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Farmer's Market Roasted Pumpkin and Green Apple Soup
Note: There are several ways to prepare this recipe. Originally, I made this recipe using heavy cream and bacon! It was delicious, but when cooking for my health conscious mother and sister, I decided to make this delicious soup a bit more healthy to eat. I've listed a few substitutions for various ways to prepare.
3lbs Roasted Pie Pumpkin
1.5 tbsp Olive Oil
4 oz Turkey Bacon (turkey bacon is THE substitute for pork bacon!)
½C Onion, Diced
2 Granny Smith Apples (or other tart green apple), peeled, cored, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
12 oz Soft (silken) Tofu (sub with 8oz heavy cream or 8 oz yogurt)
4C Chicken Broth (or sub with veg broth)
1 Bay Leaf
1 tsp Sage (dried or chopped fresh)
1C Apple Cider
¾ tsp Pepper
½ tsp Salt
Preheat oven to 350F. Cut pie pumpkins in half, scoop out seeds and loose 'strings'. Place on baking sheet, cut side down, with thin layer of water covering bottom of baking sheet. Bake 30-45 minutes at 300F. When done, pumpkins should be dark brown to slightly black around edges on skin. Texture of pumpkin flesh should be moist, separating easily from skin. Scoop out filling with large spoon and put aside in separate container.
In pan (or dutch oven) on stove top, sautee ½ C diced onions, diced apples, 1.5 tsp olive oil and 4 oz diced turkey bacon. Sautee all ingredients until soft and translucent. Add minced garlic, sautee additional minute. Add roasted pumpkin, 1tsp sage, 1 bay leaf, 1 C apple cider, 4 C chicken broth. First bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for approx 30 min. Place ½ contents from stove top in blender. (or use a stick blender and blend on stove top). Add half tofu or cream. Put blended contents aside, then blend second half of stove top ingredients. Add second half of tofu or cream to blender. (Hint: Never fill a blender more than half way, always blend first on slow speed and hold lid on top of container!) After second round of cooked ingredients are blended and all tofu is added, return soup to stove top pot. Reheat soup and serve hot. Garnish with chopped chives or spoonful of cream. Enjoy!


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Soon to be archived, then on to the next.
You've done it again! The pix following are also are way above average--the natural light shot (?) of the gal in bed is breathtaking. We've seen the lady with the scar before--this one may be better--although my memory may be faulty.xoxoxoxoxo
Ok Zoe...I am really digging this photo!Very cool!
Love this photo.
Post a Comment

subset: commoncrawl


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Yes: eyes can tell u what is there in other person mind.Eyes can change it's size & shape, it's how u interpret them.
Eye's can smile & smile and be a villain. Eyes can be any thing they want but the opposite eye has to read it.
There are few ways & means to read eyes. See it yourself to realise it.
A cockeyed eyes with wide eyelids means an angry eyes & the beholder is holding his or her anger.
When the eyes in front of you looks floating & singing ewith almond eye lids and a smiling face means they like you and waiting for you to be approached.
When eye in front of you is looks to be smiling with biting angle of upper or lower lip mean she/he is in love and like you follow.
When a eye is looking innocent type it means he or she respect you.
An open wide & protruding eyes in front of you means the person reached to all limits of anger and called angry eyes, it indicates that person is going to attack you & even kill you.
When an eye apposite to u is half closed with a person also nodding vertically it means that he/she is feeling pity on you and that eyeis called pitiful eyes.


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Three consecutive positive integers are raised to the first, second and third powers respectively and then added. The sum so obtained is a perfect square whose square root equals to the total of the three original integers. Which of the following best describes the minimum, say m of these three numbers?
Solution follows here:
Let the numbers be n-1,n,n+1
(n-1)+n2+(n+1)3 = (n-1+n+n+1)2 => n-1+n2+n3+1+3n+3n2 = (3n)2
n3+4n2+4n = 9n2 => n3-5n2+4n = 0 => n(n2-5n+4) = 0
n(n-1)(n-4) = 0 => n= 0 or 1 or 4
for n=0, the numbers are: -1,0,1 this is out as all the numbers should be positive
for n=1, the numbers are: 0,1,2 this is out as all the numbers should be positive ('0' can't be taken as positive)
for n=4, the numbers are: 3,4,5 this is correct and the minimum number out of the three is '3'
For '3', the best option to select is (1)Answer (1)


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When it comes to dating, mating and gender issues in the sexual marketplace young men need to understand that they're up against a genetically engrained and tightly knitted phalanx of social policy that gets regularly re-emphasized on a broad level to maintain power. Let me explain…
For men any sex is good sex. For women only specific sex is good sex. That's why the main focus of most versions of game is on the beginning stages of a relationship from approach to getting to know to penis into vagina. Men prefer a mass approach. That's why one of the most popular dating seminars for men is called "Double Your Dating", whereas for women the most popular is called "Catch Him And Keep Him". There aren't any routines/models for men out there on how to keep her for a lifetime or how to master marriage and living together after retirement (if there actually are, they are just compromises). Although young men sometimes wish for such a thing, because they don't take aging (and thereby loss of attractiveness and sexual marketplace value) into account, once they suffer from "she's the only one"-syndrome.
If you left your tribe back in the day to conquer foreign pussy, it might not have been morally ok, but genetically even more so. Nature encourages such behavior. It's ok to put the tribe at a higher survival risk by substracting one grown man from the tribal's collective fighting power in order for him to try and spread his genes. This is a crucial distinction. This is the root of why men will never stand a chance against feminism and similar social issues. Men will survive and do ok regardless of social winds, but they will never flock together in a way women will. Men will never speak with one voice and proclaim to now correct things after angry spinsters have taken it too far.
Feminism and everything that comes along with it is the result of a collective effort. As long as only one woman steps out of line you can call her a whore or a witch and be done with her – that's socially ok. Look at history. But as soon as women combine their efforts to provoke social change, men stand no chance, because they lack that very mechanism of combining powers. From nature's standpoint it's simply not necessary and thereby restricted to the fighting realm. Men understand honor and respect on a much deeper level than women do. And when the tribe gets attacked, men are able to put personal issues aside and fight with the very men they might have argued with only minutes earlier. But that's it. Within the social realm men lack this higher arch of weaving personal agendas into one big social agenda. Hence feminism and no male counterpart. Hence every other female social issue and no male counterpart.
Even beta males are a result of this. If we can agree upon the fact that there indeed is a social hierarchy within human societies based on status and power, then the mating strategy of "the beta male" would make no sense on first glance and beta males shouldn't exist. But they clearly do. So we must assume that it is in nature's best interest to have weaker males betray, trick and manipulate in order to reproduce. It's a form of competition, which is survival of the fittest.
This is the most powerful dynamic shaping western societies today. A guy can go: "I'm a democrat and you're a republican! I hate your values and the way you go about them, but as soon as the Russians set foot, I will fight side by side with you to the bitter end in order to protect this great country of ours and everyone in it!"
It's behavior by design, because it increases chances of survival. There is a really great book on this that should be on every red pill reading list: "Warriors vs. Worriers" by Joyce Benenson.
On the social side of society though, a guy can never proclaim: "I'm weak and you're strong, so you get all the pussy. It is what it is, fml ok bye!"
He will instead go by the following: "I'm weak and you're strong, so you get all the pussy. BUT as soon as a tiny window of opportunity opens, I will go all in no matter what and make my move, fuck you buddy!"
So because honor, respect and the ability to quickly form cohesive fighting groups don't transfer into the social realm, women will ALWAYS have an upper hand on social issues. That's why equal pay, female CEOs, Sandberg's Lean In, women's rights and every other female issue of its time will always be societally more important and more visible than the corresponding male issue. Women can socially speak with one voice and like a secret sisterhood can all unspokenly agree to some higher agenda. They seem to have the upper hand because they have more collective force behind them.
If one male politician would propose to revert third wave feminism and put up a really solid, stringent and logical argument that every sane mind would have to agree with, he would end his career in an instant and had to leave the country the same day. The content wouldn't even be discussed. Women would immediately speak with one united voice and declare war through different kinds of social warfare where men lack weaponry and armour. All kinds of men would even show solidarity in order to follow their own mating strategy of "it's ok to betray the tribe as long as it might spread genes".
One recent example of this dynamic in action is this piece in Vanity Fair, that has a "modern western woman" post-smv-peak arguing that dating apps like Tinder and OkCupid are ruining dating culture for women for good, because men all of a sudden have so many opportunities (Tinder = digital 24/7 pussy ordering drivethru), that women get degraded and objectified and can't do anything about it. The article even provoked an unexpected outburst of beta male rage straight from the Tinder headquarters via Twitter. That's how it got my attention, because that outburst allowed the best weapon of female social policy shaping to come forward: shaming. Tinder got shamed for their response by a collective female response in various outlets.
The headline of my post right here is "It seems like the boys don't have any control over the situation, and it should not be like that at all" quoted from the above Vanity Fair article. One of the girls interviewed about the current state of Tinder and modern dating said it.
Actually, I'm kidding. It's a sentence that doesn't exist.
It literally doesn't exist, because I changed one word. The original sentence says: "It seems like the girls don't have any control over the situation, and it should not be like that at all".
That's what the interviewed woman said. Now she sounds more sane.
And not only does my headline not exist in that article, it doesn't exist at all, because no sane guy would ever say this or complain about it. Men can't speak with a collective social voice and women are exclusively concerned with their own issues. Nature intended it that way.
So you end up with such a narcotic irony that you feel mentally butt-fucked after reading that article.
I'll show you. Follow along.
Tinder is a dating app.
It's magic is digital database pre-selection.
Only if both parties approve of each other beforehand through swiping, it's a match and contact can be made.
That's why the app is profitable/successful and soon after every other dating service copied this methodology.
This is tremendously empowering to women and their sexual marketplace agenda of mating with the most high status male available – by their own choosing.
Before Tinder women had to exhaustingly sift through endless piles of messages in order to find a worthy guy.
So if men were able to speak with one united social voice, there would have been a crazy backlash of ""It seems like the boys don't have any control over the situation, and it should not be like that at all" after Tinder's first release a few years ago. But there was none. Although the "both parties need to approve thing" is actually a beta male censor, highly hindering/sabotaging many males in their dating efforts, but it's subtle enough that it got through and as we know, men didn't care, because they aren't even aware of it and mankind's history has quite worse reproduction bottlenecks up its sleeve: famine, war, societies ruled by one king/emperor, fixed ranks of status adopted with birth (knight – peasant), conquering the new world where there possibly are no women, etc.
So, now that the initial idea and usecase of Tinder gets turned around from "beta male filter" to "pussy buffet" women rise and complain. Again. Hypergamy at its collective best.
And that's why marrying more than one woman will very likely stay illegal for many decades to come, althoug we proclaim to be a tolerant society that is on its way to have fully legalized gay marriage and is about to fully legalize weed. But multiple wives is a different beast. It would be the end to Hypergamy. And for Hypergamy to end we would need a different (arabian) god or the ability to speak with one voice as men on the social stage. Neither we have or will have. So single awareness is all a man can do in these crazy times.
And while you raise your awareness by reading "Warriors vs. Worriers", I'll have a quick look at today's pussy buffet… ;-)


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I can't think of a better time of the year than the fall & winter to have oatmeal for breakfast. There is nothing like having your hands wrapped around a warm bowl of oatmeal on a chilly morning, with the aromas of oats, cinnamon and fruit tickling your nose and face. I like to think of oatmeal as comfort food for breakfast, and I prefer to have thick oatmeal that will stick to your ribs and keep your tummy full! My Hunnee (husband) eats oatmeal year around, and so I always felt good about buying him those oatmeal packets with all the different flavors and brands to choose from! I too was eating oatmeal regularly (the extra fiber brand) but got tired of the rolled oats & dust in the packets (I'm an Old Fashioned Whole Oats girl) and also the growling of my tummy only a short time later. It then came to me, why wasn't I making homemade oatmeal every day? The first and probably only reason was because of the inconvenience and time to get it ready; after all my husband and I both work and our mornings are very busy. So I thought about creating single serving bags similar to Quaker, but, including what we enjoy and also controlling the amount of sugar. Here is my basic oatmeal packet recipe:
Basic Oatmeal:
¼ cup oatmeal
1 tablespoon crushed oatmeal
½ tsp or so of sugar (I prefer brown sugar)
Sprinkle of cinnamon
I put approximately 2/3 cup of milk in a small sauce pan (Hunnee just uses water) and warm it up on low for just a couple seconds before dumping in a bag of oatmeal. Cooking the oatmeal on the stove takes probably 2 minutes from start to finish; it cooks up fast, so you will want to watch it so that it doesn't stick to the pan. If you prefer a more runny oatmeal, then add more milk, I prefer mine a bit thicker, so the 2/3 cup works perfect for me.
Like I mentioned, this is a basic recipe—just like you would get from a store bought packet---but there are so many ways that you can have fun with your oatmeal. I am trying to lower my cholesterol, so I have started adding flax seed, ground flax seed and wheat bran. I also like to use various types of fruit such as peaches, bananas or blueberries. Still other variations include nuts, pumpkin spice and a little squirt of some local honey…YUM!
Like many of you, I am trying to find ways to conserve money in this tough economy, so I did the math to figure out if there was any savings at all. To make the basic oatmeal including the bags, it cost me .15¢ per bag. Quaker figured out to be .25¢ a bag, and the local store brand cost .17¢ a bag. Because this is my second time around making this oatmeal, I am reusing the bags, so this batch cost me 13¢ per bag. I also just learned on the Homesteading Barn Hop that I can make my own brown sugar, so I will try that out next time which will also cut down on the cost of purchasing brown sugar. I know this isn't a huge savings when you compare to the store brands, but it is still a savings, and your kids can help you make these. I also have to consider that I am controlling the amount of sugar that is going into these bags as well knowing exactly what was put into these bags, not to mention our tummies are staying fulling longer. As I mentioned in my last post, there is a satisfaction that comes when you are preparing for your family that is so difficut to explain, and for most, it is only understood when it is experienced.
Do you have a favorite homemade oatmeal recipe or concoction? I would love to hear from you!


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Re. Re: ...The Ogletree Transgression
This blog recently received an email from a lawyer who made very valuable comments but does not want to be identified. The lawyer has, however, given permission for the email to be reproduced with all identifying information redacted. The redacted version appears below:
'[T]he real scandal of legal academia is that law review editors do so . . . much work on many articles, including ones by prominent professors, in some cases enough to deserve co-author credit or at least significant mention in the first footnote. I surmise that the problem is especially true at "speciality" journals, . . . which tend to take weaker articles in the first place. >From my experience as editor-in-chief of [a law review], I know that a number of professors whom we published went on to bigger and better jobs and gained reputations on the basis of articles that were barely publishable when we accepted them and became decent only b/c of the work our staff put into them. Why did we accept them then? Well, we existed and we had to publish something. Imagine the stuff we rejected.


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11 Bizarre Movie Accidents That Somehow Weren't Cut
"Just leave it in, nobody will notice"
"Just leave it in, nobody will notice"
As the Internet will tell you until it's blue in the face, movies are full of mistakes and there's a sort of perverse currency that has grown on the back of being the smart guy who manages to point them out. Plot-holes, inaccuracies and goofs are traded with gusto, with the more obscure finds being the most valued, as if they're a new type of Easter Egg.
Slightly less impressive is spotting mistakes in movies that are so horrifically obvious that you have to wonder how exactly they made it through the edit. There are multiple people employed on those projects, who probably watch the footage hundreds of times in total, what with filming, reviewing, editing and testing with audiences (or just the creative team themselves). And yet they somehow conspire to let some mistakes, accidents and blunders through the net that suggest they probably weren't up to the task in the first place.
It isn't enough it suggest that film-making is hard, sometimes the issues are so profoundly obvious that they completely distract you as a viewer, meaning it would have been nigh-on impossible for them to not pick them up before they got to the big screen. Almost like they neglected their duties on purpose.
Sometimes they're left in on purpose (as bloopers like Star-Lord dropping and catching the Orb can add to a scene), but other times - more embarrassingly - they're overlooked because of laziness or silliness or a combination of the two...
Executive Editor, chief Gunter and WhatCulture.com's most read writer. Like ever.See more from Simon


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Sunday, 28 March 2010
11 comments:
Of course bookmakers advertising are fine, because said Board members can own nice wads of shares of them. If they wanted to promote the biggest funder of racing, the Tote, then apply some consistency and ban all other betting advertising. But they can't because the Tote is a lemon and few companies outside the betting industry want to sponsor everyday races...ReplyDelete
It's embarrasing to see Dubai racing for $10m and the British flat season launched with a high-profile race and a piddly £115k purse.
Hi Mark,ReplyDelete
When I was out for my morning run I was thinking about your blog and some of the posts where you say that various parties don't consider Betfair pay the 'correct' tax, so to get me through the miles I spent my time thinking about this topic which is something I am interested in.
As it stands Betfair pays the correct tax obviously. However, I got thinking how they could, the people who think Betfair don't pay the correct tax, make Betfair pay more. I thought about my own situation as a full time trader on Betfair and then I thought hold on this situation is very much like me as a full time trader.
I used to think I paid the correct 'tax' (I am referring to commission of course) which was effectively 5% of what I won each race I traded. This was the same as what every other person was expected to pay (of course there were discounts tied into Betfair points, but for arguments sake we all paid 5% of what we made each race).
However, then in September 2008 it was decided I wasn't paying the correct 'tax' and in came the Premium Charge.
Stay with this, it isn't a moan about the Premium Charge ;-)
So I thought, well Betfair is like me the trader. I trade each race and manage my risk in such a way so I rarely lose, Betfair mange their risk perfectly and never lose as you have said before (excluding multiples and the like).
Then it followed that the bookmakers, the likes of William Hill, are similar to the traditional backers and layers on Betfair who take an opinion and as such have lots of wins and losses. Some races the bookies win and some they lose, just like a punter.
So I moved the idea forward as I climbed my next hill and thought, what if there was a change in legislation and how the taxation on bookmakers is calculated and they changed it to along the lines of your very own Premium Charge.
Instead of having a flat rate on what the bookmakers make each year as at present and kind of like how Betfair was pre-Premium Charge, why not change it so they look at how much the bookmakers make perhaps each race or race meeting or day or week.
I would assume it would be possible for bookmakers to provide/calculate this data.
Then instead they charge a lower %, what that would need to be I would not know but I am sure it can be worked out, on each individual race or race meeting, or day or week.
But, with the addition of 'implied taxation' at a certain % for when the bookmakers lose over the period chosen.
Then a % is chosen, again what that would need to be I would not know but I am sure it can be worked out, that all bookmakers must pay as a minimum and any bookmaker that had not paid up to that % would be charged a 'Premium Tax'.
Now it should be possible to calculate it in such a way so that traditional bookmakers paid a similar amount to what they do now as they would be credited with 'implied taxation' on their losing periods.
However, Betfair who manage their risk perfectly will have only have paid a very small amount of taxation due to how they manage their books perfectly and as such would be liable for the 'Premium Tax'.
At the end of the day all parties will have paid the same minimum rate of tax much as how is the situation with the Premium Charge but those that manage their risks very well, like Betfair would actually pay a much higher amount of tax, much as how I as a trader have to.
What do you think to this idea?
Could it ever work if implemented correctly?
I forgot to ask also if you would think the above idea would be fair?ReplyDelete
Before the premium charge winners on betfair all paid different amounts of commission as a percentage of what they win in the long term (because you pay comm when you win but don't get a refund when you lose).
The premium charge tops everyone up to pay at least 20%, i.e. the people who used to pay the least (as a percentage of what they win) now pay at least 20%. I pay about 45% of my long term profits in commission, so while it's still not fair that you only pay 20%, it's fairer than it used to be when you paid less.
It's the complete opposite of the situation you're suggesting: everyone, betfair or bookie, pays GPT at 15% and Levy at 10% of racing profits. You're talking about a tax that would make Betfair pay more tax than its competitors. I would think the answer to "do you think it would be fair?" is pretty obvious.
The situation *would* be the same if the bookies paid tax when they win but got no rebate when they lose. If that was the case then Betfair would pay very little tax and levy relatively, just like a very consistent trader pays a tiny fraction per pound won compared to someone who takes positions and has big wins and losses like me. But it doesn't work like that. The bookies' tax and levy bill is based on their long-term profits, so every race they lose the taxman and the Levy board owe them.
In any case why would you want betfair to pay more tax than the bookies? They'd just pass the cost on to you and me.
I agree with your first point that we all paid different amounts of commission as a % of long term profits. The reason for this though was not because of Betfair's commission structure but because of how individual achieve their profits. Those that were able to eradicate losses from their betting were able to reduce the amount of commission as a % of long term profits, no other reason was behind this than how the individual chose to bet.
I paid exactly the same rate of commission as you did. However, due to my ability to remove the vast majority of losses from my betting through hours of work and study that goes on and on similar to your form study, I have been able to reduce my losses much better than you have. Just because I have come up with a system that avoids losses better than you, on what basis do you think I should pay a higher rate of commission than you do per market?
The Premium Charge tops everyone up as you put it but I still pay a higher rate of commission now than you do per market, again why should we all be on different rates? Surely the only fair way is to have everyone on the same rate per market?
You say it isn't fair, but why isn't it? Your argument is based around the ability of the individual to remove losses from their betting. Essentially you are saying that those who are able to eradicate losses from their betting should pay a higher rate of commission to make it fair on those that are not able to eradicate losses from their betting. But make what exactly fair, we used to all pay exactly the same rate, we don't anymore.
But anyway back to my original comment.
Of course I expect Mark to say no it isn't fair as it would mean Betfair pay more than the other Bookmakers as a % of their Gross Profits. But I hope it will have the effect of generating a bit of discussion and perhaps I and others, maybe even Mark could learn something new. As I say it is a topic that interests me and it would seem others.
You could ask, why should the bookmakers get a rebate when they lose? In the current situation they do but who says that has to be the case in the future?
Finally, I don't want Betfair to be passing more costs on to me and you because they are paying more tax than the other bookmakers. But at the same time I wonder how racing is going to survive in its present format hence why I posted the original comment, to try and create discussion.
"You say it isn't fair, but why isn't it?"ReplyDelete
An easy enough question to answer: you win £10,000, pay £1,500 in commission and pocket £8,500. I win the exact same amount, £10,000, but pay £4,500 in commission and pocket only £5,500. I've paid 3 times as much as you, just because of the way in which my wins happened. Fair or unfair?
Happy to have a discussion too, and I appreciate you're not trying to be argumentative, but to say "what if?". My main point was that most people would consider taxation of any kind to be fairest when related to how much people make. I'm sure someone working for Megabank plc would think it fairest if they paid a lower rate of tax than others because they're also very clever and avoid (personal) losses. It doesn't work like that though.
My other point was that betfair's current taxation situation (and for that matter most companies and individuals) is already like the Premium Charge - they pay a % of what they make over the year.
Ask Mark what he'd think of a tax system where the bookies didn't get a rebate for their losses, and ended up paying much more tax and levy than betfair for each pound of revenue and I'm sure he'd tell you that was unfair. I've never heard him argue for that.
Alice, I don't want to high jack Mark's blog discussing the Premium Charge and the rights and wrongs of it so this will be my last comment on the subject on this blog.ReplyDelete
It is important to remember what Betfair are doing. They are offering us a product just like any other business that we pay for. So what is the product they offer us?
Well that's simple enough, they offer us the ability to bet on a market.
Therefore, we pay to bet on that individual market, or at least we used to. The old Commission structure was simple and in line with other businesses. We used to buy the product from them and they charged us all the same for the product. They didn't differentiate between different customers, we all got charged the same 5% of winnings for the individual market (of course there were discounts but essentially we were all charged identically). Customer A paid exactly the same as Customer B for the product.
They do not offer us a product over 1 week, 1 month, 1 year or lifetime. They offer us a product which is each individual market.
Just like if you go into a shop and buy a pair of trainers, you can buy them at the same price that I buy them. Just because I might get more use out of them over their lifespan doesn't mean I should pay more for them. That doesn't come into the equation as we are buying the product, i.e. the trainers.
That is why I think the old system was fair.
When the Premium Charge came in Betfair no longer charged us on a per market basis, they now price differentiate between customers. I pay more per 'product' now than you do. No longer do they charge everyone the same for the ability to bet on a market, which is the product they are selling us after all. They charge us on the basis of our ability to lose or not to lose depending on how you want to look at it, over a period of time.
....Continued from previous comment as my reply was to long to be allowed to post in a single comment....ReplyDelete
All other bookmakers, to my knowledge, charge the same amount whoever is purchasing their product. As their price is built into the odds they offer you and me, the customer. We could both go in to William Hill and have the same £10 bet on the next race at the same price. This is not possible on Betfair. If you bet £10 at 3.85 and I bet £10 at 3.85, you can not dispute that we are charged differently, I as a Premium Charge customer am charged more than you as a non Premium Charge customer. We are differentiated on the basis of our ability to remove losses from our betting.
You say because you have paid 300% more commission over X period it is not fair. So what is a fair percentage? The person paying 5 times more than me over X period might think along the same lines as you and therefore would think that you are not paying a fair amount as well as you don't pay as much as they do over X period. This all comes back to the change just over a year ago where Betfair stopped charging us all the same for the product they provide and started to differentiate between different customers.
Likewise what is a fair period to base the calculation over, a week, a month, a year?
By far the fairest system was what was in place previously where we all were charged exactly the same for the product we purchased, the individual market we bet on. It was deemed fair enough by Betfair to have it in place for nearly 10 years.
In my opinion the only reason this fair system was taken away was not to try and balance up what different customers pay over X period on their Net Winnings, but rather to bolster their bottom line as they knew they were in a position where they could start to differentiate their pricing between different customers.
However, Betfair is like any other business and is within their rights to charge people what they want for their product. They can do as they used to and charge everyone the same for the product they sell or they can do as they do now and charge different people different prices for the same product and if it is too expensive we can purchase the product elsewhere.
Remember what we are purchasing from Betfair, it is the ability to bet on an individual market.
Finally, remember Betfair is not the Government and that Betting is not like stock trading or going to 'work' etc which are subject to tax and how much tax you pay depends upon how much you make. It is a product that is sold to you and I the consumer.
I understand your point, but I think you've undermined your own argument. If your argument is that what you make over a week, a month or a year is an arbitrary period, and the fair way to charge is per unit, like buying trainers from a shop, then I can see where you're coming from.
But surely the unit equivalent of an item in your shopping basket is a bet, not a market (which is just as arbitrary as a week or a month)? With commission just on market winnings, you place your first bet in a market and you'd owe commission if you win (say you back something for £10 at 3; you'll pay £1 in commission if it wins). Lay that bet off with a second bet (£10 at 2), and not only do you not pay any commission at all for the second bet, but it actually reduces what you were previously on the hook for (you can now only pay a maximum of 50p commission).
So in summary if commission is charged on net winnings in each market then we've never paid the same price for each product (bet) transacted.
How about this for a suggestion: Betfair charge 1% per winning bet. That's plainly just like the shop example you've cited (much more than the arbitrary commission per market system). I'd pay less, and you'd probably pay more.
I'm guessing you wouldn't be a fan of that, even though that's precisely where you'd end up if you followed your logic to its conclusion. The reason you've concluded that your arbitrary period (a market) is more "right" than any other arbitrary period isn't because there's anything fundamentally more right about it, but because it's the version that results in you paying the least.
At the end of the day people have been arguing about what's the fairest way for Betfair to charge for almost a decade. The reason there's never consensus is because everyone's definition of "fair" is "a system that charges me less and others more".
Sorry, I know I said I wouldn't comment again but I can't help myself.ReplyDelete
We seem to be reaching some common ground which is good. What I say is fair is where we all get charged the same amount for what Betfair are selling us. At the moment Betfair are selling us the ability to bet on a market and as such I think we should all pay the same rate to bet on that market, which we used to do but no longer do.
If they were to be selling us the opportunity to bet over a week and charged us all the same that would be okay. So if I made £100 I paid £5 and if you made £100 you paid £5. If someone made £100 but then lost £100 withing the week they paid nothing, that would be fair. However, they won't do this as it would mean the amount they earn would fall massively. I would not have a problem with them choosing whatever time period they wanted just so long as we all paid the same. But the only time period they can choose to my knowledge that earns them the most is by doing it per market hence why it has always been that way.
There is a very simple reason, however, that they cannot set the time period to the individual bet as you suggest. That reason is that Betfair would be unable to operate anywhere near like it does and would make Betdaq look like it had a lot of liquidity. Reason being you would put the likes of me, traders, out of business. We would be forced to move elsewhere and with it we would take the liquidity Betfair needs and have admitted they need. That is not to say they, or us (traders) do not need punters as we do. Without punters traders would not be able to operate, each party needs the other. But to charge on a per bet basis would make trading impossible on Betfair and that is the simple reason why although a fair method of charging, it is unworkable.
So I agree with your statement:
"So in summary if commission is charged on net winnings in each market then we've never paid the same price for each product (bet) transacted."
But I hope I have demonstrated that such a time period would be unworkable and that is why Betfair sell us the ability to bet per market and do not sell us the individual bets as you suggest they perhaps could.
What I don't agree with though is your statement:
"The reason you've concluded that your arbitrary period (a market) is more "right" than anyother arbitrary period isn't because there's anything fundamentally more right about it, but because it's the version that results in you paying the least."
The reason I don't agree with that statement is because I consider the time period of the individual market to be the correct period and fundamentally right.
The reasons being is that it works for Betfair, in that they can earn sufficient revenues, which they wouldn't if they were to change it to a 24 hour period, 7 days, a month or a year. But most importantly because we would all pay exactly the same rate of commission, something which you cannot say we do since the introduction of the Premium Charge.
I think it is clear and I hope I have demonstrated it, that the fairest way to charge is on a per market basis. That way it allows Betfair to operate and earn suitable revenues and everyone is charged the same amount for the product Betfair sells. There is no price discrimination as there no is under the Premium Charge. All other exchanges operate with the per market basis for the fundamental reason that it is the correct and fairest way to charge. The reason the other exchanges do not use the Premium Charge method is because they are not sufficiently strong enough to price discriminate.
I hope you agree with the per market basis now.
I agree that I am not going to get into a long debate about the PC on my blog, but FWIW, I don't think your proposal for a revised GPT/Levy modelled along the lines of the PC works.
Betfair gives you a credit for losses incurred before assessing whether you are eligible for the PC. Betfair does this because it receives a clear benefit when you lose money on Betfair (implied commission - i.e. commission taken from the persons to whom you have lost). Your suggestion for a change in how GPT/Levy is charged would allow a risk taking operator to get an equivalent credit ("implied tax paid), when England win the World Cup. Why? What direct benefit does HMRC receive in such a scenario? Crucially, and unlike Betfair, HMRC cannot say "not to worry that the bookies who laid England have been cleaned out, we can take a corresponding tax charge from all the England backers."
In simple terms, the "implied commission/tax paid" is only sustainable when the operator can point to a direct benefit that this produces. I think HMRC, understandably, would take the view that they already give operators a credit for losses incurred which can be carried forward and set off against future profits. Why on earth would they also give credit for losses as if they were actual profits on which the operator had paid GPT?
So, if you recognise that a GPT based on the PC would work, with the slight tweak that the concept of giving credit for "implied tax paid" should be removed, your new GPT would work exactly as the current GPT works. All operators, irrespective of their attitude to risk, would end up paying 15% of their total profits in any given period.
I also disagree with your claim that: "Just like if you go into a shop and buy a pair of trainers, you can buy them at the same price that I buy them. Just because I might get more use out of them over their lifespan doesn't mean I should pay more for them. That doesn't come into the equation as we are buying the product, i.e. the trainers…………………. No longer do they charge everyone the same for the ability to bet on a market, which is the product they are selling us after all."
You suggest that what Betfair "produces" is the ability to bet on a market. What does that mean? Is it a question of simply putting the market up? If it is, why not exclusively use an exchange with a lower commission rate and no PC? Isn't this exactly what all exchanges produce?
In reality, 'the ability to bet on a market' requires something other than putting it up, for us just as for traditional bookmakers. The bookmaker will not lay you the favourite all day if he isn't getting money in on outsiders; and us putting a market up doesn't help you one jot if there isn't supply and demand (seen as liquidity in our case). As losers disappear more quickly than winners, we need to make sure we keep them coming through the door; and obviously there is a price in that. So I would argue that what BF is "producing" is not the putting up of the markets, but the flow of customers, which is much more expensive to generate; and because of your betting, we know some people are making greater use of that than others. The PC was brought in to balance that. To use your own analysis as I understand it, what we do in each case is ensure that people pay for the level of what 'we produce' that 'they use'.


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|Arnold Schwarzenegger Tweeted® this Instagram© earlier today and-holy shit,
did I just type Tweeted this Instagram? Those aren't verbs and nouns respectively.
Welcome to a future more grim than any predicted by the previous Terminator movies.
|The University of Genisys:
"Because your future starts in the
burnt-out ruins of human civilization."
|You do not want a call from God's lawyers.
He's like the Harlan Ellison of religious texts.
Anyway, what do I know? I thought The Dark Knight Rises and Star Trek Into Darkness were just about the worst titles ever (and they kind of are), but the films themselves ended up being kind of decent. But then again this is the fifth movie in a series that should have ended two movies ago. I mean, did you see Rise of the Machines? This does not bode well.
*Actual institute may not match photo.


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Welcome to Threads Page at SimplyJITH Blog. This page showcases various lines of thoughts I have been pursuing at SimplyJITH Blog. Each line of thought covering a specific area of my understanding/ personal research in the field of ethics and my attempt to explain my experiences revolving around that thought can be understood as a thread at SimplyJITH Blog.
|First Edition
Avowal Series is a statement asserting the existence of influences in my life. It is a collection of poems by me (in sets) dedicated to everyone who have had small/great influence in my life. The first edition was released in 2008 and included a mention for people who have had positive influences on me. The second edition was released in 2010 and included mention for people who have had negative influences on me.
Tranquility : Focus
Please feel free to drop a line for me here


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Andy Cohen has had enough of Kenya Moore's gay bashing on RHOA
Kenya Moore is getting to be too much even for Andy Cohen. On the latest installment of The Real Housewives of Atlanta reunion, Cohen addressed the entire cast's — and specifically Moore's — "gay-bashing attitudes" toward Kim Fields' husband Christopher Morgan.
Morgan was present in the studio as his fellow RHOA castmates mocked and questioned his sexuality. Morgan himself addressed the gay rumors, asking Moore where they began. As Bustle points out, she claims not to have started them.
More: Kenya Moore takes her feuds one step further on the RHOA reunion
Cohen, an openly gay man, jumped in for what he called the "taunting and derogatory" mocking of Morgan. While Moore and her castmates may not have started the rumors — it's useless to trace gossip back to its source — their perceived closeness to Morgan and visibility makes it especially unfair of them to mock him publicly. Of course, fans would trust the RHOA castmates' opinion of Morgan. If you trust Bravo cameras, they seem to spend plenty of time with him.
More: RHOA's Kenya Moore criticized for her approach to relationship problems
Morgan himself gave the last word. "I am a performer. I am not immune to people talking bad about me, especially when they want what I have," he said. "When it comes to who I am as a man that is what I know, and that is what I know my wife knows, so I am secure in that."
More: RHOA: Fans and cast agree — Kim Fields isn't cut out to be a Housewife


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The Little Bits ATC group meets once a month to chat and swap ATCs. Mostly we chat LOL
We pick a theme for the month, and Paris was a suggestion. To add to the challenge, we decided to have no Eiffel Towers at all.
He he - no problem! Darkroom Door has FOUR sets devoted to this very theme, and only one contains a touch of Eiffel. I used the image of Sacre Coeur from the Montmarte set, stamped on top of a background made with Distress Inks.
I associate Paris with grey, dreary weather and delicious food because that's what it was like when I was there a lifetime ago. I'd love to go in the spring time one day.
Thanks for stopping by!


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Another messy morning in winter-weary Northeast
By The Associated Press
This article was published February 14, 2014 at 11:22 a.m.
PHILADELPHIA — Commuters faced slick roads Friday after yet another winter storm delivered snow and ice to the East Coast, leaving at least 24 people dead, including a pregnant woman struck by a mini-plow in New York City whose baby was then born by cesarean section and two Good Samaritans killed when they tried to aid a truck driver on a snow-covered interstate in North Carolina.
The latest go-round of bad weather began overnight in some places — just in time to delay tens of thousands of deliveries of Valentine's Day flowers — as snow, sleet and rain fell on roads already covered in many parts of the Northeast with deep puddles and icy patches.
Numerous traffic accidents involving multiple tractor-trailers and dozens of cars completely blocked one side of the Pennsylvania Turnpike outside Philadelphia on Friday morning and injured more than a dozen people. The crashes were reported about five hours after a storm that dropped a foot of snow finally moved out. Speed restrictions enacted during the storm had been lifted, but motorists say the roadway was very slick.
Read tomorrow's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.
Comments on: Another messy morning in winter-weary Northeast
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Exercise is a good way for people with arthritis to control pain and improve physical function. People who have arthritis are often scared to exercise because they think they will hurt themselves, but the condition will only get worse if people don't get moving. The best way to start is to talk to your doctor about exercising and then work with a therapist or personal trainer to establish guidelines.
Exercise offers a number of benefits for people with arthritis, including: increasing muscle strength and endurance to improve joint stability; preserving and restoring joint motion and flexibility; and boosting aerobic conditioning to improve mental health and decrease the risk of other diseases.
Osteoarthritis is the most prevalent form. It occurs when cartilage deteriorates, leaving nearby joints with no cushion between bones. Many people also suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, which occurs when inflammation in the joint causes it to lose shape and alignment. The best type of exercise program can depend which form of arthritis a person has, but some workouts benefit all patients. All arthritis sufferers can benefit from stretching to increase range of motion around an affected joint. The type of stretching one should do depends on which joint is affected. Arthritis sufferers may also want to try light weights a few times a week to build muscle strength and low-impact aerobic exercise such as walking.
Start slow, with 10 to 15 minutes of aerobic exercise every other day, to see how it impacts your body, as your body adapts to the new routine, gradually increase duration to 30 to 45 minutes. Other good exercises can include water aerobics, stationary cycling, gardening, swimming, yoga and Tai-Chi.
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I have been thinking about the NYTW controversy. I suspect that many of you who have read my posts about the artist's relationship to the audience, and the artist's responsibility to the society, may have thought that I would have come down in favor of Nicola's actions -- that he was being responsive to his community, and not trying to get in their face, and I would throw my hat in the air and shout "Huzzah!" As my previous post shows, this is not my opinion. So let me lay out how things might have transpired if I had been in Nicola's position.
First, it is important to understand that, as artistic director, it is my respoonsibilty to be paying attention to the people who form the NYTW community -- not just the board, but the subscribers, the other members of the audience, and the larger NYC community as well (although this last group secondarily). At some point, I may have encountered My Name is Rachel Corrie, and become intrigued by the play -- there was something about it that I felt was theatrically exciting.
At this point, I should ask myself a question: does my audience need this play? Not want this play; need this play. How would I answer this question for myself? From my knowledge of my audience. I might have noticed, for instance, that when members of my audience discuss the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, they tend to be unable to see the Palestinian viewpoint, or they tend to be unable to understand how anyone could sympathize with the Palestinian cause -- in short, that they are unable to project themselves into a Palestinian viewpoint. If this were the case, I might say: this play will put a face on a viewpoint that they find foreign, it will humanize people whose motivations have been incomprehensible to them. At this point, I would decide: yes, this is a play my audience needs.
If, several months later, the deaths of Sharon and the ascendancy of Hamas have my audience feeling "edgy," my original commitment to this play would be strengthened: now more than ever, when my audience is even more fearful and is even more prone to dehumanize the Palestinian side of the issue, this play must be done because of the work it can do.
I have begun studying Chinese medicine lately. While the metaphor of artist as doctor has appeared on this blog, it is a Western model of medicine being used: looking at a wound or illness and trying to fix it. While I am in the very earliest stages of research into the topic of Chinese medicine, I have begun to see a much more dynamic and useful model of the "doctor" that I'd like to explore, because it applies to the NYTW situation, and to the artist in general.
From a website describing traditional Chinese medicine: "Chinese medicine views the body as an energetic system in dynamic balance. Qi, which can be translated as energy or life force, flows in a regular pattern through a system of channels — or meridians — to all parts of the body.
When the flow of Qi is unimpeded there is harmony, balance, and good health. When there are Qi blockages, too much or too little qi, there is an imbalance which can lead to disharmony and disease. Chinese medicine helps restore the body to balance and works on an energetic level to affect all aspects of a person..." [ital mine]
Perhaps we could conceive of the ideal society as a healthy body in which the life force flows unimpeded. To do so, there must be balance. In this model, the artist would have his or her hand on the pulse of the community, and respond to maintain balance. This is the opposite of "giving the audience what it wants," since what it will want is more of what has thrown it out of balance in the first place. If society has become too ordered and uptight, like say America of the 1950s, then the artist must throw his or her weight in the opposite direction -- which is exactly what happened with the beats in the 50s and the explosion of counter-culture art in the 60s. If the society is racist, then the artist must throw himself or herself in the opposite direction. Homophobic? Same thing. With the goal of restoring balance.
At a certain point, the society will begin swinging too far in the other direction, and the artist, hand on the pulse, will begin to move in another direction. For instance, the abandonment of all artistic form and structure in the 1960s, while a necessary corrective, might need another corrective so as to avoid total anarchy. Again, the artist moves in opposition to the prevailing norm, always asking what his or her community needs at that particular moment.
Had Nicola's audience been evenly split between those who could not see the Palestinian viewpoint, and those who could not see the Israeli viewpoint, a play other than My Name is Rachel Corrie might have been a better choice, one that perhaps humanized both sides of the conflict. Again, this decision would be based on a knowledge of the audience, on taking the audience's pulse.
The artist becomes the canary in the mine who senses trouble first, and sings out a warning. Or another analogy: the artist is poised at society's fulcrum, and senses every shift first. Either way, the artist, or artistic director, asks: what does my community need now?


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The lenses get longer, but the bodies get smaller. Pretty amazing. These three cameras offer wide-angle lenses with long zooms, giving you a lot of shooting flexibility, but without the bulk of larger DSLR-style megazooms.
Canon PowerShot SX260 HSThe good: The SX260 HS has shooting modes for every type of photographer from casual to advanced, a useful long zoom lens and overall excellent photo and video quality. The bad: The menus and controls can take some getting used to, its battery life is short, and photos get noticeably softer-looking indoors or in low light.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS20The good: The DMC-ZS20 has an excellent design and feature set, including an ultrawide-angle 20x zoom lens, GPS, and semimanual and manual shooting modes. The bad: Using all of the ZS20's high-performance features, such as its near-pointless touch screen, can really cut into battery life. Also, photos are noisy and soft when viewed at 100 percent.
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX30VThe good: The DSC-HX30V has excellent photo and video quality for its class, fast shooting performance and plenty of shooting options for every kind of user. The bad: The HX30V is expensive, especially compared with competing models. It's not always the easiest camera to use.


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I have another round of projects
showcasing the totally delish products
Like a lot of D-lish shoppers, I too
added some punchinella to my shopping cart.
Here I used it to matt my photo.....
I love all the resin pieces in the store.
Some of my fave are these sweet little birds
They are so versatile and fit any layout theme.
I added a sweet flair button
You know, I love those gorgeous designs!
A cute little wooden peg
for a touch of whimsy and my
Endless Summer layout is complete!
I also worked on a mixed media canvas.
I used many varieties of flowers.
Amanda has a very impressive array of paper flowers
in the store. You can browse them here
I usually start of my mixed media designs by
adhering all the embellishments to the canvas.
I then give everything a coat or two of gesso then add
layers of pint and mists for a perfect colour match.
I used some wood veneer cages
as well as a bird's nest charm to carry on the theme.
I used stamping and small micro beads as well
as heat embossing for added texture.
Thanks so much for stopping by
to look at my projects!
See you next month!


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The turbo broiler did not work as well as I had hoped.
Bag of Grade 1 Sulawesi Toraja green coffee
Roasted beans waiting to be packed.
Coffee Roasting
It was inevitable. The ideal companion to a good loaf of bread is a cup of good coffee. I have been able to source for good Columbian and Brazillian coffee from an old man in a HDB market. However, my last purchase from him disappointed me. I have to thank him instead because it led me to roasting my own beans. This was a project that has been on my mind all this while but then, green coffee beans are not exactly easy to find unless you are willing to buy hundreds of kilos of the stuff.
However, I managed to get samples of my favorite Mandheling and Toraja coffee recently. My first attempt was in my bread oven. Although the coffee that came out was good, I did not want to see another blizzard of coffee chaff whipping up in the oven chamber ever again. I had thought that a turbo broiler would have been an ideal substitute but to my horror, the highest temperature that it could go up to was 230C, not the 250C on the dial. Now that I am saddled with another red elephant, I decided to bake a bread with it. It turned out pretty good. I am convinced that it is possible to bake good bread with fairly basic equipment. You just need to know how dough behaves.
Since the turbo broiler was out, I had to resort to another basic equipment for roasting my coffee. It turned out better than I had expected. I under-roasted my first batch of Toraja but the subsequent batches made great coffee without the excess acidity of under roasted beans. This morning, I made 2 extra batches for my friends who are fellow coffee lovers.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Saturday, May 01, 2010
Flour Test - Turkish Tezcan Un
I was given a kg of Turkish flour at the FHA 2010. My intention was to use it to make baguettes since it was a general purpose flour with 11% protein. However, due to my busy schedule, it did not happen. Instead, I used it to make some sourdough loaves.
The entire kg of flour was in the main dough. The sourdough starter of about 100% hydration was 400g. I used a hydration of 66%, surmising that it was typical of European flour. In the American system of calculation, this would have given it an overall hydration of about 71%.
I was quite happy with the result. The texture and flavor was comparable to the type 55 flour that I was using. Having had the opportunity to use American and European flour, I now have a better understanding of how these flours behave. It is hard to say which is better as both can produce bread with the deep aroma that I like. It all boils down to the process.
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This next picture here on the right shows a cousin of mom's, then her brother Orbin followed by another cousin and then of course the girl in the picture is my mother.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
As Time Stands Still...
This next picture here on the right shows a cousin of mom's, then her brother Orbin followed by another cousin and then of course the girl in the picture is my mother.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
A Time To Kill...
Saturday, August 22, 2009
The Guiding Light Has Burned Out!
Friday, August 21, 2009
Forty Percent? Not Quite!
If you have a borders card then you are probably like me and you are constantly getting coupons from them either in the mail or in your email. I could waste a whole paycheck in this store. I love going in there but rarely do because I really don't like the thought of being broke. So today I dropped in there because I had a coupon for forty-percent off DVD sets. I am currently wanting the 3-Pack DVD of Star Trek that has "The Wrath of Kahn", "The Search for Spock", and "The Voyage Home" on it as well as The "Reba" series and the "Hero's" series, particularly season two. So I thought I would go over and check them out. Now I expect them to be a couple of dollars higher than Meijers or Walmarts. It just goes with the type of store it is. I didn't expect them to be ten dollars a set higher. Meijers has the Star Trek and Hero's sets for $29.99 each. So it surprised me that Borders had them listed for $39.99 each. Also I know with the forty-percent off coupon I would still get a savings because it would bring them down to $23.99 each, but it really irritated me and got under my skin that they were so marked up and probably due to the fact that they were going to run this little special of theirs. So as in I really need to watch my spending anyhow and I'm really broke this check I left with nothing. I didn't even look at anything else. It just plain aggravated me to the point that I didn't even want to be in their store. I'm just saying... Love Borders most of the time, but I am thinking it will be a while before I go back.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Day Dreaming...
Let Them Eat Cake?
Friday, August 14, 2009
Dream Like Days
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
The Hardest Choices
Happy 47th Anniversary Mom & Dad...
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Everything Cracks When There is Too Much Pressure
Saturday, August 1, 2009
A New & Fresh Look for Star Trek


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I know what you're thinking. This has to be a scam, right? But this comes directly from the official Kane County website. I'd like to think that they wouldn't be so stupid as to advertise their ability to procure a wizard for protective services on their public website if they couldn't back it up. I'll be ordering mine today. I'd be a fool not to.
-- Posted From My soon to be magically protected iPhone.


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Tennis shoes moved into the mainstream decades ago, and they're still one of the top choices in footwear. Walk into any shoe store in the nation and you'll find a range of tennis shoes to choose from, but what are your sneakers saying about you? Knowing what messages your shoes are saying will help you choose the right pair for almost anything.
Tourist or Local
Overseas travelers appreciate the importance of dressing like the locals. Wearing a brand of shoes that's only available in another country is sure to mark you as a tourist, and that's a disadvantage when you're trying to negotiate prices at the local market. It you're heading to a new area, try to pick up footwear that's consistent with what the locals wear.
Personal Hygiene and Cleanliness
Shoes are on the ground all the time and are going to get dirty, but wearing filthy shoes sends the wrong message. When your shoes are clean and tidy, people assume that you're just as clean and tidy in your other personal habits. If your shoes have become so filthy that cleaning them just isn't an option, then you might want to treat yourself to a new pair.
Leaders and their Followers
When you slip on a pair of shoes that all of your friends have, you subconsciously send the message that you're a follower. There's nothing wrong with following the crowd on certain things, but you may prefer to send the message that you're a leader. To do so, choose a unique pair of shoes that you won't find in your local gym or the halls of your school. You may need to shop at a place like Sneaker Kings to find unique shoes that your friends don't have, but you'll send the clear image that you're a leader. You also may start a new trend yourself.
Style Always Matters
Whether you follow the trends or want to set them yourself, style always matters. People don't care about the cost of quality of a shoe if it's an ugly addition to your wardrobe. When shopping for new shoes, always look at the style and colors to be sure that they match your personality and are a worthy addition to your wardrobe.
You cannot go wrong with sneakers, but you should be careful about the messages that your sneakers are sending. Invest in the right pair to create the right message. When they start to become uncomfortable or are too dirty to see the designs, then it's time for a new pair.
You will find really great styles, design and colors for the whole family at SneakerKing click HERE


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Check hahaha
It's Songz baby
Feel Me on dis one
It's ya boy
Say it wit me now I do dis
Say it wit me now I do dis
Say it wit me now I do dis
Say it wit me baby uh
[Verse 1]
To all my lil mamas,phat booties,tracks dubies
Black cuties,blondes hollerin "Trey do me"
Fine bitches,nuttin less than a dime bitches
You like alot of liquor,you want the rhyme bitches
Cause I'm here(here)I brought alot of dough(ya dig)
Come orda whatcha want(it's on him) you can v.i.p if you sexy
(forreal)Yes I'm here(here),I came to get it on(ya dig)
You can front if ya want(ya can)Girl you know you wanna sex me
The way you rubbin the di baby gone cut the shh all ya wanna
Can we straight(Luv)tonight?
I just wanna(luv)you girl
Tell me can I(luv)you girl
I just wanna(luv)you girl
(giiirl)I just wanna(luv)you girl
Tell me can I(luv)you girl
I just wanna(luv)you girl
Tell me can I(luv)you girl
[Verse 2 Rap]
I been drinkin the liqua I feel it a lil bit
I see ha I like ha Im feelin ha lil hips
And ha booty ka-boomin it's lookin a lil big
And lil mama got money cause louis covah ha tits
I grab ha waist,tell ha what it is
No yellin in my ear,I know it's loud in here
We can breeze off,you can take dat tease off
Alot of niggas on ya(ha)I pissed the gees off
But that's neitha here or there
What about them underwear,whatchu got up under dere?
Girl I'm packin unda here
You soft as wonderbread and you say you neva scared
I dont wanna hear it gotta see it to believe it
Cause seein is believin
Lyrics taken from http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/t/trey_songz/luv_who_ya_wit.html


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text:
Saturday, 19 January 2013
World of Interiors 1
A friend reports that a posher acquaintance is bullying him to buy curtains at Curtain Exchange because at Homebase you can't avoid contact with common people. At Curtain Exchange you get curtains pre-owned by People Like Us.
Middle-class Upwards used to buy a cheap Victorian or Georgian "shell" and live in it while they did it up. This took years, so their look was bare plaster, colourful ethnic textiles, bare boards and a lot of dust. Can we now say what hell this was, and how we hate chipping layers of paint off ceiling roses, and how wonderful it is to buy a house you can move straight into? And employ tradesmen to do the work?
Upwards could never never have a sofa with controls (to raise a footrest, rotate a section, turn on the telly…) Or an extractor fan that rose from a kitchen island at the touch of a button. They really didn't like dimmer switches – what happened to them? Upward sofas are never comfortable enough or big enough. They like to tell you that in the olden days people sat on hard, upright chairs.
People with Farrow and Ball painted doors don't have doorbells, notes architect Charles Holland. (Hungarian immigrant George Mikes observed that the British won't paint a name or a number on their houses.)
In the 70s, Upwards bought a Victorian rocking horse, had it restored, and placed it in the front window of their living room so passers-by could see how tasteful they were. They don't have net curtains, so their front room is an advert for themselves.
The middle classes buy real old cottages and rework the interior to make it more "cottagey".
Old carriage lamps outside your front door used to be a class marker for the middle middle Weybridges, but they seem to have gone out anyway. (They went with painted carriage or wagon wheels in your garden, or propped against your front wall, and those stone mushrooms barns used to stand on.)
When the middle classes (and upper) say "dining table" they mean one that will seat 12 – or 20 if you add extra leaves. No wonder you need a separate "dining room" to put it in. Middle-class Sam Upward is a bit puzzled when lower middle-class Jen Teale says she's going to put a "dining table" by the window in her kitchen – she means a small, light table with four chairs. Upwards never eat at a table pushed against a wall (though they might at a pinch put one in a bay window).
The Nouveau-Richards don't care:
Hedge fund trophy home. Besides the usual basket-ball court and wine cellar, it has an observatory, a carousel, a 150-seat theatre, a petting zoo, a trading floor, and a fully equipped laboratory. Doonesbury
Nouveau-Richards have a media room with leather sofas and the flat-screen telly rather high up and far away on a wall. Not cosy.
Elin Nordegren, the former Mrs Tiger Woods, has demolished her termite-ridden, 90-year-old mansion and is building a replica in its place with:
9 bedrooms
2 large living rooms
huge formal dining room
2 kitchens
large pool
pool cabana with huge living room
2 jacuzzis
detached guest house with 3 bedrooms
3 guest bungalows
wine cellar
vast master wing with walk-in closet
basement that runs the entire length of the house
More décor here. And more here. And here.
Posted by Lucy R. Fisher at 03:17
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It may still be in the low 80's, and I might still be rocking shorts and flip flops, but that doesn't mean that I was any less excited to see mums and pumpkins in front of the grocery store when September 1st rolled around!
Is it too early to get excited about Fall?
Don't care!
I think that the earlier school starts, the earlier my anticipation of cool, crisp air and the spicy, earthiness of Fall begins.
I admit it: I've been looking at all things apple, pumpkin, burlap, and Fall-colored on Pinterest.
Anyway, the other day my daughter's Girl Scouts leader asked if parents would be willing to bake cupcakes for a VA event for homeless veterans.
No brainer...I bake. I'm a veteran. Oh yes...and I had a pumpkin cupcake recipe I wanted to try. :-)
I baked some cupcakes- 2 dozen for the veterans and a dozen or so mini cupcakes with the leftover batter to share with my husband's coworkers.
Soooo yummy! Moist, spiced, pumpkin goodness.
Did I mention that they're topped with a cream cheese frosting studded with orange zest?
Nom nom nom...
The only snag I hit was when I realized after I started mixing the batter that the recipe calls for pumpkin pie spice- I never buy pumpkin pie spice!
Thankfully, I remembered having the same predicament a couple of years ago and blogging about it, I doubled a recipe for pumpkin pie spice from Allrecipes and it worked beautifully!
This one's definitely a keeper, folks- and a perfect way to welcome in the beginnings of Fall!
4 eggs, slightly beaten
3/4 cup Mazola® Vegetable Plus! Oil
2 cups sugar
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup Argo® OR Kingsford's® Corn Starch
4 teaspoons Spice Islands® Pumpkin Pie Spice
2 teaspoons Argo® Baking Powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons butter OR margarine, softened
1 tablespoon orange juice
2 teaspoons Spice Islands® 100% Pure Bourbon Vanilla Extract
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly grated orange peel
4 cups powdered sugar
2. To make frosting: Beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add remaining ingredients and beat until smooth. Spread over cooled cupcakes.


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Sunday, 4 April 2010
Murder of Mr Eugène Terre'Blanche in South Africa
I reviewed this book for Amazon. My review follows:
"This book made me angry and ashamed - but read it, please.
I have read several books (though certainly not enough) about South Africa: 'The Great Boer War,' by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle; 'The Corner House,' by A.P. Cartwright; 'The Randlords,' by Geoffrey Wheatcroft; 'White Tribe Dreaming,' by Marq de Villiers; 'The Boer War,' by Thomas Pakenham; and 'The Covenant,' by James A. Michener, but until I got into my latest purchase, 'Diamonds, Gold and War,' by Martin Meredith, I was not entirely sure why I had become more than sympathetic to the old Boers and to Afrikanerdom.
Mr Meredith has given me all of the necessary reasons and, as a life-time admirer of the British Empire and its works, I was made more firmly angry and ashamed at what some of those ostensibly promoting the Empire had done to those to whom the British people should have been attached and who should not have been antagonised and attacked.
Cecil Rhodes's dream of colonising from The Cape to Cairo had great merit, especially if one recalls to what depths much of Africa has descended since Rhodes's day, but it was clearly a gross mistake and an unforgivable deed to betray his Cape Boer friend, Jan Hofmeyr, and his potential friends, President Paul Kruger of The Transvaal and President Marthinus Steyn of The Orange Free State. Rhodes comes out of the book badly, as do his co-conspirator, Dr. Leander Starr Jameson, the British Colonial Secretary, Joseph Chamberlain, and, worst of all, the British High Commissioner and Governor of the Cape Colony, Sir Alfred Milner.
And, of course, there were the thousands of British soldiers lost (my wife's late grandfather, a wonderful man, volunteered for the Imperial Yeomanry, went enthusiastically to South Africa, but, thankfully, survived this shameful Imperial episode), and the thousands of Boer 'soldiers,' their wives and their children who suffered either in the war (to be more precise, the Second Boer War) or in British concentration camps. It was a disgrace and several passages in Mr Meredith's book moves one almost to tears. The description of the elderly President Kruger's leaving of Pretoria for eventual exile on the 29th of May, 1900, leaving his beloved but infirm wife, Gezina, is one such and merits partial quotation:
'After conducting family prayers in the sitting room, Kruger took his wife's hand and led her into the bedroom. Nobody spoke or moved. Outside the carriage horses snorted. Then the old couple reappeared. Kruger pressed her against him, then released her, looking at her intently, silently. Then he turned and walked out to the carriage. They were never to meet again.'
I am old enough to have known a number of honourable men who went off to fight 'Old Kroojer': they were misguided, misled and mistaken. That Jan Christian Smuts later became one of the Empire's best friends is a fine reflection of Boer qualities, but the bitterness bequeathed by such as Milner did no good to Britain nor to the longer-term benefit of South Africa or its inhabitants, black or white.
I can only touch on some aspects of a brilliant and well-written history: to get the drift in its entirety, you have to get the book which, with 569 pages, is wonderful value."
For a great rendering of the old Boer song, 'Sarie Marais,' sung in Afrikaans, go to -
A contemporary Vanity Fair caricature of Paul Kruger hangs by my desk. I would like to have met the old boy. Here he is, as ugly and unattractive as the caricaturist 'Drawl' could make him appear.
Posted by Geoffrey Woollard at Sunday, April 04, 2010
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- |
- Portable Fish Finder
- Product Overview
DescriptionThis portable fish finder locates game fish at a range of 0-100 ft.. The fish finder display has a backlight option making it ideal for both day or night fishing. High tech fish sonar reads relative size of the fish as well as depth and bottom profile. Bring the portable fish finder on the boat or use it from a dock with amazingly accurate results.
- Shows depth, bottom profile, and fish size
- Backlit screen for day or night viewing
- Sound alert
- Adjustable sensitivity
- Range: 0-100 ft.
Operates on 4 AA batteries (sold separately).Specifications
Name Portable Fish Finder SKU 62675 Brand Fisherman's Habit® Battery(s) Included (y/n) No Battery(s) required 4 AA Battery(s) Required (y/n) Yes Quantity 1 Range (ft.) 0-100 ft. Battery size AA Cable length (ft.) 35 ft. Product Height 3/4 in. Product Length 4-1/4 in. Product Width 2-3/4 in. Shipping Weight 1.55 lbs. Accessories Included Pouch, strap and floating transducer with 35 ft. cable
- Customer Reviews
- Warranty
Manufacturer Warranty Detail We guarantee this product to be free from defects in materials and workmanship 90 days from the date of purchase. Limitations apply.
- User Manual
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Etsy Sale!!!
Hey, hey! It's that time of the year...holidays!!! I love fall, painting for fall, and getting ready for fall. I've already painted bunched of pumpkins and love them!
One of my favorite things about fall is Fall Break. I'll be taking orders and painting from now until October 10. I'll be back to work on October 20. I'm running a little etsy special between now and then - woohoo!!!
Just place any order with the etsy shop between now and October 10 and enter the coupon code AUTUMNSALE to get 20% off your entire purchase!
It's not too late to order some great fall items. It's a perfect time to start getting ready for the holidays! Custom artwork is a great gift for teachers, secretaries, new families...the list goes on and on!
Just visit the etsy shop and enter that code when you check out. Easy as that!
Thank you and happy holidays!!!!


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Kayla Collins in swimsuit ruckus
Kayla Colllins: lippy. Compare with the photo below
Playboy Playmate Kayla Collins is making almost no impression on ITV reality show I'm a celebrity get me out of here! Sadly for her she appears to be a nice, sweet girl with no sense of humour. It's not that she is humourless she just isn't funny and to win his particular show that is what you have to be.
One of Kayla's swimsuits
So far the female side of the show has been completely dominated by Scotish macrobiotic menace (what goes into a vegan haggis?) Gillian McKeith, who has a complete panic attack if she, literally, sees a fly.
A swimsuit with lace on it?
Poor Kayla was hoping to push her new swimsuit range and has taken three items from her future line into the jungle. Unfortunately, she has run foul of ITV's product placement rules so her chances of repeating Mylene Klass' endless shower scenes have disappeared. ITV are having to limit the amount of time she can be shown in her swimsuit.
A fleeting appearance in the jungle for one of her swimsuits
Of course it's not all bad for little Kayla as the controversy itself has garnered welcome publicity. After all, who would have know her swimsuits were from her range if she hadn't been banned from wearing them?
Kayla with a normal top lip in 2008
More worrying for Kayla is that her top lip has been the subject of much hilarity on the internet. Just what has she had injected into it?
She has looked quite cute in a tiny pair of shorts but at 5'2" she doesn't really have the legs...
Anyway, more of Kayla wearing considerably fewer clothes over at Venus Observations here: Kayla
Labels: Babes, Girls in the news, TV


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Eschrichtius robustus
for more information click here, here, and here
We have has spouters a plenty lately...my pictures show little but I am excited just to know that they are out there. I should look up a post for you about my lack of id specificity...you might enjoy a hearty laugh from it...I'll see if I can find it.
Here is the link for you. http://breadonthewater.blogspot.com/2009/07/teapot-progress-blueberries-dolphins-at.html
No way! You can see whales from near your home? Wow! Ok, proper jealous now :o)
Ha! Thanks, Jeannette. I left a comment for approval on your post.
Hate to tell you, Graeme... most of the whales and dolphins that I see are actually from our home balcony. Had we been looking, we could have seen the one above from home, but we had just left for errands. Since Andy doesn't like backing up (hehe), we drove around the block and spotted the tourists going gaga.
Really?! I am absolutely typeless...
So not backing up but being lucky enough to see a whale? Not quite a reversal of fortune!
I can't remember, Did I tell you that Steve and I went whale watching last month? I was so worried I was going to get sea sick....but luckily I did not. We saw a bunch of gray whales and it was a lot of fun! We went on the Princess Monterey.
! :o( green envy! I've still not seen Grey whale. As soon as I opened your page Katie and saw the blow, the first thing I said was 'grey - I bet its grey whale'!! We failed twice to see the summering beast off the Farralons in September, once because of fog and second time just bad luck. But on the second trip we saw something much harder to see than a grey - we had leatherback turtle around the boat.
Cutting to the chase Big Water has always scared me. Thats why I've always stuck with canoeing. Still the chance to see whales would be really special. What a conundrum! :)
John, your trip to CA must have been extensive. Very cool that you got to see a leatherback turtle, though. Here in Monterey Bay, we also get humpback, blue, killer, minke, fin, sei, sperm, ziphius, and baird's beaked whales. I'm fairly sure I've seen blues from home, too, in autumn.
Mr. T, hope you don't get sea sick.
It must be amazing to be wandering along and spotting one of those creatures meandering through the water! Going to Monterey I'd always strain my neck trying to get a glimpse of anything out in that deep and vast water.
Arro, do you come to Monterey often? I see we like many of the same movies. Best wishes for your new blog.


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For my sixtieth birthday I'm celebrating by giving my blog a facelift! It may be off-air for a week or two, but after that it'll be better than ever, with a sharper look and more features. In addition to blogging about the amazing second half of life, with all the wonder and weirdness of middle-age and beyond, I'll be posting book reviews, and talking about the writing and marketing process. My goal is to make the website easier to see and more enjoyable to navigate. So don't be concerned if AnyShinyThing.com goes dark for a few days or weeks. This is the season of resurrection, after all.
I wish you the most joyous Easter and Springtime. Here's an uplifting video from Laura Carstensen, a social scientist who spoke at TedX Women, for your viewing pleasure. See you soon! XOXOXO


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Minnesota ASA Midwest tour driver Jonathan Eilen was injured in a wreck at Hawkeye Downs in Cedar Rapids IA on Friday June 11th.
He has spent some time in the hospital and its been reported he has a broken vertebrae. Our best wishes go out to Jonathan and his whole #77 race team. Jonathan is a past "Rookie of the Year" winner in the ASA Midwest tour and also the winner of the 2007 ASA Midwest tour race at Elko. Get more information at http://www.asamidwesttour.com/
Jason and Dean will have Mid-Am announcer Matt Panure on "Speedtalk on 1360" Saturday June 19th from 10-11am on KRWC radio and http://www.krwc1360.com/ The Mid-AM guys will race at Road America road course in Wisconsin as part of the big NASCAR Nationwide series weekend.
We also will talk NASCAR with Jordan Bianchi from http://www.theracinggeek.com/ and Local racing and a Masters preview with Dan Plan from http://www.theracingconnection.com/


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Hello, I'm a resident of Wyoming!
But seriously, it's like a conspiracy. We all want you to believe that Wyoming is super lame, so we can keep all its awesomeness to ourselves. I'm a self proclaimed WYO-hipster (it's totally a thing).
We're settled in to our new routines (oh? the coach is gone/busy all the time? how shocking and also unexpected.), and getting used to the town. Elliot is loving her school, and I am loving the feeling of finally having a child in school all day. Stori, Rou, and I are also loving that we live just two streets away from the library and that they offer story time three mornings a week. It's also weird to me how much I'm loving mornings here. I blame it mostly on Elliot being in first grade, but by the time I have her off to school, the day is still all laid out ahead of me and best of all I let the other two kids sleep in. I'm a stellar parent, I know. And so I spend my mornings right here:
My absolute favorite spot in our new house. I'm aware that sitting on the countertops is generally frowned upon in most houses, but this is just the most perfect place to enjoy a cuppa, a little music, and lovely natural sunlight on book pages. Blissful.
Home ownership is weird. This is our first house that is really and truly ours, and it's funny to me how excited I am getting about things I never thought twice about before. Curtains! Paint schemes! Cabinet hardware! Garden tools! It's life-changing. Even the dumb things, (like sweeping the stupid Russian Olive leaves from our neighbor's tree) seem fulfilling. It's an older house, so there is a lot of work that can be done (no ceiling light in the bedrooms? Seriously you guys?) But it's nothing we can't handle, and I'm stupidly excited about the work.
Other things I'm all about:
- The crazyawesome thunderstorms
- The best, most non-judgemental, friendly, welcoming, diverse, helpful, SO not like my old ward, absolutely-perfectly-suited-for-me ward on the planet
- Living one block from the church building
- Cowboy Donuts (seriously. you guys.)
- Trees in my yard
- No fines for overdue items at the library (yes.)
Summation: I like it here.


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Misuse of bail conditions
Posted on 28th January 2016
Over the past few years, civil liberties lawyers and campaign groups have seen a growing number of demonstrations where police...
email@example.com 020 7874 8466
I am joint Head of the Civil Liberties Team at Hodge Jones & Allen LLP. I started as a trainee solicitor at Hodge Jones & Allen in 1997, was admitted as a solicitor in 1999, became an associate in 2002, a partner in 2005 and a member in 2009.
I specialise in civil actions against the police and prison service and related human rights claims; and compensation claims for victims of miscarriage of justice and public law challenges related to these areas.
I am one of the leading lawyers dealing with compensation claims for miscarriage of justice under s133 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 having dealt with high profile cases including the M25 Three and the Bridgewater Four.
I have been exceptionally committed to political protest cases and represent a number of protestors. I am currently representing Claimants arrested at:
Since 2005, I have been on the advisory board of the Miscarriage of Justice Support Service, a division of the Royal Courts of Justice Citizens Advice Bureau, which was set up to provide free advice and assistance for victims of miscarriage of justice.
I am ranked as a 'leading individual' in Chambers UK Guide 2018 and a 'recommended lawyer' by the Legal 500 2017.
Chambers UK 2017 "She is totally committed to clients and fights to get more for them."
Chambers UK 2018 "Her attention to detail is second to none, she has fantastic client service."
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I was also ranked as a "Super Lawyer" in the London Super Lawyers magazine 2013.
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Fill out this form and one of the team will get back to you:
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While most parents and some students will tell you that there is more pressure on students today than there ever has been I am here to tell you that we do it to ourselves. Sure, there is a feeling that doing "more" is necessary for success, and of course colleges are looking for the most well rounded student out there but is it truly necessary for us to try and be a part of every activity out there? No. Again, as I have mentioned in my previous post I am a hypocrite and I am that student getting involved with as much as I can get my hands on, but is anyone putting a gun to my head? No. So I guess what I'm trying to say is the cliché, "do what you love". Life is too short to do things that stress you out for no good reason (except for school, that will probably stress you out but its mostly necessary so deal with it). For example, I do track - I LOVE track. Do I get stressed because of it? Of course. As an athlete of any level you often feel pressure to attain and maintain certain standards and reputations, when these standards seem to be infinitely out of reach it gets frustrating and stressful. That being said, when I step back I know that I can always say that the stress was worth it, that track truly does make me happy, that I always have a team to fall back on, and that track has given me more life skills than I could ever imagine. So find your "track", find something not that won't stress you out, but that when it inevitably does, it will be worth it. This being said, you may have more than one "track" in your life....go for it! Until you reach the point where you step back and realize "wow, this is most definitely not worth it", then do everything and anything you can that you love- but know when to stop. Surround yourself with people who will remind you why you participate in whatever activity it is and will try to stop you from doing whatever that is when you don't realize how unenjoyable it truly is for you (make sure those people will also stay friends with you when you tell them they are wrong countless times because only you can realize and make the decision to stop).
This being said: find something you can do besides your "track", as the hypocrite I am I really haven't found that yet, but I do recognize that I love John Green books and mugs full of orange blossom tea so when all else fails- you can find me in a corner reading with a mug of tea (approach cautiously). SO if you can't find some other activity to keep you occupied, at least find your "John Green and Tea" , because we all need to walk away from the things we love most sometimes especially when we're frustrated. Time away usually brings perspective and reason (and sometimes even makes you less stressed!), if you continue to be miserable- you might consider reevaluating your favorite activity. If you do make the decision to stay with that activity, please do us all a favor- do not be a chronic complainer. Of course we all complain, and of course there is always a point where we just feel like everyone and everything is against us. I promise you- we are not all out to get you, take this a your cue to step back and reflect a little....or curl up in your corner with your mug of tea. You will get through it and there are people that will help you always (and if you don't believe that, then come find me) but DO NOT complain all the time about every little thing in your life. I promise you that eventually those people will no longer want to help you, they might anyways, but just know- it is not an enjoyable task.
At this point of the year, stress level vary- high school students are submitting applications to college or catching up on the homework they've waited to do until the last two days of vacation, college students are in the middle of their luxuriously long break (either ready to get back to school or wishing they never have to return), and everyone else is either back to work, or on retirement, Granted, these are hugely stereotypes and I could be completely off base but the point is- we are all stressed at some point. Just because you are not stressed, does not mean that other people can't be stressed (students: just because we are stressed does not mean that our parents can't be stressed too....just remember that)- know that everyone is fighting their own battle and just try to be civil to everyone (even if you feel it quite impossible). So I guess if you take anything out of this I hope it is this: Do track and read John Green ....so , do what you love and then some. Oh, and be nice. Please just please be nice as much as humanly possible because the way I see it, there is nothing this world needs more than a bit more positivity.
A Duck Inspired


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Heading for the hills
Last night, I took my black lab and ventured out into the warm night air for a 6 miler along the Piestewa Freeway (aka SR51). A dust storm blew through the area earlier in the evening but there was only gusting wind and an occasional bolt of lighting flashing about by the time I hit the trail. It wasn't fast and it wasn't pretty, but at least I was running outside. It took my dog a good 30 minutes and nearly a quart of water before he stopped his heavy panting. I faired much better.
Tonight I opted for another run at the gym. I needed to get in a simulated hill run and make sure I am capable of making it up the 400' hill I'll face on Monday during the Labor Day 8 miler in Tucson. After a brief warm up at 9:30/mi, I took the pace down to 8:54/mi and finished out the first 30 minute session on the treadmill. On the second 30 minute session, I started raising the machine's elevation after I got out past the 0.5 mile point.
I knew I needed to be averaging something close to 30' up for every 0.1 mile, but I hadn't done the math to figure out the equivalent gradient before I started. 2% wasn't steep enough and 3% didn't cut it. After 0.2 miles, I needed have climbed least 60' and I was only at 40', so I jacked up the treadmill to a 7.5% gradient. That did the trick.
Once I caught up, I backed the machine down to 6.5% and left it there for the rest of the 1.5 mile climb. My HR reacted as you'd expect and was soon pushing 163. I back my pace down to 9:24/mi to keep my HR under 160 and cruised on up the hill. At the 1.5 mile point, I started lowering the elevation until I was running flat again. The total climb was 446' and I'd managed to survive without breaking my HR monitor.
Once my HR dropped back in the 140s, I started lowering the pace again and was soon running at 7:24/mi. I held this pace through the end of the second 30 minute and started up a 3rd session. Since I'd already got in a good hour of aerobic exercise, there wasn't any need to maintain a pedestrian pace for last couple of miles I needed to stretch the run out to 8 miles. I soon had the treadmill moving at 7:14/mi and then down to 7:04/mi. At the start of the second mile, I took the pace down to 6:50/mi and finished out the last 0.2 miles at 6:40/mi.
Other Running News: Did anyone catch Bernard Lagat's comments after winning the 1500m at the world championships? Lagat has been a US citizen for 3 years, but he seems to have figured out what's it all about much better than most of his 300 million countrymen. While draped with the US Flag following his win, he said, "When you're carrying this, it means a lot. You're representing everybody, the victims of Katrina, everybody. Those who are serving in the war in Iraq. This is for everybody in the United States." Not the most eloquent lines ever spoken, but he certainly understands the essence of being a citizen on the world stage. He has a lot teach our over paid and overly pampered professional athletes.
Have a great week.
Mon: Rest Day
Tue: 7.3 miles, 8:17/mi avg pace
Wed: 5.6 miles, 9:37/mi avg pace
Thr: 8.6 miles, 8:41/mi avg pace


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Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Win a gorgeous jewelry!
Yep, probably after having two shops carrying jewerly with semi-precious stones and crystals I still love jewelry.
One the people I know offering on the website competition for winning prices of 200$ and 5000$ to win to use on jewelry. There are some truly gorgeous jewelry pieces... I am sharing only the silver simply because I am not a real fan of the gold....(I guess with too much energy I have I feel much more comfortable with silver).
What you have to do to win is just to share a badge on your blog or website. You will be entering the competition as long as badge is displayed.
Wanna try?
Here is the link:
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Some Links
Here's some sites I've come across which I thought I'd highlight. Quaker Agitator, a left social justice blog I plan to link and So Far Left I'm Right, a Disciple pastor's site which seeks to re-imagine religion and the church, who I plan to link.
Rejection Hurts, a UCC website, "where "people can share their personal stories of how they felt unwanted or alienated by organized religion." The site "encourages you to share your story with us and other like minded people. You are not alone in your spiritual journey."
And Word to the Faithful, a site out of Sen. Reid's office which highlights the democrat's work and faith. But it's not been updated since they unveiled it a year ago. I've been contacting Reid's office but so far haven't found out what they plan to do about the site.