text:
On Sunday afternoon I wore my Athleta headband directly on my forehead because the stupid thing won't stay where it's supposed to. Shoes took one look at me and said, "What the *expletive* are you wearing?" Instead of launching into a soliloquy as to why sports headbands for women could be the stupidest invention imaginable as none of them actually stay on my head, I said instead, "I'm Rambo! I'm Rambo! I'm Rambo!" and ran around the house.
Just feeling better I suppose. Grateful the flu was gone. Grateful I wasn't nauseous. Grateful for energy. I had a feeling, despite what the on call doc had said, that it wasn't the good news we are waiting for.
And it's not. We are not expecting.
In the middle of the-only-have-the-flu-at-night, I had the first appointment with our fertility doc. I like this doc, you guys. A lot. But we had to talk about some Serious Things. Namely, I had to talk in detail about the testing Former Husband and I completed when we tried to have a baby, unsuccessfully-but-thank-the -LORD-for-that, in 2007. It brought up a flood of memories I didn't realize I still had. (None of them all that pleasant, by the way.)
You want to know something?
Even though I knew, really, that what I had was the flu, there was still a part of me that was holding hope against hope that some miracle had happened and I had miraculously developed morning sickness ... at week 3. (Right. I know.)
This isn't just Shoes and I trying for 6 months at the age of 36.
THIS is added to the period before which had much more invasive fertility testing. This is not new for me. When confirmation came that Shoes and I were not expecting this past week, the lack of pregnancy felt different this time. I think, due to the long conversation I had with the doc about my previous marriage, this felt ... compounded. It felt bigger.
So much bigger.
So much deeper.
I had a little breakdown, you guys. Shoes and I sat on the bed and talked and didn't talk and talked some more while I wept.
But here's the bottom line: Other than one more test we could do right now, unless we wanted to skip to IUI or IVF, there's nothing more we can do (other than try conventionally.) (We have decided that IUI and IVF are not the paths for us.) The doc told me what the acupuncturist told me: You're doing as much as you can do.
Something shifted this weekend. Our hearts are still in this, deeply, but I need to make some changes in my spirit.
I know this sounds very ... therapist-y ... but I wrote myself a little love letter. And I wept the entire gosh darned time. In it, I gave myself permission to let go. I told myself my life means more that constant data checking and symptom checking and symptom OVER ANALYZING. I reminded myself that while I put all of my energy and spare time into pouring over Google Forums and threads and whatever the *&*(%$# else is on the Internet, I get almost nothing in return. No peace of mind. No sound advice. Just more worry.
I am missing out on the wholeness that is my life.
Even my OB told me to quit charting. Full disclosure: I'm not going to do that. But I wrote a note to myself and posted it on the computer that read, "NO FORUMS." And I wrote myself out a little plan for when I feel tempted to over analyze and would most likely sucked into the Hell that is Google. There's a lot of things on that list.
Worrying about this is not one of them.
And while this is all good and healthy and practices faith and trust, and loving kindness to myself, something else happens with that too. The hurt becomes a little more protected and a little more private. I'm not sure that's something I can explain, but I feel myself moving into a place of reluctance to talk about this when people ask outright.
After having to talk again about the full extent of this journey, ranging back to 2007, I do not want to talk about it anymore. In person, anyway.
I used to take people's questions and (let's be honest - ridiculous) advice in love. I'm reluctant right now, especially after some less than understanding exchanges this weekend, to talk about it with people face to face at all. Logically, I know people don't understand what it's like to just not have this happen over and over again. Logically, I know that *this* is not the world's biggest struggle. However, in this moment, it is *my* struggle. And it is scary. And exhausting. And the safest thing right now to me feels like to keep it, at least in regards to face to face conversations with others, to Shoes and myself. (But the Internet offers alllllll kinds of fake anonymity, right? Suffice it to say there will be more posts about this as the Internet is not quite real life in many aspects.)
So this past week?
I did not die from the flu.
I watched too much daytime TV.
I received all the Rosie snuggles.
And I started to look fear in the eye a little bit.
And I realized, or at least started to realize, how much I have not been honoring the wholeness of this life.
(I have not read a forum or thread in three days. It feels better. No amount of pineapple core / bromelain is going to make me feel better about this process anyway ... it will always be something else. I don't want to miss out on what's right here, right now as we move forward to what might be.)


text:
The holiday wars continue in the Capitol Rotunda. The conservative group Wisconsin Family Action put up a nativity scene and the Freedom From Religion Foundation responded by applying for a permit to put up their own "solstice scene" with "prominent figures" who they claim will be "slightly blasphemous." Enough already. Just take the whole circus down, sweep up the needles and put up a display featuring the Peanuts characters as they did in Costa Mesa, California.
Speaking of the circus, Dane County wants to ban elephants from the circus when it comes to town in February. Because that one is too easy to mock, and speaking of elephants, for pure entertainment value you just can't beat the Republican presidential candidates. On this week's show, Herman Cain and Jon Huntsman were voted off the island, one because he was a ladies man and one because he was nobody's man. Huntsman didn't get invited to the first GOP debate this week (there were two) because he didn't meet even the low required threshold in the polls. He suffers from sanity, which is not playing well with the Republican base right now.
Rick Perry continued to be fact-challenged, this time about the number of justices on the U.S. Supreme Court. Perry said we didn't need eight activist judges. I guess he means we need at least one then. He went on to get Justice Sonia Sotomayor's name wrong, referring to her as "Montemayor." But, hey, it's tough to keep all eight names straight.
But the screw-up of the week goes to Mitt Romney, who tried to make a $10,000 bet with Perry on the nationally televised debate. (He'll also offer you a million dollars to sleep with your wife -- see Indecent Proposal with Robert Redford.) This struck a chord with people. You know, people who aren't worth $200 million.
If Romney had bet five bucks, people would say that that was a regular guy bet. If he had put up a million dollars, people would have recognized it as a lame attempt at a joke. But what the ten grand bet made people think was that $10,000 to Mitt Romney is like ten dollars to you and I. This was not good for his campaign, but it was good for Newt Gingrich, the new front-runner.
The $10,000 bet thing made Newt look more like a regular guy. You know, the kind of regular guy who gets $1.8 million to not lobby Congress. He's also a regular guy who believes that something called an electromagnetic pulse could eliminate civilization in a matter of seconds. Romney may be the kind of guy who wears tassels on his loafers, but Newt's the kind of guy who wears tin foil on his head to keep away the gamma rays. Republicans have a choice now: preppy or spooky?
The Newt also promised this week to stick up for marriage, an institution he believes in so strongly that he's tried it three times.
In this week's sports pages, it was reported that tests showed that Ryan Braun may have used performance enhancing drugs that lifted his testosterone to sky high levels. Teammates said they noticed something was going on when the normally fastidious Braun started leaving empty beer cans around his locker, belching frequently, scratching himself and constantly snapping guys with towels. Braun says it's all a misunderstanding and I actually believe him.
Also in sports, this week the Los Angeles Angels sealed their ten-year deal with former Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols. Over a decade, Pujols will get the state of California. Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Brewers, a small market team, can only offer their own slugging first baseman, Prince Fielder, Kenosha and some parts of Racine. As nice as those communities are, expect the Cubs to offer Fielder the Loop, the Gold Coast, Highland Park and probably Palatine just for good measure.
In international news, Britain was once again the skunk at the tea party when Prime Minister David Cameron refused to go along with a German and French plan to bolster the Euro and with it the European economy. When he got home, his coalition partner Nick Clegg told him that if the Tories didn't want to go to the party in Brussels well fine, but he intended to be friends with the neighbors even if Cameron wanted to stay home and watch cricket.
Finally, Russian oligarch Vladimir Putin seems to be losing his grip on power, facing street protests and now his first serious challenger in Mikhail Prokhorov, the billionaire Russian owner of the New Jersey soon-to-be Brooklyn Nets. In contrast to the nastiness of American politics, the two Russian rivals immediately expressed concern for the other's safety.
"It would be unfortunate," Putin said in a press conference while adjusting his tie, "if anything untimely should happen to my good friend Mikhail. Like if he's driving down a mountain road and his brakes should suddenly give out, or he's walking down a street and a box of anvils should fall on his head. This would be tragic, but if it should happen, it would be an accident."
Prokhorov, who has learned a thing or two in New Jersey, responded that he too was concerned about the health of his rival, especially with so many people these days wandering into cement and then finding themselves trying to swim in the Moscow River.
That's all I have for now. Have a good weekend, kids.

subset: commoncrawl


text: When my husband and I was first starting out (almost 18 years ago), we never had any money. Payday came and by the next day we were broke and another bill would come up and we would have to wait until the following payday to pay it. When our first daughter came, things got . . . → Read More: Putting Together A Family Household Budget


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It really depends on which grip style you intend on using. From what you are saying it apears that you want to use what is called Matched Grip. You want to mirror your right hand with your left.
For a detailed explanation of Matched Grip and its varients try this Wiki.
Also it sounds like you may be having basic control and stability problems. All percussionists have them to some degree. Rudimentary practice and repition is one of the best ways to perfect your grip and stability.


text:
Date: 03/15/2005
Writer: No author cited
LAS CRUCES - Doña Ana County residents with diabetes and those who cook for them can take free hands-on cooking classes in English or Spanish to learn how to prepare healthy versions of familiar foods, even desserts.
Participants in "Kitchen Creations" classes offered by New Mexico State University's Cooperative Extension Service will prepare full breakfast, lunch and dinner meals with dishes such as chile relleno casserole, beef and broccoli stir-fry, whole wheat tortillas, cucumber and tomato salad, and bread pudding.
The classes also cover correct serving sizes and meal planning for people with diabetes.
"It's really about making small changes that can make a great impact on your health," said Karim Martinez, Doña Ana County Extension home economist.
A series of classes taught in English is scheduled for April 2, 9, 16 and 23 from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Mayfield High School, Room 137.
Instructors are offering a group of sessions in Spanish on May 2, 9, 16 and 23 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., also at Mayfield High School, Room 137.
The sessions are limited to about 25 people, and Martinez said classes in Las Cruces fill up quickly. Rosa Lopez, registered dietician with the state Department of Health, will offer nutrition instruction, and Martinez will teach food preparation.
Martinez said the point of the class is to give people practical information to manage diabetes.
The first class is an introduction with a light meal provided. In the following classes, participants prepare a meal after a time of teaching, Martinez said.
Gayla Weaver, Extension home economist with the Ideas in Cooking and Nutrition program, said participants can practice and ask each other questions.
Instructors explain the Diabetes Food Guide Pyramid, which differs from the regular food guide pyramid, and teach participants to balance high and low carbohydrate foods, she said. Martinez said they also teach techniques such as using olive oil instead of lard and making desserts with sugar substitutes.
"This class shows you how, as long as you balance, you can have quite a variety of food," she said.
Participants receive a workbook to use in the course, a New Mexico cookbook and a cookbook from the American Diabetes Association.
Almost 3,000 people have participated in Kitchen Creations since NMSU's Extension Service began the program in 2001. NMSU has offered about 160 series of classes in 30 counties statewide.
According to the state Department of Health Web site, about one in 11 adult New Mexicans has diabetes. Diabetes was the sixth leading cause of death in the state in 2002, according to the site.
For more information or to register, call Martinez at (505) 525-6649.
© 2013 New Mexico State University Board of Regents
NMSU - All About Discovery!


text:
By Brian Beacom
CORDELIA Braithwaite's upbeat voice replicates the energy she releases on stage, currently starring in Matthew Bourne's Cinderella at the King's Theatre.
However, part of Cordelia's positivity, she reveals, has emerged as a result of a major tragedy in her life.
"My boyfriend passed away," she says in soft voice.
"And this setback really taught me a huge amount about life."
Three years ago, acclaimed dancer Jonathan Ollivier was riding his motor bike just hours before going on stage in The Car Man, opposite Cordelia, when he was hit by a car.
The experience, says Cordelia, has made her grasp the most out of life.
"The effect was massive for me. It made me grow up very quickly. I was 22 when it happened and it changed my outlook. I was a shy child, but that has gone now. Things I used to worry about I don't now."
She adds; "I used to worry a lot about what people thought of me, if they would like me. Now, that's not the case."
Cordelia is fortunate in the sense she is part of a world she longed to join.
After attending local dance classes, the then 16 year-old was awarded a full scholarship to Laine Theatre Arts in London.
Yet, although she trained in musical theatre, Cordelia never saw herself appearing as the likes of Sandy in Grease.
"Yes, people say to me it's rather odd," she says of her career progression.
"I just wanted to train in all aspects of performance.
"And at the same time I just haven't seen anything in musical theatre I really want to do."
She thinks for a moment; "However, I love the old-school, 40s-style theatre pieces. And yes, I'd love to do 42nd Street, but I'd have to practice my tap again first."
Cordelia, who lives in Leighton Buzzard near Milton Keynes, once declared a love for Matthew Bourne's work and the dream became a reality.
She was recommended to audition and from Swan Lake moved on to The Car Man, followed by The Red Shoes.
Now, she is touring with Cinderella, described as a "thrilling and evocative love story."
Set in London during the Second World War, the story features a chance meeting between Cinderella and a dashing young RAF pilot.
They are together just long enough to fall in love before being parted by the horrors of the Blitz.
"It's a beautiful piece. And the music (by Prokofiev) is wonderful."
When Cordelia isn't playing Cinders, she switches to a very different roles.
"I play Betty, a comedy role. She is a socially awkward character and she gets the laughs."
Cordelia adds, grinning; "I feel there is a bit of me in that character. The laughs come a bit too easily."
Cordelia is aware of the demands of dance, and longevity and is considering studying Psychology, with a view to working with dancers.
"But at the same time, I don't consider giving up," she says in determined voice.
"I can keep on going – if I believe it."
There seemed little doubt that with a name such as Cordelia the lady would go on to have a major impact in theatre.
"My dad thought of Cordelia in King Lear when I was born," she explains.
At least it will attract the attention of casting agents?
"Seems to be working so far," she says, with an infectious laugh.
lMatthew Bourne's Cinderella, King's Theatre, until Saturday.


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|Contractual Approach to Optimising Risk Sharing: A Quantitative Study of the Multidimensional Nature of Risk in Private Provision of Road Infrastructure
|Chung, Demi
contracting theory
risk preferences
toll roads
stated choice experiment
|Issue Date:
|University of Sydney.
|Public-Private-Partnerships (PPPs) are a public procurement policy that argues in support of greater value for money through optimal risk-sharing, by aligning incentives among parties who are profoundly different in terms of interests, objectives and risk preferences. The subject of interest in this thesis is tollroads that are procured under the PPP method, which traditionally involves the transfer of demand risk to the private sector. Designing contracts to share risk in light of incentive problems is the central premise of contract theory, yet the risk-sharing implications have rarely been adequately tested using micro data at the decision-maker level. In addition, empirical contract studies tend to ignore the risk preferences of contracting parties or assume that the stereotypical risk-averse agent and risk-neutral principal are present in all contractual relationships. This thesis addresses these shortcomings by presenting the methodology and empirical findings of an online survey within which a stated choice experiment was designed to capture the risk perceptions of contracting parties to a number of hypothetical PPP tollroad concessions. Information from 101 participants drawing on their project experience over 32 countries was collected within an advanced computer-aided personal survey instrument, to condition model estimates on observing the manner in which respondents processed the information presented to them to test the impact of contractual conditions and external institutional variables on their risk preferences, and hence their choice behaviour. While the findings of this thesis support the concept that risk-sharing in PPPs is in line with contract theory's incentive alignment proposition, they refute the common belief in contract theory with respect to stereotypical economic actors. Moreover, the results demonstrate the powerful incentive effect of property rights to ex post surplus. There are a number of significant implications as to the design of contracts and reform of public policy if PPPs are to gain popularity and to attain value for money. To induce appropriate ex post performance efficiency, ex ante property rights need to be complemented with equitable risk-sharing among contracting parties. Uptake of the policy by the market can be enhanced by modifications to the identified institutional variables and contractual conditions. Finally, the thesis appeals to the theories of decision making to further pursue the influence of human cognition, particularly bounded rationality, on our decision choices.
|Rights and Permissions:
|The author retains copyright of this thesis.
|Type of Work:
|PhD Doctorate
|Appears in Collections:
|Sydney Digital Theses (Open Access)
|Adobe PDF
Items in Sydney eScholarship Repository are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.


text:
|Biota Bugs Concerts DCJ Productions Decemberized Goshzilla Oakley Photos Snakes Tumblr Vlog
|Sunday, August 18, 2013
Oakley Reviews - Episode 27: Offshoot
No Comments - 4:47:14 PM
Tag: Oakley
|Thursday, April 25, 2013
Oakley Reviews Episode 25: Medusa
No Comments - 8:55:25 PM
Tag: Oakley
Oakley Reviews Episode 24: M Frame Strip
No Comments - 8:55:09 PM
Tag: Oakley
|Thursday, November 29, 2012
Oakley Reviews Episode 23: Eyeshades
No Comments - 10:18:07 AM
Tag: Oakley
|Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Arachtober 2012
Every year, the flickr group comes to life and we post arachnid photos each day in October. Check out the link and see some of the submissions.
Here are a few of my favorite.
No Comments - 4:19:37 PM
Tag: Bugs
|Monday, September 17, 2012
Monsturd [2003]
An expirimental chemical dumped into a sewer mixes with the DNA from an escaped criminal who then becomes a human turd.
Choosing a favorite movie ever, has always been tough for me. Some can rattle it off, others lie because that's a highly social-political chess move in life. For me, I usually have a steadfast movie/band/computer game, which is usually 'good' in all respects, but it ends up being more of a quick answer to a pointless question, rather than a true analysis of what being the best is. continue reading...
No Comments - 8:02:11 PM
Tag: Goshzilla
|Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Marshall's Pub - 10/22/2011
More Photos...
No Comments - 11:59:36 AM
Tag: Concerts
|Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Oakley Reviews Episode 21: Dalmatian Frogskins
No Comments - 9:02:55 AM
Tag: Oakley
|Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Oakley Reviews Episode 20: New Eye Jacket
No Comments - 8:46:38 AM
Tag: Oakley
|Thursday, June 21, 2012
Oakley Reviews - Episode 19: Half Frames
No Comments - 3:00:05 PM
Tag: Oakley


text:
This web site contains Hiking Great Smoky Mountains National Park (Regional Hiking Series) and about six thousand ebooks from hundreds of authors. The collection these publications are in the subsequent categories: fictions/novels, short tales, poems, essays, plays, nonfictions. Several books are classic functions of American Literature, British Literature, and Irish Literature from well-known authors such as William Shakespeare, Mark Twain, Charles Dickens, Oscar Wilde, Robert Frost, Edgar Allan Poe, Alexander Pope, Arthur Conan Doyle, Her Austen. and more authors' works will be added to the on the web collection. Throughout these special pages, you will discover many award winning publications designed for your online reading Hiking Great Smoky Mountains National Park (Regional Hiking Series). Enjoy and please tell a buddy, thanks.
Description : This guide features 82 hikes within Great Smoky Mountains National Park, America's most visited national park. It is complete revised and updated.


text:
The 5-Minute Interview: Bert Spaan, New York Public Library
By Bryce Merkl Sasaki
February 12, 2016|Reading time: 5 minutes
For this week's 5-Minute Interview, I got to sit down with Bert Spaan, the Space/Time Directory Engineer at the New York Public Library. Bert just moved from Amsterdam to New York and is a member of the New York City… Read more →
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text:
PixelFlex Releases New FlexUltra 1.2mm LED Video Panel
- by Jacob Coakley
PixelFlex's new FlexUltra 1.2mm LED video panels offer an ultra-fine pitched panel that is front-serviceable as well. The curve-able panels are designed with a size that makes it easy to deploy them in both 16:9 and 4:3 video ratios. The FlexUltra has a 160° horizontal and vertical viewing angle which offers one of the highest off axis viewing angles in the industry, and the fully front-serviceable panels allow for quick and easy onsite installation and maintenance. With a 3869Hz refresh rate, FLEXUltra panels are now available in 1.2mm, 1.6mm and 1.9mm pixel pitch options.
To find out more about the complete FLEXUltra product line from PixelFLEX, visit the product page at www.pixelflexled.com, click here to watch a demo video, or click here for a product brochure.
An American-based LED manufacturer, PixelFLEX offers creative solutions, reliable products, and dependable service for our industry-leading LED display technologies and solutions. Driven towards excellence to meet your standards, PixelFLEX offers a one-of-a-kind design for your tour, event or installation through our award-winning line of LED video walls and video screens. Working with architects, designers, engineers and consultants, PixelFLEX is proud to develop custom LED solutions for each and every customer while also providing top-tier customer support throughout the entire experience. For more information on the complete line of PixelFLEX LED video walls and video screens, visit PixelFLEX at pixelflexled.com, follow us on Twitter at @pixelflexled or find us on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn.


text:
I trust you didn't miss the point.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Who Stands for Lower Taxes?
I trust you didn't miss the point.
|Smells like:
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Regression to Meme
1. I've never been to Massachusetts, but I have been to the Panama Canal Zone.
2. I'm an ace at wiggling my ears, but I've never learned to dance.
3. I've made twelve military parachute jumps, but was never assigned to an airborne unit.
4. When I was a boy I named my cat after myself. ("Bob Cat" - pretty original, eh?) And yes Barbara, Bob was my cat. I was the one who fed him.
5. I have more teeth than Bibles; more Bibles than siblings; more siblings than hammers; more hammers than shovels; more shovels than hats; more hats than ears; more ears than bathtubs; and more bathtubs than televisions.
6. I was led to the Lord by the hood ornament of a 1954 Nash (that and my first-grade Sunday school teacher).
7. I've climbed more radio towers than mountains.
I was tempted to say my hair is whiter than my teeth and my teeth more numerous than the hairs on my head, but Joyce assures me my head veritably bristles. And I never disagree with my beloved wife. Right, Joyce?
The rules of this meme call for me to hammer seven more folks. Call me a maverick, but the only one I'd like to get even with is Jerry (and that would be kind of silly, now wouldn't it?), so if anyone wants to share their seven secrets, please consider yourself tagged.
|Smells like:
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Times Table
Please don't tell me about your overzealous pedagogue who made you learn a 12x12 table. It wasn't your fault you had a sadistic teacher, nor was it your place as a darling eight-year-old to be informing her that she was a nincompoop. But it's high time we all joined hands and raised our voices in harmony: "Learning a 12x12 table is just plain stupid! For cryin' out loud, the world we live in is populated primarily with ten-fingered people." So unless you have six fingers on each hand, spare me.
So (setting all that aside and getting back to the subject of this post) there are a scant 36 entries in the multiplication table. In fact, if we further discount the entries that have a common set of prime factors (viz: 2x6 = 3x4 = 12; 2x8 = 4x4 = 16; 2x9 = 3x6 = 18; 3x8 = 4x6 = 24 and 4x9 = 6x6 = 36), there are actually only 31 distinct entries.
"So what's the point of all this?" you inquire.
"Well, I'm glad you asked," I reply.
Today I'm 7x8. I have just four more entries to go: 63, 64, 72 and (hopefully) 81.
Long gone are the days when, if asked my age, I could hold up my tiny hand and grinningly answer, "This many." Well actually, I suppose I could do that, but you'd have to be verrrry patient, and watch me open and close my little fist twelve times. And even if you were just brimming with idle time to squander on viewing digital genuflection, there'd still be no guarantee my arthritic mitt would make it through the full count.
Or maybe I could just get five of my friends to help me. Standing shoulder-to-shoulder, we could impishly smile and render our non-verbal reply. But alas, the loss of spontaneity and the inquisitor's bother of multiplying the number of hands by five would likely drain most of the cuteness out of our response. And (not to accuse you, but) I suspect a few of you cynics out there might even think the whole thing was staged.
So I guess hand-gesturing is out (at least as relates to the question of my age). From here on, when people ask me, "How old are you?" it's probably best just to stick with the simple reply: "That's none of your damned business!"
|Smells like:
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Bedtime for Modano
Bob: Ah-ossh! Ah frusshah ah hee!
Joyce: What?
Bob: {Spit} Almost, I'm brushing my teeth.
Joyce: Come to bed.
Bob: Dear, the radio's awfully loud. Besides, I didn't know you were such a Stars fan. Why are you listening to a hockey game?
Joyce: I can either listen to Stars hockey or you hocking.
Bob: I was just clearing my throat ...
Joyce: Come to bed.
|Smells like:
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Royal Arabian Knights
Carlos got this really nifty Zorro outfit with a cape and a realistic fencing foil, tipped with a piece of chalk. You could "make the mark of the Z" on any and every flat surface that presented itself to you. Danny had gotten a suit of plastic Roman armor replete with breastplate, helmet, rubber shortsword and sheath. Roy was particularly impressed with the great-looking breastplate with its intricate synthetic engraving. Roy asked Danny if he could try the armor on, but Danny refused.
Roy, dismissed Danny's selfishness, "OK, if you don't want to join the club, fine!" and then he turned and walked up the sidewalk toward our house.
Danny: (tagging along behind) "What club?"
Roy: "You wouldn't be interested."
Danny: "Maybe. What's the club?"
Roy: (Still walking up the street) "I can't say, it's a secret society."
Danny: "There's no such thing."
Roy: (Insulted that Danny would call him a liar, he whipped around) "It's called the Van Buren Street Royal Arabian Knights!"
Danny: "There's no such club!! Is there?"
Roy: (Turning back up the street) "Suit yourself."
So skilled was Danny at interrogation that by the time we got to 3008 he had cleverly pried many of the secret rites and rituals of the club from unwitting Roy. Before we made 3004 Danny was begging for a chance to prove himself worthy. It seemed Danny's major disqualification for membership in the Royal Arabian Knights was his stinginess. We Society members share our stuff and we don't tolerate selfishness.
As proof of his generosity, Danny offered the use of his new suit of plastic Roman armor.
Not enough! Roy sent Danny back to recruit his brother Carlos (along with his cool-looking Zorro outfit).
So the rest of the afternoon Roy had Carlos and Danny running through a rigorous initiation -- testing their strength, agility, courage and ... above all ... their gullibility. Meanwhile, Roy and I sparred with each other -- I with my foil making the "mark of the Z" on each and every flat surface that presented itself and Roy quelling Gauls (who were no match for Roy in his realistic plastic armor).
|Smells like:
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Shoe Laces, Skyscrapers and Mockingbirds
Okay then, here it is: I tie my shoes funny. By 'funny' I mean, I've never mastered the technique of just forming two loops and wrapping them around each other. I know it's easy to do; everyone does it that way. You see, it's just that I learned a different method and my old familiar way seems to work well enough, so this old dog just can't find the motivation to learn how to do the trick right. It was my older brother Roy who taught me how to tie my shoes when I was five years old. And it wasn't until I was fifteen that I learned that I was ... well ... different.
I remember it clearly. I was sitting at my desk in old man Huckabee's Chemistry class when I noticed the lace on my chucka boot was untied. I bent down and did my usual job of resecuring it. From the desk next to mine Becky Saunders said, "I've never seen anyone tie his shoes like that before!" Becky proceeded to call her friends over to point out my perversion. "Hey, watch how Bobby ties his shoes; go ahead, do it again!" I, of course, refused.
Later I confronted Roy about my being taunted about the way I tie shoes. He admitted that he too had come to the realization that there was something peculiar about our shoe-tying heritage. I believe to this day Roy still harbors deep resentment against his lacing instructor, Eddy Porterfield, who undoubtedly also begrudges some earlier mentor. I (ever the magnanimous one) have long since forgiven Roy for this ligature legacy, but I do have other matters of contention with him.
To put it mildly, during my formative years my big brother oft proved himself unworthy of my faith. I remember Roy stating with all the self-assurance that an eight-year-old can muster, "Bobby, you know those airplanes way up in the sky (the ones that leave a jet trail)? They're called 'sky scrapers'. You see, they 'scrape' across the sky, kind of plowing a furrow behind them." I assure you, Roy's creative use of the word "skyscraper" was a big hit at Rusk Elementary. Or to be more precise, my use of Roy's terminology was a source of great amusement to my classmates.
But the story that really got to me was his bit about this large black bird. Roy declared it to be a mockingbird. I (as a mere six-year-old) was unaware that the habitat of the state bird of Texas did not extend all the way west to El Paso, but even my limited knowledge of ornithology belied this particular "mockingbird's" taxonomy. When I queried Roy as to the possibility of it being a crow, Roy countered, "Oh no, crows are much larger."
When I inquired why it made that caw-caw noise like crow, Roy assured me, "You see that's why it's called a mockingbird; it's 'mocking' a crow. Understand, mockingbirds and crows are often found together, so it's not at all unusual to find mockingbirds mimicking crows." Oh, well, that sounded reasonable enough.
In the self-same year that I discovered that my shoe lace tying was unnatural, we read "To Kill a Mockingbird" in Mrs Rosiers English class. I made the obvious connection between the falsely accused "black" man in the story (Tom Robinson) and this ventriloquistical "black" bird. Black man -- black bird. Obvious! Thereafter I knew with complete certainty that mockingbirds were glossy black birds that could easily be mistaken for crows or blackbirds.
It wasn't until age 35 that discovered the flaw in this bit of bequeathed wisdom. I naively asked a business acquaintance (who was quite the sportsman and should be keen on such fine distinctions), "Jim, how do you tell the difference between a mockingbird and a blackbird?"
His reply was simplicity itself, "A blackbird is black."
You just can't imagine how devastating it is to discover that a fact you've known with certainty for over thirty years just ain't so. Even now as my recollections stretch back over a half century, I sometimes have to pause and ponder, "Just what other bomblettes of misinformation has Roy has sent rolling down the corridors of time?"
So there it is: the obvious connection between shoe laces, skyscrapers and mockingbirds.
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Saturday, January 5, 2008
Words Fail
As my bride and I watched, we gasped for breath (out of both laughter and shock). Then we reminisced about the misadventures of our own kids.
To this day we still wonder whose idea it was to "gas up" the house. The prime suspects are our two youngest, James and Ben (ages four and three at the time). But regardless, someone got the bright idea of "gassing up" the house (just as Dad puts gas in the car) by shoving the garden hose up the dryer vent, opening the spigot, and then wandering away until Mom enters the garage and finds water flowing out of the dryer. The kids had apparently assumed that their "gas" pump (like the one at the filling station) would turn itself off whenever it reckoned the house was full. Whether the kids actually waded across the flooded garage floor, or (like the Children of Israel at the Red Sea) passed dry-shod ere the waters came crashing, we know not. But in any case the boys were safe on the Sinai side before Mom's wrath disturbed the sea.
Weeks later the dryer began squeaking and was doing a less than a stellar job of drying clothes (which for an appliance bearing the name of "dryer" is a major disadvantage), so I disconnected the vent hose from the dryer and (as when Moses struck the Rock at Meribah) copious amounts of water gushed forth. Our little gremlins had been at it again. But as before, the detection of their vandalism was long past the statutory limit of the half-life of a preschooler's memory. So as I say, we may never know to which of our offspring we owed the replacement dryer.
Some time after James and Ben fueled up the house (we will continue to presume their guilt until they are proved innocent), perhaps in attempt to redeem themselves from their soaking of the dryer, the two younger sons got the inspired idea that they could help Mom clean the kitchen. Unfortunately, their good deed involved an entire bottle of dishwashing soap and every towel in the house, put to the task of swabbing the frothy kitchen floor. Question: Isn't it the height of irony that one always seems to get off scott free when doing "bad" well, but is invariably caught red-handed when doing "good" poorly?
As Joyce and I reminisced about our own parenting shortcomings, we took comfort in the failings of a friend and neighbor. Joyce told me about an incident her friend May recently shared. It seems May's pre-school grandson found a green permanent marker and a tad too much unsupervised time on his hands. I suspect (given a colored marker) a little girl would have proceded to paint her toe nails, but May's grandson (being all boy) was naturally drawn to another appendage that required colorizing. When May discovered him, he'd just finished disguising his little Vienna sausage as a gherkin.
Sometimes I'm amazed any kids have survived our parenting.
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Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Life Imitates Art (or vice versa)
But even before Calvin was building snowmen in Watterson's mind I was putting my hand to flakey art in front of the old homestead:
So I guess it's true. Great minds do think alike.
--- UPDATE (January 2, 2008) ---
I suppose there's really no need to explain why I posted this photo, but....
Welllll, you see, this past weekend James and I joined my brothers and their sons in West Texas for some hiking (that male bonding thing, you know). Anyway, it seems that some of Roy's kids expressed skeptism about Roy's assertion that I once built a snowman mooning our neighbors. They'd all heard of it from Roy repeatedly, but they've also apparently concluded that their dad's stories tend to improve on what one expects in courtroom testimony (well, what one used to expect from sworn witnesses prior to Bill Clinton's taking the stand anyway).
But getting back to the point, my son James assured his incredulous cousins that, despite Uncle Roy's tendency to varnish the truth, this tall tale happened to be 100% true -- he could provide photographic evidence. So when we got back home, James popped open an old photo album and scanned the bowing Buddha. And then ... well what the heck, since he'd gone to all that trouble ... why not?
On a blog called "The Lost Fart ..." just whose reputation am I protecting?
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Shame and Sham
Seven Keys to Living For Christ
Dear Joel Osteen,
Since you're reportedly a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ, perhaps the following "seven keys" to becoming the person you ought to be won't seem too novel.
(1) Admit you're a sinner (a.k.a., a self-serving shmuck) who is beyond all hope of self-redemption.
"All our righteousness deeds are like filthy rags" (Isaiah 64:6);
"There is no one righteous; there is no one who does good, no not even one" (Romans 3:10).
(2) Celebrate the fact that, despite your being a shmuck (and a ten-karat-tin-plated one at that), God still loved you and sent His Son to deliver you from your otherwise pointless life.
"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)
(3) A much better preacher than you has repeatedly said something quite different than your self-actualization mantra of "Have Confidence in Yourself". You might want to consider his message:
"Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?" (Romans 7:24)
Of particular interest to you is the answer he gives in the next verse. "Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!" (Romans 7:25)
(4) Embrace your defeat. You have nothing to offer God in exchange for His delivering you from your empty existence. Recognize that your part in delivering yourself from your sins is like Japan's part in ending World War II.
"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)
(5) Recognize that your exhorting your readers to "Come up higher" is just that old message originally voiced by your spiritual father.
"I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High." (Isaiah 14:14)
(6) Try to figure out what "Soli Deo Gloria" means. If you conclude that it means your book's sales go through the roof and your megachurch becomes even more "mega", think again.
"Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to Thy Name give glory because of Thy Lovingkindness, because of Thy Truth." (Psalms 115:1)
(7) Shut up and listen.
"Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time."
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Only the BRAVE will triumph
Dark times have befallen the land of Luxendarc, and its fate is in the hands of Tiz Arrior and his three comrades. Mold them into heroes as you take a fantastic journey in Square Enix's highly acclaimed RPG for the Nintendo 3DS system.
"5 out of 5" — US Gamer
"9/10" — Nintendo World Report
"An amazing RPG." — GamesBeat


text:
There are several kinds of evergreen content. Examples embody encyclopedic entries, product opinions, how to tutorials, and other informational resources. What makes content evergreen is an enduring high quality that is unlikely to alter.
It is targetable. As a result of cell phones have the potential of understanding who you're, where you might be, the place you're going, what you are reading and the place you are purchasing, they symbolize an unprecedented opportunity to send targeted offers to the correct customer in the appropriate place at the proper time. The more shoppers use their phones, the more information is potentially accessible to entrepreneurs to create compelling and customised presents. Magna Global, the international ad agency, predicts that eighty two% of digital display ads will be purchased and bought by computers, not Mad Men, by the end of 2018. That represents greater than $25 billion in volume.
Fairly, it can be seen as a system that alerts journalists to tendencies or points hovering underneath the information radar. As Gillmor (quoted in Farhi, 2009) argues, journalists should view Twitter as a collective intelligence system that gives early warnings about developments, individuals and news. The immediacy and velocity of these micro-bursts of data, … Read the rest


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Get a sneek peak of the refurbished WWII bunker with your child before the official opening to learn a piece of Singapore's history together!
– Ministry of Education Singapore, on one of its Facebook feeds
Rare is the occasion when the Facebook feed of so acclaimed an education ministry as Singapore's is managed by a muppet: one orthographical error is pardonable; two is appalling.
'Sneek peak'? What is that?


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Bone The Fish - Most Recent Comments!
Who said you can't coin your own term? What is "Boning the Fish"? It's a moment. A defining moment when you know that your favorite TV Show, Celebrity, Movie Series or Music Group has reached its peak. That instant you know from now on...it's all downhill. Some call it a climax of sorts. We call it "Boning the fish". From that moment on things will simply never be the same.
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BoneTheFish.com - Websites
Go shanequia! -- Submitted By: (Robert) on February 2, 2010, 2:42 pm
Cable TV - Random Topics
I remember The Simpsons episode where Homer stole cable. The family read a pamphlet of myths vs facts to alleviate their guilt about stealing cable. One was: "MYTH: It's only fair to pay for quality entertainment. FACT: Most shows get two stars or less and are repeated ad nauseum." That episode is over 20 years old. And that particular myth vs fact still holds true. -- Submitted By: (Robert) on February 2, 2010, 2:41 pm
Jacob Two-Two - TV Shows
A few days ago, I caught one episode where Jacob was supposed to give a report on the "birds and the bees". I have no doubt in my mind that it was the first time I ever heard the words "ovaries" and "fallopian tube" on a children's show. What were they thinking, putting sex ed stuff on a kid's show?! -- Submitted By: (Robert) on February 2, 2010, 2:30 pm
JumptheShark.com - Websites
I have never visited that Cod-omized site again. I haven't been there in months, and I will never go there again. -- Submitted By: (Robert) on February 2, 2010, 2:14 pm
Global warming - Random Topics
Doubting global warming doesn't mean a person doesn't care about the Earth. Can you blame people for doubting global warming when it's getting colder than usual? The rename of "climate change" to include unseasonable coldness along with warmth doesn't really convince skeptics; it just makes them think they're changing their story. Add in the climategate scandal: what's up with destroying/editing evidence against global warming/climate change. If something is true, you don't usually need to get rid of evidence proving otherwise. Every time a human or animal exhales, they pump greenhouse gases into the air. How is this countered in nature? Plants. They turn CO2 into oxygen. And as I said before, my town became warmer as trees were cut down and replaced with buildings and roads. The temperature in my area is back to being warm/lukewarm again, and it will soon get hot (it's only cold in wintertime down here). My stance on global warming? I don't know. Only the scientists do, and some are willing to compromise their integrity in the name of pushing political goals. -- Submitted By: (Robert) on February 2, 2010, 2:12 pm
Emergency! - TV Shows
Ok, Shanequia, you made your point. Dawn Lyn is the patron saint of this website so everyone must piss on her in any way possible. It's old now. I've been watching Emergency! on reruns now and think it would be pretty cool to do an updated remake. There were some pretty cool guest stars back in the day and I could see a lot of cool cameos of big celebrities being treated by the paramedics. That might be fun. -- Submitted By: (JamesO) on February 2, 2010, 1:45 pm
Batman (1966) - TV Shows
Batgirl wasn't really the problem...yes, she was a little bit "girly" at times, but don't forget when the show aired. Comparing to the other "girls" on TV, she was the epitome of a strong woman. But they changed too much for the last season. Beforehand, every story went on for at least two half an hour episode, with a big cliff hanger at the end of the first one. In the third season they had half an hour cases with a little bit from the next case at the end. The narrator crying "What is Joker doing in town?" is definitly less exiting than "Will Batman and Robin drown in the big cake?". Likewise the cases got more and more riddiculus, partly because they had to cramp to much into this half hour, but also because they went overboard...the cardboard version of Batman, Robin and Batgirl are a sad testimony of this. And on top of this, many of the really good villians, like Catwoman and Riddler left the show, and the new ones (who had nothing to do with the comics) were simply boring. I also missed the batclimp-scenes, where someone was looking out of the window. -- Submitted By: (Swanpride) on February 2, 2010, 1:36 pm
Cosmos: A Personal Voyage - TV Shows
You should see "Carl Sagan vs. the Matrix" on Youtube. -- Submitted By: (JamesO) on February 2, 2010, 1:34 pm
Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin, The - TV Shows
Something struck me...isn't this the time when people who grew up with imagination-sapping shows such as this reach the age when they are hired to write/produce TV shows and movies? It's probably the reason so many shows now are devoid of imagination, creativity, and most of all quality. -- Submitted By: (Robert) on February 2, 2010, 1:31 pm
Taylor Swift - Celebrities
I think she's working on that as we speak. She seems to be trying her hand at acting. I think she has a bit part in some new 'chick-flick' that just came out. -- Submitted By: (Friedrich_Feuerstein) on February 2, 2010, 1:06 pm
Dixie Chicks - Music Groups
Frankly, I liked them better when they were more of a novelty act. A quartet dressed in gaudy cowgirl outfits playing classic country & western swing. Am I the only one who remembers that iteration of The Dixie Chicks? -- Submitted By: (Friedrich_Feuerstein) on February 2, 2010, 1:03 pm
Doogie Howser, M.D. - TV Shows
This show was so bad, I never understood who watched it, or how it stayed on the air. Typically 90's trash television like "Full House" or "Life Goes On". Pass the Slaw for Dr. Howser! -- Submitted By: (Chubby Rain) on February 2, 2010, 12:35 pm
JumptheShark.com - Websites
Wow I just stopped by the "SITE THAT SHALL NOT BE NAMED"- what a trainwreck, no new content in a month, and no user comments- the level of drivel and tabloid crap is even worse than it was 6 months ago. What a disgrace! -- Submitted By: (Chubby Rain) on February 2, 2010, 12:32 pm
BoneTheFish.com - Websites
http://22.214.171.124/search?q=cache:7eZMo_83fX8J:www.krushtheserpent.com/id92.html+bonethefish&cd=123&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us .......Shanequia and the site were mentioned in an actor's blog...... Thankfully by Thursday they had him back in doing BG again so at least he was working. Zack found a hilarious website called Bonethefish.com where you can post comments about when a show goes down or on random topics. Our favorite poster was someone called Shanequia. He would bring print outs of her comments and we were entertained for hours. Christiane wanted to find her on Facebook and be friends. She wanted to manage her and make a youtube video of her ranting out her opinions because it would make for an awesome stand-up routine -- Submitted By: (Chubby Rain) on February 2, 2010, 12:16 pm
Love Boat - TV Shows
As bad as the show was (and it was AWFUL!), oddly enough, it almost singlehanded salvaged the cruise line industry which by that point was literally sinking due to it almost entirely being kept afloat as strictly as a travel option for old fogies too jittery to want to use airplane when travelling overseas. -- Submitted By: (Pelirojo) on February 2, 2010, 11:37 am
Osbournes, The - TV Shows
I agree, Chubby Rain. I also say it boned when so many. .er boneheaded talking heads PRAISED them for being 'a normal family'! Profanity saturation in front of one's kids, sending underaged kids out to nightclubs and living in a gaudily decorated pigsty's 'normal?!' I'm middle aged but I have NEVER used that kind of language in front of (much less TO) my parents that that pair constantly used re their parents! And they actually acted surprised that that brood wound up with substance abuse issues! -- Submitted By: (Pelirojo) on February 2, 2010, 11:30 am
Osbournes, The - TV Shows
Another step down the road to being uncool for Ozzy as his brood saps off his reputation to become reality show "stars". As an Ozzy fan, I avoided this abortion like the plague- bones the fish for the Blizzard of Ozz. -- Submitted By: (Chubby Rain) on February 2, 2010, 10:26 am
Sopranos, The - TV Shows
Im going to rebut the Mikey Palmice beating, since they are made guys with bosses, Tony can kick Mikey's ass (with staple gun) and Mikey would need to go through Junior for a hit back, remember how much Mikey hated Tony, and was actively involved in getting him assasinated, his revenge would have been killing Tony and taking over his crew, which almost happened. That I am willing to look past, as It makes sense on some level. Now so far in my re-watchings Trash is mentioned, and observed, it has not been pulled from the show, so I will look for that as I move forward, but I am calling out the dropped Italian Mob Boss story line- that was dropped- as the first chink in the armor. Remember I am watching the show from start to finish and will report on what I observe from what I see, but I will look for the potential problems you raise along the way! -- Submitted By: (Chubby Rain) on February 2, 2010, 3:28 am
Dixie Chicks - Music Groups
I think mainly the reason for that was because, like I had said, since the Dixie Chicks are country artists, and country music fans are typically so pro-USA and pro-republican, so having that happen, not to mention doing it outside the country, which I found a bit cowardly, a ton of country music fans were not going to take it well. -- Submitted By: (PYLrulz) on February 1, 2010, 7:17 pm
Sopranos, The - TV Shows
I find there are a lot of inconsistencies in the Sopranos, really. More than just them forgetting about the car export scam (although they do kind of mention it in S5 when Feech steels the cars from the Jewish Wedding). Two incidents of glaring inconsistencies for me begin in season 1. Perhaps most blatantly, Tony delivers a grade A ass-kicking to made-guy Mikey Palmice, complete with using a staple gun on his chest several times, and nobody cares. Then in Season 3 it's a massive multi-family incident when he smacks made guy Ralph, even though it doesn't really hurt him. What the hell? Then there's the way the family no longer seems to do much with the "garbage business" from S3 onward. In the first two seasons this was their bread and butter, but other than using his waste management job to show income, Tony seems much more concerned with the strip club than the garbage business from S3 onward. Just seemed like an incident of them sacrificing mob realism for storylines that were "more fun". -- Submitted By: (doctor_awesome) on February 1, 2010, 5:17 pm
BoneTheFish.com - Websites
I see that a reason of "Fox-newsification" was set for BTF- while BTF has it's share of over the top conservative users, the liberal users are never edited or censored. I dont see that the site has a slant one way or another, despite what individual users who are free to point out what they want to may feel. -- Submitted By: (Chubby Rain) on February 1, 2010, 3:47 pm
Dixie Chicks - Music Groups
Why is it OK for the Dixie Chicks to say any negative things they want about Bush, but not OK for people to say any negative things they want about the Dixie Chicks? Call me crazy, but I thought freedom of speech went both ways. -- Submitted By: (Robert) on February 1, 2010, 3:21 pm
Michael Moore - Celebrities
On second thought, scratch that; if he were, he'd be making Scientology recruitment videos, not crockumentaries. -- Submitted By: (Robert) on February 1, 2010, 3:13 pm
Glenn Beck - Celebrities
The best way to prove someone right is to silence them. -- Submitted By: (Robert) on February 1, 2010, 3:11 pm
Glenn Beck (TV show) - TV Shows
Strange how Glenn Beck the celebrity has "day one" as the top reason, while Glenn Beck the show has "never boned" as the top reason. I wish the voters who spend all day voting "never boned" or "day one" would step forward and say why they feel that way. Barack Obama, for example, currently has "never boned" as the top reason, but the person(s) who drive him up never come forward and say why they feel he never boned. There are also celebrities with "day one" as the top reason, and conspicuously absent is even a single comment saying why the disturbed user(s) (as Johnny put it) feel the need to spam votes incessantly for their "heroes" or "anti-heroes". -- Submitted By: (Robert) on February 1, 2010, 3:10 pm
Heroes - TV Shows
I agree with (Kitchenbreak)this show just kept going down hill after the first season. I hope that it gets cancelled it sucks. -- Submitted By: (JohnnyRocket42) on February 1, 2010, 2:21 pm
Glenn Beck (TV show) - TV Shows
With so many votes and Zero comments, it's obvious that one disturbed user is spending all day running this show up. -- Submitted By: (JohnnyRocket42) on February 1, 2010, 2:13 pm
Dixie Chicks - Music Groups
I agree in a way that if they disagree with the president, they should voice it, however the two big strikes against them, in my opinion. 1 - They were interjecting politics in a concert. I don't know how others feel about it, but if I go to a concert, I want to be entertained, not have politics pushed onto me, and 2 - They spoke out outside the country. Again, if they do not like the president, fine, but I just found it outright cowardly to go to Europe to rip on the president, almost as if they would of said it in the US, some secret agents would of taken them away, never to be heard from again. -- Submitted By: (PYLrulz) on February 1, 2010, 1:41 pm
Terrell Owens - Celebrities
I could care less about TO. Does not help my team is the Eagles. But on the topic of boning, when he left the 49ers, ok, excusable, the 49ers were in the beginning of being run into the ground, anyone would want to get out of that situation, but after the stunts he pulled in Philly, boned right then and there. -- Submitted By: (PYLrulz) on February 1, 2010, 1:38 pm
Taylor Swift - Celebrities
What Red said. Within a few years, she will be discarded for the next hot blonde, unless she finds a way to stick around. -- Submitted By: (PYLrulz) on February 1, 2010, 1:36 pm
2012 doomsday prediction - Random Topics
Friday, December 21, 2012: the world's biggest fish has been boned! -- Submitted By: (MacFan95) on February 1, 2010, 9:24 am
Sopranos, The - TV Shows
Mrs. Chubby Rain and I have been watching SOPRANOS this year from season 1, episode 1- she had never seen it, I have not watched it since the lame ending and bad last season. So to address this Boning, I will make periodic reports as I re-experience the show. First Season: Perfect Television, not a bone in sight. Second Season, we are 5 episodes into it, and so far it is pure gold- great television...but the first sighting of a "bone" emerges in the episode "Commandatori" where Tony goes to Italy, he makes a long term arrangment for more Italian soldiers from the woman mob boss (Furio comes over to NJ in the next episode) this plot point of the woman mob boss, and more soldiers and a continuing arrangement is never brought up again, so while this part doesnt bone in season 2, it is the start of a trend of plot points being dropped, we just didnt know it at the time. Also the focus is on the characters we want to see, not the annoying characters (AJ and Meadow). So for the first 1.5 seasons I have identified one issue that is not going to be addressed. And as we watch more episodes I will make commentary here. But to address why people hate the finale, it's the culmination of the show going downhill and the ending just encapsulated all of those frustrations, I will try to pinpoint them as I re-live the SOPRANOS experience from the Pilot episode onward to come to a complete conclusion on this landmark show that ended poorly after being such a great show. Where did it Bone? Chubby Rain will find out, and report to our fans on Bone the Fish! -- Submitted By: (Chubby Rain) on February 1, 2010, 8:21 am
Prince - Music Groups
Around 2005 I saw the real Prince live in concert, and also a prince imitator cover show in Las Vegas. Sadly the imitation Prince did about 1000% better putting on a "Prince Show", I would pay to see the imitation, not the original, after comparing the two. -- Submitted By: (Chubby Rain) on February 1, 2010, 3:31 am
Ted McGinley - Celebrities
I liked him on Married With Children. The only thing that this guy is guilty of is the bad luck of always joining shows whenever they are WELL PAST their shelf life. Love Boat always WAS lame, and Happy Days was already dying a slow and painful death by the time Ted came along. Don't blame Ted, blame the writers. -- Submitted By: (jimdcarter) on January 31, 2010, 11:30 pm
Friday Night Lights - TV Shows
In a way, this show is one of the reasons why NBC sucks now. I am not saying it sucks. It does not. It's a great show, the reason I say what I say is because NBC does not know a great show when it hits them. Guaranteed they promote this show, and they could have something to build off of, like they had with "Must See TV" back in the 90's -- Submitted By: (PYLrulz) on January 31, 2010, 11:12 pm
World Wrestling Entertainment - Random Topics
I wouldn't necessarily say joke, just something that many considered entertainment for the lower class fan, not to mention the structure of wrestling up until the 80's mostly consisted of regional territories that respected each others boundaries, and therefore, really did not have anyone that could really make a name for themselves, except in a certain region. -- Submitted By: (PYLrulz) on January 31, 2010, 11:08 pm
Prince - Music Groups
The only musician to commit commercial suicide twice, sequentially. How is a record company supposed to market a pop star with no name? How are his fans supposed to care about a guy who'd rather battle it out in the courtroom with his record company than make music? Log in and tell us, TAFKAP! -- Submitted By: (RedPower) on January 31, 2010, 10:24 pm
Dixie Chicks - Music Groups
They disagreed with the president's policies and underestimated how close-minded and conservative some of their fans still were. Ladies, don't shut up and please keep singing. -- Submitted By: (RedPower) on January 31, 2010, 10:13 pm
Terrell Owens - Celebrities
He drops as many passes as he catches. He takes over the team, then leaves in shame. He's yet another overpaid, hotshot, pretty boy wide receiver. Sean Salisbury called him the worst teammate in league history. Exit stage left you donkey. -- Submitted By: (RedPower) on January 31, 2010, 10:06 pm
Taylor Swift - Celebrities
She's pretty but do I have to see her EVERYWHERE? Also, she has such an ordinary, average voice. Enjoy the fame and save those pennies, dear. Country music goes through a lot of blondes.... -- Submitted By: (RedPower) on January 31, 2010, 10:00 pm
Led Zeppelin - Music Groups
Now this is amazing... can't believe how many people hate Zeppelin. They weren't a critical success for their time but generally loved by the public. They never boned but if you were twisting my arm, I'd say their synth-sounding stuff is my least favorite, e.g. 'All of My Love'. -- Submitted By: (RedPower) on January 31, 2010, 9:37 pm
Adventures of Superman - TV Shows
After George Reeves was found dead in 1959, you know an era had come to an end -- Submitted By: (JamesGillespie) on January 31, 2010, 9:32 pm
Sopranos, The - TV Shows
Much like 'Seinfeld', I don't know how a final episode/ending of said episode can be boning. The show's over- it can't get worse from there! This show was excellent and addictive but had enough BTF moments for any ten shows. Maybe that's part of its appeal; 'The Sopranos' really kept you guessing. I voted for the AJ/Meadow 'New Jersey 90210' nonsense later in the series (great title by the way- do I smell spinoff?). They were bit players at best. Especially AJ. He was nearly as unlikeable as Tony's mother at the series' beginning. I think I did the happy dance when she died; a great weight was lifted of off Tony's shoulders and my own. The whole deal with Vito nearly got my vote but it was so late that it didn't take on much significance. -- Submitted By: (RedPower) on January 31, 2010, 9:27 pm
Batman (1966) - TV Shows
In the beginning, Batman was all the rage with Joker, Riddler, Penguin, Catwoman, Mr. Freeze and Mad Hatter: all of which were villians in the Batman comic book series. Of the villians that were not: only Egghead and King Tut deserve positive mention while most the rest failed to make the grade. You talk about the time in which it was made, it became escapist entertainment for many but as the Vietnam became a crisis so did William Dozier's ability to keep the show within budget. Don't blame Batgirl for the end of the show: The show was contracted from 2 episodes a week to 1 which also attributed to budget cuts and shortly after Walter Cronkite concluded the Vietnam war was unwinable, ABC though the same about keeping Batman on the air in March of 1968. And when it comes to comparing the Batman TV series to the Batman movies made since 1989, I don't know whether it's the sophistication of the bigger budget Batman films like The Dark Knight or the Del Rubio Triplets' effect on the appeal of the 60 Batman series but I think I find the recent Batman projects far more appealing. -- Submitted By: (JamesGillespie) on January 31, 2010, 9:23 pm
American Chopper - TV Shows
These guys pick up and move more often than the circus, and every move to a bigger shop produced a corresponding decline in quality. But OCC's biggest boning moment is just the fact that they got very corporate, i.e. NASA, Gilette, and everyone with a dump truck full of money needed a chopper of some sort to promote their brand. And when the guys went to Europe- who wants to watch that? It's the Bradys going to Hawaii all over again. There are some great moments on the show, mainly in the early episodes where the shop couldn't scrape two nickels together. It really succeeded when it was about the amazing custom bikes instead of the fights and money. -- Submitted By: (RedPower) on January 31, 2010, 9:15 pm
Vegetarianism - Random Topics
Romans 14:1 verse 3 The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him.- -- Submitted By: (kitchenbreak) on January 31, 2010, 1:41 pm
Liberalism - Random Topics
Yeah, there's a flame war but apparently with the vote stacking :P. The conservativism entry started at the same time but no one is voting there. -- Submitted By: (JamesO) on January 31, 2010, 12:53 pm
Friday Night Lights - TV Shows
Why didn't they explain where Santiago went? -- Submitted By: (kitchenbreak) on January 31, 2010, 8:22 am
Chris Rock - Celebrities
The white vs black comedy thing is way too 80s please stop it's embarrassing! -- Submitted By: (kitchenbreak) on January 31, 2010, 8:15 am
Krystal Restaurant - Random Topics
Think of White Castle 'burgers' -only without the five holes bored in, shanequia. And even when I ate just one, it always felt as though I was digesting gravel afterwards. -- Submitted By: (Pelirojo) on January 30, 2010, 7:44 pm
Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin, The - TV Shows
I'm thankful I'm too old for this to have ever been an issue for me personally but I hated how this toy did all it could to DIScourage kids from using their own imaginations and just plug their brains into whatever this thing was pitching. How do parents expect their kids to be creative or imaginative if they have them play with pre-programmed stuffed critters instead of the old fashioned kind that required us kids to supply every syllable of dialogue? -- Submitted By: (Pelirojo) on January 30, 2010, 7:41 pm
World Wrestling Entertainment - Random Topics
Lest we forget, until Cyndi Lauper started hyping Captain Lou Albano and the performing wrestlers in general in the early 1980's, it had been considered for decades a joke few folks bothered with. -- Submitted By: (Pelirojo) on January 30, 2010, 7:24 pm
Lost - TV Shows
Not a problem, kitchenbreak. Inasmuch as the 'Net and media in general will do their darnedest to saturate us with every nanosecond of the show from now until the next show they wanna hype, I have no doubt I'll hear all about it from all my Lost-ie aquaintances so there's no point in my tuning in. -- Submitted By: (Pelirojo) on January 30, 2010, 7:20 pm
Chris Rock - Celebrities
Rock's "Kill the Messenger" special proves that he's as much willing to laugh at black people as he is white people. -- Submitted By: (Indigo) on January 30, 2010, 1:53 pm
World Wrestling Entertainment - Random Topics
I so want to agree with you on wrestling's being in a temporary rut, I really do. Problem is is that the slump you mentioned lasted 3-4 years at the most IIRC, whereas WWE hasn't been decent for almost 10 years. -- Submitted By: (Indigo) on January 30, 2010, 1:45 pm
Maury - TV Shows
This show just about makes me ashamed that Maury Povich was from D.C. This isn't to say everything Povich did was crap. He was the son of longtime WaPo sports columnist Shirley Povich. He had worked for then-independent television station WTTG, channel 5, for nearly two decades. The first few years of the show were decent. Then came the dumb-as-dirt guests and equally dumb audience members. WDCW, which now airs the show twice a day in D.C., recently claimed the station to have the highest ratings in the time slots Povich airs his slop, which just goes to show that popularity doesn't necessarily equal quality! -- Submitted By: (joeygatorman) on January 29, 2010, 5:52 pm
Dora the Explorer - TV Shows
ROTFLOL. The Dirty Harry version of "Swiper, no swiping!" must have been hilarious! -- Submitted By: (Robert) on January 29, 2010, 3:51 pm
Second City Television - TV Shows
I hear that a lot. Unfortunately, I never saw the earlier stuff to have anything to compare to. All I ever saw was the full-length 'later' shows and those were quite funny as it was. Gee, I feel as if I'm really missing out on something. :) -- Submitted By: (Friedrich_Feuerstein) on January 29, 2010, 2:33 pm
New Zoo Revue - TV Shows
Yeah, I remember that one, shanequia! It WAS creepy. What exactly were Doug and Emmy Jo supposed to be doing with these animals? There were no cages (besides the treehouse elevator-don't ask ) and no one came by to pay admission but then, what kind of zoo would stay in business with just a ghastly white hippo- along with an owl and frog?! And it seemed the hippo was living in Doug and Emmy Jo's HOUSE (and the humans were supposed to be nothing more than boss and employee!). Oh, and it REALLY lost me (even as a kid) for having even more songs than 'H R Pufnstuf'-UGH! Yeah, I grant that Emmy Jo was cute in the miniskirt and go-go boots but if someone had just made a poster, there would have been no reason for anyone to willingly watch this show! -- Submitted By: (Pelirojo) on January 29, 2010, 12:04 pm
Hellraiser - Movie Series
Watched 1-6 so far and I can say I've like 'em all, at least to some extent. IMO this is one series that can go on pretty much forever since it doesn't require strong continuity (We've already seen more than 1 version of "the end," but then we can just go back in time and see someone totally unrelated picking up the box...); either you escape the cenobites or you don't, there ain't no killing 'em for good... To me, if there's something new to offer, they just need to make another one, it isn't a series that can really "bone the fish" definitively. -- Submitted By: (MrBriggsInc) on January 29, 2010, 10:40 am
Vanilla Ice - Celebrities
A German friend of mine used to call him "Vanilla Scheiss." -- Submitted By: (Friedrich_Feuerstein) on January 29, 2010, 10:34 am
Hercules: The Animated Series - TV Shows
LOL! :) -- Submitted By: (Friedrich_Feuerstein) on January 29, 2010, 10:31 am
Mentalist, The - TV Shows
Well, it hasn't boned yet. My wife LOVES crime dramas. I'm not a big fan of crime dramas but occasionally get roped into watching one with her when she has control of the remote. This one isn't too bad. -- Submitted By: (Friedrich_Feuerstein) on January 29, 2010, 9:42 am
Friday Night Lights - TV Shows
Best show on NBC! -- Submitted By: (kitchenbreak) on January 29, 2010, 9:01 am
FlashForward - TV Shows
I hope it gets better after the hiatus my expectations were very high. -- Submitted By: (kitchenbreak) on January 29, 2010, 8:56 am
Lost - TV Shows
@ Pelirojo I correct myself not all of the ex-viewers of course. There is a video about how the creators of Lost will answer all the mysteries in one season or NOT. It's pretty funny http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1PAB6Sgdp8 -- Submitted By: (kitchenbreak) on January 29, 2010, 8:54 am
IMDB - Websites
However, I will add that the last time I checked, I do have a Kevin Bacon Degree Rating of 3. ;) -- Submitted By: (Friedrich_Feuerstein) on January 29, 2010, 8:25 am
Dora the Explorer - TV Shows
Well, perhaps "lampoon" isn't the best term to describe it. In short, I have fun with it. But, you asked for an example: My kids have a few of the Dora books. When I get to the map portion of the story, I sing a silly exaggerated version of the map song and then begin to repeat the locations on the map (in the same manner of The Map character) more times than necessary and on each round of repeating the locations, my voice becomes increasingly manic and shrill. My 6 year old just goes nuts with laughter when I do that. Also, I've been known to improvise my own words to the Backpack character song as well. Once I tried the Dirty Harry voice on the "Swiper no swiping" part of the books, but, not surprisingly, they didn't quite get that one. -- Submitted By: (Friedrich_Feuerstein) on January 29, 2010, 8:16 am
Second City Television - TV Shows
I have always thought that the best stuff Second City ever did was the first two seasons or so, where they mostly just did promo-length spoofs, rather than the full length stuff they did later. The first two seasons of Second City were described by the cast as "guerrilla television", and I think they were brilliant. I don't know if this is the only reason, but one thing separating the first two seasons from the later ones is the presence of Harold Ramis as cast member and head writer. I know that people think very highly of the later SCTV Network episodes, but to be honest I found them a bit boring by comparison. I felt that the earlier 30 minute episodes were much tighter and funnier than the later ones - Doing the programs full length probably pushed the concept a little too far. I'm hoping that these episodes eventually become available on DVD. -- Submitted By: (Eugene) on January 29, 2010, 6:31 am
NickelBack - Music Groups
And they got a music contract because?!? -- Submitted By: (PYLrulz) on January 29, 2010, 6:11 am
Friends - TV Shows
Agreed. Watched it once, and wanted to punch myself out for watching such crap. Maybe it might appeal to a certain segment of our population, but it certainly wasn't "Must See TV" for me. -- Submitted By: (PYLrulz) on January 29, 2010, 6:10 am
Sigourney Weaver - Celebrities
She looks hot! Even in her 60's! -- Submitted By: (rodduling) on January 29, 2010, 1:52 am
Robert Duvall - Celebrities
My favorite Robert Duvall performance.....Augustas McCrae in Lonesome Dove. -- Submitted By: (rodduling) on January 29, 2010, 1:48 am
Jesse Jackson - Celebrities
odd how he seemed to get a pass on the Hymietown (sp?)remark, unlike a drunk Mel Gibson........ -- Submitted By: (rodduling) on January 29, 2010, 1:37 am
Tony Romo - Celebrities
"last time he will hold the ball for a game winner"....Not true, he became the place holder again at the end of this last season. -- Submitted By: (rodduling) on January 29, 2010, 1:32 am
BEATLES, The - Music Groups
never boned. they went out on top, unlike the Who & the Stones. -- Submitted By: (rodduling) on January 29, 2010, 1:23 am
Led Zeppelin - Music Groups
The death of John Bonham didn't cause any boning of the fish. That doesn't make sense. The group disbanded after his death. It is to their credit they stopped making music together knowing they could never replace the best drummer of all time. They went out on top unlike The Who and the Stones who let the cash cow keep rolling after deaths and departures and old age............P.S. Im pretty sure its probably just one guy who keeps voting that they boned from day one. -- Submitted By: (rodduling) on January 29, 2010, 1:12 am
AC DC - Music Groups
they got old..... -- Submitted By: (rodduling) on January 29, 2010, 12:51 am
NickelBack - Music Groups
is it just me, or does every song sound pretty much the same. -- Submitted By: (rodduling) on January 29, 2010, 12:49 am
Scorpions - Music Groups
When the Berlin Wall came down is about when they boned the fish. When they did 'wind of change'. -- Submitted By: (rodduling) on January 29, 2010, 12:44 am
Entertainment Tonight - TV Shows
Became unwatchable about the time 'Cojo' entered the show. -- Submitted By: (rodduling) on January 29, 2010, 12:29 am
Jack in the Box (restaurant) - Random Topics
We should forgive them for the E. coli outbreak just because it happened 17 years ago? Children died because of that. The ones that are still alive have dealt with numerous health problems. And Shanequia is right about Jack being creepy. Clowns = suck. -- Submitted By: (JLer2562) on January 28, 2010, 9:36 pm
Pornography - Random Topics
Only if you do it right....;-) -- Submitted By: (BrewMaster) on January 28, 2010, 8:58 pm
Friends - TV Shows
This was absolute drivel. I saw one episode and I had no idea what the fuss was about. But a couple things bothered me more than the lack of funny. 1. That we're supposed to believe lion-faced Jennifer Aniston is "hot" simply because the media says so, and 2. They could NEVER afford those apartments. -- Submitted By: (JLer2562) on January 28, 2010, 7:26 pm
4Kids Entertainment - Random Topics
I can understand mistakes being made, but most of the "editing" they've done was in fact deliberate mutilation. And to top it off, when they learned that die-hard anime fans didn't like their "edits" and dubbing, did they say, "We will soon release an unedited version of this anime?" No. Their reply, more or less, was "Get over it". Cut them some slack? Nope. Sorry. -- Submitted By: (Robert) on January 28, 2010, 5:55 pm
Hercules: The Animated Series - TV Shows
Sequel this is. Buy it you will. Love it so much you want to buy another one you will. Fork over all your dough for the upcoming threequel you will. Disgrace to original film, this is not. -- Submitted By: (Robert) on January 28, 2010, 5:52 pm
Michael Moore - Celebrities
He might be a closet Scientologist. -- Submitted By: (Robert) on January 28, 2010, 5:49 pm
Dora the Explorer - TV Shows
Give us an example of the Dora lampooning, Friedrich? -- Submitted By: (Robert) on January 28, 2010, 5:48 pm
Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin, The - TV Shows
Don't forget the Care Bears, they're evil, too! -- Submitted By: (Robert) on January 28, 2010, 5:45 pm
Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin, The - TV Shows
What an evil toy and show, I hated the commercials even as a kid, thank god I never got it as a gift!! -- Submitted By: (Chubby Rain) on January 28, 2010, 5:29 pm
Kristen Bell - Celebrities
Well, I'm really not that into blondes (redheads and brunettes are more my style), but despite being a blonde, I think she's kinda cute. -- Submitted By: (Friedrich_Feuerstein) on January 28, 2010, 5:06 pm
IMDB - Websites
Well if you are in the pre-press- get our site some press to it gets bigger- glad to have you! -- Submitted By: (Chubby Rain) on January 28, 2010, 4:49 pm
Kristen Bell - Celebrities
this girl a cheap imitation of Reece witherspoon only not half as pretty. -- Submitted By: (shanequia) on January 28, 2010, 4:37 pm
CSI Miami - TV Shows
This season is bad -- Submitted By: (Freword) on January 28, 2010, 4:37 pm
Whoopi Goldberg - Celebrities
i think she loose her marbles. -- Submitted By: (shanequia) on January 28, 2010, 4:34 pm
Lost - TV Shows
this one LOST me at the end of season one cause they never wrap up anything. i am glad it is going to end. -- Submitted By: (shanequia) on January 28, 2010, 4:31 pm
Krystal Restaurant - Random Topics
i trust yo pellirojo so i run the other way if i ever come across this place. -- Submitted By: (shanequia) on January 28, 2010, 4:29 pm
Madonna - Music Groups
she old enough to be lady gagas grandma. -- Submitted By: (shanequia) on January 28, 2010, 4:25 pm
Janet Jackson - Celebrities
she is the best. i love her music and she pretty too. -- Submitted By: (shanequia) on January 28, 2010, 4:24 pm
Martha Stewart - Celebrities
she always going to be famous for going to jail. i wonder if they let her cook in there. -- Submitted By: (shanequia) on January 28, 2010, 4:23 pm
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text:
A sad day
Hello again
It was with great sadness earlier today that I stepped into the last first-class carriage in which I am properly entitled to sit down and make myself comfy.
Yes, the free first-class upgrade has expired, no more will a free flapjack and a cup of tea brighten up my trips to work. RIP upgrade, I will miss you a lot.
But, what other news?
Those of you who use Facebook may notice that anti-First Great Western groups are springing up there - it seems the anger is still running just as high as it was when I felt compelled to start this blog more than ten months ago. One has even named itself "I Hate First Great Western", but has no relation to this blog, though I hope its members will come and visit, and perhaps order a badge or two.
So, ten months on, are things any better at all? Well, I do feel that I have a better understanding of why bad things happen, but I must admit the customer service still doesn't seem to have improved much, what's your experience?
I'm about to try and take the major step of changing my season ticket, so that it runs from my new home in Windsor instead of from Pangbourne. I imagine this will not go off without a hitch, but we'll see.
There's still no news of when my meeting with the First Great Western people will take place. They're quite busy with the Ufton Nervet inquest at the moment, so fair enough, but it's been rather a long time since I asked. I hope to be able to bring you some answers to some hard questions in the next week or two.


text:
So many things are happening – you're engaged, calling vendors, taste-testing desserts, searching for a dress and a million and one other things. It's exhausting. So exhausting, in fact, that there may be a few important details you've missed. It is no fun when it's the day of your wedding and things start to not add up. You're in love with the venue, but soon realize you forgot to ask about handicap accessibility for Great Aunt Georgina, and now she can't easily make it to the reception site. It starts to rain, and your venue doesn't have a contingency plan for bad weather. Another case of Murphy's Law; anything that can go wrong, will go wrong. Foresight isn't always around when you need it, unfortunately. This is why it is crucial that you speak with your venue openly and as thoroughly as possible. We've put together some important questions or topics to address with your venue beforehand – leave no stone unturned and your day will go much more smoothly! Believe us, these are just a few suggestions to get you started.
Is there an in-House caterer / bar-tending service?
Be sure to inquire about cost-basis of food & beverage (per-person, etc.). If there is in-house catering/bartending that you don't love, still inquire if you can bring in outside vendors, and if the necessary facilities will be available for them (if not using in-house).
Can outside vendors be brought in?
If not, you should ask if the venue has a list of preferred vendors.
What time can vendors begin setting up on the day of the wedding?
Ask how early deliveries can be made, or if they can be made the day before. Also ask how much time is allowed for décor setup, and if the venue provides assistance cleaning up or loading after the event.
Can we have a full / thorough tour of the facilities?
It never hurts to see EVERYTHING all at once. Plus, you can bring this handy list of questions to check off during your visit.
What dates are available in the month I'm considering?
Ask if they have more than one wedding booked around that time, so you are sure you get the attention your day deserves. Also, ask about any renovations/construction/seasonal changes that may occur leading up to your wedding date.
What extra amenities are available (and is there cost associated)?
Ask if chairs, tables, linens are available from the venue. Also, ask about any extra areas (gazebos, pavilions, etc.) that might be available for your use, and if there is cost associated.
Are there any restrictions or guidelines for décor?
Some facilities have restrictions on the type of décor and placement/installation of these items or areas. Can you use real candles? Does the venue decorate itself for holidays already? Don't forget to ask about power outlet locations, too.
How is the venue accessibility?
This includes many things; parking availability, handicap accessibility, access for taxis/shuttles, restroom facilities or if valet parking is offered.
Do you have a contingency plan for outdoor spaces?
This is HUGE, especially with the unpredictable Texas weather. Be sure to thoroughly go through any contingency options for inclement weather (hot, cold, rain or shine).
Do you offer on-site coordination?
Ask what services are included, if they offer day-of coordination and at what cost. This service can increase your chances for a stress-free day!
How long will I have use of the event space(s) I reserve?
Every venue is different. Ask if there is an overtime fee for staying longer and what the minimum/maximum rental time frame is.
Are there restrictions on music?
Meaning; noise restrictions, type of music and whether or not the venue can accommodate a DJ or live band.
Is security provided?
Inquire if the venue has security on staff, or if you need to provide your own.
Is there a coat check service, or designated area for guest's personal items?
Guests will need a place to pile all of their belongings. Ask about a coat check service, or if there is an area you can use for that purpose.
Can we provide our own alcohol?
You should ask what type of alcohol you can bring, if permitted. If you cannot provide your own, ask if the venue is licensed to provide alcohol service and how the alcohol/service is priced (per person, by consumption, extra charge for bar staff, etc.).
What overnight accommodations do you provide, if any?
Some facilities offer discounts for booking multiple rooms, if available. Also ask what the nearest hotels are to the venue if lodging is not available on-site.
Can I hold my ceremony here, too?
Some venues are reception, only. Ask if you can hold your ceremony on the same site, and at what cost. Is the ceremony site close to the reception site? Is there a bridal changing area? How much time is allotted for the rehearsal?
What is the rental fee and what is included in the price (total bill amount)?
Ask about deposits, due dates for payments and whether any form of payment is refundable. Be sure to have them include EVERYTHING in the invoice (catering, discounts for off-season dates or Sunday-Friday, or any other additional taxes or service fees).
What is the cancellation policy and what insurance is available?
Ask the venue if there is a cancellation policy or if postponement insurance is available – in case of bad weather or other misfortunes. Some venues also offer liability insurance.
At Brazos Valley Bride, our goal is to help you through your wedding planning journey! Connect with us on Facebook and Instagram for the latest scoop on local wedding vendors, trends, and resources.


text:
That said, I've had a couple of ideas for articles and battle reports bubbling away, and if I can get some photos taken I have some stuff to show off.
So, thanks for reading, and hopefully the next post won't be so long coming as this one!
Welcome back :)ReplyDelete
Good to see you back in cyberspace Andy. Your blog is superb fun to read and the photos are very inspirational indeed.ReplyDelete
Your RT scenarios were great......when you did them :p
Can't wait to see you guys back in the saddle.
Delighted to see you back Squire. And congratulations on the Forge World gig.ReplyDelete
I'll have to get on with painting my HH-era Death Guard then!
20 down, only another 50 or so to go, plus some vehicles!
Its great to see some activity here :) My own RT-inspired painting output has taken off a bit recently, but I was missing the inspiration that I got from this place all the same.
Im looking forward to some meaty stuff :)
Sorry about the triple (!) post. Im going to blame Bloggers frosty relationship with Wordpress for that one. It wont happen again...
Don't worry mate, I'll tidy it up! Thanks for your kind words:-)ReplyDelete


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