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This past weekend I had the privilege of preaching at the New Hope Presbyterian Church annual homecoming service. New Hope Presbyterian sits along Highway 86 between Hillsborough and Chapel Hill. The congregation is 259 years old.
The church, like many colonial churches, owns and manages hundreds of acres. Over the years the acreage has evolved. Along with a camp and a wooded park-like area, the church manages a very large, very old cemetery at the bottom of the hill along the highway. Grave after grave tells a story of family, faith, and trust in God.
In one section of the cemetery there is a succession of graves marked simply "unknown." In my first look these markers made me sad. Who were these people? Why were their lives and stories unknown?
As I stood there and thought and meditated a little longer, though, I saw the markers in another light. Even though they were unknown people and souls, they were there alongside those who were well known, who were pillars of the community, whose families had tilled and shaped the very soil upon which the church stands. The church was caring for them, even though they were unknowns, in the only way they could be cared for. In this new light I saw that the markers, though they made me sad, said something important about the faith and perseverance of the church itself.
A church is called to be a steward of many things. At White Memorial, we believe we are called to be stewards of multiple levels of abundance. We enjoy an abundance of resources, talents, insights, know-how and abilities in our church. All of this abundance contributes to our stewardship of the future.
Back at the cemetery, I saw for one of the few times in my life that parts of the past could be unknown. While I was in worship, I was reminded that the future is always unknown. Acts of stewardship are acts of faith as the stewards trust God to provide in the days to come. Stewardship is always a future-oriented project.
Every now and then someone will send me an article from a "churchy" publication. Most of these articles predict impending doom for the church in North America. Most of these publications draw straight lines between denominational struggles and decline and the diminishing of the centrality of church life in the lives of many Americans. These articles always get my attention.
But then I am reminded that the future is yet to be written. I am reminded that the future is a big unknown. I am reminded that ours is God's church, and the church endures because God wills it so. It is like that old line from the gospel tradition: "I don't know what the future holds, but I know who holds the future."
In the coming days we begin to build that future again as our fall ministry efforts get underway. We begin so many wonderful studies, opportunities to serve and chances to grow in faith together. Won't you join us? In this way we might be known to each other, and in this knowledge contribute to a future worthy of our faith.


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Twitter Tool or Gimmick?
One of my writer friends and I were talking about twitter. He suddenly said, "Terry, you use a program to automatically grow your following right?" I agreed that I'm using a program called Tweet Adder. I've been using Tweet Adder for about seven or eight months and yes it has dramatically increased my followers on twitter. I see Tweet Adder as an important tool and not a gimmick because it does automate a number of functions. Previously I was working each day at increasing my followers on Twitter and now Tweet Adder handles these functions.
From my experience with Twitter, one of the best ways to increase your followers is to first tweet excellent focused content and second to follow others who have an interest in that content. You have to follow others gradually and consistently. If you decided to follow 400 people in a single day, then that would appear to twitter like you are abusing the tool and they could suspend your twitter account and defeat your entire purpose for being on twitter.
You can invest the time and energy and follow people to grow your twitter following. Or you can use a focused tool like Tweet Adder to help you in this process.
The program runs 24 hours a day in the background of my computer and will gradually follow new people. They don't follow random people but individuals that I've selected through keywords. For example for my Terry Whalin twitter account, I'm looking for followers who are interested in writing, publishing, books or those types of words. Tweet Adder searches the profiles of people on twitter and you can select whether you want them to speak only English (my preference) or to be in a certain geographic area and other limitations. The program will search for new followers, eliminate any duplicates and follow more of these selected people each day.
After a period of time, if the person does not follow you in return, then Tweet Adder unfollows this person. It keeps the balance between people you are following and people who follow you on Twitter.
The program has a one-time fee and not something monthly (like some other Twitter programs). Also from time to time, Twitter will change how their program works. The folks at Tweet Adder keep up on these shifts and modify their program so it still keeps working--and send out an update to you without any additional expense. Other programs will charge you a fee for that update but it's not the case with Tweet Adder.
At this writing, I'm still learning how to use this tool but it is not a gimmick. It is a valuable tool for you to grow your twitter following without spending massive amounts of time and energy. If you are looking to increase your presence on Twitter, then I recommend you try the free download of Tweet Adder and eventually purchase this tool.
Labels: tools, Tweet Adder, Twitter

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Greene Recorder | Greene, Iowa | Wednesday, May 09, 1962 | Page 4
Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Shultz, Miss Glenn Starkweather, Mrs. Edwin Brunner and Lyle Shultz
attended funeral services for Arthur Ritter last Wednesday at Oelwein
Oelwein Daily Register | Oelwein, Iowa | Wednesday, December 19, 1945 | Page 4
Pfc. Arthur Ritter has returned to Fort Leavenworth, Kans. after a 30 day furlough with his
wife 'and small daughter who live with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. W. J. Woods of this city.
Oelwein Daily Register | Oelwein, Iowa | Tuesday, May 03, 1960 | Page 4
Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Ritter, girl,Oelwein
Oelwein Daily Register | Oelwein, Iowa | Saturday, December 12, 1959 | Page 3
Patricia Ritter is observing her thirteenth birthday today (Saturday). She is the daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. Arthur Ritter.
Oelwein Daily Register | Oelwein, Iowa | Friday, May 04, 1962 | Page 4
We Wish To Thank Our friends, relatives and all those who helped in any way during our recent bereavement. Your personal assistance, floral offerings and sympathy messages are all gratefully appreciated. Mrs. Arthur Ritter and Children
Oelwein Daily Register | Oelwein, Iowa | Friday, August 31, 1956 | Page 4
Mr. and Mrs. W. J.. .Woods Merle and Dick, returned from Freeport, Ill where they had spent four days visiting at the home of their son-in-law and daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Ritter
Oelwein Daily Register | Oelwein, Iowa | Wednesday, February 06, 1974 | Page 5
Mr. and Mrs. Russel Kuper, Oelwein, announce the approaching marriage of their daughter, Karilyn Sue, to
Richard Ritter, son of Mrs. Lloyd Clough, Hazleton, and the late Arthur Ritter. A Feb. 23 wedding at Grace United Methodist church, Oelwein, is planned by the couple. Miss Kuper is a 1973 graduate
of Oelwein Community High school and is with Gulf States Plastics.
Oelwein Daily Register | Oelwein, Iowa | Monday, January 24, 1966 | Page 5
Fousck, Ritter
Patricia Lou Ritter, daughter of Mrs. Dorothy Ritter and the late Arthur Ritter, became the bride of Gary Lee Fousek, son of Mr. and Mrs. Clare Fousek, all of Oelwein, Saturday, Jan. 22.
The 2 p.m. double ring ceremony was performed by the Rev. Paul Huscher at the First Methodist church at Strawberry Point. For the exchange of vows, the altar was appointed with arrangements of chrysanthemums.
Marcey Alderson presided at the organ and accompanied Mr. andMrs. Orvel Leyh who sang the duet,
"O Perfect Love."
The bride, given in marriage by her uncle, Merle Woods, Cedar Rapids, wore a floor-length gown of nylon sheer over acetate taffeta. The scoop necked bodice, with sheer sleeves, dipped to a "V" at the waist while the full skirt was swept 'back and caught with self {lowers. A pearl tiara held in place i the bride's fingertip-length veil of silk illusion. A pearl necklace and a cascade bouquet of red roses completed the bride's ensemble.
Oelwein Daily Register | Oelwein, Iowa | Monday, April 30, 1962 | Page 6
A. F. Ritter Rites Will Be Wednesday ;
Funeral services for Arthur F. Ritter, 44, 1125 S. Frederick, Oelwein. will be at 2 p. in. Wednesday in Brant Funeral Home with the Rev. Howard Chartier officiating. Burial will be in Woodlawn cemetery. Mr. Ritter. a resident of Oelwein
for 10 years, was employed as a truck driver. He died at his home early Monday morning. Surviving are his widow, Dorothy:
three daughters. Mrs. Dominic Quario. Fayette; Patricia and Cheryl, both at home and four sons sons: Thomas, Harry, Richard and Michael, at home.Also surviving are his father, Loyd, Rockford, Ill; eight sisters, Mrs. Ellen Martin, Mrs. Delvin Jones, Mrs. Don Huff, Mrs. Marie Earls, Mrs. Josephine Peterson and Edna, all of Illinois; Mildred of Missouri and Mrs. Dorothy Hayes, Wisconsin; and four brothers, Francis, John, Robert and Edward, Illinois.


text:
...to say, "Whew!"
Oh, and later on today or by tomorrow at the latest, I expect to share (look for the update to this post!) word of my youngest daughter's successful 50,000-word run. Hatchick has participated in the two summer "Camp Nanowrimo" sessions AND this one, and when she validates her novel sometime in the next two days, she will have written a grand total of 150,000 words in Nanowrimo events this year alone.
And she's only 14, and could have set her word count goal lower than 50K. But she's awesome. :)
UPDATE: She did it! 53,000 words and counting by validation time. More than 150,000 total on three different books this year for Hatchick!
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Just popping in...
Posted by Erin Manning at 1:51 AM
Labels: nanowrimo
3 comments:
- Diamantina da Brescia, aka Gentillylace said...
Congratulations, Erin! I managed to validate my novel at 50,261 words at a write-in at around 6:30 PM Pacific Time on Friday, November 30. I still have another 1000-2000 words to complete in my first draft, but I am sooo relieved!
How did your daughter do? I hope that she won :-)
- December 1, 2012 at 1:08 AM
- LarryD said...
Congratulations, Erin!
I got my novel validated at 11:48 PM EST with 50,218 words. Next year, I'll have to start sooner than Nov 9!
- December 1, 2012 at 7:20 AM
- Red Cardigan said...
Congratulations, Diamantina and Larry!!
Yes, "Hatchick" won with over 52,000 words! She's really amazing at this! :)
(Thanks for reminding me to update my post to share that with everyone!)
- December 1, 2012 at 3:03 PM
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text:
This week, we have a list of events that starts strong and ends with a bang. SO if you are looking for the best way to spend your Spring Break, or for just a way to unwind after your long day of real-world jobs, we have the inside scoop.
TUESDAY, MARCH 24th:
Matthew E. White with Wilsen at The Echo
Our neighbors at The Echo are throwing a sick party with a live band this Tuesday. White's blossoming solo career went from zero to sixty in what seems like 3 seconds flat. He has spent the last year touring all over Europe and the U.S, playing festivals like Glastonbury and Primavera, and in the end worked himself to shingles. White's second album Fresh Blood was released on March 15th, which makes it almost as fresh as it gets. His sound is comfortable and fraught, troubling and delightful all at the same time. White has definitely avoided the sophomore slump, and his new album is the perfect sound track to those long restless insomnia-filled nights we all have, but thanks to White, at OV we are hoping those restless nights come along more often just so we have an even better excuse to listen to Fresh Blood on repeat.
Check out Matthew E. White with the fragile and seductive sounds of Wilsen Tuesday at 8:30pm.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25th:
Lust for Youth and Marshstepper at Jewel's Catch One
The Church on York never fails to impress, and this week is no different with Lust for Youth, Marshstepper, Silent Servant, Dirty Beaches (DJ Set), and DINNER. This mini fest of fun is from 8-10 PM, and too be honest, we couldn't have picked a better line-up ourselves if we had tried.
The Danes in Lust For Youth have created a winner with International, it is truly a buoyant synth masterpiece, the lo-fi vibe has been ditched and the hooks are thrown front and center. However, don't think even for a second that just because the new album released on Sacred Bones Records has some pop sensibilities that it lacks the deeply introspective moments we love from Lust For Youth. Expect a lot of bang for your buck on this one.
THURSDAY, MARCH 26th:
Jens Kuross Presents: Nobody's Pretty at the Bluewhale
If you have been event hopping and following our list up to this point, you need a night to relax a little. Well, a night of garage jazz sounds like the perfect remedy. Nobody's Pretty has a raw, unfinished, pure sound, and even though it may lack the polish of more traditional jazz, it lacks no sophistication. Asymetrical percussion, neo-soul bass lines help to create a sound with elegance and sonic ingenuity. Nobody's Pretty is sure beautiful, and it's not one to be missed. The event goes from 9 to midnight at the Bluewhale, a live jazz bar in the heart of Little Toyko. With ambiance and music like this, we challenge you not to be replenished for a killer weekend.
FRIDAY, MARCH 27th:
Sonny & the Sunsets, Hinds, and Colleen Green at the Echo
Joined by Hinds, a band of babes straight from Spain, and Colleen Green, with a pop sound track for all the days you spend in a Daze.
Hawaiian Shirts and sunscreen aren't required, but to be real, it would be a great addition!
SATURDAY, MARCH 28th:
Panache Spring Fling with secret guest at The Echo
MAN, this is a big one. So many great bands in one place, I don't think you can actually justify missing this one. Jacco Gardner, The Entrance Band, Twerps, Happyness, Ultimate Painting, Endless Bummer, Jack Ladder & the Dreamlanders, and Dream Boys. Just, WOW.
The Dutchman, Jacco Gardner, creates a melodic blend of colors and sensibilities that will transport you to somewhere far far away, and his new album Hypnophobia is to die for. The cheeky, charming, international pop champions Twerps just released a new album, and let us tell you, you want to catch these Aussies while they aren't down under.
There are really just too many fantastic bands at this event, and it's a perfect way to dance the last Saturday of Spring Break away. We will see you there!
SUNDAY, MARCH 29th:


text:
I vary from the movie world a little bit for this post, and let us be quite frank here, I'm not really all that good at following just that topic. My life doesn't just consist of watching movies, I also do other antisocial activities such as gaming, fucking around on the Internet, reading, and masturbating, to the Internet. Pretty much whatever keeps me inside.
A safe for work Rule 34
Much to my surprise and, I'm sure, yours, there is a whole plethora of sites out there that have very little to do with what Jesse Helms, called "Po-naw-graw-fa." Before we get to much further I feel the need to state that according to the website for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, lds.org, I have a completely healthy porn use. I got a ten out of ten on the test!
Not anymore I'm not.
Everyday, without fail, I visit Cracked.com. I want to tell everyone how awesome this site is and hopefully make a reader out of those of you unaware. America's only humor site since 1958, until the launch of my site, Cracked provides us with the funny, useless bullshit that we crave.
With funny pictures interspersed for your reading pleasure
Where do you think I got the idea
The daily lists always provide a good ten minute distraction to my otherwise banal life, like "7 insane Easter eggs hidden in movies and television," or the ever lovely "4 famous authors and their hip-hop equivalent." Lists aside, there is the weekly photoplasty contest where readers photoshop funny pictures based on whatever the random topic Cracked has chosen for them, like this one from "18 Darkest Movie moments if they had been made by Disney."
I would pay to see this
I have no affiliation with Cracked, I would like to, they do have a submissions page that I've been looking at with ever growing interest, as soon as I can find the time to write about the "5 biggest douchebags that competed at the first Olympics" or something of that ilk, I'll submit. Until that time, I just ask that you head over and check out the site. You take my advice about the shitty movies that Hollywood is ramming down our throats, or at least I hope you are, so why not take some time out to look at a non-porn website that has brought me so much pleasure. Cracked just click that link and enjoy, if you are really adventurous, come back and tell me in the comments what you thought.
This is what you get when you Google pleasure


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As of last week, Autumn is officially here but you'd never know it with yesterday's 80 degree temperatures. Check out these scenes from Farmingdale State College Teaching Garden.
The End!
3 years ago
It's reaching for the sun or stars! ;)
Very delicate!
So pretty. They must be very tall!
Lovely garden. Teaching garden? What does that mean -- people learn how to garden there? Please pardon the dumb question.
P.S. Thanks for stopping by! xox
You have heard of LI & its many stereotypes? You wonder if they may be true but wish not to risk visiting in the event that they are. Be bold then & visit me daily & I promise I will show you many sides of


text: For Racing's Blue Bloods, It's Thin Blood Most of today's top horses are descendants of Native Dancer By Katherine Thompson, Newser Staff Posted May 2, 2008 12:08 PM CDT 0 comments Comments All 20 of the horses racing in this year's Kentucky Derby are related to Native Dancer, whose DNA is prized in thoroughbred circles. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) View 2 more images (Newser) – The only race Native Dancer ever lost was the 1953 Kentucky Derby, but in industry circles he is best known as the most valuable sire ever. All 20 horses in this year's Derby are descendants of Native Dancer, as is about 75% of the thoroughbred population. But with those champion genes come some drawbacks, writes the Wall Street Journal. All of the inbreeding meant to produce better racers has also let a genetic weakness shine through: foot trouble of the kind that felled Barbaro (a distant grandson). Driven by economics, the thoroughbred gene pool has shallowed: Though births are up, the number of stallion fathers has been cut in half since 1992. "How much can we keep breeding into these same bloodlines?" said one expert. "We're dealing with the law of diminishing returns." View 2 more images


text:
Hey guys! I have been super busy the last little while. First I went to Oslo to visit Rosanne for a few days. It was great, SUPER cold but a really nice time. Today (Monday) I have been packing and saying goodbye to everyone and it is insane! Tomorrow I fly to Raleigh to spend some time with my family, then VA to see Sam and my friends up there, AND HORSE,then back to NC for New Years Eve then on to TEXAS!! Yeah, my life is a bit fast paced and insane at the moment... But I will try to keep you all updated!
But, I thought I should do one last post from Sweden... I don't have much to say... today is very bittersweet... and wonderful. Is that possible?
But, I look forward to getting home and being back in life... an active member of society moving forward and all that. Sad to be leaving the glass for a bit, my great friends and teachers here and of course the complete lack of responsibilities that come along with being a student. Don't worry, I will see them again, get back to the glass ASAP and I won't forget all that I have learned here about glass, life and myself!
So, thank you Orrefors! See you again one day <3
Westward I go!!!


text:
The workers include 38 full-time workers and 460 part-time employees who are members of the B.C. Government Employees Union.
The union says the strike comes after three days of bargaining last week failed to produce a deal.
The affected employees work in the areas of trades, security, first aid, equipment and event setup, and housekeeping, though they don't include food service workers.
The union says in a news release that the main issues in the dispute are job security and the contracting out of work, as well as wages.
The union says upcoming events at BC Place include the Year of the Snake Expo, which promotes Asian arts and culture, the Vancouver International Boat Show, and the B.C. Home and Garden show.


text:
i went there for a trip to Durian Orchard with my brother and a friend of him..
my family is a big fans of durians.. the King of Fruits
so, if there is a will, there will be a durians..
hehehe..(jauh pn xkesah, jnji dpt mkn)
the orchard belongs to Felcra workers..
my brother had his practicum there a year ago and knew them quite well..
it is so lucky of us that we're invited to the orchard and take some of the durians.
the aroma n the colours of the durian flesh is different from other type.. (based on experiences)
other than durians, the workers also gave us some langsat which also taken from the orchard.
believe it or not, they give the fruits for free..
thank you so much for the hospitality that they gave us for the two days of our staying.
(homestay tmpat ktorang dduk scara percuma)
p/s: Insyaallah next year klau ada rezeki ktorang dtg lg. hehehe..


text:
I am mad for Adrienne Vittadini's, fashion designer, Manhattan apartment! So serene, so calm, this living space, which she bought with her husband and business partner, Gianluigi Vittadini in 1986, is everything an Upper East Side apartment is thought to be. Doses of animal print are seen here and there, in the living room and the bedroom, on paired ottomans and an abundance of art and small sculptures flood the walls and counters of the space.
I have a thing for chandeliers, especially in dining areas, and the one hanging above Vittadini's dining table, with its blue and gold accents, is so charming! On top of the glamour in this sophisticated apartment, it overlooks Central park - oh the glamour, the romance, the true serenity of it all.
Photography by Melanie Acevedo for Veranda


text:
Jun 21 @ 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
6:00 pm
Join Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion as they come to life in this theatrical performance of the classic movie, The Wizard of Oz. This family-friendly event is free and open to the public. Presented by the Plaza Theatrical.
Subscribe to filtered calendar


text:
I know its a day late, but better late than never huh?
Are you ready?
I used
And the winner is....
Adele, Comment number 12
I can't wait to see it all made up!!!
On another note,
Have you guys been over and visited Amy at During quiet time?
She makes the cutest stuff, She hand prints her own little designs and makes some awesome stuff out of it all on her Etsy site.
I bought this gorgeous pincushion from her. I LOVE it!!!
You should pop over and grab one of these for yourself before they are all gone!!!
A Spectacle Simplify Quilt
1 week ago


text:
Friday, May 27, 2011
Who is here?
'Anyone who is not here, could you please put your hand up?'
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
This. Is. Physics!
'Victor! this is a physics lesson, not a drumming lesson!'
'NASA wanted my design for this rocket, but I didnt give it to them'
Hat trick
'last time i didnt do this quite right.. hopefully i can get it right this time..'
Jennings breaks 3 plates
More Inertia
'woah did you see that plate go flying! id hate to see were that went... theres probably one less student in the class'
How Inertia Works
We may end up with a chipped conical flask here.. I'll blame the year 10 class.
Garbage Technicians
There's a special name for bullet proof vests.. It's like garbage collectors, they have a special name now.. Garbage technicians or something.
Relative Motion
'what happens if you toss a coin in the air while a car is accelerating?
it would come back and hit you in the face.
the driver would be mildly amused.'
292 whats?
'So the force is 292 Newtons. Be careful later in the year when we are talking about power. if we were talking about power it would be 292 what?
thats actually right, power is measured in watts'
You Can't Change Gravity
'You cant reduce gravity, the plane weighs the same the whole time.. unless you start chucking people out.. they wouldn't be overly thrilled.'
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Dont Sit in the Middle!
'The seat belt in the middle of the back [of the car] is very unsafe. If you need to sit in the back don't sit there... Get someone you don't like to sit there.'
If We Lived on Jupiter
'Jupiter has a gravitational constant of ~26m.s^-2 so if humans evolved there they would be quite small.. lots of tiny short people with fat little legs.'
Seatbelts in Aeroplanes
'Seat belts are only used in aeroplanes to keep you in your seat for turbulence.... because lets face it, if a plane crashes... your gone, you'll go splat.'
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Classic Jennings
Mr Laws is a teacher at our school
'guess who invented Newtons Laws? Mr Laws.'
A soccer player.
Jennings writes an example question on the board 'how high must a soccer player kick the ball if it is to go x metres with a horizontal speed of x metres per second. Gets an answer of ~250m high. Figures out the speed.
'If this soccer player ever learns to kick straight, there'll be some dead soccer players.'
'if NASA wants a cheap way to put satellites into orbit, they'll get this guy to kick it.'
The Physics of Golf
Explaining the physics behind the dimples on golf balls.
'You can't have a point on a golf ball. it'd be mildly amusing if you hit someone.'
Pauses for thought
'Otherwise they'd die….' 'There'd be less spectators.'
Vx or Vy?
Writing an equation
Jennings: Writes Vx
Student: 'Don't you mean Vy?'
'… yeah Vy, sorry the texta wasn't listening.'
Jennings makes another mistake with the purple pen
'I don't like purple pens they're dumb.'
Jennings makes yet another mistake
'I'll give up on this purple one. I'll only use it on year 10s'
How to jump off a balcony
Explaining where one would land if ther were to jump off a balcony - how fast one would need to run in order to hit a target
'You don't have too many horizontal balconies, unless you fall over drunk'
Classic Jennings
'If I wanted to do colouring in, I'd be a geography teacher'


text:
Friday, November 21, 2014
Thanksgiving 2014
Thanksgiving is always an interesting holiday for my family since I am a vegetarian and they aren't. To keep everyone happy we go out to dinner. For the past few years it has become our tradition to go to a restaurant at the beach. They have a buffet with turkey, fish and prime rib to please the rest of my family and rice, potatoes, vegetables, and salad for me.
It is less about the food anyway. Us being together and gazing out at the Pacific at sunset is more the point. It isn't that we don't spend time together. Right now we are all working together. Not my writing, that I do alone. We are in the midst of a new venture with all the tension that goes with the beginnings of something.
On the upside, I am learning how to use new software. I am learning to make friends with Word, even though I still use WordPerfect for my manuscripts. It is a whole new world out there. No more getting copies made - now it's printing from a digital file. And just because I have Word and Staples has Word, doesn't mean that a file will appear the same. Finally I get the point of PDF.
I like the idea of doing something new. It's all about growing, learning, and becoming instead of status quo and being. I like watching how at first something new is awkward and feels strange and then gradually it becomes familiar and then almost automatic.
I like rising to the occasion. Stepping out of my comfort zone. It is all a big adventure.
So what am I thankful for? Well, really so much. First and foremost is my family – that includes both humans and cats. I am grateful for all the people in my life now. I am thrilled that I wake up feeling good, wide awake and looking forward to the day ahead. I will never stop being grateful for my book deal with Berkley. Being able to write mysteries with yarn craft in them is like a super dream come true.
Personally, I don't see the point of having only one day year to think about being thankful. Right along with celebrating, it belongs being an every day occurrence.
Happy Thanksgiving!
6 comments:
- Planner said...
I totally agree--every day is right for being grateful. It's so easy to forget how lucky we all are to have even just the basic things like running water, food, clean air to breathe, and freedom to plan our days as we wish when a lot of people in the world don't have the things we take for granted.
I'll join you in being thankful every day.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!
- November 21, 2014 at 3:56 AM
- Linda O. Johnston said...
Delighted to hear that all is going so well for you, Betty. Sounds like there are a lot of new ventures and adventures in your life. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours, too.
- November 21, 2014 at 1:59 PM
- Betty Hechtman said...
Planner, gratitude is a powerful thing!
- November 21, 2014 at 2:10 PM
- Betty Hechtman said...
Linda, yes, life is exciting!
- November 21, 2014 at 2:10 PM
- Miriam Lubet said...
I agree and I also love learning new things. I am grateful for my wonderful life everyday. And I am grateful for you.
- November 24, 2014 at 4:27 PM
- Betty Hechtman said...
Miriam, what a nice thing to say! I am oh so thankful for reader like you.
- November 25, 2014 at 12:59 PM


text:
new chapter
Monday, October 1, 2012
entering october
almost three month
now i come back with new stories of my life
nothing special, just new chapter had started
even though many will think new chapter=engagement/married
but for me, i have become student again
almost 1 year as unemployed, it make me think that searching for work is the most hardest process in my life
staying at home, doing nothing, people always asking,
it make me annoyed with those people
its not like i don't want to work
i just don't get the job!!
then, a step had to be taken...so, i'll move forward and try to change my own future.
by doing masters, by coursework, new challenge come week by week.
some people are comparing research and coursework.
i know the level is different but please don't underestimate people who are still work hard to get masters through coursework. It's sound easy, but its not that easy like 'kacang'


text:
and this is what I saw...
so it appears that they live in a little family unit, with
the male sticking around or then again it could be
another female...I am not an oppossum expert..
nor do I claim to be one..
I went outside to see where they went...It had been awhile since I
saw them. And there they were...the whole little family, totally unafraid
of me ...showing no fear, bearing no teeth...and those tiny babies still
hanging on for dear life.. Creepy yet cute. We get alot of wildlife
in our garden...amazing really for being in the middle of a major
city... I have seen many oppossums, raccoons, hawks...one morning
I opened the front curtains and there was a coyote in the front garden.
Mind you, we are not in the hills or canyons...We live surrounded
by two major freeways...
Hey just a little change of pace from all the usual beautiful fashion layouts,
art projects, delicious pictures of food, fabulous recipes you see in alot
of blogs... Yes, life in the big city here in southern California!!
PS....We had the most killer rainstorm last night. This is very late in "the season" for us...It is
so wonderful to get the rain as our water tables are dangerously low....too many folks, too little
water. So when we get rain it is reason for celebration...unless of course you live in the hillsides
and burn areas...Oh California...what a complicated place you are... I always tell people
we pay dearly for this wonderful weather .


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Willem is Eira's twin. . .but the two are nothing alike! Willem is the older of the two, and his personality is very different from Eira's. Willem tends to think things over before he acts and it's not often his temper gets the best of him. . .although when he does get angry, you want to steer clear! He enjoys studying and is currently apprenticed to his father who is a healer (doctor). His looks are also just about as different from Eira as his temperament. And here's where the excerpt comes in to describe him for you :)
'Aaron started when he saw Willem, Why he looks more like he could be Kevin's twin! The brothers had the same reddish-blond hair, green eyes and muscular build as well as a height that well exceeded six feet. He smiled slightly as he realized the fact that it was Willem and Eira who were twins; the two looked nothing alike.'
So, yeah. That pretty much describes Willem! He takes after his mothers scottish background in his looks. :) He plays a big part in The Silent Blade and. .. yeah. . .I'd better not say anymore!
"Hold still, Eira." Willem had unlaced the leather shoe and was trying to gently pull it off over the swollen foot. Supper was over and Willem had finally found time to look at her ankle. The soup had turned out quite tasty as Eira knew it would. Thankfully, neither Rowen or Merek saw him helping and Stace hadn't said a thing.
"It hurts!" she exclaimed suddenly as she pulled her foot back.
He sat back and looked at her, "It'll hurt a lot worse If you don't let me look at it."
"And what exactly are you going to do? It's not like there's some special salve that will help a sprained ankle."Willem gave her the you'd-better-do-what-I-say-and-don't-ask-any-questions look. Eira groaned, but sat still as Willem continued to gently ease the shoe off. Even though Willem was usually easy going, there were times you simply didn't cross him. Eira had learned to sense when her older brother was set on having his way--and this was one of those times.
~Except from The Silent Blade


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Since all the work on the floor has been completed we can finally move the tanks into position. We spent the weekend pulling the shipping cradles off the tanks and peeling off the plastic protective covering. It's great to see all the shiny new stainless in its final location.
The next few weeks should see a lot of activity around the brewery as we are getting closer to actually brewing. The DME representative is coming out next week for 10 days to help with the final install and answer any questions the contractors may have regarding steam, plumbing and electrical. If all goes well we should be in a position to test the operation of the equipment by the end of next week.


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Nevertheless, let's humour Mr. Powers. Some people may be intrigued. So here's a timely answer from Ignatieff that arrived Sunday night on the wires:
Which winter sport would you compete in if you were an Olympian?Curling. Hard core Canadiana. There you go Mr. Powers and well-played Iggy. (You can even drink beer while curling, recreationally anyway, can't you?) As we have previously advised, Iggy should plant himself in the stands for all the curling events, bonspiel to bonspiel or whatever the heck it is that they call each game.
To be frank, I wouldn't fancy my chances in any sport. But one sport I identify with a lot - because I still think I could kind of do it - is curling. It's a fantastic team sport. But I think I will leave it to the people who actually know how to do this. It is the game I associate with a bit, especially the skip. It's the leadership and the precision and the quiet. My wife is listening to this conversation and says I ought to have said ice dancing. So there you go.
These are indeed the questions of our time, the sporting interests of national leaders. I remember too when George W. Bush was the guy everyone wanted to have a beer with, much bandied about in the media as a litmus test for leadership. That worked well.
This was fun but I'm sure we can now move on to weightier things, right?


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Humanitarian Travel
Helping Where Help is Needed
The ALTOUR team of travel professionals servicing Humanitarian Travel work in coordination with a third party to apply humanitarian airfares to travelers.
The team is always current on world events and advises on civil unrest in countries, airline strikes, closure of government agencies and weather conditions. The ALTOUR Team tracks all passengers until they safely arrive at their destination.


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Note, this has been updated to add a little more context for those among you who are not trade compliance professionals.
Lately, I have been on a slow binge of watching the Walking Dead. Like most TV adaptations of graphic novels and comics, I am finding it very entertaining. I'm only in Season 3, so no one tell me . . . well, anything. As a result, I have been seeing a lot of images of corpses, both animate and inanimate. That reminded me that there is a specific provision in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States ("HTSUS") for the importation of corpses.
The HTSUS is the statute (19 USC 1202) by which imported products are assigned rates of duty. It also sets out certain other regulatory requirements and exceptions. General Note 3(e), HTSUS, exempts from customs duties "corpses, together with their coffins and accompanying flowers."
When goods arrive at a port in the U.S., they are usually subject to an "entry." That is the process of legally entering the goods into the commerce of the United States and reporting that fact to Customsd and Border Protection. The Customs Regulations provide that "all merchandise" is subject to entry unless exempted and lists HTSUS General Note 3(e) as an exemption. That seems confirm that corpses are not subject to entry requirements and not subject to duty. Or maybe not.
What if the "merchandise" to be imported is human heads, heads with necks, torsos, legs, arms, etc. taken from body donors. That is the question answered by Customs and Border Protection in its private letter ruling HQ H235506 (Jan.14, 2013). As customs rulings go, this is awesome. I don't know how I missed it when it was issued.
The ruling starts with the ancient legal principal that there can be no commercial property interest in a dead body. Among other sources, Customs cited Chief Justice of the King's Bench, Sir Edward Coke (1552-1634) for this legal proposition. At the same time, we all have a legal right to a decent burial, which puts a duty on survivors to properly care for the body of the decedent. For this, Customs cites a book I desperately want: The Law of Cadavers by Percival Jackson. All of which must be weighed against the right of the not-yet-dead to donate their body to science under the Uniform Anatomical Gift Act.
Getting to the substance of the issue, Customs looked at prior rulings in which it determined that cadavers imported for medical analysis are "corpses" for purposes of General Note 3(e). Customs has long had the practice of exempting corpses from duty and entry.
But this case involves parts of corpses. Counsel for the importers made the hand waving argument that it would be distasteful for CBP "to begin quibbling about the relative portions of human remains that are imported before qualifying for the GN 3(e)" exemption. Based solely on longstanding practice, a couple rulings, and "the weight of history," Customs agreed. Given that the body parts will eventually be given a decent burial, Customs saw no reason to interfere with the disposition of the "merchandise."
I have a couple questions. First, is there a flipside to the distasteful task of deciding how much of a body should be treated as a corpse? Counsel for the importer seemed to be wondering how much can be removed from the deceased and still have it remain a corpse for purposes of the customs laws. Apparently, the answer is that an entire body can be removed leaving the head legally a "corpse." What about a sample taken from a living human? This ruling says an arm or leg taken from a cadaver is a "corpse" and exempt from classification and entry. What about an arm or leg taken from a living person? Is that extremity now a corpse if imported into the United States. How would Customs know whether the "donor" was living or dead? Is the legal distinction administrable?
My second question has to do with the looming zombie apocalypse depicted in the Walking Dead TV series and presumably in the graphic novel. What if the unlucky victim of viral zombie reanimation happens to be visiting the Windsor Ballet at the time of his or her demise? When the undead start shuffling north toward the tunnel to Detroit, will there be a problem when it arrives at Customs? Is the walker a "corpse?" If so, it will not need to be entered as merchandise, and can continue walking.
If it is a person, it will need to clear immigration checks, which will be hard for the inarticulate shuffler lacking a passport. Customs might have to make accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Also, would the passport still be valid? It seem the correct "birthday" would now be the date of reanimation. I will leave that to the immigration lawyers.
Assuming the walker is no longer a person, Customs should treat it like an animal. If it is a dead but still walking animal, the best guidance ruling I can find (with minimal research) is HQ 975664, in which dead animals are treated as zoological specimens in HTSUS item 9705.00.00 (it's duty free!). In this case, the dead animal is walking itself across the border, which raises questions of whether the walker is the "owner, purchaser, or consignee" of the merchandise (which is the walker). Since we know there can be no property interest in a dead body (or living person), the walker would need to be his or her own consignee to have the legal right to make entry of himself or herself. If it is alive but non-human, I suggest an HTSUS classification of 0106.11.00 as live primates, which is also duty free.
Finally, there are, of course, issues of admissibility. As Customs pointed out in the ruling that sparked this post, the importation of corpses is subject to regulation by the Centers for Disease Control. Given the plot of The Walking Dead, it seems pretty certain that the CDC would have something to say about this.
If anyone from Customs and Border Protection knows what would happen if an unaccompanied non-human primate showed up at the border crossing, please drop a comment below.
Also, if any readers have rulings to nominate for Ruling of the Week treatment, please note them in a comment. I am particularly interested in bizarre products, crazy food items, and restricted merchandise. I am aware of the numerous NSFW rulings on personal massage devices, so no need to reference those. I try and keep this a family and office friendly site.
The postings of a customs lawyer in Chicago on the state of customs law and international trade law. Important Disclaimer: None of this is legal advice, don't act on it. Don't ascribe these statements to my law firm, its partners or clients. Don't steal from my blog. I wrote it, I own it. But, feel free to link to me. Also, under the rules regulating speech by attorneys, this blog may be construed as lawyer advertising. I am the sole party responsible for the content.
Friday, February 13, 2015
Ruling of the Week 2015.6 Human Remains and the Walking Dead
Labels: Classification, Customs Law, Immigration, Odd, Rulings
1 comment:
- bifjamod said...
Oh, I was gonna nominate that one I posted on FB a few months ago!
- Feb 13, 2015, 5:24:00 PM
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Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Spring dog
It is a staggeringly beautiful morning here on the eastern side of central Massachusetts. My computer is next to a window, and I had to open it up to hear the birdsong which is now rich with many, many voices. At this time of the morning, the owls are still hooting, joining in the song birds with their low bass notes. The air is crisp -- probably about 43 f. or so, and the quality of light is such that you would know, even without knowing, that it is spring.
If you don't have Jenny's scottie dog pattern yet, you need it. I am using my re-felted felt to make this little guy, who's intended for Dean's lunch box next week as a birthday countdown treat. (The felt is pretty stiff and thick -- it's working, but again I would NOT recommend felting felt.)I thought I was so on top of things when, yesterday, I heard Dean coming up the stairs so I stashed the doggie under a pile of fabric left out just for that purpose. But Dean looked down at the table in front of me, saw the pattern pieces all cut out and with pin holes in them and said, "hey, who are you making the dog for?" I just gave him the look, the "boys who have birthdays next week should not be poking around and asking questions look," which he understood. In as much as I intended to be surprising him, I cannot tell you the joy it gives me that my son can glance at pattern pieces and discern their purpose, AND that he's at the stage in his life where he gets what I mean by my looks and just smiles and walks away happy.
1 comment:
- Felicia said...
That is so sweet! And you also know that he is really going to love that dog. :)
- March 28, 2007 at 4:25 PM
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Yesterday a shuttle was launched but it wasn't by the US, China or Russia. India launched a scaled down version of their new shuttle. The RLV-TD (Reusable Launch Vehicle-Technology Demonstrator) was launched yesterday from the First Launch Pad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota at 07:00hr IST.
"From that peak altitude of 65 km, RLV-TD began its descent followed by atmospheric re-entry at around Mach 5 (five times the speed of sound). The vehicle's Navigation, Guidance and Control system accurately steered the vehicle during this phase for safe descent. After successfully surviving a high temperatures of re-entry with the help of its Thermal Protection System (TPS), RLV-TD successfully glided down to the defined landing spot over Bay of Bengal, at a distance of about 450km from Sriharikota, thereby fulfilling its mission objectives. The vehicle was successfully tracked during its flight from ground stations at Sriharikota and a shipborne terminal. Total flight duration from launch to landing of this mission of the delta winged RLV-TD, lasted for about 770seconds." – ISRO
Link to ISRO press release and more images can be found here


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This is the latest collection of Adidas 'Training clothes' with the Fall/Winter 2010 collection. It is a pair of brochures, Mens and Womens and as I'm sure you can see from the images, they are beautiful pieces of literature using vibrant punchy colours.
Art Direction, design and production is by Made Thought. The superb photography is by Andrea Spotorno. I can't say too much more about it - look at the images below, they speak for the job...
Below pic shows the clever 6pp, a slit holding the CD in the fold:
Each brochure is a 4pp cover with a 44pp text, saddle stitched. There is a loose 6pp insert which list the international distributors and which cleverly holds a CD and this is held in place with a white elasticated loop - a clever idea and really well executed. Size is 275x200mm portrait and it's printed on Marazion Ultra which gives it that dead matt/flat look but with great reproduction. Cover is 300gsm, text is 150gsm and 6pp insert is 300gsm. Print is by Push.
Posted by Justin Hobson 24.12.2010


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The Moravian Board of World Mission in North America (BWM) is paired with several of our global partners in mission, accompanying them in a variety of ways as they develop in ministry within their specific contexts. The Province of Alaska is one of the three provinces in North America that directly supports the BWM, along with the Northern and Southern Provinces in the United States. Together we partner with five independent provinces of the Moravian Unity (Costa Rica, Eastern-West Indies, Honduras, Nicaragua and Western Tanzania. In addition we partner with two Mission Provinces, Guyana and Newfoundland/ Labrador. For more information on these partners and their ministries, see the associated sub-tab.
The Board of World Mission is the mission agency of the Northern, Southern and Alaska Provinces of the Worldwide Moravian Church. Click here to get more information about the Worldwide Moravian Church.
The Board of World Mission is one of several mission agencies throughout the Unity. Each mission agency is assigned to partner with some of our Unity provinces and mission areas called "Partner Provinces". Below are a list of the Partner Provinces of the BWM. Click on any of the partners listed to learn more about that area!
Independent Provinces
Mission Provinces


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Pat Macpherson, Seth Auberon, Dhr. Seven, Amber Larson, Wisdom Quarterly; Matt Groening ("Life in Hell"); Acharya Buddharakkhita (trans.) Nirayavagga "Hell" (Dhammapada XXII/ATI)
|Porn? I think Eve's QUEST was for knowledge. Are you there, God? It's me, Rebecca (Bex Finch/flickr.com). Who is everyone? Secret: I have tried every religion/spirituality/philosophy/movement in this picture. My faith is, er, interesting. Mother's a Jew, father's an atheist (formerly Episcopalian). I'm Jewish by blood/culture, had a Bat Mitzvah, but once I got to college...well, you know how it is. One existential crisis after another left me an atheist. Then an agnostic -- a very humble position (which is why I love David Hume). Then I "found" God when I ate mushrooms -- not shitake -- and I've been a deist ever since. But by "God," I just mean a "higher power," no identity (no way for us to identify), unable to comprehend, the [Causeless] First Cause, you know? Religion scares me. That's my secret. I remembered Buddhist spirituality! But I'm pissed I forgot to add Kierkegaard philosophy here. Despair, angst, leap of faith...brilliant.
|It's always the pool or pizza boy in sordid sunny North Hollywood, U.S. porn capital
|Failed actress/model Sasha Grey
What is "porn" but torment to the eyes that tears away at the psyche with unrealistic expectations and a figurative hunger for sensual experiences? What is to come of it? What harm (unskillful karma, unwholesome intention and conduct) is to be done to attempt to slake the craving stirred up in the mind/heart?
Some say it would be better to "pluck out one's eye" (Catholic/Christian/Jewish), to "cut off one's hand" (Muslim), to develop insight and root out harmful/painful karma at its root (the Buddhist approach).
|Mind is the forerunner. Guard it. (Dhammapada)
And the Buddha even went so far as to say that for a monastic -- one who has renounced worldly pursuits and become dependent on the generosity of donors wishing to help one on one's quest for enlightenment in this very life -- it is positively dreadful to take that help and abuse it. It would be better to eat red hot iron balls than to consume the food offerings of those with confidence in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha wishing to preserve the path to freedom (enlightenment) and the end of all suffering (nirvana) in this world.
Dhammapada verses
The Dhammapada, Acharya Buddharakkhita (trans.) edited by Wisdom Quarterly
Dhammapada verses
The Dhammapada, Acharya Buddharakkhita (trans.) edited by Wisdom Quarterly
306. The perjurer [the utterer of "false speech," which the Buddha defines in detail elsewhere] goes to a state of woe, as does one who, having done (wrong), says, "I did not do it." Persons of base actions both, on departing they share the same destiny in the other world [the world to come, i.e., some future existence, not necessarily the immediately following rebirth destination].
307. There are many unwholesome characters and uncontrolled people wearing the saffron [Buddhist monastic] robes. These unskillful person will be reborn in states of woe because of their unskillful deeds.
308. It would be better to swallow a red-hot iron ball, blazing like glowing fire, than as an immoral and uncontrolled Buddhist monastic to eat the alms offered by people [with faith in the Sangha, the Monastic Order].
|Where porn begins: freely viewed billboards and ads from American Apparel
|Binky: Porn and the Age of Slow Internet Speeds (Matt Groening/"Life in Hell")
309. Four misfortunes befall the reckless person who consorts with another's spouse: acquisition of demerit, disturbed sleep, ill-repute, and (rebirth in) states of woe.
310. Such a person acquires demerit and an unhappy rebirth in the future. Brief is the pleasure of the frightened couple (those engaged in cheating), and the ruler (or judge, civil court) imposes heavy punishment (for adulterous acts). Hence, let no person consort with another's spouse.
311. Just as (double-edged) kusa grass mishandled (or wrongly grasped) cuts the hand, even so, a recluse's life wrongly lived drags one to states of woe. [The best use of life striving for enlightenment most directly, if lived incorrectly, can severely drag one down because of all its powerful karmic potential.]
312. Any loose act, any corrupt observance, any life of questionable celibacy [within the Sangha] -- none of these bear much fruit.
313. If anything is to be done, let one do it with sustained vigor [persistence]. A lax monastic life stirs up the dust of the passions all the more.
|White privilege or racism? (JenSorensen.com)
314. An unwholesome deed is better left undone, for such a deed torments one afterwards. But a wholesome deed is better done, the doing of which one does not later regret.
315. Just as a border city is closely guarded both within and without, even so, guard one should guard oneself. Do not let slip this opportunity (for rapid spiritual growth). For those who let slip this [rare]opportunity grieve indeed when consigned to hell[s].
316. Those ashamed of what they should not be ashamed of, or ashamed of what they should be ashamed of -- upholding false views, they go to states of woe.
317. Those who see something to fear where there is nothing to fear, and see nothing to fear where there is indeed something to fear -- upholding false views, they go to states of woe.
318. Those who imagine the unwholesome where there is none, and do not see the unwholesome where it is -- upholding false views, they go to states of woe.
319. Those who discern the wrong as wrong and the right as right -- upholding right views, they go to realms of bliss.
|Chip off the old --ock: pervert son of a pervert father, circa 1950's Americana.
- PORN is not just implied at American Apparel, it's real
- Philadelphia police renaming medal of valor after one of their own slain officers, passing over many of their murderous officers
- AP analysis of the "fractured" Israel electoral bets [that will reinstall dictator Netanyahu and/or his conservative party]
- Showbiz in a minute: Obama on UFOs, Griffin, Ferrell
- VIDEO: Jimmy Kimmel gives Commander and Chief Obama a sense of humor (mean tweets)


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You can post a new question from the country page to which the question is relevant to, or at the bottom right hand of this page.
to post a new question or answer excisting ones
Please don't spam this forum with your new surf camp / charter / villa / surf school. Go to SurferDream.com and list your business there for free.
The GlobalSurfers forum has been the leading surf travel resource for over 18 years, so keep it friendly and relevant. Happy posting!
Posted inIndonesia
Mentawais for an intermediate and "group ocnsensus in the dingy.."« on: February 11 2012 06:02:00 »
Hello all
I'm thinking of going to the Mentawais for 2 weeks in March. Am only an intermediate so not looking for anything too gnarly, just hoping to practice on lots of waves without having everything snaffled by better surfers.
One thing that's mentioned by most of the resorts in the Mentawais is that the speedboat will go to whichever breaks voted for by "group consensus"? If everyone else at the resort that day is a better surfer and wishes to go to the better and bigger breaks then I'm effectively stuffed.
Has anyone had experience of this?
Should I even be thinking of going to the Mentawais? Or maybe head somewhere different?
Comments or advice would be much appreciated.
RE: Mentawais for an intermediate and« Reply #1 on: February 13 2012 20:02:00 »
Yeah, go to Sipora, find Hotdin (Nangolin???) homestay, he is on the land near Telescops, good dude and cool little town, was there during Rahmadhan a few years ago, but its not for those who are not surfing.


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When you live in a third world country, this happens. That poor little boy. Hopefully his lawyers can get him out of there!
An Egyptian court has sentenced a four-year-old boy to life in prison for committing four 'murders' when he was only one and a half years old.
Ahmed Mansour Karni was convicted in absentia of four counts of murder, eight of attempted murder, vandalising property, disturbance of peace and threatening police officers.
The boy was part of a list of 115 defendants who were all given life sentences at a military court in Cairo for crimes committed on 3 January 2014 in the province of Fayoum, 70km south of Cairo.
Read more: Daily Mail


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Thursday, August 27, 2015
Improvisation is the Name of the Game
The Case of the Leaky Baby (and other Gigi mishaps)
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
When we were in Rome, we kept seeing these guys on the street trying to sell some squishy pig-shaped toys that they would throw down onto a plastic-wrap covered board. The pig would make a squealing noise and flatten out completely onto the board, then pop back up into shape. Eventually, after seeing them quite a few times, Rich thought that the boys would get a kick out of them so we bought three for Aidan, Beck and Luke. We carried them around for the rest of the trip and when we got home, I was going to mail them to the kids. I asked Rich if he thought they were still good so he opened one up and proceeded to throw it down onto our table and our kitchen floor several times, unfortunately splatting it open and "ruining" it! We also noticed there was NO squealing noise. After a little internet research, it appears that other people had the same experience and it's somewhat of a scam because none of them make any sounds AT ALL and the sellers basically have a little squealer device in their hands that they use to embellish the toy. LOL Although I had never seen anything like these toys before, I guess I just don't get out much because they are readily available online and have been around for years. haha So I ordered a box of 12 more in various shapes and colors and brought the box with me to distribute to all the kids while visiting.
That's the very long story to explain the photo at the top: Beck with two of the squishy balls. Let me tell you, this has been the best gift ever in terms of grandchild delight and happiness but also the worst gift ever because they don't last any time at all before bursting from the slightest mishandling or throwing/dropping onto anything that is not completely smooth! Originally I gave Beck two and Elle one because she had another gift. Beck LOVED his so much. Unfortunately, he burst his first two pretty quickly. I told him he could have ONE more because I had to give the rest out to his cousins when I saw them later in the trip. Of course, the third one burst soon after. After much crying and begging that he would not ask for ANY more if he could just have ANOTHER ONE, I relented on #4. I think it lasted till day two. :)
We stayed home the first day, played and played, swam, had dinner, and then off to bed!
Posted by Gigi at 7:15 AM 4 comments:
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
Spring and Summer in Unalaska, Happy Birthday, Luke, and Happy First Birthday, Ada!
We've had a fun couple of months! Here's a quick catch up!
We went out for lunch with our friends Kelly and Steve--enjoyed lots of good conversation and a very cutthroat game of food trivia. Of course, the Chef won, but I was a VERY close second. He has taught me well! Great seeing these two--we don't get together often enough! (It was a little windy outside the Norwegian Rat Saloon!)
My birthday buddy Luke turned 3! He wanted a Spiderman costume for his bday so Gigi and Grandpa obliged. He is so much fun! Rich also had a birthday in June but I apparently have no photos and he is not like his wife, who likes lots of attention on her birthday. He would rather just let it slide. I don't think we did anything special and he probably even cooked for himself. Hard to believe we are both 61 now. My, doesn't time slip right past us when we aren't paying a bit of attention?? We did another online birthday give-back bash through Donors Choose and raised about $1700 for classrooms in need. Thanks to all our family and friends who contributed!
Melanie's turn to leave. She's one of the people I've known the longest in Unalaska; we worked together at one point, and she's been my work-out "encourager" and Scrabble playing partner, among other things, for a long time. I'm gonna miss her, too!
One last wave and she's off!
Now summer is winding down and I am actually in Texas, making the rounds and seeing all the kids. Blogging that long vacation really put me behind! :)
Posted by Gigi at 7:03 AM No comments:
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Saturday, July 21, 2007
Witchfinder General-friends from hell LP (1983)
1. love on smack
2. last chance
3. music
4. friends of hell
5. Requiem for youth
6. shadowed images
7. I lost you
8. Quietus reprise
Witchfinder General could have been a perfect Sabbath cover band, cept these guys wrote their own great songs.
More new wave of british heavy metal from these UK gods...and again, they Formed in around 1978. W.G. can be classified as one of the original NWOBHM bands. Some of the riffs are straight up Sabbath riffs, with their own special twists thrown in. Funny to remember seeing these records at Record Town and Strawberrys in the import section as a kid, I figured they'd always be around. The nudity in the record covers always attracted a teenage metalhead to th bands records.
http://rapidshare.com/files/42390400/Witchfinder_General_-_Friends_Of_Hell_By_Bobafettt.rar_Folder.zip.html> Download
11 comments:
Can you send me your email address. I have a band that I have been trying to figure out who they are for 20 years.I don't know where they are from but they sound like early thrash metal with a twist of punk. The recording is crappy and I got it from a radio station in Phoenix,Az.If you can help or give it a try I would appreciate it. Thanks RoccoReplyDelete
My email address is firstname.lastname@example.com
- AnonymousJuly 23, 2007 at 6:41 PM
look out for the upcoming reissue of the WFG "soviet invasion" 12" and "burning a sinner" 7" on a noble gatefold dbl lp edition with tons of old photos/artworks etc.ReplyDelete
look out for the upcoming reissue of the WFG "soviet invasion" 12" and "burning a sinner" 7" on a noble gatefold dbl lp edition with tons of old photos/artworks etc.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousAugust 2, 2007 at 9:30 AM
GREAT BLOG but could you please upload your files in Bandogo, DivShare or others with less Limitations of how many in a certain timeframe? Rapidshare is fast, but waiting two hours for a second download sux THX Metalhead667ReplyDelete
- AnonymousMarch 18, 2008 at 8:33 PM
is that gray image album artwork?ReplyDelete
These guys are great.. Thanks!!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousApril 23, 2009 at 4:34 PM
Thanks! :)ReplyDelete
great share, this album is often overlooked in favour of Death Penalty.ReplyDelete
This is an excellent LP, I'd like to get it because I can see this something really different for me, but I've heard this is a great album.ReplyDelete


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John Favalora, the Archbishop Emeritus of Miami. The Lavender Mafia's Don.
Jim Bowman is a Catholic journalist and one-time Religion writer for the Chicago Daily News. Mr. Bowman runs a blog called Blithe Spirit and it is a singularly well-written and genteel site. Jim Bowman is a gentleman.
Jim Bowman posted an investigation of recently conducted and reported on the Homosexual networking through the Miami Archdiocese.
The Priest-Sex Scandal raised the issue of homosexuality within the ordained clergy and immediately that aspect was smothered. The meme for any further discussion within the Church and by the media turned to - pedophilia has nothing to do with homosexuality. Likewise, we should all consider winter as a season without mentioning temperatures below thirty-two degrees Fahrenheit and never, ever mention snow.
The priest pedophile scandal was handled miserably by the Catholic bishops of America and continues to be the talking point for homosexual marriage, adoption, banquet hall selection and insurance matters. Any and all questioning of the legality of Civil Unions, much less Same-sex marriage arouses a ready chorus of Eumenides screeching,'The Church that rapes little boys!' End of discussion.
I imagine that too many bishops turned a blind eye on homosexual activities in American seminaries, in order to maintain class-sizes for ordination, in much the same way as a bar owner in a lousy neighborhood tolerates bust-outs and slobs spitting on the floors. Got to keep the bar stools covered.
Jim Bowman, like most Catholics, is completely appalled by the pedophile scandal and the cover-ups that played into the hands of anti-Catholic Planned Parenthood, Gay activists, political hacks, and ambulance chasing lawyers like Jeffery Anderson the legal genius who unofficially operates SNAP.
Jim, linked a thoroughly disgusting saga of the homosexual subculture operated with the blessings and participation of Miami Archbishop Emeritus John C. Favalora:
Here are just some of the un-Catholic behaviors that "Miami Vice" accuses Favalora of engaging in: He partially owned a company that manufactured Yohimbe, an aphrodisiac beverage marketed to horny club-kids with the promise of "the hands-down best sex of your life." He allegedly took frequent trips to fabulous Key West with his gay associates. He was over-familiar toward his seminarians. (One ex-employee of the diocese recalls him telling a young seminarian at a gathering to "Come to papa and sit on my lap.") Favalora's second- and third-in-command, Monsignor William Hennessey and Monsignor Michael Souckar, are both accused by Christefidelis of being active homosexuals—and if they are, that counts among the least of their difficulties with Catholic orthodoxy.
In fact, the Archdiocese was a hotbed of sodomy long before Favalora set foot in Florida. Two unrelated sources, both priests, speak of a flamboyantly gay bishop in Arecibo, Puerto Rico, named Miguel Rodriguez Rodriguez, who was known to his pupils as "Lili." These sources claim that during the 1970s and 80's, Lili treated Arecibo like his own personal harem, urging cute young men into the priesthood and plying them with gifts and money in exchange for sexual favors. Rome allegedly interceded in 1990 and banished Lili to a secluded monastery, where he remained until his death 20 years later. Several of Lili's erstwhile pupils landed in Miami in the 80's and 90's. Naturally, they were disinclined to take their celibacy oaths too seriously.
Priests speak, too, about the culture of "sex-driven favoritism" at St. John Vianney College Seminary—a kind of gay Hogwarts with palm trees, located out in the flat suburban wastes of southwest Dade County. Seminaries are traditionally gay places—Papist wits refer to Notre Dame seminary as "Notre Flame," Theological College as "Theological Closet," Mundelein as "Pink Palace," and so on. But St. John Vianney was special. One seminarian who dropped out in disgust in the 1980s recalls a miserable year being bullied by gay faculty, and the rector, Robert Lynch, fawning over his favorite seminarian: an attractive upper-classman named Steven O'Hala. The dropout also recalls Lynch installing a camera in the seminary's weight room to capture images of pumped, sweaty seminarians. (He is now a minister in a liberal Christian denomination, and says he has no beef with gay people.)
I know of no Catholic who has a beef with gay people. There are some, I am sure, but I do not travel in such company. Likewise, I try to stay on the other side of the street when I see a pack of Progressives. I have yet to meet one Progressive who would give a penny to a starving blind girl - that child should not have been born, or can just wait until a government agency can pass her the gruel.
Click my post title and read the entire disturbing piece. Manya Brachear, or the ever daffy Cathleen Falsani, will not step into these waters.
Thank's Jim! Maybe someday real journalists will be given pay checks again.
Here's few more reports:


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- Higher Calling: A woman is ordained to the Catholic priesthood. Not surprisingly, the hierarchy does not approve, by Karen Springen:
Sept. 13, 2007 - Last week 25-year-old Jessica Rowley became one of about a dozen women nationwide to make a highly unusual career move: she was ordained a Catholic priest. Rowley's ordination—which took place at Eden Theological Seminary, a progressive institution in Webster Groves, Mo.—is approved by the Ecumenical Catholic Communion, a group of churches that decline to recognize the authority of the pope but see themselves nevertheless as Catholic.
- Jeff Miller announces his own Higher Calling:
I have quite an announcement to make. I am now a reporter for Newsweek magazine! I always felt a call to be a reporter for Newsweek magazine so this is something very important for me. I can't tell you how thrilled I am at this news and the impact this has on my life and hopefully the lives of others.
The hierarchy of Newsweek magazine though doesn't recognize my call to be a reporter for them. So I had to have reporter credentials given me by an Ecumenical magazine group that also see themselves nevertheless as Newsweek employees and don't recognize the authority of Newsweek's editors to make hiring decisions.
Monday, September 17, 2007
You Have to Laugh or You'll Cry
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Quite a line-up of young marines were guests this year.
Lovely line-up of ladies who helped make the day special for our group.
As always, the Elks Lodge presents a huge spread of food.
Frequents reminders to come back for seconds...and thirds.
One of the special guests was Lt. General Chuck Pitman.
It was a nice surprise for the marines.
The cookie table...not to be confused with the pie and cake table!
Lt. General Chuck Pitman congratulates the winner of the golf tourney.
A gorgeous day on the beach
To all the young men and women who serve our country, Pensacola Beach salutes you!!!


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KEEPING MUM: Mr Bean Plays It Straight
(dark comedy)
Time: 105 mins
Rating: * * *
IT is hard to imagine Rowan 'Mr Bean' Atkinson in a straight role, but this black comedy is as close as it can get. Atkinson plays the Reverend Walter Goodfellow, a workaholic priest of a small town called Little Wallop (population: 57) in rural England.
Walter is so engrossed working on his Sunday sermons that he has neglected his family. His sex-starved wife, Gloria (Kristin Scott Thomas) is starting an affair with her golf-pro (Patrick Swayze), her daughter Holly (Tamsin Egerton) is the village slut, and his sensitive son Petey (Tobey Parkes) is being bullied at school.
The family is in dire need of straightening up and this is just the job for their new housekeeper Grace (Maggie Smith). Grace's penchant for solving household problems is apparent when she manages to put an end to the incessant barking of the neighbour's dog, providing Gloria with her first good night's sleep in a long time. Gloria does not know how her godsend of a housekeeper does it, but she is grateful. Grace also manages to take care of other little problems, like stopping the naughty boys from bullying Petey at school.
Grace's solutions to the Goodfellows' problems are somewhat unorthodox — and rather terminal. And the real fun here lies in discovering how she puts an end to her boss' woes. Smith carries the comedy with the proverbial straight face and good naturedness and we can't help but root for her. Of course, there is a twist to the plot and the clue lies in the movie's title, Keeping Mum, which is a pun on 'maintaining silence' and 'keeping mother'.
The giveaway is in the opening scene where a genteel English woman boards a train with a bag that oozes blood. The blood belongs to her dismembered husband and when she is packed off to jail, she asks: "Does this mean you won't be serving tea?"
Those who are accustomed to seeing Atkinson's Mr Bean shenanigans may be disappointed with his role here but he is still amusing as the vicar who is all engrossed in preparing his speech on God's Mysterious Ways at a convention. Scott Thomas is in top form as the cheating wife, while Swayze is expectedly sleazy as the villain of the piece.
However, the star to watch out for is Tamsin Egerton whose performance here provides the lure for the younger generation. Directed by Niall Johnson, Keeping Mum is adapted from Richard Russo's novel which is originally set in America. Those who are delighted by Four Weddings And A Funeral would definitely like this dark Brit effort that may 'almost' pass off as a feel good movie.


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Despite posting early in May about my plans to actually blog more, I failed to do so. However, I did exceed my target of 'how many books I need to read a month to hit 100 at the end of the year' by reading 11 books (the target is 9) so I'm quite pleased with that. I also found 5 Dorothy Dunnett books in various second hand shops, causing me to make a strange meeping noise when I spotted 4 in one shop - the teenage boy selecting books beside me looked a little alarmed but books 2-5 of the House of Niccolo series deserve a greeting, I think.
Books Read in May 2012
24. Goodbye to Berlin - Christopher Isherwood
25. 1000 Years of Annoying the French - Stephen Clarke
26. Will Grayson Will Grayson - John Green & David Levithan
27. Dash & Lily's Book of Dares - Rachel Cohn & David Levithan
28. Mr Norris Changes Trains - Christopher Isherwood
29. Franny & Zooey - J.D. Salinger
30. Aenir - Garth Nix
31. Above the Veil - Garth Nix
32. Into Battle - Garth Nix
33. The Violet Keystone - Garth Nix
34. Mister Monday - Garth Nix
Total Books Read = 11
Total Pages Read = 3348
Average Book Length = 304
Library Books = 6
Owned Books = 5
Most Read Author = Garth Nix
Top Three Books
1. Dash & Lily's Book of Dares
2. Will Grayson Will Grayson
3. Goodbye to Berlin
Book of the Month
Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan
YA / Contemporary
I love Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, and somehow the publication of Dash and Lily passed me by because I am an idiot. When I saw it in Waterstone's in Cambridge (bless whoever buys in the US imports for their teen section) I pounced, but then didn't read the book for three months. This was silly: the book is as funny, clever, true and wonderful as Nick and Norah, and I devoured it in as few sittings as I could. Absolutely wonderful.


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"Every day cannot be a feast of lanterns"
Chinese Proverb
Today I am showing the Belleza Best Buys (BBB) which are available at a special price this weekend only, after which they will revert to the normal price. Available in 4 tones, these Ashley skins come in 3 subtle make-up choices (click to enlarge the pic), and within each pack there are three brow bases, cleavage tattoo layers, and hairbases.
I have been waiting for a while for the opportunity to showcase this fabulous jewellery set from AZE Designs. The attention to detail is simply incredible - so much so I can't do it justice with words, I just hope my photos go some way towards demonstrating how beautiful this collection really is. There are also bracelets available in this design.
Skin: Belleza - Ashley BBB Nov Tan
Hair: Analog Dog - Fix, autumn
Eyes: IKON Ardent Eyes - Virtue
Eyelashes: Maxi Gossamer - Eyelashes - Wild Full Thick
Jewellery: AZE Designs Magic Lantern Gem Slides Necklace & Earrings


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Four Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats on Thursday asked the Justice Department to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate whether Attorney General
Meanwhile, Judiciary Chairman
"If there are any cooler heads at the White House, I urge them to reconsider the course that they have taken because there is a cloud over the White House and a gathering storm," Leahy said on the Senate floor.
The quartet of senators —
"His instinct is not to tell the truth, but to dissemble and deceive," Schumer said.Source: CQ Today Midday Update
Heh, heh, heh . . . .


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The resounding cheers throughout and at the very end of the second public screening of The Last Five Years at last year's Toronto International Film Festival indicated approval from a largely musical-loving crowd. You would hope so. The off-Broadway production composed by the Tony award-winning Jason Robert Brown is apparently a pretty well-loved piece – at least, that's what my very unscientific survey of the numerous young and old theatre geeks in line to get into the screening suggested by their excited commentary.
But how does it fare for the lite-fans or standard moviegoer?
It's 90 minutes of non-stop singing. The songs are quirky, fun, beautifully sung and there's a Russell Crowe ad lib that's just the cherry on top of all of zippy comedic snaps. If you somehow don't have the prerequisite genuine joy for musicals, you'll be treated to a phenomenal performance from Anna Kendrick (Up in the Air, Into the Woods), who lays down everything that makes her the talent that she is in this movie.
Kendrick plays Cathy, an aspiring actress who is one of two main characters in a story about a deeply passionate love that fails to withstand the challenges of compromise, balancing success and mutual support in their marriage. Her husband Jamie (Jeremy Jordan, Smash) is a novelist whose career launches and thrives over the course of their five year relationship. Cathy and Jamie's tale alternates between their individual perspectives; her version begins from the moment their relationship ends, while Jamie shares it in sequential order from the time they met. The timelines are a bit confusing for the first few songs, but they eventually overlap in the proposal scene. Suddenly, the whole picture of this devastatingly unfortunate situation is much more clear and eventually comes full circle.
The original production uses the same storytelling device but in the form of alternating soliloquies. Director Richard LaGravenese (P.S. I Love You, screenwriter on Unbroken) rightly placed Kendrick and Jordan in nearly every scene together so that the audience can see the two characters physically respond to the spiteful and loving words shared as their relationship takes its turns. It is pretty necessary for a film medium, but it also works because of Kendrick and Jordan's chemistry, especially in the earlier, more emotionally fruitful days of their relationship. Their feverishness in those scenes, aided with LaGravenese's intimate shaky camera shots, makes those young love moments really palpable, pure and exciting.
When the conflict driving their separation becomes more apparent, your empathy gets placed in Cathy's perspective more than Jamie's. There is a lot more to identify with in her story, and Kendrick drives that connection. Kendrick juggles the emotional, comedic and musical elements with an incredible brilliance and finesse. If for some reason viewers haven't been convinced by her talent in her work so far, then this is the vessel that'll do the trick. Jordan, amidst a lot of frantic choreography and a not-so-kind character arch, proves to be a great on-screen counterpart and similarly holds well in the darkest (and yes, douchiest) of moments. But, Kendrick easily outshines him.
The fact that The Last Five Years is not overbearingly dense in length and plot will probably please viewers more than other musicals released in recent years. It is honest, heartbreaking without excessive dramatics and for at least part of the film, it is a lot of fun. If these are the elements that made fans so invested in the original production, then they should take comfort that LaGravenese projected that appeal with the film adaptation. LaGravenese and Jordan appeared at the screening I attended for a Q&A (Kendrick was actually in the theatre next door for the premiere screening of Cake). Here are a few tidbits from that session:
- LaGravenese wanted to keep the production as organic and raw as possible, but also had to balance those goals with the visual aspects. This was a bit challenging as there was live singing during the production.
- Jeremy Jordan found difficulty in bringing body and breath to the songs as he was active while the other sang (which differs from the nature of the stage show)
- Any lyric changes (which were questioned by a fan during the Q&A) were made by Jason Robert Brown, the original composer, who also expanded the sonic aspect of the songs for the film
- Anna Kendrick thought of the Russell Crowe bit ad libbed in a song
- Jeremy's actual wife was in the film in a not-so-positive scene
The Last Five Years will be distributed by The Weinstein Company and will release in North America on February 13th, 2015. If you live in Toronto, it will be screened at the TIFF Bell Lightbox.


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ATC signs student pathway agreement with VSU
Tue, 28 May 2013 18:03:22 GMT —
Albany Technical College officially signed two Pathways Program agreements with Valdosta State University on Tuesday that will allow students to smoothly transition between the two institutions to obtain a bachelor's degree.
Students who graduate from ATC with an Associate of Applied Science in 22 different programs can now move on to VSU to get a Bachelor of Applied Science degree with a major in Technical Studies or a Bachelor of Science degree in Organizational Leadership.
Both VSU programs are available online which officials say will still be able to help those who are working full-time jobs.
VSU officials say the move clears a path for students to earn a bachelor's degree as soon as they complete their associate's degree.
ATC president Dr. Anthony Parker adds that it's an excellent opportunity for the college that will provide a huge impact on the economy in Southwest Georgia with more students able to obtain a bachelor's degree.
Stay connected to MySouthWestGA.com as stories develop and the FOX 31 Newscast at 10 PM. Visit us on Facebook and Twitter to join in on the conversation and connect with FOX 31!


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post is a link to an interview in which Alan Moore again puts down the story, not the art, in his and Brian Bolland's The Killing Joke. Alan has said elsewhere that TKJ is not about anything substantial; it is only about a guy dressed as a bat fighting a guy who looks like a clown. I disagree.
TKJ is about whether one bad day would be enough to drive you or me mad. The Joker had a bad day but doesn't always remember it the same way. (Metafiction: the character has different origin stories.) He knows that Bats must have had a bad day to make him do what he does. (In fact, does the Joker ask whether it was mob killing spouse, which would be the Punisher's origin?)
The Joker does a song and dance routine (of course he does; why did no one else write this?) about why we are not obliged to be sane and even about why any response to life other than insanity would be crazy. He tries to prove his point by giving Jim Gordon a bad time but fails. Gordon tells Bats to bring the Joker in by the book. Would you or I stay sane and legal like Jim or become criminally insane and homicidal like the Joker?
A fellow comics reader said that the ending made no sense: why should Bats share a joke with the Joker? I took it to be just release of tension. (I once burst out laughing twenty four hours after a difficult situation as a teacher.)
Alan Moore has also said, I think, that his graphic fictions are unfilmable. I think that a good attempt could be made at scrupulous transference to screen but each work would have to be serialized.


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Wigged out and having fun with wigs and hats.
You will have to come back and check this out for new updates.
|Cher wannabe
|Paula Dean wannabe
|Buffalo hat
|knitted mohawk hat
|Cher wannabe
|Paula Dean wannabe
|Buffalo hat
|knitted mohawk hat
|A tunnel driving to Idaho Springs
|A mill in Idaho Springs.
|Lucas Ruins
|Golden Gate Bridge
|A heart with the Painted Ladies on the corner of Union Square in downtown San Francisco
|The China Gate to the entrance of Chinatown
|Coit Tower seen from the hotel elevator
|A street car. I rode on a street car named Success
|Cable Car
|Fisherman's Wharf
|Sea Lions off of Pier 39
|San Franciso's Bay Bridge
|Coit Tower as seen through the window at Luigis Pizza place on Pier 39. Yummy pizza.


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The Telegraph combs through for some of the weirdest reports of UFOs by the public from formerly confidential files in the National Archive:
- A caller to MoD UFO hotline reports that he has been "living with an alien" in Carlisle for some time.
- A Cardiff man claimed a UFO abducted his dog, car and tent whilst he was camping with friends.
- A Coventry woman saw "two orange balls" hovering in her back garden in July 2008 after her Springer Spaniel "unusually ran back in". Frightened by what she saw, she locked the door and reported her sighting to the UFO hotline, asking whether she and her pet could be contaminated as a result.
- A man, now living in the Netherlands, asked for the return of a cinefilm he said he had passed to two investigators in 1978, showing a UFO flying over his back garden in Romford. He said he had showed them where the craft had landed, and that the men had taken soil samples.
- A report of UFO sighting during the WWII – was lodged with the MoD in 2008. The member of the public – then aged 15 or 16 (he could not recall exactly) – reported seeing a "large saucer shaped object (with coloured lights all round its side) spinning around and hovering above Barking Station before speedily floating and spinning away" towards Dagenham.
- A resident in Havant, Hants, contacted the MoD in 2008 offering to set up a "discreet observation post" on a hill overlooking Portsmouth from which he was confident he could spot UFOs.
- A cigar-shaped object, about 80ft in length, and 30ft tall, orange in colour and with a rear, bright white light, was seen near the Royal Naval Air Station, at Yeovilton, Somerset.
- Ministry of Defence policemen reported seeing a pear-drop shaped "translucent" green light in the sky while on duty at Portsmouth naval base.
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Augason Farms Breakfast Pack GiveawayToday we have a giveaway from the fabulous folks at Augason Farms. Augason Farms is part of the Blue Chip Group companies and is the maker and producer of the Morning Moos milk alternative we taste tested a little while ago. They've come up with a sweet product for food storage convenience and apparently it's still new enough that it's not on their site yet, but here it is, the Breakfast Pack.
This giveaway is offered at Adventures in Self Reliance blog. Everyone can enter!
Thought you'd like to know!


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'Warm Bodies' Poster Teases Zombie Affection
In theaters February 1 from Summit Entertainment is Jonathan Levine's Warm Bodies, a new kind of zombie film.
Starring Nicholas Hoult, Teresa Palmer, Rob Corddry, John Malkovich and Analeigh Tipton, "The story centers on an existentially tormented zombie who begins an unlikely friendship with the girlfriend of one of his victims and starts a chain reaction that will transform him and his fellow zombies."
MTV just landed the first official poster that declares: "Cold body. Warm heart." Watch for our report from the set in the coming months!


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I was installing a new SSD drive in a desktop computer.
For this i used a USB 3.0 usb-drive (Kingston Datatraveler 100 G3 16 GB ), on which i had put the Windows 7 x64 SP1 installation files, using the Windows 7 USB/DVD tool.
This process had worked for about a hundred previous installations 🙂
It was the first time i used this USB 3 drive for installing Windows 7
And yes,i got the error
Error "Setup was unable to create a new system partition or locate an existing system partition. See the Setup log files for more information".
Tried Shift-10 and starting diskpart, doing the partitioning myself, but didn't help.
Cahnged some BIOS settings, but no luck.
Then i saw this post:
And yes, after doing the exact same process with a USB 2.0 drive, it worked flawlessly.