text:
Turning Guessing into an Art Form
Now, where I come from, when there's doubt, you remove it through inquiry, enquiring and face to face meeting with facts on the table. On the other hand, you have the "maybes, perhaps, could've would've assumptions" answer to any uncertainty. Used by a dark manager, it really means avoiding ever leaving your cozy seat to find out WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG!!!
Apologies, I fluster.
But seriously, here's what I experience on a daily basis dealing with the budget for one of the largest banks in South East Asia.
Mgr A: How come CAPEX from IT differs from CAPEX in business?
Me: Would somebody just go to the business and find out why?
Mgr B: Maybe they've included head counts in it?
Me: Would somebody just go to the business and find out why?
Mgr C: No wait; maybe they turned their CAPEX / OPEX formula around?
Mgr B: Cannot be... that's too dumb
Me: Not any dumber than a bunch of clowns "guessing" what's wrong with the numbers.
Mgr D: I know! It's because they didn't include software licenses..
Mgr A and B and C: Ahhh.. that's it.. that's it. Let's move on.
Me: Huh...? You mean that's it!? nobody even bothers to go through the numbers and cross reference it with someone from business?
As far as South East Asia is concerned, I am pretty sure that the Japanese concept of "Genchi Genbutsu" is as alien as physically getting your asses up from your desk other than going to the loo or for lunch.
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text:
So in January this year the school I have been at for the last 7 years closed for good. We had some water damage that was too expensive to repair and get the almost 100 year old building up to code and because of the water there was mold found in the building. This means that the majority of our things were not able to come out. No books or paper items left the building. Only furniture or hard surfaced items that could be cleaned. So my school and another school building in the same district are merging this year. I am super excited! My team will now consist of a 6 first grade teacher team instead of just 2 of us. We all get along and are excited about all the possibilities for us as a team this year!
The fun thing about my new room for this year is that this is actually the room that I did my student teaching in back in 2005! So it is like coming home for me. :) Take a look around my new room and let me know what you think...
This is the entrance to my room...come on in!
When you first walk in the door you see my computer station. I have a clip chart but really only use it when a sub is there. I use Class Dojo and students and parents love it!
This is my ENO board. I hate that it is placed right by the entrance. I would normally have my large carpet area here, but since it is right by the door that just isn't going to work. I will let kids choose to work or read on this small carpet if they want to during the day.
This is my table for my laptop and document camera.
Another computer station. We have to do progress monitoring with AimsWeb so I will use the file folders in the pocket chart to keep the materials we will use for that. My Light Box is sitting on top of a little cart where I will keep student scissors, glue sticks, and bottles of glue that we only use when we need them.
Love these daily objective headers from Learning in Wonderland! I will write our "I Can" statements under each section for the week.
Here is a view of that entire wall.
As we move to the next wall, this is our little library area. It will eventually grow, but since all of my books were lost in my old school it is going to take some time for me to build it back up.
These are hanging over my library area. My friend and I made these this summer. They turned out super cute but what a mess!
Another view of the library and one of the crate seats I made this summer. :) We have some little reading buddies in the blue basket on top of the book case.
My little crate bench I also made this summer. :)
The blue mailboxes are from Walmart. My Really Good Stuff ones couldn't make it out of the old school because they are cardboard. They are sitting on top of my Trofast shelf from Ikea. These bins hold our math stations.
The black cart holds 10 laptops that I share with the other 1st grade teachers. This is another little small work or reading area to use during the day.
Here is a close up of my word wall. Loving the blacks and brights this year! I found these lovelies on Pinterest...here is the link if you want to make them....Word Wall.
I'm not crazy about the color of this cabinet but it is holding all of my extra math manipulatives and reading materials. The posters are the 8 mathematical practices from Third Grade Doodles.
LOVE. LOVE. LOVE. These new book boxes from Oriental Trading. The green pocket chart will hold our hunk and chunk cards from The Phonics Dance.
Right past the orange cabinet and the book bins is my large carpet meeting area. I adore this new rug that I got from RTRkidsrugs.com Luckily my Royal Reading easel made it out of my old school. Can't imagine not having it! I also really like my little ribbon valances I made from a Pinterest find.
The back of the book bin shelf has a tension rod hanging on it so I can post anchor charts there. The black pocket chart is from a teacher store in Florida that I visited on vacation this summer. In the neon folders I am going to place some fast finishers for students to use when they get done with their work.
Turn to the other wall. Here is my Guided Math rotation board from Teaching Sweet Shoppe.
The blue work station pocket chart will be our rotations for Daily 5.
My calendar area, with place value pocket chart to count the days we are in school, and the monthly circles will have clothespins hanging on them for birthdays. That is August - November for now and then I will switch to the next 4 months and so on.
The alphabet cards are from The Phonics Dance. And the neon posters on the white board are voice levels from Reagan Tunstall. The table will be for my mom who volunteers in my room everyday (Yes I'm
spoiled lucky!) and her group of students she will work with.
Close up of her little area. :)
This is our little "kitchen area". A retired teacher friend of mine found this little desk station at a rummage sale for me. Our little fridge is underneath, then we have our microwave and keurig for our morning coffee. There is a shelf also under that fabric that can store our mugs and such.
These are 2 shelves behind my area. This has my math binders and materials from Reagan Tunstall, work on writing materials from Cara Carroll, and other materials I will need for small groups.
I also have some built in shelves on the wall behind my area too. The blue and green baskets have DRA leveled readers for small groups. Also you see my daily drawers from Learning in Wonderland. The top shelf has my entire set of Gumball Math that I created that includes addition and subtraction for numbers within 10 and within 20. All other drawers contain extra supplies and materials.
Here is a view of my table with my new crate seats I made this summer. :)
This is our work on writing center. It will have the task cards and vocabulary words from the work on writing bundle from Cara Carroll. The 6 trait writing posters are from Smekens writing.
These baskets are from Dollar Tree. I hate that I had to get one random blue one. These will hold the students supply boxes. The white tub holds are dry erase boards and markers. And the green crate will hold student headphones. The green drawers next to the shelf will hold our word work materials.
The pocket chart is for our table captains. I choose one student at each table each week to be in charge of getting the table basket of supply boxes. This way I don't have a bunch of students getting their boxes at once.
This little shelf will hold community supplies that students can use including crayons, markers, colored pencils, and also sight word cards for word work time. The basket on top will be where they will get their morning work page after they hang up their book bags in the morning.
So there is a close up view of all the areas in my classroom. I forgot to get some pics of the views of the entire room so I will post those next time. I am really excited to see what this year will bring in my new school and new classroom! Let me know what you think! :)

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Author: butterflys_fics/blacksouledbutterfly
Rating: T+
Prompt Set: 100.3
Prompt: 81) Shiver
Word Count: 2,373
Summary: When life becomes nothing more than pain, when distress and destruction take over your life and you don't know where to turn sometimes a simple act of kindness can be the only thing that brings you back from the brink of self-destruction.
Warnings: Mild mentions of death & violence, talk of sex.
Notes: The chapter index can be found here.
All there was turned out to be silence. But silence could be more deafening than any sound. It left your mind to wander into places you never thought possible. It was the emptiness that made it possible to hear your own heart beating, to consider your darkest deeds and your most secret desires. It was all consuming and freeing but at the same time suffocating and could drag out the worst parts of you, trying to suffocate the best.
Sitting alone in a silent room you could contemplate your fate and your destiny and try to find out just how much of what you do in your life is predestined. And sitting there he wondered if it was fate that had given him this life or if it was the choices he had made. Could he have lived a different life thus far had he opted to make up his own mind about so many things? Or would he have ended up in this spot no matter what he had done? Was his life nothing more than this great plan that he hadn't been privy to?
The paleness of his skin had been covered on his arm by the mark that screamed to the world what he was: a Death Eater. He supposed he hadn't really had a choice in the matter considering who his parents were. But he wondered sometimes if his parents had been different would he have made the choice to become what he was? Or would he have been more accepting?
Kindness was something he had never been taught to show to people who weren't like himself. He knew that there had to be some kindness in him- even Dumbledore had seen good somewhere in him despite all of his actions. And yet here he sat with the mark that said otherwise branded onto his skin and he couldn't help but wonder if the faith in him had been misplaced. What good could possible reside in a person who had chosen to join a group that was intent on the destruction of another group of people? Surely that was the opposite of kindness, the opposite of good.
Somehow, even after all he had done to her, Granger had managed to forgive him for most of what he had done. He knew there was no like for him hidden deep inside of her but he knew there had been forgiveness. He couldn't understand the desire she had to forgive him for what he had done, but he had been thankful that someone he had treated so badly was kind enough to overlook all of his short comings and consider him no longer her enemy.
Somewhere upstairs he was almost positive his parents were sleeping soundly, the acts they had taken not weighing on them as his own actions had. How they could find serenity despite what they had done to others was beyond him, but he found himself envying their ability to block out all the evil that had been done.
The sound of floorboards creaking drew his attention. He took in a slow breath, waiting for the distinct sound of one of his parents coming down the stairs. But no such sound came and he began to wonder if all that thinking had started to drive him insane. And if it had was there any way back to sanity?
Outside the wind suddenly began to pick up, sending the fresh snow against the windows almost hard enough to sound like pellets. Pulling his wand out of his pocket he waved it barely moving his lips. Sparks erupted in the fire place before flames overtook the wood sending warmth into the rapidly freezing room and casting an eerie glow.
Soon, with the sound of the wind and the crackling wood filling the room he found his silence to be fleeting. And though he should have been thankful that the silence that had driven him into enough deep thought to disturb him was gone he found himself craving it again. It seemed that only in that silence and that madness could he manage to find any peace of mind.
So without even bothering to put out the fire he had just set himself he climbed out of the chair he had taken to sitting in so often in the last few months and tugged on his coat, making his way out into the snow. The cold stung his face at first, a bitterness that he found oddly comforting. Closing the heavy door behind him and then sticking his hands into his pockets to protect them from the cold he began making his way across the property searching for a little clarity. He was hoping desperately that the cold would stimulate something inside of his brain and give him the answers he never seemed able to find. And though the odds of that weren't all that good it was the only idea he had at the moment.
The wind whipped around him sending snowflakes against him like pellets. His skin reddened both from the assault of the snow and the cold air itself until he could no longer feel his face and his nose felt like it was frozen solid. He fought against the natural desire to go inside and seek warmth. His determination was one thing that couldn't be shaken. He knew without a doubt that of all the things that had changed, of all the things he was no longer sure of, his own ability to do things was one of the few things he had to rely on now.
Gazing behind him the dim light of the fire glowed softly through the window. From the distance he had traveled it seemed so miniscule that if he hadn't been aware of what it was then he never would have had a clue. Narrowing his eyes against the assault of the weather he glanced around the property, trying now to decide where it was he was heading off to. But the cold wasn't helping him think more clearly. If anything it was making things worse. And within a short period of time his vision began to blur and he found himself falling into the blanket of snow.
He couldn't help but shiver despite being back inside of a warm building with a blanket wrapped around his shoulders. Even as he breathed in the warmth and pulled the blanket more firmly around himself the chill seemed to just grow stronger and stronger. He knew, however, that it was lucky he had been found. If he had been out in that snow for too long there would be no doubt that he would have frozen to death.
The wood crackled and hissed as the fire consumed it, sending sparks precariously close to the carpeting. But each and every time he thought the house itself was going to set on fire from the flames they seemed to die out just before hitting the ground. But the sparks had become hypnotizing and no matter how much his vision started to blur he couldn't bring himself to look away.
He felt the arm reach around him and hold a mug out to him before he could refocus his eyes and actually see the arm. He mumbled a small thank you as he took the mug that had been offered to him and cradled the warmth between his frozen hands. The steam flowing above the fluid became his new fascination and even as he was taking a sip of it and the warmth was flowing down his throat he couldn't take his eyes off of the steam itself.
"You're lucky I found you," she said as she sat down across from him. Her dark blue sweater was almost black in the dim light and as she crossed her legs he noticed she had on red socks. Red, thick socks that didn't match the sweater in any way or form but looked like they kept her significantly warm. "You could have frozen to death out there, you know."
"I know." It was the first thing that he had said at all that night. He hadn't been speaking a lot in the last few weeks but he hadn't spoken at all that day mostly because he had been lost in his own thoughts. Even when he and his family had sat down at the dinner table to eat together he hadn't spoken a single word. He had merely eaten in silence as his parents shared little stories about their days and their friends- at least the ones that hadn't gone to Azkaban for their crimes.
"What were you doing out in that snow anyway?" Sliding closer to the edge of her chair she leaned forward, resting her arms on top of her knees and pressing her body weight onto it. Her hair fell over half of her face as she did this and she shook it away with little effort, eyes fixed intently on his face. "Didn't you know how dangerous it could be to wander around in this cold?"
"I knew." Of course he had known. Of all the things he was stupid wasn't one of them. Cruel and a liar and vile he could admit to being but stupid he wasn't. But the danger hadn't really crossed his mind when he went out that night. All he had wanted was quiet and to think. And yet he hadn't managed to find either. Just an extreme chill that wouldn't seem to go away.
"You knew I was coming to check on you, didn't you? I know I sent an owl."
"I knew."
"Then maybe deep down you knew I'd find you out there if anything happened, hmm?" She smiled slightly, eyes shining in the firelight.
For the past month she had taken it upon herself to check on him every once and a while to be sure that he was doing okay. He wasn't sure why she had opted to do so but he wasn't about to turn away the company. Especially now that all he seemed to have was his parents- and now he couldn't find any way to relate to them anymore. He still loved them no matter what they had done or what they were but he couldn't seem to relate to them anymore.
So she would come to his home almost every other night to make sure that he was doing alright. Sometimes they would sit and speak; sometimes they would sit in silence. Many times she would talk and he would just listen to her. In truth he rarely knew what to even say to her, how to engage in a normal conversation with her. Normal conversation had never really been his forte.
Her smile was still there as she leaned back against her seat. "Would you like to spend the night here or go back home? You're free to use the guest bedroom if you'd like it. The choice is yours. I don't mind either way."
He couldn't answer her at first, merely sipping the hot tea she had given him in an effort to warm him from the inside. Now his gaze was fixed back onto the flames and the wood crackling in the fireplace. He was trying to think again, trying to make a decision.
"Draco?" He could hear her chair creak as she climbed out of it and padded her way across the floor in her thick red socks. Then she was crouching down in front of him and blocking his view of the fire, grasping his chin in her hand and forcing his gaze upon her face. He couldn't help but flinch at the sudden contact and the feeling of her warm, warm fingers against his cold, pale skin. "Draco, what's wrong? Are you feeling alright?"
"Fine," he lied. But now he was transfixed on her eyes and found himself unable to look away from them no matter how hard he tried.
"You worry me sometimes, you know. You don't take well enough care of yourself lately."
"I'm fine." The lie flowed off of his tongue like second nature. He truly as a natural born liar.
"No, you're not. I know you're not and so do you. You just don't like to seem weak, do you? If you admitted you weren't fine and that you needed help do you think that would make you weak? Everyone needs help sometimes, Draco. Every single person."
He leaned back slightly, tugging his chin free from her grip but kept his eyes on hers as he took another sip of his tea. This wasn't the first time she had given him this little speech. Maybe she thought if she repeated it enough she could drill it into his head. Like being that repetitive would make it easier for him accept he needed help and he was becoming too weak to take care of himself anymore.
"Draco, I want to help you, you know. I know you know I want to help you. You wouldn't let me keep coming to talk to you if you didn't. But I can't help you if you won't let me. You keep pushing me away, not letting me get inside of your world so I can find out how to help you. But I want to help you, Draco. I really do. You know that, right?"
"I know." And he did know. And yet it wasn't very comforting.
"Try to let me help you, Draco. Please?"
He nodded slightly then finished the rest of his drink in one quick, scorching gulp.
"Go sleep in the guest room, alright? Maybe you'll feel better in the morning."
He handed the mug back to her and stood slowly, keeping the blanket wrapped as tightly around him as he could, making his way out into the hall so he could try to sleep. Perhaps rest would make him feel better, would ease his mind and make him better able to think.
"Hmm?" He spun a bit quickly to look at her, nearly stumbling into the wall.
"Sleep well."
"You too, Granger." And then he was down the hall and heading off to get some sleep and maybe find some clarity.


text:
Sometimes we come across tortoises in the stream more often at night when we go skinny dipping hunting for freshwater prawns. This time we had the camera handy. I don't know what kind of tortoise this is but it is one of the more common types we have come across on the farm.
It would be good if someone could help us identify the species.


text:
He's holding one in London this coming Saturday but that's long since sold out. Now there's another on the horizon, specifically aimed sat would-be screenwriters who don't live in London. Alas, the date clashes with my one holiday for the year, so I won't be able to attend. But that's no reason why I can't share the information with you, right? Right. So here it is...
As an aspiring screenwriter you will quickly learn that the vast majority of PAID work comes from companies and broadcasters based in London. People will tell you that in order to get that work you need contacts and "Insider" information. But what if you live hundreds of miles from the media capital? How can you build your career?
Marc Pye, Rob Fraser, Louise Ironside and Adrian Mead are successful Scottish based writers who have written for shows such as style="font-style:italic;">Eastenders, Waking The Dead, River City, The Street, Holby City, Where The Heart Is, Taggart, The Bill, Monarch Of The Glen and numerous other film, TV and radio projects.
Come and discover how they got started and how you too can build a career as a screenwriter. The details of the day are as follows:-
MORNING - Adrian Mead will teach the highly practical strategy that you need in order to work as a "long distance writer".
1. PLANNING THE TRANSITION TO BECOMING A PROFESSIONAL WRITER - Financial. Personal. Bursaries. Building a profile. Networking.
2. GETTING YOUR WORK READ: What to write - The most recent briefs from broadcasters, producers and financiers. What to send - Log Lines. One page Pitches. Treatments. Spec and sample scripts. Who to send it to - Current opportunities.
3. MEETINGS - Scheduling meetings. Cheap travel and accommodation deals. Pitching at meetings. When to ask for expenses.
AFTERNOON - The afternoon panel session will give you the opportunity to ask the writers about their experiences and gain career advice.
The panel will chat about their own approaches to the subjects covered in the morning and their experiences of working in the industry. Discover how they deal with script editors, tight deadlines and the challenges and joys of working as a freelancer. This is also a unique opportunity for you to learn how professional writers manage the balance between family and career whilst working in such a highly competitive industry.
During the coffee breaks and a light lunch you will get the chance to network with the other attendees. This is an great opportunity to make contacts and gain info.
Attendees at our previous classes will know already that this will be an extremely busy but fun day, packed with the most up to date and highly practical information.
if you want to build a career as a professional screenwriter it is essential that you understand the road ahead and have a strategy for reaching your goal. That's what this class will give you.
Sat 9th June, 2007 • St Columba's By The Castle Church Hall, Johnston Terrace, Edinburgh • 10.00 am - 4.30pm • Cost: £55 (inc VAT and light lunch)
CONTACT: firstname.lastname@example.com or 0131 554 4539 for a booking form.
See testimonials from previous class participants.


text:
Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce has created a new Community Respite Program modeled after a similar initiative launched in 2001. The first community respite program organized by the Chamber brought nearly 200 first responders to the Terrorist attacks of 9/11 from New York City to Saratoga for a weekend in 2002 in order to enjoy some peace and time away with their families. This latest community respite program will bring over 160 soldiers from the New York National Guard who have served overseas since 9/11 to Saratoga County along with their families for the same purpose. In total, more than 350 people are expected to participate.
Local participating hotels are offering free or significantly discounted rooms as part of the Respite Program for soldiers. The participating hotels include: The Hilton Garden Inn/Saratoga Springs; Courtyard by Marriott; Residence Inn; Holiday Inn/Clifton Park; Longfellow's Hotel and Restaurant; Saratoga Hilton; The Inn at Saratoga; Adirondack Inn; Roosevelt Inn & Suites; Holiday Inn/Saratoga Springs; Saratoga Arms; Hampton Inn/Clifton Park; Hampton Inn/Saratoga Springs, and Hyatt Place/ Malta.
To extend this invitation, the Chamber worked with the Saratoga Convention and Visitor Bureau which created a single website on which the participating hotels could post their available rooms and rate information. An email was created by the Chamber that was sent to all qualifying soldiers inviting them to consider booking a vacation using this website. Besides the free or reduced priced rooms, the Chamber is now soliciting area restaurants and vacation destinations to put together gift basket that soldiers will be provided when they arrive at their hotel.
"Our goal will be to provide every soldier and their family with gift cards for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as well as free tickets to local events and destinations," said Denise Romeo, Vice President of Member Services and the Chamber's point person on this initiative. "In 2002, the community generously took care of the vast majority of expenses that the participating first responders may have faced by visiting here and we hope to do the same this time. The goal is to make this visit as fun, relaxing, and free as possible in recognition for the sacrifice they made to all of us and this great country."


text:
Friday, July 9, 2010
13 comments:
I saw the title of this post and pulled out my she and him albums to listen to! Enjoy tonight!
- July 9, 2010 at 9:30 AM
- Kristen said...
haha. I'm seeing them in Louisville on sunday and will be doing something very very similar. I ♥ everything Zoe Deschanel does.
- July 9, 2010 at 9:38 AM
- Jane Flanagan said...
Oh I love this outfit. The basket is perfection. Enjoy the concert!!
- July 9, 2010 at 10:51 AM
- Lindy said...
I saw you at the concert and was about to come up and say something but I didnt want to seem creepy.
I wish I had now..
did you see that CRAZY man jump into the water??
I need insight from someone with your amount of awesomeness
I would love to chat sometime about your experiences in the fashion industry and how you did it all.
- July 9, 2010 at 10:30 PM
- High Fashion Whore said...
You have such a pretty blog, and kick-ass title!
- July 10, 2010 at 7:19 AM
- "hi, i'm ginnybranch stelling and i love love." said...
hey lindy!
i wish you had come up to me! i would have been super excited to meet you! hopefully soon though :)
i didn't see the crazy man in the water! shoot. i'm glad we didn't get rained out though- 1 hour delay!!!!
- July 10, 2010 at 7:25 AM
- "hi, i'm ginnybranch stelling and i love love." said...
and nell, if you are reading this- do you have a blog? i meant to ask you that last night at the concert!! hope you enjoyed it as much as we did!
- July 10, 2010 at 10:22 AM
- kyle said...
I am pretty sure that you and Eliza are musical soul mates... last night we saw Au Revoir Simone at this little dive bar in town (she told me you love them), and we just bought tickets to see She and Him at the Hollywood Bowl in August! Hope you had so much fun!
- July 10, 2010 at 11:51 AM
- veronika, tick tock vintage. said...
have fun! she&him played in philadelphia recently, and i unfortunately missed it. boo.
- July 12, 2010 at 7:04 AM
- daisymay aka Chantele said...
So jealous you are getting to see she and him!
Daisy Dayz Home
- July 12, 2010 at 5:13 PM
- Nello said...
Ginny, Hi!
It was so good to meet you! V and I loved the concert. The venue and the artists were little dreams coming true. I do in fact have a blog, but I'm new to the game and meek to share it with someone who's blog I so admire. Feel free to peruse my musings though at: http://freckledeggs.tumblr.com/
Stay Classy, Nell.
PS. Lindy, I was that creepy girl! Haha. AND I spent much of the rain-out in the company of the lake jumper! (He wasn't boring!)
- July 12, 2010 at 10:00 PM
- s said...
perfect outfit for a little stroll in the evening :) love summer evenings !
- July 13, 2010 at 8:07 AM
- The Body Electric said...
I saw them at The Hollywood Bowl!!! It was divine! Did you get any photos? Here's some I snapped at our show!!!
- August 5, 2010 at 10:25 PM


text:
Home → Together → Democracy → Real EU-level democracy
You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
The EU has been demonstrating for years the diversity of their population, I think it's time to include another perception of identity among the citizens, being European must not mean leaving our "nationals identities" for acquiring the "new European identity". From my point of view, the institutions should promote a cosmopolitan and European vision if we want to face the global risks we are facing and the news to come. There is not another better way if we understand each other and we cooperate to deal with the problems and create a better future for our children.
A new conception of European identity which would be based on the individuality of every person, that's what I'm talking about, the future of Europe is cosmopolitan.
Finally, I would like to finish with a quotation by Ulrich Beck, who advocates for the cosmopolitan view in his book named "The Cosmopolitan Vision" (2006): "What, then, does the cosmopolitan outlook signify? […] the cosmopolitan outlook means that, in a world of global crisis and dangers produced by civilizational and international, us and them, lose their validity and a new cosmopolitan realism becomes essential to survival." (13-14)
What Spain is doing to Catalonia is not, at all, Democracy. Catalonia citizens have fought for decades for their rights, have fought to be an independent republic and deserve to be treated as one. The policial attacks to Catalonia citizens only represent a dictatorship, and should be condemned by all European institutions. More than ever we need to fight for Liberty and equality!
I think we have a problem with the democratic voting system as it applies to the EU migrants – people of one EU country who made a home in a different EU country, but did not change citizenship. Perhaps the best examples here are the Eastern European countries.
The problem that I see is that, if you are a migrant (say, leaving Romania and making a home in France), then you become somewhat deprived of your democratic right vote – you can vote for the President, if the government in your original country is so kind as to make it easy for you, but you can't vote for the parliament, nor for the local elections. While in your new home, you have no right to vote at all.
In my opinion, this can currently cause a big problem in this scenario: Imagine that you were living in a poor EU country, where the future looked bleak, and thus you sought a new EU country that could give you a better future. The same happened with hundreds of thousands others in your country, or possibly millions, throughout the years. Now, several years after you have left, a populist political party comes up in your country of origin, blaming everything on EU and promising paradise to the people, and election date is coming. If it's an election for the President, you might be able to find a city where to go to vote in the foreign country (not necessarily, but likely possible). If it's for the parliament, then you can do nothing – the laws in your country of origin may state that you have to be there in person, in the county where you are registered, in order to vote. And for various reasons you can't afford to travel to that country at that time. This basically means that you are deprived of the right to vote. And thus can do nothing to prevent a populist party from coming to power.
And in a country that had been so heavily depopulated by migration, you can bet that a very good part of the people that remained are poor and many have never left their town / city ever, and may thus live in a fairytale of the populist party's making. I think that poor people and people who never traveled outside of their country are most likely to fall to populist propaganda, and it's sad if those who did travel and live in a different EU country can do nothing about it.
I believe it would be great if EU migrants could vote for the national parliament of their country of origin, regardless of where in the EU they made a new home. I also believe it would be great if the EU could come up with some guarantees / laws for all of its member states – e.g. to demand electronic or remote vote, to guarantee that all EU citizens are able to vote for their country of origin (so as not to depend on national government), to be able to contribute to the future of the nation they may one day return to.


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From the site:
the artboom is a compilation of images of the art network that yucef merhi has been doing since he started to exhibit in galleries and museums.
this project embodies a genealogical tree where every person has been classified by its profession and connected depending on how was introduced to merhi.
each arrow and vertical line (-> , <-, ^, | ) show a new generation of connections that are linked to the previous image. one person can have multiple connections. the plus sign ( + ) or the lack of symbols mean vertical and horizontal additions. all these pictures have been taken with a wristwatch-camera prototype since 1999 until the present. as an on-going project, the artboom is updated almost every day. another project related to the artboom is called poetic dialogues and it can be experienced at poeticdialogues.com 2.0.
Artists from L-R: Spencer Tunick; Chad Ebon; Cecilia Vicuña (also a poet); Shiva Burgos; Noah Wardrip-Fruin (important hypertext scholar as well)
Merhi's site has a lot more information on his work, links to other projects (including the first version of poeticdialogues) and his books.
It's hardly a surprise when one of the increasingly rare independent, non-used bookstore shuts down these days, but it's still disheartening. So I want to mourn Left of Center Bookstore (in the cellphone photo at left), a great little gathering place on Granville Avenue in the rapidly gentrifying Edgewater neighborhood of Chicago, just a few blocks from the main campus of Loyola University of Chicago's Lake Michigan campus.
Left of Center had one of the freshest selections of political and theoretical books, and in particular, of left-leaning texts of any bookstore in the immediate area. For a bookstore of its size, it also carried a good stock of works in art history, philosophy, and critical studies. One other area that it excelled in, compared to some of the nearby chains, was obscure graphic novels and local self-published graphic texts.
Now it's gone.
Stopping by today I experienced a feeling similar to what I'd felt when I learned about the imminent closing several years ago (actually six or so years ago!--where does the time go?) of my one of my three favorite small bookstores in New York, Posman's, which sat for years on University Place right across from Washington Square Mews, amid NYU's buildings, and which carried a wide range of books that Barnes & Noble and other chains would not stock without begging and cajoling. It's true that all books are available online, but the pleasure of browsing the shelves without a plan, and the serendipity of coming across a text or two that I hadn't even heard of before simply can't be replicated by combing through Amazon.com's or BN.com's search engines. Posman's also hosted readings and was the spot where I first got to see Sapphire, Elaine Equi, David Shapiro, and quite a few other authors read.
When I asked if there was a possibility of the store reopening, Left of Center's owner said that she was so far in debt she would have to take time out just to get herself financially back into shape. She was sending back quite a few books, including two tantalizing stacks of Dalkey Archive Press novels, which she didn't want to see since she'd be able to get some money for them. A few boxes of novels and books of poetry were for sale, at 5 for $20, so I picked up a handful that I didn't already have: a 2004 collection of recently deceased Lorenzo Thomas's poetry, and novels by Oonya Kempadoo, Edmundo Desnoes, Mia Couto, and fellow St. Louisan Dan Stolar.
When I read each, I'll be thinking of this store--so long, Left of Center Bookstore....


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A Gem of a Challenge - W - #109 Anything Goes
Allsorts -#236 Anything but Christmas
Sweet Stampin - W, 2E, must Stamp - Ribbons
Crafty Catz - No.210 - Use 2 or more Dies
Sister Act Card Challenge - No. 36 - Anything Goes
That is one awesome card Berni! I remember watching that show when I was young. Loved it.!
I Love that show. I wish it was on Netflix. Great design. Would be fabulous for a TBAA fan.
Blessings on your week,
This is so creative, Berni! Perfect way to do something for that theme. I love your new masthead!!
Very creative - love it tfs!!!
A wonderful way to celebrate your favourite channel. Love it.
{Doing Life – my personal blog}
Wonderful show. Great job with your card.
Season Greeting,
Thanks for entering our theme at allsorts this week Tracy x
a lovely card, thank you for joining us at Crafty Catz
A very interesting card! Thank you for sharing with us at Sweet Stampin' this week.
Pia xx
Thankyou for joining in with the Allsorts Challenge this week Jo x
Thankyou for joining in with the Allsorts Challenge this week Jo x
To be honest, I don't know this show, but I really like your card, the bold colors are awesome. Thank you for joining our challenge at Crafty Catz and I hope you will come back again.
Fab card. Thanks for sharing with us at Sweet Stampin this week, Wedgie xxx
Great card. Thanks for sharing at Sweet Stampin this week. Susan


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Mah foo foo.
She is not well.
I saw a fantabulous gynae specialist on Tuesday - OK, I apologise:
As I was saying - let's just say the words 'oh, the pain you felt was when I was lifting your womb' - YOU WERE DOING WHAT! PUT IT BACK!
She thinks the dreaded endometriosis has come back with a vengeance, in and behind my womb and also possibly my bladder (on top of everything else I am peeing rather a lot of blood, yippee). Thankfully NOT the ovarian cancer that was originally suspected. I have an operation in 3 weeks, and possibly / probably a major op in the near future. She was brilliant and I might have to marry her.
It's been a painful week but definitely picking up now. Thank you blokie over the road for getting your Sky fandango fit this morning at silly o'clock, I (and the rest of the road) really needed to listen to the slamming of van doors and the drilling / swarm of bees noises. Luvverly. Any chance it will be finished soon? No?
I am aiming to finish the cardi of mucho moss stitch today - I know I know, I seem to have been saying this for ages, but it's almost there. When you can't be arsed to knit or read then you know you ain't too well ....
It hasn't all been doom and gloom though, oh dearie me no - there has also been Dwama of the interwebz variety.
Madame La Flounce, she is fantastique, non?
She is just under the delusion that talking shite will go unnoticed online. Type what you want, tis the internet after all - but don't be naive enough to think that folk will let you go unchallenged if you type twaddle. Did I say twaddle? Silly me, I meant lies. One more person who is in the 'you are a big meany and I am telling my mam' camp. Well let me tell you - MY MAM is more scarier scariest scarifier than your mam! So bloody there matey!
Tinternet, gottaloveit, innit.
Anyone else planning on doing the old Nano thing this year?
I will be, another excuse to write many words of - er - unmitigated shite ;-)
See you there!


text:
17 June 2013
1 comments:
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- October 11, 2013 at 6:10 AM
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Carol Rice -- Getting Started: Writing a Micro-Story (in class exercise)
A brief hands-on exercise to help participants begin forming a narrative about themselves or a family member. (Beginner to Advanced)
Carol Rice -- Basic Elements and Tips for Creating an Engaging Family History Story
With a sample story written, we will discuss very simple ways to compose a family history story in a way that will be engaging to a majority of readers/listeners. We will discuss:
• Finding a theme
• Gathering Information
• Sifting the wheat from the chaff
• Polish
• Publish (online, in print, video, etc.)
Carol Rice -- Simple Ways to Use Storytelling With Your Family
We will discuss a variety of ways to incorporate and share stories with family members, whether they are together in a home or extended family members. (Beginner to Advanced)
Carol Rice -- A Few Reasons Why Storytelling Captures Everyone's Attention (Beginner to Advanced)
We will discuss the science of story, how our brains are wired to process important information through a story narrative. How narrative captures attention and helps the listener/reader more fully retain the information shared. (Beginner to Advanced)
Carol Rice -- Publishing Workshop
Your stories and history are ready to go. Before you hire an expensive designer or wade through hours of formatting your book, come learn how easy it is to publish your own book. This workshop will feature the Cherish|Bound on-line book tool and walk you through every step of publishing your stories. (Beginner to Advanced)


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Back from France! A brief thrill of excitement as I made ready for Amsterdam in my Paris-bought outfit, and then the inevitable disappointment and tedium of Dutch Social Life. Party in the famous Schreierstoren, a 15th century tower overlooking Amsterdam harbor and the Central Station – very poor service, as one is used to in Amsterdam, rain (also used to in Amsterdam) and, at dr. Veltman's party: old people practically disintegrating into their constituent parts, increasingly many of which are made out of durable plastics.
Did give me a chance to see Donald S., former ambassador to Albania, who as you know has had his eye on me for many years. Have you seen him around at all, lately? His conversation centers primarily around the visual arts, and culture in general, which is painfully boring - but I do rather like him, mostly at the moments I am able to interrupt him and talk about myself. So much more rewarding, as a subject.
I was glad to see him looking so good, and not at all surprised that his crush on me hasn't abated since my torrid affair with Burke (now so much less torrid.) It's not exactly that he's one of those men who desire one the more hotly if one is 'romantically attached', as the horrible cliché goes (there isn't all that much of romance anymore between Burke and me, after eight months), but he simply does not view relationships or marriages as legitimate obstacles to his sexual feeding frenzy. He's been married to Marjory for positively decades, but the two of them don't live in the same country. In fact, as he likes to say, enjoying his wine and his popularity amid a small group of devotees at social do's: "No wonder marriages fail. People insist on being in the same country. I wouldn't even want to share the same continent with Marjory!"
So he shoots off on a plane to her a few times per year, never mind the hours it takes him to get to Belize. Did you know, by the way, that Belize is one of the most dreadful places to live in the world? According to a survey into World Happiness, anyway. Supposed to be at or near the absolute bottom. I suppose it's a matter of personal taste? Marjory is apparently perfectly happy, living there. Sunny weather, lovely house, staff entirely devoted to her…It's what you make of things, isn't it? I think one can be happy anywhere.
Oh darling, more tomorrow – just got another call from Moffat, the unhappy artist. Insists on seeing me today, because he happens to be in town. Well, there are about 700,000 people in town, right now!
Oh well, I suppose I'll let him take me to the seaside. Will have to listen to more griping about his personal and financial hardships…I do so hate it when people complain. If they only knew how unbecoming it is…
Oh well, I suppose I'll let him take me to the seaside. Will have to listen to more griping about his personal and financial hardships…I do so hate it when people complain. If they only knew how unbecoming it is…
More about the Schreierstoren party will have to wait! Will get back to you soonest, off now, love,


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Sunday, February 28, 2010
More Applique and This weeks Doodle
Back when these guys began playing the game as kids they did not wear helmets and did not have the fancy, flashy equipment our athletes now use. You just gotta know that these guys will all be cheering on Canada as they go for Olympic Gold later today.
I have to say that I am fairly pleased with how this came together.........I learn new things with each project I tackle.
The striped effect on the socks and jersey was created using red SetaColour paint on white cotton. The face detail was drawn with pigma pens and colour pencil. Dimension was added to the hair by thread painting with white and pale grey thread. Some simple embroidery takes care of details like skate laces and blades.
This weeks CPP word is Pair..........so many choices. Well lets see, in the block you will find a pair of gloves, eyes, socks, skates, pants, laces.....you get the idea.
But this doodle is of my favourite pair of thread snips. I have probably used these nearly everyday since they were purchased in 1974. I have bought other pairs over the years ...but you know, the old saying "They just don't make em like they used too." is so very true.
12 comments:
- Anne Huskey-Lockard said...
This is soooo cool! I'm glad DH has not seen it or I know what would be in my future.
Looks like Gordie Howe, and yes, we have books and books of the old hockey cards!
Love the clipper drawing!
You rock!
P.S. Sorry I've been scarce--back in P.T. and then the Olympics. All I can say is GO CANADA!!!
- February 28, 2010 at 12:38 PM
- Melissa said...
What a great little quilt!
- February 28, 2010 at 12:39 PM
- Bunny said...
Oh my all I can say is WOW I would love to do a similar one of my grandson. Only thing is I am not artist. Yes Go Canada Go hope our hearts can take the excitement. LOL
- February 28, 2010 at 12:57 PM
- Karen S said...
We love hockey down here too -- we'll be watching...
I have a pair of those old snips too -- they belonged to my mother-in-law, so they're likely older than yours -- love them.
- February 28, 2010 at 3:25 PM
- Rian said...
Great quilt! And so appropriate since the Olympic hockey game is going on RIGHT NOW!
- February 28, 2010 at 5:38 PM
- Diane J. Evans said...
Congratulations to Canada on winning hockey gold! (I must admit that I was rooting for the other team, though . . .). When this block is finished, you should send it out to be shown in public -- it's a terrific tribute to the team! A beautiful job, as always, Jill.
- February 28, 2010 at 9:18 PM
- sewnut said...
What a perfect applique project for this week.
It is a great piece. Take warning, Applique is addictive.
- March 1, 2010 at 12:11 AM
- Finishing Lines by K.Sperino said...
Congrats! to you for mastering applique so beautifully and quickly - to Canada for the Gold! and the doodle is perfect, but I am partial to the 'other' pair of scissors you doodled ;)
- March 1, 2010 at 6:14 AM
- Jaye said...
Fabulous! I love your 'pair'!
- March 2, 2010 at 12:04 AM
- Zoey said...
Wow, that turned out great! The background fabric is perfect, too.
- March 4, 2010 at 6:30 PM
- Sherri said...
I mentioned you in my blog today, while updating the CPP. I love your snips. You could sell them as decorative snips if you could transfer that design on real life ones!
- March 6, 2010 at 2:48 PM
- Kim said...
That hockey player is fantastic!
how did you do the laces?
great job :0)
Happy sewing
- March 10, 2010 at 8:31 PM


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|Special courts to try crimes against kids
Guwahati, Aug. 29: Assam has become the second state in the country after Goa to notify setting up of special courts to fast-track cases relating to child rights and sexual offences.
Assam social welfare department deputy secretary Kavyashree Mahanta told The Telegraph today that the state legal affairs department had already issued a notification for setting up the special courts in all district and sessions judge courts. "These courts will exclusively handle cases relating to crimes agai-nst children, including sexual offences, in accordance with provisions of the Protection of Children against Sexual Offences Act, 2012," she said.
The Centre had earlier asked all states to set up special courts for dealing with cases relating to children but only Goa has implemented the order so far. Sources said Dispur speeded up the process for setting up the special courts after Assam topped the charts in National Crime Records Bureau's latest report, with 84.65 per cent crime recorded against children. The Assam State Commission for Protection of Children's Rights also lobbied for setting up of the special courts.
The state government has joined hands with the National Law University and Judicial Academy, Assam, here to work out modalities on how these courts would function.
"These courts will provide a child-friendly environment for trial of cases related to crime against children. Such courts are very necessary in Assam in view of the increasing cases of child trafficking, child labour, sexual abuse, child marriage and other child rights violations. These courts will be supervised by the high court. We are hoping that the special courts will start functioning by the end of this year," National Law University associate professor Benerji Chakka, who is associated with project, said today.
The university is working out guidelines for training public prosecutors, police officials and others associated with the trial process. "We have to train people on how to talk with the child victims of crime or sexual abuse. A child victim is already traumatised and, hence, should be handled very carefully," Chakka said.
Many children from the Northeast, including Assam, have been rescued from homes run in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. They were reportedly taken out of the region with the promise of good education and care but were later found living in inhuman conditions.
There were also reports of many minor girls being sexually abused in Assam. According to a study conducted in 13 states in 2007 by Union ministry of women and children, Assam reported 142 cases of sexual abuse of minors.


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Friday, June 3, 2011
Belated Thanks
Back around 27 years ago, Jeffrey and I got married and then that night had a delightful reception in a restaurant and reception center in Provo - it no longer exists today. I worked at the restaurant, learned a whole lot and fell in love with the family who owned it, Helen and Tom Powell. Their son Chris was a chef and he sure hated it when patrons would send back their steak to be well done - or turned to shoe leather as he put it. Helen was very patient and helped me in quite a few different ways in dress, manners, confidence, and watching her be a lady while managing business. When it came time to get married, I naturally wanted to have it there. When she realized I didn't have any money except what I earned for the wedding, she gave me a reception. Now that is kindness. It is only now as I watch the time, effort and money being spent that I realize how generous and kind she really was. I wonder where she is now. Tom died and she remarried and moved to St. Louis with her two youngest boys. I'll always have a place in my heart for her, but wish I'd thanked her more earlier. I guess it's just one of those 'pass it on' things.
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I would like to write one of those sophisticated stories in which even though nothing much happens, there's lots to write about. This can't be done in Kashmir. It's not sophisticated, what happens here. There's too much blood for good literature.
Q1. Why is it not sophisticated?
Q2. What is the acceptable amount of blood for good literature?"
The air was filled with anticipation a couple of months ago when the world woke up to the news that Arundhati Roy's second novel, The Ministry of Utmost Happiness, was coming out in June 2017, 20 years after her first novel, the Booker Prize winner The God Of Small Things.
Her first novel not only happens to be one of my favourites, but also happens to be the only book that I've read three times. I read it the first time because it was my then best friend's favorite book, and I hated it. I was disappointed in Ms Roy, and more so in myself for failing to find whatever it was that my friend found in it. Almost ten years later, I picked it up again (I can't say why – once a book fails to impress me, it usually goes into my pour-vitriol-over-this pile). It may have been a whole other book, because I found myself falling in love, page after page, line after line. The reason why I hadn't liked it the first time (and let me be the first to admit it) is that I hadn't understood a word of it!
The third time was last year (two years after my second reading), and I discovered many things I had missed the previous time. I won't be surprised if two years from now, I'll be reading it a fourth time, discovering even more things, hidden in plain sight.
That is the draw of Roy's writing – the nuances, the layers. The strength of its subtleties. It does not reveal itself at once and it does not reveal all of it unless you've revisited it a few times, with fresh eyes each time.
To follow in the shadow of something that's both widely loved and extremely successful is a monumental task (siblings, teachers, lovers, ministers, they will all vouch for this). The weight of expectations alone would crush it, and in the case of The Ministry of Utmost Happiness, add to it, the 20-year gap. Whispers of anticipation in the crowds of readers and writers aside, I decided to plunge in with lowered expectations to be fair to the book. But the first page said, "To, The Unconsoled." The second page was a quote by Nazim Hikmet, "I mean, it's all a matter of your heart…" The third page was a story of vultures dying, and on the fourth page began the first chapter titled, "Where do old birds go to die?"
I can't say what it was about those first four pages, but I felt like I'd been kissed for the first time.
The book begins with the story of Anjum, who lives in a graveyard and sleeps on a different grave every night. It is she who poses the question, "Where do old birds go to die? Do they fall from the sky?" and receives a stony silence in response – the effect she was hoping for.
And because Ms Roy can never tell a story with a linear timeline, we go back to take a glimpse at Anjum's history. Anjum, who was once Aftab.
In this way, several other main characters are introduced – Saddam Hussein, Musa, and the woman who carries the story on her shoulders – Tilo. Each of these interconnected stories is laid against the backdrop of the Indian political climate – especially the volatile situation in Kashmir. From the militants, to the military, to the Holy Cow, to the cow-related lynchings, Arundhati Roy holds nothing back. She writes about a certain former CM, current world traveller, and his rise, in a way that's a political satire as well as black comedy as well as horror. The line, "A devotee gifted him a pinstriped suit with LallaLallaLalla woven into the fabric. He wore it to greet visiting heads of state." made me laugh out loud, just as the account of the 2002 riots filled me with rage. It is no wonder that this is a book that will more than just upset Lalla's insecure troll army (*cough* saffronparakeets *cough*). I imagined a Nazi Germany-like scenario where this would be one of the first books in a pile to be set on fire (and I hope someone like Liesel Meminger will rescue at least one copy).
At first I felt the book had too much of non-fiction in it to qualify as a work of fiction. I even wondered how much of Tilo was Ms Roy herself (much like I thought about Rahel from her first book). I had reached about four-fifths of the book when I understood, truly understood, what the book was about. I took a few moments, sitting very still, to process it all – to process how the various parts worked together. In the beginning, I was a little put off because there were too many characters – they took away from the reading experience, but by the four-fifths mark, I understood they were all a part of the same tapestry, and they were all essential.
My knowledge on the subject of Kashmir is too limited to form an opinion. A conversation I had with someone from Kashmir a while ago tallies with what is written in the book, and my mind kept going back to that conversation as I read. But I have so many questions, and I wonder whether there will ever be a solution.
Reading this book made me feel that every other author (with the exception of maybe Salman Rushdie) should just retire and go home. I didn't intend to write this review at first. The reasons were many – including the fact that I know I will read it again, and discover new things and this review will then seem unjust and insufficient. If I said the book is about India and its new regime, I would not be wrong. If I said it is the story of Tilo and Musa, I would not be wrong. Or even if I said it is the story of how a graveyard turned into a guest house, I would not be wrong. But in all these cases, I would not be right either, because while it may be those things, it is also much bigger than the sum of its parts. Someday I hope more writers write as fearlessly as Ms Roy, shattering rose tinted glasses and the comfort of common ignorance. And to acknowledge that is why I decided to go ahead and share my thoughts.
From a literary standpoint, a few things to note: the (irritating and fascinating) non-linear timeline. I call it the one-step forward, three-steps back timeline. Those who've read The God of Small Things are familiar with this style. Others will find it confusing at first. Those unfamiliar with Indian politics will also find it difficult to follow the story, or at least to connect with it. I found the prose to be less… musical… that her first book, but that's just me.
On the whole, an excellent and bold piece of writing that's unassumingly charming, yet somehow aware of itself. It is dark and terribly disturbing, yet poignantly romantic. If I had to choose, I'd still choose The God of Small Things over The Ministry of Utmost Happiness. At the moment, I do think her first novel is superior to her second. But call me after ten years and see if I've changed my mind.
Rating: 4.5/5


text: Campus Progress is a national organization that works with and for young people to promote progressive solutions to key political and social challenges. Through programs in activism, journalism, and events, Campus Progress engages a diverse group of young people nationwide, inspires them to embrace progressive values, provides them with essential trainings, and helps them to make their voices heard -- and to push policy outcomes in a strongly progressive direction. Campus Progress is also a partner of Vote Again 2010 (http//www.voteagain2010.com) a coalition of 30 youth organizations and media partners working to increase youth turnout this fall.


text:
A couple of weekends back, I felt like a good breakfast. Usually I have to rush to work or attend church so cooking up a good hearty breakie is out of the question. Since I have changed my work schedule, it allows me a little more time in the mornings on weekends to whip up something else other than muesli/yogurt/fruit combi or bread with peanut butter/kaya/nutella.
Pancakes are a classic. Whether is it for breakfast or dessert, they are fast to whip up and is most definitely a sure-hit within family members and friends. Out of all the pancake recipes I have, I like this one best. It's easy, fast, fail proof and the end result is always more than satisfying. Strawberries are in season-and what better way to eat them but with pancakes?
Classic Pancakes Makes 5
Makes 5
1 cup of plain flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon of caster sugar
¾ cup of milk
1 egg
30gram of spread, melted and cooled.
Strawberries, caster sugar and honey to serve.
Sieve flour and baking powder into a large bowl. Stir in sugar. Whisk milk, eggs and melted spread together. Add liquid to dry mixture. Using a wooden spoon, mix till well combine.
Cover and stand for 15 mins (if you are short of time, you can skip this step. Resting the batter will help create fluffier pancakes).
Heat a non-stick frying pan. Pour 1/3 cup batter into pan. Use a spoon to spread the batter out into a 12cm circle. Reduce heat to low and cook for approximately 2-3 mins, or until bubbles start appearing on the surface.
Turn and cook for a further 2 minutes.
Wrap pancakes in clean tea towel to keep warm. Repeat with remaining batter.
Serve warm with sliced strawberries, sprinkled caster sugar and honey.


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Want to start an online radio station? Let SAM Broadcaster do the heavy lifting. It's radio automation software equipped with all the same broadcasting tools that professionals use. That means you can manage up to 50,000 songs, use cross-fading or beat detection, integrate voice and sound effects, perfect the sound with a built-in audio processor, load tracks manually into a dual player deck or let the optimized playlist rotation schedule and play your tracks for you. Because SAM Broadcaster is specifically designed for online radio broadcasters, it can encode in different audio streaming formats at the same time, like MP3, mp3PRO, AAC, Windows Media, and Ogg. You can also stream your radio station on popular online servers including SHOUTcast, AudioRealm, IceCast, Windows Media and Live 365. SAM Broadcaster even provides real-time statistics on your listeners and lets you take their requests directly from your website. It's a hands-on radio DJ while you go hands-free.
Platform:Windows XP
System Requirements: Windows XP, Vista or Windows 7; 1 GHz; 1 GB of memory; 100 MB of space; A solid Internet connection


text:
Category Archives: Personal Things
Six Months Clean
I am so very proud to be writing this post this morning!
Just over six months ago, our family began a rough journey as my husband admitted to having an opiate addiction. At the time, it was so very disturbing. I did not think that I could deal with him or this addiction — at all.
Since then, a whole lot has changed! I have earned more respect for my husband than I ever could have imagined, and our relationship is better than ever. Adam has proved that he can make good choices, and cope with stressors in more positive ways than drugs/pills. Like every other human in the world, he is still a work in progress, but I can't express enough how proud I truly am.
With all the news and media attention around Philip Seymour Hoffman's death, my husband is being appreciated even more. I know that opiate addiction can lead to heroin and possibly an ending like Mr. Hoffman, but it just reminds us again how real it truly is. After seeing lots of media coverage on addiction (and therefor confirming all of the facts I shared with her), my mom called me to tell me how proud she is of us and what he is doing. That is always great to hear. Opiate addiction is very real, and very scary. I am just honored to have a husband that could come out of this in a positive way. ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤
TODAY MARKS SIX MONTHS CLEAN, and I strongly believe that alone is worth celebrating!! 🙂
I made a small cake for him (that doesn't seem to be uploading), and I plan on reminding him how far he has come.
Just thought I would share a proud moment with all of you!!


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As I entered the building (my very first visit there) I immediately felt thrilled by the many scenes, details and textures around me. My mind started bubbling with great picture opportunities! Of course I had my camera nearby, so after a tour of the exhibition proper (and a few beers on a sunny terrace with friends) I made another round, this time looking only for the right setting, the perfect light, the original angle...
More pictures here.
Gear notes: D700, 17-35/2.8
Click on the image(s) to see a larger version


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It's not my photograph that's out of focus but the painting itself that I discovered during a recent walk along the Danube Canal.
Click here to view thumbnails of all participants in the theme day.
Tuesday, November 1, 2016
November Theme Day: Out of Focus
Eingestellt von Vreni um 12:10 AM
Labels: 1st district, Danube Canal, Street Art, Theme Day
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Dark Room -- The conventional image we have of playwrights and poets is of lonely souls slaving away in a poorly lit basement. Well, you've got the location and the illumination right, but everything else about the Dark Room project is much cheerier. Sponsored by the Cleveland Theater Collective, it's a once-a-month workshop/cabaret for writers who want to try out their new efforts on a small but extremely encouraging audience. On this night, in a basement room in the Parish Hall at Cleveland Public Theatre, the quality of the pieces varied widely, as is to be expected with scenes or verses that are still being developed (thus, the dark room). But one monologue by Tom Huggins, describing the burnout of nurses dealing with psycho patients in hospitals, was as irreverent and hilarious as a David Sedaris essay. Other offerings, each under 10 minutes, touched on the obnoxious questions asked of "little people," a musical take on holiday haters, and a little girl's imaginary friend, who is a middle-aged Dame Edna type. Reading from scripts (and dragooning anyone nearby to fill out a cast), the writers express, share, and support. And that's a terrific environment for any embryonic artistic endeavor. Takes place the second Thursday of every month at Cleveland Public Theatre's Parish Hall, 6205 Detroit Avenue, 216-631-2727, www.clevelandtheater.com. -- Christine Howey
The Merry Wives of Windsor -- There are plenty of folks who wouldn't want to touch the complicated language of Shakespeare with a 10-meter pole. But now and then, a production of one of his works displays so much spirited action and so many irrepressible sight gags that the words cease to be an obstacle. The Merry Wives of Windsor, now presented by the Great Lakes Theater Festival, is such a show. There are so many pratfalls, slap-and-tickles, and chases up the aisles that one might mistake this classic comedy for an out-of-control sitcom. Aiding that perception is director Sari Ketter's concept of setting all the action at the Garter Resort, which looks like a 1950s-era Howard Johnson's restaurant. The image is on target, right down to the orange-and-turquoise color scheme and period pop music. Likewise, the cast of 30 is uniformly sensational, each performer catching Ketter's frolicsome approach and making it his own. This Wives is as fresh and buzzy as a Key lime martini on a hot summer day. Presented by the Great Lakes Theater Festival through September 3 at the Ohio Theatre, 1519 Euclid Avenue, 216-241-6000. -- Howey
Midnight Martini Show -- There is a strange attraction in Frank Sinatra's loosely organized Rat Pack and their infamous, loopily disorganized Las Vegas shows that ran for a few golden years back in the 1960s. Frank, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr. mixed pop songs, corny jokes, and Johnnie Walker into an irreverent, hip evening that seemed so easy. What the Midnight Martini Show at Pickwick & Frolic proves is that it ain't easy at all. This one-hour set attempts to capture the bored-with-it-all sophistication and the slightly inebriated intimacy that the Rat Packers achieved, but it fails on several counts, from the overly eager performers to the florid songs and lame drinking jokes. Which is not to say that this no-cover show doesn't provide a convenient glide path for those downtown on a Friday or Saturday night. Indeed, some of the American standards are sung well enough. Now the task is to find directors and performers who understand that being casually funny while delivering classic tunes takes a lot of work. Fridays and Saturdays at Pickwick & Frolic, 2035 East 4th St., 216-241-7425. -- Howey
The Sound of Music -- Carousel Dinner Theater's latest production excels at bringing forth the humanity in this classic, in which the von Trapp family is forced to abandon its home and flee to the U.S. in 1938, just as the Nazis are goose-stepping their way through Austria. But the show narrowly misses some of the smaller moments, both dramatically and musically, that can wring a tear or two out of the most hardened cynic. The result is a solid staging of an old favorite that doesn't quite bring up all the goose bumps it might. Using the vast expanse of the Carousel stage to maximum effect, director/choreographer Mitzi Hamilton creates postcard-pretty tableaux and helps shape a few intriguing performances -- most notably Cristin Mortenson, who crafts a convincing portrayal of lively young Maria. The seven von Trapp children are played by kids who never get so cheek-pinchingly cutesy as to trigger an involuntary gag reflex in audience members -- a real danger with some productions. Through September 10 at Carousel Dinner Theater, 1275 Waterloo Road, Akron, 800-362-4100. -- Howey
Waiting for Lefty -- With a title that could be interpreted as the plaintive cry of progressives looking for a politician to carry their banner, this Clifford Odets play from the 1930s is far out on that same political wing. Charenton Theater's free offering for August is an episodic and none-too-subtle screed from the working class, which in this post-Depression time was being dominated and abused by jackals of the capitalist state. A group of taxi drivers has gathered to protest; then the action breaks into flashbacks, showing various workers scrabbling to survive while the Man keeps them down. Odets' dialogue still displays a lively wit: "I don't know what's up your sleeve." "It'd be my arm, if I had a shirt to wear." And the Charenton cast, directed by Bill Hoffman, carves some sharp characterizations, particularly Brian Pedaci as the bloated union bigwig Henry Fatt and a Broadway producer who loves his wolfhound more than his fellow man. But all the scenes play the same chord, just in different octaves, and that begins to feel repetitious -- even in a show that's only 75 minutes long. Presented by Charenton Theater August 18-20 at Bellflower Rd., behind CWRU's Thwing Center, and August 25-27 at Superior Viaduct, W. 25th and Detroit; www.charenton.org. -- Howey


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With credit to my fellow blogger for the Onederland idea (happily, she is here, too), I am happy to report that I have reached my original goal weight — a number starting with one. I have actually been here for over a week (I didn't want to jinx it when I first dipped under). Since I started P90X, I have lost 40 pounds. 30 with myfitnesspal (which I cannot recommend enough).
P90X2 was the program that got me started again after several months being satisfied with my P90X results. Insanity kicked it up a notch and my new-found love of Obstacle Course racing certainly helped as well. The kicker was the new HRM which helped me blast through the last plateau.
That number was such a colossal mental barrier. I am certainly happy to have achieved it. I am now in better shape than anytime since law school (eight years ago).
I know find myself attempting to figure out my next goal… I don't think it is a weight, per se, though my buddy has a number that he thinks is the perfect running weight (which I am about 7 pounds away from).
What do you guys think? How do you go about setting new goals?


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Chili cookoff teams still being sought
By Laura Collins
Published in News on October 9, 2009 2:00 PM
A dozen teams are already getting their recipes ready for the Community Soup Kitchen's Third Annual Real Chili Challenge set for Oct. 24.
With little more than a week left until the Oct. 16 deadline for entry, organizers say they are still looking for teams to take part in the event.
Meanwhile, entry forms and the $75 cooking team fees are being received, judges are being selected, entertainers are rehearsing, prizes are being gathered, booth decors are being prepared and the weather is cooling down, making it just right for a bowl of hot chili, said Soup Kitchen cabinet member Ann Hunter.
Teams interested in participating can visit www.communitysoup kitchen.org for instructions or call Andrea Heekin at (252) 943-1010 with questions. Entry forms and rules are also available at The Health Habit.
The organization is also hosting a "2 Hot 2 Trot" 5-kilometer road run at 11 a.m. on Oct. 24. Runners can pre-register online at www.communitysoup kitchen.org up until Oct. 19, from 6 until 8 p.m. Oct. 23 at the Flying Shamrock or at the Center Street Jam site prior to the race. The fee for runners is $25 and includes admission to the chili tasting and an official event visor.
"We are expecting from 70 to 100 racers to participate," Mrs. Hunter said.
Prizes for the runners and chili cooking teams will be awarded at 2 p.m. that day.
Members of the public can attend the chili cookoff and sample the chili beginning at 11:30 a.m. Admission for adults is $5 and $3 for children.
"The public can (come) and taste all the chili entries, enjoy the cold drinks, check out the new 2009 official Chili Challenge T-shirts, visors and aprons, and see some of the best entertainment Goldsboro has to offer," Mrs. Hunter said. "So get your game face on, your taste buds ready, your running shoes laced and join the fun to benefit the Community Soup Kitchen of Goldsboro."


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Actually, a visit to Futureshop was not as terrible as one would expect on Boxing Day this year. The crowds and the lines were more orderly as barriers were erected to guide people to the correct lines leading to the cashiers; the cashiers were brisk and kept the lines moving at a reasonable pace; and there was even less cut throat competition between salesmen this time around, keeping in line with the "festive" part of the season! To see all these improvements in the afternoon was really reassuring as Futureshop's in-store "performance" can really be awful for Boxing Day shopping.
However, the only problem that drew my attention – and everyone else's I'm sure – was the carelessness some of the staff. Flyers were strewn about in some corners of the store; some of the places where one would expect to find particular items on-sale ended up in other sections of the store; and some of the on-sale products carried incorrect price labels. This year I wanted to buy a 4 GB USB key which happened to be more than half-off at $27 – yet their price label read them going for $82! This was also the case with a wireless mouse on sale for $20, but labelled for $52. When I brought these inconsistent price labels to the attention of a staff member, they seemed more eager to leave to attend other matters. No one suggested correcting the labels to reflect the advertised price.
Thus, it doesn't make sense to go out shopping on Boxing Day without knowing exactly what it is one is looking for. The chances are slim that someone, without research, can walk out for Boxing Day to shop for a good deal and come back with everything he intended to buy. The items you want are likely misplaced, mislabelled, and even hidden from view. While Futureshop isn't the only store making such errors on Boxing Day, the expectation that all of the on-sale items in store will be properly labelled and easy to find is probably too high.
I don't have any ideas to offer in terms of remedying the problems at Futureshop as they're obvious and simple. But, for consumers, I suggest to review the flyers and select the items that are practical. By practical, I mean items that will likely be available at most times of the day. There's little point in "door crashing" or rushing for hot deals when the available stock is less than a dozen. The prices probably aren't that great, but, if they are, the product is getting old anyway.
Be surgical! Walk into a store, track down what's on your list, quickly append to the list any deals that are truly worth your while, hit the lines, and leave! To do anything else places oneself at a disadvantage. You'll end up using more time than you would have expected and with less than you may have wanted.
Lastly, do keep your eyes open and be aware of what is happening around you. People are in a rush to their destinations and may not be completely aware of what is around them. Take note of the atmosphere and try to avoid angry groups of people. Everyone may be out for the great holiday deal, but you don't need to be caught up in a potential fight of strangers.
Really, everyone knows what they're doing. They don't need a stranger, such as myself, to tell them what they are doing. But, if you really are out to shop, just keep in mind these are merely suggestions. To the guy who fought with me for a parking space, walked into the store for an hour, wondered aloud whether Best Buy had a better deal, and rushed out the door with nothing, this is for you.


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In any case, what I wanted to share were these points I wrote regarding the HHS contraception mandate and my own views of artificial contraception as a woman:
1. Fertility is not an illness.To expand on the above combox comment of mine, I think we should recognize that what the HHS mandate says to American women is this: Look, we know there's no such thing as a virtuous woman in America anymore. In fact, we've redefined the whole idea of virtue so that modesty, chastity, and sexual morality have nothing to do with it. These days in our enlightened nation, a virtuous woman is one who is lasciviously and rampantly promiscuous before marriage and, should she actually marry, concerned primarily with being sexually available to her mate every single day of her life in spite of that pesky natural fertility of hers. It is therefore imperative that we in this nation wage an all-out chemical warfare against the natural fertility of human women because that natural fertility leads to unplanned voters and unwanted constituents and citizens.
2. Pregnancy is not a disease.
3. It is not necessary to render women chemically sterile to make them free. In fact, all this does is make them more available to men who don't have to commit to them or take any responsibility for their actions.
4. Promiscuity, unmarried sex, contraceptive sex–these things are not freedom. They are dead ends for women and soul-killers for men.
5. If the only principle America stands for is that everybody has the right to as much consequence-and-morality-free sex as possible, then America stands for nothing. It will be replaced by some society and culture which still thinks of sex as sacred and children as blessings, probably sooner than we think, at which point all of the hand-wringing in the world about how contraception is just the bestest stuff ever and those meanies in the Church won't hand it out for free at First Communions and Sunday Mass and in the confessional etc. is going to seem pretty stupid.
Moreover, we think that women are stupid, lacking in self-control, unable to understand and appreciate their natural fertility and work with it instead of attacking it and rendering it, and themselves, at least temporarily sterile, and otherwise incapable of thinking for themselves. So we will mandate that it is the job of their employers (and how creepy is this, really?) to buy them birth control pills and devices, abortifacient pills, and to pay for them to be sterilized. Because the American Primary Value of sex without consequences only works if women are willing to participate in their own objectification, to embrace the mandates of contraceptive imperialism, to be brainwashed into believing that their healthy, natural fertility is an illness or a disease in need of "treatment," and to accept the new idea of virtue which means that women have a positive duty to make themselves both sexually available and incapable of pregnancy until or unless some man agrees that he'd actually like to be a father.
The HHS mandate tells us Catholic women that our Church is oppressing us because the Church don't agree with their worldview. Well, I am proud to reject theirs, which is so demeaning and dehumanizing to women that it's hard to know where to start.


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* LUKOIL has indicated it won't be able to develop West Qurna-1
* Exxon said wanted to leave the field
MOSCOW, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Russia's second largest crude producer LUKOIL said on Friday it will study an offer from Exxon regarding Iraq's West Qurna-1 oilfield, which the U.S. major wants to leave, Interfax news agency reported.
"We received an offer from Exxon. We will likely study this possibility. But we haven't make any decision today," Andrei Kuzyayev, head of LUKOIL foreign operations was quoted as saying.
LUKOIL, which is already developing West Qurna-2, has said that West Qurna-1 is "too big for it to swallow".
A LUKOIL spokesman declined immediate comment.
ExxonMobil has informed the Iraqi government it wants to pull out of a $50 billion oil project in southern Iraq.
LUKOIL is attempting to offset production decline at its fields in Russia, where it faces competition from the state-backed companies, by acquiring foreign upstream assets.
LUKOIL is active in Middle East, Central Asia, West Africa and Latin America. But Russia's vast Arctic offshore reserves are off-limits for the company due to legal restrictions, which allow only state-controlled company participation.
Doubts about who can replace Exxon in the important project could raise questions about Iraq's target to increase crude output to 5-6 million barrels per day by 2015 from 3.4 million bpd.
Some industry sources have said Baghdad is keen to replace Exxon with companies from Russia or China. But it was unclear which companies would have the financial heft to follow Exxon.


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And some of the yummiest teatime fare imaginable! This year's Tea on the Porch will also celebrate the life of Mary A. Brown, entrepreneur, who operated the first bed and breakfast inn in Coweta County, the Culpepper House on Broad Street in Senoia. Mary was also a dedicated member of the historical society and hosted its first tea at the Culpepper House. For reservations or more information on the tea, please call Nancy Roy at 770-599-6321 or e-mail her at email@example.com.
Friday, May 22, 2015
You are cordially invited to … tea on the porch in Senoia!
Posted by Angela McRae at 7:00 AM
5 comments:
I remember your write-up of this event last year, and I'm sure this one will be equally enjoyable. I don't know that I'll be able to get down to your area then, but it is nice to be invited! :-)ReplyDelete
This looks like an extra special event!ReplyDelete
Wish I could come tooo.........looks very pretty!ReplyDelete
If I only lived closer to you, dear friend! This sounds like such a great time!ReplyDelete
Another lovely tea time.ReplyDelete
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|Inochi No Utsuwa by Takahiro Kondo
|Takahiro Kondo
Ruthin Craft Centre in Wales is currently showing 'Japanese Style: Sustaining Design'. An exhibition programme showing how Japanese designers and artists 'can make a valuable contribution to sustainable development by focusing on the relationship between the traditional and the innovative.'
I was interested in Takahiro Kondo's project 'Inochi no Utsuwa'. He works with people in the Tohoku area of Japan. Some of whom were directly affected by last year's earthquake. The community project gets people involved in the act of making. They can focus on doing something that in turn becomes a beautiful object that is distributed to the survivors of the disaster. Pictured here are some of their teabowls for sale in Wales. I believe 'Inochi no Utsuwa' means 'vessel of life' and this project certainly encompasses that spirit.
|Koji Shiraya
|Koji Shiraya
I was drawn to the work of Koji Shiraya, a contemporary Japanese maker living in London. I love the way he captures movement within the material, cleverly controlling the feldspar to form fluid like lids.


text: Get your Level One Certification at North Fork Natural! Long Island's North Fork is a place where you can experience the natural beauty of Long Island's wine country. You will have the opportunity to experience beautiful beaches, local farm stands, vineyards, parks, bicycle trails, shopping and much more! Learn more about North Fork Natural at their website.


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Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Where has October gone?
I apologize for being a sporadic blogger recently. I have been suffering with allergies something awful and have been in an antihistamine daze I think. I even forgot to post about my Thimbles sewing group last Saturday. It was fun but I didn't get much accomplished due to some bad sewing karma. Poor Sarah cut her finger with the rotary cutter. Luckily we had nurses-who-quilt on hand to do some first aid (and they didn't even charge a co-pay!!). I ended up cutting half of my quilt blocks wrong. Egads! Maybe the Sewing Goddess needs to be appeased with some fabric acquisition offerings....hmmm. Now that's an idea!
8 comments:
- sewprimitive karen said...
Sorry for your allergies; hope you feel better soon :-)
- October 20, 2009 at 5:56 PM
- Pat / Silver Thimble Quilt Co. said...
Well we all have those bad sewing days. Dang.
Birthday is right around the corner girlfriend...Happy happy
- October 20, 2009 at 8:06 PM
- Karin said...
The sewing goddess knows where you will be and so does the birthday fairy and I bet between the two of them the karma will be fixed,
- October 21, 2009 at 3:31 AM
- Carol said...
I'm with you...someone is taking weeks out of these months...it would be nice if we could get them all back next month...extra long November...LOL! Hope your allergies get better.
- October 21, 2009 at 4:19 AM
- MelissaS said...
I officially send you an injection of my Quilting Mojo. Hope it helps!
- October 21, 2009 at 5:33 AM
- Brenda said...
I agree, not only what happened t October, but what happened to this year. Hopefully the sewing gods will be with you in the future.
- October 21, 2009 at 4:46 PM
- MelissaS said...
Hey I've got your shot....
- October 21, 2009 at 7:11 PM
- dianne said...
hmmm ... if the blood sacrifice by Sarah didn't work for appeasing the sewing goddess then who knows what it's gonna take?!?
maybe that explains why i get poked by pins and needles so much - it's the whole sacrifice/appeasing/ritual thing (?) ... i can tell you one thing, though - i am NOT jumping into any volcanoes! not even for quilting mojo...
- October 22, 2009 at 8:58 AM