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When not presenting radio programmes for BBC Five Live and running his publishing, TV and community ventures, Dotun Adebayo writes a column for the Voice – "Britain's Biggest Black Newspaper". He's a striver, as they say. His column the other day touched on this.
What happens to many migrants of long standing, he asked. Do we get too comfy? I was struck by this in the light of comments last year by Douglas Orane, the chairman of Grace Kennedy, one of Jamaica's most successful companies. How come, he asked, the Jamaicans who leave for the US and Canada retain an entrepreneurial zeal that those in the UK seem to lack?
Adebayo, being a bit of a controversialist, tackles it differently. Addressing Jamie Oliver's complaint that his hardest workers are migrants, Adebayo said: "His foreign staff work harder because they have to. They are the new negroes. We don't have to. We are no longer negroes. So why should we work harder?"
It shouldn't be that way, he says. The playing field is not, and never has been, level. "That is what our parents told us 50 years ago when they came to this country and they had a dream, and it is still the case today. Our parents came here with nothing and, if nothing else, managed to work hard enough to buy their own properties in this country, through sheer hard work. Yet we, their inheritors, think we can afford to be lazy gits because we carry a British passport and we support England in the World Cup." The truth, he says, is that every "new negro" – "Poles, the Bulgarians, the Czechs, the Romanians", puts in the graft, leaving many established migrants behind.
Interesting questions there. Does familiarity dull the buccaneering spirit? Should established migrants continue to think and act like new migrants, or do they earn – through sojourn on this island and payment of tax – the right to an easier, better-paid life? And once they reach a stage of comfort and equilibrium, what then drives them forward? Is it personal aspiration, desire for wealth, peer pressure?
One doubts Poles and Romanians relish being called the new negroes. But the fundamental question is worth thinking about. Some migrant groups do fare better than others. Do they keep the new migrant mindset for longer? Is that how they get ahead?


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Last day of the month and hopefully over the coming weeks we will start to see some migration movement, things have been a bit slow over the last week or two, this morning was much the same as yesterday really and feel like I'm just repeating what I've said and seen over the last couple of weeks, but that's the joy of June, no movement or very little anyway and lots of n young birds hopping and calling from the water or trees.
It was another warm morning but with a bit more cloud coverage, breeze was light and from the west/northwest and temp was 18c, visit was from 06.10 - 08.15.
A couple of young Moorhens were being fed along the car park and boating lake, they looked about a day or two in age, the Great Crested Grebes were still on the boating lake with the two young which are starting to explore around the lake a bit, 11 Black-headed Gulls went through north after having a rest on the ramp and water, Mute Swans were 34 in number including the single cygnet, Tufted Ducks have started to increase slowly with a count of 25, 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls went over also heading north, 3 Blackcaps were heard calling from the usual places and a family of young Greenfinches were on the sidings.
The 4 Greylag Geese are still with the Domestic flock on the main lake, a couple of Willow Tits were calling along the bottom of the nature reserve, 2 Treecreepers were at the top end near the top pool and a couple of Reed Warblers here as well, 3 Whitethroats on the old sewage works with a single Chiffchaff, a Shoveler was in the middle of the main lake and a Great Spotted Woodpecker was heard in the nature reserve,
Total species seen 37.

subset: commoncrawl


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12 things for sale that are so expensive it frightens us
There's a big difference between expensive and overpriced. Some things are painfully expensive, but they are so beautiful and fabulous and amazing that you can't help but yearn for them in every fiber of your soul.
And then there is this stuff. Enjoy.


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Dear Busy Season (aka tax season),
How I wish you were over. You are cruel and unkind and I won't miss you at all when you are done for 2012. Because I would like to see my husband more than I did when we were dating. Which has not happened recently. All because of you.
Busy Season, if you last past tomorrow – and do not end with a signature, as promised – I do not know what I will do. Crying will be involved. And Scott will probably officially turn into a zombie.
We've handled you well, but we are at the end of our ropes. We don't complain that we never spend an evening together (I'm glad I got so good at cooking for one in my single days). We don't complain that I am almost always asleep by the time Scott gets home from work (and I am a night owl!). Scott manfully accepts when he has to work the entire weekend (even after the pastor has preached about how important it is to keep the Sabbath! We hear you, JR – this was the last one I promise!). But there is only so much a couple can take.
We think (and hope and pray) that the end is in sight and that this will all be over in 48 hours. Please don't stay past your welcome. Give me my husband back!
Rebecca (aka The Newlywed Wife of a Certified Public Accountant)
P.S. Speaking of newlywed, I'm missing our honeymoon right about now. We should go back to Curacao. And since all posts are better with a picture or two…


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All week, I have been meaning to write a blog post about the fact that my summer break is over and that I have gone back to school and as of this past Wednesday, I am officially back to being a fifth grade teacher in action.
Oh...back to school. There is much to be said about it, though I imagine that you could all infer all that I have to say. The overriding theme of this past week has been exhaustion. Going back to work, after a nice and relaxed summer, is always exhausting in addition to being exciting and adventurous and all those other good things.
What is different about this school year, is that I am going back to school as a mom for the first time. I just took a moment to read my blog post from this time last year. Wow! What a difference a year makes. Last year, I was thankful to be heading back to school because I had an entire summer to just sit around and think (and worry) about the adoption process. I remember it being an entire summer of worrying about when we would be chosen. Last year, I was sure that we would never be chosen and that our baby would never find us. Last year, I was certain that another school year (or two) were certain to go by before Carla and I got to call ourselves moms. How very wrong I was.
This year, I am going back to school after spending an entire summer with little Millie and as a family of three. Needless to say, it was a lot harder to go back to work this year than last year. But, the inevitable arrived. The first day of school. While getting back in the groove of the school year has been exhausting, there have been many good things to help make the transition a little less painful.
The most exciting part of going back to school this year has been the new role that I will be playing at school. As you might have gathered by now, in general, I despise change. I don't like change, I don't like adjusting to change, mostly I live my life hoping that things will remain comfortable predictable. However, after teaching fifth grade for nine years, I was ready for some sort of change. But I didn't want to change schools and I didn't want to change grade levels (I know, it doesn't seem like I have left much room for anything different). What I did change was what I would be teaching in fifth grade. This year, I will be sharing two classes full of fifth graders. I will be seeing one class in the morning and a second class in the afternoon. I will only be teaching literacy this year. Teaching literacy has always been my absolute favorite part of my job. I love bringing the love of reading and writing to my fifth graders and I love watching the transformations that take place. So that is what I will be focusing on this year and I am thrilled. My fellow fifth grade teacher will be taking the kids the other half of the day and teaching them science, social studies and math (my least favorite of all subjects to teach).
While we are both thrilled with the change and with the possibilities that the change will bring, it has definitely been an adjustment. We are now faced with the task of connecting with twice as many students. For me, and for so many of us teachers, building relationships with our students is EVERYTHING. Without them, the important work that we have to do is just not possible. If our students aren't convinced that we are on their side, then we will face resistance every time we want to push them just a bit outside of their comfort zone to the place where all the good learning really happens. If our students aren't convinced that we show up every day because we love them and want to help them to be the very best version of themselves then they won't be willing to trust us when we ask them to do something they would really rather not do. So, yes, the relationships are important. As I said, they are everything.
This year, there are twice as many relationships to build and that has been tough. I try to remember that it always takes time and so this year it will take twice as much time and I must be patient.
And in addition to having two classes instead of one, this is the first year that I am attempting to build these relationships while also saving energy for my Millie. It is new and somewhat challenging to figure out, but like everything else that comes along with Millie, it is so so very much worth it.
Besides the changes at school, it is good to be back with my coworkers, many of whom feel more like family than like collegues. It is good to be back doing what I love. And after a summer of trying to figure out how to be a first time mom, it is good to be back at school where I get to do something that I have already been figuring out for over ten years. There is comfort in stepping back into the classroom and I am happy to be back in that comfort.
So as this school year begins, it is incredible to look back at where I was a year ago and equally incredible to think about where I will be a year from now. So much growing takes places over the course of a school year. Yes, it is incredible to see the growth in my students, but it is also incredible when I am able to see the growth in myself as well.
This blog has been with my wife and me since we began our adoption journey. It is now a place to keep track of the incredible moments that we experience as a family of three.
Sunday, August 25, 2013
Another school year begins...
2 comments:
That sounds like an awesome change all around! You and your colleague get to teach what you like, and your students get twice as many adults to build relationships with (which is especially good if they don't connect with one or the other of you). Win-win-win! I hope it works out that way!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousAugust 26, 2013 at 11:21 AM
That sounds like a good split, and it's so important that you're doing something you love. A great and passionate teacher can make such a difference!ReplyDelete
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So, I realized the other day that I just finished season 4 of Doctor Who, and there's only seven in existence at this point. Which means that I only have seasons 5 and 6 to watch now, until 7 comes out in the fall. And once I write about all those things...what will I write about? I will have lost the essential purpose of this blog.
Though, I guess if there's one thing doing this blog has taught me, it's that it's relatively easy to post two or three times a week, or even a day. It's gotten me in the habit of writing something, and giving me guilt if I go five days without posting. So I will be relying on that when I run out of Doctor Who to post about. I can post about funny YouTube videos, my Doctor Who withdrawals, issues with the world that have nothing to do with politics...it'll be good.
But...if you have ideas, please share them! Maybe for another series. So instead of randomness, I'd once more have something regular. So if you have an idea for a series of blog posts I could do, or just for stand-alone blog posts, please share! You can just comment on this post or any other with your idea, and I will probably take it at some point.
But I still have some Doctor to write about yet! Onwards...


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Child Pornography and Sexual Grooming: Legal and Societal Responses By Suzanne Ost
Publisher: C U P 2009 | 288 Pages | ISBN: 0521885825 | File type: PDF | 2 mb
Child pornography and sexual grooming provide case study exemplars of problems that society and law have sought to tackle to avoid both actual and potential harm to children. Yet despite the considerable legal, political and societal concern that these critical phenomena attract, they have not, thus far, been subjected to detailed socio-legal and theoretical scrutiny. How do society and law construct the harms of child pornography and grooming? What impact do constructions of the child have upon legal and societal responses to these phenomena? What has been the impetus behind the expanding criminalisation of behaviour in these areas? Suzanne Ost addresses these and other important questions, exploring the critical tensions within legal and social discourses which must be tackled to discourage moral panic reactions towards child pornography and grooming, and advocating a new, more rational approach towards combating these forms of exploitation.
http://uploading.com/files/cee32896/Child Pornography and Sexual Grooming Legal and Societal Responses.rar/
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The good news for parents in Lehigh Valley is that the number of infants going to emergency rooms because they were hurt by defective products, such as toys, has begun to go down in recent years. The bad news is that there is more than one defective product still on store shelves, and in use, that can cause injuries to infants and young kids. These defective products include the popular Bumbo Baby Seat.
The Bumbo Baby Seat has recently been the subject of a defective product recall. The seat is thought to be a danger to infants and young kids when it has no safety belt and is placed in an elevated position. When kids wiggle out of the seat or fall, they can sustain serious injuries. The seats so far have been the cause of 84 injuries, including 21 skull fractures in small children.
Readers in Lehigh Valley that own the baby seat should discontinue its use immediately. Remedies for parents who own the seats include ordering a restraint system that is available to install on their current model. Or, since models currently in stores have the restraint, parents may also decide to return their current seat to the store and purchase a new one. So far, around 4 million seats have been recalled.
With more than 81,000 kids receiving emergency room treatments for baby product-related injuries, the recall of a defective product is of importance to all parents. If a parent believes that their child has been injured by such a defective product, they may wish to begin to collect information on the injuries and their rights. Included in this collection should be medical records indicating the cause and injury of the child. This information may be important should there be a personal injury claim against the maker of a dangerous product, recalled or not.
Source: MarketWatch, "Baby beware: 4 child-product problems," Kelli B. Grant, Aug. 20, 2012


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Let me tell you about my father, he roots for Texas A&M more than I do and you've seen how many times I have posted about JFF and Texas A&M. (It's currently at 17 posts now). He reads on aggieathletics.com about every sport from football to basketball to golf to equestrian. He knows what's going on in the locker rooms in Aggieland. He likes every person that plays for the Maroon and White no matter who they are, where they're from, or what job their mom or dad has. He especially likes Johnny "Football" Manziel. He likes him as a quarterback, as leader, and as a person to represent Texas A&M and the core values that we hold dear to our hearts. That being said, my dad is somewhat of a conspiracy theorist. His latest conspiracy that he has come up with is why Johnny Manizel will not win the Heisman. Here are his reasons:
- He is from Texas. – Last year, Robert Griffin III went off. I'll admit it (even though I despise Baylor University), he had a hell of a year. Guess who also has had a hell of a year? That's right, Johnny Football. JFF is the only freshman, the only SEC player, and only the 5th player in college football history to throw for 3000+ yards and rush for 1000+ yards in a season. That is amazing. So you may be wondering why I brought up RG3? RG3 is from Copperas Cove, Texas, and "those damn Yankees up in New York won't let two Texas boys win the Heisman in a row and THAT IS WRONG!"
- He is a freshman. – He is a redshirt freshman and is doing grown man's work in the Southeastern conference. What he has done is amazing and I am sure he will be able to do this for the next 4 years. That's my dad's next point: he has 3 more years to do the same thing, so why give it to him now? "They're saying that he can just do what he's doing now the next few seasons and win it then. The Heisman is given to the most outstanding player in college football and there [isn't anyone] that is more outstanding or dazzling than Johnny Football."
- He goes to Texas A&M. – I kind of believe this too. I mean it make sense. ESPN has millions of dollars invested in a television station that no one can see for a school that is mediocre. Johnny Football doesn't go there, he goes to A&M, the school that everyone said would struggle, be dominated/never compete in the SEC, running away from the Big 12, and a list of other things. We're not supposed to be in this position. We're not supposed to be beating Alabama, hanging with LSU, or be in a position to play in the SEC Championship game in our first year with our new coaching staff or young quarterback. "This isn't in the media's scripts! This isn't what they want! They want some other joker to win it because then it would be what they want: not Texas A&M in the spotlight! It's slowly killing them!"
Let me again clarify that my father is not saying he doesn't want JFF to win the Heisman, he is saying that they won't give it to him because of those reasons. Do you agree or disagree with him?
He also think it's a joke that Manti Te'O is even being considered for the Heisman (or any other award) when "[Damontre] Moore is making Te'O look like he's never played football before. What's the deal with that kid at Notre Dame? It looks like he's crying every play."
I'm sure it's because of the same reasons.


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"Yesterday we held our first Square Enix Community Day here at the London headquarters. This was a great success and we received some brilliant feedback about FINAL FANTASY XIII-2, so thanks again for taking the time out to attend! It was great to meet such passionate FINAL FANTASY fans and give you the opportunity to play a section of FINAL FANTASY XIII-2 before its release early next year.
Don't worry if you weren't able to attend this time, we're certain that this won't be the last of its kind and are already brainstorming ideas for future Community Days.
The event included the behind closed doors demonstration of the game by our Senior Brand Manager, Adrian Arnese, which gives some story background and introduced attendees to some of the new features in FINAL FANTASY XIII-2. After that, we let the fans loose on the E3 demo of the game, which shows off the New Bodhum environment and sees Serah and Noel face off against a giant golem called Atlas.
A Q&A session was then held, where we tried to answer as many of the attendees' burning questions without giving too much of the story away or without spoiling any future announcements about the game that we have. With the Q&A completed, attendees stuck around for a bit of food and drink before heading off with their swag bags, containing a plush Moogle, FINAL FANTASY XIII art cards and a thankyou note from myself.
We were honoured to be joined by MrPointyHead, who was there to cover the event on Inside Xbox, so look out for that on your Xbox dashboard in the coming months!
Keep checking back here on the Square Enix Members Blog for your chance to attend future events, as well as the latest news updates on FINAL FANTASY XIII-2 and all our other games. So stay tuned for more!"


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1. We got cable today! I am so excited to have the Tee Vee back. And of course, NOTHING is on right now. A million, bazillion channels and I have Law and Order: Criminal Intent reruns on. But dude, I have MISSED the DVR. It's like welcoming a old friend back into your home.
2. I bought Jack a pair of sunglasses yesterday. It's just so darn sunny here! Like...ALWAYS. So I thought he needed some cool shades of his own. Here he is modeling a pair at the store.
3. Yesterday, I went to a fancy, healthy grocery store that is INCREDIBLY close to our house. And I nearly passed out from the prices. I want to go organic and get rid of hydrogenated oils and preservatives and artificial flavors, I really, really do. But DANG, YO. That stuff is EXPENSIVE. I bought two boxes of cereal, two frozen meals, and a 6 pack of root beer. And the only thing that wasn't on sale was the root beer. And the cereal? Not even organic! It's a kid's cereal too. But I gotta admit, it's VERY tasty. If not very healthy.
4. Speaking of going organic and such, I watched Food Inc. earlier this week and holy canoli, y'all. I knew very, very little about the food industry before I watched that movie. I still know very little, but at least I have a better understanding of what all that grass-fed, no anti-biotic business is all about. Also, I know a lot about soy beans too. It was a definite eye opener and a very interesting movie. Even if we don't make any big changes to our eating habits, I like knowing where my food comes from, you know?
5. My child is officially old enough to be annoying. He waited until I was settled down with my breakfast this morning to come over and stand right next to me and SMACK HIS LIPS. Smack, smack, smack! Stop eating and give me the rest of that bottle I SOUNDLY rejected a few minutes ago. Smack, smack, smack! He was happily playing away until he saw I had food and then BAM! I'm all up in your face, mom! (And really, he had JUST eaten. Yogurt and a bottle. I promise I wasn't starving him.)
6. So. Bugs. I forgot that the south had so many bugs. Especially here where it gets cold for maybe 2 weeks out of the year. (Seriously...it's in the upper 70's here. I am wearing t-shirts and flip flops. Jack is wearing t-shirts and no socks. I saw people wearing SHORTS this week.) So the bugs don't get a chance to die in the cold, which is sad. Because I have to call upon Alex to kill them with whatever is handy, instead. I guess that's the price you pay for warmth year round.
7. And because you haven't seen him in a while. Here's my own personal Jack in the Box. Look at what a big boy he is!
Friday, January 22, 2010
4 comments:
- AI said...
Goodness that child is cute.
- Jodi said...
OMG he went from baby to toddler in a big hurry! What a cutie!
And ummmmm, stop talking about the warmth or you may have 7 permanent house guests soon. We are getting freezing rain which will soon turn to snow today.
- phil said...
I forgot about the bugs... cracked me up!
- Cora said...
Now Jodi, don't go mentioning the "T" word around here. We are officially still using "baby" until April 3rd and I am milking it for all it's worth. :)
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a norm usually prohibit the illicit relationship between two gay men, in this case can a man with men, or women with women. It's no secret that things like this is morally opposed, and religion. Then the question arises, whether this is fair for those who experience it?
If we look at from the standpoint of the norm, it's things like this is not feasible to be done, even to be a highly forbidden, because it is considered to have violated nature.But if we look at from the standpoint of the right to vote, which included human rights, this is not something that deserves to be banned, because this is part of the right itself. So how do we have to respond to incidents like this?
For sure we should never just judge from one side only, we must be able to view a problem from many different angles, to be able to understand the issue more objectively. As a moral human being, of course we can put ourselves to respond to problems like this, if we're talking in the context of norms and religion, we agree that this kind of thing is forbidden, but when we talked in the context of human rights and also the differences, let us be able to to appreciate it, because that's the meaning of differences itself.


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The wonderful opening scene from Satan's Sadists. These days movies like this come from postmodern geek savants like Quentin Tarantino and Rob Zombie (both of whom, I'd be willing to wager have a VHS copy of this film).
Also check out this interview with Frank Conniff of Mystery Science Theater 3000 on Battleship Pretension, as he talks about good bad movies, bad bad movies, and movies too weird to be categorized.


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Silent invasion of India
August 21, 2011 9:34:19 PM by Joginder Singh
Illegal immigration from Pakistan and Bangladesh poses a serious threat to our internal security. Thanks to vote-bank politics, our politicians are indifferent.
Our international border is around 15,318 km long, of which our boundary with Bangladesh is 4,000 km long, running along West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura. It is the Government of India's responsibility to guard the country's international border and prevent foreigners from entering our territory illegally as well as control the entry of those travelling with valid documents. This is a responsibility that the Government has clearly failed to fulfil as was evident from a statement by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs: "As per information available, 1,283 Pakistani nationals (who presumably entered India legally) remain untraced/missing as of June 30, 2011."
A month earlier, while replying to a query under the RTI Act in July, the Government had said: "It is not possible to estimate the total number of such foreign nationals, including Pakistani and Bangladeshi nationals, who have entered into the country without valid travel documents and are staying in the country since entry of such foreign nationals into the country is clandestine and surreptitious." The response also added that over 73,000 people from various countries have stayed on even after their visas expired; nearly 50 per cent of these people were from Bangladesh and about 10 per cent were from Pakistan, according to data available as of December 31, 2009. In 1996, the then Union Minister for Home Affairs, Indrajit Gupta, had informed Parliament that over 25 million Bangladeshis were illegally living in India.
The fact remains that despite the threat of cross-border terrorism faced by the country from illegal immigrants, the Ministry of Affairs does not maintain a centralised source of information on people crossing the border to enter India from Pakistan and Bangladesh without valid documents. Except where it suits its own concerns, the Union Government refuses to act even in the face of judicial pronouncement. The Supreme Court held in 2005 that provisions of the Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunals) Act of 1983 were ultra vires to the Constitution and were accordingly struck down. The Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunals) Rules, 1984, were also determined to be ultra vires and hence were struck down.
The issue of illegal immigration has and continues to figure in high-level meetings related to internal security. It has figured prominently at the Chief Ministers' Conference on Internal Security and Law and Order held in New Delhi. At this conference serious differences emerged among the north-eastern States on the issue of illegal immigration — some States openly accused Assam of contributing to the mounting problem of illegal immigration in the region.
Silent invasion of India- Read more... clcik here


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How would you like to be this pregnant?
Not long to put up with all of this extra weight now.
Today I had a great chat on the phone with my lovely Dad. We never run out of things to talk about. We had to get out and about to do some jobs and I got a few scrapbooking papers, and two pretty dresses from Ezibuy. They are 50's shaped so suit my curves well, and will be good for warm school days. I might show you if I get a bit of a Madmen look going with the hair and makeup. I don't think I've got any shoes to fit the theme. I'm not too impressed with the (affordable) shoes available in the shops this year.
I'm having a play with my scrapbooking stuff currently. The Crafty Neighbour came over and had a few ideas to get me going. She's done a lot more than I have, and although our styles are totally different, she has great ideas and is more confident about chopping stuff up to make layers. I am drawn to beautiful papers with blousy flowers or birds decorating them, and they are quite hard to use because I don't want to cover any of the design up.
I was planning to start some scrapbook pages on the roses in my garden this afternoon and my camera decided that it would focus, but would absolutely not take a photo. Hmm. I wonder if I've exposed it to too much farm dust. Anyway, Johnny had a fiddle and it went (of course). I hope it isn't going to start playing up. You'll be hearing about it if it does!


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Title: Derision
Author: Trisha Wolfe
Type: Standalone
POV: First Person – Dual
Chase Larkin was a hotshot lawyer and the founding partner of Lark & Gannet law firm. While they worked hard during the day, they also played hard after hours. The firm was a secondary business to The Firm which catered to powerful people with certain proclivities. But being the top dog put Chase under firing range of power hungry individuals.
Alexis Wilde was the timid intern at the company. After a year of working under the shadows, she finally got the guts to apply for higher position. Unbeknownst to her, she wasn't as invisible as she thought and her new position might be more than she bargained for.
The blurb first attracted me with the promise of kinky darkness. Then the possibility of "uncomfortable situation" sold it even more. However, it didn't actually turned out the way I expected.
"I'll give you everything you ask of me, but I will always demand your submission. There will always be a balance of pleasure and pain—it's just who I am."
Chase was a degrader, so be aware that some of his actions might not go well to some people. He might seemed powerful on the outside, but he had major vulnerability on the inside. I like this contradiction, but I wish it merged better.
I am not exactly a fan of Alexis. I can accept meek personality but for someone who didn't know anything about submission, she was too accepting and too willing. There wasn't much inner struggle other than some fleeting thoughts of it.
I love the idea of a law firm with a dark side and how there's two sides of the business that not everyone was privy about. I like how the element of suspense added another layer to the story.
I accused him of being sick…of getting some twisted fix…but it's me who desires to be forced into submission—me who called out to him. Pleading to be dominated.
However, I do have a major problem with the book – the connectivity – things just didn't clicked together. For one, the connection between Chase and Alexis. Things happened way too fast with her being his submissive without any discussion considering she's absolutely clueless. Then it's The Firm. With all the mentions of its debauchery, there was only one brief (sex) scene at the location that barely established its supposed reputation.
Her moan verges on a scream, sending a thrill racing through me, my muscles taut as I hammer her pussy, my mercy long gone.
Speaking of sex scenes, there were plenty to keep readers satisfied. Personally, even with all the fuckery, I wish they were more kinky. There were rough sex and toys, but a little bit more wouldn't hurt. Much. lol!
I tried hard to feel more for the book but it just didn't work as well as I wanted it to be for me. But it doesn't mean it won't work for everyone else. So if you're looking for a dark kinky book, this one surely qualifies.
This review is also available on Goodreads.


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Hiking Calico Basin
7 months ago
Written by Nick and Natalie at 8:06 PM
Love it!
Love it. But I also love your hair before!!! Good luck. I just chopped mine on saturday! There is nothing like a new cut! Love it!
You're actually going to take the scissors to your hair? I can't believe it. HA HA! I think I need you to help me with my hairstyle thing because I'm not very good at it. I really didn't have a very good picture to work with but that's ok!


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Profile of Terrorist James T. Hodgkinson: From disbelief to anger to violence to mayhem to mass murder [Videos]
For Democrats free speech has morphed into hate speech. Hate speech has morphed into violence and mayhem in the streets and on college campuses across America. Hate speech then morphed into action. Action became a politically motivated mass shooting at a baseball field in Alexandria, Virginia with five wounded and the shooter dead. Among those critically wounded was Steve Scalise, the Republican majority whip of the House of Representatives.
All of this carried out by armed Democrat James T. Hodgkinson who specifically targeted unarmed Republicans, their families, children and supporters.
The below video was taken at the Republican Congressional baseball practice in Alexandria, Virginia:
The narrative from Democrats is two fold. Deny this act of pure hate was politically motivated. Point to anything other than the individual who carried out this crime against humanity, i.e. focus on the gun. The proper responses to what James T. Hodgkinson, with malice and forethought, did are blame the shooter for the shooting, the terrorist for terrorism.
Democrats are relentlessly yelling "fire" in a crowed political theater. The predictable result is assassination for political purposes.
18 U.S. Code § 871 – Threats against President and successors to the Presidency states:
Whoever knowingly and willfully deposits for conveyance in the mail or for a delivery from any post office or by any letter carrier any letter, paper, writing, print, missive, or document containing any threat to take the life of, to kidnap, or to inflict bodily harm upon the President of the United States, the President-elect, the Vice President or other officer next in the order of succession to the office of President of the United States, or the Vice President-elect, or knowingly and willfully otherwise makes any such threat against the President, President-elect, Vice President or other officer next in the order of succession to the office of President, or Vice President-elect, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.
Alex Jones notes,
"Days ago a standing ovation for the simulation of the assassination of the President of The United States. And now, a baseball practice loaded with Republican congressman and staffers became a live mass shooting event. James T. Hodgkinson was identified as the shooter that railed off over 50 shots at the 100 year old traditional event that included children. He was killed by Capitol Police. House Majority Whip was shot in the hip and transported to the hospital along with four others."
Here is a short video and pictorial profile of a loyal "Democrat Socialist", supporter of Senator Bernie Sanders, member of "Terminate Republican Party" and now known terrorist James T. Hodgkinson.
James T. Hodgkinson in 2011 at Occupy Wall Street rally:
Social media posts by James T. Hodgkinson:
Responses by liberals to the mass shooting:
20 Liberal Calls For Violence Against Conservatives in Quotes
James T. Hodgkinson Belonged to 'Terminate the Republican Party' Facebook Group
Hodgkinson Was Occupy Protester, Attacked the "One Percent"
Shooter Was Bernie Bro Who Joined 'Terminate Republican Party' Group
Shooting turned GOP baseball practice into 'killing field'
After shooting, soul-searching on United States' polarization
Leftists Know No Shame As Writer Posts Most Vile Tweet EVER About Alexandria Shooting


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I've worked at the Horicon Public Library since 1994, save for a brief 8-month excursion to another library (quickly abandoned). Today was my last day there.
I will miss you Horicon. I will miss my patrons, many of whom feel like family now. I have watched kids grow up and have kids. Three year olds in my first storytimes are in college now. (OK this makes me feel old)
At the Horicon PL I have:
- kissed a pig
- learned to play spoons (not well)
- told hundreds or thousands of ghost stories, funny stories, folktales…
- played a man in several different plays (my favorite was Sir Robin)
- been attacked by zombies with nerf guns
- laughed
- been the very first person a child has ever read a book to (thanks, J!)
- not slept for 39 hours for readathons
- held dozens of babies, favorite stuffed animals, people's drinks, snacks, coats, books, used kleenex…
- worn kimonos, a dragon costume, dressed like a pirate, a witch, a gypsy, a knight, a queen, Scooby Doo, a Wild Thing, Curious George, the Cat in the Hat, a scarecrow, a tiger…
- worn underwear on my head, had underwear shot at me like a rubberband, stood up and said in a crowd of over 100 people "I pooped my pants"*, and invented the now-famous or infamous granny panty relay race.
- held snakes, rats, owls, a possum, bunnies, lizards, tortoises, led an ostrich into a closet, let tarantulas and hissing cockroaches on my hand.**
- cried
- worn my pajamas to work. Including fuzzy slippers.
- been hugged by approximately 1000 kids
- been peed on by hamsters, frogs and babies
- gotten in a bit of trouble for dropping the f-bomb in front of a patron***
- danced the salsa, square danced, danced to a kinect and on DDR—all badly
- warbled with Tenacious D and screamed my favorite Kurt Cobain song on rockband–also badly. And loudly.
- hugged another approximately 1000 kids
- broken my leg
- almost broken my hand
- hallucinated after taking Benadryl
- caught my computer on fire
- loved my boss, my coworkers, my board & my patrons
- frogged many knitting stitches
- cooked and eaten many snacks, including sugared bugs and umaboshi (I'd rather eat the bugs)
- made jewelry out of legos, guns with marshmallows and bracelets out of toothbrushes
- held a protest storytime in which three year olds chanted "what do we want? ice cream! when do we want it? now!"
- gotten a massage and a manicure
- learned to do everything that I know how to do (more or less)
I'll miss you, Horicon.
* it's a game much like "hot potato." you take a tiny pair of tighty whities, crush a chocolate covered graham cracker in it so it looks like it's been *ahem* used. Then if you are teh sucker holding the nasty underwear when the music goes off you stand up and shout "I pooped my pants." We did this for a Capt. Underpants festival.
**only sheer strength of will and the fact that a bunch of impressionable kids were watching me allowed me hold that damned millipede. (Note: my worst fear is NOT death, or public speaking, but centipedes. Really.) The spider was almost as bad because it was very large and very furry. Mammals are furry. Spiders are either smooth and nowhere near my skin, or they are flat. I told the kids how freaked out I am by large bugs, they saw my fear in my face, I'm sure. But they also saw me hold the things, for quite some time, and how I calmed down. I hope I've earned some kind of good karma for this, because even thinking about that millipede makes me want to run screaming.
***Ok, so the fact that I'm revealing this may be a bad idea, but the f-bomb was planned and deliberate. At the beginning of each sleepover I told the teens the rules (the old "respect each other, respect the space, respect yourselves, and don't get me fired") I always then said that their language was not censored–the could say f*** if they wanted to–but that they had to respect the feelings of those around them and try to make everyone feel comfortable and welcomed. I used the f-word because if the librarian says it, all its juju is lost and the kids feel little need to "shock" me. This is the only time I ever used a "bad" word in front of the kids, but it worked for me–they hardly ever swore and were even more rarely rude. Except this one time, when an adult patron overheard my little speech about language and became cranky…


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Who doesn't love a good stimulus, other than John Q. Taxpayer?
Think about it. If this were a loan, then if each job generated $40K of economic activity annually, it would take only 10 years for this cockamamie idea to break even. Think of what the $200 million could do to create real work, not dream jobs for ultra-rich and their lackeys who use the power of government to redirect money their way. I have no problem with the mere fact of people amassing and keeping wealth, but I do have a problem with them forcing me into it (the force being the government spending). I never invested in this project and probably would never want to, and by definition, whatever is left of a "market" in this country also didn't want in.
The truly tragic part is what I've been pointing out, that all this "stimulus" spending isn't being funded by taxpayer dollars, or even by true borrowing of money that already exists. The Federal Reserve keeps creating new dollars out of thin air for the federal government to borrow. In the end, this spaceport will be paid for by everyone, the "inflation tax": the value of our dollars will decrease, but the ones mostly hurt are those of us who save for the future. Inflation has a lesser impact on those who spend their earnings quickly.
Labels: Big government, Debunking economic fallacies, State worshippers


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Very testy food. Like the steamed fish and the lobster. We are eating there for many years. They serve soup and oranges without charge.
1 - 10 of 13 reviews
Very testy food. Like the steamed fish and the lobster. We are eating there for many years. They serve soup and oranges without charge.
This restaurant does lunch specials well! We have been here many times and they have everything that a Chinese restaurant would serve as lunch specials. Particularly like their curry beef and tendon. Had another great lunch here last week with a big group and every...More
The restaurant serves traditional Cantonese dishes that can be found almost anywhere in Monterey Park, Alhambra, San Gabriel areas. Service is awful. We were put in a so-called private room but there were other 2 to 3 tables with guests and yet they automatically added...More
This restaurant is not honest. Today I ordered 4 to go lunch special. One is beans and beef. I went home and found out there is only beans but no beef. So mad and disappointed!
Driving through W. Garvey Avenue from the East side, after going this lengthy boulevard. Darkness fell upon our white car as speed back toward our hotel. We weren't sure were to eat that first night in Monterey Park. But a bright broad lite wanted to...More
My boss want chinese food but also want to talk business. So i pick this location. Great service. The manager took us to a corner table all the way back. We got our food quickly and they taste great. By the way, the lunch special...More
I was meeting my uncle from Alhambra, but the restaurant we were to meet across the street - went out of business. The interior has been remodeled and we were impressed with the cleanliness including the restrooms.Lunch special choices were varied in price tiers, included...More
I really like this place because the food is always consistent. The seafood is fresh. I never got sick from it once. The tastes is never bad as well. They usually keep around the same cooks so the taste will never be different.
All the menus very yummy and I highly recommend the crispy fried fish, pork chop is the best ever👍, the restaurant is suit for family lunch or dinner and the price is reasonable overall satisfied eating in this restaurant 👍👍
Large menu and vast variety of choices. Enjoyable exotic dining experience. Large portions and good value. One chicken dish a little tough but overall delicious food and prompt unassuming service. Looking forward to dining there again.


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TICS Data
But what does that mean? Very simply, that is the amount of U.S. bonds and equities purchased world-wide minus what was bought by Americans. This is important because of the current-account deficit (or trade deficit) which is running at close to $60 billion per month. To fund that deficit, the U.S. must get the same amount per month back in by selling bonds and equities to foreigners. If not, the currency (the dollar) will have to adjust to make up the difference. This is why currency traders watch this monthly release very closely.
So last month, I was slightly concerned that the TICS data came in at under $20 billion. One month's data isn't anything to worry about, but since last year the amount per month has been only marginally meeting the target. So I thought, "well, wait until next month and see if it corrects itself."
I thought it was a misprint when I saw that August's data (released yesterday) was negative $69.3 billion! In my limited experience, I've never seen a negative number here. So what are the implications? Well, this will put more downward pressure on the dollar, which in turn makes dollar denominated assets look less attractive, which in turn means less foreign inflows of cash. Think of it this way, would you purchase bonds in a currency that you expected to lose ground against your own currency?
We've been hearing for years that a weakening dollar may eventually result in foreigners buying less U.S. assets, which will further weaken the dollar and could start a chain reaction amounting to a run on the dollar. A decade ago, a run on the dollar was a fantasy that no one took seriously. Not only is it no longer a fantasy, but we may be seeing the beginning of it.
Labels: TICS data


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Here's a little advice for the newbie sewers out there. A "How-to" piece. Get your visualization equipment into gear.
A "Jelly Roll" is a pre-selected collection of co-ordinating fabrics sold in fabric stores that cater to quilters. Usually it is rolled in such a way that a little bit of each fabric shows enticingly in a swirl of color.
It's likely that your jelly roll is all fat quarters (18 x24 inch swatches of fabric.) First, you should unroll them, wash and dry them as you would wash and dry your quilt, and iron them flat.
Sort your fat quarters into light and dark piles, then decide how much sewing you want to do. You might try laying them out on the floor as is, alternating light and dark in a checkerboard, and see if you like the effect. If it seems too blocky, fold a few of them in half the long way, then the wide way and see if the smaller rectangless make the checkerboard more acceptable. If so, cut everything into quarters, and do a random light / dark checkerboard. Simple straight seams, and no "Wrong" way to assemble it, with a surprisingly satisfying result. You could piece a whole quilt top in a weekend.
OR cut them into 18 x 6 inch strips, make light/dark/light squares, and dark/light/dark squares. Again, make a light / dark checkerboard, but put the light/dark/light stripes vertically, and the dark/light/dark stripes horizontally.
Get out your graph paper and colored pencils to help visualize this. In fact, you may spend several days playing with your graph paper and pencils to decide what you want, but remember that there is great freedom and satisfaction in surrendering to randomness and appreciating its beauty.
I like to assemble my squares by sewing all the light squares to all the dark squares. Then, matching center seams, I sew those blocks together, lining them up so the darks and lights alternate, making bigger squares. Again, matching center seams, I sew the bigger blocks together and so on until the top is done.
Remember that you will lose fabric in the seams. If your cut piece is 6x6 inches, and you sew quarter-inch seams, the finished piece will be 5.5 x 5.5 inches.
You can back your quilt top with a piece of micro fleece or you can use a sheet the proper size. I make pieced and tied comforters, which means that rather than carefully sewing all the layers together in precise lines of tiny stitches, I take a stout needle and some wool yarn and , every five inches, I take a single stitch through all layers of the fabric, cut the yarn about an inch from the fabric, and tie the ends together in a sturdy square knot. Washing and drying will felt the yarn and secure it even tighter. This makes for a fluffier, warmer quilt and one that you can finish before next Christmas.
I don't make heirloom quilts. I make drag-arounds to be thrown on the floor, used for tents and forts and taken into the yard on a clear night for star-gazing. Because I don't think of these works as Art for the Ages, I can be a lot freer in my use of color and simple design and in accepting things that didn't turn out as I had envisioned them. I create, not magnificent works of craftsmanship, but manifestations of warmth and comfort. And I have fun with it. You can, too.


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« March 2007 |
| May 2007 »
One of a kind, by the looks, this cute little Gameboy-styled coin purse.
I love the slightly shaky hand-stitched writing on it, it's what makes this really spesh, rather than something churned out by a machine.
Posted by Alice at 21:29 | Permalink
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There's a whole series of 'em! Asteroids Keds? I'm off to the shop right now.
Quite like the Centipede Keds too. Ooh, choices, choices.
Posted by Alice at 20:49 | Permalink
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Best-worst-translated game title ever, and star of last year's Tokyo Game Show: Trusty Bell! GayGamer sourced the video, and say:
The world is full of greenery and magic, and characters are so well
animated and emotionally resonant in cutscenes that I often find myself
likening it to animation.
So if you like drama, classical music, giant
mice, and big-eyed magical girls with sad faces and long pig-tails,
Trusty Bell: Eternal Sonata is the game for you.
The world is full of greenery and magic, and characters are so well
animated and emotionally resonant in cutscenes that I often find myself
likening it to animation.
So if you like drama, classical music, giant
mice, and big-eyed magical girls with sad faces and long pig-tails,
Trusty Bell: Eternal Sonata is the game for you.
Well who doesn't? Let's hope the english translation comes soon. It's rated 9.1 out of 10 over at GameTrailers.
Posted by Alice at 20:39 | Permalink
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OK, scary. This can't be a screenshot. Can it? Is he?
Tell me that's not a screenshot.
Posted by Alice at 20:12 | Permalink
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Google Frozen Indigo Angel, and you get a solid list of interestingness: folks on a Radio 1 DJ's fansite spotting something's up, Paul Denchfield, fired and furious, supposedly the BBC's in-house magazine piece on it, Digg links, Londonist mentions.
It's linked with Radio 1's Big Weekend, and seems to be playing out over multiple formats: vodcasts, flickr, even Twitter, which is frankly made for this sort of stuff.
I'm following the Twitter feed. It's like the lazyperson's way to play. I like.
Posted by Alice at 20:07 | Permalink
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No, not a joke: Pogo.com are bringing out Fairy Godmother Tycoon. It's just a throwaway mention in this long and pretty informative interview over at Gamasutra with Pogo's VP, this poor fella here, who was stuffed into his best grey shirt, propped up against a bog-standard mottled grey background and told to SMILE, PLEASE.
Bless him, he did manage to get the smile to his eyes, but he's gritting his teeth so hard, you have to feel sorry for him. I wonder why EA do this to their people: aren't games about having fun? You'd never know it from their corporate headshots.
I digress. Here's a few choice quotes:
On guidance:
Additionally, on the Club Pogo side -- which is our subscription
service -- we pioneered badges, or challenges into the casual
gamespace. One of the things that does from a social component is that
it provides a directed experience. When you have so many games on a
site or service, sometimes it's difficult for people to figure out what
game they want to play.
On women (or the propagated myth that casual gamers are all older females):
What we're trying to do is create a mass market product that will
appeal to the broadest demographic possible. That's not to say that
it's coincidental that it resonates with women, but I think it is the
driving segment of the market, and we want to make sure that we design
products that will appeal to them. I think we try to avoid experiences
that we know are not going to resonate with that audience, rather than
designing products specifically for women.
On free vs subscription:
We have about fifteen million unique players that are coming to Pogo
every month. Of those players, we have approximately 1.4 million paid
subscribers who are paying us either monthly or annually on the Club
Pogo side.
And on fairy godmothers?
Fairy Godmother Tycoon is the newest game that's going to be
coming out. It's a downloadable product, but a standalone experience.
We're very excited about it. It really puts a twist on your traditional
"tycoon" games.
I wonder if you'll be able to choose between good fairy godmother and evil fairy godmother. Cackle.
Posted by Alice at 19:49 | Permalink
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Heh, I kept hitting World Without Oil thinking I'd got the wrong site (the holding site was black): it's very authentic-looking! www.worldwithoutoil.org is already the number one google spot for "world without oil": funded by public service broadcasting in the US, this is quite the way to bring attention to a political (and ecological, and biological, and health, and etc etc) issue that would otherwise perhaps make people's hearts heavy with a mixture of apathy, fear and guilt.
The lazy in me is already confused as to where the 'game' part of this is, but perhaps that's because I come to it thinking 'game'. Maybe it's not a game. Maybe ARGs are theatre. Maybe they're this "new narrative format" that television networks oft repeat. In fact, WWO is calling itself an alternate reality event, if you skip through to the "I'm still confused" page, found here.
Seems like there's a call for participants to upload a fictional story, of their choosing, describing the crisis as it happened for them. Except of course, it hasn't happened. This is, of course, incredibly brave of the writers and designers of the event: the players will provide the material for the end result - in varying levels of quality and subject matter - and presumably the game masters will then shape and mould the raw stuff into something coherent and valuable.
WORLD WITHOUT OIL aims to help fill a huge gap in our nation's thinking
about oil and the economy. As people everywhere grapple with the
problem of growing global demand for petroleum, no one has a clear
picture of oil availability in the future, nor is there a clear picture
of what will happen when demand inevitably outstrips supply. That will
depend in large part upon how well people prepare, cooperate, and
collectively create solutions. By playing it out in a serious way, the
game aims to apply collective intelligence and imagination to the
problem in advance, and to create a record that has value for
educators, policymakers, and the common people to help anticipate the
future and prevent its worst outcomes. "Play it, before you live it."
UPDATE: good article over at Pitchfork on the very same.
Posted by Alice at 19:30 | Permalink
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If you're thinking, like I was, that digital downloads are the way to go when it comes to software purchases or upgrades, you might want to think twice if you're about to try Adobe's offerings.
I'm currently on hold as I write this - on hold for the third time while someone tries to help me, but here's the problem. I own Photoshop 5.0 (disk, in storage in the UK, a.k.a. "lost"). I also own a digital upgrade to Creative Suite 2.0, which I bought in Feb '06 for a few hundred dollars more.
Now that I have a fresh install of windoze here, I need to reinstall Photoshop/CS2: but no disk, and no installer. None available on Adobe.com either: Creative Suite 3.0 is out, so they have removed any and all references to Creative Suite 2.0 or any earlier versions of Photoshop from the site.
I'm calling them with my two serial numbers, wanting a link to a download for CS2. They won't give me one. The options Adobe are offering me? I can either upgrade to CS3 for a few hundred dollars more, or I have to go to an Authorised Reseller to see if they have old copies of CS2 as replacement media.
I'm completely amazed by this. They may as well turn up on my doorstep and jeer, while they're at it.
On top of this, Adobe are telling me that my account is in the UK, even though I bought the digital upgrade from adobe.com, and "maybe the UK helpdesk can help", but they don't know. The only way for me to find out is for me to call Adobe in the UK, and probably at a fifty dollar international call cost, at the rate that they put you on hold. I can't even be bothered to think about this.
I'm beginning to think the only way to get my legal copy of Photoshop/Creative Suite 2.0 installed is to go find a torrent of the installer. Heh. Is this piracy? I'm a pirate because I'm a fully paid up customer? Brilliant.
Moral of this story: if you're about to buy Photoshop or Creative Suite from Adobe, just be aware that they currently link your account to the country you're in (travelling digital creatives, this means trouble for you), and once they bring out a new version, all older versions are killed off, making it easier to pressure you into upgrading.
If you get a digital download from Adobe, I suggest you burn it to disk, thereby returning to the tedious olde worlde of having to track disks. But, at least this way you get to 'own' it. Talk about one step forwards, two steps back...
Posted by Alice at 22:00 | Permalink
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So, I've spent 2 days wrestling Thunderbird 2.0 to the ground, and my giant mail archive, and the 6 day no-email backlog, and so far.. it's working .. and I get to this in an email that Daddytypes Greg sent in. Fuzzy little cuddly space invaders! MUST HAVE THEM ALL!
Something for the Uglydolls to cuddle up to.
Posted by Alice at 21:15 | Permalink
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The BBFC (British Board of Film Classification) has done some games research - which is good, because they're some of the ones who grade videogames for age limits, putting those film-like stickers on them bearing guidance ages of 15 or 18, PG or U. Here's a list of their most recent games decisions at time of writing, it's entertaining in itself:
Snort. Go Spongebob.
Their most talked-about headline from the research is their claim that videogames are less immersive than movies, due to the interactive nature of the content, which means that players are more aware that the content is fictional in games.
My favourite is this one, presumably referring to teens:
Younger games players are influenced to play particular games by peer
pressure and word of mouth, but negative press coverage for a game will
significantly increase its take up;
So much for reaching out to teens with good, quality stuff: they want schlock. No change there, then.There's an interesting escapist element to games, which boils down to control:
People play games to escape from every day life and to escape to a
world of adventure without risk which is under the control of the
gamer, unlike the real world;
Our need for control is fascinating.
Read the full list here. There's no detail there on how many people were polled, and there are standard responses from the girls: we play the sims and puzzle games, not so interested in violence. I'm not sure their questioning was particularly deep here - after all, racing games aren't mentioned, nor titles like Ratchet & Clank, or even Gaia Online, say. But I guess that'd be a whole other research paper...
Update: I got a download of the paper (couldn't find it anywhere on the BBFC, but it's available here) and the research is qualitative only: fewer than a 100 people polled. However, qual research is very meaty in terms of data, so you get a good story out of it. It's just a bit dangerous to extrapolate to 'everyone' as 100 folks isn't a big enough sample to be representative of, say, a country.
Also, racing is mentioned- briefly - in the paper: girls play more racing, boys play more shooting.
Posted by Alice at 13:44 | Permalink
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Dear Madonna,
Have you finally decided to take time off from showing your crotch on stage to run an orphanage? You're a perfect role model for that kind of work you arrogant old sow!
from IMDB.com :
Madonna To Take Over Malawi Orphanage?
Pop icon Madonna has offered a helping hand to Malawian children by proposing to take over the orphanage where she adopted baby David Banda. The 48-year-old singer, who is currently in the African nation with 18-month-old Banda and 10-year-old daughter Lourdes, announced her ambitions during her visit to the Home of Hope in the village of Mchinji. The Evita star says, "I might take over the orphanage because the pastor here is getting old and is about to retire. If Malawians will work hand in hand with me I will still help Malawi." Madonna is also reportedly looking for a home in Malawi, where she hopes to spend up to a month each year in order to manage the various charity projects she has embarked on in the poverty-stricken country.
Technorati Tags: [Madonna] [Malawi] [Mustard] [Mayonaise]
Madonna To Become Every Babies Mommy?
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Dear Madonna,
Posted by wewerethecoolkids at 2:41 AM


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No… no they won't. I'm not going to tell you how to write a successful blog, because as it should be patently obvious already, I have no idea what constitutes a successful blog. Like the vast majority of bloggers, I have a big enough audience of voices in my head not to worry about how many people I am "reaching out" to in the blogosphere. (more…)
Archive for January, 2015
Build it (a blog) and they will come?Posted: January 23, 2015 in Whingevism
Tags: blog, explosives, humor, humour, my blog is so crap, sarcasm, sex with alien, this is rubbish, truly awful, wordpress
Alcohol fixes everythingPosted: January 6, 2015 in Conspiracy Theories
Tags: alcoholism, booze hound, drinking, drunk as a skunk, humour, prohibition, sarcasm
Don't get me wrong here, I love a beer. Some of my best insults and most thought provoking retorts have come after downing a stubby or five. Like the day someone called me an idiot while I was drunk and I said "You… wewf… aft…*burp*!" Yep, they had no comeback for that one. Check mate!
But I find myself constantly revisiting this old beer advertising slogan, "A hard earned thirst means a big cold beer." Now I don't think I've ever had a "hard earned thirst." Going by the footage in the ads, most of the time you will only develop this intensity of thirst if you are doing something energetic, like say, wrestling a crocodile, digging for uranium with your bare hands, or scaling a mountain of lava. Since I'm basically lazy, I consequently only get a low earned thirst. But these days, now that I'm a wise and a mature adult, if I'm dehydrated, I'm under the impression that a nice glass of water, maybe even some electrolytes (aren't they found in car batteries?) is the way to go. (more…)


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So you're writing a memoir! Brava!
It's cathartic, challenging, satisfying, and powerful. You're telling the story you always wanted to tell/never thought you could! And when you're done with your first draft, you look up from your cluttered desk for inspiration, and you're immediately thinking, "Where I can I publish this?"
Take a deep breath and read this roundtable with memoir agents from Writer's Digest.
Here's one agent's take on key questions you need to ask about your memoir:
" 1. If the reader doesn't know you, would they care? Why?
2. Is there a universal story/theme? What is it? (Is it a transformation story? An inspirational tale? A cautionary tale? Coming of age?)
3. If you summed up your story in one to two sentences, would my response be, "Wow!"?
4. How truly different is your story—and is it different enough to warrant publishing yet another book on the topic?"
And there's a lot more good advice in the article about deciding how to edit your work, writing good queries and proposals for agents and publishers, finding a publisher, and creating a publishing platform.
As far as I'm concerned, the first step is editing, editing, editing! You may call your manuscript a "book," but if you haven't gone through at least three edits, you're still working with a brilliantly messy draft! Don't set yourself up for disappointment. Edit, rethink, revise!
As a writing coach and editor, I'm honored to be an honest, compassionate and practical resource for authors who, unlike Virginia Woolf and others married to the perfect editor, need an outside eye on their manuscript. However you get real input into the blessings and challenges your manuscript presents to the reader, get honest input! The people who love us want us to be happy, not necessarily marketable! Ask someone who will tell you the truth — the truth will help you publish…..
So, congratulations — you've done the hardest part! Now comes the rest of the labor of love, that is, if you want to share your remarkable story (and all that hard work of creating a book manuscript!) with the world.
Contact me today for a free 30 minute consultation about your memoir manuscript, your writing process, or steps towards publishing!


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Currently we have a Virtual 5k going on. What is a Virtual 5K you ask? Well its a 5K that you complete at your own time and convenience while still getting the Bling!! Walk, run, skip, crawl, shop around the mall, where ever you are, when ever you want on from March 11th until March 25, 2012. BLING included! All finishers will receive a finishers medal as our thank you to you for supporting the LLS.
Please share with your friends!
To register, click below:
I can't say THANK YOU enough for all the support that you have given me. Also I have created a facebook page to go along with this. I will be posting information on here along with there. Please "Like" my page! www.facebook.com/RachelsTrainingForACure Have a great night!! LOVE YOU ALL!


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Film Capsules • Theater Listings
GUARANTEED FRESH as of Thursday June 21, 2018 at 1:59 pm Listings are for Friday 6/22 through Thursday 6/28
[ IMDB ]A horribly mutated alien arachnid is growing at an exponential rate and heading toward downtown Los Angeles. The military seems powerless to stop it. But a cocky local exterminator (played by Greg Grunberg of "Heroes" and "Alias") thinks he's got the skills to stop this 10-story monster. The title alone should give you a good indication of this horror-comedy's B-movie-loving tone. 90 minutes PG-13.


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Say what you want about James Cameron's first two Terminator flicks, but there's no denying they had a personality. They were visceral. Dark. Clever in their efficient use of action and exposition. And somehow still managed to remain fun. I went into TG hoping that it would deliver something that was, if not on the same level, at least something approximate.
But from the jump, it's obvious that TG is a bland take on the same world. The CGI really overshot itself, often breaking you out of the action instead of pulling you deeper in. Reese looks like he's been living at Gold's Gym instead of in a war-torn hole. And a lot of the exposition scenes did their job, but they really didn't do much more. Which doesn't make them very interesting.
I could go on … but the point is this: the movie really looks like run of the mill science fiction. It's not bad. Just "meh." And as many people that have had a hand in the franchise at this point, it really makes me wonder if anybody but Cameron himself can successfully deliver something interesting from this world.
Check out TG if you have couple of hours to kill on an okay science fiction film. But don't go into it expecting it to have the same sort of personality as Cameron's movies. Or, really, much of a personality at all.


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The Federal Government is set to transmit to the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja, over 3,000 pages of the records of the 21 months trial of the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, at the Code of Conduct Tribunal.
The transmission of records of the trial to the Court of Appeal is a legal requirement for the Federal Government to validate its notice of appeal filed against the CCT's judgment, which recently discharged and acquitted Saraki of all the 18 charges of false assets declaration.
According to legal experts, the Court of Appeal only assigns an appeal number to a case after receiving the "records of appeal" transmitted to it from the lower court.
The records transmission will set the stage for exchange of briefs between the parties involved in the case before a date for hearing of the appeal can be fixed by the Court of Appeal.
Ahead of the records transmission, which our correspondent gathered would likely take place this week, it was learnt that the legal team of the Federal Government and Saraki's lawyers had, last week, participated in a "settlement of records" exercise.
During the records settlement exercise, the two parties agreed on the records of the trial before the CCT that would be sent to the Court of Appeal.
Our correspondent learnt from credible sources involved in the case that the document, which the appellant (the Federal Government) and the respondent (Saraki) settled on, were over 3,000 pages.
SUNDAY PUNCH also gathered that neither of the parties is foreclosed from seeking additional documents to be transmitted along with the already settled documents.
The record of the proceedings, which started in September 2015 and ended on June 14, 2016, when the Danladi Umar-led CCT dismissed the 18 counts preferred against Saraki, was said to have formed the bulk of the documents to be transferred to the Court of Appeal.
The documents agreed upon by parties to the appeal for transmission to the Court of Appeal were said to include the application to prefer charge; the first (original) charge; the amended charge; and the further amended charge.
The records also comprised Saraki's motion on notice dated March 4, 2016, which sought the dismissal of the case on among other grounds that he was not invited to make a statement before he was charged.
Also to be included in the file are, prosecution's counter-affidavit to the said motion; the prosecution's further counter-affidavit to the said motion; the defendant's further affidavit to the motion and a copy of the CCT's delivered on March 24, 2016 dismissing the motion, among others.
Our correspondent learnt that the parties would return to the CCT within the week for the "compilation of records" during which they would both witness the sorting out of the various documents and include them in file to be transferred to the Court of Appeal.
After the records compilation, the file would be sent for transmission to the Court of Appeal.
The Head, Press and Public Relations of the CCT, Mr. Ibraheem Al-Hassan, confirmed that the records settlement took place last week.


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Our bodies, these vessels that hold our human experience, are going through a calibration process. Ongoingly…. it seems as they make the transition from carbon based to light body. Our bodies are calibrating to match the increasingly high frequencies of love and light waves coming into Gaia's atmosphere and our atmospheres too! There seems to be a NEW level of intensity around this too, depending on where you are in your awakening and ascension process. You could also call this a 'purging' and 'detoxification' process as well, happening on the physical level and the emotional and spiritual as well. Every cell of our bodies has been the receiver and receptor of MUCH toxicity
LOVE US @mewe.com/join/lovehaswon


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Former EastEnders actress Patsy Palmer appeared on Loose Women today and opened up about her new life in Malibu.
She was on the show to talk about how she's completely changed her lifestyle since she left the soap in 2014, and fans were really pleased to see her back.
They went on social media to express their delight at seeing her again - and noted one particular thing about her: just how amazing she looked.
Commenting on her hair, her personality, and how stunning she looks, one was even shocked when Patsy revealed she has a 25-year-old son, commenting that there was no way she looked old enough.
Patsy Palmer has amazing hair.
Read more: One Show viewers stunned by Adam Woodyatt
Patsy chatted with hosts Andrea McLean, Linda Robson, Nadia Sawalha, and Jane Moore about why she moved to Malibu and admitted it was never her intention to live there, but that she loves life out in the sunshine.
She now runs inspirational breakfasts and is intending to bring the project to the UK.
Inevitably, the question was asked as to whether she would return to EastEnders one day, especially now it's been announced her on-screen brother, Dean Gaffney, is set for a return, and on-screen sister Natalie Cassidy has recently appeared back in episodes following her maternity leave break.
But despite rolling out that old actor chestnut: "Never say never", Patsy revealed that now she was almost 45, she felt there's "only so much you can do when you're in Elstree for 20 years of your life. And you can't go back in for just one episode."
Read more: Did Rob Donovan push Ken Barlow in Corrie?
There was a rather awkward moment when Jane asked her to "give us one more Rickaaaay", and Patsy refused, dismissing her request.
"I don't think I ever said that. That was actually said by Jonathan Ross in that way and then maybe it got played up more after that."
But the show had just played a clip of her in EastEnders and Jane quickly retorted:
"You did, it was in the clip!"
Patsy went on to say that having the infamous catchphrase "makes my life hell" and that she felt sorry for boys called Ricky.


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radvent, day 9: advice
i'm more for taking advice than giving it, to be honest. i hardly ever feel like i'm in a position to give advice, unless it's to lindsey about ~boyz, in which case i'm perfectly qualified. ;)
there are very few decisions that i make without asking for advice. not because i'm indecisive or have a hard time living life or anything, just because i really like opinions and i think other people are the best learning tools. if that makes sense. it kind of sounds rude. but whatever - most of the time, people can give you insight that you otherwise wouldn't have thought of. i love it. i love talking to anyone and everyone about things, especially if i'm having a rough time with a big decision. in fact, when i was trying to decide whether to take my current job, i think i discussed it with just about everyone that i came into contact with.
basically, my advice is to take advice. all the time.


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For more sizes, styles, and colors visit my Ebay store! We also carry designer clothing all new and with tags! At Urban Bungalow you will find the latest fashion trends! Click on Urban Bungalow above to go there now.
Shipping is $10.00
Some other items at auction this week.


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Patients with cancer pain often leads to reduced quality of life, and advanced cancer pain is immense. Pain in the end is the rule or the dead? Many patients and families prefer to use pethidine, are unwilling to touch opioid drugs, not the use of opioid analgesia will certainly addictive?
Standing Committee of the National Society of Anesthesia, Pain Therapy Committee chairman, Professor Xu Jianguo pointed out that the main drug as a treatment for cancer pain, opioids have a prominent place, but many patients and their relatives on opioids at the mere mention that the use of opioid analgesia in patients will lead to addiction, in fact, this is a huge misunderstanding, as long as the standard drug, drug sources the use of opioid drugs to patients with virtually no addiction, domestic use of opioids for cancer pain has been more than 200,000 cases , there is no reported occurrence of addiction.
Prominent experts in medical oncology, anti-cancer association cancer palliative care and rehabilitation professional committee chairman, said Professor Yu Shiying, cancer pain is the most common symptoms of cancer patients, also affect the quality of life of cancer patients the main reason for cancer pain in China patients, pain in patients with advanced cancer incidence is about 60% to 80%, one third of patients with severe pain, while only 41% of patients have been effectively relieve pain, but only with advanced cancer pain 25% effective mitigation.
Professor Xu Jianguo said that pain is a disease in patients with endocrine causes, psychological and other aspects of the change in pain treatment helps to prolong the survival period.
It is understood, first proposed in 1986, the World Health Organization cancer pain therapy, the principles of the three steps, according to the different levels of pain intensity in the selection of different analgesic drugs, while emphasizing timely delivery, delivery by analgesic ladder, non-invasive drug delivery . Experts believe that as the main treatment for cancer pain drug, opioid especially potent opioid pain medication is the treatment of post-core drugs, not only in severe pain, mainly opioid analgesia, pain can be mild with a small dose of opioid as the primary analgesic. However, a long time, domestic patients and medical workers on the understanding of opioid incomplete, many people mistakenly believe that use of opioid analgesia in patients will lead to addiction, in fact, standardized use of opioids does not lead to widespread social concerned about the side effects of addiction, opioid side effects are also greatly reduce the other.
Xu Jianguo said that love film for cancer patients using the drugs do not require lifelong medication, if the pain stopped, most patients would choose to withdrawal, even though there sometimes physical dependence does not mean that the patient also had psychological dependence.


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Where Life, Faith and Healthy Living Meet
Labels: country, photos, wordless Wednesday
posted by Carol Fleisher @ Tuesday, January 15, 2013
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Hi my name is Carol Fleisher and I am a writer, blogger, and socialpreneur. I love networking with
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salam sume..
akhirnya habis jugak final exam.huahuahua..
waw..the feeling is great.(thumbs up!)
know what, mase tgk exam that day hujan lebat giler.
and my frend say "hujan nie hujan rahmat..".
and i agreed with that.
bcos that day was our last paper.
and for result tuk final exam,
harap2 i'm pass with flying colors(aminnn..)
thats it for now..
p/s: pray my result will be great(hopefully)


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My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was good fast read and it has you hooked from start to finish. I can only discribe the story as Twilight meets 50 Shades Grey. I can't say much about the story because I don't want to give spoilers. Go out and read it!
Book Summary:
She wanted life. He needed her blood.
Cora Shaw will do anything to live. Diagnosed with terminal cancer in her senior year of college, she is given a choice: Call hospice, or seek out a mysterious man who promises an impossible—and insanely dangerous—cure.
She knows him only as Mr. Thorne, a reclusive billionaire who seems full of contradictions. A man with strange, impossible powers over her.
A man, she discovers, who is not a man at all.
In the first book of the Aethereal Bonds series, Cora makes a deal with a devil—and gets more than she bargained for.


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It was a great day to be alive this May 12th, 2012 as the Jamaica Missions Trip Team ran to the finish line! Some the 5k others the 10k and a few the 25k... We made it! Thanks to our supporting businesses:
Foremost Communications
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Before & During the Race:
After the Race!:
Our awesome sponsors!:
And last but not least a little Taste of Joy!


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Panic by Lauren Oliver
Published by: Hodder & Stoughton
Genres: , Young Adult, Contemporary, Mystery
Format: Paperback
Pages: 408
Date Read: 25/05/2014
Panic began as so many things do in Carp, a dead-end town of 12,000 people in the middle of nowhere: because it was summer, and there was nothing else to do.
Heather never thought she would compete in Panic, a legendary game played by graduating seniors, where the stakes are high and the payoff is even higher. She'd never thought of herself as fearless, the kind of person who would fight to stand out. But when she finds something, and someone, to fight for, she will discover that she is braver than she ever thought.
Dodge has never been afraid of Panic. His secret will fuel him, and get him all the way through the game, he's sure of it. But what he doesn't know is that he's not the only one with a secret. Everyone has something to play for.
For Heather and Dodge, the game will bring new alliances, unexpected revelations, and the possibility of first love for each of them—and the knowledge that sometimes the very things we fear are those we need the most.
Panic is every parent's worse nightmare. Teenagers risking their lives for a dangerous game, resulting in danger, death and destruction. From jumping off a high ridge, to starting house fires, blowing up cars, to a pot luck with a loaded gun, the stupidity prevails until the very last pages of the book.
The setting for the book is a small town with a bunch of teenagers, who participate in this game every year. Even after multiple deaths, they still continue to play.
First you've got Dodge, the outcast who lives in the slums. Full of revenge and justice, Dodge is in the game to fix his sister's broken legs and to wreak havoc on the guy who caused the accident. He does make some honourable actions, but many of his thoughts were juvenile.
Heather on the other hand, has a drunken, drug-addicted parent who neglects her 12 year old sister, Lily. She wants the jackpot to carve out a better life for herself and her sister, and even takes to becoming homeless for a period just to get away from her mother.
This is the first book I read by this author. I really enjoyed her writing style. There were a couple of things that were predictable, but most of it had me on the edge of my seat, guessing until the end. The story is told in a linear timeline, so is easy to keep track of.
There of course is some romance and friendship drama woven into the book. However, it does not take centre stage. The book is narrated by the two main characters, Heather and Dodge. Both have their own different reasons for wanting to win.
This isn't going to be the book for everyone. It's dark. It's contemplative. It explores character behaviour outside of the actual game itself. Either you'll kind of appreciate what the author is trying to do, or you'll want to throw your book at the wall.
I Really enjoyed this. Great, fast-paced read that keeps you at the edge of your seat. First Lauren Oliver book, but it will not be my last. Her writing flows really good and I loved the characters she created.


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The excitable event marks the return of Polari – Paul Burston's gay literary salon night – and will cost you no earth pounds, which leaves you with plenty of paper money to pop into Mr Self's panties. Oh hello.
Here are the deets. We hate ourselves for saying that too…
Tues 8th July: Will Self at Polari, upstairs at the Green Carnation, 5 Greek Street, 7 – 11pm.


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The cases related to family are very sensitive in nature, reason being the involvement of close one's especially children (if any). If you are seeking justice for yourself in any of the cases related to family law, the first and most important thing to be taken care of is to get yourself a reputed and experienced family court lawyer. If your case is quite simple, you can settle for a family lawyer who would charge a nominal fee. On the other hand, if your case is complex and requires a lot of skill and planning, experience and dexterity must be your priority rather than the fee.
A Good Lawyer Makes Your Case Simpler!
It is always safe to work with a known lawyer recommended by your family members or close friends or people who have dealt with the lawyer before. If you cannot manage to find an established lawyer, you must search for an online on the internet to find one for yourself. Make sure to verify the legitimacy and credibility of the attorney you choose. The first interview with your legal representative would give you an idea of how well he/she may be able to handle and present your case and see whether you are comfortable with him /her. You must carry all relevant personal and financial documents with you on your first visit.
Try To Appoint A Specialist!
This will help your legal representative to evaluate your case accordingly. Moreover, you could also get an idea as to how strong are your chances of winning. An important aspect that is to be considered here is that you must choose an attorney who is specialized to deal with your particular case. This enhances the possibility of presenting your case strongly. Therefore, if you are planning to file for divorce, you must employ a divorce lawyer who would specialize in these cases. In matters of child custody, it is always better for the couple to discuss in advance about the custody arrangements and financial details as well.
Another point to be kept in mind is that it is always better to select a lawyer who is from the same state such that he is familiar with the family laws of that particular state. You must also take into account the fee charged by the family court lawyer you choose. Your legal representative can give you a rough estimate of the fee that would be possibly charged depending upon your case respectively. This will also help you arrange for the finances in advance.
Acquiring a good family court lawyer is an indispensable task if you are seeking justice in any of the cases related to family law such as divorce, child custody, child adoption, property related issues within family members, prenuptial agreements, etc. For specific divorce cases, you can seek help from a specialized divorce lawyer or from online family lawyer.
Filed under: Family Law | Tagged: Divorce Lawyer |


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Ask a Librarian with Fifi Abu
Righting the Wrongs: Can Little Black Sambo be fixed?
Butter. Pancakes. Purple shoes with crimson linings. What's not to like? Quite a bit, actually in Helen Bannerman's 1899 picture book about a little boy who uses his fabulous wardrobe to turn a dangerous situation into a delicious feast. Little Black Sambo is a book that has been seen as so desirable that it was illegally reprinted all over the world and yet so incredibly offensive that it has been removed from libraries and then recreated and republished in a more sensitive manner several times. Why not just leave it in the past? What about this story has impacted us as a culture that we feel the need to reclaim it and make it into something else that doesn't hurt us?
The story is culturally inaccurate and the early editions rely on highly offensive images of Sambo and his family. While clearly set in India (the locale for tigers and ghee), Sambo is an ugly caricature of someone of African descent. Is the narrative itself offensive? No, it's a story about a child who is able to outsmart dangerous tigers and eats a ton of pancakes with his family in celebration.
Early criticisms of the book that surprisingly did not object to Sambo's appearance included commentary from two prominent African-American librarians; Charlemae Rollins from the Chicago Public Library and Augusta Baker, soon to become head of children's services at the New York Public Library objected to "unsanitary use of butter taken from the ground" (pancakes were cooked in this butter, created from the tigers chasing one another in a circle until they melted into butter). The depiction of brightly colored clothing was also a sore spot, the implication being that blacks have a "primitive love for bright colored clothes." A third issue was the enormous number of pancakes consumed (Black Mumbo ate 27, Black Jumbo ate 55, and Little Black Sambo ate 169), which intimated that blacks had huge appetites.
Some of the reclaimed versions, like Fred Marcellino's 1996 version (HarperCollins) change the setting and race of the characters to make the story line up with an Indian backdrop. The Story of Little Babaji was well-received and made a break with the past associations by dropping Sambo's name in favor of an Indian identity.
Julius Lester and Jerry Pinkney did a beautiful job with Sam and the Tigers in 1996 (Dial), but opted to make Sam African-American in their version. The setting is an imaginary place called Sam-sam-sa-mara, where animals and people "lived and worked together like they didn't know they weren't supposed to." In Jerry Pinkney's forward, he says that Little Black Sambo was the only picture book with a black child that he remember seeing when he was a kid. When he discovered that there were as many as fifty versions of the book, he felt the urge to "right the wrongs." Pinkney found his research to be "liberating."
The idea that instead of walking away from the images that cause us so much pain and damage, we can take control of them and create something beautiful is indeed liberating. Painful images are still being published in books, as we have seen with A Fine Dessert (2015, Schwartz & Wade) and A Birthday Cake for George Washington (2016, Scholastic). Because of social media, immediate discourse occurs and all voices have the opportunity to be heard. Opinions are far from unanimous on these topics, but the fact that the white white world of publishing can be called out by those who take issue with racial depictions in children's literature is significantly more gratifying than waiting the nearly 100 years it took for Little Black Sambo to be righted.
For next month's post and moving forward, please send me questions and topics that you would like to discuss that involve libraries, books, diversity, and the children's literature community. email@example.com
Fifi Abu spends her days surrounded by books that have already been created and the rest of her time writing and illustrating books yet to be born. She looks forward to a day when all children can see themselves reflected in the books they read. Ms. Abu holds a master's degree in children's literature and a master's degree in library science, is an active member of SCBWI and a Children's Book Academy graduate.
1 Comment
11/20/2016 10:25:07 am
Great post! Thanks for the ingisht and analysis.
fifi abu
12/21/2016 12:34:23 pm
Thanks Carol!
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