text:
Democrat Rep. Anthony Weiner makes no bones about it – he wants to be mayor of New York City.
He has already run once (he lost in the primary in 2005), told the media of his interest in running again in 2013, and has raised cash for a possible run.
He's described as brash, aggressive and fast talking – all traits that appeal to many New Yorkers.
So, what damage has he done to his political ambitions with what the media is terming "Weinergate," the uproar over a lewd photo that went from his Twitter account to a coed in Seattle?
Congressman Weiner denies he sent the photo, but that's as far as he goes. He suggests someone may have hacked into his account, but he does not want an official investigation – instead he's hired a law firm and private investigator. He says he can't say if the photo is his … uh, underwear. And, after a round of talk shows on Wednesday, he now says he won't talk about it anymore.
Weiner's problem illustrates how in politics it's not just the possible scandal that matters but – even more importantly – how it gets handled. Do the public and media feel like they are hearing the truth? Is it the kind of scandal that might reflect on a politician's character?
In Weiner's case, political analysts say the congressman has muddied the waters.
"What he has provided has been very confusing," says Lee Miringoff, director of the Marist Institute of Public Opinion in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. "We're back into a vocabulary of non-denial denial."
The non-denial denial is best remembered for Watergate when political figures would deny a journalist's story was accurate but left open the possibility it might be true. President Bill Clinton was credited with a non-denial denial during the Monica Lewinsky affair.
How this shakes out for Weiner will depend on how the story develops, says Doug Muzzio, a political commentator and professor at Baruch College in New York.
"If in fact he did not send the image, and it's not his crotch, then the impact is short term," says Mr. Muzzio. "Negative but short term."
But, if it turns out he sent the image and it is of himself, Muzzio says the affect could be "worse than Chris Lee."
Chris Lee was a Republican congressman from upstate New York who posted a shirtless photo of himself on a dating service. He was married, and the embarrassment resulted in his resignation.
Mr. Miringoff does not think the issue will just go away if Weiner refuses to talk about it. "This is a high visibility political figure, and it's not just going away if he takes a hike on the Appalachian Trail – that's been done already."
Miringoff is referring to former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, who admitted in 2009 that he had been unfaithful to his wife. As the scandal started to break, his staff said he had gone for a hike on the trail when in fact he was in Argentina with his paramour.
Why do men do these sorts of things?
Muzzio calls it the "Spitzer syndrome," for New York's former governor, Eliot Spitzer, who resigned after it turned out he used a call-girl service on a trip to Washington.
"There is this feeling of invulnerability, and maybe they feel they can't get caught," he says.
Although Weiner is a Democrat, in a district that has a 3-to-1 Democratic advantage, in 2010 his win against Republican Robert Turner was by only a 60-40 margin.
"He had to spend a considerable amount of money," says Mr. Turner, a retired media executive. "He got a good scare."
One of those reasons is because of the changing nature of the district. Some 40 percent of the population is Jewish. But, within the Jewish community are conservative Russian and Orthodox Jews who voted for Turner.
Turner imagines that even if Weiner survives the brouhaha, it will provide ammunition for possible rivals in 2013 for the mayoral primary. "I think there are a number of candidates who would take him on and would get a little ammunition with this one," he says.
At the end of the day, Muzzio says the flare-up has certainly provided some political entertainment and an endless supply of puns, ranging from Weiner Roast to Weiner's Pickle.
Even Weiner laughed about them. "When you're named Weiner it kind of goes with the territory," he said.


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text:
The nominations for the 85th Academy Awards have been announced, and it's quite a whirlwind of nominees. As expected, Lincoln landed the most nominations with 12, followed with Ang Lee's Life of Pi which nabbed 11. The big story here, though, is the Best Director category. Shockingly, only two (two!) of the DGA nominees for Best Director made the Oscar cut: Ang Lee and Steven Spielberg. The rest of the category was filled out by Benh Zeitlin for Beasts of the Southern Wild, David O. Russell for Silver Linings Playbook, and Michael Haneke for Amour. It was almost guaranteed that Ben Affleck and Kathryn Bigelow would be landing nominations for Argo and Zero Dark Thirty, respectively, but shockingly neither made the cut. Apparently those films just directed themselves. Based off today's nominations, it now looks like it's (surprisingly) down to Lincoln vs. Silver Linings Playbook for the big win.
Hit the jump to check out the list of nominees, and click here to check them against my predictions (somehow I predicted the Best Picture and Supporting Actor categories perfectly). The 85th Academy Awards will take place on February 24th.
- Argo
- Amour
- Beasts of the Southern Wild
- Django Unchained
- Les Miserables
- Life of Pi
- Lincoln
- Silver Linings Playbook
- Zero Dark Thirty
[Adam's note: By some miracle I predicted this category perfectly. I love Moonrise Kingdom and I'm sad not to see it land a nomination, but this is one of the more solid nominees lists in recent years. Not many "filler" nominees like Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close or The Blind Side. Based on today's nominations and how the guilds have been going so far, it looks like it's going to be down to Lincoln vs. Silver Linings Playbook for the win, but my money's on the former.]
- Ang Lee – Life of Pi
- Steven Spielberg – Lincoln
- David O. Russell – Silver Linings Playbook
- Michael Haneke – Amour
- Benh Zeitlin – Beasts of the Southern Wild
[I'm still kind of in shock about the snubs for Bigelow and Affleck, as both films were very much director-driven successes. Affleck's miss makes a tiny bit more sense as the Academy isn't always fast to recognize actors turned directors, but Zero Dark Thirty is objectively one of the best films of the year if not the decade. This nuttiness is likely a result of the date changes. This was the first year that Oscar nomination ballots had to be turned in before the DGA announced its list of nominees, hence the reason why the two lists look so different. Haneke had been a dark horse for some time and Russell was always a fringe contender, but Zeitlin's nomination is actually a pretty nice surprise.]
- Denzel Washington – Flight
- Hugh Jackman – Les Miserables
- Daniel Day-Lewis – Lincoln
- Joauquin Phoenix – The Master
- Bradley Cooper – Silver Linings Playbook
[This category filled out pretty expectedly, as many had been predicting either John Hawkes or Phoenix for the fifth slot. Phoenix undoubtedly gives one of the best performances of the year, so it's nice to see that recognized.]
- Jessica Chastain – Zero Dark Thirty
- Jennifer Lawrence – Silver Linings Playbook
- Quvenzhane Wallis – Beasts of the Southern Wild
- Naomi Watts – The Impossible
- Emmanuelle Riva – Amour
[As with Best Actor, not too many surprises in this category either. Riva and Wallis make Oscar history as the oldest and youngest nominees ever, respectively. This is a two-person race, though, between Chastain and Lawrence.]
- Tommy Lee Jones – Lincoln
- Robert De Niro – Silver Linings Playbook
- Alan Arkin – Argo
- Philip Seymour Hoffman – The Master
- Christoph Waltz – Django Unchained
[Another category I somehow predicted perfectly. That fifth slot was always up in the air, but I had a feeling that Waltz's performance was just too good to overlook. A neat bit of trivia: every single nominee here has won before.]
- Anne Hathaway – Les Miserables
- Helen Hunt – The Sessions
- Sally Field – Lincoln
- Amy Adams – The Master
- Jacki Weaver – Silver Linings Playbook
[The story of this category is that Weaver's nomination coupled with Russell's Best Director nod and the Best Editing nomination puts Silver Linings Playbook back in the hunt for the Best Picture win, especially now that Argo and Zero Dark Thirty have an uphill battle to face with no Best Director nods.]
- Mark Boal – Zero Dark Thirty
- Quentin Tarantino – Django Unchained
- Michael Haneke – Amour
- Wes Anderson, Roman Coppola – Moonrise Kingdom
- John Gatins – Flight
[I was really, really, gunning for Rian Johnson to land a nomination for Looper, especially since he has the WGA nod, but alas the Academy went with Flight. So much for originality, eh?]
- Tony Kushner – Lincoln
- Chris Terrio – Argo
- David O. Russell – Silver Linings Playbook
- David Magee – Life of Pi
- Lucy Alibar, Behn Zeitlin – Beasts of the Southern Wild
[As with Looper in the original category, many thought The Perks of Being a Wallflower might land a surprise slot in Best Adapted, but the Academy obviously really went for Beasts this year.]
- Frankenweenie
- Brave
- ParaNorman
- Wreck-It Ralph
- The Pirates! Band of Misfits
[The Pirates! is a bit of a surprise nominee here, but it's nice to see stop-motion getting a lot of love in this category.]
- The Gatekeepers
- How to Survive a Plague
- Searching for Sugar Man
- 5 Broken Cameras
- The Invisible War
- Inocente
- Kings Point
- Mondays at Racine
- Open Heart
- Redemption
- Claudio Miranda – Life of Pi
- Roger Deakins – Skyfall
- Janusz Kaminski – Lincoln
- Robert Richardson – Django Unchained
- Seamus McGarvey – Anna Karenina
[Could this finally be the year that Roger Deakins wins an Oscar? Skyfall is some of the best work of his career, so here's hoping.]
- William Goldenberg, Dylan Tichenor – Zero Dark Thirty
- William Goldenberg – Argo
- Jay Cassidy, Crispin Struthers – Silver Linings Playbook
- Michael Kahn – Lincoln
- Tim Squyers – Life of Pi
[One of the quintessential categories for predicting the Best Picture win is Best Editing, so odds are strong that our eventual winner is one of these five films.]
- Dario Marianelli – Anna Karenina
- Mychael Danna – Life of Pi
- Thomas Newman – Skyfall
- John Williams – Lincoln
- Alexandre Desplat – Argo
[Given all the nominations for Beasts, I'm a little surprised to see the film not nominated for Best Score, but some have been talking about how the Academy isn't keen on recognizing directors who compose their own scores. That would certainly explain the Cloud Atlas snub.]
- "Skyfall" – Skyfall
- "Suddenly" – Les Miserables
- "Pi's Lullaby" – Life of Pi
- "Before My Time" – Chasing Ice
- "Everybody Needs a Best Friend" – Ted
[Oscar host Seth MacFarlane is also a surprise nominee, as he's listed as a co-writer on "Everybody Needs a Best Friend." Really, though, does anybody think that Adele won't win this?]
- Life of Pi
- The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
- Prometheus
- Snow White and the Huntsman
- The Avengers
[This is the category where The Dark Knight Rises had a solid shot at a nomination, but the film was completely shut out of this year's Oscars. The history of this category tells us that a Best Picture nominee is heavily favored over all the other contenders, so look for Life of Pi to most likely take home the trophy.]
- Lincoln
- Anna Karenina
- Les Miserables
- Mirror Mirror
- Snow White and the Huntsman
[Mirror Mirror's one and only nomination.]
- Hitchcock
- The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
- Les Miserables
[I'm also pretty surprised that Rick Baker wasn't nominated here for Men in Black 3, as he won this category for his work in the first Men in Black film and MIB3 had some truly inspired makeup designs.]
- Skyfall
- Argo
- Zero Dark Thirty
- Life of Pi
- Django Unchained
- Skyfall
- Lincoln
- Life of Pi
- Les Miserables
- Argo
- Adam and Dog
- Fresh Guacamole
- Head over Heels
- The Longest Daycare
- Paperman
- Asad
- Buzkashi Boys
- Curfew
- Death of a Shadow (Dood van een Schaduw)
- Henry


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If you could possess a super human ability, what would it be?
by, 03-20-2014 at 09:20 AM (11751 Views)
Super human strength? Invisibility? While we are gearing up for the upcoming release of Might & Mayhem, we asked the development team this crucial question: If you could possess a super human ability, what would it be?
If you could possess a super human ability, what would it be?
Angela Emory (Senior Web Designer)- It is tough to just pick one, I have so many. The one I would like the most would be to make myself invisible.
Kristian Millirons (Lead Developer)- Telekinesis
Tim Kaminski (Environment Concept Artist)- Every time I fart, I get a new superpower at random
Denton Heaney (Content Editor)- I am kinda torn between the triumvirate of Transparency, Teleportation, and Time Travel, but I will go with Teleportation, because in a pinch it can simulate the other two.
Garrett Brown (Mobile Developer)- 1.) Always win at rock, paper scissors. 2.) The ability to turn student loan debt into a surplus of Captain Crunch w/ Crunch Berries. 3.) Morph into any one of the following: Eagle, Squirrel, Octopus, Wolf, Badger, Cactus, or Otter.
Michael Bills (Art Director)- Flying would be cool, but teleportation would be pretty convenient.
Corey McClammy (3D Modeler)- Durability and resilience, personal gravity field, or basically the mutant abilities of one Fred J. Dukes. I ike the fact that if I do not want to move, you can not make me. Stubborness, what a great super power!
Thanks for reading!


text:
Go4SC2 #186 Sunday - Win 200 Euros!
The hottest cup series in StarCraft II continues. You can win 200 Euros and ranking points towards qualifying for the 500 Euros monthly final. Sign up now and don't miss out! If you're knocked out then you can sit back and enjoy the streams to see how the pros play and improve your game.
Every month thousands of players compete in Go4SC2 cups, from all skill levels, from casual bronze players to grandmasters. Go4SC2 is every players chance to test themselves in a serious competition, and get the chance to play and watch some of the best players in the world.
Recent cups have featured 4966942, Polt, Nerchio, HyuN, 5079562 and many more!
Stay up to date, follow us!
If you have any feedback - bad or good - about anything we are doing in StarCraft II then please go ahead and post in the feedback topic in the forum.
We are looking for admins!
Would you like to help to run the Cups and Ladders at the ESL SC2 section? You know exactly what the SC2 community needs and you would love to be a dedicated admin? Then Apply now!Good luck and have fun,
Your Admin team
Sims, Friday, 30/03/12 06:36
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Google Maps Exodus Continues As Wikipedia Mobile Apps Switch To OpenStreetMap
from the location,-location,-location dept
Last year, Google announced that it would begin charging high-volume users for access to its previously free Maps API. It seemed like an odd move. Jacking up the price on something, without actually offering anything new to entice customers to stay, only works if you have a total monopoly—and free competitor OpenStreetMap was already growing rapidly at the time.
Not long after the Google announcement, we reported that property search engine Nestoria was jumping ship to OpenStreetMap. Then, in March, news began to spread that Apple was making a strong push to move away from Google Maps data on the iOS platform. FourSquare also abruptly switched. Now the exodus is continuing, with Wikipedia announcing that the latest versions of its mobile apps for iOS and Android have also ditched Google Maps for OpenStreetMap:
Previous versions of our application used Google Maps for the nearby view. This has now been replaced with OpenStreetMap - an open and free source of Map Data that has been referred to as 'Wikipedia for Maps.' This closely aligns with our goal of making knowledge available in a free and open manner to everyone. This also means we no longer have to use proprietary Google APIs in our code, which helps it run on the millions of cheap Android handsets that are purely open source and do not have the proprietary Google applications.
One wonders how Google didn't see this coming—or if they did, what exactly their strategy is here. OpenStreetMap is gaining a lot of momentum, and in some areas even features much better data. The real lesson here is that there's never an incumbent that isn't at risk of being unseated, no matter how widespread the adoption of their product or service—especially if they make an anti-customer decision like Google when it put a price tag on Maps. The situation also points to the long-term strength of open solutions: while a crowdsourced system like OpenStreetMap never could have put together a global mapping product as quickly as Google did, over time it has become a serious competitor in terms of both quality and convenience. Indeed, none of the companies that have switched pointed to the price as their number one reason—potentially superior quality, and the desire to support open data, are generally listed as significant factors. Location-based tools are a rapidly growing field, and by failing to stay ahead of their more open competitors (while becoming less open themselves), Google may have sacrificed their role as a crucial engine driving such services.
Filed Under: crowdsourcing, location, map, mobile, open alternative
Companies: google, openstreetmap, wikipedia


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From the Daily Telegraph we learn that Theresa May is to introduce legislation to allow foreign police chiefs to "run" police forces and to change the conditions of entry and the grades at which those entering will so do.
The Metropolitan Police, in their definition and history of policing advise that:
"The origin of the British police lies in early tribal history and is based on customs for securing order through the medium of appointed representatives. In effect, the people were the police."
and as far as I am aware the people still are the police, in other words the police force in this country is answerable to – and owned by – the people; the police force does not belong to any government or any government minister.
In the manifesto produced by the Coalition, one on which I would remind readers not one person had the opportunity on which to vote, it states (on page 13) that
"We will have a full review of the terms and conditions for police officer employment."
note the omission of any regard to the wishes of the public. Note also that in the Conservative Party manifesto (page 57) it states:
"Policing requires assent"
and that there is no mention of reforming the qualifications to be a member of the police force – at which point one has to stop and ask exactly where is the assent to the measures Theresa May intends to impose? This is not democracy – this is the imposition of political diktat and ideology.
Back in 2009 David Blunkett introduced a proposition that the police must and should be accountable to the people – the title of his paper was "A people's police force". Readers must forgive pedancy entering this post, but in the English language the use of a noun followed by an apostrophe followed by the letter 's' denotes ownership of something – ergo Blunkett thus admits that the police force belongs to the people and not, I repeat, not to a government or a government minister.
Is it therefore not required that the people should be consulted on Theresa May's plans? As the police force in this country is funded by means of taxation extracted from the people, it being their money must surely mean that the people should have the deciding voice where changes to policing are concerned.
This point is one of the Demands of the Harrogate Agenda in that where local democracy is concerned: the foundation of that democracy shall be the counties (or other local units as may be defined), which shall become constitutional bodies exercising under the control of their peoples all powers of legislation, taxation and administration not specifically granted by the people to the national government – is it not for local people to decide what form of policing and the level of tolerance to social behaviour is concerned? Is it not right that when considering the spending of people's money by the state yet another of the Harrogate Agenda's Demands is met, namely that no taxes or spending without consent: no tax, charge or levy shall be imposed, nor any public spending authorised, nor any sum borrowed by any national or local government except with the express permission of the majority of the people, renewed annually on presentation of a properly authenticated budget which shall first have been approved by their respective legislatures?
Once again, with this latest news, is the fact confirmed that democracy in this country no longer exists.
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Dru Dance Series: Class 2 - Becoming the Flame
Dru Dance is a great way of combining Dru Yoga and flow into a sequence.
This is the second of three Dru Dance classes by Jes Scharbow. All the three classes combined form the 'Becoming the Flame' dance which was inspired by the Dru charity project, the World Peace Flame.
Enjoy this second part of the 'Becoming the Flame' dance.
Dru Dance is a unique form of Dru – focusing on the flow of posture and energy. This dance awakens the feeling of light in the body, illuminating our physical, emotional and mental awareness. A strong physical sequence working the thighs, core and gluteals. Great shoulder mobilisation and twists too! Enjoy the moves and the flow of postures.


text:
Failure,self-disappointment and self hate, these and many other similar feelings don't just come over us. We all put certain demands on ourselves hoping that we will be able to pull them through and when we fail to do so we enter a state of punishing ourselves beyond the limits of reasonable chastisement. It is fair and normal for us to be unhappy with ourselves when we have failed ourselves but how far we should go with the reprimand should not exceed the boundaries or else we end up totally destroying ourselves. Everybody has the right to have expectations about self and to be dissatisfied when he or she fails to achieve them. But we must be careful about how far we push ourselves in our quest to prove to ourselves that we are actually able to do even better than what the others say we can't do. Remember that you are your greatest motivator, critic and coach and if you destroy yourself through unreasonable criticism you may not recover from the self destruction that you mete out to yourself. I have learnt to love myself a little more than I should so that when I fail to achieve something's I should not be too harsh to myself but be lenient and patient with myself. I found this to be working more than my previous attitude towards myself. I used to be too harsh and I pushed myself beyond what I could bear and this left me disappointed many times. Leave yourself enough room for self forgiveness and self tolerance and you will find it easy to re-visit some of your past failures with a little more boldness than before. Re-visiting your failures is like re-visiting an accident scene, you want to go there and be like a forensic investigator and not like a victim. When a forensic investigator visits a crash site he goes there to investigate and find facts unlike the victim who re-visits the same crash site to find closure. There are so many things you can achieve in life if you learn to accept that you will not always win but that sometimes you will come out second best or even worse you may lose altogether. Trust God to give you the grace to be self-forgiving and everything you do will become a pleasure even if it is the toughest thing you have ever attempted to do in your life. Each time you show love and appreciation to the others do the same to yourself twice as much in order to increase the your ability to love and forgive. The Bible says that we must love our Neighbors as we love ourselves. Many of us will never be angry with our neighbors up to the point where we kill them but we will not hesitate to kill ourselves over the some petty issues. The bottom line is this; Put reasonable expectations on yourself and you will be able to achieve them. Be blessed - MVK
2 comments
Its amazing how far you have come in your spiritual development,,always appreciate your knowledge,thank you!
Thanks Pastor for such wisdom and inspiring words¤I have been going through the process of beating myself up for the 'expectations'I have putu up for myself¤¤¤after reading ur blog inspired to be more loving towards myself
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Insightful Thoughts
We are always faced with a challenge of what others think of us even long after God has forgiven us. MVK
We all need to have an unwavering faith in God, that deep rooted knowledge that it shall be well with us at last. MVK
A good word uttered in good season often produce good results. MVK
Talking must always be done like singing it should always be well rehearsed before being released. MVK
Never give up until you have proven that what you're actually trying to achieve is absolutely unachievable. MVK
The Bible encourages us to renew our minds and never to remove our minds. MVK
Rarely does one see the need to think wisely until their bad thinking gets them into trouble. MVK
No idea is totally bad, if it's not good for today then save it for another day. MVK
My mind is made up, I want to be a good person, no matter what. MVK
We need to develop a positive attitude, a mind totally disabled from entertaining negativity. MVK
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ALEC Exposed
John Nichols
The Nation
July 12, 2011
This article appeared in the August 1-8, 2011 edition
of The Nation.
"Never has the time been so right," Louisiana State
Representative Noble Ellington told conservative
legislators gathered in Washington to plan the radical
remaking of policies in the states. It was one month
after the 2010 midterm elections. Republicans had
grabbed 680 legislative seats and secured a power
trifecta-control of both legislative chambers and the
governorship-in twenty-one states. Ellington was
speaking for hundreds of attendees at a "States and
Nation Policy Summit," featuring GOP stars like Texas
Governor Rick Perry, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich
and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor. Convened by the
American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)-"the
nation's largest, non-partisan, individual public-
private membership association of state legislators," as
the spin-savvy group describes itself-the meeting did
not intend to draw up an agenda for the upcoming
legislative session. That had already been done by
ALEC's elite task forces of lawmakers and corporate
representatives. The new legislators were there to grab
their weapons: carefully crafted model bills seeking to
impose a one-size-fits-all agenda on the states.
Founded in 1973 by Paul Weyrich and other conservative
activists frustrated by recent electoral setbacks, ALEC
is a critical arm of the right-wing network of policy
shops that, with infusions of corporate cash, has
evolved to shape American politics. Inspired by Milton
Friedman's call for conservatives to "develop
alternatives to existing policies [and] keep them alive
and available," ALEC's model legislation reflects long-
term goals: downsizing government, removing regulations
on corporations and making it harder to hold the
economically and politically powerful to account.
Corporate donors retain veto power over the language,
which is developed by the secretive task forces. The
task forces cover issues from education to health
policy. ALEC's priorities for the 2011 session included
bills to privatize education, break unions, deregulate
major industries, pass voter ID laws and more. In states
across the country they succeeded, with stacks of new
laws signed by GOP governors like Ohio's John Kasich and
Wisconsin's Scott Walker, both ALEC alums.
The details of ALEC's model bills have been available
only to the group's 2,000 legislative and 300 corporate
members. But thanks to a leak to Aliya Rahman, an Ohio-
based activist who helped organize protests at ALEC's
Spring Task Force meeting in Cincinnati, The Nation has
obtained more than 800 documents representing decades of
model legislation. Teaming up with the Center for Media
and Democracy, The Nation asked policy experts to
analyze this never-before-seen archive.
The articles that follow are the first products of that
examination. They provide an inside view of the
priorities of ALEC's corporate board and billionaire
benefactors (including Tea Party funders Charles and
David Koch). "Dozens of corporations are investing
millions of dollars a year to write business-friendly
legislation that is being made into law in statehouses
coast to coast, with no regard for the public interest,"
says Bob Edgar of Common Cause. "This is proof positive
of the depth and scope of the corporate reach into our
democratic processes." The full archive of ALEC
documents is available at a new website,
alecexposed.org, thanks to the Center for Media and
Democracy, which has provided powerful tools for
progressives to turn this knowledge into power. The data
tell us that the time has come to refocus on the battle
to loosen the grip of corporate America and renew
democracy in the states.
"Business Domination Inc.," by Joel Rogers and Laura
"Sabotaging Healthcare," by Wendell Potter
"The Koch Connection," by Lisa Graves
"Starving Public Schools," by Julie Underwood
"Rigging Elections," by John Nichols
A Discreet Nonprofit Brings Together Politicians
and Corporations to Write `Model Bills'
by Lois Beckett
July 15, 2011
Calling the EPA's attempts to regulate greenhouse gasses
a 'trainwreck,' ALEC crafted a model resolution for
states that was later the basis of legislation in at
least 13 states, according to a press release on its
website. (Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images)
This week, both the Los Angeles Times and The Nation put
the spotlight on a little-known but influential
conservative nonprofit that creates "model" state
legislation that often make its way into law. The
organization has helped craft some of the most
controversial-and industry-friendly-legislation of
recent years.
The American Legislative Exchange Council, ALEC, crafted
a model resolution for states calling the EPA's attempts
to regulate greenhouse gasses a "trainwreck" and asking
Congress to slow or stop the regulations, the Times
reported. A press release on ALEC's site says that at
least 13 other states have passed resolutions based on
their model language.
Latest Episode: Child abuse and death cases can be
particularly difficult to solve. Everyone wants to make
sure justice is served, but when emotions run high and
evidence can be misleading, innocent people sometimes
end up behind bars for the most heinous of crimes.
ALEC was also involved in the writing of Arizona's new
immigration law, which gave police officers broad powers
to detain anyone suspected of being in the country
Brought into being by a legendary conservative who also
founded the well-known Heritage Foundation, ALEC has
been around since the early 1970s. It calls itself a
"policy making program that unites members of the public
and private sectors in a dynamic partnership" based on
"Jeffersonian principles." Critics say it has devolved
into a pay-for-play operation, where state legislators
and their families get to go on industry-funded junkets
and major corporations get to ghostwrite model laws and
pass them on to receptive politicians.
In a multipart report this week, the Nation profiled
ALEC's influence on state legislation related to
privatization and anti-union efforts, fighting Obama's
health care reform, privatizing public education and
enacting voter ID laws, which critics say are designed
to disenfranchise voters who are more likely to vote
Democratic. The Nation also provides a deeper look at
the financial and ideological links between the Koch
brothers and ALEC.
ALEC representatives tell reporters that its mission is
fundamentally "educational." ALEC spokeswoman Raegan
Weber told the LA Times, "Legislators should hear from
those the government intends to regulate."
"ALEC allows a place for everyone at the table to come
and debate and discuss," another ALEC official, Michael
Bowman, told NPR last year. "You have legislators who
will ask questions much more freely at our meetings
because they are not under the eyes of the press, the
eyes of the voters. They're just trying to learn a
policy and understand it." Neither Weber nor Bowman
immediately responded to our requests for further
Corporations pay hefty fees for the opportunity to
discuss policy with legislators at ALEC's conferences,
and they also host banquets, open-bar parties and
baseball games. Legislators, on the other hand, pay a
nominal membership fee, and can be eligible for
"scholarships" that pay for their conference attendance.
When the legislators bring the model bills back to their
state capitals, the role played by ALEC-or by the
corporations-seems to be rarely, if ever, disclosed.
Crucially, ALEC says it is not a lobbying organization,
and thus because of its nonprofit status, it does not
have to disclose its donors or the amount of their
donations. (The Times says Common Cause is trying to
challenge ALEC's nonprofit status.)
Perhaps the most striking example of this process is the
involvement of officials from the Corrections
Corporation of America, the nation's largest private
prison company, in the creation of Arizona's immigration
As NPR reported last year, officials from Corrections
Corporation were in the room when Arizona State Sen.
Russell Pearce discussed his ideas about immigration at
a 2009 ALEC conference.
Reports from Corrections Corporation reviewed by NPR
indicated that their executives saw immigrant detention
as their next big market, and that the company expected
to bring in a "significant portion" of their revenue
from Immigrations and Custom Enforcement.
What role the corporate officials played in the ALEC
discussion is not known, but the "model legislation"
that emerged from that session soon became the bill
itself-"almost word for word," according to NPR. The
influence the private prison industry may have had on
the law was not widely reported or discussed during the
heated nationwide debate over the bill. (An "In These
Times" reporter, whose early findings on the ALEC-
Arizona connection were consistent with NPR's later
reporting, recently provided a more detailed look at the
ALEC scholarships provided to Arizona legislators.)
Portions of the Arizona law are being challenged in
federal court and have never been implemented. But, as
NPR reported last year, similar bills were later
introduced in eight other states.
ALEC has been in the media spotlight this week because
the Center for Media and Democracy obtained and released
an archive of more than 800 of ALEC's model bills and
resolutions. Their wiki site, ALEC Exposed, encourages
readers to browse ALEC's model bills by topic and share
their findings about the documents using the hashtag
ProPublica intern Nicholas Kusnetz contributed to this
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RIM, Nokia, Facebook, Yahoo: Zombie techs live!November 29, 2012: 12:41 PM ET
The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Paul R. La Monica. Other than Time Warner, the parent of CNNMoney, and Abbott Laboratories, La Monica does not own positions in any individual stocks.
At one point this year, investors were assuming that the market for mobile devices and advertising began and ended with just two companies: Apple (AAPL) and Google (GOOG). They were the Home Depot and Lowe's of wireless. Nobody else mattered.
But four tech companies with a presence in mobile have recently sprung to life, while Apple and Google have pulled back: Research in Motion (RIMM), Nokia (NOK), Facebook (FB) and Yahoo (YHOO).
If Apple, Google, IBM (IBM) and Amazon (AMZN) are the new Four Horsemen of Tech, then RIM, Nokia, Facebook and Yahoo are their cousins, the Four Zombies of Tech. The undead walk among us! For the most part, the recent rallies are predicated on the notion that each of these companies will make a bigger splash in mobile.
BlackBerry maker RIM surged more than 5% Thursday after Goldman Sachs upgraded the stock to a buy. This continues a stunning stock rebound for RIM since the summer. Shares more than doubled from their 52-week lows as analysts and investors became more optimistic about the company's upcoming (at long last) release of its BlackBerry 10 operating system.
Nokia has also more than doubled from its low point for a similar reason. Reviews of the company's Lumia smartphone, which runs on Microsoft's (MSFT) Windows Phone operating system, have been very favorable, stirring hopes that strong sales could follow.
The big knock on Facebook following its boondoggle of an IPO in May was that it had no mobile strategy, but shares of Facebook are now up more than 50% from their 52-week low. Much of the excitement revolves around the fact that Facebook has found a way to quickly make money off of mobile advertising. Last month, Facebook announced that 14% of its third-quarter advertising revenue came from mobile, up from almost zero just one quarter earlier.
And then there's Yahoo. The purple portal's stock has shot up more than 30% from its 52-week lows. The main news out of Yahoo over the past few months is that the company lured new CEO Marissa Mayer from Google. (The finalization of the Alibaba transaction helped too.) Yahoo hasn't made any bold moves in mobile just yet, but Mayer has done a good job of making it clear that she thinks mobile is a huge priority. For the time being, Mayer can do no wrong in the eyes of investors. (I've joked that CBS should create a new sitcom called "Everybody Loves Marissa.")
So what should investors in these zombies do now?
You still need to be wary. Apple may be wounded, but it remains a powerhouse. With more than $12o billion in cash and a stock trading at only about 12 times earnings estimates for fiscal 2013, it still is attractive. The recent stock performances of another struggling tech foursome -- Microsoft, Intel (INTC), Dell (DELL) and HP (HPQ) -- show just how hard it is to compete against Apple. (In an homage to Dickens and the holidays, let's call them The Four Tech Ghosts of PC Christmases Past.)
But looking more closely at the not-yet Fab Four of mobile, Facebook appears to have the most promise -- even though it is still an expensive stock, trading at just north of 40 times 2013 earnings estimates.
Facebook has shown concrete improvement in mobile. If that continues, much of the skepticism will dissipate about the company's future ability to be a true profit powerhouse and not just a place where a billion people offer updates about the most minute details of their lives.
Yahoo is intriguing. Mayer is saying all the right things, and morale appears to have improved dramatically as a result. But shares now trade at 16.5 times 2013 earnings estimates. Google trades at about 15 times next year's profit forecasts. Should Yahoo, still very much a turnaround story, deserve a premium to Google? Not right now. Yahoo has to show more signs of growth in mobile before it warrants a higher valuation.
Related: Marissa Mayer on God, family and Yahoo
That brings us to RIM and Nokia. Their P/E ratios are non-existent. E stands for earnings -- and both companies are expected to lose money this year and in 2013. Sales are expected to keep declining at Nokia and to grow a meager 1% at RIM in its next fiscal year. Both stocks may have trouble going much higher for the long-term.
Sure, they could continue to have pops, like RIM had today on analyst upgrades. Both stocks are favorite targets of short sellers and are prone to violent squeezes on "good news" like analyst upgrades.
But RIM and Nokia need more than glowing sell-side coverage to stage a meaningful comeback. They have to boost their market share and revenue in the mobile device market. The recent rally looks more like a dead cat (or smartphone) bounce. Investors may have punished the two stocks a little too hard and are now relieved to find that neither company is the Hostess of the tech world just yet.
But just because you aren't dead doesn't mean you're healthy. Nokia at least has a product on the market that people can look at, so its rally is a bit more grounded in reality.
Related: BlackBerry 10 to launch Jan. 30
RIM is a different story. The BlackBerry 10 could be the company's savior. But does anyone honestly think that customers who have gotten used to iPhones and Android devices (or even new Windows Phones) will flock back to BlackBerry? The RIM rebound seems eerily reminiscent of the PlayBook hype a few years ago.
Shares of RIM plunged more than 40% between March and September of 2010 on worries that the company was getting into the tablet market too late. Shares then surged 65% by February 2011 on hopes for strong PlayBook sales.
RIM traded at about $53 a share when the PlayBook debuted on April 19, 2011. They now fetch about $12. Need I say more?


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Staying active
Living one day at a time, doing the things you enjoy and the things that bring you meaning and fulfillment are just some of the ways to live with Alzheimer's disease.
The disease progression cannot be stopped, but you can still maintain a healthy lifestyle.
- Eat properly.
- Stay active - ask your doctor what kinds of activities you can do.
- Rest when you are tired.
- Take medications as prescribed.
- Stay connected to family members and friends.
Activities that were important and meaningful for you throughout your life will continue to be important and meaningful.
- If you enjoy music, cooking, gardening, fishing or sports, continue making them a part of your everyday routine.
- You can also take pleasure in living in the moment, appreciating the small joys of life, such as seeing flowers coming into bloom, watching birds at a feeder and pushing a child in a swing. Capture these moments and enjoy them.
Does someone in your family have Alzheimer's disease?
Here are some ideas for families to help the person with the disease to maintain an active and meaningful lifestyle.


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By Scott Mace
In their hunt for market dominance, social networks Facebook, Google Buzz, and Microsoft Live are redefining what social means — and in the process, straining the bounds of personal privacy.
Facebook, the big daddy of these three, has made quiet changes to its privacy settings, ones that members need to understand if they are going to manage the distribution of their personal information.
I find Facebook useful, mostly as a way to stay in touch with a select set of my friends and former co-workers. It's not my public soapbox nor a window into my personal life, left open to the world — for that, I have blogs and Twitter.
As much as I like Facebook, it has a flaw that I'll never see in my blogs and hopefully never see with Twitter. It seems the proprietors of Facebook find it necessary, desirable, or profitable to change member privacy settings, usually with little notice to members. In every case I can think of, privacy settings have become more relaxed — more open, if you will.
What's beneficial for Facebook, however, is not necessarily good for members — their personal information might end up in places they never intended. The world is filled with marketers who would love to know increasingly more about you. And if that doesn't concern you, the world also contains stalkers and hackers who might use that personal information toward evil ends.
You should take your Facebook (or any other social network) privacy as seriously as you do protection from malware on your PC.
Keep in mind that all the big social networks continually tweak privacy settings. This is not just a Facebook problem.
Review and lock down your Facebook settings
In a typical good news–bad news scenario, Facebook's privacy settings have become more granular over time — and consequently far more tedious and complicated to manage. Even more irritating is that, as Facebook adds new categories of settings, it often uses Everyone as the default. (And Everyone means just that — not only all Facebook members, but anyone viewing associated sites).
New Facebook members are especially likely to give out private information unintentionally. Working through a slew of privacy settings is not foremost in their thoughts as they first build their new Facebook wall. Unfortunately, that means they get the default, wide-open Everyone privacy setting.
When deciding what personal information to share, you have two choices. Either don't put it on Facebook to begin with (no, you don't have to fill out every personal information field), or put it up but restrict who can see it.
Start with the simple setting for personal info
If you're going to post information you don't want the whole world to see, or if you just want to generally tighten up your privacy settings, start with the following:
- Personal Information and Posts: Most settings in this section default to Everyone or Friends of Friends. For a balanced level of privacy, I recommend selecting either Only Friends or Only Me, depending on your comfort level.
Here, Facebook makes things difficult for new members. Initially, the settings dropdown list does not contain Only Me. You must select Customize and then Only Me from another dropdown list — for each privacy setting. (See Figure 1.)
- Furthermore, some of these settings affect the level of your friends' privacy when they interact through your wall. For example, when a friend posts a comment on your wall, Posts by Friends controls who else can see that post — everyone, friends of friends, and so on.
- Contact information: Facebook tightens its default settings for direct-contact information to Only Friends, but if you don't care to share your IM screen name, mobile or other phone number, or current address, change it to Only Me.
The last three settings on the Contact Information page — Website, Add me as a friend, and Send me a message — are all preset to Everyone by default.
If you include your Web site URL on your wall but don't want it showing up on a search engine list, consider adding a robots.txt file at your Web site. (Instructions for creating this file are contained on the robotstxt.orgs site.)
- Friends, Tags, and Connections: This section controls what information people see on your profile, and the options are relatively simple. Items such as Friends, Family, Relationships, and Photos are set to Only Friends by default, and that's probably how you'll want to leave them.
Some information (such as your Pages and list of friends) is still public and can be accessed by Facebook applications you and your friends use.
Facebook Pages offer a convenient way to stay on top of your favorite interests from within your profile page. The key is to carefully consider which Pages you choose to Like and which applications you agree to run.
Liking a Facebook Page is different from, liking a post, photo, or link. When you like a Page, Facebook automatically subscribes you to a feed from that page — which often represents a commercial product or company.
How your privacy is kept or lost when using Facebook applications is probably the least-understood and most-worrisome aspect of this social network. The privacy controls for apps are found in the Applications and Websites section.
To put it simply, don't run Facebook applications if you don't want to distribute personal information beyond your friends. The following example shows what happens when you run an application. I'll use Farmville, a popular game application, as an example.
When you first run Farmville from within Facebook, all your profile information and photos, your friends' info, and other content it requires to work is pulled into the Farmville system. You have only two choices: Allow this to happen, or leave the application. If you let it happen, a vast amount of your personal information is now governed by Facebook's privacy policies and by Zynga's — the company that owns Farmville. Those policies may differ.
According to Zynga's privacy policy, it generally doesn't collect personally identifying information; in any case, it can collect only what you provide.
Bottom line: Each new application you link to in Facebook could add another layer of privacy management. This could be another argument for not posting sensitive information where it's not fully under your control.
Facebook applications have no middle ground — if you run an app, you're automatically sharing at least some information. You can't run an application just for yourself, as you would a spreadsheet or database. For this reason, I subscribe to few of them.
The most-important app settings fall under What your friends can share about you through applications and websites. By default, nothing can be shared except your name, sex, and profile photo — plus any information that fell under the Everyone option in the other privacy categories. I leave all boxes unchecked.
Should you choose to run Facebook applications, consider changing the Activity on Applications and Games Dashboards control's default setting from Only Friends to Specific People, or even to Only Me.
If you don't want to show up in the search results of unknown Facebook members, tighten the Search setting from Everyone to Friends of Friends or Only Friends. Unchecking Public Search Results also helps keep unknown Web surfers at bay.
Aside from the obvious anti-stalker benefit Block List enables, it also has a Preview My Profile button that displays how most Facebook members see your profile. It gives a good view of how tightly you're locked down.
New privacy leaks from Instant Personalization
Recently, Facebook opened up Instant Personalization, another way for strangers and outsiders to view your personal information. Currently, there is a setting at the bottom of the Applications and Websites page called Instant Personalization Pilot Program. If you opt into this service, selected Facebook partner Web sites can instantly personalize their applications, based on your personal information.
This list of partners is constantly expanding. Even if you opt out of Instant Personalization, your Facebook friends might still share Facebook information about you if they opt in. As far as I can tell, your only recourse is to block each of the application sites.
This could mean going to each apps page and clicking on Block Application, if it even exists. So far, the apps include the recommendation service Yelp.com, Microsoft Docs.com (a Web-based document creation and sharing system), and the music-streaming service Pandora.
No wonder so many Facebook users are annoyed. If Facebook adds dozens of these apps within the next month, a significant investment in time will be necessary just to tighten up these newly loosened controls.
For the tightest privacy, you should log out of Facebook before visiting these or any other Web sites partnering with Facebook through Instant Personalization. It's certainly inconvenient to monitor whether you're logged into Facebook, but people who wish to share as little personal information as possible with these third-party sites are force to take these steps.


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Honor the Heroes of the Game, Preserve Its History, Promote Its Values & Celebrate Excellence Everywhere
"Determination probably was my trademark. I was talented but so were a lot of people. I'd like people to tell you I was the toughest guy they ever played against."
(Southern California)...5'10'', 190...William Vernell Wood. . .Signed as free agent, 1960. . .Soon developed into premier free safety. . .Played in six NFL championships, Super Bowls I, II, eight Pro Bowls. . .All-NFL six times. . .50-yard interception return key play in Super Bowl I. . . Career record: 48 interceptions, 699 yards, 2 TDs; 187 punt returns, 1,391 yards, 2 TDs. . .Led NFL in punt returns (1961), interceptions (1962). . .Born December 23, 1936, in Washington, D.C...Died February 3, 2020 at the age of 83.
Willie Wood is another of the talented athletes who teamed to give Green Bay pro football dominance in the 1960s. Yet the 5-10, 190-pound University of Southern California quarterback who specialized in running the ball, was not drafted by any National Football League team.
He had to seek a tryout and prove his worth before the Packers accepted him as a free agent in 1960. Within a short time, Willie was recognized as a premier free safety in the NFL. He became a starter in his sophomore 1961 season and held that job for more than a decade until his retirement following the 1971 campaign.
Wood, who was born in Washington, D. C., won first- or second-team All-NFL honors nine times in a nine-year stretch from 1962 through the 1970 season. A Pro Bowl participant eight times, 1963, 1965 through 1971, Wood also played in six NFL championship games. The Packers won all but the first one in 1960.
Willie also was the starting free safety for Green Bay in Super Bowl I against the Kansas City Chiefs and Super Bowl II against the Oakland Raiders. His 50-yard interception return of a Len Dawson pass early in the third quarter of Super Bowl I broke open a close contest and paved the way for the Packers' 35-10 triumph over the Chiefs.
Like many Packers who had a chance to handle the football, Wood compiled impressive statistics with 48 career interceptions, which he returned for 699 yards and two touchdowns. He won the NFL interception title in 1962 with nine steals. Doubling on the punt return team, Willie also won the league punt return championship with a 16.1-yard average in 1961. In 12 years, he carried back 187 punts for 1,391 yards and two touchdowns.


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(see the first character sketch here)
This is another looser character sketch for "Familiar" the comic serial I'm doing for my sequential arts assignment. While its still very much a funny and absurd story its also the first adventury narrative based thing I've worked on which is both exciting and nerve wracking. I can't really go deep into the specifics of the story, but its basically about this witche's familiar who is asked by the witch to rob her dad's grave to get this powerful talisman. he ends up getting drunk with his friend in the cemetery and has to go find his friend who gets captured while pissing by some unknown force. I drew heavily from my love of punk rock as well as lots of greek and russian mythology and folktales. this sketch is specifically from the part where the main character gets into an argument with the moon and starts hurling debris and glass bottles at him. I want to upload the layouts for the comic to get some insight but the penciling is way too light to be scanned. I also had to design this sort of title headline for it that I will be uploading eventually as well. If all goes will I will definitely be trying to make this into a zine when I'm done with it.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Sunday, November 28, 2010
possession sketch
I had to do an editorial illustration for this article for one of my classes. this is one of the couple of sketches I did for it. I ended up choosing one that related more to the article's content but I still really liked this drawing so I uploaded it. When I'm finished the actual assignment I will put that up as well
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fossil naming
Posted by Will Laren at 11:15 PM No comments:
Labels: fossils, naming, prehistoric lobster, will laren
Friday, November 19, 2010
skunk eyes
Posted by Will Laren at 4:07 PM 1 comment:
Labels: will laren
rooster claw hats
Posted by Will Laren at 4:06 PM 1 comment:
Labels: rooster claw hats, will laren
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
"Love" illustration assignment
This is an editorial illustration of "first love" I did for Jose Villarubia's Illustration Concepts class. I used colored inks rather than watercolor for this and really tried to go balls out on the color (its pretty stressful having your colors judged by a comic book colorist). anyway, this is pretty much the final version of it. I may put in more posters on the back wall, change the boy's shirt, and tint the walls blue but otherwise this is it.
Posted by Will Laren at 4:45 PM 1 comment:
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Slurricane #2 in california!
If you have been wanting to buy Slurricane 2, live in california, and for some reason can't afford the $2.50 for shipping there's good news! Slurricane 2 is now sold at Meltdown comics and False Start Distro thanks to the wonderful Meredith Wallace! You LA folks now have no excuse! click here for more information (and an incredibly flattering write-up of the zine)
Posted by Will Laren at 3:19 PM No comments:
the ol' spicy keychain
Posted by Will Laren at 2:41 PM 7 comments:
Labels: brothers, spicy keychain, will laren
Monday, November 8, 2010
sequential arts character design sketch
This is a real loose color sketch of a character I'm doing a longer comic of in my sequential arts class. I'm playing around with different ways to incorporate color into my pieces and I really like how this turned out. this was my first attempt at drawing this way so I'll see if I can polish it up. all in all though I'm trying to phase out using micron pens in favor of ink and various nibs. as for the comic, I don't really have a concrete plot yet but I can say that I am trying to do a newspaper style weekly adventure serial about sorcery and punk rock.
Posted by Will Laren at 12:33 AM 1 comment:
Saturday, November 6, 2010
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text:
Errors in Circular Form Measurement
Understanding and correcting adverse influences before you measure will bring you more reliable results.
As with any precision measurement, the goal of circular form metrology is to provide a value that is as accurate as possible. Thus, it's good to understand what adverse influences can affect these results. If the controllable influences are known and corrected before the measurement is made, the results will be more reliable.
The sources of circular form error can be divided into the following main categories:
The Environment
In the past we have been pretty consistent in saying that the environment is probably the biggest source of errors in precision measurement—particularly temperature variations. Here are some things to keep in mind when errors are evident:
Thermal drift.
Thermal deformation.
A sign that a thermal issue is affecting the results of a very high-resolution measurement is when the starting point of the trace does not match up to the ending point. This often indicates that there was enough thermal drift in the part, fixture or gage that it was picked up by the sensitive probing system during the trace. In this case, look for changes caused by part handling, air blowing over the form system, or the part not stabilizing to room temperature after manufacturing.
The measurement setup normally consists of the measuring stand, the precision rotary table, the sensing probe and the part to be measured. Measurement uncertainty can be caused by any number of systematic disturbances in the measuring loop. The most common causes are:
Workpiece orientation (centrality, squareness).
Workpiece and fixturing not demagnetized.
Workpiece deformed by fixturing.
Workpiece improperly staged or supported.
Probe contact positioning (cosine error).
Trace polarity.
Position of the probes. When measuring with very high-resolution systems, errors can be introduced when turning the part into the probe as opposed to having it rotate away from the probe. The probe will actually "bend" very slightly from the friction of the part surface turning into it, which can cause non-repeatability errors.
Vibration. In assessing fine form irregularities, the measuring accuracy can be highly affected by vibration. In these cases, the setup should be checked prior to making a measurement to assess the extent of environmental influence. Also, to reduce these influences, keep the measurement loop as small as possible.
Dirt on the surface of the part. Dirt is one of the biggest enemies of precision measurement. An insufficiently cleaned surface will result in both inaccurate and unrepeatable measurements.
The accuracy of the measurement system is affected by a number of factors inherent in the form measuring equipment, including:
Quality grade of the instrument. The heart of any roundness system is the reference spindle. There are many different grades of spindles, and you should ensure that you have the right match for your application. Also, spindles can become worn or dirty over time, which can cause non-repeatability errors.
Looseness in the system between the probes, probe arm and workpiece.
Calibration accuracy of the measuring system (probe and amplifier/computer).
Speed of response of the measuring system.
Deformation of the workpiece either by the probing arm or the workpiece itself due to unbalanced mounting or being out of balance on the precision spindle.
Sampling rate. With digital form-measuring instruments, the resolution of the traced form profile depends on the sample rate. Having too few measuring points may cause important features to be missed.
And finally, the inherent accuracy of the mechanical components of the gage, such as slide positioning, pitch and yaw of the X and Y axes of the system. Incorrect positioning or alignment will show as part problems when really they are being introduced by the gaging system itself.
This last point is why it's important to regularly check the total system for performance. Don't certify only the probing accuracy. Use a master ball or cylinder to establish the machine baseline when first installed, and then check it regularly to ensure there are no changes over time.
To provide a circular form measured value that is as accurate as possible, it's important to remember that the result depends on more than just the measuring system itself. It's also critical to consider the influences of the workpiece and the environment in which the measurement is being made.


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So sad. Read the story here
Friday, May 28, 2010
Posted by californiadreamin at Friday, May 28, 2010 0 comments Links to this post
Its been a long time coming
FRIDAY YOUR FINALLY HERE!!!!! There is exactly 8 hours of working, and then its off for 3 days :) You know what's great about 3 day weekends? That the following week is a 4 day work week haha!
Ready for a post full of random ramblings? Here we go:
I don't even need to tell you what fun things I am doing this weekend since I already covered it in this post earlier in the week. But something else I'm doing? Going and seeing Bestie Bon Bon's newest baby girl! Rilynn Mae was born this morning 5/28/2010 weighing in at 6lbs 14oz and was 18.5 inches long. Welcome to the world Rilynn <3
Something I ha vent covered in awhile - workouts! I have actually been pretty dang active. A LOT of walking, but definitely hitting the gym for those elliptical and stair stepper workouts. This week has been absolutely crazy with things in my life, but in such a blessed way, so making it to the gym hasn't really been possible. Don't worry your pretty little heads - I fit in at home workouts and I'm planning on going to the gym tomorrow after I sleep until my body tells me to get outta bed.
And I'm sorry, boo freakin hooo Jesse James. How is it that YOUR playing the victim? Oh, your so sorry, huh? Oh and your childhood was soooooo rough. So that's an excuse to cheat on your WIFE with more than 1 woman, on more than 1 occasion? All I can say is SHUT IT.
Told you this post was random :) Have a WONDERFUL Memorial day weekend lovely followers. And remember what we're really celebrating and who we're honoring.
Posted by californiadreamin at Friday, May 28, 2010 1 comments Links to this post
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Happy Hump day all my lovely followers (and stalkers)! Is it just me, or is this week seeming to drag? It's a great week for me, but it's just taking forever for the weekend to show it's gorgeous lovely face. Today here in my kneck of the woods, the sun keeps popping through the clouds, but doesn't actually stay. This long 3 day holiday weekend is looking pretty fab tho wouldn't you say?
Today I am absolutley exhausted. It might totally be the allergies that are in the air. Hmmmm keep on keepin on that's for sure.
Work has been going good - I have been at my job for 2 months now!! My longest job in California since I've been back was 3 months, so let's keep this train rollin baby! CHOO CHOOO!!! Since I'm random, who watched the Biggest Loser last night? And who was impressed with the results of these inspirational contestants?! Click here to see before and after pics to give you that extra push to get off that couch today :)
Posted by californiadreamin at Wednesday, May 26, 2010 1 comments Links to this post
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
On track
Ever feel like your right on track? My eating and working out have been nothing short of fabulous. You know my new friend the stair stepper? Well him and I have had very successful meetings. He has thrown my legs the curve ball and they are loving it. Running is great exercise and I have grown to love it. It is my therapy w/out footing an outrageous bill, it is my calorie burner when I've found my way to the vending machines one too many times, and it is the thing that gives me a feeling of empowerment. BUT, my body has gotten use to it. So unless I am planning on running long distances every time I set out to run, my body will most likely stay the same. Don't' get me wrong, I do love to throw in some interval training with my runs, but like my mother says, it's always good to try new things.
For the past couple of days I set out to the gym with 1 mission - 20 minutes on the elliptical and 20 minutes on the stair stepper. As much as this doesn't sound like my cup of tea, some people just have to bite the bullet and do the responsible thing...I'm talking to YOU Ms. Lindsay "I can't find my passport in my drug/alchol haze" Lohan!
*On a side note, am I the only one who wants to smack that little arrogant, think she can get away with anything, face?*
So 40 minutes cardio and a leg workout later, I have been finding myself back at home eating the meal I planned on eating and the portion I planned on eating. How you ask? I just do it. Plain and simple. Maybe it has something to do with wanting to look great in a bikini, or just wanting to feel good in anything and in my skin? Either reason is good enough for me to keep on keepin on and follow thru and stay on track.
Posted by californiadreamin at Tuesday, May 25, 2010 2 comments Links to this post
Monday, May 24, 2010
Long time no chat
Well I have been MIA for a couple days, now I haven't I? Well good news - I am back baby & Happy Monday to you all!
This weekend was wonderfully relaxing, but why the heck do they go by so dang fast? Seriously, it seems like the work week drags, but the weekend flies? I was busy with what I'll call my wifely duties - grocery shopping, cleaning the oasis we call home, laundry....you know, the 'fun' stuff :)
Saturday I got my butt to the gym as I had promised . I did 20 minutes on that beast I call the stair stepper, which in turn has actually become one of my favorites, and 20 minutes on the elliptical. Both worked about a quart of sweat outta me. And I couldn't leave without paying respects to the weight machines.
Sunday was more of an active rest day, as I didn't Shred with Ms. Jill, but opted for a nice hilly walk with my mamacita, sister and niecy poo. It was gorgeous outside and I'm guessing we went about 3-4 miles on a very scenic route. I will post some pics once I get some from my niece who takes some pretty amazing pictures for a 10 year old.
This weekend was nothing compared to what is to come Memorial Day weekend...........
Via Wikipedia:
"...The Mystery Spot is a tourist attraction located near Santa Cruz, California. It was opened in 1939. The operators of the small site (which is about 150 feet in diameter) claim that it is a place where the laws of physics and gravity do not apply and provide a number of demonstrations in support of these claims."
Supernatural claims and speculation
"Phenomena demonstrated by the tour guides (and by visitors using levels) include two people standing on opposite sides of a level surface who appear to change height as they switch positions and a ball that appears to roll up a plank. At the site, an old shed appears to have lost part of its foundation and is slanted and oddly angled. Additional claims of mystery are the growth patterns of trees and their branches within the Mystery Spot, the lack of animals such as dogs, rodents or even birds inside the compound (visitors are not allowed to bring their dogs on the tour) and the distortion of magnetically calibrated measurement devices such as compasses or even GPS devices. The official website speculates that extraterrestrials buried unearthly metals or a spacecraft beneath the Spot, or that carbon dioxide seeps out of the earth. Another popular speculation is that gravity is affected here, causing nausea and incorrect instrument readings."
And what trip to Santa Cruz would be complete without stopping by this little slice of haunted heaven on the way home?
Via Wikipedia:
"The Winchester Mystery House is a well-known California mansion that was under construction continuously for 38 years, and is reported to be haunted. It once was the personal residence of Sarah Winchester, the widow of gun magnate William Wirt Winchester, but is now a tourist attraction. Under Winchester's day-to-day guidance, its "from-the-ground-up" construction proceeded around-the-clock, without interruption, from 1884 until her death on September 5, 1922, at which time work immediately ceased. The cost for such constant building has been estimated at about US $5.5 million (if paid in 1922, this would be equivalent to almost $70 million in 2008 dollars). The mansion is renowned for its size and utter lack of any master building plan. According to popular belief, Winchester thought the house was haunted by the ghosts of individuals killed by Winchester rifles, and that only continuous construction would appease them."
Pretty spooky Memorial Day, no?
Nicky boy has never been to either one of these places, so I get to live through his eyes in seeing it all over again :)
Posted by californiadreamin at Monday, May 24, 2010 4 comments Links to this post
Labels: getaways, weekend recap
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Im lame
Okay, I am so so lame. After telling you all a good trick to sticking to your workouts, is writing them down like an appointment, I totally have flaked ALL my workouts this week! GASP! I have not worked out since last Saturday and my 5 mile run. To be honest, the only excuse I have is I've been tired. Like exhausted. Everyday this week, it feels like I stayed up super late, when in fact I have gone to bed at 9pm the latest (I get up at 4:30). So by the time 4pm rolls around, I have not wanted to do anything but sleep. What.the.HECK.KARLI?!
I'm feeling kinda down on myself, but I'm not going to let it suck me down and get me down. I am moving on with knowing I will be going to the gym Saturday morning after a much needed sleeping in session, and will be going to the gym later that evening when Nick gets home from work.
I promise my workout updates will be more uplifting and motivational. I know some people come to my blog for motivation, and I LOVE motivating. So this is the plan stan's:
Friday: Nada - family is coming over for din din
Saturday: 45 minutes cardio (20 minutes stair stepper, 25 minutes elliptical) + legs
Sunday: Shred
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: 30 minute run + upper body
Wednesday: X BIKE + legs + abs
Thursday: 40 minutes cardio (30 minutes walking on incline + 10 minute stair stepper)
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 45 minutes cardio (30 minutes elliptical + 15 minutes running at 6.2mph)
So there is my modified plan and I'm sticking to it. I read all these motivational quotes like "Someone busier than you is running" or think about how women who are 10x more tired than me, are working their asses into bikini shape. Or even just browsing Beth's blog about how much she runs, makes me want to drop the bon bons and get onto that pavement! Speaking of Beth, go over to get blog Shut up and Run to enter blog. So just DO IT Karli!
Posted by californiadreamin at Thursday, May 20, 2010 0 comments Links to this post
Day Dreaming
Welcome to Thursday!! I'd like to call this little blog segment, Day Dreaming cause it's almost Friday, Thursday:
My English Cottage in the countryside
Where the magic happens ;)
Just a little place I like to entertain my friends on those summer nights
If you could design your fantasy home, what would it be like?
Posted by californiadreamin at Thursday, May 20, 2010 4 comments Links to this post
Labels: day dreaming
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
It's Wednesday, FINALLY! This week has actually moved at an alright pace for me. On a totally random note, Bestie Bon Bon, is about to give birth ANY SECOND! I am so excited for her. She already has little Alyana who will be 2 in August, and this next little princess, will be her last baby, so it's an exciting time :)
So here's the deal - working out this week has been zip, zilch, nada. The last time I worked out was Saturday with my 5 mile run. Sunday is always my rest day, and Monday and Tuesday, I haven't felt all that great. It must be glorious allergy season, but I've had a constant headache since Saturday, and it seems to have stuck with me for a few days. I'm not considering this 'slacking', but more of a rest for my body. I am going back to the gym today after work since its.....XBIKE WEDNESDAY!
Since I am being true to my goal of rocking my little black shorts (and little bikinis) this Summer, I am gonnna do some lifting with my legs after XBIKE. This one area in my gym is pretty sweet too, they have a leg station all set up with the best leg machines (if I choose not to do squats on the Smith Machine), and it makes it convenient to jump from 1 machine to the next. Great benefit from this: it keeps your heart rate up and your metabolism cooking. Speaking of 'cooking', my eating has been pretty good for the most part (except that Chinese last night lol). I've been obsessed with the same salad for lunch for the past month and a half. I seriously bring the same salad to work with me EVERY.DAY! Just cause I love you all, I'm gonna share the ingredients :)
2 handfuls of spinach leaves
1/4 cup edamame beans
1/4 cup garbanzo beans
1 Boca Meatless patty
half of an avocado
small handful of cherry tomato's
1 cup of broccoli slaw
drizzle of EVOO
1 tablespoon Ken's Steakhouse LIGHT Parmesan Italian dressing
It's hands down my ultimate go to lunch with plenty of protein, GOOD fats, and carbs. Not to mention, it's DA BOMB!
So workouts schedule for the week:
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Rest
Wednesday: XBike, 15 minutes on stair stepper, 15 minutes walk on 10% incline, legs
Thursday: 15 minutes stair stepper, 15 minutes elliptical, upper body
Friday: 30 minute run (3 miles)
Saturday: 4 mile run, abs, back
Snaps for planning workouts. It's honestly a GREAT way to keep yourself accountable. I like to plan my workouts like I do appointments. If I write them down, I'll go. I get it in my head, that someone is waiting for me at the gym, so I HAVE to go. And that someone is Tread, or the weights :)
Here's something else I need to wrap my head around....HOW THE HECK DOES A 47 YEAR OLD WOMAN GET PREGNANT? Yes, I do know HOW one gets pregnant, but you just don't hear of many 47 year old women getting pregnant. I believe all pregnancies are a blessing from God, and if it's God's will for you to be a mother, you will be a mother. Still....47...hmmm.......Thoughts?
Posted by californiadreamin at Wednesday, May 19, 2010 1 comments Links to this post
Monday, May 17, 2010
Weekend recap - cause everyone's doing it
I thought it'd only be right to post a little somethin somethin on this fine (I use that term loosely) Monday.
What is it about Mondays? I have never met anyone who LOVES Mondays, and whenever someone at work is: tired, slurs their words, trips on the carpet (I have actually witnessed this), doesn't feel good, it's always "It's Monday".
I actually had a not too shabby start to the weekend that ended AMAZINGLY- Friday night after work, Nick and I snuck Taco Bell into my purse and headed to Robin Hood like everyone else in the world. Nick was expecting Gladiator Russell Crowe, and he was a TAD disappointed in that, since what he got was Robin Hood Russell Crowe (hello captain obvious haha). Great movie altogether and we'd both rate it a firm 7.5 or 8. Great movie for the boys (violence, and fighting and Russell Crowe) and for the ladies (Russell Crowe...need I say more?)
Saturday started off with a nice 4.89 mile run with my parents hunting dog, Maggie. Since Nick doesn't like me running alone, I enlisted the beast that is a German Short hair Pointer hehe
After a run and cleaning up and re-fueling with my go to egg white sammich (3 egg whites, English muffin from Trader Joes, and some spinach leaves), I headed to my parentals and laid out with some Maui Babe tanning lotion. Thank you West Sac Honey for recommending that little gem, I could tell I was darker than I woulda been had I just gone bare. Wrapped up that day with some pizza with the fam :)
Sunday takes the money people - fast forward to 4:15pm...Nick walks in the front door holding......
He bought me flowers! I flower plant to be exact :) Not only that but he says "We're going on a date tonight too...dinner and a movie". HE'S THE BESTEST BESTEST,:) We went and saw Date Night and holy crap, that movie is hilarious! Steve Carrell just doesn't disappoint and there's even some Marky Mark in there ;) We finished off with ooey gooey Mexican, and was put to bed a happy woman :)
Hope you all had a fabulous weekend and now it's back to makin the green jelly beans!
Posted by californiadreamin at Monday, May 17, 2010 5 comments Links to this post
Labels: date night, weekend recap
Friday, May 14, 2010
Happy days
Thank God we have made it! I have a relaxing weekend planned - laying out, and laying out, and a run (maybe some vacuuming). I have read from West Sac Honey's blog, as well as a friend of a friend, that Maui Babe is the outdoor tanning lotion to use.
Mr. Nick is going to be thrilled knowing I won't be dropping the moolah at the tanning beds anymore due to our gorgeous sunshine - hey, it's a perk for living in California. Another perk? Selling your kidney and an arm to be able to afford your mortgage. I'll stick to our cozy apartment, thanks :)
On Wednesday I went to XBike, aka hell in a sauna, and I think my 'aka' explains it all. I will say this: I don't think I've EVER sweat as much in an Xbike class as I did in that one. I don't know if the A/C wasn't on or what, but it had to have been at least 85 degrees in there + 30 sweating bodies + the instructor making sure we ALL stayed out of the saddle. I PROMISE to wear my HR monitor next Wednesday to get an updated reading of how many calories I'm burning in that class, because I'm sure it's extreme.
Yesterday, I took a day off from the gym and did the Shred, followed by about 80 lunges (40 on each leg) and 100 bicycle crunches. When it comes to running, absence really makes the heart grow fonder. I have fallen head over Nike's in love with running. It is my natural detox and the cheapest form of therapy. The treadmill will determine how I'm feeling by the rhythm of my run, and know exactly what kind of run to prescribe me. Sometimes their long and fast (that's what she said haha), or short and slow. With that being said, I'm really looking forward to a nice sweaty run on Tread. I'm rating this week with an A+ with how my workouts have been. My eating I'm rating a B. I've stuck to my menu of what I've planned, but I may or may not have snucked into some cottage cheese that wasn't planned....at midnight......
Off to work hard for the money ladies - have an AMAZING Friday :)
Posted by californiadreamin at Friday, May 14, 2010 3 comments Links to this post
Thursday, May 13, 2010
My new favorite music video
Posted by californiadreamin at Thursday, May 13, 2010 0 comments Links to this post
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Buenos Dias lovely readers!
This week seems to be dragging. Work is busy, but seeing that sunshine outside everyday, get's me antsy for the weekend. How can they expect me to work when I see people jogging and riding their bikes by my window enjoying the sunshine.
There is something to be said for losing weight and when warm weather comes around, being ecstatic! I actually bought my 1st pair of shorts! I haven't worn shorts in ooooo, 7 years? Not that I look completely horrible in short, but in my mind I looked horrible and was terribly self conscious. So, I'm busting them out. And speaking of summer clothes, I got my package of Forever 21 stuff in the mail!! I will take pics probably this weekend so you can all see, but until then, this is what I ordered right after I placed the 1st (I didn't see them when I placed my 1st order):
Is it obvious I'm obsessed with Maxi's? In a previous post, I showed you all my items I got at the actual Forever 21 store (opposed to online). Forever 21 has amazing prices and the clothes are pretty decent quality. In my opinion, their quality is just as nice as Target's. (ahhh, Target and Forever 21 = LOVE!). F21 is my ultimate stop for updating my wardrobe when it gets a little worn down.
Since I'm on a roll with talking all things 'Summer' related, last night after an INTENSE workout (will talk about that in a minute), Nick and I headed over to Lowes, where we scored a sweet deal on a new (propane) BBQ. We actually got a BBQ not too long ago, but it was a charcoal and it seems to take forever to heat it up and when your on a time crunch on work nights, you want something to heat up fast.
So yours truly, will be enjoying some delicious marinating since Monday steaks after some XBike tonight :)
So last nights workout was.....INTENSE. I was sweating out of every pore my friends. After Nicky-poo and I finished our upper body workout, my shoulders were D-E-A-D! So onto Tread I went, and that's when the nausea set in. There are times, that if I lift at my max (like yesterday), and then jump right on the treadmill, things can get a little woozy. So I took it slow on Tread for about 5 minutes, walking at an incline of 9 at 3.8mph, I was able to raise my heart rate in a way that didn't seem like a total shock to my body. Once it was raised - it was ON! I ran just below a sprint for 5 minutes, ran at a 6.0 for 23 minutes, and then cooled down at a 3.5. Sometimes when you get into that groove in your workout and your ipod just happens to hit every song with a mad beat, you feel untouchable. You reach that workout high, and sooner or later, you don't even care to wipe that sweat from your forehead. THAT was last night's workout.
Have a beautiful day lovely readers!
Posted by californiadreamin at Wednesday, May 12, 2010 1 comments Links to this post
Labels: forever 21, summer, workouts
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Babies and stuff
So the California weather has been so weird in Sacramento for like the past 2 weeks! For a few days, it'll be bordering on 80, and then it'll switch up to like 3 days of cold and rain and winds. However, today and the next few days are going to be GORGEOUS! The kinda weather people think about when they think 'California'.
Not too bad, right?
I hope you all had a fabulous Mothers Day weekend! Mine was filled with a 3 miler on Tread on Saturday morning, and celebrating Mothers day with the fam over at my parents house with MUY bueno food and muy bueno family.
Since my Saturday run at the gym, I have done ZERO exercise, but I did manage to squeeze in a great dinner with Bestie since we were 4 years old and her beautiful baby Addison last night
Isn't Addison just precious?! I am so happy for Lisa :) Now, if only I could clone Addi love hehe.
Onto the sweat and blood of this blog (ok, maybe not blood): WORKOUTS!! Like I mentioned before, I have not done any working out since my 3 miler on Saturday AM! This is unacceptable, especially considering the role with working out I was on last week! So my plan for the rest of this week:
Monday: off
Tuesday: 30 minute run (3 miles) +15 minute stair stepper +Upper body strength
Wednesday: 30 minute XBIKE - aka, watch your weight melt into a puddle beneath your bike
Thursday: OFF - dinner at families
Friday: 30 minute run (3 miles) + 15 minute stair stepper +back & abs
Saturday: long outdoor 5 mile run on the trail
*Also today through Friday, there will be 3 mile walks during my lunch break with a couple of the girls I work with*
I'm treating EVERY workout this week like a last chance workout (Biggest Loser style!), so I know I'm gonna be going to bed exhausted. Always on the menu (or not on the menu, rather), is NOT eating a bunch of crap and overeating. I don't really eat horribly, I actually eat very clean and good, but I nibble when I get home and when I cook din din. So no nibbling. Ms. Fergilicous herself said she uses tactics such as telling herself that french fries have poison on them, to stop her from eating. So at night, the only food that's not dowsed in cyanide, is the food for dinner and my protein shake/bar for dessert.
What do YOU find that motivates you to do your own "last chance workout" ?
Posted by californiadreamin at Tuesday, May 11, 2010 2 comments Links to this post
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Well hello wonderful weekend
Good morning beautiful readers!! I thought I'd throw a little "About me" survey in the blog this fine Saturday morning. Have a GREAT Saturday!!
1. What has been your most memorable Mother's Day? (with your mom, as a mom, or with your wife)
I am copying Jersey Blonde on this one. The most memorable one I think was Mothers Day 2006. My mom (and dad), always wanted nice group pics of my brother, sister and I, so we went to Picture People and got really nice pictures of the 3 of us. This Mothers Day is going to be awesome too tho, my mom just doesn't know it yet :)
2. Have you ever been pulled over for speeding and were you able to talk your way out of it?
Who hasn't been pulled over for speeding? I have only been pulled over twice, once for phone and once for speeding. I had just gotten my license and was going 91 (according to the cop) on a 65...don't judge, Ricky Bobby and I just have a lot in common..we like to go fast! Don't worry, I NEVER speed anymore
3. What's the oldest thing you have hanging in your closet?
A jacket from Old Navy that I had gotten right before my Nicky boy and I met and he came back to the states. He always tells me how he likes the jacket, so I can't get rid of it
4. Do you whiten your teeth?
I did, and in fact I am picking up some more Crest Whitening strips today since I haven't done them in forever and I LOOOVE having white teeth
5. Underwear or Panties?
Panties. No granny underwear for me..EVER! I will forever support the low rise panties until I make them the new granny panties when I'M a granny lol
6. If you could go on vacation right now..today..where would you go?
Well if I get to pick the length of my vacation. I'd take a month: start off in the city that my heart is, London. People, I cannot stress enough how in love I am with that city. I almost *this* close to believing I lived a previous life and that was the city I resided in, hehe. So I'd start off in London for tea with the queen and so on for about a week and a half, go to Blackburn to see where my gma was born (in Manchester area) for about a week, then head down to Zihuatanejo, Mexico where my parents have their condo and do some drinky drinky and tanning. (Could this little vacation be reality please?)
7. Do you get offended when people cuss on their blogs?
Not really. Nick is a former Marine, and in the beginning of our relationship, cussing was just part of his language. Jarheads... I swear ;)
8. If you had to give up one luxury item, it would be....?
Oh man, I guess my DVR? That's my main "luxury" item I guess. I'd be so so so sad tho. I hate watching live TV and I don't have time to.
Posted by californiadreamin at Saturday, May 08, 2010 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: survey


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