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I will do the "write up" tomorrow, probably.
Game#15 will be my entry for the Underground Jam competition at Scirra, so I won't publish anything regarding that until the competition is over.
I already have an interesting idea for this game, bit different from the obvious platforms in caves type thing, so we will see....... maybe I'll win the Spade Handle ?
My Construct2 Development Blog
Things I am learning when learning to use Construct 2
Friday, 7 August 2015
Thursday, 6 August 2015
Game#14: Robotron (nearly there)
Haven't had much time on it today, but tomorrow hopefully it will be made available to play online like all the others, and I will do the 'write up' of the game.
Wednesday, 5 August 2015
Game 14 : Robotron 2048, onwards and upwards
Needs a little tweaking. The "Brains" are perhaps a little too smart in going and grabbing humanoids and zombifying them.
It's now at the stage where the level is being built from globals indicating the number of objects in each level.
Fortunately I have found someone who has reverse engineered the original game, so I can get the right number of bad guys on each level.
Monday, 3 August 2015
Game# 14: Day something or other
All the bad guys are now present except the human eating brains.
Hopefully I'll do that tomorrow.
Here you can see the Tanks and Enforcers with their bouncing and crawling bullets. Seems to work quite well.
Sunday, 2 August 2015
Game # 14: Robotron (continued)
Have managed to do a bit of work on Robotron. I have the two enemies that spawn others working, and I've also refactored the chaser code out of the Grunts into another family (because I'll need to have other objects chase I think).
Amendments to the Wanderer family made it suitable for use for the Quarks and Spheroids (the two enemy types that spawn other objects) they move in a similar random pattern, just with the option of diagonal movement.
Also have decided to go in for Scirra's "Underground" competition. I did go in for the "Deception" one, but I only had about a day to write the game for various reasons, so I was quite pleased to be in the top 20 :)
Friday, 31 July 2015
Game#14: Robotron (Day 2)
Have made some minor progress with Robotron though ; the Grunts, Hulks, Enforces and Humans are completed.
Todo : Spheroids (spawn Enforcers), Quarks (spawn Tanks) and Brains. I'll have to spend some time figuring out how they all behave to get a realistic version of the game.
Maybe tomorrow :)
Wednesday, 29 July 2015
Game # 14: Robotron
As you can see, I only currently have the player shooting, grunts (not doing much) and the humans (which you collect for points). If you haven't played Robotron, it looks like this but with about ten times as much going on.
This looks like it's going to family centric, already I have six different families.
One change to the original. The original has dual controllers, one controls where you fire, one controls where you move. I have nicked Jeff "Llamasoft" Minter's idea for his remake "Llamatron" whereby the player automatically fires, and the fire key locks the shooting direction, so you can fire (say) to the left while moving right.
It will be an interesting test of the speed of Construct 2, if I can find a workable control system for a touch screen. When Robotron is going flat out it makes Defender without the planet look like Space Invaders on slow mode.
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This was years ago, mind you, when he was still living in Philadelphia.
He'd been drinking for most of the day, by this point; which wasn't a regular habit at the time, though friends reported he had been a little stressed of late. He wasn't a violent man, as a rule. But even the gentlest souls have a breaking point. And so it was that one day, mere hours before being due to start broadcast on another episode of American Bandstand, Clark was found several miles outside of town at a pig farm beating a large sow with Charlie O'Donnell's mailbox.
Why he had been at Charlie's house earlier that day, doing what he did, is a mystery that never did get resolved. He and Charlie were pretty good friends, after all, so for him to show up at Charlie's house with a rucksack full of enamel paints & proceed to adorn Charlie's front fence with obscene imagery and then let the air out of all the tyres of his car before attacking & then making off with his mailbox is really quite inexplicable behaviour, but really that's another story entirely.
Now, lucky for the sow, Charlie O'Donnell's mailbox was not really well-designed as far as improvised clubs go, so Dick wasn't really managing to inflict that much damage. Nevertheless, it took 3 farmhands to take him down that day and another fifth of bourbon on top of what he'd already had to quieten him down once more. He missed his broadcast that day, but after writing letters of apology to all concerned and making financial reparations where appropriate, the matter was allowed to fall and was never spoken of again.

subset: commoncrawl


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Berry-and-Spice Whole-Wheat Muffins
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons chopped pecans
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 egg
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
Combine brown sugar, 1 tablespoon flour, and pecans in a small bowl. Stir in melted butter; set aside.
Combine 1 cup all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, and next 5 ingredients in a large bowl; make a well in center of mixture.
Stir together egg, buttermilk, and oil; add to dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened. Fold in blueberries.
Spoon about 1/3 cup batter into each of 12 lightly greased muffin cups. Sprinkle batter evenly with reserved pecan mixture.
Bake at 375° for 19 to 21 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool in pans on wire rack 5 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool slightly on wire rack. Serve warm.


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Category Archives: poem
Purity of a golden heart
via Unspeakable.
The Telescope
via The Telescope.
via Prerequisite.
via Guestbooks.
There was no book in the book-fair
There was no book in the book-fair.
Yes,this is true.
There was no book for me in the book-fair.
Though I was attracted to a few
not girls,books
they were very expensive.
My daughter was with me
and my aged look which goes with me
by default.
cigarettes eat a big chunk of my budget
and I have no book shelf at all.
This will be a very tall tail if I go on narrating
my excuses.
I often think I was very rich
when I was unemployed.
I don't remember now who they were
but certainly there were quite a few ghosts
who would supply me money to buy books
which I wanted to buy.
This time I was prepared to buy some poetry
but I found
the booksellers were not conscious about me.


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Trade Unions protest against factory closure
Trade unionists have been campaigning against the closure of a factory in Acton which employs disabled people.
Remploy has set out to give disabled people, and those with learning difficulties, the opportunity to work by providing sustainable employment opportunities. The Remploy site in Portal Way, North Acton, employs 36 people, 30 of whom have disabilities. Staff at the factory make a wide range of goods, from office furniture to electronic equipment.
The scheme, established in 1945 and with a network of factories and outlets nationwide, costs £36 million a year. It is owned by the government but, unlike private enterprises, is not required to turn a profit. However, if things go ahead as planned, the Acton factory may be closed for good.
On Saturday, campaigners were leafleting in Acton's Market Place, encouraging shoppers to sign a petition against the closure.
Eve Turner, the secretary for West London TUC said: "The risk is that these local workers will be thrown on to the scrap heap. It would be another blow to disabled people, whose benefits are being cut even if they are too ill to work".
Responding, Angie Bray, MP for Ealing Central and Acton said: "I was certainly struck by the positive attitude I encountered when I visited the Remploy factory in Acton last year".
She went on to say: "Once the consultation closes in October, the Government is looking to invest in the best possible system for disabled people who want to work. The aim being to encourage an extra 35,000 people into employment."
Friday, 26 August, 2011 at 4:09 PM
is the report correct in saying – "it employs 36 people" and "the scheme costs £36 million a year"
Surely not?????


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|Qld Seasonal Rainfall Outlook: probabilities for October to December 2005, issued 15th September 2005
Reduced falls for parts of North Queensland
Seasonal rainfall odds released today by the Bureau of Meteorology, indicate an increased likelihood of below median falls over parts of north Queensland for the December quarter (October to December).
For the October to December period, the chances of above median rainfall are between 35 and 40% over an area of north Queensland inland from Townsville (see map). So in years with ocean patterns like the current, about four December quarters out of ten are expected to be wetter than the median over these parts of the State, with about six out of ten being drier.
Over the rest of Queensland, the chances of accumulating at least median three-month rainfall are between 40 and 50%. Continuing warmth over the Pacific is associated with reduced rainfall over much of Queensland, but this is balanced somewhat by a warmer than average Indian Ocean which tends to promote increased seasonal falls.
Outlook confidence is related to the influence of Pacific and Indian Ocean temperatures on seasonal rainfall. During the December quarter, history shows this influence to be moderately consistent across much of Queensland, except in parts of the south and southeast where it is only weakly consistent (see background information).
The Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) fell from +1 in July to −7 in August. However, the SOI has begun to rise again with the approximate value for the 30 days ending 12th September being −1.
With all the main tropical Pacific climate indicators remaining neutral, an El Niño event developing in 2005 is not considered a realistic possibility. For routine updates and comprehensive discussion on the latest data relating to El Niño, together with details on what the phenomenon is and how it has affected Australia in the past, see the ENSO Wrap-Up.
Click on the map above for a larger version of the map. Use the reload/refresh button to ensure the latest forecast map is displayed.
|More information on this outlook is available from 9.00am to 5.00pm (EST) Monday to Friday by contacting the Climate and Consultancy section in the Bureau's Brisbane Office: (07) 3239 8660.
THE NEXT ISSUE OF THE SEASONAL OUTLOOK IS EXPECTED BY 18th OCTOBER 2005
Corresponding temperature outlook
August 2005 rainfall in historical perspective
Background Information


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I just read my son's latest entries and I can tell you that he'll have something to answer for when I get home. I'm not sure where or how he's had access to my laptop to make those posts, but I can assure you I'll speak sternly to all 16 lbs of him.
Al least he's almost back on the weight charts and his doctor isn't as concerned about him as she was. He's able to sit up really well and will squeal, giggle, and emit various other noises happily especially if there are toys or people in reach.
It's hard to believe that it's closing in on a year since he first joined our family, but despite the lack of sleep, I've enjoyed each and every minute of his cute little face. I'm looking forward to all the adventures we'll have together over the years.
I love you Matthew, even though I'm going to have to cut off your access to my laptop. Where did you learn to type anyway?
Friday, January 15, 2010
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Happy Anniversary Babe
Let's just say this year has been a roller coaster of events! I hope this next year is way more calm for us because I could sure use it. To sum it all up we moved to Hayward the beginning of this year to start new jobs. We quickly learned that our apartment was not in the best location. Within two and half months of staying there our apartment got broken into, our car got hit by a stolen car, our mailboxes were constantly being broken into and we consistently saw drug deals. To top it off our manager mentioned they recently caught a fugitive who was wanted for murder, had been hiding out a few doors down from us. How many signs does Heavenly Father need to give you to move?!
We quickly made our second move to the hills of Hayward where it was QUIET and peaceful. We had deer and turkey all around us. We were loving it and were happy to be in a better situation. That did not last long as Patrick got laid off from his job.
After three long months of searching he was able to get a job in San Mateo where he could not be happier. We decided to move for the THIRD time closer to his work so I quit my job and started a new one where I apartment manage in the Bay Area. We finally feel like we are able to breathe and are grateful for these experiences as they have drawn us closer together than ever before. I just wish to have no repeats!


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I love the Hawthorn trunk, so twisty. Is that the same as a Hawthorn hedgerow?
Tremendous Tree Trunks
On Sunday we had a really nice walk at Abinger Roughs. It was the first time we've walked there and there's a pleasant, well signposted walk through mixed broadleaf woodland, ending at a 16th century barn that is still in use by a local shepherd. The Beatrix Potteresqueness of the scene was complete by a large family of rabbits lounging around in the sun, taking no notice of us at all.
There are some really interesting trees in the wood, in particular a three hundred year old beech tree which has developed a vast, knarled trunk. It isn't unusually tall, but the trunk is very thick, with branches the size of mature trees reaching out like spider's legs from the twisted central body.
We saw a large hoof fungus on a dead tree – Fomes fomentarius. It was too high up to get a good look at, but it's visible on the photo below. Also known as tinder fungus, it was one of the items found with the 5,000 year old mummy; Ötzi the ice-man. He had with him pieces of fungus, threaded on leather thongs, of tinder fungus and also of birch polyphore. The tinder fungus was used for lighting fires, while the birch polyphore has antibacterial properties which he probably used medicinally.
I was struck by the variety of colours and textures of tree bark as we were walking around, so I thought I'd capture some of them.
7 thoughts on "Tremendous Tree Trunks"
Few photographers realize that the colors and textures of tree bark are very interesting to see in close-up photography, delivering fascinating paintings.
Great shots! You still amaze me with your knowledge of all things in the natural world (or were the trees sign-posted!!!).


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Saturday, October 01, 2011
Family Pictures
A chilly morning. My first taste of the day: warm Coke left on my desk last night. My little dog has trouble getting on and off the bed, so I lift her, and she kisses me. We limp together out into a new day. Sun's up, sky is blue. I see the family pictures we had taken last month when we were all together are up on the computer. I view them twice, they are good, I love seeing them! I love that these are my sons and their wives, my grandchildren, my sweet husband (who I argued with yesterday over trivial stuff, just stupid stuff). I love them all "to the end of every day's most quiet need," as Emily wrote. My whole body warms. ..."with the breath, smiles, tears of all my life...."
Posted by Joyce Ellen Davis at 10:11 AM
1 comment:
- Wind-kissed said...
I sure can relate and love the family pictures. I collect memorie too.
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Apology for the late update on my outfit post. I wanted to update this post last week but due to some technical errors on my picnik, I cant really do the photoediting for my photos.
The clock ring was given to me by my sister. I have been searching for a clock ring like after I spotted one from f21 in a magazine a couple of months ago. The clock ring was sold out when I got to the f21 store. Recently, my sister wanted to get rid of her clock ring and she just gave it to me. I love the clock ring so much.
My parcel for my online purchase on a backpack had arrived. Really love the backpack, which it can be carried as a sling bag. Im satisfied with the colour and quality of the bag. I ordered the bagpack from Princessess.
What: pink Fred Perry blouse, Runwaybandits denim high waisted shorts, vintage scarf from my mum, black convertible vintage bag-bagpack, clock ring, hearts ring, hoots ring, golden ribbon ring, black shades


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Glyph Technologies' StudioRAID is a high performance, ultra-reliable hardware RAID hard drive with USB 3.0, FireWire, and eSATA connectivity, supporting RAID 0 and RAID 1 modes. A temperature-controlled intelligent fan complements the StudioRAID's auto-sensing power supply for the best of speed and reliability.
RAID 1 offers data redundancy and real-time backup by writing the same data to the two hard drives at the same time. Should a drive failure happen, data is still available on the remaining drive.
RAID 0 (striping) increases the performance of the drive system by spreading the data across two drives. RAID 0 is a proven technology for editing video, working with huge graphics files, sound libraries, and streaming instruments that play hundreds of samples simultaneously. RAID 0 is the default shipping drive mode.
First Glyph selects the highest quality components available. Then they assemble the drives in their US factory, and perform regimented testing on every unit before it ships to you.
This product is backed with a full 3 year warranty, including 2 years of basic data recovery, and one year of advance replacement service.
LaCie StudioRAID Includes:
LaCie StudioRAID Features:
LaCie StudioRAID Specifications:
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To be the first to review this item, click here.


text:
Item # 196843
Stash Points: 13,999(?)
Want it now.
Get it now.
The Re:Flex Burton Mission bindings in black are lighter and more flexible than ever before thanks to Burton's Re:Flex technology that cuts out any unneeded material.
|More Details
The quantity of an item has been updated based on available inventory at the selected store.


text:
All you need to know about mini camera
|Spy pen
Such miniature cameras have memory space, that ranges from 5 GB to 10 GB. These tiny cameras are facilitated with superior quality lenses, that can capture an event clearly, even if it takes place at a considerable distance. The videos recorded by these gadgets exhibit superior picture quality (high definition). Apart from these, spy gadgets are also enabled to capture the sound of the event recorded. A good quality miniature camera is one that exhibits crystal clear sound.
A Spy pen is another form of tiny camera. Its exterior is shaped like a pen. The interior part of such a device contains a tiny camera. The camera is well facilitated with wiring, so that it can function smoothly and record aptly. The shape of a Spy pen is deliberately kept small, so that it does not raise any suspicion in the minds of the people who getting recorded by it.
Owing to these innumerable benefits, these spy gadgets and devices are gaining mass scale acceptance among consumers across diverse segments. These gadgets are marked at highly pocket friendly rates. Anyone willing to buy such a device, can log on to the web and be familiar with the innumerable reliable spy gadget sellers available in the market.
Labels: mini camera, spy pen


text:
Last night I went for dinner with the General Manager of our Singapore office at a new development called Rochester Park, which is an area in the north west of Singapore island filled with large white colonial "bungalows" (in reality, two or three storey houses) built for army officers in the days of British rule and set amidst the trees. L's grandmother used to be an amah for a British family there and she has an early-1970s vintage memory of her father taking her swimming in their pool.
Now the houses have all been converted into restaurants, and you sit outside surrounded by the cacophony of crickets, with lights strung through the trees in the evening warmth, and it is wonderful. We ate at a Chinese restaurant decorated with vintage black lamps and clean pale wooden tables, and had mouthwatering Beijing crispy duck served with the familiar pancakes and hoi sin sauce. You could also fill your pancake with traditional garlic sauce and spicy cabbage – an unexpectedly brilliant combination. Compared to the rather raddled, dry and stringy duck which often appears, this was fresh and juicy, the skin crisp but not hardened. I had a "Great Wall" cocktail, which consisted of lychee liqueur and soda.
In Hong Kong such buildings would have been razed years ago, and there would certainly not have been any similar leap of imagination by the government to adapt beautiful old buildings for modern use. Instead, they're knocking down the Bauhaus-influenced Wan Chai market and concreting over all the paths.
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
The vigorous imagination
Posted by LottieP at 11:07 am
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Senators face desperate Rangers tonightby Staff Writer / Ottawa Senators
|Ottawa Senators forward Patrick Eaves is expected to return to the lineup tonight and skate with Jason Spezza and Dany Heatley.
by Todd Anderson
The Ottawa Senators face another team fighting to make the playoffs tonight when they visit the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. The Rangers enter tonight's game holding down the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with 76 points in 69 games. The Carolina Hurricanes are tied with the Rangers in points but sit ninth because they've played one more game. Four other teams are within five points as the fight for playoff positioning heats up.
"They're a team that's trying to hang on," Senators head coach Bryan Murray says of the Rangers. "They're going to be very competitive against us. (Goaltender Henrik) Lundqvist is key for that hockey club and (Jaromir) Jagr is their star, there's no question. When he's going, they're hard to contain."
Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson agrees with the sentiments of his coach.
"We can see they're a desperate team," Alfredsson says. "If you're able to contain Jagr, you have half the battle won."
A teammate of Lundqvist's with the gold-medal champion Team Sweden during the 2006 Winter Olympics, Alfredsson knows how well the goaltender can play.
"We have to get more shots in traffic, get dirty and get in front of his net," Alfredsson says.
Murray plans to re-insert Patrick Eaves into the lineup tonight. The forward hasn't played in the last six games.
"I'd like to play Patty Eaves and I probably will," Murray said after an optional skate this morning in New York. "I want to talk to the coaches, and it's just a matter of whether it's a defenceman or a forward who I take out."
Eaves has been skating on a line with Dany Heatley and Jason Spezza over the last few days of practice. That's where Murray expects to start him tonight.
"The way he practised there, I'd like to do that," Murray says. "I think for him, and that combination, it allows me to have a little more depth as far as playing Alfie (Alfredsson) probably with Mike Fisher tonight."


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This was my dish, and it was heavenly - the tuna was poached to perfection and the dollops of potato were a great accompaniment.
Monday, 9 April 2012
Tomislav - Potts Point, Sydney
Hope everyone had a lovely Easter, back to the daily grind tomorrow!
I have a bit of blog post catching up to do, so here it goes:
Ever since I visited Tomislav last year for the Sugar Hit, and having such a fantastic experience, I've wanted to re-visit and try their regular four course menu.
What better excuse than an early birthday dinner? (not that I ever really need any excuses, heh!)
A little something to start - rice crackers
I love sour cream and chives, so this is a great accompaniment with drinks
I start off the night with a Birdy Tail - a lovely mix of Mandarine Napoleon, Grand Marnier and lime
Coffee butter - this was an interesting flavour, that we couldn't quite work out what it was until we were informed that it was actually coffee, it had a lovely, almost nutty flavour.
1st course - Kangaroo Tartare with mint crumbs and hazelnut dressing
Surprisingly, I thought this dish was not too bad and this is coming from a non-kangaroo eating perspective. It didn't have a gamey taste at all.
1st course - Poached yellow fin tuna with sour potato and rainforest lime
This was my dish, and it was heavenly - the tuna was poached to perfection and the dollops of potato were a great accompaniment.
This was my dish, and it was heavenly - the tuna was poached to perfection and the dollops of potato were a great accompaniment.
2nd course - Grilled Blackmore's Tongue, wattleseed toffee, coconut ice cream
Another dish I wouldn't have picked, but I had a taste and it was really nice.
2nd course - Basmati rice risotto, lemon zest, Yamba prawns
The most flavoursome risotto I've ever had, filled with bursty Yamba prawns
3rd course - Roast lamb rib, wasabi, grilled pineapple
The lamb was fantastic, paired with the sweet pineapple and the wasabi in powder form.
3rd course - Ranger's valley beef short rib, enoki
Side chips - crispiest chips ever!
4th course - Vanilla cheesecake, basil, raspberry sorbet
Tomislav's take on cheesecake - a creamy concoction with an interesting addition of basil and refreshing raspberry sorbet.
4th course - Caramel pudding, toasted walnuts, yoghurt sorbet
Creamy and delicious, with the added crunchy of walnuts
The thing I love most about Tomislav, other than the creative and amazing food, is the exceptional friendly and warm service, makes you feel right at home.
Posted by Karen missklicious at 23:05:00
Labels: Dining - Fine Dining , Sydney Eats , Tomislav
5 comments :
- MissPiggy said...
I FINALLY went to Tomislav's last year - LOVED it! Everything was wonderful. I tried the S&V crisps last time, but that sour cream looks sooo godo!
- 10 April 2012 at 11:16
- Tina@foodboozeshoes said...
Ooh, looks just as good as I remembered, especially that risotto :P
- 10 April 2012 at 13:00
- Vivian - vxdollface said...
I love everything at Tomislav <3 you must've had such a good time! lol I haven't posted mine yet cause my photos got blurrier from main onwards ^^" had a bottle of red mainly to myself oops!
- 10 April 2012 at 21:46
- Nic@diningwithastud said...
Im desperate to eat here. It looks like a great meal and experience
- 11 April 2012 at 14:04
- missklicious said...
misspiggy - the salt and vinegar crisps look so cool with the spray bottle!! I had a hard time choosing between that and the sour cream
Tina - The risotto was so decadent!
Vivian - haha that's hilarious!!
Nic - Well worth it :)
- 17 April 2012 at 21:33
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Why, oh why do those people who write complaining letters to publications sign off with a 'Mr Angry' or 'Unhappy' or even 'Tim Portugal' (which presumably stands for timid). If they hold certain views and wish to bring them to the attention of the public then why are they so afraid to stand up and be counted. Do they think that those of us who disagree with their views will seek them out in order to throw rotten fruit, poke them in the eye with a sharp stick or make a night time visit to their homes and set fire to their agapanthus?
If you look of the letters pages of our English speaking newspapers you will find dozens of such anonymised opinion holders with diverse gripes, the most popular being the police road checks; the fact that the pace in southern Europe is slower than we northerners are used to and the motorway tolls. Re the road checks, frankly I don't know what the fuss is all about. In every country in the world the police are paid out from the taxes collected from the population – you and me. So think of your fine as a tax but this tax is a tax which you can legally evade, unless you are stupid enough to drive around with a missing dust-cap from your tyre's air valve or a windscreen cleaner jet that washes the car behind. In cases such as these you fully deserve to be escorted to the nearest Multibanco and made to pay up. Perhaps we should be applauding the police instead of castigating them for keeping those who are uninsured, over-the-limit or driving unsafe vehicles, off the road.
And isn't it pleasant to sit and read a book whilst whiling away a few hours at Telecom in order to ask why your phone/internet account doesn't work. What would you be doing instead, lying by the pool collecting melanomas? Ditto the Post Office and the Financas
As to that hoary old chestnut, the motorway tolls. C'mon, it's a no brainer, you have three choices, use the motorway and pay the toll, use the motorway and find a large truck to tailgate so that your number plate will not be read as it approaches the gantries; or use the EN 125 coast road...
Personally I prefer the EN 125. It is the least boring option for it fully exercises the mind as you contemplate what caused that coach by the side of the road to finish up on its roof, why that car that was indicating right turned left and why there are skid marks on the roof of that house. Furthermore, should you be travelling between Fonte Boliqueim and Guia you have the added bonus of stopping for a rest and having deep meaningful chats with young ladies who seem friendly but appear to have no-one to talk to. Most of them, well the ones on the right (if you are travelling westward) are obviously super intelligent and have a first class degree in marketing as their Point of Sale material is quite superb. Day-Glo colours and eye-catching styling; not to mention their USP's (unique selling points which I can't mention unless the country in which you reside deems you an adult) .However on the left there is one young lady who, seemingly, cut the lectures and sadly failed the course as she stands or sits, in the shadows wearing, what appears to be camouflage colours. I really have to low down quite dramatically as I near her area otherwise I'll miss her.
But back to the point in question ….. what was the point-in-question? Oh yes, my mind was becoming side-tracked – name and address withheld. Why do the letters editors allow this? This blatant pandering to wimpish cowards hiding behind the skirts of anonymity. Or, heaven forfend, could it be the editors themselves making their own views public? We need to be told!


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Welcome to my blog! Danish Fiber/Textile Artist. Blogging about: design inspiration, work in progress, exhibitions, textile groups, how-to' crafting techniques, etsy shop 'SewDanish', travelling, yoga and life as it comes :-) My website http://BirgitteHendricks.com
Friday, 31 December 2010
Happy New Year from Birgitte / SewDanish :-)
On this last day of the year 2010 I want to wish all a very happy and healthy new year.
2011 is going to be a busy and exciting year for me. I'm participating in several textile exhibitions with deadlines fast approaching. In one of my textile groups, Fibrefusion, we are writing our 5th book which accordingly to plan the book is due to be published in September 2011.
My list of projects for my shop SewDanish is ever growing and I'm so excited to get back sewing after my December travels to Copenhagen, Denmark. As the photos kind of show a lovely trip, but bitterly cold! Brr.... :-)
Right now my husband and I are in the middle of planning our trips for the coming year that will hopefully include a fair amount of hiking around England. We so want to walk part of Hadrians Wall, so that is very high on our list. HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Links to this post Posted by SewDanish-Scandinavian Textile Art, Unique Handmade Supplies at 19:31 0 comments
Labels: Copenhagen, Fibrefusion, sewdanish
Sunday, 12 December 2010
Interview with SewDanish and her folded stars
Last week I was contacted by the DesignStyleGuide if I wanted to be interviewed about my Christmas ornaments and shop.
The interview has just been published and I thought I share the link with you if you wanted to have a look
Interview with SewDanish and her folded stars
Links to this post Posted by SewDanish-Scandinavian Textile Art, Unique Handmade Supplies at 14:24 0 comments
Labels: Christmas, DesignStyleGuide, Etsy, ornaments, sewdanish
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How many gingham and off the shoulder things can you take this summer?! My IG feed has been clogged up with these looks lately. It's never ending but it's so darn appealing as well!
I recently fell in love with this outfit on a random trip to Target, yes Target. I was inspired to do a try-on video in my stories because of all the goodies I found that day. This Who What Wear Collection look was by far one of my faves from that day.
I decided to spice things up by adding a little high-end touch. My trustee Gucci belt was just what this "little house on the prairie" look needed! Instantly chic and elevated. Gingham can be chic and elevated. Here's three ways to make sure your gingham look doesn't go barbecue/picnic tablecloth on you:
- Pair it with something classic and chic. It may be a hat, some jewelry or your moto jacket.
- Wear with another print. Could be a stripe, floral or even a leopard print.
- Wear it now. There's so many chic varieties! Don't miss the fun!
Sponsored Post. All opinions are my own.
The post Summering in Gingham appeared first on Beauticurve.


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I've been working with Margaret Radcliffe's new book, The Essential Guide to Color Knitting Techniques and really like it. To practice some of the techniques, I made a number of afghan blocks for the Stettenheim Stitchers' charity project.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Monday, September 20, 2010
Weaving Sampler
I spent some of my vacation this year working on the first 3 chapters of Deborah Chandler's Learning to Weave. It's the perfect sort of primer for me. I wove a sampler, using Harrisville's Shetland Style in Midnight Blue and Wedgewood (discontinued). It isn't fulled it yet. The little Harrisville loom I bought from Elisa which was really fun to use.
Posted by Liza's Pages at 11:48 PM No comments: Links to this post
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Anyone who can play his instrument while dressed like this has real talent.
Besides, how can you can you resist their slogan:
Bringing the balls back to rock, and rock back to Eurovision
And you've got to respect song titles like "The Devil is a Loser" and "Arockalypse."
As for the idiots who accuse Lordi of Satanism, these guys aren't the Antichrist; they're Spinal Tap.


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Sven Goran Eriksson
Jamie Paolinetti
Zig Ziglar
SAHM who loves to give her opinion---Product reviews & giveaways, a peek into my life with active kids.....and MORE
thanks for the sentimental post. everyday we need to remember and pay it forward we might have a better country if everyone was not so selfish...i guilty at times too.ReplyDelete
Very nice post. I am truly hoping justice will be served-my Mother is currently in lock down inside her apartment after today's unfolding events in Boston, as is my ex-husband.ReplyDelete
Ashley, Your mom and your ex-husband are covered in prayer, as is the whole region. My heart goes out to you and your family.Delete
Such a tragic chain of events lately. I'm praying as well!ReplyDelete
My thoughts and prayers are still with all the victims, their families, volunteers, and police force. I hope this all ends soon.ReplyDelete
Oh my gosh, that was way too close for comfort! Glad to hear they're okay.
#prayers for Boston
It is so sad what happened in Boston on Monday and what is happening today. Thank you for these uplifting quotes. I just cannot seem to stop thinking about it all.ReplyDelete
thank you, that was nice to read the good thoughts. glad your family is ok. I can not even imagine how they feel. It is hard to find a reason for such tragic events in our world.ReplyDelete
It makes you realize the goodness of people when these tragedies occur.ReplyDelete
This is a great post for such a sad time. I just feel that there really are just no words to make pain caused by this go away. Thank for all the great encouraging quotes.ReplyDelete


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Another beautiful post from Bryan. You can find this post along with the his others at his blog site: http://readthegreek.blogspot.com/
The Promise
Crushed under the weight of my circumstances, I cried out, "I NEVER ASKED TO BE BORN!!!"
Is there a time in your life when you could relate to that? Either you couldn't measure up to life or life couldn't measure up to you. All that was left to do was find blame somewhere, anywhere, other than your own hands.
I sometimes find it odd that my first real connection, my first honest words with God, were angry questions that He never seemed to want to answer. I didn't remember a time before birth where I tossed up my hand during some great assembly in heaven and asked, "Here I am, God! Send me!!" So why was I put on the earth? In times of great turmoil I would almost instinctively turn to God even if I wasn't sure He existed. Maybe I believed He did. Maybe we all do. But I certainly didn't believe He cared. Believers or not, we all have this inner understanding that our existence was not initiated by our own will. At the very least, our parents agreed in deed to bring us into this world. But again, a deeper truth of His existence is revealed in all of us when we have been pushed beyond our breaking point.
My understanding of Him shaped my fox-hole prayer. When circumstances force us to lay down all pretense, social conventions, and manners, we cry out to the God we know. If we see Him as a cosmic overseer, we relate to Him like a run-away slave. If we see Him as an irresponsible parent, we relate to Him like an angry child. If we see Him as a predator, we relate to Him like a victim. Too often we see God like a super-powered human being: selfish, fickle, irresponsible. Like some omnipotent two-year-old in the sky who focuses sunlight on us through some giant magnifying glass in order to satisfy some perverse pleasure. If that's the God you know, you have every right to be angry with Him. Without some kind of external knowledge or experience of God, who could say you're wrong?
So I called God out on the carpet one day and demanded that He justify my placement on this earth, with this mind, in this body, and these parents, in this time. I got the vague sense I wasn't being very smart. I mean, He's God, He can squash me like a bug. But I was too exhausted to care. In fact, I wanted to die. It would be better if my death, just like my life, were caused by Him. I wanted nothing to do with it anymore. I wanted Him to show up or squash me. And nothing happened… Or so I thought.
What if the statement, "I never asked to be born", is a valid and acceptable statement to God? What if He would say, "You're right." What if He did and does take responsibility for all of His children? What if there is a force underwriting every human being? What if He sent us into this world with not only a purpose but also a promise:
Deuteronomy 31:6
Hebrews 13:5
Joshua 1:9
Matthew 28:20
Joshua 1:5
1 Chronicles 28:20
Isaiah 41:10
be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.


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PLUS: Earth Day is always an annual reminder that what goes around comes around and that includes harmful chemicals and pesticides used to grow food---that-can get ingested. Not wanted.
INSTEAD -look for that Certified Organic USDA label on product wrappers - which means 95%-100% ingredients are certified organic-which is the high standard-wanted.
CLIF® are their USDA Organic Trail Mix Bars that come in Wild Blueberry Almond, Dark Chocolate Cherry Almond, Dark Chocolate Pomegranate Raspberry, and Dark Chocolate Almond Sea Salt, Coconut Almond Peanut, and Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter...they are all so insanely good that our attempts to save a few sample bars for a future hike-were futile.
As pictured above-the gluten free-3-4 g fiber (real fiber)...bars are 1.41 oz-good snack size...and are the ideal blend of chewy, crisp, sweet/tangy....with real deal tasty chunks of fruit-chocolate-and nuts (what we inhaled)...
Ingredients-include organic almonds-that are a powerhouse of nutrition-including protein (5-6g), magnesium and selenium, calcium and iron...plus organic fruits (chewy and not too sweet -like wild organic blueberries or cranberries+dried cane syrup) with added crunch (organic rice crisps).
Other goodies in the mix-depending include delicious (addictive) organic chocolate, roasted organic peanuts, organic cashews, organic honey...etc.
These Trail Mix Bars are good post workout portable snacks...with the correct protein-carb mix athletes need after exercising---as well as- doubling as a nice treat after a meal without overdoing it (portion control).
FYI---the other Clif Mojo bars-are 70% organic ingredients.
Widely available...including AMAZON, Whole Foods,
Nova Scotia™ Organics...favorably so---that it doesn't surprise us that their collection of dried fruits-which come in snack size (.55-.7) and family size (1.5-1.65-1.75 oz) resealable pouches (that we recycled)...are certified USDA Organic-and as packed with vitamins, and are as satisfyingly sweet as the fresh fruit- but are super easily transported-and pack well for later eating.
We took a bunch of these on a recent flight-not wanting to be at the mercy of airlines (or TSA) - and avoid any possible food contamination while en route---never a fun wait to start a vacation.
Currently available dried fruits are Pineapple Chunks, Gala Apple Slices (both big bite sized pieces) and Little WIld Blueberries (we scooped a bunch at a time)...sold in 3-packs and six packs...online.
AND if baking -toss in the mix for added nutrition...the chewy crispy textures blend in well in a muffin mix, etc. And smoothie friendly too.
FYI: A lot dried fruits contain added sugar or corn syrup (yikes)... and can have sulpher dioxide added as a preservative...(sulfites can cause really negative reactions in people). Seriously-think one is being healthy---have to read the labels!!!
Dried fruit-from Nova Scotia™Organics can be frozen if one is really THAT worried about the shelf life...which is plenty long.
FYI: Helmed by an entrepreneurial and incredibly knowledgeable woman and mom of an endurance athlete...who-we had the pleasure of meeting at a showcase, a few months back.
HONEY STINGERS have this gone in 2-3 bites Caramel Waffle that reminds us of those Balsen Waffleletten cookies. So good.
Not much nutrition-wise---the Honey Stinger Waffles are great snacks... almost melt in your mouth and very crunchy-available in a bunch of flavors-including gingersnap, lemon and chocolate. 16/$22.24


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I'm always eager to read recipes on Pinterest that claim to be "one pot" meals. A quick, delicious meal that's easy to prepare and only requires
my husband me to clean one pan? Tell me more.
More often than not, I'm disappointed by those recipes, though. Most of them seem to be a slight variation of the same tired, boring dishes.
Not this sausuage and tortellini recipe, though. I knew immediately it would be different from others I'd seen because, even though it includes pasta, I don't have to boil it.
Epic, right? And if that isn't enough to convince you, the smoky sausage, tangy Parmesan, and subtle spices will do the trick. This meal comes together in under 20 minutes, making it an easy weeknight meal that will taste as if you cooked all day.
Sausage & Tortellini
adapted from here
1 14 oz. package smoked sausage
2-2 1/2 cups tortellini pasta (I use the smaller size package of Buitoni Three Cheese)
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups pasta sauce
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tsp Italian seasoning
shredded or freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Begin by slicing sausage into 1/2 inch rounds (I like to go one step further and cut mine into half moons). Cook the sausage in a skillet coated with nonstick spray for about 5-7 minutes over medium heat, or until sausage is browning. Add garlic and cook for two more minutes. Next, add the chicken broth, pasta sauce, red pepper flakes, and Italian seasoning. When mixture begins to simmer, add the pasta and cook uncovered for about 10 minutes more- I usually taste a piece of pasta to test if it's done. Serve topped with Parmesan cheese.
Looking for another super simple but delicious pasta dish? Try my most popular recipe.
I want to know: what types of recipes do you go crazy over on Pinterest?


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East Belfast Representative Niall Ó Donnghaile today went on a walk-about in the Short Strand area with staff from the Housing Executive to discuss environmental improvements in the area. He was joined by local resident and Sinn Féin activist Hugh McComb. They met with Alice Mills (Assistant District Manager East Belfast) and Malachi Brennan (Grounds Maintenance Manager) to discuss residents concerns about the planters on the Mountpottinger Road and the alleyways in Clandeyboy Gardens.
Our photo shows me with Hugh and Alice outside the homes affected by the planters on the Mount - Looking forward to continuing to work with Alice and Malachi as well as the residents to get a satisfactory conclusion to these issues.
Wednesday, 28 July 2010
Friday, 2 July 2010
Understand The Past
"Understand the past......
.......and build a better future"
.......and build a better future"
Over the years we have always been able to rely on Danny D to encapsulate what we as a community are trying to say. From the darkest days of struggle through to the onset of peace and the inevitability of unity, Danny Devenny has given our communities a voice where others chose to censor us, to discredit us and attempt to criminalise us.
Danny's latest work on the Mount depicts just what we as a community are about and what we wanted to achieve from the series of anniversary events held to mark 40 years since the Battle of Saint Matthews.
Things began last Wednesday with the launch of a new DVD/CD pack telling the story of what happened that fateful night 40 years ago. Many of those featured on the DVD sat amongst the mixed crowd of teenagers and pensioners, gathered upstairs in St Matthews Club.
St Matt's was packed for the event and the DVD sold like hotcakes, such was interest amongst young people to hear this important story, but also amongst our older residents who were taken aback by the vivid reflections of that night and the incredible footage of our community used in the documentary.
Thanks to Big Bob who came over to launch the DVD and a big go raibh maith agat to Michelle, Seán and all those involved in making this first class documentary a reality. Well worth watching!
Next up, and after months of rehearsals, it was the opportunity for the many local young people involved with the play "The Battle of Saint Matthews" to get up and show us all the hard work they had put in.
Written by Kieran Magee, the play depicts the experience of various people living in the area on the night, when intoxicated bandsmen and shipyard workers set about trying to burn it to the ground. The play depicted the events throughout the city in the run up to the battle; it showed us the intention of loyalists to carry out what they had in Bombay St the year previous only on this occasion in the streets of this Parish. It showed us the IRA and local CDL putting in place the effective defence of this community. It also showed how this event impacted on young people in the area as well as the older people, who as they said in the course of the play, had "seen it all before".
It also showed us the sacrifices made by those who took part in defending the Chapel and the people.
The play ran for 3 nights, Thursday, Friday and Saturday and every night was a roaring success, with the Parochial Hall filled to capacity. Fair play to all those involved, whose hard work and effort was the talk of the district. I look forward to seeing the play again in the summer during the local Féile!!
Saturday saw the launch of Danny's new mural; I was very honoured and privileged to have been asked to chair this event. Danny is a long time family friend of ours and a man we have enormous respect and admiration for.
Danny's work is known right across the world and is becoming increasingly in demand and rightfully so! Danny was never a man of art who lost his heart and we as a community are lucky to have him. Like I said previously, his message, simple as it was, depicted the whole point of what we as a community are about and what were very genuinely trying to achieve with the anniversary events and the opening of An Tine Bheo Memorial.
Sunday was the culmination of events.
Early on I ventured up to the Club for a private presentation to the families of our Patriot Dead and those named on the Roll of Remembrance. The families received a replica of the monument in the heart of the memorial garden and the families of the dead Volunteers also received a canvass portrait, again by Danny, the same as the faces now featured in the memorial garden itself.
The emotion on Sunday morning was palpable; this was a morning for honouring those who gave all in defence of our area and in pursuit of Irish freedom and independence.
Following a few tears being shed and warm exchanges between old friends and comrades as well as some lovely food put on by Catherine and Co, it was time to gather at the newly erected plaque just outside, at the side of St Matthews Club itself. The plaque honours three men from the Parish who played pivotal roles alongside the Republican Movement in the defence of the Parish, not just on that fateful night but throughout many, many years. Jimmy George, Henry McIlhone and Bobby Jennings now have a fitting tribute to them and all those citizens in the district that rose in defiance of the failed Orange State and its rampaging, sectarian gangs. It was another emotional event in what would be a sad but wonderful day.
Shortly afterwards, after meeting many friends and neighbours in the assembled crowd, I welcomed Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams to the Strand; he was the main speaker at the parade to open An Tine Bheo Memorial.
By this stage a huge crowd had gathered on the Mountpottinger Road to take part in the parade, many residents, people who had left the area, friends and relations lined the route, loudly applauding the Colour Party emerging from Mountforde and those relatives of our Patriot Dead that fell in behind it, clutching the now treasured portraits of their loved ones as well as a single lily.
Luckily the weather was with us and with the exception of a very brief burst of rain we had a beautiful day!
We made our way around the area, through the new courts and gardens to the old terraced streets that many of those we were gathered to remember had once walked along, played in and stood in defence of. Faces along the way were solemn but resolute, "we understand our past" they seemed to say "but we are building a better future!"
As we gathered at the monument and I made my way up onto the stage, the full effect of just how many people were there became clear. I had never seen so many people at a parade in this area, it was fantastic!
We went through the normal procedure for these events, Cáitlín read the local roll of honour and remembrance to absolute silence amongst those assembled, Zak played a lament while the Colour Party lowered their flags. This was a point where I could see minds drifting back through many years with quite a few tears being wiped away but also the odd cheeky grin in remembering the qualities of their brothers, their sisters, their mates, their comrades.
Our first speaker was well known local Republican activist and ex-POW Huggy McComb. I have known Huggy all my life (or should I say Huggy has known me all my life!!) and his words on Sunday afternoon summed up the feelings for many people involved with this project but also the unbowed and unbroken Republican family gathered at the side of An Tine Bheo. He did us, and the faces looking on from the memorial, very proud indeed.
We moved to the formal opening of the Garden, I was really honoured to introduce Betty Dorian, widow of Óglach Rab Dorrian to do the honours. So many people have played a part in making the monument a reality but there was no hesitation, either amongst the families or the committee, when it came to putting Betty's name forward as the one to do this. She has worked tirelessly since the idea of this garden came into being. Fair play Betty!
Then it was Gerry's turn; he spoke of the history of our Parish and the hurt inflicted upon it, he spoke of the unrelenting pride in our Patriot Dead and in their families, he spoke of his acknowledgement at the hurt caused by Republicans but he focused heavily on that recurring theme of the events; "understand the past, build a better future".
The rest of the day was passed over to enjoying this momentous day together as a community,old friends, comrades, neighbours and relations to get together and remember the bad and good times. It was a chance for younger people, myself including, to hear about the men and women we honoured that day, to remember that they were ordinary Ballymacarrett people, just like us, but who in extraordinary times have gave all in pursuit of our Freedom.
It is important we always remember them with pride.
I could write forever about that day, for our community it was a hell of a long time coming and now we have a permanent, beautiful monument to our Patriot Dead. The work goes on though, to ensure we build the only worthy one to them and that is an Irish, Socialist Republic.
Tá a lán obair os ár gcomhair ach de réir imeachtaí De Domhnaigh agus roimhe tá mé cinnte go bhfuil an talann, and abáltach agus an inporóid againn an Aisling sin a bhaint amach!
Thanks again to everyone who played a part in any of the events, who gave up their time, assistance, patience, expertise and skills. The day belonged to all of us and An Tine Bheo, "The Living Flame" reminds us what we need to work towards.
Maith sibh agus Beirigí Bua!!
PS: I hope to upload more photos over the coming days..............
Posted by Niall Ó Donnghaile at 16:59 No comments:
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text: looking for suggestions. def. not nicks or the one by sheepshead bay movies. all you get from those is a lobster and the rest is awful. going out for a casual fun celebration and our annual '1st lobster of the year' dinner - 2 adults and a 13 year old who eats all - will consider any brooklyn location. good lobster; maybe even a decent drink...not over the top but not nec. picnic table either. anyone know of any good lobsters or lobster night dinners out there?


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Well, me and a comrade did our last leafletting run round Kentish Town - including the street Old Charlie Marx used to live on (we were firmly convinced that he wouldn't have a 'No Junk Mail' sticker on his letterbox). His house (no demolished) was in what is now gospel Oak ward, but the principle is that he walked those streets we leafletted, probably complaining about his carbuncles.
This morning I voted Me - second time in two years I haven't had to do that through a write-in vote (which I hope all of you out there in constituencies without a Socialist party candidate are going to do today).
My prediction? A landslide for the Capitalist Party. We need to do something about that.


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Eurogroup Chairman Jean-Claude Juncker refuses to see "any real problems" in the negotiations for the Portuguese bail-out package - there is only a "Finnish problem". The arrogant Mr. Juncker follows the traditional EU line: If voters in one or several countries oppose what the "colleagues" in Brussels have decided, the same "colleagues" will find a way to ignore them.
Eurozone leaders should be able to find a way for
Finland to sign onto a bailout program for Portugal by mid-May despite
an exceptionally strong showing in recent national elections by the
nationalist anti-bailout party, True Finns, Eurogroup Chairman
Jean-Claude Juncker said Thursday.
"There are no real problems" in the negotiations for a Portuguese
package, Juncker told reporters following a working lunch here with
France's Prime Minister Francois Fillon. But there is a "Finnish
problem," he noted.
That problem is the strong third-place showing of True Finns, which
has catapulted them into the likely position of governing jointly in a
coalition that will be led by the pro-Europe National Coalition party.
The True Finns campaigned against Finland's contributions to the
European Financial Stability Facility and against its participation in a
Portuguese aid package. Now those views will have a strong voice in the
new government.
Negotiations to form a post-election government are taking place in
Helsinki this week.
Juncker said he had been in discussions with European Central Bank
President Jean-Claude Trichet, European Council President Van Rompuy and
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso to find a "solution"
to the Finnish issue.
"I continue to think that by mid-May we will find a way to permit
our Finnish friends to accompany the process in a constructive manner,"
he said.
Read the entire article here
Already on April 13 Juncker told the Finns to behave:
Finland's next government will be bound by pledges made by the current government, Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker said.
"I want Finland to remain euro-pragmatic, euro-realistic, strictly and profoundly European," Juncker, who heads the panel of euro finance chiefs, told reporters in Luxembourg yesterday.
It is, by the way, interesting to note that Juncker asks the Finns to be "euro-realistic". Does he mean that they should be like Czech pesident Václav Klaus, who likes to describe himself as a eurorealist? Probably - and regrettably - not, but it is an interesting choice of words.


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Countdown to Cast-On!
|Currently, we are T-4 hours and 14 minutes.
I made my usual status spreadsheet, so I know exactly where I am, percentage-complete-wise, at every step. According to that, I will be doing somewhere in the neighborhood of 28,000 stitches in the next 16 days. And that doesn't count frogging back to fix mistakes.
My spot is all set up, ready to cast on.
Note the cozy fireplace on the left, for my own personal Olympic Flame, if I want (although it will not be burning for 16 days straight.) Bonus points to anyone who knows what the big wooden thing on the wall above the couch is. =) I'm also planning to have my Official Olympic Photographer (aka hubby) take a casting-on action shot later.
Citius, Altius, Fortius, my fellow Olympians!
Labels: Knitting Olympics 2006


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Society today dupes us into believing that true liberty comes when we shrug off all rules, responsibility, and accountability. The guidelines and precepts found in the Bible are, according to secular spiritual skeptics, straightjackets that prevent us from living truly liberated lives. To them, freedom is found in living a life that is free of "traditional" rules and "outdated" codes of conduct. But are they right?
The verse quoted at the top of this article teaches us that true liberty is found when we seek to fulfill God's predetermined precepts. Imagine that! That freedom is found in obedience- that is almost paradoxical! But notice with me a couple of practical illustrations that have assisted me in understanding Psalm 119:45.
In any sport, it is the rules of that sport that give us the freedom to be able to enjoy the sport. In fact, without the rules, you don't have a sport. Although it is absolutely hilarious to imagine, golf would not be a very fun sport if your playing partner just randomly decided to tackle you in the middle of your backswing. By adhering to the rules of the game, we are able to fully enjoy the benefits of the game.
Imagine with me a math teacher who has a new, revolutionary philosophy of teaching that abandons the "traditional" rules of math and embraces a more "free" approach. This new teaching method would no longer bind students to the strict, rigid laws of mathematics, but would allow the students to just experiment with numbers, and write their own equations. After all, these students should not have to endure the shackles of the Pythagorean theorem, the quadratic formula, and other binding "traditions". They should be free to express their own approach to math. But would there really be freedom? Obviously, the answer is no. There would be bondage. The students would be bound to a perpetual state of ignorance. Interestingly, the rules of mathematics are the very agents that give us the freedom to learn.
1 John 5:3 reads, "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandment: and his commandments are not grievous." The truth, regardless of what more "enlightened" individuals may say, is that God has established predetermined precepts and rules for life. Life that is lived within these guidelines experiences all the joys that God intended. A beautiful picture of this is marriage. Some of the greatest joys of human existence are found in the covenant relationship of marriage. This is exactly what God intended. With marriage comes companionship. With marriage comes security. With marriage comes the undefiled sexual relationship. With marriage comes children. With marriage comes wonderful memories. With marriage comes...rules. When the rules of marriage are broken (infidelity, failure to fulfill the God-given roles of husband and wife, etc.), the freedom that is found within the marriage is greatly hindered. And the same is true in regards to our lives and God's precepts.
And I will walk at liberty: for I seek thy precepts.


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For aspiring authors everywhere
DJ has the what's what on self-publishing here. Both he and Rudy took the plunge via Lulu.com.
posted by Jeremy Del Rio @ 6/01/2006 10:31:00 AM
+ Visit my NEW BLOG at www.JeremyDelRio.com +
Visit me online at www.JeremyDelRio.com. Diana and I were married on June 21, 1997, and are the proud parents of Judah. My life mission: empowering people to achieve their dreams and transform their cultures and communities. Its primary "Xpression": co-founding and directing Generation Xcel, a holistic youth development agency built in 1996 "by youth for youth" in Lower Manhattan.


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This will be a short post today, since Ive arrived from work late and also because I have had a rather interesting message sent to me on a forum Im a member of.
I am going to only give rough details at the moment because I really want the person who sent me the mail to give their right of reply first so I can post it into the same article.
So here are the vague details:
Im a member of a forum, where I have received a message telling me that Ive "failed to answer their questions" (which by the way I double checked my email (and spam folder), twitter (both direct replies and @replies), Ive checked my comments section on the blog here (and the spam) and tried to find these questions that Im supposed to have not answered.) Ive also checked the forum in question, theres no other mail there for me nor can I see any unanswered questions on the threads.
So Ive had allegations thrown at me (which is fine, and what Ive come to expect when you dare to suggest an alernative to Microsoft) but what is strange is that I really have no clue what they are talking about.
So whats the point of this post? Good question. The person concerned knows who they are, and I know they will visit here. This post is in the hope that they will respond to the message I sent them and provide me with their right to reply before I post the article.
So why am I being lenient this time? Purely because other members of the admin team on that particular board have been polite and gracious enough to allow me there (and genuinely interesting people). This (believed) member is part of the same team, and whilst what they sent to me was wholly incorrect. I feel I owe it to the other members to present both sides at the same time.
Heres to hoping (sincerely) for a reply, however should none be forthcoming, I will be running with the article anyway which should be very enlightening and serve as an example of what can happen when you post alternative product options (in particular FOSS ones) on some boards.
Im pleased now that Ive always taken screendumps of such conversations, this one being no exception.


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This tutorial was written on December 4,2010 by me and is of my own creative mind. Any other tutorials found to be similar is coincidental. A working knowledge of PSP is required to follow this tutorial.
This is the second tag I made features Patty's of Honored ScrapsThis is a very cute Christmas kit, Thanks Patty!!!
PTU kit "Christmas Treasures". You can find this kit at Your Scrap Addiction Store in Honored Scraps shop. The lovely PTU tube used is by the talented Barbara Jensen and a license is required to use.
PTU kit "Christmas Treasures". You can find this kit at Your Scrap Addiction Store in Honored Scraps shop. The lovely PTU tube used is by the talented Barbara Jensen and a license is required to use.
Aside from the kit and tube above, for this tutorial you will need the following supplies:
Paint Shop Pro 9
Winter Mask by Jenny
Okay Lets create a tag...
*I put drop shadows on all elements*
Open a new canvas 600x600, transparent and flood fill white.
Go to Layers>load/ save Mask>Load Mask from Disk: Select mask of choice and adjust settings(fit to layer/Source luminance/hide all mask) then load your mask.
Now merge your layers (layers>Merge>Merge Group).
Now merge your layers (layers>Merge>Merge Group).
Copy and past Candy Cane frame 1into your canvas and resize 80% and add drop shadow. Use your magic wand tool to select inside the frame. Once highlighted go to Selections>invert and past paper #13 onto canvas and delete. now copy and past tree #1 into frame(on top of paper). Position tree to your liking, mine is to the left, and delete. Deselect magic wand too and add drop shadow.
Copy and past the red poinsettia onto lower right side of your frame, add drop shadow and go to Layers>duplicate and move copied poinsettia to left side of frame.
Copy and past Christmas Vine to both sides of frame, position under poinsettia layer, and apply your drop shadows.
Copy bow #3 to the left side of frame,on top left and resize 50%,add drop shadow.
Repeat last step, this time using bow #4 and apply it to the right side of frame.
Copy and past Stocking # 3 on top of the bow on the right and add drop shadow.
Copy and past Holly Time element to the bottom of frame in the center, resize 80%, add drop shadow.
Now lets add your tube. Copy and past your tube into your canvas, resize 80% , position in center of your frame and add drop shadow.
Copy and past gift box #7 into your canvas, resize 40%, position in-between your tubes legs, and ad drop shadow,
Using your text box, using your colors and font of choice, add your name to the top of the stocking. Size and position to your liking.
Add your copyright info, merge all layers and save (PNG OR J PEG).
*Thank You for trying my tutorial and Happy Holidays*


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(A Poetica Place book review by Christina Anne Taylor)
I can see Plato himself raising his cloud white eyebrows over my latest acquisition for our Red Salon: Plato Poetica by Daniel Klawitter. Within the elegant cover are four parts consisting of thirty poems (one in four parts) and a prose piece, and though the book developed from a concise concept, the themes of the poems vary considerably with the binding substance being epigraphs from Plato. The reader must begin with the preface to put everything into context; the reader must understand that the poet knows full well what he's doing as he juxtaposes his modern-day voice against the timeless philosopher. That in itself is amusing.
The poems themselves vary in style but maintain a consistent signature that rings true to the poet. My personal favorite might actually be the perceptive prose piece titled "Esmeralda and the Hellhounds of Anubis." As a woman, I relate to the theme of cats and enjoy such thoughts as "…cats have one paw in this world and the other three paws in the realm of spirits." Esmeralda raises a paw and breaks the prose with an incantation:
Dogs are prose and prone to please.
Mice are good for eating.
When moonlight splinters through the trees
We watch humans while they're sleeping.
Disobedience is heroic.
It's wrong to persecute witches.
Hell is a world with no poets
And Heaven a charm of finches.
"Barnyard of the Gods" was enjoyable with lines such as:
…Hades is in the cellar
canning the souls of the dead….
Clever wit is a perennial recurrence throughout Plato Poetica, but Klawitter does have a serious side, and when he's in serious mode he waxes most poetic, as in "The Most Shameful Thing":
My sackcloth soul
is a waste of windswept ashes—
a hermitage of pollution.
So the poet admits openly in his preface that these seventy-four pages are an experiment of a sort with each poem being inspired by an epigraph, and I think it was worthwhile–worth his time and worth readers' time. Copies are available at Amazon.


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Source: Vimeo: Flatland Channel
URL of the article: http://vimeo.com/channels/flatland#24617611
The FAC It's BMX send Florian Sailer and Daniel Fuhrmann to Ditzingen (Germany). The BMX Show team did there some BMX Shows and BMX Workshops for the Ditzingen City festival and show up there BMX Tricks. After that the ordiancy could lern as well some BMX Tricks so check out how it works ! Book your BMX Show at bmx-show.com
Cast: FAC - It's BMX
More from the same site:


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grab your ball sack, push your testicles down and squeeze so it looks like they are pulsating. it looks like a small monkey heart.
Woody tried to impress his friends by showing them his monkey heart but couldnt get it to pulse, so it just looked like a brain.
by DJ Imperial Grand Masters Eric and Marcus April 08, 2008


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General Approach
- Identify which log sources and automated tools you can use during the analysis.
- Copy log records to a single location where you will be able to review them.
- Minimize "noise" by removing routine, repetitive log entries from view after confirming that they are benign.
- Determine whether you can rely on logs' time stamps; consider time zone differences.
- Focus on recent changes, failures, errors, status changes, access and administration events, and other events unusual for your environment.
- Go backwards in time from now to reconstruct actions after and before the incident.
- Correlate activities across different logs to get a comprehensive picture.
- Develop theories about what occurred; explore logs to confirm or disprove them.
Potential Security Log SourcesServer and workstation operating system logs
Application logs (e.g., web server, database server)
Security tool logs (e.g., anti-virus, change detection, intrusion detection/prevention system)
Outbound proxy logs and end-user application logs
Remember to consider other, non-log sources for security events.
Typical Log LocationsLinux OS and core applications: /var/log
Windows OS and core applications: Windows Event Log (Security, System, Application)
Network devices: usually logged via Syslog; some use proprietary locations and formats
What to Look for on Linux
|Successful user login
|"Accepted password",
"Accepted publickey",
"session opened"
|Failed user login
|"authentication failure",
"failed password"
|User log-off
|"session closed"
|User account change or deletion
|"password changed",
"new user",
"delete user"
|Sudo actions
|"sudo: … COMMAND=…"
"FAILED su"
|Service failure
|"failed" or "failure"
What to Look for on Windows
|Event IDs are listed below for Windows 2000/XP. For Vista/7 security event ID, add 4096 to the event ID.
|Most of the events below are in the Security log; many are only logged on the domain controller.
|User logon/logoff events
|Successful logon 528, 540; failed logon 529-537, 539; logoff 538, 551, etc
|User account changes
|Created 624; enabled 626; changed 642; disabled 629; deleted 630
|Password changes
|To self: 628; to others: 627
|Service started or stopped
|7035, 7036, etc.
|Object access denied (if auditing enabled)
|560, 567, etc
What to Look for on Network Devices
|Look at both inbound and outbound activities.
|Examples below show log excerpts from Cisco ASA logs; other devices have similar functionality.
|Traffic allowed on firewall
|"Built … connection",
"access-list … permitted"
|Traffic blocked on firewall
|"access-list … denied",
"deny inbound",
"Deny … by"
|Bytes transferred (large files?)
|"Teardown TCP connection … duration … bytes …"
|Bandwidth and protocol usage
|"limit … exceeded",
"CPU utilization"
|Detected attack activity
|"attack from"
|User account changes
|"user added",
"user deleted",
"User priv level changed"
|Administrator access
|"AAA user …",
"User … locked out",
"login failed"
What to Look for on Web Servers
|Excessive access attempts to non-existent files
|Code (SQL, HTML) seen as part of the URL
|Access to extensions you have not implemented
|Web service stopped/started/failed messages
|Access to "risky" pages that accept user input
|Look at logs on all servers in the load balancer pool
|Error code 200 on files that are not yours
|Failed user authentication
|Error code 401, 403
|Invalid request
|Error code 400
|Internal server error
|Error code 500
Fuente: zeltser.com


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what can we do now, mommy?
Posted by Millie Motts at 03:40
1 comment:
- Theresa und Eva-Maria said...
Hello my dear!!! Thank you very much for your comment! Do you mean the spine pictures for binders, which were available for download on the blog? I hadn't really thought about putting them into the shop, but I really like the idea and will come back to you as soon as I can. Have a wonderful evening!
Yours, Theresa
- October 18, 2010 at 12:14 PM
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My name is Asher David Edelson, and this is the blog which I created for my uncle, Barry Robins. This was a man who lived for the arts, and was famous in his time. Like so many others, Barry passed away due to AIDS complications. He lived a short life, but accomplished so much. His work and memory will continue to be famous, and he will not have died in vain. I cannot complete this alone! I need for people who knew Barry to help me expand this blog. Let us spread the word of Barry David Robins!
Friday, April 6, 2012
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Don't miss!
Hey Barry Robins fans! Catch the classic film "Bless The Beasts & Children" on TCM (Turner Classic Movies, Channel 53 in Tampa) this Friday, 2/24 at 6 PM! My uncle stars in this movie!
Posted by Asher Edelson at 12:22 PM 5 comments:
Thursday, January 12, 2012
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Good afternoon, Brian Schmidt from the Committee for Green Foothills. I would like to put all our cards on the table for this agenda item: we seriously considered suing LAFCO over its decision to approve the Blackrock project based on documentation that LAFCO's own staff report said is inadequate, a problem that I pointed out to the Commission just immediately before approval was granted.
However, we're not going to sue in this case. We ask you to reconsider your decision, not because of an implicit threat – there is none – but only because it's the right thing to do.
Actually, there are two things to do – one is about this project, but the more important one is about
On Black Rock, you have several reasons for reversing your earlier decision, and either denying approval or requiring additional documentation. Our attorney's letter lays out why the lack of consultation with LAFCO gives the Commission the authority to become lead agency. The
Given my three-minute time limitation, I'd be happy to answer any questions about the various assertions in the staff report and by the Blackrock attorneys, but none of them are valid reasons for standing by a wrong decision. While I understand that staff is not recommending reconsideration, I suggest that if you do think reconsideration is advisable, you ask LAFCO Counsel to advise you as to whether you have the independent authority to reconsider, a different question than whether they recommend that you reconsider.
Finally, this same problem is in process for


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Murdering innocent men , women and chikldren whose main crime was watchinh a soccer game. Another jihadi victory for al qaeda. That's who kihadis normally kill. They are cowars. They kill the unarmed and the innocent. These are the people infiltarting into our lands and trying to bring their barbarous ways to our countries. The jihadi threat is indeed real. We ignoire it at our peril.
Johannesburg, South Africa; Nairobi, Kenya; and Kampala, Uganda
Minutes before the final whistle blew on Africa's first World Cup, twin bombs claimed by Somalia's Al Qaeda-linked Al Shabab Islamists ripped through crowds watching the tournament's finale in Uganda's capital, Kampala.
By Monday, 74 people were confirmed dead, including a 25-year-old American children's charity staffer, and doctors were still treating more than 70 wounded.
The first explosion killed 15 people watching the match in an Ethiopian restaurant popular with expatriates, and the second left at least 49 dead at a rugby club where hundreds of people had gathered for the Spain vs Netherlands match.
"We thank the mujahideen that carried out the attack," said Al Shabab spokesman Sheikh Ali Mohamud Rage on Monday, confirming the attack from Somalia's rubble-strewn capital, Mogadishu, and threatening more attacks.


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Korina Sanchez was one of my favorite among female news anchor here in Philippines. The most popular face on Philippine TV. She's not only more than pretty face but also very much devoted all her life on her profession. Her happiness is her work and she's perfectionist. I wonder how Senator Mar Roxas capture her heart and rumors spread out thru the country that Mar uses her for this coming presidential election 2010. Sometimes it's very difficult to explain to everybody who wants to think that Mar Roxas used her. And why is it so difficult for people to believed that two can be in love?
April 25,2009 episode of ABS-CBN noontime show Wowowee where Korina appeared as a guest co-host of Willie and both revealed that they are engaged. Take a look on this video!
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Friday, April 24, 2009
whoCelebsTweet.com - Celebrities on Twitter
Twitter is all the rage these days. WhoCelsbsTweet.com allows you to see what celebs are saying and who they're saying it about.
Posted by merlyn at 7:11 AM No comments:
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Wake up call for Simon!
Susan Boyle the 47 year old contestant on the TV show "Britains Got aTalent" and Simon Cowell of American Idol was one of the judges and it was caught in the camera making faces while interviewing Boyle before she sang. Don't judge the book by each cover Simon! Take a look on this video and tell me if you're not going to touch by the way she launch into "I Dreamed a Dream"from the musical "Les Miserables". What an amazing voice! Incredible!
Posted by merlyn at 12:47 AM No comments:
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
nothing stronger
When a songs ends we can always repeat it every time we like. And when the movie ends, we can just wait after the trailers is going to start again. When the rains ends, surely it will come back soon but once the relationship ended with the one you loved most, we don't even know if we can rewind it, repeat it or hoping for it to come back. Even we know it hurting too much but still we insisted ourselves. And there's nothing in this world that is stronger than L O V E!
Posted by merlyn at 1:24 AM No comments:
Monday, April 6, 2009
SpitzTunes -- I AM a Boy!
Really appreciate all of you joining in on these convos ... hope they add a lot to your social media, and hope they get you thinking ... I know they get me thinking! Beyonce's "If I Were A Boy" is definitely one of those mind benders, and on may levels.
Please remember that when your post the dNeero widget, you have to add your own text ... make the entry interesting for your readers. And, oh yeah, make sure that you post the widget in your main content area.
Please remember that when your post the dNeero widget, you have to add your own text ... make the entry interesting for your readers. And, oh yeah, make sure that you post the widget in your main content area.
Posted by merlyn at 3:03 AM No comments:
Sunday, April 5, 2009
enjoy the night
life is traveled only once,today's moment becomes tomorrow's memory, enjoy every moment, good, bad, happy or sad, because a gift of life is life itself!
Good Night
Good Night
Posted by merlyn at 11:15 PM No comments:
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A former city employee accused of being the bagman in an alleged Chicago bribery scheme was recommended for his most recent city job by 1st Ward Democratic Committeeman John D`Arco, a reputed associate of crime syndicate members, City Hall sources said Friday.
Victor J. Albanese, 49, of 815 S. Albany Ave., a 1st Ward resident, was sentenced to eight years in prison on Thursday by U.S. District Court Judge Milton Shadur. Albanese pleaded guilty to extorting $5,000 in bribes from a tavern owner seeking a city liquor license in 1983 and 1984.


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Rock, in North Cornwall, is a small village ideally suited for holidays. Check out information about the area and places to stay. You can rent the Sahara holiday cottage weekly direct from the owners. Rock itself is surrounded by beaches for sunbathing and building sand castles and is great for watersports including sailing, surfing at nearby Polzeath, waterskiing and wakeboarding. One can also play golf at the St. Enodoc golf course or take the Black Tor ferry across to Padstow, a classic fishing town.
Want to visit Rock? Check out accomodaton.


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Here is this week's sketch:
Please check out what the Sweet Sunday Sketch Stampers have created here:
and I super love this! those washi strips are perfect!ReplyDelete
Fantastic CAS card, my friend! Love it! I should have ordered those washi strips on my last order. darn. lolReplyDelete
LOVE the washi!!! How fun is that?? What a beautiful, fabulous card - love those colors!ReplyDelete
What a super fun birthday card! I love the wood grain background paper and the washi strips!ReplyDelete
Such a fun card Jodi, love the BG and the washi tape!!ReplyDelete
This is fantastic Jodi girl! I just placed an MFT order for these washi tape dies. You MFT girls are killing my pocketbook. LOL! I love all of the possibilities this sketch gives.ReplyDelete
Very pretty Jodi! I really like the blue woodgrain dp and fun washi tapes ;)ReplyDelete
Oooo - what a good idea to use the Blueprints for layers inside the card! Love that!!!! Fun washi tape, btw! And I'm SO excited you're going to join in the MFT elf's challenge... You made my day!! :)
Fun birthday card! Love the designer paper washi tape strips!ReplyDelete
This is awesome. The colours the banners are perfectReplyDelete


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"... the cycle time [for quality measure development] could go from years to days"Whoa, Nelly. Days?
From a technical perspective, I'd say months, but it is still a dramatic improvement. What Query Health will do is enable providers to access their data to measure performance quite easily. But delivering a quality measure is much more than being able to access the data and computing a score. Query Health may deliver vast improvements there, but it still won't address the non-IT issues.
One of the major challenges in Quality Measurement is in how to deal with "exceptions" and "exclusions". Exclusions are cases where the measure doesn't apply to a situation where it might otherwise be relevant (e.g., patients with certain types of conditions that don't really fit into the measure criteria). Exceptions are cases where even though everything else fits, there is a good reason not to count that situation as being detrimental to quality (e.g., patient refused treatment) because it is not something that the provider can control.
The collection of situations which may need to be excluded varies depending on the measure. And to be able to apply these to the measure means that providers will likely need to change their workflow to capture the reason why the measure may not apply. To compute the measure means that the data has to be there.
You can still compute the measure without exception or exclusion data. It just results in a different value. Failures to accurately capture the necessary data won't neccessarily be apparent in the computed result. This isn't really a technical problem. Give the computer the data, and it can compute the result. Give it inaccurate data, and it will compute an innacurate result. Query Health doesn't have any special protections against GIGO.
When you implement a measure, you need to avoid GIGO. Doing so may require changes in workflow to capture the neccesary information. Changes in workflow don't happen in days, and that is why I say months.
The Clinical Quality Measure workgroup is looking at improving the overall process for measure development. Exceptions and exclusions are a critical part of that process, because of the challenges they provide for implementation. I don't think the solution here is a technical one. Query Health will help, but it isn't a silver bullet.
-- Keith


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Motherhood is a very competitive sport. It's true! Any Mother, new or old will tell you. "Are you nursing?" "Did you have natural childbirth?" "Do you cloth diaper, organic home made baby food?" Etc Etc Ad naseaum.
Answer wrongly and you will be shunned by what I refer to as "The Muffia" We all know the type, perfect hair, clothes without baby urp stains. The ones that seem to be able to handle the rigors of motherhood and look good doing it. The ones that
Do everything by the book. The ones that make the rest of us look inferior. Feel inferior.
But motherhood is full of dirty little secrets. No one tells you just how hard it is. We are, as girls from childhood, led to believe that motherhood is peaches and daffodils. We are surrounded by these strong women in our lives that make it look effortless. We walk into this dream of motherhood ill prepared for just how very much of ourselves we are asked to give to others. We don't realize how much of us we are going to sacrifice. But it's more. We know there will be sleepless nights. We know a lot of it is thankless grunt work. We don't have a clue as to what being a "mother" really means. We glimpse it, this secret club of motherhood, very fast. While our new babes sleep we are trying to cram everything into this short space, this nap time. At least I was. I like to think that maybe I wasn't alone. I didn't stop and just BE a mother. I didn't stop and just let the wonder of this life, this soul that is part of me and not part of me. I didn't, if you will, stop and smell the roses. I just survived. I got through it. Sure there were moments of pure bliss. Wrapping my beautiful son in towel after his bath, snuggling him for a moment before I got back to the work of "being a mom" Lotioning, diapering, dressing, feeding. Maybe because I was such a young new mother, I felt I had to prove something. Be the perfect mother. I held such shame that I didn't nurse my son, cloth diaper him, feed him the best organic fare I could find. I was, essentially in a hurry to get somewhere. To become that perfect specimen of mother. And then, time got away, and pretty soon this new babe, this magnificent little lump, became a CHILD. A BOY. No longer a baby. I blinked and my onesie, diaper clad baby became my Osh kosh wearing, truck playing BOY. And then. And then. I blinked and all of a sudden I had this FAMILY. A boy, age 3 and newborn twin girls. These teeny tiny little fairy babies, and this rough and tumble chocolate pie-eyed boy. My family. And I was so busy DOING. So much shame not nursing my son, so I forced myself to nurse these girls. I nursed, at one point for 15 hours a day. I nursed, while trying to read to my son. I nursed while teaching my little boy, my darling darling baby boy to say his letters. I nursed while saying; not now honey, mommy's busy. I nursed, exhausted from no sleep, from trying to be perfect while pretending to be interested in what this tiny boy was saying. Not really hearing him, and sometimes wishing he would omg shut up be quite and stop talking, stop talking stop wanting, needing omg! I nursed these girls until they were 15 months. They were cloth diapered, organically fed. I tried to be super mom. I tried and tried, but I failed. Maybe to the outside world I appeared to be superior than most. At least in my heart that is the image I so wanted to send out. I am a better mommy than you because I… (Fill in the blank) I perpetuated this competitive thing, this ugly side of mother hood. Instead of nurturing the sisterhood that mothering should bring, I perpetuated this model of perfection. And when I laid my head on my pillow at night, I still was not satisfied with my self. I still felt inadequate. So I tried harder. I tried harder to be this June cleaver-esque mommy. To out mommy the other mommies. And still. And still I wasn't good enough. There came a point, a day where my father had come to visit and was appalled that I still had Easter eggs in my fridge a month after the holiday. My perfectionist father sat in my home and JUDGED my parenting. Questioned my parenting. My fridge, and my dammed eggs. And this perfect mother act (because it was all just a farce) it cracked and crumbled. It smashed like those damn eggs that were a month old. And I cracked, and I crumbled, and I swear to you I literally lost my mind over these eggs, this judgment. I proceeded to have quite the nervous breakdown. I was tired, exhausted and my eggs were OLD. I failed as a parent! I had to go away. I had to get away from this shitstorm I had created and rest. I had to get myself back. So I left. I left and I checked myself into the crazy house and cried and wailed and rested and medicated, and found myself again. Meanwhile, my mother watched these kids of mine. She fed them (gasp) creamed tuna on toast and paper diapered them. I was horrified. I'm sure my medical file states how I cried for days about my children eating tuna, creamed or not. And the subsequent mercury poisoning I was sure they would suffer. I was, in a word, batshit crazy.
And then I came back. I came back like I was never gone. I came back quieter, with less of a crazy perfectionism glean in my eye. My fire, in a word, had been extinguished. I realized that in my race for perfectionism, in the best mommy in the world pageant, I was the only damn contestant, and I had lost. In losing that perfectionism though, I gained something else. I stopped, and I slowed down, and I was able to sit and be not the gold standard model mommy but the mommy that I should have been all along. The fun mommy, the silly mommy. The perfect mommy for MY kids. I still struggle. I struggle with feelings of inadequacy. I struggle with still wishing I could be that magazine perfect mother. I wish I could honestly care more about toys and monkey bars and all the things my kids love. I wish that I could bake decent cookies and keep a perfect house. But most of all, I wish in my heart of hearts that I hadn't lost those years with my babies. Those important years. I hardly remember them being tiny little things. I was trying to survive. Not enjoy, just get through the day to day. I missed the wonder in their eyes as they discovered the world around them. I missed this, and I look at them sometimes, and I wonder, "Do they know?" Do they mommy wasn't there? Do they know they have a supremely flawed mother?
Do they know, that even now, as they sleep and dream in their messy messy rooms, that I will be there, sitting by their bed, brushing the hair out of their eyes, rocking back and forth, whispering; I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'm sorry.


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the list is pretty much done, but i am still up for under the wire contributions so send 'em along.
man did i have fun with it.
"We all have our time machines. Some take us back, they're called memories. Some take us forward, they're called dreams." – Jeremy Irons.


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I was on the Etsy forums last night and SouthernGirlFlorals
posted a "Pay It Forward Giveaway" on her blog for the first three that replied and I was one of the first three!!
So...I am continuing the Pay It Forward here on my blog!
Here are the Rules:
1. Be one of the first three bloggers to "follow" my blog and leave a comment at the end of this post, which entitles you to one of the pairs of earrings that I design.
2. Winners must post this challenge on their own blog, meaning that you will Pay It Forward, creating a handmade gift for the first three bloggers who "follow" you and leave a comment on YOUR post about this giveaway!
3. The gift you send can be from any price range and you have 365 days to make/ship your item. This means you should be willing to maintain your blog at least until you receive your gift and have shipped your gifts. And, remember: It's the Spirit and the Thought That Count!
4. When you receive your gift, feel free to blog about it, sharing appropriate Linky Love
5. If you are not one of the Top Three to comment on this post, you can still play along. Please start your own 'Pay It Forward chain', and encourage your blogging friends to do the same.
Leave your comments now!! And remember to include your email address so that I will be able to contact you!!
Thursday, 16 April 2009
Pay It Forward Giveaway
Posted by AMIdesigns at 11:27
Labels: PIF
8 comments:
Pif's can be so much fun! I love your idea..ReplyDelete
Oh no kidding...did I win your great idea giveaway?ReplyDelete
Oh wow! Guess that I need to pay more attention to my blog...this is a great idea! Thanks for sharing! :)ReplyDelete
Fantastic and thanks to the 3 of you! I will be in contact re your earrings :)ReplyDelete
that is so sweet of you to do.ReplyDelete
Thank you :)ReplyDelete
Oh yay!!! Thanks!ReplyDelete
My email address is cvancestudios(at)gmail(dot)com.
Thanks so much! :)
What a great idea!ReplyDelete
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Pulehu #4: grillin' and chillin' on Ferragosto
Ferragosto is the big holiday of summer, as the 15th declares that everyone in Italy is, or at least should be, off from work and having a ball. The meaning of the term comes from an era when gods and goddesses, all-knowing deities in the eyes of man, were still around before christianity gave them the boot. Be gone you pagans! Such is life - and the end of the toga.
August 15th is also supposed to be a very hot day, and in all of the previous years it seems to me that this has always been the case. Well, climate's a-changing and right now, at high noon, it's 76°F and cloudy. We've got stuff ready to throw on the grill and I'll be updating this entry with more food photos. For now I've got Mister B in his bachelor pad. We recently had it "outfitted" with airconditioning...a steal, really, at only 3€ for the little sign.6 hours later...
Well I should've just shut my mouth on the weather. An eventual 85°F under a hot sun was plenty enough for the grillmaster. The flies started coming around, a lizard dropped down from nowhere and landed on the terrace, and all around the valley you could hear the pleasant chatter of families enjoying their ferragosto holidays. Too bad that summer is almost over.
Labels: bbq, grigliata, grilling weekend, pulehu


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When Oprah expanded the sport, she also lowered the bar for excellence. For the previous generation of marathoners, the goal had been qualifying for Boston. Now, it was beating Oprah. Her time of four hours and 29 minutes — the Oprah Line — became the new benchmark for a respectable race. (That was P. Diddy's goal when he ran New York.)Once the supreme test for hardened runners, the marathon became a gateway into the sport. Soon, gravel paths were crowded with 5-mile-an-hour joggers out to check "26.2 miles" off their life lists. Team in Training, which raises money for leukemia research, promised to turn loafers into marathoners in 20 weeks. I met a lawyer who started running because, "They say if you can run a marathon, you can do anything!" The marathon was no longer a competition. It was a self-improvement exercise.
I have to say: I hate this attitude. One of the things that I love about running marathons is the many reasons that people run -- for health, in memory of loved ones, to raise money for charity, to BQ, to win the purse. I've run five of these at this point, and, honestly, the only person that I'm racing is myself -- a la ghost mode in Mario Kart. Yes, I do want to eventually qualify for Boston. Yes, I would love to run a marathon in under four hours. But, that's going to take some time. Just finishing a marathon is an accomplishment, and I will always be in awe of people who can run marathons in close to two hours. And, I'm just as in awe of the people who trained their hardest and got themselves across the finish line in a time that they're proud of.


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* Mandatory fields
Find our more about the Zones of your bathroom or shower room to ensure you make the right fan choice.
Whether you want it to blend like a classic white bathroom tile or enhance the chosen décor of the room itself, our fan ranges offer a range of choices so that you dont have to compromise on style...
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Secured by Design Accredited Window Fan - The most secure in the UK. Where windows are targeted as a means of entry in a home, the fan can also be used to gain access. Omnique is SBD accredited to PAS24:2012 by the Loss Prevention Board and significantly reduces risk for social housing.
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