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Pawan Kumar Janbandhu can be contacted at [email protected].
Most electronic devices available in market today come with either serial or parallel port which can be interfaced with each other using a PC. A standard PC comes with a parallel port (Standard Parallel Port, SPP /Enhanced Parallel Port, EPP) and Serial ports (USB/RS-232). SPP permits data transfer at the rates of 150kB/sec and is used for printing as well as non-printing purposes like tape-backup systems, DVD drives, and LAN adapters. EPP increases the performance by mainly reducing the software delays and permits speeds as high as 2MB/sec which is roughly 50-100 times faster than SPP allowing bi-directional data transfer over data lines. It is primarily used by non-printer peripherals -- DVD, tape, and hard drives, network adapters, etc. On the other hand, ECP (Enhanced Capability Port) is used for printers, scanners, and the like which provide features such as increased speed, data compression, and so on. The RS-232 interface of the PC is used for serial communication and permits data transfer in the range of 5-10kB/sec and is used in network adapters, serial printers, etc.
In this article, I present the design of an inexpensive and standalone parallel and serial port adapter that enables data transfer between serial port (RS-232) and parallel ports (SPP/EPP) of devices such as PCs and printers. I include both C and assembly programs for testing parallel-to-serial port transmission using the adapter that can be used to implement its device driver.
Interfacing Through Serial and Parallel Ports
Serial communication can be synchronous or asynchronous. In this article, I only address asynchronous communication. In serial mode, a byte is transferred with all its bits transmitted one after another. The speed of serial communication is mainly determined by the baud rate defined which is the number of bits transmitted / received per second. In asynchronous mode, a start bit (usually low) and a stop bit (usually high) is added at the beginning and end respectively of 8 data bits to distinguish between two consecutive bytes. You can further enhance serial communication by adding a parity bit at the end of 8 data bits.
The RS-232 port of PC for serial communication comes as 25-pin and 9-pin adapter in PCs. Only the TxD, RxD, and GND pins of this port are sufficient for serial communication. However, other signals like DSR, RTS, DTR, and CTS can be be used for "hardware handshaking". Handshaking can also be achieved using XON or XOFF characters which is known as "software handshaking". The voltage levels for RS-232 signals can be anywhere between -3V to -15V for a mark (logic high) and +3V to +15V for space (logic low). Voltage levels o f ±12V are more generally used to permit high noise margin. Because of high voltage levels, RS-232 is not TTL compatible. Hence, line drivers or receivers (such as MC 1488 and MC 1489 respectively) are required to interface the serial port with an external device. Alternately, this can be achieved using a circuit like that in Figure 1. This circuit ensures voltage level compatibility for interfacing a TTL compatible device with RS-232 port.
Data can be read or written to the serial port of PC via the IN and OUT instruction on the serial port register (0x2f8/0x3f8). Baud rates on either side of the PC and external interfacing device should be set to same value to ensure correct data transfer. This involves data transfers between devices with IN/OUT data in parallel format; i.e. exchange of whole byte on 8 parallel data lines at a time, rather than bit-by-bit as in case of serial communication. Hence, parallel data transfer is faster than serial communication. Examples of such devices are PCs, printers, drives etc. Parallel communication can be bi-directional, i.e. data can be received as well as transmitted on the same data lines using Enhance Parallel Port (EPP) or unidirectional like Standard Parallel Port (SPP) (data lines are output only) and printers (data can only be received).
Printers having Centronix parallel ports can be interfaced with the parallel port of the PCs for communication. The printer port is TTL compatible. Hence, line drivers and receivers are not required to interface the printer with external peripherals. Proper handshaking is required for interfacing printer's parallel port with external devices such as PC to ensure correct data transfer.
The standard PC parallel port comes as 25-pin female type connector containing 17 active lines and eight ground lines. Unlike RS-232 port, the parallel port of a PC is TTL compatible. The 17 signal lines are divided into eight data, five status, and four control lines. Data that is written to data port appears as active high signals on the corresponding pins of the parallel port connector. The port uses totem-pole drivers; its outputs are actively driven both high and low. Control lines comprise the four least significant bits of the 8-bit control port. They are typically driven by open collector drivers. Control port can be used as both i/p and o/p port. However, using control lines is not as good as input lines as some parallel ports use totem-pole, not the more common open collector drivers on the lines, and other do not sense the actual physical levels on these lines. Status lines comprise of five most significant bits of the 8-bit read only status port. Bit 6 of the status port is also the parallel port interrupt request (IRQ signal). More details can be found in Using Parallel Port Adapter as a Host Interface Port by Dhananjay V. Gadre and in the IBM Technical Reference Library.
Data can be transferred by writing OUT instruction on the data register and can be received in 4-bit nibbles using status port or in 8-bit form by writing IN instructions on both control and status ports. However, these methods are software intensive. The device driver on the PC checks if peripheral is ready by probing Busy line then places outgoing data onto the data lines and generates a Strobe signal on one of the control lines. Similarly, for reading data, the PC reads data on the status lines and control lines (in byte mode) or a nibble on the status lines (in nibble mode) and then generate an Ack signal (acknowledge). Since, this is so software intensive, data transfer rates are limited to between 50 and 150kB/sec.
Using EPP, a data byte can be transferred by a single IN/OUT instruction to the I/O controller which handles the handshaking and strobe signal generations. Thus data transfer rates are limited by the rate at which the instruction can be executed and speeds up to 1-2MB/s can be easily achieved. The EPP protocol defines four data transfer cycles -- data write, data read, address write and address read. Data cycles are used for transferring data to and from peripheral devices while address cycles are used to exchange device address, control information etc. Only 14 of the 17 SPP signals are utilized in EPP mode for data transfer, handshaking and strobe. Data can be transmitted by simply performing OUT instruction to "base_address + 4" where base address is the address where the Data register is located in the PC's I/O space which is 0x378h for LPT1 and 0x278h for LPT2. The EPP controller generates the necessary handshake signals and strobe to transfer the data using an EPP Data Write cycle. Address cycles are generated when read/write I/O operation are generated to "base_address+3". More details can be found in The Enhanced Parallel Printer Port for Fast I/O by Dhananjay V. Gadre and Larry A. Stein.


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Chaz Pineda Skater Profile
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subset: commoncrawl


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OS X Lion is just a little over three months old and Apple's already working on the next installment of its desktop and notebook operating system. What kind of changes will OS X 10.8 bring?
MacRumors reports that computers with IP addresses from within Apple are already pinging its website, signaling that OS X 10.8 (Lion is 10.7) is already going through preliminary testing. 9to5Mac is also reporting computers using OS X 10.8 visiting its website as well.
Based on Apple's established OS X release pattern, MacRumors surmises that Apple will release OS X 10.8 in 2013. The last OS X release — Snow Leopard 10.6 was released in 2009. The cycle seems to be every two years for a new version of OS X.
I've been using OS X for over three months now and although I've mostly adjusted to the many controversial changes to features such as natural scrolling, Mission Control, Launchpad and Spaces, I still think it could use a lot more polish. There are
iOS is a fine operating system — for the iPhone and iPad, but what I would call a workhorse that many professionals expect from a desktop and notebook OS that established itself over a decade ago. In attempting to bridge iOS with OS X, it can be said that Apple over-simplified things, alienating professionals in the process.
Tech bloggers have called OS X Lion the last major update before iOS completely takes over in the next version and I kind of agree. OS X Lion is Apple sailing its ship on uncharted waters — transitioning iOS users to OS X.
Once that's done, Apple can just forge ahead and drop OS X. I enjoy both OS X and iOS, just as I do Windows 7 and Windows 8's MetroUI. Both versions of the OSes serve their own purposes, and it'd be a shame if Apple completely rewrites OS X 10.8 so that it's more iOS and less OS X.
If the success of OS X Lion being downloaded over 1 million times in its first 24 hours is any indication, we can sure that OS X 10.8 will definitely be offered as a digital download.
Via MacRumors


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I think they should make a movie about this new insect species discovered via Flickr.
The 1904 Olympic marathon was super, super weird.
Man sues secutiry company after he was accused of tagging and then pepper-sprayed in Santa Fe.
How to dump alcohol in mass quantities.
At least 250 dead after Iran is hit with two earthquakes.
Bomb threat causes evacuations at an oil refinery near Gallup.
This super drunk guy survived being crushed in a recycling truck compactor twice.
Two female co-workers at a meat processing plant got into a giant fight. Their weapons of choice? Dried meat of course.
These zombie Disney princesses are, in my opinion, a little over-the-top.
I too thought the Olympic closing ceremony was a bit weird.


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Amazing Comeback
One-by-one the players walked on the field and received their World Series rings. Later in the seventh inning, they walked around the bases in an amazing comeback win today.
We drew 10 walks from the Braves, the most since we had 10 in a game on September 4, 2007, also at Citizens Bank Park and also against the Atlanta staff.
In a real oddity, the Phillies had eight consecutive batters record an RBI in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Ryan Howard's RBI in the big seventh was the 500th of his career. His double in the second inning was the 100th of his career. The big guy has piled up some big numbers very quickly while in the big leagues.
For the first time, the rings were unveiled during the pre-game ring ceremony. Pat Gillick was the first one to receive his from David Montgomery. Gillick began to tear up and he remained very emotional throughout the parade of 36 others who got their rings.
Players who were on the roster all of last season or the postseason roster were invited. Exceptions were Mike Zagurski and Francisco Rosario who were on the DL all season.
Pat Burrell got the loudest ovation, which was cool. Adam Eaton was booed, which wasn't cool. He deserved to be respected as a person this time. Booing is fine but it should have its place.
Thursday evening, the team leaves on the first road trip, a 6-gamer. They fly to Denver and take Amtrak home from DC a week later.
While in DC, they get to meet President Obama at the White House on Tuesday afternoon. That's really cool.
Will be off a few days. Have a great Easter weekend.
5 Comments
I agree about the booing – there was just no place for that. But my favorite part of the ceremony was watching Gillick's lip quiver as he tried not to bust! Uncharachteristic for him. Utley gave an interview afterwards and said he was surprised by it as Gillick usually has a "tough skin" and he thought it was a bit weird to see his "soft side." Funny stuff.
So hey, tell the Prez I said hi :O)
Eaton blows. If he was left on the roster the phillies wouldn't have won the world series. he doesn't deserve a ring
What a wild game! Wish I could have been there, but had to settle for watching on TV in between doing my actual work. While I agree the booing of Eaton doesn't belong in such a great celebration, I have to wonder what he was thinking when he decided to come. Seriously, what kind of reception did he expect? On the other hand, what a great ovation Pat got from the fans! I wish him well with the Rays this year.
Rants, Raves, and Random Thoughts
I can not believe some fans….or, are they frontrunner fans? Booing is suppose to be for the opposing team. No player is trying to screw up…if there had been more support and less booing, who knows. Our guys won the World Series! As a Team! This is what I am so proud of. Did they play outstanding all year…..no. Did we all get mad or frustrated throughout the season, those hot days when they all looked as though they would rather be in a pool somewhere sipping on a cold one…sure did. But, they had each others back; and scored on some pretty hard to believe plays…each one of them had some pretty bad days at one time or another, so don't pick on one guy. One guy who had some good times and everyone cheered. How do you think this treatment effects the rest of the team? Lighten up and stand behind the Team, all of them, no matter what! Don't make excuses for one guy and beat their team mate to a pulp; what kind of message does it send to the entire team. My opinion only, but booing someone on your own team just seems to humiliate them all. I love the game and look forward to each one, but I can't stand to see any of our guys booed; it's low.


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77% des Flamands trouvent que Monseigneur Léonard ne convient pas - Belgique - 7s7Three-quarters of the Flemish people believe that Bishop Leonard is unsuitable as Archbishop, according to a survey conducted on behalf iVox magazine Telefacts, broadcast on the television channel VTM. Similarly, confidence in the Church is at its lowest.
Asked whether Bishop Leonard has managed well the problem of sexual abuse within the church, 84% of the Flemish feel that this is not the case. More than three-quarters (77.3%) of Flemish Catholics also found that the prelate is not suitable as archbishop and 78% of those who go to Mass on Sunday believe that Archbishop Danneels was better primate (Cathcon- incredible result- given the history)
Confidence in the Church is also at its lowest, according to the survey. Only 10% of the inhabitants of the northern part of the country still qualify as Catholics and only 6% of them still attend Sunday mass. More than three-quarters of the Flemish have lost faith in the Church as an institution.
Monsignor Leonard said he was surprised by these results, according to his statements in the report. "It surprises me a little. When I called on April 23, that the victims find the courage to report to the Adriaenssens Committee , hundreds of people came forward to be finally heard. I find that a good result. " (Belga/7sur7)


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Yummy Yeast Rolls
I've won prizes in several baking contests with this recipe. Since my granddaughters enjoy the rolls, I usually have a pan or two in the freezer for them to take home with them after a visit.
Total TimePrep: 30 min. + rising Bake: 20 min.
Makes3 dozen
- 2 packages (1/4 ounce each) active dry yeast
- 3/4 cup warm milk (110° to 115°)
- 3/4 cup lemon-lime soda
- 1/2 cup butter, cubed
- 4 eggs
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 5-3/4 to 6-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm milk. In a saucepan, heat soda and butter to 110°-115°. Add the warm soda mixture, eggs, sugar, salt and 2 cups flour to yeast mixture; beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.
- Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
- Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide into four portions. Divide each portion into nine pieces. Shape each into a ball. Place on greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.
- Bake at 350° for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool.
Nutrition Facts1 each: 188 calories, 5g fat (3g saturated fat), 47mg cholesterol, 153mg sodium, 30g carbohydrate (8g sugars, 1g fiber), 5g protein.
Every product is independently selected by our editors. If you buy something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
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Jun 29, 2016
Dough will be sticky - can make smaller size than called for.
Nov 19, 2014
Dec 22, 2011
The best rolls I've ever made! I make them with my bread machine and they always turn out great!
Feb 24, 2010
Moist & freezes well!


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Kind Of Blue: Using Copyright To Make Hobby Artist Pay Up
from the chilling-effects deptA whole bunch of folks have been sending over Andy Baio's tragic story of having to pay $32,500 to photographer Jay Maisel for his use of an image, which he still believes was fair use. There are all sorts of interesting things to consider in this story, so let's break it down.
Hopefully you already know who Andy Baio is. An all around intriguing guy who runs the awesome blog waxy.org, does fantastic web development, and has been involved with a few really interesting projects/companies, including Kickstarter and Upcoming.org (which he sold to Yahoo a while back). I don't know Andy at all -- have never met or spoken to him -- but he's one of the folks out there that I've had a ton of respect for for many, many years.
One of the really fun projects that Andy did was to record an album called Kind of Bloop -- an 8-bit tribute to the classic Miles Davis album, Kind of Blue. Andy raised some money (via Kickstarter, of course), got together some "chiptune" musicians (who make 8-bit music, a la classic video games), and recorded and released the album. And, yes, he was careful to do all of the proper licensing for the music. He also gave any of the money that came in to the musicians, not taking a cut for himself.
The Problem:
All of that sounds good... and he was pretty surprised by the eventual mess he got into. For the cover, the obvious choice was to do an 8-bit rendering of the original Davis cover, and he, Andy, got a friend to put it together. You can see the original and the version for this album below:
"either statutory damages up to $150,000 for each infringement at the jury's discretion and reasonable attorneys fees or actual damages and all profits attributed to the unlicensed use of his photograph, and $25,000 for Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) violations."Fair Use:
Andy makes a strong case for why this is fair use. If you focus on two key factors out of the four tests for fair use, I believe he has a very compelling case, but that won't surprise many people. Baio points out that his version is transformative:
Separately, he also notes that on the other key test, the impact on the market, this is likely fair use: "It's obvious the illustration isn't a market substitute for the original: it's a low-resolution artistic rendering in the style of 8-bit computer graphics that is, at best, of interest to a few computer enthusiasts."
From the beginning, Kind of Bloop was a creative experiment. I was drawn to the contradiction between the textured, subdued emotion in Kind of Blue and the cold, mechanical tones of retro videogame music. The challenge was to see whether chiptune artists could create something highly improvisational, warm, and beautiful from the limited palette of 1980s game consoles. (I think we succeeded.)
Similarly, the purpose of the album art was to engage both artist and viewer in the same exercise � can NES-style pixel art capture the artistic essence of the original album cover, with a fraction of the resolution and color depth of an analog photograph?
It reinforced the artistic themes of the project, to convey the feel of an entire album reimagined through an 8-bit lens. Far from being a copy, the cover art comments on it and uses the photo in new ways to send a new message.
This kind of transformation is the foundation of fair use. In a 2006 verdict, the court found artist Jeff Koons' use of a fashion photo "adds something new, with a further purpose or different character, altering the first with new expression, meaning, or message."
I don't think there's any question that Kind of Bloop's cover illustration does the same thing. Maisel disagreed.
I actually think that he also could have argued that this isn't even a fair use question, since many of the elements of the original photo that are copyrightable are actually removed in the 8-bit version, leading to some questions as to whether or not there's even a violation of the copyright at all.
The Outcome: Cheaper to Settle than to Fight:
As is often the case when someone is threatened with the potential of having to pay huge fines after an expensive, lengthy and exhausting trial, it's easier (and sometimes cheaper) to just settle. And that's what Andy did. He agreed to pay $32,500 to Maisel, taking what had been a fun side-project, for which he earned no money, and turning it into something quite costly and astoundingly frustrating. Andy is quite clear that in settling he did not (and will not) admit to any guilt, as he still believes that his use was legal:
After seven months of legal wrangling, we reached a settlement. Last September, I paid Maisel a sum of $32,500 and I'm unable to use the artwork again. (On the plus side, if you have a copy, it's now a collector's item!) I'm not exactly thrilled with this outcome, but I'm relieved it's over.The real shame here is that it's the ridiculously high statutory rates that caused this settlement to occur in the first place. If the potential liability weren't so high, I wouldn't be surprised to see Andy be willing to fight for what he believed was right. But with such a threat hanging over him, it's understandable why he settled. It also explains why so many people abuse copyright law this way. Since it's so often cheaper to settle... many people do, even if they believe they haven't infringed on anyone's copyrights.
But this is important: the fact that I settled is not an admission of guilt. My lawyers and I firmly believe that the pixel art is "fair use" and Maisel and his counsel firmly disagree. I settled for one reason: this was the least expensive option available.
At the heart of this settlement is a debate that's been going on for decades, playing out between artists and copyright holders in and out of the courts. In particular, I think this settlement raises some interesting issues about the state of copyright for anyone involved in digital reinterpretations of copyrighted works.
Chilling Effects:
If you can't see how this is an example of the massive chilling effects of copyright law today, you're not paying very close attention. Andy had a very strong argument to explain how what he did was legal... and still agreed to pay $32,500 for a fun little side project he was making no money on. He was chilled into paying up, because the fight is just too expensive. And the chilling effects are nefarious and ongoing:
It breaks my heart that a project I did for fun, on the side, and out of pure love and dedication to the source material ended up costing me so much � emotionally and financially. For me, the chilling effect is palpably real. I've felt irrationally skittish about publishing almost anything since this happened. But the right to discuss the case publicly was one concession I demanded, and I felt obligated to use it. I wish more people did the same � maybe we wouldn't all feel so alone.Create some artwork out of love and appreciation... end up getting threatened with a massive lawsuit and having to pay up, even though you believe what you did was perfectly legal. That's not what copyright law is supposed to be about.
The Backlash:
After Andy published his story, lots of folks picked up on it, and most of the commentary focused on Jay Maisel. There were articles and tweets calling him all sorts of names. Maisel ended up shutting down his Facebook page entirely. Andy, for his part, has urged people not to attack Maisel, and has made it clear that people shouldn't take this out on him. However, I think it's not at all surprising that this was the end result. We've seen this before. If you're seen as a bully, abusing copyright law for things it's not intended for, you shouldn't be surprised if there's backlash. I certainly don't condone the harassment of Maisel, but I can't see how anyone (least of all Maisel) should be surprised that it happened.
It does kind of make you wonder if the $32,500 was "worth it" to have your reputation dragged through the mud.
There were all sorts of smarter ways that Maisel could have handled this situation, but he chose to go the legal route.
Find the Line:
As a parting shot, Andy posted the following graphic, and asked where would people draw the line? What's fair use? What's infringing? A better question might be why should that even be a point of discussion at all? We have a case where something unique, new and creative was done... and was then stifled for no good reason. Nothing in what Andy did took away from Maisel's work at all. He suffered no losses. This is a shame of epic proportions, and yet another in a long list of examples of how copyright is used to censor, rather than to promote progress. The whole thing should make us all feel kind of blue...
Filed Under: 8-bit, andy baio, chilling effects, copyright, fair use, jay maisel, miles davis


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In addition to continuing to provide the association's traditional industry statistics programs, NEMA/BIS offers additional services:
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I admit it, I could easily eat a whole "good" cheesecake. This has not been a problem for me because I have never really made a "good" cheesecake. Yes, the pumpkin cheesecake that I make is really "good" but this cherry cheesecake is the one. Now with that being said......This cheesecake recipe is "GOOD" and must not be made very often in our home or I will have to roll every where I go. Give this a try and you will love it, I promise! This is What's Cookin this cold December morning.
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup margarine-melted
1/4 cup sugar
Mix all of the ingredients together and then press into a 9-inch spring form pan. Cover bottom of spring form pan tightly with foil since it will be sitting in a water bath to bake.
Now fill a large baking sheet with hot water (I have about 2 inches of water in my baking sheet) and place into a 475' degree oven. This is where your cheesecake will bake.
4 8-ounce packages cream cheese-softened to room temperature VERY IMPORTANT
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 vanilla beans-scraped
5 eggs-room temperature VERY IMPORTANT
Make sure that your cream cheese and eggs are room temperature. I have made a lot of cheesecakes and this is the MOST important hint I can give you. Mix your cream cheese and sugar until creamy. Now add in your scraped vanilla beans. Now you will add in 1 egg at a time until you have added all the eggs. Make sure each egg gets mixed in before adding the next. Now pour into prepared pan. Place pan in water bath and bake in a preheated 475' oven for 12 minutes. Reduce oven heat to 350' and continue to bake for 55-60 minutes. Do not be tempted to open your oven before the time is up. Remove from water bath and let cool completely.
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"Aced 19 Hole" Unisex T-Shirt & Hoodie
Most people wear their emotions on their faces. Let everyone know how you feel, without having to tell them with our "Wear Your Feelings" line of emotion and passion Shirts, Hoodies & Headwear. Now you can avoid speaking to people altogether. The more you give yourself room to wear your emotions, the more energy and enthusiasm you have to live life to the fullest…
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Shoulder-to-shoulder taping with converstitched collar
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Side knit gussets Pouch pocket Double layered hood with matching drawstring 1x1 rib knit cuffs & waistband
Full Athletic Fit


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So, without further ado, sit back...and read on.
Dentists. A few weeks ago some of my kids were watching a movie on TV...The Little Shop of Horrors. They weren't really into it, except for the scenes with the plant saying "Feed Me...feed me" At some point I told them -- hey, this is the best scene in the movie. They were slightly shocked by it...but I don't think there will be any long term psychological damage.
This should probably have an entire posting of it's own, but I decided to just address it quickly now. Perhaps in the future it will warrant followup. Is "The Giving Tree" a positive or negative book? What does it teach us? When I was younger, I used to think it was a great book for teaching about giving, chessed, and volunteering. In hindsight, I think the book's message is rather bleak. The message of the tree is not for us to emulate. We are not supposed to give and give till we have nothing left to offer. There doesn't appear to be any appreciation from the boy to the tree...its a give and take relationship (tree gives, the boy takes), and all the tree craves is love from the boy. At the end of the day, only when the boy is old and tired, does he devote any time to his friend the tree...who has nothing left to offer. So they live happily ever after, but I don't think the process along the way was very educational for the boy. I could hear the "Cats in the Cradle" playing in the background -- somehow connected to this...
However, if it weren't for Shel Silverstein, I wouldn't have known about one of his other classic books, which is by far, much more educational: Uncle Shelby's ABZ book. My mother in law would throw out this book every time she saw it in the house, and my father in law would go right ahead and buy another copy...
Smoking Kills.
One of the Muqata's loyal readers sent us the following unphotoshopped picture from a cemetery in Israel.
Personally, I can't stand smoke. Not in restaurants, not in bars...and not at weddings. Secondhand smoking kills as well...smoking is murder. Period. Full Stop.
Got the following in my mailbag this week: An open letter to R' Matisyahu Solomon (mashgiach of the Beis Medrash Gavoha/Lakewood Yeshiva) in response to his lecture against bloggers at the Aguda Convention. If you haven't read it, print it out and read it when you have time. A word of caution; the Modern Orthodox world/Yeshiva University/OU rabbinate should not smirk at this, because their handling of the Lanner affair and their beit din was just as shameful. Only after a tremendous outpouring of anger did the OU do anything...
Orthomom posts a heartwrenching, yet respectful letter from an Orthodox person grappling with identity issues which appeared in the Jewish Press. A followup post disappoints with the responses in the JP... Important reading.
Many of you commented about the Olive Tree posting and how excited my kids must be. To tell you the truth, this is what happened after I went to the olive press:
I called up son #2 at yeshiva to tell him that his olive picking was successful, since we got 5 liters of oil from this olives. I explained that I drove to Itamar to the olive press, and it worked out well.
SMS conversation from my oldest, about 5 minutes after my phone call
Did you really go to Yitzhar?
No, I didn't go to Yitzhar. What R U talking about?
I knew you didn't go and were just joking.
The olive oil.
No, I really did get it pressed...but in Itamar.
Are you pulling my leg?
And you really got 5 liters?!??
You can read all about it on the blog...with pictures :)
Yesterday afternoon, I received an email from my daughter:
Abba, why didn't you put up any pictures of my caravan on your blog? :(
This blog is a no-win enterprise...sigh
The same daughter excitedly announced that she took pictures of a hachnasat Sefer Torah procession, which I agree are definitly blog worthy. Maybe Sunday I'll put them up.
Oh, lastly, a political tidbit:
Dr. Yossi Beilin, the MK from Meretz wrote this week:
We're really good in history. The right-wing opposition competes with the Olmert-Lieberman government over the question of who scares us more on the Iran question; who will cause more involuntary-immigrants not to come, more Israelis to leave the country, and more former Israelis not to return?I can't believe this man. How he compares modern Israel, with the IDF, to the Jews of Berlin is beyond understanding. Perhaps he's more Neturei Karta than Neturei Karta -- and that Jews aren't capable of defending themselves in Israel. He's wrong about history as well. As Shimon Peres loves to say, "There isn't anything to be learned from history."
This scare campaign is a blatant anti-Zionist act. If Berlin 1938 is here and now, then the conclusion is clear to everyone: The Jews should be packing their bags.
Our Minister of Education Yulie Tamir has just decreed that our textbooks need to remarkate the Green Line, and must stop calling the West Bank by it's historically Jewish name, "Yehuda vShomron" -- and refer to it only as the "West Bank." Luckily, she hasn't cancelled Chanuka yet.
MK Benny Eilon takes Beilin to task as well with an op-ed piece of his own:
He [Beilin] states "If Berlin 1938 is here and now, then the conclusion is clear to everyone: The Jews should be packing their bags". If Dr. Beilin were present during the London Blitz, he would have turned to Wiston Churchil and accused him of causing the disaster by provoking the Nazis with his pre-war hysteria.
No, it is not time to pack our bags; it is time to preempt the threat by fighting back against the axis of evil. Zionism is not about packing our bags and running when the going gets tough, it is about collective self-defense.
Israel is the one place in the world where Jews can defend themselves, where we don't have to run when we are threatened, where we can face our enemies head on. Yes, we do face threats, but make no mistake about it, the State of Israel can and will overcome.
And on that note, a Shabbat Shalom to all our readers.
Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael


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Sunrise Vista Golf Club
Sunrise Vista is 36-hole golf facility located on Nellis Air Force Base, home to the world-famous Thunderbirds precision flying team. Fighter jets and other military aircraft periodically roar in the skies above, but most golfers will find this more of a unique attraction than a distraction. Four distinct nine-hole layouts provide a range of playing possibilites. The driving range features an army tank as a practice target. While Sunrise Vista is primarily for military personnel, civilian guests are welcome to call the pro shop to come out and play.


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Tom Clancy's Putin! began its run on December 31, 1999, as a spin-off of the political-military thriller, The Hunt for Red October. V.V. Putin (named I.Y. Putin in the original series) debuted in the first pages of the novel…
For the hundredth time Ramius told himself that Putin was the perfect political officer. His voice was always too loud, his humor too affected. He never allowed a person to forget what he was. The perfect political officer, Putin was an easy man to fear.
… and while he appeared to have be killed by Captain Ramius in the opening minutes, the pilot episode of Tom Clancy's Putin! revealed that he had been secretly smuggled out of the ship, and transferred to political duties inside the Kremlin. Though some critics raised questions as to the likelihood of his rise to the presidency, paralleling another Tom Clancy character, the first seasons of Tom Clancy's Putin! were promising. Mysterious helicopter crashes, Muslim rebels, and even Wall Street Shenanigans combined to entertain viewers turned off by The War On Terror (starring Kiefer Sutherland).
On-set problems led to a defection of much of the writing staff, however, and as years rolled on qualities suffered. The Rigged Re-election subplot of 2004 was derided as particularly improbable, as writers had previously established Putin's popularity with the Russian people. Attempts to attract younger viewers with a radiation poisinong subplot also faired ill, as many criticized the "cartoonish" and "needlessly theatrical" methods off killing of periphrial characters.
The unorthodox decision to kick off the last full season of Tom Clancy's Putin! on January 1 (instead of the early fall or early spring convention used by other networks) likewise did poorly. Advertising executives universally criticized the unorthodox decision to debut the Marching through Georgia subplot of Tom Clancy's Putin! opposite The Beijing Olympic Games, resulting in depressed viewershp, and audiences were left frustrated that heavy foreshadowing implying that Putin would hang series-regular Saakashvili "by the balls" came to naught. Finally, the writers' decision to have Putin lose billions in sub-prime assets, while an effort to keep the show topical, struck audiences as simply requiring too much suspension of disbelief.
Heavy promotions for "The All New Season of Tom Clancy's Putin!!" do not appear to be paying off for the show's producers. The revelation that Putin's enemies were being organized by a secretative cabal of Communist-Nazi anti-immigration activists caused Robert Ebert to exclaim, "Tom Clancy's Putin! has lost touch with all history, logic, or sense." Likewise, Putin's reaction to a a loss of his credit cards with a plan to make his own credit card company introduced a slap-stick, absurdist humor that alienated the long-running series' few original fans.
(The last one of these is true, by the way)
MOSCOW: So you don't like how the world's largest credit rating agencies rate your economy? Create your own.
That's what Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin proposed at a cabinet meeting Monday.
"All of us understand the enormous influence enjoyed by rating agencies and the drastic effects their mistakes, let alone abuses, may have," Putin said, according to a government transcript.
With Russia's economy sinking, the ruble battered, its markets hammered by investors and its sovereign credit rating downgraded, Putin has complained his country isn't getting a fair shake.
He told ministers that Russian companies and the government was too dependent on international agencies like Standard & Poor's, Fitch and Moody's.


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The main objective of the Joslin's Media Core is to reduce the cost and labor of making tissue culture media and other reagents required by the Joslin investigators. By centralizing preparation of these reagents, the Core provides high quality reagents at a significantly reduced cost to the investigators. In addition, the Core provides services to overcome labor intensive reagent needs, like plate pouring services and preparation of specialized buffers and reagents for cell and molecular studies.
The Media Core makes and provides over 10 different mammalian tissue culture media to the Joslin investigators for their studies. In addition, the Core prepares and provides several buffers and solutions to the Joslin investigators. The core also makes a variety of broths and agars for growing bacterial cultures, and provides agar plates and plate pouring service to the investigators. Over the past five years (2006-2010), by preparing and providing over 6250 liters of media and 2850 agar plates per year to the Joslin investigators the Media Core serves an important function in the efforts of these investigator to find cure for diabetes and its complications.
Jiang, Meiying
Role: Lab Manager
Kannan, Lakshmilatha
Role: Lab Manager
Preparation of a variety of culture media and buffers.


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After thinking about this question and reading this one I am led to ask for an uncountable collection of homeomorphism types of boundaryless connected path-connected submanifolds of the plane.
My guess is that is suffices to consider complements of Cantor sets. However, I do not know how to distinguish ends (up to homeomorphism) sufficiently well to ensure that this works. Are there other, easier, invariants?


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- News
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After the vacation of a lifetime, we want to pass along some suggestions to help with a future safari experience of your own.
Being close to the equator in Africa, you will want to wear a hat. Other than that, think about minimizing the tempting "outfitter" garb like a safari jacket with 42 unnecessary pockets, give or take a few dozen. Note that your guide will probably be wearing a neat short-sleeved shirt, jeans and sneakers. And he's on safari all the time.
Island offers watery take on Africa
North African high
We managed to see everything we had dreamed of and more in six days. Indeed, within minutes of entering the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, we witnessed a family of lions digesting its breakfast - a wildebeest that had been cut from several thousand in the migrating herd. Interestingly, we learned that the wildebeest allow much smarter zebras, often acting as the locomotive and caboose of each herd, to lead the migration.
Over the next few days, we saw the Big Five: lion, elephant, water buffalo, leopard and black rhino (the last at a safe distance of a half kilometre). We would come within metres of creatures going about their daily routines: elegant loping giraffes, bathing hippos, curious baboons and shy warthogs - and a group of ravenous hyenas feasting on some garbage that had inadvertently been left out overnight behind our camp site.
Gallery: Life in Africa
Gallery: More wild animals
For Terry, the high point of the trip occurred when he was closely followed by something along the path to our tent from the outdoor shower, where he says the water was very cold. It was only when he reached our tent and turned around that he realized the "something" was an elephant.
So for those who are able to manage it, we would recommend collegial camping out in the African night rather than staying at some fancy isolated resort.
If you ask, your guide will take you to visit a Masai tribe's manyatta, a group of huts made of - yes - cow dung. Tall and agile in their distinctive red outfits and fabulously coloured accessories, the Masai, or "the people of cattle," are found throughout Tanzania and Kenya. They have lived their nomadic existence on the East African savannah grasslands for centuries. Members of the tribe will perform a short ritual dance, providing that some respectful small contribution has been made on behalf of you or your group. Furthermore, trinkets are always available as in any tourist domain. But be forewarned: the distinctive red robes for sale are actually made in China.
Plan your trip carefully well in advance. It is possible to fly into Kenya or Tanzania on the spur of the moment and choose among hundreds of safari tour operators. But you run the risk of not receiving the quality that you should be getting for your money.
Better to research the tour companies that offer safaris of one sort or another in east Africa. The Internet is filled with possibilities. Go to www.AlulaAfrica.com for an idea of what is available, then move on from there.
After recommendations from Canadian acquaintances, we settled on a small but reliable outfit called Safari Images (www.safari-images.com) that operates out of Moshi, in northern Tanzania near the border with Kenya. Everything was provided, leaving us with little to do but enjoy the sights and sounds of the Serengeti, the Oldupai Gorge, the Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangire National Park.
We were picked up at Kilimanjaro International Airport, near Moshi, and, being fortunate enough to be alone on this particular tour, received the full attention of our experienced driver, Nico Kessy, and our excellent cook, William Michael. The tour came in at a surprisingly reasonable $1,145 U.S. each (plus a generous tip) for six days of sightseeing and five nights of camping. Furthermore, at the end of the tour, we were driven directly to the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro, the starting point for the rest of our vacation.
But that's another story.


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I've merged changes into master (to be 1.3 soon) that should make Nailgun easier to use. And 1.3 will be the first release to include all NG stuff in the binary dist.
- jruby --ng-server starts up a server. You can manage it however you like
- jruby --ng uses the Nailgun client instead of launching a new JVM for the command you run. You'll just need to run make in tool/nailgun to build the ng executable (already built for you on Windows).
Heres a sample session:
~/projects/jruby ➔ cd tool/nailgun/ ; make ; cd -
Building ng client. To build a Windows binary, type 'make ng.exe'
gcc -Wall -pedantic -s -O3 -o ng src/c/ng.c
ld warning: option -s is obsolete and being ignored
~/projects/jruby ➔ jruby --ng-server
NGServer started on all interfaces, port 2113.
[1]+ Stopped jruby --ng-server
~/projects/jruby ➔ bg
[1]+ jruby --ng-server &
~/projects/jruby ➔ jruby --ng -e "puts 1"
~/projects/jruby ➔ time jruby -e "puts 1"
real 0m0.609s
user 0m0.482s
sys 0m0.119s
~/projects/jruby ➔ time jruby --ng -e "puts 1"
real 0m0.073s
user 0m0.010s
sys 0m0.018s
Update: For those not familiar, "NailGun is a client, protocol, and server for running Java programs from the command line without incurring the JVM startup overhead. Programs run in the server (implemented in java), triggered by the client (written in C), which handles all I/O."
~/projects/jruby ➔ cd tool/nailgun/ ; ./configure ; make ; cd -


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|Fri 21 Sep 2018, 8:00pm–11:00pm
Eventfinda tickets no longer on sale
Coming to a town near you.
Don McGlashan on a nationwide 17-date NZ Tour.
One of Aotearoa's most beloved songwriters, Don McGlashan, has today announced an extensive 17-date nationwide New Zealand tour, where he will perform a series of intimate shows in some of the country's most idyllic venues.
Performing recent songs, along with plenty of gems from his sprawling back catalogue, Don will play a string of solo shows, joined on a handful of dates by legendary drummer/percussionist Chris O'Connor (Phoenix Foundation) to give you an up-close and unique concert experience. For an added treat, Antonie Tonnon will open the curtains for the Auckland, Wellington, Rangiora and Akaroa shows.
Thursday 13 Sept - The Old Stone Butter Factory, Whangarei
Friday Sept 14 - Leigh Sawmill Cafe, Leigh
Saturday Sept 15 – Sir Don Rowlands Centre, Cambridge (featuring Chris O'Connor)
Thursday Sept 20 - Totara Street, Mt Maunganui
Friday Sept 21 - Dome Cinema, Gisborne
Saturday Sept 22 - Paisley Stage, Napier
Thursday Sept 27 – Grainstore Gallery, Oamaru
Saturday Sept 29 - Southland Musicians Club, Invercargill
Friday Oct 5 - Hollywood Avondale, Auckland (featuring Chris O'Connor and support from Anthonie Tonnon)
Thursday Oct 11 - St Peters Village Hall, Paekakariki
Friday Oct 12 - Globe Theatre, Palmerston North
Saturday Oct 13 - Old St Pauls, Wellington (featuring Chris O'Connor and support from Anthonie Tonnon)
Sunday Oct 14 - The Mussel Inn, Golden Bay
Thursday Oct 18 - Rangiora Town Hall, Rangiora (featuring Chris O'Connor and support from Anthonie Tonnon)
Friday Oct 19 - Gaiety Hall, Akaroa (featuring Chris O'Connor and support from Anthonie Tonnon)
Saturday Oct 20 - Barrytown Hall, Barrytown
Sunday Oct 21 – Sherwood, Queenstown
Before you go, would you like to subscribe to our free weekly newsletter with events happening in your area, competitions for free tickets and CD giveaways?
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Last night I caught the National Geographic Channel's "The Real Abraham Lincoln." I was sorely disappointed. It had to be the least informative Lincoln documentary I've ever seen, taking a dry and superficial "just the facts" approach that played out like Lincoln's Greatest Hits. It breezed through the highlights of his life story with no real insight at all, telling the audience what happened without explaining or illuminating it.
One of the things that irritates me about TV documentaries is their cavalier attitude toward imagery. They tend to throw up any photo or still shot that suggests something being mentioned in the narration, whether it really belongs there or not. NatGeo's Lincoln program was no exception. When the voice-over related that Lincoln went to Springfield and joined a law firm, we saw a shot of the office building he shared with Herndon, despite the fact that he started this partnership well after he moved to the capital. Segments on Lincoln's courtship with Mary Todd and the birth of his children included pictures from his presidency. And the guy playing Lincoln was an absolute dead ringer—maybe the most convincing I've ever seen—but he wore a beard throughout. These are seemingly minor matters, but they indicate a carelessness with the material that bothers me.
Inexplicably, there were a couple of times when the narrative abandoned Lincoln entirely to discuss the role of railroads in the war and the development of photography. I think there was more time spent on these topics than on Lincoln's response to the Kansas-Nebraska Act, or on his prosecution of the war in general. Anyway, if you're thinking about tuning in when it airs again, you might want to skip it.
On an unrelated note, yesterday was this blog's heaviest day of traffic ever, by far. Go figure.


text: Cutest Designs Archive 30+ Cutest Christmas Cards For Inspiration Author: Editorial Team | Mar192015 Categories: Graphic Design, Inspiration No comments Designers are always working on generating new ideas and they are struggling very hard to design attractive graphic designs with there skills. In this article we are going o show your some cutest Christmas cards for the sake of inspiration to wish Christmas to your dear one's. Holiday Card Illustrations Christmas Continue Reading


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1x3 by Petar Zaharinov
Petar Zaharinov Spotlights The 1x3 Coffee Table
Petar Zaharinov, the thinktank behind the award winning project coffee table by Petar Zaharinov demonstrates, 1x3 is inspired by interlocking burr puzzles. It is both: a piece of furniture and a brain game. All parts stay together without the need of any fixtures. The interlocking principle involves only sliding movements giving a very fast assembly process and making 1x3 appropriate for frequent change of place. The level of difficulty depends not on dexterity but mostly on spatial vision. The name - 1x3 is a mathematical expression that represents the logic of the wooden structure - one element type, three pieces of it. It comes in a reusable bag which is also a puzzle itself with a manual inside..
1x3 by Petar Zaharinov Images:
End of the article, click here to go back to previous page, or alternatively go back to A Design News homepage.


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In honor of Super Bowl XLVIII, I'm doing a set of 48x50s today. 48x100s would be a better workout, but my legs are a little torched from doing lunges yesterday, and I don't really want to wear myself out and fall asleep in the middle of the game this afternoon. Maybe next year I'll think about doing 49x100s.
Someone just asked me if I had big plans this weekend, and I responded: "I have a swim meet tomorrow."
She responded: "Icky."
I assume she just misheard me, which makes me really curious about what she thought that I said. Otherwise, hey, I suppose some people do think pools are kind of disgusting.
As for me, I am excited about my second swim meet of the year, and I don't expect it to be "icky" at all. I swam a terrible 100 free last weekend (a terrible dive AND a bad final turn), so I'm hoping to improve on that. Then it's no more of this sprinting business for awhile as I go back to training for the 10K.
This is my ladder set. It's not a very good ladder. Some of the rungs are broken.
200 Swim
200 Kick
200 Pull
7x100 Free
600 hypoxic, each 100 breathe 3-5-7-9
500 Kick (25 easy/25 fast, 50 easy/50 fast, 75 easy/75 fast, 100 easy/100 fast)
4x100 Free
200 eggbeater
100 Free
200 easy
On the 200 I was just going to do breaststroke kick until I remembered that when I stopped playing water polo this year, my breaststroke really suffered. So I think trying to maintain a good eggbeater helps (and mine needs some work to get back to "good").
I was pleased that I managed to get faster each set of 100s. I got out of the habit of descending until about a week ago, and I forgot how important that really is.
Most of the good stuff in this workout came from a Tall Paul workout. I just threw in some filler sets.
200 Swim
200 Kick
200 Pull
12x50 odd stroke, even free
800 negative split :30 rest
400 build :20 rest
200 build :10 rest
100 fast
1000 pull w/paddles
100 easy kick :10 rest
50 fast kick :15 rest
200 warmdown
Today I was swimming on my own as usual but tried to do a provided workout. I totally messed it up. I wanted to change the 10x50 to a 12x50, and wound up doing 24x50. I thought it was taking an awfully long time, but I attributed that to the fact that I was doing drill. It wasn't until later in the workout that I realized I'd actually done twice as much as I was supposed to. Dumb, dumb, dumb.
Workout (as it was written): 2900 yards
200 Swim
200 Kick
200 Pull
10x50 drill/swim - odd free, even stroke
2 x200 dolphin kick on back
10x100 - odd free, even stroke
200 kick w/ board and fins
4x50 warm down
Workout (as I did it): 3200 yards
200 Swim
200 Kick
200 Pull
24x50 Drill/ Swim
odd free
even stroke
2x200 dolphin kick on back with fins
odd free
even stroke
200 kick w/ board and fins
4x50 warm down
Here's a 3200 yard workout I did the other night. I came up with it while I was still doing the warm-up, but I liked it.
200 Swim
200 Kick
200 Pull
12 x50 descending
6x100 descending
3x200 descending
300 IM kick
200 Easy
I guess I could post this in the forums, but I'd like to start posting to this blog frequently, so I just thought I'd just jump-start that.
I want to do the 6000 postal this year, but the actual swimming doesn't seem to be the hard part. How do you get someone to time for you for that long? What's a good bribe to get someone to sit around on deck for -- I don't even know how long in my case. Under two hours, I hope. Also, should I even try to get a second person to count for me? I think I can do without, and I don't mind popping my head up every once in awhile to ask the timer how much I have left. Even though I know everyone of those conversations will go something like this.
"What lap am I on?"
"Mumble mumble."
"Never mind, I'll ask later!"
Updated February 1st, 2011 at 01:36 PM by mwest42
I started out by writing the title of this blog entry and all of a sudden I'm thinking of The 12 Days of Christmas. On the third day before Nationals, my swim coach gave to me: three pairs of goggles, two new swim caps, and a high SPF sunscreen.
Sorry. It figures that the very first time I would choose to post on my blog I would get distracted right away.
I leave for Puerto Rico in 10 days to compete in Nationals. I have never competed in a National pool meet before. In fact, this year marked only my 2nd and 3rd times competing in any sort of National event; I did the 1-hour postal swim and the 1-3 mile open water swim. It's easy to say this now, when my first event doesn't start for another 12 days, but I'm not feeling too much pressure. I'm pretty much accepting of the fact that I'm going to get my butt kicked.
No, seriously. In the 200 fly, some of the women in my age group entered times over a MINUTE faster than mine. They swim the 200 Fly faster than I can swim the 200 Free. They will be out of the water drinking Bacardi while I'm still drowning through the final lap. Luckily for me, I'm still new to butterfly as an event and as such I have very little ego attached to swimming it.
So anyway, I do feel pretty good. As far as I'm concerned, if I embarrass myself in the 200 fly, at least I'll be in Puerto Rico. If I swim terribly... still in Puerto Rico. There is a silver lining here, and it is called Puerto Rico. In fact, why even go to the swim meet when there's Puerto Rico to enjoy?
I kid, I kid.


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When you can get Microsoft Office Accounting 2007 for free?
Compiere runs its website using php, yet it's technology stack is based on Java. So, if Compiere chooses a different and cost effective solution for it's operations, why shouldn't you? Anyway, you have a choice between going for Compiere for free or for fee
or Microsoft's Accounting solution for free or for fee.
Evaluate them carefully and before jumping into the open source bandwagon, consider factors like administration costs, integration to other desktop solutions like Excel etc. Not to mention the integrations to various services like equifax, online banking etc.
Interestingly, Compiere offers "Indemnification" support for their extended offering which is $150 per user, per year above the next available offering. On the other hand, Microsoft Accounting Professional 2007 currently costs less than $100 and integrates well with Microsoft Office 2007.


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Corporate News
100 percent redemption
Hybrid capital no longer needed because of credit rating improvements
Munich, 31 May 2016 - Linde is exercising its right to call early two subordinated hybrid bonds that the Group issued in 2006 to acquire the British gases company BOC. The redemption relates to a EUR 700 m bond with a coupon of 7.375% (ISIN XS0259604329) and a GBP 250 m bond with a coupon of 8.125% (ISIN XS0259607777). Both bonds will be redeemed at 100 percent of their nominal value. Linde is exercising its right to repay the bonds early on the 14 July 2016 which is 10 years after they were originally issued.
Both hybrid bonds were, together with a capital increase, important instruments during the acquisition of BOC as they strengthened the Group's credit profile and positioned the Group's corporate ratings at "investment grade" levels. Since the acquisition Linde's credit ratings have improved due to the Group's stable business model and its conservative financial policy and they currently stand at A+ (S&P) and A2 (Moody's). The hybrid capital being redeemed is therefore no longer necessary. Linde does not expect any credit rating repercussions because of this early redemption.
In the 2015 financial year, The Linde Group generated revenue of EUR 17.944 bn, making it one of the largest gases and engineering companies in the world with approximately 65,500 employees working in more than 100 countries worldwide. The strategy of The Linde Group is geared towards long-term, profitable growth and focuses on the expansion of its international business with forward-looking products and services. Linde acts responsibly towards its shareholders, business partners, employees, society and the environment – in every one of its business areas, regions and locations across the globe. The company is committed to technologies and products that unite the goals of customer value and sustainable development.
For more information about The Linde Group, go to www.linde.com


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Hello and welcome back!
I want to begin this week noting that our prayers right now are certainly with the people of Japan as the country begins to recover from last week's devastating earthquake and tsunami.
All of us are very alarmed to see that even a country such as Japan, which has done so much to protect its citizens from the devastation of earthquakes and tsunamis by very careful building codes, early warning systems, civil defense drills, etc., has endured such devastation. On top of that, the destruction visited upon the nuclear reactors have now caused dangerous radiation to be released into the atmosphere. From all reports, the Japanese sense of discipline, community and civic-mindedness have been very helpful in helping them endure this crisis.
We have authorized a second collection in our parishes which we will send through Catholic Relief Services. We are asking pastors to take the collection either this weekend or next.
It certainly is an alarming situation and we pledge our continued prayers and support to the people in Japan in this terrible time of need.
– – –
This past Sunday, we had our annual Rite of Election at the Cathedral.
Each year, on the first Sunday of Lent, we celebrate the Rite of Election with the catechumens and candidates who will be received into full communion in the Church during the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday.
In the almost 200 cathedrals throughout the United States about 150,000 people each year participate in the Rite of Election in preparation for being received into the Church at Easter.
In Boston, we had two ceremonies that day, and the cathedral was packed both times with the candidates, their sponsors and their families.
It's always a very beautiful way to begin Lent, which for all of us is a baptismal retreat as we prepare to renew our baptismal promises along with the catechumens who will be baptized on Holy Saturday.
I'd like to share my homily with you:
Today it is a special joy to say welcome to our new Brothers and Sisters in the Catholic Church. In the 200 Cathedrals of the United States, the bishops are gathering with this year's cohort of new Catholics, adults who have been led by the Spirit to join in our community of faith. There are about 150,000 who will participate in the Rite of Election today in the United States.
We welcome you and thank you for responding to the call of grace that leads you to this commitment to discipleship in the Catholic Church. We are more than one billion Catholics in the world. Don't worry; you won't have to learn all the names. We come in all sizes, shapes and colors, speaking every language imaginable. Catholic means universal and that attribute certainly describes our Church and betokens God's universal love which recognizes no boundaries or divisions, but simply one family.
It is as a family, a community that we live this season of Lent together. We began by putting ashes on our heads as a sign of our fragility and mortality. It is a reminder that life is a pilgrimage, a journey, and someday life here ceases and we shall be called upon to give an accounting of our life and stewardship. Lent is an opportunity to refocus our lives on the call to discipleship and to deepen our conversion to the Gospel message — a chance to clean up our obituary.
Prayer, fasting and almsgiving are the Lenten activities that help us to refocus on God and deepen our spiritual conversion, embracing God's amazing grace and leaving sin behind.
The word Lent is an old four letter Anglo Saxon word. Our four letter words are the strong ones… love, hate, faith, hope, life, death and of course our cuss words. Lent means springtime. The days grow longer, the light dispels the winter darkness and nature comes back to life. Lent is to be a spiritual springtime — New life, rebirth… light and warmth again.
The early Church celebrated but one feast, Easter, and each Sunday the New Sabbath became a mini Easter, day of the Resurrection. It was probably the Council of Nicea in 325 that formalized the 40 days of prayer and penance as a preparation for Easter. It is the same council that wrote the profession of faith that we pray at Sunday Mass and that is used by various Christian Churches. Lent has become a very important part of our lives as Catholics. It is a baptismal retreat of forty days, harkening back to Jesus' 40 days of prayer and fasting. On Holy Saturday the catechumens are baptized and all Catholics are invited to renew our Baptismal promises at the Easter Vigil. Likewise, those being admitted to full communion will make their profession of faith and receive Confirmation and First Eucharist.
In the first centuries, the bishops did almost all the Baptizing. What remains of that custom is the Bishop presiding at most Confirmations and at the Rite of Election to indicate the unity that binds all the believers into one community.
In the Acts of the Apostles Peter entered the home of Cornelius and baptized him and his entire household. The Church has baptized children born into the families of faith who made the baptismal promises on behalf of the children and commit themselves to be mentors in the faith as those children grow toward maturity.
But the Church also has a tradition of baptizing adults or receiving adults into full communion. Oftentimes these converts bring a great spiritual energy into our faith community. There are so many examples: Sister Elizabeth Ann Seton, Dorothy Day, Cardinal Newman and so many others. We welcome you, our new Catholics and thank God for the spiritual gifts that you bring to our faith community. We are also grateful to the priests, deacons and parishioners who have accompanied you on this journey. In the Gospels, Jesus describes Himself as a Shepherd and as a Bridegroom. These are relational terms and point out Jesus' close relationship with the Church. There is no Shepherd without the flock. There is no Bridegroom without the Bride. Jesus is always the Bridegroom, never the widower. He does not exist separate from His Bride the Church.
As members of Christ Body the Church, we have a personal vocation, a call to holiness in a particular state of life, married or single, priests or religious brother or sister. We are also called to be part of a communal mission to spread the Gospel, to do the works of mercy, taking care of sick, the homeless, feeding the hungry and working for a more just society where people are more important than money and where the poor and defenseless are cared for.
Discipleship is lived in community. I would encourage our new Catholics to volunteer in the parish, to become involved in the various ministries and works of mercy that are carried on in your parish. I also want to encourage you to continue learning about the Catholic Faith and the Church. Our presence in the media, our diocesan newspaper The Pilot, our website, Catholic television, Catholic radio and even my blog can help you to continue to learn about the Church.
Disciple means student. We have much to learn. It's not just a matter of information; it is about discovering how much God loves us and how we can live our lives according to God's holy will.
There are many people who are searching for God. We all have the obligation to share the Good News with our brothers and sisters. The Archdiocese's Catholics Come Home project is to invite people to return to our church or to join if they do not belong. I am hoping that this initiative will remind all of our Catholics that the Church exists to evangelize, and that each and every one has a duty to be a disciple-maker. Being a disciple of Jesus carries with it a responsibility for the Church and to spread the Good News.
Those of you who are sponsors or godparents I want to ask you to be faithful to your commitment to help these new Catholics to grow in their understanding and participation. Mentoring someone in the life of faith is a very great responsibility and a privilege that will bring you many blessings.
Our Lent will be a success only if we have a game plan, to have time and space for God in prayer each day, time to reflect on the scriptures and sacrifices that will allow us to identify with the millions of people who are hungry, homeless or sick. What we save by spending less on creature comforts and entertainment we might use for the corporal works of mercy.
As Catholics, the Sunday Eucharist is the center of our spiritual life. It is there that we gather as a family to fulfill Jesus' command, "Do this in memory of me." There we are nurtured by the word of God, the bread of life and the witness of our brothers and sisters in the faith. It is there that we find the strength to live the commandment of love and fulfill the mission that Christ has entrusted to us. Faithful discipleship in the Catholic Church means being faithful to Sunday Mass.
Once again let me welcome all of our new Catholics to this Rite of Election – and assure you of our prayers as we journey together toward Easter.
Welcome. God bless you.
– – –
In between the two Rite of Election ceremonies I met with the newly elected leadership of the Uganda Catholic community. Boston is home to the largest Ugandan community outside of Uganda.
Mass is celebrated in Luganda, one of the native languages of the country, on Friday evenings and on the last Sunday of each month at St. Mary Parish in Waltham.
The new leaders, accompanied by their chairman, Henry Ndawula, and Father Michael Nolan, met me to share news of how God is blessing their community here in Boston. I gave them my blessing and I extended it to their families and all the Ugandans in Boston.
Our visit allowed me to tell them that I had just received word from Bishop Callistus Rubaramira of Kabale Uganda accepting my invitation to celebrate the Uganda Martyrs Feast in Waltham on June 12.
Our visit ended with them singing a beautiful song, "Walk in the Light."
– – –
Andreas Widmer, a former member of the Swiss Guard, accompanied me to a reception Tuesday offered by the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts, which was started in 1637 as a citizen militia to defend the British colonies. Over time, the group has become primarily social and ceremonial and today serves as the honor guard to the Massachusetts governor.
Four presidents — James Monroe, Chester A. Arthur, Calvin Coolidge and John F. Kennedy — have belonged to this group.
They travel around the world and represent Massachusetts and the United States to different military orders.
The reception was for the consular corps, and there are 21 diplomats stationed in Boston who were part of the reception.
The company is headquartered at Faneuil Hall, which has been its home since 1746. I was somewhat amazed because I have been in Faneuil Hall so many times in the auditorium, but I have never been upstairs.
Peter Faneuil, who financed the building of the hall, was a member of the Ancient and Honorables, and when he gave the hall to the city, his only requirement was the top floor be reserved for the group. They have a museum up there, which is very interesting. It houses relics of every war in which the United States has been involved during its history.
It also gave me an opportunity to express condolences and sentiments of solidarity to the consul general of Japan, who was there.
– – –
The Sisters of Life were here at our Pastoral Center Wednesday to give a workshop that Marianne Luthin in our pro-life office organized for the directors of the pro-life offices in New England, which meets here periodically.
The sisters are wonderful apostles for the Gospel of Life and we were so happy to have them here.
They came to the noon Mass, which was standing room only. As I told the people, you can tell it is Lent now!
Afterward, we had lunch and a talk by the sisters. Mother Agnes Mary Donovan, who was their first Superior General, and some of the sisters were here. They are stationed in New York and Toronto and, of course, we're urging them to come to Boston.
– – –
Also that day, we had our gathering of the superiors from different communities of women religious. The meeting gave us an opportunity to talk about pastoral planning, Catholic education and some of the initiatives going on in the diocese right now.
Sister Marian Batho, our delegate for religious, did a very good job organizing the group. We are very grateful for the presence of all the religious women in the archdiocese, who, over the last two centuries, have made incredible contributions to the life of the Church and whose witness, ministries and prayer are a great source of blessings and consolation for all of us.
– – –
Thursday was the Feast of St. Patrick and we began the day by hosting a press conference to announce the opening of the new Theological Institute for the New Evangelization, TINE, at St. John's Seminary.
This new institute consolidates and expands the Seminary's formation offerings for laypersons, deacons, and religious. TINE includes the well-established Master of Arts in Ministry (MAM) degree, as well as the Certificate programs in catechesis and apologetics the Seminary has made available in the last two years.
I was pleased to announce the Seminary's newest program, the Master of Theological Studies for the New Evangelization (MTS), an innovative academic degree to equip people to communicate the beauty of Christ in family life, the workplace, and culture. The MTS will take its place beside the MAM degree within TINE.
In my remarks, I mentioned that a few months ago, the Holy Father initiated a new discastery dedicated to the New Evangelization and has called for a synod next year on the New Evangelization.
I was happy to be joined at the press conference, which we held on the lower floor of the Cathedral, by St. John's rector Bishop Arthur Kennedy, Vice-rector Father Christopher O'Connor, Aldona Lingertat of our MAM program, and David and Angela Franks, who are faculty members of the seminary and the MAM program.
– – –
Afterwards, I went upstairs to celebrate our noon St. Patrick's Day Mass.
For us, St. Patrick's is a very special day because it is our patronal feast day. As I said in my homily, St. Patrick is not our patron because he is Irish — he is not — but because he was a great missionary and a great apostle.
He very courageously brought the Gospel to the Irish people and the Gospel transformed the culture of fear and violence and death into a culture of life and service and sense of mission.
Irish consul Michael Lonergan was there, along with Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis and Ambassador Ray Flynn.
We also blessed the shamrocks during the Mass, and distributed them to those who attended.
We're very grateful for all those who prepared for the celebration at the Cathedral. We were happy to have Auxiliary Bishops Arthur Kennedy, Robert Hennessey and John Dooher here, as well as so many priests, deacons and seminarians.
The Archdiocesan Choir School from St. Paul's sang for us during the Mass.
We also had bagpipe music as part of the opening procession, and Irish step dancers performed at a reception we held downstairs afterwards. Of course, we had beautiful music for the Mass, crowned by the singing of "Lady of Knock."
Happy belated St. Patrick's Day!
Cardinal Seán


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Assistant Professor of Data Visualization
Aaron Hill is a data scientist, educator, and researcher. He is the director of the MS Data Visualization program in the School of Art, Media and Technology at Parsons The New School for Design. He holds a master's degree in urban policy.
data visualization, graphical perception, display of statistical error in graphs, statistical adjustments for visualization of nonprobability samples
Data Structures
Independent Study
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Machine Learning (Spring 2020)
Maintenance of Status
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I am no longer a Porsche owner. Ive owned at least one for the last 15 or so years. Ive owned 5 911s and one Boxster.
I am now driving a new, bright red, Jeep 4 door wrangler. The grandkids moved down so I need a beach buggy. And I also wanted something to throw my golf clubs and stuff in. Also the wife doesnt like me driving her new BMW.


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One of the greatest benefits of selling your e-book (or paper book) at Amazon is the space they provide you to "advertise" your work. If you are a savvy author, take advantage of this marvelous opportunity and insert lots information about your writing and yourself .
Look at it from the standpoint of a reader; which e-book or book would you buy: The one that shows just a boring cover, name of the author, and a very short introduction to the book – or the one which has:
- a beautiful, appealing cover
- an all-embracing editorial review
- an interesting authors bio with a portrait
- lots of customer reviews
- a book trailer or interview video
So, what can you do to improve your appearance on Amazon and improve book sales? A lot!
Appealing Cover
Rule # 1 for your book cover on Amazon is NEVER to use a white background! White on white is barely visible and your book will not stick out, especially when you chose to have the text in black. Your book cover should be:
- aesthetically appealing
- targeted to the book's intended audience
- represent the book's contents
- use a clean, readable font
- use bold or complementary colors
- use light on dark for dramatic effects
- visit a bookstore to research book cover designs
- test the cover in thumbnail size to make sure it looks good even if it is only one inch high/wide
An appealing book cover can be done through the use of software, such as Bookcoverpro.com, if you are computer-savvy and creative / artsy – or hire a professional at Freelancer, Elance, Fiverr, or just get in touch with your local college / graphic design class to find a young and eager cover artist.
Write a great editorial review
Write as much about your book as possible and use all the space you get from Amazon:
Editorial Review—350 characters
From the Author, From the Inside Flap, and From the Back Cover—8000 characters !!!
About the Author—2000 characters
See the detailed information on Amazon.
Your Author Page
Helping customers get to know you is an effective way to introduce your books. Information you add on the "Profile" tab in Author Central appears on the Amazon.com Author Page. On the Author Page you can display:
- books you have written
- biography and up to eight photos!
- up to eight videos!
- feeds to blog posts
- a calendar of events, such as book signings
The Author Page is a good chance to tell readers something interesting about yourself, so make sure you include any details about your (writers) background, awards, other books you have written and personal details customers might want to know. Your author photo should be a professional, high-resolution image for quality display.
At the Author Central page on Amazon you get lots of free marketing help. Click the "Profile" tab where you will see all these sections to add – or to change the information later. It can take several days for the Author Page to appear on the Amazon, so start right now adding content to your Author Page. There are lots of features for you to choose from:
- Your Profile and your Biography
- Uploading Photos & Videos
- Managing Your Blog Feeds & Your Events
- Uploading Book Images
- Managing Editorial Reviews
Customer Reviews
Anyone registered as an Amazon.com customer is entitled to write customer reviews, including fellow authors and journalists. Reader reviews don't carry across borders, so ask your friends to copy and paste their reviews to all of your Amazon sites (Amazon.uk.co, Amazon.ca or Amazon.de). Make it easy for them and provide all the direct links to your sites.
Customer reviews are in order from newest to oldest with the exception of "Spotlight Reviews" that are based on how well the review was written and how helpful it was deemed by our customers. (Hint: ask your friends to click on "helpful" at the best reviews : )
Book Trailer & Videos:
You can share your book trailer, video interviews, book signing videos or the new Google Search Story trailers with readers. Your videos should focus on specific features of your books or your experience as an author. Hire a professional video maker to create your book promotion and upload the video to YouTube and other video sites.
Submit your video or book trailer to your own website, your blog or blogs of your friends, show it often on your Google+, Twitter, or your FB site (ask all your friends to spread the word and to re-tweet your video link or submit it to their FB friends).
Amazon has more cool features to help an author get found. Use every bit of support you can get from Amazon, join the Kindle Forum to ask questions, get help and support from other authors and on blogs, and your book will be a success!


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Don't think the Bog Snorkling is in Scotland, found this http://www.doeni.gov.uk/niea/bog_snorkelling_2010_information_pack.pdf which is based outside Belfast.
CBS announces the May 5 2 hour AR22 finale:After sprinting nearly 30,000 miles, over five continents and through nine countries, the final four Teams find themselves bog snorkeling in Belfast, Ireland where one Team's Race will come to an end. The final three Teams Race to our nation's capital where they'll scour some of Washington, D.C.'s most historic landmarks for the chance to be crowned this season's $1 million winners.
Note the camera boom and the tent set up on the floor of the Titanic's drydock.They must be doing an additional task down there:
Inside the tent in the dry dock??
SO this seems to be a task they BOTH have to do? Detour? Mat and Katie both have trays. Could they be running to the task itself?When we see Mona and Bates on the sidelines, that must be for a different task? >>Bog RB? And where is that graffiti task?
Well leg 10 had teams checking into the pit stop in Edinburgh on Dec 3, a Monday. Two teams checked in before civil twilight (M/K, B/A) and two teams checked in after civil twilight (C/J, M/B). In the montage below, in the upper left photo, you can see B/A turning the corner off the Royal Mile onto Niddry Street for the run up to the mat. The sky is definitely still very light. The next screen cap, #52 (Ep 10, page 2) leaves out the shot of the sky, but still very light outside. On Dec 3, civil twilight was 4:28 pm. #51#52Teams were next spotted in Belfast on Dec 5th racing in the midday. The episode promo for Leg 11 showed a few shots of a train, so possible that the mode of transportation to Belfast from Edinburgh is the train/ferry to Belfast. ScotRail lists three time for this trip,Lv Edinburgh Ar Belfast total time05:55 13:453 7:50hrs10:00 17:453 7:45hrs14:30 21:453 7:15hrsThese are just representative examples of travel. There are tons of "a la carte" options with trains and busses to reach the ferry port, but not that many ferries. The surface transportation also gives Phil time to get ahead and film his standups in leisure.Since the promos, so far, have shown all activites in Belfast to be in daylight, I think that teams were relased (after 10:00am, Dec 4) in time to make the last ferry to Belfast and then have an HoO through the night in Belfast with completion of Leg 11 around midday on Wed, Dec 5. There is one aspect of the montage that is interesting......does anyone know where B/M are in that photo. Is it at the Edinburgh airport?
It could be that the teams have another 24 hour pitstop in Edinburgh, as M/B are shown running through Edinburgh at night in caps 7-9, and I think they may have checked in about 8-9pm, which if a 12 hour pitstop would make it getting light rather than the darkness shown in the caps, and would create a bunching again for travel to Belfast.
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Palestinian officials said they called off a planned round of peace talks Monday after Israeli soldiers killed three protesters during clashes following an arrest raid in the West Bank.
But in comments that suggested the meeting had gone ahead as planned, a U.S. official in Washington said "no meetings have been canceled." The official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter with the media, refused to elaborate. Israeli officials refused to comment.
The violence, the deadliest incident in the area in years, dealt a new blow to U.S.-led peace efforts, which resumed late last month after a nearly five-year break. Palestinian officials have accused the Israelis of stonewalling and using the process as a cover to build new Jewish settlements. The deaths of Palestinians further soured the atmosphere.
It was not known when talks will resume, but Palestinian officials said the break was expected to be brief. They spoke anonymously because they were not authorized to talk to media.
Monday's clashes broke out when Israeli forces entered the Qalandia refugee camp, just outside of Jerusalem, on an overnight arrest raid. Shai Hakimi, a spokesman for the paramilitary border police, said hundreds of Palestinians poured into the streets and hurled firebombs, concrete blocks and rocks at officers.
The Israeli military said soldiers rushed to the scene to provide backup and opened fire after they felt their lives were in "imminent danger."
An official at a Ramallah hospital confirmed three deaths and more than a dozen wounded. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media.
Hatim Khatib, whose brother Youssef was arrested in the raid, said undercover troops dressed in civilian clothes arrived at their home at 4:30 a.m. looking for the brother.
"After half an hour we started hearing shooting from the soldiers inside our house, and then people started throwing stones at them," he said.
Youssef was arrested after he returned from morning prayers at 7 a.m., Khatib said.
He said he didn't know why his brother was the only one arrested, but said Youssef had spent time in an Israeli jail for throwing rocks and was released three years ago. The Israeli military would not say why he was wanted.
The violence drew fierce Palestinian condemnations. "Such a crime proves the need for an urgent and effective international protection for our people," Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah said in a statement.
Shortly afterward, Palestinian officials said that a planned round of peace talks had been called off. They said the Palestinians were protesting the day's violence, and were also upset by an Israeli announcement Sunday that it was pushing forward with new settlement construction in east Jerusalem.
The Palestinians object to construction in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, the lands they claim along with the Gaza Strip for their future state. Israel captured all three territories in 1967. It was not immediately known when talks would resume.
A Palestinian official said the talks have gotten off to a rocky start, with the sides still arguing over the agenda.
The Palestinians want discussions to focus on security issues and the border between Israel and a future state of Palestine. The official said the Israelis have insisted on limiting talks only to security matters. He spoke on condition of anonymity because both sides have promised U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry to keep the details of the negotiations secret. Israeli officials declined comment.
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It's now time to do another music favorites, with songs I've been enjoying lately on the road (between trains and airplanes) and also while I was driving in Italy! I always give a key word for my little playlists, and this time it will be something I already used, but it fits pretty well.. "chill time". So without too much talking, let's get into it:
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Today's post is a little thought I had today.
In the time I was in Italy, I was basically everyday at home: mostly because I know already every single angle of the town I grew up in, and spent years walking in that green space to try escaping the reality I was in. Not that my life was horrible, I had and have always a reason to smile, and I never forget this.. but it's also true that I had a few difficulties also while growing up, which made me the person I am today.
Anyhow, I started going out of the area I wanted to remain in! haha
What I did today was enjoying some good old walking by my self, not in the Nature (the weather was of course grey and it got dark way too soon to go in the woods), but in the little chaos of the town.
What I sometimes like to do is listening to happy songs while walking through the crowd, and most of the times my lips will start moving and I'll slightly smile. If I am lucky enough, I'll see someone else smile after noticing me, and this brighten my day.
Somehow, walking has always been a therapeutic thing for me. I would call it "Meditation" in my case, and as you may or may not know, meditation can also be made with other people. Just as meditation, it's always better to start doing it alone in my opinion, and maybe a little bit per day.. but when you've gotten into it, you'll want more and more, and you'll enter everyday in a whole new world that you only want to discover, as much as you can.
One thing I need to do again as I used to do years ago is downloading a whole album I never listened to, and listen to it in a new "trip" to somewhere (of course, I also mean short trip in between the same city). You can either get lost with it or just keep it as a soundtrack of your walk, but without paying that much attention.
Talking about getting lost, that's also something else I love to do. I love to walk without a destination, and maybe also walk again in some areas I already walked in, but each time noticing something totally different or seen from another prospective. For example, in this thing, my boyfriend is totally different from me! But I like to take it as a challenge to make him forgot where we are going and what were our plans :)
If you're wondering where my outfit posts are, get prepared for these coming weeks! Some new cute (well, I hope they'll be cute) looks with appear on my lil blog.
Good night for now, my long walk made me feel free and better with myself, but also a little exhausted!
(Holly, Jolly) Polly
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It might sound stupid, but one thing I missed the most during the time I was away from Germany was the DM: a shop you can find all over the country which sells everything for your hygiene and delicious (mostly organic) food or really good teas. Well, I went there today for obvious reasons, and I stocked up on a few items that I will try out or that I already loved.
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I know, I thought too I wouldn't have done it today either with Blogmas, but it seems like I'm more determined with it than I thought! haha Today it will only be a tiny post of my "In my mind" series, in which I wrote everything that comes to my mind in the moment I write it.
So I am in the airport right now, waiting in front of my gate and using these minutes to write to you, since I could maybe read this one day and remember this moment (even though there's nothing special about it).
I always get curious about what comes in the minds of the people who can't wait but to get in the line already more than 30 mins before the actual opening of the gate. We literally have tickets with places already signed, what would it bring, to get in line quicker than the others and try to sneak through it (most annoying action from the same people)!
So I am leaving Italy now, and feel really charged, but I also feel really warm because I couldn't get all of my clothes in the luggage and I have to wear 4 layers (5, if we count the jacket that I need to wear, otherwise I wouldn't know how to carry it).
I am surrounded by italian people who never saw Berlin and don't know what to expect from it, if they will like it or not, but they already say that thatchy as they would get it in the little place which dos it under their apartment, and not finding it.. they will start saying Berlin is not that good! (I'm joking haha but sometimes it does happen).
My hair are exactly how i wanted them to be, the red looks even better today, after a bit more than a week and some washes. I am also wearing something really green and I feel accomplished!
Okay I will go now, it was write right now!
See you tomorrow, little blog..
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Good evening, beautiful people :)
I'm coming on today's Blogmas with a little bit of a regret for not writing yesterday's post (I was toooo tired and decided to sleep early, so that I could be an early bird today), but I will still call this "Blogmas #8" anyway, because I hate to ruin the sequence! haha
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I once made a post called "Feeling art", showing you an artist I discovered in that particular period I wrote it, and I thought that it would have been a cool series, even of shorts posts, to keep in my blog... so what better time to continue that series than during Blogmas? :)
I love Art in all forms: I feel sometimes really overwhelmed with emotions when close to classical paintings or to a beautiful old building, so much that I start thinking at how was the atmosphere while the painting was getting created or how many people walked by that building through the years.
I do believe that having a university degree is really important for today's life on certain parts of this planet, and I think that even if I will one day do something as a job that will have nothing to do with my studies, I should still learn about what I love the most. I passed so many hours thinking at what was important to me and Art was the answer, hence why I want to study Art... if I pass the entry exams at the Uni in Berlin! haha I am unfortunately not the best painter in the world, but I do occasionally paint with watercolors myself. I am always interested in other's works and fascinated by some, so here's todays Artist:
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Welcome back to my blog, today I'll write about something I've been loving, appreciating and that was an actual big change in my everyday life. We talk about boobies! haha I will show you through the post my small bralette collection and where I got each one of them, if you like them too. I'm really picky about bralettes!
I've always had normal sized breasts, not huge and not small either (I'm really bad at defining what size it actually is, but I would say it variates around the C cup.. sometimes a bit more if I eat on the heavy side when I'm back at my parents place haha). I used to think that regular bras, with underwire, were like my second skin. I was kinda obsessed with them and arrived to the point that I could not even sleep without one on. I know, that's hardcore! haha But I felt really comfortable in them and took them off only when showering, basically!
I was a little afraid that after taking off that piece of fabric and metal, I wouldn't have liked what I would have seen, which is something I could apply to other parts of my body too, during my teenage years.
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Good evening, y'all!
Usually, when I don't have much to do and I'm spending the day home, I always get in my warm bed after I finish dinner (or lunch too haha) and watch some youtube videos. Now, I've already done posts with my favorite youtube channels through the different years, but I thought that it would be fun to show you also my favorite youtubers who are doing Vlogmas this December.. just in case you're a lazy person as me, or if you like to get inspired from the everyday life of some really cool people!
You may already know some of the names I am going to list here, but it could also be that you knew the main channel of some of them and didn't notice their vlogging channel, which sometimes happens to be even more fun. So let me just start with the names:
1. Meghan Hughes Vlogs
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Weeelcome back, beautiful people! Today is day 3 of my "Blogmas" series and I am totally chilling at home doing what I do every December, or better stuffing my mouth with mandarines until I start getting all orange and rounded. I know not a lot of people read my little blog, but I find it really interesting how the goal of a post per day can change your mindset: makes me want to sit down and let my imagination working, to write more and, why not, to get to know myself a little better too!
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Shops are selling every possible and imaginable kind of clothes at the moment, and it's of course difficult not to get a little confused about our own style.
Fun fact, your style will always change, such as your ideas, your plans, your dreams.. and I think this is the beautiful part about life in general! The best thing we can do is to let things happen and not force them too much, we will know exactly when it will be the moment for certain things or when other things are making us upset and need to switch into something new.
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I am still not completely sure of how I will call this post in the end, but I thought I would have done a little update and mini-announcement post, so I just put some relaxing music and the rest will come by itself.
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