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Detroit Pistons: 5 Changes to Contend Next SeasonApril 29, 2011
Detroit Pistons: 5 Changes to Contend Next Season
The 2010-2011 Detroit Pistons were doomed from the opening tip-off. They had a coach coming off a 27-55 rookie year, no Chauncey Billups to lead the team at point guard, an abundance of small forwards and shooting guards and a conspicuous absence of talent in the paint. No miracle was going to keep the team out of the NBA draft lottery for a second year in a row.
New Pistons owner Tom Gores and longtime general manager Joe Dumars have several key personnel decisions to make before the beginning of summer. Embattled coach John Kuester will almost certainly be replaced, but with who? In short, the next head-coaching hire must be a slam dunk.
After finishing the season a dismal 30-52, is there an easy way to get back to playing playoff basketball? Deciding on a head coach is the first order of business. Dumars must get on the same page as his new head coach during the hiring process and get a feel for that coach's vision and needs for the new-look Pistons. From there, Dumars must play headhunter and acquire some personnel to match up with what his new coach wants to do on offense and defense.
It is likely the Pistons will carry over only half their roster from this year, but that's not all bad, as long as they are the right players. Remember, the Pistons went from 32-50 to 50-32 in 2001-2002 in just a year.
They can return to the playoffs next year by making these five changes.
Fire John Kuester, Hire Bill Laimbeer
When Bill Laimbeer spoke to Dumars about the Pistons head coaching job in 2009, Dumars told his former teammate to go get some NBA assistant coaching experience—then they would talk.
Dumars didn't discount what Laimbeer had accomplished as head coach of the WNBA's Detroit Shock (three WNBA titles). He just felt Laimbeer needed to get some experience coaching today's NBA player before jumping right into a lead role.
Ever the competitor, Laimbeer went off to the Minnesota Timberwolves for his first taste of being an NBA assistant coach. Not even he could help the Timberwolves the last two years, as they went 24-58 and 17-65 the past two seasons.
Laimbeer did, however, make huge gains with record-setting center Kevin Love. Under his tutelage, the young center had the NBA's first 30-point, 30-rebound game in 28 years and went on to break Moses Malone's record for consecutive double-doubles with 53. (Malone held the record for double-doubles after the ABA-NBA merger in 1976, but Elvin Hayes holds the all-time record with 55.)
Hiring Laimbeer isn't a publicity stunt, although it certainly won't hurt the Palace's declining attendance. This isn't the Tigers bringing back Alan Trammell as manager, with Lance Parrish and Kirk Gibson helping him out as bench coaches. Laimbeer has a proven coaching track record and would be a great hire for Dumars.
Sign Free-Agent Center Tyson Chandler
With Ben Wallace likely to retire, the Pistons need a shot-blocking threat in the middle. Detroit finished last in the NBA in blocked shots a year ago and was 15th in rebounding. Dumars needs a big man immediately.
Enter Tyson Chandler, who would bring his 9.4 RPG and 1.0 BPG to fill the middle. Coupled with talented power forward Greg Monroe (9.4 PPG and 7.5 RPG), the Pistons would all of a sudden have a viable NBA front line.
Chandler won't come cheap, as he could command anywhere from $10-14 million per year as an unrestricted free agent. This offseason is no time to be cheap, though, as the Pistons need to get to work on rebuilding their brand.
Re-Sign F Jonas Jerebko and C/F Chris Wilcox
The Pistons missed Jonas Jerebko in 2011. As a relatively unheard-of rookie in 2009, he broke into the league as a second-round draft pick and hustled his way to second-team All-Rookie status. He averaged 9.3 PPG and 6.0 RPG in almost 28 MPG and gave Detroit all-out effort while he was on the court.
A nasty Achilles tendon injury kept him out of action this past season, but he should recover well given his work ethic. Jerebko will probably cost the Pistons around $3 million per year to keep, and that would be smart money for Dumars to spend.
Chris Wilcox will likely command about $4 million per year on the open market. Can the Pistons get him for less? He averaged 7.4 PPG and 4.8 RPG on 56 percent shooting last year in just 17.5 MPG. He will provide very good depth for Detroit and energy off the bench.
Sign and Trade Rodney Stuckey, Trade Rip Hamilton
What can the Pistons get for Rip Hamilton and Rodney Stuckey? Hopefully, between the two of them, they can yield a decent point guard. One thing is for sure: The fans in Detroit have had enough out of these backcourt troublemakers.
Stuckey has never been a point guard, and he never will be. The team runs much better with Chucky Atkins in the lineup, even if he isn't an ideal starting option. Stuckey's run-ins with Kuester—all three of them—put him on a course to leave town. If Dumars is lucky, he can still get decent value for him.
Hamilton is the classic case of a player who doesn't now when he's out of his prime. This seems to happen a lot with shooting guards, and it sure happened to him. He has some value on a playoff contender (the Celtics?), but his contract is a little heavy at about $12 million next year.
The Pistons need to part ways with these two team cancers even if they don't get market value for them.
Give Starting Minutes to Austin Daye and Ben Gordon
Austin Daye is Tayshaun Prince's replacement in every way, shape and form. Physically, he's almost a carbon copy, and they have very similar skill sets.
Daye's production in 20.1 MPG was similar to Prince's career numbers if they were averaged out to Prince's minutes. Doubling his 7.5 PPG, 3.8 RPG and .5 BPG would put him in Prince's neighborhood easily. In short, the kid needs to start.
Ben Gordon needs to be featured to get maximum productivity out of him. A 20 PPG scorer twice in Chicago, Gordon relished taking clutch shots. Last year he averaged over 10 MPG less than his last year with the Bulls, and he scored just 11.2 PPG.
With Stuckey and Hamilton on their way out of town, Gordon would be the undisputed go-to guy, a role he was proven in at Chicago. Is it a coincidence the Pistons have struggled since they traded their last go-to guy, Chauncey Billups, at the start of the 2009-2010 season?


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Pretty Pretty Princess
"Does our daughter have a friend named Isabella?"
"Our daughter has six friends named Isabella. She also has four Chloes, five Ellas, three Avas and eighteen friends named Emma. Why do you ask?"
"Birthday party invite," he said, opening the purple envelope. A cutout of a woman in a ball gown slid out. He flipped the invitation over.
"It's a princess party. She's supposed to wear a princess outfit. Does she have that?"
I stared at him in disbelief.
"Are you new around here?"
We have a princess outfit for an outdoor run-around party. We have a princess outfit for an indoor tea party. We have a slightly stained princess outfit for a party which will involve poster paint. We have a princess outfit for a piñata party on a yacht. I can dress up any of those outfits with three different tiaras, which were party favors from previous princess parties; or I can keep it casual with sneakers and princess-themed socks. Usually, Daughter votes for a tiara and princess socks. In short, the princess trousseau has gone from being just a play-at-home accessory to a mandatory wardrobe for any well-dressed 21st century girl.
When did the Princess gown become the Little Black Dress of the under seven set? I know there were always fairy tales, and I think Barbie had a wand or two in her accessory pile, but it wasn't that all-encompassing when I was a kid. Somehow I managed to choke down macaroni and cheese without the pasta being shaped like a crown. Was it Ariel? Was it Belle? Was it a generation of little girls being raised by women who stayed up all night to watch Charles and Diana get married?
I am a feminist who is the daughter of a feminist, but I am not mean: my kid has princess stuff, and swans around in it with imperial abandon. However, since I am a feminist with a loathing of cross-merchandising and a wish for Daughter to be creative in her dressing-up (and who also happens to be cheap), my daughter's princess outfits are…singular.
Her favorite princess ensemble to date is a traditional costume from El Salvador, with an off-the-shoulder blouse and a full polychromatic skirt. My mother found it last year when she had gone to El Salvador for a Bat Mitzvah [You probably didn't need to know that, but I like saying "El Salvador for a Bat Mitzvah". It makes people frown.] When Daughter wears this particular outfit, and people ask her what princess she is, I have taught her to say "Frida Kahlo".
It entertains me.
Her other princess outfits are a hodgepodge of hand-me-down leotards, hand-me-down tutus, some ill-advised shoe purchases of mine, and silk scarves and costume jewelry she inherited from friends of her Grandmother who moved to Florida.
I never need to see the return of the Big-Clip-On-Earring look of the early 80's but, I must admit, giant coral drops hanging nearly to Daughter's shoulders look really fetching with a turquoise leotard, a gold turban, some leopard mules I bought on sale (it's embarrassing to admit, but she doesn't walk any more clumsily in them than I ever did), and a rust and green leaf-patterned scarf, worn like a cape. If the American Association for Retired Persons ever has a super-hero, she will look something like this.
Every time we've attended a princess party, I've waited for Daughter to look around at the more traditional princess outfits of her peers, turn to me and wail "I want those!" So far, though, she hasn't. She seems to like being the Princess of the Gypsies and I like standing around at birthday parties watching little kids pull their high heels out of the grass. Where little girls see glamour and elegance, I see valuable lessons to take into their adult years:
1. Complicated clothing seems like a good idea until you get to the party.
There's always one little girl in a princess outfit which involves some kind of complicated belt/sash thing which doesn't stay tied, or a puffed sleeve which is supposed to stay on the shoulder but prefers living on the elbow. As an adult, this girl will never be sales-talked into buying some complicated Japanese raincoat with an extra sleeve you can use as a purse.
2. You can either look incredible, or you can move.
For the outdoor parties, the girls frequently arrive in something regal, parade around a while for their friends' admiration, and then go change into shorts and a t-shirt. It's hard to win the bean-bag toss in a bustle. I think more adult women need to consider this option. Imagine you walk through the bar, making sure everyone gets a gander of you in the tight skirt and pinky-toe-eradicating heels. Then you slide neatly into the bathroom and change into sweats. Everyone who matters has now seen what you're capable of looking like, and you're much more likely to be witty and engaging if you aren't worrying about your shoes filling with blood.
3. Sometimes, you shouldn't care what anyone else is wearing to the party. You're feeling princess-ish, and the tiara is coming out.
We have actually been to three parties this year which weren't princess- themed, and at least one girl showed up wearing her full regalia. She felt wonderful about herself, and everyone else was too involved in trying to sneak open the present they brought to really care about what she wore.
Now, if you will excuse me, we have a Princess party tomorrow, and those rhinestone bracelets don't just clean themselves.

subset: commoncrawl


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FW: FW: FW: FW: FW: FW: FW: FW: ad nauseam
There's this guy, see. He's a nice guy, a good Christian, and someone who I enjoy talking with face-to-face. However, over the weekend he had sent me an e-mail with a picture of and little blurb concerning Barack Hussein Obama (with a noted emphasis on the fact that yes, that's his middle name!). This isn't the first time that he's sent me an e-mail with a subject line starting "FW: fwd: fwd:" or whatever. No, there was some matter of signing a petition that would do something having to do with prayer in schools or some such thing that of course turned out to be completely meaningless on a quick check of Snopes.com.
This time was different, though, and to tell you the truth, I was simultaneously unhappy and glad that it was different. It turned out that the bare content (minus editorializing) of the e-mail was correct! This happens so rarely in these situations, it threw me for a bit of a loop. I was a bit disappointed that I couldn't just fire back, "No; this is all wrong; please stop forwarding these to me; can't you see what this is doing to your personal credibility?!" You know, I'll admit that I actually get a bit of smug self-satisfaction from sending out such an e-mail, but you can't send out that e-mail when the person sending you info happens to be right.
So what was the part that made me glad? It was the dawning of a realization that came as much less of a surprise to me than the discovery that the e-mail was technically true: I DON'T CARE! It doesn't matter to me if you find out that Hillary Clinton's a lesbian, John Edwards has made a hobby of torturing puppies, Mitt Romney has seven wives, or Rudy Giuliani was really the mastermind behind 9/11! It doesn't matter whether you have a reputable source or not, whether there's a photo attached or not, or whether there is an action required of me or not. I don't care if you have twenty pictures of cute kittens playing with balls of string, or a heartwarming poem to remind me of what's so great about mothers, or even a coupon for free ice cream. If the subject already starts with even one "FW:", don't click a button and send me a "FW: FW:" because I DON'T WANT IT!
Obsessive forwarders of the world, I'm cutting you off. If you want to send me your own e-mail, please do. I'm not going to read anyone else's.


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Wednesday, June 1, 2016
On Our Way
By the time you read this, we will have been...
...probably still trying to get out the door on our way to the Southern California Genealogical Society Jamboree and DNA Day. If there is any consistency to my modus operandi, it is that if it is scheduled, it will eventually occur...late.
However, thanks to the SCGS app for conference-goers, I already have my class attendance to-do list completed. I've mapped out each session I plan on attending for the four days I'll be at the conference. And I'm excited about what's in store.
For one thing, this is turning out to be a great opportunity to take in every session I can from one of genealogy's luminaries: Thomas W. Jones. After setting up my schedule, it turns out I will be attending all four of his sessions—three during Jamboree itself, and one for the preceding day, DNA Day.
The conference this year features a track on Eastern European research, of which I'll be taking advantage. My paternal lines have languished way too long, and I'm looking forward to gaining some insight on how to proceed. Lisa Alzo will figure strongly in that aspect of my class selections.
It will be nice to take in a few sessions in support of northern California genealogists whom I have invited to present at past meetings of our local genealogical society, among them Kim von Aspern-Parker, Janice Sellers, Stephen P. Morse and James Baker. And it's always great to reconnect with one of our society's former seminar presenters, Gena Philibert-Ortega, and everyone's favorite genealogy blogger from San Diego, Randy Seaver.
Can you tell I'm looking forward to this event? It's a don't-miss conference opportunity in my book. But even if you can't attend, you can take in many of the sessions, thank to free streaming, just by registering here. If I don't see you in person at Jamboree, I hope you'll catch some classes online, or at least catch up with the Twitter stream at #scgs2016.
© Copyright 2011 – 2018 by Jacqi Stevens at 2:44:00 AM
Labels: Conferences
4 comments:
Safe travels!!ReplyDelete
(I love the old photo!)Replies
Thank you, Iggy. We made it safely, despite the usual traffic difficulties.Delete
The photo is from Bill Bean's collection. You know how he was about his cars.
Love the old car photo! Hope you have a great time!ReplyDeleteReplies
Let me tell you, Far Side, I'm so glad I don't have that old car to get me over the grapevine to SoCal like they did!Delete
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Since Harrogate, things have been going full steam ahead on the novel front. After my one on one sesh with Greg Mosse, I fiddled (stop laughing, you in the back there) with the plot and made the opening a little more dramatic. I then decided to hell with procrastination, I'm starting!
Since then, not too many weeks ago, I have almost written 100 pages. Not to say that the words are flying off the tips of my fingers with the utmost of ease; far from it. Some days writing feels like trying to grapple for the end of a strand of hair caught in the bath plug hole - quite difficult and gooey. Other days it just rains words, hallelujah, it's raining words.
Overall, though, the experience thus far has been good. Most of the time I feel like I am writing absolute bollocks, but there are days when I finish by 2 hour stint in the morning feeling pretty chippa about what I've put on the page. And the bits and pieces of the plot are fitting in nicely.
At this stage, the process of creating this novel involves me getting up at 6am every weekday and committing to 2 hours of non-stop writing (except for eating breaks and the breaks that involve the other end). I'm writing to a plot but only as a guide. Many changes have already been made, but none deviate too far away from the original idea. Weekends I try for 5 hours in total, bringing the weekly slog to 15 hours. I did that for the first time last week - hoorah!
As you can see on the left hand side, I've included a little page counter, indicating how many pages I have produced for my first draft so far. It's ticking away quite nicely, almost reaching 100, which is a great personal achievement, especially for someone who has spent a year thinking about writing a novel and who thought that actually sitting down and doing it may never happen (yep, those tyres seem to be at the right pressure).
As I reach 100 pages tomorrow, I will stand and raise my bat to the generous crowd who are on their feet, giving me a warm round of applause. I will then mark out my crease, take centre, scan the field and face the next ball.
Long way to go yet but at least I am enjoying it!!
Thursday, August 16, 2007
It's Raining Words
Labels: word count
2 comments:
Stumbled on your blog doing a blogsearch for "writing a novel." I just started writing a novel last week. Out of the blue. I never thought I would be someone who would write a novel, but here I am. I've only got about 14.5 pages so far, but it's something, right? Your words give me hope that maybe I can actually do this... I'll be checking back now and then to see how your progress is going! Good luck!
- 9:49 pm
- Daryl said...
Getting started is one of the hardest things and keeping at it is the other. All the best with your novel and I hope to see you here again with an update!
Good luck and thanks for your encouragement.
- 8:50 pm
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The Food Guy's spring break started on Friday, so when he got home from the library we packed up the rolling doghouse and headed for WNC to go for a run on the AT. Y'all know I like going for a run in the mountains, so I was pretty psyched. We got our friend Ben to drop us off in Reeve's truck at the Wesser Creek trail on saturday morning after spending some time hanging out and visiting folks around NOC. Ben's the man for dropping us off and having Reeve's truck back at NOC for us when we finished our run. 'Cause I was tired and ready for some food.
Wait 'till you see where we went, and you'll know why I was so tired I couldn't even jump in the truck at the end of the day. After a long, long uphill on the Wesser Creek trail, we hit the AT and from there it wasn't too long before we got to Wesser Bald. It was a steep climb, but there were lots of creeks to drink from and even a few spots of snow to eat. Food Guy and Reeve were working hard to keep running in a few spots and they had to settle for a fast hike for some long sections. I didn't mind that since it gave me more time to run around smelling stuff. I think I might have used a little too much energy- by the time we got the Wesser Bald, I was pretty tired.
The run back down to NOC was pretty fun. It was fast and had lots of twists and turns and I was entertained by how many times Food Guy and Reeve rolled their ankles on roots and rocks. You know- it's all fun and games 'til somebody gets hurt, then it's hilarious.
Once we got down to the Center, I was pretty tired. Food Guy gave me some dog bones and I drank from the river for a little while. It's still too early in the year for Reeve to turn the water on at the Silvermine house, so, I just slept in the back of the truck while the people went up to base camp and took showers. All in all, I'd say it was a great first day of Spring Break. Food Guy didn't bring his computer, so he didn't do any work at all. I took a long nap while Food Guy and Reeve went into town to eat Mexican food with the crew from NOC.
Day 2 was pretty sweet too. I was pretty tired in the morning and Reeve and Food Guy let me sleep in while they went and had breakfast with Ken and Juliet. Then, Food Guy and I headed for Amicalola Falls to hike part of the approach trail to the AT. Check this place out:
There were lots of people there, so I had to stay on a leash for a while. Once we got away from all the people, I got off the leash and got to run all around. We hiked around for about 4 or 5 hours- I don't know much about clocks and time, but it was long enough for me to be tired. I was pretty glad we were hiking around a river because I was a thirsty yellow dog. Food Guy carried water and a bowl for me, but I like to drink out of the creek whenever I get a chance.
We hike along the creek and hung out on a bridge overlooking the river for a while. We saw some really cool stuff. Check out this old truck.
I found a ball on the trail, and I got the Food Guy to throw it for me for a while- note to self: chasing a ball while hiking is a bad idea the day after a long run. I was so worn out when we got back to the car that Food Guy had to pick me and put me in the back seat. I slept the whole way home and I wasn't exactly feeling like bugging the Food Guy to take me for a walk this morning. I'll wait 'till tonight to make sure everything is as it should be on our trails behind the house.
Food Guys parents came were passing through Athens this morning, so he went and ate breakfast with them while I slept in again. You know something? I'm pretty good at sleeping. I had a good teacher. My buddy Zozo told me I should sleep at least 18 hours a day. Sometimes, I don't get that much sleeping in, so I'm making up for it today. I think he probably needs a day off too. I'm thinking we'll both take the day off today and then head back out for a run tomorrow.


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You don't have to be running a business in your RV to need/want office space. GET and I don't have a business but do have our own laptops and "need" our individual space. (Another example of full time RVing together successfully. ALSO, he is an only child and you know how they are at sharing!) In each of our full timing RVs, there have been six, we have carved out personal office space. Here are a few of our arrangements.
In our Travel Supreme we removed the dining table and chairs, found a computer desk that fit the space perfectly and added a wicker stand for the printer.
The HitchhikerII LS had a built-in desk. Pretty small but it did the job. (An aside, don't buy a rear kitchen 5th wheel no matter what the salesperson says, YES, IT DOES BOUNCE! AND YES, DISHES WILL GET BROKEN---AND THEY DID!)
I loved the office space we made in our Escalade. Before we made the office space I used the dining table pushed forward against the sofa. The printer sat on the stand behind my chair where it worked out ok. Then I came up with a better idea!
As in the Travel Supreme we removed the dining table. (We eat on our pop-up coffee table.) We bought upper kitchen cabinets at Home Depot and fastened them against the slider wall for stability. Upper cabinets are more narrow than bottom, thus making them more suitable as RV cabinets. Fortunately we were able to match the natural maple of our 5th wheel. The cabinets provided a generous amount of storage.
Next step was the top and workspace area for my laptop. I used a piece of cardboard to design a pattern for a cantilever shelf. I didn't want to be bumping into a leg. After several adjustments it was ready to go to the cabinetmaker.
Took my cardboard pattern along with the cabinet top dimensions to a cabinet shop where I chose a beautiful piece of light maple. They cut the top from one piece of 4'X8' and edged it to match. Bought the finished top home and it fit perfectly!
The cantilevered work top needed support and the entire top had to be installed permanently so GET got busy doing the finish work.
An there we have it—workspace and computer desk! Absolutely loved it!
And then, what did we do? We bought a new 5th wheel! And left this wonderful desk!
This is my desk in our Landmark 5th wheel on an ordinary day. It is a built-in dining table so customizing it will be a bigger challenge.
The outdoor TV casing protrudes into the inside cabinet. (We have never used this TV!)
I do have nice storage space although some of it is taken by the steel casing of the outdoor TV.
We replaced two huge dark brown leather recliners that came with the 5th wheel with a smaller leather Lazy Boy making space for the credenza which serves as office space. I chose the printer almost totally based on space available in the credenza.
I'm still contemplating ideas on how to make this a more efficient workspace. Until that brilliant idea hits me I'll be content with my present arrangement.
P.S. We are excited. . . back on the road this month!


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Anyway, I'm back to share an assortment of things I've learned from another phenomenal workshop with Kristina Smekens. Prior to registering, her workshop claimed to provide the skills and motivation teachers need to keep reading instruction both purposeful and dynamic for students. After attending, I must say the all-day workshop did not disappoint.
I was blasted with so many steadfast suggestions and innovative mini-lessons to better scaffold students, as well as grab and keep their attention, that I've decided to break up the content shared at the workshop into three parts, instead of having one never-ending blog post.
- Part 1: Launching the School Year- Defining Reading Range & Text Types
- Part 2: Three Components Defining 'Readers as Thinkers'
- Part 3: Mini-Lesson Ideas for Reading Strategies
Suggestions for Launching the School Year:
Think about your reading experiences as an adult. You probably read a variety of undemanding reads such as magazines, recipes, novels, etc. However, when the time approaches, you may also be required to make sense of more laborious reads, such as tax forms during tax season, policies, insurance documents and so on. As adults, it's real life to read a variety of texts. Bringing in some of your authentic samples of *easy* and *hard* reads at the start of the year for students to view firsthand, gives them a preview of what's out there.
After establishing your procedures and routines for Reading, Kristina suggests starting off the year by explaining to students what they will be reading, which encompasses *easy*, *hard*, and multimodal texts throughout the year. (Click HERE for more information on multimodal texts.) These varieties of text types will be read for differing reasons because that's real life. Cautioning students to expect easy days and hard days makes for a nice transition into teaching them how to persevere through the harder texts (Close-Reading). This is crucial because students will encounter difficult texts inside and outside of the classroom, without a doubt.
Defining the Reading Range: Literature vs. Literary Nonfiction vs. Informational Texts
Along the same lines, it is essential teachers discuss the parameters of literature, literary nonfiction and informational texts. Helping define the range of reading for students is a necessity. Kristina states, "No longer can we simply refer to something as fiction or nonfiction. The CCSS requires us to distinguish literature, informational text and literary nonfiction- and engage our students with all three." Below are the comparative features for each text type. If you click on the image, you can download a copy for yourself.
Characteristics of Literature:
We usually refer to Literature as fiction. Kristina affirmed literature comprises the following:
"It includes made-up characters who overcome problems and resolve conflicts. It encompasses picture books, short stories, fables, fairy tales, legends, folk tales, chapter books, historical fiction, realistic fiction, sic-fi, novels, poetry, and plays/dramas."Characteristics of Literary Nonfiction:
The big difference between literary nonfiction and informational text is how facts are revealed. Kristina indicated:
"These texts read more like literature, but all the information is factual. Think of it like a hybrid. Authors of literary nonfiction engage readers with their lively narrative voice, weaving facts with details that appeal to the reader's emotions and make the subject come alive. These include biographies, memoirs, documentaries, essays and speeches."Characteristics of Informational Texts:
Informational text is read for the purpose of gaining knowledge. Kristina referenced informational texts with the the details below:
"By nature, this text is of a higher text complexity with specialized vocabulary specific to the topic, heavy doses of facts, and numerous text features. These texts include text books, primary source documents, newspaper articles, etc."Teaching the Differences:
To teach the differences between the text types, introduce students to a specific topic using a piece of literature, a literary nonfiction text and an informational text. Assist students in comparing how the topic is treated in each text. The topic of turtles was brought up at the workshop. Teachers may, for example, choose the books below to introduce the topic of turtles to students.
|Literature Example
|Literary Nonfiction Example
|Informational Example
"Understanding the expository text structures gives readers a better shot at determining important information when reading nonfiction...If students know what to look for in terms of text structure, they grasp the meaning more easily."Literature is less complex to understand because the structure is always chronological. However, when students are reading informational texts, they need to be able to identify which of the seven types of expository structures they're reading. This makes reading informational texts much more complex!
To more sensibly prepare students to be successful readers, teachers need to start or remain explicit in teaching the necessary skills to better comprehend the different types of texts. I'll end this post with a quote from Kristina Smekens: "As we are teaching the Common Core Standards, we need to do more than just read the different types of text. We need to teach their similarities and unique differences side by side."
I am hoping the information in this post is worthwhile to someone. I never really know who is actually reading my posts, but I'm hoping the time and effort I put into writing them isn't going to waste. :) Nonetheless, I will be back sometime soon to share more in Parts 2 and 3!
Happy Friday.


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Taylor Swift wins award for feminism — Kaley Cuoco, not so much
Taylor Swift and Kaley Cuoco are opposites when it comes to girl power: Swift may often dress like a '50s housewife, but Kaley Cuoco actually acts like one.
The Big Bang Theory star, who wed Ryan Sweeting last New Year's Eve, says she is not a "feminist girl" and has never faced inequality (apparently, she doesn't know about Hollywood's infamous wage gaps between men and women) and her favorite thing to do is serve her man.
"It's not really something I think about," she told Redbook. "Things are different now, and I know a lot of the work that paved the way for women happened before I was around… I was never that feminist girl demanding equality, but maybe that's because I've never really faced inequality," she said.
More: Taylor Swift stands up for musicians as Woman of the Year (VIDEO)
Cuoco also revealed she cooks for her husband "five nights a week: It makes me feel like a housewife; I love that. I know it sounds old-fashioned, but I like the idea of women taking care of their men. I'm so in control of my work that I like coming home and serving him," she told the mag.
Contrast that with another young female star: Taylor Swift. The "Shake It Off" singer was just named DoSomething.org's No. 1 on their Celebs Gone Good list for 2014, due in no small part to her "feminist awakening," they said.
More: Kristen Stewart and 5 other celebrity comments on feminism
In an interview with the Guardian back in August, Swift said, "As a teenager, I didn't understand that saying you're a feminist is just saying that you hope women and men will have equal rights and equal opportunities. What it seemed to me, the way it was phrased in culture, society, was that you hate men. And now, I think a lot of girls have had a feminist awakening because they understand what the word means. For so long it's been made to seem like something where you'd picket against the opposite sex, whereas it's not about that at all. Becoming friends with Lena [Dunham] — without her preaching to me, but just seeing why she believes what she believes, why she says what she says, why she stands for what she stands for — has made me realize that I've been taking a feminist stance without actually saying so."
No offense, Kaley, but we think we'd rather hang with TSwift. Our men know how to cook for themselves.


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By shopping at CheapSuites.co.uk not only can you benefit from great quality at low prices, but a quick and efficient delivery service too. Our quick delivery service means that you can start to enjoy your new bathroom as soon as possible! Deliveries are not made at weekends or on bank holidays, so please allow extra time for your order to arrive over periods such as Easter and Christmas.
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Luther "Rip" Smith - Stantonville, Tenn.
Luther "Rip" Smith, 75, of Stantonville, Tenn., died Nov. 30, 2004, at Baptist Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. He was a group leader for General Motors for 28 years. He was a member of United Auto Workers and had lived in West Palm Beach, Fla., for 13 years and Auburn Hills, Mich., for 30 years.
He is survived by a daughter, Debbie Jo Shorland of Gloucester, Vir.; two sisters, Sammie Treadway of St. Joseph, Ill., and Molly Abernathy of West Memphis; two brothers, T.B. Smith of Fort Wayne, Ind., and Walter G. smith of Roscommon, Mich.; and two grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Grisso Smith.
The funeral was held at 3 p.m. Dec. 3 at Shackelford Adamsville Chapel, Adamsville, Tenn. Burial was at Bethlehem Cemetery in Hardin County, Tenn.


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Jenny Darroch, PhDAdjunct Professor, KGI | Professor, CGU
Areas of Expertise
Marketing Strategy, Marketing Management, Strategic Brand Management
- About
Jenny Darroch is the Professor of Marketing & MBA Academic Director. Prior to joining the Drucker School faculty, she was the Director of Entrepreneurship and a Senior Lecturer [Associate Professor] in Marketing at the University of Otago in New Zealand. She has taught in numerous executive education programs in New Zealand and around the Asia-Pacific region, managed the marketing curriculum for a large MBA program in New Zealand, developed and launched a Masters degree in Entrepreneurship, and was instrumental in developing support structures to allow the commercialization of science and technology intellectual property from universities. In 2002, Jenny had the honor of leading the New Zealand delegation to an APEC conference in Monterrey, Mexico, aimed at developing policies to support young entrepreneurs.
Jenny continues to provide leadership to her professional community. For example, she is an active board member of the Marketing and Entrepreneurship Special Interest Group within the American Marketing Association and hosts an American Marketing Association Chapter at Claremont Graduate University. Jenny frequently reviews for the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Sage, Wiley, Palgrave, Routledge and other publishers.
- Selected Publications
- Why Marketing to Women Doesn't Work, (to be released by Palgrave Macmillan in Summer 2014)
- Marketing in a recession: the importance of maintaining marketing expenditure during a recession.
- Beyond innovation: what does it take to change product-market boundaries?
- Does marketing suffer from managerial myopia?
- Is necessity the mother of invention?
- Research
Jenny's research has always examined the interface between marketing, innovation and entrepreneurship. Jenny's research currently focuses on how firms create new markets and transform existing markets through marketing and entrepreneurial activities (in fact, this inspired a new course Jenny is offering EMP students called "Transforming and Creating Markets to Generate Growth"). Her publications appear in leading journals such as the European Journal of Marketing, Journal of Business Ethics and the Journal of Small Business Management. A career highlight was co-editing (with George Day and Stan Slater) a Special Issue of the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science: A Tribute to Peter Drucker in 2009.
Jenny's first book, Marketing Through Turbulent Times, was published by Palgrave Macmillan in Fall 2009 (see www.MarketingThroughTurbulentTimes.com). Marketing Through Turbulent Times is written for decision makers who want to ensure that their marketing strategies are not only relevant for today's difficult environment but will also provide a solid foundation for future growth. Marketing Through Turbulent Times is a common sense, accessible book about marketing that provides a range of tools, principles and approaches for managers wanting to fine tune their current marketing strategies today and identify innovative growth opportunities which will allow them to lead their organization toward a robust future.
Contact Information
|Jenny Darroch, PhD


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Here's a brief excerpt from my forthcoming book, Inside The Screwtape Letters (Baker Books), which will probably be released next year as we await the release of The Screwtape Letters movie ...
Three words changed the face of creative Christian literature forever, leaving an indelible mark on everyone who has encountered them: "My dear Wormwood." With this greeting, C.S. Lewis masterfully began The Screwtape Letters, a classic book that in many ways defied traditional approaches to Christian writing, offering profound insights into human nature through a diabolical correspondence. Each of the thirty-one letters features the advice of a senior devil, Screwtape, to his nephew, Wormwood, a "junior" tempter seeking to capture the soul of a young man. Though obviously fictional in its setting, The Screwtape Letters nevertheless contain realistic insights, albeit from an inverted or reversed perspective.
The first edition of The Screwtape Letters, published in the United Kingdom in 1942, featured a plain cover, particularly by today's standards. The title appeared at the top, followed by the author's name, noting Lewis's professional title: "Fellow of Magdalen College, Oxford." Beneath this information appeared a simple rectangular box, the contents of which read,
A new book by the author of "THE PROBLEM OF PAIN" one of the most widely read and discussed books of recent years.
But before Screwtape became a book, Lewis obviously conceived the idea, then later sold the series to a weekly Anglican newspaper called The Guardian. Fortunately, being an avid letter writer, Lewis recorded his initial ideas for what would become Screwtape in a letter to his older brother, Warren, dated 20 July 1940.
Lewis prefaces his description of his new idea by noting that he had missed church for some weeks due to illness. He then mentions, "Blanchette preached, not very profitably," referring to Reverend Arthur Blanchette (1909-86), curate of the church Lewis attended: Holy Trinity, Headington Quarry.
Lewis then explained that prior to the end of the service, "I was struck by an idea for a book wh. I think might be both useful and entertaining. It wd. be called As one Devil to Another and would consist of letters from an elderly retired devil to a young devil who has just started work on his first 'patient'. The idea wd. be to give all the psychology of temptation from the other point of view."
This description clearly illustrates what would become The Screwtape Letters, noting key elements such as 1) the basic structure (letters), 2) characters (two devils), 3) the human "patient," 4) the psychological approach to temptation, and 5) the inverted perspective. In the letter Lewis goes on to describe how his idea might be implemented after "undermining ... faith in prayer" then warning the young devil to avoid the use of argumentation—both approaches later realized in the published Screwtape letters (Letters I, IV, and XXVII).
Copyright © 2008 by Robert Velarde. All rights reserved.


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My new blog address is http://blog.komakeup.com
Review: Kiss InstaWave
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I have been a big fan of Kiss Products since their nail days, now that they are branching out into cosmetics and hair appliances; I am really excited to see what they bring to the table! I carry all their plumping lip glosses in my kit already, and I enjoy quite a few of their cosmetics for my personal use, so when I was offered the chance to try their new InstaWave, I jumped at the chance!
Kiss InstaWave sounded like a dupe for the Instyler, but it's not, it is different. It's a fully automatic tangle free curler that instantly creates beautiful curls. This means no more worrying about tangling, burning your fingers, or perfectly wrapping sections of hair around the wand. I was glad to see that is was reasonably priced at $60. The instructions seemed simple enough, and I love using a curling wand to make sure my curls are frizz free ringlets all day, but I am also pretty useless at hair and was worried I would tangle my hair to oblivion with the InstaWave.
The first thing I noticed about the InstaWave? The settings; there is a curl dial with two settings, one for left and one for right. Then there is a high, low, and off button to control the heat. The high heat setting maxes out at 420˚ and there is also an indicator light so you know when the InstaWave is ready to use. I also noticed the wand was really shiny, like it was covered in glitter.
One thing I would say about the Kiss InstaWave is there is a definite learning curve if you are new to doing your own hair or using rotating appliances. I recommend using the rotating hair catch with the heat off a few times, as I did get my hair wrapped around wrong because I was not used to it. Luckily your hair doesn't actually get tangled in the wand, as it slides right out quite nicely, by pulling the wand downward. However, you really don't want to have that happen with the heat on! Once I got the hang of it, I was done with my hair in less than ten minutes! I DID MY WHOLE HEAD OF THICK CURLY HAIR IN LESS THAN TEN MINUTES! Since I have curly hair, I wasn't going to straighten it first. I simply brushed out my curls and started with a full frizzy mess, applied some argan oil, and got to work. I was really impressed with how easy it was to use it in both hands on either side of my head, and with how I never had to touch the iron, it truly is automatic and no more wearing weird gloves or burning your fingers!
Look at these naturally gorgeous curls!
- No burning your fingers
- Heats up in under 2 minutes
- Easy to use, no directions required
- Automatically shuts off after 90 minutes
- Can be used like a regular curling wand also
- Low heat setting is hot enough to style my curls
- Need to practice to use correctly
Having to practice before using it is the only con I found, and I only recommend this part so you don't risk any heat damage if you are a newbie to hair like I am.
I definitely plan to get some serious use out of my Kiss InstaWave. My favorite thing about it is that I can also use it like a regular curling wand. After I finished my hair and combed out my curls, I chose a few loose strands to curl around the barrel without using the rotating hair catch and they look beautiful! Not burning my fingers for once was a huge plus for me, and with winter here I know my curls will also look frizz free with my InstaWave!
If you would like to see me demo the Kiss InstaWave, you can check it out on my Instagram! If you want to learn how to use it or where to buy it then visit the Kiss Products website here.
DIY: ItWorks! Wraps Dupe | DIY: Anti-Cellulite Wrap
All over my Instagram feed I keep seeing these It Works! Wraps and sales people claiming you can lose massive amounts of weight in just one wrap! Upon closer inspection of the wraps, I noticed a lot of them seemed to just be saran wrap. I was told this was to keep the actual wrap, which is just one small section, in place. $25 for a wrap that doesn't even stay on without household help?! I couldn't bear the thought of spending that kind of money on a skin wrap, so I decided to do some research.
The ingredients in the wrap are quality vita and skin hydrators and plant extracts, but nothing that I can see that will aid in any weight loss or skin shrinkage. I decided to try a DIY wrap and see what I could come up with using basic ingredients and saran wrap. Please note, I have not tried the It Works! Wraps, so I cannot compare my results to that of a wrap, this is just a dupe for the wraps if you don't want to spend the money.
Knowing that caffeine has been proven to help with cellulite and tightening the skin temporarily, I decided to start with coffee. I brewed a cup and kept the grounds. I also ripped open a bag of green tea and mixed the leaves with the brewed coffee grounds into a grainy paste. I then looked at what else I had on hand, and threw in some coconut oil, a bit of honey, vitamin E I oil, and I decided to use some of the brewed coffee liquid instead of water to make everything nice and creamy. I ended up with a brown oily, muddy chunky mixture.
I decided to pop it in the freezer and broke it up each time the top layer froze over.
Once it was frozen solid, I smashed all the chunks into little crumbles.
The reason for doing this was because I had used coffee masks and scrubs before and they are always really messy, I figured solidifying the coconut oil by freezing would help hold everything together. It did a good job of keeping the mess at bay, but don't expect it to just spread like butter. I ended up taking chunks of the mixture and wrapping around them and once I was wrapped up tight and my body heat allowed the mixture to melt, rubbed it on through the plastic wrap. This method kept everything fairly neat. Wrapping yourself in saran wrap makes you feel silly, but make sure you get it wound tightly all around! I left mine out for about 2 hours while I did some work, and then showered to remove it.
I didn't notice any crazy weight loss, but I did notice my skin had tightened making me look a size smaller! My skin was super soft and visibly smoother as well. I was fairly impressed with my DIY version, because I didn't expect much except freshly exfoliated skin, but it actually did work. I will definitely do this before any major event, but it really is too messy to do often unless you freeze it each time. If you try this share your results! I would love to know if it worked for you too! If you use the ItWorks! Wraps let me know how they compare!
Disclosure and what it means to me
It is common today for many bloggers, and honestly, regular people to receive items for free in exchange for an honest review on the product/item, or to tell others about it. What is not so common though, is people discussing how they obtained the items or if a recommendation was required (not simply a review, but actually endorsing the product). When I first started reading blogs and watching YouTube videos, I suspiciously noticed they all sounded a lot like commercials. Not just the reviews, but the entire videos and blog posts! Digging deeper, I learned a lot of interesting things and I wanted to share my policy on disclosure and what I plan to do with my blog, and how that can effect what I am able to review.
I never want to sound like a commercial. Ever. I love being a product nerd, and as a makeup junkie sometimes I have to curb my habit and focus on priorities. It happens. Before I even started blogging, I had Yelp and Amazon and Facebook groups to share my opinions on products and services, I always felt it was a disservice for people trying to purchase something not to know anything about it other than what was told to them by the company or people trying to sell it, and I still feel that way today, even from a business stand point.
No ONE brand can bring you the best of everything, it just isn't happening. Many of us associate a brand as good and will buy many products simply because they are from a brand we like, but we all know some of those products end up returned or unused because they just didn't work as well as we hoped. That's ok. There are also many brands that produce similar items, like lipstick, and they're ALL good. That's ok too. In the blogger/vlogger world though, when a company chooses to support (SPONSOR) you they expect you to fully endorse their brand and only their brand and in some cases, not doing so can lead to legal action. While I would love to make money blogging, and receive thousands of dollars in free items, the reality is I am not going to rave about a product that sucks or does not perform well for me or does not live up to its advertising. What companies fail to remember, and people never forget is that what works for someone, may not work for someone else! We are all not fit into the same mold, we all have different skin types, eye shapes, skin textures, skin colors, etc. it is IMPOSSIBLE for any single one product to fit the needs of every person on this planet! Get over it and accept that one blogger or ten out there may not like your product, it happens.
With that being said, often when a blogger writes a negative review about an item or a company, other companies will notice. Some may decide not to work with someone in case they might not like their product, and will choose others who have proven to rave about everything they get, or always have good reviews and never any bad ones, but to me that is dishonest. That is not reality, there are times when we simply do not like something, and if that happens with me I will be sure to let everyone know about it. Some products are great and something like packaging can make it dud, in sharing my opinion I want others to make their own choices about what they love and want to buy. Not because I shoved it down their throat. Products sent to me for review, will be reviewed, but all reviews will always be my own opinion. Good or bad. Unless someone is paying me to write an actual review for an item they sent me, I will not be disclosing how I obtained each and every item. I want the focus of every review to be about the product and how it works, as it should be!


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The Rev. Jesse Cagle, a longtime minister in the Church of God of Prophecy and a former employee of Jim Rush Funeral Homes, passed away peacefully Friday July 14, 2017, in a local health care facility.
Survivors and funeral arrangements will be announced by Jim Rush Funeral and Cremation Services North Ocoee Street Chapel.
We encourage you to share your memories and or condolences with Jesse's family by going to www.jimrushfuneralhomes.com.
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Rank the Iron Man movies (IM, IM2, and IM3)
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Jimmy Scrambles
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Knowhere
Posts: 2,134
Re: Rank the Iron Man movies (IM, IM2, and IM3)
Originally Posted by
Iron Man 3 for me tops the list. I'm very sorry, but those who think the twist makes the movie bad really need to reevaluate their opinion. The twist works in the context of the film and, regardless of having no physical similarities to the character, is respectful to the Mandarin's deceptive nature. Seeing Tony defend himself out of the suit and seeing him actually have a conflict to deal with was great. Him invading the Mandarin's mansion, his PTSD all made for a much more interesting character than anything done with Thor in Loki: The Dark World. The action itself is prolonged and very executed, unlike the first two which had very short and distance bursts of action. The only thing about the film that bothers me is the last 10 or so minutes. Pepper killing the Mandarin was and Tony removing his arc reactor was terrible writing all together. I don't know how they got as the resolution to the story after having such a film. Either way, Iron Man 3 is my favorite, followed by the first, then, all the way down, Iron Man 2.
Originally Posted by
A Necessary Evil
Why let others dictate an opinion for you?
Par for the course on the internetz. It's easiest to tell who falls into this category by whether or not their thoughts are particularly original. When I see someone regurgitating the same ill-conceived ignorance(and damn near verbatim) that the bandwagon is peddling, it's a very clear indicator of this.
I remember there was a fellow who repeatedly extolled the virtues of the comic book villain, but was caught with his pants down as having never read an Iron Man book aside from the Extremis mini. How is that sort of criticism even valuable, let alone valid? The only explanation for this sort of silliness is that these folks are simply repeating the same internet noise they've read elsewhere. How else can someone come to such a conclusion without having proper, relevant perspective? Everyone is entitled the their opinion I suppose, but when said opinion is backed by preconceived notions and confirmation bias, then that's when we've crossed into fallacy territory, which is precisely when I can't take someone seriously, no matter how loudly they yell "ITS JUST MY OPINION DOOD!"
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Saturday, April 10, 2010
Licorice Mascarpone Cream Macarons
Seriously, I think if I was to present these macarons back home in Malaysia, people might not eat this. Black is generally not a good colour for luck, furthermore, blackfood is just so weird. We do have black sesame cookies, but black macarons with licorice are completely different story.
I thought of this for my Mac Attack Entry for April. The theme is April Holiday, I thought about april fool. It was one of my favourite day when I was little, because I was able to fool my classmates. So making a black macarons is kinda like a joke, at least in my cultural context. I could simply imagine the face of my parents if I took these out of the oven!
1 room temperatured egg white(39-40g)
50g icing sugar
30g ground almond
30g castor sugar
1/2 teaspoon black powder food colouring
1/4 teaspoon metalic white food colouring
1. Put ground almond, food colouring and icing sugar in a food processor or a small blender. Blend them finely.
2. Sift the blended mixture and set aside
3. With an electric beater, Beat the egg white, start from low speed and increase slowly to maximum speed. Beat until frothy (you will see lots of fine bubbles)
4. Now it's the time to add in the castor sugar, add half of the sugar, continue to beat in maximum speed for around 2 minutes, add in the other half, continue until you get very stiff peak.
5. Mix the dry ingredients into the egg whites. This process is called Macaronage. Start folding with a rubber spatula. Continue to mix until you obtain a smooth lava flow batter.
6. When you get smooth shiny mixture, stop folding, lift the mixture with spatula, if the mixture falls back slowly in the bowl means you're good to go. You could also check if the lines formed from the lifted mixture, they should slowly disappear in within 30 seconds. At this stage you're good to go. Do not over fold, it will be too liquid and becoming very hard to pipe.
if you're unsure, you could refer to my basic macaron recipe as a guide HERE
7. Pipe the macaron on a baking sheet over baking tray. Hit the bottom of the baking tray with your hand to flatted out the macarons slightly.
8. Sift metallic food colouring powder over the shells.
9. Let your macarons sit for about 30minutes. This will depend on the humidity in your house and the day. Try touching the macaron softly, after 30mins. it should not stick to your hand.
10. Heat your oven to 150 C on the (heating on the top only). When the oven is ready, put your macaron at the very bottom shelf. Bake for 12 minutes, check them in the mid time of 6 minutes, the feets should already start forming. Turn the baking tray to the opposite direction to allow even baking. When the 6 mins is up, change the heating setting of your oven to Bottom only. This will help cooking the macaron and rise the feet more. Bake for another 6 minutes. You can test if the macaron is cook, touch softly on the shell and when the macaron doesn't slide on the feet, it's cooked. if it's not add another 1 mins each time and check.
(This is the method i found the best that works for me after few trial and error. I baked with heating the oven top and bottom and i had crack macarons. Having said that, every oven is slightly different than another, so please adjust accordingly)
11. Let the macaron cool down before removing them. You could wet your working area and slide the baking sheet on it to speed up the cooling process, but do not let it sit there too long, if not the macarons will become soggy. Other wise you can leave them cool at room temperature and remove them.
For the Licorice Mascarpone Cream Filling
I found that the cream has a better taste of licorice the next day. If you like you could prepare the cream a day before you bake the macaron shells.
1 egg yolk
15g castor sugar
125g mascarpone
2 rolls licorice candy (around 50g)
1. Cut the licorice candies in small pieces. about 5mm.
2. In a small mixing bowl, add egg yolk and sugar. Whisk until pale with a hand whisk.
2. Add in half of the mascarpone into the mixing bowl, whisk until it's well mixed, then add in another half, whisk again until you get a smooth cream.
3. Add in the licorice candies, and mix lightly.
4. Pipe the macarons.
5. After finish piping all the macarons, pop them in an air tight container. Leave them in refrigerator overnight. You could keep the macarons up to 48 hours in the frige. if not consumed, freeze them up. Because after 48 hours they will lose the texture.
7. Take them out of the fridge 20 mins prior eating.Enjoy!
10 comments:
hahah! you sure are right about the inauspicious part. but they look really good! =)ReplyDelete
Hey Clara, haha, thanks. Your macarons look good too, may i ask what kind of colouring you use? I use powder type but i hardly achieve bright vibrant colour, i use about 1/4 tsp each time for 1 egg.ReplyDelete
Stunning! I love the powder type colouring too!ReplyDelete
Very very cool! I think the black is so elegant! Lovely! And perfect macs as usual Kim!ReplyDelete
Thanks Mardi & Jamie.ReplyDelete
My macarons were soaked and they were a bit humide and broke easily when picked up on the second day, i think, i have to prepare both the cream and the shell a day before next time, and fill them before serving
The dutch would loveeeeeee this, they are huge liquorice fans. I love the colour!ReplyDelete
I'd wallop them down in no time, black being my fave colour. These are STUNNING Kim, and I've read the top and bottom heat of the oven thing with great interest. Maybe this will work for my fiddly oven. You make me want to give macs another shot. I LOVE these!!ReplyDelete
Hi Deeba, thank you for your compliment. Yes maybe you should try out the top and bottom baking, i dont know why but it works for me, for my oven if i put top and bottom baking the macarons crack, my oven is cheap (i suppose) it doesn't even have digital temperature control! It was already here (the owner of the apartment provides it)ReplyDelete
Give it a shot and let me know how yours turn out!
Your macarons are always so creative and beautiful. I love to see what you are going to do next. You continue to amaze and inspire me.ReplyDelete
Thank you Bonnie, I m glad that I could share this :)ReplyDelete


text: The big thing in Raiatea today was the big canoe race from Raiatea to Tahaa…. It's a really big deal! For myself, I decided to climb to the top of Mt Tapioi, about 300 meters or about an hour. The climb is pretty strenuous but worth every step when you get to the top… You can see all the way to Bora Bora and the colors of the waters, just like a painting…. Beautiful. I spent quite a while at the top watching the canoes and checking out the scenery before heading back to town. The town itself is fairly small so checking out the shops and places to eat or drink doesn't take a lot of time. The place is just another beautiful spot in French Polynesia…. Magnificent day! This blog is in two parts, this is part one.


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These (often very short) essays are highly compressed and highly realized, sharply drawn, intense in their urgently lyrical way, exquisitely written. Deulen's dialogues and descriptions, fractured and prismatic throughout, seem to burn rather than ease into memory, so charged is her language, and so deft her capacity for rendering stark, surreal scenes. This is a book written with a care for language—the imagery is often beautiful and surprising, the surprise like tiny explosions now and again within a sentence, a paragraph, on a page. The beauty not a pretty beauty, but sometimes ugly in a tough, edgy way. The organization of the book follows the associative logic of poetry—or of memory. The innovative, non-chronological sequence in which these pieces are placed creates a larger story that feels bigger than the sum of its parts and digs deep into the racial and gendered consciousness of the narrator and the times and places in which her story takes place.HARDSCRABBLE by Kevin McFadden (poetry) and COMPRESSION SCARS by Kellie Wells (fiction).
THE RIOTS is also a winner of the Association of Writers and Writing Programs Award for Creative Nonfiction.


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The Upload Service allows you to perform uploads to the Garmin Connect API, and subsequently retrieve these imported files by user, activity or it's unique identifier.
As with the rest of our services, authentication and authorization are handled via OAuth, and is provided with a full SOAP and REST API.
How to get Started
INSERT LEGAL DISCLAIMER HERE. Reference the downloadable License file.
This API supports a Representational State Transfer (REST) model for accessing a set of resources through a fixed set of operations. The following resources are accessible through the RESTful model:
All endpoints act on the same set of data described by XML Schema. The following data (grouped by namespace) are available:
Default Namespace
- Type accessControl
- Type accessControlRule
- Type activity
- Type activityImportEntry
- Type activityImportMessage
- Type activitySummary
- Type applicationInstallation
- Type baseSeries
- Type fitHistorySeries
- Type historySeries
- Type importResult
- Type keyValueWithNames
- Type location
- Type longValue
- Type longValueWithNames
- Type namedSeries
- Type oldSeries
- Type report
- Type seriesTypeId
- Type serviceConstants
- Type simpleBusinessValue
- Type simpleIdentifier
- Type tag
- Type unitId
- Type uploadedFile
- Type uploadedFileMetaCollection
- Type uploadFileAndReport
- Type uploadReport
- Type value
- Type valueWithNames
- Element activity
- Element historySeries
- Element importResult
- Element uploadedFile
- Element uploadedFileMetaCollection
- Element uploadFileAndReport


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As we don't have enough electricity for a fridge up here, I need a different method to keep Kali's meat good for these two weeks. So I buried it.
We'll see how that works in about a week, when I first plan to open the meat hole again.
Chicken halves on hay!
Cover the meat in hay as well.
Cover everything with earth and grass… Pretty easy, eh?
And cover the whole thing with some big stones for two reasons:
1. You'll find it again.
2. Predators have a harder time digging it up, should they try.
Read part two HERE.


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UMBC is committed to a Facilities Master Plan that reflects the interests, needs and desires of the large and diverse community it serves. To achieve this goal of cooperative involvement the University employed a process that included a wide range of faculty, staff and student representatives to inform and review the document.
The year-long process began in January 2009, with the creation of a Steering Committee, six Stakeholder Groups and ten Space Planning Groups. Over 120 members of the campus community representing academic, research, athletics, outreach, and facilities served on one or more of these committees.
The Steering Committee was comprised of the each of the campus' six vice presidents as well as faculty, staff, and student leaders. The committee served as an advisory group, providing strategic context, validating or modifying goals developed by Stakeholder Groups, making recommendations regarding priorities and resource allocation, and promoting and championing the process.
The six Stakeholder Groups focused on specific programmatic areas to articulate needs, provide program details, define desired outcomes and goals, and provide ground-up information. The ten Space Planning Groups provided input on the space planning variables integrated in the space planning model used to quantify and define the campus's space needs. Both of these groups had faculty, staff, and students representing all university divisions to ensure widespread participation. Together, the campus community developed this plan to guide the development of the Facilities Master Plan Update.
The master planning process was extended to the entire campus and surrounding communities through a series of forums. Meaningful input derived from these town hall style meetings were integrated into this plan. The participative process outlined herein is reflective of UMBC's commitment to shared governance and ensures that the 2009-2019 UMBC Facilities Master Plan Update appropriately guides campus development as we move forward.


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Soccer News of Tuesday, 11 October 2016
Source: sportsniteleaks.com
Ghana Football Association Vice president, George Afriyie has revealed the FA has settled any impasse with the Youth and Sports Minister.
Both parties have not being in good terms with issues regards to the Black Stars, issue of winning bonus and the issue of media utterances. The South African arranged a friendly match with Ghana and it was reported that the SFA will play the GFA an amount of $150.000.00 but the youth and sports minister asked the GFA to demand more he call off the match.
Some section of the FA members slammed the minister for asking them to do something that he has no authority to decide for the FA. Ahead of the Uganda's clash, the minister took the lead to Temale before the members of the FA even got there.
With no doubt, the GFA and the Ministry of Youth and Sports has a huge fiction between them but George Afriyie who is also a close ally to the former GBC worker says they have settled any impasse.
"After the match, we met the Nii Lante Vanderpuye to discuss about the South Africa friendly and everything went on well but I must say that we have settled any impasse with the minister." George told Asempa FM.


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My name is Frenchell and i live in sunny California. I have my B.A. in business administration. i have been married to the best man in the world for almost 5 years! we have two kids who frankly i think are adorable! They are ages 2 (almost 3) and 19 months...so there is rarely a dull moment in this zoo.
I have been wanting to start an etsy blog themed for mommies for the longest time. Finally...i'm here. Make sure you follow this blog. I'll have great templates, tutorials and advice from other etsy members. I also hope to have interviews which will give feedback from buyers and sellers. I am also looking to review products and shops. No need to send me your products for review. If you are intrested in being a featured shop, having a review or sharing any templates or tutorials...let me know. It's all about taking mommie-hood one single teeny tiney itsy-bitsy step at a time while trying to run a business.
xoxo ,


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For some reason I thought I'd already posted about this card here. :o Nevermind... This is from a Facebook swap from last year. Another successful swap with Donka. :) Thank you so much!
This is one of the nicer cards in this series I think. I love the blue tones and the slightly darker colour - and the stormy-looking sky! :D I also love the fact that this card mentions Bulgarian yogurt. I really, really like it and tend to have at least some every time I go to Finland. For some reason I haven't been able to find it here in England (and Turkish yogurt seems impossible to find here as well for some reason, whereas it seems to be fairly popular in Finland). All you get here is Greek yogurt and while that's VERY nice as well, it's totally different. Bulgarian yogurt is a lot more sour I think (and yummy :)).
Monday, 16 May 2016
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there is plenty of information out on the web about making homemade yogurt that it can seem a little daunting. especially the whole incubating process. leaving milk in a warm place for 12 hours doesn't sound very safe to me. but i've tried our yogurt a few times since making it, and i'm still here so the process must be safe, right?
i ended up using a 4 different tutorials as the basis of my yogurt making, just to make sure that i didn't mess things up. the first three are from soule mama, granola mom for god and blooming glen farm, which offer pretty much the same instructions. it made me feel better to see that the basic process was the same, and that small variations were okay and didn't mess up the final product. the fourth site is pretty awesome because it was compiled by a biology and chemistry professor and titled, yogurt making illustrated. reading about the scientific aspects of yogurt making was very helpful, because it gave me peace of mind that i'm not going to become deathly ill from trying to make my own yogurt. plus it gave me a better understanding of the purpose behind each step, and how flexible i can be at each point in the yogurt making process.
though i'll share how i ended up making mine, i won't go into too much detail since the above links have already provided much of the information needed about yogurt making. so, here we go...
- i used 1 quart commercial (rbst free) milk for our yogurt. 1 quart of milk will make 1 quart of yogurt. i ended up making a 2nd batch of yogurt the next day because 1 quart didn't look like it was going to last us very long. i just poured the milk into the jar i was going to use for the yogurt to measure the correct amount.
- pour it in a pot and heat to 180 degrees F, stirring occasionally. note: do not go and feed your baby thinking that it will be plenty of time before the milk gets to the correct temperature. i did that on the first attempt and heated the milk way too hot (which apparently can affect how the yogurt comes together).
- while the milk is being heated, rinse out the jar you used to measure out the milk. put the jar and the lid in a large pot of water and boil for 10 minutes to sanitize and kill any potential bad bacteria. after boiling for 10 minutes, turn off heat and leave in the pot.
- after it reaches 180, let the milk cool to 110ish degrees F. i cooled mine to 115, but some of the sites above mention 110 or even 120. it's important to note, though, that if the milk is not cooled enough (above 120) it can kill the live cultures that you're going to add into your milk.
- while your milk is cooling you can take out the sanitized jar and lid from the pot and let it dry on a super clean drying rack. the other option is to have the jar(s) super clean ahead of time. whichever ends up being easier. the most important thing is to make sure they're clean. also use this time to heat up some water (i just reheated the water used for sanitizing the jar) to about 115-120 degrees.
- once your milk is cooled between 110-120 degrees, pour it into your jar(s). put about 4 Tbs of plain yogurt (with live cultures) in the jar, or you can save some of your previously made yogurt, and mix. the yogurt illustrated site calls this point inoculation. he, he. so scientific, eh? the measured amount doesn't have to be exact. i just used a regular table spoon instead of an actual measuring spoon. some of the sites above tell you to inoculate (ooOOhh) while the milk is in the pot. either way it doesn't matter, just as long as you mix in some of the live cultures. after inoculation, cover jar with lid.
- pour your preheated 115-120 degree water into a cooler. place the jar in the cooler. i had my water level at about half way up the jar. close up the cooler and place in a spot where it won't get moved. you can cover the cooler with additional blankets or towels to keep it warm, but i don't know that it's absolutely necessary. you can try out other methods to incubate your yogurt, but the cooler one works best for us.
- incubate for 8-12 hours. i left both of mine for 10 hours. the flavor and smell was pretty much the same as the tub of plain yogurt i used to buy at trader joe's. if you leave the yogurt in the fridge for a couple of hours after incubation, it will thicken it up a bit. the longer you incubate, the more tart the flavor (and i think it thickens up a bit more too, though i'm no sure...guess you'll have to try it out). i think next time, i'll let it go for 12 hours. i like my plain yogurt a little more on the tart side so that i can use it as a substitute for sour cream.
so now i am totally sold on making homemade yogurt, and can't believe i've waited so long to try! i don't think i'll go back to spending my usual $3.50 on 2lbs. of plain yogurt ever again. well, maybe when convenience and saving time trumps over saving money.


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Certification Protocol for Alternative Cleaning Chemistries
Final Report for Developing a Certification Protocol for Alternative Cleaning Chemistries was prepared by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, California, under Agreement Number 95-T0983 (Task 3) between the U.S. Department of Energy and the California Department of Toxic Substances Control. The LLNL Principal Investigator and lead author for this project was Dr. Michael Meltzer, and Katharine Gabor was a contributing author. Both authors are members of LLNL's Pollution Prevention Group, which operates within the Operations and Regulatory Affairs Division of the Laboratory's Environmental Protection Department.
The report summarizes the activities and results of the joint project between Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), the Alternative Cleaning Chemistries Stakeholder Panel, and the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC), whose main focus was to develop detailed recommendations for a California-EPA Alternative Cleaning Chemistries Certification. The project also produced a set of preliminary ideas for an Alternative Cleaning Equipment Certification (for equipment or equipment/chemistry combined systems). This report attempts to capture the important points from the discussions held by the Stakeholder Panel and its guests regarding the different aspects of the criteria. These discussions will provide the reader with an idea of the range of different opinions that were considered in formulating the criteria.
The final report includes the following sections:
DTSC has not yet adopted these recommendations and is seeking input from interested stakeholders on the advisability of utilizing these criteria as a part of the ETV program.
Please contact Greg Williams at (916) 322-0453 or email: firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Damn Rice got stuffed.
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Damn Rice got stuffed.
I can't complain about going for it there. Cleveland just made a good defensive stop.
We've been terrible in those short yardage plays all year.
Pathetic. We can't pick up one yard?
Also don't really know why we didn't kick the FG there.
prob should have taken the field goal but with the rain and all am ok with going for it. Play call was fine just not executed enough
still don't understand a 13 yard pass on 3rd and 14... why not run the route a yard deeper...
reeks of Billick Ball
Gotta hope the defense holds them to no points. If not, we'll probably regret not takin the field goal.
No real issue withthe call. Kicking near 50 FGs is not Cundiff's forte and Cleveland can be tough to kick. Good running on the whole so far.
I don't like going for it this early...take the 3. This likely will be a low/moderately score game...take the points. And it's not like it was 4th and inches.
I like the call to go for. I like the play we ran. I still think Rice got it but it's not worth a challenge.
I think it was dickson not knowing where the marker was
Go DEFENSE


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Sunday, August 07, 2016
Project Daedalus
Does anyone remember reading about this proposed spaceship as a kid? It's capable of reaching 12% of the speed of light.
1 comment:
- Francisco said...
I thought project Daedalus was that cheesy movie with Clint 'Im not a racist, you are a pussy' Eastwood, Tommy Lee Jones, James Gardner and Donald Sutherland going to space:
from IMDB - "Space Cowboys" - When a retired engineer is called upon to rescue a failing satellite, he insists that his equally old teammates accompany him into space.
- August 8, 2016 at 3:33 PM
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The Ron Carter Quartet, led by the inimitable and prolific jazz bassist/cellist/composer, Ron Carter, has collaborated with vocalist Vitoria Meldonado to create the record, Brasil L.I.K.E. (short for Love, Inspiration, Knowledge and Energy).
The Grammy-winning Carter is working with American and Brazilian standards in bossa nova on the album, and creating excerpts of jazz within each song.
The record also features several special guests, including Randy Brecker on flugelhorn and Grammy-winning producer, Ruria Duprat and his orchestra.
Here's what "I Only Have Eyes for You," sounds like on Brasil L.I.K.E:
Brasil L.I.K.E. is available on CD and as a digital download (iTunes and Amazon MP3).
Brasil L.I.K.E. Track List:
- They Can't Take That Away From Me
- There Will Never Be Another You
- Night & Day
- I Only Have Eyes For You
- How High The Moon
- Adoro O Teu Sorriso
- All Of Me
- Que Reste-T-Il De Nos Amours
- Georgia On My Mind
- Someone To Light Up My Life
- Lugar Comum
- Because You Make Me Dream
- Saudade


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ADVISORY: McMaster to Make Major Announcement Concerning Craigslist
ADVISORY: McMaster to Make Major Announcement Concerning Craigslist
Columbia, S.C. May 4, 2009 – Attorney General Henry McMaster will travel to the Anderson County Sheriff's Office on Tuesday, May 5, 2009, where he will make a major announcement concerning the Internet classified website called craigslist.com.
The press conference will begin at 11:00 a.m. at the Anderson County Sheriff's Office, 305 Camson Road, Anderson, S.C. 29625.
A number of area law enforcement officials, including Anderson County Sheriff John Skipper, Pickens County Sheriff David Stone, and Oconee County Sheriff James Singleton, will join McMaster at the press conference.
In November 2008, craigslist entered into an agreement with forty (40) state Attorneys General and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children ("NCMEC") to put in place safeguards to combat unlawful activity and improve public safety on the craigslist Internet classified service.
Read the agreement here: http://www.scattorneygeneral.com /newsroom/pdf/2009/craigslist.pdf
Recent national events, along with ongoing law enforcement efforts in South Carolina clearly indicate that craigslist has not put in place sufficient safeguards in the last six (6) months to prohibit the Internet site from being used as a vehicle to advertise or solicit prostitution.
# # #
Contact: Mark Plowden
Communications Director


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"Wild Lament" is the latest series of works from Edinburgh based artist Lesley Logue, currently on show at the Foyer Restaurant and curated by Smart Consultants. I popped along on Monday for a look at the work, lots of deer and bears so of course I loved it. My favourite pieces are the tree stump sketches with gold thread stiched across them which at first just looked cool but if you read the artist's statement below you will see there's a bit of a deeper meaning behind those pieces and all the work!
"Maintenance and repair are key concerns in my work, responding to generational and historic shifts in the environment. Much of the work on show explores my interest in hunting. I am particularly interested in hunting as a right of passage and a shared activity within particular communities.
There is a sense of lament not only in the death of the animals but the death of community and ritualistic practices associated with the landscape. My interest is partly fueled by my involvement in the sport of field archery, a sport that simulates the hunting experience through use of paper targets and 3D animal replicas. This sport takes place in natural woodland settings therefore I am also drawn to the evidence of tree maintenance, pruning chopping and removal.
The gold stitching on my tree stump drawings is an attempt to repair a wound, which is already too severe. Through my work I play with the juxtaposition of the real and unreal, the act and the simulation, the actual experience and the experience imagined."
"Wild Lament" is on at The Foyer from now until the 3rd of November!


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Zephyr Frank from Stanford Spatial History Lab to Speak at Duke 02/20/2013Posted by: Victoria Szabo in Announcements, Events
Reading 100 Plays at the Same Time: Encounters as Micronetworks in Literature
Zephyr Frank
Department of History
Stanford University
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Smith Warehouse – Bay 4, C105 "Garage"
Erving Goffman used the language of theater, and a close analysis of what happens on stage, to generate a theory of social experience. This paper adopts Goffman's approach, based on elementary "strips" of interaction, and repurposes it for the quantitative study of plays as micro-encounters that build into macro-structures. The encounter provides a computational signal and an interpretive concept in the "window," an arbitrarily cut strip of a given number of speeches in a play. As the window moves through the play, a micro-network is built based on the speech-acts within the window's range. While the overall network of a play can reveal something about a play's social and dramatic structure, the window helps us capture, quantitatively, the basic units of social experience that go toward creating those larger structures. The window also allows for the comparison of many plays of varying length and structure, putting, for example, the Ancients, Shakespeare, Ibsen, and Brazilian playwrights together in a new analytical frame. Zephyr Frank is an Associate Professor of History at Stanford University, Director of the Spatial History Project, and the principal investigator for the Terrain of History project. He is also the director of CESTA. The Center for Spatial and Textual Analysis (CESTA), an interdisciplinary collective of labs operates independently of any one particular home department, and is organizationally housed within the Dean of Research at Stanford University.
Co-Sponsored by Information Science + Information Studies and the Triangle Digital Humanities Consortium


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Job Title:
Day Shift Production Operative 5AM - 5PM or 7am-7pm
Blakelands, Milton Keynes
Job Description:
We are working with a large commercial bakery who supplies into almost every supermarket in the UK and we are recruiting for Production Operatives for our client based in Blakelands, Milton Keynes.
This is an ongoing contract working 12 hour day shifts, 5am-5pm or 7am-7pm 4 days on 4 days off. Due to the shift pattern you must be willing to work a mixture of weekends and weekdays.
You will be responsible for working on the production line and will be involved with the baking of the bread as well as packing.
We are looking for candidates who are committed and our client is willing train candidates who do not already hold experience as a food production.
Ideally you will have worked within a food production environment before and will have knowledge of food safety and hygiene standards although if you are committed and willing to learn this is not essential.
Contact us on 01908 695 959 option 1 to discuss further.
Want to keep up to date with all our job vacancies?...Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/BarkerRossIndustrial
This vacancy is based in the United Kingdom. Barker Ross Staffing Solutions only operates in the UK and can only process applications from candidates who are currently a resident and eligible to work in the UK.
Whilst we endeavour to contact you following your response due to the high volume of applications this cannot always be possible. If you have not had notification within 7 days unfortunately your application has not been successful but we will keep your details on file for future opportunities.
This vacancy is being advertised on behalf of Barker Ross Group who is acting as a recruitment agency.


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I know I would die first before I ever accomplished the building of Notre Dame Cathedral; so did those who began such a project. Two centuries of toil. Two centuries of keeping a vision alive. Though the architecture is something to marvel, the process and the scope of the task is overwhelming to me. I grow weary whenever I can't complete a building in less than a year.
My wife, grandkids, and I recently visited the church. (our daughter lives near Paris) The churches' primarily function today is a backdrop for facebook pictures. I sat and watched couples and families from all over the world pose in front of this work of art. They appeared more concerned that their look was right rather than understanding the magnitude of the building being used for a photo op. I left the church sickened as I watched the world snap and click with their selfie sticks.
For most of us, our career's span about 40 years; some more, some less. Once retired, we look back and wonder if our work has any eternal value. Will our work influence into the lives of others after we are gone. Sadly, for some, the answer is no. "No influence." 40 years of paystubs filed away in the income tax drawer.
Thankfully, for those who work in the ministry of Christian camping, our toil and labor will matter. There are no cathedrals; only simple chapels. There are no statues, only images of changed lives.
Thankfully, you won't toil for 200 years; you will see heaven before the job is done. But for now and into the future, keep the vision alive by showing up every day with the HOPE that is within you, knowing you're not just building another building, or another program or even cleaning another cabin: you are providing an opportunity for a young person to come to Christ around a simple campfire or an evening chapel; perhaps this young person will grow older on a mission field or be standing in a pulpit sharing the gospel to the next generation.
Make today matter.


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I'm a sucker for ambiguously aligned characters. Good guys who turn into bad guys, bad guys who turn out to be good guys, those folks are just plain fun. I write stories with this kind of character all the time, but I was reminded of them recently when my kids and I watched The Princess Bride.
I'm sure most of you are dearly familiar with Inigo and Fezzik. During our first viewing I became fascinated by the fact that these two characters are immediately likeable despite the fact that they've just kidnapped the princess along with Vizzini. So during our second and third viewings (since people, especially children, like to see fabulous things more than once) I took a look at our introduction to these two characters.
Basically, after our first view of them which involves them knocking out Buttercup, we immediately shift, not to her point of view of them on the ship, but to their own internal squabbles. Inigo demonstrates curiosity about what exactly they are doing ("what is that you are ripping?"), showing that he's not entirely aware of their mission. Then when Vizzini describes the basics of of his plan to frame Guilder by killing Buttercup and leaving her on the frontier, Fezzik reveals that he wasn't totally in on the plan either, and that he has morals well-aligned with our own ("I just don't think it's right, killing an innocent girl."). We then get an opportunity to witness Vizzini's cruelty applied to his own accomplices as he dresses them down.
This is a good start, but on its own, I don't think it would be enough to convince me that Inigo and Fezzik were anything more than weak bad guys, or at a stretch, decent guys forced into nefarious deeds by circumstance. The point where I really start liking them is when I see Fezzik clearly have hurt feelings as a result of Vizzini's tirade, and then Inigo comes over to him and starts deliberately consoling him by starting the rhyming game. At this point, these two characters are no longer simply henchmen who do their boss' bidding. They are actual people, friends in fact, who care about each other and also have a sense of humor... a sense of humor which they are entirely willing to use at Vizzini's expense ("Anybody want a peanut?"). This pattern is then confirmed as we go forward into Vizzini's mercilessness and Fezzik's inability to use his considerable power (the fact that he's literally dangling Vizzini over a cliff) to win an argument. It continues into Inigo and Fezzik's interactions with the Man in Black, where we are also given glimpses into the backstory of each character. In fact I don't think that it would be nearly as difficult to guess the identity of the Man in Black if we immediately concluded he had to be a "good guy" because Fezzik and Inigo were "bad guys."
I think there are some good lessons to be learned here about what it is that makes a character likeable. Readers and viewers collect evidence in a character's interactions which they use to establish that character's qualities and alignments. Clearly even criminal behavior (kidnapping) can be quickly outweighed by evidence of reluctance and human caring. It's good to remember this if you're creating ambiguously aligned characters, and even if you have a protagonist who has to do bad things. We don't blame Janice Hardy's Nya for stealing, because she's stealing eggs when she could potentially choose to steal something much worse, and then only because she's starving. Her human qualities come to the fore much more quickly.
What do your characters do to show us that they are human? Does it make them seem more complex? Does it make them likeable?
It's something to think about.


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Fred first in France
Frederik van Lierde never looked back at Ironman France after taking the lead on his Cervélo P5X.
Fred's fourth victory at Ironman France — and second in nine months — was again the result of his trademark consistency. After coming out of the water in third place, the Belgian surged into the lead with a sizzling 4:39:00 bike split and arrived at T2 with a 26-second edge. He then extended this advantage to more than five minutes with a second-fastest marathon, finishing in 8:31:31.
"Exiting the water in third position allowed me to implement my race strategy: To set the pressure from the start of the bike section," Fred explained, adding that the revamped bike course and 30-degree temperatures required a "full focus on my nutrition plan." Good thing the P5X has been engineered to feature more customizable modular storage than any other triathlon bike.
Refuelled and rehydrated, Fred attacking the marathon with his usual resolve. But at the 8km mark, an unusual challenge presented itself: He inadvertently collided with a shower nozzle, causing his head to bleed profusely. After receiving medical attention, the bleeding eventually subsided and Fred was able "to retrieve my focus and dig deep into my mental strength."
"Winning this race again, after an eventful day, makes me very proud. So motivating as I work towards Hawaii 2017!"