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Uncharted: Drakes Fortune Review-Best Game Yet on PS3, No Contest
First I would like to say that I have played or own every major title currently available for the PS3. With that said this is the best game I have played on the PS3 to date. After playing this game I know why I bought a PS3 and not an Xbox 360. Uncharted is the first game on the PS3 that has truly begun to leverage the raw power that the PS3 actually does have under the hood. I am a computer guy so when I saw the specs for the PS3, they looked more like computer specs and a gaming console but anyway back to Uncharted.
In Uncharted, you play as Nathan Drake, a possible descendant of Francis Scott Drake, on the hunt to find well whatever it was that Francis Drake was looking for. On that note the game begins with you on a boat off the coast of Panama having just pulled up what you believe to be F.S. Drake's casket but there is a surprise here I wont tell you what. From there the race is on as you storm through multiple environments on the greatest treasure hunt ever taken on in a game, sorry Ms. Croft. While a few of the Tomb Raiders were ok, Uncharted outdoes them in every way. Now we will talk again when a tomb raider title comes out for the PS3.
Visually this game is stunning. The levels are truly complete with no areas where they kind of just skimped and hoped you wouldn't notice. On a regular SD TV this game was beautiful, I can only imagine how gorgeous it would look in HD. Now on the box it says it only goes up to 720p but I have heard that you can disable that and force an upscale to 1080p. As most already know the wetness system is great. When Nathan gets wet he stays wet for a while before drying. The water in this game is beautifully done and very realistic in the way it behaves.
The music in this game is second to one. It actually has a very brilliant musical score. The music is moving and always appropriate for the moment in which it is used. The voices are all on point and well done. All the characters have their own distinct voices and none sound the same. They took a lot of time to give every character uniqueness through their voices and with that mission accomplished. All the SFX are top-notch and accurate also.
The gameplay is excellent. All the controls feel natural and fluid. The many guns that Nathan will use during his adventure all react realistically, such as assault rifles have heavy recoil that forces the gun up as you shoot. The puzzles in the game are for the most part easy except for one or two. The AI on normal is savvy to say the least, they actually duck, slide, and take all kind of other evasive maneuvers. Perhaps the most enjoyable parts are some of the leaps Nathan has to make, some are truly spectacular. You find yourself saying I wonder if he can make that , sometimes you do and sometimes you don't. lol. But that's the fun part. All in all Uncharted: Drake's Fortune is by far the best game out on PS3. If you are torn between Uncharted and AC, go with Uncharted you wont be disappointed. I have AC and while the game does a lot of things right, even some revolutionary things, when we talk about overall gameplay and replay appeal it's no contest. AC could have been one of the greatest games ever but they took a few fatal missteps. So in synopsis, AC is a really good game, but Uncharted is a classic.


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Philippines Leaves the USA – level 1
24-10-2016 07:00
This news is about the Philippines. The country has a new president. His name is Rodrigo Duterte. He wants a war on drugs.
The Philippines and the USA are allies. However, the USA does not like Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs. The two countries stop working together.
China supports the war on drugs. Duterte visits China. He gives a speech. He separates the Philippines from the USA. He becomes allies with China and Russia instead.
Difficult words: ally (a formal friend), support (agree with something), separate (stop working with someone or something).
You can watch the original video in the Level 3 section.
What do you think about this news?
LEARN 3000 WORDS with NEWS IN LEVELS
If you read and listen to two articles every day, your reading and listening skills can improve fast. You can learn quickly and after some time you will not have to translate into your own language. You will simply understand. Why should you do this?
When you listen to people in your native language, you do not translate. You simply understand. The same has to be in English. When you learn English, you have to learn the whole sentences in context.
Students, who translate English texts, do exercises and do tests are very good at translating, doing exercises and doing tests, but they have problems with understanding English in real life. In real life, nobody waits for your translation. People usually use simple English when they speak but they use it fast. You have to understand with no translation to your native language. If you translate, you cannot be part of communication because you are thinking about the language too much. These words are maybe hard to read but they are true.
You also have to hear every new word 5 to 10 times if you want to remember it. That's why we use the same words in one level. If you read and hear the same words again and again, you will understand them and remember them. If you know words from one level, you can go to a higher level and learn new words. It is important to go step by step, and read and listen to words which are used in English often. This is what we do with our news. In our short news, we use words which are used in English often. Level 1 has the 1000 most important words. Level 2 has the 2000 most important words, Level 3 has the 3000 most important words.
So, if you want to understand English fast and learn fast, read two articles or more a day. You can improve your reading and listening quickly when you read easy English news. We will help you learn English fast and understand it. When you use this website every day, you can learn 3000 words which you need for communication with anybody in English.
How to improve your English with News in Levels:
- Read all today's articles and translate all words which you don't understand.
- Read the articles from the day before and see if you remember all new words.
- Listen to all today's news.
- Stop the video after every sentence and repeat the sentence.
- Repeat point 2 for the news which you listened to the day before.
- Answer the questions under today's news and write them into the comments.
- Chat in our Facebook Group for at least 2 minutes. You can write about today's news.
- Choose one person from the SKYPE section.
- You can talk about today's news or you can answer questions from http://www.newsinlevels.com/questions/
If you want to know how to learn English effectively, please visit www.englishrestart.com.

subset: commoncrawl


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BOSTON — Boston.--THERE IS a scene in ''Home Alone'' when Kevin McCallister stands before the mirror in his parents' bathroom, slaps some after-shave lotion on his tender 8-year-old skin, and lets out a howl. It comes just in time. One bracing shock of reality, to remind us that Kevin is not quite yet the man of the house.
For the rest of this delicious movie, the son of the suburbs, the youngest child accidentally left behind in his family's frantic vacation exit, is nothing if not self-sufficient. He protects himself. He protects his home. And in the process, it seemed to this contented viewer that Kevin McCallister protects parents from the worst of their anxieties.
''Home Alone'' is a surprise hit. The smart money in Hollywood never figured it would reach the top. They didn't count on the longing for a family movie in which the hero is a delight, the criminals are comic and you don't have put your hands over the kids' eyes.


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Negroes serving as teamsters, laundresses and cooks for the Union Army
Watch "Disappeared Without Any Account Being Had of Them: Enslaved Women and the Armies of the Civil War," a Feb. 24 talk by Thavolia Glymph.
Thavolia Glymph, associate professor of history at Duke University, has written extensively on Southern women and slavery. Out of the House of Bondage: The Transformation of the Plantation Household is her most recent book.
Her talk is part of a series of Vanderbilt University lectures on campus during the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War. The talks are sponsored by the Vanderbilt's College of Arts and Science and are in conjunction with an interdisciplinary undergraduate course on the Civil War co-taught by Richard Blackett, the Andrew Jackson Professor of History, and Michael Kreyling, the Gertrude Conway Vanderbilt Professor of English.
"Disappeared... Enslaved Women and the Armies of the Civil War"


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Friday, October 05, 2007
(3089/898) Fear and guilt in America
(judiciously cropped)
Note: "3089/898" is the designation I've given to the project of posting all my collected quotes, excerpts and ideas (3089 of them) in the remaining days of the Bush administration (of which there were 898 left when I began).
As of today, there are 472 days remaining in the administration of the worst American President ever. Ed Fitzgerald | 10/05/2007 12:25:00 AM | | | del.icio.us | GO: TOP OF HOME PAGE


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(AP) CAIRO — An Islamic State group affiliate in Egypt released a video Monday showing the suicide bomber who killed nearly 30 people when he attacked a packed church in December and vowing more attacks on Christians.
A narrator says in the 20-minute video that the Egyptian Christians are the extremist group's "favorite prey."
The video shows footage of Egypt's Coptic Christian pope, Christian businessmen, judges and priests who either speak of the need to protect the minority or use derogatory terms to refer to Egypt's Muslim majority. The narrator says Christians were no longer "dhimmis," a reference to non-Muslims in Islam who enjoy a degree of state protection. Instead, the group describes the Christians as "infidels" who are empowering the West against Muslim nations.
"God gave orders to kill every infidel," one of the militants carrying an AK-47 assault rifle says in the video.
Egypt's Coptic Christians, who make up around 10 percent of the population, have been always a favorite target of Islamic extremists. Attacks on churches by Muslim mobs increased since the 2013 military overthrow of an Islamist president. Christians overwhelmingly supported the army chief-turned-president, Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, and extremists have used such support as a pretext to increase attacks against them.
The video shows footage of Abu Abdullah al-Masri, the militant who blew himself up at the central Cairo church last month. The attack, says the narrator, was "only the beginning."
"Oh worshipprs of the cross … the soldiers of the state are watching you," another masked militant identified as Abu Zubair al-Masri says. full story
Get Updates!


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A New Social Contract for the Philippines
Many commentators have seized on the potential for transformation under a new Aquino presidency based on its reputation for probity. In order for it to be transformational, it would have to restructure the "rules of the game" or negotiate a new social contract between the state and its stakeholders. Read more


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We live for takeout. When I talk about we, I mean North American culture in particular, although many cultures around the world offer delicious takeout options. In
In the eighties, the world was focused on Styrofoam. The substance was blamed for damaged to the ozone layer, the layer that protects people from the sun's ultraviolet rays. Today, there's been a gradual phase-out of the CFCs in this packaging, but its production still uses precious petroleum resources and produces waste. Then there was plastic. Clear plastic takeout packaging is light and flexible, washable and recyclable. But plastic is a non-renewable resource, even if it is recycled. Finally, there is paper. Paper products seem to be a logical choice for takeout. This packaging is lightweight and recyclable. However, given that they are contaminated with our oily food waste, we haven't quite mastered a way to recycle these paper products. They're renewable, but they're not ideal.
Into the muddy mix of takeout packaging comes the corntainer. No, that isn't a typo. It's a container made out of corn. Imagine waving fields of green corn. Imagine 54,000 bottles. The Corntainer Corporation can make that many bottles from a single acre of corn. Not bad, and definitely annually renewable. Corntainers are popular at our local Whole Foods, the site of many pilgrimages for those who wish to buy sustainable. They look like plastic, so you can see the food inside. However, they compost like corn, sort of.
The sort of is the catch. Corntainers do need to be returned to the store for processing in a commercial compost. While it makes sense to save your packaging until your next takeout purchase, this does make the corntainer less convenient than other recyclable packaging options. Grab and go meals, wash and drop recycling are easier than making a special trip to the store to compost your container. Corntainers strive to be ethical and sustainable. The company was designed to reduce the use of petroleum. Although corntainers are an odd variation on the cash crop, the company does donate to organic farming associations, supporting local agriculture.
What do you think? Are corntainers the next generation of sustainable packaging, or are they a passing trend?


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|Gorgeous view from the ShaSa Resort pool.
As a woman traveler considering going alone to the islands, you might be wondering where you can get some Koh Samui travel advice so you know what to expect. If so, then you have come to the right place!
Many women wonder if it's safe to travel alone to Koh Samui. All I can say is, that yes it certainly is! And what's more, it's not only safe, but there are special benefits for women who go alone. The most obvious benefit is the social aspect. Koh Samui travel is all about meeting new people and having a good time, and if you travel alone, you'll almost certainly meet new people easier. Travelling alone can open many doors that would otherwise stay closed if you were travelling in a group. You're much more approachable, and so it's much more likely that you'll be invited to join other people on an adventure.
Solo Koh Samui travel also allows women to go wherever they want, and do whatever they want, without having to think about what somebody else wants. Koh Samui has many different options, some you will like, some you won't like. When you're alone, you can just stick to the things you like. Feel like a luxury massage at the all-star Sasha spa and resort? Then just go for it! No need to worry what anyone else thinks.
On the downside though, solo Koh Samui travel does require women to take some extra precautions.
Additional Koh Samui Travel Tips for Women:
· Koh Samui is a tourist resort packed full of westerners, and so it isn't really necessary to wear "culturally appropriate" clothing like you may have to in other parts of Thailand. However, if you do wear something risqué, as a lone woman you are likely to attract lots of male attention. You can avoid this attention by dressing more conservatively (baggy t-shirt, shorts not too short), and not going too wild with your make up
· You can also avoid attention from men by staying close to other groups of women if you are walking through a populated area. Or else, simply ignore men when they make approached towards you. Wearing a wedding ring may also help, and if some guy really starts pushing you to talk, just mention you are on your way to meet your husband
· One of the biggest dangers of Koh Samui travel is at night. Solo or not, you should always take extra care at night, just as you would back at home. While this doesn't mean you can't go out and enjoy yourself, you do need to take care of yourself more at night. Watch your drink if you're out in the pub, and let someone know where you are going, even if it's just the hotel staff
· Avoid carrying large amounts of money, and keep your purse and any valuables safely tucked away out of sight. This is sound Koh Samui travel advice.
· Don't tell people things they don't need to know. Nobody needs to know that you are travelling alone, nor that no one is expecting you to come home later.
Much of this Koh Samui travel advice is just plain common sense anyway. The most important thing is, keep your wits about you and don't forget you're here to have fun. Enjoy!


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Wednesday, 23 November 2016
Lake of secrets
Te-beo en la calle finished last Sunday. Artist alley went great. Also the live drawing session.
One of the surprises of those days is that last Friday I discovered I won the contest of Trampa fanzine, in the category I participated, senior illustration. I really didn't expect it!! but it also made my day... Even if it still looks like a dream.
The illustration you can see above, is the one I sent to participate. A mermaid in a lake? I wanted people to get a story, their own version, out of this illustration :)
Also, here is a photo, thanks to Alberto Bueno, of the moment right after I got the diploma:
If you are in Córdoba (Spain) you could get the fanzine for free, with my illustration on it, among the rest of participants.
It's all for today. Have a nice day!!
Posted by Carmen Nogales at 09:36
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Orange Business Services - Trading Solutions Secures New Open Trade Client in China
Orange Business Services - Trading Solutions, a global IT and communications services provider, has announced that the company has secured a new Open Trade client in China. Open Trade is a multimedia communications hub combining voice, video, e-mail, instant messaging and Web-based applications, and is developed as a personal trading assistant. Enabling customers to access business and lifestyle applications on Open Trade, Open Trade Store is the application portal model for the trading desktop.
The National Association of Financial Market Institution Investors (NAFMII), a self-regulatory organization, has deployed the smart turret on its Beijing trading floor.
These apps enhance trading activities and are improved for the Open Trade interface. At the same time, they enhance the information and functionality already delivered by Trading Solutions and make businesses more productive.
While still being able to use the phone for trading purposes, users can switch from one app to another. The features provided include the ability to convert equity prices into another currency, check financial information in real-time, watch live TV and trade all at the same time.
"This deployment provides us with significant new opportunity to penetrate the Chinese market. As more companies in Asia are demanding advanced, innovative technology for their trading needs, we are well placed to deliver on these requirements," said Lionel Grosclaude, CEO of Trading Solutions. "We look forward to supporting NAFMII and potentially their members in the future."
Recently, the company introduced Libon, a free iOS communication app available in 90 countries. Libon allows customers to make free High Definition voice calls, send text messages and create personalized voicemails. All this can be done one simple-to-use app. Libon will be available on Android in early Q1. For Libon users, wherever they are, in the same country or on the other side of the world, free HD calls Libon users will enjoy completely free high quality voice calls.
Want to learn more about the latest in communications and technology? Then be sure to attend ITEXPO Miami 2013, Jan 29- Feb. 1 in Miami, Florida. Stay in touch with everything happening at ITEXPO. Follow us on Twitter.
Edited by Rachel Ramsey


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Well, the journey has ended... or has it begun? Here I am at day 30. I painted this Black Eyed Susan because it's a tie between this or the sunflower that is my favorite. I used to pick these by the handful and bring back for my mom from the fields around our house on the hill. As a little girl I thought my mom just named them Black Eyed Susan because my name was Susie and I had dark brown eyes.. it was quite some time later before I realized everyone called them that....
©2013 Susie Morrell "Black Eyed Susan" 6 x 6 oil on panel
To view all my available paintings please visit: Susie Morrell Portfolio
I welcome questions and comments click here
Please consider sharing my work with others….. Thank You!


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Tuesday, December 13, 2011
1 comments:
- Kristof said...
I feel for you POB (albeit the hard drive).I experienced one of those screaminglikeapigbeforedeath hard drive once and i obviously lost a lot of data.Ever since i always have 3 HD on the go to avoid further disappointment.
On pic number 3 on the window it says "everyday it's resurection day".is that the resurection of very ugly polar jumpers?
- December 14, 2011 at 11:02 AM
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- Launch date: June 2016
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The game selection philosophy is to gather together in one place as many awesome games as possible from wherever they can be found. This means that there isn't just one software package used; instead, games from multiple vendors are present. The companies whose offerings are represented include:
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The post Fantastic Spins Review – 10 free spins + 200% Bonus appeared first on BoomTown Bingo.
From http://www.boomtownbingo.com/fantastic-spins-review


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Chuck E. Cheese's Guest Pass Giveaway Winner!
Congratulations Samantha R. from Fayetteville, GA!
Your Free Chuck E. Cheese's Guest Pass will include:
- 1 Large Pizza
- 4 Soft Drinks
- 30 Game Tokens
"Where A Kid Can Be A Kid!"
Original Post:
We're celebrating our youngest son's birthday at Chuck E. Cheese's next month, and wanted you and your family to join in the fun!
Win a Free Guest Pass to Chuck E. Cheese's and bring the little ones you love to celebrate at the place "where a kid can be a kid!"
This Guest Pass can be redeemed at any Chuck E. Cheese's in the country!
Your Guest Pass will include:
- 1 Large Pizza
- 4 Soft Drinks
- 30 Game Tokens
1. Like Married with Two Boys on Facebook
2. Like Support Table For Two on Facebook
3. Like Chuck E. Cheese on Facebook
4. Leave a comment on this post, along with your email address so we know where to send your Guest Pass!
I worked with the good folks at Chuck E. Cheese's to provide this great giveaway! My family received a Guest Pass too! ***CLOSED*** Deadline to enter is December 16, 2011 at 7pm. This particular giveaway is for US Residents ONLY. Thank you!


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Django Django offer up the official visual to accompany their single "Hail Bop" which appears on their self titled debut. The video is a brightly coloured explosion featuring the members working in some kind of office(?) and pushing a large glowing ball to the top of the large fictitious building. It's a tricky one to explain so it play above and look out for the single when it's released on August 13th.
Good news for fans in the US too, their album will be released digitally Stateside on the 14th of August and physically a month later on September 25th.


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So you are wondering how to train both Olympic weightlifting as well as kettlebell lifting. Is there a balance that can be met? Well, if you are trying to seriously train for either sport, then in my opinion, no. One has to give. Sure you can use the other as a compliment to your training, but it has to take a back seat and it has to be of relatively low intensity.
Each of these sports hits the central nervous system in different manners. And when training at high intensity, one needs to give their body a chance to adequately recover. Simultaneously training for each of these sports won't allow that recovery to happen.
At the moment, I can focused on Olympic weightlifting. Personally, after a training session with heavy barbells I have no desire to start lifting a kettlebell, or two, for long sets. First, my body is already fatigued. Second, my hands are usually already feeling like raw meat. Neither of these bodes well for kettlebell training. So what do I do?
I now use kettlebells as a means for conditioning. I typically pick up the bells on the days I am not training the Olympic lifts. I will train for long sets but with lighter bells. I may also include this bell work in conjunction with some other conditioning work.
Extended set of kettlebell swings: Swings are relatively easy on the hands. Depending on the weight used, I may alternate hands every minute and swing for a long set. For example, I've performed a 10 minute swing set with a 16kg bell, switching hands every minute.
Circuit of kettlebell swing and jumping rope: Perform a 2-minute set of kettlebell swings (1 minute per hand) with a heavier kettlebell, then move right into a 2 minute set of jump rope. Then rest for a minute or two and repeat. A few circuits of this works one pretty well.
Half Turkish Getups: For some core work, I have started introducing these into the mix. They are easy on the hands and work one's core pretty well. If you want to superset with ab wheel rollouts, go for it.
Extended set of kettlebell snatches: For days when my hands are feeling good, I'll perform an extended set of snatches with a lighter bell similar to the extended swing set. Focus is on breathing and technique. The last thing you want to do is tear your hands up. Especially if you are scheduled to pick up a barbell the following day. If you perform you snatches with proper technique, you will not damage your hands. This should be avoided particularly when training.
Personally, I am still experimenting with what works best for me. I try to be flexible in my exercise selection. I may also play around with light clubbells, medicine balls, "battling" ropes and box jumps. Whatever you choose to play with, just make sure you have fun with it!


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I'm intrigued by songs that mention songs, because I think they are doing it as a short-hand way of building on the meaning of the original song. Like how a book's epigram informs the way the author intends you to look at the story you're about to read. I mentioned to my wife once, "If I was getting a doctorate in music theory, I'd write about songs that mention songs, comparing the original to the referencing." My wife said, "I don't think you know what music theory is about."
Anyway, here's a small list that comes to me right now.
- "Roy Orbison singing for the lonely / hey, that's me and I want you only" sung in Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run."
- "Elvis singing 'don't be cruel' and I wonder / if you feel it too, it's like we're going under" sung in The Killers' "The Way It Was."
- The title of The Killers' "Deadlines and Commitments" is a line from the Bob Seger song "Against the Wind."
There are a lot more I've noticed lately, but I didn't write them down and I'm in a hurry now. Maybe I'll keep track of this in future blog posts, like how I have recurring posts about words with alternate pronunciations when they are different parts of speech ("I'll permit you to drive with your learner's permit because your dominate hand will dominate.").


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Tom Papier recently had a "hankering" for Sticky Cinnamon Scrolls. We trolled the web for a suitable recipe and came up with the following creation. I say "we" but in actual fact Tom pretty much did all of the work himself.
We found a recipe on Taste.Com for Hot Cross Buns that we could use as a starting point. We omitted all the dried fruit and added during and after the process a syrupy concoction of sugar, water and cinnamon. It was a great excuse for licking our fingers afterwards!!
What's your food of comfort?


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I know, I know... I have a huge backlog of race reports, life updates and whatnot that have gone woefully to the wayside. However, I have a semi-legitimate excuse for this lack of post-age...
It's called Ironman training. And it's really getting to me! Honestly, I've started counting the days until IMKY (29) and while I feel like I should be nervous, I feel... ready. Like I just want to get out there and get it done. I've been training for it seriously since January, and as the hours per week get higher and higher, the more I want to just be done with it. I'm ready for it to be Fall. I have to say, I love training. I love racing more than anything. But I don't love that my whole summer has seemingly dissolved into training and worrying about apartment stuff. One or the other would be fine, but this two-headaches-for-the-price-of-one business is a bit absurd.
The training wouldn't be bad but my two high volume weeks happen to be corresponding to the weeks that Monday-Wednesday I've been/will be living in White Plains nannying. Add to that the full day I work on Friday, and it's a little tough to meet the 28+ hour/week training schedule. In fact, nearly impossible, especially since on Thursday I had to lend my earlobes to a friend who's made his own line of amazing Lego earrings (brickbyshick.etsy.com- sooo cute!) Sure, I didn't get paid for that modeling "gig", but I got a great pair of earrings out of it! Beyond training, I've seen Robbie once this whole week- quite a drop from the every day I was seeing him when we lived together. We have another month before we move into our new place, and the appalling lack of furniture that we have at the moment is making me a wee bit insane. Move in is 2 days after IM, and the same day that classes start. September is going to be a busy month!
I am making fun post-IM plans though. Pre-CX season, I have every intention of "treating myself" to a septum piercing (maybe. not 100% sure.) and letting my cosmetology-obsessed sister potentially bleach out part of my hair. Also, plans for finishing the tattoo on my back are in the works for this winter, thanks to Robbie's friend Tiffany. Add to that the excitement of getting to go to school full-time for a semester, potentially audit a class in exercise science, and get some real work done on my writing, I'm pretty stoked. I'm also insanely psyched about CX season, of course. And lastly, I'm attempting to find a place to do some volunteering a couple hours a week, and I think I may have found a place. So, fingers crossed!
But before all of that, I have to get through Ironman, and Robbie and I need to get through August and moving in September. It's do-able, I know. But it seems weird to be excited more for school starting than for Summer vacation to be happening. I'm not very good with waiting... Even my family vacation to Virginia Beach will be a little less fun, since Robbie won't be going because of work and my IM plans and travel arrangements, and I'll only have 5 days of vacation before we head to Kentucky to race. So it'll be a nervous few days on the beach, but as Dad and his hero, Jimmy Buffet, would agree, a bad day on vacation beats the best day at work.
In other news, I know I promised race reports. So without further ado, the Cliff Notes versions:
Sprintin' Clinton 5k:
Time: 19:37 (PR by 30 sec)
This is a 5k race that's super well known throughout NJ. It has between 300 and 400 participants every year, and it's really a serious race for high school/collegiate runners. It's got a couple of longish not too steep hills, and it's a challenging course, made more challenging by the fact that it happens at 6PM, so you've had all day to eat and worry. The worrying for me is brought on by a day's worth of eating, of course.
I got there pretty nervous about my stomach, since I couldn't exactly have raced on just one bagel all day, considering I had already done a 2 hour ride and an hour long run. I had no idea what to expect, but last year I was 4th female, and this year I really really wanted to be in the top 3.
My cousin was racing too, though more casually. She's a fitness runner, not a crazy person like me. And that's according to her!
We were at the starting line together but I was shifting towards the front line and she was trying to slip more into the back. The gun went off, and I knew that if I was going to top3, I had to go out hard and maintain, not start out and overtake. I'm not so good with doing that. So, I went hard, and for the first half mile or so, I was the first female. There was a woman behind me who had kicked my a$$ in a 5k in Princeton the month before and she got in front of me, then I passed her, et cetera. Sometime right before mile 1, 2 girls blasted past us, looking super casual about it. I was already pushing hard and I wasn't about to kill myself by mile 1.5. We hit mile 1 in 6:01, and I was feeling good. I kept the two girls in sight, but I knew they were actual runners, so I wasn't expecting to beat them. By the last half mile or so, I finally dropped the woman who I had been duking it out with, and was really starting to push for the finish. I knew I was going to be super close to 20 min and if I wanted sub-20 I had to work hard. Came into the finishing straight, heard dad screaming his head off and saw the clock at 19:05, and just pounded the pavement as fast as I could. I crossed in 19:37, my best time by almost 30 seconds on a much hillier course than my previous PR. I ended up 3rd, but it turns out that the 2 winners are 2 of the top collegiate runners in the state, so I don't feel too bad, coming 30 seconds behind them.
Finally got to check off my goal of running a sub20 5k, which felt awesome. For about two seconds. Stupid Type A personality (and a little needling from my dad), now I'm thinking about how soon I can break 19. Maybe next summer. Or this CX season...
The trophy, by the way, is enormous. Seriously, it's ridiculous. And I love it.
And just one week later, it was time for the
Nautica NYC Triathlon:
Time: 2:24 (PR by 5 min)
Let me again state for the record that this race was insanely exciting for me for a few reasons. First of all, it's my first NYC triathlon. Second, it's the only Olympic distance I got to do this year. Third, it was my first race ever as an elite (amateur). That part was cool and all, until I realized that it involved a dive start. Not bad if I had known earlier, but I hadn't had time to practice diving with my goggles. I can dive, for the record, but I also have weird shaped eye sockets or something, because I've never found a pair of goggles that fits just right. And I doubt they would have stayed on if I had done a good dive.
But beyond that...
It was a tough race because of the insanely early start, but of course, I knew I could be done by 8:30 am if I played my cards right. Then again, waking up at 2 am to get there on time was no picnic. Still, Dad and I made it to the city with plenty of time to check on transition, walk the 1.5 miles to the water and get into my wetsuit (just me, not Dad. Dad in my size small women's suit is a scary thought.) Even not being rushed, it came time to get into my corral way too soon, and before I knew it we were walking to the pier for our dive start. I wasn't too nervous, like I would have been a year ago, but still!!
The dive start was... well, if you combine a dive and a bellyflop, you pretty much have what I did. But it worked, since my goggles stayed on! Not that it mattered, since the Hudson is so gross you can't see anything anyway. Because of my crap dive, it was tough to stay with the lead pack. Also, I sight on the right, the shore was on the left, and the buoys were impossible to see. So, I had to stay on pace with a woman who sighted to her left who was swimming at roughly my pace. I think had I been able to make the dive/sight easier, I would have passed her and gone faster but as it was, it was easier to stay with her. The current was awesome, but the water was briny and honestly, pretty vile. I was happy to get out of it, but less happy about how the volunteers yanked us out and onto the pier. I would have liked some warning that there weren't steps we could walk up ourselves, coming out of the water to people yelling is a bit disorienting. Then, a HALF MILE barefoot run to transition. Holy crap.
I got on the bike super fast and was drinking away trying to wash Hudson out of my mouth. I've never used strawberry Heed, but that's what I had at home, and HOLY CRAP I will never use it again. Sooooo bad and fake sweetened. Ugh. But I choked it down.
There was a big hill out of the transition area, but compared to some of the bike races I've done, it was nothing. I could see people having trouble though, since at the top it was pretty rough pavement. Thank you cyclocross!! After that, the biking went well. I got passed by one elite woman and passed a couple myself. There was a 40 year old dude on a Giant and he and I kept passing each other, which was sort of nice. Less nice was the literal PELETON of 40-44 men who blew past us. Seriously?! They were even shouting to each other about taking pulls. W.T.F. Hi, this is a triathlon? As in, no drafting? I can only imagine how infuriated dudes in their age group were when those idiots passed them. I hope a ref saw them, but at that point, there were pros on course and I'm pretty sure the refs were paying more attention to them than the age groupers. Annoying.
The bike went well, I think I might have been able to push it more, I was feeling fine afterward, but without training for this distance, I had no idea how I would be feeling and didn't want to waste my legs pre-run. Looking back, kinda wish that I had. I had a good bike time compared to most of the women though, so I was happy about that.
Then, the run. I had NO CLUE how this would go, since I never run this distance, except as a short "easy" run. I wanted to run 7:00 miles, and on a flat course I might have, but on this course- whoa. Who knew Central Park had so many hills? Getting out of transition, I could hear dad yelling, and running towards the Park was awesome- the streets were lined with people and in my sick KILLA bikini, I was getting a lot of "you go girl" yells. I was also one of the first women they had seen all day and one of the first 150 people overall, so they were still fresh and psyched to cheer for everyone. It made me feel so good!
In the park, runners who were just out on a daily run were cheering for us, and I passed a few of the 40-44 men. I felt good, and I spotted the one woman who creamed me on the bike ahead of me. So, I dug in and chased her down. After I passed her, I heard "I knew I'd see you again." It was the dude with the Giant bike, and he was British! Haha it made running so much easier, trying to keep up with his crazy long strides. We were really egging each other on, taking turns out in front and stuff. I drank at every station, and felt good. We were almost done... I thought.
I HATE this during races- when people tell you the finish is just up ahead, and you believe them. NEVER believe them. I made a turn thinking it was maybe 200 yards to the finish... try maybe 600. Bad time to start sprinting. I was totally beat by the time I hit the finish line but I just kept pushing and pushing, trying to keep sprinting. There were tons of people cheering, and it was just nuts.
I hit the finish line, felt like my stomach was going to explode right after my lungs, and frantically was looking for Dad, who I had heard when I crossed the line but couldn't see anywhere. here's my beef with Nautica. I appreciate their security, but when I walked out of the fenced in athlete area, I was stumbling and completely incoherent, and no one told me you couldn't get back in. Furthermore, I had no idea that there was a spectator meeting area- maybe that should have been in the race packet. Either way, I walked out of there because I saw dad but he couldn't hear me. When I tried to get back in to get a bottle of water and a bagel, I couldn't get back in. It sucks to pay that much to race and get no water or food post-race. I know it's for security reasons, but even if I couldn't get back in, please hand me a bagel and water? Come on now.
My other issue is that while I was done at 8:30, transition wasn't open until 11. I was supposed to be at the track at noon for a track omnium I was racing in, and that meant we would have to book it.
I must have looked like such a jackass waiting for transition to open- when it did, I swear I made a run for it like I was starting a 100meter sprint or something. I have never packed my crap up that fast. I was the first one out of transition (hah!) and we got to the track with 1 minute to spare.
Unfortunately, sitting in 110 heat after eating a powerbar and half a pretzel, drinking 2 water bottles, and racing a triathlon, is not a good idea. I was not feeling great. In fact, I felt like total crap. It didn't help that my new track bike had a)never been ridden and b)had a 15 cog on the back instead of a 14, making it a spin-crazy kind of bike. I don't spin. Ask anyone. I will grind away in the big ring until the cows come home, but I don't like to spin.
So, after one of 5 races (I was asleep/passed out for the second), dad and I decided to just go home. He wasn't doing much better than I was, and I was starting to see spots. I figured being the 28th female overall in the triathlon (in a field of 2000+) was good enough for one day.
So there you have it- race reports in a nutshell. I need to buy pictures from Nautica from Brightroom, since there are a couple of great ones.
Side note, I am soooo proud of my teammate and friend David for finishing his first triathlon last weekend, the NJ State Olympic tri. I wish I had signed up for it so I could have raced with him, but I think we'll do Skylands together in September. I'm so glad I'm not the only triathlete on the team anymore!!
One last note- you may notice on the righthand side of the page, I added a new Widget linking to my GoodReads.com page- I'm a bookworm at heart, and I'm loving a site that lets me list and talk about books. So if you have one, friend me!
If you're looking for great race stories...
5 years ago


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My 2008 Wisconsin gun whitetail deer hunting season started off well with a relaxing 3 hour drive up to deer camp in the Moose Lake area of the north woods. My brother Brent and I got off work at noon in order to have a more relaxed, traffic jam free drive up to our destination of Louie's Landing. We have been renting a small cabin at Louie's for a number of years now and it works well as we're just minutes from the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest where we hunt. This year's camp featured 7 hunters consisting of my Grandpa Mathison, Dad, Brent, my Dad's friend Dan, his son Joe, my uncle Orv and me. Using beds, cots, air mattresses and futons we all fit in a 2 bedroom 1 bath cabin. The last few years my dad has been required to work the week of deer hunting season, so he and grandpa had to head back to Eau Claire on Sunday night, leaving the remaining 5 of us to hunt until Tuesday. And hunt we did! Each morning we woke up around 4:30, made a breakfast of scrambled eggs and sausage and headed to the woods around 6 a.m., well before daylight, in order to sneak into our hunting spot in time for the spectacular north woods sunrise. We hunted all day, sometimes taking the truck and switching spots around noon in search of a better spot. In this respect, hunting is like fishing; if the fish aren't biting, try a new spot!
Even though we hunted from dawn until dusk, I didn't see one deer the whole opening weekend (Saturday thru Tuesday). Brent, who I hunted closely with most of the time, had similar bad luck. My dad was a bit luckier, shooting his first deer in years, a nubbin (yearling) buck at about 9 a.m. Saturday (the opening day). Dan and Joe hunted near each other and each saw multiple deer on the weekend, but only Dan was able to harvest any, getting two doe on Sunday from his 'normal' spot which has been very productive (and a well guarded secret) over the years. The rest of the group was skunked for most of the first 4 days.
The evenings at deer camp this year were filled with stories from years past as well as theories on why the number of deer in the woods might be down this year. In between the deer talk, we managed to spend the first two nights with a deer camp ritual: nickel and dime poker. This probably isn't the most exciting poker game played in deer camps in Wisconsin, but it allows everyone to play and have fun without losing their allowance for the week. We let the dealer call the game, with popular variations such as 5 card draw, 7 card stud, 5 card draw with a pair of jacks needed to open the betting and 3 of a kind to win ('jacks to open, trips to win'), and the staple of the Mathison deer camp: Baseball (in the rain), a very exciting version of 7 card stud with 2 wild cards (3,9), a bonus hole card (if you draw a 4) and the possibility of rain (a Queen of spades drawn as an 'up' card). If it rains, you must throw you cards in and the game is re-dealt and the pot rolls over to the subsequent game of baseball. The real excitement comes when it rains multiple times (it rained 3 times once this year) and the pot builds!
Another tradition of deer camp is the annual visit to the casino (sense a theme?) In the past there has always been someone who has been left behind since the age limit at casinos in Wisconsin is 21. This year, the youngest member of the group (Joe) was finally 21, so everyone was eligible for the casino trip. Sunday night after Dad and Grandpa had left, Orv, Brent, Joe and I made the trip to the casino (Dan was spent from shooting two deer that day and opted to stay back at the cabin go to bed early). I believe Orv and Brent finished down a couple bucks and Joe and I finished up about $10 each playing blackjack for a couple hours. Not great, but still better than coming back down!
The final evening was spent watching the Packers on Monday Night Football at the bar at Louie's Landing. I won't say too much about that, except for the fact that we went home to back to the cabin and to bed at the end of the 3rd quarter, and not because the Packers were winning 😦
All in all it was a fun weekend in the northern Wisconsin wilderness, even though I wasn't successful at harvesting a deer in the first 4 days of hunting. Tuesday night Brent and I drove back to the Twin Cities to do a little work and get ready for the Thanksgiving holiday, during which we took a short break from hunting.
After an enjoyable Thanksgiving, we were back in the woods south east of Eau Claire near Fairchild, WI on Friday to continue the quest for a deer. Brent and I slept in a bit and met Orv, Dan and Joe in the woods at our usual spot near the pipeline off of County Highway I. Within 10 minutes of entering the woods, I spotted my first deer of the season, but it was traveling quickly and I wasn't able to get my scope on it before it disappeared into the short pine trees. Later in the day I had some more action, jumping a deer as I walked through the swamp. Unfortunately the swamp was so thick, the deer was out of sight before I could get my gun up. But at least I was seeing some deer!
Sadly, although we hunted the rest of the weekend until about 2 on Sunday, I didn't see another deer and have to chalk this year up as an unsuccessful hunt for me. I think I'll blame my shiny new equipment for my lack of success. The new tree stand worked well, and my boots were very comfortable and kept my feet dry the whole weekend. I can't say they kept them warm though, but I think I'm just destined to having cold feet while hunting, as no boot seems to do the trick. From what I've read though, I'm not the only unsuccessful hunter this year, as the initial deer kill in Wisconsin appears to be down about 20% overall and even more in the northern regions of the state.
It was a fun week of hunting and seeing family and friends, and even though I got shutout in the deer department, it gives me more motivation to look forward to next year. The 2009 Wisconsin whitetail deer hunt can't come soon enough!


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I went to Valley Point School for twelve years. The first grade was the hardest. I wanted to fit in with the other kids but it wasn't easy. Believe it or not, I was a little kid when I started to school at the age of six. I remember my mother and I visited the principal of the primary school before school started so that she could see that I was ready for school. I was a precocious child and she said she thought I would be fine starting to school with the other kids my age. It also didn't hurt that Mrs Brooker was a sturdy little petite woman who was no more than five feet tall.
I was in Mrs Owens room in the first grade and was in heaven. She smelled so good. She was a very sweet teacher and all the children loved her very much. We would gather at her desk at recess, and cluster around her, talking and laughing. Some of the kids started sitting on the rim of her grey metal trashcan and balancing on it. I saw different kids doing that. I thought I could do that.
One day I tried to sit on the rim of the trashcan but I didn't know how to balance like the other kids could do. I may have had a hard time because I was shorter than most of the kids and my arms didn't reach back far enought to help me balance. I slipped and found myself folded up like a Swiss army knife and wedged in the trashcan. When I tried to get up I saw that I couldn't get out by myself.
The kids whooped with laughter at my dilema. Mrs Owens tried to get me out but she couldn't. She and some of the kids had to tip the can sideways and pry me out. I was so embarrassed, but the worse was yet to come.
Mrs Owens was afraid that I had hurt my back so she made me lie down on the nearest little wooden table. She called the principal of the elementary school, who was at the building next door, and he came to check on me.
I remember lying on my belly, with boys and girls sitting at the table watching me, and waiting on the principal to come. When he did come in the classroom Mrs Owens explained how I had slipped and gotten stuck in the trashcan and what a hard time they had getting me out. Mrs Owens and Mr Davis were standing next to me beside the table.
Mrs Owens suddenly flipped my skirt-tail up over my back and showed Mr Davis my backside. I suppose they were looking for scratches or bruises but all I saw was a bunch of dumb boys grinning like a bunch of hyenas at me and my panties.
I was mortified. No amount of living would ever erase that shame from my memory and never again did I consider them harmless boys. They had leered at me with glee and I would never forget it. I suppose that was the first wedge that entered the relationship of all those kids that I knew throughout my school years. I always felt it was them against me. No wonder.
My back wasn't seriously hurt and the principal didn't have to call my moma but my ego was bruised. I can honestly say that I don't remember ever sitting on another trashcan again. The teachers in the primary school building put a stop to allowing children to sit on trashcans from that day forward.
That wasn't the only time I would be embarrassed in front of my classmates, or show my underwear. Being a kid isn't easy.


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Heart Tarot Reviews
The Heart Tarot "celebrates a vital, unimaginably potent force in our lives: love. Whether inspired by romance, family, friendship, or God, this powerful emotion is at the heart of humanity." It's only the second heart-shaped deck published.
Created by
Maria Distefano
Tarot Deck - 78 Cards - Lo Scarabeo 2009
See card images from the Heart Tarot
Review by Spacegoat
This unique, heart-shaped tarot, by Maria Distefano (who also painted lo Scarabeo's round 'Circle of Life' tarot), will surely take some time to get used to. Purchased only yesterday in Watkins, London's wonderful esoteric / new age bookshop, I believe it will take some time to come to a conclusion about this one.
This is the first heart-shaped tarot to be published. The box itself is very appealing, and has a 'homemade' feel about it. Look inside the box and you'll see what I mean. Because of the heart shape, the paper on which the cover art and text has been printed has had to be folded over the rim of the box (and its lid) and carefully cut into one centimetre sections, each section folded and adhered within. The finished result gives a sense that each deck has been blessed with a 'personal touch', which is appropriate given the name of the deck.
The characters within the deck are very similar to those in the 'Circle of Life' tarot: fragile, fairy figures, their postures often fluid, giving the images life. Occasionally, animals also appear on the images, sometimes with the fairy figures, and in one occasion on their own (the 2 herons on the 10 of wands).
The major arcana's images express the traditional meanings of the cards, with a free-flowing style that gives the deck its own character. However, many of the minor arcana do not bear images that express the traditional meanings. In many cases, the image on the card is not only at variance with the traditional meaning, but also has no relation to its accompanying text in the LWB. An example of this is the 8 of cups (chalices), which bears an image of a girl peering over a table at 8 variously decorated ice-creams. The LWB says 'frivolities, desires. New romantic stories are fully gratifying. Unstable relationships need to be better defined. Desires are fulfilled. Frivolities and fleeting romance'. It's hard to see how the image expresses this. Neither is the traditional meaning of the 8 cups (abandonment), illustrated in this image.
There are many other instances of inconsistencies, but really they are irrelevant. The deck is very attractive, clearly a lot of effort has gone into it. The major arcana's images are faithful to the traditional meanings, and invariably given a unique twist. What I'm trying to say is that, despite the inconsistencies, I like the deck, and if you're not a traditionalist, you'll enjoy it too.
To end, I'd like to say that the images on Maria's 'Circle of Life' tarot (also an unusual shape for a tarot – round) are 100% faithful to the traditional interpretations, but given a unique twist. Her work is a welcome contribution to the evolving world of tarot imagery.
SpaceGoat is a music-therapist and teacher, based in London, UK. His current music project can be heard at MySpace and if you have time on your hands and love the guitar, you may also like to visit his works at Youtube.
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Disability Arts Festival opened on Tuesday at the University of Zimbabwe's Beit Hall with standout performances by up-and-coming artistes.
The festival for people living with disability is running under the theme "Navigating and Renegotiating Marginality: Cultural and Artistic Dimensions".
The four-day event seeks to shed light on relevant social, political, cultural and economic issues affecting society.
Previously known as "Theatre Arts Week", the festival has attracted different artistes in music, theatre, dance, poetry and visual arts taking part.
The main aim of the event is to address issues and challenges affecting the disabled people not only within the academic or professional set-up but also in the community at large.
Discussions on different topics such as how to overcome discrimination stemming from disability, gender violence, risk management and cultural marginalisation, among others, are also part of the festival.
One play titled "The White Man from Buhera" stole the hearts of many as it focuses on the life of one of the lecturers at the university, Professor John Makumbe, who was once neglected by his father because of his albinism.
Another play, "Imagine Masimba", focuses on the travails that a disabled person called Masimba goes through in his efforts to assert his rights in a society that regards the disabled as misfits in every sphere of life.
He suffers a major setback when he is turned down for a job because of his condition, despite having graduated from college with flying colours.
Hweva Mvura directed the play.
In "The Visionaries", a blind boy from a poor family suffers from low self-esteem because of his state, and this has ripple effects on his social life.
The brainchild of disabled students at the institution, the festival will also see some renowned artistes rubbing shoulders with upcoming artists during performances.
Talented contemporary music outfit Soul Bone, whose members have a variety of disabilities, will entertain the crowd at the festival in an effort to prove to the world that disability is not inability.
Renowned jazz group Talking Guitars are part of the guest performers and so is the Midlands State University Band while students from the UZ's Faculty of Theatre Arts will showcase their plays titled "High Rate, High Risk" and "The Dawn", which they collaborated with the institution's Disability Resource Centre.
There will also be film screenings with the movie "Ithemba" topping the bill.
Some of the keynote speakers and presenters at the festival include renowned author and academic Bridget Chinouriri, Washington Nyamukapa, Ennie Munashe and Professor John Makumbe, among others.
Last year in March, the Theatre Arts Week was exciting in many ways and the organisers are in consultation with various partners on how to strengthen and expand the programme.
Friday, April 8, 2011
University of Zimbabwe hosts Disability Arts Festival
From AllAfrica.com:
Posted by BA Haller at 3:39 AM


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The Author Event on Saturday April 26th was a great success thanks to Melissa Moores. Many wonderful reads. The coffee shop was packed with writers, poets and those who attended just for the readings.
I read from Justice Denied, a novel that I am currently working on.
V. M. Gopaul loves fiction writing. It's his new passion.
Read more...
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To purchase or read more Click here
I really enjoyed Tainted Justice. The plot is modern, meaningful, and plausible in its conspiracies.The story is grippingly told. It's one of those "don't want to put it down" reads. -Clare Magee
I am finding your book very interesting. I keep turning the pages (scrolling down, in this case) because I want to know what is going to happen next… you have a winner! -Bonnie Heidema
…good story about reality, the way the world is going. -Maddie Wingett
Finished Tainted Justice last week. This is a terrific story - I love it. Make sure you keep me on your early review lists - it was great fun and I can't thank you enough. -Carla Jefford
Great premise for a book…It reflects problems people are definitely talking and thinking about. -Laura Austin
The first chapter certainly did jolt me at the end! …wonderful tension there, and had me hooked once I saw Brian put the revolver in his pocket. Very well done! … promising a great story.-Annemarie Kline
Good story…engrossing…intriguing political manipulations…getting more involved with the story and liking it…lots of suspense.-Shelley Dibble
Very exciting. The author has captured the sense of depression and panic of the characters who face what they think of as economic extinction…The story is powerful. -David Decarlo


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I've had numerous occasions to "pop the hood" on JET to add functions or debug problems, and one of the things I appreciate is how it is implemented in well structured scripts. JET doesn't use complex frameworks or app servers just for the sake of adding "web 2.0" to a marketing slide. It's as simple as it needs to be. Bravo!
One thing I've noticed is that there's a HUGE amount of opportunity for enhancing JET, both in terms of optimizing existing code (increase use of functions, internal documentation, etc) but also in terms of enhancing functionality with new modules or new features in existing modules. Unfortunately, Sun (ahem, Oracle) is not really exploiting these opportunities in a timely manner. JET updates don't happen very frequently. I would expect that's due to economic strains impacting resources, and I don't expect the IT economy to suddenly produce a legion of JET developers.
Why not create an open community for the development of JET? There's all kinds of energy at OpenSolaris for next generation provisioning / packaging. If there were an OpenSolaris project for today's JET product I think we'd see it really take off. Many of us need to perform these enhancements either way, but we'd all benefit if we could leverage each others work and continue the evolution of a fantastic framework.
I'm hoping that resistance to opening JET isn't due to Sun Professional Services. JET is great, but it isn't rocket science. SunPS can always retain copyright or restrict distribution of their proprietary modules (as they always have). But the base framework screams to be open sourced, or turned into a community.
If Sun won't open the code it's tempting to try a black-box rewrite (I have no desire to break Sun's licensing - I respect their rights to code they developed!). It would certainly be a fun science project. Unfortunately, it would also be a waste of time given that an existing code base would make such a perfectly suited foundation.
So, how about it, Sun? OpenJET?
Sunday, February 28, 2010
How about OpenJET?
Posted by Christopher Hubbell at 7:11 PM No comments:
Labels: jumpstart, opensolaris
Sunday, February 07, 2010
Solaris Information Center: Release Naming
Why didn't I find this reference a long time ago? I even put a shell script in my home directory so I could dump releases whenever I needed it. Not any more. I'm moving that script into the cloud!
The Release Naming Matrix lists all of the Solaris releases and their associated maintenance updates. Very useful to anyone who manages a JumpStart / JET server, or maintains an Enterprise update process.
The Release Naming Matrix lists all of the Solaris releases and their associated maintenance updates. Very useful to anyone who manages a JumpStart / JET server, or maintains an Enterprise update process.
Posted by Christopher Hubbell at 9:59 PM No comments:
Labels: solaris patching
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Before play began, we picked up on a plot hatched by a crafty ring of international jewel thieves that would rely on the excitement generated by the tourney to help them carry out their nefarious plans. Basically, their plan was to rob jewelery stores and museums in the world's most densely populated countries on the days when their teams played games. Every time a team wins a game, the populace of that country erupts in wild celebrations, during which most everyone is distracted. The more populous the country, the bigger the celebration, the bigger the distraction, the easier it is to rob a place stupid. Simple.
Our response was equally simple: plant ourselves on the team from the smallest country possible and win all the games against the bigger countries. Fewer wins means less celebrations and more diligent security.
One of the problems we ran into was finding the right sized country. This was proving problematic until Michael found a site on the internet that allows you to register your very own micronation. With a $15 "processing fee" (charged to Jeff's credit card) and several pages of "I Agree", we were the proud owners and residents of "Unbelievia" (rejected names: Unbelievaburg, Unbelievavania, Michigan II). First order of business was to set us up with our own World Cup team. Done!
|Our team: the three of us and two guys who inadvertantly clicked the wrong link while searching for Elton John fan sites. It's going to be tough with only five guys but we love a challenge.
We encountered other problems (Jeff, in spite of being from England, doesn't particularly care for soccer. Michael doesn't particularly care for sports played while clothed) but the mission continues. The boys will tell you all about it.


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It's Saturday morning. The warm sun is shining through my "office" window on the second floor of the convent in Richmond. I am answering e-mails and working with my calendar. Karen is enjoying a free day which means extra sleep, lots of good coffee and connecting with her family. Sister Mary is working at the monastery this weekend – grant research for development. And, last but not least, Sister Charlotte Lange is resting and praying in the first floor "recovery room."
Yes, our sister was discharged on Tuesday and has settled in to the new but very familiar rhythm of the mission house. Physically, she is improving daily beyond my initial expectations. Sister is walking independently with the help of a cane. Home Health nursing, PT and OT are coming here now. The rigorous therapies are paying off in increased independence and moments of sheer joy. She is all smiles and full of gratitude for every small help or kindness. Being back in community, I think, is making a huge difference. Sister Charlotte is even joining us for the Liturgy of the Hours! (She's not ready for her prayer book yet, but she's singing the hymn and the canticle with all her might.)
Although the physical achievements are huge, it is Sister Charlotte's attitude that feels miraculous to me. From the moment she woke up – two weeks after the accident. Sister Charlotte has maintained the certainty that God has everything in hand. She has not searched for the "why." She simply accepts the events of this summer in faith and trusts that God has a plan – a vision beyond our own that sees every joy and suffering in some sacred context of meaning. When asked if the accident has changed her, Sister Charlotte responds, "How could it not?" Some regular joys have returned – like watching "Law & Order" in the Community Room. But Sister Charlotte spent the first eight weeks of her recovery in contemplation – no TV, no ordinary distractions. Illness, I think, can be a hermitage – a sacred place in which we encounter God in a way that transforms us. We are changed by what has been and experience of being vulnerable and dependent. I believe every moment of the last 15 weeks (tomorrow) has been the ultimate gift of her life to God. Sister Charlotte's acceptance of the accident – the loss of Sister Denise and the critical injuries sustained by her and Sister Connie Ruth – is evidence of the power of God's grace to sustain and transform the heart of faith. I know the lessons are not over. Each day as I assist her, I am the one who is gifted. It is a mystery – an experience of being in the present moment with someone through whom Christ is shining. I am not the same, either.
Blessings and love to you all…
- Sister Vicki
Blessings and love to you all…
- Sister Vicki


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Fall Foiliage
We do have some turning leaves but most of my fall comes from decorating.
Also joining Marty's Cloche party going on now.
Thank-you for your visit and sweet comments, I really appreciate them and always try to return your follows. Until next time, ya'll bee sweet and come back, heah? (())


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After smuggling beer caps from all of our summertime parties, I am finally ready to make my tray.
{This was supposed to be a father's day present... until I calculated how many more caps I needed!}
{This was supposed to be a father's day present... until I calculated how many more caps I needed!}
When I was researching the epoxy, resins, and glues to use I found a few horror stories. Some of the glues don't every dry and feel tacky, some yellow over time... yuck! So I'll show you all the products I used so that your tray will turn out perfectly, and it only takes about an hour to make.
{That sounded so infomercial-ish!)
{That sounded so infomercial-ish!)
Shopping list:
1 tray
LOTS of beer caps
Polyurethane varnish {I used Americana DuraClear Gloss Varnish from Michael's}
Clear tacky spray {I used Aleene's crystal Clear tacky spray from Michael's}
1 pkg. Envirotex Lite {from Michael's}
First, figure out the spacing before the first row and after the last row. This will keep everything nice and centered.
Layout the first few rows and then slide them to the right out of the way. Spray a thin vertical line of clear tacky spray adhesive on the far left and then slide the first row of caps over it. I found that applying the adhesive a little thick covered most of the bottom of the caps once you slide them over.
Repeat this step over and over {and over!} until all the rows are complete. Let the adhesive sit for a few hours before continuing on to the next step. This was way easier than gluing each cap in place.
Now on to the fun part. I chose Envirotex Lite to coat the tray. It is super easy to work with and produced a perfectly smooth and glossy surface. Envirotex Lite comes in 2 parts: the hardener and the resin. Mix equal parts, stir for 2 minutes and pour the mixture at one corner of the tray. {don't worry about the bubbles in the mixture just yet.} I picked up the tray and held it on an angle to move the mixture around evenly. After the tray sets for 5 minutes you can exhale on any parts that are still bubbly. They will totally disapear- it's crazy.
Cover it with a clean box or tupperware to keep the dust away and let it sit overnight.
Cover it with a clean box or tupperware to keep the dust away and let it sit overnight.
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Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Thinking About Selling On Ebay?
Here is some advice that I tried to post on one of the Ebay message boards but it wouldn't go through so I decided to post it here. If you're thinking about selling on Ebay, I hope this advice will help you.
... i havent started selling yet.. mostly im
trying to learn.......> here is some of my story - im a 24 yr old (almost 25)disabled person(woman)...> . - ive tried going to work, and going back to work and looking for work, finding work and getting fired from work.... in between college, hospital visits, and other things..... ive come to the conclusion recently that i am unable to hold a "normal" job - possibly forever.... but i really got interested in starting a home business - especially when i started talking to an online buddy of mine... we want to start an online store together. i have tons of ideas for our store.. (my part is gonna be mostly homemade soaps and gift baskets) and she has some items to sell as well.... but my only form of income is my disability checks.... and i have barely 50 a month left over to buy supplies... it is taking me forever to buy stuff... and im still not able to start...anyways.....here is my problem....im trying to find an
organization that gives grants to disabled people to help them start a home based business.. i could also use classes that teach all about running a business..anyone know of any such place???? (any one interested in donating to my business?? anyone have any ideas??????
Well its ironic that I saw your post because I do grant research for a living.
There are grant programs for people that want to start their own business and you are at a double plus because you are female.
Like the others have posted it would be a good idea for you to see what kind of benefits, disability and otherwise that you qualify for - the reason being the more benefits you qualify for the more money you will have for your business.
Getting a grant for an online store is not impossible because there have been quite a few grant recipients who have gotten grant monies for online ventures however its the specifics of the kind of online business that you want to start that has to be considered when looking for grant programs to help you start your online business.
You mentioned that you want to sell homemade soaps so you should look into grant programs relating to that such as the fact that you may be using certain ingredients in your soap that there may be a grant program to support that. There are grant programs for research which is something that you may be involved with while making your soaps, perhaps you could tie your soapmaking products with something where there is a grant program for it.
The same thing applies to your mention about adding additional gift basket products. Could they be tied in with a certain customer market like it being a product for disabled persons - something along the lines of that?
It might also behoove you to start a blog and the reason why I say that is because you would be able to put Google's Adsense on that blog and start earning income from that as well.
A "regular" job is a job that you earn money from even if other people don't consider it a "regular" job. I have a Working From Home Blog and you would be amazed at the many and different types of jobs that people have created for themselves!
Looking at your post I see just so many possibilities for you. When you become more familiar with Ebay and have had more experience with it you could start selling for others. As a matter of fact I remember watching a program where a woman with disabilities started selling on Ebay and she became so popular that she started selling for others and even started classes on teaching others with disabilities about how to sell on Ebay.
You have more possibilities and opportunities than you know!
Sunday, May 24, 2009
If You Use Paypal And/Or Ebay - Get Ready For The IRS!
Just found out that starting in the year 2011, Paypal and Ebay are going to have to start reporting member earnings to the IRS! - YIKES!
Now not everyone will have to report their earnings / income from either Ebay or Paypal under certain conditions! It's best to read more about it by clicking here.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
What Is Your Favorite Color?
Why do I ask? Because it could determine the kind of career path you should follow!
I took the test myself and here are my results:
You're the investor.
You know the value of money and resources, as well as the intrinsic worth of each co-worker's contributions. Your supportive, yet analytical personality works best in finance, accounting, banking, manufacturing, property management, production analysis, investment, money management, consulting, product sales or teaching.
This does sound a lot like me - LOL!
If you want to take this test yourself, just click here.
Posted by Rose at 11:14 AM 1 comment:
Saturday, May 16, 2009
"How Can My Band's Site Be More Profitable?"
"How can I make bands website come off as profitable and stable?
Right now I am learning HTML but I want to know what else is really needed to have a website come off as profitable and stable. This is for a bands website."
It depends on what you mean by "have a website come off as profitable and stable" - what are you talking about?
Do you want to make a profit from the website for your band? Do you want your site to look professional? Are you talking about selling stuff as far as your band goes? You can show pictures of what your band has to sell, take payments via paypal. You can also add adsense ads to your site as well. You earn money when people click on the ads.
A lot of bands have myspace pages but you can't add adsense ads to myspace pages but you CAN have both a myspace and a regular website.
Your band could also get sponsors and advertisers of their own.
You could also start a podcast/talkshow featuring your band - all for free!
There are a lot of free ways to make your site profitable but you have to do the work and not just build a site and then do nothing else to it.
My Blog - Free Things That I Have Found On The Internet!
My Blog - Free Things That I Have Found On The Internet!
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
How Much Is Your Time Worth?
I found this very interesting calculator-type quiz that helps to determine how much an hour of your time would be worth - all dependent on how much money you would like to make in a year, how many weeks per year you would want to work, how many days per week do you want to work and how many hours per day would you like to work?
I took the quiz myself and my answer came out to over $1,500 per hour!
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Believe It Or Not There Are Still Some Companies Hiring!
Believe it or not there are still some companies that are hiring!
I have composed a list of 10 companies that are currently hiring people to work and are still looking for more people to hire!
I have decided to sell this list as an ebooklet:
10 Companies That Are Hiring!
I am selling this ebooklet for $10 and if you would like to order it just look to the left of this blog and you can send your payment via Paypal. Please be sure to include your email address when you make your payment so that this ebooklet can be emailed to you. This ebooklet is in a .pdf format.
Please be advised that once this ebooklet has been emailed to you there will be no refund!
It may be hard to believe in these current economic times but there are still companies out there that are hiring people to work! If you want to be one of these people then don't forget to order my ebooklet!
Thursday, May 07, 2009
Are You Interested In A Graphic Design Fellowship?
As I have probably mentioned before, I do grant research. That is I do research on government grant programs and other grant programs for clients who are looking for grant programs that they may be eligible to apply for.
In my research I found out that there is currently a fellowship program for graphic designers in India. I posted about it on my Dream Job Forum.
This fellowship program for graphic designers actually includes a stipend - which means that you will be paid for your graphic design work!
You can read more about it by clicking here
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
...Making $6,000 A Month!
I was watching an episode of Dr. Phil today and it was about getting help with one's financial situation(s).
There was one couple profiled who were in a lot of financial debt a few years ago. They had maxed out on their credit cards and they were having a lot of financial problems! Fast-forward to the present and the wife is making $6,000 a month working online being a virtual assistant! You can do some checking online but basically being a virtual assistant means that you are providing help to other via being online and on the internet. For example you can provide tutoring services to others, you can provide secretarial services as well. There was also a mention of how the wife also had an Ebay business as well.
I'm sorry to say that I forgot what it was that they husband does but he also works from home and he works online as well.
This means that both of the couple are working from home and making a good salary for themselves when just a short time ago they were having very serious financial problems.
This is just another very good example of one (actually two people) being able to work from home and make a living from it!
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HARRISBURG – A first-of-its-kind conference will be held April 26 – 28 to educate and improve communication among members of environmental justice communities, community organizations, private sector organizations and government officials, the Department of Environmental Protection announced today.
The conference, organized by the DEP's Environmental Justice Advisory Board and Office of Environmental Advocate, along with Drexel University, will be held at the Sheraton Harrisburg-Hershey Hotel, Harrisburg.
"Environmental policy in Pennsylvania must be formed with respect and sensitivity toward everyone and with special care to protect vulnerable communities, said Environmental Protection acting Secretary John Hanger. "Our goal is to include community members and advocates as partners and participants in planning and decision making. This conference will foster a better understanding of the obstacles vulnerable communities face and what we can do to address them."
The conference, "Building Healthy and Improved Communities for All," is also being made possible through the efforts and sponsorship of the departments of Transportation, Public Welfare, Education, Health, Community and Economic Development, as well as Simmons Cooper Cooney & Conway, Waste Management, and individual donors. Environmental justice is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin or income with respect to the development, implementation and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations and policies.


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AUSTIN - A new apartment building, 8th and Nueces, has topped out at 805 Nueces St. in downtown Austin.
The 198-unit apartment tower will feature a rooftop infinity edge pool, deck and lounge, a rooftop dog park and a top-floor fitness center overlooking the State Capitol Building.
The 22-story project is being developed by Aspen Heights, counting as their first non-student housing development.
Our twice-weekly e-newsletter provides a quick overview of Texas real estate markets. Because your time is valuable.


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(Adds details from report, background, minister statement)
OTTAWA, June 17 (Reuters) - The Canadian government should wind down or pare back its retail debt program, a commissioned report advised on Wednesday, a recommendation that the country's finance minister did not accept.
The program, created in 1946 as a way to provide Canadians with a secure savings instrument, runs the Canada Savings bonds and Canada Premium bonds.
The report done by auditing, tax and advisory firm KPMG found that there is "currently no valid economic rationale" for the program. The firm noted that the program is no longer a net source of funds for the government, since overall sales do not exceed redemptions. A spokesman for Finance Minister Joe Oliver said the minister did not accept the recommendations of the government-commissioned report.
The evaluation was undertaken to assess the effectiveness of the Finance Department and Bank of Canada in enabling the program to give Canadians access to government retail savings instruments in a cost-effective manner.
Despite a number of initiatives over the years to improve the program and better align it with investors' needs, the stock of retail debt was less than C$7.7 billion ($6.26 billion) as of March 2013, according to the report. The program held 0.7 percent of the market share of insured retail savings instruments in Canada in 2013.
The report said the program is not a cost-effective way for the government to raise funds and, given the low interest rate environment and increasing administration costs, it is doubtful the program could return to being cost effective.
"The primary recommendation of the evaluation study team is that the Retail Debt Program be wound down in an orderly fashion," the report said.
It also noted that there is currently only a very limited need for the program from Canadians as other retail debt instruments insured by the Canadian Deposit Insurance Corporation "leave virtually no market void unaddressed."
If the government did not wind the program down, the report's fall-back recommendation is a no-frills version which would eliminate the costly payroll sales channel and would maintain a cash sales channel. ($1 = 1.2307 Canadian dollars) (Reporting by Randall Palmer and Leah Schnurr; Editing by David Gregorio)


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If I could turn back time;
not just me hearing Cher?
Looking back thirty years,
some are dark, others clear.
If I went back,
it'd be for the good.
Enjoying laughter and joy
like everyone should.
But live is a blessing,
we get only one.
So I'll stay here thinking,
of all that I've done.
Part six in a poetry series called Life
Daily prompt: If I Could Turn Back Time


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Sizzix has recently come out with dozens of new folders. I didn't get ALL of them (although... eventually... maybe!) Here are four cards that show the "centerpiece" folders vs. the background folders.
This first card is probably the most complicated of the bunch and it only has two stamps and some die cuts!
I like this folder that has the scrolls in the two corners - what a nice way to showcase a sentiment.
The colors on this card come from Pals Paper Arts.
The other things that I was very excited about on this card is the scrolled frame stamp that is sized perfectly to fit into a Spellbinders Labels 10. The stamps comes from JustRite Stampers. I have always liked their stamps but they have this unique system where you have to buy their blocks in order to use their stamps - and the blocks are all sized to fit the stamps so you end up with a huge number of blocks to use just a few of their stamps. BUT...their most recent release includes regular cling stamps!! There are some absolutely beautiful stamps that you HAVE to check out if you have a collection of Spellbinders Labels dies.
The next three cards are most definitely clean and simple, and show how embossing folders can make be the centerpiece of the card.
|Isn't this great bling?? It's
from Michaels.
This last card has another very exciting new item. If you are a big Spellbinder Nestabilities user you know that you have to get Large and Small sets of the basic shapes (circles, ovals, squares, rectangles) to be able to cut mats that are 1/8" bigger, ie. one set is sized inbetween the dies of the other set. But...until now, the Spellbinders Labels dies only came in one size so if you used them to mat - your mats were 1/4"+ wide - that's often too big. Guess what they are starting to come out with? Those mid-size dies for the Labels!! So I have a smaller mat on my label die!!
I do so love embossing folders ... followed very closely by my passion for Spellbinder Labels dies. I am a happy crafter today!
Daffodil Butterfly Mother's Day:
- Stamps: Just Rite Elegant Frames Set, Stampin' Up All Holidays sentiment
- Ink: Stampin' Up Crumb Cake, Chocolate Chip
- Paper: Stampin' Up Crumb Cake, Pear Pizzazz, Daffodil Delight
- Accessories: Sizzix Embossing Folder, Spellbinders Labels 10, Stampin' Up Butterfly Embosslit, Crumb Cake Taffeta, misc brown pearls
- Stamps: My Sentiments Exactly
- Ink: Stampin' Up Always Artichoke
- Paper: Stampin' Up Regal Rose CS and dsp, Always Artichoke CS
- Accessories: Sizzix Embossing Folder, Stampin' Up Birds and Blooms dies, Michaels Glitter Adhesive Dots
- Stamps: Lizzie Anne
- Ink: Stampin' Up Soft Suede, Marina marker
- Paper: Stampin' Up Soft Suede, Marina Mist
- Accessories: Sizzix embossing folder, patterned ribbon from Michaels, white gel pen, Spellbinders label
- Stamps: Just Rite Thinking of Your Borders and Centers (not a cling set - it's the kind that you have to buy a special block for)
- Ink: Stampin' Up Basic Gray
- Paper: Stampin' Up Vanilla, Basic Gray, So Saffron
- Accessories: Sizzix embossing folder, Spellbinders label dies, misc yellow gem


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News from The Center for Adoption Policy regarding grandfathered I-600As.
Posted on March 2, 2010.
March 2, 2010. Limitations on Grandfathered I-600As. CIS has posted on its website a Q and A detailing the rules pertaining to grandfathered I-600As. This is relevant for families who were in the adoption process prior to April 1, 2008 and wish to use the orphan processing program for Hague Convention countries. We urge all ASPs and families to read this document to see which changes they can make to their I-600As in Hague countries and still retain grandfathered status. In particular we would like to point out that potential adoptive parents can change the country that they sought to adopt from but they may not use the new I-600 to bring home more children than the number approved by the original I-600A unless they are bringing biological siblings home. Therefore if a family with a grandfathered I-600A was approved for one child and now they wish to bring home a second child simultaneously, the family must file an I-800/A for the second child.
Read more HERE.
March 3, 2010
Grandfathered I-600As
shared by Stefanie
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text: Well I was having a think in the bath, where all my crazy ideas happen hehe. Right now Racer renders the sky dome to the live env map, but the problem is the live env map is car centric and so if the car is in the sunlight we get the sun spot on the car. Then if the car is in the shade we lose the sun spot. Since the envmap can be used in places where the car might not be, or even places on the car that are in shadow (bumper ducts, interiors etc) then it seems bad to burn the sun spot into the envmap. Since the sun spot is a really simple element, a blob, it can really easily be represented with a specular splodge. If we do that, then suddenly we can take our mip-mapped envmap, apply it to a chrome steering wheel feature, and when it goes into shadow the brightness disappears, and when it gets into the light we can have the specular effect represent the sun! I was a firm believer in letting the envmap sun spot do sharp specular, and then blur it to get soft reflections. Maybe render a few live maps for different materials etc. But in the end without moving the entire rendering/material system to something BRDF based with lookup cube maps scattered around (like CryEngine 3), which isn't going to happen soon, this approach seems to offer more realism and ability within the constraints of the current renderer. Technically all we are doing is removing the sun spot from the live env-map rendering. This means we can then mix in specular appropriate for the material and the environment. Ie, we can blend a mipmapped live envmap with a specular to get a chrome that works well on a car interior, so when the chrome is in the shadow it doesn't still have a bright spot on it. If you take a look at games like the new one from the Netkar team, they clearly are running a HDR envmap but it looks like they are running specular overlay for the sun spot. This is evident even in GT5 after playing more recently and watching the specular/sun behaviour on chromes/glass etc. It even looks like the sun in many of these rendering engines isn't really there, just a flare is drawn where it *should* be... ie, it's not present in the envmap to start with because it's not really ever rendered. So I'm not sure what people think to this approach. My only concern is that right now we use specular WITH the envmap sun spot on some car paints to give them a metallic feel. Ideally for car paints we could do with a system where we have multiple specular definitions etc... I'm gonna try alter the shaders to achieve this as in theory it's all shader based I think... Just wondering what other people think? Technically it's less right, but it offers us more ability to make nice materials within the constraints and limits of the system as it stands. Basically the envmap gets loads more powerful for any/all materials, if we define the fresnel with it we can apply it to the specular response too (so that looks correct!), AND we get shadows impacting the sun spot/specular splodge. Hmmmm Dave


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I am a Software Engineer for living, a blogger at idle times, a nature lover and a proud Filipino. I have been blogging since 2007.
The Chronicles of Ardee is my window to the online community world. Basically, this will all be about my own scripts as I take my journey to life.
I love to write about my Travel in the Philippines and the World (even in my wildest dreams).
I am keen to Photography. I want to capture beautiful people, places and just about every moments I'm amazed of.
I love to watch Movies. I want to share my own reviews or even update you on a upcoming or must-watch movies.
I enjoy listening to just any kind of Music.
Sit Back and Enjoy !!!


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Mark Anna and James talk about the upcoming wedding at Fair Oaks
The flowers are blooming under the trees this week.
Mentor student Margaret painted one of the fine old trees.
Mentor student Pat was ready to paint the pond roses.
Notes From My Residency Journal
I spent the morning painting in the East Hay Field. I am working on a painting in stages, so this was my second session. I have one more to go and then I'll show it to you finished. Just as I was about ready to clean up, Anna and friend James arrived in time for lunch.
We wandered over to the big Live Oak with the swing where the wedding will be. I have never had a ride on the swing though it has always been there. Today I decided it was a good day to swing! Oh what a thrill it was! It is the best kind of swing. A single strong rope on a board, so you wrap your legs around the rope as you straddle the board. It goes in every direction. Mark, the strong man, pushed me high up into the tree. I've never enjoyed anything more. What freedom to be like a bird! Marvelous!
We enjoyed lunch of spaghetti with wonderful sausage and sauce with broccoli, fresh fruit and carrot cake. Chef Chris did a wonderful job. Just as I finished my slice of cake my two students arrived for an afternoon of painting.
It was truly a swell day in paradise!