text: You are in China, everything is quiet. At every step you see censorship, people are looking their business and no one cares about you. Suddenly, right after the corner you spot some crowd. What is that you may ask yourself? Well, it is a place of Chinese fast food restaurant. Many delicious meals are preparing for the customers, you can also choose a fried bug if you like them. Mmmmm, so delicious, you will ask for more if those food specialities are not disgusting for you.


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A beautiful carpet can provide a well-being and sumptuous feeling of snugness for any space in your living space. Pacific Kitchen Bath and Flooring can guide you in shopping for the absolutely fabulous style to bring your area that features with your special. We carry hundreds of designs, Materials, and colors to fit with any decor. Search our markedly large medley of styles, shades, patterns, and designs to decide on the flooring or carpeting that's a wise selection for you and your daily needs.
From low-maintenance alternatives for a nursery, to more magnificent styles for the den, to stable outside space options for a porch, Pacific Kitchen Bath and Flooring has the best products and services around. Whether you choose a cutting-edge frieze, a cushy shag, or a classic Saxony, we provide what you need to give your decorative plan your particular artistry. See everything from wall-to-wall carpeting, area rugs, throw rugs and interior and exterior carpeting, all in the most stylish colors, designs and brands.
If you're trying to totally replace the floors in Orange County, or merely to take your space to the next level, we're here for you. It doesn't matter if what you're searching for is something that's gorgeous, matchless, tough or all of them combined, we'll be able to help you make the call. After you've discovered what you're looking for, Pacific Kitchen Bath & Flooring will go on to give premium service by delivering and installing your products for you. We have a crew that is helpful, skilled and eager to help, such as skillful and qualified virtuosos to make sure that your fancy floor isn't disfigured by a bad installation project. From the beginning to the end of the home refurbishing job, we do our absolute best to ensure that you get the appropriate carpet, at the right rates, with the smallest amount of stress possible. Pacific Kitchen Bath and Flooring wants to help you make your house be as rare and special as can be. Call us today at 949-455-1900 to get started with a free estimate!
Flooring Visualizer
Use the following flooring visualizer and design your own flooring concept with a few simple mouse clicks:

subset: commoncrawl


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Brussels was a breath of fresh air after spending so much time in the UK. Early on in our trip planning stages, Brian suggested spending a weekend in Belgium, and I am very glad that we did. It was fun to mix things up, and explore a new part of Europe. Plus, how could I say no to a country known for some of my favorite culinary delights: chocolate, beer, waffles, and fries.
On our first day in Brussels, I decided to give my back a break and forgo lugging around my heavy DSLR. I took the below images with a simple point-and-shoot. It was nice to have a bit more freedom as we navigated the bustling city streets, sampling waffles and fries, and ducking into chocolate shops to try different treats.
The above (right) little boy taking a leak, Manneken Pis, is a very famous landmark in the city.
Not only is Brussels the capital of the European Union, but it's also the capital of Tintin! This is one of many murals located in the city.
Waffle heaven. Seriously, these will ruin waffles in the U.S. for you because nothing compares. As Brian said, "I can't believe I used to think Eggo Waffles were good."
The next day, we decided to take a short train ride out to the medieval city of Bruges. Unfortunately, it rained the whole day which made exploring the town very hard, and taking pictures even more challenging. We ducked into the beer museum for a few pints for a while, and made a deal to come back one day (fingers crossed that the weather is better!). Here are a few images I was able to capture between downpours.
Yes. This painting.
The Basilica of the Holy Blood
Bon Voyage Bruges! Next stop, Ireland.
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Like you, I've seen the magazine, the TV show and read the blogs… Quilt in a Day! I used to read those words and say, "yeah, right, as if!" Well, I am here to say… It CAN be done! I started this quilt at 11:00am today and by 11:15pm I was laying in bed blogging about it! Really! It wasn't that difficult. I even took a lunch break and cooked and ate a lovely dinner with my family. I used a very easy design layout. I saw a quilt in my LQS called "3-6-9″ and decided I would try my own 3-6-9 quilt. I started by cutting a few 3.5″ squares, some 6.5″ squares and some 9.5″ squares. Then I cut a few 6.5″x3.5" strips and voila! I had a decent block that could be repeated using a variation of the colours. I think if I did this one again (and I likely will), I would just use the same repeating pattern of colour. I think it would make the layout much cleaner. I am a lover of order!
So, more about this quilt.
Awhile back, a friend of mine asked me to make a quilt for her local chapter of the Kinsmen/Kinette to auction off at their Annual Cystic Fibrosis Fundraiser. I procrastinated a bit on this one because she wanted the KIN logo to be present somewhere on the quilt and I found that a bit daunting at first. In my mind, I had worked out the how of it, I just needed to get busy and do it. I photocopied the logo from the internet and traced it to the fabric. I then used my FMQ foot and basically FMQ'd over the traced markings. To fill in the darker areas and the letters, I used a zig zag stitch. I am really hoping this holds up in the wash! I've seen embroidery patches that look like this kind of stitching but I do not profess to know how to embroider! I just kind of 'winged' it and am pretty pleased with the end result.
I quilted it using a variegated blue thread (Fruitti in Sky Blue by Wonderfil) with a meandering loop-de-loop all over and it gives it a nice cozy feel. I still need some practice with the FMQ-ing, but my stitch lengths and my pedal vs hand speed are getting much better. I have a few spots where you can see the stops and starts as I changed hand position, but, like anything, it will get better with practice.
I am calling this quilt "Great Strides" to honour the Kinsmen/Kinette events to raise money for Cystic Fibrosis.
I still need to wash this throw sized quilt, but I think if all goes well in the tumbler, I'll be a happy quilter! I hope my friend likes it as well, I also hope this quilt brings them lots of money for their fundraiser.
If you happen to be in the Listowel, Ontario (Canada) area and would like to join in the fun the event info is as follows:
"Homicidal Idol" Dinner Theatre
Listowel Kin Station
Thursday April 24th 2014
Doors open @ 6:15
Show and Dinner @ 7 pm
Tickets are $25 a person or $40 for 2
All proceed from the event support Cystic Fibrosis Canada Research
I'll be linking up with my Thursday and Friday link ups!
Till next time… Rita


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The raw hunk of meat that used to be my enemy makes a sound, and I know where the mouth is. And I think the word he's trying to say is 'please'. Pity, not vengeance sends my fist flying into his skull. "UFC 227: Dillashaw vs Garbrandt II" Live Discussion *Spoilers*. Prelims start at 6:15 p.m. ET on Fight Pass.Dismiss Notice
2018 NFL Football Thread
Discussion in 'Off-Topic Discussion' started by PatsWillPoundMyProlapsedChin, Feb 5, 2018.
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I'm trying to update a report with the number of completes for each day, by the U.S. Currently, when I look at the Overview page, I'm able to filter the completes by date, but not by country (U.S). Am I able to filter this by Country?
Thank you!
Best answer
The Overview Page cannot be filtered by country – you will need to create a report in order to have that filtering ability (Summary Report might be a good option).
Here is an article about filtering reports:


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You Did It! Ann Summers has dumped its partnership with Pornhub - the world's largest supplier of abuse porn, including millions of videos depicting incest, child abuse and torture.
Recent press coverage confirms this break up, as do visits to several shops, with not a Pornhub branded product to be seen. Sadly, Ann Summers and its leadership team have failed to respond to any of our (very polite) enquiries.
A huge thank you and well done to over 2,000 people who signed the petition, everyone who spread the word and protested (often in the rain!) outside stores.
As you know, we've been helping Sheffield Gran, Irene, initiate court proceedings against her council for putting no limit on strip clubs. A decision here has repercussions UK wide - especially as the council now has a barrister who represents strip clubs across the country on their side!
But these are some of the outrageous arguments being put forward by the Council. They are also claiming outrageous costs that Irene will be liable for if the judge at this first stage of proceedings does not give her permission to take the case further to Judicial Review.
The judge is looking at the case very soon. We hope he will be as outraged as us and give Irene permission to go ahead with this important legal challenge. If so, we will be coming back to you then with ideas on how to help us win (and yes fundraiser further .. groan)!
We've done brilliantly well so far but if the judge doesn't give Irene permission to go ahead, she could be liable for £1,000s in costs. We've got most of it covered thanks to all your amazing support but we want to make absolutely sure there's enough in the pot for this first stage.
If everyone reading this gave £1 we'd make our 'stretch' target of £7,500. So pretty please donate if you can.


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The Web as a Metaphor
Written for frogdesign's 1996 rana magazine, this version is before editing.
* You know, they say the environmental condition is a mirror of society's values. Is this acceptable to you, or did we somehow get our priorities all skewed up? Is our real quality of life being sabotaged by designers still wallowing in the industrial age?
Hey, the Post-Industrial Age has begun! Look at how information technology has changed the way designers go about their work already. Take the Internet's World Wide Web, for example. A direct and flexible way to exchange ideas and information, the Web's such a sexy medium for people who have something to say to the world.
* But is all this fragmented exchanging really assuring a better quality of life for everyone, now and in the future? We already know so much, yet rather than taking action to address the global crisis at hand, too much of designers' creative energy is devoted solely to making that which people already have obsolete. Are we just filling more and more technoboxes with beautifully sugar-coated, re-created information?
We need to communicate to better understand our options. With the Web, complex information and scenarios can get transmitted clearly, simple concepts get amplified, and people are really enjoying learning again. The Web's content flows from a multitude of voices, rather than a single authority -- this decentralization promises to empower us and almost immediately, transform our interactions.
* but today, aren't these multitudes mostly people and institutions from the Northern Hemisphere, shaping the infrastructure of the hyper-ghetto by default? What is the social impact of being unconnected as cyberspaceŐs real estate gets staked out? Will the Web ever afford us truly democratic accessibility and culturally diverse content -- could we interconnect our way to hyper-integration and achieve peaceful equality in the real world?
A little patience, please. The Web is so new -- people are just seeing how useful this tool is and getting it distributed. We're starting to get creative with the power of technology and appreciating how to develop things on the Web in a most environmentally elegant way Đ generating minimal matter with an infinity of reciprocating feedback loops.
* Is this the mythological techno-fixation that will save the Earth? Is the Internet's World Wide Info-Web somehow a part of the Web of Life that interconnects the whole of the Earth?
These interlocking Webs Đ actually, they are one and the same ecosystem. Jean Gardner, eco-design theorist, explains that the Info-Web "travels to us on energy waves that connect with our individual nervous systems because they use the same electrons that run through all things on the Earth. This totally natural phenomenon of electrons has always been there", even before we had the Info-Web's human-machine interfaces impacting on our reality. Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, evolutionary philosopher, warns us "not to question the forces that are connecting our neurons, rather, we should expand our own awareness and embrace our new complexity".
* When we think of the Earth as Gaia, a living, totally interconnected superorganism of Webs, does our image of this ecosystem encompass enough?
I'm a Web, too. Like every other human, my body is an ecosystem, home to millions of micro-organisms. "A complex of ecological community and environment forming a functioning whole in nature" -- this is Webster's definition of ecosystem . My personal Web interacts with the local ecosystem, and interweaves with Gaia's Web as well. The Info-Web completes the circuit, and the whole pulsates with life.
* Do you feel apart from the Web or as Teilhard believed, that "you are, actively and passively, simultaneously present, over land and sea, in every corner of the globe"? Do we live and work with the understanding that our own future is totally embedded within the fate of the planet?
As an ecodesigner, this concept of one big Web appeals to me. I want to live in a more loving world, and this interconnected view makes my desire seem more globally attainable.
* But will enough of us acknowledge the Web and apply ecosystematic principles to our daily practices? That we do unto others is a fact of nature, but can the Web give us the will and the ways to relate our personal choices and individual actions to their impacts? How does a web-brained ecodesigner go about his or her business in the post-industrial age?
With a profound influence on the Web, as well as our immediate quality of life, ecodesigners strive to take an inclusive, heartfelt view of their role, and start by incorporating these concepts in their daily work, personally:
Ą direct the creative process toward results which might slow down consumption while speeding up fulfillment of the need. Consumerism is not self-expression, so don't convey this value with your artifacts.
Ą as fossil fuels are a major pollution source, reduce the energy consumed, especially in the use phase of your artifact's life. Better yet, power up on today's solar energy.
Ą draw inspiration from natural systems and design in cycles. Practice renewability and resource efficiency. Eliminate waste by designing it into feedstock for other projects.
Ą think deeply about your artifact's impacts on our interconnected world, today and tomorrow. Consider raw material sourcing, labor and local conditions, transport, emissions and everything else about a designŐs life and afterlife. Find a balance point.
Ą keep abreast in the Age of Change: transform a product into a service. Employ emerging technologies. Connect to hyper-information and other brain expanding resources. Future-proof your designs by making them upgradable. Re-design desire.
Ą Get inter-disciplinary and collaborate more. Develop systems to utilize local industry and creativity. Assimilate aesthetics and concepts from beyond your own culture and era. Rethink proprietary rights and responsibilities.
Ą take the Power of Designers personally. Take a fresh approach to each project's overall goal. Design for the long term. Celebrate and learn from the beauty, wisdom and diversity of Nature, and above all, give priority to the most important client: our common future.
* Personally, I've always identified with the Web (it's my initials). Now, having made the Web connection -- to the Internet, to the global community, to Gaia's ecosystem -- there's geometric potential here that convinces me we can meet the challenges we all face, today. Start culturing your own Ňfuzzy logicÓ about the Web and its real meaning for your life and work, please. The future can't wait.
© Wendy E. Brawer 1995


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Not happy with the cost and complexity of re-roofing one of your structures with conventional shingle-type roofing materials? Rolled roofing is one of the easiest and cheapest roofing materials you can purchase. Plus, it is one of few types of roofs that most homeowners can self-install, although in a limited fashion.
Is rolled roofing too good to be true? In a sense, yes. Before you run down to the home improvement store and pick up a few rolls, you should be aware of significant disadvantages that come part-and-parcel with the plusses of this product.
Bottom Line:
- Defined: Mineral surfaced roll roofing, or MSR, comes in rolls of 100 square feet. It is easy to obtain and can be found at all home improvement stores.
- Prices: Cost for roofing 100 square feet currently is about $50 to $75, including both the roofing material and 11 gauge roofing nails. In short, roofing with MSR is your cheapest roofing option, as materials cost is low and labor cost non-existent (if you do it yourself).
- Where to Install: Best for sheds, shops, garages, and other out buildings. Few homeowners choose to install MSR on their primary homes.
- Adaptable: MSR can be cut into 12" by 36" strips to act as hips and ridges or 9" strips for eaves and rakes.
- Easy to Handle: Moving composite shingles from ground level to the roof is difficult and dangerous. Professional roofers often have cranes or fork lifts move shingles for them. If you are a DIYer, you can move the 75 lb. rolls to the roof by yourself or with the assistance of a partner--no machinery required.
- Re-Roofing: It is usually permissible to re-roof over your existing roof with MSR. First make certain to remove slag, gravel, and other debris from the existing roof to avoid puncturing the MSR.
Rolled Roofing: Like Shingles, But Longer and Thinner
The conventional way of roofing a house is with individual composite (asphalt) shingles. Rolled roofing is vaguely similar in that it is also an oil-based asphalt product. But the similarity stops there. MSR roofing is thinner, larger, cheaper, less durable, and is horizontally installed in long strips.
Several types of roll roofing are used as supplements to other roofing materials; one example is saturated felt, which is builders-grade felt impregnated with asphalt, and used mainly as underlayment.
Sizing and Cost
One MSR roofing roll will be one "square" (100 sq. ft.) and about 36 feet long by 36 inches wide. So in terms of quantity, a roofing roll is about the size of one composite shingle "square."
Materials alone, black roll roofing, at the low end, will cost about $50 per square (100 to 108 sq. ft.). Add another $6 per 400 count non-corrosion roofing nails.
- Functional Buildings: Roll roofing is rarely used for residences and other structures that garner attention. Thus, it works well for work sheds, shops, potting sheds, garages, and other outbuildings.
- Lower Roof Pitches: Rolled roof is often used on roofs that are low-sloped. If your roof pitch declines up to 1 inch vertically for every 12 inches horizontally, it is a candidate for roll roofing (1:12 pitch) as long as you use the concealed nail method of fastening. Otherwise, the safest minimum pitch for roll roofing is 2:12, or 2 inches of decline per 12 inches horizontal direction.
- Inexpensive: Least expensive roofing material, even compared to low-cost composite shingles.
- Good For Low But Not Flat Roofs: Best, and sometimes the only, way of covering low-incline roofs. Rolled roofing should not be used on flat roofs, though.
- Quick Application: Unlike shingles, which apply one by one, you can roll out a square of mineral surface roll roof within minutes.
- Easy To Transport: Shingles are heavy and unwieldy. Rolled roof, by contrast, comes in lighter 75 lb. units and is tightly rolled up and sealed.
- Few Color Choices: Black MSR is the most common color you will find. Green is sometimes found, too.
- Low Durability: One reason why shingles work so well is because the network of multiple, loosely interlocking shingles expand and contract without stressing individual shingles. By contrast, roll roofing is like having one big shingle. This shingle cannot respond to changes in the building structure without tearing.
- Not Attractive: Generally considered a less attractive roofing material than shingles or other types of roofing systems. Homeowner's associations in gated communities may not allow installation of any structure with roll roofing.
- Short Lifespan: Predicted lifespan of about 5-8 years. Compare this to a lifespan of about 20 years or even more for composite shingles. MSR tends to lose its grains and develop bald spot after only a few years of use. Also, one of the benefits of roofing with many hundreds of small units (this is, shingles) is that they can move and shift as the house moves and shifts. MSR's larger sections do not move as readily as the home expands and contracts.
- Low Resale: Extremely poor resale value on residences using this type of material. Most buyers would consider this to be only one step up from having tar paper on your roof.


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AFI award winning film director Kriv Stenders is coming to Sydney Drama School for a one-day Acting Masterclass. With the impending release of Red Dog: True Blue, 3 TV series in the last 2 years and a shooting schedule for 3 separate features films that would make your eyes water, we're thrilled that Kriv is able to join us and spend a day workshopping scenes and sharing his process.
Take the chance to work closely with one of the industry's best.
Since picking up a camera at age 12 Kriv Stenders has never stopped making films. From his AFI award winning short Two Out to the immensely popular family favourite Red Dog.
For a full list of Kriv's credits visit his IMBD profile.
Learn how Kriv works with an actor to achieve their on-screen performance. Spend the day workshopping scenes one on one with Kriv.
Students will explore original scene work that Kriv has directed.
Places are limited, so book now to take advantage of this unique opportunity to learn from one of Australia's most cherished and sought after directors.
Entrance to this workshop is by submission of your CV.


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Very nicely done.
Beautiful photos, (#1 is a bit dark) and #3 is stunning. I love all of your bird photos but I think #3 is my favourite of all your egret shots for the beautiful light, composition, exceptional detail and for the moment you captured.
Well done, Roger!
I really like #3. The light under the wings really shows up the textures. I also like the freeze on the water and the pose.
I'm not sure about the others. I see what you mean about the backlight but I'm having trouble with the eye being so shaded. Maybe just a little bit brighter on #1?
I like your idea, Roger. One of my favorite (not necessarily successful) things is to use dynamic range to isolate a subject. IMO the first two would be a bit more effective if you selectively brought out the shadows on the bird to reveal just a bit more detail. Or take it the other way to a true silhouette. You're kind of in between.
Thanks Terri all of the comments are helping me I appreciate the reply
Nicely done Roger, I might lighten the first two but that is only my preference. The third is my favorite but then I do love reflections.


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From Buzztrax
Each good software should be tested, at any time during development, again and again.
We use the check testing framework for our unit-tests. This has been extended with a couple of useful gobject and/or project specific helpers.
First of all we try to check every public method and every constructor for each object we provide.
Currently we have unit tests suites for all libraries and the applications. We also have some integration tests. Here we test e.g. commandline args, exit codes and so on.
Finally there are tests for the documentations (completeness and spelling).
On Guadec (2005) we've did a unit testing tutorial session. You can download the slides (540 kb).
- 1 Testing ABC
- 2 Test naming scheme
- 3 Song test file access
- 4 Log-output capturing
- 5 Testing failures
- 6 GObject Testing
- 7 Test Coverage
- 8 Spell checking
- 9 Test UI Application
- 10 Monitored testing
- 11 Static Code Analysis
- 12 Future testing
- 13 Buildbot
- 14 Documentation and Links
Testing ABC
A few basics about writing unit tests first:
Each Test should test one thing. Ideally there is a single assertion in the test. A helpful pattern is to think of the tests in 3 phases - Arrange, Act, Assert or Given, When, Then. We started to add comments for these 3 phases (in the AAA style) to each test.
The important thing here is that in the Arrange phase, one does not assert anything. Just create the objects and configure them. If anything fails, we'll get a segfault anyway. Also there should be a separate tests for that failure if that could actually go wrong. This procedure make it a lot easier to write tests. Also if the tests fails with an assertion, it is more obvious what broke (the thing hat we verify).
In the Act phase, the test should just do one thing.
The assertion phase is ideally just one assert. It could also check the return value and the GError in two asserts.
In our case, we have a 4th phase called cleanup too, but that is just due to using C and the need to free/unref things to not leak memory.
We still have a few tests where e.g. we loop over a set of parameters and repeat the Arrange,Act,Assert,Cleanup sequence inside the test.
Test naming scheme
At first there is one test binary for each module or component (library, application). These are prefixed with m- We use file prefixes here to distinguish from the source file names to be tested.
Each test binary is further structured into test suites, test cases and tests. Suites are prefixed by s-.
Inside the directory tests you'll find the files: m-bt-core.c, m-bt-ic.c, m-bt-cmd.c and m-bt-edit.c. The m-bt-cmd.c file is the main entry point to check all functions related to the buzztrax command application, short bt-cmd. The m-bt-core.c file is the main entry point to check all functions related to the buzztrax core lib and so on ...
If you plan to write your own application with buzztrax, please generate a new test case like m-bt-cmd. All the test suites and test cases go to an own directory, which is alike to the folder structure in src.
Each new test suite which you plan to create should have the prefix s- and then the same name as the whole file which you try to test. For example:
You plan to test methods from the song.c in the core lib. Then you should create a file named s-song.c in which you define the suite and files like t-song.c or e-song.c each containing respectively a test case and tests. The should be one suite for each module/object. In the test cases the prefix are:
- e- for example: show how to use the component properly.
- t- for test: try to break the component.
The t- test case is usually rather boring. There we check for handling of inputs, logical stuff (like adding a same object twice to a collection, etc.).
The tests itself should also be nicely named. That will give you the first clue when one or more tests fail. We name the test like test_bt_<obj>_<test_name>. This allows to filter tests to run using the BT_CHECKS environment variable:
BT_CHECKS="test_bt_machine_*" make bt_core.check
Other aspects that can be tested are constrains (for which we suggest using the prefix c-). Such tests would supervise the execution of the code regarding some limits like cpu usage, memory consumption, response times and so on.
Song test file access
If you, as a developer, would like to use any song-files for your tests, access them under the following directory structure:
buzztrax +- test (FROM HERE!) | +- songs : | +- simple1.xml : : +- simple2.xml : : :
This can be done in code with following example:
// postive test START_TEST(test_play4) { BtCmdApplication *app; int ret=0; app=bt_cmd_application_new(); ret = bt_cmd_application_play(app, check_get_test_song_path("simple1.xml")); if (!ret) { fail("play does not work with a good file name"); } } END_TESTThe
check_get_test_song_path()method is needed to make test also work in non-srcdir builds (e.g. when doing make distcheck).
Log-output capturing
The tests capture (most) log-output and write that all to a log named by the test, e.g. /tmp/buzztrax.log. Each test-case is delimited by a line of '=' chars and each test with a line of '-'. This is useful to get in-depth information about test-failure.
The test application further controls the log-level itself. Please don't change that without reason, as we use log-parsing functions to test against expected output in some situations (methods pre-conditions).
Testing failures
At any point in development state you would verify, that your checks of wrong arguments or other kind of wrong behavior, in your software will be correct. To do such tests you need to capture the log output.
For this kind of *fail* checks we have created a helper function called:
With this function you are able the check if the following statement in your testcase produces log-output with the same message as you give it to the
check_init_error_trapp function. Later in your code you can check the error trapping with:
fail_unless(check_has_error_trapped(), NULL);
Following example shows you, how to use this. Let us create a testcase for the BtSequence:
/* try to create a new sequence with NULL for song object */ START_TEST(test_btsequence_obj1) { BtSequence *sequence=NULL; GST_INFO("--------------------------------------------------------------------------------"); check_init_error_trapp("bt_sequence_new","BT_IS_SONG(song)"); sequence=bt_sequence_new(NULL); fail_unless(sequence == NULL, NULL); fail_unless(check_has_error_trapped(), NULL); } END_TEST
In this example we try to check, if the constructor of the BtSequence class handles correct a given NULL pointer. In our code we use the
method to create a log output and returning a defined value. In our testcase we check the created log output from the
return_val_if_fail method.
GObject Testing
Our project is heavily based on the GObject oo system. This allows us to do some generic tests:
Type sanity
We should make a common object type test helper like this:
GTypeQuery query; g_type_query(BT_TYPE_MACHINE,&query); fail_if(query.type == 0, NULL); fail_if(query.class_size != sizeof(GtkMachineClass), NULL); fail_if(query.instance_size != sizeof(GtkMachine), NULL);
Property checks
In the common check module we have a test helper that applies some sanity checks to object properties.
gboolean check_gobject_properties(GObject *to_check)
Chaining up
If classes override dispose() / finalize() methods they should also chain up.
klass=BT_XXX_GET_CLASS(self); parent_class=g_type_class_peek_parent(klass); parent_finalze=G_OBJECT_CLASS(parent_class)->finalize; G_OBJECT_CLASS(parent_class)->finalize=intercept; g_object_unref(self);
Test Coverage
The idea is to find out which code is covered by tests and which code is not. On the base of that new tests can be added and dead code can be eliminated.
GCov + LCov
GCov is part of gcc suite. In order to use it, you need to do three things:
- Build all code with CFLAGS="-fprofile-arcs -ftest-coverage" (configure with --enable-coverage=yes")
- Run
make check
- Analyse coverage (
make coverage)
We now have included a make target that generates the coverage report. You need to have lcov installed. To see how it looks like, check our current coverage report.
Below are some detail on how to manually get coverage information.
To analyse coverage of a source file do e.g.:
cd ./src/lib/core
gcov -p -f -o.libs/ song.c
Repeat this for every source file. Afterwards look at the *.gcov files. Lines marked with "#####" indicate code that has not been executed.
For a little report use:
for file in *.c; do gcov -p -f -o.libs/ $file; done | grep "in file" | grep -v "include" | sort -nr
For better reports, we have integrated lcov on top of that. It generates html pages that give a good overview and allow to view details. You need lcov >= 1.6. To generate the report use the following commands:
mkdir ./coverage lcov --directory . --zerocounters -$(MAKE) check lcov --directory . --capture --output-file ./coverage/buzztrax.info genhtml -o ./coverage --num-spaces 2 ./coverage/buzztrax.info
As reported in this blog one needs to disable ccache when running gcov:
CC=/usr/bin/gcc ./autoregen.sh
Valgrind VCov
Valgrinds exp-vcov tool could become a nice alternative to gcov. The main advantage is that one does not need to rebuild the code.
vcov needs to be checked out from a svn branch svn://svn.valgrind.org/valgrind/branches/VCOV. Then one needs to reset the VEX snapshot in that branch.
svn log -r PREV ------------------------------------------------------------------------ r10643 | njn | 2009-07-28 03:39:43 +0300 (Di, 28. Jul 2009) | 3 Zeilen Merged all the changes from the trunk between r7367:10642, updated VCov for various changes, and fixed a few other minor things. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ cd VEX svn up -r{2009-07-28} cd ..
One the tool is build, it can be tried without installing:
./vg-in-place --tool=exp-vcov /path/to/buzztrax/bin/buzztrax-cmd ./VCOV/vc_annotate vcov.out /path/to/sources/buzztrax/src/ui/cmd/*.{c,h} >vcov.ann
bcov also allows to get coverage without recompilation. It includes a lcov style report generation too.
Right now it does not work with checks fork-mode (the fork'ed test would stop because of the breakpoints). As a workaround, one can run it as:
CK_FORK=no make coverage
Unfortunately it is also failing later in the test runs :/ Finally it does not even handle libraries yet.
Spell checking
The aspell tool can be quite helpful to fix spelling errors. It can even be applied to sources!
I'm still looking for a way to supply an extra word list to aspell, that contains symbol names from the sources. That would help checking sources and api docs.
Spell checking c-sources
We are trying to make a local dictionary to ease checking sources. To build it do:
make tags dict
Then you can check sources
aspell -c --mode=ccpp --lang=en -p=buzztrax.aspell_dict ./src/lib/core/machine.c
Spell checking po files
There is no explicit po mode. Maybe we can use comment mode?
I don't think that comment mode would work good enough (remember that there are always both english and translated messages). acheck seems to be able to check .po files. --SvenHerzberg 16:08, 2 Apr 2006 (CEST)
Spell checking xml api documentation
aspell -c --mode=sgml --lang=en ./docs/reference/bt-core/bt-core-docs.sgml
Spell checking xml user documentation
aspell -c --mode=sgml --lang=en ./docs/help/bt-edit/C/bt-edit.xml.in
See a working implementation from SvenHerzberg.
Test UI Application
The major problem that remains is to make the test run invisible. Just hiding the window won't do the trick, as then probably thing like 'mapping widget to the screen' won't occur.
As a side effect of doing controlled GUI tests, we can use such a tests to invoke one dialog page after the other and then produce up-to-date screen-shots (see gnome-screen-shooter panel applet for how-to save png images).
Invisible X Server
The idea to avoid this is to use a virtual framebuffer based X server display. One can get such a display by running:
/usr/X11R6/bin/Xvfb -ac :9 -screen 0 1024x786x16
Then gtk application needs to be redirected to this display. While one usualy would do this by:
./my-app --display=:9.0
we need to do it programmatically. See gtk+/demos/gtk-demo/changedisplay.c for information about how to do it.
To find a free display_id look in /tmp/.X11-unix/X*. Then create and shut down the server as follows:
GPid pid; gulong flags=G_SPAWN_SEARCH_PATH|G_SPAWN_STDOUT_TO_DEV_NULL|G_SPAWN_STDERR_TO_DEV_NULL; GError *error=NULL; gchar *argv[]={ "Xvfb", "-ac",":9","-screen","0","1024x786x16", NULL } if(!(g_spawn_async(NULL,argv,NULL,flags,NULL,NULL,&pid,&error))) { GST_ERROR("error creating virtual x-server : \"%s\"", error->message); g_error_free(error); } // ... kill(pid, SIGBRK); g_spawn_close_pid(pid);
To use such a display with gtk we need to do:
display_manager = gdk_display_manager_get(); display = gdk_display_open(":9"); gdk_display_manager_set_default_display(display_manager,display); gdk_display_close(display);
unfocused windows
As another idea, couldn't we set some window-manager hints, so that these windows don't grab the focus. Unfortunately:
gtk_window_set_focus_on_map(GTK_WINDOW(main_window),FALSE); gtk_window_set_accept_focus(GTK_WINDOW(main_window),FALSE);
Does not work, as it seems too late for it (show_all()) has already been called.
event recorders
We need to check out a few new testing technology:
- the Linux Desktop Testing Project
- Gerd - a Gtk+ Event Recorder. The gtk+-2 version is in gnome cvs
Can we use these for gui-app testing?
Suggestion: Check out: GNU Xnee, an event recorder/replayer
Monitored testing
The idea is to run the tests again and monitor a certain aspect.
Valgrind support to test cases
See Valgrind API and Valgrind Manual.
Currently we have a valgrind target in the makefiles. So doing make valgrind runs the tests under valgrind (memcheck).
Static Code Analysis
LLVM clang
The llvm project comes with a static code analyzer called clang that works as a gcc wrapper.
scan-build ./config.status --recheck make clean scan-build make
Mozilla Dehydra
The mozilla project provides a static code analyzer called dehydra that works as a gcc plugin.
make CFLAGS="-fplugin=/usr/lib/gcc/i686-linux-gnu/4.5/plugin/gcc_dehydra.so -fplugin-arg=/usr/share/dehydra/libs/dumptypes.js"
Future testing
GLib features
GType debugging:
GMem debugging:
g_mem_set_vtable(glib_mem_profiler_table); //... g_mem_profile();
Enabling/Disabling Tests
We disable tests that we can't fix right now using an ifdef preprocessor directive using a standard form. This way we can use a script to collect them as a nice list (a testing TODO).
The format looks like below:
/* * tests if ... * * needs this feature implemented first (see : http://www.xyx.org/bugid=2875) */ #ifdef __CHECK_DISABLED__ BT_START_TEST(test_xyz) { //... test here .... } BT_END_TEST #endif
The problem is to collect all lines above
#ifdef __CHECK_DISABLED until
BT_START_TEST(test_xyz) below.
Sounds like we need a little perl-script for this.
The shell one-liner I found so far is:
grep -r -A6 -B1 -Hn --include="*.c" --color=auto "#ifdef __CHECK_DISABLED__" .
It still has the problem that the it just grabs the 6 lines above the #ifdef :(.
The list is now available via
make todo in the tests subdir.
File I/O testing
It would be interesting to have a fuse based test-file system that simulates all kind of errors. This includes:
- read-only files
- files go away in the middle of reads
- files containing garbage (fuzzing)
There is petardfs project that looks like it fits the needs here.
Array bound checking
We've been running a [buildbot] that does latest builds+test of modules every 6 hours. Right now we lack of clients to run this. One idea would be to use VirtualBox instances and fire them up in an automated way.
Documentation and Links
- buildbot - how to setup the buildmaster and buildslave for buzztrax
- Unit test patterns - naming and organisation of tests
- Gnome memory reduction project - has some nice references to tools


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About Us
Peak Sportswear designs, cuts and sews in an Ottawa factory, with a Fantastic group of stitchers and finishers - "100% Canadian Team".
We specialize in designing custom fit clothing for individuals and teams. We make sportswear you can move in and compete in.
We want to share our expertise with all who love sports.
Peak Sportswear Staff at lunch


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What three words best describe your style?
different every day
What is your favorite go-to look?
atm, picking one color and wearing it head2toe
Who is your style icon(s)?
church going lady in her sunday best/angsty high school boy who cuts class 2 smoke cigarettes/stay-at-home-mom on vacation
What are your favorite brands/places to shop?
<3 salvation army warehouse on quincy ~ unique at fulton mall <3
Favorite song at the moment?
Where is your favorite spot to eat in NYC?
v tough, i'll go w the classic, always reliable vanessa's on eldridge. pork n chive dumplings for $1.50 and veggie sesame pancake for $1.25
All time favorite book?
the bell jar bc it is a wonderful reminder being a woman is complicated and painful and beautiful
If you had the chance to fly anywhere in the world right now, where would you go?
berlin if i'm feelin sassy, london if i'm feelin classy
Name one thing someone would be surprised to know about you.
my childhood crush was bruce willis
What is one guilty pleasure you enjoy too much to give up?
u kno i like dem ciggys girl
If you had to change your name, what would you change it to?
What do you think about more than anything else?
social justice issues/the marginalization of non-cis-white males
Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?
dating 5 men 10 yrs younger than me
If you were a season, which would you be?
i'd like to think summer but my friends would prob say spring :/ some days i'm hot, some days i'm cold!
Why is having a personal style important to you?
personal style is of the utmost importance! it garners self-love, confidence and helps you 2 know thyself. exploring yer options is a great time - try on that velour jumpsuit! pair it with moon boots! don't let anyone tell u anything and when they say "you look good" say "i know ;-)"
Glazed NYC pick of the week: ooooo that betty turtleneck tho!


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Bravo Network: Cynthia Bailey Is NOT Fired From 'Real Housewives of Atlanta'
According to a spokesperson from the show's network, Bravo, Cynthia Bailey has not been fired from the 'Real Housewives of Atlanta' franchise. The representative stated Tuesday (March 14) that "there is no truth to this story". Another source close to production also mentioned that Bailey is still with the show "at this time."
This comes after several sites reported that Bailey was fired from production of the show. Mostly, due to a possible return of previous cast mates, Nene Leaks and Kim Zolciak to Season 10. Bravo representatives have not commented on validity of the latter, but we can definitely expect to see Cynthia Bailey for another RHOA season.


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Publication Date
April 2015
Maria Ospina, Ann Wightman
Latin American Studies
English (United States)
Since the 1990s, the Colombian coffee industry has seen the emergence of a dynamic specialty coffee sector. The coffee sold in this niche market is distinguished from the mainstream commodity coffee market by its exceptional material, symbolic, and in-person service quality. For the hundreds of thousands of rural citizens engaged in coffee production in Colombia, the specialty sector offers new possibilities of increasing both their profits and their power. This thesis explores the experiences of rural farmers participating in the specialty sector, examining whether the opportunities offered by specialty coffee enable farmers to preserve their rural forms of economic and cultural rationality. By constructing an alternative framework for active engagement with the capitalist world-system, more aligned with the realities of rural life, this thesis will argue that the specialty coffee industry represents a clear departure from the historical exclusion of peasant communities from power.
Recommended Citation
Robbins, Tali Leah, "The Specialty Question: Economic Empowerment in the Colombian Coffeelands" (2015). Honors Theses - All. 1381.
© Copyright is owned by author of this document


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After plane, train, subway, and, finally, an Uber ride my husband Roger and I arrived at the remote 40 year-old Insight Meditation Society (IMS) retreat center in central Massachusetts. We would be staying for 9 days of mediation with 98 other individuals while adhering to "noble silence". At first it was awkward, but soon was […]
Creativity and the Small Still Voice
As a child I was quite creative, and managed to express my creativity in many ways; like creating a fair at age 12 and giving some of my toys away as prizes, I even pretended to be a gypsy reading a crystal ball/rock. In 5th grade I won a contest for best drawing of the […]
Rethinking our concept of gender
We are in a changing world that seems to be getting more divisive each day with less tolerance for differences and for change. Sadly, one population of individuals that have been antagonized, bullied, and discriminated against is the transgender community. One of the reasons that is given from those opposing transgender people is, they say, […]
Workshop: Living the Best You & achieving your dreams!
Do you find that your life dreams seem out of reach and responsibilities keep you from moving forward? If so, this workshop may be the perfect one for you! We will explore the importance of intuition in following your heart, recognizing difference between emotion and intuition, and knowing how to cultivate greater intuition […]
Empowerment or Victimhood? You choose!
If you are struggling in life and want to break through into a feeling of empowerment, then this video may be for you. Janese shares some wonderful ideas on how to help heal the inner wounds.
Create the life you love through healing the attitude gap within
Sometimes what we think we want and what are hearts want are two different things. This discrepancy can cause challenges. Fortunately there are ways to bridge these two in order to create your desired results.
To Give or not to Give? Are you helping or enabling?
There are times when we think we are helping someone when in fact they might not be ready to change. Knowing when to give and when to back off can be quite empowering. In this video I share what helps me to discern the difference.
Death doula's assist the dying and loved ones cope with mortality
Roger and I were asked to interview with Carolyn and Ruth with the End of Life transition group regarding our experience working with them with home funerals. Source: Death doulas assist the dying and loved ones cope with mortality – FOX Carolina 21
Having challenges with manifesting desired goals?
Understanding why manifesting love, happiness, and abundance can be challenging at times.
Over the past thirty or so years we have been hearing a lot about manifestation and the law of attraction. The law of attraction suggests that through the power of intention you can create the life you want. Many of the suggested ways to create your dreams come true range from vision boards, visualization, affirmations, […]


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Archive for September 2009
WiX ALLUSERS=1
I created an installer from scratch last week using WiX for the project I'm currently working on. Earlier this week I went to my client's offices and ran the installer on one of their servers.
After the install completed successfully I quickly checked that the deployed software was functioning correctly. Everything looked OK until I manually ran a scheduled task that the installer created and it failed. It appeared that a COM component that the program called was not registered but when I ran the program in a command window it ran without any problems.
It took me a few minutes to realise what the problem was and how I'd caused it.
One of the installation actions is to install and register a COM library used by the program that the scheduled task calls. When I ran the program in a command Window it executed successfully but the scheduled task runs under a service account and this failed with a 'Class not found' error message.
The problem was that because I hadn't specified the ALLUSERS property in the WiX file for the installer, the default value of "" (empty string) was used which creates a 'per user' install. One of the differences between a per-machine and a per-user installation is that COM Registration information is written under the HKCU (current user) registry key instead of the HKLM (local machine) key.
So, the COM component was only registered in the context of the account I was logged in with when the installer ran and it wasn't registered in the context of the service account that the scheduled task runs under.
All that's required to fix this is to set the ALLUSERS property to 1 by including a Property element for it under the Product element, e.g.
<!– Set ALLUSERS=1 to create a per machine install rather than a per user install. –>
<Property Id="ALLUSERS"><![CDATA[1]]></Property>
There's a useful explanation of the differences between a per-machine and a per-user install on the MSDN website.
Microsoft knows what's best for you, apparently.
I've just purchased a data cable for my motorbike.
Yes, you read that correctly! Perhaps this is the ultimate USB attached accessory for your laptop…
Even more bizarrely, this state of the art USB accessory has a Harley-Davidson engine that was originally designed in the late 1950s. It's been brought it up to date in a number of ways including using an ECU to control the fuel injection.
Anyway, back to that data cable… The supplier emailed me a copy of the software that's used with the data cable to interrogate the ECU. When I opened the email in Hotmail and saw the .exe file attachment my heart sank as I knew that I was going to have problems downloading the file.
My various attempts to get the file always resulted in this message being displayed in Hotmail:
Windows Live Hotmail has blocked some attachments in this message because they appear to be unsafe.
Naively, I assumed that there would be a procedure that allowed me to override this nannying and to download the file. I was wrong. Once Hotmail has decided to block an attachment, that's it.
I understand why Microsoft has done this but it's outrageous that the service that I pay for (I subscribe to Hotmail Plus) is refusing me access to a file that has not only been legally and lawfully sent to me but that I've actually purchased.
Thanks Microsoft.


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Our drones fleet approved for Dgac scenario S1-S2-S3
Read on the blog: First flight with the Inspire 2 version Raw/ProRes
Drone-Pictures is a registered DGAC drone operator for the following scenarios S1, S2 et S3, ID #ED00085.
We own a drone fleet that will fit the better all your specific needs. Please review our birds specifications and ask us any clarifications you might need.
Please check-out also our available cameras and accessories spec.
Chart of DGAC scenarios features allowed in France.
** Note that for S3 (cities/unhabited zones), drones up to 8 kilos are authorized since december 2015


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Los Angeles Times
A Voice For All Seasons
Friday, December 26, 1997 | By Monte Morin, Staff Writer
From 'Seinfeld' promos to Must See TV voice-overs, Steve Mackall is one of a small group of Hollywood artists who have achieved a faceless fame. It's totally weird watching a grown man do an impersonation of a "happy flea" - which might explain why folks never actually see Steve Mackall on television or in the movies.
Mackall - whose bubbly flea amounts to an explosion of high-pitched giggles, hiccups and squeals - belongs to that small_ but noisy group of voice-over artists who supply the audio backdrop for most of contemporary TV life, especially during commerical breaks and Saturday mornings. Whether it's a matter of talking up Fuji Film and Fruit Loops, building suspense for the next episode of "Seinfeld" or impersonating a talking dog or paranoid weasel, Mackall has a voice for all occasions.
"It's so much fun," Mackall said. "The greatest thing is you can just show up and do three or four voices for a cartoon. They don't care that you're bald, that your sweater doesn't fit. They just don't care."
The 37-year-old Brentwood resident is probably best known as the voice of NBC Must See TV on Thursday nights. It's his job to punch up and preview that night's comedy lineup. But he has alsom made an impression on Los Angeles residents as the voice of "Randolph Beaver," who in the early '90s plugged Fibar Snack Bars and insisted that he wasn't so much a fat beaver as a fluffy one.
Within the indusry, though, the Cleveland native is known as the guy who can do the impossible - improvise voices at a moment's notice for inanimate objects, animals or gleeful fleas.
Mackall said his childhood provided him with the best training. "All of my friends were funny and we all did voices and we were all nuts," he said. "People ask me now, 'How do you make a living in Hollywood?' I tell them I do it by doing the same stuff I got sent away from the dinner table for doing."
Though he said he had wanted to be an actor as a child, Mackall became a copywriter in Los Angeles in the late '80s, when he won a trip to the city after winning a stand-up comic contest in Washington D.C.
Mackall said he fell into the voice-over business eight years ago, when he was clowning at his boss's Christmas party and was overheard by an agent. From there he went on to do voice-over ad campaigns for Nissan, Energizer batteries, Jeep-Eagle, Del Taco, Best Western, Delta Airlines and others.
Mackall said he was very pleased to find the lucrative voice work, particularly because he had arrived in Los Angeles with only $60. He said that when he was down to $40, his wallet disappeared in the Santa Monica apartment he was staying in. "It was so bad that when I was looking at the want ads at the Santa Monica Library, I had to circle around looking for a meter with time on it," Mackall said.
In addition to his voice-over work, Mackall also writes and produces, and has also done comedy writing. Mackall said he hasn't given up on acting, though, and recently performed in a series of one-man shows to benefit the group Athletes and Entertainers for Kids. The show, "Wherever I Go, There We Are," consists of vignettes of episodes in Mackell's life as well as fictional performances.
Despite his success and the prevalence of his voice on advertisements and in such cartoons as "The Mighty Ducks," "All Dogs Go To Heaven" and "The Pink Panther," there is one drawback that some career voice-over artists experience. Namely, people don't believe you when you tell them what it is that you do.
One time, when Mackall and wife, Kris, were rafting in Hawaii, another couple who were with them eventually asked Mackall what he did for a living and decided Mackall was joking when he told them. Mackall said he tried to convince them by slipping into some character voices.
"The guy says, 'Hey, you know, that's pretty good, Maybe you should try auditioning somewhere with that.– Mackall recalled. "He just refused to believe me."
Wherever I Go, There We Are
August 14-20, 1998 | by Jim Crogan
WHEREVER I GO, THERE WE ARE Writer-performer Steve Mackall's weath of experience as a voiceover artist and comedy scribe manifests itself in his artfully layered, near flawlessly timed and often funny solo act. Though he occasionally slips into a voice that's reminiscent of Jim Carrey in The Mask, his contagious enthusiasm helps him connect with the audience. Clearly, Mackall loves the art of storytelling, and that devotion is enhanced by his likable persona and occasionally self-deprecating humor that brings to mind Will Rogers - the subject of one of his stories. Backed by a kitchy set filled with momentos, knickknacks and props (designed by Kris Mackall), Steve Mackall cohesively blends his stories of summer vacations, high school memories, fatherhood, yarns of the road and fantasy meanderings with a set of slides that includes a hysterical yearbook photo of himself as Twinky Boy, with electrically charged hair. The performance is complemented by carefully placed snippets of music and sound effects, designed by Zach Bliss.
Santa Monica Playhouse, 1211 Fourth St.; Fri.- Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 6:30 p.m.; thru Aug. 23. (310) 394-9779
"Wherever I Go, There We Are"
July 30, 1998 | Review by Ken Neil
This one-man show relies on our propensity for listening to the telling of stories. Written and performed by Steve Mackall, Wherever I Go...There We Are is a collection of nostalgic anecdotes culled from the author's alleged life and/or the lives of the people he meets. These often fantastic bygone-era vignettes easily invite a suspension of disbelief and avoid dumbing-down the audience by pulling too hard at the heart strings. In fact, at the show's beginning Mackall notes that some of the stories are true, some are not to be believed, and some are both. This disclaimer piques and holds the attention, like that of a child who's savvy to the hyperbole of a yarn-spinning uncle and is always trying to catch the storyteller on the sly.
The play's action is set in an attic cluttered with totems of Americana specific to Mackall's stories. On the walls hang license plates and postcards; a coat rack stands draped with jackets, shirts, a Scottish kilt. Mackall uses these props sparingly, to accentuate the particulars of his stories, while a scrim in the center of the stage's rear wall depicts slides of familiar, representational objects, people, and events referring to the tales' contents. Further assisted by a sound and musical score (engineered by Zach Bliss) whose linear drive aids in the play's movement, Mackall recounts personal boyhood into the winter wonderland of a kindly boss' Hollywood past, as well as legend-has-it origins of unknown, profound icons.
Mackall is a strong performer, most notably when telling his nine stories, which are all very different but work well together as vehicles for the oral tradition. His pauses between and segues into successive stories are at times too heavy on the flourish, but his speaking ability commands the attention and carries the audience through captivating and well-detailed portraits of near-otherworldly scapes.
"Wherever I Go...There We Are," presented by the Santa Monica Playhouse in association with the Writers Bloc at the Santa Monica Playhouse, 1211 4th Street, Santa Monica, July 25-Aug. 23. (310) 394-9779, ext. 1
Parma Native has A Voice to Remember
Tuesday, July 10th 2001 | by Tom Feran
Steve Mackall's nephew was with a friend when one of Mackall's commercials for Northfield Park came on the radio.
"Per-r-fecta!" Mackall said in the familiar spot, in a piercing tone that's at once energetic, knowing, insinuating and almost tauntingly teasing. "That's my uncle," the nephew said. "The annoying guy," the friend replied.
Mackall laughs about it. He's probably been called worse, but he's definitely been called better. At 41, the Parma native belongs to the exclusive club of Hollywood performers who are seldom seen, much sought and often heard.
For three years, he was the guy on NBC saying, "Up next, a brand-new Seinfeld!" He's the voice ofthe WB's Sunday night comedy lineup, of the Fox Kids Network, and of products and companies from Comp USA to Fruit Loops. He's on cartoons such as "All Dogs Go to Heaven" and "The Mighty Ducks," and he's valued as an artist who can improvise voices for anything from animals to inanimate objects.
He has an Emmy for acting and a Clio for advertising. Those Northfield spots, created by Academy Communications of Cleveland, won five national awards.
Now his voice has led to his first feature film, as a screenwriter. Credit the lucky breaks that were, as they usually are, the residue of hard work and persistence.
Home from Los Angeles for a family gathering last week, he said his early training came from funny friends and life in a family of four kids. His father worked as a Cleveland homicide detective and bricklayer for J&L Steel.
Early on, Mackall thought about acting. After graduating from Padua Franciscan High School and Ohio Univerity, he was selling newpaper ad space in Washington D.C. , and trying to break into stand-up comedy when he got his first break winning an HBO comedy competition in 1986.
First prize was a trip to Los Angeles. Mackall wound up backstage at the first "Comic Relief' show. "It dawned on me that everything I want to do is here," he said. "John Candy and Dick Gregory said, 'Just come out.' I said I don't have a place to stay. 'Just come out.' I'm grateful to this day to them."
He returned to Washington, quit his job and drove back. "By the time I got to L.A.," he said, "I had 60 bucks and lived on a friend's couch. When I was down to 40 bucks, I went to Venice Beach to swim and lost my wallet. So I've got no money and no job."
He got a job, selling ads for LA WEEKLY, and worked the comedy circuit at night. After his act brought him a job writing copy for an ad agency, he started calling Chuck Blore, the radio voice legend who helped launch former Clevelanders such as Jack Riley and Ernie "Ghoulardi" Anderson. Blore hired him as a writer and eased him into voice-overs. The exposure and Mackall's writing led to a job on "Guys Next Door," an NBC Saturday-morning sitcom, bringing more voice work, other shows and the gig announcing NBC's "Must See" comedies. "I was the comic who introduced the comedians who have their own shows," he said. "But it allowed me to write what I wanted to write."
He created "The Blanket Show," a cartoon optioned by Fox that features Randy Travis, Forrest Whitaker and David Hyde Pierce, and "tries to do for preschoolers and bedtime what 'Sesame Street' did for learning." And he wrote and performed "Wherever 1 Go, There We Are," a one-man storytelling show that won him acclaim as "a hip Garrison Keillor meeting a gentile Billy Crystal." Still performed at benefits, especially for kids' causes, it became another break when it was seen twice by Will Aldis, the screenwriter married to Cleveland-bred actress Miriam Flynn. Aldis suggested they collaborate.
Their first movie, a mob comedy called "Avenging Angelo," just finished shooting in Toronto and Sicily. To be released sometime next year, it stars Sylvester Stallohe, Madeleine Stowe and Andy Garcia, and features Anthony Quinn in his final role.
Not bad. More films and shows are ahead, helped by the voice work that doesn't keep Mackall long away from his wife, Kris, and their 5-year-old son, Taylor. How annoying is that? "Once I hated my voice on tape," he said. "Now I get a kick out of it."
Coastal Community Newspapers, July 1998 By David Beebe
"Some are true. Some are not to be believed. Some are both," So says the program that you receive as you are guided to your seat at the small and intimte Santa Monica Playhouse. What the opening line is referring to is Steve Mackall's one man performance of 'Wherever I Go, There We Are', a self written performance and hybrid act of stand up comedy and nine emotional sound designed stories that are performed on the stage of an old attic, each with its own set of rear projected slides and choreographed music that will have your feet dancing.
You will become fully involved with each story, making you feel like you are right there witnessing each one. You will travel back to 1978 and find yourself in a parking lot outside a tavern, and witness first hand a dramatic heartbreaking story about Steve and his friends, then right when your emotions start taking over, Steve will throw you into unstoppable laughter when he tells you about his experience at the DMV. Expect this emotional roller coaster ride throughout the whole show. Each story will touch you in some way, each one will make you think, but remember, some are true, some are not, and some are both.
Mackall, an award winning comedian/actor/writer/producer and voice over artist, recently performed two sold out benefit preview performances, each with its own pair of standing ovations. He already holds a Clio, Emmy, and International Broadcasting Award to his name, and with such talent, he will no doubt add several more.
The entire show, complete with one intermission, is animated, comical, passionate, heartwarming and heartbreaking. The entire experience is one that should not be missed. The whole idea of combining story acts with comedy routines, music and slides may sound silly, but it works.
'Wherever I Go, There We Are' is currently running through August 23rd at the Santa Monica Playhouse. The Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $20.00 for all seats, with discounts available for students, teachers, seniors and groups of 16 or more. Reservations are required. Pre show, intermission, and post show refreshments are offered at the Box Office Cafe, the newest addition to the Playhouse Theatre. The Santa Monica Playhouse is located at 1211 4th Street in Santa Monica. Call (310) 3949779, extension 1 for reservations and information.
"Wherever I Go, There We Are" ...Nine times the fun.
Theater Review by Joseph Sirota
Here's a warmly personal, creative one-man, multi-media show centering on a visit to a unique attic that they should never clean up. Steve Mackall, television voice-over artist, steps out from behind the scenes to engross us with nine short stories presented with a combination of slides, music, sounds, and Steve's intriguing, highly punctuated narration. This presentation of the versatile, unconventional Santa Monica Playhouse, is an unusual blend of stand-up comedy, off-the wall zanyness and truly touching personal memories.
Mackall's stories, span a wide and wondrous arc. From the fatal flight of deeply-admired Will Rogers and Wiley Post, and a poem it inspired in Mackall, to a surreal Twilight-Zone-esque tale of skipping work as a teenage gardener along with an aging Hollywood actor who misses his heydays and wife enough to "skate" all the way home to them, Mackall treats each tale with loving care. This is especially true in his stories of youthful life-shaping experiences, ... his own, his friends, and even of people he just once read about. Mackall confides in us, "Some are true. Some are not to be believed." The evening is fascinating and captivating. It's not surprising Mackall is a master story-teller, voice-wise, given his voice-over success, but he proves, that he's even more gifted "in-the-flesh" (no,...not nude, just in-person).
With Mackall writing, performing, and wife, Kris directing, and Bob Dussault producing, this is a small, close-knit, family-like effort. But the SM Playhouse's Co-Artistic Directors, Chris DeCarlo and Evelyn Rudie, and their Playhouse team deserve credit for their ongoing risk-taking, making possible a wide range of live theater for audiences of all tastes and ages, for as long as I can remember. The current "Wherever I Go...", a short, limited engagement offering, is one worth the effort to not let slip by.
—Wherever I Go, There We Are @ Santa Monica Playhouse, 1211 4th St., Santa Monica Fri/Sat @ 8PM & Sun @ 6:30PM thru Augsust 23rd. For Info: (310) 394-9779 Ext. 1


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Why Central Park Farms?
After struggling to get answers on where our food was coming from and how it was raised we set out to get the answers the only way we could, by raising it ourselves. Now, it's become our goal to help our community make ethical and sustainable food choices.
We believe raising our animals right and feeding them a high-quality diet leads to the finest meat that you can feel good about feeding to your family. Our meat is free of antibiotics and hormones. Our animals are raised in a manner that supports their unique physiological needs.
Having started with our non-GMO fed, free-range chicken in 2015, we soon moved into non-medicated pasture raised pork, followed by farm fresh eggs from our pasture-raised hens, and new in 2018 our grass-fed/grass-finished beef will be available for the first time from our Black Angus herd.
We believe in transparency over certifications – You want to know how our animals are raised? We welcome your questions, encourage visits to the farm, and open the doors through our social media. We want you to know the farmers behind your meals.


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Because the buy of my new laptop I've realised how far behind in the laptop know-how area I had turn into.
We need to give our brains a break. We'd assume that we are exercising our mind, but as bodybuilders and runners know – understanding with out the right amount of rest is ineffective. My brain does need down time. By Changing your area identify system server to a sooner Domain Name System server. You could possibly experience quicker page loading instances for net pages, online apps, and providers. Nice technology that would make as one other benchmark for future innovations. Such an incredible innovation.
When it lastly completes from clearing your COMPUTER of all the litter (disk defragmenting). Restart your computer. Now it will run sooner and last longer. Some individuals use Home windows XP software program or Home windows 7 installed of their private laptop; these are a few one of the best operating systems Invoice Gates invented. The desktop comes with the Windows 8 operating system pre-installed and you need to use it straight out of the field.
If you happen to've been in an electronics store and have checked out any type of display you have most likely seen its contrast ratio marketed. Distinction ratio is a measurement of the whitest white and the blackest black. A better distinction ratio is good for extra detailed/correct imaging but will not be vital for most office computers.
Could not be any higher. Will probably be recommending this lens in future to individuals eager to know the best way to put together a laptop. Word: This process will not delete any consumer data and files. It solely copies unique home windows recordsdata over the dangerous or current ones. The ANC's appeal offensive in the Jap Cape and Free State was met with cheers, jeers and hard service delivery questions from disgruntled residents who complained about poor or inadequate services.


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I was originally going to write a post about how training for an ultra marathon has been invigorating and life changing, about how it has really helped me deal with work stress and other issues that pop up in everyday life, and about how the discipline and focus that comes with running applies to all areas of life. Essentially, I was going to write about how I feel that I am winning at life – winning at work, winning at exercise, winning in my personal life and winning in self esteem.
However, that was before Sunday night's unexpected emotional breakdown, where I was definitely in no winning state, and realized how utterly exhausted I was after bursting into tears for no reason at all.
Well, it wasn't for no reason – I will admit, I was tired, I was hungry, and I was involved in a heated debate that I didn't really want to be part of. It was a Sunday evening and I had a week of work to 'look forward to', I hadn't eaten in six hours and I had been socializing for several hours (outside, in the cold, and not drinking whilst others were) when all I really wanted to do was curl up on the couch and watch The Bachelor and fall asleep by 8pm.
Most people would have been fine in that situation – they would get by or they would even enjoy their evening and have fun. They might have a drink, or two, or three, they would have a smile on their face and get involved in the debate or remove themselves from it and start up another conversation elsewhere. But most people haven't been training for an endurance event 6 days a week, with 6am starts most mornings and getting home after 8pm (to run, gym, yoga, stretch, foam roll etc) as well as working a full time job (40 hours per week, but more like 60-70 hours last week) and trying to keep their relationships (boyfriend, friends, family) alive.
I am in the latter category…the category of crazy people who one minute is running on adrenaline and 'runners high' and the next is exhausted and can't string words together. I am the person who on Sunday couldn't handle the totality of the situation – whether it was the lack of food, the tired mind, the tired body, or the stress I was feeling about needing to organise my week and make sure I had lunch planned the next day – I just lost it. And afterwards, I realized why – I'm not that regular person just getting by. I am an endurance athlete training for an endurance event. All of my energy is going into that event. My physical, mental and emotional energy is being drained daily and replenished by the love and support of those around me (as well as through gels, protein shakes, quinoa, bananas, peanut butter, smoked tofu, frooze balls and other edible goodies) and it is a finely tuned balance that is difficult and tiring to maintain.
A byproduct of this is that I require much more sleep than I ever used to, and a restless night really affects me. Being awake past 10pm affects me more than it ever has. Not only do I get tired but I stress about being tired and how that will affect my performance the rest day and my training run on Saturday and what's more, if that will affect my performance on the big day.
I also can't make decisions in a rational way or in a hurry – on Saturday evening I popped into the grocery store to buy pumpkin and eggplant for dinner (in order for Rob and me to make a DELICIOUS recipe from Deliciously Ella – I purchased her first cookbook and our goal is to cook one meal out of it every week and make our way through the entire cookbook, this week was her Coconut Thai Curry with Chickpeas…SO yum. Sorry where was I…). Oh yes in the grocery store.
Rob texted me the shopping list (pumpkin, eggplant) and said that he also wanted cookies…and popcorn. So I then spent over five minutes in the cookie aisle agonizing over what cookies to buy because (1) Rob wanted cookies but (2) didn't specify the kind of cookies he wanted and (3) I don't buy cookies because (4) really I like homemade cookies and (5) I also didn't know what type of cookies he felt like but (6) if I did buy cookies then even though I didn't feel like cookies at the time I might want cookies later so (7) I had to think about what type of cookies I might want to eat as well even though (8) at that moment in time I didn't want any cookies (this is the kind of thought process that went on in my head while standing in front of the Tim Tams…). I ended up calling him and asking what he wanted because I didn't want cookies and none of the cookies were on sale and so I asked him to decide because I couldn't make a rational decision. In the end we got Rolo chocolate and no cookies…
On top of this, I have become even more weird about my food than ever before, as I make a concerted effort to ensure I get sufficient levels of protein, natural carbs and good fats in me every day. I log my food, I log my exercise, I log my socialising, I log my work. My log is the fun police. My clothes are too big due to the running and gyming and subsequent logging of controlled eating. I stretch in my office, I have a foam roller at work and I wear compression clothes 80% of the time – even wearing compression calf sleeves underneath my work pants the Monday after a big weekend run.
Let's just say, all of this, even taking out the running and gyming itself – it is exhausting. Thank god I have a training schedule to keep to because if I had to decide on a day by day or even week by week basis what I was doing – I wouldn't survive. I barely get by as it is. I mean, I have been too exhausted to even sit down and write a blog post – not emotionally exhausted but just the fact is I have no time, after working, running, eating, logging my eating, unpacking my gym bag, repacking my gym bag, prepping lunch for the next day, doing laundry, texting my boyfriend and messaging my Mom and sister every so often (but not often enough) and trying to see one friend per weekend if I can fit them in.
There is so little time left for anything else. And obviously when I do fit in those other things…my mind can't take it. I can't take five hours of socializing on a Sunday evening, My body has had enough and is saying no, no friends, no drinks, no fun. Not for the next 19 days at least, until the run is over.
I knew that cardio could negatively affect your immune system, and I have experienced that when training while sick, how weaker you are when you try to exercise, and how much slower you are at recovering after. But I never expected it to be such an emotional rollercoaster, not while out of my running shoes at least. Nor did I expect it to have such a big flow on effect into my personal life – but I guess part of that is because I am determined, stubborn and focused, I don't do things at half speed, I go at things 110% – if I am training for a 60km race I am going to train the hardest I ever have and put everything into it. Really it is my stubbornness and my drive that made me exhausted, and led to Sunday's demise of 'rational normal Jen'.
So I guess in the end…training for an endurance event like Tarawera really has taught me something that I can translate into every day life. Yes it has taught me discipline and focus and has been an amazing outlet to let out some steam and a way to explore more of New Zealand's beautiful scenery and nature, but it has also taught me to learn to say "no". To learn that I don't have to say yes to every opportunity, to every person that wants to catch up or have a drink, to every piece of work that comes through the door, or to every extra curricular activity that comes my way. To learn to look after myself, cherish myself and my one body, because it is the only one I have. Learn that it is ok to be selfish, it is ok to put myself first, and that people will understand.
More than anything I need to keep my eye on the goal, the main goal, the one goal, and I need to change my mindset and learn to think in the following way: "Jen, you are in training mode. You are training for an endurance event, an ultra marathon. Live your life with that in mind." Because there are only 18 days to go, and once it is done, I can do whatever I want and live my life however I choose.
So world, I am giving you notice now, for the next 18 days, I am putting me first (so please don't take offense!!).


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Journalists are being urged to deliver their verdict on whether a town hall revolution has led to councils becoming more secretive or more open.
An online survey aims to establish whether the introduction of cabinet-style government in councils up and down the country has heralded a new era of openness or has simply meant more business being conducted behind closed doors.
The survey is being conducted by Carol Grant of Grant Riches Communications on behalf of LG Communications, the organisation that represents council press officers, with the help of the Society of Editors.
The survey can be accessed at: www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=64542175540
The deadline for responses is 14 March.


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Congress should increase funding for non-institutional care, link payment and performance, Medicaid directors tell LTC commission
The U.S. system for providing long-term care should be changed to reduce the number of people living in facilities and better align spending with health outcomes, according to comments that state Medicaid directors sent to the Congressional Commission on Long-Term Care.
Congress should expand Medicaid funding for care in home- and community-based settings (HCBS), the National Association of Medicaid Directors stated in a letter dated Tuesday. The organization referred to "widespread support" for HCBS and said states need more "tools and resources" to shift seniors away from facility-based care.
"One of the biggest barriers for states is that under regular authority they cannot use federal Medicaid funding for even limited room and board costs in a community-based residential alternative setting, including housing," the letter stated.
The Medicaid directors also endorsed value-based purchasing, which involves paying providers based on performance measures, and incentivizing people to use efficient services and providers. Prominent long-term care provider groups, including the American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living, have also supported value-based purchasing, with reservations. Issues such as how potential payment penalties could stifle innovation need to be worked out, AHCA said in recent recommendations to Congressional lawmakers.
Medicaid is administered at the state level with contributions from the federal government. This means states will need flexibility to individualize "pathways and timeframes" when it comes to changing Medicaid for long-term care, the directors noted.
Created after the repeal of the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) Act in January, the Commission on Long-Term Care will submit its recommendations for LTC reform to Congress by the end of September. The deadline for submitting comments to the committee was Tuesday.


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Community Group Questions 2/3/13/
Please share whichever of the following announcements apply to your group
- Community Groups
- Do you struggle to actually put all you hear on Sunday into action?
- Wouldn't it be cool to have a group of people to talk through what is taught?
- That is exactly what a community group is
- Pull out Insert and pick one
- WPSM Super Bowl Party (Steffen Interrupts)
- Students join us on Today for the Superbowl
- Come win the first ever "Fuge" flag football bowl at 4:30pm.
- At 6pm we will kick off our tailgate competitions and break open the food so be sure to bring a friend, a dish & your meanest game face.
- We will be staying the entire duration of the game
- Band Auditions
- Auditions will be held for both vocalist and musicians on Wednesday, 2/13
- There will be a preparation packet given out prior to auditioning.
- Contact our worship director Sarah Garcia after the service for more info.
Sermon Title: Mighty Like An Ant, Part 4: Strength in Numbers
Main Text: Proverbs 6:6, 30:24-25, 12:15, 15:22, 19:20, 27:6
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-gIx7LXcQM
- 17:54-20:16
- http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&sa=X&tbo=d&rlz=1C1TSNF_enUS452US452&biw=1241&bih=584&tbs=isz:m&tbm=isch&tbnid=6kG5M3hXW_xx2M:&imgrefurl=http://ombrenelcielo.wordpress.com/2011/12/&docid=IAIJAObITS2D5M&imgurl=http://ombrenelcielo.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/screen-shot-2011-12-24-at-1-21-46-pm.png&w=596&h=431&ei=cZAKUY_NJKGx2QWElYDQAg&zoom=1&ved=1t:3588,r:28,s:0,i:176&iact=rc&dur=2&sig=106310471106858899031&page=3&tbnh=186&tbnw=260&start=25&ndsp=15&tx=124&ty=106
- http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&tbo=d&rlz=1C1TSNF_enUS452US452&biw=1241&bih=584&tbs=isz:l&tbm=isch&tbnid=7Ewp8NNdkSOGwM:&imgrefurl=http://eideard.com/2012/09/11/fire-ants-use-ancient-survival-skills-to-ride-out-hurricanes/&docid=ut0KkcTJRl8z2M&imgurl=http://media.al.com/live/photo/ball-of-ants-2jpg-e2900b6657086fd5.jpg&w=1920&h=1080&ei=S5EKUeqLDuKS2QWQ2oCIDQ&zoom=1&ved=1t:3588,r:3,s:0,i:92&iact=rc&dur=1&sig=106310471106858899031&page=1&tbnh=160&tbnw=288&start=0&ndsp=16&tx=216&ty=119
- Solomon tells us to go to the ant because they are small but wise. He tells us if we learn from the ant, he says we too will be wise.
- We learn from these verses that while the ants as a people are not strong, but are successful. It begs the questions as to what makes them successful? What is the secret to their success?
- The secret is that they find their remarkable success in how they work together as a people. They rely on each other. Ants will come together and extend their bodies to make bridges so other ants can cross. They will clump together to form a floating raft to get past a stream. They can accomplish amazing things when they work together.
- This is a common Biblical principle. God wired us to rely on each other.
- But this is counter cultural for us. We are fascinated by the single personality and the contribution of single individuals. It is not enough to see which team won a big game. We want to know which player was the most valuable.
- We often find it a sign of weakness to seek counsel. We, as a culture are very squeamish about getting corrected. We easily get offended and defensive.
- But scripture clearly says that we should seek counsel and correction. We should seek personal development.
- In all spheres of life:
- In Leadership: do we see ourselves as the experts with all of the good ideas? Does it have to be our way? Or do we use our position to draw out the ideas and expertise of those around us? Leadership is not the same as expertise. If we want to be the expert we should be a consultant, not necessarily a leader. A leader draws together experts and harnesses their knowledge and input for a common goal.
- In Marriage: we NEED each others feedback and correction. If we are unwilling to take it, we are doomed to fail. Many see going to counseling as a sign of failure. The reality is the exact opposite. It is a sign of wisdom. Being too proud to go to counseling is failure, and foolishness.
- In our Spiritual lives: Do we have the relationships around us that can speak into our lives? Do we have an attitude that is open to God's correction in our lives
- Practical Suggestions: Personal Development
- Seek Advice and Counsel
- If you are bad at that, memorize Proverbs 12:15
- Be open to Correction
- if you are bad at that, memorize Proverbs 27:6
- Read
- read books
- read blogs of people who succeed in your field, or in what you're passionate about
- Listen to podcasts
- Seek Advice and Counsel
- Ultimately self sufficiency is counter to the Gospel. We have done nothing whatsoever to gain God's acceptance. We are totally reliant on someone else: Jesus.
Key Questions:
- What is an example of how our culture values self-sufficiency and individual performance?
- When was a time in your life that you sought out advice and it turned out to be invaluable?
- Read Proverbs 6:6 and 30:24-25
- When was a time you didn't seek advice and made a mistake?
- What is your typical reaction to correction?
- Why is it so hard to receive correction?
- What is something practical we can do to receive correction better?
- What has been your experience with reading? What are some of the most helpful books you've read?
- What area of your life right now, do you need to get some input in?
- What are you going to do to get that input?
- How is an attitude of self-sufficiency counter to the Gospel?
- we are totally reliant on someone other than ourselves for salvation: Jesus.
- when we rely on ourselves we completely miss our need for Jesus.
Don't forget to post your attendance after group.


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we made it to tokyo, japan. what a blast!! i will come to that later, because we are super tired and totally wasted. today was the first day and we just took the train to the inner city and strayed around.
it´s sooooooo sick! i´m really in love with the people, the urban romantic, the clean look and the massive surrounding.
pack some stuff and come as you are!
impressions below


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This Senior Section resource has been designed to replace previous Senior Section publications, including Look Wider. Quite simply everything you need to know about what the Senior Section has to offer is here.This includes: History of the Senior Section The Look Wider programme How to start up and run a Senior Section unit. Awards and qualifications available to Senior Section members, such as the Queen's Guide Award, The Duke of Edinburgh's Award, Senior Section Permit, Young Leader Qualification and more.
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For the longest time, the only thing people had been putting into ice trays was water. But, we can actually freeze other things. Ice cubes water down your drinks and makes them taste bland within an hour or two. Here are some great ideas for freezing alternatives.
1. Leftover coffee for your iced coffee.
2. If your yogurt is approaching its expiration date, freeze it to make it last longer.
3. Freezing liquids in layers creates a beautiful effect.
4. Peach puree cubes will go great with any fruity drink.
5. You don't need an ice cube for this, but frozen watermelon cubes make great ice cubes.
6. freeze edible, aromatic flowers with lemonade.
7. Strawberries covered with chocolate and then frozen. Yum.
8. Freeze pomegranate or grapefruit juice to add a little zing to your fruit drinks.
9. Put some sushi rice into your ice trays and create some wonderfully exotic treats.
10. Juiced fruits frozen in ice trays are healthy and delicious.
11. Chocolate ice cubes served with milk? Perfection.
12. Or just fill them up with ice cream for when you want to make a milkshake.
13. Lime cubes are a great way to add lime flavor to your drinks.
14. Or control your cookie dough portions.
15. Freezing aloe ice cubes will make great soothing relief for your sun burns.
16. Or, edible glitter will turn any drink into a glamorous one.
Credit: Viral Nova


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I like texture..
Yep, textured ceilings.. textured walls..
Yep, I do.
I realize that is completely against the norm.. but that's ok with us.
I actually get a lot of compliments on the texture in our home.. and yeah, I did kind of go all out when I painted last year.
I added texture to the walls.. just about in every room.
I know some of you, or possibly a lot of you are cringing right now at the thought of scraping walls
to redo them later on down the road.. but I like DIY projects, and at this time, have no regrets for doing it, and no plans to change it anytime soon.. unless I change up a paint color, which can happen
on the spur of the moment, at any time! :o)
(However, would I do it again? probably not)
There are certainly much easier ways, (and less permanent ways) to add texture without adding it to the walls or ceiling.
(and a lot less work I might add)
Something as simple as a fun throw pillow.. (or two, or three etc..)
or by simply adding different layers, different patterns, or of course different textures of fabrics or objects..
I decided to try a display 3 different ways to see which look I liked the best.
(has texture from the fabric, lantern pattern, flowers, slate top, etc.)
(Next, I added in a winding piece of burlap and a crochet doily)
(Lastly, I just placed the burlap ribbon as a runner and changed where I had placed the doily)
Which option do you think looks the best?


text: A while ago I ventured to the Peak District for the first time. And wow what a place! I couldn't believe that this was my first time there and quite easy to get to from where I live. I will definitely be coming back here to Derbyshire. In fact I have already booked a new trip in late summer for the heather and will definitely be back next autumn for the autumn colour and the mists. Such an amazing place, I got lots of lovely images. I was using a Canon 27-70 f2.8 borrowed for this shoot but I have now got a Sigma 24-70 f2.8 for half the price which is probably just as amazing if not better apart from the fact I haven't got a red stripe on it. There are no filters used...this is my next purchase and will probably help me better in my control of light. Here are a few from the day....although still got hundreds to process!


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Portland Meadows switches to Tuesday horse racing
By STEVEN DUBOIS
Of the Associated Press
PORTLAND — Portland Meadows will have live racing on Tuesday instead of Wednesday for the remainder of the season, a move to get more off-track wagering money.
Oregon's only commercial horse racing track also has races on Sunday and that won't change.
General manager Will Alempijevic said the abrupt switch was necessary because the money from bettors on the first four Wednesdays of the season was much less than expected. If the slump persisted, the track would have to cut purses and perhaps race dates.
Most wagers on horse races are made by people online or at off-track betting locations, and there were more than a dozen U.S. tracks competing for those dollars this past Wednesday. Portland Meadows was not the preferred choice for many handicappers that day and hasn't been throughout the fall.
"We don't have necessarily the most competitive product," Alempijevic acknowledged. "Other tracks have bigger purses and more popular horses and more popular jockeys and trainers. Horseplayers just gravitate toward those more common names."
Gamblers looking to bet on thoroughbreds on Tuesday afternoons in December will only have two or three tracks from which to choose, and one will be Portland Meadows. It's hoped that will lead to more wagers on races at the Delta Park oval.
"It essentially was a slam dunk for us and the horsemen and women to make the change," Alempijevic said.
The season is scheduled to end Feb. 10.
Portland Meadows opened in 1946, but has been operating under the threat of closure in recent times. Its future may rest with instant racing machines, expected to debut in January.
The machines resemble slots and take bets on actual horse races from the past. The old races are on video, but horse names are withheld so bettors can't know the winner in advance. Like live horse racing, it is a pari-mutuel form of gambling in which bettors wager against other players rather than the house.
Officials hope the revenue from instant racing will subsidize live racing and increase the size of purses for winning horse owners.


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Public Utility
Make long-term care a public utility?October 18, 2013
I recently participated in a roundtable discussion that addressed the field's challenges and opportunities. Several remedies for improving care and payments surfaced during the conversation. But one unique suggestion really stood out: Perhaps long-term care should become a public utility.


text: Some original GC Games won't start with GC Booter or GeckoOS, wiibrew.com ( http://wiibrew.org/wiki/GCBooter ) is talking about the "Common Bug" and that it can be fixed by reinsertig the disc with the right timing. BUT... when is the right TIME!?!?! As much as i know, all the games causing the "TURN OFF" common bug, are also unplayable as Backup via the GC Backup Launcher - am i right?! Does reinserting help here too?