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Naughty Neighbour
Workers on a construction site in Allen, Texas, had to duck and cover after a neighbour opened fire because they were "irritating" him. Granted, the work was being done in the middle of the night, but the company had applied for a special permit to pour concrete at 2 am, and area residents had been notified.
After yelling at the workers about their lights disturbing his sleep, the 75-year-old man went back into his apartment to retrieve a rifle. No one was injured, but the man was arrested and charged with deadly conduct.
"I don't think he was trying to hurt anybody, I think he was just frustrated," the shell-shocked jobsite superintendent told a local news station.


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It's Hard Turning Down A Stitching Job
My LNS contacted me this morning asking if I would like to do a stitching job. She said a lady came in and brought a Thomas Kinkade embellishment kit of Lamplight Bridge that she wants stitched by the middle of next month. I am one that is known to do emergency stitching on tight deadlines, so they contacted me to see if I could do it. Oh man - the embellishment kits are said to be murder as the charts don't match the printed design. I really could use the extra cash though, but is it really worth it? We are doing a tight homeschool schedule, plus a day a week away while the kids take classes elsewhere. I could give a high quote and see if the lady still wants it stitched. That seems quite unfair though. I'm going to have a look at it tomorrow. It's already started (which means that I may have more problems there - fixing mistakes and all). It is so difficult to turn down a job - as the extra money is always nice and can certainly be used. At the same time, I'm really enjoying just knitting (with a little crochet project every now and then) and I don't know if I really want to put the enjoyment away for something I'm not going to relish doing.
Now about that enjoyment...
I finished DD's Iowa Cruise Socks this morning. I really enjoy doing socks and this makes the 10th pair I've finished. Certainly not enough to claim I know how to knit them yet, but enough to make my understanding of the construction better :-)
Right after pulling these off the needle, I went back to the dwindling 4ply stash and looked for something appropriate for DH. I found some nice Bartlett Yarn, but it didn't knit to gauge. I needed 5-1/2 sts. to the inch and got 4. Tighter just didn't make the fabric I wanted for the socks. So DH is now getting a pair made out of Lion Brand Fisherman's wool (a cream color) and some Plymouth Galway in turquoise. I'm going to do 2 turquoise stripes in the ribbing as well as contrasting heel and toe. Yes, this will be my first time with color changes on the socks. Every sock I've knitted so far has been either a solid or self striping.
Another quick finish was a hat design by Dot Matthews called Ugly But Warm Hat or otherwise know as the UBW Hat. I used Red Heart in both black and camouflage. DS and his camouflage - I swear he'd have a whole wardrobe of it - oh and anything with Star Wars on it - so the perfect clothing item would be made of Star Wars camouflage :-)
And here's DS in his "mug" shot. Yes - his sense of humor.......

subset: commoncrawl


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Jaundice is the yellowing of the skin and eyes and is often associated with the liver disease. This happens when there is too much bilirubin in your liver. A person with hemolytic anemia may experience a rapid destruction of the red blood cells which produces bilirubin. Another possible cause of jaundice is when the liver has its defects such as blockage that could be cancer or gallstones. Sometimes the drugs we take when under medication can cause liver inflammation.
If you notice some changes in your skin or eyes from its normal color to yellowish, you can do the following tips to help your body cure your disease. Mild jaundice can be cured using simple remedies but of course this is only to help your liver do its functions. There is no substitute for seeing your doctor to get proper medications.
These are the available options for you if you have jaundice. As you can see, you have many options to remedy a mild jaundice. However, it is important to consult your doctor to check what is causing your liver to malfunction. Jaundice is can be severe or mild depending on the causes of it.
Additional resources:


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We have witnessed the shameful collapse of journalistic integrity. And the prospects are bleak for its return.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Wrong rhetoric again, Mr President.
But all over the papers and all over the radio was the President telling us that the racially motivated and "stupid" police of Cambridge, Massachusetts have proven that racism is still alive. This was in response to the story of Louis Gates, Harvard professor of African American studies, who allegedly was treated in a racially motivated fashion when he was arrested at his home.
The story suggests that Mr Gates was unable to enter his home through his front door. He and his driver, also an African American male tried to force entry by trying to "shoulder" the door open. A neighbor called the police concerned that a breaking and entering might be in progress. When the police arrived Gates had made entry through the back door. The police confronted Mr Gates at the entry of his house. They asked for identification, Gates apparently first refused but then acquiesed and gave a Harvard ID. Even in Gates' own accounts he never said there was racial verbiage used by the policemen, or that they touched him or used threatening or demeaning tones.
The police began to leave when Gates began shouting "this is how black men are treated in America" and something about racism and "your Mama". The policemen returned to the porch of the home and arrested and cuffed Mr. Gates.
The policemen seemed to have acted exactly according to procedure and it was Mr Gates who could have kept this incident as nothing more than police checking in on a possible break-in. They were trying to protect Mr Gates' home. How the president decided that the police are "stupid" and racist out of the reports I've heard are curious.
He should have said, "I'm not aware of all the facts of the case, let me get back to you." Instead he took a cheap, race-baiting shot at the police. Not what I expect out of the office of the President.
3 comments:
It was stupid for the President to use the word stupid. Law enforcement officers and military personnel will wonder now whether the President will judge them guilty of any claimed injustice without his knowing all the facts. Is there a presumption of innocence for everyone except those trying to enforce the law?
- July 23, 2009 at 4:33 PM
- Jack said...
This is where the press coddling this candidate and this president for the last year or more is coming back to bite him. He truly feels he has a shield of invincibility whereby any idiotic thing or lie that he says will be covered up by the press. The fact that he is losing the healthcare debate and his ratings are going down means even the overboard press has to at least feign some accountability thus the Messiah has tripped over his own tongue and the legions aren't defending him as rabidly.
Obama is even more immature, even more inexperienced, and therefore even more clueless than I thought.
And Rahm Emmanuel is to blame for most of this. He's behind the -damn the torpedoes full speed ahead philosophy, trying to take advantage of a crisis, a veto-proof legislature and an adoring press.
- July 23, 2009 at 7:46 PM
You're right -- Obama's inexperience is showing, as is Rahm's power-lust. You should do an entire item (not just a comment) about your thesis that Obama's current crisis (declining polls and healthcare fiasco) is a result of his having been coddled and shielded by the fawning media. It's a great point!
- July 24, 2009 at 12:08 PM


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If you are having issues with the speed of Studio, see here for ways this document provides information you can use to diagnose the problem.
|Table of Contents
Building Workspace taking longer than expected
- Right-click on a project's folder.
- Select Build > Exclude from build.
Studio is encountering an exception during indexing
If you notice things like
If you notice issues mentioned in APSTUD-2260 (UTFDataFormatException in DiskIndex.readString()), it is likely your index is corrupt. See See The index is corrupt section below.
A validator or builder is enabled that is taking a long time to process each file
- Find your workspace directory on disk
- Locate the .metadata folder indside (you may need to show hidden files)
- Delete .metadata/.plugins/com.aptana.index.core/*.index (index file/files for the JS, HTML etc.).
- Delete .metadata/.plugins/com.aptana.editor.php/*.index (index file/files for PHP).
- Restart Studio
If that still does not help...
The There are diagnoses you can perform that will help us understand the issue:
- Turn on Show Normally Hidden Processes: Preferences > Studio > Troubleshooting > Show Normally Hidden Processes
- In the same preference page, turn on the following:
- Debug Level: All
- Debug specific components
- com.aptana.core/debug/builder
- com.aptana.core/debug/builder/indexer
- com.aptana.core/debug/builder/participants
- Then, clear the log file: Help > Studio > Clear Log File.
- Restart Studio
Attach your findings to
|Code Block
!ENTRY com.aptana.core 1 0 2012-08-15 14:44:09.007 !MESSAGE (Build 0.0.0.qualifier) [INFO] com.aptana.core/debug/builder Performing incremental unified build on project 'geolocationClient' !ENTRY com.aptana.buildpath.core 1 0 2012-08-15 14:44:09.069 !MESSAGE (Build 0.0.0.qualifier) [INFO] com.aptana.core/debug/builder/participants Executed build participant 'Index Build Participant' on 'file:/Users/ingo/Documents/Aptana%20Workspaces/Aptana%20Studio%203%20Workspace/geolocationClient/LICENSE' in 10.842 ms. ... !ENTRY com.aptana.core 1 0 2012-08-15 14:44:09.556 !MESSAGE (Build 0.0.0.qualifier) [INFO] com.aptana.core/debug/builder Finished unified build of 'geolocationClient'. Took 589.057 ms.
High CPU
Diagnosing high CPU usage is relatively straightforward, but requires a small amount of setup. However, the information gained here is invaluable to the developers.


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Oh, there is comfort in the idea, to be sure! Why, suddenly the world is full, brimming with beauty! Everything suddenly needs to be examined and appreciated and respected. No one is left out; art is something everyone can do. The responsibilities of the artist fades, and we find ourselves comfortably cradled in the creative powers of Nature.
But what is black without white? If anything can be Art, then suddenly nothing is particularly special because everything is special.
The state of the art world seemed to be splitting into two paths in the galleries I visited:
1. Labor-intensivity. People will be impressed by the grandeur of your devotion and perfectionism.
2. Novelty. People will be impressed by your creative point of view; even if the product is easy to recreate and took no skill whatsoever to make, people must give you the cred because you were the FIRST to do it.
I look at such works of art, and I am indeed impressed, but the effect lasts for mere minutes before fading into the background.
I have also experienced Art that has impressed me, because it has left a lasting impression on me. Not just on me, but by millions of people for centuries. Those pieces are paradoxically simple and complex. They are not didactic, and I cannot sum up their "point" in a sentence or two. They are dynamic to such a degree that I can keep looking back at them and find something new. Scholars continue to examine them and continue to produce viable interpretations of the truths they observe.
I cannot ignore these vastly different experiences. To me, they have molded what I believe firmly (dare I say that I think it fact?) that there must be difference different between:
art: "the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power" (that's the Oxford definition, anyway)
Art: all of the above, AND all elements of the form work together as a whole; those works that seem to transcend all others in some way.
I think there is much to glean from a true work of Art, and therefore there is something to be gained by aiming for Artistic perfection. After all, your much more likely to get somewhere if you know what game you're playing.
Yes, there is a blurry line between art and Art. Most things do not reach that stage of being wholly Art, but that is not to say that they are worthless. There is still success in finding echos of Art. (Once again with the sport analogy): if you know the name of the game, then you have a much better chance of figuring out what the goal is. And you are bound to play better than that other guy bumbling along on their own, kicking the ball in circles.


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Most medical insurers use the internet to advise clients on treating emergencies as well as offering guides to everything from Alzheimer's to Zollinger-Ellison syndrome (a form of stomach ulcer).
Now insurer Goodhealth claims to have gone a stage further by giving its customers an international "good doctor" guide. The password-protected site gives policyholders information on 3,000 selected hospitals, clinics, doctors and consultants worldwide. This includes:
Details of specialities and personal information, such as where doctors earned their medical degree
City profiles giving information on healthcare available in most major centres
Information on local issues and practices critical for policyholders' health and safety
Translations of key drugs and medical phrases.
Stuart Leatherby, technical and underwriting director of Goodhealth, said: "The new web tools provide customers with exclusive access to a mass of easily obtainable information which could be vital when making a claim, finding local medical facilities or requiring a medical decision.
"The databank will also support our local branches in providing up-to-date, relevant information at all times."
The scheme was developed in conjunction with HTH Worldwide, a US-based international healthcare specialist that has launched several advanced internet applications.
The insurer added that the database would help in its drive towards "cashless" claims settlement, where a guarantee of payment from it to the hospital allowed direct settlement. Mr Leatherby said: "Direct settlement works much more effectively when the hospital is part of an agreed provider network or, in this case, contracted by HTH."
Frank Gillingham, HTH medical director, said the company's databases would give "the most comprehensive and easy way to find qualified physicians and hospitals outside of the USA".
Policyholders can access the service online at: www.goodhealthresources.com/index.cfm.
English-speaking expatriate clients of Goodhealth will be able to track claims through a new website. Policyholders of the Premiere healthcare plan will get real-time access to claims payments, top-up reimbursements and other personal data through www.goodhealthworldwide.com/premiere.


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With another year over, we though we'd have a look back at those cosmetic procedures and treatments that were the most popular during 2008.
No. 1: BOTOX (Botulinum toxin) maintains the top slot.
Botox is most commonly used as a treatment for frown lines on the forehead, though it is also an effective treatment for wrinkles, crow's feet and neck bands as well. Botox is very popular with many celebrities.
No. 2: The Restylane family of treatments continues as market leader and our favoured choice of dermal filler.
Restylane is an injectable treatment that contains hyaluron gel. The treatment help restore volume to the skin, provide lift and smooth away and soften facial lines. He procedure involves I injecting the Restylane compound into the desired areas in the face.
No. 3: Laser Treatments – these still offer the best results for hair removal, thread-veins and sunspots.
There are many laser treatments available. They range from hair removal and skin rejuvenation to treating leg and facial veins, acne scarring and Rosacea
No. 4: Facial peels and microdermabrasion - wonderful ways of freshening and brightening the skin without any disruption.
Microdermabrasion is a popular cosmetic procedure used to treat conditions such as fine lines and wrinkles, age spots, blotchy skin and blemishes and acne scarring among other things.
Chemical Peels and facial peels are used to remove the outer layer of skin. This makes the skin fresher, removes some sunspots and rough scaly patches, and reduces freckles and irregular pigmentation. It also reduces fine wrinkles.
Big movers up the charts in 2008 have been Sculptra, and OBAGI Nu-Derm prescription skincare and we predict that these will see a continuing increase in popularity during 2009.
You can read our previous article on Sculptra here.
One to watch for 2009! – Vavelta is a new treatment for scarring and skin rejuvenation. We are focussing on its use in scarring and are already seeing good results.
For more information on any of these cosmetic treatments contact Mulberry House Clinic on 01604 702630 or visit www.lasertreatmentsnorthampton.co.uk
Friday, 23 January 2009
Cosmetic Chart-Toppers and Big Movers For 2008
Posted by The Cosmetic Clinics Group at 03:22
Labels: botox, chemical peels, Cosmetic Surgery, facial peels, laser treatment, microdermabrasion, Restylane, Sculptra
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You are cordially invited to attend the 2006
WAAI Professional Achievement Award
October 26, 2006
Honoring Pamela Rodgers of Pamela Rodgers Chevrolet
Speaker: Ed Peper - General Manager Chevrolet Division General Motors
Thursday October 26, 2006
6pm Cocktails -- 7pm Dinner
Detroit Athletic Club, Detroit Michigan
21 Mason Ave
Detroit, Mi
Register for this important event today!
Corporate sponsorships available for this event,
contact Lorraine Schultz at 248-646-5250 or email firstname.lastname@example.com)
Sponsorship Level: _______ Additional Tickets:_______ Total Amount Due $:_______
Method of Payment: _______Check Enclosed _______Charge _______ Please invoice
_______American Express _______MasterCard _______Visa
Account Number:________________________________ Expiration_________
Signature:__________________________________ Date:______________
Please make checks payable to: WAAI, PO Box 2535, Birmingham, MI 48012
No tickets will be mailed – reservations held at the door. For questions contact 248.646.5250.
The WAAI is a 501(c) 5 non-profit organization that highlights the accomplishments of
automotive industry women and provides scholarships for young women seeking careers
in the automotive industry.
RSVP by October 1st , 2006
City/ State/ Zip:_______________________________________
Enclosed please find payment for $______________________________
_______ $150 Members _______ $50 Fulltime Student
_______ $200 Non Members _______ $300 Benefactors
_______ $3000 Corporate Table Sponsor Reservation (8)
Sorry cannot attend but wish to contribute $_______________________
Print and fax your registration with credit card information to: 248-646-6721 or
Print and mail this invitation to: WAAI, PO Box 2535, Birmingham, MI. 48012
To register or renew your membership with the WAAI, download our Membership Application here http://www.waai.com/membership.asp, or if you prefer, please Contact Us.


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Evolution Of Wisdom Along With Technology!
Businesses must fire on three axes in the human capital function as always. The simultaneous management of the challenges such as business alignment, talent management, and costs optimization, is referred to here.
Must Have Project Management Skills!
The role of a Project Manager comprises of balancing a project's schedule, budget and overall scope to meet its objectives. Project managers have to oversee the individual tasks right from beginning till the end of the project, so the ultimate success or failure depends mainly upon the project manager's competency.
What can you do to Maximize Data Security?
With reference to the blog 'Security Issues while Switching from One Cloud Platform to Another' by Karthikeyan D, we touched upon the fact that with more and more companies moving their information to the cloud, there is an increased risk in security. That's especially true when it comes to the transition from a private to a public cloud service to reduce costs and receive greater service flexibility. In the end, we found that "one needs to look out for potential issues and understand them...
Inventory Management in between Aircraft Maintenance
Helicopters are a daily sight in the skies of any developed country, whether it is an emergency, firefighting, rescue operation, chasing bad guys, reporting news, or even a joy ride. These operators have a tough time keeping their birds ready to fly at any given point of time to meet their unscheduled business. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) takes safety as a very serious issue and all operators have to strictly follow the Part 135 of the Federal Aviation Regulations, or FARs.
Redefine Enterprise Experience
Recently I had decided to take a break from my daily routine. During this time I saw an example of how mobility can change the economics of IT. There was a big queue outside a small but well known eating joint (the wait was worth it though!!). To my astonishment, I saw the wait staff using their own smart phones and a simple app to take orders. The first thing that came to my mind was there was no need for the restaurant to buy an expensive mobile platform. Also there was no extensive...


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Better a break through than a break down am I right?! Previously I explained that I am so not flexible that I can't even get close to touching my toes - ever. Well...last night stretching was much, much easier and I can now get my hands on my ankle. Whoohoooo! I know that is nothing to a lot of people, but for me it is huge. Hopefully that will transfer into an easier run tonight - run 9 minutes then walk 1 minute x3. Should be interesting.
HotRod's Motto...Shut up and race!


text: Voghera to Albenga trains might be a good value for money solution: travelling in Italy by train is often rather cheap and faster than taking a bus indeed Trains leave from Voghera and arrive at Albenga every 60 minutes on average. If travelling with Trenitalia, you need to know the Voghera to Albenga train schedule: the first train leaves at 09:30, while the last ride is at 21:14. A Voghera to Albenga train cost about 13.35 €. But how long is the train ride from Voghera to Albenga? Your journey takes about 3 hours on average. Trenitalia offers 3 direct trains between these two cities. Thanks to Trenitalia, offers, you can save on your trip from Voghera to Albenga and find low cost tickets starting from 9 €!


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Republican Presidential Candidate Mike Huckabee is making a trend of flip flopping and contradicting himself. Now Huckabee is saying, contrary to his official position on his website,that the US Constitution is a "living" and "breathing document". This is a point of view of many liberals and those who do not want to hold onto the reality that our founding fathers made the Constitution to be flexible to the will of the people, not changable for the sake to playcate to ideology. Here is Mike Huckabee in his own words; his explanation positions about the Constitution is inbetween 2 and 4 minutes of the clip below:
Side thought: When the interview ends, CNN's John Roberts has this look on his face which is almost screaming "I am glad this interview is over. He doesn't sound like a Republican to me".
As someone who has more than a passing interest and knowledge base about History and Constitutional law, when Huckabee makes statements such as "the Constitution was intended to be amended" and that we need to amend the Constitution to "preserve the sanctity of human life" at conception. What Governor Huckabee does not understand is that the US Constitution is a document that describes and outlines the underpinnings of our Federal Government. The Amendments are there to change or add elements to our Federal Law and preserve and uphold the rights of US citizens. And if laws were applied properly and case precident was followed more explicitly, there could be no Constitutional challenges to the viable life of an unborn baby. The authors of Roe v. Wade left the door open for states to regulate abortion. Huckabee's lack of depth of understanding concerning Constitutional Law and history should concern people because he sounds confussed and like someone who changes positions like a chameleon trying to gain votes.


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Savitri Grier – Violin
The Sutton Coldfield Philharmonic Society is pleased to present four concerts with outstanding soloists. This is the second concert of the season featuring Savitri Gtier on Violin, conducted by Michael Seal. Tickets £18.00 (students £5.00) – subscribe for the full season of concerts and purchase your tickets for £15.00. Contact 0121 373 1779.
Chairman Martyn Parfect.
This concert will feature music by Berlioz, Sibelius and Tchaikovsky.


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Housing First Is Associated with Reduced Use of Emergency Medical Services
Housing First Is Associated with Reduced Use of Emergency Medical Services
Although the Homeless Hub works tirelessly to bring current and up to date content to our site, access to many journal articles is constrained by the subscription restrictions imposed by publishing companies. While the Homeless Hub cannot afford to buy access to the innumerable proprietary journals we link to, we do strive, at least, to bring the knowledge of this content to our users.
Furthermore, the Homeless Hub is committed to the principles of open access and we provide free access to all original Homeless Hub content, thus offering our users the ability to re-use and re-distribute scholarly works as long as there is proper attribution to the author. We feel strongly that this serves the broader community by greatly improving the dissemination, visibility, and impact of research findings.
We will endeavour to improve upon our open access principles in order to continue to provide our users with access to the best and most current research available.
Chronically homeless adults with severe alcohol problems are disproportionately burdened with health-care problems and are high utilizers of emergency medical services (EMS). Single-site Housing First (HF), which provides immediate, permanent, low-barrier, nonabstinence-based, supportive housing, has been associated with reduced publicly funded service utilization. The aims of the current study were to determine whether time spent in single-site HF predicted decreases in EMS contacts 2 years subsequent to single-site HF move-in, and to describe medical conditions and injuries associated with EMS contacts in a sample of chronically homeless individuals with severe alcohol problems.
Participants were 91 chronically homeless adults with severe alcohol problems who were enrolled in a single-site HF program between December 2005 and March 2007 in Seattle, Washington. We obtained administrative data on exposure to HF and EMS utilization for the 2 years prior to and the 2 years subsequent to participants' move-in date. EMS utilization variables included patient type (i.e., primary presenting problem), trauma/injury mechanism (i.e., EMS classification of the cause of the trauma or injury), level of care (i.e., basic life support, advanced life support), and transport destination.
After controlling for baseline EMS contacts, participants evinced 3% fewer EMS contacts for each additional month of single-site HF exposure. From the baseline to follow-up period, the mean number of EMS contacts declined from 15.85 (SD = 22.96) to 9.54 (SD = 15.08), representing a 54% reduction in the number of EMS contacts. Most calls were responded to by EMTs providing basic life support, and the majority resulted in transport to a local level I trauma center. The most common presenting difficulties were medical illness and trauma. Substance use and psychiatric difficulties were infrequently documented as the primary problem.
Our findings support recent assertions that housing is health care and indicate that the amount of time spent in single-site HF is associated with significant reductions in EMS utilization for at least 2 years subsequent to move-in. These findings also underscore the high levels of medical illness and trauma exposure among chronically homeless adults with severe alcohol problems.


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I love to suspend the reader's beliefs. What if? What if there were angels walking among us? What if the immortals described in legends actually existed? What if angels did mate with human females, as the Bible says, and produced long-lived hybrid beings who look like us and walk this earth, some fighting for good, others for evil? What then?
I like to think I could recognize one in the street. Could you? What would make them different from us? A glowing aura of goodness? A disturbing sense of evil? Probably none of the above.
Still, there should be a way to recognize an immortal, an angel, or a Fae walking among us. Here are a few pointers:
Real angels do not have wings. Only in the tenth century did Western Christianity start representing angels with wings. But in the ancient biblical texts, they never had any, except for a specific category of angels described with three pairs of wings and four heads. According to ancient texts, the divine messengers we call angels looked human. How else would they have passed for humans when they visited Loth in the story of Sodom and Gomorrah? They are described in the scriptures as beautiful young men. So beautiful that the debauched inhabitants of the ancient city wanted to purchase them for sexual favors.
Immortal are very beautiful: That's a given. Angels are always gorgeous according to the scriptures. Besides, if you don't age and have supernatural genes, then you should be flawless and irresistible. This is especially convenient in romantic novels. We love our gorgeous immortals. Even the evil ones, like Lucifer, or the bloodiest of vampires, are said to have an irresistible charm.
There is a special light in their eyes. If eyes are the windows of the soul, then much of their good or evil nature should filter through the eyes of immortals, angels, Fae and other supernatural beings. Movies have gone so far as to represent evil beings with blazing red eyes. That would be a hoot and a half… and very scary, late at night on a street corner.
Immortals can be killed. That's why witches and sorcerers were burned at the stake. In Highlander, they can only be killed when you sever their head. In the Curse of the Lost Isle, my immortal ladies fear holy water and death by fire. Many methods are used to kill vampires. I've never heard of a way to kill an angel, but I'm sure there is somewhere a secret book of spells that teaches exactly that. Shame on them.
Find my Curse of the Lost Isle series everywhere eBooks are sold and enjoy a world where Fae and mortals interact, but of course, there are consequences.
KINDLE – NOOK – ARE – SMASHWORDS – KOBO – SONY – ITUNES and more.
Vijaya SchartzSwords, Romance with a Kick


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Hello again, everyone! I'm back with my second post today! Scroll down if you're looking for my JustRite project!
Today the My Favorite Things DT (and DT Alum) are celebrating MFT's Greatest Hits, and this month it's all about Amanda Baird's fabulous sets! Many of you have come to love Cosmo Girl and the rest of her fun images as much as we have! :)
I used the set Joy Ride for my card today. The map (printed from Google Maps) shows the route I'll be taking to Chicago in just a couple weeks for CHA! I'm definitely Adventure Bound! :) The rest of the paper is from the Cupcake 6x6 pad by BasicGrey. I colored the image with Copics. My layout was inspired by Julie's gorgeous cards HERE -- thanks, Julie!
Stop by the MFT Blog after 11 am for a list of all the designers who are playing some Greatest Hits today!
Thank you so much for taking the time to visit! Have a fantastic Friday!


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Down Syndrome Connection
an affiliate of the arc of the central chesapeake
Gigi's Playhouse Annapolis!
Down Syndrome Connection is excited to host an ABLE ACT Information / Enrollment Session! \
Monday, August 14th 7:30-9:00 pm
Anne Arundel Medical Center, Belcher Pavillon, 7th Floor.
2000 Medical Parkway
Annapolis, MD 20141
Parking in garage E, go to lobby elevators to access 7th floor.
*Please RSCP to Florence!
Community Events:
Community Information:
*If you are interested in learning more about classes, parenting topics or current issues in education and community services, there are a wide range of conferences, seminars and training sessions being offered in our area. We include only a small sampling of some of those events on this Web Site....
AACPS Partners for Success Resource Center, Comprehensive Calendar
Anne Arundel County Special Education Citizens' Advisory Committee
Anne Arundel Community College Parenting Center
Anne Arundel County Chapter of the Autism Society
Chesapeake Region Accessible Boating: (CRAB) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to making the thrill of sailing a reality for physically and/or developmentally-challenged individuals and for those individuals whose financial circumstances preclude their participation in recreation on the waters of Chesapeake Bay. CRAB was founded in 1991 as an offshoot of the National Ocean Access Project of Newport, Rhode Island.


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Monday, February 1, 2010
Savoring Memories
Well, we left Pennsylvania at 3pm yesterday and arrived in Connecticut at 10:15 PM. It was a delightful weekend with all my daughters except one who had to work. Babies have a way of drawing families together! Actually God is answering a specific prayer for us. We have been praying that He would use our granddaughter's birth to draw people closer to Him and draw members of our family together, and I'm seeing Him do just that! It is wonderful to cuddle and play with my granddaughter, but it is also amazing to watch my "baby" play with her baby, and to watch my other children interact with their little niece. I especially loved watching my son with her over Christmas. He's 6'3" and a Marine Reservist, but he melts around her! I miss him as well, as he's in Florida and can only get home at Christmas. He just recently got Facebook, so sometimes I can keep in touch with him that way. He has begun to call us a bit more, which is nice. A major difference between a son and a daughter? The length of their phone conversations with Mom! (LOL)
Posted by grandmasongbird at 5:14 PM
5 comments:
Yay!!! You figured it out!!! I love you! :-DReplyDelete
Man! I'm somehow still signed in as you! How is that possible??? I keep signing out...ReplyDelete
Okay, now I'm in as me :-)ReplyDelete
I just resent your invitation, mommy.ReplyDelete
Hi, Mom! I'm Angelia. I'm the older sister of Becca's friend, Jessica. Welcome to the blog-o-sphere. You're off to a great start!ReplyDelete
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"Ziro strikes that delicate balance between lots of game features and a realistic difficulty curve fairly well"
Monthly Archives:: January 2010
Ziro review on the Gamezebo (2.5/5)
"Do try the demo and give Ziro a chance, and take his environmental message to heart."
Ziro review on the Gamer Limit (8/10)
"Addicting, eco-friendly, funky, and challenging, Ziro will keep you coming back for more. It will also make you weep openly with its ridonkulous difficulty and make you feel like less of a person. But in a good way."


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Here we go...
Now I want to make it clear that I don't consider myself a 'fanboy' because I like Nintendo for legitimate reasons and in a like manner, the things that I don't like about Sony and Microsoft are equally legitimate. If I could bring one console company back from the dead it would definately be SEGA as they are the company next in line based on how many gameplay and hardware innovations they have made such as shoulder buttons, first color handheld, first online capabilities, first CD drive on a system, etc. SEGA and Nintendo were bitter rivals but I think I would love to have a SEGA console right now and if they were making a next gen system it would probably be on my list because I could bet you that it would bring new things to the industry.
Having said that I would like to give my take on the E3 press conferences as well as some of the breaking news. First this whole Sony implementing tilt sensors in their controller. Sony says that they were toying with the idea long before TGS in November but it is easy to say that Nintendo influenced them to go for it. Speculation since E3 2005 was that the Wii controller would have tilt sensors, it was what made the most sense when they spouted off about making their controllers different. Even if they had the idea on their own, which is almost laughable given the timing of the whole situation, they still waited for Nintendo to take all the heat about their "retarded" controller. Nintendo defended itself and only when the waters calmed and Sony saw that it was good did they hop on board, no risk and no shame I might add. But there is a bit more to the story than first meets the eye. The PS2 DualShock controller is considered to be one of the finest controllers available, but something about the rumble feature infringes on patents filed by Immersion Corp. I don't know more detail than that but last year Sony was fined over $90 million (000,000!!!!) for this infringement and was denied permission to sell the controller and quite a few games in the US market. They appealed the courts decision but it has only delayed the probably inevitable outcome. Now we see the PS3 controller with a tilt sensor and by the way "rumble interferes with the sensors so it has been removed from our controllers." Does this seem convenient to anyone else? The link I found is here. And how many people will miss the now commonplace rumble feedback we have all grown so accustumed to?
Next up is the press conferences. The most new information regarding hardware was released by Sony only because they told us the release date (November 17th) and the price tag ($500 or $600 depending on the package you pick.) Nintendo didn't give us much in their press conference and neither did Microsoft. All in all the press conferences were rather uneventful. The crowd favorite was Nintendo though if you are wondering.
The last secret regarding the Wii controller is a speaker on the controller itself, this may seem weird or stupid but I think it will be cool. I mean when you shoot the sound would come out of the controller, when you fish in Zelda the casting of the line and the sound of the reel are heard on this speaker, it sort of elevates surround sound just a tiny bit. Not really a huge innovation but I think it will add to gaming. I of course, was hoping for an announcement about stereoscopic vision being added back into gaming but no such luck. This doesn't mean however that such technology won't still come out on the Revolution. I said a minute ago that I try and put the news into a perspective of how the industry is moving. Nintendo doesn't need to market stereo vision, if they had it in the works and they announced it every hardcore gamer would find out about it within 48 hours, thats how tight the gaming industry is. The people that Nintendo are marketing to are non-gamers, people who might likely be put off by space age goggles. At the same time Sony had JUST announced that they were ingeniously ripping off Nintendo's controller idea (and doing a lame job of it as you can read about in my last blog). Why would Nintendo want to give their competition any more time to ready their own responses to their disruptive technologies? They could hold on to this secret up to a month before launch and it would do them much more good than harm. Now don't take me the wrong way, maybe Nintendo is doing this and maybe they aren't but we have heard a lot of rumors and weird quotes from industry leaders that back it up. Nintendo themselves clearly stated that they had "not revealed everything with the controller" and that there was a huge secret left and they made it sound alot like they were two different things. Furthermore they have stated that the Wii can output to a computer screen. Stereoscopic glasses are technically identical to computer screens but quite a bit different from TVs. I would say at this point that stero vision is not any less likely or more likely to be real after not having heard about it from Nintendo this E3.
Next I want to show this: This is a controller shell prototype for the Wii controller. Made by Nintendo this bad boy holds the controller securely and turns it into a lightgun. It also has an analogue stick meaning it could be used in place of the nunchuck attachment for games like Red Steel and Metroid Prime 3. You can see how the trigger button on the controller could act as a secondary fire button with ease and I think this attachment would add a lot to some of the FPS games coming for the Wii.
Now about games, almost every single game for the Wii is totally fresh and new. Even the games based on existing genres feel brand new thanks to the incredible new controller. Furthermore, the proprietary nature of the Wii controller make it veritably impossible to port games from the Wii on to any other system but the 'normal' controller for the Wii makes it possible to port games from other systems to the Wii. Remember though that the best games on the Wii will be ones that take advantage of the new controller meaning that all the best titles will be exclusive titles for the Wii. I think Peter Moore (VP Microsoft games) said it best when he said "Tell me why you would buy a $600 PS3? People are going to buy two (machines.) They're going to buy an Xbox and they're going to buy a Wii … for the price of one PS3." Thank you Peter.


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This year the Winter Classic once again pits the undisputed "Two Best Players " in the world against each other. Did you ever wonder where the dream started with them, no different than the rest of us baby! Check out this flick, love it!
Watch more free documentaries
Oh, by the way, if you happen to see this guy contact your local RCMP detachment!!


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In the fall of 1982 I got to miss school so I could go with my parents to Philadelphia. We were there so my father could attend a library convention. We stayed in a hotel, which I remember as being huge and being super-fancy, and we walked around and took in the sights, and it was awesome.
One of the best things about the hotel is that it was near a 7-11. Every night we would go down to the 7-11, and I would look at the comic books on the spinner rack, and my parents would buy me one. they were only 60 cents back then. They were displayed on a spinner rack. Is there anything more enticing, more filled with possibility, than a spinner rack of comics that you've never read?
I still remember looking through those comics on that rack, including that intriguing issue of Batman Family that I didn't end up getting. The comics I did choose, over the course of that week, were an Archie, Marvel Team-Up #121 (Spider-Man and the Human Torch vs. the Speed Demon), Flash #313 (Flash vs. Gorilla Grodd and Psykon, with a Doctor Fate back-up story), Iron Man #162 (Iron Man fighting planes, maybe?), and Defenders #111.
|This is such a wonderful cover. Could you resist buying this? I couldn't.
|There's nothing I don't love about this cover. It's really got it all.
|Aaaaand here's Iron Man fighting planes.
That issue of Defenders focused on a character called Hellcat, who traveled to Hell and met the Devil. I remember lying on the hotel floor, trying to puzzle this scene out—I was only six, so there were plenty of words I didn't know.
I asked, "What does S-A-T-A-N spell?" Without pausing my mother said, "Satan." There were no follow-up questions.
Growing up in the Bible Belt, I would come to know plenty of kids whose parents forbade them to read certain books, or play certain games, or watch certain movies, because of imagined demonic overtones. But I, at age six, could read a story that actually featured Satan as a character, and my parents didn't freak out. I will always be grateful for that.
|This comic has been missing its cover for a long, long time.


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BREAKING: U.S. Responds to Death of Green Beret By Dropping Massive Bomb in Afghanistan
UPDATE: President Trump said from the White House that he is proud of the U.S. military for their actions and called the dropping of the bomb "another successful event."
"Everybody knows exactly what happened. What I do is I authorize my military. We have the greatest military in the world and they've done a job as usual. We have given them total authorization and that's what they're doing and frankly that's why they've been so successful lately," Trump said. "If you look at what's happened over the last eight weeks and compare that really to what's happened over the past eight years, you'll see there's a tremendous difference, tremendous difference. So we have incredible leaders in the military, and we have incredible military. We are very proud of them. This was another very, very successful mission."
Original Post
The United States has dropped a 21,000 pound bomb in Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan in response to Green Beret Staff Sgt. Mark De Alencar being killed in the region by ISIS terrorists last week. Nangarhar Province sit on the eastern border with Pakistan, which has been a longtime terrorist stronghold. This type of bomb, a GBU-43B, has never been used in combat until now. It is the largest non-nuclear bomb in the U.S. Air Force arsenal.
"As ISIS-K's losses have mounted, they are using IEDs, bunkers and tunnels to thicken their defense," General John W. Nicholson, U.S. Forces Commander for Afghanistan said in a statement. "This is the right munition to reduce these obstacles and maintain the momentum of our offensive against ISIS-K."
According to CENTCOM and the White House, "U.S. forces took every precaution to avoid civilian casualties with this strike."
There are a number of caves and tunnels in the region where Al Qaeda and ISIS have strongholds. The bomb was directed at an ISIS tunnel. According to Fox News' Jennifer Griffith, the blast area for the bomb is a mile wide.
"Around 7 p.m. local time in Afghanistan, the United States military used a GBU-43B weapon in Afghanistan. The GBU-43B is a powerful and accurately delivered weapon. We targeted a system of tunnels and caves that ISIS fighters used to move around freely, making it easier for them to target U.S. military advisors and Afghan forces in the area," Press Secretary Sean Spicer said Thursday about the drop. "The United States takes the fight against ISIS seriously and in order to defeat the group, we must deny them operational space, which we did."
This is a developing story, stay tuned for updates.


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National Anthem Flub
I've been tossing this entry around in my head for a week. I was so looking forward to the Super Bowl because Christina Aguilera was going to sing the Star Spangled Banner. Imagine my surprise when she flubbed the lyrics, which I couldn't tell what lyrics at the time, but kept going and finished the song without any further gaffes. As I couldn't tell what lyrics, despite having heard the anthem less than twenty-four hours before, I was surprised when the public reacted the way it did. I heard everything from unpatriotic to uncaring to she should've rehearsed more. Honestly, having seen the rehearsal footage that TMZ posted on Tuesday, I think, she did rehearse and it sounded better than the eventual performance. As to the other charges, some people seem to think it was a bigger gaffe to flub the anthem than say to flub your own lyrics on a similar stage (Grammys, AMAs, etc). However, as not everyone, including all of the people I sat with, could name the lyrics that were flubbed (O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?), I didn't get the deal. Shit happens, occasionally on sports' biggest stage with a song most of us learned in kindergarten. Maybe it's my feelings about the song at sporting events or my politics or my friends, but I don't salute or sing anymore. And honestly, I prefer instrumental renditions, more often in tune. I just hate hearing my favorite artists reamed for mistakes. Especially when they've had a less than stellar year already. Flubbing the lyrics and quickly covering is an honest mistake that shouldn't be taken as unpatriotic or uncaring. After the lyrical flubs I heard this summer, this was flawless. Trust me.


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To start with -- my day begins with an early errand. And because I am downtown in the pre-breakfast hours, I pick up the day's bread supplies early. And I think -- what's to stop us from having a Parisian breakfast today? I never break from my oatmeal habit at home (which amuses Ed no end), but why shouldn't I stray from the predictable every now and then?
It's odd how I have bifurcated my eating habits: those at home, which are fiendishly (attempts at) healthy and those during travel, which are decidedly less so.
Maybe the reason some of us love to travel is that it tears us away from tiresome routines? Maybe if I occasionally ate croissants at home, I'd be less excited to rush to Paris for my fix of wicked breakfast fare there?
That's probably an overstatement, but still -- today, this is breakfast:
Oh and a garden walk! Yes, there's that. There is always that.
(The dancing iris!)
(The venerable farmhouse.)
And then, because we're like every other civic-minded American, we watch the Senate Intelligence Committee hearings. Many, many years have passed since I clicked on the TV before the evening hours. Today, the set stayed on all morning.
The day gets a little tricky then. I pick up an eager girl at school...
And we do go to the playground, but so does the local kindergarten class. Snowdrop is transfixed: all those kids dashing madly this way and that! She sits in her swing and from this perch, watches and listens and then, deciding it's safe to participate -- adds her own two cents on what's happening around her.
Only when the class leaves, does she want to go back to her climbing routines.
(The captain of the ship!)
(Back to liking the slide...)
(Duck gets tail-end of croissant.)
The clouds roll in and though it's supposed to reach 80F (26C), it doesn't really feel like wading pool weather. She settles for playing with ahah in the sandbox...
... while the cheepers take advantage of the pool.
And of course, Snowdrop gets so sandy that I decide to throw her into the wading pool anyway, just to rinse her off. Once in, she doesn't want to leave.
Nap comes very late today...
In the evening, after Snowdrop is back at her home with her parents, Ed and I go to our local farmers market. It's a Thursday late in the day event and both he and I love it, though perhaps (or maybe not?) for different reasons. I love (among other things) the preview of what we can expect from the fields in the days ahead. He loves picking up cheese curds in exchange for our farm eggs.
And here's a fantastic surprise! Strawberry season has begun!
These berries are exceptionally flavorful (I'm fussy: I find most strawberries at the market very average) and we pause to talk to the farmer (and his daughter) about how they handle berry-lovin' groundhogs, chipmunks and squirrels. (Once again this year, we lost our entire ground berry crop to these critters, though we still have some hope that our raised berry pots may deliver fruit!)
And now the day ends. I wish I could show you a photo of a full June moon (called "strawberry moon" -- with good reason!), but the clouds have taken hold and besides, the full moon is due tomorrow. Even as the strawberries appeared today.
P.S. To the commenter whose question dangles unanswered because I lost my way in the demands of the day -- I buy perennials at Flower Factory, and bulbs -- well, there's always Farm and Fleet, but for the more unusual, you might want to try out the fall catalogues of White Flower Farm in Connecticut. I've been their customer since 1988 and I they've saved me from many gardening disasters with clever ideas and good solutions.


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Friday, October 19, 2012
Hair Today, Gone Today
Again, I went right buy it because I remember it as being on the right side of the street, when, it is actually, on the left side. But, to make myself feel better, their sign does not have a readable side from the direction I was coming from. So I went past it a block, turned around in a driveway, and went back . . piece of cake.
The girl who did the hair style cut is a senior . . very quiet and precise with what she is doing.
I carry around a picture of the cut I like . . . the instructor saw it and said, "Are you sure? That's pretty short."
I assured her that I had worn my hair like that picture (which was a model, not me) for years, so yes, I wanted it that short.
I told her I wanted to donate my pony so she was the one who did the main cut. She measured the pony from the nape of my neck and it was 10 1/2" long. I told her I needed at least 8 1/2" to donate to Pantene, so she adjusted the rubber band and started her cut. You should have seen the looks of the other students when they realized what she was doing . . . their eyes were all SO WIDE and shocked. One said, in almost shock, "Your cutting off the whole ponytail?" The instructor laughed and said, "She'd donating it and it has to be cut like this."
They all relaxed then . . . and a couple said they could never cut that much off of their hair but thought it was a good reason to cut it.
Jenn, who did the "style" cutting is a senior. Very quiet and concentrated on what she was doing. Not used to that in a beauty shop. Usually the stylist keeps a conversation going.
The instructor, again, did the cutting and shaping of the neck for the style, then Jenn cut the back to go with the neck. Then, the instructor came back to set the length for the sides, and Jenn finished it.
The instructor came back when Jenn was finished and was impressed with what she had done. She did some final shaping and then Jenn blew it dry.
While Jenn was cutting, I realized how much gray I actually have in the front. Wearing it pulled off my face for so long, I hadn't realized how long the gray hairs had become.
I thought I would post a before and after of the back . . . that is where the cut is SO NOTICEABLE.
Oh, and here it is after the cut.
Doesn't this look like a dead, wet rat?
Can you believe how thick this pony was?
6 comments:
That is awesome! What gorgeous hair you have. Mine used to be thick and lovely like that but since my surgery, I have lost more than half of its thickness -- and so far it hasn't come back. You are a wonderful person to do this -- love the thought.ReplyDelete
That's so brave, hope you like you new old look, all that beautiful hair gone...ReplyDelete
Whenever I have my hair cut I donate it to LOCKS OF LOVE. It is a charity that make wigs for kids with cancer. The hair has to be at least 10in. I used to live in Lowville, NY..there was a BOCES up there that I used to get my hair cut at. I love the new haircut..from the back anyway..the front probably looks just as good. BlessingsReplyDelete
Love your new cut! Hehe - to the girls at school! That is one fat ponytail!ReplyDelete
I like the new cut :) I am trying to grow mine out AGAIN! I get so far get tired of it and cut it again hehehehe.ReplyDelete
Very thick and heavy hair! Wow! Glad you did that....it is what I plan to do for my next full haircut. Did not know that Pantene was collecting...knew about the wigs for kids...they take OUR hair and sell it to make wigs for women...'cause of the grey & silver! Would rather that the women get the wigs for free, too, though.ReplyDelete
I aways said you are a special girl! Thanks for doing that!!!!!!!


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"Little Miss Gloom and Doom"
Day Three of Being Boring's Araki Blogathon
Gregg Araki's The Doom Generation has got to be one of the most misunderstood films ever made. Appearing on video store rental shelves in the mid 90's aside mediocre Z-list actor driven on-the-road-to-self-discovery straight to video movies, The Doom Generation presents through its thickly lacquered surface, an ambivalent revelry in gloom and doom destruction. Littered with nightmarish has-been cameos and set in a seemingly post-apocalyptic Los Angeles, its three morally defunct teenage protagonists go on a free wielding crime spree, blowing the heads, arms and dicks off of those who stand in their way. They're hardly portrayed as malevolent, however, and this is perhaps one of the many traits which has lead critics and audience's alike to view the film as a viscously fashionable exercise in masanthropy. As I've stated in previous pages, I too believed the film to be a lewd manifesto of MTV nihilism. Having seen the film more times than any rational person would care to admit, it is one which I can recite verbatim, in synch with its actors.
But how closely does one watch what they perceive to be a feature length angstily raucous music video? Sitting down this afternoon to regard the film a tad more closely, I was intensely surprised at my discovery. Now, I had since come to recognize the film as an indictment of those things I initially thought it to revel in. When Amy Blue (Rose McGowan) opens the film with "Fuck!" it's not in earnest, not an affront to all things decent. (Of course, on some level, it is this, but when approaching these films a little more generously, you'll find Araki never to be as simplistic as he seems) Instead it is a parodic anthem for a culture which, through the course of the film, Araki will examine with a suspectly scrutinous eye and eventually open up, causing this protagonist to come to a responsible realization of her misdirected subcultural indoctrination. She's lost her skull lighter. "I swear, if it's gone, I'll slit my wrists." He nelly boyfriend, Jordan White (James Duval) emerges from a hardcore slamdance floor and drapes his arm around her. "Yuck," she bitches, "you're all sweaty."
They go to "Heaven," an abandoned drive in movie theater where thugs lurk about in the background doing thugish things. We see their car shaking. They're fucking, or so we think. The Jesus head glued to the rear-view nods in bewilderment. But they're not fucking. Jordan's "afraid of catching AIDS." Enter Xavier(Jonathan Schaech) - thrown upon their windshield as a gang of goons(Skinny Puppy) fagbash him. They make a getaway, Xavier bleeding in the back seat. Insert narrative here.
The Doom Generation's subtitle is "A Heterosexual Film by Gregg Araki." The film is, however, heterosexual in namesake only. Xavier, though it is never explicitly stated is "straight," sort of. He begins fucking Amy the first evening when awakes to find him straddling the bed upon which she and Jordan sleep. After having a brief discussion of the picture of Jesus he has tattooed on his dick, they escape to her car to consummate their sexual desires. And so proceeds the film. Having killed on Quickie Mart proprietor(whose wife is played by comedienne Margaret Cho), they sever their ties to that world of respectability which never truly embraced them in the first place, to instead aimlessly venture of the deserted freeways of a California here represented as industrial chic infringing upon Mad Max terrain.
There is a surprisingly great deal of details contained within the film. The impeccable visual stylings (deserved applause to Michael Krantz and Jennifer M. Gentile) and horrific flashback cameos (we're talking regulars from 21 Jump Street, The Love Boat, Beverly Hills 90210, The Brady Bunch, V, Married... With Children, Ironside, a few porn stars, a Hollywood Madam, Perry Farrell and the inimitable Miss Parker Posey) are wonderfully orchestrated elements (not to mention the sensational soundtrack) but in many ways distract from the more poignant purposes which the film assumes. As our protagonists mope about listing off an endless dialogue of quotables, we begin to shift in our perception of them.
Xavier, who they have taken to calling X ("I'm not sure I can say all of that."), initially represents an ideal of outsiderness which Amy and Jordan so desperately wish to be a part. He's dangerous and edgy. He's the gay straight man - gay in a generation which does not embrace homosexuality, yet straight enough to pose as a romantic possibility for the oblivious Jordan (who's cluelessly heterosexual, in this narrative). He is pure id, at one point exclaiming, "guilt is for married, old people." He kills without remorse, never truly comprehending the consequences of his actions. Yet the story unfolds and as Amy begins to shift in fidelity towards this hubristic drifter, Jordan emerges as the true outsider - embodying a past, romantic ideal of subculture. In a sense, Jordan is the embodiment of Araki's previous cinematic endeavors; The Doom Generation serving as both farewell to the old (the ideals of Araki's prior works and New Queer Cinema, at large) and a ringing in of the new. (Araki's critical embrace of the more MTV styled aesthetic and of generations removed from his own, those which do not whole-heartedly embrace Queerness as a subversive act, but as a weakness which should be repressed - hence, "A Heterosexual Film" by a homosexual filmmaker.)
The film is, despite my prior assumptions and that import placed on Queerness, in fact, Amy's story. (Perhaps a more apt subtitle might have been "A Women's Film by Gregg Araki.) Hers is the character who throughout the film's proceedings proves the greatest level of dynamism, changing her personal perspective from start to finish. She is seduced by this nihilistically callous drifter, idealizes the counterculture she so desperately clings to: kill tattooed on her fingers, the skull lighter, morbid paraphernalia covering every empty inch of her car. In one scene, she hold the boxset for the atmospheric goth band This Mortal Coil and claims, "I wish I could just crawl in here and disappear forever." When her past sexual proclivities come back to haunt her, first she shrugs them off in denial. Yet, at the end of the film, when Amy meets the death and destruction which fashion would have her appreciate, she finally assumes a (albeit violent) sort of responsibility as she horrifically murders the gang of Nazi skinheads who have cut short Jordan's life. They say, as they are about to deliver the fatal blow, "you're going to watch me help your fairy boy toy shuffle off this mortal coil." The multitude of ironies here begin with Jordan's misrecognition as a homosexual and ends with that phrase which to Amy's connotes bliss being brought into its true context. The morbid languishness of This Mortal Coil makes depression and death an appealing and fashionable, yet brought into a real context, her affectations and desires not only haunt her, but bring about the death of that person most dear to her. She slays the Nazi's with that same implement which robbed her idyllic lover of his life and assumes a more active and understanding role in culture at large, and denies the escapist comfort of an abstracted counter culture ruled by commodified fads.
In the alarmingly redemptative final sequence, the irony free remaining duo drive silently. A cigarette, whose pack we have noticed throughout the film to be adorned with a skull and cross bones, dangles from her lips. Xavier brings the skull lighter, which was found a few scenes prior, to the cig and ignites the flame. Amy regards the lighter, its morbid casualness. We recognize that it no longer amuses her as she hesitantly brings the tip of her cigarette to the flame. An unchanged Xavier opens a bag of chips. "You want a Dorito." Cut to an exterior shot of the car, the roof of which we see, for the first time, is tagged with a smiley face. Assuredly in its creation, this icon was meant as an ironic gesture, but now, not only does it have a more ominous feel, but conversely it allows us a little hope. Perhaps this assumption of responsibility, a coming of age, as it were, will allow for some integrity, however horribly it has been reached. And, as it reads in the film's shooting script, "The ROARING WHOOSH of the Torino suddenly passing by is followed by the car slowly, inevitably receding, becoming tiny and dotlike, a greenish-blue speck under the immense, sprawling horizon. Its total insignificance in the vast, indifferent scheme of things is heartrendingly apparent. slow final fade to BLACK"


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|Beauty In Dark Places
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Beauty In Dark Places
Uploaded: 29 October 2008
Uploaded: 29 October 2008
The darkness is beautiful to Me. It is the place I go to flea. To hide from the world of reality. Comfortable, and dark so nobody can see. Cold it is, but alone feels so good. By myself only, I am understood. Nobody to hurt Me, but Nobody to care. Alone I am, Unafraid, and Unaware, Of all the dangers that lie on the other side. I have no worries, so long as I hide. Truth be told, I can not leave, For this darkness I have created is consuming Me. For now it has become part of Me. Beautiful it may be, but better left unseen.
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Copyright © 2005-2012


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Florida amongst the worst in nation in health emergency capabilities according to report
June 10, 2009
by Robert Herriman
This comes from the Trust for America's Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) report: Ready or Not? Protecting the Public's Health from Diseases, Disasters, and Bioterrorism.
The report contains state-by-state health preparedness scores based on 10 key indicators to assess health emergency preparedness capabilities.
Florida met 5 out of a possible 10 indicators and was tied with Arizona, Connecticut, Maryland, Montana, and Nebraska for the lowest score.
The five indicators that our state met were:
1. Has adequate plans to distribute emergency vaccines, antidotes, and medical supplies from the Strategic National Stockpile
2. State public health lab can meet the expectations of the state's pandemic influenza plan
3. Uses a disease surveillance system that is compatible with CDC's National Electronic Disease Surveillance System (NEDSS).
4. State has a Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) Coordinator
5. Increased or maintained funding for public health programs from FY 2006-07 to FY 2007-08
"The 25 percent cut in federal support to protect Americans from diseases, disasters, and bioterrorism is already hurting state response capabilities. The cuts to state budgets in the next few years could lead to a disaster for the nation's disaster preparedness", says Jeff Levi, PhD, Executive Director of TFAH.
View the full story (some sites require registration)


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The blog talks about the experiences and views of the blogger Rahp Relly De Blas. The Posts will give opinions about youth, school, work, government, religion, travel, photography, and many others that capture the interest of the author.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Find me!
>of course kita na ako agad di ba?
This was a picture taken at Market Market by my brother Rikki. I want to start my first page with the topic : FAMILY. We really don't have family picture( kaya eto muna).
I have two brothers, Rikki Renz and Reggie Rex ( our names start with R - mama's idea). We were raised by Maria Mona Lisa ( Monet ) and Nelson (Nonoy). We grew up with an average way of living. Like most of Filipino families, we were raised God fearing and kind. On top of it we were taught how to deal and value what we have.
My dream is to have a family outing in Boracay or any place similar to it. That's it. That's all i want for my family. Simple yet true, for we never experienced one.
My goal is to be an Engineer soon. I want to be a good Computer Engineer. It was not my first choice of career but i'm starting to like it.
Going back to my family. We spend our bonding time watching movies and TV shows on weekends. Because we are busy doing our stuffs. Me and my brothers were studying, Mama's selling Banana-que, Turon, etc. < we sell different foods ever since i was born> and Papa's at work <City Hall's staff>.
I love my family. Very Much. With all those Ups and Downs we still remain for each other. We might have misunderstandings at times but at the end of the day we realize how important each member is. And how we love each other.
>end of my first page.I might have some grammatical errors. <di ako major in english ah. CPE po>
until my next post. :))
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How to transfer a photo onto canvas…ish!
Well this was a total flop first round and although it worked second time it's far from my favourite of these transfers.
Anyway after that big sell I encourage you to watch it and let me know what you think. The bonus is a quick look round my studio at the end 😉


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I'll admit that among the five human members of my family, good will doesn't necessarily abound 24/7. Harmony does happen, it's not a constant atmosphere of discontent by any means. But there is one member of our household whom everyone adores at all times, even when he misbehaves (well, eats someone's sandwich left in a spot conveniently placed for easy access by....him).
Yes, Comet the dog, is a reliable source of happiness and companionship- maybe because he's always excited to see whoever walks through the door, is always interested in a belly rub or a scratch behind his ears and finds each of us fascinating, no matter what mundane chore requires our attention. (Okay, he's not really fond of the vacuum cleaner or lawn mower, if truth be told.)
And parentally speaking, it's also nice to have one household member who doesn't require a cell phone plan!


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Having struggled as a striker under Louis van Gaal before impressing in a midfield role for both club and country, the pre-season trip to China could make up Jose Mourinho's mind
The new Premier League season is still more than three weeks away, yet for Wayne Rooney his most pivotal spell of 2016-17 might well be during the International Champions Cup.
As Manchester United settle into their surroundings after flying from the UK on Tuesday, the England skipper faces a week which could dictate the course of his entire first campaign under Jose Mourinho at Old Trafford.
The Portuguese warned during his introductory press conference earlier this month that Rooney does not have a future at United in the midfield position which he occupied during the spring and continued in during England's failed Euro 2016 campaign.
"Maybe he is not a No. 9 any more but he will never with me be a No.6," said Mourinho. "He will never be 50 metres from the goal. For me he will be a No. 9 or a No. 10 or a nine-and-a-half, but with me he will never be a No. 6 or even a No. 8."
For Rooney it will be an examination of his ability to continue in the forward line into his thirties, but he is likely to be an unwilling forward wherever Mourinho eventually deems him most effective. The 30-year-old claimed in May that midfield was the place he wanted to be.
"Sometimes you have to make choices in your career and at the minute it's probably better for me to play deeper," he admitted. "Next season with Manchester United, that's where I see myself playing."
But Mourinho's statement means that Rooney now has to not only prove his quality his sufficient but also that his attitude is right. His redeployment as a midfielder for England smacked of a captain flexing his muscle with the manager, especially in light of the Three Lions' struggles in the forward line. But his new club boss will not be so willing to bend as Roy Hodgson was.
Part of the reason Louis van Gaal was happy to drop Rooney deeper last term was simply because he hadn't made himself indispensable as a forward. After two months out with knee trouble, he returned in May as part of a three-man midfield. That was as much down to Rooney's indifferent form pre-injury as it was Marcus Rashford's emergence in his absence.
Against Dortmund and City he has two chances to show he can still impress in the final third, because Mourinho now has far more options than Van Gaal was able to boast last term. Only Anthony Martial was a serious alternative pre-Rashford, with Marouane Fellaini having even been thrown in as a No.9 earlier in the season.
Mourinho, though, has Rashford, Martial and Ibrahimovic as possible No.9 options and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Juan Mata and Ander Herrera all hoping to prove their worth as a No.10. Whereas Van Gaal insisted publicly that it was right to give Rooney a long leash as captain, his successor will feel no such loyalty if his skipper proves unworthy of it.
On the face of it, Mkhitaryan is exactly the kind of No.10 which would suit United thanks to his movement, ability on the ball and eye for a pass. If any Premier League rookie is guaranteed to succeed, it is him. And that means Rooney is already on borrowed time.
With a manager who insists on talking about winning rather than philosophies and marginal progress, Rooney must grab the initiative straight away. And that starts even before the season does. Friendlies they may well be, but the Manchester United captain must use the next two matches to prove he can still be the Wayne Rooney which became an English megastar in the first place.


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Team news is... that after receiving repeated comedy kicks up the bottom from JR, Kaboul is out. As too is Jermain Defoe with... a cold. After costing me £140 at the weekend, I do wish him a speedy recovery and hope it doesn't turn into anything nasty, like a little bout of pneumonia. Git.
Rumour has it that Paul Robinson has been suffering some problems in his personal life and this is the cause of his questionable form. Mind not in a good place etc etc. Let's hope that whatever ails him soon passes and we can all move on, eh? The way I see it, if I found out in the last few days, then even Jol knew week upon week ago and should have acted appropriately (rested him properly) as McClaren did. Ho hum.
King (ZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz)is highly unlikely to play before Christmas. Go figure. The bit the Daily Mail ran the other day in relation to LK's 'influence' even when injured - travelling away, being in the dressing room - all got up my nose. So what? Am I THE most miserable sod you've ever come across or am I a realist? Ledders is a hero, but no use to me OFF the pitch. I dearly want him back, but anything that isn't in the shirt, enjoying his game is hopeless. No?
Rocha, Gardner and Ekotto are all out. No comment.
My selection then:
Chimbonda (subject to bail conditions) Dawson Lee
Lennon Malbranque Jenas Bale
Keane Bent
Subs Berbatov, Tainio, Taarabt, Dervite, Robinson.
Now, how can I lose money this time out? Spurs to win 5-0 is only 18/1, reflecting the NO VALUE virtually everywhere. So it's non striker first goalscorer. After all, this is Tottenham! Lennon and Jenas are both as good as 11/1 so I'd for no particular reason have a nicker on Lennon.


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I want to work part-time in order to bring a sense of balance back into my life. There may never be enough hours in the day, but you can at least reclaim some time for yourself by disregarding society's expectations and opting to take on less paid work than you're capable of doing.
As part of my quest to go part-time, I have to choose the right type of schedule, since there's obviously more than one way to work part-time.
The following pages weigh the pros and cons of different approaches to interspersing work and life (e.g. taking sabbaticals vs. having a shorter workday).
Truncated Workday (fewer hours per day)
This one is simple. Do you work 8 hours per day? Decrease that number to 6 and you'll have a truncated workday that nets you around 475 fewer work hours per year (equivalent to an extra 3 months of vacation, assuming 8 hour days).
If there is a need for you to be present for every workday (e.g. answering calls or adjusting daily schedules), the main advantage to this approach is that you don't have to miss a single day of work.
Even though you're commuting, if you have flexibility in your timing, you can likely avoid either the morning or evening rush hour (ideally both!) if you shorten your workday. Note that "rush hour" in this context refers to the daily ritual of enormous traffic jams, not the
hilarious movie series starring Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker.
The best part of the morning rush hour won't even be that you're not stuck in it. The best part is that you might even be able to sleep through most of the traffic (or at least spend some of the time in your pajamas).
All this adds up to a leisurely (and consistent) lifestyle.
Unfortunately, if you've got an annoying commute (even when it's not rush hour), this option does nothing to lessen the number or frequency of commutes. If the environmental impact of commuting concerns you, this is not ideal.
Since you're still working the same days, this option gains you nothing as far as vacation flexibility. Want to take a month off? Truncating your workday won't help (and if you already can take a month off, just do it already and worry about going part-time later).
The biggest concern here, however, is that you might not ending up working less at all. If you're an information worker or otherwise always connected to email, there will be a strong urge to do a little extra work outside of your scheduled six hour window (especially since your coworkers probably won't notify you of problems until after you've left the office). You will need to have strict work boundaries to make a shortened day worthwhile.
Part-Time (fewer days per week)
Anecdotally, working fewer days per week is most people's definition of part-time work. Working just one day less per week equates to nearly 2.5 months of additional vacation time.
Given its pervasiveness, you will have no trouble finding information on what it's like to work fewer days per week and your employer may already have policies in place.
Not sure if it's coming through in my writing, but I hate commuting. I truly do. For me, part of the allure of working fewer days per week is that I wouldn't have to commute as frequently. Spend less on gas and reduce your carbon footprint while unlocking your true potential outside of work. How great is that?
Speaking of great, remember the last holiday that landed on a Monday or Friday? Aren't three-day weekends magical? Now imagine having a three-day weekend every weekend. I don't even feel a need to include a hyperbolic sentence gushing over how delightful that would be.
In practical terms, you'll still be working the same number of weeks and months, so taking, say, every Friday off can be an easy sell to management if you work on long-term projects where you can't easily be replaced for large swaths of time.
Unfortunately, since you're working the same weeks, you don't really unlock any new, large, contiguous blocks of time for traveling. Of course, if you're a homebody (or already satisfied with a couple weeks off per year), you might not care.
Similar to the truncated workday, the biggest drawback to not working on certain days is that your coworkers (or, even worse, your boss) might try to twist your arm into working on your day off. You have to hold firm and not accept part-time pay for full-time work. Sure, it's ok to answer a quick email or two, but if you feel the urge to start typing on a physical keyboard, stop and remind yourself that you're not getting paid and you need to treat this non-work pseudo-holiday with the gravitas it deserves.
Unpaid Vacation (fewer weeks per year)
Although it can be difficult to negotiate for additional paid vacation, your employer may be much more amenable to piling on a bit of unpaid vacation. A month of unpaid vacation per year seems like a good starting point.
If traveling is your goal, standard vacation policies (especially American ones) may be the bane of your existence. Your salvation can be unpaid vacation. Imagine being able to squeeze in 4 extra one-week trips per year.
Or maybe you just want to add a ton of three, four, or five day weekends. Flexibility is where extra vacation time shines (often literally, because hopefully you're not going to travel somewhere cloudy and gray).
Sadly, many employers view paid and unpaid vacation very similarly since either way you're no longer under their watch. This leads to some corporations being very stingy with unpaid vacation, choosing only to dole it out in extreme circumstances (at which point you probably just need the time to make sense of your world).
Some workplaces are even in the habit of boasting that you can take as much vacation as you want, as long as you don't feel guilty about leaving your coworkers with your incomplete work. Although I haven't seen a generic study, it seems employees at Netflix (which has an unlimited vacation policy) take vacation roughly in line with the prevailing allotment in their industry (which you probably perceive as inadequate or you wouldn't be reading up on going part-time).
The last and most insidious aspect of unpaid vacation is that it may be hard to negotiate enough of it. Compare asking your manager for a part-time schedule where you don't work Fridays (sounds reasonable) versus asking for an extra 2.5 months of unpaid vacation every year (I can hear bosses chafing at this). Both result in a similar amount of total time off, but the former part-time option sounds much more sensible (from management's perspective) than the latter request from some lazy, entitled, ungrateful (their assumption, not mine) Millennial.
Seasonal Work (fewer months per year)
Maybe you work in hospitality and can find temporary work during the busy season or you're an accountant who only shows up around tax time. Each season you don't have to work equates to roughly three months of bliss.
Seasonal work is
readily available in certain fields. If it is available to you and you desire more free time, this is likely the simplest and best option for you.
If you have children, there is sometimes even the option to synchronize your time off with the school year. Imagine being an adult, earning money, but still getting to take every summer off, just like when you were a little kid. Try not to play video games all day, every day, though.
The flip side is that seasonal work is basically unattainable in industries that are unfamiliar with the concept.
Even if you can land seasonal work consistently, you will have to watch your cash flow carefully during your "down" months.
There is also the minor possibility that the "busy" season won't align with your own subjective opinion of when you'd like time off, so you'll end up being bored instead of living it up.
Sabbaticals (fewer years per decade)
Although technically sabbaticals are for college professors and other professionals who (allegedly) require time to deeply explore new ideas and, er, innovate, the concept of taking an intra-career "gap year" is gaining momentum.
Taking a year off every seven years is one promising approach.
If you're lucky enough to have a sabbatical option available to you at work, by all means take it! Like, yesterday! If you can take a few months or even a year off and still have a job guaranteed when you get back, that is arguably one of the best benefits an employer can offer. Be grateful for it. And use it.
Even if your employer furrows its brow at the unfamiliar term, you can create your own sabbatical if you have the courage to quit your job, with the confidence that you'll be able to get a new job next year. It's a scary proposition, but if you're employable and have valuable skills, the reality is that this option is available to you (and you probably won't regret using it).
If you're on a sabbatical, you are effectively untethered. Want to travel around in an RV? Go globe-trotting and kayak with miniature hammerhead sharks? Nothing (you can afford) is off limits.
And while you're on the road, (similar to retirement)
there is no rule saying that you can't earn extra money while funemployed. Maybe experiment with a new small-time business. Or just think really creative thoughts (possibly in, say, Washington or Colorado).
Just make sure you're financial footing is solid before voluntarily losing your earned income for a year (or possibly longer if your sabbatical ends in the midst of a major recession and you struggle to find a new job). Although
most modern Americans sport a dismal savings rate, if you are able to methodically stash away money during your non-sabbatical years, covering expenses for 1 – 2 years should be achievable.
Sadly, the amount of time that must pass between sabbaticals needs to be long enough that employers aren't wary about hiring you at the end. This usually means you have to limit sabbatical frequency to at most every 4 – 6 years. This sounds perfectly easy to many people, but if you spend 8 hours per day staring at a computer, 4 years looks like a long time (8,000 hours, give or take).
One last, often overlooked downside to sabbaticals is that, when you're not working, all the extra vacation becomes commonplace to the point that you might just adjust to this "new normal" and forget that you've been looking forward to this time for the past 5+ years. In other words, you may suffer from hedonic adaptation. As ridiculous as it sounds, "treat yourself" is actually sage advice when applied occasionally.
Now to choose…
Now for the hard part: deciding which option fits your desires and circumstances best.
If you've ever considered part-time work, please leave a comment describing which option is most appealing to you. Other options and critiques are, of course, always welcome.