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Springtime is coming! It is inevitable!
This may be true, but it was 72 here Tuesday, its 39 today and its going to snow a little on Monday they say.
Dear Banished,
Of course I am not completely sure, but I think we might be in the same pompous land. My part of it is -10 (F!!!) this morning and we had an actual BLIZZARD two days ago. (If we are in the same pompous land, it is clear that it is a very BIG pompous land.) And one more thing... um... oh... snow, no snow, cold, warm... what-evs. SPRINGTIME IS COMING!!! YAY!!!
Le Sanglier du Nord
P.S. Hi OSM! The sap is running. It is sugaring time here in Niflheim!
Yes indeed we are in the same pompous land though I'm somewhat south of you in SE Virginia on the coast. But its certainly been an atypical winter here. I've only experienced 3 snows in 10 years before this and now 4 snow storms in 2 months. 10 school snow days! Which is ludicrous considering that not one of the snow storms dropped more than 6 inches. Im sure you'd regard this as being as feeble as I do. OSM and I were both raised oop North where as everyone knows, it is proverbially grim.
Dear Banished,
We have so much in common! I used to live in SW Virginia, in the mountains. See? We are practically old friends! I did not know that it was proverbially grim in the North of England. To my inexperienced eyes, it looks like a delightful place for a holiday. It is hard for non-school-bus-driving adults to understand about the snow day thing. Let's face it, south-rons just don't have the snow experience to get the kids to school safely.
Le Sang
P.S. Hi again OSM! I took a pic of my daffodil watercolor painting for you but it turned out too blurry to post. (I continue to tremor my way towards the inevitable cessation of all earthly suffering.) My house looks like King Winter's Palace, heaping piles of frozen snow, downed pine branches, and 5 foot icicles hanging off the roof. But REALLY... the sap is running... slowly... maybe not actually running... maybe just dripping a little bit.
Here's my dripping joke....
A woman visits her local butcher.
'Do you keep dripping?' She asks the butcher.
'Yes, madam, I do' replied the butcher.
'Awkward isn't it?' Responded the woman.
I wish you had a like button. Sometimes I have nothing to say but just want you to know I liked it...
Errr, I'll have to investigate that facility...
Thanks for the 'like' anyhoo!
Now get back to writing your never less than fascinating blog.


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We planned to start at back to school time, but with two boys in football and my daughter in tennis, there wasn't a free evening that we were all home at the same time. So in comes December. What a perfect time to get Christmas crafts and projects done around the house!
This past Thursday we did paper ornament crafts:
These are the finished projects, Origami Paper Wreaths and Paint Sample Balls.
Origami Paper Wreaths what you need:
2 sheets of 12X12 scrap booking paper
These were the favorites of myself and the older kids. My youngest found it to frustrating and ended up just cutting our leftovers into smaller pieces, keeping him busy.
8 Paint Samples (large & solid colors)
Large circle punch, or a circle cutter
Tacky Glue
Clothes Pins
Start by cutting all eight paint samples into the largest circle you can by either using a punch or circle cutter. Then on the back sides take a dull exacto knife and score a triangle into the back of them. I did not measure, which is why ours didn't match up perfectly, but I didn't mind. Fold the triangle parts up to make flat areas for gluing. Start gluing one flat section to the next clothes pinning along the way. We found that two clothes pins per side worked the best. Glue four sections together to form a bowl, then do the other four sections together. It is then easier to just combine the two bowl shaped pieces. Let them thoroughly dry and glue in a ribbon for hanging, or just place them on the branch. Each one will be unique depending on the paint colors that the kids pick out.
2 sheets of 12X12 scrap booking paper
Paper cutter
I didn't take individual pictures of how to make these, but they are basic origami triangles. I learned how to make these from Martha Stewart with On Demand Programming. You can also see how to make them from this You Tube video. She very nicely shows you the same fold that I taught my kids. I was unable to find the directions on Martha's webiste, but be sure to check OnDemand if you have that service.
These were the favorites of myself and the older kids. My youngest found it to frustrating and ended up just cutting our leftovers into smaller pieces, keeping him busy.

subset: commoncrawl


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Today is the feast of St. John the Baptist, and the priest who celebrated the Mass we attended this morning gave a very interesting homily about him. He reminded us that St. John the Baptist was not afraid to speak out against sin, even though it ultimately cost him his life. Recall that King Herod, who was married, publicly took Herodias (the wife of his half-brother Phillip) as his mistress. St. John the Baptist spoke out against Herod's wickedness and Herod imprisoned him as a result. Herodias then plotted with her daughter Salome to have St. John the Baptist killed. (Mark 6:17-28).
As Christians, how often do we take an unpopular stand about what is right and wrong? When modern culture celebrates immoral behavior, are we willing to speak out in opposition?
Obviously, we must take care to direct our criticism towards the sinful behavior rather than towards the sinner. We are all sinners by virtue of being human, and Christ calls us to be merciful. Let us not forget, however, that in the famous passage about the Pharisees and the adulteress where Jesus told the Pharisees: "Let the one among you who is without sin cast the first stone." (John 8:7), He went on to tell the woman "Go, and sin no more." (John 8:11). We are called to be merciful towards sinners, but they are also clearly expected to refrain to the best of their ability from repeating that sin.
Fortunately, in our country, we do not have to worry that speaking out against sin will cause us to become a martyr like St. John the Baptist. However, we may still have to pay a price for sticking up for our beliefs. Those caught up in the hedonism will likely insult us. We might not get a hoped-for job as it appears Dr. James Holsinger, Jr. may not or even lose our jobs as Gen. Peter Pace did. It is not easy following the "narrow way" that Christ calls us to in Matthew 7:14. May we look to the example of St. John the Baptist to help us find the courage to speak out for what is right regardless of the price we may have to pay for doing so!
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Happy St. John the Baptist Day!
Posted by Crimson Wife at 5:10 PM
Labels: Catholicism, Holiday
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I love Savannah. No, I mean I am crazy in love with this town. The charm, the architecture, the people... the beach right down the road. I may have to make this my go-to city for vacations. That's how much I love it. I got a few pictures when we went downtown yesterday, which I will post when I get home, before my dad started not feeling well and needed to get back to the hotel.
But all is good, we leave for WDW in about an hour!


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This 66-game shorten NBA season is coming to an end. The final weekend of the regular season and playoff seeding/positioning will be up for grabs in the remaining days of the regular season. This Thursday (April 26th), is the final night of the regular season, with the NBA Playoffs beginning on Saturday (April 28th). In this post I will highlight the update-to-date Conference Standings, let you in on who's getting what seed and who's going to grab the last couple remaining playoff seeds. Check back next week when I will provide you with a "juicy" NBA Playoff Preview of the First Round match-ups.
Check out the up-to-date Conference Standings
Eastern Conference
As you can see, 7 of the 8 seeds are accounted for with the Knicks clinching a spot this past week, while the 8th and final spot is still up for grab. The Philadelphia 76ers are currently sitting in the 8th spot at (32-30), with the Milwaukee Bucks 3.5 games behind them at (29-33). Both teams have 4 remaining games left (76ers 4 away games; Bucks 1 away, 3 home), and its hard to see the 76ers not being able to win at least one of their final four games. With that said, with the Knicks lose to the Cavs on Friday night, they are only .5 game in front of Philly and I could easily see those two teams flip flop before the end of the season. The hottest team in the East has to be the current 3rd seeded Indiana Pacers (41-22) currently on a 7-game winning streak and winners of their last 9 out of 10. Will the Pacers be able to hang come playoff time? The playoff team that received the worst news of the week, the Orlando Magic, who will be without their Superman Dwight Howard for the remainder of the season (back surgery). Pretty much, puts the cherry on top, of what the Magic roller coaster season and all the rumors/drama involving the Magic's big man. In the middle, the Celtics are the Atlantic Division champs, but sit a game and half behind the 5th seeded Atlanta Hawks and are in serious jeopardy of starting the playoffs on the road. The NBA has this stupid thing that if you have a better record then the higher-division winner, you get the home-court advantage in the playoffs (I believe its only happened once before, #6 seed LA Clippers vs. #3 Denver Nuggets, 2006 NBA Playoffs).
Battle for the Eastern Conference #1 seed: Bulls hold a 1.5 games lead over the Heat
Bulls games to go: vs. Dallas (4/21), @ Indiana (4/25), vs. Cleveland (4/26)
Heat games to go: vs. Washington (4/21), vs. Houston (4/22), @ Boston (4/24), @ Washington (4/26)
I'll make it simple on you all, Both teams win out, Bulls nip the Heat by a game to grab the #1 seed for the second straight year, but will they be able to use the home-court advantage to beat the Heat in a Best of 7 game series, this time around? (Heat beat the Bulls, in the 2011 Eastern Conference Finals, 4-1)
Western Conference
While the East is pretty much set as is, the Western Conference is anywhere but that. With less then a week left in the regular season, 6 spots are locked up with three teams battling for the final two spots. Then you have the LA squads fighting each other for the Pacific Division/3rd seed. The loser in that race will go up against #5 seed Memphis Grizzles, winners of 3 straight and 8 out of 10, are out to prove last season's playoff run wasn't a "one-hit" wonder. Maybe, the Grizzles still have a chance to move up and past one of the two LA squads, if either of them were to fall apart in the final week. Then you have Dallas (who's already clinched a spot), Nuggets, Suns, Jazz fighting for positioning for 6th, 7th, and 8th. Sorry Houston fans, but with the recent 6-game skid, I am personally keeping them out of this discussion (even tho they are only 1 game back of the 8th spot, the tie-breaker hurt 'em). So lets check out the current 6-10 seeded teams out West remaining schedules, along with the Pacific Division race.
Battle for 6th, 7th, and 8th out West: Currently Dallas (36-28), Denver (34-28), Phoenix (33-30)
Mavs games to go: @ Chicago (4/21), @ Atlanta (4/26)
Nuggets games to go: @ Phoenix (4/21), vs. Orlando (4/22), @ OKC (4/25), @ Minnesota (4/26)
Suns games to go: vs. Denver (4/21), @ Jazz (4/24), vs. Spurs (4/25)
Jazz games to go: vs. Orlando (4/21), vs. Phoenix (4/24), vs. Portland (4/26)
Man, this is going to be a wild finish, especially with a couple of games matching these teams together. I want to say right now I like the way it looks currently, but I know that probably won't happen, so lets just see how it all plays out, if anything it will be very entertaining to watch thats for sure.
Battle for the Pacific Division: Lakers currently hold a .5 game lead on the Clippers
Lakers games to go: vs. OKC (4/22), @ Sacramento (4/26)
Clippers games to go: vs. New Orleans (4/22), @ Atlanta (4/24), @ New York (4/25)
Moneys on "Showtime" in this race.
Battle for the Western Conference #1 seed: Spurs hold a .5 lead over the Thunder
Spurs games to go: vs. Cleveland (4/22), vs. Portland (4/23), @ Phoenix (4/25), @ Golden State (4/26)
Thunder games to go: @ LA Lakers (4/22), vs. Sacramento (4/24), vs. Denver (4/25)
Spurs win this race, but a lot the 1 seed did for them last year, Grizzles bounced them in 6 games as the #8 seed, will history repeat itself.
Due to the amount of key games this final week, I will provide you with the NBA Schedule, and you come up with your own list of "Games of the Week".


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|Here she is....my partner in crime! :)
|See how stuffed she is? I love it!
|Awaiting my next to-do, appointment, list, or inspiration!
WARNING!! This blog is for the Grown & Sexy!! There WON'T be ANY nude photos...but I do keep it 100% real so without further ado...Welcome to a blog about my obsession with my Filofax and Filofax in general :) So grab your cup of java (...or glass of wine), relax and enjoy the ride!
|Here she is....my partner in crime! :)
|See how stuffed she is? I love it!
|Awaiting my next to-do, appointment, list, or inspiration!
Good morning Monnique.
Many years ago, I used a DayTimer and loved it. I switched to a Palm which I also loved, but I never felt as organized as I did with an analog planner.
I am gradually switching back to paper, but I can't decide what to use. Right now I am using a Moleskine weekly with notes. I have to have something light enough to carry with me everywhere.
I look forward to following your blog for ideas on what to do.
Hi Elaine! Thank you so much for stopping by! I had an affair with a PDA as well. I used a Palm III until the screen cracked. I liked it, but I mainly played games on it. It just didn't quite work for me. When the color PDAs hit the market I jumped on board and even with color it still wasn't right. I had almost forgotten about that! I have so many other things to talk about and ideas to share so stick around & tell your friends!ReplyDelete
it really go to see that i am not the only one that feels the relationship between filo and myself. i also have the dakota in a5 its my first filo. also had the same problem with the strap.uhh. so yes i'm currently waiting on my malden a5 but i think ill be needing one in personal size too. we shall see. ill be peaking around. read you later :)ReplyDelete
Hi Monnique, Ebony is incredible!! Makes me want to run out and get a black Malden!! (: I must have missed the photos when I read the blog post from my Iphone! Anywho.. I've already told you, but awesome job!! Can't wait to see your setup and how it's working for you. Best, A.ReplyDelete
Hi Monique, loved your post, I too have a Malden and love it. I'm amazed at how your whole family has taken to Filofaxing, that's just awesome ! My beloved family just look at me scribbling in my Malden again and roll their eyes ! Thanks for sharing.ReplyDelete
A stuffed Malden, a Filo-toting husband, and future Filofaxers in your children? Sounds like organiser heaven!ReplyDelete


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Saturday, May 05, 2007
Margy's Beijing Journal: What Have We Here?
Tonight, as Margy was finishing up her workday, her friends/hosts asked a familiar question in a most unfamiliar way. Instead of the usual "What would you like to eat tonight?" or "What are you in the mood for now?" they asked, "Would you like to eat some donkey?"
"Sure..." Margy said, not a little timidly. "Is it good?"
Next thing she knew she was whisked off to what seemed like the outskirts of town, where she and her posse drove down a dirt road and arrived at a building that was hopping with activity and aglow from the neon sign out front (Margy says she saw lots of neon on her trip). The sign was translated for her: "Beijing's #1 Donkey Restaurant."
Now that I think of it, I neglected to ask how many other donkey restaurants there are in Beijing.
The place offered its signature ingredient in an array of preparations, and Margy's party chose donkey patties (top right). She said they were quite good, covered with sesame seeds and filled with juicy red meat. (The big pot holds a mountain of tofu, which was eaten with the sauces, presumably nondonkey all, in front of the pot.) I think she understood that her hang-ups -- if, in fact, she had any; I'm not quite sure -- were purely cultural and that hey, this is where you eat donkey, so gimme some. When I got her text message about this swashbuckling dinner, I said to myself, I married the right girl. Of course, then I said to myself, Wait, I've never eaten donkey.
So send me to China and bring me to Beijing's #1 Donkey Restaurant, and I'll do my part. But you know what they say about donkey: It goes straight to your ass!
Labels: Chinese, donkey, restaurants
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Windows - Other
Satellite TV for PC Elite Edition!!!
Download FREE And Anonymously
Torrent info
Name:Satellite TV for PC Elite Edition!!!
Total Size: 12.31 MB
Magnet: Magnet Link
Seeds: 0
Leechers: 0
Stream: Watch Full Movie @ Movie4u
Last Updated: 2010-10-30 04:59:21 (Update Now)
Torrent added: 2009-08-28 01:24:52
Alternatives:Satellite TV for PC Elite Edition!!! Torrents
Torrent Files List
Satellite.TV.for.PC.Elite.Edition (Size: 12.31 MB) (Files: 2)
satellitesetup.exe12.30 MB
Satellite.TV.for.PC.Elite.Edition.nfo1.48 KB
Announce URL: http://open.tracker.thepiratebay.org/announce
Torrent description
? Satellite.TV.for.PC.Elite.Edition ?
A great software package that turns your computer into a super TV.
Absolutely free satellite TV channels. There is no need to buy any
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Download this software and follow the instructions to start the
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Install note
When installing the app a password box will pop up put in this serial tvpc2006
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Satellite TV for PC Elite Edition0 0 307.64 KB 0


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It's INQmobile again! #212:00 PM
Hey guys! Remember the previous entry that I blogged about INQ Mini 3G roadshow? Did you guys went down?
Anyway, regarding the e-voucher that I've mentioned in my earlier post..
It is extended and is now redeemable at all hello stores till 30 Nov!
Heres the E-voucher again!
Hope you guys had fun with the INQ mobile! :D


text: Hey- another '83 5kT owner! Not too many of us left of the Type 43 fold. Wish mine wasn't such a rust-bucket- I love the Teutonic version of styling and the simplicity of the mechanical systems. But it gets lighter every time I drive it! So what clogs a catalytic converter? I can only imagine parts of the cat itself that has broken off. What else could get into the system- the exhaust upstream of the cat is all SST, so no rust. On my '83, I 'cleaned out' the cat- what some folks would refer to 'broom-handling' it, except I used a air hammer. Maybe I should do that to my 90q as well. Thanks for the input- if you need any help on the 5000, let me know- I know that car better than any other I've ever had. Charley '89 90q '84 4kq '83 5kT -----Original Message----- From: TEX TERRY, II [mailto:texactii at csonline.net] Sent: Friday, March 19, 2004 7:01 AM To: Charles.DePenning at EmersonProcess.com Subject: Re: Rough Running 90q Hi Charles - I receive the digest form of the list, so little bit late in responding. Did you ever get any helpful response (to your message below), or do you still have the problem? Since you said that you had very little difference (in engine running) when you pulled each spark plug lead, I would guess that all the cylinders are firing. This would also mean that you do not have any clogged injectors. The build up of the back pressure, caused by a clogged catalytic convertor, can definetly give the same symptoms you are having. I had this happen on my '83 5kt. I disconnected the cat, cleaned it out, put it back on (just for test purposes), and it made all the difference in the world. Due to many different items coming up, I have not been able to finish working on the car (think I have a faulty cold start injector now), but hopefully I will have it back on the road this summer. Tex Terry, II 83 5kt sedan (non-quattro) Franklin, PA USA > Message: 4 > Date: Thu, 18 Mar 2004 11:24:05 -0600 > From: "DePenning, Charles [EPM/MTN]" > <Charles.DePenning at EmersonProcess.com> > Subject: Rough Running 90q > To: "'quattro at audifans.com'" <quattro at audifans.com> > Message-ID: > <619264F5DAF02344BC3B7F279A474245071684C8 at mxsfrcomtn1.na.emersonprocess.com> > > Content-Type: text/plain > > Hiya, I'm looking for some technical help with my '89 90q. Here are > the > symptoms: Starts ok cold & warm, but runs very rough, like it is > missing on > one or more cylinders. It idles ok some of the time, then devolves > into roughness, shaking, sputtering. If I rev it up a bit and hold > the throttle > at a set position, say, 2500 rpm, it smoothes right out, but getting there > is rough. Driving- no power. Moving it around my driveway is an exercise > in patience and lots of revs. This happened suddenly- I was driving > at highway speed and it just started this behavior and it's been this > way for a > couple of weeks. > Here's what I have checked: Pulled a 4444 from ECU. Fuel system pressure > great, good bleed down pressure. Great compression for 234,000 miles, > across all cylinders. Plugs look good. Pulled spark plug wires off > one at > a time, no discernable difference. Air filter ok. Pulled oil filler > cap off, didn't die right away, but started getting there. Visually > checked vacuum system for leaks (not that that says much). Tried the > propane torch > vac leak detection method- no increase in idle speed noticed. > > So, I've got a couple of ideas: blocked cat, big vacuum leak that I haven't > found, one or more plugged injectors. The fact that this started so > suddenly is what is throwing me a little into the realm of blocked something > or ripped hose somewhere. > > Whatdya think? > > Thanks in advance! > > Charley DePenning > '89 90q > '84 4kq > '83 5kT > > > ------------------------------ >


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Tuesday, April 26, 2011
PBS Newshour on Yemen
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Scholarship on Yemen?
I'd like to comment on the Carment piece first. While the article brings many of Yemen's problem's to light and may indeed be entirely factually correct, the author draws some interesting conclusions from assertions that are entirely undocumented within his paper. Carment claims that "Saleh's government is heavily influenced by al-Qaeda Arabs: jihadists who fought for him in the 1994 civil war after their return from Afghanistan." While it is true that "al-Qaeda Arabs" did support Saleh in crushing the southern secessionists in 1994 and General's such as Ali Mohsen are widely known to be sympathetic to the salafist-Sunni trend, Carment in no way substantiates the contention that "Saleh's government is heavily influenced by al-Qaeda Arabs." Instead, he goes on to further assert that "today, Bin Laden supporters are thought to be in positions of influence in the military and the government." Who thinks so?
The other assertion Carment makes is that "transitioning Yemen towards a more democratic system will only mean a hardening of tribal divisions and a deepening of the corruption, clientelism and cronyism that are rife throughout the country." This claim is also undocumented and offers little in the way of potential solutions. What does Carment suggest with this statement? That Yemen should transition towards a more authoritarian government?
In sum, it is a piece that should have shown up in the op-ed pages of a newspaper, and not under the pretense of a scholarly report. To be a scholarly work – whatever its length – an author should always seek to substantiate his or her claims though documentation that directs the reader to where the author found the information that allowed him or her to draw their conclusions. This allows the readership to draw as objective an understanding as possible – especially if the claims made are as important as the un-sourced ones looked at above.
Objectivity draws my attention to the Glevum Report which, by the way, references the Yemeni peaceful protests that began on January 18, 2011 as "protests and riots."
I would only like to address one question Glevum put to a polled group in Yemen. Question 14 asks "From what you know, or have heard from others, do the people in this area strongly support, somewhat support, somewhat oppose, or strongly oppose: the establishment of an Islamic Emirate in Yemen?" 86% of those polled believed that other Yemenis either somewhat or strongly supported this statement. What was their motive for answering this way? Why wasn't the question put directly to those polled? As a second order question (asking how one perceives the thinking of another), the data allows for too wide an interpretation. Do those polled believe the idea of an Islamic Emirate to be akin to what many Americans believe when they see the US as a "Christian Nation?" Are those polled more secular and making assumptions about their less secular brethren? Are Yemenis conditioned to this response regardless of their inner feelings and potential actions?
I could go on and on with similar questions. The truth is that the polled question is incredibly unclear and it is potentially dangerous to be disseminating (unqualified) information of this nature towards a western audience: information that (inadvertently?) plays upon the ongoing western public fear of the Muslim World and its efforts towards "Islamic Emirates."
Whatever that means.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Islamist Militancy in a Pre- and Post-Saleh Yemen
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
The Foundation for the Protection of the Arabian Leopard
The Foundation for the Protection of the Arabian Leopard Newsletter No. 16, March 31, 2011
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Sheila Carapico on Current Events in Yemen
Saving the Arabian Leopard
The person running The Foundation for the Protection of the Arabian Leopard in Yemen is David Stanton. Please give if you can, and tell them you saw the documetary here!
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Yemen and US Interests
Watch the "Inside Story" here:
The Gulf states are also in discussions about how the transitional government will take shape. As reported by Reuters,
"The talks in Saudi Arabia will discuss the modalities and mechanism for transition of power," another source close to the discussions told Reuters. "There are some names being circulated to head a transitional council."
These included Sheikh Hamid al-Ahmar, a leading figure among Yemen's powerful tribes, Abdulkarim al-Iryani, a U.S.-educated former prime minister and currently an adviser to Saleh, and another former premier Abdulaziz Abdul-Ghani.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Mai Yamani Comments on Yemen in the Daily Star
Since 2009, the United States has showered Saleh's government with military aid. But Washington is well aware that Al-Qaeda is an enemy of convenience for Saleh, and that the danger to the United States from post-Saleh chaos in Yemen is exaggerated.and...
The reality is that the United States has known for weeks that it cannot save Saleh's regime. Its concern for Saleh's political survival is closely linked to its guardianship of the Saudi regime


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The key to stopping a flu pandemic may lie in schoolchildren.
At school, kids are close together, they don't practice the best hygiene, and they help germs spread like pollen in spring. At home, they do the same with their families.
Giving them the best available vaccine at the earliest sign of a major epidemic might fend off a deadly pandemic, say two of the nation's most prominent influenza researchers, newly arrived at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.
"A lot of people believe kids are the best transmitters of the virus, and with a limited supply of vaccine, this might work," said Elizabeth Halloran, who has studied epidemics for decades. Source : The Seattle Times


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I am looking forward to attending Robert Owen Communities (ROC)'s annual summer barbeque and welcome event on 18 July.
Around 200 – 250 people are expected at the ROC-Welcome social club annual fundraising barbecue and disco for people with a learning disability, their friends and families.
This long established (former Gateway) club was taken over by ROC at the beginning of the year and a renewed scope and dynamic is being introduced.
Representatives from Treyew school, the Malabar community centre and ROC staff both from head office and the charity's Boscawen Farm, Blackwater, are expected to attend. As well as the new Mayor of Truro, along with representatives of the local Lions and Rotary clubs in support.
The barbeque will be held at Treyew Primary School, Albany Road, Malabar Estate, Truro TR1 3PQ, on Wednesday 18 July between 7-9pm
For more information see


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Monday, March 15, 2010
Eastern Market
Hello Eastern Market Friends. The Hiday Farm will be back to the Market on Saturday, March 27th. As usual we will have a full supply of our pasture raised/grass fed beef with us. We will also have some pig-aerator pork on hand.( pork used to help work up the manure compost in the barn). We have a batch of chickens started and hope to have them ready for market in May. If you want a Turkey for thanksgiving, Now is the time to place your order.
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Hi guys!
The United Kingdom & Eire Council for Malaysian Students (UKEC) is proud to present to you the 6th annual UKEC-GRADUAN Career Fair 2010. This is one of our initiatives to provide Malaysian students in UK and Ireland with graduate hire and even internship opportunities.
Co-hosted with GRADUAN, this Malaysian career fair will be held for 3 days, with the first day (28th March) being an all day exhibition style career fair. This is followed by 2 days of interview sessions in which the companies will schedule a session with you. However, do note that some companies may schedule your interview before the fair itself, so do send in your CVs as soon as possible.
The details are as follows;
Date: Sunday, 28th March 2010 (Career Fair)
Time: 9.00 am – 6.00 pm
Venue: University College London (UCL)
Date: Monday 29th and 30th March 2010 (Interview Sessions)
Time: 9.00 am- 6.00pm
Venue: University College London (UCL)
CV Submission Deadline : 7th March 2010You can find your ways to UCL here: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/maps/public-transport
All students are encouraged to attend the fair as it is a great chance for you to find out more about employment opportunities in Malaysia! There are even opportunities for experienced hire, so do come on down and speak with the top executives of the leading companies at our fair! The fair is mainly catered for Malaysians, however there are opportunities for other nationalities, depending on the companies.
Summer internships are also available for those who are in their first year and second year. Final students may find this fair useful as you may apply for job placements upon completing your degrees.
If you are interested in either applying for a summer internship or job placement, kindly send your CV to email@example.com and our participating firms will contact you should they have positions that suit your qualifications.
For the most recent list of our participating firms and other updates, please visit our updates page!
Kindly email Jeremy Ng, email@example.com or Zhen Shing, firstname.lastname@example.com if you have other questions or visit http://www.ukeconline.com/careerfair/ for more information.


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Mobile gaming has been a mixed bag for quite some time, especially when dealing with the smartphone market. Many times, developers confuse the passive gaming aspect of mobile gaming from the actually gaming environment of gamers that like more than to simply play Angry Birds or Bejeweled Blitz on their phone.
Many companies, like Sony, have tried hard to capture some of that market but fail to understand that people would rather stick to the devices they own rather than fork out some more money for a separate device that they don't need to be completely dedicated to gaming. Sony has been rather negative on the future of mobile gaming and their decision to not develop Vita games is a bit of a big deal.
When the Vita was released in 2012, Sony has developed MLB The Show for the device, but recently Masayasu Ito told 4Gamer that "first-party studios have no titles in development for PS Vita," adding that Sony Computer Entertainment's strategy now is "to focus on PS4." Of course, that is courtesy of a translation by DualShockers.
"Currently, first party studios have no titles in development for PS Vita. Since third parties are working very hard on PS Vita, SCE's own strategy is to focus on PS4, which is a new platform."
Given that Sony has only really developed MLB The Show for the handheld, it is not a completely devastating blow but the appearance of "lack of faith" could be enough for third-party developers to no longer pursue developing for the Vita.
It is possible that he "misspoke" or the translation was rough, given that Sony is releasing multi-colored options for the Vita and that Minecraft: PS Vita Edition has been doing well. It could, also, be that they do not have any games "currently" in development for the device as to focus on the PS4. With Microsoft changing the game a bit, this could be the reason for Sony to shift focus a bit.


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... not to keep putting the birthdays of friends and friend's children whom I do not keep in touch with on a regular basis on my calendar. It's just too much clutter. If I get a birthday card from you, then you'll get one from me. Otherwise, I'm reserving that space on my calendar for more momentus notes like "cleaned the basement" or "fertilized lawn."
P.S. So far I am winning the war with the doughnut.
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Lurgio Middle School Updates
Important school information.
Friday, May 19, 2017
8th Grade Parent Information Night @ BHS
8th Grade Parent Information Night will be on
May 22, 2017, at 6:00 PM
in the BHS Theater
. This is an opportunity for the parents of rising 9th graders to hear about life as a ninth grader and ask questions about the high school experience.
The 2017-2018 BHS Course Schedules will be released to students and families on
June 12th
June 13-June 16
: Add + Drop requests will be considered at BHS (rising 10-12 graders) during finals.
All current 8th graders will use a form to communicate requests.
It will be located in the Lurgio News emails. Copies will also be available in the Lurgio Guidance Office.
Posted by
Donna Dennis
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Feb. 22. 2008
Marubeni Corporation
Marubeni Corporation (''Marubeni'') announced today that it had concluded with Gazprom Marketing & Trading Ltd.("Gazprom M&T") their first transaction of forward delivered carbon credit under the Kyoto Protocol.
Marubeni already made an emission trading master agreement in Jan.2008 with Gazprom M&T, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Russia's largest energy company, Gazprom Group. Marubeni concluded the Forward Delivered Carbon Credit Transaction based upon the above master agreement with Gazprom M&T in Feb.2008.
This credit is to be delivered in Dec.2008.
In addition, Marubeni agreed in principle with Gazprom Group on a pre-study of feasibilities for comprehensive joint implementation for a GHG (Green House Gas) emission reduction and energy efficiency project.
The 1-st commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol commenced in 2008 and with it, the concern for global warming issues is growing. Many companies will consider contributing to the global environment by using carbon credits. Marubeni has participated in GHG emission reduction projects overseas, obtained emissions credits from its projects and has sold these to other Japanese companies. Through its cooperation for GHG reduction with Gazprom Group, which is Russia's largest company, Marubeni is empowering its function and organization to tackle the global warming problem and exploring various procurement routes and supply sources of emissions credits in order to meet market's diversifying needs.
Outline of Gazprom Marketing & Trading Ltd.
President & CEO : Andrey Vladimirovich Mikhalev
Location : 60 Marina Place, Hampton Wick Kingston Upon Thames Surrey KT1 4BH, U.K.
Outline of Business : Trading of Gas, Power, Oil and Carbon Credit


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Oct 20, 06 10:09
Post #1 of 5 (778 views)
I am signed up for IMAZ which will be my first IM. IM Louisville really appeals to me, but I am wondering how possible it is to do 2 Ironman Distance races in one year. They will be 19 weeks apart. I did my first HIM (Wildflower) earlier this year and will compete in my second (SOMA) next week. I have a strong running background and my swimming and cycling are getting better and better. Is it too much to consider doing 2 Ironman races so close together? For anyone who has done it, what sort of program did you use? What sort of recovery period did you take?


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US proposes labeling some nonbanks threats
WASHINGTON — Federal regulators have proposed that a group of firms that aren't banks be deemed potential threats to the financial system that need stricter government oversight.
Big insurers American International Group Inc. and Prudential Financial Inc., and General Electric Co.'s finance arm GE Capital, said they are among the firms. The near-collapse of AIG in 2008 helped trigger the financial crisis and it received a $182 billion federal bailout that it has since repaid.
|The article you requested is no longer available on BostonHerald.com.
- More On:
- American International Group Inc


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**Doy! I'm totally editing this, because I just found these that I'm in love with and I want much more than the Free People version. I would post the full picture, but I'm having trouble with it. So just click the link already, ok?! :)**
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Fall Wishlist
**Doy! I'm totally editing this, because I just found these that I'm in love with and I want much more than the Free People version. I would post the full picture, but I'm having trouble with it. So just click the link already, ok?! :)**
9 comments:
Hey, it's Summer. Sorry, not sure where to leave this, but I wondered if you saw that Rich & Skinny jeans were featured on sale on gilt today! :) Thought of ya!ReplyDelete
- JustineAugust 20, 2009 at 2:39 PM
Thanks, Summer!! I love that brand... I wish I were at the computer when it started. :( Boo. heheReplyDelete
I feel like I've seen over-the-knee boots everywhere today! I've been look at a million shoe websites lately (I just have this thing I gotta do on 10/17) and they've been on the "what's hot" page on all of them. I love them but my fear is looking like Julia Roberts a'la "Pretty Woman".ReplyDelete
I totally hear ya! That's why I think you have to do the flat OTK books instead of ones with heels. Less crazy. :)ReplyDelete
I just ordered these in brown...ReplyDelete
I PROMISE they won't look trashy- the brown color, chunkier heel, and bull nose toe give it a hippier vibe despite the height....
And I am wearing them with this http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/catalog/productdetail.jsp?id=933115&parentid=CLOTHES-DRESSES&pushId=CLOTHES-DRESSES&popId=CLOTHES&sortProperties=&navCount=20&navAction=top&fromCategoryPage=true&selectedProductSize=&selectedProductSize1=&color=001&colorName=BLACK&isSubcategory=trueReplyDelete
and some tights (I am thinking black for a bit of contrast to the brown boot and floral) in NYC when we go during fashion week (total coincidence we are going then...). Will add a turtleneck when weather gets cool enough
- JustineAugust 22, 2009 at 11:58 AM
Alicia, you are TOOO ADORABLE. I want your closet. Please? K thanks. :) And you will look hot in your boots. My sex appeal isn't nearly the level of yours. :)ReplyDelete
Whatev! Look at your Francesca's number hot mama!ReplyDelete
- gigiofcaAugust 27, 2009 at 11:56 PM
I got the BBDakota fur vest and love it! I ordered from Fred Flare.ReplyDelete


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I've been reflecting on some decisions I've taken recently, and trying to work out how I took them. I'm the sort of person who swithers a bit (good Scots word – maybe from a Norwegian root – meaning 'to be in two minds about something'). I like to think it's because I am carefully considering all sides of a problem rationally. But I'm not so sure (!) because when I do take the decision, it doesn't seem to have sprung from to the 'pros' and 'cons' that have obsessed me. It seems to come from somewhere else, fast, and leave me satisfied and sure.
The management gurus have, of course, known about all this stuff for ages. For example, do you know about 'Gary Klein's recognition primed decision making model'? No, nor did I until I dug around a bit in the theory. It's generally recognised that our intuitive powers and subconscious values have a lot to do with how we make decisions. The theorist who I like best about incorporating all sides of our deciding processes is Edward de Bono with his 'six hats' model, where you have the 'white hat' thinking (rational), 'red hat' (intuitive/emotional), 'black hat' (cautious/pessimistic), 'yellow hat' (optimistic), 'green hat' (creative) and 'blue hat' (keeping all of these hats aware of the Big Picture). You consider all these aspects, give them all space and value, listen to everything that is being said, and then set it all in the frame of your over-arching vision.
You could use this well for group dynamics in decision making, but it also works for personal swithering. Except it doesn't really tell you how to make the final decision. That, it would seem, is almost beyond 'choice'. I love the bit in Ursula Le Guin's Wizard of Earthsea, where the Master Summoner says to the young wizard Ged, "You thought, as a boy, that a mage is one who can do anything. So I thought once. So did we all. And the truth is that as a man's real power grows and his knowledge widens, ever the way he can follow grows narrower: until at last he chooses nothing, but does only and wholly what he must do …"
So how do we align all this with the movement of the Holy Spirit?


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After leaving Bleacher Report in a huff a few months ago, after not being able to take the stupidity of fellow writers who consider themselves to be "journalists", all while ruining reputations for the lot of us (those that actually have some brain wave activity left), I stumbled upon the new program that is sweeping the blogging nation, something that is called "Associated Content", ran by Yahoo.
At first I did not give it much thought—the associated content articles blended right in with the real pieces on that site. There is no way to tell the different except for a minuscule logo at the top of the page, something you would not be looking for if you are just searching for something to read.
The way associated content works is that you sign up for it (no approval needed) and after completing the application and hooking up your Paypal account, you then start writing articles placed in a queue for availability. After you "claim" one, you then write it, send it to an editor, and then publish. But here's the kicker, you get paid. I actually signed up for this to see what it's all about. Some of these stories get $10-15 each, and Yahoo even offers $2 bonuses on some if it is written by a certain time.
This is no way different from Bleacher Report, that other sports site where one needs no credentials to call himself a writer. Now an established site like Yahoo is not only welcoming untalented, unintelligent writers, but they are actually paying them. This is absolute nonsense and shows just why bloggers do not get taken seriously. This new Yahoo program is going to do nothing but cause even more harm. Because of this, how many "writers" are now going to go around saying they work for Yahoo? At first they may be given credentials or access to whatever it is that they want, but after Associated Content becomes more well known, then it will be over for all of us. Sports teams, mainly hockey, will now shut out what small percentage of independent bloggers they don't ignore already, and that is why it is so important to get the word out there about this garbage, and hope Yahoo ends this program.
People go to an independent blog like this for opinion, but they go to a major sports outlet like Yahoo for news. There is no room for frauds posing as real writers, because without even knowing it, readers could be looking at a prepubescent highschooler's rumblings on college football posed as news, when what they really wanted was professionally written news.
The latest example of this journalistic atrocity comes from an article sent to me last night, and one that is slowly making its way around the Rangers blogosphere (even people that hate the Rangers are blown away by this). Normally, it would be a bad thing to promote something like this, figuring ignoring it would be the best response. But this one is just too stupid to pass up—from the article's title all the way through its content, it shows that you do not even need a brain to write for Yahoo.
First of all, there is a typo in the title. This is an article written about the New York Rangers, mind you: NFL Fan Trash Talk: Why the New York Rangers Are the Worst Team in the NHL, by Tara Clapper. I didn't know the Rangers were in the National Football League? (Go give it a read.)
In this piece of asinine, mind-numbing refuse, this author who admits she is a Flyers fan, blatantly and randomly tears apart the Rangers. I have no problem with this because 75% of Ranger bloggers tear the team apart on a regular basis. But what she actually writes about makes no sense whatsoever, and makes her seem like a paranoid five-year old who has never seen one game of hockey before.
Let's take a look at the first paragraph:
The New York Rangers are the NHL's weakest team. Beyond the stats, they can't hold together a solid fan base due to multiple rivalries and spats over lineups. As a fan of Philadelphia sports teams, my disdain for rival New York teams is rather natural. Philly sports fans are constantly tested or made to feel inferior by trash-talking fans from New York teams.
First of all, the Rangers have not finished in last place overall since before I was born (or have they ever?), even with all their mediocrity. Second, what exactly does she mean by not being able to hold together a solid fan base? Don't the Rangers finish top-five in attendance every season? Don't the Rangers sell out every game? Didn't the Rangers even sell out almost every game from 1997-2004, a seven-year stretch of missing the playoffs? Perhaps Philly teams are made to seem "inferior" by New York fans because of idiots like you. Ever think of that?
After skipping a second paragraph that almost made me choke on my coffee because of a hysterical laughter, we move to her third talking point titled , "Fan Base Not United":
Philly fans are the worst—we'll boo our own teams if they make a bad move and don't compensate. The Flyers, however, manage to hold the fans together. They always come through by bullying the opposing team or pulling the goalie when they're down in overtime. The Rangers have a tamer, more predictable fan base—but the team unity is noticeably weak, creating division and derision among fans.
Aren't the Rangers famous for booing their teams? Take this year's home opener for example, the Blueshirts got the New York Treatment right off the bat when they were booed after the second, and cheered after the third. Philly fans aren't the only ones that take it out on their team (ever watch a Canadiens game?) And as for the Rangers having a more tame and predictable fan base, I'll let Section 420 speak for itself.
Oh, and something I just noticed upon editing: how exactly can you be "down in overtime"?
With Drury out on injury, Rangers fans are going ballistic. (Even the team's official Twitter account seems to echo panic and doubt regarding the injury.) The fans recognize that the team relies too heavily on an individual player, even if he is team captain, and that's creating panic instead of support among fans.
That's funny, I don't recall one Ranger fan shedding a tear over Chris Drury's injury. In fact, I think that's the one thing we are united on, that the Rangers play better without him than with him. And as for relying too heavily on Drury, a player who scored an astounding, record-breaking 14 goals last season, are you kidding me? Were you born yesterday?
Finally, without even being able to articulate what I want to say about this last paragraph, I will let this piece of brilliance stands on its own. I am dumbfounded that something like this was even formed in a brain, before a series of actions led for the information to be carried to the fingers, and then on to typing. Furthermore, I cannot believe that this passed by an editor and was allowed to be published:
Without going into too much detail, it's safe to say that individual team members on the Rangers have put their team in the proverbial penalty box. In the 2000s, individual team members have experienced the usual amount of sex scandals and accompanying teasing. Real anti-Rangers continue to insinuate that the Rangers' Richter is a communist because he is accused of allowing the USA to lose during the Olympics. (Additional conservative banter further accuses him of communist affiliations because he opposed George W. Bush shortly after Sept. 11—an attitude not uncommon in his native Abington, Pa. While most people dislike Bush now, it was an extremely unpopular stance just after the terrorist attacks, specifically in New York.)
With that last talking point, I would like to thank Yahoo for destroying what little credibility they have left, aside from bloggers like Greg Wyshynski, who I hope will read this and take action. As a man of hockey, it is your duty to see that garbage like this has no place on the web next to Puck Daddy. As for now, I can't think of anything else to say—I think Ms. Clapper said it all.
UPDATE: Check out 5-Hole Blog's response to the original article, and a link up on mine.


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» Back to Sn@pshots Lottery News
Crossword Scratch-off Fan Sees Loyalty RewardedTuesday, June 13th, 2017
Baltimore man wins $10,000
A Baltimore man who has tried just about every game the Maryland Lottery has to offer over the years said he always returns to crossword-style instant tickets as his go-to game. The youth counselor's choice paid off with a $10,000 prize.
"I picked out the Deluxe Crossword game and took it home to play," said the 61-year-old winner. "It seems like I've played it a million times. I'm that familiar with how it works, so when I saw the number of words I was uncovering, I knew something special was happening."
Despite that familiarity with the game and despite what he was seeing, the loyal player remained unconvinced about his win. "Half of my brain was telling me that I'd won $10,000 but the other half was saying no," he said. "It took some time for me to accept that it was real."
It hardly took any time at all, however, to decide how to spend his winnings. "I hadn't even really caught my breath yet when I could see myself depositing the Lottery check in the bank," he said. "I've always been a saver, have always wanted to have extra cash in case of problems. I'll soon have a bigger rainy day fund than I ever expected."
The owners of Paradise Liquors at 2223 Pennsylvania Avenue in Baltimore, which is where he found his winning scratch-off, are sure to see our winner's face again. "Once I've had luck in a place, I tend to go back. That's my plan now," he said. "I want that $50,000 top prize."
The $5 Crossword Deluxe game has four of those $50,000 top prizes remaining along with 10 $10,000 prizes and thousands of others ranging from $5 to $1,000.


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The cartoon is by one of my favorites. Scott Adams has been poking fun, through Dilbert, at American business and society on a grand scale since 1995, drawing from his experience working in business and project development. He has other interests, besides:
Russia Hacked our Election! (So what?)
I see a consensus forming that Russia attempted to influence our election with fake news and other social media shenanigans.
But why?
It's an entry in Scott Adams' Blog, and it's worth some diagnosis. Here are a few snippets along with my comments:
If you start with the assumption that Russia is an enemy of the United States, you probably assume they do bad things to us simply to weaken our power and effectiveness. For example, this article hypothesizes that Russia's intention was to breed distrust between whoever became president and our intelligence services. I guess that hypothesis sort-of-almost makes sense. But I wouldn't say it passes my personal sniff test.
What is absurd in a minor way is his use of the term "assumption." Take that away and also substitute "Vladimir Putin" for "Russia," and you get a picture that has considerable credence. Former KGB foreign intelligence officer in the and current president, seemingly for life, of the Russian state gives all the appearances of being a very bad character. Any difference between Vladimir Putin and a heavy-handed dictator is difficult to discern. Not to sound conspiratorial, but people who oppose Putin tend to die a lot, in the most prejudicial ways. No examples given. None need be.
That Putin, through Russia, is opposed to this country and to much of Western political influence is manifest in his actions in Georgia and Ukraine. Adams might want to have his sniffer tested.
Then there's the more popular theory that the Russians were colluding with the Trump campaign because Putin thought he could somehow control President Trump via blackmail, or business ties, or something else we're imagining. I guess that could be true. Sort of. But that doesn't pass my sniff test either.
Again, Scott, get thee to a clinic to have thy sniffer tested. If Putin is not exercising blackmail over the President of the United States, it would only be because he has no need to. The accommodation given to the Russian dictatorship by Donald Trump is without parallel in history.
Photo attribution is given to the Associated Press, but I have it on good evidence that I need not worry about stepping on their copyright, because the ultimate source is an agency of the Russian government. The President of the United States invited the Russian press but excluded any member of the American press. This came the day after President Trump fired the director of the FBI, apparently because Director James Comey would not lay off investigating Trump's dealings with the Russians. And finally, if the Russians want to come at me for copyright infringement, then let them have at it.
Then there's the hypothesis that Russia was messing with our democratic system to weaken the country by sowing distrust about the election process, or possibly by electing a president they believed would be less effective. But I have a hard time believing the Russians thought Trump would be ineffective. Maybe they just thought he would be divisive, and perhaps they thought that's good for Russia in some way.
Scott has a "hard time believing Trump would be ineffective." Then he must have a hard time believing the Russians are not stupid. That Trump is ineffective is manifest on a broad scale. The president the Russians did not believe would be ineffective is proving to be an embarrassment to his own party. Republicans may swoon at his tweeted goals, but they are confounded by the litany of prevarications and contradictions coming daily. Daniel Dale of the Toronto Star has cataloged 300 (and more?) miscues from Donald Trump since 20 January this year. Considering the term "ineffective" we need only to think "NATO." NATO, set up by retired General Eisenhower and President Truman after World War Two to oppose Soviet expansion in Europe, is a constant obstruction to Putin's European ambitions. Our effective president first declared NATO a non-entity, then forswore our obligations under the treaty, then reaffirmed these same obligations. How many different ways are there to spell "ineffective?"
As Putin accurately pointed out in a recent interview, hackers can make their attacks seem to come from other sources, including Russia. I assume there are hundreds, if not thousands, of Trump-supporting Americans with the skills to hack poorly-secured servers. Even if you assume Putin wanted to hack American servers, he would have needed to get in line to do it. Given all the American hackers who opposed Hillary Clinton, there is perhaps a one-in-a-hundred chance Putin's hackers (if they exist) got to the DNC and Clinton's servers before the hordes of non-Russian hackers did it. So even if Putin tried, the odds are low that his team got to the good stuff first.
It's hard to get past "Putin accurately pointed out in a recent interview." It is heartening to know we can count on a Russian dictator for sound advice. What I find interesting is that Scott, who formerly worked in the industry, is not current with the technology. He is also not up on the findings of people who do this sort of thing for a living. The people who do this sort of thing for a living, e.g., the CIA, FBI, NSA, have found the attacks came from the Russians, disguised has having come from elsewhere. American intelligence services also determine the blame ultimately falls at the feet of Vladimir Putin. In response, Scott is going to have to tell us our intelligence agencies are lying to us. But this he has not done. Additionally, Scott's analysis of cyber attacks is naive at the least. He appears to buy into the Hollywood view of spies breaking encrypted passwords. Unfortunately for him, that is not the way this stuff is usually done. All successful attacks I have seen reported in the news have been by way of "social engineering" You trick somebody into revealing the password, or you plant somebody (Edward Snowden) inside to steal the information you want. Scott may want to read up on the history of computer intrusion.
Let's say Russia did attempt to influence American voters to support Trump. The first question I have to ask is this: Aren't all the big countries trying to influence elections in all the other countries, all the time? If Russia did try to influence an American election, wouldn't that be business as usual? Do we imagine the United States is NOT trying to influence foreign elections through our own fake news and social media manipulations? I always assumed we do that sort of thing. I base that assumption on the following observation about human beings:
Is it possible Scott previously denied the Russians did this stuff, and now he is saying so what if they did it? Our intelligence services say that is exactly what the Russians, under the direction of Vladimir Putin, did.
But let's get back to Russia's presumed payoff for somehow destabilizing the United States. I think we need to check that assumption because Putin seems like a smart guy. It's hard for me to believe he thinks he would come out ahead by destabilizing the world's most important military and economic power. And that is doubly true when you are teaming with that country to fight ISIS, put a cap on North Korea, and keep the economy chugging along. It's hard for me to imagine a scenario in 2017 in which Russia gains by poking America with a sharp stick. The probable outcome seems more bad than good. Who wants a pissed-off nuclear superpower looking in your direction? It doesn't pass the sniff test. If Putin were an idiot, I could see him wanting to cause this sort of trouble just because he was dumb.
Scott goes on to say Putin is not dumb.
He finds it difficult to believe Russia (Vladimir Putin) would seek to check us who "are teaming with that country to fight ISIS." Please replay the most recent state of this teaming to defeat ISIS:
The U.S. downing of a Syrian government jet over the weekend marks an escalation in the long Syrian conflict, although Russia's bold response Monday to view U.S. aircraft in the region as legitimate "targets" is seen more as "bluster" than anything else.
Yes, the United States and Russia are so hunky-dory on all matters of defense. Yes, Scott, this does pass the smell test.
I'd like to introduce a new hypothesis to explain why Russia might have wanted to influence American elections: They believed a Hillary Clinton presidency would be a disaster to the world, including Russia.
The best observation is that Putin strongly opposed Hillary Clinton and desired strongly that she not become president. Not so much the rest of the world, where Clinton holds great popularity. Trump and Putin not so much.
Did Putin or other Russian nationals try to influence American elections? I assume so. I also assume America has done the same – in terms of influence on their local politics – to Russia, and to every one of our allies.
Finally, Scott Adams turns his argument around. That the Russians were behind the attacks on the 2016 election is something that does not pass his smell test, and finally that—his smell test notwithstanding—it is true. His assumptions aside.
And that is what I call a minor absurdity.


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Zebra Suede Plush Bean Bag
The Zebra relax plush bean bag.
- Height: 70 cm
- Filling: 90 l
- Base: 110 cm
- Material: Suede
Regular Price €212.00 Special Price €149.95
In stock
Zebra Suede Plush Bean Bag
This wonderful comfy bean bag has an amazing style with its soft gentle material, which wraps around you when you sit down and keeps you warm and snug. Is it black with white stripes? Or white with black stripes? Kids and adults love it as it is a little different to the rest of our ranges, but has become a big seller. Made for extra comfort and warmth it is a lovely moveable piece of furniture. Made from high quality filling and durable easy to clean material, this bean bag will be a big asset to have in your house.
Zebra Suede Plush Bean Bag main characteristics:
- Zebra patterned design in faux fur..
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- Perfect for adults or kids.


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Amazon Corporate Governance
Amazon's corporate governance is to "focus relentlessly on our customers. Make bold investment decisions in light of long-term leadership considerations rather than short-term profitability considerations. There is more innovation ahead of us than behind us, and to that end, we are committed to extending our leadership in e-commerce in a way that benefits customers and therefore, inherently, investors -- you can't do one without the other. Some of these bold investments will pay off, others will not, but we will have learned a valuable lesson in either case. Focus on cash. When forced to choose between optimizing the appearance of our GAAP accounting and maximizing the present value of future cash flows, we'll take the cash flows. Work hard to spend wisely and maintain our lean culture. We understand the importance of continually reinforcing a cost-conscious culture. Focus on hiring and retaining versatile and talented employees, and weight their compensation to significant stock ownership rather than cash. We know our success will be largely affected by our ability to attract and retain a motivated employee base, each of whom must think like, and therefore must actually be, an owner." Financial
Amazon has profited three years in a row and has increased revenue every year these past 2 years. Benchmarks
Amazon was able to be able to control the majority of the American Android Tablets market. Organization structure
U.S. Market Share of Android Tablets by Unique Devices
Dec-2011, Jan-2012, Feb-2012
Total U.S.
Source: comScore Device Essentials*|
| % Share of Android Tablets|
| Dec-11| Jan-12| Feb-12|
Amazon Kindle Fire | 29.4% | 41.8% | 54.4% |
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Because I'm not done with Easter. And God's not done with us.
If you get the "Must play on YouTube" message, just click the link and go directly to YouTube to listen. It's worth it. Trust me. BTW, Chana and Yitzchak, though the images are Christian, the words are Psalm, and the melody is very universal and ancient, I think. One of my very favorites. You might like it.


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Last night my wife and I went to watch the movie Footnote. It chronicles the tensions and competition between a father and son who do research in the same obscure field of Talmudic studies. The movie was made in Israel, is in Hebrew with English subtitles, and received an awarded for best script at the Cannes film festival.
The movie captures some of the silly ways of academia: pedantry, exclusion, ambition, stubborn idealism, ...
I found some of it quite humorous but some of it was a bit too close to the truth to be funny.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
The tragic comedy of academia
Posted by Ross H. McKenzie at 5:56 PM
Labels: career advice, humour, movies
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Ichnography pronounced ik-nog-rəfi, in architecture, is a term defined by Vitruvius (i.2) as the ground plan of the work, i.e. the geometrical projection or horizontal section representing the plan of any building, taken at such a level as to show the outer walls, with the doorways, windows, fireplaces, etc., and the correct thickness of the walls; the position of piers, columns or pilasters, courtyards and other features which constitute the design, as to scale.
Giambattista Nolli (or Giovanni Battista, April 9, 1701 – July 1, 1756) was an Italian architect and surveyor. He is best known for his ichnographic plan of Rome, the Pianta Grande di Roma which he began surveying in 1736 and engraved in 1748, and now universally known as the Nolli Map. The map is composed of 12 copper plate engravings that together measures 176 centimetres (69 in) by 208 centimetres (82 in) and was published in response to the commission of Pope Benedict XIV to survey Rome in order to help create demarcations for the 14 traditional rioni or districts.[3] It was by far the most accurate description of Rome produced to date at a time when the architectural achievement of the Papacy was in full flower.
Nolli Map
The Nolli map reflects Bufalini's map of 1551, with which Nolli readily invited comparison, however Nolli made a number of important innovations. Firstly, Nolli reorients the city from east (which was conventional at the time) to magnetic north, reflecting Nolli's reliance on the compass to get a bearing on the city's topography. Secondly, though he follows Bufalini in using a figure-ground representation of built space with blocks and building shaded in a dark poché, Nolli represents enclosed public spaces such as the colonnades in St. Peter's Square and the Pantheon as open civic spaces. Finally, the map was a significant improvement in accuracy, even noting the asymmetry of the Spanish Steps. The map was used in government planning for the city of Rome until the 1970s; it was used as a base map for all Roman mapping and planning up to that date.
The map is framed with a vedute by Stefano Pozzi. A scaled-down edition, a collaboration between Nolli and Giovanni Battista Piranesi, was published in the same year the original map was finished. Piranesi was instrumental in getting the work printed; Giuseppe Vasi also contributed.
82″ wide x 68″ high (208 cm x 173 cm)
to see enlarged maps click the link bellow
"La grande pianta del Nolli del 1748 divide comecolonna miliare, la serie delle piante di Roma in duelunghi periodi; nell'anteriore prevale il criterio artistico,nel posteriore lo scientifico."


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at least two courts this year have sided with the critics and invalidated some or all of the registry law. In both rulings, the courts referred back to a line of U.S. Supreme Court cases from the 1990s that limited the federal government's reach into state law.
Meanwhile, a third federal court temporarily halted the new law until it had a chance to hear arguments on the issue.
More is at stake than just the sex offender registries, observers say. Americans have become accustomed to national crime registries, and courts could throw them into doubt.
"Not surprisingly, given our increasing sense of informational entitlement and disdain for criminal offenders, we are seeing registration and notification laws spread to other subgroups, such as domestic abusers," says Florida State University law professor Wayne A. Logan, author of the forthcoming book Knowledge as Power: A History of Criminal Registration Laws in America.


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i am sitting here at my cluttered kitchen table typing away on my laptop catching up on all the goings on and trying to make sure that fernando will have someplace to sleep each night on his upcoming west coast tour... so far kelowna hotel is decided but i still have to figure out the rest of them.
and i realize...
i'm on mat leave.
i don't have to go to work for the next year if i don't want to.
i have a chance to spend time with our baby and get to know the sea monkey without having to worry about juggling a work schedule.
and after that year is up...
we'll see.
i don't HAVE to go back to work.
i will probably choose to work part time because my work is really awesome and will let me work a modified schedule and from home when possible so that will make the extra income pretty hard to say no to.
as i sit here i realize that the opportunity to stay home and be a mom is a privilege. i know that there are people all over that wish they could do that. i am going to make it work and take full advantage of the opportunity.
i also want to say thank you to fernando for finally getting most of the baby stuff out of the boxes and assembled. i was starting to go crazy trying to move around all the boxes. now they're all gone except for the crib. not sure when that will get put together but it will eventually. good thing we don't need it right away.


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Here is a second jungle background i am working on.It has a foreground and a background.The background being the hut where the girl Moani lives, and the foreground is made up of a few trees and wildlife with a sper rested up against a tree.
This background isn't finished yet as i need to add more shadows and textures in places.
At the moment it is one of my favourite backgrounds ive done and im happy with how it looks.Almost complete though!


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Marked (House of Night #1) by P.C. Cast and Kristen Cast
Marked, the first book in the YA House of Night series, is a fun, fast read. Zoey Redbird is just a regular teenager until a Tracker comes and Marks her, signifying that she is a fledgeling vampire and will have to move from a regular high school to the House of Night, the home and school of all fledgelings in the area. She's special, though, because she's been chosen by the goddess Nyx and has abilities the typical fledgeling does not, which are revealed over the course of the novel. And this is on top of the usual teen don't-fit-in, new-school angst that she's experiencing.
I wasn't sure what to expect from this book when I picked it up and I'm pleased to say that I quite enjoyed it. It's a fun story with a good plot and good characters, even if some of them are sort of stock at this point (the token gay, the country rube, the blonde bitch). I'm sure these characters will develop over the series, which is why I'm so glad that I borrowed the first four from the library all together.
That being said, I think that Zoey's a great protagonist and her love interest, Erik, seems like he'll be a worthy companion. I like that the authors are successfully blending the problems of being a teenager with the metaphysical problems of transformation without being too heavy-handed about allegory and all that. Can't wait to see what happens in Betrayed.


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Magic floors at My Marrakesh
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
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My daily lunctime Interweb browsing has just brought me to My Marrakesh, which is the blog of Maryam, an American writer/personal shopper/human rights and democracy specialist living in Marrakech whose children have super-cool names (Skylar and Tristan) and who has nine peacocks in her garden.
And here I thought that a Westie called Boris and a couple of anonymous daddy long legs was exotic.
I have, unknowingly, been ogling her place for a while now. It turns out that the photos on AT of a doily-fabulous floor that I've been oohing and aahing over are of Skylar's bedroom (note to self: read photo credits in future to find fab blogs!), which was given a very pretty makeover earlier this year.
Love the way it juxtaposes the delicate intricacies of the lace with often industrial-feeling concrete:
Looks like it was fun to do, too:
The fabulous floors don't stop there, though: check out Tristan's room and Maryam's office:
Even the ceilings (in the rooms of Peacock Pavilions, the family's soon-to-be-opened boutique hotel) are fab and modern Moorish, and the whole blog makes me desperately want to visit Marrakech again... or at the very least tidy out my Moroccan-y downstairs loo. It sports a souk-found mirror that looks like a sister to this one on Maryam's blog and is easily one of my favourite travel finds:
Images are via Apartment Therapy & My Marrakesh.
Labels: Interior Inspiration


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Fighting Poverty with Passion
I don't understand our obsession with punishment. The punishment reflex that pervades our schools, homes, and hearts baffles me. We operate as if these punishments teach positive corrective lessons when really they teach our youth the wrong lessons. The assumption is that people will be good because they learn important fear-lessons when they're bad. But for many, those punishments don't correct behavior. Many times punishments teach the exact opposite of the lessons than the ones we try to teach.
I had a terrible moment recently. I was biking along, and a police patrol car passed me. In the back was a young man – very young. A young teen was being taken in, statistically speaking, likely for fighting or drugs. He was likely cuffed (chained) and going to spend a bit of time in a cell (cage). As the car cruised by, I instinctively sped up. My pedals couldn't carry me to them and reaching them wouldn't free him.
What lessons are this arrest teaching? What lessons do police or others think are being taught? These kids are not scared of our chains and cages, our suspensions and expulsions. They live much scarier lives, and policing is a force of nature for them. Punishment is a normal occurrence; imprisonment is a rite of passage.
We are teaching those most in need that punishment is normal (Lesson 1). You get on the bus; you get punished. You go to school; you get punished. Cop stops you; you get punished. Often these punishments separate the youth from their communities and peers. This teaches that they don't belong in positive environments (Lesson 2).
No mentor or teacher is attempting to teach these lessons. More over, they are the opposite of what we are aiming to teach: empathy, responsibility, accountability. The youth in the back of that cop car was very likely not reflecting on his social position, not reflecting on how he was going to make things right. Why would he be? Nothing about his punishment or arrest was teaching him these things. More likely than not he was thinking, "Same #&%@; different day." Continuing to punish is to continue teaching these lessons.
Youth lives – all lives – matter too much to be ineffective.
We need to concede that punishment is worse than ineffective. It's overtly harmful. We need to concede that it teaches the wrong lessons. By doing the hard work and bringing youth into community rather than driving them away, we will begin teaching them the right lessons.


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Saturday, January 24, 2009
Morning Glory
Manglore Kadri kambla fields
The cool breeze,
The scent of wild flowers…
The chirping of birds…
Awaits the morning walker.
Take a deep breath;
Walk briskly,
To keep energetic the whole day.
Posted by Mini Thomas at 9:35 PM 1 comment:
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Sauteed Bitter gourd (paveka ularthu)
Bitter gourd -1
Tomato - 2
Onion -2
Green chilli -2
Water - ¼ glass
Oil -1 tbsp
Curry leaves
Turmeric powder -1 tsp
Chilli powder -2 tsp
Grated coconut - 1 cup
Wash the vegetables thoroughly. Split open the
bitter gourd (karela/ paveka)
and discard the seeds.
Length wise cut into four and slice thinly.
Chop tomatoes, cut onions into cubes and split green chillies.
In a vessel,add the cut vegetables, salt ,
½ tsp turmeric powder,water and let it cook
on low flame till the bitter gourd
and tomatoes are turned soft.
In a wok on low flame, pour oil add curry leaves,
½ tsp turmeric powder,2 tsp chilli powder
and sauté for a minute.
Now, add 1 cup of grated coconut, a pinch of salt
and sauté till the aroma of the fried coconut fills your kitchen.
Mix in the cooked vegetables and stir fry
to serve hot, with rice and moru curry (moru kachiyathu).
Bitter gourd is a very nutritious vegetable rich in iron and vitamins.
In southern part of India we find white bitter gourd which is less bitter.
In north India dark green bitter gourd is available which is more bitter.
There is a smaller variety of bitter gourd with less spikes
and but not bitter at all.
In Delhi markets,this veriety is found very often
We call it yeruma paveka.
Bitter gourd juice is advised for diabetic patients.
It has something like plant-insulin which
helps in lowering sugar level in our body.
At Shornur railway station there is one restaurant
run by ladies that serve simple hot and fresh lunch.
This recipe is inspired by
the paveka ularthu they served us.
As its inspiration came from Shornur, we at home call it
paveka shornuri.
Our Rivers
Shornur is a small town on the banks of river Bharthapuzha.
Half of the year the river stays almost dry due to the
dams built on it and also due to uncontrolled digging for sand.
A movement to save and revive our rivers is very urgent.
Many small rivers and brooks have disappeared.
In my own native town Tripunithura,there was a rivulet
bodering, the eighth century- built
Karingachira church.
I remember my father narrating his childhood memories
of going for a swim with his friends
to this Karigachirapuzha(rivulet).
Now the rivulet is no longer visible...?
A river is like an artery –a lifeline in the area which
connects people, culture, religion …
Legend and the river....
There is another old story told by my father about
Karingachira river and Poornathrayesha temple, the
main temple of Tripunithura.
During the temple festival, there was an old custom of
offering or gifting a certain volume of coconut oil
to Karingachira church by Poornathrayesha temple.
The Deity- Tripunithura appan on an elephant,
adorned with netipattam(jewellery worn on the forehead of the
elephant)would lead a procession through the main road.
As it reaches the Karingachira church,
offers the usual gift of Coconut oil,
takes a dip in the Karingachirapuzha and returns.
Once, after the procession, as the nettipattam was lowered,
it was noticed that one of the golden dome shaped ornament on
the nettipattam was missing…
It was considered bad omen and the reason for this was enquired.
The answer from Tripunithura appan was-
"You have deviated from
the old tradition of gifting my brother; Correct it and you will
get the jewel back from the Karingachira river".
The story goes that the temple authorities gifted the coconut oil
and got back the gold ornament from the river.
Posted by Mini Thomas at 2:42 AM 3 comments:
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Natural Hair Conditioner
Long black hair, wide eyes, chembaka poovin varnam(colour of golden champak flower)are traditionally attributed to a malayali beauty.
Length, colour and texture of your hair surely depend on
the genes you inherit,healthy lifestyle and
the plesant nature you keep.
But as you age, to maintain healthy hair you should
turn to herbal way.
There are different herbal combinations for hair and
skin care.
I use the following henna combination for my hair
which gives me great satisfaction.
Items needed
Henna leaves - 5 cups
Red hibiscus flowers - 5 nos
Hibiscus leaves - 1 cup
Goose berry(amla) - 3 nos
Curd - ½ cup
Eucalyptus oil - 3 drops
Egg - 1
In a mixer, put henna leaves, red thick hibiscus flowers
( chumanna adduku chembarathi), hibiscus leaves,
curd and amla (goose berry). Blend it to a fine paste.
Pour into a bowl, add three drops of eucalyptus oil and
keep aside for a day.
Next day, beat in an egg to this henna mixture
and apply it on your scalp and hair.
Wash your hair after two hours.
Do not use hot water.
Use mild soap to wash your hair for fragrance.
Remember hibiscus leaves and flowers
act as shampoo and conditioner.
Henna gives colour and volume to your hair.
You can use dry henna powder also.
Eucalyptus oil helps to bring out the colour in the henna.
Do not add more eucalyptus oil.
Apply this herbal mix twice a month for good results.
Hair care with henna is traditional to India.
In north Indian states like Delhi, women carry
ready-to-apply henna to give home service.
Hibiscus, henna and amla grow in all tropical regions and
women traditionally used it for hair care.
Posted by Mini Thomas at 10:00 PM 4 comments:
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Saturday, August 21, 2010
My first assignment :)
Earlier today we went to Christian's (Morgan's son) first birthday party :) Grace had a good time because it was at a park and she got to swing. She LOVES to swing (just found out today lol). Christian also got a bubble blower which reminded me that I wanted to add one to Grace's wishlist lol. Also, Grace had her first walking accident yesterday :( She was walking in my room and she fell. I caught her before she hit the ground, but not before she hit her head on my fan. She cried so hard, and she has a bruise the size of a quarter on her forehead, and it is blue and purple. Everyone had to ask about where she got it from. I felt like everyone was thinking "gah.. she must be a bad mom." I really hope they weren't. I tried to catch her..
Oh and that Janelle girl that I talked about before.. she was there, and big surprise, she didn't have her baby. She was talking about how they had to go pick him up from her mom's, and then they were going to drop her off at his mom's for the night. I feel so sorry for that little baby girl.
After the party we stopped to get some paper for my printer and some outlet covers (Grace has been trying to stick her fingers in the outlets since we moved in and I finally remembered to get some covers). While we were there I got Grace her first birthday present! They had these adorable rubber ducks. One was pink, wearing a birthday hat, and holding a present, and the other was purple, wearing a hat, and holding a cake with one candle. I couldn't resist them! Grace already has one that is dressed like a sheep that she got for Easter and she LOVES it. So I got them, and I put them in the closet to resist the temptation to give them to her now lol. I can't wait to give them to her!
3 comments:
That should be an easy topic to write on. Poor Grace but I can honestly tell you that it is going to happen more than you would like. babies fall all the time while they are learning to get around. After walking is climbing, than running, and jumping. Try not to feel to bad. They fall and get boo-boos. Unfortunately we can't catch them every time( doesn't stop me from trying though:). It really seems like she is miss independent especially walking this early. She knows what she wants...so you are going to have a run for your money. I know how the temptation ca get to you...it's super hard to not give them something that is goign to light up their face and make their day. Just try and hold out.ReplyDelete
Lol she was climbing before she was walking. My sister has a slide in her room.. like a 5 ft slide that's supposed to go outside. She started to climb up it, so I got behind her.. she climbed all the way to the top by herself (I had my hands behind her in case she fell). That was like a month ago lol.ReplyDelete
Oh Gosh, I LOVE those kinds of assignments. I got to write a lot about Sami in my composition class because he really didn't care how you twisted the topic, as long as it is sort of like what he asked for. lol. As far as her bruise, that is pitiful. Since Sami waited so long to walk, when she finally did it, she didn't fall. lol. My Mom said that is how I was. When I was little, I didn't walk. And then when I finally did, I just got up and walked straight across the room and I have been walking fine ever since. =pReplyDelete


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As a correspondent sports writer for The Casey County News, I write an weekly editorial column for the publication. Published Mar. 26, 2014.
Back on New Year's Day I pondered over who the year 2014 would belong to when it came to this state's great college rivalry. I think this Friday beginning at 9:45 p.m. will be the determining factor.
For the second time in three years the Kentucky Wildcats and Louisville Cardinals will square off on the ultimate stage: the NCAA Division-I basketball tournament. While this time it may "only" be in the Sweet 16, as opposed to the Final Four in 2012, I think Cats and Cards fans will agree that victory claimed will be just as sweet.
Every tournament game always matters for a team. Whether you are a number one seed or a 16, fans, coaches and athletes all yearn to keep advancing. (And what I think UK and UofL fans can agree on after this year's seeding is that the seed is arbitrary and arguable.) At the same time, for Kentucky and Louisville fans, the December match-up is oftentimes equally important, so combining the two means this red and blue state is going nuts with anticipation this week.
Everyone knew the meeting was a possibility with the setup of the brackets, but aside from the truest UK fans, most felt the odds were questionable with undefeated Wichita State in Kentucky's path to the Sweet 16. However, what has been arguably the most exciting tournament game thus far puts our Wildcats in a rematch with the Cardinals.
While Kentucky took down Louisville in their previous season meeting, the Cardinal team saw more success in the late regular season. However, the Wildcats we saw last weekend look hungry for a championship.
Speculation over how things will pan out in Indianapolis could go on for days, but the bottom line is it's anybody's game. Not only is it tournament time but it's the biggest rivalry game this tournament will see. Kentucky pulled it off in 2012 and went on to become national champions. Will they do it again?
As a fan of all teams of the Bluegrass, I'm excited to know that one of our teams will be advancing to the Elite Eight, regardless of Friday's game; however, who will I be cheering for? Louisville.
While I am so happy to see Kentucky coming on strong after having some disappointments this season (and I would be cheering for them in any other game), I feel much more invested in the Louisville team. I admire the hardcore Kentucky fans who are not just on the bandwagon on the good days. For the sake of those fans, I want Kentucky to win, because YOU deserve the win. But when it comes to the guys playing, who deserves the win more for their devotion to their school and program? My vote is Louisville and I want to see those guys advance. It's not about "Louisville" but about the individuals. I feel attached to the guys on the UofL team. I want to see those guys--Russ Smith, Luke Hancock--advance. For me, there is such a difference in cheering for a team simply because of the colors they wear compared to cheering for people and what they mean to you.
When the day comes that these two teams face each other in the tournament again and both teams have a group of guys taking the court who have been wearing their colors proud for multiple seasons, well, I guess I'll be an individual divided. For now, though, I'll just be living in a house divided... No, not my husband and I. We'll both be cheering for the Cards... But our 5 month old daughter only has a UK onesie so I guess she will be repping the Cats for us. Somebody's got to, right?


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On the move…
In more ways than one.
Later this week, I fly off to my buddy's bachelor party in what better place except Sin City: Las Vegas. After frolicking around with the boys for a few days, I'm flying up to Seattle to see family & remaining friends in the little time I have up that way. I'll probably neglect a few people due to the limited time there. If any of you are reading this right now, I'm sorry…I have like 36 hours in Seattle.
However, I may see you soon after this trip — you Seattleites. I may have to change the blog to "therealseattle.wordpress.com" or people will have to start to understand I started the blog when in Korea and that the url has nothing to do with location — well, if it happens that way. Yes, I'm considering the next chapter of my life.
I've been very sucessful in my real estate business and I also did well for my local company here in Busan, South Korea due to my understanding of how to leverage the internet into a marketing vehicle for whatever company I work for. This website has also been quite busy with traffic over the year…showing I know how to drive traffic. So, I think I'm going to take it up a notch and do it full time in whatever company I land in, if successful in the job switch. I've been interviewing with Microsoft and a company named Properazzi.com Many other potential interviews are also being set up…so we'll see what happens.
Anyhoo, I feel like I have to do this in one capacity or another. If these positions don't pan out for one reason or another, I will probably go solo for a bit and see if I can help smaller businesses shoot up the search engine results pages or maybe even friends like my friend Derek who has a great photography site here. If any of you want my help…possibly even pro bono for a while, just touch base with me and let's see if I can help you out.


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One of the main participants of the trip recently announced that a compass was useless, as it only points North, "and what if you want to go South?" Well that's exactly our plan, to go South (she won't be map-reading).
Again, we're really not being very inventive, we've gone for all the classics:
We're doing it in a battered old Defender that we've found on the internet, we're adding a few gadgets to it for some home comforts (cooking equipment etc) and some to just look badass (a snorkel).
At this stage, our only option is to ship the vehicle directly to Egypt, and fly to Cairo to start the journey directly there, heading down the Nile to Lake Nasser. The ferry will take us to Wadi Halfa in Sudan, where we will stay clear of the border with South Sudan for obvious reasons and aim for friendlier Ethiopia. Following through into Kenya where we have many projects to visit, we will take a little detour around Lake Victoria into Uganda and Rwanda before reaching the remote Western part of Tanzania. Then it's (hopefully) plain sailing down Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana to finally arrive in South Africa.