text:
Use the
Legs, Save the Back
A message from Dr. Binh Nguyen of Cedar Chiropractic & Sports in Hopkinton.
Lift with your legs, not your back.Bend at your hips and knees instead of your back. As you scoop the snow, you should lower into a squat position and as you toss snow your back should stay straight and your legs should provide you with strength. This is a basic yet essential tip. If you start to fatigue and notice you are losing your form it is time to take a break for a glass of water and a cup of hot soup.
Connecticut Power & Energy Society Announces Retirement of C. John Meeske from Board of Directors
28, 2015—The Connecticut Power & Energy
Society (CPES) announced that C. John Meeske
of Hopkinton, Massachusetts, would be
retiring from the Society's Board of
Directors in January, 2015, after 16 years
of service to the Board in a number of
positions, including Vice President and most
recently as Chair of the Nominations
Committee. CPES president, Joey Lee Miranda,
thanked Meeske for his many contributions
and dedication to the organization and
presented him with a plaque as a token of
its thanks.
Up to My Udder
January 28, 2015 — Actually, our favorite Hopkinton cow on Pond Street is standing in snow, not up to her udder, but past it to the region of her disputed four stomachs. One source will say a cow has four stomachs, another will say it has one stomach with four compartments. Nonetheless, she is well insulated with her layers of fat.
Slow News Day?
Thanks to Officer Thomas Griffin for the action photo of yours truly, barely visible, shoveling out
the front of the office at 24 Main Street this morning. BTW, the DPW did a great job of
clearing the sidewalk (and the streets) so that people could get around this morning.
Health and Fitness
January 28, 2015 — Andy Boyce, neighbor of Aiken's Park, above, the only person with an approved water turbine on the Sudbury River in Hopkinton, shares this photo of the dry-laid stone arch bridge taken during yesterday's Blizzard of 2015, a name that will remain unless there is another one this year. The snowflakes are seen as long streaks against the background of the underside of the bridge, because they were coming down faster than the camera shutter's ability to freeze their movement. The 1/40 th of a second is a relatively slow shutter speed, which is useful in this case to give a sense of the actual speed of the driven snow. Please enjoy a reprise of an informative 2010 video, below, of Mr. Boyce's dam.
Personal Services
Troopers Arrest 2 Operating Stolen Vehicle in Hopkinton During Blizzard
17, 2015 — At 5:15 p.m. today, troopers
assigned to the State Police Barracks in
Millbury were alerted to a 2008 Toyota SUV
which had been stolen out of Lowell. With
minimal traffic on Route 495, due to the
travel ban in effect for the blizzard, the
vehicle was soon spotted by Trooper Greg
Doherty as it traveled southbound on Route
495 behind a procession of plows. Trooper
Doherty advised the dispatch he was behind
the vehicle and as the vehicle entered the
town of Hopkinton, Trooper Joel Nunes,
Trooper Kurt Bourdon, Trooper Jamie Vitale
and Sergeant Robert Ackerman, who were
working the area on storm patrol, assisted
Trooper Doherty stopping the vehicle.
First Class Seating
January 27, 2015 — Isabella and Chiara enjoyed their "snow" day today, and will have another tomorrow.
Summer Sport
January 27, 2015 — Dick Duggan's charcoal grill takes on a new dimension with 18" of blizzardy snow atop it.
Adam R. Smith, 33
Adam R. Smith, 33, of Sarasota, FL and formerly of Hopkinton, MA, passed away Monday, January 26, 2015 at Sarasota Memorial Hospital. Arrangements are incomplete at this time and are under the care of the Chesmore Funeral Home of Hopkinton.
Family Stuff
Blizzard of 2015
No School Wednesday, January 28, 2015
January 27, 2015 — A lull in the raging storm gave way to a picture-perfect and totally vacant Downtown Hopkinton today, in this photo provided by the Hopkinton Police on their facebook feed. A letter to parents from the Superintendent:
Dear Parents/Guardians/Faculty,
HMS Assistant
Principal Maryellen Grady
April 20th 2015 Maryellen Grady will lace up her
running shoes to benefit the Sky's the Limit
Courtyard Project.
Health and Fitness
March 3, 2015 Town Meeting to Decide Fate of 203 Pond Street Purchase
January 27, 2015 —
According to an email from the Town Manager's
Office, the Board opened a special town
meeting warrant for a special town meeting to be
scheduled on March 3rd, 2015. Approved 2-1. (No:
Mr. Palleiko). Note: the special town meeting
warrant will close ten (10) business days after
publication in a local newspaper.
Editor's Note: The estate of Mr. Coutniho's recently departed mother is a direct abutter to a piece of property offered to the town by the estate of Ora Cheney, on condition that the town purchase the 203 Pond Street property in its entirety. Below is a map from the town's website (see live map) that shows the adjacent Coutinho property and the proximity of the Cestari property to the Cheney property.
Family Stuff
Celebrate 300 Years
Celebrating the photography of Robert Falcione and HopNews.com during this 300th Anniversary Year of Hopkinton, Massachusetts. Mouse-over the image of a view from the Sandy Beach boat launch to view the area in a more recognizable, albeit dreary, shot from this past week.
January 27, 2015 — HopNews will be featuring the photographs of Robert Falcione during this 300th Anniversary year of Hopkinton, Massachusetts. Above, a previously unpublished photo (Circa 1985) of a fiery sunset from the boat launch at the Sandy Beach parking area. Mouse-over the image to see a better reference image.
Personal Services
Vermont Students
Take Fox News to School
January 27, 2015 — In a must-share video, High School journalism students in Vermont take Fox News to task for their lack of integrity in reporting on their town.
Snapshot Around the State from the Massachusetts State Police
Within the
last hour [8:00 am, January 27, 2015] MSP
barracks and patrols were reporting the
Reader Wins $25 just for being first to email after viewing webcam
Okay, here is what has been happening. The
webcam was kicking off every night. People asked
why the webcam was not streaming like it used
to. We called the internet provider who said, "I
don't know what it could be. There have been no
outages in your area." That was two years
ago. Fast forward to the present.
He confirmed there was a problem, and admitted it was the provider's equipment that was the problem.
The webcam now streams without interruption, at least for the time being. To bring attention to this, we will be having giveaways.
Here's how today's giveaway worked:
"If you are watching when I come on the web cam and give a code, you will be prompted to be the first to email firstname.lastname@example.com and win yourself $25
"Understand that we will soon be providing more content via webcam, and will continue to do our best to get it right before moving forward. Thanks for reading. And check the webcam sometime this afternoon.
"Hint: I will not come on unless 8 current viewers are on at once."
Elise Kiszla was the first to email the code, which gets her a check for $25. Keep your ears and eyes open for more giveaways.
Family Stuff
This is Cathy MacLeod, Superintendent of the Hopkinton Public Schools.
All schools will be closed tomorrow [Tuesday] and all after-school activities and evening activities are cancelled.
There will also be no evening activities after 5:00 pm today,
Monday, January 26th.
Heidi L. Bobeck, 59
Heidi L.
Bobeck, 59, of Hopkinton passed away January 23,
2015 at Brigham and Women's Hospital. Born in Clinton, MA. she was
the daughter of the late Marion (Lockhart) and Dr. Charles F. Bobeck.
Health and Fitness
Good Afternoon Hopkinton Residents
This is Fire Chief / Emergency Management Director Ken Clark. A quick message related to the impending winter blizzard severe weather event. The Hopkinton Emergency Management Group has met and plans are in place to deal with the anticipated effects of this event. With the potential of more than two feet of snow and winds gusting to 60 MPH we ask all residents to take the appropriate steps to ready themselves. Your Public Safety Agencies request your assistance in the following area(s); during the event avoid non essential travel, insure vehicles are secured off the roadways to facilitate snow removal operations, vehicles parked on any public way that impedes snow removal operations may be ticketed and towed. In case of any power outages keep you cell phone charged to receive additional event related CodeRed alerts. Insure all heating appliance vents are clear of snow and be sure to run all fuel powered equipment in well ventilated area to alleviate any potential carbon monoxide emergencies. An emergency sheltering facility is available on an as needed basis for Hopkinton residents. Please call 911 for any emergency assistance you may require during this severe weather event. Additional emergency preparedness information is available at www.hopkintonma.gov/emergency .
Family Stuff
NOTE: The PD has begun adding the checks of strategic locations to the information they give out; the checks of business districts and schools as well as one or more strategic locations. Those will not be reported in detail, but included in the summary below, unless there is an incident.
The Hopkinton Police were involved in the following incidents, which are not included in the detail report below.
3 Times the Police assisted the Fire Department, another department, town, or outside Police agency.
38 Motor Vehicle/Person/Home/Building Checks.
5 Motor Vehicle Accidents without personal injury.
3 Disabled Motor Vehicles.
Arrest Log
Sunday, January 25, 2015
2:07 pm Officer Linda Higgins placed an individual into Protective Custody on West Main Street
Saturday, January 24, 2015
3:14 am Officer Linda Higgins placed an individual into Protective Custody on Winter Street.
Friday, January 23, 2015
4:28 pm Officer John Moran arrested Scott Austin McLean, 29, of Arch Street, Douglas, on Hayden Rowe Street and charged him with Operating a Motor Vehicle With License Suspended and No Inspection/Sticker.
Incident Log
Sunday, January 25, 2015
4:46 pm A motorist reported an on-going parking complaint on Rafferty Road. Officer John Corridan checked the area and stated that there was no parking problems.
9:59 am A Greenwood Road resident reported that she could not find her driver's license after a thorough search.
2:07 am Officer Linda Higgins placed an individual into Protective Custody on West Main Street.
Saturday, January 24, 2015
11:29 pm A resident of Chestnut Street reported seeing a suspicious motor vehicle parked at the end of their driveway for a long time. Officer Peter Booth spoke with the operator who was the home owner's snow plow driver.
11:08 pm The DPW reported that they were unable to plow Rocky Wood Road due to vehicles being parked on the street. Officer Linda Higgins responded and advised the vehicle owners to move them.
6:29 pm A motorist reported that vehicles were stuck on Hayward Street. Officer Aaron O'Neil responded to assist and notified the DPW.
4:07 pm A walk-in spoke with Officer John Moran regarding someone using his address for their business.
1:41 pm A 911 caller reported a motor vehicle accident with personal injury on Route 495 northbound just before the Mass Pike. One operator was not responsive and was entrapped. The Fire Department responded to assist the State Police.
12:06 pm An employee of a Wood Street business reported that someone had been in the building, threw things around, flipped over the refrigerator and left a back window open. Two officers responded to investigate and write a report.
9:37 am A caller complained about vehicles parked on Rafferty Road making it difficult for other vehicles to pass. Officer William Burchard responded and spoke with the operator of the vehicle that was parked on the street.
8:36 am A resident of Hayden Rowe Street reported that his son took his car without permission. He returned it but then took his wallet and made threats against him and his wife.
7:09 am A 911 caller reported that an individual fell through the ice on Lake Whitehall then two men pulled him out of the water and were now heading back to the boat ramp. Two officers responded to assist.
7:00 am A motorist reported that he was run off of the roadway by a snow plow on Route 85.
3:57 am A Baker Lane resident reported that her front door was open when she got home. Two officers checked the residence and advised that it was secure.
3:14 am A caller from Winter Street reported that an individual threatened to harm himself due to family problems. Three officers responded and subsequently placed the individual into Protective Custody.
Friday, January 23, 2015
6:42 pm A caller from Wood Street reported a past breaking and entering. Officer Aaron O'Neil responded and wrote a report.
4:28 pm Officer John Moran stopped a motor vehicle on Hayden Rowe Street and subsequently arrested a 29 year-old male from Douglas and charged him with Operating a Motor Vehicle With Licenses Suspended and No Inspection/Sticker.
3:40 pm A walk-in was concerned for a female who was sitting on the guardrail on Lumber Street. Officer Aaron O'Neil checked the area with a negative find.
2:03 pm Officer William Burchard spoke with a few kids who were hitting each other with the bumpers from the ice rink.
11:30 am A Main Street bank reported that a fraudulent check was cashed within the branch. Officer William Burchard responded and wrote a report.
Personal Services
HopNews 2014 in Pictures
Please Help To Keep Hydrants Clear
The Water and Fire
Department requests your assistance, in
maintaining accessibility to the town's fire
hydrants, for the safety and protection of
everyone. During the winter hydrants can become
buried by snow during a storm. If you have a
fire hydrant that that is near your home, please
help us make it visible and accessible to the
Fire Department for use in an emergency.
Precious seconds can be lost, searching for the
hydrant or removing snow to gain access to it.
Talk with your neighbors about taking turns
shoveling around the hydrant in winter. Help
make your neighborhood safe for everyone!
HopNews file photo.
Heidi L. Bobeck, 59
Heidi L. Bobeck, 59, of Hopkinton, passed away Friday, January 23, 2015. Ms. Bobeck's obituary and arrangements, under the care of the Chesmore Funeral Home of Hopkinton. are incomplete at this time.
Winter Weather Advisory
With the potential for significant snowfall to hit parts of the state, the Massachusetts State Police remind motorists of several basic strategies to stay safe in snowy weather. Please remember the following tips throughout the storm in the coming days:
Family Stuff
Clips of Lt.
Governor Speaking to Business and Civic
Leaders as well as the Beginning of the 300th
Health and Fitness
Team Holden
January 25, 2015 — Longtime Realtor Lily Holden paused at the Chamber event on Friday for a photo with her husband, Len, during the Chamber event on Friday. He recently joined her in her real estate business at Star Realty.
Offers Two $1,000 Scholarships
Scholarship Application for 2015
This year, the Hopkinton Polyarts Committee will give a $1,000.00 scholarship to two graduating high school seniors going on to major in fine or applied arts (ie. painting, ceramics, sculpting, drama, music, creative writing, fashion/interior design...) at a college or university. The applicant needs to adhere to the guidelines. Please keep the essay short. The student must be a Hopkinton resident. The deadline is April 1, 2015.
Family Stuff
Republicans gathered for a photo together at Bittersweet Cafe early Friday evening, where the Chamber of Commerce had a get together prior to the 300th Anniversary Kickoff at the High School. Below, front row from left, Planning Board Chairman Ken Weismantel, former School Committee member Phil Totino, Lt. Governor Karyn Polito, and former Selectman Eric Sonnett. Back row from left, former Selectmen Len Holden and Ron Clark.
Check back on Sunday for a video of some of that event and some of the 300th kickoff.
Personal Services
The team had its annual senior night on Thursday when they swam against Ashland. Hopkinton won the meet 103-92, and now move to 3-1 in the TVL.
Above are all of the Hopkinton Swim/Dive Team seniors, and below are the four senior exchange students on the team. They are from left to right Isabella Perino(Italy), Kim Govier(Brasil), Federica Palma(Italy), Julie Bergesen(Norway).
Fatality on Route 495 in Hopkinton
January 24, 2015 — This afternoon, at approximately 1:40 p.m., troopers from the State Police Barracks in Millbury responded to reports of a serious injury crash involving a tractor-trailer and car on Interstate 495 Northbound, North of Exit 21 in Hopkinton. Upon arrival, troopers discovered that a 2008 Hyundai sedan had been traveling in the middle travel lane, when it lost control, striking both left side and right side guardrails. Traveling behind the Hyundai was a 2015 Freightliner tractor-trailer. As the Hyundai lost control, the driver of the tractor-trailer attempted to slow and avoid striking the car, but collided with the vehicle.
The driver of the Hyundai, a 24-year-old man from Cranston, Rhode Island sustained serious, life-threatening injuries as a result of the crash. The man was transported to UMass Medical Center – Lakeside in Worcester where he was determined to be deceased as a result of injuries sustained from the crash. The driver of the tractor-trailer, a 33-year-old man from Northborough was not injured.
The left two lanes of Interstate 495 were closed at the time of the crash and continue to be closed while accident reconstruction is completed. The remaining facts and circumstances of the crash are currently under investigation by troopers from the Millbury Barracks. Troop C Headquarters, State Police Collision Analysis Reconstruction Section (CARS), State Police Crime Scene Services Section (CSSS), Hopkinton Police, Fire and EMS Departments, and Massachusetts Department of Transportation (Mass DOT), all assisted on scene. Contributed content.
WOBURN - Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan has announced that a man from Rhode Island has died from injuries suffered in a two vehicle crash this afternoon on Interstate 495 in Hopkinton.
Makthra Men, 23, of Cranston, Rhode Island, was injured when the vehicle he was driving reportedly spun out of control on Interstate 495 northbound in Hopkinton. He was transported to UMass Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.
"The loss of life on our roadways continues to be a serious issue," said District Attorney Ryan. "For the most recent year on record, the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security's Highway Safety Division says that 349 individuals died in motor vehicle crashes. In that same year, more than 108,000 people received injuries in motor vehicle crashes in Massachusetts. All drivers need to be reminded that safe driving practices include traveling slower when roads are wet or snow-covered, keeping both hands on the wheel at all times, and placing cell phones, GPS, and other devices out of reach."
Authorities say Makthra Men was alone in the car traveling northbound in Hopkinton at approximately 1:45 p.m. The vehicle Men was driving spun out of control and then was struck by a tractor trailer truck traveling northbound.
The driver of the truck, Daniel Matthews, 33, of Northborough, was not injured. A passenger traveling with Matthews in the truck was not injured.
Ice Fishing
Sandy Beach
January 31, 2015
11:00 am - 2:30 pm
300th Committee is doing a fishing event on January 31 at Sandy Beach in association with the Woodville Rod & Gun Club as a kick off for the yearlong events that have been planned. The event is a teaching and practical experience about ice fishing and ice safety. The Rod & Gun Club will be providing all the equipment needed for the children to actually ice fish. This is for kids 15 years and younger. It's free of charge and we will be providing hotdogs, hamburgers, hot chocolate and water to all participants. Anyone interested must register through the Parks and Recreation website and all children registered will receive a prize.
The event is on the 300th website and the 300th Facebook page.
Family Stuff
More Photos from
300th Inaugural Event
Family Stuff
Don't Hurt Your
Back Shoveling. Check Out Some Really
Great Shoveling Tips from Dr. Binh of Cedar Chiropractic & Sports
Health and Fitness
Hopkinton's 300th
Anniversary Kickoff Event
January 23, 2015 —
Hopkinton kicked off its 300th
Anniversary year celebrations with
dignitaries, students, and honorees taking
part in the opening ceremonies. Above, Lt.
Governor Karyn Polito recognizes Hopkinton's
oldest resident, Sterling Hager, who was
accompanied by his daughter Betty Wycoff at
Hopkinton High School Auditorium. Mr. Hager
received the Boston Post Cane,
given to the individual of his distinction.
Below, Boy Scout Jack Brennan leads the Pledge of Allegiance.
More photos on Saturday.
Personal Services
Hopkinton vs. Millis
January 23, 2015 — Austin Odell's jump makes all of the other players look tiny by comparison, as the hillers hosted Millis Friday night.
300 Years
January 23, 2015 — The signs of the times, 300 years and counting, went up while no one was looking yesterday up and down Main Street.
The Hopkinton Police were involved in the following incidents, which are not included in the detail report below.
NOTE: The PD has begun adding the checks of strategic locations to the information they give out; the checks of business districts and schools as well as one or more strategic locations. Those will not be reported in detail, but included in the summary below, unless there is an incident.
The Hopkinton Police were involved in the following incidents, which are not included in the detail report below.
3 Times the Police assisted the Fire Department, another department, town, or outside Police agency.
23 Motor Vehicle/Person/Home/Building Checks.
1 Motor Vehicle Accident without personal injury.
1 Disabled Motor Vehicle.
4 Times the Police assisted with an Animal Call.
Incident Log
Thursday, January 22, 2015
10:07 pm A motorist reported that the traffic light at School Street was not functioning properly. Officer John Corridan checked the lights and advised that they were working fine.
9:41 pm A motorist reported that someone was possibly tampering with a fuel pump at a Main Street gas station. Two officers responded and spoke with the operator who stated not being aware that you could not get gas after the station was closed.
9:10 pm A caller from Main Street spoke with Officer Matthew McNeil regarding how to deal with a person she once dated.
3:35 pm A caller complained that a vehicle was traveling the wrong way on a one way street and when confronted the operator yelled at him and then almost ran him over.
11:21 am A motorist advised Officer Thomas Griffin that the Route 495 sign on West Main Street was down.
9:20 am Officer Thomas Griffin wrote a report of credit card fraud.
9:14 am A resident of Fenton Street reported that someone has gone on their mother's property to cut down a tree and now there was large ruts in her yard. Officer Thomas Griffin spoke with their neighbors who stated having a tree removed but was unaware that the tree company used their neighbor's yard to gain access to the tree.
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
5:56 pm A Wood Street resident spoke with Officer Matthew McNeil regarding an incident that happened to his son at daycare today.
11:46 am A caller reported that a fire hydrant on Greenwood Road was hit and laying on the ground but was now missing. Officer Stephen Buckley responded and wrote a report.
10:03 am A caller from South Street reported that an old employee who was terminated was now making threatening phone calls regarding discrimination and fraud. Officer Stephen Buckley spoke with the caller and will follow up with the person making the threats.
9:57 am A resident of West Main Street was upset because she found articles of clothes at the end of her driveway and thought that it was possibly from a neighbor.
6:53 am Officer Philip Powers escorted a student to school from Woody Island Road.
Family Stuff
REMINDER: Tonight
You are cordially
invited to attend the Opening Ceremony for
Hopkinton's 300th Anniversary Celebration. Join
us to learn more about the exciting events
planned throughout the coming year as we
celebrate Hopkinton's tercentennial! The event
will be held on Friday, January 23, 2015 at 7 pm
at Hopkinton High School, 98 Hayden Rowe,
Hopkinton, MA 01748.
Family Stuff
Florida Fugitive Captured in New Bedford
22, 2015 — The Massachusetts State Police
Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section, New
Bedford Police, and the US Marshal's Service
today captured a fugitive wanted for
attempted murder during a Florida home
The Presidents
January 22, 2015 — Current and past Presidents of the Hopkinton Women's Club met in Park City two days ago for some camaraderie. Clockwise from top left, Marie Smith, Pam McPherson, Susan Spiegel, Patty McLean, Jane Lockwood, and center, Kathy Yankee.
Health and Fitness
Mary "Betty" McEttrick, 89
Mary "Betty" McEttrick, 89,of Hopkinton, passed away Wednesday, January 21, 2015. Born in Boston, she was the daughter of the late Anna (Davis) and James Redican, and married to her beloved James G. McEttrick who passed away in 1998.
Mary attended Notre Dame High Academy and Regis College. She was a former teacher who loved sewing, travel, entertaining, BC Football games, but most of all spending summers at Rexhame Beach with her children and grandchildren.
She leaves behind 5 children, James McEttrick and his wife Barbara of Braintree, Rick McEttrick and his wife Meg of Fairfield, CT, Paul McEttrick and his wife Des of Fairfield, CT, Joanne Mahoney and her husband Bob of Hopkinton, and Maureen Karpowicz and her husband Mark of Braintree. She also leaves behind 13 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be held on Sunday, January 25th from 2-5p.m. at the Chesmore Funeral Home of Hopkinton. A funeral mass will take place on Monday, January 26th at 11:30a.m. at St. Clare Parish in Braintree. Burial will follow at Milton Cemetery in Milton. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Little Sisters of the Poor, 186 Highland Ave. Somerville, MA 02143 www.littlesistersofthepoorboston.org
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subset: commoncrawl


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Polkadoodles challenge week 16 is anything goes
I have used two papers and precoloured digi stamp from Polkadoodles Work and Play Collection 10 Country Life CD
Sentiment from Imagine That birthday dog
I would also like to enter this card into the following:
Artistic Inspiration 178 - anything goes with the optional brown and cream
Crafty Hazelnut's monthly pattern paper challenge - anything with pattern paperhttp://craftyhazelnutspatternedpaper.blogspot.com.au/
Electic Ellapu - anything goes
Unicorn challenge 21 - special occasions
About Me
- Granmargaret
- Sydney, NSW, Australia
Welcome to my blog
I started this blog in April 2012 so I could join Challenges. I am now on some design teams. I hope you like my cards. I started stamping in 1995 but my cards are still mostly cute.
Thank you to those who have joined as followers and to those who comment.
Unfortunately because of spammers I have had to put moderation on the comments. I will approve them as soon as possible, this also means I don't miss any.
I don't always get a chance to reply to all comments but I read them all when I approve them and I really appreciate you taking the time to give your comment.
The lovely banner was made especially for me by Amanda at Faery Ink Art & Design when I won her first blog challenge. You can buy the black and white version of Granmargaret Fairy at
Wednesday, 3 May 2017
Polkadoodles challenge week 16 - anything goes
5 comments:
very nice!ReplyDelete
Beautiful creation! Thanks for joining our challenge at Unicorn Challenge. Good luck in the draw!ReplyDelete
Kitty DT
Hi this is a stunning card. Thank you for joining us at the Unicorn Challenge Blog for Challenge 21 "Special Occasions." Hugs Jackie (DT)ReplyDelete
Awesome job that cat is brave! Good luck and we hope to see you again at PolkadoodlesReplyDelete
Great guy card! The colors you used are perfect. Thanks for sharing with Unicorn Challenges. Barbara DTReplyDelete
Thank you for taking the time to comment. I read them all and really appreciate your thoughtfulness.
I have had to put comment moderation onto my blog as I had some spam messages. I will approve messages as soon as possible.
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Feeding therapy introduces new foods to picky eaters in a safe, play-based environment.
At Little Steps, we follow the SOS (Sequential-Oral-Sensory) Approach to feeding. This method is based on research that indicates feeding difficulties are almost always due to oral motor delays and/ or difficulties with sensory processing. We consider the normal developmental stages of eating and build up children's skills in these areas so that they can manage a wide variety of foods.
If you would like more information on our Feeding Therapy program or would like to register your child for group or individual Feeding Therapy services, please contact our office by phone at (250) 386-1171 or by email at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is feeding therapy a good program for my child?
To participate in feeding therapy, your child must be able to sit at a table for at least half an hour, imitate an adult, and engage in some imaginary play. If your child does not yet have these skills, your clinical team at Little Steps can help build these skills first and work on some pre-feeding skills in the meantime.
Where does feeding therapy happen?
Our feeding therapy groups are run at our Saanich location (2986 Dysart Rd).
How long will my child be in feeding therapy?
This depends on the child. We typically schedule 12 sessions and re-evaluate from there. Our goal is to equip families to do feeding therapy at home. If you are feeling well prepared after 12 sessions, we discontinue regular sessions. If you feel like you need more support, we can continue sessions past the 12 weeks.
When will my child start to eat new foods?
Learning to eat involves going through many steps, such as being able to tolerate the food on your plate, tolerating touching the food, tolerating the smell of the food, etc. Children work through these stages at their own pace.
For many children, there are about 32 steps to eating, and during feeding therapy sessions, we support children to progress at least one step higher with a variety of foods. This is often a slow process, but it leads to long-term gains as your child learns about foods with support at a pace that's right for them.
Why is parent involvement so important?
As a parent, you have the most opportunities to feed your child and teach him/her about food. When you can shape these interactions with food to be positive learning experiences, your child's gains are going to come faster and last longer.
To have the progress that we see in feeding therapy carry over to home, we ask that you start to do feeding therapy at home. This allows your child to receive feeding therapy more than once a week, gives him/her more practice in a positive, supportive manner, and helps the skills generalize to new environments. We believe that this is so important to your child's success, that we require parental involvement during feeding therapy.
Do you recommend a group or individual sessions?
We typically recommend a group because most children make more gains watching peer role models—it also creates a fun, supportive environment that most children enjoy. We also run a parent group at the same time, which gives parents more education and support.
We recommend individual therapy if the child needs more support to progress through the steps of eating or if the group's schedule does not work for the child or their parent.


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text:
A Sample Drawing
There is one last trick that I like to combine with everything mentioned above: Importing a photo and drawing on top of it. A photo is a good reference for where to place each element, and leaves guess work to a minimum. If you'd like to know more about importing photos and using layers, read through Part 10 of my Inkscape tutorial series by clicking here.
First, I took a scan of the tatting and saved it to my computer:
I reduced the opacity of the image to 75% so that it won't obstruct my ability to see rings, chains, and picots drawn on top of it. I renamed the current layer "Photo" and locked the layer down to prevent accidentally moving it.
Lastly, I dragged a few guides and placed them as accurately as possible over the drawing, creating a central intersecting point. This finishes the set up phase.
In my experience, it is wise to draw a few rings before drawing any chains. This way, you can see where to start and end your chains. After the central rings were drawn, I used the Bezier tool to draw a chain. All other chains were automatically placed with duplication, one horizontal flip, and some 90 degree rotations:
I used similar techniques to add the outer rings:
And the picots:
As you can see, I like to build my diagrams one element at a time. I find that this method works well for me, although you might find that other methods work better for you.
To make everything cohesive, I selected my entire diagram and grouped it together. I changed the stroke value to 1.5 pixels so that all of my lines are uniform.
If you'd like to see your diagram unobstructed by the photo, you can hide the photo layer. Just click on the eyeball icon on the bottom left of the screen, right near your layer name (make sure you are on the photo layer first). Here is my finished diagram:
That's it for this section of the tutorial. I hope that the information presented in these past few posts doesn't seem too daunting. This is my favorite technique to use with Inkscape, and it saves a lot of time when drawing diagrams. I promise, it gets much easier with practice. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask!


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Your Guide to Kitchen Cabinet Refacing
Consider These 4 Tips to Estimate the Cost of Cabinet Refacingby Melissa Bullard
Face Your Kitchen Columnist
If you're desperate for a new look for your kitchen, refacing your cabinets may be the most cost effective answer. As you probably know, refacing your kitchen cabinets typically costs less than half of what it would cost to replace them entirely. However, in today's economy, it's important to estimate the cost of any home improvements before you get started. Who wants to end up with a job half done or scramble for cheaper supplies at the last minute? While you may not be able to calculate the exact cost of refacing your kitchen cabinets, the following tips can help you estimate the approximate cost of refacing:
Once you've done your homework and have estimated the costs, you're ready to select doors, hardware, veneer, and professionals to complete the job. And if you've calculated carefully, your kitchen cabinet refacing job shouldn't cost too much more than your estimate, meaning you won't have to scramble for cabinet refacing funds at the last moment. Doing all the right homework ahead of time can save you time and money later on.
About the Author
Melissa Bullard earned a Bachelor's degree in English Literature, then a Master's Degree in Spanish Language and Literatures from the University of Nevada, Reno. She has taught writing, literature, and Spanish classes, and is currently working as a fre
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> All Other Proteins
> Integrin alpha 4 beta 1
> Biotinylated Human Integrin alpha 4 beta 1 (ITGA4&ITGB1) Heterodimer Protein
Biotinylated Human ITGA4 & ITGB1 Heterodimer Protein, produced by co-expression of ITGA4 and ITGB1, has a calculated MW of 113.2 kDa (ITGA4) & 83.7 kDa (ITGB1). Subunit ITGA4 is fused with an acidic tail at the C-terminus and followed by a polyhistidine tag and an Avi tag (Avitag™) and subunit ITGB1 contains no tag but a basic tail at the C-terminus.The reducing (R) protein migrates as 100-150 kDa (ITGA4) and 65-85 kDa (ITGB1) respectively due to glycosylation.
>95% as determined by SDS-PAGE.
Lyophilized from 0.22 μm filtered solution in PBS, pH7.4. Normally trehalose is added as protectant before lyophilization.
Contact us for customized product form or formulation.
Please see Certificate of Analysis for specific instructions.
For best performance, we strongly recommend you to follow the reconstitution protocol provided in the CoA.
For long term storage, the product should be stored at lyophilized state at -20°C or lower.
Please avoid repeated freeze-thaw cycles.
No activity loss was observed after storage at:
4-8°C for 12 months in lyophilized state;
-70°C for 3 months under sterile conditions after reconstitution.
Biotinylated Human ITGA4 & ITGB1 Heterodimer Protein on SDS-PAGE under reducing (R) condition. The gel was stained overnight with Coomassie Blue. The purity of the protein is greater than 95%.
Immobilized Natalizumab at 1 μg/mL (100 μL/well) can bind Biotinylated Human ITGA4 & ITGB1 Heterodimer Protein (Cat. No. IT1-H82W1) with a linear range of 2-31 ng/mL (QC tested).
The Biotin AviTag technology is covered by U.S. Pat. No: 5,874,239 and includes any and all materials, methods, kits and related derivatives claimed by this patent. The purchase of the Acrobiosystems's Avitag™ proteins confers to the purchaser the limited right to use the Avitag™ technology for non-commercial, or research use, or for purposes of evaluating the Avitag™ technology.
Commercial use of the Avitag™ technology to manufacture a commercial product, or use of the Avitag™ technology to facilitate or advance research which will be applied to the development of a commercial product requires a license from Avidity, LLC. Examples of Commercial use include, but are not limited to biosensors, diagnostics, therapeutic applications, proximity assays, and drug screening assays.
Please contact us via firstname.lastname@example.com if you have any question on this product.
Price(USD) : $350.00
Price(USD) : $1380.00
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text:
2014 South of 40 Conference deadline approaching
Educating the leaders of tomorrow
By Tim O'Toole
Now is the time to register for the 2014 South of 40 Conference if you have not done so already. The registration deadline is Friday, May 16, 2014.
The 2014 South of 40 Conference will be held on Tuesday, May 20, 2014 in Washington, D.C. The conference is open to attendees of all ages.
The South of 40 Conference will begin at 9:00 AM with two education programs you won't want to miss: Masonry Ordinance 101 and Masonry, the Future: Robotics.
Following lunch, attendees will receive a special behind-the-scenes tour of the U.S. Capitol renovations. This is a once in a lifetime experience.
The South of 40 Conference will wrap-up with fundraising events for key Senators and Representatives.
Please contact the Mason Contractors Association of America at 800-536-2225 if you have any questions regarding the South of 40 Conference.
For more information and to register, visit www.masoncontractors.org/southof40.
About the Author
Tim O'Toole is the Director of Marketing for the Mason Contractors Association of America (MCAA). He has a Masters in Business Administration from Webster University and has worked in the masonry industry since 2003.


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Jan Davidsz De Heem: Still Life with a Glass and Oysters, 1640
The Dutch trade network brought in foods and wares from all over the world, especially Asia. The incredible variety of food and items provided artists of the time a new and inexhaustible genre.
The Breakfast Still Life or Ontibijtjes (little breakfast) was one type of still life category that developed in Haarlem and Pieter Claesz was one of the leading artists. His paintings typically included monochrome renderings of fruit, roemers (wine glasses), and pewter plates.
Pieter Claesz: Still Life with Two Lemons, 1629
The calm simplicity of Claesz's arrangements is the essence of Ontbijtjes paintings and the goal of this workshop. Participating artists will create their own compositions of food and objects (glasses, plates, silverware) in the vein of the Dutch painters.
Justin Wood: Still Life with Lemons, 2014
We are also offering a 3-day Portrait in Perspective Workshop led by Anthony Baus. In the spirit of Cortona, Tiepolo and the great fresco painters of yore, this workshop concerns itself with the drawing of a portrait from an extreme perspective. Looking high above in the clouds or far below from the branches of a tree.
Agostino Carracci, 16th Century
Mornings will be spent discussing the main structural points of the skull and their orientation in space. Observations will be made on how these points act when rotated and titled. Each morning will bring a new pose as we learn to quickly locate points essential to a convincing dimensional portrait. Artists will try their hand at drawing the portrait from above as well as below.
Anthony Baus, 2014
The afternoons will be spent on a single long pose to last three afternoons. Our model will be posed high on the model stand allowing artists to draw the portrait from below as if looking to the sky. Knowledge of skull structure will aid to deepen our understanding of the portrait's spacial orientation.
Justin Wood: 17th Century Dutch Still Life Workshop Feb 12-16, 2015
Anthony Baus: Portrait in Perspective Workshop: Feb. 14-16, 2015
To sign up and read about our other winter/early spring workshops, click here.


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"The majority of husbands remind me of an orangutan trying to play the violin."
-Honore de Balzac
"Life is like playing a violin solo in public and learning the instrument as one goes on."
-Samuel Butler
"I inherited a painting and a violin which turned out to be a Rembrandt and a Stradivarius. Unfortunately, Rembrandt made lousy violins and Stradivarius was a terrible painter."
-Tommy Cooper
"If you take a violin, you can make it sound 50 different ways. Not just pizzicato and played by the bow, but ponticello, and harmonics, and tremolos. If you take an oboe and play it, there's about one way you can make it sound: like an oboe."
-John Corigliano
"Happiness is a thing to be practiced, like the violin."
-John Lubbock
"Violin playing is a physical art with great traditions behind it."
-Vanessa Mae
"Singing has always seemed to me the most perfect means of expression. It is so spontaneous. And after singing, I think the violin. Since I cannot sing, I paint."
-Georgia O'Keeffe
"If we were all determined to play the first violin we should never have an ensemble. therefore, respect every musician in his proper place."
-Robert Schumann
"I occasionally play works by contemporary composers and for two reasons. First to discourage the composer from writing any more and secondly to remind myself how much I appreciate Beethoven."
-Jascha Heifetz
"If I don't practice one day, I know it; two days, the critics know it; three days, the public knows it."
-Jascha Heifetz
"There is no top. There are always further heights to reach."
-Jascha Heifetz
"I am not handsome, but when women hear me play, they come crawling to my feet."
-Niccolo Paganini
"Genius is an overused word. The world has known only about a half dozen geniuses. I got only fairly near."
-Fritz Kreisler
Violin Makers
Violin Pictures
Memorizing Music | Violin Makers | Famous Composers | Violin Making | Violin Music


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At times, it's easy to get entrenched in an "all marketing" mindset. This week we have the benefit of hearing from our own VP of Sales, Amanda Joyner, on how to quickly enable more sales without selling. So this post will have much to offer both sales and marketing readers.
"I hope someone will call me today to try to sell me something," said no one ever. (OK, it's true sometimes I am eager for someone to call to try to sell me something but it's actually because I love to hear new sales pitches and not because I want to feel "sold" to.)
It's time that we stop trying so hard to "sell" and get intentional about helping prospective clients – by using content as a sales enablement tool. Here's how:
- Always have a reason to call (RTC). Remember the old sales adage: it takes 8-10 touch points to close a sale, and most sales people stop after five. That's why you need a new RTC: to add value with each contact. It's not compelling to "check in" again and again with the same message. Use content like articles, blog posts and white papers to engage prospects and build credibility in the value both you and your product provide.
- Understand how people consume information. Most people are visual learners — it's just the way our brains work. We can process visuals 60,000 times faster than we can the written word. Infographics are a great way to increase both engagement and understanding of the breadth and depth of your offering and how your products can help a prospective client achieve their goals. Even a video message can help prospective clients "see" you, building trust when you are more than a voice on the other side of the phone.
- Let someone else do the work for you. Take note: you're not always a prophet in your own land. Share a white paper authored by a third party on a topic of mutual interest to build credibility with potential prospects. In the world of social selling across networks, posting relevant content helps you build an audience, a following and a referral base, helping you enable more sales. Content is incredibly easy to share on social media, and the shorter soundbite of a status update helps ensure your message is concise —while still linking to the more detailed article or eBook.
- Make it easy for a prospect to learn about you when they want to, however it's convenient for them. Sharing a webinar link is a great way to get prospects to raise their hand and show they're interested in your offering. It becomes incredibly easy for them to self-identify as a prospect. Webinars also come with a built-in deadline to create a sense of urgency. They don't have to attend right now (in fact, most busy professionals won't attend live) but they must register to receive the playback link or notes. This creates the demand you need and keeps your brand top-of-mind before and after the webinar date.
- Get your prospect to agree. You know that incredible feeling you get when a prospect agrees with you when you ask questions as innocuous as "sound good?", or "does that resonate?" It means you're on the same page, which is right where you want to be. Yeses beget more yeses. But all this assumes you've already got them on the phone…and that can be extremely challenging. Prospects get, on average, 30 calls per week from people trying to sell them on a variety of products and services. A better way to get them to agree with you in advance of that more presumptuous "ready to get started?" is to highlight an article by a like-minded industry expert.
- Don't go it alone. Marketing is key to sales success. Ideally, your marketing team not only creates amazingly engaging content but they can also send emails to help you engage new prospects by positioning you as thought leaders in the space. They can introduce you to new clients in non-salesy, low risk ways, and help nurture them with multiple educational touch points along their buying journey. That way, when the prospect is ready, you can respond quickly with a solution to help them achieve their goals. And nothing is better than that; it's critical when your goal is to enable more sales.
For your next step, Sales: Pick one piece of content from your company's portfolio or resources section. Share it on your favorite social media platforms to drive more interest and engagement. Then follow up on it tomorrow – reach out to those who have accessed or shared it. See how far this process takes you – you may find it to be quite productive!!
If your company does not have content to share, or needs to add new pieces to its library, please let us know how we can help (or refer your marketing or content decision makers to emedia).
-Amanda Joyner, VP of Sales


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Photo: Andrea Sartorati
Sir Alex Ferguson admits he is mystified by Manchester United's ongoing defensive calamities, despite another thrilling Champions League comeback at Old Trafford.Javier Hernàndez, the Mexican who was in danger of becoming United's spare-part striker, issued a timely reminder of his lethal finishing skills to spare his defenders' embarrassment in the 3-2 win over Braga.
Ferguson said Hernàndez's performance had given him a "nice problem" ahead of the weekend Premier League meeting with Chelsea.
But the worries continue at the back, as Johnny Evans and makeshift centre-half Michael Carrick were culpable for United's conceding of two early goals.
"We can produce these exciting games OK, but I can't understand our defending," said Ferguson. "It's making it difficult for us. I can't get to the bottom of it, I'm afraid.
"If you analyse the goals we are losing they are all different types. Players were left free in the box tonight. We are not having a good start in games, that's for sure. It's interesting it's in the home games we are losing the early goals, but we will sort it. I'm sure of that.
Hernàndez stole the show with his two goals, shrugging off the disappointment of falling down the United pecking order since the signing of Robin van Persie.
"The boy is improving all the time," said Ferguson. "He is a fantastic trainer and he has given me a nice problem in that his goal ratio is fantastic. For his second goal he gets around the defender at the back post and his movement is terrific after a great ball from [Tom] Cleverley."
United are on the brink of comfortable qualification, a reassuring contrast to last season's woes. However, they suffered injury problems, Shinji Kagawa limping off early. "He twisted his knee and we had to take him off at half-time," said Ferguson. "We will assess it in the morning but it's too early to say what damage if any.
"Anders Lindegaard also hurt his thumb in training but he should be OK in a week, but not for Sunday."
Last night was the first time since United won the trophy in 1999 that they came back to win from 2-0 down in the Champions League. "I hope it's a good omen," said Ferguson.
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text:
The Satellite Applications Catapult hosted our Cardiff roadshow on 16 March. Topics included:
Please click here view the latest roadshow agenda for Cardiff.
Please click here to download the delegate list from Cardiff.
Welcome to Catapult Roadshow 2016 – Nick Veck
Wales – Space Strategy – Paul Jones and Mark Norris
Business Models – Commercial Spaceports – Conor O'Sullivan
Regional Engagement Overview – Nick Veck
Business Innovation Space Competition – Natasha Hyde
Business Innovation and Growing the Space Sector – Conor O'Sullivan


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Female Black-chinned hummingbird on Firebush (Hamelia patens).
Female Black-chinned rests between sips.
This year, the hottest summer in Texas history stressed every living thing.
Throughout the Hill Country, the only reliable flowers were those in home gardens where water still flowed.
Honeybees, deprived of nectar, and desperate for energy and moisture to cool their hives, thronged our hummingbird feeders and found small sips around the edges of the yellow bee guards.
The hummingbirds adapted, thrusting beaks between bees and guards to feed.
Until waves of migrating orioles dropped in hungry. After they'd eaten the ripe beauty berries behind our house, they pulled bee guards off feeders to sip sugar-water.
Young Baltimore Oriole male. See the bees on the guardless port to the left? And those waiting for him to leave.
The hummingbirds, wary of big pointed beaks, worked harder now for a drink, circling feeders, dodging bees, squeaking for a turn at the energy to power their hundreds-of-miles-flight yet to come.
But guard-less ports spilled pools of nectar and swarms of bees piled the feeders, some ascending through ports into the syrup, forcing me into rescue duty for drunken swimmers, followed by search-duty for bee guards tossed from impatient beaks.
In late afternoon, Summer Tanagers took possession atop the feeders for easy snatches of errant bees, a tanager's favorite food.
The orioles AND the hummingbirds waited for turns at the feeders.
Soon, the birds will continue south. This notch on the cycle will move out of sight, the passing of time more a passage of being.
Copyright 2009-2011 Kathleen Scott, for Hill Country Mysteries. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.


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Congolese Star Papa Wemba Dies On Stage
Congolese music star and fashion icon Papa Wemba who had a great influence in Soukous music has died after collapsing on stage in Abidjan in Ivory Coast,
Video from the concert shows the artist, who was 66, slumped on the floor as dancers continue to perform, unaware of what is happening.
French broadcaster France 24 confirmed the death, quoting his manager.
On the African music scene since 1969, Papa Wemba won a world following with his soukous rock music.
The Congolese band leader, whose real name was Jules Shungu Webadio, also inspired a cult movement known as the Sapeurs whose members, young men, spend huge amounts of money on designer clothes.
In 2004, he was convicted of people-smuggling in France and spent three months in prison.
A Belgian court convicted him of the same crime in 2012, handing down a fine of 22,000 euros (£17,143; $24,690) and suspended prison sentence of 15 months.
The artist fell ill while performing at 05:30 (05:30 GMT) on Sunday, local media report.
He died before he could be brought to hospital, a spokesman for the Ivosep morgue in Abidjan told Reuters news agency.


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So as everyone knows, this is Lady Gaga's second time around to be the spokesperson for MAC AIDS VIVA GLAM. This year's lipstick and lip gloss is a very nudey tanned brown color. As soon as I saw the promotional pictures for this collection, it instantly triggered the thought it looked kinda like ELF's mineral lipstick in natural nymph and ligloss bare brown. The packaging is the same as last years, with lady gaga's autograph on the box and also on the tube. Close up of Lady Gaga LipstickLady Gaga close up Lipgloss Comparison of Mac VIVA GLAM lady gaga's lipgloss (top) and ELF mineral lipgloss in Bare brown (bottom)
MAC lipgloss (left) and ELF mineral lipglass in Bare (right)
As you can see, the lady gaga lipgloss is much more opaque and has a creamy look to it while ELf mineral lipgloss is more sheer and a cooler brown color with subtle golden shimmers.
ELF mineral lipstick in Natural Nymph (left) and MAC Lady Gaga Lipstick (right) MAC (left) and Elf (right)
Lady gaga's lipstick is a much more darker compared to the elf lipstick which as a more pinky undertone.
The MAC lipstick is super creamy and super pigmented, much worth the money. I'd buy it again in a heartbeat =). The lipgloss is the same quality, very pigmented and creamy but i wouldn't wear them together because i'd look like a dying zombie XD.


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I spent the last week down in Georgia! The running joke was that I finally left the airport...much of the time was up around the gorgeous Blue Ridge Lake, in a stunning lake house owned by my friend's close family friends. It was so good to get out of the city, into the county, and relax. I had my ipad, but really just vegged out and relaxed: sleepy mornings, coffee on the porch, etc. Plus, two pretty decent travel experiences during a busy travel time...thankful for that, too!
The Random:
I did have fun finding the fun and quirky differences down in the south. On New Year's Eve, we went into Blue Ridge and wandered around the town. It was a nice mix of little southern stores and more upscale vacation town shops. I did find some random funny bits...
The Fun:
This was a lazy vacation. I needed a lazy vacation. But despite the laziness, there was fun! Tons of Dr. Who, Top Gear, and movies (Slums of Beverly Hills, The Proposal, and The Birdcage). Time dozing in the car, games of pool and ping pong, olive oil tasting, and sunsets on the lake, plus time with a new addictive ipad game. Sounds busy, but much of this was done while in pjs until noon and evenings around a fire!
An InLinkz Link-up


text: On Tue February 26 2008 2:05:50 pm Ian Jackson wrote: > > It is very unfortunate for git that most of its advocates want to > adopt these almost unmanageable development practices along with the > revision control software. Yes, I agree. And even more ironic that Linus himself doesn't think that its appropriate for most projects, it appears. And moreover, that the picture that I have been getting -- and it sounds like you too -- about what is and is not acceptable in the Linux kernel development is a more nuanced than it appears. Thread at: http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.comp.version-control.git/75035 Direct link to the messages from Linus: http://article.gmane.org/gmane.comp.version-control.git/75064 http://article.gmane.org/gmane.comp.version-control.git/75083 http://article.gmane.org/gmane.comp.version-control.git/75150 but I would really suggest reading the whole thread. -- John


text:
The Dow Chemical Company (Dow) offers a full range of products for the industrial and consumer films and foams market, designed to meet the newly-emerging uses for films and foams. Product packaging, for example, is often used as a marketing tool in and of itself. Films made from Dow plastics are up to this challenge - offering excellent aesthetics and printability.
Dow products are particularly suitable for new consumer films, offering both superior aesthetic and mechanical properties. Dow products offer bubble stability for thicker films, downgauging opportunities, high melt strength for blown film extrusion of propylene-based products, and thickness reduction - without penalty in end-use film performance.
As one of the largest global suppliers of plastics, Dow has the reach, presence and expertise offering you an opportunity to stay competitive. As film converters continuously strive for more cost effective production, and packaging applications become more demanding, Dow continues to stay ahead of the game.


text:
Hi all,
I've decided to start a personal project and document the 'journey' here. The plan is to have somekind of a children book at the end of this process. I have no experience in creating a proper children book before, so any suggestions in the process will be greatly appreciated.
I'll try to post most of my progress here.. so you'll get to see -some that I considered- successful and also some crap drawings/design. :) I'll have the basic story ready and brew it further as I post more.
First.. let's drop my first design experimentation on the first character - let's call him Mr.Croc for now (I'll drop the proper name later). These are really quick sketches to explore and get the feeling of the character - still not happy with any of these.. I will try some other styles and see what works best for the story.


text:
Volvo XC60 Reaches 500,000 Units Sold
Volvo's best-selling model worldwide has just reached an important milestone. Since its debut in 2008, the Volvo XC60 has managed to rake in sales of 500,000 units, in large part thanks to the U.S. and China. The U.S. has sold more Volvo XC60 compact crossovers than any other market, with sales so far reaching 73,000 units. China is close behind with 70,000 units, followed by Germany, Sweden, and the U.K. Sales of the Volvo XC60 have increased rapidly in just the past few years. In 2012, the XC60 was just breaching the 100,000 sales mark. By 2013, over 220,000 had been sold. During the first four months of this year, Volvo managed to increase sales by a quarter compared to the same time a year ago. To celebrate its recent milestone, the 500,000th XC60 will arrive soon in the U.S.Despite the global success of the XC60, Volvo has been struggling recently in the U.S. market, as sales are down 6 percent overall so far this year. Luckily, Volvo is planning a comeback strategy for the U.S., which will include a barrage of new fuel-efficient cars and a renewed focus on Scandinavian simplicity. This is one step of Volvo achieving its long-term global goal of selling 800,000 cars a year. Source: Volvo
Next Article
2015 Hyundai Genesis Earns Top Safety Pick+
The 2015 Hyundai Genesis earns top safety ratings from the IIHS.
Read more


text:
There are 3 parts of this examination which lasts for approximately 3 hours- Speaking& writing, Reading and listening with additional 10 min break after Reading section. The scores are normally valid for 2 years.
*Fee may vary from time to time.
** A late registration fee of 25% is applied if registration is done within 28 hours of the test date.
Join thousand of instructors and earn money hassle free!
Feel free to contact us without obligations.
Let us reach you & Personalize your Gateway Abroad experience


text:
The Student Affairs and Services (SAS) handles the general student programs and problems. The SAS looks into the students' welfare and deportment, enforces rules and regulations on student behavior, discipline, and attire, and coordinates, monitors, and approves co-curricular and extra-curricular activities of the colleges, departments and students organizations.
It supervises the advisers and officers of all student councils and organizations, both recognized and on permits status, and draws plans and initiates programs / activities for student development.
Located in the ground floor of the College building, the office is open to all students and welcomes all those who need help in matters affecting their life.


text:
I don't really know how, but I somehow managed to read 26 books in august. Therefore, I can honestly say I had a pretty good reading month. I've generally liked all the books as well, with some exceptions of course, but I can't expect to really like every book I read. This list won't be in completely in the order I read them, but most of them are.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling - 5 stars
The Last Star by Rick Yancey - 3,5 stars - REVIEW
Girl Online On Tour by Zoe Sugg - 3,5 stars - REVIEW
The Amazing Book is Not on Fire by Dan Howell and Phil Lester - 4 stars
The Magician's Nephew by C. S. Lewis - 3,5 stars
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis - 4 stars
The Horse and His Boy by C. S. Lewis - 3,5 stars
Prince Caspian by C. S. Lewis - 4 stars
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C. S. Lewis - 4 stars
The Silver Chair by C. S. Lewis - 4 stars
The Last Battle by C. S. Lewis - 4 stars
I didn't write reviews for any of these books, because I didn't really have much to say about them. I'm really glad I finally got to this series, and I really enjoyed all of them. Definitely something I would recommend.
The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly by Stephanie Oakes - 4,5 stars
Off the Page by Jodi Picoult and Samantha van Leer - 3 stars
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Parts One and Two by J. K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany - 5 stars
Armada by Ernest Cline - 4 stars
The Poems and Sonnets of William Shakespeare by William Shakespeare - 3 stars
Caspar Lee by Caspar Lee and Emily Riordan Lee - 4 stars - REVIEW
Summer at the Lake by Erica James - 4 stars
I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes - 5 stars
Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling - 4 stars
Winter by Marissa Meyer - 5 stars - REVIEW
More Than This by Patrick Ness - 4,5 stars
Be Light Like a Bird by Monika Schröder - 4 stars - REVIEW
May I Have Your Attention, Please? by James Corden - 4 stars
The One Plus One by Jojo Moyes - 4,5 stars - REVIEW
Prince of Thorns by mark Lawrence - 3 stars
So these are all the books I read this month! I've already promised myself to not be disappointed if I read fewer books read next month, because I honestly don't know how I could ever top this.
What was the best book you read this month?


text:
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Hershey's Kissies- Dark Chocolate Raspberry
At first I thought these were a new Kiss but some Googling showed that this is a reissue of a flavor that started showing up in stores around Valentine's 2007
If I tried them back then I must not have done a review so here we are today.
When you open the bag you get that deep, strong fake raspberry smell- and I know this is an unnatural thing to say but I love that smell. It always make me think of those raspberry creme filled candies that you find in heart shaped boxes.
The kisses are a rather non-decrepit dark chocolate. It's not bad, in fact I prefer it to the regular Hershey's milk chocolate because it is not as sweet, but at the same time it doesn't have any real depth of flavor. There's no woodsy notes, no bitterness. It's just sort of there.
The raspberry flavor smells more raspberry-like then it tastes. I had been hoping it would be close to the Meiji Meltyblends that I loved so much, rich and more like raspberry jam. Like the chocolate it's not bad it just never lives up to what it could have been.
As far as special edition kisses go they aren't the best I have had or the worst. All around they are just sort of there.
Posted by Gigi Miller at 5:51 AM
Labels: Chocolate, Dark Chocolate, Fruit, Hershey's Kisses, Hersheys, Limited Edition, Raspberry
1 comment:
- Red Icculus said...
It sounds so artificially delicious. I would pick them up if I could find them.
- February 4, 2009 at 6:21 PM
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Schools have been likened to gardens. It's well known that the German educator Friedrich Frobel coined the term "kindergarten" - which means "children's garden". If that's the case, then teachers can be likened to gardeners. The metaphor has much to recommend it - but recently I've been asking myself do I do anything but weed the garden? Do I actually plant any seeds?
For classroom teachers the answer to this is easy - of course teachers plant seeds. They do it every day, in every lesson. But the answer is not so obvious for educational administrators. Sure, we work hard to ensure that the garden has everything it needs, and we support our "gardeners" to the best of our ability. But it is the "gardeners" who actually plant the seeds.
So today I left the paperwork for 15 minutes and sat on the floor while a grade one child read me a story. I did a lot of other work today - including some significant weeding and supporting of the "gardeners". I dealt with a lot of students - but mostly "weeding" or perhaps "pruning" might be more apt. I did a lot of good things. But as I walk towards the car park thinking of the highlight of my day it was the 15 minutes I spent on the floor hearing a child read.
I had planted a seed.


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Queen Mathilde of the Belgians was a December royal bride
Mathilde Marie Christiane Ghislaine d'Udekem d'Acoz married Philippe of Belgium
on December 4th 1999 in Brussels
Mathilde married the then heir to the throne of Belgium on a chilly, grey day in Brussels. But despite the weather, this was always going to be a wow of a wedding. Not only was the bride now in line to become the first Belgian born queen consort of her country, it was also the last time in the 20th century that we all got to see a knock you sideways tiaras and hats royal wedding. Mathilde became the final royal bride of a century that had begun with regal marriages between ruling houses apparently impervious to change only for many to fall and rise in a tumultuous one hundred years. The last royal bride of the 20th century might have been an aristocrat but she most likely would never have been considered a suitable match in the regal marriages a hundred years before. Times had changed, and for the better, and Mathilde and Philippe were wed at the Cathedral of St Michel and St Gudule in Brussels before the royal houses of Europe who had survived that epic century. The couple went on to have four children before becoming King and Queen of the Belgians on July 21st 2013.
Princess Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise, Princess Royal, married Timothy Laurence
on December 12th 1992 at Balmoral, Scotland
If ever a royal wedding was held in trying circumstances, it was this one. Anne, Princess Royal's second marriage came at a time when the Royal Family was experiencing more difficulties than it had known in many years. In the months running up to the wedding, Anne had divorced her first husband, Mark Phillips, her brother Andrew had announced his separation from his wife, Sarah while the marriage of Charles and Diana was clearly in serious trouble after endless newspaper revelations and allegations. Less than a month before the wedding, Windsor Castle was badly damaged by fire while the Queen told a celebration marking the 40th anniversary of her accession that 1992 had been her 'annus horribilis'. And then, just three days before Anne was due to marry Timothy Laurence at Crathie Kirk near Balmoral, John Major announced to the House of Commons that the Prince and Princess of Wales were to separate. The wedding itself was quiet and low key with Anne walking into the church on the arm of her father, the Duke of Edinburgh, and leaving with her new husband around an hour later. But this month, the Princess Royal and Timothy Laurence celebrate their Silver Wedding anniversary - Anne is the first of the Queen's children to reach that milestone.
Princess Caroline Louise Marguerite of Monaco married Stefano Casiraghi
on December 29th 1983 in Monaco
Princess Caroline of Monaco also chose December for her second marriage, another low key event that led to a happy union. Caroline and Stefano Casiraghi were married in the Hall of Mirrors in the Prince's Palace in Monaco in a civil ceremony in the presence of their families. It was a far cry from Caroline's first marriage, five years earlier, to Philippe Junot which had been attended by royalty and Hollywood royalty and which had ended in divorce in 1980. As a consequence of this religious marriage, Caroline and Stefano were unable to wed in church. They went on to have three children before Stefano Casiraghi was killed in a speed boat accident off Monaco in 1990. In 1992, Caroline's first marriage was annulled by the Catholic Church and in 1993 her three children with Stefano Casiraghi were legitimised by Pope John Paul II.


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Jewel of the Arts Online Slot
Jewel of the Arts Slot Game Review
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To find out more about the features of the game, you should start with the Wild Symbol. It is introduces by the picture of Geisha and replaces all the symbols except the Bonus Symbol. When you meet 2 Fan Dance Bonus inscriptions on central 3 reels this means your total bet is doubled. If you meet 3 of them you get the chance to launch Free Spins in the Fan Dance Bonus where the wild reels and stacked symbols are locked. In this round you can also see Extra Spin Symbol on the first reel. It awards another spin with the same locked wild reels.
The Japanese theme is felt everywhere. The background is the sakura garden with the beautiful animation of falling leaves. Among the symbols on the reels there are geishas, samurais, origamis and others. The colours are bright, violet is the most spread. Listening to the music during the game you'll feel yourself like you are among the geishas and samurais in the sakura garden smelling the fascinating scent of flowers. Sometimes it seems you can touch the falling petals.
If you are searching for some interesting video slots with unique features and bonus rounds, Jewel of the Arts is exactly for you. You can make sure of it at SlotsUp, where you can play the game online for free. Don't waste your time and push the spin button. Maybe today is your lucky day, who knows…


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Boiling Tops
Ranging from heavy duty six burner units to small plug-in counter top models, our boiling tops are ideal for kitchens that need additional hob capacity.
We have a range of electric boiling tops, from 400mm deep plug-in counter-top models to 700mm deep heavy duty units. All of our electric boiling tops feature automatic power reduction if a pan boils dry or is removed, to prolong hotplate life and save energy.
Our medium duty Silverlink 600 and heavy duty Opus 700 ranges include two burner, four burner and six burner gas boiling tops.


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FEEL GOOD FRIDAY: Tis the Season!
The other day, Thanksgiving Day it was, I experienced an unusual phenomenon. It was a rare and precious moment. In fact, it was gold. Through some cosmic intervention or anomalous aligning of the right planets, my kids did not fight as they worked next to each other in the kitchen. My son cut the cheese (…for the cheese plate. My daughter has the market cornered on the "other" kind of cheese cutting in our household.) My little girl intricately organized olives and pickles in complex designs for the relish tray. For a brief, but welcome, interlude in their perpetual quarrel, my incessantly bickering children said nary a word to each other. Rather than celestial or divine influence on this magical moment, I think it was just holiday spirit, which may actually be both celestial and divine. Either way, it was pretty awesome.
I mashed potatoes and cooked bacon and chorizo for my stuffing. I sliced ham and delicately rattled some paprika on my deviled eggs. My wife basted her turkey and drank wine. It was a good day. We sat at the table with cranberry colored lips and gravy stains and loved a moment together. Such is the magic of this season.
Unlike any other time of the year, the holiday season changes us. It brings us back to what matters. The "what" matters is really a "who". The people in our lives are what matters. The holidays remind us of this. We gather in loving reunions with those we care most about. We relive good days with story and food. We create memories for our kids and become softer and kinder and better. We allow a gentle and easy joy to steer us in good ways. And all of this is important.
We can return home to seasons past and remember the twinkling lights and smells of a fir tree on a white sheet shedding needles in the corner of our living room. We gather to cook and decorate in rare moments of mutual enjoyment. Thoughts of work stress and obligations take a backseat to the simple joys of being together. Hope and love and value ride shotgun and are expressed in little kindnesses and considerations that don't always occur during the rest of the year. A hopeful optimism replaces resignation. We actually live in the moment instead of looking past it. We slow down and understand that these moments are important. It is in these moments that life becomes what it should be everyday: rich. We are rich with the knowledge that we have people that matter to us and that we matter to them. This is a profound understanding that, if we could remember more regularly, would make the world a much different place.
Any season that can inspire my thirteen-year-old son to avoid an easy opportunity to annoy his sister is special indeed. My son is a bright and talented kid, though I suspect he reserves some of his vast intellectual resources solely to devise new and creative ways to piss off my daughter. Throughout most of the year, he is a master, a true provocateur. So, when he takes a rare pass, I am grateful for the magic of this season. Here, I see his goodness, his kindness and the vast potential of his deep heart. His sister catches rare glimpses, too. And I think she needs to see this more than anyone. For this reason and many more I love the holidays. They reveal our basic goodness, which lives within us all of the time.
I think I might try cooking a turkey in July and maybe devil some eggs. They can revive my holiday spirit every time. Hey, this feeling is a good one and we should all feel it a little bit more often. If I can find ways to bring Christmas to the days when I really need it, I will cook that bird and enjoy that leftover sandwich with cranberry sauce and stuffing, as I stand barefoot on my freshly mown lawn, enjoying a summer time sunset…and I suspect it will feel good then, too…there's magic in that sandwich…
[EDITOR'S NOTE:"Feel Good Friday" is a regular column written by Des Moines resident Dave Markwell, who extols to all neighbors: "Enjoy where we live. Put your feet on the pavement and truly feel how great it is to live here!" Also, you can "friend" Dave on Facebook here. Or work out with him at his exercise company Waterland CrossFit!]


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Contact: Darlene Koontz, 530-595-6100
Visitors are invited to discover winter at Lassen Volcanic National Park through outdoor fun and film at the first annual Lassen Film Festival on Saturday, January 14. In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr., the film festival, as well as entry into the park from January 14-16, is free.
"The Lassen Film Festival is another way for visitors to celebrate Lassen Volcanic National Park and outdoor recreation," said Superintendent Darlene M. Koontz. The festival, held at the Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., features 10 short films. Topics include park history and winter adventure sports, as well as several visitor-submitted films.
The festival will accommodate a one-hour lunch break from noon to 1 p.m. Visitors may purchase lunch at the Lassen Café or bring their own food to enjoy by the natural volcanic stone fireplace. In addition to the film festival, a ranger-led program at the Sulphur Works hydrothermal area will be conducted at 1:30 p.m.
The Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday weekend is the first of several free-entrance days offered throughout the national park system during 2012. Please mark your calendar for upcoming entrance free days: National Park Week (April 21 - 29), Get Outdoors Day (June 9), National Public Lands Day (September 29), and Veterans Day Weekend (November 10-12).
Visitors should bring cold-weather clothing and snow gear to enjoy the outdoors before and after the festival. Park weather is in a state of flux. Check the weather forecast and prepare appropriately.


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Civil Wars: The Battle for Gay Marriage
Vermont's fight over same sex civil unions
By Steven Martinovich
After abortion, same sex unions may be the most divisive social issue that Americans are grappling with. In both the straight and gay communities debate is raging whether the institution of marriage, or its parallel the civil union, should be extended to same sex couples. The first stage of that debate took place in Vermont not long ago where the echoes from the clashes continue to be heard.
As David Moats' Civil Wars: The Battle for Gay Marriage relates, on December 20, 1999, the Vermont Supreme Court rendered its verdict in the Baker case, a challenge by several gay couples of the prohibition against same sex marriages. The ruling was both a victory and a loss for gay marriage advocates. While the court stated that marriage was a secular institution, and denying it to gays violated the equality provision of Vermont's constitution, it left the matter for the Vermont state legislature to resolve.
If gay marriage proponents thought they had a difficult fight in the courts, it paled in comparison to the political battle that unfolded. Realizing that legislation permitting gay marriage could never pass, legislators decided to concentrate their efforts on civil unions. While the move dismayed many, for marriage proponents it didn't far enough while for those opposed it went too far, it was rationalized that civil unions would at least fulfill the court's ruling that same sex unions be treated equally with those of traditional pairings.
Thanks to Moats' proximity to the major players and events, we're treated to complete account of the behind the scenes wrangling and the public debate that resulted. We're introduced to the couples behind the legal fight, the lawyers who devoted their time, the politicians that struggled for and against civil unions, and the average citizens who weighed in on both sides. Moats skillfully weaves their stories together into a gripping drama that changed everyone involved, whether they live in Vermont or merely observed events from afar.
As Moats points out, the forces arrayed on other side brought to the fight fundamentally different worldviews. Many opposed to gay marriage or same sex civil unions relied on religious principles to make their arguments, which although may carry weight with some, crashes against the secular pillars that American society is based on.
"In confronting the issue of gay marriage, the nation confronts a paradox of liberal democracy. The dignity of the individual was a moral value that rested on religious and philosophical traditions prevailing in eighteenth-century Britain and its colonies. Yet liberal democracy lifts that value into the secular realm, where it serves as the premise for equality and justice before the law."
It's not surprising that Moats, who won the Pulitzer Prize for a series of pro-same sex unions editorials in the Rutland Herald, throws his moral support behind proponents of civil unions. So much so that Civil Wars can be a very one-sided account. Early on he writes that the battle over gay marriage "ranks, not just with the Stonewall riots and the murder of Harvey Milk as landmarks of gay history, but with Birmingham and Selma as landmarks of our growth toward a more complete democracy." It's not surprising then, to read later on, that opponents to same sex unions are described as "opportunistic politicians, impassioned religious zealots, and outright homophobes." Moats strains credibility by being unable to find even one principled opponent, or reasoned argument for opposing same sex unions, out of the tens of thousands of people involved in the debate.
Despite that, Civil Wars is a fairly engaging look at how Vermont became the first state to allow civil unions, a move that has had repercussions across the United States and advanced the debate over gay marriage to the national level. Although it will anger some, in the not too distant future civil unions -- and perhaps even gay marriage -- will be a reality everywhere. Thanks to Moats we now have an on the scene, day-by-day accounting of how the first battles were fought.
Steven Martinovich is a freelance writer in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada.
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Interaction Design Publication
My friend and colleague, Joe Force, pointed me to a link this morning that considers and discusses many of the finer points of XD and Interaction Design! "Thoughts on Interaction Design" was a book published in 2007 by Brown Bear LLC. There were only 1000 copies printed and a second run is not planned. So, to continue to dialogue, the complete book has been created in a web format for consumption!
The content is very well positioned and thorough on the topic of Interaction Design. It helps to frame up many of the questions and answers we as XD professionals struggle with each day.
One of my favorite sections is authored by Chris Connors of Apple:
When I entered the marketplace as a newly-conferred graduate with a Masters in Human Computer Interaction, I can recall trying to explain to my family and friends exactly what HCI was - something I still occasionally find myself doing. Describing our discipline to potential employers was a recurring challenge: many were confused by a CS degree without production programming, a design degree that didn't deal primarily with product form, or a cognitive psychologist who wasn't solely focused on modeling human performance or conducting experimentally-driven usability testing.
I have felt the same lack of understanding and appreciation for what we as XD professionals bring to the table but, the times are changing! It's encouraging to hear Chris' stories and see that Interaction and Experience Design are being recognized as valuable additions to a product's life cycle.
Thank you to all the contributors for their excellent insight!


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Last week I talked about ways to chase away Twitter followers. Thanks, by the way, for all the retweet love on that one. :) One of the things I talked about was that you shouldn't follow loads of people just to get people to follow you back because it's not genuine and makes you look like a spammer (i.e. people will see you follow 40k tweeters and how can anyone really keep up with that?)
However, after a conversation with Jamie Wesley about what annoys her about certain authors on Twitter, I'm starting to wonder about that high "follow" vs. "follower" count. In the Twitterverse, there is this impression that you must be really important/supercool/whatever if you have a high number of people following you, but you personally only follow a handful of people. Basically--everyone wants to be your friend, but you only grant that "privilege" to an elite few. (High school never ends it seems.)
Now most people who do this do it not because they're being a "twitter snob" but because they don't want to be overwhelmed by three thousand peoples' tweets. I TOTALLY get that because I follow about a thousand people and that got way too hard to manage,so I had to start using lists (more on that later). And if you're, for instance, an editor or an agent--where everyone is seeking your attention--it makes sense to limit who you follow only to people you truly have a connection with in some way.
However, I think for an author this practice can really shoot you in the foot instead of helping you. We are writers. We want to connect with readers. We want to sell books and build a fanbase. Right?
So why-oh-why if you're an author would you only follow your "clique" of friends and not follow your readers, the people who are paying their hard-earned money to buy YOUR book?
I know it's silly, but you know how much better I feel about an author if I @ her/him on Twitter and the person responds? All of a sudden, this author's coolness factor has jumped off the charts. It makes me like them more. It makes me want to support them and their books because they are REAL and FRIENDLY and APPROACHABLE. And if they follow me, then wow, I'm really won over.
On the other hand, if I follow an author and they don't follow me (fine), but then they ask questions of their readers/audience and I respond--and get no response or even a general "Thanks to everyone who commented", then I feel a little huffy. Now if you're Stephanie Meyer or Stephen King or whatever, then it's understandable. Uber-fame gets you a pass. I'm not talking about them. I'm talking about your average author who has a few thousand followers.
When they don't respond or acknowledge, plus don't follow--the impression that is left is--this author thinks they are too important/busy/big-time and doesn't feel like their readers are important enough to acknowledge even after they've asked directly for their help. So when that same author hops back on Twitter and is announcing their book release or contests and asking for retweets--well, I'm just not that motivated to go out of my way for them.
So the question is, as an author, how do you
a) Make your readers/followers feel important? and
b) Do so without being bombarded daily with 80 bazillion tweets you're not interested in?
Answer: Lists!
Twitter allows you to make both public and private lists. Then you can use a program like Tweetdeck and have your main column just the tweets of people on that list. For instance, I follow over 900, but there are only about 100 on my "super awesome people" list. It's private, so no one can see if they are on my list or not. But this makes it manageable to follow, while I'm still able to follow "in general" the other 800 people in another column if I want. And if I end up interacting with someone who is not on the list and making a connection, it's easy enough to add them to my super awesome list.
Doing this allows me to have my cake and eat it too. I can have my clique of people who I talk with regularly while not alienating new people who may become great friends or readers or whatever one day.
So what do you think of this method? How do you feel when an author you like interacts with you or follows you? How do you feel if they don't do those things? And do you think someone is less awesome if their follow vs. follower ratio is closer to even instead of lopsided?


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Tuesday, May 19, 2015
Flora's Pink Aurora Hand Knit Toddler Mittens
All the details of the mittens are on my Ravelry page for this project. Again, I didn't really have a pattern, I just made them up as I went along. (It's easy to forget to insert the thumb when you do it that way! You might even forget it twice!) These mittens were definitely a fun quick knit, and I fully intend to create some Merryweather mittens (naturally!) to accompany them! Because I like blue! The toddler, for the moment, is delighted by the pink.
Until next time, may all your days be filled with fairy dust!
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CyberLink joins the lead toward faster DVD burning support. The 16x is the ultimate DVD burning speed, completing a 4.7 GB disc burning in about six minutes.
"We're proud to continue leading the industry by offering the best features to our customers," said Alice H. Chang, CEO of CyberLink. "Incorporating 16x burning support in our software will bring users faster enjoyment by expediting DVD burning."
About CyberLink Power2Go
CyberLink Power2Go provides a quick method of ripping, burning and copying files via a choice of advanced and express modes of operation and delivers convenient functionality via two independent interfaces. Users looking for simple drag-n-drop burning can access the Power2Go Express icons located on their desktop. While users seeking more advanced functionality have the choice of a full-featured interface offering configurable settings.


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Looking for something fun to do with your toddlers on a rainy day? How about some baking? We took advantage of one of our recent indoor days by whipping up a batch of our favorite oatmeal raisin cookies. This recipe comes from The New Laurel's Kitchen cookbook. A sweet, yet, not too sweet, cookie that is loaded with tons of fiber. Therefore, I never feel too guilty when we indulge in this deliciously baked treat!
Here's some scenes of my tots in baking mode:
Oatmeal School Cookies adapted from The New Laurel's Kitchen
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 lightly beaten egg
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup toasted wheat germ (Prague friends- this can be found at DM or Bio shops in town)
3/4 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup raisins
Optional additions: Chocolate chips, chopped walnuts or toasted sunflower seeds
Preheat oven to 375F or 180C
Cream butter and sugar until fluffy.
Add egg, vanilla, salt and beat well.
Stir flour, baking powder, wheat germ, and rolled oats together with a fork.
Blend well with other ingredients. If your mixture is too dry (I've never had this problem, but..) just add a tablespoon or more of water if necessary to hold it together.
Place by tablespoon on well-greased cookie sheet or one lined with parchment paper.
Flatten them slightly.
Bake for 10-12 minutes.


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I've had an idea itching at me for awhile now, which started shortly after building a complex enterprise application using GWT connected to Spring services on the server. There are countless blogs out there describing various ways to wire up Spring with GWT, and Google's own Gin is quite adequate for client-only dependency injection. But what I'd really like is something that ties this all together, and in the true spirit of GWT, makes it easy for a seasoned Java developer to apply proven, consistent DI practices in both the client and server using the Spring knowledge they likely already have.
My vision is basically this:
@Component public class SomeGWTComponent { // Some other client-side component @Autowired private MyWidget widget; // A remote service proxy to a server-side Spring service @Autowired private MyService service; public void doSomething() { widget.doClientStuff(); ... service.doServerStuff("data", new AsyncCallback<String>() { public void onFailure(Throwable caught) { ... } public void onSuccess(String result) { ... } }); } } }
It's important that MyService is a vanilla Spring service on the server – no extension of RemoteServlet required – and that MyWidget is any other GWT component. Injection should occur when the component is created, potentially with varying scopes just like on the server, and potentially also with @PostConstruct support for code to be executed after injection, leaving the constructor available for any pre-injection initialization. And finally, as much work as possible should be done during GWT compile minimize the run-time cost.
The approaches to GWT lookup/injection I've seen out there have at least one the following gaps:
- They're client-only (Gin)
- They're largely run-time, and slow (MVC helpers in component libraries like GXT)
- They involve SpringMVC or other unnecessary server-side complexity (most blog guides)
So I'm going to try to bring this altogether in one simple library with the following goals:
- Simplicity: Access Spring services from the client through a generic exporter; no service-specific mappings in web.xml, forced type hierarchy (services should be existing Spring POJO's), or dependency on SpringMVC. In other words, when a new Spring service is added to the server it should require zero configuration changes to be accessible in the client if desired.
- Consistency: Client-side dependency injection with native Spring look and feel; freedom to inject private members, via constructor, or via getters/setters with same Spring annotations and conventions that are already familiar.
- Performance: Do all the heavy lifting with GWT generators to keep the client lean.
Behold, spring4gwt where I'll do my best to make this a reality! The initial version captures objective #1, bringing together a generic servlet for exposing Spring services without turning each into its own RemoteServlet mapped in web.xml. Up next: accessing those services with Spring DI in the client!