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The influence of climate continues to play a pivotal role in our experience of outdoor recreation in the White Mountains, particularly in winter when most activities depend on particular snow and ice conditions.
The region's climate is influenced by a complex set of geographic factors, including latitude, mountainous topography, and proximity to both oceanic and continental weather patterns. These, in turn, are affected by trends in global climate. The result is often dramatic variability in winter conditions, experienced both within single seasons and from year to year.
Scientists working in the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, a Forest Service research site near the town of Thornton, have been measuring climate indicators like temperature, snowfall, and ice-out dates in the White Mountains for over 50 years. What they've found is that despite this variability that many of us have become accustomed to, two longer term trends are still clear: winters in the White Mountains are getting warmer and they are producing less snow.
What does the future hold for adventure in the White Mountains?
The effects of climate change have already influenced the ski industry, with a transition from small ski areas widespread across New England to large resorts concentrated in the northern mountains. These resorts now rely on substantial artificial snow-making operations to stay in business. Similarly, members of other winter recreation communities—backcountry skiers, snowmobilers, winter hikers, mountaineers, and climbing guides—have also noted the impact of changing winter conditions on their activities. Some of these changes involve characteristics that are central to not only recreation, but also to businesses and culture in the White Mountains.
From a geologic perspective, the ties linking climate, landscape, and human beings are tightly bound. We tap into these connections when we go into the mountains, through our experiences and observations. The mountains hold a deep time, but it is a narrative in which we also participate: the passing of minutes as our heart races during a hike or climb, the passage of generations as our sports and communities evolve, the advance of eons as the ground is altered and shaped.


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mandy nauman austin & matt austin
Meet Mandy
meet matt
meet the dogs
Support Douglas Fir Mushing
Douglas Fir Mushing gear
get to know matt austin
Matt was born in Southern California and raised in Northwest New jersey. He grew up in the outdoors and spent much of his time hiking, skiing, fishing, and paddling around the east coast. He studied Political Science and History at the University of Vermont and continued his love for the outdoors and winter sports there. After graduating Matt worked as an arborist and then moved on to working at a ski resort. Enjoying the freedom and carefree life as a ski bum and travel junkee Matt arrived in Alaska in the spring of 2008. Initially intending on staying only for the summer, Matt fell in love with Alaska, Mandy, and his first dog Solo and decided to stay. More than eight years later Matt has built a homestead with Mandy and their 25 dogs outside of Fairbanks, AK. He has also worked more than four years as brewer and another year in the beer industry, which is his true passion.
Matt got into dog mushing not really by choice, but when he first met Mandy she had five dogs, with a litter on the way. He knew that if he stayed that dogs and mushing would be a part of his life. He is now fully entrenched in the dog mushing life style and has really taken to it well both as a musher and a handler. Handlers get little to no credit at all. They are the people that drive thousands of miles to meet their musher at the next checkpoint with a smile on thier face.....never complaining about being cold and tired, or any other woes from the road. Without handlers mushers wouldn't be able to do anything.
An example of one of the many sacrifices that Matt has made is that instead of going to a major beer festival, Where one of the best and most reputable brewers in the world told Matt's boss and co-workers that Matt's beer was the best beer there. He was chasing Mandy around on the Copper Basin 300. Matt has put so much of his life and dreams aside to help Mandy chase her dreams. Cheers to Matt and all his patience.
"If ever there is tomorrow when we're not together......there is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, smarter than think, but the most important thing is,
even if we're apart.....I'll always be with you."
~ Winnie The Pooh

subset: commoncrawl


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Carbon nanotubes make it possible to grow human hearts | ExtremeTechon February 16, 2013 at 8:25 am
Carbon nanotubes make it possible to grow human hearts
By Graham Templeton on February 15, 2013 at 2:40 pm
One of the most fundamental problems with growing organs in a petri dish (metaphorically speaking) is that organs don't grow in petri dishes. That is to say, the naturally grown organs we'd like to replace were themselves grown in and amongst organs, which were themselves grown in and amongst others.
This nature-nurture dichotomy highlights how much our genes rely on environmental constants for their mechanisms of action; all the fancy collagens in the world can't anchor a cell to a basement membrane that isn't there. Time and again we've seen admirable work in cell biology undone by the simple fact that these meticulously engineered cells are without the proper world in which to grow, and some organs have posed more problems than others. A bladder is a relatively simple thing, just a balloon with a couple of special openings. A heart, on the other hand, needs significantly more nurturing to grow up big and strong, precise enough to replace the body-grown version from which it was cloned. This week, the American Chemical Society's journal Nano printed an article detailing the use of carbon nanotubes in a growth scaffold for rat heart cells. The result? The closest we've come to creating a beating heart on demand.
Read more: Carbon nanotubes make it possible to grow human hearts | ExtremeTech.


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To stand up on behalf of the children. These young people remind us that our faith beckons us to aid the weakest of our community and to make their fight, our fight.
In 1998 a police sergeant, now retired Donnie Dixon recognized a need and was compelled to help several children who suffered from terminal illnesses or debilitating injuries as a result of tragic accidents. Not realizing the magnitude of the journey he was about to embark upon, he organized a golf tournament raising money to assist these families. Since then Hometown Heroes has become a 501(C)3 charity. Our focus has changed to supporting families that have kids that have cancer.
Community and business support was solicited along with coordination of other events that helped provide support to these families to cope with the financial burden and horrifying news of their children's fate.
If asked, all involved with our mission will tell you...
"It's all about the kids and Hometown Heroes would not be what it is today without every individual or business that volunteers, contributes and supports our mission."
Services vary contingent upon need; however, every child hero has a dedicated sponsor to ensure their needs are met.
Other services include:


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How did HHBTM start?
Happy Happy Birthday to Me records started out as a one-off compilation CD to be given away with the 4th anniversary issue of the Bee's Knees zine in July of 1999. I asked lots of bands that I had interviewed in past issues, and that I knew to contribute songs, and almost all of them did. I then shopped the CD/Zine to some distributors, and it presold more copies than I had planned on pressing. So I upped the amount pressed, and had so much fun doing the CD, I then decided to jump right in to doing a 7″ singles club. While working on the club, I released a few CDs, and the rest is history… it was never really meant to be a label, it just sorta happened. The name for the label comes from the first compilation title Happy Happy Birthday to Me. The first CD was a celebration I threw for the zine for making it to the 4 year mark. So the name just stuck.
Where should I send stuff, or who do I contact?
Happy Happy Birthday to Me Records
P.O. Box 742
Athens, GA 30603 USA
How do I get copies of HHBTM titles for my radio show, magazine, zine, or blog?
email Mike @ firstname.lastname@example.com
Who do I contact to book a HHBTM band for a house show, club show, or festival?
If you'd like to book any of the HHBTM bands, please email your info to: email@example.com
Who distributes HHBTM, and how can I get added to the list?
Currently HHBTM is distributed by MVD and Revolver in the United States and Cargo in the UK. You can also get HHBTM titles from Jigsaw Records mail-order and Get It On Vinyl. If you are a record store, mailorder, or distributor that would like to carry hhbtm titles, please drop me an email at email@example.com.
I would like to send my demo in for consideration, what should I do?
Send a nice email and links to your soundcloud or band camp to firstname.lastname@example.com. I try to reply, but it might take a few weeks.
Can I feature music from HHBTM releases in my podcast?
Please do! Consider this a blanket license for podcasts. And thanks for wanting to shine some light in our direction. Some rules of thumb: Don't use more than two songs from the same album on any one podcast. Never use more than half of the tracks from one release in any number of podcasts. Please mention that your listeners can buy the album at www.hhbtm.com and see performances by the artist you feature.
I have an mp3 blog. Can I post a song file?
Yes. Same rules as above apply. Always give your readers a highlighted link back to us. At the end of the day we can't do what we do without selling some records. Blogs, in our view, help us do this, just like radio play would. If you would like to be included on our special mailing list of bloggers who receive links to electronic demos, please send us an email with a link to your blog and any traffic stats you might have.
Are you looking for interns?
Right now the label is still pretty small, but if you want to help stuff envelopes, and are in the Athens, GA area, then get in touch, and you will be paid in HHBTM products.
What is Athens POPFEST?
Athens PopFest was a music festival that took place in Athens, Georgia for a few days each year from 2004 through 2011. …. and It's back. The Athens Popfest returned in 2016 and is currently set to take place August 9th – 12th, 2017.


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Download eBook Blaster
eBook Blaster claims to be an ideal software utility for those users looking to create eBooks in the most efficient and easy manner. It claims to be a cost effective software solution that can help you create and publish eBooks with ease. According to the publishers, the tool is integrated with several interesting and exciting features that make it possible for you to create interesting and functionality rich eBooks that can help enhance your revenue and attract more customers to your eBooks.
The ease of using this tool and its intuitiveness are some of the important factors that claims to make this one of the most effective and efficient tools, when compared to other contemporary software utilities in this category. If you are a publisher or marketer who has established their business online or is considering creating an online publishing business; then this tool claims to be the ideal solution for all your needs. The utility guides you through a series of steps that makes compiling your eBooks as easy as clicking a few buttons and tabs. The tool also comes integrated with an eReader utility and an eBrander generator.
These utilities have their share of features and functions, making it one of the most efficient eBook creation and publishing tool. If you are looking to create or publish eBooks, you need to look no further than this tool. When compared to the numerous functionalities it offers; the tool comes with price tag that can be considered a worthy investment. You can check out this tool using its free trial version which is available for a limited period of 30 days. The utility can be implemented in all Windows platforms such as Windows 98, 2000, 7, 8, NT, Me, XP, and Vista versions. It is a product of SubmitAd.com.


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Bossier City Tickets
Concerts in Bossier City LA
Sports in Bossier City LA
Theater in Bossier City LA
Venues at Bossier City LA
Details of Bossier City and the Ticket Luck value
Bossier City
Located along the east bank of the Red River across from Shreveport in Northwest Louisiana, Bossier City is a city in Bossier Parish, Louisiana, USA. As of latest estimates, Bossier City had a total population of 61,000 inhabitants.
From the natural beauty of the Red River to the new shopping centers, Bossier City features an array of the Bossier Parishs most unique attractions.
In the region, you will find a unique mix of retail shops, restaurants, cultural attractions, casinos, horse racing and much more. So be sure to visit Louisiana Boardwalk for dozens of unique restaurants, outlet shopping, the Louisiana Boardwalk Stadium 14, and fun events for the whole family!
The Bossier City is closely tied to its larger sister city Shreveport, and is the center of the region known as the Ark-La-Tex. There are many diverse attractions in Bossier City. Barksdale Air Force Base is the home of the 8th Air Force and 2nd Bomb Wing and is located within Bossier City limits.
The city also has three major riverboat casinos: Harrahs Horseshoe, Diamond Jacks, and Boomtown. Located on the east-side of the Bossier City is the Harrahs Louisiana Downs. The Harrahs Downs is a first-class thoroughbred racetrack with slot machines.
So take some time to visit the City and experience its outstanding quality of life, including beautiful parks and open spaces, cultural events, and great restaurants. Bossier City is poised to deliver a memorable experience to its visitors.
Take a stroll though the fabulous Louisiana Boardwalk with its unique retail stores and enjoy world-class entertainment. Bossier City is a virtual oasis for arts and culture, while live music and theater are no exception.
The city is a home to venues which are noted for putting up on stage the exceptional talent of local artists and musicians. Local arts and music events often have a strong traditional flavor, and you can also catch the internationally acclaimed artists and acts in some of the Bossier Citys best venues.
Theres no shortage of activities when it comes to Bossier City. So dont waste your time sitting at home, step out onto the banks of the Red River and take in the glorious sights, sounds and sensations of the region.
Bossier City is full of fun places and unique activities that genuinely represent the people and culture of the region, making it a prime cultural heritage tourism site. Today, the Bossier City offers unique historic, cultural and natural destinations for families, groups and seasonal travelers.
Those fancy eating out in Bossier City, there is an array of diverse range of restaurants in the region. Restaurants in Bossier City offer a variety of flavors and cuisine. Needless to say that the food is as delicious as it is unusual.
Food-lovers can dig into everything from authentic Mexican, to steaks, to BBQ, or mix of them. There is no better place to try unique cuisine than Bossier City, so try it!
As for shopping, Bossier City is a great place to shop. The regions shopping scene does not let visitors go without buying something for their loved ones.
All through the year, people living in Bossier City work together to educate the young and care for the old. Bossier City, Louisiana yet has a lot to offer. So come and explore the majestic scale of Bossier City for yourself making it truly a marvelous spectacle!
Frequently Asked Questions
Q:I and my brother are heading over to Bossier City soon enough, since were going to stay there for a while, weve planned to attend one of the coming events there. Since we both rely on pocket money we need cheap bossier city wwe tickets.
A:When it comes to affordable Bossier City tickets, we rise above all. Please go through our arsenal of tickets and hopefully youll find what youre looking for. Thanks.


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3M Layr Security Window Film
The Incredible Safety Benefits of Security Window Film
Contact our staff for details: 856-292-3645
With the public so concerned about safety and security these days, it's really surprising that more people aren't looking at Security Window Film and its protective features as a major solution. This is an incredibly effective product that cost industrial giants hundreds of millions of dollars to develop. Although Security Window Film is guaranteed, is proven to be effective, meets strict governmental standards, has the required accreditations and enjoys widespread industry support, there is still very little consumer awareness.
How Security Window Film is Made
Security Window Film is made of engineered polyethylene terephthalate and other exotic substrates to create a protective film 3 to 4 times thicker than automotive window tint. It is also fortified with cross-woven layers to prevent it from ripping apart and tearing. 3M, Eastman Chemical and other multi-billion dollar companies now manufacture Security Window Film in clear as well as tinted and frosted variations.
Also referred to as "fragment retention film", Security Window Film was first installed in the 1970s to protect embassies worldwide from bomb blasts. The US Government has been using it for decades; most notably 3M's Security Window Film prevented flying glass shards at the Pentagon during the tragic events on 9/11. Other high-profile structures that have the film installed include the White House, Sears Tower, Grand Central Terminal, the George Brown Building and many others.
The Highly Technical Installation Process
The film is first cut to measure before being professionally installed, which is usually on the interior of glass doors and windows. Installed with special tools and adhesives, the film creates an airtight mechanical bond. Once bonded – after repeated impacts or an explosion, the film will hold the broken glass together without allowing any shards to escape. For added security, the glass and film can be secured to the window frame using an attachment system that will hold the frame, glass, and window together during a blast. This security upgrade creates a federal-grade, shatter-resistant shield on glass doors and windows.
Other Benefits of Security Window Film
This protective shield offers many other safety and security benefits aside from bomb blast protection:
Prevents and deters burglaries
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The list goes on and on
Security Window Film basically keeps bad people, bad weather and other bad things from getting inside a building. Additionally, this protective film retains the core benefits of sun-control film, which first became widely used in the early 2000s:
Blocks dangerous UV rays, which can cause cancer and fade interiors
Reduces uncomfortable hot spots inside the building
Tinted versions reduce the transfer of solar energy while improving privacy
Lowers energy use and the added cost of air conditioning


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- Home >
- Knowledge & Resources >
- News >
Pennsylvania Unveils Five-Year Affordable Housing Strategy
Three collaborating state agencies have announced the launch of a five-year housing strategy to connect Pennsylvanians with affordable, integrated, and supportive housing. TAC was in attendance as Secretary of Human Services Ted Dallas was joined by Brian Hudson, executive director of the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency, Secretary of Community and Economic Development Dennis Davin, and the Department of Human Services' executive housing director, Ben Laudermilch, at the unveiling event at Shepherd's Crossing in Mechanicsburg on Monday.
Introducing the plan, Secretary Dallas said "…All of us here today are committed to promoting independence and giving all people, regardless of their age or disability, a voice in choosing where they live. If we are successful, the services we provide will match what our clients want and, because community-based care costs about half of institutional care, we can also save millions of taxpayer dollars."
The strategy outlines the problems with the current state of housing opportunities for individuals with targeted goals and solutions spanning through 2020.
Congratulations to our friends in Pennsylvania!
LEARN MORE about Pennsylvania's affordable housing strategy and find links to the plan and an explanatory video.


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Yuval Boger (VRGuy) has been doing VR since 2006. He shares his experience and views on HMDs and VR technologies.
Also, check out the VRguy podcasts where I host industry experts for deeper conversations about VR and AR.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Will Microsoft acquire Lumus Optical?
Publicly, Lumus has been keeping a very low profile. The most recent press release or news article on its Web site, for instance, is dated some two years ago. If it not for their promotion of the upcoming SID show, an outsider could conclude that Lumus is out of business.
Of course, it may very well be that this rumor is untrue or that the acquisition talks will not come through, but it's a good opportunity to analyze where such an acquisition could fit.
One place where a see-through display could fit is with the Microsoft mobile division as part of the Windows phone initiatives. A classic use case of a Bluetooth-equipped see-through display with a phone is showing the caller ID inside the glasses so that the user does not have to pull out or look down at the phone. With phones become more and more sophisticated, dynamic driving directions have also been discussed.
How much would people be willing to pay for such glasses and what would they cost to make? This has been a classic chicken-and-egg problem for goggle manufacturers, where price depends on quantity and quantity depends on price. If Microsoft were to bring this product to market, they could all but guarantee a large enough quantity to make these economical.
Another possible home for a see-through display ix the XBOX group. If motion sensing (e.g. Wii, Kinect) was the last big thing in gaming, 3D, immersion and freedom of motion could be the next. I find this a bit less likely that mobile because gaming often requires immersion and 27 degrees of FOV, at least for the current product, is far from being immersive.
One way or the other, such an acquisition would be a nice shot in the arm for all the goggle vendors trying to find their way to a mainstream market.
If Microsoft ends up acquiring Lumus, you've heard it first here! If they don't, I just might change the title of this post to "Should Microsoft acquire Lumus".
1 comment:
- mayloveheal said...
recently i got a tip on lumus opticals and a look at their website is promising an exciting product ... since project natal ( remember, that was kinect in the devellopmen stage ) was being reported on, i wished for a portable solution ... and preferably one non-camera based, with what i would introduce an idea of an alternative input with kind of radio frequency id tags ( or bluetooth, infrared, microwave signal senders ) built into clothes for example what transmit many in a second position updates to the pocketable tiny processor ... and from there it is fed into light transparent goggles like lumus ones ... application ideas :
lying on one s back watching the blue sky, one is editing a video shot some hours before with arm up down sideways swiping pinching and chrunching the failed scences with a movement like one would crunch a piece of paper to sportingly throw it into the garbage basket ... sitting on a bench beside a calm lake, patiently waiting for the inspiration to strike and when its here, one still looks at the lake and the fingers type the poem on the upper legs, the words appear on top of the lake in a custom setted percentage within the dataglasses.... dancing on the lawn, the constantly position signal sending sensors within trousers, shirts and gloves allow playing instruments of any kind in a highly customizable way of 360 degree 3 dimensional "keyboard", one could play a flute with one arm, the guitar with the other and the drums with the legs, plus it could be interpreted on a visual layer too, so the real lawn seen trough the glasses, the image of oneself moving transmitted by the sensors and displayed at a certain percentage within the dataglasses plus the color and form visualization of sounds and or movements, all blended together
in many variable ways....
but to comment on the article and its aquisation thesis, i would like to mention a thought i had earlier today:
is it thinkable, that inventors and small researching/develloping groups could form a plattform together with big and strong financially backed up companies being well introduced in the markets with huge installed customerbases ?
like, could the inventors keep a saying when it comes to integrating the new product within the allready installed environment ? could it be beneficial for the big companies to choose the decentral avenue, networking, cooperating ? to breathe the fresh and rich air of dynamic change, adaption, fluid decision processes ... no thoughts about investment and return projections ... just trusting and having fun that a good product being supported with skilled and experienced engineers, designers, marketers, a kind of openly mixed together structure, everyone contributes what one knows and needs get satisfied on the go by anyone who is capable of doing it ... regardless from what angle the advice or line of software comes ... also the integration of customer wishes and feedbacks and inviting them to contribute elements of sollutions ....
- September 28, 2011 at 10:56 AM


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6 Hour Kenai Fjords National Park Cruise
Our 6 Hour Kenai Fjords National Park Cruise explores the world of whales, wildlife, and glaciers found in Kenai Fjords National Park. The Spirit of Adventure and Kenai Fjords 360 are two of our fastest catamarans, allowing you to experience as much scenery, glaciers, and wildlife as possible within six hours. Providing a full narration to your journey, a uniformed National Park Ranger will be onboard to point out the spectacular sights and provide information on the area's ecology, history, and geology. You will spend time in front of the mighty Holgate Glacier, an actively calving tidewater glacier. This cruise is the best option for those traveling with same-day transportation packages from Anchorage.
Tax, harbor fee, and meal not included in above prices.


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Hi everyone! I'm finally home in Atlanta for the entire summer. Whoopee! A great chance to catch up on my Blog, teach a class here in Atlanta, garden, play with my kitties and friends, as well as host a workshop on Damanhur Italy. But it is also a chance to take a look at how I can more effectively get some of these fabulous new Webinars that people have been asking about for a year, off the ground. So I am just starting to work with a wonderful new company that will allow me to send short, medium and even longer video messages to all of you. This company is also great for hosting great Webinars that have speaking, white boards and the capacity to do Power Point classes on a variety of subjects. As I begin to master this new web technology in the next week or so, I will be posting more about this to let you all know more.
Secondly, I just got invited to be a part of a free teleconference in July hosted by Julia Griffin. This teleconference Summit starts broadcasting next week, and I will be adding a page of details about that event which includes other great speaker/teacher/writers.
Next, in September, I've been invited to speak at a fabulous Mount Shasta Conference (see the slider on the front page for September 12, 13 & 14th). At that conference is the magical Robert Perala, Pleiadian contactee James Gilliland, and host Robert Potter, and since three out of the four of us are contactees, this amazing three day event on should bring in some of our Star Being Space Brothers and sisters.
Finally, after months of going back and forth with my new publishers, Inner Traditions, we have finally just named the new book I was writing all of last year. It will be published in early March of 2015. It has taken several months of discussions with their great team of editors to finally find the right name. As I told them more about its message, it became clear that it was about the return of the Divine Feminine which is so desperately needed at this time in the world. So at last we know that the new title is THE RETURN OF THE DIVINE SOPHIA: HEALING THE EARTH THROUGH THE LOST TEACHINGS OF JESUS, ISIS AND MARY MAGDALENE. While the final cover has not been done, we have a preliminary that I am posting here.


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Burnley have signed winger Cameron Stewart from Hull on a loan deal until January.
The 22-year-old is a product of Manchester United's youth academy and signed for the Tigers in January 2011 following a successful loan spell.
Stewart has made 50 appearances for City, including three this season, and earned a call-up to the England Under-21 ranks last year.
He will wear the number 19 jersey at Turf Moor and is eligible to play against Brighton on Saturday.


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Trauma-Informed Care is treatment that recognizes the prevalence of trauma and the coping behaviors individuals can exhibit. The main goal of Trauma-Informed Care is to provide patients with caring treatment that does not in any way inadvertently re-traumatize.
Another goal of Trauma-Informed Care is to treat all patients with respect and dignity, in line with the principles of Service Excellence. Brooke Glen staff takes the time to step back and understand where patient behaviors are coming from, so they may better manage and intervene with difficult patient problems.


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Tues 10 Jan
Wed 11
Changes to Wednesdays
Thurs 12
MAGIC THURSDAY: Kylie Griffin ~ Tortured Heroes
Sat 14
Changes to Saturdays
(where we've been)
- The Christmas Shopping List
- Vengeance Born Surprise
- It's Christmas Eve!
- Merry Christmas - a message to one and all.
- It's Boxing Day! - Aussie traditions & childhood memories for this time of year.
- My Holiday Reading List - Maybe you'll find a couple from mine to add to yours!
- ROFL Moment - For fans of the movie, Ghostbusters!
- 2011 Ends with a Bang for Vengeance Born!
- Welcome 2012!
- DarkSiders Reading Challenge 2012
- Review from Fresh Fiction
- Topic: In a Galaxy Far Far Away with Jenna McCormick
- Author: Vonnie Hughes
- VENGEANCE BORN Goodreads giveaway
- TOPIC: An Author's Life with Anna Campbell
- Super Sunday - Men in Black trailer
- Tuesday Tunes: White Christmas - with Michael Buble and Kelly Rowland
- Merry Xmas!!!
- Tuesday Tunes: The Blues Brothers
- Another Challenge - Eleni's Library
- DarkSider Reading Challenge - Eleni's Library
- Reading Challenges
- Yia Sou 2011
- Happy New Year!!
- It's 2012! - Eleni's Library
- 2012 Goals
- December reads & 2011 Challenges Update - Eleni's Library
- Let the challenges begin - Eleni's Library
- Conference 2012: Cocktail Party - Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend - RWAustralia
- Flash Fiction and Antipodean SF
- Stunning Saturday - photographs
- 4 things I've learned this year - Musings by Wink
- I'm thankful for cover artists - Casablanca Authors
- Merry Christmas - Musings by Wink
- Writers: Make technology work for you - Ripping Ozzie Reads
- Meet Narelle Harris
- Winner Fiona McIntosh Book Giveaway
- One Writer's Daydream Directors
- Winner Yvonee Navarro Book Giveaway
- Meet Claire Corbett
- Winner Les Petersen E-book cover
- Meet Cheryl Morgan
- The Terry Pratchett First Novel Award 2012
- Meet Douglas Holgate
- Is that a door opening or are you pleased to see me? - Ripping Ozzie Reads
- Meet Isobelle Carmody
- My fave reads of 2011
- Fave viewing and music for 2011
- The 12 days of Christmas - Supernatural Underground
- My week in writing - an early edition
- One Perfect Night
- More reviews for SWTWC
- Update and ramblings
- Reviews for Something Wicked This Way Comes
- Thank you
- Identity Shift, Review
- Laurann hits NYT Best Selling rank!
- Oh no! look at the time
- Whisper
- Merry Christmas
- Steampunk poetry
- Farewell 2011
- A Steampunk Kubla Khan
- You may have noticed - tumblr images being sent to blog.
- be-a-traveller: Baltic Sea (by Liebeskind Photos)
- be-a-traveller: Lüdinghausen by Peter Gutierrez on Flickr.
- fairytale-europe: Freitas, Portugal
- omgthatdress: Negligée 1908 The Metropolitan Museum of Art
- 1000graces: (via Places I want to be.. / New York)
- maudelynn: Someone seems to have taken rolling in an inner tube to the next level. I want one. c.19
- homedesigning: Spread Movie House - click through for more!
- maudelynn: Hale House Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument No. 40, a Victorian home designed by W.
- A Hole in the Pavement by Thalia Newman
- Darkness Devours cover
- Merry Christmas and some questions answered
- A belated happy new year, everyone!
- Maree gets linky again
- NZ Firefighters Calendar Giveaway
- Merry Christmas
- Naughty New Year's Resolutions
- 2011 ends with an old favourite
- Freaks, warriors, and erect male parts - Writers Gone Wild
- Looking foward: My 2012 goals
- Retro post: Stress Free Writing all Year
- Self Publishing changes in 2012
- Great start to next year
- Surprise Delivery - Harlequin Desire Author blog
- Goals for 2012
- Eleni is hosting a DarkSider Reading Challenge on her reading blog. There are different levels to the challenge - reading 6, 12, or 24 books by the DarkSiders. Why don't you pop over and join?
- We also welcome more members to the DSDU Pack (the team that brings you the blog):
- Nicola E. Sheridan for a new column, A Bite of..., (more info on Wednesday)
- New member Colleen Simpson for the new column, Enchanted Orb (more info on Saturday)
- Sandra Harris for Competitions page (soon to come)
- Jess Anastasi who will look after the Agents page.
Thank you ladies!!
- Kitty is running an online class from 16th January to 12th February on Going the Distance: Goal setting and time management for the writer. It's $20 for OCCRWA members and $30 USD for non-members.
- Kylie has a ARC copy of Vengeance Born as a giveaway on Goodreads. Follow the link - it is open from 7 January to 7 February. Good luck!
Have a great week everyone!


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Widely credited with saying, in 1888, "you push the button, we do the rest."
In his final two years Eastman was in intense pain caused by a disorder affecting his spine. On March 14, 1932 Eastman shot himself in the heart, leaving a note which read, "To my friends: my work is done. Why wait?"


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I have never seen anyone who enjoyed science so much. The sheer joy of seeing things and doing science filled him with exuberance and excitement. He had an incredible zest for life. He enjoyed his food, his jokes, his fights and quarrels. Yet the enjoyment he had for his science was something apart. In this pursuit it was as if his ego disappeared completely in the presence of effulgent Nature. Yes, he was truly lost in the wonder and beauty of what he was trying to comprehend.
Biographer S Ramaseshan on C V Raman
[This write-up is based on the talks I have given over the last two decades, especially in schools and colleges and generally on 28th February, the National Science Day, on the significance of the day in relation to the life and work of India's only native and home-grown science Nobel Laureate, C V Raman in whose research institute I had the privilege to work for my doctorate degree during 1977-81. I am uploading this post to coincide with the day this year.]
28 February 1928 was the day when one of the greatest experimental discoveries in the annals of twentieth century science was definitively confirmed in a nondescript laboratory at the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science (IACS) in Kolkata (then Calcutta) with some of the most primitive equipment then in existence by a group of physicists led by Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman (1988 -1970) and announced by him to the news media the very next day. He followed it up with a formal lecture on the discovery, titled "A New Radiation", in the inaugural session of the South Indian Science Association on the 16th March 1928 at the Central College in Bangalore. Incidentally, the lecture hall in the Cental College where this happened is named after him and I had the privilege of attending many classes and lectures in it as a postgraduate student of Physics in the late fifties.
As the news of the discovery spread and received swift confirmation from several of the better established laboratories around the world, C V Raman began to believe that it would fetch him the highest award one could dream of in the scientific world, something that he had the audacity to promise himself five years earlier! So convinced and cocksure was he that the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1930 would be awarded to him that he had, in the words of his biographer, "... booked two tickets for himself and his wife in July that year to enable them to reach Stockholm in early December!". No, there is no evidence that any astrologer had predicted the outcome! Incidentally, Raman's biographer Dr S Ramaseshan, who was also a nephew as well as a student of Raman, vehemently rubbished any connection between the former and astrology while reacting to a mischievous innuendo from a 'noted astrologer' to such an implied link through his wife.
Raman was not disappointed with his outrageously confident expectation. The Nobel Committee did give its 1930 Physics Nobel Prize to him graciously and exclusively for his discovery that came to be recognized as the Raman Effect. There are few instances in the history of the Nobel Prize of such a short gap between discovery and recognition. The rest is history, marking one of the most memorable moments in the quest for scientific glory in India, a moment that is being commemorated as the National Science Day ever since it was so designated in 1986.
Raman the Physicist
Born near Trichy in Tamilnadu in 1888, Raman had his school education in Vishakhapatnam where his father taught Mathematics in a college and stimulated Raman's early interest in both Mathematics and Physics. Later he moved to Chennai (then Madras) and joined the famous Presidency College. He was an exceptionally brilliant student in both Physics and English and obtained his B A degree when he was just 15. While still an undergraduate, he had begun some meaningful research on Acoustics and Optics and published his first research paper at the age of 18. He obtained his M A degree in Physics with the highest honours aged just 19. Circumstances however compelled him to take up a lucrative position in the Indian Finance Department in Calcutta, a turn of events in some ways similar to that of Einstein. His interest in Physics couldn't be held back too long and he fortuitously made contact with the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science where he spent most of his spare time doing some independent research with the meagre resources available. He soon came into limelight with his irrepressible talents and became a Professor of Physics in the Calcutta University in 1917, a switch that meant a considerable financial sacrifice. In 1921 he attended a Universities Congress at Oxford and lectured on the theory of stringed instruments before the Royal Society of London. In 1924 he was conferred the very prestigious Fellowship of the Royal Society (FRS). At the invitation of Robert Millikan, he spent five months at the California Institute of Technology, USA the same year. His historic discovery relating to light scattering, called the Raman Effect, came four years later and the Nobel Prize for it soon after. Decades later, a grateful and independent India bestowed upon him the nation's highest honour, the Bharat Ratna award, the same year it was instituted (1954).
Raman was such a strongly egotistic and domineering personality that he couldn't get on well with the people who mattered in Calcutta, including the great astrophysicist Meghnad Saha, and decided to move to the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bangalore to head its Physics department in 1933. With this, the centre of gravity of Indian science shifted from its long standing base in Calcutta to Bangalore. Raman was later elevated to the directorship of IISc, but had to revert to his earlier position because of serious conflict with the governing council of the institute. After his retirement in 1948 he founded his own institute for scientific research in Bangalore and staunchly maintained its administrative independence, uninfluenced by other considerations. It was only after his death that the Raman Research Institute (RRI) came under the official umbrella of the Department of Science and Technology of the union government.
Here is a picture of Raman with his collection of awards at the Raman Research Institute in Bangalore.
The Raman Effect
It is not my intention here to give a detailed account of the discovery of the Raman Effect, its significance and how it can be understood within the framework of quantum theoretical physics; nor is it my intention to delve into its extensive applications in science and industry following its rebirth after the invention of the laser. However, a cursory treatment of the underlying principles may be in order.
When light is incident on matter in any state – transparent solids/liquids or a gas – the light photons are scattered by the molecules or atoms of the material. A considerable fraction of the photons move away in different directions, without losing or gaining any energy in the process. This is the well-known Rayleigh scattering phenomenon. Because of unchanged photon energy, and hence of the wavelength/frequency or colour, the scattering is said to be elastic. In very rare cases, the photon energy decreases or increases due to an electromagnetic interaction with the molecule/atom of the scattering material, thereby the wavelength or colour of the incident radiation is altered. This is an inelastic scattering process, theoretically envisaged before Raman and his associates showed that it could indeed be achieved. Because of the very low probability of such (Raman) scattering, extremely intense and monochromatic (single wavelength) sources of light such as mercury arc lamps with appropriate filters to produce nearly monochromatic light needed to be used. The spectrum of the scattered radiation could be produced with a prism spectroscope and photographed with very long exposure times, yielding some extremely faint wavelength shifted spectral lines, in addition to a highly intense unmodified spectral line corresponding to the wavelength of the incident radiation. The wavelength shift and the nature of the Raman scattered radiation depends on the nature and physical properties of the molecules of the material and can be determined through appropriate measurements. The earliest experiments were done with clear liquids such as carbon tetrachloride, but later extended to transparent solids and gases as well. The intensities and wavelengths of the scattered lines varied greatly, but the lines corresponding to loss of photon energy were always more intense than those corresponding to a gain in energy.
Here is a picture of the spectrograph used by Raman and his team, exhibited prominently and proudly in IACS, whose old headquarters as well as the present one are also shown in the next picture.
When Raman confirmed the discovery he realized that what he had found was the optical analogue of a very similar process taking place with X-ray photons discovered earlier and known as the Compton Effect. Significantly, the discoverer, Arthur H Compton of USA, had been awarded the Nobel Physics Prize just a year before.
Rejuvenation of Raman Effect
Despite the tremendous importance of the process, Raman scattering experiments and applications went into hiatus for want of monochrormatic light sources strong enough to produce significant results. Raman's research interests drifted away to other, more promising, areas where he made very valuable contributions, and stayed that way till the rest of his productive life. But the invention of the LASER which made possible tremendously high intensity coherent sources of radiation in the sixties changed the scenario dramatically, though by then it was too late for Raman to re-enter the field.
Laser Raman scattering became one of the most useful and productive techniques in scientific research and has remained so even now. If anything, its importance and usefulness as an analytical tool for scientific and industrial applications has grown even more, with the development of portable and low cost Raman spectrometers employing the vastly more efficient 'surface enhanced Raman scattering technique', flexible fibre optic probes, integrated CCD video detectors and dedicated microprocessors for real time data acquisition and analysis. The following picture shows one such ultra-compact commercial device:
Raman the Man
The following short statement by Dr Subodh Mahanti of Vigyan Prasar sums up Raman's human side succinctly: "Raman was a very simple man. He was also a supreme egotist. But then in private conversation he often showed utmost humility. He was a man of emotion. He never bothered to suppress his feelings. He could get violently angry. He hurt many. He feared no authority. On some occasions he publicly wept like a child. Raman had 'all-too-human' drawbacks in abundance. But then he was an excellent physicist and totally devoted to the pursuit of science."
Few people ever seem to have seen Raman without his trade-mark turban and ill-fitting suit. The former is seen as a symbol of his orthodoxy. He was also a pure vegetarian and teetotaler. He had a refined sense of humour, one of the best illustrations of which was his purported remark at the Nobel Prize after-dinner ceremony, "Ladies and gentlemen, you may all know the Raman effect on alcohol, but don't try to find out the effect of alcohol on Raman."
Raman was also a staunch nationalist. His following remarks relating to the Nobel award ceremony are very significant: "When I sat in that crowded hall and saw the sea of western faces surrounding me, and I, the only Indian, in my turban and closed coat, it dawned on me that I was really representing my people and my country. … When I turned round and saw the British Union Jack under which I had been sitting, I realized that my poor country, India, did not even have a flag of her own – it was this that triggered off my complete breakdown."
It is interesting to note that Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, the great astrophysicist and Nobel Laureate, did not have any great admiration for his uncle C V Raman and did not opt to work under his tutelage before he left India for greener pastures abroad. He also thought that K S Krishnan, Raman's best known associate at Calcutta, did not receive adequate credit for his contributions that resulted in the discovery of the Raman Effect. In Chandrasekhar's own words, "Much of Raman's work relating to the discovery of the Raman Effect was carried out in collaboration with K S Krishnan. But unfortunately, Raman and Krishnan fell out in the late forties and they became estranged. It is a very unpleasant and unfortunate story." This certainly doesn't imply that Krishnan deserved to share the Nobel award with Raman as has been made out by some distractors of the latter.
A Memorable Encounter
As a student of the Physics honours course at the Central College, Bangalore during 1956-59, I was as keen as my fellow classmates in meeting C V Raman and listening to him. One day some of us had the audacity to visit him at his institute and invite him to our department for a special lecture. As soon as he heard our words, he flew into a violent rage, asked us to get out of his sight at once and virtually chased us out of the building. Perplexed and deeply hurt at such a reception from someone we had all adored for his achievements, we were about to make a hasty retreat when he called us back in a commanding voice, regained his composure, put us at ease and explained why he had reacted so irritably. Apparently, he had a grudge against the college and the thought of visiting it at the request of a bunch of irresponsible students was too much for him. His temper cooled swiftly and he offered us a very reasonable compromise – that we should all visit him at his institute to hear a special lecture from him. This was even better than what we had bargained for and, on the appointed day when all of us trooped in and awaited his presence in his spacious lecture hall, he gave us a masterly exposition of the theory of specific heats of solids, especially including his own recent contributions to it. In doing so, he castigated the work of the great German physicist Max Born, whom he had strongly patronized earlier at IISc, as well as others who had preceded both. To us it was a first-hand exposure to his complex and unpredictable personality to which Ramaseshan has alluded so frequently in his biography.
At the end of his talk, I had the temerity born mainly out of ignorance and half-baked ideas to ask him if his theory was in any way connected with the famous Raman Effect. I was too frozen stiff to understand his answer, but I do remember it was a patient, condescending and considerate one, making no mention of its irrelevance. This was the other face of the great man. Incidentally, Raman's theory of specific heats was quickly dumped into the dustbin of history, a fate that befalls almost all great scientists sometime or other in their lives.
Subsequently, I had the opportunity to hear Raman's lectures on two different occasions, once in my own city of Mysore to a packed gathering in the Maharaja/Yuvraja college complex. Though few in the audience really understood the contents, everybody had been mesmerized by his imposing personality. It was not a particularly healthy sign for cultivating good science.
Working at RRI
As recounted elsewhere in my blog, I had the privilege of being attached to the Raman Research Institute during 1977-80 to pursue my doctoral work under the guidance of Prof S Chandrasekhar FRS, another nephew of C V Raman. This gave me a ring side view of the institution that Raman had built up after his retirement from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore in 1948. I could learn a great deal about Raman and his personality, including his love-hate relationships with other people, from distinguished former students and assistants at the institute. The museum of collections of butterflies, minerals, and expensive gems and precious stones he had built up was a notable sight in the RRI campus. For good measure, I could actually lay my hands on his Nobel gold medallion and certificate of award, one of only two such repositories in the whole of the country.
Most lay visitors to RRI in those days invariably asked to see the Raman Spectrometer and were disappointed to learn that RRI didn't have any such instrument, not even the one with which Raman had done his pioneering work, which is actually displayed at the IACS Kolkata. Soon the situation was to change. As part of my work on the study of the vibrational spectral characteristics of aligned liquid crystalline molecules, I needed to build and use a laser raman spectrometer at the Liquid Crystals Laboratory of RRI. Prof Chandrasekhar had obtained a discarded traditional raman spectrometer built around a very good double reflection grating monochromator as a gift from abroad and I cannibalized it to isolate the monochromator and convert it to a laser Raman spectrometer using an existing powerful He-Ne laser souce, an imported photon counting system and some auxiliary equipment. This not only served my purpose but also became a much needed show piece for the institution. The excitement and thrill I derived from obtaining the first laser Raman spectrum of a liquid crystalline sample at RRI is permanently etched in my memory. The success of my endeavour also provided me some bragging rights, not to speak of the blogging rights I am now indulging in.
To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the discovery of the Raman Effect, RRI had organized an international conference on Raman scattering and related topics in 1978. I was also associated with its organization and logistics to some extent. Many top notch researchers from abroad had participated, including Dr C K N Patel form Bell Labs, USA who had invented the highly powerful carbon dioxide laser for which I thought he deserved a Nobel Prize. I had the opportunity to meet and talk to many of the distinguished delegates. As part of the celebrations, Prof Ramasehan delivered the first C V Raman Memorial Lecture at the Indian Institute of Science and the subject of his lecture was none other than Raman himself, his multi-faceted personality and his scientific achievements. He summed up Raman's scientific philosophy in these words: "To Raman, scientific activity was the fulfillment of an inner need. His approach to science was one of passion, curiosity and simplicity. It was an attempt to understand. To him science was based on independent thought, combined with hard work. Science was a personal endeavour, an aesthetic pursuit and above all a joyous experience."
Here is a picture of the very impressive main building of RRI more or less as it was when I was attached to its almost invisible Liquid Crystals Laboratory far to its left. RRI is located quite close to the sprawling Indian Institute of Science campus.
National Science Day
In 1986, the National Council for Science and Technology Communication (NCSTC), later renamed Vigyan Prasar, recommended to the Government of India the designation of February 28 for obvious reasons as the National Science Day (NSD). The event is now celebrated all over the country in schools, colleges, universities and other academic, scientific, technical, medical and research institutions. On the occasion of the first NSD (28 February 1987) NCSTC announced institution of the National Science Popularization awards for recognizing outstanding efforts in the area of science communication and popularization.
Conceived as an 'autonomous' organization, but fully funded by the central government, Vigyan Prasar's primary objective is to promote/nurture a scientific temper and rational outlook among all categories of people through a variety of activities, particularly aimed at making NSD as productive as possible. Considering the sorry status of science and science education in the country against the backdrop of stifling social customs and traditions, this is indeed an onerous responsibility, virtually impossible to achieve to any significant extent. The fact that the organization works like most government departments further restricts its usefulness. To be more effective, it needs to enlist the help of dedicated non-governmental voluntary organizations in a very big way and play an even more proactive role, exercising full functional autonomy and a much greater commitment to its primary objective. In trying to do so, it also needs to clearly elucidate for itself, in the context of it's the primary objective, what constitutes scientific temper and rational outlook in different groups of people, including scientists and students of science, and what does not.
In the last few years Vigyan Prasar has been centering its efforts around a focal theme, usually of contemporary interest. Last year, the theme was appropriately, "Chemistry in Daily Life", to highlight 2011 as the International Year of Chemistry. This year the theme has been, "Clean Energy Options and Nuclear Safety", partially perhaps to deflect attention from the ongoing agitation against the Koodankulam nuclear power project. Three sub-themes have been identified: (i) Nuclear Energy: A Clean, Reliable and Safe Energy Options, (ii) Alternative Energy for Sustainable Development, and (iii) Clean Energy Options – Choices for Tomorrow. Undue importance appears to be given for Essay Writing, Slogan Writing and On-the-spot Poster Making competitions which are of rather dubious and superficial productive value, the last two being downright trivial.
Raman had believed that the only method of promoting science was by doing and living it in the real day-to-day world and not merely in scientific institutions, laboratories and universities and was contemptuous of professional organizers of science. "for such people" he said, "the so called organization of science becomes more important than science itself or its values". Here is much food for thought, particularly for Vigyan Prasar.
Regarding public awareness, there is very little dissemination of concrete information related to the NSD in the electronic and print media. Like the numerous national festivals, NSD appears to be degenerating into yet another ritual in the national calendar.
At the professional level, nobody has served the cause of science in independent India with greater commitment, conviction and example than C V Raman. But, if the nation has to carry forward the torch he lighted as well as translate Nehru's dream of science and science education as transformational agencies to combat the ills and evils of our society, a great deal more needs to be done than the merely ritualistic observation of one day in the year as a special day in the nation's calendar.


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An author's thoughts about writing, free speech and the state of the world in which we live.
Tuesday, July 21, 2015
Dear Mr. Neil Degrasse Tyson
I don't think I need to tell you that it is hot outside. It is very, very, very hot. As a writer, I understand that using the word "very" is a lazy way of writing, however my brain is so fried from this heat, so this is the only word besides "hot" that comes to mind.
You have proven your argument. My children and I watched Cosmos last year (kids rewatched it again this month) and you have thoroughly convinced us of the science surrounding Global Climate Change. You've made your point, so turn heat down, please. It's just too hot.
Yes, I understand, weather and climate are two different things and so daily weather conditions can fluctuate, whereas climate change is the pattern of weather over the course of time. The pattern here lately is hot. So hot my goldfish are panicking and they live in a bowl inside my comfy air conditioned house.
My wife is threatening to leave me because I won't do the yard work. My dogs hate me because I won't take them for a walk. My kids are starting to hate on me because I promised to take them rock hounding this summer and I haven't. Why? Because it is very, very, very hot.
You said climate change is everyone's problem and we each need to do our part. I've replaced every light in the house with an LED light, reduced the excess mileage I put on my car and we plan to move into a more energy efficient home with energy efficient appliances. I would even like to have a solar panel array to produce my own power.
My family and I are big fans, so we know and believe in your mission. You made us believers even if the science doesn't require us to believe for it to be true.
So I've done my part, Mr. Tyson. I now place this into your good hands. You are a very smart and charismatic guy, so I know you got this. I believe in you, man. I know you can fix the problem. It's just too hot!
Posted by WO Cassity at 7:54 AM
Labels: climate change, Cosmos, humor, kids, Neil Degrasse Tyson
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We left the apartment in Split around 10am – and Steven and I sat in the sun by the port drinking good coffee in a café, while Rachel popped back to the market. We then walked to the bus station and boarded the bus to Zadar. Anne's flight to zadar had been cancelled but we decided to juts let things ride and make decisions of what to do later.
On the bus we happened to sit next to a nurse who assisted in Cochlear Implant Operations. She was based in a small town in Germany, although she was Russian. Very small world.
The Cathedral of St. Anastasia is a Roman Catholic Cathedral in Zadar. It is the seat of the Archdiocese of Zadar, and the largest church in all of Dalmatia.
The church's origins date back to a Christian basilica built in the 4th and 5th centuries, while much of the currently standing building was constructed in the Romanesque style during the 12th and 13th centuries. The site has been submitted to UNESCO's Tentative List of World Heritage Sites.
We wandered around the alleyways...
We wandered around the small city taking photos, then found a cheap restaurant and stopped for a lovely meal.
I also found a very good quality, but very nicely priced makeup shop – I bought a lipstick! That brings my sum total of lipsticks to 67. I have a lipstick problem!
The airline put on a van to Zadar for Anne but it wasn't getting in until 1am, so Steven and I waited up and met her to walk her back to the apartment when she arrived.


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Create your own DIY origami heart:
1 - Fold a square piece of paper in half diagonally one way, unfold and then do the same for the other half.
2 - Fold one corner into the centre.
3 - Fold the opposite corner to meet the folded edge on the other side.
4 - With the newest folded edge at the bottom, fold the sides to meet the crease line in the middle.
5. Fold the corners over on the opposite side to finish your heart!
This can be used as a cute handmade card, a gift tag or as a gift alone. An adorable idea would be to make many to decorate your home.
Gift idea: Plants (both real and artificial) are a gift that keeps on giving. I love this kmart chalkboard pot in a super pretty blush colour as you could write a sweet message to your love!
All images are my own.


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Brady Dunlop
Brady was made an Associate of the firm in 2011 after nearly 8 years with DIALOG. His education includes a Bachelor of Technology in Architectural Science from Ryerson in 1995 and a Master of Architecture Degree from the University of British Columbia in 1999. He concluded the Master's degree program with a study abroad term in Athens, Greece.
Since joining DIALOG in 2003, Brady has lent his keen but pragmatic sense of design, architecture and planning to a variety of projects types. His design and management experience is extensive and includes work in residential, cultural, retail, interiors, mixed-use, institutional, and transit sectors. Most notably, Brady was awarded a 2008 Governor General's Award and World Architecture Award for the Nk'Mip Desert Cultural Centre in Osoyoos, BC for which he served as Project Architect. The facility is recognized internationally for its sensitive architectural response to the desert site and its leading–edge design and sustainable initiatives.


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Jay West | "Abstract Messiah"Posted: July 10, 2012 Filed under: Art + Design | Tags: Abstract Messiah, End of an Error, Jay West Leave a comment
According to the pictures , Jay West's anticipated exhibition entitled End of an Error was a success . With family and friends supporting him from the start , his imagery was slowly coming to life . Soon after Jay and four other artists we're proclaimed winners , their artwork was then displayed on W.125th St.
His artwork displayed on W.125th St. was a shock . Though he never imagined walking up and down Harlem's well-known street to find his artwork displayed , his competitive mindset helped him surpass his imagination .
Jay's Earth-like piece is interesting because it could contain multiple meanings . Unfortunately for us , we may never know . Once you look past the artwork , the time and effort contributed to following his passion appears .
"I feel that my surroundings really influence my work as well . You're always a product of your environment . It's like , if you see gloomy skies and crackheads and gang violence . I could easily been sucked into that , but I took that , that backdrop , and made it like an influence . I made that and took it all and put it into an image or characters of my own . " – Justin West
A$AP Mob | "Lords Never Worry"Posted: August 28, 2012 Filed under: Music | Tags: A$AP Ant, A$AP Bari, A$AP Ferg, A$AP Mob, A$AP Nast, A$AP Rocky, A$AP Twelvy, A$AP Ty Beats, Lords Never Worry Leave a comment
As anticipation and patience rose and decreased during the weekend before the proclaimed A$AP Mob released their project entitled Lords Never Worry . Isn't Long.Live.A$AP releasing in October ? Yes . Though Long.Live.A$AP is releasing very shortly also , the Mob keeps their posture as they crash Live Mixtapes quickly after presenting us the masterpiece .
Collectives have been relevant recently . Luckily , A$AP Mob acquires an abundance of diversity to the point we're unable to disregard their work . Raise your expectations . Though this is the only project by the entire Mob , there will always be the time in the day to create more . Responses from strong supporters and fans will help realize the collective their time has yet to come .
Download their anticipated project here .
Jay West | "From Then To Now"Posted: June 12, 2012 Filed under: Art + Design | Tags: From Then To Now, Jay West Leave a comment
" Long roads result in dead ends . New paths multiply when one begins . " – Clayborne Bujorian
Remain patient while you're waiting for the new site . Stay informed via Thee Almighty .
Glue Society | "Hot With The Chance of Late Storm"Posted: June 7, 2012 Filed under: Art + Design | Tags: Glue Society, Hot With The Chance of Late Storm Leave a comment
Though we haven't had too many opportunities to chase our local ice cream trucks this year , we'll stop whatever it may be we're doing and chase after it as if we haven't seen it for years . A sculpture constructed by the Glue Society entitled Hot With The Chance of Late Storm helps portray the collision between extreme temperatures and your favorite treat , ice cream . A neat 3 dimensional piece of artwork , inspired by Salvador Dali has me anxious for what they're getting into in 2012 .
Jay West | "End of an Error" Short FilmPosted: May 18, 2012 Filed under: Art + Design | Tags: End of an Error, Jay West, Short Film Leave a comment
" The lair of empty Moet and Hennessy bottles is also the lair of the omnipotent gems of Jay West . " – Clayborne Bujorian .
Jay West | "Thee Omnipotent"Posted: May 15, 2012 Filed under: Art + Design | Tags: A$AP Rocky, damien hirst, End of an Era, End of an Error, Get High, Jay West, L&L TV Production, May 26th, Purple Swag, Thee Almighty, WASSUP Leave a comment
Nearing closer to his anticipated solo exhibit , the Pop Expressionist Justin West takes a few minutes from his work and progression to sit with L&L TV Production to speak about his history , and near future . Reigning from Harlem , New York , we're given the almighty talents of your favorite artist's artist . Not only has Mr.West had the opportunity to paint a lavish body in A$AP Rocky's music video , Wassup , his paintings are also featured in the backgrounds of Purple Swag and Get High . Some viewers tend to attach his artwork to the big names he works with. Both artists have high standards to represent their work in the best way possible tends to recieve mixed emotions .
" It kinda just recognizes real , it just meets , it just works . " – Jay West
With renaissance style paintings inspiring his skill and effort , his paintings never fail to come to life . Although there's a lack of humans in his famous pieces , wolves and robots tend to cover his canvas' . Yes , wolves and robots . The symoblic meaning of his choice of characters can only be found with the urge to learn .
His upcoming show , End of an Error on May 26th is similar to a double entendre of Damien Hirst's exhibit entitled End of an Era . The majority of his paintings and a possibility of select few drawings will be present . Although my presence won't be felt , it will . Don't forget to mark your calendars . If you're around the NYC area , make sure to stop-by and make an appearance at the Sara Nightingale Gallery .
Author : @See_Bujorian .


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Main Menu:
TACO 'bout a kind class!
Skills will be taught through whole group instruction and small
group instruction through The Daily Five, a management structure designed to
fully engage all students in reading and writing. The components of the Daily
Five are: Read to Self, Read to Someone, Listen to Reading, Word Work and Work
on Writing. Research shows the more you read (or write) the better reader (or
writer) you become. So we will be working on building our STAMINA (yes
your child will be able to define this word for you,) so we can become fluent
and confident readers
In math, students will build mathematical understanding using models, manipulatives, pictures and symbols. Students will learn numbers, addition, subtraction, 2 dimensional and 3 dimensional shapes, measurement and classification. You'll be amazed at your little mathematicians!
Throughout the school year, if you have any questions, comments, or concerns please email me or call the office.


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Muito obrigada pela visita e por ler até aqui! ~♥
I hope you enjoyed the post, even if it was so short this time! I'm trying to keep everything up to date because I have many surprises for you! *o*
Please don't forget to comment here what you think about it!


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Hi Everybody!
To celebrate the release of Broken (Daughters of the Jaguar#2) I'm going to put up the first book in the series - Savage (Daughters of the Jaguar#1) for FREE tomorrow on Amazon. But only for a few days so hurry up and get your copy! Don't forget to get the sequel as well while you're at it :-)
Savage for FREE
I am currently writing a sequel to my mystery/horror/thriller novel "One, Two... He is coming for you" and I hope to have it up for sale by the end of October. It's a seriously scary book.
"One, Two ... He is coming for you" has been on Amazon.uk's bestselling list for horror/thrillers for three weeks now. I'm really excited about that.
Take care,
The year is 1983. Christian is 22 years old when he leaves his home in Denmark to spend a year in Florida with a very wealthy family and go to med-school. A joyful night out with friends is shattered by an encounter with a savage predator that changes his life forever. Soon he faces challenges he had never expected. A supernatural gift he has no idea how to embrace. A haunting family in the house next door. A spirit-filled girl who seems to carry all the answers. An ancient secret hidden in the swamps of Florida. One life never the same. One love that becomes an obsession. Two destinies that will be forever entangled.
Savage is a paranormal romance with some language, violence, and sexual situations recommended for ages sixteen and up. It is the first in a family saga that covers three decades of the character's lives. The sequel Broken is also available for sale.
The year is 1993.
It has been ten years since we left Christian in Savage (Daughters of the jaguar#1). He is now a grown man, eye-surgeon and a father to five-year old William.
Even though time has passed Christian hasn't aged a day. But now Christian is suddenly changing. Something is happening inside of him that he doesn't quite understand. Why are his eyes glowing? Why does he feel muscle-pain?
Meanwhile Christian is fighting for his marriage when suddenly Aiyana's prophesy comes true and she is back in his life again.
Broken is the second book in Willow Rose's series called "Daughters of the Jaguar". It is a paranormal romance with some language, violence, and sexual situations recommended for ages sixteen and up. It is the second in a family saga that covers three decades of the character's lives. The first novel Savage is also available for sale


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Retail Sign for ECIGEXPRESS.COM
$500 paid
94 custom designs
46pre-qualified designers
Learn more about Graphic Design Contest
designed by bulletproof
Project description
We are an electronic cigarette company looking for a creative idea for a retail sign. The sign will most likely be CHANNEL LETTERS that are LED LIT. The store front can be seen by clicking this link http://goo.gl/maps/nC018 The current sign which says Barbo furniture will be removed. You can use any color for the green facade, to make it more complimentary to your sign design. So basically use the green facade as your starting point. Color it whatever you feel will complement the sign. Since customers do not necessarily know the brand, it is important that we have the words "electronic cigarettes" on the sign. Feel free to visit our website www.ecigexpress.com for a look at our website, which may help you with ideas. Thank you :)
dear sir, #1 I don't try to recycle existing sign, but make new sign with rounded edge, embossed aluminium/stainless steel frame, embossed acrylic logo and company name with lighting from inside of the box, thank you so much for feedbacks, i'll make revision soon best regards, kassai
The channel letters will go directly on the facade. It looks like you are using the existing sign backdrop. That is actually getting removed since it is an eyesore. Thanks for your entry!
Thanks for the entry. If you can try to get closer to our theme, based on our logo. We also need our logo in there somewhere. Thanks!
Can you upload the original ecigexpress logo, in its vector format if possible. Thanks. Liz
The sign should have the logo ecigexpress as well as the words "electronic cigarettes" as most customers do not know what ecigexpress is. Thank you
I did another one #39, please give feedback. The real colour is neon green and yellow, I had the ELECTRONIC CIGARETTES in uppercase and larger than the brand. And now I want to point out some things if you don't mind. I do this since I used to work in the sign industry a couple of year before. - Please go, have a look, speak with a local sign shop, see and touch material types and colour also technologies available, ask them what they can offer, what cost are for fabrication and what cost are after that for running the sign. What guarantees do they offer. I am telling you this since channel letters and generally 3D signs can use various solutions. They can be front illuminated - from inside, reverse illuminated (rear halo style), semi or full opaque face and be only side or edge illuminated, vegas style lit, can have a colour when day and change colour when lit or combinations of above. Also, since it is a real help to us, designers, tell us if you want letters, or letters combined with lightboxes, and also please give us an approximative size of the wall. Also bear in mind that letters cand have almost any colour you want, imagine different colours, and think that the facade (wall)can be painted in ANY colour instead of the actual dark green for reasonable cost, in order to accomodate the letter colour you think it's best. All this issues are important so you get the best results from us. Thanks for reading and giving us directions to design. Andrei
Hi ch I can only agree with kassai. REal dimensions of the facade and type of sign you want would really help.... Thanks, Andrei
dear ch, I want to ask any question about signboard 1. can you provide us the actual size of green facade, so we can design proportionally in actual scale and size, or you provide us actual dimensions you want. ex. 150 x 750 cm 2. please decide what type of signs do you want; embossed letter, outdoor digital printing, board painting, neonsign. it's can be far different in style of design maybe it can help designers to design your signboard accurately thank so much best regards, kassai
Hello CH, Hi,Please review my designs,entry #12 , #13 , #14 , #15 , #16 , #17 , #18 ... Hope you will like them. If you want any change,please tell! I would love to modify designs to your liking! Open to suggestions,any feedback would be appreciated. Regards, Umair Aslam
Hello CH, please revie #10 - Thanks ! I'm open to any adjustments
#8 I tried to match the logo with the cigarette. Then i use the simbol of the letter "i with the usb" as the charger to give a idea of a electonic ciagarett, and then I put the text in the figure of the cigarette "electronic cigarettes" in that way everyone who see it can have one idea of what is that without reading that!
So far we are leaning towards #5. It's not quite there yet, but something of that style really seems to work.
anything about #6? Or it's too late to catch up with 7? Thanks
I still like the top one better. We are almost there with this one. The problem we have is we need Electronic Cigarettes to be very visible. From the looks of this picture, it looks like it might not be large enough. Any way to make the users eyes notice electronic cigarette?
Thanks for the feedback I choose red for the letter since I saw that it's the corporate color of your company. I think that the red from TruLED plexiglas would be visible on the green background, but i'm not sure anumore, maybe you check with a local sign shop. It's not that important since the letters can be any colour i guess, the shape of the design is important. I removed the cigarette, played around with the letters, made the brand name smaller. I made it yellow, but i was thinking of neon green too instead of yellow. The ideea is that I try to keep it simple, letters without any holder, resembling the font in your brand. Waiting for feedback, maybe giving me some hints would be helpfull. Have a nice day!
I will get the original vector logo up once I get a hold of it. For now I uploaded the PSD of the logo. Thanks
If you could superimpose this on the facade, I think we will need to change the color of the facade. Can you try and make it integrate with the facade and do not use that sign holder. The letters will attach directly to the facade. Thanks!
Seems like with this type of design, we need to change the color of the facade. I am not too fond of the cigarette in between as it doesn't look integrated. It is getting there though. Thank you for the entry!
You are definitely on to something here. Since ecigexpress is not a known brand, I wonder if you can make the "ELECTRONIC CIGARETTE" part larger, and integrate the ecigexpress in a different way.
here is my entry. plain letters routed out of red plexiglass and black matte finish metal sides + cigarette printed and applied on white plexiglass also with blakc matte finish metal sides. Illuminated with power leds. I recommend Plexiglas trueLED. I think the solution is cost effective too, red looks good from distance. A question: what is the real heignt of the greenish part of the wall where it's to be applied? Waiting for feedback Thanks


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Hi polish friends!
I love summer for all the fun bright nail art looks we see everywhere. Today's mani takes full advantage of the season with a neon sponge gradient with some added stamping. Perfect for the bright sun and hot temps!
It's been a few weeks since I wore this, so I can't say I remember everything I used off the top of my head, but if you do have a question about any of that, I will do my best to answer!


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We've been interviewed! By Kimberly, who puts together the Gilded Gutter blog, here it is! Read it! Don't judge OK! We don't know what we're on about most of the time, and let the music do the talkin' yeah.... Click the face.
Also, in some other great news. The Lunch Music CDR is out, and you should definitely get a copy,
its a collection of all the bands that played the first series of Lunch Music at Utrophia project space in Deptford. Andrew who runs the awesome little shop called Extra Bones organised it... Click the face.
And thirdly, go and check out the new solo shows that Verity Susman( :D ) has started to play because Jack, who feels like its OK to plug his own shit on here as he takes on the blog duty, has made some visuals for the shows. Here is a freeeeeeze frame!
Its a slash-fiction-space-opera starring 7of9 and Cpt.Janeway from Star Trek Voyager!
Next show: 1st of May at Electricity Showrooms supporting Royal Baths. Seeya!


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I live on the Gulf Coast, and like so many others I look forward to enjoying a day on the water if the weather cooperates.
The local barrier islands lure us to spend the day boating and swimming, and the Sunday before Memorial Day has become the favorite boating day. As I'm writing this, I just changed from my wet bathing suit and my husband is still washing the salt water off the boat. Today the weather was beautiful and the island was packed. It was wonderful to see so many enjoying the island's beauty.
www.FranMcNabb.com or at firstname.lastname@example.com


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Along the line of the Norfolk and Western railroad in the counties of Montgomery, Pulaski and Wythe, Virginia, there is an area of complicated geology which up to the present time has not received the attention it deserves. The region in question extends from Christiansburg, on the east, to Max Meadows, on the west, and embraces a strip of country from ten to fifteen miles in width and about equally divided north and south with respect to the line of the railroad.
From time to time numerous geologists have examined the rocks in this region, but their work has been only cursory and their results are vague and unsatisfactory. The published reports concerning it are, so far as the writer is aware, those of W. B. Rogers,* J. P. Lesley,† W. M. Fontaine,‡ J. J. Stevenson§ and McCreath and d'Invilliers,||


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Carlos Condit has fought the best of the best in the UFC since 2009. For seven years he's been one of the top-ranked welterweights in the entire sport, going 7-5 overall and winning the UFC interim welterweight title, with wins over some of the top names in the division and losses only to elite competition. But despite fighting the best of the best, no one in the UFC had been able to stop him, save for Tyron Woodley due to an injury stoppage TKO. Otherwise, he's been about as durable as it gets.
That makes Demian Maia's first-round submission win over Condit in the main event of UFC on FOX 21 that much more special. The Brazilian, who improved to 9-2 as a welterweight in the UFC, took Condit down early in the fight, advanced positions quickly, and was then able to take Condit's back and sink in a rear-naked choke, needing just 1:52 to hand Condit his first legitimate stoppage loss inside the Octagon. It was arguably the most impressive performance of Maia's storied career, and the fact it came over a fighter like Condit, who came one scorecard away from becoming the UFC Welterweight Champion against Robbie Lawler at UFC 195 this past January, makes it that much more impressive.
That's because Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson is on a seven-fight win streak of his own, including a notable win over newly-signed Bellator fighter Rory MacDonald in his most recent bout, a fight that Thompson absolutely dominated from bell to bell. As much as Maia is deserving of a title shot, Thompson is as well, putting the UFC matchmakers in a tough spot to decide who is going to get it first.
The fact that Woodley, the new UFC Welterweight Champion, is insisting on "money fights" isn't making things any easier either. We've all heard the rumors that former champ Georges St-Pierre is planning a comeback, and if GSP wants an immediate title shot upon his return he should obviously get it because he never lost the belt – he took a hiatus from the sport – and before taking a leave of absence, he was the top pound-for-pound fighter in MMA. If GSP comes back and wants to fight Woodley, the UFC has to give him that fight, although it would put Maia and Thompson back into the mix, and probably matched up against one another. It might not be fair that each man has to win another fight, but that's what happens sometimes in MMA, as Max Holloway with his nine-fight win streak in the featherweight division knows all too well, as does Tony Ferguson with his eight-fight win streak at lightweight.
It's a really tough choice for the matchmakers, and they can't be blamed whatever direction they go. Odds are they give the title shot to Thompson, leaving Maia on the outside looking in once again. It's possible Maia could sit and wait for a title shot of his own, and it could work out like it did for Woodley, but the difference is Maia is 38, and sitting out a year-and-a-half like Woodley may not be an option. Instead of sitting and waiting, Maia may have to take another fight against a dangerous welterweight like the former champ Lawler, and there's no guarantee he wins that fight. It puts Maia in a really difficult spot, and all he can do is pray and hope either Thompson comes up with an injury, making him the de-facto #1 contender for Woodley's belt, or if the UFC straight-up skips Thompson and goes to Maia for the next title fight with Woodley. It's just really tough to say what they're going to do.
Maia is absolutely deserving of a welterweight title shot, but because there is another top contender in Thompson waiting in the wings for a title shot of his own, there's no guarantee Maia gets it. Regardless, Maia's win over Condit puts him in a great position in the UFC's 170-pound division, as getting a submission win over an amazing fighter like Condit reaffirms Maia's spot as a top-five welterweight in MMA. Hopefully he gets the chance sooner or later to prove he's #1.
Click the stars to rate how good you think UFC on Fox 21 was.


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Look What's Cookin'
Linzer Cookies
November 28th, 2011
Linzer Cookies are great for the holidays and look just as good as they taste!
These delectibles are made locally, just down the road, by Blue Wave Pastry. You can find them in the bakery case at Good to Go! or special order them for your holiday party.
About: Adapted from one of Austria's most famous desserts, the Linzer torte (named after the City of Linz), Linzer cookies are two cookies sandwiched together with a layer of raspberry preserves. The top cookie is dusted with confectioners sugar and has a cutout so the preserves are visible.
When cut into a round shape with a round cut-out they are known as Linzer Augen, or "Linzer Eyes".


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Apple Bail Bonds understands how stressful the arrest of a friend or family member can be. Our professionally trained and experienced staff will work hard for you. We take the stress out of this stressful situation. Apple Bail Bonds will work tirelessly to get your loved ones released from custody quickly, and at very low rates. We will work with you every step of the way to handle all of the necessary paperwork in a friendly and respectful manner. And, everything you say is kept in strictest confidence, always.
Immediate Service-Telephone calls are answered by a Bail Bondsman, 24/7 including weekends Free and Confidential Consultations.
- They were happy to help and made me feel comfortable.
- They answered all my questions and helped me through the whole problem. I would recommend them.
- The women are amazing, very nice and patient.
- They were friendly and very supportive. First Class service.
- They were patient and knew exactly what I was going through. They went above and beyond what I expected. Such a wonderful staff.
- My step-son was in trouble and thanks to Apple Bail Bonds, the process was fast and easy.
- My experience with Apple Bail Bonds was professional, but more importantly compassionate. The predominately staff of women were caring, considerate and efficient. My significant other was out in an hour. The process was quick and hassle free, to my amazement. I absolutely enjoyed my experience, considering the circumstances. Thank you Apple and staff.
- Apple Bail Bonds are very straight forward, fast, and efficient. They got my husband out fast! Highly recommended!
- They were more into the paperwork then the actual money, shows a lot about their professionalism! DIDN'T TAKE A PENNY UNTIL THE BAIL WAS READY TO GO!
- Great Staff friendly agents, called us and kept us updated every hour. This assured us that they were on top of their job! Melanie is extremely friendly and patient. ASK FOR HER!!
- I've used a few other bail bonds but, Apple Bail Bonds seems to be the best. They don't lie and they don't take any money down until they KNOW THEY WILL GET YOU OUT OF JAIL.
- All the employees at Apple Bail Bonds are so nice, especially Johara. She is always very helpful and explains the process very throughly so you understand. Very great Staff!


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I weigh two ounces less than yesterday so I'm just going to say it's still 199. But last night I did something very difficult.
I had been working for days on a video I'm putting together for my dad for his 80th birthday. Scanning hundreds of pics, tweaking them in Photoshop, and then trying to use iMovie, which I'm a novice at. It is grueling work and I don't think I can finish it by his birthday, tomorrow. I should have started earlier.
I didn't exercise this weekend, which felt really weird, but I had been engrossed in this birthday project on Saturday, the only day the pool is open on the weekend.
I was getting too tired to continue working on it last night and was going to go veg out and watch some tv. It must have been near 9 p.m. But instead I put comfortable sandals on and took a 20 minute brisk walk. It felt really good.
When I got home I turned on the television and began to channel search. A few times I found myself in the kitchen staring at what's in the fridge or checking out my parent's snack food. Finally I sat down in my chair and just thought, No, don't do it. You're not hungry. For this night only, don't eat after dinner. Somehow I did it and I was so proud. It's been ages since I was able to do that. Now I just pray I can do it again tonight. THAT is the only way I will get the rest of this weight off — to control my nighttime eating.
When I was first in shock about my separation and about my husband's cheating, I was so depressed my stomach was in knots and it was not at all hard not to eat. In fact even eating meals was hard. Those days are behind me, thank goodness. I'd rather be struggling with weight than feeling that degree of pain, and that's saying something.
So the truth is, even though I don't want to admit it, my true weight loss has only begun now. My first goal is to gain no weight as I try to figure this out. The second goal is to find out how to eat to allow myself a small weight loss each week.
I'm not sure how I'll do. In the early days of this journey I knew I'd get to my desired weight. I knew it without a doubt. Now that I've struggled for two months more or less at the same weight, I'm not so sure. In the end if I stop losing weight at around 165, I could handle that and it would be about a 100 pound weight loss.
Time will tell.
Last night I was writing a comment on the Chump Lady website when I suddenly knew that I had been conned by my husband. He'd never admit it, of course, and he'd be greatly insulted that I would think that, but he did.
We met in a chatroom and he began calling me every day several times a day. I don't know where he got the money for the long distance phone bill between London and Oregon. He knew every move I made and pried into every detail of my life all the while making himself out to be a success. I never had a chance to mourn my marriage or gain any independence. Even though he was thousands of miles away, he was with me every moment.
And here I was a newly divorced woman with half the assets from an 18 year marriage in my hands. Within a few months he flew to meet me and we were together since then.
Last night I wanted to write to him and tell him that I can't trust him to give me half his settlement because it'd just be so easy for him to take the money and go and I can't see him resisting that opportunity.
I'm glad I didn't send him one of my famous late night emails.
This morning I have reminded myself that his attorney is holding that agreement we both signed and he also wants to be my attorney when my husband's case is over. If he thought my husband was going to take the funds and go, he would not offer to be my attorney. I hope that makes sense.
Yes, I wish I had my own attorney, but I've written and called and can't find anyone who will help me without a large deposit. Yes, there is legal aid, I've used them for my financial woes, but they are too over taxed to help with issues like this.
I'm having to rely on faith and gut instinct, which isn't great knowing how naive I can be and have been. And I need this money desperately to save myself, my daughter, and ultimately my parents. I FUCKING NEED THIS MONEY.
On a lighter note, it's beautiful and sunny. I'm going to go for a swim and then come home and work on my dad's birthday video.


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If I Stay and Where She Went, by Gayle Forman, receives a lot of love in the blogosphere. I'd heard that they were tearjerkers and beautifully written. They definitely had a lot to live up to, and while they fell slightly short of my expectations after all the hype, they were definitely moving novels.
In If I Stay, Mia, a gifted cellist, is in a devastating car accident with her family. While in a coma, she is given the decision to live or die. While pondering this decision, she explores memories of her family, her love of music, and her relationship with her boyfriend, Adam.
If I Stay is gorgeously, gorgeously written. The novel isn't very long, but every scene is packed with emotion and vivid details. Mia's voice is powerful and distinct. The snapshots of Mia's life before the accident are organized in such a way to pull our heartstrings -- so I'm not sure why mine were so resilient. I liked the story, and intellectually I knew it was heartbreaking and beautiful, but something kept me from fully engaging.
3.5 stars
Warnings: Sensuality, language
Where She Went takes place three years after If I Stay, and is told from Adam's point of view. Despite the strong relationship described in If I Stay, Mia is no longer a part of Adam's life, and he is completely wrecked. Now a famous rockstar, the glittering surface of his life conceals turmoil and an inability to connect with anyone. However, one night Adam has the chance to revisit his relationship with Mia and try to find answers to why things happened the way they did.
I'm not sure if it was the fact that I liked Adam's voice better than Mia's, the fact that this story was told somewhat more in "real time" than If I Stay, or if it just takes me a while to warm up to a series, but Where She Went impressed me much more than If I Stay. I felt for Adam, even when he was making stupid decisions. I was also much more eager to find out how everything played out -- the ending of If I Stay was somewhat predictable for me, but I had no idea how Where She Went would be finished.
4 stars
Warnings: Same as If I Stay
Both books are incredibly well-written, and while I didn't have the emotional experience I had anticipated with If I Stay, both books were well worth my time. I am looking forward to reading Gayle Forman's future work.