text:
Letters from the Disgruntled Fringe
A look at life the point of view of an aging punk. Instructional, amusing, and utterly facetious view of the world, to be read with a grain of sarcasm and a deep thirst for social justice.
And when I'm not commenting on the latest thing to piss me off, I'm trying to figure out my own twisted life. Because, hey, I'm like that.
On a gentler note: for anyone dealing with depression, anxiety, and other assorted bullshit: You are NOT alone.
And if you're looking for a laugh, search on the key word "fuckery." It's just my little thing (as the bishop said to the actress).
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
Too Soon
Last night, I found out one of my all-time performing heroes, an actor and comedian who has been a part of my pop culture consciousness since I was eight, took his life.
Robin Williams, dead at 63 by his own hand.
Al had just come home from his horseshoe league (welcome to suburbia--I like it), I happened to notice the posts on Facebook, and suddenly, he had a woman in a panic, melting down, going, "Nononononononononono..." and then bursting into tears and weeping. I don't usually have that kind of reaction to a famous person dying, but this... this cut close to the bone, not just because of who, but how. Out of the sheer need to laugh, I bought Jim Jefferies tickets for next week. (I usually don't go to shows that close together.) And today, I made a pilgrimage after work to the Public Garden to the bench where he and Matt Damon were filmed for Good Will Hunting. Someone started the tribute last night... by this afternoon, the delta of a path behind the bench was filled with quotes and prayers and wishes. Someone had been kind enough to leave a giant box of sidewalk chalk. I left flowers... yeah, the ones that say, "Too soon." People were gathered, silent, respectful. I had to leave... it was too much.
It was like losing Jim Henson, only this time, it wasn't just a piece of my childhood that was gone--it's someone whose worked shaped mine.
It started with Mork and those damned suspenders. I had a pair of those suspenders, complete with pins. And a yellow shirt. (Hey, I was 10. Whaddya want?) The improvised craziness of his performance coupled with the alien learning vital human lessons... it came at the right time in my development.
And then... then came HBO and stand-up specials. A lot of kids from my generation got their comedy education from two places: their parents' record collections and HBO. Carlin... I think I own almost all of Carlin's HBO specials. Whoopi Goldberg's one-woman show on Broadway. The showcases with comics doing five-minute sets (I remember Rodney Dangerfield and Roseanne, long before she dropped her last name or even dreamed of her own show, doing vignettes in between sets.) Richard Pryor's stand-up films. Bill Cosby Himself playing several times a day.
And Robin Williams.
An Evening with Robin Williams was filmed in San Fransisco, had to have been in '81 or '82; he framed the concert with a bit in the character of Pops, the crusty old news stand guy. To this day, I can quote my way through it. "Hey, hey... Mistah Williams!"
Live at the Met... I think that was '85 or '86. I could do those bits word for word, right down to the vocal inflections and accents. Doctor Roof! "Making a sound like a baby in a blender..." I have memories of watching that in our crappy little apartment when I was first married, and listening to the soundtrack on the CD player of my best friend's minivan whilst tooling through the back roads of the Annapolis Valley in Nova Scotia.
It's almost thirty years later, and I STILL laugh all the way through.
Comic Relief... well, by then, I was growing up a bit and couldn't afford HBO.
But I saw the movies; not all of them, but the ones that mattered, at least to me. Garp. The Fisher King. Hook. Dead Poets Society. Awakenings. Dead Again. Bits in Hamlet and The Adventures of Baron Munchausen. Aladdin. Mrs. Doubtfire. The Birdcage. Good Morning, Vietnam. Good Will Hunting. Death to Smoochy. Insomnia. And, his real triumph, One Hour Photo, the first performance I ever saw him give where he actually acted--dropped his schtick, his crutches, and threw himself into this sad, disturbed man who had nothing of his own, who just wanted a family, and saw someone who had it all and didn't care. THAT was the performance he deserved the Oscar for.
I didn't bother to follow him in the press--I just didn't care about divorces and rehab and gossip. I cared about the talent, the whirlwind of insanity that produced such brilliance. The couple that mattered... Phil Donahue, when he said he'd given up cocaine because of the death of John Belushi. "Look at him--he was a bull. If cocaine could kill a big guy like that, what would it do to a little guy like me?" The David Frost interview where, when talking about his first divorce and remarriage, the pain came through of the ugly things implied about the beginnings of his relationship with Marcia. The very real moments when the truly decent human being shone through the schtick.
Inside the Actors Studio (in its early days, when it was more than a flavor-of-the-month schmooze fest)... a master class in the art of the interview and improv. James Lipton asked him, "What is your favorite sound?" And Mr. Williams made a little brrrrrrrppppp--the sound of a tiny fart escaping--laughed and called it, "the great equalizer."
And when he returned to HBO specials... 2002, talking about Viagra... and 2009, after a relapse and another divorce...
There is no single performer who has influenced my own style--my personal comedy and outrageousness--more than Robin Williams. After all these years, yeah, I've taken the old schtick and shaped it and made it my own, but at rock bottom... I'm imitating Robin Williams.
And he's gone. Suicide. And my heart... my heart aches for him, his children, his family. How the hell do you process this? Captain, my captain, NO!
And it pisses me off--comedy never gets the respect it deserves. Let me tell you something, folks--tragedy is TIT. Drama is so fucking easy, it's ridiculous. Comedy? Making people laugh? Try it sometime. Get up in front of a room full of people and tell a joke. Or take a comedic sketch and play it. Or jump into an improv piece. Or tell a story that should either shock or offend and instead, make them laugh and commiserate. Betcha ya can't. Comedy--especially that of the stand-up variety--is an under-appreciated art form that takes INCREDIBLE perseverance and masochism coupled with a natural ability to tell a story, timing, and judgement.
It also takes a hell of a lot of pain.
This is secret of great comedy: it comes from immense, intense pain. It comes from a place so dark that the only way to escape it is to laugh at it--to make fun of it, taunt it, give it the finger and tell it to fuck off. The difference between the people who are chuckle-worthy funny (say, your average sitcom actor) and the people who leave you aching (or, in my case, having an asthma attack) from laughing is a two-fold factor: a) pain; and b) the balls to laugh at it.
The problem, however, is the same as when taunting any violent, intelligent beast: it waits. It stalks. It bides its time until you are vulnerable, and the evil fucker pounces.
And you, my friend, are dead meat because this isn't an external enemy you can run away from or call the police on. This is your own darkness, your own self, the person who knows your failings the best and can beat you over the head with them until there is no defense left except escape.
Been there, and thank the merciful fucking Gods I have managed at those last moments to grasp a spar of light and hold on until the beast, the Black Dog, wore itself out and slunk back to its lair.
Too many haven't, and this is the latest in a long line of immensely talented, creative people who succumbed. From all reports, he'd been trying to do the right things to take care of his depression. He had his addictions under control. The problem with depression, however, is that sometimes, the meds don't work. Sometimes, the therapy doesn't help. Something triggers you, your brain chemistry changes, and you flip.
Been there. Done that. Thank whatever beneficent forces exist in this universe, I made it out the other side.
It isn't about being weak or stupid or selfish. It's because there's a broken circuit in your brain. For some of us, it's genetic. For others, it just happened. For another group of us, it's because we went through some Very Bad Things and survived. No matter what, it's real.
I've made this plea before, and I'm going to make it again: LISTEN. If someone you know and love is in this kind of pain, LISTEN. Ignore your fear, ignore your need to reassure yourself by talking and issuing platitudes. Just LISTEN. Let them talk. Get them angry and yelling if you have to, but don't shame them. Don't tell them they're stupid and ungrateful, or silly. Just be there. Be the spar they can hold on to until the beast retreats.
And be there to help them climb up on the desk and sound their barbaric YAWP!
Thank you, Mr. Williams, for filling my life with laughter. May your soul find peace and your next journey be happier.
Thursday, March 20, 2014
The Long Dark
There's an old curse (Chinese, I think) that goes, "May you live in interesting times."
Well, that could sum up the past three years really well.
On the upside, I am in the best relationship I have ever been in with quite possibly the best man who has ever walked in shoe leather, to borrow an old family saying. It ain't perfect, but it's good. We've both seen some shit, and the advantage of being older and getting in a relationship is that you know a) what you will tolerate; b) what you WILL NOT tolerate; and c) what's important. I looked back over this blog last week, at the entries, and the difference in my life is staggering. Not only am I a partner in a serious adult relationship, I'm a step-mother to an awesome 20-year-old in college. I have a job again--it's part-time, selling tea and spices and medicinal herbs in a small shop, working for two amazing women--it's a good fit, letting me use my writing, marketing and cooking skills for a small business that can use it and, more importantly, appreciates it. I'm looking into starting a business--home baking, bolstered with a food blog and video cooking tutorials. I'm a really, really amazing cook. I had a huge garden last year, and this year it will be bigger (and hopefully, will provide all the veggies we'll need for the year). I learned how to can. I've learned to knit.
On the downside, I lost Mum in September. I feel like a lost child, to be honest. I'm relieved--she's no longer suffering. But my heart hurts. And I'm angry--I have to deal with all of her stuff. It's caused a strain, to put it mildly. I also lost Piddy on her 20th birthday--the stubborn little beast lived long enough to have her birthday turkey, and when she could only eat two bites, I knew it was time. I buried a piece of my heart with her in the front yard--if you've never had a beloved animal companion (as opposed to a "pet"), I'm sorry. Losing them is hard, but the benefit is astounding. I'm hoping to get a rosebush to take root from the old bush at Hell's Vestibule.
BTW, Hell's Vestibule was lost two years ago. It was a good thing and a bad thing. We got most of it cleaned out, and the best part was that Mum severed all ties with her despicable younger brother, may he die in a gutter alone. She lived with us for the last year and a half of her life, and that's what a lot of my time went to--watching over her and making sure she was OK, but then, that was what I've done for a long time.
As a part of dealing with Mum's stuff, I had to deal with my stuff. Going through over twenty boxes of files (most of them mine) and a 10x30' packed storage space brought on a bit of a crisis.
Fuck that, I had a meltdown of epic proportions. One of my therapists (I have three these days--personal, couple, and EMDR, but I'll get to that later) told me I needed trauma work as she watched me fall apart during our couples session. (We're trying to improve our communications--we've got the relationship down pretty good, but there are a couple of things we need to work on. It's good, it's positive, and it's the Next Step.) That led back to my regular therapist who told me about EMDR. At first, it was going to be a six-month "adjunct" therapy--just something to help me over this hump and get me to a place where I could put the grief and anger into perspective.
And then I was told I needed at least a year if not two of it. Because there was "trauma on trauma" in my life--that I'd been through too much.
The best way to describe that moment, that news, was like an emotional kick in the balls. However, I couldn't argue with it because, honestly, kids, I'm not functioning. I mean, I'm getting through the day to day, but barely. And it's so hard to watch Al being patient with me, hard to watch his face when he's hoping I've had a good day instead of one of my typical days when getting the cat fed (we have a 2.5 year old tuxedo who is the light of the household--we rescued Miss Lulubelle when her people couldn't keep her anymore, and she has rescued our hearts more than once, particularly through the grief process), the dishes done, and supper planned means I have accomplished something. But there are days when playing for hours on the computer or the Nintendo 64 are about all I can handle. Or hours of posting useless shit on Facebook. Or wandering from store to store, shopping for shit I don't need and projects I never complete. I haven't been able to write, I haven't been able to read a book, and finishing anything is more challenging than I care to think about.
I can't handle most movies these days, especially if there's a lot violence in it. I only made it through 10 minutes of Catching Fire, and I desperately wanted to see that. I can't handle anything out of my comfort sphere, and that comfort sphere is about the size of a ping pong ball these days. I can handle working because it's quiet--we're in a small storefront, customers are polite and the community we're in doesn't encourage impoliteness, and the store itself is serene, so work isn't challenging--I get to write food blogs, research food and recipes, fill jars with spices and bags with herbs and tea, make beautiful window displays, all on a very relaxed schedule. There is a zero asshole factor there--everyone there is NICE--good people, decent people, and all of us committed to the success of the store and farm. It's the way it should be.
The television... with the exception of a couple of things (Legit, Once Upon a Time, Cosmos, and Sleepy Hollow--Al has actually gotten me to watch TV), I can't bear the fucking thing. The noise... the noise sensitivity is driving me insane.
And I feel like a loser. I thought I'd taken care of this shit--I thought I'd done the work, done the therapy, gotten it under control and leashed in. And now, when I have everything to live for, when I have the life and the opportunities I've dreamed of, I can't function.
If EMDR doesn't work, I don't know what I'm going to do. I have three novels waiting for me to finish them. I have a studio full of materials and a sketchbook of designs waiting to be brought to fruition.
I have everything to live for, and while I have no desire to die, the only real desire I have right now is to curl up and sleep and have the world go away and not ask anything from me.
So I'll take any good energy people can throw my way. I'm still fighting--I have a reason to fight now, and his train is going to be pulling into the station in five minutes, and I need to pick him up. I'm not alone in this.
And that... that makes a big difference. I have a reason to succeed, I have a reason to fight--I'm a part of something I've always dreamed of. We've built a life, a good life, and I want that life.
That's a good thought for the first day of spring.
Sunday, December 16, 2012
A Call NOT to Pray
"It doesn't matter who you call "God"; what matters is how you conduct yourself in this world."
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Ad Memoriam: America, July 4, 1776 - September 11, 2001
This past Sunday marked a painful anniversary for the United States. The image included today is Marcus Halevy's iconic photo from the week after; this image gave me hope. It still does. For me, the 9/11 experience can be summed up in three songs: "Three Little Birds," by Bob Marley; "Times Like These" (live version, not studio) by The Foo Fighters; and "The Rising" by Bruce Springsteen.
I really wanted to ignore the tenth anniversary for a lot of reasons. First and foremost, I hate how the fascist corporate whores who were running the country into the ground at the time used and abused the incident to justify an unjust war that has claimed millions of lives. Second, how 9/11 was used to destroy our Constitutional freedoms; third, how it was used to justify prejudice and has helped to create a movement towards the elimination of the First Amendment and a push towards turning the U.S. into a Christo-fascist dictatorship. I wish I was joking or exaggerating. Fourth, the fact that the cocksucking politico whores didn't invite NYPD, FDNY, and rescue workers to the memorial… yeah. Fifth, after sending troops into Afghanistan 10 years ago, Draft Dodger/Retard Bush* and his corporate masters passed legislation cutting benefits for veterans and their survivors… Sixth, the survivors can't get decent health coverage (and have been coming up with lovely forms of cancer) or benefits because, hey, why the fuck should the ungrateful legislative whores in the pockets of the insurance companies defy their corporate masters? Seventh, the Bush administration allowed the Saudi royal family and friends to fly out of the US on the day after, when all other private and commercial jets were grounded. Eighth, shall we discuss the Patriot Act? Christ, I just want to spit—September 11, 2001 – the day used as an excuse to destroy America.
And then, yesterday, while I was driving down the Lynn Fells Parkway on a glorious, beautiful, stunning September Sunday morning, I happened to flip the radio and come upon Bruce Springsteen's "The Rising." I wept like a broken child because Bruce's voice and lyrics captured the reality of the day for me—both anthem and hymn, praise and mourning, defiance and acceptance, and it flooded back—that horrible, awful day… coming out into the doctor's waiting room from my appointment before 10 a.m. to have this couple who had just driven up from The Cape tell me what they'd heard on the radio, and me saying it couldn't be true… and then… then the news. Frantically trying to reach the guy I had been casually dating because he'd been driving down to NYC every Tuesday for business. Calling former students and emailing and making sure everyone was accounted for because a few of our kids had gone to grad school down there (and I was never so thankful that I'd listened to my instincts and NOT gone to the Actor's Studio for the MFA—it was in the same block as St. Vincent's, one of the front line hospitals)… that horrible, empty feeling that something so ugly, so stupid, so evil could be done in the name of ideology.
Ever notice that "ideology" sounds a lot like "idiotology" when pronounced out loud?
All the dead. All those emergency personal. All of the ordinary people who did extraordinary things that day. All of those families, those children…
That was what was the good thing about that horrible day—we all were a little kinder, a little gentler to each other. As a nation, we'd been punched in the gut and realized for a few days what was really important—each other.
A few days after, I heard the Bob Marley song "Three Little Birds," and I wept, grieving and knowing that somehow, it would get better.
I flew to Philly a couple of weeks later to see my best friend, KJ. My Mum didn't want me to go—she was terrified of me flying so close to the time, and those planes… those planes had originated at Logan. Going through Logan wasn't pleasant—seeing Staties in riot gear and automatic weapons was as shocking as it was the first time I went through DeGaulle in Paris. I had asked the people I'd been talking to on the plane if there had been a terrorist attack and was told, "Oh, no, this is normal." It was painful to see it become normal here. Understand that I love to fly—I live for the moment of take off, when the plane "slips the surly bonds of earth." It's a magical moment. What transformed the experience for me that night was looking out of the plane and seeing lights—the Eastern Seaboard was lit up completely, shining in the night. I leaned my head against the glass, tears on my cheeks, proud, so proud to be an American at that moment—they had wounded us, but by the Gods, they had not extinguished our light—the nation founded on the principles of "government by the people, for the people" would not fall.
I don't remember the first time I heard the live version of "Times Like These," just the raw emotion of Davy Grohl's voice transforming a nice song into a soul wrenching testimony of survival, and weeping because it was so fucking true: "it's times like these you learn to live again; it's times like these you give and give again; it's times like these you learn to love again."**
And then the morons started waving flags and chanting, "USA! USA!" on street corners. And people wonder why other countries hate us; why even our allies are disappointed in us. Could it be we allowed a functionally illiterate draft-dodging corporate failure, backed by an unethical, amoral, consciousless corporate tycoon to be the titular head of this country for eight years? Could it be that we, as a nation, have acted like a bunch of bullying, uneducated, ill-bred hooligans? Could be it be that we have forgotten our real history and instead believe in the government-censored fairytale the least-enlightened state in the Union approves of for the rest of us?*** (Christ, I wish I was making this shit up.)
That is what has made the past decade so painful for me—the destruction of the light of America. When our country was founded, it was by men profoundly influenced by the French Enlightenment and from families deeply affected by the English Civil War, not to mention the Reformation. This nation began as a commercial venture and penal colony, and when the time came and independence was earned, the law code those leaders codified was a direct reflection of it. The Constitution of the United States was a document born from a society trying to learn from history; it was never intended to be a static code that remained unchanged and unchallenged. The government established by Jefferson, Franklin, Washington, Adams… they never intended that we would have the same government over two hundred years later. They established a base for us to build on, but never expected us to fail so radically by clinging to the past and ignoring history. They did not expect us to follow the example of the monarchies of Europe.
That is where we have failed, my friends, and how we, as a nation, have dishonored our honored dead. Those who died for this country, who gave their lives willingly or unwillingly, did so to uphold the principles of the Founding Fathers. The problem is that we no longer bother to study those principles. Patriotism is not blind adherence to the government's policy—patriotism is the belief and love of the principles that governed the founding of this nation—that we are all created equal in the eyes of the law, that we all have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, BUT that with those rights, comes RESPONSIBILITY. We have forgotten as a nation the concept of citizenship; we have become rotten, corrupt—intellectually lazy and cowardly in the face of losing our creature comforts. We have allowed cowards, liars and thieves to take control of our government, and surrendered our wills to corporations, and our partisan identity is more important to us than what is best for our country. We have allowed our elections to become nothing more than muck-raking popularity contests that have nothing to do with public service and everything to do with lining the pockets of the winners and their corporate sponsors, while we allow ourselves to be sidetracked into discussions of irrelevancies and forget we are supposed to be voting for a public servant who will serve the common good, not just our special interests.
We have pissed on the graves of the honored dead and debased ourselves in useless warmongering, destroying not only our own citizens, but decimating the populations of foreign nations under false pretenses. We, as a nation, have sunk lower than France in 1789, and are following the example of Germany in the 1930's. The pity is that, because we have allowed our schools to become indoctrination centers, history is not studied and ANALYZED, and we as a nation live in denial. Our people are suffering, and we are causing suffering around the world with our selfishness.
I wept Sunday for all that was lost on that beautiful September day in 2001—the lives needlessly, cruelly cut short and for the death of my country. Today, I pray for all of us—that we have the courage to go beyond our self-imposed limits and embrace our responsibilities.
May the benevolent Gods bless us all and guide us to enlightenment and compassion.
*W served in the AF Reserve as a pilot; he never saw combat. He was also seen rather erratically after the Air Force began random drug testing. W is a coke addict; note the present tense usage. There were reports (reliable, sadly) that he was still snorting when he was in the White House. His behavior pretty well confirms it. As for Dick Cheney, he was quoted in Rolling Stone, when questioned as to why he didn't serve in Viet Nam, "I had better things to do." Sorry, but if you're not willing to shed your own blood for your country, don't ask anyone else to, you cowardly scum.
** Surprised to discover that "Times Like These" came out in 2003. For some reason, I associate it with 2001. Time is fluid...
*** Truth: most states use textbooks approved by the Texas Board of Education. Be afraid. Be VERY, VERY afraid when the books your children use come from a state-approved board. Ever heard of Stalin? Hitler? Mao? Yeah--they believe in state-approved text books as well. When it comes to history and learning history, you don't want to learn the party line--you want to learn all sides of the story. Because hey, wouldn't it be awesome to learn a balanced view of history? One of the best anecdotes I have to share about this--and about the fact that even American history teachers in AMERICAN schools don't know their history: I had the pleasure of seeing Neil Gaiman speak back in June at the Music Hall in Portsmouth, NH on the 10th anniversary tour for American Gods. The novel contains interludes--his way of overcoming writer's block--which are anecdotes of how the Gods crossed the ocean. One of them involves a Cornish woman named Essie Tregowan who was a tranportee (twice!). For those of you unfamiliar with American history. the colonies were not established for religious freedom and human rights, but as a commercial venture and a penal colony (much like Australia). Neil's son was 12 at that point; he came home from school and told his father that his history teacher said that Neil was a liar.
Yeah. Evidently, they're not teaching history teachers about transportees--the other side of the King's Hard Bargain (hang or be a soldier). Being transported meant you escaped the noose, but instead were condemned to a (possibly) temporary servitude. If you read A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn, you can also discover even more ugly truths about transportees and slavery. All true, sad to say, and all serious contributing factors to today's racial issues in the US (and other countries). What's even sadder is that people from other countries know more about our history than our history teachers.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
What's Cookin'? Tomato Pie!
As with all my recipes, if you like it, share it with friends and family, but PLEASE--credit me. I put a lot of effort into the tips and hints (because, honestly, there is nothing more frustrating than trying a recipe and getting weird results that no one warned you about). I hope to finish my cookbook one of these days.
Tomato Pie a la Empress
This recipe IS summer for me, and this is the time of year to make it. Tomato Pie is pizza to the nth degree, a heavenly melding of cheese and fresh tomatoes and garlic… Gods, I'm salivating just thinking about it. Simple, simple ingredients, but utter heaven from the oven. The other beauty of this recipe is, like so many other tomato-based dishes, it's better the second day, and can be eaten hot or cold (I love a cold slice for breakfast). I also love it because it's one of the few recipes I can make for my vegetarian friends that will also satisfy the omnivores. If you have gluten issues, switch out the crust. Dairy… can't help you there. This dish is all about cheese and tomatoes.
This recipe is based on a Martha Stewart concoction I came across a few years ago. I really loved the idea of it and have played around with it over the past few tomato seasons. My advice is to use fresh HEIRLOOM tomatoes for the best flavor. Trust me on this. My three favorites are pineapple (a yellow tomato with a few stripes), brandywine (big bustard of a red tomato), and black prince (a black/purple tomato with stripes). Color is the key—go for variety for the best taste (and one or two good-sized brandywines will give you more than enough for two pies and bits to snack on while the pies are baking).
Trader Joe's is your friend when making this recipe—I prefer to get my tomatoes from the farmers market (or a good farm stand)—Kimball Farms is my favorite at the markets—but for cheese selection and price, TJ's is your best bet (in the Boston area). They also have all of the ingredients (including the tomatoes) in high summer.
I use a variety of cheeses in the mix—like five different types in the shred, plus the fresh mozz and parm. Five .75 lb. blocks yield enough cheese for four pies (even with snacking because who can resist cheese?). DON'T skip the fresh mozz, ESPECIALLY if you're cooking for people with salt issues. The fresh mozzarella cuts the salt of the rest of the cheese. My latest version of this used English Coastal Cheddar, Cheddar/Gruyere (a TJ's house cheese), Canadian Cheddar, New Zealand Cheddar, Dubliner, and Australian Cheddar. Yeah, I like cheddar. Mix your sharps and milds, and play with your flavors—I'd be interested to hear the result of using a blue cheese or a brie or camembert in this. I know someone tried my recipe with Cottswolds and double Gloucestershire for a great result. If I see a porter cheddar or a mustard cheddar, I may try those for shits and giggles.
I also cheat and use store-bought pie crust (I know, I know, shame on me. Whatever—when I get a bigger kitchen and have room to work, I'll start making my own. Besides, who the hell wants to make pie crust in high summer?). Trader Joe's makes an excellent crust; find it in their frozen section. One hint when working with a premade, unrolled crust: if it breaks when you unfold it, DON'T panic. Lay it flat, peel off the top layer of plastic, dust a tiny bit of flour or cornmeal over the crust, put the plastic back over it, and GENTLY press it back together. OR, put it in the baking dish like puzzle pieces & press it back together in there. Your choice.
One final note: you can make this with really basic ingredients—regular tomatoes, packaged cheese, etc. I've done it in a pinch. But it just ain't HALF as good. Trust me.
2 large bulbs of garlic
Olive oil
Crust for 2-9" pies
Cornmeal (for dusting)
Balsamic vinegar
Heirloom tomatoes (2 huge, 2 medium, 2-3 small—you will have extra)
Cherry tomatoes (roughly 10—again, go for color variety)
2-3 pounds of assorted cheeses, shredded
2 balls fresh mozzarella
½ cup grated parmesan
Fresh basil, cut into ribbons (about five leaves)
Preheat the oven to 400F.
Rub the outer skin off of the garlic bulbs so that just the last layer covering the cloves is left. Cut the top off of the bulb—basically, get the tips off so that the inner garlic is revealed. Lay the garlic, cut side up, in the center of a piece of foil large enough to completely cover the garlic (if you have a garlic baker, use that; I use foil), bring the corners of the foil part-way up, and drizzle olive oil over the garlic. Twist the foil close. Repeat for the other bulb. Place in a shallow pan and bake for 45 minutes to an hour. You'll know when it's done because the aroma from the garlic will change from the sharp, intense scent of the fresh cut to a mellow, nutty scent. This will take at least 45 minutes. Remove the garlic from the oven and let it cool (for the sake of avoiding scorched fingers).
Line two 8" cake pans with the pie crust; adjust the crust to fit as necessary & crimp around the edges. Dust the bottom with cornmeal & weight the bottom with rice, dried beans or pie weights & bake for fifteen minutes. This pre-baking isn't completely necessary; it just makes for a crisper bottom on the pie. Don't skip weighting the bottom—the crust WILL puff up and the sides will slide down. If the sides start to slide, remove the crust from the oven immediately and press bake into place. (Yes, I've had it happen; no tragedy, really, just a minor nuisance).
Shred the cheeses. I tend to alternate cheese blocks to make mixing the shreds easier—shred a bit, toss it in a giant mixing bowl, shred a bit of a different one, throw it in the bowl, give the cheeses a light toss together… you get the picture. Do NOT include the parm and mozz in this process.
Slice the tomatoes; thickness is your choice. I tend to let the tomato decide how thick the slices are going to be because different varieties have different consistencies.
By now, your garlic should be cool enough to handle. Partially unwrap the roasted bulbs and pour the garlic-infused oil off into a small bowl. There are two methods of getting roasted garlic cloves out of the skin: one is neat, the other is messy, and you'll be using both. The neat way is to winkle the roasted clove out with the tine of a fork—just hook the clove with the fork and pull it out. The messy way is to squeeze the roasted clove out of the skin. Either way, get all of the roasted garlic out of the skins and into the bowl with the oil, add a bit of balsamic vinegar to taste (but not so much as to make it liquid) and mash it up to a fairly smooth paste. If you want to add any other flavors—rosemary, basil, mustard, etc.—mash it in with the garlic. I like to keep it simple. I DON'T advise adding salt—because of the cheese content, adding salt as a flavoring is overkill and really wrecks the flavor.
Now, let's assemble the pies! For each pie: spread the paste over the bottom of the crust, sprinkle a little bit of parmesan, a few handfuls of the shredded cheeses—pat the cheese into a firm layer, shreds of fresh mozzarella, and a layer of the sliced tomatoes. Neatness does NOT count. Fill in empty spots between tomato slices with bits of the assorted cherry tomatoes. Repeat. Put the pan on a baking sheet (because it can bubble over—this is why I bake it in a cake pan and not a pie plate) and bake for 40 minutes.
Remove from the oven, toss a scant handful of shredded cheese, a sprinkle of parm, a few shreds of the fresh mozz, and basil ribbons (optional); return to the oven and bake for another 15 minutes. I like the top bit of cheese to brown a bit for flavor.
Allow to cool for at least an hour before serving. Can be served warm or cold, keeps in the fridge for at least a week.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Hair of the Dog... ACHOO!
"Yeah, it's like goldy and bronzy, only darker."
(from Blackadder, favorite quote provided by Vicki)
After finishing the first draft of this post, I got an email from Amazon.com telling me I would want to know that the book, Woof: I Love Dogs has been published and is available for 22% off the cover price. *headdesk*
For the record, I feel the same way about dogs that I do about humans: as a species, I can't abide them; however, I take individuals as I find.
OK, blurkers, I need you dog people to explain to me what the fucking point is.
Pass me a tissue, will ya?
Post-vacation Crash Rant
I've been writing multiple blog posts in my head (I know, does no good there) over the past couple of weeks, but just haven't had the oomph to write them. I get it, depression. Understood. However, it's more than that. I was OK for a while because I thought I was going back in September--was going to hit the Jim Jefferies show at the Wilbur, hop in the car, and haul ass for Halifax and The Hill encampment so I could see all of my friends again.
Not happening--for a lot of reasons, most of them monetary. But it hurts like hell. I miss my NS people desperately, and the only reason to be back here are the good people in my life.
I really hate coming back here, and I've realized why: lack of community. Lack of cooperation. And the fact that Americans are the biggest bunch of spoiled, lazy, fucking brats on the planet. (More on that later.)
I spent the last weekend of July in my version of heaven on earth: the Annapolis Valley. Most of it was spent at a living history encampment of the 84th Regiment at Fort Anne in the piss-pouring rain. In full 18th century dress (which I am not doing again unless I'm in drag--there's something going on with my abs that are making anything tight incredibly horrible). I'm going to do a full post on the encampment--a happy post, because this is NOT a happy post and it was a happy experience. What I left the encampment with was a feeling of community--of being a part, even if on the periphery--of a solid community which watched out for its own and welcomed others willing to commit and give back.
I am not a crunchberry--while I believe that yes, we are bloody irresponsible in our use of resources and hate the disposable society in which we live, I am also as guilty as the next person of not being as responsible as I could be in making things better. However, having worked in the People's Republic of Cambridge for over two decades and dealing with starry-eyed fascists who shoved their politics and naive idealism down my throat until I choked... yeah. I believe in being responsible. What that means is that I eat the cow AND wear leather because the idea of wasting the animal is repugnant. I honor the sacrifice; I also accept that it's a part of the cycle of existence. I will be cremated because my remains will not be allowed to break down naturally and enrich the earth (although, being born in the late 20th century and raised on crap food for 40 years, I'd be worried about what would leach out that would poison the earth). The re-enactors I was with are probably the best example of effective use of resources I have ever come face-to-face with: all natural fibers, thrift store shopping, items mended, repurposed, passed down, passed along... nothing going to waste.
Chortling over "Frenchy's Finds"--stuff found at thrift stores for cheap money, perfectly good stuff that other people threw away, given new life. If you didn't have goods, you gave services--cooking, child-watching, help with a tent, whatever. Cooperation.
The cooperation extended beyond the encampment--whether it was just having coffee, help with moving stuff, advice, whatever--the community continues over.
I miss that community desperately. I miss having a cup of coffee in the afternoon and a yak-yak over a snack. I miss having people to meet up with and just be. I miss the Nova Scotian common sense and acceptance of life and limitations--and the indomitable will to just keep going and make things work, somehow.
Because you have to.
I got a little sick of the anti-American sentiment (actually, I got a lot sick of it, and had to bite my tongue a couple of times from saying, "WELL, WHY THE FUCK DO YOU TAKE IT?!?! Close the goddamned border, stand up to the US. What the fuck are we going to do? Nuke you? We'd be killing ourselves and losing everything we need because fuck knows, drilling for oil in the Gulf isn't working, we've decimated our forests, and most of our top entertainers are imported from either Canada or the UK); I got sick of apologizing for American stupidity, not just because I was annoyed with the fact that I know a lot of people who are NOT like what gets shown on the TV--most of the people I know are decent human beings who are doing their best. The other reason I got sick of it is because I'm sick of our diseased society.
And here begins the rant. Sit down or click off, kids, because the Empress is about to throw down: Dear America: Please WAKE THE FUCK UP AND PULL YOUR COLLECTIVE HEAD OUT OF YOUR ARSE. I don't give a rat's nadgers what you classify yourself as--liberal, conservative, progressive, Green, Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, what-the-fuck-EVER. GROW UP. Our government is in the pocket of corporations and very, very wealthy people who have directed us on a course of self-destruction that will make the fall of Rome look like a backyard game of tug-o-war because, thanks to technology, we have far more destructive toys than our Roman forebears ever did.
The world economy is collapsing because of irresponsibility and laziness. Because we want to go farther, faster, quicker, sooner, without regard for the consequences. Somewhere along the line, we forgot there were consequences for our actions, or, to use the physics formula, for every action there is a direct opposite REaction. The human race, in its race to advance, has condemned itself, and no society greater exemplifies this than the US.
And it breaks my fucking heart. We have an AMAZING country, founded on an incredible visionary law code, on a philosophy that believes we are all capable of achievement, of raising ourselves up and being better than what we were at the beginning.
As a society, we have lost sight of this. Over the past century, we have gone from being pioneers and citizens to being spoiled, entitled brats, and there isn't an echelon of American society that isn't guilty of it, from the very rich to the very poor.
We eat over-processed food, approved by a government agency in the pockets of corporate food producers, food that is poisoning us because, while it is convenient, it lacks nutrition and introduces compounds into the body that are deadlier than bullets.
We watch corporate-produced crap on the television that more and more, isn't well-written entertainment (although that was scarce enough even before reality TV), but a glorification of all that is wrong with our society. But for a bit of attention, people are willing to sell their souls for a slice of the pie. We get the Kartrashians, heiresses little more than self-supporting whores, neglecting mothers, shallow idiots, and values that have nothing to do with common sense, common courtesy or common decency, all for Warhol's fabled fifteen minutes. How ironic a hack would come up for the label for the fall of America.
We support professional sports teams who are paid more money than any human being is worth to play games for us--rather than going out and tossing a ball around for fun, it's about who can win the scholarship, who can get signed, who can take this to the limit and get all the money. It's not about sportsmanship, it's not about athleticism, it's about money. You will not see me at Fenway, Patriot Place, or the Garden, folks. Fuck them. And fuck the owners of these franchises who are little more than modern-day slave owners--ever see Gladiator? I really am NOT entertained.
We elect politicians who talk a good game and do nothing but line their own pockets preparing for their next run for office. Hypocrites, the lot of them, particularly on the far Right--decrying everything the lowest, least-educated part of society fears while committing the same "sins" in private.
This is what is being played out in "the media"--on the television, the newspapers, the magazines, etc. This is what America broadcasts to the world--that we are a nation of lazy, stupid morons being puppeteered by corporate masters, new money who have no grasp of the concept of noblesse oblige--I may hate Bill Gates for being a plaguirizing jackass, but he has done great things with his money. He has given back. Warren Buffet is another great example. Not so Donald Trump, Rupert Murdock, the thieves of Wall Street and their ilk, and sadly, they are in the majority, takers who suck the life out of others and don't give a damn thing back, selfish idiots who have lined their pockets and bought expensive toys that use up precious resources that can't be replaced while people die because of the conditions they perpetuate.
Don't tell me Wal-Mart creates jobs and has affordable prices--I know this. What I also know is that Wal-Mart has actively worked to destroy American manufacturing in order to keep its prices low, thereby eradicating well-paying American jobs that would allow the workers to better educate themselves and their children and dear Gods, we can't have that happening.
We have an education system that is, quite frankly, piss. Great universities so obscenely priced that we have three generations who have begun their adult lives deeply in debt, the latest with little hope of paying it off in less than two decades. Primary and secondary education are now test-driven--state-sanctioned test-driven, to the point where if you don't pass the government test, you don't get the degree, therefore you don't get a job, and hey, let's talk about those crime statistics.
Are you seeing the vicious cycle we've created? And you want to cut social programs but not tax the rich motherfuckers who aren't giving a cent back to make things better. Instead, you want to cut money for the elderly, cut benefits for children and families, and in short, make the poor pay for the sin of being poor.
This is Calvanistic Puritanism at its most vile and disgusting. Think I'm kidding? Ever heard of the theory of "The Elect"? It is a philosophy at the center of many of the Protestant sects--the concept that there are a finite number of people who have been "saved"--i.e. whom God has chosen and who are going to heaven no matter what. The Elect can be identified by their fortunate lives; the damned can be identified by their unfortunate lives. In short: they ain't going to heaven, SO FUCK 'EM.
I was raised Catholic; Catholicism states that even the worst sinner can be redeemed by sincere good works (sincere meaning that the gestures come from the heart--from a genuine desire to do rightly). If you want a good example of Catholic redemption theory, see the praying scene in Hamlet--the one where Claudius is on his knees but cannot pray because he has no repentance in his heart.
I am sick at heart for all this, folks. I'm angry, I'm upset, and I am sorely disappointed in America in general. What makes it more painful is all of the wonderful people I know down here--my friends--who are trying to live their lives rightly and do right by themselves and those around them. I am tired of the fact that down here, we're doing our best, but up there... up there, they just don't give a rat's ragged arse about what's right, just about what is right for them.
So what am I doing to counteract the stupidity? To avoid the only real sin I acknowledge, i.e. hypocrisy? I'm doing my best. Trying to eat decent food, grown as locally as possible. Trying to be smart about what I buy. Using thrift stores. Repairing instead of throwing away. Passing around, not throwing out. I wish I didn't have to use the car so much, but my knees aren't allowing for walking.
I'm going to go get some coffee and see if I can find a little peace of mind. A positive vacation blog will follow--going over the really high points and giving lots of credit and kudos where it's due--but right now... right now, I need to have a good hard cry because I'm not going to get to see all of those folks again for at least a year.
while I have much to be thankful for, right now... right now, life fucking sucks.


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Biography: Abraham Lincoln - Preserving the Union [DVD]
- Release Date: 10/28/2008
Cardmember Offers
This edition of Biography, the long-running documentary series from A&E, explores the life of the 16th President of the U.S., Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln was born near Hodgenville, Kentucky, and was eventually elected to the Illinois legislature in 1834. He became a lawyer in 1836. A decade later, he was elected to a single term in Congress, where he spoke against the extension of slavery, became a Republican in 1856, and in 1860 was elected president on a platform of hostility toward slavery's expansion. When the Civil War began in 1861, he defined the issue in terms of national integrity, not anti-slavery, a theme he restated in the Gettysburg Address of 1863. Nonetheless, the same year, he proclaimed freedom for all slaves in areas of rebellion. He was re-elected in 1864, and after the final Northern victory, he intended to reunite the former warring parties on the easiest possible terms; but on April 14, 1865, he was shot at Ford's Theatre, Washington, by an actor, John Wilkes Booth, and died next morning. He is remembered for his considerable political skills, and his self-education and broad vision have come to be a symbol of American democracy. Lincoln's life and political career are documented using historic photographs, personal letters and interviews with historians. ~ John Patrick Sheehan
Cast & Crew
- Abraham Lincoln
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subset: commoncrawl


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20 Games Like Bass Masters 2000()
Beast Battle Simulator
Beast Battle Simulator is a physics based battle-simulation sandbox game featuring dinosaurs and animals. Kamikaze Zebras VS. T-Rex with laser guns, Lions with machine guns VS. a flock of 50 seagulls; anything is possible! Watch as the beasts dismember and rip each other apart in gory detail!
Porno Studio Tycoon
Business simulator with rich economic model (markets with shortages and surpluses, websites with black hat SEO, etc.), flexible configuration of movie production, complex casting, two modes of shooting (fast and detailed ones) and other features. Beautiful graphics and no sexually explicit content.
Tank Mechanic Simulator
Tank Mechanic is a game about World War II tanks, their crews and their contribution in military history. As a tank museum owner your task is to recover destroyed or abandoned tanks and renovate them.
Monster Energy Supercross - The Official Videogame
Live the adrenaline and the excitement of the 2017 Monster Energy Supercross Championship with MONSTER ENERGY SUPERCROSS - THE OFFICIAL VIDEOGAME!
Hunting Unlimited 4
Hunting Unlimited 4 combines traditional hunting game elements with a fast-paced mission-based system, for intense hunting action.
Tavern Tycoon
Run your fantasy RPG tavern - let travellers take shelter for the night and serve 'em the best mead of their life with a good dose of humor.
Reel Fishing Paradise 3D
Travel to over a dozen stunning fishing locales in your quest to become a master angler. Fish in tranquil lakes, rocky coastal waters, flooded forests, and more, all rendered in eye-popping 3D that brings every leaping fish and splash of water to life. A huge variety of fish will test the expertise of even the most seasoned fishing veterans, from wily largemouth bass to powerful bluefin tuna. Mix-and-match rods, reels, lines, lures or bait to create your own personalized tackle box. Collecting rare items is both advantageous and addictive, with tons of gear to discover and use. With so much to see and do, Reel Fishing Paradise 3D is a game guaranteed to draw you into its depths!
Hooked! Real Motion Fishing
Enjoy the thrill of catching fish without the mess of cleaning them! With this unique Wii fishing game, the Wii Remote and Nunchuk controllers will allow players to relive all the excitement and tension of fishing in the comfort of their own living room. Explore 6 photorealistic lakes, from a meteorite crater turned lake to a man-made recreational reservoir.
Mark Davis Pro Bass Challenge
Mark Davis Pro Bass Challenge is a Fishing game, developed by Sims and published by Natsume, which was released in 2005.
Fishing: Barents Sea
Fishing: Barents Sea is a simulator game for PC, about industrial fishing, you will be put in a role as a fishboat captain. Starting out with a small boat you inherited from your grandfather, earn money fishing to buy upgrades, bigger&better boats and more. Make your grandfather proud!
Learn to catch various types of fish with different boats and sets of fishing gear. When inside a port you can visit the bar for hiring crew or get missions, visit docks to repair or buy upgrades for your boat, visit the bank to take a loan or go to the shop to buy supplies and other upgrades. In your homeport you can visit and upgrade your cabin and much more.
You will play in an open world environment over parts of northern Norway, maneuver your boat around the map to find the best fishing spots using your fish sonar, radar and GPS.
The gameplay will be an easy to learn, hard to master experience when using various fishing tools to catch your fish.
Experience an atmospheric and stylish gameworld, with day and night cycle, seasonal effects, advanced resource and weather system. Everything is calculated from real maps, real boats, real fishes inluding age, breeding areas, depth, fish quotas, collectable items and much more.
Vestige of the Past
Vestige of the Past is a an open world game in which you are exploring an immersive world of alternative presence and trying to survive in an almost familiar but oddly different place. What is behind that contrast between what your eyes are telling you and your gut feeling? Well you will have more pressing matters to worry about at the beginning.
First you will need to learn how to survive and make decisions that you might not be proud of. Or perhaps you will take such decisions you won't need to be secretive about. It's all up to you. Either way, you will be the one who will have to deal with the consequences.
Twins of the Pasture
This is a story about twin sisters who live in the pasture. Their parents ran away leaving a huge debt. Two sisters have to pay back money in 120 days…
Starship Theory
Starship Theory is a ship building survival game. Mine and trade to gather resources. Plan and construct new upgrades. Train and manage crew. Fight to survive.
Junkyard Simulator
In Junkyard Simulator you play as owner of scrap yard, which with his own hands is trying to create the largest junkyard in the area.
The way you do it depends on your decision! Do you want to manually search and collect the best scrap?
Sociable Soccer
Remember Sensible Soccer? Jon Hare, lead designer of the famous football series, is back with a spiritual successor, called Sociable Soccer.
Hare has kicked off a £300,000 Kickstarter for Sociable Soccer, which, if successful, will lead to a download release on PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in 2016.
Here, in a wide-reaching, exclusive interview with Eurogamer, Hare reveals why now is the right time to return to the football video game limelight, reveals his personal frustration at how the Sensible games have fared since he sold his company in 1999, and explains how Sociable Soccer will stand out in the face of competition from big hitters FIFA and PES.
theHunter: Call of the Wild
Experience the thrill of the hunt in a visually breathtaking, technically groundbreaking, vast open world. Immerse yourself in the atmospheric single player campaign, or share the ultimate hunting experience with friends – In closed, limited beta Dec 8-11 2016.
A total of 60 games in this one Games-Cartridge with a variety of hockey games, ping-pong, basketball and volleyball games with varying levels of difficulty for amateurs or professionals. Plus a range of arcade games like Breakthrough and Knockout for one or two players.
My Riding Stables: Life with Horses
The Riding Stables at Mill Creek are mere ruins, but you are about to change that: stables, riding hall and guesthouse are being renovated and guests will happily pay for their stay. Your earnings will help you to build a new breeding stable and soon cute little foals frolic on the pasture with their moms. Later you will train them and sell them to trustworthy customers. Other horse owners bring their horses to be massaged by your knowing hands.
You also have your own horse, of course, which, if the two of you trained enough, you take to various cross country races. Let's win the Cup and make your dream come true.
Impact Winter
In 30 days, help is coming...
A mysterious radio transmission claims that help is inbound. You are Jacob Solomon: leader of a makeshift team trying to survive the aftermath of a devastating asteroid collision. The world you once knew is no more – buried deep beneath the constant snowfall.
Your goal: keep your companions alive until rescue.


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Jamestown Story Breakdown Lyrics
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Here I am, here I stand
Trying to scrape up another breath, but there's none left for me to
You can't breathe, you can sleep, you can't sleep
And god it hurts to even think of trying to eat
And now you're face down in a bathroom stall, can't hold it down can't
Hold it down
Break down, break down for all you gave
Break down, break down everything
Reminding you of what you had
Break down, break down for all the pain
Break down, break down everything
Yeah just break down everything
Yeah just break down everything you own
Don't pick up the phone and call
Cause the other line, is another line again
Break down, for everything you had
Break down, cause now it is in the past
Break down, I wish it could have last for you
One Last Breath Track Listing
1 Head Spin
2 Don't Say No
3 Hold On
4 Have You Ever Danced With the Devil in the Pale Moonlight?
5 Breakdown
6 Touche', Miss Indenial
7 It's Like a Knife in a Gunfight
8 Breathe for Me (feat. Felix)


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About This Activity
About This Activity
Cancer Awareness and Resource Network is hosting its inaugural "Colors of Cancer Race 4 Resources". This "Colors of Cancer Race 4 Resources" charity run/walk is designed to raise the necessary dollars to assist cancer fighters and their families across the State of Michigan while putting the spotlight on cancer of all types and their colors in a robust and inclusive way. We all know the work many do when it comes to cancer research in general and breast cancer specially, which is a great and noble work. However, we also know if we only focus in on one cancer segment, we unfortunately leave out so many great people who have contributed to our lives and who have also battled cancer, people like; Peter Jennings, Walt Disney and Paul Newman battled (lung cancer, the color is white), Bob Marley (melanoma, the color is black), Eartha Kitt (colon, the color is royal blue), Farrah Fawcett (anal, the color is purple), Ed Bradley (leukemia, the color is orange), Patrick Swayze (pancreatic, the color is purple), John Kerry (prostate, the color is powder blue) not to mention our own family and friends.
Research show there are so many families that become destitute when cancer strikes their homes for if no other reason, the high cost of care, whether its chemotherapy, radiation, the cost of medicine or the loss of a job. This Colors of Cancer Race 4 Resources is designed to help bridge the gap. When you register for the Colors of Cancer Race 4 Resources, you will support cancer fighters of all types.
~Our MOTTO: Cancer doesn't discriminate…so we won't either~
Event details and schedule
Event details and schedule
Location: The race will begin at: 11051 W. Jefferson (River Rouge Memorial Park)
Date: Saturday, June 3, 2017
Registration fees: $30 singles-- Pre-registration by May 27, 2017
$35 singles-- Registration after May 27, 2017
$25 team-- Pre-registration by May 27, 2017
$30 team-- Registration after May 27, 2017
$15- age 16 and under-TEAM-- Pre-registration by May 27, 2017
$20- age 16 and under-- Registration after May 27, 2017
Time: 7:00-8:30 am Race Day Registration / Packet Pick-up
9:00 am 6K Race Start
Awards ceremony for Overall Cancer fighter, Cancer survivor, Caregiver, and families we support will be immediately following the race.
Packet Pick-up/Late Registration: Friday, June 2, 2017 from 4:30 pm – 7:00 pm ** cash or checks only
Saturday, June 3, 2017 from 7:00 am – 8:30am ** cash or checks only
We would like to give special thanks to:
- Mayor:
Michael Bowdler
- Honorary Chairs
Sheriff Benny Napoleon
Chief Michael Turner
County Executive Warren Evans
- Sponsors:
The Telegram
Western Wayne NAACP
MotorCity Casino
Hot Sams
My Life Our Journey
Marathon Oil
AmeriHealth Caritas
Briova RX
Organizer Info
Cancer Awareness and Resource Network


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Filter Results:
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- Mohamed Essayed Bouzouraa, Ulrich Hofmann
- 2010 IEEE Intelligent Vehicles Symposium
- 2010
in this paper we present a novel environment perception system based on an occupancy grid mapping and a multi-object tracking. The goal of such a system is to create a harmonic, consistent and complete representation of the vehicle environment as a base for future advanced driver assistance systems. In addition to a mathematical formulation of the problem… (More)
- Juergen Graefenstein, Mohamed Essayed Bouzouraa
- 2008 IEEE International Conference on Robotics…
- 2008
This paper deals with localization of a mobile robot using received signal strength indicator (RSSI) in low power IEEE 802.15.4 conform wireless communication in an outdoor environment. Hardware modifications are derived to reduce the radio irregularity and to increase the uniqueness of the measured RSSI to distance. A novel algorithm is elaborated allowing… (More)
- Kai Schueler, Tobias Weiherer, Mohamed Essayed Bouzouraa, Ulrich Hofmann
- 2012 IEEE Intelligent Vehicles Symposium
- 2012
In this paper an approach for 360 degree multi sensor fusion for static and dynamic obstacles is presented. The perception of static and dynamic obstacles is achieved by combining the advantages of model based object tracking and an occupancy map. For the model based object tracking a novel multi reference point tracking system, called best knowledge model,… (More)
- Tobias Weiherer, Mohamed Essayed Bouzouraa, Ulrich Hofmann
- 2012 15th International IEEE Conference on…
- 2012
Future Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) require generic map based representations to process environment information measured by different sensors. In contrast to today's widespread grid based maps, such environment representations have to be a compact, scalable and easy-to-interpret. In order to fulfill these requirements, we propose a new generic… (More)
- Martin Kellner, Ulrich Hofmann, Mohamed Essayed Bouzouraa, Hannah Kasper, Stephan Neumaier
- 17th International IEEE Conference on Intelligent…
- 2014
In this paper a new approach for road curb detection is presented. Different segmentation and classification methods for the extraction of road curb features from a 3d point cloud derived from a laserscanner are described and compared. Further we introduce a novel grid map containing local linear descriptions of the road curbs. In each cell of the map the… (More)
- Martin Kellner, Mohamed Essayed Bouzouraa, Ulrich Hofmann
- 2014 IEEE Intelligent Vehicles Symposium…
- 2014
A road curb detection algorithm for a 3D sensor, e.g. a dense stereo camera, is presented in this paper. The road curb detection is based on a digital elevation map. Different techniques and coordinate systems for mapping the height values are compared theoretically and by simulating a different quality of ego motion data. Furthermore we introduce a new… (More)
- Michael Baer, Mohamed Essayed Bouzouraa, Christopher Demiral, Ulrich Hofmann, Stefan Gies, Klaus Diepold
- 2009 IEEE International Conference on Control and…
- 2009
In this paper we present an approach for a central ego motion estimation with standard and near-series sensors for advanced driver assist systems. The two main contributions of this article are the provision of all variables relative to the road surface and the fusion of several sensors and perception modules providing information of ego localization. Thus… (More)
- Marvin Raaijmakers, Mohamed Essayed Bouzouraa
- 17th International IEEE Conference on Intelligent…
- 2014
This work presents a circle detection algorithm for the purpose of detecting roundabout central islands in single-layer laser scans. The algorithm is robust against measurement errors and imperfections of the central island's circular form and it can be used for laser scanners with only a few vertical layers. Main features of the algorithm are the… (More)
- Marvin Raaijmakers, Mohamed Essayed Bouzouraa
- 2015 IEEE 18th International Conference on…
- 2015
In this work we present a model describing the geometry of a roundabout and a perception system that computes the parameters of this model relative to the ego vehicle before the ego vehicle enters the roundabout. Only a part of the model's parameters are estimated using on-board sensor observations. The complete roundabout geometry is computed by aligning a… (More)
- Martin Kellner, Ulrich Hofmann, Mohamed Essayed Bouzouraa, Stephan Neumaier
- 2015 IEEE 18th International Conference on…
- 2015
In this paper a new approach for road curb detection is presented, which is able to detect road curbs independently of their geometry and orientation in relation to the car. This approach includes a novel algorithm for curb feature detection, which combines cues for road curbs from a 3D point cloud and an intensity image, both gained from a stereo camera… (More)


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By Ruth on September 11, 2010 in Uncategorized
Well, here's a very funny song by the group Lonestar. It's called "Mr.Mom." And I have never seen the video till now!
All you moms out there should enjoy this! Especially the ending. Quite classic!Interested in subscribing to all my site's updates? Subscribe below!
1 Comment
Thanks for visiting Lilac City Momma! I love this song and video!! Im now following =)


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Ras Mohamed Red Sea Cruise and Snorkeling day trip by boat
Ras Mohamed Red Sea Cruise and Snorkeling day trip by boat
Hit the water at Sinai's famous Ras Mohamed National Park, where an abundance of underwater life is waiting to be discovered. With Youregypttours.com Spend the day snorkeling, swimming ...
Starts From $35.00 Per PersonBook this tour
With Youregypttours.com Hit the water at Sinai's famous Ras Mohamed National Park, where an abundance of underwater life is waiting to be discovered. Spend the day snorkeling, swimming or just relaxing on the sun deck – the choice is up to you. Ras Mohamed National Park is one of Egypt's most popular dive and snorkeling sites. With a large variety of fish, corals and sharks calling this part of the Red Sea home, you'll enjoy an exciting day exploring the magical underwater world. Bring your own snorkeling equipment on this relaxing day trip, or hire gear onboard the boat. Soft drinks and mineral water are available throughout the day, and lunch is served in the afternoon.
Schedule Details:
Departure Time:
* 8:00am
* 8.00 hours (approx.)
Departure Point:
Tour departs from most Sharm el Sheikh hotels
Return details:
Tour returns to original point of departure at approximately 5:00pm
Hotel Pickup:
Tour departs from centrally located Sharm el Sheikh hotels. Please include the details of your hotel at the time of booking.
Pricing Information
Prices are listed as a guide only. For an exact price quote contact us
Child prices are not applicable, adult prices apply to all travelers.
Infants aged 2 years and under are free of charge, provided they do not occupy a seat
Prices are per person.
Our pricing is updated constantly to ensure you always receive the lowest price possible.
Additional Information
Hotel pick up and drop off
Soft drinks and mineral water throughout the day
Gratuities (recommended)
Food and drinks, unless specified
Food and drinks, unless specified
Snorkeling equipment (cost to hire 5.00 USD)
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This small, goat-headed humanoid has large backward curving horns, goat-like legs, a small bushy tail, and a human torso. Except its arms and hands, thick brown fur covers its entire body. It is heavily adorned with rings, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and other such trinkets.
AC 15, touch 12, flat-footed 14 (+1 Dex, +3, natural, +1 size)
Speed 30 ft.
4/day– mass charm animal (this functions as charm animal, but allows the fyr to charm up to 4 HD of animals) (DC 12)
Str 12, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 13, Cha 13
Weapon Attunement (Su)
Fyrs have a mystical ability to attune themselves with any weapon they wield. A weapon held by a fyr functions as a masterwork item (gaining a +1 bonus to attack rolls) as long as the fyr wields it. This bonus does not stack with the enhancement bonus gained from magical weapons, or the bonus gained from a masterwork weapon. This bonus is included in the statistics block above.
Environment temperate forests and mountains
Organization solitary, pack (1 dire goat or 1 brown bear or 1d2 sheep or 1 ram or 1d4 badgers or 1 dire badger), band (2-5 plus 1d3 dire badgers), or troop (6-11 fyrs plus 1d4 dire goats or 1d6 black bears or 2d6 sheep or 1d6 rams or 2d4 deer)
Treasure 50% coins; double goods (jewelry only); 50% items
Fyr are satyr-like creatures that make their homes in the mountainous wilds and dense forests in well-secluded places such as caves or caverns or under a covering of thick branches and giant leaves. They are a solitary and nomadic race, rarely staying in one place for much longer than a few months before moving on. Though always on the move, a fyr can acclimate itself to its surroundings very quickly. Most encounters are with a solitary creature or a solitary creature and its animal companions.
Fyrs are on good terms with gnomes, druids, treants, elves, and halflings, and often trade goods with them or aid them in times of need. Fyr are master jewelers, and their trinkets and baubles are highly sought after by some of the more civilized races that appreciate fine jewelry. These fey tolerate humans and dwarves and likewise trade with them when they near a human settlement or dwarven stronghold. Fyr dislike orcs, goblins, bugbears, and other goblinoids, and avoid contact with them.
Fyrs prefer to avoid combat if possible, but if their homeland or comrades are threatened, they attack. Fyrs use their natural ability to hide themselves in their terrain and attack from surprise. Most of the time a fyr attacks by butting with its horns, but some prefer a "less animalistic" form of combat and use weapons in combat. Favored weapons include a small longsword, club, hand axe, and dagger. A fyr does not hesitate to retreat if the tide of battle turns against it and usually employs pass without trace so it can escape without being tracked. If encountered with its animal companions, the fyr directs them in combat against its foes.


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Bundle & Save $20!!
Our classic tees are so popular that we thought "why not bundle them together!"
Show off your love of cake to the world in these SWEET classic tees or just wear them at home for a comfy and relaxing evening. This bundle includes:
1x Crumb Coat & Chill Tee
1 x Got Cake? Tee
*Tees must be purchased in the same size.


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Do you live a stressful life? There aren't many people who would answer "no." Being stressed and crazy busy are like badges of honor. Societal programming silently tells you that if you're not stressed out and busy, there's something wrong with you. You're not doing enough. Read my post on being and doing "enough" HERE.
While you're supposed to be stressed, you're also bombarded with messages that tell you how unhealthy stress is. Some studies boldly say that about 97% of all medical issues (especially heart disease, diabetes and stroke) are related to stress.
To combat the onslaught of stress, we seek out ways to relax. There are entire industries that exist to help you deal with your stress.
All these messages convince you that stress is bad. It's a killer.
But what if there were more to this whole stress thing? Maybe a more positive way of seeing stress.
In the video below, Kelly McGonigal, a health psychologist, talks about how she may inadvertently be harming her patients by feeding them more of the "stress is bad" message.
People tend to believe whatever authority figures (like doctors) tell them. Those beliefs have an incredibly powerful effect on our bodies. This has been proven by numerous studies over many decades. Bruce Lipton, Candace Pert, both Ph.D.'s, and Lynne McTaggart have written extensively on the topic.
What if you decided to believe that the pounding heart and hormones secreted during stressful times were good for you? How different are those physiological responses to those experienced during a challenging workout? Everyone "knows" that a challenging workout is good for you, right? So what makes the same physiological experience bad when it's labeled "stress?"
Kelly's answer to the question asked of her at the end of her talk was an interesting one.
Q: "If someone is making a choice between a stressful job and a non-stressful job, does it matter which one they pick if they believe that stress is empowering?"
A: "Chasing meaning is better for your health than avoiding discomfort. That's the best way to make decisions. Go after what creates meaning in your life, and trust yourself to handle the stress that follows."
Stress, by itself, is not a bad thing. Like everything else in life, the effect it has on you depends on the stories you believe about it.
If your stories/beliefs aren't supporting you, make up new ones. To change a belief:
- Identify exactly what the existing negative belief is. (Stress is bad for me. It's a killer.)
- Then challenge it. Argue with it. Find reasons to support why it's a false belief. (Stress heightens my senses and makes me more aware of opportunities. It urges me to find others who can help me. Stress gets my blood pumping which provides more oxygen to my brain and body.)
- Create a new belief that's the opposite of the old belief. Make sure it's something you can be excited about. (Stress is good for me. It invigorates me and helps me to achieve my goals.)
- Repeat the new belief a few times a day with feeling for at least a month.
How might you answer the next person who asks how you're doing? Instead of saying, "I'm so stressed and busy!" with a big sigh, try "I'm pretty stressed right now. It's awesome!" with lots of positive energy.
How can you turn stress into your friend? What can you change in your daily thinking and actions that would allow stress to be a positive force in your life?
To get an idea of how stressed you might be, take the quiz below:
Bullfrog Spas designs and manufactures luxury spas with the patented JetPak Therapy System which provides powerful hydrotherapy to help relieve stress, sore muscles, and strengthen your overall wellness. Bullfrog Spas is the fastest growing spa brands on the planet.
It's time to put our phones away and reconnect in a more mindful way!
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Doctor insights on:
Coming Off Beta Blockers Side Effects
Are there side effects associated with beta blockers?
Yes: Not everyone gets these and they are usually dose dependant. Fatigue, dizzy, depression, impotence, bronchospasm to name a few.
Would co q 10 enzyme alleviate the side effects of beta blockers?
Probably not: What specific side effects are you talking about? The answer is that it is unlikely to help fatigue.
My almost 9 month old needs to take beta blockers for her hemangioma, I am very worried about this drug, can this cause major negative side effects?
Hemangioma: Beta blocker drug Propranolol is being widely used for treatment of hemangioma. Treating doctor decides depending on the size, location and severity of the hemangiona. Smaller ones needs only follow up. The side effects can be: lowering of blood pressure, heart rate and blood sugar; cold extremities, restless sleep, constipation. The other important side effect can be bronchospasm or wheezing.See 1 more doctor answer
Can I take my beta blockers (metoprolol 12, 5 mg) daily together with my much needed paroxetine (20 mg daily)? Any side effects or something else? TU
Ok with caution: The combination can increase the effect of metoprolol by slowing its metabolism (breakdown) in the liver. Too much metoprolol can cause low blood pressure and low heart rate, with dizziness or fainting as a result. However, 12.5 mg of metoprolol is a low dose, so your doctor may have already taken this into account, & is counting on the paroxetine to increase the beta blocker's effectiveness.
Which beta-blockers are least likely to cause CNS side effects? I'm having nightmares on Coreg (Carvedilol).
Blood brain barrier: Atenolol is less likely to cause CNS side effects because it is less likely to penetrate the "blood-brain barrier."
What is the best beta blocker with the fewest side effects?
Variable: What is the most beautiful color? What is the most lovely symphony? The most delicious food? See my point?
What beta blocker is the most benign in terms of side effects
Depends: If the concern is related to extra cardiac beta blocking effects then the cardioselective beta blockers have better side effect profile.
How long do side effects from atenolol (a beta blocker) last?
Few days (depends): Adverse effects of meds are related to their half life in your body. Long acting drugs, like atenolol, may take a few days to get out o your system. Buti may also depend on the side effect, concomitant medications, and other underlying conditions.
Befinfits or side effects of taking coq10. I'm 30 in good health, low energy, take beta blocker for pvs. Could I benefit from coq10, any dangers?
No proven benefit: Don't waste your hard-earned money, the supplement industry is a multi-billion dollar fraud perpetrated on the american public. No proven benefit on pvcs.
Generally, does any diurectic mimic the most common and unwanted side effects like those of a beta blocker?
Not really: These two meds are unrelated and generally cause different side effects.
On propranolol (20mg day) for panic disorder. It's working great-better than anything else I've tried w/no side effects. Is there any risk of staying on this beta blocker long term?
No: Beta blockers are very safe long term. No worries!
Beta blocker side effects?
Poss side effects: Possible side effects of beta-blockers include: sexual dysfunction in males, HDL reduction, increased triglycerides, bronchoconstriction/ shortness of breath, bradycardia, hypotension, heart block, fatigue, and dizziness. However, don't forget that most people do fine, or have a brief adjustment period then are fine. Talk w/ ur doc about whether potential benefits>potential risks.See 2 more doctor answers
Can the side effects of a beta blocker continue after 8 hours?
Yes if it is a long: Acting preparation.Get a more detailed answer ›
Which beta blocker has the least side effects and is the safest and best tolerated? I have Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome & can't find a suitable one
Varies: All beta blockers have similar side effects but affect different people in different ways. Talk with your doctor about trying Nadolol or atenolol. At your age with wpw, I would consider an electrophysiology study (eps) for risk stratification and possible catheter ablation. That could eliminate the need for beta blockers.See 1 more doctor answer
The beta blocker had too many side effects and did not reduce BP well enough. Ace inhibitor is now substituted. Could this reduce the pressure better?
Depending on Pt: Each pt is different. People respond to different meds differently. Some pts ace inhibitor works very well. Some pts it does not. We have to try one med at a time and see if it works. If it doesn't will try next option.See 1 more doctor answer
Afraid to take a beta blocker med - I am concern about side effects 25 mgs of metoprolol ER for hrt race. HR up/down 2day, hrt r been ok till 2day.?
Side effects minimal: 25mg metoprolol is a low dose and should cause minimal if any side effects but should be effective for heart racing. I take 100mg daily for high blood pressure and have no noticeable side effects. Thanks for trusting HealthTap!
I always feel lightheaded and headache almost every day! Currently I'm on beta blocker and propafenone. Side effects from my meds?
Symptoms: Discuss the symptoms with your Doctor. Those symptoms can be associated with almost any medication and so it's hard to be sure whether they are likely to be related to your meds. Your Doc is in the best position to judge your situation.
Anxiety attack at work went to ER asked for a beta blocker for perf anxiety given lorazapam instead not sure why, gave me bad side effects. Took 2 mgs?
Anxiety: It sounds like the er doctors were trying to help you with your chief complaint: the anxiety attack you were experiencing. Ativan (lorazepam) can help this, with sufficient dose. You must have been quite anxious, and they wanted the medicine to be effective. A beta blocker would have had no effect on your existing anxiety, but can prevent peripheral anxiety symptoms. Your doctors clearly knew this.See 1 more doctor answer
Can beta blocker be taken for prinzmetals angina if an alpha blocker is added, so there isn't any vasospasm potential? Want off my CCB (side effects)
- Talk to a doctor online
- Beta blockers and side effects
- Common side effects of beta blockers
- Beta adrenergic blockers side effects
- Beta blockers for anxiety side effects
- Coming off hrt side effects
- Coming off lipitor side effects
- Side effects of coming off antidepressants
- Side effects of coming off femodene
- What are side effects of beta blockers?


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Words containing dmedial
Found 1 words containing dmedial. Browse our Scrabble Word Finder, Words With Friends cheat dictionary, and WordHub word solver to find words that contain dmedial. Or use our Unscramble word solver to find your best possible play! Related: Words that end in dmedial
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With July comes the monsoon with heavy rains and wide smiles across people's faces. No matter if you're in Mumbai, Delhi or somewhere else, the happiness and the joy of rains always remains untouched. Well if you're a Delhiite or you're visiting the city for a week or so, worry not we have got you covered. With these top-notch handpicked venues in the capital city of India, you can have the utmost joy of visiting these places with your friends and family and having a time worth remembering. Check these things to do in Delhi for some quality entertainment and to share some laughter with your close ones before resuming your work. Adventure Island , Rohini: Adventure Island is a world class amusement park designed by internationally renowned design consultants and architects. Located opposite Rithala metro station of Rohini, Adventure Island is connected and accessible to all parts of the city through the Metro. This place is featuring this event called Click Art Museum, is a place with big pictures of optical illusions that will fill one's head with Idyllic creations. The participants will find themselves transformed into another world, probably re-born as Mona Lisa's guest or Atlas's Friend, A world of trick art! Date: July 10- August 31, 2017 Akshara Theater The Akshara Theatre is an exquisite arts complex set in just under one acre of land in the heart of New Delhi. It has four performance spaces for live performances, equipped with the best lighting and sound equipment augmented a few years ago by a generous grant from the Government of Japan under its Cultural Grassroots Programme. This week it's featuring The Half Fried Show – A Stand-Up Comedy Trial Show by Aakash Gupta which will make you laugh your guts out and enjoy this budding stand-up comedian and also celebrate the failure with him. So come check out one of the best places in Delhi if you're in the mood to enjoy this weekend. Date: July 16, 2017 Alliance Francaise : Delhi This top venue in Delhi is featuring Woody Allen's humorous classic play 'Side Effects' this weekend. It is an Indian adaptation, inspired by three of his wittiest and funny stories; 'The Lunatics Tale', 'Retribution' and 'Remembering Needleman'. Dr Arup Dutt, a renowned surgeon of Delhi, was always a one-woman man, until his beloved Indrani started resembling his aunt. Watch him turn into a two-timing lunatic, braving the most common predicament, that afflicts a good many of us! Never being satisfied with a single member of the opposite sex, this roller coaster ride is for you to enjoy now! Date: 23 July, 2017
Written By: Archit Chawla | Post Date: 10 July 2017
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We humans tend to present our species as being the most refined, smartest and superior. Here in the Netherlands (and the remainder of Europe) they are quite common pets and you'll go to any vet with them. Even although most...
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We humans tend to present our species as being the most refined, smartest and superior. Here in the Netherlands (and the remainder of Europe) they are quite common pets and you'll go to any vet with them. Even although most pets may have their very own leashes and toys, you must at all times be ready with extras. You'll be required to stop by purchasers properties and feed, play, and let loose their pets for potty breaks. I too am seeking to save a bit of cash with dog grooming – Goldendoodle – every 8 weeks! I usually take them to the groomer but I am planning to begin grooming them all the time myself. My mother thought he was dead and put him in a zip-lock bag, i awoke 2 hours later and held him in the bag and he started transferring.!! While having a pet ties you down more than not having a pet would, you'll be able to go away a pet for hours on end and not have to fret about him. Try trying out some dog grooming boards or a forum with other Pyrenees house owners that groom at home.
I was waiting for the spot within the movie that might make me roll my eyes, as I discover in most animated motion pictures I actually have beforehand considered, but it surely by no means happened. Pets Alive works with the Office of the Aging to provide senior pets to senior residents. The tags are 95% zinc and there's no warning in the packaging to inform pet homeowners concerning the danger their pets are going through. The unsuitability of non-domesticated animals as pets.. Veterinary Record, 91: 373-381. Superbly located on eighth Street in Al Quoz (between Al Serkal Avenue and MoE) it gives professional grooming in a pleasant, scientific environment, with industrial hair dryers and severe grooming tables. Call the Humane Society at (360) 757-0445, e-mail us at janine.c@, or just cease by throughout business hours as a way to see if the pet has been reported LOST by an owner.
It is shameful as a result of goldfish could make excellent pets when correctly cared for. Grandma thought they'd be a nice gift, but actually, one needs to think carefully about giving small animals to kids as pets. If you will offer to take consumer's pets to the vet or for journeys to the dog park, you may be fascinated with investing $20 or $30 in a automobile seat cover or dog hammock in order that their fur would not get throughout your automotive. Many pet shops sell and promote hermit crabs as good pets for kids with little care necessities and short life expectancies. I am about to start out grooming my pet and want to know what are the best clippers and what dimension blades I require.
He loves to be involved, even shredding paper along with his beak while I clip coupons. It is easy to do and you'll train your dog to cooperate and also you both will enjoy grooming time together. Electric heated orthopedic canine beds are particularly useful for older dogs and pets who have arthritis or other joint situations. Now, I'm not making an attempt to burst your bubble, however I should warn you: While incredibly economical, grooming your canine at dwelling just isn't straightforward. This affords the most luxurious boarding but also has a really helpful indoor Dog Park where owners take their pets to play.
No have to make a reservation, simply be here at Pets Alive, 363 Derby Road, Middletown, NY by 12:00 PM able to learn how to safely interact with the animals at Pets Alive! Although this is able to be a Buddhist ceremony similar to these given to humans, every would only take a number of hours. All content shared at Pawsitively Pets is written by Ann Staub until said otherwise.


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Hemp Knit Straight Long Cardigan
Please note: To protect our stockists we do not sell online. If you do not have a stockist near you or for any other enquiries please contact us.
Style Number: Z0064. Made in Australia.
Available in sizes: XS - XL
Fabric: 55% Hemp and 45% Organic Cotton Knit. GOTS & OCS Certified. Low impact dyes. 100% Linen hand made multi-coloured binding. All fabrics are pre-washed and pre-shrunk before manufacture.
Features: Taped shoulders. Full 1/2 inch seams. All seams top-stitched.
Care: Gentle cold or warm machine wash. Line dry in shade. Iron on cotton setting.
Length from shoulder to hem: 78 cm (30 3/4")
Sleeve Length: 59 cm (23 1/4")


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Why people shun some eco-friendly products
Want to convince customers to buy your new and improved green product? Don't tell them you made it environmentally-friendly on purpose. A new study suggests that when a company intentionally makes a product greener, people assume that the product also becomes lower-quality. However, if the product unexpectedly becomes greener as a result of other changes, consumers are more likely to buy it.
"[I]t would seem that intending to make a product better should be preferred to unintentionally doing so," the authors write in the Journal of Consumer Research. "However, the present studies demonstrate the opposite effect."
In one experiment, the team gave 303 people descriptions of eco-friendly dish soap and drain cleaner. One group was told that the manufacturer had made the products greener on purpose; a second group was told that the products had become more environmentally-friendly as an "unintended side effect" of efforts to improve the cleaner's formula; and a third group didn't receive any information about whether the environment-related changes were intentional or not.
People who thought that the green improvements were made on purpose were less likely than those in the "accidental" group to say they wanted to buy the product, the team found. They also gave the product a lower quality rating and were more likely to assume that the company had sacrificed the product's performance in favor of sustainability.
This pattern didn't hold true for all types of manufacturing changes. In another experiment with 400 people, participants were told that the cleaning product company had developed a new fair trade agreement with its overseas workers. Whether the company deliberately made these improvements or were forced to by local law didn't have much effect on people's interest in buying the product. That's probably because companies usually change the product itself to make it greener, whereas adopting fair trade practices is seen as a separate process, the authors say. — Roberta Kwok | 4 September 2014
Source: Newman, G.E., M. Gorlin, and R. Dhar. 2014. When going green backfires: How firm intentions shape the evaluation of socially beneficial product enhancements. Journal of Consumer Research doi: 10.1086/677841.
Image © Kenishirotie | Shutterstock
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Here is some footage taken from a recent photo shoot at Koh Samui beach in Thailand. Alice Sherman is one of our commercial models on our uk and international roster. Watch and share this video plus look out for more videos of Alice here and on all our other social media platforms. Alice is available for uk and international commercial, editorial, print, fashion, runway, catwalk, sport, fitness, advertising, campaign, photography, TV, film, music video and media assignments.
For all enquiries email email@example.com or for an immediate response call +44 (0) 1727 576028 http://ow.ly/nZDT3083YYf
Share this video https://youtu.be/-LqFzrDxwTg
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The hint of a piece you see is just an abstract bit I'm playing with. I haven't embroidered in so long that I wanted to just make a mess of it & make a pretty nothing. And as for the pretty fabric flowers, I'll eventually add them to the piece as well. I think.
What are your plans for the 4th? And what do you carry your crafting bits in when on the go?


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Welcome to Bonanza, an online marketplace with the best prices.
With over 22 million items and 35,000 sellers, Bonanza is the place to find the items you need at the prices you want.
JG Meakin Chatsworth Multicolor 12 Inch Oval Serving Platter J and G Meakin England Vintage Chatsworth pattern Oval Serving Platter Classic White Brown Floral Multicolor Accents English Staffordshire Genuine Hand Engraving Length 12 inches Width 9 1/2 inches Good used condition Vintage J G Meakin England Classic White Chatsworth pattern 12 inch oval serving platter. The main color is white, and the floral design is the multicolor version of this pattern with most of the flowers being brown with some blue, green, yellow, and mauve pink accents. The platter measures approximately 12 inches long by 9 1/2 inches wide. The bottom is marked in black ENGLISH STAFFORDSHIRE CLASSIC WHITE Chatsworth GENUINE HAND ENGRAVING PERMANENT COLOURS J. G. MEAKIN ENGLAND. There are 2 small light brown spots and one small red glaze slip on the top surface of the platter. There are no chips, cracks, or crazing, just some shelf wear on the bottom ring. Lovely piece!
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The ShieldWall Network operates on honor and trust. Deciding you can trust someone isn't always easy. On one hand, trusting the wrong people can get you killed. On the other hand, if you can't trust anyone, you're going to have a hell of a time surviving; like it or not, there will come a time when you'll need help from your fellow humans. If we're going to make it, we're going to have to work together and trust each other.
When it comes to trust, the trust directives between ShieldWall Networkers and the trust between people in other kinds of relationships are very similar in kind and scope.
If you have ever had your world flipped upside down and you don't know who to trust, here are a few methods you can use in the future to determine if someone is worth your trust.
A trustworthy person doesn't talk about…
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