text:
It was the calm after the storm in Athens today after a night of riots sparked by a new round of painful austerity measures.
Tens of thousands of people took part in the protest, some of which turned violent, after Greece's Parliament approved the measures by a vote of 199 to 74. The government is hoping to save the country from bankruptcy and a possible exit from the eurozone. The Associated Press reports that at least 45 buildings were burned in Athens, including one of the capital's oldest cinemas.
Joanna Kakissis, reporting for NPR, said protesters sprayed liquid stomach anti-acid on themselves to counteract the effects of tear-gas being lobbed by riot police. The crowd also pulled up chunks of marble and hurled them at police.
"Just know that it doesn't matter how many chemicals you throw at us," a woman yelled at police through a megaphone. "We're not going anywhere."
The new measures passed by Parliament would shed 15,000 public-sector jobs and cut the minimum wage by 20 percent.
One protester, high school literature teacher Hara Nika, said her salary had already been cut due to the official belt-tightening and that the latest round of austerity also threatened her minimum-wage-earning daughter.
Nika said she is furious that some Europeans call Greeks lazy for wanting to have a decent life.
"I mean, why should we feel bad for just wanting to live with dignity, with a job that pays enough so I can go on a summer trip for five days? At this rate, we'll actually be saying, 'Thank God I have something to eat today.' "
Prime Minister Lucas Papademos appealed for calm and praised the austerity measures that he said would set the economy on the road to recovery.
In a speech to Parliament ahead of the vote, Papademos warned that "vandalism, violence and destruction have no place in a democratic country and won't be tolerated."
Greece needs a bailout to forestall a "chaotic default" that could threaten other European economies and force Greece to withdrawal from the European Union's common currency.
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
My Youngest Wreckporter
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
"Jen, I'm sitting here in witness to the worst Wreck I've seen in my admittedly young life. Take a look at the disaster area left behind by what could only be called a Disney Princess Explosion.
"As you can see, there is airbrushing, hearts, garland, blobbular "rosebuds", and green leaves growing UP the "waterfall" - not to mention the fact that you have to clear off all the toys before you can even cut the thing! And don't get me started on those three '3' candles - I may only be 10 months old, but even I know that math doesn't add up."
"Wow, Violet, isn't that kind of harsh? I mean, the colors are pretty."
"Pretty? Pretty?!? Obviously you aren't seeing the matching Princess plates, napkins, cups, giftwrap... Do you see this hat I'm wearing, Jen?"
"I think it's Tinkerbell."
"No, it's a representation of the blatant over-commercialization that is running rampant in our society, that's what it is. Would you like to hear my dissertation on the breaking down of social conventions by the media barons?"
"Oh, look at the time! Sorry Violet, but we need to wrap this up."
"No problem; time for my nap anyway. Hey, Mom! Guess who needs a fresh diaper? Eh? Hey, what is that? Oh heck no, I am NOT wearing a Princess themed diaper! No, absolutely not! You're making a mockery of my beliefs, woman! Get that away from me!"
"That was Violet, my youngest Wreckporter, folks!"
Cassie F. (aka Mom), don't worry; she'll love that hat by the time she turns 3.
147 comments | Post a Comment
- Kat Mortensen said...
I think the ice is melting in Walt Disney's cryo-chamber! He's trying to say something... "That was never MY vision!" he says. Poor guy, he never should have witnessed that. Luckily, he's thawed out just enough to spin. Eternally.
Kat - September 23, 2008 at 8:51 AM
- Jessie said...
Too funny. She does looked very cheesed off!
- September 23, 2008 at 8:52 AM
In defense of the cake decorator (having once been one myself), I can tell you that's pretty darn close to what the kit instructions tell you to do. I can also tell you that I always despised having to put 8 lbs. of neon icing all over this cake. As for the rest of the "coordinating" partyware, that's Mom's fault for making it a Wrecktastic party.
- September 23, 2008 at 8:57 AM
- Esther said...
LOL! That was awesome, I just about spit my waffle all over my computer! Violet's commentary was RIGHT ON!
Esther - September 23, 2008 at 8:59 AM
Yeah, but I'll bet that Ruby is STILL talking about her awesome princess cake!!!!
- September 23, 2008 at 9:01 AM
- Concrete Mama said...
oh! OH! that's so perfect!
a MOCKERY OF MY BELIEFS! :D - September 23, 2008 at 9:02 AM
I pretty much pulled the same face as the baby when I saw the cake.
The baby's adorable, too ^^ - September 23, 2008 at 9:05 AM
- ~Bethany~ said...
Holy Princess Cake Batman! Violet has the cutest "stink eye" face I have ever seen. Your wit always brightens my day.
Bess - September 23, 2008 at 9:13 AM
SO funny!!!! The pic of Violet was better than the wreck!!!
- September 23, 2008 at 9:13 AM
- Angela Robinson said...
The look on her face is priceless, and even funnier when paired with your snarky quips!
- September 23, 2008 at 9:16 AM
- clueuin said...
That's right! LOL
Good reporting Violet, you have a future as a reporter @ the Villiage Voice in New York!
Soooooo, Cute!!!!!!
It's just a case of too much of a good thing, jen. ;)
http://wwwmrclueuinbrooklynrules.blogspot.com/ - September 23, 2008 at 9:16 AM
A little over the top, true, but I know my three year old would have LOVED this cake. :-)
- September 23, 2008 at 9:19 AM
- Olga said...
wow, my first time commenting and I'm number one :)
Great blog. Awesome pictures: they make me laugh all the time! - September 23, 2008 at 9:20 AM
Violet's expression says it all. "I could burp up a better cake!"
- September 23, 2008 at 9:21 AM
- Amanda said...
It may be wrecktastic, but my 6 yr old twin daughters would freaking love that cake. lol
- September 23, 2008 at 9:28 AM
- pika23 said...
ohh I love that cake!
- September 23, 2008 at 9:29 AM
- writtenwyrdd said...
Garish hardly covers it. But, despite the need for sunglasses, I would probably have loved this cake when I was three, and that's who it was marketed for. So I'm not sure it's exactly a Wreck.
- September 23, 2008 at 9:30 AM
- Kopperhead said...
Wow what wrecktaculious reporting Violet. I'm in perfect agreement. What's with the THREE giant THREE candles anyway? I thought Ruby was THREE not 333. Yeah I get it Three Three's for Three.
No I don't really get it.
(PS pardon me but my comma key is broken.) - September 23, 2008 at 9:32 AM
Is that baby letting her feelings show or what! Too cute. The colours on that cake is an overload of sweet. Ech.
~Amy B - September 23, 2008 at 9:35 AM
My favorite part is how the princesses have all wet themselves in rainbow hues!
And that baby...she's got the perfect "what the %$*#" look! - September 23, 2008 at 9:39 AM
Now really, at 333 years old you'd think she'd appreciate a bit more decorum than Disney Princesses.
Oh wait that's just gross misuse of candles. - September 23, 2008 at 9:48 AM
I'm with Lis, it's over the top for me but to 3 year old girls that love princesses, this cake is perfect.
No, it's not elegant or beautiful but I don't think it's a "wreck". Still loved the commentary. - September 23, 2008 at 9:50 AM
Ruby still talks about that cake (it was the BEST ever!) and the extra cheesey princess stuff was my way of giving in to the extra cheesey cake. (If you can't beat them, join them!)
And Violet's expression matched ours exactly. Everyone but Ruby had that look when we looked at the cake!
Two months later she chose "Snow White" as her halloween costume.
Cassie (aka MOM) - September 23, 2008 at 9:53 AM
- thisisbeth said...
My new ruling: You either have the nunber candle, or you have enough traditional birthday candles to equal the age. Not both.
The only exception is the first birthday, when the number one candle may be used solo, which would also equal the age.
And, yeah, that does look like a three-year-old girl's ideal birthday cake. It's not elegant, by any means, but it's bright and colorful and has lots of pretty toys. Still seems a little over-the-top, and I bet the birthday girl would've been happy with just one princess. - September 23, 2008 at 9:57 AM
I think what Violet is trying to tell us is that her diaper doesn't stink as much as that over the top cake does!
Ruby was probably almost 4 by the time they got all that stuff off the cake to just cut it! - September 23, 2008 at 9:59 AM
- Amanda-The Family News! said...
Oh yes - that is hilarious!!!
- September 23, 2008 at 10:08 AM
- Jennifer said...
Coffee coming out of my nose = painful! The look on Violet's face = priceless! Was I wrong to view this first thing in the morning? Probably. Do I regret it? Not on your life!!
- September 23, 2008 at 10:14 AM
Wow. I saw the exact same cake at Chuck-E-Cheese this weekend for a kid's birthday party. (I thought the waterfall was a big melty smear that hadn't been done right.) Dee is right on the money!
And I think Violet would be my best friend if she were a teeny bit older. I hate Disney princesses too 8) - September 23, 2008 at 10:14 AM
- Unknown said...
As much as it sucks, birthday parties are about the kids and what they will like and NOT about the adult's sense of style.
Given some of the monstrosities that have graced these pages I'd say this is by far nothing in comparison. - September 23, 2008 at 10:17 AM
- Liz T. said...
Gawd, I made that cake so many times I could probably still make it in my sleep. It was the most popular girl's birthday cake in The Book at the time. And a PITA to boot.
Each princess stood in the center of an airbrushed circle, which I just now realized almost looks like they wet themselves and the color bled out of their dresses.
But girls love them some Disney princesses, you know.... - September 23, 2008 at 10:18 AM
- Alisa Knits! said...
Wow, way to teach kids about positive body image and size issues. If any of those princesses had those actual waist dimensions, they'd snap in half!
- September 23, 2008 at 10:21 AM
- sharalyns said...
Ok, I'm sorry, but with the 3 "3" candles, all I can think of is the t-shirt that has 3 "3s" in a row stating below it, "I'm only half evil"....
Are mom and dad stating something about poor Ruby? - September 23, 2008 at 10:22 AM
That baby is appalled. Appalled.
- September 23, 2008 at 10:26 AM
- NanU said...
Is there any actual cake under all that decoration? My favorite part of cake is the cake. Some of these offerings seem to forget this essential part.
-Nancy - September 23, 2008 at 10:30 AM
- beth said...
the look. the look. it's priceless! what the ___ am i doin' here? children should never be exposed to that much icing. my favorite cake as a child, and remains to this day, was a yellow cake with chocolate icing with m&ms lovingly placed around the perimeter by my sweet momma. still request it.
- September 23, 2008 at 10:36 AM
OMG, someone give me an insulin shot...STAT
Yeah, I think my one grandniece, who just turned 7 would probably love it, but on the bright side, her older sister declared on Saturday that she loves camoflage - September 23, 2008 at 10:47 AM
- Sabina E. said...
that baby looks so pissed off and grossed out.
- September 23, 2008 at 10:51 AM
- Trevor said...
It looks like an Americolor catalog threw up on that cake!
- September 23, 2008 at 10:56 AM
When I looked at this cake, the two ads in the sidebar were both for counter terrorism training. For some reason, I find that terribly funny. Perhaps gobs of neon icing and over-hyped cartoon characters can be used to repel suicide bombers???
Monique in TX - September 23, 2008 at 10:59 AM
- Going Crazy In Michigan said...
no no no, i got this same cake for my daughters third birthday 2 weeks or so ago and mine is even worse then hers.
heres a photo.
I was especially pleased (just kidding) with the way they scrunched the happy birthday message into such a tiny space.
thank god my daughter doesnt notice these things, but that cake was a $30.00 disappointment. - September 23, 2008 at 11:00 AM
- Ice Cream said...
I love how the air brushing under each princess makes it look like the dresses are bleeding onto the cake.
- September 23, 2008 at 11:08 AM
- MrSound said...
They are one cutie babies.
www.foodista.com - September 23, 2008 at 11:12 AM
- Danielle said...
To the people saying that it looks like it should/not a wreck, please get your eyes checked.
http://www.decopac.com/detail_16358__1-1-1.html - September 23, 2008 at 11:32 AM
- Unknown said...
My almost three year old would go BONKERS over that cake. As soon as she gets home from school I'm going to show her the picture and see what her reaction is. And we've done everything in our power to keep her away from the whole "Princess" thing. It's powerless to even try and fight it.
- September 23, 2008 at 11:32 AM
- Ashleigh said...
I think my 15th birthday cake looked like that...except without all the rainbow icing and airbrushing.
- September 23, 2008 at 11:32 AM
- sues2u2 said...
Ditto to pretty much all of the other comments. LOL !! My daughter wanted a cake like that once. We compromised & I made a castle instead. Much less sugar!
- September 23, 2008 at 11:42 AM
This is priceless! I just started working at a grocery store with in-house bake shop. Last week, I think Friday night(9/19), the baker was showing off a cake to be picked up for Saturday.
It was this cake!
I took one look and wished I had a camera! It was wreck-a-licious!
I cannot believe it's here! - September 23, 2008 at 11:43 AM
I think I have figured out why the three candles are psychadelic: you have to be either three years old or stoned out of your tiny mind to like this cake.
Luckily Ruby will grow up.
Violet's commentary was spot on and absolutely priceless. I look forward to her next guest appearance. - September 23, 2008 at 11:45 AM
- ShannonRF said...
I hate to admit, but my daughter had the EXACT same cake for her 4th or 5th birthday. We live in a small town so i had to use the local grocery store. Ours maybe was not that bad but bad enough.
Shannon - September 23, 2008 at 11:48 AM
- jenn said...
I would have looooove to have received that cake at 3 years old.
I think the very young and the very old are completely entitled to have or wear obnoxiously loud and tacky items. - September 23, 2008 at 11:58 AM
- Miami Mama said...
Absolutely awesome!!
Violet should be paired up with Stewie. LOL - September 23, 2008 at 12:00 PM
- Unknown said...
I've always hated the "generic Disney princess!" thing. It's stupid. When I was younger, if you had a favorite Disney movie you could get a t-shirt with your favorite princess on it, dress up as Jasmine or Pocahontas or whatever. Now they just take their merchandise and stick 3 or 4 princesses on it and call it a day. Do you like Sleeping Beauty? Well too freaking bad, because she has to share a spot on the shirt with 4 other princesses. They're not individuals, they're all just random generic princesses! Who cares what they're names are!
I think it's ridiculous. Who would want that kind of merchandise? - September 23, 2008 at 12:06 PM
- Jules said...
The expression on that kids face is a classic!
- September 23, 2008 at 12:15 PM
But surely Mom is a fan of bright colours, having named her kids Violet and Ruby . . . .!
Wow - that cake! At first I thought there was something up with the colour settings on my screen!
Here in the UK, I don't really think we have the same 'cake culture' as in the States - at least there isn't the same 'bake house' supermarket thing happening when you can phone in an order. Some of the bigger supermarkets will print a photo onto an icing sheet and sell the cake it goes on and some small independent bakeries take orders for cakes but nothing like the scale you have over there. It's amazing - I am addicted to this site! - September 23, 2008 at 12:28 PM
I've actully decorated a handfull of those cakes. It's a god-awful design, but believe me when I say the Hanna Montana design is worse.
Of course, this decorator looks like she used the largest tips available. I had no idea #32 tip came in "jumbo" size"
~Kia - September 23, 2008 at 12:49 PM
Well of COURSE you have to have a whole bunch of toys and candles on the cake. You've got to have one lick-able thing on the cake for each child at the birthday party to avoid the inevitable throw-downs over who gets to lick the stuff that comes off it. (And then we use it again? Ewwwwwww! And yes, I'm totally guilty of that, too!)
On a totally unrelated note, if my word verification was on a license plate, I would read it "whitey giggles." (wtygglz) :-) - September 23, 2008 at 12:50 PM
I am soooooo glad I have a boy & do not have to suffer through Disney princesses.
All hail Transformers & Power Rangers!
- Mo's mom - September 23, 2008 at 12:59 PM
- Ronnica said...
Cute baby face!
I love the way that the princesses' dresses bleed into the cake... - September 23, 2008 at 1:27 PM
"Disney Princess Explosion"!!
Priceless commentary.
I am so grateful that my girls are not girly girls... - September 23, 2008 at 1:44 PM
- Sheri said...
Violet, methinks you have a bright future ahead as a blogger or political commentator. Keep up the good work!
- September 23, 2008 at 1:51 PM
- Dea said...
BWAHA! I love Violet's face - sooo awesome!!! She is probably thinking of that diaper's contents and the colors that may appear....lmao
Amazing the things kids will pick for their cakes....ick! - September 23, 2008 at 1:58 PM
- Julie D said...
Yeaaaaaaa Cassie, Ruby & Violet! We love our girls here in Ohio!!
- September 23, 2008 at 2:15 PM
- Jennifer said...
Hey, I used to work at a grocery store bakery where we made this cake, and it looks EXACTLY how the instructions tell us to do it. Gaudy and all.
-Jen - September 23, 2008 at 2:16 PM
- Jennifer Good said...
That was utterly amusing. That little baby's face made my day.
- September 23, 2008 at 2:19 PM
- Persnickety Ticker said...
So I have now spent the whole morning looking all over the internet on where to buy those cake toppers because my daughter would just squeal with glee to get that cake. She is all about the princess thing.
- September 23, 2008 at 2:31 PM
- Unknown said...
That cake is one more reason to count by blessings. With five sons and no daughters, we won't ever have to worry about that "wreck" ending up in our house.
- September 23, 2008 at 2:45 PM
Hilarious. Violet is a star!
- September 23, 2008 at 2:58 PM
- Stephanie said...
Yep-if I didn't hate them already -now I really do...hate the Disney Princesses. You go Violet!
- September 23, 2008 at 3:06 PM
I think that you have to consider the recipient. An adult might not like this cake (I personally think it's fun), but I'll bet most little girls would love it.
- September 23, 2008 at 3:12 PM
- Big Red said...
Violet is my hero! When I grow up I want to be a strong, proud woman like her.
Great post! - September 23, 2008 at 3:21 PM
- Pink Sith said...
Less Is More. A lesson important enough to teach to a child as young as three. Oh. By the way. All 4 of those Princesses had a dead or absent mother in the story. Happy Birthday!! Not.
- September 23, 2008 at 3:24 PM
- Kara said...
My daughter insisted on this cake for her birthday! But, she's 5 years old, and her taste is questionable at best.
- September 23, 2008 at 3:36 PM
- Juliet said...
My favourite part is the look of disgust on the baby's face. LOL!
- September 23, 2008 at 3:46 PM
- writtenwyrdd said...
So...clarify something for a non-decorating type: These cakes are in some Cake Bible, and it's listed in there as something like a "#47 Princess Cake in Neon Tongue-Staining Colors"? Which is used by many Big*Store bakeries?
The things you learn... - September 23, 2008 at 3:46 PM
- diddlesgirl said...
did no one else notice that the matching color flowers (roses?) behind the princesses looks like they left a trail of matching poo behind them? i kept waiting for Violet to point out that she would NOT like a slice from behind the princesses!
of course i am sure my two-year old would have loved this cake - but when your aunt is a baker, you only get to name your theme and your aunt makes that theme as tasteful and beautiful as possible. - September 23, 2008 at 3:54 PM
I'm most offended that they left out Jasmine, although I guess Snow White's not on there either.
- September 23, 2008 at 4:04 PM
- Manders said...
You are too funny, girl!! Thanks for the laughs!!
At least they put Belle on it!! (She's my fave!) - September 23, 2008 at 4:14 PM
- VBABE said...
Sleeping beauty is wearing pink. That's enough of a disaster for me. Stop lying to yourselves Disney, her dress was blue the entire movie, get over it. I hate pink, blue is better.
:-) - September 23, 2008 at 4:22 PM
its a set that is designed by one of the biggest cake toy makers out there - DecoPac. and the design is pretty damn close to how it is supposed to look. i think in this case you're a little off base. it was made to look like this as per the manufacturer of the set. it isnt the decorators fault. i mean yea, the execution is a tad sloppy, but its not that bad. i guess you ran out of real cake wrecks to day eh man?
- September 23, 2008 at 4:23 PM
gotta love all the self-congratulatory "Thank GOD I have BOYS so I don't have to look at princess cakes!" comments. Yeah, cuz them GI Joe and Transformers and Spiderman and Pokemon are so much less offensive...sheesh...
- September 23, 2008 at 4:28 PM
That's what you get with cheap-ass $30 grocery cakes. You only have yourselves to blame. Go and find a talented decorator instead, sure it might cost you a bit more, but the taste of the cake & decorating talent is more than worth it!
- September 23, 2008 at 4:29 PM
Anonymous @ 4:23
So what you are saying is that if a cake is made correctly, it can't be gaudy or overdone? Maybe the designer is to blame. Who knows?
I can't get over Violet's face! Too funny!
Keep 'em coming! - September 23, 2008 at 4:34 PM
- HollyGee said...
It looks like the princesses pissed out easter egg dye underneath of themselves.
- September 23, 2008 at 4:47 PM
- Kat said...
I love the use of a 10 month old and the angle at which you described this cake. Hilarious! and sooo true too. It's hard not to get caught up in mass media spew when you have young ones but we can try.
Keep up the great investigation and analysis! - September 23, 2008 at 5:05 PM
The cake designs that you see in the display books in your favorite grocery store are approved by the license-holder- Disney, Mattel, etc. Whatever the design is, it is one of many that was presented to the Disney people none of whom have ever decorated a cake. That is why you see so many of those cakes with inedible red borders.
We visit your blog daily and laugh ourselves sick. - September 23, 2008 at 5:06 PM
I wonder if Violet is also concerned about the blatant discrimination that this cake is displaying. Sure, there's a red headed princess, but where are Jasmine and pocahontas? Is 'white girls and neon' a theme?
- September 23, 2008 at 5:07 PM
That is one opinionated baby. :)
I don't know - I think this cake is charming, especially for a 3 year old! I don't think she's too concerned with all that stuff; she's thinking something more like, "HOLY CRAP! PRINCESSES!!! AND PINK!!! AND LOOK AT ALL THE COLORS!!! OMG! DID I MENTION THE PRINCESSES??? THIS CAKE IS AWESOME!!!" Lol. - September 23, 2008 at 5:13 PM
Awwww, I bet the birthday girl was so happy about that cake! I know my 3 year old would have been gushing!! It's pretty audacious but I'd say as a whole WAY better than some of the other wrecks lol. Everything is spaced evenly, spelled correctly, the writing looks nice. Ok well a rainbow DID throw up on it but she's too young to know that life isn't all rainbows and roses yet, right? lol Hey I say throw some plastic unicorns on there and she'd like it even more! hehe
- September 23, 2008 at 5:53 PM
- Unknown said...
extreme technocoloured brightness
Imagine if the princesses danced around in little circles on the cake. - September 23, 2008 at 5:58 PM
- ValGal said...
All I have to say is concerning the use of the candles. Thank goodness she wasn't turning 6! hehe
- September 23, 2008 at 6:02 PM
- Spencer, Kami, James and Madelynn said...
What a face she has!!! Haha :)
- September 23, 2008 at 6:02 PM
So this clearly needs to start an off-shoot website. Who's going to make FaceWrecks, collecting photos of scrunched-up baby faces now? :-)
- September 23, 2008 at 6:14 PM
- Bri said...
Violet's expression is priceless! :)
Winning post as usual. - September 23, 2008 at 6:36 PM
OMG funniest by far!!!
- September 23, 2008 at 6:51 PM
- SolaMommy said...
That's the best face ever.
- September 23, 2008 at 7:17 PM
- Pademelon said...
Some of you people are mean! It's for the birthday of a three year old little girl! She's THREE! Cassie, good on ya for all the cheesey princess stuff. I hear so many parents complaining about how ungrateful their kids are at any age. Here you have a 3 year old still gushing about a cake 2 months later! I totally understand the whole evil Disney thing and I agree about the racism and discrimination found in Disney cartoons. BUT sometimes you just can't take the princess out of a little girl. She's too young for conversations about body image and what-not just yet. Of all days to try to curtail a child's interest in something, are some of you commenters actually saying you'd do it on a little girl's 3rd birthday? Glad I'm not YOUR kids!
Is the cake a wreck? Oh yeah. But that's not necessarily a horrific thing. One of the great things about cakes is that in most circumstances, a wrecked cake can still be the hit of the party! Comparing this cake to the picture in the cake bible...it's not an exat match. I've done these kits. There are often hundreds of cakes in those books. Is it likely you're talking to a cake decorator who has made every one of them a couple of times? Not really, especially if you are at CostCo or Vons or an ice cream shop (which is where I made cakes) and not a bakery. So you place an order for a design out of the bible and maybe they have the kit instructiond and maybe they don't. This kit isn't a work of fine art to begin with and then it's placed in questionable hands (questionable because when placing an order anywhere, you don't know who'll be decorating your cake or whether they're good or not). Then, you pick up a wreck!
Cassie, I'm glad Ruby loved it and that you guys let her have her happy neon princess theme. Violet is adorable and you better watch he sharp wit! It's a dangerous thing at only 10 months olds. I fear her cake request! :P - September 23, 2008 at 7:26 PM
- Kat said...
Aw, guys. I used to work as a professional birthday party princess. I kind of love it.
- September 23, 2008 at 7:59 PM
- Kami said...
These princesses were the original princesses - the ones that were there BEFORE Jasmine, Pocahontas, and Mulan. (Beauty and the Beast came out the year before Aladdin.) So it makes sense that the four featured princesses would be those four.
I love how this epitomizes the sterotypical 3-year-old Princess cake (heck, *I* would have loved it at ANY time in elementary school!!!)
By its very nature, this cake is a WRECK princess-loving toddlers would ADORE. Thank you so much for sharing!!!! - September 23, 2008 at 8:53 PM
- Amy said...
Love the names Violet and Ruby! And while ugly, I LOVE to eat cakes with too much buttercream icing. Lots of icing, hold the cake. :)
- September 23, 2008 at 9:35 PM
Sadly, the cake is SUPPOSED to look like that. I made four of those cakes every weekend for about a year. However, there's not supposed to be a huge shell border on the bottom or a huge amount of leaves growing up the water.
Also, the cake was for a three year old. If it were up to my three year old niece, her room would be pepto bismol pink and she'd wear her Hannah Montana wig in public every day. - September 23, 2008 at 10:05 PM
Ok, I'm proud to say that I had that same cake (minus the heart garland) for the past two year. I'm 25. I love Disney Princess and I picked out the cake myself. I still have the princesses.
My husband thought that this was the best wreck because it was what I had for my birthday.
Lisa - September 23, 2008 at 11:16 PM
- Scritzy said...
My first response to a CakeWreck:
Violet is my hero!!! That has to be the cutest "Geez, wonder what they are going to stick me with for MY birthday?!?" look I've ever seen.
You go, Violet!
And I'm sure Ruby loved not only the plastic princesses (hey, my sister is one of those) but the sugar rush as well. - September 23, 2008 at 11:17 PM
I've actually made that cake several times! I think the big 3 candles helped ruin it... Also, the rose buds aren't positioned correctly, and in my opinion, the cake cannot be done well on a 1/4 sheet size. It pretty much *has* to be done on a 1/2 sheet to look good, or there's just no room for writing. Many of the cake kits are that way, too much stuff in too small a space.
The cake is (according to the directions) supposed to have light airbrushing to match the three princesses, a rose to match each one, and a trio of rosebuds (one of each color) in each lower corner. The mermaid should be sitting in blue gel to look like water, with seaweed rising up the front side of the cake (yeah, I know) to encircle the water somewhat. Seems like the three icing colors also get used on the borders. This cake is a pain to make in a hurry if you have to switch out tips and icing colors due to working in a stingy bakery. - September 24, 2008 at 12:35 AM
- MangyCat said...
Absolutely brilliant! Love this one. It was really fun to read and WOW, what a picture. I'm sure you couldn't pass it up.
MangyCat - September 24, 2008 at 2:57 AM
To whoever said that they were the original Disney princesses....what about Snow White or Cinderella? And who is that in the pink anyway? Cinderella's dress was white in the film if I remember correctly.
I remember those three princesses from when I was a child - these upstarts such as Belle and Ariel are newbies in comparison! - September 24, 2008 at 6:25 AM
If you must have the six princess' go to decopac.com. There is a Princess Castle Cake that features the four on this cake and Jasmin and Snow White. Just for those that needed to know that.
- September 24, 2008 at 7:18 AM
Even if Snow White is one of the original Princesses, I wouldn't want her on *my* cake. Her dress isn't pretty or fluffy, she doesn't have a pretty updo OR long flowing locks, she was a total wimp in the woods terrified of TREES. Plus, she shacked up with 7guys, used them and then took off when something 'prettier' came along.
- September 24, 2008 at 7:39 AM
- The Hatter said...
Much :lol:ing.
She does look very unhappy about it.
<"Eh? Hey, what is that? Oh heck no, I am NOT wearing a Princess themed diaper! No, absolutely not! You're making a mockery of my beliefs, woman! Get that away from me!">
xD Awesome!
Get that Wrecktastic cake away from me! - September 24, 2008 at 7:50 AM
Man, princess controversy! I'm 24 and I'll admit I still love all the Disney princesses. And to clarify, while Snow White is the OG princess, she was followed by Aurora, a/k/a Sleeping Beauty (in pink), Cinderella (in blue), Ariel (mermaid), and Belle (in yellow). Jasmine and Pocahontas came later. There's only room for so many princesses on each garish cake. And as wreck-y as this cake is (especially compared to how it's really supposed to look), I'd probably love it anyway because I'm still 8 years old inside :D
- September 24, 2008 at 8:26 AM
- Barb said...
As much as I love seeing all the cake wrecks, I have to say, this is the funniest post EVER!
- September 24, 2008 at 8:47 AM
- clueuin said...
Going Crazy In Michigan: I get it. I get it. You nickname pretty much says in all.
In other news....
30 dollers for that cake!
Gurl, you must love your daughter!
Clueuin - September 24, 2008 at 9:22 AM
- clueuin said...
O.k, let me put this all in perspective for ya'll.
When I was three my birthday cake was a cupcake (one) with a candle in it. My mom and my sister sang happy birthday to me.
So yeah wreaktastic cake for an adult....
Somebody's dream cake when their three.
Me, I wanted, well I don't remember what I wanted because I was three. The reason the memory stuck with me was the fact that my mom was singing at me and I think that was my earlist memory of her singing.
Well, umm
Clueuin - September 24, 2008 at 9:40 AM
- Kaye Prince said...
Duehicky: That's not actually true. Sleeping Beauty's dress changes back and forth between blue and pink throughout the time she's wearing it (and while it's being made) because Flora and Merryweather each want it a different colour, so they keep changing it.
Violet is the cutest little thing I've ever seen in my life! I'm pretty sure I'd have that look on my face too if I saw cake, but I'm also sure I would have loved it when I was 3! - September 24, 2008 at 10:14 AM
I SERIOUSLY had this exact same cake for my daughter's birthday party last year... I was shocked at the atrocious neon icing (which undoubtedly ended up staining everything it touched), but my daughter loved it. Go figure.
As an added bonus, the plastic princesses became toys which ended up lodged in the toilet. - September 24, 2008 at 10:26 AM
- JennyF said...
My friend had a similarly designed cake for her 2-year-old...and eventually got to clean blue poop out of her diaper. That'll be something fun to look forward to for little Violet's mom!
- September 24, 2008 at 11:50 AM
- Kami said...
Oh, whoops, you're right - I forgot about Snow White. But what color would she be, anyway? Possibly yellow? Belle pulls it off so much better, and has a floofier dress. ;) I agree with the person who said they wouldn't want SW on their cake anyway. She's not quite as much of a babe as the other princesses.
The selected princesses round out the colors rather nicely (Since Cinderella can't be white, then obviously she has to be blue, which obviously means Aurora has to be pink. Right.)
I don't think I'll ever quite understand why Ariel makes the "Princess" cut (all she wears is a seashell bra!) while Jasmine doesn't, but hey, I guess Disney can't please everyone! And Pocahontas would be brown. Who would want brown on their cake? - September 24, 2008 at 12:38 PM
This cake is a good concept for a 3-year old, but really poor execution, way overdone. Parents should step in when this madness goes too far. Who wants to bet that this girl will have enough makeup on her face to match the cake in about eight years?
The baby? Too cute! I love this site. - September 24, 2008 at 12:46 PM
- Momma J said...
Baby - cute. Cake - not so much.
- September 24, 2008 at 12:46 PM
- angelscairns said...
All I can say is that I am SOOOOO glad I only have boys!!!
- September 24, 2008 at 1:18 PM
- Chelsea said...
Sadly, this is a very common cake...ugh, it's such a pain in the butt to make, too...
Just wanted to say that it's not the poor decorator's fault...that's actually a pretty good representation of the cake oh-so-many parents get for their little princesses...Blame the people at DecoPac...
And, I think the blobular rosebuds are actually hearts... - September 24, 2008 at 1:28 PM
- Dea said...
Cinderella's dress WAS NOT white....yeesh! It was blue AND white....her WEDDING dress was white...
Snow White is one of the least-loved princesses, unfortunately....poor girl, she got stuck with a bob hair do....
Pocahontas isn't a princess....neither is Mulan....thus, don't deserve a place on a princess cake....
And Jasmine doesn't have a dress, so she gets nixed - though, honestly, why the half-fish girl? (Ariel is my favorite, but yeah - she doesn't mesh with the others...) - September 24, 2008 at 2:17 PM
- water_bearer said...
Wow. It's like baby's first acid trip. Could there BE any more colors on that cake?
Violet's face is priceless, though. What a cute baby! - September 24, 2008 at 3:48 PM
I'm an avid , cake decorator, & a first time commenter.
The DecoPac DOES indeed look similar to that, albeit that cake is done sloppily.
DecoPacs are just overkill. - September 24, 2008 at 5:34 PM
Hey, who says you have to wear a floofy dress to be a princess? Ariel is a princess because she's the daughter of a king. What else is she supposed to wear underwater?
- September 24, 2008 at 5:35 PM
Is Marcus actually suggesting that rainbow colors on a 3 year old's birthday cake leads to promiscuity? Lighten up sweetie.
Cassie F. (aka Mom) - September 24, 2008 at 6:53 PM
I am a professional cake decorator in a successful Boston cake shop and we have to do loads of silly princess cakes simply because THAT'S WHAT LITTLE GIRLS LIKE. Albeit a bit tacky, this wreck is almost exactly like the picture included with the princess kit. So I guess what I am saying is with so many really dumb cakes out there, why pick on a cake that is exactly what the people ordered. Is our blogger getting a little snooty towards regular, not fondant overloaded cakes? Just thought I would throw that out there.
- September 24, 2008 at 7:05 PM
- Pamela said...
That was so funny. what made it so great was the totally unexpected gimick of the mock reporting and how perfectly the baby's face matched the tone. You got the chops jen!
- September 24, 2008 at 7:38 PM
- Unknown said...
that is a grrrrrrrrrreat face!!!
- September 24, 2008 at 8:23 PM
Marcus, you're kidding, right? Right...ummm...Marcus? Disney creations and pink fluff leads to promiscuity and teen tarts? Please. That cake is the dream cake of every little girl in this country.
- September 24, 2008 at 9:58 PM
One of the funniest entries yet. Thank you for bringing laughter to my day!
- September 24, 2008 at 10:25 PM
You guy are being unfair. This cake wasn't meant to please an adult. Most little girls will love this!
Kinda like I love your blog!
Willemijn - September 25, 2008 at 7:19 AM
Danielle posted this link above http://www.decopac.com/detail_16358__1-1-1.html
OMG, they suggest a CUPCAKE CAKE, too! Two great wrecks that go great together.
Love Violet's commentary! - September 25, 2008 at 9:50 AM
- Dea said...
I think people are missing the point - even if it's a perfect rendition, and EXACTLY what a little girl would want - it's glaring on the eyes and really really BUSY....so yeah, it's still a wreck - it doesn't have to have fallen on the floor and been put back together and delivered to a bride to be a wreck. Tacky = wreck to me, and my boys have had a few tacky cakes themselves (think Spongebob) but it still doesn't make this any less funny.
I never said Ariel wasn't a princess....she's just not in her dress, and thus does not "go" with the other girls - she and Jasmine could have their own, no-dresses-allowed cake! LOL!
Oh, and Marcus? WAY WAY WAY WAY off base - I was always a princess fan, Disney fan - and I waited a LONG time to lose the big V, and I never dressed slutty - so you lose, theory in the toilet....maybe we'll get you the cake from that other post.... - September 25, 2008 at 11:18 AM
- E.A.D. said...
Wow. Just. . . .wow. I can see how a 3-year-old would go bonkers, but ow ow ow ow, eyesore just the same!
To the person who said the Hannah Montana cake was worse, find a picture of one and share! I refuse to believe this cake could be topped that easily in terms of Disney-themed, neon-saturated wreck-ness. - September 25, 2008 at 4:39 PM
- Jenna said...
that was hill-arious! i love this site!
- September 25, 2008 at 5:21 PM
well, i am pregnant with my last and she's a girl (i have 2 boys)and...as horrible as this cake is...well, i am actually looking forward to having a cake like this! i think it would be a blast to have! what little girl wouldn't love to get her dream cake? and that one is way up there!
love the baby's expression! too cute! - September 25, 2008 at 6:14 PM
Agreeing with Dee...its REALLY close to the actual kit design. I decorated cakes for 2 years...and some of the "kits" are absolutely obnoxious, covered in toys, sprinkles, airbrush..you name it...and people order them like crazy...most popular were ones similar to this one and the "CARS" cake. and seeing as I quit 2 years ago, and still see that same design in superwalmart all the time....*shakes head* haha
- September 26, 2008 at 10:19 AM
- Unknown said...
That's a particularly atrocious cake.
Ruby and Violet are beautifully named, however. - September 28, 2008 at 8:14 PM
- RubySeesAll said...
Just another good example of offensive grocery store cake kits done badly. The borders and everything are just so huge. From experience though, I do remember this wrecktastic cake being ever so popular during my slave labor work at the grocery store bakery.(looks down shamefully.) Thank goodness I was making good ol' minimum wage to make it worth my time!!
I just found this site and think it's awesome, great concept. Keep up the great work because your stuff always cracks me up.
~Ruby~ - October 1, 2008 at 2:27 AM
I think I might know why Jasmine, Snow White, Pocahontas and Mulan were left off this cake: they all wear either pants or dresses that aren't floor-length, which means they would have had to use a stand in order to be stable. Floofy dresses and rocks to pose on provide a nice wide base, so you don't have to have an extra chunk of plastic to make them stand up. I guess they could have made bases for them to pose on like they did with Ariel, but I just don't think it would have looked as natural.
As far as what a Elvira said about them all having dead mothers, I'm pretty sure that's true for all the princesses. Don't put all the blame on Disney for that, though: apparently when the Brothers Grimm collected most of these stories, they changed the mothers to stepmothers to avoid offending people by showing mothers as anything other than wonderful people who only have their childrens' best interests at heart. Of course, that doesn't explain all of the Disney characters, since a few aren't based on Grimm stories and some have no mother figure at all, but maybe once they got into the pattern with Snow White and Cinderella, they just continued it.
As for those who are bemoaning the use of commercialized princesses, all I can say is, check out the original versions of these stories sometime. Yeah, it would be nice if they'd put on some weight, but I'd still rather expose my daughter to the Sleeping Beauty with a tiny waist and her image plastered on 20 billion products than the one whose story comes complete with rape, adultery and cannibalism.
All that said, I'd agree that this is at least a marginal wreck. The kid may have liked it, but I think there have been quite a few wrecks here that were exactly what was ordered (I have trouble imagining that whoever ordered the head cake didn't know exactly what they were getting, for example, not to mention all the "all occasions" cakes). Tackiness is one thing that can definitely make a wreck, and this cake has more than its share. Still, I don't think it would have made the cut without Violet. - October 1, 2008 at 3:27 AM
- VBABE said...
Kaye: Yes. I've seen the movie. But they sell crap with her wearing pink and I hate pink but like Sleeping beauty and would prefer it blue. She wore blue all the way until the ending sequence when they fought over the color. They make her wear pink b/c of cinderella. Who actually had a pink dress! lol.
- October 1, 2008 at 4:34 PM
- Nicole said...
Sadly, as I was looking at this horrid monstrosity, my 4yr old ran in and her first words were "OH MY GOD MOM I WANT THAT CAKE!!11eleven".
Meh. I see I have failed at teaching her cake aesthetics. - October 2, 2008 at 3:30 PM
- Kay said...
as an ex-cake decorator, I agree that this cake is done exactly as the kit instructions say. A small fact... It's one of the most popular cake kits in northern Wisconsin.
We love our Disney. - February 5, 2009 at 7:28 PM
Okay, here's the creepy part. I'VE SEEN A CAKE LIKE THAT IN PERSON! I work at a grocery store and I remember someone purchasing it! So I've either had an encounter with that cake, or there are more of them. They're SPAWNING!
- April 1, 2009 at 2:41 PM
- The Whiz Kid Forte said...
That is the most garish Disney cake ever - but it's very funny! LOL!!! XD!
- November 3, 2009 at 10:32 PM
I'm young, too! I was 10 when I started reading this blog (11 now)
- December 30, 2009 at 10:40 AM
- Cupcakes Lady said...
Lol That baby looks so pissed off and grossed out....brilliant ;) xx
- October 7, 2010 at 4:37 PM
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A Cake Wreck is any cake that is unintentionally sad, silly, creepy, inappropriate - you name it. A Wreck is not necessarily a poorly-made cake; it's simply one I find funny, for any of a number of reasons. Anyone who has ever smeared frosting on a baked good has made a Wreck at one time or another, so I'm not here to vilify decorators: Cake Wrecks is just about finding the funny in unexpected, sugar-filled places.
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This might be controversial but what the h*ll, my blog, my opinion. I've never seen a plus size woman win this contest anywhere. I don't know what's up with that, but I'm of the firm belief that I can't win this contest due to my size...so I'm making a wardrobe FOR me!Given my interest in the intersection of body image and sewing, I was pleasantly surprised by this brutal honesty . . . and I was dying to hear more of Carolyn's thoughts on the issue. Luckily for us, she agreed to answer a few questions! Her responses were so thoughtful and impassioned that I decided to post them word for word here.
A big thank you to Carolyn for agreeing to answer these questions and for doing so with such grace and honesty. And now, readers, I would love to get your thoughts on the subject. Have you experienced similar problems while trying to sew plus size? Do you agree that the online sewing world can be unfriendly to heavier women? Please share!GERTIE: Do you think that plus size women are less likely to win any sewing contest (like those on Pattern Review) or do you think this is specific to SWAP?CAROLYN: My answer is yes to any sewing contest...and that even applies to women who are not plus size but a little heavier than the norm. I seriously don't get our nation's fixation with being thin. I have no problems with people who are heavier and healthy but why does every skinny woman now quote obesity statistics like that is the one and only reason why people should lose weight? Why don't people own up the fact that there are fat prejudices and it shames heavier women into hiding, wishing they were different, and into the endless diet cycles that so often messes up their health more than remaining heavy would. Women who are trying so hard to be something that they are not or were not meant to be.G: Do you think plus-size women are wary of putting their work out there for fear of judgment? Also, do you think the online sewing world is unfriendly to plus-size women?
C: Yes most definitely! For example Gaby Sidibe was recently featured in Bazaar magazine. She is confident in who she is but she is obviously plus size. I had to stop reading the comments in the online article because they were so offensive regarding her weight. So if most of the patterns reviewed on PR and blogs are predominantly featured on thin women, wouldn't you feel a little self-conscious about reviewing your garments? My garments are like children to me...special creations that I want people to ooohhh and aaahhh over, not nitpick and criticize AND especially not if your only criticism is about how fat I am!Then there is that whole issue about plus size women being fashionable. How many times has a pattern been drafted only up to a size 18 (McCalls) when it is a style that clearly can be drafted for larger sizes? How often do you look at patterns either online or in the books at the store and the plus size patterns are just huge rectangles with a lot of gathering and a drapey neck? How often have you pulled out a pattern where the pattern company has enlarged the shoulders along with the bust and waistline - like plus size women are just huge, fat rectangles? What about this process makes you feel stylish and beautiful!?How many times have I taken a style and used my TNT (note: "tried 'n' true") pattern to make my own version of it because the style or a pattern for it is not available in plus size patterns? We are definitely an underserved market and if you don't have the ability to restyle or even the fashion sense to see a plus size garment in a skinnier size, the plus size woman is on the bad end of the stick!How many articles are there for plus size women that give fashion advice? How many sewing magazines address the fitting and sewing issues that many plus size women have? How many articles on taking measurements include the fact that if you are plus size that you should take your measurements sitting down because fat spreads? Where is this information given to enable a plus size woman to make a successful garment? When is this addressed? Even some of the books and patterns that are made for plus size women don't address these issues...I know...I own the books and the patterns!I understand that we are a "niche" market in a bad economic climate. But the last I checked, we still have to dress everyday like everyone else on the planet...it's the law! And there are instances of companies realizing this fact and do a really good business selling patterns to this market - Simplicity's Khaliah Ali line was awesome and really reached an underserved market. Kathleen Cheetham's Petite Plus line and book are other examples of wonderful garments that can be made stylish for the plus size woman. I'm not that sold on the Butterick version of Connie Crawford's patterns...I think they are just getting to the meat of the styles that Connie was selling on her website...but it is good to see patterns available for women up to a size 6x.But again where is the information that helps a plus size woman sew a wonderful garment? Articles about fabric choices? How to line a garment that won't chafe your thighs? How to pick a pattern fabric where the pattern isn't too large, small, etc on a plus size woman? I've learned a lot of this by experience...and some things even I still struggle with!But then again, I like me! My big breasts, bodacious biceps, big booty and thick thighs. I don't believe that I am any less for being built this way...actually on a good day I believe I'm a lot better looking than some of those skinny chicks who look like they are dying for a good cheeseburger anyway! *LOL* But my confidence is not typical for the plus size woman because there are just too many damn Jenny Craig ads on TV telling you that if you buy these overpriced, unappealing meals you too can drop 50 lbs and look like Valerie Bertellini. Okay, if that's the truth, how come Kristy Alley is fat again? I have a life to lead, not a life spent dieting...now this is not to knock the women who have successfully lost weight and kept it off. If it's worked for you...power to the people, right on! This is to encourage the ones where it hasn't...maybe you are supposed to be, where you are supposed to be!G: So maybe plus size women less likely to enter sewing competitions to begin with?C: Most definitely! The environment is not conducive to putting yourself out there! Even I don't believe that I can win a sewing contest and I think I can sew a little bit! *LOL* I'm not a separate but equal kinda girl...I think we should all be integrated and learn to celebrate our differences and see how all of it adds up to make us a better whole...but that's not reality of the situation.So those are a few of my thoughts. I'm sure that many of them are unpopular or are a little off the beaten path but it is what it is.
Update: Carolyn e-mailed me this morning to make a little amendment. It turns out that a plus-size woman, the beautiful Rachelle of Smoking Needles, has indeed won a mini-wardrobe contest on Pattern Review. Go Rachelle! Great news, but I think all the points here still apply. But good to have this info!


text:
Which is interesting, since I had no idea Austrians were INSANE.
Still, my knee-jerk reaction? This hip fondant feat kicks butt! Yep, those limber "pedals" should "garter" serious props from the ankle-biters.
Now, who wants to see Footlight Parade?
(Count the puns, my friends. COUNT 'EM.)
Trish B., I bet this cake costs an arm and a... aw, you know.
- Related Wreckage: A "Cake" With More Sole


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NAMM 2013: live highlights
Winter NAMM 2013, 24-27 January
NAMM 2013: The 2013 Winter NAMM show is upon us, which means that, over the next few days, we're going to find out what the biggest guitar, drum and hi-tech music making gear manufacturers are planning to release this year.
As always, MusicRadar is on the floor at the convention centre in Anaheim California, seeking out the products that matter and bringing you news, photos and video.
What's more, our team in the UK is scouring the press feeds so that you won't miss any of the hottest releases.
Keep checking back here for all the latest news as we update this gallery as the big stories break.
On, then, with the show…
Moog Sub Phatty
Already confirmed, this new analogue instrument promises the soul and hands-on tweakability of classic Moogs of the past but with an altogether more aggressive sound.
Fender Mando-Strat
Capitalising on what literally nobody has called 'Mumford Mania', the Mando-Strat will give folky types a chance to plug in and bring the noise to the hoe-down of their choice.
Roland RD-64
This compact stage piano/controller has weighted keys and could prove popular with gigging musicians who want an instrument that they can sling in a bag and won't take up too much space in their studio.
NAMM 2013: Roland RD-64 compact stage piano/controller unveiled
Roland Studio Capture
Roland's largest Capture audio interface to date provides16 inputs, 12 mic preamps and 10 outputs - all in a relatively compact case. 24-bit/192kHz operation is supported, and there's some nice front panel metering.
Livid Base
Following the briefest of teaser campaigns, Livid has revealed its Base pad and touch controller. It looks like a contender, too, featuring 32 pressure- and velocity-sensitive pads, eight function buttons, nine capacitive touch faders and eight capacitive touch buttons. There's full RGB backlighting and an LED character display as well.
Novation Launchkey
What do you get if you cross a Novation Launchpad with a controller keyboard? This, it would seem.
NAMM 2013: Novation unveils the Launchkey range of MIDI controllers
Fender Acoustic Custom Shop
Fender isn't exactly renowned for its prowess in the acoustic arena, so we'll be fascinated to see if the new Acoustic Custom Shop can turn out guitars capable of taking on the big unplugged players.
Dubreq Stylophone S2
This new Stylophone offers a vastly improved feature set in comparison to the original... but also comes at a much higher price. Future Music got the lowdown at the Dubreq stand.
Kemper Profiler Rack
Kemper has made a huge splash with its Profiling Amplifier, and looks set to keep up the good work with this incredibly impressive looking rack-mounted version.
Numark Orbit
With 16 backlit buttons, a central touch wheel and shoulder buttons, this wireless controller certainly has our attention.
NAMM 2013: Numark launches Orbit, wireless handheld DJ controller
Taylor Grand Orchestra
Taylor has launched a new body size, the Grand Orchestra, which boasts a "tighter waist and a wider bottom" and looks like an excellent addition to Taylor's larger body sizes.
Preview day
Winter NAMM doesn't officially kick off until Thursday, but various companies previewed their new products to the media on Wednesday.
Dean Dave Mustaine guitar
It looks like Dean Guitars is adding another model to its Dave Mustaine Series.
Stylophone S2 special edition
Anyone care to guess which country the new Stylophone S2 is designed and built in?
Korg MS-20 mini analogue synth announced
Having made a miniaturised return to analogue synths with its Monotron and Monotribe releases, Korg has now got more comprehensively in touch with its past by announcing a resurrection of its seminal MS-20.
Dave Smith's Prophet 12 analogue synth
Synth legend Dave Smith has returned to NAMM with a new polyphonic monster and, according to him, it's a stunner. We were lucky enough to catch up with the man himself on the show floor.
Built from the ground up rather than based on any previous design, the Prophet 12 offers 12 voices of polyphony, with each voice featuring four oscillators, a sub-oscillator, resonant analog low- and high-pass filters and analogue VCAs.
Orange DIVO VT1000 Valve Tester
Legendary British amplifier manufacturer Orange has used its debut NAMM keynote presentation to launch the DIVO VT1000 Valve Tester.
Announcing the new product both in Anaheim and via an online stream, Orange managing director Damon Waller said the VT1000 "is an easy, safe and low cost way to match, test and grade valves. Every guitar store in the world will need one of these."
Natal Spirit Series
We caught up with Natal to get the lowdown on the new Spirit Series kits and more...
NAMM 2013 Video: Natal Spirit Series kit and Bonzo Bash replica kit
Jackson unveils 20 new models
With a selection of new guitars guaranteed to scare old folks and small children, Jackson's 2013 offering is looking particularly fierce.
Highlights include the seven and eight string DKA Dinky and some striking additions to the USA Select range.
Korg KingKORG
If the true analogue delights of the MS-20 mini aren't for you, maybe you'd prefer Korg's latest modelling monster.
Akai MPX8
If you want a super-compact, MPC-style pad-based sample launcher, this has got your name on it (quite literally if your name happens to be 'Akai' or 'MPX8').
NAMM 2013 VIDEO: Akai MPX8 eight-pad sample launcher announced
Arturia SparkLE
This little brother to the original spark software/hardware drum machine is smaller and more affordable.
NAMM 2013 VIDEO: Arturia offers SparkLE hardware/software drum machine
M-Audio Axiom AIR controllers
The M-Audio brand is still very much alive, as these slick-looking new Axiom controllers confirm. Each comes with a copy of the new Ignite composing software, too.
7 New Fender Amps
Fender has rolled out seven new amps for 2013, including the '57 Bandmaster, the Acoustasonic 15 and the updated Mustang II range.
The '57 Bandmaster will become part of Fender's hand-wired Custom series, while the updated Mustang series includes new amp models, new effects and intelligent pitch shifting. The Acoustasonic 15 meanwhile is a pint-sized acoustic amplifier that can also be used for vocals.
Fuzz Face Mini and MXR Talk Box
The Fuzz Face Mini, which is available in three iterations - the Fuzz Face Hendrix, Fuzz Face Silicon and Fuzz Face Germanium - and has been scaled down to make it less of a space hog on the average pedal board.
The MXR Talk Box meanwhile features a built in amp and speaker driver, and a not-at-all-medical-looking tube to sit happily in your musical mouth.
Billy Sheehan EBS signature drive pedal
We stopped by the EBS booth to checkout bass virtuoso Billy Sheehan's new drive pedal, and got a demonstration from the man himself.
NAMM 2013 VIDEO: Billy Sheehan demonstrates his EBS Signature Drive pedal
Joe Perry 1959 Les Paul
Gibson has unveiled the Joe Perry 1959 Les Paul, a stunning recreation of the Aerosmith guitarist's fabled Les Paul.
Available in Faded Tobacco Burst (aged and signed), Faded Tobacco Burst Aged and Faded Tobacco Burst VOS, the beautiful '59 Les Paulwill cost you upwards of $10,000 (£6325 approx), but for that you'll be getting a painstaking recreation of one of the most lusted-after Les Pauls out there.
Magnatone returns - details and video
Given the world's current obsession with all things vintage, it's perhaps an appropriate time for mythical US amp brand Magnatone to make its tube-powered return.
Originally manufactured between 1937 (initially under the name of Dickerson, after amp builder Delbert J. Dickerson) and 1969, Magnatone amps are now scarce, but were once seen in the back lines of many notable guitarists, among them Buddy Holly, David Gilmour and Neil Young.
Premier drums in pictures
Premier has plenty to shout about, including this stunning Aces High snare.
The drum, named after the iconic Iron Maiden track, consists of a 14" x 5.5" shell which is 10mm thick and constructed from 17 plies of sycamore.
MINI5 Rhythm from Vox
Vox has unveiled the MINI5 Rhythm, a pint-sized modelling amp tailor made for guitarists on the go.
The MINI5 is fully tricked out with amp models, effects and more rhythms than you can shake a stick at (in 4/4, or 6/8, or whatever you prefer, really). It even runs on batteries, so you can bring your musical stylings to the people, if that's your thing.
Ableton Push video demo
According to Ableton,"Push provides direct, hands-on control of melody and harmony, beats, sounds and structure, powered by Ableton Live running on your computer.
"High-quality, dynamic pads, buttons, encoders and a display combined with an innovative workflow allow you to play and compose musical ideas without the need to look at or touch your computer, and more importantly, without interrupting the musical flow."
Future Music got a comprehensive overview of the features and capabilities of Ableton Push at NAMM 2013.
Casio PX-5S
Teased before the show as Casio's "most powerful synth ever," it turns out that the PX-5S is actually a stage piano with significant synthesis capabilities. Oh, and it works as a MIDI controller, too.
Arturia MiniLab
It wouldn't be the NAMM show without a new 25-note MIDI controller or two. Arturia's MiniLab distinguishes itself by offering old-school styling and touch-strips instead of pitch and mod wheels.
DJ area
DJs are well catered for at Winter NAMM, with a whole area of the show dedicated to new gear for them. Just head for the loud bit with the flashing lights.


text:
Mr. Speaker, the people of Kyiv and so many cities and towns throughout Ukraine are right now struggling, praying, and risking–some of them really risking their lives on the Maidan for justice and human dignity.
The government's violent crackdown has led to the deaths of at least four protestors, and countless beatings, arrests, detentions, kidnappings or harassment of activists, journalists, medics and lawyers.
I want to join many of my colleagues in calling on the Ukrainian government to stop, now, these attacks on human life and the basic human rights of free expression, assembly and association–and immediately to release those detained for peaceful actions and account for missing persons.
Mr. Speaker, I believe that we should urge Ukrainians to find a peaceful, political settlement of the crisis through meaningful negotiations between the government and the opposition in order to get Ukraine back on the road to democracy. As to association with Europe, it is not our government's place to say what the Ukrainian government or people should do either way on this point, above all since we don't
know what arrangements are on offer. But we do stand up for the right of the Ukrainian people to determine this according to their own constitution and laws, free from coercive pressures by any foreign government.
While the current Ukrainian government has committed grave injustices in the course of this crisis, I am encouraged by signs that it is taking steps to resolve the crisis, including the revocation of the onerous January 16 anti-protest laws and the resignation of the government.
The people of Ukraine have endured tremendous suffering over the course of the last century including two world wars and 70 years of Soviet brutality, most starkly illustrated by Stalin's genocidal famine which resulted in the deaths of millions. With independence came new-found freedoms, but these have been challenged by corruption of grotesque proportions. The long-suffering Ukrainian people deserve better–they deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.
Given the heroic strength and character and democratic maturity the Ukrainian people are showing in this crisis, I am confident that they will not be denied a more democratic future.


text: dhcpy6d delivers IPv6 addresses for DHCPv6 clients, which can be identified by DUID, hostname, or MAC address, as in the good old IPv4 days. Addresses may be generated randomly, by range, or by arbitrary ID or MAC address. Clients can get more than one address, leases and client configuration can be stored in databases, and DNS can be updated dynamically.


text:
This is MORNING EDITION from NPR News. I'm Linda Wertheimer.
And I'm Renee Montagne.
They're calling it the Road to Majority. It's the third annual meeting of conservative religious activists with the Faith and Freedom Coalition. The conference is underway now in Washington, D.C. Its stated aim: To boost the conservative vote for next year's midterm election.
As NPR's David Welna reports, it's also a platform for Republican stars eyeing the White House in 2016.
DAVID WELNA, BYLINE: With strong Tea Party ties, the Faith and Freedom Coalition's 700,000 members are known as Teavangelicals. And their convention roster this year is in part a reprise of last year's GOP presidential primary. It includes Rick Perry, Herman Cain, Michele Bachmann, Rick Santorum, and the number two on last year's Republican ticket, Paul Ryan. There are also possible presidential contenders: Ted Cruz, Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio. But it was Tea Party upstart and Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul who got top billing yesterday, as coalition founder Ralph Reed opened the three-day meeting.
RALPH REED: His primary opponent was anointed by the party bosses, heavily outspent him, but he stood for what was right and what was conservative, and our principles of faith and freedom. And he won that primary by a 23-point margin and then went on to win the general election in 2010.
WELNA: Paul used the opportunity to strike a somewhat isolationist stance, and poke at politicians who he said have been all too eager to back U.S. military interventions.
SEN. RAND PAUL: And I think as Christians we must be wary of this doctrine of pre-emptive war. We must and should stand with our fellow Christians and our Jewish friends in the Middle East and around the world, but that doesn't mean necessarily, mean war all the time everywhere and without any consideration.
WELNA: Fellow Tea Party activist Mike Lee, a GOP senator from Utah, told the crowd that for conservatives the road to majority is unfortunately usually the road not taken. To grow their ranks, he said, conservatives have to reach out more to those at the bottom rungs of the social ladder.
SEN. MIKE LEE: These families - these moms and dads and grandparents and kids - they're waiting for us. They know more government just isn't the answer. They know government only divides them. But they also know that too often our party has ignored them. That has to change.
WELNA: After winning only 29 percent of the Latino vote in the last election, many Republicans have also concluded their party's stance on immigration has to change. Yet neither Lee nor Paul said one word about the massive immigration bill the Senate's in the process of amending. Many conservatives strongly oppose the bill's promised path to citizenship for millions of unauthorized immigrants.
Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, who helped write that bill, mentioned it only in passing.
SEN. MARCO RUBIO: You can see it and I know we're in the throes of this immigration debate, which is very conflictive and divisive in many quarters, including among people that are supporters of ours and of mine. But at the essence of our immigration policy is compassion.
WELNA: But what really seemed to move the crowd was Wisconsin Republican Sen. Ron Johnson's exhortation to broaden anger over the IRS, Benghazi and NSA controversies to encompass the entire federal government.
SEN. RON JOHNSON: When I hear politicians talk about restoring faith in government - no, no, no, no, no - that is the wrong solution. We need to engender that healthy distrust, that healthy distrust that our founders found in government.
WELNA: Today the Teavangelicals hear from former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. Speaking at another Washington venue yesterday, Bush pushed back on the view that going negative wins votes.
JEB BUSH: I would argue that Republicans win when we are positive and hopeful and aspirational and that we draw people towards our cause when we do that. And that if we just play the game that we're for less government, you know, we don't believe in a muscular government, that message is not aspirational. It's not very hopeful. It's not particularly optimistic, and we could lose.
WELNA: A good start for Republicans, Bush added, would be to pass the immigration bill.
David Welna, NPR News, Washington. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


text:
Now, Greg mentioned Plaquemines Parish. Look at a map of Louisiana and you'll see that parish, a finger of land sticking far out into the Gulf of Mexico. Jennifer Hale of WVUE Television is in the parish, spent the night there. And Ms. Hale, where are you now?
JENNIFER HALE: We are at the Office of Emergency Preparedness in a city called Belle Chasse, which is in the northern end of the parish. Right now you still can't get down to the southern end if you're not already there. The winds are just way too high. The water's coming up. The rain has been steadily going since 6:00 p.m. last night.
INSKEEP: What was the night like?
HALE: It's been a rough night. I'll tell you what. Isaac stalled out and we were in the eye wall and we just stayed there for hours. So sustained winds for much of the night were around 60-80 miles per hour. We had wind gusts up to 110 miles an hour. So our live trick was shaking. We had parts of roofs coming off. And the most unfortunate news, the situation that we're all praying for and most worried about right now, is that we've had an 18 foot section of levee topped in an area called Braithwaite, about one to three feet of water spilling over the top of that levee right now. Homes in that area have anywhere from nine to 14 feet of water.
Twenty to 60 people are stranded right now, some trapped on roofs, some trapped in attics. Right now officially the conditions are just way too bad for law enforcement agencies to launch search and rescue efforts. So we've had a couple locals take matters into their own hands. They know the area. They can work it in the dark, which is what the case has been for much of the most emergent situation.
And they've gotten in their boats and gotten out there. They've rescued two pump workers on the job who got stranded. They've rescued a woman, her five-month-old baby, from a rooftop, and (unintelligible) from her rooftop.
The danger here is that these conditions might not ease up all that much for another 12 hours, so these locals just felt like they had to do something.
INSKEEP: You were giving us an update on the story here. We heard earlier on the program from Billy Nungesser, the parish president in Plaquemines Parish, and he told us about a couple of water pump workers who were stranded on a levee, basically water on both sides of the levee, too high for them to go anywhere. You're saying those two pump workers have now been rescued, they've been floated away, in effect.
HALE: They have been successfully rescued. That's the good news, yes. They were at work at the pump station and finished work and were attempting to leave, unaware that the levee had been topped, and all of a sudden these flood waters came up around them.
They were only about 2,000 feet from the flood station itself, but there was enough angry, swirling, moving water that they could not get back there safely. So thankfully some locals in boats were able to reach them in the dark, in these high winds, in these rough waves, and pull them to safety.
INSKEEP: Was there an evacuation order before the storm arrived for Plaquemines Parish?
HALE: For parts of Plaquemines Parish. Not for all of it. Braithwaite, the area that we're talking about now, yes, they were under a mandatory evacuation. That's on the east bank side, bank levee, which is about nine feet tall there. The areas residents we're most concerned about was the west bank levee, which is only five feet tall, and then believe it or not, despite the fact we're in a drought, the Mississippi River levees, because the storm surge was pushed up into the mouth of the river, and it almost topped levees there - east bank side is the one area up until 12 hours ago they weren't really worried about. But again, I mentioned how Isaac stalled out and we were just sitting in this eye wall for so long. Those easterly winds shoved so much water up against that east bank levee that it just started going over the top and flooding.
INSKEEP: Now, what about those 60-80 people who apparently did not evacuate and who are stranded in various places? How soon can they expect aid?
HALE: Big question. Right now it's a local rescue effort. The official word from Coast Guard and National Guard is that the conditions are still too - too rough to launch a rescue mission for themselves right now, not in their rules(ph) at this moment. So locals have been hearing about this and more and more are joining in on the effort. They've arranged a meeting point for themselves and they're launching - a couple already out there working now and more to follow.
So hopefully, despite the fact that we're still in these horrible conditions, most of these people will find their way to safety.
INSKEEP: You know, when we look at satellite photos of Plaquemines Parish, it's kind of amazing because it seems almost like it's half land, half water, that alluvial landscape out there at the mouth of the Mississippi River. I guess that makes it especially vulnerable at a time like this. But does it also mean that everybody has a boat, there are a lot of people who are ready to try to rescue people if they can?
HALE: Absolutely. You hit the nail on the head. These are tough people here. They know how to live with the water. They know how to live with the elements. And most of the folks here have been here for generations. You know, they know this area like the back of their hand. So if there's a silver lining, that would be it, that these folks are well-equipped. They have the knowledge and the skills to get out there and help each other. And that's really how they came back from Katrina and that's how they're going to come through this.
Believe it or not, some areas - an area called Woodlawn(ph), if anyone wants to look it up on a map - it did not flood during Katrina; it is flooding right now. Water is up to the second story in some areas. We've had a police cruiser get flooded out. So in part they're seeing flooding that they've never seen before.
INSKEEP: Well, Jennifer Hale of WVUE Television, thanks very much and stay safe.
HALE: Thank you for your time. We appreciate it.
Now, one other person who's been following those dramatic rescues in Plaquemines Parish is the parish president, Billy Nungesser. We spoke to him earlier this morning and he said given the amount of rain that might fall on his community, quote: "I don't know who's calling this a Category 1, but this is no Category 1."
Nungesser was at an emergency response center dealing with others, even as he heard that his own house had been flooded. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


text:
This course is for students who have completed the Online CCW Renewal course. You will need your certificate number to enroll in this range session. Here is the link if you need to do your online course: https://powersfirearmstraining.com/courses/online-courses/
Thank you for enrolling in a Powers Firearms Training Corporation training opportunity. You will need to bring each of your firearms and a minimum of 12 rounds per gun. Please have your magazines loaded. Also bring eye/ear protection and a holster or case for the gun. Your fee for this range session was covered by your online course payment. Please contact us with any questions you may have regarding this class. We appreciate the opportunity to earn your patronage.
Venue: 5 Dogs Range - Bakersfield, Ca.
Venue Website: http://www.5dogsrange.com/
March 12, 2022
11:15 am - 11:45 am


text:
By the time the Lord made woman,
He was into his sixth day of working overtime.
An angel appeared and said,
"Why are you spending so much time on this one?"
And the Lord answered, "Have you seen my spec sheet on her?"
- She has to be completely washable, but not plastic,
- have over 200 movable parts, all replaceable
- and able to run on diet coke and leftovers,
- have a lap that can hold four children at one time,
- have a kiss that can cure anything from a scraped knee to a broken heart
- and she will do everything with only two hands.
"Only two hands? No way!
And that's just on the standard model?
That's too much work for one day.
Wait until tomorrow to finish."
"But I won't," the Lord protested. "I am so close to finishing this creation that is so close to my own heart. She already heals herself when she is sick, AND she can work 18 hour days."
The angel moved closer and touched the woman.
"But you have made her so soft, Lord."
"She is soft," the Lord agreed, "but I have also made her tough.
You have no idea what she can endure or accomplish."
"Will she be able to think?" asked the angel.
The Lord replied, "Not only will she be able to think,
she will be able to reason and negotiate."
The angel then noticed something, and reaching out, touched the woman's cheek.
"Oops, it looks like you have a leak in this model.
I told you that you were trying to put too much into this one."
"That's not a leak,"
the Lord corrected,
"that's a tear!"
"What's the tear for?" the angel asked.
The Lord said, "The tear is her way of expressing her joy, her sorrow, her pain, her disappointment, her love, her loneliness, her grief and her pride."
The angel was impressed.
"You are a genius, Lord.
You thought of everything!
Woman is truly amazing."
And she is! Don't you agree?
Women have strengths that amaze men.
They bear hardships and they carry burdens,
but they hold happiness, love and joy.
They smile when they want to scream.
They sing when they want to cry.
They cry when they are happy
and laugh when they are nervous.
They fight for what they believe in.
They stand up to injustice.
They don't take "no" for an answer
when they believe there is a better solution.
They go without so their family can have.
They go to the doctor with a frightened friend.
They love unconditionally.
They cry when their children excel
and cheer when their friends get awards.
They are happy when they hear about
a birth or a wedding.
Their hearts break when a friend dies.
They grieve at the loss of a family member,
yet they are strong when they think there is no strength left.
They know that a hug and a kiss can heal a broken heart.
Women come in all shapes, sizes and colors.
They'll drive, fly, walk, run or e-mail you
to show how much they care about you.
The heart of a woman is what makes the world keep turning.
They bring joy, hope and love.
They have compassion and ideals.
They give moral support to their family and friends.
Women have vital things to say and everything to give.
However, if there is One Flaw In Women---
it's that they forget their worth.
Pass this along to all your women friends and relatives to remind them just how amazing they are.


text:
From the paper:
From around 2800 BC, the LNE Bell Beaker culture emerged from the Iberian Peninsula to form one of the first pan-European archaeological complexes. This cultural phenomenon is recognised by a distinctive package of rich grave goods including the eponymous bell-shaped ceramic beakers. The genetic affinities between Central Europe's Bell Beakers and present-day Iberian populations (Fig. 2) is striking and throws fresh light on long-disputed archaeological models3. We suggest these data indicate a considerable genetic influx from the West during the LNE. These far-Western genetic affinities of Mittelelbe-Saale's Bell Beaker folk may also have intriguing linguistic implications, as the archaeologically-identified eastward movement of the Bell Beaker culture has recently been linked to the initial spread of the Celtic language family across Western Europe39. This hypothesis suggests that early members of the Celtic language family (for example, Tartessian)40 initially developed from Indo-European precursors in Iberia and subsequently spread throughout the Atlantic Zone; before a period of rapid mobility, reflected by the Beaker phenomenon, carried Celtic languages across much of Western Europe. This idea not only challenges traditional views of a linguistic spread of Celtic westwards from Central Europe during the Iron Age, but also implies that Indo-European languages arrived in Western Europe substantially earlier, presumably with the arrival of farming from the Near East41.It does seem increasingly likely that there was a major Out-of-Iberia episode which may very well have involved a population of relative newcomers (R1b males, undetected in Europe in the pre-5ka period) interacting with an "Iberian" matrilineal substratum and then exporting both R1b and the "Iberian" type of H into most of Western Europe with the Bell Beaker phenomenon. It's hard to think of the Bell Beakers as ultimately descended from the first farmers alone, both because of their distinctive physical type, and also because of the aforementioned absence of R1b in early farmers. More ancient DNA work will certainly help solve many of the remaining puzzles.
Also from the paper:
The demographic reconstruction, which is based on direct calibration points, has major implications for understanding post-glacial human history in Europe. Our new estimate is incompatible with traditional views that the majority of present-day hg H lineages were carried into Central, Northern and Eastern Europe via a post-glacial human population expansion before the Holocene (12 kya)13. Our data complement a recent study, based on present-day mt genomes, which describes a pronounced population increase at ~7000 BC (interpreted as a Neolithic expansion into Europe), but followed by a slow population growth until the present day26. By including ancient DNA data from across the critical time points in question, our skyride plot corrects for missing temporal data and suggests substantial growth of hg H from the beginning of the Neolithic and continuing throughout the entire Neolithic period. This emphasizes the role of farming practices and cultural developments in the demographic expansions inferred in subsequent time periods, which have not yet been explored genetically.Nature Communications 4, Article number: 1764 doi:10.1038/ncomms2656
Neolithic mitochondrial haplogroup H genomes and the genetic origins of Europeans
Paul Brotherton et al.
Haplogroup H dominates present-day Western European mitochondrial DNA variability (>40%), yet was less common (~19%) among Early Neolithic farmers (~5450 BC) and virtually absent in Mesolithic hunter-gatherers. Here we investigate this major component of the maternal population history of modern Europeans and sequence 39 complete haplogroup H mitochondrial genomes from ancient human remains. We then compare this 'real-time' genetic data with cultural changes taking place between the Early Neolithic (~5450 BC) and Bronze Age (~2200 BC) in Central Europe. Our results reveal that the current diversity and distribution of haplogroup H were largely established by the Mid Neolithic (~4000 BC), but with substantial genetic contributions from subsequent pan-European cultures such as the Bell Beakers expanding out of Iberia in the Late Neolithic (~2800 BC). Dated haplogroup H genomes allow us to reconstruct the recent evolutionary history of haplogroup H and reveal a mutation rate 45% higher than current estimates for human mitochondria.


text:
Empire locums are currently searching for FY1 Care of Elderly / Rehab. The post in question is situated in the West Midlands region of the UK and is based at one of the UK's best equip hospitals full of helpful and supportive staff. This role is paying a very lucrative hourly rate that will appeal to confident skilled doctor and is for an initial period of 4 Weeks with possible extension. This post offers benefits such as inclusive accommodation and payment of travel expenses amongst others.
Empire are committed to providing a high quality recruitment service tailored to the needs of our locum candidates. Our team of recruiters are committed to sourcing employment opportunities that match the needs of you the doctor whilst simultaneously offering some of the best paid locum posts around the country. Empire locums currently supply locum solutions to some of the most highly renowned hospitals around the country. Our clients are committed to providing some of the best locum doctor jobs around the country, and require the following documentation to meet their compliance criteria:
** GMC Registration **
** CRB registration **
** Serology report **
** 6 months UK Experience **
** 2xUK References **
Apply online today to avoid missing out on this FY1 Care of Elderly / Rehab locum doctor job or contact on 020 3322 8999 or Mail email@example.com for further information on this and other locum doctor jobs around the UK.


text:
Welcome to the online list of Directory of Veterans Service Organizations for 2017 (PDF). This is published as an informational service by the Office of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
Inclusion of an organization in the directory does not constitute approval or endorsement by VA or the United States Government of the organization or its activities. Some VSOs are "chartered", which means they are federally chartered and/or recognized or approved by the VA Secretary for purposes of preparation, presentation, and prosecution of claims under laws administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Inclusion of non-chartered organizations does not constitute or reflect VA recognition of said organization and its representatives for purposes of representation of VA claimants.
Individuals seeking representation should only rely on information found in the Office of General Counsel (OGC) Search for Accredited Attorneys, Claims Agents, or Veterans Service Organizations (VSO) Representatives.
For Benefits questions, contact VA.


text:
Creator: Unity
Category: Software > Computer Software > Educational Software
Tag: applications, augmented, Augmented Reality, reality, VR
Availability: In stock
Price: USD 79.00
"The virtual reality and augmented reality industries are growing by leaps and bounds but finding workers with the right skills can be a challenge." – CNBC report Virtual and Augmented Reality are poised to revolutionize how we interact with computers, with the world and with each other, and Unity is at the forefront of this technology; an estimated 90% of Samsung Gear VR games and 53% of Oculus Rift (games at launch) were Made With Unity.
And according to labor market analytics company Burning Glass, "there's nothing virtual about the jobs in this field. They're here and now and very real." In this course, you'll learn how to design, develop, troubleshoot, and publish your own mobile VR applications in Unity for Google Daydream, Gear VR, or Oculus Go devices. Using the very latest techniques recommended by Unity's VR engineers, you'll build a complete VR environment that you can continue to use after the course, while learning to apply best practices in user experience, interaction, teleportation and navigation design for VR.
Interested in what the future will bring? Download our 2024 Technology Trends eBook for free.
In short, this course will take you from software developer to VR developer. This is the second of three courses in Unity's XR Specialization, which includes an Introduction to XR course as well as a planned course focused on developing handheld Augmented Reality (AR) applications with Unity. The course assumes that you already have experience developing applications with Unity and that you are comfortable with basic C# programming. It will also be helpful if you are familiar with building other types of apps to run on mobile devices.


text:
Have you ever been to a star party with both kids and adults and wished you had an easy way to adjust the eyepiece for observers of all heights? Have you ever wanted an easier way to frame your astrophotos without fumbling around with the camera adapter in the dark?
With Virtual View there is no ring to adjust each time you move your eyepiece. The Virtual View replaces the standard visual back on an SCT and allows one-hand adjustments. The tension ring provides just the right amount of grip to hold your eyepiece in place but also allow it to move freely when you need it to. Virtual View eliminates the possibility of damage to your equipment if someone accidentally rotates the eyepiece to get a better view. The perfect accessory for star parties or observing at home!
Fits all sizes of SCTs from Celestron and Meade. (C11 and C14 scopes can take advantage of the large thread version of the Virtual View.)


text:
One of my all time favorite songs is only 1m52s long – that's not much for a song, but it doesn't stop it from being beautiful.
These lemon pots are made in no time at all and are delicious – it took me a little longer than the song to put them together; they developed a wonderful velvety texture after resting in the fridge.
I'm finally on vacation now - see you in three weeks!
UPDATE: my lemon broccolini soup has been featured on the Saveur magazine website! :D
Lemon cream pots
from Donna Hay magazine
2 cups (480ml) heavy cream
½ cup (100g) caster sugar
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
¼ cup (60ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
whipped cream, to serve
Place cream and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat and stir to dissolve the sugar. Bring to the boil and cook for 3 minutes. Remove from heat, add lemon zest and juice and stir to combine. Set aside for 5 minutes to cool slightly.
Pour into four ¾-cup (180ml) capacity dishes and refrigerate for 3-4 hours or until set.
Top pots with the whipped cream and serve.
Serves 4


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Handmade White Wash Area Rug > Design# OL-AC-36396 > Size: 6'-4" x 10'-0"
This is online-only product. Carpet Culture Outlet rugs are not available in any of the branches. All the Outlet Rugs are available for online purchases only. If you have any questions, or you wish to see a similar rug in the store, please email us with the link of this rug.
Order Processing Time: 1 Business Day
Shipping Duration: 3-5 Business Days
- Design: OL-AC-36396
- Size: 6'-4" x 10'-0" / 194 cm x 305 cm
- Shape: Rectangle
- Materials: Beige
- Weave: Handmade
- Color: Beige
- Pile Height: 5 mm
- Knots/inch [KPI]: -
Note: During the shipping, the texture of the rug will be pressed and there may be some visible creases. Please note that, this is not a defect and it should be unnoticeable after few days.
All rug sizes are approximate. We have made every effort to display the colors of our rugs as accurately as possible. But the colors may vary depending on display types and the physical lighting condition of your space.
6'-4" x 10'-0" / 194 cm x 305 cm |
Materials |
Cotton, Wool |
Color |
Beige |


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"At least four people have been killed and 20 injured in Afghanistan after protests spread over the burning of copies of the Koran at a US airbase," the BBC writes. "One person was killed in Kabul, one in the eastern city of Jalalabad and two in Parwan province."
Tuesday, as we reported, U.S. Gen. John Allen apologized to the Afghan people for what he conceded was the improper disposal of some Islamic religious materials — including Qurans — by international forces at the Bagram Air Field north of Kabul. News of the burnings sparked protests outside the base yesterday, and demonstrations continued today. Allen said the burnings were inadvertent, have been stopped and will be investigated.
"Hundreds of protesters have clashed with police and security forces in Afghanistan in a second day of angry demonstrations over reports that copies of the Quran were burnt at an airbase used by NATO and coalition troops. According to a Afghan government source who told Al Jazeera, five people have been killed during Wednesday's protests and 32 have been wounded, but no exact location was given."
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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These gorgeous lipstick sets will add just the right sparkle to get the party started! Order your favorite shade today!
Each Set Includes:
- 1 Glitterbomb
- 1 Corresponding Lipstick
Our ultra-fine loose cosmetic face and body glitter is FUN, versatile and extremely brilliant. Put shimmer and sparkle anywhere you want. You can enhance your look with subtle touches of glitter or go all out with dynamic and intense glitter effects. The JOY is in mixing it with your other products to create new and exciting looks. Our glitters come in an amazing array of colors and sparkles. They are holographic, prismatic, brilliant and most of all, safe to wear on the eyes, face and body.
Ingredients: Loose Cosmetic Glitter, Acrylic Polymer (Plastic) in a 10 Gram Jar with Sifter and Safety Seal wrap.


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Speckled Dice Sets
Speckled elemental RPG dice sets, with many different colors to choose from. These dice have a speckled mix of two or more colors in the base, with numbered faces. Choose from any of these 7-piece dice sets including Water, Air, Earth, Fire, Space, Urban, Arctic, Sea, Lotus, and many more.