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(Reuters) - Honeywell International Inc (HON.N) reported higher-than-expected fourth-quarter profit and revenue on Friday, as sales grew across its major segments.
The diversified U.S. manufacturer of aerospace parts and climate control systems backed its 2014 financial targets, set last month, but forecast first-quarter earnings below Wall Street's estimates.
"While we think it's prudent to remain cautious on the global economy at this time, we're increasingly confident in our 2014 outlook based on the momentum from the fourth quarter," Honeywell Chief Executive Dave Cote said in a statement.
Honeywell shares rose 1 percent to $90.70 in pre-market trading.
Edward Jones analyst Christian Mayes characterized the results as a "pretty good quarter," and said investors would likely now focus on the company's investor day in March, when Honeywell is expected to reveal five-year financial targets.
"That's where the focus where the stock is going to go," said Mayes, who rates the shares a "buy." "People will probably be excited about the numbers that will be revealed, given their history of doing so well and meeting the last targets."
Honeywell's fourth-quarter net income rose to $947 million, or $1.19 per share. That is up considerably from $251 million, or 32 cents per share, a year earlier, when the company recorded a large pension expense.
Excluding one-time items, Honeywell's earnings of $1.24 per share beat the average estimate of analysts by 3 cents, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
Revenue increased 8 percent to $10.39 billion, nearly $200 million ahead of estimates.
In its two largest segments, aerospace and automation and control solutions, profit rose 6 percent and 8 percent, respectively. Earnings increased 30 percent in its smaller performance materials and technologies segment, whose products include chemicals used in oil and gas production.
Analysts were also impressed with the performance of the company's relatively small transportation systems business, which makes turbochargers and where profit soared 41 percent.
Honeywell said earlier this month it was selling its friction materials business, which makes brake pads, to Federal Mogul Corp FDML.O for about $155 million.
Edward Jones' Mayes said transportation systems could have higher profit margins after the sale of the friction materials business.
Honeywell confirmed its 2014 financial targets, which include 8 percent to 10 percent growth in earnings per share and a 3 percent to 4 percent increase in sales.
However, the company forecast first-quarter earnings in a range of $1.23 to $1.27 per share, below Wall Street's expectation of $1.29.
Honeywell shares rose 42 percent in 2013, outpacing the broader markets.
Reporting by Lewis Krauskopf; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn and Bernadette Baum


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It's a good thing that Zest Air now operates only brand new turboprop planes and for the first time they acquired an Airbus plane as they are now expanding their routes. I happen to experience riding in their first Airbus A320 aircraft last December 2008 and the following are some of my rants and little praises for Zest Air.
* What a relief to finally see the Old Domestic Terminal with just several passengers. As far as I can remember even when I'm just about 4 years old on our way to Iloilo that the terminal is always full of passengers as it is the sole terminal of Philippine Airlines for all its domestic destinations. During the 1980's even at 2AM the Old Domestic Terminal is a bustling building because of people taking the "Bulilit Flights" of Philippine Airlines. Cebu Pacific Air outgrew the terminal and is now enjoying the vast space at Terminal 3.
* Check-in was fast. The flight was delayed by about 30 mins. but it is tolerable as it is the busy holiday season. No aerobridge when you board the aircraft as the terminal does not have them.
* I was assigned to seat 5A (I always request for a window seat) but inside the aircraft the flight attendants transferred all the passengers to occupy the middle part of the plane to distribute the weight & balance thing as the flight is just 1/3 full. In the end I was transferred to an aisle seat and I completely blame it on the check-in counter girl as it is her duty to distribute the passengers accordingly because she knows beforehand that we are only 50+ who will take that flight.
* I initially thought that their first Airbus A320 aircraft is brand new but I was wrong the very second I entered the aircraft just because of the smell... Yes, I know how a brand new airplane smells like. It didn't smell like a brand new airplane at all. Aside from that, the seats are not new as there is a cover on the back of the seat where a personal entertainment system of its previous owner might be placed. Then I saw the passenger safety information card, if you look closely on the picture below there is just a sticker of Zest Air covering the words JetBlue. I therefore conclude at that time that U.S.-based JetBlue Airways is the original owner of the aircraft. A funny thing is that it contains a Spanish translation targeted for the Hispanic passengers of JetBlue. I hope by now Zest Air replaced those safety cards as I think it is not that costly for an airline to print those cards so it can display their official company colors rather than the design which is only intended for JetBlue. If they want they can put a Filipino translation to replace the Spanish translation as it is more practical for a Philippines-based airline.
* The flight ended in a smooth landing at Mactan-Cebu International Airport. When it is time to deplane I was dumbfounded to know that we need to walk all the way to the terminal as Zest Air does not use the aerobridges which Mactan Airport obviously have unlike its terminal in Manila. I don't know why, maybe because the other gates with an aerobridge are reserved for other airlines or Zest Air just does not want to pay extra to access an aerobridge. Oh well, the weather is good at that time and I need a little exercise anyway.
* On the flight back to Manila it is such an inconvenience to passengers when only 1 check-in counter is open to accommodate all of us passengers. I'm still on queue 30 mins. before the official departure time and I found out that the flight is only half-full. It didn't stop there as the flight was delayed for 2 hours and they only announced it way past our scheduled departure time.
* For the inflight service back to Manila almost everything is the same as my previous flight.
Would I fly with Zest Air again? Why not? I had also bad experiences with Cebu Pacific, SEAIR and Philippine Airlines. I BELIEVE THAT THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A BAD EXPERIENCE AND A BAD AIRLINE. If Zest Air would not improve their Airbus service then that would be a different story and I would tell you again about it here in my blog. It's a good start that they are now operating with newer planes to all of their flights.

subset: commoncrawl


text: You might think it a bad idea to eat all these weird and raw meats — like diaphram. I did, too. So I trolled the streets of Tokyo until I found the world's only Parasite Museum. Sadly, everything was written in Japanese, and I couldn't find a single employee to translate. Not one. Just an unlocked door, and room after room of parasites, and no people. (Even the gift-shop was empty… parasite key-chains (real parasites!) stood waiting to be sold, but I left them there.)


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Monday, August 24, 2009
New Highlight Reel™: Best show for writer/producer J.J. Abrams
Time for another Highlight Reel™! This time it's J.J. Abrams, whose most famous works are the TV shows he created, Felicity, Alias, Lost and Fringe. He's also written some movies and produced others, but I'm going to leave off the latest Star Trek movie just because I feel like it and exclude Cloverfield because I'm feeling generous and don't want to get an aneurysm bringing out the big ugly stick on that movie a second time.
If my opinion were the only one that mattered, I'd call him the poor man's Joss Whedon, but his shows are more popular than Whedon's, so technically he's the rich man's Joss Whedon. It takes all kinds to make a world.
Voting will be open until next Monday morning. One vote per customer.
Posted by Matthew Hubbard at 4:18 AM
Labels: Highlight Reel™, TV
3 comments:
Yay for the avoided aneurism! We needs you around for more 'splainin'!
- August 24, 2009 at 9:16 AM
- dguzman said...
I never saw Felicity or Alias, and I only saw bits of episodes from the last season of Lost and was thoroughly convinced that one had to be on drugs to enjoy (or understand) the show.
Joss Whedon's so much better. But then you knew I was going to say that....
- August 25, 2009 at 11:01 AM
- Matty Boy said...
I'm pretty much in the same boat as you, dg, but I made it through a couple seasons of Lost on DVD before throwing my hands up in disgust, which is not the same as throwing up in my hands disgustedly. I tried Fringe, but not for long.
I haven't voted yet, but I may put in a deciding vote at the end if it's still close on Sunday.
- August 25, 2009 at 1:50 PM
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text:
12 x 12 Oil on Gessobord
Love the postures of this group of vacationers looking at the fish here at the lake. Even the dog had his rear to me :-) Thankfully, they were intent enough that they didn't pay any attention to me taking their picture. For me, this is what it's all about..Painting people doing what they do...Just hanging out. Another "Day in the Life."


text:
Trojan Charged Orgasmic Pleasure is a condom designed for maximum stimulation. This condom is covered in an intensifying lubricant made from l-arginine, maca and ginger, which provides a warming effect and makes it easier for both partners to reach orgasm.
Trojan Charged is a condom designed for smouldering, incredibly intense sex. This condom stands out due to its ribbed designed, which increases stimulation, as well as its unique lubricant which promotes orgasm for both partners.
Trojan Charged condoms are made from natural rubber latex and are electronically tested to ensure maximum reliability.
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Material: 100% natural rubber latex
Size: 54 mm nominal width - 212 mm long
Thickness: 0.07 mm
Contents: 10 Trojan Charged condoms


text:
Out with the toxic
Zululand Observer – 18 November 2011 (p23)
New mothers Nozipho Xaba, Nothando Mkhize, Fundaphi Gumede and
Sinenhlanhla Khubone threw away their old, toxic baby bottles, with
CANSA's Sr Eileen Bozas and Loriette Engelbrecht looking on.
A group of mothers received new baby bottles on Tuesday at the Empangeni Clinic as a part of the CANSA Free Exchange project. The exchange is part of a nationwide drive to see all infant bottles containing the harmful chemical Bisphenol A (BPA) eradicated.


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The advancement of technologies in the 20th century has radically transformed the interconnectedness of humans, science, and technology within an evolving society. Evolving Issues Surrounding Technoethics and Society in the Digital Age serves as an interdisciplinary base of scholarly contributions on the subject of technoethics, a field that deals with current and future problems that arise at the intersection of science, technological innovation, and human life and society. This premier reference work leverages ethical analysis, risk analysis, technology evaluation, and the combination of ethical and technological analyses within a variety of real life decision-making contexts, appealing to scholars and technology experts working in new areas of technology research where social and ethical issues emerge.The problem is more like this: how do you know that your neighbor is restoring a 1969 Ford Mustang in his garage, ... is proceeding at breakneck speed, both in academia and private industry (Warneke et al., 2001; Van Nedervelde, 2006).
|Evolving Issues Surrounding Technoethics and Society in the Digital Age
|Luppicini, Rocci
|IGI Global - 2014-06-30
You must register with us as either a Registered User before you can Download this Book. You'll be greeted by a simple sign-up page.
Once you have finished the sign-up process, you will be redirected to your download Book page.How it works:


text:
Tuesday, January 19, 2016
Seven Colors Series 2
paint the skin :)
Yellow! :D
O O O O O O O :O two-color! :O
White & Paint a line ;)
Eye :3
:.+*:.+*:.+* Completion *+.:*+.:*+.:
Seven Colors Series
Canvas on Acrylic paint. 606mm x 727mm. 70,000 yen
I am selling it in the GALLERY TAGBOT (international shipping is also possible)
Q - Does this series has sales of print works and goods?
A - I'm sorry, there is no such plan now. Only sales of the original.
5 more! Don't miss it! :D
:.+*:.+*:.+* Making the video *+.:*+.:*+.:
1 comment:
- Ana Marisol said...
Art Primo Shipping Speed?
Mailbox rental
- May 18, 2016 at 11:10 PM
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text:
For once I am going to try and watch the Red Carpet show for The Oscars. I usually miss it.
Today's winner for the $25 gift cert to Upper Case Living from my friend Torreh is…….Terri with Dessert or Diet email me at firstname.lastname@example.com
Thank you "T" for your generous giveaway this week.
I'd also like to thank the following sponsors. I am so fortunate that I am able to make a small income from this crazy blog of mine. I know some of you are bugged by ads…….I used to be one of those people….until I started spending so much time writing this blog…..time compared to a part time job. At least now when my floors don't get mopped, I can say I was working. I'm not talented enough to make anything you'd all like to buy, so it's ads for me.
So without further ado, I'd like to thank the following for their support of online women or products for women.
Oh how we love stamped jewelry. Can you really have too much fabric? I didn't get these new fangled candles at first, but now I'm a believer. Love mine.
Great jewels with personality.
He knows his site is not pretty, but it sure has some useful things for busy families.
This girl can sew! Great camera accessories.
We've had 10 new widget sponsors so far this month. We developed our widget just for you. This is a great inexpensive way to promote your blog on 100s of other blogs. If you're interested in joining our flock, you can learn more here.
So….who are you rooting for during the Oscars?


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I wanted to mention an awesome new blog called Sweet Figments. It's going to be a great blog that features handmade items along with interviews and other features Monday through Fridays. So go be sure to bookmark it or RSS feed it or whatever it is that you do, because you'll never know what GREAT surprises you'll see or find on there *hint hint*
Just need to give a big shout out to the Tiny Fig for putting that blog together.


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Isabel, my six year old daughter is seriously allergic to diary. Even though she has never tasted cheese, nor been able to enjoy milk and cookies I have tried to find alternatives for her so she never feels like she is missing out. This blog is a way for me to share my experiences with other moms and dads in a similar situation and to build up a record of recipes that Isabel can use herself as she grows up.


text: Now that the party has elected a new leader (After the death of Dimble), they decide to attempt to locate exactly where Vrey is. Sion leads the party to the kingdom of Colme to return a few jewels found in a sewer earlier. The town unfortunately was cursed with a plague, luckily our heroes cured it with some minor complications. Sion then returned the jewels to the princess somehow this leads to the marriage with said princess.. After being distracted in the Colme for 3 months Vrey attacks the city with his army of undead warriors. Luckily with the help of the heroes Vrey's army is defeated (largely because of Seana) and the city is restored. Some how during the battle the Queen was assassinated, leaving Sion heir to the throne. King Sion and his party now set off for there long journey to find Vrey.


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4 comments:
huge scanners are awesome...my work has a giant one...hmmm, i wonder if i could pull some strings...it's for scanning in blueprints up to 24x17 i think...ReplyDelete
very nice page...
I bought a scanner early this year and it's a god send!ReplyDelete
You know, I actually discovered Bored to Death the same weekend I discovered your book Emitown. I can't decide which I like better. Also, my brother and his wife told me you live in their same building? I stayed there over this last weekend and got a huge kick out of all the references to Ground Kontrol and the Matador and everything around Burnside. I <3 your comics!ReplyDelete
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I was watching the Bulls take on the Heat in Miami tonight just like a lot of NBA fans and was shocked to see TNT's camera zoom in on the hot blonde babes in the stands.
I guess the TNT cameraman did not know they were back on the air. I wonder what his excuse is for zooming in on the hot women of Miami and checking out their cleavage?


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Status: Closed
Know more about this business than we do? Cool! Please submit any corrections or missing details you may have.Help us make it right
A Toyota Dealer selling Toyota Cars, Trucks, SUV's Vans, Service and Parts in Montgomery, Alabama
Welcome to Reinhardt Lexus, where our customers are as special as our cars. We invite you to come to Reinhardt Lexus and engage in the Lexus experience. Whether you come in to drive a new or Certified Pre-Owned Lexus, or get help with financing, leasing, or service, you will see how Reinhardt Lexus gives you the customer service you deserve. Lexus ownership is like nothing else. Come experience...
A Toyota Dealer selling Toyota Cars and Parts in Montgomery, Alabama
Be the first AL.com user to add photos or videos of Reinhardt Motors
Derrick T. was very nice and helpful, they found the issue and made the repair. Very clean operation and new waiting room with big screen.
Well I've only experienced the service department so far my Lexus is actually still there being worked on. Kevin has been an outstanding advisor thus far.
Since 1940, Reinhardt Motors, Inc. has been providing Retail - Automobiles, New And Used from Montgomery. Reinhardt Motors, Inc. is incorporated in Alabama.
Payment Options: Cash, Visa, Master Card, American Express, Discover, Personal Checks, Financing


text:
Cintia Dicker
born December 6 1986, is a Brazilian model born in Campo Bom, Rio Grande do Sul.
She has appeared in advertisements such as Macy's, L'Oréal and in catalogs for Victoria's Secret. She has been on the covers of French Marie Claire, Elle and Brazilian Vogue/Teen Vogue, and was featured in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition in 2009, 2010, and 2011. She has also walked for designers such as Gucci and Dolce & Gabbana.
xxo Jess


text:
Click Here To Buy It Now - $50, oil on gessobord, 6x6 inches
I have no idea what these trees are so I've dubbed them Flower Trees. This is a photo from another early morning walk in California when visiting my daughter. The neighborhood boulevards are lined with these beautiful trees, it's like having huge flower arrangements in front of your home. And the tree shadows in the early morning light are amazing. This is another painting where I had fun pumping the colors, which seems to be the trick when working from photos.
Due to the limitations and inconsistencies of various display monitors, the colors you see on your screen may not be a totally accurate reproduction of the actual painting but I work to get the best likeness possible.


text:
Some time recently, Gabriel invented a new animal called the Ogwert. Often in lieu of a bedtime story, he will want instead to talk about Ogwerts which means I ask him questions and he answers. In this way, I have learned the following:
Ogwerts are like very small frogs. They are green with black spots. They have round circle tails. They live in treetops in the jungle, making nests out of hay. They do not lay eggs, but have their babies live. They wear little swim shoes but no other clothes. They go to church, but not to school. They drive little cars. They also love music - they play drums, flutes, and guitars. They don't speak English or Spanish, but just say "RABBAT" (very loudly). They like to be wet, so they enjoy swimming and taking baths.
The Spanish word for Ogwert is "ogweta" (not, as I mistakenly believed, ogwerta. When I mispronounced it one time Gabriel emphatically told me, "don't wiggle your tongue! Just say the 'T' sound!")
Valerie is not allowed to talk about Ogwerts, apparently only Gabriel knows about them, so she invented a similar animal called an Ofwert. The Spanish word for Ofwert is Olera.
We will keep you updated as further scientific discoveries are made.
6 days ago


text:
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Information is power
(Think the printing press was a game changer? Just wait.)
6 comments:
- Alan said...
Only "Mostly Free", now.
- January 24, 2010 at 2:10 PM
- Old NFO said...
Agree with Alan... and those are declining at a fast rate...
- January 24, 2010 at 5:40 PM
- Jenny said...
fingers in the dike.
This is gonna be the awesomest century evar.
... wouldn't be surprised if we beat out the last one for raw bodycount though. Hope not.
- January 24, 2010 at 11:11 PM
- Mulliga said...
It seems like censorship goes part and parcel with the nanny state. Heck, even Canada has a heavy-handed attitude toward "hate speech."
- January 24, 2010 at 11:29 PM
- Ed Skinner said...
I visited the PRC professionally a few years ago and was quite surprised to learn that college students knew nothing of what is, to us, the famous Tienanmen Square uprising with its world-known photograph of a protester facing-down a tank. My asking about this incident drew puzzled looks from the three students I was having dinner with. I hope they are not now in prison for following up and trying to relieve their ignorance.
Knowing that we don't know, is the first step.
Ignorance is not safe. On the contrary ...
- January 25, 2010 at 10:15 AM
- Ed Skinner said...
To clarify my point, students in the PRC didn't know that they didn't know about the Tienanmen Square uprising.
How will we know that we don't know?
(A little paranoia can be a good thing!)
- January 25, 2010 at 11:13 AM


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Up to 124 people have been killed in a blaze that ripped through a clothes factory in Bangladesh on Saturday night, reports the Independent.
The fire in the Tazreen Fashion seven-storey building on the outskirts of the capital, Dhaka, forced 12 workers to jump to their deaths from the upper floors.
According to the BBC, the blaze was brought under control by Sunday morning and one hundred bodies had been recovered from inside the factory.
A large crowd of anxious relatives had gathered outside waiting for news, reports the Guardian.
Bangladeshi officials suspect an electrical fault was responsible for the blaze.


text:
From Zero To "Hiro"
Geeky Japanese office worker Hiro Nakamura on NBC's Heroes has quickly become one of the most beloved characters on network television. For Masi Oka who plays Hiro in the hit series, it is a dream come true.
The actor who was originally born in Japan and moved to the US at the age of six has, just like his on-screen alter ego, always been passionate about comic books. That is why it does not get any better than being on a show that feels looks and feels like one.
Oka's breakout character has generated a lot of buzz as Heroes became the #1 new show this season not only across a variety of demographic groups including teenagers, but also among viewers overall. The show has recently crossed the 16 million mark.
Enjoying his new-found fame, Masi Oka has made several public appearances, including the one on NBC's morning show "Today". As pictured above, the actor (with his co-star Milo Ventimiglia) "showed off" the time-bending and teleporting talents of his character, or rather the facial expressions that accompany the use of those talents, right in the heart of New York City, where Hiro started his journey to save the cheerleader and the world.
Return to the TELEVISIONISTA.Net Homepage
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Read more about NBC's HEROES
Check the latest RATINGS report
Check our HOLIDAY TV GUIDE
Read more about NBC's HEROES
Check the latest RATINGS report


text:
Essencial Oil 80ml Apple Essential Oil Reed Diffusers Oil Ratten
We are professional manufacturer for scented candle, Making fragrance products only!
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text:
Windows has an inbuilt tool which allows you to control startup programs.
- Go to Start
- Click on Run
- Type msconfig
- Press Enter
Once you have the program opened, go to the Startup tab at the top (the last tab). Here you'll find a list of programs that are set to start with Windows. The ones that are checked are currently the ones that start with Windows. Un-tick any programs in the list you do not wish to have run when Windows boots.
If you are not sure what a program is in the list, you should probably leave it checked.


text:
Charitable Recipient for TTL2
Pencil Tip Publishing is pleased to announce that our charitable recipient for the Temporal Logbook II will be MDABC (Mood Disorders Association of British Columbia). The MDABC is a nonprofit organization that provides treatment, support, education, and hope of recovery for people living with a mood disorder. We serve to build awareness and understanding in… Continue reading Charitable Recipient for TTL2


text:
Snow is falling. It's falling in large flakes, the kind that are soft and silent and beautiful. It is magic out there, reminding me of magic that seems to have gone from inside of me. It's as if I'm looking out into the snowy street and into a past fog of emotional imagination that most of my life consisted of. What is left, besides the memories? I have memories of things that never were, of scenes that were described in books and media and given life inside my head. And the snow is falling in this grungy city now, for real. It is 1:36 in the morning and it's really happening. But the relentless imagination continues unfulfilled, creating more lively realities in me with such desperately energetic longing. It's why sometimes my body feels like a husk.
Time for me is not linear. Change comes sideways and from the sky, too. It's as if moving forward in time and the realities that come from a particular moment in time are separate from the space in which we have maneuvered ourselves. And so I've been waiting for the time when I will be put into the reality that I've been dreaming of, where I can expand into my new body and circumstance comfortably, out of this inconvenient, crowded meandering.
I have conceded, at least intellectually, that in order to live an imagined reality I must create it and build it. It would be so much simpler if there were only one inside my head. But the falling snow lands anywhere it wants and it tumbles, it tumbles as it falls. Flakes collide, meld, melt, freeze, crystallize, break apart, drift, tumble, tumble. They fall where they will.
In the sodium glow of the street lights the snow falls on cars parked along the sidewalks. The dirty sidewalks and their trash and litter are covered by the snow, undisturbed in the night. I see romances, crimes and violence, mystery in generous helpings. Most of all, at least tonight, I see adventures. These adventures are marked by old lusts and outward urges that I thought had gone away, but have risen to the surface as if unchanged by time. Fresh. They are marked by a blank vision of the future and abandonment of the past. What is left is pure fire, hearty and steadfast. I can feel it in my chest so clearly now. There's a real sense of power.
With these visions I remember that I have forgotten the fact of freewill. I act without an acknowledgement or awareness of the will inside the things I do. These things are called decisions. I've almost forgotten I have that power. To decide.
And suddenly the vision is gone. My eyes were following one of the flakes of snow and it became one of the mass. It's just snow falling, precipitation. It will be frustrating to pick up my laundry tomorrow. I'll have to get up earlier than I'd like so that I have time to finish my school work. I must remember to go to a cash machine on the way to the Laundromat. I should also make time to visit the Registrar's office. I know how hard it is for me to get up so I should force myself to sleep now.
I secretly hope that the snow will still be falling in the morning.


text:
When we appeal to the consolation that life goes on anyway, we do not actually look forward for new experiences. In fact, we expect that the rest of our life would bring us similar experiences which those we left away.
The common experiences which keep us into them have not a linear development: we do not go from a point to another one. They have a circular nature. We can stay longer only in those states which repeat themselves constantly.
For instance, we walk through the repetition of our steps, we work through the repetition of the days of work, and we love through the repeated physical or mental presence of the same person in our life.
All these are performed by using the visible round parts of our body: the roundness of our limbs and fingers, the round parts of our face which is primarily involved into the social activity of working, or the roundness and curves of the sexual organs. Thus, we bear a physical reflection of our circular activities.
When we cease those activities, our sight of the future is imbued with the physical roundness of our body. The optimism arises from the impossibility to believe that our round body can be used for other activities than those common circular experiences we have known in the past. Even when we have the pessimistic feeling that we will fall down in the future, we imagine that we will roll to a certain edge. Only other people will see clearly that we simply fell (notice that the obituaries tell about someone's life in a linear, chronological way).


text:
The adults around here were down for 10 days with a bad and somewhat strange two-wave cold. One of us had a man cold. Which, of course, meant I had more to do and couldn't rest at all.
I did a little bit of quilting on the never-ending Halloween quilt (not finished, again). This week, though I made this for my older son's class Winter Market. They (er...we) are raising money for Science Camp in March.
It's just a small baby blanket made from 2 chunky mystery yarns that I got last summer when Stitches was having their closing sale. I used a simple granny until I ran out of yarn, basically.
Next up? Ten small handmade items for younger son's Winter Faire kids' market. And more for older son's Winter Market. And for younger son's Winter Faire Crafter's Booth. And I must finish my nephew's baby afghan before Christmas, when we will be seeing him.
I have been itchy to get at the sewing machine, but not sure that will be happening soon!


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and a Minister, to boot
Mohd. Nazri Aziz
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department
Excerpts: Read here for more on Malaysiakini and here
An Out-of-Touch Government
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz said there is NO crisis in the judiciary and neither is there any scandal involved.
And he blamed the opposition for creating the scandal in order to erode public confidence in the judiciary.
"No crisis, no problems. I don't see any scandal. These are all efforts by the opposition to create distrust and erode public confidence in the judiciary," he added.
Lawyers said, "Yes, there is a crisis, minister" , in response to de facto law minister Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz's statement yesterday that there is no crisis in the judiciary nor any scandal involved in the controversial VK Lingam tape.
Malaysiakini spoke to lawyers and an academician who unanimously agreed that the crisis is beyond just the video clip and the minister should not be making such statements. Read here for more


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Well, as you can see from the title that we went to cornbellys.
Cornbelly's is a place you can do Fall activities, like a kids cornmaze
and other fun activities...
if you look at the picture, you can see we aren't smiling, lol.
If you look close to the picture you can see that we have a piece of hay
in our mouths. And so, we can't really smile with it in there, so...
This is me driving the Princess to her castle. I wanted to look spooky with a cape on.
By the way, the seat was pretty warm and cozy, lol...
This rocking chair makes me feel like I'm SO small! Like a mouse! lol
I thought this was pretty cool, because, well...Dad decided to take us on a bus drive.
What if the tractor was actually working??! Don't you think we're going to go
round and round and round?
My favorite part was the pig races. We got to pet the pig that was laying down
in the hay being lazy. I also got to go in a scary lizard's body!
It made weird breathing noises.
It was good weather when all of this happened...not too cold,
and not too hot. I wished we could get some ice cream cones or something.
I LOVE Cornbelly's!
I hope we can go back next year!


text:
The MOT was due on the Mini so I booked it in with the friendly local chaps, crossed my fingers, hoped for the best and set off to walk home on Tuesday afternoon. The sun was shining, it was warm and quite delightful so rather than stride out with a power walk or attempt to jog home I decided a mindful walk was what I needed to enjoy the Spring afternoon to the full. It is amazing to take in and appreciate the detail I drive past daily and see the beauty that surrounds us. The first flowers I found were right by the garage where I left the Mini.
Despite walking passed several brave blooms that I wanted to photograph I felt scrabbling around in the front gardens of others was a little inappropriate so I waited until I was at The Lakes
The last of the snowdrops were just about hanging on- I do so love them, there is something very special about these delicate flowers.
Alongside these last valiant flowers were wood anemones and crocuses. Another name for this little flower is smell fox due to the musky smell of the leaves.
The Lakes are always so peaceful to walk through and I feel blessed to live so close to this lovely spot.


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"It doesn't help that so much "news" coverage -- as opposed to commentary that is explicitly opinionated -- nowadays takes place in a partisan context." - Pot, meet Kettle.
By Dell Hill
It took me over an hour of tears-streaming laughter to put this post together. Sometimes, the funniest things are written totally by mistake...But, this wasn't a mistake, it was written by a writer who is desperately seeking a position in the Obama administration (like so many others have done successfully) and I warn you to put down any liquid refreshment before reading further.
The following line, which appears at the bottom of this comedic revue, should have been posted at the top!
(Jonathan Alter, a Bloomberg View columnist, is the author of "The Promise: President Obama, Year One." The opinions expressed are his own.)
"President Barack Obama goes into the 2012 with a weak economy that may doom his reelection. But he has one asset that hasn't received much attention: He's honest.
The sight of Texas Governor Rick Perry tumbling out of the clown car recently as a "birther" (or at least a birther- enabler) is a sign of weakness, not just for the Perry campaign but for the whole Republican effort to tarnish the president's character.
Although it's possible that the Solyndra LLC story will become a classic feeding frenzy, don't bet on it. Providing $535 million in loan guarantees to a solar-panel maker that goes bankrupt was dumb, but so far not criminal or even unethical on the part of the administration. These kinds of stories are unlikely to derail Obama in 2012. If he loses, it will be because of the economy -- period.
Even so, the president's Teflon is intriguing. How did we end up in such a scandal-less state? After investigating the question for a recent Washington Monthly article, I've been developing some theories.
For starters, the tone is always set at the top. Obama puts a premium on personal integrity, and with a few exceptions (Tim Geithner's tax problems in 2009) his administration tends to fire first and ask questions later. The best known example is Shirley Sherrod, the Agriculture Department official who was mistakenly fired by her boss over a miscommunication that led higher-ups to believe -- wrongly -- that she had made inappropriate racially tinged remarks. In several other cases, the decision to give staffers accused of wrongdoing the boot was made within hours, taking the air out of any possible uproar.
Mixed Results
But the White House's intense focus on scandal prevention has had mixed results. The almost proctological vetting process has ended up wounding Obama as much as prospective nominees. He gets cleaner but often less imaginative officials. The kind of swashbuckling figures from the private sector who might have, say, come up with a far more ambitious job-creation plan often don't bother to apply for government service these days.
The vigilance about wrongdoing has worked better when it comes to oversight of the $787 billion stimulus program. The money might not always have been spent on the right things. But a rigorous process supervised by Vice President Joe Biden, and made transparent with the help of recovery.gov, has prevented widespread fraud and abuse.
A Media Problem
Unfortunately, we might not know of scandals in stimulus spending or elsewhere because of changes in the news business. For today's media, talk is cheap and reporting is expensive. That means we get more chatter and less scrounging for official wrongdoing.
In the past, many of those scandal stories originally came from congressional investigators and others with subpoena power. But with the demise of the Office of Independent Counsel, a fount of information for reporters from the Reagan to the Clinton eras, the machinery of scandal-hunting began crumbling.
It doesn't help that so much "news" coverage -- as opposed to commentary that is explicitly opinionated -- nowadays takes place in a partisan context. Fox News has tried to flog stories on manufactured controversies like "policy czars" in the White House (which go back to the 1970s) or whether it was wrong for Elizabeth Warren to consult with state attorneys general on their lawsuits against mortgage lenders. (It wasn't.)
Every time Representative Darrell Issa, the Republican from California who leads a House investigative committee, calls the Obama administration "corrupt" without offering any evidence, he hurts his cause. It's much harder to make a story register as a bona fide scandal when the political motivation is so obvious.
It's also harder to find room for such stories when so much other news is breaking. Scandals like the Monica Lewinsky affair were almost a luxury of good times, when the nation could afford to obsess about a blue dress. Not these days.
These factors are all relevant, but the ultimate explanation can be found at the top.
According to a metric created by political scientist Brendan Nyhan, Obama set a record earlier this month for most days without a scandal of any president since 1977. The streak probably won't last, especially if he gets a second term, where scandals are more common. But the impression of rectitude will be part of the voters' assessment of him next year. He'll need it.
(Jonathan Alter, a Bloomberg View columnist, is the author of "The Promise: President Obama, Year One." The opinions expressed are his own.)
You only have to read the very first comment on this outrageous stack of lies to appreciate the fact that most of us are not fools.
If the author truly considers Obama as scandal free, he must consider Richard Nixon as an absolute saint. Fast and furious alone would be enough for the liberals to be screaming for any GOP president's head and execution. So would Solyndra. So would LightSquared. So would bombing a soverign country without congress approval (an impeachable offense) So would assassinating American citizens on foreign soil. The last two have America's approval, but if it were a GOP president who had done it . . . so looooong. We haven't even mentioned campigning by Mr. President himself and his entire staff on the taxpayers dime. But, he's the liberal media darling, so he can do no wrong. No scandals indeed.


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In case you missed my post about it on Saturday...
My latest poetry collection "The Ocean's Lullaby And Other Poems" is now officially released!
The eBook version is already available to buy, and the paperback will become available soon (hopefully by the end of July). I have the physical proof on the way to me at this very moment, but it usually takes a couple of weeks to arrive, and then - assuming it all looks OK - I have to approve it.
Speaking of my books... I'd like to say a big thank you to fellow poet, Kevin Morris, for the post he did about my books being in paperback now, as well as the post he did about my latest release.
I'd also like to thank Chris The Story Reading Ape, for re-posting both the post about the paperbacks, and the post about my poetry book being released.
Also, thank you to anyone else who re-posted these posts, re-tweeted my tweets about them, etc.
Oh, and, thank you to anyone who has recently brought copies - in either eBook or paperback - of any of my books!
Don't forget about the 2016 Smashwords Summer/Winter Sale!
My books are enrolled at 50% off. But - as I mentioned in my post about it at the start of the month - my books aren't the only ones, and some of the authors have their books free during this sale.
The sale ends on July 31st 2016, so grab your eBook bargains while you can!
I've signed up for the KidLit Summer School on Nerdy Chicks Write. I've never done it before, though apparently it's been going on for a couple of years. I'm having fun with it so far; the exercises are cute and fun.
Author and book news for children's author and poet, Victoria Zigler, as well as general news from the life of the Zigler family; furry and otherwise!
Wednesday, July 13, 2016
#Writing Wednesday - July 13th 2016
2 comments:
- Intense Guy said...
I'm really happy all your books are in print now! I need to buy some of them!
- Wednesday, July 13, 2016 9:48:00 pm
- Victoria Zigler said...
I'm really happy they are too... Thanks for helping with that!
- Wednesday, July 13, 2016 10:20:00 pm
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text:
Friday, September 5, 2008
Logo Reaction!
8 comments:
- And One said...
OK, Paulie Danger (World Hoops) is right. You guys are hilarious. Welcome to the Interweb world of sports bloggers. Please, please, please do an interview for And One.
cihastings @ gmail dot com
- September 8, 2008 at 5:31 AM
- Alex said...
make some t-shirts out of this...
- September 8, 2008 at 8:37 AM
Very very very funny take on probably the worst logo in all of sports. Almost as funny as the joke the NBA is springing on the country by telling us OKC really is a major league city. LOL LOL LOL
- September 10, 2008 at 7:59 PM
- liquidkodak said...
well, we sold all our season tickets and now have a waiting list. the only other teams with a waiting list in the NBA, Lakers, Celtics, and Suns. I'd say that is pretty major league.
- September 12, 2008 at 12:41 PM
- liquidkodak said...
but with that said, the logo IS horrible.
- September 12, 2008 at 12:42 PM
Any team could sell out an have a waiting list when they are "stolen" from one town and moved to a town that has not had an NBA franchise EVER...
That's not really saying much...
The Lakers, Celtics, and Suns are story franchises, with HUGE fan bases that have maintained fan stability for decades.
Your team is BRAND NEW, and fresh off all the DRAMA with being "stolen" by crooks. Of course the first year will be that way. Let's see how you do in 5 -10 years or so...
Comparing the "OKC Joke" to legends like the Lakers, Suns, and Celtics is a complete disgrace to those teams.
By the way, I want one of these shirts too...
- September 14, 2008 at 8:40 PM
- liquidkodak said...
Out of all fairness, the "sooners" are thieves as the name is given to people who hid on plots of land and waited for the land run to start so they were already there "sooner" then anyone else, also the capital of Oklahoma was Guthrie before the seal was stolen and placed in Oklahoma City. So Oklahoma doesn't necessarily look down on thieves, especially since it was originally where they moved all the Native Americans from the east to after they stole their land. With that said, Bennett always had intentions of moving the team to OKC. I'm not sure who the owner was of the SuperSonics but he should have known that when he sold it to him, or Seattle should have put up the money for the stadium. In the end, Stein wanted a team in OKC ever since he saw them sell out Hornets games for two years and what the commish wants the commish gets.
- September 15, 2008 at 6:58 AM
- NBA Fan said...
I will say that I agree with what the person above me said as far as the old owner of the Sonics (by they way it was Howard Schultz, owner and founder of Starbucks),
I'm from Seattle, and many of us do think clay is a complete moron. However, many of us also place a heavy blame on Howard for selling the team. Many fans are boycotting Starbucks because of it.
He is not looked upon very well in Seattle right now.
- September 15, 2008 at 8:14 PM


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We always had an area that we are allowed to roam and play, usually within a two block radius of the house. Being caught beyond those boundaries meant a good ass whipping and confinement to the house for a period of time. My mother had a special whistle when she wanted us to come home and everyone in the neighborhood knew the sound of that whistle. I'm not referring to the type of whistle that a football referee uses. I'm talking about pursing one's lips and whistling. Nevertheless, Mom's whistle could be heard from blocks away and the old "I didn't hear your whistle" excuse usually fell on deaf ears. The weekend before Easter, Mom would take us to the store and buy us new clothes for Easter Sunday. Sister Jeanne always got a pretty new dress and shoes and Brother Kirt and I either got a new suit (pictured above) or new shirts for our older suits. We pretty much knew that our Sunday school clothes were never going to be worn to school and were reserved for church. While Mom was interested in having the children look nice at church, we were much more interested in getting home from church for the Easter egg hunt.
Mom always took special care in preparing our Easter baskets, making sure that each kid's basket was exactly the same. She would out the "special egg" that we wrote our names on in the front of the basket so we would know which basket was ours. There were some small creme candy eggs that were covered in chocolate, but the insides were white and each had it's own flavor. Besides the chocolate rabbit, the Reese's peanut butter eggs were my favorites. I can close my eyes and still taste them.....
Friday: Going to church on Easter Morning. To be continued..... The News As I See It: During a fund raising trip to California, some young Republicans took the Republican Party credit card to a club in Hollywood that has nude dancers doing bondage shows. Usually when Republicans find themselves in dark rooms with whips and chains, it's in Dick Cheney's basement. It must be very embarrassing for the people involved. I'm sure the strippers didn't want anyone to know they were hanging out with politicians. President Obozo made a surprise visit to Afghanistan this weekend. I guess after 14 months in Washington, he wanted to go somewhere where there was less fighting. It was a pretty quick trip. In fact, it happened so fast, Joe Biden didn't even get a chance to say something stupid about it. Actually, Biden isn't very bright to begin with. He showed up at the White House Passover Seder with a bunch of ham sandwiches.
The president met with Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai. Obama demanded more accountability, a crackdown on corruption, and a better government. He said that if it works in Afghanistan, he's going to try it in the United States. Obozo also said this week that adjustments will need to be made to the new healthcare law. In fact, it's getting so many adjustments, Obozo's now calling it "the Heidi Montag of congressional bills."
Sarah Palin has been campaigning for select Republicans including John McCain, who's in a tough Senate race in Arizona. How does he introduce her? "And now the young woman who cost me the presidency."
Former NFL coach Jimmy Johnson is touting Extenze, a scam that claims to make the male penis larger. Either Johnson needs money badly or he is as stupid as he acts. Since Johnson is an egotistical dick, It will be interesting to see if, by using Extenze, he gets taller.
Ricky Martin recently announced that he is gay. On his Web site, he wrote "I'm a fortunate, homosexual man." That's like Larry King coming out as "old." I think it's safe to say that this was a case of "Didn't need to ask, didn't need to tell." Sandra Bullock and her husband may get a divorce. Even people who thought Ricky Martin was straight saw that one coming.
This Date In History: 1492; Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain expelled Jews who would not accept Christianity. 1889; The Eiffel Tower in Paris officially opened. 1917; The United States took possession of the Virgin Islands. 1918; Daylight Saving Time went into effect in the United States. 1949; Newfoundland became Canada's tenth province.
1959; The Dalai Lama, fleeing Chinese repression of an uprising in Tibet, arrived at the Indian border and was granted political asylum. 1968; President Lyndon Johnson announced that he would not run for re-election. 1995; Mexican-American singer Selena Quintanilla-Perez, 23, is shot by the president of her fan club in Corpus Christi, Texas.
1995; Major League Baseball players agreed to end the sport's longest strike in history after a judge ordered a preliminary injunction against team owners. Picture Of The Day: Easter pictures dominate this week and I can't envision a more pleasant scene than a child waking up on Easter Sunday to see what the Easter Bunny brought.
Printable Things I Never Told You: 1) When I was young, I asked my father what Easter Bunny helpers get for making a basket? He told me, "Two points, just like anyone else." 2) One thing I enjoy about Easter is that I can hide my own eggs. 3) When one breeds an angora rabbit with an Easter Bunny is that a cross hair? 4) A receding hairline is ten rabbits marching backward. 5) There's nothing better than a good friend, except a good friend with chocolate.....and that's five !
Birthdays: My pal Jackie in Alabama. Happy Birthday Baby! René Descartes, scientist, philosopher 1596, Franz Haydn, composer 1732, Nikolai Gogol, short-story writer, novelist 1809, Robert Wilhelm Bunsen, scientist 1811, Jack Johnson, boxer 1878, Octavio Paz, poet and critic 1914, Cesar Chavez, American labor leader 1927, Albert Gore, Jr., former vice president 1948. The AREA 51 Retirement Home Bar and Grill: An old man walked into a crowded doctor's office. As he approached the desk, the receptionist asked, "Yes sir, may we help you?" The old man said, "There's something wrong with my dick." The receptionist became aggravated and said, "You shouldn't come into a crowded office and say things like that." The old man said, "Why not? You asked me what was wrong and I told you." The receptionist said, "We do not use language like that here. Please go outside and come back in and say that there's something wrong with your 'ear' or whatever."
The man walked out, waited several minutes and reentered. The receptionist smiled smugly and asked, "Yes?" The old man said, "There's something wrong with my 'ear'." The receptionist nodded approvingly, "And what is wrong with your ear, sir?" The old man said, "I can't piss out of it."
A young mother paying a visit to a doctor friend and his wife made no attempt to restrain her five-year-old son, who was ransacking an adjoining room. But finally, an extra loud clatter of bottles did prompt her to say, "I hope you don't mind Johnny being in there." The doctor calmly, "No, he'll quiet down when he gets to the poisons." The Hits Just Keep On Coming: A middle-aged woman seemed sheepish as she visited her gynecologist. The doctor said, "Come now, you've been seeing me for years! There's nothing you can't tell me." The woman said, "This one's kind of strange. Yesterday I went to the bathroom in the morning and heard a plink-plink in the toilet and when I looked down, the water was full of pennies." The Doctor said, "I see. Go on."
She continued, "That afternoon, I went again and there were nickels in the bowl and this morning, there were dimes and quarters! You've got to tell me what's wrong with me! I'm scared out of my wits!" The gynecologist put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "There, there, it's nothing to be scared about. You're simply going through the change"
A woman went to her doctor for a follow-up visit after the doctor had prescribed testosterone for her. She was a little worried about some of the side effects she was experiencing. She said to the doctor, "The hormones you've been giving me have really helped, but I'm afraid that you're giving me too much. I've started growing hair in places that I've never grown hair before."
The doctor reassured her, ''A little hair growth is a perfectly normal side effect of testosterone. Just where has this hair appeared?' The woman said, "On my balls, which is something else I want to talk to you about." It was following the resurrection and disciples were still somewhat scattered about Jerusalem and the surrounding villages. John finds Peter and runs up to him. Excitedly he says, "Peter, Peter! I've got some good news and some bad news." Peter takes hold of John and calms him down saying, "Take it easy, John. What is it? What's the good news?"
John says, "The good news is Christ is risen." Peter says, "That's great! But, what's the bad news?" John, looking around, says, "He's really pissed about last Friday."
That's it for today my little Easter peeps. Remember, a lot of people have heard opportunity knocking at the door, but by the time they unlocked the chain, pushed back the bolt, turned two locks, and shut off the burglar alarm, it was gone. It's Hump Day and I'm going to AREA 51 for Happy Hour, More on Friday. Stay Tuned !


text:
For the next couple of months I'll be CASEing cards for CASE study challenge blog.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
In CASE you are wondering
3 comments:
- Zarah said...
As always, I am betting I will be SUPER DUPER inspired by your work!
And speaking of CASEing. Here's a card (the right one) that I CASEd. I didn't even mean to but when I was done, I realized that I had CASEd one of your card sets!
Here they are.
Hope you don't mind!!
- October 31, 2010 at 9:40 AM
- Alicia a.k.a. Crafty Al said...
congrats!! i had never heard of the blog, but I look forward to seeing your CASEs.
- October 31, 2010 at 12:05 PM
- Iwona Palamountain (Chupa) said...
Welcome to the Team, Melyssa! I'm vey glad to have you, and I hope you'll enjoy the ride! xxx
- October 31, 2010 at 8:38 PM
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text:
Those Children are Ours is the story of Jennie, a dysfunctional young woman, who made a mess of her life due to unwise choices, mental illness, and alcoholism. Twelve years after walking out on her husband and two daughters, her life is back on track. Thanks to the passing of time, religion, and her psychologist, she no longer drinks or sleeps around. Her mental condition is under control and she is working as a teacher.
However, Jennie is still immature and insecure. She is also coping with personal problems, such as a drunk ex-boyfriend and a violent and unsupportive father. Surprisingly, she decides, or rather is convinced, that she wants to see her daughters again.
It takes her time to realize she can't take up where she left off and expect everyone to forget and forgive how she destroyed the family she once had. Her ex-husband and his daughters' lives have moved on, they have busy and well-organized schedules, and a step-mother and step-sisters they are very fond of. Jennie discovers she is an unwelcome and unloved intruder.
Although the events narrated are heart-wrenching, and the time period covered is long, from Jennie's College Days to her mid thirties, it's so fast paced and well written that it's a pleasure to turn the pages and follow the evolution of Jennie's dramatic and traumatic life. Once I started reading, I couldn't stop. I read it in two sittings. I especially enjoyed the court hearings and the realistic dialogues throughout.
It's a disturbing, contemporary family drama, which makes the reader become involved and take sides. There are various generations and relatives involved; parents, step-parents and siblings, children, grandparents, grandchildren, uncles and aunts. It was hard for me to feel much sympathy for Jennie, especially at the beginning of the novel, but I gradually came to understand and feel compassion for her.
The author cleverly moves the narrative from, 'Those children are mine', a selfish cry from all of the adults involved, to a more balanced, 'Those children are ours', which appears on the final page. The way the characters and plot evolves to reach an unexpected, yet realistic and hopeful ending, makes the reading experience meaningful and thought-provoking.
Luccia Gray


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UFC President Dana White acted as the Zuffa SWAT Team this weekend, putting an end to the "Rally for Mark Hunt" after weeks of online supporters called for the heavyweight's name as a replacement for Alistair Overeem if the heavyweight contender is unable to get licensed for a May 26 title-fight with Junior dos Santos. Overeem faces the NSAC on April 24 to address the elevated level of testosterone in his system found during a recent drug test.
However, as previous stated, even if Overeem's argument fails it will not be Hunt who fills his shoes at UFC 146.
"Mark Hunt will not get title shot…will have to fight a contender," said White at the post-event presser for UFC on Fuel 2. "They can keep rallying. It ain't going to happen."
The public's case for Hunt was based primarily on his status as a PRIDE icon and winner of three straight inside the Octagon including a February knockout of Cheick Kongo. Hunt is currently scheduled to compete at UFC 146, adding fuel to the fire, though it now appears he'll face Stefan Struve as expected.
White is holding off on addressing the Overeem situation further until after the hulking Dutchman meets with the NSAC.
MMATraining Take: Whew! As I wrote last week, Hunt is good for MMA but bad for buyrates. His story, especially this latest chapter, is a tale worth smiling over but he definitely didn't deserve a crack at MMA's most prestigious belt just because a small percentage of hardcore fans called for it.


text:
We started from the Sligachan Hotel and followed the path as it winds it's way up the Glen following the River Sligachan a short distance below the path. It has a real wild mountainous feel to it with the jagged peaks of the Black Cuillins on one side and the more rounded tops of the Red Cuillins on the other. The Black Cuillins still had patches of snow on them letting us know that winter still has a small grip on this part of the UK. There was also a Golden Eagle or two soaring about at different times of the day which gave the place a real sence of wilderness.
|Start from the Sligachan Hotel
|I went to the summit of Sgurr Hain
|Leaving the Hotel Sligachan behind
|Patches of snow lingers on the Black Cuillins
|Off through the Glen with the pointed summit of Sgurr Hain in the far distance
|Looking back down the Glen
|Following the good path
|Golden Eagle keeping an eye on us
|On top of the world
|On top of the world
|Heading off up towards Sgurr Hain
|The other path went under Blabheinn to the two lochs
|Looking back on our route while Jill looks down :-)
|Kissing Rocks :-)
|The hotel is down there somewhere
|Looking down on Loch na Creitheach
|A view of Sgurr Nan Gillean where we watched the guys topped out earlier in the day. Looks an interesting way up the knife edge
|On Druim Nain
|Panoramic view of the Black Cuillins from Sgurr Hain
|Panoramic views of the Red Cuillins from Sgurr Hain
|On my way up Sgurr Hain
|Admiring the views from the summit
|Summit of Sgurr Hain
|Summit view of Loch na Creitheach
|View down to Jill and also way down the Glen to the Hotel
|Summit view of Jill :-)
|Summit view down to Loch Coruisk, the lower Loch
|Perfect :-)
We made our way down and it seemed to get warmer and warmer as the wind dropped and we ended up in tee shirts for most of the return leg. It also seemed a lot longer on the way back for some reason. We did stop a few times but the last hour just seemed to drag and the hotel seemed to never appear, always going away from us. As we took our time it ended up quite a long day, 9 hours walking, but well worth it. One great thing about the fine sunny day was that we had a great sunset to finish not only the day but a great week. Quite perfect really.
|On the winding road back
|Looking back on Sgurr Hain
|Great wild camp spot
|Nine hours later.................
|Old road bridge of Sligachan
|Sun goes down on another great day
Cheers :-)


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1. Islam was the first religion to call for human rights emphasizing the necessity of safeguarding them. Any scholar of Islamic legislation learns that it declares the fundamental rights of man, which include man's life, belief, opinions, wealth, and family, all of which are safeguarded by Islam. The history of Islam records 'Omar Ibn Al-Khattab's decisive stance against the violation of human rights when he said: "Why do you enslave people after their mothers gave birth to them as free individuals?"
2. The human rights in Islam are based upon two fundamental principles: (a) Equality among all human beings. (b) Freedom, which is the right of every human being. Islam bases equality on two foundations, namely (the first) that all human beings originated from the same human origin, and (the second) human dignity, which is granted to all mankind. As for the common origin of all mankind, Islam declares that God created mankind from one soul and hence all human beings are brothers and sisters in one large family in which there is no room for privileges on account of wealth or status. The difference that exists between human beings does not affect their origin and essence, which are one and the same. The differences that exist between human beings in the world should urge them to become acquainted with each other and to cooperate with one another in various walks of life: "O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know each other". [49/13]. The second foundation is that equality is based on the honor and dignity with which God Almighty graced all mankind: "We have honored the sons of Adam". [17/70]. God made man a vicegerent on earth and ordered the angels to prostrate themselves before Adam and made him a master in this universe. God also rendered all that is in the heavens and the earth subservient to man. These privileges honored and elevated man above other created beings. God conferred this honor and dignity in principle on all human beings without exception so that it would immune and protect every single human being, and so rich or poor, rulers or subjects, are all equal in the sight of God and in the eyes of the law. The second principle upon which the Human Rights are founded in Islam is freedom. God created man as a responsible human being for populating the earth and establishing civilization. Naturally, responsibility cannot exist without freedom even in the matter of the choice of believing in God or rejecting to believe in Him, which is left to man's free will: "Let him who will, believe, and let him who will reject (it)". [18/29]. Freedom includes all aspects of human freedom, whether religious, political, intellectual, or civilian matters.
3. Passing judgment in Islam is based upon justice and consultation as is declared in the Qur'an: "And when you judge between man and man, judge with justice". [4/58] God Almighty ordered justice and benevolence in dealing with others: "God commands justice, the doing of good and liberality…" [16/90] There are also many other verses in the Qur'an which illustrate this point. As for consultation, it is a fundamental and obligatory principle in Islam. When the Prophet was not inspired by divine inspiration in any matter, he consulted his companions and acted according to the opinion of the majority, even if it were contrary to his own opinion. An example of this was the consultation concerning the Battle of Uhud. The Prophet was of the opinion that the Muslims should not set out to fight, yet he submitted to the opinion of the majority, who advocated fighting, and the result was defeat. Despite this, the Qur'an emphasized the necessity of consultation and addressed the Prophet in the following Qur'anic verse: "So pass over (their faults) and ask for (God's) forgiveness for them and consult them in affairs". [3/159]. Accordingly, we must not be misled by the opinion held by a minority of jurists who maintain that consultation is not obligatory, since their opinion is inconsistent with the religious texts of the Qur'an and the Traditions of the Prophet. Islam left to the judgment of the Muslims the method of consultation in keeping with the interests of the community. If the welfare of a Muslim nation should require that consultation should follow the acknowledged system currently practiced by modern nations, Islam does not object to that system, the application of which must necessarily take into account the circumstances of every era on the national and international levels. The aforementioned facts illustrate the extent of Islam's concern for safeguarding the human rights and the application of the principle of consultation or democracy as it is understood today.
4. Islam permitted people to have different opinions and allowed interpretative judgment in religious matters provided that these people fulfilled the necessary qualifications to do so. Islam declares that the person who uses his judgment in the matter and errs is rewarded by God, whereas he who uses his judgment and arrives at the correct result is doubly rewarded by God. The scholars of the doctrines of jurisprudence have come across many different opinions concerning many matters and nobody has ever claimed that a difference of opinion is prohibited by Islam. Islam, therefore, allows the expression of differing opinions without any limitations, provided that they are sincerely concerned with the welfare, security and peace of their community.
What are Islam's rulings on democracy and human rights?31 Aug
1. Islam was the first religion to call for human rights emphasizing the necessity of safeguarding them. Any scholar of Islamic legislation learns that it declares the fundamental rights of man, which include man's life, belief, opinions, wealth, and family, all of which are safeguarded by Islam. The history of Islam records 'Omar Ibn Al-Khattab's decisive stance against the violation of human rights when he said: "Why do you enslave people after their mothers gave birth to them as free individuals?"


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Reviews and news related to Books, TV shows, Films, Music... and anything to do with entertainment.
Saturday, September 29, 2012
To Rome with Love (Woody Allen)
Starring: Judy Davis, Flavio Parenti, Roberto Benigni, Alison Pill, Alessandro Tiberi, Alessandra Mastronardi, Alec Baldwin, Woody Allen, Jesse Eisenberg, Greta Gerwig, Penélope Cruz, Ellen Page
Why I loved this film: Unlike many comments I have read, the silliness and ridiculous scenes behind this movie blended with the beautiful scenario that is Rome makes it one of Woody Allen's best works ever!
I was not a Woody Allen fan before but he has started winning me over slowly with 'Midnight in Paris' and now 'To Rome with Love'. Besides, it took a lot of guts to make a mix between American and Italian movies, and the result was fabulous!
A mixture of hilarious, witty stories that blend reality with the surreal, which kept me laughing all the way along with everyone else in the room. A great comedy!
Monday, September 24, 2012
Hate List (Jennifer Brown)
Now, after a summer of seclusion, Val is forced to confront her guilt as she returns to school to complete her senior year. Haunted by the memory of the boyfriend she still loves and navigating rocky relationships with her family, former friends, and the girl whose life she saved, Val must come to grips with the tragedy that took place, and her role in it, in order to make amends and move on with her life.
Quote: "I sat on the couch, feeling more alone than ever before. Feeling colder than I'd ever imagined possible. Feeling like, of all the horror of what happened, this was the worst of it. This was the worst because, even after everything that had been done, I still missed Nick. Sometimes we get to win, too, he'd told me."
Why this book speaks to me: Unlike what you may think, Jennifer Brown's debut novel is not about a school shooting. That is just what triggers the story.
I have considered this book to be about two things. Firstly, how it all can change from one moment to another, one minute you are here, next you are not anymore; One minute you are happy, the next something will make you unhappy, or vice-versa; so you cannot take things or people for granted, nobody knows what tomorrow will bring.
However, this is also about a girl trying to find herself, in spite of everything. Trying to realise who she is, to fit into a dysfunctional family, and consider her future.
I found it to be a clever, powerful, and moving story. A real page-turner that left me in tears at the end!
The 64th Primetime Emmy Awards
Outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series: Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family)
Outstanding writing for a comedy series: Louis C. K. (Louie)
Outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series: Julie Bowen (Modern Family)
Outstanding directing for a comedy series: Steven Levitan (Modern Family)
Outstanding lead actor in a comedy series: Jon Cryer (Two and a Half Men)
Outstanding lead actress in a comedy series: Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep)
Outstanding Reality Program: The Amazing Race
Outstanding host for a reality or reality-competition program: Tom Bergeron (Dancing with the Stars)
Outstanding supporting actor in a drama series: Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad)
- A prank is played where Tracy Morgan pretends to pass out, so people will twitter and Facebook about it, therefore increasing the audience of the Emmys.
Outstanding writing for a drama series: Alex Gansa, Howard Gordon, Gideon Raff (Homeland)
Outstanding supporting actress in a drama series: Maggie Smith (Downton Abbey)
Outstanding directing for a drama series: Timothy Van Patten (Boardwalk Empire)
- A tribute was paid to Jimmy Kimmel (In Memoriam)with Josh Groban playing 'What makes you beautiful' by One Direction on the piano.
Outstanding lead actor in a drama series: Damian Lewis (Homeland)
Outstanding lead actress in a drama series: Claire Danes (Homeland)
Outstanding writing for a variety special: Louis C. K. (Louis C. K. Live at the Beacon Theatre)
Outstanding directing for a variety special: Glenn Weiss (65th Annual Tony Awards)
Outstanding Variety Series: The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Outstanding supporting actress in a miniseries or movie: Jessica Lange (American Horror Story)
Outstanding supporting actor in a miniseries or movie: Tom Berenger (Hatfields & McCoys)
Outstanding writing for a miniseries or movie: Danny Strong (Game Change)
Outstanding lead actress in a miniseries or movie: Julianne Moore (Game Change)
Outstanding directing for a miniseries or movie: Jay Roach (Game Change)
Outstanding lead actor in a miniseries or movie: Kevin Costner (Hatfields & McCoys)
Outstanding miniseries or movie: Game Change
Outstanding Drama Series: Homeland
Outstanding Comedy Series: Modern Family
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Ruby Sparks (Zoe Kazan)
Starring: Paul Dano, Zoe Kazan, Chris Messina, Annette Bening, Antonio Banderas, Steve Coogan, Elliott Gould, Alia Shawkat
Why I loved this film: To begin with, I had read a similar story called "The Girl on Paper" by Guillaume Musso; however, this remains pretty original, or at least there are not many similar movies out there, which is a real breath of fresh air.
It mostly follows that saying "be careful what you wish for", since it might come true and you may be over your head with something you are not sure about. Everything in this story is amazing, funny, witty - although it is not a real 'work of art', it made me laugh and think about what really matters in life, but mostly about fate. Even when you think everything seems lost and things will not get better, fate will find a way, making you think... Is it all my imagination?
But the most important lesson here is that you cannot control life - only your dreams - so leave for the present, do not worry about the future and never stop dreaming!
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Hope Springs (Vanessa Taylor)
Starring: Meryl Streep, Tommy Lee Jones, Steve Carell, Ben Rappaport, Marin Ireland, Elisabeth Shue
My thoughts on this film: I saw the trailer and thought it looked hilarious, but then I went on to watching the movie...
I expected nothing but greatness from such a wonderful cast and got... nothing!
With some funny moments, this looked more like a romantic story than the comedy it was supposed to be. Steve Carell was not funny at all, Meryl Streep was the romantic and clumsy wife in love with her husband - nothing new there and this sounds funnier than it actually was -, leaving Tommy Lee Jones with all the funny lines.
Some bits were a little too mushy and awkward for my taste; however, to be fair, it was not all so bad, I did laugh, but overall this movie was disappointing.
Miracle Cure (Harlan Coben)
Dr. Harvey Riker's clinic has found the miracle cure that millions seek. One by one his patients are getting well. One by one they are targeted by a serial killer more fatal than the disease.
Lieutenant Bernstein's true desires make him a perfect choice to track the killer - or a perfect victim.
Can anyone stop the assassin who will do anything to prevent the world's most desperately needed miracle cure...?
Quote: "No matter how hard she tried not to be, Sara was always different, always coddled, always behind. She hated it. As she got older, Sara learned that the limp and brace were not as difficult to overcome as people's perceptions."
Why this book speaks to me: I usually go through various stages where I get attached to a particular author. Right now I am hooked on Harlan Coben.
His books have everything I crave: mystery, fun, celebrity-style characters, a story that makes you want to keep reading non-stop, and a surprise at the end.
And this is no different; however, I have to admit it is not his best book whatsoever, but the ending is nothing like I imagined, so it made up for the rest.
Wednesday, September 05, 2012
Happy Birthday Freddie Mercury!
Freddie would have been 66 today. Happy Birthday, Freddie Mercury, wherever you are!
Saturday, September 01, 2012
The eye of the storm (Judy Morris and Patrick White)
Starring: Geoffrey Rush, Charlotte Rampling, Judy Davis, Alexandra Schepisi, Maria Theodorakis, Helen Morse, Robyn Nevin, Martin Lynes
My thoughts on this film: I would not call it a great piece of art; however - with the help of an amazing cast -, this deals with life issues that concern us every day, where do we come from? How did we get to this point? Where do we go from here? How do we deal with the death of loved ones? What will it feel like when we die? Are we really able to choose our own time of death?... And, most importantly, why is Geoffrey Rush playing a sex symbol? I guess the latter will remain unanswered...
Overall, this is an all around fun - without being overly comic - family movie that teaches us to take each day as it comes and not to worry too much because the end is a sure thing.
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The Verge reports: [edited]
The perfect score for arcade classic Ms. Pac-Man has been achieved. Maluuba — a deep learning team acquired by Microsoft — has created an AI system that's learned how to reach the game's maximum point value of 999,900 on Atari 2600, using a unique combination of reinforcement learning with a divide-and-conquer method.
Although AI has conquered a number of retro games, Ms. Pac-Man has remained elusive, due to the game's lack of predictability. Maluuba tasked out responsibilities to over 150 agents. The team then taught the AI using what they call Hybrid Reward Architecture — a combination of reinforcement learning with a divide-and-conquer method. Individual agents were assigned piecemeal tasks — like finding a specific pellet before working in tandem with other agents to achieve greater goals. Maluuba then designated a top AI agent that took suggestions from the other agents in order to inform decisions on where to move Ms. Pac-Man.
The best results came when individual agents "acted very egotistically" and the top agent focused on what was best for the overall team, taking into account not only how many agents wanted to go in a particular direction, but the importance of that direction. (Example: fewer agents wanting to avoid a ghost took priority over a higher amount of agents wanting to pursue a pellet.) "There's this nice interplay," says Harm Van Seijen, a researcher with Maluuba, "between how they have to, on the one hand, cooperate based on the preferences of all the agents, but at the same time each agent cares only about one particular problem. It benefits the whole."
Tuesday, June 20, 2017
Microsoft's AI is first to reach a perfect Ms. Pac-Man score
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The World's Tallest Teen (8 pics)
This girl from Thailand is only 19 years old but she is the tallest teen in the world. Malee Duangdee is 6 feet 10 inches (208.3 cm) tall. And she is even taller than fromer world's tallest teen Elisany Silva
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This section contains 503 words
(approx. 2 pages at 400 words per page)
Seventeen-year-old student Harold, called Hally, has knows his parents' black employees Sam and Willie all his life and his fondest childhood memories took place in their room. As the three men reminisce on a rainy afternoon, Hally becomes increasingly distraught over his crippled alcoholic father's imminent release from the hospital and takes out his pent-up anger on Sam and Willie, unleashing a racist rant that threatens to destroy their relationship.
On a wet and windy day, Sam, a black man in his mid-40s wearing a waiter's uniform, is flipping through a comic book in a deserted restaurant as Willie, another black man about the same age, wipes the floor. Willie, who is singing as he works, stands up and begins showing Sam how good he has become at dancing the quickstep. Sam tries to give him pointers, telling him to relax...
(read more from the Pages 3 - 9 Summary)
This section contains 503 words
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|Will Lynch holding a picture of himself as a child
Inside a Santa Clara County courtroom, Will Lynch was arraigned Friday morning on charges of pummeling a retired priest, but outside the Hall of Justice, two dozen protesters boisterously rallied on his behalf. They insisted Lynch is the victim and the Rev. Jerold Lindner, S.J. is the violent criminal. In a case that has raised widespread passion, the 44-year-old Lynch alleges Lindner r@ped him and his brother more than three decades ago; through the years, others also have said the Jesuit priest molested them or their children. The protesters carried signs attacking the Catholic Church and Lindner, including one that read, "Father Jerry R@pes Our Kids." Lynch, who is not in custody, did not speak after the arraignment, but he earlier told the Associated Press he wanted to bring his case to trial in order to publicly expose Lindner. "He took my faith, he took my innocence, he took my sense of self," Lynch said of Lindner, who is named in a lawsuit that alleges the years of abuse. "He r@ped me, he tortured me, he violated me in every single way, and he completely changed who I was supposed to be forever."
Link (here) to read the full article and view pictures of the case.


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LAW Writer® Ohio Laws and Rules
The jurisdiction of the consumers' counsel extends to every case that he or another party brings before the public utilities commission involving the fixing of any rate, joint rate, fare, charge, toll, or rental charged for commodities or services by any public utility, the plant or property of which lies wholly within this state. Where the property of a public utility lies partly within this state, the jurisdiction of the consumers' counsel extends to that part of the plant or property which lies within this state, the persons or companies owning, leasing, or operating the public utility, and the records and accounts of the business thereof done within this state.
Effective Date: 09-01-1976 .


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Last year I met with a woman from our community who does homeopathy. At that time she took a complete health history from me, and asked me tons of questions about many aspects of my life to determine what would be the best homeopathic remedy for me. Although I didn't really believe homeopathy would work (for me or in general), I figured that it definitely wouldn't harm me in any way, and this way at least I could say I tried it. So I agreed to do the whole shebang (no coffee and no mint, both of which can antidote the remedy), and I suspended my disbelief to see if maybe it could help me in spite of myself.
I tried it 100% and it 100% didn't help.
After about six or seven months I stopped taking the remedy, even though the woman who I initially consulted with told me that since I had been sick for so long it could take a long time before I saw any improvement. But to not see any change at all just seemed to me like a waste of time; coming from the paradigm of Western medicine where if you take a pill it either works or it doesn't, I will admit that it's hard for me to do something for the long hall if I don't see any overt signs of progress. I could theoretically be experiencing colossal internal changes, but if I don't see any manifestations of that change I just have trouble sticking with stuff. It may be childish or it may make me very show-me-the-money, but either way, that's the reality, so I stopped.
A few weeks ago that same woman asked if we could talk again about homeopathy. I was very honest with her about why I stopped last time, and she wondered if, since so much time had passed, perhaps I needed a new remedy. This time, interestingly enough, I was experiencing a perplexing symptom which made me actually want to try homeopathy. This new symptom was about six weeks old, was unlike anything I had experienced before, and was unrelated to any change in medication. I was troubled enough by it that I had resolved that if it continued to get worse I was going to call my neurologist to check for a brain tumor, so it seemed pretty fortuitous that this woman wanted to try homeopathy. If it worked great; if it didn't work, I could always go for an MRI. Just like before, my feeling was that it certainly couldn't hurt.
She did the work-up and thought maybe I did need a different remedy, but wanted to talk to her teacher to double-check a few things. What came back was that I needed the original remedy, but in a different potency. So, I will tell you that once again, I believed 100% that it would not work, but at least I could say I tried it.
And within 24 hours I will tell you that I was proven 100% wrong.
The symptom that I had been struggling with for over six weeks shifted so suddenly and so unexpectedly that I was shocked and surprised. I wondered if maybe it was a coincidence or perhaps just a temporary respite. But 48 hours later I was still doing better and it was as if a fog had lifted and a glacier had moved in my life. I still wasn't totally prepared to commit to the premise that homeopathy was responsible for the changes I was seeing, but it was mighty suspicious timing for it to have been anything else. And no other explanation really made any sense.
If I take a pain pill or an antibiotic, I don't need to believe in it for it to work. I always put homeopathy in the category of voodoo medicine, where the strength of your belief will determine the strength of your healing experience. If you are super suggestable, you can fall prey to things like mind-reading tricks and gypsy hexes, but if you are scientific, you would never succumb to a "medicine" that has been diluted a gazillion times into a sugar pill (for those of you who don't know, this is exactly what a homeopathic remedy is- I'm not making fun…). Well, guess what? The homeopathy is working on me, even though I don't believe at all…
I could chalk it up to 'You learn something new every day…'
Or maybe you have a better explanation???


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Stage 1: An Awkward Kindness
~Love Factor Mission~
Need 100 LF
A: They're here for Alan. (+200 Love Factors)
B: They're here for You.
B: They're here for You.
~Love Factor Mission~
Need 500 LF
Stage 2: A Ruined Chocolate Cake
~Avatar Mission~
Ribbon & Pearl Brooch (Charm +30) - 1 Gem or 3,000 Cruz
~Love Factor Mission~
Need 2,000 LF
A: Throw it away.
B: Eat it by myself. (+200 Love Factors)
B: Eat it by myself. (+200 Love Factors)
Stage 3: Pink Ribbon Handfasting
~Love Factor Mission~
Need 4,500 LF
~Avatar Mission~
Valentine Plaid Shirt (Charm +60) - 3 Gems or 6,000 Cruz
A: Force our way through!
B: Give up. (+200 Love Factors)
B: Give up. (+200 Love Factors)
~Love Factor Mission to get the Secret Happy End~
Need 8,500 Personal LF
Stage 4: Don't Talk Back...?!
A: Of course I do. (+200 Love Factors)
B:Where did it go?
~Love Factor Mission~Need 11,000 LF
~Love Factor Mission~Need 16,000 LF
Happy End
A: Would you stop staring? (+200 Love Factors)
B: I want you to do it.


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Casper Smart celebrated his birthday this weekend in L.A. -- where girlfriend Jennifer Lopez gave him a really BIG present!
The couple was seen at Cecconi's on Friday night, where J.Lo rented out the restaurant's Butterfly room for a private party reportedly attended by Reggie Bush and Randy Jackson.
"@BEAUcasperSMART 'Beau has a birthday we're so glad we hope its the happiest Birthday Beau ever has!' HAPPY BIRTHDAY BEAR!!!," Jennifer tweeted before the soiree.
Lopez, 42, and Smart, 25, pulled up to the party in J.Lo's b-day present for him: A new Dodge Ram pickup truck!
Jenny looked great for her man too, wearing a slim-fitting, turquoise Michael Kors dress.
Check out they couple leaving the event above -- and the video below.


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This new Archbishop Mahony has very strange priorities. His attitude of social activism is admirable, but I should think that violent crime and drug/alcohol abuse and avarice are more serious threats to the lives of his constituents (and perhaps to their salvation) than some magazine.
I suggest that the pictorial/sexual content of the high-class magazines like Playboy and Penthouse are less of an issue here than their editorial content being outside the boundaries of the Catholic "party line."
Los Angeles


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"Every nation that has ended in tyranny has come to that end by way of good order. It certainly does not follow from this that peoples should scorn public peace, but neither should they be satisfied with that and nothing more. A nation that asks nothing of government but the maintenance of order is already a slave in the depths of its heart; it is a slave of its well-being, ready for the man who will put it in chains."
There are many today that are nostalgic over a distant past era , of the globally divisive ,Cold War,when two militaristic , out of control , competing, Super Powers, in the likes of USA , & USSR , played out their proxy wars, and foolish pretense of peaceful, Nuclear coexistence ,for the benefits of naive,often fearful , and mostly ,psychologically comatose , respective citizens ,too numb from misplaced ,patriotic zeal , to resist. Incidentally,such follies saw an estimated 22 million lives destroyed ,in some 291 conflicts ,across the globe - chiefly in poor, developing countries, caught up in ideological Capitalist vs Socialist ,propagandist , superlative ,mantras.
Unfortunately ,typical unnecessary Triumphalism, as played out by it's sole winner USA, has led to obvious missteps,& squander of golden opportunities ,to move the world forward,via prudent manifestations of moral leadership.One need not be some lofty Social Scientist , to recognize that since that historic occasion last 1989, at that President G. H. Bush comically referred to as , "the end of History,", maybe twice that amount might have died via ethnic , racial , and tribalistic conflicts ,disguised sometimes as religious intolerance , and economic frustrations, but in reality , a final tail end fall out of four decades of ideological wars.
Fast forward to 2011,and unless one was living under a rock on Jupiter, over the past 6 months or more , we would be bombarded by a barrage of sometimes organize , but more often, disjointed hodgepodge of pro Islamic turmoils, by various underrepresented , abused , and neglected peoples,across several Middle Eastern , and North African States, as many make their paltry attempts, at some semblance of political , and social change ,that can be likened to what we often playfully refer to as Democracy.
I am curious as to whether you have the confidence that present leadership, led by Uncle Barrack . Hussein Obama, can get it right, unlike his many previous counterparts starting , let say with "Richard , I am not a crook Nixon ," all the way to G.W , your country's first , and hopefully last ,Harvard MBA , Compassionate Conservative President ,that left you in the worst economic state of affairs ,since the Great Depression?
Uncle O , did after all , run on a platform of "change , we can believe in." Now since he is only one individual , and might be simply rowing along a piranha infested ,rapidly raging creek ,in a porous canoe , with a broken paddle, what role can both you ,and I play, to ensure that our diverse interest are achieved, and not only the 1% or less elites that dominate the political and economic landscape for too long?
You know the selfish creatures that benefited from the that fast talking ,Gipper ,California Cowboy, Voodoo , trickle down economics, corporate gains, and tax breaks for the rich , that took jobs overseas , and hold large overseas bank accounts they can check out occasionally ,with their private jets.
Yes, I am talking about those who benefited from continued G.W Bush taxs breaks , that were extended by Uncle O , or got the exorbitant bail outs while most of you wallowed on the precipice of jobless,suicidal despair , still unable to pay your mortgage, or the braces for your indulgent kids. But I digress.
Speaking of the Middle East , Peaceful co existence, and prudent International relations during the Cold War, and it's long term implications today , as played out in one of the major countries Egypt. It was former diplomat, Canadian PM ,and 1957 Nobel Peace Prize winner ,Lester B. Pearson, who said the following: "We must keep on trying to solve problems, one by one, stage by stage, if not on the basis of confidence and cooperation, at least on that of mutual toleration and self-interest." Many credit him , as being the father of modern UN Peacekeeping , as he help defuse a one time Suez crisis, by encouraging , competing powers, to rally together in support of their vested interest ,re the natural resources surrounding the Suez Canal.
Maybe soon , a coherent a,nd more coordinated policy of support ,would be put into place , by one , or all leaders of influence , to aid and assist the struggling people of the Middle East , and pro Arab North Africa, who are also clamoring for the same socio - economic , com political justice, that white European brothers and sisters across Eastern Europe and the former USSR ,yearned for , and obtained during the waning days of the much dreaded ,Cold War, when the Soviet Union , as once constituted, became no more.
Let me steal a phrase from neo Capitalist head guru , Adam Smith,and it's called "Enlightened Self Interest," as I fervently believe that same is quite applicable presently. Our interests ,are inextricably tied up in the success of each other , yes?
I stand corrected.