text:
Larry DiFiori is an illustrator and designer who has worked on a number of Muppet coloring books and projects such as The Sesame Street Treasury series. DiFiori also served as character and production designer for the special The Christmas Toy and illustrated the accompanying children's book.
Illustrator Credits
- Adding Fraggles
- Boober Fraggle's Ghosts
- Cozy Campfire Stories
- The Fraggles Alphabet Pie
- The Fraggles Cooperate
- The Fraggles Counting Book
- Gonzo's Book of Out-of-This-World Puzzles
- Jim Henson's Bedtime Stories (Fraggle Rock stories)
- I Can Do It!
- If I Were King of the Universe
- Kermit's All-Time Favorites
- Story "The Round Number Ticker"
- Story "Time Out for Gobo"
- Kermit's Christmas Tree
- Mokey Fraggle's New Colors
- Pigs in Space: Journey to the Planet Za
- The Radish Day Jubilee
- Stories to Grow On
- Story "The Contest"
- Story "Fraggle Rock, Fraggle Roll"
- Sesame Street Magazine (1974-1976, 1979-1982, 1985-1988)
- The Sesame Street Treasury (Volumes 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 15)
- Wembley Fraggle's Big, Bigger, Biggest
Design Credits
Community content is available under CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted.


text:
Without you, my love, I simply exist.
Apr 17, 2010
In Loving Memory.
Without you, my love, I simply exist.
27 comments:
- Crazy Blogger said...
can feel it
- April 17, 2010 at 10:27 PM
- Anwesa said...
Mush mush and more of mush....
And some real touching mush....
Welcome back !
- April 17, 2010 at 11:37 PM
- Vinay Leo R. said...
hmm, this was fantastic. i could see them pictures flash b4 my eyes.. and feel each word..
- April 17, 2010 at 11:37 PM
- Harini said...
hmmm.... I dont know what to say except well written.
- April 18, 2010 at 9:41 AM
- Abhishek Behera said...
it was fiction?! really?!
at least the comment-section prompts so.
it felt it was so real. glad it wasn't, then.
brilliance! sheer.
- April 18, 2010 at 2:54 PM
- buckingfastard said...
so here it comes...annie's best post till date as far as my views are concerned!!
and the good thing was i replaced the "i" in the story with me and "you" wid her...and everything else felt deja vu...
maybe dats wat a really touching writing is supposed to feel!!
- April 19, 2010 at 11:16 PM
- Dhanya said...
Hmmmm ! Out of words really. Very intense and passionate but very depressing too. I just hope it's fiction...
- April 20, 2010 at 2:49 AM
- IceMaiden said...
@Manjari, Anwesa, Harini
Thanks. :)
Thank you for visiting my blog and liking my post :)
Thank you so much.. :)
@Abhishek, Dhanya,
Thanks.. :)
Fiction or not, take your pick..
- April 20, 2010 at 6:48 AM
- being alive said...
I wish fiction wasnt inspired from reality,as it usually is.I hope it is not so in ur case...Thanku sooo much for writing this,u gave me words!
- April 20, 2010 at 10:00 PM
- Blunt Edges said...
that was as touching as touching can be!
your writing skills are supreme...one of the best posts i have read here!
- April 23, 2010 at 12:30 AM
- muthu said...
Vivid & compelling read....
& I just hope that it s only fiction.....
- April 25, 2010 at 4:37 PM
- Dallas said...
I liked it Annie..... Very beautifully written !! Touched my heart :)
and you know why :)
- April 28, 2010 at 12:56 AM
- lost_soul said...
loved it :) one of ur best posts till date.brought bac a lot of memories..
- April 28, 2010 at 8:06 PM
- IceMaiden said...
@Being Alive,
Thanks a lot for liking my post :)
Fiction is always inspired from reality, someway or the other.. :)
@Blunt Edges,
Thanks a lot! :)
Thank you.. Its about as much fiction as the rest of my blog :)
So finally here eh? :)
Glad you like it... I know why too.. I just hope that you dont end up becoming this..
Hi there! Im not sure if I have seen you here before, so welcome anyway :)
Thanks a lot.. :)
- April 29, 2010 at 11:44 AM
- Anil Sawan said...
this is the most heartfelt write up I read in the recent past! I made a copy of this in my docs in fear that you might delete this one day. This is so beautiful and so very touching. I wouldn't dare to comment on the emotions since its very personal. For me, it gifted me the most precious feeling which I might not convey through words, you would have known it if you could have seen my eyes! Cheers.
- May 1, 2010 at 1:07 AM
- Sakhi. said...
- May 1, 2010 at 11:36 AM
- shilpa said...
oh god its so touching...loved it!
u rock gal..keep it up :) :)
- May 3, 2010 at 11:47 PM
- IceMaiden said...
Thank you so much for those words :) And I wouldn't delete it ever, because its as raw as emotion has ever got on this blog... :)
Heylo there! Welcome to my blog and thanks for liking my post :) Keep visiting!
You have actually seen this.... it should hardly come as a surprise... :)
Thanks for liking it.. :)
- May 7, 2010 at 11:12 AM
- Jayanta Deka said...
very touchy..
Keep going..
- May 30, 2010 at 4:27 PM
- Shaunak Mukherjee said...
Intense, passionate, in your face, and the last two lines hit home like nothing else.
How did I ever miss this!
- May 30, 2010 at 5:56 PM
- MaDdY said...
wow!! a wonderful heartfelt blog.
a true winner :)
- June 2, 2010 at 9:29 PM
- Trulyana said...
Annie your post is truly wonderful, the love and existence intertwined elevate one to a new dimension. Congratulations on winning the best April post @ Colors Magazine. I can see now why you were picked!
Have a wonderful day.
- June 3, 2010 at 4:56 PM
- Kanishk said...
It's difficult being alone in the crowd esp. when becoming a part of the crowd isn't an option... and it's even more difficult when you're alone in that room.
Same reason I don't like to attend functions!!
You wrote what most people fear to say even after several drinks!! :)
- October 22, 2010 at 10:05 PM
- S said...
Life is strange, life is a bitch, life makes you a loner at times too ..but till you are alive, you should know there is a motive for you still! A hope, probably :)
- April 6, 2011 at 8:17 PM
- Anonymous said...
This is so weird. It's almost like you wrote the same feelings in different words. "There is a piece of my heart that is missing." Eerie coincidence.
I hope you have moved on to a better place than where you were when you wrote this. If not, you are always welcome in my world.
- June 22, 2011 at 2:09 PM
- Robbie said...
Beautiful read!!
Felt emotional!!
Keep it up
- July 20, 2013 at 7:11 PM
- Đồ gia dụng said...
- May 14, 2020 at 2:10 PM

subset: commoncrawl


text:
For all the excitement about next Tuesday's Rose Bowl game between our Illini and those suddenly hateable USC Trojans, it has one major downside: Everybody's talking about the damned Chief again.
We've made our thoughts about the Chief pretty clear: We never much cared for him, but mostly, we just tired of the debate and hoped his absence would stop people from talking about him. Not bloody likely. Chief supporters are "gearing up" for a big Rose Bowl push, and, having attended two Illini sporting events in the last week, we can assure you that every damned shirt has CHIEF on it. The white people sure do love their Chief.
Anyway, let's fight the real enemy, people: The cheap tickets given out to friends of the University president. As if it weren't hard enough to get tickets.
Illinois Fans Fighting For Mascot Revival [Sports By Brooks]
Something Smells, And It's Not Roses [Chicago Sun-Times]


text:
Poland : PKP
PKP Intercity, the Polish State Railway Company operates the national passenger network. With speeds of up to 160kmh (100mph), you can connect between 20 major towns.
The main trains on PKP InterCity's routes are Ekspres InterCity (EIC), high-standard domestic trains (reservation compulsory); EuroCity (EC), high-standard international trains (compulsory reservation on domestic routes); Tanie Linie Kolejowe (TLK), fast trains which require reservations in 1st class' and Ekspres (Ex), express trains which also need seat reservations.
National Hotel trains operated by PKP InterCity (with sleeping cars and couchettes only) operate three routes - Gdynia-Zakopane, Kraków-Kolobrzeg and Warsaw-Szczecin/Swinoujscie.
One of the best ways to explore Poland is with Eurail's Poland Pass, valid on PKP InterCity and private railway line, KM Koleje Mazowieckie. Note that the pass isn't valid on Scenic Routes, Airport-Station link or with the following operators - Arriva PCC, Koleje Dolnośląskie (local trains in Lower Silesia), Walbrzych Glowny-Jelenia Góra and Koleje Mazowieckie's (KM) Warsaw-Gdynia.
Alternatively, explore Germany's cities and castles with Eurail's Germany-Poland Pass. PKP InterCity's international destinations include Amsterdam, Berlin, Hamburg, Prague and Vienna. Night trains run to Berlin, Budapest and Prague.


text:
STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) All-Big 12 running back Joseph Randle plans to skip his senior season at Oklahoma State and enter the NFL draft.
Randle announced Thursday on Twitter that he ``decided to pursue my dream of playing in the NFL.'' Randle tweeted a thank you to fans for the best three years of his life and to the Cowboys' coaches.
Randle led all Big 12 rushers last season with 1,417 yards rushing and 14 touchdowns. He ran for 1,216 yards and 24 touchdowns in 2011, when Oklahoma State won the Big 12 championship and the Fiesta Bowl.
Backup Jeremy Smith responded to a tweet from ex-OSU star Thurman Thomas by sending out a message that he's ``ready to fill the role and do my Job the best I can!''


text:
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text:
Our Mr. May, Roy Baker!
• Where are you from?
• When did you start modeling?
I had my first photo shoot for a tuxedo company at the age of 17, from then on I decided that modeling was something I could be good at and decided to give it a shot.
• What drives/drove you to pursue a career in the modeling/fashion industry?
Besides loving fashion, I believe joining this industry is a great way to meet and network with remarkable individuals. Traveling is a bonus as well. But what really pushes me to make a name for myself in this industry is that I'm a firm believer in getting what you desire. No dream should be considered "too big", this has been a dream of mine for a while now its time to make it my reality.
• What are some of your best/worst experiences modeling?
With every job comes benefits and disadvantages, but over all it what i want. with that said I will have to say the traveling aspect of it is a great experience, and the worst will have to be constantly being compared to others. I had to teach myself to love who i am, and that my friend is what separates the best for the rest.
• What advice would you give to hopeful models?
My advice to everyone not just models is to love who you are from within, shoot for the stars, and if people ask why your reply should be why not?.lastly do what makes you happy , that will make your life more meaningful
• What is your dream job?
I would have to say my dream job will have to be being featured on a Calvin Klein campaign, dreamed of that job since I was a little boy
• What would you consider your best feature?
In my opinion I don't believe that i have one striking feature but the combination of them all is what i love and completes me.
• How do you stay in Model shape?
I train five days out of the week.I love working out whether is it in the working out at home, in the gym,or outdoors. my diet is also very strict I try to stay away for bad carbs , but I do have a bit of a late night sweet tooth which im working on.


text:
Boy Wonder a.k.a Eddy Souza - I Am Tampa [Label Submitted]
The 1-Der Corporation Presents Boy Wonder's latest video from the Highly Anticipated "Eddy For Mayor" Album entitled "I Am Tampa" Directed by PKSellers . Watch as he travels through the city of TAMPA.--- TWITTER- @BOYWONDER813 @nickscholz --- GO TO THE1DERCORP.COM TO DOWN-LOAD THE MIXTAPE AND HEAR MORE MUSIC!
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Comments will only be displayed by verified emails. No Spamming or Racism.


text:
Etherly '12 Signs First Professional Contract
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Recent Loyola University Maryland graduate Erik Etherly signed his first professional contract this week, inking a deal to play in the Israeli Basketball Super League for Hapoel Gilboa Galil Elyon.
A two-time All-Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference First Team forward, Etherly will begin play this season for Hapoel Galil Elyon in the top basketball league in Israel. Last year, the team won the Balkan International Basketball League, and it captured its first Israeli Championship in 2009-2010.
Located in northern Israel, the team plays its home games in Gan Ner.
Etherly transferred to Loyola after playing his freshman season at Northeastern University in 2008-2009, and he made an immediate impact as a starter during the 2010-2011 season. He averaged at least 10.8 points per game in his three seasons with the Greyhounds, raising his scoring totals each season.
He posted 10.8 points per game as a sophomore before scoring 13.7 as a junior in 2011-2012 as Loyola won the MAAC Championship and reached the NCAA Championships for the first time since 1994. He then capped his collegiate career by averaging 15.7 points per game as a senior in 2012-2013.
Etherly finished with 1,245 career points in just three seasons at Loyola, and he was also an excellent rebounder, pulling down 669 during his time as a Greyhound. He stands 20th all-time at Loyola in points, 10th in rebounds. His rebounding totals are the most by any Loyola player who was a Greyhound for only three seasons. He also finished his Loyola career third in blocked shots (121) and ninth in steals (121).
The native of Alexandria, Va., where he graduated from Annandale High School, Etherly earned All-MAAC First Team honors in each of his final two seasons, and he was also the first Loyola player to receive All-District I honors from the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) twice in his career.
He graduated in December 2012 from Loyola with a bachelor of arts in communications, and following the completion of his collegiate career, he played in the pre-NBA draft Portsmouth Invitational, participated in a workout with the Washington Wizards and was a member of the Maryland team in The-BALL league in Washington, D.C.


text:
Dodgers, Angels project proud heritage
For a couple of years now, people have been talking about the decline of the African-American player in Major League Baseball. The sport has made it a priority to get inner-city kids interested and involved in the game again, and the players have also done their part. I have the Torii Hunter Project, CC Sabathia has his, Jimmy Rollins has his thing going, Derrek Lee. Guys are doing what they can to get inner-city kids back into the game.
This is important to us, because it's our heritage. Back in the days of the Negro Leagues, baseball was huge for African-Americans. They played in front of 20,000, 30,000 fans. Everybody was all dressed up, men in suits, women in dresses, everybody looking fine and having a great time.
The last 10 years we've seen a decline in African-Americans in the Majors, but there are signs it's coming back around. Two years ago it was on its way to 7 percent African-American representation in the Major Leagues, but now it's up to 10, 11 percent. That's encouraging. It tells me these programs and projects are starting to work.
This series with the Dodgers is especially exciting for me. I'm always into the game — I don't hide my love of playing baseball — but this Interleague series is definitely special. I look over at the other side of the field and see Russell Martin, Matt Kemp, Orlando Hudson, James Loney, Juan Pierre, Cory Wade. And Xavier Paul just went on the disabled list. That's a lot of African-Americans on one team.
Over in our clubhouse, we've got Chone Figgins, Howard Kendrick, Darren Oliver, Gary Matthews Jr. and myself. It really feels good to see African-Americans playing the game and showing kids how they can have long, productive careers — and make a lot of money in this sport.
Like anything worthwhile, it's never easy. It takes a lot of mental toughness. It's a humbling game with a lot of failure involved. But it's worth all the time and effort, believe me. I signed when I was 17, and I'm signed through 37 years old. That means I'll have 20 years in the game, at least. How many guys do that in the NFL and NBA?
Last year it was the Angels, Rays and Brewers who had the highest percentage of African-Americans, but it looks to me like it's the Dodgers and Angels now. Two L.A. teams, playing an exciting brand of baseball — old-school style. We go first to third, run the bases hard, play great defense. We compete..
I will have a big smile on my face tonight. I feel a lot of pride in what I'm seeing. I want inner-city kids to understand how great this game is, how you don't have to have a 40-inch vertical leap or be able to run through a building to play baseball. You need desire, a strong work ethic, and you have to know how to handle failure and adversity.
The game is getting back to speed, moving away from all the focus being on power. You see how important the stolen base is again, with guys like Carl Crawford and Figgy. Heck, I've even got eight bags. Bobby Abreu is stealing bases.
This is the game our grandparents and their parents grew up loving. Knowing everything the Dodgers have represented for bringing Jackie Robinson and Don Newcombe and Roy Campanella into the game and breaking down that color barrier, I'm so happy to see the team they're putting on the field now.
I'm always excited to play the game and never take for granted how fortunate I am. This is going to be a great weekend of baseball.
10 Comments
Torii, once again, AWESOME CATCH!!! I totally LOVE watching you play!
Torii, you are on your way to the Angel's MVP for sure, and if the Angels win the World Series, maybe even the League MVP. Great game. You saved more runs tonight with your hustle and glove. Love it!
Mr Hunter,
Man you gotta stop with those great catches out there in center field cuz our neighbors are complaining about the noise 😉 lol just kidding its always a pleasure watching you play the game you so visibly love. I love the game of baseball and boy am i glad that the angels have a kick butt centerfielder who is also a good role model
best of luck!
Another great post, Mr. Hunter! I think fans recognize and accept talent regardless of race. And the Angels have definitely evolved into a multi-cultural (and madly talented) team over the past few years. But when a sports columnist like Jeff Miller of the OC Register, writes a column basically accusing Angels fans of being racists, it is a disgusting and offensive insult. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/rodriguez-fans-angels-2252061-season-most
Mr. Miller should've looked at a 2002 and a 2009 team photo before he wrote that column. He also should've looked at attendance. Angels fans will ALWAYS welcome, support and accept talented players. Role models come in all colors and when a child is inspired by one, it can make all the difference in their life. Thanks for all your inspiration! (Oh…and is that gold I smell?) 😉
I think race should be left alone as an issue all together when it comes to professional sports. The player (like Torii) who demonstrates a superior ability over others should be the one who gets the job…regardless of his race (and Torii, you are superior). You amaze me every game with your talent…and I am so greatful that you signed with the Angels. We haven't had a good center fielder in a while…much less a gold glove winner for the past several seasons. You astound me. And that is my point: I don't think of you as a BLACK center fielder…I think of you as GREAT center fielder.
A couple of years ago, a player, and I can't remember who, was complaining loudly about the decline of black players in MLB and saying that the league in itself was racist…saying that the trend was to hire more Latin players because they are "easier to control than black players and required less money" and I just thought it was absurd. Those were his words, not mine. I am pretty certain that Scott Boras gets as much as he can for every player in his stable regardless of their color.
Look at the great players in history. History does not judge the players by their color…but by their abilities and accomplishments. Take Ruth, Aaron, Bonds, McGwire, Ripken…history sees those players glorified for what they accomplished in the game…not for the color of their skin.
I think that the decline of inner city players on the roster the past few years has more to do with desire than anything else. Basketball is increasingly more popular these days in inner city communities as well as suburban communities for some very simple reasons, and it doesn't take rocket science to tell you that if kids are playing basketball, the result is going to be more basketball players, again, regardless of race. And it's easier to put together a game of basket ball…it can be one on one, two on two, etc. The point being that a good fun game of basketball can be accomplished with as few as two players. Baseball requires 18 players…not as easy to organize from a group of neighborhood kids. I think THAT is the reason for the decline of inner city youth playing baseball…nothing more.
Randy – ExposurePerfect.com
As someone who was raised by a Brooklyn Dodgers fan, I couldn't agree more with this post. I'm so glad the percentage is climbing, albeit slowly.
So very proud of you…you are a great person wanting great things for your heritage and the youth. I love that you are honest and that kids have a great role model. You are so right to say that focus, hard work and a strong desire can create an amazing career. Keep talkin the talk and walkin the walk and I know that the right youth will hear you and follow your lead.
You guys all seem to be missing the point. All Torii wants to do is give these inner city kids opportunity. It IS easier to get up a quick game of basketball because of the logistics. Torii just wants to provide these talented atheletes with the opportunity to play and show them what a great game baseball is and what a proud heritage they have in it.
In case you don't know where your own team plays, they play in Anaheim, not L.A.
Torii, indeed it was a good weekend of baseball!
Hope you're doing ok after hitting that wall. Beautiful catch!


text:
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text:
RyokoTK wrote:I get that talking about making maps and not actually making them is kind of a thing people do around here, but how do you procrastinate on making seven-polygon maps? For months?
Destiny wrote:I know it's been a year, but I found this thread not that long ago while I was killing time. It's a great idea, only using 7 polygons for a netmap. I thought about trying my hand at it. Also, while thinking about this concept, I came up with the idea to make netmaps in increments of 7 (7+7=14, 7+7+7=21, etc).
RyokoTK wrote:...but how do you procrastinate on making seven-polygon maps?
Tim wrote:I'm sorry, but is no one else going to call this out? A five hour game pushed your schedule back an entire week?
Destiny wrote:Read my quoted line. It's not just 7 poly netmaps I'm making. It's netmaps with increments of 7, meaning, when I finished the first netmap, the next netmap has 14 polygons.
0. Going Nowhere Arena
A very basic, symmetrical arena with some side tunnels. It's just a solid and logical iteration of seven polygons and actually was the last map I designed.
Backstory: Trr'chee Memorial Arena is a prison with no escape. It was designed for combatants to be dropped in and fight each other for the entertainment of higher ranking Pfhor. Then the victor was allowed to starve to death for the entertainment of Enforcers. To test out the facility the Pfhor placed the architect, Architect 1st Class Trr'chee, into the arena by himself. When he starved to death the Pfhor Local Command took this as proof that there were no secret escapes nor flaws in the building. The Memorial Arena saw little use before it was abandoned and allowed to decay at the border of Narr-Pfhor space.
1. Lick My Love Pump
Here, as with other maps, I tried to add complexity through unconventional methods. The waterfalls are meant to block line of sight without blocking movement, and the platform is meant to alter line of sight while creating a variable combat terrain.
Backstory: This purity assurance station, located in the much larger Vanada Water Processing Complex, is where small portions of water are diverted to be tested for contamination or impurity. The Vanada Water Processing Complex is itself responsible for providing clean, healthy water for thousands of Martian citizens. It's operation has gone without a hitch since its opening with the exception of several days during when Martian insurgents took over the Complex in an attempt to gain leverage over the UEG.
2. Mass Hydration
I thought it would be a good idea to use a large pillar of water in one of the maps. I though it would be a good way to block line of sight without blocking movement while also providing a place to escape combat. I also thought it could work if it functioned as a liquid-elevator. I'm not sure how well it works, but it might be better in its alternate version, Mass Elevation.
Backstory: This abandoned S'pht relic lies buried beneath the marshlands of Lh'owen, discovered successively by Pfhor expeditions and later by human ground forces seeking refuge after the capture of Durandal. The massive body of water spilling through the chamber is fed by the marshes above and flows to underground estuaries which in turn replenish the marshes. The purpose of this engineering feat is a mystery since the water isn't being filtered nor is it being used to produce hydroelectric power. Theories as to this chamber's purpose have ranged from a S'pht bunker dating to the days of their inter-clan warfare, a religious monument of some sort, or even a non-lethal method of capturing mass numbers of marshland wildlife.
8. Mass Elevation
An alternate version of Mass Hydration, replacing the pillar of water with a platform. I figured the platform would be a more reliable method of getting to higher areas, and that also it would create a more dynamic map by having a piece of cover that is temporary.
3. Ring Around Receiving
I made a map later in this list, Teleportation Station, with the intention of using teleport polygons as a means of getting to cover quickly. After it was done I decided to make another map with this same principle but in a less chaotic context. Thus, Ring Around Receiving was born. Six rooms surround a tower which can be reached by 3 of the rooms which are teleporters.
Backstory: On Earth, science teams are constantly working on improving existing technologies used in mankind's exploration of space. 15 Eaglecrest Science Facility is one location of bustling scientific activity. Here engineers and scientist work on improving teleportation pad technology by testing different iterations of materials and alternate machinery designs.
4. Spider Loop
This was just a product of doodling and just iterating seven polygon organization. I like various aspects of it, although I'm sure it doesn't work in multiplayer at all.
Backstory: This underground bunker in asteroid Onicis 492 was used by the Republic of Thermopylae during its war against the Independent Asteroid Government of Icarus. Bunkers, however, are not an effective defense once battleroids find their way inside.
5. Teleportation Station
To me it seems that one of the major problems with a seven polygon map is that either there is no cover. I decided that teleportation might be one method of providing the players with an unconventional method of cover. As long as the player is moving they will move normally, but as soon as they stop they teleport to another location and escape their enemy. I have a feeling this map is either hilarious or frustrating to play.
Backstory: A UESC expedition discovered this Jjaro station buried in an asteroid. The facility was immediately placed under restricted access due to several casualties caused by the station's peculiar behavior. The facility is composed of one "tower" surrounded by several chambers which are linked to each other by teleport. Initial assessments suggested this was some form of Jjaro prison, but further UESC investigation has led to the dominant theory that the facility is actually some form of guard tower with the surrounding chambers forming a teleportation "moat". Why it was built is beyond human speculation.
6. Water Ballet
Another attempt to provide cover and movement options through unconventional means. I created a map that was submerged in water. I wanted to allow the vertical movement of the player to open up new possibilities of tactics. The the central area wouldn't work in any map except a water map.
Backstory: During the days of the Mjolnir program it was important to make sure that the military cyborgs were equipped for any situation that could be imagined. This massive tank was built beneath the South Pole of Mars' landscape for the purpose of training Mjolnir cyborgs in subaquatic combat manuevers. Since the dissolution of the Mjolnir program this facility has been repurposed for the training of paramedic crews and for simulating zero-g environments for vacuum crews.
7. Wormhole Arena
Another map that iterates a basic organization of 7 polygons. Using 5D space allows shortcuts to be created without having to use more than one polygon.
Backstory: The UESC [redacted] intercepted this Pfhor Darkship while en route to [redacted] and engaged it in battle. This Pfhor machine, colloquially called the "wormhole device", was discovered deep in the center of the ship. It is unclear what the Pfhor were doing with the device or what the purpose of the ship itself had been. [redacted] to investigate,[redacted] only able to confirm that the Pfhor device manipulated non-Newtonian physics [redacted]. Aside from a trivial trick in altering space no other purpose could be discovered despite [redacted] The captain of the [redacted] gave the order to pursue its standing orders and leave a beacon so another UESC ship could investigate. Several days later, as the UESC [redacted] was on its way the beacon went dark and the Pfhor Darkship hasn't been seen since.
Destiny wrote:Read my quoted line. It's not just 7 poly netmaps I'm making. It's netmaps with increments of 7, meaning, when I finished the first netmap, the next netmap has 14 polygons.
thermoplyae wrote:the maps should also be incremental versions of each other; map 2 is map 1 with 7 polygons added, map 3 is map 2 with 7 more polygons added, and so on.
skraeling wrote:So, this discussion made me decide to take a break from my other mapmaking and pop out some 7 polygon maps of my own. I don't play netmaps so I don't have any intuitive idea for what makes them work or feel broken (weapon placement, etc.) let alone what would make a 7 polygon map work. Still I've made 7 maps with 1 bonus map and 1 alternate version of a map and I've put them up on Simplici7y. I also wrote backstories for each which you can read in the text document that comes with the maps or later in this post.
I started from when Ryoko lasted posted in this thread and finished up today. So, from sketching out ideas on my lunch break at work, mapping, redoing maps to fix glitches, texturing, lighting, adding sounds, and writing the backstory of each map it took me about five days to make 8 maps. And that's while going to work, spending freetime watching Sherlock Holmes (starring Jeremy Brett), playing Stacraft 2, playing Duke Nukem, reading Best American Poetry 1996, and going out of town for New Years Eve. Any procrastinators out there: stop making excuses.
thermoplyae wrote:the maps should also be incremental versions of each other; map 2 is map 1 with 7 polygons added, map 3 is map 2 with 7 more polygons added, and so on.
Destiny wrote:This kinda sounds like an interesting idea, but would probably be really horrible in the long run.
RyokoTK wrote:Tell us more about horrible mapmaking concepts.
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Scarlett Johansson Raves About Cat Costar Ben Walker's Bare Butt
The actress also reveals how she lost the Les Misérables role of Fantine to Anne Hathaway
Scarlett Johansson as Maggie the Cat is supposed to be the main sex symbol in the Broadway revival of Tennessee Williams's Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. But she's got her eye on costar Ben Walker – in particular, his butt.
"That is really one of the brighter points of my life," the actress, 28, tells Broadway.com.
Walker, 30, playing Maggie's husband Brick, spends a large chunk of the play wearing nothing but a towel, and sometimes (with his back to the crowd) not even that, giving Johansson – and the audience – an eyeful.
"I have asked Ben at times, when I was having a more difficult day, to just leave it out there for a couple more moments, just to brighten my day a little bit," she says. "I think it adds a little bit of hope in an otherwise dismal situation."
For his part, Walker is fine with people ogling his backside, as long as he doesn't accidentally reveal more than that. "With that towel on, butt is the least of my worries," he recently told New York magazine.
Johansson also reveals that she auditioned for the role of Fantine in Les Misérables, losing out to Anne Hathaway.
"Yes, I did. I sang my little heart out," she says. "I auditioned with laryngitis. I did everything I could to, like, not have laryngitis."
But she adds: "I think, looking at the film now, there's no possible way I ever could have topped [Hathaway's] performance. It was perfect and I think fateful and meant to be."
For now, Johansson has her hands full with Maggie, a demanding role that leaves her drained after every performance – and craving a little '80s TV.
"After the show ends every night," she says, "I don't want to do anything but sit at home and watch reruns of The Golden Girls."


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That thin strip of fabric may save you from the dreaded visible panty lines, but it also serves as a superhighway for microbes. When the underwear hits your perineum (the patch of skin between the vagina and the anus), bacteria hitch a ride straight to your vagina. A thong is actually a connector. As you move, the fabric shifts and before you can say "Monistat," you've got a yeast infection.
To make matters worse, thongs tend to rub, causing tiny tears in the delicate skin around your vulva and clitoris, creating access for microbes.
The cure: You don't have to toss your thongs as long as they're cotton or have a cotton crotch. The breathable fabric keeps you drier, so bacteria can't grow as easily. You might also consider growing out that Brazilian bikini line: Hair serves as a barrier between you and your panties, so leaving more carpet on the floor provides cushioning for your vulva. And don't wear thongs when you exercise. Invest in some workout bottoms with cotton crotches and go commando at night.
View the discussion thread.


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America's Senior Moment
The Coming Generational Storm: What You Need to Know About America's Economic Future
Two Problems, Not One
America in 2030 will be "a country whose collective population is older than that in Florida today." It will be in "desperate trouble" because the expense of caring for all those old people will cause a fiscal crisis. The nation will be plagued by "political instability, unemployment, labor strikes, high and rising crime rates." That's the picture painted in The Coming Generational Storm by Laurence Kotlikoff and Scott Burns, a book that has helped to feed a rising tide of demographic alarm.
But is that picture right? Yes and no. America does have an aging population, and a responsible government would take preparatory action while the baby boomers are still in the labor force. America also has very serious long-run fiscal problems. But these issues aren't nearly as closely linked as much of the discussion would lead you to believe. The view of demography as destiny is only a half-truth, and in some ways it's as damaging as a lie.
In this essay I'll try to set the record straight. Unfortunately, I can't do that by following Kotlikoff and Burns closely. Kotlikoff is a fine economist, one of the world's leading experts on long-run fiscal issues. His book with Burns is full of valuable information and sharp insights. Yet in their effort to grab the lay reader's attention, Kotlikoff and Burns do little to alert readers to the distinction between two quite different issues—an aging population and rising spending on health care. And their failure to make that distinction grossly distorts their discussion.
The demographic problem is, of course, real. It is, however, of manageable size—exaggerating the problem by confounding it with the problem of medical costs just gets in the way of dealing with it. The problem posed by rising medical costs, on the other hand, would be there even if the population weren't aging—and misrepresenting the problem as one of demography gets in the way of confronting it.
I'll start here by looking at the demographic problem—the aging population—which mainly concerns Social Security, then at proposals for Social Security "reform"—the scare quotes are there because the scheme currently under discussion would undermine our social insurance system, not save it. At the end I'll talk briefly about the much bigger, more intractable issue of paying for the expanding quality and quantity of health care, and the current state of political debate.
Social Security and the Demographic Challenge
Chapter 1 of Kotlikoff and Burns's book is called "From Strollers to Walkers"—a catchy way to describe the aging of the US population. It's followed with a chapter called "Truth Is Worse Than Fiction," centered on a chart familiar to everyone who has looked at this issue: long-run projections from the Congressional Budget Office showing the combined expense of Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid rising from less than 8 percent of GDP now to more…
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Raspberry spice cake
Nutrition and extra info
- Freeze un-iced only
Nutrition: per slice
- kcal772
- fat45g
- saturates27g
- carbs84g
- sugars58g
- fibre2g
- protein8g
- salt1.2g
For the cake
- 250g pack butter, softened
Butter is a dairy product made from separating whole milk or cream into fat and…
- 450g plain flour
- 140g golden caster sugar
- 140g light soft brown sugar
- 5 large eggs
- 4 tbsp honey
Honey is made by bees from the nectar they collect from flowers. Viscous and fragrant, it's…
- 2 tsp baking powder
Baking powderbay-king pow-dah
Baking powder is a raising agent that is commonly used in cake-making. It is made from an alkali…
- 1 tsp cinnamon
A fragrant spice which comes from the inner bark of a tropical tree. When dried, it curls into…
- 1 tsp mixed spice
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp salt
- 4 tbsp buttermilk
There are two types of buttermilk. Traditional buttermilk is a thin, cloudy, slightly tart but…
For the filling & icing
- 200g raspberry jam
- 200g raspberry, plus extra to decorate (optional)
A member of the rose family, raspberries have a wonderfully intense, sweet taste, and many…
- 200g pack butter, softened
Butter is a dairy product made from separating whole milk or cream into fat and…
- 200g pack soft cheese
- 200g icing sugar, sifted, plus extra for dusting (optional)
Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Grease and line 3 x 20cm cake tins with baking parchment. Tip all the cake ingredients into a large bowl and beat with an electric whisk until smooth. Divide between tins and bake for 25 mins until a skewer poked in comes out clean. Turn out onto wire racks to cool.
Split each cake in half. Mash the jam and raspberries together, then spread over 5 cake halves, leaving 1 top half free. Sandwich together, with the plain cake on top. Put on a plate and cling film thoroughly. Invert a cake tin on top like a hat and top with 3 x 400g food cans. Leave overnight.
To finish, beat the butter, cheese and icing sugar together, then spread over the cake. Decorate with extra raspberries and a dusting of icing sugar, if you like.


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Cucalorus! Remains Wilmington's Hottest Independent Film Festival
This November marks the 20th anniversary of the popular Independent Film Festival, Cucalorus. With more than 240 films scheduled to be shown between November 12th – 16th, Cucalorus brings together attendees and filmmakers from all over the world to experience … Continue reading


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This recipe is from Tasty Kitchen.... my new favorite place to go for recipes. It was so, so good! I made this for lunch one day when I had a few friends and their kiddos over to play. It was almost as good as the company:)
15 Minute Shrimp and Avocado Salad
•1 pound Cooked Medium Shrimp (frozen And Thawed)
•1 whole Medium Tomato, Seeded And Chopped
•3 whole Scallions, Thinly Sliced
•1 clove Garlic, Pressed
•2 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice
•1 Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
•1 whole Large Firm Avocado, Cubed
•1 Tablespoon Chopped Cilantro
•1 Tablespoon Fresh Mint
•2 Tablespoons Chopped Pumpkin Seeds
•1 head Romaine Lettuce, Outer Leaves Removed
•Extra Virgin Olive Oil To Taste
•Salt And Pepper (to Taste)
Make sure shrimp is completely thawed if you buy it already cooked. If you buy it raw and cook it at home, make sure it is completely cooled and pat dry with towels. Assemble all ingredients with shrimp in a large bowl (except for lettuce) and mix gently. For optimum flavor, marinate in refrigerator for at least an hour. Serve on a bed of romaine lettuce.
I made pretty much as is substituting pine nuts for the pumpkin seeds (because I had them) and added feta cheese because I like it:)
Monday, August 31, 2009
shrimp and avocado salad
This recipe is from Tasty Kitchen.... my new favorite place to go for recipes. It was so, so good! I made this for lunch one day when I had a few friends and their kiddos over to play. It was almost as good as the company:)
Posted by Melanie at 2:36 PM 1 comments
Saturday, August 29, 2009
maybe? alright- a little!
Here's the recipe for this one.
OD Chicken
1 chicken breast per person
Season chicken to your liking. Place on grill.
Leave on too long.
(this one is for you, Anita!)
Mmmm.... extra crispy.
I don't know what happened...really I don't! The boys did eat this though...bbq sauce covers anything:) I was actually glad that I cannot each chicken for once.
Here is another classic case of "overdone."
Of course, he didn't do it all by himself:)
Unlike the chicken, this one was overdone only on one side!
But...like the chicken BOTH were perfect in the middle:)
Posted by Melanie at 4:39 PM 3 comments
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
the first of many
Xavier had his first day of pre-school today! AND he wants to go back!! I call that a success. We had an ice cream social on Sunday afternoon at school and then dropped of school supplies and met his teachers on Monday evening. Mrs. Pridemore had an assignment for them already on Monday. He had to find his seat that had his name on it and at his seat there was a folder with info for me and a cutout of a paper person that Xavier was to take home and color in to look like himself and bring it back on the first day of school. Yesterday after lunch Xavier was hard at work making a crayon likeness of himself. He did everything himself with exception of the lines on the legs to denote shorts. After he had finished, he was showing me everything he had done. "Look" he said, "I made my eyes and eyebrows, colored my ears, made my shoes into boots and here is my hoo-doo". WHAT!?! You put a hoo-doo on yourself???? I was starting to panic.....should we just start over I thought? Where on earth am I going to get another cutout? Could I make one??? "Yes" he said proudly..."it is right here" as he pointed to a vibrant orange dot on his crotch. "That is really good" I said "but we are only drawing our clothes so let me scrape that off and you can color over it". What on earth have I been teaching him I thought???? I asked him why he put a hoo-doo on it and he said that he just wanted to make it better. I said better as in more real? YES! he said more real. Whew! He drew it out of wanting attention to detail not to be funny or spiteful. That was close! I also reminded him that we don't talk about or draw hoo-doos outside of the house:) This could be a very lonnnng year of learning the "do's and don't's in a social setting...lucky me!
This is the offending picture after the hoo-doo has been heavily colored over!
Here are some "first day of pre-school" pics taken this morning....and subsequently caused us to be a couple of minutes late! Oh well, it was worth it!
If you are wondering what is up with those shorts, it was "gym day" at school so he had to wear gym shorts to school today:)
Posted by Melanie at 2:19 PM 6 comments


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Nothing beats a scorching hot bowl of soup in the winter. Whether it's served as a kick off starter while entertaining friends or as a no fuss dinner on the coffee table in front of your tv, it's a must during the winter season.
Pea soup is an old time favorite of mine, but ive decide that this time around I would kick it up notch by adding a good splash of sweet sherry, which adds a sweet kick to this fresh flavored soup.
Its great as is with only some crusty bread, but if I want to dish it out for a dinner party, I would finish it off with some chorizo oil and croûtons. By the addition of the smoky chorizo and crunchy croûtons a simple bowl of soup is taken to a whole other level. Enjoy!
Pea and sherry soup with chorizo oil and croûtons
Serves 6
3 tbsp olive oil
1 lg onion, finely chopped
1 lg leek only white and pale green part only
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
4 cups chicken stock
1/3 cup sherry, ( such as Cream sherry)
2 pound frozen peas, defrosted
¼ cup (firmly packed) mint
3 tbsp cream
3 tbsp finely grated Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp sherry vinegar, or to taste
Chorizo oil and croûtons
1/3 cup olive oil
1 chorizo, diced
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
2 oz coarsely torn crustless sourdough bread
1 For chorizo oil and croûtons, heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat, add chorizo and a minute later the garlic and sauté until chorizo is golden (2-3 minutes), then transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon. Add torn bread to pan and sauté until golden and crisp (4-5 minutes), season to taste, then return chorizo to pan, stir to combine and keep warm.
2 Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add onion, leeks and garlic and sauté until tender (4-5 minutes). Add chicken stock and sherry, bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Add peas, simmer until just tender (2-3 minutes), remove from heat, then add mint, and process with a hand-held blender until smooth. Add cream, Parmesan cheese and vinegar, season to taste and divide among shallow bowls. Spoon over chorizo and croûtons, and serve hot. Serve the soup as soon as it's ready to keep the bright green colour alive.
Note: If you dont have cooking sherry you could substitute it with Marsala wine
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad


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Trade News
Guildford, U.K., 28 January 2010 - BOC Healthcare has won a contract to provide compressed medical gases to the ambulance service across Scotland. BOC, a member of The Linde Group, is the largest supplier of industrial, medical and special gases in the UK and Ireland.
The contract involves the medical gases used by ambulances, Rapid Response Units and first responders, as well as helicopters operating from Inverness and Glasgow. This includes medical oxygen and BOC's ENTONOX® which is used in pain relief.
Ambulance services will also benefit from some of BOC's latest medical gas delivery systems, including the new ultra-lightweight one litre oxygen cylinder with integrated valve and regulator. The company's extensive distribution network will ensure a rapid response for over 160 ambulance stations all over the country, including remote areas.
The supply contract was awarded by NHS Scotland National Procurement after an extensive tendering process.
Andrew Harvey, BOC's Head of Healthcare, commented: "We are delighted that the NHS in Scotland has awarded us this contract. It shows we can deliver technological innovation at competitive prices. We have many years experience in the healthcare field and our understanding of the market enabled us to offer the right solutions for the country's ambulance services."
BOC is a member of The Linde Group. An industrial, medical and special gases provider, the company supplies compressed and bulk gases, chemicals and equipment. For more than a century the company's gases and expertise have contributed to advances in many areas of everyday life, and industries including steelmaking, refining, chemical processing, environmental protection, wastewater treatment, welding and cutting, food processing and distribution, glass production, electronics and health care. For more information visit: http://www.BOConline.co.uk
The Linde Group
The Linde Group is a world leading gases and engineering company with almost 50,000 employees working in around 100 countries worldwide. In the 2008 financial year it achieved sales of EUR 12.7 billion. The strategy of The Linde Group is geared towards sustainable earnings-based 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. Linde is committed to technologies and products that unite the goals of customer value and sustainable development. For more information, see The Linde Group online at http://www.linde.com
For further information:
Simon Napper
BOC Communications
Telephone: +44.7500.815166
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com


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LONDON — It doesn't hurt to be reminded, as the world was this past weekend, that the greatest of Olympic champions are made of stuff we clearly can't begin to comprehend.
Usain Bolt, meet Michael Phelps. Aquaman, meet The Flash.
The world's fastest human and the most decorated Olympian in the 116-year history of the Games were part and parcel of the same storyline as the first week of the 2012 London Olympics concluded at the pool and the second began on the track, with these two athletic avatars of the human species putting all their doubters to shame.
Phelps crowned a four-gold, two-silver medal week with victory alongside his U.S. teammates in the final race of the meet — and his career — the 4x100 metre medley relay.
Bolt stumbled from the blocks in the men's 100-metre sprint, caught the fastest field ever assembled on one running track by halfway through the race, and then devoured the last 50 with his absurdly long strides to finish the marquee event of the Olympics in 9.63 seconds, 6/100ths faster than the record he set in Beijing.
Both were happy, neither was surprised. Somehow, we were. Probably because we forgot that there is a thing beyond metrics, beyond statistical analysis, that is the true measure of the really transcendent talents: the ability to conquer the moment, to respond to stimulus, to perform.
Both Phelps, 27, the eight-time gold medallist in 2008, and Bolt, 25, who bestrode the track world with his superhuman sprint times in Beijing, seemed to have lost their inner drive on the road to London. Enjoyed stardom too much, were getting by on talent, didn't train hard enough.
Phelps had the impaired driving charge, and the embarrassing photos appear of him huffing on a bong at a frat party. Bolt's life seemed to be one long, fast-moving party; he had a car accident, a back injury, false-started out of last year's world championships.
Phelps's teammate Tyler Clary as much as called him lazy — ridiculous, if you've ever looked at Phelps' long, sculpted, impossibly lean body. But anyway, what was his medal collection next to the rough-hewn, cover-boy appeal of Ryan Lochte, who won the 400-metre individual medley in the opening event of the swim meet, with Phelps a badly beaten fourth?
Bolt's training partner, Yohan Blake, had beaten the defending Olympic 100- and 200-metre champion over both distances at the Jamaican trials. Was Bolt spooked by the 2011 error in the blocks, the new one-and-out false start rule? Had his form deteriorated, his technique crumbled?
"It's harder than anything else," Bolt said late Sunday evening, after joining Carl Lewis as the only men to win back-to-back Olympic 100-metre titles, although Lewis's second, in 1988, came in the mail by way of Ben Johnson.
Bolt can surpass Lewis's total of three gold medals in the sprints if he can win the 200m, against even longer odds, later in the week.
"I think when you get to the top, you know it's good and you're working and you're enjoying it, and everyone is praising you. Sometimes you lose sight of what's going on around you" Bolt said. "At the trials, Blake beat me. And it woke me up. It was like a knock on the door, saying, 'Usain, is it you?'"
In the same way, Clary's criticism cut Phelps and woke the sleeping giant. His loss in the 400IM seemed to relax him, and he proceeded to win more medals than any other swimmer in the meet. Again.
"I've been able to do a lot of firsts, and that's something I'm proud of," said Phelps, who surpassed Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina with his 19th medal, a gold in the 4x200 relay last week, then became the first male swimmer to win the same event in three straight Olympics, the 200m IM, and did it again the next day in the 100m butterfly.
For Canadians — who won their first gold medal Saturday with King City, Ont., trampolinist Rosie MacLennan's triumph over two Chinese challengers — it was a modestly productive weekend, as they reached 10 medals after Victoria swimmer Ryan Cochrane improved on his Beijing bronze medal by winning silver in the gruelling 1,500-metre freestyle.
Earlier in the day, Edmonton's Tara Whitten, Gillian Carleton of Victoria and German-born Jasmin Glaesser of Coquitlam, B.C. took the women's team pursuit bronze medal in track cycling at the velodrome.
Phelps's final swim, his retirement announcement and the special award he received from swimming's governing body — inscribed with "To Michael Phelps, The Greatest Olympic Athlete of All Time, from FINA" — may not have rivalled Great Britain's magical triple-gold Saturday evening at the track for headlines in London, but it was a passage in time that will endure after all the others have been forgotten.
And Sunday belonged to Bolt.
"When it comes to championships, I bring it," he said. "There's a lot of people who doubted me, saying I wasn't looking good coming to this race. But I'm still No. 1. I'm still the best."
No one has to tell that to Blake or American Justin Gatlin, the 2004 Olympic champion who finished third in 9.79 seconds, the winning time when Ben Johnson ran it, drug-assisted, in Seoul.
Asked if he had felt Bolt closing in on his right side, Gatlin, who had the early lead, said: "I mean, he's 6-5 — you can't miss him. When his legs lift, you feel it, you see it. He's the Michael Phelps of our sport. What can you say when we all run nine seconds? He's a showman. I want to go out there and beat him, but today the best man won. That's Bolt."
Truth be told, his challengers, even in the most egocentric, preening, showboating event in track, were just happy to be part of history. Bolt's history.
It was not unlike the end of Michael Phelps's last race, when the swimmers from the other seven lanes filed past the 6-foot-4 American to shake his giant hand, recognizing that his kind may never pass this way again.
They all would love to know what's inside him, what made him fly. We never will. Even in trying to give it a name, we fail.


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The anticipation in this house is huge! The boys can not wait for Christmas and I added a song to my playlist that represents the feeling perfectly! It's the song from the Target commercial. LOL! We are just about ready-just need to do some last minute shopping, clean the house a bit and get ready for Uncle Matt's arrival. I have a cookie exchange with my girls Wednesday night (or as Pete calls it-Chardonnay night-haha!) I am a lot less stressed with so much crossed off my list. And i have come to the realization that not everything needs to be perfect. Why put that kind of pressure on myself-right?
Here is a Prima mini book I made using their Christmas papers, flowers and clear BAB pages. I just love the red-it's so vibrant! I mixed aquas, pinks, lime green and reds together to match the papers. This was really fun to create. I stamped some swirls using aqua colored paint and then added silver swirls too. Then added a mix of silver ribbon with lace and more ribbon on the book ring too.
I still have to add photos to the pages but it's easier for everyone to see how I put the book together without them for now. More flower clusters and cute little bling images throughout the book and areas for journaling.
I used the white backing from the snowflake Voila felt strip and layered bling snowflakes over it. All of the paper edges were distressed a bit. I also used ribbon and lace for a decorative touch to border the page. Brads and centers adorn some of the flower centers too.
It was so fun mixing and matching the flowers. Adding silver leaves and sparkly centers give a holiday feel from ordinary flowers. And another piece of snowflake backing was added to the background too.
I love the look of the felt aplhabet-it's soft and bold at the same time. And the hot pink color matches the paper too. And it wouldn't be right if I didn't add an oversized ribbon here and there too...
Can't wait to add some holiday photos to this little beauty! Thanks for stopping by! I will have another holiday project post before the big day. Hope you all have a fun creative week...
xoxo Cari


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Operator Driven Reliability
Putting the power of condition monitoring within reach
Operator Driven Reliability (ODR) – a process pioneered by SKF – empowers operators to contribute proactively to a company-wide maintenance strategy. The process is built on a simple realization – that equipment operators are usually the first to detect even the smallest changes in machine conditions.
SKF's ODR service contract makes it easy
With an SKF ODR service contract, SKF first prepares a detailed business case for your ODR program – one that meets your business objectives and is based on documented results in your industry. An SKF ODR program can be integrated easily with other SKF Asset Management Services, including predictive maintenance, proactive reliability maintenance and integrated maintenance solutions programs.
Support from design to deployment and beyond
After working closely with you to design and develop a customized program, SKF then handles every detail of installation, remaining with your team during program implementation and deployment. Services include expert staff training, ongoing product and process support, and doing whatever it takes to create a successful program.


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As an example of how California's elites totally misunderstand what's wrong with the state, it would be hard to improve upon the new group "Govern for California."
This group is backed by three Californians -- including former Schwarzenegger advisor David Crane -- who think the state's troubles are the results of a lack of unwillingness by state lawmakers to be courageous and vote against the interests of their party.
So they will set up a web site to chart legislative behavior and support candidates who show courage -- by voting against the interests of people who elected them.
U.S. & World
If that sounds like alchemy, it is.
Democratic legislative systems around the world are organized by party, and that requires loyalty -- or at least a confining of disagreements to the internal party.
But these guys are rich and smart, and they are quoting Edmund Burke -- "for evil to happen all that's necessary is for good people to do nothing" reads the group's letter -- so presumably they're about to change world history.
Once they're done, presumably they'll suspend gravity, turn water into wine, and make San Francisco sunny 365 days a year.
This is so wrong-headed that it's hard to know where to begin.
So let's start with a simple point: the absence of compromise on big fiscal issues -- namely taxes -- doesn't represent a lack of courage, or a failure for partisan legislators to serve the people.
It actually reflects the popular will -- polls show that the public has grown more partisan and uncompromising.
When voters tell pollsters they want compromise, what they mean is that they want the other party to compromise with representatives of their own party.
It's always nice when other guy surrenders, after all. Voters want their own party to stand firm on principle.
Voters, even nominally independent ones, are party animals.
You object?
Ask yourself two questions: Do you know the name of the Assembly candidate you voted for in last year's elections? Do you know the party of the Assembly candidate you voted for?
If you're like most people, the answers to those questions would be no and yes, because most people vote for the party. They don't know who the candidates are.
This is good news, because parties provide ways for citizens to engage in politics even if they don't have the money to fund a group like "Govern for California."
California has weak parties and weak engagement. So instead of trying to promote supposed acts of "courage" and party disloyalty, reform should strengthen parties -- while making it easier to hold them accountable for mistakes by kicking them out of office.
California, however, has a broken budget and governing system that encourages irresponsible behavior by parties because it demands compromise in uncompromising times.
Changing that system to reflect partisan realitiies would improve governance and accountability. That's hard work, but it's possible. Throwing up money and a web site to encourage betrayal of party is a strategy that can't possibly work.
The group has performed one public service. By showing that wealthier Californians have enough money to throw away on nonsensical schemes like this, "Govern for California" makes a very strong case for raising taxes on the rich.
Let us know what you think. Comment below, send us your thoughts via Twitter @PropZero or add your comment to our Facebook page.


text: No matter the size, your backyard (and front yard) can serve as a valuable habitat and contribute to bird conservation. Begin by featuring native plants in your yard to provide food (insects and plant), cover and nesting sites. Audubon has created a fantastic web tool to browse thousands of native plants. Add some other key elements like a bird bath, bird feeder or a bird house. Then, register your property with Audubon Pennsylvania and join a growing community of people across the state that landscape with ecology in mind


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Brush It In
Wafts of ginger and cilantro from the nearby Vietnamese eateries swirls around the propelling bus exhaust as I walk through London's funky Shoreditch on an overcast day. Though I (embarrassingly) have not yet visited before, the unexpected island of pristine glass of the Flower's Gallery is not hard to miss among the rickety cheap shoe shops and tabacs littered with half-shredded ice cream posters. A[…..]


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Denise Linn's Sacred Space is a dense catalog of spiritual teachings and techniques for clearing the energies of your home and creating a place that nurtures and supports your daily life. It's not encyclopedic but it comes pretty close. Linn, an American Indian, was run off the road and shot at the age of seventeen by some maniac bigot and had a near-death experience that changed her world. When she writes about what she saw and understood, the explanation sounds like a primer for quantum physics. But her instantaneous understanding of the interconnectedness of all things led her to study healing practices with a number of indigenous masters and that training is freely applied to this book about the presence and energies in a home.
The advice is very interesting and very good. Linn covers everything from setting an intention for clearing the space to what the numerology of your house means–mine indicates a large portion of abundance so I'm a little concerned about the numerology. But instructions for using fire to clear old stale energy, working with bells or drums, the use of color, purification with salt, ritual bathing and enlivening water with moonlight, sacred qualities in stones–all of it comes from traditional teachings in many cultures and it is fascinating.
Sacred Space is neither flaky nor hardcore. Linn shares what she knows but she doesn't preach about it. She offers plenty of alternatives for each step of the practice and gentle advice about doing what speaks to you or feels comfortable. All the advice is environmentally sensitive–no surprise there–and there are even sections about calling on protective spirits, recognizing angels, discovering your power animal, and dealing with psycho-kinetic energy. To get all that this book packs in, I will have to read it again, this time with a highlighter and a handful of bookmarks.
I've been really drawn to change our iconic brownstone shoebox (as in small) apartment in some fairly dramatic ways lately. At the same time, we could use some major changes in our depression-plagued personal economy. If we are not separate from everything in the universe, then clearing out and cleaning up the energy in here might just accomplish an aesthetic and a pragmatic transformation. Sacred Space could be my cost-effective way to tap into the guidance of a master for banishing our demons, clearing out the last of the clutter, making room for what's important and finding just the right shade of sunflower yellow for a wall I am painting in homage to Matisse.
Sacred Space Denise Linn | Ballantine 1995


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Licensing of central station operators mulled in New York
ALBANY, N.Y.—There's legislation in the works here that, if passed, would require all New York central station operators to be licensed. Some industry insiders, such as CIA Security president John Lombardi, believe there's merit in this type of legislation. But others, including Bart Didden of USA Central Station, believe this legislation is a bad idea.
The proposed legislation, called Article 6-E, first appeared last fall. It was developed by outgoing New York Sen. Brian Foley and the 6-E Legislative Review Committee—which included Lombardi, Electronix Systems' president Ron Petrarca, Amherst Alarm CEO Tim Creenan, Alarm Tech Central Service president Robert Spetta, and All Star Electronic Systems vice president Richard Talbot.
Foley's deputy chief of staff Krystyna Baumgartner explained to Security Systems News that Foley "was approached by a local security industry group in September or October of last year with [the idea for this legislation.]" She said Foley was given "the final language that they wanted in August of this year, but the [legislative] session was already over for us, so it wasn't something that was ever formalized."
Lombardi said the current version of 6-E develops model legislation that builds a foundation for other states faced with similar issues of vetting central station employees. Licensing of central stations in New York would go a long way toward achieving reciprocity with the 17 other states that have similar licensing legislation in place, he said.
The CSAA has a licensing reciprocity standard for alarm monitoring organizations that aims to aid government bodies in developing reciprocity-friendly licensing requirements.
Bart Didden has been a vocal critic of the 6-E Legislative Review Committee's work.
"This is trying to regulate central station companies," he said. "The participants in this non-inclusive committee are under a complete falsehood if they think they've created something that will overcome other states' apprehension to reciprocity … If it was their intention to create something that would benefit the industry, you'd think they would have called Rapid or Affiliated or Nationwide or USA, which are the predominant contract central stations in New York State, but they didn't include any of those."
In response to critics of the committee's efforts, Lombardi said he was unconcerned.
"This proposed legislation has been around since January. It was introduced to the associations in March," Lombardi said. "In May or June it was posted on our web site for the whole world to see and the total feedback we got back was 'We don't want more regulation in our lives.'"
Didden said there have been opponents to the push to get Article 6-E championed in the New York Senate.
"They have gotten input that they did not want to hear," Didden said. "I have voiced my opinion numerous times and they don't like it, so they've chosen to ignore it. I think they're just trying to regulate competition by creating additional, artificial business barriers."
So what's in store for 6-E going forward?
Well, its legislative champion in Albany, Sen. Foley, was not reelected in November. An aide to Foley said Foley's successor may or may not choose to take up any one of Foley's causes or the 6-E Review Committee could attempt to move on to other possibilities.
Lombardi said he's amazed "that we had someone pushing this and working with us and no one in the industry was interested. Now that proponent is gone and we're fighting a battle that may never come to pass."
Right now, said Lombardi, "what we've got is a model law that we think is good, but we don't have a champion."
So, 6-E's future in Albany is uncertain, but Lombardi will be talking about 6-E to an industry group in Washington next week. Lombardi said he's accepted an invitation from the Alarm Industry Communications Committee to give an informational presentation on Article 6-E at its Dec. 7 meeting.
License for Central Stations
Being a business owner in NY I cannot imagine WHY????? Anyone in their right mind would ask NY to regulate anything else. It seems you cannot do anything without a license of course followed by a yearly fee and then all kinds of regulation with other fees associated with them. You have to have a license now to collect sales tax for them. Ask NY and you shall receive AND THEN PAY.
who is on first? Or, who really started this effort?
I read this article and I am puzzled.
When the NYS Association leadership first alerted the membership that there was an issue, they said that Legislator Foley was initiating this effort and that we must work with him to lesson the impact on our industry.
Now when reading this article and the statement from his office, it appears that the effort stemmed from the association asking Foley to introduce legislation to regulate the industry.
I tend to believe the spokesperson who has nothing to gain and I continue to say that this is the tail wagging the dog. Five people on a committee who does not proactively seek out the opinions of others. Posting on a website might be fine for government, but it is not acceptable behavior by an industry trade association that will impact just a few.
AICC has now inserted themselves into events that are not within their charter or preview and should immediately back out.
I continue to look forward to opposing this effort in the halls of the NYS Legislature.


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U.S. v. Little, No. 07-170, 2008 WL 151875 (M.D. Fla. January 16, 2008)
The operator of the Max Hardcore website was indicted under 18 U.S.C. §§1462 and 1465 for distributing allegedly obscene video files which agents downloaded in Tampa, Florida. Max Hardcore moved to dismiss the indictment, raising a number of constitutional challenges to the prosecution. The court rejected each of the defendant's arguments and denied the motion.
Statutes not facially unconstitutional
The court declined to accept the defendant's argument that because of the evolving nature of substantive due process law, prior Supreme Court decisions upholding the federal obscenity statutes were no longer valid. It also refused the defendant's argument that the constitutional right to privately posses obscene materials should translate into a corresponding right to distribute such material.
Statutes not unconstitutional as applied
The defendant also launched a couple of challenges to the application of the Miller test, set forth in the Supreme Court's decision of Miller v. California, 413 U.S. 15, 93 S.Ct. 2607 (1973). Under the Miller test, the finder of fact determines whether material is obscene by applying the following test: (a) Whether "the average person, applying contemporary community standards'" would find that the work taken as a whole, appeals to prurient interest; (b) whether the work depicts or describes, in a patently offensive way, sexual conduct specifically defined by the applicable state law; and (c) whether the work, taken as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value.
Max Hardcore's challenge to the Miller test dealt with the requirement that the works at issue be "taken as a whole." The defendants argued that because of the interconnected nature of the Web, it would be impossible to know what the term "taken as a whole" means, and it would similarly be impossible to determine the community standards against which the works should be evaluated. At the very least, the defendant argued, the entire Max Hardcore site should be considered the work "taken as a whole," and not just the individual video files.
With little analysis, the court sided with the government, holding that the individual files – and not the whole website – should be the works "taken as a whole." And the court concluded that the absence of a universal community standard was okay. Citing to U.S. v. Bagnell, 679 F.2d 826 (11th Cir. 1982), it held that "[i]t is constitutionally permissible to subject defendants in obscenity prosecutions to varying community standards of the various judicial districts into which they transmit obscene material."


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This morning as the hunters went off to do their thing, Topaz and I went off to do our thing.
As the sun began to rise we were out on the trail. It was early dawn, the air was still and quiet. I brought my camera along, as the leaves are beginning to change and the wildlife out on the trail has been phenomenal lately.
The sky began to run a dark pink, lighter pink, purple and eventually blue. As the sky began to lighten, the birds began to sing.
We ran up to the trail lookout; a 1/4 mile steep climb that overlooks the Blue Hill Trail and Buck Lake. The leaves are changing from green to dark oranges, bright yellows and deep reds. Spectacular.
I could see the Trumpeter Swans on Buck Lake, floating effortlessly upon the water. The Wood Ducks in bunches of 15-20 with their heads under the water and their butts pointing straight in the air. The Canadian Geese flying above, then landing. Their honking getting louder and louder as they landed in the pond right next to us.
As we ran past the higher, more dry, sandy areas the Sandhill Cranes began their violent screeching. Their sound reminds me of a bad violin player. Screech, screech, screech. They are so afraid of us, they screech and try to run away as quickly as possible. I saw two adults and 11 fuzzies following. I could hear the Trumpeter Swans, their sound really is near to a trumpet. They bugle back and forth; creating a wonderful song. The Pileated woodpecker, first pounding away in the distance, the letting our the oooh, ooh, oooh, oooooh ooooh ohhhhh..the sound reminds me of the Loon.
It was awesome.
I love running along the trail, listening to the birds, taking in the beautiful scenery, watching the scenes change as the seasons change. Before I was a runner, I didn't see these sights. I was in bed, with a bad hangover.
Now I enjoy the pre dawn hours, the silence; as the sun rises, so do the birds, with their beautiful trail symphony.
As we trotted off to the car, 10 miles later, I looked back to the trail for some reason. There I saw two magnificent Bald Eagles, watching Topaz and I.
What a great way to begin the day.
I'm off to grocery shop, run errands, do some laundry and then pack up to head to Greenbush, WI. Looks to be about 6 hours away. I sure rather be heading up to Duluth to run the Superior Trail Fat Ass 100K. I had already entered the UMTR Fab 50's and this Glacial Trail is the final race. I'm sure it will be another excellent adventure :)