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20% off all wall art! Today only! Offer ends tonight at midnight EST.
Boundary: Bleed area may not be visible.
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Our throw pillows are made from 100% spun polyester poplin fabric and add a stylish statement to any room. Pillows are available in sizes from 14" x 14" up to 26" x 26". Each pillow is printed on both sides (same image) and includes a concealed zipper and removable insert (if selected) for easy cleaning.
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2 - 3 business days
Steve Godleski
Nice work! f/v
Reggie Duffie replied:
Thanks Steve!
Elliott Shoemaker
yo i really like this peice. Im about to do some work on the homeless awareness, i was looking for some inspiration
Average Rating (4.77 Stars):
Marlene Gross
August 12th, 2020
I love the pillows. I bought them because I had purchased the duvet in the same pattern and loved the look. The duvet and pillows significantly brighten up the appearance of the bedroom. I'm very happy with my purchases.
Joseph Ancona
August 12th, 2020
Looks great! Love it
Joseph Ancona
August 12th, 2020
Looks great! Love it
Kathleen Vilmur
August 12th, 2020
The quality of the material is very nice and I love the print.
Andrea May
August 11th, 2020
This is my artwork. Thank you!!
Andrea May
August 11th, 2020
This is my artwork. Thank you!
Reggie Duffie of Duffie and Duffie Visual Designs, creates custom artwork and portraits, and can create a custom portrait from your photo. Most of his recent artwork and design is created digitally, combining years of traditional art techniques with the ever-expanding capabilities of digital painting. These detailed digital paintings are all originals, created by the artist's hand from scratch using a simple track ball mouse as a virtual paint brush and the computer screen as a virtual canvas. (NO PRE-DRAWING OR LINE DRAWING, NO TRACING OR DIGITAL MANIPULATION, NO ALTERING OF SCANNED OR DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHS OR IMAGES AND NO USING FILTERS . . . THIS IS REAL DIGITAL PAINTING, BAR NONE) Because each print is made from the original digital...
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Pixels sells thousands of pieces of artwork each month - all with a 100% money-back guarantee. We take great pride in the fact that hundreds of thousands of artists have chosen Pixels to fulfill their orders, and we look forward to helping you select your next piece!
All throw pillows ship from our production facility within 2 - 3 business days of your order.


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Make the most of your chocolate treats this Christmas and start stock-pilling those Celebrations tins, they may not be around for much longer as experts predict that a cocoa crisis is imminent.
We will have a million-ton cocoa shortage within eight years, forcing the price of chocolate to rise significantly.
Industry insiders say the growing demand for chocolate in areas where it wasn't previously popular means cocoa farmers need an area the size of the Ivory Coast to produce more cocoa.
Angus Kennedy, a leading British chocolatier, told The Express: "Part of the problem is the growing demand for chocolate in Asia where countries such as China are turning more towards Western tastes."
If they do not receive more help to boost cocoa bean crops, prices will push chocolate into a delicacy price bracket and we will be forced to find less appealing chocolate substitutes in the market that "don't melt in your mouth" says Kennedy.
[See also: Can you identify these famous chocolate bars?]
This could make the price of chocolate leap as manufacturers will be forced to increase the use of nuts and other fillings to add bulk to their bars.
The topic of the looming cocoa shortage was a major issue at a recent confectionery conference, Confection Expo, in November.
Kennedy points out that the demand is not the only reason for the potential chocolate crisis but because of the lack of knowledge of how to produce the best yield of cocoa beans and look after them.
"Our ability to produce more cocoa is extremely limited at the moment and that's because the farming practices are still archaic."
But how will this affect the chocolate you buy on the high street?
It's more likely that the chocolate favourites from Mars, Cadbury and Nestle will suffer. Last year London chocolatier Marc Demarquette warned: "Galaxy, Creme Eggs, every kind of £1 chocolate bar will be a thing of the past."
While John Mason, founder of the Ghana-based Nature Conservation Research Council, forecast something much worse: "In 20 years chocolate will be like caviar. It will become so rare and so expensive that the average Joe just won't be able to afford it."
Follow YLifestyleUK on Twitter.
The difference between chocolatier and chocolate-maker
10 great gifts for food lovers

subset: commoncrawl


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Space suits are a powerful symbol of exploration, but Graziano Panfili uses it to separate people from their surroundings. His photos turn ordinary people in ordinary places into explorers from a distant world.
What's particularly intriguing about Panfili's Alienation series is that they appear to be portraits of people in settings familiar to them: their home, a hotel room, their car, their job. By putting them in the space suits, he cuts them off from the familiar and transforms them into the Other, as if these are settings they can see but never quite touch.
He has many, many more of these portraits, as well as other photo series, at his website.
Alienation [Graziano Panfili via Geek Art Gallery]


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Doctors make the worst patients!
Recently a friend of mine (Kris) from the Recruitment industry decided it was time to make a career change. It didn't come as a surprise as she had risen through the ranks of her current organization as high as she could and was looking for a new challenge. She came to me for some assistance with revising her resume, updating her social media profiles and as a sounding board to talk about potential new opportunities. Needless to say as a Recruitment professional her resume was perfect (I made a few little tweaks), and her social media was up to date and professional (we added a few recent achievements). Kris was set and no sooner had she started to network and apply for positions, then her phone ringing off the hook with potential opportunities.
Slowly we began the process of weeding through the sea of potential opportunities to winnow the list down to those which she found truly intriguing. Truth be told she was in the best possible position. She is currently employed and for the most part enjoys her work. She doesn't need to jump at the first offer or even apply for every opportunity that comes along. I think this mind set of being "selective" was where the process began to go a little awry.
It is great when you are in the position to take your time and be selective; however don't let that make you cocky! You still have to jump through the same hoops as everyone else.
We narrowed the field down to two contenders. Both are global organizations with unlimited potential and currently in a high growth mode. Both had more of a start-up feel than that of longstanding solid organizations; which appealed to Kris' desire for challenge and growth opportunity.
Kris soared through the first round of phone interviews, completely nailed the second round of leadership assessments and in both instances was asked to come in for a formal interview with the hiring managers. Things seemed to be going swimmingly…isn't that always how things seem before they go south?
Kris, confident in her skills and experience opted to very superficially prepare for her interviews. She is a professional when it comes to behavioral interviewing so she thought, "I got this, what can they possibly ask I don't have a response for?" These are large well known global organizations so she assumed, "I know what questions to ask." In her head, all her years of experience, knowledge, and training would help her easily sail through this last round of interviews and on to the decision of which offer to accept.
Bad, bad, bad…never, ever assume!
I'm sure by now you are guessing what happened. Her lack of preparedness showed through the whole process. Oh, don't get me wrong, she answered the questions asked…more like fumbled through because she didn't identify the experiences she wanted to highlight before the interview. She hadn't prepared her introduction of who she is, her professional background, and why the company should hire her. If that wasn't bad enough, when asked why she wanted to work for their organization, she went blank.
She knows who she is, she knows her strengths, and the value she would bring. She knew why she chose those organizations and why she was looking for a change; but because she didn't spend time thinking through how she wanted to highlight and express those thoughts, she sounded more like an amateur than an executive.
You know the old Spanish proverb " The Cobbler's children have no shoes"? It's roughly the same as "doctor's make the worst patients". Often we are so wrapped up in helping others with our highly honed skills; prescribing remedies, and repairing damage done, that when it's our turn to take advice, direction, and apply fixes we can't see the forest for the trees.
When it comes to your job search, preparation and research is not a maybe…it's a MUST! Take the time to think about how you want to be viewed, what skills and accomplishments you want to highlight, why you want to work for this organization and why they should hire you.
Prepare, prepare, prepare and then execute. Don't start counting your offers before they hatch.
For more interviewing tips, resume writing help, job search and career advice come back again to; "Connectthedotblog".
The Secret to A Successful Job Search? The Secret's in The Sauce.
Ok I know what you're thinking; Betsy has finally gone off her rocker. No not yet. But I will confide that " Fried Green Tomatoes" is one of my favorite movies and dishes. I love when I get to travel south and imbibe on of my favorite delicacies, Fried Green Tomatoes. However, hard as I try I can't seem to ever find them as good as my best friend makes, (well actually it's her husband so credit where credit is due). I always ask how they are made and what they feel is the secret to their delectable delight. The answer inevitably, "the secret's in the sauce".
It's not really all that different when you talk to individuals who've had a successful job search. They mixed it up good.
- They reached out to their network of friends, colleagues, connections and let them know what they were looking.
- They carefully targeted the companies and organizations they wanted to work for and reached out to them.
- They used the internet as A tool to source potential job leads and applied online. They then followed up on those applications.
- They attended networking events and career fairs.
- They work with recruiters and/or headhunters to help them find additional opportunities.
- Finally they sent thank you notes to all the hiring managers they interviewed with.
It's incredibly rare (I mean really really rare) for an individual to send one application, make one phone call or drop off one resume and they get a job. For those rare few that do hit a grand slam on the first swing, they probably were very well connected and sought after in the first place so their success is based on their reputation, which just means they had the connections to engage most if not all of the above, without really trying.
Time after time in conversations with my graduates I hear:
- "I've sent out like 30 online applications a day with no luck."
- My response, "Who have you applied to? Did you follow up with a phone call or note?"
- Their response is usually "no".
- "Have you reched out to your network, a recruiter or your Career Services department?
- "No"
- "It's unlikely you'll find the career your looking for just by sending out applications like everyone else. You need to mix it up."
- "I don't have time to do that"
- "How much time did you spend sending out all those applications."
- "It took all day."
- "Try spending at least half that time talking to people>"
- "If I do that how will I get all those applications done?"
They have spent so much of their job seeking time online, sending out applications into the black hole of the internet that they can't even remember who they've applied to or for what positions. Wasted time! That's like making fried green tomatoes with just cornmeal or flour. It won't stick and as soon as you put it into the grease it all floats away until you have a mushy mess. You need the egg in the batter and the seasonings; you need to make sure the grease is hot so you get a quick bonding of the mixture to the vegetable. And without the secret sauce, it will just taste like everyone else's, and you'll be lost in the unmemorable sea of forgetfulness.
Just like cooking your job search has several ingredients that need to be used in proper proportion. You need to create the environment where your ingredients will be received and you must have a secret sauce, for those who haven't caught onto the analogy…the sauce is your resume. Your resume is what makes you uniquely you, it's what helps you stand out from the sea of other applicants. It's what makes you memorable and keeps your customers coming back for more.
Mix your ingredients carefully, the majority should be made up of actual interpersonal contact; your network, your phone calls, dropping off your resume in person, your follow up. Too many folks use the internet as the base of their recipe; and just like using too much salt, the flavor of your batter will be ruined and you'll have to start all over again.
For more interviewing tips, resume writing help, job search and career advice come back again to; "Connectthedotblog".
Connect The Dots
I've gotten a few questions as to why my blog and my other endeavors have been titled Connect the Dot? It's an honest question, with an equally honest and simple answer, it's who I am.
I am a connector. I love it when someone approaches me with a question, concern, challenge or request for help and I happen to know just the person who can either assist them directly or introduce them to someone who can.
I recently read a book by " Malcom Gladwell" called " The Tipping Point: How Little Things Make a Big Difference". This book illustrates the point very clearly. It's very often not the big ideas that you have or even in the large scale implementaion of those ideas. It's the small everyday things that you do, reaching out through your interconnected network that can bring about the change you desire. Whether it's a job, a new program or commodity, it's often the small things that you make happen that produce the biggest results.
Connecting people to eachother can have a huge impact, you never know who they know or who they know and on and on. Somewhere down the line there is somone you can help make a difference and by doing so, there is also someone down the line who can help you accomplish great things.
I learned very early on that the larger my network, the easier my work. Don't misunderstand me, I have no aversion to working hard, quite the contrary, however the more people I know the more I can get done. I don't have a compunction (any more) to do everything myself. In fact I've learned, often painfully, that I'm not the best at everything. HA! There are people smarter, more creative, more innovative, and more determined that I. By surrounding myself with these people, there is no end to what can be accomplished.
This concept of a connected network is never more relevant than in your job search. I didn't start out looking to create some kind of mega network web that even Spiderman would be proud of. I just started out getting to know people. I listened to them; their needs, desired, dreams. I didn't get to know them because I wanted something, it was actually quite the opposite. I wanted to be the person that helped them achieve their goals. The unexpected outcome was what happened next. Inevitably when I did have a challenge, need or issue they wanted to help.
Real people haveing real conversations about real issues, seem to simple, thats the beauty of it. It is simple and it does work.
Pay It Forward, the Golden Rule, call it what you want, people helping people achieve their goals is the only way to do business and the best way to approach your job search. Let people in your network; personal and professional know what you're doing. If you've created a genuine relationship, they will want to help. With that kind of support, there is nothing that can stop you.
For more interviewing tips, resume writing help, job search and career advice come back again to; "Connectthedotblog".
Does Modality Matter?
How many online applications have you filled out and submitted recently? Of those how many have you heard back from?
Is it rocket science?
Do you get a higher return rate from:
- Online applications?
- Applying in person?
- Your personal network?
- Your professional network?
Yes, I placed them in that order for a reason. Most folks spend the majority of their time performing activities from the top of this list, when in fact, you get the best return off the activities from the bottom. In your jo search as well as in business, in general, it really is often who you know.
In my world of finding jobs for graduates, the simple fact is, having someone in your corner ALWAYS get you better results than going it alone. Submitting 100 online applications will take longer and yeild fewer results than walking in and dropping off 20 applications in person. Even networking through friends and colleagues; vendors and clients can yield you 50% higher results, (aka interviews) than just dropping off applications/resumes.
Do the math, should you spend your time submitting appications into the black hole of the internet hoping they may reach a nameless, faceless person or should you spend your time leveraging the people you know?
The answer is clear; companies and organizations have yet to find the silver bullet of successful online recruitment. Yet more and more companies pop up each day clamining they have the answer, but they don't. Nothing beats personal contact. Why do you think organizations spend literally billions each year on retention, recruitmet and onboarding programs? Because finding the right fit is hard, doing it over the internet is even harder. They may have a greater number of applicants, but are they the right applicants? No one has found an effective way to measure this.
If you leave this article with one pearl of wisdom, I hope it's this; make it personal! Get others to speak on your behalf, let your personality shine, be memorable and don't expect the internet to care about your job search results, because it won't. Your friends, your connections, your network will care.
So to answer my initial question, yes modality matters. The internet is wonderful modality for making initial connections, however it won't be as effective with your job search as will as a few connections and a sprinkle of personal contact.
For more interviewing tips, resume writing help, job search and career advice come back again to; "Connectthedotblog".
Pay Attention to What You're Applying For…Please?
Yes I am on a hiring frenzy again and can I just say, I really wish people would just pay attention. There is a reason that we list required skills, required education and required experience. If you don't even come close, don't waste your time or the employer's time. Yes there is something to be said for stretching yourself and looking to make a career change. I would never want to discourage that, however sending through an application that looks like you applied by mistake it not the way to accomplish that goal. Call the employer ask about the experience required, what they are looking for and how you skills may or may not transfer, yes I'm telling you to conduct an informational interview.
Here are some simple Do's and Do Not's when applying for jobs:
- Do customize your application, resume, objective statement (if you use one) and cover letter for each job.
- Do Not assume they'll overlook it when your cover letter is for a teaching position and you are applying for a Management role.
- Do take the time to fill out the application completely.
- Do Not put "see resume" in the application sections asking for your duties and skills.
- Do have an objective party review your resume for edits and errors you may have overlooked (a second pair of eyes is always good).
- Do not rush through your resume and just send it to get it in. You may as well not have sent it at all.
You will hear lots of people say that finding a job is a full-time job. This is absolutely correct. It takes time, effort, creativity, determination and a dash of gumption (yes I just used that word). To land the interview, let alone the job. If you aren't willing to put your best foot forward during the research and application process, you might as well forget getting the interview.
Working with students and graduates I make the analogy, if you aren't willing to put in at least as much time into your resume and application process as you put into figuring out your interview outfit; then you are wasting your time. You may as well be sending your applications/resumes out into the dark hole of the internet, because no one is going to see it. You will not get a phone interview, you will not get an in person interview, you will not pass go and you will not collect $200.
A little time and effort on the front end, is going to make your job search so much more productive. Take the time, personalize, preview and perform.
For more interviewing tips, resume writing help, job search and career advice come back again to; "Connectthedotblog".
Don't Sell Yourself Short
So you got the interview, fantastic! Now the work really begins. Remember that getting a job is a full time job and the interview is just one mile on the journey.
Just to refresh on what to do next:
- Research the organization thoroughly. Know who they are, what they stand for and how you can add value to that mission.
- Have thoughtful questions prepared. Don't ask about salary, hours, benefits or how many days you can be late before you get fired. (Yes I actually had someone ask me that question.)
- Dress to impress, remember the point of the interview is to get the hiring manager to actually be able to visualize you doing the job. Don't spoil the image with your Friday night best. You're looking for a job not a date.
- Have extra copies of your resume and references, smile, shake hands firmly, make good eye contact, speak clearly and make a personal connection to the position.
- Finally, don't sell yourself short!
I can't tell you how many times I've interviewed a candidate and their ability to clearly and articulately verbalize their skills, experience and enthusiasm is what kept them from being chosen. The best person to sell you to the hiring manager is YOU!
Letters of reference are great! Awards and certificates of achievement are fantastic! Any external documentation you have that demonstrates your abilities in an objective and positive light make sure you bring with you and discuss. If you can't speak on your own behalf, however, the battle is lost.
Confidence is key! How often have you heard that phrase? I'm sure you've heard it A LOT. It's very true, if you can't hold your head high and let the hiring manager know, that you know your stuff, no one is going to do it for you. Besides, when you have to step into that role, you won't have a herald trumpeting your skills ahead of you as you walk down the hallowed halls of your new organization.
If you can't speak the language of your industry with confidence, know who you are and your value, and believe that you are the best choice for the job, how can you expect to convince the hiring manager of the same?
You are your own best advocate in the job search. Know what the going rate for your position is, understand and speak the terminology specific to that industry, hold your head high and be prepared to describe that not only can you do the job, but that no one can do it better.
For more interviewing tips, resume writing help or job search advice check back again to; "Connectthedotblog".
All Soft Skills Boil Down to Customer Service
I arrived at the airport on Wednesday for a very long flight home only to find that my flight was over an hour delayed, this meant I would miss my cutoff for my final leg of my journey home. It was the last flight out and I was going to have to spend an additional night where I was. For those of you who are frequent travelers, this is not that uncommon an occurence. I received great service at the airport that night as they set me back up in my original hotel and provided for a taxi to take me to the hotel and return me to the airport the next morning. Again, not an unusual story.
The next morning once I made it to my first desitnation I went to check in on my upgrade and was met with complete disregard, as if going to the customer service desk was the biggest inconvenience in the world. I was bothering this woman who was there to assist me, how dare I! It occured to me at that moment what the practical application of 'soft skills' is and why employers spend so much time and money tring to identify employess that have it.
All soft skills, at their very basic level boil down to some form of customer service. While doing some research this morning on soft skills I came across an article titled Top 10 Soft Skills for Job Hunters . This is by no means an all inclusive list but I think it's pretty close.
- Strong work ethic. Will you arrive on time and do your job to the best of your ability with honesty and integrity?
- Positive attitude. Will you approach your job with a smile and genuine joy for what you are doing?
- Good communication skills. Will you interact with internal and external customers in a manner that best befits the organizations image?
- Time management abilities. Will you treat others time (including your organization's time) with the same respect you would like others to give you?
- Problem solving skills. Will you approach challenges in a way that provides objective judgement focused on the needs of our customers and organization?
- Acting as a team player. Will you work collaboratively with members of your group to provide superior results?
- Self confidence. Will you lead by example and provide assistance where and when needed?
- Abiliy to accept and learn from criticism. Will you listen and heed the counsel of those around you in a professional and positive manner?
- Flexibility/Adaptability. Will you accept that sometimes objectives change with little to no warning and it is your job to continue to provide the best support of those objectives?
- Working well under pressure. In times of difficulty will you continue to act in the manner above to smile, be positive and approach the task at hand?
At the most base level all soft skills are your ability to put the needs of your internal and external customers first, provide service with a smile, regardless of the task at hand, and the desire (it is a choice) to enjoy what you are doing. If you can master these few things then the list above will be taken care of. Soft skills, cultural fit, customer service are the same thing.
Your challenge is to be able to demonstrate that you possess these traits in your resume and in the interview. Make sure to tell stories about your experience that demonstrate your willingness to go out of your way to help your customers, co-workers, department and organization. Doing that will put you head and shoulders above the rest.
For more interviewing tips, resume writing help or job search advice check back again to; "Connectthedotblog".
Kids and Interviews Don't Mix
As parents, talking about our children comes as naturally to us as walking and breathing. I do it all the time, and if given a little rope will completely consume the conversation with anecdotal stories of my fabulous four's antics. Having four children at home, I have a story for just about every situation and trust me when I say reality is much stranger than fiction. See, there I went, point made. There are instances however, where going off on 'kid tales' is not appropriate and can actually be detrimental; the Interview.
This week I had the pleasure of interviewing a delightful woman for a position. She was professionally dressed, articulate and well informed. She asked thoughtful questions and her resume was quite impressive, however her children dominated the conversation from the very beginning.
She took a very clever approach to her interview, wherein she tried to tie each of her previously held positions and their duties to the position she was interviewing for. A good strategy to show that you have the skill set, direct or transferable, and experience necessary to be successful in the new role. Her mistake was that each of her positions was related through her children in some manner or other.
When asked how she would approach managing a divers staff with somewhat differing approaches to their daily activities, her answer was about recruiting volunteers for her children's PTA. When asked to discuss her experience with coaching and mentoring students to achieve career success she noted a program she work on with elementary children with regards to drug use.
Now I do want to point out that both of these endeavors are important, difficult and have intrinsic value to our society; however they did not clearly connect the dots between her skill sets and the needs of the position for which she was applying.
With her management and human resource background, she should have been able to easily make connections and share examples from her work experience to the job at hand. I wasn't sure if her answers were due to a lack of understanding of the job she was applying for or her parental instinct to share stories about her children. Either way, she talked herself out of the job.
She was nervous, she was not observing the non-verbal cues of her interviewers, and she was not answering the questions in a manner that befitted a professional with her experience.
Kids and interviews don't mix. Even when you feel the interview is informal and the interviewer is sharing stories of their children, stay away from the subject. It's too easy to fall into the storytelling parent and lose sight of what the conversation is really about.
For more interviewing tips, resume writing help or job search advice check back again to; "Connectthedotblog"
Why Do They Ask That?
Yesterday I received an instant message from a student who was asked a question during an interview she wasn't sure how to answer. She was interviewing for a Medical Billing position and the hiring manager asked "What would you do if the computer system went down?" She was confused by the question and after the interview called to ask me why they asked that question and what the right answer should have been.
I asked her how she responded and she told me that she said "I would do other activities like filing and returning calls." they asked the follow up question, "So you wouldn't do any billing the whole day?" Ouch!
Ok let's think about this. No this wasn't a question designed to catch you off guard, although that was probably how it felt. This was a question to get to the root of your critical thinking skills, how would you behave under pressure, or if you had to improvise to still achieve your goal. In other words can you call an audible at the line of scrimmage?
Ok you're at the line and you can read the defense is going to blitz to your left and your play is leaving you vulnerable on that side. So you have to call an audible, make a play change on the line to still move the ball toward the goal. Are you decisive enough to change direction when you see the line collapsing in?
Once she understood the reason for the question, she then asked me what I would have said. I would have asked if they have resources in place for a paper only process in the event this happens. If they do not, I would probably make it a priority to help devise a process to accomplish the daily tasks with a manual or paper process in the event of a power outage or computer crisis. What I would want to make sure is that all my daily tasks were able to be completed in a timely manner regardless of computer issues.
Understanding the question goes a long way to making sure you're providing the best answer. The questions hiring managers ask are purposeful, to see if you are a good fit culturally, skillfully, experientially and professionally. A good way to think of those, not so obvious questions, is to just think what would you want to hear as an employer? You would want to know that the individual you are hiring will be dependable (there on time for their scheduled shift), professional (able to express to your customers the image you want), adaptable (able to change priorities as needed by the organization), and decisive (able to make decisions for the benefit of the organization). This is not an all-encompassing list; but you can't just come out and as a candidate, so will you be here every day, on time? You know what that answer would be, true or not.
Think about what kind of employee you would want to hire, what would you want to know about them and answer the question accordingly.
For more interviewing tips, resume writing help or job search advice check back again to; "Connectthedotblog"
Help A Shark Ate My Resume!
I had to put a catchy title out to get your attention. The truth is, everyone has an opinion about interviewing etiquette, which do you follow. I had an extraordinary high school social studies teacher and my junior year he gave me a great piece of advice. "Betsy", he said, "the world is full of people with opinions. One thing you have to understand, opinions are like butt holes (sorry couldn't use the real word), everyone has one and they usually all stink." Dressing for an interview is not rocket science, nor is behaving like a professional. However several of my colleagues felt this was an area that may need further discussion so here we go.
- Always arrive 15 minutes early.
- Always leave your cell phone in the car not in your purse/pocket/portfolio.
- Only 1 in 4 job seekers bring a portfolio to an interview. If you don't' have one, get one.
- Smile!
- Look everyone you meet in the eye, shake their hands firmly and speak clearly.
- You have never had a bad boss, co-worker, customer, company or experience with a previous employer.
If you have spent more time figuring out your outfit than you've spent researching the company, you're already in trouble. Make sure you google the organization, look up their mission and vision and any recent news about them. Never go into an interview with out at least three very thoughtful questions to ask the hiring manager that aren't, salary, schedule or vacation centric. Always, always have a way to relate a personal connection you have to their organization.
- There is a difference between interview shoes and Friday night shoes. Please differentiate!
- When you look in the mirror after you've dressed for the interview and think, "dang I look cute", it's probably not the right outfit.
- Sensible shoes, minimal jewelry and make up, hair out of your face, teeth brushed, deodorant on and no perfume.
- If you think your skirt may be too short, it is.
- If you think your shirt may be too low cut, it is.
- If you question any part of your ensemble, there is a reason, listen to your inner self and make the right decision.
An interview is a time to shine. You want the hiring manager to see you for the diamond that you are; you also want them to be able to visualize you actually doing the job. If any part of what you say or what you wear makes them question how you will fit into their world, game over. No matter how casual the interview may feel, never let your guard down for a minute. Reframe all questions in a positive way. Only wear an outfit your mother would approve of and don't say anything you wouldn't want your father to hear come out of your mouth.
Again, it's not rocket science, its common sense. Say please, and thank you, yes ma'am and yes sir. Shake hands, smile and follow up with a thank you note within 3-days. If you can take just these few tips with you to the interview, then you will be playing head and shoulders above your competition.
For more interviewing tips, resume writing help or job search advice check back again to; "Connectthedotblog"


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Al Gore Explains Current TV Sale to Al Jazeera on 'The Daily Show'
Earlier this month, news network al-Jazeera, which is owned by the government of Qatar, agreed to purchase Current TV, the channel partly owned by Al Gore. Last night on "The Daily Show," Gore explained the sale. After the jump, watch the extended interview, with material that wasn't on TV.


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Monthly Archives: June 2010
21.5.800 — Definitely Off the Mat
(Photography by Mike Hainstock)
My life has taken me to the wilds of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. My fave part of living way up north is you can take a quick two-day trip and be in the midst of a green, green dream! I've been doing a little bog-walking, tai chi, yoga on observation decks, and have traveled the shores of Lake Superior.
This past weekend Mike and I traveled to Autrain and camped at Autrain Lake Campgrounds in the Hiawatha National Forest. I took in my first campfire of the season and sampled my first Gluten-Free beer by New Grist. It wasn't bad, a fine light summery beer crafted for taste.
The bog walk was part of the Songbird Trail at the Autrain Lake Campground–but the trail does not go thru te bog. I ventured out carefully to take macro-captures of pitcher plants. Falling thru a bog is not fun and walking on bogs can damage the ecosystem.
This campground was well-less than an hour from my home! But I felt like I had entered a green, green, dream. It was a magical close to my 21.5.800 commitment! But the dream continues in July with new commitments (stay-tuned).
21.5.800—Day 18 and Yesterday's Run
(roughly written)
I am in the midst of dishes, laundry and packing for an overnight camping trip in our new/used 8-foot pop-up camper. It was raining this morning, but I am hoping for good weather tomorrow. I have a 3-day weekend that starts tonight (Friday) after my 3-11pm shift. I plan to hit the Marquette Farmer & Artist's Market and pick up some Vegan Gluten-free bread from Sinfully Seductive Sweets.
So I am finding myself all in list mode, plan mode, and Capricorn all biz–E–ness modes and the last thing on my mind is opening to a stream of consciousness writing drift.
For those of you in creative-mode, I will insert a photo.
I always pack too much, now we have a smaller camper and a smaller vehicle, and really, the important thing to me is dry clothes, memory cards and batteries. Oops hold on must load the battery charger. Be right back. (Reminder to self pack less!)
I'm back. Another set of batteries are charging for the camera.
And I am thinking I ought to do some yoga. Be right back!
Okay changed loads of laundry, took compost out to big bin, and packed shoes. Hope you are enjoying the randomly chosen photos from this week.
Yesterday, yes let's back track now, I went for a run. It was my first run since June 3 and the 5K race that I miraculously came in third, seventh overall. It was a trail run on the south Marquette bike trails on National Trails Day.
Since this fall, my body does not do well with impact. The symptoms started sketchy at first back in September, maybe even August. I would go for a run and spend hours on the floor with fists shoved into my gut. Part of this was gastric and part was spasm.
Now, if I run on too hard of surface, too fast, or on a downhill I end up with terrible pain in my right side. A spasm that feels like it is bruised intestines and part a reacting psoas and illopsoas muscle. Needless to say I am cautious. I always fear running before a work shift. I like a good 12 hours from end of run to the next time I have anything planned just in case. And I like to have the money in the bank to see chiropractor, massage therapist and or physical therapist—just in case. But I LOVE to run!!
I had some creepy tightness last night as I attended the Healer's Coffee at L' Attitude in Marquette, but ti eased and today I am just dealing with neck and shoulder stiffness. I am pleased.
I ran 40-45 minutes at Lil Presque and Songbird Trails for what felt like 4 miles. But since my average seems slower than that these days it was probably only 3.5 miles. I did a fair share of cool down and I was a very relaxed gal yesterday.
I am on the mend. My intestines seem to handle impact better whether from exercise, or when I get gas attacks—the next day I do not feel so bruised.
I know most of this post fits into the RunningMarquette.com or Enjoy Life Free blogs but I am meeting my commitment and making multiple posts all over the Internet is not possible today as I have to pack. Go to bank. Hit the co-op. Fold more laundry. Pack my dinner for work.
So at roughly 568 words, I am outta here. I will be doing Yoga in the woods tomorrow! I will have Mike take photos, too! Look for updates on Blog late Sunday night or Monday.
21.5.800–Day 17, Adventures
Today was Adventurous!
I cut my hair short!
I took photos.
I went to lunch with M. Where I peeled strawberries!
I did yoga in the woods with tourists hiking past.
I went for a run at Lil' Presque and Songbird. Cool wind from Lake Superior and the sun heating the sands and pines. Aromatic!
I cooked a veggie-riffic meal.
I went to a Healer's Coffee.
I had Coconut Bliss, Dark Chocolate, non-dairy frozen dessert.
I edited photos.
Now I am doing yoga, and then going to bed in a cool bedroom.
But I did not write 800 words, yet.
21.5.800–Day 16
21.5.800 Day 16
I told the story of my son coming into this world. How he and I were fighters long before he became a mixed martial art fighter. I share how we were homeless both before and after his birth. How angels surrounded us and kept us together thru a long battle. My son now fights with Michael the Archangel tattooed to his side."
I listen to the little voices in my head say that today your coffee needs a little ground cinnamon. The voice also reminds me to take batteries and camera to yoga class. Where I met my body on the mat and it told me many things.
It is difficult to remember to water the indoor plants when it looks like Seattle in Marquette and the rain came down heavy in sheets.
A fellow yogini told me the morning dawned with orange sky everywhere and that her dog is on robin-time. I woke to Mike closing a widow that was raining in the bedroom with winds challenging the movement of trees. They too found where their bodies were restricting and holding.
Sometimes our bodies deal with storms.
I shake my head in down dog trying to let go of tension. I arch to the left in gate pose. I thread the needle. Listening to what my body tells me.
I woke with spasm and fear in my colon and core. Thought I cannot possibly go to yoga. I thought the storm just proves the point. I cannot ride my bike. My car is on empty.
Mike said, but you seem to enjoy yoga.
So I was at Mukta.
I told the story of my son coming into this world. How he and I were fighters long before he became a mixed martial art fighter. I share how we were homeless both before and after his birth. How angels surrounded us and kept us together thru a long battle. My son now fights with Michael the Archangel tattooed to his side.
Our lives are full of miracles.
Healing occurs in the breath of a hummingbird at a red glass feeder.
I ought to thin the radish seedlings but I have a cloudy head full of storm-weather this afternoon.
I'm letting cinnamon work on me, internal.
I'm letting lavender work on me, external.
I'm letting the angels work on me, ethereal.
I want to seek a deep cave with room for art and remembrance and not rush this day.
This day I brought a life into the world.
We all have a part in creation.
How we chose to breathe.
Today I chose the yoga mat and cinnamon, to water the plants, to capture light and remember.
Word Count: 384
21.5.800–Jonathon Johnson Finds Me Again
Jonathon Johnson (and a poetic voice) Finds Me Again
(rough draft)
Today is the kind of day that I walk around with two pairs of glasses on my head and a stack of poetry books. I sit on the swing next to the pond you built camera balanced on my lap waiting for oriole or wax-wing, reading aloud Jonathon Johnson.
I get the call you are late, dealing with a mess. It's a good thing for I almost forgot the pot of brown rice cooking, now dry, almost burring on the stove.
An ant bites my foot and it still stings, but the phone is on the hook, and I brought in the stack of library books I'll likely have little time to read.
I am trying to grasp on to the summers of my youth. Where sand in my hair meant I laid on the tall dunes baking in the sun. Reading. Napping. A nature child with words in her head and on the tip of her tongue.
The rice is off, placed on the back burner. Dark clouds threaten dreams of watching sunset on Solstice.
Dreams of curry chicken on hold as I sit again pond-side reciting for the gold finch, reading to the air, feet tucked under me in a camp chair.
I might even be happy that you are late as lines form to poems in my head.
Word Count: 226
21.5.800–Day 14, Summer Solstice
Summer Solstice and the sun rose at 5:56 am (it will set at 9:45). I met the sun on the Lake Superior shoreline between Picnic Rocks and McCarty's Cove and joined my yoga community for a circle-led session of yoga on the beach.
The night before I set out my new bike helmet, a backpack with red flasher attached just in case the predawn was too dark. It ended up I did not need the light to be safe on the bike. The day was born bright and beautiful.
I was surprised I was up with the alarm clock at 5:45 and on my Bike by 6 am. It was easy. I had set the intention that this is how I wanted to enter the second half of my year. This is how I wanted to honor the summer before me. This is how I wanted to live my life, heal, and love.
I opened my lungs to the fragrance of morning on the lakeshore. White and pink roses in bloom all along my ride on the bike path. I rooted my feet in the sands of Superior. I down-dogged and I saluted the sun. As I lay in savasana I opened my eyes to a blue sky with wispy white clouds as Mary said we should look at the art in the sky.
I could not sleep last night the moon bright and waxing gibbous at 75%. The air was crisp and cool with the bright night. Restless dreams included me going to a yoga school where people did amazing poses and even I attempted to float in air.
I keep thinking the world is at my feet. I am open to the riches of the universe. I am thinking of fruit, fruition, bringing my wildest dreams into being.
I am picturing my elephant self and a basket of fruit. I am dreaming of one-dollar pineapples. Free mangoes for everyone. Spicy chuntey. Mint and Lime. A community meal with music and laughter.
I water the vegetable garden and the petunia plants outfront. I am observing the garden and growth. I see where I have yet to thin seedlings. I think of my tight neck and shoulders and recognize the holding pattern as one tied to fear.
I'm breathing and letting tapas into my body. Tapas is an enthusiasm and fire , a discipline and a letting go. Simplicity. Being Present. Embracing the daily life of yoga.
Today I need to trust that I am right where I need to be. That life is unfolding on a course that embraces the whole of my spirit, and yours, too.
There is no need to swat at my fear as if I am shooing away an annoying fly. No fearing the mosquito that buzzes my ear all night. I can feel the itch and move forward. I can let go the bite of fear and heal.
Word Count: 485
21.5.800–Day 13, Calming
Tomorrow the goal is to get to 6:30 am sunrise Yoga on the beach. A secondary goal is to wake early enough to get there by Bike. I spent time in the garden's this Sunday seeing the growth of the past week (but not much more than that). I took time to be easy on myself and let the tightness in my shoulder and neck relax. I over-did it last weekend with all the hoeing and shoveling the turning of the soil and the tilling by hand the potato bed.
21.5.800–Day 12, Working on the Path
I dedicate today to working on my path with yoga, breathe and nurturing my connection to the earth with hands in soil. Today I will touch living things and honor my hands and the life that grows from my connections.
Today, I am taking a break from electronics as much as possible. I'm going offline.
(The photos were taken on 6/17 at the Marquette Community Gardens on Presque Isle. I however will be working in my own backyard gardens. Peace.)
21.5.800–Day Eleven
What change do you desire? It is a whisper of a question. Movement. Art-filled joy. Laughter.
Now imagine you can have your deepest desires!
I look at these photos and I already know that part of my dream for change is in progress. In fact, I am living it! Writing these words means, I am living it! Each choice I make takes me closer.
My feet are on a path. Yesterday, I kept watching through the lens of my camera at the paths opening before me. Sometimes the path was the simple framing of a photograph, a pathway in the community garden. Sometime the path appeared much more subtle–not a footpath– an angle, curve, or blossoming.
I stepped past the angry thistle to the wild iris, carefully. I saw a whole field of purple and blue wild iris open, focus and blur, bokeh and breath. The light was fading away from golden magic light to the blue of night. Would I have enough time? Enough light. To show, clearly the path I discovered on Thursday night.
I have written about the nearly back-to-back shifts of Wednesday and Thursday. A 3pm-1am shift followed by a 9am-3pm shift. Followed by a nap and a camera walk with Mike.
My sleep patterns are off. My digestive patterns are off. With Celiac Disease this is a no-no, folks. So when I think of changes I desire they come with listening to my body and not forcing it to mold and meld with the lifestyle of shift-work.
I dream of a day when I support myself fully with my creativity.
I am planning a couple of Ebooks and expanding my Etsy store. I'm in the gathering phase for a gift card series. And I am envisioning a swing-set in the backyard. Every grandmother-goddess-yogini-artist should have one.
I am cleaning out my art studio making room for my massage table. I am dusting off my books. I am offering art supplies to those who have none. I am digging in the dirt of my flowerbeds and vegetable gardens.
I am breathing, healing, and my nutrient levels are rising. With this change, I become stronger and more energized.
I have many paths open before me. Some are clear. Others have blossoms to which I must peek within, gently, tender petals, pollen, like magical dust from dreams.
Nothing to sneeze at (wink).
Word Count: 400
The other 400 words will appear on one of Kim's other blogs TBD.
21.5.800–Fenced in on Day-Ten
Fenced in by working two shifts equalling 16-hours in one 24-hour period. I was sleep deprived did not write (much)but I did stretch, lay in savassana and I went for a camera walk on Presque Isle in Marquette, Michigan.
Sometimes when we are the most taxed for time and energy doing the activity that brings us the most joy allows us to relax our shoulders (lowering them from the ears and down the back) and deepens our breathe.
I also realized the counting of days was off (a bit)–I should really map out commitments on paper and to renew my focus I am doing just that today. I think I lost count over last weekend.
This post is for Thursday, Day-Ten of the 21.5.800 commitment.
Ask me about the photo and I will tell you what was beyond the fence on Thursday :-)


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It has to be said: people who are entrepreneurial (i.e., club owners) often are lousy time managers. It's not your fault exactly. It's just that no one taught you how to manage your time — not parents, schools or business. But, that doesn't mean you must go through the rest of your life with an inability to manage your time. It just requires a behavior change, says Barbara Hemphill, CEO of Hemphill Productivity Institute and author of "Love It or Lose It: Living Clutter Free Forever."
Good time management stems from three pieces: emotion, system and habit, Hemphill says. The emotional part of it is more than half the battle. A person must be ready to learn how to manage their time. Often, that requires something dramatic to happen to make the person realize that they need help. Then, the person must create a system that will help them manage their time. Finally, the person must make it a habit.
Unfortunately, too many people are busy putting out fires to take time out to look at the bigger picture, says Hemphill.
"If you don't know where you are going, there's no way to know what to do with your time," she says. "The majority of the world is frantic all day, but at the end of the day if you ask them what they did today to get to their long-term goals, they can't tell you."
To better manage time, Hemphill says to follow five steps.
- Manage the vision
Ask yourself, if I could live my life the way I want to, how would it be? People will make the emotional changes necessary if they want this life bad enough. That means creating a big picture of how you want your life and your company to be.
- Eliminate excuses
Once you identify the excuses you are using to prevent yourself from managing your time, you can get past those excuses because, after all, they are just excuses, not reasons. You may think you don't have the time, the money or the help to manage your time better, but those are just excuses preventing you from reaching the goal you created in your big picture.
- Commit your time
Once you've identified your excuses and see them for what they are, you must commit yourself and your time to making your goal a reality. You must spend time getting the system in place, learning what you need to do, buying whatever equipment you need and then maintaining that system.
- Select your tools
The tools you will need to manage your time may vary by person, but they are both physical and mental tools. Mentally, you must know which of your ideas you need to toss and not expend more mental energy on. Physically, you must get rid of clutter (yes, have a wastebasket handy). You must also get a calendar that works for you and look at how your desk and office is organized. An office with clutter and piles all over not only lessens your productivity, but it sends a message to your employees that you, and the business, are out of control, says Hemphill.
- Maintain your success
If the first four steps are in place, you can maintain your system forever, says Hemphill. However, you must recognize that your system may need to change in the future. Just as a runner who experiences an injury must adapt to a new exercise routine or risk not maintaining his or her fitness level, certain changes in business may require a change to your system.
This all sounds well and good, but how exactly does one go about putting these into place? Hemphill says it takes just four simple steps: gather, sift, prioritize and act. Unfortunately, most people are always acting and aren't doing much of the rest of it, she says. If you don't start with gathering, which means pulling together everything you want or need to do, then you can't sift and prioritize. Instead, you will just act, and you may be acting on things that aren't important in the big scheme.
When you sift, you must ask whether you are the best person for this particular task.
"Your ability to grow your business is totally related to your ability to delegate things," says Hemphill. "There's only so many hours in a day. If you have to do everything, then there are only so many things you can do."
Therefore, you should make sure that you are doing everything that you do best and then make sure you have trained people to do the rest as you want it done. That takes time in the short term, but it will save you time in the long term, Hemphill says.
Once you sift, you can then prioritize what is most important for you to do to reach your long-term goals. Then, and only then, should you act.


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Man Without a Country
Memoirs 1925-1950
Memoirs 1925-1950 is the story of a sensitive, intelligent boy from Milwaukee, Wisconsin who goes off to Europe, where he gains fame, if not fortune, in the service of his country, and after many trials and tribulations discovers that nobody ever understood him. It is a sad tale in which the author suffers mightily from snubs, rebuffs, frustrations, discomfort, and the boorishness of his fellow countrymen. Although he deserves a better fate than he meets, he keeps a stiff upper lip through his adversities, and eventually triumphs over defeat by finding a better life in the cloisters of Princeton, New Jersey.
For all its sadness, the story is an inspiring one that will move many readers to emotions of pity and indignation: pity for a man who was too wise to be listened to by his superiors; indignation at a system that did not provide him with even greater rewards and recognition than he received. It was George Kennan's misfortune to live in a crass country and in a century where his finest qualities were not truly appreciated. In this lengthy reminiscence, gleaned from voluminous diary notes, unread documents, unpublished poems and travel impressions, thumbnail sketches of famous and obscure individuals, attempts at self-analysis, and accounts of crises and decisions in which the author was involved, the reader gains a new impression of a man who has become the nearest thing to a legend that this country's diplomatic service has ever produced. These memoirs are expertly written, often fascinating, and in many ways depressing. In them this hero is transformed before our eyes into a very fallible mortal, and in some ways even into an anti-hero. What the author conceives as an eighteenth-century autobiography turns into a twentieth-century tale of alienation, very modern, very sad, and unintentional.
FOR ALL ITS LIMITATIONS, this is an important book, both as diplomatic history and as intellectual biography. These memoirs are more than a recollection of a distinguished, if disappointing, career in diplomacy. More than an explanation of how the embassy in Moscow is run, or what the author thought of Averell Harriman and Dean Acheson, or how the Russians took over Eastern Europe. They are about a man as much as about a time: a man of intelligence and integrity whose effectiveness was hobbled by insecurity, intellectual arrogance, and a tendency toward selfpity. A man who counsels the virtues of being, like himself, "a guest of one's time and not a member of its household"; who was "concerned less with what people thought they were striving for than with the manner in which they strove for it"; who recognized "that I stood temperamentally outside the passions of war—and always would"; who watched the Nazi rise to power, the dismemberment of Czechoslovakia, and the devastation of Rotterdam with analytical dispassion, but who was painfully wounded when snubbed at Princeton as an undergraduate, or when his…
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text:
Tough-luck Lindsey falls again at Olympics
Recommended Video:
KRASNAYA POLYANA, Russia (AP) -- Same sting, different day for Lindsey Jacobellis.
The woman who has dominated her sport for a decade came to the Olympics for the third time Sunday, in search of the gold medal she gave away once and lost in one of those so-called "racin' deals" the other time.
Far ahead of the other five riders in her semifinal heat on a sunny, slushy afternoon at Rosa Khutor Extreme Park, Jacobellis misjudged the second-to-last turn on the course, flew over a jump too fast, lost her balance and skidded onto her back.
She raised her hands for leverage as she skittered into the middle of the course, hoping the momentum might pull her back to her feet. But the snow was too soft and Jacobellis was stuck. She moved to the side and trudged down the hill, snowboard in hand.
"It's how the wheel turns," she said. "It just so happened not to work out. It's hard to accept that."
Moments after her latest hard-luck loss in the Olympic version of NASCAR on snow, she overcame a slow start and dominated the field in what they call the Small Final -- the race that decides seventh place.
Jacobellis now has second-, fifth- and seventh-place finishes in her three Olympic trips. Yes, it keeps getting worse.
Her first Olympic loss, eight years ago in Italy, was a sheer matter of showboating. Out in the clear with two jumps left, she tried a showy grab of her board and tumbled, then got passed for the victory and held up for ridicule in some corners, derision in others.
Four years ago in Vancouver, she collided with Canadian Maelle Ricker, the eventual winner, on an early turn in the semifinal round. That put her off balance and she couldn't regain control before she rode completely off course. She won the consolation heat -- then a four-woman race -- that day, as well.
This time, it was a cruel melding of human error and the randomness of snowboardcross that combined to ruin her day.
Jacobellis was well in the lead when she headed into the second-to-last turn and set herself up for a set of four gentle bumps -- called "rollers" in snowboard parlance. The traffic behind her -- bunched in a four-way scrum for what looked like the last two spots in the final -- wasn't bearing down, but Jacobellis wasn't sure, so she pushed things as she headed to the corner.
The last roller shot her blindly into the final turn and she lost her balance.
Within seconds, the entire field passed her.
"There's a lot out there you can't control, but unfortunately, what I could control today was what didn't work," she said. "That's the unfortunate part."
Over a career that began when she was a teen, the 28-year-old Jacobellis has a record of putting things together when it counts. She won her eighth Winter X Games title last month, and also has 26 World Cup victories and three world championships.
Then, the Olympics roll around.
"People don't understand how much pressure is on her," said her American teammate, Faye Gulini, who finished fourth. "It breaks her heart because I think it takes the fun out of it for her. Just for this event. She loves the sport. She's a phenomenal snowboarder. But it's in her head, with that much pressure on you. I've never had that kind of pressure but I know it just breaks her as an athlete."
Another American, Nate Holland, was on hand a day before he tries to end his own 0-for-2 Olympic drought.
"A little bit of heartbreak, for sure," Holland said.
Jacobellis, who made this Olympics after a full recovery from a pair of knee operations in 2012, acknowledged that heartbreak but said it wasn't pressure that did her in.
"It's not that I'm over-amped, or over-excited," she said. "I was really happy with how the course was coming together for me. It just didn't work out. I don't really know how else to say it."
Jacobellis will be 32 in 2018. There's talk the Olympics might add a team snowboardcross event for the Games in South Korea -- essentially a relay. Jacobellis has been excited about the prospect of racing with her American teammates instead of against them.
It would've been so much easier to take one last trip with a gold medal in her pocket.
But it wasn't to be. Again.
"There are worse things in life than not winning," Jacobellis said. "A lot worse. And, of course, it's very unfortunate this didn't work out for me."


text:
MORAGA, Calif. (AP) Matthew Dellavedova had 31 points for the second straight game and Saint Mary's roared past Jackson State 120-67 Tuesday night.
Dellavedova, missing his career high by one point, also had eight assists and six rebounds for the Gaels (7-2). Saint Mary's also missed its highest-scoring game by a point; the Gaels scored 121 against Chicago State on Nov. 23, 2010.
Brad Waldow scored a career-high 21 points and James Walker III added 14 points, matching his career high. Jorden Page had 13 points and Beau Levesque had 10 points and 10 rebounds for Saint Mary's, which shot 62 percent.
Jackson State (0-6), which has played all of its games on the road, launched a 13-0 run midway through the first half. Kelsey Howard's layup got the Tigers within 25-19, but the Gaels ran off a 17-3 streak to put it away.
Dundrecous Nelson led the Tigers with 27 points.


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RESTORING RELIGIOUS LIBERTY in AMERICA
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Food & Drink
Who's really flying the plane?
By Thom Patterson, CNN • Updated 26th March 2012
The last time you flew, did you wonder what's
going on behind that closed cockpit door? Who's actually flying the plane? Is it a human being, or Capt. Autopilot?
Based on its record, America leads the commercial airline industry in safety. And for most passengers, that information alone provides all the confidence in the world.
But there will always be nervous fliers who need to know: Who are they trusting with their lives, human or machine?
"There are millions of people out there who are under the impression that the airplane is flying itself and the pilots are only there in case something goes wrong," says Patrick Smith, a 22-year veteran commercial pilot
who blogs about airline issues
This, says Smith, is the big lie.
It's true that airline computers and electronic control systems allow pilots to fly "hands off" beginning soon after takeoff, continuing through the flight route and -- in very rare cases -- all the way through touchdown.
Lizzie O'Leary reports on whether the new Boeing 787 everything it's cracked up to be?
But Smith says that doesn't mean the planes fly themselves.
One day, Smith was flying as a passenger when that false impression really hit him square in the face.
The airliner glided to a particularly smooth landing, and a "smart Alec" seated a few rows behind Smith shouted, "Nice job, autopilot!"
"Everybody around us started cackling," Smith said. "While it was funny, it was wrong. And I knew that he meant it. It was frustrating."
Even Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger enjoyed the backup of computer autopilot during his famous "miracle on the Hudson" emergency landing three years ago.
Sullenberger was in the pilot's seat when his Airbus A320 collided with a flock of geese and lost thrust 2,700 feet over Manhattan.
Computer-assisted flight systems were active, Sullenberger said, but there was no need for them.
"We never got to the extremes where [flight control computers] would have protected us" from pointing the plane's nose too high, or going too fast or too slow, he told CNN last week. "We didn't need any of it."
Capt. Chesley Sullenberger says flight control computers weren't necessary for him to safely ditch in New York's Hudson River in 2009.
Brendan McDermid / Reuters
In fact, flight control computers actually hindered the landing, said Sullenberger, who's now a CBS News aviation and safety consultant. Flight software prevented him from keeping the plane's nose a little higher during the last four seconds before he ditched US Airways Flight 1549 in the icy Hudson River.
"So we hit harder than we would have, had we been able to keep the nose up," he said. "That was a little-known part of the software that no airline operators or pilots knew about."
Of course, most passengers never experience that kind of emergency. During a normal flight, there's no way to know when your pilots are using computer-programmed automatic flight systems.
Smith described what goes on behind the cockpit's closed door.
Hands-on flying hasn't disappeared, he said -- it's just different. For example, setting up and executing an automatic descent has changed.
"In the old days, you had your hand on the wheel and you pushed the nose down and adjusted the power accordingly," he said. "Now, you've got to hold a different set of buttons and dials and switches, but in the end, you're still doing the same thing -- you're still flying the plane."
"None of it is easy," he said. "In a lot of ways, it's more difficult because airplanes are so much more complex now."
Sure, there's a lot of "hands-off" time, but there are also many tasks that surround the management of the airplane and its computerized systems. "You're utilizing a different skill set."
Some fear that airliner pilots rely too much on autopilot technology, saying that such a reliance leads to lack of practice and infrequent use of manual piloting skills.
Experts have suggested this may have been a factor
in the mysterious Atlantic crash of Air France Flight 447 from Brazil to Paris, which killed 228 passengers and crew.
As technology becomes more and more sophisticated -- and trusted -- an expert at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology says commercial airliners could one day be piloted by remote control.
"We fly many unmanned air vehicles around the world today, mainly for military or small airplane applications," said
R. John Hansman, a professor of aeronautics and astronautics, and head of the Division of Humans and Automation, at MIT
. "At a technical level, there's no reason why we couldn't do that with a commercial airplane."
Hands-on flying hasn't disappeared, says pilot Patrick Smith, it's just different and, "in a lot of ways, it's more difficult."
Getty Images
Far-fetched? Hansman isn't the only one in the airline community talking about this.
At an aeronautical conference last August, James Albaugh, a Boeing president and CEO, announced that a "pilotless airliner is going to come; it's just a question of when. You'll see it in freighters first, over water probably, landing very close to the shore," according to IEEE Spectrum magazine.
The idea won't be widely accepted until at least a couple of generations from now, said Hansman, who's also a licensed private pilot. But experts are already planning how it might work.
There are two basic academic models. In one, pilots would fly airliners by remote control from "cockpits" on the ground -- just as pilots
currently fly Predator military drones over Afghanistan and along the U.S.-Mexican border
"There's another model where you might have a flight attendant sufficiently trained," said Hansman, to act as a backup pilot on automated or remote-controlled airliners.
Yes, you read that right.
There's an idea out there to have backup pilots who also serve passengers peanuts and tomato juice.
"There are people who discuss that," Hansman said. "I don't know if that's particularly realistic."
Frustration is the word Smith uses to describe this kind of talk from "aerospace academics, researchers, professors, consultants and other smart people who often have a very limited grasp of the day-to-day operational realities of commercial flying."
That's not to sound arrogant, Smith said, "but it's a theoretical discussion for researchers and scientists, and it's not anything with any practical application at this point."
U.S. Air Force Predator drone operators conduct a training mission at Creech Air Force Base, Nevada.
US Air Force
"It's wrong on so many levels that it's hard to get my arms around it and explain," he said with exasperation. "And for what? You'd still need human beings to operate these planes remotely. Thus, I'm not sure what the benefit of this would be in terms of cost."
Cost might actually be an argument against it. Building necessary infrastructure would cost hundreds of billions of dollars, Smith said.
It's like saying we should get rid of surgeons in the operating room because of advances in medical technology, he said.
"I think there's something about flying that brings out this remote-control fantasy in people," said Smith. "I don't exactly know where it comes from."
As MIT's Hansman explained it, pilotless airliners would simply be the end result of the current evolution of flight deck staffing.
Here's what he means: Improved technology has contributed to shrinking cockpit staff. According to Hansman, before the Boeing 757 began service in the 1980s, most large airliners had a standard flight deck staff of three. They were the pilot, co-pilot and a flight engineer who managed pressurization, heating, fuel and pneumatic systems. Then, Hansman said, "those systems became automated, and the standard flight deck crew went from three to two."
Going from two to one pilot would be a difficult threshold for the airline community to cross. Two onboard pilots allow for a safety net -- a redundancy, he said -- to ensure sound judgment calls and to protect against possible incapacitation of the pilot -- for example in case of sickness or an accident.
But going from two to zero is another thing altogether.
"It's not clear that anybody would want to ride on an airplane that doesn't have a crew on board," Hansman said.
Would Hansman? No.
"Not at this point," he said.
No matter how trustworthy the technology becomes, Hansman said remote-controlled airliners will never become reality without widespread public acceptance.
U.S. unmanned aircraft -- like this 3-pound Draganflyer helicopter -- are projected to number above 15,500 by 2018.
From Draganfly
But he doesn't rule out that possibility.
"You have to remember, nobody thinks twice about getting onto an automated train, for example, at the airport."
This isn't all conjecture, though. To be sure, unmanned aircraft are coming soon to airspace near you.
In fact, it may not be long before you see remote-controlled drones flying over your neighborhood.
The Federal Aviation Administration plans to begin flight testing and writing rules aimed at integrating unmanned aircraft into the national airspace system as soon as 2015. Some of these might include flying drones with sophisticated cameras
like the Draganflyer, which can be used for police search and rescue
, or unmanned crop-dusters. By 2018, the nation's unmanned aircraft could number more than 15,500,
according to industry projections.
Aerospace contractor Northrop Grumman is developing an unmanned combat jet the size of a fighter plane.
If successful,
the X-47B
would claim two firsts for an unmanned jet: in-flight fueling capability, and launch and landing aboard Navy aircraft carriers.
For Sullenberger -- perhaps the nation's most famous pilot -- the idea of remote-controlled airliners triggers a lot of critical questions.
He speculated about what might have happened to Flight 1549 after it collided with the geese if the plane had been controlled by a remote pilot.
"What if the geese damaged whatever forward viewing devices there were -- such as cameras or infrared or radar? What if the damage prevented the operator from seeing the river? Or seeing the plane's height above the river?" How would the operator be able to land the plane safely?
"On every airplane I've ever flown, I tend to use the technology to its full capabilities when it's appropriate," Sullenberger said. "But looking as far into the future as I can see, every airplane -- no matter how sophisticated -- really needs to be flown, and flown very well, by a human pilot."
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Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Wild Salmon Cakes – Canned Fish and Saltine Crackers?…Now that's Gourmet!
I'm using canned salmon for this delicious recipe. Why? Well, first of all, every grocery store carries it. Secondly, caned salmon is almost always wild salmon. And lastly, it's cheap! I'm not going to go into the wild vs. farmed salmon debate here (you can Google it), but wild is not only more eco-friendly, but it tastes better, and is more nutritious. You could use fresh cooked salmon for this recipe if you have leftovers, but since we are mixing this up with eggs and cracker crumbs, fresh salmon just is'nt necessary, so why spend the extra cash? (you could save it and buy a t-shirt on my site! In fact, I'm thinking of a new t-shirt slogan "I like my salmon, like I like my women…wild! OK, maybe not)
The recipe ingredients you see below are VERY basic. There are lots of ways to customize these cakes; you can add fresh herbs, garlic, green onions, hot peppers, etc., so feel free to experiment. I tend to like my salmon cakes on the "bready" side, but you could add only one egg and fewer crackers if you want cakes that are more "salmony." The tarragon aioli I served under these luscious cakes will be demo'd next, so stay tuned for that. Finally, as you hear me warn in the demo, canned salmon is NOT completely boneless, so PLEASE spend a few minutes carefully flaking the meat as you prep it to remove all the bones. Other than that small chore, this is a very simple recipe that comes out perfectly every time. Enjoy!
14 oz. can of wild red salmon (or pink)
2 eggs
12 saltine crackers
1 tbl olive oil
1 tbl butter
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbl chopped capers
1/2 lemon
8 comments:
Soooo basic and soooo yumm!
- April 3, 2007 at 11:01 PM
When I use canned salmon I leave in the little white things you are calling bones. I was told that they are cartalidge and I feel they would have calcium in them.
- May 1, 2007 at 4:32 AM
Made these again yesterday for about the 10th time. One of our favorite recipes!
- January 2, 2010 at 5:01 PM
the bones are actually edible cause they're really soft after being canned
- February 24, 2010 at 5:32 PM
Is there anything I can sub for the capers? I had them in something else and did not care for them.
- February 16, 2011 at 7:19 PM
FANTASTIC! Thank you!
P.S. I ended up subbing green olives after a quick google
- February 16, 2011 at 11:37 PM
- 1Bigg_ER said...
I made these for dinner today. FANTASTIC! Even better with the steak mayo sauce
- February 8, 2012 at 9:29 PM
- spay/neuteryourpets said...
It took more like 20-25 minutes to remove the bones lol. The cakes were slightly falling apart in the pan; I added 1/2 cup onion & celery- maybe it was too many ingredients, I'm going to try using a little more bread crumbs today. They came out good though, I browned them good. Anonymous
- August 26, 2014 at 12:02 PM


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Yellow Gingham Check Window Curtains Includes 2 Curtain Panels
Easy care Poly/Cotton yellow and white 1/4" gingham check curtains with or without optional white poly/cotton washable lining. 2 curtain panels each 40" wide with 2" pocket for rod and 1" header above rod. Tiebacks are included.
WASHING: lined or Non-Lined curtains can be gentle washed and tumbled low or no heat, touch up with low temp iron. NO BLEACH, gentle detergent.


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The Amazing Race just got a little more competitive. CBS's travel-adventure reality series announced today the 11 teams that will compete in the 23rd season of the show, and amongst the competitors are two former Houston Texans football players and good friends, Chester Pitts II and Ephraim Salaam.
During the course of the season of The Amazing Race, Pitts and Salaam will travel the world together competing in daring challenges against 10 other teams. Their competition is made up of a pair of baseball wives, a pair of exes, two married ER doctors, hockey cheerleaders, theater performers, eco-farmers, oil field workers, Afghani cousins, a father and daughter, and a dating couple.
Pitts retired from football in 2011, and recently joined local station KPRC as a sports broadcaster. Ephraim Salaam played for the Texans until 2010 and is now an analyst for Fox Sports.
You might remember Pitts and Salaam from this charming Super Bowl XLII ad retelling how Salaam discovered Pitts working in a grocery store, back when the only thing he played was the oboe.
The new season of The Amazing Race begins at 7 p.m. on Sunday, September 29th on CBS. Watch the preview for this season of The Amazing Race, and size up our home team's competition:


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By Christen da Costa
By now we're all too familiar with the endless array of iPhone battery packs. So what about the other guys? Officially announced today, the Case-mate Fuel Battery Pack does double duty as a hip holster and back up battery pack for the Blackberry Bold. The company claims that you'll get 7 additional hours of talk time or up to 20 additional days, yes days, beyond the Bold's standard battery. And in case (pun slightly intended) you're averse to over-charging, Case-mate has tossed in an on/off switch allowing you to kick in the fuel for when you want it.
Case-mate has also built a Fuel battery pack for the iPhone 3G – they'd be idiots not to. Expect to get 9 additional hours of talk time or 250 hours beyond the iPhone's standard standby time.
Both Fuel packs are available now for $79.99.
[ Case-mate – Fuel Battery Pack ] VIA [ GadgetReview ]


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condition (someone or something) to (something)(redirected from conditioned us to)
condition (someone or something) to (something)
1. To train someone or an animal to do something in a particular way or to act in a certain way. Years of office work have conditioned me to get up at 6 AM, even on the weekends. The dog has been conditioned to run to his bowl when I open the cabinet where we store his food.
2. To acclimate someone or an animal to something. It will take time to condition ourselves to the pace of life in our sleepy new town. How long will it take to condition the dog to our commands?
See also: condition
condition someone or something to something
1. to train or adapt someone or an animal to do something. I conditioned the dog to beg for a treat. Over the years, he had conditioned himself to run for hours at a stretch.
2. to train or adapt someone or an animal to something. We could never condition the cat to the finer points of domestication. I conditioned myself to the extreme cold.
See also: condition


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- Prayer and Worship
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- About USCCB
Catholic catechists and teachers pass on the faith through catechetical programs in parishes, through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, through Catholic youth ministry and campus ministry programs. During the 2013-2014 academic year, 6,594 Catholic elementary and secondary schools in the U. S. provided education for more than 1.9 million students
Find more statistics on Catholic Education in the U.S., see the Catholic Education Backgrounder.
In this section of our website, you will find information on Evangelization and Catechesis and Catholic education geared to a variety of age groups, including elementary, secondary and college students, youth and young adults, adult members of the Church and those who are seeking to become Catholics.
Source: McDonald, Dale, PBVM, Ph.D. and Margaret Schultz, Annual Statistical Report 2013-2014, National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA), 2014.
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text: Made from the same beloved laminated wood as the Dreamz, Naturalz have a nice smooth surface and a lovely light natural wood color. They have perfect points that are flawlessly tapered - ideal for all yarns and every project. The natural color is perfect for projects of any color! They are warm to the touch, and gentle in the hand, and all needles have laser-marked sizes. The circular needles have resilient, flexible cords that lay flat with no kink or twist, and they are available in lengths 16, 24, 32, 40, and 47.You can also view all Knitter's Pride Naturalz Fixed Circular Needles.


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Ashanti Sings The National Anthem On Game 5 Of The 2008 NBA Finals
Game 5 of the NBA Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics at the Staples Center (Sunday, June 15th 2008) Ashanti's new album "The Declaration" In Stores Now!
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Memories of…
T is still unexpectedly napping in the car and I'm sitting a few feet away in the dappled shade under our camphor tree, having one of those quiet moments that seem deliciously stolen out from under the day. I suppose I should wake him but I just can't bring myself to do it.
I'm thinking about an afternoon few days ago, when Tariku made friends with a group of older boys at the beach and told Scott to vamoose, saying, "You can stand over there near my mom." This was a first. T is not a kid who likes to be without one of us for even five minutes. He insures that we'll be glued to his side by doing things like "cleaning up" by dumping a glass of water into the DVR player while I'm making dinner. So it seems like a huge step that he wanted to fly solo with his new friends.
Of course, we were by the water so we were only about ten feet away, but it was still kind of amazing to watch the boys show him how to dig for sand crabs. You should have seen his delight when they dumped a few of the hapless creatures into his outstretched hands. I didn't even know we had sand crabs in Malibu. I've only ever seen them at the Jersey Shore, where I summered as a kid.
What struck me was that many of my dearest memories of growing up don't involve my parents. All of my most secret and treasured discoveries happened by myself or with friends. What I most remember about the shore was being part of a wild wolf pack of kids, running over the burning hot sand, holding crumpled dollar bills for Creamsicles from the ice cream truck. I remember the orange-stained tongues, the sand-scrubbed sunburns from burying each other up to our necks. I remember I first held a boy's hand at the amusement park there. I know that my parents were nearby, because I was nine, but I have no memory of that. Just the whirling lights, the smell of the sea air, the tentative press of palm to palm.
I wonder what T will remember. I spend my days so obsessed with his every move that I often forget- if he somehow remarkably remembers those sand crabs, I won't be in the picture at all. I find it liberating to think that his interior world is entirely his own. One day he'll discover a band that blows his mind. One day someone will break his heart. These will be the moments that grow to define him, and in his memories of them, his mom will be rightfully absent.
I try to remember that I'm just here to love him like crazy and figure out how to stand far enough away to pretend I'm invisible, but close enough to protect him when the water gets too rough.


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By Susan Snyder
The Philadelphia Inquirer
Distributed by MCT Information Services
Christopher Gray couldn't even afford college application fees, let alone tuition. His single mother was out of work, and there were two siblings to think about, then ages 2 and 3.
But with a passion for entrepreneurship, the Birmingham, Ala., student dreamed of attending a college in the Northeast so he could be close to New York City and other major business centers.
"So the onus was really on me. I had to deal with it myself," recalled Gray, now 21 and a rising junior at Drexel University.
For three months, he holed up in the local library _ he didn't have a computer at home _ and searched out and applied for more than 70 college scholarships. Gray, an A-B student in high school who had served in leadership roles and started his own nonprofit company, had astounding success.
He received 34 scholarships worth $1.3 million _ enough to get his bachelor's, his master's, and his doctorate, plus cover his living expenses with some left over to invest.
Now, Gray – since dubbed "the Million Dollar Scholar" – has found a way to help other teens find scholarship money. He and two associates have developed a mobile app called Scholly – shorthand for "scholarships" – for both the iPhone and Android. The app has been available for only about a month, but several thousand downloads have sold. Gray and his colleagues decided to keep the price at 99 cents because their intent is more public service than profit.
All proceeds at this point are going back into the company, said Nick Pirollo, 23, one of Gray's partners. He is a computer and electrical engineering major from New Jersey who graduated this month. He updates the app and manages the website Myscholly.com.
As a student at a magnet high school in Birmingham, Gray distinguished himself early on. He graduated with a 3.9 GPA while leading the local Bible club and running his nonprofit, Genesis, which organized volunteer opportunities for students. He wanted to apply to Harvard and other top schools, but could not afford the application fees.
His guidance counselor suggested he apply for six scholarships. He got all of them, but knew he needed more. He scanned hundreds of websites, poring through criteria. Many scholarships had narrowly defined qualifications that he didn't meet: "It was frustrating."
But many looked for top-notch academics combined with leadership and community service. Gray had all three.
"I had 600 volunteer hours," he said. "And because I started a nonprofit, that made me stand out."
Gray's biggest coup was the Gates Millennium Scholarship, which covers tuition and room and board from a bachelor's to a doctorate. A $20,000 scholarship from Coca-Cola followed, and fortuitously put him in touch with Bryson Alef, a rising senior at Amherst College, his other partner on the Scholly app. He also received a $20,000 Horatio Alger Scholarship and the $10,000 Axa Achievement Scholarship.
Smaller awards came from Wal-Mart and Lowe's. And they just kept coming.
"My mom was elated. I did a little jumping around," Gray said.
Gray, an entrepreneurship major at Drexel, has used the money for tuition, room and board, supplies at the Apple store, travel for interviews, clothing and other needs.
He has appeared at national conferences and in the media, including U.S. News & World Report. As a result, hundreds of students and parents have emailed and called for advice. Working with Mayor Michael Nutter's office on education, he has also advised students at Philadelphia public high schools.
"That's what inspired me to make the app," he said. "It was taking hours of my day trying to help. It just became too much."
Gray has uploaded 500 scholarships on the app and continues to add more. They are sorted by eight areas: state, race, GPA, gender, need/merit, grade (high school or college), major and miscellaneous. Students can find suitable scholarships and create a spreadsheet. Gray also has uploaded several of his winning scholarship essays.
The app is geared to both high school and college students, who can qualify even though they are already in school, Gray said.
After graduation, Pirollo will continue working with Gray and also start a job with Vistaprint, a business card company.
Gray, who has two more years at Drexel, wants to make it easier for his siblings than it was for him.
"I'm trying to save up to put them in a better environment," he said, aiming to get them into a private school by fifth grade.
As for his career plans, he has the goal of a true entrepreneur: "Ideally not to have to get a job when I graduate."
___ (c)2013 The Philadelphia Inquirer Visit The Philadelphia Inquirer at http://www.philly.com
Distributed by MCT Information Services
Christopher Gray holding a phone displaying his app Scholly, which is available in the iPhone and Android App Stores.
Photo Courtesy of Google Images


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This is not even remotely related to wine, beer, spirits, bitching and griping, or any of the other things you normally read in The Pour Fool – and I humbly apologize for that…
The photo you'll see below is the cover art for a book entitled "Call Me Joe", written by some guy named "Steven J Patrick" who, as it turns out, is me…which you may already know if you've ever seen my other Seattle P-I bloglet, "The Constant Valentine". In it, my alter ego spins a yarn about a fictional Seattle private detective named Truman "Tru" North, a creation which has been rattling about my subconscious for over a decade but which I hesitated to use because…well, it was just too cute. "Tru North" – I mean, who am I kidding? Not only that, but he has a brother named Dewey North.
I'll let you guess what Dewey is nicknamed…
Taken as a set, the North brothers are just too precious for words, so I doggedly refused to use Tru as a protagonist. But the silly SOB just wouldn't go away and I finally caved. Tim Hallinan, a writer I admire greatly, has a central character named Simeon Grist (no, not kidding) and I figured that if Tim could slide by with that, I could manage Tru North.
Book Two of this character is already well underway. It's called "Vibe" and I hope (beg, pray, beseech all the deities) to have it done by May or so. It will be noticeably better than "Call Me Joe" as I learned a lot of valuable lessons in five years of bumbling around with this thing.
CMJ deals with a former CIA sniper who's decided, late in his career, to go shoot people for reasons of his own. It also concerns a stalled resort development, just south of Kettle Falls, Washington, which is mired in a tribal voting rights scandal, which Tru is hired to unravel. As events progress, shockingly, a series of assassinations in Europe is revealed to be linked to the resort and Tru, with considerable help from one of the resort developers and the Kettle Falls town bully, tugs at the Washington end until things start happen and a big picture emerges.
Honestly, this is not the best book I've ever written and I had something altogether different in my head when I started. But several other people read it and liked it a lot. I reread three or four times and finally decided that, as a first effort, I could live with it and be proud of it.
So, here it is, available roughly on March 8th or 9th on Amazon.com, in Kindle format only. If you like mysteries and own a Kindle (I understand Kindle books can be reformatted for use on other eReader platforms.)( Not that I could tell you how.) or if you know anyone who does both those things, I'd be very grateful if you would buy a copy (Only $3.99!) or tell pretty much everyone you've ever met about it. I've developed some sense of urgency about books, now, because one day my liver is going to fall out on the floor and ask Canada for political asylum and I need something to write about in my dotage…which will start any minute now.
Thanks for indulging me and I promise this won't happen again…until "Vibe" is ready.


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You've read the comics, watched the TV series, and played the video games. Now it's time to play a different kind of Mega Man. He's been around for ages and it's about time he got his own LEGO set. He's not quite there yet,though, because the Mega Man set designed by Alatariel is still up for voting on Cuusoo. Designs need to get at least 10,000 votes before LEGO will consider producing it–the keyword there being "consider," since not all of the sets that reach the required number of votes are actually made.
Alatariel's set includes most of the elements you know and love from the iconic franchise, include: Dr. Wily's Castle, a playable stage inside the castle, Dr. Wily in his flying Capsule, famous nemeses including Sniper Joe and Metool, a set of power-ups, and of course, Mega Man himself and Rush.
You can vote for the Mega Man set on its LEGO Cuusoo page.
VIA [ Nerd Approved ]