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N.K. Newsletter
Vantage Point
North Korea
NORTH KOREA NEWSLETTER NO. 42 (February 19, 2009)
N.K's Poor Health to Pose Burden to S. Korea After Reunification
WASHINGTON (Yonhap) -- The widespread malnutrition in North Korea caused by famine in the 1990s will likely burden South Korea once the two Koreas are reunified, a U.S. government report has said.
"If reunification occurs, South Korea will face costs not only of incorporating an economic void, but also those of a huge health-care burden," said the report of the National Intelligence Council released recently.
The report, titled the Strategic Implications of Global Health, also said that South Korea may have to "look to other countries or to multilateral organizations to help defray expenses" for health care in North Korea, which has a health-care system ranked 167th out of 190 countries by the World Health Organization.
Poor health is also "weakening military readiness because capable new recruits are in short supply," it said.
The report attributed the poor health of North Koreans to famine in the 1990s, when years of floodings and poor harvests are said to have caused millions of North Koreans to starve to death.
"Economic crisis and famine of the 1990s fueled breakdown of a once-efficient health-care system," it said. "Lack of medicine, equipment, sanitation, and reliable energy supplies make quality health care virtually unobtainable outside of Pyongyang."
The famine of the 1990s also destroyed "absolute state control of food rationing, internal movement of citizens, and information as North Koreans were compelled to defy state restrictions in their struggle for survival and as those who had escaped to China in search of food and work returned with news of the outside world," according to the report.
N. Korean Nuclear Weapons More for Deterrence Than for War
WASHINGTON (Yonhap) -- North Korea will not likely use its nuclear weapons unless it feels its security is at risk, the chief U.S. intelligence official said on Feb. 12.
"Pyongyang probably views its nuclear weapons as being more for deterrence, international prestige, and coercive diplomacy than for war fighting and would consider using nuclear weapons only under certain narrow circumstances," the director of national intelligence, Dennis Blair, said in a report presented at a Senate Select Committee on Intelligence hearing.
"We also assess Pyongyang probably would not attempt to use nuclear weapons against U.S. forces or territory unless it perceived the regime to be on the verge of military defeat and risked an irretrievable loss of control," Blair said in the report, titled "Annual Threat Assessment of the Intelligence Community."
Blair's remarks come amid speculation that the new Barack Obama administration might focus on preventing nuclear proliferation by North Korea rather than on the North's nuclear dismantlement, as the U.S. lacks adequate measures to press for the North's denuclearization after exhausting all options during nearly two decades of negotiations since the North Korean nuclear crisis began in the early 1990s.
The North detonated its first nuclear device in 2006 and Obama and U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates have said North Korea has several nuclear weapons, although the Obama administration maintains a policy of not acknowledging North Korea as a nuclear weapons state, regardless of its possession of a nuclear arsenal.
"The North's October 2006 nuclear test is consistent with our longstanding assessment that it had produced a nuclear device," the report said. "Prior to the test, we assessed that North Korea produced enough plutonium for at least a half dozen nuclear weapons."
The report also expressed concerns over North Korea's uranium-based nuclear program.
"The Intelligence Community continues to assess North Korea has pursued a uranium enrichment capability in the past," it said. "Some in the Intelligence Community have increasing concerns that North Korea has an ongoing covert uranium enrichment program."
S. Korea to Beef Up Early Warning System Against N. Korea
SEOUL (Yonhap) -- South Korea needs to strengthen its early warning system with regard to North Korea, the country's new spy chief said on Feb. 12, calling for full preparations against security threats.
"We need to beef up an early warning system to cope with any moves by North Korea," Won Sei-hoon, the head of the National Intelligence Service (NIS), told his staff. "We also have to fully prepare for any terror and international crimes."
Won, a former minister of public administration and security, was appointed by President Lee Myung-bak last month to head the spy agency.
With no peace treaty signed at the end of the 1950-53 Korean War, the two Koreas are still technically at war.
During a parliamentary confirmation hearing earlier this week, Won also said he will strive to keep politically neutral and restructure the agency's organization for more efficiency.
North Korea Has Population of 24 Million: U.N. Report
SEOUL (Yonhap) -- North Korea has slightly increased in population, topping 24 million last year, a United Nations report said on Feb. 14, despite ongoing food shortages reportedly taking the lives of hundreds of people each year in the hunger-stricken country.
The number of people in the communist state reached 24.05 million as of October last year, an increase by nearly 200,000 from the previous year, the U.N. Population Fund said in a preliminary report. North Korea's population is still less than half of the 48 million in South Korea.
About 3.2 million people lived in the country's relatively well-off capital of Pyongyang, while 702,000 resided in military facilities. The impoverished country, which depends largely on outside food aid, has the world's fourth-largest military and an arsenal of long-range missiles, including one believed capable of reaching Washington.
North Korea has about 600,000 more females than males, with 12.3 million women and 11.7 million men, the report said.
It was the first time since 1993 for the international body to conduct a comprehensive census on North Korea. The final report with more precise numbers is to be disclosed at the end of this year.
N. Korea Welcoming Native English Teachers with Open Arms
SEOUL (Yonhap) -- North Korea is calling on Britain to send more English teachers, hoping to enhance the nation's international cooperation by raising the English proficiency of its youths, a chief British organizer said on Feb. 13.
The British Council in Beijing, which operates the English teacher trainer program for North Korea, increased the number of its teaching staff in Pyongyang from three to four last month, following North Korea's requests to expand the program, said Grahame Bilbow, education director at the British embassy in China.
The language of a country often berated as "enemy" has reportedly become the most important foreign language in North Korea over the past decade, replacing Russian after the fall of the Soviet Union.
Last September, North Korea moved up the start year of English education to the third grade from the sixth, Seoul officials said.
"The DPRK government continues to support this program, and we take this as evidence that they give importance to raising the standard of English in DPRK schools and universities," Bilbow said in an email interview with Yonhap. DPRK is the acronym of the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
With access to native English speakers scarce in the communist state, North Korea asked Britain for assistance after the two countries established diplomatic relations in 2000. The British Council started the teacher trainer program two years later.
British instructors, recruited among those who have a diploma in Teaching English as a Foreign Language with at least three years of work experience, teach a small group of elite university students and local English teachers who will later be deployed to provincial education universities and schools.
Bilbow said the program is now available at three of the top North Korean universities in Pyongyang -- Kim Hyong Jik University, the Pyongyang University of Foreign Studies and Kim Il Sung University. About 150 students and in-service teachers are taking the courses at each university, he said.
The program, the only one offered in the North by native English speakers, has the full support of the Pyongyang government, Bilbow said.
In a show of such support, Choe Thae-bok, chairman of the North's parliament, Supreme People's Assembly, told a visiting British parliamentary delegation last week that his granddaughter was learning English from British native speakers and asked the delegation to help enlarge the program, according to Radio Free Asia on Feb. 10.
"In DPRK, exposure to the wider English language teaching community has been scarce, though the project has done much to bridge the gap," Bilbow said.
"In time, it will mean improved English language education which in turn will allow DPRK citizens to access the educational resources and opportunities that are available to competent English users worldwide," he said.
N. Korea Begins Practice for Arirang Festival: Tour Agency
SEOUL (Yonhap) -- North Korea plans to host its Arirang Festival, the world's largest gymnastics show designed to attract foreign tourists, from August to mid-October and has already begun preparations for the mass spectacle, a tour agency said on Feb. 17.
Pyongyang has intermittently held the annual festival, named after Korea's famous folk song, since 2002, mobilizing some 100,000 people for synchronized acrobatics, gymnastics, dances and flip-card mosaic animations.
The months-long show, also held in 2005 and 2008, is believed to bring in badly-needed foreign currency and promote the regime's socialism.
"Info from Pyongyang is that there are practices starting -- although it is still very cold there so not full scale, I think," Simon Cockerell from Beijing-based Koryo Tours, which exclusively operates tours to North Korea, said in an email.
Koryo's U.S. branch in Alabama said on its website that this year's festival will be held from Aug. 1 through Oct. 10, the same dates as the last couple of years. Small groups now practice the moves until they are expanded to full scale rehearsals just before the event starts, Cockerell said.
"People practice even when the mass games (aren't) confirmed," he said, "But it is definitely sign that they will go ahead though and therefore we are offering a full range of tours," Cockerell said.
The 90-minute extravaganza is performed every evening except Sundays.
North Korea skipped the festival in 2003, 2004, 2006 and 2007 without giving reasons. Seoul officials say some of these years were when the country was badly hit by floods from the summer monsoon season. In 2006, Pyongyang conducted its missile tests in July and a nuclear test in October.
Nuke Threat Makes N. Korean Missile More Alarming: Minister
SEOUL (Yonhap) -- South Korea's top diplomat emphasized on Feb. 18 that North Korea's missile program poses a serious threat to international security due to its ability to launch a nuclear bomb.
Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan also said that Pyongyang would still face stern punitive measures from the United Nations even if it launches a satellite, and not a missile as feared.
"North Korea's missile is not a mere conventional weapon," Yu said at a meeting with foreign envoys in Seoul. "The combination of its long-range missile and nuclear capability will have a very serious impact on the world's peace and security."
Recent satellite images have shown that North Korea appears to be preparing to launch a long-range missile from a base on its east coast, according to South Korean and U.S. intelligence officials.
North Korea indirectly confirmed the move on Feb. 16 by stating that it has a right to pursue "peaceful space activity," a term Pyongyang used in 1998 when it flew a rocket over Japan. At the time, the North said it was part of an effort to send its first satellite into orbit, while its neighbors labeled it a long-range missile launch.
The minister said North Korea is expected to follow a similar pattern this time around, adding that whether it is a missile or a satellite, a rocket launch of any kind would still violate U.N. Security Council Resolution 1718 -- adopted in 2006 -- which prohibits Pyongyang from conducting a missile test.
"It it hard to tell a missile from a satellite in terms of technology," Yu said.
The minister also urged Pyongyang to return to the six-way talks on its atomic weapons program and agree on proposed ways to inspect its nuclear sites.


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Thursday, November 12, 2009
LOVE getting awards! ; )
The lovely Dot/Sweet Pea at Hopes & Dreams for Us was kind enough to bestow an award on me last week. Here's how it goes:
All we need is a little LOVE! The rules for this award is simple. I LOVE YOU = 8 letters which gives you 8 rules :) Here are the rules:
1. Thank the person who nominated you for this award and write a little bit about why you love them.
I already thanked Dot on her blog, but am happy to thank her again here. : ) I believe I found her blog a few months ago, when I noticed her on my list of followers. I learned that she too has taken the difficult step of stopping IF treatment & trying to live without children. Her upbeat, positive attitude & pleasure in the good things about her childfree life is a huge inspiration.
2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog. (See above)
3. Link to the person who nominated you for this award.
(See hyperlinks above.)
4. Nominate no more than 17 people you think could use some love.
5. Write one word (you can only use a word once) about what you love about their blog.
6. You cannot nominate someone who has already been nominated-the love has to spread to all.
7. Post links to the 17 blogs you nominate.
Like Dot, I will nominate 5! I don't believe any of them have been nominated for this yet. I also tried to pick people that I haven't tagged for an award before (or at least, not lately, lol):
1. Heather @ Rising & Setting: perseverance
2. Mrs. Spit @ Mrs. Spit Spouts Off: eloquence
3. Silya @ A Real Life: intelligence
4. Quiet Dreams @ Dreaming of Quiet Places: courage
5. Luna @ Life From Here: Musings from the Edge: thoughfulness
8. Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know they've been nominated.
(I will, as soon as I hit "publish," lol.)
Thank you, again!
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subset: commoncrawl


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Hey All! Hope you have had a sunny week. The weather around here had been too good to us (still) so I am hoping that doesn't mean a not so awesome summer like last year.
Anyways, our week… We had park time, bike rides, I finally got up my gallery wall in the bonus room (it took me a year to gather everything for it) and an evening run.
I am starting to embrace the floral trend more and picked up this dress for $20 this week:
And I also dug out this oldie this week:
We also had an appointment for Miss. Chloe and it looks like we are off all dairy – even lactose free things for a bit to try and rule out a dairy protein intolerance versus lactose. This just means different milk for her (rice milk she loves!) and being extra cautious on the dairy side of things.
Meal planning. Next week is a tad crazy so I tried to keep things easy for us.
Saturday – Blackened Shrimp Tacos – Budget Bytes
Sunday – Chicken Kale Caesar Wraps & roasted broccoli – Budget Bytes
Monday – Egg Salad sandwiches & sweet potato fries (
Tuesday – Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup & cornbread – Cooking Classy
Wednesday – Pesto Pasta with Tomatoes and Broccoli – ifoodreal
Thursday – OUT
Friday – Pizza – kind undecided 😉
This weekend we are planning a bike ride, a trip to Sunnybrook farm, our long run and a community clean-up and BBQ Sunday – should be a great weekend!


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WIP: Eldar War Walker of Iybraesil #2
Hey guys, update on my War Walker. I applied the basecoats with my airbrush and also sprayed on some highlights. After I've painted a couple of Iybraesil vehicles by now, the airbrushing went quite smooth this time.
Now it's back to good old brush work. I'll work my way from the bottom to the top, finishing one sub-assembly group after another. So far I've finished the base (apart from some flock) and painted the legs of the walker. Next up is the hull. Unfortunately I'm so busy with my day job at the moment, so progress will be even slower than usual. Please bear with me ;)


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humic acid Applications
Humic Acids for Aquaculture
At fish breeding humic acids are known for long as an integral part of natural waters for the bio-logical improvement of the water quality. For this purpose peat based products were often used to optimize the pH with the containing humic acids. Huminc acids based products on base of lignite like HuminFeed® in the field of aquacultures are an object for research for many years yet. Within the research acitivities regarding the use of HuminFeed in aquacultures and ornamental fish breeding the following positive effects amongst others could be observed by the Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries in Berlin:
By Humintech GmbH based in Grevenbroich, GERMANY.
Humic Acids for Animal Breeding
Humic acidscan be successfully used as an additive in animal feed. Various research trials conducted worldwide have all showed positive results concerning the use of humic acids as an organic feed ingredient. Increases in liveweight of animals, improved growth rates, increased feed intakes and food conversion ratios and a stronger resistance against diseases are the common results of these trials. By improving immune function of animals, especially of young animals, humic acids also reduce the incidence of enteric disease and diarrhoea.
By Humintech GmbH based in Grevenbroich, GERMANY.
Need help finding the right suppliers? Try XPRT Sourcing. Let the XPRTs do the work for you


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Thursday, August 9, 2012
Tales From the Sock Drawer: Katie the Book Blogger
Katie the Book Blogger is all of these.
In fact, her hatred for the grammatically challenged has turned her into a serial killer, stabbing them to death and stacking their severed heads in a pile as a grim warning to those who would continue butchering the English language.
I assumed her fellow book bloggers would be horrified by her actions. Instead they're quite supportive, even sending her the names and addresses of grammar offenders in the hope she'll sort them out.
So the next time you're on Facebook and you're commenting on a friend's photo of their darling dog, remember: too has two 'o's in it. It just might save your life.
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A reflection on the Feast of the Transfiguration by Mother Maria -Michael Newe, OSB.
Today, on the feast of the Transfiguration, I was thinking of Jesus' prayer in the Gospel of John: "Now this is eternal life, that they should know you the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth by accomplishing the work that you gave me to do." (John 17: 3-4) That glorification through the accomplishment of the Father's works is what happens on the Transfiguration. Jesus is given the will of the Father through Moses and Elijah. He is given how He is to fulfill the Prophecies and the Law, the Law of Love. "Now glorify me Father with the glory I had with you before the world began." (John 17:5) You see a glimpse of that glory in the Transfiguration. I think that the perfect glory is to be in perfect union with God. That is heaven. It's very difficult; but the one thing that transfigures us the most is giving up our own will. That is transfiguring because it crucifies us. And yet it places us in the very heart of God, because then we are most like His Son—who layed down everything in order to glorify His Father.
The only thing that really hinders our union with God is our self will. That is the one thing St. Benedict tells us to root out, to get rid of. Have a good sense, through self-knowledge when self-will creeps in and turns you away from the right way. In order to be one with Christ, we must be one with His will. Our 'yes' to Christ must be pure and it will transfigure us if we persevere. Christ too had to persevere. He had to say at the end, while He was on the Cross, "It is accomplished." I hope those are the words that ring out when we die, "It is accomplished," and then we shall be fully transfigured.


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This site is about my life growing up and growing older in Mathews County, a rural, water-bound community on the way to nowhere in particular.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Lunch Bucket
Surprise! Guess what this is? Did you say another sunset from Gwynn's Island? How did you know?
Continuing on the topic of old expressions that are soon fading away, I'd like to focus on lunch, dinner and lunch boxes, or as my grandmother called it, a lunch bucket. (Some people would call it a lunch pail.)
First, did you know that at one time lunch was dinner and dinner was supper? Don't ask me when they used the term lunch, I have no idea. But whenever my grandmother, and often my mother, told us to come eat dinner, it was lunchtime. And when they called us to supper, it was dinner.
Make sense? Clear as mud? Let's look at it another way:
Breakfast: Presumably was called Breakfast
Lunch: Was called Dinner.
Dinner: Was and still is called supper by many.
Now on to the topic of lunch boxes, which were called dinner buckets and later lunch buckets. Why? Because way back when people took their lunches (aka dinner) to school, and they toted it in a pail or a bucket.
I know some of you are saying, "This Chesapeake Bay Woman character really has her facts all wrong. She is confused and incorrect as usual."
Ordinarily I'd agree wholeheartedly.
But I offer the following excerpt from a book called Island History and Progress, News Items About Gwynn's Island, Virginia, from the Gloucester-Mathews Gazette Journal:
"September 15, 1955: ....Mr. Foster....reminisced, mentioning many old friends and neighbors who were classmates.
"...He described the two-room school building of 1898. Here they used 10-cent slates and wrote with pencils which were two to a penny. The children carried a round tin dinner bucket containing a can of black molasses, two cold biscuits and a sweet potato. He compared this with what the children of today have."
Indeed! If I sent Chesapeake Bay Children to school with black strap molasses and a sweet potato in a bucket, they'd be on the phone, post haste, to the nice people with the padded van and the straight jacket.
So, while I won't actually use a bucket to pack their lunch in, I will--just to keep them on their toes--often tell them to put their lunch buckets in the kitchen when they get home from school. It always gets a response or a reaction, but so far they haven't picked up that phone.
So far.
13 comments:
- Grandma J said...
Yeah, we went from lunch bucket to lunch pail, then lunch bag.
We also said dinner for our midday meal on weekends when it was the main meal of the day. The evening meal was always supper...or as Rita would say, with her New England accent, suppah!
You really need to put a calendar together of all your sunsets and sunrises.
- November 14, 2008 at 1:50 AM
- Bayman said...
A couple I always heard growing up on the island was corn on the cobb= "roasten ears" and squash= "simlins."
One day while having lunch in the Seabreeze, sitting at the long table that is shared by all, I had a conversation with a relative who farmed. He was known as "Boozie" to close friends and family.
BM: Boozie, gettin' any roasten ears?
Boozie: Startin' to see a few, come get you a mess.
Across the table sat a "come here" family in stunned disbelief, who must have thought they had entered the Tower of Babel. They had no clue as they looked at us and then at each other.
I hope no Mexican sweet potatoes were transported in the lunch buckets.
- November 14, 2008 at 6:04 AM
- Chesapeake Bay Woman said...
GJ - You need to write another Rita story....
BM - I'm reasonably sure there may be something awry with the drinking water over there...simlins? I wonder how they came up with that? I can understand roastin ears, but simlins? Also, Boozie? Surely there's a story behind that descriptive name.
- November 14, 2008 at 6:43 AM
Lunch was Dinner only on Sundays at our house growing up. Rest of the week, it was Breakfast, Lunch and Supper.
Bayman - we had Roastin' Ears growing up in Central PA, too. And a "mess" was usually green beans from the garden, or peas. A mess of beans. Heh!
- November 14, 2008 at 9:48 AM
- Mental P Mama said...
I would actually love some biscuits with some black strap and a sweet potato. But then, I am a redneck from Tennessee passing as a Yankee in Connecticut. And now I am starving.
- November 14, 2008 at 9:57 AM
Dear CBW,
I have it on good authority, from a friend New-Pointer, that it is breakfast-dinner-supper, NOT breakfast-lunch-dinner.
His rationale?:
Did Jesus eat the "Last Dinner"? no he did not, he ate the "Last Supper"! If it was good enough for him, it's good enough for us Mathews-countymen!
take care~
anonymous Mathews native
- November 14, 2008 at 10:51 AM
- Chesapeake Bay Woman said...
Soup - Roastin Ears? You too? I'm really starting to wonder about this Mathews - Central PA connection...
MPM - We'll put some molasses and sweet potato in your welcome basket when you come for your visit.
AMN - Thank you for that confirmation, and excellent point about the last supper. Now, can you check on the whole roastin ears thing? I haven't heard that one.
- November 14, 2008 at 11:08 AM
- Autumnforest said...
Hey, I'm a good southerner. I still call it "dinner" (noon) and "supper" (evening).
- November 14, 2008 at 12:02 PM
- Big Hair Envy said...
A "CYMLING" is a TYPE of squash. It's sort of flat and round, with a white or light green skin. My family always called them "simlins" too:)
Whenever we had a mess of roastin' ears for supper, we got to use those little two-pronged thingies to stick into the hard part at the ends of the ears. (They were shaped like little ears of corn. And ALWAYS yellow.) It was great fun! You could roll your roastin' ear around in butter, and never get your hands greasy!
- November 14, 2008 at 2:30 PM
- Life with Kaishon said...
My Daddy is adamant that we call lunch, dinner and dinner, supper. He grew up Pennsylvania Dutch/ Mennonite. Whatever. I am happy to call supper, supper. I like when people look at me funny and say, "Who says that?" I just smile and walk away!
- November 14, 2008 at 2:32 PM
- Karen Deborah said...
just call me to eat any way shape or form.
- November 14, 2008 at 6:43 PM
- tj said...
...Hi CBW and CB Peeps! Yeah, like my grandma used to say, "you can call me anything you want, just don't call me late for supper"...lol ;o)
...What kind of lunchbox did you carry in grade school CBW? Mine was a Flipper lunchbox... I loved Flipper.
...Btw, I'm with GJ up there about the calendar thing - great idea!
...Blessings all... :o)
- November 14, 2008 at 10:25 PM
- Fire Byrd said...
If you live in England you can also have tea, as in gentile afternoon tea with cucumber sandwiches. Or tea as in the evening meal.
Dinner is eaten out or by posh people.
Supper is what you have before bed, as in a warm drink and maybe a biscuit.
Here the names of meals relate to the class system.
Got here vis monkeys on the roof.
Love your photos they are spectacular.
- November 16, 2008 at 12:24 PM


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What book-lovers don't like to talk about their books, their own personal collection that they can pick up whenever they have a hankering for their stories, or sort them with rapt and dreamy attention in stacks or on shelves? This one sure likes to. And what book-lovers don't like studying other people's shelves? (Marielle does this at Mrs. Parker's house in England Adventure as a matter of fact.) So when I saw "Bookshelf Tag" on Elisabeth Grace Foley's blog, The Second Sentence, I wanted to participate myself and share it with my blogging friends. It originated from Natalie on Raindrops on Roses & Whiskers on Kittens. And also, because of time constraints, I'm not including all the questions … so please, check out Natalie's blog to find the whole list! Without further ado:
Describe your bookshelf (or wherever it is you keep your books—it doesn't actually have to be a shelf!) and where you got it from (you can include a picture if you wish):
I consider four bookshelves as mine. Two match: tall, brown, with sliding doors concealing two shelves of books on the bottom; those are in my bedroom and decorated with knickknacks. Two others, in the library/study/craft/old school room, are also the same size, with three shelves each, but one is brown and the other is maple-ish. The two tall, brown shelves have been in my family longer than I have; the small ones came from Walmart, I think.
Do you have any special or different way of organizing your books?
Probably not in any way no one has thought of before … I try to organize by subject, author, and size.
What's the thickest (most amount of pages) book on your shelf?
An old Bible—1712 pages!
What's the thinnest (least amount of pages) book on your shelf?
That's hard to say because I keep a lot of children's picture books behind the doors in my tall shelves. But I think the winner may be one of a tiny boxed set of Beatrix Potter tales … topping out at ten pages.
Is there a book you received as a birthday gift or a Christmas gift?
Probably quite a few of them I received that way … such as my Anne of Green Gables boxed set, Chronicles of Narnia, Jesus Freaks, Dear Princess, Queen Victoria's Sketchbook …
What's the smallest (height and width wise) book on your shelf?
Any one of my miniature Little Golden books. They measure 2 ¾ by 2 ¾ inches—so cute!
What's the biggest (height and width wise) book on your shelf?
The Jews in Their Land, conceived and edited by David Ben Gurion. It measures 12 inches tall by 8 ½ inches wide and barely squeezes onto its shelf.
Is there a book from a friend on your shelf?
Yes! In two different ways: some have been published by friends, and some have been given to me by friends, like Queen Victoria's Sketchbook mentioned above.
Most expensive book?
Not sure … I buy most of my books secondhand.
The last book you read on your shelf?
A Secret Gift, a book about stories of the Great Depression, by Ted Gup; I read it in January.
Do you have more than one copy of a book?
I do, actually. Treasures of the Snow by Patricia St. John. One is a vintage hardback from 1950 and was given to my aunt when she was a little girl and the other, a white paperback, is from the 1990s (I'm estimating).
Do you have the complete series of any book series?
Several. Anne of Green Gables, most of the American Girl six-book series, the History Mysteries series, Little House, the Royal Diaries … and perhaps more. I love having whole series.
What's the newest addition to your shelf?
I think Little Hood is one of them, illustrated by my friend E. Kaiser Writes!
The oldest book on your shelf (as in, the actual copy is old)?
A beautiful edition of Under the Lilacs by Louisa May Alcott, which seems to date from 1888.
A book you won?
The Experiment, by Morgan Huneke.
A book with a special/different cover (e.g. leather bound, soft fuzzy cover, etc.)?
A leather-bound Bible that was my dad's from the 1960s.
A book that is your favorite color?
There are several that are blue, so I'll go with Emily Climbs, because that has the prettiest cover of all the blue ones, I think.
Any signed books?
At least seven! In Search of Adventure, From the Dark to the Dawn, and Remembering the Alamo by Alicia A. Willis; The Experiment by Morgan Huneke; The Sparrow Found a House by Jason McIntire; Journeys of Faithfulness by Sarah Clarkson; and Behind the Stories by Diane Eble—signed by Bodie Thoene, whose story is included in the collection.
If you would like to participate, consider yourself tagged! And don't forget: if you want the complete list of questions, check out Raindrops on Roses & Whiskers on Kittens.


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Before I begin, I have to say that hiring an illustrator was one of the most difficult things that I had to organise once I had decided to self-publish. I found it difficult because:
- It is hard to find illustrators with a style you like and that will fit with a particular story and who will actually get back to you when you contact them and are interested in working with you.
- Illustrations can be very, very expensive and the prices are so variable from illustrator to illustrator. I didn't really have a big budget to play with, so finding the right illustrator for the right price was extremely important..
But I needed to use a professional illustrator because I wanted my book to look as much like a real book as possible and real middle grade fiction books don't usually have illustrations by the author (who has no skill, experience or qualifications in the area). In the same way I wouldn't cut my own hair, I wouldn't do my own illustrations – whilst I can cut and I can draw, I can do neither to a professional standard!
Now, it should be noted that if I could have published my book without illustrations and still had it really make sense, I definitely would have, but that was not an option in the case of Diary of a Penguin-napper. The illustrations added to the story in a way I couldn't replace with words and the finished product does look amazing. That said, the next book I am planning will be free of illustrations.
So, what do you need to do if you want illustrations for your self-published book? Just follow these ten easy* steps:
1. Decide exactly how many illustrations your book will need and where they will fall in the text. (For Diary of a Penguin-napper my original estimate was 30 and I ended up with 33 altogether.)
2. Decide how much you can afford to spend on each illustration or for all of them together. (For me, this was not much, as I wanted to keep my costs down so as not to make them too difficult to recoup them through book sales.)
3. Search for an illustrator. This is the hardest part, as I mentioned earlier, because if you're anything like me, you have a clear picture in your head of what you want your illustrations to look like. It is tricky to find someone who fits with the picture in your head and who is available or interested in your project. I had the most success using www.styleapple.com where I posted a free advert outlining my project and received about six replies within 24 hours.
4. Get more information. I then emailed those six replies asking to see some further examples of their work, giving them further information about the project and answering any questions that they had. I also reiterated the price I was looking to pay. Of the six replies, only three replied to my reply in a timely fashion (if that makes sense) and so that helped me to narrow it down further. Reply/turnaround time is important when you are working to a deadline.
One of the additional pieces of information that I gave them was this 'mock-up' as an example of the kind of thing I was looking for:
Obviously it isn't perfect (otherwise why would I hire an illustrator – I could just do it myself!) but it gave the illustrators a clear picture of what I was after.
5. Choose an illustrator to work with. I ended up working with Ainsley Knott and he caught my eye because he replied (to one of my replies!) with his own version of my image above.
It looked like this and because he'd taken that extra bit of effort to impress me, I decided to hire him to do my illustrations.
6. Sign the paperwork. After we agreed to work together, Ainsley send me an 'Acceptance of Commission' form which confirmed our agreement formally in writing and I had to sign it. Make sure you double check all of the fine print, including the pricing, copyright and what you are allowed to use the images for. I actually hired Ainsley on a 'work for hire' basis, rather than on a commission, as I didn't want to have to be regularly calculating and paying him a commission from sales.
7. Provide a detailed design brief. The next thing I did was to send Ainsley a copy of my manuscript for him to read and get a feel for the style. Whilst he was reading it, I gave him a detailed list of the illustrations I needed and where they would need to fit on the page. I also gave him ideas of the 'doodles' to add around the writing to make it look more like the diary of an 11 year old boy.
8. Give plenty of feedback and promptly! Once Ainsley had completed some of the illustrations, he would email them to me and I would take a look and provide him with feedback. Some of the illustrations were pretty much perfect from the beginning, whereas others took some perfecting.Here's an example of how one of the pictures evolved over the course of a few emails:
Another great thing about working with Ainsley was that he was absolutely tireless when it came to making improvements to the illustrations. As he is based in the UK and I am based in Australia, things took a little longer to organise because when he'd be working, I'd be asleep and vice versa. The best collaborations happened when we both replied quickly to one another.
9. Receive the finished files. Once we were both happy with all of the files, Ainsley sent me through all of the final files and I inserted them into my manuscript (which I had formatted in InDesign). Easy! Then he sent me an invoice for his work.
10. Pay promptly. When I paid Ainsley, the day after he'd finished the work, he was pretty surprised. Normally it takes people a lot longer to come up with the money and they sometimes need reminders. If you do use a freelance illustrator (or cover designer), I'd suggest that you pay them promptly. They'll be happy to work with you again (and they'll be more willing to work with the rest of us too).*Right, so when I said 'ten easy steps' I was being a bit sarcastic. Hiring an illustrator is darn hard work and really adds to your workload as a self-published author, not to mention the significant dint it puts in your budget. Having said that, I'll say it again, the finished product with the illustrations does look pretty awesome.Pop back on Friday to meet my wonderful illustrator – Ainsley Knott – and find out how he can be your wonderful illustrator too!


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(Dr.) C. Ortiz Pérez
Santander 11 enero 1962
(Extract from a letter)
"The notes made during our time in San Sebastián on last December 8th: María Dolores announced that she would see on Thursday, January 13th. Mari Cruz and Jacinta will have an apparition on the 16th and Conchita on the 27th. We found out about Conchita when she was going down to the calleja to say the rosary on December 9th, something she'd been doing since the previous October, and she said to my wife: "It is so long until the 27th, but after that I will continue to see!" This "continue to see" makes us suppose that she knew this from her last vision.
(Dr.) C. Ortiz Pérez
Santander January 11, 1962


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FireMagic A660I6LAP
Aurora Series 30 Inch Built-In Liquid Propane Grill with Standard Burners, Rotisserie, in Stainless Steel
Quick Specs: View More
- Series: Aurora
- Width: 34.5"
- Height: 27"
- Depth: 30.87"
- Style: Built-In
- Fuel Type: Liquid Propane
- Number of Burners: 4
- Rotisserie: Yes
- Burner Type: Standard
- Grilling Surface Size: 660 sq. inches
- Grill Light: Yes
- Infrared Burner: Yes
- Drip Tray Included: Yes
Superior design and engineering power the Aurora's unparalleled performance. The Aurora Series delivers cooking versatility, durability and longevity in a beautifully crafted grill. It features diamond sear cooking grids, analog thermometer, backburner, cast stainless steel burners, infrared sear burner, halogen interior lights, and seamless controls panel. The hot surface electronic ignition provides reliable lighting for every meal. Available at AppliancesConnection
Diamond Sear Cooking Grids
All 304 stainless steel trapezoid cooking grids provide greater cooking surface for even heat and great searing.
Hot Surface Ignition
Hot surface electronic ignition provides reliable lighting for every meal. Requires 120 Volt AC power supply.
Comfort Touch Knobs
Knobs are at a 40° angle to easily see how to operate; and have comfort-touch grips for safety and convenience.
Cast Stainless Steel Burners
1/4" thick cast stainless steel "E" burners for consistent, even heat and a lifetime of durability.
Halogen Interior Lights
Interior halogen lights make evening grilling a breeze.
Gourmet Face
Seamless control panel with satin finish.
Analog Thermometer
Analog thermometer with polished stainless steel bezel in hood measures up to 1000° F.
Infrared Burner
Equipped with infrared sear burner that provides the most BTUs per square inch that fires up the heat faster and stays hot.
Stainless Steel Backburner
Stainless steel backburner and a complete rotisserie kit with a polished stainless steel cover for protection.
|General Specifications
|Stainless Steel
|Grill Shape:
|Grill Light:
|Grilling Surface Size:
|660 sq. inches
|Grill Body Material:
|Stainless Steel
|Backburner Output:
|Searing Burner:
|Cutout Width:
|Cutout Depth:
|Cutout Height:
Cast Stainless Steel E Burners
Cast stainless steel �E� burners for consistent, even heat distribution, guaranteed for life.
Analog Thermometer
Check your grill`s temperature the traditional way with the built-in analog thermometer.
Advanced Hot Surface Ignition
Simply push in the control knob, turn up the gas and light the grill.
Comfort Touch Knobs
Comfort touch heavy-duty control knobs.
Beautiful Gourmet Face
A grill of superior design and engineering -- crafted for cooking versatility, durability, and longevity.
Spring Assisted Lid
Feather-light, easy-lift oven hood with spring assist.
- Brand: FireMagic
- Stock Id: 750417
- Product Number: A660I6LAP
- Series: Aurora
- Warranty Info:
- Fuel Type: Liquid Propane
- Style: Built-In
- Number of Burners: 4
- Rotisserie: Yes
- Burner Type: Standard
- Grill Shape: Rectangular
- Grill Light: Yes
- Grill Grate Material: Stainless Steel
- Grill Body Material: Stainless Steel
- Color: Stainless Steel
- Searing Burner: Yes
- Infrared Burner: Yes
- Drip Tray Included: Yes
- Thermometer Included: Yes
- Exterior Width: 30"
- Grilling Surface Size: 660 sq. inches
- Width: 34.5"
- Height: 27"
- Depth: 30.87"
- Cutout Width: 32"
- Cutout Depth: 23.5"
- Cutout Height: 12"
- Warranty Terms: Lifetime Warranty on stainless steel burners, cooking grids, and housings as long you own them.
- Main Burner Configuration: E Burners, Infrared Burner, and Backburner
- Made in USA: Yes
- Thermometer Type: Analog
- Magic View Window: No
- Backburner Output: 18000 BTU
- Weight: 229.00 lbs


text:
Scheduled Maintenance Notice
ALERT: Access to NationalService.gov, AmeriCorps.gov, and SeniorCorps.gov may be interrupted for scheduled maintenance on Friday, July 20 between 8pm ET to 9pm ET.
New to National Service
The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) plays a vital role in supporting and encouraging the values of citizenship, service, and responsibility. Our support includes training, research, and grants that provide opportunities for Americans to serve and help address critical community needs. Each year, national and community service participants and grantees recruit hundreds of thousands of volunteers, who donate millions of hours of service to their communities.
Getting Things Done
All national service programs address compelling community issues in education, public safety, health and human needs, the environment, and more.
National service participants
- tutor children and adults
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- help persons with disabilities and the elderly to maintain their independence
- manage after-school programs for social and academic enrichment
- and much more.
Senior Corps and AmeriCorps have track records of mobilizing community resources, helping to develop an ethic of service and leadership skills, and expanding and sustaining organizational capacity.
People Power
National service participants multiply the impact of thousands of organizations, from the nation's leading charities, such as Habitat for Humanity, the American Red Cross, Boys and Girls Clubs of America, to small faith-based and other community organizations.
CNCS provides financial support through grants and "people power" to more than 2,000 nonprofits that utilize AmeriCorps members in meeting community needs and strengthening the capacity and reach of the organizations where they serve. Additionally, more than 12,000 community nonprofits engage senior volunteers supported by Senior Corps.
Find out which program is right for your organization
Find Volunteers and Members
CNCS offers resources to help you recruit people for your projects, including tools to post your service opportunities online.
- Find AmeriCorps Members Using the Online Recruitment System
- Find Senior Corps Volunteers Using VolunteerMatch.org
- Find Resources for Managing Volunteers and Members
We understand that sometimes you don't need national service participants for your project -- you just need some volunteers. Or you may want lend a helping hand in your neighborhood.
Serve.gov is your online resource for not only finding volunteer opportunities in your community, but also creating your own. America's foundation will be built one community at a time –- and it starts with you.


text:
Bigger means better has long been Hollywood's default setting. Larger budgets allow for expanded casts, more exotic locations and mightier explosions to blow up bigger landmarks into even tinnier pieces – all in the name of ensuring people buy more tickets again. That's why Avengers: Infinity War, the upcoming 19th film in the MCU, is set to feature every Marvel hero known to man – along with a few we've never heard of before. How else will audiences be entertained if we don't constantly bombard them with a constant supply of budget-bulging cataclysmic action sequences?
War for the Planet of the Apes is the antithesis to this preconception. Having already delivered a prequel that wasn't a complete disaster and a sequel that was deeper and more compelling than the original, the third instalment of the rebooted series again subverts expectations by eschewing the ballistics-heavy battles promised in its title. Instead, it offers a intimate and sombre tale of a highly intelligent ape grappling with his darker instincts. And it's all the more powerful for it.
That being said, the movie kicks off with an almighty skirmish as a camo-striped strike force drop into the apes' woodland hideout and engage in a grim and gritty gunfight among the trees. The soldiers are searching for Caesar, the highly evolved chimpanzee who led his kind to freedom from the humans, who has been so long withdrawn from view that he has taken on an almost mythical status among the human troops. But when the arboreal assault results in unimaginable losses for Caesar, he's forced to come out of hiding to embark on a revenge-fuelled mission to kill Woody Harrleson's sadistic Colonel, and end the war once and for all.
This perilous journey 'upriver' in search of a psychotic military leader will undoubtedly prompt comparisons with Francis Ford Coppola's hallucinatory masterpiece Apocalypse Now – indeed, one piece of graffiti scrawled onto the walls of Alpha Omega's military compound makes the obligatory Ape-pocalypse Now gag. Yet, as Caesar, along with his three closest advisors, Maurice, Luca and Rocket, and a mute young girl they rescue along the way, rides out onto the breathtaking California vistas, War more closely brings to mind epic westerns of the 1950s. Even the likes of Ben-Hur and the Ten Commandments get referenced, Caesar's quest taking on Biblical proportions as he confronts his demons and becomes tasked with freeing his kind and leading them to a promised land across the desert.
As the conflicted Caesar, Andy Serkis is a formidable presence, bringing a Shakespearian sense of grandeur to the simian leader. It's not just the ape-like physicality that he nails, though. So much of Caesar's troubles are internalised: having spent much of Dawn failing to convince Koba to let go of his hatred towards humans, he now finds himself consumed by rage for the Colonel and has to battle with his baser bloodlust. That Serkis is able to convey these complex emotions by making subtle tweaks to his furrowed brow is truly remarkable. The digital technology has taken another dramatic leap forward – the verisimilitude in the texture of the apes' damp, matted fur is astounding – yet it would all be for nought were it not for the delicate craftsmanship of the film's performers.
With so much of the focus on his personal circumstances, it's somewhat inevitable that the broader divide between apes and humans is not quite as nuanced as we saw in Dawn. Still, many of the humans characters are given enough layers to make them compelling. None more so that Woody Harrelson's swivel-eyed warmonger, the Colonel. Though initial seen as a cruel, Kurtz-a-like crackpot who's beyond redemption, he's granted additional depth by an unexpected plot pivot that lends a reason to his vicious acts. Suddenly, we realise he's not too different to his anthropoid antagonist – he just a little further along the road to ruin.
It's not all bleak introspection and grim determination, though – War offers up a surprising level of comic relief. This mostly comes via Steve Zahn's Bad Ape, a hermitic chimp who escaped from a zoo after the outbreak of Simian Flu and somehow manages to charm his way into Caesar's troop. There's a Dobby-esque warmth to be found in his hapless enthusiasm to help his new friends, and his heartwarming journey from loneliness to valued member of the tribe is a rare fuzzy moment that helps to lighten proceedings when they threaten to become too entrapped in darkness.
Of course, War is not completely without action and when the epic final showdown between the warring species inevitably comes to pass, it's an exhilaratingly well executed cacophony of fur and fireballs that would make Michael Bay blanche. Yet it remains an entertaining sideshow to Caesar's more sombre, though no less gripping, attempts to seek redemption. It's a bold, original, and incredibly powerful conclusion that finally allows Serkis to showcase his so often overlooked talents and also brings this groundbreaking trilogy to a memorable, wholly satisfying close. Turns out, bigger isn't always better after all.
Runtime: 140 mins (approx.)
Director: Matt Reeves
Screenwriters: Mark Bomback, Matt Reeves
Stars: Andy Serkis, Woody Harrelson, Amiah Miller, Steve Zahn


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Institutional Conflicts of Interest: Protecting Human Subjects, Scientific Integrity, and Institutional Accountability
DuVal, Gordon
Bibliographic Citation
Journal of Law, Medicine and Ethics 2004 Winter; 32(4): 613- 625
MetadataShow full item record
Related items
Showing items related by title, author, creator and subject.
Conflicts of Interest for Medical Publishers and Editors: Protecting the Integrity of Scientific Scholarship Desai, Sapan S; Shortell, Cynthia K (2011-09)Competition of interest may exist at all levels in the medical publication process. Ensuring the integrity of scientific scholarship involves protecting editorial independence, promoting the use of scientific arbitration ...
Financial Conflicts of Interest in Human Subjects Research: The Problem of Institutional Conflicts Barnes, Mark; Florencio, Patrik S. (2002-09)
Toward a More Comprehensive Approach to Protecting Human Subjects: The Interface of Data Safety Monitoring Boards and Institutional Review Boards in Randomized Clinical Trials Gordon, Valery M.; Sugarman, Jeremy; Kass, Nancy (1998-01)


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12 Responses to
I love what you guys are up too. This kind of clever work and coverage!
Keep up the very good works guys I've included you guys to our blogroll.
Thank you kindly for your support and kinds words. It has been a long struggle and there is much work that still needs doing, but we are all very committed and its very humbling to hear all the support that we have had.
Why not save Ancoats Walk in NHS Centre across the road rather than a rotten crumbling useless old building????
The question is what do we value in our communities and should we as a tax paying community have a say over how our communities are shaped. The majority of this country would agree that we should.
In the case of Ancoats and indeed Miles Platting they have been subject to numerous social projects, which in my opinion have been little more than an excuse in land grabbing and social engineering at its very worse.
As specifically for Ancoats Dispensary in relation to the NHS Centre, why should the people of Ancoats always have to have one or another? Do these choices ever have to be made in more affluent areas like Didsbury for instance? The answer there is no.
Ancoats unlike any other area in Manchester as a very specific and unique history and irrespective of what people say every treasures their history. Be this their family and memories or in this case their dispensary.
Manchester has what should be by all terms and purposes a criminal record when it comes to its architectural heritage and sadly an estimated 90% of Ancoats historic buildings have already gone, which on many levels is a disgrace. Not just for sentimental or historical reasons, but for utter waste. Its costs more to demolish than to restore for the majority of historic building. Historic buildings also produce higher yields in terms of rents on average, with business in the majority looking specifically for historic buildings with character to lease and rent. Historic buildings can also enhance the landscape, whilst helping affirm and cultural and community identity. They also help drive tourism and local economy as seen at the Rocks in Sydney, Australia (similar population to Manchester), which was saved by passionate builders and the local community in the 1970s. It is now Sydney's most popular tourist destination with over a million people visiting, bring in millions of dollars to the local economy. Ancoats has a far richer history, but too many people in power and indeed Manchester in general have allowed our city to be destroyed at a very high cost, both to the community and economically.
London is a very different beast to Manchester, but what it does that Mancunians alike have rarely done is take pride in their cities history. Because they know its important and indeed brings money to the city. If we keep going the way we are going in Manchester, soon people will grow tired of city that looks and acts like every other and know one will ever visit Manchester for its sun!
Use what we have, the Victorian heritage and use it well. Its the only history we have. We're a young city that in the past changed the world and yet we have forgotten all that our ancestors achieved.
Look to the future like London, New York, Paris etc all of which take great pride in their architectural heritage, but also aim for the best going into the future – again we never do in Manchester. Our most modern architecture is appalling on the whole, with very few buildings to rival our Victorian heritage. Just not good enough in my opinion.
Just one last point, Ardwick Lads Club – one of the oldest lads club in the country was recently demolished by Manchester City Council. The official excuse was that it was of "no use".
The building was intact with the workers quoted as saying that "there is not a slate or brick out of place". The cost to replace this building would have been millions.
During demolition it came to light that the owners of AWOL Art Studios potentially would have took on Ardwick Lads Club as another studio and workplace for artists and creatives. Sadly that opportunity which would have cost next to nothing to put in place has been robbed from Ancoats. This is a Council that Mancunians sadly keep voting in. A Council that has an appallingly contempt for our communities and seeks t
o destroy a great many of them.
What's happening at present? Heard a surveyer had been round and said it was sound. What's the next step?
Hi Tracy and thank you for getting in touch. We are still ongoing with our negotiations with all concerned parties. You are very much welcome to pop down to our regular
meetings on Thursday, 7-9pm, Thompson Street Fire Station in Ancoats.
What a shame if this historical part of Manchester is bulldozed. Many ex patients and staff will have happy memories of Ancoats and it was a shame it was ever closed. Pat Kuryba nee Taylor
Historical buildings should be saved. I'm fed up with manchester commiting cultural vandelism and destroying the gems and architectural heritage we have. However no matter the opinion of the local taxpaer and citizen it wont stop the wrecking ball or council snapping shut that briefcase full of cash in replacement for a patch of lawn.Starbucks or a new roundabout. Shame on you Manchester. If you.want the city to be a place for tourism and history change your ways because the public is fed up and I'm sorry to say but the 2nd city of the united kingdom will ko longer be applicable.
Brilliant news for our Ancoats Dispensary..We the people of Ancoats think it would be brilliant to have our own Social Club again,just like the one we had years ago with our Bradford Labour Club.We the people of Ancoats have got no social life,cause we haven't got any ware to go,all we are doing is looking at four walls in our homes..Some life that is.We need somewhere to go of a weekends and evenings.
Do you remember Bradford Labour Club? My Great Uncle and Aunt used to run it in the 70's and I used to help out at weekends. I've been looking for old photos on line with no luck.
I will immediately grab your rss as I can't to find your email subscription hyperlink or e-newsletter service.
Do you have any? Please let me recognize so that I may just subscribe.


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Construction is a Project.
Sunday, 22 December 2013
Tuesday, 10 December 2013
coming soon!
Be Prepared.
Small Rally Guru Tribute for Conversion of Karowa.
Lots and Lots of CooL Stuff.
Sunday, 8 December 2013
7.Road sides finish touch
When we have our texture of tarmac ready we can finish it with sparkle of sand on the sides.
Here you have random texture of sand. You can FREE DOWNLOAD High Quality Image in the link below.
Copy and Paste it into your Tarmac image. Pres CTRL+T to free transform. Grab top corner and by holding SHIFT rotate image by 90 degrees.
Choose Move Tool(V) and by holding ALT duplicate Layer to cover both sides of the road. You should get few new Layers depending on size of your Texture.
Select all Sand Layers, Right click on it and select Marge Layers. That will create one Layer witch will be easier to edit.
Chose Brush Tool(B) and set hardness to about 30-40 percent or download custom brush below.
Now create Layer Mask on sand image and cover edges of that texture to blend it with asphalt.
Adjust Hue and Saturation till you get color you desire.
Now you have texture that you can cover your road.
Cool Tip.
You can change your sand into, for example snow simply by changing saturation and brightness.
As always you can FREE DOWNLOAD sample file below.
Friday, 6 December 2013
6. Working With Layer Mask
Another powerful tool in Photoshop is Layer Mask. It is very important to learn how to work with Layer Masks.
This amazing tool will get your work on another level of creating textures and other images.
Lets start with simple example.
Create new image 512x512 pixels and fill it with black color. Then create another Layer underneath and fill it with red color.
Next, switch to Black layer and create Layer Mask.
When you are working with Mask it is very important to remember to switch between Image and Mask.
Mask is working only with Black , White Colors and shades of gray.
Black Color is Masking (hiding) Image and reveling Layer underneath.
White Color is reveling (showing) that image back.
Therefore when you paint anything on mask with black it will erase it from image but not deleting it permanently and you will see layer below. You can easy show it back with White color so you can use Layer Mask instead of Eraser Tool witch is very, very useful. You can clearly see on picture below how Black color is Masking Black Layer and revealing red layer below.
That's why two main colors in Photoshop are Black and White. By pressing (D) you can quickly go back to default color settings and to switch between White and Black press (X).
Click below to FREE DOWNLOAD sample file.
Sunday, 1 December 2013
5. Introduction to Smart Objects.
Let's take step back and focus for a minute on Smart Objects. This cool feature is very useful tool. It's like separate document in your texture file..
First select your layer or layers that you want to convert. In example below our tarmac texture includes two layers.
Right click on the layers and choose Convert to Smart Object.
You should get one layer with Smart Object thumbnail.
When you double click on right bottom corner of that thumbnail another window will pop up and after pressing OK new document will open only with those two layers that we have chosen earlier. This is very cool stuff, because if you change size of Smart Object, lets say from 2048x2048 pixels to 512x512 pixels after opening it it will still have that 2048x2048 resolution. You can even have one Smart Object in many projects in one folder and after you process it, it will apply changes to all documents.
Texture looks like it's ready for texturing but it's not. It still has some imperfections that will make texture look like its duplicated.
The fastest way for me to check it is to double Canvas size and by choosing Move Tool(V) and holding ALT duplicate our texture.
Straight away you can see witch spots will create that unwanted effect. You can fix that with Clone Stamp Tool (S) to get results like below. By doing so you will be able to cover large terrain with small texture,
When you're done fixing texture you can go back to your original canvas size. Simply hide all unwanted layers and choose Image-Trim from Photohop Toolbar.
Close that file and save changes. It will automatically update those changes in all your Smart Objects.
Now You have your tarmac ready.
When you're done fixing texture you can go back to your original canvas size. Simply hide all unwanted layers and choose Image-Trim from Photohop Toolbar.
Close that file and save changes. It will automatically update those changes in all your Smart Objects.
Now You have your tarmac ready.
It might sound like it complicated but if you practice for a while you'll see that it's not.
As always you can click below to FREE DOWNLOAD High Quality Sample file and email address for any questions.
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…both personally and in blogdom.
Previous Posts
Saturday, August 18, 2007
A Full Week…
…both personally and in blogdom.
Personal BusynessOne of my favorite occasional institutions at FBC Farmersville is "Staff Night" at the Wednesday Evening Meal. Twice a year our ministry staff cooks the Wednesday meal for our congregation. This was our week. We try to make the event special. This week, I attempted something I had never done before—we treated the congregation to an all-you-can-eat shrimp boil. If you ever cook for your congregation, I recommend that you consider it. I was able to obtain 80# of headless 36-40 count Gulf Brown shrimp for $3.30 per pound. We cleaned out the local Wal-Mart of Zatarain's Shrimp Boil and Cocktail Sauce. Potatoes, onions, lemons, corn-on-the-cob, and the shrimp all go into a big pot and boil. The great thing about this meal is the ease with which you can prepare it for a large group. The potatoes, onions, lemon, shrimp boil, etc., only cook for 15 minutes. The shrimp and corn then go in for a mere 1 minute boil. The whole mixture steeps for a while. An entire cycle takes around 25 minutes. If you have multiple pots going, you can easily keep a large group of people well supplied with peel-'em-and-eat-'em shrimp and all the fixin's. I made a forty-eight-hour trip up to see Mom. Jim and I had been to Arkansas in May for Decoration Day, but Tracy and Sarah had not been there since February. We won't be able to go back until Thanksgiving. We had a good visit, even if it included a fatiguing 2:30 AM arrival in Lake City, AR, on Thursday and a long day of driving today.
Blog ActivityI came home and discovered 69 unread blog posts awaiting me. Two items in particular somewhat involve me, and therefore demand comment from me. Both involve SBC Outpost. One could describe my relationship with SBC Outpost as critical. Actually, I think that SBC Outpost is an excellent blog—a rotten journalistic news source but an excellent blog. I disagree regularly with SBC Outpost, but the site is very successful at generating readership and does so without overtaxing the contributors. So, I've carped at SBC Outpost for pretending to be more journalistic than it is, and I've been critical of the idea that high-ranking SBC employees have endorsed SBC Outpost. The endorsements were removed, and now, Dr. Rainer at Lifeway has publicly rescinded his endorsement. I'm glad that he clarified things. I wish that none of it had happened. I tried to include in my writings the possibility that some of the endorsers did not intend to endorse all that SBC Outpost had become. Good for Dr. Rainer for clarifying where he stands (er…does not stand). Also, several contributors to SBC Outpost have left the site, including Micah Fries. I'm delighted. I fear that Micah may have taken my criticism of SBC Outpost as personal criticism toward him. To tell you the truth, I almost never had Micah in mind when I was writing about SBC Outpost. Micah is a reasonable sort of guy. I think that the big winner this week is Micah Fries. Because of the position I'm in, it will be difficult for some to regard those as sincere sentiments, but they are. I was contacted at one point about the possibility of creating a sort of "shadow" site—a conservative version of SBC Outpost. I wasn't really interested, because that wasn't my calling and because I don't like tit-for-tat…no creativity involved in just mimicking someone else's actions. But now, I think there is a real opening for someone to create a site that actually does some of what SBC Outpost promised (sincerely, on Micah's part, I'm certain) but was unable to deliver. If someone could create a site that would take a positive, uplifting approach to current SBC events, facilitating discussion of ideas without publishing personal attacks, I think that they would be bringing something edifying and worthwhile to Southern Baptist life. I would be thrilled to contribute occasionally to such a site.
Posted by Bart Barber at 9:25 PM
Labels: SBC Outpost
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9 Ways to Get Rid of Bed Bugs
November 18, 2010 Leave a comment
By: Chris Bucholz
If you haven't been living in a cave with your Ace of Base CDs and your Tamogatchis and your Seinfeld references, you'd know that the hottest trend sweeping the nation these days is bed bug infestations. These tiny little blood-suckers which lurk in mattresses and bedding have been spotted in massive numbers in recent years, and if you aren't waking up every morning covered in swollen little bite marks, then frankly, you aren't shit.
It turns out that the popularity of bed bug infestations has only been matched by the popularity of bed bug remedies, because while waking up with tiny little bites is very trendy, it is also possibly the single most distressing non-Ke$ha-related-thing ever.
To find out more about bed bugs, I conducted a bit of research on my own, and have below outlined everything you need to know about how to first get a bed bug infestation, and then get rid of it. I've done this because it's considered poor form to just end a column immediately after the introduction.
Continued here.


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Yesterday, Jeremy and I went to Unique LA at The California Market Center in Downtown LA. It was gorgeous out, the sun really impressed me today and so did the craft fair. There were 300+ local vendors, selling everything from jewelry to hot sauce. We tired ourselves right out walking up and down the aisles, you could seriously get lost in there! I snapped some pics of some of the particularly cool things, but there were countless booths full of awesome treasures!
Who doesn't love a good bow-tie? The well-dress dudes running the Pocket Square Clothing booth had their bow-ties very nicely displayed.
This vendor had little cut outs to take pics with, I just thought they were really cute! So did the little girls in front of me, they were picking them up and kissing them. Ha!
I made a purchase at Kyyote, Amanda makes all the intricate jewelry by hand and in LA. Props. Her stuff is beautiful and she was one of the most friendly shop owners, double props! I will definitely be making another purchase from her shop, her stuff is very beautiful!
My last stop was Favor based out of Portland. Really simple and lovely stuff. I picked up a ring here to go with another tiny ring I already have. Stacking is all the rage apparently, and it's fun to mix and match. I really enjoyed walking around in this cool space and seeing all the different type of artists. I'm really looking forward to the Holiday Show in the fall!
What did you do this weekend? Spend it with you mom, or are you far apart like I am with my mom?


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Love Story Movies:A hip hop version of Shakespeare is , A love story is a short film that examines the impact and consequences. Love conquers all. Love is never heaving to say yours sorry.
God is love and he love all hid creation so, we can say that Love is God gifted. We would also love each other and abolish the hurt from this world. Love gives us purity of mind and soul. True love has its own value and place since from the era of Baba Adham. Love needs sincerity, purity, care, respect and sacrifice
Now I want to talk about the love story movies. Approximately maximum movies circle around love stories. In movies they tell us what is happened around us and in our society. It is all depends upon us what we teach from the love stories its negative or positive aspects.
Love stories are my favorite and I have ever seen almost love story so I want to tell you about a very deep one side and one sight love story. This love story surrounds a stunt, independent, and modern girls and a boys which has its own business of photographing of models. The girl mean to say Urmilla is a model and Fardeen khan is a photographer in starting they became be friends and have deep love and care for each other. But they don't know about the reallity.at the end Fardeen tell him that I'm married and she became made.(Yeh Pyar Tune Kiya Keya .)
In latest love stories there is a lot of romance then love. These put bad effects on our new generation and some time hero, heroin fall into deep love. In this way create some hurdles in the way of his or her own carrier.
Love is great but its effects or not fair if we choose negative way in it.
Love is in our environment and inhaled in our body with our breathing. Love story movies play a very important role and entertain and inspire us in many ways love needs sacrifice which is too difficult in this present era so avoid love….


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The ORIGINAL gathering place for a merry band of Three Percenters. (As denounced by Bill Clinton on CNN!)
Saturday, March 14, 2015
The Bazooka: A (short) History
1 comment:
I am a long time creeper on your blog and never comment. I am currently a Marine EOD Tech and still deal with these rockets as they are still found all over the place in old training areas. The Bazooka had some pretty big problems that made it a poor weapon for its stated purpose. Shaped Charge weapons were still in their infancy when the rocket came off the production line and it was extremely under powered for busting the thick armor of Nazi Tanks.....though it had no problem busting through the thin skinned Shermans....which is what they tested it against. The early models even had an issue of bouncing off slanted armor because of the pointed nose....while that problem was solved by putting a rounded nose on it, penetration was still a problem. The Nazis knew this when they created the Tank Terror and increased the diameter to 3.5 inches. When we saw how well it worked we did the same in the form of the 3.5 inch M20 Super Bazooka. We used the Super for a while before the Marines dropped it in favor of the newly developed SMAW in the 80s. The M72 LAW was not fathered by the bazooka. They law was created to replace the ability of an infantry man to bust a tank when we moved away from the 7.62mm rifle. Until then, we had used the M31 66mm rifle grenade as a useful HEAT weapon. Penetration was excellent and it gave anyone with a 7.62 the ability to launch one from a rifle barrel. When we down graded to the 5.56, a rifle grenade that size couldn't be launched. The Army liked the M31 so much that they literally just took the HEAT warhead and put a rocket motor on it and the LAW was born. We still use the 66mm warhead and while the filler has changed in it, the warhead shape and diameter is still a mirror image of the M31. It didn't take 2 people to fire the single cartridge LAW. The Bazooka and the M31 Rifle Grenade were two weapon systems that fathered the current SMAW and LAW series weapons but they were developed independently of each other of for different reasons.
- March 14, 2015 at 8:38 AM


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Sponsored By
Police Arrest Va. Man For Attempting To Kill Woman On Md. HighwayMaryland State police arrested a Virginia man Friday for the attempted murder of a woman on a Maryland highway.
Northern Va. Mayor Faces Drug Charges After Meth-For-Sex StingA northern Virginia mayor is facing drug charges after police say he was arrested in a meth-for-sex sting.
Jesse Matthew Enters New Plea In '05 Virginia Sex AssaultJesse Matthew entered an Alford plea Wednesday on charges that he attacked and molested a woman in Virginia in 2005, acknowledging that prosecutors have enough evidence to convict him without directly admitting any crime.
Jesse Matthew Scheduled For Pretrial Hearing In VirginiaA Charlottesville man charged with the murder of University of Virginia student Hannah Graham will be in court Friday for a hearing in a separate case.
Another Bottle Bomb Device Explodes At Va. TheaterOfficials say that for the second time in a week someone set off a bottle bomb at a movie theater complex in Fairfax County, leading to the evacuation of the theater but no injuries.
Police Investigate Bomb Threat At George Mason UniversityPolice are investigating a written bomb threat at George Mason University.
Woman Convicted Of Sex Trafficking 15-Year-Old GirlA Fairfax woman has been convicted of sex trafficking of a child after she recruited a 15-year-old girl into prostitution.
Man Hit, Killed While Crossing Road In Fairfax Co.Fairfax County police say a man has been hit by a vehicle and killed in the Mount Vernon area.


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Forex Trading Tips
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The Montreal Expos have scheduled a tryout Friday at Wrigley Field for free agent pitcher Len Barker, who was released by Atlanta at the end of spring training. The Braves have agreed to pay Barker the $2.85 million they owe him on a contract that extends through 1988.
``We`re bringing Len Barker in here, and we`ll have him throw on the side, let him throw batting practice, and see where it goes from there,``


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Apple-Hemp Muffins & Hemp Brownies
I was pretty excited to finally find some hemp seed nuts at the Co-op, even if it was just 3 lonely bags sitting in the cooler. I snagged myself a sack and then it was just a matter of deciding which recipe from Vive le Vegan! to use them in. It was Dreena's description that convinced me to make these muffins: "Moist, lightly spiced muffins with the added nutrition of hemp seed nuts. These are easy and quick, and sure to please both kids and adults!" Sounded perfect to me, and they were. I baked 10 smaller sized muffins, and 2 larger heart shaped. This was my first time eating hemp, and I expected a stronger flavor, but it it sorta disappeared once cooked ~ no nutty crunch. I can see where these nuts would be easy to add to a recipe to gain the nutrition and not distract from the other flavors. Just yummy muffin goodness.
A couple of weeks ago, I picked up a box of Organic Hemp Plus Brownie Mix by Nature's Path on a Midweek Munchies run. They look pretty good, don't ya think? We were craving chocolate & excited to try them, so each of us took a big, confident bite expecting the yummy goodness of a brownie...only better. I must say we were disappointed and didn't go beyond the first bite. They were dry and flavorless ~ how could that be with such a rich chocolate color? Anybody else tried this or other Nature's Path products? Next batch of brownies will be recipe testing for Catherine, & I'm really looking forward to that! I still have brownies on the brain. :o)


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According to the California Secretary of State's office, Defense Logistics Services, Inc. was formed in 2004 but is dissolved.
There is, however, an American Private Police Force Org Inc. that was incorporated March 2, 2009, and is based in Anaheim too. In addition to being the corporation's agent for service of process, a Mr. Michael Hilton is the self-designated "Captain" of the APF.
During the press conference APF also refused to release any information
on its funding or organization "The decision is the name of the parent company will not be released.
Originally posted by d15c0v3ry
According to the APF site they've got headquarters in Cali.. but that could be about as "real" as the one in DC. At any rate, I could see California being another jump off point for some serious martial law material.. and serious revolt..
[edit on 29-9-2009 by d15c0v3ry]
Originally posted by SassyCat
What the... HELL is "American Police Force"????
Is this yet another hoax?
Haha... ok, here's some funny things about this so called police force:
1. That IS a Serbian coat of arms, which is also on the flag.
2. You bombed Serbia, remember?
3. The so called "captain" (?!) Michael had a funny accent on the phone.
4. Apparently, this thread is old news according to google.
Now I've seen everything... hm.... probably not though .
Originally posted by drapheus
Its hard to believe local militia aren't raising a stink over this.
At a local level, I wonder who is cashing out on this deal...
HARDIN, Mont. (CBS/AP) This is the strange story of how American Police Force, a little known company which claims to specialize in training military and security forces overseas, has seemingly taken control of a $27 million, never-used jail, and a rural Montana town's nonexistent police force.
After arriving in this tiny city with three Mercedes SUVs marked with the logo of a police department that has never existed, representatives of the obscure California security company said preparations were under way to take over Hardins jail, which has no prisoners.
Significant obstacles remain - including a lack of any contracts to acquire prisoners from other jails or other states.
The agreement with American Police Force has been heavily promoted by members of the city's economic development branch, the Two Rivers Authority. Authority Vice President Albert Peterson on Friday repeated his claim to be "100 percent" confident in the company.
The lead public figure for American Police Force, Michael Hilton, said more than 200 employees would be sought for the jail and a proposed military and law enforcement training center.
The bonds used to pay for the jail have been in default since May, 2008.
Hilton also said he planned a helicopter tour of the region in coming days to look at real estate for a planned tactical military training ground. He said 5,000 to 10,000 acres were needed to complement the training center, a $17 million project.
Hilton said the vehicles would be handed over to the city if it forms a police force of its own. The city is now under the jurisdiction of the Big Horn County Sheriffs Office.
Little has been revealed to date about American Police Force. The company was incorporated in California in March, soon after Hardins empty jail gained notoriety after city leaders suggested it could be used for the Guantanamo Bay terrorism detainees.
In the two years since the jail was built, city leaders have clashed repeatedly with the administration of Gov. Brian Schweitzer, who opposed efforts to bring in out-of-state prisoners.
After then-Attorney General Mike McGrath issued a 2007 opinion saying prisoners from other states were prohibited, Hardin successfully sued the state.
Despite the city's contention that the state has continued to foil its efforts to find prisoners, Montana Department of Corrections spokesman Bob Anez said his agency is no longer involved. "That's water under the bridge," Anez said.
On Friday, American Police Force announced its first local hire: a reporter for the Billings Gazette, Becky Shay, who has covered events surrounding the jail since its construction. She will be the company's spokeswoman for $60,000 a year.


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My craft room is a complete disaster. There are a couple of reasons for that - the first one being is that I'm just a slob and the second is that I have a lot going on. I'm trying to hard to get product ready for a local craft bazaar. I'm so excited!!! My cousin and I are going in together and we hope to be awesome! Of course, I'lll be making my normal things like coasters, cards and magnets. Jess, my cousin, will be making some things of her own like hymnal angels and possibly some olive oil dispensers made out of recycled wine bottles. I'm not exactly sure what she has planned yet. I have big plans so I hope things go well for us. Crafty seems to run in the family.
I'm turning in our application and money in on Tuesday and I'm hoping that all the spots aren't taken. I just want everyone out there to wish us luck and if any of my readers, the few that I have, to come and visit me if you are in the Winchester, VA area the day of March 23rd. I will have more information the closer the date gets.
I've been making coasters and magnets like a mad person. I'm kind of in a card funk at the moment. Every card that I start making seems to be a big fat failure. I'm hoping to get over that soon because it rather frustrating. If I don't have many cards for the show, I will not be very happy and I won't have anyone to blame but myself.
I'm also pondering on the issue of getting a credit card reader. I don't want to limit my customers to pay only by check or cash. I think if I'm going to start doing some more craft shows, I need to cater to my customers. I know that I don't carry cash around all the time - so I can't expect customers to have cash on them at all times. It's just not convenient. If anyone has any experience with the Square card reader, please let me know. I would love to hear what you have to say.
I just wanted to give a little update. I know that I haven't posted in a couple of weeks. I hope everyone out there is healthy and happy.
...until next time...


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The interior of my last home was beige. ALL BEIGE. That was a big improvement from our first home before which remained builders white the entire three and a half years we lived there. I simply was AFRAID of color. I could not commit to paint colors so I simply just didn't paint. Weeeeeell for some reason when we purchased this home I decided that color was GOOD so paint away we did. Some rooms we are on our third color in ten years. I now LOVE painting.
Not only had I freed myself from my paint color fear, but I took an extra step and had my mom hang wallpaper in my dining room. Everyone was in total shock because it not only had color but pattern as well. This was huge for me. However, after 7 years that pattern that I so loved grew old and I knew it was time for a change. The only problem was having to take down the wallpaper. It seemed like it would be a tedious job so I kept it up for 2 (yes TWO) more years until one day I pulled a corner and the ENTIRE piece came off. Apparently I had purchased really good paper that was very easy to remove, which I did in 15 minutes.
My hun and I love to travel. Our favorite places are those that are tropical. While we were on a trip to Aruba and staying in one of the resorts, I fell in love with the decor. That decor was the look I decided to base my dining room off of. I'm still searching for the perfect furniture but until I find exactly what I want, it'll remain as is. What do you think?
My favorite blogs to link up to:
Newbie Party - http://debbie-debbiedoos.com
Masterpiece Monday - http://boogieboardcottage.blogspot.com
Monday Link Up Party - http://makingtheworldcuter.com
Make it Pretty Monday - http://thededicatedhouse.blogspot.com
Motivate Me Monday - http://www.keepingitsimplecrafts.com
Before & After Party - http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com
Table Top Tuesday - http://www.astrollthrulife.net
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday - http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com
Tuesday's Treasures - http://myuncommonsliceofsuburbia.com
Wow Us Wednesdays - http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net
Welcome Home Wednesday - http://www.vintageonadime.blogspot.com
Open House Party - http://nominimalisthere.blogspot.com
Whimsy Wednesdays - http://thenymelrosefamily.com
Thursday favorite Things - http://katherinescorner.com
Feathered Nest Friday - http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com
Thrifty Things Friday - http://thethriftygroove.blogspot.com
It's Inspiration Friday - http://www.atthepicketfence.com


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Welcome to the site of the Vekzicon team. This site is mainly a site that contains all of Vekzicon's games. The games are 100% made by the Vekzicon team.* Later there will be Java applets... *all exceptions are shown in the credits of the games
May 7, 2007 by Uzaki
Created Kids Make Games course for kids and teens to make games.
May 7, 2007 by Uzaki
Started Metroid Rebirth.
Apr 17, 2007 by Uzaki
Moved from http://www.freewebs.com/vekzicon to http://vekzicon.awardspace.com, a much better fast-uploading host.


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Dick Jauron was the favorite for the job considering he's one of Reid's old buddies and was already on the staff as the secondary coach; he's now in Cleveland. Jim Mora, Jr. was a candidate for a short time, but he's headed back to the booth.
Dennis Allen, the New Orleans Saints secondary coach, was brought in for an interview, but that was reportedly never very serious.
So a couple weeks removed from the season, the Eagles are still without a defensive coordinator and the fans are getting restless. But instead of focusing on the unsettling fact that the team still has not decided who will run the defense, perhaps we should take a half-full approach.
First of all, McDermott is gone. That's something I think we can all be happy about. No more will we have to yell until we're hoarse that no one in their right mind plays man coverage in the red zone, or having to hold on the top of our heads because McDermott refuses to blitz even when it's working.
Well, I don't know how everyone else feels about it, but I know I've been waiting to hear McDermott was fired since about halfway through the season.
Also out along with McDermott are defensive line coach Rory Segrest and linebackers coach Bill Shuey, both of whom failed to get their respective units playing well enough. And to replace Segrest, the team took on an aggressive approach and went out and signed a guy in Jim Washburn who is commonly referred to as the best defensive line coach in the league.
Firing a defensive coordinator and positional coaches who weren't doing their jobs might not seem like a huge step for a head coach, but it's the first time Reid has fired an offensive or defensive coordinator. The only guys he's fired (and relatively quickly) are special teams coordinators.
So the fact that he's making so many coaching moves at once is an immense move for Reid and one that should not go unnoticed or unappreciated.
Because of the expiring CBA we won't get to see what Reid and Roseman have in mind as far as personnel moves are concerned, but with the way the coaches are dropping one has to expect that the defense is going to be cleaned out and revamped as well.
The defense has a lot of talent in certain areas, and really the only guy I can think of who needs to go immediately is Ernie Sims. From there, Reid and Roseman can continue their commitment to overhauling the defense by signing some key players like Nnamdi Asomugha and Jason Babin. Also, trading for Albert Haynesworth -- if the price is right -- and re-uniting him with Washburn might not be a bad idea.
As far as the next coordinator, something tells me Reid has a guy in mind. Something also tells me this guy is currently a coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers or Packers, and that's why the team currently has a gaping hole on the coaching staff. Reid very rarely flies blind, and I wouldn't expect this to be any different.
Philly is usually a fanbase of pessimists, but in this case a cautious optimism and a little faith might be the best route for everyone.


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|photo: vampyvarnish.com
Wet N Wild has really stepped their game up! I achieved this look using the WNW Comfort Zone palette and had great results an lots of compliments at my friends birthday gathering.
MAC Face and Body Foundation
NYC bronzer in Sun 2 Sun
Estee Lauder blush in Radiant Peach
MAC Prep and Prime Eye (review coming soon)
MAC Quite Natural Paint Pot (I think??)
WNW Color Icon Comfort Zone palette (pictured above)
colors from left side of palette used:
3rd color on lid
1st color on inner corner
4th color on outer corner
MAC Chromographic eyeliner on waterline
MAC Penultimate eye liner on upper lash line
Cover Girl Lash Blast mascara
Pinky-Nude Buxom pencil used to fill in lips
NYX Cocoa lip liner
MAC Creamsheen glass in Richer, Lusher
Dry twist-out using Curls Whipped Curl Soufflé and Eco Styler gel


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- Work on more than 2,000 middle market transactions in the last seven years
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Our team doesn't work in a vacuum. We draw on the experience of more than 6,700 people in RSM's 75 offices nationwide and nearly 32,000 people in over 100 countries through our membership in RSM International.
How can we help you?
To discuss how our team can help your business, contact us by phone 800.274.3978 or
Related Resources
Milton Marcotte
National Practice Leader


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This weekend I had a chance to finally experiment with making my avocado rolls. I normally stay away from white rice so I've been eager to find a different way to make my homemade sushi.
After the great experience I had with the rice and quinoa combo, I decided to try just quinoa. Sadly it didn't work so well. The rolls fell apart and the texture was just too different for my taste. I was able to take some pictures that didn't look too bad, but when I started eating it, the whole thing turned into a huge mess.


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|Finished Product
|Looks like a hot mess, doesn't it?
|"Inside beauty is important, but not as important as outside beauty." - Ellen Degeneres (it's a joke, people!)
|Other Side of the Road. (The chicken crossed to get to Toronto)
Anyhow, we finally have some snow again, over ice which is floating magically above water...don't ask me how, we've been having some truly weird weather. We were supposed to have some folks over for a bit of a get together, but we thought the driveway might be complete goop, so we bumped it until next weekend. (Fingers crossed, it looks like there's a bit of snow in the forecast over the next week.) Life is pretty quiet lately, we went to Charlottetown last weekend, just because we could, but have stuck fairly close to home, except for work. Work on the house is in limbo, as we're afraid to open up floors etc on the lower level, in case the weather gets bad. We are also waiting for the snow that we had last year, but perhaps it's not to be. Every day closer to March gives us hope that we might "get away with" an easy winter. Time will tell. (No photos, we'll wait until it gets prettier - too much puddles and ice.)
Hope you are all well, I'm off to take a seat after my cake making weekend. Stay in touch!
|Peggy's Cove - gratuitous, I know