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SteamGuard Denies Access To Customers
Shane Blume / 6 years ago
Over the weekend some Steam users were affected by a glitch in the Steam Client when they had SteamGuard activated, preventing users from accessing their Steam accounts and all of the games that they own. SteamGuard is a function that users are able to use in order to protect their accounts from unauthorized access. A two step process for access on unauthorized systems or website access. Sending a code to the users email, so that they are able to verify they are authorized to access the account. Unfortunately this has affected users making them unable to access their accounts. Steam has yet to comment on this issue other than responding to customers via email when they file a support ticket. Personally I formatted my hard drive over the weekend and steam was one of the first programs that I tried to install. I have contacted steam several times over the weekend, and I received another response from them again today
"Hello,Over the weekend there was a known issue with Steam Guard e-mails being delayed. We have addressed this issue and most users are now receiving their e-mails as intended."
Do you feel that Steam should issue a public statement as to the issue. Letting customers know that there is an issue and they are working to rectify the situation as quickly as possible? I feel that they are issuing a standard response email, and not paying attention to our concerns. Perhaps they should even deactivate SteamGuard until the issues have been resolved. Let me know in the comments below. Should Steam do something to make this right for the customers?
Original image from Steam


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The first uses an event involving the second to illustrate a point about the third.
Less cryptically: Andrew points out that Rudolf Hess's body was evicted from its grave after the lease ran out*, cremated, and the ashes scattered at sea – largely because Hess's grave had become a magnet for neo-Nazis, and nobody wants those guys around. Which is largely why we threw Osama bin Laden's rapidly cooling corpse into the Indian Ocean**; let jihadi-wannabes try to cover that in flowers.
No, actually, knowing human beings they probably won't pick one spot and commemorate the SOB there. They'll probably pick three or four, then fight with each other which is the 'best' one (hopefully, with live ammo).
Moe Lane
*Apparently you can lease grave space in Europe. Hell, for all I know that's the worldwide industry standard.
**Not to mention the
Soviets' Russians' notoriously tight-lipped non-response to any and all polite inquiries on what happened to Hitler's body. I struck out 'Soviets' because while I no longer cut Commies any slack, I can't say that I blame the Russians on this one…

subset: commoncrawl


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Reviewed by: Andrew Jenson—first time reviewer
GENETIC MUTATIONS—Can they produce positive changes in living creatures? Answer
CANCEROUS MUTATIONS—Where did cancer come from? Answer
fighting evil
vigilante justice
using violence and aggression to solve problems
greedy corporations
bravery, courage, self-sacrifice
Review: "TMNT" (2007) "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV"
|Megan Fox … April O'Neil
Alan Ritchson … Raphael
Will Arnett … Vernon Fenwick
Noel Fisher … Michelangelo
Johnny Knoxville … Leonardo (voice)
William Fichtner … Eric Sachs
Minae Noji … Karai
Jeremy Howard … Donatello
Whoopi Goldberg … Bernadette Thompson
Danny Woodburn … Splinter
Tony Shalhoub … Splinter (voice)
Abby Elliott … Taylor
Pete Ploszek … Leonardo
See all »
|Jonathan Liebesman—"Wrath of the Titans," "Battle Los Angeles," "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning"
|Paramount Pictures
Nickelodeon Movies
See all »
|Paramount Pictures
Sequel: "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows" (2016)
So—four six-foot, pizza-loving, smart-aleck mutated teenage ninja turtles, who were trained in the sewers of New York by their mutated rat sensei—who, in turn, learned ninjutsu by reading a book—go out fighting the evil Foot Clan and a metalized, knife-wielding super samurai named Shredder with the assistance of young and yellow-clad reporter April O'Neil. That almost makes a movie about good giant, transforming, sentient robots that fight evil giant, transforming, sentient robots sound credible.
The aptly named "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" resurrects the iconic characters from the beloved 1980s cartoon and sets them on their journey to vigilantism.
The film follows April O'Neil (Megan Fox), a reporter desperately seeking a big story. Her chance comes when she witnesses the vigilante turtles taking down the Foot Clan. Of course, no one—especially her editor, Whoopi Goldberg—believes her, and she ends up on the street without a job. When her safety is in question, the turtles kidnap her, delivering her to their sensei, Splinter.
A big problem arises when Shredder invades the sewers, attacks and nearly kills Splinter and kidnaps three of the turtles, save for Raphael. When Raphael and O'Neil go to rescue the other turtles, they unravel the Shredder's plan to take over New York with evil scientist Eric Sacks, who unknowingly created the mutated turtles with O'Neil's father. It's now up to the turtles and O'Neil to stop the Shredder and Sacks and save New York and Splinter from destruction.
Even if you are a Turtles fan, the movie isn't likely to win you over. It's loud, overbearing and has producer Michael Bay's fingerprints all over it. Those who enjoy Bay's "Transformers" franchise might enjoy "Turtles," but everyone else may want to avoid it.
The only good aspect about this movie is the voice cast for the turtles. They at least seem to have fun with it. Everything else is just terrible. The design of the turtles is creepy, at best, and Megan Fox—who looks in constant need of a shower—has little to no personality. The CGI is very weak, and I found myself constantly aware that I was looking at computer-generated puppets. The movie also has a terrible sense of humor. There's maybe one or two funny lines, but otherwise every joke falls flat.
The villains are boring. Shredder is nothing more than the final boss the turtles must face, and William Fichtner as Eric Sacks is average. Their plan is hardly explained, but that doesn't matter in the end because it looks like it was ripped from "The Amazing Spider-Man." You can just fill in the blanks from there. My guess is they were trying to mutate everyone in New York, but without the whole lizard bit. In any case, the film's protagonists are colorful and over-the-top, and the villains should have been as well.
Now, how does "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" work in the context of Scripture? It doesn't. The film is far-removed from the teachings of the Bible. It would be a stretch to pull any Biblical messages out of this flick. You could make the case that the film addresses the importance of family, brotherhood and the need to love one's neighbor. But, the film is too silly to work on that deep of a level. For example, there's a moment in the film where the turtles are apparently falling to their deaths. Raphael, being the brooding and stand-offish brother, opens up and tells his brothers that he loves them. He goes on about this for a good 30 seconds before it's revealed that the turtles had landed safely and weren't going to die after all. What could have been the movie's best and most Christian moment is just played for laughs. Unfortunately, love for one's brother(s)—especially seen in the light of Christ's love for us—and similar themes cannot be discussed in a serious light in the context of this film.
There is a lot of violent content, including the use of bodily force and weapons like guns and nunchucks. The turtles and humans exchange blows constantly. No one dies, but there are some perilous and intense situations—the turtles and the Shredder fall from a great height, ninjas zap the turtles with electric rods, and the protagonists slide down a mountain in a semi-truck.
When it comes to language, the movie is surprisingly clean—at least, compared to other recent blockbusters. The expletive "a**" was used once and the Lord's name was taken in vain three times. However, there are plenty of sexual remarks directed toward Megan Fox, especially from the turtle Michelangelo, who seems obsessed with her and teases the others about her being his girl. He even makes a remark about his shell tightening because she's so hot. The references aren't in-your-face and don't have a strong presence, but they are there and are uncomfortable to sit through.
Fortunately, the film doesn't really sexualize Fox or other characters. If anything, Fox is more repelling than she is attractive. The only outstanding moment that attempts this comes when Fox is leaning out of the semi-truck on the mountain and her assistant, Vernon Fenwick (Will Arnett), gets a good look at her clothed rear end. And there is an end credit scene where a woman featured on a billboard is seen from her waist up and only wears a bra. Otherwise, Fox remains fully clothed like the other men and women in the film.
Overall, this is one of the most ridiculous and forgettable movies released this year. It doesn't live up to its strange premise and fails to entertain. Especially damaging is its sad attempt to appeal to teens and adults.
Where the cartoon had some sense of dignity and a good amount of fun, this flick doesn't. And at nearly two hours, that's a lot of un-entertaining material to digest. "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" is definitely not worth your time or money.
Violence: Heavy / Profanity: Moderate—OMG (1), damn (1), s-word (1), ass (1), numb nuts (1) / Sex/Nudity: Moderate—cleavage, dialog, oogling, Victoria Secret model
See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.
PLEASE share your observations and insights to be posted here.


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Laura's motto "Let me, give you, The Royal Hair Treatment."


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Caskey has told me over and over again that his sole job in our marriage is to protect me from bears. And since I have never been attacked by a bear (even in Big Bear while camping) that must mean that he is doing a good job. Um, yeah, us living in suburbia one mile from the wilderness has nothing to do with it.
Recently he has told me that a rat is hanging around our house at night, primarily near the trash can after dark. Well, its hard to *do* anything about it because its outside. The rat isn't living in the house. The rat can't get into our cans. So I have just been ignoring it more than anything else. Well, today we discovered a 'nest' of sort with apple pieces, oranges and a caprisun pouch on my engine under my hood. Apparently Mr. Rat hasn't been enjoying the cooler temperatures.
I'm done. I don't want it invading my car, even if its the outside of my car. So I told Caskey, "Well, you know, rats are just tiny bears." So my endearing husband has gotten us a rat trap and the kids are learning about the not-so-nice parts of life. He is saving me from the rats too.


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PETER Guy hit the nail firmly on the head with this sensationally well written demolition of The Libertines in the wake of news that they are to reform for a festival this summer for a monster fee not unadjacent to 1.5m of your British pounds.
Not bad for two nights work which will work out at about 120 minutes in total stage time. I can't imagine they will overburden themselves with intensive rehearsal to get ultra tight - it was never a concern in the first place.
Central to Pete's thesis is that the cult of The Libertines/ Pete Doherty was based on a slavering music press sycophancy which needed to rapidly create new heroes but which ultimately opened the door for eight years of terrible guitar bands which have failed to light up anything, let alone what passes for charts now.
The continual glut of uninspiring indie guitar bands which still routinely appear to steal time which we, as eternally interested but perennially underwhelmed consumers, will never get back, come directly from the time in which The Libertines emerged.
It was a period of plunging music sales and dwindling music paper circulations in which A&R men and music journalists fantastically sought to battle these twin perils by trying to recreate the last, in every sense of the word, glory time for each industry - Britpop.
So the A&R men headed down Camden way or Old Street or got themselves off to the gritty North in search of some slim hipped rapscallions, but not before gathering up the vintage Epiphone guitars, picked a football team for each band (if they didn't have one), got the Fred Perry polo shirt/ tight jeans/ vintage parka look bang on, signed up the likeliest crews and sent the boys (always boys) out to misbehave just like Noel and Liam had done.
The boated music PR industry, seeing the devastation among the major and big indie labels and the potential losses from their dwindling coffers, got to work polishing a bewildering series of turds.
At the same time, music journalists (myself included) forced to file columns on a daily or weekly basis on the thinnest of new gruel were, at best, forced to acquiesce and cover that which we knew as cack, or, at worst, actually blindly became trumpet majors for a period of utter dross in a bid to cut a diminishing niche in this new media ecosphere of plenty.
It was the hoariest of music industry clusterfucks - no-one wanted to put their heads above the parapets and say that which was going to bring down the bright red beach ball of fun which we all needed to keep floating.
But, it was a singularly depressing time where anyone with any recent historical frame of reference could see all the old joins being imperfectly glued back together by desperate people.
Mod/ Britpop stylings, cool punk/ post punk producers (Andy Gill/ Mick Jones), Union Jacks and Victoriana were utilised to give a communion wafer thin concoction some sense of timelessness and history in the hope that it would not disappear with the same rapidity of the average communion wafer.
The new fads of the internet were also utilised to give this old stew some new seasoning: bands did 'guerilla' gigs arranged on the internet and other acts were signed due to live shows streamed on the emerging phenomenon of mySpace. 'OOOH, look.' we cried, 'Sandy Thom and the Arctic Monkeys were signed due to the new self empowering and utterly democratic spaces of social media.What a story to kick their careers off with.' Mind, we didn't call it social media until much later.
The Libertines held impromptu gigs in whatever needle strewn, shite and blood stained hovel they were inhabiting and there was always a phalanx of journalists and hand held camera 'documentarians' to capture the bohemia for NME TV or BBC3 or whatever. With more channels and new demographics emerging there was always a home for this stuff.
In Liverpool, the Deltasonic label made an absolute virtue out of a post modern retread necessity by simply taking youngsters and telling them what they would sound and look like. The Coral were an identikit scally stoner act, The Zutons a rockier version, The Little Flames a bit the same with a good looking girl singer and The Dead 60s were a former hard core four piece turned into a reggae tinged Clash-a-like who were ultimately upstaged by one single wonder Southerners Hard-Fi.
It really was depressing to see most of them lauded and more pertinently, to be involved, partially, in the lauding.
I remember one gang of big indie label chancers called The Others who were sold to me by a PR as a potential big thing. The were the apotheosis of this generation's mediocrity: an identikit shower of cack put together like a self-assembly IKEA band - a good looking young fella who resembled Lee Mavers and three session musicians - one of whom looked like a fat member of The Cure. They were dreadful and even for the weekly £60 from the Daily Post, I wouldn't polish the aforementioned doggie waste product.
The saddest thing is that, Arctic Monkeys aside, it's still going on. The Courteeners are at best derivative but more realistically plain bad. Scouting for Girls, Kaiser Chiefs, The Music et al continue to get a few moments in the spotlight thanks to a supposed primacy of indie guitar bands in both Britain and its music press.
The reformation of the Libertines in July or August will hide, momentarily, one simple fact: we need no more British indie guitar bands because that seam has been mined to extinction and we need no more of them.
If we had stopped and looked in 2002-2005 that would have been wholly apparent and we would have saved ourselves a pile of time in the process.


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You have probably heard a lot of things about eating at night and that it is not good. Sure, if you were a kid, you would just accept the fact, like some kind of order, but as a grown-up, people want the answer to the question "Why you should not eat late at night". One of the first reasons is that you need energy in the morning and not in the evening. Even if your daily routine is such that you are awake at night and asleep during the day, the human's body was just created in such a way. So, you should not eat at night, but if you have to, the best thing for you to do is to avoid certain kinds of food. Here are they!
- Chocolate
One of the best foods in the world, but it has so much calories it hurts. A lot of people are scared of it because they think that they will gain a lot of weight, but if you do not eat too much of it, there is nothing to worry about. No matter whether you are scared of it or not, you should avoid eating chocolate at night because it contains caffeine, especially dark chocolate. If you eat it at night, you will not be able to get your beauty sleep and in the morning you will feel tired, irritated and hungry in a bad way. So, if you want to avoid such problems just forget about the chocolate after 7 p.m.
- Spicy Food
Not everyone is a fan of spicy foods, but if you are trying to avoid eating it at night. The reason for this is simple. Spicy food is rich food and the human's body needs more time to digest it. If you are eating it at night when your body needs to relax and recover from the long day that you had, you are just working against it. You are not helping your body by giving it food that will make it work even harder at the end of the day. If you are a fan of spicy foods, you can eat it, but during lunch. So, just be gentle on your body.
- Alcohol
OK, you may think how is this possible, because when most people drink alcohol they feel sleepy and can fall asleep faster than usual. But just because you can fall asleep easier, it does not necessarily mean that you will be able to fully relax. In fact, when you drink alcohol before sleep, you will wake up at night and you will not be able to get your beauty sleep. It is true that alcohol should not be drunk in the afternoon, or not to mention in the morning, but drinking alcohol at night is not good for your body either. Let's just add the fact that some alcohol beverages contain a lot of calories. Maybe you will think twice before you drink a lot of alcohol again.
- Red Meat
If you are crazy about eating healthy foods, then you probably avoid eating red meat, but if you are not so precise about your meals, whether they should include or not red meat, then you would probably be careful when we talk about eating red meat at night. Red meat contains a lot of protein, which is not such a bad news if you eat it during the day. However, protein is harder for the body to digest (the same way as the spicy foods), so when you eat red meat late at night when your body needs a good night sleep and relaxation, you are just working against it. In the morning you will feel tired and irritated, and your stomach will be rumbling… Sounds bad.
- Cereals
There is a reason for everything, and there was a reason why people eat cereals in the morning and not at night. Despite this fact, a lot of people like eating cereals throughout the day and sometimes in the evening. Milk is said to promote sleep and when people put milk in their cereals they can fall asleep easily. If you are one of those people, you should be very careful what kind of cereals you choose, because there is a lot of sugar in some of them and as you know sugar is not your best friend when you want to sleep. Milk helps, but sugar – does not. So, if this is one of your favorite meals at night, at least choose the right products.


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It's perhaps a less well known episode of the Second World War – the internment of Jews into British camps in Cyprus. Neil McKay speaks to one man about how his own involvement inspired him to write his first work of fiction.
As a 20-year-old Army sergeant he watched speechless as thousands of skeletal Jewish figures were frogmarched off ships at the point of guns and bayonets and led to internment camps – by British soldiers.
The year was 1946 and news of Nazi atrocities in camps such as Auschwitz and Belsen had not reached public consciousness. David, from Murton, County Durham, saw at first hand the effect on the survivors from those, and other concentration camps. And he unwittingly found himself taking part in an episode which still shames Britain.
Internment camps were set up by Britain on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus for Jewish immigrants who attempted to travel to Palestine in violation of immigration quotas set for Jews.Tens of thousands of Jewish Holocaust survivors escaping to flee Europe for Palestine on transport ships were intercepted on the high seas by the Royal Navy and escorted to Cyprus.
From 1946 until the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, the British confined 50,000 Jewish refugees on the island. Sgt Hughes was stationed with the Royal Army Ordnance Corps on Cyprus and found himself working in the stores supplying one of the internment camps near Famagusta. But the sight of the Holocaust survivors being transferred to British camps still haunts him more than 60 years later.
"It is the sight of the hatred in the eyes of those survivors directed at us which I will never forget. I had never witnessed such hatred either before or since," he said.
"None of us knew at that time of the horrors the survivors from the Nazi concentration camps had experienced and witnessed, but here we were putting them in another internment camp at the point of the gun and bayonet, with searchlights and barbed wire."
David, now 84 and living in Houghton- le-Spring is a respected author and charity fundraiser.
Journal Live


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Anyone know what has happened to WEtv?
All I get is that it's not included in my subscription when I tune to the channel. It has also been removed from the online channel lineup.
I called customer service and they said the channel is not offered!
When did they remove it?
I'm still getting it in the Chicago area so for them to say it's not offered is a lie.[they should say it's not offered in your area or level of service]
WEtv has been removed from any new packages or new client offers. When I called to change my package recently they informed me of this and two other channels that are no longer being offered.
As long as you keep your package that currently has the channel you will still be able to maintain the channel for now.
How can I do this? It looks like I no longer can wath on the WeTv app either. I have been up until yesterday and now it tells me that I have to update. So bummed I was half way through the season, now it wants to stop letting me. I hate that it tells you to upgrade, but yet you cannot pay for the upgrade - it is not even offered. I have Amazon Prime, is there a way to watch through Prime?
I was able to watch on WeTV app until yesterday, they now do not allow it if it is not in your subscription. I am going to switch providers, they got rid of most channels I watch, but yet I pay the same for channels I don't even like or have an option to buy/watch.
This is the same as Investigation Discovery TV (IDTV). They claim its no longer part of newer packages but they dont ell you that before you switch to a newer package. I was assured I wouldnt lose any channels and I have the highest bundle. Turns out I lost WE and IDTV!
I to was able to watch WETV via the app on my Apple TV until just the other day, as well as accessing the channel via a web browswer...not anymore as Comcast has locked us out permanently! It really ticks me off they keep removing channels but aren't decreasing our bills. That's ok though...my friend gave me his Verizon FiOS login & password and I'm back up and running with the WETV app on my Apple TV!
I watch a lot of Criminal Minds re-runs on WETV (they have the most airings compared to A&E or ION) and I just couldn't go without it. It's a shame that people have to get sketchy and creative but when companies want to treat their customers like gargabe, you're leaving us with no other options but to start sharing services with friends and families.
Rumor has it this was over a contract/price negotiation issue and Comcast didn't want to pay WETV's price...they should have just paid it to keep their customers happy. With all the money Comcast makes off their customers (some people paying HUNDREDS of dollars per month) they can certainly afford it! One day karma is going to come a knockin'...
Hello All,
Thank you for your feedback regarding WEtv. We regularly examine our channel lineups and talk with a wide range of programmers to ensure that we are bringing the content that our customers want the most. We appreciate your feedback and thank you for taking time to reach out to us.


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Bring your toast into the season with Kate Aspen's Personalized 9 oz. Stemless Champagne Glasses! Along with the holiday design in the color of your choice, each glass will be customized with your special message, allowing you a way to make a memorable impression on all your guests. This Personalized Holiday Stemless Champagne Glass can be worked beautifully into any holiday season wedding, special event, or Christmas party!
Features and facts:
Take 20% OFF | No Minimum Required
Use Code: MWFSALE20
Please note:


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Product details
Christmas shopping bills add up quickly, but with the money already set aside, you won't feel it. The Christmas Club Account from Beyond Bank enables you to begin saving at the start of the year in order to cover those expenses at the end of it. Your savings also earn a competitive interest rate throughout the year, giving you a bit of extra cash for one more stocking stuffer.
- Product Name
- Beyond Bank Christmas Club Savings Account
- Maximum Variable Rate
- 0.50% p.a.
- Standard Variable Rate
- 0.50% p.a.
- Monthly Fee
- $0
- Minimum Opening Deposit
- $0
- Internet Banking
- Yes
- Internet Transaction Fee
- $0
- Phone Banking
- Yes
- Phone Transaction Fee
- $0
- Minimum Age Requirement
- 18
What are the features of the Beyond Bank Christmas Club Savings Account?
When looking into Christmas savings accounts that are offered by various Australian financial institutions, compare the features to find the account that will benefit your Christmas shopping needs the most:
- Monthly account keeping fees. Your Christmas Club Savings Account with Beyond Bank does not incur any monthly fees.
- Accessibility. You can make transfers, deposits and withdrawals with this account at a branch, online, over the phone and at Bank@Post locations.
- Transaction fees. You are not charged for making deposits into the account or electronic credits. For transfers and withdrawals from your savings you will be charged $4 per transaction. That fee is waived starting on 1 November through 31 of January.
- Interest rates. A competitive interest rate is applied to your entire daily balance and paid into the account on 31 October.
- Mobile app. Beyond Bank expands their online banking system to a mobile app available for both Android and iOS mobile devices. When you download this app you can access your account through your smartphone, getting up to date balance and transaction information.
- Stay in control of your finances during Christmas
- Earn a competitive interest rate
- No monthly account keeping fees
- Penalties apply if you want to withdraw outside of Nov and Jan
How do I apply for the Beyond Bank Christmas Club Savings Account?
If you are already a Beyond Bank customer you can open a Christmas Club Savings Account through their online banking system. New members are able to access the secure application online. Before you start an online application, check to make sure that you are eligible to open this account:
- Minimum age. You must be at least 18 years of age to open this account online. Younger applicants should either call or visit their local branch in order to complete an application.
- Residency requirements. Beyond Bank requires that all account holders be Australian residents with an Australian residential and postal address. Overseas residents living in Australia will have to contact Beyond Bank for further instruction on how to complete the application.
- Depository requirements. Beyond Bank will not ask for you to make an initial deposit when opening a Christmas Club Savings Account.
As you complete the application you are going to be asked to provide information that can be found on the following documentation:
- Tax file number. Although you will be asked for your tax file number (TFN) or exemption code, it is not mandatory that you provide it. This is used by Beyond Bank to ensure that the correct amount of withholding tax is being deducted from your interest earnings. If they do not have this information they are required to deduct tax at the highest marginal rate.
- Identification. Information found on your driver's licence, passport or Medicare card can be used to help verify your identity. In some cases a new customer may need to visit a Beyond Bank branch in order to complete this portion of the application.
Your Christmas Club Savings Account will become active once your application has been submitted and approved by the financial institution. You will then be provided with the necessary information to set up transfers into the account so that you can begin readying your finances for the holiday season.


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|The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Frederick Douglass
douf01 download page
Narrative is a memoir written by the famous orator, statesman, and freed slave Frederick Douglass. Along with Uncle Tom's Cabin, it fuelled the abolitionist movement in nineteenth century United States. It is a fascinating account by a man who managed to teach himself to read by observation and eventually escape to freedom. Inspirational.
All-time Classic.Published 1845. (111 Kb)


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Social media can create potential ethical pitfalls for tax professionals. According to the article, "Penalties could also be triggered under Circular 230's rules for practice before the Internal Revenue Service by unintentionally creating a professional-client relationship from the perspective of the taxpayer, experts said. Circular 230 gives taxpayers a form of relief if they can prove that they relied on a tax professional's advice, even if that advice is a blog, tweet, or Facebook post, Galit Kierkut, a member of Sills Cummis & Gross P.C., told BNA March 14. Social media easily blurs the lines between professional and personal and is rapidly changing the way business is conducted, Kierkut said." As far as best practices, "Firms should establish and enforce social media policies, Kierkut said. The policies can protect the firm from potential liabilities and give grounds for termination if an employee violates them. Disclaimers should also be used when possible on everything from posts to profile pages, when the post length makes a disclaimer impossible, she said."
(973) 643-5896


text: Did you suffer a blow to the head at work? Don't take it lightly. The severity of a traumatic head injury could take days to materialize, and by then, you could suffer serious repercussions. Even a mild concussion could require you to take time off work and limit your activities, at least temporarily.


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During our trip to Japan two years ago, my husband and I kept talking about how amazing it would be to have a trustworthy babysitter while being in a city such as Tokyo. As we were traveling with our kiddo we had to skip that tiny Michelin star rated sushi restaurant which opened only at night time, a night out in one of Shinjuku's karaoke bars as well as some time together in one of Tokyo's fun but extremely noisy arcade halls. All these activities were clearly not suitable for our 15 months old toddler and not knowing a babysitter who would speak our kid's language, we kept these spots on our list for a future trip; one without kids…however, wouldn't it be great if you could travel as a family and enjoy some couple time, too ?
A Multi-Language Babysitting Platform
Well, parents who travel to Amsterdam don't have to make this choice anymore thanks to Holiday Sitters. Founded by Galit, Ela and Mathieu, all parents themselves, Holiday Sitters is an Amsterdam-based multi-language babysitting platform that allows parents to combine family travel with some couple time. Priding themselves in vetting only the most trustworthy and talented sitters in the city – all sitters have to pass various psychological tests and provide references– , Holiday Sitters offer a pool of nannies from which parents can choose the one they feel the most comfortable with and…drum rolling…who speaks their language! English, German, French, Spanish, Hebrew, Russian only to name a few; with 20 different languages to date, the platform aims to cover as many languages as possible !
Compared to most nanny services which tend to require a subscription followed by rather complex steps, Holiday Sitters' booking process is easy and hassle free. At a cost of 15 EUR per hour for a minimum of three hours, the service is subscription – free and allows also last-minute bookings (of course the service is also open to Amsterdam-based parents). All babysitters do have a profile featuring their biography, a little video as well as their rating from past bookings (think Airbnb here!).
Chat And Skype Meetings To Familiarise With Your Sitter
Once you've chosen your sitter you can then schedule chat and Skype meetings to get to know each other and discuss everything you wish. I like in particular this point as it allows to introduce the sitter in advance to the kid(s)…because personally speaking, there is no way that my toddler kiddo would feel comfortable with staying with someone he has never seen before !
Moreover, knowing that exploring a city with or without kids are two different pieces of cake, Holiday-Sitters is working on becoming a digital Marry Poppins to provide parents with all the kids-friendly travel tips which regular travel guides does not feature. Playgrounds, kids-friendly restaurants, the closest hospital ? You won't need to look for that info anymore !
I love this whole concept and cross my fingers that Holiday-Sitters will be available in more cities soon. In the meantime, for those families who plan a trip to Amsterdam: Enjoy your trip…and a night out, too !


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In a packed show, Max talks about the Dreamers whom Donald Trump claims to "love." Max wonders what Trump would do if he hated them. Regardless all this now becomes another problem for The Cowardly Lion Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell. They have six months to fix this. Hands up if you think this will happen? Meanwhile Trump moves on again, this time to "tax reform" which is in fact a tax cut for people and businesses that don't need it. Trump wants to lower the tax rate from 35% to 15%. But…slight problem most companies only pay an average of 14%. Look at AT&T which laid of 80,000 US employees, yet only paid an average 8% federal corporate tax.
Max Miller: Trump Is Not Right In The Head. The Dreamers Debacle Adds To The Evidence
by Max Miller | Oct 16, 2017 | Max | 0 comments


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Man Tricks Police with Fake DeLorean Made of Snow
If you are a Back to the Future fan, you will get a good laugh out of this! A man in Canada made a real sized DeLorean Car out of snow, and had it looking like it was parked it the street. The police officer in Montreal pulled up to give it a ticket for illegal parking,
and hilarity ensues…


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The Teacher's Desk is the store where teachers shop free for books, school supplies and teacher resources for students in their classrooms. Its mission is to distribute free school supplies to students in need, to encourage teachers and to provide purpose through volunteerism.
Founder John Mika, retired autoworker, was working as a substitute teacher in urban and suburban Catholic schools and saw the difference in classroom supplies when comparing city to suburbs. After a young boy at a Buffalo School ran up to John with a runny nose, he searched the teacher's desk for a tissue and couldn't find any. He gave the boy his handkerchief and decided that every child deserved the same access to supplies, regardless of where they attended school. John opened The Teacher's Desk store in October, 2011 and together with a wonderful volunteer team has since distributed more than $10 million of product to teachers at schools in need throughout Western New York. A box of facial tissue is the very first item each of the 6,000 teachers that will shop this school year receives for their students in need.
Mission Statement: The Teacher's Desk is the store where teachers shop free for students in need existing to show others the goodness of God in 3 specific ways: distribute free school supplies to students in need, encourage teachers and provide purpose through volunteerism.
Board of Directors:
Alyssa Gross…Esquire…William Moran & Associates
Donna Russo…Director…Kingdom Bound Ministries
Bill Hein…Chairman…William S. Hein & Co.
Brian Mabry…President…Flexo Transparent,Inc.
Kevin Marmion…President…William S. Hein & Co.
John Mika…Director…The Teachers Desk
The Teacher's Desk is an approved 501c3 operating throughout Western New York.


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The former Derby midfielder singled three players out for criticism on social media.
Robbie Savage was reduced to a Twitter meltdown after Wolverhampton Wanderers beat Derby County 2-0 at Molineux on Friday night.
The former Derby midfielder was left livid as Wolves ran out 2-0 winners against the side that had thrashed them 5-0 earlier in the Championship season.
And Savage singled three Derby stars out for criticism after the two-goal defeat: captain Richard Keogh, goalkeeper Lee Grant and defender Craig Forsyth.
Initially, Savage began with Twitter tears and blaming the Rams' defending as a whole.
Oh dear— Robbie Savage (@RobbieSavage8) March 20, 2015
Wow Derby defensively very poor so many silly little errors , trying to play out, What was the captain doing for the 2nd ?— Robbie Savage (@RobbieSavage8) March 20, 2015
Goalkeeper been very good this season but poor tonight !— Robbie Savage (@RobbieSavage8) March 20, 2015
But more was to come as Savage singled Keogh out and also asked questions of Derby boss Steve McClaren after the Wolves win.
You can blame keeper for 2nd yes , but why doesn't keogh go and try and win header instead of trying to foul the wolves player ??— Robbie Savage (@RobbieSavage8) March 20, 2015
I don't know if the manager asks his Derby defenders to play out but there is a time and place , mistakes will happen if he does ?— Robbie Savage (@RobbieSavage8) March 20, 2015
And that wasn't it, either! The BBC Sport pundit rounded off his social media rant with two angry tweets aimed once again at the trio of Forsyth, Keogh and Grant.
The pass from Forsyth was never ever on— Robbie Savage (@RobbieSavage8) March 20, 2015
Keogh stay on your feet try and win the header and grant just catch the ball— Robbie Savage (@RobbieSavage8) March 20, 2015
Derby are now five points off the automatic promotion places having played a game more than those above them. Kenny Jackett's Wolves side, however, have continued their speedy surge up the Championship table.
Wolves are now seventh, level on points with sixth-placed Brentford (before their game this weekend). A play-off place is within reach for Jackett's men...
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Advantages to seamless surfaces
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Let's face it, campus WiFi (if it's even offered) can leave a LOT to be desired. It's really not their fault, though. There are only so many routers you can install on campus, and you have to compete with all the other hundreds – or even thousands – of students in the area. When most of the equipment in your dorm room needs to run on WiFi, where does that leave you when trying to stream the latest show in your room with your friends?
Install Your Own Router
Most students these days opt to get their own WiFi router to help eliminate the problems the campus WiFi will get you. There are several benefits to having your own WiFi router in your room or apartment.
First, your files and passwords will be much more secure; the data just passes within your own network, instead of a broad network shared by many users. You also won't have to compete with the rest of campus for the small amount of bandwidth each wireless router can take. Bandwidth is like the freeway. The freeway can only take so many cars at a time. When there are too many cars, the freeway gets clogged up, and you become late for your next appointment. The same theory can be applied to wireless Internet traffic. Too many users on one particular network can clog everything up and slow everyone down. If you need several items plugged directly into the Internet (for the ultimate in speed – think streaming or gaming) you can plug multiple devices into your router instead of sharing the one plug coming out of your wall.
Now that you are convinced you need your own router, which one should you buy? Since your dorm or apartment is probably pretty small, you don't have to get the best, most expensive router out there. You really don't need a ton of range on your router, since your room is the size of a shoebox. Look for well-known brands that have speed and the proper ports, but remember, you're only trying to accommodate a small space, so you don't need a super-long-range router.
Setting Up Your Router
Once you have purchased your router, go ahead and open it!
Your dorm room or apartment should have an Ethernet jack where the Internet connection comes into the room. It looks a little bit like a telephone jack but slightly wider. Although, with fewer and fewer people having a home phone these days, I'm not sure that comparison works much anymore. Either way, you should know what port in your room the Internet is coming through.
The router should have an Ethernet cable that plugs into the box. If not, you may need to purchase a CAT 5 or CAT 6 Ethernet cable. Plug the cable into the wall jack (the port where the Internet is coming through) and then plug the other end into the wireless router. There should be a port on the router that says "Internet" or it may just have a picture of a globe. Some routers even make that port appear a different color to differentiate it from the other ports.
The router should have the default wireless information written on a sticker, or it may be included in the instruction manual. To connect to the wireless network, search for the SSID (the name the router is broadcasting) and connect to it using the password provided. You can also use another Ethernet cable and plug your laptop or computer directly into the router in one of the other ports.
You're Ready to Connect
Once you are connected to the router, open up your Internet browser and navigate to the router's administration area. Some routers will take you to the interface automatically, and some will make you enter an IP address in the browser. The IP with the username and password should be written in the instructions that come with your router.
Now that you are in the admin area, go to the wireless settings and change the SSID (the network name) and the passphrase (the password you use to connect to your network) to something you'll remember but is difficult for others to guess. Keeping the default settings would give other people easy access to your network. You should also change the administration password for the router, to keep neighbors from getting in and changing your router's settings.
The last thing I usually change is the local IP range. Again, this is more for security than anything else. The default range for the LAN (local area network) of a router is typically 192.168.1.__ depending on what brand of router you use. I like to change it to 192.168.80.__ but you can use any number in that third spot. This helps security by making it harder for someone trying to access your system, since they would try the default 192.168.1.1 first. When you hide your network at a different octet (the numbers in the IP address), they have a lot more addresses they need to try to gain access to your router and your network.
Now that you have changed all those settings, connect the rest of the devices in your room to your new network and enjoy your newfound Internet speed! Happy browsing!
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Strawberry Dimple Cake
After a two-week heat wave, it's starting to cool down in Paris this week. At the Thursday Bastille market, there were yellow and orange leaves littering the ground, and the strawberries were not as numerous or quite as bright and juicy-looking as they were earlier in the summer. I know it's only August, but as soon as the strawberries start going out, it feels like fall is on its way. What's say we make a few lovely sun-drenched cakes to stretch out the summer a little longer, hmm?
I've made a version of this cake every summer since I moved into my first apartment in college. I don't remember where that first recipe came from — possibly one of the cookbooks that my roommates brought with them — but this recipe from Martha Stewart by way of Smitten Kitchen is my favorite so far. The milk in the recipe allows the cake to stay moist throughout the long bake time, while the strawberries soften and roast into dimpled puddles of sweet jamminess. The way the strawberries make the batter buckle and puff make it look vaguely quilted. Lovely for company or for afternoon snacking.
Strawberry Dimple Cake
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen.
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for tart pans
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pound strawberries, hulled and halved
Heat oven to 350°F.
Butter four 5-inch tart pans or a 10-inch cake pan.
Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in a small bowl.
In a larger bowl, beat butter and 1 cup minus two tablespoons of the sugar until pale and fluffy with a wooden spoon or an electric mixer, about 3 minutes. Mix in egg, milk and vanilla until just combined. Add dry mixture gradually, mixing until just smooth.
Pour into prepared tart pans or cake pan. Arrange strawberries, cut side down, on top of batter, as closely as possible in a single layer. Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons sugar over berries. As it's baking, the batter will buckle around the strawberries. Some will sink, and some will stay on the surface.
Bake cake for 10 minutes then reduce oven temperature to 325°F and bake cakes or cake until golden brown and a tester comes out free of wet batter, about 50 minutes to 60 minutes. Let cool in pans on a rack.
Serve with lightly sweetened whipped cream or honeyed fromage frais, which is what I did, or dusted with powdered sugar.
Don't fill the tart pans or cake pan all the way to the top with batter, as it will expand prodigiously and may run over the sides of the pan if over-filled. The batter (without the topping of strawberries) should fill just about half of the pans. If in doubt, under-fill them.
I think this would also be great as a rustic layer cake, unmolded from the pans and stacked with layers of whipped cream.
These cakes keep, covered, at room temperature, for 2-3 days, and for about a month when wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen.
Music to cook by: She's Got You High [Mumm-ra // (500) Days of Summer - Music From The Motion Picture]
Posted in:
cooking, desserts |
Tags: cake, dessert, strawberries, strawberry cake, summer, sweets
5 Responses to "Strawberry Dimple Cake"
So pretty!! You take such beautiful photos!
Aw shucks.
looks delish!
beautiful ! great combination too …
sounds delish!


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PDV Salt
Pure Dried Vacuum Salt | Water Softener/Table/Pond/Fish | FCC Food Grade
A fine white free flowing salt 99.9% pure dried vacuum made to a high specification assured under ISO 9001:2000 with BRC higher level accreditation. It is used in the process of animal nutrition, water treatments and is manufactured to the stringent food hygiene standards.
Here, it is used as an important ingredient in the food industry for preservation and flavour enhancement. The E535 anti- caking agent is very stable.
This salt is ideal for bath treatments, to put in the hospital tank for bacterial problems (be aware when considering the use of other medications) and for low level use in the pond with high Nitrite levels.
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from The Century Dictionary.
- noun The act of disembodying.
- noun The condition of being disembodied.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun The act of disembodying, or the state of being disembodied.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun A
soul, spirit, or consciousnessthat has been disembodied, or which otherwise lacks a physical form.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
It's a strange feeling seeing something like that, a kind of disembodiment, and I felt dizzy.
When Patrick takes too much heroin, his sense of disembodiment becomes so extreme that it is indistinguishable from schizophrenia.
'The next page is a scalping, and then we go to decapitation and finally disembodiment.'
Social Security Privatization, Arnold Kling | EconLog | Library of Economics and Liberty
- Head popping, limb disembodiment, lots of blood and realistically sickening sounds
EXTRALIFE – By Scott Johnson - Some things we know and don't know about DIII
While this is interesting to look at, it does create a sense of disembodiment and distance from the work as a whole.
While this is interesting to look at, it does create a sense of disembodiment and distance from the work as a whole.
Supervenience physicalism, as we have been understanding it, is a contingent thesis that is consistent with the possibility (if not the actuality) of disembodiment.
I feared him, feared she'd die without me, feared the disembodiment I felt like a rising breeze inside me.
This is about growing comfortable with your new physicality, dealing with issues of disembodiment and bodily alienation.
The sensation of disembodiment, an alienated dissociation common to the early phase of readjustment.


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Dinosaurs? What dinosaurs. Made from Bull Tree Fern trunks, in 1964 Jack Kelly carved and assembled the timber into dinosaurs, with one very large T-Rex gracing the front of the Noojee Hotel. Behind the hotel were several smaller dinosaurs in a grassed area next to a creek, like a Jurassic Park, long before that name was coined. We thought the sculptures were great and always enjoyed a visit to Noojee. Sadly as the years went on, the tree fern timber deteriorated and the last time I saw them, they were in a very sad state. I expect they are long gone, but I am sure there are photos around. Here is one of T-Rex from the Noojee historical society. It could almost be a photo of we four children, except Sister is the youngest.
The railway arrived from Warragul in 1919 and closed in 1954. Timber trestle bridges were used to cross large steep valleys and here is one very famous one at Noojee that miraculously was not destroyed by fire but was damaged and subsequently repaired.
Photo by mrgnat.
I believe this is the same bridge. Victorian Railways regrets to inform you that all trains to Noojee today have been cancelled. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.
The area around Noojee is normally very green and there is plenty of natural attractions to see. Not far away is the Toorongo Falls.


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Hi! I'm Alli, the photographer. I live in Charlotte, North Carolina but I travel to Columbus, Ohio frequently and shoot there all of the time. I like natural light and bright colors, creative, new ideas and classic portraits. I bring a lot of energy to the shoot and not only want to get you some excellent photos to show for your time, but I want you to have fun.
I get really excited about good music, tall trees, sunshine, old books and puns. I like to travel and sing, take pictures and write. I am passionate about confidence and seizing the day.
During larger projects, I sometimes ask a friend to be the second photographer, but that is ultimately up to the client's discretion. I have listed prices below but I am always happy to talk with you about what you need specifically for your shoot. Click the Contact Us bar above for information on how to ask me more questions!
Engagement Photos: $300/1 look, +$50 for each additional look
Senior Portraits/Industry Headshots: $200/1 look, +$50 for each additional look
Pregnancy Portraits: $150/1 look, +$50 for each additional look
Babies & Children: $150/1 look, +$30 for each additional look
Family Portraits/Band Photos: $250/1 look, + $50 for each additional look
Event Photos: $100 deposit + $400-$900 (Total $500-$1000)
Wedding Photos: $400 deposit + $800-$1100 (Total $1200-$1500)
Prices are listed before tax.


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Hello friends. I wanted to check in with you. Are you sad and lonely? Do you feel like Julie is neglecting you lately with her infrequent, brief posts?
You're not alone. She's been neglecting me too. After the high of having her wonderful family visit and lavish me with attention, I was in for a rude awakening last Monday when they all left. And then Conservative Boy went to work. And then Julie left too, which was strange and unusual and I didn't like it at all. Especially because she was gone all day. Then she was gone even longer on Tuesday. And the same thing happened Thursday too. (Thankfully, she was around all day Wednesday, or I would have been really distraught.)
As if that wasn't bad enough, Julie and Conservative Boy both left me—together, no less—early Friday morning and didn't return until Sunday afternoon. That's a long time for a dog like me to be without his parents, even if he does get to hang out at the Conservative Family house and play with Walker all weekend. I mean, it's fun and all, but why do they keep leaving me?
I'd like to promise you Julie will stop abandoning us soon, but I'm just not sure. She's been working all evening again and I heard her mention something about leaving bright and early in the morning. Is this going to be a regular occurrence? I sure hope not. I'll be one sad puppy.
Letting Butter Talk
Catching Crazies
The other day I drove past the covered wagon in L-Town and decided to stop for a photo. Only this photo wasn't just of Abe reading atop the wagon.
Because there were a couple of crazies standing in front of the wagon this time. Only they weren't really standing. They were doing this.
I have no idea who they are. Really. I've never seen them before in my life.
But I am impressed with My Mo ... er ... the woman on the right. She has quite a vertical.
(If you click on the image, you'll see a much larger version. Just in case you can help me identify who these random women are. Because, like I said, I have no clue who they are.)
Pyrex Newsflash
Shortly after I wrote the last post about my Pyrex obsession, I was wandering through the random assortment of secondhand stores and consignment shops in L-Town with My Sister, My Mom, and Auntie R. We were having a terrific time modeling random purses and scarves and purchasing treasures for bargain-basement prices.
And then My Mom and Auntie R, who are well aware of my Pyrex obsession, found these.
They're perfect—in the best condition of any Pyrex I own. I've been looking for a set like this since I began my Pyrex search, because then I can use the containers for leftovers and get rid of some of our nasty plastic storage containers.
When I saw what they were carrying toward the cash register (and learned the whole darn set cost $8), I did this.
And then Auntie R generously purchased the Pyrex dishes for me, and I gleefully sang about Pyrex all the way home.
Pyrex Love
You may have heard that I love old vintage Pyrex bowls and cookware.
It's a bit of an obsession of mine, fueled by the fact that my incredibly retro kitchen calls out for incredibly retro items to go in it.
It started with one pretty little blue bowl, and since then I'm always on the lookout for good pieces to add to my collection. This summer, I've met with success all over the country.
I snagged this adorable serving dish from Bart's, a stellar flea market in Laramie.
That's where this lovely white bowl—with a lip that makes it awesome for pouring—came from too.
Then in Madison I found this funky green piece that makes me smile every time I spot it sitting atop the fridge. (You cannot hide your Pyrex in the cupboard. That's sinful. You also must use your Pyrex—I don't believe in letting collections gather dust.)
The other day I found this set of bowls right here in L-Town. I was ecstatic, because all three cost as much as one of the smaller ones I had seen previously in Madison.
That's the other thing about my Pyrex shopping: I don't just buy every piece I see. I look for unique pieces, styles I don't have yet. And I look for bargains. Sometimes this Pyrex stuff can be pricey. But if you look in the right places, you can find some stellar deals—some of the things you saw above only cost a couple of dollars. The three bowls you just saw were my biggest purchase yet—$18 for all three.
But they're worth it. So, so worth it.
A Roma Harvest
Finally, the Romas are ready.
I harvested bowl of them from my pot out front the other day. It's a glorious site—and a rarity this summer—to see healthy red tomatoes. So I spent a good five minutes staring at these babies before I decided to do something with them.
Specifically, I whipped up a quick little tomato sauce for lunch for My Sister and I.
It's incredibly easy to make. Blanch the tomatoes and coarsely chop them. Toss them in a big saucepan with four to five tablespoons of olive oil, four to five cloves of garlic, and some salt and pepper. Simmer them on medium heat about 20 to 25 minutes or until the tomatoes have cooked down and the oil floats on top. Toss in lots of fresh basil (tear or cut it into pieces first) and add more salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot over pasta with Parmesan and crusty bread.
Then pray for more Romas so you can repeat the process.
Gazpacho is one of those dishes that screams summer to me. It's all about fresh-from-the-garden veggies, about a touch of spicy in a cool summer soup.
One of my old standbys is a recipe I pulled from Real Simply years ago. It's a quick and easy version with corn and tomatoes and cucumbers and peppers that you don't cook. Yum yum yum.
I've also been contemplating The Pioneer Woman's gazpacho recipe. It looks pretty darn tasty. But then again, so does everything on her blog. That's why I'm obsessed. Duh.
Last time I made gazpacho, however, I tried a new recipe I spotted in a recent issue of Better Homes & Gardens: Chilly Chile Pepper Gazpacho. There isn't any method to my recipe-picking, in case you're wondering. I spot something with ingredients I like, I spot something that looks good, so I tear the recipe out and vow to make it someday.
(The recipe stockpile in my cupboard, by the way, drew an exclamation of surprise from My Sister when she started snooping through the kitchen last night. "Girl, you need a binder for these," she said. I suppose I do. I'll put that on the list, which means I'll get it next January or February.)
Anyhow, so this BHG recipe involves a bit more work than my old standby. But I was drawn to it because it has a kick to it, and that's somewhat of a prerequisite if Conservative Boy is going to try it.
First you roast six large tomatoes (cored, halved, and seeded), one medium onion, and four cloves garlic in a 425 degree oven for 30 minutes.
Then, place the tomatoes in the food processor (or, in my case, the blender). Process the tomatoes until smooth, then remove them from the processor and transfer them to a bowl.
Now add the onion, garlic, one medium cucumber (peeled, seeded, chopped), one medium sweet pepper (seeded and cut up), and four medium jalapeno peppers (seeded and cut up) to the food processor. Cover and pulse with on/off turns until they're chopped.
Add the processed vegetables, 2 11.5-ounce cans hot vegetable juice, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, two tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper to the tomatoes.
Cover and chill at least four hours or up to 24 hours. (Shh ... don't mention I'm repeating the pic from above. I decided the others weren't satisfactory and reserve the right not to post them.)
Serve with flaked, canned crab meat and chopped fresh chives if you like (although I found both unnecessary). Enjoy.
A Peek in the Containers
While I was busy snapping a few photos for my most recent Natural Home blog post, I thought I'd take a few extras to share with you. It has been a while since I've updated you on the front-yard garden progress, and I'm sure you've just been biting your nails in suspense.
Take a peek at the giant stone planter attached to our house right now and you'll see it has been taken over by more basil than I can keep up with (but I'm not complaining ... I loooove basil).
And thyme, which I apparently don't cook with often enough and have let go to flower. Oops. Pretty though, and still very fragrant.
Nearby in pots, you'll spot some Romas that are getting nice and red—which means I need to pick them and make some sauce. Perhaps tomorrow, after my lovely sister arrives and I get her situated nearby with a glass of wine.
My jalapeno plant is going bonkers, despite the fact that I have it rigged up off the ground with a piece of leash Butter chewed apart. That's really trashy of me to admit, but I haven't gotten around to figuring out where I put my string yet, so the leash is a temporary solution.
The cherry tomato plant is producing little red babies lickety-split, which is exciting considering that the big tomato plants in these here parts are stubborn as heck and not turning. But goodness gracious these cherry tomatoes aren't even cherry size. They're blueberry size. I think I'll call them blueberry tomatoes from now on, and thoroughly confuse anyone who tries one.
The heirloom tomato plants I rescued late in the season and planted in big buckets are looking nice and healthy too. They're finally flowering and showing signs of heirloom tomato love.
These babies, at least, have an excuse for being such late bloomers—but the other ones in the ground at my other garden? They should be ashamed of themselves.
Without ever realizing I would one day be writing for magazines, I used to devour My Mom's women's magazines from cover to cover (along with My Dad's news magazines and my Sports Illustrated issues, but that's a story for another day).
In one of those women's magazines, I came across a story about keeping a gratitude journal. It seemed like a good thing to do, and so, for a few years while I was still in middle and high school, I wrote from time to time about things I was grateful for. I can't recall now what things I wrote, but I'm sure they were really important, like how grateful I was for good grades and good rounds of golf and good friends.
For some reason, that gratitude journal popped into my head. And so I thought I would share a few of the random things that have made me happy today.
The petite vase full of freshly cut flowers for my desk, which you saw above.
And another little vase of flowers—some from my garden, some from Conservative Mom's—for the living room (in a lovely little 99 cent vase, no less).
Finally hanging a piece of art in the kitchen.
Finding the one cookbook I've been searching for at used bookstores and second-hand stores (The Joy of Cooking). It's the tome that was missing from my little collection on the countertop.
A juicer—the exact same one I almost bought for $20 recently—for $2.99 at Mission Mart.
My faithful sidekick, who's always up for an adventure with me.
And you, friends and family. Of course I'm grateful for you too!
The Derby
I played golf last Sunday. That's not really a big revelation or an uncommon occurrence, but what was uncommon was the type of golf I played.
You see, I was in a competition called "The Derby." This derby I speak of involves ten teams. Each team is comprised of one man and one woman who have been randomly paired together. The teams play nine holes of golf (alternating shots, so if the woman tees off the man hits the next shot, and so on), and on each hole one team (the one with the highest score) is eliminated.
Sounds relatively simple, right?
Except I forgot to add a few details. Like the fact that people in 20+ other golf carts follow along for the entire event, hooting and hollering and drinking and even honking their cart horns if they happen to have one. And a fellow with a bullhorn is there too, announcing who's up to hit and making random comments and witty asides in each person's backswing.
Then there's the fact that you never know when you'll be faced with a random challenge—like playing one hole with a tennis racket and tennis ball or having a dance-off on the green. (The winner off the dance-off got to move their ball two club lengths closer to the hole, so I whipped out the shopping cart and a few key 80s moves. But alas, we got second, so our ball didn't move until we putted it).
Intrigued yet? I was, which was why I agreed to give it a try when asked. Lucky for me, I was paired with one of Conservative Boy's best friends, A.F., who had never played in the derby either. So we knew we'd have fun, even if we didn't win.
We managed to make it through the 16th hole (we played the back nine), which means we got fourth. But man oh man did we have to scramble to get fourth. A.F. was nervous and I wasn't hitting very well, so we managed to get ourselves into trouble on pretty much every hole. We were among the worst scorers on nearly every hole—on a couple, we tied for last and had to have a playoff to stay in the game. That's how we went out on number 16, because my playoff putt was six inches too short. Boo. Hiss. (Have I mentioned I'm a bit competitive?)
Even though we didn't come away with the big W, it was fun. Very fun. As long as you can handle a bit of harassment and people yelling "the Wyoming Wonderrrrr" every time you get up to swing. Which, you know, is pretty much like every other day on the course, right?
Lemon Zucchini Berry Muffins
You know what stinks? Writing a long, rambling, recipe-filled post about lemon zucchini berry muffins and then clicking the wrong tab closed and losing the whole darn thing right as you finish it. Please don't try it at home. You can just take my word for it: It stinks.
Rather than re-create the whole darn thing, complete with ingredients and step-by-step instructions, this time around I'm giving you the Spark Notes version. I hope you don't mind. I need to get through this quickly so I can go punish myself. I think I'll make myself vacuum.
First of all, I'd like to state that this recipe came to me thanks to a generous friend, who knew I was desperate for something new to do with the five pounds—five pounds!—of zucchini I gathered from the Conservative Family garden after I returned from Georgia. This was in addition to what I still had in my fridge from before my trip, because apparently Conservative Boy wasn't in the mood to consume massive quantities of green produce while I was gone—shocking, I know.
So this kind friend—without whom I may have collapsed in a heap in the middle of the kitchen with my zucchini—saved the day by directing me to a lovely blog called maya*made and a terrific-looking recipe for lemon zucchini berry muffins.
So as soon as I could, I set to work. First I combined the wet ingredients. (Make sure you have enough maple syrup before you start—I didn't and ended up having to improvise. I think it's best you go ahead and not improvise if you can help it, unless you're much better at it than I am.)
Then, in a separate bowl, I combined the dry ingredients.
Then I mixed the two together.
And gently stirred in blueberries (wishing all the while I had been able to find tiny, sweet local berries—but alas, there were none, so I settled for bigger, tart grocery store berries).
Then I poured the batter into my greased muffin tin. Only I have a very small muffin tin (a bigger one is on the kitchen wish list, along with a garlic press, a food processor, and a manual can opener that actually works), so half the batter went into a loaf pan instead.
Then the muffins baked. And came out beautifully.
I ate them, and Conservative Boy did too. Even though he couldn't understand why the heck I'd put zucchini in blueberry muffins and kept asking where the streusel was. I had no answers for him, and for this I apologized.
(I won't tell him I later learned you can swap out the blueberries for chocolate chips and the lemon zest for orange. That would have made him even happier, I think. Heck, it would make me even happier.)
Now, off to vacuum.
(Remember you can get the full recipe here.)
More Natural Home Blogging
Just posted over at Natural Home: Green wall art on the cheap
I suggest you check it out—you'll get a sneak peek at what I'm doing with those frames I painted recently. And maybe within the next two weeks they'll actually make it onto the wall and I can show you the final result ... maybe.
Happy Friday!
The First Tomato
Tomato season is woefully behind here. And, as much as Conservative Boy wishes to blame it on me, it isn't my fault. I swear.
It's the cooler, rainier Illinois summer that has slowed everyone's tomato plants down by as much as a month.
That's why we didn't get to taste the flavors of the first tomato (from my garden down the street) until right before I went to Georgia.
But perhaps the wait is worth it. It was deeelicious. Divine. There's nothing that compares to a warm tomato fresh off the vine.
Sadly, it could be a while yet before we have that experience again. The thirty-plus tomatoes I counted on the vines earlier this week are nowhere near turning pink, let alone full-on red.
But hey, at least there are tomatoes there to count. That's a start.
Adventures in Illinois
Chilled Peach Pie
Remember my two failed attempts at making (Not So) Conservative Grandmom's chilled strawberry pie? First, there was this. Then this.
Yesterday, Conservative Mom and I tackled the Georgia peach version of the pie, in an attempt to figure out why the heck I failed so miserably at a pretty darn easy recipe.
The peach pie turned out beautifully.
And the only thing we can figure out is that I have a bad box of cornstarch. The second time I tried to make the pie, I ended up adding more than 6 tablespoons of cornstarch into the strawberry mixture to get it to thicken up. And it didn't at all. (This horrified Conservative Mom, who said that much cornstarch should have made it disgustingly, difficult-to-stir thick.)
In other words, it's not my fault. And I'll gladly admit if it's my fault, which is why I share blender explosions and failed recipes regularly.
But anyway, that's all in the past. Let's talk about the present. Specifically, the peach pie in the fridge just a few feet away from me right now.
First, you cook one cup water and about a cup of cut-up peaches until they're soft.
Then, you whir the mixture in the blender. Or, if you're at your vacation home and don't have a blender, just smush those peaches with a fork. It's effective.
Add a cup of sugar and 2-plus tablespoons cornstarch and stir until thick. Make sure you use cornstarch that hasn't been destroyed by age or moisture (not sure which is the culprit with mine ... I plan to investigate when I get home).
Boil and stir until the mixture gets nice and thick (and rejoice when it actually does get thick).
Chill in the refrigerator, stirring occasionally, for about half an hour.
Meanwhile, blanch the peaches and peel their skins.
Spread a bit of the peach mixture on a baked crust.
Slice the peaches and fill the crust with them.
Top with the rest of the peach mixture.
Chill. Enjoy. And celebrate the fact that you are capable of making this recipe after all. (Oh wait, that's just me ...)


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A little over four years ago, X-POSITION began as a feature here at CBR. The main impetus behind this was a new direction for the X-books led off by an event called "Endangered Species," written by Mike Carey. It changed the X-Men's mission from one of acceptance to one of survival -- a theme that, in some ways, continues today.
At that point in time, Mike Carey had already been writing the X-Men for three years, yet from our first X-Position through the one I'm sharing today, he always has exhibited an amazing enthusiasm for what he does and the fans he's writing for. Carey is ending his seven year run with the X-Men this December, and -- as a matter of fact -- just finished his final script for "X-Men: Legacy" (issue #260) this week. He's here to close things out with us and is ready for your questions. Let's not keep him waiting...
Agent X is one of many who wrote in to say how much you'll be missed. He included a trio of inquiries to get us started:
Mr. Carey, I would just like to say how much I loved your run and your brilliant portrayal of Rogue over the last few years! She has always been one of my absolute favorite comic book characters and your run made being a fan of hers quite enjoyable, so thank you. Also, the addition of Frenzy has been both exhilarating and absolutely hilarious -- she's great! Here's what I'd like to know...
1) With Rogue being such an important character in your "X-Men: Legacy," why is it that Mystique never had a greater presence in your book? Her relationship with her daughter is so interesting and unique...
Thanks for the kind words, Agent X. Well, Mystique was a huge presence in the first year of my run, and then into "Messiah Complex" -- with a confrontation between her and Rogue built into the climax of that crossover event. After that, other writers (Jason Aaron springs to mind) took Mystique's story forward, while I took Professor X's -- and Rogue remained sort of in limbo for a year, or at least wasn't a main narrative focus in any of the books.
When she came back in (in the "Salvage" arc of 'Legacy'), she was still haunted by the "impression" of Mystique that had become imprinted on her mind when they touched at the end of "Messiah Complex," and there were several important conversations between them -- some of them flashbacks, some in present time. The climax of that arc had Mystique (or at least that version of Mystique) managing to fight down her own deepest instincts to do something that was purely unselfish and self-sacrificing for Rogue's sake. I felt that worked, and I didn't want to dilute it by going back to the same plot later.
2) What will come of Destiny's vague premonition to Blindfold about her brother? And do you think there's a possibility that Irene could return again? I was so excited that Irene had returned, albeit briefly, and her moments with Rogue were absolutely outstanding.
I loved the fact that Necrosha allowed us to do that -- and probably my favorite scene to write in that arc was the final conversation between Rogue and Irene. Could she come back? It's possible, but I'm not sure that it's necessary. They got to say their goodbyes.
As far as the Blindfold plot goes, it was one of the things -- like Gambit's other self -- that I kept trying to get back to, but I failed. It's not resolved by the end of my run, so after that it's up to other X-writers to decide if it's something they want to revisit.
3) Who is your favorite villain to write?
Probably Exodus, because he's in that great X-Men tradition of hugely intelligent and idealistic people who are villains by virtue of having a different philosophy and world view. I really enjoyed having him and Professor X face off three years back, in what was effectively the climax of the whole Xavier-centric phase of "X-Men: Legacy."
Speaking of the different "phases" of your writing, Renaldo has questions covering a few of the adventures you've given us:
Thanks for the great stories, Mike. We'll miss you a lot on the book! Godspeed...
1) I really got neck-deep into your run when the aftermath of "Messiah Complex" hit, and you've done a boss job on characters like Rogue and Magneto. Before you go, I must ask -- which was your favorite character to write and what's your favorite arc in your run?
I have to give the obvious answer, Renaldo -- Rogue is my favorite character to write, and that's why I kept coming back to her again and again over the space of seven years. I love her voice, her perspective, her powers, pretty much everything about her. Probably my favorite arc was "Age of X," because it grew into something so big and so different. I'm really proud of how it came out, and of what we did to Rogue's powers and relationships within that story.
2) You gave us "Age of X," and it was a fun ride in a different universe. Would you ever consider doing future stories that could spin off from "Age of X," as there's a plethora of arcs and seeds I'm sure you can eke out!
I'd do it like a shot. Editor Daniel Ketchum and I talked about it a fair bit, and I may well pitch something further down the line. I love that world.
3) You teased romance with Rogue and Magneto, as well as Scott and Frenzy, so I'm curious -- which is your favorite romantic couple to write?
Writing the Frenzy/Basilisk beats in "Age of X" was very satisfying. Mind you, so was writing the Iceman/Psylocke beats, which is a whole lot more bizarre in some ways. I don't really have a favorite, but I do like going off in odd directions. The Rogue/Magneto kiss, and the build-up to it, was very enjoyable to write.
4) Apart from your X-books, what would be your dream title to write and dream artist to work with?
I have two favorite artists -- Peter Gross and Mike Perkins -- and I work with them both every chance I get. Dream artist who I've never worked with -- the French artist, David B. As to dream titles, well, a Doctor Strange mini would be great. And I'd love to write an arc for Grant Morrison's incarnation of the Doom Patrol, even if I had to get plastic surgery, go back in time, murder and then replace the real Grant Morrison in order to do it.
Grant Morrison better pray you never get your hands on a time machine.
And for those readers who are curious about the artists mentioned by Carey, you can find early collaborations with Mike Perkins in the books "Spellbinders" and "Carver Hale." And for those of you not reading Carey's current book "The Unwritten," you are sadly missing out on something great. And now, back to our regularly scheduled X-POSITION...
Justinian enjoys what he's read, but he's hoping for closure on an issue. What do you say?
I loved reading your run from the start to finish and am quite sad to see you go. I did have a question before you leave though -- Magneto promised Polaris in "X-Men: Legacy" #256 that he would answer her questions after they were safe (presumably, that means back on earth). Will he fulfill his promise to her in your run, or will that be something left for a future writer?
The latter, Justinian. I had space to pay off some, but not all, of the plot threads I'd left dangling. That was one I didn't manage to get to. I'd like to see it happen, but I couldn't make it work naturalistically in the space I had.
Derek also has an opinion on this matter -- one that might be somewhat polarizing...
A total highlight of your run for me was Magneto finally acknowledging Polaris on panel and the two meeting up. His characterization was spot-on during the reunion, but I have been genuinely confused by hers.
Magneto was heavily implicated in the murder of Lorna's mother, yet she didn't mention anything. You yourself even mentioned in a previous X-Position that her mother would be at the forefront of her mind when she and Magneto met up. So why is she behaving so favorably towards Magneto with the question of what happened to her mother (and his involvement) still unanswered?
Hmm. I'm surprised that people see that as a problem, frankly. That Lorna has unanswered questions is very natural. But when we last saw her, she was hugely proud of -- and hugely fixated by -- her proven family ties to Magneto.
I'd imagine (from what we saw of her behavior on Necrosha in "Uncanny X-Men" #430 and #431, for example) that she'd give him the benefit of every doubt. She wants to know the truth about her past, but she's expecting that what she finds will exonerate her father, not implicate him in murder.
Nathan S. has been a big fan of the heart you've brought to the book, and wants to know where the love is going to go:
1) The Rogue/Magneto/Gambit romance always seemed to be one-sided -- with hints and moments focused on Rogue and Magneto, yet nothing with Gambit. Why did you decide to concentrate on that pair? And will this triangle be resolved before you leave?
In some ways, Nathan, it was a way of pushing against what was felt to be expected and inevitable -- that Rogue would immediately return to Gambit once she was free to do so (forgetting the fact that he tried to murder her after the events of "Blood of Apocalypse"). I wanted to explore other possibilities first, and it seemed natural to go back to a mutual attraction between Rogue and Magneto that had been established a long time ago.
The people who dislike this seem to hate it with a passion, so I won't dwell on it for too long, except to say that I think both Rogue and Magneto have acted perfectly in character throughout -- so if there's a problem, it's with my perceptions of the characters. Will it be resolved? No. Gambit and Magneto make opposed decisions in response to the whole "Schism" crisis, but Rogue's choice isn't motivated primarily by staying close to either one of them. She's got her own take on the situation.
2) Throughout past issues of "X-Men: Legacy," there has been a subplot regarding Gambit's difficulties with his "Horseman of Death" persona. Is this going to get a conclusion in 'Legacy,' as the death seed was recently destroyed over in "Uncanny X-Force?"
I really, really wish I'd been able to get to that story. It's not just about the fact that Gambit has been a Horseman -- there's something else going on, and the story is still one that could be brought back into focus and concluded. But whenever you leave an ongoing book, you're going to leave some balls still in the air. This was one of mine. So now I'm lacking a ball. Bad metaphor.
BigBarda has a question about some other "items" you're leaving in the air. Let's see where these land...
1) Rogue has been shown to have an unusually close connection to Hope since saving her life in "Messiah Complex." Is this something you plan to touch on in your final arc? And is that relationship one that will impact her choice of sides in "Schism?"
It's not referred to in my final arc, Barda -- or not explicitly, anyway. What Rogue finally says to Scott, in support of her choice, has direct relevance to her relationship with Hope, but it's not limited to Hope. You'll see what I mean when you read the issue. In a way, her closeness to Hope is a specific instance of something wider, and that something definitely does influence her decision.
2) Since Magneto joined the X-Men on Utopia, Rogue has yet to discuss with him the events of "Uncanny X-Men" #350 or the death of Joseph during the Magneto Wars -- two events which huge impacts on her. Is Rogue reluctant to bring these events up with him? Do you think they cross her mind when considering their relationship?
I'm sure they do, and I'm sure they have come up in conversations between the two. We haven't seen those conversations, obviously. I know that's been very frustrating and even infuriating for a part of Rogue's fan base. For me, now, because of those few extreme reactions, it's a discussion I don't want to get back into.
3) Rogue has been a major focus for you since you first wrote her in the adjectiveless "X-Men." Has the way you've written her changed since those early issues? How has your view of the character developed over the last six years?
I'd like to say that I've written her with the same voice and the same sensibility throughout. Obviously her status quo has changed very radically -- her power set, her relationships, her role in the X-Men. But I think she approaches all these chaotic and unstable situations with a consistent outlook. The proof of the pudding is in the stories, I guess.
In terms of how my view of her has developed, I always felt that she was one of the most vivid and sympathetic personalities in the X-Men's roster, and that she should be at the center of things both by virtue of her powers and by virtue of the kind of person she is. Insidiously and gradually and sometimes blatantly and obviously, I've worked to put her there.
Now it's my turn with one final "Behind the X" get-to-know-you question: If you could magically place any of your written works on every bookshelf in the world, which work would you pick and why?
"The Steel Seraglio," the novel I just co-wrote with my wife and daughter. It's not out until March, and we're counting the days. It's very different from anything that any of the three of us has written before, and we're very, very proud of it. It's written in an "Arabian Nights"-style, with free-standing stories that weave in and out of each other but ultimately become a coherent novel. Anyway, yeah, that. I was way out of my comfort zone, and I had the time of my life.
If I could just grab one last bit of column space, I wanted to say that I've loved writing the X-Men. These characters first came into my life when I was about seven, when the British publisher Fleetway IPC started to produce black-and-white reprints of Marvel books for the UK market. It's hard to describe the pleasure of adding chapters to a story you read and loved as a kid. I'll never forget this experience, the people I've worked with, the friendships I've made, or the fan encounters, which (Rogneto aside) have been overwhelmingly positive and rewarding. Cheers, everyone. It's been both real and hallucinatory for seven straight years. I'll miss you.
As will we, Mike. Come and visit anytime!
Feeling sad? Well, here's some cheery news: we'll be back in seven days with the all-powerful and all-knowing X-Editors. That's right, it's the folks who make X-magic and they're available to answer your questions about any and all X-books and X-characters. Just think of some wonderful wonder-ments, type them up, and send them my way ASAP. With an "X-Position" in the subject line, you'll go right to the front of the class. So don't delay -- I'm waiting...


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If I Were You is simply amazing! This book is a definite re-read for me. It left me wanting more of Sara and Chris and the intrigue around what happened to Rebecca (the journal's writer).
The book is written in first person from Sara's point of view. There were times I longed for Chris' point of view. I wanted to know what was going on inside his head because he is such a compelling character. I wanted to know his deep dark secrets. However, the book wouldn't work if we knew what Chris thought. To know the answers would take away from the intrigue and mystery of the book.
Sara is left with a storage unit and erotic journals to deal with when her friend runs off to elope. Sara finds she can't sell off the belongings in the storage unit. The more she reads the journals, the more determined she becomes to find the owner, Rebecca, to return her possessions and figure out what happened to her. This desire leads to Sara taking Rebecca's place at the art gallery, which starts Sara on a path to becoming what she wanted to be.
Sara is easy to relate to. She has a habit of rambling in uncomfortable silence or awkward moments. She's someone you can see as having for a friend. She is torn between her desire to take the opportunity to change her life by working in the art gallery and finding Rebecca. Her relationship with Chris kept me turning the pages.
Chris is a mystery. He's rich and famous but doesn't act it. He prefers people to not know he is the famous Chris Merit. Chris wants to protect and care for Sara. His feelings for her make him act in ways that break the rules he has set out. He has a dark secret that he knows will make Sara run away. At the end of the book, we get a glimpse of his dark secret.
Sara's new boss, Mark, is dominating. Mark and Chris seemed to have been friends once, but something happened between them. Adding another mystery to try and unravel.
The ending is a cliffhanger. I'm dying to know what happens. The second book, Being Me, is on my anticipated books list. I can't wait for its release.
The romance between Sara and Chris made the romantic in my happy while the mystery behind Rebecca's disappearance made the suspense lover in my happy. It's a perfect blend of the two.
I recommend this book to any reader who is looking for an erotic romance with mystery, intrigue, and a hot alpha male who likes to take charge.
5 Stars = A Must Read (I will be reading this one again.)
Note: Review based on ARC provided by NetGalley.
From LisaRenee Jones' website:
Chris is dark, and so are his desires, but I cannot turn away.
He is rich and famous, and dark in ways I shouldn't find intriguing, but I do. I so do.
I don't understand why his dark side appeals to me, but the attraction between us is rich with velvety promises of satisfaction. Chris is dark, and so are his desires, but I cannot turn away.
He is damaged beneath his confident good looks and need for control, and in some way, I feel he needs me. I need him.
How it began….
One day I was a high school teacher on summer break, leading a relatively uneventful but happy life. Or so I told myself. Later, I'd question that, as I would question pretty much everything I knew about me, my relationships, and my desires. It all began when my neighbor thrust a key to a storage unit at me. She'd bought it to make extra money after watching some storage auction show. Now she was on her way to the airport to elope with a man she barely knew, and she needed me to clear out the unit before the lease expires.
Soon, I was standing inside a small room that held the intimate details of another woman's life, feeling uncomfortable, as if I was invading her privacy. Why had she let these items so neatly packed, possessions that she clearly cared about deeply, be lost at an auction? Driven to find out by some unnamed force, I began to dig, to discover this woman's life, and yes, read her journals—-dark, erotic journals that I had no business reading. Once I started, I couldn't stop. I read on obsessively, living out fantasies through her words that I'd never dare experience on my own, compelled by the three men in her life, none of whom had names. I read onward until the last terrifying dark entry left me certain that something had happened to this woman. I had to find her and be sure she was okay.
Before long, I was taking her job for the summer at the art gallery, living her life, and she was nowhere to be found. I was becoming someone I didn't know. I was becoming her…
The dark, passion it becomes…
Now, I am working at a prestigious gallery, where I have always dreamed of being, and I've been delivered to the doorstep of several men, all of which I envision as one I've read about in the journal. But there is one man that will call to me, that will awaken me in ways I never believed possible. That man is the ruggedly sexy artist, Chris Merit, who wants to paint me. He is rich and famous, and dark in ways I shouldn't find intriguing, but I do. I so do. I don't understand why his dark side appeals to me, but the attraction between us is rich with velvety promises of satisfaction. Chris is dark, and so are his desires, but I cannot turn away. He is damaged beneath his confident good looks and need for control, and in some way, I feel he needs me. I need him.
All I know for certain is that he knows me like I don't even know me, and he says I know him. Still, I keep asking myself — do I know him? Did he know her, the journal writer, and where is she? And why doesn't it seem to matter anymore? There is just him and me, and the burn for more.
Get your copy today!
Also, Lisa Renee Jones is offering lots of great contests on her website. Go here to enter.


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DAYS OF SIR ROGER DE COVERLEY: A Reprint from "The Spectator." With Illustrations by Hugh Thomson.
London: Macmillan, 1901. Third Edition. Full Calf. 158pp; frontispiece and 58 illustrations, some full-page. Bound by James Galt of Manchester, in burnt-orange calf gilt-decorated spine and borders of covers, dentelles, marbled endpapers and edges, cover stamped "Cargilfield School." 7.25" x 4.75" School Prize binding, with label inside the cover accomplished..... More