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***Originally post on Nights of Passion***
Since I usually write my Tuesday posts last minute, today you're stuck with a rant based on my mood Monday night, which was when I wrote this, which was last night, and now it's Tuesday, wherever you are, reading this. Yeah. Weird. Hey, I'm like me from the past, talking to the future you. Whoa. *enter Twilight Zone music*
It's late people. You get what you get.
Anyway. I started two new books recently. Up until now, getting into a new project was fun and exciting and challenging but not so challenging that I was literally gnawing my own arm off starting at my fingernails. It was the kind of challenge that made you wanna throw on a gray jogging suit and do a little Rocky Balboa dance to Eye of the Tiger. You're singing that song now, aren't you?
So there I was, jogging suit freshly washed, ipod cued up, then…something changed.
Maybe it's because I've grown as an author, or maybe it's the pressure of putting out quality work faster, or maybe it's because I added more fiber to my diet. I don't know. The point is, something has changed and I don't like it.
I've turned into a perfectionist. Some of you are obliviously nodding your heads to this statement as if it's no big deal. Well, let me tell you something. It's a big fucking deal!
I am far too lazy to be a perfectionist. But I'm not the kind of lazy that wants to be less lazy and only needs a pep talk and a caffeine pill addiction. I'm the kind of lazy that is perfectly happy being lazy. I'm like Garfield. I don't want to be less lazy. I like the way I am. Fat, in a lasagna coma, making sarcastic comments about everything that happens in my silly little world.
Perfectionists are obsessive compulsive control freaks (no offense to obsessive compulsive control freaks). They were the ones that always made me look bad in school. It would've been a lot easier on the rest of us if everyone was just average. Even better, if everyone was a slacker. But thanks to the overachievers out there, average is much…averager.
So distressed was I about this cluster fuck, that I complained to a writer friend. Our conversation when something like this:
Friend: Remember back when you were gently guiding me in the ways of successful authoring?
Leia: Huh? I did that? Oh. Right. Ahem. Yes, I remember.
Friend: You told me to write in layers.
Leia: Yes, that's very good advice. Go me.
Friend: And now that the pupil has surpassed the teacher, and sits here pathetically begging for scraps of advice…
Leia: Ungrateful bitch.
Friend: …I'm going to tell you the same thing. Don't get hung up on every word being perfect. Write the story in layers. The first is the foundation, the plot and bare bones of the story. Second, is character development, and subplots. That's the meat of the book. Third is perfecting the wording and adding description. See? You don't have to do it all at once. Layers.
Leia: Hmm. *stares at mansuscript* Fuck layers!
Sadly, the conversation went downhill from there. But you see my point, right? Fuck layers.
Sometimes the writing method that served you well for years just ups and leaves. Probably vacationing in Hawaii with that bitch muse that deserted you over the summer!
Sometimes, advice you give turns out to be shit and you don't have the energy to go back and tell everyone you gave it to that you don't really know what the fuck you're talking about and why does everyone listen to you anyway? You're Garfield! Can't they tell?
And sometimes, things just change. It's not fair. You can bitch and moan and stomp around – which, believe me, I did – or you can go with it. In the end, you kinda have to anyway. Life is like that. It likes to screw us over once in a while just to keep us on our toes.
This post is mostly for me, if you can't tell. My own messed up, public form of therapy to soothe my panicking inner writer. There there, little inner writer. Everything will be okay.
Anyway, writers…has your process made a dramatic change over time? Has anyone else done a 180 on something that seemed totally out of character? If so, how did you deal with it?
More importantly, which is better? Lasagna, parfait, or cake?


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Wednesday, August 26, 2015
Lassú Chair
In 1974, while editor of Italian design magazine Casabella, Alessandro Mendini set fire to a chair. The photograph of the resulting conflagration graced the front cover of the magazine. Mendini's ritual destruction of his own design can be read in various ways: as a comment on the ephemeral nature of architecture, as an example of design as media performance and as a personal comment on destruction and mortality.
What's clear is that Mendini's act was one of the very few examples in design where the demise of the object was intrinsic to its meaning. It is a fitting way to end this lament because Postmodernism was a movement that always acknowledged its own temporality and was obsessed by ruins, fragments and remains. Despite its claims to popularity and a shiny commercialism, Postmodernism was actually morbidly obsessed with the dead and (nearly) buried remains of architecture and culture. This is actually one of the most interesting things about it.
Contrary to popular misconception, materiality was very important to it. It's just that it also acknowledged the alchemical process by which that materiality gains cultural meaning, as well as how that meaning changes over time. Sometimes it disappears altogether. And in disappearing, it gains another, perhaps more permanent kind of meaning.
Charles Holland
Posted by Kostis Velonis Kωστης Βελωνης at 2:11 AM
Labels: architecture, furniture, Postmodernism, Theory for Design
Tuesday, August 18, 2015
The Strange Case of the Cosmic Rays (1957)-
Posted by Kostis Velonis Kωστης Βελωνης at 3:56 AM
Puppets of Dostoevsky, Dickens and Poe star in one of Frank Capra 1950s educational Science Film
Posted by Kostis Velonis Kωστης Βελωνης at 3:56 AM
Labels: literature, movies, Puppetry, science
Wednesday, August 12, 2015
The Great Grief: How To Cope with Losing Our World
In order to respond adequately, first we may need to mourn
Posted by Kostis Velonis Kωστης Βελωνης at 3:53 AM
Labels: ecology, Psychoanalysis, Sustainability
Tuesday, August 4, 2015
The Jewel Stair's Grievance
The jeweled steps are already quite white with dew,
It is so late the dew soaks my gauze stockings,
And I let down the crystal curtain
And watch the moon through the clear autumn.
Note.—Jewel stairs, therefore a palace. Grievance, therefore there is something to complain of. Gauze stockings, therefore a court lady, not a servant who complains. Clear autumn, therefore he has no excuse on account of the weather. Also she has come early, for the dew has not merely whitened the stairs, but soaks her stockings. The poem is especially prized because she utters no direct reproach.
Posted by Kostis Velonis Kωστης Βελωνης at 4:29 AM
Labels: Modern Poetry, North American Poetry, Poetry
Li Bai and Ezra Pound's "Jewel Stair's Grievance"'
In 1913, Ezra Pound began working on a new series of poems based on Ernest Fenollosa's unpublished notes on classical Chinese poetry. 1 These poems would become the core of Cathay, published in 1915. A volume of translations of classical Chinese poems by 李白 Li Bai (sometimes romanized in older literature as Li Po, 701 – 762), and others, Cathay represented a watershed moment in English Modernist poetry.Pound's use of Li Bai's Japanese sobriquet, "Rihaku," points to his double alienation from his source materials.
He could not access the Chinese-language originals, nor could he understand the Japanese source materials that formed the foundation of Ernest Fenollosa's (1853-1908) manuscripts. Fenollosa's translations were created, according to Eric Hayot, "with the help of a Professor Mori and a Mr. Ariga." Steven Yao offers a slightly different account of how Pound became interested in classical Chinese poetry:
As the story goes, shortly after their initial meeting in London during the early autumn of 1913, Pound received from Mary McNeil Fenollosa a set of manuscripts produced by her late husband,
Ernest, who had died suddenly of a heart attack in 1908 after a distinguished, if not entirely unblemished, trans-Pacific career as a philosopher, cultural reformer, and historian and advocate of "Oriental" art in Japan and the United States. These manuscripts, which have come to be referred to collectively as "the Fenollosa notebooks," record the efforts Ernest Fenollosa made studying various East Asian literary traditions, including both classical Chinese poetry and Japanese Noh drama, with distinguished Japanese scholars during one of his final visits to Japan in 1898 5https://hananomono.wordpress.com/2011/04/12/li-bai-and-ezra-pounds-jewel-stairs-grievance/
Text by Cynthia Houng
Posted by Kostis Velonis Kωστης Βελωνης at 4:25 AM
Labels: Asian Poetry, Modern Poetry, modernities, Poetry
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subset: commoncrawl


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Today's Wall Street Journal examines corporate America's problem with high-profile CEOs and their high-flying habits. In particular, the newspaper refers to Boise's Micron Technology and how the company is still reeling in the wake of Steve Appleton's fatal plane crash last month.
"The fatal accident has intensified an already fierce debate over whether public companies should let chief executives fly planes or pursue other risky hobbies," wrote the Journal's Joann Lublin.
William Mower, a partner at the law firm Maslon Edelman Borman and Brand, advises boards about corporate governance and said a boss' hobby "is something the directors should be worried about."
"The Micron tragedy should be a wake-up call for boards," said Mower.
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Shopping Cart Program Leaves Back Door Open
Page 1 of 2
The developer of a highly-rated ecommerce shopping cart is accused of building a software backdoor into the program that could give him or hackers complete control of the server on which it's installed.
The Dansie Shopping Cart, which is currently in use at more than 200 e-commerce sites and is recommended by several Web hosting firms, contains code that enables the author, Craig Dansie of Moreno Valley, Calif., to potentially run any command on the Web server.
"He doesn't have the right to execute commands on our server without our authorization. That is technically a hack, and he put it into his code deliberately. It's unconscionable," said Joe Harris, a technical support representative at Blarg Online Services in Seattle. Harris discovered the hidden capability while helping a client install the Dansie Shopping Cart, a CGI script written in the Perl language, and publici zed his findings earlier this week on the Bugtraq security mailing list.
According to Harris, Dansie built a subroutine into the cart which enables him to use a nine-character form element or password to remotely execute commands on the server using the broad security privileges usually assigned to CGI scripts. But because the password is the same for every installation of the cart, and because the script must be installed with world-readable permission, anybody who has access to a server on which the cart is installed could retrieve the source code and the form element and use it to control other servers, according to Harris.
Dansie did not respond to repeated requests for comment. The telephone number listed in the domain record for dansie.net was disconnected sometime Thursday. And a list of several hundred customers was removed from the site Wednesday evening.
Licenses for the Dansie cart start at $150 and range up to $650 for the mall version which can handle an unlimited number of merchants on the same server.
According to Kasey Johns, Webmaster for Lonestar Badge and Sign of Martindale, Texas, the backdoor in the Dansie cart appears to be a means of protecting against unauthorized installations and of ensuring compliance with the software's licensing terms, which specifically prohibit modifying the source code. Johns said he learned of the backdoor in late March while trying to debug an installation problem.
"I tried to make some changes to it, and basically he deleted the script right off of my server. That just doesn't seem right," said Johns.
In an e-mail to Johns Wednesday, Dansie accused him of piracy and asserted that "The software has a copyright protection feature that poses NO security risk to your Web site or your Web server."
But Johns said Dansie's anti-piracy efforts are over zealous. "I want the right to look at the code, make modifications, and not be locked into whatever ghosts the author has hiding in there," said Johns.
According to Allan Knight, Webmaster for ValueWebHosting in Williamsville, New York, which has over 60 hosting clients using the cart, Dansie recently denied that the program passed information back to him. Knight, who has been using the cart for three years, said Thursday he was not aware that the script gave Dansie or others the ability to execute arbitrary commands. But Knight said he had no plans to stop using the software.
"I have never had any reason to shed any di


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1 x 20 feet container/unit
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please contact us on:
Toyota Hiace High Roof Ambulance
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Diesel 2.5 litre
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Infusion Bottle Holders (for 2 bottles).
Intravenous Feeding Hook.
Medical Cabinet.
Multi Flashing Beacon Lamp (Red).
Oxygen Cylinder (Filled in Country).
Doctor Seats.
Attendant Seats With Seat Belts.
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Three Roof Lights in Patient Compartment.
Partition Wall With Sliding Window.
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Sub Stretcher - Folding Type.
Working Lamps at Rear Entry.
Fire Extinguisher 2 Kg.
12 Volt Socket.
Waste Bin.
Electrical Controls.
Built in Suction Unit.


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Focus on Responsibility Dr. Josephine Gross Technology gives us incredible tools�and unprecedented power to influence the world. How are we using this power and these tools?
People and Technology Memorable quotes by Albert Einstein, Buckminster Fuller, Ellen DeGeneres, and others.
"How Has Technology Changed Your Business?"
Tom "Big Al" Schreiter, A Better Way
Carrie Dickie, Intention and Discipline
Kathleen Deggelman, A Wealth of Tools
Jackie Ulmer, Effective Social Networking
Alex Morton, Some Things Never Change
Cindra Caverley, Find Your Tribe
Debi Granite, Stay Conscious and Focused
Nattida and Chad Chong, Grow and Embrace Change
Shari Kuster, Let's Connect!
Ali Mehdaoui, Network Marketing is the Next Normal
John Haremza, Same Message, More Power
Simon Chan, 5 Rules to Avoid Distraction
Luke Hessler, Start the Conversation
Hayley Hobson, Don't let Success Feed Your Ego
Rob Sperry, Greatest Tool—or Kiss of Death?
Contents: Cover | Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3
Global Prosperity Through a Philanthropic Economy ®
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« The Cross - The Wisdom and Power of God | Main | Images of the Savior (13 - Jephthah) »
My Journey into Grace
Have you noticed that amongst reformed books and articles, there is very little in the way of testimony? What I mean by that is that unlike other theological camps, stories of conversions are not normally emphasized. Rather, our passion is to simply point people to the word of God and through that means, let the Lord do His work in transforming the hearts and minds of people. We understand that the power is in the Word of God, not our testimony. That is so very true. Yet I think it is sometimes helpful for people to come to know something about how God transformed our understanding of His Word.
I was already well into my second decade in the ministry when I encountered the Doctrines of Grace and felt their powerful impact on my soul. I have written a short article about it here. Part 2 here. It certainly was an unlikely and unexpected journey of discovery. - JS


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According to Columbia County Deputy Administrator Glenn Kennedy, Green Programs Manager Jenny Hinson is pretty good at what she does. The proof, he says, can be found on the bottom line.
"She's increased revenues this year from $11,000 to now a confirmed $37,000 for this year," he says. "That's a sizable increase."
With the addition of a new recycling fee structure, they hope to increase revenues even more, though Hinson emphasizes the main goal is to make sure as much recyclable material is diverted from the landfill as possible.
Columbia County has two permanent recycling locations. One, on William Few Parkway near the State Patrol office and the Health Department, has been open for approximately five years, while the other, located near Riverside Elementary School off of Hardy McManus Road, opened in January 2013.
Though the county has shown a commitment to recycling, it wasn't until recently that it made a profit.
"In the beginning, we were paying someone to take it," Hinson says. "We just had hard containers that we were collecting the material in, and it was a break-even point for both of us. Using the company's containers, they were not charging us to pick up material or charging us a hauling fee. Nobody was paying any money, but no money was coming in."
That changed with the purchase of bailers, which bundle material for efficient distribution.
"Now, with the bailers, we can sell the commodities to different brokers," she says.
The Riverside facility was built with the bailers installed, but the William Few facility was retrofitted to handle the machines a few months before.
"Currently, we're selling our cardboard, our #1 and #2 plastic and our aluminum, and we're actually at a point now where we can sell our loose paper and scrap metal as well," she says. "So we're able to sell the products that before we were not able to sell because of the way we were having to collect them."
Another milestone for the program was when they were able to start accepting glass, which also occurred in January 2013.
Along with a new fee schedule, the county is also opening up the recycling centers for the collection of so-called "white goods." Once the new schedule goes into effect, people will be able to drop off washing machines, dryers, water heaters, stoves and microwaves for $5 a piece.
Hinson admits there are other ways to dispose of these items, but says she hopes people will put some thought into how they're getting rid of them.
"You can take them to the transfer station (on Columbia Road), but you're going to pay a higher fee," she says. "Or you can take them to the landfill (Richmond County) where you're still going to pay a little bit of a higher fee. We wanted to make our fee competitive and start drawing people to recycle rather than throwing them away."
The biggest change will be in how televisions are collected. Previously, the county charged $10 a set to accept them, but because of changes in industry standards, that will soon change to 30 cents a pound, which will increase the cost of recycling for most sets, given the weight of some of the televisions that are out there.
"We see some large ones," she says. "I don't know how in the world they got those in their houses or how those houses were still standing afterward."
The make up of the televisions makes recycling expensive.
"There's just not enough material in a TV to offset the cost of disposal," Hinson says. "So the venders are having to switch their fee schedules from a set fee to a per-pound charge."
She says they've decided keep the cost at 30 cents a pound rather than to try to make any additional revenue, though she says she has heard that Best Buy will take television sets for free up to a certain size.
"So if somebody doesn't want to pay the 30 cents per pound, we have no problem with that as long as they're still doing something responsible with it."
The changes will go effect immediately after commission approval, which is expected to be in early July.


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Total number of 7,784 individuals were notified about potential PHI breach by the Ohio area dental practice. Patient records were stolen as reported by the Office of Civil Rights on its website. Sunbury Plaza Dental mentioned that its secured storage unit containing business and patient records was burglarized. It came to know about the incident when law enforcement officials notified them.
The officers said that some patient records were stolen from the storage unit. Majority of records were not touched. Affected information included patient files contained personally identifiable information, such as names, addresses, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers, as well as some healthcare data.
Theft incident was committed by suspects to commit identity fraud. All patient files involved in the incident are recovered now. Also, the dental practice updated its policies and procedures for safeguarding patient information. It also partnered with law enforcement agencies to investigate the break-in.
Complimentary identity monitoring services for a year is provided by the facility to affected individuals.
How you can protect yourself:
"It is recommended that patients affected by this matter regularly review their account statements and check their credit report for incidents of fraud and identify theft. To help our patients with this we have secured the services of Kroll to provide identity monitoring for one year to our patients affected by this matter. This service includes Credit Monitoring, Web Watcher, Public Persona, Quick Cash Scan, $1 Million Identity Theft Insurance, Identity Consultation, and Identity Restoration."
Currently many healthcare data breach occur due to theft incident. Another incident involved Texas-based medical office which affected around 2,900 individuals. According to the website notice of StarCare Specialty Health System, one or more burglars broke into its East Broadway office in Lubbock, Texas and stole five laptops. One of the laptop contained confidential patient information. It was not encrypted.
Affected information included names, medical record numbers, telephone numbers, diagnoses, admission and discharge dates, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, and Medicare and Medicaid numbers.
According to the statement:
"StarCare is giving one year of free identity monitoring to those clients who may have been affected by this breach. This service will provide credit monitoring, identity monitoring, identity theft insurance and fraud restoration services. Signing up for this program will not affect your credit score. If you are a client you will receive a notification letter. If you have not received your letter or wish to determine if you are a part of the impacted population. "
Alertsec has created a web based encryption service that radically simplifies deployment and management of PC encryption by using industry leading Check Point Full Disk Encryption software.


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Feeling fat, sick and tired?
And probably moody and stressed.
It could be because you've been over-eating or over-doing it on the processed or fast foods and sweets.
Maybe you had a few too many cocktails over the weekend.
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This is a great jump start to better health and wellness. And it's all natural. You'll be eating real food on this cleanse. All day. No expensive pills, powders, potions or special products to buy. If you want to get back on track after a day or weekend of indulging, this is how to do it. Or anytime you want to give your body a little extra loving care. You can do this cleanse as often as you wish.
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Keep scrolling to see what others are saying about the Epic One Day Cleanse.
I loved this cleanse! It was exactly what I needed to get back to my healthy eating plan after vacation. It was easy to do and I did feel better. In one day! Thanks so much for this, Cynthia.Cecilia Jordan
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I was the Fast Food Queen, but existing on that kind of food for so long eventually began to take its toll. I just didn't feel right and when I saw the Feeling Fat Sick and Tired ad on Facebook promoting the Epic One Day Cleanse, I decided to give it a try. It was free, so I figured, why not? I did the cleanse on my day off, took Cynthia's advice and really made it a day of total self-care and indulgence. I enjoyed that day so much and I actually did feel better and cleaner the next day. I felt so good, in fact, that I didn't want to lose that feeling, so I decided to go ahead and work with Cynthia for 3 months. Best decision and investment I've ever made. I look better, feel better, I've lost weight and I don't want fast food any more. Now I eat and crave real food! Amazing and all because I tried a free cleanse for one day.
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Seriously? This is going to be a movie?
With Ryan Reynolds. . . .
HI, Emma Martin here again.
Now, I know the Green Lantern comic began before I was even a twinkle in my mom and dad's eyes, but still. It's a pretty cool comic. Not many people know I dig comics. Probably because I'm a freak enough as it is with all my quirky super powers.
Oh, and Ryan Reynolds as the Green Lantern…. Yum. I don't think they could have picked a better one to star in it.
This is gonna be wicked. Sounds like it'll come out this summer. I'm so there.
Of course, the last time I went out to a movie with my sweetheart, Jake, I walked straight into a vampire nest and got the ever-lovin' crud beat out of me.
Let's hope this time I'll make it without any trouble. Yeah, like that'll happen.
Who's your favorite superhero?


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I haven't been to Universal Studios in such a long time. The kids went last week, when my sister-in-law was down. They still had a day left on their tickets, so my husband bought a day for the two of us, and we all went.
I'm a huge fan, so I went straight to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
Diagon Alley
Wow! Diagon Alley is amazing. I didn't know where to look first. It's all so detailed, and believable. Believable, in that you feel like you're in a scene from the movie or book.
Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes
That's a big Pygmy Puff!
Extendable Ears, U*NO*POO, Skiving Snackboxes! I wanted to buy it all, but my self-control kicked in. What the heck would I do with it all? Didn't I just de-clutter?
Sugarplum's Sweet Shop
The Owl Post
The Hopping Pot and Bowman E. Wright Blacksmith
And yes, I had a Butterbeer. Actually, I had three… I know, I know… There goes the diet. But it was so hot, and the Butterbeer was soo good! They have regular and frozen. I like the frozen.
We caught a performance of Celestina Warbeck and the Banshees.
Gringotts Money Exchange
Wands by Gregorovitch
Jellied Eel Shop
The Leaky Cauldron
We stopped to have a bite of lunch at the Leaky Cauldron. It's mandatory!
It's typical British Food, so if you have picky eaters, you might want to stop in for just a drink and a snack.
When the kids saw the menu, they took off on their own, in search of burgers or pizza.
Pumpkin Juice! Another must have. It tasted like a mulled Christmas Drink, except cold. My son had one later in the day, and he had to force it down.
Flourish and Blotts
Sadly, this is just a facade, but… You can purchase an interactive wand and practice spells, that bring the windows to life.
The Daily Prophet
I already have a wand, so I wasn't tempted. Wait, I lied… I really wanted another one. They have so many to choose from, I had no idea. But I was good, and came to my senses.
Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions
Look… Mrs. Weasley's Hand-knitted sweaters! I was getting one! 100 bucks!!!???? Um, nope… Maybe next time.
Gringotts Bank
Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts
At this point, I left my good camera in the locker and used my I-Phone. The line wasn't all that long, maybe 30 minutes?
The line was almost… Almost as fun as the ride!
It was awesome! Even my husband liked it, and that's saying something.
Magical Menagerie
I think they keep the rats in that cage. I don't know why they cover them up, I guess folks are squeamish?
Knockturn Alley
We took a wrong turn, and wound up in Knockturn Alley.
E.L.M and Wizards Undertakers & Embalmers
Borgin and Burkes
The Fountain of Fair Fortune
For the Witches and Wizards of age, you can partake in an adults only beverage, Wizard's Brew or Dragon Scale.
Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour
We didn't indulge in ice cream, but next time, I'm stopping in for a chocolate chili sundae.
It was getting late, and we still had to visit Hogsmeade. On the way to King's Cross, we found Stan Shunpike and Dre Head.
The Knight Bus
After a nice chat, we were off again to King's Cross and the Hogwarts Express.
King's Cross
We found the wall between platforms 9 and 10, and ran straight through.
Platform 9 3/4
We emerged on the other side at platform 9 3/4.
The Hogwarts Express
There she is!
It wasn't too long of a ride, but it was exciting. Harry Potter saved us from a dementor attack.
Hogsmeade was a lot smaller than I imagined.
The Three Broomsticks
It was time for another break, so we stopped into the Three Broomsticks.
Another facade, but they have a neat little display of wizard's chess pieces in the window.
I had to buy something from Honeydukes, so I bought a chocolate frog and some gummy worms.
We walked around the rest of the stores in the village, before heading to Hogwarts. It's a pretty small area compared to Diagon Alley.
Dogweed and Deathcap
The Owl Post
Harry Potter and The Forbidden Journey
Again, my good camera went into the locker. For the Harry Potter fan, the line for this ride could be its own attraction.
It was the best ride ever! Ever! Sigh…
Gladrags Wizardwear
We found a seat in back of The Three Broomsticks, and waited for the boys to go on The Dragon Challenge.
We snacked on pretzels, churros, Gilly Water, and one last Butterbeer.
My husband thought he was funny, doing his own magic tricks. Lol!
I saw a brass hourglass on a stand, in one of the stores, that I really liked. It was like 150 bucks. My husband stuck two bottles together, and told me I could fill it with sand… For free! Sometimes he can be a smartass.
I wanted to stay and explore at night, but we all had enough for the day. There's a lot of things I didn't get to see or do, but I didn't wanna push it. It was too hot and I didn't feel so good… My husband said we could get passes, and come back when it was cooler.
It was a magical day! As soon as I find a portkey, I'll be back! Have you been? Are you a Harry Potter fan?


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Well, it looks to me like my astute partner picked up on something. Now that the Red Sox substantially overbid for Daisuke Matsuzaka they will be under that much more at the mercy of Scott Boras for whatever he wants. Clearly the Sawx have committed to spending too much money on D-Mat, but the problem is that they have also shown some interest in J.D. Drew — another Boras client. So now Boras will use there pre-contract investment in D-Mat to extract maximum money for 2 of his clients.
Somehow this feels like it shoould be wrong. It is the Japanese posting system that seems a bit crooked. Boras is simply playing by the rules in place. Really if this all blows up in the Sawx' face, if they find themselves in mid-August with a mediocre Japanese pitcher struggling to adjust to life in the US of A and a 4.5 ERA and BOTH of their corner outfielders are taking themselves out of the lineup because they just don't care that much, they have no one to blame but themselves.
What happened to the Sox front office anyway? I thought it was a shrew move to assess a dollar and year value on both Pedro and Damon and not be bullied into changing their minds by big NYC money. But after subsequent moves didn't seem to work out they have reversed course entirely and are on track to upstage King George in the role of Evil Empire.
If I were Prince Theo I would very publicly deny any interest in Drew until long after D-Mat is locked up. The truth is that if I were any GM I would avoid JD Drew like the plague. I think he is soft and I wouldn't want him on my team.
I am pretty much glad that the Mets ended up losing out on what I expect will end up being a train wreck for the Red Sox. I just wonder how much the D-Mat deal will drive up Zito's price. He knows exactly how much the Mets were willing to spend to try to get Matsuzaka. He will clearly be able to leverage their savings on the posting fee to up Zito's value.


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HPV Infection in Teen Girls Drops
This is progress. In the last 10 years, the cases of human papillomavirus have dropped by 50 percent in teenage girls. The vaccine debuted in 2006 and combats the HPV virus that exists in 70 percent of cervical-cancer cases. The results surprised experts since vaccinations rates are still pretty low. Another explanation for the decline is herd immunity—in which those vaccinated decrease the chance of the virus proliferating in a society. HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States—at least for now.


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14 June 2017
09:00 - 12:00, Het Schip Museum, tower room
Energy efficiency in social housing – DREEAM and TRIME project
European Housing Network (EurHoNet) and European Federation for Living (EFL)
In the coming decades, cities will accommodate an increasing number of inhabitants. Most of the housing stock of the year 2050 has already been built but is energy inefficient and in need of renovation. In order to improve the existing stock and the quality of living there, both technical (renovation) and human aspects of energy efficiency need to be scaled up. The projects DREEAM and TRIME aim to share the best practices currently developed with a wider, European audience. In DREEAM, tenants are involved before, during, and after renovation, in order to include their needs and build trust in the process. In TRIME, goal-led training on energy efficiency is provided to the dwellers.
Welcome coffee
TRIME Session
Coordinated by Marion Hofmann – TRIME Project Officer Clarion Housing Group
-Recruitment and training of tenants as energy ambassadors
-Replication of energy ambassador model
-Behavior change tools
-Impact measurement
Projects of Eigen Haard and Havensteder: lessons learned
Coffee break
DREEAM Session
Coordinated by Izabela Kurkowska – DREEAM Project Manager Chalmers University of Technology
-Design of energy services and tenant engagement programme
-Energy performance and tenant behavior comparison before and after renovation
-DREEAM energy consumption platform
Closing remarks
EurHoNet, the European Housing Network, is a network of 32 public and social housing companies from France, Germany, Italy, Sweden and the UK. Each Eurhonet member, in its respective national context, shares the same ambition: improving professional practices and performances by sharing skills and developing a common view of excellence in the service of customers and society as a whole.
EFL, the European Federation for Living, is a European forum that works in the interest of members to add value to their business and to build sustainable neighbourhoods. EFL's vision is for its unique membership to be at the forefront of economical and sustainable housing community development in Europe, through ensuring quicker and better access to research, innovation and funding than by any other route. The members are committed to work together to create concrete results – tangible, worthwhile projects. In doing this we will collectively develop tools and services and co-operate in EU funded programs. The members and associates are key to decision-making in EFL.
Date, time: Wednesday 14 June, 9:00 to 12:00 hrs
Location: Het Schip museum, 2nd floor, panorama room, Oostzaanstraat 45, Amsterdam
Fee: none
Organizers: Alessandro Cesale firstname.lastname@example.com and Joost Nieuwenhuijzen firstname.lastname@example.com


text: DigitalFleishman's Dave Senay Is 'Just Plain Optimistic'By Tonya Garcia|December 16, 2010 ShareBy Tonya Garcia|December 16, 2010 Share We had the chance to sit with Fleishman-Hillard president and CEO Dave Senay while he was in New York for a visit to talk about this year and the next. Straight away, Senay talked talent; he said the firm brought on 100 people at the VP-level or above this year, a move he described as "strategic.""It opens doors to new thinking, new people, new clients," he said. There's also "new leadership in place in a dozen key markets and practice groups."Among the new hires are Steve Hardwick as regional president and GM in New York, who is the former president of Grey Group; John Blyth, SVP and partner in Dallas who was previously the senior corp comms officer at McDonald's; and Richard Kanareck, MD in London who was head of European communications for eBay.(Fleishman announced staff cuts in 2009 and in the D.C. office in October.)International work is also significant to the firm. Senay said two-thirds of clients are working with them in more than one region, citing examples like Tata in India, SK Corp in South Korea, and Huawei in China. Every program the firm creates has a digital component, whether paid (such as search advertising), earned, shared through social media, or produced content. "We're all digitized," he said.A new focus for the firm is research and analytics. To that end, the firm has partnered with fellow Omnicom agency PHD.To sum up, this year was a good one and going forward, Senay says he's optimistic. "Not cautiously optimistic. Just plain optimistic." Sharehttp://adweek.it/2kEClVY copy Adweek Adweek


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OCTAEVO is a Mediterranean inspired brand creating refined products for the desk and home.
From our atelier in Barcelona we travel the Mediterranean in search of stories and transform them into beautifully crafted goods. On the way we collaborate with inspiring creatives.


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Yes, we're those people…the ones who get up early and head to the stores for crazy Black Friday deals. Yes, it's early. And yes, there are lots of people. But it's SOOO worth it!
Last year was my first year to ever do the whole Black Friday thing. Michael's family had been doing it for years, and we decided to carry on the tradition in Oklahoma last year. We found a ton of amazing deals, and decided that we'd be doing it every year we could from then on! Last year we had a list of lots of things we were looking for, and a big time game plan. We were at Kohl's before 4:00 (yes, A.M.) so we could be there when the doors opened.
This year we decided to take it a little easier since all we were looking for were clothes. So we didn't get to Old Navy until 5:00 (I know…so late, right?!). Michael's mom went with us, and we just took our time shopping around. Literally everything in the store was on sale. We got some really great deals!
When we left Old Navy, we went to the mall. We were going to just go to Aeropostale and JC Penny, but we saw that New York & Company was having a 60% off everything sale. So we went to those three stores, found some amazing deals, and went back to Old Navy for a few more gifts before we went to breakfast. Richard and Amanda were finally getting started on their shopping when we finished breakfast, so we dropped Michael's mom off with them and then we stopped in at Bath & Body Works, picked up a pair of ski pants for Michael at Academy, and went back home to relax.
It was 12:00, and we'd already been up for 8 hours.
But we'd saved over $420 so it was WELL WORTH IT!! I can't get my brain to figure out the math, but I do know that we saved well over what we spent!
Look at all of our Black Friday goodies!
These pictures aren't the best quality, but here are a few of our favorite deals of the day:
It was a GREAT day of deals! And we had lots of fun shopping. It was fun to have his mom with us this year.
After we relaxed and watched a movie, it was time to put on some Black and Silver–we were going to a Spurs game!
Michael's family has been huge Spurs fans forever. Even though I'm not a die-hard fan (like I was when Michael Jordan played for the Bulls!), I enjoy cheering for the Spurs with Michael. We've been to two Spurs vs. Thunder games in OKC, and we had a GREAT time. But this was the first time I've seen a Spurs game in San Antonio. And they were playing their biggest rivals: the Mavs!
Michael's dad had called a while back and asked if we wanted to go the day after Thanksgiving, and of course we said yes! All 6 of us went together, and we had such a great time! The only thing that would have made it better would have been if Sarah (Michael's sister) could have been with us.
We got there in plenty of time to walk around, shop, take some pictures, and even shoot some hoops before the game.
The brothers and soon-to-be sisters-in-law:
Mom and Dad E
All the championship rings!
These guys were making tons of noise and getting everyone all ready for the game:
They even had shooting games set up in the "fan zone"
When it got closer to time for the game to start, we headed over to find our seats while the team warmed up.
Michael's mom sat with Richard and Amanda above us:
And we sat with his dad on the row below:
We went to get some food during half time and ran into H-E-Buddy
It was a REALLY good game! The Spurs lost, but it was still a really exciting game. We had to take our traditional "We won/lost picture".
We had a great time! It was so much fun to be there with Michael's family!!
After the game, we went to Freddy's Frozen Custard (YUM!) and headed home.
It had been SUCH a great trip to San Antonio! I'm so thankful we were able to spend Thanksgiving with Michael's family this year.
Do you shop on Black Friday? Have you ever been to a NBA game? Who is "your team"?


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Welcome to Amy Jones Young Adult Fantasy Fiction and the twenty - second post in the YA Indie Carnival. The carnival is designed for authors, readers and reviewers of YA Indie books. Each Friday this team of YA Indies will post on a common theme.
This week's post theme is Cover Love! You can't always judge a book by it's cover... or can you?
Some of my favorite book covers frame the novels of my favorite author. Is this a coincidence? Maybe, maybe not...
Cassandra Clare's writing emerses you in a magical world that feels very realistic. The voices of her characters sound like people you know or might run into in everyday life yet the circumstances they find themselves in are far from reality. I especially love how the Shadowhunters (human bloodlines mixed with Angel's blood), in both the Mortal Instrument and Infernal Devices series, are able to 'see' things that the mundanes (ordinary humans) can not.
First, I simply love Courtney Cole's artwork for the Bloodstone Saga! The cover art immediately takes you to another land and time and introduces you to a character that is both beautiful and dramatic in appearance. I'm in the middle of reading the first book in this series and I can tell you that I am not disappointed. Ms. Cole chose an especially effective cover to promote her writing adventure.
Another indie cover I admire is Mortal Obligation by Nichole Chase. I have yet to read Ms. Chase's work but it is on my TBR list. I love the cover scheme selected. Her main character appears strong and alert yet somehow still vulnerable at the same time. I also like the way the darkness of the silouhetted graveyard shadows the border of the cover. It gives the feeling the darkness is lurking close by and I am sure that is exactly the predicament this MC finds herself in. I also liked the contrast of the MC's eye color. The blue of her eyes really pops out against the bronzy background. It's just beautiful!
Last, but not least, I really love Fisher Amelie's cover, Callum and Harper. It gives you the same surreal feeling as the cover art for the Mortal Instruments series. Ms. Amelie has slated this YA novel as a thriller and this cover implies thrills galore!
Coming December 16! You let us know why you've been naughty or nice and enter to win books at each carni's booth all week, from 12/16 to 12/23. On Dec. 23, find out what books you've won!
'Tis the Season of the Squeee!
In honor of our Cover Love theme, Bryna Butler unveils the cover art for Midnight Child, book 3 in my Midnight Guardian series which releases in Feb!
In preparation for December's release of Guardians of the Cross, author T. R. Graves is sending out a coupon which will allow the most-recent edition Warriors of the Cross Click here to downloaded for FREE. Enter coupon LY87N good through 12/20/11. Guardians of the Cross will be released 12/24!
Check out the new trailer for The Midnight Guardian series by Bryna Butler!
Melissa Pearl, YA author of Golden Blood has just started a new blog called YAlicious. It's a blog to celebrate YA fiction and aimed at teens and readers of YA. Swing on by and check it out!Books I and II in The Raven Saga (Raven & December Moon) by Suzy Turner, are now available in paperback! Get your copy from Amazon now.
The Valkyrie Novels, a series of 3 novels- Dead Radiance, Dead Embers and Dead Chaos, by T.G. Ayer will be published in 2012 by the amazing team at Evolved Publishing. See T.G. Ayer's announcement here!


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G8tK33per wrote: A drunk squirrel? Hey...I was drinking with that guy this weekend! Mutha-fucka couldn't stop lick...I mean looking at my friggin' nutz!
/me kicks a pile of trash and cigarette butts out of the way, empty vodka bottles roll about
"Ladies and Gentlemen, let's hear it for M7 and the NS crew!" (loud applause and whistles...bras and panties fly about)
/me catches a pair of panties, but lets them drop after seeing a tag on them with "Xarth" written on it. Ewww!
Holy shit! G8tK33per, everybody! How's it been going? I hear you got delayed. Let's hear about it, G8! Whaddaya say, folks?
/calls of "TELL US! TELL US! TELL US!" erupt. the audience looks forward to another amazing tale of tard-smacking, drinking, and various other vices.


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- LED Visor, MSP430 (Concept)
- LED Visor, MSP430 (Schematic Capture, Layout)
- LED Visor, MSP430 (Software)
- LED Visor, MSP430 (Final Build into Visor)
I had now gone from this:
To This:
Parts List is as follows (with links to digitkey):
- D1,D3,D5,D7 : 5MM LED Purple. ($1.39 ea)
- D2,D4,D6,D8: 5MM LED White. ($0.43 ea)
- U1: 3.5V LDO regulator. ($0.66 ea)
- U2 : CAT4008 LED Driver. ( $1.75 ea)
- U3: Header, Male part for connecting the ez430 target board to the PCB ($1.48 ea)
- U3: Header, Female part (1.09 ea)
- (connects to U3) : EZ430-F2012 target boards. ( $10.20, pack of 3 target boards)
- R1 : 6.19K ohms 1/10 W resistor. ($0.67 ea)
- R2,R3: 100K ohm resistor. ( $0.02 ea)
- Battery Holder 4 x AAA batteries ($1.27 ea)
- C1,C2: 100uF cap. ($0.79 ea)
- C3: 1.0 uF 10V, Y5V Cap. ($0.79 ea)
- SW1,SW2 : Switches. ($.12 ea)
The layout took me about two days, though a good part of that time was getting used to the tool. I had used professional layout software before, so the process was familiar.
The last step was packaging up the data for BatchPCB. I found some info in the sparkFun form, which I used to setup my own file.
My settings were as follows:
- Drill Units: Inches
- Decimal Format: Suppress Leading Zeros
- Precision: 2:4
- Drill Origin: Absolute
- Drill Sheet: None
- Drill Report: None
- HPGL Plotter Options: 20cm/s - Pen Number 1
- Mirror Y Access: Unchecked
- Minimal Header: Checked
In a few hours, I got an e-mail back that I'd passes the automated test, and I ordered 3 PCBs. 16 days later I received my PCBs!


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Wallace T. Staatz Endowed Professorship in Neurological Surgery
Est. 2005
The Wallace T. Staatz Endowed Professorship in Neurological Surgery was established in 2005 to enhance the University's ability to attract and retain distinguished faculty in neurological surgery.
Wallace T. Staatz studied agriculture at Oregon State University and served in the military. He was also an orchardist, managed Crystal Mountain Ski Resort (in its early days), was involved in an oyster farm — inherited from his father — and owned a golf course. In addition, Mr. Staatz enjoyed motorcycling, traveling and fishing.
When Mr. Staatz developed a brain tumor, he was treated at the Department of Neurological Surgery at UW Medicine. In gratitude, he established a charitable gift annuity, and directed that part of his estate be used to benefit the department. He passed away on November 17, 2003.
If you are interested in supporting this work, please make a gift.


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Spiderman Part 1.
I despise him. His level of intelligence and humour is that of an ant.
And yet.
He has spun some kind of web around me. I am becoming like him. Slowly.
The more he inhabits my life, the more it is only some time until I become interested in football and mobile phones and internet sites dedicated to Holly Willoughby…
Whatever. I'm currently at one out of three. Which means I am sane.
But he nearly got me.
Two weeks ago. I am At Work.
I have just had an excellent argument with my boss.
She had informed me that I had to spend the entire morning being trained on how to do my job. I explained that I had being doing my job, in one form or another, quite successfully for eight years and would much rather just get on with it thanks. She shrugged and wandered off, leaving me to do Actual Work. Great!
Thug Colleague: Alreeet Tired like.
It seems my happiness is to be short-lived.
Me: Jesus. Fuck off.
TG: Aye. How. Have ye ever been on the bog havin a shit like and got a bonk-on?
Me: Seriously. I've got a client who reckons we owe him his entire annual spend because, well, because he feels like it and I've got a publication deadline NOW which I know you do not share and a new boss who isn't sure what I do for a living and I'm not sure how to explain it to her. And you want to know if I've ever had a simultaneous erection and bowel movement?
TG: Aye.
Right. He's really committed to the whole 'eroticism of taking a dump' thing then.
Who cares about my work troubles.
To get rid of him, the following dreadful exchange takes place:
Me: Right. Once. It was taking ages and my mind began to wander. Ok?
TG [Visibly delighted] : Ah I KNEW IT! YE AND ME ARE THE SAME TIRED! Even if you're auld.
I'm not at all old. I don't feel old (I do) and I will not let this whipper-snapper feel that I have suffered a mere erection on a toilet. Although we are definitely NOT THE SAME.
Me: [Bizarrely wanting to get the upper-hand in the whole shit/erection debate] Yeah? So tell me, have you ever become TRAPPED?
He looks at me in awe, and I know that I am lost.
Me: Oh yes. It got wedged under the seat. I couldn't stand up for fear of it snapping off. I had to wait until it went away. It took fucking ages.
People are now looking at me.
Christ. What have I become?
TG: [Almost vibrating with delight] I bet you've given a lass a spiderman an'all!?
For reasons I cannot begin to explain I want to beat this thug, to outstrip his every monkeyface/dangerwank/shittybonkon story with one better just to prove to him that – what?
To be honest I don't know.
And I'd no idea what a spiderman was. But by God I found out.
To be continued.


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She can read ????????
Not without moving her lips.
People like Palin don't seem to realize just how much of the bible is NOT part of the law.
This "quote" came from an American Atheists billboard and they had to admit they didn't quite get it right.
That having been said, I agree that that's probably her attitude.
She should thank 'GOD' that we are not a Christian country....;p)


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A short distance off the southwestern shoreline of Katahdin Lake (Delorme, Maine Atlas and Gazetteer, Map 51, C-2) there is a large island. In September of 2006, I stood on the sandy beach of Katahdin Lake Camps looking out toward the island — I guessed it might be a 300 yard swim.
It was an unseasonably warm early-fall afternoon, but the lake lies at an elevation of 1,000 feet and the water was better-suited for chilling beer than swimming. I hesitated before diving in.
After the shock of the initial plunge, the familiar rhythm took over and I warmed to the work despite the cold water. The lake was flat calm and my wake was the only disturbance in the mirrored reflection of Mt. Katahdin which loomed immediately to the west.
The near-silence engulfed me as I waded from the water and rested on some sun-drenched rocks near the tip of the island.
It was impossible to sit on the edge of this lake and imagine that it would be a better placewith a motorboat rounding the far end of the island or with an ATV grinding along the shoreline trail. The political battle that was raging throughout the state in 2006 — as to whether Katahdin Lake should be, or ever could be, a part of the Baxter State Park wilderness – seemed far away and ridiculous there.
Of course, Katahdin Lake officially became a part of Baxter State Park a few months after my swim. No road will ever access the lake; no outboard motor will ever break the silence of a September afternoon. Snowmobiles will never crisscross the winter ice.
And yet somehow the State of Maine has survived.
It turns out that an additional 4,000 acres of protected silence and fresh air didn't really change anything for the worse. None of the doomsday scenarios purported by opponents came to pass. Hunters still hunted in the north woods– I know because I am one of them. Snowmobiles still went 100 mph along groomed trails outside the park. Woodsmen found sufficient supplies of pulp and timber in other places.
The sky did not fall — the world did not come crashing down.
It's worth thinking about this as the ongoing debate over the proposed national park darkens the horizon. If the proposed national park somehow magically became a reality tomorrow — 75,000 acres would be set aside for protection. Depending on which numbers we use — there are over 3.5 million acres in the north woods — defined as western Aroostook and northern Somerset, Penobscot, and Piscataquis counties.
The sky will not fall — the world will not come crashing down.


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A photo collection of some of my favorite animal captures
"The space between us"
While photographing this turtle from the bank of a lake, a heron landed on the other side of the cove I was in. I then changed my composition, trying to include both the turtle and heron in the same shot. I quickly realized there was too much distance between the two to capture both as equal subjects. So, I used a telephoto to help compress the scene, but there wasn't enough room behind me to make use of the full 400mm's I had at hand. So I zoomed out until I got the scene I thought would work. Just one more hurtle, focus and depth of field. After taking several test shots, and thankful both subjects were patiently waiting (clearly professional models), I ended up having to take 2 shots, one focused on the turtle and the other on the heron. With the help of focus stacking I was able to end up with a decent photograph. Hope you like it.
Early morning flight
Come on, just say it
Insert copy here, which should vary depending on your region. Accept


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Basic Information For people exposed not much to website management or management of HTML, that is a little low on the technical front, and want a simple website containing basic information, WordPress is the answer. Both blog and non-blog websites can benefit from it. It is a good tool for a site that wants to be interactive and provides sound web publishing infrastructure. Types of Contents Pages and posts are the two fundamental types of contents supported by WordPress. Information held in the web pages is meant to have continuity for a larger time span. Here always the earlier content gets changed whenever there is new writing on the old ones. However updates and news are contents that have to be more dynamic. Posts instead of pages are used for such contents so that overwriting for changes are dispensed with… Continued
Asynchronous JavaScript and XML or AJAX is a group of interrelated web development techniques used for creating interactive web applications. AJAX can make it easier for you to meet the expectations of your website user. AJAX simply makes it easier for others to navigate through your site. For example, let us say that you have a website and this site contains lots of information and highly technical terms, the person who is viewing your website may be lost wondering that the meaning of the terms could be. Eager to resolve this concern and make things easier for the users of your website, you find a way for your site visitors to not have hard time guessing and finding out what the information means. You think of a solution that will provide immediate answers to any concerns and questions the users… Continued


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Happy Monday Peeps.
I thought I'd stop by and tease you with another of the new images from La La Land Crafts. This is Tricycle Marci, isn't she fun? I've teamed her up with one of my all time favourite pads; My Minds Eye Out of The Blue. I normally only get this one out to stroke the papers and put it away again, but these sheets just wanted to go with Marci!
And before I go, I just want to tease you a little more. We have exciting new stash arriving in store any day now, so be sure to keep an eye out.


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|Logo Created by
Elizabeth Dulemba
My favorite part of the event besides hearing all the ideas from a variety of writers was responding to the "Writing @ Reading" daily writing prompts. The writing prompts were challenging and gave me a break from author birthday celebrations. My response to the prompt, "If you could spend the day with three of your favorite story characters who would they be? Would they like each other?" was chosen as finalist. An online vote was held and my post about Mr. McGreely, Harold, and Robot Zot was selected as the winner!
The second package included a variety of hardcover books. After researching Cuyahoga Falls Library catalog I chose to donate the following books to their collection:
1. When the Shadbush Blooms by Carla Messinger with Susan Katz
2. Rich: A Dyamonde Daniel Book by Nikki Grimes
3. Children of Clay: A Family of Pueblo Potters by Rina Swentzell
4. Sky Sisters by Jan Bourdeau Waboose
5. Sacred Mountain Everest by Christine Taylor-Butler
6. Papi's Gift by Karen Stanton
7. Mi Familia/My Family by George Ancona
8. My Papa Diego and Me by Guadalupe Rivera Marin and Diego Rivera
9. Gracias/Thanks by Pat Mora
10. Young Cornrows Callin Out the Moon by Ruth Forman
11. Niwechihaw/I Help by Caitlin Dale Nicholson
12. Sopa de Frijoles/Bean Soup by Jorge Argueta
13. Saltypie: A Choctaw Journey from Darkness into Light by Tim Tingle
14. A Coyote Solstice Tale by Thiomas King
The remaining books were donated to the the Cuyahoga Falls Local School District:
1. Nikki and Deja by Karen English
2. Planting the Trees of Kenya: The Story of Wangari Maathai by Claire A. Nivola
3. Stichin' and Pullin': A Gee's Bend Quilt by Patricia C. McKissack
4. 14 Cows For America by Carmen Agra Deedy
5. Minji's Salon by Eun-hee Choung
6. My People by Langston Hughes
7. Bein' with You This Way by W. Nikola-Lisa
8. Listen to the Wind: The Story of Dr. Greg and Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson
9. Book Fiesta! Celebrate Children's Day/Book Day by Pat Mora
10. Songs from the Loom: A Navajo Girl Learns to Weave by Monty Roessel
11. Surfer of the Century by Ellie Crowe
12. Bad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves, Deputy U.S. Marshall by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson
13. My Colors, My World by Maya Christina Gonzalez
14. 1621: A Look at Thanksigiving by Catherine O'Neill Grace and Margaret M. Bruchac
15. Just Like Me: Stories and Self-Portraits by Fourteen Artists by Harriet Rohmer
I want to thank Share a Story, Shape a Future for hosting this wonderful event and for selecting my post as a finalist. I want to thank all my family, friends, and readers that voted for my post. All of the books were put into the hands of children for them to enjoy. Maybe these books will help "Unwrap the Gift of Literacy"!


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The Hunter Valley is an 'old' Australian region; one that everybody's heard of, even if they don't know exactly where it is. Up a bit from Sydney? And inland? It's famous for its vines – principally Semillon and Shiraz – and long-established wineries. The region's river-flat soils and gently undulating hills meant agriculture developed here soon after 1800, and the first vines were planted in 1832 by George Wyndham. But today, coal mining is a far, far bigger business. The Hunter River was called the Coal River, in fact, before it was renamed in honour of the Governor of New South Wales at the time (1797).
Travelling down the New England Highway, we entered the Hunter around about a little place called Willow Tree. Forty kilometres further south, between Wingen and Parkville, we turned off on to Cressfield Road, largely unsealed, for Towarri National Park. I think this must be little-visited territory, or our map of 20 Great Hunter Region Walks was out of date, or both. True, it advised the Middle Brook track was not well marked, but local information signs suggested this was for highly experienced bushwalkers only, presumably equipped with compass and large-scale map. Since we were running late as a result of an unscheduled excursion, we had to settle for an amble along Middle Brook Creek rather than views to the Liverpool Range. We found mint and watercress growing wild, dragonflies and watery delights.
We resumed our journey by striking across country to Scone through New South Wales's prime thoroughbred-rearing country. It was reassuring to see that horses have demons as well as cows.
Between Muswellbrook and Singleton we hit coal country. I've seen large opencast mines in other regions of Australia but the scale of them is always a shock, especially when you've spent days travelling through beautiful country. Rix's Creek opencast coal mine sits either side of the New England Highway. The spoil heaps rise steeply and starkly, and giant dumpers tipping over the tops appear Dinky-sized.
Coal is mined in every state, and three-quarters of it is exported, mainly to Asia, making Australia the largest coal-exporting nation in the world. Newcastle (upon Hunter) is the largest coal-exporting port in the world, even bigger than Hay in Queensland, and much bigger than Gladstone. More than four-fifths of Australia's electricity generation is from coal. Given all these big numbers, it's not surprising that coal mining is controversial. Apart from unsightly scars on the landscape, there is competition between the mining and agriculture sectors for land and water; contamination of water and dust pollution; not to mention the dependence of electricity generating companies on coal and their consequently huge carbon footprint. In addition, the exploitation of coal-seam gas is increasingly occupying environmental groups and generating protest groups, but that's another story in the litany of Australian resource development.
We were glad to turn off the Highway just before Branxton, on to Hermitage Road, off which lay Pokolbin and the Berenbell Vineyard Retreat where we were staying, and where the evening light over the Brokenback Range and a glass of Petersens red on the terrace of our cabin soothed our troubled minds.
We'd forgotten all about coal by the time we were having dinner at Il Cacciatore, a northern Italian restaurant that is part of Hermitage Lodge (boutique accommodation, vineyard, conference facilities). My chicken fettuccine with a local Margan red was thoroughly enjoyable, although my friend was less impressed with his lamb. I have to mention the state of Broke Road, however. This purports to be a main road, but the corrugated, pitted and potholed surface has to be felt to be believed. This must be a wealth-generating area: what a pity the New South Wales Road Traffic Authority does not see fit to maintain the roads properly for the Hunter's residents and its visitors. A dirt road would have been more comfortable. We came across bad roads everywhere we went in the state*.
Wine country is a peculiarly unique landscape. It's far from unattractive even though it's unnatural.
Pokolbin doesn't have a centre as such. In fact, it's hard to grasp where the place actually is, because some if not all of the services for the community are provided by the wineries: accommodation; cafes or classy restaurants; bars; delicatessens; conference rooms; entertainment venues. I've noticed this phenomenon before but never so markedly as in the Hunter Valley. The next day I said I wanted to go into Pokolbin, but whether or not I achieved this aim remains a mystery. The most normal thing seemed to be the polling station set up in the Community Hall – it was state election day. But we had difficulty finding a sandwich lunch anywhere... except in the Hunter Valley Wine Country Visitor Information Centre cafe.
Hunter Valley Gardens Village is another strange beast. Here you can have a coffee or a feast (with live music mid-morning); buy rocks and gemstones or art or chocolate or a T-shirt; get married; or visit 'Australia's Largest Display Garden', which consists of 10 feature gardens – Rose, Storybook, Oriental or Italian Grotto, for example. It took at least 40 gardeners four years to create them, and I'm sure they're lovely, but we're not formal garden fans and we didn't feel like paying nearly $50 for a short visit, which is what it would have been. We had wine-tasting on the agenda, as well as a rock concert.
We'd chosen Brokenwood cellar door (below), strongly recommended by Australian wine critic James Halliday. Not too surprising, since he was a co-founder in 1969. The land was cleared of Spotted Gums in 1971, hence the name of the winery, and produced grapes a couple of years later. We sampled three Semillons, a Chardonnay and two Shirazes, and even managed a sip or two of the renowned Graveyard Vineyard Shiraz, which is in a different league from all other Shirazes, with the exception of a Coldstream Hills (from the Yarra Valley of Victoria), Halliday's winery. We sipped and savoured so long we didn't have time for any more cellar doors.
Fairs, festivals and concerts occur throughout the year in the Hunter Valley. There's the Harvest Festival in April; wine shows in August and October; jazz at Tyrrell's and opera at Wyndham Estate in October; and rock concerts featuring top international acts at wineries such as Hope Estate, Bimbadgen Estate and Wyndham's. We were there to see Carlos Santana (below middle) with the Doobie Brothers (below bottom) in support at Hope Estate. A fleet of buses ferried concert-goers between their accommodations and the venues (Lionel Richie was appearing at another vineyard) in a highly organised operation. I didn't really know what to expect of this kind of venue, but it was well organised, we were able to pre-order a hamper of food and get the T-shirts (but not CDs), the stage accommodated Santana's 11-piece band snugly, and the sound quality was good. (There was even a firework display as we walked to the bus.) The bands were pretty impressive, too. Santana seemed reluctant to stop playing on what was the last night of their tour, so they didn't, until about 11.15 – late by Australian standards. My chief disappointment was that the audience seemed content to remain seated throughout. Salsa dancing in a sitting position is extremely frustrating.
The next morning we moved on from Pokolbin, with last glimpses of the Hunter's vines, but with lesser-known parts of the Region beckoning. This would not be the only time during our New South Wales trip that we felt we needed an extra day.
Next up was Barrington Tops National Park, a couple of hours to the north. This is a World Heritage wilderness on the Barrington Plateau, which rises to almost 1,600 metres. There is rainforest with huge strangler figs and Antarctic Beech and what is known as sclerophyll wood- or heathland. This is characterised by hard-leafed plants that are more resistant to seasonal drought and soil deficiencies, so thrive in the Australian Bush. Once you cross the New England Highway – we took the Gresford Road from Branxton – you're soon into middle-of-nowhere land. The roads are deserted, there are cute wooden bridges over creeks, and gently rolling, velvety green uplands and valleys.
We climbed towards Dungog, looking back over endless ridges.
We turned on to the Chichester Dam Road just before Dungog. Once again, we had difficulty with one of the 20 Great Hunter Region Walks. The Jerusalem Creek Track was not signposted off the road and neither was it 'easily accessible'. I asked a man in a car park and fortunately he knew where it was and kindly led us there. But in missing the turning we had a delightful wildlife moment in the Chichester Dam picnic area where we stopped for coffee. A gang of seven kookaburras was hanging around and one of them sat right above us, hoping for brownie remnants perhaps. In the trees close by were some Bell Miners. These birds make one of the most extraordinary sounds – and there are many contenders among Australia's bird population. Our bird book** describes 'an abrupt, clear, penetrating "peep", which in the distance becomes a "tink"; the calls of the hundreds of birds in a large colony make a continual tinkling.' I don't know how many of these birds there were, but the sound was magical, mesmeric and relaxing. We've heard them before – when climbing towards Cunningham's Gap, for example: they seem to be located at a specific altitude, but forest type determines their distribution – wet eucalypt forest.
Jerusalem Creek is a dense rainforest gully, with ferns, large eucalypts and a waterfall. It was interesting enough but unfortunately marred by the presence of leeches. My friend has not quite got over his Mount Mee Forest experience, and feels about these particular blood-suckers as I do about mozzies. You have to keep moving through leech-infested country and try not to brush against undergrowth, which can dull one's enjoyment somewhat. We tried to spot Antarctic Beech and Sydney Blue Gums.
We were right at the southeasterly tip of Barrington Tops National Park and, as we travelled north towards Gloucester along Bucketts Way, and caught tantalising glimpses of serious distant peaks, I felt thoroughly thwarted by my lack of means to get inside this remote country; namely, a 4WD. Still, there were other distractions along the way...
The place names around here fascinated me more than usual. 'Tops' cropped up a lot – Copeland Tops, Tapin Tops, Dixies Top Ridge and Scattered Top Mountain. Then there were the Gloucester Buckets, and Vinegar Mountain, Mount Adventure, Spectacle Mountain and Terrible Billy. The little town of Stratford was on the Avon river, of course.
As we headed north from Gloucester to Armidale via Nowendoc and Walcha – along Thunderbolts Way, no less – the landscape grew ever more beautiful in the goldening light. From high above the Barnard valley, looking west to the Woko and Curracabundi national parks, the views defied description, so I will let the photographs speak for themselves.
* As I write, former Liberal New South Wales Premier Nick Greiner has been appointed chairman of Infrastructure New South Wales, but whether he will be heading up new road and rail projects rather than mending the crumbling existing structures remains to be seen
** Field Guide to Australian Birds by Michael Morcombe


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Euro 2016: England
There might not be any Stoke City players in the current England squad but most Stoke Loud and Proud followers will be supporting the Three Lions this summer.
England have been drawn in an interesting group-coming up against Russia, Slovakia and the big one against Wales.
With plenty of offensive options, Roy Hodgson has opted to take an attacking squad to France with five strikers in his final 23.
Whether Hodgson has decided upon his starting 11 remains to be seen, although if friendlies are anything to go by any chance Jamie Vardy has of starting will see him stuck out on the wing which would be a complete waste of talent.
It wouldn't be a true tournament build-up without numerous question marks of course and, as always, injuries may well play a part in France.
England's lack of depth in defence could come back to haunt them and eyebrows were raised when the likes of Jack Wilshere and Jordan Henderson were called up ahead of title winner Danny Drinkwater, but the squad has now been chosen and the nation will support them all the way.
So what of England's chances this summer? Progression from the group seems more than likely and most supporters would expect at least a quarter final place at the extended European Championships.
Flags and bunting are already being put out ahead of another summer of hope- barbecues, beers and, most importantly, football.
It's less than a week until England kick-off and I for one can't wait.
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Turning Collective Wisdom Into Strength – An Interview with Andrea Kalas of the Association of Moving Image Archivists
Turning Collective Wisdom Into Strength – An Interview with Andrea Kalas of the Association of Moving Image Archivists
Fourth in a series of in-depth interviews with innovators and leaders in the fields of Risk, Compliance and Information Governance across the globe.
Andrea Kalas is a recent President of the Association of Moving Image Archivists (AMIA) and a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Prior to her current role at Paramount Pictures as SVP of Archives, she led the preservation program at the British Film Institute. I had the opportunity to sit down with her in June to discuss bit loss, digital asset management, artificial intelligence and the benefits that millennials are bringing to the profession.
Andrea, you've spoken and taught at length about the challenges of bit loss and how it affects the race to preserve not just America's rich film history, but that of other countries and cultures.
How does a global team like yours even begin to prioritize its preservation goals as you race against the clock?
Digital preservation has the basic goal of avoiding bit loss, technically. However, the work that really requires technologists and archivists to effectively collaborate involves the treatment of files as valuable records, art or artifacts. This goes against so much of how basic information technology systems work. For example the word "archive" has been used as a term to mean data written off-line and put on removable media on a shelf, never to be touched again. This is a sure path to bit loss. For an archivist this definition is completely counter-productive. It as much about communication and clear technical requirements from archivists as it is building technical solutions.


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Venter for Metabolic and Obesity Surgery; Advanced Obesity Surgery; Dr. Smith Performs Laparoscopic Bariatric Weight Loss Surgery in Celebration, Florida
A Certified Center Of Excellence In Bariatric Surgery
This Week's Quote:
"He that would have fruit must climb the tree."
-Thomas Fuller
Duodenal Switch
RNY Gastric Bypass
Sleeve Gastrectomy
Bariatric Medicine
Your Next Steps:
What Are Your Next Steps?
Having weight loss surgery is an exciting, life-changing event. But the process of getting from the very beginning to the actual day of surgery can be longer than many people think. In order to do this kind of major surgery as safely and carefully as possible, we need to know as much as we can about your overall medical condition.
There are several stages that you must go through, and these stages do take some time, although we try to streamline things as much as possible.
Beginning The Process:
One of the keys to success in bariatric surgery involves careful preparation. The first step is a free
Information Seminar
to learn more about our program and our approach to weight loss surgery. To register for either the live in-person info sessions or the on-line info session, please go to
We then have you come in for your office visit, we'll look at your particular situation and determine whether surgery might be right for you. We'll also work with you to determine which operation would be most appropriate for you.
We feel that there are many different ways that people end up in this condition, and therefore there are often times when one or the other of the operations would fit for a certain patient better than the others.
Together with your surgeon we'll help you decide which operation might work best for you.
The Evaluation Stage
As part of our ongoing effort to make sure our patients get through the experience of surgery as safely and smoothly as possible, we have you get some studies (like labs and X-rays) and "clearances" from medical specialists (such as Pulmonolgists and perhaps Cardiologists) to make sure we know as much as we can about your medical situation before we do your operation.
Many times we'll find some condition that a patient didn't know they had, and we can optimize that condition so that it doesn't cause any problems when going through weight loss surgery.
Some of these studies are mandated by the insurance companies, and some we even have to get before we can submit our request to your insurance company. But regardless, we always want to make sure that you are as safe as possible.
Scheduling of Surgery
Once you've gotten toward the end of the your studies and evaluations, we'll be ready to schedule your weight loss operation. We'll have a plan for you and give you lots of education about how to prepare, and what to expect. We want to make you as comfortable with the process as we can.
Usually, the time between the scheduling of surgery and the actual date of surgery is only a few weeks.
The Operation Day
Dr. Smith or Dr. Kim will see you and those accompanying you in the Pre-Op area of the Operating Room, and then our nurse will meet you and bring you to the OR.
Safety and Quality:
We focus on safety and quality with each patient. Your operation is given the necessary time and attention to best provide successful outcomes. We believe that our attention to detail, along with the medical information we obtain prior to surgery, has been an important factor in maintaining our excellent safety record.
Long-term, high quality follow-up is essential
to your success with Bariatric Surgery. Follow-up care is extremely important for all Bariatric procedures, especially the Duodenal Switch Procedure.
Back to home page
For any questions, comments, or to begin the process, please contact us:
Phone: 407-303-3820
The Center for Metabolic and Obesity Surgery
410 Celebration Place, Suite 401
Celebration, FL 34747
©Copyright 2019. All Rights Reserved.
Advanced Obesity Surgery


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Thirty Seconds to Mars Win Best Rock Video in the 3rd Annual Loudwire Music Awards
Kudos to Thirty Seconds to Mars and their director Bartholomew Cubbins (aka Jared Leto) for winning the Best Rock Video of 2013 in the 3rd Annual Loudwire Music Awards. The victorious clip was the band's 'City of Angels' video, which featured a number of familiar and not-so-familiar Los Angeles denizens speaking about their love affair with Tinsel Town while the song sets the tone.
Kanye West, Juliette Lewis, Lindsay Lohan, Olivia Wilde, James Franco, Shaun White, Corey Feldman, Selena Gomez, Steve Nash, Ashley Olsen and Alan Cumming join the members of Thirty Seconds to Mars in the video, sharing their tales about Los Angeles. The clip took 23.07 percent of the fan voting, edging out Stone Sour's 'Do Me a Favor,' which earned 20.47 percent. In This Moment's 'Adrenalize' video finished third with 14.77 percent.
Our congrats to Thirty Seconds to Mars for winning the Best Rock Video of 2013 for 'City of Angels' in the 3rd Annual Loudwire Music Awards.
Voting Results:


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We love getting together with friends for a party, and when we do, we like to to it right. Take a look at Shelley Levitt's story about a recent soiree we put together to celebrate the completion of our book, Smart Partners (SelectBooks, New York), coming out in August of 2016. That's entertaining. As Shelley.. read more →
What a gorgeous place Montana is! We were up in Big Sky country in November on a film shoot. Details to be announced soon. Here we are trying to stay warm with new friend Ken White, who was the go-to-guy on set for just about everything and everybody. A talented actor and poet. Check out.. read more →
We're very excited to announce our show Disaster! will be opening on Broadway in March 2016. From the press notes: "Just when you thought it was safe to go back to the theatre comes Broadway's new musical comedy Disaster! Earthquakes, tidal waves, infernos and rampant wildlife can't stop an outrageous cast of characters from dancing,.. read more →
We produce more than 10 conferences a year, attended by thousands of delegates. How do we stay connected to all of these people once the event is over? Take a look at the complete story in Meetings + Events for some tips. Send a Thank-You Note Once an event is over, the communication for next.. read more →
In June 2015 we had the honor of sponsoring a great show to raise funds for older New York City foster kids needing permanent families…and we met the wonderful Charlene Tilton, who played Lucy Ewing in the original hit TV show Dallas at the pre-event celebration. Thanks go to The Knickerbocker Hotel at Times Square.. read more →


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Original Source Unknown)
The deep throaty roar of his motorbike warned Sandie of his arrival, seconds before the powerful beam of the headlight illuminated her huddling under the bridge. She winced as Micah shut off the engine.
She didn't dare look up, her anger at what she overheard him say on the phone long since washed away with the rain, which left her a shivering, tired mess.
His boots crunched on the floor, and before she could do anything at all, she was enveloped by his warm strength. A sob escaped her, as he draped his leather jacket around her shoulders, and tipped her chin up with his hand.
"Give me one good reason, why I shouldn't bend you over my bike right now, and pummel that ass of yours red, girl."
She didn't answer, him, couldn't in truth find any words in her defense, and his deep sigh ghosted across her face.
"Come here, you foolish woman, you're half frozen."
Sandie didn't need to be told twice. She hunkered into the comforting hug he offered, and inhaled deeply of his spicy scent.
"I'm sorry I messed up your life."
That overheard assessment still stung, and Micah pulled her closer.
"My choice, kitten."
Tantalizing Tuesday Authors use a photo prompt to tease in 200 words. Please click on the graphic to check out the other fabulous participating authors.
As ever, let me know what you thought of my teaser today.


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Our Resort
A visual spectacle of rugged, natural beauty carved out Lake of the Woods, Buffalo Point Resort is as breathtaking as it is fun, offering some of the finest year round outdoor recreation and hospitality you'll find anywhere.
Located on southern Lake of the Woods in Manitoba, Buffalo Point Resort overlooks the waters of Big Traverse Bay, Muskeg Bay and Buffalo Bay and has been the recreational playground for returning families and outdoor enthusiasts for decades.
Year Round Activities for the Whole Family
From 7 miles of white sandy beaches and the best walleye fishing year round to winter fun like world class snowmobiling, there's no shortage of family activities to do all year round.
Enjoy championship golf on Lake of the Sandhills Golf Course, tie up at Buffalo Bay Marina or consider the Resort Centre for your meeting or event with facilities for up to 150.
The resort also offers casual dining options as well as accommodations ranging from full-service suites and lakefront and lake view cabins to campgrounds and seasonal RV lots.
Home to over 300 cottage owners Buffalo Point Resort also showcases a variety of property opportunities for those looking to live their dream.


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Have you heard of the term, "cognitive domains?" That's how mental health experts explain which areas of the brain do what. People who have gone through chemotherapy often take a hit in some of these domains. Look at the categories below. Do any describe what you may be going through?
1. EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING (You have problems making decisions, planning ahead, multitasking, and more.)
2. INFORMATION PROCESSING SPEED (Your brain still works but moves oh so s-l-o-w-l-y)
3. LANGUAGE (Issues with word retrieval and information recall)
4. CONCENTRATION and MEMORY (If you don't attend to it, you can't remember it)
If you're struggling with any of these issues, then it may help for you to know you're not alone.
In researching and co-authoring "Your Brain After Chemo: A Practical Guide to Lifting the Fog and Getting Back Your Focus" (with Dr. Dan Silverman at UCLA), I interviewed many, many survivors who shared their stories (I also went through chemo and experienced some of the same issues until the fog cleared - perhaps that's why). Many described how changes in their thinking abilities after treatment had affected their competence at work and home. Marriages had suffered. Socially, some had withdrawn, embarrassed others would notice they weren't the sharp person they used to be.
Oncologists don't always disclose to patients that cognitive impairment is a potential side effect of chemotherapy. So hopefully my blogposts will help fill in the knowledge gap.
If you believe your thinking abilities have declined, ask your doctor to refer you to a neuropsychologist, a specialist who can evaluate how you process information.
You will find more detailed explanations about these cognitive domains in our book. There we have an entire chapter devoted to how neuropsychologists measure forgetfulness and other problems with thinking and mood.


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Hubble Sees a Star 'Inflating' a Giant Bubble
Twenty-six candles grace NASA's Hubble Space Telescope's birthday cake this year, and now one giant space "balloon" will add to the festivities. Just in time for the 26th anniversary of Hubble's launch on April 24, 1990, the telescope has photographed an enormous, balloon-like bubble being blown into space by a super-hot, massive star. Astronomers trained the iconic telescope on this colorful feature, called the Bubble Nebula, or NGC 7635. The bubble is 7 light-years across – about one-and-a-half times the distance from our sun to its nearest stellar neighbor, Alpha Centauri. The Bubble Nebula lies 7,100 light-years from Earth in the constellation Cassiopeia.
Bubble Nebula (NGC 7635)
Animation Approaching the Bubble Nebula
Launched in 1990, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has made nearly 1.3 million observations of more than 40,000 celestial objects.
In its 26-year lifetime the telescope has made more than 142,000 trips around our planet. Hubble has racked up plenty of frequent-flier miles, about 3.5 billion.
An average of 860 gigabytes of Hubble data are added to the archive every month.
Hubble observations have produced more than 119 terabytes of data, which will be available for future generations of researchers.
Astronomers using Hubble data have published nearly 14,000 scientific papers.
NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)
Felicia Chou
NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C.
Ann Jenkins / Ray Villard
Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Maryland
410-338-4488 / 410-338-4514
firstname.lastname@example.com / email@example.com
Zolt Levay
Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Maryland


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Jane Hirshfield reads
A Moth Ate Words
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A moth ate words— I thought it strange to hear, and a wonder of fate, that a worm in darkness can thieve a man's fine riddle, swallow his song, sip eloquence and feast on its foundation, And yet that stealthy guest who dines on stolen words will leave no wiser. Listen to more readings from The Word Exchange »


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Aesculus hippocastanum, horse chestnut
For the first time in a number of weeks, the weather was
pretty good and enough people were around for us to get an
enjoyable Monday morning walk in. We started from Paxton House,
climbed up through the village, over the Whiteadder and up to
Low Cockburn before coming back to the river, along to Canty's
Brig, up the road to the border then down onto the river Tweed
for the return to Paxton House and an excellent lunch in the
And wherever we went, the signs of autumn were already very
apparent. Most of the conkers were already off the
Aesculus hippocastanum, horse chestnut, and the leaves were
turning bright red. The
Symphytum was looking rather forlorn and the
Arum maculatum, cuckoopint, I saw was passed its best.
Though the autumn colours can be very striking it is a pretty
down time of year, except for one thing. It is the time for
picking blackberries. Rubus fruticosus is the blackberry and our
walks at this time of year seem to take a bit longer because
there's always one more berry to try that looks that bit plumper
than all the ones that have gone before.
The bramble bush is most certainly not poisonous but it was
included in the initial planting of the Alnwick garden Poison
Garden. This was because picking blackberries too late in the
autumn can leave you with a bit of a stomach upset.
Many people remember being told not to pick blackberries
after Michaelmas Day, which used to be 29th September but is now
11th October. They don't always remember what reason they were
given for leaving the berries alone on the bramble bush after
this date.
Rubus fruticosus, blackberry
It is said that the devil was expelled from heaven on
Michaelmas Day. He was already in a pretty bad mood when he fell
to earth and landed in a bramble bush which did nothing to
improve his temper. So cross was he that he spat on the
blackberries and every year on Michaelmas Day the devil's spit
reappears. In fact, a creature called the flesh fly lands on the
fruit from about mid-October and lays its eggs in a spittle like
substance which makes it unpleasant to eat and can cause a mild
I actually quite like that story because, like foxgloves
being the home of the fairies and deadly nightshade being owned
by the devil, it is an example of the ways our ancestors tried
to protect their children from harm by making up stories.
Because the plant itself is not poisonous, however, the Rubus
fruticosus was one of those that were removed at the end of 2005
to be replaced by more straightforwardly poisonous species.
These days, warnings about picking blackberries usually focus
on two things other than the devil's spit. Many people will warn
against picking blackberries from a roadside because pollution
from the traffic will have deposited all manner of nastiness on
the berries. I don't pay much attention to that one myself. If
I've picking blackberries to take home they'll get washed anyway
and, if I'm picking them to eat, I usually only have a dozen or
The other modern day warning, however, is one I am more
inclined to pay attention to. This is the advice to only pick
blackberries from heights above the highest level that a dog


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Connecting people through news.
Newspapers play a valuable role in society, providing a powerful communications platform to inform the way we relate to the world. Glen Eira Libraries have print editions of daily and local newspapers in English and other community languages for library visitors to read and enjoy. We also offer free digital editions of top newspapers from Australia and overseas just as they appear in print.
Get instant access at the libraries to digital newspaper replicas of the Australian Financial Review, Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.
Note: Available only at Bentleigh Library, Carnegie Library and Community Centre, Caulfield Library and Elsternwick Library *
With no logins, no passwords or apps required, it's a simple way to stay up to date with local, national and international news. Great for students too.
These are interactive and searchable replicas of the current and archive issues of the printed edition. View the whole paper and browse past editions, read offline and 'clip a page' to save or print an article.
*By accessing this link you will be leaving the Glen Eira City Council's website. Any transaction made through this website is subject to the terms and conditions of use of that site. Glen Eira City Council accepts no responsibility for any usage made of that site and is not liable for any loss or damage resulting from use of that site.
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Read your favourite local paper online at your convenience on any device.
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The Text to columns function in Excel is useful. If you have a bunch of data in a single column, it can be used to split it into separate columns. Found on the Data ribbon, you can either specify delimiters (for example, you might specify a space as a delimiter to split a UK postcode into its two halves), or you can click on the positions at which the data should be split based on each field being a fixed width.
The trouble with the fixed-width method is that Excel has no way of saving the file layout for later use. So if you have a need to repeatedly split some data in exactly the same positions, you have to click each column splitting point each time you do it. Very frustrating.
I have a need to do this quite regularly. I receive text files on a regular basis, all sharing the same fixed-width layout. To split them into their constituent fields, using the Text to columns function over and over would drive me crazy and waste an inordinate amount of time.
Instead, I've created a shell spreadsheet containing two sheets:
- Raw: into which I can paste the raw data, all in column A, starting in row 4
- Split: the split data, starting in column A
At the top of the Split sheet, I have the column titles (row 3), field lengths (row 2) and field start positions (row 1). The field lengths came straight from the file layout; the start positions are calculated, using the following trivial formula in B1:
Each cell in the top data row (row 4) of the Split sheet contains a formula to bring back that column's data for the corresponding row. For example cell A4 contains the following formula:
The dollars before the 1 and the 2 ensure that when you copy the formula down, it still refers to the start position and field length. Leaving the column free to roam means that it always looks up against the relevant column.
Now, instead of having to define the file layout each time I have to analyse an incoming file, I copy the text file into the Raw sheet, flick across to the Split sheet and copy that top row of formulae down to match the corresponding number of rows in the Raw sheet.
It's memory-intensive. But Excel copes just fine with over 20,000 rows of data and 100 columns. Which is all I really need it for.