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A unique investment trust which donates 1pc of its assets to charity every year has opened its doors to new investment.
The company, Battle Against Cancer Investment Trust, was set-up last October by a number of star City fund managers who all agreed to manage the companies assets on a voluntary basis. Tom Henderson, a former trader at Cazenove, was the brainchild behind setting up the company and has invested £25 million of his own money into the fund.
The fund managers, including Jupiter Asset Management's John Chatfeild-Roberts and Jeremy Tigue, manager of the Foreign & Colonial investment trust, invest the investment trust's assets in other funds run by City stock pickers. The funds which the trust invests in have also agreed to waive their fees as well. This means returns are not eaten up by charges that are normally around 2pc a year.
The company donates 1pc of its assets to charity every year, with half going to the Institute of Cancer Research and the other half to the BACIT Foundation, which supports charities such as Alzheimer's Research UK, Marie Curie Cancer Care and NSPCC. Around 1pc of the company also invests in the drug discovery and medical innovation unit at the Institute of Cancer Research.
Like other investment trusts the company is listed on the London Stock Exchange. Unlike unit trusts, where there is no independent board of directors acting in investors' interests, with investment trusts a full annual report is published as with any quoted company.
• New to investment trusts? Read our guide
The investment trust is now seeking £100m of new investment to invest in more funds. Investors can invest as little as £1 up until October 21. At present total assets stand at £243m,
The share price is up 17.5pc a share to trade at £1.15 today. Its dividend yield stands at 2pc.
The company has been backed by a number of fund brokers, including Bestinvest. Jason Hollands, an adviser at the firm, said around £20m of client money is currently invested in the fund.
"There is a way investors can support the fight against cancer through a genuinely attractive investment fund. We are highly supportive of its ethos and unique charging structure. Due to the personal financial backing of the managers and support for important cancer research projects and charitable work, we think this is unique and highly attractive investment vehicle that also supports very worthwhile causes," said Mr Hollands.
• Get Twitter alerts for all our investing stories: follow @telegraphinvest
• Investment tips every week by email – sign up here


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This product was recommended to me years ago by a girl I used to work with, who used it as a daily moisturiser.
She had and still has the most AMAZING skin. Not a line in sight. She recently turned 30 and her skin looks like that of a 16 year old, which goes to show that moisturising the skin is key.
Naturally, I bought this when she first recommended it in the hope I too would have skin like hers.
So how do I find this product?
It's a lovely smelling oil that glides onto the skin and provides great moisture to my face. I use a drop for each side of my face and maybe half a drop top up for the forehead and chin just to blend all over. Any more and it feels too heavy on my skin.
I did try it as a daily moisturiser but it was too oily and my makeup would just slide off! However, I always use it when my skin is playing up and needs a bit of TLC. I have been using it before bed this week. When I wake up my skin is smooth and soft.
I would recommend this product if you are looking to inject immediate moisture into your skin, without any breakouts. It's a little pricey at £20.00 per 50ml bottle, but it lasts for ever so I don't mind.
Has anyone else ever tried this or anything else from Neals Yard Remedies?
Friday, 4 June 2010
Neals Yard Remedies Rose Facial Oil
Posted by Giddy Princess at 10:37
Labels: Facial Oil, Neals Yard Remedies
3 comments:
- ipehishere said...
great review.. now i really want to try it .. hehe
- 4 June 2010 at 11:50
- Happy1234 said...
I really like Neals Yard products so will have a look at this :)
- 4 June 2010 at 13:08
- Amour Du Moment said...
This sounds lovely :) In my last blog post I talked about the C.O.Bigelow Rose Salve, it is also a gorgeous Rose product, think you would like it. They have a whole range of Rose infused goodies that I want to check out although because they are in the US it's harder to purchase over here so maybe this would be a close UK alternative! Will need to pop in to NYR soon for a little look :) I heard they also have a great Orange Flower range too - very moisturising and nourishing!? Sounds good! xxx P.S. love your blog!
- 4 June 2010 at 19:16
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subset: commoncrawl


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Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Jessica Rabbit
Yes, I know, I know. I'm drawing on the wrong side of the paper. But the drawing on the other side was so f'd up I just had to turn it over and try again. This was drawn at work with my collection of different colored sharpees from the supply room, and a couple prismacolor pencils, also from the supply room. And a piece of superman storyboard paper, not from the supply room. High quality materials if I may say so myself.
1 comment:
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Reinventing Myself
Sharing A Search for Chinese American Identity
In 2002, after a long career in academia as a professor of psychology I reduced my load to a half-time basis. With more time to reflect on many issues, I returned to a question that I had avoided many times during my life, namely, how do I, as a second-generation Chinese American fit in a predominantly black and white society. I grew up in Macon, Georgia, where our family operated a laundry during the years before the civil rights era. We were the only Chinese in town, so it was difficult for me to understand who I was, ethnically speaking. Even after we moved to San Francisco when I was an adolescent, it was still difficult for me to know what it meant to be a Chinese American because I was so different from the San Francisco Chinese who had lived so closely among other Chinese all of their lives. Then just as I was 'becoming' Chinese American, I moved to other places where few Chinese lived, so I had to just forget about or neglect my Chinese-ness and concentrate on my career development. I focused on being a color-neutral 'person.'
My journey into an attempt to understand how my ethnic identity was formed led me to write a memoir that I eventually published in 2005 as "Southern Fried Rice: Life in A Chinese Laundry in the Deep South." Most people I know in California are puzzled when they learn of my southern roots, wondering why my parents settled in Georgia where there were so few Chinese. I soon realized that here was an important story to preserve and share but no one was recording this bit of the Chinese American experience. At the same time, I felt the market would be small and no major publisher would take the financial risk with it. In fact, my hometown university press liked the story but declined to publish it precisely for this reason. Thus, I turned to publish-on-demand (POD) printing. This web journal describes this process as well as some of the experiences I encountered in my efforts to promote the book myself using 'guerilla marketing.'
The site will not discuss book content and objectives as other sites exist for that purpose: http://www.wix.com/yinandyang/yinandyangpress. One of my hopes in describing my experiences in getting the word out about my book and its message is that the lessons I learned may be helpful to other authors struggling to get their work recognized.
Next Page: "My Book Promotion"Tour"
Click link to see: Book Talk and Signing Tour
Click For a sneak preview of the BIG PICTURE


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The theme for this year's ballet recital was "The Greatest Show on Earth." They played the part of snow cones in their purple and blue tutus. Halle loves the chance to perform and put on lots of make up.
She is a great little dancer and really enjoyed being in her friend Kaylie's class this year.
She has a big team of supporters cheering her on at every performance, including a little sister who wants to be just like her.
I love seeing her grow as a dancer each year.


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Americas Hilton -- Houston
The worst part about cancer is that this voice inside of my head says, "this is so unfair........and there's nothing you can do about it." Nothing goes more deeply against the grain of my personal nature than to have to sit back and put up with victimization, do nothing, say nothing, take it, put up with it. I've always admired resistance and resisters, freedom fighters, warriors for the good. And with cancer, aside from listening to the doctors and doing what they say, there's really no way of fighting against the cosmic injustice of it.
I came to Houston this weekend to have a CT Scan and to meet with the oncologist here to make sure that she thinks my current thinking about treatment (which will begin next Thursday) seems reasonable. I left Thursday night in order to be here in time for my 7:15 am blood tests Friday morning.
I'm beginning to understand that a trip to Houston spells doom, so it should not have surprised me when I was detained by the Transportation Security Authority at the Atlanta airport Thursday evening. After waiting in the security line (the longest line I have ever seen, by the way) for the better part of an hour, I became enraged when I noticed that a bunch of 15-16-year-oldish airport employees were cutting in line in front of everyone at the metal detectors. I asked one of them what he was doing and he said, "we're airport employees." "So what," I asked. He scurried through the line and I saw him talking to the TSA guard. I couldn't make out what he said but I saw him look back at me and I heard the word "harass."
As I walked through the metal detector and handed my boarding pass to someone I would later come to know as "Leticia," I said, "why are you letting all of these people cut in front of us when we've been standing in line for nearly an hour?" "They're airport employees," said Leticia. "Yeah," I said, "but they're not like pilots or anything, they're just going off to McDonalds or something and you're letting them cut in front of us when we have planes to catch." "Look," she shot back, "I can let anyone through this line whenever I want." "I don't really think you can," I replied.
At this point, Leticia ordered me to step inside the detention booth. You've all seen these. They're little glass fishbowl hallways next to the security screening areas. It's where they send people who have set off the metal detectors or created some other airport security crisis to be frisked, magic-wanded, searched, etc. "I didn't set off the metal detector," I said. "It doesn't matter," replied Leticia, drunk on her own power. "You'll stay where I tell you to for as long as I tell you to." "I want your name and badge number," I told her. "You can have that later," she yelled.
Then, while I stood in the glass room like a circus exhibit, and while Leticia continued screening other wide-eyed, interested passengers, something like the following came out of her mouth: "some white boy thinks he's gonna tell me how to let people through this line when I can let them through who's going to go first, I show him, YOU AIN'T GOIN' NOWHERE TODAY I CAN TELL YOU THAT, we'll see how many questions you got once you get outta there, tell me how to do my job we'll see who's gonna go through the line....." And so on.
A lot of things went through my mind. I should demand that they formally arrest me for something. I should demand to speak to a supervisor. I should say something like, "hey Leticia, are you going to send me to Guantanamo Bay later? You gonna water-board me, Private Lyndie?" But thankfully the rational part of my brain prevailed. I figured that I was no longer in the realm of reason with Leticia, if I ever was, so I better just stay quiet, at least until I got out of the glass bowl.
Finally, "Eddie" came over to frisk me. When he was done I demanded to know Leticia's last name and badge number. "We don't have to give you that information," said Eddie. "Eddie," I said, my voice now quivering a bit, "some of us know the rules. I want her name and badge number now." Just then, here comes Leticia. "My last name is Zondo," she said, "do you want me to spell it for you?" "If I did," I replied, "I'm not quite sure you'd be able." And then I left. I wanted to say more. I wanted to tell her what an authoritarian, horrible bitch she was. I wanted to tell her that she was part of a trend toward un-freedom in our country and that if she had any sense of justice about her she'd quit her job. I wanted to call the ACLU. But then I thought, as I walked down the escalator, contemplating the phonetic similarity between the words Zondo and Sondercommando, I'm starting to get used to this: "this is unfair.....and there's nothing you can do about it."
Thursday night I was on my own in Houston, which I don't like. Houston scares me. I feel at war here even when I have company, but even more so when I'm by myself. So I went to Brasil, my favorite Houston cafe, had a few glasses of wine and numbness, drafted a letter of complaint to the Transportation Safety Authority, and then went back to the hotel for bed.
Friday I had my scans and Carla arrived. We met at our Hotel, the "Americas Hilton" (no apostrophe). Carla decided that rather than staying in the "Medical City" where MD Anderson is, that we should stay in downtown Houston, and boy was she right! We had a much better time than my previous visits. Our hotel was great (more below). We ate fantastic food. And I've actually softened on Houston a bit. If you have the right guide (Carla), there are fun places to go and eat, and I almost forgot, several times, that I was here for cancer shit. We had great sushi at a place called Azara. We went to some terrific museums, including the Houston Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Menil Gallery Museum. The Houston Museum of Contemporary Art had a great exhibit called "Black Voices, White Light," which included a house made of 8-track tapes, all black mo-town artists on the outside, and white artists on the inside (symbolism not lost). The Menil has a great collection of modern and surrealist art, including some Japer Johns pieces I had never seen. The Mark Rothko chapel is directly next door, and we enjoyed a serene moment there. Carla and I also went to a few movies (Mighty Heart, and 1408, the former good, the latter bad). We were going to go to the Cyndi Lauper concert, but decided at the last minute that it was too far of a drive, and I too tired.
By far the best time Carla and I had was on the 24th floor terrace of our hotel. This was Carla's idea. She spied it when we were driving back to the hotel Friday night and we decided to check it out. Carla decided that the terrace was "our place," even though, as I reminded her, everything, including the plastic cups we drank our $13/glass wine out of, were owned by Paris Hilton, ostrich-face, jail-bird, and hooker. "It's not fair," said Carla. "But there's nothing you can do about it," I lamented. We sat up there looking out at the lights of Houston stretching into infinity, and we eavesdropped on the mating ritual of a wealthy-but-homely American man and the 17ish-year-old Asian Geisha-boy he'd clearly bought from some kind of illegal website.
In fact, Carla and I saw quite a lot of interesting things at Americas Hilton. I've decided it would be quite fun to write an ethnography of hotels -- not necessarily of the low-end Super 8s, nor of the high-end Waldorf's of New York, but precisely of hotels like Americas Hilton, where one sees mixed together, as Carla and I did, Asian boy prostitutes and their "handsome American benefactors," American female would-be prostitutes who dress up as beauty queens, struggling American ladder climbers who try to act one class above their actual station (betraying their actual worth by wearing their cell phones clipped to their belts), and wrestling fans!
The first thing one notices when walking into the lobby of Americas Hilton is the enormous Dale Chihouly chandelier (shown above). I'm not even a fan of blown glass, but this chandelier immediately tells its onlooker, "you are somewhere special......you are special." This message is seconded by the marble floors, dark woodwork, deep red and purple textiles, and of course, the obsequious staff.
Playing unremittingly over the loudspeakers one hears the works of Vivaldi, Pachelbel, and Mozart (never Beethoven, Schumann, or Brahms). These works, like the marble and fine blown glass, tell their listener that he/she is a refined person, a person of taste and significance, an important and special person.
While you listen to this music, everything you consume in the hotel will cost you three-times as much as any reasonable person should pay for it: a glass of cheap wine, $13, a small cup of coffee, $2.50, a little cup of fruit, $2.00, the breakfast buffet, $20, parking overnight, $14 (yes, powdered eggs and overcooked bacon costs more than parking...it's true). All of these exorbitant prices whisper to you: "it's okay, you can afford it, because you are special."
And while you listen to The Four Seasons, and the Canon in D over and over and over and over again, you will be greeted by the permanent and overdone smiles of the staff. They will tilt their heads ever so slightly, smile, and say, "hello, sir." Or, if you need a car, they'll get it for you. They'll help you with a bag, or provide you with directions to a suburban movie theater. And, if you so needed, I'd imagine they'd tell you where to purchase a sex-worker for the evening, and then recommend that you take him or her to dinner at the terrace lounge, and all for a small tip. All the while, you can think to yourself, "I've finally made it. I'm a very special person."
In fact, everything about hotels like Americas Hilton is devised to trick the socially insignificant and politically/economically powerless classes into thinking that they are more important than they are. This becomes apparent to the astute observer when one considers the fact that these hotels, for all their finery and for the feudal-subservience of the staff, have a rather rigid system of rules in place, precisely to ensure that their customers do not become too disobedient, nor too empowered by all the shiny trickery.
The first rule Carla and I discovered is that adult glasses are not allowed on the terrace. We paid $13 for our wine, which we then had to drink from plastic cups. Even a bottle of water must first be poured into Dixie picnic-wear before being taken out to Le Terrace. Much to the chagrin of Carla and me, the terrace closes promptly at 10pm, at which point friendly security guards (with guns) come out to apologize for the inconvenience and then escort everyone back into the hotel. Breakfast will not be served even one minute past 11am at Americas Hilton, and if you try to take a glass of wine out of one of the bars into the lobby area so that you can admire to the Chihouly glass, you will set off some sort of silent alarm system that rings in the brains of the cyborg lobby attendants, who will then come and (very courteously) escort you back into the "bar area."
So there are many many many rules at Americas Hilton because the owners of this establishment have to pull off a rather tricky trick. They have to convince people in economically disadvantaged classes that they are not economically disadvantaged. Then they have to convince them that they actually have way more money than they do which can be conspicuously and foolishly spent on all of the wares the hotel hocks in the restaurants, coffee bars, and news shops to help this class of people ape their social superiors. All of this requires putting all of the props in place to convince this class of people that they are wealthy uppers. BUT, at the same time, the Hiltons are afraid of this class and believe deep down that it doesn't know how to behave itself and so installs a byzantine lattice work of rules to ensure order, stability, and passivity.
That's why the Vivaldi is played so loudly -- it's crowd control. Beethoven might inspire revolution -- Vivaldi inspires a nap.
Aside from the invisible regulations that organize and control life at Americas Hilton, the charade also begins to fall apart once one truly examines the guests. One night, after a rather long and trying day, Carla, her friend Kate, and I were headed toward the elevators through the infinite lobby. It was not yet too late, but nonetheless late enough for people to have gotten a few drinks in them, and there were a lot of people in the lobby area and its surrounding bars. As we walked, I heard behind me....giggling. I picked up on it the way a predator picks up on the sound of prey -- it was unconscious to me and registered less like an actual sound and more like a slight irritation in the base of my spine.
Giggle. Giggle. Giggle. It got louder. It was unmistakably self-satisfied. I also began to hear another sound which, like giggling, sets me on edge: the sound of high heels clicking. Click, click, click. Giggle, giggle, giggle.
Finally, Carla, Kate, and I arrived at the elevators and walked into one. By this time the giggling was thousands of decibels loud and I had a splitting headache. I walked into an elevator and turned around to confront the source of my irritation: a giggling gaggle of beauty queens. They each wore a black dress with a sash reading the name of their origin: Germany, South Dakota, and Des Moines were ones I noticed most immediately. These sashes didn't say anything else, like the prize they had won, or who was ugliest, of what they hoped their future careers after prostitution would be, only where they were from. It felt like there were 9 thousand of them; the giggling and heel clicking felt like explosions inside of my skull. They were demonic.
Oh yeah, and each one of them wore tiaras that, as far as I could tell, were made of plastic.
Just as this horde of "women" began to board my elevator, one or all of them must have seen my face. As many of you know, my face often betrays my innermost feelings in ways that I am unable to control. I'm sure most of you have seen the particular face I was making: head cocked, eyes rolled and staring up toward the ceiling, a look of disgust settling around the general nose and mouth area, and an exasperated sigh confirming the latter. While I can never really control these expressions, what I could probably have controlled was what came out of my mouth, which was some kind of admixture of "oh good God" and "ugh, Wow," and "ohh nooo," which while slightly unintelligible I think nonetheless conveyed my disdain for the beauty queens. I say this because of the look that then came over their faces, which Carla described as "hurt." They were so shocked, in fact, that they stopped dead in their high heels right at the precipice of the elevator. One of them (Ms. South Dakota?) sort of gasped, and then they all just stopped, completely immobilized by the skinny, wan looking man who didn't appreciate their peacockish "beauty," who didn't like the sound of their giggling mating-call, and who was not only unimpressed by them, but actually revolted. I think it had never occurred to them that there were members of the human species with penises who did not like them, who might even hate them. The elevator doors closed without the beauty queens getting on.
So what do the beauty queens have to do with the social class puzzles at Americas Hilton? Well, underneath the giggling of these young "women" was a rather sad tale. They view themselves as glamorous, as someone. The click of their heels on marble floors sounds like success to their ears. Pretty soon, they think, they'll be just as wonderfully famous and glamorous as the person who owns the hotel: Paris, who elevates whorishness to the level of the sacred. But in reality none of these young "women" will ever have the fame or fortune of the worthless and talentless Paris. Americas Hilton helped offer them the illusion of self-importance for that one, special night, a night where they could be tricked into thinking that their looks would get them somewhere in the hierarchy, that they were special, and that they had arrived in the promised land. But once their hotel visit is over, they will either continue trying to advance their station in life with their beauty by becoming authentic hookers (which I really hope would involve keeping those tiaras), or they'll downshift into the lives of wives-and-mommies that society destines them for. They'll drive mini-vans, vote republican, and forget how to talk about anything but their children. Some day, years from now, after many babies and with desperation buried underneath the craggy face wrinkles of a valium-induced smile, their overweight husbands will take them on a long-awaited and saved-for (or charged) vacation to a hotel like Americas Hilton, which they'll take photographs of while reminiscing about the good old pageant days. They'll sense the sadness in it all, but will not quite be able to comprehend or make sense of it.
To prove that Americas Hilton had nothing to do with glamor or real money, around Saturday night, the wrestling fans began showing up. I wondered to myself if there had been any encounters between the beauty queens and the fans. I could imagine the queens being quite appalled by the fans, since the latter remove, by the sheer weight of their presence, any believable notion that Americas Hilton is for the wealthy, famous, and important. And I could imagine the fans wanting to rape (if male) or grind up and eat (if female) the beauty queens. The conflict that would ensue at such a meeting would mask the underlying sameness of each group.
Most of the wrestling fans have dyed hair and piercings. They wear things like big silver chains around their necks. All of them are overweight, having grazed on the working class diets of those who need lots of caloric intake. And all of them don t-shirts advertising this or that hyper-steroidal, puffy, male wrestler. Masculinity, long the badge of honor of the working class American male (a substitute for real power), is transformed by these individuals into sparkly, sacred iconography. So total is this transformation that wrestler-masculinity begins to get a bit blurry with its adornments and take on the appearance of homosexuality. None of the fans realize this, of course, and I didn't have the heart (or guts) to point it out to them.
Saturday night, after being booted off of the terrace, Carla and I snuck our drinks into the lobby. We sat and watched fan after fan file by after the wrestling match ended (it was being held in the auditorium next door). We noticed that many of them were carrying chairs, which seemed very odd. Finally I called a young woman with pink hair and acne (the anti-beauty-queen) over and inquired about her chair. I was very polite and curious-sounding: "we saw all of these people carrying chairs and were wondering what they were."
The chairs I'm speaking of were folding chairs, like the kind you save five or so of in your garage for that rare occasion when you have a picnic in the backyard and run out of the "good" outdoor seating. Usually these folding chairs are strictly metal (aluminum?, tin?). But the fans' chairs were padded! And the padding was done in life-like images of their favorite wrestler and the official logo of the WWE!
It's true!
Our wrestling fan explained to Carla and me that she had paid $200 for her chair, and that as soon as she got it up to her room she planned on wrapping the seat (the part where your ass goes and also the place where the wrestler's picture resides) in plastic!
To preserve it!
"For when it becomes valuable!"
I told her that this seemed like an awful lot of money to spend on a chair, and she explained that it entitled her to a sort-of front row seating assignment at the match. She complained about how, even after spending all this money, she still couldn't see anything. She seemed very disappointed by the whole ordeal. "All my vacation money," she lamented. She also lamented that wrestling had become "less of a real contest" and "more about drama." "It's all fake, you know," and then she wandered off to her room....to shrink-wrap her chair. I felt sorry for her.
Carla went upstairs. I decided to stay for another drink. The staff and the extra police force (no joke) who had been hired to control the wrestling fans were so busy with their duties, they didn't notice me take my wine out of the bar area and into the lobby.
I sat down and looked at the whole scene, at the mess of it. I thought about all of the cruelties and savagery contained within the marble walls and blown glass of the Americas Hilton lobby, all of the false hopes and silliness it offers people, of the fact that during the time I had my conversation with the wrestling fan who had spent all of her vacation money on a folding chair, Paris Hilton, the owner of this establishment, and hero of the empty headed beauty queens I had insulted the night before, had probably banked another couple of million dollars.
I thought about Leticia. Even though I hated her, what, I wondered, had happened in her life to make her so thirsty for revenge and empty displays of power? Had she detained anyone else? Did she make enough at her homeland security job to feed her children?
I thought about the people staying at the Waldorf Astoria, the real rich people, who were probably drinking out of real glasses on a terrace well after 10pm with no armed guards (or wrestling fans or beauty queens) in sight. What sort of gulag would Leticia end up in if she detained one of them?
And I thought about cancer.
"It's not fair," I thought, "and there's nothing you can do about it."
Then, I saw the child of one of the wrestling fans swimming in the lobby's reflecting pool as his father tossed pennies at him. I smiled to myself, finished my wine, and went upstairs to bed.


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|Poppy Dish
I was recently commissioned to make a large glass dish to match the wallpaper design in a dining room. Here is an example of the wallpaper and below that is my preliminary sketch.
It was a bit tricky getting all the component parts to fit snugly but I used a combination of transparent and opal red glass to get more contrast in the petals. The black poppy seeds are Glassline fusing paint and the dish was slumped into a 30cm square dish mould.
Finished Glass Dish


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Wednesday, December 21, 2011
The Liebster Award
4 comments:
- AnonymousDecember 21, 2011 at 7:39 AM
Thank you so much Audrey!!! I'm glad you found my blog too because I found yours then as well!!!oh yes I'm sure that isn't perfect grammar but oh well!ReplyDelete
Aww, thank you!! I'm so glad your comments lead me to your blog, its definitely getting bookmarked :)ReplyDelete
Aww, thanks so much! This is a great award because it gives some of us smaller blogs a chance to show our stuff. Thank you so much for passing it on to me.ReplyDelete
With the business of the season right now, I will probably do my "acceptance speech" - ha - in the New Year. I don't want to chance that everyone will miss the post of my 5 choices because they are enjoying the holidays.
Who needs perfect grammer! :)I look forward to reading the acceptance speeches! And more than happy to show you guys off! It truely is my pleasure! :)ReplyDelete


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Meet the Authors at utopYA is a series of blog posts where we introduce you to all the amazing writers who will be in attendance at the first ever utopYA convention. Some will be on panels, some will be exhibitors, some will be keynote speakers, and all are living the dream.
We asked the authors 5 questions we wanted to know, and hope that you find them informative and entertaining. These authors were hand-picked, so you'll definitely want to read their amazing books if you haven't yet. Get ready, because this is only the beginning.
Meet The Author: Raine Thomas, Daugters Of Saraqael Series
Raine Thomas is the author of a popular series of YA fantasy romance novels and short stories about the Estilorian plane, including the Daughters of Saraqael trilogy, the Firstborn trilogy and The Prophecy. She is a proud member of Romance Writers of America and is a contributing blogger to The Writer's Voice. When she isn't planning weddings, writing or glued to social networking sites, she can usually be found on one of Florida's beautiful beaches with her husband and daughter or crossing the border to visit with her Canadian friends and relatives.
1. What's your idea of 'utopia'?
Ahhh…utopia, the perfect place! My personal utopia would be a beautiful house on a tropical beach with a huge library and a study overlooking the ocean, so I can write in peace and solitude whenever the mood strikes. I'd have my husband, daughter and furry friends along with me, and there would never be a dirty dish to clean or laundry pile to fold. Oh—and there'd be a Mexican fiesta at least once a week!
2. Who influenced you to become a fabulous young adult paranormal author?
My daughter did. Although she's only six, it was because I wanted to write books that she could enjoy with her friends when she gets older that I decided to write YA. My favorite genres to read are romance, paranormal and fantasy, so it was natural for me to write those kinds of books.
3. Paper or digital media?
I'm a huge fan of my Kindle! Having the ability to load tons of eBooks onto one easily transportable device is like a slice of utopia all on its own. Yes, I definitely still enjoy reading paperbacks, but I've converted to the e-side.
4. Do you have an "end of book" ritual (that you're willing to share…)?
I don't, actually! It's an exciting and euphoric feeling to finish a book, but I know that the end of that first draft is just one more step in the process. Then comes the hard part: editing. If I decide to create a ritual, though, it will involve a large margarita and plenty of chips and salsa.
5. What do you hope to get out of UtopYA Con 2012?
I'm very much looking forward to meeting fellow authors, readers and other great folks in this industry. I hope to pick up some interesting tips from my peers that I can apply to my own writing, and I'd love to make some new friends along the way!


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In just four months,the Indian rupee has fallen by over 20 per cent to breach the 65 mark against the dollar last week,compounding the problems for an economy that was already reeling under the impact of a high current account deficit,declining gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate,a high interest rate regime and tepid corporate earnings.
With the rupee on a crash course,the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has had to recalibrate its gradual shift towards a low interest rate regime. As the central bank took steps to drain liquidity out of the system in a bid to provide stability to rupee,both the long term and the short term yields have shot up. Several banks over the last few days have already announced a hike in their base rates.
While the debt investors have taken a mark-to-market hit on their returns because of the sudden rise in yields,both on the short-term and long-term debt investments,the equity market investors too have seen a steady erosion in the value of their investments. Last week,the benchmark index at the Bombay Stock Exchange,the 30-share Sensex,fell below the 18,000 mark to hit an 11-month low.
As banks move to raise their base rates and the housing finance companies hike their prime lending rates,home borrowers are set to face the heat as they will see a surge in the tenure of their home loans.
How do things change for you
There is considerable volatility and uncertainty in the market and that is the biggest factor that investors will have to contend with at this point in time. The sharp changes in yields and stock market movements are not something that should worry a long-term equity or debt investor,as the RBI itself has clarified that the steps are for the short term and as the rupee stabilises,the steps will be rolled back.
While existing equity investors will see a notional decline in the value of their investments,the debt investors have seen a mark-to-market loss on account of the rise in both short and long term yields.
There is one more aspect that will impact your finance. As banks have announced to raise their interest rates,while it will benefit the depositors,borrowers will see an increase in their outflow. A 20-year floating rate loan will see a hike in tenure by 15 months to 255 months as a result of this 25 basis points hike in the rates.
What should you do?
Equity investors
With the recent fall in the markets,the Sensex return over the last one year has turned almost flat and the one year returns as on Friday stood at only 3.8 per cent. Investors tracking their investment value may get a feeling that they took wrong investment decision,but the decision is not necessarily a bad one unless you decide to sell your holding or redeem your units.
Historical data shows that equities have generated high returns post a period when the sentiments have been very low on markets and they are down be it after the Harshad Mehta scam in 1992 or the period after the global financial crisis in 2008.
We are currently in one such phase. The currency has depreciated,the GDP growth numbers are on the lower side,interest rates are high and the current account deficit remains high. So even as there is no macro validation for markets to bounce back,experts feel that the numbers cant keep deteriorating at the same pace and the price points make a case for investment.
The market still looks to be range bound as we still dont see low interest rate regime which is structurally good for markets. While we are at the lower end of the range,if there is further correction in the next couple of months,it would be better, said Anup Maheshwari,head of equities and corporate strategy at DSP Blackrock Mutual Fund.
Markets have already fallen significantly and while defensive stocks too have taken a tumble,experts feel that investors can look to enter the market. While systematic investment plans should be continued and can even be increased,investors can even look to park part of their lumpsum investments into mutual funds.
SIPs should not be timed and logically when the markets are down one should look to increase the SIP investment. At some point in the next 3-5 years when the markets are high,investors will see the benefit of such investment, said Maheshwari.
Debt Investors
Over the last one month,a series of liquidity tightening measures announced by the RBI to address the decline in rupee against the dollar have resulted in a rise in interest rates and therefore have translated into mark-to-market losses in the returns generated by debt funds over one and three-month period.
The measures are not expected to last for long,as has been communicated by RBI. With that being the case,the medium to long-term debt investors should stay put with their investments and not press the panic button and those looking to make an entry should latch on the opportunity being offered by rise in rates.
The bond yields are very volatile in the current market and therefore investors looking to play on duration strategy (capital gains with fall in interest rates) should be very careful as the uncertainty is very high for the next couple of months on the direction in which the rates move. If the yields go up further then the investor may have to suffer some mark-to-market loss for that period.
The one month return for income fund and short-term income fund stands at (-)0.28 and (-)0.27 per cent. Even as the returns have turned negative for the time being,experts advise remaining invested as the losses are only mark-to-market and those who entered the market with 18-24 month perspective will see their losses recover once the RBI reverses its stance.
In fact,financial planners say that it is a good time to park funds in debt as the rates on offer are high.
Investors who are looking for assured returns can go for fixed maturity plans both for the short and long term,but those who are looking to take some risk and need liquidity,can go with short and long-term income funds depending upon their investment horizon, said Surya Bhatia,a Delhi-based financial planner.
As compared to a month ago,all fixed income products look attractive for investment and since the short term rates are higher than the long term rates,investors can look to invest in short term income funds for good returns over the next one year, said Vishal Dhawan,a certified financial planner based in Mumbai.
Another piece of advice that comes is invest in funds that are holding low risk papers bank certificate of deposits,AAA rated corporate papers,etc.
Home loan and other liabilities
The recent announcement of interest rate hike by the ICICI Bank and HDFC will lead to some pain for the existing floating rate loan customers and they will see a rise in the tenure of their home loans.
For example,if your floating rate loan at 10.5 per cent has a total outstanding of Rs 20 lakh for 18 years (216 months) then as a result of this hike of 25 basis points,your tenure will rise by 11 months to 227 months,keeping the EMI constant.
Individuals can consider liquidating some savings (fixed deposits,etc) and partly prepay their loans so as to reduce the impact of the hike in interest rate. While investors can avoid taking personal loans at these times,they may also look to increase their own contribution while taking an auto loan.
The way forward
A series of liquidity tightening measures announced by the RBI to address the decline in rupee against the dollar have resulted in a rise in interest rates and therefore have translated into mark-to-market losses in the returns generated by debt funds over one and three-month period
Stock market investors,tracking their investment value,may get a feeling that they took wrong investment decision,but the decision is not necessarily a bad one unless you decide to sell your holding or redeem your units
Even as the returns have turned negative for the time being,experts advise remaining invested as the losses are only mark-to-market and those who entered the market with 18-24 month perspective will see their losses recover once the RBI reverses its stance
consider investing in funds that are holding low risk papers bank certificate of deposits,AAA rated corporate papers,etc
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Saturday, 27 September 2014
A Small Update
Made this little guy awhile ago and finally got around round to painting him. Not sure what he could represent in game terms, but hey...was good fun.
Monday, 8 September 2014
Elyria Syn
Elyria Syn - Visirius Setzar's personnel bodyguard and assassin.
Monday, 14 July 2014
The beginnings of a Dark Eldar force to accompany this guy, I imagine them as ramshackle band of pirates raiding and pillaging their way throughout the galaxy.
Thursday, 22 May 2014
Space Pirate
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Posted on 07 May 11
As fleet managers seek new ways to use technology to improve driver behavior, fuel efficiency and overall performance, The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. announced that it will offer its FleetAheadSM risk management program to commercial fleet customers with loss sensitive insurance programs.
FleetAhead integrates vehicle telematics offered by several preferred providers with specialized loss control services and customized reports to help fleet managers identify ways to reduce risky driving behavior and lower vehicle operating costs.
"As commercial fleet owners increasingly use in-vehicle technology to capture data related to driving behavior, fuel efficiency and vehicle performance, they are seeking guidance on analyzing the data," said Kevin Finn, vice president of The Hartford's National Accounts. "With FleetAhead, we're able to assist commercial fleet customers in their efforts to translate data into actionable plans that help them control their total cost of risk."
The FleetAhead program is designed to help:
Measure specific driving risk in an efficient manner through the use of telematics technology chosen by the insured.
Coach fleet and risk managers on incorporating driving behavior data into risk management programs and help address issues in a positive, constructive manner.
Improve fleet performance through programs to help mitigate risk and lower vehicle operating costs.
During a six-month market test, FleetAhead helped a regional beverage distributor reduce risky driving behavior in a fleet of more than 100 vehicles by 75 percent, which helped increase fuel efficiency by nearly 7 percent — about $300 per vehicle — and reduce accident costs by 80 percent.
Preferred telematics providers for FleetAhead include DriveCam, Inc., a global driver risk management company that specializes in video-based telematics, and the Evogi Group, a premier provider of vehicle insurance telematics capabilities. Additional providers are expected to join The Hartford's platform during the next several months.
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Reviews For
Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Hydra-Pure® Vitamin C Brightening Serum
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Tell us your thoughts about Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Hydra-Pure® Vitamin C Brightening Serum so we can help you find the right products. With your review, you'll also receive 50 Rewards Points. Please note that it may take up to 72 hours for a review to appear on site. All reviews are subject to moderator approval.Write a Review
I have noticed my skin looks much better, more silky.
This serum is so thick in texture that it is more like a silicone-based makeup primer than a serum. It applies smoothly to skin with no balling up, even when I apply other silicone-based products over it. I experience some minor, short-lived stinging and itching when I first apply it, so I'd like to find a less expensive, less irritating vitamin C serum.
A month is probably to soon to tell, but to date I havent seen any brightening also dont like the feel of it on my skin Will not purchase again.
I do like this product and did notice improvement in skin brightness. Have only purchased once. Havent decided whether I will continue use.
I'm a guy with sun damaged skin from working and playing outside without sunscreen for most of my life. My doctor let me know I should treat my sun damaged skin, especially on my face. I've tried several products, but most left me oily, greasy, broke me out, smelled fruity, or just plain didn't show any results. This product soaks right in, feels great, and actually helps! Highly Recommended.
I love this! Pricey, but worth it! My skin looks so bright ever since I used this.
I have been using this particular product for several years, and it has done wonders to my skin. I am constantly being told how nice my complexion is . Love the product and would recommend it to others.
I agree with the previous reviewer. The ingredient list is definately amazing and if you are looking to brighten and firm your skin....look no further. For me, it is worth the ticket price and a small amount. goes a long way. One thing to add: For people with combo and or oily skin....this combination also contains salicyic acid....which is great for cleansing pores. A word of advice: the product is strong, but if you use sparingly, I think you will see the results you are looking for (brightening, etc). It has lightened some dark spots. Thanks lovelyskin!!
The ingredients of this product are just SO amazing. This serum is so rich & makes your complexion SO VERY smooth. The only drawback, the ticket price.


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From out of town guests to bridesmaids, people pour through the front doors of the Bride's parents.
The mother of this May bride asked for fresh flowers on her door welcoming guests to the wedding weekend.
This wreath is made of hydrangea, casa blancas, white snap dragons and Virginia alstromaria. The hosta leaves fern and illeagnus are from the bride's mother's garden.


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This printable quote is both beautiful and easy to create with any Silhouette machine. The free design comes in both 8 x 10" and 5 x 7". I cut the 5 x 7" design with my Curio on its standard base.
To make a print & cut with the 5 x 7" design on a Curio, simply move the design over to the workspace, rotate it 90 degrees, and set the following settings in your Design Page Settings Window:
- Page Size = Width 8.5", Height 6.0" (to represent paper that will cover your entire standard Curio cutting mat).
- Landscape orientation
- Cutting mat = Curio (cut) 8.5 x 6"
- Check the box for Show Cut Border
In your Registration Marks Window:
- Style = Type 1
- Adjust the Position settings with the sliders so the registration marks all lay outside the design border. Technically you should never have any part of your design within the crosshatch area, but this design's border did not seem to cause any problem in its original form.*
Now you're ready to print. Click the Print icon and make sure if you're using letter-size paper that you set it for Portrait orientation in your printer's properties/preferences. (My printer will typically print Landscape if I have my Studio page set to Landscape in Design Page Settings, but in this case I'm going to cut off the bottom few vertical inches to fit on my Curio cutting mat. I still want it to print so it's 8.5" wide, so I set it to Portrait orientation on my printer.)
Once it prints, trim off the extra so the total paper size is 8.5" x 6" to match the Curio cutting mat, and place it on your mat as you see on the screen. Never adjust anything on your Studio design page after printing and before cutting.
To cut, go to your Cut Settings Window, choose the appropriate media type and adjust your blade accordingly. (Be sure to set the correct tool and put your blade in that tool holder, and use the appropriate recommended Curio platforms.) When your settings are adjusted, choose Send to Silhouette and the Curio will read the registration marks and cut exactly where it's supposed to.
Ready to frame! I printed mine on Silhouette's new printable cotton fabric, and I just love the subtle texture it adds to the print.
Now here's one more thing I want to share. If you are unfamiliar with the Shader Effects Window, this is a perfect design to experiment with. Did you know you can adjust the colors on many printable designs? (The Shader Effects Window is available on both the basic and Designer Edition.)
Simply select your design and then play with the various effects until you are happy with it. The changes will not take place until you click on Apply Effects at the bottom. To get this blue color, I selected Colorize and set the Hue to 48.4.
*One tip on this file when changing the colors: Please set the design's line thickness to 0.0 in the Line Style Window so the outer edge doesn't print and cause confusion for registration-mark reading. (Line thicknesses above 0.0 will show when printing if you have changed the color, and you definitely don't want that when it falls within the registration-mark crosshatch area.)
I printed this one on Silhouette's printable cotton canvas, which has a heavier texture than the cotton fabric shown above. Have fun playing with those Shader Effects!


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Wednesday, 1 June 2011
In The Studio Again
Well, the month of June is here and I've spent a good deal of today in my studio. I've finished off the old road sign watercolour I've been working on and have stretched a whole imperial sheet of delicious 'Arches' (140 lb rough) paper for a large commission I'm planning to start in the next couple of days. As for the road sign paintings, I can't quite put my finger on why I like to keep painting them, but it's certainly to some extent sentimentality for things quintessentially British and these old cast iron signs are gradually becoming extinct. In fact the one above only has it's post, a small part of one of the direction pointers and the little crescent shaped parish badge left, so I had to radically repair it using artist's licence. For those of you curious as to where this sign is, you'll find it at the junction of Colchester Road and Mill Road in West Mersea.
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|Me and Mhairi
The great thing about being a member of a group is that we gain new friends! A what do you do with friends at this time of year?......You go out and share your friends company and have some fun!
Yes, we are about cycling when we usually meet up, yes we love cycling and talk about our road trips and competitions and the rides we have been on. But we are not all about the cycling! We are fun ladies! We own frocks, dresses, glitterery jeans and lippy to rival any 'Made In Chelsea' party! Our Mhairi arranged for 10 of us to meet up last night at The George in Hayes, just across the road from the Panagua Bikes shop. Yes, it was on a 'school night' but what the heck, it's Christmas time! At least the kids are on holiday, so there is no pressure to get them to their schools on time!
The Old Boy had very kindly given me a lift to the pub, (and was picking me up again after) I was 'fashionably' late (had tons to do during the day, friends to visit, shopping, carol service!) so you can say I made an entrance. Everybody else was already underway with the wine! There was no gently dropping into the conversation that I am in fact a lager girl, and not just half at a time either! So I was quite pleased to see that actually, there was another 'pint' girl among us, she was enjoying a glass of ale!
We all started to relax into a very happy mood as we chatted and laughed and generally had a great time. But then Mhairi pulled out a bag and began dishing out little gifts for everyone there! Wow, how cool is that! There was no standing on ceremony from me, I got straight into ripping the paper off! How cool to find that it was a compact cable lock, and tyer levers.
puncture repair kid tood! We don't like to mention the 'P' word to loudly!
Panagua Ladies are all about the Bikes, we just all scrub up well!
|The ladies, looking gorgeous!
A brilliant evening with some very lovely ladies, my mates, the Panagua Ladies, we love to ride and we love to party!!


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Obedience to the Unenforceable
John Fletcher Moulton* in a speech made long ago, which he called 'Law and Manners' said, that Governments must trust their citizens, otherwise tyranny happens. 'Mere obedience to Law does not measure the greatness of a nation, the true test is the extent to which individuals can be trusted to obey self-imposed law.' The lust of governing needs to be controlled, if not avoided.
He identified three areas of human action. First, was the area of positive law. Next was free choice. Between these two areas lay one which was neither subject to regulation nor having the privilege of freedom of choice. He described it as the domain of 'obedience to the unenforceable.' Governments must resist expanding the domain of regulation into this intermediate domain.
This intrusion into the domain of obedience to the unenforceable is illustrated by an abundance of laws made by Commonwealth, State and Territory Parliaments with respect to anti-discrimination. The Commonwealth relies on the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination 1969. This convention was ratified by Australia on 30 October 1975 and in accordance with ss.2(2), 3(1) and the Schedule of the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (Cth) became part of the law of Australia.
Racial discrimination is covered by at least twelve Acts, the Commonwealth's Racial Discrimination Act 1975 being a law with respect to external affairs, nine State Acts and two Territory Acts.
It should be noted that the legislative powers of the Commonwealth Parliament set out in s. 51 of the Constitution are definite powers which are held concurrently with State Parliaments. They in turn have indefinite legislative powers as affirmed in s.107 of the Constitution.
Legislation passed by the State Governments on the subject of racial discrimination begs the question as to whether they are void and inoperative under s. 109 of the Constitution to the extent that they are inconsistent with the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (Cth). The answer would seem to be that these Acts are not inconsistent, but work consistently with the Commonwealth Act, as confirmed by s. 6A and in particular s.18F with respect to racial hatred.
Whether the Commonwealth Act is invalid as beyond the external affairs power would seem to be answered in the negative by the decisions of the High Court in Koowarta v Bjkle-Petersen (1982)153 CLR 168 and Commonwealth v Tasmania (1983) 158 CLR 1 (the Tasmanian Dam case). Of course there is always the remote possibility that the High Court might overrule itself on these decisions. Even if they were, the concurrent State Acts would still remain in force. In short, there would be little, if any, significant change. This would also seem to be the case if the Commonwealth Act were to be repealed either wholly, or in part with respect to its topical s.18C.
Essentially, the difference between the Commonwealth and the State and Territory anti-discrimination legislation is in the meaning of direct discrimination. In the former reference is made to preferences and distinctions made on race whereas in the latter, direct discrimination occurs where a person is treated less favourably than another person of a different race. It is doubtful whether much turns on this distinction.
The point of all this, is whether these anti-discrimination laws serve any useful purpose. On its face, they show that the Parliaments do not trust the people. Put simply, they merely usurp the Christian commandment, 'to love your neighbour as yourself.' These Acts represent an unwarranted invasion of the domain of obedience to the unenforceable. It should not be overlooked, that this intermediate domain draws no distinction between public and private acts. Worse still, the anti-discrimination legislation reveals the generally accepted, but misconceived idea, in Western Democracies that the statute book is the key to curing social ills. Experience surely tells us that this is not so.
* Lord Moulton, in the words of the Lord Chancellor, Lord Birkenhead (F.E. Smith,) was a 'noted Judge, a great Parliamentarian and Minister.' His speech on 'Law and Manners' was republished in the Australian Law Journal, (1999) 73 ALJ 259.
Bryan Pape
Barrister and International Arbitrator.
15 April 2014.


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Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Maccabi interested in Jeremy Richardson?
According to novasports.gr, Maccabi TA are interested in Jeremy Richardson(2.01-SF). Last season was Richardson's first pro contract in Europe and he did quite well, so it's not surprising that there is interest from Euroleague level clubs.
The American sharp-shooter came from the NBA and the Orlando Magic where he had very little playing time, playing on and off between the NBA and the NBDL he decided that it was time to make the next step and play in Europe. In the Eurocup he averaged 14.4 points and 4.5 rebounds in 13 games whereas in the Greek League he averaged 12.6 points and 3.3 rebounds in the Greek league in 26 games.
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Per our agreement with Konami Digital Entertainment Inc, we can only ship sealed Konami Yu-Gi-Oh products within the U.S and its Territories. Additionally, sale of products to secondary market wholesalers, internet retailers and show dealers is prohibited.
The 2010 Collectible Tins have arrived and Wave 1 contains 3 brand-new designs! Each Tin comes with 5 Booster Packs and 5 different Variant Cards! These Tins are a great way to store your Decks, your favorite cards, or anything else you want to keep safe!
The Majestic Red Dragon Tin burns like a small star, with a bright golden paint job to show off Jack's latest and most dangerous Synchro Monster.
The Black-Winged Dragon Tin beckons you like the night sky, with a deep black paint job to show off Crow's glowing Synchro Monster, Black-Winged Dragon.
The Dragon Knight Draco-Equiste Tin comes adorned with proud royal blue heraldry, befitting a chivalrous Dragon Knight like Draco-Equiste, with purple highlights to show off Yusei's latest Fusion Monster.
12 Collectible Tins (4 of each) per Case
Each Tin contains:
- 1 Secret Rare Card
- 1 Pack of 4 Super Rare Cards (3 SHONEN JUMP Variant Cards + one bonus Card)
- 1 Pack of Stardust Overdrive
- 2 Packs of Absolute Powerforce
- 2 Packs of The Shining Darkness
Sorry, it looks like your browser doesn't have cookies enabled. Dave & Adam's only uses cookies to keep track of your shopping cart while you browse dacardworld.com. Please enable cookies to further enjoy your shopping experience. If you have cookies enabled, please refresh your browser.


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The Town House is a luxury apart-hotel with self catering facilities within a serviced hotel style environment. If you want the freedom and space to do your own thing but the option to charge meals to your room then The Town House is ideal. We have a prime seafront location in the heart of Douglas, just a short walk to the majority of finance sector businesses and backing onto the main shopping street.If you arrive out of normal business hours (8-5) please confim an arrival time so that we can make sure the Duty manager is on hand to meet you.
Also if booking on day of arrival please phone to confirm booking.
From: £105.00
Average customer rating: out of 6
Read customer reviews (opens new window)
Get Directions on Google maps
View on:
Google maps (area overview)
Get an Ordnance Survey map covering the Douglas area.
Heritage Rated from 1- 5 (low-exceptional) on historic interest
Nurstead Court - 33.7 miles (Historic House)
St Ninian's Cave - 37.6 miles (Countryside)
St Ninian's Chapel - 38.1 miles (Historic Church)
Rispain Camp - 40.1 miles (Prehistoric Site)
Whithorn Priory - 40.3 miles (Abbey)
Whithorn Museum - 40.4 miles (Museum)
Barsalloch Fort - 40.8 miles (Prehistoric Site)
Cruggleton Church - 42.2 miles (Historic Church)
Drumtroddan Standing Stones - 42.7 miles (Prehistoric Site)
St Bees Priory Church - 42.9 miles (Historic Church)
Other Nearby Accommodation
+ Heritage Rating + ?


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Friday, February 5, 2016
#TGIF everyone! Just a little note from us to say that yes, MLB teams are packing up and heading out to their spring training locations! Whether to Florida or Arizona, the trucks are being packed and the bats are getting wrapped.
Known as #TruckDay, many teams are heading out to warmer destinations to begin their annual fitness and tryout sessions...a sure tell sign that spring is headed our way, groundhog or not!
With our very own Yankees reporting on February 19 and February 25 respectively, bags are being packed now and shipments of equipment are ready to go. Here are the rest of the spring training report dates.
Just wanted to keep you posted...not that we are anxious or anything! We're almost there and let's hope that we have a few more additions ready to join us in Tampa with some signings in the coming weeks.
--Suzie Pinstripe, BYB Senior Staff Writer
BYB Hot Stove Columnist
Twitter: @suzieprof
Thank you for your loyalty to Bleeding Yankee Blue.
Please shop at the BYB store!
On Twitter: @BleednYankeeBlu
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Don't forget to check out the BYB Hub.
Labels: #Truckday, suzie pinstripe
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That got me thinking about my buying habits - what do I save and splurge on?
HANDBAGS: I very rarely buy expensive bags. I have lots, but none are designer or real leather. I hope to invest in a great leather bag soon, but ultimately I like having a large selection.
GYM CLOTHES: Well... they're going to get sweaty anyways. I have been extremely happy with my mostly-Costco gym clothing and some Old Navy thrown in there. An exception to cheaping out on gym clothing is running shoes. I do buy a good quality pair, cause support is important.
SHOES: Contrary to my comment above, most of my footwear has been purchased on sale or clearance. I was even able to swing 30% off my Converse. I had an amazing pair of moccasins from Giant Tiger (had = dog ate them) that I bought for $15. They were my favourite shoes in my entire collection. Note to self: must replace them soon.
Jacket / Moroccanoil / Blazer
JACKETS / OUTERWEAR: If I can save, I will, but if I'm going to buy anything full price it's usually a jacket. Winter jackets have to be good quality up here in the Great White North, so it usually means forking over a couple hundred dollars. Though I can't say I'd be able to fork over $700 for that Canada Goose jacket. Darn.
HAIR PRODUCTS: I use the kind of shampoo that's $20+ a bottle. I also will splurge the extra $$$ to get the brand name. Hair is one place where I don't like to make sacrifices.
BLAZERS: Blazers are something I have learned you can't go cheap on. To get a decent fitting one you usually end up spending at least $50. To most people that's probably not expensive, but considering I don't usually buy jeans for more than $30 means it hits my wallet pretty hard.
What do you save or splurge on?


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Emergency Notification System Test
TAMPA, Fla. (Oct. 28, 2010) -- There will be a test of the Tampa campus-wide audible emergency notification system Saturday, Nov. 13 at 6:30 p.m. Expect to hear Westminster chimes and a notification that this is a test. This test is expected to take only 20 to 30 seconds.
To learn more about USF's public safety initiatives and notification systems, including MoBull Messenger emergency text messages, campus sirens, USF's emergency hotline, emergency messaging on campus digital screens and much more, click here.


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Scotland Yard Mitts
Downloadable pattern
Downloadable pattern
The slip-stitch color-work pattern in these mitts has the beneficial side effect of creating a thick, warm fabric. A slipped rib in the main color borders the houndstooth pattern, which is made by knitting two-round stripes of each color, slipping some stitches from the previous row. This is color-work at its simplest, and the mitts are a small enough project to make a stack of them for gifts, playing with different color combinations and keeping your favorites for yourself.
4" = 19 sts and 24 rows in Houndstooth Slip-Stitch Pattern on larger needles
Note: yarn shown usually knits at 16-18 sts to 4" in Stocking Stitch
Hand Circumference: 7" (7.5", 8.25")
Length: 8"
60(70, 80) yards aran weight yarn in main color
50(60, 70) yards aran weight yarn in contrast color
US 3 (3.25mm) and 7 (4.5mm) sets of 4 double-pointed needles or size needed to obtain gauge and 4 sizes smaller
stitch marker
10" of waste yarn
yarn needle


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Saturday, January 9, 2010
The difference in a goal and a resolution
This year, I did not make any resolutions...instead, I made a goal, and so far I'm seeing a big difference. That could be because of the difference in me, or it is more likely due to the difference in resolutions and goals.
I've read plenty of articles on making good resolutions, but somehow I still always fail to keep my resolutions. Envisioning success, writing them down, making them measurable...nothing seemed to help. Perhaps this is because resolutions tend to carry with them a "DO or DON'T" mindset. If I vow to do something and then don't, I've blown it. If I vow to NOT do something and then do it, I've blown it again. There are just too many opportunities to fail. Goals on the other hand are different.
With a goal, if I don't reach it, I don't stop. I just keep trying. I talked to my students about this. Many of them play soccer or basketball and I asked them, if they were playing and missed the goal, would they just give up? Of course, the answer is no...you try again....and again.....and again....and, well, you get the picture. Goals carry in them the idea that if you don't reach your goal the first time, you keep on trying. Resolutions carry the idea of either you do or don't; one slip up and it's over.
With a resolution, if you don't accomplish it, you've failed. With a goal, I can see myself getting closer and closer to the target, even when I fail. It's a process, a learning and retraining process. It's so much easier to see that I am making progress with a goal. I may still miss the mark by a mile, but at least I'm closer than I was when I started...even if it's only by the tiniest fraction of an inch! The fact that I am even looking at the goal is progress, because it means I have a target to work toward. You've heard it said, those who aim at nothing hit it every time. I'm tired of hitting nothing.
This year, I have a couple of goals. I've put a calendar up to help me see how I'm doing toward reaching those goals. I've also made myself accountable in other ways....but the point is, even on days I do very little, I'm still doing SOMETHING toward getting closer to the mark.
Even if you haven't made a goal for this year, the year is young and there is plenty of year left! Make a goal. Think about it...the decisions you make today can make a difference in the year, the decade...even in your life! If somehow you wind up reading this article with very little year left - I still encourage you to make a goal. Make use of the time you have and get closer to the goal than you were before you started. There is no time like the present.
The difference in a resolution and a goal - it's never too late to work on getting closer to our goals. Join with me and we'll make a difference in our tomorrows. I like the way Paul, the author of Philippians put it:
Philippians 3: 12-16 (Message translation)
"I'm not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don't get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I'm off and running, and I'm not turning back.
So let's keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision—you'll see it yet! Now that we're on the right track, let's stay on it."
Posted by Donna at 9:29 AM
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Labels: christian living, goals, resolutions
Monday, January 4, 2010
How do we get there from here?
I guess being slightly ADD, or HD (High Def) has added to this problem. I have to ask my husband on a regular basis how to get started going somewhere. Oh, I don't have difficulty with the places I'm really familiar with, like work and church and the way back home....but places I go to only occasionally, like Meridian or Atlanta or ANYPLACE other than the norm...I have to ask which way I go to get started. He is always patient and tells me something like, "Go like you're going to Laurel..." or "Go past the convention center," or even "Go past the school where you work, but don't turn in there...just keep going straight." Once I'm on the road, I'm pretty good....make that pretty good if I have a map.
Well, this past week I read a verse from Romans 5 that really caught me off guard. It was talking about hope, something that we could all use a lot of this year! What struck me was the unexpected way you go to get there! Here, see for yourself: "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us." The emphasis part is mine, cause it is what caught my eye! I never thought of suffering as the road to hope before.
The translation I was reading at the time offered a bit of help. According to this translation, suffering was translated as 'thlipsis' (Strong's) and a further explanation was given that it meant "pressure, oppression, stress, adversity....imagine taking your hand on a stack of loose items and manually compressing them. That is thlipsis, putting a lot of pressure on that which is free and unfettered. Thlipsis is like spiritual benchpressing." Okay, so evidently the first leg on the journey to hope isn't at all what I had imagined...it is difficulty!
That suffering takes us through the next town on our journey - perseverance. This trip is tougher than I'd imagined. Perseverance means endurance....the ability to keep on keeping on. I know from running, one of the hardest parts is building up your endurance, and sometimes it comes down to mind over matter! My mind wants to quit long before my body reaches its limits. Please tell me I'm not alone in this battle. Surely others know what I mean.
The next town we come to on our trip is "character". We've all met some real "characters" in our life, but that's not what this word means. Here it means more strength of convictions. I heard once that "character is who you are in the dark when no one is looking." That's a pretty good definition. I knew that trials helped produce good character in us, but I'd never really thought of it as part of the route to hope.
Finally, we reach our destination...hope. According to Strong's, "hope is not a sense of optimistic outlook or wishful thinking without foundation, but it is the sense of confident expectation based on solid certainty." have you ever met someone who had that hope? I have, and come to think of it, they had all gone through some pretty tough times, yet with God's help, they had endured. They had a character that shines like the sun in the dark places, and no matter what, they had hope. It wasn't some Pollyanna attitude, it was based on what they knew...that no matter what - God is faithful.
This year, this decade....I hope you find your way from here to hope. You may not like all the towns you pass through on the way, but trust me - it's worth it. May your years be filled with hope that never fails.
Happy New Decade everyone.
Posted by Donna at 10:21 AM
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Labels: christian living, direction, hope
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Picking up trash and throwing aside the weights....
I asked her, "What if you walked into this building and there were candy wrappers, chip bags, and empty soft drink cans all over the floor? What would you do?" Her immediate reaction was, "Why, I'd pick them up of course." I could tell by the look on her face that as soon as she'd said it, she got to connection. We wouldn't dream of just walking past the junk at church, and since our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19) it's just as wrong to allow the junk to build up and clutter things there! It all begins when we open our eyes and allow ourselves to see that it's important to care for that which God has given us and the very temple where His Spirit lives! Not taking the time to care for that temple just doesn't agree with what we say we believe.
Well, I got excited when this thought came to me an I wrote it on the edge of my bulletin so I could blog about it later....that's when my pastor, Dwayne Higgason, started teaching about prayer for 2010. With one of his very first points, my ears perked up! What he was saying seemed to go right along with the random thoughts already turning in my head. Hebrews 12:1 - "Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us." Pastor brought up a point I don't think I've ever seen before...that conjunction 'and'. Most of us think of the weight that holds us back as sin, but in this verse, weight is a separate thing. It is those things from our past that hold us back...regrets, guilt, whatever. Yet some of us, even after we've been set free from our past, reach back and pick up the chains that once held us and carry them as we go. Take a minute and let that word picture sink in. We know we have been set free, yet we still carry the weight. It's time to let it go of the past so we won't miss the moment we have been given! I knew there was something more....I just couldn't quite put my finger on it...till I went for a run this afternoon.
I headed out the door all bundled up against the cold. I had on lined track pants, undershirt, long sleeved t-shirt, fleece jacket, fleece headband....I was still freezing, but I was determined to get in my run. For the first few steps, all that clothing served me well, but by the time I neared the half mile I was unzipping the jacket. As I closed in on the first mile, the jacket HAD to come off. Since it is a nice jacket and I didn't want to lose it, I tied it around my waist. The fleece headband came off, too. Each step of this run seemed to take more energy than I had, and with each step, that seemingly lightweight jacket got hotter and hotter around my waist and felt as if it weighed a ton. I didn't want to toss it aside and take the chance of losing it, so I just tottered along. That which had once served me well was now such a huge burden, but I hated to lay it down for fear it would be gone. That's when I started wondering how many things in my spiritual life have I hung on to fearing if I put them down, I'd lose them. Sometimes, we have to let go and move on trusting God to protect and provide.
Physically, mentally, spiritually - as we face the new year, it's time to look at ourselves, pick up the trash and throw the weight aside. Take care of that which you have been entrusted with. It's a new year...a new decade.... and the possibilities are endless!
Posted by Donna at 3:20 PM
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Saturday, January 2, 2010
Just how much does a doughnut weigh?
My point is, that doughnut couldn't have weighed more than 38 grams (I googled it) and that translates to 0.083775 lb (I also google this.) So how in the world did those 3 doughnuts which together only weighed about 0.25 of a pound cause my weight to go up 1 1/2 pounds this morning? They didn't even have sprinkles! That's a half pound per doughnut for crying out loud! This is NOT the kind of luck I needed. Maybe I should have checked on the countries that think round food is good luck. Perhaps in those countries, being pleasantly plump is considered a good thing!
The point is, I only slipped up a little...but I'm going to have to fess up and deal with the consequences. Getting mad at the injustice of it all isn't going to make the pounds go away. Yelling at my scale will not make the numbers go down....I know; I tired that already. The only thing that is going to make a difference is different choices.
Sometimes I make right choices, sometimes I don't choose quite so well. I really can't blame anyone else....no one held a gun to my head and made me pull in to that doughnut place. I have to take responsibility for my actions, not blame whatever is going on around me...not even the "they're hot" sign. The choices we make in life do make a difference, and they are far more important than whether or not to eat a doughnut. We are each given the same number of hours in each day, but it is up to us how we spend them. I can try to blame circumstances all day long, but ultimately it is my choice. The hard part is seeing past all the "flashing signs" that would try and distract us to what is really important.
We've all heard the analogy of putting the sand into a jar, then the pebbles, then the big rocks....they just won't fit that way. If, however, we put the rocks in first, then the pebbles, then the sand, somehow they all fit just fine. The rocks are the things that are most important in my life - God and my family, next come the pebbles - my job, my friends, my church (yes, I know that some may think these are more than just pebbles...I didn't say how BIG the pebbles were, they just aren't as huge as the rocks!) Finally comes the sand - all the other "stuff" that we fill our days with. The key is making sure we put the important "rocks" in first.
How did I get from doughnuts to choices and putting first things first? I'm not sure; it's just the way random thoughts work. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to take responsibility for my choices, and I've also got some doughnut pounds to run off!
Posted by Donna at 11:29 AM
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Friday, January 1, 2010
Resolutions for the New Year...
This is a year to get my house in order. Now, I don't mean the organizing thing, but I do hope that will somehow fall into place before I lose the children in the clutter. No, I mean something more, and the ten commandments keep coming to mind. For me, this is a year to focus on setting things in order so that I can truly STAND no matter what comes my way. I guess that means no matter what comes physically, financially, emotionally - whatever. This isn't some kind of gloom and doom feeling mind you. It's just that it's time to do some training and get ready to stand.
So, for the next year I'd like to try and focus on one commandment a month, with the last two months focusing on what Jesus said were the two greatest commandments. Just what will that mean? I have no idea, but you're welcome to join me in my discovery.
I looked up the commandments today - they are found in Exodus 20 for those who don't want to have to look it up in the concordance like I did. (I admit it! I had no idea of the exact "address" of the commandments! That's what Google is for!) The first commandment is "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." Seems simple enough. I'm guessing that this month I will find out more about this, perhaps discover some "gods" I have that I didn't realize existed! No other gods before Him....hmmmm. I have to ask myself, what things do I put before God? How many times have I said, "I'll do that after....?" I'll read my Bible after I ....., I'll dedicate more time to missions after......, I'll do what I feel God leading me to after......., Sometimes the word after is replaced by the word someday, but they mean the same thing.
My second goal is much easier. I've set a goal to go out for a run each day, even if it's only for a mile. After that mile, I have permission to stop if I want to, but I've got to at least go that first mile. As anyone knows, the first few steps are the hardest....sort of like it's hard to clear away the clutter of life and put God before everything else...but once you've done it, you're so glad you did.
Yep, I have a feeling it's going to be a pretty interesting year. Of course, I'll share what I discover with you, after I've figured it out.
Happy New Year everyone.
Posted by Donna at 9:56 PM
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text:
Renault Vehicules Industriels has again delayed the deadline for its stock takeover of Mack Trucks Inc.
The French automotive giant said yesterday it would accept shares from Mack stockholders through 9 p.m. Friday.
This is the second deadline postponement by RVI. The $6.25-a-share bid was pushed back from last Friday to today earlier this month.
If RVI does not have control over 90 percent of Mack's stock by Friday, the company has warned that the takeover bid will fail, and the Allentown, Pa.-based truck-maker may be forced into bankruptcy.
RVI, which already owned about 45 percent of Mack's stock, said that as of 5 p.m. last Friday, 19.9 percent of the outstanding stock had been tendered.


text:
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Pages: 416 pgs
Genre: Romance/Contemporary
Challenges-100+ Reading Challenge, Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge,2011 Contemporary Romance Reading Challenge
Buy this Book: Amazon, Powell's, Indiebound
Summary from Publisher:
Fame has its perks...
Reluctantly famous, First Officer Cole Langston finds being in the spotlight has its advantages-until he meets Olivia. Having women throw themselves at him everywhere he goes becomes a serious problem when he's trying to convince her she's the one...
And its price...
Olivia has trouble trusting a guy like Cole, and everywhere she turns she sees reasons to run. But he's the only man who's ever seemed to understand her as an artist and as a woman...
Cole is working overtime to prove to Olivia that he's serious, but her deep seated mistrust and his entourage of unwelcomed fans may be more than they can overcome...
My Review:
There are books—very few of them---that I read at a snail's pace just so they last longer because I am a speed reader. This was one of them. I was looking forward to this one like crazy and now that I've finished it, I know why. It's one of my favorite books that I have picked up this year. Prepare yourself for a gushy review.
I loved Olivia from the first page. Any woman could relate to Olivia. She was intelligent, thoughtful and a little insecure. I was cheering for her throughout the whole book especially with her art. Cole was also amazing. He had every reason to come off cocky and arrogant with a savior complex but he had this sweetness about him. He was one of the most tender and gentlemanly heroes I have come across in a while despite his harem of women.
My favorite part of the book was the constant push/pull relationship between Olivia and Cole. She was constantly worried about his faithfulness versus his playboy status and he was always trying to reassure her as to his love for her. With a lesser writer that would get annoying very quickly but with Marie Force's writing and these amazing characters, it just worked. The conflict was my favorite type-- well-placed and painful for a time but over quickly.
Needless to say, this goes in my "Highly Recommended" pile. I am looking forward to reading the other Marie Force book that I have stashed on my iPad.
*A copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher for review. My opinion is my own and has not been influenced in any way and any monies made from associate or affiliate accounts are recycled back into the blog.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Review: Everyone Loves A Hero by Marie Force
3 comments:
I so loved this book too. Beyond the sexy, funny, emotional contemp that it is, I also found it very romantic. I was alternately laughing, crying & sighing.ReplyDelete
Awesome review. I will have to check this one out.ReplyDelete
Thanks so much, Grace! I love your review and I'm so happy to hear you loved ELaH!ReplyDelete
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text: Involution ___________ Knock on the door. He answers. She steps in, hopeful... but already feeling strangely. She knows herself, knows what kind of pattern she slips into in situations such as this... and she recognizes the signs already. Now what has she done to elicit the puzzled look he gives her? ...she realizes that a familiar paralyzing pattern has begun. Can't think. Can't speak. Can't do. Her mind is erecting a huge protective isolating barrier around her. A box. In which she is safe. In which she is... Once upon a time this box had a use. That was long ago, when she (for the first time) realized what damage a human can do. What damage, with huge soul-shredding fangs. After the first gouge with shock and inward screams she willed the box into being. Inward. Never outward. Never. Outward. For a long while, the box made her survival possible. But now...the box is too small. It has become a trap. Ten thousand million words hurl themselves against its walls in an effort to escape. No. They fall to the boxfloor, stunned. Ten thousand million actions are aborted. The box will not allow them to be born... The night continues. They are walking, talking of nothing, really. ...she wants him to understand. She wants him to possess a vision capable of drilling through the opaque walls of the thing that contains her... See, she thinks. See. See. See. Please see me inside of here. I cannot reach out, I do not yet have the strength to claw my way out of this box. You must See. But he does not see. Of course... They sit. He maintains a cautious distance. She is aware of this. ...because over the years she has taught herself how to control her fear, to all outward appearances. Over the years she has managed to paint illusive pictures on the six sides of her box, and these are what he sees. Pleasing two dimensional pictures. Flat. So she wonders... does he think that I AM this box? I am not. I am not. I am Not. She begins to beat against the walls of the box. I am not this box. I am not. This box. Not. Not this box. A crack. A word escaping. Another. Another. Another. She is... trying. But she is failing. Not failing to communicate entirely, just failing to communicate anything that he can understand. He apprehends vaguely now the existence of something within the box, but is aware only of that thing's complete and utter strangeness... She has crossed his line. In an attempt to be polite he tells her he's enjoyed the night, but has an early morning appointment tomorrow... He wants no part of her strangeness. It unsettles him. What he had thought was her was not her... what he had thought was her was in reality only a container for something which is to him completely... alien He really must go now, he says. he really Must. Must go. Now. She stands... And not speaking of much at all they walk along a wall of virtual silence... he on one side, she on the other. Now, a door again. Hers. Stay in the box, he tells her. With his every movement and reaction, he tells her: Stay in. It's killing me, she doesn't tell him, although she so wants to. She wants to rip her prison to shreds with a huge, huge dagger So that she can breathe Outside...again. But she... she only smiles, and turns from him. Confused, he retreats. She refuses to hear the sound of him moving away hurriedly down the street. _________________________ l.gardner (posted Sept. 1994)


text:
A chemist stands, swirling an Erlenmeyer flask with a small sample of liquid in the bottom, holding the flask up to a Buret that drips liquid into it. It drips at a rate of about 1 drop every 2 seconds, and Oddly, the two liquids combining are clear, but each time the liquid from the Buret comes into contact with the liquid in the Erlenmeyer flask, a bright pink liquid evolves, and disappears in the swirling motion of the chemicals. Then, the chemist notices how the pink liquid dissipates at a slower rate, so he slows the rate in order to observe the reaction of every drop. One drop is added. The chemist swirls, and the pink disappears. Another drop is added. The solution in the Erlenmeyer begins to fully turn pink, but with a little swirling, it slowly goes clear. Almost there, the chemist allows half of a bead of liquid to form, and stops the rate entirely. He pulls out a stirring rod, and grabs the half-bead with it, then swirls it into the Erlenmeyer solution. The solution turns a mild shade of pink, but does not dissipate. The experiment is over -- but what just happened, and why was the chemist interested in it?
This was a description of a Titration experiment. This is an analytical tool for determining how much chemical stuff is dissolved in a known amount of liquid, and the bane of students in General Chemistry II. It combines the ideas of atoms, ions, dissolution, chemical reactions, and moles -- that's a lot of theory, and while I realize everyone knows what an atom is, I don't know if everyone will remember what an ion is, or why salt dissolves in water. Nonetheless, I don't think its absolutely necessary to fully understand these concepts to get the gist of what a Titration is all about.
Take some baking soda (do it!), and put some of it into two different cups -- I put 1/2 teaspoon into two coffee cups. Then fill one of the cups with water halfway, and the other one quarter of the way up with water. Break out the household vinegar, and a tablespoon, and drop one tablespoon of vinegar into each glass, and watch what happens. Keep doing this. (this can get messy, so it might be best to do this in the sink) This is a little rough, but when I did it at home, it seemed to illustrate the point -- you'll notice that bubbles stop forming with roughly equal amounts of vinegar, even though one cup has twice the amount of water in it. This suggests that the water has nothing to do with the reaction, just the baking soda and the vinegar.
That's because it's true -- the water is the medium through which the chemical reaction takes place, or in chemical parlance the "solvent". It's where the chemicals you're interested in float around, find each other, and react.
Just so you know, there is a chemical reaction going on between the water and the chemicals you're interested in, but it has nothing to do with the one that evolves the bubbles, and is called "Dissolution". Basically, it's what happens when you put sugar in your milk, or when you mix salt and water. The water molecule separates all the molecules packed together in that grain of sugar or salt and surrounds them, which is what renders them "invisible", since molecules are too small to see all by themselves.
Now, back to titration -- that's basically what you performed in the kitchen! But there are a few differences.For starters, chemist's use instruments that are known to produce better accuracy and precision. This is primarily a quantitative experiment, which leads to the next point of difference: Normally, the liquid in the Erlenmeyer flask has an unknown amount of chemicals you're interested in in it. You usually know that it's in water, or can easily tell, and you can tell what type of chemical you need to react with it with litmus paper. Further, when preparing a chemical to react with the unknown, you have complete control: You can measure the amount of chemical you dissolve into water. Then, you react a known amount of chemical with an unknown amount of chemical, and when the reaction doesn't happen anymore, you know that all of the unknown amount has reacted and that that unknown amount is equal to the amount of chemical you prepared to react with it.
One other little snag in this is, how do you know when a chemical reaction is complete? Most of them aren't as dramatic as the reaction between baking soda (Sodium Bicarbonate) and Vinegar (Acetic Acid). This is what the pink color was all about in the story above -- this is another chemical present in the mixture. It doesn't interfere with the reaction between the two chemicals you're interested in, but it changes color whenever your prepared chemical comes into contact with it. This way, if the pink disappears, you know that all of your prepared chemical reacted with the unknown chemical, and you continue. If pink stays, even just a little bit, then you know you've reached what is generally termed the "Equivalence Point" -- the point where a solution's pH changes dramatically from acidic to basic with the addition of a small amount of either an acid or a base.
This is why the chemist was taking so much care near the end of his experiment. It doesn't take a lot to accidentally go past the equivalence point. Even one little drop can add too much of your prepared chemical, and then your calculation for how much chemical amount was added will be off far enough that you'll have only a very rough idea of how much chemical amount was in the unknown, rather than a good idea.
Now, this can get much more complex, but the general idea holds: You have some unknown amount of molecules floating around in some water, and you want to know how many molecules are there. So you throw in a chemical that will react with those molecules, and when they're done reacting, you do a little math and figure out the unknown -- pssh, who says chemistry is hard to understand? It's just colors, numbers, and bubbles.
The Medicinal Chemist Jobs List: 138 positions
20 hours ago


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So we all heard 'Eye Of The Tiger' during Kim Davis' hate rally. Well the group, Survivor, ain't too happy about their song being used for Anti-Gay rally.
Billboard reports:
Survivor founding member and "Eye of the Tiger" co-writer Jim Peterik sent a statement to Billboard making clear that the band did not authorize the song's use at Tuesday's rally.
"I was very surprised and dismayed at the misuse of the song I co-wrote with Frankie Sullivan for Rocky lll," he said. "The song has motivated thousands through the years to reach beyond their limits. Its use for the release of Kim Davis does not support my views or my politics. I have contacted my publishers to make sure this usage is stopped immediately."
Sullivan, meanwhile, took to Facebook to let his followers know he did not support Davis' crusade. "We did not grant Kim Davis any rights to use 'My Tune -The Eye Of The Tiger.' I would not grant her the rights to use Charmin!" he wrote.


text:
Here's a point that came up recently following a talk by Arché visitor Dean Zimmerman on Molinism.
It can't be sufficient, to count as having control over someone else's actions, that their actions vary counterfactually with yours - that were you to F they would F, and were you to G they would G, etc.. For if this were the case we could have symmetric control. It might also be that were they to F you would F too, and so on. (Suppose that, necessarily, you F iff they do.) But you can't each be controlling the actions of the other - control is an asymmetric relation.
So what do we need in order to explicate the notion of control? It doesn't help to specify that exactly one of them is aware of the counterfactual relationship between his actions and the other guy's, and say the controller is the one who's aware. For one can perfectly well be aware that one's actions are being controlled by someone else (who is not aware of the fact).
Unsurprisingly, I think what we need to appeal to here is probably explanation. What matters is whose actions explain those of the other. You are in control just in case your actions explain the other guy's. Explanation brings with it the right kind of asymmetry, as well as making sense of the feeling that the controllee's actions depend upon the controller's.
Friday, January 27, 2006
Monday, January 16, 2006
I'm just about to start work on the final draft of my new paper on Fitch's Knowability argument, so I'm posting the current draft here to invite comments. The earlier Fitch paper of mine which I refer to can be found here and the forthcoming Kvanvig paper I talk about is online here.
Posted by Carrie Jenkins at 11:27 am 2 comments:
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text:
Adams State College spring 2010 registration has begun
Register now for Adams State College spring 2010 semester. Classes begin January 19, 2010.
A listing of courses available may be found by clicking on https://bannerweb.adams.edu/perl/schedule.pl.
For more information contact the One Stop Student Services Center at 719-587-7306 or 1-866-344-1687 or visit the Website http://www.adams.edu/onestop/.