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In the months that followed, I learned the dominatrix business fast; I quickly became as good as Ana and Nancy. I not only did it solo, but I often paired up with Ana or Nancy, and on occasion, all three of us work together as a threesome on them.
Ana and I fell into a deep depression after losing our family, I got worst after I went to court to testify against the creep that raped me. After I testified and others testified to his deviant behavior, the whole matter was thrown out by the judge. The fucking cops said under oath that they did not read the asshole his rights when they arrested him.
His fucking lawyer asked for the charges to be dismissed because the fucking cops didn't advise him of his rights and everything he said can't be used.
The fucking judge agreed and let him go immediately. That asshole just looked at me and said, "Ha-ha!" after the judge told him he was free to go and all charges was dropped.
The fucking officers apologized afterwards, but I only had two words to say to them, "Fuck off!" Ana put her arm around me and led me out, we avoided the reporters and she took me home. When we got home, I broke down on the couch, just curled up in a ball and cried, Ana held me and said, "Baby, I promise I will make this better, Nancy and I will get him and let you get your revenge, I promise."
I stopped crying long enough to say, "Really Ana? I really wish I could get back at him, he hurt me so much, and I know he will try to do it again."
Ana just held me the rest of the night. When Nancy came home, we went upstairs to the master bedroom, where we all slept. We each had our own bedrooms, but we only slept in our rooms if we were sick or someone came around and we didn't want to alert anyone to what goes on here.
It was about a month later I came home from my latest job, Ana and Nancy were sitting on the couch talking. When they saw me come in Ana jumped up and hugged me really hard, she kissed me and whispered in my ear, "I have a surprised for you in the basement. Go get your outfit on, and make sure you wear you mask."
I went upstairs and quickly got on my outfit and mask. I rushed downstairs to the basement and was in shock from what I saw. Ana and Nancy were sitting there watching there with a man, naked and hog tied in the center of the room. Ana and Nancy smiled at me and Ana said, "This is our gift to you. You do whatever you want to him."
When I got closer, I realized it was the shop teacher from the high school, the guy who raped me. Ana and Nancy held baseball bats while I carefully untied him. I made him lean over the edge of the table in the room and tied him down extra good to make sure he doesn't escape me.
I put a piece of duct tape over the bondage gag ball in his mouth. I took off my mask and commanded him to look at me. When he saw who I was, he became so scared he was shaking violently. He knew what was going to happen to him, and he was afraid it would be the last thing he ever saw.
I went to work on him, using the tools of my dominatrix trade on him. This time was different, the person was the guy who raped me, and there was no safe word to stop me.
At first, I started out doing the usual things, not really going overboard. After about a half hour, it really starts to work on my head, I lost control of myself.
I started beating harder and harder. Ana and Nancy were watching and laughing, we were all really high on coke by this time. Ana and Nancy kept saying, "Harder bitch, harder; make him pay for what he did to you."
Nancy held up a long thin metal pipe, it looked the one he had used to fuck me with, I walked over and grabbed it and showed it to him. His eyes widened so much, he looked like he had bug eyes, he started whimpering and crying he knew what was next.
I put one end of the pipe in his ass and fucked him for a long time. He cried the whole time and tried to say something that sounded like, "Please no more, I am so sorry. It will never happen again." This went on for a while, I took turns fucking him with the pipe and beating with several flexible objects.
He began bleeding from his ass, but I just ignored it and continued, like he did to me. I got tired of his whimpering at this point and took a thick heavy piece of rubber hose and whacked him on the side of the head, his head snapped to the side and I heard his neck break, he laid there bent over the side of the table edge, tied up and dead.
We didn't know what to do. Finally Ana knew what she could do, she called a client she saw very often, and he was a butcher. He had a huge facility, he used it to cut and grind his own meat. He only had a few employees, and it would be empty until Monday.
He came over and we put the body in the back of his station wagon and covered up the body with different things. We all drove to his facility and got to work.
What was left was nothing but a pile of ground up human; the grinder was powerful enough to grind up everything, bones and all. We all put on special gloves and put the remains in plastic bags and went out to the deep woods to bury what was left.
This part was Nancy's idea; she had taken some forensic science classes at the university, so she knew how to dispose of it. We buried it in a deep hole in the middle of the forest. We went back to the facility and helped clean everything up, when we were finished; it was as if nothing ever happened.
We went back to the house and held each other in bed, we were hoping that we would not get caught, he didn't have any family and lived in hotel that vagrants stayed at, so we doubted anyone would miss him. We fell asleep together and in the morning, we made sure the dungeon was clean and went on with our lives as nothing ever happened, we never talked about it again.
I thought that my revenge would ease my depression, but it didn't relieve anything, it just made everything worst. It was hard living around here, all the pain, my parents left the house to me and my brother, since he was killed in the accident as well, it belonged to me completely.
I couldn't live in it, so I rented it out and stayed with my sister. The rent money the people paid was more than enough to cover taxes and the rent I had to pay my sister and my bills.
For a while I took coke and whiskey to help me, but it just made things even more worst. I took long walks while I was wasted and drunk.
One day I stumbled into a building and threw up in the hallway. A nun saw me and came over to me and helped me up. She took me to her office and introduced herself the Mother Superior of the convent.
She told me that I should lie down for a while until I felt better, so she took me to a room and laid me down on a bed. She left for a few minutes and came back with a pan of fresh water, a towel and a few wash rags.
She gently took off my clothes and put them in a pile next to the door. She picked up a bell on the table and rang it. A young girl, who looked to be a young eighteen came in wearing a white outfit, she picked up my dirty raggedy clothes and left without saying a word.
I was told to roll over on my stomach and did so. Mother Superior got the wash rag wet and started to wash my back, as the rag went lower; she skipped over my ass and washed my legs first.
As she the rag moved upward, it found my sensitive thighs, the feel of the rag made my pussy wet, I was starting to get horny.
As she washed my ass, her fingers went down between my legs and ran across my pussy. A couple of her fingers found its way into my pussy and massaged it slowly. I moaned in ecstasy, I wanted her so badly.
I was instructed to roll over, and I did. I looked up at her leaning over me and our eyes connected. She got up, walked over to the door and closed it. When she turned around, our eyes connected again.
She stood there for a few minutes then removed her clothes, except for her habit. She proceeded to finish washing me. Her gentle touch slowly moving the wash rag down and all over my dirty front, as she washed me, she told me her story.
I was amazed that she was a Mother Superior of the convent at such an early age, she was only thirty, she admitted she rose through the ranks of nuns by sleeping with bishops and cardinals, who ever she could to climb the ladder.
She went on to admit that her and the other nuns train the girls in their all girl college to be obedient little whores for their future husbands, right under everybody's nose. She knew she could trust me after hearing my story.
Her hands slowly washed my breasts and pussy areas; she played with my nipples and clit for a while as she told me her story.
After I was all cleaned up, she kissed me passionately, her tongue almost went down my throat, but then started to dance with mine in my mouth.
She moved her mouth down to my breasts and made circles around my nipples with her tongue, she started to make small bits on my nipples, they became so hard, and I know I could have cut glass with them.
She climbed on top of me and lowered her pussy on my mouth as she lowered hers to my pussy. Our fingers quickly found each other's pussy and ass; our mouths took care of the clits.
She was the first to cum, she erupted all over my face and shortly afterwards, so did I, my cum was dripping from my pussy and she lapped up all of it.
We sat up on the bed and talked as we played with each other breasts. I couldn't believe how turned on I was fucking a nun. After talking and playing for a few hours, Mother Superior asked me if I was going to be fine going home, she was sorry, but I couldn't stay there.
I told her I was much better and would stay away from the coke and whiskey, unless I was with a client. She smiled and asked me for my address and phone number.
I wrote it down on a pad of paper that was on the desk in the room, she let me help her get dressed and I asked what I was going to do for clothes since she had them taken away.
She told me not to worry, when she was finished getting dressed, she opened the door and there was the girl holding a set of clothes.
Mother Superior took the clothes and thanked the girl, she also told her that she would reward her later, the girl smiled and walked away quickly.
As I was getting dressed, I thanked her for the new set of clothes and asked how she was going to reward the girl later, I told her I would like to thank her as well.
She put her arms around me from behind and massaged my breasts while she kissed the side of my neck, she whispered in my ear, "How do you think I am going to reward her. Her name is Angel, and trust me, she is an divine angel, and very talented in many ways. Maybe you can thank her some other time; I don't want your friends to miss you."
I went home quickly, when I barreled through the door Ana and Nancy ran to me and hugged me tightly. They were very worried about me, when I left for my walk I was really out of it and when they didn't hear from me for so long, they got worried.
Ana said she was about to report me as a missing person, and I told both of them everything that happened at the convent that day. By the time I was finished telling the both of them about my day, they both were naked and playing with themselves.
The next day Ana and Nancy both went out to do errands; I stayed home to do some cleaning and chores. I answered the doorbell and was surprised to see Mother Superior Maria standing there.
As she came in, she told me she wanted to check up on me to see if I was fine and to check out the dungeon we made in the basement.
We went down to the basement and gave her a tour of the dungeon. I was shocked when she said she wished they had one of these at the convent, she said it could be useful when the girls needed punishment.
We talked for a while and she told me that she felt she needed to beat the demons out of me and instructed me to take off my clothes and bend over the table.
I did as I was told and bent over the table in the room; Mother Superior asked me if that was the table I killed the man who raped me on.
I told her it was and she said that it was appropriate that it was. She pulled out an extremely long ruler and started to smack my ass with it.
I kept telling her, "I'm sorry Mother Superior, I promise to be a good Christian good from now on," over and over.
Both of us were startled when we heard someone standing in the doorway. I saw it was Nancy all decked out in her dominatrix outfit. She looked at the nun and said, "You are really good at that, Jessica has been a really naughty girl lately and needed that, but let me show you how it's really done. NOW TAKE OFF YOUR CLOTHES, EXCEPT THAT HAT AND BEND OVER NEXT TO HER!"
Mother Superior took off her clothes and left her habit on, she bent over the table next to me as Nancy proceeded to smack both of us with the riding crop.
After a good smacking, Nancy moved behind Mother Superior, she put her fingers in her pussy and ass and whispered in her ear. "Now that is how you properly punish a naughty nun, bitch."
Mother Superior and I both put our clothes on and went upstairs where Ana was sitting on the couch watching a movie called, "Nude Nuns with Big Guns" on TV.
Ana almost shit herself when Mother Superior walked up the stairs. Ana quickly tried to find the remote to change the channel, but it was too late, Mother Superior was standing there watching the movie.
Ana almost shit herself again when Mother Superior started playing with herself. Mother Superior looked at the clock and noticed it was late. She turned toward us and blessed us, and then she left and went back to the convent.
Ana looked at us with a surprise look on her face, finally she was able to say, "Is that the fucking nun you were with yesterday?"
Before I could say a word, Nancy jumped in with, "It was, and she almost as good at being a dominatrix as we are."
We all went up the bedroom and played with each other until we all came together and fell asleep in each other's arms.
The next day we talked and decided that we will move to another neighborhood that doesn't know Ana and I were sisters. We would sell Ana's house and my parents house and buy a very nice home together, Ana just winked at me and said, "No more rent for you then, but everything will be just as we want it to be."
Follow the entire Jessica White saga:


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Muscular Dystrophy Canada's values of Determination, Courage, Passion and Caring are defining aspects of the organization and exemplified by the tens of thousands of Canadians who are affected by neuromuscular disorders. From our dedicated Volunteer Chapters, heroic Fire Fighters to the committed Researchers, generous donors, corporate partners and enthusiastic staff we are inspired daily by their valiant efforts.
"Let's Make Muscles Move" is a blog that highlights and shares Muscular Dystrophy Canada stories and events. Topics will include information on our Services programs, research updates, advocacy initiatives, and on our fundraising efforts such as our signature event the Walk for Muscular Dystrophy. We'll feature posts relating to our organization's mission to enhance the lives of the over 50,000 Canadians affected by neuromuscular disorders by continually working to provide ongoing support and resources.
This blog is moderated by Muscular Dystrophy Canada's Marketing and Communications Department. Guest and featured writers will be credited by post.
Check out our website, and join us on Facebook, Twitter and Google+. Talk to you soon!

subset: commoncrawl


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Talk2Cisco, Learn, Talk With Cisco Excutives Direcly, Live.
Cisco has introduced a new feature, Talk2Cisco, which allows public to talk directly, live and interactively. It is an online video broadcast featuring Cisco leaders answering questions submitted by the viewers from all over the world, or at least Ustream.TV reaches out.Using Ustream.tv, Talk2Cisco brings public directly in touch with the source of the information. These interactive sessions covers topics of interest to everyone and connects interested with others who are also following Cisco business and technology.
Next Session;
The New Collaboration Experience: How technology is changing the way we work, live, play and learn.
Carlos Dominguez, Senior Vice President, Cisco, Office of the Chairman of the Board and CEO
November 19, 2009 11:30 a.m. PT – Live Broadcast
RSVP for this show.


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"Prescription drug abuse often starts with a legal prescription, or from someone diverting pills from a friend or family member," said Karen Wolownik Albert, Executive Director at Gateway Alcohol & Drug Treatment Centers.
Chicago, IL (PRWEB) June 08, 2016
As part of National Safety Month, families are encouraged to learn about the dangers of prescription drug abuse—along with how these drugs are obtained.
"Prescription drug abuse often starts with a legal prescription, or from someone diverting pills from a friend or family member," said Karen Wolownik Albert, Executive Director at Gateway Alcohol & Drug Treatment Centers. "National Safety Month is a great time to remind parents and families about the issue of addiction and how it may be prevented."
Poisonings are the leading cause of preventable deaths among 25 to 64 year olds, largely from drug overdoses and prescription opioids, according to the National Safety Council.
"Because these drugs are prescribed by a doctor, many people falsely believe they're risk free, but prescription drugs can be just as addictive and lethal as illicit drugs bought on the street," Albert said. "Your brain and body sees no difference between a prescription opioid like hydrocodone and street-purchased heroin."
Young people are particularly vulnerable when it comes to prescription drug abuse and addiction. Teens prefer prescription drugs as their drug of choice, second only to marijuana, according to the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. Teen brains are not yet fully developed, and can be very sensitive to drugs and alcohol. Frequent use of drugs and alcohol may permanently alter or impair brain development.
Gateway offers these steps parents can take to reduce the risk of prescription drug abuse within their families:
- Use medications only as prescribed or directed on the label.
- Keep such medications in a secure and concealed location.
- Don't share prescriptions with a friend or family member.
- Properly dispose of unwanted or expired prescriptions to keep them from falling into the wrong hands. Local pharmacies or the police may accept unwanted medications.
- Monitor family members for any unusual behavior if they're taking prescription drugs, especially young people who are more susceptible to risk taking and addiction.
Warning signs of prescription drug abuse include changes in health such as sleeping habits, energy level, hygiene, appearance or weight loss. Other signs might include changes in friends, personality or a loss of interest in school or other activities.
Gateway offers a free downloadable guide to prescription drug abuse at: RecoverGateway.org/RxDrugs
About Gateway Foundation Alcohol & Drug Treatment
Since 1968 our goal has been straightforward: To help clients get their life back on track and achieve a life of sobriety, free from drug use and symptoms of mental illness, that is productive, socially responsible, and healthy. As the largest, non-profit treatment provider in the country, we currently operate drug and alcohol treatment programs in more than 43 locations for men, women, adolescents, special needs, and clients diagnosed with co-occurring mental health disorders.
Gateway's Community Division has treatment centers located throughout Illinois, including Carbondale, Chicago, Lake County, Fox Valley, Springfield, and the St. Louis Metro East area. These centers offer residential and outpatient treatment services for adults, teens and adolescents accessed through insurance, state funding and self-pay.
Gateway's professional clinicians help thousands of individuals successfully complete treatment by developing a personalized plan that treats the underlying causes of substance abuse—not just addiction to drugs or alcohol.
Learn more about insurance coverage, treatment options, or Gateway's free, confidential consultation at RecoverGateway.org or call 877-505-HOPE (4673).
Reporters and Editors, for more information, please call Leslie Colman, Marketing Director, at (630) 776-5725.


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This blog means I'm one step closer to being that lucky person. So let's get into it; hopefully this will be the same blog you'll follow once the winner is announced.
If you haven't seen my audition video on YouTube, have a look!
Welcome! Please click "FOLLOW" underneath my picture, right now, to help me become Entirely World Famous in New Zealand. ONE RULE: one email address per person, lest I be disqualified! Thanks and enjoy. Cheers, Cat.


text:
|Property type
|Minimum Stay
|0 - 7 nights
Property details
2-room apartment 49 m2 on 2nd floor. Living/dining room with 1 double sofabed (126 cm, length 200 cm), satellite TV and CD-player. 1 small room with 2 beds. Open kitchen (3 hot plates, oven, electric coffee machine). Bath/WC, sep. WC. Terrace, south facing position. Terrace furniture. Beautiful panoramic view of the mountains and the countryside. Facilities: hair dryer. Garage space n 17, height 200 cm. Please note: non-smokers only. Both beds are in a row.
building and outdoor:
Residence Jeanne d'Arc. On the outskirts, 200 m from the centre of Crans-Montana, in a quiet, sunny position, on the lake. For shared use: indoor pool heated (01.01.-22.04. and 25.05.-31.12.). Tennis. In the house: sauna (extra). Lift, sun terrace. Parking (limited number of spaces). Shop, supermarket 200 m, bus stop Albert 1er 200 m, lake Grenon 25 m. Skisport facilities 500 m. Please note: There are more similar properties for rent in this same residence. Internet access (Wireless und free)) in the hall of the building. Ask Interhome for the password. Swimming pool opening hours : 8h30-20h00. The swimming pool is closed for 30 days for cleaning in Spring.
This partner has demonstrated and is committed to fast response times, the best rates, and a great guest experience.
*Plus compulsory or optional charges based on actual occupancy or consumption. The payment has to be made in the currency offered by the property manager, before use of conversion tool. Payments in other currencies have to be negotiated beforehand with the property manager. The currency conversion tool is provided for your convenience only and is non-binding.


text: The President is taking his healthcare pitch to the people, again. Despite the parade of interviews with the President and the huge chunk of programming dedicated to informing - attempting to sell - the American people on the healthcare reform plan, the President still does not have the support to get his plan passed. President Obama has utilized the media - ABC and all the other networks and even PBS to try to drum up support through public opinion polls. I suppose that a ground swell of public support would get more in Congress on board with the plan. But it is just not happening and thus it is business as usual in Washington. The bottom line is that the President does not even have the support of the members of his own party on this issue. So instead of this plan being embraced by a democratic Congress we have gridlock. Our own Congressman Louie Gohmert has introduced an alternative healthcare reform plan but up to now it is not getting much traction either. Perhaps there is a compromise on the horizon but it appears that the only thing that can be agreed upon is that our healthcare system is broke. As voters we must demand action on this issue and hold congress and the President accountable and that will make for a Better East Texas.


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One of those talks where he complains about everything she's not doing to keep things *ahem* interesting the relationship, and she reacts with a concise list of all the things she does throughout the day and how when she comes home from work at 12:30 AM and sees that all the laundry she did still hasn't been put away, it's hard for her to focus on doing anything "interesting" for him.
Something that he said to me, however, that was a point I hadn't considered before and clearly needed to, was that he felt like he was playing second fiddle to everything else I do. He says I'll set my alarm to get up for a run, plan all these things that I want or need to do when the daughter takes a nap, but I seem to struggle to find time for him.
And he's right... this is something I have to work out.
I did say in my defense, though, that on paper I work 32 hours, but in reality the time I spend in the restaurant does top out near 40, so if we're both working full-time then something's gotta give around the house. I understand that men are pretty content with the state of their abode so long as they have clean underwear, but what about when I run out of underwear?
So something's gotta give on both sides. He has to understand that I just can't relax when there's a consistent to-do list that seems to never, ever get done. I have to understand that if I'm going schedule time to keep up with my training, then I also need to set aside time elsewhere to keep up with my husband.
Kind of makes me miss the days when we'd duck out of the local coffee house early to go park his car somewhere, then we'd sneak back to our respective houses where his mom did his laundry and my parents lived in such a mess it didn't matter if I even tried to keep my room clean. The only thing I put off to hang out with my boyfriend was sleep. And sleep is SO not cool when you're in high school.
|before wedding, came prom


text: It's come to my attention, thanks to the wonder of Google, that there's another site called Caustic Comments out there on the interweb, and what's more it's a fundamentalist Protestant site connected with Dr Ian Paisley. Now I don't intend to change the name of my blog, but to avoid any confusion, mine is the one that's just as rude about Protestants as Catholics. No Popery (or potpourri)! John Knox was a numpty!


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Caltha palustris, which is the Latin name for Marsh Marigold, was the first plant that I took a chance on planting directly in my stream. I just popped it out of its pot, clay-ey soil and all, and plunked it down in the water, at the edge, after clearing a spot in the rocks that line the stream. I then piled small rocks all around it to hold it in place. It's the only plant in the stream that the raccoons, which routinely play in the stream at night, have not ripped out, chewed on and tossed around, roots and all. Occasionally they sample it, but it bounces back quickly from any damage. Its leaves are toxic, so they soon learn their lesson. It's one of those plants like pokeweed, whose leaves are edible only after being boiled. And boiled again in a change of water. And then boiled again in new water for good measure. And maybe even one more time. A vegetable after my Scottish mother's heart, who believed in boiling every vegetable into mush.
I have since planted a few other kinds of plants in the stream, using cloth bags, which hold a lot of soil and a mix of plants and thus prevent the raccoons from pulling them up. I wasn't sure at first whether they would thrive in the rushing water, having read that most marginal or aquatic plants prefer still water. But they have thrived.
|Marsh Marigold in front, with golden sweet flag, golden creeping jenny and Canna lilies behind in a cloth bag
|Sometimes the raccoons knock over the rusty metal duck, and I have to reach in and right him. Maybe they would prefer a yellow rubber one.
You can see the distribution map for Marsh Marigold here in this link to the USDA Plants Database. It's native to North America, specifically the cooler regions of the U.S. and all of Canada. Are you familiar with the USDA website? It's a great resource for finding out whether a plant is native, introduced, endangered or invasive, or when trying to identify a wildflower that the birds have conveniently planted for you. I also often use it to find out whether a plant is native to the western U.S., which is important to know, since Washington, Oregon and California have such a different climate compared to the East.
Other websites with excellent information about native plants are the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, which also contains links to the Native Seed Network, a database that tells you where to find seeds; Flora of North America; the Kemper Center for Home Gardening; and the University of Washington Burke Museum (for info about plants specific to the state of Washington). Those links will take you to pages about the Marsh Marigold, but once there you can search for others.
Marsh Marigold is not actually related to annual marigolds. It is more closely related to buttercups, which you can see in a closer look at the five-petaled flowers.
Wildflower Wednesday is hosted by Gail Eichelberger, on the blog clay and limestone. It's a monthly celebration of wildflowers around the world. Gail's post today is also about an edible wildflower, but hers doesn't require boiling. Go there now and check out other bloggers' posts about the wildflowers they grow in their gardens.


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Thursday, May 31, 2012
Friday, May 25, 2012
SYTYCD Season 9 is Back!!!
I can't believe it. Another season of So You Think You Can Dance started last night! So thrilled.
They've changed the structure a little bit, so it will take some getting used to. Tryouts are the same as they always have been, and when they get down to 10 dancers, they're bringing back the all stars. But it's between those two points where it gets a little fuzzy. They're only doing one show a week (instead of the two) and that one episode is going to be 2 hours long.
My "predictions" and thoughts are at the very end of this post.
So! What were some of the highlights of the auditions? Let's take a look-see at my comments as the show happened:
New York
Always really good dancers here. We had Nigel, Mary and my favorite, Tyce, as judges. First up Amelia. Very cute look to her, a little weird of a personality. Amelia adorable according to Tyce. Loved her 1920s. Everything she did was big, moves gestures, smile, everything. Standing O from the judges. She kind of reminds me of my friend Kelsey in her personality. Toshihiko. I love how the Japanese bow after everything. Floor slide on his butt was awesome. So talented. Very good flow and movement. But, can he do anything else? Choreography.
Day two looked promising. Like, wow. Leo Reyes is dancing for his mom. "Life isn't forever. You aren't guaranteed tomorrow. I didn't expect that day". Tube socks. Heck yes. You know he can do hip-hop because of his video clip in his montage, but he can also do beautiful contemporary. Good dancer. Strong little man. Nigel looked really moved throughout the audition. The crowd loved it. Standing O in the room. All the judges' eyes were glistening. Mary's frozen Botox face. I love you, Mary. Straight through to Vegas. Poor guy didn't know whether to go crap or go blind, as my mom would say. Hugs and tears all around. I'm always so afraid that when they do their excited happy dance Vegas dance they're going to land wrong and twist or pull something. Ugh! That'd be terrible!
Hubby loves watching the ridiculousness of the crazy dancers like Austin and the Mr. Wiggles. It makes you wonder, with people like this, if they're serious or if they're just trying to get their 5 minutes of fame. Which this guy was obviously doing. "What are you do-ing-a?" ßTyce's words. Have I mentioned how much I love him? Leopard stretch pants? No! But I like that dancer. And she's going to Vegas. Shafeek is a flipper. I want his "I <3 me" shirt; it's awesome. Wow!!! What a crazy sick opening!! Shafeek! So much strength and control! And passion. He brought moves and a certain something that I've never seen before on SYTYCD. And the judges loved it! Oh no. Mary's gonna cry. I can feel it. Nope, I was wrong, but she really respected him. "You move like silk – effortlessly" Tyce. And the story behind the dance was just awesome, too. In choreography – the Japanese locker. He left. Dang.
Hubby loves watching the ridiculousness of the crazy dancers like Austin and the Mr. Wiggles. It makes you wonder, with people like this, if they're serious or if they're just trying to get their 5 minutes of fame. Which this guy was obviously doing. "What are you do-ing-a?" ßTyce's words. Have I mentioned how much I love him? Leopard stretch pants? No! But I like that dancer. And she's going to Vegas. Shafeek is a flipper. I want his "I <3 me" shirt; it's awesome. Wow!!! What a crazy sick opening!! Shafeek! So much strength and control! And passion. He brought moves and a certain something that I've never seen before on SYTYCD. And the judges loved it! Oh no. Mary's gonna cry. I can feel it. Nope, I was wrong, but she really respected him. "You move like silk – effortlessly" Tyce. And the story behind the dance was just awesome, too. In choreography – the Japanese locker. He left. Dang.
"I did not enjoy that at all." ßTyce. The looks. LOL. Haha. Love the clips of the bloopers. Chehon the Swiss Ballerina. He danced to my favorite song, so that was a sign. WOW. His moves and power. You wouldn't think that he'd only ever trained and danced ballet. Looked like he was losing steam towards the end, though. But he wasn't really dancing towards the end. Tyce used to dance Ballet??? News to me! But I'd love to see a clip of him dancing that way. I only ever know him as Broadway. I want more excitement from him.
38 total. 21 from choreography. 17 Straight Through.
Judges are Nigel, Lil'C, & Mary are judging this city. Is this their first time in Texas? I think so. Either that or it's been a while since they've been there before. Bree's kids and husband are in the audience. Great dancer. Cutest little boy yelling out, "Mommy I love you" from the judges table right in the middle of the performance the little boy walks up on stage and hands her mom the plane ticket to Vegas. The little girl dancing was the best. That whole first act was the best ever. So cute.
Oh my, the crazy people. Exorcist style. Zombie? No, thank you. But they were entertaining. We have some winners, here. Crushing up people's souls and running it through their veins and then giving it back. Holy crap. Zombie guy is very good, talented, but a Nigel says, he's not all there. It's like a fun house. But what else can he do? Standing O from audience. Oh, how I missed Lil'C. But where are his inventive words? Not one so far.
Horses: What the freak? Get out of our pasture you crazy humans.
Hampton the soul scrubber. He's so good at the popping and locking, such control. Even if he is a little….scary,…to Evanescence, wow. But so perfect. Mary's crying. He's good, but I don't know about that good. Cry worthy, I mean. But Nigel looks pretty moved, too. Maybe this guy's soul scrubbing work. I think it's the song. Looks like he's sliding on ice. I picture him starting a new religion in America. He'll be rich. Wowza. That lat part with his heart! Awesome. The audience judges and dancers were all in tears. Who woulda thought. Standing O from EVERYONE. Whether they say yes or no, you're going to Vegas I'll pay for you myself. These are the kinds of dancers I like seeing go all the way to the final 20 and really seeing them grow as a dancer and excelling in it. I hope he makes it far. 10 to Vegas (I saw 2 fall with their excited Vegas dance).
Day two. Daniel from down under. Ballet dancer with the San Francisco Ballet. I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought he kept saying he was a belly dancer. Amazing power and skill. Such a good dancer. Straight through to Vegas.
Lots of people made it to Vegas in this round. 3rd injury on Vegas dance. Sam. Autistic guy who has the courage to dance on stage. People like this you can really appreciate what they're doing, even if they aren't any good at it because you understand what it took for them to get up there and do it, to overcome their difficulties challenges. It's simply amazing.
Von Kipper auditioning for the show but doesn't want to. It's the hamster. Cat asked him why he's here if he doesn't want to be on it. But he never gave a reason as to why he's trying out if he thinks it's selling out to be on the show. He's a horrible guy. Arguing before he even started dancing. Boooo!!!! Get him off the stage!!! That guy, that's what I sounded like after coming back from the dentist.
Jarell Suspenders!! I'm trying to get Hubby into those. Dad looks a bit like an older Samuel L Jackson. "Don't touch my water it's vodka" Such a great dancer. That's why I really like Contemporary dancing there's so much room and opportunity for emotion. I like how he put in other types of dancing – popping, a little ballet, miming, etc. and Broadway with his face and emotion. Good, good dancer. Standing O from the audience.
Lil'C's new word for the season: Millisecond.
12 after choreography several direct.
Predictions: I think that All the video'd people will make it to the top 20. I think that Amelia from the 20's will really show how much she can shine in Vegas and I think that Reverend Hampton will surprise everyone and be one of those dancers who you think is really limited but just has so much pure talent, he excels. I think that Chehon the Swiss Ballerina is a little arrogant of himself (but he is that good), but will probably have some trouble with Broadway and the Latin dances. I think Daniel from Down Under will excel. You saw how the girls reacted. I think his personality and talent will carry him pretty far in the competition. Mommy Bree, as much as I like her and think she's good, I think she'll get voted out early in the show. (But then again, she also strikes me as the Dark Horse type). What about you?
Monday, May 21, 2012
Juggling Act
I haven't been here in a while. Sorry 'bout that. I missed (I think) the last two Freebee Fridays! and I feel horrible. Since Book Addicts is so new, it's requiring a lot of time. Plus everything else that's going on in Life right now.
One of the main Time Suckers is the new blog for Book Addicts. It's over at WordPress, and I have to say, that blog platform is pretty dang sweet. Check it out. We're using that one instead of Blogger because it's supposed to be "compatible" with our newspaper's website (at some point).
wonder wander (sheesh, it's been a long day) over there and check it out. I think it's going to be a lot of fun and hopefully I won't be spending ALL my time over there. To tide you over, how about a poll? Book-to-Movie to be precise. :)
One of the main Time Suckers is the new blog for Book Addicts. It's over at WordPress, and I have to say, that blog platform is pretty dang sweet. Check it out. We're using that one instead of Blogger because it's supposed to be "compatible" with our newspaper's website (at some point).
Monday, May 14, 2012
Code Name Verity Book Report
Code Name Verity
By: Elizabeth E. Wein
Genre: YA Historical Fiction
Pub Date: May 15th, 2012
Rating: PG-13 for scenes of torture
Coffee Beans: 5/5
Spoilers: No way, José!
Favorite Line: "It was cozy in perhaps the way you'd be cozy in hell." (ebook, pg 62)& "It's like being in love, discovering your best friend." (ebook, pg 80) & "And that I don't believe in God but if I did, if I did, It would be the God of Moses, angry and demanding and OUT FOR REVENGE,and…"(ebook, pg 318)
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for this honest review
Publisher's Summary:
Oct. 11th, 1943—A British spy plane crashes in Nazi-occupied France. Its pilot and passenger are best friends. One of the girls has a chance at survival. The other has lost the game before it's barely begun.
When "Verity" is arrested by the Gestapo, she's sure she doesn't stand a chance. As a secret agent captured in enemy territory, she's living a spy's worst nightmare. Her Nazi interrogators give her a simple choice: reveal her mission or face a grisly execution.
As she intricately weaves her confession, Verity uncovers her past, how she became friends with the pilot Maddie, and why she left Maddie in the wrecked fuselage of their plane. On each new scrap of paper, Verity battles for her life, confronting her views on courage and failure and her desperate hope to make it home. But will trading her secrets be enough to save her from the enemy?
Harrowing and beautifully written, Elizabeth Wein creates a visceral read of danger, resolve, and survival that shows just how far true friends will go to save each other. Code Name Verity is an outstanding novel that will stick with you long after the last page.
My Review:
I really hate Microsoft Word. It randomly "stopped responding" and erased everything I wrote about this book. I'm going through breathing techniques right now, trying to resist the impulse I have to throw this computer through the back yard and into the sprinklers right now.)Let's try this again, shall we?
There's not much I can say about this book without giving away the plot—which I don't want to do. This book is about the strength and love shared between best friends. About people banding together, risking everything to fight for strangers because they believe that they deserve more than what they have. It's about the deep, deep hollow that's created in one's soul at the pain someone they love is suffering through.
My throat tightened, my heart ached, my fingers kept turning pages. And at the very last page, I mourned the losses and I cherished the victories and I had hope for the lives of those who survived.
This is a fictional story, but the events that happened—the war, the Holocaust, the killing, the torture, the loss of so much—that is what I mourned at the last page of the book. Because in the end, what happened between these covers is only one of a million stories or possibilities of what some of our grandparents, parents, great-grandparents lived through. And like Wein's very last words: LEST WE FORGET.
Now, on to a more specific review. I'm not a fan of historical fiction, normally, but I decided to give this one a go (mostly because I was in an ARC requesting frenzy), and I'm so glad I did. I'm also pleased as punch that I'm reading so many good authors, as of late. Elizabeth is one of them. She is, in one word, brilliant. The story she wrote is astounding in its complexity. But you don't realize it until the last third of the book. And here's why:
The last third is told from someone else's point of view.
I'll admit, at first this really threw me for a loop. I didn't like it. I thought it was dumb. Why the heck do I want (excuse me while I obsessively save my work in Word, lest we have another melt down), why the heck do I want to read this story from another pov? I like the one I'm in (she's funny and snarky and very specifically random). And to be honest, I don't like the new voice. At first. Then I fell in love.
Both parts of the narrative are distinctly different, but neither is whole without the other. You start to pick up on clues with what the first girl had to say and how it plays into what's said in the second part. Then you start to think about the brains Wein has to construct both parts to make them independent but then a terrific mind puzzle when they're together. So brilliant.
I won't say anymore, sorry for the abrupt ending, but I don't want to risk saying anything that would ruin the story. Please, I implore you, if this book sounds even remotely interesting to you, pick it up and read it. And share it with others. It's that good.
Happy reading, my friends!
A Note on the Cover: There are two. My ARC had the two hands tied together, which is an odd cover for the type of book it is, the scene it refers to, I think was not entirely the best choice. Although it's artistically stark, I think I might slightly prefer the second cover, although, I think the girl is supposed to be Queenie on the cover, but Queenie has straw blond hair so they got it wrong. I doubt it's supposed to be Maddie. Anywho, which cover do you like better?
The Immortal Rules Book Report
Title: The Immortal Rules
Author: Julie Kagawa
Genre: YA Paranormal Dystopian
Rating: PG (Awesome violence)
Coffee Beans: 5/5
Spoilers: No major plot points
Favorite Line:The air was thick with the smell of mold, dust and vegetation, and the house seemed to hold its breath as I stepped inside. (ebook, pg 33)
Disclaimer: I received this book free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for this unbiased review.
Publisher's Summary: In a future world, vampires reign. Humans are blood cattle. And one girl will search for the key to save humanity.
Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten.
Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them. The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked—and given the ultimate choice. Die…or become one of the monsters.
Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad.
Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend—a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike.
But it isn't easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what—and who—is worth dying for.
My Review:
I hate reading a book like The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa.
Now I have to wait an entire YEAR (if I'm lucky) before the next installment comes out.
Seriously, books like this one—engaging and addicting and AMAZING from the very first word—are dangerous. Personal relationships are in danger of neglect. You're brought to the cusp of wasting away from sleep deprivation and lack of food. Your social life suffers. You've been called into the boss' office a few too many times because you've been reading when you should've be working.
But it's all worth it? Isn't it?
Julie, simply put, is one of the most talented writers I've read. This book is going on The List. They way she weaves together layers and layers of plot is just astounding. And the fact that she does it with such ease and skill—that on the surface it looks like nothing when in reality it's a very precise story and snare she's created—knocks my socks off.
The world in which Allies lives was set up so naturally and believably, I could envision what it looked like, and most importantly, what it was like to live there, by the end of page one. People, that's hard to do, and enough to make anyone stand in awe and drool at that kind of talent.
All of the characters in The Immortal Rules are deep and multi-faceted. You know their motivations and their reactions even though they might only be a secondary character. Every single one of them had a separate and convicting drive to their actions and it's plain what that is. The best character she's created is her protagonist, Allison Sekemoto. A kickass Japanese girl with a hard attitude and mad katana skills.
One thing I was completely impressed with: This book is around 500 pages, and every single one of them is jam packed with tension and risk for Allie. The struggle to stay alive, to find food, to keep from becoming a snack for a vampire, rival gangs, the rabids. Then, as the story progresses, the balancing act Allie has to maintain of keeping people from figuring out who she really is and keeping herself from being killed by the people she's with and a raider biker gang. There's no time for Allie to breathe or relax, so why should there be for the reader?
It's 100% AWE.SOME.
This book is the perfect blend between the stories 28 Weeks Later, I Am Legend, The Road, Resident Evil, and Daybreakers. Seriously, perfection between two covers (or in my case, perfection in Nook form).
It begs to be said again: Kagawa is one of the most skilled YA writers out there right now, expertly weaving a complex and layered story with ease. Grabbing her reader by the shirt and ripping them into the story yelling, "Sink or swim, baby!" on the way.
There were two things I didn't care for in the story.
Number one: That it ended. But, Julie has another series out for me to read until book two in the Blood of Eden series comes out (a New York Times best selling series, the Iron Fey. Which, I have purchased on my Nook as of…now), so at least I can fill some time with more of her amazing writing.
Number two: Sometimes I felt a little lost, like I'd missed something that just happened. I think Kagawa was going for the whole "I'm not holding your hand to tell you that they got a glass of water, I'm going to let you assume that they got off the couch and walked into the kitchen to get that water" thing. Sometimes I felt too much was left out. But that was only towards the end and a few times.
C'mon. I really had to dig to find that criticism. Give me a break.
Pick up a copy, read it, and decide for yourself. Seriously, I doubt you'll regret doing so.
Happy Reading, my friends!
Friday, May 11, 2012
Freebee Friday!
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Monday, May 7, 2012
Restraint by Sandra Madera Book Report
By: Sandra Madera
Genre: Paranormal Thriller (possibly YA, but I didn't classify it that way because I didn't get the feeling that's what the author intended when she wrote it)
Rating: PG
Coffee Beans: 2/5 – the story has the potential to be interesting
Spoilers: No. Well, maybe a little
Favorite Line: "…she answered briskly, brushing off Laura's concern as if it were a fly that needed to be swatted." (ebook, pg 54)
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book free in exchange for this honest review
Sometimes it's hard to review a book.
Sometimes, there's just so much you want to comment on, but it all gets scrambled in your head and you can't figure out how to put it all down so that it makes sense. That's what I ran into with this book so I'm going to try and limit what I bring up and try to keep it as on point as I can.
Here we go.
Restraint is the illegitimate child that resulted from a one-night stand between Jane Austen and Bram Stoker. Set in 1884 America and England, Restraint is a story about two sisters whose father dies, leaving them to be shipped off to live with an estranged uncle in England. The only problem is, there are vampires in the mix. And they're after Laura (Even though that's the crux of the story, you don't find that out until well after the halfway point).
The idea of the book is interesting. I like that the vampires are cruel, cold beasts. It's about time vampire stories get back to their roots. But the author's execution in telling the story is poor. Also, I felt the first 125 pages could've been summed up (or given as snippets of back story later on in the book) and the book should have started on 126 with the discovery of her father's journal.
Now onto specifics:
First of all, head hopping. I'm pretty sure I was supposed to be in the protagonist's head throughout the entire book, but there were countless times the reader was told things there's no way the protag could've known.
Secondly, vocabulary. We're in 1884, stick with the language and sayings from that period. For the most part, Madera did a good job getting down the vernacular and vocabulary (from what I would expect it to be, anyway), but there were times she would throw in word or phrase that just didn't fit and would completely pull me out of the story.
While reading through the book, one thing kept standing out to me. The story was overworked while at the same time still extremely raw. There were a lot of little things (and some not so little things) that could've been fixed by tightening up the book.
There was a lot of telling (sometimes telling the reader the same thing 3 or 4 different times in the same paragraph). It's like Madera didn't trust the reader to figure out on their own what she was hinting at. I think this issue also affected the fact that there wasn't any real sense of urgency or risk in the story. If we'd gone through what Laura was going through, then maybe there could've been.
Incorrect use of many things. Exclamation points! ….ellipses…. and adjectives, to name a few. A lot of times, a adjective was used in the completely wrong context, giving the reader a wrong impression of what the character was feeling at the time. It threw me out of the story more than once. For example, there's a scene (well, several scenes, actually) where Laura is very tired/sick/drained/etc and "hops" out of bed. wrong. Maybe she crawls/slides/slinks out of bed, but with what she went through, she most certainly didn't hop out of bed.
I felt that Laura, the main character, was a very inconsistent and unreliable character. Her thoughts and emotions were all over the board and couldn't be relied upon. Also, she didn't have a strong enough arc.
And lastly, the cover.
I don't say this easily, in fact, I debated weather to even mention it at all. But in the end I felt it would be unfair if I didn't since I almost always make some sort of comment about a books cover in my reviews.
The cover is an author's first impression on their reader. It's so, so, so important to have the right cover for your book, for traditionally published authors, but even more so for self-published authors. With traditionally published books, covers can go through dozens and dozens of designs, focus groups, restarts, votes, etc before the final product hits the shelf. You get lots of input and opinions. Unfortunately, that tediously long process usually isn't the case with self-published books. The same thing is true with editing.
Madera designed her covers herself, she tells you on her blog it's her own artwork. And while she's a talented artist, using drawings for the covers made the books appear a bit amateurish. Had I been browsing for a book to read and I came across this one, it wouldn't have been one I picked up. I strongly suggest for any self-publishing author to spend the extra money and get your cover professionally designed as well as your book professionally edited.
Okay, I know this review might sound a little harsh, I tried everything in my power for it not to seem that way, but at the end of the day, it's my job to be honest and give you guys my candid review about a book. It's up to you if you like it or not. And as I always say, pick it up and read it for yourself. Your opinion might be very different than mine.
Happy reading, my friends!
Friday, May 4, 2012
Just Read...
Freebee Friday!
Even though I have a Nook, I still love this commercial. You all know why. :)
Happy Friday, my friends!
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Story Cubes!
So, the A2Z Blogging Challenge made me realize something: Random writing prompts are fun, simple, and good exercise. I've had these story cubes for a while (Wal-Mart for only five bucks) and have played with them and thought I should let you guys use them, too.
So, every Thursday, i'll give the dice a roll, throw a theme out there and urge you to spend no more than 500 words telling a story using all nine cubes (feel free to use artistic interpretation for the cubes' contents). Maybe I'll have you email them to me and I'll pick a winner and you'll win something yet-to-be-decided but still ultimately cool.
What'day think? Should we try that?
Theme: A crazy vacation
So! Write your story, email it to me, and I'll pick a winner and announce the prize on my blog the next week. :) This will be fun!
So, every Thursday, i'll give the dice a roll, throw a theme out there and urge you to spend no more than 500 words telling a story using all nine cubes (feel free to use artistic interpretation for the cubes' contents). Maybe I'll have you email them to me and I'll pick a winner and you'll win something yet-to-be-decided but still ultimately cool.
What'day think? Should we try that?
Theme: A crazy vacation
So! Write your story, email it to me, and I'll pick a winner and announce the prize on my blog the next week. :) This will be fun!
|The ? is a freebee
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Exciting news of the non-book-publishing-but-still-pretty-dang-exciting type
When April came around, I decided to do something I've never done before and that was sign up and participate in the A to Z Blogging Challenge. Let me tell you, that was fun and challenging. I wrote around 14,000 words to a story that was only meant to be a throw-away story. Who knows, maybe one day it will become a trunk novel.
Between the A2Z challenge, reading close to EIGHT books and offering reviews, I didn't have much down time to write for me. That's what May's for. Starting today.
CASTE – I've submitted the full ms to three agents, one has already come back with an R&R (which is entirely awesome), two more have it in hand and I'll probably nudge them sometime this month.
Funny story: One thing you'll notice when you get into the business of writing books and wanting to get published (especially if you write in a specific genre), is that you end up submitting your different works to the same agents over the years.
One of the agents who has a full sent me an email the other day. I glanced at it on my phone when it came in and it said something to the effect of, "So sorry, but your query got trapped in our junk filter. Please resubmit if you're still seeking representation."
I chuckled to myself, thinking it was no big deal; I'd read the email in detail the next day and resend my ms. When I opened the email and read it closely, I found out that it wasn't for CASTE. It was for my very first book I queried them about back in 2010!
Holy crap. Thanks for being a rockin' enough agency to come back and ask me to resubmit. That's awesome. So, after I type this, I'll be spending my time at Starbucks spit-polishing those first few chapters and resubmitting them. Who knows, right?
So, now on to the BIG news. Some of you may already know that I work at a newspaper crunching numbers. Not exactly my calling with words, but I get by. Plus, I sit close to the news department so it counts for something.
Anywho, we have this cubicle that's filled with nothing but ARCs. Me and a couple friends (Pam & Janice) often peruse the contents to see if there's anything that catches our interest. I didn't realize what a travesty this graveyard of books was until I came across The Hunger Pains. I about cried (a slight exaggeration). What a missed opportunity!
I complained to Janice and Pam that we don't have a good book review column in our paper for "everyday reads". NYT AP wire stories don't count. I mean, local reviews in a casual voice.
"We should offer to review these books!" I said with a fist of injustice in the air.
"Yeah!" Pam chorused.
"You should write a proposal!" Janice said.
So I went back to my desk and did just that. I explained why the paper needed this and why it HAD to be the three of us to do this. And before I could think about it anymore, I emailed the newspaper editor.
She emailed me back and said, "Let's meet."
Then, in the meeting, she told us, "I love this idea. Let's do it. But instead of a column, I want a page for your reviews. And I want you guys to have a blog for the paper, too."
We were excited into speechlessness. Then we started talking about other ideas. It was crazy, and they loved it all. We were basically given free reign to make this ours and make it the best we could. A community calendar for upcoming reading and writing events. Editorial pieces written by us, FAQs, Twitter, Facebook, email, the whole kit n' kaboodle. They wanted writing samples and they loved those, too.
It was heaven. I think we're all still floating on Cloud 9.
Anyway, our first deadline was yesterday for the very first installment of our PAGE. It's still hard to believe. I'll probably buy about a thousand copies and frame at least ten, giving them out as gifts.
So that's my "big news". I can't wait. I'm one step closer to getting my book published. Kind of.
Anyway, I'll be sure to keep you all posted on how that goes and give you the link so you can visit us over at our official home (Book Addicts) when that's all up and running.
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Deal Includes Properties in Louisiana, Alabama and Carolinas
"SANTA MONICA, CA (June 8, 2015) – Hertz Investment Group (HIG) today announced it has acquired from Equity Commonwealth a portfolio of six Class A office buildings in the Southeast totaling more than 3-million square feet.
Hertz purchased the properties, the largest acquisition in company history, for $417,450,000. The commercial office buildings will expand Hertz's holdings in the New Orleans market and serve as Hertz' entry into three new cities: Birmingham, Alabama; Columbia, South Carolina; and Greensboro, North Carolina. The assets and locations include:
· One Shell Square, a 51-story tower with 1,256,971 square feet, New Orleans Central Business District (CBD)
· Wells Fargo Tower, a 30-story tower with 514,893 square feet, Birmingham CBD
· Inverness Central, a four-building complex with 475,895 square feet, suburban Birmingham
· Meridian, a 17-story tower with 334,075 square feet, Columbia CBD
· 300 N. Greene Street, a 21-story tower with 324,075 square feet, Greensboro CBD
· 20th Place South, a four-story office building with 125,722 square feet, suburban Birmingham
"This portfolio of properties represents a significant opportunity for a number of reasons, including an acquisition price to acquire Best in Class assets significantly lower than Class A construction costs," said Judah Hertz, company chairman. "The properties were acquired from a public REIT that decided to exit the region, which allowed us to enter vibrant, key cities in the Southeast and own properties with a diverse tenant mix."
The six properties combined boast an occupancy rate of 88.8 percent occupancy as of the closing date.
One Shell Square, the tallest building in Louisiana, is 93.5-percent leased, and major tenants include Shell Oil, Adams and Reese, LLP, and Liskow & Lewis.
The combined properties in Birmingham will provide Hertz entry into both the downtown and suburban markets. The Wells Fargo Tower is considered a premier property in Alabama's largest city. Tenants include the regional headquarters of Well Fargo Bank as well as Burr & Forman and Baker Donelson law firms. Inverness Center and 20th Place South are home to BB&T, Southern Company and SunGard.
The portfolio also allows Hertz to enter the dynamic and fast-growing Carolinas area. Meridian, which is 91-percent leased, is located in a city that serves as home to the state capitol, the economic commercial hub and the University of South Carolina. 300 N. Green Street, which is 83.5-percent leased, offers a stunning architectural design across the Greensboro skyline.
"Hertz Investment Group views these new markets as outstanding and extraordinary opportunities," said Gary Horwitz, President of Hertz. "One of our primary strategies is to find outstanding office buildings in the central business districts of mid-sized cities. To acquire four in one deal is extremely rare and exciting for our company."
Hertz' previous largest acquisition had been 1.7-million square feet of office space purchased from Parkway Properties, now based in Orlando, Florida, in April 2012. That deal included 13 properties in three markets.
Seeing opportunities in many markets, Hertz's aggressive acquisition strategy has resulted in several major acquisitions over the last 12 months, including:
- Fifth Third Center, a 508,397-square-foot tower in Cleveland, Ohio
- Chestnut Place, a 218,621-square-foot building in Worchester, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston
- South Point Business Park, a 395,920-square-foot property built as headquarters for Worldcom, a one-time Fortune 50 company. It is located in the Jackson, Mississippi, market.
- Bank of America Tower, a 696,672-square-foot, 42-story tower that is the tallest building in Jacksonville, Florida
Monday's announcement of the six-building portfolio puts an exclamation point on the company's activity over the last year.
"We would have been interested in acquiring each of these properties individually," said Jim Ingram, Hertz Executive Vice President and Chief Investment Officer. "The ability to acquire all six assets at one time distinguished us from other investors, allowing us to make this investment. This is a big step for HIG toward our goal of owning 20 million square feet of best in class assets.""
- A Press Release


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|Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)
What could be better than a fully digitized, completely free, web-based Audubon Field Guide? The resources available on this site are as useful as they are beautiful. In addition to the Song and Calls section and the individual profiles of hundreds of birds (both listed below), environmentally conscious readers will likely find the coverage of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill extremely informative.
The navigation of the site is both functional and fun, and components such as the 2015 Photography Awards, with its heart-stopping images of birds from around the world, will delight and amaze.
The Audubon field guides have sold over 18 million copies since Alfred A. Knopf published the first illustrated and descriptive books in 1934.
This informative website, which features beautiful drawings and photographs as well as extensive descriptions of birds from around North America, is intuitive and pleasing to the eye.
Readers can start by selecting the Featured Bird, by typing the name of a specific species into the search function, or by sorting the guide into taxonomic family or region. Each record then opens to provide detailed information, including facts about Habitat, Migration, and Feeding Behavior.
Perhaps best of all, the Songs and Calls section (stocked from over 2,500 sound files created by Lang Elliott) lets readers experience the song of the Acadian Flycatcher or the rhythms of the Acorn Woodpecker among others.
Audubon Field GuideWebsite ·- https://www.audubon.org/field-guide
From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 2014. http://scout.wisc.edu/


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It's Tuesday so it must be weigh in time! I'm down 2.4 lbs this week and I'm only 1.1 lbs away from an awesome 50% of my body weight lost.
This week was a tough one – my company had our Q2 inventory on Saturday, requiring a six-day work week. Worse for my diet was the potluck lunch that always occurs the day before (and leftovers for the day of) the inventory. I brought something for the group to share that was not completely diet-friendly (Choosy Beggars' Singapore Noodles Salad, it was amazingly delicious) but wasn't too bad either. I took my own lunch, but tried a couple of things people had brought in – one was a Middle-Eastern flatbread thing with meat (amazing) and the other was this pastry thing filled with dulce de leche from one of my Argentinian coworkers. Dude. I can't talk about it without drooling.
Saturday was good too – I had a brief fling with a small piece of plum-cake and then I moved on. I thought about that cake though – I thought about it a lot. Probably more than a normal person would but I was able to restrain myself from eating another slice and from taking some home when it was offered to me.
This whole thing with the cake made me realize something: sugar makes me a bit crazy – and it's weird that I never noticed it before. Once I have the tiniest bit of sugar, I just want to keep eating it. And eating it. And eating it. It's why granola bars are on the banned list in my house once I run out of the ones I currently have. It's just not worth the temptation. If I want a granola bar, I'll walk or bike to the grocery store and buy a Cliff or Luna bar (you know, the ones that are sold individually) and consider it a treat. It's not a treat when I sit and eat three of them whilst surfing the internet.
Even though it was a tough week, I tracked everything. I still have four points left from my 35 weekly points and I didn't use any of my activity points (hence the loss, I guess).
I had a point when I started writing this post, but then it got lost in my food confessions. Oops.
Oh wait, I remembered what it is!
Just because you have a setback or a tough week, don't give up. You can still live a normal life and lose weight. It's normal to eat a pastry or a slice of cake, everyone does it. You can work it into your plan and you can be successful.


text:
So, figured Id do a little something different with this week's TRotS. I am gonna take a look at these posts and give a little look into why or why not they made this list and not the Top Ten. I think that the first thing to point out is that they made the short list to begin with because they caught my attention in a good way, plain and simple. Well, ok, one was out of favoritism, but it still was pretty good!
Very nice work, liked the glow effect of the plasma cannons, the face paint on the sergeant was the only thing I didnt care for.
Not sure why I passed on this one, think it may have been to cut down the number of Space Marine posts.
I remember this being one of the last ones cut, simply because something had to go.
This caught my eye originally because Ive got my own problems and can relate. Didnt think it was appropriate material for the Top Ten, but still worth passing on.
This one was flagged simply because I love seeing when people promote their friends over getting a mention on the Top Ten. I almost added this link as an extra to the Top Ten.
This one was hard to cut. In fact it was one of those I almost extended to 12 for this week.
Cool model, but I think I was gonna wait to see a painted version.
Im pretty sure this would be of interest to anyone who like True Scale Space Marines, but my eyes glazed over somewhere in there and it got cut.
This one fell firmly into the "well, I have to cut SOMETHING"...
Ron doesnt want me putting his stuff on the Top Ten. Makes sense to me, seeing as you can just scroll down a bit and see it. Doesnt mean I cant mark it and add it here, right? ;)
I liked these guys, but for some reason it just didnt seem as strong a contender as others.
I really like this 151 Chapters project. This post originally got marked for a decent way to paint white armor.
I want to learn to make my own resin bases someday, but I think I have posted tutorials like this several times in the past.
This one was a decent guide to figuring out if that toy tank/plane/whatever would work with the scale of your models.
Always nice to get reminders on what people tend to forget. Dropped because I felt like focusing more on hobby rather then game.
I liked how these looked for the most part, but fell into the "gotta cut something" pile.
I think it was the bases that threw me off this one...
I really like this look at Lysander, but I usually skip on posts that are auction advertisements.
Dark photos, bane of all picture posters!
I think this one would have made it if there were more pictures, I like how they looked.
This was another "yeah, I have posted something like this several times before".
Again, felt like focusing on hobby rather then game.
Another victim of the "gotta cut something" pile.
No real good and close pics, interesting colors from what I can tell.
That was fun, but dont expect this each week, just something I felt like doing tonight!


text:
Back in 2009, in amongst my regular crime fiction-related browsing online (search for interesting crime fiction tidbits and happenings of both a New Zealand and international flavour), I stumbled across an intriguing South African author, Chris Marnewick, who had been shortlisted for the prestigious Commonwealth Writers Prize for a novel that was packed with crime content, and blended fact and fiction. The news got my attention for a couple of reasons: a 'crime novel' being shortlisted for a major literary award, and the fact that the author was a South African lawyer. For those who aren't aware, I am a former lawyer myself, and now currently work fulltime for a legal magazine.
Marnewick's novel, SHEPHERDS AND BUTCHERS, which examined the death penalty via the tale of a young warden who goes from caring for then executing condemned men to a killing spree that sees him face the gallows himself, also went on last year to win the K Sello Duiker Memorial Literary Award (which forms part of the South African Literary Awards), amongst other accolades.
Now, Marnewick has returned with another crime thriller, and this time he brings his talent and storytelling skills to New Zealand shores, with A SAILOR'S HONOUR, published by Umuzi in September. Here's the blurb:
Pierre de Villiers has walked a hard road. Tortured by his own army, his family killed, surviving cancer; his new life in New Zealand is supposed to bring him peace. But just when his life seems to be on an even keel, his daughter is kidnapped in Auckland and his brother-in-law's wife abducted in Durban. What possible common enemy might the brothers-in-law have? The clues to the riddle stretch from Nazi u-boats of Africa's coast to a sinister Third Force pulling the strings of darkest South African history. Determined to defend his family. De Villiers is cast opposite "the major" in a life-or-death battle raging from Auckland to Durban and Hamburg. And on a bigger stage, the major's Force is not done yet; its final statement will be its most violent."
It certainly sounds intriguing. And it's always interesting to see foreign authors using New Zealand as a setting, and to see how they utilise and evoke my home country - a place that probably seems a touch exotic and definitely at the ends of the earth for most people.
You can read a recent interview with Marnewick on the Crime Beat blog, here.


text:
Apache Vysper is a nice and yet another XMPP server implementation done with very pretty network implementation framework Apache Mina. You can find plenty of information about Apache Mina on their project page.
However Apache Vysper documentation lacks a very basic installation and user management documentation. At least I couldn't find a piece of info anywhere on the project page.
I used Vysper for quick chatting with people in my (company) network. I installed and configured in Windows 7 environment, but it is pretty straight forward to implement the same in other OSs.
As the XMPP client, I checked the compatible clients in Wikipedia and I chose Pidgin which I already knew from my previous Linux installations.
After downloading and unzipping the package to a suitable location, we must edit the "spring-config.xml" file which is located under config directory of the installation folder.
<bean id="addUsers" class="org.apache.vysper.spring.AddUserHelper">
<constructor-arg index="0">
<entry key="firstname.lastname@example.com" value="adminxyz" />
<entry key="firstname.lastname@example.com" value="fatih" />
<entry key="email@example.com" value="serkan" />
I added all users I wanted under the AddUserHelper bean configuration. Then I started setting my Pidgin Client.
The advanced configuration is as follows:
After this configuration I noticed that all users except the admin user cannot connect. To overcome this problem I had to make another edit in the "spring-config.xml" file. I'm not sure if this is essention but it worked for me. So if you add the following lines to ServiceAdministrationModule bean config, you may be able to connect with Pidgin smoothly.
<bean class="org.apache.vysper.xmpp.modules.extension.xep0133_service_administration.ServiceAdministrationModule" >
<property name="addAdmins">
This is all the config I had done to get Vysper up and running.


text:
Monday, 7 July 2008
An amazing mini quilt and proof that I CAN make scones!!!
but nothing prepared me for how beautiful the front would be!
It is so gorgeous and Jo has done so much work on it!
then there was this beautiful little card
And to top it all she sent me a copy of Homespun (my most favourite craft magazine - and sadly one I can't afford to buy at the moment) and it even has two of her projects in! One of which she won a prize for!
Thank you so much Jo - the quilt is amazing, now I'm panicking about what to make for you!!!
Moving on to very serious business, some scorn has lately been cast upon my scone-making abilities! I'm very glad I amused you all ;) but I have felt compelled to prove that I CAN MAKE SCONES!!!!
And here is the evidence!
First up are the ones I made using the recipe Michaela sent me
I've even taken "during" shots so you can't accuse me of buying them in!
and a carefully angled photograph to show the height of each scone
and the children had them for pudding - Daisy decided she didn't want any of my scrummy jam this time (strange child!)
Next up are scones made from the same recipe as last time but with a little added bicarbonate of soda and baking powder (and YES, I did use Self Raising Flour -BOTH times!) and this time I made sure I didn't roll the dough out too thinly
This recipe has less sugar and sultanas and no egg - just more milk
and the jury is out over which scone "tasted" best - I think it was pretty much a 50/50 split.
So Trashy, do these look more "scone-like"?????? Or am I still at the drop scone/biscuit stage?
29 comments:
- Kitty said...
The scones look fab - and not at all like my cheesy biscuits :-p (which you said they did).
That quilt is stunning - I'm off to check out Jo in TAS now (if you see what I mean).
Take care. x
- 7 July 2008 at 19:58
- eileen said...
your scones look perfect!
And it must be "get your mail" day in blogland. I think I read at least 6 of them today showing wonderful stuff. Your gifts are wonderful! I love the colors.. the sage and pink. And that embroidery work is awesome! I'm sure whatever you make will be treasured.
- 7 July 2008 at 20:00
- the vicious chicken said...
Mmm, scones... *drools slightly*... they look just yummy, Mrs Locket - as did the ones in your last post, actually, so don't let anyone tell you any different!
Lovely mini quilt, too - looking forward to your next quilt-wall update to see them all together :o)
- 7 July 2008 at 20:57
- dottycookie said...
All I can say is - I'd eat them (though that may not be saying much as I think my jeans will attest that I will eat virtually anything, sigh)
- 7 July 2008 at 20:58
- Michaela said...
Fantastic looking scones there Mrs Locket.
That quilt though, oh that quilt. It's just beautiful. Hurry up and have a wall update!
- 7 July 2008 at 21:03
- silverpebble said...
What an abolutely beautiful quilt. Absolutely stunning.
And...those scones are something out of a recipe book - perfect. I could do with a couple right now! (I love the look of the other scones too though - more raisins per bite - what could be better!)
- 7 July 2008 at 21:37
- silverpebble said...
Might have to try for a wider range of adjectives in future. Absolutely. Sorry - rather sleepy and colic-addled.
- 7 July 2008 at 21:39
- monda-loves said...
I love print on anything and everything, and that quilt label is just my cup of tea.
We haven't seen your quilt wall in a while - you must have so many mini quilts now. I haven't forgotten that I am making one for you. I've had an idea for one which I need to draw out but I'm just proud of myself for even having an idea at long last!
- 7 July 2008 at 22:12
- French Knots said...
Your scones look delish, I'll have mine with jam and cream please! Mine never seem to work out properly, they end up rather large and flat but it does mean you can get more jam on!
- 7 July 2008 at 22:28
- trashalou said...
Must confess before I even got to where I was named I was laughing out loud. You get a gold star for efort Locket and a rising silver for effort. (let me confess - my scone making gene is somewhat damaged, my sister got all that skill, I got beauty ;-) )
- 7 July 2008 at 22:52
- trashalou said...
Sorry I was laughing so hard I got muddled with my worms; what I meant was a gold for effort and a rising silver for outcome ;-)
- 7 July 2008 at 22:54
- Karol-Ann said...
He he. I did notice that the other scones weren't quite so perky, but they still looked edible and the jam looked scrummy. Your collection of mini-quilts is amazing!
Hope you're feeling better :-)
- 7 July 2008 at 23:21
- Jo in Tas said...
I'm so pleased you like the mini-quilt. It's my first ever original and I thoroughly enjoyed making it!
- 8 July 2008 at 00:11
- Rachelmp said...
Lucy your mini quilt is fantastic and so are your scones. My husband practically faints if I ever make a decent scone. Lets see the wall!
- 8 July 2008 at 01:10
- Monkee Maker said...
A scone is a scone is a scone ... unless it's a skon.
I'd have eaten them no-matter what they looked like! (and they all looked pretty tasty to me) (apart from possibly Daisy's bare one - what's that all about??)
Another beautiful quilt for your wall ... I'm sure if your wall is getting too full there would be some willing volunteers to hang the quilts for you ....
- 8 July 2008 at 06:23
- Gina said...
I retract all laughter and scorn Lucy... actually would have eaten all three versions, especially with your jam!
- 8 July 2008 at 08:10
- Lesley said...
I think we can all agree you and your scones have risen to the challenge - are mine in the post yet?
Your quilt from Jo is fab - I love those stitcheries!
p.s. are we due another quilt wall update? I'm sure we must be....
- 8 July 2008 at 08:17
- Blossom said...
That mini quilt looks great!!
and the scones look very yummy......
- 8 July 2008 at 09:59
- periwinkle said...
gorgeous quilt, ignore the comments about your scones I think they all looked great - did you see my pineapple cake!!. Now that was baaad cookin!
lisa x
- 8 July 2008 at 11:31
- April said...
Those Scones look so yummy and the quilt is gorgeous!
April xx
- 8 July 2008 at 12:51
- wonderwoman said...
wow - your scones look mouthwateringly (if thats a word!) good - well done you!
and what gifts - the work on the quilt is amazing and the other gifts are great too - i must admit homespun is a favourite of mine, such lovely projects.
- 8 July 2008 at 16:52
- Greedy Nan said...
I could just 'go' a scone - a fruity one would be nice, with butter, not 'spread'. Perhaps a blob of clotted cream and some blackcurrant jam ... well I can dream can't I?
- 8 July 2008 at 18:09
- Leanne said...
No need to prove any thing to me my scones are always rock like. Lovely quilt you received ...soon you will have no wall space.
- 8 July 2008 at 23:17
What a beautiful mini quilt - lucky you!!! And those scones are making me toooooo hungry!! Can't wait to see your yummy Philbert and Lilbert!!
- 8 July 2008 at 23:29
- Alison Boon said...
Excellent scones - visually. Sadly until they work on the technical feature tastewise I can't comment. I have a recipe that uses lemonade and it is foolproof
- 9 July 2008 at 09:08
- maria said...
What a lovely gift. Jo has put such a lot of work into it.
The scones look yummy.
- 9 July 2008 at 11:47
- Miaou said...
What a beautiful quilt! Am in awe.
Fab scones too!! Yummy ...
- 9 July 2008 at 21:18
- JuicyFig said...
the scones look delish!
glad you are back in the world of blog
- 10 July 2008 at 07:32
- apaolal said...
fantastic your blog, your quilt and ... mhhh your scones...
anna paola _iTaly-
- 15 July 2008 at 08:19


text:
Rachel Rubin Ladutke grew up in Long Island, N.Y. and now resides in Weehawken, New Jersey
with her husband, Larry, their son. Aidan, and an impressive number of pets (presently 4 cats and a dog).
Rachel attended Wheaton College in Massachusetts, also spending one glorious semester
at the O'Neill Center in Waterford, Connecticut, and returned to NYC upon graduation.
There she founded TwinFish Productions, an Equity Showcase company, producing and directing
twelve shows from 1991-1996.
She received her M.A. in Theater from Hunter College (C.U.N.Y.) in 2000.
The topic of her thesis was youth theatre in Ireland.
In addition to her own writing, Rachel is Editor of Insight For Playwrights,
a monthly marketing newsletter for dramatic writers, and Editor-in-Chief of SEASONS,
the quarterly newsletter of the International Centre for Women Playwrights (ICWP).
Some other strong interests include home-brewing (Rachel and Larry are a great brewing team),
travel (especially camping), folk music, and anything Irish.
Check out these other great links to learn more about my work, or playwriting in general!
|Request a Script
|Playbill On Line
You are vistor number
to this page since January 17, 2007.


text:
Have you EVER been so hyper...that you laugh until you cry?!
Have you every been hyper enough to laugh and laugh about something that's not very funny?!
Well, if you have you fit in right along with me...This morning Anna and I *aherm* (when we were supposed to be concentrating on doing our school, for the next two and a half days) had a debate on if you could die from a stink bomb.
*oh brother*
It was interesting. Just ask Anna.
Here's how it went:
While sitting staring at my schedule book, I said "There was a tragic death this morning. The Marshall died. Ya wanna know how he died?"
Anna: Half intersted "Hoooww".
Me "FROM A STINK BOMB!"
*Anna looks up, amused*
*I'm laughing my head off and crying*
*I go on*
"Someone threw a stink-bomb in his car, and he died from it."
Anna: "Kara, You can't die from a stinkbomb. "
"Yeah you can! If you breath it too long, you could get intoxicated!"
Anna: "Well, there aren't any more marshals!"
"Oh yeah....Than the Officer died from a stink-bomb."
After a bit, Anna yells to mom. "MOM! CAN YOU DIE FROM A STINK BOMB?!
"Yeah...if you hold your breath long enough!"
*I look at her*
"SEE! You CAN die from a stink-bomb!"
That's not all of the "conversation/debate" but it was definitely interesting. I came up with a few more interesting stories like that! :)
Have a 'humorous" day!


text:
L'Italiana in Algeri
Gioachino Rossini
James Levine conducts this comedy of a feisty Italian girl turning the tables on her bumbling captors via Rossini's blend of madness and fun. Mezzo-soprano Marianna Pizzolato makes her Met debut in the title role, opposite tenor René Barbera and baritone Nicola Alaimo. Bass-baritone Ildar Abdrazakov plays the pasha who is overcome by love and pasta.
Please note that Marianna Pizzolato replaces Elizabeth DeShong, who has withdrawn due to illness, for the entire run of this production.
This production has completed for the season.
Be sure to check out our remaining productions on the season list.
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Premiere: Teatro San Benedetto, Venice, 1813. One of Rossini's earliest successes (written when he was 21), L'Italiana in Algeri is clearly the product of youthful vitality and charming irreverence. The score of this comic farce is a brilliant convergence of giddy madness and creative sophistication. The opportunities for comedy in the paradigmatic story are obvious, but the surprise is in the masterful way the music makes the situations come alive, and in the genuine human emotion of the characters.
Gioachino Rossini (1792–1868) was the world's foremost opera composer in his day. Over the course of just two decades he created more than 30 works, both comic and tragic, before retiring from opera composition at the age of 37. Angelo Anelli (1761–1820) was a jurist, poet, and librettist, and was also an early proponent of Italian unification. One of his librettos became (with alterations) the basis for Donizetti's Don Pasquale.
Jean-Pierre Ponnelle
Set Designer
Jean-Pierre Ponnelle
Costume Designer
Jean-Pierre Ponnelle
Associate Designer
David Reppa
Stage Director
David Kneuss
Revival Stage Director
David Kneuss
The opera is set in Algiers in the early 1800s. Although this places the action geographically close to the Italy of Rossini's time, this part of the Ottoman Empire was closed to all but the most limited trade and interaction with Europe. It remained unknown to most Europeans other than as an exotic, often dangerous place made famous by the pirates of "Barbary," another name for North Africa.
L'Italiana in Algeri
Levine; Horne, Montarsolo, Ahlstedt, Monk
Il Barbiere di Siviglia
Bartlett Sher's production of the quintessential Rossini comedy, Il Barbiere di Siviglia, returns with a distinguished cast featuring Javier Camarena, Pretty Yende, and Peter Mattei.
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text:
by Jennifer Denning
I'm having an unproductive August. I have been visiting family in Ohio, biking, reading a good book, staying in my pajamas. I haven't been on Facebook much. Haven't written much or tackled many of those "to-do's" I had in mind at the beginning of the summer. My children's rooms remain cluttered as does my closet.
|Doing nothing with my daughter, Elise
I'm okay with this. In fact, in this moment of quiet, I'm taking a savoring moment to celebrate the value of relaxing my agendas for a while. I notice that my well-being depends on periods of inner and outer relaxation. The openness of my agenda makes room for the unexpected. It's in this restfulness that "something more" sometimes shows up. Organically I find myself pulled to write this morning and I feel an aliveness in it; embracing the wind on my face as I bike reaffirms my trust in the goodness of life, and allowing some disorder in my home is good practice for remembering there are many things I am not in control of.
A line from the movie, "Boyhood" sticks with me this morning. One of the characters says something like, "People are always talking about 'seize the moment', but I think they've got it wrong- the moment seizes us." Perhaps periods of "doing nothing" create some space for those moments.
|A moment that seized me- tranquility at The Holden Arboretum in Ohio
In InterPlay one of our practices is stillness. Taking a deep breath is a moment of stillness. Pausing before speaking is stillness. Listening for what wants to happen next is stillness. We don't always need long stretches of "doing nothing," sometimes little daily moments are enough.
Wishing you little sips of stillness as needed and affirmation that sometimes we also need to rest a while with an empty cup!


text:
The Last Supper
Last night, we lost our electricity in 97 degree weather. As we stared longingly at our air conditioner willing it to come back on, I asked my husband what he would eat for his last meal. Clearly, I was anticipating a bad outcome for the two of us. His response? ICE CREAM. No surprise there. It is what he most looking forward to on our pending vacation to Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket. Not the beach, the relaxation, the seafood, the romance. The ice cream.
My last meal would consist of lobster tail with lots of butter, crab cakes, french fries, rice pudding and a nice glass of wine. I'm not messing around. This weekend, I made my very first batch of crab cakes. On a scale from 1-10 I would give them a 6.5. I think I could do better next time, but all in all they were quite good considering how stingy I was with the mayo. I served them over a salad of red leaf lettuce, kale, and arugula with a lemon and olive oil vinaigrette.
The recipe below makes about 8 crab cakes. For the first batch, I sautéed them for a minute or two and then baked for the remaining time. On the second batch, I only baked them. The first batch was probably better. Remember you can add a little scallion or chopped red pepper to the recipe below if you prefer. You can use panko (Japanese bread crumbs) or just substitute regular bread crumbs as I did since the pantry was out of panko. I skipped the remoulade for our first batch since I served that over salad and vinaigrette. But I did whip some up for the second batch and it was tangy and good – just like I like it. If you aren't a fan of capers, just leave those out. Me, I like the capers.
Crab Cakes (Recipe from Cooking Light magazine)
• 2 Tbs finely chopped fresh chives
• 1 Tbs chopped flat leaf parsley
• 1.5 Tbs canola based mayonnaise
• 1/2 tsp grated lemon rind
• 1 Tbs fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/8 tsp red pepper
• 1 lg egg
• 1/3 c panko
• 1 lb lump crabmeat, drained and shell pieces removed
• 1 Tbs olive oil, divided
• 1/4 c canola based mayo
• 1 Tbs chopped shallots
• 1.5 Tbs capers, drained and chopped
• 2 tsp Creole mustard
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp ground red pepper
• 1/8 tsp salt
1. To prepare crab cakes, combine first 8 ingredients. Add panko and crab, tossing gently to combine. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.
2. Fill a 1/3-cup dry measuring cup with crab mixture. Invert onto work surface; gently pat into a 3/4-inch-thick patty. Repeat procedure with remaining crab mixture, forming 8 cakes.
3. Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 4 crab cakes to pan; cook 4 minutes or until bottoms are golden. Carefully turn cakes; cook 4 minutes or until bottoms are golden and crab cakes are thoroughly heated. Remove cakes from pan; keep warm. Wipe pan dry with paper towels. Heat remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in pan. Repeat procedure with remaining 4 crab cakes.
4. To prepare rémoulade, combine 1/4 cup mayonnaise and remaining ingredients in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Serve with crab cakes.


text:
This little cutie is from the Candy Corn Man Stamp Set from october pumpkin. The set has three stamps, but I used only one for this card. You can always find the stamps you need by october pumpkin at http://www.octoberpumpkin.etsy.com/ I hope everyone is getting in the mood for Halloween and fall-they are around the corner!
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Trick or Treat!!!
This card was fun to make with the Ghost Walk Set from october pumpkin! I believe I may have accidently used an idea from my mother in the design...hope she doesn't get upset! LOL... I am sure it will be okay. Anyway, there are actually three ghosts on this stamp ( and you can see the stamp at the Etsy listing on the right of this page) and I cut one off to make my card. It was fun to make but I should have been making dinner instead ...uh oh!
By the way, HELLO to all the new followers and welcome! I hope you see things you enjoy and you try to make some projects! If you have an october pumpkin stamp project you have made, you can email it to email@example.com and I would love to share it with everyone here!
Anyone that is new, please hop on over to http://www.pelikanbeach.blogspot.com/ to see october pumpkin's designer's blog ( it is my mom!)
Posted by Stephanie at 4:49 PM 1 comment:
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text:
Thursday, 10 February 2011
Random Review #16 2011 Pete Yorn Musicforthemorningafter
I remember Just Another being used in the US teen drama Dawson's Creek, it merged into Damien Rice's Blowers Daughter at a point when some young teenage girl had to pick between to guys fighting for her attentions. Just Another seemed perfect for this as the the lyrics go from some guy declaring his love for a girl before stating "you're just another girl...." Pete Yorn's songs are perfect for American dramas giving backing to the most emotional scenes with songs which are understated but heartfelt.
So back to the album, it opens with Life On A Chain which bass line bounces along like as if it's been pinched from a New Order song (maybe it has!) it has a great chorus and I guess Pete's vocals could only be from New York. Other highlights are Just Another, Strange Condition, and my favourite For Nancy ('Cos It Already Is) this has everything that is good with Pete Yorn, driving guitar and great hooks, and in my opinion one of the coolest titles for a song ever!
If I could level one criticism at this album it would be it's too long, 14 tracks and 1 hidden track, (don't get me started on hidden tracks just a waste of time!) we have allowed quantity to overtake quality, this album would have been a great 10 or 11 track album but looses it's way toward the end of the CD. Note to all musicians out there, in the days of vinyl albums were only 40-45 minutes long and that was OK, just because you can fit in excess of 70 minutes on a CD doesn't mean you have to!!
Pete Yorn has gone on to release a further 5 studio albums and a live release all of which are great and the critical acclaimed Break Up with Scarlett Johansson was a gem of a release. (only 32 minutes long) but Musicforthemorningafter is a great place to start with Pete Yorn, like this and you'll like all the rest!
Mark 7/10
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