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I got this book about two months ago and was not able to read it right away. I apologize Miss Brooke Stanton profusely. I really am sorry for not reading this book sooner.
The Misadventures of Catie Bloom is a hilarious disaster story. It could easily become a hit rom-com in the big screen.
Catie Bloom is a popular lifestyle guru. Her fame started with just a blog and was later featured in a magazine. From there, Catie's life and career took off to heights she never even dreamed. From broke to writing for a hit magazine column and a segment in Wake up America. These are what dreams are made off until she was asked to do an interview which could just be the fuse to her ruin.
I signed up for a copy of this book in Library Thing and never gotten to read it right away. Now, I am scolding myself why. I was reminded again that I had this book when I read about the coming release of The Adventures of Natalie Bloom, so I decided I should find time to read this book. And I am glad I finally did. This book was like a balm to any sore or ache. This will absolutely make you forget all your discomfort. It was so hilarious and insane. I don't know if I like Catie or I want to hit her in the head. But I am impressed by how she had made it big and popular with all the lies that she filed one after the other.
Natalie Bloom, I would say, is one martyr sister. I totally understand all the sacrifices and help she gave Catie but she has to put some boundaries. Good thing, she finally realized that. Though, it had to take a lot of mishaps before she screamed enough is enough.
I definitely agree with the title. This is absolutely the capital MISADVENTURES of Catie Bloom. It was amusing watching all the characters squirm and cope with all the stress and blunders Catie has caused. At the same time, I feel for all of them. It seemed like they were powerless to stop anything at all. I totally enjoyed this book and can't wait for The Adventures of Natalie Bloom. And guess what, I already have a copy so I will be off to join her in her adventures or could it be misadventures just like Catie? I really hope so. Sounds like fun!
I give the book 4/5 pans of burned cake. I think every girl who has lied to save a job or to get out of a bind can relate to Catie Bloom. Every girl has been a Catie or a Natalie at least once in her life. I also have an older sister and we are very close. Just like Natalie, I would do anything for her, a thousand times over. And this book just reminds of that deep sisterly love that you would do anything to save or help your sister, even if it is giving up or postponing something you really want to do. This book is about trying hard to fake it till you make it and even acing it. This is about fighting for your dreams.
...but those little lies, one on top of another, had fallen hard on my small shoulders, making the consequences far worse than they would have been had I first confessed.
- Brooke Stanton, The Misadventures of Catie Bloom -


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In 2005, CACL adopted the 2020 Agenda for Change to work with Canadians, governments, the public and private sectors to make a difference in the lives of Canadians with intellectual disabilities. Together with our Provincial/Territorial Associations for Community Living, we identified 10 core objectives that will make the difference in achieving our vision for a fully inclusive Canada:
With our provincial/territorial counterparts, CACL is encouraging public dialogue on these objectives. We are building partnerships for change, supporting research and sharing knowledge, developing policy options, and strengthening the leadership capacities of families to help guide the change process.
CACL is raising awareness of this vision for change, by launching a flagship publication – A National Report Card on Inclusion of Canadians with Intellectual Disabilities. The Report measures how far along Canada is in achieving these objectives, and identifies successful policies and practices. The data for this Status Report comes from published national surveys by Statistics Canada, and other research.

subset: commoncrawl


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Pages:368 pages
Genre: Fiction/Drama
Series: Series Name-1,2
Buy this Book: Amazon, Powell's, Indiebound
Summary from publisher:
A beloved daughter. A devastating choice. And now there's no going back.
Four years ago, nineteen-year-old Travis Brown made a choice: to raise his newborn daughter on his own. While most of his friends were out partying and meeting girls, Travis was at home, changing diapers and worrying about keeping food on the table. But he's never regretted his decision. Bella is the light of his life. The reason behind every move he makes. And so far, she is fed. Cared for. Safe.
But when Travis loses his construction job and his home, the security he's worked so hard to create for Bella begins to crumble...….
Then a miracle. A job in Raleigh has the power to turn their fortunes around. It has to. But when Travis arrives in Raleigh, there is no job, only an offer to participate in a onetime criminal act that promises quick money and no repercussions.
With nowhere else to turn, Travis must make another choice for his daughter's sake.Even if it means he might lose her.
My Review:
I have had a heck of a time getting this review published. Every time I pressed publish, my computer ate half of it and only published the title and info not the review. Not exactly good enough, right?
I am not a big fan of books with babies. I am not a baby person. As a matter of fact, I am quite probably one of the least likely people to ever coo over an infant ever. But I can't resist a Diane Chamberlain book. I am powerless when tempted by one.
Travis was awesome. Usually teen pregnancy storylines end with the dad looking like a prime dirtbag or an overwrought teenager who bails on his responsibility. It was lovely to see Travis do his best to take care of Bella and provide for her. It was really refreshing to see such maturity out of someone so young. It's very rare that I find a character that I admire but I definitely admired Travis.
I can always depend on a Diane Chamberlain book to be a tearjerker. Not in the Nicholas Sparks "I will make you cry because of the sheer ridiculousness" but in a quieter more and more organic way. That's not to say that this book wasn't dramatic but it wasn't drama for the shock value or gratuitous tears. There was literally not a thing that I did not love about this book. The characters were delightful, the story kept me interested and I did cry.
*A copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher for review. My opinion is my own and has not been influenced in any way and any monies made from associate or affiliate accounts are recycled back into the blog.
She was sitting in the brown leather chair where she always sat, reading something on her iPad, as usual, and brushing a strand of light brown hair out of her eyes. I felt a crazy rush of relief and a crazy rush of disappointment. If she hadn't been there, I would have no way to do what I was going to do tonight, and that would have been a good thing.
Follow along with the rest of the tour and don't forget to participate in the Live Chat on 5/31 @ BookTrib.com


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I heard from my new agency yesterday, and my old agency finally sent all of the requested documents. Apparently, my threat to go up there in person paid off! Mm-hmm, that's right!!! I knew they wouldn't want to mess with me!!! :-)
Everything is looking great at the new place so far. They have all of my paperwork, inspections, training hours, test results, doctor's notes, copies of every document I have ever been given, etc. I think I might have scanned and emailed some junk mail just to be on the safe side! I have a two-day orientation/agency training this weekend, and then I should be ready for the new agency's homestudy. The house is pretty much ready. I just need them to come out. Fortunately, they have a copy of my homestudy from the old agency, so it won't take long at all for me to be open and ready to go.
So... All is looking well in Foster/Adopt Land, and the previously scheduled beatings at my old agency have been cancelled... for now... With any luck, I will never have to deal with those people again! :-) I'm so excited to see how things turn out with this new agency, and I am thrilled silly to be "foster pregnant" again! I have a feeling this is going to be a really big year! :-)


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Wednesday, April 27
april random
Since finding Instagram I don't touch my camera that often. I'm not so happy whith that, but Instagram is truly an easier way to share the everyday. Anyway, I promise to show you some of my "normal" photos soon.
I again have to thank you for commenting my blog entries and for loving my photos. I haven't been here for a long time now - I seemed to need a break and I enjoyed my Easter holidays. I hope, you're doing fine, too.
tags: out there
1 comments:
- P.K said... April 27, 2011 at 9:54 PM
The quality of the photos is very interesting, I rather like the format.
- Reply
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A friend of mine sent me the following joke. I kind of liked it, so I thought I'd pass it along to you.
A female CNN journalist heard about a very old Jewish man who had been going to the Western Wall to pray, twice a day, every day, for a long, long time. So, she went to check it out. She went to the Western Wall and there he was walking slowly up to the holy site. She watched him pray and after about 45 minutes, when he turned to leave, using a cane in a very slow fashion, she approached him for an interview.
"Pardon me Sir, I'm Rebecca Smith from CNN. What's your name?"
"Maury Fishbein" he replied.
"Sir, how long have you been coming to the Western Wall and praying?"
"For about 60 years."
"60 years?!? That's amazing! What do you pray for?"
"I pray for peace between the Christians, Jews and the Muslims. I pray for all the wars and hatred to stop, I pray for all our children to grow up safely as responsible adults, and to love their fellow man."
"How do you feel after doing this for 60 years?"
"Like I've been talking to a fricking wall."
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
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The Setting: Grow a New B2B Company's Brand Awareness, Traffic and Leads
A new B2B company wanted to grow their brand awareness, traffic and leads. They are experienced professionals and technicians, but were starting out on their own for the first time. And they needed help establishing their brand in a crowded marketplace. Besides boosting their credibility, they also
wanted their website to serve as a source of lead generation for potential prospects interested in services, speaking, and product sales.
wanted their website to serve as a source of lead generation for potential prospects interested in services, speaking, and product sales.
Over the course of 16 months, we were able to grow their website's traffic over 36,000% (from around 37 monthly visits to over 13,000). We'll show you how in this website traffic case study.
The Solution: Use Inbound Marketing to Generate Consistent, Scalable Traffic
Very simply, there are 4 main ways to get traffic:
- Search Engines
- Referrals
- Advertising
- Partnerships
But each strategy will cost you something. The first two (SEO and referrals) will cost you a lot of time and energy. The second two (advertising and partners) will cost you money. They're not too difficult to get started, but they ALL take skill to implement effectively in the long run. And most of the time, it literally doesn't matter which tactic you use. You can choose any of them, and it will still work fine. It all depends on what resources you have, and which you're willing to invest to get ahead. Either way, you should view "inbound" marketing as an investment that grows in value over time and pays you back in the future.
The 5 Step Traffic Generation System
So now let's start talking about how to use them more effectively. Here are 5 steps you should use to guide your decisions and actions.
1. Identify which of the 4 types of traffic you're going to focus on. Again, it depends mostly on what you prefer, the resources you have, and what you're willing to invest (either time or money). Here's a general breakdown of the Pros and Cons of each:
2. Create an overall strategy to guide your actions. For example, if you want 100 sales (at 2% conversions) then you're going to need 5000 visits each month. Great - how are you going to get them? Break that number down by identifying where you're already getting traffic, or which tactics need to increase to make up the difference.
3. Now narrow down to the individual channels you're going to use. Measure their performance, and figure out how much you can improve each. For example, to increase visits from Facebook you could post more frequently, use better headlines and images, or try to increase engagement by running contests. Or maybe you're all tapped out on your existing channels, so you need to start using new ones like Google AdWords or Facebook Advertising. (These are small examples, but hopefully you get the picture.)
4. Turn the "winning tactics" into a repeatable process. Now figure out how you can you scale these winning tactics. Maybe you can use tools to automate and schedule social media posts. Or perhaps you can hire someone to help you do a lot of the manual labor.
5. Measure, test and iterate to find new tactics with a better ROI. You always want to be on the lookout for new tactics that will give you better results, for less time and money invested. So you should look around and see if there are new tactics or techniques you can use. Start small by investing only a little as a test, and watch your key metrics. For example, how much traffic does it send? And how is that traffic converting? Here's how you can identify "good" sources of traffic.
The 2 Ways to Identify "Good" Sources of Traffic
On a really basic level, there are two things you should be looking for:
- How much traffic are you getting (for the investment)?
- Is it high-quality (converting at a high percentage)?
For example, isolate the top 2-5 sources of traffic and see if you can invest more into those sources, while cutting your losses on the other small ones. Here's an example below of what you should be looking for. You'll see that 3 individual sources account for almost 75% of traffic (on the left), and the top two almost 70% of conversions (on the right).
The Results: From 37 Monthly Visits to Over 13,000
Using this traffic generation framework discussed above, we were able to grow this new B2B website to over 13,000 visits a month.
That accounts for over a 36,000% change from the beginning.
And as we discussed, traffic isn't everything. If you get a million hits from Pinterest, and none of them convert, then you don't want that kind of traffic. So here's evidence that this huge traffic growth wasn't wasted -- because we were still able to generate 845 leads in November of 2012.
And at over a 6% conversion rate, you can tell this traffic is still high quality.


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By JENNIFER PEARSON
PUBLISHED: 15:45 EST, 24 October 2014 | UPDATED: 15:48 EST, 24 October 2014
Gerard Butler has caused hearts to palpitate in such films as 300 and Phantom Of The Opera.
The hunky 44-year-old actor put on another kind of show on Friday as he emerged from Leo Carrillo State Beach in Malibu following a surfing expedition.
Gerard was clad in only a black, blue and grey wet suit while padding barefoot to his sporty white Land Rover that was parked on a remote stretch of Pacific Coast Highway.
His hair was still damp and pushed this way and that, but he didn't seem to mind about his appearance - or the dust obscuring his car windows.
As the face of Hugo Boss' new male fragrance, Butler sported more scruffy facial fuzz than he shows in the glamorous promotional pictures.
The surfing enthusiast fitted his surfboard on top of his vehicle and checked to make sure it was secure.
READ MORE HERE: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2807065/Gerard-Butler-shows-muscly-physique-clingy-wet-suit-Malibu-surfing-session.html


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Hey, everyone! Happy Friday! Much of my time this week has been spent working on a couple of paper collections I'm hoping to release soon. But, I do have one new set in the Pretty Paper, Pretty Ribbons Store this week. Here it is:
Make a Wish Cutting Files (also available as Digital Clip Art)
I also have a new Friday Freebie for you. These cupcake wrappers will be available for free for one week, then they will move to the 99 Cent Downloads section of the store.
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and are having a really UNEVENTFUL Friday the 13th. ;) I'll be back next week with more projects to share with you.


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From the Broadcast Booth: 12th Entry
Dec. 1, 2011
*Written by the 'Voice of the Golden Eagles' John CoxWhat an exciting time it is for our Golden Eagle football team as they head to Houston this Saturday to play in the Conference USA championship game against the Houston Cougars. What an incredible job Coach Larry Fedora and his coaching staff have done in guiding the team through the season to put themselves in a position to win the fifth Conference USA championship in school history. The leadership displayed by the 21 seniors on this team has been inspiring and what a fitting tribute it would be for those young men to walk away with the league crown this Saturday afternoon.
The game on Saturday will be played at Robertson Stadium on the Houston campus. The stadium opened in 1942. Houston played its home football games there from 1946 to 1950 before moving to Houston Stadium in 1951 and the Astrodome in 1965. The Cougars began splitting up their home games between the Astrodome and Robertson Stadium in 1994 and moved totally back to Robertson Stadium in 1998. Several renovations have been made to the stadium over the last 13 years. The 1960 American Football League (AFL) Championship game and 1962 AFL Championship game were played at Robertson Stadium by the Houston Oilers against the Los Angeles Chargers and Dallas Texans, respectively. On January 16, 1965, the AFL All-Star game was also held there.
Do you remember the first time that the Golden Eagles played at Robertson Stadium in Houston? It was back on November 9, 1996 and it was one of the first times that Houston had used Robertson Stadium, their on campus facility in a while. They had been playing their games in the Astrodome. The Golden Eagles entered the game 8-1 overall, 4-1 in Conference USA and ranked No. 20 in the Associated Press poll. The Eagles and the Cougars combined for 1,049 yards of total offense in the game and traded points throughout the game, finishing the fourth quarter tied at 49 and setting the stage for the Golden Eagles' first sudden-death overtime game. The Cougars had the ball first in overtime and scored on a 12-yard run by Antowain Smith, his sixth touchdown of the day. The Eagles needed a touchdown to tie the game and force a second overtime, but Brandon Francis caught a swing pass from quarterback Lee Roberts in the left flat, was tripped up, and fell inches short of the goal line, leaving Houston with a 56-49 win. Roberts had an outstanding game, completing 22 of 36 passes for a then-school record 398-yards and three touchdowns. Wide receiver Kendrick Lee caught 10 passes for 260 yards and three touchdowns. Southern Miss finished its first season in Conference USA with a 4-1 record and would share the inaugural league championship with Houston. That would be the first of many shootouts between the Golden Eagles and the Cougars.
In "The Rock," the Golden Eagles earned the 500th win in school history when they defeated the Cougars 35-29 in overtime in a Thursday night battle. Trailing 29-21 with 9:23 to play, the Golden Eagles drove deep into Cougar territory and scored when quarterback Dustin Almond ran 18 yards for a touchdown to make the score 29-27 with 1:22 left in the game, but Almond pulled a leg muscle on the touchdown run and had to leave the game. Tailback Anthony Harris converted the two-point conversion to tie the game at 29-29. In the overtime, with Damion Carter at quarterback replacing Almond, the Golden Eagles scored first on a four-yard touchdown pass from Carter to tight end Otho Graves, but the extra point kick failed and Southern Miss led 35-29. The Golden Eagle defense though forced the Cougars into a fourth down situation, but quarterback Kevin Kolb's pass fell incomplete and the Eagles had the victory.
Last season at "The Rock," the Golden Eagles rolled to a 59-41 victory over the Cougars, as quarterback Austin Davis rushed for four touchdowns and threw for two more, as Southern Miss defeated Houston 59-41. Davis completed 23 of 30 passes for 285yards and rushed for 11 yards on 17 carries. The two offenses combined for 100 points, 1,133 yards of total offense and were 13 of 13 collectively in red-zone scoring.
The Cougars and the Golden Eagles have met only once in the Conference USA championship game and that was in 2006 at Houston. The Golden Eagles lost that contest 34-20 to the Cougars, but were limited in that game as running backs Damion Fletcher and Tory Harrison were battling injuries heading into the game and were limited in what they could contribute.
The Golden Eagles have won eight of the previous 13 meetings between the two teams. The first game of the series was back on November 9, 1957 in Jackson, where the Cougars won 27-12.
This week on the Southern Miss IMG Sports Network pre-game show, which starts at 9:30 AM, our "Meet an Eagle of the Past," is James Berry (1961-1963), the "Inside Scoop" will be provided by senior associate athletic director Jeff Hammond, "Inside Southern Miss" explores the Lucky Day Scholars program, senior wide receiver William Spight is in the "Golden Eagle Close-up", our "Great Moment in Southern Miss Football" is the 1989 "Miracle of Louisville"; and of course, we will have our pre-game visit with Coach Larry Fedora.
The Golden Eagle basketball season is underway and Coach Larry Eustachy and his team are off to a 4-2 start after losing a tough double overtime game to Murray State in the championship game of the Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout in Anchorage, Alaska last Saturday night. The Golden Eagles are back in action on Sunday afternoon when they host New Mexico State at 1 p.m. at Green Coliseum. Coming up in the month of December for the Golden Eagles are home games with Louisiana Tech (Dec. 10), Ole Miss (Dec. 17), South Florida (Dec. 22), Belhaven (Dec. 27) and Alcorn State (Dec. 29). In December, they will play on the road at South Alabama (Dec. 7), Arizona State (Dec. 19) and McNeese state (Dec. 31). All Golden Eagle basketball games can be heard on the Southern Miss IMG Sports Network beginning 30 minutes before tip-off. The pre-game show features our exclusive pre-game visit with head coach Larry Eustachy, plus our "Inside Scoop" feature that focuses on a Golden Eagle player or coach.
The Lady Eagles under Coach Joye lee McNelis are off to a 2-4 on the year and return to action on Saturday at 12 noon at Arkansas-Little Rock. Home games in December include Louisiana-Monroe (Dec. 10), South Alabama (Dec. 18) and Jackson State (Dec. 21). The Lady Eagles will play on the road in December at Mississippi State (Dec. 16), and in a tournament at the University of Montana (Dec. 29-30). All Lady Eagle games are broadcast on WXHB-FM in Laurel/Hattiesburg and through all-access on SouthernMiss.com. Broadcasts start 30 minutes before tip-off with Josh West handling the play-by-play.
Have a great weekend, "SOUTHERN MISS TO THE TOP".


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HOLY COW! I'm on a roll, I baked with the TWD Bakers twice in a row this month!
This week Steph of Obsessed with Baking selected Cocoa-nana bread for the TWD Bakers to try out. Check out Steph's blog and see all of the yummy goodies she has displayed. Her food photos are really nice – I have a lot of food photo envy with 99% of the group (guess who the 1% is? – HAH!). You can also find the recipe there too. But enough already, just BUY the BOOK!
There was some discussion regarding the combo of bananas and chocolate in the P&Qs, I'm totally on the pro chocolate and bananas combo (um, yes I realize that I have stated I don't like fruit with my chocolate).
When I was done mixing the dough, I was a little perturbed. It looked like an awful lot of dough for the 9×5 loaf pan. It filled up to the top, see:
I was wondering if there would be overspill since there was baking powder and baking soda involved. After the 30 minute baking period, it came out looking like a Cocoa-nana Souffle, see:
I was pretty psyched about that. I should have known better. I put the foil tent on top and 35 minutes later I checked on the Cocoa-nana bread and discovered that it had pooed, see:
Very depressing. It was taking a longer time to bake with the poo all over the place so the top ended up getting a bit hard. Not that that's a bad thing, I like crunchy. I often like to burn a batch of cookies because I like it that way sometimes. It's just that I was soo high about the souffle part and just like a souffle, I got very deflated when the bread pooed. And the bread is BROWN too! Yeah, I can see the crowd of people just dying to have a piece of Cocoa-nana Poo. But I have to admit – it was REALLY tasty! Who would have guessed?
Stay tuned for next week, will I still be on my roll? Stop by and find out!
Last Week: Chocolate Oatmeal Almost-Candy Bars
Next Week: Milk Chocolate Mini-Bundt Cakes


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5 Dangerous Things You Should Let Your Kids Do
Should you allow your children to play with fire? Is it true that learning only occurs through experience and the trial and error method? This out of the box video by Gever Tulley, a computer scientist, explains how allowing children to do dangerous things that parents might never dream of might actually be enabling kids to be creative, confident and in control of their environment. Must watch!


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Well, is it is certainly less physically risky for a columnist to blame Jews for living than for him to face the barbarians who shoot little children in their beds, blow themselves up in crowds of civilians, and launch mortar fire at people's living rooms. But this approach is not just morally crippling, but ultimately suicidal.
Alterman's view is breathtakingly simple: if the Jews would just agree to the Arab plan to make all of the Middle East Judenrein, the terrorists would stop murdering them there! The Palestinians have made it clear enough that they consider the entire state of Israel to be "the occupied West Bank." They have made the streets of Tel Aviv run with blood, and there is no place they consider off-limits for terror attacks, as even someone with Alterman's limited perspective must know. Anyone who gets in the way of their bombs and bullets, according to Alterman, has only himself to blame. But the danger doesn't end where the Mediterranean Sea begins.
Hello Eric, the Islamofascists have made the whole world a war zone! If you and your family stay on the planet you are making yourselves targets and putting yourselves at risk! Stupidly! Just think, according to your "logic," if people hadn't been in the WTC, they wouldn't have been hurt on 9/11!
Pull yourself together man. "There can be no defense of suicide bombings, period." Practice writing that again and again. Get your head out of the "but" thinking that stinks of moral corruption. Terrorism is unjustifiable. Terrorism is evil. Terrorism must be stopped where-ever it appears, or it will soon appear everywhere.
Some of the "people who piss me off most in the world" are fanatical killers who practice a cult of death, and sacrifice their own children in their senseless acts of murder. Second to them, Alterman, come their apologists.
(Link via Instapundit)


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Thanks also to Mam Marilou for the heads up!
Video courtesy of Rome Reports
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Ex abortionist turned pro-life leader dies
1 comment:
This shows how God can forgive us for even the greatest sins we have done against Him and our neighbors. All it takes is the humility to admit that you have sinned and the willingness to repent and follow Him once again.ReplyDelete
Dr. Nathanson has taken the huge step of leaving his bad past of being an abortion supporter to a staunch supporter of life, especially of the unborn. :)
May his soul and the souls of the faithful departed rest in peace. Amen.
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Perceval has just finished packaging orders for the new OGS publication, Ohio's Black Soldiers who Served in the Civil War - $24.95 plus $3.50 shipping plus Ohio resident sales tax (often 7%) - OGS members can take a $5 discount. He needs help because we think that the stack is about to topple over on him! Now off to find the Holy Grail in time for Cristesmaesse!
Thursday, December 11, 2014
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On the Job
Fellows are hired by our partner companies as full-time, salaried employees. Just like our Fellows, no two jobs are alike—but odds are, you're going to work hard, your team is going to have high expectations, and sometimes, you won't know what to do next. There will be days or weeks when your manager won't have time to offer you much guidance, and you'll find yourself picking up skills on the fly. This kind of environment will teach you to be proactive, ask the right questions, and always find a way to move your company forward—the same skills you'll need to launch something of your own.
As an entry level employee on a small team, you're going to be expected to do it all—and you're also going to see the impact you have from the very beginning.
My friends in more traditional jobs spend their days making deliverables for a boss who gives that to another boss, and no one really feels connected to the value they're adding. For me, I see the value that I'm adding every day.– Max Haskin '15
Joining the startup community in your city
There's a tight-knit, growing entrepreneurial community in every VFA city. You're going to meet people who have invested their time, money, and energy into making the city a great place to live—by attracting talent, incentivizing businesses to move (or stay), and launching programs that serve local communities. If you want to make an impact or start something of your own outside of work, you can learn from the people who have been there, working to solve the problems they know well—the support you need is likely just a meeting or a few phone calls away.
Stay connected to the VFA community
As you get down to work in your city, you'll have the support of the wider VFA network behind you. You'll have access to our network of mentors to ask one-off questions or form longer relationships, and the VFA team will be there to talk you through challenging situations. You'll also find that your fellow Fellows and alumni are an incredible resource, too.
I've grown a lot because there isn't always someone to tell me what to do. I've learned how to take initiative and take responsibility head-on. I've also learned management skills that I never would have learned at the age of 22, if I wasn't thrown into the situation where I had to manage people.– Cathryn Woodruff '15
How does VFA choose its company partners?
Our dedicated Company Partnerships team develops relationships with each company, usually through on-site visits and referrals from local partners. We prioritize leadership, relative financial stability, and a high-potential working and learning environment. That said, these are startups, and things change quickly.
What kind of role will I have at my company?
Fellows fill entry-level startup roles. The actual jobs, responsibilities, and skills of an entry-level employee can often evolve based on the company's changing needs and direction. Roles include account management, content production, marketing, web development, engineering, data analysis, social media management, sales and business development, operations, or often, some combination of these. No matter the job title, at many startups, team members end up working on a variety of projects and functions, and what Fellows work on in the first several months may not be what they're working on several months later. When you're interviewing for different roles, we'll encourage you to ask the right questions to figure out what your job will be and opportunities for growth.
What type of salary can I expect?
Fellows can typically expect a starting salary of at least $38,000 per year, with some companies offering equity/options. Most Fellows will receive their first paycheck between late August and late September, depending on the payroll practices of their startup. From there, many Fellows earn raises once they prove themselves and add real value to their team—provided they're excelling and the company is growing.
What happens if the startup I'm working for closes?
These are startups, and these things happen. It's always difficult to recover from the loss of your company, and the transition is rarely smooth. Most Fellows in this situation have been able to find another job in a number of weeks with some hustle, networking, and a little help from VFA — but mostly hustle. It's never quick or painless. If it happens to you, get ready to put your hard hat on and think to yourself, "At least I'm getting this experience while I'm young." Our founder Andrew's company failed and he swears it was one of the best, and most miserable, experiences of his life.
How long can I stay with my company?
There's no established "end date" to your tenure with your employer, but you're committing to two years at a VFA partner company in order to maintain your Fellowship status. If your company has grown and you've earned more responsibility, you may be well-served to stick around and continue to expand into a bigger role, as many of our alumni have done before.
Does VFA offer any student loan assistance?
Right now, we offer moderate loan assistance for a limited number of applicants. It's not as much as we'd like, and increasing the amount of assistance we can offer is a major priority for us.
Thanks to the generosity of the Leon Lowenstein Foundation, VFA is pleased to offer the VFA Opportunity Award. Candidates are selected for the award on the basis of financial need and other criteria in an effort to make VFA an attractive opportunity for candidates of all backgrounds. The application to apply becomes available at the beginning of the Fellowship, prior to Training Camp in June. This will make it easier for at least a few people.
- For more information about the VFA Opportunity Award, you can check out the guidelines here: VFA Opportunity Award Guidelines.
VFA also refers Fellows to available programs that may help with loan payments. Income-Based Repayment (IBR) is a way to make your monthly federal student loan payments more manageable. IBR is available to federal student loan borrowers in both the Direct and Guaranteed (or FFEL) loan programs, and covers most types of federal loans made to students. To qualify for IBR, you must have a partial financial hardship. You have a partial financial hardship if the monthly amount you would be required to pay on your IBR-eligible loans under a Standard Repayment Plan with a 10-year repayment period is higher than the monthly amount you would be required to repay under IBR.
- Student Startup Plan via IBR: http://www.sba.gov/startupamerica/student-startup-plan
- To see if you qualify, visit the IBR calculator: http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/IBRCalc.jsp
- IBR Q&A: http://studentaid.ed.gov/students/attachments/siteresources/IBRQ&A_template_123109_FINAL.pdf
- Helpful links on how to apply for IBR with your lender: http://www.ibrinfo.org/how.vp.html


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General Practice, Solo & Small Firm DivisionMagazine
A Judge's Perspective on Jury Reform From the Other Side of the Jury Box
By Judith S. Kaye
Thursday, August 15, 1996–I emerged from the subway station at City Hall and enjoyed the short stroll down to the Manhattan Criminal Courts building at 100 Centre Street. I was a little anxious. After all, I was trying out for a new role in the New York State court system, and hoped to be sitting by designation, in a criminal trial that afternoon. Why was I, the Chief Judge of the state, so uncertain about my status? Because I was reporting to the courthouse not as a judge, but as a juror.
My stroll down Centre Street that morning in August was a small part of a larger journey that had actually begun three years earlier, and is still far from complete–the journey to reform the New York State jury system.
The Jury Project. When I became Chief Judge of the State of New York, the jury system was one of the first things I wanted to examine. In the summer of 1993, I appointed a task force, called "The Jury Project," to conduct a top-to-bottom review of New York's jury system. Using the American Bar Association's Standards Relating to Juror Use and Management as a guide, The Jury Project recommended a far-ranging program of legislative, administrative, and attitudinal changes for the court system.
Based on The Jury Project's work, the New York State jury reform program focused on three major objectives: jury pools that are truly representative of the community; a jury system that operates efficiently and effectively; and jury service that is a positive experience for the citizens who are summoned to serve.
Representative Jury Pools. First, we dismantled the "permanent qualified lists" that arbitrarily over summoned some citizens and under summoned others so that every citizen whose name appears on any of the underlying source lists has an equal chance of being called to serve. Next, we expanded the number of source lists that we use: voter registration, driver's license, state income tax, unemployment, and public assistance rosters. This provides us with a database of 16 million names that includes citizens from all walks of life. Finally, the legislature repealed the state's entire list of automatic exemptions. Thus, the new year brought a number of new faces into jury boxes across the state–doctors, lawyers, police officers, and yes, judges. Press reports noted how much more diverse the jury pool had become, and how much more willing jurors were to serve.
Efficient Jury System. The second major objective of our jury program was to establish an efficient jury system. We knew from our juror complaint hotline that "wasted time" was the number one criticism registered.
New York's established tradition of allowing attorneys to select civil juries without any judicial supervision was also a particular source of discontent. Many jurors told similar stories of days and weeks of boring and repetitive questioning and unexplained delays, frequently followed by settlement of the case immediately after completion of this tedious, time-consuming process.
New rules governing the conduct of civil voir dire were adopted following a pilot study that tested the effects of various levels of judicial supervision; alternative methods of jury selection; use of time limits on attorney questioning; and use of non-designated, alternate jurors. The rules identify the methods of jury selection that are the most efficient. Judges must designate one of these selection methods in each case, preside at the commencement of civil jury selection, set time limits on questioning, and continue monitoring as appropriate. The rules have had a positive impact on the length of civil voir dire. In just the first nine months of 1996, the average length of civil jury selection in New York dropped from 9.3 hours to 6.7 hours–a reduction of over 25 percent.
Better use of technology has also helped us improve the efficiency of our jury system. In ten of the largest counties of the state, jurors can now postpone their first summons for up to six months–usually to a specific date of their choice–by using an automated telephone system. All counties have call in systems to help ensure that the supply of jurors reporting closely corresponds to the court's projected demand–thus, reducing juror waiting time and trial part downtime.
But efficiency in a jury system is not just a matter of machinery–it's also a matter of active court management. The court system held "juror utilization workshops" for New York City jury commissioners and court administrators, who then developed their own county-specific juror utilization plans which focus on better communication between court parts and jury administrators, as well as between court staff and jurors.
Jury Service as a Positive Experience. In New York, we are working to ensure that jury service is an experience that inspires trust and respect in our courts. Because the physical condition of our court-houses is seen by many as a metaphor for our system of justice, our jury program included the provision of clean and comfortable juror facilities.
Courteous and professional treatment by courthouse staff is another component of a positive jury experience. In New York, we have emphasized service to the public in formal training programs, as well as through day-to-day management supervision. Juror exit surveys confirm that our efforts are paying off. In 1995, nearly 90 percent of the jurors who completed surveys indicated that they found court staff to be professional and courteous.
But without question, one of the best ways to improve the basic jury experience is to minimize the burdens of service. To that end, we expanded our jury pools and improved juror management techniques; we cut our statewide average term of service by 50 percent in less than three years, with 58 of the 62 counties in the state now on a "one day/one trial" system; we instituted a system whereby people are summoned less frequently, with all counties except Manhattan and the Bronx, both currently on a four-year (or longer) summoning schedule; we secured legislation that eliminates mandatory sequestration on an experimental basis in all but the most serious criminal trials (and we hope to make the experiment permanent); and we are increasing juror compensation from $15 to $40 over the next two years.
Do I Think Judges Should Serve Jury Duty? You bet I do. Judges' participation serves at least four important functions. The first is the symbolic value of judges themselves demonstrating that every citizen has an equal duty to serve. Second, as a practical matter, exempting one group of busy professionals would quickly lead to the excusal of others, and begin the landslide back to the bad old days where an unfortunate few were called like clockwork while the rest of us blithely ignored the system. Third, with time, I believe that attorneys will become more comfortable with the notion of judges and other law-trained individuals serving as jurors, and more of them will be chosen to sit. This will allow a large group of well-educated citizens to contribute their collective wisdom and life experiences to the deliberative process.
Finally, jury duty may also help judges be more effective when they move back from the box to the bench. When drafting instructions, they will be able to draw on their experience of having to comprehend and apply the boilerplate passages we often use. They may have new interest in other measures designed to promote juror comprehension, such as note taking, preliminary instructions, and interim summations.
Honorable Judith S. Kaye is the Chief Judge of the State of New York.
- This article is an abridged and edited version of one that originally appeared on page 18 in The Judges' Journal, Fall 1997 (36:4).


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Here it comes again - record cold in so many spots in the US, record snowfall up in Buffalo, and the usual gang of idiots are whining because they still don't understand the difference between climate and weather. Hey numbnuts, climate change is causing this freakish weather! Oh, why bother. Here are ten of the funniest climate change videos to, I dunno, soothe you or something. Don't mind me, I'll just sit here in my layers, stewing in seasonal affective disorder...
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
Silly Site o' the Day
Labels: Silly Sites, Weather Or Not
Posted by Elayne at 10:06 PM
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Friday, May 29, 2009
New Vintage Inspired Skeleton Key Necklaces
Here's a peek at the necklaces I will be adding to my Etsy store later tonight. I have added a few other pieces this afternoon, but am breaking to clean the house. Due to beads, it has been sorely neglected this week. I will be going out of town and closing down my store toward the end of next week, so if you want something, better snag it now! I will return and open up my store again on June 16th.
These necklaces feature real vintage skeleton keys, sterling silver, brass, and/or copper, lampwork, gemstones, crystals, hand made stamped pieces by me, bezel set taxidermy glass eyes, and other vintage findings and beads. Each one is a one of a kind piece and seems to have a story to it. I love the Twilight one! Well, have a wonderful weekend!
Posted by Kitties & Cupcakes at 5/29/2009 03:14:00 PM 4 comments:
Thursday, May 28, 2009
More jewelry finished and soon to be available!
I have been busy working on jewelry this week. Last week was my painting week. I just listed a matching set in my store, so if you have always wanted one of my stamped and riveted flower pieces, I have a matching necklace, bracelet, and pair of earrings available. I also created some wonderfully eclectic vintage look necklaces, but haven't gotten any pics yet. It started raining on my when I went out to take the pics. I hate Florida this time of year. Hopefully, I can get pics tomorrow, and post them to my blog and my store. I also added the print of my sold original painting of the Ladybug girl from the previous post. Enjoy!
Posted by Kitties & Cupcakes at 5/28/2009 07:38:00 PM No comments:
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Back to normal life...
Hey everyone! Hope your long weekend was a nice one. I got a lot of jewelry made and stayed up pretty late since Rob is out of town. He comes home today from some interviews in Orlando. I haven't stayed up till 3 am since college. I ate ice cream for supper yesterday. I went through an old yearbook and read old letters. I giggled to myself and enjoyed my alone time. I think it is important to be able to do that.
Anywhoo, I have 2 more auctions ending Wed. night on Ebay, my angel painting ends this coming Sunday, and then there will be a break in auctions. I am headed to visit my family in Wisconsin in early June, so I will go silent for a while.
Hope everyone has a good week and thanks for stopping in!
Anywhoo, I have 2 more auctions ending Wed. night on Ebay, my angel painting ends this coming Sunday, and then there will be a break in auctions. I am headed to visit my family in Wisconsin in early June, so I will go silent for a while.
Hope everyone has a good week and thanks for stopping in!
Posted by Kitties & Cupcakes at 5/26/2009 08:43:00 AM 1 comment:
Saturday, May 23, 2009
How are you spending your long weekend?
Hey everyone! This week went roaring by and Saturday is already here! There are probably a lot of people who are out of town this weekend, or out shopping, but don't forget that if you had planned on bidding on any of my paintings on Ebay, they end on Monday and Tuesday night. I will also be adding a new painting this Sunday evening. It took me all week to work on, and ended up completely different than what I had planned. Sometimes, I start on a background with an idea in mind, and once it is finished, it just lends itself to something else.
Here's a sneak peak at the painting. It is a large one this time and is a mixed media piece. The quote on it says, "Be humble, for you are made of earth. Be noble, for you are made of stars." It is a Serbian proverb, and I just love it. The colors are very rich and deep in this one!
Posted by Kitties & Cupcakes at 5/23/2009 11:31:00 AM 1 comment:
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
2 paintings starting on Ebay tonight!
Here they are! They start tonight around 10pm EST and will run for 7 days. I just finished the Lady bug Girl yesterday. My mother had wanted a print to match her print of the Bumble Bee Girl painting that I had already sold. So, happy bidding! Good luck!
Posted by Kitties & Cupcakes at 5/20/2009 04:54:00 PM No comments:
Just a tease!
I finished a new painting yesterday and will be stopping in to share it later! Just finished ordering some jewelry supplies and now I should probably get out of these jammies and get cleaned up. Stop by later today for the first peak at the new painting. I will be selling the prints on Etsy, and listing the painting on Ebay this week. Yee-haw! Sorry...got a little bit excited there...
Posted by Kitties & Cupcakes at 5/20/2009 10:25:00 AM No comments:
Monday, May 18, 2009
Two New Auctions starting TONIGHT!
Hello! Hope everyone had a good start to the week. I spent the afternoon painting. It was raining outside and a few storms rolled through. Our grass is brown and crunchy, so we definitely needed it.
I have two new auctions starting tonight for my mixed media folk art paintings. I will post the pics here. Click on the button in the right hand column that says "My artwork on eBay" to visit them. They start at 10pm EST. Here's the two that are up for grabs! Talk to you soon!
Posted by Kitties & Cupcakes at 5/18/2009 07:40:00 PM No comments:
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Sorry for the long pause...
It's been pretty quiet on my blog this week, as I have been busy with a large sterling disc stamping order and some doctor's appt.'s. So, for those of you who stopped by for some amusement or eye candy of some sort, I apologize for my long pause.
I hope to be back to making jewelry and painting this week. I do have 3 paintings ending on Ebay tomorrow night. Check out my previous post for a link.
Have a lovely weekend, and I promise to be more lively this coming week. ( :
It's been pretty quiet on my blog this week, as I have been busy with a large sterling disc stamping order and some doctor's appt.'s. So, for those of you who stopped by for some amusement or eye candy of some sort, I apologize for my long pause.
I hope to be back to making jewelry and painting this week. I do have 3 paintings ending on Ebay tomorrow night. Check out my previous post for a link.
Have a lovely weekend, and I promise to be more lively this coming week. ( :
Posted by Kitties & Cupcakes at 5/16/2009 11:53:00 AM No comments:
Sunday, May 10, 2009
New Ebay listings starting tonight!
I am listing 3 paintings on Ebay tonight starting at 10pm. They don't always show right away, but should be available for bidding by Monday morning. I am listing my Kitty Cat Cupcake painting, Bee Your Very Best Self, and One Cat Just Leads To Another. I am posting their pics here so you can see them ahead of time. This is for the actual original painting canvases, not a print! Take care, and happy bidding!
Posted by Kitties & Cupcakes at 5/10/2009 07:53:00 PM 4 comments:
Happy Mother's Day!
Happy Mother's Day to all the Mom's out there! We are having a busy day of church, then off to someone's house for an early dinner, but I just wanted to share my latest painting. I did it as a custom gift for someone at church who is in the nursing field. I will have prints available in my Etsy store. I have Ebay auctions on some paintings ending tomorrow night and will be listing some more. Still busy at work on some custom jewelry orders and sending some pieces off to an art gallery/boutique in Philly tomorrow. Enjoy what's left of the weekend, and stop in to see what's new when you get a chance!
Posted by Kitties & Cupcakes at 5/10/2009 02:52:00 PM 1 comment:
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
I am still here...
For some odd reason, I can't get the capital letters to work in my title box. Weird. Anyway...I am still here. I have been plugging away at some custom stuff, having some consignment meetings, and all the fun housework. I can hardly believe it is Wednesday already! I have a few paintings in the works that are all at various stages of completion. I do believe I will be listing some of my other paintings either this Sunday or on Monday night again. My current ones end on Monday night. I am excited for "Lost" tonight! My hubby wants to watch American Idol instead...so I think we will be watching TV's in different rooms. LOL I love Idol, but NOTHING interrupts "Lost!" Well, hope everyone is having a nice week. The spring weather has been a little crazy in other areas of the country, so I hope everyone is safe. I can't remember the last time we had rain. We need it. So, if you have some extra, send it down to Florida. I'll trade you for a lizard!
Posted by Kitties & Cupcakes at 5/06/2009 04:56:00 PM 2 comments:
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Listing my original paintings on Ebay starting Monday night!
Hey everyone! It's been a long, busy weekend, but I finally got around to getting some of my original paintings on Ebay. Years ago, when we still lived in Minneapolis, I used to sell my paintings on Ebay. I am giving it a go again, as it seems the Etsy crowd is more interested in prints. If it goes well, I will continue to do so. If not, they will end up in my Etsy store anyway. I am listing a few at a time to see what kind of audience I get. So, if you want to take a peek, they start at 10pm EST or 7PM on the West Coast. I listed my "Be Not Afraid" painting, "Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow" painting, and my new Black Cat with birds painting. Well, have a super week! I am going to be busy with some custom orders the next few weeks, so my posts may be on the slim side. Take care!
Posted by Kitties & Cupcakes at 5/03/2009 05:22:00 PM No comments:
Friday, May 1, 2009
Etsy and Artfire store banners for sale!
I designed some banners for sale in my Etsy store this afternoon, so if you are in need of a banner, go check them out!
Posted by Kitties & Cupcakes at 5/01/2009 07:56:00 PM No comments:
Black cat with looney birds painting
Here's the one painting I finished this week. I was feeling a bit uninspired, so I did a painting similar to one I did about 5 yrs ago, but changed up the color of the cat, made the birds a little stranger looking and played with swirling red paint in the background. The sides of the painting are painting black and white stripes that have been slightly sanded for a more primitive look. My black kitty, Tiny, loves to sit outside on the screened porch watching all the neighborhood birds taunt her. She would love to get her paws on one, but wouldn't know what to do with one if she did catch it! Hope you like the painting. I plan on listing my paintings on Ebay soon. I haven't used Ebay in years (to sell) so I need to learn all the changes and get a template together. I will post a link to auctions here once I get up and going. Enjoy your weekend! We are catching a movie and heading to Red Ginger restaurant for some yummy Thai food.
Posted by Kitties & Cupcakes at 5/01/2009 02:55:00 PM No comments:
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Alvaro Uribe Velez, one of Colombia's most popular recent presidents and a big opponent of peace talks with the FARC rebels, announced on Monday that he will run for a senate seat in next year's election under the banner of a new political party called Centro Democrático ("Democratic Center").
Uribe, a polarizing figure who has repeatedly criticized President Juan Manuel Santos' government, spoke from his country house in Rionegro, Antioquia, where he read a document that details Centro Democrático's proposals.
"We want to ease the security decline, the growing uncertainty of investments, the stagnation of the bureaucratized social policy, the wasteful spending of official resources, and the substitution of popular dialogue for the risk of handing the country over to terrorism and Castro-Chavism," Uribe said.
Uribe is set to attract many voters to his new party, and the announcement has already rattled his country. With Uribe's presence, Centro Democrático, a party that opposes the handling of the peace process and most of Santos' other leading government policies, is set to win at least 10 senate seats, according to most estimates. Some analysts even talk about 30 senate seats, which would give the party significant control of the legislative agenda.
Uribe's return to the senate could signal an end to the current government's congressional honeymoon. Santos has not faced much opposition in Congress during his first term. This has allowed him to cruise through seemingly controversial policies such as an agrarian reform and a legal framework for the peace process.
Things would certainly be different if Uribe was elected to the senate. The former president is Santos' most outspoken critic, and, as a senator, he is bound to become a headache for any government that does not agree with him. Uribe is one of Colombia's most popular politicians and his role as Santos' most staunch opponent can only grow if he leads his party from Congress.
In the senate, Uribe would open up a new front in the legislative agenda. During his speech last Monday, Uribe unveiled a set of social, security, and economic proposals that share more similarities with a government plan than with a newly-created party's manifesto. It is likely, then, that Centro Democrático's proposals could eventually compete with the government's, leading to more debate and an overall slowdown in congressional actions.
While Uribe is popular enough to win a seat, his return to the senate is not a foregone conclusion. Uribe faces several legal accusations, which might dissuade him from taking a senate seat and giving up his immunity from prosecution, as a former president of the country. Uribe has been repeatedly accused of assisting right-wing death squads during his stint as Antionquia's governor in the 1990s and during his two-term presidency in the 2000s.
Uribe has always maintained his innocence and said that he has nothing to hide or fear from investigators. But many of his close collaborators, including his security chief and the head of his intelligence agency, have already been charged and sentenced by the Supreme Court. Hundreds of his former party's politicians are also either in jail or being investigated as part of a major political scandal widely known under the umbrella term parapolítica.
Under Colombia's Constitution, presidents enjoy a special kind of judicial immunity. Presidents can only be investigated by a special Congressional commission made up of 15 representatives. Unlike congressmen, they can't be investigated by the Supreme Court and other judicial bodies.
As a senator, Uribe would be open to investigation from other judicial bodies, according to some legal interpretations. He could then be charged by the Supreme Court - the judicial body that has most actively pursued the parapolítica.
Jaime Granados, Alvaro Uribe's personal lawyer, says that Uribe could only be accused by the Supreme Court and other judicial bodies for what he does as a senator, if he is elected, but not for what he did as president.
Francisco José Sintura, a former attorney general, agrees with Granados, but says that Uribe could then be investigated for his actions while he was the governor of Antioquia.
The legal debate is just starting, and its outcome will depend on whether Uribe decides to be the head of Centro Democrático's senate list or participate from the sidelines, as he's been doing for the past three years.
Uribe's party is set to release the names of the candidates in its senate list by the end of the week.


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Toronto, Canada
19,882 sales
Stay at Home Mom with a Passion for creating!
Welcome to Pretty Party Creations!
I am a stay at home mom with a passion for creating. I started my shop as a bit of a hobby and never imagined it would become what it has in such a short time. I love opening up my computer and creating something new every day. But what I love even more is the customer feedback or when I hear how much their little girl/boy loved my invite! Designing consumes me. I see inspiration everywhere. In my children, on a walk, in my home. I breathe, eat and sleep thinking about what I will create next.
From kids birthday parties, weddings, birth announcements, graduations, anniversaries and whatever other special events you can think of, you will find it all as a simple DIY in my shop.
And if you can't find it, let me know! Nothing makes me happier then working on custom requests and making someones event special.
Start your celebration off right with a Pretty Party Creation!
Around the web
Shop members
Marianne Barbara
I am a stay at home mommy of 3 amazing children. They are my everyday inspiration. I love creating DIY Party supplies from simple invites to full blown party packages! Let me help you create the perfect event.
Shop policies
I will work with you until you are completely happy with the outcome.
Accepted payment methods
Payments made by E-Check will only be delivered after the E-Check has cleared. A proof will be sent in the meantime.
All files are sent via email. No physical items are mailed unless otherwise specified.
Once you confirm your order and that all information is correct, your file will be deleted. If you require edits after your file is deleted an editing fee will apply (invite will have to be recreated). It is your responsibility to make sure the info is all correct BEFORE confirmation.
Turnaround for all items is listed from 24-48hrs. If you require a file sooner you can purchase the rush fee which can be found in the shop.
Returns and exchanges
If you would like another size of product other than stated in the listing description, you must state so AT TIME of purchase, NOT after the final item has been sent to you. If you wait until after, an editing fee may apply.
Please also allow for variances in colors due to differences in computer monitors and printers. Refunds will not be given for colour variances.
Additional policies and FAQs
All designs are to be personalized by me. No blank invitation templates are provided.


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Gabriel García Márquez
The New York Times / October 24, 1982
here was dancing in the streets of Macondo last week when they learned of Gabriel Garcia Marquez's Nobel Prize for Literature. Or perhaps flowers rained from the sky.
The 54-year-old Colombian novelist, known best in English-speaking countries for ''One Hundred Years of Solitude,'' was praised by the Swedish Academy of Letters for creating ''a cosmos in which the human heart and the combined forces of history time and again burst the bounds of chaos.'' And no one could complain that ''an unknown literary continent or province is being brought to light with the prize.''
Garcia Marquez's real hometown, a banana center called Aracataca on the Caribbean coast, may or may not be impressed. (''The worst thing that can happen to a writer in a continent where people don't read is that his books are being sold like sausages,'' he said.) But now he will probably be able to return there after years of exile in Mexico City, and will maybe even have an easier time entering the United States. Until 1971 he was refused a visa here because of supposed Communist ties (''I have never belonged to the Communist party,'' he says). Since then, when Columbia University awarded him an honorary doctorate, the State Department has given him a special waiver.
Mr. Marquez has drawn much of his fictional material from the political and social climate of Latin America. As one of 16 children of a poor telegraph operator, he took the lush folklore with him on a journalism career in European capitals and New York, where he was a correspondent for the Cuban press agency. He published a collection of short stories in 1955 and ''Cien Anos de Soledad'' in 1967, but did not achieve international recognition until the latter was translated into English in 1970.
The academy noted that Mr. Marquez ''is strongly committed politically on the side of the poor and the weak against domestic oppression and foreign economic exploitation.'' A personal friend of Fidel Castro, he has voiced reservations about life in Cuba, but has been sharply critical of the United States boycott. As for Ronald Reagan, the new laureate has contended that the President ''can't accept that the current struggle in Latin America has internal causes -injustice, inequality and oppression. For him, all acts of legitimate revolt are Soviet operations: these aren't countries but pawns. That's very grave for our identity.''
With a new government in Colombia, Mr. Marquez hopes to start his own newspaper there next year. A novella called ''Chronicle of a Death Foretold'' will be published in the spring. He reports that he is working on a love story with a happy ending. ''The world is short of happiness,'' he said recently.


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This year I decided how to scrapbook all the photos from trips to visit my son & almost a daughter- in-law or trips they had taken here. I went with the mini albums (I love to make books!). So an album a trip it was! I am happy to say I have just completed the last and most involved one. Yes, I know I am cutting it close... maybe even too last minute for that under the tree on Christmas morning. But I think all will be forgiven when they look at them :o)This was made with retired 6 x6 page protectors ( a great stash find). I cut off the gutter with the binder holes in it. I then added one hole at the top of the remaining gutter. You have got to love the CTMH page protectors!
This book was all made using the CTMH Artbooking Cricut cartridge. I even used the matching stamp set to create journal spots for them to fill in.
This was also made with the Artbooking Cricut cartridge, so easy to cut the 8 x 8 pages of matching My Reflections kit paper. I love the CTMH Kraft Ring Binder. A must for your stash!
This last one took some time!! I think it was well used time :o) I used the Stack the Deck spine method (this can be found on line by Laura Denison) . I have used 3 envelops for each "page", this gives me 3 pockets and 2 surfaces for photos and journal areas. That's a total of 30 areas for photos or... I "built" the book covers and spine from chip board. It was most enjoyable :o)
I found many more ways to add "pages" so I will be making many more Stack the Deck style books.
Happy Holidays to everyone! I hope this helps with any last minute gift ideas (go with one of the first few-LOL!) or plans for next year's gift creating. There is always time to add ideas to your Idea & Plan books, don't we all have those?!


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Slapping The Messenger
Have you ever wanted to tell someone's bratty-acting kids to behave themselves? Here is what happens when someone has the temerity to do just that.
Proof once more that it doesn't "take a village" where obnoxiously-behaving kids are concerned.
I remember when having children who behaved well in public was a source of parental pride.


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A town has three bus routes A, B and C. Route A has twice as many buses as each of B and C. Over a perido of time it has been found that, along a certain stretch of road, where the three routes converge, the buses on these routes run more than five minutes late 1/2, 1/5 and 1/10 of the time respectively.
1) A bus is going down this stretch of road. What is the probability it is more than 5 minutes late?
2) Comment on the size of the answer to 1) with the respect to the given probabilities 1/2, 1/5 and 1/10.
3) An inspector, standing on this particular stretch of road, sees a bus that is more than five minutes late. Find the probability that it is a route B bus.
Help please


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"Gray Goo" is a term for the concept that Armaggedon will be brought about by billions of self-replicating molecular nanobots eating everything in the universe. No, I'm not making it up. Here's the wikipedia page to prove it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gray_goo
Now, the important part here is the following message, informing the general public how they can be sure to do
their part for our galaxy:
Only you, people. Only you.


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Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Win or go home
A few things pleased me mightily:
WOLFSNAIL! The little non-fiction book that could (win a Geisel Honor, that is). When I plucked it more or less at random off a cart, I was surprised and amused at the idea of a predatory snail. After I read it, I was SO impressed that the book was based on direct observation instead of being rehashed from an encyclopedia entry. And indeed, the photos are beautiful and the prose is effective. But come on, a predatory garden snail? That is just funny.
Becoming Billie Holiday got a Coretta Scott King Honor. This was the first book I reviewed for School Library Journal. I was so honored to have been sent such a special book, especially the first time out. I sweated blood over that review, conscious that it was going to be in the running for awards this year. What I wrote is on Amazon.
A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever. Oh do I love this book! Maybe I've mentioned it before. Ah, yes, it appears I have. I like Marla Frazee quite a lot - she has a rare ability to crack up grownups and still be appealing to children. She's like Sesame Street in book form.
Garmann's Summer got that prize for a book in translation. I think it is more notable for the illustrations than the text, but I'm just pleased it got the recognition. It's a weird book but it addresses fear - in a fearless way - which I think is something we need to see more of.
Stinky got a Geisel Honor, and I'm going to agree with that. I think Eleanor Davis has a fresh approach to color and knows what kids like.
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian got an Odyssey Award. What's an Odyssey Award, you ask? And why is this spectacular book so far down the list? Well, Odyssey is an audiobook award, and Our Sherm got it for reading his own book. Hmph. He should have gotten the Printz for it, and he didn't. Not this year, and not last year. And the audio version is out of print already according to Amazon.
I'm extremely happy, though, to see Stephen Briggs recognized for his narration of Terry Pratchett's Nation. Briggs is a frickin' NUT when it comes to reading this stuff - his character voices actually cause me pain. I tried reading A Hat Full of Sky out loud to my kids after we had heard the audiobook of The Wee Free Men, and when I tried to imitate the way he did the Nac Mac Feegle (the wee free men), I think I herniated my larynx. And Nation is a terrific book, even if it dwells a little heavily on matters of faith and dogma.
A few things displeased me:
Where is Adam Rex when these things come around? The guy can paint, he can draw. He can cartoon. He can write doggerel poetry worthy of Punch. He's funny as can be. Kids of all ages like his stuff. And he showed, with The True Meaning of Smekday, that he can write long-form fiction too. So what's it going to take for him to get a little recognition? Sheesh.
The House in the Night? FTW? Over the similarly-themed and much more kid-friendly (hint: kids like color) In a Blue Room? I don't know. It didn't do anything for me, although I agree that the art is very nice. I just... I think that the art in this book is for grownups. I much preferred Susan Marie Swanson's previous To Be Like the Sun.
The Newbery titles, with the possible exception of the Big Winnah Mistah Gaiman's Book, are ALL GIRL BOOKS. UH.GAIN. AM I TIRED of trying to find books for boys who are told "Read an award-winning book". They've already READ Hatchet, ok? (Ooh, nice new cover on Hatchet, BTW) Throw my guys a bone, willya? Hold your nose and give Diary of a Wimpy Kid an award. It's not so bad!
Well, that's all. Tune in next year when I get to grouse about awards again. Better yet, keep your eye on the Cybils Awards - I actually participated in those, so I will have no room to complain!
2 comments:
- mamele said...
can i just tell you how much i enjoy this blog? you're mouthy. i like that.
totally with you in the love of marla frazee and the hmmm reaction to house in the night over in a blue room (the latter was HUGE with my 4-yr-old; the former didn't connect at all).
my 7-yr-old was crazy about and memorized most of frankenstein makes a sandwich, but was really disappointed by FMAC. i thought it did err on the side of "funny for grownups" -- my daughter KNEW there was too much she wasn't getting, and felt frustrated and left out.
- Sarah Campbell said...
Thank you for your kind words about Wolfsnail. When the publisher called me he could hardly keep a straight tone -- a predatory snail ... and no one else has written about it ... and you just happen to be the expert ... (of course, I'm not really an expert). But I watched mighty carefully. Thanks for keeping the guys in mind.


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by Sabin Duncan
There is a scene in the movie The Best Man, where Terrance Howard's character attempts to assuage his friend's fears by assuring that "karma don't come back like that." As a father of two beautiful girls, I am certain that I am not alone in hoping that karma indeed does not come back like that.
At the moment we first find out we're having a daughter, every father flashes back to all the things that he has done to and with someone else's daughter. It is at that moment, despite religious standing or affiliation, every father-to-be communicates with God. A communication, a prayer, or more than likely a plea, that begins with these two words: "Lord, please".
From that initial moment of humility and probably for the duration of our days, we are never the same. We attempt to stand rigid, but when those pretty eyes sparkle and coo "please daddy", we melt faster than ice cubes in a heated oven. When baby girl cries, our chest expands, our bravado multiplies and our ego rages – because whoever did this to our baby girl, they are about to be victimized by our ferocity. Yet somehow, the money you had begun saving for a huge high-definition television, becomes easily spent when lil' mama needs a pretty dress and sandals. Indeed, we are never as tough as we were before daughters.
Yet I'm here to say that unlike the rest of you, I can tell my daughters, "no!" In fact, I supplement my "no" with a crazed hysterical look that shouts, "what the heck were you thinking?" But my girls work with charm – hey, what can I say? They get it from their dad. They climb into my lap and use their little fingers to outline my eyebrows or mustache. Then they tuck their little chins to their chest and look up from under those long eyelashes. They shrug their little shoulders and affectionately murmur: "daddy…." The rest of the statement doesn't matter, because this daddy springs into action. "What!! You can't find your Princess Tiana Barbie? Well, go get your jacket. Daddy will get you a new one." Later, as we proceed to the cash register of Toys' R Us, I stoop down and plead with my little ladies, "don't tell your mama, ok?"
This post is originally featured in Daddy, Am I Pretty? by Damon E. Duncan. Order Your Copy today!


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adidas Welcomes Kanye West To Its "Family"
"For 2014, we welcome to the adidas family one of the most influential cultural icons of this generation, Kanye West," adidas said in a statement yesterday (December 3), as per MTV. "Well known for breaking boundaries across music, film and design and partnering with our history in street wear culture and leading innovations in sport, we look forward to creating a new chapter. Details to follow."
West's role within the adidas family is not yet known.
West worked with NIKE on the Air Yeezy prior to this. However, he has recently been critical of NIKE and its CEO, Mark Parker.
"They tried to make it as small as possible," West said during a recent concert, as per MTV. "Mark Parker even talked shit, talking about, 'We don't even know why people like the Yeezys."
During an interview with New York radio station Hot 97, West hinted towards work with adidas.
"I start turning up in the BBC interview and they say cool, we're gonna give you a bigger sandbox to play in," Kanye said. "The old me might have taken this Nike deal because I just love Nike so much. But the new me with a daughter takes the adidas deal because I have royalties and I have to provide for my daughter."
West's interview with Hot 97 can be viewed below.


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Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Olmert's Closing Act
Olmert's Closing Act
By: Steven Plaut
Date: Wednesday, December 10 2008
Ehud Olmert, facing criminal prosecution for corruption, is using his
final days in office to subvert Israeli security and impose his own policy
notions on the country - notions rejected by the overwhelming majority of
Israeli citizens.
Olmert has agreed to release scores of Hamas officials, including Hamas
members of the Palestinian "parliament" and Hamas "cabinet ministers," as
a reward for Hamas's refusal to release kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad
Shalit. When Shalit was first kidnapped, Israel grabbed some Hamas leaders
and tossed them into the clink, promising to keep them locked up until
Shalit was released.
Shalit has not been released, but since the Hamas terrorists were jailed
under an initial sentence that is set to run out in 2009, the Olmert
people want to let them go early as a goodwill gesture.
Now, regardless of what the original sentence was for these people, they
could always be retried and given an additional sentence, and this can be
done over and over until Shalit is released. Once released, these
terrorists will return to bombing and rocketing Israeli civilians. Holding
them in jail is also a way to pressure Hamas to stop shooting rockets at
Sderot. But Olmert does not want to be bothered with such arguments. He
wants the history books to remember him as something other than a petty
Meanwhile, in the aftermath of the atrocities in Mumbai, the Olmert clique
is still pushing for withdrawal from even more territory - including
turning the Golan Heights over to Syria. Israeli law happens to make that
illegal, but if the lawyer Olmert were careful about obeying the law, he
would not now be facing criminal prosecution for bribery.
Even President Bush dressed down Olmert for his Golan proposal. Here we
had the spectacle of an American president lecturing an Israeli prime
minister for being too lax on Israeli security.
It is amusing to imagine what was going through the minds of Israel's
leaders as they watched the news coverage of the Mumbai barbarism. Were
they thinking how primitive those Indian politicians and military leaders
After all, the Indians dealt with the terrorists by shooting them down
like dogs. The terrorists were not read their rights before being
arrested, assigned public defenders, and granted long drawn-out trials.
The family members of the terrorists were not granted survivor benefits
from India's social security system, such as those granted by Israel to
families of murderers.
The Indian press did not lecture the country about how the terrorism was
their comeuppance for being insensitive and selfish. Indian politicians
did not pontificate about how one can only make peace with one's enemies,
and that there is no military solution to the problems of terrorism. They
did not issue calls for talks with the terrorists or for granting them
funds and arms so that they can suppress the "real" extremists.
Indian professors did not lead marches of solidarity with the terrorists.
Indian poets and writers did not take out ads in the papers endorsing the
demands of the terrorists. Conferences were not held on Indian campuses
demanding that Punjabi Muslims be granted a "right of return" to homes
they once had on Indian soil.
Hindu academics did not insist that Muslims inside India be granted the
right to set up their own new sovereign Muslim state on Indian land, nor
did they demand that all Hindus be expelled from Muslim areas. In the land
of Ghandi, no one was demanding that India respond to the atrocities by
turning the other cheek because retaliation would escalate the cycle of
In short, Israeli politicians were no doubt wondering why the leaders of
India had not chosen to emulate Israel's Oslo strategy of seeking peace
with Islamofascism through endless appeasements and goodwill concessions.
On another front, Olmert has had much to say recently about domestic law
and order. He is all in favor of it - but only when it comes to settler
One of the more amusing pastimes in Israel these days is watching the
government suddenly get indignant when it comes to lawbreaking. The Left
in Israel has never believed the obligation to obey the law applies to
itself. For decades it has promoted mutiny and insurrection among
soldiers, urging them not to serve in the army until Israel adopts
policies advocated by the Israeli Communist Party. Leftists were never
prosecuted for this. The Israeli press hails the mutineers as great
ethical role models and people of conscience.
Similarly, many in the Israeli media cheer on the "heroic" thugs and
hooligans who attack Israeli police and soldiers every week next to the
security fence. Those leftists try to vandalize the fence so it will be
easier for the suicide bombers to get through to murder Jews. They also do
not get prosecuted.
So why is the Israeli political establishment all of a sudden so righteous
in denouncing lawbreaking? Because the lawbreaking in question involves
some West Bank settlers.
All the ruckus has to do with efforts by the Olmert people to evict Jews
from a house in Hebron they bought and legally own. The fundamental
operating axiom of the cult of Oslo has always been that peace with the
Palestinians can only be based on creating a judenrein lebensraum for the
Palestinians, areas in which no Jew pollutes the place with his presence.
Some of the hotter young Jewish heads in Judea have reacted with
non-non-violence. In part, they were responding to the ease with which the
police themselves have used force against settlers. Some hotheads threw
rocks at soldiers trying to evict Jews, others cursed or threw punches. It
was not pretty and it discredits the Right.
If anyone were to suggest that a black American family be denied the right
to live in a neighborhood of white Americans, liberals and Israeli
intellectuals would be taking to the barricades in conniptions of outrage
and indignation.
But when Jews take to the streets to defend the Jewish right to settle in
Hebron, the outrage and indignation are turned inside out. Heavens, scream
the Olmert people and the Israeli leftist media, such bad behavior! Don't
they realize they are violating the rule of law?


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Saturday, July 24, 2010
Gurdonark: Butterflies of North Texas, zip file
The images and songs in this album are displayed on the remainder of this weblog. If you'd like a zip file of this album so that you can download all the songs and images at once, the link to that box is here:
Link to box containing Zip File of mp3s and images
Gurdonark: Funereal Duskywing
Gurdonark: Tiger Swallowtail
Gurdonark: Red Admiral
Gurdonark: Gray Hairstreak
Gurdonark: Grass Skipper
Gurdonark: Giant Swallowtail
Butterflies of North Texas
I live 25 miles north of Dallas, in Texas USA. We see more open spaces than trees. I live in a land of wildflowers, butterflies, and birdsong. "Butterflies of North Texas" seeks to capture these places, for a passing moment. Each song accompanies an image.
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The emerging generation ("Millenials") has a much more inclusive approach to friendships and doctrine than their elders in the typical evangelical church. The Barna Group's research has identified exclusivity as one of the top 6 reasons that young people leave evangelical churches. So last Wednesday Linda and I talked about acceptance and exclusivity with some of our church's college-age members in our weekly "What in the World is God Doing?" Bible study.
We studied Jesus' encounter with the Samaritan woman, found in the fourth chapter of John. First, some background: the Samaritans claimed to be the true followers of Abraham, but they also incorporated some elements of pagan practices into their monotheism. This syncretism angered the Jews, who rejected the Samaritans' truth claims on the basis of their own possession of and adherence to the unadulterated Scriptures. Jews would go out of their way to avoid having any personal encounters with Samaritans, even adjusting their travel plans to avoid meeting any.
How does this relate to us? The evangelical fervor for "traditional values" and "America's Christian roots" often mirrors the Jews' feelings about the Samaritan assault on the truth. We may not cross the street to avoid meeting an openly gay person, but we may harbor an inward hostility toward the gay community. So the way Jesus dealt with the Samaritan woman can guide us in our relationships with "outsiders." Let's take a look at our Lord's way.
Jesus Treated the Samaritan Woman as a Friend
The fact that he was chatting with a Samaritan woman astonished his disciples (v. 27), both as a result of her ethnicity and of her gender. Maybe we evangelicals should astonish the folks around us by hanging out with LGBT friends once in a while.
Jesus Did Not Denounce, He Asked Questions
Jesus did not agree with everything the woman said. However, he did not denounce her, her behavior, or her beliefs. Instead, he asked questions. He started by asking for a drink, which lowered the barrier of mistrust and, at the same time, allowed him to slip in an insight about spiritual life ("Whoever drinks the water I give ... will never thirst"). Then he posed an incisive question ("Where is your husband?") that helped her to see her need for God's help.
Jesus Set Aside the Minor Issues
Once the woman realized that she was talking to a teacher who could answer her questions, she wanted to find out where he stood on the number one issue Samaritans and Jews argued over:
"Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem."
But Jesus refused to get dragged into this controversy:
"Believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem."
In heaven, Jesus explained, we will worship the Father in Spirit and in truth, so where we worship now is not the critical issue. I believe Jesus would have a similar outlook on many of today's burning issues. In the perspective of heaven, your stance on gun control is peripheral (we won't own guns in heaven); likewise your view on how to interpret the Constitution (we will be in perfect submission to our heavenly King), on tax policy (we won't be paying taxes in heaven), etc.
Jesus Focused on Relationship and Hope
Once Jesus had developed a rapport with the woman, he didn't back down from speaking the truth ("salvation is from the Jews"). However, he emphasized that God earnestly desired a relationship in Spirit and in truth with her:
"A time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks."
And he presented himself as the fulfillment of the hope of her religion:
The woman said, "I know that Messiah" (called Christ) "is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us."
Then Jesus declared, "I, the one speaking to you—I am he."
We should have the same focus as Jesus. We must help our friends--liberal or conservative, LGBT or straight, Muslim or Jew, Mormon or Hindu--know that the hopes they harbor are fulfilled in Christ. Let's help them feel our acceptance, sidestep the peripheral issues, and have a life-changing encounter with Jesus. If we are patient and accepting, they can begin the journey of faith; and we can trust that our Savior will not neglect to lead them and transform them in His time and in His way.


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Presented by Pentagram, this interesting little interactive video judges and assesses your personality and then equalizes them into a typeface that is consequently a representation of you. While it's possibly a little bit silly, it's interesting to see how closely you can agree with your results, in a similar way to finding out your astrological symbol.
Not only is this presentation fun and well formatted, but it's well designed for how few functions there are. It's even a little educational; when your representational typeface is selected, a little history and meaning of the typeface is explained, giving the user another opportunity to draw parallels between the type and themselves.


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Hey Girls,
This past week a few exciting things have happened! Just recently, a girl from Marist College, Dayna, contacted me and asked to write an article about my minis on her blog. Her blog is where she writes about all different fashion trends, styles and other things that pertain to the fashion world. She also writes for her Marist Newspaper about Beauty and Fashion, as well as The Look of the Week. Be sure to check out her blog at http://daynavasilik1.wordpress.com/. She has a great sense of fashion and writes to perfection. I'll be sure to keep you posted through my facebook page about when the article is done. I'm very excited for it!
Yesterday I met with a sewing contractor who is going to be helping me produce my minis. Him and his wife own the factory and are the nicest people ever! They will be my major source of production and then my mom and I will continue to sew in the basement sweatshop with smaller orders. This way, we can start spending more time on the creative side of it and focus more on marketing the Minis!
Starting today I will be contacting every boutique I possibly can to try and get my minis in their store! I'm really trying to expand from a small business to gradually a medium size then hopefully one day a large size company! If anyone has any boutiques they think would be a hit for me just give me a holler.
I'm also trying to get photo shoots lined up so hopefully soon I will have new pictures to show you girls!
Okay well I'll keep you posted as new things pop up! Have an amazing day ☺


text: The power of Sunflower hearts to pull in birds is remarkable. This winter our little garden in the middle of a housing estate has attracted up to 15 Goldfinches, several Chaffinches and a few Greenfinches. Recently, as birds start to move north and local birds run out of natural food, we have seen regular visits from up to four Siskins and three or four Reed Buntings. The latter seem to have figured out how to feed from the feeders along with the other birds, which I have not seen before. One morning ten days ago, I bumped into 30+ Waxwings on the cycle track whilst doing the early morning dog walk. They showed really well although I didn't manage any decent photos before legging it to work. Maybe the last Waxwings I will see this winter, so nice to see them just round the corner from home.


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A new dictator ?
With the name "Starling", you might expect that I have been called "Stalin" at some point in my life. Face to face it has been mentioned before, but today I received my first letter ever to be addressed to "Mr Stalin".
I thought it might be because of my political standpoint, however, my views are far from communist. Then again, so were Joseph Stalin's. So I'll put it down to the fact that they recognise the fact that I could be a tyrranical dictator.
It is probably good that I am quitting front line politics this year.
2 comments:
- Joe Otten said...
Do you mean far from communist?
- 14 March, 2007 17:13
- Norfolk Blogger said...
I did, now ammended. I think Iain Dale commented that I need a sub-editor !
- 14 March, 2007 23:10
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Friend's Email:
Subject: I have found a CD that I think you would enjoy
CD Details
Similarly Requested CDs
CD Reviews
Two Great Songs From Two Great Bands
Dwayne Rogers | Barstow, CA | 07/07/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I actually have the 7" of this split single, but the songs are the same. I bought it for the Mudhoney cover of the Angry Somoans' tune, but was turned on to Gas Huffer for the first time by their track "Knife Manual." The goofy cover art featuring the bands is worth the price alone for any fan of either band. Mudhoney never lets down."


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Adam Smith is the founder of True Cast Studio, which also houses the talents of Joshua Edwards, Patrick Quinn and the illustrious mustachioed master, Marty "The Godbeast" Hansen.
Marty has known Adam for many years, learning many of his early mold making tricks from the left handed molding ace, long before many of us ever considered the possibilities of resin.
Thanks to the talented combo of Adam (Dud base sculpt), Jason Frailey (hyper detail finish) and Marty (promotion and production assistance), The Walking Dud has made the leap from hellish handmade harbinger of doom to full fledged production PVC.
Projects like the Dud show a different side to the growth of Glyos as a whole, shining the spotlight on figural aspects that are not necessarily solely focused on build potential, but primarily on character design and classic action figure applications. More Socket Poppers than Buildman, which makes the spectrum of collecting all the more inviting. I personally love that the Dud shares the unified functionality of the joints, yet like the Power Lords, is not compromised aesthetically by its inclusion.
Down the road, I think we'll be seeing more projects like the Dud enter into into the mix, taking us into all new territories and spicing up the mix.
You can pick up the very first Test Shot production pieces of The Walking Dud this weekend, April 24th-25th, at C2E2 in Chicago, Illinois at the the Nerd City Booth (#750). This special edition is extremely limited and makes its debut in the same "Neo Phase" translucent neon green that we have run over here before. This particular hue is a sight to behold in person, changing drastically under different light sources and makes for an awesome combination with the Dud's superbly sculpted splatterhouse looks! Rumor has it that a certain battling beetle may also surface in this explosive green sometime in the next few months...
Congratulations to Adam and the entire True Cast Studio crew on their first production Dud!


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Readers my dear readers! I'm sorry to have taken so long a hiatus from Chez Charles! Summer and starting a new business have swallowed up all of my time. But I've truly missed publishing these recipes and ideas on cooking.
As a sort of compromise, I'm going to change my format a bit, and publish individual dishes, recipes, or techniques, rather than whole meals. It'll be easier for me to scribble out a quick post - and possibly more digestible for you as well!
Today I'm making a small pork roast that will be pulled apart for BBQ pulled pork sandwiches. You could use this same recipe for pork tacos, or as meat on a taco salad.
Pulled Pork
(serves 4)
1 lb. boneless pork shoulder roast (I bought a 2-lb. roast and froze half)
1-2 tsp. chili powder (make it from scratch - see below)
1/2 tsp. paprika (I used smoked paprika, available from Pensey's Spices)
1/2 tsp. freshly cracked black pepper
2 tsp. kosher salt (or about half this amount of granular salt)
Two days before baking, rub the meat all over with the salt. Then rub on the remaining spices. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 days. It takes this amount of time for the salt to fully-penetrate the meat.
Heat oven to 275 or 300 degrees. Place roast in a small, covered roasting pan, and roast until very tender and falling apart - 2-3 hours. Allow to cool for 1 hour, covered. The bottom of the pan will be coated in juices.
Place the meat on a plastic cutting board (do not clean out the pan - see below), and pull apart the sections which are separated by fat. Using a paring knife, gently scrape away the fatty membranes, leaving as much of the meat as possible. Cut the meat across the grain to make 1/4"-long pieces, and pull these apart into chunks of desired size, removing any excess fat.
Your pan is full of intensely-flavored drippings and meat glaze. Very carefully, pour off the majority of the rendered fat, which will be floating on top. Don't worry about getting all of it - you don't want to lose any of the darker-colored juices. Add all of the pulled pork back to the pan, and with your hand use it to both mop up the juice and deglaze the pan. Mix well.
You can use this as-is, or add some of your favorite BBQ sauce. You won't believe how savory and delicious this is!
Homemade Chili Powder
Once you've done this, you'll never buy chili powder again. Buy some dried whole ancho chilis, or other large, mild, red, dried chilis. Heat oven to 300. Lay the chilis in one layer on a sheet pan, and roast until deep red and completely dehydrated (about 15-20 minutes). Cool. Pull off the tops and dump out the seeds. Break/tear each chili into ~1" pieces, and place them in batches in your coffee grinder to grind them to a powder. It's that easy, and the flavor is spectacular.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Roast Pork for Pulled Pork Sandwiches or Tacos
Posted by by Chuck Densinger at 2:18 PM
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MEXICO CITY — The world's largest city is a hodgepodge of problems for its administrators but a fascinating study for travelers.
Every day thousands of peasants migrate to the city in search of work. They have been given a name meaning "parachutists," because one day they simply appear, squatting on a piece of land in hopes of future prosperity. Some even live in the landfills, digging caves out of garbage. Whole neighborhoods arise in days on what was public land.


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So pretty much my life these days consists of work, June, family time, work, baking, trying to figure out my future life in NYC, trips to Utah, too many trips to LALA land (as I like to call it and never take pictures of)... and yeah thats about it. I decided to add a few pictures from my trip to Utah and of course my good times with JUNE.
The picture above is comical because it was hard to get us all together during the trip and once we were I said we had to get in a picture! It was probably 11pm on Sunday night before Melis and I left the next day aka we are hilarious and I miss these girls soo much!
Cheesecake Sunday Brunch soo good and Hill was so sad she missed out.
Funny photo sequence, but I do enjoy the picture below of melis and i holding hands. We are tender.
Old friends and new friends combined and they were so nice to come watch me play soccer!
She is probably in my top five and that is saying a lot!!
It was so fun to have Anne come into town, our little Alaska friend! We went to a show that was way fun, Hillary wasn't too sure about the music but she did end up dancing!
Ash the birthday girl! During my 5 years of college (ha) you probably saw me out with one of these girls, true story!
Then of course I had to add some pictures of June!!