text:
Friday, May 27, 2016
Review: "It's Not You, It's Me" by Allison Rushby (Contemporary Romance)
Thursday, May 26, 2016
Review: "Wish List" by Belinda Williams (Contemporary Romance)
|Wish List (#4)
by Belinda Williams
Publisher: Momentum Books - Moonlight
Series: City Love
The Boyfriend Sessions (#1)
The Pitch (#2)
Modern Heart (#3)
(Affil Links)
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publication Date: May 26, 2016
(Affiliate links)
|Description from Publisher: Could the wrong man on paper be the perfect man in real life?
Cate Harmon likes lists. While this may serve her well as a financial planner, her girlfriends think that creating a checklist for her ideal man is going a step too far. But she has one, and she's sticking to it.
Cate has always dreamed of starting a family and settling down and yet she's the only one of her close knit friendship group still unattached. But that doesn't mean she's going to lower her standards.
Enter Dave, a reformed bad boy with gorgeous hair and eyes the wrong color. Dave doesn't tick any of the boxes on Cate's list. It's unthinkable that she would develop feelings for him, and yet ... Cate finds herself being drawn to Dave in a way she's never felt before.
Will Cate confront the reasons behind her list? Or will she risk losing a man who could be better than any list she could ever dream up?
My Rating:
Heat Rating:
|I received a digital ARC from the publisher through NetGalley.com for an honest, unbiased review. My opinion is my own.
So, I liked this. Surprising depth and even some darkness (primarily with Cate's family - they are definitely toxic!).
Cate's character was likable, but there were things about her that put me off. For instance, I didn't actually get the impression that she was as much of a romantic as everyone claimed. That may be because this was the first book in the series that I have read and it's the 4th. It was disappointing to me that Cate found out about Dave's wealth so quickly and the timing for that reveal wasn't great. She does more open to dating him soon after that, which doesn't dissuade you from thinking that she is a snob. I wanted her to find out about his wealth AFTER falling for him.
Dave was a bit too gruff for my tastes, though I did like him as well. The thing I liked most was how he treated people, generally being happy to help in any way that he could. The issues that came to light about his dad and how they were dealt with felt melodramatic.
The tension between the two was great though, and I liked them as a couple. They seemed to be well-matched.
I do wish this had more of a focus on her list, as it seemed to imply in the description. I had been under the impression that she was going to actually have a list that she took too seriously that included things like a certain eye color. Mostly, she wanted a rich guy who was successful and that's what she got. There wasn't a love triangle, despite the fact a few dates with a guy who "checked several boxes" were mentioned. I didn't ever believe that she cared much for James.
Overall, this was a nice read and likely a good ending to this series.
Wednesday, May 25, 2016
Review: "Never Let Go" by Allison B. Hanson (Contemporary Romance)
|Never Let Go
by Allison B. Hanson
Publisher: Kensington Books - Lyrical Shine
Series: Blue Ridge Romance
When Least Expected (#1)
Nick of Time (#2)
(Affiliate Links)
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publication Date: May 24, 2016
(Affiliate links)
|Description from Publisher: Riley Fisher doesn't have time to chase after men. As a single mother working two jobs, she barely has time to eat or sleep. But a girl has needs. So when handsome veteran Sam Brooks asks her out, she decides she deserves some R&R. She doesn't expect anything else from him—after all, he's hardly the type to get serious.
Sam came back from Afghanistan lucky to be alive, despite PTSD that hits whenever he lets down his guard. His therapist told him to forget about relationships. When he meets Riley, he's not planning on breaking the rules. She's cute, petite, and a total smartass—not even his type. But she's hard to forget. Especially once he runs into Riley and her toddler on a rustic mountain getaway and sees what he's missing. Her kid makes him laugh all day. And Riley makes him burn all night.
Too bad a relationship is impossible. But they can enjoy the attraction. It's not like they're going to fall in love…
My Rating:
Heat Rating:
|I received a digital ARC from the publisher through NetGalley.com for an honest, unbiased review. This in no way influenced my review. My opinion is my 100% own.
What an unexpectedly deep and heartwarming story! This is so much more than I thought it would be. It starts as a romance of a couple, but quickly becomes a love story of a FAMILY.
The little boy, Luca, is wonderfully adorable. It's not always easy to write chils characters, but Hanson did so with so much heart and Luca is just so real.
You also can't help but sympathize with Sam and Riley. They both have so much baggage, but are both trying to do the best they can with it. I liked that they are so open about their feelings and expectations, and that it wasn't a miscommunication that cause a rift. The issues that they have, Sam with PTSD from being deployed to a war zone, and Riley having to deal with a jerk ex-husband, are very genuine contemporary issues. Because of this, my heart broke at the climax, fearing things wouldn't work out like I wanted them to.
I hadn't realized that this was a part of the "Blue Ridge Romance" series until partway through, but it wasn't really necessary to read the others - this really is standalone. The supporting characters all play their parts wonderfully. Most notably, I enjoyed the unusual, but not improbable, way Riley's ex-mother-in-law, Anita, who chose her ex-daughter-in-law over her a-hole son.
Considering the focus on the family over the couple, I might classify this in more of the Womens Lit genre than romance, but I think this is still something your average lover of contemporary romance will thoroughly enjoy.
Tuesday, May 24, 2016
Review: "The Accidental Boyfriend" by Maggie Dallen (Contemporary Romance, Chick Lit)
|The Accidental Boyfriend (#2)
by Maggie Dallen
Publisher: Lyrical Press
Series: Chance Romance
The Accidental Engagement (#1) (affil.)
The Accidental Elopement (#3) (affil.)
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Chick Lit
Publication Date: May 24, 2016
(Affiliate links)
|Description from Publisher: Holly Sinclair is ready to have it all. She's even found her Mr. Right--a steady, reliable guy who just needs a little convincing. Now all the former wild child has to do is free herself of her very inconvenient attraction to Jack Everett. Not only does the notorious playboy and tabloid king seduce her at her sister's wedding, he follows her to Paris! Suddenly, Holly is alone with Jack in the most romantic city in the world--and his family is leaping to the wrong conclusions…
The world's most infamous bachelor has finally met his match. If Jack was the type to settle down, Holly would be the woman of his dreams. There's just one hitch: Holly actually believes she wants to marry Mr. Oh-So-Boring. Intent on proving that she deserves someone better, Jack finds himself playing the role of the perfect boyfriend…a little too well. If he's not careful, he might just lose this game--and his heart.
My Rating:
Sexiness Rating:
|I received a digital ARC from the publisher through NetGalley.com for an honest, unbiased review. My opinion is my own.
Let me start out by saying that I really like Jack, the male lead here. I had read "The Accidental Engagement" before reading this, and even with just the small glimpse you get of who he is, you can't help but like him. In this book, you get to know him for more than just an intelligent playboy and see him for who he actually is: a sweetheart who is also funny and sexy.
This story has one of my favorite type of male leads: the guy who sells himself short and doesn't realize how awesome he is. I suppose that's referred to as the "beta male." I am a sucker for underdogs, so this really works for me! His humor and sweetness conjured up the image of James Marsden.
I felt Holly wasn't quite as developed as Jack was, so I mostly rooted for them because I liked Jack so much and they seemed like a good fit. She's still a solid character that is very likable, however. She felt, amusingly enough, similar in disposition to Holly Golightly in "Breakfast at Tiffany's," but with more sass.
The sexual chemistry was electric between these characters, and the way their romance grows really works. There was no doubt that a solid foundation of friendship is built first and the bonding is sweet. There were many 'moments' between them that will make you smile, and the heat between the characters is all the better for it.
I was impressed with the fact that Maggie Dallen chose her catalyst for wanting to "settle down" to be a miscarriage (worth noting here that it is merely mentioned and is unlikely to make anyone uncomfortable). As common as miscarriages are, they rarely come up and it was nicely handled here.
All of that said, this does seem a bit predictable and while this can easily be read as a standalone novel, the reader will get more out of this if the first book is read. And, having read the first, that wouldn't be a hardship. ;)
I would recommend this to anyone who is a fan of the contemporary romance/romantic comedy genre. I look forward to the next book of the series!
at 11:13:00 AM
No comments:
Labels: 4 Stars, G: Chick Lit, G: Contemporary Romance, G: New Adult, Heat 4.5, S: Netgalley, sweet romance, T: Friends to Lovers, T: Friends With Benefits, T: Love Abroad, T: Nice Guy, T: Strong Heroine
Friday, May 20, 2016
Review: "Conflicted" by Ruby Black (Contemporary Romance)
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)


text:
Many Catholics also know that Tom famously fired Fr. Fessio, founder of Ignatius Press, not once, but twice, reportedly over disagreements about liturgy. Old Tom also had enormous trouble getting the local bishop to agree to consecrate the altar at his on-campus glass cathedral, in no small part because he never bothered to seek the local bishop's permission to build the altar in the first place, thus reportedly making it impossible for Ave Maria Town to ever build its own parish around the campus church.
Much more could be said about Tom's escapades, but the President and Publisher of Our Sunday Visitor probably put it best when he said,
"Those whom the gods wish to destroy, they first introduce to Tom Monaghan."So, why are we dwelling on Tom Monaghan?
Well, watch how the New York Times connected some dots on Valentine's Day in 1999:
For Mr. Monaghan, the late 1980's were a time when his interest in managing Domino's day to day was waning, while his Catholic activism was rising. He underwrote construction of a mission in the Honduran mountain town of San Pedro Sula and paid $3.5 million of the $4.5 million cost of building a cathedral in Managua, Nicaragua, that was favored by the conservative Miguel Cardinal Obando y Bravo and opposed by liberal Catholics.Something in there rings a bell, doesn't it? Hmmm... charismatic Catholic group.... hmmm.... Word of God.... wait... where have we heard of THAT group before?
In 1988, he was made a Knight of Malta, thus joining an international charitable group with a conservative cast. He also hired several members of the Word of God, a charismatic Catholic group active in right-wing causes, though Mr. Monaghan says he was never a member himself.
Oh, of course!
The Word of God community was inspired by the charismatic rock drummer and youth leader, Larry Tomczak, who eventually left the Catholic Faith for greener pastures after making millions promoting Protestant theology among Catholic parishes.
The Word of God community was founded by Ralph Martin, who recently joined Drs. Janet Smith and Mary Healy (also WoG) at the faculty of Sacred Heart seminary. Like Ave Maria University, which preferred to fire Fr. Fessio rather than install a communion rail, Sacred Heart Major Seminary adamantly opposes any implementation of Pope Benedict's Summorum Pontificum, even refusing to train seminarians in the extraordinary form of the rite.
The Word of God movement was precisely and exactly the cult movement that spiritually RAPED Christopher West, according to Christopher West's own testimony in the Washington Post series on the cult's activities. (Fortunately, his cult-enamored parents did allow Chris to play the sacred rock band drums, so important to Catholic liturgy).
The Word of God community was overseen and sanctioned by Bishop Lori. What? Oh, yes. That's right. The man who failed to notice the cult aspects of WoG is now a member of the board of advisors for Chris West's Theology of the Body Institute, so, nothing to worry about there.
Tom Monaghan actively supported THAT Word of God Community.
Throughout the 1980's and early 1990's Tom Monaghan poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into Central and South American Catholic dioceses. He poured further millions into anything related to the Word of God movement. Many of his closest advisors were Word of God acolytes and hangers-on. All the South American bishops who received this money were undoubtedly very appreciative.
At the height of Tom's largess, in the spring of 1997, the Washington Post ran an article series exposing the Word of God movement as a cult. Imagine the sadness in Tom's heart. Worse, imagine the sadness in the hearts of Tom's WoG advisors.
But all is not lost! In the fall of 1997, Chris West - star WaPo stool pigeon in the very public Word of God meltdown - starts quietly working on his theology degree at the John Paul II Center Pontifical Institute.
And, by purest coincidence, within a couple of months of graduation, Chris West, the WoG poster boy for spiritual rape, suddenly finds himself invited to a major conference in Brazil... yes, Brazil, of all places... to deliver a talk on the Theology of the Body.
In an earlier essay, I asked how a no-name yokel with a lousy MA, not even ABD or a Ph.D, got invited to address an international theological conference in Brazil.
Obviously, I still have no idea how this possibly could have happened.
But the questions haunt me.
How does someone who, to this very day, cannot tell the difference between New Age spirituality and Catholic mysticism, how does someone who can't understand Aquinas and can't distinguish between a virtue and a vice, how does someone who can't pass the Sesame Street test on Hugh Hefner, Thomas Aquinas and John Paul II ("one of these things is not like the other"), how, I ask does someone like this get promoted as a good Catholic theologian by any Catholic, much less a bishop (or, God forbid, a cardinal)? Or, for the sake of wild speculation, even promoted by a Catholic billionaire?
Well, it's hard to say (although Al Gore could definitely sympathize).
It certainly can't be the case that the university which doesn't like communion rails, and the seminary that doesn't like the Extraordinary Form, would find anything in common with the theologically illiterate musing of a rock drummer as he meditates on the (New Age?) connection between wild sex and the Catholic liturgy.
No, it certainly is a puzzle.
All we know for certain is, things change.
Why, just yesterday Chris West's episcopal supporter, Bishop Rhoades, was excoriating Fr. Jenkins for inviting pro-abortion Barack Obama to receive an honorary law degree at Notre Dame:
"It is disheartening and distressing when an institution that is regarded as Catholic, such as Notre Dame, fails to follow the guidelines set forth by the Bishops of the Catholic Church, especially in these vital moral matters," read the statement. "It is Bishop Rhoades' hope and prayer that all the institutions that bear the name 'Catholic' will affirm the Church's teachings, expose the culture of death and build up the Culture of Life."Today, that same bishop says, "I love Notre Dame... I want to have a close personal and pastoral relationship. It's such a strong place."
Yesterday, Tom Monaghan, WoG supporter and South American philanthropist, was pro-life. Today, Tom names a field house at Ave Maria University after a pro-abortion, pro-euthanasia slimeball.
Yesterday, Bishop Lori was shocked, shocked to find a cult going on in a community under his watch. Today, he's on the board of advisors for the organization whose ex-cultist founder so deftly mis-quotes Catholic theology.
So, there you have it.
All the dots on how West got his start.
A bishop here, a billionaire there, obviously none of it connected in any way whatsoever, so there must be a supernatural force driving it all.
And I'm sure there is a supernatural force behind it.
There is precedent.
After all, consider the visionaries of Medjugorje, all millionaires now.
Just as Chris West has helped "countless" people, there have been "countless" conversions from Medjugorje. And there really have been conversions from both West's teaching and from Medjugorje. For that matter, innumerable people have come to know Jesus and have eventually entered the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostlic Church through their exposure to the heretical theology of Anabaptism, Lutheranism, Islam, Hinduism, even Buddhism, so why shouldn't Chris West and the visionaries of Medjugorje be able to point to their own happy Catholic converts? It would be absolutely shocking if they couldn't. Chris West, Tom Monaghan, Tessa Bielicki, the various visionaries... what's not to like?
Now, sure, there are the piffling little rumor-mongering stories of disobedience, abuse, etc., but it's pretty clear that God wants us all to be rich.
That's why Tom Monaghan is so pivotal to the success of the Church.
Tom has given us a gospel of monetary prosperity, Chris gives us a gospel of sexual prosperity, and the Medjugorje visionaries live out both to the full (none have taken religious vows).
God wants us to be happy.
What is happiness if it is not being wealthy while having holy sex?
Ultimately, isn't that the heart of the Gospel message?
Isn't it?

subset: commoncrawl


text:
My life story starting with my childhood years in the small town of Barotac Viejo, Iloilo, Philippines up to my retirement from the United States Food and Drug Administration, Center of New Drugs in 2002 and beyond. Some of the photos and videos in this site, I do not own. However, I have no intention in infringing on your copyrights.
Thursday, May 15, 2014
Memorable Photos of Chateau Du Mer, 2014 Snowbirding Year
Chateau Du Mer Beach House, Boac, Marinduque, Philippines
Our snowbirding year 2014 ended on May 8 that coincided with our 57th wedding anniversary. We celebrated that day on travel from Manila to Seoul, South Korea then to Seattle, WA where we check in on Immigration. Immigration check in for all US passport holders is now automatic and you no longer have to fill up the forms manually. It was a joy to check out fast and no delay at all. From Seattle we have a connecting flight to Sacramento via Alaska Airlines. It was not a bad itinerary, but the Seattle airport is a mess and 4 hours waiting time for our connection. There were several shuttle transfers from the International airport to the local concourse for national travel, and you can easily get lost if you are not familiar with Seattle International Airport. We took this itinerary because it was on SALE when we purchase our tickets last February. The shortest but expensive route would be taking Philippine Airlines from Manila to San Francisco and then to Sacramento via United Express commuter service. Anyway. this year I took hundreds of photos of our beach resort and retirement home in Boac, Marinduque. Here are some of my favorites shots this year:
Front Yard Landscaping with Bougainvilla as focal Point
Newly purchased marble bench from Romblon
Japanese Bridge spanning a small creek in the property
Conference Hall Front Yard Landscaping
New Fencing at Seaside
Sunset framed with the new PVC fencing
Macrine in Front Porch with her Sunglasses
Front Yard Landscaping and Driveway
Chateau Du Mer Logo
Last but not least, my Bird of Paradise Flower and Fruit Arrangement
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
Watch Movie Top Gun Full MovieWatch Movie Top Gun Movie Streaming with duration 110 Min and released on 1986-05-16 with MPAA rating is 472.
Original Title : Top Gun
Movie title in your country : Top Gun
Year of movie : 1986
Genres of movie : Action, Romance, War,
Status of movie : Released
Release date of movie : 1986-05-16
Companies of movie : Paramount Pictures,
Countries of movie : United States of America,
Language of movie : English,
Durationof movie : 110 Min
Average vote of movie : 6.4
Youtube ID of movie : iCrUqt9Uf3E
Translation of movie : EN,DE,RU,FR,IT,ZH,TR,NB,PT,NL,ES,SV,DA,BG,CS,HU,PL,EL,
Cast of movie :
- Tom Cruise ( Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell )
- Kelly McGillis ( Charlotte 'Charlie' Blackwood )
- Val Kilmer ( Tom 'Iceman' Kazanski )
- Anthony Edwards ( Nick 'Goose' Bradshaw )
- Tom Skerritt ( Viper )
- Michael Ironside ( Jester )
- John Stockwell ( Cougar )
- Barry Tubb ( Wolfman )
- Rick Rossovich ( Slider )
- Tim Robbins ( Merlin )
- Meg Ryan ( Carole )
- Whip Hubley ( Hollywood )
- Adrian Pasdar ( Chipper )
- James Tolkan ( Stinger )
Up there with the best of the best.
Top Gun Synopsis:
Play Streaming Top Gun For Lieutenant Pete Mitchell and his friend and Co-Pilot Nick Bradshaw being accepted into an elite training school for fighter pilots is a dream come true. A tragedy, as well as personal demons, threaten Pete's dreams of becoming an Ace pilot.
Full Movie Top Gun Streaming In HD
You can watch Top Gun Movie Streaming in HD Now. Play and free download Top Gun online movie with single fill out the form by clicking on the image of the sign up button. Enjoy all the collection new movie with all Faves Movie Streaming In ! Just watched it Top Gun full and free online movie. This is truly spectacular and could one of those rare amazing. The quality was great all around. Management, images and visual effects were all very innovative and brilliant. The pleasure of the script, often humorous and has a lot of heart for all his characters are all very well developed.
Casting : Margery Simkin, Costume Supervisor : Bobbie Read, Costume Supervisor : James W. Tyson, Director : Tony Scott, Screenplay : Jim Cash, Producer : Don Simpson, Producer : Jerry Bruckheimer, Screenplay : Jack Epps Jr., Editor : Chris Lebenzon, Original Music Composer : Harold Faltermeyer, Director of Photography : Jeffrey L. Kimball, Editor : Billy Weber, Author : Ehud Yonay, Production Design : John DeCuir Jr., Set Decoration : Robert R. Benton,
Yes, now you can Watch Movie Top Gun Full Movie Streaming and get the link to Top Gun In HD


text:
During our boat trip to watch the Tower Implosion, I could not resist taking a few pictures of the birds. Several of our winter visitors, the white pelicans were flying around the area. It is always a treat to watch for them at this time of the year. We see more in January, I was surprised at the number today.
|From Birds of the Bay
See a few more of the pictures at the link below the above shot.
Walldog, Willie and Jake


text:
BOSTON -- A Massachusetts hospital delivered a baby Tuesday that staff say is the largest baby they have seen in more than 10 years, according to WCVB.
Caroline and Bryan Ruscak are the parents of Carisa, who tips the scales at 14.5 pounds.
Carisa had to be delivered by C-section.
Caroline told WCVB she was surprised, but anticipated a large baby as her first child weighed 10.5 pounds at birth.
The mother said she had been in a lot of pain during the pregnancy and once she saw the child's weight it all made sense to her why.
Read more: WCVB


text:
Jill Pasternak
Jill joined WRTI in 1997 after working at the former WFLN for ten years. Her background is impressive: she's a professional harpist, a graduate of The Juilliard School of Music, and a former Fulbright Scholar.
As staff harpist at Radio City Music Hall, and with the City Center Ballet in New York, Jill performed with numerous symphonic and chamber ensembles in recordings, on radio, and on Broadway. She also worked for the Rockefeller Foundation developing the New World Records label, and was an assistant editor for Stereo Review magazine and Nonesuch Records. Her work as a writer and producer of training videos led Jill to earn a graduate degree in public media and also to start hosting at classical radio stations including WMHT-FM in Schenectady, N.Y., and WQXR in New York City.
Along with varied speaking engagements, Jill continues to "harp" on all things musical in the Delaware Valley.
*As of September 1, 2015, Jill retired from the airwaves. More information here.


text:
Rocker Jon Bon Jovi–whose movie "New Year's Eve" comes out tonight–is doing his first verbal endorsement of a product in an ad campaign in his 30-year career with TV spots for Pfizer's Advil.
The TV ad, which broke today, was shot in Red Bank, N.J., at the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Kitchen, a non-profit community kitchen that opened in October as an initiative of the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation, of which Advil is a sponsor.
During a tour last year, Bon Jovi–No. 8 on this year's Forbes Celebrity 100 list–injured his calf muscle while performing on stage in New Jersey. In a later interview, he explained that he uses Advil for aches and pains related to touring and performing. He tells his own story in the Advil TV ad, joining other Advil users who similarly share their testimonials in the latest campaign.
Brian Groves, VP-CMO of U.S. Consumer Healthcare at Pfizer, talked with me today about the new campaign and why Jon Bon Jovi was the right fit.
Why Jon Bon Jovi?
He's a fantastic icon in American pop culture and we love incorporating him into our "Real Advil Stories" campaign because while he's a celebrity, he's also a real guy. He is a very recognizable real guy. This is the first time that Jon has verbally endorsed a brand that he uses in his life in a TV commercial.
How did you make it happen?
He hurt his calf on stage during a concert and he was telling a reporter about it and how he was taking Advil, so our team contacted his team to see if he liked this idea and he graciously accepted. Our team presented Jon with the "Real Advil Stories" campaign. Jon's a unique individual for a lot of reasons, but he's not unique in his pain suffering. We liked mixing a guy who was a very regular guy in his personal life in this "real stories" campaign, and we think he's been a terrific fit.
[The campaign is] not just about celebrities by any stretch. Jon's ad is the fifth in production and only two–one with Jon and one with Regis Philbin–incorporate the celebrity component. The celebrities are acting as recognizable, real people with real pain.
Why hadn't he done any product endorsements in 30 years?
I think it gets back to his being an authentic entertainer and actor and philanthropist. I'm sure his time is very precious to him. I haven't talked to him specifically about why he hasn't endorsed other brands, but we're delighted he endorsed Advil.
How does his brand align with yours?
Jon is an authentic American icon, as is Advil, and Jon's brand, in his entertainment life and his business and philanthropy, appears very focused on solving problems and getting right to the point and that's how we feel about Advil. It is an authentic American icon that gets right to the point of relieving the pain and giving people the freedom to get back to their very busy lives, and that's what the campaign is focused on.
What's your overall philosophy on celebrity in advertising?
We don't have a stated philosophy on celebrities endorsing our products. Where we see opportunity for synergy and partnership, we take advantage of that marketplace opportunity. The Advil situation is specific to Jon's use of the product in his busy life and his not wanting to slow down. The "Take Action, Take Advil" tagline lines up perfectly with Jon's brand. He was already a heavy brand user and agreed for the first time to endorse a product on television like this.
Is any payment from this going to his charity?
Advil does support the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation.
I thought the Regis ad was less believable, since Regis is like 80+ years old.
In case you haven't seen the ad:
It's here


text:
|Message view
|« Date » · « Thread »
|« Date » · « Thread »
|"Jonathan Gray (JIRA)" <j...@apache.org>
|[jira] Commented: (HBASE-2646) Compaction requests should be prioritized to prevent blocking
|Tue, 01 Jun 2010 22:49:36 GMT
[ https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/HBASE-2646?page=com.atlassian.jira.plugin.system.issuetabpanels:comment-tabpanel&focusedCommentId=12874288#action_12874288 ] Jonathan Gray commented on HBASE-2646: -------------------------------------- That is what I am referring to by concurrent compactions and flushes. I didn't mean compactions concurrent with flushes, I meant multiple compactions and flushes running concurrently. Reasoning is exactly as you describe. There are some clusters being built with 4, 8, even 12 disks per node. This would be configurable and single disk nodes would probably have it set to 1. > Compaction requests should be prioritized to prevent blocking > ------------------------------------------------------------- > > Key: HBASE-2646 > URL: https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/HBASE-2646 > Project: HBase > Issue Type: Improvement > Components: regionserver > Affects Versions: 0.20.4 > Environment: ubuntu server 10; hbase 0.20.4; 4 machine cluster (each machine is an 8 core xeon with 16 GB of ram and 6TB of storage); ~250 Million rows; > Reporter: Jeff Whiting > Priority: Critical > Fix For: 0.21.0 > > Attachments: prioritycompactionqueue-0.20.4.patch > > > While testing the write capacity of a 4 machine hbase cluster we were getting long and frequent client pauses as we attempted to load the data. Looking into the problem we'd get a relatively large compaction queue and when a region hit the "hbase.hstore.blockingStoreFiles" limit it would get block the client and the compaction request would get put on the back of the queue waiting for many other less important compactions. The client is basically stuck at that point until a compaction is done. Prioritizing the compaction requests and allowing the request that is blocking other actions go first would help solve the problem. > You can see the problem by looking at our log files: > You'll first see an event such as a too many HLog which will put a lot of requests on the compaction queue. > {noformat} > 2010-05-25 10:53:26,570 INFO org.apache.hadoop.hbase.regionserver.HLog: Too many hlogs: logs=33, maxlogs=32; forcing flush of 22 regions(s): responseCounts,RS_6eZzLtdwhGiTwHy,1274232223324, responses,RS_0qhkL5rUmPCbx3K-1274213057242,1274513189592, responses,RS_1ANYnTegjzVIsHW-12742177419 > 21,1274511001873, responses,RS_1HQ4UG5BdOlAyuE-1274216757425,1274726323747, responses,RS_1Y7SbqSTsZrYe7a-1274328697838,1274478031930, responses,RS_1ZH5TB5OdW4BVLm-1274216239894,1274538267659, responses,RS_3BHc4KyoM3q72Yc-1274290546987,1274502062319, responses,RS_3ra9BaBMAXFAvbK-127421457 > 9958,1274381552543, responses,RS_6SDrGNuyyLd3oR6-1274219941155,1274385453586, responses,RS_8AGCEMWbI6mZuoQ-1274306857429,1274319602718, responses,RS_8C8T9DN47uwTG1S-1274215381765,1274289112817, responses,RS_8J5wmdmKmJXzK6g-1274299593861,1274494738952, responses,RS_8e5Sz0HeFPAdb6c-1274288 > 641459,1274495868557, responses,RS_8rjcnmBXPKzI896-1274306981684,1274403047940, responses,RS_9FS3VedcyrF0KX2-1274245971331,1274754745013, responses,RS_9oZgPtxO31npv3C-1274214027769,1274396489756, responses,RS_a3FdO2jhqWuy37C-1274209228660,1274399508186, responses,RS_a3LJVxwTj29MHVa-12742 > {noformat} > Then you see the too many log files: > {noformat} > 2010-05-25 10:53:31,364 DEBUG org.apache.hadoop.hbase.regionserver.CompactSplitThread: Compaction requested for region responses-index,--1274799047787--R_cBKrGxx0FdWjPso,1274804575862/783020138 because: regionserver/192.168.0.81:60020.cacheFlusher > 2010-05-25 10:53:32,364 WARN org.apache.hadoop.hbase.regionserver.MemStoreFlusher: Region responses-index,--1274799047787--R_cBKrGxx0FdWjPso,1274804575862 has too many store files, putting it back at the end of the flush queue. > {noformat} > Which leads to this: > {noformat} > 2010-05-25 10:53:27,061 INFO org.apache.hadoop.hbase.regionserver.HRegion: Blocking updates for 'IPC Server handler 60 on 60020' on region responses-index,--1274799047787--R_cBKrGxx0FdWjPso,1274804575862: memstore size 128.0m is >= than blocking 128.0m size > 2010-05-25 10:53:27,061 INFO org.apache.hadoop.hbase.regionserver.HRegion: Blocking updates for 'IPC Server handler 84 on 60020' on region responses-index,--1274799047787--R_cBKrGxx0FdWjPso,1274804575862: memstore size 128.0m is >= than blocking 128.0m size > 2010-05-25 10:53:27,065 INFO org.apache.hadoop.hbase.regionserver.HRegion: Blocking updates for 'IPC Server handler 1 on 60020' on region responses-index,--1274799047787--R_cBKrGxx0FdWjPso,1274804575862: memstore size 128.0m is >= than blocking 128.0m size > {noformat} > Once the compaction / split is done a flush is able to happen which unblocks the IPC allowing writes to continue. Unfortunately this process can take upwards of 15+ minutes (the specific case shown here from our logs took about 4 minutes). -- This message is automatically generated by JIRA. - You can reply to this email to add a comment to the issue online.
|View raw message


text:
Mandalay Hill Resort
This decadent yet peaceful hotel is located in the luscious greenery of northern Mandalay, with panoramic views of the Royal Palace. If a voyage of cultural and historical discovery is what you're after then this is the place for you as it lies in reach of some of the most fascinating archeological sites in the world. With 206 rooms in classic Oriental and Burmese style it is impossible not to fall in love with this resort and its surroundings.
The hotel sits at the bottom of the famed Mandalay Hill, just an hours flight away from the city of Yangon.The Mandalay area is the cultural heart of Myanmar making it every explorer's dream.Mandalay Hill itself houses both the Kuthodaw and Shweyattaw Temples making it an important pilgrimage site for Buddhists.Make sure to look out on the hill at sunset when it is especially beautiful.Close by you can visit the ancient capitals of Amapura, Ava and Saigang or take a trip to the spectacular Kandawgyi Botanic Garden.
Your room
There is a huge range of accommodations on offer here, take your pick of deluxe rooms to suites and gorgeous spa villas. Each room has a view of Mandalay Hill, the Royal Palace, the Irrawaddy River or the city of Mandalay itself. Interiors are decorated with local Myanman Teak and take inspiration from the ancient designs of the Shan and Intha peoples native to Myanmar.If you're looking for utter relaxation and serenity then the spa villas will be right up your street. These bungalows are nestled in the gardens of the resort and come equipped with twin massage beds, a steam room and tropical garden shower too.
Why we like it?
The hotels location is what makes it so special. The views are spectacular and it is the perfect place to base yourself before venturing out to marvel at the surrounding monasteries, temples and pagodas. The spa treatments are definitely high on our list as well; enjoy a traditional reflexology treatment in the outdoor pavilion amidst the palm trees followed by a rejuvenating cup of herbal tea from the highlands of Myanmar.


text:
VIENNA, April 7 (Reuters) - The chief executive of Hypo Landesbank Vorarlberg, one of two Austrian lenders mentioned in the massive Panama Papers data leak, has informed the bank that he is stepping down, the lender said in a statement on Thursday.
The surprise decision was prompted by various developments in the past year including recent media reports, the bank quoted Chief Executive Michael Grahammer as saying.
He added that he was convinced the bank had not violated any laws or sanctions. (Reporting by Francois Murphy; Editing by Ryan Woo)


text:
|Time to sign up!
It's hard to put into words the sense of accomplishment I have from completing Barb's Race this year. Crossing the finish line was such an incredible experience that I wish I could re-live it over and over. Maybe that's why I can't even bring myself to take the number off of my bike!
|If Rosa decides to buy my bike, I promise to take the number off
|In my closet I have my race packet and the number off of my helmet
|My cap, lap bracelet, and finisher's medal reside
in a special cabinet
|I'm addicted...I want this feeling over and over and over...
You Can Do It
|Yay! Done with the swim
I signed up for an Olympic distance triathlon to prove to myself that I could handle the swim. I signed up for a second Olympic distance race to prove to myself that the first race wasn't a fluke! At swim practice I would try and swim the race distance non-stop. No matter how many times I passed my own personal "tests", I still doubted my ability to complete the race. Maybe this is why completing it still feels so good :-)
If you could have seen me finishing the run at Barb's Race, you would have seen someone absolutely exhausted! As I ran down the final stretch before turning into the high school, my run had developed into a weird, hobbling gait. Every fiber in my body begged me to walk. However, the street was lined with cheering spectators urging me along.
The encouragement of strangers pushed me to the finish line, and once I crossed, I could not stop smiling. Accepting a challenge, training for it, and then completing it is an absolutely amazing feeling! I wish I could describe it better, but I can't. The only way for you to understand this feeling is to commit to a race (it doesn't have to be Barb's) and go for it!
|Hurts so good
In 2014, I look forward to sharing this feeling with many of my female teammates!
More About Barb's Race


text:
Michael J. Totten is one of the best war journalists working today. I have linked several times to his excellent reporting. This morning he promotes an article he wrote being published in the October issue of Reason Magazine. An excerpt can be found at his blog.
Being a nut for the obscure, I found myself following a longish comments thread attached to the post. Wading through the mire of carping, one-upsmanship and backbiting that is the mark of most such threads (despite occasional efforts on the part of the blogmaster to keep comments on track --herding cats, as it were...) I came upon the passionate, articulate outpouring that appears below. Read here the words of someone who is an Iranian patriot with a commendable gift of expression.
These words are aimed at the many and growing number of Americans whose attitudes about a potential military conflict between the US and Iran are being deliberately whipped into a frenzy by...I'm not sure by whom.
It is clear that a critical mass in favor of a war with Iran is being encouraged by someone or some group. Fox network, "fair and balanced reporting" notwithstanding, is not the source. But patriotic snake-oil has always been a good seller with a lucrative profit margin. Better than umbrellas in April.
And I don't think thoughtful military leaders are to blame. Responsible, thoughtful military types really do prefer peace to war, despite what many people believe. They know that their jobs are secure in the same way that physicians and dentists know they don't need to promote sickness and tooth decayto keep their jobs.
No, something else is at work. But I still haven't decided what it is. Meantime, read what follows. It reminds me of the words of an Old Testament prophet, but this is a cyber-epistle...
There are no permalinks to individual comments. This appears way down the string and was posted just past midnight last night.
MJT: "Some people can't be freed at gunpoint, at least not quickly or easily and without massive convulsions. This is the main reason I don't favor an American invasion of Iran at this time..."
Hey Mike (and a lot of you guys), what about a US invasion of Iran NEVER... Why the bleeeepity bleep don't all you helpful American liberal interventionists and hard headed neo con realists please mind your own business for a change and let Iran work itself out in its own time?
This country has been through and is going through quite enough, thank you, and it really doesn't need more violence. Change may come but - God willing - not through the barrel of a gun again (even a nice photogenic flowery one).
If the argument for a putative intervention or attack is grounded in President Ahmedinejad's caustic musings and GW Bush's recent "impending nuclear holocaust" notions, it's a crap argument.
Personally I think that many of the comments Ahmedinejad has made about Israel, Jews and the Holocaust are deeply offensive, undignified, unnecessary, stupid and cruel - not least to the 25,000 Jews who still chose to live here in Iran, but I also think that these facile pronouncements are now being overplayed and used to justify/further some extremely dangerous strategic agendas in an already volatile region.
Regarding the Iranian nuclear issue: My personal opinion is pursuing The Bomb, with all the global grief it would/is entailing, is a hugely expensive waste of money for a country with an already shaky economy -- and it could indeed trigger an unnecessary scramble by other regional states for the same thing (notably by everyone's favourite fat bastard Wahhabi chums, the Saudis) - and Bomb or no Bomb, I am not at all keen on the idea Chernobyl-era Russian made nuclear reactors being built all over a country with as many tectonic fault lines as Iran. I have filmed inside a Chernobyl type reactor once, at Ignalina in Lithuania. Not good.
Nevertheless, Iran has a technical and legal right to develop nuclear power as a signitory of the NPT. So why shouldn't it explore alternative energy sources?
Aha... I bet I know the answer.... Iran as a country has no need for alternative energy sources as it is sitting on all that oil and gas – so the nuclear programme must obviously be a cover for making deadly atomic weapons. Am I right, guys?
Well, this stance isn't consistent. In fact, it reeks of hypocrisy. The Iranian quest for nuclear power began under the Shah in 1959 with US assistance, under the so-called "Atoms for Peace" programme. Ultimately, the plan was for Iran to have some 23 nuclear reactors in place by 2000.
Indeed, by 1976 the Ford administration was offering the Shah the chance to buy a facility for reprocessing plutonium from nuclear fuel -- and thus for a complete nuclear fuel cycle. The Ford strategy paper said the "introduction of nuclear power will both provide for the growing needs of Iran's economy and free remaining oil reserves for export or conversion to petrochemicals."
A nuclear powered Iran seemed such a cool idea back then. But who was pushing the plan from Washington's end? There were two main movers.... ah, what fun... There was the White House Chief of Staff, who at the time was none other than… Dick Cheney, and Ford's Secretary of Defense: Mr. Donald Rumsfeld.
So what's changed? Basically we uppity Iroonis had ourselves a revolution and kicked out a vicious, corrupt US puppet regime (sadly replacing it with a turbanned Persian version) and Iran is no longer a compliant partner in US' Israel-centric, Petro-dollar bankrolled plans for the region. Well... So what? Let us Iranians rot in splendid isolation...
No can do. But why?
Aha... is it that Iran is apparently led by a madman anti-Semite who says he wants to kill all the Jews? He's a mini midget Hitler Mark 2, albeit in a cheap looking polyester suit -- and he said all those mean things about Israel, right?
Well excuse me...Are people here seriously advocating yet another a devastating military conflict in this long suffering part of the world because of what one increasingly weak man - with a track record of shooting his mouth off and playing to the gallery - may have said to a bunch of provincial students at some mooky conference, all because he wanted to sound like a tough guy with authentic revolutionary street cred?
You can't start wars just because of what someone says... Let's rewind...
....Back to August 1984 - it's the height of the Cold War and MAD - Ronald Reagan quipped into an open mic "My fellow Americans, I am pleased to tell you today that I've signed legislation that will outlaw Russia forever. We begin bombing in five minutes..."
Even in jest, this was highly irresponsible language from The Gipper, but would that have been Causus Belli for the Soviets? According to today's thinking, the righteous SS-20s ought to have been ramming into the Eastern seaboard.
Fast Forward...
It's May 8 2006, the day after Ahmedinejad's notorious (disputed) statement, Shimon Peres said in an interview with Reuters that "The president of Iran should remember that Iran can also be wiped off the map."
Now conventional wisdom has it that Israel already possesses several hundred nuclear warheads – Iran posseses none - and we can assume any number of those Israeli nukes are aimed at Iran right now. Mr. Peres was rightly criticised for these crass remarks by the Israeli media... sitting here, typing away in Tehran, I'm in Shimon's cross hairs, scary stuff when I think about it. But I wouldn't want to start a war over mere words.
And what about John McCain's recent attempts at a humorous cover version of the Beach Boys surfer classic? "Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb Iran" he warbled. Not big, John, not clever - not even especially funny. But equally, not worth a single human life.
Besides, Ahmedinejad's toxic ideas are most certainly NOT all shared by significant and powerful sections of the Iranian regime, who sconsider his brand of culturally and historically naive demagoguery an embarrassing liability.
However, for some mysterious reason, these alternative points of view have received scant, if any, coverage in the western media, even though they come from more important people than the President.
For example, Supreme Leader Khamenei`s main foreign policy advisor, Ali Akbar Valayati, refused to take part in Ahmedinejad's Holocaust conference. In contrast to Ahmadinejad`s remarks, Velayati said that Holocaust was a genocide and a historical reality.
Similarly, back in November 2005 – days after the infamous Ahmedinejad student speech about Israel - Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei himself, rejected any attack on the Jewish state, calling instead for a referendum in Palestine. I looked it up for you. He said:
"We hold a fair and logical stance on the issue of Palestine. Several decades ago, Egyptian statesman Gamal Abdel Nasser, who was the most popular Arab personality, stated in his slogans that the Egyptians would throw the Jewish usurpers of Palestine into the sea. Some years later, Saddam Hussein, the most hated Arab figure, said that he would put half of the Palestinian land on fire. But we would not approve of either of these two remarks. We believe, according to our Islamic principles, that neither throwing the Jews into the sea nor putting the Palestinian land on fire is logical and reasonable. Our position is that the Palestinian people should regain their rights.... The Islamic Republic of Iran has presented a fair and logical solution to this issue. We have suggested that all native Palestinians, whether they are Muslims, Christians or Jews, should be allowed to take part in a general referendum before the eyes of the world and decide on a Palestinian government. Any government that is the result of this referendum will be a legitimate government."
Even Mr. Ahmadinejad tried to downplay the impact of his ill conceived comments. For example, in a very interesting interview with Time magazine in September last year.
TIME: You have been quoted as saying Israel should be wiped off the map. Was that merely rhetoric, or do you mean it?
Ahmadinejad: People in the world are free to think the way they wish. We do not insist they should change their views. Our position toward the Palestinian question is clear: we say that a nation has been displaced from its own land. Palestinian people are killed in their own lands, by those who are not original inhabitants, and they have come from far areas of the world and have occupied those homes. Our suggestion is that the 5 million Palestinian refugees come back to their homes, and then the entire people on those lands hold a referendum and choose their own system of government. This is a democratic and popular way..."
Maurice Motamed, who is currently the only Jewish MP in Iran's parliament expressed his own sadness at the President's earlier remarks "Denial of such a great historical tragedy that is connected to the Jewish community can only be considered an insult to all the world's Jewish communities, " he said.
It was a theme picked up by former President Mohammad Khatami in February 2006. He said "We should speak out if even a single Jew is killed. Don't forget that one of the crimes of Hitler, Nazism and German National Socialism was the massacre of innocent people, among them many Jews."
Well, "many" is something of an understaement isn't it? Try six million, Mr Khatami. All those innocent people gone for ever. For nothing. What an evil, criminal waste.
And talking of criminal wastes... what about 1,000,000 lives? Not Jewish or American lives, this time. Iranian ones. Iranian soldiers. Iranian volunteer fighters. Don't worry folks.... they are not coming over the hill to get you. They are all already dead. And the American government helped kill them.
I went to Behesht- e-Zahra war cemetary the other day, as I always do when I visit Tehran, To pay repects to my brothers in the mud. This terrible, beautiful place is vast. It's the size of a small city, and I found myself walking through the massed ranks of headstones in tears.
As far as I am concerned those boys were heroes... and many of them were just boys. By the end of the imposed war the conscrition age was 14. But they did the right thing and I, who am of that generation, feel a shitty guilt for being alive while they are not. Believe me, my cyber friends, we have tasted enough of war to never want to see another. But we, the living, would fight for Iran all over again if we have to. I haven't time for Ahmedinejad and his gang and their nasty ways. I like American people, they are so friendly, so polite and so, well, childishly sweet when they are abroad. But this is our country, our land and the US Army is not welcome here. I made my way through the endless avenues of martyrs and I pondered the international situation. Leave us alone, I thought: We'll kill you if you come.
Remember, Iran is a country that was attacked with maximum force by Saddam Hussein in 1980 and yes, the best part of a million men were killed or maimed in 8 years of horrific fighting. Iran seemed to be up against the whole world at times: The Russians provided Saddam thousands of tanks, Hind-B helicopter gunships, Mig jets and Scud ballistic missiles, rocket launchers, artillery pieces -- all on credit. French Exocet missiles, Super Etendard bombers and Mirage fighter planes were also sold on tick (Yes, folks, that's why the Russkis et Le Fromage Gobbling Surrender Monkeys backed Saddam prior to Gulf Wars 1 and 2 – they wanted their money back). The Brazilians flogged Iraq armoured cars and APCs, the Chinese sold yet more rocket launchers and jet planes, the Czechs APCs and more tanks, London flogged Radar sets, South Africa G-4 and G-5 artillery systems, Poland (Poland?!) sent over 900 tanks and 750 APCs, the list seems endless…
The Germans and US provided the precursor chemicals and technologies to manufacture nerve gas and blister agents (that's WMDs to you) that were used without restraint and dropped on our Iranian troop concentrations, located with the help of American supplied satellite photographs. In November 1983 a US National Security Directive stated that the U.S would do "…whatever was necessary and legal" to prevent Iraq from losing its war with Iran. What was"necessary and legal" somehow included illegally shipping Huey and Hughes helicopters, howitzers and bombs to Iraq via 3rd parties: Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, all in violation of the Arms Export Control Act. From 1984 the CIA began supplying the Iraqis with the necessary intelligence to calibrate their mustard gas attacks. In March, 1986 the United States along with Great Britain blocked all UN Security Council Resolutions condemning Iraq's use of chemical weapons, and on March 21 1986 the US became the only country that refused to sign a Security Council statement condemning Iraq's use of these Weapons of Mass Destruction. Not surprising really, as between 1985 and 1989 the US had also secretly exported 21 batches of lethal strains of Anthrax and further shipments of weapons grade Botulinum to Baghdad.
The plump Gulf State Sheikhs bankrolled the entire Iraqi war effort, so Iran began to try and hit Kuwaiti oil tankers that were carrying "Iraqi" oil. In March 1987 the US re-flagged Kuwaiti oil tankers as US vessels and effectively joined the war as a combatant on Iraq's side. On May 17th that same year, the warship USS Stark was attacked for no apparent reason. But not by Iran. An Iraqi Mirage F-1 fired off 2 Exocets: 37 American sailors were killed, 21 wounded. "We will not be intimidated," said then Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger. "We will not be driven from the Gulf." He described the attack on the Stark as a "horrible error." Saddam Hussein was quick to apologize for the "unintentional incident." He paid money to compensate. And the US remained on Iraq's side.
In 1988 the American guided missile cruiser USS Vincennes, sailing under the robust stewardship of a man called Commander William C Rogers, found itself inside Iranian territorial waters. Rogers was desperately trying to engage some Iranian navy speedboats, so keen was he for his state-of-the-art vessel to see some action. Suddenly the Vincennes' hi tech radar locked onto an approaching target and its "highly trained" crew shot down an Iranian plane.
Unfortunately the aircraft in question was a civilian Airbus, Iran Air 655 on a sheduled flight to Dubai, carrying some 290 civilians – including 66 children. Everyone on board was killed. At a press conference on July 3rd 1988, the then Vice President, George Bush Snr said of the incident "I will never apologize for the United States of America— I don't care what the facts are."
In 1990 Mr. Bush awarded Commander Rogers the Legion of Merit "for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding service as commanding officer ... from April 1987 to May 1989." No mention was made of the Airbus incident.
So I think we have had quite enough help from America.
Iran has been accused of "interfering" in Iraq and I have no doubt this is true. But it would be highly surprising if any country didn't try to influence events in a neighbouring state which had at one time launched an unprovoked war, but was now near collapse and currently occupied by over 100,000 potentially hostile troops.
Besides, seen from Tehran, the US has done more than its fair share of "interfering" in Iraq, and while Washington shrilly accuses the Iranians of backing Shia militias, it is an open secret that the US are aiding and abetting Kurdish, Baluch, Azeri and Khuzestani separatist factions inside Iran's borders. While Iran's shadowy IRGC "Qods" force has been accused of black ops in Iraq, we also read that US special forces have been on the ground in Iran for months, selecting targets for possible bombing. The BBC programme Newsnight has reported that Israeli Private Military Companies were subcontracted by the US to train Kurdish-Iranian dissidents (who were, it transpires, not informed of their instructors' origins).
What's good for the goose, Tehran might argue, is good for the gander.
But the idea that Iran wants – or will ever be in a position – to liquidate Israel, reinstate some sort of a martyrdom crazed Shi'ite Caliphate and conquer the entire Middle East, whilst merrily handing out James Bond style briefcase sized mini-nukes like candy to any random Salafist nut job who comes begging, all the while aiming its low-tech knock-off North Korean Scud clone ICBMs at Europe is comical. Or rather it would be, were it not for the fact that a great number of people in the West actually believe this scaremongering, dangerous propaganda.
That the US is relying on highly questionable, duplicitous players linked to Maryam Rajavi's cultish People's Mojahedeen (MEK/NCRI) for its intelligence on Iran, is resonant of the Ahmad Chalabi debacle. This organisation is still on the State Dept's list of terrorist groups and membership entails unusual features such as female led combat units, compulsory divorces, moral confession cleansing sessions and forced separation of kids from their parents.
The group was armed and supported by Saddam Hussein. Utterly discredited inside Iran, they group fought alongside Iraqi soldiers throughout the Iran-Iraq war. Indeed in 1991 these traitors were used as shock troops by Saddam Hussein during the murderous Anfal campaign against the Kurds. Rajavi exhorted her followers to "save your bullets for the Revolutionary guards -- we can crush these Kurds under our tank tracks."
Being duped into an ill conceived war based on shit "intelligence" and outright lies has got us where we are today in Iraq: decent American and British servicemen and women are being killed and maimed daily for no obvious end benefit, the wretched country has become something of a Jihadi theme-park. Many of those ordinary day-to-day Iraqis we came to liberate – if they are not being slaughtered in cycles of revenge whose origins no-one can remember – are living an imitation of life in a shattered economy, under the constant threat of full blown sectarian civil war.
There is absolutely no need to replicate this tragic situation on an even grander, bloodier scale next door.
Do not worry about Iran, my friends. We are nice, decent and a threat to no-one. Like water, the people here will find their own level.
But this time we'll do it our way and without your help.
Thank You.


text:
Updated: 08/15/2016 3:50 PM
Print Story |
Be Well with TCL: Little Mother's Helper
Having children does not come with instructions. Once you have that baby and the child rearing begins, you can be left feeling a little helpless. A Twin Cities midwife saw too many new parents struggling with questions and self-doubt and decided to do something about it. Rebecca Egbert created a deck of cards called "Little Mother's Helper."
Little Mother's Helper is a deck of cards and an app guiding modern mothers in the days following childbirth. The postpartum education tool kit is now being given to all pregnant moms at 32 weeks.


text:
I have been hemming and hawing on what I was going to do to give this little bench a bit more character. It's going to serve a dual role in being both my auxillary bench for hand tool work as well as my 2 year old son's bench. In that vane, I decided to add a little detail to the apron...the shadow or inlaid dovetail. Please note: Though I prefer to do these one-off projects with handcut dovetails, the Akeda 16 was used throughout.
To start, I joined one maple board with one walnut board. The walnut will be the shadow. Mostly because I had more maple than walnut or I could have done it the other way. This piece is glued up and my impatience sets in...
After the glue dries...well, almost (more on that,) I cut the pin board off, leaving the pin slots filled with walnut.
Now, as I mentioned...the glue was almost dry when I did this. I don't realize yet, but I'm about to find out that my impatience is NOT a virtue...
I then recut the tail board revealing a 1/8" shadow of walnut. This is where I found my glue wasn't dry and and sent a chunk of walnut flying across the shop. Luckily, I glued it right back in place and still not waiting for it to dry, I supported it side and back and happily began cutting again. I don't get alot of time in the shop, so I forge on at times when it's best to go to bed. **shrug** I'm not about to change after all this time....
Here is the tail board...
Once I recut the tailboard, I then cut a pin board of maple to match my detailed tail board and the end result is the shadow dovetail.
Now, to add a complete shadow, I could have also cut a tailboard of walnut, mated it to the pinboard of maple and done the entire process to add the walnut shadow to the inside of the pin piece as well. However, as this was my first venture into this particular detail in dovetail joinery, I figured I'd take baby steps.
This process did involve more than a little hand chisel work as I made the pins proud, and for some reason the pin board fit WAY too tight into the tailboard when I joined the walnut to the maple. A few minutes spent with a nice sharp chisel and everything was a piston fit. I wasn't concerned with altering the fit of the jig, as I was only fitting the inlay, and not the final tail and pins.
I used the Domino (once I found it....more on that later as well...stay tuned for another blog series) to align the apron to the table top. It all fit. I was happy because I didn't do a dry fit to find out. I either have that much faith in the Domino, or in my vast skills. D'OH. I just didn't want to put that dovetail joint together again as they fit the best the FIRST time, not the 4th.
The camera with shadow and flash pics up some tear out that I can't appreciate with my eye, but here it is glued up, clamped, and awaiting the vise.
The next installment of this series will be the vice installation. Your guess is as good as mine as I'm trying to decide to run it the length of the table. I'm concerned about racking though so I may just run it 12". I havn't decided.
Thanks for taking a look!
Thursday, June 7, 2007
1 comment:
- Travis said...
Those are some beautiful joints you have there.
- June 24, 2007 at 2:32 PM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
This is what Owen was working on when I thought he was taking his afternoon rest yesterday. Evidently he's gotten really good at tiptoeing around upstairs. He helped himself to the contents of every drawer in our bedroom. It reminds me of the Hidden Pictures page from a Highlights magazine. Would you like to play?
Directions: Find all the objects that no attentive parent would ever let a preschooler use as a toy.
This next mess was mom-sanctioned. He spent over an HOUR (that's like the entire Pleistocene Age in 3yo time) stripping his crayons naked.
Maybe I should put him down for his afternoon nap with a Crayola 64 box. That would be safer.


text:
It's commonplace to identify America today with the Roman Empire.
I've just finished Robin Lane Fox's wonderful "The Classical World: An Epic History from Homer to Hadrian". Fox points out that a number of 'first citizen's (as Emperors called themselves for the fig-leaf of legality) were assassinated in the name of freedom - Julius Caesar, Caligula and many subsequent. In each case it proved politically impossible to restore the Republic. Augustus proved the point by dallying away from Rome until the senators called him back in desperation to sort out disputes.
Fox is less analytic as to why this might have been the case, but it was surely a function of the lack of senatorial legitimacy amongst the plebs, and perhaps more importantly, the legions, each of which needed a champion to secure their wages, and colonisation land once they had finished military service.
In a patronal society (one we would today call deeply corrupt) a hierarchy centred around one individual seemed to be optimal in managing power and resource relationships.
Which major power does this sound most like today? Russia.


text:
He was the Black Robert of Craighdhu, a remote island castle in Scotland, where he was laird. Half Spanish and experienced in their tortures as well as their pleasures, he'd been a pirate and had incurred both the praise and anger of Queen Elizabeth, who has now seized him for another assignment: The Queen wants him to wed Kathryn Kentyre who, he is told, is Queen Mary's illegitimate daughter.
Kathryn ("Kate"), now 16, has been raised in seclusion by a vicar who is going insane and beats her. She is bent on escape. But Robert McDarren will find her and handfast with her and then sweep her away to his castle in the Highlands where he intends to keep her for only a year. For he knows who she is threatens Craighdhu and he will do anything to protect his lands and his people.
You won't regret reading this one. It is well written and the characters wonderful—and the plot believable. The action will draw you into the world of treachery, envy, betrayal and deception that existed at the time of Queen Elizabeth and King James.


text:
Nice work Rider Nation. #riderpool pic.twitter.com/YcX2dp7Ct0— Brad Wall (@PremierBradWall) August 10, 2016
D Jim Vandermeer (Red Deer, 1997-2001) has signed a one-year extension with the Belfast Giants (Northern Ireland, UK Elite). He had two goals and 10 assists in 13 games last season. . . .
D David Němeček (Saskatoon, 2013-14) has signed a tryout contract with Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia, KHL). Last season, with the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (USHL), he had two goals and seven assists in 60 games.
Team Canada, you will recall, finished sixth at the 2016 World Junior Championship in Helsinki.
Last week, Canada went 0-3 in a four-country summer tournament in Plymouth, Mich.
On Wednesday, Canada's eight-year golden run ended at the U-18 Ivan Hlinka Memorial tournament in Czech Republic and Slovakia.
Hey, Canada, what's wrong?
After the three losses in Plymouth, Team Canada head coach Dominique Ducharme claimed that he isn't worried. "In August?" he said. "Not really. We're building, putting in the combinations for Christmas."
However, there are those who get paid to watch these games who feel that Canada should be concerned.
As Bob Duff, who was in Plymouth, wrote in the Windsor Star: "A Hockey Canada veteran, a former Olympian who was among the scores of NHL people here to scout the event, suggested that the Canadians were the victims of over-coaching, that their natural talents were being squeezed out of their game by the obsessive need to play within the system.
"An NHL GM went as far as to suggest that the European teams are better coached in the ways of the game than Canada, and certainly the Swedes and Finns played with much more flow and skill than was exhibited by Canada.
"The Canadians looked rigid, like they were thinking too much instead of reacting to situations. They always appeared to be a step slower than their opponents. Passes went nowhere, or often to the stick on an opponent."
Duff also had this: "An NHL scout suggested that beyond (Mitch) Marner and Tyson Jost, there might not be another Canadian who thinks the game well, simply because in today's robotic style of hockey, where blocked shots are a treasured statistic, thinking isn't in vogue."
Look, it has become most apparent that Canada's U-18 and U-20 teams are struggling to stay in the top four of their age groups. In fact, with the Russians and Czechs also in the hunt, you could make a case for their being a top six.
The Canadian way of sticking to a system at all costs and grinding out greasy goals just doesn't cut it anymore. If you are a regular watcher of major junior games, you know that most teams in your favourite league play those systemic games, too. Cycle. Grind. Crash the net. Cycle. Grind. Crash the net. Gotta get those greasy goals.
The problem, of course, is that there are too many major junior teams for the size of the talent pool. A team without an abundance of skill has a better chance of winning by grinding, blocking shots and limiting the other team's scoring chances. The stakes are high, too, and jobs are on the line, so better to increase the chances of winning by installing those systems.
However, it is all but impossible for coaches and players to transition from that kind of system to one that allows them to run and gun on offence — all the while showing defensive responsibility — for a month in mid-season.
Meanwhile, the Swedes, Finns and Americans have chosen to unleash the hounds on offence, something that has put plenty of imagination into that part of their game.
The other day in Plymouth, the Americans dominated the early part of the second period against Canada to the point where at one point they had 16 straight shots on goal.
Still, Ducharme plays the Alfred E. Neuman card — "What, me worry?" — at least on the outside.
Duff's complete piece is right here.
The Prince Albert Raiders have added Brandin Cote to their staff as an assistant coach. He fills the spot created when Kelly Guard stepped aside. Cote will work alongside head coach Marc Habscheid and associate coach Dave Manson. Guard remains with the Raiders as their goaltending consultant. . . . Cote, who is from Swift Current, spent the past two seasons as head coach of the midget AAA Red Deer Optimist Chiefs. He spent two seasons (2012-14) coaching the Bentley, Alta., Generals, a senior team that won the 2013 Allan Cup. He also has coached with the Red Deer College Kings and Red Deer College Queens. As a player, he spent 1996-2002 with the Spokane Chiefs, putting up 255 points in 352 regular-season games. . . . There is a complete news release right here.
Got a tip or some information you feel could be useful to me, feel free to email me at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Jeff Woywitka is the new assistant coach with the AJHL's Sherwood Park Crusaders. He fills the vacancy created when Shawn Belle left to join the Edmonton-based NAIT Oooks as an assistant coach. . . . Woywitka will work with head coach Adam Manah. . . . Woywitka, 32, is from Vermilion, Alta.. He played four seasons (1999-2003) with the Red Deer Rebels before going to a pro career that included 278 NHL games. He last played in Germany, spending two seasons (2013-15) with the DEL's Augsburger Panther.
Trump Tower climber is now climbing on Michael Phelps back. 💀 pic.twitter.com/GrmMv4lNd7— Dylan (@DylansFreshTake) August 11, 2016
There has never been a subscription fee for this blog, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much.


text:
Today I got the mini quilt swap delivered to my home! Yeah Mee!
I opened up the squishey and found a beautiful quilt, 2 fat quarters and a book on decorating for the seasons! I am tickled pink!! Thank-you very much mystery person in TN!! I can't wait to find out who you are!!! HUGS!! I put the mini quilt to good use right away!!


text:
|Fox Moth female, Bernwood Forest 22nd May
Until last night Fox Moth had always been top of my local "wish list". It is nowhere near as common in our region as the field guides seem to suggest and there are only three previous post-millennium sightings of the adult in vc24 (all females to light traps). In fact it seems to have been lost altogether from the counties immediately to the east of Bucks, although I imagine that it may still be found a little more frequently to the west, in Berks and Oxon. In the not too distant past I certainly remember a larval find at Greenham Common and some probable sightings of day-flying males near Lambourn.
Dave Wilton
Westcott, Bucks


text:
The second piece was Roy Carrol's Towards / Against. This involved a much smaller ensemble and relied extensively on the considerable skills of the percussionist. All manner of items were used, including whiskey cartons filled with rice whose tonal notes were then picked up by the wind instruments. The piece had the feeling of a rattlesnakes
tail tale in the Texan desert and footsteps in a deserted mansion. Carroll's music has this quality about it, he explores the physicality of music through creating kinetic interactions between apparently discarded materials such as denuded loudspeakers, textured materials and feedback loops. He views instability as a creative prerogative.
The final piece before the interval is Julia Wolfe's 'Big, Beautiful, Dark and Scary'. Described as this is how life feels right now, the overall effect is not scary, it is terrifying. Occasionally the instruments scream their protest at being used thus and the floor vibrates up through our seats. The noise is deafening. This is raw power in musical form, natures rage unleashed. It crescendo's and then is suddenly cut off. There is a dazed silence before rapturous applause from the audience.
He has also been credited with the creation of an entire genre of music - ambient. Although this is debatable, Eno is the person who is most clearly identified with the genre and who has made it his own.
The soundtrack to Apollo takes it's cue from the fact that many of the astronauts took tapes of country and western music with them on the Apollo missions. Eno used this idea to create a subtle blend of country and western with ambient.
The music is highly atmospheric. The lights go down, a stark contrast from the 1st half and the orchestra are lit only by the glow from their sheet lights. The projector starts to play the film and the music makes you feel like you are floating away. All around the auditorium people are hugging loved ones close to them or have their eyes closed in reflective contemplation. The music drifts and floats with the astronauts.
Then the atmosphere switches as the panpipes come in mingled with the thud of the kettle drum. The landing is approaching and there is a sense of anticipation. The music becomes almost menacing; this is alien territory, somewhere humans are not meant to tread and we have defied nature to get here.
After the landing the mood becomes joyful and soothing, much more uplifting. The flutes and the pedal steel are employed and then the electric guitar comes in. Somehow this sound turns the moon from an alien entity into a human playground - somewhere inviting, safe and familiar, almost homely. The country music influence can be heard most clearly here.
The Sounds New Festival is running until the 9th May - you can check out the programme of events here, see them on Facebook here and also follow them on twitter here. Don't forget to use the #SoundsNew2014 to join in the online chat!
If you like (or hate!) what you have read, please do let me know in the comments below or slap me with a cheeky follow, or say Hi to me on my Facebook group or twitter!


text:
As a nation of food lovers we certainly can't get enough cake, it's goes perfectly with tea whatever the occasion, whether it's a celebration or simply a spot of sweet toothed indulgence.. With coffee chains taking over the country it's certainly a welcome change of pace to see a chain of cake shops across the UK, Patisserie Valerie is a welcome sweet addition to the city high street with an abundance of indulgent treats and fancies across their menu.
Patisserie Valerie first opened it's doors back in 1926 with their Soho Patisserie, bringing continental treats to London. Naturally the concept took off rather well with further shops following suit, opening up across the UK in the decades that followed. Nowadays Patisserie Valerie stays true to it's roots with an art deco feel to the decor that adorns every branch, Toulouse-Lautrec inspired cartoons adorn the walls with notes of mirrored detail and florals.
Of course it's not just about the decor, the food is what makes the place, famed for their continental inspired patisserie and cakes which stay true to traditional methods of baking resulting in their award winning treats of fancy.
Patisserie Valerie certainly have a wonderful selection of treats, with seasonal menus and subtle differences between each shop resulting in a feast of decadent treats. Their patisserie and cakes certainly can't be beat, with eye catching displays adorning their windows where you can view the days freshly baked offerings, varying from dainty macaroons to generous portions of gateau and fruit tarts. From individual portions available to take out and dine in, to lavish cakes to order, it's certainly worth a dine in to sample their menu of delights which are as scrumptious as they are pretty.
Hearty portions of cakes adorn their menu, their gateau's are certainly one to try, and fruit tarts that are individual works of art, laden with hidden layers of cream, washed down with a pot of tea for an afternoon treat.
Of course you'll also find plenty of other sweet treats on offer from speciality gelato ice creams to cream teas, and if a sweet treat doesn't take your fancy they also have a full breakfast and lunch menu.
One that's certainly worth a visit if you have a rather sweet tooth and can't get enough of delicious cream filled cakes.
With branches across the UK you won't find yourself too far from one of their patisserie's, alternatively you can have Patisserie Valerie bring the cake to you with options to order available on their website www.patisserie-valerie.co.ukwhere you can find a full list of cafes across the country.
First time at Patisserie Valerie? Treat yourself to one of their fruit tarts and a pot of red berry tea for a fruity treat.
Images: Patisserie Valerie


text:
Best wishes for an even better and more polished sddm for Fedora 21.
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
SDDM change pushed back to Fedora 21
As the Fedora 20 final change deadline is upon us, we tried, but were unable to make sddm login manager as shiny, bug-free, and featureful enough to continue to use it by default (for kde). So, in our kde-sig meeting this morning, we made the hard decision to implement our contingency plan, to revert to the tried-and-true kdm default again.
Posted by Rex Dieter at 12:10 PM 2 comments: Links to this post
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)


text: Abigail started crawling this week. Not really up on all fours kinda crawling, but pulling herself all around like a wounded soldier. That combined with rolling, gets her pretty much anywhere she wants to go. And where would she like to go? The closest thing made out of paper usually attracts her the most. And she will eat it if you're not watching, she'll devour entire pages of a book or Avon catalog, whatever's laying around. If there's nothing of the paper variety laying around she'll find wires of any sort and munch on those. She also finds herself being 'eaten' by the couch a few times a day. (Rolling under the couch and all we can see is her little head sticking out!)


text:
I was outfront the Fox Den, beneath the palms and sipping Herbsaint w/ Katinka, my European girl. She's a good one. She doesn't bother me w/text messages&other standard, girlfriend-bullshit fare. She's a woman. She knows what its like to live in a country where the Government can come-a-knocking and take you away forever. The sun had set. It was quiet&warm on Judge's Hill. I was killing time&putting this off. My flight was at 5:45am. I was packed. My ride to the airport had been arranged. All I had to do was say goodnight to Katinka and write this blog.
Oh how I have rued this day. I've been putting this off for as long as I can remember and the joke just ain't funny anymore. In Yoga circles they call what I'm about to commit Satya, or, honesty. Satya is pretty important to a Yogi. Its just under non-violence and compassion on the list of helpers on the path of living right, the Yamas&Niyamas. Here goes.
People say I'm lucky. Livin' the dream and all that. To call me lucky is to discount all the broke&lean&mean years. All the slipshot, balls-against-the-wall years when I was laying it on the line. Going for broke-shit. Sometimes they ain't no goin' you just is broke.
I figure if you're gonna do something, you might as well have-at-it and fuck-the-rest.
A young singer/songwriter, up Philly way, said as much to me once. She said if all you care about is music, eventually it will be all you have left.
And it stuck. It wasn't easy-living back then and I wouldn't have it any other way.
Now I'm living in Paradise. I play my rock n roll and I write my "journalism". I have spiritual discussions with gorgeous women over whiskeys on the veranda and by the time you read this, I will be in another country, on the beach&w/o shoes for 7 days.
Luck is the closest thing I have to God in my Life. And grace is the closest I can come to faith. We've been around, you&I. We've gone a few rounds. We've played their game, even though we knew it was rigged and we were born to Lose.
My point? My point is about Luck. And faith. And death&spirituality.
If fate fucks you will you curse your days&blame your God?
If luck deals you a good hand, will you have the courage to be kind, and accept it?
I don't believe in God. And I wouldn't have spirituality were it not for death.
I'd probably still be swimming from glass to glass or eating shit in the lunch line at St.John's. Death has been the motivator, the teacher, the knower, the learner. I know, a real pick-me-up, right?
For true.
I would not have taken my suitcase into town were it not for death&spirituality. Death lays a heavy hand in every motion, every moment, every breath and every deal&con.
Death gives perspective. I can see clearly. Be it: the Bad blues or trouble, lust&greed. Any myriad of distraction that the circus of the mind can throw at me. Death has been the vision, the means, the end.
It is with luck&grace that I have survived at all. The bad blues&trouble have imbued in me a compassion for all things living, dying/otherwise.
I am here to serve. A working-class Bodhisattva bringing presence to the light&dark. I bear witness and remain all too human, here.
It all began with a decision to not believe in God.
And it's only b/c I've been there that I can visit sometimes, meet you there, in the light&dark. I've stood on the side of the highway w/a sign and I've been "gainfully" employed enough to want to kill the man who signed the checks. I would never proscribe or ascribe my spirituality to anyone. But if I tell you something, or if I'm moved enough to write a blog about it, you better believe I fucking mean it.
It cost me the Earth.
-Maya Angelou
Be good babies, and be good to each other. I'll see you when I get back from the island.
Jim Trainer
Maya Talum, MEX


text:
Odd thing is that I don't think I'm serious, in my head. This is almost an autistically removed answer because it might seem rabidly literal. On the other hand, it is utterly true. I do tend to stray toward the intense, or whatever. Whatever in that I don't take the label so seriously, knowing the level of intensity that others I've been exposed to subscribe and act accordingly.
How to respond, then, while not making the questioner uncomfortable?
See, side note necessary here. [insert] I'm trying to figure this out as I write. I don't have it pre-figured and ready for writing. There's a bit of a difference between the two. During the first, I actually am exposing myself in a kind of thorough way that's frightening. And exhausting.
Here's a separate side note, to myself, from myself: folks don't really care. It isn't worth actually being vulnerable. Every possible stimuli out there, exterior-side, screams toward the pedestrian, the strategy, that is, to be utterly fake and impulsive-driven and vaingloriously self-obsessed, mannequin-like when listening to other viewpoints, lioness-like when pouncing down the throats of non-interlocutors--non-interlocutors, I'll remind thee, self, that are fundamentally hard to identify. Damnit. It isn't a puzzle. It is a fucking diaphanous piece of opacity, of dual layered glass, that I/you can see through and see a reflection in, and I am reduced to measuring geometrical approaches to understand the angle of others, whether they are, as it were, in the reflection, or on the other side. And either option is not heartening.
Another side-note. If you don't know who is on your side, it doesn't make sense to jump down random throats. It also doesn't necessarily make sense to have sides, except that they increase cooperation exponentially, because they offer psychological buy-in, which is a precious commodity, one that, shucks, can't just be produced by sheer will, but is the by-product of a series of emotional compromises and mutual reckoning. Also, there's the issue that if you tell yourself that folks don't care, and act accordingly, they certainly won't care, but if you are sincere, and act accordingly, perhaps you'll find a commonality out there, one that can ring true and whatnot. The question is of weighing the possible nuclear size harm of being hyper-sincere all the time, and of the problem, of course, that when you're sincere and interested in things, people are always asking you things like, "why are you so serious?" and that's fucking annoying, and makes you not want to be so sincere all time, and basically revert to a kind of nihilistic solipsism that's carnally gratifying and totally empty. Which is the problem, isn't it?
So, there's a blindness. That's what it is. A blindness to taking action. And there's a blindness in speaking (or writing on a blog); one that manifests itself in the incapacity to produce cocked and ready-to-consume pithy titty-pinchers of humorous content. Mostly because we don't know who we're interacting with, not that easily, anyway, and certainly in a large anonymous place like the internet. And, worse, perhaps, there's no guarantee, even in that space, of other like-minded souls to find their way together, even if I'm as sincere-as-is-possible. There are no monitors of companionship, after all. There's no assurances, no guarantees
There's only you/me, our looking glass butane-filled science experiment of piecing it together, pretending that, once we get there, to the end of the journey, we'll have been successful getting some message across to one another about our experiences, so that we can breath a sigh of relief, and die knowing that: we weren't alone after all. That would be a feeling of relief worth dying over, don't you think?


text:
Keun Mortgage Registration (Seoul)
A friend of mine is moving to Seoul and will be renting a place to live.
In his rental contract it is written that ... The costs and expenses, including the legal fees, in the preparation of the Keun-Mortgage, and registration of the Keun-Mortgage shall be paid by the Lessee, and all costs and expenses, including the legal fees, associated with the return of the Keun-Mortgage Document and its deregistration shall be paid by the Lessor. .....
So as the Lessee he would like to know how to do this.
Is it done for him by the Estate Agent?
Does he need to get a lawyer to do it?
When is it done?
After payment of the 10% deposit?
After paying the other 90% of the rent?
Prior to his move-in?
thanks guys


text:
Alas, life's been a little hectic lately, so last week I opted for takeout soup, sandwiches, and Z-grade sushi over homemade salads and be-tupperwared leftovers. Admittedly, it was a nice change, but it also served as a reminder. I was stuffed by the end of each day, down $40 by the end of the week, and couldn't BELIEVE how many disposable plastic and Styrofoam containers I had plowed through. (Thanks, Midtown!)
I know brown bagging has been covered exhaustively by every single media source in existence (ABC, BBC, Highlights Magazine, The Hills, etc.), but its importance can't be overstated. Simply, because bringing lunch to work is:
- Cheap (see first paragraph),
- Healthy (as it gives you control over your food), and
- Good (for the environment).
So, with great excitement, ado, celebration, frankincense, and myrrh, I present you with … the rest of the post! It has two key sections: the first is chock full of tips to help plan your midday meals efficiently and effectively, while the second is an extensive database of lunch ideas from The Simple Dollar, Chow, WebMD and beyond. (Suggestions welcomed!) I guarantee, with time and a teaspoonful of effort, you'll never blow $7 on a lame, last-minute Subway hero again.
Plan ahead. When you're drawing up a grocery list and/or shopping, don't forget to include enough food for a few lunches. Make sure it's stuff you like, and wouldn't mind repeating two or three days a week, to boot. Unfussy, healthy, easily-pulled-together mainstays like bread, sandwich fillings, spreads, salads, fruits, and vegetables are all solid bets. Be sure to ease up on the pre-packaged frozen meals, though (Weight Watchers, Lean Cuisine, etc.). They cost more, both in cash and sodium intake, than a self-created lunch.
Prep the night before. No one wants to wake 20 minutes early so they can half-assedly slap a bologna sandwich together before the 8am train. Assembling an simple lunch in the evening will let you sleep longer AND increase the likelihood of a meal you'll enjoy. If those nightly 10 minutes are too inconvenient, you can always …
Prep in bulk. Clever Dude and The Simple Dollar have the best posts I've seen about constructing meals en masse, but there are tons – TONS – of similar strategies online. (That I'm having problems finding, naturally. Help?) You can knock out a week's lunches in a single Sunday half-hour, then freeze or refrigerate them until needed.
Don't settle for sandwiches. Variety is the spice of lunch. Any burgeoning brown bagger will get sick (real fast) of PB&Js repeated ad nauseum, so try to change the menu up whenever you can. Portable chow like soups, bento boxes, burritos, make-your-own pizzas, and especially leftovers are vital to making BYOL more palatable. (See the attached list below for more ideas.) Speaking of…
Use leftovers wisely. Once The Boyfriend boarded the Brown Bag train (it's right next to Soul Train), planning lunches became a little tougher. I solved a lot of that by making double the dinner servings and packing half away for Next Day Consumption. The leftovers add a ton of nutritionally-sound variety AND it's infinitely thrifty, since I'm not creating entirely new meals.
Pack snacks. Ahhh … the four o'clock coma. Fellow desk jockeys, you know what I'm talking about: that mid-afternoon lull in brain activity where work takes second priority to napping on your keyboard. To battle the snooze, I try to pack one or two light, portable snacks per day. Fruit is ideal for this, but crackers, hummus, vegetables, popcorn, and nuts should be enough keep you from raiding the vending machines. Avoid the 100-calorie packs, though, as they are the biggest ripoff, ever.
Invest in reusable lunchboxes and utensils. Seriously, the waste created by Chinese takeout lunches could fill an entire office in about two months. Why do that to Earth when carrying environmentally-sound meal packaging can make a gigantic dent in your garbage without costing a fortune? Personally, I use thoroughly-cleaned Parmesan containers. (That is, until they A) break, B) are broken, or C) steal off to form their own secret Container Colony.)
With that, it's on to the lunch ideas themselves. Each "#" is a different post full of suggestions, from DIY sushi to star-shaped turkey clubs. Readers and fellow bloggers, if you have any favorite articles or comment threads please pass 'em along. I'll add below, and together we can create THE master lunch database.
Ask Metafilter: #1, #2, and #3
Dollar Stretcher: #1
Fabulous Foods: #1
Global Gourmet: #1
Just Bento: #1 (see whole blog)
Lunch in a Box: #1 (see whole blog)
Medicine.net: #1
Serious Eats: #1, #2, #3, #4, and #5
WebMD: #1
Weight Watchers: #1
Wise Bread: #1
Yahoo Answers: #1
Zen Habits: #1
And that's it! Happy lunching, everybody!
(Photos courtesy of Flickr members stelladoll7 and luckysundae.)


text:
Before reading this I only had a sketchy idea of the events of 7th August 1985 at White House Farm. I knew that on that night a whole family had been brutally murdered – father, mother, daughter and her two young children. I knew that a young man, Jeremy Bamber, the son of the elderly couple who owned the farm, was eventually tried for the murder, convicted, and has been protesting his innocence ever since. It was one of those notorious cases that resonate, like the Moors' Murders and that of the Yorkshire Ripper, and unsurprisingly Jeremy Bamber has become something of a hate figure for the tabloid press.
Beyond that I knew snippets: something about a silencer with paint on, Bamber's assertions repeated by his vocal band of supporters that movement had been spotted from within the house when Bamber was outside with the police, that he claimed that it was his sister, Sheila, an erratic and mentally unstable schizophrenic, who fired the shots.
Carol Ann Lee has form; she seems to like delving into the darkest recesses of the human psyche. I've only read one of her previous works, an exhaustive investigation into the mind and motivation of Myra Hindley. It was powerful but disturbing stuff, definitely not for the weak hearted. But it was also fair and balanced. One thing I applauded about that earlier work is how she refused to allow the wool to be pulled over her eyes. Many of Hindley's supporters argue that she was led astray by the evil mind of Ian Brady. While acknowledging Brady's psychopathology the author demonstrated that Hindley herself had many questions to answer, that on numerous occasions she had shown irritation and contempt towards the relatives of her victims.
So the author has the credentials and gravitas to tackle a case as sensitive as the murders at White House Farm, a massacre that in some ways is more controversial than the Moor's Murders, for there has never been any doubt as to Brady and Hindley's guilt. Does she manage it? I think she does. The Murders at White House Farm is as exhaustive account as her previous work, perhaps as definitive an account of what happened that night that we can ever hope to get. The author delves into the family and its wider milieu; she places Jeremy and Sheila's upbringing under a microscope (the siblings were adopted) she pores over their tensions and schisms. Carol Ann Lee subjects the murder scene, police investigation, forensic evidence and trial to meticulous examination and while there is some evidence that Sheila had religious mania and was a seriously unwell woman the narrative of this tome comes back to one subject: Jeremy himself.
Jeremy Bamber does not come out of this book well, should he read it he won't be pleased. He comes across as a cold, calculating and money obsessed psychopath, a man who resents his adopted parents for tying him to the farm, not allowing him to lives his own life, and most of all, not providing him with the monies to do so. He poses as heartbroken by his family's graveside only to smile when the press has gone. He refers to Sheila's children as a burden and thinks their father Colin should be grateful that he killed them. In prison he appeals and appeals, perhaps having convinced himself of his own innocence, but his efforts come to nothing, as there is nothing to be found.
One thing that did surprise me was the admissibility in court of the silencer. Rather than the police it was relatives who found it. The author's account makes clear that they repeatedly handled it and didn't immediately alert the police to its presence. Even once they were alerted to it, the police were slow to seize it and place it in evidence. There's little evidence of conspiracy here and the author demonstrates that the anomaly is more than likely down to police procedure of the time, the issue does demonstrates a fascinating difference between US and UK law. In the US legal system there is a concept of The Fruit of The Poisoned Tree, whereby evidence is struck out if it was accumulated in a questionable way. My understanding is that the UK legal system does not recognise this concept. So while one might wonder about the chain of custody that doesn't appear to have unduly concerned the court, either then or since.
At no point does Carol Ann Lee give her opinion as to Jeremy's guilt, rather she lets the evidence speak for itself. On the basis of what I've read in The Murders at White House Farm there's little doubt. I'm sure Jeremy and his supporters will condemn this book but for those with an open mind this is a magisterial and forensic account.
I would give this book 5 out of 5 stars


text:
Newsweek Ranks America's Greenest Companies
It wasn't easy. In fact, Newsweek's Deputy Editor Kathy Deveny admits that if she knew how hard it would be, she probably wouldn't have. But what's done is done: Newsweek spent more than a year vetting the 500 biggest companies in America and ranking them from greenest to brownest. Deveny breaks down the grueling process for us, explaining why the winners won and the losers lost.
Listen to the podcast of this interview via iTunes, or just click here to listen, right-click to download.