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21 Jun2005
Santol (Sandoricum koetjape) is an extremely familiar fruit to most Filipinos and for me, another top hit on my list of local summer fruits. The tree is believed to have originated in the Indochina region, specifically in the Cambodia or the Southern Laos area, according to the Purdue University website on tropical fruits. Our name, santol, is very close to the malay term for the fruit – sentul. The tree has since spread to most of Southeast Asia and also thrives in India. It is probably the only tree in the Meliaceae family that has edible fruit. The outer pulp of the fruit can be extremely unpalatable and astringent when the fruit is unripe but miraculously transforms itself into a sweet and flavorful ripe specimen. I love santol. I spent a few years of my childhood in Quezon City and in our front yard we had a humongous "Bangkok†santol tree that must have been a good 40 feet tall, or so it seemed to a short toddler… There are essentially two local varieties of santol, the "native†one with smaller fruits and the imported "Bangkok†hybrid that was first introduced over 50 years ago.
Our tree in Quezon City bore the largest and sweetest fruit. Average fruits were bigger than a softball and the flesh and seeds were incredibly sweet/tart and seriously habit forming. I used to eat them from right under the tree, with rock salt, and also as santol jam. As I got older, I used to buy santol outside my various elementary and high schools growing up even though I was prohibited from buying street food! When I moved abroad for many years I went a good 15 years without tasting santol until we moved back to the Philippines. Today, I live in a house whose garden has two full grown santol trees. Both are native, one yields incredibly sweet fruit and the other incredibly tart. This week they are ripening like crazy. Dozens are falling onto the roof above our bedroom causing such a ruckus. I had the gardener harvest the fruits yesterday and he came down from the roof with over three grocery bags filled with santol or nearly 40 kilos of fruit! In case you are wondering what those leprosy like lesions are on the leaves of all santol trees in the Philippines, the species was hit by a massive virus? blight? nervous breakdown? over 20 years ago and they have never recovered.
Last year there was such an incredible crop of Bangkok santol in the markets that I decided in a fit of madness to make santol jam like my mom used to decades ago. I searched cookbooks and the internet for recipes and not finding a single one that struck me as the "oneâ€, I peeled a whole bunch of santol and "winged it.†I soaked the santol peels in water overnight, changed the water and did this 3-4 times over several days. Put them in the fridge while soaking. Then I boiled up sugar and water, threw in the santol and keep cooking until the consistency looked right. I bottled them up in proper jam jars and let them sit for a few days until I tasted the first jar (second photo above). It was absolutely sublime. Perhaps I am just a sucker for memory jarring foods but I swear this jam was really, really good. I gave several jars away to friends and unless they were just being polite, they too felt it was really old-fashioned style santol jam. The stuff went superbly with cheese and crackers as well. It approximates the pairing of Spanish membrillo (quince jam) and manchego cheese. To be honest, I can't give you a specific recipe because I didn't measure the ingredients! Bummer. Quick reader poll question: which do you prefer to eat most: the brownish pulp or "skin†or the cottony seeds???
Ah santol…weired but I dont think Ive tasted any
'naturally' sweet santols in my life! My family usually
eats them with a pinch of salt and having never really
been a fan of raw rock salt, I prefered eating the seeds.
Is santol jam the same as preserved santol- the ones that
they sell per 100 grams in Binondo (Chinatown)?
Jun 21, 2005 | 4:48 pm
After 26 years living abroad I had my first taste of santol last April when I was home for my hols. As a child I would eat and swallow the cottony seeds but that was a loooong time ago when I was still young and daring. But now neither I could! The tartness of green fruits like santol and mango (esp. the carabao variety) gives me the shivers (I sweat!). I love santol as ingredients for banana blossom kinilaw, and for fresh flat noodles.
Jun 21, 2005 | 9:24 pm
have you tasted the "sinantol" w/c is a delicacy of Quezon
Province. They grate the pulp and squeeze the juice and
cooked the pulp with coconut milk and alamang (small shrimp).
It's a good appetizer or something you paired with fried
or grilled fish, of course with steaming rice..
Jun 21, 2005 | 9:31 pm
Your photos are great — do you take them yourself in a simple indoor setting?
Jun 21, 2005 | 10:49 pm
I'll go for the skin anytime. We had a Bangkok tree but after more than 40 years, its fruits are no longer as sweet as they used to be when I was a kid.
So when are you experimenting with the jam again so you can share us the recipe? I almost drooled reading this post!
Jun 22, 2005 | 1:14 am
I grew up in Laguna and, oh boy, I remember savoring
those fruits of the summer every year … and "santol"
was just one of my favorites to snack on then.
Have you ever tried those pickled santols? Oh man, I'm
drooling just thinking about it. Your palate gets bombarded
with a vinegary and, at the same time, sweet and soury taste. My tongue would get so raw after devouring a bunch of them
in one sitting. Of course, the rock salt had a lot to do
with it too.
The flesh or the cottonny seeds? Honestly, I can't recall
eating them seeds at all. I do recall sucking on them
cottony textures for as long as I could though — just before spitting them out. The seeds on them pickled santols were extra vinegary so I used to just suck on them for hours
on end.
Pass the salt pls …
Jun 22, 2005 | 3:06 am
If anyone is interested in pickling santol, here is how to do it. This recipe was taught to me by my classmate's Mom way back when. It's better to use the native variety. I tried doing it with the Bangkok kind but it didn't turn out well, or maybe I did not let it sit long enough for the sugar syrup to do it's work. Here goes… Pare santol and score some slits on the skin. Drop it into a salt-water mixture to prevent discoloration. Bring water to a boil. Blanch santol for 10 minutes or until the skin turns pinkish white. Pack into jars Prepare a syrup of 1 part sugar to 2 parts water and some salt to taste. Let boil. Cool thoroughly. Pour syrup into the prepared santol. Ferment for at least 3 days stirring once in a while. enjoy!
Jun 22, 2005 | 8:40 am
santol seeds are indeed deadly when swallowed. i remember my father who was a surgeon, operating on a kid who accidentally swallowed a santol seed. good thing the kid was brought to the hospital as soon as he felt discomfort or else he would not have made it.
Jun 22, 2005 | 4:16 pm
how do you make santol juice?
Jul 31, 2005 | 12:49 pm
I've heard these are delicious, but I must say something to a comment in your article
"It is probably the only tree in the Meliaceae family that has edible fruit."
Have you gone mad?! You forgot the delectable LANZONES!
Okay, this comment is done.
Everyone have a wonderful day!
Aug 17, 2005 | 10:58 am
nice trivia men, but what's the english word for santol?
Feb 6, 2006 | 4:51 pm
Sep 4, 2006 | 1:18 pm
can you help me make my project to make this email me please!!`thanks' i need to make a santol jam
Jun 21, 2007 | 9:59 pm
this is for luis asking how to make a santol juice.
Drop some santol seeds in a pitcher (or any water container with spout). Pour water and let cool in the ref. for a day. You have your juice a day after. Mix the juice with sugar according to your taste.
Jul 31, 2007 | 4:38 pm
hi i just want to know if santol jam or juice is already out in the market and where i can buy. thanks…
Dec 10, 2007 | 11:03 am
So you all know, A filipina friend of mine is raising her 5 year old daughter. She accidently swallowed a Santol seed. My friend thought it was food poisoning so took her straight to the hospital. The thing had ripped her poor little small intestine to shreds! 8 hours in surgery with 4 incision sites and two weeks recovery!! Thank God she took her quickly! Others have died from the resulting Peritonitis (inflammation of the membrane that lines the abdomen). DO NOT EAT THE SEEDS! The problem is the sharp edges and Wikipedia reports the are completely nondigestible so, if they don't tear you up, they just build up in the bowels. They removed 26 sedds from the Descending Colon of an adult who died of Peritonitis!
Oct 3, 2008 | 3:47 pm
guys i need santol asap.. where can i buy santol this time.. please help me..thanks
Dec 4, 2008 | 11:28 am
I have lived in the Philippines for the past 5 years…….I am moving back to the U.S. soon with my Filipina wife and wish there was some way to get Santol's back home, among other filipino fruits…….I love their bitterness and I think that my sister, who loves bitter things would endjoy them too.
Jun 11, 2009 | 8:39 am
hi there! any body there who knows how to cook adobong santol, bicol express na santol,sweet and sour na santol and santol marmalade…I need a recipe of these…anybody plese help me…please…I need it badly ASAP…Thanks!
Jul 24, 2009 | 3:29 pm
Would anybody know where I can get santol at this time of the year? Im pregnant and craving, hehehe
Aug 14, 2009 | 5:46 pm


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This is the second segment of a discussion between Emily Moyer and Aug Tellez of their experiences within the "Secret Space Program". Much to learn, everything is in the name.
There are only a few minutes of slideshow on this video because of the sheer enormity of effort required to produce a slideshow of a recording of this length as well as the density of the information in this discussion.
Excuse the adult language, this was a spontaneous discussion that became a recording.
There was interference during the recording and so that is present in the final transcoding.
Topics include, mind control, time travel, secret military factions, unacknowledged special access programs, the unveiling and the coming changes, cloning, non-human intelligence, holographic systems, inserted memories, holographic consciousness infection, holographic consciousness feedback systems, spiritual degradation systems and synthetic intelligence machine learning, the resolution of the spiritual degradation system and the clearing of trauma and spiritual infection, the ancient AI and spiritual infection system, causality and temporal matrix psychological classification, secret space system, the reality of space, and the underworld realms.
All images found on the internet, video for research and educational purposes.

subset: commoncrawl


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Tuesday Fifth Week of Easter
Colossians 4:5-6: Make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
Heavenly Father, please forgive us for the careless words we have uttered this day. We understand that these careless words are twice sins a sin once when we committed it and a sin a second time because we didn't see the chance to be redemptive and obliging with our speech. Open our eyes Lord so that we may see those people you have placed in our path to bless. Through the blessed name of Infant Jesus we pray.
(May 8, 2012) Readings
Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Easter
Acts 14:19-28
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 145:10-11, 12-13ab, 21
Gospel: John 14:27-31a
Colour: WHITE
Lectionary: 286
Short reflection on Today's Gospel (John 14:27-31a)
The peace of Christ is more than the absence of trouble. It includes all which makes for our maximum good. The world's advance to peace is prevention of trouble and a refusal to face unlikable things. Jesus offers the peace which overcome our fears and anxieties. Nothing as we can take from the peace and joy of Jesus Christ. No sorrow or grief, no risk, no suffering can make it less. Jesus also speaks of his purpose and ultimate victory over the powers of evil in the world. In the eyes of the world the cross stood for disgrace, humiliation, and overwhelm. Jesus went to the cross knowing that it would lead to victory over the powers of sin and of Satan. Jesus knew that he would go back to his Father in glory. The cross brought glory to Jesus and to the Father and it is our way to glory too. In the Cross of Christ we discover true peace and understanding with God. Do we live in the peace of Jesus Christ?


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Two gunmen on motorcycles shot Agustin four times as he was
returning from work near the northern town of
The 37-year-old radio broadcaster was known for on-air commentaries criticizing official corruption, according to news reports.
Nick Malasig, a DZJC colleague, said Agustin had received text message death threats in the weeks before his murder, according to The Associated Press and the local press freedom group Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility. On May 7, Agustin's house was sprayed with gunfire by unidentified assailants, according to news reports. Nobody was injured in that attack, the reports said.
Agustin had also reported on local election irregularities, including the disqualification of candidates, according to the media center. Malasig said his colleague had suspected a local politician was behind the May assault on his house, the center told CPJ.
On June 21, police filed murder charges against Pacific Velasco, newly elected vice mayor of Baccara, aide Leonardo Banaag, and two other suspects, according to the Philippine Daily Inquirer. In his radio commentaries, Agustin had spoken out against Velasco, who had been convicted in a recent graft case, the Inquirer reported. Agustin's nephew identified Banaag as the gunman, the Inquirer reported.


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Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Wikipedia.
muslin,general name for plain woven fine white cottons for domestic use. It is believed that muslins were first made at Mosul (now a city of Iraq). They were widely made in India, from where they were first imported to England in the late 17th cent. Early muslins were often woven or embroidered with gold. Swiss muslin is a modern crisp, semitransparent fabric, either dyed or white, and sometimes figured. Certain sheetings are known as muslins. Bookbinders' muslin, made in Scotland, is fine and crisp.
a plain weave cotton or silk fabric. Cotton muslin is made from calico that has been bleached and has undergone minimal fabric finishing. It is used mainly for linens. Silk muslin is a fine transparent fabric made of single-thread, twisted natural silk; it is used for dresses and theatrical costumes.
A thin to coarse-textured plain-weave cotton.
a fine plain-weave cotton fabric


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By Forex Joe
Click Play and Turn Up Your Speakers!
In today's Forex training video, 'Forex' Joe talks about the credo of the rich and soon-to-be rich. He says, "Don't be afraid, be smart, get good advice, become educated, don't get greedy, and grasp opportunities. This will allow you to change your current sense of direction in life and in the Forex Markets."
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CommoditiesComing Soon! The Commodities Channel provides financial information to commodities traders on everything from precious metals to oil to bonds and how all of these instruments must be a part of any successful traders portfolio.


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LED Panels
LED panels spice up club NightFly!
by armageddon on May.28, 2014, under LED Panels, Projects
A while ago a friend of mine who is a passionate specialist for event technology made this awesome bargain buy. He found some used LED panels from the Stone Age on ebay, each armed with 25 (5×5) red, green and blue LEDs covered under ping-pong ball like plastic hemispheres. His dream was to mount 24 of them to the ceiling of the club he is currently re-rigging, which is club NightFly in Waiblingen, near Stuttgart.
The problem with those panels was, that the controller boxes they came with could only handle 16 panels each and there is no way to synchronize multiple controllers. Also, the only input device is an infrared remote, which is not very comfortable to use in a club environment.
So he asked me if I could find a cheap and simple way to control all of these panels (24) and make it easy for the DJs to change the mood of the location. Since the panels just consist of LEDs and resistors, the project consisted of two parts: Driving the LEDs and providing a simple to use interface for the DJs. Oh and he wanted it all to be done in three weeks. Sure!
The first logical step was to design a small board to control and drive the panels. Since there would be a considerable distance between each panel, I chose to make it one board per panel. For ease of use and reusability, I decided to use DMX as communication protocol. This just requires a RS485 driver IC – I used the SN75176 – connected to the UART RX pin of the ATtiny2313, which I chose as a brain for the thing. The panels work with 5V, so just throw in some mosfets and off you go to the PCB manufacturer, right? What could possibly go wrong? Below is the design I actually submitted to the manufacturer after one night of design.
Unfortunately, the silk screen did not turn out quite the way I wanted it, but who cares…
As you can see, I threw in the pads for an optional 7805 5V voltage regulator because the common anode design would allow me to use the same circuitry for LED strips or similar things that work with 12V, too. Did I say common anode? Well, how do the panels actually work? Of course, they are common cathode. Bummer. Not such a big problem, though. Just switch out the n-channel mosfets with p-channel ones, right? Yeah. That, and 2 hours of cutting through ground planes and rewiring.
First testing shows that it works (kinda) and after 8 more hours of soldering tiny SMD parts, 24 of the boards were finished.
Turns out that the panel being supplied from the same 5V supply as the uC circuitry causes huge spikes on the power supply for the ATtiny, on which it reacts by resetting all the time. The solution was considerably easy: Add a huge capacitor.
Look at the beautiful boards!
Onwards, to the software! Just add some DMX library and make it use three channels for red, green and blue and bob's your uncle, right? Not with me! In the end, I used every single byte of the 2kb flash storage the atTiny2313 has to offer. There is a fourth channel that is used to control effects like rainbow fading, strobe and random color. Those effects can also be used in a standalone mode that is activated by flipping the unused 10th DIP switch (only 9 are needed for the DMX512-address). Instead of DMX-address, the other switches can then be used to setup the standalone effects. In DMX mode, the effects sync together nicely between two panels, because a mode change results in an internal reset of time and random variables. The DMX adress is used as a random seed in DMX mode because every panel gets its own DMX address anyways.
It's time to wire up some of the panels to see how it works.
That's all good and fine, but now I need a nice interface for the DJs to play with. Thanks to the laser cutter at shackspace, this is what I got an hour later:
After hours of perfboarding, soldering and wiring, I was done with the circuitry that allowed me to use the LEDs, buttons and potentiometers from a teensy3, a 96MHz 32bit arm chip that can easily be programmed from within the well known arduino IDE. Because of the low current driving capabilities of the teensy, I had to use some strange shift registers that were lying around at shackspace. For driving the DMX lines I used the same transceiver IC (SN75176) that I used for the receiving end. I might swap that one out for a much more expensive MAX483/5/7 chip because they include filtering for the appropriate signal frequency, which greatly increases signal quality. This is important in EMV critical environments like "directly next to a ginormous subwoofer".
The software is actually not overly complicated. It consists of some event management (button presses etc.) and some time management for the beats, controllable by the "speed" potentiometer. The animations are basically just formulas with lots of modulus on time and beat values. Of course everything is done using fixed-point arithmetic because the teensy3 does not have an integrated floating point unit (FPU).
I implemented a few animation patterns and did a quick test run at home… errrr at shackspace. Somehow someone had some fog machine with him, so we fired that one up, too. It's worth watching in HD for best epilleptic experience!
Two nights later and with a little help of the fog machine owner, the 24 panels were finally mounted on the ceiling in the club NightFly and I could start adjusting the animations for the bigger grid, as well as adding new ones. I don't have a video of the latest version at hand, but this should show how impressive the panels appear in that club.
There are more photos over at Imgur!
All that in three weeks.
In case anyone wonders: There are leftover rgb-dmx boards.
Snake on LED-Panel
by armageddon on Feb.14, 2014, under LED Panels, Projects
Hey there!
Today I want to show you a project from early 2013. Someone sold adressable LED-Stripes on the 29th Chaos Communication Congress in Hamburg and I just couldn't resist getting me some. I bought 10 meters. The strip has 32 RGB-LEDs per meter and is made adressable by adding an IC (can't remember the type right now) for every two LEDs. The protocol is equivalent to the WS2801, using SPI (with clock line, as opposed to the LED-integrated WS2811 which have no clock line and are pain in the a** to talk to) and therefore can easily be used directly with the raspberry pi.
Since the raspberry pi outputs a logic level of 3.3V and the LED-strip expects 5V level, some level shifting had to be done. On the 29C3 I found some nice guys giving me some SMD MosFETs, resistors and perfboard so I could fiddle together a basic level shifter. It could only handle frequencies of about 1MHz, but that was enough to make the thing shine!
The trash cans at the location had a circumference of exactly 1m, wich was ideal to just wrap the stripe around. So it happened. A USB battery pack was used to supply the thing, so it was even portable! Go party with a trash can! Unfortunately I had to leave the trash can there… This video is from the guy who sold me the stripes. Check it out!
Back at shackspace, my local hackerspace in stuttgart, I rearranged the stripes on a wooden board to make it look more like a normal LED-Panel. What game could be better on such a thing than snake? So it happened. I implemented the main thing in one night, everythin in one file. Ugly. Works. The rest of the time was spent optimizing the bot. Did I say bot? Yes I did. One weekend later I made this video showing off the result. Unfortunately it is german. Watch it.
Things like plasma effects look super smooth!
Later I added a proper level shifter, allowing stable bus clocks of up to 8MHz and much higher framerates. Next steps include prettifying, that means building a nice enclosure with milk glass and maybe cleaning up the code.
The code can be found over at github.
That's it for now. If there are any questions… You know the drill!


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Earlier this week I started writing down a few resolutions for the New Year. When I read back over the five or so different points I had down on paper, I realised that they were all connected and can be summarised in four simple words: To Live With Less.
Simple words, but no easy task!
I mean, as humans, we're like born hunter gatherers. We seem to like gathering stuff, lots of stuff. And you know what, I LOVE stuff. But sometimes all of that stuff can just complicate or clog our lives. So over the coming year I'm going to do my best to acquire less of what I don't really need and shed some of the stuff that I don't really need.
Aside from material things, I also plan to schedule regular tech-free times to avoid digital burnout. Screen time is so important to me, in the work I do, but so is balance. During tech-free time I'll be filling that space with analogue nourishment. Some notes I included in my journal earlier this week were: read, draw, write, listen to music, walk, run, breathe, see, listen.
Thinking on the fly right now, its interesting that some of my best ideas, thoughts about how to resolve a design/tech problem probably come about when I allow my mind to wander or decompress; on the way to get coffee, aimlessly doodling, going for a walk or run.
Here's to living with less, balance and a positive year ahead.


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Vehicle Wrapping Johannesburg has so many benefits for your company, but there are both pros and cons to everything in life!
For those who don't know, Vehicle Wrapping is a bit different to Vehicle Magnets – Vehicle Wrapping is to cover your vehicle in large sheets of printed vinyl instead of attaching magnets to it.
Without any further hassle, let's get back to the topic!
Vehicle Wrapping Johannesburg: Pros and Cons
- Excellent Visibility – there are many ways of advertising, but with vehicle wrapping there are large numbers of new potential clients guaranteed in any area you end up driving where people might not know about you
- Exclusive – this is one of the few advertising methods where you do not have to share a spot with anyone else which makes it more memorable and lasting per impression you get
- Durability – when it comes to vehicle wrapping you surely do get more out than you have to put in which means anyone's budget will fit. It can typically last up to 5 years without having to replace any of it
- Cost – it might last a very long time, but the upfront cost can be rather pricey depending on what you are looking to have done. So saving up some cash for it might be a good idea if you are not looking to dig too deep into your budget
- Change – if you are only looking for short term advertisement this might not be your best option as it is not always the most cost worthy thing to do if you are only planning on using it for a special or sale. Vehicle Magnets might be a better option for this.
- Attention – of course a wrapped vehicle is going to draw a lot of people's attention, especially if it is new to the area, so people might also recognize your brand a lot easier if something negative has been said about it. There are always two sides to every form of advertising.
Now that we have settled some pros and cons about Vehicle Wrapping, Contact Budget Banners today if you are looking to have it done for your company cars. We provide top quality vehicle wrapping Johannesburg has to offer you.
If this is not exactly what you need, take a look at our Vehicle Magnets, Custom Made Stickers and License Disc Stickers.


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Get DVD Talk Feeds
Stanley, naturally, is a rattlesnake, owned by Native American Tim Ochopee, (Chris Robinson) a returning Vietnam vet having trouble adjusting to life in '70s America. Tim, Stanley, and Stanley's wife settle in to life in their rancid shack in the Florida Everglades. They're even expecting little baby snake children! Trouble is, Tim keeps running into slimeballs. One sleazebag (he has the mannerisms and style of a porn producer) wants to turn snakes and other "worthless animals into something worthwhile," like belts and headbands. Luckily, he has a sexy daughter to confound Ochopee in his rage. Another freak doesn't take too kindly to Tim's baby snakes, and yet another lunatic has a really nasty idea for how he can spice up an already hideous striptease. But yeah, Tim's a nut-job too, quickly deploying Stanley to do his, deadly, vengeful dirty work.
Stanley is delightfully whacked-out on every level. Performances range from manic to grim; none of them are particularly great, but they're all entertaining. You'd be a fool to expect Stanley to be suspenseful or terrifying, but you probably wouldn't expect it to pack in so much comedy relief, either. (My favorite bit is a freeze-frame shot of the porn producer about to fall into a pool full of venomous snakes. Wait, I'm not sure if that's supposed to be funny or not?) Even heavy-handed religious symbolism crops up in the form of a woman literally - and quite incongruously - attempting to calm down snake handling Tim by offering him an apple. Do eco-friendly 'nature's revenge' movies really need to adopt that old women-are-the-root-of-all-evil stance?
I reckon schizoid pictures that preach kindness to animals by actually killing tons of them onscreen might engage in heavy levels of confused hypocrisy, like Stanley does; so if you're likely to be offended by watching snakes get shot up and bludgeoned, or be confused by an anti-Vietnam-War-respect-the-Native-American-be-kind-to-animals-type of movie, (featuring a 50-year-old stripper biting the head off of a live snake) that eventually turns into weird tone-poem about a psycho loner who likes to sit down to dinner with a bunch of corpses - and what '70s horror movie worth its salt didn't have a scene where people dine with corpses? - well, if you have a problem with that, then you've been reading the wrong review.
But you know that, though this movie is certifiable crap, you want to see it. Because you've read this far, and you're willing to forgive director William Grefé for decades old animal slaughter (which you'll see plenty of in this uncut 107-minute version). Funny, confusing, shocking and disturbing, Stanley should be on your sleazy list, weirdo.
The DVD
Code Red has provided a professionally manufactured check disk - not final product - so my assessment is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Slithering along in a nice looking 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen presentation, Stanley likely looks better than ever. Film grain is present but is neither digital nor distracting. There is a bit of film damage here and there, too, but it is minor and transitory. Overall, the image is fairly sharp, with decent details for a 40-year-old lost movie, and fairly natural looking colors to boot. Is this a different transfer from the 2008 BCI version? Probably not, but I don't know for sure.
My sound quality assessment is likewise deemed reliable but not guaranteed. In Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo Audio, Stanley suffers a bit. Some dialog is a little muffled, especially that of our mumbling anti-hero, and the audio is otherwise a bit on the treble-heavy side of things. The mix is otherwise balanced and damage-free.
Like a nest full of leathery eggs, Stanley has a good number of creepy extras. First is a short Introduction from Director William Grefé. Next up is a lengthy featurette, Dark Side of Eden: The Making of Stanley, which comes over from the BCI release. At 43-minutes, this doc packs plenty of funny and disturbing BTS info, regarding everything you're curious about, delivered by Grefé, Robinson, and more. Stanley Goes Hollywood: Q&A at the Beverly Theater adds 25 more minutes of mostly duplicated material from the same interviewees, including more disturbing information about the animal cruelty. As with the Q&A, the 3-minute Stanley Revisited also comes from the BCI release. In it, Grefé takes a look at the ever-changing, ever drained-'n'-developed Everglades. You also get a Photo Gallery, and not one, but two commentary tracks ported over from the BCI release. You get a Commentary Track with Director William Grefé and a Track with Screenwriter Gary Crutcher. Both are worth a listen, though especially with the first track, you'll be hearing stuff for more than the first time.
Final Thoughts:
God love Code Red for digging up rightly forgotten gems of low-rent movie-making at its finest. Stanley could never be called a good film. Its muddled message, mumbling miscreant of a protagonist, lengthy run-time - and of course lack of real tension or fear - make it perfect as a grindhouse movie, but not so good for people who consider themselves rational and sane. Plus, there's all that willful snake slaughter to consider. However, kudos to Code Red for porting over voluminous extras from the out-of-print BCI release, and kudos for giving love to the unlovable. Hardcore, old school, grindhouse fanatics should drop the dollars if so inclined, but in general you can at least scratch your itch if you Rent It.
- Kurt Dahlke
~ More of Dahlke's DVD Talk reviews here at DVD Talk I'm not just a writer, I paint colorful, modern abstracts, too! Check them out here KurtDahlke.com


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French distributor Carrefour finished 2012 with a turnover of 86.6 billion euro. The world's second largest distributor had good results in Asia and Latin-America, but in Europe the numbers are going downhill. On its home market France sales have stabilised (+0,1%) following a recent decline, but that achievement is eclipsed by E.Leclerc's 7% growth.
Taking hits in South of Europe
With a turnover of 86.6 billion dollar Carrefour performs better than predicted by financial analysts, who predicted a number closer to 79 billion. In France, still responsible for the biggest part of the company's sales, Carrefour saw a small rise by 0.1% to 39.53 billion euro. This was possible because of the sales in gas stations and a slight improvement of sales in the hyper markets.
In the rest of Europe Carrefour took a hit in sales of 2.5% to 23.67 billion euro, mainly because of the poor results in Spain (-6.8%) and Italy (-6.5%). Without strong performances in Belgium (+3.8% all-in and a total revenue of 1.19 billion euro) and Poland-Turkey-Romania (+3.8% and a total revenue of 1.26 billion euro), the drop in sales would have been even bigger.
Stable China, booming Brazil
Carrefour performs best in Latin-America (+4.8%) and Asia (+10%), reaching total sales volumes of 16.14 billion euro and 7.22 billion euro respectively. Brazil earned a turnover growth of over 10%, making it Carrefour's biggest market after France.
China saw Carrefour's drop stabilised: after a drop of 6.1% in the third quarter, sales there fell by only 3.1% in the fourth. In the meantime new Carrefour stores are popping up like mushrooms in China, with seven new stores that opened up in the last few weeks.
Slower hypermarket decline saves French results
In France the performances of the hypermarkets are crucial for Carrefour, as they are responsible for almost a quarter of their total sales. Although they are still dropping in sales, the previous rapid decline seems to have been stopped. In the first quarter of 2012 sales had dropped by 5.8%, 5.7% in the second and 3.3 in the third quarter, but in the fourth quarter that number had shrunk to a loss of 2%.
The group's new policy of low prices all year round seems to be successful and has been put into higher gear with the appointment of new CEO Georges Plassat.
E.Leclerc races towards #1 spot in France
When compared to its French competitors the story of Carrefour has two completely different sides. On the one hand they are doing better than Casino, which saw its sales in France drop by 2.2% to 4.7 billion euro, where Carrefour France had a rise of 0.6% to 10.5 billion euro. Over the entire year Carrefour France rose by 0.1% to 39.53 billion euro, while Casino lost 0.8% to reach only 18.4 billion euro.
the other hand Carrefour is facing stiff competition from discount
chain E.Leclerc, who had an excellent 2012. Leclerc's sales rose by 7.5%
to 43.7 billion euro, including gas stations. Excluding the gas
stations, the turnover is 34.9 billion euro, still a rise of 7%. This
is mainly due to its aggressive low prices strategy: E.Leclerc is by
far the cheapest chain in France. According to the company they
currently hold a market share of 18.6% in France. In 2013 they expect
sales to rise another 4 to 6%. (YVL)


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Best Response - What payment options do I have?
What payment options do I have?
At the University of Guelph, we operate on a semester basis, which means that you only pay one semester at a time. This helps cushion the financial impact for you and your family.
You can view your bill on WebAdvisor in late July or early August for your Fall semester account and another bill in mid-November for your Winter semester account.
Tuition and compulsory fees can be viewed online.
The University of Guelph does not accept personal cheques, credit card and cash payments, or foreign drafts for payment of fees. Payments may be made through internet and telephone banking, money order, bank draft, or certified cheque. Read more about methods of payment, including the preferred method for international students.
If you still need more information then you can email AskGryph using the link below.


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DENVER (CBS4) – President Obama makes his next stop in Colorado on Wednesday. He'll be speaking at the Auraria Event Center in Denver.
On Thursday the president will visit Pueblo, Grand Junction and Colorado Springs.
On Monday morning CBS4 found people lining up on the Auraria campus to get tickets to the event. Some brought their children, saying giving children a chance to see the president will help them form their own political views.
"Because it's an election year, the awareness is heightened, and although they hear a bit about it here and there, I want them to be able to be plugged in themselves and develop their own viewpoints," a father told CBS4.
The latest fundraising numbers are in for the presidential candidates. Obama and the Democratic National Committee raised $75 million in July. Mitt Romney and the Republication National Committee netted more than $101 million.
Both campaigns say the bulk of the money raised came from donations of less than $250.


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Everything we do at WestSide happens through the generous investing and giving of people and partner churches who support the mission of WestSide to tell people about Jesus and all he has done for us. All gifts -- big, small, tiny, ginormous -- matter.
You may make a one-time donation by credit card, give through your bank account, or set up recurring donations.
Investments in WestSide can be designated to the General Fund, which supports our general mission to be church and proclaim Christ. So, we do some really boring stuff through the general fund like pay the electricity bill and buy paper towels. We also do some really fun stuff with the general fund, like throw block parties, teach kids about God through WestSide Wednesdays, and feed hungry kids around the world through packing meals at Kids Against Hunger. Investments can also be designated to the Building Fund.


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The Pentagon has announced today that the US has begun conducting military
airstrikes against Libya with the stated intent of defeating ISIS in that country.
According to the Pentagon spokesman, the Libyan "Government of National Accord"
requested that the US begin airstrikes against what they claim is an ISIS stronghold
in the Libyan town of Sirte, the birthplace of murdered Libyan leader Muammar
Pentagon Spokesman Peter Cook has indicated that this is the beginning of a
more sustained US air campaign against Libya and that each US airstrike is approved
by the US Africa Command (AFRICOM).
Some observations:
1) No ISIS Before 2011 US "Liberation"
It goes without saying that before the US "liberation" of Libya in 2011, there
were no ISIS forces in Sirte, or anywhere else in Libya. ISIS in Libya is a
problem created by the US intervention in Libya in 2011.
2) Libyan Government Created by UN
The Pentagon cites the "Government of National Accord" as the legitimate Libyan
government and its willingness to carry out airstrikes in favor of that government
signifies US policy favors consolidation of power in the hands of this one of
several factions competing for power in Libya. It should be noted that the "Government
of National Accord" is a governing body that was not selected by the Libyan
people, but rather created
by the United Nations and sent into Libya on a ship from Tunisia.
At the time this government was imposed on the Libyan people by the UN, that
body's envoy for Libya, Martin Kobler told the Libyan people they should accept
this new governing body even though they had not elected it He said:
I call on the Libyan people to extend to the Presidency Council and the
Government of National Accord their full support and cooperation. The international
community stands firmly behind them and is ready to provide the required support
and assistance.
The US-led attack on Libya was supposed to give the Libyan people back their
sovereign vote by deposing a leader not sufficiently democratic by US standards.
The US is bombing Libya to consolidate the power of a non-elected government
that the US installed because the previous government was not elected.
3) US Claims 2001 Force Authorization as Authority
At the 28:04 minute mark of today's
briefing on the airstrikes, one journalist finally asked the Pentagon spokesman
under what legal authority these strikes were being conducted. The Pentagon
spokesman replied that they were authorized by the 2001 Authorization for the
Use of Military Force.
This Administration claim is an incredible stretch – beyond the breaking point.
Libya was not involved in any way with the 9/11 attacks on the US and ISIS did
not even exist at the time of the 9/11 attacks.
None of the journalists followed up on the Administration's claim of authority


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Stowaway Found Alive in Jet's Wheel Well
L O S A N G E L E S, Aug. 5, 2000 -- A nearly frozen stowaway survived subzero temperatures and little oxygen at 38,000 feet inside the wheel well of a jumbo jet on an eight-hour flight from Tahiti.
The 6-foot, 180-pound man, who remains unidentified, was responding to treatment and communicating with doctors Friday, but he was covered with gear oil and moaning when paramedics arrived at Los Angeles International Airport Thursday night.
His core body temperature was 79 degrees Fahrenheit when he arrived at the UCLA Medical Center for treatment of hypothermia and dehydration, hospital spokesman David Langness said.
With the jet traveling 600 mph at 38,000 feet, the air temperature would have been below zero, "and who knows with the wind chill," Langness said.
'A Remarkable Story'
"His clothes were shredded from the wind, and he was covered with grease," he said. "It is a remarkable story. We don't know of any other person whose body temperature dropped this low who has survived."
Anything below 85 degrees Fahrenheit is usually fatal, Langness said.
The man was moved Friday afternoon from the intensive care unit to a hospital ward floor, Langness said.
The man is able to write notes in French and English but responds indirectly when asked about his identity, Langness said. He cannot speak, and doctors are still testing his brain and organ functions.
Air France Flight 71 from Papeete, French Polynesia, arrived in Los Angeles. At the terminal gate, a maintenance worker spotted a blanket hanging from a wheel well on the Boeing 747-400 and notified authorities when he found the man.
Air France Responsible?
An Immigration and Naturalization Service spokeswoman said Friday that the agency considered Air France still responsible for the man's custody.
"This individual, as any individual seeking to enter the United States, needs to undergo an eligibility investigation," said Virginia Kice of the INS' seven-state western regional office.
"The INS' first concern is the health and well-being of this individual," she said, adding that any Customs inspection or deportation process would wait until the man's health was not at risk.
A call placed to Air France was answered by a recording.


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text:
At the end of the day, what are you living for? What compels you? What drives you?
Does your calling compel you to live with urgency?
I lived the first 32 years of my life with a substantial amount of spiritual oppression. In 2007, Father miraculously set me free from this oppression.
I am compelled to live every day with an urgency to be a part of Father's work of bringing freedom to His dearly Beloved sons and daughters who also live with a high degree of spiritual oppression.
I grew up in Asia where my parents were missionaries until I was eight years old. Upon our return to the United States I thought my experiences of recurring nightmares of being strangled by a demonic presence, uncontrollable shaking, and hearing driven voices telling me to do things were just part of the spiritual attack that comes along with being a follower of Christ. When these attacks would occur, I would rebuke the Enemy "in the name of Jesus" and eventually the attacks would subside.
In 2003, I started going through a series of 3 four-hour prayer sessions with the Omaha Vineyard intercessory prayer team. As they prayed over me, it became evident that I was dealing with a substantial amount of spiritual oppression that stemmed from the time my family spent in Asia.
I struggled with why God had allowed me to live with a substantial amount of spiritual oppression for 32 years. In the process of Father freeing me from this spiritual oppression, He showed me how many of His dearly Beloved sons and daughters live with a substantial amount of spiritual oppression. Specifically, how many pastors and ministry leaders are silently struggling with a great deal of spiritual oppression that is often masked as:
- heavy depression
- weighty and unexplainable emotional struggle
- repetitive and persisting spiritual attacks
- unexplainable delays in personal and spiritual progress
Are you a pastor or ministry leader who is dealing with the above?
Prayerfully consider if spiritual oppression is a hidden reason behind these things (Mark 4:22). Consider a 40 Day Prayer Focus.
photo credit: Hindrik S via photopin cc


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Characteristics that make food products distinct can often be traced to the ingredients used in processing. When it comes to baked goods such as breads and pastries, product differentiation often starts with a specific variety of wheat that provides unique baking characteristics.
Different varieties of grain may contain specific quality attributes desired by processors. For example, each variety of malting barley used for beer making produces beers with distinct flavors, colors, and quality characteristics.
Some food and beverage processors are looking for varietal consistency in grain products, because their customers expect to purchase a product that looks and tastes the same every time. Bakeries may request that only certain varieties of wheat be used in their bread products so they can better predict dough strength and the settings required for mixing, fermentation, and proofing processes, producing bread that is more consistent in volume, texture, and color.
To ensure the availability of these characteristics in the baking process, many processors contract with grain companies to deliver identity-preserved (IP) grain. IP involves a series of process steps designed to keep grain with special quality traits separate from other varieties and crop types. In grain handling, this means that a grain company keeps IP grain separate from the bulk supply chain.
If a specific variety is requested, certified seed is required. "Certified seed is the foundation of the IP process," explained Dale Adolphe, executive director of the Canadian Seed Growers' Association.
"When farmers start with certified seed, they produce grain that has minimal contamination from unwanted seeds—other grains, weeds, diseased kernels—and more consistent functional and nutritional characteristics. For processors, it's a key building block for the quality assurance, product differentiation, and traceability they're seeking," he said.
The IP process is then implemented and followed to ensure that the quality characteristics of certified seed are protected throughout production.
IP works to maintain quality traits in two ways: It ensures that grain with the specific traits desired by a customer is kept separate from other types and varieties of grains and that the product is traceable, from the certified seed used to grow the crop and the field preparation records right up to the raw grain product shipped to the customer by a grain handling company. Records are kept at every step of the process, and lot identification numbers are used to trace grain from the grain-handling company back to the farm. These records and lot identifiers provide customers evidence of the due diligence taken in the handling, storage, and shipment of IP grain.
In Canada, an estimated 5% of wheat, 33% of soybeans, and 11% to 15% of canola is managed using IP protocols. All malt barley is IP because of the specific quality requirements imposed by brewers and distillers. The Canadian Grain Commission certifies the quality management processes that many grain companies use to ensure quality control and traceability under its Canadian Identity Preserved Recognition System program.
Melonie Stoughton-Ens is the Commission's HACCP technical adviser. She explained that the CGC certifies IP quality management systems against its Food Safety Identity Preserved Quality Management System Standard. Before becoming certified, a grain company must develop a quality management system based on the requirements laid out in the FSIP Standard. These requirements include documentation and record-keeping procedures, employee training, internal auditing, corrective action procedures, and product traceability.
Once the company's IP QMS has been developed, it is audited by a CGC-trained and accredited third party auditor. If CGC requirements are met, the company's QMS becomes certified under CIPRS. This three-year certification is subject to surveillance audits on an annual basis for the duration of the certification. The certification is voluntary, and grain-handling companies become certified if they believe it will provide a competitive advantage in marketing grain.
"In a CIPRS-certified system, grain handling companies coordinate activities and contract with farmers to provide IP grain," said Stoughton-Ens. "The grain company is audited on their procedures, documentation, and record keeping for IP product within their own facility and their contracted farmers. CIPRS certifies that IP grain has been handled in accordance to a CGC-certified IP-QMS system; it does not certify grain for varietal purity."
On the Farm
The IP process starts on the farm before the grain is seeded. Grain companies contract with farmers before the crop is sown and crop production requirements are established. Grain companies, in turn, must ensure that the farmers they deal with engage in responsible farm management practices that respect IP requirements.
"The farmer must keep crop history records to minimize the risk of varietal cross contamination from volunteer crops," noted Stoughton-Ens. "Isolation distances must also be kept between the IP crop and similar types of crops to prevent cross contamination due to pollen drift."
Isolation distances vary depending on the crop and customer specifications. Farmers must also ensure that seeding equipment is cleaned prior to planting IP grain. After seeding, farmers must monitor their fields for volunteer crops, weeds, and other potential contaminants—and perform good agronomic practices to minimize cross contamination.
Before IP grain is harvested, farmers must clean all harvest equipment, including combines and grain truck boxes. Bins used to store IP grain on the farm must also be cleaned and inspected to prevent cross contamination. Farmers must keep records showing when the grain was harvested, when the harvest and storage equipment was cleaned, and where the IP grain was binned.
The farmer will assign a unique lot identification number to each lot of IP grain, and this number will be associated with all on-farm IP records. Even the vehicle used to transport the grain from the farm to the grain handling facility must be inspected and cleaned, whether it is the farmer's own vehicle or a commercial transport vehicle.
At the Elevator
IP grain deliveries to elevators are verified upon delivery by the grain company using the farmer's documentation and records. Depending on contract requirements, the grain delivery may also be tested for varietal purity. A sample of the IP grain lot is taken at delivery and given a lot identifier number that is linked to the elevator's processing records as well as the farmer's on-farm records. This unique lot number will appear on all grain handling and processing records associated with that particular lot of IP grain.
In order to prevent cross contamination, all elevator grain handling equipment, such as receiving pits, conveyors, and storage bins, must be inspected and cleaned prior to handling the IP grain. Conveyance containers used for transporting IP grain to the customer must also be cleaned and inspected. The unique lot identification number accompanies shipping documents and allows for the traceability of IP grain from the shipping container back to the farm where it was grown.
All of the procedures and paperwork involved serve a purpose, said Stoughton-Ens: "The whole system of inspection, cleaning, documentation, and record keeping provides evidence to the customer of the due diligence taken by the company to ensure that the grain maintains the desired quality traits."
Bernard Tobin is a writer and consultant for the Synthesis Agri-Food Network.


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Title 7: Agriculture
§917.149 Special purpose shipments.
Any person may file a request with the Pear Commodity Committee to transport pears to a packing facility located in the State of Oregon without inspection and certification prior to such transporting. The committee may approve such a request subject to the following terms and conditions:
(a) Approval shall be requested by the person prior to transporting the pears out of the area of production.
(b) Such person shall file with the committee, in such manner as required, reports showing, among other things, the date and quantity of pears comprising each shipment of pears transported to Oregon and the disposition thereof.
(c) All such pears shall be of the person's own production and the packing facility to which they are transported must be owned and operated by that person.
(d) All such pears shall be inspected and certified, as required by §917.45, by the Federal or Federal-State Inspection Service prior to the time such pears are shipped from the packing facility. Any pears shipped to any such facility which, upon inspection, do not meet the requirements of the then effective grade, size, or quality regulations, may be shipped, or handled, within the State, for consumption by any charitable institution or for distribution by any relief agency or for conversion into products. Prior to any such shipment or handling, there shall first have been submitted to the committee proof satisfactory to the committee that the pears will not be handled contrary to the requirements of the marketing agreement and order. Such proof shall include a written certificate, executed by both the handler and the intended receiver, stating that the pears will not be used for any purpose not authorized by this section.
[41 FR 31180, July 27, 1976]
Effective Date Note: At 59 FR 10056, Mar. 3, 1994, §917.149 was suspended, effective Apr. 4, 1994.


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Home > ISSR > Vol. 92 > Iss. 1 (2016)
Volume 92, Issue 1 (2016)
Praecipitia in Ruinam: The Decline of the Small Roman Farmer and the Fall of the Roman Republic
Jack Morato
"Have we not an equal interest with the men of this nation?" Gender, Equality, and Genesis in John Locke's Political Thought
Daniel Skidmore-Hess and Cathy Skidmore-Hess
Book Reviews
Book Review: Violence at the Urban Margins by Javier Auyero, Philippe Bourgois, and Nancy Scheper-Hughes
Leon Yacher
Book Review: Climate Change Mitigation, Technological Innovation and Adaptation: A New Perspective on Climate Policy by Valentina Bosetti, Carlo Carraro, Emanuele Massetti, and Massimo Tavoni
Michael J. Allen
Book Review: Pluralism And Democracy In India: Debating the Hindu Right by Wendy Doniger and Martha C. Nussbaum
Michael Hirsch
Book Review: The Blue, the Gray, and the Green: Toward an Environmental History of the Civil War by Brian Allen Drake
Bart R. Talbert
Book Review: The Great Melding: War, the Dixiecrat Rebellion, and the Southern Model for America's New Conservatism by Glenn Feldman
Kofi Johnson
Book Review: Cold War Crucible: The Korean Conflict and the Postwar World by Masuda Hajimu
Pedro D. Iacobelli
Book Review: NGOs, Crisis Management and Conflict Resolution: Measuring the Impact of NGOs on Intergovernmental Organisations by Daniela Irrera
Oluwaseun Bamidele
Book Review: Social Quality Theory: A New Perspective on Social Development by Ka Lin and Peter Herrmann
Xun Wang
Book Review: In the Event: Toward an Anthropology of Generic Moments by Lotte Meinert and Bruce Kapferer
J. Laurence Hare
Book Review: Falafel Nation: Cuisine and the Making of National Identity in Israel by Yael Raviv
Jordan Griffith
Book Review: Corporate Social Responsibility, Private Law and Global Supply Chains by Andreas Rühmkorf
Patricia M. Muhammad
Book Review: Religion and Science as Forms of Life: Anthropological Insights Into Reason and Unreason by Carles Salazar and Joan Bestard
Linda Quest
Book Review: System Kids: Adolescent Mothers and the Politics of Regulation by Lauren Silver
Jason McCartney
Book Review: The European Union and Global Engagement: Institutions, Policies and Challenges by Normann Witzleb, Alfonso Martinez Arranz, and Pascaline Winand
Okori Uneke
Book Review: Interculturalism in Cities: Concept, Policy, and Implementaton by Ricard Zapata-Barrero
Bradley Good
Responses or Comments
Policy Point - Counterpoint: Whither Capitalism: The Historical Foundations and Fallacies of an Idea, Theory, Framework, Ideology, and Worldview
Laura Cruz, Connor Hickey, and Joanna Woodson
Extended Commentary: Action or Inaction? An Analysis of President Obama's Foreign Policy
Jacob C. Potts


text:
It's after midnight and autumn is open for business: the skies are clear, the stars are twinkling, the Illinois air is cool, and the fingernail moon is as fingernaily as can be. We see Abbey Bynum staring at the top of the ancient oak tree in front of her bland suburban Chicago condo building, an oak tree that's too big and dignified for her cookie-cutter, pre-fab neighborhood. The light from the twinkly stars, the fingernaily moon, and the seven too-bright streetlights that dot Abbey's block bring the oak's leaves to life: yellows and reds, browns and oranges. The tree looks crisp and pretty, and from Abbey's angle, those leaves – which are further changing colors as we speak – look as if they were painted on by Monet. Or maybe Manet. No, Monet. Or maybe Manet. Even though she takes a pass through the Art Institute of Chicago at least once a month, Abbey always forgets which is which. All she knows – and cares about – is that it's pretty.
The breeze blows a chunk of her barely tamed curly brown ringlets into her eyes. She tries to flick them offher forehead, but the wind in her face is too strong, so they just flop right on back. Abbey again kicks herself for not grabbing a hair tie or a scrunchy, and again wonders why she never properly prepares for her silly late-night jaunts. But she realizes that that's a ridiculous thought, because the fact of the matter is, she knows exactly why she never properly prepares for these silly late-night jaunts: you see, for Abbey, these silly late-night jaunts aren't a choice. They're a compulsion. When she has to do it, she has to do it, and when Abbey Bynum has to do something, she goes and does it immediately. She can't help it; it's always been that way and she's certain it always will be that way.
Planning isn't in the equation, and unfortunately, without planning, there are consequences. In this case, the consequence is a small one, a mere case of hair-in- the-eyes. It's not a complete buzzkill, like, say, a bird pooping on her shoulder, or a low-flying private airplane (both of which happened in the not-to-distant past), but it's annoying, nonetheless. Way worse things could happen, though. Way worse things have happened. One night, for instance, the compulsion to leave her apart- ment was so intense that she forgot to put on her pants, and zipped through the neighborhood wearing only a strappy tank top with a teddy bear on the front and an ancient pair of light-blue panties.
Using her left hand, Abbey again pushes her hair out of her face and holds it flat against the top of her head. The problem with this tactic is that now Abbey relies solely on her right hand for balance. Using one hand to navigate isn't an issue when she's in motion, but when she's trying to stay somewhat still, when she's trying to hover in a single area, as is the case right now, two hands are way better than one. She's wobbling, and even though she knows she's in no danger of falling, it diminishes the experience, nonetheless.
She's well aware that if she practiced her one-handed balancing on a regular basis – scratch that, if she practiced her one-handed balancing at all – this would cease to be an issue. Thing is, she hates practicing it. Thing is, she hates doing it at all. But when this com- pulsion rears its head – when she has to breathe the night air at its cleanest, when she has to see the trees from above, when she has to go where nobody can find her – her body goes up to the roof of her apartment building and jumps right on off, despite her brain's and heart's numerous protests.
She wants to stop it. Badly. But, goddamnit, she can't. She just can't.
If you saw Abbey Bynum on the Illinois Metra train – which, if you're so inclined, is something you can do each weekday morning at precisely 8.14 a.m. – you'd check out her smart business outfit, and the oversized aviator sunglasses that she's had since her freshman year at Northwestern University, and that shaggy mop of hair, and think, 'Now that's an attractive, well-put-together girl. Looks like she doesn't have much money for the latest outfits or fancy jewelry, or whatnot, but she sure makes what she has work.' When she takes off her huge shades and fumbles with her iPod, you might smile at how intently and intensely she scrolls through the menu, trying to figure out the perfect mix for her train ride to the office, trying to decide whether Miles Davis, or Arcade Fire, or A Tribe Called Quest will get her jazzed for the workday.
You'd also notice one thing that Abbey Bynum doesn't: at least once a ride, Abbey Bynum gets checked out. Big time.
If she happened to catch the young gentleman leaning on the train door giving her a well-justified once- over – the young gentleman wearing the vintage blue Pulp T-shirt and the baggy khaki shorts, the young gentleman whom Abbey would unfairly dismiss as potential boyfriend material because she used to date a guy who looked almost exactly like that, and he was a massive jerk – she'd probably turn away, blush, and forget about it several seconds later. See, Abbey doesn't like being checked out. Not because she's self-conscious about her looks (she knows her place in the beauty pantheon; a couple dozen miles South of Angelina Jolie, and a few hundred miles North of Betty White), but because there's the chance that somebody will see her for who she is, that they'll notice the Weird Stuff.
This, of course, is a ridiculous thought – nobody could see Weird Stuff, unless she showed them the Weird Stuff – but it's a thought she can't help but think.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
An excerpt from NO ORDINARY GIRL: A NOVEL, available 11/25.
It's after midnight and autumn is open for business: the skies are clear, the stars are twinkling, the Illinois air is cool, and the fingernail moon is as fingernaily as can be. We see Abbey Bynum staring at the top of the ancient oak tree in front of her bland suburban Chicago condo building, an oak tree that's too big and dignified for her cookie-cutter, pre-fab neighborhood. The light from the twinkly stars, the fingernaily moon, and the seven too-bright streetlights that dot Abbey's block bring the oak's leaves to life: yellows and reds, browns and oranges. The tree looks crisp and pretty, and from Abbey's angle, those leaves – which are further changing colors as we speak – look as if they were painted on by Monet. Or maybe Manet. No, Monet. Or maybe Manet. Even though she takes a pass through the Art Institute of Chicago at least once a month, Abbey always forgets which is which. All she knows – and cares about – is that it's pretty.
Posted by Alan Goldsher at 11/21/2010 10:24:00 PM 0 comments
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Posted by Alan Goldsher at 7/18/2010 02:57:00 AM 1 comments
Friday, July 9, 2010
Here's a whole bunch of Alan videos. Some are badass professional, and some are kinda shaky, but still cool. Enjoy!
Guerrilla readings in NYC
Interview @ Pen American Center
Chicago release party #1
Chicago release party #2
Chicago release party #3
Chicago release party #4
Posted by Alan Goldsher at 7/09/2010 10:07:00 AM 0 comments
Saturday, July 3, 2010
"PAUL IS UNDEAD" deleted scene # 1 - Macca & Big Ben
He said, "I'm gonna jump off the top of Big Ben. You have forty-eight hours. Make it happen."
Paul gave me a strange grin, put his hand on my shoulder, then said, "Neil, sometimes a beginning can be an end, and an end can be a beginning. I have to do this."
It wasn't worth fighting him about it, so I said, "Okay, Paulie, you do what you have to do. It's your funereal."
He said, "No, Neil. It's not. It's not my funereal."
Posted by Alan Goldsher at 7/03/2010 07:34:00 AM 0 comments
Saturday, June 26, 2010
The fine folks at Parade.com named Paul is Undead: The British Zombie Invasion one of its Top Summer Reads, calling it, "...bloody brilliant." Woo-hoo!
Posted by Alan Goldsher at 6/26/2010 11:02:00 AM 0 comments
Friday, June 18, 2010
Posted by Alan Goldsher at 6/18/2010 04:48:00 AM 1 comments
Monday, June 14, 2010
Check out this big ol' excerpt of my forthcoming Beatles/horror/comedy remix novel "Paul is Undead: The British Zombie Invasion," courtesy of Simon & Schuster.
Posted by Alan Goldsher at 6/14/2010 11:20:00 AM 1 comments
Monday, May 24, 2010
Friday, May 14, 2010
On May 14, I chatted with BBC Radio World Update about Paul Is Undead: The British Zombie Invasion. Check it out here...
Posted by Alan Goldsher at 5/14/2010 07:35:00 AM 0 comments
Monday, May 10, 2010
Are readers ready for a world in which the Beatles just wanna eat your brains? Goldsher (Hard Bop Academy) thinks so, and he may be right. In this humor-filled splatterfest, the rise and fall of the zombie Beatles unfolds through eyewitness accounts, newspaper clippings, and interviews. Violence and music go hand-in-hand as the zombiefied Lennon, Harrison, and McCartney fight, eat, and rock their way to fame and popularity while ninja lord Ringo Starr tries to keep them out of trouble. Nothing can stop them--not even a vampiric Pete Best, zombie-killing Mick Jagger, rival ninja Yoko Ono, or bad reviews. In fact, their only enemies may be one another, as personal conflicts threaten to break them up for good. Roughly paralleling the real-world career of the Beatles, this alternate history reimagines successes, failures, and rivalries with over-the-top bizarro charm.
(P.S. - The "yay" wasn't part of the review. That was some editorial commentary on my part.)
Posted by Alan Goldsher at 5/10/2010 05:28:00 AM 0 comments
Thursday, May 6, 2010
The reviews for my forthcoming Beatles/zombie/comedy mash-up PAUL IS UNDEAD: THE BRITISH ZOMBIE INVASION have started trickling in, and so far, so good:
KIRKUS REVIEWS: "We've endured a flood of vampire books for the past few years, so it may be time to give zombies a chance to work their literary magic. Prolific ghostwriter and music journalist Goldsher makes a reasonable case in this entertaining novel. Goldsher turns in a classic rags-to-riches tale of aspiration and success that would do Horatio Alger proud, punctuated by no end of gore."
BOOKLIST: "The horror mash-up publishing craze is still spreading like a plague, and while some of the most popular products seem like easy ways to digest the classics, this clever take on the subgenre will bring music nerds into its fandom."
Hopefully, that's just a start. PAUL IS UNDEAD will be in stores on June 22. Spread the word. And the blood.
Posted by Alan Goldsher at 5/06/2010 06:46:00 PM 1 comments
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Posted by Alan Goldsher at 3/25/2010 12:56:00 PM 2 comments
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Posted by Alan Goldsher at 3/16/2010 05:36:00 PM 0 comments
Friday, January 29, 2010
Saturday, January 23, 2010
...Please click here, and read your tushie off.
Posted by Alan Goldsher at 1/23/2010 07:18:00 AM 0 comments
None of y'all have read Paul is Undead: The British Zombie Invasion because, well, it's not out yet. But thanks to this really nice article in Entertainment Weekly...
...some Hollywood-types have come a'calling, which is crazy exciting. A couple have asked how I envision the movie looking. One word: "META." That'll make total sense when you read the book, which you can pre-order here.
Oh, P.S. - I've gotten some emails to the effect of, "Dude, when can I read this damn thing?" Once I get the okay from the powers-that-be at Simon & Schuster, I'll be posting some excerpts from the book. Patience, my pretties, patience...
Posted by Alan Goldsher at 1/23/2010 07:15:00 AM 0 comments
Sunday, January 17, 2010
-Comedian Michael Ian Black, author of My Custom Van
"Paul is Undead brings the Beatles back to life...and now they want braaains. Brilliant and hilarious. Two decaying thumbs up."
"A wonderfully inventive blend of comedy, alternative history - and flesh-eating. A post-modern gothic classic."
"Investigative music journalist Alan Goldsher has ripped the moptops off the Fab Four, revealing the wormy underbelly of godless, noggin-gobbling Rock and Roll. Read it, or die."
-Larry Doyle, author of I Love You, Beth Cooper and Go, Mutants!
Posted by Alan Goldsher at 1/17/2010 10:25:00 PM 0 comments
Friday, January 15, 2010
It's October 9, 1940, and an undead man haunts the underground sewers of Liverpool, England. Starving and covered with filth, the lone zombie slithers out of a loo located on the ground floor of Liverpool Maternity Hospital. Shuffling from room to room, the hungry being tracks down his prey: a wailing infant whose ripe, fresh brain will fill the raging emptiness in his belly and soul.
That infant's name? John Lennon.
Fast forward fifteen years, when zombie Lennon, now a burgeoning musician, meets, kills, and reanimates fellow Liverpudlian wannabe-rocker Paul McCartney, creating an unstoppable partnership, and moving one step closer to realizing his dream of global domination. After welcoming newly zombie'd guitarist George Harrison and drummer/Seventh Level Ninja Lord Ringo Starr into the fold, Lennon and McCartney's band cuts a swath of bloody good music and bloody violent mayhem across Europe, stealing the hearts, minds, ears, and brains of their adoring audiences.
Ladies and gentlemen, it's time to really meet the Beatles. In Paul is Undead: The British Zombie Invasion, Alan Goldsher's horror/comedy/rock 'n' roll mash-up, we find out the whens, whats, and whys of how the zombified Fab Four took over the world.
After conquering the charts, the Liverpudlian quartet conquers America, all while managing to escape eternal death at the hands of zombie hunter Mick Jagger, an assassination attempt by the most potent Ninja hate group in the United States, and the violent affections of New York City's most smitten undead girls. The band returns to Europe, where, after some unsuccessful drug experimentation—who knew that LSD caused zombie leprosy?—and the speedy dismemberment of spiritual guru Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Eighth Level Ninja Lord Yoko Ono enters the fray, and the band spins out of control.
Yes, the Beatles still want to take over the world, but can the lovable, horrifying moptops sublimate their own zombie nature, remain atop the charts, and stay together for all eternity? Nah: they go through a brutal break up, almost destroying Abbey Road Studios in the process. But is this breakup permanent? After all, three of the Fab Four are zombies, and zombies live forever…
Cited as "hilarious" by comedian Michael Ian Black, and "a post-modern gothic classic" by bestselling rock writer Mick Wall, Alan Goldsher's Paul is Undead answers the question that has plagued Beatles fans and zombie aficionados for decades: How the heck could George Harrison have pulled off that solo on the bridge of "Nowhere Man" when his fingers kept falling off?
Posted by Alan Goldsher at 1/15/2010 10:49:00 AM 0 comments
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Posted by Alan Goldsher at 8/06/2009 06:50:00 AM 0 comments
Friday, July 31, 2009
"PAUL IS UNDEAD" is taking the U.K. by storm. Sort of...
England's The Guardian banged out a little piece about Paul is Undead. They pre-pub buzz is getting, um, loud-ish.
Posted by Alan Goldsher at 7/31/2009 11:10:00 AM 0 comments
Thursday, July 30, 2009
NEW YORK OBSERVER on "PAUL IS UNDEAD"
The fine folks at the New York Observer saw fit to write a nice little feature on "Paul is Undead: The British Zombie Invasion." Spread the word, and get out your barf bags...
Posted by Alan Goldsher at 7/30/2009 04:21:00 PM 0 comments


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When a woman is comfortable, she will decide to settle down and get married. She will remain happy as long as she is comfortable, however the trouble starts when whats next door seems better than what she has and from that point she will create every argument, every fight to get you mad and give her the reason to fuck the cock she doesn't have. Collapse
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This healthy, superfood-packed dinner only requires 1 dish and 60 minutes of your time. No need to pre-cook the quinoa or sauté any veggies!
Have you ever randomly stumbled upon a blog via Pinterest and found yourself completely consumed in everything it has to offer? I officially have a blog crush on Kristina from Love and Zest. Major swoon. I think I went through at least a years worth of recipes and pinned them all :D #oops
L&Z is actually who inspired me to make this dish. She made a Sun-Dried Tomato, Kale, and Chicken Sausage Pasta Bake and I knew that's what I wanted for dinner. I made a bunch of substitutions like quinoa instead of pasta, no cheese or mushrooms, and a different kind of sauce. She still deserves the credit for sparking my interest in these flavor combos.
Since I've been a full-time food blogger for almost a year now, I do everything in my power to dirty one less dish. Let me tell you, the dishes can PILE UP QUICKLY.
My favorite kind of recipes are those that only use 1 pot/dish. This recipe for instance, literally uses 1 dish. No pot or pans involved. All you do, is throw everything into a casserole dish, stick it in the oven, and cross your fingers things taste good.
I did go back and forth if I should use precooked chicken sausages or uncooked. I went precooked because that's what's most readily available and convenient. I used the Target Archer Farm's Brand, but I know Gold n' Plump makes some stellar ones as well (I believe those are uncooked).
Here's what the bake looked like uncooked (on the left) and cooked (on the right).
I was a little worried the kale was going to turn into kale chips, but they wilted down nicely. Also- if you know me, you know I HATE COOKED GREENS. I actually didn't mind this AT ALL. #imabigkidnow
Sun Dried Tomato, Kale, and Chicken Sausage Quinoa Bake
This healthy, superfood-packed dinner only requires 1 dish and 60 minutes of your time. No need to pre-cook the quinoa or sauté any veggies!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- 1 cup quinoa, soaked and rinsed, uncooked
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, julienne cut
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (I used the olive oil from the sun-dried tomato jar)
- 2 stalks of kale, de-stalked and chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 5 chicken sausages, fully cooked and sliced into bit-sized pieces
- 1/4 cup red onion, diced
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- fresh basil, to taste
- First, preheat oven to 350ºF. Then, place quinoa and chicken broth at the bottom of a large casserole dish.
- Prep kale, by de-stalking and chopping into bite-sized pieces. Evenly spread on top of quinoa.
- Then, sprinkle on about 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes (I used the julienne cut kind) and 1/4 cup chopped red onion on top of kale. Then, drizzle on 1 tablespoon of olive oil (I used the olive oil straight from the sun-dried tomato jar).
- Season with salt and pepper to taste and about 1 teaspoon of garlic salt.
- Finally, chop 5 fully cooked chicken sausages into bite-sized pieces and spread evenly on top of bake.
- Place in oven at 350ºF for about 60 minutes or until the quinoa is fully cooked.
- Let cook for 5-10 minutes and serve with fresh basil.
- Serving Size: 1/6
- Calories: 318
- Sugar: 3
- Sodium: 769
- Fat: 11
- Carbohydrates: 31
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 22
If you are a cheese lover, I suggest mozzarella. I opted no cheese because I love how the colors look in this bake and I didn't want to hide them under a mound of cheese.
Seriously, I could eat this all day erry day. These flavors are my jam. I especially loved the sun-dried tomatoes. It was my first time making anything with them and Mmmmm did they add some fabulous flavor. If you are having a hard time finding sun-dried tomatoes, you can usually find them in the produce section. I purchased my julienne sliced and jarred in olive oil.
Hubba hubba.


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Business Notes
Schuler Launches Its First China Tech Center
Schuler held an Innovation Day to formally launch a technology center for forming systems in China, a demonstration and reference center in the northern industrial city of Tianjin that offers automotive manufacturers, suppliers and other companies the opportunity to try out the latest servo-press technology. Servo TechCenter Tianjin is Schuler's first demonstration center in Asia and forms a key part of the company's strategy to increase its presence in that region.
Schuler has been operating in China with a number of sites since the early 1990s and earlier this year acquired Chinese press manufacturer Yadon.
"China has enormous potential for us," says Oemer Akyazici, China chief executive officer for Schuler. "With the products from Yadon under our belt, we are now optimally positioned to cover further market segments."
See also: Schuler Incorporated
Related Enterprise Zones: Presses


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Corey Feldman has reportedly announced that he will not be attending Corey Haim's funeral.
Speaking to ET Online, Feldman explained that he has spent time with Haim's family following his death but wishes to respect their need for privacy at his funeral.
"In the days following my best friend Corey Haim's death, I have spent much time with his mother Judy, who has always been like a mother to me," he said.
"I would love nothing more than to be by her side at Corey's funeral, however due to their strong religious beliefs, and need for privacy, the family has decided to make Corey's funeral on Tuesday a small private affair."
He continued to say that "understanding the recent media attention and to be respectful of the family's wishes I have decided not to attend. Instead I will remain in Los Angeles quietly mourning and planning his memorial".
Feldman also asked the media to "honour" Haim's memory by avoiding the funeral, and added that he is hoping to hold a memorial for him within the next month.
"At that time, the media will be invited to honour and celebrate the legacy he has left behind, along with friends, fans, and the rest of the Hollywood community," he said.
Haim passed away on March 10, aged 38.


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Results 1 to 3 of 3
Thread: SCJA - practice
- 04-28-2009, 07:41 AM #1Member
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SCJA - practice
I am preparing for the scja exam and I believe that a lot of practice is absolutely necessary to successfully pass the exam. I wonder if someone can share with me any thoughts in terms of where I can find some sample tasks ? I found some in books i am reading now but I am looking for more practice... thanks!
- 04-28-2009, 08:27 AM #2Member
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SCJA demand lots of practice rather than grasping knowledge. try 2 do some practice test available online. Many people say SCJA is an easy cert, but it's not like that. it is lil bit tuff cert. i am a certified associate from Sun. i have seen people who are not doing practice test for SCJA.
There are many people, who provide u practice test dumps, links to dumps n all, i suggest don't go for them. they are not trustworthy n illegal.
i have taken from Hyperlessons n they helped me a lot in my exam time. they are authorized by vendor itself. i scored good marks n those situation given in exam helping in my work.
Last edited by cert.maniac; 04-28-2009 at 08:32 AM.
- 04-29-2009, 08:26 AM #3Member
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Hi cert.maniac,
thanks for your reply. Actually I was after tasks, not sample questions (btw, I like scja.de ebook).
By tasks I mean something like this:
1) a text file is given, write a program which will produce a report: the list of strings (lines) from that file which contain a word "hello"
well, something like that....
Thank you for your suggestions in regards of practice tests!
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This morning we awoke to a thick blanket of snow and raucous bird chatter outside. The evening grosbeaks are back. I saw this species for the first time almost exactly two years ago to the day, a timeline I remember well because little A. had just been born and I spent many hours those first precious weeks at the sunroom bench, nursing and holding and watching spring come to life outside the window. This was a bird I had never noticed prior to that because, perhaps, I had rarely paused long enough to consider them. But newborns do have a way of slowing life down in the best possible way, and forcing someone like me to adapt to a slower, more humane pace. And notice grosbeaks.
The grosbeaks were just outside our door, which was enough motivation for the girls to get bundled up and trundle outside. A. lasted only a few minutes (after declaring her hand-knit woolen mittens "nasty" and refusing to wear them, her fingers soon became cold). But M. bird-watched for quite awhile, trying to master the art of binoculars. We watched the grosbeaks flock into a giant white fir tree a few hundred feet away, then into the skeleton of an aspen across the street. When M. tired of this, she became the bird, building a nest in the snow, sitting on snowball eggs until they hatched, and then seeking out 'insects' (pine needles) for her babies. She had me play birdwatcher through this entire charade, sighting her in the binoculars as she flew around the yard.


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Are you a Level 2 group exercise instructor? Are you looking to add another style to your teaching repertoire? Try Medau Elements for size! Medau Elements is a brand new one-day course that allows you to release your inner creativity with clubs, hoops and/or balls! With no set choreography or routines, it leaves you to explore your own originality and that of your class participants. Find out more and book your space on the London launch here https://emduk.org/medau-elements/ www.medau.org.uk
Leave a Reply.
Jane Seyler
Passionate about Medau!
November 2019


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"So we're really going to do this?"
"Yup. Pick you Saturday at 8:00am.,
And that's how it started.
It was kind of drizzling a bit when we got dropped off just beside the highway at the Whyte Lake trail head. (Elevation 390 ft) There were a couple of cars in the gravel lot but apart from that it was pretty much deserted. We buckled up our Camelbacks and started off around the corner only to face the first hill. For the next two and a half hours we would make our way up the front of Black Mountain to Eagle Bluff. (Elevation 3550). Ya, that's right. Just over 3000 feet. Up.
We ran though the forest for about an hour or so catching up on the last few weeks. Kids, school, work, stuff. Okay, so maybe we didn't run the whole time but we kept up a pretty good pace despite talking non-stop. The Baden Powell trail is well marked with happy orange squares stapled to trees so finding our way was pretty easy. Eventually though, through the trees, we could see a rock face and we both knew what was coming next. If we had thought that we had been going up before we had a whole new kind of "up" ahead of us.
"Shit, don't look down" was mentioned more than once. The notes on this portion of the trail mentioned to be sure and "lean in" to the side of the mountain. Believe it or not we were still having fun.
After the first steep climb through the trees we came out onto a boulder field. Seriously. A field of boulders. Only not a flat field. A field of boulders on a 75 degree angle. There were no more friendly orange markers on the trees. We were on our own. Crawling over boulders. We headed straight up but then realized that we didn't know where the trail picked up again. I spotted a tiny inukshuk at the top right and headed for that. A few feet above it the trail started up again. We looked back down at what we had just covered and considered ourselves lucky to have made it.
Once that was done it didn't seem that much farther up to Eagle Bluff. The final push was just trying to find a path up the bluff that had something to hold onto. By the time we got to the bluff it was raining and the clouds had closed in. Apparently there is a phenomenal view for the bluff but we will never saw it. Grey. Nothing but grey. Awesome, we climbed 3000 feet for this?
Back into the trees we went but if we thought we were done with going up, we were wrong. Maybe it wasn't as steep, but it was definitely up. I may have muttered a few swear words at this point. The trail was muddy but we were back in the trees and a bit more sheltered. At some point a guy whizzed (and I do mean whizzed) past us. Wide wooden planks became the trail over marshy sections that ended our climb. For now. Our last half an hour was down a wide gravel path and ended at the Cypress Park Ski Lodge. The cozy fire, smell of grilled burgers and cold beer sign almost had us calling it a day. But no.
You see, The Best Thing in Life as that we were only half way done. Seriously. Stayed tuned for part two.


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There are lots of fun ways to see the Bay Parade finale at McCovey Cove at 12:45. Take your choice of viewing spots: from the shoreline or by kayak.
From the Shoreline
See the Bay Parade finale from the north side of McCovey Cove, along the Giants Promenade/Bay Trail. Enter from 3rd Street and walk east along McCovey Cove behind the stadium, or from The Embarcadero, walk south through South Beach Park to the far side of South Beach Harbor.
By Kayak
City Kayak is offering a 20% discount on McCovey Cove Experience kayak rentals (regular price $49.00) on June 14. Kayak rentals start at 11:30am. Watch the Bay Parade finale and stay afloat for the Giants game, with a chance to catch a Splash Hit. Advance reservations required, using discount code AQUEOUS20.
Learn more and make reservations to see the Bay Parade by kayak.


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Rambouillet is a very old breed, originating in its namesake village in France, around 1786. It is also known as French Merino. The wool averages 20-23 microns, which is considered a medium fine fiber and it has a staple length of over 3 inches, making it a great wool for spinning and felting, because of its loft.
Hand wash
Price: $18 US per 4 ounces.
Every effort has been made to reproduce the shade cards accurately. Colors shown may not be a true representation and will appear differently on individual monitors.


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I'm making a cake for Wednesday- it'll be my first paying cake. It's a birthday cake for a 6 year old- I told her it'd be $75 dollars. She didn't even flinch!!! That is so crazy to me to pay that much for a cake for a 6 year old- but whatever! I'm way excited to do it too, it's whimiscal with lots of fun colors. I'm doing MMF and doing stripes and polka dots and stars. It's goign to be so much fun to make and I'm getting paid to make it! NUTS!
Alright for you!!! And once people see this you will get much more orders . Did you see the article on this project on the home page??
Have fun with it!!
For the whimsical cake? I did- it's how I origiobally found the site. Amber
Post a photo when your done with it.
Happy Baking!
I will- this is going to be my best cake ever! I'm excited to use mmf for the first time- the colors are so vibrant- which is my favorite!


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A University of Arizona graduate with a "contagious" smile and a desire to help others, was one of 12 people killed in the theater shooting in Colorado on Friday.
Alexander Teves, 24, was shot while shielding his girlfriend from bullets when a gunman fired during a midnight screening of "The Dark Knight Rises" in an Aurora, Colo.
Teves earned his bachelor's degree in psychology in 2010 from the UA, confirmed university spokesman Johnny Cruz.
Teves, who was from Phoenix, went on to study counseling psychology at the University of Denver and earned his master's degree in June, the university said in a statement on its website.
While at the UA, Teves mentored a teenage boy who was receiving mental-health services at Providence of Arizona for two semesters in 2009, said Julie Feldman, a UA professor in the Department of Psychology who facilitates the mentor program.
Feldman said Teves was a standout student and person.
"He was pretty special. He was probably one of our best mentors, and that feeling was shared by my graduate supervisors that worked directly with him," she said.
Feldman said it's hard finding male students for mentor program, which is only meant to last for one semester, but Teves wanted to be a part of it for two semesters.
"Alex was very patient, very creative in solving problems with this particular mentee he worked with," she said. "He just worked really well with him."
'Ideal grandson'
Alex Teves was planning to become a psychiatrist, said his grandfather, Carlo Iacovelli of Barnegat, N.J.
As a child, the Teveses moved from New Jersey to Phoenix. Iacovelli and his wife lived there during winters.
"He was what you might call an ideal grandson," Iacovelli told The Associated Press. "He was a fun guy. He loved to eat."
Wanted to help people
The UA's Feldman wrote letters of recommendation for Teves when he applied to grad school.
"He's always wanted to help people … especially kids who are going through different kinds of problems to help make things better…" she said.
Teves was one of a few undergraduate students in Feldman's developmental psychology class in 2010, which is mixed with graduate students.
"He's also very bright. In this particular class a lot of the undergraduates are intimidated by the graduate students, but he was someone who was willing to share his thoughts and opinions very comfortably," Feldman said.
One of the last times Feldman saw Teves was at an event marking the end of the mentorship program.
"He had this great smile that was very contagious … These kids, they just responded to him," she said. "He just had this big smile whenever he was around these kids."
The Associated Press contributed to this story. Contact reporter Veronica Cruz at email@example.com or 573-4224.