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The speed boats came as close as 0.40 nm. The Master sounded the general alarm and whistle. An Indian warship was informed. Two helicopters from Japan and India responded and the pirates aborted their attempt on sighting the helicopters.(ICC/IMB Website)
02 April 2009
Incident: Bulk carrier chased
A bulk carrier in the Gulf of Aden, not otherwise identified, is approached by two "speed boats, blue and white in colour, with 3 or 4 persons onboard."


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Ratings: IMDB: N/A Metascore: N/A RT: N/A
Released: December 06, 2013
Genres: Comedy
Chris DElia: White Male Black Comic ( 2013 )
Watch And Download Full Movies Online 100% Free
Chris DElia: White Male Black Comic: Powerhouse stand-up Chris DElia takes New Orleans by storm in his very first one-hour stand-up special, White Male. Black Comic., on
Comedy Central. British dudes, drunk girls, and bears on romantic dates at Applebees. Hey, why is it that we are the only species that makes love, anyway? Chris DElia
explains the hilarious truth and more in this dynamic new special.
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subset: commoncrawl


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I think Howie Carr is likely to stay put on WRKO at this point. For all his posturing to move to the FM dial after his contract runs out, he's got to realize that a lot of his male audience will go to Severin if he makes that move.
My only beef with Severin is his obsession with Mitt Romney. But I will attribute that to Severin just being loyal to his good friend. Once Romney is knocked out (as he will be), he'll get on board with Palin/Perry/Bachmann
Liberals hate Severin because of his non-PC ways (Howie Carr has gotten very PC in recent years). Personally, the things he got suspended and then fired for on WTKK were pretty lame. There is no doubt that the station was bound and determined to be rid of him and his high salary.
Starting on 9/11/2001 I started listening to WTKK everyday....until they changed ....Marjorie and Jim in the morning....liberal drivel. The only show worth listening to is Michael Graham who is on opposite Glenn Beck. Needless to say, Beck wins my ears every day! Since this new station "Rush Radio"(1200am here in Boston) started I listen all the time via the internet! Jeff Katz is fabulous and does a great job with local issues as well as national ones. I would have erased WTKK from my pre-sets in the car except their "money" show on the weekends is still good.
Good luck to Jay.
Howie may wind up staying at RKO, true, though who knows, he may try to go for 96.9 if the money's good. I would think his male audience might follow him there, but you could be right. WTKK probably does OK in money and ratings but could do a lot better. I wonder if they're waiting for Howie to finish up at RKO.
My moonbat sister, when I posted that Jim and Margery would be gaining an extra hour? "Jim and Margery? I LOVE them!" Then when I posted about 1200 signing Jay: "Looks like he's
really hit rock bottom."
Eventually Howie may wind up on FM in Boston if Entercom finds a way to simulcast or move the station to FM, but as conditions are now it's doubtful. For those who don't know here's what Entercom owns in Boston:
WRKO 680 talk
WEEI 850 sports talk, Celts, Sox
(Both stations have problems to the west after sunset)
WMKK 93.7 "Mike" variety hits (no DJs= low cost= high profit)
WKAF 97.7 Simulcasts WAAF
WAAF 107.3 Rock
If you have an HD radio, WMKK has "Funkytown" on their HD2.
WKAF and WAAF have WEEI on their HD2 signals, and WAAF has
WRKO on their HD 3 signal. That may benefit listeners to the west.
I have an HD radio. Not too many other people do.
WAAF and WKAF probably do well with rock, and WMKK does
well with "variety hits". This is why you haven't read in the paper "WRKO" (or WEEI) "is moving to FM". Not yet at least. In many cities, FM stations are switching to talk.
Either AM talk stations are moving there, or they're simulcasting. So far Entercom hasn't done this yet.
(Oh, back to HD radio: Talk 1200 is on the HD2 signal
of WXKS-FM 107.9)
Howie hates RKO. He would do an Internet only show rather than stay there.


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I've decided to start posting items that relate to my 'fiction' concerns. Came across this as I was getting a story out to work on. About a month ago I answered Costco's debate-question in an e-mail the very day we received their magazine.
Click here for the online edition of the May 2011 print magazine and read the guest columnists' 'For' and 'Against' first.
Below is my response to what, in fact, amounts to a censorship debate. It was such an important topic I had my now-graduated home school high-school senior write an SAT-type 5-paragraph essay taking a side.
Which side will you choose?
NO, NO, a thousand times, NO…literary classics should not be expurgated. I mean, 'sanitized' because…
…First a Professor came (and got paid) to selectively-edit a few works by Mark Twain and I didn't speak up because I never liked Twain anyway and I believe in free-enterprise, then a Professor came for…
Of course "literary classics" (or common, everyday "dime novels" for that matter) shouldn't be expurgated for the sake of today's, yesterday's, or tomorrow's sensitivities. If an author's original words are so damnable (I'm sure that word's OK) you should skip his or her entire work. Hell (again, I'm certain that one's OK, too), skip their entire body of work. Read and 'study' someone else.
There's a powerful and poignant literary connection to all this book-banning business. Your featured expurgating-professor Gribben (who's all for expurgating – partially perhaps because it's a new revenue-stream?) might even appreciate it. Have you guessed which 'classic' I'm about to refer to?
Professor, you say it's OK (right now, at least) for some of us to go out and "easily purchase" un-sanitized copies of these Twain novels – but what if after say a few years, when sufficient numbers have been 'schooled' soley with your politically-correct cleansed-versions then bump into an original and now enraged and en masse they (and you too?) decide the 'offensive ones' (that at that point might already have become 'slightly less easily' available) need to be made completely un-available? Are you, sir, going to coordinate the volunteers who'll drive the 'salamanders' to the remaining (rogue/politically-incorrect) publishers and then around neighborhoods methodically collecting and then burning those newly-banned/officially-unavailable/'offensive' books?
Don't get me wrong: I'm offended (and saddened), it seems, just about every time I pick up a "Chick-lit" novel. Too many thoroughly-modern girl-authors seem to feel the need to drop the "f-word" within the first two pages (no exaggeration)! But I would NEVER dream of demanding the publisher provide expurgated versions of the works to assuage my over-the-hill sensibilities. I do the right thing, the American thing…I simply STOP READING that particular book and cross that particular author off my list.
And all you book-banners out there really ought to do that very same thing with Mark Twain and whoever else 'offends' you. Quit reading them!


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We wanted to record our journey as we learn how to incorporate Domestic Discipline into our lives. I am a wife who has been Taken-in-Hand by her husband. I am loved and cherished by him. I am his little china doll and he is mine forever.
Monday, July 23, 2012
Spanking Fiction
So, what about spanking fiction. One book read more like a teenagers text history. It was full of LOL and LMAO. What? In a how to book for spanking? I was just happy I didn't actually spend money on it. Most stories start out really good. Decent character development and plot. But most go down hill from there. Most spanking stories are too short and too focused on the main event. The spanking. I want to know what happens to the characters. Where they go in life and what happens to them.
I want more from my books. So far 50 Shades is the best of the bunch I have read. With 2 spanking scenes and some negotiation, I didn't have much to offer. I think that says more about the other books I have read than it does Shades.
If I am reading a short story I expect short and to the point. If I am reading a novel, I expect more. Do you have a favorite spanking book? Does it have more to offer than a few hot spanking scenes?
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I hate when books come poorly edited and the reviews turn out to be their 15 blog friends or whatever. So, I hear you. I turn to historical romance most often for spanking stuff, but in the contemporary world, I liked this one - Traditional Love - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004E114CE/ref=kinw_myk_ro_titleReplyDelete
It's a full book. There is a second title in the series, and it was good, but this one is better.Replies
Thanks kitty! I am always looking for something new to read!Delete
I prefer all my spanking books to have a story!! One spanking scene after another isn't the only point, having romance is an integral part. I also do not mind it being naive, especially if it is someones beginning, or early attempt!ReplyDeleteReplies
I love to read about the hero and heroine learning about spanking. The shyness and embarrassment. That adds a sweetness to a story that I love.Delete
I too prefer spanking books to have a story - I like character development and realistic reasons for the spanking, not just for spanking sake. I try to do that in the stories I've penned - don't know if I am successful but it's my goal.ReplyDeleteReplies
Sometimes it feels like good stores are hard to find. They don't have to be long to be good. :) Are your stories on your blog? I'll stop by latter and see.Delete
You can check out Blushing Books and read the first chapter for most books and then also some reviews. I see you changed your background. It is nice. Regards.ReplyDeleteReplies
I'll go see what I can find. I have been to Blushing books but I was on a mission that day and didn't shop around much. I like my background to reflect my mind set. Right now it is hot and green. Two things I don't associate anymore. Hot equals brown in my mind now. This is going to some getting used to again. Thanks!Delete
Do you like books about BDSM rather than just spanking. Laura Reese's Topping from Below and Panic Snap are very good. And 9 1-2 weeks is good except for the ending. The latter was made into a movie that is not as good as the book.ReplyDelete
I'll read about kink too. Wasn't impressed with "The Story of O"Delete
Since you are asking...my sister is a really great writer of spanking stories. She writes and publishes on Blushing Books-you can also purchase on Amazon. She has 4 books out currently but a bunch ready to be published. Her stories are all very well developed. I feel like a lot of spanking stories are stories about spankings with a little bit of substance added in. Bree's stories are a lot of substance with spankings added in. Anyway, her name is Breanna Hayse and if you want to check out her blog, you can read about what she has already written and what is to come. http://breannahayseromance.blogspot.com/ReplyDeleteReplies
thanks! I'll go take a look!Delete
- AnonymousSunday, August 19, 2012
Anne Rice's Sleeping Beauty SeriesReplyDelete
- AnonymousSunday, September 09, 2012
Try anything by Karen Smith (that's supposed to be an M not a K) or Robin Smith. Lots of substance and story. Good spanking fiction. Robin has a tremendous sense of humorous to go with it as well. The Locket by Karen (again with the M) Smith is excellent. Also sister Laura Smith has a good series as well.ReplyDelete


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Hotel Mocali
Select your stay dates to check availability
Hotel Mocali
About the hotel
Property Location
A stay at Hotel Mocali places you in the heart of Puerto Vallarta, minutes from Teatro Vallarta and close to Malecon. This resort is within close proximity of Camarones Beach and Caballito.
Make yourself at home in one of the 38 air-conditioned guestrooms. Cable television is provided for your entertainment. Bathrooms with showers are provided. Conveniences include phones, as well as ceiling fans and blackout drapes/curtains.
Take in the views from a rooftop terrace and make use of amenities such as complimentary wireless Internet access and tour/ticket assistance.
A complimentary continental breakfast is included.
Business, Other Amenities
Featured amenities include express check-in, express check-out, and a 24-hour front desk. Free self parking is available onsite.
Hotel Facilities
- Free WiFi
- Rooftop terrace
- Express check-out
- 24-hour front desk
- Total number of rooms - 38
- Express check-in
- Free parking nearby
- Free breakfast
- One meeting room
- Number of buildings/towers - 2
- Free self parking
- Luggage storage
- Parking (limited spaces)
- Safe-deposit box at front desk
- Number of floors - 5
- Multilingual staff
- Tours/ticket assistance
- Year Built 1979
Room Facilities
- Blackout drapes/curtains
- Television
- Cable TV service
- Air conditioning
- Daily housekeeping
- Private bathroom
- Phone
- Ceiling fan
- Shower only
Hotel Policy
Know Before You Go
- A resort fee is included in the total price displayed.
- Children 12 years old and younger stay free when occupying the parent or guardian's room, using existing bedding.
- Only registered guests are allowed in the guestrooms.
The following fees and deposits are charged by the property at time of service, check-in, or check-out.
- Late check-out fee: MXN 100
The above list may not be comprehensive. Fees and deposits may not include tax and are subject to change.
Mandatory Fees and Taxes
The charges below are included in your overall room price:
- Resort fee
We have included all charges provided to us by the property. However, charges can vary, for example, based on length of stay or the room you book.Show all hotel policy Show less hotel policy


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Why the folks at Southern Writers Magazine and their Suite-T (get it?) blog wanted me as a guest blogger, I don't know. I'm not even from the south side of Chicago. Perhaps, somehow, they heard about my first venture, at the age of twelve, with novel-length fiction? Regardless, if you want a fix of A City Mom this dreary Monday morning, head on over there to read my post "Y'all" jogs my memories.
Thank you for reading A City Mom!! Before you go, I'd much appreciate it if y'all would Like my A City Mom page on Facebook here and/or following me on Twitter @acitymom. As always, thank you very much for the Likes and follows.


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Posts Tagged 'dry eyes'
Boston Scleral Lens
I just came to know about the Boston Scleral Lens. Seems to be a very effective option for many (e.g. people with dry eyes, RGP intolerance), costly though. But as I read, the cost varies with ones ability to pay as the Boston Sight Foundation shares the cost. This site can be sought for detailed info: http://www.bostonsight.org/
Dry eyes
Dry eyes, dry eyes, dry eyes. What else?
My vision significantly deteriorated. It makes me feel not to do any sort of work. Plus there at times I feel slight pain in the eyes if I move the eyeballs: as it happened in the car today morning.


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The Rabiah Nomads
At a time nobody knows and from a place nobody knows either, a wandering tribe of short, humanoid nomads appeared in northern Cisterra. Seeming to have come out of the woods, this group of Halflings have traveled back and forth across the continent for hundreds of years. Capable of surviving the dreaded heat of The Wahiba Desert, the dangerous flora and fauna of The Nomamo Jungle, and the shrouded mysteries of The Mistwood, these nomads have made a mobile life by setting up tents and camps, staying in one place for perhaps a week, then packing up and leaving again. Due to their transient nature, the Halflings have no land associated with them, and are usually difficult to track.
To understand Rabiah government, one must understand Rabiah spirituality, and to understand Rabiah spirituality, one must understand Halfling psychology. The Rabiah Halflings seem to be either incapable or non-desirous of long-term memory. These small folk seem to give no heed to history, disregarding the past and living in the present looking to the future. Rabiah Oracles lead their people through time in the same way they lead through Cisterra; the Rabiah will stay someplace only until it no longer benefits them, then they leave, following their Oracles to new sources of food and wealth. As such, the governmental structure in Rabiah culture is simple: Oracles are respected and followed above all, and that's that.
The cultural practices of the Rabiah are a strange amalgam of the cultures they visit, mixed with excessive drinking, and stewed in a lifetime of vigorous travel and diplomacy. These Halflings are more savage than other Cisterrans, only less bestial than the Orcs of The Sarai Wastes. Though savage, the Rabiah are avid traders, and act as caravan merchants throughout Cisterra, transporting goods between Chusei, Lindel, Arcaro, Kaldheim, and all other reaches of the continent. Interested in almost anything, and able to sell almost anything to almost anybody, they are naturally shrewd businessmen and their savage nature only aids them in this regard.
Religiously, the Rabiah have a very strange world-view. They care not about where they have been, what they have done, or what has happened before they arrived. They look only forward, seeking wealth for themselves and their progeny, safety for those they care for, and fun for everyone they meet. As such, Rabiah Halflings are fantastic party-folk, and are always willing to listen to any interesting story told to them (though they will not remember a lick of it the next day). The Rabiah Oracles harness a strange power-though cursed physically, they each have been blessed with some sort of divine guidance, which the rest of the Rabiah look to as direction in life. The whimsy of the Oracles is legendary, yet it always seems to keep the Rabiah out of imminent danger. Many a time has an entire Rabiah camp been packed up overnight, only to leave just before an Orcish raid strikes their host town after their departure.
Though small, fun-loving and forgetful, the Rabiah are in no way weak. They pick up practices from cultures they visit, and their most notorious theft has been the practice of Barbarism from the Orcs. Crazed Halflings of the Rabiah Berserkers have proven just as powerful as their Orcish models. Other Halflings practice the Druidic arts, finding unnatural ways to help their tribe blend in to their environment. Rabiah Oracles are particularly dangerous-the curse they accept hides the immense power they are gifted with in return. The most dangerous Halflings, though, are those who mix Barbaric practices with the Oracle curse. These hideously savage warmongers are known only as Rage Prophets, and are usually so violent they are left behind by the Rabiah; these prophets wander seemingly aimlessly throughout the world, pursuing destruction until they themselves meet their goal.


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Where is the book news?
Posted 13 January 2017 - 11:37 AM
- StyledByGabe likes this
Posted 13 January 2017 - 05:21 PM
- StyledByGabe likes this
Posted 13 January 2017 - 05:37 PM
Yes, for the updates you should sign up for her newsletter on her website. She is working on B&G and when she get a better idea of when it will be ready to be released she will send out an announcement in her newsletter and probably a FB post. She doesn't want to give a date and then not have it ready and have to push it back again. So till them we just have to cross our fingers and pray for that email!
- StyledByGabe and Phenioxgirl like this
Posted 13 January 2017 - 09:04 PM
Amen 😇
Or else 😈
- purplecherryblossom, jaxxy, Phenioxgirl and 2 others like this
Posted 14 January 2017 - 12:52 AM
- purplecherryblossom and StyledByGabe like this
Posted 24 January 2017 - 07:00 PM
I can't wait much longer! This is the longest that we've ever gone without a new Ghost Bird book and it's agonizing......Please come soon.
- LovinGBseries and Achelle like this
Posted 04 February 2017 - 12:13 AM
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Posted 09 February 2017 - 01:28 AM
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Egypt in one week. That was our task. An impossible one that we set for ourselves. We did some planning prior to going, but nothing specific (as it turns out, though this is generally my favorite way to travel, I … Continue reading
Tag Archives: Egypt
Non-excitement About Florida
My best friend, Jennifer, and I had conversation a few weeks ago about our upcoming travel plans. Before I tell you about the conversation, I have to first warn you that we have recently gotten into the inexplicable habit of … Continue reading


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I think I managed to underline just about 1/2 of the book of 1 John this morning. Right now I'm reading a book called The Hole in Our Gospel (fabulous, by the way) by Richard Sterns, the president of World Vision. A few of the verses that he highlighted in the chapter I read last night came from 1 John. So this morning, I hopped off the several-year-long road I've been taking to read through the Bible "in one year" :). 1 John is an excellent book, and if you have not read the whole thing through, do it. It's basically a call to love, and a call away from darkness and into God's light, of which He is Himself, so in other words, a call to and into God. Much like the rest of the Bible. "We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says, 'I know him,' but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did." (2:3-6) Wow. Quite the command. Scary to think that this is the call and the responsibility of Christians everywhere. But at the same time, it's oddly humbling. "Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did."
"The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work. No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God." (3:8-9) "God's seed remains in him," and because of this humbling picture of God planting in us his call to love, we cannot go on sinning. And because we are to walk as Jesus did, if in fact we claim to live in him, we are to also destroy the devil's work. "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our heats at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything... And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us." (3:16-23) And if the devil's work is, in fact, the pain of the hurting, the distress of the weak, and the poverty of the hopeless, then are we not called to destroy the devil's work, to live in God, and to act in love, as Jesus did? And to go on doing this without sinning. In any area of our lives.
"This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us - whatever we ask - we know that we have what we asked of him." (5:14-15)
Losing sight
This blog starts with a little bit of [completely justifiable] shallowness. I was on Facebook, thinking about what status could possibly accurately describe my current state of mind. My first thought: it's funny how my struggles are immediate consequences of losing sight of the basic truths of the Relationship. I feel like lately, I've let the Relationship go. Whether it's a platonic or romantic relationship, when there is a lack of communication, there really isn't much of a relationship (boy, have I learned that in the past!). I've been on edge lately. And though I fill in my reasoning with lots of good excuses, the truth is I haven't taken time with my God. Earlier today (a portion of my on-edgeness), I talked with a friend of mine, and she made a request of me. I honestly had too much to do today to even think about leaving the house, but then I thought (and I know it was the devil - he's attacked our friendship before), "Why do I feel like it's always me giving in this friendship?" And then once I got over my selfishness, I started thinking about my relationship with God, and how He probably feels that way with me, about, eh, say... 97.5% of the time. I feel like God is giving so freely and mercifully, and I'm not taking. Or I accept what He does for me as amazing, but then I move on, forgetting that in order to be in a 2-way relationship, I must do my part. And in order to ever pursue a relationship with anyone in the physical realm, I must first have a relationship with the creator, molder, and perfecter of all good things. And stop making excuses.
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After a number of very interesting questions lately about my disability and how I do things, I have divided to write a blog on the subject.
Do you have a question you would like me to answer? There is no question to silly and nothing is off limits (famous last words).
Please send any questions you may have to firstname.lastname@example.com. By Sunday, 25 October 2015. All questions will remain anonymous.


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The book was adapted by James Clavell, then a Hollywood screenwriter with films such as The Fly (1958), Sturges The Great Escape and To Sir with Love (1967), but later to become a popular novelist with Oriental-themed works such as Tai-Pan (1966), Shogun (1975) and Noble House (1981). In Clavells adaptation, Alistair MacLeans tight thriller has undergone considerable change. Most notable is the uprooting of the storys setting from England to the US. The hero also gets a name change, presumably because MacLeans original choice, Pierre Cavell, sounded too French. Much of MacLeans densely wound whodunnit plot has been disposed of for merely a few conspirators and an early-tipped villain in order to provide a greater action rather than thriller emphasis. Odd pieces from the book still remain like the investigation of the break-in, the helicopter climax, the impersonation of the missing scientist, and the introduction of Barrett and the scene with the fake World Peace Council. Although some of the lingering remnants do not make sense, such as the reason why Barrett is chosen for the job if Cavanaugh is the Station 3 security head why is it not he that heads the investigation?
The results are an efficient, if occasionally uneven, thriller. The only piece that seems superfluous is the Station 3 opening it adds a pointless 15 minutes to the film where the scenes would have worked far better if the lab and procedure could have been introduced through Barretts eyes later. The film is lifted through the rougher patches by a driving score and by Sturges who plays a number of scenes for effective tension particularly one with George Maharis and two agents trying to survive after a spilt flask of botulinis is thrown into a barn, and a climactic mid-air fight in and around a careening helicopter. John Sturgess work is more known for its efficiency than its artistry but there is a great opening shot that cuts from the animated credits of a body being infected to a road with a car travelling down it that looks just like an artery.
George Maharis has a wooden efficiency as the stock hero. However, there is pleasure in the casting of bright, animated Anne Francis of Forbidden Planet (1956) fame, who proves wonderfully spry as the wife. Particularly good is Richard Basehart as the villain, where Baseharts dignity and torturedness of spirit thoroughly convinces of the otherwise transparent madmans scheme.
Trailer here:-


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Did you get to catch the blue moon last August 31st? A blue moon only happens when a second full moon occurs in the same month. Many say that it's pretty rare occurrence. I'm just so happy to get my ankle boots on just in time to rush out and view its magnificence.
For August of this year, the first full moon occurred on August 1st. A Harvard University astronomer named Avi Loeb said that the moon is by far more important to lovers, literature and folklore than science itself.
For the mean time, here are 5 of the things you should wear for your Blue Moon date a couple of years from now:
1. Comfortable outfit
Thinking of wearing that tight body-hugging dress for your first date? Or are you going for that sky high stiletto just so you can show of your elongated legs? Though this ensemble may look flattering to you – does it feel that way? If not, skip it.
Chances are you'd be too concerned with pulling your dress here in there just because you've become too conscious of how you look. Also, high heels are fine – just make sure that you're comfortable wearing them for long hours. You might also like to skip the stiletto if it'll make you taller than your date. That's so not an ego booster.
To get the perfect mix of style and comfort, go for ballet flats or boots. Always remember that the key to looking great in any outfit is being comfortable. When you have nothing else to worry about your outfit, you can certainly focus on making your date fall for you.
2. Light make-up
Natural looks work best for dates especially when you're just getting to know each other. Wear make-up sparingly to avoid having to do touch-ups every now and then that may ruin the momentum of your date. If possible, only use make-up to play up your assets or to slightly cover up your problem areas.
3. Loads of Confidence
This is definitely a little something that money can't buy. Though confidence may be at varying levels for everyone, make sure to bring yours especially on dates.
Dressing up comfortable and knowing that you look good can actually boost your confidence. If you're still unsure of the date, just remember that you're as worthy and interesting like everybody else. Hold your head up high and let that golden ball sunshine radiate from within you.
4. A Beautiful Smile
I really like the quotation by Gabriel Garcia Marquez which goes this way "Never stop smiling, not even when you are sad, because you never know who might fall in love with your smile." Isn't sweet? I know it is. A smile is certainly one of the best accessories any girl can wear all the time – and it doesn't cost a dime. Flash your smile any moment you can. Though you know who might fall for you on that date, do it anyway to seal the deal. Also, don't forget to let that smile show especially if your date gives you a ton of reason to do so.
5. Yourself
Many girls forget about this due to extreme excitement and anticipation. I say keep calm and carry on. Dates are not the time to role play. I'm pretty sure you would want that guy to fall for who you really are. So just relax, smile and enjoy the company of your date. Don't worry if you're clumsy or you think you're weird – if he's really attracted to you, he'll find it cute.
I must say it's a pretty romantic thing to see such a rare beauty with the one you love. If you didn't get to see it this time, the Blue Moon is said to come around on July 2015. You surely have enough time to find that special someone to share this moment with.


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Trimble announced SketchUp 2013, the latest version of their 3D modeling platform. The new release features an Extension Warehouse for add-on tools for professional architectural, construction and design users, as well as rebranding of the software's free version, to SketchUp Make.
Archive for 2013
Trimble announces SketchUp 2013Wednesday, May 29th, 2013
Archicad 17 Addresses the Details in BIM ModelsTuesday, May 21st, 2013
Akos Pfemeter, Director of Graphisoft Global Marketing, talked about the upcoming release of Archicad 17 in June – a major upgrade for Archicad.
New version of Autodesk BIM 360 Glue provides greater access to project informationThursday, May 16th, 2013
Sarah Hodges, senior industry marketing manager for Autodesk, spoke this week about the new version of Autodesk BIM 360 Glue that addresses the big data explosion in the AEC industry and the adoption of BIM. Autodesk BIM 360 Glue extends the BIM process from design to construction by providing all stakeholders access to project information for model coordination and clash detection via desktop, mobile and web.
GstarCAD8 Product Launch – A 2013 Asian OdysseyMonday, May 13th, 2013
A trip to Asia is always an intriguing opportunity, and I took advantage of an invitation from GstarCAD to witness the launch of its new CAD application — GstarCAD8.
Getting to Beijing, China can be a challenge, not just the travel time (18+ hours total), but also the logistics of getting it done. A Chinese Business Visa is required for getting into the country for any "business" purpose, including a product launch.
As product launches go, though, this one was particularly unique and made the long journey worthwhile. But first, a little company background for those who may not be familiar with GstarCAD.
Company History
Founded in 1992, Suzhou Gstarsoft Co., Ltd is a provider of 2D/3D CAD software for the AEC, mechanical, manufacturing, electrical, GIS, survey and mapping, and civil industries. With its 20-year history, GstarCAD is primarily dedicated to providing .dwg-compatible CAD software.
According to company statistics, the market share rate of GstarCAD platform and extended application software puts it in first place in terms of legitimate CAD seats in the Chinese market. GstarCAD claims a customer base of more than 200,000 architects, engineers, and designers from more than 70 countries.
Vectorworks Nomad 2.0 mobile app releasedThursday, May 9th, 2013
Nemetschek Vectorworks has released a new version of the Vectorworks Cloud Services mobile application, Vectorworks Nomad 2.0.
Much anticipated by customers, the 2.0 version of Vectorworks Nomad lets users view, share, measure and annotate files. New redline drawing shapes, a sheet layer sidebar palette, angle and path measurement modes, improved download and upload performance and improved annotation text objects are among the product's enhancements.
The app is now available for both iOS and Android devices and can be downloaded from the Apple App Store (http://tinyurl.com/d6g9sdz) and the Google Play Store (http://tinyurl.com/cy3vxnh).
Dr. Biplab Sarkar, chief technology officer of Nemetschek Vectorworks, said that, "The ability to view, measure and annotate files in an offline mode provides even greater freedom, as users can make design decisions in the field without a network connection. And now, even more designers can take advantage of our mobile app, as it supports Google's Android platform."
Bluebeam Software releases Revu 11 in several languagesFriday, May 3rd, 2013
Bluebeam Software announced the release of Revu 11 in Swedish, German, Finnish and Norwegian. The Danish and Dutch versions are scheduled for later this month. This new version of Bluebeam's flagship solution furthers the company's efforts to provide collaboration on project documents and technical reviews for the AEC industry.
According to Richard Lee, Bluebeam Software president and CEO, Revu 11 allows you to keep working on files from the cloud and annotate them with enhanced PDF markup and editing options. It doesn't matter where you are, you can work if you lose your Internet connection suddenly.
New features in Revu 11 make it easier than ever for users to:
- Collaborate Anywhere, Anytime Revu 11's Studio Projects Offline mode enables project teams to centrally maintain a digital master set. The enhancement to Revu's integrated cloud feature, Bluebeam Studio, allows users to access and edit files stored in a Studio Project from a desktop, tablet PC or an iPad, even with the loss of an Internet connection. Changes can be synced as soon as connectivity is restored.
- Get Organized – Revu 11's AutoMark feature gives users the ability to organize PDFs by automatically creating bookmarks and page labels from PDF content. Sets, enables team members to view, navigate and edit multiple files as if they were one. This functionality is key for users in the field, who often divide multi-page documents into one file per page to allow for faster loading on iPads and tablets, but still need to quickly see related content when back in the office.
- Standardize Annotations on the Fly – The new Format Painter quickly applies property settings across multiple annotations such as color, line styles and fonts.
- Search for Anything – VisualSearch now performs more robust searches regardless of an object's size, color or rotation or even another intersecting object.
- Do more with 3D PDFs – With Revu 11, users can now create 3D PDFs from any IFC file, and do more with 3D content. Use the Section Box tool to demonstrate the exact issue at hand by exposing interior details.
Dealing with Construction Uncertainty – sg2013 LondonTuesday, April 30th, 2013
The Smartgeometry 2013 (sg2013) Conference, hosted by Bentley Systems, held in London at the Bartlett UCL Faculty for the Built Environment, assembled some of the most forward thinkers in the area of architecture today.
On Friday the venue is called "Talkshop" where a number of panelists present on various topics. Some of the highlights from those sessions are as follows:
Smartgeometry 2013 London kicks offMonday, April 22nd, 2013
This year's Smartgeometry event (sg2013) was held at the Bartlett Faculty of the Built Environment UCL and the Institute of Education in London from April 15-20. The event began with a description of how the group began and how the Bartlett School architects were the inspiration for this year's conference.
I was in London for a few days before the beginning of the conference and was impressed by the amount of construction there. The question that came to my mind was – how do they create structures that can complement the vast and rich history of this old city? There are many skyscrapers that are interspersed with historic buildings, some of which may be finding an unusual peace with the existing infrastructure.
There is a peer review process of choosing the teams who will present at sg each year. Out of 200 applications, there are 10 workshops comprised of ten people in each who will be the lucky ones chosen to present.
This is the first year an sg event has been held in London. According to Shane Burger, this year's program entitled "Constructing for Uncertainty" builds upon what has been accomplished in past years. This year's teams are using data in design, working with the environment, are much more information-centric, recognizing that there are "only a subset of relevant factors that can be modeled in a traditional design CAD package." The built environment must last for generations.
Topics such as how we explore efficiency, environmental or program changes, and bridging the gap between digitally fabricated calibration and construction tolerance and the "uncertain future of occupant behavior" were part of the day's discussion.
Huw Roberts, director of Core Marketing at Bentley, spoke briefly about Bentley's Applied Reseach group which has a $112 million of investment done in partnership with their software companies and users. "Our "syndicated development' takes something the user wants to do, defines what the software needs to be and Bentley will test it," said Roberts. "This relationship model is a direct descendant of how our relationship model was for sg. GenerativeComponents was the first child of our research activities. We're now integrating that with our optimization engines, like Darwin Optmization Framework. It was previously in our water products, used to tell where pipes are going to leak based on the data system. The framework is a very complex bunch of math that allows a bunch of iterative processes to run."
Augmented reality allows us to see what is under streets, in pipes, or show sections of inside the walls, looking at the construction model and seeing where pipes and conduits are inside walls, using iPads and other mobile devices.
Because the work done in the Smartgeometry clusters appears to be a far cry from real world applications of technology, several examples were given of projects completed using GenerativeComponents and other tools used for iterative design.
Green BIM is here to stayWednesday, April 17th, 2013
$US 60 trillion is needed between now and 2030 to meet the needs of U.S. infrastructure, according to recent statistics. Current industry has the capacity to put in place less than half of that. World energy consumption continues to be unrelenting and the need for Green Building Information Modeling is definitely here to stay.
The benefits of Green Building Information Modeling have been well outlined in the following article from TrueCADD on Green Building Information Modeling in Today's World
- The information generated from a green building information model leads to fewer number of errors on site caused by uncoordinated and inaccurate information.
- The model saves wastage of time on site.
- Extra coordination checks on site are largely unnecessary.
- Managing building information using a green BIM can lead to substantial cost savings, from construction and design through to maintenance.
- As all of the construction team members work on the same model — right from early design all the way through completion, changes are coordinated automatically across the project.
There is also a new website called www.greenbim.com, and numerous other websites and vendors addressing this topic.
sg2013 will be held in London next weekThursday, April 11th, 2013
sg2013 "Constructing for Uncertainty" will be at The Bartlett / UCL, London, UK from 15-20 April 2013. The Workshop and Conference, hosted in part by Bentley Systems, is an unusual gathering of innovators and pioneers committed to finding new approaches in the fields of architecture, design and engineering.
The description of the conference is: "Constructing for Uncertainty will transition computational design from the hard space of the ideal to the soft reality of an uncertain built environment," according to published literature. In years past, research has taken the participants into the realms of materials science, 3D printing and many other groundbreaking technologies in an exploration of what might be the tools to build future structures.


text:
Caller name: Compfixo Caller ID # 474
Caller type: Scammer/Fraudster
He said his company was "tech support" for Microsoft and that I was not receiving critical updates and ,ore important I have a bad infection in my computer.
I told him it sounded like a scam . He said scammers don't have "800" numbers.When I asked him for the number he called me on, he said it was something like 000000.
I told him I would contact Microsoft and get back to him tomorrow. .
Caller name: Kathy
Caller type: Scammer/Fraudster
I just received this call and they gave me the call back number of 800-786-0970. I then asked them to give the information they had on me before I would do anything they asked. She gave me my first and last name spelled correctly and my computer number. I told her I couldn't do this right now and when I did have time I would call back. The only conclusion I can come to is that one of the companies that would have my computer info sold it to this company.
Unfortunately, there is money to made in scamming people. And if Compfixo gets shut down they will just open another company with another name.
Caller name: Sam
Caller type: Scammer/Fraudster
This is the second person from this number calling in last few days asking to fix my computer. I can not believe anybody is still falling for such scams so they continue to harass other people. There should be a way to stop them.
Caller name: Roger
Caller type: Scammer/Fraudster
They called my home in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada, Dec. 3 @ 9:30am. Said he was from 'Compfixo' and that my computer was not receiving critical updates from Microsoft. I have an in-house computer technician and have also seen a television program about this scam so I knew that Microsoft would never call my home, but I did tell him I was busy and could I get a return number. I contacted local police and was told they believe these are actual businesses so they can not/will not get involved and I was given 2 phone numbers for the OPP, which I may contact later. If they call back I'm going to say 'give me a minute to get my computer' and then either just leave the phone on the chair and go about my day or maybe I'll sing every Christmas carol I can think of until they hang up. I feel bad for those who fall for scams like this and end up losing use of their computer and/or worse.
Caller name: Yogef (or something like this)
Caller type: Scammer/Fraudster
Stated my computer had a lot of problems and suggested he can fixed it remotely. I let him talk until he told me to go to www.fixme.it website. This website install a remote tool so they can remote your computer. I dropped the call.
Some friends have received calls like this and what the caller did was to install a fake antivirus on their computer and this program shows millions of supposed viruses and problems on the computer. So they ask for credit card payment to "fix" the problem (actually the problem they injected to your computer).
I do not understand is why people work for this kind of company, if they know they are scamming others for the benefit of their boss.


text:
Alma Mater
Package addressed to Indiana Jones was sent to the University of Chicago admissions office. There turned out to be a perfectly reasonable explanation for it (as far as these things go), but I like the story all the same.
(For those of you who aren't Maroons, Indy was based in part off a UChicago anthropology professor who enjoyed climbing out of his window).
And the solution to the mystery:


text:
Free shipping in the USA (lower 48) when your order is over $89 (excluding gift certificates and sales tax, if applicable).
In Stock. This regal, festive, and triumphal anthem is sure to appeal to choir and congregations alike. Accessible to large and small choirs, the versatility of "Almighty King!" makes it perfect for worship throughout the church year. Return Policy Exception: This product can not be returned. But it can be exchanged if defective, for the exact same title. Here is a listing of related products.
� 2018 Music44. All rights reserved.


text:
Agreed. While I'm not a fan of the ponies, I have to admit that Pushmo obviously took a lot of time and patience to create and deserves recognition for that effort. Great job KoiTenchi!
That said, I have to vote for number 7. What can I say, Rugrats was a great cartoon and its a great puzzle!
Edited on by Ecto-1
Boo! I'm a ghost.
Check out my Rytmik songs on Youtube
Colors 3D Gallery
3DS Friend Code: 3566-1553-9977 | Nintendo Network ID: ECTO-1989


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There are lots of things occurring here in Haiti and it helps to try and find some humor sometimes. I read this article on the net about Sarah Palins' visit to Haiti last weekend. Because of a bad internet connection and rain I missed a couple of days for posting, but the article is still funny! Here it is:
'We Have Suffered Enough,' Haitians Say
PORT AU PRINCE (The Borowitz Report) – Just when Haiti thought it had suffered every disaster imaginable, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin decided to visit.
In the disaster-torn nation's capital, a leading government minister warned citizens to "prepare for the worst."
"We have suffered earthquakes, flooding, and disease," said Minister of Disaster Jean-Claude Mansaray. "But it remains to be seen whether we can withstand a disaster of Sarah Palin's magnitude."
Across Haiti, citizens prepared themselves for the possible devastation Palin might cause, especially to their language and syntax.
"We have seen what she has done to English, and fear that she could do the same to French," Minister Mansaray said.
Upon her arrival, Gov. Palin seemed to get off on the wrong foot by repeatedly pronouncing the name of the country "Hades."
Minister Mansaray said that he and his countrymen were fearing the worst, but hoping for the best: "Our only hope is that she does what she did in Alaska: leaves early."
Get the Borowitz Report delivered to your inbox for free here.
The Los Angeles Times says Andy Borowitz has "one of the funniest Twitter feeds around."
Follow Andy on Twitter here.
The next couple videos are about the elections. The first one has a comic animation in parts that adds a little humor to the video. The Haitian people emphasize important events by creating descriptive and easy wordings to add emphasis. Goudou-Goudou is the creole expression for the earthquake. The sound ("goo-doo-goo-doo") was the sound of shaking buildings as they started to crumble. The World Cup of soccer which was held this past summer is known as "Waka-Waka"; the wind storm we had like a tornado is given the name "Voo-doo-voo-doo); the cholera epidemic given the name "poo-poo-poo-poo" and people who voted for the wrong candidate were given the name of "ka-ka" (which means "excrement"). Yes, this is silly and funny too I think. Follow the links to see the 2 videos on the humorous and sad state of elections here in Haiti:
Haiti Election - November 2010
Haitian Election - Complete Disaster: Fraud Rampant Everywhere


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It took a lot of work, my hair changed color, but everything is in order.
Here's some images and links to these fantastic student from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design - (*of those students who gave me links). They are fantastic works and major artists of the future. Please go and check out their fantastic show at the Science Museum of Minnesota.
The opening; Dec. 4th, 2009
Show runs from Nov. 20 - Dec. 11 - 2009
Images from the 5th Floor
Here are some people who are already interacting with the work. Enjoying watching Emily's video in a home like setting, accompanied by the work of Ashley's quilt is Political Science student and SMM employee Mursal Omar. We had a great conversation about the work, the world, politics, art and science.
Images from the 6th Floor
This young family was loving Ben Severns' work - of the created creatures under the domes. The little boy even lifted the dome ever so carefully to see if it would escape. Told you guys people will touch. All artists want is for people to touch the work, interact with the work etc - until they get the chance. :) From a teaching perspective, the irony of it all is not lost.
Go students go!
Artist's Names. Their work, and their statements.Meghan McFadden
Letting go
Notes is about the social behavior of American youth. Note passing is a primary mode of communication in American elementary schools. It is also about why we choose to preserve things, and looking more closely at what we hold most dear.
In Letting Go, the Plane ticket for me is a means of letting go, of a situation that you have no control over. It is also about coming to terms with the loss of something or someone you hold most dear.
Raina Belleau
Studies of Bicephaly
Studies of Bicephaly
Art and science are both fueled by curiosity. When working with the Science Museum of Minnesota I was inspired by the history of the collections and by Emily, the two-headed turtle on display. My interest in Emily led to research bicephilia, or two-headedness, and the history of taxidermy as a tool to study and display specimens in Victorian era museums. I decided that I would bring these ideas into a contemporary setting by making my own two-headed animals- the kind of domestic farm animals we are familiar with in the Midwest. I kept the idea of taxidermy as a display method not only because it is use within the collections but also because preservation is a way we give importance something. By presenting the animals as taxidermy specimens I am giving value to the kinds of common animals we may not otherwise consider in such a way. I hope that my work sparks the curiosity that the museum and its collections sparked in me.
Eric Groves
Light Interaction
Light can provide cheap beauty. Not in the sense of shallow beauty, but in terms of monetary cost. For Light Interaction, I used five things; light, food dye, water, a murky container and a clear one. Anyone can do this at home, it's just the way someone uses the food dye that makes it special. I took footage of these simple acts and edit them to music. What has inspired me to do this were the jars in the museum's collection, the various things that filled them, and their different colors. I took that and made it into a clean canvas of water being painted by brilliant color. The song is "Treefingers" by Radiohead (www.radiohead.com).
Lauren Schaefer
Reasons for Keeping
I am intrigued by the things that people choose to keep. I wonder why an institution's collection is perceived as more valuable and significant than any one individual's. I have been exploring the tension of the organized manner of the collections at the Science Museum of Minnesota versus the chaos of my own collections. My initial interest was in the cultural and the imposed monetary value of the institution's stockpile, afterwards I started analyzing my own random items, which I own for aesthetic or sentimental reasons. The motives of collectors and hoarders vary wildly and the reasons for keeping are as rich as the collections.
Ruth Sauvageau
Give It Back
When I was growing up, I was heavily influenced by nature and its cyclical path of birth, life, death and rebirth. Throughout this course, Working the Collection, I have been given the opportunity to view the collections of a National Museum on a personal level, changing the way I feel towards arts and crafts. While researching and observing within the collections, I discovered that I love the beauty surrounding patience and it's reflection on the piece of work being created. From this experience I have confirmed my passion of the earth and disgust of removing things from within it.
Clara Reynolds
Erasing Genetics
Process Ink Drawings
Diversity in Food: starting an heirloom garden.
The drawings are made of heirloom corn harvested at a local organic farm corn charcoal, which I bio-charred. I used the bio-char process because it allowed me to be a part of each step in the process of creating my own materials and would be carbon neutral upon creation; carbon negative when it returned to the soil. The drawings are a reflection on the time line of profit based corn crossbreeding from the late 1400s to the present. Emphasizing the violence, speed and massive change that has happened in the past 30 years. I am physically erasing the genetic make up of the corn embedded in both the paper and the charcoal, as the genes of many vegetables have been depleted through biotechnology.
Ben Severns
There Was Blood On My Hands
For a great portion of my life, I've been fascinated by science, scientific phenomena and technique, as well as the way that science is presented to the public. My work has also been influenced by my interest in photography, sculpture and the systems which each possess. For the past 7 years my work has evolved from my love of systems, process and photography, to developing a new vocabulary, merging film and sculpture.
"There Was Blood on My Hands" is a piece dealing with RNA and the way that it is the potential for anything at all. I crafted this idea from cast plastic, which has the potential for any shape. I also was looking to graphically display the models of RNA that I had made, and to capture their density and other aspects, so I made solar prints of the models that I made. I love these little creations. They've become more than just simple scientific models to me, they carry with them all of the failings which occurred in their creation. While their express purpose is to provide abstract models for what RNA is and can do, they also deal with possibilities. I am looking to develop a metaphorical dialog between my life in science, art, and technology, and that of biological systems, in which every living thing possesses.
Amy Breitag
The World Outside Us
"The World Outside Us" is a long-exposure photograph taken in the late hours of the night, visualizing the movement of the Earth via the light from the stars in the night sky. Earth revolves on an axis, with a full rotation completed in 24 hours. The stars look like they're moving across space because when the shutter of a camera is held open for an extended period of time, it captures the Earth in its actual rotation. I chose this piece to show at The Science Museum of Minnesota because it's an excellent combination of science and art. The image is a still representation of the workings of physics and quantum mechanics – the foundation of the universe. This photo depicts the interaction between nature, time, and space.
I am extremely fascinated with the universe, and lately have been influenced by every aspect of space. How the universe was created, the life cycles of planets, stars, and nebulas, the workings of galaxies, warping of time in space, and back holes. I want to inspire viewer to contemplate all these phenomena, and how tiny our world actually is in comparison to the size of the ever-expanding universe - because we are one of a kind in all existence.
I love this image - where you can see the Universe reflected back upon the space. Sort of a poetic after affect that I wound up thinking about all the way home.
Josh Hosterman
Second Meditation: Providence
This interactive sculpture is an illustration of one's self as a source of wisdom. The interaction completes the illustration and is an exercise in tapping this wisdom.Andrew V.
The triangle inspires me. We use triangulation to navigate earth and space, to create a realistic image of our three-dimensional world, or to provide stability to a structure. We also use triangles metaphorically to help link ideas or make sense of abstract concepts. One such use is the symbol of an eye within a triangle, often called the All Seeing Eye or the Eye of Providence. It generally represents the idea of being watched over – most often in a passive or helpful way. "Second Meditation: Providence" is a reinterpretation of this symbol. I invite you to complete the image.
Observe this object – its shape and surface. Look through the surface of the mirror to your reflection. Observe your self. If you look through your reflection, allowing each eye to focus on itself, you will perceive one central eye. Breathe naturally and blink naturally. While focused on your eye, notice what happens with your peripheral vision. Initially, there will be shifting visual signals as your mind flutters back and forth from eye to eye. After a minute or two, your mind and eyes will relax and you will complete the Eye of Providence. Your experience is the meaning of this artwork.
The triangle inspires me. We use triangulation to navigate earth and space, to create a realistic image of our three-dimensional world, or to provide stability to a structure. We also use triangles metaphorically to help link ideas or make sense of abstract concepts. One such use is the symbol of an eye within a triangle, often called the All Seeing Eye or the Eye of Providence. It generally represents the idea of being watched over – most often in a passive or helpful way. "Second Meditation: Providence" is a reinterpretation of this symbol. I invite you to complete the image.
Observe this object – its shape and surface. Look through the surface of the mirror to your reflection. Observe your self. If you look through your reflection, allowing each eye to focus on itself, you will perceive one central eye. Breathe naturally and blink naturally. While focused on your eye, notice what happens with your peripheral vision. Initially, there will be shifting visual signals as your mind flutters back and forth from eye to eye. After a minute or two, your mind and eyes will relax and you will complete the Eye of Providence. Your experience is the meaning of this artwork.
Tethered Poles
This piece represents the preservation of energy at a specific place and time. Magnets are restrained from each other, creating an invisible energy between them. Although the space between the magnets is vacant, there is energy in motion that is pulling itself to a visual standstill. This tension supports the illusion of levitation, and will continue to remain in motion until acted upon by an outside force.
Ashley Buxbaum
Fractal Quilt
Fractals have a fragmented structure resulting in patterns that can be broken into arbitrarily smaller scales. They appear similar at all levels of magnification, which are often considered to be infinitely complex in informal terms. These works combine the relatively personal nature of a quilt with the mystical presence of science, which leaves interaction open with the public referencing other exhibits within the science museum.
Please feel free to touch these pieces
Emily Atchison
(your) long journey
Please sit here as if you are in your own home. After all, this is a home video. History passed through oral tradition has a mutable form. Portions are lost, recovered, added, and highlighted as it passes through time. The delicacy and determination of this form is difficult to preserve in a stationary repository. It is meant to travel, and transfigure, and eventually die away. To show this mutable form in an environment that preserves and remembers heightens its temporality and gives it access to auxiliary memories. In this long shot there is a window, the back of my head, and a framed picture of my parents' promotional photograph when they were playing music full time. The sound is a recording of the Watson Family playing "your long journey," my parents' version of the same song, and my voice singing with my parents' recording. As I sing, I rock back and forth in the chair. This causes my reflection, in the glass that is covering the photograph of my parents, to flicker. The Watson Family singers, my parents, and I, are shimmering at once (as a ghost does) on the threshold of time, by tradition of sound. Death is singing over and over itself and I am flickering in its image. I am mourning.
Curtis Allen
Supports: This Mask Has Been Danced
Artifacts of a Ritual
The first phase of this project is in some sense a "re-enactment" ritual performed by a custodian of an apartment complex at the end of his cleaning routine. In the ritual/sacrifice he scented the lobby of the building by piercing, or stabbing, an aerosol fragrance can to expel its aroma. What interested me in this is that what seemed important, even mystical, were the context and content under which the ritual was performed—modern society, wage labor, custodial work, the environment of apartment buildings, the specific and instruments and implements used and so forth—but rather the motions, repetitions, and forces used (and those implements which present it, or legitimize it as a ritual). In other words, the ritual gained its importance through its experience, and not through its symbolic characteristics. Therefore, in a sense, this is not a story in the traditional sense; instead the work invites you to find, or create, experiences rather than imagine them. The second phase of the project involves embodying the process of collecting at the Science Museum itself. So accordingly, the wood and foam presentation support attempt to follow as closely as possible, the protocol for similar kinds of artifacts annexed into the collections department here at this very museum. This has provided a method for understanding 'the museum' more closely. Understanding, at least partially, the way in which the museum, as a collective and institutional structure, operates. This phase is what is presented to you here: the artifacts, the ritual garment, the sacrificial object (the aerosol can), the sacrificing object (the screw driver), and resting bed (the white cloth); and the supports, the two wood and foam constructions used for preservation and display.
Brian Nigus
John 12:27
John 12:27 is a response to the ideas of perception and theoretical sensations that, through the studies of its collections, the Science Museum of Minnesota has presented.
"You will never touch anything, there will always be a small barrier between your hand and the object you are trying to touch."
Take for example, a wall in the museum. Due to the strong electrostatic repulsion experienced by the electrons in your hand's atoms, against the electrons in the wall's atoms, you are unable to physically make contact with the wall. This contrasts our perception of touch. Even though we cannot physically feel the wall, we can perceptually feel it. This is because our classifications of touch are made early on in life. We don't argue with the wall. We know we can't pass through it, but what if we could? What if we believed hard enough to phase through these sturdy ideals. What if we could turn solid to flux through thought?
Please consider this qualitative equation.
Perceived Water Solidity Postulate
S • m • a • X = Perceived H2O Solidity
- S = Area of cross-section entering the water (0 < S < ∞)
- m = Mass of object (0 < m < ∞)
- a = Gravity acceleration (9.8 meters / seconds2)
- X = Height of fall (0 < X < ∞)
- Kinetice = ½ • m • v2 = ½ • m • √(2aX)2 = (½ )(2) • m • a • X
This postulate expresses the idea that water is perceived as more solid upon entrance when the falling height, the cross-section area of the object entering the water, and the kinetic energy at impact are greater. Jumping from a diving board at your local pool is not high enough to experience the phenomenon that pilots express as "hitting a wall of bricks," when they slam into the ocean from an ejected plane. Minimizing one's surface area can lessen the perceived hardness, but by imagining a belly flop (large surface area) from a one-centimeter drop above the water's surface opposed to a one-thousand-meter drop, it is easy to see the difference in the perceived solidity of the water.
Since we can prove that water, in its liquid state, has many perceptions of solidity, what stops us from flip-flopping the malleability of other objects, ideas, places, or people for that matter? The Navy Pilot is one of our nation's most respected figures. Mentally and physically they are in peak condition for the actions they must carry out. They are prepared and trained, but even these noble aviators can be rendered powerless. On October 28, 2009, two Navy Pilots ejected from their T-34C Turbomentor training planes over the Gulf of Mexico, unofficially due to maintenance problems. One pilot was found deceased, floating towards a fishing boat. The second pilot was given up on after five days of searching. These two aeronauts, stripped from their powerful roles, were left at the mercy of the cosmos and Mother Nature. They went from strong to weak, solid to flux, in an instant.
The characters in this story were friends of my brother, a fellow Navy Pilot, a man
I never imagined losing control of a situation he was in until now.
A possibility that (I now see) is all too real.
Allison Pegoraro
The Shaman Alchemist (costume)
The Shaman Alchemist
The word "alchemy" derives from the French word "alchemie" which means "the art of transformation". Alchemy is both a philosophy and a practice with an aim of achieving ultimate wisdom as well as immortality. I created a shaman alchemist character based on various ritual costumes in the American Museum of Natural History, and imagined a ritual search for a sense of alchemy through the preservation and conservation of nature at The Science Museum of Minnesota. The shaman alchemist is standing in the biology lab surrounded by preserved animals and animal parts with The Science Museum's Curator of Biology Dick Oehlenschlager. The animals are all preserved for research and though dead, are also partially immortalized through being captured in art.
Ashley Fresquez
Please, Come In
"Please, Come In"
The inspiration for this piece came from viewing scope and expansiveness of the Science Museum Collection. This drawing is a response to a personal Landscape,
and the effect of geography on a person's identity. It is my particular impression of my native landscape.
Hilary Leasman
I have two pieces in the museum. One is a human skeleton made of pillows, titled Skulleton. The other is a children's book titled, Soundscape. In its final form the skeleton will be "dissectible". Each bone will be connected to the rest of the skeleton by buttons. I picture it in a living room where the head can be lobbed at a snarky guest or the femurs wielded like swords. Just imagine the pillow fights! "No, no, it's a leg bone! that means I'm kicking you!" " It's in your hand… you're hitting me!"
While attending MCAD I am also working toward becoming a firefighter. To this end I am taking an Emergency Medical Technician course. One day, during a lecture, my EMT instructor goofed and called a skeleton a skulleton. The odd spelling is reflective of the context that spurred its creation.
While attending MCAD I am also working toward becoming a firefighter. To this end I am taking an Emergency Medical Technician course. One day, during a lecture, my EMT instructor goofed and called a skeleton a skulleton. The odd spelling is reflective of the context that spurred its creation.
My other piece, Soundscape, is about a girl who gets enveloped by the noises of her creaky old house. She uses the sounds as a gateway to a convoluted fantasy world that she explores with her musk ox, Sprucer. Soundscape is my first children's book. It began as a letter that I was writing to a friend. The "creaky old house" was actually my college dorm, pine hall. The letter languished on my desk unsent until, on a whim, I reworked it into a children's


text:
Sunday, August 8, 2010
World Cat Day
Hello evfurry one,
Today is World Cat Day. I warned Pellie and Sir Knight in advance - that I best be treated special today.
But really it's not about me. - It's about remembering all the homeless or abused kitties out there in this big old world and purring for them that someday soon they will know the peace and contentment that the rest of us feel on a regular basis.
Big loud Purrs for Ann from The Zoolatry for making up the super cool badge .
Posted by Pellie / Penny at 4:54 AM
2 comments:
- Brian said...
That is a great thing to purr for!!! I hope y'all have a wonderful World Cat Day every single day!
- August 8, 2010 at 10:40 AM
- Sinderella Studio Designs said...
Happy World Cat Day Genghis!
Woof, Sophie
- August 9, 2010 at 4:20 AM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
Here's a rough-and-ready transcript that I made with KeepSubs:
Hello. I appreciate the opportunity to talk about something that's that's been important to me for quite a while. If you fear, as I do, that our uses social media maybe making people and cultures shallow, then why not teach more people how to swim and together we can explore the deeper end to the pool? The way you use a search engine, stream video from your smartphone, update your Facebook status matters to you and and to me and to everybody because the way we use these media today, and misuse them, are going to influence the way people use and misuse these media for some time to come. Instead of asking "Is Google making us stupid? Is Facebook commoditising our privacy? Is Twitter chopping our attention into micro slices?" (all very good questions), I've been asking myself how do we use social media intelligently, humanely and above all mindfully? Netsmart is is what I've come up with in terms of talking to people who know what they're talking about doing research and counting on my nearly 30 years of experience online — and what I've come up with his the notion that the critical uncertainty today is what people know. It's a matter of literacy.
And when I talk about literacy in regard to social media, I mean not just the skill of encoding and decoding, like reading and writing is to alphabetic literacy; I mean the skills encoding and decoding the fluency in manipulating the media but also the ability to use them and in concert with others. There's a social dimension to each of the essential literacies and I think that these literacies point both inward and outward in the sense that the people who know how to use these media are going to do better for themselves but I also believe the more people know what they're doing the better we can improve the state of the Commons — we can improve the quality of the information and culture online.
So, very briefly, the literacies that I have isolated, certainly not all of them, but I feel the most important ones start with attention, participation (including collaboration), crap detection, and network know-how. I want to briefly touch upon each of these. Of course I get into a lot more detail in the book, but in a few minutes here I want to talk about attention as really the fundamental literacy in the sense that it's the the foundation of our ability to think and communicate — and clearly our attention is being challenged by all the screens that compete for our attention. This, you may recognize, these stills here, are from a camera in a mall in the USA and show a young woman falling into a fountain while she is texting, and in the USA 1 in 6 Americans have confessed or admitted to bumping into something or someone while texting, and having travelled I know that this is a worldwide issue. Take a look at this: here's Mark Zuckerberg giving a press conference and there's one person looking at him and everybody else is looking at their screens we were talking about the first of the 5 literacy - attention - We were talking about multitasking and here's a multi tasking student apparently does it successfully I want I want to emphasize that the recent research by Clifford Nass at Stanford has demonstrated pretty conclusively that people's think they are getting their work done more efficiently by multitasking are actually degrading their performance on the individual tasks. What was interesting to me was that this is true of about 95 percent of the subject studied what about those other five percent. There was this student. 1 of them and was just born with an an ability to pay attention to more than one thing at once or was it something that he had learnt and something that we could learn there is in existence proof for this kind of multitasking in that is pilots. Pilots have to aviate, navigate, and communicate in three dimensions and and thats while nobody is shooting at them so I do believe that one can learn to manage one's attention more effectively and there's an old name for this, an ancient name mindfulness, there's a new name for it metacognition wikipedia has a pretty good page on metacognition and it simply means becoming aware of where you are deploying your attention so when I work with my students we work on paying attention to when our minds are wandering. If you open your laptop in class and you're taking notes your checking to see if the the professor knows what he's talking about fine - but when you begin sliding into Facebook or your e-mail notice that that's what you're doing. If you're gonna do it don't do it mindlessly I ask my students when we're studying this to just take a few minutes to write what their priorities for the day are you can see I just wrote six words here and put in a corner my screen and during the day when my gaze falls upon this naturally I simply asked myself where's my attention right now? and were according to my own priorities should it be? this just a a matter not a policing one's attention but beginning to become aware of it, to train it. So very briefly since we don't have a lot of time - attention can be trained. we know this from a moblemia of contemplative traditions and we know it from ample neuroscience today. I think one of the best books about that is called the mindful brain by doctor Daniel Siegel Breathe! Researcher Linda stone noticed that she was holding her breath when she was doing her email - she calls as email apnea. We hold our breath when something is captured our attention and we're not sure whether it's good or bad. It's the fight-or-flight response if you think about your ancestors walking through the the jungle or the Savannah and the years sounds they freeze their body starts pumping hormones just in case they have to fight or flee and they hold their breath well that's very useful if you're trying to survive in the jungle if you're sitting at your computer and you do this five hundred times a day and there is nothing chasing you it's very unhealthy for you so well one thing that's very easy to do when you are attending to your screen is to take a breath breathing connects the mind and the body and attention to intention is how the mind changes the brain if you begin paying attention to where your attention is your strengthening that part of your brain that pays attention to where your attention is it's not that we are helpless in the face of all of the distractions that media afford it's that we have not taken the time to train our attention. So I wanna move to critical consumption I call it crap detection after hemingway who said that everyday a good journalist requires a fool proof internal crap detector I started thinking about this quite a number of years ago before Google when my daughter was in middle school and starting right papers and going to the the library in using the search engine search engines were called Alta Vista and info seek in those days and i sat down with her and I explained that you can get a book out of the library and you know that there was a an editor and a publisher and a librarian who all acted as gatekeepers to try to assure that the the text was authoritive that you could trust what it said nowadays of course you can put a term into a search engine and you can get an answer to any question within seconds but now it's up to you to consume the information to detimine its accuracy so I asked my daughter to to put the name of Martin Luther king the American civil rights leader into a search engine search on his name an you noticed that the third link down is called Martin Luther King junior a true historical examination if you click on that you get a website that that appears to be about Martin Luther King junior but if you read the the articles they paint him in a very unfavorable light so my daughter asked how can you tell whether this is true or not? I said well there's an author here let's search on his name and that's always a lot but there was no author for the website so I showed her a site called who is that will tell you if you put in a URL who was responsible for it and it turns out that someone called Don Black at Stormfront .org was responsible for that website so searching on that name again this is a pretty simple procedure here just a little bit of investigation reveals that storm front is a white nationalist community which is known as a cloaked website not all of the websites out there aren't what they appear to be are political or cloaked this one would be funny if it weren't a little bit scary a free online pregnancy test. And you know technology can do such incredible things these days it's easy to believe something like this so it says fill in your name and press start test so I put in the name Joe and I got a little flash animation come up that says sit still while we scan you and then it turns out congratulations Joe you're with child so I clicked on view my baby turns out it's a girl well by this time I think most people know that it's a a joke. I am concerned though about there are certain number pregnancies caused every year because young men and women aren't entirely sure about where babies come from. I couldn't help clicking on one more who's the daddy and if you don't like the daddy you can pick another daddy this is a first genetics I think actually this is in the in the UK these people claim to have tracked genetic code they got a primate that can communicate with use you a typewriter. through a a keyboard is a course completely bogus although it looks for real there is the endangered Pacific Northwest tree octopus - a completely non-existent species the URL at the bottom the screen there is that I I have a long list of sites some of them political some of them jokes, some of them hoaxes, again very briefly, as I told my daughter think like a tech detective or think like a journalist don't assume that what you find online is true check it out don't just accept what's on the first page of search results don't just use one search engine if you can find an author look on their name simple but I think required Triangulation is a word that journalists use for checking three sources before you pass along a rumor. I remember in 2011 during the Egyptian uprising that there was a report on Twitter that Egypt had shut down internet access there wasn't anything on BBC there wasn't anything on CNN there wasn't anything on Al Jazeera so I did not pass it along until I got the three sources on it and it turned out that that was accurate not long after that there was a rumor that if you texted a certain number you would help send medical aid to Haiti where they had just had an earthquake that turned out to be a hoax so I think it's very important these days in terms of fast-breaking rumors on social media that we all triangulate like journalists. also I think it's very important that because we have the ability to pay attention to many more new sources that we not only pay attention to sources that we agree with if nobody in your network none of the new sources that you are paying attention to annoys you then maybe you are in an echo chamber you need to pay attention to sources that you don't agree with but you believed to be honest and intelligent so participation is an ex literacy and we really wouldn't be talking about the web at all if it wasn't for participation the web was not created by a government to wasn't created by a corporation it was created by millions of people putting up web pages just very briefly a couple of examples Heather Lawver again I believe she was in the She was in Reston Virginia and she created a website for fans of the Harry Potter books Warner Brothers who own the copyright tried to shut her down they sent her a cease and desist order. she organized a worldwide boycott that backed them off before the Warner lawyers discovered she was sixteen-years-old there was an obscure blogger in the US by the name of Beth Harris who discovered that the source code for Diboll the company that makes the voting machines for much of the USA in much of the rest of the world which they had been keeping secret was on a public server she made that information public and a Court in the US found in her favor and then here's one of the young revolutionaries in Egypt. who used Facebook YouTube and Twitter as part of what they were doing not making a claim here that the it was a Twitter revolution but I am making the claim that people have used and are using In turkey in Egypt, in Brazil right now social media to organize and and coordinate political activity and of course we're now custom to teenagers inventing new industries and making themselves billionaires - very powerful people from their dormitory rooms you know i emphasize the youth of these examples just to show that if you know how to participate you can wield real power, political power, economic power, and cultural power Curation is a word is being used these days in terms of people making decisions about what's good information online about a particular topic and passing their decision their decisions on to others and I believe that curation is a great way for people to easily participate and the not only increase their own knowledge but benefit others and just very briefly I want to run through the benefits of that we all need to transform information overload into useful knowledge if we make something that we had to do available to others anyway we can benefit everyone and create a public good and also signal that we are people worth cooperating with it's a good way to enhance your reputation as an expert in a topic and if everybody if more people in a culture participates we have a very different culture a person who regards herself on as an active creator of some of the culture the that she consumes online has a very different view of herself as a citizen and an active view of herself as a citizen than someone who sees herself only as a consumer of culture that's created by others there are so many different ways to participate we cannot leave it just to Facebook to create our content for us we need to create we need to participate we need to continue to be in charge of what the culture on the web is so again Don't just consume - create the web has a particular architecture that makes it too easy for individuals to contribute small bits of knowledge small bits of usefulness, small bits of helpfulness that add up to a lot for everybody Curation is an easy way to begin practicing collective intelligence learn the norms and boundaries of local cultures before participating know what you're participating in and crap detect thyself before broadcasting questionable info you know we can't really and shouldn't really try to police the information that people put online if that was possible, if that had been done we wouldn't have the web but what we can do is that we can make sure that the information we send out is accurate before we pass along a rumor that's sent to us there are so many ways to collaborate I've written books about Two of the different genres of collaboration I'm not going to get into deep about any of these stories smart Mobs as I said in Brazil millions of people are on the streets in ways they never were before because they were able to communicate with each other and to organize with people they weren't able to organize with in places and at paces they weren't able to organize before I first started talking about virtual communities in 1987 to try to get across the idea that it wasn't just electrical engineers who used their computers to communicate with now of course hundreds of millions if not billions of people communicate daily with people they share an interest with if you are a a cancer patient if you're a gamer if you were an educator or student you're probably participating in a virtual community of some kind online people are 'em putting their computing power together this called distributed computation when your computer goes to sleep it can take part of a scientific computation and send the results to headquarters If you go to folding.Stanford.edu you can help scientists understand how protein molecules configure very important in aids research in fact there's even a game called fold it on the x box and a team playing that game was able to discover important biomedically important facts about the protease enzyme We think of Crowdsourcing in terms of companies having their their customers creature content for them well this is a picture of Jim Gray who went missing in the San Francisco Bay in a sailboat his friends organized a search overnight they got 500,000 images of the area of the Pacific Ocean were he went missing they divided into half a million images and they searched them they didn't find him but they put this together with tools that are available online literally overnight Wikipedia is is not the only but maybe the most prominent form of collective intelligence all these are are genres of collaboration if you know the literacy Of how to collaborate in a smart mob or a virtual community or or crowdsource or collective intelligence you and those you join with have abilities and powers that you would not have had otherwise and we're now seeing this extend to learning. You know educational institutions schools used to have the monopoly on learning. nowadays if you want to learn how to do something whether it either build something out of wood or configure a computer server there's probably a 15-year-old who's going to show you how on YouTube so again we compete we cooperate as much as we compete and online literacies of collaboration enable us to participate in that collaborative actions unlike participatory actions climb the curve of engagement you start out simply and you can you get more engaged there are a wide variety of ways to participate and if you want to get others to participate give them a lot of ways that they can choose to participate you know nobody assigns someone to write a Wikipedia article on a particular variety of an apt some person who considers himself an expert on that apt who does is called self-selection and is very powerful people contribute online for a number of reasons survey research has shown that learning enhancing reputation social reasons meeting other people and adding to a public good are all reasons why people will contribute online and casual conversation enable strangers to trust each other enough to cooperate so that chit-chat online that seems trivial is actually the way people get to know each other finally network awareness I'm aware of the the time limit here I'm not going to get into detail which I do in the book but we now live not in an information society but in the network society and their are a number of different kinds of knowledge that have emerged from network science that emerged from sociology and that wer'e beginning to understand and have a very direct impact on the way we spend our lives online particularly important for young people who are coming online to understand that their participation online is now happening in a network society social networks certainly predated Facebook but they're far more important today because we are able to link ourselves in ways that we were not able to do so before So I know, indeed it's the connection between these different pieces of knowledge that that create a literacy of networks you don't have to be a scientist to understand them I i try to convey them in the kinda terms that you would convey to your teenager before they get too involved online so in the interest of time just wanna very quickly say that networks have structures understanding the structures enable you know what you can do with them both strong and weak ties are useful to individuals and it may not be the number of Facebook friends you have its more important to exhibit work The Social Network Analyst call centrality the number of people in that works to go through you to get to each other diverse networks are collectively smarter and people who can bridge networks can stand to benefit by doing that this research has not been done online yet but it's been done in face to face neighborhoods the strongest indicators strongest predictor whether you will receive favors from others is whether you do favors for them at online you're able to do favors in a visible way so paying it forward can pay you back so um in closing again I moved through this material very very quickly I don't try to keep up with just the technologies keep up with the literacies and you'll find out more at rheingold.com/netsmart I think if you have time I am happy to answer questions Thank you very much indeed


text:
Last Friday morning, I had the honor of talking about editing to the Minnesota Chapter of the National Speakers Association. We did an editing exercise I've used in my classes for the past fourteen years. The exercise directions were to "cross out every unnecessary word and when you are finished, count the words remaining."
Then I polled the audience asking for the number of words that remained. The original paragraph had 78 words and poll revealed the number of words remaining ranged from 45 to 5.
As I asked each speaker to read the paragraph he or she edited, it became clear some totally missed the point (main idea) of the paragraph (for they had crossed out the words that pertained to it).
That created a learning opportunity. Even though we love words, we need to be mindful that they can confuse our readers if we use more than we need to make our point.
Some in the audience claimed the answer (which is four words, so one speaker was close) lacked style and embellishment. But my response was the directions were to cross out every unnecesary word in that paragraph.
When you decide embellishment will make your writing more interesting, use it. But that's another assignment.
I trust you'll read your own writing with an increased awareness of whether or not any given word is necessary to conveying your point to your reader. Don't risk losing your reader. Instead give your reader your best effort. It's much harder to write tight than to write verbose. Try it and see.
Happy writing!


text:
Motoring around in a campervan daubed with implorations to smoke more pot is sure to add some excitement to an otherwise deathly dull drive between "tourist attractions" in the south-west. In between looking at very tall trees, freezing on windswept beaches, admiring mallee root clocks, eating indifferent and overpriced meals and being served bad coffee you can also look forward to the local cops tossing your van.
It gave me some laffs on an otherwise mundane drive to Bunbury but a quick visit to the Wicked Campers website proved that the van I saw was, in fact, positively restrained. If you think the Cheech & Chong mobile is a cop magnet, wait until you get an eyeful of some of the other vans that uncomprehending Eurotrash hit the road in.
Class A driver's license required for this baby.
Undoubtedly a popular model with the ladies. ("had a hysterectomy…"?)
"Hey, I toured Oz with a bunch of assholes!" Maybe the other side of the van has front-bottoms painted on it. "Hey, I toured Oz with a bunch of assholes and c*nts!"


text:
I tweeted awhile back about a coworker not realizing that I'm pregnant. I saw her a lot in the halls and was very clearly pregnant. The next time I saw her, she said "Oh yeah, you look pregnant now." That was like 2 days later.
That's enough to earn her an eyebrow raise.
Oh, but today...today, idiot coworker comes into the office to drop off a FedEx package. She peeks around the corner, doesn't say "hi" or any other common pleasantry. No, idiot coworker looks at me almost in disgust and says...
"You're BIG."
Me: ::thinking "ookay..."::
IC: "No, you're BIG. When are you due?"
Me: "March 3rd."
IC: "You have that far to go? Are you sure?"
Me: "Yeah. It's only about 2 months."
IC: "And you're this BIG already?"
Me: ::glare::
IC: "You're sure you're not having twins? You're really BIG."
She then proceeded to tell me how she knows someone whose wife thought she was only having 1 baby. She had 3.
I asked her when this was.
Thank you. Now go away. If I weren't propping up my poor Shrek feet under my desk, I'd give you a nice kick in the arse to help you out the door.


text:
"I am an imaam..."
What are the chances of someone else with the name of Alfian Abdul Halin? Well, I'd say very slim. If you calculate the probability using Bayes theorem:
I think it's gonna be quite low also. Hehehe. I won't go on explaining how to do it because I might make a mistake and make a total fool out of myself :P But let's just believe as a prior (which is actually P(A)), that observing 'Alfian Abdul Halin' (the full name) si very2 slim.
Anywayz, yesterday... I was actually trying to see whether people have been citing the two or three conference papers I've written during the course of my PhD. So I Googled for Abdul Halin Alfian (since you know la Mat Sallehs, they index by the last name... which we Malays technically don't have!!!). Tengok2 terjumpa la pulak website niiii... http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/tsunami-losing-traction-in-bukit-gasing/. Walaweh... when I found the match for my name... I was quite awed. Ada jugak orang yg nama dekat nak sama dengan Alfian Abdul Halin? Imam masjid pulak tu? kekekekeke. Tapi nama dia betul sikit la compared to my name. I mean, his name is Alfian Abdul Halim, where one of God's 99 glorious names (i.e. Halim) is properly preceded by the word servant (i.e. Abdul). My dad's name ada tershilap sikit masa nurse tu register... since it's Abdul Halin... Tapi takpe...
Anyway, tu je la nak citer. Lepas ni kalau ada orang tersilap dan panggil saya Imam Alpyan, maka saya tidak akan terkejut. Sbb kompom mereka mistaken idontitey... Oraits... Tq for reading iye :D
A screen shot of that Malaysian Insider webpage