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He is the happiest little guy and laughs all the time. His good nature has been such a blessing to us and we can't wait to see how he grows and changes. Despite some "spitting" (or raspberries) while eating, he's doing very well with solid foods. We're down to 3 feedings a day with a bottle only at 6:30 before bedtime. We've also transitioned him to two naps a day and he goes to bed around 7pm. Okay, that's it for this post. We've got the car packed up and we're headed to the new house to paint. Next post should be pics of the house after we get our things put into place. Look for an update in a couple weeks!
Saturday, April 25, 2009
7 Months Old
My Handsome Little Easter Dude
We enjoyed a beautiful easter day with familiy and friends. We started the day by attending Easter service at our wonderful new church. We really love our church and are so thankful that the Lord helped us feel right at home so quickly.
Checking Out His Easter Egg
Then off to lunch at Mom's house with the entire gang. We decided to have a BBQ and it was delicious. It was the first time we had fired up the grill since moving to TN. It's going to get a lot of use this summer.
We had all the cousins, except Kassie :o(
We also dyed eggs on Saturday with the cousins. Ethan wasn't able to do much other than hang out, but next year he'll be more into it. Okay, that's it for Easter...moving on!
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Six Month Update
"Our" First Home!
We hope to be able to plant a vegetable garden this Spring and enjoy the "fruits" of our labor before too long. Many people also do not put up fences here. Again, the larger size of the lots here make it costly to fence, and I think people just prefer a more open feeling. Thankfully, the man we're buying the house from enjoys a bit of privacy and has placed a nice, high fence around the entire back portion of the lot. Yeah!!
The garage is very tall and we're hoping to build some sort of storage loft into the front of this front area. James is excited to have a garage where he can unpack and use all of his tools again. Our project list is growing! Just for the record, I plan to also learn to use the riding lawn mower. However, my brother-in-law is convinced that I'll do it the first time for "fun" and that James will take care of it from there. I'll update later and tell you if he's right :o)
The backyard is quite large and we're looking forward to getting a small pool for Ethan & my niece to use this summer. You can see a couple trees in the picture, but there are several planted across the back of the fence as well. The current owner just put in a few peach trees for us too. James says it's the perfect size backyard for a lab, but I don't think that doggies are in the immediate future.
Since we're from California, we're used to spending a lot of time outside when it's warm. Unfortunately, TN brings lots of bugs in the summer. A screened-in porch is the best of both worlds and we foresee being outside a lot when the weather allows. It also allows us to enjoy the outdoors when it's raining. This is one of our favorite features and we are feeling very blessed since most of the houses in our price range do not have the screened porches.
My Little Haven...or Should I Say "Heaven"?
The master bathroom is a dream come true. Honestly, it's almost exactly what we had our architect design when we had our original plans drawn up. What a surprise! In addition to this wonderful jacuzzi tub, there's a shower, "water closet" toilet, separate his/hers vanities (no more whiskers on my sink!), and 2, yes TWO walk-in closets. Not to mention the huge bedroom it sits next to. The house is only 4 years old and has only had one owner. It's in great condition and move-in ready. Our only changes will be style preference changes.
Wednesday, March 04, 2009
New Tricks
He's also got a new sound, it's a low roar that we think sounds like a little lion.
Monday, March 02, 2009
A Little Playtime Fun
Monday, February 23, 2009
A Video Snipet
New Baby Pics
I couldn't resist the lips in this one!


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Thursday, December 9, 2010
Almost there...
I'll have a full and complete list as soon as everyone has written their post but, for the time being, here's what we have so far:
- Amanda Cooper chose Period of Adjustment
- Audrey chose Christmas in Connecticut
- Monty chose The Man Who Came To Dinner
- Clara chose It's A Wonderful Life
- Frl. Irene Palfry chose We're No Angels
- Sarah chose Holiday Inn
- Kate Gabrielle chose Alistair Sim's A Christmas Carol
- Java Bean Rush chose The Lemon Drop Kid
- Jean Howard chose Beware My Lovely
- and I chose White Christmas
There are still 2 spots open! If you want to join in then please let me know!
If you've already written a post and I haven't commented then please let me know and I will head over to your blog asap!
And, if you have multiple blogs, please let me know which blog your post will be on so that I can link it properly when I create a more complete and Christmas-y list.
And again, thank you so much!! This has been such an exciting project!!
10 comments:
- AnonymousDecember 10, 2010 at 1:10 AM
I wrote a post on Holiday Affair a couple of weeks back. I'd like to join in the fun if I may!ReplyDelete
I would love to join if there is still a spot! I was afraid I'd missed my shot. If so I'll write about The Shop Around The CornerReplyDelete
or maybe remember the night. I am incredibly indecisive.ReplyDelete
absolutely! you're both in!!ReplyDelete
hurrah!! i will do the shop around the corner then.ReplyDelete
Done! Thank you!ReplyDelete
Hi Sally, my entry is published. I didn't write a review, I made a list, hope you don't mind:ReplyDelete
Hej, Sally!ReplyDelete
My entry is OUT NOW!! Have a look:
Thank you VERY much!
Frl. Irene
This is a lovely idea! I love reading all the entries. I'm not writing full reviews, but I think I'm gonna make a list of my favourite classical christmas movies soon (I've still got a few more to watch)ReplyDelete
Hi Sally! Entry is posted here: http://voteforgracie.blogspot.com/2010/12/shop-around-corner-as-horror-film.htmlReplyDelete
To reduce comment spammers, I've had to start moderating the comments. Thank you for understanding! I can't wait to approve your comment and engage in classic movie discussion!

subset: commoncrawl


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2) Port Isabel Detention Center Action Alert: End the Violence Now!
3) Raids Protested in Baltimore: http://www.baltimoresun.com/
1) New York Road Trip for Our Future
Join the Road Trip!
Join in the 5-day caravan ride across New York State, February 15-19, 2010. Along the way, exciting actions will take place to welcome the travelers and build a statewide call for immigration reform NOW!
Individuals, families and supporters are invited to drive alongside the caravan in their own cars for any period of the caravan. See the itinerary for the route below and join us at an action in your area!
Feb 15 NYC
Road Trip Kick-off! Join use for a celebration to send off our road trip riders with skits, speakers, and more!
Time: 12pm-Noon
Location: NYIC, 137-139 West 25th St., 12th Floor (between 6th and 7th Ave.) in Manhattan
Feb 15 Carmel, NY
Join the rally at Rep. John Hall's office to demand comprehensive immigration reform!
Invite your friends on facebook
Time: 4pm
Location: 40 Gleneida Ave, Carmel
Feb 16 Saratoga Springs, NY
Take a lunch break to demand comprehensive immigration reform at Rep. Murphy's office!
Time: 12pm-Noon
Location: 487 Broadway, Saratoga Springs
Feb 16 Syracuse, NY
Show some 'Cuse pride and have a good time! The Syracuse rally will include speakers and live music!
Invite your friends on facebook
Time: 4pm
Location: Federal Plaza, 100 South Clinton St., Syracuse
Feb 17 Sodus, NY
Breakfast Gathering of food, support, and speakers including Sister Luci Romero, head of the Wayne County Migrant Ministry for the Diocese of Rochester; Ken Vandewalle, Vandewalle Fruit Farms and Wayne County Fruit Sales; Pastor Rolfi Elevo, Alton Free Methodist.
Time: 9am
Location: St.John's Episcopal Church, West Main St, Sodus
Feb 17 Pittsford, NY
Rally at Rep. Massa's office to demand comprehensive immigration reform and present him with statement of support!
Invite your friends on facebook
Time: 11am
Location: 1 Grove St., Pittsford
Feb 17 Greece, NY
Rally at Rep. Lee's office with local faith leaders to demand his support for comprehensive immigration reform!
Invite your friends on facebook
Time: 1:30pm
Location: 1577 West Ridge Road, Greece
Feb 17 Batavia, NY
Taking a stand for our family members and friends being held at the Batavia Detention Center!
Invite your friends on facebook
Time: 3pm
Location: First Presbyterian Church, 300 E Main St., Batavia
Feb 18 Buffalo, NY
Details TBA
Feb 18 Ithaca, NY
Dinner reception for our road trip riders at the Women's Community Building. Dinner reception guests and speakers will include city and county representatives.
Invite your friends on facebook
Time: 6 30pm
Location: 100 West Seneca St., Ithaca
Feb 19 Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, NY
Immigrant communities will gather to welcome the road trip riders as they end their journey.
Time: 12 45pm
Location: Arab Muslim American Federation, 6807 5th Ave, Brooklyn
2) Port Isabel Detention Center Action Alert: End the Violence Now!
Detention Watch Network (2/12/10)
Action Alert: Friday, Feb. 12, 2010
U.S. Government Violence targets hunger Strike at the Port Isabel Detention Center (PIDC): Punishment for All who defend human rights/civil liberties
For More Info. Contact: 956.207.2571
Support the Families: Call Congressman Solomon Ortiz and Regional Field Office Director Michael J. Pitts and tell them to investigate and put an end to the violence and intimidation by ICE against Hunger Strikers and other detainees who have been involved in advocating for their civil liberties and human rights through peaceful and passive resistance.
Call: Congressman Solomon Ortiz
Washington, DC office: tel.202-225-7742, fx. 202-226-1134
Rio Grande Valley: 956-541-1242, FX. 956-544-6915
Tell Congressman Ortiz he must keep his promise immigrant families to help resolve this injustice. His area in South Texas will be counting the immigrant detainees in the Census and will be receiving monies thanks to their mandatory detention. This makes them his constituents. Violence ensued after his visit to the Port Isabel Detention Center (PIDC) Mon. Feb. 8, 2010 and families report that ICE officers destroyed letters addressed to the Congressman written by detainees that evening. Violence escalated after Vishwanath Ramlakhan a Hunger Striker at the PIDC, publically made a plea for Phyllis Coven, Acting Director of the Office of Detention Policy and Planning, and Regional Field Office Director, Michael J. Pitts to investigate abuse and denial of due process rights at the facility. Will Congressman Ortiz ignore the pleas of immigrant families who are being abused and fear for their lives at the hands of ICE within the Port Isabel Detention Center?
CALL: Regional Field Office Director Michael J. Pitts
San Antonio Regional Office: tel. 210-231-4505, fx.
Tell Michael J. Pitts to issue immediate orders to end the violence and repression against all who participated in civil disobedience to defend their rights. Over 150 detainees were on hunger strike in protest of inadequate conditions, violation of their rights, and to protest the unjust mandatory detention system. At least 30 detainees are still on Hunger Strike and being intimidated and fearing for their safety. You have the power to stop the violence and you have the power to oversee it. Stop the Violence now!
For background and further info:
See also:
Prisoners Launch Hunger Strike at Texas Immigration Jail
Democracy Now! (2/12/10)
3) Raids Protested in Baltimore
Baltimore Sun: Protest quickly staged after raid leads to 7 being detained
Casa de Maryland says Hondurans are in custody
Baltimore Sun (2/5/10)
Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials detained seven people from Honduras after a raid Thursday in Anne Arundel County, prompting a demonstration outside the Baltimore Federal Building. [...]
Read full article: http://www.baltimoresun.com/


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I find myself really interested in the TV show Ink Master. Before you say it, yes, I should get back to my hobbies and stop watching TV. I have so many half finished projects that all of the internet should rise up and scold me for not sticking to the topic. I just can't help myself. And for a lot of people, TV is a hobby. It just shouldn't be mine.
I watch the show, and I have so many questions. First of all, should you be getting a tattoo with a time limit? I understand the need to put a limit on someone for a television show/competition. Without time pressure these people could certainly all put out some works of art. However, would you want your tattoo artist to feel such pressure? Despite remarkable advances in laser erasing, these things are still pretty permanent.
Next, after getting a tattoo would you really like to hear the experts tell the person who did it that it was an absolute piece of garbage? Yeah, you might have enough self confidence to deflect that...a few times. Imagine if every single person you know (from those you like right down to the complete idiots that you hate) has seen the show and starts echoing those comments--and remember the idiots are not going to be echoing them, they are going to be repeating them word for word. Instead of that stupid "hot enough for ya?" question the idiot usually peppers you with, it will be "why does that spider tattoo have only seven legs?"
I am guessing that there must be some kind of consolation prize for these people. I wonder what it is. I wonder if it could really be enough. Would you get the seven legged spider tattoo if your prize was a Toyota Corolla? Maybe it's cash. Maybe it is a pre-paid gift card for tattoo removal. Maybe the need to be on television is so great, your skin is really a secondary concern.
I guess I could liken it to a hair cutting show. Your hair grows back, though. Would you sign up for a show called "Practice Surgeon"? What about "rookie fireman"?--I have an image of them setting your house on fire, hoping they can rescue you and put out the fire.
Despite my questions, I will probably tune in tonight before going to bed. Last week I fell asleep, so I have no idea who went home. This isn't really an obstacle as there will be a recap at the beginning of tonight's program.


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Marketing on a shoestring: inbound, outbound tactics and SOSTAC®
05/12/2011 3 Comments
I orginally wrote this as a reply to Jane Hatton on another blog about her new enterprise Evenbreak, which matches employers, who value diversity, with disabled candidates.
Jane, there seems to be a lot of confusion between 'marketing' and 'marketing communications' in recent discussions online.
The difference is more obvious the bigger an enterprise gets, when responsibilities are delegated to separate departments and outside agencies but it is still an important distinction for a micro-enterprise to make.
Smaller enterprises invariably have to heap a bundle of management responsibilities onto one person. To draw a parallel in accounting, even a small firm distinguishes between book-keeping (keeping accurate financial records) and management accounts (financial information for decision-making), even if the same person is responsible for both and they can merge into the same activity. So marketing and marketing communications should be seen as distinct activities with different purposes.
Marketing used to be functionally divided into the four 'P's — Product; Place; Price; Promotion. What you are talking about in your post is promotion: but before promotion begins, a true marketing approach means that you need to have ensured that your product and price are market-ready and market-acceptable. Small enterprises can rarely afford the luxury of market research or trial launches so it is normally carried out as part of day-to-day operations, using feedback from early adopters..
In any case, many pundits now advocate — in the era of Web 3.0 and social media — using the five 'E's — Experience (instead of Product); Everywhere (instead of Place); Exchange (instead of Price); Evangelism (instead of Promotion) and, finally, Enablement — using crowdsourcing, polls, wikis, viral effects, SEO, blogs and social media.
'Everywhere' indicates the universal nature of the Web but I suspect there is still a natural limit to Evenbreak's reach — probably mainland UK? Exchange is the practice of having a pricing model which allows some initial functionality free and gradually charging as additional features are used.
What you describe in you post is Promotion — now better-labelled Evangelism and Enablement. Two commoner names for these (marketing communications) functions are Outbound Marketing Communications and Attraction Marketing Communications (or Inbound or Digital Footprint or any number of terms which online snake oil sellers are trying to make their own).
You may think I am being pedantic in continually using the term Marketing Communications (MC) — and I may be — but the division is useful if it persuades an enterprise to return to the marketing drawing board if some of the fundamentals of a service prove unacceptable to its marketplace through sensitive, two-way MC.
What you have described, very thoroughly, is an Inbound MC Programme, with the exception of the hard copy letter, passed by the Chief Executive, and events. These I would class as Outbound MC — Evangelism.
I have worked for a start-up over the last few weeks and, because he had done his market research quite carefully, I helped him plan both Inbound and Outbound MC Programmes which I am helping him to execute.
Why both? Because he need short-term results and I have facilitated acquiring data on his target individuals at 30p a shot (commercial property landlords in development mode) and using a home-based B2B telemarketer whom we can task, flexibly, at a minimum of two hours at a time.
She sets up appointments and feeds the data into an online CRM system which also links into the email marketing database for a number of follow-up emails according to landlords' response and resulting position in the sales funnel. Plans for a webinar in the new year are in hand.
We run a modest PPC AdWords Campaign, partly to help us research and optimise our Keyword List.
We are also running an Inbound MC Programme — blog, social media, links, SEO, guest blogs, LinkedIn Q&A, digital PR — but results will take two to three months to come through and, meanwhile, the Outbound MC Programme is getting the sales funnel moving immediately.
We use Paul R Smith's SOSTAC® Planning System [http://www.prsmith.org/sostac.html] and have created two documents — a Marketing Plan and Marketing Communications Programme — using the SOSTAC template. Rather than written in stone, they are in Google Documents and available to the whole team and continuously amended to take account of marketing intelligence and remarks from telemarketing and data from the CRM system and a Digital PR Dashboard (also in Google Docs as a spreadsheet).
The Dashboard has all the indices necessary to monitor and measure the progress of the MC Programmes and help us decide how much telemarketing or inbound activity to commission each week to meet sales targets.
When referring to your (Inbound MC) tactics, you say "most cost nothing but time and imagination": time and imagination are in short supply, probably more so than cash. That is why my customers pay me — to supply them. They also pay for dedicated execution which is a key part of creativity. Ideas need to be delivered!
I am a great admirer of your enterprise — in both meanings of the word — and, if I can advise in any way, I would be happy to provide some of that free time you mention.


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I know, it's been ages. My apologies. You see, I've actually started writing. Yay! hang out the bunting, do a happy dance and eat cake (not necessarily in that order). The thing is, my writer's block had taken such a hold that even when I started writing, I thought it may be another false start. I didn't want to blog about it for fear of jinxing it.
The problem was I had two ideas and kept swinging from one to the other. I'd have a crisis of confidence about whether one was a good, marketable idea and then, like a sailing boat adrift, bang! An ill wind would catch the mainsail and go swinging across my boat, often knocking me overboard in the process, before I got going on the other idea.
Somewhere in all this, I figured out that both were good ideas, it was more a matter of which to write first? I plumped for the one with the more developed plot. It was also more time sensitive because I could peg it on the anniversary of the death of suffragette Emily Wilding Davison who threw herself under the king's horse at the 1913 Derby.
However, with all my prevaricating, I have missed that deadline by a mile. I should have been submitting it to agents last year. But on a positive note, the suffragette movement carried on well after that so I reckon it's still marketable. Plus, I think the book will appeal to teenage girls because it's about all kinds of issues affecting them. The pressures that they come under to be academic, pretty, sexy, skinny and, above all, to fit in, when hormones are raging and your mind is on boys and the whole world should be opening up for you but actually, the expectations are overwhelming and in some cases crippling.
My 'lift pitch' – in case I meet an agent in a lift and I have 10 seconds to pitch it – is: Modern-day girl meets a suffragette. A contemporary story with an historical twist.
Wordism: It's important you can summarise your book in a couple of sentences. It means it has a strong concept and publishers are looking for 'high concept' books.
Anyway, while I'm hoping that I can sell my book, the most important thing is I'm back writing and seven chapters in.
So, advice on how to break writer's block? Actually, there wasn't a big breakthrough moment, the muse didn't show up one day and suddenly I could write. No, I just kept chipping away at it. I got to the point of nearly giving up, which I found frightening. Writing is such a big part of my identity that it felt like giving up on myself. And then what became important was just writing. Not selling it, not the vagaries of the market, just the act of writing. A little bit here, a little bit there until you're writing everyday, which develops into a compulsion to write rather than procrastinate, at which point, you start living your characters, inhabiting their world, thinking about it all the time.
Wordism: Don't give up, keep going. Just a few words is better than nothing. Write a journal if the book isn't coming. Don't judge what you write. Just write. Observations, what you're feeling… Write in a stream of consciousness. Read The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron – it's a bit spiritual, which isn't for everyone, but it's also practical.
I explored my main character by letting her vent what was on her mind without worrying about story or plot. Her character developed around her voice, a plot emerged from her character. And also from thinking about the suffragette and what part she would play. I have to be careful that Emily plays at least an equal part to the romance in the novel. Feminists may not approve of what I do with the romance but then they're not my audience. Teenage girls are my readers. And if I can get one teenage girl to google 'suffragette' or 'Emily Wilding Davison', I'll be happy with that.
Something to try: If you have a character in mind, allow them to vent on the page. Write whatever's on their mind in the first person. If you're not working on a project right now but want to get the creative juices flowing, find a picture of a person in a magazine, a newspaper or in a work of art (as Tracy Chevalier did in Girl with a Pearl Earring) and imagine what they are thinking. What is their world like? Then give them a voice. Who knows where it will lead.


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There's more than one way to speed up a slow PC. For instance, you can upgrade your hardware by adding more RAM or a faster hard disk. You can remove a lot of your programs or reinstall Windows entirely. Or you can try a program like SpeedItup Free, a free tool for tweaking, cleaning, and boosting PCs, especially older and slower units. It works automatically in the background to recover memory resources, clean system caches, and erase browsing traces. Its Super Defrag tool is supposed to optimize hard disks, improving performance by up to 150 percent, according to its developer.
SpeedItup Free essentially bundles three tools with automatic scheduling and other options, and its colorful, compact interface has three tabs for the three tools. The first tool, SpeedItup, offers four processes, each with a check box: Windows Optimization, Ram Booster, Internet Cleanup, and HardDisk SpeedUp. The other two tabs access the Internet Cleanup and HardDisk SpeedUp tools individually. A large speedometer dial dominates the interface. The program's only options cover automatic startup and operation, plus the ability to delete tracking cookies and select Firefox, IE, Opera, and Chrome for cleaning. The Help button called up a page summarizing what the program does in sketchy detail; for instance, it "first optimizes your windows settings" to boost performance. We can think of lots of ways to do that, and we'd like to know what's being changed, but SpeedItup doesn't share that information. But its RAM booster and tweaks caused no fuss. The disk defrag tool notes that the first pass can take 5 minutes to 3 hours but that subsequent passes are quicker. Ours took less than an hour.
SpeedItup offers to download another of the company's system cleaners, which is fairly typical since the company's in business to sell software. We have no problem with ad-supported freeware, nags, or ad pop-ups (SpeedItup's pop-up is mild by comparison) as long as the program does what it claims without a trial period or requiring you to buy anything. SpeedItup does what it claims. One point, speed demons: Never run Super Defrag, or any disk defragmenting tool (even the Windows defragger) on a solid-state drive (SSD). SSDs don't need defragging, and it just wears them out faster.
This software is not reviewed yet.


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The news item is shown below. Red News VIPs can scroll down and enjoy. (VIP is £14.00 a year, includes full access to chat forums + free mag). Otherwise you'll need to click read more.
As a Red News VIP. You see the news all in one go, on one scrollable page with each item show in full without having to click read more, plus being a VIP gives you other benefits too ... access to forums, a free fanzine and more ... http://www.rednews.co.uk/vip.php
"All three keepers at United - Sergio [Romero], Joel [Pereira] and me - train really hard to be the player who is on the pitch to play in the games. Now I feel really strong, really confident. Everyone trains hard to be in the XI and that's it."


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White Tea Kills More Germs Than Green Tea
White tea's better, according to new research from Pace University announced today at the American Society for Microbiology general meeting in New Orleans. "Our research shows that White Tea Extract can actually destroy in vitro the organisms that cause disease," says Milton Schiffenbauer, a microbiologist and professor in Pace's department of biology. Summarizing the research:
- The anti-bacterial and anti-viral effect of white tea is greater than that of green tea.
- The addition of white tea extract to several brands of toothpaste enhanced their anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties.
- White tea extract had an anti-fungal effect on both Penicillium chrysogenum [the source of penicillin antibiotic] and Saccharomyces cerevisiae [a classic baker's and brewer's yeast strain].
- White tea extract may help inactivate bacteria, viruses and fungi that affect humans.
One excellent source I've found for white tea, green tea and other Chinese teas is Generation Tea.


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I'm hot on this topic today. Many of the royal "us" may have all put it aside or assumed it will all just work out. Its never that easy.
And this article - written a few weeks ago - reminds us why http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/9939308/richie-incognito-jonathan-martin-miami-dolphins-bullying-scandal
Home » Unlabelled » Another Martin article
Saturday, December 07, 2013
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I saw Roky once in SF and they had to carry me out. I saw him the other day in LA and the dude didn't look so good. Here's my favorite album by my favorite dude of all time. I love you Roky.
If anyone wants any more gems from deeper in the Roky Erickson discography, just let me know. I have it for days. And I could never post enough Roky on here.


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In ACROSS THE UNIVERSE, Amy was cryogenically frozen and supposed to live on a new planet three hundred years from now, but got woken up early.
What intrigued me: I love space books, shower me in space books!
Errors and Sex-Obsessed Incestuous People
ACROSS THE UNIVERSE is probably the most frustrating book I've read this year. There are so many errors within the first 20 pages alone (15ish!), grammar issues, misplaced commas, wrong tenses etc, that it honestly gave me an eye twitch for the entire book. Just everything about the execution of this potentially interesting story misses the mark for me.
I hated the dual POV, especially love interest Elder, mainly because the voices of both protagonists sound the exact same, which made me super uncomfortable with the romance. It's like you're reading about siblings *shudder*. The whole concept heavily relies on masterful storytelling because the setting is so repetitive and feels almost like a chamber play. Revis just doesn't deliver, it's not helping that the world building is super confusing and makes no sense. I struggled paying attention, I struggled caring for anything that's happening, I struggled finding the actual plot in there - the whole book is basically summed up by saying this lady woke up early and meanwhile the inhabitants of the ship developed a taste for incest. This also features a super unnecessary scene in which protagonist Amy gets saved from being raped. You'll find that a huge chunk of this book deals with sex and people not being able to control their desires and pumping themselves with hormones to increase their sexual desires, so yeah, that's something I wish I had known before picking this up. I was looking for a action-filled, fast-paced spaceship book, not this.
Science? What Science?
ACROSS THE UNIVERSE taught me that I love space books, but I hate spaceship books. The setting is the thing I disliked the most about this, if you're like me super into discovering new worlds and alien planets, this isn't the right pick at all.
And if you're expecting accurate science or even just science fiction, look somewhere else. The sciencey parts are so ridiculously off that it honestly made me angry. The simplest scientific processes, even just common sense issues, really, are misconstrued in order to fill up the pages or to make a super dramatic shocking reveal. People being away while they're frozen, clones not realizing that they look like somebody else, a ridiculous shift in social behavior structures that could've never happened to human society in the 250-odd years that Amy has spent frozen - it all made me want to tear my hair out.
ACROSS THE UNIVERSE really reads like a very awkward attempt to make a commentary on society and carnal desires in the least elegant way possible, and I couldn't help but feel tricked into reading this, because this is just not what I signed up for. What did I just read?
highlight text for SPOILER
This is literally the movie Passenger. This ends in love interest Elder admitting he unplugged Amy's cryogenic chamber, thus, forcing her to live out her life on the spaceship and she forgives him, because he's nice to her. I'm going to throw something. That only made me even angrier about this book. How am I supposed to not hate this guy with the fury of a thousand burning suns?! Feminism, who?
Overall: Do I Recommend?I genuinely disliked this, beyond the super subjective points, the craft aspects are less than ideal - so many typos, so many unncessary scenes, so much rambling - I wish somebody else would rewrite this. This is basically the movie Passenger, in an AU where everyone is incestuous and sex-obsessed. I don't even know
Trigger warning: rape, incest, suicide
Additional Info
Pages: 416
Publisher: Razorbill
Genre: YA / Sci-Fi
"A love out of time. A spaceship built of secrets and murder....
Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, 300 years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end 50 years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.
Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone - one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship - tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn't do something soon, her parents will be next.
Now Amy must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there's only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming."
(Source: Goodreads)
What's your favorite book set in space?
Connect with me!


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Yes, this school work is kicking my tail but I am determined not to let you guys down. Thanks for bearing with me.
This week a lot of research has been put into B vitamins. Mostly Biotin, Pantothenic acid, Folate & B 12.
One of our discussions asked, "Does biotin and pantothenic acid really improve your hair texture and preserve its color?"
I thought this would also be a good topic for us to discuss. Do any of you take these supplements? Hair, skin and nails supplement?
Biotin & Pantothenic acid are B vitamins essential for growth. They support energy metabolism by helping breakdown and use food.
During my research search. I found very little scientific data supporting the use of either. Deficiency in these vitamins is very rare. These supplements would not prove beneficial unless deficiency is present and biotin deficiency is linked to incomplete parenteral nutrition and nursing infants whose mother is deficient in the vitamin. This deficiency, although rare, results in skin rashes and hair loss.
So, bottom line, continue to eat a varied, nutritious diet and do not waste your money on these products as they likely doing nothing more than the food you eat. Healthy nails and hair comes from plant based foods, eggs, salmon, sweet potatoes, liver


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|this is right before those cops came
"Cops and Hukas"
This week was really full of rendez-vous but a lot of them ended up being cancelled or people just didnt show up. There were two funny things that did happen this week though.
And then yesterday night we were up in juvisy to see if we could find this ladies house that me and elder davis met a while ago. We had her address but it ended up being a massive appt building and we couldnt find her name anywhere. We decided to go do some door to door there in juvisy and these undercover cops pulled up right next to us, got out, and had us stand up against a wall. one of them started interogating elder jacobson and the other one took me aside. He had me take of my bag and jacket and then gave me a full on pat-down, it was hilarious. They realized that we hadn't done anything and let us go.
So yeah those are my two exciting stories for the week. Other than that things have been going good. Our only real progressing amis right now are that familly. There have been some other people that we have met this week that could turn into something but i guess we'll just have to wait and see.
I'm so glad i get to be here in France as a missionary and have all of these exciting and spiritual experiences. I hope all of you are doing good at home.
love you
Elder Empey
oh ps. transfers are on feb 2nd and ive been here for 6 months so there is a slight chance i could be transfered. so if you have a letter to send or anything wait till next monday so i can tell you my new address or if im staying


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Patricia Smith and Charles Woods. Ms. Smith is the mother of Sean Smith, an information management officer killed in the 9/11 Benghazi attack. Charles Woods is the father of Navy SEAL Tyrone Woods, who was also killed.
I decided to see just much interest they display on their websites for the Benghazi investigation - since, according to the official statements, the Democrats would have LOVED to stay and listen to the parents, but, alas, they just HAPPENED to have these scheduling conflicts.
Membership names taken from the House site:
AMAZINGLY, the link to a puff piece about the Rep. receiving an award from the Association of Americans Living Overseas doesn't work - but if you click here, it will. Wonder how those Americans who DIED in Benghazi feel about her not having the guts to listen to their parents talk about how the administration failed them - AND lied about it - AND are STILL lying about it.
Inscribed on the award is a message that reads, "In Gratitude For Her Unfailing Support For the Rights of Americans Living and Working Overseas."
Well, Unfailing Support EXCEPT for those people who died in the Embassy attack. Ya know, the peons who don't count.
- Rep. Jackie Speier (CA-12) - aside from the Ranking Member Elijah Cummings, she's the ONLY one that stayed.
The above statement on Speier's page is the single most substantive that I was able to find. I give her credit for the support in it.
No Search function on his website
Names include links to their websites - DO GIVE THEM A SHOUT-OUT, won't you? Let them know how you feel about their COWARDICE in leaving the room. AND maybe you can ask those that have NO RESULTS in the search for the term "Benghazi" why that is.


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2007 Lexus IS 350 Top Comparisons
Users ranked 2007 Lexus IS 350 against other cars which they drove/owned. Each ranking was based on 9 categories. Here is the summary of top rankings.
User Reviews
Displaying 11 - 11 of 11 2007 Lexus IS 350 reviews.
CarGurus https://www.cargurus.com
2007 Lexus IS 350 RWDReview
Fun Car To Drive — This car is a pleasure to drive. It has a quick pick up and responds fast to all commands. The stereo system is very nice and allows 6 dixcs to be rotated at one time. What I love the best is the heated heats and yes the air conditioned seats as well. They are great on days like the last several we had had. Gas mileage averages 19-27mpg. The sun/moon roof is a plus on those perfect days for a drive. Also it has the auto skid control for excess water or ice on the road.
Primary Use: Commuting to work
Pros: This is a sleek looking car with a fast acceleration and very easy to manuver. visability is excellent though all windows. I love the heated and air conditioned seats!! Very well made and maintained. I have all service records. Low maintence required!
Cons: A bit of a stiff suspension as it has the sport package.
Looking for a Used IS 350 in your area?
CarGurus has 1,528 nationwide IS 350 listings starting at $4,995.
Displaying 11 - 11 of 11 2007 Lexus IS 350 reviews.
Reviews From Other Years
2012 Lexus IS 350 Reviews
Great Little Car
Awesome easy to drive car. Blind spot is a bit hard to look out of, but backup camera helped a lot. F-Sport package with the 18-inchers and stiffer suspension makes the car handle better and look be... Read More
2010 Lexus IS 350 Reviews
Great Car And Fun To Drive.
I have the 2 door convertible IS350C. Great car and fun to drive. Plenty of power from the 3.5l v-6. It's on the heavy side and you feel that when cornering at high speeds. Factory Bridgestone tires a... Read More
Fantastic !
I have a BMW which I would compare the IS350 to Performance - 4/5 Breaking, Handling - 4/5 Appearance Exterior - 5/5 Appreance Interior 4/5 Cost of Ownership - 5/5 Fun Factor - 100% ( Very nice c... Read More
2009 Lexus IS 350 Reviews
Best Car I Have Owned.
I test drove the G35, G37. Both were much harsher at shifting and accelerating. The Lexus is silky smooth to 60. With traction off it will spin out the back tires easily. I also test drove the 335... Read More
Great Car
The navigation display seems outdated to me--had a 2008 Mercedes C300 before this and liked the navigation display (and the entire system) better. Sometimes the navigation self corrects to a ridicul... Read More
2008 Lexus IS 350 Reviews
A Keeper
Powerful acceleration, Great handling, Fun to drive and comfortable to be in. Good on gas for a V6. Looks great and interior is well built and looks classy. Has a sports performance yet is still comf... Read More
Excellent Vehicle In So Many Ways
Great sunroof, but the sound system is awesome! The navigation system is voice or manually automated which is like hands free commands..really can't beat the car's performance in each and every way. T... Read More
2006 Lexus IS 350 Reviews
Great Ownership
Is not a Beemer but it will last longer. Parts are easier to install and purchase. Wonderful alternative to most European cars. I would highly recommend this car to any of my friends or co workers. To... Read More
Best Car I've Owned
The IS350 is the best car i've ever owned (brands i've owned-Cadillac, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Chevy). The car has just the right balance between sport and class. I will likely stay with the Lexus/Toyota ... Read More
Cars compared to 2007 Lexus IS 350
Looking for a Used IS 350 in your area?
CarGurus has 1,528 nationwide IS 350 listings starting at $4,995.


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Every time I make bread I am surprised by how simple and easy it is. The whole process for these buns takes about four hours but you can be absent for about 80% of that time. To make basic bread you bloom the yeast, mix in flour, let it rise, punch it down, let it rise again, and bake. That's IT! The final product is so rewarding and much better than anything generic in the grocery store. Also, these buns freeze incredibly well (I even unfroze and refroze for one of them and it was perfectly fine) so you can make a batch and just have them on hand. I made a version that was 50% whole wheat to get a bit of a healthier product. These specific burger buns held an agave glazed salmon burger that I paired with fresh arugula leaves and a homemade chipotle mayo (pictured below). Definitely recommend doing this at your next BBQ!
Hamburger Buns
From: Holy Cow Vegan
1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour.
1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups warm water
2 tsp sugar
3 tbsp vegetable oil
Mix the sugar, 1/2 cup warm water and the yeast in a mixing bowl and set aside for about 10 minutes until the mixture starts to foam (this is blooming the yeast)
Sift all the flours and baking soda into the bowl. Knead by hand for about 5 minutes, trickling in 1 cup of water until you have a dough that's smooth but slightly sticky.
Add the oil and continue to knead until the oil has been absorbed by the dough, about 1 more minute.
Spray a bowl with cooking spray and add dough to bowl and cover with a kitchen towel, and set aside for 2 hours until the dough has risen (now go do something productive)
Punch down the dough and divide into 6 balls
Shape them into smooth balls. Place the buns on a lightly greased and floured baking sheet, at least a couple of inches apart. Flatten the tops slightly with your fingers, and let the buns rise for an hour.
Preheat the oven to 370 degrees. Place the buns in the oven and bake 25 minutes.
Remove to a rack and allow the buns to cool


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Save Michigan
Our Country Deserves Better PAC is trying to raise $500K in 48 hours to try to win Michigan for McCain. Click on the link to contribute. Or click on this link to watch their videos. It also has a button for contributions. They are about 1/2 way through and have already raised $257,116.42 so they say.
I have no information about these folks, but getting a win in Michigan seems like a good idea.
Cross Posted at Classical Values


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Monday, June 19, 2006
Four Months Old
Jackson is 16 pounds now. He can almost reach his toes to his mouth. In fact, he wants everything in his mouth. He's drooling like crazy which is really gross, but he doesn't mind it at all. One new development is that if you hold him facing out and leaning back a bit, he attempts to sit himself up straight. He also spit for the first time the other day. Yes, spitting is different from drooling. He also seems to get more control over his hands every day.
Remember when I talked about my hotsling? Well, Jackson just loves it. He literally laughs when I put him in it. He loves facing out. The only problem is when I'm walking through the mall or church or somewhere thinking, "Oh, me and my baby are so cute...la la la la la" he could totally have spit up all over his face and I wouldn't know it. It's definitely humbling when someone points it out to you.
Curtis and I celebrated our fourth wedding anniversary on June 15. We went to see Nacho Libre (we both liked it). Our friends Corey and Andy got married in Austin over the weekend at the Mansion at Judge's Hill and we got to stay there. What a neat place! Go there if you have the opportunity. We're really thankful for the journey we've had together so far. I have an amazing husband and I fall more in love with him every time I see my son smile and laugh when his dad walks in the room.
5 comments:
- alicia said...
Congrats on 4 Years of marriage! That is soo exciting. I have been enjoying all this blogging you have been doing! You are a great blogger...you have a talent for it. It gets kind of scary when you think in blogs right before you take a picture. It is fun to hear and see all your experiences of Mommyhood. Looks like you are LOVING it. I love you Amanda and can't wait to meet your son in just 22 days!!!
- Jackson said...
- This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
I think Jackson may be the cutest baby to be born in at least a 100 years except for his mom and his Aunt Melissa. And he can drool on me anytime.
Hey girl...congrats on 4 years!! Lillt Jackson is so precious, drool and all. JD was a BIG drooler and still is at almost 18 months! The teething thing is a whole new experience. Some days will be a lot better that others. I actually took JD to the doctor b/c his fever got so high (103.7) and his nose was oozing the green stuff, but $30 later and a screaming child I find out it's just his teeth!! A few tips? JD would never sit still long enough to chew on a teething ring. Once he was old enough for solids, I'd get one of those strainers on a ring for babies and put frozen grapes or really cold fruit in them. He LOVED, LOVED, LOVED those. I've also found (12 months later thanks to my mom) that bagels are great! JD will walk around with a bagel in one hand all day when his teeth hurt! One more thing - don't worry if all of a sudden Jackson has no interest in eating. When JD is cutting a tooth the only thing he'll eat is fruit!! Good luck sister...
- Jackson said...
Great advice! Thanks, Steph! This week has been a lot better. I'm so thankful that it comes and goes.


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Clawfoot Beauties, Part Deux
Oh the glorious clawfoot! I posted some remarkable images a while ago, but I must indulge once again... I just love it!
Built-in tubs overshadowed the clawfoot tub in the 1930s, but the freestanding tub is enjoying a revered revival due to its elegant design and the sumptuous bathing experience it provides... oh bliss!
House Beautiful
Living Etc
Pottery Barn
Creating Vintage Style
Pottery Barn
Elle Decor
Country Living
Pottery Barn
Elle Decor
Marie Claire


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Lindsay Green began her pole dancing journey in 2002. Lindsay is a self taught pole dancer and has been teaching and training men and women since 2005. Lindsay owns Prowess Pole Fitness in Tempe, AZ and is the Director of the performance troupe Aerial Intensity. Lindsay loves traveling, taking part in pole competitions, and meeting new people that share her love for pole dance. Prowess Pole Fitness is the only studio in Arizona that has instructors that take part in any national or international pole competition. Lindsay loves to teach athletic pole fitness. Watching someone reach their flexibility, or tricks goals is her favorite thing in the world. She hopes to open as many minds as she can to the future Pole Fitness has as a sport, an art, and a way of life.
Favorite Movie Quote?
It's only after we've lost everything that we're free to do anything. ~Fight Club
Q. Which Super Power would you like to have?
A. I wish I could blink and have all my laundry done
Q. Is it wrong for a vegitarian to eat animal crackers?
A. Yes....unless they are dipped in chocolate....then it's ok
Q. What is one of the things you would put on your "bucket list"?
A. To be able to fly without having a panic attack. And have one of my students win a pole competition


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Thinking like an athlete can help Baby Boomers strengthen their retirement savings
Most baby boomers do not have much in common with professional athletes on the playing field, but when it comes to financial planning, they might consider thinking like one.
Most baby boomers do not have much in common with professional athletes on the playing field, but when it comes to financial planning, they might consider thinking like one.
Lowering risk and working with people you trust are key parts of that mindset. Here are some ways baby boomers should be thinking like athletes when it comes to their money.
Leave the risk behind
While it may be tempting to take swings at home-run investments, well-paid athletes have too much money to lose and are wise to be prudent. Baby boomers who are late in their earning years have another reason to be prudent — they don't have the time to recover from misses.
Everybody should want enough money to live comfortably in retirement. Baby boomers and athletes are no exception. What separates baby boomers and athletes from others is that they should already have the money they need saved up. That means their plans should be to sustain their earnings rather than put them at risk.
While starting a new business or investing in a high-risk/high-reward scheme might sound exciting and fun in retirement, failures in these endeavors can cause major setbacks to a retirement plan. For example, one of the riskiest but all-too-common investments people make is in restaurants and bars. These business ventures might be enjoyable for a period, but statistically they are very likely to fail. Over the years, many athletes have made the mistake of investing in these types of businesses.
Baby boomers should be careful of those kinds of risky ventures. Like an athlete, they should be more focused on preserving and building on what they've already earned and saved rather than trying to hit a grand slam that will change their financial picture. They might end up striking out.
It's not a good idea for anyone to make overly risky investments. Some risk is inherent, of course. The more money you have, and the closer you get to retirement, the amount of risk you are willing to take on should be very low.
Surround yourself with people you trust
People nearing retirement and athletes with large incomes are often the targets of unscrupulous people who are eager to take advantage of them. For an athlete, it's important to find the right agent who will have his or her best interests in mind.
The same is true for baby boomers and financial advisors. Take the time to interview financial advisors before working with them. Make sure they are the right fit for you and are able to lead you in the proper direction for your financial future. Find out what types of clients your advisor prospects typically manage. Are they used to serving clients with your particular needs and background? Learn how your advisor prospects were educated and what licenses they have earned.
For instance, are they a fiduciary? A fiduciary upholds the professional standard of recommending investments that are in your best interests. Your financial advisor should be someone you can have a relationship with and someone you feel comfortable helping you make financial decisions.
That's why it's important to ask for references. You can also use more than one advisor if necessary. An athlete, for example, may want to have an agent to manage business prospects and a financial advisor to manage personal finances. If it becomes necessary, it is much harder to separate from someone who is in control of all aspects of your financial life as opposed to transitioning from someone who is assisting you in a specific financial field.
Whether you're a professional athlete making millions of dollars or a baby boomer making sure your years of savings last well beyond the finish line, it's important to choose the right person to help you develop a game plan that avoids unnecessary risk and improves your wealth potential. Following these strategies will help make sure you are in a position to succeed when the clock is ticking down.
Andrew Costa is a managing director and co-founder of Global Wealth Management in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. This article first appeared at NerdWallet. Learn more about Andrew on NerdWallet's Ask An Advisor.
The Christian Science Monitor has assembled a diverse group of the best personal finance bloggers out there. Our guest bloggers are not employed or directed by the Monitor and the views expressed are the bloggers' own, as is responsibility for the content of their blogs. To contact us about a blogger, click here. To add or view a comment on a guest blog, please go to the blogger's own site by clicking on the link in the blog description box above.


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Learning from Podemos, Demonizing world leaders and the fate of fire fighters (E203)
Afshin Rattansi goes underground with Podemos and examines what Britain can learn from Spain's leading anti-austerity party. Anthony James, author of Orwell's Faded Lion: The Moral Atmosphere of Britain 1945-2015, talks about the importance to successive British governments of demonizing world leaders to sway public opinion and serve internal interests. We look at what is in Britain's air that could be killing up to 60,000 people a year and why the government is raising the age of retirement for fire fighters. And, we examine the connection between former CIA director, General Petraeus and one of Britain's most infamous generals, a torturer in Kenya who is now accused of murder.
Going Underground http://fb.me/GoingUndergroundRT
Going Underground https://www.youtube.com/user/GoingUndergroundRT
Going Underground on Twitter http://twitter.com/Underground_RT
Afshin Rattansi on Twitter http://twitter.com/AfshinRattansi
on Instagram http://instagram.com/officialgoingundergroundrt
on SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/rttv/sets/going-underground


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100% Satisfaction Guarantee
We stand behind everything we sell
low price guarantee
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Unlimited Returns
Return any unused item anytime
The Vaughn Ventus LT90 blocker features a unique construction that combines the blocker board and side hand shield into one seamless unit. This creates added stiffness and reduces twisting under high impact loads for improved puck control and more solid blocking surfaces. A special high density internal foam board provides light weight, and it is reinforced with a polyethylene plastic overlay for added protection and durability. The bottom board is beveled to provide a tight seal to the ice when playing in the paddle down position.
The hand and palm position is designed to angle and tilt the board forward from the hand to create more blocking coverage. The palm is constructed using Vaughn's MSH3 material that gives it incredible feel and durability. The fingers are anatomically designed with curved fingers to for a more comfortable hand position and has a textured overlay surface that provides a precise grip for excellent stick control. Mesh finger gussets improve air flow and reduce heat buildup. The palm is moved one (1) inch higher of center to put more of the blocking surface below the hand.
Extra large finger protectors have HD foam and plastic inserts for maximum impact reduction. Dual inner index finger pads seal the index finger from shots that ride up the paddle towards the hand.
Measure your hand from the heel of the palm to the tip of the middle finger, then consult the chart below to find the size that will work for you.
Key to a Proper Fit:
The blocker should be fitted based on hand size. The goalie's fingers should be no more than 1/4" from the end of the fingers in the palm. If the fingers are too long, chances are the hand tabs that tie down the palm to the blocker are too large. This will cause the blocker to wobble, tilt or rotate on the goaltender's hand, seriously affecting control while limiting coverage (blocking surface).


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Church of the Week: The Salvation Army, Lancaster, Ohio
We fell in love with so many wonderful souls there, and a couple of them are now the new corps officers...in their hometown corps: Captains Jeff and Debbie Stacy.
It was a joy to worship in that simple but beautiful chapel once more, and even more so because we were joined by some who had been teens--or children--when we were there, like Jeff and Debbie, Georgetta Morris von Dolln, Cheryl Taylor-Finney, and Candy (Wiedner) Moore. In addition we got to see some dear ones who WEREN'T teens or children when we were there: Barb, Dickie, and Auggie.
And, for the first time since roughly 1982 or thereabouts, we heard God's Word from his servant, Debbie. What a blessing.
The Salvation Army's Lancaster Corps has been in this location since 1978 or 1979, just before we became corps officers. The facility is much larger than when we were there, due to a southern addition (for an adult day care center called The Samaritan Center) on which we broke ground in June 1983, just before our transfer to Cincinnati was effected (the addition was completed under the able stewardship of our friends Steve and Janice Howard).
4 comments:
Ah, we have fond memories of our first church in Lancaster, Ohio. It was easy to follow such great people as Bob and Robin as the officers/pastors there. The people were great and it is good to hear of so many that we had relationships with.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousSeptember 19, 2011 at 11:52 AM
Looking forward to many more "reunions" in as our ministry in Lancaster, OH continues. God has a reason for bringing us back home and we look forward with Joy to what He has in store.ReplyDelete
Debbie Stacy
Wow! So does that mean you were commissioned as officers in Kansas City in 1980? If so, we were commissioned at the same time and place, since all four territories were together that year! We were part of the Central at the time, and I presume you were with the Eastern territory? What a small world! :)ReplyDelete
Yes, Lucy, that's right. 1980 in KC. So we're session mates. Matter of fact, I was the cadet speaker for the East (I'm sure you remember me NOW!). I think they gave me three minutes. Oh, and I was Railton, too, in costume and makeup of course...I remember sharing the stage with General Brown. Though my session mate Don Lance (now DC in Eastern Penn) got all the credit because in my wig and beard I looked more like him than like Railton!ReplyDelete


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Thursday, November 13, 2008
Gilead and other things I've been told I MUST read or watch
About 3 years ago, I was given a copy of the book Gilead by Marilynne Robinson. I was told it's a MUST read, especially for those of us serving in the pastoral ministry. Maybe one of my many facets of immaturity is that I do not tolerate being told what I MUST read or watch. Even though I participated in a workshop engaging in a discussing of Gilead, I took a trip back to high school and some college days and did not complete the reading. Being told to read Gilead because I am a pastor brought up horrific memories of being told to read the Mitford Series by Jan Karon. Karon was celebrated at the seminary I attended, so I tried reading a few of the books. I was deeply troubled by the book, namely because the stories glorified an unhealthy clergyperson as quaint. This pastor in rural North Carolina had not taken a vacation in several decades, and he was seen as a good pastor and a lovable loser. Granted, there are very few, if any, positive examples of clergy in popular culture, and I'm not sure if pastors should hope for more positive images.
Many people I respect have loved Gilead, namely L. Gregory Jones from Duke Divinity School. Yesterday, I returned from a long driving trip and attempted to maximize my time by listening to a book. I finally gave Gilead a chance to inspire my imagination. I found the book droning, tedious and overly sentimental. This may have had something to do with the voice of the reader. What did resonate with me was the relationship with preaching that every pastor develops. John Ames develops a respectful relationship with his prepared sermons. Sermons are deeply personal--representing years of scholarship, nuanced and passionate hopes, fears and beliefs. The preacher is essentially bare in front of the congregation. Though Robinson does not personify the sermons per se, there is a relationship between preacher and sermon. I am thankful for this portrayal of the homiletical exercise. I also appreciate Ames' longing love for a child--I have learned in my own parenthood that this is one of the greatest insights into God in my lifetime.
Gilead is significantly more valuable than Karon's works. I believe that defining, depicting, portraying the Church and the pastoral ministry is an enigmatic undertaking. I find I am sensitive about these definitions because I am still optimistic about what I can be as a pastor and what the Church can be in congregational and community life. I have drifted from the altruism of my earlier days of ministry, but I'm still hopeful. Congregations and pastors are sinful and flawed. Unlike God, I have a hard time overlooking some flaws.
In reading a book about the Pacific Northwest called The Good Rain, I learned about a slogan of the town of Astoria, Oregon, in the NW corner of the state--at the mouth of the Columbia River on the Pacific Ocean. "We ain't quaint." I don't care for portrayals of the Church as quaint. This is where Gilead and the Mitford series meet--quaint portrayals of the Church. In looking at the definition of quaint, I see obsolete, strikingly old fashioned and unfamiliar. Reagardless of my own personal optimism regarding the Church and my own flaws and sins, I have no desire to be part of a quaint Church. I am glad to engage in the discussion about the Church selling its soul to be relevant. This is a worthy discussion. But I have no desire to be part of the quaint.
And...just because the ABC television network says that "Life On Mars" is the "next great cop show" doesn't mean I have to watch it.
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If you haven't seen the Chad Vader series, you really need to. The series is a great example of how the Internet has unleashed a torrent of creativity and allowed anyone to compete with high-production value content. With a low budget and creativity, Blame Society Films has created an online sensation. The premise is as simple as it is silly: Chad Vader, the younger and less charismatic brother of Darth Vader, is a day-shift manager at a grocery store.
In the most recent episode, in an attempt to force BlogWorld to accept him, Chad breaks the internet. He contacts 3 famous new media experts to help him out.
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{Photo by rocketlass.}
Having spent the past week devouring What There is to Say We Have Said, the new collection of the correspondence of Eudora Welty and William Maxwell, and thereby being reminded of just how much I love to read writers' letters, I pawed through my books Sunday afternoon to see just how many collections I have. The results:
The Selected Letters of Lord ByronWhich leads me to the question: what am I missing? Knowing my taste, as so many of you do, are there collections I should seek out while I wait for a volume by Anthony Powell and further volumes from Iris Murdoch?
The Selected Letters of Anton Chekhov
The Letters of Lord Chesterfield
The Letters of Noel Coward
The Selected Letters of Gustave Flaubert
The Lyttleton-Hart-Davis Letters, Volume I
Selected Letters of Julian Maclaren-Ross
The Letters of Herman Melville
In Tearing Haste: Letters between Deborah Devonshire (Mitford) and Patrick Leigh Fermor
The Letters of Jessica Mitford
The Bookshop at 10 Curzon Street: Letters between Nancy Mitford and Heywood Hill, 1952-73
The Letters of Nancy Mitford and Evelyn Waugh
Iris Murdoch, A Writer at War: Letters and Diaries, 1939-1945 (more, please!)
A Very Private Eye: An Autobiography [of Barbara Pym] in Diaries and Letters
Just the Thing: Selected Letters of James Schuyler, 1951-1991
Tolstoy's Letters, Volumes I and II
The Letters of E. B. White


text: Lines, crowds & a shopping frenzy! That's just a snapshot of what went on during Fashion's Night Out, but I must say, we had a blast participating!! Hopefully, you made it out for NYC's shopping extravaganza and maybe even ran into some of your favorite tarte girls (or saw a celebrity or two)! We were at Henri Bendel & Tracey Reese offering mini-makeovers. At Bendel's our fitness guru, Mister Abs, raffled off a private session on behalf of tarte. We hope you had as much fun as we did!


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For those of you wondering why the April issue of TechTrax isn't out yet, it's because serious family health issues are on the rise again. But I am working on it and hope to have it out in the next week or two. I also am not planning on taking a summer hiatus this year. I'll save my vacation time for family leave this round.
Many of you know my 58 yr old brother was given a year to live in April 2006. He's been having a rough time this 13th month into his sentence. A couple weeks ago his daughter found him bleeding on the floor in their home. He'd collapsed for some reason and ended up breaking his nose, as well as a few ribs on his flight to the floor! So now he gets to deal with a broken nose and broken ribs as well as his blood disease and chemo treatments.
Lots of folks ask me about mom. She's recovering well from her stroke and the pacemaker is doing it's job keeping her ticker tocking, but recently I had to take her to the plastic surgeon to have skin cancer removed from her eye lid. And she may have cracked her hip somehow now, too, because she has a lot of pain and walking is quite difficult. That doctor appointment is in a few days.
On Mother's Day, my cousin Larry called me so I could let mom know that her sister-in-law (his Mother!) had died! Geez! He visited her that day...she died that night. Granted, she was nearly 91, but come on. Auntie Rose was one of the family's favorite people. The aunt who never missed sending out a birthday card to everyone and the kids always got that extra dollar inside. I'll tell ya about her sometime. Rose's departure now makes mom the oldest person in the family. A position I know she doesn't really appreciate holding. But does always say she plans to hold it until she's 105. She's out to beat Rose Kennedy!
And although I was supposed to take mom to have her stitches out this last week, Greg had to do it for me. Why? Because I was balled up in bed looking like something that fell out of a Petri dish. A flu bug was busy turning my insides into liquid. I was miserable for four days, telling Greg I think it was time that he just shoot me and put me out of my misery. The dogs sat Shivah on my bed nearly the entire time.
Poor guy. Now not only did he have to deal with all his own busy work, but also take care of me and our many pets, as well as mom. Greg's an amazing man and did it all without complaint...although he was thrilled to see me back on my feet recently, as were the dogs. The cats could have cared less!
So I'm sorry the April issue is late, but I hope to have it out ASAP. In the meantime, you can view the promised pictures from Bark in the Park now on our Pet Lover's page.
Talk to you, again, soon...I'm sure!


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Title: Crowd-Powered Interactive SystemsSpeaker: Walter S. Lasecki (Computer Science, University of Rochester)
Date: Tuesday, October 14
Time: 12-1pm
Time: 12-1pm
Room: NSH 3305
I create and deploy interactive systems that use a combination of human and machine intelligence to operate robustly in real-world settings. Unlike prior work in human computation, our "Crowd Agent" model allows crowds of people to support real-time interactive systems. For example, Scribe allows non-experts to caption speech in real-time for deaf and hard of hearing users, where prior approaches were either not accurate enough, or required professionals with years of training; Chorus allows multi-session conversations with a virtual personal assistant; and Apparition allows designers to rapidly prototype new interactive interfaces from sketches in real-time. In this talk, I will describe how computationally-mediated groups of people can solve problems that neither people nor computers can solve alone, and scaffold AI systems using the real-world data they collect.
Walter S. Lasecki is a Computer Science Ph.D. candidate at the University of Rochester advised by Jeffrey Bigham (CMU). He creates interactive intelligent systems that are robust enough to be used in real-world settings by combining both human and machine intelligence to exceed the capabilities of either. Mr. Lasecki received a B.S. in Computer Science and Mathematics from Virginia Tech in 2010, and an M.S. from the University of Rochester in 2011. He was named a Microsoft Research Ph.D. Fellow in 2013, has held visiting positions at Stanford and Google[x], and is currently a visiting Ph.D. Student at CMU.


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Monday, May 10, 2010
A Model Mom
In observance of Mother's Day, a photo tribute to my mom.
She was, first and foremost, beautiful! In her lifetime she was a model, a flight attendant, a floral designer, a single mother, a cake decorator, a private pilot, a business owner, etc., etc., etc.
She was talented, vibrant and creative, everything she did, she did with flair! She could build things, fix things and improve and beautify things. We believed there wasn't anything she couldn't do! She could play the piano and the organ, had a beautiful voice and performed with several choirs including the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and often sang solo's in church.
Some friends wrote: She was one of a kind -- full of adventure, humor, creativity and warmth! A great lady with a beautiful smile and an infectious laugh.
It has almost been 5 years since she left this earth...I love you and miss you so much, Mom, it was from you that I learned to be me.
1 comment:
- Something Special said...
i love her and miss her so much!
- May 16, 2010 at 6:04 PM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


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After a long wait in line at GoDaddy I finally got my own domain! www.Timeout4Mommy.com is the new home for my blog!
If you are subscribed on this WordPress blog you will need to resubmit your email on the new site.
I'm looking forward to having more creative freedom with the design and there are some exciting things coming!
See you there!


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-Internet is a powerfu channel that presents new opportunities for an organizational
: touch customers
: enrich products
:services with information
: reduce costs
The buyimh and selling of goods and services over the internet.
The conducting of business on the internet including , not only buying and selling, but also serving customers and collaborating with business partners
(E - business models)
-Business to business (b2b)
Electronic marketplaces : interactive business communities providing a central market where multiple buyers and sellers can engage in e-business activities.
-Business to consumer (b2c)
E-shop : a version of a retail store where customers can shop at any hour of the day without leaving their home or office.
E-mall : consits of a number of e-shops.
-Consumer to business (c2b)
Priceline.com is an example of a c2b e- business model.
The demand for c2b e-business will increase over the next few years due to customer's desire for greater convenience and lower princless.
-Consumer to consumer (c2c)
(Online auctions)
Electronic : seller and buyer solicit consecutive bids from each other.
Forward : seller use as a selling channel to many buyers and the highest bid wins.
Reverse : buyers use to purchase a products or servise, selecting the seller with the lowest bid.
(Communities include)
Interest : people interact with each other on specific topics.
Relations : people come together to share certain life experiences.
Fantasy : people participate in imaginary environments.
1. Highly accessible
2. Decreased cost
3. Protecting consumers
4. Increasing liability
Web site that usea content from more than one source to create a completely new service.
- Application programming interface ( API)
-Mashup editor


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FEATURE: One day in the wild
BEIJING (China Daily/ANN) – First Sino-UK film after 2015 coproduction treaty is set for release in China.
Chinese director Fan Lixin found it challenging to work with animals in Earth: One Amazing Day.
British directors Richard Dale and Peter Webber and he have directed the nature film.
"They (the animals in the movie) are from remote areas where it is difficult to reach. But even after you've gone there, it's hard to find them," Fan says in a recent interview in Beijing.
As the first Sino-UK film after a coproduction treaty signed by the two countries in 2015, the 100-minute film has been produced by BBC Earth Films and SMG Pictures, a Shanghai company.
With a crew of some 100 from China and Britain, the film took 142 days of shooting and three years of editing from more than 12,000 DVDs that capture footage in the wild.
The film has stunning scenes, such as giraffes fighting for territory, millions of mayflies over a river and baby iguanas' thrilling escape from snakes.
As the sequel to BBC Earth Films' 2007 hit documentary Earth, the new film tracks the sun from the highest mountains to the remotest islands and exotic jungles over the course of a single day.
Narrated by American actor Robert Redford, the film features 38 wild species from 22 countries, including hummingbirds from the tropical forests of Ecuador to narwhals in the Arctic waters. China's giant pandas, white-headed langurs and red-crown cranes are in it, too.
Neil Nightingale, one of the producers, explains the animal selection.
"I think they each fulfill a very specific role in the film. The story is about 24 hours. We have the red-crown cranes at the very beginning, because it (the scene) is a wonderful evocation of dawn," says Nightingale, who is also the creative director of BBC Earth.
"Of course, we could not feature China without the giant panda. We were very lucky to film a mother and a cub. It's a beautiful, very charming sequence in the middle of the morning that relates back to bamboo growth and the sun," he adds.
But the biggest surprise for him and his colleagues was the white-headed langur, an endangered animal that lives in South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.
They are rarely known outside, he says.
"They are such lovely monkeys. They come down to the forest to feed during the day, but in the evening-just like us-they are afraid of the dark. They are worried about things that might come and eat them."
The monkeys climb back into their caves in the cliffs when night falls.
To film their movements, the crew flew around 200 drones over the area, some carrying long-lens cameras to keep distance from the monkeys so as not to frighten them.
Another interesting moment came during the filming of pandas.
Fan says the photographers wore costumes with panda excreta to "cheat" the cubs, which otherwise would have gone far away from the cameras.
"China has an amazing biodiversity. The topic of endangered species in the country is also important," says Fan.
The film's Mandarin version is being narrated by Hong Kong action hero Jackie Chan. Chinese-American novelist Yan Geling has added local flavor to the script.
Chan, who voices a wildlife documentary for the first time in his career spanning four decades, says he worked for hours on it, and almost "performed animal roles" during recording sessions.
In a scene where a penguin trips on a rock after an exhausting journey to hunt fish, Chan says he added an "whoops" that was not written in the script he was reading.
"He became very engaged with it personally and emotionally," Nightingale says of the Chinese actor.
"The funniest moment is the dancing bear. When Jackie first saw the footage, he started dancing … He comes across (in) the movie like your favorite uncle who is telling an amazing story about the natural world," says Stephen McDonogh, another producer.
With the film (in Mandarin) ready to debut in China on Friday, the country will become the earliest market for the theater release of the documentary.
It may hit the United States or Britain in the fall, but the dates have yet to be confirmed, according to the producers.
McDonogh says the success of Disney's nature film Born in China has shown that "China has an appetite for this type of natural history films".
Directed by Lu Chuan, Born in China earned more than 60 million yuan ($8.9 million) last year, making it the highest-grossing documentary in China.
Fan echoes the view, saying he hopes more such quality works will encourage investors to produce documentaries, a longtime underestimated genre in the Chinese movie industry.
"Documentaries can be entertaining even though they get content from real life," says Fan.


text:
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More evidence to prove Sraddhalu Ranade's fraud
Our previous post exposed Sraddhalu's deceptive ways. We have now received a detailed expose that dismantles, step by step, Sraddhalu's lies and his attempts to conceal his email blunder. The expose in our possession establishes without any uncertainty that Sraddhalu Ranade was using a fake identity in the name of a certain Govind to propagate his lies and false propaganda. Because if there was any truth or merit in Sraddhalu's propaganda, why should he hide behind the fake identity of a certain Govind?
Click on the following link to read the detailed expose: "Proof to expose Sraddhalu's lie"
– Well-wishers of Sri Aurobindo Ashram –
Rajeev permalink
So this is how Sraddhalu manufactures public opinion. He creates multiple email ids with different names. Then he sends these emails around. Then he declares that millions of people the world over agree with him. Life is easy… until he makes that fatal slip!!!!
Tony Clifton permalink
After a few minutes of watching this movie (with link below) it occurred to me who the protagonist reminded me of, in fact this movie about how easily one can become a spiritual leader and how false gurus easily prey on the naive and gullible almost seems as if its very subject matter is a Shraddhalu parody. In the movie Vikram Gandhi sets out to prove just how easily someone with the right appearance and mannerisms can pull off a spiritual scam. This movie should be widely screened in the Ashram and Auroville. It can be rented on Amazon or I Tunes…..
mahesh permalink
Dear Tony, the trailer is really titillating. Can't wait to watch this movie. I wonder if it will be screened in India. Thanks for sharing. Mahesh
Tony permalink
What a bunch of junk this site is. I'm a Westerner and we're mostly a bunch of jerks.
Rajeev permalink
Tony, you must be one of those Westerners who had the misfortune of attending Sraddhalu Ranade's anti-West, pro-India lectures. This is a friendly advice to you to never confuse what Sraddhallu says with what Sri Aurobindo says. The two have nothing in common and are poles apart. The only resemblance, maybe is that Sraddhalu tries to use Sri Aurobindo's name and jargon to try to sound like him. If you remain trapped in Sraddhalu's world where the West is junk and the East is all glory, you can be sure that you will never be able to follow Sri Aurobindo's Ideal of Human Unity.
Isha Devi permalink
The Himalayan irony is that Mr Ranade, clearly in a panic, made the most clumsy schoolboy error in trying to hide his activities. If, instead of making the naive pretence that this 'Govind' had accidently used the wrong mail account, he simply continued to (mistakenly) use the account for other routine 'Govind' mails and left it at that without any devious explanations, the recipients might have had a genuine belief that the 'Govind' had unwittingly used Ranade's mail account. Disastrous blunder, strange from one who imagines himself as some sort of sage. Laughable.


text:
and the entire audience.
There are also a number of blogs of mine & other information at:
Please be sure to tell the CDC what you think about the
information that I have posted after the
The Center For Disease Control And Prevention is asking for comments on their
National Conversation on Public Health and Chemical Exposures
Comment period extended until September 27, 2010
See the comment "work groups" page to view "drafts"
and submit comments to be included
National Conversation on Public Health and Chemical Exposures
UPDATE: The period for public comment on the National Conversation workgroup reports is being extended and will run through September 27th! You have another week to add your voice to this important part of the conversation. Visit our National Conversation partner RESOLV to read the reports and offer feedback:_________
A short excerpt from The Toxic Lotto ;
Bill Moyers of the Public Broadcasting System did a show named
Trade Secrets and has created a web page of the same name (26).
There is to much documentation there to list, in regard to "industry"
covering up the damage to OUR HEALTH from toxic chemicals, for
over fifty years.
In many instances, toxic chemicals can multiply in their "Toxic Impact",
rather than add.
"Just as toxic chemicals can multiply in toxicity when mixed (and impair the immune system, as can radiation exposure), so can infectious agents multiply in their pathogenic potential, when combined" -
Database summarizes toxic chemical contaminants and approximately
180 human diseases - conditions. http://database.healthandenvironment.org/
My review and comments about it are at :>
They do appear to be missing the "cumulative effects" of the
and interactions with other "combination's'. Such as the
"Infectious Combination's" and the "Epigenetic Response"
that is governed by nutrition (Nutrition and the Epigenome). .
Or as I have stated in other places;
"Multiple Combination's"
that applies to The Toxic Lotto,
with regard to chemical exposures,
infectious agents, radiation exposures
and genetic as well as epigenetic responses,
that can be modified with Nutrition for the Epigenome.
As explained about 2/3's of the way down my March 2010 blog,
This can lead to some confusion for proper diagnosis, as
doctors have not been taught about mycoplasma infections
for decades, as Nicolson explains in the video titled;
Bio-Weapons; Incapacitating Agents, Chronic Illnesses and GWI
at "Toxic Revelations"but is actually called
"Biological Warfare; Experiments on the American people".
Of interest in the video is the information about vaccines not being
screened for mycoplasma contamination's.
While the mycoplasma infections are associated with many
chronic illnesses like Lymes Disease, other co-existing infections
are believed to be the main causative agent, as depected in the
movie "Under Our Skin". It describes most things about the
"general operating procedure" of and "di-information" surronding
a non-lethal biological weapon (aka Incapacitating Agent), except
name it as such.
It is my understanding that Lyme disease is triggered by spiral-
shaped bacteria, similar to the microorganisms that cause syphilis.
The infection often co-exists with a mycoplasma infection, but not
always. Still, Brucellosis causes Lyme Disease and is listed as a non-lethal bioweapon.
Yet Lyme disease is one of the most misunderstood and
controversial illnesses of our time. Difficult to test accurately,
tens of thousands of people go undiagnosed—or misdiagnosed with
such conditions as fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, autism, MS and ALS.
Gulf War Illness, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, Rheumatoid Arthritis
and many more, are all heavily associated with another
"Incapacitating Agent" known as mycoplasma fermentans
that has been shown to be "genetically spliced" and a weapon.
As Nicolson explains in the prior mentioned video as well as
his book "Project Day Lily".
The two infectious have symptoms that often causes one to
be diagnosed as the other and can also co-exist in the same patient.
Many of the same symptoms can also be caused by a toxic chemical
exposure, alone. Hence my "Toxic Lotto" perspective and prior
statements about:
A Database summarizes toxic chemical contaminants and approximately
180 human diseases - conditions. http://database.healthandenvironment.org/
My review and comments about it are at :>
"Project Day Lily":
Chronicles the events surrounding the "Gulf War Syndrome" suffered
by over 150,000 veterans (and tens of thousands dead) without proper
acknowledgment or treatment to keep secret the origin of their illnesses.
Were our Armed Forces exposed to chemical and biological toxins that
were supplied, in part, by a sinister network of rogue bureaucrats,
intelligence operatives and scientists? This is the story of how one of
these biological agents was found by two American scientists as part
of a massive testing program and how various academic and government
employees did everything in their power to keep this information secret.
The book is based on a true story. The authors wrote Project Day Lily
in order to shed light on a crisis facing our country and the world. A
fictional format was used to maximize dramatic content; the events
described are true, and the scientific principles discussed in the book
have been documented in the authors' publications, reports and sworn
testimony to Presidential Commissions and committees of the U. S. Congress.
Project Day Lily is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Fred Conrad
(Colonel, USAF, retired) and five other academic colleagues who died
under mysterious circumstances while investigating aspects of the
alleged illegal testing of Biological Weapons in Texas hospitals, nursing
homes and prisons. This book is also dedicated to the men and women
of our Armed Services and their family members who were put in harm's
way and were never properly warned about the dangers of Biological
Weapons, and to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice personnel
and its prisoners and to the people of the Great State of Texas who
were betrayed and lost their health and loved ones to a vicious agenda
in the name of 'National Security'.
Reference list of Mysterious deaths of microbiologists,
documents names and strange circumstances of their deaths
Goes to
Not a hard group to track.
They leave dead microbiologists where ever they go - TK
More over, the CEO's of most large drug companies do not
have any formal medical background and are mostly
from a educational background of finances.
Combined with the fact that medical doctors are only trained with about
four hours of nutritional schoolings and even less in toxicology, it becomes
easy to see why we have a problem. It is as though the left hand is kept
from knowing what the right hand is doing.
The Sunshine Project was the only real watchdog group
for about biological weapons and biotechnology. They have
suspended operations because of a lack of funding and donations.
Please pardon my being slow, but this macular degeneration is a challenge,;
Please note: Toxic Revelations (at Puups Theories) and Toxic Revelations (editing)
Information at "The Toxic Lotto" and s my Toxic Tweets
Coast To Coast AM radio Show
Date 09-18-10 from 11 PM to 2 AM Pacific Time
Ian's guest is the"Toxic Reverend" aka "Justice Is Homeless"
aka Tom Krohmer, who'll discuss the effects of toxic chemicals
and non-lethal biological weapons on human health. Broadcast
live in over 500 cities in the USA, alone. Plus the Internet.
Stations listings
I had been schedules for last Saturday, but the host
Ian became ill.
The topic will be mental illness, toxic chemicals and
non-lethal biological weapons. Mentally ill or toxic victims ?
My being turned away fro the emergency mental health hospital in 1999
will be a part of the topic. As well as a few of the deaths that I had
tracked in this county, from the denial of mental health services in
Sonoma County, California. Home of the Bohemian Grove.
In an attempt to keep things "balanced", I do intend to mention
that my circumstances could have been worse. I could have
gotten the best care that this county has to offer. As did Tom
For those of you that do not know:
Published on April 2, 2000- The Press Democrat
PAGE: A1 BYLINE: TOM CHORNEAU Staff Writer
From what I understand, he designed the contract with Sutter
Hospital that operates Nortan Center for the county.
May he rest in peace.
Recovery is a part of the conversation, too.
Blog posted:
Environmental Connections: Toxic Victims or Mentally Ill ? (view more)
Posted at:
The Toxic Reverend - Myspace
Information on my macular degeneration from apparent
toxic chemical exposures with a photo of my retina are
posted in the "about me" of the above profile.
In reference:
a: Boy Testifies, (2 homicides (by man denied emergency
psyche care that night) The Press Democrat
4-7-00, by Clark mason press democrat newspaper
b:D.A. RULES WINDSOR SHOOTING JUSTIFIED WOMAN PLANNED `
SUICIDE BY COP' Published on Saturday, July 22, 2000
The Press Democrat, By LORI A. CARTER(Was she also "denied psych care?)
c: CONVENIENCE STORE ROBBERY SUSPECT HIT BY SEVEN
OF THE OFFICERS' 13 BULLETS, Published on Thursday,
November 30, 2000 The Press Democrat, By MARY CALLAHAN
("Suicide by Cop", family members told me that he was denied care. Though the
paper never reported that and only printed negative stories about him.
d: MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM UNRAVELS (Four other suicides
cited with denial of psyche care)
The Press Democrat, April 02, 2000,
e: 7 DEAD IN 17 DAYS, Sonoma County Free Press
Police shootings of some but not all the 7, mentally ill
f: Police Brutality in Californiaand the North Coast,
Sonoma County free Press, by Editor
Lists numerous cases of police abuse and shootings
I had to stop tracking such things, some years ago. It took too much of
an emotional toll and the web sites kept getting censored, too.
But this is still an ongoing "situation".
Drug Companies & Doctors: A Story of Corruption
posted at
Excellent documentation. Please note the comment section, too.
The above post links to the
Drug Companies & Doctors: A Story of Corruption - The New York Review of Books
New York Review of Books
Volume 56, Number 1 · January 15, 2009
By Ashley Simmons Hotz May 15, 2002
Archives Wayback Machine, I have uploaded a pdf version of the report
at the bottom of this page as, Poison_for_Profit.pdf 26k -
A number of other advocates have also been re-posting the entire
"Poison For Profit" web page and it can be found with a Google
search of the title of the report and the authors name (157)
Since NAMI has been getting it's roots watered by
the large pharmaceutical companies, the leading mental
health advocacy group is Mindfreedom International,
with Davcid Oaks and Drug Awareness with Ann Blake
Tracy Ph.D.
With reference to NAMI, please see the
Mother Jones Magazine issue
Nov-Dec 1999 article "Prozac.org";
"An influential mental health nonprofit (NAMI) finds it's
grassroots watered by pharmaceutical million$"
Other Resources:
Toxic Reverend Twitter posting:>
Chemical Exposures Low Levels and High Stakes free download or buy book $100 http://drclaudiamiller.com/publications-presentations/
The above is a 900 page book and an excellent source
of information. They also mention using enzymes to
help detox.
End of Toxic Reverend Twitter postings.
One of the formost leading advocacy groups fighting this is
The Environmental Working Group. They have every thing from
"Action Alerts", news letters, cheat sheets for toxic chemicals
exposures in your home, food shopping guides, water database,
sunscreen lotion data base, safe cosmetics and more. Just too
much to list and I highly recomend them.
The Toxic Reverend


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L-R; Matte Foundation in Shade 1 (Soft Sand), Pressed Powder in Shade 1, Mosaic Blush in English Rose and Blusher in Shade 1.
I'd recently found MUA Professional and couldn't wait to try as I'd heard great things about the brand. I found the products very easy to apply and looked great on my skin, I have quite dry skin sometimes and I found it very hard to find make-up that doesn't show that.
Matte Foundation; 30ml (£2) - I found that the foundation made my skin feel/look great, it applied great and showed no sign of my dry skin. I loved wearing this foundation and found it lasted so long which is great as I struggle finding foundation that last.
Pressed Powder; 5.7g (£1) - This product is probably my favourite of all I bought, it applies so well and looks great! I struggle finding powder that matches my skin as I'm quite pale but this one matched my skin perfectly and for such a great price what else can I ask for.
Mosaic Blush; 8.9g (£2.50) - I've never tried a mosaic blush before but heard amazing things about them, I found that the blush is the best I've ever used on my skin.
Blusher; 2.4g (£1) - Yet to use.
I really don't think I've ever felt as confident in make-up than I have in these products, they look great and make me feel amazing and excited to wear them everyday.
Sorry about the red-eye in the pictures, I have no clue how I take it off :(
Love Alex ♥


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As some of you might know from my other social media accounts (mostly Flickr, Facebook and Instagram).. I have been following high heels dance classes since the fall last year. I had never danced in my 40-year life.. and I just wanted learn some graceful feminine moves. And perhaps not make a fool of myself if I ever found myself on the dance-floor! :-P
So, imagine my hesitation when the dance teacher, at the beginning of this year, asked our group if we wanted to perform at the end-of-season festival! After a bit of thinking, we all said: what the heck.. and we went for it!
And all the photos that you see in this post were the result of taking a risk and saying yes! :-D
The festival was on the 2nd of July.. and there were two session scheduled: on in the morning and in the afternoon. So, we had to get there early and get in our dresses and do our make-up. And of course, snapping pics for Instagram.
Of course, we had to make a group photo! Sadly, our teacher was missing in this photo, because she was also very busy running the rest of the show.
Fortunately, the professional photographer took a pic of the 6 of us together striking a pose!
Here is an action shot of me... I'm just relieved the photographer caught me in a somewhat okay pose. It's very easy to catch someone in very uncharming pose when they are dancing! :-P
I don't often take selfies, but this one in the changing room was quite all right. I guess I should be thankful for smart-phone filters! :-P
And this is us after the performance.. giving our feet a little bit of rest!
Needless to say, it was an amazing experience and I hope to be part of this next year!
There is a DVD of the whole performance available for sale. I still have to buy. In the mean time, you can see part of the performance on Instagram! And of course, you can watch the last 2 videos I posted on YouTube. :-)


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Happy Friday everyone! I just got an email...and our convention shirt is on sale again...$7.99. (not as good as the $6.99 price, but only $1 more...) Order yours now if you haven't already! Remember, it reads "SupercaliSCRAPiliciousexpialidocious".
click here!
FYI-I have been very quiet in cyber space lately-my camera stopped working and my computer stopped working-after sending it in twice, it seems to be working now but it still needs a tune up, I bought tech support at Office Depot where I bought it, what a pain.
So I am prepping for the San Diego Expo, moving again and packing for StudioJ Boot Camp. Gesh!
Yes, I said moving again. Renting a little house in Point Loma. A tight squeeze but a great location, and moments from my parents and my Jada Rose. I can walk to the water near Shelter Island! Send me happy thoughts!


text:
Looking for a vacation rental in Grins? Tripping.com has 48 vacation rental homes available in Grins. You'll find 0 studios, 17 1-bedroom, 9 2-bedroom and 22 rentals with 3 or more bedrooms ranging from $28 a night. For extra convenience, many of these vacation homes can be booked directly online.
The average price of a nightly rental in Grins is $99 while the average price of a weekly rental is $25. For those looking for more than a short term rental such as corporate rentals, extended stays or long term rentals, the average monthly price of a Grins home is $25.
Wondering if you can bring your dog or cat along with you? There are 13 pet-friendly vacation rentals available in Grins. In addition to accommodating pets, Grins rentals offer a variety of amenities. In particular, 42 rentals have Internet and WiFi, 48 have TV and/or cable and 0 have a pool or hot tub.Search properties from 6 vacation rental sites in Grins where the top providers in that area are HRS Holidays, Booking.com, and OnlyApartments. There are 14 HRS Holidays rentals, 11 Booking.com short term rentals and 8 OnlyApartments vacation rentals.