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My Blog has moved – http://www.telecom-cloud.net/
I apologize for the inconvenience, I now have a permanent place for my analyses – http://www.telecom-cloud.net
Also this gives my blog unlimited space for pictures & Architecture diagrams !!
Thanks for your support !
Unlicensed Mobile Access – A Revival
Last week saw some significant wins for champions of 'free' usage of spectrum – first is the approval of TV whitespaces spectrum by FCC and the second is the software based solution by Kineto for using UMA as an app in the Android phones. Two entirely different but high impact propositions for the free airwave users, both of them spur developments in their respective ecosystems that will have long-term impacts. I have blogged on the advantages of both these technologies extensively in the past few months. UMA (Unlicensed Mobile Access) uses the Wi-Fi bands for extension of coverage indoors, and T-Mobile USA has been the only Tier I operator who uses this technology in Northern America.
I have extensively spoken about whitespaces in the last few weeks leading upto the voting on September 23rd, please see my older posts here and here. But the topic that has captured my attention was the event that happened around UMA, a technology that is very robust but has had relatively low success rate – UMA or GAN. It is one technology that could have been the end of Vonage if T-Mobile had followed through with the strategy of 'at home' products. It was a simple IP telephony that brought true convergence to cellular networks and the home Wi-Fi, even though it supported only 802.11g standards.
UMA in the News
Kineto Wireless, Inc., the key innovator and leading supplier of solutions that enable delivery of mobile services over broadband, today announced it has an updated version of its Smart Wi-Fi Application for Google's Android operating system version 2.2, also called Froyo. Read more…
DPI – the end of Net Neutrality
The recent events in the media and talk about net neutrality have once again brought focus onto technologies that disrupt the fine balance between neutrality and traffic shaping in ISPs. Internet service providers and Wireless broadband service providers have been looking at ways and means to shape the traffic, enforce policies and prioritize packets as Internet and mobile internet have set to take off. One of the biggest set of tools that has been used by operators is Deep Packet Inspection (DPI). This has been one of the several content optimization techniques that includes Policy Control mechanisms, QOS techniques and 'throttling' in extreme cases. Why do ISPs and WISPs resort to this? Read more…
Whitespaces for HSPA+/LTE offload
Increasing spectrum supply is good for all wireless carriers, handset vendors, and providers of wireless apps, wireless backhaul, and towers. Wireless demand is still likely to outpace supply, creating incentive and pressure on those without deep spectrum holdings. Emphasis on unlicensed could create opportunities for equipment makers and carriers to build out networks and devices that meet wireless data demands.
FCC by establishing unlicensed use of the Whitespaces has taken a major step towards universal broadband access similar to the UNII bands that are used today for Wi-Fi access. Wi-Fi today is being used to offload the macro network for traffic congestion due to smartphones and dongles, whitespaces which has better propagation properties which will allow users to have indoor penetration as well as indoor femtocell deployment. But the way FCC has carved out chunks of spectrum in different markets due to changes to legislation as well as due to incumbent TV channels, whitespaces will require both a database for spectrum availability as well cognitive devices to sense and operate in different channels. Hence, it would make perfect sense to use it as a complementary technology rather than a standalone technology, serving as a mechanism to offload the congested macro networks.
What are Whitespaces?
"Whitespaces" are unused television channels created by the allocation of spectrum in the broadcasters' digital TV band. These channels are used to protect a broadcast in one channel from interference caused by signals transmitted in an adjacent channel. To solve this problem, the FCC left some channels vacant on either side of a licensed channel, called "adjacent channel" guard bands. To further prevent interference, the FCC did not assign the same channel for use in an adjacent geographic market — these are called "co-channel" guard bands. Here is a detailed study that I had done earlier. Read more…
Strand Mounted public access femtocell, NaN & PicoChip
Strand mounted femtocell ecosystem will be one of the biggest deployment of femtocell based coverage blanket that will deliver 4G signal ubiquitously. This is neither a 'new' concept nor an innovative solution, as it has been used by Muni wireless providers for blanket Wi-Fi coverage in metro areas. These femtocells will share the space and the power with multiple other uses – surveillance, power grid monitoring, traffic cameras, etc. These femtocells will have different names – Local Area BTS, Metro-Femto etc and will operate with different technologies – UMTS, LTE and WiMAX and will take design and deployment to the next level. A regular Monopole or a rooftop has to pass through different stages of search ring, zoning and site acquisition modes, whereas an electric utility company can bypass all this and give access to a telecom provider to support this kind of deployment due to a different class of RF propagation limitations.
This kind of Femtocell will leverage both network power as well as Ethernet backhaul for data either on copper or fiber. It requires a voltage converter with an optional integrated DSL or fiber optic media converter that provides a simple, scalable, and low cost solution to the problem of delivering reliable power and Internet broadband connectivity to field mounted electronic equipment. For outdoor Wireless Access Points, Femtocells, outdoor surveillance cameras, traffic control devices, electronic displays, or any other outdoor equipment needing easily installed reliable power and/or Internet connectivity.
Another concept that is interesting is Broadband over power lines (BPL) which never really took off due to many concerns including reduction of the number of radio frequencies available for ham and short-wave radio operators and that RF transmission over unshielded medium-voltage lines will cause interference with already-assigned frequencies. BPL has not been standardized by IEEE or any other organization. But BPL as a backhaul solution for Femtocells can be considered in rural areas where there is no access to Fiber or DSL providers.
Femtocell deployment can also be clubbed together with Smartgrid deployment which integrates a Wide Area Network (WAN) for distribution and a Neighborhood Area Network (NAN) for metering. NAN as a concept for smart metering has been around for a while, and will be leveraged for coverage by wireless network operators. Read more…
Whitespaces – Spectrum, Database & Ecosystem
Whitespaces are frequencies allocated to a broadcasting service but remain unused. In the United States, it has gained prominence after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ruled that unlicensed devices that can guarantee that they will not interfere with assigned broadcasts can use the empty white spaces in the frequency spectrum. The TV broadcast band in the United States has evolved through a number of changes over time, primarily due to the FCC's desire to make more VHF and UHF bandwidth available for wireless usage for communications. TV White Spaces are unused TV broadcast channels, made more available through the transition from analog to digital TV. The FCC has not dictated specific modulation or protocol requirements for TV Band Devices (TVBDs), allowing TV White Space to employ a wide range of devices and applications on an unlicensed basis, similar to Wi-Fi.
Each TV channel is 6MHz wide
LightSquared, Spectrum & LTE Deployment
Operators have to make choices for technologies based on few rules – Technology, legacy network backward compatibility, technology ecosystem meaning vendors for Infrastructure/handsets and cost-benefit ratio. They also have to make choices involving which air interface technology to pick, but also which frequency band to utilize. For the frequency band, both licensed and unlicensed alternatives exist providing different strategic paths. Spectrum alternatives are compared based on ability to purchase, channel fragmentation, interference from other users, requirements to clear incumbent users, radiated power limitations and technology compatibility. These air interfaces are compared based on spectrum compatibilities, spectral efficiencies, link budgets and deployment costs.
In the near future, operators will be presented with, and challenged by, new and exciting opportunities to deploy LTE based mobile broadband services but like with any new network technology, comes the question of spectrum. Radio frequency is a valuable and finite resource and, today, there is simply not enough to satisfy demand. The need for spectrum is being driven by the pervasive convenience of mobile communications and increased penetration combined with improved performance and the falling costs of wireless devices & services. Read more…


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Waddup Family!,Hey so Bishop let me use his laptop so I am going to just write you right now!! Arkansas is where its at! I love it here. Its so green and there is trees everywhere. My companion is Elder Tate from Utah and he is a stud. He works hard, he's black, he is a baller on the court and knows the gospel really well! He has been out for about 5 months, not 6 weeks like I said earlier. Bishop Mcgrath, the bike city guy, is awesome too! He is the spitting image of Steve Martin! In looks and personality. He is so into missionary work and does everything he can to help us out. I have had so many awesome experiences this last week. Funny Story: A couple of days ago we went to our investigators house to check up on him and his a this big black dude. Anyways we walk up and he is running into his door and trying to knock it down because he got locked out and at this point he is pretty close to knocking the door out. So he took a break for a minute and I just walked up to the door and turned the knob and it opened! My companion and I could not stop laughing! we told him it was the power of the spirit. Spiritual Story: 2 days ago we knocked on this one ladies door and started talking to her about the restoration. She went off about how she had already been baptized and her dad is a preacher and stuff like that and she was not listening to us. Anyways her daughter needed help with something for a second so she left and Elder Tate and I said a prayer together that her heart would be softened. (And then we said about 50 more prayers in our heads) When she came back it was like she was a completely different person. After talking a little more I asked when she found out the the Book of Mormon was the word of God if she would be baptized by the proper authority and she said yes!! Miracles. Anyways I am starting to find out that the stereotypes of Arkansas are the truth!! The lack of teeth in this area is pretty spectacular. ha ha So for P day this morning Elder Tate and I woke up at 4 45 and went fishing at this members pond!! I caught like 7 bass. It was sweet. I love it here. The people are so nice. They feed us almost every night. Even the non members are nice for the most part because they recognize we are representatives of Jesus Christ and they always tell us they appreciate what were doing. The south is legit. Hey also there is a person in my ward related to the Sherwoods that knows Larry and goes to the Sherwood reunion in Eagar all the time! there is also a guy that is related to Charlie Foote and knows him pretty well! I'm in Searcy!!! Its the coolest place ever!! that's where the bike city bishop is!! Funny story: the first door I knocked on out in the field was a members house but i didn't know that. My companion set it up that way. When I knocked on the door the guy came out with a machete and was like "get away from me you bicycle bishop!" it scared the crap out of me!! but then I figured out it was a member and him and my comp planned the whole thing!! it was totally believable though because he just looked like a redneck dude and he didn't have hardly any teeth. I got to go Mom but I love you so much. Thanks for all you did to help me get out here. I know it will change my life and others. You're the most amazing mom ever. and I miss our family too. Tell them all I miss them. remember to write me. I will send you the address later.
Elder Udall

subset: commoncrawl


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In a game of relatively few chances for either side, a battling defensive display by Rangers earned them a well-deserved point on their travels to SE London.
After the debacle at Watford last Saturday, Rangers fans were hoping for a much better performance from their team. Whilst there were still no away goals from the Rs, there was a marked improvement in performance from the team as a whole from both the Watford and Charlton games.
Rangers best chance came from Heidar Helguson in the first few minutes of the second period, but the loanee, having only just made his way onto the pitch, was not sharp enough with an open goal begging. Agyemang, in the first half, and Blackstock, with a header which nestled in the roof of the Palace goal in the second half, also went close for Rangers.
The third of the Rs` London derbies in the space of one week ended goalless, neither side being able to claim that they should really have walked away with all three points!
Team News
Rangers made two changes to the line-up that started against Charlton on Tuesday night. In a 4-4-2 formation, Patrick Agyemang started alongside Dexter Blackstock, with young loanee Samuel Di Carmine finding a place on the subs` bench. Gavin Mahon also retained his place in the starting XI, at the expense of Damiano Tommasi, who did not feature. Pleasingly, Rs captain Martin Rowlands was included amongst the substitutes, which also included new loan signings Heidar Helguson and Gary Borrowdale.
Warnock was again without Alan Lee, James Scowcroft and Danny Butterfield. However, Shaun Derry was included among the substitutes, having recovered from illness. Nathanial Clyne retained his place at right-back, in place of Butterfield. Paul Ifill passed a late fitness test to regain his place in Palace`s line-up, having missed their 2-1 win at Norwich on Tuesday night. On loan WBA striker, Craig Beattie, also retained his place in Palace`s attack.
Kick off: Crystal Palace v Queens Park Rangers
Palace started the more brightly of the two teams. WBA loan striker, Craig Beattie, tested Cerny in the Rs goal early on, after good work by midfielder Ben Watson. His shot was easily caught by the Rs` stopper.
Palace took heart from the opening exchanges with Rangers defence initially giving their opposition too much time and space on the ball. Watson himself tried a shot from 25 yards, but it flew wide of Cerny`s right-hand post. This was followed by an effort from Sean Scannell who deftly ran passed Delaney and fired a low shot which Cerny picked up.
When Rangers did attack, most of the work was down the left-hand side as, once more, Hogan Ephraim kept cutting into the middle of the pitch from his right-wing position. Blackstock managed to knock down a pass into the path of Patrick Agyemang, but he could not get enough power on his shot and Speroni, in the Palace goal, was able to gather the ball with ease.
Joe Oster tried his luck, after that, but again Cerny was equal to it. But he could do nothing about Nick Carle`s curling left-footed shot that was, luckily, deflected wide.
Leigertwood and, especially, Agyemang were looking dangerous for the Rs down the left-wing. The centre midfield and, particularly, the right-side of midfield for Rangers were looking decidedly lacking. Ephraim kept wandering in from the wing, narrowing the Rs` width and reducing the options available when the defenders had the ball. Parejo, as in so many matches for the Rs this season, looked like he wanted to be anywhere else rather than Selhurst Park and, too many times, moves broke down with him.
Rangers had an opportunity through Agyemang, late in the first half, who expertly controlled a long pass from defender Damion Stewart. He held off Clyne and burst into the Palace box only for the quick-thinking Palace goalie, Speroni, to dash off his line and smother the ball before Agyemang could get his shot off.
The half ended with a thundering shot from Ifill, which Cerny cleanly caught, but no goals.
Half time: Crystal Palace 0 – 0 Queens Park Rangers
The second half started with Sousa making a substitution. Daniel Parejo was rightly taken off and the Rangers faithful were treated to a glimpse of new signing Heidar Helguson – at last!
And Helguson could have made his name for himself within the first minute. Hogan Ephraim brilliantly sprayed the ball out to Agyemang on the left. Speroni came out of his goal, to the edge of the area, to try to avert the danger. But it was Agyemang who managed to touch the ball neatly through to Helguson. The goal was empty – it was begging – Rangers fans held their breath . . . but Helguson managed to shoot just wide of the right-hand post. Chance gone!
This was not, however, the end of Rangers! This was not like many away games this season, when the Rs have ended the first half on an up-note only to manage to turn their good first-half work into a diabolical display in the 2nd period! Rather, Rangers opening move showed their intent and determination – clearly the new gaffer had fired the team up in the dressing room at half-time!
Next, Leigertwood tried his luck. He cut in from the left and struck his shot well and low; but Speroni was equal to it. Then, good work from Agyemang, this time on the right, holding off the defender, gave him a chance to cross the ball to Helguson. Helguson put in a good cross and Blackstock rose above everyone else – but only managed to put his header onto the roof of the Palace goal.
QPR were moving the ball about better across the midfield and switching play from wing to wing, stretching Palace. Then, to the great delight of the Rs fans, captain and stalwart, Martin Rowlands made his first appearance for new boss, Paulo Sousa, replacing the hapless Blackstock.
Blackstock had worked hard, but had had little or no service from the disappointing Parejo in the first half. But when Parejo first went off, Sousa changed the shape of the team to 4-3-3 – bold, but difficult to sustain a 45-minute continuous attack to ensure the midfield was not over-run. So, off went Blackstock for Rowlands who slotted into the centre of midfield like a hand in a glove.
Crystal Palace were reduced to the odd pot-shot from outside the area during the second period, as Rangers became more attack-minded. Ephraim tried to a chip from the right-hand side of the area, only for his effort to be deflected for Rangers first corner of the game! Shortly after that, Delaney crossed the ball into the area for Ephraim, but he could only head the ball into the side netting.
For Palace, substitute Shefki Kuqi and Sean Scannell had opportunities, but their headers hardly caused Cerny to break out into a cold sweat. Rangers fans were in good humour throughout and, as usual, sang their hearts out. But their biggest cheer was, in fact, not for Martin Rowlands but for Ben Watson, when he stepped up to take a corner. The Rs fans loudly sang that "Watson is a Ranger!" – reminding him of the summer saga!
Rob Styles, who all had feared would spoil the game with his antics, was relatively quiet throughout. The three bookings were all justified but this was not a controversial game and, despite the constant rain falling throughout the match, tackles were made fairly and in acceptable fashion (acceptable, that is, to Styles!) The biggest controversy of the afternoon came late in the game when the 4th official, Mr Wright, had to replace the linesman and spent two or three minutes warming up – which Rob Styles duly added to the extra time played at the end of the game!
Rangers looked stronger on the ball than they had against Charlton and, certainly in the second half, moved the ball about better. They began to try to create chances, even though not one was converted. All in all, it was a much better all round display. But, in the final 5 minutes of extra time, there was still a heart-stopping moment as Palace seemed to have carved out the chance to steal all 3 points.
When Samuel Di Carmine, on in extra time for the hard-working Agyemang, gave the ball away, Palace attacked with venom. Cerny parried the ball just in front of his goal, but it squirmed away from him. With a Palace player bearing down on him, and Cerny lying on the ground, the Rs stopper kicked out at the ball with his feet. He connected superbly and, from that prone position, was able to clear the ball away from danger.
That was effectively the last kick of the game and Styles blew the final whistle to bring the curtain down at the Palace.
Final whistle: Crystal Palace 0 – 0 Queens Park Rangers
Attendance: 16,411
Crystal Palace: Julian Speroni, Clint Hill, Patrick McCarthy, Jose Fonte, Nick Carlen (Shaun Derry 63), Sean Scannell Griffit 88), Craig Beattie, Paul Ifill (Kuqi 63), Ben Watson, John Oster, Nathanial Clyne
QPR: Radek Cerny, Damien Delaney, Damion Stewart, Gavin Mahon, Mikele Leigertwood, Daniel Parejo (Heidar Helguson 46), Dexter Blackstock (Martin Rowlands 57), Patrick Agyemang (Samuel Di Carmine 90+1), Kaspars Gorkss, Peter Ramage, Hogan Ephraim
Player Ratings
Radek Cerny 6.5/10
He had another solid game, gathering everything he needed to and punching on one occasion only, when he couldn't get to the ball to make a clean catch. But it was good punch with distance and deflected any possible danger. His brilliant use of his feet in the dying seconds of the game certainly saved us from conceding disastrously, and unfairly. Cerny gets better and better with every game!
Damien Delaney 5.5/10
He made some mistakes in the first half, letting Palace players get past him a little too easily. But he got better in the second period and was even able to make some forays into the Palace half, once to put in a good cross for Ephraim.
Peter Ramage 6/0
A sound defensive display although he didn't get much chance to go forward down the right as most of our work was down the left. But he dealt with most things effectively enough and was never really troubled by the Palace attacks.
Damien Stewart 6/10
Another solid performance, although once or twice his headers were a little wayward. He seemed very comfortable side-by-side with Kaspars Gorkss and the centre pair rarely looked troubled.
Kaspars Gorkss 7/10
A cool, well-thought-out performance. Self-assured. Possibly his best performance for us so far this season. He made all his headers and they were true and straight – straight out of danger. I hope he now gets a chance to have a run in the team so we can all see what he really is about!
Mikele Leigertwood 6/10
A good performance in an unfamiliar position – left wing. He linked up well with Patrick Agyemang down the left on several occasions. He is hard-working and it is just a pity he had to play in such an unfamiliar position.
Gavin Mahon 6/10
A captain's role. He ran his heart out even though, as a defensive midfielder, he did little to influence our attacks. But he got stuck in and managed to break up many of Palace's efforts in midfield.
Hogan Ephraim 6/10
When he sticks to the right-wing, he can produce excellent crosses which, as Blackstock showed on Tuesday night, can be converted into goals. So why, oh why, does he persist in cutting into the centre of midfield all the time? By doing so, he constantly reduces our options as well as narrowing the midfield unnecessarily.
Daniel Parejo 3/10
And that's being generous. When are we going to see what all the fuss was about that accompanied his arrival in the summer? He is so slap-dash – attacks break down with him as he swings a foot towards the ball carelessly or makes the wrong decision, crossing instead of shooting or shooting instead of crossing!
Dexter Blackstock 5/10
Ran his heart out, as usual, but to no avail. His best chance was the header which landed on top of the Palace goal. His problem was that, with Ephraim cutting inside all the time and Parejo creating absolutely nothing, Blackstock had to do all the work himself so couldn't remain in a dangerous position up front – until the second half, but then he was substituted.
Patrick Agyemang 7/10
Another strong and solid performance. He could have been my man-of-the-match! Agyemang ran non-stop all game and was very dangerous down the left. He holds off his man very well and holds the ball up expertly. He has deft touches and it would be nice to see him convert one of the many chances he makes, like the chance he created for himself in the first half.
Heidar Helguson 5/10
Replaced Daniel Parejo.
Helguson did alot of running and made a good cross for Blackstock. But this was his first game for a while and he is not quite sharp enough yet, as shown when he screwed his shot wide in the first minute of the second half, with the goal begging. The goals will come though – I am sure!
Martin Rowlands 5/10
Replaced Dexter Blackstock.
As usual, Rowlands did not stop running, harrying and chasing. He also had a speculative shot from outside the area, which went well wide. Glad he's fit again!
Replaced Patrick Agymeang.
He came on in the last 5 mintues of the game – too little time to be effective or to be rated!
Manager Rating
Paulo Sousa: 6/10 – It is early days and Sousa is hampered by injuries to key players. But he managed to turn basically the same team which stuttered at times against Charlton into a more of a co-ordinated unit in the space of 4 days. He was not afraid to make substitutions early in the 2nd half, which substitutions were astute and sensible. He now needs to work with our strikers to put the ball in the net – and with Ephraim to stop him cutting in from the right all the time!
Opponent Rating
Neil Warnock: 4/10 – His team did not look like they were really going to get anything out of this game. Most of their chances were restricted to pot shots and, even though he made substitutions at sensible times for those subs to make a difference, they made no difference at all. For a home team, this was not a particularly spectacular display.
Mr R Styles: 6/10 – yes, you have not read me wrong! Despite all our misgivings and fears, Styles actually had a decent game. He let a few things go Palace's way, but they were minor, like the odd push here and there. The three yellow cards he issued were justifiable. He needed the issue with the linesman to get his blood up – but even then, there was no controversy in an uncontroversial game and he did look to play the advantage as often as possible, so did his best to let the game flow. Styles was the best ref I've seen for quite some games – go figure!


text: The studio is back and already has produced some new work! The Colossus, is the newest peace to come from the studio since the big move. I was at Kettle Art Gallery for their "For the Love of Kettle" show on last Saturday. Here are some progress pics and as always more work to come!


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Just days after health officials declared the epidemic had ended in the region, this happens. Is someone purposefully infecting the people or is this just how deadly Ebola can be?
A second case of the deadly Ebola virus has been reported in the West African nation of Sierra Leone in as many weeks — just seven days after health officialsdeclared a major epidemic in the region had ended.
The two cases are connected. The latest patient — a woman being treated in the capital, Freetown — is an aunt of a 22-year-old woman who died of Ebola last week in Sierra Leone, World Health Organization spokesman Tarik Jasarevic said Thursday.
The aunt, who had cared for her sick niece, tested positive for the virus after developing symptoms while in quarantine Wednesday, Jasarevic said.
Read more: CNN


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Things have been really hectic at school, but here's a quick update of what I've been working on.
Choral Speaking
Much to my disappointment, even though we have practiced very hard, we only managed the fourth place in the district level. I have to admit that I was a bit too ambitious with the script. It was a little too complicated for primary school kids. My bad. Looking at the bright side though, I have a strong team of Year 4 pupils who have experience competing in the district level, has experienced defeat and did not give up. I will write a better script for next year and hopefully, we can win.
Penpal Project v. 2
I have started a penpal project with a school in Sweden. My 4 Jujur kids are in the process of typing their letters. We have limited computers at school, so that's a bit of a problem. Mostly, I let the kids use my laptop, which I bring to school everyday.
MELTA-Smart Kids Way With Words Competition 2013
I am preparing three teams from my school to compete in the competition which will be held at Persada Johor, JB next month. It'll be a tough challenge for the kids participating, but it will also be a good experience.
Bicara Berirama
This is my first time training bicara berirama or Malay choral speaking. I am in the process of refining the script and identifying talents among our school kids. Mostly, I will use my choral speakers as they already have experience in this field but I would also like to add some other students who can recite pantun, sajak, gurindam and syair extraordinarily. I am doing this with the help of a fellow teacher. We will be competing in the Pasir Gudang district level next month representing Pasir Gudang zone (Zone H).


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July 2013, Corgi, 32 pages, Paperback, Review copy
Themes: fairies, magic, flying, baking cakes and sweet goodies, helping in a bakery, trying to do something yourself, accepting help and different skills from others, running out of ingredients, keeping a secret, sort of lying, dilemmas, pretty outfits, friendship lessons,
Content: lots of smiles to be had
Summary from Random House Children's Books
When an important messenger arrives at the Blossom Bakery on opening day asking Cupcake and her fairy friends to make a cake for Princess Crystal, they can't wait to get started. But things start to go wrong and as the pressure mounts, the fairy friends realise they need to work together to make the magic happen.
Nayuleska's thoughts
I'm predominantly reviewing these two books in one go as some comments apply to both. This is an adorable new series for young readers. Naturally I thought of another series which this sort of reminds me of - no not Winx! It's Strawberry Shortcake (without wings) as each Blossom Bakery tale evolves around the girls' friendship and the misunderstandings they experience.
|Blossom Bakery grils
|Strawberry Shortcake girls: from the left: Plum Pudding, Blueberry Muffin, Orange Blossom, Strawberry Shortcake, Cherry Jam, Raspberry Tort, Lemon Meringue)
The pictures are part of this review because it shows that readers who have watched/read other vaguely alike shows/books that Blossom Bakery fairies are girls they want to get to know - I definitely did!
I loved finding out the different skills the girls have, how they learn the hard way that form extra special occasions you often can't do a good job on your own (Cupcake and the Princess Party) and friends will understand a situation more than you give them credit for (Secret Sleepover). The detail of the delightful illustrations makes each page worth several more, for readers can imagine the hours it took Cupcake to make all the cakes that weren't quite right (Princess Party), and the anger/frustration/disappointment Cookie receives (Secret Sleepover).
The reason that both these books lose a grade is that they are confusing. It doesn't seem that Cupcake goes to the same Fairy Academy as the other girls - in both Princess Party and Secret Sleepover she doesn't go there and no one says they missed her. She seems the same age as the others, so why is she missing school? It doesn't say that she is super advanced at magic thus not needing to go to school. I think most readers won't pick up on this point, but it's one I've noticed. To end on a positive note I love how each book has a recipe at the end which relates to the food baked in the story - they aren't the same!
Suggested read
For more magical cupcake fun check out Princess Milly's Mixed-Up Magic: Birthday Surprise by Clemency Pearce & Lauren Beard (Children's, Picture book, 10/10E)


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The reporter, however, highlights an incredibly important truth. The man tries to cope by avoiding feelings of joy and happiness, but he finds it completely impossible. Happiness always appears. I think we all find ourselves in situations where we feel that there is absolutely nothing that could possibly make us happy, but to realize that this individual - in the exact opposite position of wishing he could avoid happiness at whatever cost - finds himself unable to avoid things that make him happy. Perhaps if we all had something as dramatic as paralysis to mark every positive moment, we would realize how happy we really are...
Met in Utah, Married in Oregon, and left the cold of Wisconsin for the warm, sandy beaches of Virginia
Thursday, July 8, 2010
This morning I listened to this podcast of This American Life called Held Hostage. I am loving the show more and more, but was particularly fascinated by the Third Act (starts at about 47:40) of this one, about a man who is essentially paralyzed by feelings of joy, excitement and love. (You'll have to listen to it to completely understand).
Posted by Bryson Mortensen at 11:36 AM 3 comments:
Labels: Thoughts
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Today a new Poet Laureate was named. A wonderful guy named W.S. Merwin who writes some pretty fantastic poetry. Its times like this when I remember how much I love poems, their strong imagery and metaphors and succinct ideas. This is a new favorite poet of mine, I wish I could read more of his poems, but alas, being living - and just being named Poet Laureate - means that its a bit more difficult to get free copies of his poems. I'll have to break down and buy a book someday soon.
To whet your palate, here are two great ones, one from NPR's story, and another that you'll have to link to from Poets.org.
Your absence has gone through me
Like thread through a needle.
Everything I do is stitched with color.
Posted by Bryson Mortensen at 7:38 PM 2 comments:
Labels: Poetry
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Thursday, February 8, 2007
A Nostalgic Journey...
... back into the English countryside yesterday, with a visit to the current exhibition of John Constable's "six-footers" at the Huntington Library in Pasadena. An amazing assemblage of Constable's greatest landscapes, set side by side with a selection of the drawings, the small painted sketches and the full-sized sketches that the artist made in preparation for the final works--the fruit of his ambitious labors to be admitted to the Royal Academy. My companion for the afternoon, an artist, was most taken with the sketches, attracted by the "loose" quality that freed them from the social contingency of providing a naturalistic interpretation of the world--a function which has since been taken over by the camera. He himself--if I understand him right--is looking to escape the influence of the photograph in his work, and to capture, rather than the superficial versimilitude, the spiritual quality inherent in what it is he paints.
I have likely oversimplified my friend's intentions here, but I do believe that is also what Constable was about--and that he surely considered the sketches no more than a stop along the path. With the benefit of hindsight--and a lot of subsequent art history--we see their "looseness" as a precursor of the impressionist aesthetic. On reflection, I myself would tend to see that quality more in the work of Turner than in Constable. Or even, say, William Blake, whose pursuit of the spiritual was more turbulent, more visionary, less attached to the illusionary appearances of mundane reality. With Constable, I tend to trust the artist: for sure, his intentions were guided somewhat by what he saw to be the demands of his particular audience, but those big, finished paintings were, to my mind, the goalposts he was aiming for from the first preliminary sketches.
The "spirit", as I see it, in Constable's work, is the spirit of place--to use the Latin term, the genius loci. That fits in with the whole trope of the Romantic moment. Wordsworth and Coleridge, when they first started out with their joint effort, the "Lyrical Ballads," were much influenced by the Greek Anthology, which they saw to be the wellspring of all lyrical poetry. These were inscription poems--a more lovely version of "Kilroy was here", that age-old impulse to leave a mark of one's ephemeral passage through a particular point in space and time--poems that celebrated, in effect, the "spirit of the place," the genius loci.
For Constable, the "place" was very largely the vicinity of a small bend in the Stour River in the county of Suffolk, England. He brought the incredible concentration of an eye that missed nothing in the landscape, and the dedication of a heart that deeply loved this native corner of the world. His tireless, inexhaustible visual search for its peculiar truth, what we might call the "spirit of the place", resulted in the major components of this exhibition. Everything from the quick ink sketches to the extraordinary canvases, whose shades and brilliant luminosities evoke that particular something timeless and ethereal beyond themselves, a something that literally dwarfs the human and the animal figures that inhabit the represented scene.
OK, it is a Romantic notion--and these are Romantic paintings. It's hard for me, in all honesty, to find my way past the jigsaw puzzle picturesqueness of it all. Constable's idealization butts up against my pragmatic and reductive inclinations. Despite the shared geographical roots--this is the countryside in which I myself grew up, or close to it--I find myself admiring the paintings more than I can feel with them and resorting, like my friend, to the detail of paint and brushwork to maintain my interest. I want things to be more real.
Posted by PeterAtLarge at 6:19 AM
Labels: art, Los Angeles
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Our baby Sam, who is one, pulled over a pan of hot tea on himself this morning. He is at Akron Children's Hospital with second and third degree burns over about 20% of his body. He is awake, medicated for pain, fussy and needy, but he smiled at me a couple of times. There were only minor burns on his face, thank God. We will not know until the dressings are removed on Thursday if he will need surgery, or if he will be scarred. So, prayers, please.
Pray for Sam
September 9, 2014 by Daniel Nichols
15 Responses
Almighty and Eternal God, You are the everlasting health of those who believe in You. Hear us for Your sick servant Sam for whom we implore the aid of Your tender mercy, that being restored to bodily health, he may give thanks to You in Your Church. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
on September 10, 2014 at 6:46 am | Kathy
One backsliding protestant peacenik who reads you regularly is praying for you all.
on September 10, 2014 at 7:34 am | Mary
praying for Sam….
on September 10, 2014 at 7:48 am | November
Poor baby, prayers.
on September 10, 2014 at 12:39 pm | Tony Magliano
Sam is in my prayers!
We are praying. Hope baby Sam is feeling better.
on September 11, 2014 at 8:36 am | Jeff Mierzejewski
Prayers for Sam and for all the family.
Prayers for Sam's healing
on September 11, 2014 at 4:55 pm | donna
Oh so hard when little ones are hurting – good to hear he is still nursing, I'll be praying for your family.
In my thoughts and prayers. – JV
on September 15, 2014 at 1:16 am | Colby
Praying for your son, Dan! May St. Luke intercede and Our Lord, the Divine Physician heal him quickly, and completely.


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I could easily fall in love in that kind of autumn! I mean, I loved autumn, but since I've got two kids, and since one of them goes to school, and since germs spreads way too quickly, I kind of love it a bit less. Yeah, Antek catched some flu on his 2nd week of school, so we're all been felling worst these days. Everyone apart from me! I'm the head of this house nowadays, can't afford to be ill. September was super hectic because of that, october seems to be flying by too.
The blanket season is just round the corner (or here already for some). I have made some plain colours and also some funky RGB (RedGreenBlue) blankets for babies. We only took shots of red and RGB on this occasion but different colours are available, just go to the SHOP or e-mail me at firstname.lastname@example.com. ALSO. I made this double sided mushroom jacket and scarf (see pictures). The jacket meant to be for school (royal blue) but I wanted it to be a bit funky, so mushroom side for the weekends! Both are not in the shop since I made especially for him and the scarf is a trial, but if You would like one alike e-mail me.
Hope You're having a nice weekend. We had a lazy saturday and planning to go to the cinema with the kiddos tomorrow.


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We had a great discussion this morning in the Templates workgroup. One of the agreements that we came pretty close to making was how to address referencing a templateId in an instance when you are dealing with old-style (version-unaware) templates, and new-style (version aware) templates.
In the old way, this was the correct way to reference a template.
<templateId root='18.104.22.168'/>
In the new way, this is the correct way to reference a specific version of the template.
<templateId root='184.108.40.206' extension='versionLabel'/>
When operating under the old world order, and in the new world order, the first reference to a template identifer in an instance still needs to work.
That's because instances created using version aware templates may still need to refer to other templates that aren't yet version aware (under the new model).
So, the first example above is what I'm calling a version unaware templateId, and the second example is a version aware templateId. The former can only point to a version unaware template definition, and the latter can only point to a version aware template definition.
Instances can use either or both forms. And in fact, this is perfectly legal:
<templateId root='18.104.22.168'/>
<templateId root='188.8.131.52' extension='versionLabel'/>
In the example above, the instance of the act is declaring conformance to both the version unaware release of the template, and to the newer version aware edition.
The Art-Decor project currenly uses <templateId root='126.96.36.199'> to reference "the current version" of the template, enforcing a "dynamic" constraint to the template. I would argue that any content creator knows WHICH version(s) of a template are being used, and so MUST report the version identifier. That is because versions are allowed to introduce backwards incompatible changes (which is part of why we doing this).
In any case, we will be discussing this further next week.


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Happy Music Monday, everyone! This week, how about another current tune, eh? This one is up for 6 Grammys, including Song of the Year! Please enjoy "We Are Young" by fun.
ONLY the ACTUAL LINK POST here and grab the code below and place it at your blog entry. You can grab this code at LadyJava's Lounge Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.
PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!
Ant-Man and the Wasp
5 days ago


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Three Rare Hertz Shelby Mustangs Up for Grabs in Collector Car Auction at the April 4-7 Food Lion AutoFair
The April 4-7 Food Lion AutoFair at Charlotte Motor Speedway has something to entice every automotive enthusiast in the country, including a giant collector car auction, hosted by Dealer Auctions Inc., featuring a bevy of amazing and hard-to-find cars up for bid.
This spring, the collector car auction will be highlighted by three rare Shelby Ford Mustang Hertz-edition cars. Collectors will likely recognize these beautiful gold and black Mustangs as those that appeared in the Food Lion AutoFair Showcase Pavilion last fall as part of the Carroll Shelby Tribute display. All three cars will go on the block during the final day of the Collector Car Auction on April 6.
"I've enjoyed these cars for so many years," said Greg Sullins, the owner of the three Shelby Mustangs. "Maybe it is time for them to move on to a new owner."
The first car to go on the block will be the special 1966 Shelby GT350H fastback, which features a professional concours restoration. The car has 40,600 original miles and is documented in the Shelby World Registry along with its ownership history.
"This particular car is one that was used in New York in its rental fleet back in the day," Sullins said. "I've got the history of the car. It has had seven owners since 1966. It is an all-original car, no rust in it and no damage to it. It is iconic in terms of when you think of performance cars."
Following the sale of the 1966 Shelby, a matching pair of Shelby GT-Hs Mustangs will hit the block as a single lot. The 40th anniversary 2006 Shelby GT-H Coupe #296 and its matching 2007 Shelby GT-H Convertible #296 are both well-documented, with information from Ford, Shelby and Hertz. Both cars are also a part of the Shelby World Registry.
"The 2006 model was never available to the public [as a new car]. They only made 500 of the cars," Sullins said. "That car came out of service with about 10,000 miles on it. I had that car, #296, and then I commenced research to find the matching convertible from 2007.
"Long story short, I tracked down the matching 2007 #296 in San Diego. I got it purchased immediately and had it shipped across the country here to Charlotte. I guess Hertz had forgotten about it, that particular car had been sitting in a lot out of service for about eight months. It had about 22,000 miles on it."
The three Shelby Mustangs won't be the only cars up for bid during the collector car auction. There are several other interesting rides that will be available for purchase, including a white 2011 Shelby GT350 45th anniversary edition Mustang, also owned by Greg Sullins.
Only 159 of these rare GT350s were made in 2011 and this is the final car to come off the production line, CSM #159.
Another rare car available during the collector car auction is a 1956 Ford Thunderbird. A national show winner, this car is a frame-off restoration to concours standards and has the original owner's manual and brochure.
Other rare and classic cars that will be available during the collector car auction include a 2004 Dodge SRT Viper Truck with only 1,200 miles with every piece of original paperwork, a museum-kept red with tan interior 1990 Ferrari Testarossa with only 8,000 miles on it and a 2005 American Tradition Motor Home, which is known as Vinnie's Blue Bus and owned by Dealer Auctions Inc. President Vincent Maffucci.
Bidder registration will be Thursday, April 4 and everyone is welcome to come view all the cars that will be available during the auction. The auction will be located on the concourse and will get underway on Friday, April 5 at 10 a.m. and continue Saturday, April 6 at 10 a.m., with the featured cars expected to begin rolling across the block beginning at 2 p.m.
The Food Lion AutoFair annually attracts more than 100,000 visitors, features nearly 50 car club displays and offers a surplus of automotive parts and memorabilia for sale or trade. In addition to the collector car auction, more than 1,500 collectible vehicles of all makes and models will be available for sale in the car corral that rings the 1.5-mile superspeedway.
Food Lion AutoFair Tickets are $10 for adults and free for children 13 and under. A four-day pass is available for $30. AutoFair is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. For tickets or additional information about Food Lion AutoFair or other events at Charlotte Motor Speedway, call 1-800-455-FANS or visit www.charlottemotorspeedway.com.
Follow Charlotte Motor Speedway on Facebook at www.facebook.com/charlottemotorspeedway or on Twitter at www.twitter.com/cltmotorspdwy.


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So while I have my 40 before 40 bucket list (that I've not made much progress on recently). I did check a big one of my overall life bucket list:
That's right, I met freaking STAN LEE! We drove over to Ohio for the Cincinnati Comic Expo where Stan Lee was a guest. Stan has said that he's going to start limiting his convention appearances starting next year, so this was a now-or-never opportunity. It made for a long day, and we were exhausted by the end, but it was so worth it! I went into full detail of the day and what I thought of the con on this week's Five(ish) Fangirls Podcast, so check it out!


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Today you will stamp a pattern in KidPix 4.1
- School Programs
- Lab Programs
Type your name and class.
Stamp two patterns
Students will type their name using a keyboard.
Students will be able to use mouse to stamp pictures.
Students will create a pattern.
Students will print to a network printer.


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|Hizmet Movement and the Thought and Teachings of Fethullah Gulen: Contributions to Multiculturalism and Global Peace
Taipei, Nov. 29 (CNA) An international conference on the Hizmet Movement, a civic movement inspired by the Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gulen, will be held in Taipei to promote its teachings and practices in Taiwan, organizers said Thursday.
The conference, held under the banner "Hizmet Movement and the Thought and Teachings of Fethullah Gulen: Contributions to Multiculturalism and Global Peace," is slated to take place Dec. 8-9 at National Taiwan University's College of Social Sciences.
Scholars from Taiwan, Turkey, the United States and Japan will discuss issues ranging from faith-inspired social movements and the structure, development and finance of the movement to Gulen's contributions to democracy, modern Islamic theology, science, education and charity, said the Taipei-based Formosa Institute, which is co-organizing the event with the Taiwan Association of Islamic Studies.
They will also discuss the philosophy of Hizmet (the Turkish word for "service"), compare Gulen's philosophy with Confucian thinking, and discuss the movement's stance on gender issues, the institute said.
Similar conferences have been held in countries including the U.S. and Britain, said the institute, an organization inspired by the teachings of Gulen and other intellectual and spiritual leaders.
Fethullah Gulen, a scholar, educator and author who advocates a moderate brand of Islam, has millions of followers around the world. He is known for making the remark "a terrorist cannot be a Muslim, nor can a true Muslim be a terrorist," after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in the U.S. in 2001.
In July 2008, the 71-year-old Islamic scholar, who now lives in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, was voted by readers of the U.S.' Foreign Policy magazine and Britain's Prospect magazine as the world's top public intellectual in a poll.
Fethullah Gulen has inspired the founding of hundreds of schools, hospitals and businesses around the world, including schools in 140 countries.
His teachings advocate tolerance, peace and intercultural and interfaith dialogue, as well as mutual understanding among different religious and ethnic groups.
Work done by Gulen followers focus on issues ranging from democracy, multiculturalism and globalization to civil society and intercultural dialogue, the institute said.
Published on Focus Taiwan on November 29, 2012
(By Christie Chen)
Related articles:


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Jason Hernandez-Rosenblatt
Restaurant Reviewer, NY Daily News
Brooklyn, NY
Gleaning from diets ranging from the Masai to the Maori, Laura Ingalls Wilder to the Lakota, Incas to Indonesians, Nourishing Traditions challenges modern and new-fangled (what author Sally Fallon refers to as "politically correct…nutritionally incorrect") ideas about food in favor of traditional and ancient methods of preparing and preserving.
Fallon is profoundly influenced by the writings of Weston A. Price, a renowned Alfred Kinsey-esque figure in early twentieth century American Dentistry who published a series of ethnographic nutrition studies across a vast and diverse spectrum of indigenous cultures. He found that those who stuck to "traditional" diets, relying on fermented grains, raw milk, organ meats and animal fats maintained almost perfect teeth, bone structures, and physiques while often reaching the century mark free of disease. Those that switched over to "Western" diets based on bleached grains, pasteurized milk, processed foods and an emphasis on low fat became, within a generation, in Price's words "punier", "sickly", "weak" , "malformed", and devastated by a host of diseases and ailments that their ancestors had never experienced.
For added kicks, each page also features sidebars presenting recipe-related culinary literary excerpts.
Here's a pair of go-to recipes (using ingredients found on any self-respecting desert island) I'll share with three of the mermaids that can often be found basking on my desert island.
-- Jason Hernandez-Rosenblatt
(recipes adapted from Nourishing Traditions)
1 pound whitefish, cut into ½ inch cubes
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ cup lime juice
1 tablespoon whey
¾ cup coconut milk
1 bunch scallions, chopped
1 tomato, peeled, seeded, and chopped (optional)
1 clove garlic, crushed (optional)
Boston lettuce leaves
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted
Mix salt with lime juice and whey. Toss with fish and marinate at least 4 hours in the refrigerator. Drain the fish. Add coconut milk, scallions and optional tomato and garlic. Serve on Boston lettuce leaves and garnish with sesame seeds.
Note: I usually use 3 or 4 cloves of garlic and skip the lettuce and tomato. Serves 4.
4 very ripe large plantain bananas
or 8 small red bananas
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil or lard
¼ cup of honey
½ teaspoon of cinnamon
Piima cream or crème fraiche for garnish
Peel bananas and cut lengthwise. Saute in batches in olive oil or lard, transferring with a slotted spoon to an oblong Pyrex dish. Make a mixture of orange juice, honey and cinnamon. Pour over bananas and bake at 300 degrees for about 15 minutes. Serve in bowls with a dollop of cultured cream. Serves 4.


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Friday, 8 August 2008
Alice's bubble wrap
Chief executive Sir Fred Goodwin calls it a "chastening experience" that he "regrets very much". Any hope of a resignation letter, Sir Fred? Or are you the right man to turn things around?
Fannie Mae loses $2.3 billion
It could have been worse Sir Fred. You could have been the CEO of Fannie.
ECB to offer banks $10 billion to calm markets
Just in case anyone has forgotten, central banks are continuing their liquidity support operations.
Money Market `Plagued' by Libor That Fed Can't Reduce
"Whatever I do, don't seem to work. It only seems to make matters worse".
The credit crunch is one year old. The U.S. market for commercial paper, or short-term IOUs, backed by assets such as mortgages has shrunk 40 percent from its peak in July 2007. The amount borrowed in pounds between banks in the U.K. fell by 70 percent in June from a record in February 2007. The European Central Bank received $100 billion of bids for the $25 billion it offered to financial institutions on July 29, the most since the sales began in December.
Sterling starts to slide
Just the ticket for inflation; higher import prices.
BoE will raise inflation forecast
The Inflation report is out next week. We should see a higher inflation forecast and more lame talk about balancing acts.
What will the US government do about Freddie and Fannie
With both institutions enjoying government guarantees, the US Treasury is in a hole. If only we had something like Freddie here in the UK.
Venezuela's inflation hits 33.7 percent in July
This is exactly what the people living in the Venezuelan barrios need; a poverty enhancing double digit inflation rate.
What happens when the credit crunch finally subsides?
Something needs to be done about those investment banks. A stiff dose of regulation? Definitely.
$1 trillion bank losses?
Some think this number is a tadge conservative.
4 comments:
The crunch is about to get much worse.
- 8 August 2008 at 20:56
Please keep going Alice. Some people do treasure your charts.
- 8 August 2008 at 22:43
$1 trillion excessive? Maybe that's the net amount after all the taxpayer bailouts are factored in.
- 8 August 2008 at 22:44
This from Reuter:
"...More than half of all private tenants polled said they were increasingly concerned about being able to afford their rent, AXA said.
"Our research shows that over a third of people privately renting are doing so because they can't get a mortgage at the moment," Mike Keating, managing director of personal lines intermediary at AXA, said in a statement.
"On the surface of it, this looks like the rental market should be buoyant. But if you consider that many of those renting may be struggling to make ends meet it is certainly not all good news for buy-to-let owners," he said.
Can someone explain to me how it is that renters who are "struggling to make ends meet" are going to not struggle to pay mortgages? Does anyone really know what the hell is going on here?
- 9 August 2008 at 05:51


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Research Award Programs
Research Grants Announcement - 2012
As we enter our 14th year, the Melanoma Research Foundation (MRF) is pleased to announce its continued Research Award Programs. The MRF is a national non-profit health organization. Our mission is to fund RESEARCH to find more effective treatments and a cure for melanoma, to EDUCATE clinicians, related healthcare providers, patients and families about melanoma prevention and treatments, and to ADVOCATE on behalf of the melanoma patient and scientific community. We hope that you will inform members of your institution about our Research Award Programs.
Career Development Grant
The Career Development Grant provides up to $50,000 per year for two years. We support Career Development Awards as a means to encourage junior investigators to enter the field of melanoma research. For 2010, we funded three second-year projects and four first-year projects.
Applications Accepted: Sept. 1 - Nov. 1, 2011
Established Investigator Grant
The Established Investigator Award provides up to $100,000 per year for two years. Our first Established Investigator Award was granted for 2006 as the Diana Ashby Award. The purpose of this grant is to encourage investigators to attempt high-risk, but potentially high-yield, melanoma research projects. For 2010, the foundation funded one second-year project and two first-year projects.
Applications Accepted: Sept.1 - Nov. 1, 2011
For questions or additional information, you may reach us by telephone at (800) 673-1290 or by email at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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I recently came across the following quote on USGenWeb. It pretty much spells out how we, as genealogists, both professional and non-professional, feel about cemeteries.
" Wo, to him who can trample down without emotion the grass of the church yard, and who breathes not within his heart a fervent prayer at sight of those tombs, where so many affections, so many hopes are swallowed up, and many we will hope are at rest in the Lord. The only thing certain is the destruction of the body, and the immortality of the soul; for that frail body, dust and forgetfulness. For the soul, a celestial dwelling where it will enjoy eternal happiness, if it has not betrayed the purpose of its mission, in the course of its short pilgrimage on earth. Yes! tread lightly in the cemetery; there kneel in that place consecrated to grief and meditation. It seems impossible, even to approach such a spot without the soul being benefited; it will probably awaken some holy recollections of childhood or some warning of the shortness of life. What a volume are those tombs; how eloquently do they speak to the heart, at least to those who understand their language --how forcibly do they announce the nothingness of terrestrial things! Yes! it is in these pages, traced by the hand of death, that we may study and learn the necessity of virtue -- If man approached more frequently the resting place of the dead he would not remain so indifferent to the mild voice of conscience.
-The Democratic Banner, Guyandotte, WV, Thursday, 7 May 1874"
I noted with great sadness on Memorial Day when my 72 year old Dad and I attended to our family graves that the grass had not been cut recently at the cemetery. There were stones that were crooked or broken. Even my own grandparents stone had been knocked from it's base by a riding lawn mower and requires us to provide the repair.
We noted the hundreds of tombstones that lay without adornment. Not a flag or a flower in site.
We spent over an hour at one of our cemeteries. While there we noted only a single couple. We introduced ourselves, as they were visiting a grave just one row beyond my great-grandparents. The woman told us her 92 year old mother was in the car. They had driven up from Virginia to visit her familiy's stones. Her mother was originally from the little town my Dad was. They encouraged us to stop by their car and speak with the woman. And so we did.
What a pleasant visit we had! The sweet, fragile looking woman was sharp-witted and bright. She clearly remembered my Dad's family. Even his father, who passed away in 1954.
We visit three cemeteries on our yearly round. In the little cemetery at Gates, near Keenan, WV, we saw not a single visitor. There was evidence that others had been there in their flowers and flags on the graves. But no one there as we were. At the second, Carmel Cemetery, in Gap Mills, we saw 2 other cars. And as I said, at the last, in Waiteville, the lone other car.
What has happened to the respect we once had for the cemetery?
There was a time when families went to the cemetery in the spring, and again in the fall, to clean the graves and do any maintenance needed on tombstones. When I was a child, families went every Memorial Day to pay tribute and provide maintenance and care for the grave. [We don't have perpetual care in the little cemeteries where I am from. Many here are family cemeteries. Others church owned. Some do good just to get the grass cut a few times during the summer months.]
Families today do not take the time to teach their children about those who are buried there. The children, in turn, have no respect for those who have come and gone. Much less for their final resting place.
Heaven help us when we stand before our maker and we are found guilty of not respecting those who have paved the way for us! I feel it is my obligation to my ancestors to provide their final care.
I am sure that I get some very strange looks from people as I visit my families graves. I find myself talking aloud to them. Even those that passed away before I was ever born or thought of! My favorite place to sit and talk is to my great-grandmother, Margaret, and to my grandfather, John. Great-grandmother died in 1891. And my grandfather died in 1954, a few years before my birth. But I have studied them so carefully that I can almost smell them!
Great-grandmother was a bony woman who worked like a man! I can see that in her. She would put in a full-days work, yet still have the tender touch of a loving mother as she tucked her little ones beneath soft, thick quilts at night. This is a woman who took four small children, put them in a covered wagon, hitched an ox to it, and drove it from the present day Virginia/West Virginia line in Monroe County, all the way to Sandusky, Ohio! That was through enemy territory, during the Civil War! And yes, she did it alone. What a woman!
Grandfather, John, was born in 1866 in Ohio, following the War. His mother and father came back to West Virginia shortly after his birth. In a family of relatively tall men, grandfather was a short, squat 5'7". He liked to tease that the move from Ohio to West Virginia in a covered wagon during the dead of winter when he was an infant, stunted his growth. [The story was told that they all nearly froze to death before they got back to the comfort of their old home in West Virginia!]
Grandfather was faithful Christian. And a wonderful story teller. When my Dad was born to him, my Grandpa was 71 years old. So, he had the time to sit and talk to my Dad. Dad regales me now with the tales his father told him about his family. Sometimes I can hear Grandpa tell me to have faith; to just hold on; when things get tough.
Funny how these people, these people who were gone so many years before I came along, can speak so clearly to me today!
I wonder... who will listen for them to speak when I am gone? Who will watch their graves when I am no more? Who will tell their story when I am silent?
Thursday, July 9, 2009
The Hallowed Ground of the Cemetery
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Wednesday, March 8, 2017
I was driven to work out the bard and monk sage abilities, as I had no structure for those at all. I have a structure now, though of course there is a ton of work to do on those. I'm not stressing it, however. I was asked by a friend to do a little more work on the bard, so I will be kicking at that subject over the next week.
Both online campaigns are in mid-adventure at the moment and I've left 7 people on tenterhooks for two days, while I work out some issues. No worries. I will be picking up the campaigns again in a day or two. I'm just resting.
In the next month or so, however, I'm going to be concentrating on two things: the comic and the book. The reasons for this are simple. Money. I did not begin the comic because I've always wanted to be a comic book artist, but because I realized I have gotten just good enough to create what could be considered adequate design. The top down feature is original to the art-comic-strip world and I am a good enough writer of humor that I can keep this going for a time. I am hoping it brings some attention to the blog, to me, to the wiki and in general to my Patreon account.
My Patreon has been up for about a year, and during that time I have a cadre of extremely supportive, phenomenal, dedicated contributors who are paying through the nose to help me. The average donation for this group is above $10 a month. These people really like me.
My Patreon does not have two or three hundred people giving the relatively nothing cost of $1 a month, which seems reasonable and practical to ask but which appears to be an epic fail on my part. I'm simply not compelling the ordinary folk to donate. Frankly, I've likely acted the misanthrope one too many times. The majority of the online blog D&D community just don't like me.
So I have to go look for a new audience. The comic is a chance to do that. I think it is funny. My friends and acquaintances here in the real world seem to think it is funny. I accept that it is going to be harder with strangers, largely because I need to build up a body of work in this field. I am learning as I go. I think readers will be pleasantly surprised as the comic progresses. I have 13 total scripts and 7 completed comics as yet unposted. I will be putting them up on Wednesdays and Saturdays. My goal it to produce a minimum of 150. 150 comics is a book that I can sell.
As well, the strips may convince complete strangers that I'm worth a buck for a few months.
It takes about three hours for me to make a difficult strip, about 90 minutes to create an easy one. I'm told this is an insanely productive turnaround time. I have no idea. I've never been a comic artist. I did not draw things in school. I have none of the past characteristics one would associate with an online comic strip creator. I'm a writer.
Now, the book. I am struggling to hold myself to 1,667 words per day. That is the November Book in a Month pace. It's a little slower than a book a month, however, as I'm counting rewrites, editing and places where I'm burning down a part of the book and writing something better from scratch. Overall, the work is progressing. I want to have a final copy the 1st of June.
I am, however, terrified by the whole damn work. It is 16 months in the making right now and I have great reservations about the value of the project. I have lost all perspective at this point and I have exactly no one that I can trust or communicate with whose perspective I trust (or respect). I feel alone and somewhat set upon by the wolves of my consciousness, making me extremely bitter about the whole project. So, normal artist shit.
I'd love to put up some sort of measure online, every day, that would matter to someone, to signal my commitment, but I can't think of one. At best, I can feel myself growing stressed and angry ~ and these are good signs. When faith quits, when enthusiasm dies, when doubt creeps in and despair upon its heels, anger will get us home. Anger is the artist's friend.
So, fuck this fucking project. I'm going to finish the fucking thing so it will quit pestering me.
Sorry. Just thinking things through a bit.
Everything I do on and off line costs in time and energy where it comes to completing things that will improve my survival and standard of living. I want to play, I want to have a good time, I want to self-care . . . but ultimately there is what's important and what's really important. If the reader will just bear with me, I'll just get past this trouble and then all will be sweetness and light.
7 comments:
- Simon Proctor said...
As a long time reader of the blog I'd be interested in shipping in on the Patreon. But you don't make it easy to find. As far as I can see there's no links on this page to it at all.
- March 8, 2017 at 7:03 PM
- Kismet said...
Last comic has it as a link.
Good to hear you're doing...
Alright? I guess.
- March 8, 2017 at 8:28 PM
- Alexis Smolensk said...
Thank you, Simon. I appreciate what you've done ~ it does much for my confidence.
- March 9, 2017 at 12:25 PM
- Joey Bennett said...
I suspect part of what you are coming up against is that people frequently just don't donate to things, regardless of the worthiness of the cause. Also, it seems that people who are inclined to donate are much more likely to donate a larger amount once, as opposed to a small amount repeatedly.
What I can say to anyone who might be contemplating donating is that the quality of the books that Alexis has produced is superb. I received them for my birthday last week and have not been able to put them down. If what he is working on is of interest to you, then I respectfully submit that any donation you contribute will be well worth the investment.
- March 9, 2017 at 2:47 PM
- Alexis Smolensk said...
Thank you Joey, that is very kind praise.
I feel that people do frequently donate to things that matter to them. If I have failed to matter enough, then that it up to me to produce more and better material, worthy of donation.
- March 9, 2017 at 4:40 PM
- Archon said...
To be completly honest, I think that it is simply trivial inconvience. Most people (myself included, to some extent), cannot be bothered to go through the steps of making a patreon account and setting up a donation. Its not that they don't want to, or that its particuarly hard, - the people who care a lot easily set up larger donatons - its just that there is other stuff to be done, and it doesn't feel like a big deal.
I'll get round to it later, I swear I will...
- March 14, 2017 at 6:04 AM
- Alexis Smolensk said...
I wish you could consider taking the plunge, Archon. Even the smallest amount could be encouraging to others, causing them to feel that they are not alone. Your one small gesture could start a chain reaction that would be the difference between me wasting 1,000 hours of the next six months cleaning the crap off the bottoms of ovens and chopping carrots into smaller pieces and my working and teaching others how to build a better, stronger, more meaningful D&D game, writing a book and putting out funny comics.
It's your choice.
- March 14, 2017 at 4:40 PM


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It's been awhile since I had anything newly finished to post, but I finally got the Lone Wolf that I started to build back in...well, that last time I had a game with Warfrog actually. So if you recall the New Years Resolution I made to try to get as many of the single minis on my painting table painted this year, you might spot this Space Wolf model standing next to a gunner with a red shoulder pad. That fellow is this Lone Wolf. Here he is below prior to being assembled and just few coats of paint away from being done.
Seguewaying slightly before I talk more about the Lone Wolf, the gunner was originally the gunner to my Leman Russ Exterminator, who found himself unemployed when his vehicle got dropped from the latest Space Wolf Codex. He had been reassigned to my Land Raider Crusader that I've been slowly working on in the 'Pods to Drop Lands to Raid' series.
Here is the gunner again mostly done and with those Old School Decals added. I applied decals to 3 shoulder pads today, one on the gunner obviously, one for the Lone Wolf, and one for a Death Watch Marine that I have yet to show you all. The hatches you see to the right are intended to the Land Raider's multi-melta...
...which in this pic is about 75% done. It is currently about 85% done. I was torn with adding another gunner to it, but in the end I think a Land Raider might look a bit silly with too many marines poking out of the hatches. So the hatches will remain shut and I will have to add handles to this gun.
OK, back to the Lone Wolf...
It wasn't until I was painting it that I realized that the "chain" of the chain sword is exposed on this models, so I went in past it and tried to create a shimmering 'icy' look to it. I let you lot tell me I pulled off the illusion. Also, I decided to make his pack markings 'wolf guard' just in case I wanted to used the model as a Wolf Guard leader for a squad instead of a Lone Wolf, 'cause why not?
Used a simple dry brush technique for the wolf tail. I'm pleased with the plate on the backpack.
I really am pleased with how the bone bits came out on this model. However looking at these pics on the computer at a size vastly larger than the model does help me scrutinize it with a more critical eye. I see that the black line on the knee join, which look passable on the actual model looks crooked as hell on the blown image.
So is Mr. Lone Wolf done? 99% yes. A few more minor touch ups, static grass on the base, and a light blast of sealer and he will be!
I'll be back on the road and once again taking the Portable Neverness kit with me (I flew on my last excursion and couldn't take anything with me) as well as the drop pod and other assorted items to work on. My dear friend Mrs. Bink has started her only Blog redbirdmuse after much pressure from me to do so. She's been hand crafting her own colorful journals for awhile now and they look very cool. One of her characters in my Dark Heresy campaign is a Sister of Battle and we have been talking about doing a journal for this character in the style that she uses for her journals. I will be taking my sketch pad with me on the road and I hope to come back with some images she can use. 'Til next time,


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|Harambe Gorilla sells on eBay for $99,900
Would you be surprised to learn that a gorilla shaped Cheeto from a bag of Flamin' Hot Cheetos sold on eBay for $99,900?
eBay seller "valuestampsinc" listed "Gorilla Hot Cheetos - RARE - One of a Kind Cheetos - Harambe Gorilla"
The Real Harambe the Gorilla was not so FortunateYou may recall that the real Harambe (the 400 lb. Gorilla) had to be put down during a kidnapping in 2016 at the Cincinatti Zoo after grabbing a 4 year-old child and violently dragging him around his enclosure.
Cheeto Winning Bidder on eBay Received Free Standard Shipping
The seller started the bidding at $11.99 and the price increased from there until the Harambe Gorilla Cheeto reached $99,900. The auction attracted a reported 132 bids, and finally closed on February 7, 2017 at 3:45 a.m. User valuestampsinc sold it out of Burbank, CA. The winning buyer even received free standard shipping.
Even More Strange Cheeto Auctions on eBay
Since the sale of Harambe the Gorilla, others are flocking to eBay to sell their Cheetos.
User "2cutechicksboutique" is selling "Cheetos shaped like Statue of Liberty" with a Buy It Now price of $1,000. This listing was active as of February 7, 2017. View it below.
|Statue of Liberty shaped Cheeto
User "cheapvaluables" is selling "OBO-CHEETO-Looks Like THE HEISMAN TROPHY Shaped-UNIQUE-FRITO-LAY-ONE OF A KIND" on eBay with a Buy It Now price of $495. View it below.
|Heisman Trophy shaped Cheeto on eBay
Another user, "game911over" is selling "Unique Flying Superman Cheeto Collectors Item Original Cheeto Unusual L@@k" on eBay with a Buy It Now Price of $5,000. View it below.
This listing is somewhat unique as he puts this in the description:
This listing is somewhat unique as he puts this in the description:
Unique original Cheeto. Nothing altered on it. Original shape straight from the bag.
Looks like a Unique Flying Superman Cheeto , you don't even need a description,
you can see his arms out, the head the nose, legs out and cape, very unusual shape.
If you like collecting weird stuff or like superheroes then this is for you. Just trying to get
money to pay for my fathers funeral, he just died unexpectedly at the age of 58 and
didn't have life insurance, he was a hero to me and my and his grandchildren. God bless.
|Superman shaped Cheeto for sale on eBay


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"A figure from Daein's past appears unexpectedly in the night. A figure thought to have perished in the Mad King's War, the blood-stained right hand of the king himself, the mysterious Black Knight. The Black Knight protects Micaiah against Jarod's cowardly surprise attack. However, Micaiah senses that Jarod has one last move to make. Deprived of his chance to capture Micaiah, Jarod abandons all notions of retreat or negotiation. Instead, he makes plans for revenge. He murders an emissary from his homeland of Begnion and reclaims control of Daein Keep. From within the keep, he launches a savage barrage of catapult fire, all but destroying the castle town. The momentary peace that arrived with the Begnion emissary shatters along with Nevassa's walls, and the people of the city see their kin and their capital crushed under a rain of stone. This treachery proves too much for them, and their grief explodes into rage. Micaiah and company have pitched camp on a nearby hillside. When this merciless attack begins, its brutality leaves them lost for words."
—Opening Narration
Daein, Arise (デイン復活 Dein Fukkatsu) is the final chapter of Part 1 in Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn.
- Map Affinity: Thunder
- Enemy reinforcements (1 fire mage, 1 thunder mage, 1 wind mage, and 1 fighter) come at start of turn 3 and turn 7.
- Also, 2 thieves will appear at the start turn 2.
- Micaiah or Sothe dies, Nailah dies, Black Knight dies.
Shop BargainEdit
- Wind Edge
- Javelin
- Hand Axe
- Iron Longbow
- Master Seal
- Olivi Grass
- Arms Scroll
- Arcfire
- Arcthunder
- Recover
|Fiona must be alive
|Volug must be alive
|Blue Gem
- Reaper Card (Lower left)
- Speedwing (Middle right, lower chest)
- Unlock (Middle right, above Speedwing)
- Vantage (Top right)
- Coin (Top left, left chest)
- Parity (Top left, right chest)
Bonus ExperienceEdit
- Clear chapter: (easy/normal: 2500) (Hard: 1250)
- Clear within 12 Turns: (easy/normal: 1250) (Hard:625)
|The following part of this article contains strategy; therefore, it is subjective, and may not work for everyone.
This is the last chance to control the Dawn Brigade, Tormod and his Laguz, Nailah or Rafiel for a while - make sure that you prepare them before starting the chapter. Ilyana will also move to the Greil Mercenaries, allowing the player to transfer items.
To get the items out of the chests, put Pass onto Nailah. It's virtually impossible for her to die, and if you kill the bandits quickly, you will have plenty of time to get Sothe over there after a few turns.
It's possible to use Glare to petrify the Physic priests, allowing weaker units to grind off them for EXP or WEXP, which is one of the ways to overcome Fiona's initial weakness.
Note that on second playthrough, deploying the Black Knight is one of the requirements to recruit Lehran in the endgame.