole,RN,artist /cartooning-by-gloriapoole / photo-by-gloriapoole, and other variations of my real name with or without my professional status as Registered Nurse and with or without numbers after my name, at my own private apt in Missouri which is not shared with anyone and neither is my equipment nor phones shared with anyone, and neither is my isp account shared with anyone which means no one is authorized to log into any account of mine anywhere but me. /signed/ Gloria Poole, RN, artist; at my apt in Missouri on 26th Feb 2017 at 11:37am.
Gloria Poole / Gloria / gloriapoole / [Ms ] Gloria Poole,RN,artist of / gloriapoole1749/ gloria-poole in Missouri, USA


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What happens when William Butler Yeats, Tom Waits & Townes Van Zant walk into a bar where Ginsberg & Kerouac are shooting dice… well only Guy Clarke could dream up that scenario, and hell, it's a scenario I would love to walk into!
It's been a long time since I have listened to Guy Clarke, but his Cold Dog Soup, is truly one of the best riffs on poets and poetry.
There ain't no money in poetry / that's what sets the poet free / but I've had all the freedom I can stand.
Ah yes Guy… sweet sounds to end a sweet, sweet day.
* This Lost Shark went fishing today and folks, they were biting…


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S: LAS VEGAS- Happy New Year / 2009
FC: "When preparing to travel, lay out all your clothes and all your money. Then take half the clothes and twice the money."
1: "A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles."
4: LET IT RIDE! | The Girls were definitely ready to PARTY!
5: $$$$$$$$
7: Vegas is the City of Neon Lights. At night she just comes alive with light. | Adventures in Vegas, Baby!
9: What's not to love about Vegas at night. She sparkles and takes you to a fantasy land. You might actually start to believe for a moment that you are in Paris or New York or Italy.
11: Every where you look there is more to see than just gambling, shows and drinking. The buildings themselves are intriguing and I find photo opportunities everywhere I look
15: Walking back from MGM. Passed by the M&M shop we couldn't resist getting sweets at M&M World and the World of Coke.
16: It seems like lots of friends end up visiting Vegas which we can then take advantage of some great company. Fun Times with Old Friends!
18: "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." -- Mark Twain
20: Enjoying desert it takes it's twists and turns and sometimes you just have to go for it. We love Las Vegas.
21: Viva Las Vegas! See ya, Las Vegas! | Until we meet again. The End.


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Black soup is a popular and tasteful Edo (Benin) soup, it is quite delicious and easy to prepare. This turned out really delcious, I love it and I'm guessing you are gonna love it too.
I have been exploring foods by other Nigerian ethnic groups and today we are gonna be making the popular edo (esan) black soup.
It really doesn't matter your language or ethnic group, if you try this soup and get it right, you are going to have the same experience as those that have been enjoying it for ages.
Most people complain about the dark color, it gets the color from the ground leaves.
What you find below is delicious plate of black soup, the exact way it is made by Edo people, most people focus on the color and forget that it is really not all about the color. It is super tasty and very nutitious.
There are three basic leaves for making this delicious soup. While some argue extensively that only two are important, it is obvious that all of the three are neccessary. These leaves are actually ground together with the native edo grinding stone or the electric blender.
Some people make black soup with just Bitter leaf and effirin (scent leaf) while others prefer it the exact way I prepared it. I really this this is way better than every other combination 😀
The ingredients include:
2 cups of Washed bitter leaves
Half cup of sliced Scent leaves
2 cups of sliced uziza leaves
300g of roasted fish
1kg of assorted meat.
half cup of ground crayfish
Ground Pepper to taste
4 cube of knorr.
7 pieces of stock fish ear
4 cups of palm fruit sauce.
Salt to taste.
Serving: 6
Here are some of the ingredients that I used while making this delicious black soup. I did grind the uziza leaves and scent leaves together as you can find below, while the bitter leaf was ground alone as you can see in the bottom-right plate.
What you find at the top-right is palm fruit sauce, then a combination of ground crayfish and red pepper at the top left and cleaned roasted fish at the top-middle.
This soup is actually made with banga sauce (Palm fruit sauce) and not palm oil, just buy 4 cups of banga (palm fruit), boil for 15 minutes, pound with mortar and pestle, add water, filter to get the sauce, wash and filter to get 4 cups of thick banga sauce and set aside.
Grind all the leaves together, these ground leaves act as the soup thickener and also gives it the black looking color, hence the name – black soup. You can blend to paste by adding a little water to ease up the movement of the blades. I ground the bitterleaves seperatly while the uziza and scent leaves were mixed together.
Wash and boil the meat with half cup of onions, 2 cubes of maggi and a pinch of salt. Cook for 30-45 minutes, until the meat becomes soft and easily chew-able, you can add a little water to stop it from getting burned.
Add the dry fish (hot-water-washed), stock fish, crayfish, add the banga sauce and allow to cook for up to 15 minutes until the soupy mixture thickens.
This picture below give you a visual explanation, you can see that the soup is already thick, thanks to the banga (palm fruit) sauce.
Add the ground leaves, stir, add 2 cubes of maggi, salt to taste, allow to simmer for another five minutes and you are done.
As usual, serve with eba, fufu amala or semo.
NOTE: If you have cow liver included, you don't wanna cook it over 10 minutes. you can start parboiling it with the rest of the meat but you have to remove it after 10 minutes and add them later when the soup is almost done.
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Compare Black Soup & Other Nigerian Soups
How to make Afang Soup plus video
Here is the video for black soup, enjoy.
December 19, 2016
Can I use little palm oil instead of banga and can I add onion? Thanks.
February 19, 2017
Thanks Chy for the recipe. Will definitely try it soon. I have heard a lot about this edo (esan) black soup.
May 27, 2017
I tried it out. It was really great. Thanks chy
June 13, 2017
Oh my God!!!. This black soup is one in town. It does not matter the colour. Black soup is medicinal and it helps with stomach. You can add any thing want to add eg. Onion and palm oil. CHY, you are a good cook keep it up.
June 23, 2017
Pls I have a project in school to make an instant black soup. Pls how do I go abt it
September 11, 2017
Thanks. Will try it. Though i might end up eating it alone..
March 1, 2018
The method you used in cooking the soup is the Esan method…Benin method differs from ours. This is actually Esan and like the others commented it's called Omo-ebe.
We also use it in Esan culture for women who just put to bed. The difference is that it'll have all the ingredients for Pepper soup inside…the black looking thing and all that.
When I put to bed, I was given pepper soup nothing happened but after my mum made the black soup with all the Pepper soup spices…in less than 5mins the results started manifesting.
Well done ma.
March 1, 2018
The black thing… referring to alligator pepper
April 19, 2018
Really Dorothy this is a proper Esan soup use with banga….ask your parent parent they will tell you the origin of black soup
May 28, 2018
i just got married to an esan man and his mother practically refused to teach me knowing he likes the soup she just wants him to be coming to her everytime. well, thank you for this recipe ama steal her son for good lol
June 15, 2018
See them dragging the soup, esan – Benin, Benin, – esan, na wa. Me I will not want to use bitter leaf, at times no matter how it is washed there will still be plenty bitterness, so I will use Afang leaf, thank you.
July 20, 2018
Hmmm, OMG… Im a yoruba guy and i just started my living in Benin. To be sincere with you people; I love all Edo soups, infact, I said I love their soups. I just finish eating Ogbono+Banga+groundnut soup and Black soup now; all the soups added together along with AKPU. Kaii…Chai… What an heavenly soups… Even if I die, I will tell God to……..?
August 9, 2018
Please i need to get one thing clear, as for the bitter leaf, do you grind it as it is
bitter or you wash it a bit , then grind? please respond. thank you
October 14, 2018
Pls I want to buy the ultimate Nigerian cookbook
I really need it
Pls help me to get it
January 26, 2019
Did u wash the bitterleaf or just blended it
November 23, 2019
Pls my question is about the bitter leave, will I blend it without washing out the bitter ness, If I blend like that wont the soup be bitter


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2035 Summerland Avenue, Winter Park, FL 32789
2035 Summerland Avenue, Winter Park, FL 32789
$1,200,000 5 beds 4 baths 15,960 sqft
Unique & extraordinary lakefront property on Lake Maitland! Located on the coveted "The Point" peninsula on a lovely tree-lined street. This home features spectacular mid-century modern qualities like tongue in groove vaulted ceilings with gorgeous beams, wood trims & accents, wood floors, etc. The Great room presents vaulted ceilings, a floor to ceiling brick fireplace and built-ins. You ll also find a cozy den with full updated bath. The nicely updated kitchen has lots of cabinetry, granite, & snack bar counter. A small Family room off Kitchen attaches to 2 more bedrooms, a bath & a bonus room. The upstairs Master is enviable with more vaulted ceilings, gorgeous beams, a fireplace and large balcony overlooking backyard & lake offering spectacular views. The delightful Sun room across the back of the house offers brick flooring & lots of windows to enjoy more views. This is a very special home with so much character & personality in a spectacular location. Don't miss this rare find! Please note there is currently no boat dock on this property.
Wrong Location? FIND ME


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I'd say in recent months to perhaps even in the last year I've noticed our homeschooling style has started to bend toward the Classical direction just a bit. We've started to use some curriculum from some of the well known Classical curriculum providers and I've begun to research this topic quite a bit. I was delighted when I was chosen to review a new book called The Conversation, by Leigh A. Bortins from Classical Conversations. This book talks a great deal about homeschooling at the highschool level. This is something that is starting to surface a bit on my radar screen as my oldest son is starting to close in on his last years as an elementary aged student.
The Conversation is actually the third book by Bortins in a series about the various stages of classical education. She has previously written The Core and The Question for elementary and middle school levels respectively. I haven't read the previous two books, though I now plan too. It isn't necessary in order to get much from The Conversation. This book is 267 pages with the index and appendices.
The Conversation is broken up into three parts called:
- High School at Home
- The Rhetorical Arts
- and the Appendices
Early on in the book you'll find a lot of encouragement to continue the homeschooling journey through the high school years. Homeschooling an elementary aged child might seem to some to be a great thing to do but for whatever reason once those children reach the high school age everyone starts to look at you a little bit differently. Maybe it is because they think you are depriving your child of a typical teen experience. Perhaps they think you are unqualified because after all how exactly are you going to teach high level math? A parent might even start telling themselves that they aren't capable or that their child would be better off in school. At least they'd have access to sports right? Many parents give into fear at this point and send their child to school. Encouragement for families that have reached this level is crucial. There is a lot of fantastic factual information provided as well. The high school level marks the rhetoric stage of classical education. Bortins defines that for the reader and starts laying the ground work for what a great high school education at home can look like.
The middle section, The Rhetorical Arts, drives the reader through each subject area that most children study at the high school level. The Conversation goes through, subject by subject, explaining how to implement the five canons of rhetoric. There are chapters explaining ways to include rhetoric is just about every subject including: Reading, Writing, Science, Math, Hostry, Speech and Debate, Latin, Fine Arts, and more!
Bortins offers examples and gives you ideas of how rhetoric is used in every area. She provides real life examples. She talks about important ares of study that might be over looked such as Latin and speech and debate. She provides great arguments for why all of this is important, how parents can integrate them, and what children gain from studying such subjects.
The last section is the appendices where you'll find games, definitions, and lots of resources. This section is brimming with fantastic aides and further reading for any homeschooler. You should not miss it.
The Conversation is a fantastic guide for parents looking to homeschool through high school. Bortins has laid the groundwork for you to follow and the encouragement you'll need to keep going until the finish line. I'll read this again as my children keep advancing toward the high school level. I love that I now have a vision for those final years! I'm now anxious to get my hands on her other two books in the series. I hope you enjoy Bortins' The Conversation as much as I did.


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Please welcome back author RENEE VINCENT, who has brought a guest with her!
Renee: Thank you, Anya – I was very excited when you asked me back. I know that Dægan was excited as well, considering this is his first official interview. I just hope he gets here soon.
In the meantime, we can go ahead and begin with the questions that don't revolve around him.
Anya: Tell us more about RAELIKSEN.
Renee: Ræliksen is about a Norse warrior who has fallen in love with an Irish maiden whose very father—an Irish King—is hell-bent on ridding Ireland of her pagan foreigners. And that includes the ruggedly handsome hero of the story, Dægan Ræliksen.
(Note: Some say Dægan bears a strong resemblance to a well-known Scottish actor. I don't see it myself.)
While the story may seem like the typical Romeo & Juliet—a powerful love forbidden by many—the reader will soon find out that it is nothing like the Shakespearian tale.
Ræliksen is indeed a sensuous love story between two people of opposite worlds, but it also incorporates a lot of action, while stringing along interesting details of the past, ensnaring the reader in a web of complex plot twists. Ræliksen will not fail to bring the reader full circle in the end.
Dægan: Certainly there is more to the story than that.
Renee: Well, hello Dægan. It's about time you got here. (clearing her throat inconspicuously) You are very late.
Dægan: My horse can only carry me so fast, as opposed to the three hundred and fifty horses you have under the hood of your truck. Which, by the way, still baffles me.
Renee: Dægan, I don't literally have that many horses under the hood of my truck, it's just the amount of horse "power" it has. Oh, never mind. Can we just get back to the interview?
Dægan: Of course.
Renee: So, what is it you think I have failed to mention about the story?
Dægan: Did you tell the readers about the "first kiss"?
Renee: I didn't tell them about that, but I was contemplating about posting that very scene in the excerpt at the end.
Dægan: Oh, good choice. I especially enjoyed that scene.
Renee: I'm sure you did. And as I recall, you didn't exactly baby-step your way into Mara's heart.
Dægan: She was frightened…
Renee: And angry.
Dægan: Aye, but being the…what's that strange term you authors use…Alpha male?
Renee: Yes, that would be the term.
Dægan: So being the Alpha male, I had an obligation to show Mara that there was no reason to be frightened or angry with me, and that oft times requires a bit of blatant forwardness.
Renee: That kiss was blatant and forward all right.
Dægan: It was certainly a good start, but what really set the forward motion of the story was how I saved Mara from a fleet of other Vikings coming ashore for the war with the Irish, which, I might add, I had no fight in.
Dægan: And…that my spineless twin brother was leading that fleet!
Renee: Dægan, I really didn't want to go into that since that was part of the intricate web the readers were supposed to find out on their own.
Dægan: Indeed, but I was under the impression that we were to present a high level of intrigue for those who have not yet picked up your book. Do you not think the conflict with my brother, alone, greatly instills that?
Renee: Yes, it does, but the point was to let the reader find out for themselves that your twin has a part in this tale.
Dægan: Hmmm…I suppose I have given that away. My apologies, Renee.
Renee: No worries. But you may need to apologize to Anya for being tardy. She is a busy woman.
Dægan: Of course… (reaches out and takes Anya's hand, kissing her knuckles warmly while uttering his apologies and how beautiful her name sounded on his lips.)
Renee: (rolls her eyes) Could we please?
Dægan: What? I did as you suggested.
Renee: Yes, while laying it on a bit thick, don't you think?
Dægan: At no fault of my own…you made me charismatic and undeniably charming. I am just staying true to my character.
Renee: Very well. Next question, Anya.
Anya: What was the hardest thing about writing RAELIKSON?
Renee: Not being able to write as fast as the scenes were playing out in my head. I lived and breathed this story, and admittedly Dægan consumed me.
Dægan: Really?
Renee: As if you didn't know. I mean look how many late nights you and I spent together—very late nights. And even when I wasn't writing, you were always there. You would even invade my dreams, melting my heart with your words…
Dægan: (narrows his eyes) You sound as if you were in love with me.
Renee: Doesn't every reader fall in love with the hero?
Dægan: I haven't the slightest notion about that. Remember, this is the first romance novel I've been in.
Renee: Well, if you must know, it is very typical for a reader to get so engrossed into the hero's character, so much in fact, that they subconsciously put themselves in the place of the heroine.
Dægan: Even in the bedroom scenes?
Renee: Especially the bedroom scenes.
Dægan: Is that so? (ruminates over that revelation)
Renee: (sees that Dægan is putting far too much thought into it) Next question.
Anya: What is the hardest thing about writing the sequel, Mac Liam?
Dægan: (sighs) Must we talk about him?
Renee: What's wrong with talking about Breandán Mac Liam?
Dægan: Do you not remember what happened in Ræliksen? He is in love with Mara—my Mara—and sees fit to tell me about it.
Renee: Love triangles add the necessary conflict sometimes needed in a series.
Dægan: And my twin didn't give me enough to contend with?
Renee: Hey, I wrote your character to possess a significant amount of resolve and graciousness, even toward those who brought tension and strife into your life. Breandán Mac Liam was not as big an issue as you made him out to be.
Dægan: You realize I am biting my tongue right now.
Renee: I do, and you should be. There is no reason to belittle Breandán. Besides, you know as well as I that he would not act upon his feelings given that Mara already loved you. And do not forget that he ultimately saved your life.
Dægan: (flips his hand in a dismissive manner) I would have found a way out of that predicament.
Renee: Can I answer Anya's question now?
Dægan: If you feel you must.
Renee: Thank you. (smiles sarcastically) Writing Mac Liam comes with its many challenges, most of which I can hardly talk about as I don't want to give anything away. But the one issue I have is being completely infatuated with two men at the same time.
Dægan: I beg your pardon?
Renee: It seems the more I write on Mac Liam, the more I start to fall in love with him.
Dægan: Are you trying to break my heart?
Renee: No, of course not. But I can't help the way I feel.
Dægan: (taps his foot impatiently) What does Breandán have that I don't?
Renee: It's not about that. I don't wish to compare you two and I doubt Mara will want to either when it gets down to it.
Dægan: You mean to tell me Mara is actually considering Breandán?
Renee: (bites her lip and shakes her head) I really can't say much more on that.
Dægan: (looks directly at Anya) Next question, if you will.
Anya: Have you completed MAC LIAM?
Renee: No I haven't. But I have high hopes for its release in 2010.
Dægan: That makes one of us.
Renee: Oh, don't grumble.
Dægan: You have hardly written about me in the sequel.
Renee: Because…the sequel is about the Breandán, not you. Hence the title, Mac Liam.
Anya: Any tips for struggling writers – do's and don't's, or mistakes you've learned from?
Dægan: (interjects quickly) My advice would be to not write about love triangles.
Renee: You certainly speak your mind, don't you?
Dægan: Again, no fault of my own.
Renee: Well, my advice would be to not give up—persevere despite your struggles. That being number one.
Secondly, set your goals to be 'attainable', but dream as big as you want. Use each attainable goal as stepping stones toward that distant dream and you'll get there. It may not be overnight, but you will get there.
Thirdly, gain a thick skin. As your writing is out there for all to see, there will be those who praise it, and those who do not. While their criticism may not be what you want to hear necessarily, it will make you a better writer as you work to improve yourself.
Dægan: And, as I said before, write one hero at a time.
Renee: I think we should leave that up to the discretion of the writer.
Dægan: Indeed. Ill-advised, but, nonetheless, 'tis the writers' prerogative.
Anya: Do you belong to writer's groups, or do you have writer friends who support/critique your work?
Renee: I belong to the American Romance Writers (RWA), the Kentucky Romance Writers (KYWA), and just recently joined the Ohio Valley Romance Writers (OVRWA) as well.
I highly recommend joining writer's groups as there are many successful authors and aspiring writers who belong to local chapters and give support to those within the group, whether by their own example or by their critiques.
Everyone I have come into contact with in those groups has been very helpful and quite willing to aid their fellow writers in any way they can. You can never have too many friends in the competitive world of publishing.
With that being said, I must add that your friendship, Anya, has been a blessing to me. Thank you again for taking the time to interview me and for allowing me this spot on your blog.
Dægan: That goes double for me, Anya, my dear. (takes Anya in his arms, dips her over his forearm, and plants a big one on her surprised lips.)
Renee: I am so sorry, Anya. I've written Dægan to be quite spontaneous and evidently, incorrigible as well. He really needs to remember that he is NOT in a romance novel right now.
Anya: I'm finding it hard to speak, much less think. You know I have an appreciation for finely crafted male chests . . . and biceps and shoulders and all those other good bits.
Dægan seems to have rather a lot of all those things, and I swear he is flexing his muscles on purpose just to watch me drool! Makes it difficult to focus on the conversation, but I'm doing my best!
A huge thank you to you both for visiting with us!