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Thursday, February 17, 2011
Kirkland Wipes and Ulta Event
Where can you purchase: Costco
Price: $11.49 for 150 6 X 8 in.
Made in USA
Description on the back: Daily Facial Cleansing Towelettes are the easiest, most effective way to get a complete skin care regimen. Use daily to deep clean skin and thoroughly remove make-up, dirt and impurities. Your skin is refreshed, while also nourished and moisturized. No rinsing necessary.
After buying this from Costco, I was amazed at how many packages were inside!
Now for the wipes, I think it's very well made. It's very sturdy! On the box, it says it's made with chamomile. Ahhh~ That makes sense because that's the flower I smell. It's not very strong fragrance which is a big plus to me! Most fragrances are so strong that I cannot endure it, and sometimes it stings. Yes, I am that sensitive. :P It cleans really well as well. :)
* Pretty decent price.
* Comes with a lid.
* Travel pack.
* The wipes are well made.
* The fragrance isn't strong.
* Works well and removes makeup.
* Flowery smell but it's light.
Would I repurchase: Yes.
Rating: 4/5 Tobey's Paws
This past Saturday my Ulta had an small event. Kym Johnson from "Dancing With the Stars" came to promote "Dancing With the Stars" hair pieces.
After speaking with her, couple of the girls who were with her put "Dancing With the Stars" hair piece on me. They told me to look around Ulta and when I came back, Kym Johnson was gone. :/ I asked the girls who did my hair if I should give it to them. They told me to keep it. How nice!!! :)
Disclaimer: The products mentioned in this post are bought with my own money except for the hair piece. They gave it to me for free. I am not affiliated with any company nor getting paid to advertise any products. This post is written with my honest opinion.
23 comments:
- Vanessa M. said...
hehe toby is the cutest!!! and hmm must look for those wipes!
- February 17, 2011 at 10:24 AM
- ..R May A.. said...
lol Tobey is adorable :)
loving the reivew!! x
- February 17, 2011 at 11:14 AM
- Shop N' Chomp said...
Haha! I love that pic of Tobey. XD Your niece looks so cute with the hairpiece. That was so nice of them to give it to you. =D
I saw these wipes at Costco but I wasn't sure whether to get them or not so I bought the Neutrogena wipes instead since I've used them before. Thanks for the review!
(Hehe...yeah, it's a reality show so there is quite a bit of drama. ;) About the shoes, the prices vary depending on the style. I posted a link to the TOMS site which lists the prices. :)
- February 17, 2011 at 12:50 PM
- Oreleona said...
the hair piece looks really natural :)
- February 17, 2011 at 1:17 PM
- Fruity Lashes said...
i also think all the wipes basically are similar and kirkland is a great brand. it was a bargain for 12 bucks! the hair extension is really cute on your niece. you should wear it =)
- February 17, 2011 at 2:10 PM
- Diane said...
The Costco Kirkland makeup wipes are my absolute favorite wipes. I've been using them for years and have converted almost all my friends to them. Glad to hear you liked them.
Tobey is quite the model, he doesn't realize how good he looks =P
- February 17, 2011 at 5:19 PM
- Shop N' Chomp said...
Yes, I plan on trying them after I'm done with the Neutrogena ones! =D
Actually I think Hautelook is doing well. I don't know the specific reason(s) but I imagine one of them is the increased popularity of flash sales. Buying them is an opportunity for Nordstrom to make even more money.
Bloglovin' is kinda like Google Connect where you follow the blogs you like. Here's some info if you're interested: http://www.bloglovin.com/en/about
P.S Love your profile pic!
- February 17, 2011 at 9:33 PM
- Shop N' Chomp said...
Haha...I don't know if you meant it but you made me giggle. ;) I'm no Bloglovin' expert either. Still learning as I go. As far as I know, I had to create an account just to get the widget! :P
You did? B/c I can't tell. It looks like a really nice smokey eye to me. :D
I still have a couple of Neutrogena packs to use so it may be a while before I get to try the Kirkland ones. I hope it works for me! :)
- February 17, 2011 at 10:55 PM
- Jennifer said...
omg tobey is so cute with the wig lol!!!!
i saw some reviews on their cashmere bronzer? people said it's a bit chalky...so i wonder if PF is a good brand :) The Happy booster range looks promising but i'm not sure about the others <3
- February 17, 2011 at 11:00 PM
thanks for the shopping tips! I want to check that brand too! the hair on your dog is too funny XD but it looks great on your niece!
- February 17, 2011 at 11:00 PM
- Diane said...
I have been using the Kirkland wipes for about 3-4 years and yes I use them everynight. I still use a cleanser afterwards, I'm just use to washing my face with a cleanser so no matter what makeup removers I use I still cleanse, tone, moisturize etc.
The only time I don't is if I come home late and tired from a night out, I just use the wipes. My husband was sick of hearing me ask every night "do you know where my makeup removers are?" so he started placing the packs all over our house, so now I have them in every room! LOL
- February 17, 2011 at 11:35 PM
- Lacey said...
I named you a Versatile Blogger on my blog http://laceysmiles84.blogspot.com/2011/02/versatile-blogger-award.html
- February 18, 2011 at 7:56 PM
- Shop N' Chomp said...
Master? Oh no, that makes me nervous. The only master anyone should have is for martial arts. :)
I'm using the blue wipes. I've only seen this kind sold at Costco. I've never tried the purple ones before.
- February 18, 2011 at 11:43 PM
- Jennifer said...
Which is the other blush from PF that you own ^_^? besides the happy booster one
haha maybe you can try putting new props on tobey for pictures, lol
- February 19, 2011 at 4:54 AM
LOL @ Tobey w/ the hair.
- February 19, 2011 at 2:55 PM
- Jennifer said...
lol i mean putting on sunglasses or funny wigs/hats on tobey, haha!!
items in the l'oreal swag bag (didn't know they're called swag bags, haha) included the foundation, one lipstick, 3 mascaras and an eyeshadow palette. I've already given away two of the mascaras (I used mine for the review :)), coz i have too many mascaras lol....
the event was hosted by a hk beauty blog and they invited 50 bloggers? so i signed up :) doesn't L'oreal have the same eyeshadow palette in the US? I thought they have this before coming out with the one-swipe palette thingy!
i am looking forward to try the PF Happy booster blush/powder tee hee!!!
- February 19, 2011 at 9:03 PM
- Rinny said...
Hi Alheessa! Thanks for visiting and leaving a comment :D That's really cool that you got to meet Kym in person and receive a free gift from the promo! The hair piece looks really natural!
- February 20, 2011 at 11:17 AM
I was at the dollar tree today and thought of you when I saw the makeup towelette wipes. They have two different kinds there. The exfoliating cloth kind with 30 in the pack, and the wipe kind with 40 in the pack, for only $1.00. that is a bargan but like most non-organic products the ingredients stink, lol. parabens and that.
- February 20, 2011 at 7:10 PM
- Shop N' Chomp said...
Hi hi :) I don't think you would like the smell b/c it's pretty strong.
- February 20, 2011 at 8:13 PM
- PinkOrchids said...
Lol cute dog! You spoke to Kim Kardashian?! She's sooo gorgeous!
- February 21, 2011 at 12:59 AM
- DinaXYYan said...
Tobey's pic modeling the hair piece cracked me up! LOL
- February 21, 2011 at 8:21 AM
- Tammy said...
I've been wanting to try those Kirkland wipes for a while, but I don't have a Costco card and getting one feels like a waste since it's only 2 of us in my house. Great review!
Tobey's pic really made me laugh!! What a cutie.
- February 22, 2011 at 8:10 AM
- Sharon @ Fun and Life said...
I love that hairpiece, looks so natural! It's difficult to find good ones because they always look fake and tacky. But this one is gorgeous! And looks great on Tobey too LOL.
- February 23, 2011 at 10:02 AM


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Cogadh No Sìth
Posted on | November 11, 2010 | 116 Comments
by Smitty
Stacy has greased the skids here, but there will be a hiatus in regular blogging activity for the Smitty portion of this blog duo at the close of this post. I hold orders to activate in mid-November and report to Kabul, Afghanistan in time for Christmas. Bandwidth, and latitude for skylarking online will not exist until the end of 2011.
The attentive may recall that I'm a Navy reservist, and Afghanistan hasn't much coast. Welcome to the modern, double-Jointed world, where Semper Gumby (always flexible) is the watchword. Have you supported Project Valor-IT yet?
As a staff REMF, it's unlikely that I'll be in harm's way. This is really one year in an isolated locale, supporting the a few doughty Americans. Should some sort of combat situation come upon me, there in the capital, things shall have gone really awry. Unlikely. Also, as a 40-something ship driver from the Navy, there is no interest in reliving my non-existent Rambo days. Let's be crystal clear on that. Besides PowerPoint, I'll be doing staff officer sorts of things.
But don't thank me; thank Americans, from the Founding Fathers forward to the Tea Parties, to my electrician brother-in-law who just runs around fixing things all day. The exceptional American dedication to individualism, the ideals of the Constitution, and the courageous soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines in whose bigger footsteps I follow make it all worth it. I've benefitted so much from the American people, educationally and otherwise. Thus, it's with a sense of gratitude to you that I depart on this set of orders, finishing out my Navy Reserve career in active duty style.
The post title is a bit of Gaelic meaning "War or Peace:"
Probably the best known playing of Cogadh no Sìth was at the Battle of Waterloo when Piper Kenneth MacKay of Tongue played the tune. Kenneth MacKay was a piper with the 79th Cameron Highlanders. As his regiment was forming a square to defend themselves against the charging French Cuirassiers, the proudest cavalry of its day, Kenneth MacKay stepped outside the square and took up his pipe to play Cogadh no Sith. And there outside the square he marched despite the repeated charges of the French cavalry, all the while playing Cogadh no Sìth.
So, the tune is a Piobaireachd, which is either a sort of beautiful tone poem, done correctly, or a regrettable disaster if I'm the one working out on it. But "War or Peace" was also a poem, a tiny fragment of which survives, in its sweet, fatalistic Scottish glory:
Cogadh no sith, cogadh no sith,
'S coma leam, 's coma leam,
Cogadh no sith;
Marbhar sa cogadh,
No crochar an sith mi.
In English:
War or peace, war or peace,
Alike to me, alike to me,
War or peace;
I will be killed in the war
Or hanged in the peace.
The "War or Peace" link concludes:
The words complemented the mindset of the Cameron clan who were accustomed to rally to the cry:
Chlanna nan con thigibh a so's gheib sibh feail.
Probably that rhymes in Gaelic. In English, it's:
'Come, you sons of hounds, and I will give you flesh'.
And that the attitude that must be presented to the enemies of liberty; Taliban in Afghanistan, or Progressives closer to home. Thinking you stupid, they will continue to say that you 'vote against your own interest', and turn down their bread-and-circus substitutes for Liberty. Liberty ain't cheap, and rejecting Progressivism may resemble pain for a while. That's not pain. That's Socialist weakness leaving the country, and don't let these liars sell you otherwise. Stand and deliver, the way a Progressive cannot, for, at heart, modern Progressivism is a synonym for cowardice.
If I've done you any favors, I'd ask that you make this the single most linked post in this blog's history. I do have one other project that I want to get out, and something for Pearl Harbor day, but the regular features I've been doing are in a hangfire for the nonce.
Yes, there is a 'Dread Post' positioned in Draft, backdated to November 2009. Pray that Stacy lacks occasion to publish it.
Now, you sunny beaches know how I feel.

subset: commoncrawl


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Monday, August 22, 2011
First day of school August 22, 2011
Our first day at school.
Julian is now in 3rd grade. He is studies are: Math U See (Gamma), McRuffy Spelling, Reading, Language and Phonics, Beka American History, Cheerful Cursive and for Science the Body Book.
Sean is in 1st grade. His studies are: Math U See (Alpha), Christian Light Education Learning to Read, Language Arts and Beka American History.
Posted by One woman, three boys! at 12:56 PM
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- March 5, 2013 at 2:29 AM
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The Saudi ambassador to the United States says his country has begun airstrikes against the Houthi rebels in Yemen, who drove out the U.S.-backed Yemeni president.
Source: www.foxnews.com
Al-Masirah reported that the Houthis and allied fighters had "secured" the al-Annad air base, the country's largest. It claimed the base had been looted by both Al Qaeda fighters and troops loyal to Hadi.
The U.S. recently evacuated some 100 soldiers, including Special Forces commandos, from the base after Al Qaeda briefly seized a nearby city. Britain also evacuated soldiers…
See on Scoop.it – #Communication


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|I'm loving the "paisley-esque" look of some of these tiles!
This is great.
Go to Micheals and buy some of these alcohol blending solutions,
and special inks and some ceramic tiles...
I don't know how pricey it'll be but from the pictures I'm looking at,
I think it'd be completely worth it!
A growing collection of crafty Tutorials found all over the internets!
About Me
- Lexi
- Chicago, Illinois, United States
- 22. Moved from Baltimore to the suburbs of Chicago. My &hearts will always be in Charm City. I have a boyfriend whom I adore. I love to watch the Disney Channel.
Daily Clicks!
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Wednesday, October 20, 2010 at 1:30 AM | By: Lexi
Booze Art!
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Blog Archive
October 17 - October 24
- Hair Vine
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- Duct Tape Wallets Get a Makeover!
- Corkboard Necklace Tutorial
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- Add Texture to your Art!
- Free Crafty Fonts
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- Link Back to Oh, That's Crafty!
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- Make Upcycled Art with Old Books
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- Create this Anthropogie inspired Tee!
- Make a Halter Top from a Scarf!
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- Make a Key Cap
- Pretty Little Bookmark
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Indian Postal Department (IPD) recruitment 2018 for central government postman & mailguard jobs in New Delhi, as applications are invited from the 10th passed for the recruitment of 740 postman & mailguard vacancies in various locations. Selected candidate to work in New Delhi.
Name of Post > Postman
New Delhi South West Division: 104 Posts.
New Delhi West Division: 107 Posts.
Delhi East Division: 107 Posts.
New Delhi Central Division: 83 Posts.
Delhi North Division: 116 Posts.
New Delhi South Division: 160 Posts.
Delhi GPO: 30 Posts.
New Delhi HO: 25 Posts.
New Delhi Sorting Division: 1 Post.
Delhi Sorting Division: 4 Posts.
Airmail Sorting Division: 3 Posts.
Education Qualification: 10th Pass from reputed board of education.
Pay Scale: Rs. 5,200 – 20,200 + Grade Pay Rs. 2,000/- Per month.
Age Limit: 18 – 27 years.
Post Type: Regular basis.
How To Apply: Interested candidates who meets the eligibility should apply through online from the official website: www.indiapost.gov.in, by making the payment of application fee through challan as mentioned in the notification.
Important Dates:
Last date of online registration: 3rd December, 2018.
Last date for payment of fee: 5th December, 2018.
Indian Postal Department (IPD) Recruitment for 740 Postman & Mailguard Posts in New Delhi December 2018 notification Click Here.
To apply online Click Here.
Visit website: www.indiapost.gov.in for Indian Postal Department latest notifications.


text:
2016 NFL Power Rankings: Preseason Edition
Every year, all 32 NFL teams begin the season with an unblemished record, but not all of them truly begin on equal ground.
Which teams do our algorithms think are legitimate contenders based on their nERD scores -- the expected point differential against an average opponent -- entering the 2016 season?
Let's find out what the numbers -- nERD and our points-above-expectation-level metric, Net Expected Points (NEP) -- have to say about the upcoming season.


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I love Plaxo! I have been using Plaxo since the days when it was still in Beta (even Today, their 3rd version is still in beta! but I am talking about days when Plaxo was beta for their first version)! Plaxo has been giving me all that I wanted about my Contacts!! (According to me Plaxo was one of the first implementers of Social Networking.. way before social networking balloon really started blowing!).. As a result of my long relationship with Plaxo, I have almost 1000+ contacts in Plaxo address-book and a few hundred in Pulse. I love to visit Plaxo Pulse website to check what's up with my contacts..
But it would be really great if Plaxo comes up with a desktop application that notifies me for any of my Friend's updates.. Where, I should be able to tell that application, I want 'more' updates for X, and 'less' for Y..
Right now, they have an update RSS feed which I can use to get update about all my contacts.. I subscribe to that feed right now and keep a watch! But I know how often I can reach my RSS reader to read my feeds!! My point is about "Push" mechanism of updates instead of Pull (from user's perspective!!!).
Stay tuned..


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Robert Cassidy Jr. of Newsday and The Sweet Science and his dad, former light heavyweight contender "Irish" Bobby Cassidy, a fight analyst for The Sweet Science and Boxing Channel Radio discuss Saturday's non-title welterweight fight between Floyd Mayweather and Sharmba Mitchell. Actually, the discussion is more about whether Sharmba, who has twice failed in title attempts against Kostya Tszyu, will get past the halfway point in the fight.
To access the podcast, simply click on the link below. And please, allow it a moment or two to download to your computer.


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John is right up there with Wes/JBF in my book -- both of them are incredibly generous fellow SEC fans who go above and beyond and seemingly ask for very little in return generally. John recently (within the past two months) sent me yet another excellent package. To thank John, I did a little research and found some of his favorite bands from his past. That means I read his blog, by the way.
Anyway, let's get to the music and the cards!


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Panaji, Oct 11 (IANS) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has no moral authority to comment on corruption because he is involved in the coal block allotment row, BJP MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy said here Thursday.
Rudy also sought a probe into the issues raised against Robert Vadra, son-in-law of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, by India Against Corruption member Arvind Kejriwal.
"While addressing CBI officers (Wednesday), the prime minister said ways should be explored to ensure that the ambit of the anti-corruption law covers also private persons. The prime minister is involved in the coal gate scam. He has no moral authority to talk on corruption," Rudy said.
The prime minister had underlined the importance of stretching anti-corruption laws to the private sector, so it could take into account the "supply side" of bribery.
"The PM has been charged with monumental corruption. He has no moral authority to speak on this issue," Rudy said.
Commenting on Kejriwal's allegations against Vadra, Rudy said: "(They) need to be thoroughly investigated."


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More on Max Finder
Further investigation of the Encyclopedia Brown and Max Finder mystery series yields an explanation of why so many characters in the latter seem to be up to no good.
In most of the cases that Donald J. Sobol set in Idaville, the culprit is fairly obvious: Bugs Meany, a recent parolee, the snotty braggart who's taking Sally out to the movies, and so on. The young detective's task is usually to spot an incongruous detail in that suspect's alibi or behavior which cracks open his façade of innocence.
In contrast, the mysteries that Liam O'Donnell concocts for Max Finder are true whodunits. A wrong has been committed, and there are at least two suspects, often more. Readers are challenged to identify not only how the brainy detectives solve the crime, but who committed it. To make that hard, those suspects need to be equally suspicious, and perhaps the culprit should be the least suspicious of the lot. Hence the treacherous employees, frame-ups, and cutthroat competitors.
When I first wrote about this series, I was responding to Snow Wildsmith's praise for how it gives Max's friend Alison Santos "moments to shine." Indeed, that aspiring journalist solves several of the mysteries before he does—though Max still gets top billing.
The town of Whispering Meadows is also notably multicultural. The kids have surnames like Diallo, Chang, Hajduk, and Kanwar. Artist Michael Cho draws Max so readers might be able to interpret him as Caucasian, Eurasian, or even Inuit. The character sketches break kids out of types. Tony, "an all-around athlete," also "cries at sad movies," and Nanda, who likes "the latest CDs and clothes," is "a hockey goalkeeper."
Only one role seems to be reserved for European-Canadian males: the bully. "Basher" McGintley and Lucas Hajduk are as white as, well, Bugs Meany.


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We've had a few little gems from JAWS over the past few months and today we get another belter from the Birmingham band titled "Breeze". They're set to release an EP titled Milkshake which features the already heard "Friend Like You", "Surround You", and "Stay In". This track is the last little piece of the puzzle. Lovely laid back reverb filled guitars with lyrics that'll make you long for the sun to come out and actually stay out. Give it a spin below.
Milkshake is set for release on April 22nd via Rattlepop. The band are currently on tour around the UK and you can peep the dates after the jump.
JAWS UK Tour Dates:
28th March - Birthdays, Dalston - Free entry
28th March - London - Birthdays
30th March - Southampton - Joiners
1st April - Zephyr Lounge - Leamington Spa
4th April - Bungalows & Bears - Sheffield
5th April - MelloMello - Liverpool
6th April - Cockpit - Leeds
8th April - Hare & Hounds - Birmingham
02.08 - Camp Bestival
16.08 - Beacons
06.09 - Bestival


text:
The human response to bad news is predictable: we battle with varying degrees of negative desire – to react in some way. Some situations we pat ourselves on the back because we don't respond as badly as those do.
But life catches each of us. We each have our angry, fearful, and sad buttons – and the circumstances of life press them, eventually!
Now, we should not be so foolish as to seek out challenges and tests – that push our faith to the limits. Our role is to be ready for them; ready to receive them humbly and patiently; ready to work with God through them; ready to learn what God's destined for us to learn; and, ready to respond gracefully with others.
In my experience, the one who brashly seeks a fearful unknown can often be the one who is trounced by God in the raucousness of their pride.
Disappointments come of their own accord. Trials enter our lives whether we like it or not. Hardship is ours eventually. Let's not hurry them.
Through the flowing stream of life, from the river's dry and meagre origins to its thriving gush into the sea, as we travel downstream, there are the Divine appointments of life.
Truly, every moment.
And when we can see each moment not unlike the last or the next one we realise God's in every moment just the same. From first to last – along the watery course of our lives – God never changes, nor does the nature of time, experience or circumstance.
Life is neither fair nor unfair; life is life – a thing all its own.
We may see now the trials and tribulations, delights and disappointments, hilarity and hardship all exist in the same way. We take them differently but they are the same to God.
One is destined as blessing of pleasure; the other, as the blessing of opportunity to grow.
When we see God in the disappointments of life we are not so much harmed by them as guided by them, to fully rely on God, because we would not be able to cope and thrive otherwise.
When we take our disappointments as discrete and divine appointments, seeking God in our response, we see life differently, and the challenge is transformed into an opportunity.
© 2014 S. J. Wickham.


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Oh St. Joseph, whose protection is so great, so strong, so prompt before the throne of God, I place in you all my interests and desires.
Oh St. Joseph, do assist me by your powerful intercession and obtain for me from your divine son all spiritual blessings through Jesus Christ, our Lord; so that having engaged here below your heavenly power, I may offer my thanksgiving and homage to the most loving of Fathers.
Oh St. Joseph, I never weary contemplating you and Jesus asleep in your arms. I dare not approach while he reposes near your heart. Press Him in my name and kiss his fine head for me, and ask him to return the kiss when I draw my dying breath. St. Joseph, patron of departing souls, pray for us. Amen
St. Joseph and the Child Jesus, John Collier
Shrine to the Repose of St Joseph, The Church of St Joseph, Rio de Janeiro
St. Joseph is the Patron of the Universal Church, fathers, workers, and the dying.


text:
Try and envisage the sound of galaxies rotating, the sound of a forest after a thunderstorm, or the sound of an infinite cave where sound never dissipates fully. That is echodub's euphonious calling.
We're all about that deep, pulsating groove, that dubbed-out flow and all that falls around the fringes of this pseudo dubstep dub-techno electronic sub-genre.


text:
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Well I decided a couple of months ago that I was going to make a trip to Louisville this summer once the kids were out of school. I had several people that I wanted to visit with (sorry to the ones that I did not make it to see, maybe next trip). I never seem to have enough time, so I planned for a week this time. Guess what, it still was not enough time. The beginning of our week was to attend the wedding of Chris' cousin Amy. On Saturday we attended the wedding which included family and lots of dancing for the kids. Max once again showed off his moves. Sunday, we celebrated Chris' dad's birthday. Then Chris headed home and we stayed behind to visit and play for the remainder of the week. We stayed with my sister so I could spend as much time with her and my niece and nephews as I could. I had such good intentions for the week but my plans were altered due to some unforeseen events. Max had to make a unexpected trip to the dentist. He had an accident at VBS the week before in which his teeth collided with another boys head. By Monday of the following week his teeth began to turn dark gray (not good). To make a long story short, Max had to have his two front teeth extracted. Not to mention, this was on the same day that I went to the International Travel Clinic and received 5 of the 7 shots needed for Ethiopia. Between the two we lost a good two days of visits. However, everyone has recovered and Max looks pretty cute without his teeth.
We spent the remainder of our week swimming, visiting and missing Daddy.
The week flew by and now we are back to Fort Wayne preparing for a family trip to Vermont. This is the big Zoeller Family trip. We are going to Smugglers Notch. I am sure there will be pictures and stories to post.
By the way, we have been on the waiting list for 6 months now. If I were actually pregnant we would have an ultrasound by now and I would know what we were having. I just wish I knew. But we still wait - patiently or not. For those of you who know me this is not my strong suite!!! Thanks for the continued prayers and sharing this adventure with us.
Posted by LauraZ at 6:41 PM No comments:
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Use the Library Catalogue to find e-books purchased by the McMaster University Libraries.
Additional copies are often available on the Scholars Portal E-book platform.
Information about individual publisher collections and platforms is provided at e-books@Mac, including usage rights and limitations.
Overview document prepared by Wade Wyckoff and Janice Adlington, July 2009
Collection Policy
- primarily English
- reference books in other languages, as appropriate (e.g. dictionaries)
The ebook market is still in a state of flux but the University Library's eBook Working Group is monitoring developments and purchasing ebooks selectively.
Purpose of Collecting eBooks
- respond to evolving user needs
- potentially useful for reserve
- provide current editions
- part of an innovative approach to service
November 2004; updated October 5, 2005
- eBooks readable with a web browser or Adobe reader
eBooks from vendors which:
- supply MARC records
- permit walk-in users, e-reserves, integration with course management software (A2L, Learnlink) [keeping a watch on ILL]
- COUNTER compliant (http://www.projectCounter.org)
- Reference - all areas
- Social Sciences
- Humanities
- Business
- Science
- Engineering
Arts and Social Sciences
eBooks which require proprietary software and/or hardware devices


text: This is the third outing of this sleeveless grey coat on the blog, and I'm sure it won't be the last! It's the first time I've managed to pair it with items that aren't maroon, which is a minor achievement in itself. That being said, I've shunned colours completely and gone for a grey and black palette for a dreary spring day. Continue reading "Grey on Grey – The return of the sleeveless Jacket"


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- Original Title : Meet Me in Montenegro
- Movie title in your country : Meet Me in Montenegro
- Year of movie : 2015
- Genres of movie : Romance, Comedy, Drama,
- Status of movie : Released
- Release date of movie : 2015-07-10
- Companies of movie : Good Viking Productions,
- Countries of movie : Serbia and Montenegro, Norway, United States of America, Germany, United Kingdom,
- Language of movie : Deutsch, English,
- Durationof movie : 90 Min
- Average vote of movie : 0
- Youtube ID of movie : R9CEP-hy4NY
- Translation of movie : EN,
- Cast of movie :Alex Holdridge (Anderson), Linnea Saasen (Lina), Rupert Friend (Stephen), Jennifer Ulrich (Friederike), Stuart Manashil (Sam), Mia Jacob (Katherine), Ben Braun (Patrick), Lena Ehlers (Sophie), Deborah Ann Woll (Wendy), Kate Mackeson (Olivia), Mathieu van den Berk (Homeless Man), Jules Armana (Sexy Co-Worker Friederike), Rod Ben Zeev (Erkan Özil), Ingvild Holthe Bygdnes (Dancer), Twink Caplan (Aunt Molly)
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Screenplay : Linnea Saasen, Director : Alex Holdridge, Director : Linnea Saasen, Screenplay : Alex Holdridge, Music : Stephen Coates, Director of Photography : Robert Murphy, Editor : Linnea Saasen, Editor : Alex Holdridge, Production Design : Megan Hutchison
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Tags: woman director,


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Permission to Rest
December 10, 2013 § 1 Comment
I felt like I won the lottery as I came back down the driveway! I started singing and smiling and feeling my spirit lift!
Lately my youngest has had a strong hesitation to go to school. When asked why, she replies "because there are no parents there!". Can't say I blame her. On her alternate days she enjoys dance classes, Tim Horton's, shopping with Mommy, and snuggling on the couch surrounded by Christmas twinkly lights, watching Holiday Specials on TV. Even with snack time and recess, how can school compete?
Anyways, today was the first day in two weeks that she decided school would be okay, without coaxing, without bribery, without striking any deals, she happily hopped on the school bus. So, back to my lottery….
After leaping for joy several times (quite literally, try it and try not to feel joy afterwards!), I settled into my favourite meditation chair and breathed the silence in deeply. Long exhale. Ah, there it is. Bliss.
Permission To Rest.
I was not resting because I felt ill and my body demanded it. I was not resting because my body could not function any longer without it. And I was not resting because I felt I deserved a moment of luxury. I was resting because when I give myself these moments, I am never disappointed that I did.
Contrary to what we have come to believe, Rest and Play are not luxuries. They are fundamental. For our growth spiritually, for our good health, and for our happiness.
Ever been in the shower and all of a sudden had an amazing idea? Ever been laying comfortably in bed, almost asleep and suddenly remembered something truly important? It is no coincidence. When you rest, you are opening doors previously closed by the pace we keep these days. You are allowing, instead of resisting.
Dedication is not putting more work hours in a day. Dedication is bringing your best.
My best is achieved when I approach my day from a place of peace and inner knowing that I am loved, I have purpose, and we are all one. My best is achieved when I let bliss be my guide.
With love and light during the holiday season, I wish you all permission to rest ❤


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Matt Drance tweeted something poignant: "Always hoped the nerds would beat the jocks. I never thought we'd become them." But what he and no one else admits is that the proximate trigger for this behavior is the money and entitlement culture that's sprung up around tech.
So let's stop acting so surprised. No one wants to talk about it, but events like #Disrupt2013 treat hacking as a big-money sport, and coders as its stars. Which in turn encourages the worst and lowest showboat behavior among those who seek fame–or infamy.
Dangle millions in front of POETS at a show focused on five minutes of sizzle and sensation and you'd get shit behavior–and bad poetry. Which is maybe why so many "demo stars" flare up, raise millions, crash and disappear.
Real talk.
— Jeff Yang, WSJ via here
Love how a legit journalist from a major publication spoke up on this issue.
Read the backstory here.


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So what I have been doing for the past two weeks was to make the extension to work and clean up on the code. In my previous post, I mentioned that the difficulty that I encountered was to retrieve the information (hostname and ActionURL as indicated in Mozilla documentation for findLogins method) of the html form submitted so that I can search for the logins (nsILoginInfo object).
I was kind of stucked until I thought of the way to search for the code that actually saved the login when the form was submitted. This way, I can know how the information was stored and might be able to tell me how to retrieve the information. So, I search for the addLogins method in MXR. It pointed me to two files, nsLoginManager.js and nsLoginManagerPrompter.js. But it was quite difficult to search for which function was called when the login button was clicked. So, I tried to inspect
the notification bar (It contains the prompt "Do you want firefox to remember the password") that pops up everytime we log in into a website.
So at the location was a button with the value "Remember". It didn't help much. I figured that the nsLOginManagerPrompter.js must be in charge of prompting the user, so I tried searching for the "Remember" word in the file. And it brought me to the _showSaveLoginNotification function. After going through the code, I come to the following sequence of function calls:
When a login form is Submitted -> _onFormSubmit() in nsLoginManager.js -> promptToSavePasswords() in nsLoginManagerPrompter.js -> _showSaveLoginNotification() to display the notification bar -> and finally addLogins() in nsLOginManager.js
So I noticed that in the _onFormSubmit function, it retrieves the information from the form submitted by calling the other two functions: _getPasswordOrigin to retrieve the hostname and _getActionOrigin to retrieve the formSubmitURL. I think these two should be the functions that I was looking for. So I extracted from the function, the code that I needed for my extension and it works. I also made use of the _getFormFields() function to get the value of the username field.
So, then I cleaned up the code and added some comments and it is now uploaded to addons.mozilla.org. Please feel free to give your comments and suggestions to me. Thanks.


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MPS is an acronym for a rare genetic disorder called mucopolysaccharidosis. Hannah's body was lacking an enzyme necessary to break down molecules called glycosaminoglycans - long chains of sugar carbohydrates in each of our cells that help build bone, cartilage, tendons, corneas, skin and connective tissue. Over time, these glycosaminoglycans collect in the cells, blood and connective tissues. The result is permanent, progressive cellular damage which affects appearance, physical abilities, organ and system functioning, and mental development.
There is no cure for MPS although there are some treatments that are proving helpful, if successful. The first is enzyme replacement therapy (ERT), where a synthetic form of the missing enzyme is given through an IV weekly. It is helpful in the physical aspect of the disease, but doesn't cross the blood/brain barrier so it doesn't help with the neurological breakdown that occurs with the disease.
The second treatment is a stem cell transplant. Since the enzyme is produced in white blood cells, a transplant of healthy, enzyme producing stem cells will produce enzyme producing white blood cells, which do cross the blood/brain barrier. We made the choice for Hannah to start enzyme replacement therapy as soon as possible and start the process for transplant. Hannah responded almost immediately to the ERT, her liver started shrinking and her facial features became softer. A stem cell donor match was found very quickly and Hannah started chemotherapy to prepare her body for transplant on August 25, 2008 and transplant day was September 4, 2008. Hannah did not respond to the first transplant and it was deemed unsuccessful in early November.
We made the difficult choice, again, for another transplant. She started chemotherapy again on November 10th and transplanted on November 15. Just a few days later Hannah went into respiratory arrest and 5 weeks later she passed away. The strong drugs necessary to break down her immune system prior to transplant were just to much for her little body and we had to make the difficult decision to let her go on December 27, 2008. She fought harder than anyone I've ever seen, and harder than anyone should have to. She was surrounded by loved ones throughout her life and as she passed. We are grateful for the time we had with her, we just wish he had more.
For more information please check out www.mpssociety.org


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Many congratulations to Merseyside PT on winning the BQF UK Excellence Award. The first ever public sector agency to be a finalist for this award. This well deserved recognition, continues to demonstrate the effectiveness of probation at a time when Ministers have barely mentioned probation in recent speeches. More detail is on the PCA Website.
1. Meeting with the Minister
2. Professional Register Scoping Study
3. Executive Director Positions
4. PCA Annual Conference – bids for workshops
5. PCA Public Protection Group – Parole Board
6. PCA Restorative Justice Portfolio Update
7. Deaths in Probation
8. Volunteers and Mentors in Reducing Re-offending conference
9. PbR Portfolio Lead advert
10. New Learning from Serious Case Reviews
11. RR3 (Reducing Reoffending Third Sector Advisory Group) – Justice Policy Group Update October 2012


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Another photo essay. These pictures were supposed to be up for exhibition on August but somehow they people who wanted to put them up canceled my first pameran tunggal. Kecewa, setengah mati. Tapi ya sudah lah ya. LEWAT.
Anyway, my grandfather was born in Nusa Tenggara Timur before he moved to Jakarta. Last summer I had a chance to visit the islands and see the places my grandfather grew up on. Hanya ada satu kata untuk mendeskripsikan tempat itu: Cantik. The beauty is breathtaking. I also had a chance to teach the kids there for a few days and help out on a mobile dental clinic. Check it out.
Copyright: Athalia Soemarko July 2010.


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T.T. Starks, North Tartan Kuppe (12s) and Mpls. North. Last March I saw Benilde-SM come from behind in the final minute to edge North in the 5AAA section final. Benilde, of course, went on to take the state title behind such established stars as Itisha Alexander, Olivia Antilla, Josie Dillon and Khadidja Shumpert. North's 7th grader (class of 2015), T.T. Starks was the best player on the court. Recently, Starks led NT Kuppe to the state AAU title among the 12 & unders, scoring 24 points in a 49-26 win over Metro Stars Wiese.
Kristina White, Minnesota Suns Davison (14s) and Woodbury. Kevin Anderson called White (class of 2013) the best 3 point shooter regardless of age in the AAU state tournament field as she scored 37 points in 2 games to lead the #4 seeded Suns to the state title. They hammered the #1 seeded MN Stars Smith 70-43 behind White's 21, and then beat Metro Stars Amos 69-57 in the final.
Nia Coffey, Metro Stars Amos (14s) and Hopkins. Richard Coffey's younger daughter (class of 2013) led the Stars with 13 points and 6 defensive stops in the loss to the Suns, and had 17 with 10 defensive stops in a 55-30 win over MN Stars Berkvam in the AAU qualifier the previous week. (The numbers are courtesy of kjasr.)
Kiara Russell, MN Stars Martin (11s) and unknown. Russell (class of 2016) impressed with 22 points in the 11 & U AAU final as the Stars defeated the Midtown Monarchs 53-34.
DeAnna Winston, Midtown Monarchs (10s) and Hopkins. Winston (class of 2017) led the Monarchs to the 10 & under championship with 18 points and also scored 6 for the Monarchs 11s in their loss to the Stars. The 10s beat MN Stars Johnson 49-25.
2nd Team
Chelsey McGee, MN Suns Davison and Mpls. North (2013)
Angie Davison, MN Suns Davison and Maple Grove (2013)
Sam Trammel, North Tartan Kuppe and Hopkins (2015)
Michelle Johnson, Midtown Monarchs and Hopkins (2017)
MaKenna Panning, Metro Stars Broback and Chaska (2014)
3rd Team
MC McGrory, Metro Stars Amos and Edina (2013)
Micaela Noga, North Tartan Alexander and Parkers Prairie (2014)
Tia Elbert, North Tartan Alexander and Tartan (2014)
Nia Hollie, MN Stars Martin and unknown (2016)
Abbey Rostamo, MN Stars Johnson and unknown (2017)
Honorable Mention
Grace Sawatske, MN Stars Antl and Monticello (2014)
Alaysha Sutton, Midtown Monarchs and Hopkins (2016)
Larissa Lurken, MN Stars Smith and Park (2013)
M'Caela Seller, Midtown Monarchs and Lakeville (2016)
Grayson Schroeder, MN Suns Quattrocchi and Lakeville South (2014)
Look out for Hopkins, with 5 girls among these top 20, including Nia Coffey (2014), Sam Trammel (2015), Alaysha Sutton (2016), and DeAnna Winston and Michelle Johnson (2017). More immediately, look out for a resurgence from Woodbury. Michelle Young (2011) was MVP of the Battle of the Hardwood, while Kristina White (2013) was one of the top two younger girls at the AAU tournament. Of course, they only get one year together. Mpls. North gets 3 years of T.T. Starks (2015) and Chelsey McGee (2013), and will still have 2 more years of Starks remaining after that, assuming that North High remains open.


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Review Pages
- ~Home~
- ~The Blabbering behind the Lace~
- ~Rating System~
- ~ Adult Romance Reviews ~
- ~Romance Reviews~
- ~Young Adult Reviews~
- ~Vintage Classic Reviews~
- ~Fantasy Reviews~
- ~Miscellaneous Reviews~
- ~ Ashley Stoyanoff's Website ~
- ~Meme's I host~
- ~Author Interviews~
- ~ Ashley Stoyanoff's Reviews ~
- ~ Paranormal Reviews ~
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Review: Classic Victorian & Edwardian Ghost Stories
This is a book to be read by a blazing fire on a winter's night, with the curtains drawn close and the doors securely locked. The unquiet souls of the dead, both as fictional creations and as 'real' apparitions, roam the pages of this haunting new selection of ghost stories by Rex Collings. Some of these stories are classics while others are lesser-known gems unearthed from this vintage era of tales of the supernatural. There are stories from distant lands - Fisher's Ghost by John Lang is set in Australia and A Ghostly Manifestation by 'A Clergyman' is set in Calcutta. In this selection, Sir Walter Scott (a Victorian in spirit if not in fact), keeps company with Edgar Allen Poe, Sheridan Le Fanu and other illustrious masters of the genre."
Some stories are interesting & engaging some, well not so much.
Some are classic unforgettable Litature, like the "telltale heart" & others Are bitter sweet like "Phemie's Story".
All in all it was quite a good read, & there defiantly was not a "Ghostly" part in the whole thing, in fact majority if not all the book is quite "Ghost Free".....& if you chance upon a copy in a second hand book shop, you should maybe give it a go......
You might be delightfully un-spooked!
Posted by Mandy @ Lace Vintage at Saturday, October 13, 2012
Labels: Book Review, Gothic
2 comments:
Hi! I came across your blog on Goodreads, and I have to tell you that I love it! I'm a sucker for all things "retro" and/or "vintage". I'm looking forward to following! Your revirews are really great! I simply MUST get my hands on this collection of Ghost stories. PERFECT October reading! Feel free to visit me at http://hearthomehappilyeverafter.blogspot.com/ReplyDelete
Hey Davida!ReplyDelete
Thank You so much! I'm also a sucker For vintage & retro, I have to say you blog is super cute & a bit retro! =)
I hope you enjoy my up coming reviews & I also hope you Find a copy of the book. I found mine in a second hand shop The pages were all yellow & turned up but I smelt lovely & vintage! Lol
I Look foward to hearing rom you & seeing more of your reviews. =)
Lace. X
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When considering having a party consider a Mariachi Band. They are fun and the music is beautiful. Invite friends and family to unprecedented entertainment by Mariachis band. This trained group of musicians represents the very best in Spanish entertainment. Feel the electricity that erupts when this group is playing on stage and the emotion that runs through the crowd when romantic ballads are played. The vocals are beautifully sung by elegantly dressed performers of Mariachi band music.
Make any event festive with entertainment from these wonderfully artistic entertainers. This style of music is centuries old and it is as beautiful as it was when it first began. Listen to the sound and enjoy the passion of the Mariachi Magic. These experienced musicians are available for Birthday parties, Anniversaries or any event you want to make festive and entertaining. Enjoy great vocals and great music. Dance and clap to the experienced instrument playing of the Mariachi bands.


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Tuesday, 29 November 2011
Nick and Lee's 2 to 1 skills session
After a delay in their arrival due to an accident, we chatted over a coffee and i gave them an outline for the beginning of the session.
I ran them through the skills check and that revealed some missing skills but also a very natural technique too. I changed their set ups and we moved onto the drop technique to apply both their mental and physical skill sets.
In no time at all they were landing perfectly after I had worked on their looking and body positioning. Even in high winds they were smooth and controlled.
After a while we moved onto the skills trail and I began working on the 14 sections contained within it. Pumping, fly out jumps, steps, rock gardens and drops were linked to berms, off camber, switchback and flat corners. We worked down the trail methodically and add the next to all the previous sections. Nick really began to fly through the trail and Lee became more and more comfortable with air under his wheels.
I worked on linking drops into corners and the benefit of correct line choice. Eventually, it was time to ride the entire trail end to end. Each run was smoother and faster as a result. Each time they walked back up they had a big grin each.
I then showed them the correct way to disconnect a bunny hop over a tree and also why the same technique could be applied to advanced pumping. This shocked the guys as they now could generate massive speed changes without pedaling.
Our session came to a close as darkness began to fall and I gave them a riding demonstration of jumping, pumping and manualing jumps all the way down the jump trail using the same skill set I had given them.
Awesome session guys!
Posted by UK BIKE SKILLS at 08:55 No comments: Links to this post
Monday, 28 November 2011
Novembers public jumps and drops session
Piers, Paul, Andy, Eddie and Ian all met as arranged and after introductions and coffee I began.
I began with a single skill check and set up change and found the missing skills in the technique required and then set off to apply this to the drop technique.
In no time at all, they were riding all three drops and landing perfectly and the ease of it all took them by surprise.
The guys then began riding the drops in pairs to replicate trail riding where riders interfere with your skill set, particularly vision.
I did a little work on cornering just so the guys could apply their drop technique in a real life situation and link it to riding a corner and they used their mental skills questions accordingly.
Next, I showed why the skills apply to getting up in the air on a fly out jump and they all flew into the air with ease and linked that later on to a drop too. We had a short break and then I began on apply the same technique to jumping the 6ft tabletop and gap jump option too.
I gradually added speed as they focused on the remaining skills and soon they flew over the tabletop with ease and to whoops of joy and laughter. Some even used their mental skills to ride the gap jump too with the same ease and result.
I wanted to show them how and why to pump the trail and how to use the gained energy to decide whether to jump or pump through sections on the trail and each of them got the hang of it and began to ride faster for free!
Our session ended as they began showing signs of mental fatigue and I gave a riding demonstration of the same skill sets in use in my own riding on a jump and drop line on the herts woodwork.
A cold beer was had by everyone and we toasted the end of an awesome session.
High5 guys!
Posted by UK BIKE SKILLS at 09:01 2 comments: Links to this post
Friday, 25 November 2011
Kate and Paul's 2 to 1 skills session
Kate and Paul rang me to book a session and today was the day. I could tell that Kate was apprehensive about the session so I eased those worries when chatting over a coffee.
I began with the skills check and that showed me the areas in each of them where work was needed.
I changed their set ups to enhance the skills I was correcting and the effect was immediate. Both could raise the front wheel easily and it was time to move onto the drop technique. Both Paul and Kate had a concerned look on their faces but that soon passed as they began landing perfectly from the word go!
Both of them were surprised at the ease of this technique once their skill set was applied both physically and mentally.
After a while I moved onto the skills trail and I began working with them on not just riding the 14 sections within the trail but also on linking them together. Flat, bermed, switchback and off camber turns were linked to steps, rock gardens , drops and fly out jumps.
I worked on how and why to pump the trail and gain free speed from the trail. They both used that energy to ride the following berm, flat corner and rock garden and two more corners. Footwork and looking were worked on as well as body positioning.
We moved down the trail and I used a upslope on the trail to teach whether to absorb or jump.
Kate looked worried and questioned even riding up it but that soon changed as she took off with a woop woop of joy. Paul was loving how easy it felt too and they linked that all to the previous sections too. I worked on line choice and linking drops and steep roll ins into corners and braking technique. Finally it was time for them to ride the entire trail end to end and the difference is their riding attitude was striking as well as the speed and control they were now riding at.
Paul was using his new body position to rail the corners with a big smile on his face and Kate began to use her footwork unconsciously too.
After a few runs, they called an end to the session as they could feel mental tiredness creep in so I finished with a riding demonstration of the same skills I teach in use in my own riding.
Amazing session and we all learned some great stuff :)
Wednesday, 23 November 2011
matt, Manny and Jai's private skills session
I met the guys as arranged and over a coffee we chatted about their aspirations for the session and then we began.
The skills check revealed the present and missing skills and I changed their set ups accordingly.
We began with the drop technique and why the mental and physical skill sets apply and the guys started landing perfectly from the word go and all commented on how easy it now felt.
I moved us onto the skills trail and began working on pumping the trail and using the aquired energy to ride the next sections. I worked hard on their footwork, looking and body positions in all sections and soon they were linking flat, bermed, switchback and off camber turns to steps, drops, rock gardens and fly out jumps.
After a good few runs of the complete trail I moved us onto the 6ft tabletop and gap jump. Matt, Manny and Jai were worried about this at first but that soon passed as they sailed over the jump with ease. The 6ft gap jump proved no problem either and Jai was styling it too!
I moved us onto the pump and jump trail and began working on their pumping technique more so they could generate speed to jump a 9ft tabletop which was the 3rd section on the trail.
They began using the techniques by choice and choosing whether to jump or pump a section too and then they asked me how to manual through jumps.
I rode the entire trail for them and demonstrated both manuals and jumping different sections and then it was their turn
It took them a while to get it but all the techniques began to work but they were now beginning to tire mentally as well as physically and I called an end to the session.
I rode a high fast line on the woodwork so they could see the exact same skills in use in my own riding and then we celebrated the ride with a cold beer each.
Awesome session!
Posted by UK BIKE SKILLS at 08:18 1 comment: Links to this post
Tuesday, 22 November 2011
Pete's 1 to 1 session
Pete came to me on recommendation and contacted me a few weeks back and today was the day. I could see when he turned up that I would need to change his set up too. Once I had ran him through my skills check and changed his set up technique suddenly became easier. I worked on footwork, looking and body positioning in all areas and the set up change enhanced these changes. I began with braking technique and moved his braking in straight lines from the rear brake and onto the front.
Pete said he'd never been able to get air under his wheels in all the years of trying and to his massive surprise, he was airborne 1st go on the kerb sized drop.
In no time at all he was on the middle drop riding it at different speeds for the same perfect landing.
I moved us onto the skills trail and worked on pumping the trail first. This took Pete by surprise as when he got the timing right he could feel the acceleration.
Pete then used this to ride the following berm, flat corner, rock garden and switchback berm. We began working on steep up slopes and why the skill set is used to generate momentum.
I showed the disconnected bunny hop and why a 2nd push is used not a scoop and to Pete's amazement his wheel rose up way higher than ever before.
Our session continued with more corners and rolling drop offs and line choice into corners and Pete began making errors due to mental tiredness and our session ended just as it began to rain.
Great improvements Pete and I look forward to our on going coaching connection.
Posted by UK BIKE SKILLS at 08:24 No comments: Links to this post
Monday, 21 November 2011
Owen and Felicity's 2 to 1 session
Owen and Felicity came up from Taunton for their skills session and have only been riding for 6 months! On meeting them I gave them an outline of the session and ran them through my skills check where I found foot, body and looking faults but also an very good technique was natural to them both but they didn't know they did it. I corrected their set ups and this enhanced the skills I needed to work on.
The first technique I covered was the drop technique where I also worked on braking technique also. Both Felicity and Owen applied their new skill sets to this technique and began landing perfectly from the word go.
After a while I moved us onto the skills trail and began working on the sections contained within it and linking them together. Pumping, flat, bermed,off camber and switchback turns. Rock gardens, steps, drops and fly out jumps were all worked on and linked to the previous sections.
They were beginning to flow through turns and using their mental skill set as well as the physical to link jumps and drops into the next sections. Before long they were riding the entire trail and linking the 14 sections together and any errors were identified by themselves without being told.
After a few runs of the trail I moved onto the 6ft tabletop and gap jump. This was something Felicity thought she'd never do on a bike but in a short while they both sailed over the tabletop and then rode the gap jump too, the smiles on their faces as they walked back up were massive.
They rode the jumps a few times before I once again, moved us on.
I Next used the pump and jump trail to further work on their pumping to generate speed from the trail and to enable them to choose whether to jump or pump a section.
Lastly, I moved onto a ladder drop to work on their peripheral fear and ride the 2ft drop at the end. They were tiring visibly by now and after a couple of goes I called an end to the session and gave them a riding demonstration of the same skill set I teach in use in my own riding on a high fast line on the woodwork.
Great session!
Saturday, 19 November 2011
A private skills session for Stu, Martin and Mark
The guys came to me through their scheme at Jaguar cars and on meeting I gave them my commitments for the session and beyond. I ran them through my skills check and discovered some footwork, body and looking faults were bogging down some great natural habits.
Once I had corrected their set ups we moved onto the 3 drops and applied their new physical and mental skill sets to the technique and the effect was immediate.
We then moved onto the skills trail and I worked with them on linking the 14 sections that are contained within it together using their identified braking areas. I began with pumping and using the trails natural energy Rather than the riders and we used this speed to ride the following bermed, flat, switchback corner and rock gardens. Later I added a fly out jump and corner with a step on the exit and the guys were really beginning to flow along the singletrack.
I worked hard on linking drops into corners and the best line choice in doing so before they all went to the top and began riding the entire trail with a new confidence and commitment. Each run that they completed prompted them to comment on how fluid it now felt and un hurried.
Martin had time restraints and had to leave just as I began to work on using the skill set to jump tabletops and gaps. I used the 6ft tabletop and gap side for this and in a few short runs they were both sailing over it perfectly.
Both Stu and Mark then used the 4 mental skills questions that I teach to decide to ride the 6ft gap jump side also and the smiles exploded across their faces.
Amazing progress guys, from acorns grow oak trees!
Posted by UK BIKE SKILLS at 07:28 No comments: Links to this post
Friday, 18 November 2011
The kid in Tim returns!
On meeting Tim as arranged we chatted over coffee and when he said he rode bmx as a child I said that child is still in there, later he'd know what I meant.
I ran him through the skills check and found looking and footwork faults but found he possessed a perfect unweight of the front wheel which is rare. It was clear I would have to work on Tim's mental skill set.
I altered his set up and we began with braking technique and then moved onto the drop technique which Tim commented on feeling so easy now he used his skill set.
We moved onto the skills trail and began working on linking the 14 sections on the trail together. I worked on pumping, flat, bermed, off camber and switchback corners, steps, rock gardens, fly out jumps and drops. Methodically, I moved us along the trail always adding the next section to the previous ones and soon he was flying along. Tim had told me that he'd loved to be able to jump again like he did as a kid and the fly out jump just sailed past beneath him.
Before long, he was riding the whole trail and each run flew past as he used footwork, looking and body position to control the speed he wanted to travel.
I showed how the skill set is used in riding over fallen trees etc and soon Tim was also bunny hopping too with ease!
By now it was clear that this was no ordinary rider and that the kid in him was emerging.
I moved onto the 6ft tabletop, something Tim was very wary of trying but that was soon overcome as he sailed over it giggling as he did! He rode the gap jump side too, his first ever.
We wasn't finished by a long chalk and next up was the pump and jump trail where I expanded on his trail energy management further and he was able to choose whether to jump or pump through any section. Tim really got to grips with this and was flying. The smile was now permanently etched on his face.
I brought Tim over to the alpine switchbacks and after a bit of tweaking, he rode those too! Tim was taking everything in his stride now and I didn't want it to end so, I brought him onto the woodwork to work on his fear of gaps and being on woodwork.
I gave him a control method first and then he confidently rode a 2ft high ladder to drop with ease before riding a higher one with a gap in it too. Tim was now speechless and I explained it was all him as he was riding not me.
Our session came to a close shortly after and I gave a demonstration of the skill set I teach in use in my own riding on a high, fast line on the woodwork.
We sat afterwards and had a cold beer each to cap an awesome session and I for one will be buzzing all night after that one!
Posted by UK BIKE SKILLS at 07:48 1 comment: Links to this post
Thursday, 17 November 2011
Rebekah's 1 to 1 skills session
Rebekah made the trip down from Derby for her session after hearing recommendations from her riding buddies.
On meeting I ran her through the skills check and found the missing skills but also something of great value in riding that she had no idea she did.
I found I had to work on looking and footwork, then later I was able to work on body positioning too. After making the necessary set up changes, it all began to change straight away.
I began with the drop technique and the ease of it using the skill set really shocked her. Rebekah's bike is quite large and she felt more comfortable on my own so she rode that a bit too and using her new mental skill set also she rode the next drop.
It soon came time to move onto the skills trail itself and I was able to work on basic pumping to harness the trails energy and use it rather than the riders and we used this to ride the next berm and flat corner, later adding in a rock garden and two further corners. Rebekah really began to use her looking and footwork and could feel the control and grip it offered. Body positioning enhanced this further as we added a fly out jump and corner with a step too. I then worked on linking her new drop technique to her cornering and Rebekah even rode the largest drop into the berm.
Now it was time to link all 14 sections contained in the trail together and each run was smoother and faster than the previous. Any errors were worked through and she identified them without me having to say.
We ended our session on the pump and jump trail and I worked on generating speed to enable Rebekah to gain airtime on a tabletop and the look on her face was a picture as she sailed into the air. After quite a few runs our session came to a close and a great session ended.
Awesome riding Rebekah!
Posted by UK BIKE SKILLS at 08:36 No comments: Links to this post
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So lately I've been noticing a distinct enlargement of my mid-section through over-indulging and lack of exercise. I've never been one for working out like a mad woman, but I do enjoy physical activity and to be honest the hardest part is getting motivated to begin. So I recently began reading a book I've had for about a year (yes, and I'm just now reading it): YOU On a Diet which outlines a whole plan for thinking about food differently and incorporating daily activity into your life. The best part? Exercise can be done easily in the comfort of your own home.
Get into full push-up position with elbows and toes on the floor. Kepp your bum tight and your stomach pulled in toward your lower back. Hold position.
Lie flat on your stomach, reaching your arms out in front of you with palms down. Spread out your extremities straight out in all four directions and lift your arms and legs simultaneously for enough repetitions to cause some mild fatigue. Continue to look down during the movement, and don't over extend your neck up. Focus on how long you can make your body-not how high you can get it.


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I'll be quoting J. C. Ryle often on this blog, so be prepared for that. I'll have to restrain myself from writing something he's said too often. His commentary on this verse of Scripture is classic for him:
Finally, if by the grace of God we really understand the glorious truth that sinners are those whom Christ came to call, let us take heed that we never forget it. Let us not dream that true Christians can ever attain such a state of perfection in this world, as not to need the mediation and intercession of Jesus. Sinners we are in the day we first come to Christ. Poor needy sinners we continue to be so long as we live, drawing all the grace we have every hour out of Christ's fullness. Sinners we shall find ourselves in the hour of our death, and shall die as much indebted to Christ's blood, as in the day when we first believed. ~~ J. C. Ryle
"Poor needy sinners we continue to be so long as we live." I am reminded of that every day. I hope I never cease to marvel at the love of a Savior who came to sinners. Not those who are righteous, but sinners. And since there are none righteous anyway, He only could come to sinners. Along with all the saints, I can only praise Him for not having left us in that state.


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DJ Dahi – TOYS 2.0 (Instrumentals)
Here's a new collection of instrumentals from DJ Dahi, the producer responsible for Kendrick Lamar's "Money Trees" and Dom Kennedy's "My Type Of Party".
Tracklist and download link after the jump.
Download: Link
Previously: Fashawn ft. Wiz Khalifa – Medicine Man (Prod. by DJ Dahi)


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Sunday, May 18, 2008
This Cute Clutch Can Be Yours For The Price Of A Cheap Couch
I love the wallpaper. And the pink top. And the clutch is nice too. It's for your big iPhone, or something blackberry like, plus your other stuff. You can get in for $390. through The Cool Hunter HERE
Labels: Fashion
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My talented friend, Hamed Nikpay sings "Deceit," or Fareeb from his new album, All is Calm. Some of this clip was filmed at Berkeley's Persian Center! I will be writing about Hamed again soon. Have a wonderful Sunday everybody!
Hamed Nikpay
Labels: Hamed Nikpay, Music
2 comments:
- نیلوفر said...
Wow! I love it. Thanks for sharing this beautiful song Nazy joon
- November 30, 2008 at 11:16 PM
- Daisy said...
you have a very talented friend. That was amazing.
- December 2, 2008 at 10:14 PM
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Insert section title here
Insert section text and upload image
|Witney Physio and Sport Injury Clinic
specialises in sports physiotherapy, outpatients, trauma and orthopedics and is fully equipped with the latest physiotherapy equipment and modalities. Our physiotherapists are registered practitioners (Members of the chartered society of physiotherapy ).
|Acupuncture has been used as part of traditional Chinese medicine for over 4000 years, and was based on the belief that the body can heal itself and return to a balanced state of health if it is given the correct stimuli. The acupuncture points are usually stimulated by the insertion of very fine, sterile needles and electro acupuncture.
MRI Scan
|Any of the physiotherapist at the Witney Physio and Sports Injury Clinic can refer clients for private MRI scan or ultra sound scan, and have close links with the oxford orthopedic centre for any onward referrals.
Conditions That Can Be Treated
Flexible appointment times which include evening and weekends with home visits.
Cotswold Physio Rooms are fully credited and accept all health care insurance cover.
All physiotherapist are members of the chartered society of physiotherapist and members of the health & care professions council.


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Interview With Chris Robert
(reprinted from Business Week)
Do you have a cranky boss? Some bosses act as though they're allergic to humor, bristling when employees joke around in the office and fretting over the line between humor and harassment. But Chris Robert, assistant professor of management at the University of Missouri-Columbia's Robert J. Trulaske Sr. College of Business, says joking around on the job can actually have a positive effect on productivity and employee retention. Robert, whose findings have been published as a chapter in a recent edition of the journal Research in Personnel and Human Resources Management, spoke about his findings to Smart Answers columnist Karen E. Klein. Edited excerpts of their conversation follow.
Why did you decide to do an academic study on workplace humor?
I've always appreciated how humor is an important part of the day-to-day work life, and I've always been interested and intrigued by how humor works. I've also done research on the subject of cross-cultural management styles and noticed how some humor works well in our culture, but not in other places.
Have you found that humor is definitely culturally specific?
Sure, somewhat. But on the other hand you typically hear things like, "Don't use humor in international business settings, it'll fall flat or you'll offend someone." But my experience is that that's not the worst thing in the world. And the upside is really positive: Almost nothing makes you more comfortable than sharing a laugh about something universal, like kids. So sometimes humor works exceedingly well across cultures to make people feel better about each other and about doing business together.
I approached the topic of humor initially from the cross-cultural angle, but then I decided to survey the literature and found that there wasn't much out there in terms of empirical work on humor. There are lots of armchair theorizers, but not many good studies. So a business doctoral student, Wan Yan, and I looked at the fields of anthropology, communications, and sociology to see what might inform what we'd expect to see in business organizations.
And what did you find?
We found pretty good theory and evidence suggesting that humor at the individual level is important. The use of humor, and the ability to produce and make humor, is associated with intelligence and creativity, two things highly valued in workplaces. More important, the link between humor and positive emotions seems strong, which is intuitive, and there's also a strong correlation between positive emotions and workplace performance.
So are you saying that a funny employee can help promote a happy, productive workplace?
No one has really studied humor as an important part of employee performance directly, but we do know that positive affect in the workplace increases individual performance. And humor is one of the things associated with a positive affect, which increases not only productivity, but also the ability to communicate well with the boss, co-workers, and customers. It also enhances the degree to which you feel bonded, cohesive, and part of the group in the workplace.
That's where employee retention comes into it. If you have positive emotions about your job, you're less likely to quit. And maybe part of that is because of the fun you're having in the break room. You might get a better job offer, but it will take more to draw you away when you like where you work and you like the people you work with.
It seems as if we often get negative reactions to humor from those armchair theorizers or from the legal perspective. Why do you think that is?
Humor enables people to make comments that they might not otherwise make. If you can wrap something up in humor and say, "Oh, I'm just kidding around," you might be able to say something offensive that you wouldn't say without the humor. So I think often people blame humor in general when someone's making an offensive comment within humor. I think of humor as the medium, not the message. If someone makes a sexually charged comment, but they use humor to do it, should we blame humor or should we blame the person's intentions? We don't want to shoot the messenger.
In the same sense, doesn't humor also give employees the freedom to criticize or complain about their jobs?
Sure. If the business owner or manager is someone who doesn't respond well to direct challenges from employees, they might find a way to criticize indirectly with humor. In that case, I'd advise the business owner to take the message seriously. The person making the joke might be challenging you, which could be a problem, or you might be getting a subtle communication from one employee that other employees also feel. If an employee makes a joke about a supervisor, other people probably agree with that joke. Humor producers know that other people are listening to their joke and they're more likely to make it if they think the others will appreciate it.
In that sense, humor can be used effectively by the business owner to understand how employees are thinking. It could create an opportunity for you to address a complaint or criticism that you wouldn't hear about otherwise.
How did your study find that humor relates to workplace creativity?
The primary theory about humor, which is well accepted, is that it stems from incongruity. In other words, we find jokes or comments funny because they are linking two things together—perhaps through a punch line—that you wouldn't normally link together, or that shouldn't go together. Essentially, that's what creativity is, too: Putting things together in a unique way, like using the Internet for something people wouldn't have thought of before.
It's likely that some of the same neural processes enable both humor and creativity, so those two things kind of go hand in hand. A number of studies show that a funny person is also likely to be a very creative person.
How do your findings translate to the hiring decisions that small business owners have to make?
That's an interesting issue, and in fact we're working on a paper about that right now. Should you select the funny guy for a job? I don't necessarily think you want to select the class clown, someone who's constantly joking and has to be the center of attention all the time. That could be too much for a workplace, it could get distracting for the other employees, and any boss would probably have valid worries about that kind of person. But if you can get some more subtle indicators in an interview that someone has a good sense of humor—say, they appreciate humor or they find things funny—that might be someone you want to have around. The other thing is that humor is viral. When someone's laughing, it's kind of contagious and it can spread a positive general benefit to the workplace.
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Bending Rules for Better Results
"Most managers," said futurist Alvin Toffler, "were trained to be the thing they most despise…bureaucrats." Bureaucratic workplace rules, policies and red tape are a major frustration, both for the manager who has to enforce them, and for the employees who have to endure them. Employees often cite baffling workplace rules as an impediment to getting their work done efficiently. Some workplace rules are essential to deal with important considerations such as safety. But arbitrary edicts for every aspect of office life act as handcuffs, limiting people's ability to achieve the best results.
In the book Hacking Work: Breaking Stupid Rules For Smart Results, authors Bill Jensen and Josh Klein show how today's top performers are taking matters into their own hands to circumvent all sorts of rules just to get their work done. These are dubbed benevolent hackers who find ways to get around stupid rules to get smarter results. The authors cite an example of employees frustrated because their boss insists that all presentations be delivered in PowerPoint. But collaborating with others on PowerPoint slides took forever to upload (and download) files on the company's Microsoft SharePoint servers.
Breaking the rules by surreptitiously using Google Documents for the collaborative work, and saving to PowerPoint at the last minute, saved hours of frustration and helped these employees accomplish more. Another example cited is of an employee who was tired of spending six to eight hours a month doing his expense reports according to his employer's cumbersome forms. He now uses Mint.com to create a one-pager of his expenses and even uses Salesreceiptstore.com to order duplicate sets of receipts to match his expenses so he doesn't have to carry pockets full of receipts.
What these two examples teach business executives is that there's an urgent need to keep up with the rapidly changing work environment, not only in terms of how people work today, but also what tools are available out there. The authors state that "the tools we have outside of work are leapfrogging past what we use on the job." Preventing employees from using these tools makes their life needlessly more difficult. And many will find a way to work around firewalls and use them anyway because these tools allow them to work more efficiently.
Reprinted portion of article by Bruna Martinuzzi, founder of Clarion Enterprises Ltd., and the author of two books: Presenting with Credibility: Practical Tools and Techniques for Effective Presentations and The Leader as a Mensch: Become the Kind of Person Others Want to Follow.
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A Dream Team
A friend of mine, Tom Daly, gave a seminar on teamwork in which he asked us to facilitate a fun and revealing exercise. He took me and seven other volunteers from the group to the back of the room and instructed us: "When I say, `GO!' I want one leader to stand in the middle, and the rest of you to lock arms with each other in any way you choose around the leader. Then, in collaboration with the leader, you're going to move this small folding table with the tray on top (and a coffee mug on top of that) from one corner of the room to another." I immediately had a vision of how it could be done quickly, and when Tom asked us how much time we needed, I said we could do it in two minutes.
When Tom gave the signal to proceed, I jumped in the middle and asked everyone to lock arms and face me, except for the person closest to the table, whom I had turn and face away from the circle but still locking arms with the rest of us. He asked me if one person could pull the whole table and I said, "Yes, absolutely! You can do it." With little time for processing, I had to be assertive and think fast to get the job done in two minutes.
We proceeded to move en masse toward our goal. Everyone else was laughing as we shuffled across the room and down the aisle, with the guy hauling the table bringing up the rear. Then an obstacle showed up in the form of an overturned chair in our path. Before I could give an instruction, the person at the front of the circle kicked the chair aside. "Good job, macho man!" I shouted, which provoked more laughter from the rest of the room. We reached the corner of the room and I told the team to rotate so that the person with the table would be facing the corner. Then he set the table in place, and the task was finished in a minute and twenty seconds.
This humorous exercise was a great learning experience for all of us. Tom asked me my thoughts about leading the group. I replied that I probably would not have led if not for the clear vision I had for getting it done simply and quickly.
Each person on the team gave their viewpoint from the questions Tom asked of them: Did they feel like an integral part of the team, even though they had no verbal input? One person suggested it was easier to yield to the strategy given by the leader and work with a team of strangers than among her co-workers (perhaps knowing their flaws all too well and the personality dynamics between them). Were any of them tempted to dispute the leader's strategy? A few were, but said they ceded to the leader due to time limitations. Was it fun? Unanimously, a good time was had by all!
Excerpt from the book, "When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Lighten Up!"
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Airing It Out
Let this funny airline complaint letter be a reminder of how customer service is the life blood of any business…
Dear LIAT (AIRLINE),
May I say how considerate it is of you to enable your passengers such an in-depth and thorough tour of the Caribbean. Most other airlines I have traveled on would simply wish to take me from point A to B in a hurry. I was intrigued that we were allowed to stop at not a lowly one or two but a magnificent six airports yesterday. And who wants to fly on the same airplane the entire time? We got to change and refuel every step of the way!
I particularly enjoyed sampling the security scanners at each and every airport. I find it preposterous that people imagine them all to be the same. And as for being patted down by a variety of islanders, well, I feel as if I've been hugged by most of the Caribbean already. I also found it unique that this was all done on "island time," because I do like to have time to absorb the atmosphere of the various departure lounges. As for our arrival, well, who wants to have to take a ferry at the end of all that flying anyway? I'm glad the boat was long gone by the time we arrived into Tortola last night — and that all those noisy bars and restaurants were closed.
So thank you, LIAT. I now truly understand why you are "The Caribbean Airline."
P.S. Keep the bag. I never liked it anyway.
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Creating a "Riot" on the Freeway
Patterns of behavior can be interrupted and changed instantaneously, providing either a much needed sense of levity in the midst of adversity, or even a lasting shift in life perspective.
In 1992, civil unrest broke out in Los Angeles after the Rodney King verdict. The radio blared the news: Mayor Bradley had just imposed a dusk to dawn curfew in the city. I was driving on the Hollywood freeway during the rush hour, traffic typically bumper to bumper. Looking out the passenger side window, I saw fires ablaze on the horizon. I sniffed smoke from burning buildings that saturated the already smoggy air. I glanced at my fellow commuters, alert to the fear engraved on their faces. Perhaps they were wondering if their houses and neighborhoods were ablaze as well.
The surrounding anxiety was compelling me to respond. Something must be done to ease the sense of despair! But I can't just leap out of the car and do a stand-up routine on the freeway… I'd probably get run over. Ah…my prop bag was behind the seat. I blindly groped around with my hand and pulled out a show stopper – a two-inch red clown nose. I stuck it on my face. Commuters around me were doing double takes which said, "He must be a tourist. He doesn't know what's happening." I'm sure they were not wondering if I was available for children's parties. But when I smiled at them, they got the message. I wanted to convey that in spite of the circumstances, we can take a moment to detach and suspend the downward spiral of distress.
The effect was remarkable. People laughed, smiled back, gave the thumbs up, honked horns, nudged their driving buddies and pointed at me. Kids jumped up and down in the back seats and giggled. People of all ages and backgrounds were sharing a moment of fun in the face of adversity. The crowd attitudinal consensus around me had changed. Truly it was one of the finest moments I've experienced!
Excerpt from the book, "When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Lighten Up!"
c 2013 Mental Floss Publications
All Rights Reserved
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What is S.D.S.?
Consider this an "unrestraining order" from the court of Terry Braverman: Today we are all afflicted to some degree with S.D.S. (Spontaneity Deficiency Syndrome). It is appalling in our society how much we miss enlivening opportunities by censoring our own spontaneity. "Well, I'm trying to find time to be spontaneous," a harried business acquaintance once muttered. Indigenous tribal people tend to release their pent-up emotions through singing, dancing, chanting, and wearing wild costumes. How many of us would feel comfortable doing that in front of our families?
We have largely suppressed or forgotten spontaneity in the maze of our busyness, our plans, our rational thinking, and our control mechanisms. S.D.S. is a major cause of stress in our world. When we are in a lot of physical pain it takes some strong medicine to get relief. If the pain is emotional, we often need a strong jolt to regain our perspective. A dose of silly nonsense may just do the trick.
One time I was on the phone with a rep from a customer service department to lodge a complaint. My frustration was growing and I decided to vent by singing my complaint in an operatic voice. The rep was laughing hysterically and said, "Wait, I'm putting my supervisor on the line!" I continued to sing and the supervisor resolved my issue immediately in the spirit of fun established, as opposed to tension and conflict.
I cringe when I see people being scolded for acting too silly. Of course there are situations that demand an overall serious tone, but more often than not it's the "grow up and get serious" parental mentality at work, stifling the natural stress relief of playful expression. It will amaze you to know that the word silly comes from the Old English word saelig, which was a blessing. It meant "to be happy, prosperous and wise." On the other hand, adult comes from the word adulterate, meaning "to corrupt, debase, or make impure."
Some claim variety to be the spice of life…I say it's spontaneity.
Leading up to the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, organizers promised to crack down on awkward, Chinese-inflected English, known as "Chinglish," and asked the public to help police bad grammar and faulty sign translation. With 500,000 foreigners expected for the Olympics, taxi drivers who can't speak English — or signs that mangle the language — it could be an embarrassment and distract from the $40 billion being poured into rebuilding the city for the games.
Throughout Beijing, examples abounded:
A store selling tobacco products advertises: "An Excellent Winding Smoke."
On the floor at Beijing's Capital Airport, a sign reads: "Careful Landslip Attention Security."
On a billboard, this mysterious message: "Shangri-La is in you mind, but your Buffalo is not."
In an elevator, parents are warned: "Please lead your child to tare the life."
Despite the problems, a government official said one-third of Beijing's 15 million residents speak some English, a claim that was challenged by a local reporter from China's state-run CCTV. "I think 5 million is a big number," the reporter told the official. The official stood by the figure, but conceded the vast majority of the English speakers fell into a category he labeled "low level." "They can have very simply conversations, like: 'Who am I? Where am I going?'"
Efforts continue today to improve signage in English around Beijing's tourist attractions.


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Too Much Sneaky
The Politico's Ben Smith has a post up this morning on some anonymous, pro-Clinton websites that have popped up on the Internet in the last couple of days.
At the end of his post, Smith links back to a story that he did in December on the anonymous web.
One graph from Smith's December story caught our eye. It refers to Politico trying to determine the identity of the anonymous author of a pro-Hillary site:
The author has gone to some lengths to disguise his or her identity.Wow.
The website is hosted by a service that offers anonymity. It accepts payment for goods through PayPal. And the author didn't bite on an attempt by Politico to crack the case by sending an email with an embedded image and checking to see who downloaded the image – a relatively common method in the field of Internet forensics.
But aren't we talking about a privately owned and operated, completely legal website whose "attacks stick to the realm of acceptable Washington politics – they don't veer into the darker realms of attacks on Obama's race or religion"?
We think that Ben Smith is a good reporter and a decent guy. But Politico sending out forensic emails in an attempt to "out" a private citizen who is not breaking any law rubbed us the wrong way.
Big time.


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|English author George Gissing
Book Review
Born In Exile
by George Gissing
p. 1892
Consider the character of the alienated intellectual. If you had only read literature of the 20th century, you might assume that such a figure has played a central role in the development of the novel as an art form, so prominent is his/her position in the great works of the 20th and 21st century. And yet this character is relatively recent development, with sporadic appearances in French literature, a more significant role in Russian literature and almost entirely absent in British literature until George Gissing hit the scene. Gissing actually wrote two novels that essentially created this character: He published New Grub Street in 1891, and Born In Exile in 1892. New Grub Street is an incredibly bleak look at the entire life and times of a failed novelist. Born In Exile is a less despairing look at a similar figure- but this time the main guy is a scientist and would-be clergyman rather then a writer.
Godwin Peak is a man born to lower/middle class parents. He quickly demonstrates an aptitude for study and begins course work at a nearby college, only to have his dreams thwarted when a Cockney Uncle opens up a restaurant across the street from his college. Of course he quits college rather then put up with a lower class relative opening up a restaurant nearby, it makes perfect sense!
After leaving school, he suffers multiple crises of faith before deciding to pursue a clerical career, only to have his plan wrecked by this earlier dabbling in religious criticism, which is brought to the attention of his clerical sponsors. Unlike New Grub Street, which ends in utter misery, Born In Exile has a marginally less depressing finale where Peak inherits money from the sister of a friend, and is able to travel the world where he dies...also in Exile. Do you see the irony there? Because the book is called Born In Exile? And he also Dies in Exile? Maybe irony isn't the right word. Symmetry, I suppose.