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For some reason, largely due to the overwhelming nature of what had only just occurred, I guess I just couldn't sit myself down to type my description of MTAC. However, after finally resting and relaxing I believe I will now commence with my post-MTAC account of the whole con and my experiences there in.
Day 1 - Friday
First of all, MTAC was the first convention where I had ever stayed in the hotel, since I'd been lucky to have several local cons, so that and the fact I was going to see Greg Ayres, Johnny Yong Bosch, and Eyeshine already had my interest peak. One 2.5 hour drive later and let's just say that, even as a walk-in, I was just glad to be standing again (last time I'd say that), and frankly the walk-in line wasn't bad at all which was nice. I immediately purchased a t-shirt, then ran into some of my friends, including some who I know count as new friends, and they were going to wait around for a room to open up while I got in contact with MTAC's media relations and got my press pass.
That was quite an easy process, so I took care of that quickly and returned to wait with my friends. They were a bit unhappy when our requested time past without us having a room, but thankfully the hotel told us 3PM and we got a room at 1:30PM, which was only a half hour past the expected time. During this wait I got to get some quick shots of the dealers room line and the lobby, which was already brimming with otaku especially those in cosplay. Once we got to the room my friends joined the fray, as I stayed in non-cosplay for the entire weekend.
So then we left our room and walked around and got a gist for the layout of the convention. Having not been to MTAC before, I heard that the hallway was substantially wider than last years, but in all honesty I felt a bit cramped especially when passing by the dealers room and its respective line. Many of the rooms seemed a bit small too, but I'll get to that when the issues arose. All in all, I did understand rather quickly where everything I wanted to see was going to be, and that was all that mattered to me.
My friends and I took a quick look around artist alley, and we also made sure to check out the dealers room, which was an exciting sight to see because, as opposed to some of the more seasoned con goers, there was plenty I hadn't seen before. Especially exciting was the snack booth, for obvious reasons, and the booth that had the J-Rock posters, cd's, & magazines. I saw a poster signed by The GazettE I believe and I thought about picking that up, but actually during my first runaround I didn't grab anything, although my friends actually did most of their shopping on this trip. Afterwards, we tried to go to the AMV Contest but aside from being packed into the main room, which was probably a bit too small for such an event, the music was frankly just too loud. Maybe on my own I would've at least stayed a bit longer, but we decided we'd keep checking around what was going on.
After fighting the crowds, we finally decided to try to check out the opening ceremonies. As was common with many of the main events the line was quite long, and going over, as events tend too, my friends convinced me to check out the event with my press pass power while they would either wait some more or just head back to the room. So I did, and I was pleased how accessible everything was to me as I just sauntered in, found a seat, actually got redirected to a better seat for press, dead center by the way, and was pretty much just allowed to take pictures and video. Realizing that the opening ceremonies lent themselves more to video, I prepared my video camera and as everything started I just captured as much as I could.
The Opening Ceremonies began with a song by the Land Barons, the Godzilla theme which they did quite a good job on. Since apparently Kaiju was sort of the theme of MTAC Infinity, this was a rather fitting opening. After that, the executive con staff strutted in to music, and Lucas the con director was welcomed by Con Kitty with a kiss, and then left to MC the ceremonies. He said he'd keep the talk short, and he lived up to that, as he discussed the various activities occurring throughout the weekend, with great thanks as well to us, the fans, and the guests who came to MTAC Infinity. Then the guest walked out, briefly waving some humorously on the phone, with Peelander-Z and Kaiju adding a little extra, and lastly Con Kitty, in her own Kaiju suit, decided to join in the fun and stomp out a little cardboard city. Destruction was rampant, but we all enjoyed the experience and the Land Barons played us out. At this point, I hung around for about 3 more songs but, having to get ready for later, I decided to return to the room.
Thankfully, my kind friends had decided to grab me some Chinese food to eat, and they had made some excellent sandwiches earlier, so food for that day was quite superb. But, tired from the drive and dealing with some mean allergies, a welcome rest was just that, very welcome. Anyways the only item I had scheduled for myself was the Karaoke, and that turned out to be American songs, and my friend James was planning on singing "Happy People" by Skoop On Somebody (from Bleach), which was not an American song. So, we continued to walk around some more but in general aside from some picture taking and hilarious room conversations with my con mates, I basically called it a night relatively early.
Day 2 - Saturday
With strange wookie sounds coming from one of my hotel neighbors, I awoke and prepared for the busiest day of the convention, Saturday. Already on schedule, I'd planned to attend the voice actor panel that began at 10:30 that morning. So, I ate one of the left over sandwiches we had, and headed with cameras in hand down to see what strange stuff both Greg and Johnny would have to share. As predicted, they had some rather humorous stories, including Greg's near fight with a fan and Johnny's band getting kicked out for "dancing too hard" from a Con DDR room, but they also had some more insightful words, including Greg Ayres comments on the anime industry at present and fansubbing, and Johnny's own demonstration of how he voices Hollow ichigo. All this I was able to catch on video, so for the full experience just hop on over to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bT1C-tPPD1k and check out the 6 part Q&A.
Afterwards, my friends and I returned to the room, where some had stayed, and they prepared for the later activities. My friend James had spent Friday evening though learning how to enter MTAC Idol, which was focusing on Japanese songs, and having done so he actually headed down to compete. I decided to pop in my head for a little bit, and I saw one song and then was hoping James would be next only to get, amazingly enough, to hear James announced as the next contestant. Since I was already filming the act before I was able to film his whole performance, which can be found here. I'd always heard James was a good singer, but seeing as how he had to do acappella, and more then pulled it off, I knew he truly was. I didn't stay to see whether he won or not (and he didn't), and I also missed Shukaku's performance, but I enjoyed what I saw and moved on with the con.
After Karaoke, we hung around in the room some more and prepared, a bit late too, for the Bleach panel. We made it to the line and there were already approximately 40 people in front of us. I used the power of the press to take some quick shots of the panelists setting up and also get a feel for the room which, considering the line was probably 100 people by the start of the panel, was way too tiny. The cut-off line though just happened to be behind me though, and I was able to get a seat in the center aisle close enough to take a couple pictures. The panel itself was divided into three tiers of spoiler, current with Cartoon Network's run of the dub, current with Bleach sub releases, and current with the manga. Since I wanted to keep taking pictures I stayed through all three levels and got to see all the contests (which are too spoiler for this post), but I enjoyed being with other Bleach fans and hearing all the discussion and hypotheticals that we brought up regarding Bleach future.
This was followed immediately by the Bleach photo shoot, which was quite a sizeable venture into itself, because I ended up spending at least an hour taking pictures with a variety of cameras from all my friends. I quite enjoyed the photo shoot, although by the end people were getting restless, and my feet were a bit tired, but I just shot and shot so now I have really the only cosplay photos I took the whole con. I've got some of these posted up and others Jai, one of my con roommates, kindly held onto (so I'll post those up later).
I believe that at this point I deserved some rest, so I and many of my friends headed back to our room where we sort of just hung out. Many of my friends switched into their other costumes, while I, still-non cosplaying, merely checked my batteries and charged them for later press ventures. This was a great idea on my part because my next activities would be both the 1st half of the Slants concert and the entire Eyeshine concert.
I was planning on going with at least somebody to the concerts, but everyone in my room was tired and, with Code Geass' first episode releasing and the new Bleach episode on, they decided they'd rest and watch instead, which works fine. I ended up heading down then and, with the power of the pass, caught the Slants sound check and took some pictures and then stayed for the 1st half of the show, which was quite good, before I went back to the room to take care of some things to prepare for the Eyeshine concert. Upon returning, I barely made it in before the doors opened so I don't really have any shots from their sound check; however, I got some nice pictures of the band from my position up front, which wasn't too loud at all, and then I slunk back to the back of the room and shot some video alongside the other videographers. Sadly, due to some disturbances with my computer situation now, uploading those videos will still take a while.
After the concert, I headed immediately down to the Bleach panel room and I set myself up to get a nice picture taking position in the back. Having figured out the hotel at this point was a big help, because I beat the mass rush. Being so late, I think that many of the younger kids who came for only Saturday had already begun to leave; but even so, the Q&A was well attended. Johnny and the others were unsure what to do, since they said bands don't often have Q&A's, but they talked about the origin of their name, which came from a Crocodile Hunter episode, their future music plans, which simply put would be more events then before, and then they signed autographs and sold merchandise, of which I bought 2 cd's, one for my friend and con roommate Liz, and one pin, and one picture which they signed along with the 2 cd's. Since there were so many people this did take awhile, but I hung around especially to see if Johnny and Eyeshine would perhaps do some drops for the radio station, and they were quite willing to do so, and actually we got 3 drops right after the panel. (Thanks!!!)
Upon returning to the room, the time was about 1:30 and I returned to a dark room, but Jai, Joe, James, and I stayed up talking for a bit more, cracking ourselves up till we all fell asleep.
Day 3 - Sunday
This morning we woke up with intent, and the realization that with checkout we probably needed to get our stuff together. This took up a substantial portion of the morning, but thankfully for me I didn't have too much stuff to carry, since I was sans a cosplay, and James and Liz rode up together, and James and I had briefly gone out to Kroger the night before only to return to an amazingly close parking spot, so at least as much stuff as they had, they were quite close to the car. By about 10:30/11 we had packed up everything and headed down for some last minute dealers room / artist alley activity. The day before I had picked up some amazing Pocky that we all tried, and Eric, also one of my con roommates, and I made sure to grab us some more. James found a Kon plushy dressed up as Nell that was quite cool, and Liz purchased a Saiyuki poster too. Artist alley was more of a browse for us, since I'd stopped by quickly yesterday and bought a couple cool portrait style drawings of Sakura and Naruto, from Naruto, and Re-l Mayer from Ergo Proxy.
Having taken care of that, my main goal at this point was to meet with Greg Ayres sometime before 2PM, because he said at the autograph session I went to that if I found him then I'd be able to get a radio drop with him, but it'd have to be early Sunday. However, by the time I found him he was just minutes late for an autograph session and people were already hounding him, so I thought I'd just leave enough alone and, being too tired to wait much more, find him at the next con we're both at. James and Liz were hanging around to pick up some swords for James' 'Lazy Taichou' cosplay, but that didn't end up happening since we couldn't find the guy, so we, all quite tired, decided just to head back to Chattanooga.
Funny enough I actually left a few minutes after and caught up with them on the road, and we caravanned for at least 1 hour, but aside from that I returned to rest and relax, and try to upload pics and vids, all of which I have done for the former, and some which I have done for the latter.
All in all, I had a great con experience and MTAC is definitely a con I'd love to return to. I had no problems with public safety, which I can't say was true for my friends. Also, Christi Binkley the Director of Media Relations for MTAC was quite helpful, getting me set-up with a press pass and, when I was at my peak of tired on Saturday, she checked in on me to see how I was doing, which was very nice of her.
So to summarize what MTAC is for those who have yet to go, you've got a lot of fun panels and events, some featuring some key anime voice actors and exciting bands/musical acts, while the environment itself is still sizeable enough to where you don't feel too overwhelmed, as you would at AWA (another awesome con), but there are enough people still to where you can truly see some amazing cosplayers too! All in all MTAC was great fun, and I already can't wait for the next one.


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I have had quite some queries on the recent market conditions and what is my outlook. So here are my views.
We all know that our government always knew what is required to be done – but they did not have the political courage to do it. The Congress is now in a do or die situation – if they do not act now, they will find it difficult to showcase their governance record in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. And hence this recent burst of reformist measures – after all they too need a job after 2014.
The next 12 months, I expect the government to be keeping up this pro reform agenda –they will talk the markets up with one reform a week (something like –"an apple a day____). India needs capital from abroad for growth and the world markets are flush with cheap liquidity. So the government in India will try its darn best to attract global capital to India. And the opposition will try to stymie these efforts and that's something we will need to live with – the Indian political theatre.
But overall the Indian markets should do well over the next 12-14 months.
But that is only half the story.
The remaining half is the global market outlook itself – here, the situation is not that rosy. The economies of US, EU and Japan are struggling to stay afloat –the central banks in these countries are giving large doses of liquidity (it is akin to keeping a patient alive on drips) – without these doses of liquidity, these economies would get into recessionary mode. The stock markets, the real estate markets and the consumer sentiment in these countries is being propped up by the low interest rates ( cheap money) – this has been going on since 2008 and the economies are not doing any better - but they are managing to stave off recession.
Will the situation change in the next 1-2 years?
I do not think so.
These countries will continue to drip feed their economies by keeping interest rates low and infusing liquidity into the economies as and when required. Some of this money will trickle into Indian economy due to our "reformist government" and will keep our stock markets in good cheer.
So till here everything looks fine – both the global markets and Indian markets will do well in the next 12-14 months even though the global markets are being propped up by low interest rates.
But there is one event next year that could be a game changer - the Iran problem.
With the conclusion of US Presidential elections, focus will be back on Iran. There will be pressure on Iran to give up its nuclear programme and I expect Iran not to surrender meekly. I expect increase in tensions and somewhere in Q2 2012, there could be some kind of flash point. Many scenarios are being talked about – about how it could unfold. It could happen through Iran mining of the Strait of Hormuz, or may happen through the current strife in Syria where Iran, Turkey and Israel get involved as the country dissolves into chaos, or it could be through Lebanon, where Iran could activate the Shiite militia to attack Northern Israel or it could happen pure and simple by Israel delivering a surprise attack on Iran's nuclear installations.
Whatever the scenario, there is a likely hood of a prolonged regional disturbance – it could result in oil prices going up, stock markets going volatile and one cannot predict to what extent the global economy will be impacted. This can present opportunities as well as threats and one needs to be careful.
So this is the situation - the India story looks good (12-14 months) – the global story, without Iran problem, looks OK - but the Iran issue is like the looming dark cloud in the horizon.
I would recommend that you stay invested in the Indian stock markets – surely till Q1 2013.
This is a period when gold and stocks will rise at the same time. Gold will rise in USD terms more as there is increase in liquidity globally – and depending on the short term fluctuation in the USD/INR rate, gold is expected to give inflation plus 3-5% at least in India ( i.e. about 13-15% ROI per annum).
Stocks surely could do better than that.
So my advice is to stay invested in stocks and gold and keep a close eye on the developments in Iran.

subset: commoncrawl


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I am happy to announce the winner of my ring giveaway.......
Pam Ferrari
Pam choose the button ring! Send me your address Pam (email@example.com) and I'll get your ring right out to you!!!
Here's a few pics of my dogs in their costumes for you to enjoy! Biscuit was a Hippie Bus, and Mocha was an Egyptian Princess! They are such good sports - the best dogs ever!!!


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Chronic fatigue syndrome is a diagnosis of exclusion for which there are no markers. Lyme disease is the most common vector borne illness in the United States for which chronic fatigue is a frequent clinical manifestation. Intervention of patients with Lyme disease with appropriately directed antimicrobials has been associated with improved outcomes.
Of the total 210 included in the analysis, 209 or 99% were felt to represent a high likelihood of "seronegative Lyme disease." Initiating various antimicrobial regimen, involved at least a 50% improvement in clinical status in 130 or 62%. Although not achieving the 50% threshold according to the criteria discussed, another 55 patients subjectively identified a beneficial clinical response to antimicrobials, representing a total of 188 or 88% of the total identified as having a high potential for seronegative Lyme disease.
A potentially substantial proportion of patients with what would otherwise be consistent with internationally case defined CFS in a Lyme endemic environment actually have a perpetuation of their symptoms driven by a persistent infection by Borrelia burgdorferi. By treating this cohort with appropriately directed antimicrobials, we have the ability to improve outcomes.
More available at the above link.
Comments (briefly now, as I am headed out the door - may comment more later):
Kudos to Samuel Shor and his team for this research. Thank you for including potential limitations, future directions for research, and disclosures in your report.
Additional studies on this patient group need to be conducted, and I would like to see more such studies as these conducted and shared with the Lyme patient community, even if they are only retrospective and not controlled studies...
Use the clinical data you have on all of us, anonymously - at least we have some idea what sort of outcomes you are seeing?
This looks like the way to go, Dr. Shor:
"Obtain microarray analysis for Borrelia burgdorferi on the "seronegative" Lyme patients. Perform a prospective randomized placebo controlled trial for which a protocol and IRB are already in place and funding being pursued."
Yes. Thank you. More sir, may we have another?
It's a start...
This work by Camp Other is licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.


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The City of Bishop Pine to Park Path project is expected to be constructed this spring. Recently, the city received federal approval to construct the almost $200,000 project. The project is funded by federal and state gas tax funds.
The Pine to Park Path project will construct an approximate 1,000 foot long paved pedestrian and bicycle path. The path would extend from the north end of an existing alley north of East Pine Street and east of North Third Street past the Bishop Community Garden to the existing paved path in the park near Spruce Street. Path construction in the area of Spruce Street will include sidewalk and on street parking improvements.
The Pine to Park Path project is to provide a safe, all-weather bicycle and pedestrian connection between the neighborhood located south of the park and Bishop City Park. The 14-foot wide path is proposed with 8-feet of paving and 3-foot unpaved shoulders. Drawings of the path are available on the city website and at City Hall. Work has been underway on the project for several years. The city expects to advertise for construction bids in March.
Construction of the project is expected to start in May and take about a month. During the construction period, access to some parts of the park, including the Community Garden and Spruce Street, will be affected. Work will be arranged to minimize inconvenience but care and patience during the construction period is appreciated.
For more information contact City of Bishop Public Works at firstname.lastname@example.com or 760-873-8458.


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4 1/2 to 5 cups high gluten bread flour 1 heaping tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon SAF-Instant yeast (see note) or 1 tablespoon rapid-rise yeast (see note) 2 cups cold tap water
Mixing: Place flour, salt and dry yeast in the bowl of a large food processor, fitted with a plastic dough blade. With the machine running, slowly pour in the cold water. Mix just until the dough forms a ball in the machine, about 45 to 60 seconds. (If small pieces of dough bounce along the bottom of the bowl and the dough does not hold together, the dough is too dry. Add a splash of water to the bowl and process.)


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Claremont city offices will be closed starting Wednesday, November 27 at 3 p.m. and will remain closed on Thursday, November 28 for the Thanksgiving holiday. There will be no trash collection on that day and refuse collection will be delayed one day for the remainder of the week.
In recognition of holiday guests, the Claremont Police Department will not be enforcing the overnight parking ordinance on November 29 following Thanksgiving Day. Overnight parking will also be excused on December 25 and 26 as well as January 1 and 2. Residents should note the exemption period is 2 a.m. to 6 a.m. on each of the given days. For more information, contact the Claremont Police Department at 399-5411.


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GDragon will move on to promote the song 'A Boy' from his solo debut album.
Coming 18th October on SBS Inkigayo, he will be performing the followup hit 'A Boy' from his solo album for the first time. He will also be performing a special dance performance of Michael Jackson's 'Billie Jean' on Inkigayo that day.
The lyrics to the song talks about the truthful feelings of GDragon from when he started training at the tender age of 13 until present.
:: just to reminds you of Billie Jean – Michael Jackson ::
(c) stunts1231


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My life is fairly boring at the moment. In two weeks I have OGT's, which I am honestly not worried about like most people. I have still not been able to find a stupid muffin layout, which makes want to scream and yet again change my blog name. (No fears, I most likely won't) Due to this great uninviting period of time, I have been reduced to posting comics and wierd anagrams. What is this world coming to? Well, I guess I could maybe post a rant that I have been saving up for a while if you all are interested and will actually comment on it so that I know it's not a waste of time. It's a fairly common issue lately, a lot of people on EC are talking about it and elsewhere, and I had my own run-in with the people who support it. A certain movie. Getting it yet? So, I will leave it to you guys to decide whether or not I should rant. Poll below.
Saturday, March 03, 2007
No new material......
Posted by The Muffin at 12:11 PM
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By Matthew Sanborn Smith
You had to figure it'd be a New Yorker that came up with the idea. Joey didn't have time for his wife's goddamned pug to sniff everything and screw around in the park.
"C'mon! I got shit to do!" he shouted at the dog. "You been out here like three minutes now!"
More sniffing.
More rolling on her back joyfully.
Joey had had enough. He grabbed the little pig-dog, gave her belly a good hard squeeze and stuff came out the back end. He did a quick survey to make sure it was only the stuff that was supposed to come out. For the most part it was. Good. He didn't need Gina giving him a hard time. He went back in with a strangely quiet little dog under his arm.
A good idea is a good idea. Joey told Dom about his new method and Dom told Deke and Deke told Ed and pretty soon guys all over the city were playing their dogs like bagpipes. The kids got into the act and soon made a game out of it.
"Jesus," more than one tourist was overheard to have said. "When I was a kid we used water pistols."
Inspiration: I told my wife I did this one day about a year ago when I came back inside with the dog. She thought it was disgusting. Since I'm a boy, it's my evolutionary imperative to gross girls out, so I was happy.


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Sunday, September 26, 2010
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Been a long time.
Sorry followers i hope my lack of updates hasn't turned some of you away but ive been doing a lot real world stuff im about to move soon and ive been preparing and tryong to make some money before i go. Pz.
๖ۣۜ ȺϟϟЋλŦ
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Steam ID's
From the poll i see a lot of people play steam games if you want leave your steam id in a comment.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
No-one playing L4D anymore.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Spam SMS Messages to Phones
click that link there and you'll go to a magic place where trolls are always fed.
Been a few days since i posted
Steam servers are down so I'm going to rant about how much i hate it when i don't get my fix for killing zombies. It pisses me off, Greatly. I'm a man of few words brb gonna smoke a bowl.
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The 19th Annual Snowbird Nationals was held at the Worldgate Resort in Orlando Florida. Known as the largest indoor race in the world the event typically attracts over 700 entries. The relaxed atmosphere and warm Florida sunshine make it a favorite for carpet on-road and oval drivers from around the globe.
Spektrum team driver Jimmy Piersol had a great weekend in the Vintage Trans Am class. Jimmy set the early pace in qualifying and went on to secure the TQ position for the A-main. From the start Jimmy pulled away turning in smooth consistent lap times and building a comfortable advantage. At race end Jimmy had built a half lap lead over second place and cruised to the victory.


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Nearly finished the quilting on the Life of Plenty quilt - one more border to go and then the binding. Its been so hot here lately that it feels like Summer without the humidity. 29C temperatures most days - just cold-ish in the mornings. Two weeks ago we had gale force winds that blew over a small tree. We cut it up into manageable pieces then took it to the municipal dump and because its so dry ( lots of veld fires) we decided to do a good clean up, pruning all the shrubs and remove dead wood and plants. Four bakkie loads last week and two yesterday. Its back breaking work. I'm full of cuts and scratches on my arms and legs. We are experiencing drought conditions- the worst since 1991. No rain in months. Certain areas are on water restrictions. We have been asked to conserve every drop as there are only two months supply remaining. I hope it rains soon - we already have to contend with load shedding, two hours a day.
Aloes flower in midwinter, dripping with nectar just when the sunbirds and bees need it most


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No breakthrough on the big issues at Spring Meetings
Oxfam's Nadia Daar commented on the Bank and the IMF's progress on climate change, inequality, education, and more.
G20 faces big test in China about its effectiveness
This year's G20 Summit will raise the stakes for the group to prove itself against growing doubts about its effectiveness – not least for people living in poverty, says Oxfam.
International investors must withdraw all involvement now from deadly Honduras dam project, says Oxfam
The assassination last week of Honduran activist Berta Cáceres – who championed the cause of indigenous land rights – shows that international companies have no place now in continuing their support for the Agua Zarca dam she was fighting against.
Billions in "out of control" IFC investments into third-parties causing human rights abuses around the world
The International Finance Corporation has little accountability for billions of dollars' worth of investments into banks, hedge funds and other financial intermediaries, resulting in projects that are causing human rights abuses around the world.
The suffering of others
Increasingly, development money is being channelled through third parties such as banks or private equity funds. This report tells the human story behind the high finance and statistics.
World Bank Group's billion dollar private sector health initiative in Africa is failing to reach the poor
A billion-dollar flagship scheme to support private sector-led health care in Africa is bypassing poor people and concentrating instead on high-end urban hospitals catering mainly for the rich.
Investing for the Few
The Health in Africa initiative of the International Finance Corporation, which promotes private sector healthcare delivery, is extremely unlikely to deliver better health outcomes for poor people.
New investigation finds 'don't ask, don't tell' policy leads to IFC blunders in Honduras human rights scandal
An internal investigation released last night finds that World Bank Group staff kept quiet about a plantation company's role in a violent land conflict in Honduras, when proposing loans to one of Central America's top ten banks which funded it.
Christine Lagarde and Jim Kim at the IMF-World Bank spring meetings
Oxfam's Nicolas Mombrial said: "The IMF and World Bank have admitted the dangers of skyrocketing inequality, but they're not showing any concrete signs of dealing with the problem.
A Dangerous Diversion
The Lesotho health public–private partnership (PPP) has been described as opening a new era for private sector involvement in healthcare in Africa.


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I like to run. No scratch that – I love to run.
So often I've had people scoff at that notion. "Running? Fun? You've got to be kidding!"
Nope, not kidding.
There was a day I would probably have agreed with them. However, I found one huge key for enjoying running – training for something.
So far, I have run the following races:
Great Pumpkin Chase 5k, Harrisburg, PA. October 2009 – 26:55.
Dash for Diabetes 5k, Hershey, PA. May 2010 – 24:27 (PR).
Wissahickon 10k Trail Race, June 5, 2010. 1:10:05.
Double Creek 5k, York, PA. June 19, 2010. 25:05. Third place in my age group (20-25).
Servants Inc 5k, York, PA. August 28th, 2010. Ran with friend – did not keep track of time.
Great Pumpkin Chase 5k, Harrisburg, PA. October 2010 – 24:28. Finished 25th overall out of all female runners and third place in my age group (20-25).
Amish County Half Marathon, Bird-in-hand, PA. November 6th, 2010 – 2:06:18.
I find the key to enjoying running to be having a challenge to shoot for. I'm constantly browsing Runningintheusa.com for my next race and I seem to have 'race' fever now! I wish I could train for a marathon but that is for another season in my life…
Next on my training list – the National Half in DC in March! *Squeeeee!*


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Vodafone Signal Boosters
Being a multinational telecommunications company, Vodafone has its branch in Australia and boasts a high popularity among Australians with an estimated number of 7 million subscribers. Vodafone company provides one of the highest quality services in the spheres of voice and data over mobile phones.
However, no mobile network provider is secured from certain locations, say, rural areas or far suburbs of big cities, where the signal might give up functioning properly and result in failed calls, some of which may be of great importance for you. Well, if you are reading this, then you won't have this issue any more as our company is there to provide you with high-quality Vodafone signal boosters for boosting mobile signal reception and making it clear, without failures at any place and with any frequency band of Vodafone – 3G or 4G.


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Bike helmets work. Plain and simple they work to prevent more SERIOUS injuries from occuring. I walked away apparently unconcussed from the accident thanks to a Bell Sweep helmet. I recall hitting the ground on my forehead just past the hairline then shoulder rolling towards the curbside. The force of the impact was enough to cause a large contusion on my forehead.The second picture is today as the swelling has gone down but is beginning to bruise.
The front of the helmet shows the impact site at the brim of the Sweep with road scrapes beginning on the logo and reaching 4 inches back towards the peak of the lid.
Thanks Bell. You have been my helmet of choice and will remain so in the future.Well done!


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here. The movie comes in more or less four versions - Combo Pack (BR + DVD + Digital Copy), IMAX 3D Combo Pack (3D BR + BR + DVD + Digital Copy), DVD, and store exclusive with the Combo Pack. Below are the details on US stores prices.
On a related note, movie composer Steve Jablonsky announced that a CD copy of the score will be available starting October 7th via La-La Land Records. If aware of prices at other stores be sure to leave info in the comments.
Best Buy
Steelbook Combo Pack $19.99 (store exclusive)
IMAX 3D Combo Pack $26.99
Combo Pack $19.99
Optimus Prime Package Combo Pack $17.99 (store exclusive)
IMAX 3D Combo Pack $34.99
Combo Pack $19.99
3 Figure Metal Magnet Combo Pack $24.99 (store exclusive)
Bumblebee Package Combo Pack $24.96 (store exclusive)
Transformers 4-Movie Blu-ray Collection $34.96 (store exclusive)
IMAX 3D Combo Pack $44.98
Combo Pack $19.96
Optimus Prime and Grimlock Statue Combo Pack $79.99 (store exclusive)
IMAX 3D Combo Pack $26.99
Combo Pack $17.99
Toys R Us
Movie Prime and Galvatron Kreons Combo Pack $19.99 (store exclusive)
Movie Prime and Galvatron Kreons + DVD $17.99 (store exclusive)
IMAX 3D Combo Pack $?
Combo Pack $29.99
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Transformers: Age of Extinction Blu-Ray and DVD Out Today
4 comments:
- Anonymous9/30/2014 1:49 AM
i am loving bays work on transformers so far an plan to get this one but his f....up on tmnt has me thinking shuold he quit while hes a head that said i wonder what type of tf movie we'd get with christopher nolan directing.ReplyDelete
- Anonymous9/30/2014 10:32 PM
he didn't direct TMNT... he produced itReplyDelete
- Anonymous10/01/2014 5:53 PM
TMNT is a good movie. The only issue is with Paramount managers that cut 30 minutes of footage for their own crippled minds and who knows what dirty affairs.ReplyDelete
- Anonymous10/18/2014 9:36 PM
Quit while he is ahead?....at what?...being a joke filmmaker?ReplyDelete
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text:
Google: You Will Be Found Online If You Follow This New Trend
By Erica Bray
One of the biggest questions swirling around the release of hundreds of new domain name endings is this: Will I be found online if I use new options such as 'dot-photography' (.photography), 'dot-agency' (.agency) or 'dot-media' (.media)?
It's a legitimate question for businesses and brands whose economic survival and cultural relevancy is tied to that almighty Google search browser.
Well, rest easy. Google has gone on the record in a recent blog about its treatment of these new "not-com" options that should alleviate concerns:
Will these new domain name endings affect my website's search ranking?No … new domain endings are not treated any differently than traditional domain name endings like .com or .org. Domain names with new endings are shown in search just like any other domain name.
Google provides an example to bring this point to life. If you type "coffee club" into the Google search browser, you'll get this as one of its top results: coffee.club.
There are many other examples of businesses and personal brands adopting "not-com" domain names that are finding success online, from startups (Driftaway.Coffee: driftaway.coffee) to established companies (Intelligent Product Solutions: IntelligentProduct.solutions) to personal brands ("The Christmas Expert": TheChristmas.expert).
See Related: Meet the Most Popular Christmas Expert, According to Google
It's all part of a bigger "not-com" revolution taking place online. Since 2014, hundreds of new options have been made available to people looking to launch an Internet presence. While the initial foray came with little promotional effort, that's quickly changing as more and more businesses, blogs and personal brands are seizing this new choice -- and transforming the Internet namespace like never before.
Google champions this new choice as a way to "find a meaningful and memorable name for your business as you tell the world who you are and what you do." If you're a photographer, 'dot-photography' (.photography) makes sense; if you're a consultant, the same goes for 'dot-consultant' (.consultant); and so on.
It's important to note that being found in online search isn't pegged solely to your domain name. It's one part of a bigger SEO algorithm that also factors in website content, social media shares, page load times and more.
See Related: How to Be Found Online: 8 Tips to Winning SEO
However, the search engine giant clearly sees promise in, and a need for, new domain options. As one of the biggest investors in the new "not-com" domain space – Google recently paid $25 million for the rights to 'dot-app' (.app) – it recently launched Google Domains, a one-stop shop to purchase domain names and build websites.
And Google itself is walking the "not-com" talk. It's among a handful of major brands that have secured its own domain ending. Soon, we'll be seeing the likes of Marriott, BMW and Google using 'dot-marriott' (.marriott), 'dot-bmw' (.bmw) and 'dot-google' (.google), further growing this online naming renaissance and helping people become more comfortable with the notion that there is power -- and online search value -- in thinking beyond 'dot-com' (.com) and 'dot-net' (.net).
Click here to read Google's latest blog post on its treatment of new not-com domains.


text:
Hello cupcake kids! Want to learn a magical way to have fun in the kitchen with Mommy? Tell your mom to get 2 and 3/4 cups of powdered sugar (icing sugar), 1 egg white,and a teaspoon of liquid glucose for baking (the glucose has to be slightly heated). Tell your mom to mix it all together and work it like a pizza dough! It has to be compact so it doesn't stick to your hands but not hard as a rock! Crisira the Cupcake Fairy told my mommy that it has to feel like soft playdough! Ok great, once this is done, you have fondant! you can color the fondant with food coloring. Then you kids do like me: work the fondant like you do playdough to make great decorations, sculptures and whatever you like! Take a look at these decorations I made! I'll post them next! Sprinkles from Tessy
Post by Tessy: recipe for fondant


text:
(Alias: Politicians)
by Jim Rapp
Figures only lie because
liars figure ways to make
them resemble truth.
Figure Twisters pause
at nothing; willing to take
north and turn it south,
Willing, for their cause,
to upend the earth to shake
coins from pauper's mouths.
Figure twisted laws
grease the path the Twisters take;
Hell-bound, going south.


text:
Monday, March 30, 2009
Master Plan Monday
We're in serious need of Spring decorations around here. All of a sudden it's in the upper seventies and we have nothing bright and sunny. This week we're going to focus on crafts for Spring, Passover and Easter and we'll take the learning opportunities as they come.
posted by Lori @
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Friday, March 27, 2009
Silly Goose
We love our Mac, and this is why
Mac does all the work when the kiddos sigh...
posted by Lori @
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Fruitful Friday
We planted quite a few seeds this week. In the egg carton are spinach seeds, which Monkey got to initially and helped us un-plant (FYI, half a teaspoon of potting soil is
poisonous says poison control). We also planted spinach seeds along the edge of a clear cup so that Goose could see the roots growing down into the soil as the sprouts come up. After I make breakfast for lunch, we'll be making eggshell heads and watching them grow hair. Which I'll post about later...
We've been planting so many seeds and plants this week that I decided to have Goose keep track of it in a calendar. Not only does she get to practice writing numbers (which isn't really the focus at school) she also is getting the days of the week reinforced as well as getting familiar with the calendar--even if this one advertises the wall to wall trampoline place nearby with pictures...
After we planted strawberries out in the yard we came inside and of course had some from the store. I decided to make them more interesting and we made them into letters. These are the letters we've been talking about this week:
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Thursday, March 26, 2009
Thoughtful Thursday
Science week hasn't felt like much of a difference. We're doing so many things we normally do--observing nature, volcano talk, etc. I feel like a one trick pony. I've been looking for new sources of wowee science projects.
We haven't had too much time at home to do projects, but tonight at a family dinner, we did this science experiment:
Take a wrapped straw and push the paper down so that it scrunches up as you expose the straw. remove the straw and place scrunched up wrapper on the table add a drop of liquid to one end and watch the wrapper straighten out.
We did that and shot paper wrappers to talk about pressure...well we talked about pressure for a second before it just became a hitting contest.
Don't worry, we clean up well and we're good tippers!
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Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Wordful Wednesday
I think that from now on this meme is going to focus on Children's Books for the topics we're covering--I'm crazy like that...
So it's our usual trip to the library today and these are the books I'm going to pick out:
The Ben Franklin book of easy and incredible experiments
I need more science experiment ideas, so hopefully Goose and I can look through this Ben Franklin book and get some fun ideas. I have a feeling this book might make us delve into history, which isn't such a bad thing, as long as those "why?"s don't trip me up too much!
The Magic Schoolbus Blows its Top
We've got a few Magic Schoolbus books already, and I have to say that my Ms. Frizzle and Arnold voice cannot be topped. Hopefully this book satisfies Goose's thirst for Volcano facts, because I've recently discovered that I can recite some fact pages from her volcano book by heart that's how often we read it (go ahead ask me anything about a caldera!)
Every Autumn Comes the Bea
This looks like a great story for talking about seasons and plants changing with the seasons. It sounds like it follows the story of a bear looking to hibernate and learning from the forest animals on the way.
The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush
After I made my dad a photo book a few weeks ago, Goose has been asking about Indians from some of our family pictures. This puts nature and plant growth together with family heritage--double dipping, woohoo!
For things Monkey's speed, which may require a chair and a length of rope as well, we're going with board books.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
It presents the concepts of nature and growth, plus, because of it's anniversary last week I scored it for like $5 at Barnes and Noble.
Our library sort of sucks for looking up board books online, so I'll let you know what else we get, and how the kids liked them!
How about you? Any books you recommend?
Update: Board books for Monkey consisted of animals and character books, most of which we have, so we got an Impressionist board book for talking about nature. Our local schools are gearing up for Open Houses coming in April and May so of course there's a crunch for cool projects going on--translation, due to last minute science experiments being forced on kids for classroom eye candy at the end of the school year, the Ben Franklin book was gone.
was good, though a bit dumbed down for Goose and they actually had to include letters saying don't go into lava at the end of the book, which made me laugh.
posted by Lori @
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Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Tear it Up Tuesday
Since Goose went with Daddy to play disc golf today and we had company and school, we didn't get to do anything wildly messy.
So while they're "tear"ing up the course (hey, that's the best tie in to this meme I've got!) I thought I'd share this bit of info.
Goose is going to be on tv! On Friday on Fox 40 News' morning show and again at 10 (Fox 40 is a local Sacramento station). They interviewed her about having fun at the mall. And while she came off charming and adorable, I was kicking myself for letting her get herself dressed--pants from two years ago that showed her heiny when her shirt was pulled up from going down slides, and I didn't fight her on combing her hair. Now everyone will know that I let Goose do pretty much whatever she wants!
posted by Lori @
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Monday, March 23, 2009
Master Plan Monday
Master Plan Monday
What subject matter are we covering?
After the success of last week's color experiments, I think we'll focus on science this week.
What do I want Goose to take out of it?
I'd like for her to better understand how plants grow, since she keeps asking about it. I also want her to have a bit of fun, so given her love for volcanoes and
last week's eruption
, I think we'll focus on volcanoes, too.
What crafts, projects, games, outings, stories, or shows will get me there?
We will harvest seeds, harvest them, collect plants for dinner, head for Effie Yeaw Nature Center, science journal, read her Eyewitness books, get new ones from the library, and of course make a volcano.
What supplies do I have?
Sand, baking soda, Kool Aid (volcano), empty jars and cups (planting seeds)
What supplies do I need?
Vinegar (volcano), Potting Soil (planting seeds), oh and I need to stock up on paint and glue--we're dangerously low!
posted by Lori @
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I forgot!
Master Plan Monday, I mentioned that I would share the color bottle craft from when I was in kindergarten.
I had the coolest teacher, and she would make bottles with all of the secondary colors, but since we're having Pad Thai for dinner tonight, and I need to get more oil tomorrow, I only did green.
What you'll need
1 Empty Bottle
McCormick Food Coloring
Oil Based food coloring (we got ours at Michaels with the candy making supplies)
Fill the bottle halfway with water. Add five to seven drops of food coloring. In a separate container mix oil (we used a water bottle, so I knew that the amount of oil we'd need was half of 17 oz.) and oil based food coloring. Add your colored oil to the bottle. Twist cap on bottle tightly and seal with tape.
Because Oil and water don't mix, the colors will always separate, but when shaken they are transparent enough where your eye sees the color they make. It's a good way to always remind Goose what colors mix to make the secondary colors, but still be physical (and not messy!). A sad, teething, Monkey even liked it!
posted by Lori @
2 comments
House Sitting
My in laws have an amazing house. They went away for the weekend and asked us to house sit. With the temperature Friday being in the 80s and their house slightly cooler we jumped at the chance! It rained in the morning on Saturday, then in the afternoon we went twenty minutes up the road from their house and had a little fun with snow and colors.
It was actually Goose's idea, that morning she asked if we could play with food coloring, and I said we'd figure something out. Her favorite color in purple, so she loved making purple tracks with her shoes.
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Friday, March 20, 2009
Spring Reading Thing
I'm taking a bit of a break from talking about Goose and Monkey, although I am extremely happy to report that Monkey sat and read two whole stories with me in my lap yesterday! That's like finding something at a Hof Brau that I could actually eat!
I have a big list of books to read and some that I've started and never got around to. Calladipper Days is hosting a
Spring Reading Thing
, as you can see by the button. I can't wait! Hopefully this will keep me accountable!
So, without further adieu, here's my list:
1. Austen - Mansfield Park
2. Hosseini - The Kite Runner
3. Gregory - The Other Queen
4. Morrisson - Song of Solomon
5. Ginsberg - Howl
It's a pretty pithy amount, but I don't know if this counts, but I have not read a New Yorker since last November. I love them. I read them cover to cover, but I have about twenty that I need to get through, in additon to polishing off my new ones, my Rolling Stone, and various Parenting magazines (I get five a month). Time to get down to it!
posted by Lori @
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Fruitful Friday
Well, maybe it's technology's fault because everything is so instantaneous, or perhaps my impatience, but as I sit here sipping my coffee that takes me 1 minute and thirty seconds to make from cup out of the cupboard to first sip, I'm wishing the flowers would hurry up and get to their transpiration (that's what it's called, btw, when they circulate nutrients). Goose doesn't really care though, she happy to write her observations in her notebook.
Since the food coloring was still out and our house is lacking in any spring decor, we made easter eggs by dropping food coloring onto oval-cut coffee filters then slowly adding drops of water. Voila--Easter eggs! (And we're getting ready for some Passover crafts, too. There are some great ideas at
) I'll be sure to post some of those as well.
posted by Lori @
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Thursday, March 19, 2009
Thoughtful Thursday
We're doing some good color reviews. Goose is throwing out words like "secondary" and "tertiary" around at school--which I heard her repeat several times before the teacher understood, at which point Goose switched, "Do you know Gallimimus means chicken mimic?"
She has her scientific observation journal and is "writing" (squiggly lines focused from left to right with her name written a few times) observations she sees in our projects we're working on.
First up we have colorful carnations. We put 10 drops of McCormick food coloring in water and then added carnations. First we did the primary colors, then we got really crazy and mixed them for the secondary colors. I'd ask her, "what color do you think red and blue will make?" Of course she knew that one since it's her favorite color, but the rest was a learning process. Oh, and if you're going to do this. Make sure you have newspaper down and also, that you cut the stems prior to adding them to the solution. I'll post pics of what they turned out like tomorrow.
We also grabbed a bunch of different primary and secondary colors and took them with us for nature crayon rubbings. We did bark, rocks and plants, while getting Monkey and the puppy out of the house, which is always a plus...
posted by Lori @
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Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Tear it up Tuesday AND Wordless Wednesday
So I was bad...we had company, errands, helping out a friend, preschool and playdates. I didn't post anything here, but I'll make up for it tomorrow! So I hope everyone had a great St. Patty's Day, and since Wordful Wednesday is a bit time consuming and I'm still cleaning up from the past few days, here's Word
Not totally wordless. I just want to say that the dog can't fit in there anymore but both kids can!
posted by Lori @
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Monday, March 16, 2009
Carnivals or Parades?
Over the weekend we took the kids to a St. Patrick's Day Carnival. They had so much fun (even though the prices were outrageous and they didn't get to do much. I'm also certain that a parade would have been more informative or at least more cultural, but Goose's face on the "O'Mally-Gator" was priceless!)
Any fun stuff in your area?
posted by Lori @
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Master Plan Monday
This week is a little bit different than last week because we'll be continuing our Ireland fun through Tuesday (obviously!)
What subject matter are we covering?
Colors. Stuff bright and cheery to go with our blooming flowers! I think that it will especially be good for Monkey, but Goose will like the water bottle color mix craft I have in store. And we can work on it Wednesday through Sunday.
What do I want Goose (and Monkey) to take out of it?
I want Goose to get a concept of secondary colors and how they're made, as well as working on our Spanish and German colors. I would love to increase Monkey's vocabulary by having very tactile things for him to see, chew, smell, or touch.
What crafts, projects, games, outings, stories, or shows will get me there?
For Goose,
has some pretty cool ideas AND I tracked down my kindergarten teacher and found out how she did the aforementioned color mix in a bottle...
What supplies do I have?
I will need our basic papers, paints and dyes. For Monkey I will scour the house for things that are safe, but aren't things that he usually gets to play with. I'm going to focus on one color a day with him, just so he really gets a firm concept.
What supplies do I need?
I need to go to the store and get colorful food. Red, orange and green bell peppers, strawberries, bananas, etc. that I know they eat, but we can make edible collages or arrangements with them to make the colors and mealtime a bit more interesting!
posted by Lori @
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One Last One
I just found A Kindred Spirit's Thoughts, who is also featuring
See Kai Run
shoes, and those would be awesome for Monkey in the summer.
posted by Lori @
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Sunday, March 15, 2009
More Giveaways
has some amazing giveaways going on right now, the big one being a
stroller (this would be so fantastic for getting in shape with Goose and Monkey!)
also has a giveaway going on for the
Leapfrog Tag Reader
Thinking Some More
has the Tag giveaway going on, too! Woohoo!
So does
So Much More Than a Mom
(can you tell we really want one of these in our house?)
And of course,
Goddess in Progress
has the giveaway, too
Actually, because of Leapfrogs pledge drive for reading
Parenting by Trial and Error
Miss Britt
Callapidder Days
Stop Drop and Blog
My Sweet Babboo
, they all had the chance to try them out...and loved them. I hope that we can pull this out, because Goose sees me reading and gets super frustrated because she really wants to do it on her own!
posted by Lori @
2 comments
Giveaway Sunday
I'm using our weekend to post some of the super cool giveaways I've seen. First up:
Then Frugal Mommy of 2 Girls has a kids' swimwear
going on. Goose or Monkey would be so adorable in this Tuga stuff!
The Funky Monkey has a giveaway for baby sandals
Mamas Money Savers has a
going on for a pair of See Kai Run shoes
Feisty, Frugal and Fabulous is
giving away
a T-shirt Monster design.
posted by Lori @
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Saturday, March 14, 2009
I NEED to share
So for anyone doing a bit of Irish culture along with your St. Pat's Day crafts, Goose went nuts for these!
I haven't figured out how to put it in this post, but we're learning new things every day!
posted by Lori @
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Fruitful Friday Continued...
So yesterday we made our pot of gold using the extra green yarn and balloon I had. It was pretty simple.
We combined white glue with some water and mixed well. Then we suspended a balloon and took yarn that Goose cut in 6-12 inch increments, doused them with the glue wash and draped them over the balloon. We did it outside so it could drip and not cause problems.
While Goose and I worked on this, I gave Monkey a green kit to explore so he played with it a bit, putting green items in the box and taking them out.
After it was dry I hit it with a coat of spray shellac and then after
was dry Goose popped it.
Voila--our pot of gold!
This was from a few days ago, but we had gone on a scavenger walk and picked things that were green and put it in our special green bag. We then came home and glued the green things onto green paper. After it was dry we cut out shamrocks and hung them up. Pretty cute!
posted by Lori @
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Friday, March 13, 2009
Fruitful Friday
Here's the fruits of our labor.
I think it's obvious what Goose's favorite part was...
First project was our shamrock dirt cups. I love doing cooking crafts with Goose because we can use math for our measurements, science to talk about boiling/freezing points, and household economics when we're out shopping (yep, she's a coupon cutie, too)!
posted by Lori @
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Thursday, March 12, 2009
Thoughtful Thursday
Ok, I've been reviewing some of the subjects I wanted to go over when I made my master plan, and evaluating how well we've covered them based on Goose's grasp.
Goose can point to it on her globe, or the mega globe at the library. She now loves to look at the book we have with maps and pictures of Ireland in it because it mentions the Giant's Causeway, which is made of basalt (a volcanic rock, and she loves her volcanoes). She liked trying Riverdance moves after we watched some dancing on YouTube, and she can choose the correct colors and draw the Irish flag (abstract, because what kid wants to color in the lines?) We've been talking a bit about people settling there and used a plastic bin as a boat and a rug as Ireland and different tribes of stuffed animals came to settle and conquer.
We still haven't made our blarney stone soup, and while we have yet to start the subject of leprechauns, we have been doing historical folklore from some of the fairy tales we've been reading. Some of the stories were a bit upsetting to her, due to death, and even though I'm not a fan of censoring her, I am reading the book tonight to determine which stories don't have it so that she won't be crying while I read.
The book is
Tales from Old Ireland
retold by Malachy Doyle from Barefoot Books, and it's one that Goose chose on her own. It is pretty handy by having a pronunciation guide in the front, and the illustrations are cute, I just wish that she wasn't so sensitive to subject matter. In one story the King dies next to his children (who are helpless swans) and Goose began crying saying, with her quivering lips drawn into a perfect frown the way only kids can, "it's really sad that their Dad is DEAAAAAAAAADD..." and while I convinced her to keep with the story because something good ha to happen to the children, I don't know that it was the best ending for her that the kids were transformed back from swans after 900 years and died of old age and were reunited with their parents in the afterlife.
Not very Disney-ish...
posted by Lori @
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Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Wordy Wednesday
On Wordy Wednesday we celebrate WORDS! We have our weekly trip to the library and we spell out words with our meals and snacks.
In an effort to up the word intake around here, I labeled various things and stuck them to the headrests in the car. While Monkey's sheet has his name and shapes, Goose has Irish themes, with the words "flag", "shamrock", "Ireland" and the phrase "Erin go braugh".
(Goose's favorite game currently goes like this:
Goose: What's Erin go braugh?
Mommy: It means Ireland forever.
Goose: Why?
Mommy: Because that's the way it's said in the Gaelic language.
Goose: What's the Gaelic language?
Mommy: It's the language that was traditionally spoke in Ireland.
Goose: Why?
And eventually, we've gone back, explaining the dawn of time. At which point she may be so overloaded with information that she is stunned to silence, or figuring out when it will drive me the most insane to speak again. When she does it is always,
Goose: What's Erin Go Braugh?
And Mommy turns up the stereo...)
posted by Lori @
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Monday, March 9, 2009
Tear it Up Tuesday
On Tear it up Tuesday, we do just that--we tear up the house! We get pretty messy, either with the orderliness of the house or with our crafts.
For our introduction to Ireland we are having a oatmeal breakfast in a castle in the morning.
In the afternoon, we'll go for a walk and pick up things that are green and go home to make a collage (I'm thinking then we'll be off for a bath with glue in the hair...)
posted by Lori @
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Biggy Ziggy Begins
So to kick me in to gear with helping the kids get ready for school, but really to help them have a sense of the world, I'm starting to blog a lesson plan for a week an I'll post the plan, how it goes, and what comes out of it. I hope that blogging it will keep me on track, and I know it will make for a great chronology of work!
Ding Ding! School's in session!
posted by Lori @
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Master Plan Monday
Today is a bit of prep. I'm figuring out these things:
What subject matter are we covering?
What do I want Goose (and Monkey) to take out of it?
What crafts, projects, games, outings, stories, or shows will get me there?
What supplies do I have?
What supplies do I need?
Ok, so since this is the first time I've posted this and had so much accountability for our lesson plans, here goes step by step:
What subject matter are we covering?
Ireland, the Emerald Isle, in honor of St. Patrick's Day
What do I want Goose (and Monkey) to take out of it?
I'd like her to have a good understanding of where Ireland is in the world; some phrases; some history (potatoes, famine and fighting, especially in light of Saturday's
). I'd like for him to experience things tactile-wise, appreciate the music and be happy...
In addition we will focus on fine motor skills (scissor cutting, drawing shapes), gross motor (jumping, catching, walking), expand our music repertoire and understand Riverdance...
What crafts, projects, games, outings, stories, or shows will get me there?
We'll be using the globe for location. Everytime she gets the question right she'll get a Blarney stone. We'll use the stones she gets for a St. Patrick's Day centerpiece for the table. We will read the newspaper for stories about the attacks and go to the library on Wednesday to check out:
Leprechaun Luck: A Wee Book of Irish Wisdom
Look What came from Ireland
Fair, Brown & Trembling: An Irish Cinderella Story
We'll definitely be hitting up YouTube for some Riverdance video. I saw a great idea for a Shamrock Shuffle, where jig music is played and shamrocks are on the ground that are taken away when the music stops. For art, we can make shamrocks with green paint and balloons; we will work on Monkey's wall art with green tissue paper decopage; and we can make On our daily walks we can collect shamrocks and more blarney stones for
stone soup. I'll wrap all our bubble in green electrical tape so they're Irish (bubbles are Monkey's favorite--they help with tracking and will get him ready for catching). I'll print off some handouts with "Erin Go Braugh" and reviews of the letter "I" for Goose when she's bored. (While I'm not a huge fan of handouts, this is one of the ways she'll be evaluated in school moving forward, so we do a little bit)
What supplies do I have/need?
I have everything we need thusfar, except some extra green paint and green paper, but I will need a lot of blankets for Tear it up Tuesday...
posted by Lori @
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Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Wordless Wednesday: One Monkey
posted by Lori @
1 comments
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Blogs > Lions Lowdown
One thing you can count on with the Detroit Lions is that they are never, ever boring. Follow the latest news including injuries, roster moves and more here daily from Oakland Press beat writer Paula Pasche. Plus you'll find regular commentary about the team.
Punter Nick Harris is back.
Ben Graham, who injured his calf in Sunday's loss at Nashville, was placed on season-ending injured reserve on Tuesday.
Harris, who punted for the Lions for eight years, was signed. In his time with the Lions he averaged 42.5 yards per punt.
He was released by Detroit just prior to the 2011 season and then was signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars. He was in camp this summer with the Carolina Panthers, but released on Aug. 27.
It's a good move for the Lions. Along, with punting, Harris has eight years of experience as a holder for Jason Hanson.
(Follow @PaulaPasche on Twitter.)
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Friday, August 6, 2010
NOT a bellydancing queen.
(click on the picture to make it larger)
This picture takes us back to 2003... when I was able to take classes for fun that didn't include a diaper bag full of diapers, wipes and bum creams. Back in 2003 a group of girls and I decided to take bellydancing classes. They were fun, but I was no bellydancing queen. I'm probably one of the only people that can make the dance look awkward and NOT sexy at all. These pictures were taking at out recital...you can see me in the left picture at the far right. I don't look happy do I... must be because I HATE performing in front of people! I still enjoy watching bellydancing and sometimes I'll break out some of the moves for the girls... and some of the moves have even showed up in my Zumba class...but I don't think I'll be going back. Sometimes its best to leave a good thing alone. I'll leave the sexy bellydancing to others who are good at it, and I'll stick to my own dance recitals in my kitchen for the girls.
If you have a flashback friday come and join along. Post your link at Christopher and Tia by clicking on the link below.
4 comments:
- Christopher And Tia said...
I saw this episode of House Hunters or something (do you have HGTV up there??), and there was this pro belly dancer, and she was gorgeous, and her dancing was amazing. Too bad she was also totally full of herself, which kind of ruined it for me.
I'd look ridiculous, if I ever tried to belly dance. My belly is round like an apple. Its not sexy. It never has been. It probably never will be. Maybe if I get a tummy tuck?? Haha.
I think thats awesome that you took classes!! How long did you do it for?
- August 6, 2010 at 12:42 p.m.
- Mommy Elephant Sarah said...
That is awesome you can say you've tried it.
- August 6, 2010 at 2:34 p.m.
- *Christie* said...
I've wanted to try it! But I have WAY too much belly, it would be like EXTREME BELLY dancing haha. At least in the photo you look very graceful :)
- August 6, 2010 at 7:05 p.m.
- TheSeaWithin said...
Way to go for trying! I've been wanting to take tap dancing classes. I'm the worst dancer ever!
- August 12, 2010 at 9:59 p.m.


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Scott Bradley
Paul Kjellberg, in his contribution ("Sextus Empiricus, Zhuangzi, and Xunzi on 'Why Be Skeptical?'") to Essays on Skepticism, Relativism, and Ethics in the Zhuangzi, quotes Xunzi's (c. 312-? B.C.E.) negative assessment of Zhuangzi's philosophy: "Zhuangzi was obsessed by nature and did not know the human", and attempts to determine what it is exactly that forms the basis of this criticism. He offers three possible interpretations of Zhuangzi which might have led to this assessment and settles on his ostensible belief that one who spontaneously follows his own natural inclinations will 'do the right thing'. Xunzi, we must remember, is famous for having said, "human nature is bad", in contrast to his fellow interpreter of Confucius, Mencius, who declared human nature essentially good, though deeply injured. Thus, Xunzi fears that if the world was to follow Zhuangzi's exhortations to live 'naturally', as opposed to following a strict regime of self-cultivation of culturally realized ethics, it would quickly go amuck.
I would like to offer a few ideas in response. The first is that Kjellberg, though he admits the possibility that he did not, largely assumes that Xunzi understood the philosophy of Zz. It seems much more likely to me that he probably did not. I would suggest that very few ever have, quite possibly because it is not coherent enough to understand. (Not because it is 'too deep' to understand.) And this is somewhat by design. Zz was more interested in providing an occasion for his audience to discover their own experience of reality rather than his.
But quite apart from this general philosophical ambiguity, Xunzi came to Zz with an agenda which in effect disallowed understanding him. Quite simply, he was biased and found (created) the negatives he wanted in the thought of an opposing school. Moreover, I believe that the only way to have any understanding of Zz at all it is necessary to experience that of which he spoke. His philosophy is not a series of propositions which we can assess on the basis of logic, but something whose only proof is in the living. Never did Zz endeavor to tell us how reality ' is'.
And this segues into what I think is a generally mistaken approach to understanding Zhuangzi's advocacy of spontaneous, 'natural', living, namely the assumption that it is somehow universally applicable. People protest, like Xunzi, that if everyone 'goes with the flow' evil will run rampant; pedophiles will have their ethical justification. Yet never did Zhuangzi proclaim 'going with the flow' as a path for everyone to follow; indeed, to do so would be to simply add one more prescribing voice to the cacophony of ethical imperatives.
What Zhuangzi actually advocates is experiencing one's being-in-the-world in such a transformative way that 'going with the flow' happens. In other words, this can only happen in the sage. We might say, it is the privilege of the sage, for only in the sage does it happen. Zhuangzi does not present a philosophy applicable to the world at large, but rather suggests a path which those inclined might consider should they wish. Though he may question the efficacy in terms of allowing freedom and ease of Xunzi's approach, he does not see any approach as contending for a universally applicable understanding of Reality.
You can check out Scott's writings on Zhuangzi here.


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New Info Released For TNT Racers
TNT Racers features 18 action-packed racetracks for up to 4 players and is designed to be 'pick up and play' fun for all the family, new players and seasoned gamers alike. Players should look forward to some thrill of the chase and high-octane game play. Racing is not just about speed in TNT Racers though as players battle their racing rivals using fun pick-ups including Confetti Mines, Candy Cannons, Space Rockets and other powerful weapons to catapult opponents off the track or bounce them out using a Monster Car.
A unique feature in TNT Racers is 'Shadow Racing'. When players are thrown off the track, they immediately rejoin the action as a shadow racer, taking revenge on remaining players and ensuring everyone is always in the thick of the action. As well as playing solo, up to 4 players can compete locally together or do battle against friends, family and other players online in a non-stop social competition.
There is also plenty to keep the single player occupied with three different single player modes. As well as 45 Challenges across three different speed classes, there are time trials and custom races where racers decide the victory criteria and place the pickups on the track. TNT Racers will be available for download in Q1 2011 on Xbox Live Arcade (XBLA) and the PlayStation Network (PSN).


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Jenny Craig has been a household name for more than two decades now, especially to health conscious citizens that constantly watches their weight and sugar-levels. For those who aren't familiar with the name, here's a little info about the founder of the famous weight loss program:
Jenny Craig, together with husband Sidney Harvey Craig, started a nutrition and weight loss program in Melbourne, Australia. They began their operations in 1985 and became a part of Nestle Nutrition last 2006. Their company, Jenny Craig Inc. operates to more than 600 weight loss centers in the United States, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Canada and Australia.
The Jenny Craig diet program aims to change the lifestyle and eating habits of their clients through prepackaged foods and planned menus. These so-called planned menus are designed to meet the USDA Dietary Guidelines and tailored according to the needs of their client since men, women, Diabetics and seniors have different nutritional needs. The program also provides counseling and education about weight loss management .
Jenny Craig (weight loss program) is now being offered at 4 Maximum Health, along with other weight loss plans. To get a free consultation about their diet program, visit 4 Maximum Health now and check out Jenny Craig.


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About the Book:
From the New York Times bestselling author of Beach Breeze comes a novel as sweet as the salt air by the sea.
was going to be exquisite: a rambling, shingled New England cottage
converted into a grand beach inn. Nestled among hydrangeas and swaying
dune grasses, this seaside haven would welcome guests on the Connecticut
shore. Except the little beach town of Stony Point is no longer feeling
like a haven to its residents. Residents including a brooding Jason
Barlow, the esteemed architect in charge of the inn's renovation--until a
stubborn, grief-induced For Sale sign puts an end to that.
with a little help from the beach friends, anything is possible. In an
effort to save the inn and convince its cherished owner to stay, the
friends band together to stage an inn-tervention, shaking up their own
lives in the process.
A new season of love, adventure, and
heart-healing awaits in the quaint seaside village of Stony Point. So
pull up a sand chair and book your stay for a page-turning getaway in The Beach Inn.
Author Bio
Joanne DeMaio is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary fiction. She enjoys writing about friendship, family, love and choices, while setting her stories in New England towns or by the sea. The Beach Inn is her ninth novel. Currently at work on her next book, Joanne lives with her family in Connecticut.
To learn more about the author, visit Joannedemaio.com. She also enjoys hearing from readers on her Facebook Page.
Here are direct links to the book: Amazon, Goodreads, Barnes & Noble
My Review:The Beach Inn By Joanne DeMaio
This book starts out where the last one left off. Follows those working/living in Stony Point, CT.
Seaside New England village where everything is in place. Lots of surprises in this book. Can't seem to get past the shanty and how Maris is shown it for the first time.
It's breathtaking-the romance and atmosphere of a great healing place.
Book follows Maris and Jason in their endeavors. Elsa at her house-not quite sure what to do yet-sell or open it as a B&B now that Sal is gone. Twists and turns in this book.
Lauren and Kyle-love her driftwood items and he at the diner. Glimpses into the past books so you are not left out in the dark, but not all the details.
Memories of those no longer there are spread throughout the book making you wish you had known them better while they were there.
Love how Neil's manuscript reflects his friends lives. Especially love all the things that make this come to life. Community sticks together to help each one heal.
Received a copy from the author and this is my honest review.


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I'm learning how to paint using Photoshop. And there's no better way to learn then to paint boobies!!! This is my second attempt. The first time was 5 years ago. I've been burnt out with painting caricatures. So I dusted off the Wacom. Lets see what happens.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Labels: acrylic paintings, boobies, digital painting, nude, photoshop
1 comment:
- Francis Floot said...
Fan-freakin-tastic. God, I SWEAR if I could manage it, I would cover my walls with your art.
Wishing you a great 2011 and I look forward to seeing all that you create this year.
Dewey Chaffee:)
- January 14, 2011 at 6:18 AM
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at street of Kukidong
national flag at Sajigdong
blue building at Sajigdong
shoe-shiner at Gwangwhamun
pencil, pen, chalks, A 4 sketchbook
The blue building which I drew using watercolor before looks very nice to me. This time I used chalks. And I began the bottom one when the shoeshiner was away. While drawing it he came back so I added him. He didn't feel bad about sketching him while some didn't permit to draw the scene. Before I finished this he went away carrying the shined shoes to the owners. How he worked merrily smiling, I felt glad too.


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So I am sitting here doing calculus and thanks to Lhosreiff over at Every Two Days(http://supermegagogo.blogspot.com/ check em out, pretty awesome stuff) I am listening to a great artist named Ronald Jenkees. So instead of doing calc I have decided to write a blog about well really nothing in particular. As most of you who read my blog know, I am transferring to The University of Oklahoma next semester to complete my degree in computer engineering. I'm excited to do this since a largish city means a more homely feel but I know I'll miss the friends I made at this school.
Found an apartment in Norman, 1100 sq ft for 800 not too bad, really nice too and not run down which is a plus. Might have found a roommate(who will most likely kill me in my sleep) and am still looking for a job out that way too I suppose.
I do find it funny how we forget about the little things in life though. For instance, I've been so focused on getting into OU, keeping my grades up at ECU and finding a job that I haven't "enjoyed" life like I should be. Do not get me wrong, I enjoyed getting in and knowing my efforts have paid off. But I have always been one to say relax, take it easy, and just enjoy life overall. So today I just lay in the grass, looked up at the sky and relaxed. Let me tell you it was great. Sometimes you need those moments to remind yourself you are still alive.
Now back to calculus I suppose. Unless someone wishes to "bother and distract" me.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Life is interesting like that some times...
5 comments:
What kinda calc you doing? Followed! Alphabetalife.blogspot.comReplyDelete
Calc 1 but our school has calc as a 5 hour course so it's really calc 1 and 2 in most other schools. I got a late start on my math though since I originally started as a bio/pre med the found my true love in engineering.ReplyDelete
Calculus is a stupid waste of time.ReplyDelete
Less calculus, more laying in grass ;)ReplyDelete
I wish calc wasn't so important to my major sometimes heh.ReplyDelete
Yes Rob I agree completely. It was much much MUCH better
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It's feeling a lot like a Monday here on St John at Sweet Bottom. Did you have a nice fall weekend in the States? Eric and I spent the weekend packing our stuff into boxes and getting ready to move this week over to St Thomas. So, I didn't make any fun beach photos this weekend to share with you all. However I did decide that I am going to take advantage of the next few days and go for a swim every morning because I'm not going to be able to walk to the beach at our new apartment. Photo's of my beach here.
Hope everyone has a great week and that I can find enough time this week to post a few blogs of what it's like to move from one island to the next.
PS Don't you love the 'Dream Man Arm Pillow' above?


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This crude drawing was the result of trying to get someone to understand the new design I was going for.
*This is what said design looks like when you DRAW on your cell phone pictures using your finger! But you guys do that too~right?!?
To REcap—
After emptying the bookcases I stripped all evidence of the Shaker styling AND my later style changes.
I cut a former fluted bed post in half to become pilasters. I built plinth blocks. I cut trim pieces.
I ripped a new header board to width and length, and sorted out that final design with the salvaged arched casing.
I took the left bookcase, header, new face frame parts, and trim to the strippers to work some serious stain magic with the crazy mixture of woods. White oak, Aspen, Cherry, Birch, and Maple. It took some playing with stain colors to find a complimentary color and tone that didn't mean going DARK. Whew.
While the guys worked on their part I returned to painting. Before Christmas I painted the bulk of the living room, but not the front wall with floor to ceiling windows or the bookshelf-side of the fire place.
The room is now 100% REfreshed and looks and feels WONDERFUL!
While I had things knocked down I took advantage to "correct" a BIG annoyance. The wall-to-ceiling cut-in line lost its crisp edge with each new paint job, so I brushed the outer-most ceiling edge with its Ben Moore Alabaster color down onto the wall [about] an inch. Once dry I cut a NEW crisp cut line with the suede wall paint.
OMG it looks SO much nicer!
I finished all the detail painting early this morning and spent a good bit of time cleaning and polishing EVERYthing thoroughly before/as I REstored the room.
I'll be picking up the final parts of this project from the strippers in the morning and spending the day "building" the new bookcases! And painting the interiors.


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Steve Studnicky and his daughter, Dayna, show off some of the merchandise at the North Country Niche consignment shop at 282 Main St., North Creek, on the second floor of Izzy's Market.
Steve Studnicky has moved into Kim's Closet, changed the name and expanded to offer a full consignment shop at 282 Main St. on the second floor of Izzy's Market.
Kim Smith opened Kim's Closet in the summer of 2012 but has now ceded the space to former Creative Stage Lighting employee Steve Studnicky. Many in town know Studnicky as the North Creek fire chief. Now he's one of North Creek's most active entrepreneurs.
"Kim decided to step aside from it," Studnicky said. "We started talking, and I decided to take it over and try to make a run with it. And I've expanded upon it quite a lot from what she had."
After Studnicky opened on Feb. 1, he also moved into the front portion of the second floor where Betula's gift shop was located. Betula's opened last year and recently moved out.
North Country Niche is a consignment store with new and gently used items. Studnicky has added to the women's clothing that Kim's Closet had in stock.
"I've got a full line of men's clothing now, a full line of boys clothing," he said. "I'm just starting to take on infant and toddler clothing."
There is also an expanded jewelry line, plus dreamcatchers, CDs, DVDs, footwear, Avon products, walking canes, etc. It's an eclectic mix. And Studnicky is starting to take in other non-clothing items, such as electronics. To help promote North Creek, he's created a T-shirt line called "Kickin' it in the Crick," which has also been placed on shot glasses.
"I noticed that there was a little bit of a missing thing in the town," Studnicky said. "I really didn't see anything that had 'North Creek' on it. So I made up a line of T-shirts with the old Crick saying on it."
He also made one specifically for the whitewater season: "GOT CRICK? WE DO ... North Creek." It has white lettering and a white drawing of a river raft, all on a navy blue T-shirt. Just in time for the Whitewater Derby this weekend.
For more information, log on to the North Country Niche website at www.northcountryniche.com (redirects to the Facebook page), call 615-7138 or email firstname.lastname@example.com.


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DuBro Kwik-Fill Fueling Probe
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This is a replacement Du-Bro Kwik-Fill Fueling Probe. Just in case you misplace yours, Du-Bro offers this replacement fueling probe. This probe has been developed specifically for the Du-Bro Kwik Fill Fueling Valve DUB334 & DUB335.
- 1 per package
This product was added to our catalog on October 3, 2011.


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I have been reading Mark Sisson's new book The Primal Connection, which I highly recommend to everyone whether you follow a primal diet or not. In this book, Sisson gives practical ways of getting back to our primal connections while living in a modern world. He says,
You are hardwired to be keenly aware of your surroundings.
Modern Disconnect: overwhelmed with distractions
Primal Connection: power down, unplug, and be present in the moment.
During the month of February I started making some changes to rid myself of some of the distractions that were making my brain fuzzy and left me feeling disconnected. These changes are small, but very powerful.
Limit time online
While I love posting, emailing, and checking in on Facebook to see what is going on with friends, it has consumed too much of my time. Once I started limiting my time online, I realized how much extra time I have in my busy schedule. Plus, it is nice to look my kids in the eyes when they are talking to me rather than at a computer screen.
Now that I am away from the computer more, I find myself moving more. At first I had to make a conscious decision that I was going to move more during the day, but once I did I found I am more efficient at getting chores done around the house and my mind feels less bogged down.
In the past I relied on meditation when I felt really stressed out. As of February, I have incorporated it into my everyday routine, even if that means only five minutes a day. This may sound hippy dippy, but this small change has made all the difference in how I experience my days.
Quiet time
Before I had a smart phone that allowed me to check emails wherever and whenever I wanted and before I discovered pod-casts, I would get into my car after a class and drive home in silence. This quiet time allowed my brain to process all that happened in class before adding on new information. I need that time. I also need that time on walks to hear birds sing, the wind blow, and other sounds of nature that soothe my brain. The quiet time also allows me to connect in a better way with my border collie Izzy.
Read Books
To add to my quiet time during the day, I am reading more. This kind of reading does not involve the computer, but real books. I don't want to sound old fashioned, but reading a book or newspaper does something different to your brain than reading online. I think it is the fact that you are more focused. You know with a book you can't get distracted and go searching for ten other things related to the topic you are reading about. Plus, laying on the couch with a good book allows you to easily doze off for a little bit. In addition, I am taking a book with me to work. I have a thirty minute break between classes and find that reading, rather than searching the web on my iphone, really relaxes me for my next class.
Allow luxuries throughout day
Rather than spending my small amount of free time on the internet, I am now giving myself small luxuries throughout the day. In the past I might run home during my hour and a half between schools to make dinner and check emails and Facebook. Now, I put food in the slow cooker in the morning or plan a quick easy meal and spend my time at home doing things like talking with my family or relaxing in the bathtub with Epsom salt.
Does all of this mean an end to my time on email, Facebook, pod-casts and my blog? No way! I love all of these and feel they bring good things to my life. I have just learned that for me, there is a limit and I have been abusing it. It occurred to me the other day that life is like meditation. You might have a thought, but you have to just let it pass. Not every thought needs to be explored. Every question doesn't need an answer. Sometimes we have to just let our mind experience quiet.


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I am back again with a new edition of Thursday Sips & Nibbles, my regular column where I highlight some interesting, upcoming food & drink events.. **********************************************************
1) Wendy Issokson, owner, Chill On Park, has added two new fall ice cream flavors and a new fall coffee to the menu at Dorchester's popular ice cream and coffee shop at the corner of Dorchester and Park. Dutch Apple Pie and Pumpkin Oreo are the two new ice cream flavors for Fall, and Pumpkin Spice is the new coffee. "Of course we have to celebrate the icons of Fall – apples and pumpkin – and they are already staff favorites" shares Wendy Issokson.
New At Chill On Park This Fall:
After School Special: 10% off beverage, ice cream and bakery, Mon-Thurs, 3-5pm for students
Family Night Tuesdays: Every Tuesday evening, 6pm-8pm
*Specially priced kids ice cream cone or cup, $2.50....add one topping for 50 cents
*Free kids gift and balloon with any ice cream purchase. (One gift per child with purchase).
*Tweet #MBTA to @CHILLONPARK and your morning coffee is on us! (offer good 9am-6pm, Mon-Fri, for a small coffee or tea)
*CHANGE FOR CHARITY: Chill On Park announces its new community donation program. Each month Chill On Park highlight a local charity or program, and accepts spare change. For September and October the beneficiary is The Codman Square Health Center.
2) On October 20, at 6:30pm, Legal Harborside will host a wine dinner with Boisset Family Estates, the popular Napa Valley-based winery. Legal Harborside will team up with Boisset's President, Jean-Charles Boisset, to host a four-plus-course Burgundian Californian dinner featuring signature cuisine paired with choices from their bounty. Since 1961, Boisset and his family have produced world-renowned wines from some of the most prominent winegrowing regions.
The menu will be presented as follows:
Scallop Mousse, Brioche, Pickled Squash, Local Honey
Country Ham & Gruyère Croquette, Apricot Mustard Aioli
King Salmon Tartare, Rhubarb, Fennel, Dill Crème Fraîche
Macomber Turnip Soup, Caviar, Fines Herbes
JCB "No. 21" Crémant de Bourgogne, NV
West Coast Abalone (trio of apple, crispy speck, brussels sprout leaves)
Jean-Claude Boisset, Bourgogne Aligoté "Les Moutots," 2013
DeLoach Estate Chardonnay, Russian River Valley, 2013
Sunburst Farms Trout (five-spice spätzle, beetroot emulsion, sage brown butter)
DeLoach "Block 1950" Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, 2013
Jean-Claude Boisset, Ladoix Premier Cru "Hautes Mourottes," 2013
Roasted Squab (mushroom consommé, braised swiss chard, foie gras, poached pear ravioli)
DeLoach "Maboroshi Vineyard" Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, 2013
Jean-Claude Boisset, Chambolle-Musigny, 2013
Vermont Creamery Bonne Bouche (black currant preserves, rosemary anise tuile)
Buena Vista "Raison d'Etre" Merlot, Sonoma, 2013
COST: $125 per person (excludes tax & gratuity)
Reservation required by calling 617-530-9470
3) Trick-or-treating isn't just for kids. Come see what Seaport has to offer grown up trick-or-treaters on Friday, October 30, from 7pm-10pm, at the 6th Annual Halloween on the Harbor. Flaunt your creative costume while collecting treats and prizes at some of the Seaport District's best bars and restaurants.
Trick-or-treaters will kick off the evening at TAMO Bistro & Bar at the Seaport Hotel before choosing to either walk or hop on one our dedicated Boston DUCK boats to travel to any of the participating Halloween on the Harbor locations. Guests will enjoy ghoulish cocktails, appetizers and treats while receiving passport stamps at each stop.
Various venues will also offer prizes for best costume. Proceeds from the $5 ticket price will benefit the Friends of the Fort Point Channel, which offers free community programming for kids and adults in the area.
Tickets can be purchased at: http://hoth2015.eventbrite.com
This event is strictly 21+ and guests must bring a valid ID and proof of EventBrite ticket purchase.
TAMO Bistro & Bar at the Seaport Hotel
Capiz Lounge at the Renaissance Hotel
M.J. O'Connors
Whiskey Priest
Atlantic Beer Garden
Jerry Remy's Sports Bar & Grill
Temazcal Tequila Cantina
4) Culinary Arts Director Kevin DiLibero and the Papa Razzi Metro team invite guests to celebrate October as Pizza Month with a new promotion that allows guests to enjoy Neapolitan pizza offerings for half the price Monday – Friday from 4pm-6pm & 9pm-11pm pm in the bar and lounge.
Papa Razzi Metro, in Burlington, is celebrating Pizza Month. Guests can now enjoy half off pizzas for the month of October at the bar and lounge. Papa Razzi Metro serves certified authentic Neapolitan pizza that is "the truest of the true form of pizza."