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One of my favorite Eckhart Tolle advice on being in the now are two of the most simple exercises which require less than 5 minutes of your day –
- Take deep breaths – breathe in and observe as your body fills up with air as you inhale; and exhale while observing your body move with each of your breaths. Your breath is proof that you are alive, after all it is the universal life force, its an easy way to remind yourself that you are exactly where you are meant to be. Now.
- Wash your hands – and while you do, notice how the water feels as it flows onto your skin forming small bubbles, observe your hands and all its details – your ring, the veins, maybe that little freckle you had long forgotten existed, smell the soap. A simple task like washing your hands can bring you to the this very moment.
My very own variation to these exercises is to allow myself a few moments to observe my surroundings especially when I feel like I am caught up in the rut. I stop and take stock of my surroundings, the color of the fluorescent light in the room, the whirring sound of the ceiling fan, the sound of the ticking clock, my handbag as it sits on my desk with my favorite pair of sunglasses hanging on it, how my chair feels comforting and secure beneath me. As I take in all the details which seem familiar and often overlooked, and how it all makes me feel, I am.
Life as we know it (& just as it is meant to be) is in motion right now, for each of us, all over the planet.
Welcome to the present moment, your life. The beautiful Now.
Where else do we have to be?
Peace & Love


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Thursday, July 7, 2016
Food Review: Trader Joe's Mango Chili Chicken
Please forgive the rushed phone pics as I was like a whirling dervish trying to time everything and remembering to take pics with each step.
Here are the heating instructions. Note there are none for a microwave so I have to assume it would not be a good idea to attempt that for quality's sake.
While the chicken was baking, I did what it said and filled the pot I was going to use to cook the sauce out of packet with hot tap water. *I DID NOT turn on the burner!* Just to be clear. :-)
When it was all thawed, I emptied the packets into the pot and turned it on low to simmer.
When the chicken was done, I dumped it in with the sauce and mangoes.
I gave it a toss and added a little cut scallions because I needed some color.
Now this is where you would dump it over rice or riced cauliflower, etc but I had other plans. I crammed as much as would fit in my little food thermos. (affiliate link) I think it's 16 oz.
I had ice cream pint containers that I thought would be perfect for bowls and wrapped foil around the outside to help retain heat after it was hot. (Pictured is the TJ's Rice Medley in the frozen section of brown rice, red rice and barley)
I heated up those hot packs for casserole carriers in the microwave, put them in the expandable casserole carrier and crossed my fingers everything would still be hot when we were ready for it.
My aunt doesn't like Chinese food so I made her a healthy wrap with some tri color quinoa (she probably hid recoiling in horror when I said quinoa...LOL), melted gruyere and BBQ chicken in a low carb wrap. I wrapped it in foil as well and threw it in with our stuff.
Three hours after it had all been made (maybe slightly longer?), I unwrapped our stuff hoping for the best and that shizz had steam coming off of it!! I was ecstatic!
The verdict? It's definitely best served immediately after being heated in the oven if you want that crispy texture of the chicken. After steaming for 3 hours, the sauce all soaked in the breading but honestly, we didn't mind that because it was like having Chinese leftovers. Neither of us thought it was remotely spicy so don't let the word chili scare you. I thought at first the sauce tasted a little weird on it's own but when mixed with the chicken, it was really good. It paired perfect with their rice medley too but would be equally good with their riced cauliflower if you want to saute it with some frozen peas or something like that.
I forgot to take a pic of the nutritional info but here it is:
Nutritional Info per serving (about 4 servings per bag): Calories 250 per serving Fat 9g Sat fat 2g Chol 85mg Sodium 220mg Carbs 27g Fiber 4g Protein 16g Vitamin A 8% Vitamin C 40% Iron 4%
*This post contains affiliate links.
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5 comments:
It was really great, and even better right after a good paddle! I was amazed at how hot it stayed and even the rice was perfect. You're right that the only thing keeping it hot that long did was soften the breading but that was actually good too in my book! I would definitely get it again.ReplyDelete
That looks delicious and really good nutritional information. I didn't see the sugar content. Do you know what is was? Thanks!ReplyDeleteReplies
After a little internet snoopin', looks like its 20g.Delete
That looks really good. A TJ's opened really close to my parents' house recently. Mom and I checked it out last time I was up there. I picked up that black bean pasta last time, but I haven't done anything with it yet. Next time I go up there I'm going to take a cooler and some freezy packs so I can bring back some of their frozen stuff.ReplyDeleteReplies
We do that if we're going to a specialty grocery or a store not near us. Makes grocery shopping feel oddly more satisfying! LOLDelete
Thanks for taking the time to comment! I appreciate thoughtful readers like you! If your comment doesn't show up right away, check back in a few minutes. I promise it'll get posted. The system can get a little glitchy. (Rude or spammy comments will be deleted. Fair warning.)

subset: commoncrawl


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This month the Free Make & Take will be hosted by the lovely Stephanie Pouliot, one of our uber talented designers AT the Scrapbox. I hope you will give yourself the opportunity to try something new - all it will take is a wee bit of your time (really - myabe 15 mins!)
So this is how it works...ANYTIME between 5pm and 8pm you can drop in to do the Make & Take. You don't have to sign up, you don't have to be here exactly at 5pm, just come when you can in the evening.
Did I mention that it was Free? Yuppers! Don't have to bring any tools with you. Just bring your open creative mind!
Turn this plain kraft shopping back into a chic Gift Bag that will have people asking where you got such an amazing thing! Very simple, easy steps and all in the cool AC comfort of the Scrapbox Studio!
We will be using Adirondack Pigment Inks, Tim Holtz Distress Stains and Ranger Perfect Pearls Mists...I am sure you have heard of them, now come and play with them! Love them!
Come Play!
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Art Journal V. 1
A few months ago I joined an Art Journal exchange. Seven talented ladies created and passed on, created and passed on each others journals and not seeing more than a hint of their own for months! Well, I finally got mine back last Friday night and I was wowed by the talent I saw! I was also quite pleased with how well my own contributions were received, so I thought I would toss them up here. It's been over 6 months since I resolved to 'Play' this year, and this has been an important part of that.
Hope you have a great day! I just sent out the newsletter too so you should be seeing that in your inbox!
Hope you have a great day! I just sent out the newsletter too so you should be seeing that in your inbox!
Posted by Jenn Langlois at 1:23 PM 2 comments:
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If you are mountain biker, joining the International Mountain Biking Association can benefit both you and the recreational activity you have come to value. You will not only have the advantage of belonging to worldwide association of people who share your interest, but you will have the chance to contribute to the growth and enhancement of mountain biking as a form of recreation, too. Your membership will help ensure that trails around the world will be protected and maintained so that mountain biking experiences are available and enjoyable for those who seek them.
Members also receive various perks, including discounts on new car purchases, health care plans, accident insurance, bikes and biking gear. While all members receive a subscription to the IMBA's newsletter, "Trail News," those who sign up online may also opt to receive "Mountain Bike" and "Bicycling" magazines [source: IMBA].
You'll have opportunities to participate in more practical ways, as well. For instance, you'll have the chance to do volunteer trailwork through the Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crews, and you may learn how to build new trails through the IMBA's Trailbuilding Schools. You might even want to join the National Mountain Bike Patrol, which helps to assist and educate trail users and land managers across North America [source: National Trails Training Partnership].
If you are a bicycle dealer, there are additional benefits to joining the IMBA. Your membership fee, in a way, may assist in keeping the market for mountain bikes alive and kicking. After all, your business can only benefit from mountain biking continuing to grow as an enjoyable form of recreation. Your membership may help keep you in tune with cycling events going on in your area, too. The IMBA also has an interactive map of all member retailers on its Web site, which could add to your exposure in the marketplace [source: IMBA].
Additionally, the IMBA has partnered with various local organizations that you may also be interested in joining, depending on your whereabouts. The Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association (SORBA), for example, is the largest nonprofit mountain biking association found in the Southeast. Its goal is similar to that of the IMBA -- to promote mountain biking through trail access, preservation and development [source: SORBA].
For more information about the IMBA and other cycling-related topics, visit the links on the next page.


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Tuesday, December 15, 2015
Wrapping Up the Gifts...and 2015
Sorry it's been soooooo long since I have posted. It's been a long, what, 6 months since I have last popped my head onto my site? It's almost embarrassing. Yowza.
The past 6 months have been a crazy ride. I'm planning on telling you all about it here as frequently as I can, but please be patient with me- remember, I still haven't sprouted thumbs yet...the space bar is tough, so it takes me a long time to type! ;-)
I'll leave you a picture of me chilling in my doggie pool from this summer- boy do we miss that! No snow in Minne"snow"ta yet, and I'm getting the Golden blues because I loooove the snow.
Do you love snow? If you do, please oh please do a little snow dance so we can get a few flakes tonight- rather than rain!
8 comments:
We are liking the cold for now because our summer just wouldn't endReplyDelete
Lily & EdwardReplies
We're hoping for snow here! You'd think as far North as we are (MN), we'd have a little bit. The weather just won't cooperate! :( We'll take any snow if you don't want yours! ;-)Delete
HEY SADIE.... We are THRILLED to see you... MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR...ReplyDelete
OH... NOPE... we do NOT like Snow... not one little bit... you can have any we Do get...Replies
We'll take all the snow you don't want! When I was a wee pup, I learned how to go potty outside during a -20F cold snap! (Mom didn't like that part, but the snow, now, she doesn't mind!) Have a wonderful holiday season! :)Delete
I miss my pool too!ReplyDeleteReplies
We found a local pet hotel that has a heated indoor pool that can be rented out- we go there semi-frequently when it gets super cold. Maybe you can come sometime! ;-)Delete
Hari OMReplyDelete
G'day Sadie !!!!!!!! I am sure that you must have been very busy with your peeps and getting into all sorts of things... looking forward to reading what you have been up to... meanwhile, have a super holiday season. Blessings, hugs and wags, YAM-aunty xxxReplies
Hey, how ironic! I got into some Christmas presents today- the humans were NOT amused! Trust me, I've got lots of other news to share- I'll have to get my paws on the keyboard a lot to catch you all up! :)Delete
Thanks for stopping by! You're "paw"some. I do my best to respond to my "fan mail" within 24 hours of it being received, but please be patient- my paws are pretty clumsy at the keyboard! :)


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However my day was brightened when I got home from work and found a package waiting for me. This contained my order from the Colony 87 kickstarter courtesy of Jon over at Magpie and Old Lead.
Further day brightening occurred when I noticed that I was one of the lucky recipients of the Gargouille bonus figure.
|Photo from the kickstarter page
Hopefully soon I will have something physical to show.
Till next time.
Cap'n Smyrk


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Those of you who read me regularly (a shocking thought, I know) know full and well my view concerning the administrative wastefulness in maintaining a Navy-based Marine Corps and a separate Air Force. These views are well-researched, are based upon a study actually conducted by an Air Force Major, and are, undebatably, fact.
Sure, that the concept would ultimately benefit our military's effectiveness is highly opinionated, but that the concept would cheapen the cost of our military and lessen the burden on taxpayers (and allow for a larger military) is, once again, undebatably fact.
I receive a lot of feedback from a lot of people, many of them current and former servicemembers, concerning my highly controversial views. I can honestly say that none of their counterarguments hold any physical, fiscal, or operational weight. While that may sound a bit arrogant on my part, and probably a bit ignorant, it is true. Every counterargument I hear or read boils down to one thing: tradition.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, tradition is a wonderful thing to have (especially in the military) and we should do everything in our power to preserve it, but it should never, ever, get in the way of our adaptability. Ironically, the military seems to agree with most of my points and principles, except they hide my proposals by creating even more-bureaucratic "joint commands" instead of eliminated the fluff that requires the creation of such commands.
Going back to feedback, as I was in the Army for a total of nine years, I am often (if not always) accused of approaching my proposed military restructuring from an Army-centric perspective. I am writing this to show that this is not the case.
When I began my research, it was to support a spinning-off of the Airborne into its own branch of the military. An "Airborne Corps" of the Army, much in the same way the Marine Corps is of the Navy. A self-sufficient fighting force that is only related to its parent unit by way of funding and a shared medium.
My original proposal called for an Airborne Corps with its own close air support assets (like the Marine Corps has) and its own airlift (Army paratroopers currently rely on the Air Force for well over 90% of their jumps). In addition, it would have its own armor assets and logistics structure.
Now, this looked all fine and dandy on paper, and in a fictional short-story or two, but once I got into the budgetary portion of my research, it became clear that such a concept would be entirely cost-prohibitive. It became clear so quickly, that I didn't even bother to continue my research.
So, being a paratrooper and all, I decided to look into the feasibility of an Air Force-run Airborne Corps. After all, why not? Two options quickly set themselves apart from all of the other Air Force-Airborne options: 1) The Air Force would have to build its own infantry administration and operation systems, or 2) the Air Force would simply rely on the Army to train its paratroopers, and then feed them into the Air Force chain-of-command.
The first point would have been, quite obviously, too expensive (seems to be a pattern, doesn't it?) The second would have been, just as obviously, quite redundant.
And then it all came together. A Navy-Marine Corps is redundant, and a separate Air Force hobbles the Army's need for its own air superiority, airlift, and close air support. And, sorry, there's no way you can argue that, save for "tradition" (a point, by the way, which only weakly applies to the Air Force).
Which led to my current line of research, which only convinces me more and more every day that the Marine Corps should realign under the Department of the Army, and Air Force assets should be absorbed by the Army and the Navy.
My point? I started on this route in the exact opposite direction that I am almost always accused of taking. Army-centric? No, not by a long shot.
Airborne-centric? Oh, Hell yeah.
Want to read more? Check here:


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Biggest installation of cables NZ has ever seen
Press Release – Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand
IPENZ commends the Government's broadband investment initiative – however considerable attention will need to be given to the logistics of installing the huge lengths of cable required to deliver the new high speed broadband. "More than 25,000 km of …
31st March 2009
Engineers – new broadband biggest installation of cables NZ has ever seen
IPENZ commends the Government's broadband investment initiative – however considerable attention will need to be given to the logistics of installing the huge lengths of cable required to deliver the new high speed broadband.
"More than 25,000 km of cable – that compares to the total roading length of 100,000 km will be required to install the broadband and this raises the issue of how this fibre cable will be installed," says Tim Davin, Director of Policy for the Institution of Professional Engineers of New Zealand (IPENZ). "Installing new cables overhead has been very controversial in the past, trenchless technology using self-directing drills are suitable for only some types of soils like Auckland or Christchurch, but not for cities like Wellington. Conventional trenching is the tried and true method for the installation of underground services but can be extremely costly," says Mr Davin.
"What the installers of services often don't realise is the importance of the integrity of the road pavement, the need to replace roading materials, to compact and seal it. Their focus is on their telecommunications service and they don't appreciate the damage they are doing to our roads and foot paths," he says. "Hence there can be hidden costs or unanticipated consequences."
"There have been some recent best practice initiatives – the Broadband Protocol between Local Government NZ and the Telecommunications Carriers Forum, and the National Code of Practice for Utilities Access to Transport Corridors. These set out frameworks for promoting co-operation between telecommunication companies and councils, and provide a good basis for the new initiative. But let's not underestimate the challenges that this large installation poses."
"The draft proposal indicates that with the aim of reducing the cost of the network, legislation may be needed on installation. This is a very fraught area. If this meant enabling widespread use of overhead reticulation – particularly where there is none now, this would upset many communities."
"Whilst IPENZ is very supportive of the benefits of broadband to contribute to improved economic performance, productivity and for education and health services, let's not underestimate the challenges posed by such a large scale installation of cable."
Content Sourced from scoop.co.nz
Original url


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The suspect in a Metro Vancouver manhunt has died in hospital after being shot in a standoff with police in Maple Ridge.
The deceased man was sought by police in one non-fatal shooting on Tuesday and the recent double homicide at a Metro Vancouver-area sushi restaurant.
RCMP confirmed that Angus David Mitchell, 26, was spotted by police on Wednesday at about 10 a.m. around 132 Avenue and 216 Street and was shot shortly afterwards.
Several eyewitnesses reported hearing multiple shots fired in the area. Shortly afterwards, Mitchell was airlifted by helicopter to hospital and said to be in critical condition.
Around 1:45 p.m., police confirmed Mitchell had died in hospital.
The scene of the shooting was blocked off by police about an hour after Burnaby RCMP issued an urgent warning earlier Wednesday morning.
The Vancouver Police Department said in a release Wednesday afternoon that it had agreed to a request by the RCMP to investigate the shooting.
Around 9 a.m., police had issued a warning that they were searching for an armed and dangerous suspect. Police said Mitchell was armed with a high-powered rifle with a scope and living out of his 1994 green Ford Aerostar Van with B.C. licence 591 PTG.
Police described the former security guard as emotionally unstable, five feet four inches tall and weighing 121 pounds.
Mitchell obtained legal possession of a Mossberg Maverick rifle in B.C. within the last six months, leading police to believe he was armed and extremely dangerous.
They said he had no criminal record, but police had been involved with him previously in incidents linked to his employment.
Wanted for recent double homicide
Police said Mitchell was a person of interest in the May 27 double homicide inside a sushi restaurant on Royal Oak in Burnaby. No motive for the homicides has been established.
Mitchell was also wanted in connection with the shooting of a 51-year-old Burnaby man on Tuesday in front of his former home in the 4400 block of Gilpin Crescent in Burnaby, police say.
The victim, a former landlord of Mitchell's, survived the shooting but is in hospital in serious condition, say police. Mitchell was evicted from the home about six months ago.
Also on HuffPost


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Bill Ackman, the largest JCPenney investor, with about 18 percent, can start selling his stock in November, according to a filing yesterday.
The accord was part of Ackman's departure from the board after a battle over the direction of the company, including how quickly to replace interim chief Mike Ullman.
JCPenney shares fell 3.1 percent, to $13.40, at the close in New York yesterday.


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The creator of MacGyver challenges you to make your way back to shore after falling asleep in a kayak and awaking to rough seas.
The post The MakeShift Challenge: Against the Wind appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.
from Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers http://ift.tt/2sDDGzY
via IFTTT


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My husband celebrated his 29th birthday last Friday. Because the 29th is a bit of a milestone, the kids and I took a cake and some balloons into his work to share with his office coworkers. Waiting for him to return, one of his newer team members that hadn't met me before asked: "Are you the wife?"
My reply was quick and convincing. "Nope, I'm the girlfriend" I said. "Please don't tell his wife" I continued; "Everyone else in town knows but I'm told she's not a hair too bright!" Those within earshot burst into laughter.
After our delicious cake celebration was over, we scooped him up and headed home for the second part of his celebration. You see, when I asked him what he wanted for his birthday his request was a simple one. He wanted his boys to make him dinner. So, with a 7pm reservation, we headed to 155 in downtown Bracebridge.
|(l-r) Jukebox, Birthday Boy, Goob & Sweetie.
TAKEN: JULY 17th, 2015
CLICK HERE TO VISIT 155's WEBSITE
If you've never eaten there, GO (and I'm not just saying that because I'm their Mom)!!
Goob has been with Chef Michael Ricard since returning to Muskoka from the GTA after his post George Brown stint at Actinolite.
This time last year, Jukebox was honing his mad skills in kitchen at the Griffin Pub, and made the formal move to work with Goob about a month ago. I'm glad they're together. They have always been close as siblings, so this naturally works for them. Anyway, after our beautifully presented and very rub-a-tummy-yummy meal had been consumed, the boys came out of the kitchen to hug their dad and wish him a happy birthday. Of course as a proud mama bear I had to capture the moment.
You see, even though we all live in the same sleepy little town, there are still logistical challenges to all of us getting together. So when we do, my camera is never far away. They raz my intentions innocently but they know capturing moments like this very special one is something I have always done.
Look at my crew, just look at them. Am I lucky or what? Maybe luck is the wrong word. I think I'll recant and go with blessed. Yes, I definitely feel blessed,
Afterall, I married my best friend who just happens to be an Africa HOT 29 year old!!


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I recently moved to Melborgs.
Have been on a bit of hiatus from art for the last few months while getting reestablished.
But I am getting back into some projects now.
Highlights have been when Last Chance homies Sean Morris and Martin E Wills came to town. Martin did some paintings at Mistys Bar and Sean had a solo at House of Bricks.


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Our Miss Duchess is soooooo pleased, she just going round and round in figure 8's and purrrrrrrrrin her head off, she soooooo happy!
There is also a pretty picture of Prancer Pie and Athena too :-) Where oh where??? Here! At Zoolatry's post for today!
We so excited! We gots sooooo excited we posted under Mumsy's login, our login! We just went crazy!
Please, please go see their site, its here:
And just looks at ALL their stuff, AND the post with Miss Duchess, Prancer Pie and Athena - 'cos Zoolatry gots all sorta neat stuff alls over the place there.
Now, everybody go has a happy today!


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Orthodox Jews will often burn the leftovers of non-kosher foods as the holiday approaches and will go to great lengths to ensure all evidence of leavened bread is removed from the property. For the more secular, Passover is the ideal time to begin a spring cleaning regimen that will often include the donation of old clothing to various charities and vigorous housekeeping.
The annual holiday meal at Passover is also called a Seder, which literally means "order" in Hebrew. The Seder involves the retelling of the liberation of the Israelites from slavery in Ancient Egypt, often told by an elder in the community or within the family. Traditionally, family and friends will gather in the evening to read the text of the Haggadah, a spiritual work that contains the story of the exodus of the Jews from
Ronnie Elgavish, an architect, designer and writer working in
The complete holiday spiel might take around 3-4 hours of reading the book, singing about 5 traditional songs, drinking a few glasses of sweet, red wine – in sync with various phases of the storyline, enjoying the meal – and exchanging gifts. Since bread is traditionally forbidden during the 10 days of Passover, Matza bread is eaten instead – in commemoration of the quickly cooked dough made during exodus. As part of the Ritual, the Matza bread (usually shaped Orthogonal or Circular with tiny holes) is revealed for the first time- on top of the Seder table; and since Passover is a holiday with a very specific type of Kosher-ness, many families hold a separate set of dinnerware for this holiday only.
Because of the emphasis placed on fine dinnerware, Ronnie says that houseware stores in
Sales are increased in ridiculous percents as shoppers are not only looking for a nice display as entertainers – but for giving away gifts as well. New collections of all brands and designers, local and international - are therefore presented everywhere – from mid February onwards.
The Seder table is traditionally set in a formal manner, and family members come to the table dressed in their holiday clothes. For the first half of the Seder, each participant will only need a plate and a wine glass.
At the head of the table is a Seder Plate containing various symbolic foods that will be eaten or pointed out during the course of the Seder. Placed nearby is a plate with three matzot and dishes of salt water for dipping.
The six items on the Seder plate, include:
- Maror and Chazeret: Two types of bitter herbs, symbolizing the bitterness and harshness of the slavery which the Jews endured in Ancient Egypt. For maror, many people use freshly grated horseradish or whole horseradish root. Chazeret is typically romaine lettuce, whose roots are bitter-tasting. Either the horseradish or romaine lettuce may be eaten in fulfillment of the mitzvah of eating bitter herbs during the Seder.
- Charoset: A sweet, brown, pebbly paste of fruits and nuts, representing the mortar used by the Jewish slaves to build the storehouses of
. Egypt
- Karpas: A vegetable other than bitter herbs, usually parsley but sometimes something such as celery or cooked potato, which is dipped into salt water, vinegar, or charoset at the beginning of the Seder.
- Zeroa: A roasted lamb bone, symbolizing the Pesach sacrifice, which was a lamb offered in the
Templein and was then roasted and eaten as part of the meal on Seder night. Jerusalem
- Beitzah: A roasted egg, symbolizing the korban chagigah festival sacrifice that was offered in the
Templein and was then eaten as part of the meal on Seder night. Jerusalem
For a lovely description of a traditional Passover menu, including recipes, visit epicurious.com.
Chag Semeach! (Happy


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"Heart & dagger" Tattoo Design
Back to What the Heart with Dagger Tattoo Means
heart and dagger tattoo
A tattoo with a dagger through a heart
Click Photo To See Tattoo Art on BME
fanink38 heart-bird-dagger-tatoo-m
Bring it to Your Favorite Tattoo Artist! "Heart & dagger" Tattoo Design
SILVER PEWTER FLAMING HEART w DAGGER TATTOO NECKLACE
Hearts Tattoo Ideas
So it should come as no surprise that this Heart & Dagger necklace from
The designs are tattoo inspired and should be a real success.
Other religious heart tattoos may feature crosses, angel wings, rosary beads
Heart with Dagger Tattoo Design Heart with Dagger Tattoo Flash
Heart Tattoo
Ink & Dagger Artists' Gallery / Russ Abbott / owl_heart
Tattoo Artist Vintage Style Shirt Winged Heart Dagger Tattoo Shirt XL
heart dagger tattoo
Tattoo Artist Vintage Style Shirt Winged Heart Dagger Tattoo Shirt XL
Old School traditional style heart and dagger knife tattoo
Saturday, February 26, 2011
heart and dagger tattoo
Posted by gorokayam at 8:51 PM
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Diez y Seis de Septiembre or the 16th of September celebrates Mexico's independence from Spain.
In the early hours of September 16,1810, Father Miguel Hidalgo, accompanied by several others, rang the bell of his little church in Guanajuato, and gave the cry—El Grito de Dolores! ("Mexicanos, Viva Mexico!"). A call to fight for liberty. This was the beginning of the Independence War, which lasted 10 years.
Viva Mexico!


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Synopsis (Goodreads):
WHO'D BEEN SLEEPING IN KASON RHODES'S BED? The left fielder for the Richmond Rogues had returned from six weeks of spring training in Florida to find someone had moved into his mobile home. That person was presently in his shower. And no matter how sexy the squatter might be, Kason wanted her out.My Thoughts: I went into this book looking for something light and fun. I am pleased to say that I was given exactly that. Although I'm not a huge fan of either contemporary romance or story lines involving sports, I liked Kason's surly attitude and his no holds barred approach to doing what he loved. Plus, his teammates were a freaking hoot!
He had his trusty dobie, Cimarron; he didn't need anyone else in his life. Not even a stubborn tomboy who roused all kinds of wild reactions in him, then soothed his soul with peace offerings of home-cooked meals and kindness. The bad boy of baseball was ready to play hardball if need be, but with Dayne Sheridan firmly planted between his sheets, he found himself. . .SLIDING HOME
So... Kason. Crappy childhood, pretty darn antisocial, totally focused on getting what he wants. Dayne's unexpected appearance in his house throws him for a loop. As much as he wants to get rid of her, he keeps stalling and finding ways to extend her stay. And, man, does he love her butterscotch pudding. That's not a euphemism. He loves butterscotch pudding. She makes it for him.
Speaking of Dayne, part of me liked that she was so determined to stay in Kason's "abandoned" mobile home and part of me kept shaking my head in disbelief. In the end, her stubbornness put her in the path of what she needed but it took a while for me to warm up to that part of her.
I really liked all of Kason's teammates. I liked Rhaden and Revelle's romance (especially their interlude with the poison ivy) and Psycho and Kason's animosity. It was fun watching all the interactions and the sly digs as the Rogues worked to come together as a team after some mid-season replacements.
All in all, it was fun. Even if it was a contemporary, sports-driven romance without a whiff of the paranormal. *thumbs up*
Books in this series
1. Squeeze Play
2. Curveball
3. Strike Zone
4. Sliding Home - Kindle
5. Sweet Spot
Author Links
| Website | Facebook | Amazon |


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Why does Google let this crap happen?
According to 9to5Google, who apparently got confirmation from a Google spokesperson, Verizon gets to handle major system updates (aka the big ones) for the Pixel and Pixel XL that it sells. Google, on the other hand, will continue to push out monthly security updates to them, while also handling major system updates for the unlocked models.
Here is the statement they received:
'Monthly security updates will come from Google (for all models), and system updates will be managed by Verizon for Verizon models, and Google for unlocked models bought from Google Store.
We don't know if that means ridiculously slow updates for Pixel phones sold by Verizon, but history tells us to expect just that. So, folks, if you want the fastest updates, we would suggest that going with the unlocked version that Google sells through the Google Store is going to be your best bet. After all, the unlocked version works on Verizon and is available with financing if that's how you need to buy it.


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In regards to the title of this blog, no, there is no humorous backstory or anecdote to its origin. It's just something I thought up in a wisp of inspiration (i.e.--while I was trying to think up a name for the blog). Plus, I like the sound of it. It's ambiguous, vague... open to interpretation. Like art. But isn't that what writing should be? I think so. It's more than a way to communicate. While it is a useful vessel for communication, it very much has the characteristics of a piece of tangible artwork. One can solicit an emotional response with the things (s)he writes, create pictures in the mind, imagery, provoke memories, hopes, and dreams, engage the senses, make the reader feel, be it nostalgia, sadness, anger, joy. I consider writing an outlet for imagination, an escape, but overall, a delightful God-given gift that makes living that much more bearable--albeit at times extremely UNbearable.
So, a little about me: I love murder mysteries, nostalgia, laughter, over-using dashes and ellipses in sentences, history, whimsy, world travel, languages, music, Tom Keifer, vintage fashion, photography, fashion design, antiques, shopping, Ulta, 80s hair bands, paranormal studies, tofu, steampunk, Talking Heads, anti-conformity, poetry, cake, The Chronicles of Narnia, dreams, John Taylor, writing, reading, escapism, etymology, eccentricity, obscurity--the list goes on, but I'll stop there. So on this blog, I will post anything related to the above or anything else I find remotely inspiring or interesting. I want to use it as a place to share my ideas and babblings, quote other people's ideas and babblings, and organize my thoughts--really just simmer my ideas and inspirations in one place. Maybe I can even inspire others with something I have to say.
Furthermore, I need to practice verbalizing my thoughts and, well... just practice talking/writing in general, to better my social skills and my writing. I probably don't speak enough--I never really have, being the youngest of four kids in my family. And I'm sure my innate antisocial introversion plays a role in my reticence as well. So--here's to building confidence via sitting alone at a computer posting to a blog! Cheers!


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Ah, Autumn – season of mists and mellow fruitfulness and all that.
I love this time of year.
One of my favourite Autumnal activities is picking blackberries.
I always did this as a child with my family and it reminds me of those happy, carefree days when all you had to worry about was going back to school after the long summer holiday and what your new teacher(s) would be like.
As I was picking this year's crop, battling with the briars and nettles, I was musing that picking blackberries is a bit like an analogy for life when you think about it.
The best fruit always seems to be on the highest briars, just out of reach.
To get them, you really have to put in a lot of effort.
Sometimes you stumble and injure yourself in the process, but if you persevere it's usually worth it in the end.
You have to check your fruit though, because even if it looks good on the outside sometimes the one you've selected has a grub hiding in it.
Also, occasionally no matter how hard you try, you just can't get reach the one you want. That's when you need to know it's time to give up.
As a great philosopher once said (I think it was Kenny Rogers in 'The Gambler'), you got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, know when to walk away, know when to run.
Or, if you prefer, there's the Serenity prayer – God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.
Both of which I think are good pieces of advice for life from very different sources.
So, to summarize from my ramblings above, always try your best, learn what is attainable, find out what it isn't, don't judge by appearances, know when to give up and walk away to enjoy the fruits of your labours (or perhaps run if a pesky wasp is chasing you!)


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Hunted. That's what he was. Hunted like a fox. And just like a fox, he'd been forced to . . . run.Oliver Townsende skidded across the perfectly polished marble floor in the foyer of Lord Medford's country house. He rounded the imposing column at the edge of the space and took off down the nearest corridor. Behind him, the slapping of slippers against the parquet floor indicated that his flight was not in vain. He was, indeed, still being chased.He glanced to his right. By Jove, was that a cat hurrying alongside him? He resisted the urge to rub his eyes. He looked again. Yes. There was indeed a furry feline romping to his right. Medford owned a cat? And more importantly, who was the cat hoping to avoid? Surely not the same young lady?Oliver smiled to himself as he continued his flight. Why exactly had he agreed to attend Medford's Christmastide house party? Yes, he'd become friendly with Lord Perfect and his wife Kate in the last year since Kate had been acquitted of his cousin's murder. Oliver had inherited the dukedom, but he knew better than anyone how hunted he was in Society. He was an eligible young duke, for heaven's sake. Of course Medford's house party would be filled with young, eligible ladies with their hearts set upon becoming a duchess. Hence, the running.Oliver and the cat rounded the bend in the hall, the slap of Lady Selina Kinsey's slippers still echoing somewhere behind them. She was gaining on him. He could hear it in the steady increase of the slaps. If he didn't know any better, he'd think the earl's daughter had picked up her skirts to run after him full tilt. This particular young woman had somehow caught him under a bough of mistletoe. She'd not so subtly demanded a kiss just before Oliver had unceremoniously ripped the offending plant from the doorframe upon which it hung. Mumbling something about how he was quite certain Lady Medford had been looking for this particular bough, he'd taken off as quickly as his legs would carry him. Only to realize soon after that Lady Selina was not one to give up easily.There was nothing left for it. He must find a way to gracefully leave this party. Lady Selina was only one of several young women who refused to take no for an answer. And their mamas? Those formidable matrons were even worse.Oliver nearly slid past the next corner before he noticed the cat had stopped running and was sitting next to a small door inlaid in the wall, licking its paw as if it hadn't a care in the world. The glint of a brass door handle caught Oliver's eye. He examined the door. The silver closet! An excellent place to escape. Lady Selina would never think a duke would hide inside a silver closet. Please don't let it be locked.He wrenched open the door with his unoccupied hand. Ah. Unlocked. Such luck. No doubt Medford's servants were too perfect to even consider stealing from the butler. Oliver skated inside the closet. The cat promptly followed him, twitching its tail proudly. Oliver shut the portal behind him, leaned against the solid wood with his empty palm (the other still clutching the mistletoe bough), and willed his breathing back to rights.It was dark in the closet and a bit stuffy. It smelled like silver polish and the tang of metal. Not a bit of dust, however. Of course Lord Perfect wouldn't stand for a dusty silver closet."You'd best not meow and give me away, cat," he warned in a whisper. The cat, wherever he was, remained silent.Oliver waited, holding his breath. The slap of slippers drew near, paused for a bit in the corridor outside, and then continued their slap-slap-slap, completely passing him by.He expelled his breath. Excellent. He'd done it. Evaded Lady Selina. For now.But it was only wise to wait a few more moments. Lady S was not one to be underestimated. She might swing back around and surprise him. No. He'd linger in the silver closet until he was absolutely certain he was entirely out of danger.A small feminine cough behind him made Oliver's spine snap to attention. That was no cat. He spun on his heel. Was it possible that Lady Selina had somehow tricked him? Made her way into the silver closet through some other entrance? Or was this another potential future duchess? One who was perhaps a bit more clever than the Kinsey chit.In the next moment, a candle burst to light not two paces away. It illuminated a lovely female face. Dark hair and bright green eyes that blinked at him. A lady too, from what he could see of her clothing. He hadn't just stumbled upon the work of a maid assigned to the silver closet. He peered at her, studying her features. No. He hadn't met this particular young lady since he'd arrived at the party this morning. He was certain of it. He would have remembered her.But he didn't have long to contemplate the matter."Let me guess," the beauty said, one dark eyebrow arched in the shadows. "Lady Selina?"Oliver eyed the unknown woman carefully and then slowly nodded. He wasn't certain yet if she was friend or foe. For all he knew, this young woman was Lady Selina's cohort, there to flush him out so Lady S could find her prey once again."How did you know?" he asked.The lovely brunette placed the candle on the sideboard next to her and slid easily off the cabinet upon which she'd been perched. She straightened her light green skirts with both hands and gave him a saucy smile. "I could tell by the whiff of desperation in the air."Now that made Oliver laugh. When was the last time that had happened? Especially with a female anywhere near marriageable age. Young, beautiful women never made him laugh. They made him run."That pungent was it?" he asked, returning her infectious smile."I'm afraid so. I'm quite familiar with it unfortunately." She had the barest hint of an accent he couldn't quite place.Oliver cocked a brow. What did that mean? "Familiar how?" He couldn't help himself. He had to ask.She laughed, and the sound ran over his skin like a brisk spring breeze. He felt it in his chest. Oliver shook his head. When had he ever been affected by a lady's laugh?"Why do you think I'm hiding in this silver closet?" She winked at him.He furrowed his brow. First of all, she was adorable when she winked and secondly, now that she mentioned it, it did seem odd, her hiding in the silver closet too. He wasn't about to be an arrogant boor and accuse her of waiting in here in hopes of running into him eventually. What was this pretty young lady doing in the silver closet?"Why are you hiding?" he asked, curiosity riding him hard."For the same reason you are, I suspect," she answered, stepping past him to press her ear to the door. Her movement afforded Oliver a whiff of her perfume. Just a hint of the sweet scent of lilacs. Normally, he found women's perfume cloying, but this teased his senses.He arched a brow. "You're hiding from Lady Selina as well?"She turned back to face him, a smile on her lips. "No, not Lady Selina."The cat, who had heretofore remained still, chose that particular moment to leap up to the cabinet and present his overly fluffy tail to Oliver."Is this your cat?" the young woman asked, rubbing the cat on its head."No. I'm not particularly fond of cats to be honest. I have no idea where this one came from. He must belong to Medford."The young lady picked up the cat and examined him. "Er, shemust belong to Medford," she corrected. "And it's funny. Kate never mentioned a cat to me.""This cat and I found ourselves running together and when it came time to hide, I wasn't about to shut her out." He grinned at the young lady. "But you never answered my question. Whom were you hiding from?" Perhaps her mother was overly solicitous. God knew most mothers were.She deposited the cat back upon the cabinet and rubbed its head again. The feline shamelessly purred. "Lord Esterbrooke," the young lady replied simply, counting off on her fingers. "Lord Dashford. Lord Meriwether. Oh, and Sir Gilliam."Oliver blinked. Esterbrooke, Dashford, Meriwether, and Gilliam? All decent blokes, to the one, well, except for Gilliam; he was a bore. But they were all also exceedingly eligible and exceedingly titled. Did this young lady mean to imply that she was being courted by these men and meant to avoid them? Whatever for?He narrowed his eyes on her. He didn't recognize her, and he'd been introduced to every single eligible young woman in London. Was it possible this young lady had been hiding in Oxfordshire this entire time? He needed to come out to the country more often.The beauty sighed and crossed her arms over her chest, offering, "You see, my cousin Lady Medford invited me to this party. She told my mama there would be eligible young men here. And she's correct. The problem is that I am uninterested in them."Well, that was a first. He'd never met a young woman who was uninterested in securing a good match. In fact, he only met young women who were interested in securing a good match. Oliver blinked at her. "You don't wish to marry, Miss . . .?""Blake, Cerian Blake."Cerian. What an intriguing name. He'd never heard anything like it."Not particularly, Mr. . . .?""Townsende, Oliver Townsende." Oliver couldn't help himself. He couldn't bear to introduce himself to this young lady as the Duke of Markingham. She proclaimed to be uninterested in titles but what if she was bluffing? He couldn't stand to see her eyes light up at the mention of the title. Everyone in town knew he was a newly minted duke and an eligible one to boot. Yes, she might recognize the name but he wasn't about to piece it together for her."What about you, Mr. Townsende?" she asked, the hint of a smile playing around her soft pink lips. "Do you have an objection to all young ladies or is it just Lady Selina you seek to avoid?"He smiled at that. She was funny, this Miss Blake."I'm a bit…popular at the moment," he allowed. "Sounds as if you are, as well."The edge of her mouth quirked up. "If you're so popular, why are you carrying around your own mistletoe bough? Doesn't seem prudent for someone who proclaims to want to be left alone."Oliver looked at her twice. He nearly opened his mouth to respond when he realized she was teasing him. Good thing, that. He couldn't very well tell her the tale of how he'd snatched the bough from the ceiling and ran. Too idiotic."It's a long story." He cleared his throat, suddenly wishing he could use the bough of mistletoe with her."The best stories always are," she said with another beautiful sigh. She scooped up the cat and set her on the floor before pressing an ear against the door again. Oliver had to concentrate on not looking at the lady's enticing backside poking toward him. He shifted uncomfortably on his feet and glanced away. The cat twined herself around his ankles, purring contentedly. That's all he needed, this cat to trip him. Leave him in a prone position for Lady Selina to pounce."It sounds as though we're safe," the lady offered. "I think we may be able to leave now."An unexpected surge of disappointment rose in Oliver's chest. "You think?""Yes. Yes, I'm certain of it."Oliver rocked back and forth on his heels, rolling the bough of mistletoe between his fingers. What exactly did one say to a gorgeous young woman to whom one had not been formally introduced yet with whom one had spent several minutes conversing while mutually hiding in a silver closet? Good day? Nice to have (sort of) met you? See you next time we're hiding from people?Miss Blake didn't give him long to contemplate the matter. She whisked open the door, blowing out the candle as a result, and stuck her head into the corridor. She looked both ways. "All clear," she announced before turning back to him momentarily. The cat made its way toward the open door as well."Excellent," he said, not understanding the tug of disappointment in his middle at the prospect of the young lady leaving."Let's agree to pretend we've not met before, Mr. Townsende." She gave him a conspiratorial smile. "And then when Kate introduces us later, we shall play completely ignorant. That way, we won't have to explain our penchant for milling about in the silver closet."Oliver pressed his lips together to keep from laughing. He liked Miss Blake's style. He liked it a great deal. This young lady was game enough to hide in a closet and flaunt propriety. Quite game, was Miss Cerian Blake. Quite game, indeed."Agreed," he replied with a bow. "In the meantime, I wish you the best of luck avoiding eligible gentlemen.""Oh, if only it were that simple." She gave him one last look over her shoulder. "Kate has already informed me that she intends to introduce me to yet another potential suitor this evening."An unexpected bit of envy rankled in Oliver's middle. "Who's the unworthy chap?" he asked, wondering just how long the list of Miss Blake's suitors would be.She rolled her eyes. "The Duke of Markingham. Can you imagine? A duke? Sounds like a dreadful bore to me."And with that, she and the cat were gone.
Valerie has a B.A. in English Language and Literature with a minor in history from Smith College. By day, she is a technical editor at a computer software company. By night, she combines her love of writing, history, and romance to craft stories about people falling in love.
Originally from Rantoul, Illinois, Valerie lives in Jacksonville, Florida with her rascally rescue dog, Roo. When she's not writing, she keeps busy reading, traveling, or vacillating between watching crazy reality TV or PBS.
Valerie is offering an ecopy of IT HAPPENED UNDER THE MISTLETOE to one randomly drawn commenter.


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Happy Saturday everyone! It's time for another great inspiration photo for the Inspired By...All the Little Things challenge! I was inspired by the muted leafy background and the pop of stark white in the cups as well as the pumpkin and latte theme! I knew I wanted to use Verve's free digis from last year...paired with Reverse Confetti dies and PTI patterned papers.
Here's my take on it...
STAMPS: Digi stamps by Verve.
PAPER: Fall Prints and Patterns by PTI; Always Artichoke by SU; X-Press It Blending Card.
DIES: Edge Essentials, Topped Off Tag, Hang Ups Double Edge Scallop Border, Wreaths - all by Reverse Confetti.
So, let us see how YOU are inspired! The challenge linky will close on Friday, November 4, at 12:00 pm (PST), so be sure to check out all the inspiration over on the Inspired By blog - the design team has some awesome samples!


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Superficial to understand the journal as just a receptacle for one's private, secret thoughts — like a confidante who is deaf, dumb and illiterate. In the journal I do not just express myself more openly than I could to any person; I create myself.
The journal is a vehicle for my sense of selfhood. It represents me as emotionally and spiritually independent. Therefore (alas) it does not simply record my actual, daily life but rather — in many cases — offers an alternative to it.
There is often a contradiction between the meaning of our actions toward a person and what we say we feel toward that person in a journal. But this does not mean that what we do is shallow, and only what we confess to ourselves is deep. Confessions, I mean sincere confessions of course, can be more shallow than actions. I am thinking now of what I read today (when I went up to 122 Bd. St-G to check for her mail) in H's journal about me — that curt, unfair, uncharitable assessment of me which concludes by her saying that she really doesn't like me but my passion for her is acceptable and opportune. God knows it hurts, and I feel indignant and humiliated. We rarely do know what people think of us (or, rather, think they think of us).. . .Do I feel guilty about reading what was not intended for my eyes? No. One of the main (social) functions of a journal or diary is precisely to be read furtively by other people, the people (like parents + lovers) about whom one has been cruelly honest only in the journal. Will H. ever read this?Susan Sontag, journal entry of December 31, 1958. Via the NYT.


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This week we take a look at the CTF Walkthrough for HackDay: Albania. Get ready for a challenge that requires keen attention to detail, and lots of persistence.
Author: noob2root
VulnHub Walthrough: PwnLab: Init
During this post, we will examine how to hack PwnLab, from vulnhub.com.
Vulnhub Walkthrough: Milnet 1
In this post we examine Milnet, a vulnerable target hosted on http://www.vulnhub.com
Review: SANS Security Essentials (GSEC)
Greetings readers,
Today I attempted (and passed) the SANS GIAC Security Essentials (GSEC) certification exam. I wanted to take a moment and write a review of the course and offer my experience in preparing and taking the GSEC exam. So let's get started!
VulnHub Walkthrough: Kevgir
Greetings hackers! This week I endeavored on a hacking challenge to get root on Kevgir, a vulnerable image found at https://www.vulnhub.com/entry/kevgir-1,137/
Below you will find my walkthrough detailing exactly how I compromised Kevgir. This walkthrough showcases enumeration techniques, password attacks, web application attacks, and a local privilege escalation technique.
Feel free to give this walkthrough a read. If you found a different way of hacking Kevgir I would love to hear about it in the comments.
Continue reading
Netcat – The Hacker's Swiss Army Knife
Welcome back hackers! In this article, I will provide instruction on utilizing the awesome power of netcat. Commonly dubbed the swiss army knife of the hacker's toolkit, netcat can do many things that are of use to hackers. After reading this article, you will learn how to perform the following functions using netcat:
- Establish a simple chat room.
- Perform Banner Grabbing.
- Establish bind and reverse shells.
- Transfer files between Kali and target.
First Post – Welcome to noob2root!
Welcome to noob2root. This blog is intended to provide hands on instruction on hacking techniques and practices. If you are an ethically minded enthusiast who is interested in getting into the fields of Information Security, Penetration Testing, and hacking, then this blog is for you. If you are inclined to use the techniques taught here for nefarious purposes, know that it is not only unethical, but highly illegal – unauthorized hacking is a surefire way to wind up in prison – so just don't do it.
Now that that's out of the way, we'll move on to the good stuff.
Continue reading


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Indian Network Pulls Plug on TV Premiere of 'The Dirty Picture' After Government Intervention
The award-winning film's primetime debut Sunday was stalled when a ministry directed the channel to air it after 11pm due to adult content despite more than 50 edits.
NEW DELHI – The television premiere of critically acclaimed hit The Dirty Picture turned into a messy affair Sunday when its primetime screening was stalled at the last minute by India's Information and Broadcasting Ministry.
Released last December, The Dirty Picture is apparently inspired by the real-life story of Eighties South Indian screen siren Silk Smitha. Produced by Balaji Telefilms, the film stars actress Vidya Balan who received multiple honors for her performance, including the government's National Award for best actress.
While the film has been released on DVD, its TV debut on Hindi channel Sony Entertainment Television (SET) was a much awaited event, for which the network had run an advertising campaign. The Dirty Picture was scheduled for two screenings Sunday, at noon and the primetime 8 p.m. slot. While its theatrical version was given an A (Adults Only) censor certificate, the film had been re-edited for television with over 50 cuts to get a revised U/A (Parental Gudiance Suggested) certificate.
But a last-minute directive from the Information and Broadcasting Ministry instructed SET to only air the movie after 11 p.m., a slot reserved for content deemed for adult viewing. Instead of airing the movie, SET ran a ticker message stating: "For unavoidable reasons we regret to inform The Dirty Picture will not be telecast today. Any inconvenience caused is deeply regretted."
While The Dirty Picture does not show any graphic nudity, the film had run into controversies even before its theatrical release for its bold portrayal of a struggling starlet making it big as a sex symbol. Last week, a lawyer from the central Indian town of Nagpur filed a court order seeking a ban on the film's telecast since it "contained obscene shots." But the High Court cleared SET to go ahead with the screening after the I&B Ministry and the Central Board of Film Certification stated that the film had been re-edited with over 50 cuts.
"Whatever is shown on TV - whether it is a film, a serial or a commercial - has to be as per the program code of the Cable Television Network Regulation Act. As per the code, films that have U/A rating can be shown on TV... Some films have adult themes and the treatment and public perception is such that even after making many cuts the film retains its mature theme," CBFC CEO Pankaja Thakur told a newspaper defending the government's directive to reschedule the film after 11 p.m.. But Thakur also added that the incident will force the CBFC "to look at the whole process of cutting an adult film to make it suitable to be watched by children."
However, the episode sparked a major outcry. "I am shocked and disappointed that this decision was taken at the last moment. What is even more shocking is that the decision of the censor board was overruled by the ministry," said the film's director Milan Luthria."When promos and other films with U/A certificate can be shown on television why can't my film? Are we not grown up as a society, why do we have to submit ourselves to external forces?"
The debate went online with leading Bollywood personalities posting messages on Twitter. "A National Award winning film cannot have a national telecast? This is not an irony, but plain and simple hypocrisy! If the censorship (board) is not a final authority then what is? Complicated and blurred lines defeat the core of democracy," said a message by one of Bollywood's leading filmmakers, Karan Johar.
"We are distressed given that this is among the most celebrated and loved films of last year," said Balaji Telefilms CEO Tanuj Garg. "I am not sure how Vidya Balan (along with two of the film's crew members) will feel about collecting their National Awards next week."
SET did not issue any statement as to the film's future screening schedule.


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Allaying apprehensions of illegal land acquisition for the US$25m limestone mining project in Meghalaya, India for its upcoming cement plant across the border in Bangladesh, a senior official of cement major Lafarge has said it was adhering to all rules and regulations of the country. Lafarge is a very ethical company and it abides by all rules, regulations and law of the land before starting its operations, Yong Ngai Chan, director of the Lafarge Umiam Mining Pvt Ltd (LUMPL) said.
According to the present plan, Lafarge would set up a US $247m cement plant in Bangladesh's Chatak area after acquiring limestone from neighbouring Nongtrai and Shella of Meghalaya's East Khasi Hills district and carrying the mineral in a 17km long conveyer belt across the two countries. Chan, based in Bangladesh, said the company was 'committed' to the sustainable development and environmental protection of Nongtrai and assured 'safe' quarrying of limestone with high technology. Our aim is to leave the place in a much better condition, he concluded.Published under Cement News


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Sequels to Bollywood movies, a rare occurrence in yesteryears, are now thankfully commonplace. Watching our favourite actors reprise beloved characters is every fan's dream. While many movies have had impressive sequels, there are some which have still to join the bandwagon. Our carnal desires still unfilled, as fans all we can do is wish and hope for these movies to come up with sequels and satiate our yearnings. Why? Because sometimes, once just isn't enough!
We look at some of the movies whose sequels we would love to watch...
ZINDAGI NA MILEGI DOBARA:The film features an ensemble cast including Hrithik Roshan, Abhay Deol and Farhan Akhtar. It also stars Katrina Kaif , Kalki Koechlin , and Ariadna Cabrol along with Naseeruddin Shah making a special appearance. The three friends set off to Spain on a bachelor trip and as part of the trip; each friend chooses a dangerous sport for the group to partake. Who wouldn't want to see what happens next in their life?
Stay updated with Bollywood on GLAMSHAM.COM's android app.Click here to INSTALL on your device.


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There's an interesting question in whether the game of chess is artistic or scientific. One might take a Game from the great Max Euwe and opt scientific due the mathematicians methodical and precise play. One might also look at a game from Mikhail Tal and consider it more artistic do to his extremely flashy play that looks almost magic-like. Lets really examine both perspectives.
The Science of Tactics
The goal of science is to really test a theory for approval or disproval. A large portion of chess tactics require testing a solution out (in your head). So in reality, you are using basic scientific principals to determine whether your a move will prove favorable or disadvantageous. This is especially true when testing tactical combinations that can be narrowed down to a subset of effective and often forced results.
The Art of Strategy
Chess strategy on the other hand can be far more artistic. Artistic doesn't necessarily mean completely lacking in structure and neither does strategy. Ive found strategy really favors an open mind and an open eye. With that said, there needs to be some sort of discipline when it comes to committing to an option, but not before you have accessed the situation properly.
So art or science you ask? I like to answer with a tad bit of both.


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Doomed to failure by 'poverty gene'Scottish scientists have discovered a "poverty gene" which causes people from deprived areas to age rapidly and pass on health problems to the next generation. It might even explain negative attitudes to employment.
Deprivation can lead to an overactive immune system, which quickly uses up the body's supply of spare cells needed to keep aging at bay.
Most astonishing of all, it is suspected that a hyperactive immune system floods the brain with a cocktail of chemicals which suppress the natural desire for self-advancement.
The study, by the Glasgow Centre for Population Health, is the first time the full extent of the link between health, genetics and poverty has been looked at scientifically. The findings suggest that poverty is not simply the result of idleness and that more resources should be ploughed into tackling health inequality to break the cycle of deprivation.
But couldn't linking poverty to genetic traits have the opposite effect by encouraging the view that the poor should be abandoned as a lost cause?
Read more here.


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Monday, March 30, 2009
How about a cinema bailout?
We passed a couple of fun hours entertained by this year's Oscar winner for Best Picture, Slumdog Millionaire. And it was, in our minds after seeing it, a well-worthy recipient of film's most prestigious honor. I'm glad we got to see it on the proverbial big screen, too -- there's nothing to replace seeing a theatrical movie the way it's meant to be seen: Big.
That this film was so worth a night out -- complete with sharing popcorn and holding hands in the dark in front of the big screen -- was no surprise. That we shared it with an audience of only six others was.
Granted, we saw Slumdog many months after its release. And our hometown theater is a small venue in a small town. Still ... as I tallied our total outlay for out little night out, I couldn't help but wonder if perhaps something else was contributing to so few others sharing our Saturday night at the movies.
Perhaps the same thing that makes it such a rare experience for us: the excessive, exorbitant cost.
I realize seeing a movie in Durango is still a relatively inexpensive experience compared with life in the Big City, where seeing a movie can run you upwards of $12 -- but that only adds to my argument.
My wife and I paid $19 for the two of us to see Slumdog down the road from house. Then we coughed up another $6-plus for popcorn -- served by three guys working behind the counter (and it seemed to take three of them ....) even though we were the only people in the lobby at showtime in our downtown duplex cinema.
So, $25 for two of us for a two-hour movie. Is it any wonder we so rarely venture to the movies? That so few others are willing to pay up for a night out?
Now, I'm no economic genius (for evidence, ask aforementioned wife), but doesn't it make sense to ... charge less and put more people in the seats? Have people buying more popcorn and soda, even if they pay less per unit??
I like going to the movies. And I know I myself, and my wife, would go to the theater several times a month -- there's usually that many good movies, and it's that enjoyable to see a film on the big screen (even if those screens keep getting smaller -- our own High Five Theater in Durango now is home to seven screens -- and the average home TV keeps getting bigger).
And I know we would go more, a lot more, if it wasn't $8.50 a pop to go. Half that -- even a nice even $5 -- seems fair. And much more reasonable. And doable.
At that price, I wonder how many more seats they'd be filling. I wonder how more neighbors we'd be sharing our night out with, if the studios and mega-cinema corporations had that kind of vision?
How much more fun would that be?
I also wonder how many teens would be out there, too. I know in a little town like ours -- like in most towns of any size anywhere -- teens are always looking for social things they can do. And they all like going to movies. So, make seeing a movie cost a square and affordable $5, make a bag of popcorn a simple buck or two, and don't you think kids would be flocking in? Over and over and over??
Folk wisdom says motion pictures helped keep America peaceful and together and uplifted during the last depression, during the real Depression.
Where, I wonder, is the wisdom now?
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Congress protects public lands
Today Congress passed the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act. This historic plan to protect America's public lands provides the largest expansion of wilderness in fifteen years.Yea!
The Omnibus Public Lands Management Act will conserve critical public lands and waters, which provide important wildlife habitat, natural resources and recreation opportunities to continue America's great conservation traditions for generations to come.
Specifically, the Act will secure wilderness designation for more than two million acres of public lands, protect thousands of miles of rushing rivers and establish a 26 million acre conservation system-- the first new system of conservation lands in the United States in more than 50 years.
More news stories about it here and here and here.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
A Bum Family Tradition
I mean my favorite kind of corn: corn snow groomed into a smooth lake-like surface, or corn snow sculpted into long fall-lines of steep waveforms that ski like surfing white-water chop.
I mean like the corn snow we found awaiting us on the first day of Spring at Purgatory this weekend.
So, as we do for a couple dozen days every ski season, we made some sandwiches and poured some coffee and put on our ski gear and jumped in the truck and headed up through the morning-glory blaze of the amazing Animas River Valley.
Another Wright family rite.
Skiing has been the sinew and tissue of our family. Since holding our three-year-old son under his arms so he can sail on his plastic boards on Chapman Hills' meagre slope, through our teen kids' having to wait for us -- sometimes with visible exasperation -- as their telemarking parents huff and grunt their way to the bottom of the lift, five months of our year is woven together with days passed skiing together.
Every year we make that big financial outlay in ski passes for the family. But, this, in my wife and my minds, is an sound investment in our family-health care. In fact, these frequent and, given Sarah's and my lives built around skiing (we met living at in a ski town, and married at the base of the town's ski area), damn-near religious days passed together on the nearby mountain -- and up in our nearby, amazing, gorgeous home-mountain range -- are the why of the what we have built our adult lives around.
We went from being ski bums to parenting bums.
The lift rides alone are worth it. This is why I hope they never really get around to replacing Purgatory's backside Lift 8 with that high-speed quad chair they've been threatening for years: Not only do I welcome that long rest after a long ground down the face of Paul's Park, but this is some the best time I get to spend with my kids: sitting on the chair and having the space in which you can only free-form chat.
Now, knowing there's only a few years of this frequent, ritualistic, intimate time left in our relationship with our kids, I savor every opportunity I get with them like this. Just-talking time, rather than the more common and pragmatic day-to-day talking-about-something-specific time. Time shared in some magnificent place. Time spent out-of-doors and honing and exploring a physical skill.
And the chance to teach them -- to show, not just tell them -- what I think life and living really are:
Do more. Want less.
The Bum life, however those values are manifested.
Watching them schuss the slush, I think they get it. And watching them run into their friends on the mountain -- friends of their often raised by friends of our who, too, live here to be Bum Parents -- I'm thinking they all -- the "Western Ski Bums: The Next Generation" -- get it, too.
This post also appears on InsideOutsideMag.com. Check it out!
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Hip hop hits Durango!
Living here in little ol' remote Durango, we don't get many tastes of Big City Culture. And if I miss anything of living near one of them Big Cities, it's the music culture.
Sure, we get some great underground folk and bluegrass -- such as The Gourds playing the intimate and historic Henry Strater Theatre (a.k.a. "The Hank") last week, and Martin Sexton who will be making his guitar sing as ornately as his voice Sunday night.
But beyond that, the big acts (aside from the occasional acts who were big back thirty years ago when I was a teenager living near one of those big cities, and who are today more like a bit of traveling history than a true, vibrant musical experience, i.e. The Beach Boys last summer, or upcoming shows by the Charlie Daniels Band and Stephen Stills) tend to -- of course -- bypass our little hamlet set so far off the interstate in favor of those Big City venues.
Well, we got a sweet taste of contemporary culture last night, when The Mighty Underdogs brought their dynamic and groovy hip hop beats to the stage at the Abbey Theatre. It was a welcome and invigorating breath of Big City air, right here in our little mountain town. A nice bit of what we might call Hick Hop.
The Mighty Underdogs feature my personal favorite MC and song writer, Gift of Gab, from the fantastic San Francisco-based rap duo Blackalicious. Gabby's song writing is not your usual rap: his writes tight, quick, snappy lyrics wrapped in rhythmic grooves, and generally delivering thoughtful, positive, and witty messages -- what I only partially tongue-in-cheek refer to as "Buddhist Hip Hop."
The Mighty Underdogs -- featuring performers culled from other bands, kind of like a 70s-style supergroup (so you other oldesters out there can compare, like, say, the 21st century equivalent of Bad Company or Asia, but without the stadium shows) -- is, along with Gift of Gab, Lateef the Truth Speaker, of Latyrx, and producer Headnodic, of the Crown City Rockers.
Now I realize I'm just a middled-aged small-town hillbilly white guy, but I love this stuff. And I particularly like this particular genre of rap music often labeled "conscious hip hop." I think it's good stuff, with a good message. And I'm glad my kids and I, particularly my high-school-aged son, can share an appreciation for this modern music together. And I must say that it's pretty cool to be able to say I was the one who turned him on to these fine, fun beats.
And last night I was really glad we could share it together, live on stage, right here in Durango.
To be sure, my wife and I and our buddy Todd -- also a music junkie and conscious hip hop fan -- were the oldest kids at this all-ages show. But that was okay. And it even added to the cultural insight for us middle-aged hipsters. Standing along the rail on the balcony over the main dance floor, we had a prime view of the hundred or so of our town's high school kids and college students (many of whom we knew or recognized) getting the big-city kicks.
The show began with an hour of Denver-area mash-up artist DJ Vajra mixing beats for the swarming mass of kids on the dance floor. Here we got a visual treat and surprise: the dance floor parted and -- I swear, in what was like a modern reinterpretation of that classic dance scene from Saturday Night Fever -- kids would jump into the middle of the circle and offer whatever break-dancing moves they could muster for their fellow patrons pleasure.
And everyone seemed very pleasured, even by the meagerest of dancing attempts. It was a great, fun, appreciative teen-tribal spirit flowing around the place. And some of the dancers -- like the guy who spun a few moves, then mimed pulling two girls out of the crowd on an imaginary rope, followed by all three performing a synced and crazily-well choreographed chorus-line dance -- were quite good.
But then came the Underdogs, and for an hour and half the trio hopped and rocked the place. You felt they, too, were loving it, and they played it hard, worked the crowd well, and spread those truly good vibrations that some old, worn out dog-and-pony show of a one-time big-time band could never bring to our little town.
Long live the kids! Of all ages!
Check out the Mighty Underdogs:
Saturday, March 14, 2009
20 years after Abbey's death -- I mean LIFE!
The fact that two decades later I can still cite that -- still feel that -- as one of those "where were you when ..." moments says something about the impact Edward Abbey and his writings had on me, and lots of others.
And still has.
Because I believe that 20 years after the end of Ed Abbey's life, his life is what still lives on. Here's why:
Edward Abbey wasn't wasn't a journalist, he was an artist. In the same way, he wasn't an environmentalist, or even an environmental writer. He wrote about other things, bigger things -- about living, about what it means to be a human being -- and from that came what we would consider an environmental stance.
And this is because Abbey didn't write so much the whats and hows of whatever he wrote about, whether it was fiction or essay, article or short story, environmental or experiential or fictional -- he wrote about the whys.
Abbey may have been an "activist" -- but it was in the truest sense of the word: Action. He wasn't against things as much as he was for things: For living differently. For living for different things. For being guided by different whys. Abbey's message, I myself think, was that to move ahead -- to continue to survive and thrive as free, compassionate human beings in a healthy habitat -- we need to go, not back, but backward. Not back to hunting and gathering, but back to applying those perspectives and needs and skills and understandiings in our modern world. Self, Place, Life, Tribe.
And he believed that those shifts, those changes, is each and everybody's choice -- and responsibility. He conveyed that message by modeling that behavior, then sharing it with all. And sharing it well, t'boot.
Abbey has been tagged with lots of labels, from environmental activist to eco-writer to regional writer to nature writer. But throughout his career what Abbey really wrote about was, as he himself called it, his "camping trips."
And for Abbey -- and this is what makes him relevant today, and relevant any time -- he lived his whole life as "camping" -- adventurous, creative, out of doors oriented, principled. For Abbey, his real art was not his just his writing, but his living the life that he wrote about. His was not a perfect life, but it was his life. And that, too was the point he wanted to make: To not do what he or any other guru or authority or cultural norm says, but to do what is you.
That, I argue, was what he meant by "monkeywrenching."
And that is what persists: Abbey's perspective on living -- not how to live, but why to live. What to live for. And the impact of that Abbey-vision was rested less in what Abbey said and more in the actions he instilled and inspired through his rendering of what he did in his own explorations and experimentations in what it means to live well -- and therefore what we need to live well: Land. Wilderness. Community. Freedom.
Regardless of his written words -- which fortunately, and not surprisingly, nearly all remain in print today -- it is more the many-faceted interpretations of Abbey's perceptions manifested in his fans that matter. What matters and what persists is how people put what Abbey inspired in their own actions, into creating their own lives: those who have built their lives, usually with some challenge and difficulty, around living differently, around living for different things: Place. Tribe. Adventure. Meaningful work. Being true to their Selves.
And those who will fight for the habitats -- physical, social, ecological, political -- that nurture, encourage, and support those lifestyles.
And that is now blossoming in a second-generation post-Abbey -- the offspring of that generation of Abbeyistas who molded their lives toward Abbey's ideas and ideals -- yielding yet new evolutions and interpretations and applications of ideas that passed through and poured from Edward Abbey's pen.
In a way, 20 years later, we find that we Western ski bums and river runners, tree huggers and desert rats -- and also all of us passing those lifestyles onto our kids -- are all the bastard children of Edward Abbey.
This post also appears on InsideOutsideMag.com
Join us for a celebration of Edward Abbey at Maria's Bookshop at 6:30 p.m., Monday, March 16. Learn more here.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
I'm tired, too
The email was birthed as a posting on the blog The Old Jarhead, by Robert A. Hall, a Vietnam Veteran and ex-Marine, and a former Massachusetts state sentaor.
His post titled "I'm Tired" starts out lyrically:
I'll be 63 soon. Except for one semester in college when jobs were scarce, and a six-month period when I was between jobs, but job-hunting every day, I've worked, hard, since I was 18. Despite some health challenges, I still put in 50-hour weeks, and haven't called in sick in seven or eight years. I make a good salary, but I didn't inherit my job or my income, and I worked to get where I am. Given the economy, there's no retirement in sight, and I'm tired. Very tired.
Then, though, the piece picks up its rythmic --and thematic -- refrain:
I'm tired of being told that I have to "spread the wealth around" to people who don't have my work ethic. I'm tired of being told the government will take the money I earned, by force if necessary, and give it to people too lazy or stupid to earn it.
What follows is essentially a reptition of that refrain, followed more complaints and annoyances over topics ranging from drug and alcohol addiction, to illegal immigration, to racism ("I think it's very cool that we have a black president and that a black child is doing her homework at the desk where Lincoln wrote the emancipation proclamation. I just wish the black president was Condi Rice ..."), to Michael Moore and Al Gore, to ... well you get the idea.
I found it an interesting read, a laundry list of traditionally so-called "Conservative" complaints, concerns, and general irritations.
And I found I generally agreed with many of his points.
But that wasn't what got me to write a response.
So, with all due respect to both the friend who forwarded me this bit of viral inspiration and to Mr. Hall, whom I honor and respect for his service and his life built upon his personal integrity, I toss this post into the great Internet wilderness :
I'm tired of people who are tired of people.
I'm tired of people who are tired of people who disagree with them.
I'm tired of the "I'm tired of people who ..." perspective, because it's the rhetoric of the punk and the dictator, with its broad, vague generalities, false dichotomies and either-or fallacies, name-calling in place of reasoning, and the simple-minded and beligerent "it's them!" drumbeating.
I've seen that alcoholism can manifest as both disease and laziness in different people, and that some deserve help and others deserve a slap upside the head.
I understand that unlimited immigration is a burden on our country's resources, yet I also remember that my non-Native American ancestors at some point immigrants here, for some very good reasons, and were likely seen as a burden on our country's resources. And I bet most illegal immigrants today put themselves through that experience for good reasons, as well.
I've seen that many people deserve the wealth they've accrued, but I've also seen that even the people working at the lowest ranks in society help make the overall system work, and deserve at least a minimum amount of livable and enjoyable benefits -- some shared social wealth -- of the grander system we are all a part of.
I've experienced the actual value of a government-run social safety net, yet I also loathe and want to stop abuses of those systems.
I honor and respect those who choose to serve our country in the military -- in fact, I think military service should be compulsory for all U.S. citizens, so everybody has a vested interest in the care and use of that necessary part of our national defense -- but I also honor and respect the person with integrity enough to resist service if it goes against their conscience.
I too am wary of terrorism and Islamic Jihad and support efforts to defend ourselves and defuse those explosive movements, but I also feel it's wise and in the best interests -- in our truest national interest -- to at the same time look honestly and critically at our own role in creating and fomenting those movements, and to changing that behavior in a way that benefits all parties in the future.
I've learned that there are full spectra of people and paths out there, and that's a reality we need to work with, that it's in our own best interest to recognize, that those are the boundaries we need to live within -- and that it's more fun and interesting to see and explore what's lies in that terrain.
nd that we can never, ever allow ourselves to become tired of that reality.
This does not mean we cannot say what we mean -- we should speak, and we should debate. But it's about how say what we feel, think, mean, believe. The style is the message. Who we are is how we do whatever we do.
To do otherwise is to at best grow mean-spirited, and at worst to invite fascism.
And we're all tired of both of those.
* * * *
This post also appears on InsideOutsideMag.com.
Friday, March 6, 2009
The Traveling Teacher
I like to think of one of my so-called "careers" as that of an anti-career counselor.
I mostly practice this on an as-can basis -- meaning, where ever and whenever I can slip in my subversive messages, I do: into writings (of course), conversations (especially with kids), college-class discussions, interviews, karate classes ... where ever a teaching moment may arise, I endeavor to grasp the opportunity to impart the message of The Option:
You don't necessarily have to join the rat-pack racing for the job, house, cars, toys, etc. etc.
You really can choose to live a life, rather than merely make a living.
The Option is to realize and recognize that there are options. And to realize they're real, and valid, and worthwhile, and attainable.
And so it came to pass that one of those most recent teachable moments arose around the barbeque grill. (An anti-counselor must always be ready to dispense wisdom ...) I was with my nephew, a 17 year old fresh out on his own, seeking those first tenuous, troublesome steps into the Big World, out there.
His big question, it seemed to me, was, what to make those first steps toward.
He is a thinking man, it's obvious, since he already has the insight to question the well-trodden, downright traffic-jammed, trail toward paycheck and pension oblivion. He also made it clear he'd much rather be following less-traveled roads toward faraway places and exotic other worlds beyond the one he grew up in.
A boy of my own heart, for sure. And I, of course, had an answer -- one he perhaps hadn't heard much from the other adults around him (being from a big city back East), or school, or on TV:
Yes! Travel, yes!
Make a life of traveling, yes!
If I could give my nephew anything at that point -- at that moment in time together, and at that point in his life -- the best I could do, I believed, was to give him that: a big fat yes!.
Then, though, I had to really be a counselor: I explained to him that while I believe being a traveler, even a bum -- not just someone who takes trips, but one whose whole life is traveling -- is doable, even preferable, to a "normal" career path, it is, nonetheless, a "career": It still requires learning, preparation, patience, persistence, and strategy to make it happen, and to make it work.
That might mean working two jobs for a while to finance a trip; or it can meaning acquiring skills that you can use to work while you do extended trips -- for years, even. (I, myself, found restaurant work and professional driving (buses, trucks, limos, taxis) to have paid for a lot of traveling and bumming for me.)
Mostly, though, I urged him to start now, immediately, to make those dreams of his come true -- even when he goes back to that big city back East. No matter what he did. In everything he did.
And do those with persistence and patience.
That, too, is the traveler's journey. That, too, is Yes!
Take it from your anti-career counselor.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Supreme Court decides case argued by Durango attorney
The U.S. Supreme Court [on March 3], in a very limited 5-4 decision, reversed the lower courts' findings that had overturned a Bush administration rule that denied citizens the right to have a voice in the management of national forests. (Summers v. Earth Island Institute). However, the Court rejected the Bush administration's attempt to create a broad ruling that would have severely limited citizens the right to challenge any unlawful government regulation.The argument in Summers v. Earth Island Institute was argued before the Supreme Court in October by Durango attorney Matt Kenna. The suit was a legal challenge against the Forest Service's attempts to exclude public input and environmental reviews from timber sales. Matt had been involved with the case for more than five years when he was selected to make the argument after the Supreme Court accepted it in Dec. 2007. The case had been brought by Earth Island Institute, Heartwood, Sierra Club, Sierra ForestKeeper, and Center for Biological Diversity.
"We are disappointed that the Court reinstated these harmful forest regulations," says Kenna. "However, the Court's ruling was narrow in scope and did not accept any of the government's broad theories that would have precluded citizens from challenging a federal regulation except when applied to a specific project.
"This was the most critical issue at stake- if the government had prevailed on its theory, citizens would have had to file thousands of individual suits to challenge harmful regulations on a case-by-case basis while the government could continue to apply the regulation even in the face of multiple court rulings finding the regulation unlawful."
Summarizing, Kenna said, "It was very close- 5-4 with a concurrence by Kennedy. It was decided on a narrow basis that will not cause too much bad precedent for the future, which is good, but it would have been nice to have won!"
Read the decision here.


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As one of Goldilocks' initiatives to commemorates its 50 years of giving joy to many Filipinos, Goldilocks treats its employees, and the kids of its chosen charitable organizations, loyal customers, and us - bloggers with Birthday Caravan to Enchanted Kingdom last 1st of June, 2016.
The Birthday Caravan, which includes a two-day visit to Enchanted Kingdom in Sta. Rosa, Laguna, is part of its 50 Golden Years celebration.
We really enjoy the birthday caravan, party, games and program. . . and free rides!
Goldilocks – a bakeshop chain in the Philippines that produces delicious cakes and pastries – was founded in May 15, 1966, started by the sisters...And they named it Goldilocks, a character from the fairy tale Goldilocks and the Three Bears . . . and here's the Goldilocks' history.
Goldilocks: 50 Golden Years of a Filipino Fairytale
As Goldilocks celebrates 50 Golden Years of being the country's number one bakeshop, its fairytale story still evokes delight and sweetness. Though their company history is not exactly an underdog tale, it does have the elements that Filipinos love: a small but exceptional start up, driven by pure determination, flourished by ingenuity, and topped with a uniquely Pinoy entrepreneurial spirit.
Even after five decades in the industry, the guiding principles of its founders (sisters Milagros Leelin-Yee and Clarita Leelin-Go) are are still very much alive and articulated in the Goldilocks vision statement: to be the leading Filipino global brand that will fulfill the changing customer needs through world-class products and services in markets served. Accordingly, from its initial offering of rolls, chiffon slices, and pastries, Goldilocks now offers full meal and merienda choices, catering services, and is now recognized as the foremost specialist when it comes to decorated cakes.
The cakes, pastries, and well-loved dishes that have become so associated with Goldilocks (such as its Fluffy Mamon, Cheesy Ensaymada, Chiffon Cake Slice, Classic Brownies, Chicken Pie, Classic Polvoron, Classic Mocha Roll, Classic Chocolate Roll, Brazo de Mercedes, dinuguan, fresh lumpia, palabok, and laing, just to name a few) have since become the gold standard by which all others are measured.
Thus, for 50 years, the true taste of the Pinoy is still the anchor of their business. Indeed, Goldilocks encompasses everything that is unique, delicious, and delightful about the Filipino people.
The two sisters started their business small. Milagros, a professional nurse, supplied Manila school canteens with chiffon slices, while Clarita baked and decorated cakes for special occasions in Bicol. A twist of fate brought the sisters back together in Manila, and they decided to expand their hobby into something more fulfilling. Together with their sister-in-law Doris, and armed by their love of food, baking, and cooking, they opened a small bakeshop on Pasong Tamo in 1966. From just 10 employees and two display stands, Goldilocks has grown to 490 stores – both here and abroad – with some 5,000 local employees. It was a third sister, Maria Flor, who named the store based on prosperity and providence: Gold and Luck. From the P574 total sales in 1966, the company has multiplied its earnings thousands of times over, reaching a system-wide total of almost P10 billion as of last count.
Today, even after fifty years – five decades filled with sweet moments and countless Filipino celebrations – Goldilocks continues to build its legacy while staying true to its foundations. Even as the brand pursues innovation and finds new and meaningful ways to connect with a whole new generation of customers, total customer satisfaction still governs every activity.
As a result, Goldilocks is still moving forward, even after half a century of leadership. Indeed, a Filipino Fairytale was born and developed between 1966 to 2016, and it continues to grow stronger…. Happily Ever After.
More Goldilocks stories, visit website at : www.goldilocksat50.com
Follow them on instagram: Goldilocks
and hashtags #GoldilocksAt50 #GoldiBirthdayCaravan
Happy Birthday Goldilocks!


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Monday, March 28, 2011
Northern Ireland school is first to form gay-straight alliance
A school in Northern Ireland is the first in the country to form a student gay-straight alliance.
Teachers at Shimna Integrated College in Newcastle, County Down, hope the initiative will help tackle anti-gay bullying.
Gay-straight alliances are popular in US high schools and are designed to welcome all students, regardless of sexuality.
Kevin Lambe, principal at Shimna Integrated College, told the BBC that while other bullying had mostly disappeared, homophobic bullying remains common.
He said: "Most bullying, most racism has been publicly gotten rid of. Words that you are called because of your religion, because of your skin colour, most of that has disappeared.
"But homophobic bullying I'm sorry to say is quite common. As the form of bullying which most induces young people to harm themselves or even kill themselves, surely we can't turn away from that and say 'oh that's a delicate type of bullying, we can't really deal with that'."
Mr Lambe added that no parents had complained about the alliance.
"I haven't had a single parent say a negative word about it," he said. "I've had positive words about it, but no negativity at all."
He said: "Let's be honest, homophobic bullying happens openly, therefore I really believe you have to react to it and deal with it openly."
The school has been praised by Northern Ireland LGBT group Rainbow Project.
Education equality officer Gavin Boyd said: "Homophobic bullying is a serious and prevalent problem across schools in Northern Ireland. It is not frequently discussed in schools and many teachers are unsure of how or even if they should intervene when they witness homophobic bullying."
He added: "There are young people, teachers and principals in schools all over Northern Ireland who want to make sure that their school is a safe and welcoming place for everyone, but perhaps they don't know how to achieve this or if they will have support in tackling homophobic bullying."
Posted by GLBT and Friends at 9:46 AM
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