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KICK-ASS - Assinine Story, Cool Moves,
KICK-ASS (fantasy-comedy)
Cast: Aaron Johnson (pic), Nicolas Cage, Chloe Moretz, Mark Strong, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Lyndsy Fonseca and Evan Peters
Director: Matthew Vaughn
Screenplay: Matthew Vaughn and Jane Goldman, based on the comic book series by Mark Millar
Time: 115 mins
Rating: * * * (out of 4)
PREAMBLE: 'Kick-Ass' is both a name of a superhero-wannabe and the attitude of this movie. This is apt, given that it is adapted from a comic book series and filmed in the convention that is part comedy and part parody - and all-round kick-ass attitude. Youngsters who are comic book fans would certainly lap this one up.
Adults, however, may be a little concerned about its subplot about an under-aged girl messing about with guns and knives.
WHAT'S IT ABOUT? "How come nobody's ever tried to be a superhero?" wonders Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson) who decides to suit up and fight crime as a costumed vigilante named Kick-Ass. After knocking about with some hoods and becoming an Internet phenomenon, Dave runs foul of a ruthless mobster (Mark Strong) who swears to kill him.
However, two local superheroes, Big Daddy (Nicolas Cage) and his daughter, Hit-Girl (Chloe Moretz, left), are deep in the crime-fighting game, kicking ass and looking like Dave's salvation. To complicate matters, Kick-Ass has to contend with a new costumed hero named Red Mist (played by Christopher Mintz-Plasse).
HITS & MISSES: The intro sequences to Dave's Kick Ass character are bland. It is when 11-year-old Mindy, aka Hit-Girl, and her Dad show up that the comedy and parody get into top gear. After that, Moretz continues to dominate the movie - with Moretz going way over the top as the cute and efficient crime-fighter. Man, does she rock.
Cage supports admirably as the Batman-styled Big Daddy, eliciting both sympathy and disdain for training his young daughter all those commando and ninja-styled tricks. But wait, there is also the element of budding romance - between Dave and his school mate Katie (Lyndsy Fonseca) who is led to think he is gay.
Still, the main plot is formulaic and predictable but it is the irreverent twists and weird turns that make the movie fun to watch, especially for youngsters. The trailer may give the impression that Kick-Ass is a family film. It is not as it is rated R by the MPAA.
THE LOWDOWN: Cool awesome stuff, dudes!


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|Artwork by Thalia Took
It's an old, old story, and we tell it once again during the time of the Winter Solstice. Every year, in the heart of the darkest night, we wait for the Child of Light. We open ourselves to the miracle. We gather in faith and truth and love, and we remember.
We have been here before and will be here again. Such is the way of our universe— nothing is lost and everything returns. And while we might have puzzled out a few equations in the scientific clockwork of it all, the unfolding whole remains a mystery.
I feel its turnings, though, its vast ancient circles within circles. This is Spirit to me, this movement, these rhythms. From my tiny finite standing place, the moon wanes, the sun waxes, and the stars move across the sky in their precise predictable courses.
These are illusions, of course, human perspectives that mark me as part of the cycle and not separate from it. For the moon does not grow or shrink, the sun blazes as steady now as it did at the height of Midsummer, and the stars remain still. It is Earth that tilts and whirls, the same earth that feels so steady beneath me. Another illusion, this steadiness, for the Earth and I are plummeting through space at 66,000 miles an hour. The stars are at the tumbling edge of the expanding universe, and as I gaze at the indigo horizon on this longest of nights, I offer thanksgiving, a wordless circle of gratitude that extends in rings around me.
This Solstice, may gratitude be a force for love in your world, and in all worlds. May your days be filled with wonder and your nights with enough light to guide you home.
Blessed be, y'all. See you in 2017!

subset: commoncrawl


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Home » bachelor pad , kansas city home design » Something Old, Something New
Something Old, Something New
Posted by Unknown Posted on 7:24 PM with No comments
The Bachelor Pad was also my inspiration for my third story for Kansas City Home Design magazine. If you want the inside scoop on all the fabulous stores I've shopped in search of the perfect furniture and accessories to complete my design, take a peak online at the July/August 2008 issue. Thanks again to everyone in KC for their warm hospitality and friendship!
Labels: bachelor pad, kansas city home design


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Hope everyone had a wonderful karthigai deepam. Ours was a quite one with Sweet Appam and Paruppu Payasam. Though we do not have the luxury of lighting lots of lamps here in the US, we still managed to get that festive mood. Back at home we used to light around 501 oil lamps all around our house. I will be super excited and make sure we light the lamps in our house before anyone in our street does. This year I wanted to make something different like pori urundai or something new so that I can post it here. But I so lazy to go shopping for the needed items. I made Instant Appam and Payasam and relished it to the core. Coming to the Oats Upma it is one of the easy and healthy recipe you can make in a jiffy.
Oats is considered to be a healthy breakfast ingredient. I do not make any special recipes for breakfast. We manage with the cereals, bread, wheat thins etc. But sometimes when I have the extra time I try to make something healthy and filling. Oats Upma is the Indian way of using the Oats. It has a different taste that our regular sooji upma. Only thing you should be careful is not to add too much water which makes the upma to become sticky and not taste good. So if you are looking for a healthy and easy breakfast recipe, here you go enjoy the Oats Upma!!
Preparation Time - 10 minutes
Cooking Time - 8 - 10 minutes
Serves 2
Oats - 1 cup
Onion - 1 no medium size
Carrot - 1 no
Beans - 6 - 8 no
Green Peas - 1/4 cup
Mustard - 1 tsp
Urad Dal(whole, white) - 1 tsp
Dry Red Chilly - 2 - 3 no
Curry Leaves - 2 sprigs
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
Oil - 2 tsp
Salt - as per taste
- Dry roast the oats in a kadai for about 5 minutes in medium flame until the aroma rises from the oats.
- Wash and chop the carrots and beans into small pieces.
- Chop the onions into thin slices.
- Heat oil in a kadai.
- Add the mustard when oil is hot, when mustard splutters, reduce the flame add the urad dal and fry until golden brown.
- Next add the onion and saute it turns translucent.
- Add the red chilly, turmeric powder, curry leaves, and roast in medium flame.
- Add the chopped carrot, beans and green peas and saute everything and cook until the vegetables are 1/2 cooked.
- Now add 1 1/4 cups of water, salt and allow the water to boil.
- When the water starts to boil add the roasted oats and mix well.
- Oats will absorb the water and will get cooked. In medium flame saute until all water is evaporated and oats is no longer sticky.
- Serve hot with chutney, pickle or as is like me.
- Roasting the oats brings out the flavor and prevents oats from being sticky.
- You can sprinkle some lemon juice when the upma is done to give a lemony twist.
- Do not allow the temper items to be over roasted, it spoils the taste of the upma.
- The vegetables should be slightly crunchy for this type of upma.


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The Morse Gallery of Art in Winter Park will delight its visitors with the world's largest collection of Tiffany glass. Lamps, stained-glass windows, vases, dishes and jewelry created in Art Nouveau period are featured in the gallery's main exhibit.
Louis Comfort Tiffany, son of the founder of Tiffany & Co. jewelry store, combined his knowledge of chemistry and artistic ability to develop the glass. The exhibits, which change often, are a small percentage of the 4,000-plus works of art in the gallery's inventory.


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This year's catalogue is also exceptional. It is a 290x215mm format. It is "swiss bound" [for those of you who are unfamiliar, this is where the text block is section sewn and glued. Then binding tape is applied around the spine and then this text "block" is glued/bound into the inside back cover by a strip of glue running parallel to the spine. The spine of the actual cover is therefore "freestanding" and not glued to the cover so opens and sits completely flat] which is a lovely finish and brings a material/textile feel to the binding.
The book is cleverley divided into five sections using bright divider spreads- MW-WW-MK-WK-AF (Menswear, Womenswear... etc).
Design is by Mark El-khatib (email@example.com)
The superb repro and printing is by David Holyday
...and now for the paper! The paper used for this project is StarFine White - 300gsm for the cover and 130gsm for the text. The colour reproduction is fantastic - although it goes without saying that it is as much to do with the originals and the repro treatment as it is with the paper!


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Artist: Damien Saez
Song: Yellow Tricycle
Album: A Lovers Prayer (2009)
Voici le 1er album écrit, composé et interprété en anglais par Damien Saez ! Après sa prestation très remarquée aux Victoires de la Musique et en attendant son prochain album Rock à l'automne, Saez revient donc aujourd'hui avec un album de taille !!
voice in my head
and... of it
i know they're waiting for me
out of the window
i'll jump
maybe i'll crash
where i'm going ?
where i'm from ?
and a yellow tricycle
the nights have been looking for
for a way back home
the things that i'm going through
the fear just to talk to you
the friends i don't understand
and you
like a nail in my hand
you don't know
the lies that i took for truth
the day is running after you
my heart is beating fast
if only a moment could last
the nights that i spent with you
it don't remember
do you ?
the pain that will never end
cause you're like a nail in my hand
you don't know
for you
making all blue
for you
it's all new
it's all new
for you
making all blue
my yellow tricycle
you're two broken wings
and run
and run
my yellow tricycle
you make the world all blue
for you
making all blue
voice in my head
and... ... ... of it
i know they're waiting for me
out of the window
maybe i'll jump
and you will rescue maybe
my only friend
my only you
maybe you will rescue me
making all blue
for you


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Away for a week. Back Tuesday.
Which will give me four days for Margaret Oliphant's The Perpetual Curate (1864), hardly enough. One day overview, one day of Oliphant the Modernist, one day of Oliphant the Postmodernist - then just one day left. Quick summary: As Good As Trollope. Oliphant pulls off some surprising effects in this novel. One example - there's a character who hates the pattern of a carpet, and this turns out to be a legitimate and necessary part of the workings of the plot. A delight to see how Oliphant works this out.
Maybe after that, some of Ivan Turgenev's early fiction? Since they're so short, I can read a bundle of them.
Then it will be time for Herman Melville's Clarel, or pretty close. I'm reading his first book of poems now, Battle Pieces and Aspect of War, and am shocked - genuinely - to find them completely accessible, not at all obscure, or not particularly so. Some basic (or basic plus) knowledge of Civil War history is helpful, I suppose. Maybe I'm all wrong about Clarel. Maybe it will be a breeze. Ha ha ha!
I want to spend some time with some of Melville's contemporaries, too. Mark Twain, for one, but also some other poets. Emily Dickinson, maybe. An aged Emerson. Frederick Goddard Tuckerman? His poem "The Cricket" is, I am told, the greatest 19th century English poem. Take that, Jack Keats! That'll take a week right there to sort out that crazy talk.
Everyone please have a nice week and read some nice books.
Monday, August 2, 2010
On vacation. Plus: forthcoming on Wuthering Expectations
Away for a week. Back Tuesday.
2 comments:
Because of my own work I often think of poor Melville, being called into his publisher's office with hopes of some success, and being told instead that they were pulping him.ReplyDelete
He deserved, and deserves, much better.
It sounds like you are going to get some useful enlightenment while you are relaxing. A very interesting selectionReplyDelete


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The Nintendo Wii for Frii!
For those in Asia, the Wii is scheduled to be released in South Korea later this year. If you want to get your hands on one now, you can try your luck with a Japanese model at Yongsan or order one online if you are really desperate.
In my case though, I'm going to get my Wii for frii because right now the root of all evil, John Chow is giving away a Nintendo Wii. His evilness has teamed up with 1234pens.com, the maker of promotional pens for this blog contest. All you have to do is blog about the contest and you will be eligible to win a Wii at the end of March, regardless of where you are in the world. To everyone out there, get ready because I'm going to win a Wii at the end of the month!


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The self-confessed Satanic serial killer who claims to have murdered more than 22 people may have kept a record of the slayings.
Elizabeth Dean confirmed an ex-boyfriend of daughter Miranda Barbour, 19, gave her a diary he claimed was her's just as the teen appears to have revealed a motive for the supposed killings – revenge.
Miranda Barbour told the New York Post from jail that she would have let Troy LaFerrara, 42, of Sudbury, Pennsylvania go had he stopped groping her when she said she told him she was barely 16-years-old – she was molested at age 4.
Dean did not deny the horror journal was filled with details on the murders, but stopped short of confirming exactly what was scrawled on its pages.
'There are things in here that just can't be true,' she told the paper. 'Some of this I just don't believe.
'I don't believe she has done any of what she is saying, and I don't know why she is saying all of these things,' Dean continued.
Trending: Racism: Singer Tells White Audience to 'Move to the Back', Gets Unexpected Reaction
The mother also confirmed a claim made by her daughter that she was molested at age 4, saying she immediately went to police and the man was arrested.
Revelations of the murder memoir come as Miranda Barbour claims she is confessing to the killings so she remains behind bars.
'I'm saying all this for me, I want to remain in prison,' she insisted. 'I told my lawyer I wanted to plead guilty to this.
'If I get out of here, I'd do it again,' she continued.
Her conversations with a reporter from the Daily Item, a local paper, also shined a light on the killer couple's murder plans.
She and husband Elytte Barbour decided he would hide in the backseat of her car and jump out when she said 'did you see the stars tonight?'
Had LaFerrara backed off and decided against trying any sexual activity with the 'underage' woman, she would have let him go.
Hubby did not respond to her two utterances of the phrase, so she had to improvise.
'He still didn't jump up, so I hit him in the leg and then he popped out.'
Elytte Barbour strangled LaFerrara with an electrical cord while Miranda Barbour stabbed him repeatedly in the chest until he was dead – they carried out the sinister plot on Elytte's 22nd birthday.
They dumped his butchered corpse in an alley and went looking for cleaning supplies to clean the blood from her car, she said.
'There was just so much,' said the teen. 'It was everywhere.'
The pair then went to a strip club before returning to the crime scene the next day to see police everywhere,
'I saw all the police and said, 'Well, I guess they found him,' she recalled.


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|UNCG Home | IPC Home | IPC eNewsworthy | Contact us
|Volume 11 Edition 4: December 2011 Emily Holmes, Editor
INTERLINK's President, Ahad Shahbaz, visited UNCG on November 21-22, 2011. During this visit, he met with the program's teachers, students, and staff. He also met with Provost David H. Perrin, the staff of the International Programs Center, and other institutions in Greensboro.
Several INTERLINK students attended a "Night at the Theatre" and watched the production of Self Defense: Or the Death of Some Salesmen, which was produced by the UNCG Theatre Department. Before the show, the students went to dinner on Tate Street and discussed the premise of the play with INTERLINK's student activities coordinator. They were able to meet and interact with the star of the show afterward.


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Welcome to your home page!
Your organization's home page is not only the best place to set the standard for who you are but it's the launch pad for all of the other areas of the organization that you want users to visit.
With the MemberClicks solution you have the ability to incorporate our pre-built tools into your home page. We make it easy to create a robust event calendar, a members only area, online forms that feed directly into your backend database and more, giving your organization the look and feel of a sophisticated operation.
Home Page Examples
On this home page, you can:
• Market your upcoming conference or seminars
• Leverage your site for your sponsors
• Create a message from your president
• Allow members to log in and manage their info
See our pre-built examples on this page for ideas.
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Workshops around the San Luis Valley for August, 2012
August 14, Tuesday, 3:30-5:00 p.m. "Customer Service Excellence!" at the 4th Street Diner, Saguache, FREE
August 15, Wednesday, 5:30 p.m. "Using FaceBook to Promote Your Business" South Fork Chamber, Rio Grande Club, all South Fork businesses are welcome to attend. No-host dinner optional.
August 30, Thursday, 5:00-7:00 p.m., "Tax Tips for the Self Employed" by Christy Jackson, $20, San Luis in the Public Health Conference Room, Please call for directions.
Contact Donna Wehe, 589-3682 for questions on any of these workshops.


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Fiction » Fantasy » Epic
The Queen's Blade VI - Lord Protector by T C Southwell
Series: The Queen's Blade, Book 6. Price: $3.99 USD. Words: 108,070. Language: English. Published: December 31, 2010. Categories: Fiction » Fantasy » Epic(5.00 from 12 reviews)
The legendary assassin's life is in grave danger. With the deaths of a dozen princes and a king on his tally, the Queen's Blade is a target for vengeance, and his enemies are powerful. No one knows if Blade is dead or alive when he vanishes again, but the Regent mourns his loss. Two queens, a regent and a king hunt for Blade, who must fight free of fate's cruel grip.
Tales of Borseer The Elder (The Mihar) by Sham Ra
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The Mihar were an angel like civilisation that existed in Meiya very long ago. This is the account of this great civilisation and what happened to them
Warrior Priest of Dmon-Li: The Morcyth Saga Book Three by Brian S. Pratt
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When James destroyed the Iron Mines at Sorna in a mammoth volcanic eruption after rescuing Miko from his enslavement, massive tsunamis wreaked havoc all along the Empire's coastland. This brought the attention of certain powers within the Empire to bear.
Torl's Journey by Talee
Series: The Power Colors Saga, Book 1. Price: $3.99 $2.00 USD. (50% off!) Words: 92,250. Language: English. Published: December 17, 2011. Categories: Fiction » Science fiction » Adventure, Fiction » Fantasy » Epic(5.00 from 9 reviews)
Raised by monks who were masters of the old realm, hiding themselves and their charges from the witch hunters, Torl spent his life dreaming of journeying to the fabled planet Aleron. There it was said people lived with the freedom to be who they were and use their talents freely without fear of the witch hunters. Even the best trained though grow weary and for Torl a stop on Earth changes all.
The Chronicles of Rubidjad Island - The Rescue by Danielle Perrotte Dobbs
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A ruthless pirate propelled 200 years into the future learns the true meaning of happiness from his captive dolphins.
A Spell in the Country A Novel of the Averraine Cycle by Morgan Smith
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What if you weren't what heroes are made of? What if your life was an open book, with no shadows on it? What if you were just an ordinary soldier, with ordinary skills and ordinary goals? What if you weren't "The Chosen One" but still had to try to save the world?
Blood and Betrayal (The Emperor's Edge Book 5) by Lindsay Buroker
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The last thing Maldynado Montichelu—former aristocrat and current ladies' man—ever wanted was to be left in charge. After all, the team just blew up a train, crashed a dirigible, and kidnapped the emperor. It's kind of an important time. But, with Amaranthe captured by the nefarious Forge coalition, and Sicarius off to find her...
Walls of Earth and Stone by Nathaniel Firmath
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The Queen's Blade V - Master of the Dance by T C Southwell
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Captured and condemned, the Queen's Blade is forced to face his fate and fight a deadly duel with a Master of the Dance to survive. More treacherous Cotti princes must die and the Regent's life is in danger. Blade's legendary skills are tested to the extreme and his web of lies and deceit is challenged, but nothing touches the frozen heart and icy mind of a killer whose heart died long ago.
Equimancer's Realm by A.B. Robertson
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Six continents. Twenty cultures. A world filled with raucous festivals and building resentments. Brute force against special mental abilities. Ancient warfare versus the newest steam-weapons. In the first book of the 'Cycle of Balance' series, the threat of a worldwide war is spreading from the United Empires – the continent that is enveloped by an immense and mysterious Structure.
Dark God by T C Southwell
Series: Demon Lord, Book 2. Price: $2.99 USD. Words: 121,440. Language: English. Published: December 16, 2010. Categories: Fiction » Young adult or teen » Fantasy, Fiction » Fantasy » Epic(5.00 from 7 reviews)
After breaking the Seventh Ward and unleashing the dark god Arkonen upon the Overworld, Bane, Demon Lord, is close to death. The Black Lord has betrayed him and left him to die from exhaustion and the ill effects of the dark power. Only the young healer's fragile and misunderstood hold on his heart makes him cling to life, and Mirra begs him to save the Overworld, as only he can, but will he?
Wothlondia Rising: The Anthology by Gary F. Vanucci
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Wothlondia Rising: The Anthology is a collection of prequels that launches the Beginnings series in the Realm of Ashenclaw. The events covered in this collection are intended to introduce you to these characters and give insight into their pasts, their motivations and the distinctive events that place them on their destined paths to become the heroes they were born to be
A Quest of Heroes (Book #1 in the Sorcerer's Ring) by Morgan Rice
Series: The Sorcerer's Ring, Book 1. Price: Free! Words: 81,950. Language: English. Published: December 1, 2012. Categories: Fiction » Fantasy » Epic, Fiction » Young adult or teen » Fantasy(5.00 from 7 reviews)
"THE SORCERER'S RING has all the ingredients for an instant success: plots, counterplots, mystery, valiant knights, and blossoming relationships replete with broken hearts, deception and betrayal. It will keep you entertained for hours, and will satisfy all ages. Recommended for the permanent library of all fantasy readers." --Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos
The Wicked Heroine by Jasmine Giacomo
Series: Immortality Archive, Book 1. Price: Free! Words: 120,760. Language: English. Published: June 1, 2010. Categories: Fiction » Fantasy » Epic(5.00 from 7 reviews)
The world is about to change. But who will dictate the future? The Shanallar, a woman cursed with immortality, plagued by guilt and driven by revenge? Or the Hand of Power, determined to bring back the golden age of magic? And of more immediate concern to the Shanallar's young quest companions, will any of them live to see it? Book 1 of 2.
The Queen's Blade IV - Sacred Knight of the Veil by T C Southwell
Series: The Queen's Blade, Book 4. Price: $3.99 USD. Words: 117,500. Language: English. Published: December 19, 2010. Categories: Fiction » Fantasy » Epic(5.00 from 7 reviews)
Fifteen years have passed since Blade vanished, and plotting Cotti princes threaten the peace of the three kingdoms again. Only the Queen's Blade can save the child Queen, but he must take up the office he scorns and become a sacred Knight of the Veil. However, a bargain with Shamsara sends him into the desert on a seemingly impossible quest that will bring him a mighty reward... if he succeeds.
Paragoy Dimension by T.M. Nielsen
Series: Dimensions Saga, Book 2. Price: Free! Words: 88,950. Language: English. Published: November 30, 2011. Categories: Fiction » Fantasy » General, Fiction » Fantasy » Epic(5.00 from 7 reviews)
Kyrin is forced by Daemionis to stay in Paragoy Dimension, but only after he sends her on a dangerous mission to retrieve the coveted seal of Carathis. While away, she befriends a creature that threatens to disrupt the peaceful life in the Valharan Castle.
Delver Magic Book IV: Nightmare's Shadow by Jeff Inlo
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Ryson Acumen battles frustration and fatigue as another struggle unfolds. A growing conflict threatens to engulf Uton, and the delver faces internal doubts as well as creatures of nightmare. While he ventures into the desert, he must rely on friends to fight against a new menace that revives old fears. Ryson must defeat his inner demons and find the answers that will save all of Uton.
Banishment : Book 9 of the Heku Series by T.M. Nielsen
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Chevalier and Emily have reconciled and come to a silent agreement that will benefit not only their own family, but the Equites. Things are looking calmer until someone begins attacking women in the nearby mortal city.
Three Minutes to Midnight by William L. Hahn
Price: $0.99 USD. Words: 14,370. Language: English. Published: June 26, 2011. Categories: Fiction » Fantasy » General, Fiction » Fantasy » Epic(5.00 from 6 reviews)
Never call Trekelny a thief, he's the greatest stealthic since Astor himself. It's true, just ask him. He won't end the night a coin richer, instead exchanging mortal risk for a hero's reputation. But on this night, he won't succeed to live in song, or even survive, without the help of a woman who hates him above all others. If he is to despoil her temple, he must also take her love with him.
The Queen of Mages by Benjamin Clayborne
Price: Free! Words: 191,030. Language: English. Published: February 3, 2014. Categories: Fiction » Fantasy » Epic, Fiction » Fantasy » General(5.00 from 6 reviews)
Lady Amira Estaile, a young noblewoman, learns that she has the power to start fires with her mind, and must hide this secret from the crown prince, a lecherous tyrant with a reputation for brutality. Along with a smitten nobleman, they flee from the prince—only to find themselves out of their depth in a new world of magic and war.
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China Proposed Amendments to Its Anti-Commercial Bribery Law
On 25 February 2016, China released the draft amendments to its Anti-Unfair Competition Law (the "AUCL") for public comment. The AUCL contains provisions prohibiting commercial bribery by business operators in connection with the sale of commodities and for profit services. The draft amendments touched upon these provisions, and once passed, would provide more guidance clarifying the commercial bribery offence in China.
ICBC Madrid Probed for Suspected Money Laundering and Tax Fraud
The Madrid branch of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), the China state-owned commercial bank, was raided by Spanish Civil Guards on 17 February as part of an investigation into suspected money laundering and tax fraud. Six ICBC executives were arrested. The bank's branch was suspected of having engaged in money laundering estimated at €40 million. The Chinese government has requested that the Spanish authorities handle the issue impartially and guarantee the legitimate rights of ICBC. ICBC published a statement on the Shanghai Stock Exchange website stating that its Madrid branch is cooperating with relevant Spanish authorities over the investigation and is operating as normal. ICBC also stated that it requires all its branches to strictly comply with anti-money laundering regulations in countries and regions in which they operate.
Government Launches Website to Assist Ezubao Investigation
Police have arrested the founder of China's largest online business Ezubao, Ding Ning, together with 20 of his employees in connection with what is reportedly China's biggest ever financial fraud. Ezubao, China's largest online peer-to-peer (P2P) lender which was established in July 2014 was placed under investigation in 2015 after authorities suspected it of conducting illegal activities and defrauding approximately 900,000 investors of over US$ 7.6 billion. Police raided the company after discovering that its executives were allegedly transferring funds and planning to flee. The Ministry of Public Security (MPS) has launched a website to gather facts about Ezubao, which allows the victims of Ezubao fraud scheme to register their information. According to MPS, the fraud "involves a large number of investors dispersed across the country, with huge amounts of electronic information". The website is expected to help with the ongoing investigation.
Supreme Court find private bank governed by anti-corruption law
On 23 February 2016, India's Supreme Court ruled that chairpersons, directors, and officers of private banks are subject to the country's Prevention of Corruption Act, a law meant to prosecute government employees who commit acts of corruption. . The Supreme Court's decision overturned earlier decisions from the Delhi and Bombay high courts which held that anti-corruption laws do not apply to non-government officials. The Supreme Court explained that bank employees discharge duties which are of state and public interest. Therefore, performance of such public duties by a person is the "sine qua non of the definition of the public servant" contained in the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Indian authority seeking assistance from UNCAC in its investigation against Walmart
Further to the news report in October 2015 that evidence was found by the US government that Walmart Stores Inc., the US retail giant, paid bribes to local Indian officials to obtain real estate approvals and customs clearances, in November 2015, India's anti-corruption watchdog the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) summoned Walmart's India head and requested the company to provide information about the alleged bribes in India. Indian authorities have also sought assistance under the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) with a view to obtaining further information from Walmart's US base.
Cadbury maker being investigated by India for alleged tax evasion
CVC is investigating Mondelez, the US based confectionary giant, for its alleged excise duty evasion of about Rs 580 crore (approximately US$84 million). The authority is also said to have started investigating the role of central and state government officials who might have facilitated the alleged evasion. This is the second major case (following the investigation against Walmart India) where the CVC has conducted an investigation involving a private company. It is also reported that the company also faces potential enforcement action in the US for the alleged bribery of government officials to obtain permissions to set up a factory in India.
Former senior executive of Singapore Technologies Marine pleads guilty
An ex-financial controller and senior vice-president of Singapore Technologies Marine (ST Marine), Ong Teck Liam, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery. She allegedly conspired with other former ST Marine executives to approve false claims on entertainment expenses to fund cash commissions or bribes made by ST Marine officers to the company's customers to obtain business for the company. Three other former senior executives of ST Marine, including the former senior vice-president, the former president of commercial business and the ex-chief operating officer are also being charged with corruption.
Former Cabinet secretary-general sentenced for corruption in the second ruling
Former Cabinet secretary-general, Lin Yi-shih, was found guilty of accepting bribes in February 2016 by the High Court of Taiwan. The High Court handed down a heavier sentence than in the first ruling by the Taipei District Court in 2013. Mr Lin was sentenced to a term of 13 years and 6 months in prison and also faces a fine of NT$15.8 million (approximately US$471,754). It is reported that while serving as a legislator and the head of a top-level Kuomintang policymaking body in 2010, Lin accepted bribes and helped a private company secure a contract with China Steel Corp (CSC). The High Court found that Lin was in a position to influence the financial operation and management of the state-owned CSC.


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I was going to get serious with my diet.
I was going to stop drinking.
I'm no alcoholic, but a glass of wine would make it into my nightly routine 2-4 times a week. Sometimes less, sometimes more on the weekend.
I have this weird thing. Often, I struggle with self-control and impulse. Other times, I can cut out things in my life with no problem. Diet pepsi, the first time I lost weight, daily Starbucks.
Cutting out wine was the latter. The first week was a little tough, and then I was flying.
With renewed dedication, and being strong willed, I cut out wine and got serious in the gym.
|December, sick on January 2, January 31.
While I'm never going to get rid of my genetically endowed legs, the difference between these three pics show how much more muscular they look. First picture: all hips. Second picture: quaaaads!
February is a shorter month, and is starting off with drinks with friends, but last night I kept it to a minimum and ate well. I'm hoping to keep the January momentum and keep seeing changes.
All that said, if I was to stay right here, at about 160lbs, with this body, I think I'd be okay with it. It's amazing what losing 10lbs and gaining mass amounts of strength has done for my confidence.
Here's to taking it one day, one week, one month at a time!


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To get a full measure of its awfulness, go to azcentral.com. Could that Bedmart banner ad be any bigger? Here's a recent screenshot:
Thursday, September 12, 2013
Phoenix | New website design badly needed here
To get a full measure of its awfulness, go to azcentral.com. Could that Bedmart banner ad be any bigger? Here's a recent screenshot:
7 comments:
It's all the more amazing when you consider Phoenix is one of Gannett's biggest operations.ReplyDeleteReplies
- Anonymous9/12/2013 3:08 PM
Hey - the girl needs coin. Bedmart's the coin. Again - GCI is not about journalism. Why do you keep expecting them to provide that?Delete
- Anonymous9/12/2013 12:19 AM
Even worse, they recently laid off one of the most talented people they had in the purge of a few weeks agoReplyDelete
- Anonymous9/12/2013 8:00 PM
GCI didn't design this. Jim, one thing you SHOULD know by now is that The Republic has been very independent of GCI mandates and technologies that have impacted other sites. Phoenix never had to use Saxotech or other Gannett Digital atrocities. The site is hosted, developed, designed all by Phoenix. Even the backend publishing system has been independent of Gannett for eons. Now all of this is supposed to change when GCI forces Phoenix to jump on board and have the technology housed by GCI... but until then?ReplyDelete
Now as far as the design goes, the funny thing is that MH and BG's group just finished this 'redesign' last fall. What you are looking at is their new brain child.
9/12/2013 12:19 AM - None of the those laid off a few weeks ago have any impact on the design or look and feel of the site.
- Anonymous9/12/2013 10:52 PM
The more interesting thing to me is how The Republic's front page has suddenly morphed from all "news" . . . to News, Sports and a Feature.ReplyDelete
- Anonymous9/13/2013 10:42 AM
That's the homepage, the clearest, easiest to navigate part of AZ Central. Trying to navigate that site beyond the home page is like trying to follow a map drawn by a dyslexic 12 year old. Nothing makes sense. They want people to pay for this?ReplyDelete
- Anonymous9/16/2013 1:20 PM
Yeah, the ad's a little whorish, but Phoenix was trying to avoid the pay wall - and the ads were seen as an attempt to hold that off for a while. As ugly as the ad is, do you really think the USA Today-in-a-can version that all Gannett sites will be using soon is really that much better than any design in use now? I like that USAT at least tried something new, but it's pretty much a hodgepodge that's not all that easy to get around or use. And it's a bit of a head-explosion trying to focus on anything. So say what you will about azcentral.com, at least they were the last to become homogenized.ReplyDelete
Jim says: "Proceed with caution; this is a free-for-all comment zone. I try to correct or clarify incorrect information. But I can't catch everything. Please keep your posts focused on Gannett and media-related subjects. Note that I occasionally review comments in advance, to reject inappropriate ones. And I ignore hostile posters, and recommend you do, too."
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.


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Walgreens is opening one store every 18 hours across the country.
"That's not unusual," Walgreens' Carol Hively said. "The demand for prescription drugs is increasing constantly and steadily, and will for years as baby boomers age."As baby boomers age, the rate of hospital and medical treatment climbs.That means more prescription medicines.Thus, we have another factor to marketability."What really impacts the number of stores in the area are medical services," Hively said. "If there are hospitals or medical treatment centers nearby, then that can increase the number of drug stores because the demand for prescriptions increases."


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I am noting with sad irony that the difference between "correspondence" and "despondence" is but a few little letters. So, after going back and forth with a major editor about 10 times (and sending a final revision to her this morning) my fate is in the hands of her editor and chief. All I can do now is let go, let God as they say. Hopefully God, in addition to being a carpenter and saving the universe, also knew the perilous journey of the pen and will take pity.
This editor has been incredibly generous with her responses to me, telling me why a particular story idea has, or has not, worked. On Friday told me that the Chief did indeed like my background, but found the angle "unfresh." Ha! I love the honesty. So, I sent her about 4 new angles today (that I reworked while sitting in a broken massage chair at my favorite carwash, Cruisers.)
Thank heavens for my sitcom experience - having to turn around stories in less than an hour, which leads me to my next 2 points (oh yes, there's more...)
1. All experiences in our lives help us in future endeavors (not just the experiences that were positive... we can twist any negative to our advantage and reap new benefits.)
2. Play the game to show you know the rules (in my case, send a formal query) but then be yourself, because hell, what else do you have? Might take longer to get your goal, but when you're there, you have solid footing. (Of course, we might have to fast forward to my first national magazine break when I'm 86, getting the sidebar story on bed sores in the AARP.)
I leave you with an example of staying true to myself - a quick note I just jotted off to my editor contact:
"Regardless of this essay's outcome, you ROCK! If ever I get to New York (which will be in about 15 years after both kids disappoint me by not going to college and instead selling hemp blankets in Venice - positive thinking) I owe you a coffee. (I'd say a martini, but despite being 6'1, one glass of alcohol and I'm passed out in the SUV, drooling on the steering wheel. It's fun to be me.)
I'm now off to supervise a play date where we have a Playdough war erupting. Will victory be to Stink who is wearing only his Scooby shorts (backwards no less)? To Pip? (Who shines in a fabulous Gap jean dress from one of my favorite thrift stores. She also dons a red chenille hat and Buzz Lightyear pull-ups.) Or will the final medal go to Kinder Tine - a five year old kindergarten upstart (who radiates in a black and white striped happy face dress - a recent purchase yesterday at yet another "resale boutique" ... Her mom is the one who gave Pip 14 pairs of shoes - proving a little Goodwill on my part goes a long way. Pun intended.)
Stay tuned...
Monday, August 28, 2006
Posted by Andrea Frazer at 10:10 AM
3 comments:
- Onetallmomma said...
Fingers and toes crossed for you. If the editor has any sense he will bite.
And I have banned play dough from my house. BANNED! Along with glitter glue, finger paint and magic markers. I'm mean like that.
- Erin said...
Keeping my fingers crossed for you... And I love hearing about the process.
- meno said...
How exciting for you! I'll drink the Martini for you when the celebration starts. I'm nice that way
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


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This is a simple but nice set of hat and cowl, perfect for those cold days we have in wintertime in Norway =)
You need:
4,5 mm/ size 7 needles, both 40 cm/ 16 inch circular and dpns.
250 grams of yarn. I used the Peruvian Highland Wool from Filcolana. However, the amount of yarn depends on how big you want both the hat and cowl.
The gauge of my yarn was 18 sts on 10 cm, but the gauge isn't critical for the outcome. You simply add or subtract repeats of the pattern to get the size you want.
Pattern notes:
CO - cast on
k - knit
p - purl
ktbl - knit through back loop
k2tog - knit 2 together
k2tog tbl - knit 2 together through the back loop
rnd - round
CO 88 sts and knit 8 rnd of k2 p2.
Increase 20 sts on the next round, 108 sts in total.
K1tbl, k5 - continue through round
K1tbl, p5 - continue through round
Keep working in this pattern until you have 22 ridges or the size you want.
Start the decreases like this:
K1tbl, k2, k2tog, k1 - repeat through round. 90 sts left.
Keep in pattern for 5 rounds, but keep in mind that there's 4 sts between the k1tbl's.
K1tbl, k1, k2tog, k1 - repeat through round. 72 sts left
Keep in pattern for 5 rounds, but keep in mind that there's 3 sts between the k1tbl's.
K1tbl, k2tog, k1 - repeat through round. 54 sts left.
Keep in pattern for 5 rounds, but keep in mind that there's 2 sts between the k1tbl's.
K1tbl, k2tog - repeat through round. 36 sts left.
K1tbl, p1, - repeat through round.
K2tog tbl - 18 sts left.
K1tbl - repeat through round.
K2tog tbl - repeat through round. 9 sts left.
Pull the yarn through the remaining sts and fasten off.
CO 96 sts and knit pattern as for hat until you have the size you want. Bind off loosely to get a loose edge so you can det it over your head =) A tip is to use a larger needle when you bind off.
Now you're all done! I would like to see your finished results!
These patterns are my design and is for non-commercial use only. However, you are free to make as many of them as you like for personal use.
mandag 12. oktober 2009
Abonner på: Innlegg (Atom)


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I have been through so much that when I feel some bullshit creeping up on me I will know it. Here lately I felt some strange vibes from the law enforcement of all people. I wasn't sure what was going on. I wanted to state something about the Arkansas State Police. I have never had any kind of problems with them. That is the God's honest truth. However I know how this county operates and I figure it's a deeper matter in that configuration of corruption. I pay attention to my surroundings like a hawk in the sky that's no lie.
The State Trooper, I hate when you see a cop and they act like they are going to pull over turn around and come after you. My rear-view mirror is my main BFF. This has happened several times but the last time I went off. I took it to my Twitter account. I love my account. That 140 character keeps me sane and not in jail. I sent off my tweets like it was nothing. I was thinking to myself, I have never had beef with them they actually have helped me out. I was getting more pissed off and I was like the State Police doesn't want to be in this remix because I am not bashful for throwing them in the fire-ring. IDGAF that is truth! I have been through so much shit.
Then I started to ponder my thoughts and go back in time to figure out when this had all started. I kept on pondering then I figure it out after my daughter's graduation. I did have someone mention to me about it. However I have already figured it out. Man alive, I have left this person alone for a while now. I have kids and I have to be respectful and deliver obedience regardless of the situation in hand. I am not stupid by any means! What I have done was get rid of the negative in my life and stayed with the positive aspects of life. I feel so much better by doing so and I feel I can live again. I can't wait for my second book to get to the editor and get it published. I am not going to be the nice one at all about that book. Throwing the cops on me like a scare tactic is low as one goes. He is now on the level of my second ex-husband and my ex brother-in-law. They were good about doing that to me. Every dog has its day and I hope I live to see that domino effect. But once I took it on the net it stopped so quick it made my head spin a little. I know some that are high up in law enforcement. They do have my back that is a guarantee fact.
For nearly 10 years I have been laying on the floor in a choke hold of slander, stalking and bullying. Then you add the scare tactics along the way because I did not play like they did. As I write these books I have started to get up from that spot that I have been in for many years. I see everything on a different level. The chaos and the control are disappearing. I am smiling again and I am overcoming a lot of obstacles in life. I am rising out of that spot it's almost like the phoenix. Once I get these 4 books completed then I will no longer be lying in that spot of doom and darkness. In my 40's I will be living again. It's about damn time. From sixteen to twenty nine it was sex drugs and rock & roll. In my thirties I was isolated because I did not obey the system. In my forties I will be living and breathing like a normal person. People don't take my intelligence seriously but that is okay. Like the phrase goes, "What goes around comes back around." Boom!


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If you thought bokeh photography was amazing, you will probably be blown away as much as me after watching Pahnl's, "Nowhere Near Here" video.
Follow the adventures of this curious canine throughout the city streets of Oxford; chasing cats, being chased by cats, he's finding his place in a dog eat dog world (had to be said).
Using over 200 stencils and 300 hours in the making (long exposures!), the result speaks for itself. The sharp detailing of the stencils work well to create intricate movements and add a real sense of character to the animation – watching this little rover waiting for his turn at the lights, having some doggy relief by a well sought out light pole, running through the concrete jungle of Oxford and having a howl to temporarily mark his night.
Set to Röyksopp's, "What Else Is There?", the cinematic brilliance created by Pahnl has made me feel a part of this little terriers life. The focus on the terrier and use of Bokeh to blur out the bustling night around him allows for you to be taken on the journey.
The complete set of stills from the shoot can be purchased too 🙂
Technical Aspects
Camera Used: Nikon D90
Lenses: Nikkor 35mm, 18-55 and 50-200mm.
Feeling inspired?
Filed under: Night Bokeh, Video, bokeh, bokehlicious, dog, light painting, long exposure, night photography, photography, stencil, video, vimeo


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source: pottery barn
source: unknown
But somewhere in between finding the dining room table and the rug, I went astray. And I love what has happened so far but I could not for the life of me figure out how I was going to treat the windows.
I think I've got it back now, but as I still have to paint before I get to the drapes, only time will tell.
I can't be the only one this happens to, am I?


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Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Because of The Ecclesia Domestica (Domestic Church)
I last remember folks stopping by like this when our two boys were toddlers - generally the visitors were stay-at-home moms or dads would drop by for a play date, adult conversation or a simple meal.
That was a decade ago; both our boys now are adolescents. The people dropping by now are my sons' preteen or teen friends, as well as young adults in their twenties who I have met through church or CL. They are older neighbors looking for companionship and young mothers whose children like our puppy.
Nothing on the surface is special about our home. It is one of the smallest in our neighborhood. Our glassed-in front porch has a table with chairs that I bought on clearance. Our younger son plays cards at the table with his friends. Our family room has two large and comfy sofas and an enormous TV friends gave us when they moved out of town. Our former dining room is now a music room for my son's basses (one upright and one electric) as well as the family computer, which is currently on the fritz. The mother of a son's friends loaned me the boy's laptop while the boy vacations so I can use it to continue my job search (and blog). Another friend is teaching our teen how to fix the home computer. Our kitchen table is tiny, with just three stools.
Little is particularly Catholic about the way our home looks. Yes, every room has at least one cross or crucifix. But we don't have a holy water font by the front door, or a cellar of blessed salt, or a family altar.
Still, our home is the heart of our family: we pray here, we cook meals together, we welcome friends of all faiths and no faith, we bicker with one another and we try to forgive one another before the sun sets. We deal with the "concreteness of (our) daily existence."
Recognizing the centrality of family life to spiritual life, our Church calls our homes "ecclesia domestica," or domestic churches. John Paul the Great understood their value. "The family finds in the plan of God the Creator and Redeemer not only its identity, what it is, but also its mission."
This is the reason people stop by. And this is yet another reason why I am Catholic.
Posted by Allison at 4:55 PM
Labels: Family, Meditations


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On Monday night, K threw a temper tantrum at the dinner table.
While temper tantrums are not unheard of in my house, I highly recommend not throwing one at the dinner table.
Her family had finished eating dinner and dessert and she was still working on her veggies and mac and cheese.
Her family was cleaning up the kitchen. She was not happy that there was no one left to sit and watch her eat. That no one wanted to grow any more gray hairs waiting for her to decide. That no one wanted to sit and drift away on the ebb and flow of time watching her slowly shovel one teeny tiny morsel after another.
She had warnings and cautions and ultimatums.
But she didn't heed those; she threw a temper tantrum. Because apparently with this child, bigger is always better.
There are always consequences to our choices. Always. We try to raise our kids so they know to make good choices and understand what happens when they make poor choices.
But often the best teacher is a hard lesson.
K had a rough consequence. She fell straight off her chair, crashed into the floor, and sent her teeth through her bottom lip.
This isn't the first time this has happened. Not a year ago she was helping the husband outside move firewood, tripped, and landed her lip on the wood and sent her teeth through her lip. You'd think she'd learn to keep her lips out of her teeth. Or her teeth out of her lips.
So there was blood and tears.
There was ice.
There was medicine.
There was curiosity.
There was drama.
Then again, when isn't there drama?
And there was the husband. His hands bloody. His shirt bloodied.
Gentle. Calm. Efficient.
Mercy-full. Grace-full.
Even in spite of her bad choice which resulted in a rough consequence, the husband was that little girl's hero on Monday night.
He was my hero on Monday night.
You see, I don't do so well with blood. Especially when it has to do with the mouth. I have what I like to call a mouth phobia. The husband is charged with taking our girls to the dentist because I really don't like stuff that deals with the mouth. I get a serious case of the heebie jeebies smattered with a large dose of what often feels like panic and served with a small side of fear.
So when that girl plunged to the floor in all her diva drama and I realized that we had an event when I saw the blood, I sent the Eldest outside to get the husband. As I picked up my broken girl and carried her to the kitchen grabbing towels and wash cloths out of drawers on my way, I soothed her with mama-murmurings and waited for the cavalry.
And the cavalry fixed her right up; the husband is getting quite experienced at handling these kinds of things.
And three days later, her lip looks almost normal from the outside. The inside is a different matter.
And three days later, I'm reminded of how God deals with us when we make rotten or dire or straight up bad choices and we have mighty big consequences and He doesn't leave us to get what we rightfully deserve.
Instead He walks even that broken road with us.
The road we willfully choose after we have ignored all of His warnings and cautions.
That road where we frolick right into that deep dark hole and there just don't seem to be band aids big enough to cover our scrapes and bruises.
After we have ignored His Truth because we are sometimes just a little bit...well...dumb.
Yeah, He walks even that road with us.
And instead of His wrath because we made a bad choice, He offers us His grace.
Instead of judgement, He offers us His mercy.
Instead of leaving us to get our just desserts, He offers us a new rag, a clean rag if we will but give Him our bloodied one.
And the thing with God, He's more concerned with our insides, with our heart, with our brokenness, than with our outsides.
He's not impressed with out facades and our masks and our pretending. He's not moved by our false bravado or our excuses or our justifications.
Nope, He wants the real deal and that real deal is found on the inside.
K's lip inside her mouth is probably a more accurate gauge of how her lip is healing, of how her heart is mending than how it looks on the outside. I mustered up some courage and I pulled her fat, puffy, swollen lip down and I looked at the mangled mess of her lip on the inside. And I admit, I squirmed a bit squeamish.
Aren't we all just a bit mangled and bloodied and maimed on the inside?
Aren't we all a bit of a mess on the inside trying to hold it fast together on the outside with nothing but a bit of flimsy twine or old, dried up rubber bands?
Aren't we all creatively contriving our next mask, our next facade, to cover up and hide our broken bits?
We don't take spills and come out whole.
We come out wounded.
We come out broken and bloodied and raw, too.
Scabbed and scarred and warrior wounded.
And Jesus takes all of that and offers us new, clean rags.
Beauty for our ashes. Joy in our despair. Healing for our suffering.
Mercy when we don't deserve it. Grace to wash over all of it.
K will have another scar to add to her growing collection.
Another scar to serve as a reminder of the power of her choices.
Another lesson to add to her growing repertoire.
But here's the thing about scars--they are grace indicators. They are landing strips of healing.
They are signs of growth. Of Jesus working.
They are signs of lessons, hopefully learned deep in the depths of our hearts so that what we learn would be an overflowing out of our hearts.
They are signs that while we may have fallen, we got back up.
We might bear scars, but our scars become reminders of Jesus' scars. And His scars cover our own brokenness, heal our woundedness, not so we forget our brokenness, but so that we can move forward and be messengers of God's grace in the midst of our brokenness.
I've made lots of mistakes.
I have frolicked into my fair share of deep, dark holes.
And I have lots of scars to show for my willful choices.
But, God's grace is bigger than my mistakes.
God's love for me is deeper than those deep, dark holes.
And sure I'm broken,
And sure I'm a bit of a mess.
But mostly I'm His Beloved.
And He can use even me.
Scars and all.
Grace Always Rises,
Thursday, April 24, 2014
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
Happy Four-Day!
Today my babies turn 4.
I was 37 weeks and 1 day pregnant with thirteen and a half pounds of baby.
I was 37 weeks and 1 day into a life-changer, a life-shaker. Filled with grace and hope. Bursting to push them forth into this bright, noisy, beautiful world so I could touch these little people I had grown inside for 37 weeks and 1 day.
These little people I had fallen in love with.
Good Friday.
Four years ago.
I labored hard one journey and began another.
One that I have needed much help on along the way.
One where I have learned I do not have to know it all, be it all, or do it all.
One where God has taught me grace and forgiveness and redemption and mercy.
One where I have laughed much and cried much and hoped much and loved much.
I have discovered motherhood is a state of being.
It's not a place you end up because you had a kid. It's a mindset that you grow in to. I spent the first year after I had the Eldest growing in to being a mom. It was not pretty and it was not easy. I spent the first year as a mom of three figuring out how not to lose one, figuring out how exactly to keep three kids fed and watered, realizing that my laundry had just tripled, and learning just how little sleep one actually needed to survive.
Motherhood is the journey.
The beautiful, hard, sometimes not so pretty journey we embark on to grow our kids.
I spent a few years believing it was the place you ended up at, the end all-be all, the glorious arrival gate you disembarked at when you brought your baby home.
I was misinformed.
That was just the starting gate.
Four years ago.
There's something about this birthday that strikes me different.
I remember when the Eldest turned five and I thought, Now we're getting somewhere.
But it's not five. It's four and I'm thinking, Now we're getting somewhere.
Maybe it's because there's two. Maybe it's because I'm a nerd and there's symmetry with two and four and they were born on April 2 which is the fourth month
and there's two of them and they are turning four.
Maybe it's because I can look back and see so much of God's grace on my journey and I find myself so thankful. Thankful that I have three beautiful girls and a crazy life and they have a daddy who dotes and who disciplines and a dog who puts up with their princess crowns and horseplay.
Thankful that I have a God who sees and knows all of me...even the ugly parts...and loves me anyway. And loves me enough to lead me on roads where I'm changed.
Thankful for the friends who held a baby, fed a baby, burped a baby, and got a shirt full of reflux as payment and then dared to come back and do it again.
Thankful for my family who loved me even when I was rotten and sleep deprived and snarky and saved me from myself on more than one occasion.
Thankful for the little Christ followers I see growing in the hearts of my little people. Thankful for how they look at the world because it fills my heart to overflowing.
It is well with my soul.
I'm thankful for the hard days because they make me appreciate the good days even more. For the sleepless nights spent feeding a baby or walking a baby because they won't ever be babies like that again.
Thankful for the endless bottle feedings and bowls of baby cereal and mashed up bananas because there's no more bottles or baby cereal or mashed up bananas...
well maybe we still have mashed up bananas, but I don't do the mashing.
Thankful for the sweet baby smell and the sweet baby sleep and the sweet baby sounds.
Because now there's little kid smell which is sweet in a different way
because it grows proportionally to the amount of sunshine they take in.
And now there's little kid sleep which sometimes is fraught with anxiety and trouble
or it's lovely and peaceful and deep.
And now there's little kid sounds which mostly make me laugh
and sometimes make me cry.
This isn't really how I saw my life going.
I didn't think I would be a mom of a set of twins or three daughters.
But where we end up is rarely where we saw ourselves going.
And to be honest, I'm so glad.
I'm so grateful that I'm here and not where I thought I would be.
I'm so grateful I'm up to my eyeballs in laundry and homework and projects and temper tantrums and dishes and cleaning and princess dresses and drama.
Sure there are days when I want to disappear.
But then one will say something about wanting real pixie dust or
if the emblem in the center of my steering wheel is for when my car goes underwater like Lucy's in Despicable Me 2 and I laugh till I cry and
I'm. just. so. grateful.
It is well with my soul.
God's plan is always the good one. There's always good and grace and joy and enough.
Always enough. Maybe not enough of what we think we need.
But enough of Him. Enough of Grace.
And maybe four means so much because they have taught me so much.
And it has been hard and it has been overwhelming and it has been...beautiful.
Happy Birthday My Sweet Girls.
Grace Always Rises,
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Take a moment to look at this photo, which is one of thousands taken in Cairo over the past few days. Look at the people in the center who are in the midst of their prayers. Notice the two in the foreground who have linked hands to protect them.
Think about what this photo means to you, and what you think it says about the situation in Egypt.
Now, add one more small point to your contemplation: the two men in front are Christians, part of a much larger group of Christians who have joined hands in a giant circle to protect their Muslim brethren from outside interference during their time of prayer.
Christians protecting Muslims? you may be asking. Aren't Muslims - all Muslims - sworn to kill Christians, who they see as infidels? To my way of thinking, this photograph shows things not as many - pundits, fear mongers, and the like - would like us to see them, but as they really are. Two religions - two faiths - joined together in a time of great upheaval in their country, in a tremendous sign of both respect and trust: Christians protecting Muslims and respecting their right to pray, and Muslims trusting in the support of Christians.
I cannot help but wonder if this is something we would ever see in the United States - not the violence and revolutionary atmostphere, but the joining togther of Christians and Muslims in a time of prayer. And as you think about that, remember the quote of Robert Kennedy: "Some men see things as they are and ask why; I dream things that never were and ask why not?"
Not every man is your enemy, but any man can be your brother.


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Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: dark britannica, john barleycorn reborn, lammas night laments
Original psych-folk lovers and long time Golden Apples listeners might be interested to know I have updated my original 2013 blog post about the famous Lamnas Night Laments C-DR compilation series and the Dark Britannica wyrd folk compilations – here – includes a link to 'whatever happened to Mark Coyle? – one of the great mysteries of psych folk and wyrd folk
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: dark folk, Golden Apples of the Sun Radio Show, john barleycorn reborn, lammas night laments, mark coyle, wyrd folk
Golden Apples fans can learn in this post a bit about two of THE most essential compilation sets that are required ownership for those into psych folk, acid folk, wyrd folk etc etc …
Lammas Night Laments – as curated by Mark Coyle of Woven Wheat Whispers
Dark Britannica – also more recently known as the Cold Spring Folk Series
Claude Mono: A few years ago I managed to pick up from blog-land two volumes of Lammas Night Laments a sprawling journey into pagan-wyrd-dark folk. They were CD-R issues . I was initially attracted by the art work which captured a certain pagan-folk atmosphere and I was certainly not disappointed with the music and hundreds of folk comps later these are still two of my favourites. At the time looking around a bit more I discovered there were no less than 14 Volumes spanning 1966 – 1980 – that's a lot of wyrd folk!! – Over a long period of time I eventually tracked them all down after lots of digital digging. I owe a specific debt here to Simon Knight of Hidden Shallows Productions who shared a number of missing volumes with me.
Then I discovered John Barleycorn Reborn…
In a group forum I found an e-mail from 2005 from Mark Coyle the curator of Lammas Night Laments…
"…it's me that does the Lammas Night Laments series. There are currently 11 volumes and I am currently finalising the last one, volume 12. In due course there will be a modern series called 'The Green Man Awakes' but not quickly due to a range of commitments…"
Accompanied by a massive, 16-page booklet of background essays and interpretive guidelines, as well as a lovingly detailed, 24-page track annotation manual, 'John Barleycorn Reborn' is an incredible 5½-hour, 4xCD set compiled by Woven Wheat Whispers founder, Mark Coyle for Cold Spring Records. The album explores the mythos of the John Barleycorn legend across more than 60 tracks, divided into three parts: "birth," "death" and "rebirth", from nearly as many diverse "artists largely unknown who make unconventional folk music across Britain."
Mark Coyle: "At heart I'm a collector I think and for years had been exploring the area of unconventional folk music exploring and buying whatever music I could find. I first compiled music from 1960 – 1980 as the Lammas Night Laments CDr series. I had always planned on a modern version done with a label called 'The Green Man Awakes'. When Cold Spring got in touch, I knew I would now be able to produce such a set. The inspiration was from groundbreaking sets such as 'Nuggets' and 'Pebbles,' which have themselves run to many volumes."
…and in 2009…
The compilers of 'John Barleycorn Reborn' (2007), faced an embarrassment of riches – a testament both to English folk heritage and the health of the contemporary folk music scene. So here we have the second crop from that original sowing. Originally released for download only, now finally available as a stunning double CD, with every track completely remastered to the highest quality. 33 tracks from the cream of current dark British Folk music.
The above includes Excerpts from a detailed and wonderfully immersive article and interview with Mark Coyle discussing John Barleycorn Reborn at Terrascope.
Right now at Cold Spring Records you can get a bonus pack which contains four amazing compilations:
'John Barleycorn Reborn: Rebirth'
'We Bring You A King With A Head Of Gold'
'John Barleycorn Reborn'
Looks like the Dark Britannica Series may now no longer be available via Cold Spring Records – sad news – this link is still up but not sure if live
Explorations of John Barleycorn Reborn over at 'A Year In The Country' a favourite destination of the Golden Apples
I also found an interesting post over on the Folk Horror Revival FB Page asking whatever happened to Mark Coyle – seems to be a few theories – intriguing stuff…read here


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Just to keep you up to date and share with you with projects I'm working on that I thought you may be interested in...
Friday, 14 August 2015
My new magazine, Sew Inspired!
Gosh this is so exciting... my very first magazine is now on sale, in all the major new stands and on Create and Craft. 21 projects and £30 worth of freebies! Hope you like it!
12 comments:
I'm excited for you watched the 2 shows this morning and of course put my order in, best wishes I knew it would be a success, have a great weekend.ReplyDelete
Chris xReplies
Hi DebbieDelete
I watched the shows and delighted for you it has sold so well. Wish I'd had something like that when I started on sewing patterns as it would have saved me a lot of heartache!
Hugs, T x
Ordered this on the 15th the very first airing on C/C and it says on my order, estimated delivery 24th, that's 10 days what on earth are C/C doing to make me wait that long. Shall not be ordering from there again. Very disappointedReplyDelete
ordered on the very first showing well done Debbie so happy for you. Watched all the shows over the wkend and order your fabrics too. Just very disappointed to see have to wait until the 26th that's 12 days away may not order again from c/c.ReplyDeleteReplies
Do you mind if I ask if you ordered from Create and Craft or Crafters Companion?Delete
Debbie I ordered mine from Create and Craft on the very first mornings showDelete
I had no idea they took so long to deliver, they have the magazines in their warehouse so hopefully they will deliver early... apologies...Delete
Really not your fault Debbie no need for you to apologise, I will buy your mags from elsewhere in the futureDelete
I didn't buy off C&C because I am a Mac user but I was tempted by it in the newsagent today and was so surprised to find it is fully assessible to Mac users with the same interface and access to UTube, thought you should know this so other Mac users don't feel put off. The magazine is fantastic so keep us informed if you do a subscription service, so glad it is such a success for you. Caron xxDelete
Hi Debbie,ReplyDelete
I ordered mine off C & C and mine arrived today and it is a beautiful magazine as I am quite new to sewing in the last six months there are lovely things for me to do now and when i am more advancedt too.
I was looking into the reader offer but I cant get the link to link to anything??
I have tried to put the information in on its own through a search engine but nothing, help appreciated as I would love to get the offer
Looking forward to many more magazines, Well done with all the brilliant books, dvds and now magzine. Claire xx
Help I want to get the offer can't find siteReplyDelete
Love the magazine looking forward to issue 2.ReplyDelete


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Sound of Silence
Publicado por ArTeMoK en el blog ArTeMoK les agradece a los que visitaron su blog =), Nos vemos en un futuro no muy lejano, espero &g. Vistas: 88
Hello darkness, my old friend,
I've come to talk with you again,
Because a vision softly creeping,
Left its seeds while I was sleeping,
And the vision that was planted in my brain
Still remains
Within the sound of silence.
In restless dreams I walked alone
Narrow streets of cobblestone,
'Neath the halo of a street lamp,
I turned my collar to the cold and damp
When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light
That split the night
And touched the sound of silence.
And in the naked light I saw
Ten thousand people, maybe more.
People talking without speaking,
People hearing without listening,
People writing songs that voices never share
And no one dare
Disturb the sound of silence.
'Fools' said I, 'You do not know
Silence like a cancer grows.
Hear my words that I might teach you,
Take my arms that I might reach you.'
But my words like silent raindrops fell,
And echoed
In the wells of silence
And the people bowed and prayed
To the neon god they made.
And the sign flashed out its warning,
In the words that it was forming.
And the sign said, 'The words of the prophets
are written on the subway walls
And tenement halls.'
And whisper'd in the sounds of silence.
Me trae MUCHOS recuerdos esta canción y más en estas fechas , apesar de que ya pasó bastante tiempo ._.
Necesitas tener sesión iniciada para dejar un comentario


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We are halfway through the year already! Wow I can't believe it!
It has been a very VERY hot summer so far..106 degrees today..yeah. No fun!
But even with this warm weather I am trying to make lots of memories and still try to take lots of pictures to capture the little everyday moments. I've noticed I have been using my iPhone camera a lot more lately, mostly because it's a lot easier then lugging my DSLR around..but I sure love my Nikon!
Instagram is my new friend...well we have been friends for awhile but lately..we've been besties! lol
And instagram pictures and soo easy to add to my Project Life album. Iknow I have been bad about posting my pages, but I am proud of myself that I am actually (kinda) caught up. Hopefully I can get around to posting some pages soon.
So anyways I just wanted to share our month of June in photos...we took a few trips to the lake, listened to new music, read new books, played and played and played with Natalie, started eating better, went for nature walks, got crafty, farmer's market days, and trips to the mountains. It's been a good one!
Bath time.
Awesome book and a little green juice..been juicing a LOT!
Doggie haircut.
Silly faces.
She got a new dolly.
My new favorite band!
I made Natalie a cute heart mobile for her room. She helped.
She tooked pictures of me this time. :)
Painted little piggies.
Played dressup.
Went for a nature walk.
Took a trip to the lake.
Had a wonderful Father's Day visiting with the in-laws in the mountains.
Watched the sunset on the way home.
Visited the Farmer's Market and got a deal on those pretty flowers.
Another lake trip.
And got a little crafty with some glitter glue.
And her sweet little cousin gave her a Snow White dress that she wants to live in! lol..cute.
So you see..it's has been a great month..busy and fun. I am so blessed and grateful.


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We investigated all the open medical schemes, and discovered some discrepancies in how some schemes are representing the late joiner penalties (LJP). Bestmed was one of those schemes.
As a result, we submitted a complaint to the Council of Medical Schemes. You can see a copy of the complaint below.
In brief, on their application forms, Bestmed is saying that they will not apply any medical aid cover prior to age 35 as a credit when working out your LJP. They are required to apply the credit by law. And by not allowing the credit, they could be imposing up to 25% surcharge on your premium unfairly. To find out more about how the LJP is calculated, see here.
If you are a Bestmed member (or a member of any scheme, for that matter) and are paying a Late Joiner Penalty, we urge you to verify that the rate you are paying is correct. You can find out how to do so here.
And, if you are a LJP payer,please consider chatting to us about your experience. Is your penalty calculated correctly? Are you still unsure? We are crowdsourcing this information to get a clearer picture of how members are affected by this misinformation and confusion regarding LJPs.
All our articles on the Late Joiner PenaltyComplaint_Bestmed


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Celebrating a New Year. Well, in more than one ways for Psyched, I can say…
Resolutions, cards, gifts, promises, wishes and loads of fun.. In a nutshell, these describe the way we plan to celebrate every new year. Cards, gifts and fun, and a hell lot of it too.. They make their way into the list of things we achieved. But somewhere along the line, the resolutions are forgotten, promises are left broken and wishes, well wishes never even stand a chance against the 'hectic' schedule that we have been burdened with.. We never take the time to retrospect on the events that could have been, had we taken a different decision. We never look back at what we have lost while trying to gain what, in the end, we didn't even gain. In short, rather than learning from our mistakes we end up making the same mistakes over and over again.
New year is about leaving the past behind, but still present within our mind.. The sentence seems to be contradicting itself, you may say… But if you think about it, it isn't. Let me explain.. You need to forget all the tribulations you had to undergo but remember what it taught you.. The mistakes that you made, and how you could have avoided them or rather how you can avoid them in the future, than wasting your time just contemplating about what could have been. Think on how you will act in the future, and not how you should have done then. Think on how you can make yourself better, and not what you could be had you been better..
Life isn't cruel.. Our expectations make it so.. We often confuse luxury with comfort, and as such end up not being comfortable with even our luxurious possessions. We often mistake what we could do with what we should do. We never look back, even to learn. "Just point your nose straight and walk forward, no questions asked" , this is what we have been bred to do. Why?? 'cos others are supposed to be better than us at taking decisions?? Or 'cos we are just puppets, who have to do what people expect us to?? Or is it 'cos we lack the determination, the courage to glance into our hearts, take a deep breathe, and march forward to achieve what it hopes us of, rather than what we feel would secure our future??? Whatever the reason, the baseline is, we end up being in someone else's shoes, an ideal person's.. We lose the most important part of our being: our flaws. Flaws that serve as a reminder that we aren't ideal, that we have more to learn, to adapt, and to be humble..
Oops.. Got a bit carried away there…
This post isn't about "what could have been.. " or a session on "Finding Yourself.. ", though I may take up those topics sometime in the future (emphasis on 'may', not the month though.. 😉 ).. This post is to commemorate the first anniversary of Psyched.. Hell yeah!! We are a year old now.. And as of yet 50 posts rich, and still going strong.. 😀 Psyched was started as a means to release all of the 'pheels' that were confined within the minds of the two rookies. And we hope to continue doing so in the next year.
Oh! wait. It is the New Year too. Was excited a bit too much with completing a year of blogging, that I completely missed that we are already into 2013 in a few parts of the world (Christmas Islands, Kiribati celebrates New Year almost a day before they do so in Hawaii).
So once more wishing you a Happy and Prosperous New Year 2013. May you make and break new year resolutions like every-time. Hope to continue blogging with the same passion that has been, or even more. And will try to put up more pictures, more posts and more everything ( Emphasis again on 'try', though I sincerely hope to do so 😛 ).
Let's gather around and celebrate the dawn of a sparkling New Year.
May it bring gifts of joys, good health & surprises throughout the year.
Here's to a New Year filled with hope, happiness and good cheer.
Here's to a New Year with all the joys yet to unfold.
Happy New Year 2013..


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Adolescence and young adulthood is a time of testing and transformation.
A period of growth and discovery that is often filled with excitement – and challenge. My overall aim in working with young people is to help them emerge from this period of challenge with a strong and healthy…
Our sense of self not only defines who we are, but who we are in relation to others. Finding and nurturing one's authentic self is the most important developmental task facing all of us. Adolescence and young adulthood is the core period for exploring and defining our identity - finding out who we are and what we want.
During this time, we are confronted with the many possibilities and potentials of life – there are lots of questions to be answered – who am I, what do I value, what do I want to do with my life? Career and study, relationships, family, friends – these are the areas where we can be tested and where we can also find meaning, solace and growth. It is my aim to help young people make the most of this time and to help them on their pathway to finding their true self.
My practice is a safe place.
A place of support and guidance through times of growth and change. A place to embark on the process of discovery, where together we can build the foundations of a fulfilling and authentic life.
Thank you for visiting my site.
To learn more about me, how I work or to find out how to get in touch, please select from the links below. Also, for a further understanding of the work I do, I have included a series of articles that I've written on the subject of adolescent mental health. You can find them in the 'Blog' section. You can also find some helpful information on mental health and parenting.


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I'm preoccupied with time off from work — why I need it, why we all do, why so many can't take it and what policymakers can do about that.
One of the privileges of retirement is that you can take time off from whatever you've chosen to fill your days with and still have as much income as if you'd taken no break.
This assumes you don't need to earn more because you got paid enough, steadily enough to live on Social Security benefits, plus your savings when you choose not to work anymore — or, as in my case, when the rewards of the work you choose don't pay bills.
I've needed more time off, if you can call it that, since my husband died, partly to deal with basic life maintenance tasks he used to handle and partly to manage more consequential matters.
But the need for time off is hardly restricted to people who've experienced a life-changing event. My late sister Marjorie used to take what she called well days — paid time off to tackle personal business so that the mounting pressures didn't trigger anxieties, sleeplessness and the like that would sap her resistance to illness.
Very few workers have such accommodating bosses, of course. Many can't even take time off and still get their regular paychecks if they're actually sick.
About 36% of private-sector workers have no paid sick leave benefit, the Bureau of Labor Statistics just reported. And nearly 60% with service-related jobs don't. (Remember this next time a wait server hovers over your shoulder.)
Workers, as a whole, fare worse when they need time off to care for a sick family member, a newborn or themselves when they're expecting. Only 11% of those in the private sector can rely on formal employer policies, though another 28% say they could take it. Not that they tried, mind you.
Needless to say, I hope, fewer low-wage workers have access to any paid leave than others. And they, of course, can least afford to forfeit pay.
Perhaps not needless to say, even now, is that only about 60% of all workers can take unpaid leave for medical or compelling family reasons with any assurance they'll have jobs to come back to.
They're workers covered by the federal Family and Medical Leave Act. Similar laws in some states may push the percent up a bit. No data to tell us, so far as I know. But we can, I think, assume that at least a quarter of private-sector workers have no legal right to time off when they're sick, pregnant or must care for a family member.
The rest don't qualify because their employer doesn't have enough other workers on the payroll or because they haven't worked for the employer long enough. Others because they haven't recently put in as many hours as the laws require.
FMLA itself is singularly restrictive on workforce size, letting even large employers do as they wish if they have fewer than 50 workers at a given site or within 75 miles of it.
Even workers at sites that meet this standard have no legal right to the unpaid leave unless they've worked for the employer for at least a year and for at least 1,250 hours, i.e., more than half time.
We see similar, though not identical restrictions in states' laws. A lot of variation, but no state requires all employers to let all their workers take time off for an urgent personal health or family-related reason.
Workers entitled to the leave time often can't take it because they can't afford to lose pay. But sometimes they've no choice. They've broken a leg and can't even hobble to the bus stop, for example.
Reverting to my own experience, illness or other physical incapacity is only one reason people can't put in the hours they're scheduled for. They may need to be home, as I recently did, to deal with technicians so as to get the air conditioner chilling again — and (coincidentally) the refrigerator chilling the food.
Paid vacation leave would, in theory, prevent wage loss in such cases. But workers whose employers provide it must often schedule it in advance. And most of the lowest-paid in the private sector have none. This has nothing to do with restrictions in existing laws.
No law requires private-sector employers in America to provide any worker with vacation leave — liberally understood as leave for any reason not covered by FMLA or its state equivalents.
The realities of the labor market generally constrain employers to include a paid vacation leave benefit in the package they offer workers with high-level, in-demand skills. Not, however, those they can hire — and feel they can readily replace — by offering only a low wage.
Bernie Sanders introduced a paid vacation bill when he was campaigning for the Presidential nomination. An idea whose time hasn't come yet. Paid medical and family leave is a whole other story.
Worker and family advocates have long pressed for it at both federal and state levels. Clinton has embraced it, though not apparently the way pending House and Senate bills would pay for it. It's a plank in the Democratic party platform, of course.
Columnists left and right understood Ivanka Trump to say her dad would support paid leave when she introduced him at the Republican convention. Not explicitly. Just as well, since he's suggested it would make our country less competitive.
Regardless of who moves into the White House, a paid sick and family leave bill will have a tough time getting through the next Congress.
House Speaker Paul Ryan could have supported an earlier version of the pending paid leave bill. He instead signed on to one that would let (or force) workers to substitute time off for overtime pay — an old, bad tradeoff.
It's also Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's "family friendly" alternative to a paid leave guarantee. Democrats would need to gain 14 Senate seats to pass a paid leave bill there. They surely won't have enough in the House anyway.
So we may see more states decide they shouldn't wait for a federal law, just as we've seen them do with other worker and family friendly measures, e.g., minimum wage increases, controls on constantly shifting schedules.
Best hope for now, I think, though I'd like to be wrong.


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Personal Familiarity
I have been keeping a close eye on cultural differences from the first time I started learning about Afghanistan. Most people would tell you that there are such huge things that set us apart as people. Differences that include religion, language, socio-economics, politics, and more are hard to ignore. But, seeing a small glimpse of familiarity in someone you've assumed is so much different than you is enough to put a smile on your face for the rest of the day. I will be talking more about race, culture, and religion in future posts, but for now I have a story. I'll introduce you to Abdullah.
Abdullah is an Afghan who happens to be the cleaner in our office. I see him almost every morning taking out the garbage, cleaning the bathroom, and doing all the normal things that cleaners do. His English is very limited, but as you can imagine, it is far better than my Dari. Every day when he walks past my desk he says hi and asks the same thing: "How is your family?" It wasn't long before I was asking him how to say things like hello, good morning, thank you, and more in Dari, and he was very excited to be teaching us small words and phrases every day. These days, we can both say hello and ask each other how our families are in Dari. I'm not quite at the point where I will be having conversations with Afghan generals yet, but maybe some day.
This was my first bit of personal connection with an Afghan. We have spent so many years in Canada watching the same news stories about Afghanistan and the war here that simple every day things don't come to mind when you meet people from here. Abdullah is just a regular man who has to feed his family(wife and five kids), get to work on time, make sure he has groceries in the kitchen, call his mother once in a while, and live as normal a life as he can. I'm sure he gets mad when he stubs his toe, feels good when he sneezes, and hates waking up too early from a good dream just like everyone else. Except, his dreams are in Dari.
I was walking down the stairs toward my desk one day when Abdullah and a friend of his who was there both called me: "Excuse me, Sir." In a hurried tone, they were excited to ask me something. The other guy who spoke better English than Abdullah asked me, "what is this?" as he held out a tube of clearly labeled Neutrogena Shave Cream. I'm always happy to talk to them as they're very kind people, but I smiled a bit and laughed internally at this situation. Both of them looking at me for an answer, Abdullah with a huge black beard and his friend with a very thin but still long enough beard to tell he has never seen a razor before, I said "It's shaving cream" as I pointed to the label and gestured with my other hand as though I was shaving. "For shaving," I continued to motion with my hand as though I was passing a razor down my cheek.
With cheer, Abdullah and his friend turned to eachother and yelled "Aaaaahhhhh!", Abdullah's friend slapping his shoulder followed by excited words in Dari that to me could only mean "I told you so!" and "I knew it!" Thinking to my self that these guys have no use for shave cream, I wondered who had left it in the bathroom by mistake to enthrall these guys' curiosity. I laughed and went to my desk, but couldn't help but to keep this experience on my mind. I was trying to figure out what simple everyday product like shave cream we might be unfamiliar with but is completely normal to Afghans.
That moment when I almost understood perfect Dari. When I could naturally understand the way they laughed at each other and Abdullah's friend teased him for a bit about the bet that they must have had about the shave cream. This is the closest I've felt to having interpersonal barriers vanish between myself and these Afghans, with whom at first glance I couldn't find much in common with. These guys are just so, normal.
I'm really enjoying finding more common ground with them. The language barrier is usually very strong, but it only makes other forms of communication like gestures and intonation feel more amplified. Have you ever had a special connection with someone who at first seemed so completely different from you in every possible way? Comment below on how race, religion, language, etc didn't stop you from getting to know someone.
Photo Update #3
Photo Update #2
Photo Update #1
Bargains At The Bazaar
From the first time I attempted to make a purchase in Afghanistan, it was clear to me that this was not a country of price takers. That is, sellers don't have set prices that give customers the option of "take it or leave it." In Canada, that's pretty much how the economy works but for a few things like cars. You don't go to Walmart expecting to negotiate prices (unless you're one of thooose people).
In Afghanistan, the price you pay for something depends on a whole bunch of variables, and everyone I've talked to seems to be figuring out their own strategy for getting a good deal.
"Please my friend, come look!," called the Afghan watch seller from behind several dozen Rolexes. Already knowing that I have a watch addiction and I'm at least curious, I decided to look. I said right away that "I don't really need a watch." Just to make sure he doesn't get too excited that he's going to make an easy sale, I dash his hopes right from the beginning, "I know these are very expensive but thank you anyway." "NO NO, these are very good quality," he reassures me while filling both my hands with different watches to look at, ensuring I can't get away that easily. I've come to realize this more and more, but we "westerners" (the average Canadian, at least) are more interested in price right away. The Afghan sellers here are more interested in getting you to like something right away before mentioning price. Whether it's scarves, carpets, watches, woodwork, or anything else, the negotiation of price comes at the end after you've picked what you like.
I'd be naive to go in to this without at least having talked to others about what they paid for watches or at least going with other people and listening to their negotiation first. Having an idea what these two watches were worth and already having researched a bit about the quality of these knockoff brands, I found what I liked. I hit him with it, "What's your best price for these two?" That's the most common way of asking for his price and also trying to bring him a bit lower than his already high starting point. It's normal for the starting price to be at least double or triple what you end up paying in the end. It just takes time and a bit of polite argument. "No, that's too expensive. I'll look again next week," I tell him as my legs start to fall asleep sitting cross-legged on his carpet across from him. There's no way he'd let me go at this point, "wait, OK…" he rubs his beard as he brings his price a little lower. "I can't really afford that for these, maybe I'll just do one today," I tell him. Still not wanting to miss out on the sale of two watches, he comes down even lower and we get close to a price I'm OK with. Just because I know this price range is still a great profit margin for him and I think I can still get a better deal, I offer something just a bit lower and stand my ground. He says a few different things trying to make me feel guilty and telling me that this is almost the price he pays for them (yeah, right!). But I know since it's been a short-ish negotiation (some can take a long time) this price is still good for him. I stand my ground until he just goes for it. "Sorry, this is the highest I can pay for these," I tell him. "OK, Sir. Thank you so much," he smiles with excitement. "Just, please Sir. Don't tell anybody the price,"he asks me. "Of course. I won't. I promise" I tell him.
Going from a disappointed and worried look on his face while we negotiate price to pure happiness with handshakes and full hugs (Yes, Afghans hug a lot!) in a second, I know we both got a good deal. I'm happy, and he's happy, and the experience of negotiating is priceless. They seem to always ask you at the end, "You happy?" "Yes, Sir. Thank you so much. I'm very happy. Take care!" I tell him. "You too, my friend!" he says.
I hope to post more about these bargains in the future. Our bazaar is always interesting with all kinds of neat things for sale. Do you think you'd be more open to negotiating and bargaining in stores where prices "seem" to be set in stone? What are your experiences with negotiating?
Happy bargain hunting!