text:
In the beginning of this note about the trip to Timisoara I'd like to
make a small digression concerning some critics my subjective propaganda
dedicated web resource received recently. This time they criticized some
statements made by me on the site, along with the languages they were
published in.
Not so long ago the English version of the summer nights text was commented in Romanian by someone Gheorghe.
After a closer look (by IP address) he turned out to be a vigorous Finnish
lady from Bucharest with whom I had a pleasure to have a discussion by e-mail
once. I said Finnish because Finland is the country where he currently
lives, and it looks like either because of the language barrier or maybe
some reasons related to appearance, normal healthy sex is a rare thing
in her life. Otherwise why berate Pumpsie
so angrily? Interest for politics and to her own national
inferiority are most likey to have such a reason. In her comment
Gheorghe accused me of libel as well as of publication of different
materials depending on the language they're written in. Particularly she
felt offended by the statement that the majority of the "Old times" club
visitors were virtually living in America. The reason for me to write it
was a big American flag I saw under the ceiling there. You can imagine
where Baia Mare is situated and where is America, can't you? That's what
I meant too.
According to Gheorghe, my guilt is that the statement was published in
English, without a translation into Romanian. Well, first of all, I'm
quite aware of the fact that there are a lot of Romanians around who are
able to comprehend English. Also on the first page of the site there is
a list of all the recently written texts, no matter in which language
they are. And last but not least, the majority of texts (including this
one) are usually written the following way. Originally I write in
Russian, and then with a great, almost titanic, effort a text is
translated into English. The effort is so big that after applying it I
don't feel like translating it into Romanian at all. There are though
some specific texts written especially for the Romanian version of the
site. Usually they are related to the subjects that are interesting only
inside Romania, such as this one where
it says about the first 100% Romanian weblogs resource which got
launched quickly (in 19 days) after my article on the topic
was published in local press.
Thus, there is a message to all of you who sees a conspiracy theory
where I don't translate some texts from one language into another.
Instead of hating me, piercing a wodoo puppet symbolizing me and throwing
my portraits into lavatory pan, just take such a text and translate it
yourself. After I make sure everything it says reflects the original
thoughts well, the translation will be published. Below the text
depending on your will, we can add a name, a photo or anything else
you'd like to see there. Besides this, a translator can write several
words about him(her) self. Like "single Romanian girl lost in Finnish
forests is looking for a handsome Lappis (two, three) to have
some pleasures of Platonic, and also oral and anal kinds together".
That's it. No problem and everyone's happy.
Now about Timisoara. Since quite a while I wanted to visit the city. They
said I would see a neat old houses built during the Austo-Hungarian period, offices
furnished in extreme, people shining of prosperity, as well as crowds of
jolly students.
Some History
First mentioning about the city is dated 1154 year when an Arab
geographer Sarif al Idrisi wrote: "Timisoara is a nice city, offering
great riches". Since then a lot of things happened in the place situated
near Hungarian and Serbian borders. Like, in 1552 the city was captured
by Turks in whose possesion it remained till 1716 when the Austrian
prince Eugen de Savoya banished them annexing Timisoara to his own
posessions. During the Austrian rule the city suffered two epedemics of
plague (1738-1739 and 1762-1763). Then during some time it was trying to get
independence from Austro-Hungary, being reannexed every time. In 1918 there
was an annex attempt by Serbs, but in 1919 the city got a Romanian
administration. In July 1944 Timisoara was bombed by the airforces
of the US and the Great Britain, the same year in September the Soviet
army entered the city. In December 1989 Timisoara was the first Romanian
city free of communism.
The city is also full of traditions. First in Romania it got street
illumination with gas (1857), and then first in Europe was illuminated with
electricity (1884). The beer factory was built in 1718, and the first
tram (first in Romania again, horse-driven) was launched there in 1869.
With education it wasn't so great, because the universities were founded
quite late: medicine in 1946, and the state university in 1948.
A visit to such a city was going to be an interesting adventure. Of
course, it would be impossible to see everything in two days, and I
quite realized that. Though I suppose some things I did manage to see.
Way There
The thing I don't like about Baia Mare a lot is its being located on
outskirts. That's why getting somewhere from it is a real adventure. To
be frank, there are too few things left that I like about the city. With
the help of the database at cfr.ro I found out there was only one train going
daily to Timisoara from here. It was fast: the distance of 417 kms was
done in 7 hours and a half. At the other hand, the time for the train
was chosen extremely "properly", for it was night. For those of you who
have no idea about what Romanian railways are like, there is some info
in brief. There are coaches of 1st and 2nd class, and also two types of
sleeping-cars. The 1st class usually means 6 soft sitting places in a
compartment, the 2nd means 8. The main difference between the two types
of sleeping-cars is the amount of places, too. The one called "cusheta"
has 6 places, and "vagon de dormit" -- 2 in every compartment. Once I
was going from Iasi to Bucharest with "cusheta", and there were only
four people in every compartment, though the amount of places, as I said
before, was 6, placed in three rows. I also remember folding bars made
especially so that a sleeping passenger doesn't fall down from his
shelf. Sincerely, I was glad to see them. Immediately I remembered my
first time in a train back in childhood. It was something new, and I
insisted that I slept on the upper shelf. So how I was sleeping there
curled up in the same figure I fallen down by surprised mom who was
sitting below.
Despite the Baia Mare-Timisoara train goes over night, there are only
1st and 2nd classes in it. The main difference between them is price,
because there would be no comfortable sleeping in any of them. The lack
of sleeping-cars upset me, but couldn't cancel the travel. It was
already arranged with Vlad who was meant to meet me in the railway
station in the morning.
In the train there was a nice fellow traveller who I met back at the
railway-station. She was probably the sole young lady among old women
with bags and provincial men who were going to their villages situated
along the way. In compartment with us there were two old guys and one
old lady with a three years old granddaughter. A nice, active and
communicative girl called Teodora first was asking everyone if they
liked it in train, then said "go sleep or I'll beat you" and finished
with the phrase "gonna piss". Actually she was the only one who could
sleep well. Neither me nor Magda (that's how my fellow traveller's name
was), could sleep no matter how hard we tried to make us comfortable in
our chairs. Also we spoke on various topics. Like, there will be no
major demographic catastrophies in Romania, because large families are
not a rare thing here. Magda told me that her parents had yet 7 children
besides her. And when I took up a 2L bottle of "Coca-cola" immediately I
was informed on results of a very interesting experiment. One day in
order to break her of drinking the aerated imperialism someone left a
small piece of meat in a saucer with "Coca-cola". By morning the meat
got dissolved completely. It would had sounded ok if not the following
conclusion. The lady decided to switch to "Fanta". I assumed that the
only difference between the "Fanta" and "Cola" drinks was the taste,
while the chemical formula was most likely the same. Obviously, I asked
her if she tried to put meat into "Fanta". The lady felt inspired.
After coming at 8:11am Konst looked like a zombie. In such a state he
was met by Vlad who now works for the Romanian branch of the "Alcatel"
French company. My look was even sombrer because I realized that I made
a major negligence during preparations. I totally forgot to take the USB
cable for my digital camera. Now it feels much better with a 128Mb
flash, but during the trip to Timisoara not having a possibility to
download photos to computer I managed to make only 16 shots in 1024x768
resolution. How naive I was hoping that it was the case when I didn't
forget anything during my travel preparations!
First Steps
Just after meeting me Vlad said it cheerfully that our schedule for that
day was almost put together: we would see the city, visit clubs and see
the wet shirts contest if we find it. According to rumours it was meant
to happen at one of the shtrands. Shtrand is such a pond in the open
air, a very popular Romanian distraction, even in Baia Mare you can find
one. As to Timisoara, there are dozens.
Vlad lives on the street called Circumvolatiunii (possessive from
Circumvolatiune, a misterious word whose meaning noone knew). Dictating
on the phone his address if any, Vlad said Circul Volatiunii
(volatiune's cirus) and amused me a lot. I said it must be interesting
to live in circus, though you have to be attentive not to get biten by
tigers. Overby the block Vlad lived in we had a coffee, at his place I
left my gear, had a shower and we went to discover the city, saw the
main places of interests: two central squares, and took a picture with a
waitress in a cafe where we had our first beer, etc. It's easy to notice
Timisoara is a students' city: waitresses at all the places are mainly
young and pretty girls, unlike mature and experienced ones in small
towns such as Baia Mare.
Won't bother you describing every step, because it wouldn't sound
interesting for anyone. Instead, there are some sketchings.
City Geography
As to me, Timisoara consists of the following four parts:
1) Liberty and Unity squares;
2) embankment of the Bega river, along which there are numerous
shtrands; also in some places there are cafes in cutters staying on the
3) students' complex;
4) the rest.
The latter includes such beautiful places as the park of roses, the
central park, and other green tracts. The students' complex is an
amazing place. First, the majority of clubs, cafes and other fun places
are situated there. Second, the dorms with hundreds of thousands
students who came from different locations. Wearing bras is not among
habits of the female ones, especially when it's hot outside. That's why
thekonst.net decided to decorate Timisoara with the title of the
boobiest city of Romania. Having in mind that this country from
the very beginning impressed me by immense balconies many girls have
here, in Timisoara I just was dazzled. Unfortunatelly, the "westness" of
the city, from what I saw, didn't affect the local beauties' mentality,
thus they behave just like the ones from the rest of Romania. Becoming
acquainted with a girl in a cafe or at a disco is a great luck. As a
pure experiment I tried to. Generally I wonder why they come there.
The first day of my stay in the evening an outing to a club was planned.
The place called "The Note" was situated somewhere between the students'
complex and beer factory. First we spent some time looking for it.
Finally found, I realized it was indeed a pretty club with a nice
interior. Probably the best club scenery I'd ever seen in Romania.
"Viper" from Iasi was good, but rather small and modest in comparison
with "The Note". At the other hand, despite I visited such major cities
as Bucharest and Brasov, I had no time to take a walk through clubs
there. So who really knows what kind of places they have. Judging from
the stand with photos we found on the club's wall, "The Note" was a kind
of Mecca, that was visited by all reprezentatives of the Romanian stage.
Many of them, starting with rockers and finishing with pop girls, were
shown in the club's interior on exposed shots. As you probably know the
more quality grows, so does price. Thus, I wasn't surprised too much by
the menu. I had "Martini" which cost 48.000 lei ($1.5) for 40 ml. Maybe
because of the prices there were not a lot of people, and we decided to
move to "Gulliver", another club placed on the entrance to the complex
"Gulliver" was a quite students' place, however very well looking too.
Unlike many places in Baia Mare, there were no chairs of plastic which I
hate personally. The prices difference comparing to "The Note" wasn't
big, and that surprised me. Like, the same portion of "Martini" in
"Gulliver" wasn't much cheaper -- 40.000 lei. We took a bottle of 0.7L
which cost us 400.000, and then stayed and danced till 2am. As to
"Martini", buying bottle is more than just advantageous. 400.000/700 =
571, and 571*40 = 22840 lei instead of 40000 for 40 ml.
Unexpected Similarity
Walking along the city the next days once I caught myself on the thought
that everything I was seeing reminded me of something. That twisted
asphalt under the feet instead of usual Romanian concrete. River, wide
streets, students, the plain instead of hills or mountains.. "God damn
me", -- I thought, -- "Kharkov!". As to me, there are quite enough
similarities. Crossed by bridges, the Bega river flows through whole the
city, just like Lopan' in Kharkov. Crowds of students who fill all the
cafes and restaurants in the evening in spite of the session. Life in
the dorms district is going on non-stop, day and night. It feels quite
well that you came to a real city with developed science, education and
culture areas. However, you probably won't like it from the first sight,
like Brasov impressed me with its natural beauty last year. You have to
walk through Timisoara, look at its streets and buildings, find out
something from its history and then the capital of the Romanian
Revolution will definitely conquer your heart.
Water Procedures
I cannot say I saw even a half of the city. I walked through whole the
downtown and its neighbour areas, also saw the embankment. Attended a
swimming pool for what I'd like to say thanks to "Alcatel". Those guys
have a total socialism at their company, you know. For 50.000 lei (less
than $2) per year a worker gets a subscription for a swimming
pool, canteen, language courses, etc. Each of the things for 50.000
lei/year. In addition, you can bring one person with you to the pool, so
Vlad made use of it, giving me a possibility to try their swimming
place. Wouldn't say it impressed me too much, because it was quite
minimalistic. The pool in the house of sports of the Polytechnical
University in Kharkov with its automatic boxes for clothes, clock, water
temperature indicator on the wall and tribunes was a science fiction in
comparison with that one. At the other hand, I wasn't in other swimming
pools of Timisoara, and the one where "Alcatel" swam wasn't one of the
central ones at all.
We didn't manage to find any wet shirts contest. Anyway, because of the
bad amnesy of yours sincerelly we had no chance to take shots of its
participants. Second, after we saw all of those shtrands I began to
doubt if it such a contest was something actual for Timisoara. You could
easily see females taking sun baths with their tits undressed, just like
we saw it in Costinesti on the
sea-shore last year. So why put on a shirt and wet it? Someone wanna say
they haven't seen anything there?
Let's rock
The Western part of Romania was always famous for its rock music traditions.
Even in Baia Mare according to the elder locals there was a place called
"rockoteca", and several rock-bars. Despite now this direction of the fun
industry withered, you still can see long-haired young men wearing black
in the streets quite often. So concerning this, I expected to see something
absolutely amazing in Timisoara. And I saw it.
Once walking through the junction near the St. Gheorge monument (the
city patron, just like his colleague from Moscow he holds a spear and
there is a thrown dragon also), I saw a door with the "club rock"
inscription. I memorized the place approximatively and in the evening
told Vlad about the discovery of mine. So we went there to have some
beer. The club was called "Cargo", just like one of the most famous
Romanian rock bands. There are a lot of bands, and the both are good :)
(the second one is "Iris"). The club inspired very positive impressions.
Being used to the stereotype that rock clubs are shabby basements with
strong odour of beer, sewage and punks' socks, I was surprised by a nice
room firnished with wide black arm-chairs of leather, with guitars and
photographs on the walls. In a quality musical centre (it wasn't an old
piece of hardware with winamp running on it like in the majority of
clubs) was playing "Metallica", and on the wall there was a skeleton
dressed in loose overall in natural size, and a picture of some
Staying in such a club felt nice. There were not a lot of people,
probably because the next day was a work day, at the counter there was a
beatiful girl with a good shape dressed in clothes that accentuated all
of her advantages. Quickly, she brought us beer. The music was
conductive to talks about rock, and so we did. A small excess had place:
a clear hip-hop started playing, and when I protested the nice bar-girl
told me the following: "how come "kid rock" is not a rock music?". I had
to explain that if tomorrow "Backstreet boys" change their name to "Rock
forever niggaz", leaving the same repertoire, it ought not mean they
must be included into the scale of a club positioning itself as a place
devoted to rock.
The evening didn't finish quickly. We had more beer at a non-stop summer
cafe overby Vlad's house. There I asked the waitress how to play the
"Tuborg" action and was inviting her to take a ride on a freshly won
"Mercedes" cars the next day. She didn't look much against the idea.
Also we saw a policemen who came after barman's documents. The point was
that a pensioner who lived in a block on the other side of the road (I
suppose so, because there were no live blocks on the cafe's side)
complained about music being too loud. The policeman busily came to the
barman and demanded his id. Having took it he left and the oldie was
walking among the tables with a victorious look. The guy then phoned his
boss and told him about the happening.
I definitely like the Romanians for their composure when communicating
with officials. You can notice it at the both sides. I had an occasion
to deal with police here and I know what I'm talking about. But the best
example would be the story told me buy a colleague from the Republic of
Moldova. The following scene he saw in Bucharest several years ago and
it sounded quite trustworthy to me. It was in a bus. A policeman in his
uniform was sitting somewhere near entrance. An absolutely drunk guy
entered the bus on a stop. He stood exactly near the bobby, the bus went
further and the guy was hardly standing on his feet. It looked like a
bit more and he would fall down on the policeman. However, the latter
stood up, talking to the drunk: "please, take a seat". Himself he stood
aside. I'm almost sure that somewhere in the former USSR the guy would
had earned a couple of strokes in his head for sure. But what for? I
know, in Ukraine there is the article 172 of the administrative code (as
far as I remember it), the 2nd paragraph.. But who can swear he would
never drink too much, that he wouldn't get drunk.. So why beat such a
Torture by TV
Vlad is a happy owner of a box with luminous pictures. TV-set, speaking
simply. Being the one who voluntary renounced on this comfort of
civilization (or scourge of the mandkind), I decided to take a look.
First we watched "pokemons", an absolutely genial crap created, as far
as I understood, by someone who ate too much hallcinogenic mushrooms.
Then there were music channels. I concluded that the Romanian band
called "Hara" would never have a chance to give a concert in Israel. The
point is that "hara" means "shit" in Hebrew. At the other hand, this
word is probably the best description of their music. There also was a
Hungarian channel. A band which I had a pleasure to see, consisted of
two typical office-cleaner girls and one guy, who dreamed of becoming a
pilot in childhood and because of that falled many times from the
height. For some reason, the way he looked reminded of Mr. Bean.
Way Back
The train schedule on the Timisoara-Baia Mare route is made up extremely
clever on the both directions. The train back leaves at 3:15pm, thus the
day is lost anyway. But not having other options such as personal car
(which is most likely my shortcoming, and not CFR's ;), at 3:15pm I left
to Baia Mare. My fellow traveller this time was a girl of about 16, who
was going to Satu Mare. I won't sin against the truth too much if I say
that the majority of young ladies in Romania smoke. Yes, I consider that
horrible, unhealthy and definitely has a negative influence on the
health of future generations, but it's so. All my friends took note of
it here. Coming to Ukraine, they just like myself notice the difference.
Let's say in Ukraine a half of young people smoke. But hey, half is not
90%. My young fellow traveller called Roxana was having a cigarette
every 10 minutes. Besides her, there was quite a lot of people in the
compartment, all the 8 places were occupied. Like, there was a boy who
read the "goods" word on one of coaches and said it in loud voice
thoughtfully: "goods.. goods.. tons of goods". However, the most
interesting character was a silent guy of about 30 years old. He was
reading computers literature all the way. Literally he had all the
recent issues of all Romanian computers related editorials, such as "PC
World", "CHIP", "The portal".. The culmination was when it was the turn
of "PC Magazine" in which he read my
article about personal web sites and weblogs attentively. In such
moments I understand the power of own printed word more than usual.
But tonight my words are electronic. Of course, you can materialize them
by printing out this text and putting it above your desk or cleaning
your ass with it, for the text's volume (with the condition it's printed
out as a whole) quite allows to eliminate consequences of the most evil
diarrhea. Myself I finish here, so that soon to get started on another
report, this time about Chisinau where I was a week later. Be well.


text:
Review: Statistics (12th Edition)
By: James T. McClave and Terry T Sinich
Worst Textbook I've Ever Been Subjected To
Grade = F-
That colleges and universities are using this book as the course textbook is borderline criminal. I couldn't write anywhere near as poorly as this book is written if I tried.
The run-on sentences and overall poor choice of wording ensure that the only people who can comprehend book are mathetiticians. Mathemeticians shouldn't be writing books.
People who can actually write who also understand probability and statistics should be writing text books for core curriculum classes that every student must take.
This author appears to have written this book primarily to impress his peers with lots of completely unnecessary words, sentences, data sets, etc. This book wasn't written for business, marketing or public relations students only enrolled because they have be.
Perhaps the worst part of the book and maybe the entire topic is that after the first few chapters, the remainder of the book is filled with run-on sentence word problems in which a majority of the information provided isn't even relevant. The reader must make his or her way through a massive wall of text just to extract the data, half of which isn't even relevant to the problem. So… for each practice question, the student loses two minutes of his/her life he/she will never get back again because some airhead wrote a book for his own ego instead of for the students the book was intended to teach.
To pile it on top of that, after the first few chapters there is nothing that could be put to any practical or useful purpose. These are just equations and formulae that are assembled because somebody found a new way to use w calculator. There is no use, purpose or practical application for 65%-70% of the material in this book.
Universities and professors should value writing quality when deciding upon which texts to associate with their courses. Ten minutes of trying to read this disaster of a text book would be more than enough to discern that its rambling, words and symbols are introduced from the start with no reference or definition provided; and when terms are defined the language is ambiguous so the student is constantly guessing or assuming due poor structure and an even more disgraceful butchering of the English language.
My advice to any student in need of a math class to find one that does not use this book. Better yet, find an algebra class instead. At least algebra is practical and improves your thinking process. It is the mathematical version of logic and deductive reasoning (critical thinking).
The book is only marginally more valuable than being totally worthless. I say marginally better because there is some, limited and poorly-explained information that could theoretically be of use outside of a classroom setting. Such information is the minority of the content, and even what useful information is present is poorly explained.
Overall, I have no choice but to give "Statistics" (12th Edition) by James T. McCabe and Terry T Sinich a grade of F-.
Overall Grade = F-

subset: commoncrawl


text:
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- Bates Shoes / Boots Size Chart
Bates Shoes / Boots Size Chart
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Fit is an essential ingredient in footwear. Properly fit Bates shoes and boots will be comfortable to wear right out of the box; they don't need to be "broken in." There are few simple guidelines that if followed can make the process easy:
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text:
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text:
To get acrylic paint off of clothing, immediately blot the stain with a clean towel, then turn the garment inside-out and run it under warm water. Soak the garment in a solution of liquid detergent and warm water, and blot the stain with acetone. Launder the garment as normal.
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text:
The Time is NOW!
Manifesting our intended reality, in LOVE's Light for the Benefit of ALL IS happening in this HERE & NOW!!
YOU DO make a difference!!
YOU DO have a VOICE, the ability to affectively and effectively Create the Change WE ALL want to see!!!
I recently received this petition, ( http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/248704259 ) and the fabulous opportunity to share my voice in our United Effort, amongst many of today's Enlightenment Leaders, to promote Positive Change and Manifestation of LOVE's Light for the Benefit of ALL.
My commentary, {slightly expanded upon herein} which accompanied my signature on the petition, follows below. I encourage each and every ONE to take advantage of this opportunity and add YOUr Voice, thoughts, feelings to this petition, as well as any other ACTions of like mind and love you are so able to.
Let it BE WE, the voice of ALL, whom are heard and whose Light of LOVE is ACTed upon for the Benefit of ALL of WE, ONE UNIVERSAL FAMILY!!!
Our time is NOW!
I have read through the Conscious Evolution Pledge, and would like to, in my humble BEingness as ONE amongst ALL, add the following:
A Compassionate and Cooperative Approach to Living:
Many have and many more are becoming aware of the activities of the "NWO", otherwise KNOWn as the New World Order.
This is NOT a "compassionate and cooperative approach to living" and stands for exactly what we DO NOT want to see, furthering manifesting and affecting the majority of WE and the means by which we live our daily lives.
A Compassionate & Cooperative Approach to Living is a World of Respect, Freedom and LOVE. It is a world UNITED FREELY existing within a RESOURCE based Global Society SHARING ALL with ALL……
We hear it often, though it is countered far too frequently, in the media and by our politicians, through horrific FEAR tactics, that THERE IS MORE THAN ENOUGH to PROVIDE FOR EVERYONE's needs!!
This is TRUTH!
This is what it means to live in a Resource Based Global Society.
It is time to tear down the barriers of delineation, outlining cities, communities, countries and recognize that we are a GLOBAL Society, WE ARE ONE Universal Family, regardless of geographical location. Together, United, we can and we WILL provide for ALL.
There IS enough for EVERY ONE!!!
PLEASE INVESTIGATE JACQUES FRESCO & "Future By Design"……
we MUST get back to a more NATURAL means of existing and Living TOGETHER.
Educating for an Evolving Consciousness:
Evolving Consciousness…..translates to BEing AWARE of SELF…..
We MUST steer away from the predetermined limiting "boxes" of our current educational system and start focusing on developing our NATURAL SKILLS, those that come from within EACH INDIVIDUAL, for within EACH of WE, is a UNIQUE GIFT awaiting fostering and LOVE.
Our Educational Systems need to focus MORE on LIVING in UNITY as opposed to Competition & enslavement, memorization, grades, and labeling which serve only to "box" us into predetermined categories in accord to ONE view point of that which is "good" or "bad". We need to focus our attentions on educational techniques that increase our INNATE extra sensory perceptual abilities, LOVE, & the FREEdom to explore one's own intrinsically innate abilities, as this is why we have come to our Earth School, to share our Gifts, with ALL!!
We have focused much of our Global attentions on increasing and evolving our technological understanding and abilities.
Ponder this:
If we ALL were taught and assisted to manifest and hone our intrinsic extra sensory abilities, such as telepathy, teleportation, psychic abilities, would we really need all these technological advances we have all BEcome so very dependent upon??
Restoring Ecological Balance:
whether Global Warming is an issue created by humans or not, there exists NO NEGATIVES in promoting a life of respect and honour for our Mother Earth Gaia,……one of increased awareness as to the how's one may be more respectfull and loving, as we should and shall, ONE ANOTHER.
There are currently bills before government that are promoting RIDICULOUS TAXING in the name of Global Warming…this does NOTHING but deplete the majority for the profit of the few….with appropriate educational campaigns, as has allready been witnessed, we as a GLOBAL SOCIETY, WITHOUT additional financial tax burdens have PROVEN our abilities to UNITE and Create Positive Change.
Encouraging Conscious Media:
Our media outlets need to get out of the hands of the corporations and back into the hands of the people……
Our media outlets need to propagate a POSITIVE MIND SET, not one that is weighing down the people in fear, guilt, doubt and insecurities, but one that builds ALL up to KNOW the BEauty that is their Miraculous BEing……From News to Movies, we need to refocus our attentions on the POSITIVES and the Opportunities to Create more positives – a SMILE can transform an individual's entire day, imagine what constant positive reinforcement from our largest influential information resource, the media could do!!
Engaging in Social and Political Transformation & Working for Integrity in Commerce:
WE THE PEOPLE do NOT need to be policed, we need to BE FREEly United in LOVE…we need to move away from the imprisoning system of economy that has enslaved the majority of we, for centuries, and move towards a more REsource Based Global Society in which we share that which we have with one another- everyone has something to contribute to our Earth School and each individual's contribution should be honoured for the Gift it is….TOGETHER, Cooperatively, WE CAN & WE WILL Create change Globally for the Benefit of ALL!!
Promoting Health and Healing:
Again….our educational systems need to start promoting the intrinsic abilities within each of we to find all the health, healing and life answers to happiness WITHIN SELF….we need to focus our educational systems more on the individual providing that which is required through SELF AWARENESS as opposed to a reliance on outside expensive factors which are often times unnecessary and full of extraneous extreme risks….
We have the power WITHIN to HEAL ALL!
We ARE a Global Society!! We are ALL one amongst the ALL that is the Human Race. It is our connection that we need focus on, realizing that our diversities are but stunning reflections of the enormous potentials and possibilities for what it is to BE HUMAN….we are one in the same, each a unique vibrational frequency of our WHOLE BEingness.
Blessedly BE
Radiate Soul Light/roni
In Lak'ech
For those seeking a greater understanding and KNOWledge of ACTions BEing taken on our BEhalf by the minority holding positions of Global Power and Affect, please click the link BElow and watch the video in its entirety.
KNOWledge allows for Positive ACTion that we may ensure OUR GLOBAL interests are TRUEly BEing provided for, for ALL members of Our Universal Family.
Please share this video, this post, this petition with ALL!!!
It is TOGETHER that we SHALL, WE ARE Creating the Change we want, we DESERVE, we are EACH entitled to, as the Miraculous BEings of LOVE's Light, each and Every ONE of WE IS!


text:
Coco Chanel
Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau So Fresh
Salvatore Ferragamo Incanto Bloom
Fresh - Sugar Blossom
Twirl By Kate Spade
Vera Wang Preppy Princess
Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau So Fresh
Salvatore Ferragamo Incanto Bloom
Fresh - Sugar Blossom
Twirl By Kate Spade
Vera Wang Preppy Princess
Oh i love different perfumes. And ps, thanks for the sweet message on my blog today :)ReplyDelete
I wear twirl by kate spade and absolutely love it! Thanks for introducing me to these other new ones, definitely going to have to check some of them outReplyDelete
I love Chole and Bond Number 9! I wear both of them all the time!!ReplyDelete
Oh I just love changing up my sent. I wish you could just randomly shop for perfume! Sadly, I need to smell it in advance which makes just buying it a bit hard! (love my online shopping!) Probably can't go wrong with kate spade and Chole though....hmmmm....
I love anything Annick Goutal- such an elegant bottle and looks so pretty on a vanity!
i've been looking for a scent, hopefully i get a chance to try these out :)
I love anything Vera Wang...plus that has an adorable name! I would totally wear something called "preppy princess," even if it smelled like trash! Hahaha! So glad I found your blog! It's adorable!ReplyDelete
the first and last bottle is so cute, i would just buy it for that x
Loved this post! I will have to try some of the fragrances you've posted since I do not know them. But now I'm curious.ReplyDelete


text:
RAW Comedy
Celebrated as Australia's biggest and most prestigious open mic comedy competition, RAW Comedy looks set to once again harvest the stars of tomorrow. Established 20 years ago, the competition only continues to grow in popularity. "It looks like we're probably going to have more people trying to get up than last year," confirms Associate Director of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Gideon James. "In Melbourne there's a wait list and we've just confirmed a couple of extra heats."
This burgeoning passion to participate comes as no surprise - after all, a quick scan of RAW alumni reveals competition's exceptional track record in unearthing real talent. As James explains, though, winning isn't necessarily everything, with success filtering through the ranks. "Some of the biggest names that have gone through - Ronny Chieng who is on The Daily Show, Hannah Gadsby, Josh Thomas, Celia Pacquola, Matt Okine, Tom Ballard - some of them are winners but others were finalists. I think once you're part of the final, that's a huge platform and obviously being in the final I think can help you definitely be noticed and help you in your career."
In fact, as James points out, a select few finalists from last year's competition are set to shine again this festival season."Jess (Perkins) and Angus (Gordon) and Sam (Taunton) are all in The Comedy Zone," he reveals. "Most people in The Comedy Zone actually tend to have come out of RAW - if not the previous year, sometimes a couple of years before. So it's definitely the start of a sort of development stepping stone that can lead you right through the festival."
RAW Comedy can resemble a career-making first step for just about anyone, the competition encouraging everything from stand-up to sketch comedy, as well as double acts, triple acts and musical comedy. Naturally, contestants must be armed with new, original material. As James points out, though, RAW entrants are generally an imaginative bunch. "This particular contestant came onstage in flippers, a wetsuit, a tight swimming cap, goggles and a fit ball. It started from there," James laughs. "There was one act that I definitely can't forget that was in Darwin. He wanted to go on after the interval because he had a bit to set up. He basically brought in this massive, massive grass tree and he did the performance from behind the pot. Fleety was the MC. I've got photos to prove it."
But what's the best path to becoming the ultimate RAW Comedy national champion and scoring the major prize, a trip to Edinburgh to participate in for the world's largest Festival Fringe? Does it pay to be a relative trailblazer? Or is the secret to success working in with whatever comedy paradigm is in effect? "It's hard to tell," James explains. "Presenting work that bears contribution to comedy into the future...if someone looks like they're going to do that, then that helps them stand out I think. But I don't necessarily think that points of difference are the contributing factors. I think funny material, really original material, an interesting take on things, confidence and just that sort of...I don't want to say it, but I'll say 'x-factor': that something that makes you go, 'Wow I want to come back and see them,' or 'I'm going to remember that name and I'm going to see if they're doing a show next year or if I can catch them around town.' It's so subjective."
For contestants, the journey begins with an online registration form. James has some advice for anyone wrestling with the idea of signing up. " I'd say if they just want to get up and do it - to have a go - to just get up and do it. That's absolutely fine. That could be your plan: do it, see how it feels. Maybe over the next twelve months, if you like the experience, spend the twelve months doing open mic rooms and practicing and getting as much stage time as you can. Or - you know, if you're really, really serious about it - I suppose the best thing to do is be as prepared as possible and do as many open mic rooms as you can. "
"Sometimes you've just got to get up there and do it. Luke Heggie, who won the national final, his first heat was his first gig. He did his heat, the semi final, won the state final and then won the national final," Gideon recalls. "Ronnie hadn't done much: I think he'd done a gig at Melbourne Uni campus and then his next one was at The Espy. If you can't get stage time, with RAW, you've got three goes, so you may as well enter and just get up and do it. It's free to enter. I think that's one of the good aspects about it: it's open."
Tickets are already on sale for the RAW Comedy national final. It's an opportunity for the public to gaze into the Comedy Festival's own crystal ball and obtain for themselves a forecast of the nation's next big thing. "It's really showcasing the best comedy emerging from every corner of Australia," James confirms. "There's people that come out of RAW to do things and I just think it's really exciting to go and learn the names, take your program and go home and learn the names of people you will get to know further down the track. It's just really fun. People are doing five minutes, there's a fantastic MC and when things are being filmed for TV there's always sort of this extra exciting vibe to it. It's in the main hall, which is fantastic. It's just a great day."
The next RAW Comedy heat will be MC'ed by Lawrence Leung on Saturday January 30 at Howler from 1pm. They then carry on weekly until the Victorian state final on Monday March 21, which will be followed by that national final as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival on Sunday April 10 at the Melbourne Town Hall.


text:
Fiber Optic Cleaver Fujikura CT-05A
Fujikura CT-05A fiber optic cleaver is a multipurpose precision cleaver for single fiber. It is suitable for operation with all types of fusion splicers. The device performs cleaving in one step and the fiber scrap should be removed manually.
Fujikura CT-05A cleaves fiber using a special CB-05 blade made of highly durable steel. Each blade position is meant for performing at least 1000 cleaving operations. The blade may be rotated and fixed in 16 different positions. Besides, its height may be adjusted in three different positions. Thus, overall blade lifetime is 48 000 operations. It may be replaced in case of need.
Fujikura CT-05A precision fiber optic cleaver is suitable for operation under restricted space conditions, as it requires no flat surface placement, which enables operation while holding the device in ones hands.
The CT-05 series is an inexpensive alternative to Fujikura CT-30, specialty designed for single fiber cleaving.
- Dedicated for single fiber cleaving.
- Applicable for operation with all types of splicers.
- Circular blade system.
- Conventional circular blade lifetime – up to 48000 cleaves.
- Detachable fiber plate AD-10 available.
- Minimum actions: cleavering in one step.
- Compact and lightweight.
- Requires no flat surface.
Technical Specifications
|Applicable fibers
|Conventional silica optical fiber
|Fiber diameter
|125 µm
|Fiber coating diameter
|250 & 900 µm
|Cleaving angle
|1° or less (for single fiber)
|Min. blade lifetime
|48 000 operations (1000 fibers х 16 positions х 3 height positions)
|Fiber cleaving length
|6-20 mm (coating 250 µm)
8-20 mm (coating > 250 µm)
|72 × 82 × 42 mm
|180 g
Package Contents
- Fujikura CT-05A Fiber Optic Cleaver Unit – 1 pc.
- Fiber plate AD-10 – 1 pc.
- Mini hexagonal wrench HEX-01 – 1 pc.
- Case CC-28 – 1 pc.
- User manual – 1 pc.


text:
Tools integrated with U-compare
Tools for various types of text processing that may be of interest to the shared task participants are primarily made available through U-compare. Please see the U-compare page for the BioNLP'09 shared task for more information.
Other tools
In addition to the tools offered for use through U-compare, we provide participants with access to the syntactic analyses created by a number of parsers that are not yet integrated with the platform. The analyses are provided in two different primary formats: phrase structure (constituency) in the standard bracketed Penn Treebank format and dependency using the dependency output format of the Stanford parser. Additionally, the "native" output format of parsers not directly using these output formats is provided for reference.
We have selected the following parsers:
- Dan Bikel's implementation of the Collins' parsing model. ("Bikel")
- The Charniak-Johnson reranking parser using David McClosky's self-trained biomedical parsing model. ("McClosky-Charniak")
- GDep, a version of the LRDEP/KSDEP native dependency parser trained on the GENIA Treebank
- C&C CCG parser
File formats for data distribution
The following file formats are used in the data:
Penn Treebank (PTB) format
The output of the phrase structure parsers (Bikel and McClosky-Charniak) is provided in the standard PTB format. An example follows.
(S1 (S (NP (NNS Interferons)) (VP (VBP inhibit) (NP (NP (NN activation)) (PP (IN of) (NP (NN STAT6)))) (PP (PP (IN by) (NP (NP (NN interleukin) (CD 4)) (PP (IN in) (NP (JJ human) (NNS monocytes))))) (PP (IN by) (S (VP (VBG inducing) (NP (NN SOCS-1) (NN gene) (NN expression))))))) (. .)))
(In the package, a sentence-per-line format is used instead of a "pretty-printed" format such as this to simplify processing.)
Stanford dependency (SD) format
Dependency analyses, including dependency representations of the output of the phrase structure parsers as converted with the Stanford tools, are provided in the format output by the Stanford parser. Example:
nsubj(inhibit-2, Interferons-1) dobj(inhibit-2, activation-3) prep_of(activation-3, STAT6-5) prep_by(inhibit-2, interleukin-7) num(interleukin-7, 4-8) amod(monocytes-11, human-10) prep_in(interleukin-7, monocytes-11) dep(inhibit-2, by-12) pcomp(by-12, inducing-13) nn(expression-16, SOCS-1-14) nn(expression-16, gene-15) dobj(inducing-13, expression-16)
In this representation, sentences are separated by empty lines. As the format references tokens by index (starting from 1) and the Stanford tools do not always include references to all tokens (e.g. punctuation), files with the tokenization used are provided for reference.
Please note that while the output of the GDep parser is provided in this format, it does not use the Stanford dependency scheme and no mapping between the two schemes has been attempted. Thus, the GDep analyses have e.g. SUB(inhibit-2, Interferons-1) instead of nsubj(inhibit-2, Interferons-1).
Tokenized text
The tokenized text input for parsing that is automatically generated using tools integrated into U-compare for sentence segmentation and tokenization is provided for reference. A simple sentence-per-line format is used with whitespace separating tokens.
Interferons inhibit activation of STAT6 by interleukin 4 in human monocytes by inducing SOCS-1 gene expression . Interferons -LRB- IFNs -RRB- inhibit induction by IL-4 of multiple genes in human monocytes . However , the mechanism by which IFNs mediate this inhibition has not been defined .
Please note that PTB escapes (e.g. "-LRB-" for "(") are used in the data and the text of the analyses will thus not directly match the source texts.
Other "native" output formats
As the GDep and C&C CCG parsers do not directly used either the Penn Treebank or the Stanford dependency format, their original outputs will be provided for reference in the CoNLL-X format and CCG output format, respectively. We refer to the documentation of these tools and resources for information.
The analyses available for download below are (revision 2 17/8/2009):
- Bikel: Penn Treebank (native) and Stanford dependency (converted with Stanford tools)
- McClosky-Charniak: Penn Treebank (native) and Stanford dependency (converted with Stanford tools)
- GDep: CoNLL-X output (native) and representation in the Stanford dependency format (custom conversion)
- CCG: CCG dependencies and lexical categories (native) and Stanford dependency format (converted with a variant of the conversion of Rimell and Clark (2008) [preprint])
- bionlp09_shared_task_test_analyses_rev2.tar.gz
- bionlp09_shared_task_development_analyses_rev2.tar.gz
- bionlp09_shared_task_training_analyses_rev2.tar.gz
The contents are:
- tokenized/PMID.tokenized
- Tokenized files, tokenized text format.
- Bikel/
- Subdirectory for analyses of the Bikel parser.
- Bikel/pstree/PMID.pstree
- Phrase structure analyses, PTB format.
- Bikel/dep/PMID.dep
- Dependency analyses, SD format.
- McClosky-Charniak/
- Subdirectory for analyses of the McClosky-Charniak parser.
- McClosky-Charniak/pstree/PMID.pstree
- Phrase structure analyses, PTB format.
- McClosky-Charniak/dep/PMID.dep
- Dependency analyses, SD format.
- GDep/
- Subdirectory for analyses of the GDep parser.
- GDep/dep/PMID.dep
- Dependency analyses, SD format.
- GDep/original/PMID.CoNNL
- Dependency (and other) analyses, CoNLL-X format.
- Subdirectory for analyses of the CCG parser.
- CCG/dep/PMID.dep
- Dependency analyses, SD format.
- CCG/original/PMID.ccg
- CCG dependency analyses and lexical categories, custom format.
All analyses use the sentence splitting and tokenization in tokenized/, generated automatically with domain tools integrated into U-compare. Our thanks to Laura Rimell for providing the CCG analyses.
The analyses of the PTB parsers were converted into dependency using version 1.6.1 of the Stanford parser, generating the "collapsed" Stanford dependency representation (in the first revision, default settings were used, in the second revision the -CCprocessed option was added; see below).
The older analyses remain available for reference: revision 1 train, devel, test. Revision 2 differs from revision 1 in two respects. First, The conversion from phrase structure to the Stanford dependency representation (for McClosky-Charniak and Bikel) was performed with the -CCprocessed option, which propagates conjunct dependencies: e.g. in "A binds B and C" this introduces an additional dobj(binds,C) dependency. Second, the applied version of the McClosky-Charniak parser generates some non-standard POS tags (AUX and AUXG) which were not recognized by the Stanford tools. In the second revision, these were mapped to standard PTB tags using a simple deterministic mapping prior to conversion into the Stanford dependency representation. Our thanks to Christopher Manning for suggesting these improvements. Please refer to the Stanford typed dependencies manual (de Marneffe and Manning 2008) for more information on the Stanford conversion.
Example data analyses
(The old analyses for the small example data sample also remain available at bionlp09_shared_task_sample_analyses.tar.gz).


text:
I am in Tamms, IL approx 20 miles from tip of Southern Illinois---J route small office, wanting to move close to beach
(clark) (618) 316-1533
hi clark,tell me more about your route and if the po is possible to be closed
your not very close to st petersburg are you? I am in lagrange ky I am from etown originally and it takes me 1 hour to get there. I saw where someone said you wanted to get close to etown.
Any interest in Cincinnati?
20 mins north of Chattanooga, Ten if still interested
Amy d., did you get your transfer to KY? I would like Umatilla but I'm a couple hrs from Louisville. Thx, email@example.com
yes im in Murfreesboro tn ,and looking to move from Murfreesboro,tn to e-town ,ky. area
I'm in indianapolis, I would go to Kentucky, Tennessee or Florida, if that helps anyone. My email is email@example.com
Still trying to put transfer together
I am interested in moving back to FL. My office is in Salem VA. Very nice community. 8 routes, all LLVs,or FFE. Great office. My family is in NSB and Debary areas, and want to move closer.
My name is Beth, contact me at 5405258594 if you are interested in Salem Va.
i am in lexington, ky. interested in anywhere in florida. ready to sign. contact 8594945034
Would you be interested in Chicago IL northwest suburb of Cary 815-355-3555 call it text
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text:
A woman is like a tea bag: you cannot tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water.
– Eleanor Roosevelt.
To think that some people actually like eating out. Give me homemade stuff any day. Something that's not too oily, not too bland, not at all tinted with artificial colors and cooked long enough for human consumption.
This morsel, for instance, I've been chewing like a cow for ages. After thrashing it left and right inside my mouth, I decide to force it down my throat. One of these days, my insides might decide to throw it back up.
Mom… I miss you in more ways than one.
The landline phone in my bedroom rings. It has to be mom. Talk about coincidence. She's the only one I know who still does landline to landline calls. I dig out the phone from beneath a pile of laundry.
"The girl is from Kapurthala, very pretty, well-to-do family, very decent people…"
Like me, Mom's straight-forward, never one to waste words on preambles. These days she sounds almost as cryptic as a secret agent on the lookout for matching targets. And that's because she's on a mission to end my bachelorhood. She got a major boost recently when I was promoted as project manager. God knows it was well-earned. I had the right qualifications but it took me six months to sell myself with the right buzzwords, the right networking, and the right attitude.
"Um!" I munch on another much-munched but still rubbery morsel. "Does she cook well?"
"We are trying to find a bride for you. Not a maid, okay?"
I sigh. She relents. "I didn't ask. She is from Kapurthala after all. We Punjabi girls know cooking before we hit our teens. Unlike Delhi girls, who never step into a kitchen until…" I listen affably till she finishes.
Mom is terrific for my ego. She believes the bad girls of the capital are all out to trap me. This despite the fact that the gentleman she brought me up as doesn't as much as look at women with anything other than respect. As if I would be distracted from my career plans. Besides I take our corporate sexual harassment policies pretty seriously. No sir, no office flirtations on my list of action items.
The Kapurthala project turned out to be fruitful and so my mom's mission ended with my wedding. I am at Kapurthala attending feasts mandatory for induction into my new extended family. My wife, Kiran, and I make quite a handsome team.
Between rushing from one hospitable relative to another, we manage to sneak out to the famous places in Kapurthala. As we take a long walk at Shalimar Gardens, I boast to Kiran about how the winter chill cannot tickle my skin. Suddenly I stiffen as ice water slips down my spine. I see Kiran giggling with a leaf of water from the fountain nearby. I chase her round the trees. Wow. I feel like we're in a Bollywood movie. Erstwhile kings and queens frown at us from paintings at the palace museum as our photos mimic their regal bearing. She knows a lot of interesting history behind Kapurthala and can point out French influence in the city's architecture.
Other than occasional fun moments like these, she's mostly silent, which is really nice. A peaceful life lies ahead for sure. Mom, though, believes that her silence won't last long.
"That's typical of every new bride. She's watching you. Soon she'll know you're more a mouse than a tiger. And then she'll be the one to turn into a tigress. If you want to set anything right, do it now. Before she knows the real you."
Seriously, something happens to moms when they become mom-in-laws. A sweet docile girl like Kiran--a tigress? Her soft face is as tranquil as a tabby cat. Clear skin, clear eyes, and a body like a branch of jasmine flowers. She's a walking poem. And she doesn't know it. All I need to do is look at a girl. Any girl. And her face falls. I love it.
This evening we had a feast at my new sister-in-law's house. The paranthas tasted a bit too bland. The time to share some innermost thoughts and desires with my wife has come.
She combs her hair in the balcony. I join her there. Together we look at the full-moon lighting the Kapurthala sky. "Reminds you of the paranthas we ate today, right?" I laugh and sit down on a patio chair.
"You know, Kiran, I like my paranthas a little tangier. Aamchoor does that, I believe. Cilantro shouldn't stand out in paranthas like it did at your sister's place, just fine specks of green here and there." She stops her comb at the middle of a lock of hair. I bet she didn't know how closely I look at stuff that goes into my mouth. I smile.
"Coming to tomatoes." I cross my legs and cup my hands behind my head. "My mom boils tomatoes first and then peels off the skin before chopping and sautéing them. I mean, tomato peels in a curry are so unsightly....
I like all Punjabi dishes. So you can cook whatever you like. I'm not picky at all, ha ha." I rest my face on a thoughtful finger, "For a change, you could try south-Indian dishes, something simple like idlies and sambar but no coconut chutneys, please." I wave away, nodding sideways.
Phew! I got that out of my system pretty easy. Good start. After all how many husbands are clear about their priorities this early in the marriage? The trick is to treat your personal life like your career. I have more to say but I wait to see her response thus far.
She blinks back at me. I almost ask - any doubts? Her mouth looks smaller than usual. Her eyes shift. This silence is bothersome. She could at least say "I'll try my best" or something.
We are at my flat in Delhi. The honeymoon is over. It is for me as I taste my dinner – Maggi noodles without tastemaker.
It's been a month of revelation to me. I always thought that girls were born with some basic cooking skills - like differentiating between turmeric and coriander powder, between jeera and saunf. Let alone methidaana or aamchoor, I wonder if she's heard of garam masala (the spice, not the movie).
Twice a week, I eat charcoal; it's too burnt to be anything else. The last good dinner I had was boiled eggs. The shell had almost browned but at least it cracked right. Lunch I have from office. Thank god for canteens. I now love eating out. Breakfast is usually bread, butter, and jam.
I haven't yet escalated the issue to my mom. What if this is all she needs to turn into a monster mother-in-law. I did talk to my colleagues instead. Surprising that I'm not alone. Not everyone got great cooks as wives.
Venky is of the opinion:
"It's their sheltered upbringing. Their parents pamper them all their life and leave the rest to marriage. It's up to us to teach them the basics of life."
George says, "Right, right. My mother doesn't allow me or my sister to enter into her kitchen. Kitchen is some sort of a holy haven for mom."
Mr. Kapadia pats me on my back, "Don't worry. She'll learn to cook soon. They all do."
"I'm not so hopeful about Kiran. She lacks the aptitude. Why, I know more about food than her," I reply.
"That's because you live away in the city from your mom. You value good homemade food. These girls live with their parents before their marriage. They take food for granted until it becomes a question of survival."
The question is - will I survive until then?
Maggi is the last straw. How can anyone go wrong with just that one other ingredient there is in the pack? Enough is enough. Time to take out my tiger skin.
"How do you manage this?" I raise my voice. "Every day and every meal of the day, you excel in doing just this." I slam my plate down. I know I sound like a hero in one of those old 60's movies, lecturing sense into the heroine, bringing her to mend her ways, and discover the domestic duties that will bring her everlasting happiness in the temple called home.
But desperate situations call for desperate actions. I finish my talk with a flourish, drinking water straight from the bottle in one big gulp.
She finally replies, her voice soft but heavy with tremors, "I don't think I can do this. Your expectation about food is too high for me. Please call my folks at Kapurthala and ask them to take me back."
Something gurgles in my stomach. No, not hunger pangs. Laughter. More dangerous considering the situation.
The days of malnourishment have gone to my head for sure because here's my wife asking for separation and all I want to do is laugh. I clutch my mobile and hide my grin behind the device.
The laughter threatens to double me up in folds. I hear mom say, "What! She wants a divorce. A girl from Kapurthala?" I run out of the room, out of the house and laugh out loud - at the possibility of a divorce over "culinary differences". I lean on a tree for support, breathe in some somberness, and review my performance.
Less than two months in the role of a husband, and my team member is ready to resign. Poor show. I know she means it. Did I really push her to the brink? Food is important, but is it worth breaking a home?
I shake my head. No, it's not about food. I used pressure tactics instead of finding a solution together, like a team.
But why can't a girl who can tell Gothic architecture style from English Renaissance not read the instructions on a Maggi packet?
Pressure again I suppose. Ever since I tasted food made by her, I've been making faces, complaining, leaving food half-eaten. Ignoring the simple fact that she just cannot make great food at this point of life. The girl is right out of college, has never stepped into kitchen like George's sister. Lack of appreciation has eroded her confidence, making her run in circles, missing the obvious.
And cooking is not the only challenge she's facing. She left her cozy hometown, her big secure home (and her mom's excellent cooking) to live with a stranger. She never said let's eat out or order something. She gave this untidy pad some semblance of a home.
She does put something on my plate even if it's inedible half the time. I know she peels tomatoes for hours (with a potato peeler) before putting them in. It's another matter that the curry comes out like a pureed salad any way.
She lets me be. I never heard her disagree, complain, or correct me so far. But I'm glad she spoke up this time. I finally know what a self-centered ass I have been. I tried to put myself as the boss at the first chance. Yet there's hope for me. Love will be the food for our partnership.
I make my way back soon enough. She sits stiff, flush-face and red-eyed, furiously trying to hold tears back.
I place a hand over her shoulder and say, "Kiran, I'll eat whatever you make. I'll never complain again. Promise me, you won't think of leaving ever."
As we hug, I make a mental note to talk about cooking classes, but that can wait.


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Vacancy: Quantity Surveyor (Cost-planning)
Location: Dublin Head office
Salary: NEG. Depending on experience
3DPersonnel's client is a large developer developing homes through-out Ireland. They have been developing homes since the early 90's and have gained a reputation for delivering the highest standard homes through-out their time they have gained a reputation for being one of Irelands best developers to work for work and with.
3DPersonnel's has a unique opportunity for a high calibre Quantity Surveyor, to assist in the provision of quantity surveying services under the direction of a Senior Quantity Surveyor undertaking pre-contract duties. This role is diverse and will include interpreting information from live and completed projects along with the measurement of planned works to help robustly project construction costs for upcoming and prospective projects. It will also involve contributing to the decision making process driving key project decisions at various stages through acquisition and design development. The role comes with flexible working conditions.
Key responsibilities
The candidate;
3D Personnel Ltd is a Specialist Construction Recruitment Company supplying construction jobs in the UK & Ireland Construction candidates can be placed on temporary, fixed term or permanent contracts


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Those acorns were fun. You can see the full layout and more photos here.
*glitter tape from American Crafts: I've never been much for glitter in scrapbooking, probably because I'm scrapbooking boys. This time of year I start using it more in holiday projects and with this glitter tape I just might have to make the exception all year. So many pretty colors to choose from! Aqua, gold, silver and spinach are on there way to me.
*Make it Merry Miscellany from October Afternoon: If you are needing a few bits and pieces for your holiday layouts or December daily type albums this is the perfect little pack of goodies.
*new stamps and paper goods from Evalicious: so many cool stamps it is hard to choose. And don't get me started on the paper goods. Glad to see these in the store.
*Classic Calico 3 Roller Date stamp by Studio Calico: Like I need another roller date stamp! But this one says "instagrammed" AND has a woodgrain handle. SOLD.
*Candy Stripe Banner Stickers by Jenni Bowlin: I'm a sucker for any kind of label in this shape. Perfect to type on and add a date to a project. And I'm loving the candy cane stripes.
Now hop on to the one and only Jen's blog! Happy Tuesday!


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If you forgot to get your mom something special this past Mother's Day, it's okay, we've been there before too. She probably still loves you, but just to make sure; it wouldn't hurt to send her something nice. That is where our example site of the week comes into play. Seagrass Boutique is a website that sells beautifully handcrafted jewelry. The website is pretty awesome as well, take a look for yourself:
We love that this site has a simple, yet elegant design. Even the pictures give off the same classy feel that the rest of the site does. This site is also chock-full of awesome Webs features like:


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Anatomy and Physiology of the Speech and Hearing Mechanism
Prerequisites: SLPA 1013
3 CREDITS Credits
Through study, online discussion and participation, the student will consider specific theory and mechanisms directly related to the speech and hearing mechanism. Students in this class will explore concepts related to the study of the anatomy and physiology of the speech and hearing mechanisms including; terminology, structure and function of the skeletal frameworks for respiration, phonation, articulation, swallowing, and hearing. Finally, students will be introduced to concepts of neuroanatomy and neurophysiology which are related and interdependent to speech and language processing and production.This course satisfies the computer proficiency requirement.
This course is offered online only.


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[TO BE PUBLISHED IN THE GAZETTE OF INDIA, EXTRAORDINARY, PART II, SECTION 3, SUB-SECTION (i)]
Government of India
Ministry of Finance
(Department of Revenue)
New Delhi, dated the 29th July, 2011
Notification No. 38 /2011 –Central Excise
G.S.R. (E).-In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) of section 5A of the Central Excise Act, 1944 (1 of 1944), the Central Government, on being satisfied that it is necessary in the public interest so to do, hereby makes the following further amendments in the notification of the Government of India, in the Ministry of Finance (Department of Revenue), No. 6/2006-Central Excise, dated the 1st March, 2006, published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary vide number G.S.R. 96(E) dated 1st March, 2006, namely:-
In the said notification, in the Table, after S. No. 93 and the entries relating thereto, the following shall be inserted, namely:-
All goods in respect of which a general licence under section 406 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958(44of 1958) has been granted by the Director General Shipping.
[F. No. 354/116/ 2011 – TRU]
(Sanjeev Kumar Singh)
Under Secretary to the Government of India
Note: The principal notification No.6/2006-Central Excise dated the 1st March, 2006, published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II, Section 3, Sub-section (i) vide number G.S.R. 96(E), dated the 1st March, 2006 was last amended vide notification No. 35/2011-Central Excise, dated the 21st July, 2011, published vide number G.S.R. 561(E), dated the 21st July, 2011.
We feel proud in offering export-import data information services to our respected clients.


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Thursday, 5 June 2014
Who loves cats?
As usual - work. I probably don't even need to explain that at this point!
But also, I have been doing some charity work for Cats Protection, and I LOVE it. I love cats, and I love the charity, and I love the volunteers. It's just really, really nice to do something different.
I know there are a ton of cat lovers here in the blogosphere but I was wondering if any of you would be interested in helping me put together a cat anthology to help raise money for my local branch. Nothing is settled, and I realise this is quite an unusual ask, but it's a fun way to raise money AND it's a way for you to reach an audience you might not have reached before - as I will add author bios and website/blog links so if people like what you do, they can look you up.
I was thinking maybe cat poetry, short stories about cats, short stories that just have a cat in them, or maybe even some funny stories about your own cats.
This is the link to our branch website - take a look around, and let me know if you think this is something you'd be interested in! :D
24 comments:
I love cats, I never knew I was a cat person until I got my cat, Misty, last year. I might be able to whip something up for an anthology, I've got a couple of pieces involving cats in mind already :)ReplyDelete
Writing about cats... Hmm, I'm not sure have the right style. Do they - you know - have to be alive at the end??ReplyDeleteReplies
LOL, yes, they have to be alive at the end! :pDelete
I'm laughing at Annalisa's comment. Too funny!ReplyDelete
And though I'm more a dog person, I do have two cats that I love very much. I wrote a short story a while back that featured all my animals and the mouse that had the misfortune wander into the picture. I can send it to you, if you'd like, and you can see if it's something you could use or want to use.Replies
Sure, I'd love to see it!Delete
Annalisa, that's hilarious!!!!!ReplyDelete
I'm more of a dog person, but I do love all animals. Once you have the details, let me know and I'll add it to the Ninja News.
Love cats, my daughter has actually been involved with helping out at the Cats Protection shelter. Problem was she wanted to bring them all home with her! Haven't got anything with cats in particularly but will give it some thought and see if I can come up with anything. Great idea, Kyra.ReplyDeleteReplies
Ha, I have the same problem with wanting to bring the cats home!Delete
Thanks, Suzanne!
I have to look around another day but I love cats. Charity is beautiful.ReplyDelete
I am totally a cat girl over here.ReplyDelete
I have a depressing poem I wrote about my cat after she died, but that might be too depressing. ;)
I'd like to be involved - not sure what I would write, though. Maybe a new short story.
I might have old stories that have cats. I'd have to check.Replies
Cool, I will keep you posted on the details!Delete
I have a cat poem my daughter Faith wrote that would be awesome for the anthology. It's called The Lion in the Window. Cause that's what my cat thinks she is, LOL. Let me know what to do and I'll gladly help.ReplyDeleteReplies
That would be fantastic, thanks!Delete
I've never been much of a cat person, (sorry!) but our new kitten has kind of stolen my heart! She got attacked by a stray Tom who clawed through a screen to get into our house a couple nights ago. Thankfully we were still awake and heard the ruckus and were able to break it up! The kitten, Hex, will be fine, but she's had a rough couple of days. We've had to syringe feed her because she can't lift her head due to swelling. She's been so sweet through all of it, purring every time we come in to check on her or feed her. She's a doll. :) I'll help out if I can!ReplyDeleteReplies
Aww, poor little thing! It's okay, I never used to be a cat person, either!Delete
What a fun idea, but I probably wouldn't have anything to contribute. I'm more of a dog person, and although I like cats, we've never had one and probably never will. (Since my husband is also a dog person)ReplyDelete
I love the funny cat pictures you see on the internet though.
That's really cool what you're doing.
Terrific idea! :) I miss having cats around, but my hubby is allergic. Have a wonderful weekend.ReplyDeleteReplies
Aww :( I would be sad if I couldn't have a cat anymore!Delete
Hope you have a great weekend too!
I'd be up for this! I like this sort of challenge. It's awesome what you're doing. All our dogs are rescue dogs, and I have written a few stories featuring dogs. I was always more of a cat person, but like Christine's hubby, my wife is allergic to them! I like both now, but I grew up with a cat. I'll see what I can come up with!ReplyDelete


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Emeritus Professor David Hayward
Professor David Hayward was Dean of the School of Global, Urban and Social Studies between 2009 and 2016.
Since August 2009, David has been Dean of the School of Global, Urban and Social Studies. Between 2007 and 2013 he was a member of the Board of Directors of Melbourne Health, the second largest health service in Australia incorporating the Royal Melbourne Hospital. He is a life member of the Victorian Council of Social Service, in recognition of 3 decades of policy advice, education and training for the Victorian not-for-profit sector. In 2015 he was an invited member of the expert panel appointed to review the University of Western Australia's undergraduate degrees. In the same year he was invited by the Victorian Council of Social Service to become a seconded member of its governing board. In 2016 he was appointed to the Panel of Experts for the Hong Kong Council of Vocational and Higher Education Qualifications. His research interest is the funding of social policy in the Australian federation, with recent publications on performance budgeting and the National Disability Insurance Scheme. He writes regularly for The Conversation.
In 2014 David was elected Chair of the RMIT Academic Board, and was re-elected unopposed for 2015 and 2016. The role brings with it a position on University Council. He is also a member of Council's Infrastructure and Information Technology Committee.
David's research interests are in the fields of urban policy and service provision, with a focus on state governments and housing.
Media experience
David has been an active commentator in the media. Recent media comments and coverage include:
His recent opinion pieces may be found here:
- Something to crow about? Victorian government finances under the Coalition, Insight Magazine, Victorian Council of Social Service, July
- Napthine government has lost the right to decide Victoria's future, The Age, July 1, 2014
- What Victorian Treasurer Michael O'Brien should do in tomorrow's state budget, The Age, May 4, 2014
- Swedish lessons for the Commission of Audit, The Conversation, 14 February 2014
- Victorian budget delivers surplus, but will it be a road to reelection?, The Conversation, 8 May 2013
- Back in black with infrastructure on the side, The Age, 7 May 2013
- Why Queensland didn't need to sell the family farm, The Conversation, 1 May 2013
- Chasm divides Ted and hard hats, The Age, 23 June 2012
- Baillieu needs to search for a healthy legacy, The Age, 7 November 2011
- Strife for Baillieu in unmet promises and Treasurer's bad days, The Age, 24 October 2011
- Baillieu's sticky wicket, Sydney Morning Herald, 26 September 2011
- Govt prepares for 'line in the sand' budget, ABC News, 3 May 2011
- Budget 'responsible and caring': Premier Ted Baillieu, 774 ABC Radio, 3 May 2011
- Coalition caught between saving and spending promises, Sydney Morning Herald, 2 May 2011
David's blog has all of his recent publications and presentations.
- BA Swinburne
- GradDipUrbSoc Swinburne
- PhD Monash
Professional interests and links to industry
- Graduate Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors
- Member of the Institute of Public Administration Australia
- Miller, P.,Hayward, D. (2017). Social policy 'generosity' at a time of fiscal austerity: The strange case of Australia's National Disability Insurance Scheme In: Critical Social Policy, 37, 128 - 147
- Anderson, D.,Hayward, D. (2015). 2014 Western Australian State Budget Analysis Update In: UnionsWA Australia
- Hayward, D. (2015). Performance budgeting: the power to persuade, control or deceive? In: Creating and Implementing Public Policy, Routledge, United States
- Anderson, D.,Hayward, D. (2014). 2014/15 Western Australian State Budget. On track or still off the rails. In: UnionsWA Australia
- Anderson, D.,Hayward, D. (2014). The strange case of Western Australia's government finances. In: UnionsWA Australia
- Hayward, D. (2012). Housing construction industry, competition and regulation In: International Encyclopedia of Housing and Home, Elsevier, Oxford, England
- Hayward, D. (2006). Steve Bracks: the quiet achiever In: The Victorian Premiers: 1856-2006, Federation Press, Annandale, Australia
- Costar, B.,Hayward, D. (2005). Steve Bracks: Victoria's 'nice guy' who won against the odds In: Yes, Premier: Labor Leadership in Australia's States and Territories, University of New South Wales Press, Sydney, Australia
- Hayward, D.,Ewer, P. (2003). Visions for Victoria, Vulgar Press, Carlton North, Australia
- Ewing, S.,Hayward, D.,Hopkins, L.,Thomas, J. (2003). The new social policy and the digital age: a case study of a wired high rise public housing estate In: Just Policy, , 36 - 46
2 PhD Current Supervisions


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That's why our heart is with them now, our loved ones who have taken leave of us. There is no substitute for them; there are no others who can fill the vacancy when one of those whom we really love suddenly and unexpectedly departs and is with us no longer. In true love no one can replace another, for true love loves the other person in that depth where he is uniquely and irreplaceably himself. And thus, as death has trodden roughly through our lives, every one of the departed has taken a piece of our hearts with them – and often enough – our whole heart.As he was dying in the fall of 1996, the late Cardinal Joseph Bernardin of Chicago wrote a moving, personal testament, The Gift of Peace, which speaks powerfully about life and death (pp. 152-153):
Many people have asked me to tell them about heaven and the afterlife. I sometimes smile at the request because I do not know any more than they do. Yet, when one young man asked if I looked forward to being united with God and all those who have gone before me, I made a connection to something I said earlier in this book. The first time I traveled with my mother and sister to my parents' homeland of Tonadico di Primiero, in northern Italy, I felt as if I had been there before. After years of looking through my mother's photo albums, I knew the mountains, the land, the houses, the people. As soon as we entered the valley, I said, "My God, I know this place. I am home." Somehow I think crossing from this life into eternal life will be similar. I will be home.May I suggest that each of you do the following during these days of November? Spend some time reflecting on those who have been close to you, who have died, and are now with the Lord. Slowly read this Scripture passage – Wisdom 3:1-3:
But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and no torment will ever touch them. In the eyes of the foolish they seemed to have died, and their departure was thought to be a disaster, and their going from us to be their destruction; but they are at peace.Remember one person close to you who has died. Bring this person's image into your mind's eye. As you remember his or her life, imagine the Lord Jesus escorting the person into heaven at the time of death. Finally, imagine this loved one waiting for you. Know that when your time of passing comes, the Lord and your loved ones who have gone before you will escort you into the kingdom of heaven. End your short remembrance with this prayer:
Lord, you are the resurrection and the life. You promised that whoever believes in you will never die. Lord, through the power of your rising, help me believe in my own resurrection. Amen.May we spend our earthly pilgrimage filling our minds with the thoughts of heaven, so that when we finally cross over into eternal life, the images we see may not be foreign, startling, or strange. Let us pray that we, too, may be able to say: "My God, I know this place. I am home." (Photo courtesy CNS/Dominic Ebenbichler, Reuters)


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Keep reading...
I simply love crafting! I never would have discovered this passion if it wasn't for Pinterest. I just love going there to search for crafts done by real people! Occasionally you have a fail or way to complicated craft. You just don't know till you try!
I have noticed that Pinterest is very popular with Stay at Home Moms! The first year of my son's life it he ate, slept, ate, slept... You get the picture. I filled some of those nap times by being online communicating with other parents or catching up with friends. One day I stumbled onto Pinterest.
My son started preschool which means cool fun crafts we can gift to his classmates! What do couponers have in plethora that is no longer appealing once to toddlers once broken? Crayons!
My son was ecstatic to here he was allowed to remove the wrappers and break the crayons into pieces. I did limit the project to already "damaged" crayons and to a pink/purple/blue theme. I just loved hearing him name the colors as we sorted.
I did test the project in a metal muffin tin not meant for food and my heat gun. I discovered several things. 1) It takes a lot of crayons to fill those muffin tins. 2) It takes a lot of heat to melt the bottom layer 3) In theory this does work with patience and oven mittens.
candy heart mold with 16 cavities. I was able to melt all 20 pieces with my heat gun in little time by filling the cavity half way. I fell in love with the dimple!
You can use your toaster oven set at 210 for at least 10 minutes or in your microwave.
Next step will include how to attach these to an adorable Valentine themed note card. Stay tuned!
Visit Michele's profile on Pinterest.


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Scotland's island airports boost Hial passenger numbers
Passenger numbers at Scotland's regional airports grew by almost 8,000 during the last quarter, with island airports driving growth.
Highlands and Islands Airports Limited's (Hial) latest figures cover April to June and show a total increase of 2.2% on the same period last year.
All the group's island airports recorded growth.
Sumburgh on Shetland handled 9,634 extra passengers and Stornoway on Lewis 2,049 more passengers.
Barra was the fastest growing airport with a 22.1% increase in passenger numbers, representing an additional 569 passengers.
Benbecula attracted an extra 717 passengers, a rise of 9.1%, while Kirkwall in Orkney handled an extra 1,047 passengers - an increase of 2.2%.
At Islay, passenger numbers grew by 2.9%, representing an extra 234 passengers.
Inverness handled 1,034 more passengers as demand increased on its Amsterdam, Belfast, Birmingham, Manchester, the Western Isles and Northern Isles routes.
However, passenger numbers at Wick John O'Groats fell during the quarter by 39.3% compared to last year.
At Dundee, a new public service obligation service to London Stansted was launched at the end of March.
Hial said that because it was a new service, the initial uptake had been slow. As a result, passenger numbers at Dundee fell by 27.6%.
Passenger numbers were also down slightly at Campbeltown.
Inglis Lyon, managing director of Hial, said growth at the island airports was "very encouraging".
He added: "The increased demand for island services is particularly good news for those local communities and underlines the role our airports play supporting the economic growth of these areas.
"The energy sector continues to drive growth at Sumburgh, where Hial is investing in improved facilities, and the launch of a tender process to build two new aircraft to serve Barra, Campbeltown and Tiree is further good news for the long term future of air routes for these communities."


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Anthony Award-winner Hilary Davidson weaves a thrilling story of paranoia, vengeance, and murder.
When travel writer Lily Moore joins a group of journalists for an all-expenses-paid press junket to Acapulco, Mexico, she expects sun, sand, and margaritas. Instead, she finds that the Mexican city, once the playground of Hollywood stars, is a place of faded glamour and rising crime. Even the luxurious Hotel Cerón, isolated from the rest of the town, seems disturbing to her, with its grand, empty rooms, ever-watchful staff, and armed guards patrolling the grounds.
Lily isn't the only one who suspects something rotten under the hotel's opulent facade. Skye McDermott, another journalist on the trip, asks Lily for help with an article she's working on about fraud and corruption in the hotel industry. Skye claims she's eager to write a piece of real journalism rather than the fluff she's known for. But she also lets slip that she's deeply upset at a lover who jilted her, and she plans to exact her revenge by exposing his company's illegal activities.
After Skye disappears suddenly, Lily suspects that her friend is in grave danger. But the hotel's staff insists that everything is fine and refuses to contact the police. Only after Lily tries—and fails—to leave the Hotel Cerón does she discover the truth: the journalists are prisoners in a gilded cage.
Too late, Lily realizes that she has been maneuvered into the role of bait in a vicious, vengeful plot. Faced with unthinkable choices, Lily must summon all her strength to survive, confront the past she's still running from, and save other lives.
Spinetingler Magazine: "Davidson pays homage to the locked-room mysteries of Poe, the whodunits of Agatha Christie, and she knows the ins and outs of complex character and story arc, but what really drives her work, the element that has been present in all three books but is most gloriously on display here is the mood she conjures through her profound appreciation for the very best of Hollywood... Evil in All Its Disguises has the added pressure of not only upping the ante and raising the bar of the two preceding books, both of which were sensational, but also wrapping up a trilogy in a way that brings closure to all these characters... Davidson succeeds, handily, on all accounts." — Joe Clifford, April 5, 2013
Publishers Weekly: "In Davidson's creepy third outing for travel writer Lily Moore (after 2012's The Next One to Fall), Lily checks into Acapulco's Hotel Cerón just as a snake coils itself around her foot… Eventually, Lily discovers that she's bait in a trap, but unsure who's the hunter and who's the prey or whether she can trust anyone. Smoothly sinister characters and a creepy Poe-like atmosphere keep the pages turning." — January 14, 2013
The Globe & Mail: "Davidson has a great eye for the small detail that leads the reader into the spot and her puzzle plots are beautifully organized and crafted... This third book featuring travel journalist Lily Moore is the best of the set." — Margaret Cannon, March 15, 2013
The Maine Suspect: "Evil in All Its Disguises is the third of Hilary Davidson's Lily Moore novels, and it's her best to date. A twisty, turny tale, full of cons within cons and feints within feints, Davidson's latest is so compulsively readable, the pages practically turn themselves. Every time you think you've got it all figured out, the story takes another left turn and deposits you back at square one. And Davidson's cinematic storytelling style coupled with her prose – at once elegant and refined, yet still lush, vivid, and approachable – only adds to this book's rather considerable charms." — Katrina Niidas Holm, February 12, 2013
The National Post: "Davidson slyly undercuts her protagonist's already determinedly amateur deduction skills by saddling her for the first few chapters with a bad case of nausea — a don't-drink-the-water cliché that is skilfully integrated into the overall plot. Davidson is very good at dropping stray details in the margins of the story and daring the reader to pick up the wrong ones." — Adam Nayman, March 8, 2013
Manhattan User's Guide: "A new mystery from Hilary Davidson is always good news." — Charlie Suisman, February 28, 2013
Library Journal: "Anthony Award winner Davidson briskly launches into this twisting tale, and readers will have no choice but to follow, as they will seek the answers right along with Lily. The third book in this series (after The Next One to Fall) brings Lily face to face with friends, foes, and those who are both. Series fans will enjoy." — February 1, 2013
Criminal Element: "The build-up of suspense reminded me very much of some of Alfred Hitchcock's work such as Dial M For Murder and even Rear Window. The author's expert application of subtle menace creates a delicious, and at times disconcerting, palette for mystery. Add to that a capable, yet still vulnerable, heroine to root for in Lily Moore, and you've got a novel you can sink your teeth into with considerable relish. The devil is in the details in Evil In All Its Disguises, and I should probably warn you, losing sleep in order to finish this one is almost a certainty." — Kristin Centorcelli, March 2, 2013
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: "Davidson's book pulses with psychological suspense." — Carole E. Barrowman, March 15, 2013
Jenn's Bookshelves: "Davidson excels at creating a protagonist that is both incredibly strong but also has a weak, vulnerable side. The truly rewarding part of this series as a whole is Lily's ability to rise above her painful past to rise above and overcome the challenges dealt to her... What stands out for me about Davidson as an author is that, with each book, she continues to impress me with her talent, proving to be an author I can rely upon to truly entertain me with her writing. I know each time I pick up one of her novels that I will be transported to a truly breathtaking setting, captivated by a truly intense plot. If you are looking for a truly addictive thriller series with a incredibly genuine protagonist, this is the series for you. Highly, highly recommended." — Jenn Lawrence, March 8, 2013
Dead End Follies: "EVIL IN ALL ITS DISGUISES goes deeper into Lily Moore's mind than its two predecessors and shows a more fragile part of her. She's alone, fighting an invisible yet omnipresent enemy and she's struggling to keep her own issues bottled up at the same time. This wouldn't have been possible if Hilary Davidson wouldn't have come up with that airtight plot, which has the potency to rival the all-time great suspense fiction." — Benoit Lelievre, February 18, 2013
Quill & Quire: "Davidson knows how to write a galloping page-turner, and the plot twists are plentiful." — Suzanne Gardner, March 1, 2013
Jen's Book Thoughts: "Hilary Davidson has indeed delivered again with a haunting crime novel that traps readers in its atmospheric microcosm--an engrossing story line, dramatic characters and exotic locales--coming back to a safe reality has never been so disappointing." — Jen Forbus, March 5, 2013
Chapters and Chats: "With each novel Hilary Davidson writes, she ramps up the intensity in the pages... The book doesn't lag at any point as Davidson keeps the suspense and intrigue going. The plot is classic with refreshing little twists. Bottom line; you can't go wrong with this read." — January 29, 2013
RT Book Reviews: "The crimes and the clues will keep you going, trying to unravel what is really going on and who all the bad guys are." — February 10, 2013
Games Fiends: "As the story plays out Davidson works her magic to pull the reader deeper and deeper into the world she has created and I must admit, I did not really want to leave." — February 23, 2013
Book Reviews by Elizabeth A. White: "It's hard enough to write a decent book, but to write one that strips away all plot crutches and "big ticket" diversions and relies on nothing more than the interactions of a handful of key players in a confined location takes serious skill, something Davidson once again demonstrates she has in abundance." — Elizabeth A. White, March 5, 2013
Crime Fiction Collective: "Hilary Davidson has also been a travel writer, so Lily's professional life is based on her own experiences, but it's her skill with language that makes her prose superb." — Marlyn Beebe, November 4, 2013
"Hilary Davidson delivers the goods — an exotic, atmospheric setting, a rocket-paced plot, and a bright, engaging heroine in Lily Moore. EVIL IN ALL ITS DISGUISES is a top-notch mystery — exciting, harrowing, and smart" — Lisa Unger, New York Times bestselling author of HEARTBROKEN
EVIL IN ALL ITS DISGUISES (ISBN 978-0765333520; coming March 5, 2013, from Forge) is available for pre-order from Macmillan, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, iBookstore, IndieBound, Powell's, and — in Canada — Indigo/Chapters.
AUDIOBOOK (ISBN 978-1624060854; March 5, 2013, from Dreamscape), narrated by Hillary Huber
REVIEWS OF THE DAMAGE DONE (Book #1 in the series)
REVIEWS OF THE NEXT ONE TO FALL (Book #2 in the series)
REVIEWS OF BLOOD ALWAYS TELLS (Non-series standalone)
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Photographs: Photos of Hilary Davidson, no credit; cover of Evil in All Its Disguises, courtesy of Forge.