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tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4080946.post9028085212746431666..comments2018-06-23T07:48:30.747-04:00Comments on Venezuela News And Views: Leopoldo and OccamDanielhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4080946.post-30244886583348939382017-07-12T16:16:57.689-04:002017-07-12T16:16:57.689-04:00Boludo I do not know what you are going on about. ...Boludo I do not know what you are going on about. I did not ask you to believe a word I say or to even read my comments. You can link two sides to any story and is way too easy to google the estimated break down of ownership of Venezuelan bonds. Or try just keeping up with the news and seeing who negotiated the extended terms on expiring bonds. You seem determined to get into some type of a childish argument. Most on here post their thoughts you just try and post obscure links to diss their thoughts. Get a life! Ash Skinner using Anonymous on different email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4080946.post-4838625746846875432017-07-11T22:55:58.864-04:002017-07-11T22:55:58.864-04:00Point is who is running those funds? More importan...Point is who is running those funds?
More important: who is purchasing those bonds?

Not sure you have documented anything you speak on here..
As I provided a LINK in my comment above, your statement provides unintentional comedy. Your powers of observation match your ability to back up what you claim.

Dont ask me to do your research.
Don't ask me to believe your undocumented claims. If you make a claim and don't back it up- and POINT BLANK refuse to provide documentation when asked to do so- a logical conclusion to make is that you don't know what you are talking about.

Boludo email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4080946.post-25540664663536013372017-07-11T21:06:44.001-04:002017-07-11T21:06:44.001-04:00Point is who is running those funds? Whether an i...Point is who is running those funds? Whether an individual or entity and when I say American you can substitute Western World. As for document it that is like saying document smoking is bad. Dont ask me to do your research. Believe what I say or don't I really do not mind either way. Not sure you have documented anything you speak on here or that anyone would want anyone too as would require pages of research or annoying links.Ash Skinnerhttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4080946.post-30056381548804872302017-07-11T13:37:11.182-04:002017-07-11T13:37:11.182-04:00Daniel ironic? Surely you jest!Daniel ironic? Surely you jest!Boludo firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4080946.post-4840026012236647672017-07-11T13:33:28.436-04:002017-07-11T13:33:28.436-04:00China and Russian loans are minor in comparison to...China and Russian loans are minor in comparison to the operating capital the rich Americans have provided in the form of bonds.

Document it. For one part of your documentation: ~$55 billion to Russia and China. You would also need to document who is purchasing those bonds, not just who is issuing them. Perhaps some rich Canadians, in addition to rich Americans, purchased some of them. Perhaps some not-so-rich Americans or Canadians or Europeans purchased Venny bonds for retirement accounts. I recall a lot of retirement accounts shared in the haircut from Argentina's default earlier in the century.

Miguel Octavio has a lot of bond information in DevilsExcrement. Boludo email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4080946.post-80342724069946691502017-07-11T12:48:04.331-04:002017-07-11T12:48:04.331-04:00There is nothing elegant about chavismo. I am jus...There is nothing elegant about chavismo. I am just been as ironic as possible, the only tolerable way to discuss chavismo savagery.Danielhttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4080946.post-84119947658743393782017-07-11T10:52:16.207-04:002017-07-11T10:52:16.207-04:00LOL @ worrying about the brazilian Navy.LOL @ worrying about the brazilian Navy.Vitor Romahttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4080946.post-28237929513998135672017-07-10T23:24:50.600-04:002017-07-10T23:24:50.600-04:00China and Russian loans are minor in comparison to...China and Russian loans are minor in comparison to the operating capital the rich Americans have provided in the form of bonds. Plus the Chinese and Russia have oil production held as collateral and recognized by the world abd have massive stakes in Venezuelan's oil fields. Almost all prior to the assembly rejecting such moves.Ash Skinnerhttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4080946.post-78277170096916317972017-07-10T21:40:21.916-04:002017-07-10T21:40:21.916-04:00The conclusion is "simple, yet elegant"....The conclusion is "simple, yet elegant". If you may say so yourself. Only someone who is a legend in its own mind would talk that email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4080946.post-15163151072036269522017-07-10T21:02:12.155-04:002017-07-10T21:02:12.155-04:00My feeling is the release order came from either t...My feeling is the release order came from either the US, Russia or China. A more pragmatic division within Chavismo was given a strong suggestion and acquiesced. China may be looking at billions of unpaid loans so they would be wise to cover their bets by aiding the opposition. Same with Russia for a little less money. The US could supply immediate food relief if needed. The Venezuela military understands realpolitik. Taylortown01http://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4080946.post-15470301959651610532017-07-09T13:45:11.178-04:002017-07-09T13:45:11.178-04:00ConsDemo wrote: "If Venezuela was a priority ...ConsDemo wrote: "If Venezuela was a priority for him, Tillerson would not have blown off the OAS meeting."

The US priority in South America is Brazil. Of concern is a naval build up that would be capable of projecting power in the south Atlantic & exerting influence in South America & west Africa. Venezuela seems to be returning to what it was in the 19th century, a poor, unimportant place.Darren Wolfehttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4080946.post-38477772112177218222017-07-09T11:59:01.663-04:002017-07-09T11:59:01.663-04:00Sorry York Report the media in North America is no...Sorry York Report the media in North America is not biased for the regime. They may be ignorant to what truly is going on but certainly do not favor the regime. Only the crap writers out of Cuba and Venezuela favor the regime. Mainstrean media around the world ha e called the dictatorship on many of its evils. Ash Skinnerhttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4080946.post-51429181405863713322017-07-09T11:02:41.543-04:002017-07-09T11:02:41.543-04:00Daniel, just thanks again for your perceptive repo...Daniel, just thanks again for your perceptive reporting. It's great to have something happy to report from you country. We can all hope that Leopoldo's semi-release is at least "the end of the beginning".Donnhttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4080946.post-64106432439743646662017-07-09T10:04:53.441-04:002017-07-09T10:04:53.441-04:00York, you can't be serious. While the Trump ...York, you can't be serious. While the Trump tweet was welcome, it's sincerity was dubious and more importantly, it happened almost five months ago. The meeting was clearly arranged by Rubio who, for all his many flaws, does sincerely seek to confront the Venezuelan regime. Trump, on the other hand, is more comfortable with autocrats than democratically elected leaders. If Venezuela was a priority for him, Tillerson would not have blown off the OAS meeting.

In any case, don't be U.S.-centric, what is happening in Venezuela is determined by the protests within the country, not months old tweets by foreign leaders.ConsDemohttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4080946.post-4195986057988195052017-07-09T09:20:13.854-04:002017-07-09T09:20:13.854-04:00Daniel, Here in the USA and around the world main...Daniel,

Here in the USA and around the world mainstream media reporting on Venezuela seems biased in favor of the regime which is repeatedly described as "socialist" which is the way Moscow and Havana always described their Communist systems when I listened to their propaganda broadcasts in my youth.

The media reports say that there were calls internationally for the release of Leopoldo Lopez but the one that stands out for me was the tweet of Donald Trump on February 15th when he met Lillian Tintori at the White House accompanied by Marco Rubio and VP Pence.

A "willingness to negotiate", a "willingness to deal" may indeed be there for some in this regime.York Reporthttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4080946.post-50591923745332748492017-07-09T00:59:45.951-04:002017-07-09T00:59:45.951-04:00I am going to go on a dare here and state that Cub...I am going to go on a dare here and state that Cuba is realizing that Venezuela will not be able to sustain it for long. So why not deal with the opposition in exchange of at least enough oil to sustain Cuba's real needs?

In support of your hypothesis that the Cubans are behind this, Prensa Latina-English has reported on the release. Venezuelan Justice Takes Humanitarian Measure in Favor of Opponent. If the Cubans were against the release, would they have reported on it? I doubt it.

Regarding sending Cuba oil after the fall, my guess is that a greater concern than sending Cuba some oil would be all the Cuban intelligence agents embedded into the Venezuelan power structure. Boludo firstname.lastname@example.com


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In the meantime, I played with some other Barbie patterns I found. I fell in love with a leotard and tutu pattern. This little girl happens to be taking ballet lessons, and loves purple. I happened to have some Luster Sheen in purple in my stash. Destined for each other, right?
I made one in purple, one in teal and one in burgundy (or dark fuchsia?). Anyhow here are photos of the purple and teal sets.
They are crocheted around little 1-inch ponytail bands. So the leotard pulls up over the hips and waist and sits above the chest. The tutu is then pulled up over that. I just love making these. I need to play with other yarns, threads and hook sizes.
The leotard, alone, could work also as a one-piece bathing suit. And it could easily be made without the stitches at the bottom for the leg openings. That way, it could also work as a skirt.
I checked Etsy and there are only a handful (less than 5) that are being sold, handmade, finished, crocheted, so competition is very light on these...hmmm....

subset: commoncrawl


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5. Dylan Moran – girls are different, aren't they?
Dylan Moran's delivery method in his standup gives the false impression that his thoughts are displaced and unruly–interrupting himself, forgetting what he was talking about, spitting out images in a whirlwind of emotion–but every word is carefully chosen and delivered, as is apparent here in his fast-paced rant about the imaginary boyfriend.
4. Jon Richardson on spoons
This bit is funny if you've never been exposed to Jon Richardson's standup before. It's even funnier if you have some context, like you've read his book, It's Not Me, It's You or his documentary A Little Bit OCD because you see how real his anger and frustration is. What's also great about this bit is that to some, he comes across as a little nuts, but to others, he's perfectly right about everything.
3. Nathaniel Metcalfe mishearing the lyrics to the theme song of the Disney film The Barefoot Executive
Start this clip at about 4:45 in:
In this anecdote, Nathaniel Metcalfe tells the audience several times what he misheard the lyrics to The Barefoot Executive as, forcing the audience to hear what he had conditioned them to hear when he finally plays the audio clip at the end of the bit. The humor is aided by Metcalfe's patience in slow pacing and repetition, which builds almost unbearable anticipation.
2. Jason Byrne whose wife is pregnant with the reincarnation of the Crocodile Hunter
I believe that the funniest account of this story is in the podcast Show & Tell, which was re-branded as series 1 of Robin and Josie's Utter Shambles. It really speaks for itself.
1. Rhod Gilbert's lost luggage
With Rhod Gilbert's surreal style of storytelling, it's hard to know if this story is in the least bit true, but if anyone's had to deal with customer service, especially at an airport or other high-stress venue, you'll recognize that the spirit of the story is spot on.


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You cant have everything in life. There are things you have to have, things you have to go through, things you have to let go, things you will never have... and sometimes you wish you never had.
Allah is fair. Nobody, nobody can claim otherwise. You win some, you loose some. HE cant just give you everything. If its meant to be yours, noone can take it away. If its not, no matter how much you try to grab it, it will sooner slip from your hand.
A mother who has a lovely, caring, handsome and loyal husband but have two sons who are drug addicts.
A wife with obedient, dutiful children who cant sleep at night wondering who her husband is sleeping with tonight.
A husband who is caring, lovely, loyal and handsome suddenly discovers his wife having an affair with an office mate.
Husband and wife with a big house with swimming pool, dream cars, up going careers but no children to share their abundance.
Lovely husband and wife with wonderful children but sleepless at nights hoping they have enough to pay the house rent at the end of the month.
Husband with beautiful wife wonderful children, but with cancer and counting the days.
A woman with good career, a house and a nice car but single.
I wonder how many times do we count our blessings and thank HIM for helping us go through everyday life despite all the ups and downs wishing all the things we wish we had and the things we wish we never had.....
Life goes on.


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Facebook App
Orçamento $250-750 USD
I Am looking for a application expert who can build a facebook application that enable users to signup chat and also use a webcam ,
This is a trial project, so we will probably go for bids, but if successful we wan to establish a long-term partnership.
4 freelancers estão ofertando em média $362 para esse trabalho
Hello, Our team have reviewed the initial details of your project and based on this we can expertly develop a Facebook Application as per your requirements. You can check our complete Facebook application devel Mais
Dear sir, i am interested to do your [login to view URL] portfolio [login to view URL] thank you, jagadish.p
Hi i have read the detail of your project & ready to do the work for you. I hope i will hear from you soon. THANKS....


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|Cattails, 6 x 12" oil on canvas, at Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary today. $145
Making art rarely if ever feels "safe" to me. Particularly if I'm making art of a kind I don't usually make, such as a painting of reflections on water. So this was today's first challenge, and the second one will be going back out to meet Derek and the Outdoor Painters of Minnesota at Murphy's Landing (I've gotta Google it; I have no idea where this is) and go for round two.


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|Gorgeous flower fields
I'd rambled around the upper bluffs of the Dalles Mountain Ranch, and explored the old homestead with it's preserved barns and ancient farming equipment. (If you missed that post read all about it here.) But I'd still yet to find the ancient auto.
|Peek a boo barn
Many online descriptions of the Dalles Mountain Ranch mentioned a decaying automobile long ago abandoned in a field of flowers. It's rusting hulk in such a beautiful setting made for some scenic photos - a favorite subject of many area photographers. After viewing several people's images online, I knew I had to find that car.
|Yellow slopes
However, easier said than done. The people who posted online reports didn't offer many concrete clues as to the car's location. And the Dalles Mountain ranch covers a huge area. About all I came up with was that it was located "near the buildings," and from glimpsing photographs, I determined it was close to a fence. But there were a lot of fences out here. Would I be searching for a needle in the haystack?
|Balsamroot bloom
But I had to give it a shot, and crossed the main road opposite the old homestead and plunged into more flower-filled fields. The amount of bloom was staggering. Bright balsamroot flowers colored the rolling hills yellow, stretching for miles in all directions. It was as if someone had taken a huge paintbrush to the fields.
|Another scenic fence
The fields were lined with an incredible amount of fencing. I know this area used to be a cattle ranch, and I'm sure the fences were left over from those days. However, I didn't mind. The old, wooden posts made fantastic subjects.
|One more scenic fence
I followed well-worn user paths through the flower fields. Although no car came into sight, I thoroughly enjoyed myself taking photos of the flowers and fences. Along with the balsamroot, bright purple lupine added to the palette. The hills, dressed in their neon spring green, ambled down as far as the eye could see, all the way to the Columbia River.
|Lots of purple lupine here
After spending quite a bit of time in my photo endeavors, I looked across a draw to another large field. I spotted a small group of people walking along a fenceline. Watching the group for several minutes, they seemed to linger in one particular spot. Could that be the place?
|Found it!
I had to check it out. Returning to my car, I drove closer to this field. After squeezing through a gate, I trekked up a small hill. The concentration of balsamroot and lupine was quite thick, overgrowing a very faint path through the flowers. And then, topping the ridge, I looked down into another fenced field......and there was the car!
|This car has seen better days
It was as scenic as the internet pictures depicted. The car's orange, rusty hulk lay partially buried in a huge field of balsamroot. The car, which I think was an old Studebaker, looked as though it had been there for some time. All it's windows were broken out, the interior gutted, and the steel body slowly deteriorating.
|Broken window
But, oh the photo ops!
|Vivid purple lupine flowers
I spent quite awhile photographing the prize I'd sleuthed to find. Not only this abandoned auto, but the flowers were especially thick and vibrant here. Truly a magical place!
|Yellow was everywhere
My trip to the Dalles Mountain Ranch was a resounding success. Not only did I hit the bloom at prime time, I found a wealth of history in an old homestead, and successfully located the rusty car, a favorite subject of photographers throughout the PNW.
|Lovely final resting place
There's still a few more photos to share from the day's trip. After leaving the Dalles Mountain Ranch, I checked out some petroglyphs at nearby Horsethief Butte State Park, and then crossed to the Oregon side of the Gorge to take in more amazing sights on the Mosier Plateau. Stay tuned!
Due to the large amount of fence shots in this post, I just have to share with Good Fences.


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-Samuel Adams
17 June 2009
If this doesn't make you cringe, you are the problem. (updated)
9 comments:
- AnonymousJune 17, 2009 at 9:49 AM
I think you are totally disinformed. There are far less people out there that talk this way than you claim.ReplyDelete
What is more disturbing is the lazy spelling trend that is a symptom of the digital age. It might make u lol when ur bffl sends you a pic. But I c a problem w/ that bc this kind of speak is 4 peeps that have no respect 4 the written word.
Patriot Girl
AAAh! I forgot Less! How could I forget the constant avalanche of people buying 15 items or less rather than fewer! Thanks for the reminder. I think I'll have to work that one in....ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJune 29, 2009 at 9:14 AM
I couldn't cringe and laugh at the same time! Wonder how many people will read the post and understand the intended message?ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJuly 30, 2009 at 5:09 AM
Just this morning, I had a colleague fill me in with some of the "underlining factors" of a project. But don't worry..."for all intensive purposes" we're still on the "straightened narrow". Yeah...two in one sentence, and I'm not even making this up just to join in the fun.ReplyDelete
Oh my. And I assume that this colleague is "supposably" educated, right?ReplyDelete
- AnonymousAugust 15, 2009 at 1:38 PM
Personally, "irregardless" and "intensive purposes" fall under my pet-peeves.ReplyDelete
-Western Pennsylvanian
- AnonymousJune 10, 2010 at 6:54 AM
But, irregardless isn't a word.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJune 10, 2010 at 6:55 AM
he said, ironicallyReplyDelete
- AnonymousDecember 15, 2010 at 8:26 PM
I should of visited this site ages ago!ReplyDelete


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Filed under: Features | Tags: A Youth Well Wasted, Bitmob
In a particularly grey and drab spot of West London sits Earl's Court, one of England's largest and oldest indoor arenas. Over the years it has been home to a massive variety of events, from Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show in the 19th century, to Metallica gigs and WWE Smackdown in the present day. It's a bit of a British institution.
Another, slightly less glamorous sounding show held there is 'The Amusements Trade Exhibition International.' As the name suggests, the ATEI is an industry expo in which various coin-operated machine manufacturers get to show off their wares to potential buyers.
Sadly, a quick search through the list of confirmed exhibitors for 2010 reveals that not one single videogame company will be present. Not one. Instead, tens of thousands of square feet will be taken up with air-hockey, fruit machines, pool tables and kiddie rides.
It was not always like this.
Back in 1989, the event was completely dominated by videogames, with just about every single manufacturer, including Sega, keen to show off their latest machines. It was an infinite sea of arcade games, with classic, stand-up cabinets, massive, hydraulic-powered driving sims and everything in between. Year after year, every new game of note from around the around world would be there.
The ATEI was, without a hint of hyperbole or exaggeration, a 10 year-old boy's gaming nirvana. The holy land. And, in an act of unprecedented awesomeness that I am thankful for even 20 years later, Damian convinced his Dad to take us. We were actually going.
What's more we were going on the Thursday, when all the exhibitors would be putting the final touches to their stalls before the influx of potential buyers the next day. With Damian's Dad busy doing whatever it is Sega Europe V.Ps do, we would have hours of unfettered access, without queues or interruptions, to every single game on show. I honestly can't think of a time in my life when I have been more excited.
The night before the show we stayed at Damian's castle. Staring into the darkness, we whispered across the room until the early hours, alternating between hushed excitement for the next day and musing over what terrible accidents might stop us going.
– Maybe the car will break down…
– Or explode!
– Oh god yeah, it'll blow up.
– In the car park as we arrive.
– Definitely.
We simply couldn't believe our luck.
Entering the massive hall was as intimidating as it was exciting; a cacophonous jungle of bleeping, blaring, flashing, strobing machinery. We didn't know where to start. Each machine screamed louder at us, desperate to be heard over all the others. It was too much.
Thankfully, Damian's Dad had arranged for one of his team to give us a guided tour of all the must-play titles at the show.
We saw a lot of games that day, many of which have since fallen to the back of my mind, collecting in a messy heap with a million other random arcade memories. But I remember one very, very clearly.
Led by our tour-guide, we were introduced to a spin-off game from some bizarre American TV show. "It's going to be absolutely massive, a phenomenon. The American kids are nuts about it," he said.
Damian and I shared a cynical look. The machine was splashed with an image of a questionable looking green thing and it had the most ridiculous name we had ever heard, the 'Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles.'
Heheh – silly Americans.
We played the game anyway, clicking the free credit button more out of politeness than desire.
We couldn't have been more wrong.
Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles (Europe thought the word 'Ninja' would warp our souls), is of course, one of the most fondly remembered arcade games of all time – providing the blueprint for such massively popular beat-em-ups as X-Men and The Simpsons. Turn up to any battered, decaying old seaside arcade in England to this day and the odds are you'll find one of these games sat in a corner, clinging to life among the fruit machines, Dance Dance Revolutions and sandy, trampled chips.
So we played through the entire thing, marveling more at the graphics and characters than the limited, slightly repetitive gameplay. It was just so bright and colourful, populated by bipedal hogs with guns, masked foot-soldiers, and the kind of samurai/ninja hybrid boss that made our young, kung-fu obsessed brains pop.
You could choose characters with katanas, a bo, funny fork things and even nunchucks! It should be noted that up to that point, British television removed nearly every nunchuck reference, most famously censoring the Enter the Dragon scene where Bruce Lee uses the weapon against some guards. Rather than block nunchucks from our consciousness, this treatment afforded them an illicit thrill that only served to make us more fascinated with them. Nunchucks were cool.
TMHT only has 5 levels, it isn't a particularly long game. But in that old-school arcade way, it's despicably cheap in it's attempts to rob you of money. It was a good job we had free credits.
We died and died and died again until finally we beat the game, rescued April, and stumbled off to find something else. The whole experience can't of been more than 30 minutes from start to finish, but it is something I will never forget.
Returning to school and boasting of my experiences brought the now familiar mix of scorn and disbelief. Because my school friends had never met Damian, they simply didn't believe my increasingly outlandish stories. For a while they even took to calling him my "imaginary friend."
They laughed even harder when I told them about the four pizza-loving turtles who talk and know ninjitsu.
Just a few short weeks later and the last laugh was mine. They had no choice but to believe. The turtles had indeed turned into the phenomenon the arcade man predicted, selling a crap-ton of merchandised tat and mesmerizing a million kids with their adventures. I was vindicated. Finally, they believed me.
But it wasn't all good. Having such close links with Sega had certain disadvantages. The late Eighties saw the first Nintendo v. Sega console skirmishes break out in playgrounds across the world. War was coming, and at one small school in London, the Sega supporters had a reluctant leader.
(Chapter Four… Coming Soon)
(Chapter Two)
Filed under: Features | Tags: Achievements, Assassin's Creed, Bitmob, Elder Scrolls: Oblivion, F.E.A.R. 2, Fallout 3, Ghouls and Ghosts, Grand Theft Auto IV, Jason Rohrer, Lost Odyssey, Petri Purho
Some people feel the need to finish every game they start; it's a odd compulsion. Some also won't walk out on a bad film because it's been paid for, or put a book down when they fail to connect with it. But if a close personal friend didn't make the game, take you to the cinema, or write the book, why care? Why put yourself through the slog of reaching the end of a game you stopped enjoying or caring about 20 hours ago?
I used to be like this. Until recently, I simply had to finish every game I played. More than that, I had to get at least 500 achievement points on each one. It was horrible. Like some kind of self-inflicted, life-sapping, terminal illness. It meant that not only did I have to slog my way through games I tired of quickly, or just lost interest in, I then had to go back again afterwards on a depressing fucking collection hunt.
The fact that F.E.A.R. 2, long since traded in, appears on my Gamercard with a mere 380 achievement points, used to keep me awake at night.
But now I'm free. I'm an inveterate unfinisher and I'm encouraging others to be the same. Now once I cease to be interested, a game is usually finished for me, no matter how much of it remains. So, for me, Assassin's Creed will always be a beautifully rendered vision of the holy-land, with one of the most fully realised environments I've yet encountered. Not the dull, repetitive snorefest I know it becomes. Similarly, Lost Odyssey will forever be a gorgeous paean to a bygone era of JRPGs, rather than a long, over familiar trawl through outdated game mechanics.
Until relatively recently, my new attitude would not have been remarkable. Games just were not supposed to be completed. Indeed, they employed just about every tactic they could to make it hard as possible. With infinite levels, super-spamming bosses, insane bullet hell and even Ghouls and Ghosts' nasty trick of making you do it all over again upside down.
Now, as we find ourselves slaves to the videogame narrative, we are eased towards completion, given infinite lives, or even invulnerability. Anything to get us to the end.
Was I being unfair to Rockstar by abandoning Grand Theft Auto IV at around the midway point? I didn't have the will to play it any more. Especially as the narrative, so engaging and propulsive early on, was quickly beginning to derail itself. I'm sure they don't care. After all, they were the ones that picked up all those awards, critical adulation and an impossibly large truck full of cash.
Would the guys at Bethesda care that I never completed Oblivion, instead spending about 20 glorious hours exploring and encountering a wonderfully diverse set of distractions? I doubt it.
I don't hold it against people, that I didn't finish their games, nor do I proclaim a lack of talent. Like Oblivion it's sometimes just a matter of time. So many titles drag on and on and while the core of the game is compelling and fun, it wears a little thin after the 30th hour. Fallout 3 is a undeniable masterpiece. But it sits there on my shelf, untouched for months, after my attention was diverted by some other shiny thing.
Some days, on the other hand, I'll start a game only to decide I'm not in the mood for something new, and return instead to an old favourite to revisit a cherished opening level or scene. Occasionally, friends are surprised and annoyed when I return a borrowed game and admit I couldn't get through it. These might be the same people who don't share my passion for the work of Petri Purho or Jason Rohrer, so it evens out in the end. There is, after all, no accounting for taste – as a friend who saw Mega Shark Vs. Giant Octopus on my recommendation will never let me forget.
So I toast all the half-finished, half-played games that have passed through my hands, saluting both the creativity of those who made them and the fortitude of those who completed them. And finally, I confess to having played every last second of Sonic Unleashed. I could have stopped after the first appearance of that damned Werehog, but I found it, like a gruesome highway accident, horrifying yet impossible to look away from – until I defeated the final boss, ripped the disc from the tray and hurled it across the room in disgust.
Filed under: Features | Tags: A Youth Well Wasted, Afterburner, Alex Kid, Altered Beast, Bimob, Bitmob, Genesis, Master System, Megadrive, Outrun, Phantasy Star, Sega, Shinobi, Space Harrier
Filed under: Features | Tags: 1942, A Youth Well Wasted, Afterburner, Altered Beast, Bitmob, castlevania, contra, Dance Dance Revolution, Double Dragon, Double Dribble, Final Fight, frogger, Golden Axe, Ninja Gaiden, Outrun, Punch Out!, r-type, Shinobi, Space Harrier, Track and Field
Filed under: Features | Tags: Bionic Commando, Bionic Commando Rearmed, Bitmob, Punch Out!, Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo HD Remix
(This article also appears over at BitMob. Should you lose your mind and decide to read it twice, you can find it here)
A quick glance at the flood of wistful reminiscences pouring into the Mobfeed reveals one thing; gamers are a nostalgic bunch. Give us a chance to write anything we want about videogames and we'll jump at the chance to get all misty-eyed about 'the good old days'. I should know, I've indulged in a fair amount of it myself.
We are the first generation to grow up with games. It has been a part of our lives since before we can remember. Whether it's the blocks and bleeps of the pre-8-bit era that first fired out imaginations, or the dawn of the PlayStation, gaming and our childhoods are inextricably linked.
It is possible that we may never recreate the excitement and wonder of the first game that got its claws in us. Like heroin addicts we are destined to keep coming back for more in an attempt to recreate the high of that first hit. But the rapid pace of technological progress can only just keep up with the rosy-tint of our memories.
Take a look back at the games that meant the most to you as a child. If it's one that you haven't seen in a while, you'll doubtless be amazed by how bad it looks. I had this experience recently, while talking about the old Master System shooter, Fantasy Zone. Not the best game I have ever played, admittedly, but nevertheless one that I devoted many hours to as a kid and then promptly forgot. I remember it as a cutesy confection of brightly coloured, curvy wonder. Looking the game up after 20 years, it now looks like 3 year-old's crayon drawing.
It's a fact not lost of the games industry, with a growing rush to re-boot, remix, re-release and re-invent the games of our youth. As the gaming kids grow up and get jobs, the industry is falling over themselves to sell us back our childhood. It's a seductive proposition.
But there are right ways and wrong ways of treating our revered classics. Projects like Bionic Commando: Rearmed and Super Street Fighter II: Turbo HD Remix get it right. They are the perfect way to address our gaming sentimentality. Developed (or rather, redeveloped) with genuine love for the original, these games are re-presented just they way we remember them. Perhaps my imagination has died since I was a child, or perhaps my memories are just completely skewed, but I remember SFII: Turbo looking exactly like HD Remix does now.
These games, and those that display a similar approach, are utterly respectful of their roots. They tidy up the visuals, refine the gameplay and only mess with what was broken in the first place. Think of it as preservation. This is how it should be done.
Punch Out!On Wii follows the lead of these two re-imagined classics. The visuals, the 'enemies', the music and the sound remain essentially thematically familiar, with just a few concessions made for the platform's new control scheme. It doesn't attempt anything ridiculous like facial damage health meters or boxing manager metagames that follow your career. It keeps things nice and simple, just like the original game did. As a result it's rekindling old loves and creating new ones even as we speak.
But not all remakes/reboots get it so right. Some get it wrong. Some concentrate so hard on one element of gameplay from the original, or so hard on trading on a well-regarded title, that they forget what made it fun in the first place.
Take Bionic Commando. Despite the difficulties of implementing a functioning arm in a 3D world, Grin do a remarkably solid job. If the project was to be judged on that element alone then it would be considered a minor success. But the original was far more than a grappling gimmick.
By relocating a classic game in the realm of third-person shooter aesthetics and online-multiplayer, Capcom believe they have a recipe for commercial success, combining the love of the old with the lust of the new. But judged against their own remix of the original game, judged against Punch Out!, Bionic Commando is a failure.
The current iteration of the series is too much of a departure to be called Bionic Commando. It takes the central premise of the original and distorts it, stretches it so think it almost snaps. Sure it has some of the same characters, yeah it carries over a little of the first game's legendary toughness, and of course it has the arm and the music. But it lacks qualities that its progenitor showed in abundance; charm, character and near faultless design.
This game isn't Bionic Commando; it's a focus-grouped 'cool' guy with inspector gadget's arm. Call it something else Capcom, and quit fucking with my memories.
I will happily part with my cash for the games of my childhood to be polished up and squeezed down my broadband. I can't help but be seduced by the promise of being beamed back to my carefree youth. But it needs to be done right, it needs to be done with respect. These aren't merely 'products' or 'franchises', they are our collective gaming history. Please don't mess them up.
Filed under: Features | Tags: Bitmob, The Highest Arcade in the World
(I'm on a quest to track down somebody I played Street Fighter Alpha 3 with almost a decade ago, half-way up a mountain in the Himalayas. The reason for this madness? To deliver a Dreamcast and a box of games to his makeshift arcade, a place I visited in my youth while travelling around India. The original story is documented here, the full details of my task, here. This is an update on my progress.)
The internet is an amazing thing. Just minutes after accepting my mission impossible I had tracked down the hotel we stayed at in 1999. Perhaps the management at the Snow Lion could help.
A quick email later and I was informed that this Snow Lion only opened in 2003, 4 years after I visited. I can't have stayed there. Another hotel called the Snow Lion was open at the time, but closed it's doors a few years ago.
Regardless, I asked if they remembered an 'arcade' in Darjeeling back in 1999. Unfortunately, according to The Snow Lion's manager Mr Gailly, there are many what they call "game parlours" in Darjeeling, too many to list. Really!? I don't remember there being many of them, in fact I only remember the one.
Despite the thousands of miles separating us, it isn't geography holding me back from completing my task, but my memory. Other than the details disclosed in the original story, I don't remember a thing. How am I supposed to single out Arcade Boy's parlour?
My quest looked like being over before it had begun. But I had one more trick up my sleeve.
As a last throw of the dice, I attempted to get in touch with Barun Roy, respected journalist, author, creator of the Himalayan Beacon and resident of Darjeeling. Surely he remembered the videogame parlour in the clouds?
Reaching out to Barun through his 'contact me' comments section at the Beacon, I appealed for help. As a resident of the area, does he remember the game parlours in Darjeeling at the turn of the century? Would he be able to put me in touch with the owners? I sat and waited for a reply.
Assistance was to come, but not from Barun. Instead, a helpful member of the Himalayan Beacon community stepped up to lend a hand. Noticing my plea for help, Darjeeling resident and nostalgic gamer 'Mr. Nepali' replied:
"1999, a decade ago… A great era for games…
According to my personal knowledge and experience, there was a game parlour in 'Orient Ko Ukallo'. That shop had couple of PlayStations and also a pool/snooker board.
If thats not the one then, there was one more at Fancy Market… again that's 'Orient Ko Ukallo'.
If the above two are not the ones then, definitely it has to be my fave haunt, the game parlour in J.P Sharma Road (Faspan Hatta).
After 2004, a number of game parlour opened. But back in 1999 – only 3 were there…"
Perfect. What a helpful man! Though I remember very little, there definitely wasn't a pool table in Arcade Boy's parlour. So we've now narrowed it down to two. Who would have thought when I started this that I would have to 'narrow down' the selection? I'm still amazed that so many exist.
As I write I am currently awaiting another reply from Mr. Nepali. Worryingly, this final hurdle may yet be prove to be the biggest obstacle. I have asked him if he would go to those two parlours and take some pictures to send to me. If one of those pictures is of the parlour that lingers so strongly, yet so clouded, in my mind, if one of those pictures is of Arcade Boy, then we will be able to send him the Dreamcast and the games.
I wonder if Arcade Boy remembers beating the cocky British boy at Street Fighter so long ago? Perhaps – and this has just occurred to me – perhaps he's now on Xbox LIVE! Is that so unreasonable to think? If he is, then a rematch is definitely in order. I intend to ask.
But I'm getting ahead of myself. Before any of this can happen I am utterly reliant on the generosity of Mr. Nepali. Will he be willing to do this for me? Does he even have a digital camera? When he replies, if he replies, then all will be revealed.
Now we just have to wait.
Filed under: Features | Tags: A Youth Well Wasted, Bitmob, gauntlet, Outrun, salamander, The Empire Strikes Back
Like many others, my videogame education began in the sticky-carpeted, cigarette encrusted locals of the bowling alley. Thanks to my Dad, evenings, weekends and just about every spare second we had was spent at the local lanes. As a result, I was presented with two ways to occupy my time; join the questionably-shirted community of bowlers, with their funny shoes and bizarre wrist-supports, or lose myself in the glowing embrace of the arcade. I chose the latter.
I wasn't the only one to be seduced of course, there was a gang of us; wary of each other at first, then offering advice over a shoulder, then chatting and sharing tips. Before long we were inseparable, the kind of friends you didn't have to say hello to, you would just carry on the conversation from last night.
Salamander, OutRun, The Empire Strikes Back; I dread to think how much money we stuffed into those cabinets over the months and years. But it was never enough, every coin was of infinite value.
Gauntlet, that cash sucking leach, was tantamount to theft, slowly ticking down your health until you slipped in some extra coins. Luckily for us we discovered a way around the problem that didn't involve superhuman gaming skills. Thanks to a dodgy slot, two penny-pieces could be stuck together in a rough approximation of a pound coin and slid in just the right way to fool the sensor.
Four of us would cram elbow to elbow around that blaring cabinet, its blistered plastic skin scarred by stubs and sticky from spilt slush puppies. We'd scream at the fool that let all the ghosts out too early, laugh at whoever had to be the Valkyrie and swear loudly in unison whenever the dreaded Death made an appearance, all the while topping up the machine with our makeshift coins.
Of course our subterfuge didn't last long.
Every week the arcade attendant made his rounds, checking the slots were still working and emptying the coins into his bucket. During this process, Bucket (that's what we called him) would open up the cabinets and check the microswitches in each machine, a process that involved adding free credits. If he was in a good mood he would smile to himself and leave the credits for us, but if he was in a bad mood he would reset the machine and trudge back silently to the office. He was a God, of sorts. To us anyway. His very whim could decide the happiness of our day.
When Bucket eventually opened up Gauntlet to find a sticky mess of pennies and chewing gum jamming up his machine, it didn't take a genius to work out who the culprits where. We didn't get free credits for a long time after that.
He became a friend of sorts in the end, the arcade attendant. I think he saw that we weren't bad kids really. Never did find out his real name though, he was always Bucket to us.
This isn't the first article to get all misty-eyed about arcades, nor will it be the last. To some of us of a certain age, the arcade wasn't just a place to play games; it was a place where friends were made, where you met girls, where you had your first rank puff of a cigarette. So when we bemoan the death of these spaces, it is not just the passing of arcades we lament, but the passing of our childhood. Those dark grubby rooms will always have a special place in our heart.


text:
What is a flex pen? It's a fountain pen with a flexible nib, which is designed to give you as much variation in line as a dip pen. Noodler's is especially famous for coming up with an affordable version that is also adjustable.
Here is the pen:
I will draw a veil over the slight struggle I had with the adjustable feed and piston-fill mechanism, and move on to how it writes (and draws!):
|(No, I can't write in Elvish, why do you ask?)
|Noodler's Heart of Darkness ink in Daler-Rowney cartridge journal,
Winsor & Newton artist's pan watercolours.
I'm very pleased with it. It looked a bit cheap in the seller's pictures but feels nice and solid in the hand. There is a strange smell at first, which the Fountain Pen Network says is normal for resin pens from India, but I'm not too bothered.
It's quite tricky to use right out of the box though (look it up on the forums for instructions on how to adjust it to your own style), but for me it's a small price to pay for a fountain pen that draws like a Mitchell copperplate nib!


text:
Two years ago we had a student from Venezuela, Frederik Oldenburg, who was a sports journalist who wanted to improve his English for work.
The most obvious answer would be: How could any ambitious young person today possibly not do an internship in China!
In a competitive work environment where graduates face fierce competition for jobs, for most industries Chinese work experience and/or language skills are today what a Harvard MBA used to be 10 years ago – yet so few people obtain them.
The Internship program we offer at Accademia Italiana is one of our most successful and popular. Mainly, students want to learn a language because they want to have more chances of getting a good job. If you give them the possibility of combining the language course with work experience, you are giving them an added value and better chances of getting a more qualified job. Read more
One of the best way of learning English is to practice. And if you are learning English in Hawaii, there's a wide range of activities on offer that will enable students to do just that!
Global Village Hawaii strongly believes that offering a wide range of fun, educational and cultural activities aligned with each student's needs is a major component in the student having an overall satisfying and enjoyable experience in beautiful Hawaii. What one student considers a perfect activity may not necessarily be the case for another student.


text:
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Welcome Home Gemmy!!
Hooray! Huzzah! H...appy days!
I don't think I've ever been more excited, except for maybe the time Julia and I saw Beyonce, or when they came out with a new flavour of Mother.
But, yeah, great day. Even despite the fact that I was crudely awakened by the sound of my alarm clock this morning, and had to drag myself out of bed and into Elle's car and drive (well, get driven) to the airport, all before 6:30am (6:30 am. Like, my usual bedtime). It was worth it, just to see Gemma's sweet mug for the first time in 3 and a half months. Oh, and also because the whole process of getting to the airport/finding the right terminal/waiting for Gemma might just have been the funniest experience of my life:
(Entering the airport)
Ellen: So does anyone know which terminal she's arriving in?
Em and Jacki: Nope
Ellen: Her flight number?
Em and Jacki: Nope
Ellen: Okay how about where she's flying in from?
Em: Oh! Oh! I know! America!
Jacki: Yeah but where in America? I mean, it's a pretty big place, right?
Haha. Right? We sound so smart. Oh, and like really great friends, too:
(Sitting in the terminal)
Ellen: How long has it been?
Em: Like...
Jacki: 20 minutes?
Em: Longer than that!
Jacki: Really?
Ellen: I could have slept in!
Em: And I need to pee!
Jacki: If she's not here in 20 minutes, we're just taking a random home.
Don't worry, we didn't actually kidnap any randoms from the airport - we came pretty close, but Gem turned up just in time to stop us. Anyway, then we drove home and cooked bacon and eggs, watched Buffy while wearing Hooters t-shirts, debated the pros and cons of sleeping naked, marvelled over the fact that we were:
a) Awake before 10 in the morning
b) Eating a proper cooked breakfast
c) Actually dressed while doing so
Huh?? Huh?? That's like the trifecta!! I don't think I've ever hit that before!! I felt so grown up for a moment. Then somebody made a joke about chocolate vaginas, and I turned back into a teenager. Oh well.
So all in all, it was shaping up to be a pretty kick-ass day...until I got home and developed the worst head-ache known to man, which I'm not going to talk about because I don't want to poison this otherwise delightful post - except to say that it feels like a thousand miniature elephants are living inside my skull, and they're all taking a dump at the same time.
Oh, yeah. Ouch.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Huh. Okay. I think a more accurate title would have been "Most Obscure 100 Movies Of The Last Decade". Or maybe "Worst 100 Movies Of The Last Decade, Out Of All The Movies That Nobody Has Ever Seen Or Heard Of". Seriously. Has anyone seen any of these? Or even heard about them? Because I sure haven't, and let me tell you, I'm no stranger to shitty movies. I've seen ALL the Bring It On sequels, AND Deck Dogz - twice. Hell, I actually OWN Wrong Turn on DVD.
Still, this list totally disappoints. And not just because they made fun of The Celestine Prophecy starring Sarah Wayne Callies, who I love since she played the role of drug-addicted-doctor-possessing-the-ability-to-come-back-from-the-dead-slash-Wentworth-Miller's-love-interest on Prison Break (did you really think I could get through an entire post without mentioning Wentworth? Did you? Did you?). So, in turn, I decided to make my own list, which I like to call:
(Yeah. BEST. Because unlike the people at Rotten Tomatoes, I'm a glass-half-full kind of girl)
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Haha. Okay, obviously I'm kidding; I didn't really scream. Also I'm not a chimp. At least, physically I'm not. Mentally? Well...that's another story. Anyway, not the point. The point is, while I may not have morphed into a primate and shrieked the house down, my reaction was still pretty intense. Well, intense might be a bit strong - it was dramatic. Well, dramatic might be a bit strong - it was...okay you know what? I'll let you decide for yourselves.
Jacki Trew's Thought Process Upon Waking On Wednesday Morning:
"Huh. I guess the sky's orange today."
"Holy crap! The sky's orange today!"
"It's probably a fire or something."
"Or maybe I really am crazy."
"Or maybe the world is ending."
"Holy crap! The world is ending!"
"Eh. I had a good run."
Ha. Wow. I kind of totally sound like an idiot. On the other hand, though, it's really quite impressive that my mind was able to conjure so many words at such an early hour. I mean, 5:30? In the morning? As a rule, I generally don't do ANY thinking at 5:30 in the morning. And if I do, it's not about the end of the world. It's about this:
Oh, my. Alright, signing off. I've got some "thinking" to do.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Welcome home, Chate. Here's what you missed:
Oh yeah, baby.
And yes, I could have, probably should have done this in private, but I decided to publish it in a public forum because last time I did a 'Welcome home, Chate. Here's what you missed', her response was this:
Catherine: That was the most disturbing thing I have ever read.
I don't know about you guys, but when regular people say 'disturbing', I hear 'hilarious'. And hilarity is meant to be shared. So here goes. Welcome home, Chate. Here's what you missed:
Okay first of all don't ask me for Home and Away updates, because I've hardly watched it since you left. What? Huh? Haven't watched it since you left?! It sounds insane, I know, and it is, but so am I, and other than that, I don't have an explanation. All I can give you is that Miles finally found out about Nicole and Sid, flipped his lid and pushed Sid into a pool, there's a new kid called Romeo in town, and that rapist dude who supposedly fathered Ruby got stabbed to death. Gasp! Whodunnit? I can honestly say I don't care.
In other TV/celebrity news, Anthony won Project Runway, Kanye West totally lost his shit at the VMA's, I discovered an awesome horror/comedy called The Signal, Lady Gaga bled to death on stage, Crazy-Eyes-Casey was eliminated from Idol, Kevin Rudd dropped the f-bomb in parliament, I almost completely finished the TV-Guide crossword TWICE, and America's Next Top Model was so boring I fell asleep during panel.
Some dude from Harris came to give all our computers a once-over and in what has to be the most baffling discovery ever, found that MINE was actually the least totally-f'ed-by-viruses-slash-illegally-downloaded-music. Guess who's was the worst? I'll give you a clue: her name starts with C, and ends with E. Oh, and you see her face every morning when you look in the mirror.
Can you guess? Can you guess? Never mind, I'll just say: It's you.
Once the internet was restored, Mum got onto my blog, read it, laughed and then lectured me for 10 minutes on how un-lady-like it is to invite those who don't agree with my opinion on red-heads to "suck my dick". Well, whatever.
Hmm, what else? I finally bought clear nailpolish that isn't equal in consistency to maple syrup. Yay for me! Julia and I saw Beyonce live. Yayer for me!
Someone switched Dad's phone to predictive text and he completely freaked out and got all flustered everytime he tried to message someone: "Why can't I type 'cheque'? No, I typed all the letters and it just came out as a huge jumble. How do I fix this stupid thing? CAN SOMEBODY HELP ME?!"
Hahaha. That was awesome.
We lost netball but it was a good game - I didn't trip over anyone, or even myself, not once. We had a picnic at college. I saw a guy that looked like Voldemort on the bus. Vandy went out to dinner for Casey and Lauren's birthday. I bought a new shirt. One day it was so hot, I actually went for a swim in the pool; it was kind of freezing and short-lived once I remembered how afraid I am of pool-sharks, but nice all the same. Rove turned 10, I spent an awkward coffee break trying to explain the actual meaning of the word 'douche' to half my class on friday and, oh yeah, I'M READY TO DIE BECAUSE WE GOT PRISON BREAK SEASON 4 ON DVD!!!
And on that note, I'll have to stop. I can't even write the words 'Prison', 'Break', or 'DVD' without being overcome with the need to hit play and stare into Wentworth's eyes for a solid 40 minutes and 32 seconds - if you want to know more, you're just going to have to ask me.
Shower Thoughts #32
Saturday, September 19, 2009
WARNING: The following post is offensive/not suitable for old people
Well it turns out they don't like me so much either!
I was getting on the bus yesterday afternoon with Charlotte and Lucinda, and we sat down in the four-seater with an old lady. For those of you that don't catch buses and therefore have no idea what a four-seater is, here's a diagram:
As in, we are facing each other.
Anyway, as soon as the three of us sat down, the Old Bag make this huge show of being annoyed, rolling her eyes and staring out the window and making this weird 'UGGHH' noise.
Um...What?! Come on lady, it's a bus - if you don't wanna sit next to someone, then don't sit down! I didn't even touch her, nor did any of the ten thousand bags I cart to and from college every friday, and still she makes this massive deal out of having to share the four-seater with us.
Bitch, please - if anyone should be upset, it should be me, about having to sit next to you.
Haha alright, that was a bit mean. But she started it!
Huh. Here's a thought I just had: In like 80 years or whatever, when I'm an old person, am I going to pay myself out or mentally punch myself in the face every time I walk past a mirror?
Because that would be hilarious.
Jacki VS Teacher: Awkward Moment #2
Jacki: (Turning in surprise) What?!
Celyna: No, I just pricked myself with a pin
(5 minutes later)
Tom: Hey Celyna, is it possible to get expelled from FBI?
Celyna: I don't think so. You'd have to do something pretty bad
Jacki: What if I stabbed you for real? Like, for real
Celyna: I...I think you'd be in a bit more trouble than just getting expelled
Jacki: Oh, okay. I'll try to hold back then
(Tom laughs. Celyna looks totally freaked out. Gold)
I definitely wasn't ready for that jelly
Ohhhh my gosh.
Alright give me a moment, I don't think I'm over it yet.
Okay, moments over.
Seriously though, I can't think of one bad thing about last night. It was awesome, epic, amazing, fabulous, disco fabulous, right from the very beginning. The very beginning. Mainly because the very beginning involved a conversation with my Dad that went something like this:
Dad: Are you going out?
Jacki: Yep
Dad: Where you going?
Jacki: Beyonce
Dad: (Pause) Beyonce?!
Jacki: ...Yeah
Dad: You're going to see Beyonce??
Jacki: ...Yeah
Dad: You're going to see Beyonce...Live??
Jacki: I surely am
Dad: Oh! I knew you were going but I didn't know it was tonight. Oh how fabulous! I'm so jealous!
...Huh. I'm not really sure what to think about that. Nor what I'm more disturbed about: Dad's casual use of the word 'fabulous', or the fact that he may have been more excited about Beyonce than I was - and make no mistake, I was pretty flippin' excited.
A quick drive and two train rides later Julia and I arrived at Olympic Park, and entered the arena to the sound of what? Who? Oh, only Jessica Mauboy.
Oh yeah - Jessica Mauboy.
Sweet niblets! Who even knew she was coming? I surely didn't! And judging by Julia's reaction, neither did she:
Ha. Julia loves Jessica Mauboy. Can you tell? I'm no die-hard fan, but let me tell you, the girl can sing. And rock a pair of thigh-high boots like nobody's business.
It was during JM's performance that we noticed a guy several rows in front of us, who will hereforth be referred to as 'Crazy Dancing Guy'. I don't think I need to explain what he was doing - the name does it for me. But yeah, he was rocking out. Maybe harder than I've ever seen anyone rock out. Ha.
Okay so the next supporting act was Flo Rida. Here is my favourite moment from that performance:
(Guy comes on stage and everyone cheers)
"Flo Rida": What's up Sydneeeeyyyy?
Sydney: Woooooo!
"Flo Rida": Sydney I wanna get excited and I need you to help me out, so can you do that? When I say 'Flo', you say 'Rida'. FLO!
Sydney: RIDA!
"Flo Rida": FLO!
Sydney: RIDA!
"Flo Rida": When I say 'Rida', you say 'Flo'. RIDA!
Sydney: FLO!
"Flo Rida": RIDA!
Sydney: FLO!
"Flo Rida": Alright now Sydney, give it up, for FLO RIDAAAAAAA!
(Julia and I turn to each other with confused looks on our faces and I kid you not, at the same time both said:)
Jacki: Oh! I thought that guy -
Julia: Isn't he Flo Rida?
Man We Thought Was "Flo Rida" But Actually Turned Out To Just Be Some Random: Here he is, Sydney. FLO RIDAAAAAA!
(The real Flo Rida comes out on stage and the whole crowd goes wild - except for Julia and I because we're still laughing at each other.)
Jacki: (Between hysterics) This is so going on my blog!
Aha. That might have been the best moment of my life.
Oh, until an hour or so later, when Beyonce came on stage. I'm not going to describe the whole concert in a play-by-play fashion because honestly, my sub-standard writing just won't do it justice. But I will give you my favourite moments:
- The dedication to Michael Jackson
- Julia and I talking about how hot the Lenny-Kravitz-looking guitar player was for like 10 minutes, and then realising it was a woman
- Beyonce's legs
And I'm going to stop there, because if I don't, this post will never end. Basically though? Beyonce is the female Wentworth. And that's all I have to say about that.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
81 hours of Wentworth
I got it! I got it! I got it!
Ohh my gosh. I officially own every episode of Prison Break ever made. Plus all the deleted scenes and audio commentaries and special featurettes AND the speical movie-length episode they made to conclude the entire series.
Has anyone anywhere ever been this happy? I don't think so. Well, Edward Cullen on his wedding day maybe. But apart from that, no! Seriously, just throw me in my coffin now with these DVDs and I'll die a happy woman. And yeah, I realise that apart from Chate and Milky Nips, I'm pretty much the only person that watches/cares about Prison Break, but I'm so freaking beatific that I just don't give a shit.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Phillip Trew: King of Tangents
I can't talk to him! I really can't! It makes me crazy! See, because it's actually impossible to have a normal conversation with Phillip Trew. You can't ask him a single question without sending him on some rambling 10-minute tangent that has nothing to do with anything. Like this afternoon for instance:
Jacki: If you worked at a circus, would you rather be a lion tamer or a trapeze artist?
Okay, lets pause for a second, because I know that sounds like a really random thing to ask. But I have this weird fixation with playing 'Would you rather...?', especially with my parents because they get really freaked out by some of the questions I come up with, and it's hilarious. Anyway, back to the conversation...
Jacki: If you worked at a circus, would you rather be a lion tamer or a trapeze artist?
Mum: Lion tamer
Dad: Do circuses even exist anymore?
Jacki: Sure, there's Cirque du Soleil
Dad: But do they have lion tamers?
Jacki: You know, probably not. Nobody wants to pay money to see some guy getting mauled by a lion - if you want to see that, just turn on the TV.
Dad: Yeah, I saw that on TV the other day!
Jacki: What, a guy getting mauled by a lion?
Dad: Yes!
Jacki: (Baffled) What were you watching?
Dad: Well it was when we were in Perth, you know. The first place we stayed at had a nice TV, and it had...what channels did it have? Win, GWin, Channel 10 and ABC. The next place we stayed, in a town called Pemberton, it had those channels and the Foxtel sports channels too. Then we went to a place called...
See, that's when I tuned out. I kind of just stared into space for the next 15 minutes (15 minutes - who talks about hotel TV services for 15 minutes??!!) while Dad rambled on and on and on about who knows what, then came back to this:
Dad: And the last place we stayed at was a 5 star resort, but I wouldn't have given it 5 stars. The only thing in the room beside the bed was a chair. And the TV was so old! Usually in 5 star resorts they have a plasma or a flat-screen, but not this place, no...
Off he went again. Oh my gosh. Luckily, he didn't seem to realise that I had completely checked out. To be honest, I probably could have left the room and it wouldn't have stopped him. In situations like these, there's only one way to shut my Dad up; you have to shock him into silence, then run away as fast as you can, before he starts up again:
Dad: ...so because there was only one chair in the room, and your mother took it, I had nowhere to sit, so I had to -
Jacki: Hey Dad, would you rather eat the cat or the dog? And imagine if you don't eat at least one of them, Mum and I will both die.
Dad: (Pause) What?!
Jacki: Gotta go! (Runs off)
Oh yeah. Works every time.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
I need to vent about my issues with 5 Chewing Gum.
First of all, what's with the flavours? Cobalt? Electro? Flare?
What is this insanity? Are those names actually supposed to be appealing? Because they're not! Here's what I think when I hear them:
Electro - It's like chewing on a live extension cord!
Flare - It's like eating embers straight out of the BBQ!
Cobalt - It's a colour, not a flavour!
And pretty flippin' disappointed. Chewing 5 Gum isn't like riding the worlds most insane rollercoaster. It's not like riding any kind of rollercoaster. You want to know what it's like?
It's like chewing gum.
That tastes faintly of extension cords.
No, I'm only kidding. It actually just tastes like regular peppermint. But the thing about it not feeling like riding a rollercoaster is completely true. It's no more exciting than regular chewing gum. In fact, it may be less exciting than regular gum.
Anyway, that's it. Don't buy 5 Chewing Gum! You've all been warned.
Tuesday, September 08, 2009
Alex Kerr: A Dedication
Continuing once again in my tradition of dedicating posts to seemingly random people on their birthdays, here is a post dedicated to Alex Kerr. In honour of her birthday.
Alex. Alex Kerr. Alex Anne Kerr.
Alex Anne Kerr, or as I refer to her, Alex Alex, is quite a cool person. Of course, when I say 'quite a cool person', what I really mean is 'legendary, absolutely legendary, so much so that I often wish my own sister would swap places with her'.
But, you know. I don't want to appear too obsessed.
Right. Here's the deal: Alex Alex became friends with my sister (Catherine, who you guys know, you've been there) in like, Kindergarten. So, about a hundred years ago. But when did I meet Alex Alex? You know what, I can't remember. I gave up that memory to make space for Journey lyrics and mental images of Wentworth Miller's face. Whatever, the important thing is, we met. We met, we talked, we laughed, we established that I was insane and she was relatively normal but able to tolerate me, and a beautiful friendship was formed.
There are alot of great things about Alex Alex. Foremost is that she has red hair. Oh yeah, she has red hair. She's a Ranga. I love Rangas. Everyone does. Even people who say they don't. If someone says to you "I hate Rangas", you just know they're lying. It's impossible to hate a Ranga - and why would you? They're so funny. They blush so easily, they usually have freckles, they get sunburn if they're exposed to sunlight for more than 45 seconds...plus, let's face it, the word Ranga is just plain fun to say. Shame on you people who pretend to hate Rangas! Shame on you! They do nothing but provide us with laughter and joy and someone to make fun of! Oh my gosh, how long have I been talking about this? Okay, enough about Rangas. Let's just conclude by saying they are awesome and hilarious and anyone who thinks otherwise can suck my dick.
Okay, I don't have a dick. Man, I am getting way off topic here!
More about Alex Alex:
Her birthday is today. The 8th of September. You know who else has a birthday today? Pink. And the kid who did the voice of Simba in The Lion King. So that's exciting. For her.
Alex drives a little blue car. She drove it to my house yesterday - she said the reason was to return our stereo system which she borrowed for her 21st party, but I'm pretty sure that was just an excuse to come visit me. Actually, speaking of her 21st party, it was like 3 days ago. I got her a pretty kick-ass present. Oh, and I wrote her a pretty kick-ass card. Well, I thought it was kick-ass; her family didn't seem to agree. I'll let you guys judge for yourselves:
Alex Alex,
Happy Birthday, homeskillet! And I love you! THIS much! If you were 6 inches taller, 16 years older and covered in tattoos, I would do you. Oh hey, you know what? Since it's your birthday, I'll do you anyway. EVEN THOUGH you didn't invite me to your party and I practically had to have your gift smuggled in. Whatever. I'll be hosting my own party for you tonight...it's in my pants. Feel free to drop by.
By the way, I'm totally kidding. Still, inappropriate lesbian jokes aside, I really do think you might be one of the coolest people I know - and not JUST because you read my blog on a semi-regular basis. Although that is a large part of it.
Happy birthday, dude. Xxx Jacki
Kick-ass, right? Apparently her parents now think I'm a lesbian. What?! Hello, I said inappropriate lesbian jokes. As in, I'm joking! Plus, you would think the fact that the front of the card looked like this would throw them off:
Well, whatever.
Alex likes Harry Potter. More than Twilight. I know she hasn't actually seen or read The Twilight Series, but I honestly don't know how that's possible. I mean yeah Harry Potter is epic, but Twilight has Rob Pattinson, who is second only to Wentworth Miller on the Jacki-Trew-Hotness-Scale. Well, to each their own I suppose.
Alex is pretty smart. She's taught me lots of cool shit over the years, like where Glasgow is, and why you should never drink four glasses of champagne in a row. More recently, she taught me about Silent Library, this totally ace Japanese game show which involves people physically maiming themselves in public libraries and having to remain completely silent while doing so. I recommend it to all of you. Oh, she also taught me not to eat liquor chocolates before driving, because you can actually get drunk on them. Well, drunk enough to lose your license at least.
Speaking of getting drunk, Alex has a brother. That segue might seem completely random, but there are seven people who attended a post-Greenwich Village Games cocktail party at my house last december, and all of them can attest to the fact that it very much isn't. That is a story for another day, but yes, Alex has a brother. Robbie. Robert. Rob. Bob. Whatever. I don't know his middle name, so I'm going to make one up: Bertrand. Ha! So, Alex has a brother. Robert Bertrand Kerr. He's my friend too, although I think he finds my insanity tiresome at times. Still, he's also quite cool - it must run in their family. We've had some good times, like one night when we watched Texas Chainsaw Massacre and I got so scared I almost crapped myself. Which I know doesn't sound like such a good time, but as horrible as it is, there's something strangely hilarious about that movie. So yeah, this is my shout-out to Robbie, even though I sincerely doubt he will ever find it - he doesn't seem like the kind of guy who sits around Googling stuff like 'Celebrity Doppelganger Theory' or 'Shower Thoughts' or 'Jacki Trew + Wentworth Miller'.
Still. Robbie! What's up dude?
Alright, what's next? Actually, I might end it here. This post is getting pretty flippin' epic - any longer and I'll be crossing into stalker territory. And that's an area I save specifically for Wentworth.
So, in conclusion:
Alex = cool
Wentworth = hot
Jacki = crazy
This post = pointless
But Happy Birthday, Alex. And please tell your family that I'm not a lesbian.
Love, Jacki.
Sunday, September 06, 2009
Is Black Hawk Down the best movie EVER?
Which isn't really so weird, I guess. What's weird is that, before today, I'd never seen Black Hawk Down.
I don't know why. It seems to be one of those movies that everyone has seen. You know, like Love Actually. Or Grease. Oh man, I love Grease. Anyway I'm totally dev that I hadn't seen it before now, because here's something I learned while watching Black Hawk Down:
- Orlando Bloom
- Eric Bana
- Ewan McGregor
- Josh Harnett
- That guy from Fantastic Four
Oh, AND William Fichner, who I love because he has totally crazy eyes, and because he was in Prison Break with My One And Only.
So, add all of that to the fact that there's gunfire and explosions AND hilarious haircuts, and you've got yourself a pretty kick-ass movie. But I decided to upgrade it from kick-ass to best movie EVER? because right in the middle, I had this epiphany:
Wentworth Miller knows William Fichtner
William Fichtner knows Eric Bana
Eric Bana knows Jacki Trew
Right? Right??
The moment I formed that connection...well, I honestly wish you all could have been there. It was explosively insane. Even by my standards.
Quote Of The Day
Um, yeah. I respectfully disagree.
Saturday, September 05, 2009
Jacki Vs Teacher: Awkward Moment #1
Celyna: (Looking faintly disturbed) It's good. But no, I don't think so.
Jacki: Oh. Well, can I wear it to your wedding?
Celyna: Jacki, you aren't invited to my wedding (Walks away)
Jacki: Well. That sucks for me.
Thursday, September 03, 2009
Ok, so three things:
1) Anyone trying to contact me on Facebook, sorry, but my computer is going through some phase where it refuses to open that particular website. Everything else is fine, but Facebook is a definite no-no. I don't mind so much - I've learnt to deal with my laptop's increasing moodswings. But if you were thinking about writing on my wall, don't bother; my computer will probably explode. Yours might too. Just give me a phone call.
2) My sewing-machine-poltergeist has followed me to school. And I am not even kidding. Okay so the other day I just sitting there, you know, all innocently, working on a shirt. I put my foot on the pedal, and the machine sewed for a few seconds, and then stopped. Huh? What? So I'm pressing on the pedal and making 'Why isn't the machine working?' gestures, and then Celyna (my teacher) comes up behind me and is all "Your machine's turned off, idiot."
Okay, actually what she said was "Your machine's turned off." But you could totally tell she was adding the 'idiot' part in her head. Anyway...
Off? It was off? BUT IT WAS JUST SEWING, LIKE ONE SECOND AGO!!!
There was only one possible solution - IT WAS THE SEWING-MACHINE-POLTERGEIST!!
So then of course I completely abandoned my assignment and sat around talking about my poltergeist theory to just about anyone who would listen. And now they all think I'm crazy. I mean, more so than before.
3) I had netball last night. It was the usual embarrassing affair - not because of my team, oh no, they're fantastic, but rather because I couldn't seem to gain control over my own legs. Honestly, by the end of the game it was getting ridiculous. Who trips over themselves? I'm all for tripping over someone else, that could happen to anyone. But I trip over myself. Like, I'll be standing COMPLETELY alone, with nobody around me, and somehow my legs get all tangled up in each other. It happened twice last night, much to the delight of the spectactors I'm sure.
Ah well, I guess it's not that bad. What did I lose really, except my last shred of dignity and all the skin on my left knee? Nothing I can't live without.


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Previous Post: Romney Goes Totally Ayn Rand in Secret Video
I just donated $47.00 to Obama. Let's flood the campaign with this amount if you can.— mankindig9 (@mankindig9) September 18, 2012
Romney's "47-percent" statement was made during 2-day "fundraising flurry" that netted him $10 million. bit.ly/QxKQvs— Jim Roberts (@nytjim) September 18, 2012
Suddenly Mitt's decision to pick disciple of Rand makes more sense: thebea.st/Qxs4nY His contempt for 47% as parasites quite something.— Andrew Sullivan (@sullydish) September 17, 2012
Romney: "The 47% that support Obama are moochers expect government to take care of them, when they should just borrow from their parents."— Top Conservative Cat (@TeaPartyCat) September 18, 2012
Is there an elegant way to say you don't care about 47% of the American people?— LOLGOP (@LOLGOP) September 18, 2012
47% of Americans would vote for Honey Boo Boo over Mitt Romney. #Romneyencore— Jimlairbeard (@jimlairbeard) September 18, 2012
I'm 47% invisible, and 53% awesome. #newcampaignslogan— Invisible Obama (@InvisibleObama) September 18, 2012
This is obvious, but as simple political analysis it is truly delusional to think 47% who don't pay income taxes are BO's base.— Christopher Hayes (@chrislhayes) September 18, 2012
I thought Mitt Romney hated the 99% so hearing it's only the 47% is kinda refreshing.— Morgan Murphy (@morgan_murphy) September 18, 2012
"Mitt just strapped 47% of Americans on the roof of his car." Tweet seen on Twitter #RomneyEncore #47Percent— Women's Watch List (@NatlWOW) September 18, 2012
Romney to hold press conference tomorrow where he elegantly states 47% remarks by wearing a top hat and employing the word "indubitably."— James Urbaniak (@JamesUrbaniak) September 18, 2012
RT @daveweigel: So Romney actually told a bunch of people WHO WERE DONATING TO HIM that he could never reach 47% of voters. Okay.— Mark Chisnell (@markchisnell) September 18, 2012
Tucked my kids into bed and told them I loved them, those cute little 47 percenters.— Katie Jacobs Stanton (@KatieS) September 18, 2012
@katies Why won't they take personal responsibility and tuck themselves in?— Chris Sacca (@sacca) September 18, 2012
Are these 26 corporations who paid no taxes, part of the 47% you were talking about, Mitt?thkpr.gs/HBjsL3 via @thinkprogress— Ernest Portlow (@eportlow) September 18, 2012


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The mornings are getting chillier. There's no doubt about it, Autumn is on it's way and I love it, it's my most favourite time of the year.
I love the colours of the leaves as they turn to shades of reds golds and browns and fall to the floor, the muddy smell of them composting into the ground.
I love evening walks in the dark with the smell of bonfires and fireworks, and the sounds of excited children.
I love cosy chunky knits, high denier opaque tights, fleece-lined boots and wooly hats and scarves.
I love that cosy feeling you get when you see the steam of your breath in the air but you're not cold because of your wooly clothes.
Then I love the cosy night indoors in front of our open fire.
I've recently come to also love the Blackberries coming out at this time of year because my daughter enjoys picking them.
As the festive spirit of Christmas looms the atmosphere around us grows more excitable, it's even better now we have little girl. I look forward to gathering holly and making decorations with her.


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Everyone loves coffee. Many people are constantly searching to find the best spot to drink their coffee once they awaken, day buddies or only desire to relax somewhere. Here is a short good reputation for coffee that individuals can see within this lovely lounge:
Coffee were built with a quite interesting evolution with time. The primary kind of coffee, Arabica coffee came from in Ethiopia (the native title is Bunn), migrated to South Usa, South america, Colombia along with other nations in latitude 25 levels north and 30 levels towards the south. In the beginning, coffees were imported from Ethiopia to Yemen.
Probably, the term coffee originates from the title from the host to origin, the Kaffa in Ethiopia. This word has numerous forms, much the same: qahwa in Arabic, in Turkish kahveh, caff in Italian, French coffee and occasional in British.
Coffee consumption continues to be outlawed in Mecca in 1511, as well as in Cairo the coming year, however this decision was withdrawn in protest from the population. Next, the very first cafe in Istanbul was opened up in 1554.
Coffee has been around since England in 1430 with a Greek professor at Oxford, Ioannis Servopoulos, and therefore across the path towards ongoing recognition today. Certainly, we must thank the British and Nederlander companies with this drink due to them it grew to become available to Europe within the sixteenth century. The very first European coffee shops, bookstores were opened up, beginning in mid-seventeenth century London (1652), Boston (1670) as well as in Paris in 1671. Like a way of measuring the recognition of coffee, these places have experienced a remarkable growth: in 1675 alone there have been over 3000 in England.
Legend states the first cafe opened up in Central Europe in Vienna in 1683, following the Fight of Vienna, getting defeated the Turks like a provider. Another story, more reliable, places the very first coffee shops, bookstores in Krakow XVI or XVII century, because of closer ties using the East, especially Poultry.
The very first coffee plantation within the "" New World "" began in 1727 in South america, a nation that depended mainly on African slave labor.
The prosperity of coffee in seventeenth century Europe was paralleled using the massive spread of cigarette smoking tobacco within the 3 decades War (1618-1648).
Coffee dust dating in the 18th century, but grew to become popular only in 1901, when instant coffee was presented by Satori Kato from Zoysia Pan American Exposition. This kind of coffee was the promoted underneath the title of Nescaf in 1939.
Decaffeination process was created with a guy known as Dr. Ludwig Roselius of Bremen. Caffeine is taken away by water or solvents for example ethyl acetate.
Like wine, coffee has its own tasters, many experts who can identify the nuances and tastes that always go undetected by regular people.
Scientists make research by which they analyzed the result on individuals mood by getting their coffee offered on the black coffee table.
Perhaps you have observed people finder for bars which have a black coffee table which to drink their most favorite coffee?
Should you request people where you can drink a great coffee, they'll most likely let you know to visit a cafeteria which serves capuccinos on the black coffee table since it cheers your mood.
Why not have access to that entire mood brightening at your house .? Why don't you obtain a great little black coffee table right in the comfort of your home? In the end, you should be spoiled a minimum of with a terrific way to drink your morning coffee... Get that great black coffee table that you have always wanted.


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Look familiar? I replicated the Vaquero Hash from The Painted Burro!
It's a very easy recipe – throw together onions, beans, corn, and diced green and red pepper in a pan. Saute with seasoning of your choice (I used turmeric, Armenian 7 spice blend, and cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper). Be patient and let the ingredients caramelize a bit. Top with a fried egg.
Nopales (cactus) are in the Vaquero Hash at The Painted Burro and while green pepper isn't exactly the same, the result is a very similar texture and flavor.


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157 K. Khujandi
Khujand 735700
Contact: ,
URL: www.imon.tj
Email: email@example.com
International Microloan Fund's (IMON) mission is to promote economic development in Tajikistan and assist in increasing the quality of life in the country by providing sustainable access to finance for economically active people in Tajikistan.
Currently IMON provides many different loan products, some of which are unique and innovative tailor made to the needs of micro entrepreneurs in Tajikistan. The Fund's activity is aimed at small and medium enterprise development and the creation of new jobs in Tajikistan. The Fund achieves these goals by providing financial services.
Client Population
In 2008, IMON served over 26,500 borrowers in Tajikistan, 43% of which were women.
In a study conducted in 2005, IMON found that 83.33% of the respondents witnessed an increase in their enterprise assets and thus higher sales volume. Of those surveyed, 77.09% had experienced an increase in household material goods which is indicative of an increase in quality of life for the families. More than 56% of the households save regularly while 20.83% re-invest business profits instead of adding them to savings.


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It can be no top secret, like just about every other guy on the planet, since that time I used to be old enough, sex has taken my mind. Back then I wasn't of sufficient age to comprehend the difference involving very good gender, Okay sexual intercourse, bad sexual activity, Excellent Sex… Sexual activity was gender. After which sexual activity was generally internet gangrape porn, which back then wasn't as designed as it is now. This is back in the dial up times, whereby I used to be "surfing the web" with sometimes an AOL, CompuServe, or Prodigy free trial. I assume in those days, the modems weren't speedy enough to even see videos as if you can right now. An image said thousands of terms. The only real video clips were actually on tapes which some good friend could have found in his mother and father top secret hiding spot within the cabinet. VHS Tapes, not DVD videos…
I suppose in those days, I thought all sexual activity was Great porn superstar sexual intercourse. With the size and endurance of the porn legend guys and this all ladies would accept it like porn star young girls. In the end, porn was generally my handbook, helpful tips that demonstrated me close up and private the bees and wildlife (an example I nonetheless don't get). Tips about how to give her wonderful sexual activity.
But which had been then and also this is currently. I am not any longer a virgin, and so I do comprehend the distinction between the various quantities of sex, from awful to Wonderful!! And actuality set in terms of my sex overall performance in comparison to porn legend sexual intercourse. But at the beginning, even poor sexual intercourse was sex, therefore it was great. The way to give her great sexual intercourse wasn't as crucial. I wasn't even that fascinated on methods for sex. Not right up until later managed I really discover the big difference, now that I am older, actually cherish possessing excellent romps from the sack as opposed to a mediocre run.
My targets have modified, and I also realized simply how much greater Great Gender is in comparison to poor sexual intercourse, as well as Okay sex. And don't misunderstand me, OK sexual activity isn't bad, and probably provides the maximum volume, but nevertheless, as soon as the time is there and also the youngsters (the neglect me knots coming from a with a little luck excellent " spin " throughout the bedding because to get children for a 2 min quickie is really a embarrassment) are out at grand mom's; this is the time for GREAT sexual intercourse. If it were everything else you would inform the youngsters about whenever they obtained older, an evening by helping cover their wife, a great dinner, a couple cocktails, a couple of games of pool, a little bit grooving, and cap it well with a there is certainly no person to awaken, I will get you to scream for your daily life, placement right after place, I wish I had this on movie moment of glory that.


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By Zinnia B. Dela Peña (The Philippine Star) Updated June 25, 2010 12:00 AM
MANILA, Philippines - Anchor Land Holdings Inc., a premier developer of luxury condomi-niums in Manila, is working at full throttle to launch new projects and phases of existing ones that would require investments of P3 billion this year.
On the sidelines of the company's annual stockholders meeting yesterday, Anchor Land vice-chairman Steve Li said the company will begin in the third quarter the construction of Phase 2 of SoleMare Parksuites, two 18-story towers with a total of 815 units. The second phase, which will rise on a 1.3-hectare lot at the Aseana Business Park in Paranaque, is expected to cost around P2 billion, he said.
"We are very pleased with the strong take-up of the first phase of SoleMare, which has become our top selling project. That's why we're launching Phase 2," he said. The first phase rolled out a total of 916 units.
Li said the company has already started the construction of Anchor Park Suites, a 56-story residential condominium expected to be one of the tallest buildings in the Chinatown district. The project, with a development cost of P3 billion, will offer a total of 330 two-to five-bedroom units with a floor area of between 95 square meters to 250 square meters. It is slated for completion in 2014.
Another project under construction is the 39-story Wharton ParkSuites, also in Chinatown.
Li said the company will also launch within the year Clairemont Hills, a combination of 15 storys of twin towers and eight single-detached units to rise on about 6,000 square meters of land in Alfonso Trece in San Juan City. This would mark the firm's foray into luxury single-detached housing development.
In addition, Anchor Land will start the redevelopment of the historic Admiral Hotel on Roxas Boulevard into a boutique residential hotel called the Admiral Baysuites with a project cost of P4 billion.
To diversify its revenue stream, the company started leasing out stall spaces in its One Shopping Center in Pasay City, a development patterned after the warehouse shopping concept. By end-2009, all stalls in One Shopping Center have been leased to wholesalers.
One Shopping Center is set to open next month while Two Shopping Center will make available a total of 50,000 square meters of gross leasable space when completed in end-2011 or early 2012.
Li said he is optimistic 2010 will be another good year for the company, pointing out that Anchor Land has been posting a 50 percent spike in net earnings since it listed on the stock exchange in 2007. Last year, the company reported a net income of P372.82 million, up 57.76 percent from P236.31 million on the back of a 19.85 percent jump in revenues to P1.63 billion.
Li said Sybase Equity Investments Corp., a private company owned by retail tycoon Henry Sy, holds a 20 percent stake in Anchor Land.
He added the company is financially healthy, awash with proceeds from a recent bond issue amounting to P1 billion.


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Our upstairs TV quit working a few months ago. We turned it off one day and it never came back on. Of course we have a downstairs TV. It is in the downstairs family room. It's funny though, that even though we still have access to TV, because it is not in our faces, we don't watch it much. Before I was always having to tell the kids to turn off the TV, and now I find myself sending them downstairs to watch TV when they are getting too wild or loud (I can send them outside now, too). It is like they forgot that they can watch TV. Out of sight, out of mind. I no longer hear the annoying voices of Sponge Bob or Fairly Odd Parents, or the dialog of Dora or Wonder Pets, or listen to Drake and Josh antics. Nice.
We have a kitchen/dining room/family room combo upstairs. I love it. That is where the TV was until we took it away. The kids would just come home from school and turn on the TV. Just because it was there. Get a snack, turn on the TV. After breakfast, or before, Cameron always wanted the TV on. I had to make a rule that he had to be dressed and he had to wait until Andy went to school before the TV got turned on. Now he doesn't even ask to watch TV. Which is nice because I can use TV as a babysitter when I need a few minutes (okay--an hour?) to myself and not feel too guilty about it because he doesn't watch it that often.
I used to have the TV on while I was in the kitchen, doing something at the table, or even on the computer. Really for no reason. But now that I actually have to be just sitting and watching TV instead of multitasking—I rarely watch TV either.
I am actually thinking that maybe we don't need programmed television at all. Just the occasional video or DVD.
2018 Time is flying by!
1 month ago


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During out time in the studio we tried to record a couple of sessions so that we could see how we were developing and the progression. Here a video of one of studio session, this one is taken from friday 6th May which makes it a very recent practice however I can see there are many problems still at large and need resolving.
As I am in charge of Sound, at the moment that is my soul responsibily and needs my full attention. During watching this studio session I can already see areas I need to work on. I was not very happy with the sound quality of this particular practice, I felt it was rather quiet and needs to be louder and both sophie and matt needs to be controlled separetly. I am currently still working on this, experimenting with radio mics is next on the agenda. I am aware that the showday is looming over us and is in two days. I am just hoping that the experiment goes well tomorrow during our studio session and then I can pursue with it for thursdays showdown.
Also during this practice although there was no VT in the show, I accidently left the faders up which meant the sound from the studio was picked up. If the VTs were playing then this would not have been so obvious, however it has made me much more cauious and has made me more aware that I need to be careful when bringing the studio sound out and back in , in time for the VT's. Its all going to be down to the timing. I am feeling slightly nervous for the show Im not going to lie haha. However I think the practice tomorrow will give me a better understanding to how successful or unsucess the live show on thursday will go. We have yet to practice with VT's yet so I am feeling very anxious for that because I have yet to practice bringing the studio sound out and VTs in and vice versa, also I have intro music to control. Im hoping after a few practices I should be able to control things, It just means I really need to be on the ball during thursday's show to be able to control all of the sound inputs at the same time. I am slightly annoyed as I did speak to Joe several times about VT's, I hoped that when we got back after easter the first session back I could experiment with controlling the VT'S but it didnt happend. Im sure it will all turn out okay, I just could have done with more practice to feel more confident for our live show.
Watching this studio session, I am very dissapointed at the sound. It is very quiet and poor quality. Since seeing this video, I Have taken all the cristisim on board and have began to resolve the problems during the studio practices.


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Promo Period: June 19, 2010 to August 29, 2010
This rainy season, Enchanted Kingdom won't let your day be spoiled. If it rains fore more than 30 minutes on the date of your visit, we will give you free return ticket. That's right -a free return ticket!
1.) This promo is open to all walk-in guests, pre-booked tickets (full rate and discounted), ex-deal, Ticketworld, Pasyal Pinoy and other existing promo tickets. All guests with complimentary tickets are also entitled to free return tickets.
2.) Guests who will experience 30 minutes of continuous heavy rain during the day of their visit and upon a Park wide announcement, will be entitled to a free return ticket The return tickets is valid two (2) weeks from the date of their visit.
3.) Guests must surrender their used ticket/s to claim the free return ticket/s at designated redemption areas in the Park. For guests with upgraded tickets, they must surrender the Official Receipt issued when they had their tickets upgraded. No Official Receipt, no upgraded return ticket.
4.) Return tickets are non-rebookable and cannot be resold. Resale of tickets will render them null and void.


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|Carl Trieloff <cctriel...@redhat.com>
|Re: A few clustering/failover questions
|Thu, 05 Mar 2009 20:53:48 GMT
Sandy Pratt wrote: > [snip] > > >> It's that simple. What will happen is that the restarted node be will >> be re-synced to the active state of node B, and you can continue on. >> the clients will also be notified that >> the cluster-membership changes (Java & C++), so even if node B is >> brought back on a different IP address the client will know where to >> fail-over to. >> >> > > Correction, no rename of the jrnl dir is required, it will do that for > you automatically.... just restart node A with the same cluster-name as > node B. > > It will do the rest for you... > Carl. > > > .. > > Thanks for the clarification, Carl. I wonder if my broker is in a bad state. I'll re-initialize the installation and see what happens. As to that, do you recommend clearing out /var/lib/qpidd to re-init? > > Thanks, > > Sandy > yes, best is to clear the data-directories. How it works is as follows, only one store is needed to recover, so if all the nodes in the cluster are killed, the best practice is to find the one with the latest time stamp, (last node to go down) and then to rename, move or delete the rest. then restart the node with the store to recover from first. There are thoughts to do this automatically, but this could so the wrong thing is the machines don't have there clocks synced, so today it is left to the user. To clean start, just delete all the data under /var/lib/qpidd Carl.
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