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1-Step Lead Generation Campaign - Conversion Rate Breakeven Calculator
Use this 1-Step Campaign BE (Breakeven) Marketing Calculator to compute the overall response rate required to achieve breakeven and also the number of inquiries, leads, opportunities, qualified opportunities, and closed sales needed based on the advertising circulation and costs for a program, the average revenue per transaction, and the gross margin percentage for that transaction that you enter.
A 1-Step campaign involves contacting a prospect once and having them respond to your initial offer and based on that response move into your lead qualification process. The respondent can enter your lead qualification process at any step depending on their B.A.N.T. and / or other criteria that you use to determine the stage of the respondent in the buying process. If you're not familiar with the conversion stages of a prospect used in this calculator, see the B.A.N.T. Chart for an explanation of this system for defining and ranking the types of prospects and stages in a prospect's lifecycle.
If you don't distinguish between inquiries and leads, you may enter a 100% conversion rate into the "conversion rate from "inquiries" to "leads" cell. The calculator will generate the same number of inquiries and leads required to achieve breakeven.
If you don't distinguish between opportunities and qualified opportunities, you may enter a 100% conversion rate into the "conversion rate from "opportunities" to "qualified opportunities" cell. The calculator will generate the same number of opportunities and qualified opportunities required to achieve breakeven.


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|Amazing colours - Hydrangea
|Lavender always attracts bees to the garden.
|White Hollyhocks - great self-propagators.
|Strawberries will grow until May in Adelaide
|Plum Espalier - now at the top beam level
|Another giant sunflower soon to open...and grow some more.
|A mix of sunflower types at different stages.
|Deep in my flower garden.
|Leeks have sprung.

subset: commoncrawl


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Where to begin with this one....
First of all, I make zero apologies for what I am about to write. Zero. I don't want to lose friends over this, but honestly, if this blog post fractures a friendship, then maybe it wasn't all that strong in the first place. I have spent too many years of my life keeping my mouth shut and being disrespected by "friends" who were in reality nothing more than toxic people. I have come a long, long way in healing from that, and in the spirit of keeping myself mentally, emotionally, and spiritually healthy, I have no place in my life anymore for those who are unapologetically disrespectful toward me, my beliefs, and how I choose to live out my life and my faith. So if you get to the end of this, and you still feel the need to disrespect me and what I believe, then I guess you'll know where you stand.
So here goes....
The other night, someone called my faith, and that of other Christians, into question over the gay marriage debate.
To me, that is the single most disrespectful thing anyone could ever do to me. Ever.
I was shaking when I read what was written, directed at me and other Christians who believe like me. I felt the heat of anger rise up my back, then neck, then face. It took every ounce of strength I had to fight the urge to write something lengthy and strong in response. I tossed and turned and barely slept that night, feeling so angry, hurt, offended and disrespected. I woke up the following morning not feeling much better. And now, nearly 48 hours later, I am still trying to wrap my head around it and formulate the words I want to say to this person. I know, when that face-to-face time comes, its going to be awkward.
Let me make one thing very clear here. I am not hurt or angry or offended over the person having a differing opinion from mine. Lots of people every single day have differing opinions from mine, and that is fine. In fact, I welcome others' opinions. They make me think, and evaluate, and question, and that is a normal, healthy thing everyone should be open to allowing in their life.
What I am hurt, angry, and offended by was the implication that just because I don't believe like that person, that I am somehow a "lesser than" Christian. That somehow I am not as "good" a Christian as they are. That somehow I am not as "righteous." That maybe I'm not even a Christian at all....
If you want to emotionally and spiritually go for the jugular with me, well congratulations. You just did.
Now, to most people this may not seem like a big deal. But I come from a long history of being attacked like this. It happened to me at Bible college. Someone tried to get me kicked off a ministry team because I was "less holy" than them...or whatever it was....because I don't speak in tongues. And then it happened over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over again at a former church. You name it....I was called out for it.
Do you know what that does to a person? When you take the most sacred, personal, vulnerable part of a person's belief system and tell them they aren't good enough....over and over again....a person starts to believe it. Do you want to know how bad it got for me? It got to a point where I felt so unloved, so unworthy, so unaccepted, so vile, so disgusting, so hated, so worthless, so imperfect, and so insignificant.....that I believed I was all those things. I became suicidal. Had I not been a mother with 2 little kids at the time, I probably would've taken my own life. I'm not kidding or exaggerating.
To this day, I don't know how I rose above all that. Only by the grace of God. Somehow, despite all the lies that were being fed to me, despite having my soul picked apart bit by bit by excruciating bit, I was able to put all the pieces back together. I left that church, I left those hurtful people, and I am not looking back. Ever. Like I said in the beginning of this post, I have come too far and am in a good place, I am not going to allow people to tear me down like that anymore.
I know where I stand with God. My relationship with Him, as far as I am concerned, is solid. I got saved when I was 16, I've been baptized, I've sat through countless hours of Bible classes, studies, and sermons. And I know my Bible pretty proficiently.
I'm far from perfect, and I fully accept that I get things wrong daily. Shoot....I may have the whole thing "wrong!" Who really knows? But here's the thing.... My relationship with Him - my "rights" and "wrongs" - is between me and Him. The same goes for you. The same goes for my husband, my son, my daughters, my mother, my father, my brother, my sister, my niece, my nephews, my uncles, my aunts, my neighbors, the girl who makes my coffee at the Human Bean, my college professors, the dude who bags my groceries.....
Who are we to play God and judge others' relationship with their Creator?????
Once upon a time, I'm ashamed to say, I was a Christian like that. Its easy, in faith, to get wrapped up in the "little things" - all the do's and don'ts - and miss the bigger picture. I've been there, done that. And you know what it did? It made me a horrible witness for Christ, I lost a lot of friends (in and out of the church), and my own relationship with Christ suffered. I became so "near-sighted" in my walk, that I couldn't even see how much I was hurting others - and even myself - with that attitude!
After my whole "crisis period" (for lack of a less ugly thing to call it), as I began to rebuild myself, I read Matthew 12:28-33, and it hit me like a ton of bricks.
28One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?"
29"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.e 30Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'f 31The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'g There is no commandment greater than these."
32"Well said, teacher," the man replied. "You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. 33To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."
I realized when I read that, that the most important thing we can do is love God and love others. Jesus said it was the most important thing, and I believe Him. There is no commandment greater than these! Nothing else the Bible says is more important! And nobody can convince me otherwise!
This verse has since become kind of like my "life compass." If I am ever in doubt of the motives of my heart or actions, I put it to the "Matthew 12 Test." I ask myself, "Is what I am saying/feeling/doing/thinking/believing radiating with love for God and love for others?" If the answer is no (and sometimes it is), then I immediately re-evaluate. It has been a pretty fool-proof compass, when I have been smart enough to use it. It has changed so many facets of how I live my faith and my life. I don't think it has made me a "loose" Christian, I think it has made me a more loving, accepting, kind, gentle, peaceful, understanding human being. A human being that is closer to the character of Jesus, not further from it.
I still have my principles. I still have my own, personal set of do's and don'ts for my own life. But the huge difference is, I have stopped being so concerned with everyone else's life and relationship with Christ. I focus on loving God - my own relationship with Him - and loving others - not condemning them with my words and/or attitude. If you say/feel/do/think/believe differently than me, I let you. I have my own relationships with God and others to worry about. I'll worry about mine, you worry about yours.
So really.... Who cares how I - or anyone else - interpret and live out my life and my faith? Who cares what or how much I do or don't pray, or what version of the Bible I do or don't read? Who made it your job to police my relationship with God? Where in the Bible does it say that its your job? Because the last time I checked, man wasn't called to bring others to repentance. The last time I checked, that was the Holy Spirit's job.
You have no right to call my - or anyone else's - relationship with God into question. Not over the way I parent. Not over my spiritual gifts (or lack thereof). Not over my position on gay marriage. Not over anything.
You are not God. It is not your job. You live your life, let me live mine. You have your opinions, and I let you have them. Let me have mine. Without the guilt, without the condemnation, without the self-righteousness, without the negative criticism, without all the garbage that leads others to believe they're not good enough. We're all horribly flawed. I'm not perfect, you're not perfect. But God still loves us. That is the truth!
The truth is, Jesus doesn't love you more for believing what you believe and me less for believing what I believe. He loves us all the same. He doesn't have a "point system." God loves you the same as he loves me, the same as he loves the drug dealer down on the corner, the same as he loves the Atheist, the same as he loves the death-row inmate, the same as he loves a newborn baby.... We're all beautiful and wonderful and special to Him. There is nothing we do that makes Him love us any more or less! Yes, we're all horribly, disgustingly flawed. We all make bad decisions and mistakes every single day, and yes, some of those decisions and mistakes are reeeeaaally far off the mark. But you want to know the truth? God still loves us the same.
And anyone who tells you differently is flat-out wrong. That is the truth!
There is so much more I could've touched on in this post. Do you think I missed anything important? Do you agree or disagree? Your thoughts?


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Read rest of entry
The stars were out in force for Saturday's Screen Actors Guild Awards, and although some may have been focused on red carpet style, I was keeping my eyes peeled for any tech appearances. Thankfully, I got lucky and spotted award-winning star Diane Kruger posing withInglourious Basterdsdirector Quentin Tarantino in front of her white BlackBerry Bold 9000. We don't see many of these out in the wild too often, but when we do it's always an eye-catcher.
With Diane's 2MP camera and flash, she probably could have snapped a pretty good shot of the two of them in the dimly lit Shrine Auditorium, but I am a little worried that she didn't get the results she may have wanted — she's pointing the lens the wrong way!


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Lee Murray
PS The emphasis is mine...
Our Broken System: Lessons from Ferguson
|This article was published originally by the US~Observer. Link US Observer
We, the people, lost in Ferguson, Missouri — not because the people took to the streets and smashed and burned and shot and looted, however mindless those activities were and made humanity seem. It was a greater loss, the further erosion of our rights and just superiority as sovereign citizens above government officials who are nothing more than our employees. In a system of justice that I know — and report on regularly — that lies and steals and cheats to get its man, I know, too, it protects its own with the same vigilance. And the lack of an indictment was, to me, no exception. It was a reminder that the system is broken and the media manipulative, that the world we live in is controlled — and not fairly or justly.
What I personally took away from the explanation of how and why the grand jury came to its decision to not indict Officer Darren Wilson is that had he been anyone other than a police officer, he would likely be facing charges.
Let's be real. A grand jury isn't a magical group of people who know all and see all; it is a group of people who get to see only the evidence the prosecuting attorney decides to show them. So if the prosecutor has an agenda to not prosecute, the evidence will reflect that agenda. And the grand jury will come back with the corresponding ruling. It's that simple, and everything is supported by the government's own statistics. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. attorneys prosecuted 162,000 federal cases in 2010. Grand juries declined to return an indictment in only 11 of them.
It really is an "us" and "them" thing now. And no matter what your ethnicity, we as citizens just got reminded that to be them means they get treated differently than if they were us.
It's sad. And what is worse is you have the mainstream media out there promoting this as either right (Fox News: a triumph of a system that you can trust in) or wrong, but both sides are calling it a race issue and not seeing it for what it really is — a miscarriage of justice, pure and simple.
Police agencies have paid out millions of dollars in civil liability claims across this country where bad police officers have killed, maimed or otherwise harmed the citizens they are supposed to protect. But few, if any, ever face criminal charges for their obviously criminal actions. If they are held civilly liable, they should be held criminally liable as well.
Every day, there is more evidence of corrupt police officers overstepping their bounds and abusing their authority. And there are more people facing false charges, stacked by scum-sucking prosecuting attorneys who just want a conviction. What a joke.
So what is the solution?
In our day and age of technology, there is no reason that every police officer shouldn't be mandated to wear a personal recording device to ensure that all of the unadulterated evidence is available to the public.
Also, we have to eliminate the immunity prosecutors and judges enjoy. With their protections gone, bad police officers will have no one to protect them. The system will be taken back by the public it is supposed to serve.
We have to ensure our justice system blindly seeks justice and the corruption that now plagues it is extinguished.
I invite all righteous prosecutors, police officers, public defenders and truly unbiased judges to join me at the US~Observer as we continue our fight against everything that is wrong in the system. Join us as contributors and expose those who violate their oaths and harm the citizens.
We have to make sure that what happened in Ferguson, and in every other city where the system has overstepped its bounds, doesn't ever happen again. That is something I am sure we can all agree on.
Read my last article, "Obstruction of Justice."
–Ron Lee


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- Good for Tiger for making it a relatively easy decision for Corey Pavin to add him to the US Ryder Cup Team by playing increasingly better golf in the last few weeks. I'm actually a bit surprised that Pavin took Ricky Fowler over JB Holmes, but then again, I haven't been keeping a Ryder Cup captain's eye on these guys all season so presumably, Pavin knows something that I don't. Anyhoo... Go Europe!
- Speaking of Tiger... Undoubtedly, making the top 30 in the Fed Ex Cup rankings in order to get into the Tour Championship will be his toughest test of these playoffs. He will need to be at or close to the very top of the leaderboard next week in order to make it happen, which will be very difficult given how well people like Stricker, Hoffman, Day, Kuchar and others have been playing. But does anybody want to bet against him?
- Tom Verducci has an interesting idea about making the run-up to the MLB playoffs more exciting by adding a second wild card place. Read more details here. I like it!
- Speaking of the playoffs... YAY! Definitely some predictions and picks to come!
- I'm excited to see a young Blue Jays team continue to develop next season. I'm excited to see a young Oilers team begin to build some foundation next season. I don't want to talk about the Eskimos.
Have a great day!


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David W. Andrews, MD
COB, 2nd Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 955-7000
(215) 503-7038 fax
Publications for this author are currently unavailable.
Medical School
BS, Biological Science, Stanford University - 1975
BA, Political Science, Stanford University - 1975
MS, Biological Science, Stanford University - 1977
MD, University of Colorado - 1983
Cornell Medical Center - New York Hospital
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, NY
Board Certification
Neurological Surgery
Hospital Appointment
Thomas Jefferson University Hospital
Methodist Hospital Division of Thomas Jefferson University Hospital
Anthony Alfred Chiurco Professor of Neurological Surgery
Associate Training Program Director
Director, Division of Neuro-oncologic Neurosurgery and Stereotactic Radiosurgery
Director, Stereotactic Radiosurgery Units, Jefferson Hospital for Neuroscience
Expertise and Research Interests
Subspecialization in:
- Surgical and radiosurgical treatment of brain tumors
- Neuro-oncologic neurosurgery with image-guidance and intraoperative motor and speech corticography
- Neuroendoscopic neurosurgery
- Biologically-based treatment of malignant gliomas
- MRI-based stereotactic biopsy
- Conventional fraction stereotactic radiotherapy
Dr. Andrews trained at the New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center and completed a one year fellowship in Neuro-oncology at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. At the inception of his academic career, he received a prestigious Physician Scientist Award conferred by the National Cancer Institute to pursue basic research devoted to the molecular biology of gliomas for a 5 year period. His mentor was Dr. Carlo Croce, a member of the National Academy of Science and one of the leading cancer researches in America today.
Drawing from his background in molecular biology, Dr. Andrews was the first physician at Thomas Jefferson University and in the Delaware Valley to participate in a prospective randomized trial involving gene therapy trial for the treatment of glioma which closed in 1999. Dr. Andrews currently serves as Co-Principal Investigator of a unique FDA-approved antisense DNA protocol designed for the treatment of glioma and has thus far successfully treated 12 patients. With this Phase I study still open, he has submitted four additional Phase I through Phase III proposals to the FDA for approval based on the early promising results in the Phase I trial.
Dr Andrews is recognized as a world leader in radiosurgery and established the first Radiosurgery Program in the Delaware Valley in 1991. He has lectured throughout the world as an invited speaker on radiosurgery topics and is noted for techniques in stereotactic radiotherapy which he has pioneered and has described successful treatments of tumors involving or near special sensory nerves such as the optic nerve or cochlear nerve.
Invited Lectures :
- 1993 Hospital Princesa, Madrid, Spain, Inauguration of Radiosurgery in Spain
- 1994 Barcelona, Spain, Inauguration of Radiosurgery in Barcelona (panelist)
- 1994 Madrid, Spain, First Spanish Stereotactic Radiosurgery Congress
- 1994 Philadelphia, PA, the Pan-Philadelphia Neurosurgery Conference
- 1995 Salzburg, Austria, The Cornell-Austrian Seminars in Medicine
- 1995 Mexico City, Mexico, The Neuroscience Institute
- 1995 Gainesville, FL, The Second X-Knife Society Meeting
- 1995 Taipei, Taiwan, the Australo-Asian Neurosurgery Congress
- 1996 The Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
- 1996 Paris, France, The French Neurosurgery Congress
- 1996 Philadelphia, PA, The Third X-Knife Society Meeting
- 1997 Madrid, Spain, The Third Biannual International Stereotactic Radiosurgery Society (panelist)
- 1997 Orlando, FL, The Fourth X-Knife Society Meeting
- 1997 San Francisco, CA, Joint AANS-CNS Course on Functional and Stereotactic Neurosurgery (faculty)
- 1998 Bangkok, Thailand, Inauguration of Radiosurgery in Thailand
- 1998 Snowmass, Colorado, The Mayfield Clinic-Cleveland Clinic Winter Neuroscience Symposium (faculty)
- 1999 Sydney, Australia, The Fourth Biannual International Stereotactic Radiosurgery Society (panelist)
- 1999 Allentown, PA, Inauguration and Continuing Education Course/ Radiosurgery, Lehigh Valley Hospital
- 1999 Barcelona (Sitges), Spain, The Second Spanish Radiosurgery Society (panelist)
- 1999 Milwaukee, WS, Biannual Acoustic Neuroma Association (panelist/lecturer)
- 1999 Snowbird, UT, The American Society of Functional and Stereotactic Radiosurgery (panelist)
- 1999 Boston, MA, The Congress of Neurological Surgery (panelist)
- 2000 Snowmass, CO, The Mayfield Clinic-Cleveland Clinic Winter Neuroscience Symposium (faculty)
- 2000 Munich, Germany, Klinicum Grosshaden
- 2000 San Antonio, TX, The Congress of Neurological Surgery (faculty)
- 2000 Sao Paolo, Brazil Radiosurgery Symposium (faculty/ Visiting Professor)
In addition to successfully eliminating tumors, the fractionated stereotactic technique also preserves sight and hearing. He was recently invited to speak before the Acoustic Neuroma Association in Milwaukie to share his experience of fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy with acoustic tumor patients. He is Principal Investigator of a North American prospective radiosurgery randomized trial sponsored by the RTOG and the National Cancer Institute examining patients with brain metastases that has accrued over 300 patients from 60 different participating institutions.
Dr. Andrews is a member of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, the American and World Societies of Functional And Stereotactic Neurosurgery, the International Stereotactic Radiosurgery Society, and the Society of University Neurosurgeons.
Neurosurgery; neuro-oncology; radiosurgery; gamma knife; LINAC; brain tumor


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SAN JOSE — Jonathan Quick waved his stick and yelled at both referees as he left the ice after the Kings' 2-1 overtime loss to the Sharks on Saturday night, irate over the third-period penalty calls that put the Kings at a two-man disadvantage and tested their mettle as much as it challenged their penalty killing.
Quick is normally the calmest man on the ice, stoic in the face of barrages of shots and of beefy forwards crashing his crease. But even he had his limits, and for his trouble he got a game misconduct for abuse of the officials as the Kings contemplated having their series lead narrowed to 2-1.
Was Robyn Regehr's hooking penalty at 19:18 of the third period a legitimate call? And what of Trevor Lewis' goaltender interference call with five seconds left?
Asked if referees Wes McCauley and Marc Joannette had decided the game, Kings Coach Darryl Sutter was coy before the team boarded its charter flight to Los Angeles. They will practice at home Sunday and Monday before returning for Game 4 on Tuesday at HP Pavilion.


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Ice Queen!
It's here! Ice Queen, my new pattern in the Winter 2007 issue of Knitty, and on the cover! Woooohooooo! Enjoy! :)
In Designs by Romi jewelry news, I've just replenished materials for my hand made yarn ball earrings
featured in Vogue Knitting this season, and I have 15 more pairs to sell here (scroll down to bottom). Yay!!!
Labels: Ice Queen, jewelry, yarn ball earrings


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Zac Efron is so lucky lately. After his role in the Nicholas Sparks novel-turned-movie, The Lucky One, Zac Efron was recently featured as the new face of Penshoppe, a Philippine fashion brand.
Here are the latest pictures of The Lucky One, Zac Efron, from Just Jared. By the way, have you seen his latest movie? It's currently being shown here in the Philippines.
BuzzNet Tags: The Lucky One,Zac Efron,Penshoppe


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I'm exhausted from searching for my mother.
All night she evaded me.
I waited for her at home and cried when she didn't come.
I tried phoning her and got someone else.
I walked through the house.
I sat on the floor in her empty bedroom and cried.
I cried all night.
Now I'm tired and sad.
It's been 4 years since she died,
yet I still look for her in my dreams.
I dream that I'm looking for her and can't find her.
I wake up with this heavy sadness,
this ache to see her just one more time.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Posted by SookieJane at 9:50 PM
2 comments:
You are such a good writer, Shari. What a beautiful poem. I wish I could have known your mom.ReplyDelete
- Carol CuffJune 9, 2010 at 5:15 PM
Your mom was such a sweet person. When I think of her, I always see her smiling. Her name suited her perfectly. Take care, Carol McNair Cuff
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


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TARGET: Hip Knits! : 65 Easy Designs from Hot Designers
BY: Better Homes and Gardens
PREMISE: * Well-known designers, such as Lily Chin, put their personal spin on today's knitted fashions and accessories. * Easy projects that yield designer results, even for beginners. * "How to knit" primer includes special secrets that bring success even for beginners. * All projects include patterns, step-by-step instructions, and supplies lists.
"simply ugly sack sweaters" - Megan Henry
"the patterns are ugly" - Brittany
"anything but 'hip.'" - Heidi M.
"I would not call most of them 'hip'" - Peony
"I guess I should have known, as it was compiled by Better Homes and Gardens, which has a very staid idea of hip, it seems." - Pippi
SCORE: Zero skeins on yarn. This is actually the worst reviews for a knitting book I've seen at Amazon.


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One bright and sunny Thanksgiving weekend day...
We picked a 10lb bag of apples.
It didn't really take us long...I probably could have picked the whole bag myself in 15 mins.
Seriously...not a difficult task...until you go to store these things!
I know you can store apples in a cool dark place for a few months into the winter.
I just hate the thought of one bad apple in the middle of the bag...rotting away...
So I went straight to keeping as much of the bag as I could with minimal waste or spoilage!
While I've made applesauce before...I've never jarred it for future use.
This was an awesome feat for me!
It usually smells so good when its boiling down...we eat it right away.
3 jars of applesauce now live in our food storage area.
While one can live without applesauce...it is a nice sweet addition to any pork dish.
Owen even likes dipping his potato latkes in applesauce!
Plus no preservatives or weirdness when you make your own...
Another first for me was the apple chip.
Slice thinly and sprinkle with cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar.
Like the tomatoes, I tried both the dehydrator and the oven method.
Both worked well...but the apples took over 14 hrs in the dehydrator.
I must have sliced these apples way too thick...so I finished them off in the oven the next day.
Owen seemed to really like them at first!
Then that trailed off....must have gotten a few cinnamon heavy chips...
Ok...anyone with a little person these days knows that movie...
These are peeled and sliced apples in a freezer bag...
perfectly portioned so that all I have to do is pour them
evenly into a baking dish and add crisp topping.
Dangerously easy...
As nothing gets truly wasted at this house...I present to you...the chicken treat!
Once I had peeled, cored and chopped my fingers sticky...I took out the bowl to the girls.
They loved this sweet treat!
What do you do with your apple harvest?


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Bring home the baking: Cherry Bakewell cup cakesBy Linda Collister
Fan of BBC1's The Great British Bake Off? Then try this delicious nostalgic recipe from the new book
Makes 12
- 150g unsalted butter, very soft
- 150g caster sugar
- 100g self-raising fl our
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature, beaten
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 60g ground almonds
- 1 tablespoon milk, at room temperature
- 4 tablespoons raspberry jam
- 250g icing sugar
- About 3 tablespoons strained fresh lemon juice
- 12 glacé cherries (nondyed), rinsed and dried
- 1 x 12-hole muffin tray, lined with paper muffin or cup-cake cases
METHOD1 Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas 5.
Beat the butter with an electric mixer until creamy. Add all the other ingredients for the cup cakes, except the jam, and beat until light and creamy.
Spoon the mixture into the cup-cake cases, dividing it evenly. Level the
mixture in each case using your fingertip. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or
until golden brown and firm to the touch, and a skewer inserted into the
centre of a cup cake comes out clean. Remove each cup cake from the
tray and place on a wire rack. Leave to cool completely.
2 To make the icing, sift the icing sugar into a mixing bowl and work in
enough of the strained lemon juice to make a thick, but spoonable and
runny icing. Set aside.
Using an apple corer, remove the centre from each cup cake, cutting
only two-thirds of the way down. Stir the jam with a teaspoon until it is
a little runny, then carefully spoon into the holes in the cup cakes until
the jam just reaches the top (don't over-fi ll).
3 Beat the icing using a teaspoon, then spoon it over the top of each cup
cake to flood the surface until the icing reaches the sides of the paper
case. Take care that the jam doesn't become mixed into the icing. Add
a cherry to the middle immediately and leave to set.
Good knives, trays, tins, digital scales and an oven thermometer are essential for baking
When using glacé cherries, make sure they are washed and dried really well, otherwise the syrup they are kept in will leak into your icing, if being used to decorate the cake, or cause the cherries to sink to the bottom of the sponge cake during baking.
Great British Bake Off: How to Bake: The Perfect Victoria Sponge and Other Baking Secrets by Linda Collister Published by BBC Books


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Five (or six) Idiosyncrasies:
- I do not allow people to read over my shoulder especially the newspaper. I really hate it when someone is trying to read over my shoulder and since I typically read fast, they tell me to wait before turning the page or something and it drives me nuts. And when I have a Sunday newspaper, I have to be the first to read it and you can't have any other sections before I have gotten to them. And I read the cartoons last, so don't even ask.
- I can't watch scary movies unless I know how it ends. I hate scary movies in general, but sometimes I'll watch them if I already know what happens. That's the only reason I watched the Sixth Sense because Josh told me about it beforehand. My ex-husband once made the mistake of basically forcing me to go see The Ghost and the Darkness and I still haven't forgiven him for that.
- Usually when I fly I make sure I have a Bible with me. I used to always take the New Testament that I got when Josh was born. I don't know if it was superstition but I always felt better just having it with me. This is even when I was not going to church at all. I tended to wear my cross necklace as well. But I have since lost that necklace and I really wished I still had it. I now have a crucifix that I always wear, but I miss that necklace. My ex-husband bought it for me as a gift.
- I don't answer the phone at home unless I know who is calling. I hate dealing with telemarketers and bill collectors. I'm not assertive enough to just tell them no and to stop calling. So I use the avoidance technique. I love having caller ID.
- Although I teach speech and do not mind speaking or performing in public, I really am a shy person. I don't have a lot of friends because I'm not very outgoing. I haven't gotten to know very many other parents in Josh's class. In social situations I tend to keep to myself.
- I don't eat vegetables. I really don't. There are a few exceptions, but basically all I eat are corn, potatoes and salad fixings. I don't eat any other cooked vegetables.


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Tiger Woods released a video of his swing on Wednesday, and it promptly set the golf world on fire.
"When will he be back?"
"Will he play the Masters?"
"Will he win the Masters?"
"How many shots will he win the Masters by?"
Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee says, not so fast. On Golf Central, he said that based on the video clip, Woods still faces a long road.
"I can say that looks like an injured and a put-back-together 40-year-old man," Chamblee said. "He has a very short, quick golf swing. He doesn't look like he's ready for tournament play."
Chamblee is unsure whether Woods will (or should) play competitive golf this season, but the analyst believes whenever Woods finally returns, he'll be fully healed and ready to give it his best.
"He's been down the road of coming back from injury many times already since 2010. I think, reading between the lines, he's more inclined to take the year off. Well, actually, seeing the golf swing makes you think perhaps not," Chamblee said. "I do believe we're going to see when he does come back, he'll be as prepared as he's ever been post-surgery, post-injury."
You can watch the full clip below.


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Money Changes Everything
I just got into the most random fight ever with my officemate, T. As I type this, I feel like I should be whispering, because it's one of these situations that's so retarded that you would never have expected it to get big at all, and you're worried that if she overhears you it'll blow up even further, even though this entire time you're just thinking what a completely fucked-up argument this is.
So the Powerball jackpot this time around is $215 million. That MILLION -- a LOT of money. Usually I don't buy lottery tickets, but when the jackpot climbs high enough, I figure I give it a shot. I figure it's a Big Mac I can live without for that week or something. It's not like I'm some 75-year-old decrepit old man who's blowing his entire social security check on it -- I'm budgeting some of my "mad money" toward this extremely long shot.
Anyway, I'm digressing.
Having purchased my lottery tickets, I joke about it from time to time: "So I'm going to win the lottery tonight, by the way." Or I make notes to myself out loud as we walk to find lunch: "D'oh, the jackpot increased again, meaning I didn't win... guess I'll have to buy more tickets for the next drawing...."
Well, the other day on the way to get lunch I made one such comment to T., that the jackpot was huge and I was going to win it.
"So if you win," she asked, "would you give me a million dollars?"
"I'll think about it," I told her.
I guess she didn't quite take to the fact that I was being sarcastic; after all, the odds of winning are really extremely remote, so promising to gift the money over to someone else seems quite premature.
"How selfish!" she cried. "Well at the very least, what about the firm? Would you give some of that money to our office?" (Frankly, after a string of really bad decisions coming down on us, the firm could totally use a financial shot in the arm.)
"Probably not," I responded, which was probably a mistake, seeing how the first sarcastic mode was lost on her.
Today, at lunch, she brought the subject up again, with our other colleague, C.
"So Dennis! says that if he wins the lottery he won't even give me ONE of the TWO HUNDRED MILLION dollars," she tells C.
I just shrugged.
"AND," she continues, but this time addressing me, "you wouldn't even give this firm any of it. This firm, that does civil rights work, that serves a noble goal in society."
"Well, I had some plans to give some of it to my high school," I say.
Now this was probably a stupid thing to say, but by this point I was getting pissed. Money does this to people, I guess. Why is it that if I were to win the lottery, I would suddenly be obligated, upon pain of loss of friendship, to give away any part of it.
"So you'd rather give the money to some snotty private prep school than to a civil rights firm!" she charged.
"Hey! I liked my high school! They train the future leaders of America!" I defended. Again, not the best response, but it's getting to the point where nothing except backtracking and supplication will appease her, and I refuse to do somehow acknowledge that if I were to suddenly come into a large sum of money I owe it to someone or another to give it to certain people.
"This firm," she reiterated. "Which gave you a job when you were unemployed and you probably wouldn't have...." Then apparently her emotions took over and she just gave up. "Never mind. Now I'm pissed."
And she stormed out of the break room.
I looked at C. quizzically just to convey that "What the fuck was that?" look. C. shrugged.
T. later came back into the break room for the purpose of pointedly asking me: "Just tell me this: Do you respect our boss? Do you respect what this firm does?"
"Uh.... yeah?" I responded. This was just getting too bizarre.
"Okay. That's what I needed to know." And she walked back out again.
I looked at C. again. "I was tempted to give a sarcastic response there, but I didn't think it would go over well," I whispered.
"I don't think anything you've said has gone over well," she responded.
"That was just too weird," I whispered.
"I'm just trying to pretend it didn't happen," she whispered back.
I'm still shaking my head about this entire dust-up. Not only is the entire situation completely hypothetical, not only were my "I ain't giving you jack shit" responses at least partially sarcastic, but I still don't understand why anyone would feel like they were entitled to tell me what to do with money that would be mine.
Would it be "selfish" of me to want to keep all of it for myself? Maybe, but it would be no less selfish than T. thinking that she deserved a million-dollar windfall just because of my good fortune.
Come to think of it, a conversation similar to this one took place when I was selected to be on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?. Unfortunately -- or perhaps fortunately -- I walked away from there with only $1,000. Hey, I should blog about that some day.


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most hopefully, step.
It is time for the dream of our life
to be coming true,
for the being of all that we truly are
to flower.
Why wait?
Time is fleeting, faster
by the hour.
Posted for the Tuesday Platform at Real Toads, where we are free to post an old poem, though I did write a silly ditty for Day 5.


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April 18, 2014
the one and done.
April 17, 2014
Mac Please Me
Mac Please Me $15
Just yesterday, I had a super fun photoshoot with my friend in her back yard. I bring over my camera, and she took charge of my make up. I ended up poking around in her stash and pulled out this REALLY flattering lipstick by Mac. Please Me is a very pigmented, matte, bright bubble gum pink lip color. Alongside dark copper eyeshadow / subtle pink cheeks, I think this lipstick looked veerry naaiicee. It was also extremely long lasting and didn't need any touch ups.
for more photoshoot pics i would recommend checking out my instagram!
April 15, 2014
PROM Dress / Pictures / Tips (Prom #4)
Hey guys! For the final installment in my prom series, I'm including pre prom pictures, information on my dress and tips!
Overall, I had a blast at prom! We ended up going two hours late (oops) because my date and I had too much fun talking in our group at dinner; however, I definitely think that it was more fun that way because when we got to the venue, everyone was dancing and the music was pretty loud so we didn't get a chance to talk after that.
My dress is from Modcloth.com and was $80. I'm a little bit on the fence about whether or not it was worth the money because while it looks ok in pictures, the material was thin t-shirt material and wrinkled really quickly. That being said, I think that the sequin top was really flattering and I love how the cut wasn't too showy!
Some other places for dresses that I recommend are:
One last thing to add-- because of my heels, my dress ended up being a little bit too short. Keep that in mind when you're looking for your dress!
1. Next time I'm definitely going to keep my stuff in the car. Our coat check was really sketchy with no ticket system-- basically anyone could walk into the closet and take what they wanted.
2. If you don't want to grind, thats OK. I didn't want to grind so I had that conversation with my date before the dance.
3. Pre prom pictures can be lots of fun! But it can also get very awkward if you get fined for being in a private garden without having a permit. I know a group of people who had to pay $200. Call ahead and ask!
The Shoe that Carries a Woman (PROM #1)
Beyond Cosy by Essie (PROM #2)
Holika Holika Lashes #04 (Prom #3)
Instagram: Biffsquiggled
Beyond Cosy by Essie (PROM #2)
Holika Holika Lashes #04 (Prom #3)
Instagram: Biffsquiggled
April 14, 2014
The Versatile Blogger Award
I can't believe that I'm finally getting around to this, but thank you Sei from cottonkuma for nominating me for the Versatile Blogger Award! Everyone reading this should DEFINITELY go check out her blog.
And theres a funny story behind this picture-- my friend had a gold card for starbucks and randomly got me a free refill of his drink.. I don't even drink coffee! But I took the opportunity to look cool and snapped this picture before giving it to my sister.
People that I'm tagging
( if you already did this, it might be a challenge to come up with 7 MORE facts but I'd still LOVE to read your post! )
The Sunny Scenery
A Beautiful Zen
Panda Loves Eyeliner
7 things about me
1. I LOVE photography. If you gave me a day to do whatever I wanted, I'd probably end up happily snapping pictures of everyone and everything that I came into contact with!
2. (you have to sing this with me like you're Ralph in The Sound of Music) I am seventeen going on eighteen!
3. I can quote the movie The Parent Trap from start to finish.
4. My favorite pair of shoes would have to be my sassy cheetah print Sperrys! My friend always calls me a cougar when I wear them.. -__-
5. I'm quite shy in real life, but I'm working on it! A lot of my friends tell me that I get a lot crazier, sassier and meaner when you get to know me in real life. They're right. LOL
6. Very few of my friends know about this blog! I started it over the summer for fun and here we are, more than half a year later. I thought that there'd only be a 1% chance that the rest of the people in my life would come across Biffsquiggled, but then one of my friends stumbled across it (IM LOOKING AT YOU SOPHIE) and I was SO SHOCKED.
7. I have absolutely no idea what I want to be when I grow up! The time has come for me to start thinking about my major in college and where I want to go annd I have no clueeeeeeeeee. We'll see what happens I guess… IF YOURE READING THIS AND HAVE ANY BITS OF ADVICE FOR ME, I'M LISTENING!
As always, thank you for reading ^^
April 12, 2014
Sunday Stress
Holika Holika Lashes #04 (PROM #3)
Maybelline Fit Me Concealer 25 $7
Instead of using a full coverage foundation that lots of people prefer on prom night, I decided to opt for something a little lighter and more breathable. Since I wasn't having too bad of a skin day, I figured that there was no need for something uncomfortable! Contrary to the belief that your make up needs to be long lasting while you "dance the night away," all you really need is for your make up to last for the few hours you're taking pictures for. After you get to the dance floor, no one will give a second thought about what your make up looks like-- you can take even wipe it off in the bathroom if you want!
Maybelline Balm Stain Honey $9
This stain gives such a flattering pinky nude that works well with basically EVERY eye look. I didn't want to do anything bold with this look, but you could probably get away with a true matte lipstick.
Nyx Eyebrow Cake Powder $6
Gotta have eyebrows! Using powder gives a really natural finish but doesn't last very long. If you want something more long wearing, you could try using pencil or a clear mascara over the top.
Rimmel Scandaleyes Bullet Proof Beige #5
For a nice base that will make my shadow really pop, I decided to use a cream shadow. It also worked really well as a highlight for my lids.
Almay Intense i-color Smoky-Kit (For Brown Eyes) #7
For the outer corner of my eyes, I decided to use the bronze lid color from this palette. Its really easy to blend and is flattering on warm skin tones.
Kirkland Eyeshadow Midnight Glimmer (no longer on sale)
Since my dress is dark blue, I decided add a little bit of dark blue in the crease.
Dolly Wink Black Liquid Eyeliner $18
I LOVE this eyeliner! Its lasted me for months and always comes out really black and the tip is perfect for a winged eyeliner.
Majolica Majorica Lash King $23
Finish off with mascara. This one in particular is extremely long lasting and keeps my eyelashes curled. It's also smudge proof-- so no panda eyes for me!
Holika Holika Lashes #04 $3.50
There are times when I'll see someone rocking a smokey eye and the color placement, blending, and shading will be amazing-- but when you get to the lashes, they're understated and look just falls apart. If only they had these lashes!
These are extremely easy to curl, VERY GLAMOROUS, and super fun. I had so much fun playing with these,
One piece of advice that I have when wearing these lashes is to bring around a handy eyelash curler as these do tend to fall throughout the day. If you're not wearing a mascara that holds up your curl, they WILL droop.
I normally have mono lids, but when I put on false eyelashes I get just the hint of a crease. If this sounds like you, you may want to try on your lashes before hand to see if they look ok on you! I had a friend who's smile kinda got crinkled when she wore false eyelashes so make sure to test them out.
Are you caught up on my Prom series?
The Shoe that Carries a Woman (PROM #1)
Beyond Cosy by Essie (PROM #2)
Follow me on Instagram: Biffsquiggled
April 8, 2014
NYC Candy Apple Red
Here are two things that I found recently that I am OBSESSED with. The first being this adorable Minnie Mouse cup that my sister gave me, and the other being an extremely affordable and cute nail polish by NYC!
It only takes two coats for an opaque true red color and there are little to no streaks from this polish. If you're looking for a really affordable and easy to wear red, I'd definitely suggest this one. It's not MAJORLY glossy, but it definitely can be worn without a top coat. I've had it on for about 3 days without any signs of wear (without a top coat) but after that it really starts to wear away at the edges. For two dollars, I'd definitely recommend!
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Be a rule follower!
Rule #1: Include the image above and a link to our blog somewhere in your post.
Rule #2: Be a good blog reader...visit the two blogs who link up before you and leave some love on their pages!
Rule #3: This linky is not intended for product promotion. You may include products you've created in your posts, but they should not be the sole focus of the post.


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Two of this week's covers come from Shelby at Lost in a Book. Thanks, Shelby!Dragonswood vs. Carrier of the Mark vs. The Mind Readers
Leave a comment to let me know which cover you prefer!
If you've spotted any Doppelgängers, please contact the Center for Doppelgänger Comparison.
Last week's winner: Despite being up since November (gosh, has it really been that long?), no one voted, so it's a tie. ;P


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A few moments of calm at the Civil Affairs office.
We left to get our official family photo taken, after which she fell asleep from the exhaustion of the entire ordeal. We made it to Wal-Mart to get some essentials, and she finally calmed down once we started trying on shoes.... :-).
|Checking out the fish at Wal-Mart
It is going to be a rough road ahead for my little one, but these signs of grief are testament to her close bond with her foster family, to whom I am forever grateful.


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Tuesday, October 30, 2007
That the things you need come slow
But inside you just don't know
Rob Thomas
October is hard. I don't know if it's the weather or the fact that the newness of school has worn off and the tests still seem so far away (and honestly, that's why our kids come to school), but the end of October and the beginning of November are hard. For me. For the kids.
I'm exhausted - mentally, physically, and spiritually.
The kids are restless and so am I.
Keep your fingers crossed and that we get some renewed energy - we need it.
2 comments:
- Zuzuzpetals said...
Nine years in to teaching 9th grade English in public school, and I am having my best year ever. My classes are larger, I've taken on lunch detention duty, and my state just enacted (literally, yesterday) the most stringent state immigrant legislation in the country - threatening both the size as well as the emotional health and thus, mental ability of the ELL students I see the last two hours of the day. Hang in there and consider staying for five instead of two years. Dealing with impossible administration and jaded co-workers is a skill, and just as important in education as any lesson-planning, child-motivating technique you learn and develop. Let there be a part of you that thinks, "Exhausted in October? Okay, sure, but please - I regularly meet state mandates with two pieces of string and an old piece of gum (metaphorically speaking)." You can do this. Look what you've already done. And imagine how much you'll be able to do when some of the skills which still take incredible focus/planning/thought come almost without thinking.
I remember when No Child Left Behind came down the pike years ago, and (understandably) so many teachers around me were frustrated and worried. I thought, seemingly impossible standards with no extra funding that are designed to make us fail? Please! I get fifteen year olds to care about the style of their writing. I can tackle that backwards and in high heels. You've got what it takes. You'll most definitely get energized again and make it to December. I hope you make it to many more Decembers in a classroom.
Here's a quote that keeps me going:
Have courage for the great sorrows of life and patience for the small ones; and when you have laboriously accomplished your daily task, go to sleep in peace. God is awake.
Victor Hugo
- Amazing said...
I have a question. I am currently a college student and I want to major in secondary education and history. However, I am afraid to do so because I hear all the time that there isn't a need for history teachers. I live in NYC and I hear that they need teachers all the time. Is this true about, about history teacher not being needed?


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|Alyson Richman
Alyson Richman lives in New York and has written 7 books, all receiving good reviews and high ratings.
I was so impressed with her writing that I wanted to read another of her books.
"The last Van Gogh" got a four star rating on Amazon, but most of the others rated even higher.
Dr. Gachet had trained as a medical doctor, but he became interested in natural medicine. And so, he became a homeopath. He cultivated plants and herbs in his garden to use for his tinctures. He experimented with the remedies with himself and his family. He gathered the flowers, roots and special leaves and soaked them in alcohol. After two weeks, he would press the herb-steeped solution through a wine press and funnel the liquid into flasks.
Dr. Gachet was most interested in artists because he felt that they were subject to 'melancholy' and he encouraged them to come to Auvers, France to recuperate from their illnesses by using his elixirs.
This book focusses on Vincent Van Gogh's last 70 days under Dr. Gachet's care in Auvers.
Dr. Gauchet's daughter fell in love with Van Gogh and that is the heart of the story.
This author writes beautiful, descriptive sentences. That was my reason for checking out another of her stories. In this novel, she described in detail not only the paintings and the method of painting, but also the flower beds, clothes, food, etc.
"At my piano, my fingers stretched out to reach him. As if the ivory keys were ladders to his heart. I struck each note with the precision of a harpist, plucking out a melody that I imagined could reach only him".
There was very little plot in this novel. It could have been written in 100 pages instead of 300 pages. And so, I felt that the description overwhelmed the story and I found myself skimming through the description to get to some 'action'.
Both a love story and a historical novel.


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Film CapsulesOur rating system uses zero to four stars. If a movie has no rating, it has not been reviewed by Laura Boyes (LB), Godfrey Cheshire (GC), David Fellerath (DF), Kathy Justice (KJ), Sarah Lupton (SL), Neil Morris (NM) or Zack Smith (ZS).
Opening This WeekFOOL AND FINAL—It's a mad mad mad mad chase after a pricey diamond in this frantic slapstick comedy starring Shahid Kapoor, Sonny Deol and countless others. The exhausting trailer has been showing for months, a tangle of gangsters and innocents, boxing, bar girls, bikes, doubles, drivers, dupes and on and on. —LB
GRACIE—Based on the true-life events of actress Elisabeth Shue and her family, this sports-inspired flick from her husband, director Davis Guggenheim (An Inconvenient Truth), tells the story of a high school girl's entry into the hard-knocks world of boys' competitive soccer after the untimely death of her older brother. Set in a smoggy Jersey landscape during the late '70s, the film turns quickly from mid-grade sports melodrama to a tale of family strength and acceptance. See full review on page 61. Rated PG-13. —KJ
- Photo courtesy of Universal Studios
- Seth Rogen in Knocked Up
MR. BROOKS—Perennial nice guy Kevin Costner flashes a dark side as the titular Earl Brooks, a successful family man who also happens to be a pathological serial killer goaded on by an ever-present imaginary devil on his shoulder (William Hurt, in full-bloom bravura). The film realizes its delectable delirium most when wallowing in the machinations of Brooks' murderous delectation. However, this potentially compelling character study—a kind of middle-aged American Psycho—becomes hijacked by some infuriating subplotting, including a police detective played by Demi Moore and her Lifetime Movie of the Week countenance. Rated R. Reviewed on page 59. —NM
THE VALET—A French farce that shows the evidence of the still-breathing tradition of Feydeau, this Parisian romp nonetheless looks to recent American multiplex comedies for inspiration: François, the sweet but loserly valet of the title, lives in pizza 'n' Playstation squalor with his even hornier loser pal. François, however, at least has a dream: marriage to his life-long love Emilie, a struggling bookshop owner. Meanwhile, in a sharper part of Paris, a sleazy businessman is scheming to ditch his wife in favor of a young supermodel, and soon events conspire to bring these disparate players together for a painless—if hardly sidesplitting—85 minutes. The film is passable chiefly because of its exceptional cast: Daniel Auteuil, Kristin Scott Thomas, Virginie Ledoyen and, as the title character, Gad Elmaleh. Best of all, though, is Alice Taglioni in the unexpectedly touching role of a Heidi Klum-like model. Rated PG-13. —DF
THE WIND THAT SHAKES THE BARLEY—The clashing interests within revolutionary Ireland are ably dramatized here, but director Ken Loach looks also at the human stakes and the price people are willing—and unwilling—to pay for their ideals. The film opens in 1920, in an Ireland that is suffering from the presence of the Black and Tans, a division of thugs sent by Britain to terrorize the Irish. In response, two well-educated brothers from County Cork, Damien and Teddy (Cillian Murphy, surprisingly credible, and Padráic Delaney), join the Irish Republican Army. Their story takes us through two conflicts: the successful one against British dominion that resulted in the Irish Free State, and then the civil war that followed the peace, when the British shrewdly turned the Irish against themselves. This film, which won the Palme d'Or at Cannes last year, presents the bloodshed as dreadful but inevitable, the natural outcome when opposing political interests cannot be reconciled. Not rated. —DF
Current Releases28 WEEKS LATER—A zombie movie for the art house rather than the grindhouse, the Juan Carlos Fresnadillo-directed follow-up to Danny Boyle's arty shocker 28 Days Later returns us to post-apocalyptic Britain and another outbreak of the plague that turns the living into ravenous undead. Like many sequels, it follows the original formula faithfully, but with slightly diminished returns. Empty London is still spooky, but the horror chops are too obviously concocted in the editing room. Robert Carlyle stars. Rated R. —GC
AFTER THE WEDDING—Partly steeped in the precepts of Dogme filmmaking, Danish director Susanne Bier fashions an exquisite emotional sledgehammer replete with such family melodrama as misidentified paternity, terminal illness and marital infidelity. The film's lack of mystery conjures an air of redundancy by the tail end of its two-hour running time. However, its raw hyper-realism manifests into something tangible and powerful thanks to a first-rate cast and, moreover, Bier's impressive panoply of handheld camerawork and visual intimacy. Rated R. —NM
AWAY FROM HER—Terrific performances by Julie Christie as a woman afflicted with Alzheimer's and Gordon Pinsent as her concerned husband anchor this smart, sensitively wrought Canadian drama, which marks a hugely impressive debut as writer-director by 28-year-old actress Sarah Polley. Adapted from an Alice Munro short story, the film avoids disease-of-the-week clichés and Ingmar Bergmanesque angst alike in charting how people deal with overwhelming challenges, ultimately it is a very moving and resonant love story. With Olympia Dukakis. Rated PG-13. —GC
BUG—Based on the play by Tracy Letts, Bug doesn't quite make the full transition from stage to screen. The story takes place in a run-down motel room, permanently occupied by resident Agnes (Ashley Judd). When Peter Evans (Michael Shannon) shows up one night, the pair discovers a bug infestation, of which the spectator never sees any real evidence. Judd delivers a convincing performance as a gritty, uneducated bar waitress prone to manipulation by both her ex-con ex-husband (Harry Connick Jr.) and Peter and his unlikely past. The prolonged climax is sure to raise heart rates—either that or make you shake your head and scoff—but does little to clearly tie together the loose ends, perhaps for the purpose of dropping the viewer back into the real world in a similar state of heightened paranoia. Rated R. —SL
CHEENI KUM (LESS SUGAR)—The arrogant chef of a swank Indian restaurant in London (Amitabh Bachchan) is surprised to find himself entranced by a wry career woman half his age (Tabu). Written and directed by R. Balki, this Western style romance was penned specifically for its stars. They appear to relish playing characters who beg neither the audience, nor each other, for approval. Amitabh plays the good Indian boy, who, even at 64, comes home to his mother (the delightful 92-year-old Zohra Sehgal) but proposes by announcing to his beloved that marriage is the price men pay for sex, and sex is the price women pay for marriage. Commercial Hindi cinema has been stretching boundaries, and Amitabh, its number one star, is at the vanguard, daring his billions of fans to follow his experimentation. Not rated. —LB
DISTURBIA—This Rear Window for the YouTube generation has a sound set-up. A troubled teen, Kale (Shia LaBeouf), sentenced to three months house arrest for slugging his teacher, whiles away his time spying on neighbors using binoculars, camcorders and sundry tech gadgets, including leering at a comely girl-next-door (Sarah Roemer). His pastime reaps benefits once Kale becomes convinced that a neighbor (David Morse) is a serial killer. Problems emerge in the final act when the breezy yet taut narrative is cast aside for formulaic chills and thrills that never tie into its earlier themes of voyeurism, modern surveillance and suburban malaise. Rated PG-13. —NM
FRACTURE—Ryan Gosling and Anthony Hopkins don't disgrace themselves in this Agatha Christie-esque mystery about a murderous engineer (Hopkins) who confesses to killing his wife and proceeds to manipulate the case to his advantage. Some clever dialogue and a decent twist at the end can't overcome the flat characters and padded-out plot. Rated R.—ZS
GEORGIA RULE—One of the great national myths is the restorative power of the small town. Once again, a car pulls up to the curb of a weathered clapboard house with a tidy garden, and a feisty grandma (Jane Fonda) appears, ready to heal the prodigal. Why Fonda and her daughter (Felicity Huffman) tussle is back-burnered—the better to focus on granddaughter Lindsay Lohan's more lurid trauma. Still, they all act the bejeezus out of their underwritten parts: Fonda looks great and has managed to score the only bias-cut chenille bathrobe in Idaho, while Huffman plays a drunk, always good for an Academy nod. But Lohan steals the show with her instinctive insights into the demons of a slutty, underaged party girl. Rated PG-13. —LB
HOT FUZZ—Pop-culture references litter the screen in this British satire, from buddy-cop films to Agatha Christie to horror flicks like The Omen and The Wicker Man, but it's hard to parody material that is already beyond parodying: When screenwriter Edgar Wright fashions an extended finale that references Point Break and Bad Boys II, it is difficult to divine where the setup ends and the punchline begins. Rated R. —NM
INTO GREAT SILENCE—A nonfiction tour de force, Philip Gröning's voyage into the life of a Carthusian monstery high in the French Alps offers no interviews, historical background, voice-over commentary, etc. Rather, it is a vision of the monastic life that both embraces and exudes the spiritual calm it observes. So entrancing that its 162 minutes can seem short, the film evokes the contemplative life with serenely gorgeous images of monks in their worship and solitude, and an intentness akin to meditation. —GC
THE NAMESAKE—Gogol Ganguli is mortified by his first name, a mark of his Indian parents' eccentricity. What possessed his father to name him after his favorite author, the Russian Nikolai Gogol? Gogol struggles to decide what's meaningful to him amidst the masala of his suburban American life and his family's stubborn Bengali traditions. Director Mira Nair and screenwriter Sooni Taraporevala's richly textured adaptation of Jhumpa Lahiri's novel is unusually faithful to the book's spirit, a meditation on how the most meaningful personal rebellions sometimes have deeply conservative roots. Rated PG-13. —LB
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD'S END—This muddled Pirates three-quel is little more than a recycling of the pillaging, rum-guzzling and sword-fighting schlock of its predecessors. Clocking in at just under three hours, the film attempts to outdo every love triangle, plot twist and ghoulish creature from the last two films in one bloated installment of cinematic excess. The extravagant effects can't make up for plot holes and lackluster romance. Instead, Disney banks on its golden ticket: swoony captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp), but not even Sparrow can save the film from its own heavy hand. Rated PG-13. —KJ
SHOOTOUT AT LOKHANDWALA—Based on "true rumors," this thriller depicts a real-life 1991 police encounter in a Mumbai suburb, when several hundred cops assaulted a gangster's apartment. Shootout boasts an all-star cast (Sanjay Dutt, Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Vivek Oberoi) so as not to be mistaken for a documentary. Not rated. —LB
SHREK THE THIRD—This burnished money grab jettisons the razor-sharp wit and offbeat charm of its predecessors for a stream of somnolence that, sans its pedigree and production budget, could be mistaken for a direct-to-DVD release. Toss in a lazily written coup d'etat by Prince Charming (Rupert Everett) and the half-hearted injection of Arthurian lore into the Grimm milieu, and the sudden illumination that greets your exit from the theater should provide more than enough sensory overload to dispel any scintilla of this film still sparking your synapses. Rated PG. —NM
SPIDER-MAN 3—While this could be the best third act in any movie series based on a comic book, much of the webbing is starting to look threadbare. The last leg of this now-trilogy represents the climax to a story arc about three carefree friends—Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire), Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst) and Harry Osborn (James Franco)—each ripped from their innocent nonage and transfigured by death and sundry life-altering circumstances. Elaborate special effects sequences do not disappoint, but the screenplay squanders its potential for the safety of genre strictures. Rated PG-13. —NM
VACANCY—Luke Wilson and Kate Beckinsale play an unpleasant L.A. couple who find themselves stuck at a run-down motel where the voyeuristic staff is a bit ... hostile. Rated R. —ZS
WAITRESS—Jenna, a melancholy server at Joe's Pie Diner, contemplates her oppressive marriage after discovering she's pregnant. We quickly learn, however, that this is a fairy tale as the pie-making princess (Keri Russell) discovers a fairy godfather (Andy Griffith). Her pies, creatively concocted and titled, contain within their crusts the passion for which she has little other outlet, and it's easy to believe that a crust filled with melted chocolate and blackberries could be a kitchen-centric declaration of love. Rated PG-13. —LB
Times are subject to change, and we recommend calling ahead to confirm.
Beaver Creek Cinema 12
Beaver Creek Shopping Center, off NC 55, Apex. 676-3456.
Call for shows and times.
Blue Ridge 14
600 Blue Ridge Rd, Raleigh. 282-9003.
300—1, 4, 7, 9:45. Are We Done Yet?—1, 3:15, 5:30, 7:45, 10. Aqua Teen Hunger Force—1:20, 3:30, 5:40, 7:50, 10. Bridge to Terabithia—1:05, 3:20, 5:35, 7:45, 9:55. Grindhouse—2, 5:40, 9:15. The Last Mimzy—1:15, 3:25, 5:35, 7:45, 9:55. Night at the Museum—1:25, 4, 7, 9:35. Norbit—1:30, 4:15, 7:20, 9:55. Pathfinder—2, 4:20, 7:10, 9:30. Premonition—1, 3:15, 5:30, 7:45, 10. The Reaping—1, 3:20, 5:35, 7:50, 10:05. Shooter—1:45, 4:30, 7:15, 10. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3—1:10, 3:15, 5:20, 7:30, 9:40. The Ultimate Gift—1:40, 4:20, 7, 9:40.
Brier Creek Stadium 14
8611 Brier Creek Pkwy, Raleigh. 484-9994.
Carmike Cinema
5501 Atlantic Springs Rd, Raleigh. 645-1111.
28 Weeks Later—12:30 (No Sat-Sun), 2:50 (No Sat-Sun), 5:10, 7:30, 9:50. Also Fri-Sat 10:10am, 12:10. Delta Farce—12:15, 5:10, 10. Also Fri-Sat 11:15am, 11:30. Disturbia—1:45, 7. Also Fri-Sat 11:15am, 11:30. Georgia Rule—2:30, 7:20. Kidtoons Presents: Eloise in Hollywood—Sat-Sun 1, 3. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End—12, 12:30, 1, 1:30, 2, 2:30, 3, 3:30, 4, 4:30, 5, 5:30, 6, 6:30, 7, 7:30, 8, 8:30, 9, 9:30, 10, 10:30. Also Fri-Sat 10am, 10:30am, 11am, 11:30am, 11, 11:30, 12am. Shrek the Third—12:15, 12:45, 1:15, 2:30, 3, 3:30, 4:45, 5:15, 5:45, 7, 7:30, 8, 9:15, 9:45, 10:15. Also Fri-Sat 10am, 10:30am, 11am, 11:30, 12am. Spider-Man 3—12, 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10. Also Fri-Sat 10am, 12am. Vacancy—4:30, 9:30.
Colony Theatre
Colony Shopping Center, 5438 Six Forks Rd, Raleigh. 856-0111.
Away from Her—7. Also Fri-Sun 4:30. The Valet—7:15, 9:20. Also Fri-Sun 2:15, 4:15. The Wind that Shakes the Barley—9:15. Also Fri-Sun 1:30.
Crossroads 20
501 Caitboo Ave, Crossroads Shopping Center, Cary. 226-2000.
Call for shows and times.
Galaxy Cinema
770 Cary Towne Blvd, Cary. 463-9989, mygalaxycinema.com.
Away From Her—1:10, 4:15, 7:05. Cheeni Kum—Fri-Sun 6:15, 9:40; Mon-Thu 2:45. Fool N Final—Fri-Sun 2:45, 9:45; Mon-Thu 7:30. Into Great Silence—1, 6:45. The Namesake—4:10, 9:30. Shoot Out at Lokhandwala—Fri-Sun 9:45. The Valet—1:20, 3:15, 5:15, 7:15. The Waitress—1:15, 4:05, 7:10, 9:25. The Wind that Shakes the Barley—1:05, 4, 7, 9:35.
Garner Towne Square
2600 Timber Dr, Garner. 779-2212.
28 Weeks Later, Bug, Delta Farce, Georgia Rule, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, Shrek the Third, Spider-Man 3. Call for times.
IMAX Theatre at Exploris
201 E Hargett St, Raleigh. 834-4040.
The Greatest Places, Mystery of the Nile, Mystic India, Sharks 3D, Spider-Man 3. Call for times.
Mission Valley Cinema
2109-124 Avent Ferry Rd, Raleigh. 834-2233.
Knocked Up—1:30, 4:20, 7:20, 9:55. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End—12:45, 2, 4, 5:15, 7:30, 9:15. Shrek the Third—1, 3, 5, 7:15, 9:15. Spider-Man 3—1:15, 4:15, 7:15, 10.
Movies at North Hills 14
4150 Main at North Hills St, Raleigh. 786-4511.
Call for shows and times.
Park Place 16
9525 Chapel Hill Rd, Morrisville. 645-1111.
28 Weeks Later—12:30 (No Sat-Sun), 2:50 (No Sat-Sun), 5:10, 7:30, 9:50. Also Fri-Sat 10:10am, 12:10. Bug—12:30, 2:50, 5:10, 7:30, 9:50. Also Fri-Sat 10:10am, 12:10. Delta Farce—1, 9. Also Fri-Sat 10:50am. Georgia Rule—1:45, 8:45. Kidtoons Presents: Eloise in Hollywood—Sat-Sun 1, 3. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End—12, 12:30, 1:30, 2, 2:30, 3, 3:30, 4, 4:30, 5, 5:15, 5:30, 6, 6:30, 7, 7:30, 8:30, 9, 9:30, 10, 10:30. Also Fri-Sat—10am, 10:15am, 10:30am, 11am, 11:30am, 11, 11:30, 12am. Shrek the Third—12:15, 12:45, 1:15, 1:45, 2:30, 3, 3:15, 3:30, 4, 4:45, 5:15, 5:45, 6:15, 7, 7:30, 8, 8:30, 9:15, 9:45, 10:15. Also Fri-Sat 10am, 10:30am, 11am, 11:30am, 10:45, 11:30, 12am. Spider-Man 3—12, 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10. Also Fri-Sat 10am, 12am.
The Raleigh Grande
Corner of Glenwood Ave and Lynn Rd, Raleigh. 226-2000.
28 Weeks Later—Fri-Mon 11:45, 2:25, 4:55, 7:30, 10:10; Tue-Thu 12:35, 3:05, 6:25, 9:30. Bug—Fri-Mon 12, 2:40, 5:10, 8, 10:30; Tue-Thu 1:35, 4:15, 7:05, 9:40. Disturbia—3:25, 9:45. Fracture—12:25, 3, 5:40, 9:05. Georgia Rule—Fri-Mon 11:15, 2, 5:20, 7:55, 10:35; Tue-Thu 11:15, 2, 4:40, 7:50, 10:25. Hot Fuzz—12:30, 6:45. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End—11:30 (No Tue-Thu), 12:15, 1, 1:45, 2:30, 3:15, 4, 4:45, 5:30, 6:15, 7, 7:40, 7:40, 8:30, 9:15, 10, 10:45 (No Mon-Thu). Shrek the Third—11 (No Tue-Thu), 11:55 (Tue-Thu 12), 12:40, 1:25, 2:10, 2:55, 3:40, 4:25, 5:05, 5:50, 6:35, 7:20, 8:05, 8:50, 9:35, 10:20 (No Tue-Thu). Spider-Man 3—Fri-Sun 11:10am, 12:50, 2:15, 4:15, 6:10, 7:25, 9:20, 10:40; Mon-Thu 12:50, 3:50, 5:35, 6:55, 8:45, 9:55.
Raleighwood Cinema Grill
Falls Village Shopping Center, Raleigh. 847-0326. www.raleighwoodmovies.com.
Call for shows and times.
Rialto Theater
1620 Glenwood Ave, Raleigh. 856-0111.
Waitress—7, 9:20. Also Sat-Sun 2, 4:30. Rocky Horror Picture Show—Fri midnight.
Six Forks Station Cinema
9500 Forum Dr, Raleigh. 846-3904.
Mr. Brooks—1:30, 4:15, 7:20, 9:50. Pirates of the Caribbean—12 (No Sun-Thu), 1, 3:30, 4:30, 7, 8, 10:15. Shrek the Third—12:30 (No Sun-Thu), 1:15, 2:45, 3:30, 5, 5:45, 7:15, 8, 9:30, 10:15. Spider-Man 3—1, 4, 7:10, 10.
White Oak Village
1205 Timber Dr East, Garner. 676-FILM.
28 Weeks Later—12:10, 3, 7:50, 10:25. Bug—1, 4, 7:10, 10. Disturbia—1:50, 4:40, 7:55, 10:35 (Mon-Thu 10:30). Georgia Rule—11:55, 2:45, 5:55, 8:50. The Invisible—12:15, 3:40, 7:40, 10:05. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End—11:30, 12:30, 1:30, 2:30, 3:30, 4:30, 5:30, 6:30, 7:30, 9:20, 10:15. Shrek the Third—11:45, 12:45, 1:40, 2:15, 3:15, 4:15, 5, 5:45, 6:45, 8:15, 9:05, 9:45. Spider-Man 3—12, 1:15, 3:50, 4:50, 7, 8, 10:30 (Mon-Thu 10:10).
Carolina Theatre
309 W Morgan St, Durham. 560-3030, www.carolinatheatre.org.
Closed until August for renovations.
Phoenix 10
1056 W Club Blvd, Durham. 286-1001, www.phoenixtheatres.com.
Bug—11:25, 2, 4:45, 7:25, 9:50. Disturbia—10:10. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End—10:30, 11, 11:30, 12, 2:15, 2:45, 3:15, 3:45, 6:05, 6:30, 7, 7:30, 10, 10:15, 10:30, 11. Shrek the Third—11:15, 11:45, 12:15, 1:40, 2:10, 2:40, 4, 4:30, 5, 6:45, 7:15, 7:40, 9, 9:30, 10:05. Spider-Man 3—11:50, 12:20, 3, 3:30, 6:35, 7:05, 9:40.
Southpoint Cinemas
8030 Renaissance Pkwy, Durham. 676-3456.
28 Weeks Later—Fri-Mon 12:30, 2:55, 5:20, 7:50, 10:15. Bug—Fri-Mon 1:05, 3:45, 7:30, 10:10 (Mon 10:05). Fracture—Fri-Mon 1:15, 7:10. Georgia Rule—1:25, 4, 6:35, 9:15 (No Sun; Mon 9:10). Hot Fuzz—Fri-Mon 4:30, 10 (Mon 9:45). Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End—Fri-Mon 11, 11:35, 12:05, 12:40, 1:20, 2, 3:10, 3:55, 4:35, 5:15, 7:45, 8:25, 9:05, 9:50, 10:30 (No Mon). Shrek the Third—Fri-Mon 11:15, 11:50, 12:20, 1, 1:40, 2:20, 2:55, 3:35, 4:15, 4:55, 6:45, 7:25, 8, 8:45, 9:20. Also Sun 10. Spider-Man 3—Fri-Mon 11:30, 12:50, 2:40, 4:10, 6:30, 7:15, 9:30, 10:25 (Mon 10:15). Waitress—Fri-Mon 12:25, 3:25, 6:25, 9:35 (Mon 9:10). Call for additional times.
Starlite Drive-In
2523 E Club Blvd, Durham. 688-1037.
Closed until further notice.
1800 Martin Luther King Blvd, Durham. 489-9020.
28 Weeks Later—12:30 (No Sat-Sun), 2:50 (No Sat-Sun), 5:10, 7:30, 9:50. Also Fri-Sat 10:10am, 12:10. Delta Farce—4:10, 9:40. Also Fri-Sat 11:50. Disturbia—10. Fracture—8. Georgia Rule—1:15, 7. Also Fri-Sat 10:30am. Kidtoons Presents: Eloise in Hollywood—Sat-Sun 1, 3. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End—12, 12:30, 1, 1:30, 2, 2:30, 3, 3:30, 4, 4:45, 5:15, 5:45, 6:15, 7, 7:30, 8, 8:30, 9:15, 9:45, 10:15. Also Fri-Sat 10am, 10:30am, 11am, 11:30am, 11, 11:30, 12am. Shrek the Third—12:15, 12:45, 1:15, 1:45, 2:30, 3, 3:30, 4, 4:45, 5:15, 5:45, 6:15, 7, 7:30, 8, 8:30, 9:15, 9:45, 10:15. Also Fri-Sat 10am, 10:30am, 11am, 11:30am, 10:45, 11:30, 12am. Spider-Man 3—12, 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10. Also Fri-Sat 10am, 12am.
Chapel Hill
Timberlyne Village Mall, 1129 Weaver Dairy Rd, Chapel Hill. 968-3005.
Away from Her—7:10, 9:20. Also Sat-Sun 2:10, 4:40. Into Great Silence—7:30. Also Sat-Sun 1:30, 4:30. The Wind that Shakes the Barley—7, 9:30. Also Sat-Sun 2, 4:20.
Southern Village, NC 15-501 South, Chapel Hill. 932-9000.
Knocked Up—1:30, 4:20, 7:20, 9:55. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End—12 (No Sun-Thu), 1, 3:30, 4:30, 7, 8, 10:15. Shrek the Third—12:30, 1, 2:45, 3:15, 5, 5:30, 7:15, 7:45, 9:30, 10. Wild Hogs (Outdoor Screen)—Fri-Sat 8:30.
Movies at Timberlyne
Timberlyne Shopping Center, 120 Banks Dr off Weaver Dairy Rd, Chapel Hill. 933-8600.
Call for shows and times.
123 E Franklin St, Chapel Hill. 967-8665.
The Valet—7:10, 9:30. Also Sat-Sun 2:10, 4:30. Waitress—7, 9:20. Also Sat-Mon 2, 4:20.
Graham Cinema
119 N Main St, Graham. (336) 226-1488.
Bridge to Terabithia—7. Also Sat-Mon 1, 3, 5. Ghost Rider—9.
Palace Pointe
5050 Durham Rd, Roxboro. (336) 598-5050.
Delta Farce—4:15. Also Fri-Mon 11:05; Mon-Thu 4:15. Georgia Rule—7:10. Also Fri-Mon 1:15; Thu 1. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End—Call for times. Shrek the Third—Call for times. Spider-Man 3—Call for times.
Special Showings
Chronological by date and timeThe Triangle Indie Film Meetup Group: Events posted at indiefilm.meetup.com/134.
Creature from the Haunted Sea: Fri, Jun 1, 7 pm: A Roger Corman quickie from 1961, this film was made in three days and is today considered "One of the 50 Worst Movies Ever Made." Free. NC Museum of Natural Sciences, 11 W Jones St, Raleigh. 733-7450, www.naturalsciences.org.
America: Freedom to Fascism: Fri, Jun 8, 8 pm: "Serious but with humor," this Aaron Russo film exposes "the great fraud that is being perpetuated on the American people." Discussion follows film. Open Eye Cafe, 101 S Greensboro St, Carrboro. www.openeyecafe.com, 968-9410.
13th Annual Cucalorus Film Festival: Wilmington festival seeks submissions from independent filmmakers and video artists. Cucalorus is a non-competitive showcase of features, shorts and documentaries from around the world. Formats: 35mm, 16mm, various video formats. All entries on DVD or VHS must include entry form, one lovely poem and fee, $30 if received by June 10, $40 if received by July 10. Entry form online at www.cucalorus.org.


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A 4th grade class recently had the chance to experience Mystery Skype with @msoskil and his social studies class. Students on both ends eagerly asked questions and marked off states on the map that they knew it could not be. Questions were limited to yes or no only. All scholars had assigned jobs and acted within their roles. Children excitedly whispered thoughts to each other and potential questions. At one point, one if our speakers spoke too quickly in asking his questions to the mystery class and flatly stated " I take that back" thus generating giggles from the experienced opponents he faced. Just as the students determined where the class was located, @msoskil and his students asked the million dollar question and correctly guessed what state the class was located in. Mystery Skype was a fun and unforgettable learning experience that we can't wait to try again! I don't know who had more fun the teachers or the students! Thanks Microsoft for giving us Skype.
Mystery Skype
27 Tuesday Jan 2015
Posted Uncategorizedin


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With the release of Shows - South Park: The Hits, Vol. 1 - Matt and Trey's Top Ten on DVD next week, I thought it would be appropriate to give you PK's personal South Park top ten:
1) Die, Hippie, Die - this is the best episode ever. The drum circle hippie... the giggling stoner hippie.. and the worst of them all - the college know-it-all hippie. I LOVE THIS EPISODE!
2) Return of the Fellowship of the Rings to the Two Towers - They did a good job of hitting the high points of the films and its iconic scenes.
3) Cartman gets an anal probe - the first episode. I howl with laughter every time I see it.
4) Douche and Turd - American politics summed up in 20-25 minutes. Brilliant.
5) All About Mormons - More from the musical side of South Park. "dumb dumb dumb dumb... Lucy Harris - Smart smart smart smart"
6) Smug Alert - The smugness of hybrid driving South Park folk collides with the smugness of George Clooney and causes a diaster of Katrina-like proportions.
7) Two Days before the day after tomorrow - continuing the enviro trend... it's global warming and it's coming for you! EVERYBODY PANIC!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
8) Trapped in the Closet - and I got a gun... *duck and cover* Tom Cruise - come out of the closet.
9) South Park is Gay - The women of South Park do what we all sort of wish would happen - kill the Queer Eye guys. That show was cool the first few times but now? Not so much. How many times can they say "use skin care" and "slow down while shaving" and dressing them all to look like hipsters before people just get completely sick of it? Apparently alot because it is still on the air.
10) Death Camp of Tolerance - Pointing out the difference between tolerance and acceptance. They are so brave.
Honorable mentions:
Trapper Keeper (I can't let you do that Kyle....)
Grey Dawn (Attack of Senior Citizen drivers... stop them at Country Kitchen Buffet - thanks Geeky voice for the correction.)
The Red Badge of Gayness (Cartman relives the Civil War and almost wins)
Cancelled (it's great when they go back and poke fun at themselves by revisiting Cartman gets an anal probe)
Raisins (All the pain, saddness, Peter Gabriel/Say Anything one can stand outside of that movie.... "Besides, I'd rather be a crying little pu**y than a faggy Goth kid")


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In order to maintain our exclusivity, the official Tattered Rose blog has moved to a new location. This blog, which was our main blog until March 6, 2015, will remain intact, although most of the posts have been removed.
All new posts and pictures about new arrivals in the shop, new ideas and cat stories, will now be posted on our new blog, which is more private for your exclusive Tattered Rose experience.
We are in the process of sending invitations to all people on our mailing list who read the last newsletter (sent in February 2015)
If you are a customer and have not yet received your invitation and would like to keep up with the latest news, please send your request to:
.....and we send you the address to our new, more private blog.
Thank you♥
Friday, March 6, 2015
A Personal Story From Me.....
That is going to change.....because I have decided to allow my 50 shades of grey to grow in, after 20 some years of colouring to hide them.
The first month (which was January of this year) I covered my roots with a brown hair crayon and it was hard to tell what was going on with my hair.
But now, into my 3rd month, my silver/grey roots are over 1" long and really prominent on top of my head and I am no longer covering them up......scary? You bet! I also chopped about 4" of dark brown off my head, getting rid of some of the darkness and am left with a shaggier bob than before and a whole lot of silver strands peaking out at the sides and back. I'm pretty sure that I will let my hair grown out again but who knows? This is like a very personal journey and it is at the same time, exciting, scary, empowering, liberating and natural.
Many of my customers know that grey is my favourite colour and I am looking forward to having my hair match most of my clothing & jewellery, which ranges from black to grey with a smidgen of brown. I'm not sure how brown clothing will look with my grey once it has fully grown out, so I'll just wait and see.
I've received many different responses from "Good for you" to "It will look great on you" to "Why would you do that?" and I have come close to giving into the vicious cycle of colouring my hair, having it look good for about a week, seeing roots, covering them up with a hair crayon until I can't stand it any more and it's time to colour again after only 4 weeks.
To keep myself going, I read stories of other brave women who decided to do the same thing, and then I look at pictures of women with all shades of silver and grey hair, thinking that they are all so individual and beautiful and striking. I'll settle for "striking" because I sure ain't beautiful.
P.S. Thanks for reading my story. Next time you come in, at least you will know that my grey roots are intentional and not a matter of laziness on my part. Wish me luck!
Posted by Tattered Rose at 7:26 AM 0 comments
Wednesday, March 4, 2015
"Oh, sweater-girl!"
If you love wearing sweaters, who says that you can't wear them all year long?
We love sweaters at Tattered Rose and our lightweight Spring/Summer sexy, urban cool, hand knit sweaters are here, in colours that will rival a muted sunset or an ocean storm!
Posted by Tattered Rose at 3:20 PM 0 comments
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Patti Callahan Henry
As we like to say in the south, "Don't let the truth get in the way of a good story."
Ella's life has been completely upended. She's young, beautiful, and deeply in love—until her husband dies in a tragic sailing accident while trying save her. Or so she'll have everyone believe. Screenwriter Hunter needs a hit, but crippling writers' block and a serious lack of motivation are getting him nowhere. He's on the look-out for a love story. It doesn't matter who it belongs to.
When Hunter and Ella meet in Watersend, South Carolina it feels like the perfect match, something close to fate. In Ella, Hunter finds the perfect love story, full of longing and sacrifice. It's the stuff of epic films. In Hunter, Ella finds possibility. It's an opportunity to live out a fantasy—the life she wishes she had because hers is too painful. And more real. Besides. what's a little white lie between strangers?
But one lie leads to another, and soon Hunter and Ella find themselves caught in a web of deceit. As they try to untangle their lies and reclaim their own lives, they feel something stronger is keeping them together. And so they wonder: can two people come together for all the wrong reasons and still make it right?
Buy the book from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository | Books-a-Million | iTunes | Kobo | Google Play | Publisher
Books à la Mode is giving away one finished copy of The Idea of Love—yay!!
To enter, all you have to do is:
Please make your comment MEANINGFUL. Comments solely consisting of stock responses or irrelevant fluff like "Thanks for the giveaway!" will not be considered for entry. Patti and I really want to hear from you guys! :)Describe a moment when you felt most loved.
Don't forget the entry eligibility terms and conditions!
Sponsored wholly by the publicist—a huge thank you to the lovely folks at Sullivan & Partners!!
Giveaway ends July 7th at 11.59 PM (your time).
Open to US and Canada residents only—sorry, everyone else! Please check my sidebar for a list of running giveaways that are open worldwide. There are plenty to choose from!
Void where prohibited.
Winners have 48 hours to claim their prize once they are chosen, or else their winnings will be forfeited.
Although I do randomly select winners, I am in no way responsible for prizes, nor for shipping and handling.
Although I do randomly select winners, I am in no way responsible for prizes, nor for shipping and handling.
As a reminder, you do not have to follow my blog to enter, though it is always very much appreciated ❤
Good luck!


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So is your house ready for the holiday season?
Does your family room need a bit of updating? Is your guest room ready for the out of town guests?
Does your living room need a face lift before the guests arrive?
If you need to sprinkle some style into your home without breaking the bank, head to your local library for some home decorating books.
In your local library, the home decorating books are shelved in the nonfiction 747 call number area.
I love home decorating books. It seems like after looking through these books, I always get inspired to make my house prettier. As if I am trying to compete with the pages in these home decorating books.
So here are some home decorating books from your local library:
Decorating fearlessly by Suzanna Salk
The things that matter by Nate Berkus
Sarah Style by Sarah Richardson
If your house is cluttered like mine, here are a few books for both of us:


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I would love to link you to the store website but all I get is the city directory listing. Not a good business move in my opinion but the shop has a following that connects on Ravelry. I scored three skeins of yarn there. Here is what I was lucky enough to get!
Being on Ravelry exposes me to yarns that I might not find here locally. So when I go out of town I look to see what is different. I bought a hank of Jitterbug. I have been reading about it in my sock group and thought I would pick it up to try it out. I love the colors, but I was disappointed this was the one and only hank. As I was leaving to pay the owner's daughter was unloading a nice batch of these.
This is Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock, colorway Mother Lode. I bought two of course! I took this picture in natural light it completely changed the color of my yarn. It's more earth tones with shades of purple, gold, maroon and plum. No blue. I have no idea why that it blue on the end. I am going to do my best to make a pair of socks that match. We shall see!
The next place I tried to help out was...
This is the front of the store. I was really thrilled at it's location. They are right down the walk way from this place. Be still my beating heart.
This was a wonderful place. It was well organized and I found some things that I wanted in there too. The ladies in the shop was very nice and they let me get off some great shops.
I found these amazing towers of endless buttons. If you need a button, I'm thinking they've got it. Have you ever seen so many buttons in a yarn shop before??
This is the backside to the one above. Just amazing!
Pink is one of two colors that I really am not fond of but this was another display that I really liked.
I have never knit with Noro before but since I found a beige I liked I snatched it up. One of the women in the shop had a nice feather and fan scarf. I think I am stealing her idea. And lastly, my total weakness...more Misty Alpaca. I just love this lace weight. They had just gotten a new shipment of this color and I melted for it.
So I have documented my efforts to help the economy. Now the rest of you have to do you part. I have to knit now...


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1. What have you been listening to lately?
SH: Omit, Andrey Kiritchenko, Sum of R, KTL "IV", Alva Noto, William Basinski, Cecil Taylor, Old Earache releases - Godflesh, OLD, Scorn, Carcass, etc.
JM: Good Morning Vietnam--rather harrowing field recordings from the Vietnam War, released on Folkways in 1972. Machine gun fire, radio chatter, bombing, psychological warfare tapes, etc.
Music Therapy with the Developmentally Handicapped-Edith Hillman Boxill (also on Folkways).
Sam Cooke and the Soul Stirrers--Complete Specialty Recordings
Masayoshi Urabe-Flag of Midsummer
AS: Early Globe Unity Orchestra, Hecker, Poison Idea (Feel the Darkness), The Haters (Breakthrough), It's Casual, Bernard Parmegiani (La Creation du Monde), Organum/David Jackman (various 7"s), C.P.E. Bach, Mathias Spahlinger, and the new Khanate record (Clean Hands Go Foul).
2. Have you been to any interesting concerts recently?
SH: Lately? Not really. The last two that stick-out are David Daniell at the Empty Bottle, and Ben Frost in Krakow, Poland. David's for being beautiful, fragile, and dense all in one set. Ben's for being one of the most moving performances I've seen in years. Again, beautiful and glacial, but transforming into a huge dark mass that filled a 600 year old gothic church with a massive throbbing pulse, and a eerie dark fog that filled the space and it's 6 second natural reverb. Brutal!
JM: Adam Sonderberg/Olivia Block/Christian Weber at Enemy
AS: sadly, no.
3. Can you name a favorite film, or two (or a television program), from the last few months?
SH: I re-watched "Lost Highway" and "Logan's Run" a few days ago, does that count?
"Encounters at the End of the World" by Werner Herzog
Battlestar Galactica
JM: Berlin Alexanderplatz
AS: The Unanswered Question: Six Talks at Harvard by Leonard Bernstein; Paranoid Park (Van Sant); Calcutta (Malle).
4. Have you read a good book lately?
SH: "The World Without Us" by Alan Weisman. What happens to the planet, and all that we created - both good and bad - when people (suddenly) disappear?
JM: Best recent reads: 2666 by Roberto Bolano, Nazi Literature in the Americas by Roberto Bolano, The London Hanged by Peter Linebaugh, The Life of the Spider by Jean-Henri Fabre.
AS: Currently reading Anna Karenina (Tolstoy) for pleasure, a pile of books on Gustave Courbet, and Soviet Politics 1917-1991 (McAuley).
5. Have you attended any recent art shows worth mentioning?
SH: Oct 2008
Andreas Eriksson - "Walking The Dog, Lying The Sofa"
Vienna, Austria @MUMOK
Joseph C. Mills
at his house. Incredible work!
JM: Apparently not.
AS: The Martin Puryear retrospective + Francis Alÿs's video installation entitled, re-enactments (2001), both at SFMOMA. Iñigo Manglano-Ovalle at Donald Young, Chicago. All outstanding.
6. Do you have any current obsessions of note?
SH: Trying to find a way to move out of the country.
JM: The game of Go. Feedback. Texture. Thomas Bernhard. The War Between the States.
AS: Surveillance studies, the judicial branch, Leo Tolstoy, YouTube (an ongoing obsession), and a renewed interest in both glitch and hardcore (basically, music with pulse).
7. Please tell me what recordings, projects (any medium), etc., you are working on right now, if anything
SH: The new ON record w/Sylvain Chauveau, Christian Fennesz and Stephen Fiehn.
New record with Stefan Nemeth (Thrill Jockey).
WORK (duo project with Stephen Fiehn).
Haptic, always working on Haptic...
JM: Haptic has a record (LP and digital download, with accompanying film by Noise Crush) coming out next month on FSS (The Medium) and a CD (Trebuchet) coming out on Entr'cte later this year. At the moment, I'm also working on a soundtrack to a short film by poet/filmaker Carrie Olivia Adams.
AS: A couple of solo recordings (a split 3" w/ Loren Chasse + a full-length) + preparing a score and brushing up on my meager conducting skills for the Chicago Sound Map commission premiering in late February at the Cultural Center (CCC).
8. What do you hope to accomplish this year?
SH: Haptic in Europe. A few collaborations/shows in Europe. Music. Travel. Quit smoking... start running.
JM: Haptic is hoping to get to Europe this summer; details currently being worked out. Also: more writing.
AS: I dare not enumerate.
9. Is there anything else that you would like to mention, announce, or hype?
SH: Yeah, the LMT ED CASS, "Repetition" out now on Bloodlust!. GET IT!
Haptic "The Medium" LMT ED LP/Digital download out on FSS -
Pan American "White Bird Release" out on Kranky Records in Feb.
Haptic "Trebuchet" CD being released in May 2009 on Entr'acte -
Greg Davis + Steven Hess "Thirty Thirty" CD out on Presto?!.
NÉMETH (With Steven Hess)
Club Transmediale (Berlin)
Haptic w/Lisa Slodki (visuals)
@The Gene Siskel Theater
164 North State Street
Chicago, Illinois 60601
Tel: 312-846-2600
JM: Haptic plays a record release show at the Gene Siskel Center on February 5th, as part of their "Conversations at the Edge" series, with live video mix provided by Noise Crush.
AS: Haptic - The Medium (FSS) LP/download, available 16 February.


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It was not unexpected. But it is a blow nevertheless.
BAE, a major employer in my neighborhood, is leaving due to the flood. Whether they are going to stay here in the area or pull up stakes all together may be the other shoe getting ready to drop.
Today, I saw electricity on in most of the building for the first time.
It hurts to hear the news officially, because until now, there was always hope.
To the people who use the bus stop in front of the facility (a lot of them Aldi shoppers - see my other post for today) BAE always did a great job at snow removal. That's really important in an area that gets 80-100 inches of snow a year. Now the sidewalk will be an icy mess in the next few (or fewer) weeks.
After all that work to restore the property.....
Join me daily as I blog about life in upstate New York,photography, flowers, gardening, travel, caregiving, a brother in law with autism, the importance of chocolate in a well lived life, or anything else on my mind.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
BAE Leaving My Neighborhood Due to the Flood
Posted by bookworm at 8:34 PM
Labels: Binghamton flood of 2011
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A friend of mine posted this picture on Facebook today. I sure hope this guy on a bicycle was able to out run the bear in our great wild and crazy outdoors.
A Dixie Lady Deer Hunter
Article by Fred Messina, editor of "On Target Outdoors" from The Vicksburg Evening Post on Friday, January 19, 1990. Photo by Bob Phillips.
Bob Phillips came up the other day with a photo of his wife Marian and a deer she got on Brown's Point New Years Eve. The deer was an 8-point with 16 inches of inside spread that weighed in at 190 pounds. A nice trophy in anyone's book. However, the tale Bob told is that this was Marian's fourth deer this year and he claimed that he would have done better than he did if he had not spent so much time hauling Marian's deer out of the woods. Come off it, Bob. We all know who the hunter was.
Tuesday, May 05, 2015
Meals on Wheels?
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If I could go to any con I could it would be.. well, it would be the San Diego Comicon! But then the next con would be… okay, it would be the Atlanta DragonCon. But somewhere on that list is definitely SEPA con! SEPA stands for the South Eastern Planetarium Association. And even though I don't have a planetarium to call my own anymore, they still let me be a part. 'Cause it's all about what I bring to the table, man! I just love all the people, the programs, and even the workshops that are packed into the five days the con runs.
And this year the theme is something close to my heart — Storytelling! I take seriously the role storytelling plays in education. It is the most primitive form of teaching from the beginnings of our species. A well-told story doesn't just educate, it rips open the mind's creativity and passion. It makes the hard-coded, bulleted lists of our seemingly random informational bits a cohesive tapestry of flowing imagery that makes the bits make sense. It compels us to educate ourselves. (Wow, suddenly I'm inspired to write up a speech about how I feel about all that. hmmmm.)
The workshops, the presentations, and the special speakers are all just fantastic. (Especially the special speakers. This year we are honored to have Dava Sobel hanging out — woo hoo!) But that's not the whole reason why I'm so excited. I'm excited over the unveiling of new technologies in the realm of full-dome theater! Every year the advances made leapfrog the year before. Two years ago I was stunned by the introduction of the Super Megastar II. Last year it was the ease of Sky-Skan's proprietary software to place and then color-code lists of asteroids into a star field (okay, that doesn't sound impressive at all. This is why one has to make the journey to actually see this stuff for himself!) So this year who knows what will emerge. I've heard that Evans & Sutherland are supposed to really wow us with a new demo. I await with baited breath…
Also this year I'll be joined by Jeremy Lusk, making us the only two participants from Arkansas — instead of the usual one participant. All together there will be representatives from six countries and thirty-two states. I know most of those by name, and I think most of those would recognize me. It's wonderful working in a field where you truly feel part of a larger good. Where the goals of the collective are to better each other. The methods I learn, the techniques I pick up, the stories my companions tell always inspire me to return to my job …and try very hard to inspire others.
But, as with all cons, the real stuff comes after 11pm, when everyone is relaxed and can just talk about what they truly enjoy, which is working in this educational field that brings new challenges every day. There's where the real inspiration is. The after-hours camaraderie is where the lasting friendships happen. And those are the moments I remember best every year.
I'll keep the blog updated daily next week.