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Story of Tea
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: Alhudulilah, yes sister Ruhi. Time flies in this fleeting world. May Allah The Almighty accept our hard work in the permanent world. That's the real success.
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: We at MV express our deepest sympathy for our sisters & brothers who became victims of terror attacks while offering their Jumma prayers in the Masjids in NZ.
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Heba E. Husseyn
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Story of Tea
May 08, 2009, 02:24:02 pm »
After the popular one,
Story of Coffee
, it's unfair to ignore tea - a beverage that isn't trailing too far behind in popularity. Though its history isn't as glamorous as that of coffee, it's interesting enough.
The tradition of tea drinking in gatherings of all kinds is an ancient one. No one really knows for sure how it started, except that it started from the East. It can be formal or informal, on business occasions or celebrations, or simply for relaxation and nutrition.
A silly legend concocted by some Chinese emperor around 2,000 years BC says that tea was invented when leaves accidentally blew into his pot of boiling water. Of course this is just a myth.
Where is tea grown?
Tea is only grown in places with damp tropical climate that are slightly hilly and receive very heavy rainfall each year. Tea is usually grown on the slopes. The places where tea plantations are cultivated include the regions China, India, Ceylon (or Srilanka as its called at present), Taiwan and Japan.
History of tea in Europe / Britain / Ireland
Tea was introduced in Europe and Britain in the 1600s, after the introduction of coffee from the Middle-East, when Asian trade routes were carved out, primarily by the British East India Company. During this era, tea leaves were very expensive in Europe and Britain. It was considered a luxury and was kept locked in boxes. Only the wealthy could afford it. Thus, the culture of drinking tea became a status symbol. Catherine of Braganza, wife of Charles II introduced the ritual of tea-drinking to the English Royal Court and the habit was soon adopted by the aristocracy.
It was as late as the Victorian era when tea became a commodity, followed by the grand tea rituals - tea with the tea time snack - originally designed by the British, was a way of fighting off hunger pains. The ritual of afternoon tea came about when business etiquettes began being considered important during the late 19th century.
The first tea shop for ladies was opened by Thomas Twining in 1717 and slowly tea shops began to appear throughout England making the drink available to everyone.
The British further developed their love of tea during the years of the British Empire in India.
The very interesting history of 'high tea'
This started from England. I quote from an old email I received from a relative some months ago. Enjoy the read!
Quote ----
History of 'high tea' in Britain
The modern tea rituals roots lie with a subject of Queen Victoria. Anna, the 7th duchess of Bedford (1788-1861) was a lady in waiting to the Queen. She traveled extensively across Europe and was quite educated and worldly for her time. The wealthy nobles of the day would eat a big breakfast, a small lunch, and a grand supper at nine in the evening. To counteract what Anna called a sinking feeling late in the afternoon she began asking her servants to bring tea with small cakes and pastries to her boudoir. This snack was cause for much speculation and interest in Queen Victorias court. Anna began sharing the small meal with her friends. She would send out invitations and receive the ladies in her dressing room. Victoria caught wind of the idea and quickly fell in love with it, so much so that a tradition was born. By the late 1840s the Queen was having formal dress afternoon teas daily. These never lasted past 7pm because one needed ample time to change clothing in preparation for supper at 9pm. What a tough life those nobles lead!
What started as a leisure ritual for the wealthy quickly caught on as essential with the working class. At 5 p.m., immediately following work, the middle class would partake in family tea. The advent of gas lighting brought on longer work days. Breakfast was eaten before the sunrise and a light portable snack was consumed for lunch at ones work station. As per the rules of etiquette, supper wasnt served until 8 p.m. The eight hours between lunch and supper were tough for a working man to handle. Tea quickly became a wonderful compromise. Meat tea or High tea, as it was called because of the standard table height where it was partaken, became the modern day dinner. The late meal was dropped all together because a meat tea quickly consisted of that as well as potatoes, vegetables, breads, sweets, and of course tea. Tea was the foundation of the evening ritual because it tasted so good that it made the bland foods eaten by the lower classes nicer to consume.
By the late Victorian era, afternoon tea was again mostly a pastime of the idle rich. It fulfilled the purposes of socializing, event planning, introductions, informal business meetings, as well as a perfect platform for gossip which was a major pastime of the day. This 4 p.m. tea ritual became known as Low tea because it was served in the low point of the afternoon. Tea fare included many items. Elaborate bite sized sandwiches that were recently made popular by the Earl of Sandwich (That's how the common and modern 'sandwich' got its name
) as well as a plethora of sweets and pastries were incorporated into these afternoon events. Certain foods became popular during each season of the year. Fruit and berries were eaten in the spring and summer while heavier starch items were reserved for the colder months.
Trays of different items were placed all over the sitting room were tea was served. This allowed the guests to mingle through out the early evening. The Victorians called a tea service a tête-à-tête (introducing a new vocabulary). This consisted of a teapot, sugar bowl, and a cream pitcher. So many contraptions were invented for the single purpose of tea consumption, such as sterling silver items like the berry scoop and bun warmer. Boiling water was often brought around by servants at regular intervals to replace the cooling water in the teapots. What started out with basic bread and butter items eventually turned into a full blown gourmet snack.
The female wardrobe even expanded to include a new more revealing dress, the 'tea gown.'
Tea Gowns, or teagie as contemporary slang termed them, were a significant part of a womans arsenal. It was the definitive item that radiated whether a Lady was fashionable, racy, or frumpy. It allowed a perfect place for the Kimono inspired Asian fashions of the late Victorian age to be tested out. By the early Edwardian period a ladys teagie wardrobe consisted of her most exquisite and expensive fashion items.
Unquote ----
Types of tea
There are currently almost 1,500 different varieties of tea. They all vary in style, taste and color. This includes Indian tea, North Indian tea (a.k.a. Darjeeling tea), East Indian tea (a.k.a. Assam tea), Ceylon tea and China tea.
The ones that are most popular are Persian tea, South Asian tea, English tea, Chinese tea, herbal tea and the American iced tea. Each of these are better known as styles of tea, because they all have their own traditional ways of serving.
Herbal tea and iced tea are of course are not considered the real "tea" by tea experts. These are any edible plant or spice that can be steeped in water and consumed. These are derived only from the Camellia sinensis plant. Examples of herbals are rooiboos, peppermint, chamomile, or rose. Iced tea is generally made with these. It can also be made with the regular black tea. Just steep it on the strong side and then add ice. Though some dislike it, some find it a refreshing drink in summer.
Preparing tea
Everyone has an opinion on how to make a proper cup of tea. The first ingredient must be leaf tea. Not tea bags and certainly not powder. Only black tea is considered real for a cup of tea in Britain. Black tea is the dried and fermented leaves of the tea plant, Camellia sinensis.
The commonest way of preparing and drinking tea is with milk and sugar. But there are variations - black tea with no sugar, black tea with sugar, tea and milk without sugar, black tea with honey, tea and milk with honey, black tea with a dash of lemon juice and so on. Muslims in Middel-East and South Asia also flavor their tea (milk and sugar) with pinch of saffron or a few cardamom seeds or both.
It is very important to use clean filtered water. This makes the tea taste good and also helps provide a healthier cup of tea.
Enjoying Tea in modern days
As tea connoisseurs would say, enjoying one's cup of tea is a lot more than just drinking it. A huge part of the enjoyment involves "warming the pot and choosing your favorite china cup." Tony Turnbull writes in the Times of London "Simply dropping teabags into a mug not only yields an unsatisfying, solitary brew, it spoils the ceremony and anticipation crucial for enjoyment." Longtime tea fans often love the most rudimentary form of processed tea - the dry rough tea leaves - and use it in the kitchen from scratch to prepare a great beverage.
Tea is about the relationship of the tea server to the environment, the tea, the teaware, the guest (if there are any), and to himself or herself.
The kind of tea you are having would determine the teaware you need to use. For example, Chinese tea would require the use of porcelain teacup and saucer with lid, and Chinese made matte clay teapots. In Chinese culture, green tea and black tea are made in different color teapots. For black tea, the teapot needs to be of a darker color. For drinking English tea - I guess everyone knows what teapots & teacups look like. Teaware for Persian and South Asian tea aren't too different.
At a tea room tea party (exclusively tea only), the tea is enjoyed with the conversation and atmosphere. If alone, the surroundings would play a role in enhancing the relaxation provided to you by your cup of tea - flowers, lamplight, candlelight, starlight, music, books, paintings etc. Other natural objects like rocks, stones, trees, pinecones, wood, etc. can be used to create beauty and simplicity, which are the hallmarks of real sanctuary in a tearoom.
The British typically serve finger sandwiches as well as condiments for the tea, such as milk or cream, sugar and/or lemon.
Chinese typically use no condiments with tea, and during a formal tea party would not usually serve food. Rather, the focus is on the taste of the teas themselves. At the same time, informal Chinese and Hong Kong teahouses often serve light small dishes, most especially noodle dumplings filled with shrimp or vegetables.
Persian, Middle-Eastern and South Asian tea parties - or the fusion tea parties - would generally include plenty of snacks and food with green or black tea. Sweets, pastries, sandwiches, pakoras, samosas, chips .. even salads and soups. The sky is the limit, you can create anything! Rich and strong South Asian party tea sometimes does not require a tea pot. Water, tea and milk are combined together in a large saucepan and cooked for a while. At times pinch of saffron or a few green cardamoms are added for an enhanced and somewhat different flavor.
Benefits of tea
According to study, black helps to
reduce stress
prevents tooth decay.
It's widely thought that sweetening your black tea with
is healthier than using white sugar. However, honey isn't carb free either. It also affects the blood sugar and not every believes that it's not injurious for the teeth. But rest assured, black tea with honey tastes great!
Some people also like drinking their black tea with a dash of lemon juice. It gives black tea a very zesty herbal touch and those on a sugar-free diet will love it. But do remember that while fresh lemon juice is very healthy, its regular intake with tea can cause erosion to the teeth in the course of time. That's because lemon juice is highly acidic.
Most importantly, tea is known to have anti-oxidants that help prevent certain types of cancer. According to a
BBC report
"antioxidants in tea offer protective benefits against cancers of the stomach and oesophagus (gullet)."
Something to remember
Last but not least, also remember that latest findings suspect that regularly drinking piping hot tea (or any steaming hot beverage for that matter) can promote cancer of the oesophagus because of thermal injury. Second warning, don't become a tea addict. Tea is the category of
food and too much of it can lead to stone in the kidney. Up to two or three cups a day is fine. Try not to go beyond that.
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Re: Story of Tea
Reply #1
May 09, 2009, 05:57:45 pm »
How interesting! Pakistan and Afghanistan have borrowed the British style of tea drinking, mostly tea with milk and sugar, or black tea with sugar or tea with milk without sugar .... even the practice of snacking with tea which is so common in Pakistan. I wonder if that's taken from the English or did the English take it from them when they had their empire across the sub-continent? But among the Brits, it's fun to read how the culture of tea drinking has evolved in just 500 years.
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Re: Story of Tea
Reply #2
May 11, 2009, 02:07:33 pm »
I think the Brits borrowed the trend of snacking with tea from Pakistanis & Afghanis. Brits are great copy-cats but try to show that others copy them.
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Re: Story of Tea
Reply #3
May 11, 2009, 02:12:42 pm »
I'm in love with the Persian and Turkish tea joints. Just my kinda place for a Halal hangout.
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Re: Story of Tea
Reply #4
May 18, 2009, 06:31:57 pm »
MashAllah, what a lovely thread .. Thanks sister Heba. The story is just so interesting. Such commodities are a difficult topic to write on, and yet it's nice to see that we've made our tea and coffee outlook / research so interesting.
I too love Iranian and Turkish coffee houses. Turk coffee houses go back to Ottoman era, that's when the culture originated and the story-tellers in coffee shops. I would like to write a piece on the culture of coffee house story-telling.
"Brits are great copy-cats but try to show that others copy them."
lol ,, true. All across the West it's the same story .... as if everyone is copying them. They forget everything they stole while colonizing which was the foundation of their culture.
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Re: Story of Tea
Reply #5
March 13, 2017, 12:52:33 am »
Salams and hiya folks. I thought of comin to this thread with a question. I bought a whistling tea kettle few days ago (tired of using electric tea jugs so my family and I wanted to some traditionalism in the kitchen for a change). The tea kettle looks great. But the problem is it won't "whistle"
Any suggestions why?
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Re: Story of Tea
Reply #6
March 13, 2017, 01:08:40 am »
Wa'salaam Sister Ruhi. I too had the same issue with my whistling tea kettle. No high pitched squeaks. But it screams quite a bit now. I tell what .. first off make sure the cover of the kettle is firmly closed. Second, never fill the kettle with little water even if you're making just one cup a tea. It should be at least three-quarters full and allow it to come to a rolling boil. Third, keep the temperature of the stove above medium. Try out these suggestions. InshAllah, it will whistle
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Re: Story of Tea
Reply #7
March 13, 2017, 01:22:22 am »
Thankoz me Sis
Yeah I make sure lid is tightly closed. But my husband usually fills it half or less over low temperature .. I mean little below medium so the kettle won't stain (though it's stainless steel) and won't take too long to boil. But lemme try it according to your guidelines. Will InshAllah let you know.
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Re: Story of Tea
Reply #8
March 14, 2017, 04:32:15 pm »
Presto sis!
Your suggestions worked. Actually the most important thing is keeping the temperature above medium. I filled it less than three-quarters, about half but set the heat at one mark above medium .... and yeah, it whistled happily
My husband and kiddos send you their thanks. If any day we fill it three-quarters, it would be better to set the stove setting two marks above medium, right?
Btw, what's the logic behind it?
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Re: Story of Tea
Reply #9
March 14, 2017, 04:44:36 pm »
Alhumdulilah, great to learn that
A warm welcome to your wonderful family, dear Sis.
Yeah, if you fill it more than half, set the stove at 2 points above medium. I always do when I fill it that much.
The logic behind it is: More water means more steam, and more steam means greater its force when it gushes out of the spout. This is the aspect that makes the whistling sound. If the steam is little or without much strength, it won't be forceful enough to whistle. Also, the evaporation process begins before the water in the kettle starts to boil furiously. Thus filling it with little water over low heat will cause much of the steam to evaporate prior to that. Thereafter when the water comes to a full boil, the steam will be too little to cause a squeaky whistle.
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Re: Story of Tea
Reply #10
March 14, 2017, 04:56:47 pm »
Quote from: Zeynab on March 14, 2017, 04:44:36 pm
The logic behind it is: More water means more steam, and more steam means greater its force when it gushes out of the spout. This is the aspect that makes the whistling sound. If the steam is little or without much strength, it won't be forceful enough to whistle. Also, the evaporation process begins before the water in the kettle starts to boil furiously. Thus filling it with little water over low heat will cause much of the steam to evaporate prior to that. Thereafter when the water comes to a full boil, the steam will be too little to cause a squeaky whistle.
Aw! thankoz again meo sis ... that was sooo informative worth remembering I never thought about before. Will pass this info to my hubby too.
Allah bless.
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Re: Story of Tea
Reply #11
April 07, 2017, 04:02:58 am »
Wowie! Thanks to me too for those tips on whistling kettle
Some day InshAllah I'll need it. Right now we're into our 2 electric tea jugs. Got a whistling kettle as gift from my brother during my 14th wedding anniversary 3 yrs ago. It's still unused, lying in the store cupboard. Neither my hubby nor me have opened it yet though we plan to every now and then. InshAllah, maybe let the summer pass and we'll open it in winter. In winters sound of that squeaky whistle from the kitchen gives an extra cozy touch to the home.
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text:
About The Patent Examiner Guy
Well, I'm actually a patent examiner and can say, with no doubt, that 12 people at random cannot judge obviousness (or even novelty). I've seen trained examiners, already 1 or 2 years in house, with PhD's and experience in whatever field, struggle with it, let alone 12 jurors with random or non-existent technical backgrounds with 3 weeks pseudo-experience in assessing prior art...
ALmost nobody commented on the patent itself, so, as a patent examiner, I was curious and looked it up and found a PCT filing for the thing, and, well, at least somebody knows their stuff - the international preliminary opinion on patenteability states lack of novelty for every claim... not bad..
https://register.epo.org/espacenet/application?documentId=EOMZ02Z15399FI4&number=EP0786 1336&lng=en&npl=false
(sorry about the link, the usual [url][/url] doesn't seem to work here)
Nonetheless, the granted US version has widely amended claims when compared to the original PCT, but everything is more or less business method stuff, so no patenteability for those parts in Europe, making the patent completely bogus, assuming the examiner's know what they're doing. Anyway, I thought the latest decision coming from Bilski was that the USPTO had to examine the technological basis for the business method, not the method itself, exactly like in Europe.. maybe I missed some decision along the way...
So yeah, I'm glad I live in Europe :) (except for having to put up with stupid "proteced by US patent" disclaimers on almost everything by US companies).
Oh, contrary to most people here :) , the "misinformed journalist" comment wasn't about bashing you, it was actually about the original news piece... in my experience (and my nick says it all), 90% of people don't understand what they have even if they get a granted patent, since 99% of the time these end up with a very limited protection scope, and more than once I've heard reporters and researchers brag about their "patents", which sometimes are still being examined, or that me or one of my colleagues personally rejected.
Personally, i find it perfectly OK to patent some process to build a pyramid, I just don't think that particular patent is that good, if ANYONE here did read the damn thing, you would see that it isn't only about building a pyramid, it's about building something with an apex, even if the base is a circle (which makes out a cone, not a pyramid), level by level (a "course") covering intervals between blocks of the previous level with a block from the new level, and then removing blocks in such a fashion that a stair like structure will appear.
But, if you look carefully to figs. 5 and 6, there seems to be a discrepancy in the upper right corner of the drawing, basically the orientation of the outer stones changes from the initial state to the finished one, also, you would need half blocks to fill the structure and i can't see any drawn - maybe I'm wrong but I don't believe the pyramids in egypt have half size blocks, and the entire "build a cube and then remove half the material" seems odd, since the Cheops Pyramid (according to Wikipedia) weighs 6 million tones. I can't believe they would carry 12 million tones of rock just to waste half of that...
Anyway, what we have is hundreds of newspapers (in several languages) reporting on this as being THE METHOD for pyramid building, used by the ancients, without a shred of scientific discussion, or peer review.
Again, I may be wrong, but i seriously doubt this method could be used to build a 6 million ton pyramid..
If you dig a little further, you'll find that the search report is actually quite adamant: almost every claim is unsearchable - and oh my, what a load of crap they are (hope you can read French), and the 1st claim is anything but novel.
So, my 2 cents on this: first - it's just misinformed journalist talk, second - the woman is trying to make a name for herself even without understanding crap about patents, third - i'll bet Algeria is one of those countries with administrative granting without examination (correct me if I'm wrong please)..
So, not much of a news item...
"Of course, it would have been nice if the patent examiner on the case had bothered to look around and find such prior art, but apparently that's too difficult these days."
As always, patent examiners get blamed for all the crappy patents going around. Look, this is how it works: if you show something in public, but do not disclose EXACTLY HOW IT WORKS, you can always state that you showed the car but not what's under the hood, so people don't really understand HOW it works but just WHAT it does. So, as patent examiners, we know damn well that citing press releases or any other kind of silly publicity stunts won't get us anywhere except into a big discussion with the patent attorney in question. That's the pure plain simple truth. The average citizen has no idea of the crap we get from inventors and their attorneys, and the 100 page arguments about why there is reasonable doubt that something should be prior art. Being a patent examiner, is, definitively, one of the most damaging jobs out there. Our hands are tied, stop blaming us for the administrations that tie our hands. You have no idea of the thousands of applications we just so badly want to reject, but can't... :(
You're assuming I work in the US... i actually don't, so I don't keep up with what i assume must be US court cases, and most countries accept biotech patents because they belong to the WTO and were "forced" to sign the TRIPS agreement... as a side note, I'll add that Techdirt is actually a very interesting site for foreigners, it's sort of a compendium of the craziest things in IP disputes, all coming from the US.
I didn't say I had a "position"... the fact is that this is how things work, and if India has the same laws everyone else has right now, then there's no "open source genome free for all do what you want kind of thing" possibility, because, well, there are patents, live with it or run for WTO chairman... and try to disband the TRIPS agreement... i know i'm just one guy :)
Well, since biotech patents are granted based on solving a problem using a SPECIFIC part of the genome, neither the guys who mapped the genome could have patented it (so, no bragging rights for them), nor will they prevent further patenting on specific parts of that genome, once somebody finds out exactly what can be synthesized by which parts...
So it's really "no-news"..
And does anyone know the content of the amended claims? The USPTO database is famous among us patent-examiners-from-other-countries for being pretty flimsy when it comes to making amendments public. From what I gather, there were a lot of claims submited, but the patented ones (unless there's an update coming soon) are from 2007.
I haven't really followed the case and I would love to actually read them before commenting...

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Commit your project to Git
You will learn
You will create a Git repository in SAP Cloud Platform for your project, commit your project files, and then deploy and your app to the cloud. You will be able to access your app from a laptop and your mobile device.
Log into SAP Cloud Platform by opening the following URL in a new tab: https://account.hanatrial.ondemand.com
Make sure you are using the Europe (Trial) landscape, and click on your account name to open the cockpit view.
In the left-hand navigation bar, select Repositories > Git Repositories.
Click on New Repository, and enter the following details:
|Repository Name
Repository for Inventory Dashboard app
Make sure the Create empty commit box is checked, click OK and your repository will be created.
Click on the
te2017frontend repository link to open the repository overview page.
On the repository overview page, copy the Repository Browser URL and paste it into the field below and click Validate.
On the repository overview page, copy the Repository URL:
Open SAP Web IDE in a browser window (or in an existing one), right-click on your
te2017frontend project folder and select Git > Initialize Local Repository.
An alert box will appear in the upper right corner of your SAP Web IDE window.
Click the Set Remote link in the alert and paste in the Repository URL you copied earlier. You can leave the Add configuration for Gerrit unchecked and click OK.
This will initialize your local repository and link it to the Git repository in HCP.
If you closed the Set Remote notification in the top right side of the screen, you can use the menu to locate the Set Remote option. Right click on the project name and go to
Git > Set Remotein the menu.
Click on the Git pane icon on the right hand side bar of the SAP Web IDE window.
If your project does not appear in the Git pane, keep the Git pane open and click on the project folder.
To allow SAP Web IDE to see remote branches in the SAP Cloud Platform Git repository, click the Fetch button on the Git pane and log in with your email address and SAP Cloud Platform account password if prompted.
When the Changes Fetched dialog box opens, click OK.
Click the Merge button on the Git pane to merge your local branch to the remote origin/master branch.
When the Merge "master" dialog box opens, make sure the origin/master remote branch is selected and click OK.
At this point your Git repository is set up.
The next steps will commit and push your project files to the repository.
You may select individual files to commit, but to commit all project files, click the Stage All checkbox.
Scroll down in the Git pane and enter a description (required for any commits) like
Initial commit.
Click on the Commit and Push button, and select Remote Branch, from the pop up menu.
This will add your files to the master branch (in other source control systems this is sometimes referred to as the "trunk").
In the Push Changes to a remote branch dialog box, select origin/master, click OK and log in with your SAP Cloud Platform credentials if prompted.
You will see a confirmation alert appear briefly in the top-right corner of the SAP Web IDE window (just below Logout), and you will see the decorations change to the green circles indicating that the files in your project match the versions in the Git repository.
Step 1: Log into your SAP Cloud Platform account
Step 2: Create new repository
Step 3: Open the repository overview page
Step 4: Copy the Git Repository URL
Step 5: Initialize Local Repository
Step 6: Link to remote repository
Step 7: Open the Git pane
Step 8: Perform a Git Fetch
Step 9: Perform a Git Merge
Step 10: Stage files
Step 11: Enter a description for the commit
Step 12: Perform a Git Commit and Push
Step 13: Push changes to the remote branch
Step 14: New file decorations
- Back to Top


text:
lawyerLOGO needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 223 designs submitted by 65 freelance designers.
Logo for a lawyer starting out on his own after working for private firms for nearly 40 years. For a business card but must be adaptable for other materials, such as letterhead. Not pretentious, not lawyer-ish. Deane is very hard-working, no frills, honest kind of guy. But still old-school in the sense that this will be handed out to lawyer-ish people - so think CLEAN!
Deane Ewart Law
Deane was hoping for something that incorporated waves, or sails but don't let that restrict your creativity!
Deane is a real estate, wills and estate lawyer, now working for himself after nearly 40 years in the business. He wants to expound a positive, honest, hardworking and earnest attitude.
The logo will be used primarily on his business card (must be able to have a b&w version), website, but also on letterhead.
Photoshop or Illustrator vector graphics please!
Lots of feedback will be provided, especially if I like the work of a particular designer. I really want to find a design or at least a designer to work with and lock this down before Christmas day, however, there is NO GUARANTEE that a winner will be chosen.
One last thing: I work for a media company as a marketing coordinator and will be looking for contract designers in the new year, so being wowed by you, even if you don't win this time, is definitely a good thing :)
- Item 1...
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


text:
The Wine Novice asked Andrea DiFiore, store manager at Andover Liquors,
for a list of red wines (with her own descriptions) for the following functions: an informal dinner-party, a formal dinner party at your boss's house (or someone else you might want to impress); and that special memorable event. These 14 wines, ranging in price from $12.99 to $99.99, are guaranteed to stand out among oeniphiles who appreciate good friends, good food and good times, said Andrea.
2011 Les Darsons, Languedoc, by Jeff Carrell, $13.99 – A Syrah-Grenache blend featuring red ripe fruit and black pepper notes. An "off-the-beaten" path wine that does justice to a small French producer.
2011 Camino de Navaherreros, Spain, $12.99 – Makes a good introduction with raspberry and cherry tastes leading to a medium, dry finish. Pairs well with pasta and chicken or as a nice sipper.
2009 La Spinetta, Langhe Nebbiolo, $27.99 – A wine you think about drinking while spending all day cooking osso buco (veal shank) with mushroom risotto.
2010 Arnad Montjavel Vallee d'Aosta, La Kiura, $16.99 – Another little known Italian wine similar to a Pinot Noir. Red fruit flavors and dominant Nebbiolo presence (75 percent) that produces a dry, silky finish.
2009 Domaine de Courteillac Bordeaux, Dominique Meneret, $14.99 – "This is (the French wine) I would pour to bring the taste of Old World wines to someone who just drinks California cabernet," says Andrea. Jammy, blue and red fruit tastes, tannic and the right touch of acidity make this a well-balanced red to go with a hearty meal.
2009 Rusack Pinot Noir, Santa Barbara County, $29.99 – An overachieving small family estate produces this impeccably structured wine that should grace every Thanksgiving Day table. Exceptional floral, spicy notes, velvety on the palate and a mouth-watering finish.
2007 Truchard Pinot Noir, Carneros, Napa Valley, $32.99 – Lush cherry aromas and gorgeous baking spices – like nutmeg – make for a brilliantly textured wine. Another great complement to turkey dinner. 2010 Stafford Hill Pinot Noir by Halloran, Oregon, $19.99 – A small-production estate that takes pride in handcrafting quality wines at a bargain price point. Pomegranate, raspberry and orange peel notes create a delicious and appealing wine.
2003 Poggio Antico Brunello di Montalcino, Italy, $74.99 – For the special occasion when romance, elegance and an exquisite meal are on the agenda. Flavors of licorice, anise, black currants, dried floral notes and plums are expressed in complex layers of taste ending with a satisfyingly long finish. "This is elegance to me," says Andrea. "It's a wine that you just want to keep smelling in the glass. It's an experience to savor."
2007 Ceretto Barolo Zonchera, Italy, $52.99 – It's bigger and more masculine in style (than most Barolos). Deep red fruit rich in mushroom sauce. Pairs well with steaks, venison, and thick meat stews.
2009 Plumpjack Cabernet Sauvignon, Oakville, Napa Valley, $99.99 – A hard-to-get wine previously reserved for elite restaurant distribution, this is a big, full-bodied cab with tons of tannin and balanced acidity. Black olives, cherry and deep dark rich fruit combine for a luscious taste. A serious Cab through and through.
2008 Chappellet Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, $49.99 – Robert Parker gave the 2007 vintage a high rating and great publicity, but the 2008 proved just as opulent during an "off-vintage" year. Tons of spice and cassis flavors come through from good, quality fruit.
2007 Saint Cosme Chateaunheuf-du-Pape, France, $54 – A classic, highly rated Rhone-style wine that merits special attention and sells at a great discount to other top French wines. "The aroma is like putting your nose in lilacs. The floral notes in this wine are incredible," says Andrea. "Exceptional with slow roast pork chops."
2007 Cantina del Pino Barbaresco, Italy, $39.99 – Bitter cocoa and concentrated red fruit are the leading characteristics in a wonderful wine with a long finish. Good with veal chops.
– Jim Campanini
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text:
(JTA) — Two Miami-area synagogues were evacuated following a bomb threat.
A call Wednesday morning to Temple Dor Dorim in Weston, Fla., said there was a bomb at the synagogue as well as at Temple B'nai Aviv, also in Weston, the Miami Herald reported.
The bomb squad did not find any explosives at either temple.


text:
IntroductionsPost Reply
Yo, the name's Francis
My friends are shocked that I'm able to tie my shoes using BOTH my hands ahah
Watching dbz back in the day on upn got me into the whole anime world
I'm away and I missed my own idea going up? Sucks... oh well.
My names Kyle.
17/Male/Chicago *points to avatar* <3 the city. Taken from the Sears Tower if any of you care. ^_^ So whats up all?
Oh, forgot 3 and 4. >_>
3. I was born with a broken skull, so I have a huge crescent shapped moon scar on my head, but you can't see it because I have longish hair.
4. I really don't remember. I think Trigun was the start of it. All I know is that my friend Jerome showed me something and it just clicked.
1. John, sometimes Chester
2. 25/male/Georgia.....sigh
3. I um.......yeah.....I love Metal!
4. With video games it all started with the Colecovision.
With music videos.......eh, I could do without.
With anime, I must say that it started when I was about 12. I picked one up at the local video store because I liked the box. After that the Sci-fi channel fixed my need with their Saturday Anime program. Now, I've got the net. All time favorite anime would have to be the Venus Wars. It isn't exceptionally great. I just connect with it on a certain level.
Poop. Yep. Poop.
yaya im a newbie lol
1 im roshan sup all
2.22/m from bloomburg pa
3.anime fan and video game fan ^_^
1. Joe
2. 16/m/IL
3. people mistake me for being age 20+..i guess because i act more mature than the actual age 18+ people I know...or so they tell me...
4. saw Pokemon one morning when i was like...4 years old...I thought it was great...
I don't really have a favorite anime....I guess i turn more to the harem-comedy genre of anime though...so like Love Hina or something ya know...as well as action/fantasy...put it all together and i'll probably get hooked *nods*
i'm not much into music videos actually...
games...hmm...had a NES...it was great fun...too bad my sister took it...now I own a ps2 and Dreamcast...but really, I don't play games much nowadays...
1. Matt
2. 16/M/ Texas
3. Well I like reggae and evrything that goes with it.....
4. A friend at school told me to watch inuyasha.... didnt like it too much but im quite persistant so i tried Blue Gender and have been watching anime ever since.
excelent website shinji
1. Austin
2. 25/m/China^_^
3. play video game pc game such as (bioharzard,silent hill,metal gear,starcraft,halflife,prince of Persia ........)
by the way i'm a programmer
This website still has that new site smell :D
Name: C'mon its the internet nobody uses their real name... Lets go with Simon Belmont :shifty eyes:
20 (21 in like a month yay drinkin!)/M/Detroit Michigan.
I could go on and on about the weird shit about me but its almost 7am and I dont got the time, I'll just show ya a couple things.
I know your wondering "wtf is up with those animals". Well thats Downscat and Tumorat, they my homies and protect me when danger is afoot.
The thing that got me into Anime? Gotta be Akira TETSUUUOOOOOOOO!!!! but I dont watch anime as much as I used to.
Music Videos? Anything GWAR... uhhh I dont really watch music videos sooo...
Games: Again I could go on and on so.. Im a big fan of 2D fighters so I gotta love MUGEN, most things Konami, I cant wait for that new Smash Bros. Brawl, my PS2 is broke so use my Xbawks for Unreal Championship 2 and Halo 2, DuckTales for the NES... I could be here for hours on this part alone
Hit me up any time Aim = Meat Marathon or Hyper Vomit
1. Howard
2. 17, Male, AUS
3. Interesting .... me... o.O??! I live in Melbourne Australia
4. I started gettin into anime when i first saw a Bleach episode on a site and got addicted to it.... then i used the stumbleupon feature in Firefox and stumbled upon this site! AND NOW I AM ADDICTED TO EVEN MORE ANIME!!
member since FOREVER
32/M/good ol' London town
I live life as an optimistic pessimist.
Akira, Project A-Ko (which i really want to see again), 3x3 Eyes, Fist of the North Star were the early stuff that got me into anime. As for gaming, I've been playing for about 27 years now from the early Binatone Pong system around 1979 up to my current uber PC setup.
Living life as an Optimistic Pessimist
*feels special because I'm the oldest user here besides Shinji*And people do use their real names, they just don't give out their last name. My real first name is Kyle.
Heh, think I've just taken the Oldest User title on this forum.
Living life as an Optimistic Pessimist
17/Male/Chicago dude your like my grampa
Kyle eh? Kyle...... CROSSY?!
Im on to you and your games.
u said u were 17 didn't u?? the 2nd post was 2
member since FOREVER
I didnt make my account right away. O well This website wil get more popular and sonn we'll all be old compared to the new people. Wow that almost sounded slightly profound ... o well. IM me at bobthebirdboy for aim ltr
look a scary ninja


text:
McCaskill beats Akin for second term
ST. LOUIS — Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill easily defeated Republican challenger Todd Akin Tuesday night, winning a second term that most believed just a few months ago was far out of reach.
About 500 McCaskill supporters celebrating here at the historic Chase Park Plaza Hotel erupted into cheers when CNN called the race for the Missouri Democrat. They embraced and gave high-fives and clinked their Budweiser beer bottles.
Story Continued Below
When McCaskill finally took the stage, she made a point to remind her loyalists that the "political chattering classes" in Washington had written her off 18 months ago, when she kicked off her reelection campaign.
"They all said, 'It's over. It's done. It's too red, just too red. There is no way that Claire McCaskill can survive,'" she said. "You know what happened? You proved them wrong."
McCaskill trounced Akin 54.7 percent to 39.2 percent, with nearly all precincts reporting. Libertarian Jonathan Dine pulled in 6.1 percent of the vote.
(PHOTOS: Celebs tweet about Election Day)
McCaskill's victory dealt an expected — though still devastating — blow to Senate Republicans, who for more than a year had viewed Missouri's senior senator as the most endangered Democrat of the 2012 election cycle.
The Obama campaign had ceded the Show Me State to Republican Mitt Romney, and McCaskill's seat had been central to the GOP's strategy to take back the Senate majority.
But Akin's controversial remarks about "legitimate rape" in August upended the race as Mitt Romney and other prominent Republicans promptly called on the six-term congressman to drop out. Akin refused, and he pressed on for much of the race without any funding from national Republicans, the Karl Rove-backed Crossroads super PACs, and the Missouri Republican Party.
(See also: 2012 election results map)
The Missouri GOP and some outside groups, including the Now or Never PAC, eventually did come to Akin's aid in the waning days of the campaign, supplanting his spending with more than $2 million worth of TV ads.
But it proved to be too little, too late.
In the St. Louis suburb of Chesterfield, Akin told supporters he called McCaskill to concede the race and offer his congratulations.


text:
Heritage Designs
Enthusiasm for quilting—past and present—runs rampant inside an unassuming Iowa shop situated in an 1895 granary.
A Real Barn Burner
Located in one of the seven villages of the Amana Colonies, this building was constructed in 1895 to store and dry grain. Few renovations have taken place, and the shop incorporates items that honor its rich past, such as Civil War reproduction prints.
Meet the Staff
From left: Jane Bazyn, Chris Davies (owner), Cynthia Johnson, Jean Sweat, Mary Ann Robbins, Judy Rohret, and Judy Blum.
Inside the Granary
Shop owner Chris Davies make a point of featuring regional designers in her shop. "I work hard to make sure my customers find things here they won't find other places," she says.
Keeping History Alive
If visitors look past the beautiful array of fabrics and samples, they'll see many of the granary's original elements are intact, including hand-planed beams and posts.
Decorative Displays
With two entrances, opportunities are abound for creative displays, such as this Christmas-theme assortment.
Keeping Nostalgia
An antique desk holds lessons of a different sort—samples for a table runner and a little girl's dress, all made with 1930s prints.
Staying True to Roots
"I feel like I'm living a part of the American dream, going to work every day and pursuing something that brings me such joy," Chris says. "The world abounds with talented people, and I gather a lot of inspiration by surrounding myself with them."
For more information about Heritage Designs, visit www.heritagedesignsquiltshop.com.


text:
Pink Carpet Phlox
Thousands of Colorful Blooms
We ship this item in Fall
- Zones: 3-9
- Height: 3 - 6 inches
- Shade Requirement: Full Sun, Partial Shade
- Bloom Time: Early to mid spring
- Ships As: NO. 1 BAREROOT
- Cannot ship to: AE AK GU HI PR
Packed 3 per offer
Pink Carpet Phlox
- Botanical NamePhlox subulata
- Ships AsNO. 1 BAREROOT
- Height3 - 6 inches
- Spacing12 - 18 inches
- Spread12 - 18 inches
- Light RequirementsFull Sun, Partial Shade
- Foliage TypeSemi-evergreen needle-like dark green leaves, 1" long; brighter green in spring.
- Bloom TimeEarly to mid spring
- Flower FormSimple 5 petals - 3/4" across in small terminal cymes.
- Soil RequirementsWell drained, sandy soils, slightly alkaline.
- Growth RateModerate
- PruningOccasional shearing to stimulate growth. After flowering or late summer.
- Winter CareMulch +/- 2"
- Additional InformationPhlox have a creeping habit.
- State RestrictionsAE AK GU HI PR
- Zones3-9
- Planting InstructionsPlant at same depth as it is in the container. Firm soil and water thoroughly.
- Deer Resistant
Plants, fertilizer and other supplies* will be shipped at the proper planting time for your area of the country during the shipping timeframes outlined below.
2019 Fall Shipping Schedule
Bulbs, Potted Plants and &
|9/9/19 - 11/1/19
|9/9/19 - 11/15/19
|Last Order Date
|Zones 1-6: 10/28/19
Zones 7-10: 11/11/19
*Fertilizer and other supplies ordered apart from plant orders are typically shipped within 5 business days.
Based on the contents of your order, we always strive to ship the order complete and as early as possible. However, sometimes this may result in a delay of some items that are ready before others. Our customers have suggested that they would rather wait to receive their order as complete as possible. If you would like to receive part of your order ahead of time, please reach out to our customer service department and we can accommodate. Orders with large items may be shipped in more than one package. There is no extra charge if your order requires more than one package.
Bareroot perennials, trees and shrubs are kept in the nursery row until fully dormant. This promotes optimum transit conditions and provides your new plant with the best opportunity for success in your garden.
Trees and other oversize items cannot be shipped to PO boxes.
After you place your order, you will receive an email confirmation with the details of your order and a delivery estimate. You will also receive an email notification when your order ships with an updated arrival estimate and tracking information.
At any time after you place your order you can check your order status on our website using your email or the account number found in your order confirmation email.
Please note that we cannot ship outside of the 48 contiguous states.


text: We know, we know: Ellen Fein, 50, she of nauseating self-help book The Rules, got married. Again. There's a big story in Sunday's New York Times. This is the woman who wrote all about snagging a guy — "Trust in the natural order of things," her book advises. "Namely, that man pursues woman." — and then had her husband leave her after 16 years of marriage. Was her divorce court claim of "abandonment" also the "natural order of things"? Anyway, after her divorce, this woman went to a singles weekend at sleep-away camp for adults in Connecticut. All together now: Ew. But wait! That's where she met Lance Houpt, her future husband.Of course, Ms. Fein had to stay true to the guidelines she prescribed for millions of women, so she didn't dare approach Mr. Houpt. She says: "I would never have initiated it, never in my life. Forget it. He's got to like me as much as I like myself." As much as your ex-husband did? Okay, that's mean. But is Ms. Fein to be commended for sticking to her "let the dude chase you" guns? When she's got one failed marriage under her belt already? The problem with playing little games like "don't call him, let him call you," is that while they may attract the type of guy who loves the chase — don't you have to spend your life running away? What is wrong with going with your gut and acting on instinct? Sometimes you'll fuck up, but you'll learn a lesson, and you won't have a random best-seller to blame or thank — you'll learn to rely on yourself. The Times oh-so-helpfully points out that Ms. Fein once said, "It is easier to stay married than to get married." Haha! Looks like both are quite a challenge. Hopefully Mr. Houpt, a 52-year-old entrepreneur, is Ms. Fein's Mr. Right. Maybe she didn't trick him into liking her. After all, even though Ms. Fein wrote The Rules, she also says: "You just need to have faith that your time will come. Everything is meant to be." Vows: Ellen Fein and Lance Houpt [New York Times]


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Difference between revisions of "Machining Workshop I"
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Revision as of 01:57, 1 June 2013
Workshop description
We are presenting a machine tool workshop focusing on manual mill and lathe work. The goal of this workshop is to get students able to safely and comfortably perform lathe and mill operations and be able to continue their learning by doing further projects after the workshop has concluded. Machine tool work requires a lot of knowledge including book learning along with practical experience. This workshop will get participants started with a basic understanding of lathe and mill operations and other related skills. We will start with safety, then cover proper operations of the mill and the lathe. Then we will cover indicating and measurments followed by the project. Additionally, any students who want to go on to learn CNC work will benefit by having concepts and knowledge of how to perform manual mill and lathe work.
- A maximum of 4 students will be allowed to take this workshop at the same time with students working in pairs.
Pre-home work
The duration of this workshop is only 6 hours, in order to maximize the benefit each student should do the required pre-homework before attending the actual workshop. It's not required to fully understand all of this material, however you will be familar with terms and operations along with concepts beyond what we will be teaching. Additionally, we have much more training material beyond what is presented here so students are free to go beyond the prescribed homework. However at a minimum please try to get through the prescribed homework.
Mill training wiki
Read chapter 18 from the book Machining Fundamentals:
Metal lathe training wiki
Read chapters 13, 14, and 15 of Machining_Fundamentals:
Next download the manual for our lathe:
Read page 12 (PDF page 12 which is 2 pages of the book) and part/chapter 4 (PDF pages 35-46).
On our bookshelves is a CD binder with training video DVD's and a memory stick which also contains the videos. Video homework will issued when students sign up for this workshop.


text:
Phil Spector
A Phil Spector song is its own little world—it has narrative, emotion and its own sonic landscape.
Phil Spector changed recording forever when he created the Wall of Sound. Layer upon layer of instruments and echoes come to a roaring climax in his compositions, often backing up his own brilliant lyrics.
Phil Spector is among the greatest producers of rock and roll, and some would passionately argue that he is the greatest ever.
His ambitious approach to the art of record production helped redefine and revitalize rock and roll during its early-Sixties slump. On a string of classic records released between 1961 and 1966 on his Philles label, he elevated the monaural 45 rpm single to an art form. "Little symphonies for the kiddies," he called them, and they were indeed dramatic pop records possessed of a grandeur and intimacy theretofore uncommon in rock and roll.
He was born Harvey Phillip Spector in the Bronx in 1936. He picked up guitar and piano in high school and began writing and recording original songs with classmate Marshall Lieb. Joined by a third friend, Annette Bard, they formed the Teddy Bears and had a Top Ten hit with "To Know Him Is to Love Him." Spector was 17 years old. His creative genius as a writer/producer flourished, as he co-wrote the classic "Spanish Harlem" with Jerry Leiber (of Leiber and Stoller), a soul hit for Ben E. King. In the early Sixties, he produced hits for such artists as Gene Pitney ("Every Breath I Take"), Curtis Lee ("Pretty Little Angel Eyes") and the Paris Sisters ("I Love How You Love Me"). In 1961 he co-founded the Philles label with partner Lester Sill, and was immediately successful with "There's No Other (Like My Baby)," by the Crystals.
Spector utilized the studio like no producer before him. In exploring its possibilities, he constructed a musical monolith known as the "Wall of Sound." The chief ingredient in the Wall of Sound was a massive and cavernous roar created by the fusing of many individual instruments with maximum volume and liberal use of echo. Spector exhibited a singular knack for matching talented singers with expert session musicians and wonderful songs. He worked his charges through endless takes as he tried to realize the sound he heard in his head. Several of the many timeless Spector-produced hits that stand as a testament to his genius include "Da Doo Ron Ron" and "He's a Rebel" and "Then He Kissed Me" (by the Crystals); "Be My Baby," "Baby, I Love You" and "Walking in the Rain" (by the Ronettes); "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'," "Unchained Melody" and "Ebb Tide" (by the Righteous Brothers); and "River Deep—Mountain High" (by Ike and Tina Turner).
After the glory days of Top Forty radio began waning in the late Sixties, Spector's impact inevitably ebbed as well. However, he adapted to changing circumstances and went on to produce the Beatles (1970's Let It Be), John Lennon (Plastic Ono Band) and George Harrison (1970's All Things Must Pass), plus acts ranging from Cher to the Ramones.
Inductee: Phil Spector (born December 26, 1939)


text:
The drills are multi-purpose and will serve the needs of most woodworkers for both hard and soft woods. 2-3/4" to 4" long overall. For softwood, you should always use a drill one size smaller than the screw calls for.
Components can be purchased individually, or in complete units for a specific screw size – the unit includes a countersink/counterbore, drill, stop collar, and a hex key.
Also available in box sets.
The set of five (for screw sizes 5, 6, 7, 8, and 10) contains five countersink/counterbores, five taper-point bits, two stop collars ( 3/8" and 1/2"), and two hex keys.
The set of all eight adds the drills and counterbores for screw sizes 9, 12, and 14.
Both sets include a foam-lined plastic storage box with space for additional drivers or bits. Excellent value.


text:
WASHINGTON — The U.S. economy expanded at a sluggish pace in the fourth quarter although a big gain in business investment and higher exports of services led the government to push up its previous estimate for growth.
Gross domestic product expanded at a 0.4% annual rate, the Commerce Department said on Thursday, just below the 0.5% gain forecast by analysts in a Reuters poll.
The growth rate was the slowest since the first quarter of 2011 and far from what is needed to fuel a faster drop in the unemployment rate. It was, however, higher than the government's previous estimate of a 0.1% growth rate.
Much of the weakness came from a slowdown in inventory accumulation and a sharp drop in military spending. These factors are expected to reverse in the first quarter.
Consumer spending was more robust by comparison, although it only expanded at a 1.8% annual rate. That was a slower pace of growth than the government had previously estimated.
Household spending powers about 70% of national output, and this still-lacklustre pace of growth suggests underlying momentum in the economy was quite modest as it entered the first quarter, when a series of fiscal austerity measures began.
Thursday's report is the government's third estimate of growth for the final three months of 2012. In the first estimate, the government shocked economists by saying the economy shrank at a 0.1% annual rate.
Thursday's report showed the reasons for the meager pace of economic activity were mostly as initially estimated.
Inventories subtracted 1.52%age points from the GDP growth rate during the period, a bit less of a drag than in the second growth estimate, which was published on Feb. 28. Defense spending plunged at a 22.1% rate, shaving 1.28 points off growth as in the previous estimate.
There were some bright spots, however. The report showed business investment rose at a 13.2% rate, a bigger gain than initially estimated. The extra growth was mostly from more construction spending by businesses.
Imports fell 4.2% during the period, adding to the overall growth rate because it was a larger drop than in the third quarter. Buying goods from foreigners bleeds money from the economy, subtracting from economic growth.
Exports of services rose more than in prior estimates also providing a boost to GDP.
The report showed that, overall, exports fell less than the government had previously thought. Exports have been hampered by a recession in Europe and storm-related port disruptions.
Excluding the volatile inventories component, GDP rose at an upwardly revised 1.9% rate, in line with expectations.
After-tax corporate profits rose at a 3.3% annual rate in the quarter, the fastest pace since 2005.
© Thomson Reuters 2013


text:
What's an annoying dog to do but attempt to sing along with his owner.
Storyful has a video of Atticus, a St. Bernard, who was chasing a cat in an Ontario, Canada home. Its owner, James Pollock, tried to get Atticus to stop by blasting a tune on his harmonica.
The dog stopped, but decided to throw in something extra: an impromptu karaoke session. You can see that in the above video.
Below are the top dog breeds in the Houston area.
Photo: Getty Images/Flickr RF


text:
Rose of Sharon & Sedum and a freebie
Rose of Sharon & Sedum has 10 gorgeous blossoms, clusters and buds. Click image to enlarge. Click Buy It Now Button below the image to purchase for $1.99 at my PayPal Store. Today I'm giving you a paper made with this kit. Enjoy!
If you like it well enough to download, please leave me a comment at the bottom of this post as I have disabled 4shared comments. Please support this blog by shopping my PayPal store. God bless you!
Download here. Check out my TERMS OF USE here.
The password is jesuschristislord.
Digifree CraftCrave CraftCrave


text:
Here's an advance look at my review of
The funny parts of
are very funny. The sad ones, very sad. It's how they fit together that raises questions.
Writer-filmmaker Del Shores directed the regional premiere of his play, which opened at Uptown Players on Friday. Moment by moment, it's often enjoyable. When you look back, doubts creep in.
It begins as a Mississippicouple talks and necks in the moonlight on the evening of their wedding anniversary. Bobby Westmoreland (Jeff Plunk) coaches high school football, long after the single season he played for the Denver Broncos. His wife, Kate (Kristen McCullough), is a therapist. Given the coach's unusually romantic nature and the mourning he still feels for his dead best friend, we're not quite sure whether we're in the realm of
Friday Night Lights
or of
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
The Westmorelands' son, Dayne (Justin Duncan), is the star of his dad's team. Their daughter, Gracie (Zoe Kerr) is a drama geek with an irritatingly bad temper. She constantly complains that her brother gets all the attention, but it's clear the parents are making their best effort to be supportive of her interests, too.
Gracie's best friend, Kendall Parker (Grant Bower), is another theater kid with a fine singing voice. He's obviously gay, to the point of staring when Dayne comes downstairs without a shirt on. The Westmorelands, however, are an unusually tolerant clan. It turns out Bobby was very protective of his own gay brother when they were in school together.
Kendall's mother, Sister Timothea (Deborah R. Jones), is so religious that she forbids him even to be in a musical as old-fashioned as
Eventually the Westmorelands come into conflict with her, andKendall becomes virtually a member of their household.
The actors throw themselves into
's early scenes with the kind of cheerful overkill you see on sitcoms. Shores is good at writing zingers, although not so good at simple dramatic exposition: The first scenes meander around at too poky a pace, and many crucial plot points come out in voiceovers between scenes rather than in the dialogue itself.
All that initial cheeriness makes you nervous because you know something bad is right around the corner. The play's saving grace is that the characters' looming problems and well-kept secrets probably aren't the ones you were expecting. That makes the play more interesting, but less coherent thematically.
Most of the actors are fresh faces on the professionalDallasstage. McCullough, repeating the role that won her awards in the originalLos Angelesproduction, is the most consistent – suitably intense but never too emphatic. Plunk seems awfully soft and evolved for a football coach, especially in the opening scenes, but that may be more a fault in the writing than in the acting. Sister Timothea is a caricature, albeit a frightening one, but Jones eventually makes her almost credible.
Plan your life
Through March 10 at the Kalita Humphreys Theater, 3636 Turtle Creek Dr., Dallas. $25 to $35. 214-219-2718.


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All Clear For Stocks? Leveraged ETFs Say Heck, No
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Leveraged exchange-traded funds are ready to fly Monday thanks to the latest D.C. debt-ceiling deadlock. But there's a reason to watch this niche even if you'd never risk money in something that can plunge 10% or 20% a day.
An investor who is bullish on stocks is, all else equal, likelier to need a hedge. That's where leveraged exchange-traded funds come in, and the reason you can use them as a sentiment indicator.
A dropoff in the use of leveraged short ETFs -- which are often used as hedges for long stock positions -- could be viewed as a bearish sign, insofar as it correlates with fewer bullish longs. That's one hypothesis potentially explaining the link TrimTabs Investment Research notes between the use of leveraged short ETFs and stock-market gains.
TrimTabs' analysts this week suggests the trend is an asterisk to an otherwise bullish-looking picture for the stock market:
The flows of exchange-traded funds paint a less favorable picture for the short term. Most noteworthy is that leveraged ETF investors have turned extremely upbeat, which is bearish from a contrarian perspective. Leveraged short ETFs shed 4.9% of assets in the past week, the biggest outflow in 16 weeks, while leveraged long ETFs issued 4.1% of assets. U.S. equity ETF flows have been more encouraging. These ETFs posted outflows on four out of five days in the past week, and the trailing one-month inflow has dropped to $8.2 billion (1.0% of assets), the lowest level in four weeks. We pay careful attention to ETF flows because our research shows that they tend to be a good contrary indicator.
Investors who view leveraged ETFs for sentiment purposes might therefore take pause seeing that not a single bearish leveraged ETF received net investor inflows over the last week, while the leader in outflows was ProShares Ultra VIX Short Term Futures ETF (UVXY), at $48 million. Figures are from XTF.com.
Meanwhile, bullish leverage saw fresh money. ProShares Ultra S&P 500 (SSO) took in $18 million over the last week, while Direxion Daily Smallcap Bull 3X Shares (TNA) gained $202 million, ProShares Ultra Midcap 400 (MVV) got $75 million and ProShares UltraPro S&P 500 (UPRO) pulled in $71 million. There are others.


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The Obama administration is asking the Supreme Court to declare unconstitutional a section of federal law that only recognizes male-female marriages.
In a filing with the court, the administration says Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act denies legally married same-sex couples many federal benefits that are available only to legally married heterosexual couples. Federal tax and Social Security survivor's benefits are among them.
In its brief, the administration said the provision "violates the fundamental constitutional guarantee of equal protection."
The brief was filed as the justices prepare to hear arguments next month in a challenge to the 1996 law.
President Barack Obama last year said he personally supports gay marriage. He said in last month's inaugural address that the law should treat gay people like anyone else.


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New Fabrics in the House
Well, I've been quite sick this week, so I have not spent any time at my sewing machine. Today's post is going to just be some fabric eye candy. (Which we all like, right?)
The first photo up there is Type by Julia Rothman for Windham Fabrics. I absolutely love it! (And if you have a Paper Source store by you, they sell a notebook with those typewriters on the front as well.) I honestly have no idea what I'm going to actually do with it, but it was too cute to pass up.
The below fabric just came out and I've heard a lot of people talk about how excited they are to use it. Especially for making man-quilts for their engineer/architect husband.
It's called Architextures by Carolyn Friedlander for Robert Kaufman. There are a few additional prints that aren't shown here - it's a really great line. Brenda made a fantastic quilt using it at Quilt Camp.
I'm super pumped to get to work with a couple charm packs of Lotta Jansdotter's upcoming line, Glimma, for Windham Fabrics. This fabric will be for sale in April 2013. The colors are just beautiful and pair perfectly with Echo and Bella.
And just a few fabrics I ordered last week that arrived...
The clocks are by Melody Miller - Ruby Star Shining for Kokka. The others are a mix of Timber & Leaf by Sarah Watts for Blend Fabrics and Les Amis by Patty Sloniger for Michael Miller Fabrics. The matching was a total accident - I was clearly in a certain color mood that week!
I hope everyone is enjoying the last minute holiday preparations. Things will be a little quiet around here while I recover from whatever bug I've caught and enjoy the holidays. I do have a post planned for Monday with a new quilt pattern though. I hope you will stop by!


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Warriors' player Kevin Locke could miss part of the next NRL season due to court action being taken against him for a third time for driving offences.
The 23-year-old has pleaded guilty to a charge of driving while disqualified, arising from being stopped by police while driving in Ponsonby in May.
In January he pleaded guilty to two counts of driving while disqualified, was fined a total of $900 and banned from driving for a year.
It could be bad news for the young fullback and winger, with the Warriors' pre-season beginning on November 5.
The maximum penalty for driving while disqualified on a third or subsequent occasion is two years imprisonment or a fine of up to $6000, as well as being disqualified from driving for a further year.
Locke's appearance was excused when his case was called in Auckland District Court today.
His lawyer, Sumudu Thode, indicated she would apply for a community-based sentence instead of disqualification when he appears for sentencing in December.
Transport and traffic law specialist Douglas Mitchell said this provision could be granted if the court was satisfied it was difficult for a person not to breach their disqualification, and they did not pose a danger to the public by driving.
Warriors' chief executive Wayne Scurrah said he was "very disappointed'' that Locke had broken the law yet again.
"We're not only disappointed from a club perspective but also he is flouting the law and we fully appreciate that it's before the courts and we need to allow them to progress that appropriately.''
He said the club had not decided whether to undertake its own disciplinary action on Locke.
"We'll wait for the outcome from the courts and then we'll determine that with Kevin in confidence.''
He had heard the driving offence wasn't the result of an accident or dangerous driving.
"I think he was just picked up driving while he was clearly disqualified. We will take all the circumstances into account and allow him to go through the court process, and we'll then talk to him separately from that.''
Locke was first banned from driving in December, 2010, and the following month he was pulled over driving south of Whangarei.
He told the police he did not know he was a suspended driver, for which he was charged with giving false details to police, but that was withdrawn.
Just over a month later he was again caught driving while suspended.
New Zealand Rugby League chief executive Jim Doyle said the issue was for the Warriors to deal with, as he did not know about Locke's circumstances or any conditions the club may have placed on him.
He disagreed it was a bad look for rugby league.
"It's a bad look if anyone is [offending] on a regular occurrence, whether you're rugby league or rugby union or anyone else - it's a bad look.''
Mr Doyle said there had been a culture shift both here and in Australia among rugby league players.
"We've not got some of the things happening that happened in the past, and I think most people would probably agree that the amount of instances that do take place are significantly lower than used to take place a few years ago.''
Mr Doyle said the National Rugby League had handed down some tough sentences in the past.
"Also, the clubs are working with their players to make sure they ... perform well both on and off the field, and maybe that's something that more people are taking responsibility for.''


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SUNNYVALE, CA--(Marketwire - Oct 31, 2012) - Liquid Robotics®, an ocean data service provider and developer of the Wave Glider®, the first wave powered autonomous marine robot, reports one of their Wave Gliders named Mercury battled through Hurricane Sandy and successfully piloted through winds up to 70 knots, all the while transmitting weather data in real time. One hundred miles due east of Toms River, New Jersey, the weather sensors on the Wave Glider gathered dramatic data from the ocean surface, reporting a plunge in barometric pressure of over 54.3 mbars to a low of 946 mbars as Sandy neared landfall.
"Mercury now joins the fleet of other Wave Gliders that have come through Category I hurricanes to successfully fulfill their missions," said Dr. Edward Lu, chief of innovative applications for Liquid Robotics. "This is a testament to our robust and reliable technology and proof of its readiness for severe weather data collection."
Prior to Hurricane Sandy, scientists from Liquid Robotics, Sonardyne, Rutgers University and the Mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS®) (MARACOOS) deployed the Wave Glider and two Sonardyne undersea nodes as part of an extensive ocean observing technology demonstration project. This collaborative project demonstrates the use and cost effectiveness of new subsea and surface technology for advanced ocean measurement and enhanced tsunamis detection.
"In the midst of this epic disaster, Liquid Robotics wishes to express our sympathies for those impacted by Hurricane Sandy," said Bill Vass, CEO of Liquid Robotics. "We are working closely with scientists around the world to use the Wave Glider technology for better hurricane, typhoon and tsunami prediction so we can help reduce the risk to human life and property."
For more information on Liquid Robotics, Inc., please visit www.liquidr.com
Liquid Robotics and Wave Glider are registered trademarks of Liquid Robotics, Inc., in the United States and other countries.
Contact Information:
For questions and/or interviews, please contact:
Joanne Masters,
PR Liquid Robotics


text:
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Ref. #: 2XI011
2(X)IST – The NYC Watch – Steel/Yellow
Ref. #: 2XI011
Consult with a Darakjian jewelry expert
About The NYC by 2(X)IST
Taking cues from 2(X)IST's heritage in New York City, the NYC is a bold timepiece infused with the urban Rebel Spirit. And just like the metropolis that inspired it, the NYC is original, dynamic, and ground-breaking.
Design by WILBURco
When the time came to translate 2(X)IST's iconic design elements into watches, a collaboration was forged with renowned designer Jason Wilbur, whose innovative and award winning creations - from automobile to musical instruments to timepieces - are lauded around the globe.
Jason Wilbur is an award-winning product and transportation designer renowned for his rebellious creative spirit, market-shifting concepts and unconventional approach to design. His watch designs have took the watch world by storm and have been heralded as the most unique luxury timepieces to come out of the USA in the history of watchmaking; even winning a nomination for The Grand Prix De Horologie in 2011. His work has been recognized in publications across the globe from Watch Journal to Intersection Magazine. He has appeared on talk shows and television programs such as "Kings of the Road" and the acclaimed Honda documentary series "Dream the Impossible". Mr. Wilbur is a guest lecturer at his alma matter, Art Center College of Design and has lectured on the business of design at the request of several international companies.


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DEFIANCE, Ohio – Franklin College didn't get a record-breaking shutout, but its defense played a major role today in the Grizzlies' 35-14 victory at upset-minded football host Defiance.
Franklin was attempting to keep its opponent from scoring for the fourth straight contest – the Grizzlies tied the 1923 season's school record of three last week – but stopped several scoring threats by the Yellow Jackets in the second half to keep FC's record in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference perfect this season.
Ranked 21st in this week's D3football.com Top 25 Poll, the Grizzlies overcame five turnovers on the day and improved to 6-0 in the HCAC and 6-2 overall with its 24th consecutive triumph in a HCAC game.
Defiance fell to 2-5 in the HCAC and 2-7.
It didn't take long for the Yellow Jackets to end FC's shutout bid when they capitalized on a fumble recovery with a 1-yard touchdown run by Trevon Burrell midway in the opening quarter.
Franklin answered with two rushing TDs in the period – a 12-yard run by senior running back Luke Hamm and a 1-yard score by junior quarterback Jonny West.
The Grizzlies took a two-touchdown lead when West hit junior split end Kyle Linville with a 39-yard strike with 3-1/2 minutes left before halftime, but Defiance responded with a TD pass play of its own when quarterback Grant Teague hit Brian Mircovich on an 8-yard play at the 1:09 mark.
Neither team could score in the third quarter until West found Hamm with a 22-yard TD toss with just 14 seconds left.
Franklin capped its scoring with 10-1/2 minutes to go in the fourth when West connected with Linville for the second time – this time on a 7-yard play.
Both of FC's last two scores were made after key take-aways by the Grizzly defense, which thwarted Defiance drives twice on downs and once with an interception and once with a fumble recovery after the intermission.
The Griz's defense was led by junior linebacker Scott Moore, who who had six solo tackles and six assisted tackles. Sophomore safety Jameson Brock and junior cornerback Zack Corpe made 10 total tackles each.
Corpe, the reigning HCAC Player of the Week on defense, also had an interception, which he returned 40 yards to set up Franklin's fourth touchdown.
West completed 18 of 36 pass attempts for 281 yards and 3 TDs. Linville made 10 receptions for 165 yards and a 165 yards and two scores.


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Historical Context
Table ofContents
Chicago's Black Metropolis: Understanding History Through a Historic Place considers how one of the most remarkable internal population movements in U.S. history affected one city. Below are materials for further exploration of both Black Metropolis and the Great Migration.
Black MetropolisAt Home with Art & Industry: 1890-1920
The Illinois State Museum created this lesson, which focuses on Ruby Livingston, who migrated to Chicago from Mississippi in 1914. It also includes other information on why people moved north, often in their own words.
A Tour of the Black Metropolis
The Chicago Landmark Commission's tour of some of the most important places on the city's South Side, including some mentioned in Chicago's Black Metropolis: Understanding History Through a Historic Place.
National Register of Historic Places
The National Park Service's National Register of Historic Places' on-line travel itinerary, "Chicago," provides information on 25 places listed in the National Register for their association with the city's history, including the Chicago Bee Building and the Overton Hygienic Building.
Chicago Historical Society
Visit the Chicago Historical Society's website
for more information about the city.
The Great Migration
Library of Congress
The American Memory collection offers a wide variety of resources about the Great Migration. Start with the search engine, being sure to choose "Match this exact phrase" before you enter the phrase you want to search.
National Archives (NARA)
The Archives has placed on its web site a large number of items about
the Great Migration. To find them, visit the NARA
search engine.


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A dad has converted the exterior of his house into a tribute to the popular 'Baby Shark' song – with Christmas lights that pulsate in time to the music.
Lighting enthusiast Martin Yandle, 36, has put together a 15 minute musical display based on the music his kids love to dance to, including the latest hit to sweep the internet.
Martin, who helps out with lighting for local drama groups, said, "The choice of songs is based around my children's favourite songs.
"My neighbours have been very supportive so far.
"The volume can be controlled and the sound is only heard when people are outside watching the show and holding down the button to activate the sound."
Martin, from Chard, Somerset, is collecting donations for the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance in a box outside the display.


text:
Blackstone Ups Heat on Dell
Dell Founder, Icahn Likely to Talk With Blackstone
Private-equity firm Blackstone Group L.P., a late entrant into the battle for control of computer maker Dell Inc., gained momentum in its pursuit on Monday, fueling the prospect of a bidding war.
On Monday, a special committee of Dell board members said it viewed a Blackstone proposal as potentially superior to the $24.4 billion take-private offer from Silver Lake Partners and founder and Chief Executive Michael Dell. Investor Carl Icahn, who separately is pursuing the Round Rock, Texas, company, said on Monday he would...


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Another segment of a project The Rise and Fall of a Saloon In The Latter Part off The Twentieth Century. These excerpts are not chronological. In fact very little logic prevails…
The actual running of a small bar is usually done by the owner or his Designated Lieutenant known as "The Bar Manager," usually the Senior Bartender.
Traditionally, the duties of The Bar Manager" include hiring, training and firing of Crew, scheduling waitresses and bartenders. In that capacity the The Bar Manager was expected to be responsible for covering not only their bartending shift but also covering for emergency shifts, and getting sick or vacationing bartender's shifts managed intelligently. The Bar Manager also had to oversee inventory and ordering. It was The Bar Manager's duty was to oversee special projects as well as to drop in on other shifts to see to it that the duty bartender is performing up to snuff and all needs are fulfilled.
The Bar Manager is expected to keep the Pour Cost down.
At The Bar, The Owner's (referred to as T.O. by the customers and this missive) management was somewhat scattered.
T.O. left most of the actual running of the bar to several people. I was in charge of the Waitressing Crew and looking back on it I think I may have been given that job not as a personal triumph but as a headache relief. There is a certain amount of people skill required to oversee a crew of women. In any case I had to schedule the waitress crew and keep the petty disagreements to a minimum.
Eventually I also had to hire and schedule the bands, staff the door and sound man and be sure that band calendars, mailing lists and free advertising were in place.
The bookkeeper oversaw purchasing and accounting.
T.O. usually hired the bartenders but firing any of the crew usually fell to me.
The bartender scheduling was usually assigned according to seniority and the rule with them was that if they were sick or needed time off it was up to them to arrange to have their shift covered.
I think T.O. disliked having a designated Bar Manager to avoid egotistical problems and infighting. On the other hand, he didn't like having to deal with petty details of running a bar either.
So we didn't have a Bar Manager. That's the way it was. And some saw this as a vacuum waiting to be filled. After all, who ever heard of a bar that didn't have a Bar Manager?
That vacuum should be filled by the one who wanted a little power, of course. "It should be myself appointed King"
There was always someone wanting to be King.
"If T.O. would make me Bar Manager I'd show ya how a bar should be run." was the mantra of the Ambitious.
T.O. would try this one…that one…An exercise in futility, actually because somehow his Bar Managers tended to work less, drink more but somehow spend less time at the bar than before they gained the exalted title.
Here we must introduce, Sam, the star of this little morality tale.
He was a good, but not spectacular, bartender. He pulled his shifts and otherwise was not a troublemaker. He was not particularly good looking so male customers did not look at him as a bird dog, a threat or challenge to the pursuit of womanflesh. Not being particularly tall or muscled he was not intimidating. Women did not dislike him but neither did they seek his company. He bit his nails severely and his hands felt overly soft in a handshake. Top this with thick glasses and you had a person who did not draw attention to himself. He was almost perfectly neutral.
For some reason, possibly the description just listed, Sam started talking about a Promotion.
"The Bar needs a Manager" Sam said to me one night.
"Izzat so?" said I, having an unseen eye roll. "You think we should advertise for one?"
"No," Sam went on to say, "T.O. needs to appoint someone Bar Manager."
At this particular time everything seemed to be running fairly well so I waited…
"It should be obvious to anyone who the manager should be." said Sam.
I was about to ask him who he had in mind when, like a psychic, he read my thoughts and provided an answer:
"It should be me!" Sam said.
"I hadn't heard T.O. say anything about hiring or appointing a manager." I said.
Sam had it all worked out. "Well, he needs one and it would be good for business if he made me Manager. I'm gonna tell him I'll quit if he doesn't make me Manager."
The new Bar Manager would have an appreciation for the Funner Things that life had to offer the Rounder and Sam campaigned Mightily to have T.O. make him Bar Manager.
He got the job. T.O. figured this guy would not be plagued by girlfriend problems and he wasn't pugnacious either. Had a lot of bartending experience and Sam had even had put in some time in a deli. Our kitchen enterprise wasn't doing all that spectacularly at that time and, as we shall see, T.O. had some ideas about putting the new Bar Manager to work to perhaps integrating The Bar and the kitchen franchise to everyone's advantage…
T.O. left the waitresses in my control however which dashed any hopes Sam may have had for having a harem but he was satisfied. He, Sam, was Bar Manager.
There were a few adjustment problems, however.
Sam, in true Bar Manager fashion, started drinking a bit more when he was off duty and started getting into the habit of wanting to buy his friend's drinks by way of the P.R. key, the comping key on the register. The P.R. key is for public relations. Using the P.R. key meant T.O. was paying for the drink. Giving his product away. Overuse of the P.R. key tended to make for a high Pour Cost and that, of course, meant there was less profit.
Since he was now Bar Manager it was difficult for the duty bartender to say no to his insistence that the P.R. key be used for his and his friends drinks. To her credit, Tiffany, the main daytime bartender, refused to do this. The use of the P.R. key was observed by the bookkeeper and she had no way of telling if, on Tiffany's shift, it was Tiff doing the comping or Sam. But since it was Tiffany's shift it would be seen as Tiffany's exploitation of the courtesy key on the register. Tiffany knew this and she was determined to use the key to her advantage not some tipsy mook who thought he was King showing off for his friends.
Sam had to lose that one because Tiffany was the one person in The Bar that T.O. would not fire.
There were a couple of episodes involving the waitresses that "larned him a lesson" of why that area was not going to be his either but that is not the purpose of this example of human frailty
T.O. came up with a good idea.
Charter a fishing boat! Be the provider of sandwiches and beer! Take a bunch of people out on San Francisco bay on a day-long fishing cruise. Come up with a package price.
It was a Good idea, actually. An idea like this could be a repeater! Everybody has a great time…get baked more ways than one as you terrorize the denizens of the sea…
Then afterwards, off to The Bar for more drinking and camaraderie! It could be an annual event requiring a larger boat each year! Maybe even a Summertime Monthly thing if it caught on.
The beer was easy.
Now about the sandwiches…
He turned to his new Bar Manager.
"Sam! I need you to make me a number of sandwiches for this fishing trip. I've booked forty people for this thing. Forty pre-paid packages. Food, fun and fishing included. You are to make sure we have enough sandwiches for forty people! You can see to the bar. Work the beer concession yourself if you want to. Even with a no host drinking situation people will tip you lavishly"
The idea made good sense. Sam had Deli experience; there was a full kitchen available to make the sandwiches… So Sam took it a step farther. Rather than delegate the sandwich making to the kitchen crew he would make the sandwiches himself! T.O. would save labor costs. Sam would be a hero!
T.O. was not aware of the increased drinking Sam had engaged in and even if he had been I'm not sure it would have made much difference. The Bar was a bar after all. People drink in a bar. And all of the employees were aware that T.O. expected you to control your demons even if he sometimes did not control his.
Still, he was very concerned about having all this work right.
"Now I'm counting on you, Sam. You have to have the sandwiches and three kegs of beer fresh out of the walk-in refrigerator, on that boat no later than 7:30 Saturday morning! That's a week away. Do you think you can handle that?"
"I'll Do It Chief!" said Sam the SuperBar Manager.
And the rest of the week the Sam, with liberal demands on the P.R. key, told the world of this project and how great his sandwiches were going to be. Worth the cost of The Package all by themselves. And he Sam was going to be the Hero and the Star of this enterprise make tons of money besides.
Sam got to where he was staying pretty late… On Friday, the eve of The Great Fishing Trip I came in and saw that Sam was pretty drunk.
"Um… Sam, have you made the sandwiches for this thing?" I asked.
"No.," Sam said, "I have it all planned out. I'm going to set my alarm early and make them in the morning so they'll be really fresh."
Saturday morning rolls around and I'm in there at eight in the morning as always getting the place ready to open.
I can't help but notice that absolutely nothing has changed in the kitchen from the evening before.
The phone rings.
It's Sam.
Sam had just woken up, badly hung over.
You saw that coming, too, didn't you?
Well then, you also know the sandwiches were unmade.
And it's eight in the morning.
If this had been a movie, a darkness would be drawn like a curtain across this scene. Symbolic shadows would be cast by circling buzzards…
Circling sharks might be a better analogy.
Because… Out There… in the Vast Reaches of the Pacific… was a boat containing T.O. and his forty pre-paid packages. Wanting beer. And sandwiches.
I had about six hours to visualize the situation and my imagination ran impossible but interesting scenarios trying to imagine what must have been going on.
T.O. finally came in. By himself. No happy entourage of revelers in tow…
He looked haggard, as if he had been chased all day by villagers carrying torches and pitchforks.
Since boats and fishing was involved perhaps it was being chased by villagers carrying fishing gaffs, harpoons and torches.
He somehow escaped with his life but narrowly avoided getting sued. Several refunds were given. Some customers were never seen again.
For weeks after no one was allowed to discuss it. T.O.'s eyes would roll back in his head…he would start to shake. It took a great effort for him not to scream.
"It was ugly." was about all anyone could get out of him.
No one said the word 'fishing' in his presence for a long time…
The post of Bar Manager was vacated.


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Easter Baskets
Friday, April 17, 2009
I just realized I never shared with you what my children's Easter Baskets looked like! I shared the cards I made for them here but I just realized that I never posted the pics of the Easter Baskets that I took!
I'm not big on Holidays except for Christmas. I personally think that holidays are wayyyy toooo monopolized now, so I typically don't feed into that. Plus, I'm a single mom and things are pretty tight for us right now.
At any rate, here's what I got my kids for Easter:
Another angle:
My daughter must have been happy because I found these photos on my digital camera:
LOL! I'm always finding photos on the camera that my kids took!
Have a great day!


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Buildings and Human Constructions
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(Buildings and Human Constructions): terrace end wood frame 1960s house suburban empty vacant possession after completion of freehold purchase purple terracotta yellow colour scheme small rear garden 9 JR.jpg
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