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Well Within's Earth Mysteries & Sacred Site Tours presents.....
Optional time on your own to in Athens, before or after the tour
Tour open to anyone from any country
(I can help with this)
Tour open to anyone from any country
Journey with us to Incredible Greece -
Land of the Goddesses &: Gods, temples & mystery.
Springtime or fall - some of the best months to travel in Greece -
comfortable temperatures, little rain, and not crowded!
Bookstore - Goddess, History's Mysteries & more.
Cost: Starting at $3095 USD + airfare extra
Single supplement, add $500 USD
I can easily help you with your flights and good airfares as I am a travel agent
Cost includes accommodations, continental breakfast daily, admission to sites listed, transportation around Greece via mini-buses and/or cars, and workshops.
CEU's: 20 - 30 continuing education contact hours available for nurses (includes homestudy course before the tour)
Tours and workshops open to EVERYONE - not just health professionals!
Today's Weather in Greece!
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Journalist Julia Ioffe is having a close encounter with Bordetella pertussis, the bacterium that causes whooping cough. It doesn't sound like she's enjoying the experience:
Whooping cough has been declared an epidemic in Washington state and Texas. It has seen a more than threefold rise in 21 states across the nation. Ioffe knows who to blame (and she can be forgiven for being a bit cranky at the moment):
At this writing, I have been coughing for 72 days. Not on and off coughing, but continuously, every day and every night, for two and a half months. And not just coughing, but whooping: doubled over, body clenched, sucking violently for air, my face reddening and my eyes watering. Sometimes, I cough so hard, I vomit. Other times, I pee myself. Both of these symptoms have become blessedly less frequent, and I have yet to break a rib coughing—also a common side effect. Nor do I still have the fatigue that felled me, often, at my desk and made me sleep for 16 hours a night on the weekends. Now I rarely choke on things like water, though it turns out laughing, which I do a lot of, is an easy trigger for a violent, paralyzing cough that doctors refer to not as a cough, but a paroxysm.
How responsible are these non-vaccinating parents for my pertussis? Very. A study recently published in the journal Pediatrics indicated that outbreaks of these antediluvian diseases clustered where parents filed non-medical exemptions—that is, where parents decided not to vaccinate their kids because of their personal beliefs. The study found that areas with high concentrations of conscientious objectors were 2.5 times more likely to have an outbreak of pertussis. (To clarify: I was vaccinated against pertussis as a child, but the vaccine wears off by adulthood, which, until recently, was rarely a problem because the disease wasn't running rampant because of people not vaccinating their kids.)

subset: commoncrawl


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Campaign: Guide Dots
WPP companies: Y&R Singapore and VML
Client: Guide Dog Association for the Blind
This location-based app uses data from Google Maps, Facebook and Beacon technology (for indoor positioning), as well as crowdsourced information from other users and businesses, to help the visually-impaired
discover the world around them using an audio-based interface. Guide Dots was created in collaboration with UDKU Australia.
Chapter 2 of 10


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A military inspired double breasted winter coat with traditional style silver embossed buttons is a fine addition to your winter armoury and will offer all the defence against the elements you could need when paired with a polo neck jumper.
We've got your winter wardrobe all wrapped up with a series of stylish coats to see you through the coldest months. Here are our invitingly warm outerwear recommendations and the layers to team with them.
Nothing beats a hardy pea coat for a brisk day. With its heritage anchored in the Navy, it suits being layered over a blue hued textured crew neck sweater. Pull the collar up around your neck and ears when the winds get up.
A smart grey overcoat is both timeless and versatile. In the week pull it on over your work attire and come the weekend, layer over a neat Oxford shirt and textured crew neck. With dark denim you're right on the mark for a relaxed smart look.
Add a subtle splash of colour to your warm winter look with a tonal plaid coat in a neutral navy and rich royal blue palette. Let the coat do the talking and layer with a complimentary shade of shirt and jumper, add a beanie for a brisk country walk.
Elongate your silhouette in this flattering navy overcoat. Emphasise its old school charms by teaming with a roll neck and artfully hung plaid scarf. You'll be surprised how warm these layers will keep you without being bulky.


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Here's some pics of my recent (and very much needed) vacation! Enjoy! More pics can be seen via my Facebook fan page!
|Sydney Opera House
|At the Sydney Aquarium
|Pretty coral at the Sydney Aquarium
|The two cutest fish buddies at the Sydney Aquarium!
|Blue Mountains / Katoomba Falls rainforest
|Australia's famous landmark, the "Three Sisters" in the Blue Mountains
|Inside the Jenolan Caves!
|River near the Jenolan Caves, and yes, the water was THAT GREEN!
|Wave crash at Australia's famous Bondi Beach!
|I'm petting a kangaroo, while making the worst facial expression ever! LOL
|Pretty fur seal at the Taronga Zoo
|Flying over the ocean towards New Zealand
|On the Harbour Cruise from Auckland
|New Zealand's Rangitoto, a dormant volcano
|Lava flow into the ocean from Rangitoto
|Pretty moon over Auckland Harbour


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Friday, February 25, 2011
The Times on Christie's moment
I'm driving to and from Vermont in the next couple of days to visit the TigerHawk Teenager (who will be a teenager no longer in just a few days) for "family weekend" at his college. While I'm doing that, take a look at this surprisingly (although imperfectly) balanced article from the New York Times Magazine about the political imagery of Governor Awesome's confrontation with the New Jersey public employee unions.
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It is a good article. While I don't think that one can or should expect balance from the NYT or Fox, they (NYT) do a pretty good job here. I worry that with 566 municipalities and 600+ school districts in our Garden State, despite being given tools, many municipalities and districts will not know what to do with them or may not even open the toolbox.
The focus on the large teacher's Union is interesting. One sentence that really stuck is the following, "With 200,000 members and more than $100 million in dues, the New Jersey Education Association is easily the most powerful union in New Jersey and one of the more powerful local unions in the country." That means that union dues are more than $500 per teacher and apparently the state collects the dues for them!
From my own experience, the Union PR machine is working really well in Princeton as there are frequent meetings, emails from parents, etc, calling on residents to stand up and fight the drastic cuts proposed by "the Governor" while no mention is made of the fact that the Princeton teachers took no cuts, let alone a freeze, and offered no contributions to their health or retirement plans, while watching a decent number of excellent younger teachers get laid off. I also have not heard a single proposal from the Union about how they would address some of the State's huge financial challenges.
Hopefully Gov. Christie and other leaders with courage (not limited to Republicans) will succeed in achieving the many structural reforms needed to reverse more than 20 years of madness.
By SummerRain, at Fri Feb 25, 11:21:00 AM:
Good Lord!! ..."Like a stand-up comedian..." so much for objective & professional news. Yet, they only cater to those who buy their paper.
Need to read a book out that's about Americans taking a stand against govt. tyranny. With Wisconsin in turmoil, with the help of the Chicago communit party, we are going to see more.
I recommend it cause it's a thriller but so real for today's events.
Thanks for showing everyone what the liberal media is spewing out. I usually don't go to them but will read your blog to see what they are up to. Thanks
By Cardinalpark, at Fri Feb 25, 02:02:00 PM:
The most enlightening bit actually is when they interview the 2 people from the NJEA. Everybody now knows Christie and he is very popular. He is bright, articulate, tough. Sensitive too. People like him. Being fat only humanizes him. And he's effective. Holding the line on the budget and taxes.
Meanwhile, the NJEA leadership basically says "we don't get it." He's gotta get on some meds or something."
Arrogance. Cluelessness. Entitlement. Their comments reek of all of that.
In a nutshell, there it is. And the it gets reinforced by events in Wisconsin, Indiana and even Greece. Unions, public employees and left-wing politicians in bed together. Enough. No more insane budgets out of my tax dollars to pay for their high pay, rich benefits and job security. F them.
The article gets it all.
Reading The New York Times is like reading the old Soviet Pravda.
Did you know that Christie was fat? Rotund? Fleshy? That he's all Fat Man schtick? That this Dancing Bear should be doing Borscht Belt in the Catskills?
The author had to put this in so he could get it past his NYT editors.
But there's a serious article in there somewhere. Between the lines, the author even says Christie is "winning" and hints that he even respects him and likes him.
By Kurt, at Fri Feb 25, 11:44:00 PM:
I must confess to being baffled by the reference to Vermont in a post about a family weekend at the college of TigerHawk Teenager. Shouldn't you be heading down to Blacksburg? Maybe I just haven't been reading this blog closely or frequently enough.


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Saturday, June 26, 2010
Monday, June 21, 2010
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Finally got this to load. So I've been studying comicbook art, and this is what it has done to me. I definitely need to study vehicles.
Posted by Jess Fisher at 8:21 PM No comments:
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If you live in Sweden, and you're in the market for something truly unique — look no further. While the new Chevrolet Corvette Stingray is a rarity in the Nordic region, this one with a full on police livery is literally one-of-a-kind. And it could be yours.
Fitted with a Z51 performance package, the Police Stingray was inspired by the Saleen Mustang police car in the original Transformers film. Coated in a black and white Stingray police livery, the Corvette also come with 19-inch front and 20-inch rear wheels, a limited slip differential, and only 230 miles on the odometer.
For sale on Blocket, Bilcity Superbike Ltd (the company listing the Corvette), is asking about 780,000 Swedish Krona (approx. $120,000) for the V8-powered police cruiser. It's pricey, but if you're in Sweden, or willing to dish out some serious shipping fees, you can have your very own Corvette Stingray police car. Because why not?


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Step 1: Find your products.
Step 2: Add your products to your inquiry.
Step 3: Submit your inquiry to Cal-Mil
Carrara Marble Melamine Trays
3629-712-81M (7Wx12Dx.5H)
3629-1511-81M (14.75Wx10.75Dx.5H)
3629-1813-81M (18Wx13Dx.5H)
Create a dynamic presentation with the Marble Melamine Serving Tray! The striking appearance can make any presentation stand out. One of the best parts about these trays is the fact that they are dishwasher safe, which makes the host's life easier.
Product Features:
- Dishwasher Safe
- Available in 3 Sizes
- Looks Like Real Carrara Marble


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Every day, your beating heart thumps away 100,000 times, circulating anywhere from 2,500-5,000 gallons of blood throughout your beautiful body. What better day than Valentine's Day to give your heart a little bit of extra attention? In no particular order, some research-based tips on taking care of your ticker…
- Do you down a diet soda every day? Stop. Your risk for cardiovascular problems is 61 percent higher than for those who don't.
- Love High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)? Keep going. Canadian researchers have found that short bursts of 'all out' sprints during cardio workouts help to keep arteries from stiffening as we age.
- Think you're OK if you're male and obese, but healthy in every other way? You're not. A study of 6,000 middle-aged men found that those who were obese had a dramatically higher incidence of death after having a heart attack, no matter the other cardiovascular disease risk factors they did or didn't have.
- Think you have some special protection because you're a woman? You're wrong. Heart disease is the #1 killer of men AND women in America. More females die of it than of all forms of cancer combined. A full 90% of women today have at least one known cardiovascular disease risk factor. And many don't know that their symptoms can be very different than that of men. In addition, women with a family history are less likely than men to make necessary disease prevention changes.
- Rocking a hot body in your 40′s/50′s? WTG! Researchers have found that the higher your midlife fitness level, the lower your odds of cardiac death in your lifetime.
- Not getting enough fiber from grains in your diet? Tsk, tsk. You're missing out on reducing your early death from heart disease risk by 24 to 59 percent (women have a higher protection benefit).
- Want to make a heart-healthy dinner for your special someone? You're wonderful. Start with a black bean dip or hummus appetizer (beans lower cholesterol). Next, dress a salad with olive oil (a healthy monosaturated fat) and serve salmon as your main course (which is teeming with protective omega 3 fatty acids). Veggie sides, especially cruciferous ones like broccoli or bok choy, up your antioxidants (which reduce inflammation, a risk factor for heart attacks and stroke). Brown rice or other whole grains will add a dose of fiber (lowers cholesterol). End it with dark chocolate-covered strawberries (the flavanoids will help protect your loved one's heart). Wash it all down with a glass of red wine (more flavanoids). Cheers!
- Think cardio's the only thing good for your heart? Weakling. Lifting weights forces your heart to contract and push blood out to your body. The muscle repairs the resulting fiber tears and, in the process, the heart grows and strengthens.
- Don't have a pet? Get one. Japanese researchers found that people caring for critters have higher heart rate variability (i.e., their hearts are better at responding to stress or physical exertion demands) than those who don't.
- Giving dark chocolate to your significant other today? Smooth move. As long as it's at least 70 percent cocoa, your gift will work to lower your love's blood pressure and LDL (bad) cholesterol — both of which affect cardiovascular health. Also: Eating a bit of the dark stuff a few times a week has been shown to protect the heart from muscle damage in the event of a heart attack.
Happy Valentine's Day, dailymilers!


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Baccarat GordoView details
Baccarat GordoView details
Baccarat has actually been involved in the creation of aromatic, mild cigars for the prior 154 years. Preferred by both beginner and veteran cigar smokers, Baccarat cigars are hand crafted with an all Honduran grown tobacco core seamlessly rolled in a sweetened wrapper cap.
Half way thru a box of these and very satisfied. I prefer a larger mild-medium cigar and these are the ticket. Excellent draw, burn, and taste very slightly sweet cap is a nice touch . These are on par with Perdomo Champagne 10th An. Torpedo and CAO Gold Double Corona which I both love . Perfect 1 hour cigar.


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Except for the white blossoms on Camellia sasanqua, there isn't much. One gaillardia bloom, three physotegia (obedient plant) -- it didn't start to bloom until November and now hangs one despite a heavy frost. A handful of nicotiana, it never gives up. Two Gerbera daisies; maybe I should take them up and move them to the greenhouse where they could bloom all winter. Some of the Gerberas here are more than 30 years old and have a sentimental history. The Camellia japonicas are full of tight green buds, it won't be long. I forgot to look for buds on Taiwan cherries. They bloom in January, bright magenta.
Red pentas just keep trying. Some are totally toast. There are still bright red blossoms on the south side of some of the clumps. Yesterday I saw a gulf fritallary butterfly sunning on an echinacea leaf, near the red pentas still open.
I didn't make photos but here's a photo from a different Christmas of pentas still blooming in December. Temps in the teens in February will destroy the tops, but at least half of them usually come back from the roots, a favorite of the butterflys' and mine all summer. I've tried to grow some from saved seed. This year I'm saving the whole seed head and will plant little pieces of the whole thing. I noticed that the seed catalogs offer 'pelleted seed' and I can see why. It appears that there is a good sized seed when everything is still green. When they dry, the seeds are hard to find and the capsules are dry and hard.


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"Drug activity. A 45-year-old Burnsville man was arrested for manufacturing methamphetamine, indecent exposure and disorderly conduct in the 200 block of Burnsville Circle."Naked and cooking meth is no way to go through life, son.
From the North metro police blotter, February 10, 2011:
"Disorderly conduct. Officers went to a business on the 7900 block of Sunwood Drive NW. regarding a customer who had presented an obscene picture to a clerk. Police contacted the suspect by phone and issued the suspect a citation for lewd and disorderly conduct."So, a guy walks into a business and schleps a picture of his junk onto the counter...
From the West metro police blotter, February 5, 2011:
"Animal complaint. A man called police to report there was a weasel in the garage at his home on Trista Court. An officer was unable to locate the animal."Yes, well, who hasn't had a weasel in the garage?
From the West metro police blotter, February 11, 2011:
"Theft. Officers responded to a parking lot on the 3800 block of Hwy. 169 regarding a theft. Someone had stolen $800 worth of meat from a delivery van that was parked in the parking lot."And, to add insult to injury...
February 19, 2011:
"Theft. A barbecue grill was stolen from the yard of a home on the 14000 block of 37th Place N."


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- Does SocialPilot offers Instagram Analytics?
- How Do I Export my Analytics Report?
- Does SocialPilot Analytics offer Reporting?
- Which social networks' analytics do you support?
- Can I set the timezone of analytics that I want?
- How long are analytics stored?
- What happens to my data if my account is disconnected?
- What is Report Sharing?
- What do I do with the hashtag cloud?


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We are delighted to welcome guest blogger and American MA graduate Katie Chaka, who wrote this post about Catholic women's response to the Nazi Lebensborn programme.
In Nazi Germany women's primary function was widely considered to be reproduction. Their roles in German society during the rule of the National Socialist regime were increasingly limited and strictly defined by the traditional ideals of Küche, Kinder, and Kirche (kitchen, children, and church). Women were expected to embrace the value of their reproductive capabilities and focus primarily on being mothers and moralizers of the nation. One organization that fully capitalized on this gender stereotyping of women, as well as the encouragement of reproduction through eugenic measures, was the Lebensborn programme.
Lebensborn, meaning 'Fount' or 'Well of Life', was launched on 12 December 1935 by the Nazi SS organization under the direction of Heinrich Himmler. This programme aimed to provide "racially healthy" families with welfare aid in order to encourage them to produce larger numbers of children. It also gave maternity and childcare services to unwed mothers who could still provide a racially valuable child to the state outside the boundaries of traditional marriage. This secretive programme consisted of multiple maternity homes where women were able to bring their pregnancies to full term, free from the judgment of traditional societal norms. The Katholischer Deutscher Frauenbund (KDF), was the most liberal Catholic women's organization with 200,000 members. It promoted women's rights within the church and community, and thus particularly resented this type of intrusion by the state into family affairs. As a result, responses from the KDF display a distinct shift from adaptation to opposition in 1935, regarding issues related to motherhood and morality. This shift was largely due to the perceived negative social and religious effects of the Lebensborn program in German society.
As women and as Catholics, they met Hitler's 1933 appointment as Chancellor with silence, as they awaited an official response from the Vatican in Rome. As Der Gerade Weg, a Catholic weekly journal explained, "The Church can wait. Her great strength lies in this waiting, in her ability to suffer..". Due to the Concordat negotiations between the Vatican and Nazi leaders, women initially attempted to adapt to new Nazi ideas and policies, because Church leaders believed the regime would protect their religious autonomy. The KDF in particular fought to remain autonomous by rejecting mergers from not only Catholic male organizations, but from the NS-Frauenschaft as well. Unfortunately for German Catholics, almost immediately after Concordat negotiations were finished, the Nazi regime began stripping the Catholic community of its religious rights.
Throughout 1934, Catholic institutions began to understand the extent to which Christianity and Nazism were incompatible ideologies. An article in the KDF journal Die Christliche Frau from 1934 argued that the state of modern marriage was a degeneration of its former self and warned against the "national license for sexual excesses". The article critiqued society by asking its female readership if the Catholic Church even had authority over issues dealing with virginity anymore. Yet Catholic women were about to become increasingly more uncomfortable with the Nazis' overt deviation from traditional religious norms of morality.
From 1935 onward, there is a perceptible shift that can be seen with regard to responses by the KDF towards issues of morality and motherhood in German society. Therefore, statements made by Catholic women, their organizations, and Church leaders that discuss the crumbling standards of morality should be read as a direct, but also veiled, response to the ideals for which Lebensborn stood, as well as the institution itself. There is no question that this was in response to the public propaganda blitz targeting the German youth on the basis of "biological marriages" instead of traditional marriages, launched that same year. A leading concern for the KDF was the subordination of "many adolescent girls operating in a downright sinister fashion". It is also no coincidence that this was the year in which Lebensborn was founded. Therefore, the organization created a need for the eradication of Christian moral norms since traditional norms would harm Himmler's overall goals. While it is unclear if women in the KDF knew the particularities of the Lebensborn program, they openly and consciously disapproved of, and openly responded to, the very foundation that the organization was built on.
KDF women consistently addressed these issues of morality in their writings, correspondence, and educational paths. Secular baptisms, educational classes favoring Germanic roots over religious teachings, and the validation of illegitimacy within Lebensborn homes caused many Catholic women to oppose the Nazi regime through their available outlets. The KDF specifically began to encourage women to educate their families on the sacraments of marriage and baptism within the privacy of their own homes. President Gerta Krabbel also wrote to Cardinal Michael von Faulhaber to inform him that her organization would be taking religious matters into its own hands, due to the lack of support from the male hierarchy of the Church.
As much as KDF women vociferously opposed the encouragement of the regime towards sexual "immorality" and bearing illegitimate children through the Lebensborn programme, they did not take nearly as strong a stance towards the treatment of the Jews and other minorities. Reoccurring themes throughout women's documents present their willingness to stand up against political issues that they found incompatible with their religious beliefs, yet they did so on a selective basis. Nevertheless, the complicated, and sometimes heavily veiled, responses of Catholic women can greatly add to our understanding of women's experiences during the Third Reich by giving new insights into how Nazi eugenic policies could conflict with Christian faiths.
Katie Chaka is an M.A. graduate from Oakland University, Michigan USA.
We would like to thank Katie for her post and encourage other students working on women's and gender history, in the UK and at overseas HE institutions, to submit posts for consideration. We are always happy to receive them.


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The girls had their first taste of softball this summer and let me tell you they absolutely loved it. They loved everything from digging out their shirts and shoes to hitting and fielding. I have to say the first practice run at the park was comical. We went the the park as a family and Eric set up the bases so they had a little understanding of the how things worked before their first game. Eric had them run the bases and yell the name of each base as they touched it. They did this a couple times. When they were done he asked them "Where is 2nd base?" They responded with just looking at him and pointing at 1st. We decided we needed some more lessons in softball.
Alexa is a natural born athlete. Things come easy for her and she can be very determined for such a little thing. She did a great job hitting and fielding the ball. She wasn't one of those who played in the dirt she was after each ball no matter where it was hit!
Emma is our party girl and loves everything about life. Can you tell she is loving life after her big hit! She was excited if she hit it a little ways or a long ways. She was the one that always had a smile on her face on the field and had to wave at me when she touched every base! She makes me smile!
The girls thought it was so much fun being on the same team but they thought it was even more fun that daddy was on the field with them and helped coach them. It was a fun family event for us on some of our summer evenings. Shane and I cheered them on even though Shane was a little sad he couldn't participate. He talked mom into playing catch and hitting some balls on the sidelines!
The first game and first time on the field Alexa grabbed the catcher's mask and decided she was going to be catcher. Eric and I both looked at each other like does she know what she is doing. Even though Alexa is quiet and can be reserved she is always up for trying new things. She did a great job as catcher and had fun while she was at it!
Alexa and Emma's first softball team!! I'm sure there will be more softball in the years to come!


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2010: Workers cleaning out the basement of a 3-story apartment building in the Mission Hill neighborhood of Boston discovered a box containing 2 human skulls. They brought it out to the street (1st image) and notified police, who responded shortly after noon. By then, the skulls had been spotted by 22-year-old Northeastern University biochemistry student Alden Ladd, who described them as nasty and old, and revealed (unbelievably to me), "I've never seen an actual human skull in my life before.'' Slightly less horrified by the sight was nearby resident Paul Hamblin, 28, an Iraq war veteran. But the least surprised of all was Massachusetts College of Art and Design student Lindsay Rougeau, 21, who noted, "We happen to be around a lot of medical schools." Police detectives and the state medical examiner's office are examining the skulls, which may be anatomical specimens - although they don't appear to me to have been cleaned or articulated.
1974: A human skull was found submerged in 4" of water on the Gulf Coast of Florida. The skull (2nd image) was examined by the FBI, but returned to the Bradenton Police Department when its identity could not be determined. It was wrapped in newspaper, put in a box, and placed on a shelf in the evidence locker. There it languished for upwards of 35 years until last week, when detectives rediscovered it in an attempt to crack cold cases. Although any records relating to the possible missing person case have been lost or destroyed, Deputy Chief William Tokajer asserts, "We hope to, if we can figure out who this person was, give some family closure. It won't be easy. But we're gonna try."
1879: Coal porter Henry Wheatley and a companion were driving their horse and cart along the Thames in South London. As they reached Barnes Bridge, they noticed a wooden box lying half-submerged in the water and hauled it with difficulty on to the bank. Wheatley cut off the cord and kicked the box open. Out tumbled a mass of white flesh. Suspecting that they were the remains of a dismembered woman, Wheatley immediately reported his find to the police. The pathologist confirmed that the parts belonged to a short, stout woman whose body had been cut apart with a meat saw and possibly boiled. Missing were the head, which was not located, and a foot, which turned up 5 days later and 5 miles away. Within a few weeks, police identified the body as that of Julia Martha Thomas of Richmond. The 50-year-old had been murdered by her 30-year-old servant, an Irish ex-convict named Katherine Webster, when she returned from church to find her drunk. Webster had pushed Thomas down the stairs, strangled her, and dismembered her over the next 24 hours. Her attempts to do away with her victim's body by boiling and burning it failed, but she succeeded in assuming the older woman's identity. Webster - now going by the name of Porter - boxed up her victim's remains and threw them off Hammersmith Bridge. She then attempted to sell the house and its contents. Katherine Webster's scheme was found out by a potential buyer and she was arrested, tried, and convicted. She refused to confess until the night before she was hanged at Wandsworth Prison - but she never divulged the location of her employer's head. Another mystery...
...until 2010: Workmen British broadcaster and naturalist Sir David Attenborough had hired to build an extension on his Richmond home unearthed a skull in the garden. It is almost certainly that of the victim of the "Richmond Murder," Mrs. Thomas.


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I think Jeff Tweedy of Wilco has a song with a title something like that. I actually don't think this very often about myself personally, but I bet at least once every week, I read something so deaf to the actual nuances of Lutheran theology, that I ask myself, on behalf of Lutheranism, "Why are we so misunderstood?"
In an otherwise nuanced and brilliant book, Sarah Bakewell writes, "While Lutherans tend to stay aloof from worldly affairs, living according to their private conscience, Calvinists are supposed to engage with politics, and work to bring about God's will on earth" (80). Where does this stuff come from. It's wrong both in the understanding that Lutherans stay aloof from worldly affairs (who was less aloof than Luther? Which churches that you're aware of publish social statements and engage in public policy advocacy at the level of the ELCA?), and in terms of the supposed Lutheran emphasis on private conscience, because Lutheran, though discussing and emphasizing the conscience, don't work out of a notion of "private" conscience. Rather, conscience is bound, and bound specifically to the Word of God and the need of the neighbor.
I can't recommend Bakewell's book highly enough, it's really masterful. However, whenever the word "Lutheran" pops into the narrative, I notice how often it's misused or misunderstood. I wonder why. Maybe we just aren't communicating our important contributions to the global ecumene clearly and succinctly. Mea culpa.
So, how do Lutherans engage worldly affairs? Hopefully it would be obvious by our actions, but in case it isn't, the best way I can say this is: Lutherans engage worldly affairs by being totally in the world, in their daily work and vocations. A Lutheran tries to be the best musician, or co-worker, or artisan, or reporter, or whatever, that they can. So Lutherans are known for non-pietistic approaches to work, and suspicious of overly religious approaches in the work place that might mask lack of integrity. In fact, reading Bakewell, I get the sense that Montaigne would have made a fairly good Lutheran if given half a chance. :)


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Create a fun and easy background using your acrylic blocks!
It's so easy, here are the instructions:
Step 2: Mist the block lightly with water.
Hint: The more water you add, the softer, and less vibrant the colors will be.
Step 3: Press the ink acrylic block firmly onto the cardstock. Hold the block in place for a few seconds so that you remove the air bubbles.
Step 4: Stamp small images on the background , Finish the card.
And here are the cards from class that we made:
Stampset: Blooming with Kindness
Cardstock: Old Olive 5 ½ x 8 ½, Pretty in Pink mat 5 ¼ x 4, Whisper White 2 ½ x 4, Primrose Petals 3 x 4 1/2
Ink: Raspberry Ripple, Regal Rose (Medium Block), Pink Pirouette (Small Block), Pretty in Pink (Oblong Block)
Accessories: Satin Pleated Ribbon, Finial Press Embossing Folder.
Stamp Set: Lovely as a Tree, Blooming with Kindness & Single Snowflake
Cardstock: Bashful Blue 5 ½ x 8 ½, Marina Mist mat 4 x 5 ¼, Whisper White 3 ¾ x 5 & 3 ½ x 4 1/4
Ink: Bashful Blue, Always Artichoke, Basic Grey
Accessories: Misting Bottle, Dimensions, Dazzling Details, Brayer for Big Block
Hint: Apply Dazzling Details after assembly, it will take alittle bit for it to dry. Stamp off the snowflakes so that they are lighter.
Here is the fancy fold card we made, its called Twisted Gift Card Holder. This was a challenge but after several tries, I am happy to say, I GOT IT!!
Twisted Gift Card Holder
Ink: Primrose Petals, Early Expresso
Paper: Primrose Petals 4 ¼ x 11,
Comfort Café DS Paper 4 x 10 ¾
Accessories: Hearts a Flutter Framelits
Hint: Stamp the Heart design first then run through The Big Shot.
And there you have it! Another successful class in the books. Remember if you ever see any cards that you like but don't have time to make them, I do sell card kits. Email me for details.
As always, take care


text:
"Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends." -Maya Angelou
Monday, January 17, 2011
Two Countries, Three Religions, Four Days
I have long been curious to visit Israel, and Jerusalem in particular, and I had a wonderful time. There is so much history in the area; it is really overwhelming at times. I did not have an agenda or list of things I had to do, so I was able to take time to wander around and soak everything up at a leisurely pace. I went during the Saudi weekend but the Jerusalem work week, so I was on my own for a couple days. The first day I jumped right in and spent a very long day exploring the Old City. I got lost dozens of times, visited each quarter (Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Armenian), and visited a few sites. I toured Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which was a site I knew very little about before visiting. I spent an hour or so at the Western Wall, watching the faithful in prayer. Several bar mitzvahs were going on, so I got to peek over the wall at the men's side to see the pomp and ceremony. I found it quite funny that a relatively high wall has been erected to allow the pilgrims a modicum of privacy, as well as to separate the genders, but dozens of tourists (and perhaps locals as well) were standing on the plastic chairs provided for contemplation in order to get a better view. I timed things right to be able to access Temple Mount, where I got to see Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa Mosque up close. The area is beautiful and peaceful and has some architectural gems around every corner. I ate lunch in a square overlooking Hurva Synagogue in the Jewish Quarter. The Old City is absolutely packed with phenomenally important religious and/or historic sites, and I only saw a few of them. I only visited Jaffa Gate, didn't go to any museums, and missed dozens of other churches, mosques, synagogues, and other landmarks. There's lots to do on a future visit!
The Old City is packed with souqs - alleys overflowing with vendors of various wares. I was surprised (and slightly dismayed) to find that some were as aggressive as those I encountered in Cairo. The only things I bought all day were a few pieces from an Armenian ceramics artist. The store was tucked into a corner on a very quiet street in the Armenian Quarter. Christmas carols blasted from the radio as I browsed. I love the Palestinian/Jerusalem/Armenian pottery style (they call it each or all of those names); the color blue features heavily in the decorations, and pomegranates and birds, fish, and/or deer adorn most of the pieces.
I indulged in several Old City favorites while browsing. I had a great bagel and cream cheese for breakfast, fresh pomegranate juice for a snack, and a falafel pita for lunch.
On Friday I took things a bit easier, having overdone it a little the day before with the miles of hills and stairs and meanderings. I headed to Mahane Yehuda market two hours before Shabbat. I was curious to see the market itself, but, more importantly, I wanted to take in the famous pre-Shabbat rush to do shopping and get home in time for sundown. It did not disappoint. Thousands of people crowded in the market, bargaining over produce prices, finding the perfect breads and pastries, stocking up on spices and dried fruits, and buying just about any other fresh food product you can imagine. My friends had told me how much they love Jerusalem for its fresh, local, quality produce, and I could see exactly what they meant. It was truly amazing. I had a leisurely lunch of mezze (and an obligatory cup of sahlab, a hot, milky drink) before one more wander through the market. This time I happened upon a pottery cooperative. As you may know (or are coming to realize), I adore handmade pottery and frequently seek it out for souvenirs and gifts. I bought a beautiful pomegranate figurine (a popular creation in Jerusalem) and a whimsical spoon rest. I could have bought significantly more if I'd had room in my suitcase...
Friday night we went out to dinner for my friend's birthday with some other friends and colleagues. The majority of restaurants in Jerusalem are closed Friday evenings for Shabbat, and the streets are largely deserted. It's quite a sight. Similar in some ways to Saudi in the daytime during Ramadan. We had a wonderful dinner and lots of laughs.
Saturday was the one overlapping vacation day my host had, so we headed farther afield. We drove down the coast of the Dead Sea, past Qumran (where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found), past the garden centers with camels out front as advertisements, and down to Ein Gedi. I imagine in the summer this is a very busy beach with lots of floating tourists, but it was empty and quiet and wonderful. We didn't go all the way down to the water, as it was an awkward access point if we weren't actually swimming (and it was way too cold to even think about doing that!). Hard to believe we were at the lowest point on Earth. We headed a bit farther south and went to Masada, the site of the last siege during the First Jewish-Roman War between CE 66 and 73.
Masada is located on a plateau high above the valley floor. You can take the Snake Path up, a winding, 45 minute, strenuous climb up hundreds of stairs. We opted for the cable car. It took three minutes. We wandered the ruins and dodged tour groups and admired the spectacular views. The Dead Sea is not very wide, and we had great views of Jordan on the opposite bank.
Travel in the West Bank is severely limited for FS personnel (even those on personal travel). There are a couple of main roads you're allowed to drive during the daytime, and Jericho is an allowed destination. So when we finished at Masada, we headed up to Jericho. My understanding is that Jericho and Damascus tussle over which is the oldest continually-inhabited city in the world, but they both have a pretty long and impressive history of which to boast. Jericho is also one of the lowest cities on the planet, lying just a few kilometers from the Dead Sea. We drove through town, which was largely deserted at that time in the afternoon. It really felt like being in a different country - signs in different languages, different license plates, different feel. We ate lunch at a great little restaurant on the main drag, ordering a ton of mezze and splitting a delicious musakhan, a traditional Palestinian dish. It's a roasted chicken in savory spices and onions over bread. Absolutely delightful.
To end the day, we stopped at the house of my friend's colleague, who has a connection with olive wood artisans and sells their wares at wholesale prices. I bought lots of Christmas ornaments, a camel figurine set, a mortar and pestle, some great spoons, and a cheese board. I was ecstatic!
We went for drinks at my A-100 colleague's home; she also had visitors in town. It was a great way to cap off a wonderful weekend. Unfortunately my flight yesterday morning was hellishly early, but my amazing host drove me to Ben Gurion in the middle of the night. I got through security with no problems, but my flight was delayed over an hour due to bad weather in Amman. The flight between Tel Aviv and Amman is very interesting; both times I was in a wide-body Airbus plane, but our flight was 25 minutes cruising at about 9000 feet.
No delays coming out of Amman, no problem getting back into KSA, and I was home by 4:30. Just in time to go to a 4.5 hour dinner event. What day off?!
Pictures will be forthcoming; my priority for tonight is unpacking and sleeping.
4 comments:
- Just US said...
Sounds like you had a very good and busy trip! Isn't Jerusalem fascinating? I missed getting to meet you but maybe if you come visit again we can meet up at some point.
- January 17, 2011 at 12:19 PM
- Lydia Durant said...
Hey Sadie- sounds like an amazing and event-packed trip :) Can't wait to see some photos soon when you get rested!! Hopefully kitties were safe and sound when you got back (and you don't have more housing issues)!! Have a good rest of the week!
- January 18, 2011 at 4:00 PM
- Trena Montgomery said...
Hi Sadie-
I know you don't know me at all but I somehow I stumbled upon your blog when I was looking for good markets and pottery cooperatives in Jerusalem. I am here for a year, volunteering and working in a school nearby but really interested in handmade pottery and learning more about that. Can you tell me the name or where to find the pottery cooperative you referred to in your post? Thank you so much!
Trena Montgomery
- January 19, 2011 at 6:53 AM
- Sadie said...
Thanks for the comments ladies!
Melissa - sorry we didn't get to meet up! things were very busy on a quick trip. next time, for sure. your trip to Eilat sounds amazing!
Lyd - kitties are happy and healthy. I think they get to eat more when I'm gone ;-). Photos this weekend.
Trena - the co-op's shop was in Mahane Yehuda market, near one of the entrances, in the roofed section. I don't know the streets well enough to navigate, but there were some cafes and less foody-y stores/stalls nearby. Not the main entrance; maybe the next one over. Let me know if you find it and find some great works - I loved everything in there, lots of different artistic styles. Good luck with your year abroad!
- January 19, 2011 at 2:36 PM


text:
It directs people to a site called jesustattoo.org. No specific church is taking responsibility for the billboards. In the "About Us" section on the site, those responsible for them say that they are just what they seem, a small group of people who want to lead others to Jesus. Looking at the site, it seems to be pretty theologically neutral. It's definitely Protestant as it features a Sinner's prayer, but I found nothing there that was particularly problematic from a Catholic perspective. It even says that a follower of Jesus needs to belong to a community of believers which is an idea found more readily in Catholic circles.
So, what about the tats?
The Catholic Church teaches that tattoos as such are morally neutral. That said, there are three main factors that could push it over the fence either way.
- The image used or...
- the location of the tattoo could be immoral or inappropriate
- Your motivation in getting the tattoo could be impure. "Am I seeking to glorify God or draw attention to myself? Will my tattoo be a source of contention for my loved ones? Will getting a tattoo cause me to disobey my parents? Will my tattoo cause someone who is weak in the faith to stumble?" are all good questions to ask (Source).
A big part of the controversy seems to be the idea of Jesus having one. The website features videos where people tell their stories of how Jesus changed their lives. In these videos, an actor playing Jesus changes the tattoos on the new Christians. They were tattooed with words like "addiction" but Jesus changes those tattoos to say thing like "hope." Jesus, in turn, takes the new Christian's old tattoo onto himself. Here, it's easier to show than tell:
While the details might be offensive to some, the general idea here is very true and Biblical:
He himself bore our sins in his body upon the cross, so that, free from sin, we might live for righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.- 1 Peter 2:24
For our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.- 2 Corinthians 5:21Jesus is the Lamb of God, not just because he's perfect or because he's cute, but because lambs were used for sacrifice.
Jesus was pure, that goes without saying, but he did bear our sins on the cross and I think that this tattoo idea is a pretty creative way of making that reality tangible for people. It makes a theological idea visual in a society in which we are getting more and more used to getting our information visually rather than verbally.
A tattooed Jesus doesn't bother me, but it can be used as a source for meditation. What tats did He get from me? What sins do I need to confess? What sins do I need to remove from my life?


text:
Thousands in Burnham-on-Sea, Highbridge, and Berrow without water
More than 12,000 homes and businesses in part of Somerset are without water after an 18-inch (46cm) main burst.
The Bristol Water pipe supplies Burnham-on-Sea, Highbridge, Berrow and the surrounding area.
The burst occurred on the A38 Bridgwater Road, between the motorway bridge and the East Brent roundabout.
A company spokesman said a new pipe was now in place, but must be pressure tested before the water can go back on.
He said if that went to plan the company could refill Cheddar Reservoir which feeds the affected area.
However, restoration of supplies was likely to take the rest of the evening and he could not guarantee people would have their water supply restored by the end of Thursday.
Are you without water? How are you coping? Send us your comments. You can email us at email@example.com using the subject line 'water'.


text:
Discovered this on the Funny or Die website. Notice that Adam West is standing in front of the actual cave used for the scenes of the Batmobile racing out from beneath Stately Wayne Manor. The cave was also used in several 50's Sci Fi and Western Shows among other genres. It is located in Bronson Canyon in Los Angeles.
Where The Stage Is The Show
2 days ago


text:
Grenade attack in Kenyan church kills 1, injures 15
Assailant tossed explosive at altar during Sunday service
A grenade explosion inside a crowded church in the Kenyan capital has killed one person and injured 15 others, police say.
Witnesses reported a man walked into the God's House of Miracles International Church in Nairobi, released the grenade and fled.
"The church was absolutely packed for Sunday service this morning and someone who was posing as a worshipper apparently lobbed a grenade into the crowd and then took off on foot," CBC's Carolyn Dunn reported from Nairobi.
Steven Mulinge, a church pianist who was among the wounded, recalled seeing a man walking through the entrance and hurling what looked like a stone at the altar.
"I heard a blast and then around me everyone was covered in blood," he said. "Later I found myself lying down with a deep cut on my hip."
Some of the 50 church members in attendance said they suspected the attack was related to an unresolved land dispute.
James Maina, who described himself as a church elder, said his church may have been targeted by neighbours who claim to own the land on which it is built. He said the church had suffered minor attacks in the past, including having its windows smashed.
String of attacks
Earlier, police said the hand grenade is a hallmark weapon of past attacks by al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabab militants from Somalia.
"It was the latest in a string of grenade attacks that have happened in Nairobi and elsewhere in Kenya," Dunn said. "At least eight people have been killed by grenades thrown in public places, including a crowded bus stop in the capital last month."
"Al-Shabab has been warning of attacks and has claimed responsibility for previous attacks carried out since the Kenyan military launched operations inside Somalia in October," Dunn said.
Sunday's deadly explosion follows a U.S. Embassy warning that a terror attack on prominent government buildings and hotels in Nairobi could be imminent.
The embassy said Monday that the timing of the attack is not known but they believe it to be at a final planning stage.
"That [statement] was enough for Canada to follow suit with a warning to folks living in Nairobi from Canada to exercise a really high degree of caution.
"It's not clear whether those warnings and today's grenade attack are in any way related," Dunn said.
Police have said al-Shabab is suspected of killing at least 30 Kenyan civilians since Kenyan troops entered Somalia.
In February, police spokesman Eric Kiraithe said the killings are believed to have been carried out by sympathizers of al-Shabab in Kenya.
He said most of the attacks were carried out in towns near the border between Somalia and Kenya.
With files from The Associated Press


text:
Sneaker Sucker or Excellent Mother?
Last week a well mannered friend wrote on facebook, "J. just called to tell me that he forgot his gym bag this AM. Guess which approach I'm taking, tough love or sucker mommy?" This short sentence eloquently sums up the entire mommy debate. Are you a tiger mother, an attachment parent, a helicopter mommy or someone who actually has to be at a place of employment for 8 hours a day and does not have the luxury to analyze which type of mother you are let alone race home to schlep some sneakers down to your child?
Does taking your son his sneakers make you a sucker? Does not taking him the sneakers make you a bad mother? Is this opportunity a teachable moment or is it just a part of life which in a reasonable world would be devoid of all judgment? After all "sometimes a cigar is just a cigar." Right? Or maybe not. At least not where motherhood is concerned. It seems even the most mundane choices of daily life have become significant - as they relate to ones children. Will not having his sneakers one Thursday in March have lasting repercussions? ("I didn't make varsity lacrosse because of that time my mom forgot my sneakers in 4th grade") Will having his mother race into his class yelling "Yoohoo, Honey, here are your sneakers" cause him a crisis of self confidence due to social ridicule?
We do not know which path our friend took that fateful day. Did she rush across a busy city, gym bag and younger siblings in tow or did she let her son suffer the slings and arrows of forgotten sneakers? And what will the consequences be? Of course we won't know for years. After all, the race is not always to the swift, but it's probably a good idea to be wearing some form of appropriate footwear.
4 comments:
- Kate said...
that is so funny because my son forgets his water bottle for lacrosse practice all the time. i do not bring him one. I have told him repeatedly it is his job. he asked for water at his game and I held up my hands and said, "did you bring it? That's not my job. it's yours." I got a glare from one mother and a "good answer" from another.
- March 31, 2011 at 12:45 PM
- Kristin said...
The answer depends upon the frequency. I'd do it the first time if it wasn't completely out of the way. I forget things all the time, only I have the opportunity to go back home for it. If it happened more than once, then I'd have to opt for the teachable moment.
- March 31, 2011 at 3:26 PM
My approach is to take the stuff to school if/when I can. If I made a mistake and my daughter was able to help me out of a bind, I'd want her to choose to do that. I choose to help her when I can. There are plenty of times when I'm already at work and it's not possible to bail her out. When she calls for help, she makes it pretty clear that (a) she knows I might not be able to do it and (b) she's asking for a favor. I guess that's enough for me.
- March 31, 2011 at 7:59 PM
- EBB said...
Anonymous, you have a wonderful point of view. I love your perspective. how true we all need help sometimes. Thank you for reading. I hope we hear more from you.
- April 3, 2011 at 8:19 AM


text: This wide-ranging handbook provides a comprehensive overview of the field of education as viewed from a sociological perspective. Experts in the area present theoretical and empirical research on major educational issues and analyze the social processes that govern schooling, and the role of schools in and their impact on contemporary society. A major reference work for social scientists who want an overview of the field, graduate students, and educators.


text:
Obviously I have a million things to catch everyone up on. However, this is not going to be the post. Although, I do hope for this to be the start of my blog again. I was doing so good on my Blog2Print Books....my kids are going to look at 2011 (and the beginning of 2012) and say WTF??!!
So here is our menu for the week!
Monday: Bandits Baseball (hope it doesn't get rained out)
Garlic Cheese Bread
Tuesday: Still an Eat Out Night....Leila has Dance
Crock Pot Wednesday: Cub Scout Night gotta eat and go! Love having dinner already ready when we walk in the door :)
Mixed Fruit
Thursday: Sand Volleyball Night!!
Black Beans
Chips and Salsa
Friday: Bandits Co-Ed Softball...1st game of the season!
We usually go out for wings and drinks after the game...
Sunday: Grill Day!!
Nathan's Hot Dogs
Pasta Salad
Shells and Cheese
As always, I'm linked at http://www.orgjunkie.com/


text:
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
I think it's more than all that, much more, but I can't really place my finger on what all that is. Many of my close friends are writers and I'm not alienated from them personally. I can think of several writers who I feel alienated from for a variety of reasons and I keep going back and forth wondering if that plays anything into it. Maybe it does. Maybe it's that heart damage from the minority that isn't healing properly. A year ago (or maybe it was two?, whenever it was when I started this new blog) I was doing daily energy/healing meditations, letting stuff go--I lost a bit of weight in the process, like I was storing up my anger in my ass and hips. I think I'm going to go back to doing that. I think the ass and heart share the same chakra. Yeah, I read that somewhere. My pilates trainer noticed I lost a bunch of weight and asked what I was doing. I told her about the energy exercises and she looked at me like I said I lost it by slaughtering hobos or something totally insane. It made me feel really uncomfortable and I started noticing that I was always really uncomfortable in the loud, cold, hard pilates studio. The constant mindless chitchat, the regular pressure to push oneself even if it didn't feel right. I didn't belong there, but I went because I got "results." A couple weeks later I quit (even though I still had 3 or 4 paid lessons) and returned to yoga. Yoga was so different than I remembered. What used to seem difficult wasn't so much. I probably had pilates to thank for that.
Yesterday I dreamed that I found a doorway in Chris' office into an apartment. There was another door that I hoped connected my own office to the apartment. I had forgotten that our new house had an apartment and I was so excited to realize I had all this additional space. My new house was truly huge and limitless. The previous owner's furniture and other items were still there, so I was deciding what to keep and what to pitch. Then two writers came into our home, one I know in waking life and the second was someone I knew in the dream, but couldn't remember his name. They brought cherry beer (something I'd recently considered buying in a grocery store in a dream the week before). Then tens of young, 20-something writers came into the house. It was like one of those flash mobs, but it was more like a flash party. I said I wasn't uninviting them because I never invited them in the first place, but they could only stay for 30 minutes because I had plans for the evening. At first I was OK with the unscheduled party but then I noticed that the writers were scrawling all over my walls. I yelled that I just paid thousands of dollars on painting. I screamed for them all to leave, threatened them with bodily harm, threw a vase and a lit candle and tried to call the police (I accidentally called the fire department instead). Finally everyone left and my new dream neighbors came into my house to make sure I was OK. They assumed the flash mob members were strangers. I explained that they were writers and I knew 10-15 of them but none of them were invited. My dream neighbors told me not to worry, that they were my community now.
I'm not sure how to interpret this dream. Was it showing that I'm rejecting "new writing" or an actual writing community? But if so, how is it OK to scrawl all over my walls? They were disrespecting me and my home. In waking life I would totally freak if people did that to my home. How am I supposed to work with that? Who are these new dream neighbors? They certainly weren't writers. What is this community embracing me now? Why were these young writers such despicable, disrespectful thugs? Why does interacting with writers have to be so overwhelming?
5 comments:
Reb, I can only comment on part of this because it's early in the morning and I need to get ready for work and there's no place in between to sleep or find sleep. I have been deeply embedded in different poetry communities not of course at the level you have but I always left them in order to find the core of my imagination. In the end I closed my blog and most people who read there are not poets at all and it makes it easier for me it is easier to breathe inside of it and my writing is pushed out of me instead of pushed in. The way I began it as a child except now I have an adult body (physically and of work.) There is such a loneliness to poets isn't there? And a need to draw blood when it isn't going as they had expected. I have been recognizing so many toxic people in my life lately. It's taken all these years as a nice person to realize I don't need to be a nice person to find the poetry in myself.ReplyDelete
Rebecca, 3 headed dog no matter what.
I'm thinking about public perceptions of a poet's work after reading the post, the 'who gets to shape reputations and posterity' stuff.ReplyDelete
And now I'm thinking I need to clean house - my carpets are filthy ...
Thank you, Rebecca.ReplyDelete
Rik, cleaning is good for the soul.
Reading your responses to the BV thing, I couldn't help feeling like you were taking it personally on some level. On behalf of small presses in general? It's true that poetry is hard to sell, but my favorite small presses publish small catalogs so they can really go to bat/town/hell for their authors as need be. Writers have to self-promote, but the writers I know whose presses do nothing by way of promotion are depressed and resentful about it. NTM does a lot. Birds does a lot. I don't know how many books I've sold. I know it's more than 30.ReplyDelete
Your dream is telling. (No-telling? Mo-telling?) I used to get infuriated by ignorant younger writer a lot, then I stopped reading HTML Giant.
Elisa, I probably am taking it personally--actually, I'm definitely taking it personally. I would never do the BV model and wouldn't suggest that anyone else try, but damn, there's a lot of nastiness hurled towards a guy who's what, an inept poetry publisher trying his best to support as many writers as he can. And so many people making claims that they have yet to succeed at themselves. I should probably stop reading HTML Giant too. And a lot of other sites. You're wise beyond your perfume. :)ReplyDelete


text:
I hope everyone is having a great Thanksgiving! We are not celebrating until tomorrow due to having to share Andrew and Alison. But it's all good. I spent today baking (apple and pecan pies) and doing more house cleaning in anticipation of putting up the Christmas decorations. We will be a small group for dinner, so I bought a roasting chicken instead of a big turkey. I'll make the usual sage stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, deviled eggs, and salad. Rick is going to make his mom's cranberry relish (so good!) and homemade rolls. Have I told you what a good bread maker he is? He's taken it over because he does a much better job of it than I ever did.
In between working on Christmas presents, which are almost done I may add, (aren't you impressed?) I have been finishing up some little cross stitch projects. These are so fun. I have been choosing small patterns that don't take too long and are fun to finish. Also, I have been finding so many cute ones for free through pinterest.
I changed this one a little so I could get it done quicker, but I loved the way it was finished and found I could do the apple very easily. This was found at http://perelles.canalblog.com/. She has so many cute patterns and finishes.
I just finished this one yesterday. I love adding a little charm, in this case the tiny bell. This one was from http://carmelabrode.canalblog.com.
I made this one last year, but just got around to finishing it. I had never done beading on one of these before, and though I won't do it very often, I kind of like it. Something different, anyway. What do you think? Here again I added a charm. It's hard to see, but it's a tiny fireplace. It fit perfectly in the doorway and I thought it was a nice addition. Sorry, I can't find the source of this one.
I just had to share this picture of our backyard last weekend. Pretty, isn't it? Today it was sunny and in the 60's!
Thursday, November 26, 2015
Friday, November 20, 2015
Wonderful News
You know what this means - a new grandbaby! And guess what? It's a girl! Yeah!!! Since we have three sons, and Andrew and Alison have three boys already, it was about time to get a girl in this family. We are so happy for them! (Though how our Andrew can ever finish his dissertation is beyond us. But he's a smart man - he'll do it:)
Well, as you can imagine, the baby girl shopping has begun for this grandma. And plans for some pretty pink makes too. But right now I'm working on a few Christmas presents for our precious boys. I want to show you, but I don't know who's reading this:)
Have a wonderful weekend! It's going to get cold here, maybe some snow! Yikes! I guess that means homemade bread and soup. Too bad, right?
Posted by Cindy at 7:21 AM 4 comments:
Labels: family
Monday, November 2, 2015
Fall Decor
I hope everyone had a great Halloween weekend. Saturday was rainy, but stopped during Trick or Treat hours. Yesterday was beautiful. A great day to clean up the garden and go for a long walk.
I die cut these leaves, embossed the veins with white, and used Distress Inks to add color and shading. I loved how they turned out.
I love these little lights under the cabinet and swirled in with the leaves. They are orange and add a warm glow to the kitchen in the evening.
Darn, it looks like dust on the photo! I don't know how to crop these for the blog - guess I need to learn:)
I die cut these leaves, embossed the veins with white, and used Distress Inks to add color and shading. I loved how they turned out.
I love these little lights under the cabinet and swirled in with the leaves. They are orange and add a warm glow to the kitchen in the evening.
Darn, it looks like dust on the photo! I don't know how to crop these for the blog - guess I need to learn:)
I wanted to share pictures of the grandsons on Halloween, but they didn't turn out very well. My camera died when we were in Utah and I have been taking pictures with my phone - not very good at it. But I just ordered a new camera and I can't wait to start using it.
I hope you enjoyed seeing a little of my home decorated for fall. I will be putting the few Halloween things away this week and thinking about Thanksgiving and Christmas.(Can you believe it!) Have a great week everyone and thank you for stopping by and visiting with me!
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text:
A reader calling herself Florida Girl dropped a line recently to share her story of financial woe. Though she's beginning to get a handle on her finances, she's struggling to cope with the cost of her past choices. She needs help.
I'm struggling to keep up with the minimum payments on my credit cards. Unfortunately, I'm paying for past mistakes. I no longer shop and spend recklessly, but the aftermath of my past life left several cards with balances and very high interest rates. Due to increases in the cost of living (rent, insurance, groceries, etc.) I'll soon be unable to make even the minimum payments on some of these cards.
I'm prepared to call each card company individually and try to negotiate some payback plan, but am unsure exactly how to go about that. What should I say? How demanding should I be? What shouldn't I say? What should I do if the banks won't work with me? Should I pay only what $30 when the minimum is $120 — or not pay anything at all?
I'm well aware of my mistakes and I've learned from them. I'm trying to find part-time work, but in the area where I live there's a lot of unemployment, so I'm lucky to have even one job. I won't give up trying, but it might be some time before I can increase my income. I've cut my living expenses as much as I can. And as I get some of these smaller balances paid, I can apply more to the bigger ones.
I'm not asking to have my debt erased or forgiven. I plan to pay every dime spent on credit (and never use credit cards agaiwn), but 24% and 29% interest is making it almost impossible!
The burden of credit-card debt can be soul-crushing. If you've never had to struggle with thousands of dollars of self-inflicted wounds, I'm not sure you can really appreciate how awful the experience can be. (All the more so since you're usually aware that your own actions are the source of the problem.)
When I was drowning in debt, there were times I felt like giving up. In the end, though, my solution was use a home-equity loan to pay off my credit cards (not necessarily the smartest choice), and then boost my income to pay it all off. It never occurred to me to call the card issuers themselves to ask for help. Today I realize that many people have done this, often with success.
First actions
My first thought was that Florida Girl should call the credit card companies and ask for lower interest rates. Bob at ChristianPF has put together a short guide that explains what he did get lower card rates. Jean Chatzky's Pay It Down! (which may be available at your local library or used bookstore) also describes how to negotiate lower rates. (Ramit at I Will Teach You to Be Rich also has some info on negotiating bank fees that might be usable in this situation.)
But while asking for lower rates may help in the long term, it doesn't change the fact that Florida Girl has trouble making the minimum payments now. I'm not certain that's something credit cards are able or willing to budge on, which means she may have to look for other solutions.
What sorts of solutions? If she has good credit, Florida Girl might consider transferring her balances to a card (or cards) with lower interest. Believe it or not, if you have good credit, there are still 0% balance transfer credit cards to be had. Though these rates are temporary, they could buy time for Florida Girl to pay down her balances so that when higher interest rates do kick in, the debt is more manageable.
Desperate measures
Since Florida Girl isn't struggling only with credit-card debt, but also having trouble just making ends meet, it may be that she doesn't have good credit. What should she do then? For advice on last-ditch scenarios, I turned to credit expert Liz Weston, who writes a popular personal-finance column and is the author of the excellent Your Credit Score. Liz wrote:
Anyone who is struggling to pay the minimums on credit cards needs to make two appointments:
- One with a legitimate credit counselor (one affiliated with the National Foundation of Credit Counseling)
- And another with an experienced bankruptcy attorney (who often offer free or discounted initial sessions)
The credit counselor can let you know if you qualify for a debt management program, which would allow you to pay back your debt over time at a reduced interest rate, but he or she probably won't talk to you much about whether bankruptcy might be a better course. The attorney can do that. By talking to both of them, you get a much better picture of your options.
Some people are able to negotiate workout programs directly with their credit card companies. My concern is that by the time you realize you're struggling to make your minimum payments, you're already in pretty darn deep. It's not just the interest rates that are killing you — it's the amount of debt you racked up. People in that situation often aren't realistic about what they can really afford to pay. They may start out with good intentions but then fall behind on their new payment plan at the first bump in the road. (I'm talking here about the workout plan with the creditor, but the same thing is often true of debt management programs with credit counselors.) Then the borrowers may be worse off than if they had filed for bankruptcy, because the creditor may revoke the program and they're still stuck with the debt — plus the payment plan means they've thrown more money at a debt that may have been erased in bankruptcy.
But all of this advice is just theory. I don't have real-world experience with this stuff, and I don't think Liz does either. What Florida Girl needs is feedback from folks who have been there.
Have you negotiated with your credit-card company? Have you convinced them to lower your interest rates? To drop you monthly payment? To set up a payment plan? How did you do it? What did you say? What did you do wrong, and what did you do right? What can Florida Girl to in the short term so that she can buy time to let her new financial habits do their thing?


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Well, the beginning of June was quiet but it picked up towards the end. Quite a lot of the things I shot are still being edited or are under consideration for publication so no can show at the moment!
However, one of the fantastic highlights of June was Graduate Fashion Week. This is the third year I've attended and the second time I've gone as a photographer. I didn't photograph as many shows as I did last year, mainly becuase I was busy during the week with other committments so could only attend on the Sunday, but I was really happy with the shows I did see. I always love seeing the up-and-coming design stars of the future. Follow these links to read my comments on Salford, Northumbria, Edinburgh and Lancashire.
Also, the beauty shoot I did with Louise and Beth at the end of May is now being featured on Paper Aquariam. The shoot is a really different way of doing beauty for me - I wouldn't have thought to have done it like this normally but I wanted a really raw, rough-and-ready approach to the shoot.


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It's not enough to get average power right. Many trainers get average power right. But they don't feel right because the force at the pedals is wrong. And without correct pedal force, muscle fiber recruitment patterns are wrong.
The Pedal Force Simulator gets the pedal force right.
Force at the pedals is a function of the acceleration of the rider subject to forces from wind, gravity, and rolling resistance. The Pedal Force Simulator's computer measures a rider's acceleration and sets the resistance to be consistent with rider mass and forces in the environment being modeled. It does this 1000 times per second so it's correct at every instant. This means that the muscle fiber recruitment is the same as riding outdoors. It means one's indoor training is much more effective than on trainers or rollers.
Have you ever wondered why one can't stand up on a trainer like one does outdoors on a hill? it's about force at the pedals. One can stand on a Pedal Force Simulator because the pedal force is correct. Sit or stand, the pedal force is always correct.
And the more specific the training the better the results.


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Saturday, May 29, 2010
Inspired by visuals
I'm a person who likes and benefits from visuals.
I didn't do my best in school if the learning environment involved only lectures. I needed handouts. I needed movies. I needed books and reading assignments. I needed interaction. And I always had to write things down if I were expected to remember anything taught in class. I've not changed much.
It's probably why I collect so many things. I have thousands of matchbook covers, about the same number of books, and I love to play cards (solitaire and other games) so have amassed quite a collection of playing cards over the years, with different kinds of imagery on them. Visuals remind me of things, of places I've been, of people I've met, of things I want to do, of things I've accomplished.
In fact, I keep a string of racing numbers tacked on my office wall to remind me that I can run and have run several races, and if I want to, I can do it again. These are not huge races. I've never even come close to winning one of them. But, since 2004, I have run in more than a dozen 5ks, and to me, this is an achievement. If you knew how terribly unathletic I was in my younger years, you would know what I mean. Me? Run a mile (let alone more than one)? Out of the question!
To mark this achievement, I've brought home most of the numbers that had once been pinned on my t-shirt. They are made of the same kind of paper as a FedEx mailer and are pretty durable. Instinctively, I decided to pin each of the numbers together, create a string of them, and hang them on my office wall--to use as a visual.
After I started riding my bike in 2002, I learned I had endurance. I didn't and have never had much speed, but I developed endurance. And I like to be reminded of that. Aside from my actual bike and all the bike memorabilia I now collect, this is another visual that reminds me of what I'm really made of deep inside so that I know that I can reach the finish line in other things as well.
Do you use visuals to mark your achievements? Do you use visuals for other reasons? If so, in what way? Share with us how it's helped you reach a goal.
9 comments:
- Ed Pilolla said...
that's interesting. i can see that endurance in you. you carry on. even when you run out of gas, you pick yourself up and endure. nice. that's your spirit.
i keep a visual on the wall of the original painting of my first book. it was done not that long ago, and i spent the last of my money in my bank account to have it done by a great artist and friend. the book took me five years to get out. altogether, it's my prized accomplishment, and seeing cover makes me happy.
- May 29, 2010 at 8:09 AM
- BIKE LADY said...
Thanks, Ed. You should post the link to your book, so we can see that cover, too--and celebrate with you. Maybe a few sales???
- May 29, 2010 at 8:11 AM
- Alexandra Grabbe said...
I have a special visual, a photo of myself with my granddaughter, and it inspires me every time I walk past to get to my office, which is a million times a day. I turned into an activist when she was born. I want her to live in a less toxic world. So, yes, absolutely. That visual of her face gives me the energy to do one more thing, write one more post or one more letter. (This week I wrote President Obama, explaining how I became an activist and urging him to heed the recommendation's of the President's Cancer Panel.)
- May 29, 2010 at 2:15 PM
- Anjuli said...
Endurance is definitely what it is all about. We can start well- but if we don't endure to the end, there is really no point. You are inspirational!
As for a visual- I have a picture of my three children joyfully playing in a cardboard box- it is prominently placed to remind me that the simple things in life can make us just as happy as the expensive and elaborate things!
- May 29, 2010 at 8:57 PM
- Babette said...
I love this...I love and use visuals often..in fact because May was hectic, I printed out a calendar and taped it in front of me...next thing I know, I think: I want June and July up there too. I have so much to juggle...this is one area where the electronic version is just not good enough for me...I like my DUE DATES for stories in front of me, too...I worry I won't open an electronic calendar one day and that will be the day the big story was due...
I also have a 2-page spread of a home office from Real Simple--an office I aspire to...It keeps reminding me to get organized and that one day, this room, too, shall look like that photo...
- May 30, 2010 at 7:23 AM
- Babette said...
Oh, and btw...we've been part of the blogathon. There's some endurance I never imagined I'd find!
- May 30, 2010 at 7:27 AM
- Jennifer Fink said...
That's a genius idea! I, too, am learning that I'm more visual than I ever would have guessed, but have yet to translate that into creating an environment that inspires, soothes or comforts me. Love the idea of saving the race numbers, because it also recognizes your achievements -- something else you blogged about previously, I believe.
- May 30, 2010 at 12:38 PM
- Sue Dickman said...
First, I want to say that the race number thing is a great idea! I've run 5Ks number 1 and 2 in the past six months, and I've kept the race numbers, but they're sort of floating around the house. I was a non-runner for 20 years, so running and finishing both races was definitely an accomplishment. (I'm also of the little speed but decent endurance persuasion.)
And for nearly 20 years, in every single place I've had a desk and/or a wall, including in multiple apartments in India, I've put up a collection of postcards of women writers I admire. The other things on the wall around them may vary, but those remain. (They're very well traveled postcards by now.)
- May 30, 2010 at 6:22 PM
- BIKE LADY said...
I hope you'll all continue using visuals--I do think they are the best reminders. I've learned there is a mental connection that doesn't exist without them.
Alexandra, grandchildren are an excellent reason to become an advocate. I love your story.
Anjuli, your cardboard box story. Loved that as well. It's so true about simple pleasures.
Barb, we DID do this Blogathon. Yes! It is a fine example of endurance. It wasn't easy, was it? I know I'll be initiating another blogathon soon with my speaker friends. Let me know if you want in.
Jennifer, it's true. I write a lot about celebrating achievements here, no matter how big or small. I think it's important to recognize our individual goodness.
Sue, my race numbers were just floating around the house as well, until I started remembering to keep them together. Then, one day I was playing around with them, and, "Voila!" I had made a chain. Now what? I saw a space on the wall where it fit nicely and so tacked it up there. I liked it immediately. And the numbers have been another endurance reminder ever since. I find it a very powerful image. Of course, this kind of thing is all so very individual. It's about what matters to you. What visuals will be a motivating force for you? I recommend letting it be as intuitive as possible.
- May 31, 2010 at 7:04 AM


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Thanksgiving has come and gone. I hope yours was an abundance of all that you need most in your life. I had meant to write a post about the dishes I had made other years for that grand celebration, but I simply didn't get to it. So hopefully you found some recipes here or elsewhere that worked well for you.
This is a soup I had made in mid-November, but never took the time to post. So...here it is.
Cabbage soup. Again. But this is new! And remember, cabbage is part of the brassica family. You know, that awesome family of plants that are packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidents making them the powerhouses of the vegetable kingdom. According to VegetableExpert.com cabbage, one of the oldest of the brassica vegetables, and the ancestor of broccoli and cauliflower, has been used in cooking in Europe for more than 4,000 years, giving it an epic history. In fact, the Latin word brassica comes from the Celtic word bresic, meaning cabbage. The English word cabbage comes from the French caboche, meaning head.
And don't forget the benefits of onions (besides the benefit of using another onion being kept cool in an unused bedroom-turned root cellar). Heap on top of that the benefit of cooked tomatoes with all of its lipocene, and the green pepper from our garden that I had frozen in small bags. It's all a definite Pzazz for your good health.....to off-set the sweets in which you are likely to indulge in the next couple of months.
This recipe originates from ehow.com and it is a definite keeper!
|Red cabbage and onion from Tom's garden
- 1 Tablespoon coconut oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 small Fuji apple, peeled, cored and seeded
1/3 cup chopped green bell pepper
3 cups shredded red cabbage, core removed
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1/2 Tablespoon tamari (soy sauce)
1 Tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Garnish: goat cheese
Saute onion, apple, and green pepper in the oil. Add the cabbage and tomatoes and cook till tender.
Mix the broth, tamari and tomato paste together in a bowl. Add to the soup. Add the salt and pepper. Simmer till all the vegetables are tender.
When cooled slightly, puree with an immersion blender stick.
Sit back and relax with a bowl of health!
Nutrition per serving:
Servings per recipe: 4
Serving Size: 1 cup
Calories: 109
Total Fat: 4 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 690 mg
Total Carbs: 19 g
Dietary Fiber: 4 g
Protein: 3 g


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What's On Test: The consequences of re-installing an old digital TV receiver and finding the listings and channel information for several discontinued television stations still housed within the receiver's internal electronic memory.
What we found:
Pros: Our testers agreed that finding the digital listings for now defunct or rebranded television stations like abc1 and UKTVHistory compromised an effective nostalgic experience, as many of these former channels conjur misplaced yet evocative memories. We felt that this was important, as gettin' wistful about old digital TV stations still comprised a valid emotive experience, and helps avoid the overuse of more legitimate memories, like time spent with an old friend or the melancholy experienced upon hearing of the death of an important horse in a road accident.
The rediscovery of old channels was also found to be of some value in terms of being able to appreciate just how far 'free' digital television has come since its inception. While stations like ftn (which pioneered the broadcast of repeats of 'Takeshi's Castle' several times a day) laid the groundwork for broadcasting habits to come, comparing them to modern broadcast stations like Challenge, PickTV and Dave+1 shows just how much progress has been made in terms of modern digital entertainment.
Finally, we felt a satisfying dichotomy in rediscovering the familiar forms of the digital receiver and on-screen menus, in that they also felt new and unusual when experiencing them in contexts outwith the one or ones in which they were originally encountered. This not only made the second installation of the digital receiver refreshing yet comfortably familiar, but also gave us impetus to recontextualise other potentially withered elements of our lives – marriages, telephone contracts, people we've either consciously or subconsciously chosen to reject – if only for the novelty of seeing where that gets us, exactly.
Cons: We found that instinctually remembering how to navigate an on-screen menu system from 7 or 8 years ago mildly unsettling, as it suggested that in the space of those 7 or 8 years we had not found any information worthy of supplanting such a simple instinct. In addition to this, the rediscovery of evocative imagery from our pasts (the UKTVHistory logo, for example) at times became an unwanted reminder of how much progress, or lack of progress, had been made since we last experienced them. It was an extra discomfort to realise that several defunct digital stations had simply been rebranded at some point, suggesting that those stations had perhaps 'moved on' more than we had ourselves.
Verdict: On balance, we found that, while rediscovering the familiar forms and ergonomics of an old piece of technology could initially evoke strong, positive emotive memories, many of the memories more loosely associated with the technology (i.e. how much younger you were when you first used it, how you never thought you'd be so excited to see a digital receiver) were not worth rekindling. Some of our testers even found a cruel association between the digital box and its saviour, suggesting that the idea that something was once new, interesting and had a lot to offer could be applied to the receiver as well as the nostalgic individual. Additionally, rescanning the box doesn't necessarily get rid of the old channels, meaning you basically get two sets of channels to wade through, and the batteries in the remote have probably leaked, making the whole endeavour a bloody waste of time.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tagged: car boot sales, digital television, do you remember, nostlagia, old television channels | Leave a comment »


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I've been on a bit of a blogging kick the past few days (I'm spending a lot of time in the flat at the moment before uni starts up in full swing again, plus we only just got our Internet back yesterday so I'm celebrating). In case you missed my most recent two blogs, here are some links before you read this one (either my review of new music from Kylie, Lana and Ke$ha or a look back on my year abroad). If you've already read those, or of course you don't want to read them, then just keep reading this because it's time for a brand new Silly Old Daniel Celebrity Roundup...
1. Rihanna makes a tit of herself on the dance floor (not by being a prick and doing that routine from The Inbetweeners Movie, in case you were wondering).
1. Rihanna makes a tit of herself on the dance floor (not by being a prick and doing that routine from The Inbetweeners Movie, in case you were wondering).
We all know that when it comes to partying, Rihanna is a big believer in the "go hard or go home" philosophy.
However, During a recent trip to Las Vegas with her good mate Ne-Yo it seems that Rihanna had perhaps overstepped the mark. According to onlookers Rihanna was in the middle of throwing some shapes on the dance floor throwing up on herself, before being handed a white towel to clean herself up by a member of her entourage.
The best part of the story is that Rihanna decided not to call it a night there, and instead kept on going and ended up staying out till 5.30 in the morning before going on to the Spearmint Rhino strip-club.
UHMAZING!!! It's not yet known whether or not the night culminated in a cheeky game of strip billiards, as does seem to be the Vegas tradition.
While we're on the subject of Rihanna, she's now in full-swing on the album campaign for her upcoming seventh (seventh!!!) release by debuting her new single Diamonds. She teased fans first of all by posting the artwork for the song, which features Rihanna rolling a joint which is actually filled with diamonds.
If you want to listen to the song for yourself, you can hear it below.
Alright, isn't it?
2. Zayn Malik wants to put his nob inside of a lady.
It seems that dirty dog Zayn Malik off of One Direction could be getting his end away while he's in America, away from his girlfriend Perrie Edwards off of Little Mix.
An alleged leaked recording of Zayn is doing the rounds on the Internet at the moment, where Zayn (or someone who sounds a lot like him) is coaxing a girl on the phone to walk straight past the fans outside and give security the false name of "Crystabel Riley" (it turns out Crystabel Riley is actually the One Direction stylist, how nice for her).
When the girl says she and her friends are 20 minutes away, Zayn tells them that bandmate Harry Styles might not be able to wait that long for "booty". Wow.
Can you imagine Harry Styles, the horniest creature in the whole world of popular music, having to wait 15 minutes for sex? Do you think Liam Payne has a water pistol he uses when Harry starts humping the furniture and furiously rubbing himself against his bandmates?
So far there's no comment from Zayn either confirming or denying that it's his voice in the clip, but you can judge for yourself here:
17th floor, people. Crystabel Riley. 15 minutes time...'arry can't wait 20.
3. Lady GaGa has gained weight and she doesn't give a shit and I think that is great.
Photos of marijuana-enthusiast, founder of LittleMonsters.com and part-time pop singer Lady GaGa have been doing the rounds for about a week now where the singer has been looking slightly larger than her usual self.
Naturally, this has sparked a huge debate about whether she's binge-eating (she's probably still underweight, people) and celebrated obstetrician Kelly Osbourne chucked her two cents in and claimed she thinks GaGa is pregnant. God bless Kelly Osbourne and her expert opinions, I've got a mole I wouldn't mind her having a look at, while she's dishing out free medical advice.
It seems GaGa's had enough of the talk about her weight, and as her way of a rebuttal she posted this photo on her Twitter, along with the message "bulimia and anorexia since I was 15"
I say good on you, Lady GaGa for embracing your weight gain and not trying to cover it up. It's annoying you're going "look how much weight I've put on" while you're still very thin, which I don't think is healthy for people who may be recovering from eating disorders, but your heart is in the right place clearly.
And here's one of her arse.
Yeah so that's all.


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The House actually had passed identical bills twice before, but both times they died when the Senate Judiciary Committee failed to act.... Senate staffers familiar with the judiciary committee's actions said the latest one passed by the House seemed destined for the same fate. But shortly before the Senate's recess, Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy pressed to have the bill rushed through the special procedure, after Leahy "constituents" called him and pressed for passage.After all, I'm sure that Senator Leahy's office is flooded with calls from homeowners, concerned that their houses weren't being foreclosed upon quickly enough.
The staffers said they didn't know who these constituents were or if anyone representing the mortgage industry or other interests had pressed for the bill to go through.
These staffers said that, in an unusual display of bipartisanship, Senator Jeff Sessions, the committee's senior Republican, also helped to engineer the Senate's unanimous consent for the bill.It's nice how the parties can come together to look out for the little guy.
Neither Leahy's nor Session's offices responded to requests for comment Wednesday.
Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner told Reuters in an interview that the law would weaken protection of homeowners by requiring many states to accept lower standards for notarizations.So cynical! Why, all you have to do is as the sponsor:
She said it was "suspicious" that the law unexpectedly passed just as the mortgage industry is facing possible big costs from having filed false or improperly notarized documents.
Rep. Robert Aderholt, R-Ala., said in a statement that there is "absolutely no connection whatsoever" between his bill and "the recent foreclosure documentation problems."See? It's a proposal that's been around for five years and kept dying in Senate committee. So why would you believe that its sudden, quiet passage through the Senate by unanimous consent at the behest of "concerned constituents" was anything but "business as usual"?
Aderholt said he'd first introduced the measure five years ago, before the foreclosure crisis and related scandals. He said he's "disappointed" in the veto and added that it's a matter of a "misunderstanding."
Update: And the very next day.... (Purely a coincidence, I'm sure.)
Update 2:


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Hi fellow Swappers:
Here is a list of the Swappers and their blogs. It looks like I haven't heard from one lady....
Jennifer - http://www.zospecial.wordpress.com/ FINISHED AND SENT
Megan - http://www.willworkforfabric.typepad.com/ FINISHED AND SENT
Crystal - email email@example.com FINISHED AND SENT
Angela -http://www. moderndiary.blogspot.com FINISHED AND SENT
Karen -http://www.karen-logcabinquilter.blogspot.com FINISHED AND SENT
Diane - sewmaniacquilter.blogspot.com FINISHED AND SENT
Mary -http:// myneedlethread.blogspot.com FINISHED AND SENT
Lurline - http://lurlineg.blogspot.com/ - ???? HAVE NOT HEARD FROM YOU????
So, Lurline I have tried to contact you by email and your blog, but no response....please let me know if you are working on your small quilt, if it will be delayed....I know it is coming from Australia, but I need to know when you sent it. Otherwise, I have to make an "Angel Quilt" for your swap partner, as she mailed hers out and you received it, so please contact me.
Also, would anyone be willing to be an "Angel" in case I need one???? I know this is a hectic time of the year, but I have to get a small quilt out ASAP, if Lurline is having any issues.
Again, Lurline please, please contact me....I know you have had also internet and health issues, but I haven't heard from you, so please contact me.
OK, I think I covered it all....if any one of you have any questions, please contact me: firstname.lastname@example.com (my son set this email up for me about 10 years ago, so please don't think I think I am cool), just don't want the hassle to change it.....(just some info in case you were wondering where I thought this name up)
Otherwise, I loved doing this swap and if anyone is interested in January or February for another one, please let me know....
Love and Hugs to all my Quilting Swappers,


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There was a time when you walked quickly and held your nose as you passed Pershing Square. It was a camp town for the homeless and those that didn't have any other place to go. Or got chased out of those cities and wound out downtown.
There are still homeless folk in the park but not as many as there use to be. The area is being upscaled so that there is more cleaning, more hi-rise apartments and more hi-toned, expensive stores coming into the area.
There has been ice skating for the holidays for a couple of years. Not sure how they manage to keep it skatable but they do find a way. Unless it is really hot. On this Saturday it was about 79F/26C so it was doable.
There was more ice walking than skating. I think TV bamboozled folks into thinking all you have to do is lace up and go. But it was good to stop and reflect on how you can turn a corner and see something amazing.
Ice skating without ear muffs or pants in November.


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Vodafone building, Avenida da Boavista, the city of Porto, Portugal.
A story behind: Modern architecture is my second great photo passion. When I look at the building form the different angles I try to recognize interesting curve lines or patterns of different rectangles. Experimenting with wide angles to produce distortion and extreme perspective is another great idea. Since there is always a big number of details you can crop in tightly on the building without making the photo feel unnatural. Desaturation is another fantastic tool you can use to captivate one´s eye. Black and white ( B&W ) photos with all shades of gray can increase a tonal range and make a picture even more appealing.Gear: Nikon D700. Nikkor 16-35 mm. Tripod.
Aperture: f/20
Shutter speed: 82 sec
Exposure bias: +0,3 EV
Focal Length: 16 mm
Place taken: Porto, Portugal.Date taken: Sunday, January 13th, 2013, 16:40


text:
We had an interesting enquiry today which I was unable to satisfy. Our visitor's father used to work in the Kirkwall Gasworks and indeed worked there until its closure.
On the final day of operations, a photographer took several photographs which our visitor's father then received copies of. These photographic prints were loaned out to various interested parties and eventually, all were lost.
It was thought that Dougie Shearer had been the photographer in question, but I could not find any photos in our Phoenix photography collection that seemed to fit.
Who could this photographer have been?