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Valentine, "Valentine" (1.01)
Another One Season Wonder, this time from the 2008-2009 season! A review of the pilot, written by Kevin Murphy and directed by Kevin Dowling, after the jump…
Brief Synopsis: The Greek Gods, led by Grace "Aphrodite" Valentine, have been banished to Earth to help mortals find love. If they can't, they will become mortal and die. Grace, her son Danny, and a handful of others attempt to connect lovable Roland with soulmate and best friend Joanna – despite her pending nuptials to another man. Ultimately, Grace decides they need a fresh perspective, and brings in a romance novelist to help. They succeed.
That was pretty hard to get through, to be honest.
The script was messy, but it committed the worst sin: it was obvious, at every step of the way. Every character acted, not like a person, but like a character in a television show. The central 'meant to be together' couple, Joanna and Roland, symbolise this perfectly: they are composed entirely of the 'best friend secretly in love' trope that has been the backbone of a thousand bad RomComs, without adding anything new to the mix. If you watched the first ten minutes of this love story, you could pretty much write the rest of it yourself.
Combine that with an awkwardly-established premise about the Greek Gods matching soulmates (for what reason, exactly?), with a bit about irrelevant gods fading away cribbed from Neil Gaiman's much superior American Gods, and you have a show with a pretty bad foundation. It was hard to like any character, because they mostly just spew exposition instead of talking like people. If you want to see what a good anthological soulmates show looks like, compare Valentine to the last year's much better Love Bites – despite both failing after a year, Love Bites told cute love stories about likeable characters, while Valentine merely puts stereotypes through the motions of a love story. The bland dialogue is occasionally punctuated by long, meaningless monologues about 'modern love', decrying Facebook as the ultimate distraction from the soulmate right in front of you. Worse than a bad story about nothing is a bad story about nothing that tries, and fails, to be profound.
And it's a shame, too, because this cast holds such promise.
Jaime Murray, at the show's centre, is a weak link. The script is such a fumble that one could blame her character's failures as failures of the script, but I also think Murray had trouble balancing all the sides of a character like Grace Valentine – the cheeky romantic, the high-minded leader, the sharp-tongued mother. On its own, one might not see the weaknesses; but I've seen a very similar (if much better-written) character in Dollhouse's Adele DeWitt, and Olivia Williams there put Murray to shame, flitting between different modes while easily keeping the character together. Murray, by comparison, turns the many sides of her character into campy hash.
Danny Valentine is an odious asshole, masquerading as the 'lovable bad boy'. Wielding his mighty Rape Gun* and an acerbic wit, bouncing from bed to bed, he lives under the dark cloud of what seems to be an eternal hangover. Kristoffer Polaha is good in the role, making what would normally be a head-smashingly terrible character pretty watchable. It's too bad Polaha can't seem to tell between a good and a bad script, if his signing on for this and 2011's Ringer are anything to go by.
This pilot also abuses the delightful Autumn Reeser, using her natural charm and breezy likability for a character who constantly acts like an overexcited child. Thus, one of my favourite actresses becomes head-splittingly annoying. In fact, if anything defines this script, it is solid to excellent castmates desperately trying to rescue a terrible script. Robert Baker, who I know from being a recurring nonentity on Grey's Anatomy, is actually quietly charming here. That's likely because, rather than giving him a handful of overly-broad character attributes, he merely plays a normal guy, giving Baker room to play things with a greater subtlety than allowed the rest of the cast – that is, playing it at a normal level of emotions. He becomes the standout because of it. Patrick Fabian, who I love, and Christine Lakin, who I don't know, are pretty much nonenties here.
The two doing the most work to save this episode are the 'lovers of the week', Mike Faiola and Lauren Cohan. Divorced from the craziness of the regular cast, when not forced to play 'big RomCom moments', the two develop a fairly impressive chemistry that makes their scenes work. You can believe these two have been best friends forever and that they're perfect for one another, even if the script they're reading from is entirely composed of clichés. Both are also, crucially, likeable on their own merits, though that makes Cohan's character's asshole boyfriend even less convincing.
Ultimately… this pilot was one of the worst I've watched, and this is with a great cast trying their best to do better than mediocre work. I'm very interested to watch further, despite my winces and groans throughout this pilot. Why? To see if, at any point in its truncated eight-episode run, it improves and becomes the good show it very much wants to be.


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Wachovia Corporation lost $8.86 billion in the second quarter, and said Tuesday it was slashing its dividend and cutting 6,350 jobs after losses tied to mortgages soared. Its stock fell as much as 12 percent in early New York trading.
The nation's fourth-largest bank by assets says it lost the equivalent of $4.20 per share in the April-June period. In the same timeframe last year, the bank earned $2.34 billion, or $1.22 per share. The loss included a $6.1 billion charge tied to declining asset values.
Wachovia has dropped more than 75 percent in New York Stock Exchange composite trading since it spent $24 billion two years ago to buy Golden West Financial Corporation just as home prices were peaking. Golden West is a California mortgage lender known for exotic loans.
Big banks, such as Bank of America Corp. and National City Corp., have stopped making loans through brokers entirely, relying instead on their loan officers. National City said it was forced to do so by a continuing downturn in loan demand, while Bank of America said it saw better "long-term opportunity" in working through its own loan officers.
The Charlotte-based bank cut its quarterly dividend to 5 cents per share from 37.5 cents, which will conserve approximately $700 million of capital per quarter. In April, Wachovia slashed its dividend 41 percent. The company is moving to "sell selected non-core assets" and reduce the number of business customers who only use the bank for loans rather than other services. Wachovia expects to cut expenses during the second half of this year by $490 million and then reduce 2009 spending by $1.5 billion.
Wachovia shares have declined 65 percent this year, the second-worst performance on the 24-company KBW Bank Index behind National City Corp., Ohio's largest bank. The stock fell to $12.36 at 9 a.m. in New York. Fitch Ratings cut Wachovia one level to A+ from AA-, citing its mortgage business.

subset: commoncrawl


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Thursday, 19 September 2013 10:37
Getting Ready For Nursery School - Anxiety
The thought of going to a new school can be overwhelming for your child. Not only is it a new location, there will be lots of adults and children who are strangers. This plus being upset at being separated from you for a long time, can lead to a child who does not want to go to school because of the anxiety they experience around it. To help your child feel less anxious:-
Published in EduBlog


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24 December 2010
Merry Christmas to the chosen ones
I have no choice over who reads my blog, those who read it have the choice not to. I wish some would, NOT!
23 December 2010
The last call
The last call
Two days to Christmas. The DJ plays a soft bluesy number as the house lights come on. I look around with bleary eyes. The less inebriated amongst us have checked our coats out and the bouncers gently try to dislodge us to begin the journey home. As we stumble out the rush of cold air is welcome. Minus 10 degrees means none of us hang around and all bundle into the cab. Everyone's still in high spirits and talking loudly.
No one notices as I sink into a corner of the cab and wearily watch the lights of London fly by. It's early morning and the only one's out and about are revellers like us, the East-Europeans heading off to their early morning jobs, milk and newspaper delivery trucks. I am looking forward to home, a hot bath and unwinding on the couch with a hot mug of coffee. Although tired I know that I will need that 'me time' to properly fall asleep.
Unconsciously my thoughts roam to the year gone by. As I grow older I have matured. My world has slowed down, while the rest of 2010 flashed by. My other four mates in the cab surround me but yet I feel tremendously melancholy. I call them my 'mates' as they are still not my friends. I am more than guilty as they think of me as a good mate, I take long to make friends, and again as I mature it's harder and harder to change my Sri Lankanisms. I worry I am becoming a grumpy old man. Little things don't worry me anymore, but the big things worry me more. Christmas and Christmastime bothers me the most. To me it's that specific time of the year you are sharply reminded of the income gap that bridges the haves from the have-nots. The homeless man I just saw sleeping under one of the Harrods shop windows as we pass Knightsbridge will haunt me like the ghost of Christmas past. How is he managing in minus 10 temperatures?
Last year I arrived in the Paradise Isle on Christmas day to party non-stop with my friends in Dickwella and onwards to 31st night at Galle Face. This year in the London-Elstree Holiday Inn Masquerade Ball. Actually my first 31st party in London. With my mates! J
Non-Christian me will celebrate Christmas in our own special way. My wife's relatives will come home early morning for mutton curry and milk-rice. Presents will be opened. Sash and San who are my sis-in-laws kids are still 2 and 6. They believe in Santa. One of the nice things about Christmas, Santa. Our kid is a teenager, she knows, but still expects as many presents under the tree.
I am home. The repeat of the Amir Khan fight's on Sky Sports. I take a sip of hot coffee and snuggle under the duvet. Everything is ready for Christmas. As I drift to sleep I lay my soul for the good Lord to keep and pray I will not dream of the homeless man I saw earlier this morning.
Last call.
Is Christmas all about beautiful, fancy, expensive stuff that 99% of the world cannot have or dream to afford?
So it's Christmas. The time of year that whatever religion or ethnic backgrounds you come from, celebrations are all around you. I presume that Christmas is the biggest celebration in the world after the World Cup of Football. Or is it just another holiday reminding me of all the fancy and great stuff in this world I cannot afford?
i.e. The Range Rover Evoque
What happened to the birth of JC? How many of us will attend mass at midnight on this holy day?
The spirit of giving is now only about the spirit of getting.
Merry Christmas everybody!
21 December 2010
2 December 2010
The £600 haircut
It's past midnight and the night looks surreal. The blanket of snow that covers everything is lit up in a sepia tone from the energy saving streetlights. The surreal feelings further aided by the deathly quiet due to the snow muffling surrounding noises. Steady snowflakes keep falling and I am almost finding it hard to breathe with the wind blowing it directly on to my face. I enjoy the scene before me despite shivering outside our front door in my thin cotton t-shirt and old sarong. Just before going to bed I usually smoke one last cigarette outside, whatever the weather maybe. This is a nightly ritual, wherever in the world I maybe.
I am hoping the snow keeps falling overnight ensuring another snow day and everything in London staying closed. Which usually means some quality time with my daughter. Snow fights in the field, playing catch with the dogs and getting hot drinks from our local Starbucks. All completed by us coming back to a delicious lunch cooked by the spouse. It's too cold to stand out for too long and I manage only to smoke half my cig. I make my way upstairs to bed and my thoughts turn to my Paradise Isle.
There usually are three reasons for my thoughts to turn to the Paradise Isle this time of the year. In priority the first is the party season in Colombo that culminates with the 31st night bash at Galle Face Hotel. Secondly is getting away from the horrible cold weather in England. Call me vain, which I am, the third is my hair. All three compete with each other and I really shouldn't prioritise them as deep inside a voice tells me the third priority might well be my first.
My hairdresser Chami is one of the greatest blokes in this world and owns a salon down Isipathana Mawatha called Hisa Ke. Going to his salon is an out of the body experience for me. Usually landing early morning I manage to take a quick wash and be ready by late morning to make my way there. Staying at my friend's house on Fife Road means I am about a three minutes walk from Hisa Ke. When I arrive Chami first has a chat about what he will do with my hair, its washed, coloured and then cut. Afterwards I retire to his aromatherapy section where I receive one of the, if not the best, head massage in this world. I also get a manicure and pedicure. By the time they finish the salon assistants have to wake me up as all the attention has lulled me to sleep. All my jetlag is gone and I am ready to paaarty! All of this just costs around LKR10,000 (60 GBP) at Hisa Ke!
Hisa Ke – 0773 753007 or 5743909. Ask for Chami, he's good.
In my case you have to add another £600 for the air ticket from London to Colombo and back. Honestly, it's still fully worth it.
17 November 2010
Xmas pressies under the Tree – Bang and Bleu
10 November 2010
Heads up ad people - IPA effectiveness awards with the case studies!!!
Promoting the value of advertising agencies.
Promoting the value of advertising agencies.
What came first?
That answers that question says the egg to the chicken while lying on the bed sharing a ciggy after making out.
2 November 2010
14 October 2010
10 October 2010
1 St.Christopher's Place - Yes I am vain!!!
My new look!
One of the few things nice about England - wearing coats, jackets and cardigans!!! Quite smart eh?
One of the few things nice about England - wearing coats, jackets and cardigans!!! Quite smart eh?
Please note the four earrings. My wife and kid call it my extended mid-life crisis. It's not, I can afford to be eccentric now, and that's what I call it!
16 September 2010
10 August 2010
22 July 2010
The Motherland – Part 2
The Motherland – Part 2
Life in rural areas of Sri Lanka is very different to ones we lead. Udispattuwa, the village of my roots lies in a quiet valley. During day, the sun shines with the quiet drizzle of rain. Birds chirp merrily. Beautiful 'Maala Giraw', green parrots with bright orange red necklaces fly by, Woodpeckers urgently tap away at trees, and the bluest of Kingfishers fly by. Squirrels dance everywhere, chattering. Special mention to the young village lasses bathing in the well in our paddy field, laughing and talking to one another.
But late evenings, and at night with mist covering this little village, the far off cries of birds and the howling of an occasional wild animal and you can't but believe in the spirits. With darkness only the bravest of souls can be seen walking around with a flaming torch. The villagers call it 'Gods Country' for justice at night can be violent. A Cobra who snaps at your feet as you tread the wet, muddy paths to meeting my favourite character of youth, the Pirith Kota. Death is unexpected, but yet an expected part of life in these rural communities.
A figment of my mothers imagination or her own invention, or village myth, too much of Pirith chanting (prayers) will summon the Pirith Kota. The Pirith Kota according to her is the one who goes around collecting lost souls who assemble wherever prayers are held. Unable to get away from our world either to violent death or not receiving a proper burial they wonder around and gather at places where prayers are chanted.
The Pirith Kota who I alike to Charon the Boatman sneak up to these places to catch these lost souls. If you are caught daydreaming you is well in chance of this Pirith Kota taking you away too. A midget with round red eyes dressed in white rags stolen from the cemetery, I would imagine him peering over the lush hedge of my Grandmothers house when ever we had a pirith ceremony or almsgiving in memory of dead relatives.
My mother had the quirkiest sense of humour. I still can't understand why she would scare us with the Pirith Kota story. But it is a part of growing up and a memory of her and Udispattuwa I treasure in my heart forever.
Listen very carefully on a full moon night. You will hear the tinkle of small bells, as legend says, the King Cobra managed to sneak up on Pirith Kota to fix an anklet of small bells around Pirith Kota's left leg, so that they the Cobra's always hear Pirith Kota when he walks the lonely paths in the jungle and do not strike him in mistake.
I grow older, my upbringing as a Sinhala Buddhist becomes more precious. Everytime I go to Udispattuwa and climb those long steps to God Skanda's temple I silently thank all the gods of the day and night for the privilege.
I celebrate being a Sinhala, Buddhist, Govigama Sri Lankan. In fact I am bloody proud. Especially now, now that my country is one again.
I believe in the Buddha, Dhamma and the Sangha. I seek refuge from all evil in the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha. My motherland too, blessed and protected by the triple gem.
A proud Sinhalese has spoken, and will speak more.
21 July 2010
My Motherland
The Motherland – Part 1
Nightfall is here and its pitch black. It's slightly chilly as I wrap myself more securely in the blanket. I lie on the bed, scared to look out of the window into darkness, and spooked by the sound of insects. My only reassurance is the deep sleep breathing of my sibling fast asleep next to me and all the other cousins all scattered around us in what was called the kids room. I am born and bred a city kid, school term holidays otherwise when it was time for the families to visit my Grandmother in my village of Udispaththuwa, close to Kandy in the middle of farm country in Sri Lanka.
My fear of the darkness was aided more by the fact that I was also scared shitless of my grandmother. A tall stately lady, who used to wear long sleeved, white, lace jackets and a white Osari, the popular form of the saree, worn Kandyan style. We were to never venture to her room and my memories of her were glimpses of her smoking a cigar before bedtime or taking long walks down the corridor of her home. My siblings and cousins had better more pleasant memories and experiences but mine were these. The house itself was large with my vivid memory of the old but still working pinball machine and the brilliant actual Tiger skin hanging on the wall.
The corridor in the back starting with the prayer area leading to the huge smoke kitchen. The long table in the corridor where the less fortunate ate. A huge table in the middle of the dining room where the family would sit and eat. Memories of my father always saying that when he romanced my mother, he was entertained where the less fortunate sat, and how when he married my mother, all she came with was one pillow. Obviously one had to add about 750ml of alcohol into the pater to come out with these little gems. Warm goats milk for the children in the morning with jaggery. My aunt, Cheeti's occasional forays to the kitchen area to cook us delicious tidbits. The much looked forward to evenings with my huge bunch of cousins, being one of the youngest and always being bullied. The fear of the dark coming from Sumith Aiya's ghost stories. All of us going to temple. Wesak and all the decorations that came up around the house. Plucking the forbidden Coccoa fruit from the back garden. Thellija, (Honey distilled from coconut trees) each child getting a spoon each as one can become drunk with too much consumption. Walks through the paddy field for baths in the well. Our aunts screaming at the older cousins to ensure we do not fall in.
People, laughter, noise, pets, fun.
All of us have moved on now. Some of us to other lands far away where the 'Sudhdha' lived. Exploits of even how the house suffered slight damage in WW2 due to bombing. The house now quiet, locked up. The paddy fields unploughed. Only signs of life being the people hired by my aunt who live in the kitchen area. My grandmothers grave area with the jam tree and cement seat sits forlorn. My daughter I take whenever in my motherland for she must know this is her heritage.
Sinhala, Buddhist, Govigama people from Kandy. During recent years this is fast becoming a point of debate and looked down on. That we the Sinhalese subjugate the others into servitude. I am not ashamed to be Sinhala Buddhist. This is our motherland. Our roots, our culture, our heritage.
By choice my friends are of other cultures, multi-cultural or ethnically diverse Sri Lankan's. My best friends and all of them Sri Lankan's. They belong as much as I do. Especially the Tamils as they are part of our motherlands history and heritage. Not separately, in one motherland – Sri Lanka.
I am not ashamed to be a Sinhala, Buddhist, Govigama Sri Lankan. In fact I am bloody proud. Especially now, now that my country is one again.
I believe in the Buddha, Dhamma and the Sangha. I seek refuge from all evil in the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha. My motherland too, blessed and protected by this triple gem.
A proud Sinhalese has spoken, and shall speak more.
(Part 1 of a series)
27 June 2010
To occupy oneself with unimportant matters and neglect priorities during a crisis.
17 June 2010
Shoes Santhoshi, Shoes!
31 May 2010
Brilliant Advertising - You don't need to understand the language
Watch commercial, read the supers with back translation the second time around.
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My Review:
Where the Trail Ends
Imagine, if you will, packing up your belongings, but only what is absolutely essential, packing the Prairie Schooner (wagon), and leaving your comfortable home. Now imagine walking, not riding, 2,000 miles along the Oregon Trail--from Missouri to the Willamette Valley.
This is what the Waldron family, as well as, others in their party did in order to start a new life. The trail was not without its hardships water and food at times were scarce, there were illnesses, and wild animals, accidents, deaths and disagreements among the people. There were also strong friendships that were forged despite the trials, or maybe because of them.
Melanie Dobson has crafted an realistic story set in a familiar historical backdrop. I found that the characters come to life upon the pages and so did the scenery. The story was about the people, and how they survived their long, and at times, treacherous journey. Was there some romance? Yes, but it was subdued, and really didn't develop until near the end to the story, which, in my opinion worked well in this book, allowing the reader to focus on the strong men and women who traveled along the Oregon Trail. I found this story to be enjoyable and would recommend this story to history lovers, and homeschoolers alike, because I think it would make a good addition to their history curriculum.
About the Book:
A young woman traveling the Oregon Trail in 1842 must rely on a stranger to bring her to safety. But whom can she trust with her heart?
For two thousand miles along the trail to Oregon Country, Samantha Waldron and her family must overcome tremendous challenges to reach the Willamette Valley before winter. Together they weather autumn storms, hunger and thirst, and the dangers of a wild and unfamiliar country. But when their canoe capsizes on the Columbia River, they must rely on handsome British exporter Alexander Clarke to rescue them from the icy water.
Alex escorts Samantha and her young brother, Micah, to Fort Vancouver. There Samantha is overwhelmed with men vying for her affections, but the only one who intrigues her-Alex-is the one she cannot have. When his betrothed arrives unexpectedly from England to escort him home, Samantha becomes determined to create a home for herself and Micah in the fertile valley far away from the fort. But how will an unmarried woman support herself and her brother in the wilderness alone?
Then Micah disappears into the wilderness one rainy night, and Samantha must rely on the man she loves-the man she's trying desperately to forget-to rescue her brother before it's too late.
Meet Melanie:
Melanie Dobson has written ten contemporary and historical novels including five releases in Summerside's Love Finds You series. In 2011, two of her releases won Carol Awards: Love Finds You in Homestead, Iowa (for historical romance) and The Silent Order (for romantic suspense).
Prior to her writing career, Melanie was the corporate publicity manager at Focus on the Family and a publicist for The Family Channel. She later launched her own public relations company and worked in the fields of publicity and journalism for more than fifteen years.
Melanie and her family enjoy their home in the Pacific Northwest. The entire Dobson family loves to travel and hike in both the mountains and along the cliffs above the Pacific.
When Melanie isn't writing or playing with her family, she enjoys exploring ghost towns and dusty back roads, line dancing, and reading inspirational fiction.
Find out more about Melanie by visiting her website.
2012 is the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. A sad story, it is true, but there are stories to be told--real or imagined. Queen of the Waves is a story that contains both fictional and real characters from history. A story that, in my opinion, shouldn't go unread.
When I started reading the book I noticed a prince and the pauper theme beginning to emerge. Tessa Bowen, the daughter of a pig farmer who has experienced real hardships and abuse from her father. Jacquie Abingdon, the daughter of a successful business man, has been included in an arranged marriage to a man she doesn't like as part of their businesses merging. Her mother wants to send Jacquie to visit her grandmother in New York but, Jacquie wants to marry Peter Bowen, their gardener and Tessa's brother,
Peter Bowen, loves his sister and wants to help her to escape from the farm and their father.
A plan begins to form...a plan that where Tessa takes Jacquie's place on the Titanic.
I enjoyed the story, the sights and smells, sounds, and people came to life under the the pen of Janice Thompson. A sad story, its true, but there are friendships formed, lives and souls saved, and lessons learned. If you choose to pick up this book I think you will be glad you did.
About the Book:
When pampered Jacqueline Abington secretly elopes with the family gardener, she asks another woman to take her place on the much anticipated maiden voyage of the Titanic. Tessa Bowen hails from a poor corner of London but has been granted the opportunity of a lifetime—a ticket to sail to America aboard a famed vessel. But there's a catch: she must assume Jacqueline's identity. For the first time in her life, Tessa stays in luxurious quarters, dresses in elegant gowns, and dines with prestigious people. Then a wealthy American man takes an interest in her, and Tessa struggles to keep up the ruse as she begins falling for him. When tragedy strikes, the game is up, and two women's lives are forever changed.
Meet Janice:
Award-winning author Janice Thompson, who also writes under the name Janice Hanna, has published nearly eighty books for the Christian market, crossing genre lines to write cozy mysteries, historicals, romances, nonfiction books, devotionals, children's books and more.
She formerly served as vice president of the Christian Authors Network and was named the 2008 Mentor of the Year by the American Christian Fiction Writers.
Thompson lives in Spring, Texas, near her four grown daughters and young grandchildren. She leads a rich life with her family, a host of writing friends and two mischievous dachshunds.
Readers can keep up with Janice Thompson by visiting her blog, becoming a fan on Facebook or following her Twitter.
Celebrate with Melanie and Janice by entering to win a Kindle Fire!
- A Kindle Fire
- Where the Trail Ends by Melanie Dobson
- Queen of the Waves by Janice Thompson
So grab your copy of Where the Trail Ends and Queen of the Waves and join Melanie Dobson and Janice Thompson on the evening of the October 18th for a chance to connect with the authors and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the books - don't let that stop you from coming!)
Don't miss a moment of the fun, RSVP today. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 18th!
Where the Trail Ends by Melanie Dobson and Queen of the Waves by Janice Thompson were provided for me free by Litfuse Publicity Group in exchange for my honest review.


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The Co-op Food
Opening times for The Co-op Food in Staffordshire
The Co-operative Food Blakeley is situated at 3-4 Common Road, Wombourne,, in Staffordshire. The post code of this place is WV5 0AW. It is a branch of The Co-op Food chain. To reach the customer service please phone the number 01902 326638. This branch is open on: Monday 6.00-22.00, Tuesday 6.00-22.00, Wednesday 6.00-22.00, Thursday 6.00-22.00, Friday 6.00-22.00. On Saturday: 6.00-22.00 and on Sunday: 7.00 -22.00. It is placed nearby Wombourne, Wall Heath, so it also delivers its services there.
Other places nearby
Bargain Booze in Wall Heath (1.23 miles)
Boots in Wolverhampton, High Street (0.21 mile)
KFC in Kingswinford (1.35 miles)
Lidl in Kingswinford (1.33 miles)
Morrisons in Kingswinford (1.31 miles)
Post Office in Wombourne, Midcounties Co-op (0.25 mile)
Sainsbury's in Wolverhampton, Heath Mill Road (0.77 mile)


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The Social Civil War
The past was dead, the future was unimaginable. — George Orwell, 1984
From Wikipedia:
There are many local historians who have their theories on when or why the Social Civil War broke out from within the sprawling mix of towering business-commercial districts and urban decay that was the megalopolis of Metro Manila in 2035.
However, the Social Civil War started seven years before the actual conflict with a crowd-sourced civil disobedience movement created by a hacker group called Incognito Army, whose roots can be traced to the early 2000 Anonymous and Occupy groups. With the help of the outlaw Ululz Network and young enthusiastic recruits dubbed 'trolls', they spread throughout the interconnected cities of the Philippine capital.
President Dante Marcos IV's so-called Civic Republic — which supposedly cited as influence the 1970s' Bagong Lipunan — answered these acts of civil disobedience with the Youth Patrol Act of 2032, also known as the Pinoy Big Brother Law …
[PAGE CANNOT BE FOUND] (more…)


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day out collecting =3=
You'll never reach where I am, so stop trying to put me down.
anyway. went out with lawliet to collect the tics from some girls and the ones i ordered from dardar.
after that we head over toky's to slack and collect stuff~
and played a little with his dogs [charlie, bingo and bambi]
Charlier flirting with Bambi[the smaller one]
and the infuriated Bingo because he was capture while trying to keep Charlie away from Bambi
our logic
Charlie is a gentleman
Bambi is a lady
Bingo is some chao ah beng. HAHAHAH
Den toky took us to ice cream chef to have some ice cream treats~
root beer with fruit loops /0/ yay ~~~ but prolly after the first two minutes or so, it started tasting like coffee with fruit loops. lol
Yesterday evening till night was another fun time~~
Lawliet, Chiru and Ren crashed over at my place for some hairstyling awesome time /0/
Chiru had her roots covered with a new brown, ends bleached and wildcherry secured in.
did mori mori hair for lawliet and chiru, but i think it needs more poof~
and did host hair for ren, but his hair was a tad too short luh huh. so abit fail.
we had chips together and laughed about random stuff.
den we ended up watchin negero radio, freaking funny stuff, we never get sick of it.
However, Chiru and Ren ended up addicted to ShotaShotaNightFever, esp the rame rame yo FU! part =.= seriously speaking, it gets a bit irritating when they do it too much. hahahaha~~~ but it was cute, so i still love them.
Lawliet went back around 10? cos her mom was hissy and the other two only went back around 11. Ren's mom got hissy too *huggles ren* poor thing
Chiru on the other hand got lucky, her dad came down to drive her back.
Tmr shoot
Monday, another shoot + Brenda's party =3=ll
i wonder how much more worn out am I going to get, physically and mentally.
Sometimes I just have to close my eyes, breathe, and remain silent.
Then I realise, if it gets worse, I should just let it go.
If it disappears, I'll just smile and try to forget.


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Taking its name from the past ETV 1000 Caponord, the new Caponord 1200 ABS is powered by a 1,197 cc V-twin engine that produces 125 hp at 8,250 rpm and 114.7 Nm at 6,800 rpm. The bike is fitted with a host of electronic systems such as Ride-by-Wire throttle control, which comes with three modes – Touring, Sport and Rain.
Other electronic systems include ABS, Aprilia Traction Control (ATC), Aprilia Dynamic Damping (ADD) and Aprilia Cruise Control (ACC). The traction control, which comes in three settings is integrated with the ABS but can be disengaged independently. On the other hand, ADD combines the principles of the 'sky hook' system to handle low frequency loads and 'acceleration-driven' damping to manage high frequency loads.
The new 2013 Aprilia Caponord 1200 ABS is priced at RM93,888 OTR. However, Naza Premira is offering the new bike for only RM83,888 for the first 50 customers.


text:
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Bobby's Burger Palace, the casual burger joint launched by celebrity chef Bobby Flay, announced its plans to launch an initial public offering.
Bobby's Burger Palace seeks to raise $15 million in its IPO under Regulation A+ and subsequently be listed as 'FLAY' on the NYSE.
Bobby's Burger Palace is seeking to become the first celebrity-driven company to launch a Regulation A+ IPO with listing on the New York Stock Exchange.
'While a traditional public offering is generally reserved for large institutional investors and only the clients of the investment bank, we are taking advantage of new SEC regulations to level the playing field for all investors to participate concurrently in our IPO,' said Managing Partner Laurence Kretchmer.
TriPoint Global Equities, LLC will work with its online division BANQ as the lead managing selling agent and bookrunner for the offering.
Bobby's Burger Palace was founded in 2008 and currently has 17 locations in the US.
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX


text:
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Lovely gift box is available with Dreamy Blue Gift Box
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text:
Real time weather
While people back home are getting off of lunch break, and seeing snow, we're getting a sand storm as I write this- lightning, thunder, rain, wind, and... sand. Man, I was outside taking pictures of the storm when all of a sudden there was a gust of wind and everything was just... sand and dust. Same thing inside the building. The chronology of the photos goes from the bottom (first) to the top (last).


text:
Conficker gets upgraded with defenses • The Register
the new component is designed to harden infected machines against an industry consortium that is actively trying to contain the prolific worm. For one, the update targets antivirus software and security analysis tools to prevent them from removing the malware. Not only does it try to disable anti-malware titles, it also goes after programs such as Wireshark and regmon.
And for another, it also greatly expands the number of domain names infected machines contact on a daily basis.
Up to now, a pseudo random domain name generator produced 250 addresses that infected machines reported to each day. The industry consortium, dubbed the Conficker cabal, responded by cracking the algorithm and snapping up those domains ahead of the malware authors to prevent the infected machines from sustaining further damage.
The new component ups the ante by increasing the number of domains to 50,000 per day.
Cybercrime-as-a-service takes off – Security – iTnews Australia
Vajdic showed delegates an email purported to be from a malware 'provider' offering hosted services for an extra $50 for three months.
Vasco's regional director for Pacific, India and Japan, Dan Dica, said company researchers buy the kits online and disassemble them to try to learn the secrets of their programming.
"The kits come with maintenance, support and a user guide," Dica said.
"For $400 you can become a hacker."
Vajdic said that toolkit creators increasingly appeared to apply commercial development techniques in their creation.
"There's evidence of solid software engineering practices being built into them," he said.
"Today's bad guy is a business person that attracts investment, has malware writers working under them and probably even employs a project manager.


text:
How neural networks build up their understanding of images
There is a growing sense that neural networks need to be interpretable to humans. The field of neural network interpretability has formed in response to these concerns. As it matures, two major threads of research have begun to coalesce: feature visualization and attribution.
This article focuses on feature visualization. While feature visualization is a powerful tool, actually getting it to work involves a number of details. In this article, we examine the major issues and explore common approaches to solving them. We find that remarkably simple methods can produce high-quality visualizations. Along the way we introduce a few tricks for exploring variation in what neurons react to, how they interact, and how to improve the optimization process.
Neural networks are, generally speaking, differentiable with respect to their inputs.
If we want to find out what kind of input would cause a certain behavior — whether that's an internal neuron firing or the final output behavior — we can use derivatives to iteratively tweak the input
towards that goal
While conceptually simple, there are subtle challenges in getting the optimization to work. We will explore them, as well as common approaches to tackle them in the section "The Enemy of Feature Visualization″.
What do we want examples of? This is the core question in working with examples, regardless of whether we're searching through a dataset to find the examples, or optimizing images to create them from scratch. We have a wide variety of options in what we search for:
If we want to understand individual features, we can search for examples where they have high values — either for a neuron at an individual position, or for an entire channel. We used the channel objective to create most of the images in this article.
If we want to understand a layer as a whole, we can use the DeepDream objective
And if we want to create examples of output classes from a classifier, we have two options — optimizing class logits before the softmax or optimizing class probabilities after the softmax.
One can see the logits as the evidence for each class, and the probabilities as the likelihood of each class given the evidence.
Unfortunately, the easiest way to increase the probability softmax gives to a class is often to make the alternatives unlikely rather than to make the class of interest likely
Regardless of why that happens, it can be fixed by very strong regularization with generative models. In this case the probabilities can be a very principled thing to optimize.
The objectives we've mentioned only scratch the surface of possible objectives — there are a lot more that one could try.
Of particular note are the objectives used in style transfer
Optimization can give us an example input that causes the desired behavior — but why bother with that? Couldn't we just look through the dataset for examples that cause the desired behavior?
It turns out that optimization approach can be a powerful way to understand what a model is really looking for, because it separates the things causing behavior from things that merely correlate with the causes. For example, consider the following neurons visualized with dataset examples and optimization:
Optimization also has the advantage of flexibility. For example, if we want to study how neurons jointly represent information, we can easily ask how a particular example would need to be different for an additional neuron to activate. This flexibility can also be helpful in visualizing how features evolve as the network trains. If we were limited to understanding the model on the fixed examples in our dataset, topics like these ones would be much harder to explore.
On the other hand, there are also significant challenges to visualizing features with optimization. In the following sections we'll examine techniques to get diverse visualizations, understand how neurons interact, and avoid high frequency artifacts.
Do our examples show us the full picture? When we create examples by optimization, this is something we need to be very careful of. It's entirely possible for genuine examples to still mislead us by only showing us one "facet" of what a feature represents.
Dataset examples have a big advantage here. By looking through our dataset, we can find diverse examples. It doesn't just give us ones activating a neuron intensely: we can look across a whole spectrum of activations to see what activates the neuron to different extents.
In contrast, optimization generally gives us just one extremely positive example — and if we're creative, a very negative example as well. Is there some way that optimization could also give us this diversity?
A given feature of a network may respond to a wide range of inputs.
On the class level, for example, a classifier that has been trained to recognize dogs should recognize both closeups of their faces as well as wider profile images — even though those have quite different visual appearances.
Early work by
A different approach by Nguyen, Yosinski, and collaborators was to search through the dataset for diverse examples and use those as starting points for the optimization process
We find there's a very simple way to achieve diversity: adding a "diversity term"
In lower level neurons, a diversity term can reveal the different facets a feature represents:
Diverse feature visualizations allow us to more closely pinpoint what activates a neuron, to the degree that we can make, and — by looking at dataset examples — check predictions about what inputs will activate the neuron.
For example, let's examine this simple optimization result.
Looking at it in isolation one might infer that this neuron activates on the top of dog heads, as the optimization shows both eyes and only downward curved edges. Looking at the optimization with diversity however, we see optimization results which don't include eyes, and also one which includes upward curved edges. We thus have to broaden our expectation of what this neuron activates on to be mostly about the fur texture. Checking this hypothesis against dataset examples shows that is broadly correct. Note the spoon with a texture and color similar enough to dog fur for the neuron to activate.
The effect of diversity can be even more striking in higher level neurons, where it can show us different types of objects that stimulate a neuron. For example, one neuron responds to different kinds of balls, even though they have a variety of appearances.
This simpler approach has a number of shortcomings:
For one, the pressure to make examples different can cause unrelated artifacts (such as eyes) to appear.
Additionally, the optimization may make examples be different in an unnatural way.
For example, in the above example one might want to see examples of soccer balls clearly separated from other types of balls like golf or tennis balls.
Dataset based approaches such as
Diversity also starts to brush on a more fundamental issue: while the examples above represent a mostly coherent idea, there are also neurons that represent strange mixtures of ideas. Below, a neuron to responds to two types of animal faces, and also to car bodies.
Examples like these suggest that neurons are not necessarily the right semantic units for understanding neural nets.
If neurons are not the right way to understand neural nets, what is? In real life, combinations of neurons work together to represent images in neural networks. Individual neurons are the basis directions of activation space, and it is not clear that these should be any more special than any other direction.
We can also define interesting directions in activation space by doing arithmetic on neurons. For example, if we add a "black and white" neuron to a "mosaic" neuron, we obtain a black and white version of the mosaic. This is reminiscent of semantic arithmetic of word embeddings as seen in Word2Vec or generative models' latent spaces.
These examples show us how neurons jointly represent images.
To better understand how neurons interact, we can also interpolate between them.
This is only starting to scratch the surface of how neurons interact. The truth is that we have almost no clue how to select meaningful directions, or whether there even exist particularly meaningful directions. Independent of finding directions, there are also questions on how directions interact — for example, interpolation can show us how a small number of directions interact, but in reality there are hundreds of directions interacting.
If you want to visualize features, you might just optimize an image to make neurons fire. Unfortunately, this doesn't really work. Instead, you end up with a kind of neural network optical illusion — an image full of noise and nonsensical high-frequency patterns that the network responds strongly to.
These patterns seem to be the images kind of cheating, finding ways to activate neurons that don't occur in real life.
If you optimize long enough, you'll tend to see some of what the neuron genuinely detects as well,
but the image is dominated by these high frequency patterns.
These patterns seem to be closely related to the phenomenon of adversarial examples
We don't fully understand why these high frequency patterns form,
but an important part seems to be strided convolutions and pooling operations, which create high-frequency patterns in the gradient
These high-frequency patterns show us that, while optimization based visualization's freedom from constraints is appealing, it's a double-edged sword. Without any constraints on images, we end up with adversarial examples. These are certainly interesting, but if we want to understand how these models work in real life, we need to somehow move past them…
Dealing with these high frequency noise has been one of the primary challenges and overarching threads of feature visualization research. If you want to get useful visualizations, you need to impose a more natural structure using some kind of prior, regularizer, or constraint.
In fact, if you look at most notable papers on feature visualization, one of their main points will usually be an approach to regularization. Researchers have tried a lot of different things!
We can think of all of these approaches as living on a spectrum, based on how strongly they regularize the model. On one extreme, if we don't regularize at all, we end up with adversarial examples. On the opposite end, we search over examples in our dataset and run into all the limitations we discussed earlier. And in the middle we have three main families of regularization options.
Let's consider these three intermediate categories of regularization in more depth.
Frequency penalization directly targets the high frequency noise these methods suffer from.
It may explicitly penalize variance between neighboring pixels (total variation)
(Some work uses similar techniques to reduce high frequencies in the gradient before they accumulate in the visualization
Transformation robustness tries to find examples that still activate the optimization target highly even if we slightly transform them.
Even a small amount seems to be very effective in the case of images
Learned priors. Our previous regularizers use very simple heuristics to keep examples reasonable. A natural next step is to actually learn a model of the real data and try to enforce that. With a strong model, this becomes similar to searching over the dataset. This approach produces the most photorealistic visualizations, but it may be unclear what came from the model being visualized and what came from the prior.
One approach is to learn a generator that maps points in a latent space to examples of your data,
such as a GAN or VAE,
and optimize within that latent space
In the previous section, we saw a few methods
Transforming the gradient like this is actually quite a powerful tool — it's called "preconditioning" in optimization.
You can think of it as doing steepest descent to optimize the same objective,
but in another parameterization of the space or under a different notion of distance.
How can we choose a preconditioner that will give us these benefits?
A good first guess is one that makes your data decorrelated and whitened.
In the case of images this means doing gradient descent in the Fourier basis,
Let's see how using different measures of distance changes the direction of steepest descent. The regular L2 gradient can be quite different from the directions of steepest descent in the L∞ metric or in the decorrelated space:
All of these directions are valid descent directions for the same objective, but we can see they're radically different. Notice that optimizing in the decorrelated space reduces high frequencies, while using L∞ increases them.
Using the decorrelated descent direction results in quite different visualizations. It's hard to do really fair comparisons because of hyperparameters, but the resulting visualizations seem a lot better — and develop faster, too.
(Unless otherwise noted, the images in this article were optimizing in the decorrelated space and a suite of transformation robustness techniques.
• Padding the input by 16 pixels to avoid edge artifacts
• Jittering by up to 16 pixels
• Scaling by a factor randomly selected from this list: 1, 0.975, 1.025, 0.95, 1.05
• Rotating by an angle randomly selected from this list; in degrees: -5, -4, -3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
• Jittering a second time by up to 8 pixels
• Cropping the padding
Is the preconditioner merely accelerating descent, bringing us to the same place normal gradient descent would have brought us if we were patient enough? Or is it also regularizing, changing which local minima we get attracted to? It's hard to tell for sure. On the one hand, gradient descent seems to continue improving as you exponentially increase the number of optimization steps — it hasn't converged, it's just moving very slowly. On the other hand, if you turn off all other regularizers, the preconditioner seems to reduce high-frequency patterns.
Neural feature visualization has made great progress over the last few years. As a community, we've developed principled ways to create compelling visualizations. We've mapped out a number of important challenges and found ways of a addressing them.
In the quest to make neural networks interpretable, feature visualization stands out as one of the most promising and developed research directions. By itself, feature visualization will never give a completely satisfactory understanding. We see it as one of the fundamental building blocks that, combined with additional tools, will empower humans to understand these systems.
There remains still a lot of important work to be done in improving feature visualization. Some issues that stand out include understanding neuron interaction, finding which units are most meaningful for understanding neural net activations, and giving a holistic view of the facets of a feature.
Appendix: GoogLeNet Visualizations
Visualizations of every channel in GoogLeNet
Code: tensorflow/lucid
Open-source implementation of our techniques
Follow-up: The Building Blocks of Interpretability
Exploration of how feature visualization and other techniques can be combined.
We are extremely grateful to Shan Carter and Ian Goodfellow. Shan gave thoughtful feedback, especially on the design of the article. Ian generously stepped in to handle the review process of this article — we would not have been able to publish it without him.
We're also grateful for the comments, thoughts and support of Arvind Satyanarayan, Ian Johnson, Greg Corrado, Blaise Aguera y Arcas, Katherine Ye, Michael Nielsen, Emma Pierson, Dario Amodei, Mike Tyka, Andrea Vedaldi, Ruth Fong, Jason Freidenfelds, Geoffrey Hinton, Timon Ruban, Been Kim, Martin Wattenberg, and Fernanda Viegas.
This work was made possible by many open source tools, for which we are grateful.
In particular, all of our experiments were based on Tensorflow
Writing, Exposition, and Diagram Contributions. Chris drafted most of the text of the article and made the original version of most interactive diagrams. Ludwig made the neuron addition, dataset examples, and interpolation diagrams, as well as refined the others. Ludwig also created the appendix that visualizes all of GoogLeNet.
Research Contributions. The biggest technical contribution of this work is likely the section on preconditioning. Alex discovered in prior work that normalizing gradient frequencies had a radical effect on visualizing neurons. Chris reframed this as adaptive gradient descent in a different basis. Together, they iterated on a number of ways of parameterizing images. Similarly, Alex originally introduced the use of diversity term, and Chris refined using it. Chris did the exploration of interpolating between neurons.
Infrastructure Contributions. All experiments are based on code written by Alex, some of which was published previously. Alex, Chris and Ludwig all contributed significantly to refining this into the present library, Lucid. Alex and Chris introduced particularly important abstractions.
Review 1 - Anonymous
Review 2 - Anonymous
Review 3 - Anonymous
If you see mistakes or want to suggest changes, please create an issue on GitHub.
Diagrams and text are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution CC-BY 4.0 with the source available on GitHub, unless noted otherwise. The figures that have been reused from other sources don't fall under this license and can be recognized by a note in their caption: "Figure from …".
For attribution in academic contexts, please cite this work as
Olah, et al., "Feature Visualization", Distill, 2017.
BibTeX citation
@article{olah2017feature, author = {Olah, Chris and Mordvintsev, Alexander and Schubert, Ludwig}, title = {Feature Visualization}, journal = {Distill}, year = {2017}, note = {https://distill.pub/2017/feature-visualization}, doi = {10.23915/distill.00007} }


text:
The PortaBrace RS-HM600 is a Rain Slicker for your GY-HM600 that will protect your JVC camera from rain, dust and snow. The Rain Slicker's exterior layer is made from Nylon Taslan material and is complemented by a soft tricot interior that won't scratch your equipment. The Taslan material is both waterproof (1000MM waterproof rating) and breathable (1000G/M² breathability rating), which keeps the camera dry and prevents it from overheating. The Rain Slicker has extra material that can be extended for additional protection.
A clear Vinyl window provides an unobstructed view of the controls and a quick-change rear panel gives you easy access to the battery compartment. The detachable front visor keeps rain off the lens. A triple-zippered bottom makes tripod mounting easy. This Rain Slicker lets your GY-HM600 be used on the shoulder or in a hand-held fashion.
Weight: 0.75 lb (0.34 kg)
NOTE: The GY-HM600 shown in the Rain Slicker in the pictures above is NOT INCLUDED with purchase.
To be the first to review this item, click here.


text:
Ok, so this news is a little old, but nonetheless I am happy to see monotone go. It made my experience with openembedded less than pleasant. It was a slow, buggy and outright irritating experience. Let's just say – I will happily purge monotone from my systems and never look back.
Thank you Openembedded community, i'm now looking forward to coming back 🙂


text: They run high, especially at airports. Old friends, family members, the car service guy from Brooklyn who doesn't know where he's going nor speaks any English, emotions everywhere. The worst part about meeting someone at the airport is the waiting. Worrying about your meter expiring, thinking about the work you're missing. Regretting you didn't bring that book. Or flowers! How could you forget the flowers! But wait, in America, flowers, like chocolate, Pepsi and convenient snack sized potato chips, come in vending machines, so if you had that affair or forgot that anniversary, savior is conveniently placed in a machine. Welcome home.


text:
This the kind of music I can listen to all day every day and not get sick of it. Each song is unique but connected to all the others. The lyrics dance around the meaning of things they mention symbolically. It reminds me of a scene in Running With Scissors where Annette Benning's character says during a poetry reading.... if so and so "writes about flowers she's not talking about the fucking flowers!" It's whimsical is a sad, dark way while still being light hearted. It think it's cause in one song the voices are haunting and gloomy but the music is upbeat and then in the next song vice versa!
Keeping up with my music trend today I'll be posting more links to my favorite artists.


text:
Lonestar Memories: Colombina on Perfumesmellingthings.
(...)Lonestar Memories makes me want to escape the mundane confines of my everyday world(...)
Lonestar Memories: Katie on Scentzilla.
(...) Lonestar Memories smells of the examined life.
Inside there is joy, and there is tiny heartbreak, e
xisting only in reverie. The scent unravels into
the consideration of past experiences, and pinings for future joys and heartbreaks(...)
Lonestar Memories: Marlen Harrison's review on PerfumeCritic.com
If you're a lover of leather or richer wood fragrances,
this is gonna be a holy grail scent and in that case, better get two bottles.(...)
Lonestar Memories: Cait Shortell's review on Legerdenez.
Do you appreciate scent because you identify with the scent and
its image? Does a scent have the ability to create a memory outside one's own experience?(...)
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
I must admit: I love this perfume. Years have passed since my last closer encounter with this scent and my scent memories have almost entirely fainted. This has primarily to do with my brain's limited capacity of memorizing things that are important; thus, I have no accessible memories anymore, of when and where I bought it and what my first impressions were. I guess this is the price I have to pay for information and sensorial overload… but I still love my 1 kg assembly of nervous tissue for providing me with sweet memories of unimportant things, such as the price of my airplane ticket to the US in 1980 (1390 Swiss Francs, Brussels-Florida return).
2 Comments:
- said...
Extremely fascinating reading Andy!
I can now fascinate my friend with the origins of and what Antaeous got up to...tee hee!
The scent, like a lot of Chanel's will remain a classic for many years.
- andy said...
hehe...I am sure, it will remain and there are many more years with Antaeus ahead of us....
Enjoy your day


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Another Idea for Indicating "Any Number of Movements in Place"
Submitted by Charlotte Wile - July 16, 2002
Submitted by Charlotte Wile - July 16, 2002
My July 16, 2002 posting in the Body Parts Thread describes a sign for "any number." This sign could be used in indications for "any number of movements in place," as shown below. I like this idea better than what I had proposed previously in my April 10, 2000 posting in the Movement in Place Thread.


text:
The first Windows Phone 7 is coming to Rogers in the form of a Samsung Focus smartphone. Think of it as the Samsung Galaxy S Android smartphone but infused with Windows Phone 7's goodness along with some minor hardware changes.
I like the fact that it has a 4″ touchscreen and 512MB of RAM with Samsung's 1GHz processor. That's a lot to drool for and hours spent day dreaming about.
That being said, I am up for a device upgrade on Rogers and the arrival of the Samsung Focus on Rogers is imminent. Should I upgrade to the first Windows Phone 7 to land in Canada or pick another Android smartphone? Of course both platforms have their pros and cons and I can't hide the fact that Windows Phone 7 has more cons than pros compared to Android. But still, there is something attractive about Windows Phone 7 that acts as a serious gravitational pull towards it.
It's going to be a hard decision.


text:
Saturday, May 29, 2010
The Vintage Kitchen
I found this a company The Vintage Kitchen, who hires out vintage mismatched plates, cutlery and and cake stands. Would be the perfect idea for a garden party.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
And run like a whippet....
I just think whippets are the greatest! I spent the whole night looking at pictures of them and decided I wanted to share my love for them here. I love the blue and faun ones but anyone will do.......
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Ride like a dutchman
Don't you just love vintage bicycles? The wide seats,the tan pretensioned leather and pedal generated lights. Well, next time you come to Melb's you can hire one from a few hours to a few months, for a very modest fee from The Humble Vintage (see here). They even come with a lock, helmet and your very own cafe guide. Be a cute wedding car idea =).
Saturday, May 8, 2010
loving vintage cozzies
Big Eggs
I was perusing the nets this afternoon and stumbled upon this cool idea from a braziliam designer Domingos Totora via Klauinteriors, . This guy has used recycled cardboard to make some pretty funky creations. My favorites are the eggs which you could just hug. (or pretend you are great at lifting large stones) and I am wondering if I could do something similar...... see how they have created the "Agua Table" it below.
Vertical Garden
The house that we are living in at the moment in surrounded by a high fence, meaning the living and kitchen windows look straight out onto treated pine, and the back yard feels a little gloomy and concreted. I went to Bunnings today to find a solution but couldn't really find any inspirations. Later that day I remembered Michael sending me a picture of a green-wall and I have decided that this will be the solution to my gardening woes! Apparently this is the new thing in Australian Architecture and great for energy efficiency , check out a few pictures I have found for inspiration.
I then thought about what kind of plants I could put into my vertical and did a bit of a search to find something more fitting to our yard. Vegetables seem like a great option and this rustic looking green wall would look great on our backyard wall if we could get enough sun....
Ferns are also another could be a great option and might work better due to our lack of sunlight.
I think the idea that we will go for in front of our windows is the one below that I found on LUSHE (check out the website for DIY), just because I love the interesting shapes and colours. They are works of art.
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text:
It was a case of better late than never for Taiwan, as 20 girls in knickers took part in the worldwide craze of No Trousers Day - but a month behind schedule.
The crazy celebration, which makes it OK to be caught with your trousers down on the tube, has caught on around the world.
The annual No Trousers Day took place in January in a number of world cities, including London and New York.
And, not wanting to miss out, Taiwan got in on the action a month later. No one's quite sure what the hold-up was.
Pictures: Check out the No pants subway ride pictures here:
Up to 20 Taiwanese girls bared (almost) all on the way to work as they travelled on the underground wearing just their knickers.
Event organisers said: 'We saw the event in New York and wanted to stage one here - why not?'
No Trousers Day started in New York in 2002 and sees participants with bare legs mixing among other commuters.
The mission, apparently, is to cause scenes of chaos and joy in public places.
It's too early to say if that's been a success or not in Taiwan.
More Girls ride tube with no trousers on


text:
Well now the top drawing I have no clue what it is :). Fun in the journal.
The rest are quick sketches of H.H. while figuring out facial parts and lay layout.
I hope you enjoy my art, but if not that is ok because I am enjoying the process more then I thought possible. May God richly bless you on your journey.


text:
The first pair was a white canvas shoe. I used Tulip Soft Fabric Paint in Lime Matte. Since the front was gathered I left it white along with the top edge. I let them dry for several days to make sure the paint had a chance to cure well. I then sprayed with Scotch Guard to hopefully keep them somewhat clean. I think they turned out pretty well. And I can get at least one more seasons worth of wear out of them, hopefully more.
The blue pair are a mesh type fabric. I used Tulip Soft Fabric Paint in Turquoise Matte. These were a little more challenging to paint. The paint bled through to the inside but has not been a problem. I painted the elastic on the top and it doesn't show any white when I wear them.
It was fun to have a "new" pairs of shoes to wear in really fun colors. And they only cost me about $5.00 in paint for both pair. So get to digging around in your closet and see what shoes you have that need a new color. I would love to see what you come up with.


text:
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October 20, 1994
JAMES L. ROMANN, Plaintiff,
GEISSENBERGER MANUFACTURING CORP., t/a THE ROBERT GROUP, and LEONARD GEISSENBERGER, Defendants.
The opinion of the court was delivered by: J. CURTIS JOYNER
Joyner, J.
This is a breach of contract action brought under diversity jurisdiction in which defendants have moved to dismiss plaintiff's complaint for lack of personal jurisdiction pursuant to Rule 12(b)(2) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. In the alternative, defendants ask the Court to dismiss the case for lack of proper venue under Rule 12(b)(3), or to transfer it to the District of New Jersey, Newark Division, pursuant to 28 U.S.C.A. §§ 1404(a), 1631 (West 1994). For the following reasons, this Court concludes that it cannot take personal jurisdiction over either defendant. In the interests of justice, however, defendants' motion to dismiss the complaint will be denied and its motion to transfer will be granted. Given our disposition, we need not address the defendant's contention that this Court is an improper venue for this action.
The plaintiff in this case is James Romann, a Pennsylvania resident who worked as a commissioned salesman for the defendant Geissenberger Manufacturing Corporation (GMC) until he was fired in April of 1994. GMC is a New Jersey corporation that operates under the trade name of The Robert Group. Defendant Leonard Geissenberger, a New Jersey resident, is GMC's president and chief executive officer and a New Jersey resident. Mr. Romann's complaint alleges that GMC failed to pay him more than $ 50,000 in sales commissions, and in the process, GMC not only breached an oral contract it had with Mr. Romann, but also violated Pennsylvania's Wage Payment and Collection Law, 43 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. §§ 260.1-301 (1994). Mr. Romann also requests an order declaring a post-employment no-compete agreement void on various grounds.
The defendants respond by arguing that this Court cannot properly exercise its personal jurisdiction under the given circumstances. Mr. Geissenberger argues he has no contacts with Pennsylvania, while GMC contends that, although it is qualified to do business under Pennsylvania law, it has had only de minimus contacts with Pennsylvania, does relatively little business in the commonwealth, and maintains no offices or facilities here. In an affidavit, Mr. Geissenberger avers that between two and four percent of GMC's sales, and ten percent of Mr. Romann's sales, were made to Pennsylvania customers. He also states that Mr. Romann had an office at the GMC facilities in New Jersey, that he received telephone calls there in person and by voice mail, and that Mr. Romann's paychecks and expense reimbursements were generated from New Jersey.
Mr. Romann contends that the exercise of personal jurisdiction over defendants is warranted because he spent thirty to forty percent of his time generating Pennsylvania business while a GMC employee, he maintained an office in Pennsylvania dedicated solely to his GMC affairs, he received his paychecks in Pennsylvania and spent ninety-five percent of his administrative time working out of his Pennsylvania office. In addition, GMC paid his Pennsylvania office telephone bills as well as other expenses and costs associated with his Pennsylvania office. As evidence of GMC's presence in the state, Mr. Romann avers that GMC is registered to do business in Pennsylvania and has sold and shipped GMC products into the commonwealth. He further states that GMC's national sales manager is a Pennsylvania resident who works substantially out of a Pennsylvania office, and that Mr. Romann and the national sales manager communicated extensively between their Pennsylvania offices about GMC business. Finally, as evidence of the extent of GMC's Pennsylvania business, Mr. Romann attaches to his motion a copy of a non-competition agreement between GMC and another former employee that includes Pennsylvania among the places in which competing conduct is prohibited.
A. Rule 12(b)(2) Standard
A court must analyze the plaintiff's allegations drawing all reasonable inferences in the plaintiff's favor when reviewing a Rule 12(b)(2) motion. Bucks County Playhouse v. Bradshaw, 577 F. Supp. 1203, 1206 (E.D. Pa. 1983) (citation omitted). However, once the plaintiff's assertion of personal jurisdiction has been challenged, he bears the burden of demonstrating a jurisdictional predicate by competent proof. Id. (citing McNutt v. General Motors Acceptance Corp., 298 U.S. 178, 189, 80 L. Ed. 1135, 56 S. Ct. 780 (1936)). In other words, the plaintiff must prove with "reasonable particularity that sufficient contacts to support jurisdiction exist between the defendant and the forum state." Massachusetts Sch. of Law v. American Bar Ass'n., 846 F. Supp. 374, 377 (E.D. Pa. 1994). In the instant proceeding, therefore, because defendants have interposed a jurisdictional challenge, Mr. Romann must bring forward sufficient evidence to allow this Court to exercise personal jurisdiction over these defendants.
B. Personal Jurisdiction
A federal district court must apply the laws of the state in which it sits in determining whether it may properly exercise personal jurisdiction over a non-resident defendant. Bucks County Playhouse, 577 F. Supp. at 1206 (citation omitted). Under Pennsylvania law, a state court may exercise personal jurisdiction pursuant to either the provision on general personal jurisdiction, 42 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. § 5301 (1994) ("section 5301"), or the provision on specific personal jurisdiction, 42 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. § 5322 (1994) ("section 5322"). Jaffe v. Julien, 754 F. Supp. 49, 52 (E.D. Pa. 1991). These so-called "long-arm statutes" apply only to the extent permitted by the Due Process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Fields v. Ramada Inn, Inc., 816 F. Supp. 1033, 1035 (E.D. Pa. 1993); 42 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. §§ 5308, 5322(b). Thus, "the court's exercise of personal jurisdiction over . . . nonresident defendants is proper so long as there is no violation of due process." Fields, 816 F. Supp. at 1035-36 (citing Mellon Bank PSFS, N.A. v. Farino, 960 F.2d 1217, 1221 (3d Cir. 1992)).
1. General Personal Jurisdiction
The Pennsylvania provision on general personal jurisdiction provides in relevant part:
(a) General Rule. -- The existence of any of the following relationships between a person and this Commonwealth shall constitute a sufficient basis of jurisdiction to enable the tribunals of this Commonwealth to exercise general personal jurisdiction over such person, or his personal representative in the case of an individual, and to enable such tribunals to render personal orders against such person or representative:
(1) Individuals. --
(i) Presence in this Commonwealth at the time when process is served.
(ii) Domicile in this Commonwealth at the time when ...
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We always drive and look at Christmas lights, we also took the boys to the PIR for their Winter Wonderland festival of lights. The boys loved it! We didn't make it to Zoo lights, it was so cold, Jim wasn't to excited to freeze just to look at lights, and I wasn't about to take Brody out. I have been blessed with a very healthy baby...he hasn't gotten sick yet this season and I don't want to encourage any chances of it happening.
Christmas Eve was so much fun as we gathered for dinner at my parents home. My grandma Leta and grandma Barbara joined us which was so special to have them there. We had a wonderful Christmas dinner, I tried candied carrots this year which turned out delicious! I love Honey Baked Ham! We then started exchanging gifts. Of course had to have the boys open one first to distract them from everything that was going on. We exchange names between siblings every year we had Kevin and Sean and they had us. Sean and Kevin spoiled us with a new Cuisinart Toaster 4 slices! I was so excited about a 4 slice toaster! Sean really spoiled us with getting Jim a new riding helmet with sweet graphics, and a Coach purse for me!We visited till the boys were exhausted and headed home. We read the "Night Before Christmas" to the boys before bed...I think we were more excited then they were...I don't think they quite understood what was happening. After they were sleeping we brought out "Santa's" gifts and stuffed their stockings! I just wish we got gotten more pics! I can't wait for next year when Brody will be walking and part of the action! He will add a new dynamic to the holidays! Santa and grandparents brought the boys lots of Imaginext, a Crayola Easel, I Spy and Geotrax. They have enjoyed their new toys every day! It was our 1st Christmas exchanging gifts withe each other at our own home...I LOVED it! I used my stocking money to buy Jim a North face jacket and U of O goodies and he surprised me with a Wii including Wii fit, so fun!!
Afterward we joined Jim's family for brunch and gift opening. We had a great time and the boys loved every minute. We came home for naps and the joined Jim's family afterward for Christmas dinner and stockings! It was a wonderful fun-filled day with many wonderful memories! I am so grateful for Jim and our 3 beautiful boys, that we could start our own family traditions and be together! This year brought many changes and many many blessings for which I am so thankful to my Heavenly Father.


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Sonnet 41
THoſe pretty wrongs that liberty commits,
When I am ſome-time abſent from thy heart,
Thy beautie, and thy yeares full well befits,
For ſtill temptation followes where thou art.
Gentle thou art, and therefore to be wonne,
Beautious thou art, therefore to be aſſailed.
And when a woman woes, what womans ſonne,
Will ſourely leaue her till he haue preuailed.
Aye me, but yet thou mighſt my ſeate forbeare,
And chide thy beauty, and thy ſtraying youth,
Who lead thee in their ryot euen there
Where thou art forſt to break a two-fold truth:
Hers by thy beauty tempting her to thee,
Thine by thy beautie beeing falſe to me.
As foreshadowed in Sonnet 40, Sonnet 41 identifies the youth's love as that of a woman; its admission, "Gentle thou art," recalls Sonnet 40's epithet, "gentle theife." The pettiness of the wrongs he inflicts ("Those pretty wrongs") is undermined as the sonnet progresses: "pretty" wrongs are 'little' wrongs, an ironic usage, which to the youth may be little but which require allowance and forgiveness from the poet. They are also the wrongs of a libertine ("liberty" gives licence), which occur when the youth forgets the poet: "When I am some-time absent from thy heart." Yet, the poet concedes, they are the natural consequence of ("full well befits") and must be considered against the youth's "beautie" and "yeares." Third person singular verbs ("befits") for plural subjects ("wrongs") were common. Temptation continues to pursue him even till now ("still," the hunt metaphor will be extended later in "ryot") or 'silent' ("still") temptation stalks him wherever he is.
The second quatrain adapts a paradox which Shakespeare uses elsewhere: "She's beautifull; and therefore to be Wooed: / She is a Woman; therefore to be Wonne" (IH6 5.3.78-79), and, "Shee is a woman, therefore may be woo'd, / Shee is a woman, therfore may be wonne" (Tit. 2.1.83-84). The youth's "Gentle" nature, both 'kind' and 'well-born,' exists only "to be wonne," his beauty exists only "to be assailed;" "assailed," 'attacked' or 'set upon,' introduces the petrarchist trope of a body under siege, but also plays on its root, 'ad + salire,' to 'leap upon' or 'mount' (compare TN 1.3.60, "Accost, is front her, boord her, woe her, assayle her," where the sexual suggestion is strongly present). It is a woman's nature to woo ("woes") and what young man ("womans sonne") would, without proving victorious, depart from her bitterly ("sourely" hints at a hunting trail gone 'sour')?
The sestet begins with "Aye me," a hackneyed sigh of sonneteers meaning 'alas,' which introduces the poet's hope that the youth "might my seate forbeare." A "seate" is a place that is the property of someone, a chair or ancestral home. But, as in Othello, "I do suspect the lustie Moore / Hath leap'd into my Seate" (2.1.289; "leap'd," recalling the earlier "assailed"), it has an implied sexual sense. The poet wishes that the youth might forgo ("forbeare") the woman's "seate," the possession of the poet, or rebuke ("chide") his "beauty" and his youthful years, which have lead him astray ("straying youth") and into a dissolute life: "lead thee in their ryot" ("ryot," in the context of a hunt is the leading astray of the hounds through a false scent). 1 The result is a double falsity, where the youth is seen to "breake a two-fold truth" and which anticipates the mistress' double falsity in Sonnet 152, "thou art twice forsworne to me loue swearing," with its "bed-vow broake" and "two othes breach." Here, firstly, the "truth" ('troth' or 'totality') of the woman is broken through the tempting which arises from the youth's beauty. Secondly, the youth's truth is broken, since he has betrayed the poet because of his beauty. The twofold injury is taken up in Sonnet 42.
41.1. OED riot 3a.


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Nanotechnology sometimes involves mixing something very small
into a larger, more conventional system. For example, mixing
carbon nanotubes into a conventional polymer gives it added
strength. Or, using a carbon nanotube as the channel between
two larger, source-drain contacts creates a transistor with
improved channel mobility. But simulating such systems becomes
a huge challenge. The smaller parts of the system must be
solved with great accuracy–for example, by simulating each
atom within a carbon nanotube. But the same approach can't
possibly be applied to the larger system–for example, to each
atom in the thousands of polymer molecules in a realistic
sample–or the whole problem would be too big to solve!
Multi-scale methods attempt to solve the problem by stitching
together smaller domains (where atomistic models apply) and
larger domains (where continuum models apply) into a coherent
Learn more about multi-scale methods from the resources on
this site, listed below.
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text:
actually I was purchased the Bf4 hack last year for 3 months. i love it but, day by day , time by time. something made me aware and sad. because. someone was spectating me while im playing the game. and Marked my name and reported it. they know even i changed my name etc. i can run but I cant hide. maybe EA was keep their eyes one my acc. yep ive got banned. but nvm. I HOPE something good from you for US about this and I hope u can accept my opinion request, pls
I have a request for BF4 Hack. here,
1-Can add Specter Warning with name who spectating .maybe with a big words is 3 sec to tell us someone with "(name) is spectating you", Someone with "(name) has left from spectating you", Let us know who spectating us, even the admin server , maybe EA can spectating us as i heard from the other, it might be possible, like if in the warning " EA is Spectating you"
( this is too important 100%) i hope its possible to have an addition like this <-- this is what we really want.
- Example of spector warning
eg 1 - "Gibbs valve is spectating you"
eg 2 - "EA is speactating you"
eg 3 - "Dice is spectating you"
eg 4 - " Fairfight is spectating you"
^^! some kind of example
2-when someone spectating us , they only see we stay and did nothing, ( i dunno is this make sense or not maybe you have better idea )
the problem is about the specter. maybe something can prevent them
I decided to buy it again the hack again.
really need help about this


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Enter your work address to calculate commute times to and from 222 Pearl Way.
Best selling 4 bdrm plan. Downstairs offers a wide open plan with a huge center island overlooking the living room. Tile throughout downstairs & all wet areas. Covered patio includes gas drop for BBQs. Irrigation in front yard, with full sod and 6' privacy fence in back. Great elementary school in neighborhood featuring STEM program. McCormick MS. Award-Winning Hays ISD. Ready November... move by the end of the year! Milestone Community Builders model homes and sales office open daily.
|9333453 - Residential
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|9333453 - Residential
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|9333453 - Residential
Property Listed by: Legacy Austin Realty
The information being provided is for consumers' personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing. Based on information from the Austin Board of REALTORS® (alternatively, from ACTRIS) from June 23rd, 2018 at 8:40pm CDT. Neither the Board nor ACTRIS guarantees or is in any way responsible for its accuracy. The Austin Board of REALTORS®, ACTRIS and their affiliates provide the MLS and all content therein "AS IS" and without any warranty, express or implied. Data maintained by the Board or ACTRIS may not reflect all real estate activity in the market. All information provided is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed and should be independently verified.


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The one thing that you hear about Vegas that isn't true - people carrying buckets of coins around. All the slot machines have been changed to run on paper money and when you cash out, they print a ticket that you have to redeem at a cashier's desk. No coins comes falling down when you win - it's just credits on the screen - and when the slot machine prints out your little ticket, it makes this lame noise that is supposed to sound like coins falling jdown into the little now-vestigial metal tray at the bottom of the machine. Lame city!! Maybe next time I go to Vegas, I'll bring my own bucket and put my little paper ticket into my bucket, just to screw with everyone's head.
Stuff seen in Vegas:
- Magician comedian who was filling in for Mac King at Harrah's and whose name escapes me at the moment. Had a pretty funny schtick where he made it look like he'd screwed up the trick and then it would turn out to be a fairly neat trick after all.3
- Dead bodies.
- Mamma Mia - the musical based on ABBA songs. I swear, you'd think ABBA wrote their songs for that plot - it's soooo well constructed.
- The Blue Man Group. This blew my fucking mind. Like nothing I've EVER seen before. OMG, you need to see this. NEED TO!
Blue Man & Me.
The fact that I wore a blue dress this day is merely coincidental.
The fact that I wore a blue dress this day is merely coincidental.
Most nauseating thing seen in Vegas:
- Picture this: You are playing your little $1 chips at the roulette table, mumbling under your breath that the $15 minimum really is too rich for your blood. A man walks up and lays 10 $100 bills on the table and asks for one chip. The dealer carefully counts the money out and hands over a $1000 chip. He lays the chip on black and walks away, doesn't even watch the little ball spinning around the roulette wheel. The little ball lands on red. Bye-bye $1000! Then he does the same thing again - another 10 $100 bills, another $1000 chip on black and another loss. Then, just for good measure, he plays $100 on splitting the zeros and loses again. It seriously made me feel sick. If someone is willing to part with $2100 in like 45 seconds, why not just give it to charity??
- Tony Danza, Barry Manilow, Toni Braxton, all the people you thought were dead are, in fact, performing in Vegas. I think this means (a) they are not dead after all, or (b) Vegas is the afterlife for third rate celebs.
- When playing roulette, you may be tempted to play Canucks jersey numbers... 22 - Daniel Sedin, 33 - Henrik Sedin, 16 - Linden, 9 - Pyatt, 7 - Morrison, etc. Don't. Just don't.
- Waitresses will only come by to bring you free drinks when either (a) your down to your last dollar on the slot machine or (b) you say, "I'm cashing out if I don't win on the next spin!" So that you'll have to stay around waiting that free drink and will put more money in the machine. They have it down to a freakin' science, I swear.
- Vegas waitresses are not as hot as I have been led to believe. I'm willing to bet, though, that they make more money than I do.
- If you walk around Vegas dressed as a bat, even on Halloween, you will get a lot of looks.
- Everything in the Venetian is made of gold... including the toilets4.
- The red carpets you see celebrities photographed on showing them going into Vegas nightclubs.... they don't actually go anywhere! It's just a bit of red carpet and a backdrop set up in the hallway for photo ops. As is my habit when I see ropes blocking things off or signs telling you not to go somewhere, I hopped over the ropes to get this paparazzi shot:
And speaking of photos, I took these pics for Sarah & Dave:
Saw our favourite arcade game, which is found in every bar, pub, tavern and daycare5 in Calgary, in one of the hotels in Vegas and just had to take a pic for you!
Then I noticed this poor man's Big Buck Hunter, called "Deer Hunting USA" right next to it. Apparently it also has "Animated Violence: Mild."
So that, in a nutshell, was my trip to Vegas.
1Tip o'the hat to David T. McLean, Esq.
2comped = getting free stuff (like a free buffet, a free hotel room) when you lose lots of cash at a casino.
3Wow. My description makes it sound really lame, but it wasn't - it was quite good!
4Yes, I took a picture of the toilet. See, there is nothing I won't do for you, gentle blog reader. Nothing!
5OK, so we didn't actually go to any daycares in Calgary, but I'm willing to put money on them all having Big Buck Hunter.


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Tuesday, October 16, 2007
running buddy
I was thinking the other day that I need some running friends. Not that I need to have companionship with someone to accomplish races with, but just an occasional conversation with. I don't feel a need to run any races for a couple of reasons but the biggest reason is the money. I really enjoyed the running friends I had in greenville and the push we always gave each other. There is a couple of running groups here in Charlotte but it is tough to work all day and then pick the big guy up from school and get home, changed and meet someone somewhere. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy running though my development but I am thinking of a occassional run somewhere different.
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Saturday, August 15, 2009
Way to Go, Oliver!!!
Here is Amy with Oliver, aka Rincon Oliver Twist RN, after completing their very first agility runs today. Their first run was in Novice Jumpers Preferred and Oliver placed first in the class and ran 10 seconds under course time with a score of 100!. In their Standard Preferred run, they also placed first, with a score of 95, (he overshot the table). It was great fun to watch, I'm sure they'll be a very successful team. Mr. Darcy came with us, and he and Oliver got to play after the Jumpers run and after the Standard run. They are such goofy boys. Kathy and Wyatt came along, too, and Wyatt enjoyed his day out as well. Yesterday the silly Cardi puppies were 6 months old, where does the time go? RJ and Meg are entered at the upcoming Simi Valley and Santa Barbara KC shows at the end of August in Santa Barbara. Should be fun!
Posted by Kathy Dolge at 5:59 PM
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