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As loyal readers of this blog will no doubt recall, Supreme Court Justice Lorie Skjerven Gildea faced three challengers in the primary -- public defender Richard Gallo, Minneapolis attorney Jill Clark and Hennepin County District Court Judge Deborah Hedlund. In judicial races, which are nonpartisan, the top two vote-getters earn a place on the November ballot. Gildea finished on top with about 54 percent of the vote; Gallo was the bottom vote-getter with about 11 percent. That left Clark and Hedlund to vie for the second spot on the general election ballot. Statistically, they were both fairly evenly split, with both getting between 17 and 18 percent of the vote. Hedlund had an edge in the unofficial tally -- 1,369 votes of more than 316,000 cast in the race. Because state law requires a recount if an election is decided by less than a .5 percent margin, an automatic recount was triggered. Clark narrowed the margin by just seven votes in the recount, not nearly enough to displace Hedlund as the number two vote-getter. Hedlund went on to the general election, where she lost her challenge against Gildea.
The Coleman/ Franken recount -- which hasn't even started yet -- has already proved to be a lot less smooth. Last Wednesday morning -- the day after the election -- the unofficial tally had Coleman ahead by 725 votes out of more than 2.8 million cast. However, as counties double check and verify their reporting, Coleman's lead has shrunk to just 204 votes.
The Coleman/ Franken recount will be much more controversial than the judicial race recount for many reasons, including:
- The margin is much closer -- 204 votes in a race where each candidate has about 1.21 million votes vs. 1,369 votes in a race where the candidates each had between 55,000 and 57,000 votes.
- Primary races tend to be not as closely watched as general election races, since the "winners" only go onto the November ballot rather than into public office.
- Judicial races garner much less attention than presidential, congressional or even state legislative races. We have chronicled on this blog the many ways that this fact is unfortunate, but that doesn't stop it from being true.
- Senate races, unlike judicial races, are partisan. This makes a difference for many reasons. For example, in a nonpartisan race, you don't have to worry as much that a voting issue in a GOP or DFL stronghold will affect the candidates disproportionately; you also don't have to worry about politics affecting vote counters' decisions about which votes to count (and not count).
I could go on, but I think you get the general gist. No matter what happens with this recount (and I have every confidence that Secretary of State Mark Ritchie will do all he can to make it as clean as possible), the race will provide the political blogosphere conspiracy-theory fodder for many years to come.
Conspiracy theories aside, our imperfect system of paper ballots and scanning technology with recounts by hand is just not set up well for elections this close. Even an error of just one vote tabulating every 10,000 recounted will yield a difference of 240 votes when counters are sifting through 2.4 million ballots. Are you confident you could work your way through 10,000 ballots without making a single mistake? I sometimes have difficulty double checking my change when I purchase something. Yet I don't think many of us at this point want to shift our elections completely over to computers. All it would take would be one really good hacker or one really bad virus to make Joe the Plumber the president of the United States. No thanks!
I think for the time being we are stuck with our imperfect system. To paraphrase Winston Churchill, it's the worst system in existence, except for all the other systems.


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subset: commoncrawl


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So, I thought I would try to start sharing with you some of our dinners throughout the week. I usually cook every night but I obviously don't post everything. I am a working lady with a real job after all. Lot's of things I make are other recipes or variations thereof and are (most of the time) accessible and easy enough to make after getting home around 6:00.
So let's check out last week....
MONDAY - Grilled Salmon & Butter Lettuce salad with Toasted Baguette
Nicholas and I are picky about our salmon. We don't eat farm raised. Did you know artificial coloring is put in the food of farm raised salmon to make them pink? Eww. We are currently using a frozen wild-caught salmon that I found at Costco (I think it is this one), it's pricey but worth it.
The butter lettuce salad was inspired by this Sunset Magazine recipe (in the picture above). Technically this is a Spring salad, but whatever. I had butter lettuce in my fridge that I needed to use and I had made this salad once before so I knew it was good. Here is what we did:
1 head of butter lettuce, cleaned and torn
1/4 cup of fresh dill, minced
1 tablespoon of fresh chives, chopped
1 heirloom tomato, sliced thin
1/2 bunch of baby asparagus, steamed and chopped into 3 sections
2 hard boiled eggs, quartered
salt and pepper to taste
2 cooked salmon fillets
Dressing made as called for in recipe, but doubled
I assembled the salad and Nicholas cooked the salmon. For the salmon, he brushes on olive oil, adds salt and pepper and sears it in a cast iron pan on the stove. He then puts the whole pan into the oven (350 degrees?) and cooks it just for a few minutes. Salmon doesn't take long. We placed the salmon fillets on top of our salad and dressed it. You won't need all the dressing, but I think you should double the recipe version. We had 1/2 of a baguette in the freezer, so I put that in the toaster oven at 200 and let it warm the whole time we were assembling/cooking. I did stop and buy the asparagus and fresh dill on my way home. (Soon I'll be sharing a trick to keep your fresh herbs fresh for way longer!). I also use Trader Joe's Orange Muscat Champagne Vinegar instead of just plain champagne vinegar.
That's it!
TUESDAY - Dad's Kitchen, Fair Oaks
If you live in Sac you are probably familiar with Dad's. There is the sandwich shop and the kitchen, both great spots. They have also been featured on Diner's Drive-In's and Dive's. The recently opened a new location in Fair Oaks, closer to our new hood, so we stopped in with the parentals to try it. It was good as usual. I had the Hot Blonde (organic chicken, avocado, swiss cheese, tomato, roasted red onion, spinach and cucumber with garlic spread, brown mustard & pepper plant sauce on sourdough bread). The husband had the Warm Spinach salad, Step-Diggidy Dad had the Cowboy Burger and Mom had the Portabella Mushroom Sandwich. I recommend accompanying your dish with the delicious onion rings! I am also told this location will eventually become more of a tap house with mucho beers on tap just like the Freeport location. Yay Dad's & crew!
WEDNESDAY - Veggie Fritatta and Sweet Potato Latkes
Fritatta is a great thing to make if you have an almost empty fridge, are in a hurry, want a vegetarian meal, are feeling lazy, or anything else! You can whip it up quick and put about anything in it. I also had some sweet potatoes that I needed to use up, so I followed this recipe for the Latkes. Here is what I did for the Frittata:
6 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/2 bunch of asparagus, cut into 3 sections
1/2 large yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 mini red bell pepper, chopped
1/8 cup red onion, chopped
1/4 jalapeno, diced
1 tablespoon of diced green chilies
1 teaspoon fresh dill, minced
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, minced
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/4 cup chopped spinach
salt and pepper (a few grinds each)
Put the eggs and milk in a large bowl and whisk. Add everything else and stir up. Pour into a greased 8x8 glass baking dish. Bake at 350-375 until cooked through (at least 20 minutes, probably more). I literally had all this stuff in my fridge, so I just kept adding stuff willy-nilly. It was really good and the latke's were great. We had enough leftovers for each of us to take for breakfast this morning.
THURSDAY - Soba Noodles and Chicken with Eggplant
Well I planned this recipe that I found a long time ago. But, we were tired and ended up eating frozen ravioli and jarred pesto.
FRIDAY - Gary Danko!
Lucky me I got to go to San Francisco all day Friday for my company Christmas Party. We had a fabulous 7 course lunch with wine pairings at Gary Danko. You can see our meal from 2011 here. It was enough to keep my tummy very happy all day. I hope to share pictures and details with you soon!
So that is it! Let me know what you think of the Dinner Last Week idea.
P.S. PopSugar is doing a very cute quiz to help you find your style - since you're doing all that Christmas shopping you should buy something for YOU! You can take the quiz here.


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No picture at the moment. I did get one taken but my chalkboard still had Katie's birthday msg. on it. I was going to do some photoshop magic but no time for that.
How far along? 34 weeks
Due Date: December 3rd (c-section will be Nov. 26)
Weight gain: 40 pounds. I know I loose it fairly quickly but it sure does weigh me down now.
Maternity clothes? Of course mainly all maternity clothes. I am trying to do more with cardigans and things that are normal size with a maternity shirt under as I don't want to keep buying clothes I'll only wear another 5 weeks. I realized I don't have a jacket that covers my belly so when outdoors most of the day Saturday in the chilly air I wore layers upon layers of shirts and sweatshirts.
Symptoms: Braxton Hicks are in full force. I have had them periodically for quite awhile now but lately they have really increased in intensity and frequency and can be strong enough that I have to make sure to breathe. I explained to the kids that my uterus is practicing because it doesn't know it isn't necessary. :)
I feel so heavy it is hard standing up from sitting and getting in and out of a vehicle, especially our big van. My feet and ankles are swollen and now even in the morning. Thankfully I did find some shoes at the thrift store that should hold me over. Being that this didn't happen with my last couple pregnancies that I recall my doctor blames it on my age. Lovely. He seems to bring up my age an excessive amount which is getting a little annoying.
Movement: Little girl is making big body movements now and we can see when an elbow or knee is sticking out as it is like a little triangle poking out of my belly. And wow, when she wants to rearrange positions she really moves enough so that it occasionally startles me. Still so fascinating I never tire of watching her.
Food cravings: Love food of any kind. But my appetite has waned and I get heartburn almost as soon as I put something like tomato sauce in my mouth so it isn't quite as enjoyable.
Food aversions: Nope.
Have you started to show yet: Yes, it looks like I should have her tomorrow.
Belly Button in or out? Out.
Wedding Rings On or Off? Off
Medical Information: All is well. I measure at least 1 week ahead each time but that is how I always am. Doctor keeps considering sending me for a growth ultrasound which seems crazy to me since obviously growth is going on. But you know -- my age! I am one year shy of the requirement to have one. He will let me know in two weeks what he decided but hopefully leaning toward no since my pregnancy has been so low risk.
Misc. Info: Having a hard time coming up with a girl's name. You wouldn't think it should be this hard being that I have only named one girl. Funny thing is we had a boys name all ready to go (it was my second choice last time and John said I could use it this time if a boy). I am probably too particular and don't necessarily want a name in the top 20 (love that social security website!) But yet I want it to be a name to fit with the other kids, especially her older sister. And while I like a number of "M" names they just don't sound right with our last name. Also a few "S" names I like but since the last two boys start with that letter I have enough trouble keeping them straight. Names with "E" are what I like best. And John, as always won't talk about it until right before. I should be used to this by now. :)


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For Art Anthology I made a Journal page in my new Dina Wakley Art Journal.
I love all those different pages.
Of course I used one of my new stencils, Keyhole!!
I had no idea at all, only that I wanted to use some die-cuts from Elizabeth Craft Designs
I also used stamps from Unity Stamp company, designed by Jolande and me.
You can purchase the stencil, stamps and dies in the Netherlands at JustJolande
I made a video tutorial for you!
Detail photos:
*Click the images to enlarge*
Thank you all for watching ;)


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Dedicated to the hard working bloggers that were cast aside by "change" none of us could believe in.We are the bloggers who coined the term "Sporon" and it is here we shall make our new home. Come ye weary travelers, talk Heat basketball and enjoy your new home.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Miami Aces Draft and Gets Bang For the Buck
3 comments:
These guys seem like safe picks. It's not like Pittman is above 350 anymore. His ideal playing weight is probably some where between 275-290 lbs. He actually looks pretty good.ReplyDelete
The draft is a solid B, but the bonus is that the roster is not completely bare, but the cap does not take a hit. Now, if they could only trade James Jones...
You're happy about the picks, but you had Pittman and Varnado as late second rounders and Butler going undrafted in your mock. Not trying to be negative, just noticed that :)=ReplyDelete
Yeah, I noticed that. For as much draft research as I did before hand I missed most of the NCAA tournament and with that I totally missed out on Butler, who dropped off of the radar due to a serious knee injury that kept him from working out for teams.ReplyDelete
However, I side with Riley in believing that on the court production tells you more than enough about a player, especially when you are using a second round pick on somebody that was believed to be a possible lottery pick prior to the injury, which he should fully recover from.
As far as Pittman, I don't think I had him sliding due to a lack of game. I, however, was under the (wrong) impression that this would be a player that would struggle with his weight for his entire career and probably flame out of the league in under five years. After Riley reached for him, I dug a little deeper and saw a young man that has taken control of his weight problem and seems motivated to succeed in this league, following the footsteps of a Glen Davis. I don't use UD as an example, because I think he may have lost too much bulk and his game completely changed from the one he played in college.
Jarvis was a guy I knew we liked, but I was surprised that we liked him above Whiteside and Alabi, both of whom I had at the top of my board for the first round pick that was traded away with Cook. Varnado might be able to play both positions like Joel Anthony and seems to have more offensive potential.
I think you have to be happy with this draft as a Heat fan... the only knock is not being able to unload James Jones while Chicago was able to move Kirk Hinrich in exchange for the #17 pick... that stings more than a little, especially considering the fact that picking up DaeQuan's option was seemingly a hindrance to our ability to get that done.
I will be pretty disappointed to see James Jones' name on the payroll for the 2010-2012 seasons... which is why I would rather keep him on the roster until we can find a way to package him in a larger deal. His nearly $5 million in salary will help match contracts... the only downside is that he has a 15% trade kicker.


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Giving Murphy and his gang some help with their food drive with a poster. If you're going to be in the area next Saturday, December 19th, the folks up in Marin are doing a ride/race for their local food bank.
Type: Neutra Display, Neutra Text
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Crank for the Bank
Posted by Jonathan Koshi at 11:50 PM
Labels: crank for the bank, foodd rive, jkoshi, koshi, neutra, poster, typography
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Queen Autumn
Autumn robes the trees
In fiery reds and golds
Signaling her reign
Enjoy the fall days and the changing of the leaves. These days are fleeting and it won't be long now when the reds and golds are replaced with white and ice.
Gorgeous colors on those trees Cindy. I haven't seen any color-changing yet here in Virginia. Soon it will happen though and another season will be over.
What kind of tree is it that changed like that? It is striking amongst the green leaved trees. Fall is extra special for you with Lillian for sure!
I may brag a lot about my beautiufl MS Gulf Coast but it does have one little drawback. We don't get much color in the fall. Everything more or less, just stays green. There are a few trees though that change. I love the little popcorn trees. They have beautiful colors. It is still worth a drive into the country to see the colors that do change.
It is a beautiful season! I am so ready for it here...a few days in the 70s instead of the 80s would be welcome! I know you'll be sharing more fall photos! Yippee...I will get a very long fall....yours plus mine! Gail
Fall is indeed a beautiful season with all the changes in color. This will be a special time for you with your little girl turning one year old!
That is a beautiful photo! I love fall and the colors that come with it ... I even make an apple pie last night!! Oh it was so ultra yummy! Cheers to autumn.
Autumn rules, Cindy!!! Mericfully we have several months of glorious changes to look forward to here in PA!
I love the colors that the leaves change in Autumn. Just beautiful!
Hi Everyone! I didn't realize that when this published the poem was so tiny you couldn't even see it. The photo was just to go along with the poem and was from 2002. Our trees aren't changing quite yet. Probably a couple more weeks still. I fixed the text so the poem is now visible, darn Blogger.
PGL ~ I love having the four seasons to mark the years marching by.
Tina ~ Those are all mostly maples, we have several and I should really identify the types of maples. Maybe later this fall. It's really funny or interesting rather, that even though they are all maples, they change at different times, with different colors. We rake and clean out gutters for a long time here. I don't mind though.
Eve ~ Even though we have about six months with no leaves, I don't think I would want to give up the fall colors for having leaves on the trees for a longer time. There is something about the reds, yellows, and oranges.
Gail ~ And let's get rid of that humidity too! I'm excited to see fall photos from all over and the different types of trees and colors the various regions of the country have.
Rose ~ I can't believe it's been a year already! I'm looking forward to her first Halloween (well, technically second, but we were still in the hospital for her first).
Wendy ~ Oh, yum, apple pie. I was just thinking apple dumplings would be great this weekend.
Our Friend Ben ~ Autumn in PA is glorious, and I think there is color from September through to November. I love it!!!
DP ~ Enjoy all the fall colors. I can't wait to see some of TN's colors.


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Today I applied a Boxwave Crystal Clear screen protector to my tablet pc screen. Within ten minutes of use I had torn it off in total fury, screwed it up and thrown it in the bin. I might as well have thrown the money straight in the bin. And I have to say that I actually did a very nice job of applying it neatly and without bubbles. My rating for this item is 2/10 (or 10/10 if you like something that gets covered with scratches immediately, and that your pen sticks to in some places and skids over with impunity in others.)
To cheer myself up I looked at this SGR pumpkin picture sent to me by Tiffany Shaw. Thanks Tiffany. You saved me from becoming a vigilante.
My comics: Bad Machinery - Scary Go Round - Giant Days :: My Shop :: My Flickr Sketchblog :: My Last.fm


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The local public radio station had a record sale today, and through what can only be chalked up to an act of divine intervention, these deep cuts found their way into our house.
This was the find of a lifetime. Babs and Kris Kristofferson; and Babs and Barry Gibbs of the Bee Gees looking 100% amazeballs. I would have given ANYTHING to be a production assistant on the photo shoots for the "Guilty" and "A Star is Born" album covers. Kris Kristofferson and his lustrous locks look like a waxed, bodice-ripper version of Pa from Little House on the Prairie, and Babs has that fresh-from-the-salon-1978-perm look dialed in solid. That's some chemisty. These two and their hair sizzle right off the front of this record. And on the second one, Babs' mullet-fro; Barry's blowout and gold watch; and their matching white jump suits make them look like the founding members of a South Florida sex cult.
I cannot WAIT to drop the needle on these tracks, kick back, and just let Babs totally bring it. In addition to usually having some good Beatles albums, the radio station's annual record sale is the best place in the world to pick up a giant wedge of musical cheese. Totally psyched to slice into this one!


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About the Brand- Ciate which was founded by UK-based nail artist Charlotte Knight, Ciaté® introduces innovative nail trends that push the boundaries of beauty. From intensely pigmented colors to designer-inspired manicures, Ciaté's original polishes, textures, kits, and treatments will transform your nails into the ultimate statement accessory.
From Sephora:
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What it does:
The Sequined Manicure™ was created by Ciaté's Creative Director Charlotte Knight while styling an extravagant nail look to give an embellished dazzling finish, unachievable by regular nail polish.
This set contains:
- 0.45 oz Sequin Glitter Grip
- Sequins
- Little black brush
My Thoughts- Recently I had went on Sephora and found these Sequined Manicure Nail Kits by Ciaté and fell in LOVE! This is the brand that also has the Caviar Manicures Kits which is also Gorgeous but I just cant get over the sequin effect. So sparkly, shiny and not Overdone. Below I will list the kits individually with the names and prices. Overall I think that these are HOT & perfect holiday gifts with christmas right around the corner, what girl wouldn't want a sequined manicure makeover? XO Andrea *You Can Buy these at www.Sephora.com *
Tutu- Pink $19.00
Multi- Color $19.00
Black and Gold $19.00


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Director : Chris Columbus, Screenplay : Tim Herlihy, Screenplay : Adam Sandler, Screenplay : Timothy Dowling, Story : Patrick Jean, Music : Henry Jackman, Executive Producer : Johnny Alves, Producer : Michael Barnathan, Executive Producer : Barry Bernardi, Executive Producer : Matias Boucard, Producer : Chris Columbus, Producer : Allen Covert, Executive Producer : Benjamin Darras, Executive Producer : Jack Giarraputo, Executive Producer : Seth Gordon, Co-Producer : Kevin Grady, Executive Producer : Tim Herlihy, Executive Producer : Patrick Jean, Executive Producer : Steve Koren, Executive Producer : Heather Parry, Producer : Mark Radcliffe, Producer : Adam Sandler, Executive Producer : Ben Waisbren, Director of Photography : Amir Mokri, Editor : Hughes Winborne, Animation : Liz Bernard, Animation : Anna Cardillo, Animation : Jocelyn Cofer, Animation : Brian Franklin, Animation : Atsuo Fujiwara, Animation : Emilie Goulet, Animation : Ellen Hoffmann, Animation : David Humphreys, Animation : Julius Kwan, Animation : Pericles Michielin, Animation : Paul Robertson, Animation : Richard Smith, Animation : Nicholas St. Clair, Animation Supervisor : Steve Nichols, VFX Artist : Julien Lasbleiz
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Tags: video games,


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Monday, September 27, 2010
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
"The Dice"
We are all pretty superstitious about "the dice" and no doubt many of you have noticed more than a few weird or dubious habits amongst your friends or enemies in the 40k universe.
I have played Dice games since I was very young. The magic and mystery of the dice has always been something I have assumed. The fervor over Adepticon 2010 nonsense really got my attention. Seems to have worked out in the end but it was quite a big deal on the internets at the time.
We are a big fan of the NOVA format and very excited to seeing this event and others play out in the future. Battle For Salvation will be a High level competitive GT event and will INCLUDE GW DICE for all participants. (Although they are allowing competitors to use their own GW DICE… maybe that will change.)
Doing just a little bit of looking around on the internets and you will find out that it is easy to tamper with dice and that most dice are flawed to begin with. So IT IS a big deal in the end.
The best resource you will find on this topic for w40k players:
Online Dice Rolling Tool:
Dice Tower:
Since YOU ARE interested:
Dont get carried away, ya'all.
Monday, September 13, 2010
BattleReport: Chaos Nurgle Space Marines vs Wolfbrothers 2k
Nurgle Host:
2x Demon Prince w/Wings, Warptime, Mark of Nurgle
3x3 Obliterators
4x6 Nurgle Marines with Champ & pfist, two melta, rhinos
Wolflord on Thunderwolf mount, many fixins, two wolves
1x Thunderwolf Cav w/Stormshield, Frost Axe
1x RunePriest w/Necklace
2x5 Wolf Scouts w/Power weapon, Melta, Mark of Wulfen
5x5 Grey Hunter w/Power Weapon, Melta, Mark of Wulfen, Las/Plas Razerback (1 Rhino)
2x6 Long Fangs w/Five Missle launchers
7 Wolf Guards with Power Fists into Wolf Scouts and Grey Hunters. Scoutie pack leaders have combi melta also.
Pitched Battle, Command and Control, Wolves go first!
Long Fangs deploy on two levels in the right hand corner. One group cant see the right flank very much because of blocking terrain. Top group can see mostly everything on table, except for behind terrain in center of table (bottom level.) They are all out of range of back left Chaos corner where green fortress dominates. Enemy objective was in terrain in center of deployment, just in range of long fang units.
Rune priest goes in Rhino on left near Wolf objective with backup Razorback Kill Team. Thunderwolves in the middle, three Razorbacks on right near long fangs with one ready to scoot over to help objective battle (claim objective after everyone dies in fight.) Using cover and "t-formations" to get cover saves to everyone from almost everywhere. One unit of scouts infiltrate and a second stay in reserve.
Chaos deploys in tight castle on wolfbrother left, two units of oblits and one demon prince on extreme left, a line of rhinos, then 3rd unit of oblits and 2nd demon prince on right. The formation tapered from Wolf left to right to frustrate highly annoying and destructive Wolf scouts that would be forced to infiltrate in less than optimal manner. They hide out of sight on the bottom level of center building terrain.
Wolfbrothers go to work. Scouties in center shuffle around so they are still hidden but can take long melta shot at right-center nurgle Rhino. They could have charged out and taken two melta shots and then assaulted or multi-assaulted the Rhinos in the open, but the Wolf strategy required patience. The Wolfbrothers wanted and needed the Chaos army to spread out a bit. RP Rhino speeds up the center-left and pops smoke. Thunderwolves move into cover in center. Long fangs and Razerbacks concentrate fire on 3rd right hand group of obliterators and kill all three.
Chaos army unfolds a little. Demon prince and One Rhino on left move all out towards Wolf objective. Rhino on far right camps on Chaos Objectives. Rhinos in middle move up a little and take melta and bolter shots at Wolf Scouties in center, killing three. Demon Prince on right takes cover behind Rhinos and supports objective, threatening Wolf Lord in center. Obliterators wreck RP Rhino and blast plasma at the Thunderwolves, who are unscathed due to cover saves on the buffaloes (fenrisian wolves attached to wolf lord.)
Space wolf turn two is uneventful. RP and Grey Hunters retreat into cover and camp on Wolf Objective (bait #2.) Razorbacks push forward and shoot. Thunderwolves zig zag to the right behind center building terrain heading towards chaos objective (now out of sight from remaining obilts on left.) Long fangs and Razorback shooting destroys a bolter and immobilizes Nurgle Rhino on Objective. Scouties shot that Rhino with Melta and then assaulted it spilling out Nurgle Marines.
Chaos army surges in face of horrible wolf shooting. Demon prince and two Rhinos on Left charge deeper into wolf territory and prepare to assault wolf objective. Demon Prince and two units of nurgles smile at two remaining wolf scouties standing right in front of them. The scouts make a bunch of saves and then die to the demon prince in close combat. He consolidates towards the center. Obliterator shooting stuns two razorbacks.
Wolves start to circle for the kill, Chaos turn 3 will be the start of the end for someone. Kill team on left get out of Razorback and get into position with RP and his squad to receive chaos charge from two sides. Third razorback from right speeds over and pops smoke, his passengers are the counter assault or the cleanup crew, or both! Free razorback on right does the same, popping smoke and providing cover for stunned razorback on right just in case some nurgles get brave and try to scoot over and melta them. Wolf lord zags some more to the cover terrain near chaos objective terrain, just asking demon price on right to come fight him. Long fangs take shots at rhinos on left, wrecking one.
2nd unit of Wolfscouties arrive from reserve and shoot/charge unit of oblits on ground level on extreme left flank. Kill two and lock combat.
Chaos, bottom of three, charges demon prince and one unit of nurgles into the defending wolf units on the left. Of course after blasting away with Two units of Nurgles! Good for wolfs and bad for Chaos, that third nurgle unit was not able to assault! Demon Prince on right jumps into the middle, on opposite side of building from Wolf Lord, now threatening... everything in the Wolf army, including the wolf lord if he wants to eat the nurgles on chaos objective.
Last unit of oblits gets down from perch and charges into the wolf scouties. Powerfists all over, and 1 obliterators lives to 0 scouts. Mission accomplished anyways. On the left the Nurgles locked up combat and the demon prince died to rune priest and mark of the wulfen party.
Wolf Lord and Thunderwolfs get into the Nurgles, killing the camped out unit outright. Razorbacks on right race towards Chaos objective. Long Fangs pop other Nurgle rhino near chaos objective (but wolf lord didn't have enough to multi-assault.) Wolves on left try to kill empty Rhino, Rune priest takes shot at 2nd demon prince (who took a wound from the scout powerfist earlier.) Wolves in combat wiff vs Nurgles and nurgles kill some. 3rd sneaky killteam on left gets in position to hold objective and try to kill remaining chaos forces there.
2nd Demon prince and last set of nurgles on right charge Wolf Lord after single Obliterator shoots plasma at undamaged killteam on left (killing three! wow!) Empty Rhino and little bits of Nurgle climb onto Wolf Objective to Contest. Demon prince sucks ass vs Wolf Lord and dies. Nurgles there die too. Bottom of 5 and No one holds any objectives: Nurgles contest wolf obj and Razorbacks are a turn away from Chaos' - but the game continues.
Wolves on right destroy rhino and clean up last bits of Nurgle. Razorbacks full of guys camp out on Chaos objective. Rune priest kills single-wound Obliterator with Lightning. Wolfbrother Victory!
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Battle Report: Wolfbrothers vs Salamanders 2k
Librarian in terminator armor
3 x 10 Tacticals. Two in Rhinos, 3rd with Razorback.
Two flamer/typhoon speeders
Techmarine with Thunderfire cannon
Land Raider Redeemer (3rd tactical deployed here w/Vulcan)
5 x Lightning Claw Terminators in ANOTHER Land Raider Redeemer (w/Librarian)
Wolflord on Thunderwolf with Wolf Claw and Stormshield, Saga of Bear, Two Wolves
WolfGuard battle leader on Thunderwolf with Frost Weapon and Stormshield, necklace
5 x Wolves
WolfGuard battle leader with frostweapon, meltabomb, saga of hunter
WolfGuard battle leader with frostweapon, combi-melta, saga of warrior
9 x Wolf Scouts Pack with Melta, Mark of Wulfen, Power Weapon
10 x Grey Hunters Pack with Flamer, Mark of Wulfen, Power Weapon, Standard, Melta, Drop Pod
2 x 5 Grey Hunters Pack with Melta, Mark of Wulfen, Power Weapon, Rhino
9 x Grey Hunters Pack with Melta, Mark of Wulfen, Power Weapon, Standard, Rhino
6 x Long Fangs Pack with five Plasma Cannon, Drop Pod
Flamer/typhoon speeder
Spearhead, Capture and Control, Salamanders go first!
Salamanders roll forward. Black Land Raider w/Librarian and Terminators. Green w/Vulcan and Tacticals. Rhino in the back near objective. 2nd Rhino near Green Raider. Razorback near Black Raider. Speeders on Wolfbrothers left. Thunderfire cannon in the rear left, near table edge.
Wolfbrothers deployed Plasma Cannon Long Fangs near center of board in jungle terrain. Thunderwolves near center on left in Ruin terrain. Buffalos [wolves] behind the long fangs in cover. Speeder and Rhino on right, and full Rhino + 2nd kill team Rhino on the left. Everyone has plenty of cover except the 2nd kill team Rhino on the left screening the full Rhino also holding saga of warrior battle leader.
Salamanders open fire! Immobilizing 2nd kill team Rhino on the left with no cover with Speeder kraks. Thunderfire cannon, Land Raiders, Razerback blast everything they got at the Long Fangs Pack in the Jungle near the wolf objective - deployed as close to the center of the board as possible. When the smoke cleared the unit had been annilhated!
Wolfbrothers didnt flinch and charged at the deadly Salamander line. Long fang drop pod (empty) entered and landed directly in front of Black Land Raider, between two super heavy Jungle terrain pieces, effectively blocking that Land Raider and Razorback from advancing into the Wolfbrothers Deployment Quarter during turn 2. Wolfbrother Land Speeder zoomed into a similar position blocking the Green Land Raider, leaving only one avenue for advance open to the the Salamander Army! Thunderwolves, Buffalos, and Wolf-Rhinos charged into the upper-left Quarter, 'swinging' to the left, (terribly worried about Flamestorm Cannons) - hugging cover and popping smoke, there was no wolf shooting except the immobilized kill team Rhino fixed itself.
Salamanders are annoyed by Wolfbrother blocking maneuvers and shuffle to the wolf upper-left quarter. The Land Raiders have been moving slow so they can shoot things. The Black Land Raider moves fast to redeploy Behind Vulcan. Razerback takes up position to shoot things near the annoying empty drop pod. Rhinos shuffle also. Speeders split up and shoot more Krak. Salamander army takes lots of shots at Blocking Wolf "Kill Speeder" but accomplish nothing! Some shots kill a buffalo or two and destroy some stormbolters (on Rhinos.) Not a lot of damage turn 2 shooting.
Stuarts Division surges forward. No Wolfscouties or 2nd "Stalker" Drop pod yet - that is good. Kill Speeder jumps into a new blocking position and takes krak shots at Rhino, maybe destroying a Stormbolter (revenge!) Green Land Raider cant go that way next turn! Wolf Rhinos Zig zag and full Rhino's melta wrecks Vulcan's ride. Thunderwolves and Buffalos charge and wreck Speeder on left. Vulcan is pissed!
Black Land Raider squeezes by and moves into center of board position. Vulcan and friends run into the Jungle Ruins and pop "baby-ragnar's" Rhino. Salamanders unhappy with Kill speeder and shoot it some more. Its shaken - now it cant move or shoot (revenge!) Thunderfire cannon, Assault cannons, and some krak kill a few Wolfbrothers hanging out near Vulcan.
Wolfbrother Reinforcements arrive! Wolfscouties with Saga of Hunter battle leader come in from Salamander board edge near troop Rhino and Thunderfire cannon. Stalker-pod scores another direct hit and lands behind Rhino and Black Land Raider, next to Thunderfire Cannon. Gurka Squad inside shakes Black Raider with melta shot! Kill team near baby-ragnar jump out and shoot at Vulcan. Baby ragnar splits from his team goes into jungle after Vulcan - his Gurka Squad moves up and shoots also.
Other Kill team moves to Wolf objective and gets out and kills 2nd Salamander speeder. Wolfscouties melta the troop Rhino and then charge the guys inside. Thunderwolves get the Techmarine and Buffalos pile in with the Wolf Scouties, getting the Salamander tacticals from the other side! Lots of action and baby-ragnar locks up Vulcan and some surviving tacticals.
Salamanders arent out yet! Vulcan is extra-pissed now! 3rd Salamander Tacticals get out and move around Green Land Raider wreckage. They shoot and charge kill team and kill speeder. Terminators and Librarian jump out and go APE. They move along the crater that used to be one of thier speeders and catch that Kill team in combat - slaughtering the wolfbrother Grey Hunters easily. A few more of Vulcans tacticals are killed by baby-ragnar but combat is locked. Salamander tacticals wiff vs speeder and kill team, and take a couple casualties but stay in combat.
Wolfbrothers drenched in Salamander blood and get a little pissed also: Not much to do. Baby-ragnars Gurka Squad gets in the Kill team Rhino and zooms off behind the jungle ruins headed towards the wolf objective. Wolfscouties, Wolf Lord, and Stalker-pod Gurka Squad move onto Salamander objective and try to kill empty Razorback.
WolfGuard battle leader on Thunderwolf with buffalos attack those salamander tacticals that wiffed, and kill them. Vulcan kills baby-ragnar in response and The forgefather with surviving Squad leader consolidate behind screening terminators and the Black Land Raider that crashed into the Jungle Ruins.
Thunderwolf and buffalos consolidate over Green land raider wreckage and Kill team move up near Black Land Raider and then melta it to death! It explodes and the Thunderwolf battle leader charges right into Vulcan!
Vulcan scores some wounds but the battle leader saves them and kills the tactical squad leader.
Wolf lord on Thunderwolf leaves Wolfscouties and Stalker-pod Gurka Squad at Salamander objective looking for some turn 6 or 7 action.
Game ended turn 5, Wolfbrother victory. (1-0 Objectives.)
Friday, September 3, 2010
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
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Global warming, needs no introduction, the use of the earths resources to keep up with the demand of an ever increasing population has already begun manifested itself into extreme and unusual weather and floods worldwide, here's a few images I've done so far on the topic....
Friday, 3 September 2010
Overpopulation, an introduction.
Well it's been long, long overdue, but I finally got a camera and I have been taking pictures of my summer project to finally put online. We had to pick a political/cultural/enviromental issue to illustrate, and after initial research, into several issues I felt passionately about, I realised they all lay under the umbrella of one dark problem, that no one wants to face. Overpopulation of the planet. The media is more then willing to cover climate change, global warming, poverty, depleting resources and war, and yet they fail to tackle the biggest monster of them all, the fact we are breeding far too much. By 2050, experts project an estimated global population of 9.1 billion. To sustain such a population we would need 4 earths worth of resources, unfortunately, we only have one. The population problem is spiralling out of control, with little to help halt it, the figures are scary, and effective action seems impossible, in countries where birthrate is monitered (China) are faced with an ageing population and in developing countries where Religion prevents access to proper family planning, birthrates increase. (Phew, rant over!) But its not all doom and gloom, I'l be posting my research into possible preventions and solutions shortly.
Posted by Natacha Malkin at 02:29
Labels: Acrylic, Pen, Watercolour
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Alice Munro
(Vintage, 2006)
SURELY one of the best short-story writers writing today, Alice Munro, however, is highly underappreciated and deserves a wider readership than what she is enjoying now. This latest collection of stories (or compressed novels) comes with an excellent introduction by Jonathan Franzen, the author of The Corrections (2001). I believe one day she will be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature.
FRANZEN Jonathan [1959-] Novelist. Born in Western Springs, Illinois, U.S. NOVELS The Corrections (2001: winner of the 2001 National Book Award for Fiction; shortlisted for the 2002 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction); Strong Motion (1992); The Twenty- Seventh City (1988: winner of the 1988 Whiting Writers Award for Fiction) ESSAYS/CRITICISM How to Be Alone (2002)


text: Since the recent announcement that our Milky Way Galaxy is more than likely a two armed barred spiral, I felt it necessary to do a painting. This is my best Milky Way to date, and in a tip of the hat to Bonestell and Hardy, I decided to show it as a view from a rogue world sitting somewhat above the galactic plane. Our own Sun is lost in the glow, but if you look between the two arms in the lower section, you'll see a small yellow spot. While that's supposed to be a globular cluster between us and the main section of the galaxy, it lines up with where the Sun would be. Nice to know a little better what our neighborhood looks like.


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Hi there and welcome to the CTMH Rose Blossom's March Stamp of the Month Blog Hop! I know you have been seeing so many beautiful projects created with this gorgeous and versatile stamp set. If you have come from Cathy's blog then you are moving in the right direction! Make sure that you don't miss a stop-- you are sure to gather a lot of ideas and inspiration along the way!
For this project, I created a few cards using a variation on one of my favorite CTMH card patterns. I used the same paper and layout pattern on each card, but used a variety of frames and sentiments found in the set.
To turn these sweet little cards into something just a little bit "more," I mounted the frames on black cardstock and created a flap on the back of each one. Under the flap I attached magnets. The flap folds over the horizontal green ribbon and the frames can be removed from the card and attached to other things. My intention was to use them as bookmarks, but I believe the possibilities are endless! They could serve as fancy paperclips or as a clip to hold a few pages together in a planner or Crush Book.
Thanks for taking a peek! Your next stop is Mary's Blog, where I know she has something fabulous in store!
Materials Used (all CTMH unless otherwise indicated):
Stamps-- March Stamp of the Month-- Choose Happy
Cardstock-- White Daisy, Black
Patterned Paper-- Brushed, Paper Fundamentals
Ink-- Archival Black, Pixie, Sweet Leaf, Canary
Other-- Blending Pen, Topiary Mini Chevron Ribbon, CTMH Cricut Art Philosophy


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In November, I had the opportunity, thanks to Mrs. Robin Keating, principal of Big Walnut Elementary to share with a few of her staff members the process of Design Thinking and how it can be used in the classroom. While I had co-presented on this exact topic for our own K-1 building, I was nervous and unsure if a group of total strangers would be able to learn anything from me sharing my ideas. After all...I'm just another teacher. I think in the back of my mind I thought that maybe my own district's staff only enjoyed my previous presentation because they were colleagues I had worked with for a few years. This was my chance and I took so much time carefully thinking through each detail. When the big day came, I had a blast! It felt like the teachers had a great time too! But what brought a great moment to an empowering moment was a few weeks later when Mrs. Keating showed me some pictures of her first-grade teachers doing a Design Challenge in their classroom. She talked about how proud she was of this group and how much fun they had...and most importantly, how the students responded to this style of learning. So maybe I did have a few ideas that would benefit some other teachers...
That's when we had the opportunity to present at the Ohio Educational Technology Conference in Columbus, Ohio. Mrs. Frederick had never been to this conference before and I was excited to share an event that I look forward to every year. Not only were we going to be able to go and learn together, we were going to tell our story. I told her, "Don't worry, we have an 8:00 a.m. session, no one will come". I played it down for my nervous colleague who was about to present at a major conference for the first time. Little did we know or expect...people showed up. More people than we expected. And can you believe it...they listened to us! They gave us feedback and ideas at the end of our presentation. We got emails from colleagues from all over the state asking us to share resources or compliment us on the work we were doing. We told our audience that day that we welcome visitors to our room because that is the best professional development. We know that, because about 5 years ago, Mrs. Frederick and I went to visit another school and we couldn't get over how much we took in just visiting another school and talking with others about the work they were doing.
So now...a few thank you's are in order! Without Mrs. Keating believing in the work we were doing, I would not have connected with Big Walnut. What a wonderful connection! What an amazing group of educators! What a gift they have been to us this year!
I also have to thank Mr. Marc Alter, Director of 21st Century Learning in Grandview Heights. Marc attended our OETC presentation and has been connecting us with some pretty inspiring teachers in his district. Not only that, but he's encouraged us to continue telling our story to others.
And finally, a huge thank you to my home school district, New Albany-Plain Local. I've written about how much I love NA in another blog post. Not a day passes that I don't recognize how lucky I am to work there. Without my principal, Mrs. Jen Denny supporting the work Mrs. Frederick and I have tackled, none of this would have happened.
So...here's my lesson and reflection. Learning is not just for students. School is a place of continuous learning for all those that enter the doors. Who have you invited into your space? What authentic audience will be your catalyst?


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Well, God forbid someone should get smacked between the eyes with one. A bit of typical educational/liberal over-reaction in this Toronto school district, and the kids are revolting, Wall-style:
In track pants and sneakers, with ponytails swinging and juice boxes in hand, they didn't exactly look like a revolt waiting to happen. Until they stormed the playground fence.
"We want our balls back! We want our balls back!" the students chanted, pumping their fists as supervisors in fluorescent vests blew whistles and tried to shoo them away from the fence and reporters gathered on the other side.
The group, about 100 strong, kept it up all through the Wednesday lunch break, some taking refuge from their shushing caretakers at the top of the jungle gym.
"You can take our balls," one boy shouted, "but you can't take our freedom!"
A tad dramatic, perhaps, but for students at the Danforth-area junior and senior school, this is serious stuff.
The trouble began Monday when students were sent home with a letter advising parents that hard balls would no longer be allowed in the schoolyard. That means no soccer balls, footballs, volleyballs or tennis balls.
The letter cited "a few serious incidents" in which students, staff and parents have been struck or nearly hit by flying balls. One parent suffered a concussion after she was hit in the back of the head with a soccer ball — an accident, students say.
New rules allow for only Nerf or sponge balls in the schoolyard...
Liberals - again, especially those on the educational teet - seem to have no capacity for nuance whatsoever. How about a safety seminar in gym class instead of a draconian ban on a child's toy used for thousands of years? What, did the union not approve?
Support the kids of Canada. Allow them to play with their balls. Otherwise, we'll be that much closer to allowing the Left to realize one part of their social re-arrangement: Dividing men into two - and only two - categories: Either fops, or dandies...


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All work and no fun is just not French
So, it has been 3 weeks since my last blog post. A lot has happened since then!
My apartment search didn't end as I expected. The 2 bedroom apartment search with my potential roommate and I turned out to be unfruitful, so we went our own ways. I am now living in a studio apartment that is subsidized by the high school where I will spend 2/3 of my hours teaching each week. It is "smallish" by US American standards, I do not have my own washing machine, nor much storage space, it is farther from the city center than I pictured myself ending up, and the whole living alone thing is new to me. However, I have almost no commute to work 3 days a week, I have a great view of the city, I have everything I need, and it is ridiculously affordable (150€ per month!!).
I have gotten to know most of the other TAPIF teaching assistants living in Clermont-Ferrand, and we spend a bunch of time together. I'm still figuring out the best way to break out of my shell and meet locals…all the French locals I met are very nice but I don't brush shoulders much with them, except the teachers I work with.
Speaking of the teachers I work with, they have all been very welcoming and excited to work with me! Between the two schools, I am working with about 9 teachers. This will be a good challenge for me in cross-cultural communication and figuring out how best to work with a bunch of different people. This past week was the first time I visited the classrooms where I will be teaching in the coming months. At the middle school, I will mostly be with older students who are engaged in the English class, whereas the high school is a little bit different. Since it is a vocational high school, many students have a low interest in mastering the English language, and there are more behavioral problems. As I've mentioned, the school is predominantly boys as well, and let's be honest – high school boys everywhere are still high school boys. But in general, I am excited to join these classes and hopefully encourage some students to excel.
Onto the more fun aspects of my life here, because relaxation and recreation are super important to French culture – that's a big part of the reason I wanted to come back! For those of you who don't know, (which I also didn't know until recently) Canada celebrates Thanksgiving in mid-October, and last Monday was Canada's Thanksgiving. A bunch of the teaching assistants had a potluck to celebrate, since one of the assistants is Canadian. It was really great, and of course every celebration in France is paired with a bunch of wine.
Starting yesterday, I'm on Toussaint vacation for two weeks. And vacation = travel. I'll be going to Southern Europe: Nice, Madrid and Valencia to visit good friends and catch some sun rays to bring back with me to this cloudy city.
Thanks for reading, and I'll share an update of my travels upon my return!


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Mobile phone users switch to high-end devices
Mobile phone recycling could be set to become more popular after analysts reported growing demand for smartphones in the UK.
According to Kantar Worldpanel ComTech, more than four out of ten people in Britain own one of these gadgets, Total Telecom reports.
Android-based handsets were said to be especially popular, with nearly half of all smartphone owners favouring this particular operating system.
This put it ahead of rivals from the likes of Research In Motion and Apple.
However, Kantar Worldpanel ComTech noted that there is still more that companies can do to fuel growth in the smartphone sector.
For example, it said greater efforts need to be put in place to target people aged over 45, many of whom consider the ease of use a priority when investing in a new handset.
The findings follow predictions from the International Data Corporation that the smartphone market around the world will expand by 55 per cent this year.
Posted by Samantha Green
Magic your old mobile into cash now – http://www.mazumamobile.com/


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Yay for being on track again!! :)
Even though today was a pretty stressful day (especially for a Saturday), something awesome happened.
It was rainy and oh-so cool today. So cool, in fact, that it required a long sleeve shirt, yoga pants, soup for dinner and cuddling under a blanket on the couch.
Yes. It was magnificent! Sure, living in the land of 80ish degree weather year round is nice. You even get spoiled on it. But. When it's 80 degrees in November....it kind of just makes you sad. It's supposed to be cool, jeans-wearing weather! Not the usual shorts, tank top and flip flops. Today's rain and chilly weather was just what I needed to get "in the spirit" for Thanksgiving next week.
And yes, I realize that the words "chilly" and "cool" are not normally associated with 70 degree weather. But when you've lived in Hawaii this long...it is, in fact, chilly.
So today, I'm thankful for cool weather and a good excuse to break out my neglected long sleeve shirts. :)
What are you thankful for?


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Because I'm having a killing style examination date.
Killing style? Which style? Assasination? Decapitation? Guillotine judgement?
No, suffocation is better. With poisonous gas that kills slowly but surely, to put it precisely.
Ok, imagine this. You have examination for 8 major papers.
Wow!! 8 major papers? Are you crazy? (well those are my friends first honest impression)
Haha, hold on. There's more. For the date, it is very beautifully ordered. It starts on 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31 and ends on 2nd Nov.
****, Damnit!! You are doomed! (again, those are my friends first honest impression)
This is the most ridiculous examination date I had ever seen in my whole life. Aaaa...we students are human that have a crazy little thing called 'mood swing' which cannot be found in robots or machines.
Want to know the speciality of mood swing? Alright..example here. A girl who had just clashed with her boyfriend will definitely has no feeling/ drive/ mood/ desire to study for 2 or 3 days. Worse, maybe for the whole week. Least to say, a human mind cannot work continuously for 2 or 3 days without a rest.
And you cannot afford to rest when you have approximately 8-12 hours left for your next paper.
Lord I need your guidance. And thank God you gave me a bit of relief with a little bit of inspiration and entertainment in the form of Queen and Freddie Mercury.
"Insanity laughs, under pressure we're cracking!!"
-Queen : Under Pressure


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Winemaking Process:
This wine was produced in our Estate in the midst of Douro, located right between the sub-regions Cima Corgo and Douro Superior.
The grapes Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz and Tinta Barroca, where carefully selected and handpicked being then carried to the winery in 400kgs containers.
Full destemming and a maceration at low temperature helped to extract selectively the best fruit aromas of each grape.
Fermentation followed to the cold maceration at a controlled temperature of 30ºC.
The degradation of the malic acid took place in French oak barrels where the wine maturated for the following 14 months.
Tasting Notes:
Deep ruby colour and complex aroma, where the ripe and hot fruit is involved by spices notes, acquired awhen the long maturation in oak barrels. Very long final.
Matches perfectly with game dishes, red meat and strong flavour cheeses.


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This limited edition bourbon release from Louisville Distilling Company was sold last year in Kentucky and in Nashville, YN, on a test basis. It sold out on two weeks.
If you liked Angel's Envy, you'll probably love Angel's Envy Cask Strength Bourbon. The only problem is that the national release consists of a mere 350 total 9-liter cases.
It was released this month, a followup to a test release last year restricted to Nashville, TN, and Kentucky that sold out in two weeks. This time, in addition to Tennessee and Kentucky, it is for sale in limited venues in New York, California, Florida and Texas.
Cask Strength -- which in this case is 61.5% abv (123 proof) -- is the last product from Lincoln Henderson, the master distiller who died earlier this month after copming out of retirement to create the original Angel's Envy. The noted spirits expert Paul Pacult rates the new product as tied for No. 1 "Best Spirit in the World" in his Spirits Journal. (The other No. 1 is Highland Park 25 Year Old Orkney Islands Single Malt Whisky, at 48.1% abv and $250 a bottle).
This iteration of the super-premium Angel's Envy bourbon used Kentucky limestone-filtered water and locally-sourced grains. Henderson let it magture up to eight years in the usual American white oak charred barrels. He then blended those barrels iunto a single batch in port casks up to three years.
The port wood is a genius touch, adding a silkiness to the finish -- especially after a few drops of water are added to coax the spirit into opening up. There is a butterscotch and vanilla quality, abetted by the boldness of the abv, as well as a savoriness that suggests sipping the spirit with a hearty, crusty roast or fudgy chocolate dessert.
Suggested retail price is $149 for a 750ml bottle.
Oh, the name? In the whiskey industry, the part of the alcohol that evaporates during aging is known as "the Angel's share." This is a takeoff on that, referring to what's left behind.
Go to Dowd's Spirits Notebook.


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Carlsbad, CA (PRWEB) April 04, 2012
New for 2012, the LIFE Hydrogen Water Machine makes antioxidant ionized water with the added health benefits of hydrogen.
Recent Studies by published by Medical Molecular Hydrogen Symposium shows that drinking hydrogen rich water can provide antioxidant health benefits that may prevent the symptoms of Brain diseases. Other health benefits attributed to drinking hydrogen rich water include lowering cholesterol levels and supporting beneficial probiotics in the gut.
LIFE's new hydrogen drinking water machine makes ionized drinking water that is fortified with 0.8 – 1.2 parts per million hydrogen (ppm), and studies suggest that water with just 0.3 ppm can provide clinically significant benefits. The ionized water made by the hydrogen machine also has Oxidation Reduction Potential up to -450 mV.
LIFE Hydrogen Water Machine Features
The hydrogen water machine comes with dual internal filters that use LIFE's patent pending Vitamin C Ceramic Block filter technology for maximum chlorine reduction. The system has 7 platinum-coated titanium MESH plates and uses a Dupont Nafion Cation Exchange Membrane to generate hydrogen using electrolysis.
The system uses an energy efficient 120 Watt power supply, and has an ozone self-cleaning function to maintain the hydrogen water's purity. Users can expect the machine to produce about 1 - 2 liters per minute of hydrogen rich drinking water.
The Difference between Alkaline Water Ionizers and Hydrogen Water Machines
Alkaline water ionizers and hydrogen machines use similar technology – water filtration and electrolysis – to make purified drinking water with antioxidant benefits. But there is a difference between the waters produced:
- Alkaline Water Ionizers raise the pH of water and increase the antioxidant ORP
- Hydrogen Water Machines make hydrogen rich water with antioxidant ORP but don't significantly raise the water's pH
LIFE Ionizers offers both systems for consumers who want a choice. Antioxidant alkaline water machines offer pH balanced ionized alkaline water; the hydrogen machine makes hydrogen rich antioxidant ionized water.
LIFE Ionizers Chief Executive Visionary, Rick H. Cabados is very excited about the potential health benefits offered by the new hydrogen water machine: "Clinical studies on the therapeutic use of hydrogen over the past few years have shown that hydrogen holds a lot of promise in preventing painful loss of memory and abilities that accompany neurodegenerative disease. I felt it was critical to offer this exciting new health technology to the public"
About LIFE Ionizers
LIFE Ionizers was founded by Rick H. Cabados, he and his research and development team has over 38 years of water treatment experience. LIFE Ionizers holds many patents which are a tribute to Cabados' commitment to providing cutting edge water treatment products to consumers.
For more information on the LIFE Hydrogen water machine please visit: http://www.lifeionizers.com/products/ionizers/hydrogen-water-machine.html


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Even before I had recieved Nausicaa I started looking for a friend for her. I'd been keeping my eye on a few girls on ebay and this one particular girl had been relisted 3 times so I thought, yes, she's the one!
Actually Kirsche was near the top of my list, along with Grell... but I think I like Kirsche's blue eyes more, I just love Grell's stock outfit and accessories.
Again, it was a nude doll but I wasn't bothered. I wanted to make my girls clothes anyway.
Shortly after I had recieved Nausicaa I recieved Kirsche and its taken me ages to choose a name for her.
Out of the following I chose Larke.
Paprika: like the spice!?
Keelin/Keelia: Celtic for Slender or Comely
Larke: from the meadow bird, middle english
Alika: Hawaiian, a variant of the name Alice,
meaning "noble."
Sassa: Swedish, Pet form of the name Sara in
Sweden, derived from the Hebrew meaning
Sorcha: Gaelic, meaning "radiant."
Pearl: Latin, taken from the name of the gem
produced by mollusks. The name Pearl
is frequently used in the bible as a
metaphor for a thing of value.
Larke stood out to me more than any of the others, it seemed more lady-like and somehow it fits for me.
My only concern about the type 3 body was that I read that the hands break easily. I thought it'll be ok, I'll just be extra gentle... and it still broke.
I would like to get her an replacement body but I can't afford it yet... I've been checking out body comparisons and the best one I've found is on flickr by Bbabaa ...
|Volks EB Beauty, Volks Neo-EB Teens, Obitsu Hardbust
I'm very tempted by the Volks Neo-EB Teens. It seems more flexible than the other body.
I've personally found that the type 3 body upper-body twists, where as the type 4 doesn't. I'm now wondering about a replacement body for both of them... I'll have to start saving!!!
The wig nets arrived and were the wrong size, too big. I will remember for next time, I'm far too impatient to way, I want to start wig making!!! I'll keep you posted!
Still no luck with the camera, oh yeah, I do have it now, but no-body knows where the lead is... It's a sony so it will have a 'special' lead... I think I'll just purchase a card reader, it will probably be easier and cheaper than buying a new cable. Hopefully next time I'll have some pictures for you!
Miss M


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My son Will.
I cannot believe I have been a mom for 7 yrs now.
Will is a kind boy.
He is curious.
He likes everyone.
He is stubborn like his mom and impatient like his dad.
He likes to please people.
He has the best hair color..strawberry blond hair.
He is very smart and he LOVES books (that makes me so happy).
He is a talking machine.
He loves Keith Urban.
He has a good heart and I love him so so much.
I feel so lucky to be his mom and I am so proud of him.
|Keith Urban concert, that is Will on the big screen and KU singing in the middle
Today we went to see Cars 2. It was great, lots of fun. The boys loved it.
I completed week 2 of ny training plan 26 miles total
My long run was crappy. It was hot, allergies were so bad, my legs felt heavy, I was slow, just not a good day but it is OK that happens and I did the mileage I was supposed to do. I have to leave the house much earlier for the long runs now..it is just too hot and I struggle in the heat so lesson learned for me.
This week the kids have no summer camp and so I have to run inside every day. :(
The good thing is I escape the hear, today it went up to 103.
Next race one week from today a 5k.
Are you racing for the 4th?
I like 4th of July races! I wish mine was a 10k instead of 5k but other than that it is a fun race. It is local and this year our babysitter will run it with me!! She says I "inspire" her to run. I got her to sign up for a 10k with me in a month and also for Long Beach!!!!!


text:
From the title one might think this post is all about the apparent tendency to disregard the truth, moral conduct, or equitable treatment in our society. Such actions are, or at least appear to me to be more prevalent each day and are destroying the world we live in.
Our legal system doesn't seem to be a great help in supporting our society and ensuring its continuity. They keep making decisions that fail to reward upright behaviour, make special efforts to protect those who are trying to destroy our society (and our system of law) and fail to hold felons responsible for their actions.
But no, that's not what this is about at all, although it's quite apparent from what I just wrote and how I feel about it that it could be and would be very long.
No, this is about our sense of direction.
When some one says "West," or you see the word in print what do you think of? For most of those in North America, and even a few in other parts of the world, the first picture that comes to mind is Monument Valley, perhaps the plains of Texas, or perhaps a view of Arizona sagebrush. I know that was, and often is, the first picture that comes to my mind.
We know that isn't right. If a person is in
then Maine is west. In Canberra Perth is out west, even if the New York in question is in Perthshire or Perth . Ontario
So why is it that for millions "The West" is in the
south-west? Because several people, most notably in U.S. spent millions to make it so. Hundreds of so called
"low budget" westerns with Tom Mix, Hoot Gibson, Rex Allen, Roy Rodgers and
Gene Autry and a long list of others that we forget having seen. And then there
are hundreds, yes hundreds, of big budget flicks such as Shane, High Noon, and
all the Eastwood and John Wayne movies that, despite the critics decrying their
costs still managed to make a dollar. They became vehicles that advanced the
careers of those both in front of and behind the cameras including those who
wrote both screen-plays and original stories. Los Angeles, CA
Why can't a "Western" be about the west of
? Perhaps an "Eastern" about the trapping, mining and
rail road builing in Argentina Siberia. (Louis L'Amour's "Last of the Breed" comes to mind
as a good place to start.)
Of course it has been done successfully for
with "Quigley Down Under" and the " Australia " stories. Snowy River
Personally I'm concerned with the West of Canada. A couple of passable TV shows have been done about the opening of Ontario in the early days, two "modern" western series that I can think of presented on CBC and a third that was absolutely awful and should never have seen the light of day. A couple of 'made for TV' movies; one about Bill Miner and another about early gold rush days in BC that where not only well done and entertaining but reasonably accurate.
There are many reasons why I write, but this is the primary reason why I write stories placed in the early days of
's west. Because I believe that more people need to
know that Canada's history, the stories of our growth and development, our
cattlemen, farmers, lawmen, miners, trappers and railroad men are as exciting
and entertaining as those from any "west." They can also teach the value of
truth, moral conduct and equitable treatment such as many of the Canada Hollywood movies attempted.
Besides, it is quite obvious from the money spent around the world on western memorabilia that there is a waiting, hungry market for the traditional western. (Not to be confused with the big budget, special effects, comedy western extravaganza.)
On top of that, there aren't many writing Canadian historical fiction. Guy Vanderhaeghe, Bill Gallaher, and …
Perhaps the title should have been, "Searching for the West."
Round-up crew at the chuck wagon.


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November 10, 2010. Tel-Aviv, Israel
MTV's LGBT Network, Logo, has just published the results of two Internet award-bearing polls it conducted, nominating, among other cities, the Israeli city Tel-Aviv for gay 'sexiest city' and 'year breakthrough'. The mere nomination was denounced by a Tel-Aviv-based queer group, Israeli Queers for Palestine, arguing MTV's choice of Tel-Aviv sends a normalizing message to the Israeli occupation and oppression of the Palestinians, particularly in light of a Palestinian queer and general calls for a boycott of Israel. The full statement reads:
Just a few months after Palestinian Queers for BDS have issued their June 28 Call 'upon all queer groups, organizations and individuals around the world to boycott the apartheid State of Israel', Logo, MTV's LGBT Network, nominated Tel-Aviv, among other cities, within a gay 'sexiest city' and 'year breakthrough' award-bearing tourism promotion contests. We, Tel-Aviv-based queers, denounce the mere nomination of Tel-Aviv within this context of gay tourism promotion. These polls were conducted by Logo while a global human rights based movement for boycotting Israel is gaining strength in a pace that surpasses that of similar efforts to overthrow the apartheid regime of South Africa. Granting a shameful tribute to apartheid, Logo encourages LGBT communities to ignore such important efforts, and in particular the specific call made by Palestinian queers to boycott Israel.
We support Palestinian Queers for BDS' Call, which follows the July 9th 2005 Palestinian united civil society Call for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel, until it complies with international law and universal principles of human rights. We view BDS as a powerful, legitimate and much needed tool to end the impunity in which Israel continues to colonize and oppress the Palestinian people. This includes the continued occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, including the illegal siege on Gaza and West Bank apartheid wall; the systematic discrimination against Palestinian citizens of Israel; and the prevention of the right of return and compensation for Palestinian refugees, who were expelled by Israel since 1948. We encourage queer groups, organizations and individuals to heed the Palestinian Queers for BDS' Call and boycott the apartheid state of Israel.


text:
Defender Daneil Cyrus is likely to return to training in late November after suffering a fractured metatarsal in a reserve game for Sporting Kansas in August.
The Tobago-born player underwent surgery and has been ruled out for the rest of the MLS season. But he remains optimistic that he will return to first team football by early next year.
"The recovery is going a bit faster than we thought it would and that's a good sign but it will take me until the end of November before I can resume any kind of serious training," Cyrus said on Friday.
Cyrus joined Kansas on loan on July 16th and made his debut against Newcastle United four days later prior to the injury.
"I want to be back as strong as I possibly can. Playing for the first team is my main aim but I know I need to be patient and ensure the recovery takes place. I also want to be fit again in order to have a chance of returning to the national team," added Cyrus.
He has 13 appearances for T&T and also represented T&T at the 2007 FIFA Under 17 World Cup and Under 20 World Cup in 2009.


text:
So it became clear to me sometime before 8 pm tonight that there was no way I was going to be able to clear 10,000 words by midnight. And it turned out I was right.
But ksaldria, you say, doesn't that bar on the left side of your blog say that you have succeeded in reaching 50,000 words? Why, yes it does. But in order to get that bar to 50k I had to resort to some down and dirty tricks to up my word count. Yes, boys and girls, I...."cheated".
But ksaldria, you may ask, why is the word "cheated" in quotation marks?
Well, you see, it's like this. Every year at the end of NaNoWriMo it is a time honored tradition for everyone to scramble their way to 50,000 words at the very last minute. In celebration of this yearly tradition, NaNoWriMo provides it's participants with many suggestions as to how to pad their word count. Like having your main character sing very long songs in the shower, or describing in great detail some crazy dream they randomly had, or making reeeeally long lists of items that your character suddenly has to go shop for. Well....I wound up doing something kind of like that. I took all my class notes that I took on the computer this November, along with all my homework assignments and papers that I worked on this month and randomly worked them into my novel, which amounted to about 7,ooo extra words that I badly needed.
I assure you that I am not a proud woman. But in my defense, every extra, unnecessary word that I included was my own writing. Everything that I put into my novel was my own work and to top it all off, it was all written in the month of November.
On the one hand, I feel like I've passed some kind of NaNoWriMo milestone by needlessly padding my word count to reach 50k. I've taken part in a great and noble tradition among November novelists and for that I feel just the teensiest bit awesome.
So congrats to Quizmo, my noble opponent, for bravery and courage in the heat of literary battle. I salute you and all your substantial literary might. Here's to next year :D


text:
HONG KONG, July 13, 2015 /CNW/ - St. Augustine Gold and Copper Limited (TSX: SAU) ("St. Augustine" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that its joint venture partner, Nationwide Development Corporation ("NADECOR") and the Mansaka Indigenous Cultural Communities/Indigenous Peoples ("ICC/IPs" or "Mansaka Tribe"), and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples ("NCIP") collectively entered into a Memorandum of Agreement ("MOA") for the support and development of the King-king Copper-Gold Project (the "Project"). The signing of the MOA represents another significant milestone in the Company's efforts to secure permitting and support for the development of the Project.
The MOA, together with the Free and Prior Informed Consent ("FPIC") report of the NCIP Regional Office, has been forwarded to the NCIP Central Office in Manila. The NCIP Commissioners will review the MOA and, upon determination that the documents submitted are complete and in order, the NCIP Commission will issue the Certificate of Precondition ("CP"). The CP refers to a certification issued by the NCIP that the required FPIC was properly obtained from the ICC/IP community concerned and is in accordance with the provisions of the national guidelines. A decision on the CP is expected before year end 2015.
The NADECOR - Mansaka Tribe MOA is a cornerstone agreement that complies with the Philippine Indigenous Peoples Rights Act of 1997 with NCIP as the primary governmental agency mandated to formulate and implement policies and guidelines to promote and protect the rights and well-being of the ICC/IPs, as well as the recognition of their ancestral domain and rights.
During the past five years, NADECOR (together with affiliates of the St. Augustine group as the service provider) and the Mansaka Tribe have worked to align all interests in the development of the Project such that the operation will mutually benefit all parties. This MOA further paves the way for near-term development of the Project and represents an important milestone that leads toward start of project construction.
The MOA is valid for 25 years and provides a framework for how the Project will benefit the Mansaka Tribe through payment of a 1% royalty fee, as well as employment and various social development programs. More information on the salient points of the MOA is provided in an appendix to this announcement.
NADECOR President Conrado T. Calalang stated, "This MOA demonstrates the Project's commitment to the Mansaka Tribe, the durable social license to operate, and further clears the way for King-king to begin development."
SAU President and CEO Paolo A. Villar further added, "With the Project nearly fully permitted and with the FPIC and CP imminent, it will be ready for financing and start of construction. I look forward to the economic uplift and growth of the Mansaka Tribe upon the commencement of the Project."
The King-king Copper-Gold Project
The King-king Copper-Gold Project is located in Compostela Valley in the Philippines, and is expected to recover 3.16B lbs. of copper and 5.43M oz. of gold over its 25 year mine and process life. According to the Preliminary Feasibility Study that was released on September 18, 2013, and then filed on www.sedar.com on November 1, 2013, the Project has a pre-tax NPV of $2.0 billion with an IRR of 24.8%. The estimated mineral reserves amount to 617.9 million tonnes at 0.300% total copper and 0.395 g/t gold.
About St. Augustine
St. Augustine (SAU.T) is a TSX-listed mining company focused on the development of the King-king Copper-Gold Project. The Project is one of the largest undeveloped copper-gold deposits in the world, and is listed as a top three-priority mining project by the Philippine government.
Mr. James J. Moore, P.E., Vice President Technical of St. Augustine and a qualified person under National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101") has reviewed and approved the scientific, technical and economic information contained in this news release.
This announcement includes certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact included herein are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve various risks and uncertainties and are based on certain factors and assumptions. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations include uncertainties related to fluctuations in gold, copper and other commodity prices and currency exchange rates; uncertainties relating to interpretation of drill results and the geology, continuity and grade of mineral deposits; uncertainties relating to the completion of a bankable feasibility study; uncertainty of estimates of capital and operating costs, recovery rates production estimates and estimated economic return; the need for cooperation of the Company's joint venture partner and government agencies in the development of the Company's mineral projects; the need to obtain further permits and additional financing to develop the Company's mineral projects; the possibility of delay in development programs or in construction projects and uncertainty of meeting anticipated program milestones for the Company's mineral projects; and other risks and uncertainties disclosed under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Annual Information Form dated March 19, 2015, and filed with Canadian securities regulatory authorities on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com.
The salient points of the MOA provides for:
The MOA also provides for the fair and equitable treatment of those tribal members resettled, fair compensation, and the establishment of project and MOA monitoring, as well as the provision of grievance boards to address any ongoing concerns.
Upon closure and reclamation, guidelines and bonding are established to necessitate rehabilitation of mined-out areas, decommission mining related structures and hand over facilities that are consistent with the aspiration of the Mansaka Tribe's for a long lasting socio-economic benefit.
SOURCE St. Augustine Gold and Copper Limited
For further information: Joe Racanelli, Vice President, Investor Relations | TMX Equicom, T: +1-416-815-0700 ext. 243, E: firstname.lastname@example.com; ST. AUGUSTINE CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS, Suite 8, 20/F, One International Finance Centre, 1 Harbour View Street, Central, Hong Kong, +852 3960 6498
St. Augustine Gold and Copper Limited
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text:
Q: What is your hair story? What kind of hair styles have you rocked, before embracing your natural hair?
A: I use to relax and dye my hair and transitioned from relaxed hair around mid-2009 to about the end of 2010 and stopped using hair dyes in 2011. I did not big chop as I was not brave enough to cut all my hair off. So I would just trim my ends as my hair grew and by the end of 2010, I had my natural curls back. I did not know about protective styles at the time so I did not know I could use twist-outs/braid-outs etc to blend the different textures. So I would either wear my hair out and scrunch products in my hair to try and get an over all "curl" look or tie it back in a bun.
Q: When and why did you decide to start wearing your hair naturally?
A: I stopped relaxing my hair by mid-2009. I just got sick of the relaxing process, the breakage, and the fact that my hair was thin and brittle. I would end up with strange colored hair due to using two chemicals within one or two months of each other. I was not taking care of my hair while it was relaxed so I am sure the lack of care along with the chemicals was not helping the situation.
Q: Did you have any big fears about going back to your natural texture?
A: I would not say I had fears but I was not sure how to take care of my hair. I had my hair relaxed for so many years that I actually was not sure how/what my hair would be like in its natural state. I did not know how it would look, the type of curls I would have, what I would need to do to get healthy hair that would grow. I was unsure, but also excited.
Q: What are three products you can't live without for nurturing/styling your hair?
Q: What are three products you can't live without for nurturing/styling your hair?
A: Detangling/Co-wash Conditioner, Leave-In Conditioner & Water.
Q: What would you say to someone who's thinking about embracing their natural hair, but scared about being rejected in various parts of their lives?
Q: What would you say to someone who's thinking about embracing their natural hair, but scared about being rejected in various parts of their lives?
A: In all honesty… I say live your life and do not give others a second thought. There will always be people who will be negative regardless of if you have natural hair, relaxed hair, dyed hair, flat ironed hair etc. You cannot please everyone and should not please everyone. The only person who has to be happy is YOU. It can be a difficult transition but if that is what you want to do then do it! I also think you need to do research, ask questions, get onto forms, watch YouTube videos etc… just do loads of research. Keep in mind the research is for you to have a general understanding, but what you really need to know is YOUR hair. So after you have done your research you need to then find out what works for you. Apart from knowing your hair I patience is another important point. It will take time till you know what your hair needs, likes and wants but it is not mission impossible just mission patience.
Q: How can we keep up with you?
A: Blog: http://maicurls.wordpress.com
Email: email@example.com
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/Maicurls


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An article about mermaids appeared in the scientific journal Limnology and Oceanography in 1990. In it, respected biological oceanographer Karl Banse offered a tongue-in-cheek analysis of mermaid biology and lifestyle. Banse took known facts about aquatic life and extrapolated to theorize about mermaid characteristics [source: McClain].
In "Mermaids: Their Biology, Culture, and Demise," Banse suggests that there were once three species of mermaid, distinguished by their geographical locations. All would have been warm-water creatures, as they lacked the heavy blubber necessary to live in colder seas. The ones Columbus saw were the species Siren indica, who lived in the Atlantic Ocean.
Mermaids, says Banse, fed on the flesh of humans. It's worth noting, though, that a 1967 sighting off the coast of British Columbia had a mermaid eating salmon [source: Cameron]. In terms of physical build, Banse disagrees with the traditional depiction of the mermaid's tail as covered in smooth scales. Rather, he theorizes, mermaid tails had "horny skinfolds" similar to those of armadillos and anteaters.
Due to the presence of only two breasts, he surmised they gave birth to one or two young at a time. The paper leaves out the details of reproduction, though the lack of human genitalia seems to point to fish-like fertilization. We might look to Hindu myth for clues to the birthing process: The god Hanuman once had a child with Sovann Macha, the Golden Mermaid, and the child was expelled from the mermaid's throat.
So what happened to all these mermaids? Extinction, says Banse — mermaids were wiped out by a ballooning jellyfish population after humans overfished other marine life, destroying the ecological balance. Mermaids' thin skin offered no protection from jellyfish stings.
But clearly they're not extinct — at least judging by the multiple sightings in Kiryat Yam. Or the testimony of (fake scientist) Torsten Schmidt in "Mermaids: The New Evidence." Or the footage presented in Discovery's previous production, the hugely successful "Mermaids: The Body Found," which painted such a "wildly convincing picture" that the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) decided to step in.
After fielding countless calls in the wake of the airing of "The Body Found," the NOAA released a statement, trying to clear up the issue this way: "No evidence of aquatic humanoids has ever been found. Why, then, do they occupy the collective unconscious of nearly all seafaring peoples? That's a question best left to historians, philosophers, and anthropologists" [source: Jspace].
Possibly. In the meantime, the $1 million reward for proof of the Mermaid of Kiryat Yam is still up for grabs.


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A Very Special Giveaway from a 30 Minutes of Fame Member!
Peridot color Swarovski Button Two-holed Faceted Ring
Peach Polymer Clay Floral Print Ring
Janet Galla of Galla15, and Trinketsandwhatnots jewelry shops on etsy, is offering a giveaway for your choice of one of any of her wirewrapped rings. Yes you heard that right; ANY one you choose!
Sapphire Blue Swarovski Two-holed Faceted Ring
Help her win this
More Meaningful Gifts 2ND ANNIVERSARY CONTEST;
and you could win one of these rings! The ones pictured here are only a small sample of the styles and colors you'll have to choose from!
Lemon Yellow Faceted Swarovski Marquise Two-holed Ring w/Gold-filled Wire
Blue Topaz Color Swarovski Irregular Faceted Nugget Two-holed Ring
Black Czech Glass Flower Button Ring
There are several ways you can get entries;
1. Leave a comment in this Etsy Storque Article stating something to the effect that Galla15 showed you the article and you are entered into the giveaway.
2. You can also pop into this thread on Etsy and say Galla15 referred you for a 2nd entry into the giveaway.
3. If you buy from someone on the list in that thread you will get 5 more entries into the giveaway. There is no minimum purchase requirement.
4. If you blog about this giveaway you will get 2 more entries into the giveaway.
Go to her blog; http://galla15.blogspot.com/2010/09/swarovski-ring-giveaway.html
and her shops;
and let her know which of these entries you've completed.
Rootbeer Brown Swarovski Oblong Ring w/Gold-filled Wire
This offer is valid for only 2 days;
ending on September 30th at 11:30pm EST/Etsy time,
so don't delay!


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This game was played solo using 40mm 16th C armies and Rough Wooing.
The English with a large force including a large number of Landsknechts and other mercenaries has trapped a small Scottish force against the Meander River. Luckily for the Scots, the mercenaries pay is late and the French are at hand with gold. A die roll settles that it is the right wing of the English army that will change sides. (Technically, this forthcoming betrayal was unknown to the English so this called for a little "lets pretend I don't know".)
On the English left, an impetuous charge of border horse sweeps away a few skirmishers but is wiped out in a fierce fight with the main body of Highlanders. These, however, are badly cut up and lurk for the rest of the battle till driven off by arquebus fire. In the center, once it becomes clear that the Germans on the right are not just hanging back due to command control failures but actually changing sides, one battle of bills and bows are turned to face them while the heavy cavalry swings forward to flank the Scottish pikes as the main battle of bills and bows advances. The Scottish cannon take a heavy toll of the Whitecoats but are eventually silenced by bow and cannon fire.
On the Scottish left, the border horse first retreat off to the far flank then swoop in to charge the English heavy cavalry from behind while a handful of Scottish arquebusiers snipe at them from the woods. Fortune favoured the Scots this day and between lucky shots and lousy morale tests, the small force of English cavalry including the General is driven back and then routed. For a moment it looks like the Redcoats will hold off the treacherous Germans on the right while the faithful Landsknechts on the left will save the day but their Cautious commander refuses to advance and as the Regent leads the Scottish pikes forward, the Redcoats crumble and the whole English line comes apart. Scotland is saved yet again
In late 2008, in an effort to get myself playing more games, I decided to play all 52 scenarios from Scenarios For All Ages by
Charles S Grant and Stuart Asquith. More than that, I decided to play them in order, 1 a week, starting on Nov 5. I knew I wouldn't
manage to play every week so I set a deadline of Dec 31st 2009. With a little help from my friends, I made it with a day to spare.
In the end, I played 52 games in 60 weeks. 34 solo games, 15 face to face games, 3 Play-by-Email mini-campaigns
17 other gamers from 4 countries participated, (Canada 11, US 4, Ireland 1, Argentina 1)
11 'periods' were played - 20/25mm Ancients (3), Prince Valiant 40mm skirmish (9), 40mm 16thC (10),
40mm semi-flat War of Polish Sucession (1), 40mm AWI (2), 40mm Pirate
Skirmish (5), 40mm early 19thC fictional (17), 15mm ACW (1), 25mm Zulu War (1),
20mm WWII (1), 20mm 1960's fictional (2)
I posted a brief report on each game on my webpage. I am shutting down my website so I am re-posting
the reports here, starting at Game #52 so that they will eventually appear in order. The reports were written in a variety of voices and tenses (sometimes all mixed together!) and it was tempting to rewrite them but I have left them as they were originally written with only very minor corrections, particularly to things like links.
To avoid copyright issues and save myself work, I have not given the details of the scenarios. Having a copy of the book will help make sense of the reports. The book may currently be purchased from John Curry at http://www.wargaming.co/ as well as from booksellers like On Military Matters and Caliver.
My Other Blogs
Sunday, October 16, 2011
18 Sep 2009 Scenario 34: Surprise 1)
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Friday - I woke up worried that JayDonn could be born on my birthday - it would be a nice birthday present, but I think he would like to have his own day. Hannah and I tried to decide what we should do during the day since I didn't want to clean on my birthday. When the mail came we saw the pictures of Dillon I ordered on line had arrived - so we decided to scrapbook! Josiah took us out to Applebee's for dinner, it was very good but with the appetizer he ordered and the fact that we were going to split both meals, I never even touched mine. So we took it home, and all three of us had enough for lunch on Saturday.
Saturday - Josiah was working all day on his new scooter (he is selling his bike and got something that will get better gas miles). He needed to run to the store for something, and since I had just told Hannah about how my nails were done for Dillon's birth she suggested to Si to take me to get them done. (Last time my co-worker did it). So he did. I have never had them done so I didn't know how to ask for what I wanted, and since they don't speak much English..... Needless to say it didn't turn out too well. Instead of doing pink with white french tips, they did clear with pink tips! Josiah did not like it at all and made me go back to get them redone. The lady was nice and was going to do it for free, but I wanted to tip her for redoing them (even though I know they were laughing and talking about me in another language since the one lady leaned her head out to look right at me and then went back to what she was doing...) The rest of the day was spent by Hannah and I finishing up Dillon's scrapbook. I am not 100% done, but done as much as we could with all the pictures I had.