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It's nice to see the people have the power now, isn't it? Cheers to the HousingPANIC community - the corrupt REIC never knew what hit 'em.
NEW YORK, March 28 (Reuters) - The subprime mortgage crisis and faltering new homes sales are raising concerns about the risk of major spending cuts by a real estate industry that puts more than $10 billion annually into advertising and marketing.
The REALTORS® Political Action Committee was the largest PAC contributor to U.S. House and Senate candidates in the 2006 election cycle, according to Federal Election Commission data reported by Political Money Line. As of the end of November, RPAC had contributed $3.7 million to congressional candidates,


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subset: commoncrawl


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When it comes to photographing oil paintings and getting faithful reproductions of the original there's a lot to learn. I've read many sources on the subject, and I'm still floundering. Then, to add further to the challenge, I'm trying out my new Nikon DSLR for the first time. I've had a chance to review some of the manual settings and I was very pleased with the resulting picture. I was able to save it in Photoshop without any adjustments except for the normal cropping. However, now I'm experiencing problems with imported image into Blogger. The picture below is not the quality of the original image that I have in Photoshop. I have not had this problem before. Obviously more to learn!
This simple still life is done on 12 x 12 linen panel. I enjoy painting these still life setups. They are truely painting "from life" - something I think most artists don't do enough of - but they will sit patiently for you as you struggle along...and even wait overnight for the next session. I appreciate that!
|Brass Bowl Oranges Apples and Wine Bottles 12 x 12 oil on linen panel
My Art Site: Bruce Hancock Fine Art


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You are currently browsing the tag archive for the 'Sustainability' tag.
I am currently writing a paper on responsibly retrofitting existing dwellings within the UK. One of the most useful resources has been the Energy Saving Trust who have produced a large range of documents addressing almost anything energy conservation orientated. The most relevant and interesting I found was the Domestic Energy Efficiency Primer, which you can download directly from the EST website here. It looks at every area of a dwelling and suggests what possible improvements can be made, addressing several types of construction common in houses in the UK and advising as to the level of experience needed to undertake each measure.
The most talked about environmental talks are about to commence in Copenhagen. Much hope is pinned on this summit and I don't think it is an exaggeration at all to say they have the power to save the world over the space of a week. Great Britain has had the aim to cut carbon emissions by 80% by 2050 for some years now. Brenda Boardman's 2007 Home Truths is a comprehensive paper on how this could be achieved proving that these figures are not just pure fiction. The fact that the world's leader will be assembled in one place to talk about world emissions is a miracle in itself, but as highlighted by this Guardian article the summit could save the world, but equally it could also doom it.
Why is this post appearing on an Architecture blog? For far too long architects only gesture towards sustainability. A small windmill on your roof does nothing and despite their reputation, solar panels (photovoltaics) are not green. Sustainability can be designed into a building without sacrificing other architectural qualities, in fact it can enhance a project if embraced.


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Ok, for the record I have not seen Indy 4 yet (I'll be seeing that along with everyone else on opening day) but I just couldn't let Michael Phillips of the Chicago Tribune slide on what he said in his review:
"Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" is not slovenly in terms of craft, but this script fails its interpreters utterly. Indiana Jones—let's be honest—never was a memorable movie character.
Oy vey.
Ok…and here's my good natured rebuttal sent to him via e-mail:
I have to take issue with your statement ' Indiana Jones – let's face it – never was a memorable movie character.'
Are you serious, dude? Are you really talking about the character that put Harrison Ford on the map as a leading man? The one folks know him better for than Han Solo, that guy form that other successful movie franchise he starred in? The character that Spielberg says all you have to do is show his silhouette and you'd recognize him? The character that's ranked #2 in the AFI's Top Motion Picture Heroes, behind Atticus Finch? That character?
(That whole bit works best if you can imagine my voice going up an octave with each rhetorical question, kind of like Stewie Griffin.)
Puh-leeze. If you don't think Indy's all that memorable, stop smoking whatever it is you're smoking because you've lost too many brain cells as it is.
Of course, that little wink at the end means that my jibe is meant in good fun, but the guy really should watch how he throws his pronouncements around. I practically did a spit take when I read that in the paper yesterday.
'Never was a memorable character?' You've gotta be kidding me!


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Today, I share a fantastic poem by Christine Rhein.
I try to tune out the boom! boom! boom!
from the shooting range two miles from my house,
and think of the people who live next door
to the targets, or in the din of London and Berlin
where nightingales now sing fourteen decibels louder
to be heard by mates, quintupling the pressure
in their lungs. I've never heard a nightingale,
but I know noise comes from nausea, and bulls-
eye names the goal for some blurry desire.
Bullseye is a band in Norway playing gung-ho rock and roll,
like the kid down the street whose car speakers rumble
through his closed windows and mine,
drums pummeling our insides. If I told him I once hiked
among redwoods, heard ghostly calls in the stillness,
branches somewhere in the canopy sky
moaning as they swayed, would he say Cool
or Whatever, the way my sons have mumbled it,
intending that I shouldn't--or maybe should--hear,
all talk target practice, ricochet and sashay, headache
and heartache, duck and cover. In a fable, Lion realizes
too late his vulnerability, the tunnel of his ear,
tiny Mosquito zooming in. Out beyond Pluto, Voyager's
golden disc offers mud pots, thunder, footsteps,
a Brandenburg Concerto and Johnny B. Goode.
Was the very first song a hum or a shout, laughter
or weeping? When my friend, at forty, praised
her cochlear implants, she complained about work,
the ringing office phones--How do people concentrate?
I consider her vacations--wind surfing, rock climbing,
marathons--how different now that she hears
each splash and scrape, the huh of heavy exhalation.
I wish I could adorn my ears the way warriors in India did,
with metallic green beetle wings, an iridescent
clacking and tinkling at the Feast of Courage. Imagine
if we could hear bread rising, dew forming, the budding
of raspberries, the tear of a cocoon, a minnow's pulse,
our own cells growing, dying. When my husband
kisses my ear, I love the swoosh, the quiver, his breath
sand driven by wind, my whispered name.


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During the midst of the conflict, the United Nations Security Council did an extraordinary thing by creating the first international criminal tribunal since Nuremberg. The International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) was set up to prosecute genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.
Since its creation in 1993, all of the individuals who were indicted have been accounted for. Of the indictees, 74 have been sentenced to a total of 1,081 years, plus 2 life sentences. However, since the Tribunal is located in The Hague, Netherlands, it is far from where the crimes were committed. Evidence has shown that justice being achieved by the ICTY has not contributed as much as was once hoped to peace and reconciliation within the region. The countries that fragmented out of Yugoslavia shared a language and culture, but now, post-conflict, the ethnic tensions are solidifying and different histories of the conflict have emerged. Even the words for "history" are now different in Serbia, Bosnia Herzegovina, Croatia, and Kosovo. After studying the conflict and visiting and speaking with many legal experts, scholars, human rights activists, and victims groups, we decided to focus on the legacy of the ICTY. We want to explore whether the ICTY has achieved justice after all of these years, whether any prosecutions would have occurred without it, how it has contributed or not contributed to international criminal law generally and peace and reconciliation in the region, and how the ICTY has succeeded and/or failed. We believe that this topic is crucial because it provides many lessons for the International Criminal Court, other ad hoc tribunals that may be created, and domestic courts. Many say that there can be no peace without justice, but perhaps there can be no justice without true peace and reconciliation. We have recorded our interviews with over 75 lawyers, academics, journalists, human rights activists, victims groups, politicians, and many others in New York City, Washington D.C., London, The Hague, Serbia, Bosnia Herzegovina, Croatia, and Kosovo in an attempt to gather as many recollections and opinions to best determine what is the "truth" of the ICTY's enduring legacy.
While the project is ambitious, we think the timing could not be better since the ICTY's work is winding down and international justice is being sought for atrocities that are ongoing in places like Syria, Sudan, and the Central African Republic. We truly believe that what we uncover and present can help guide those in the area of international justice and human rights to better seek and achieve justice, peace, and reconciliation in the aftermath of horrific atrocities. When our project is complete, we intend to have a full length feature documentary, along with a mini-series for television.
Directors/Creators: June Ellen Vutrano and Erin Kathleen Lovall. Seeking Truth Productions.
Join the conversation on Twitter: #nywift | @nywift
NYWIFT programs, screenings and events are supported, in part, by grants from New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, and New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.


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23 little blues were found dead this past weekend strangled in an abandoned fishing net intended for sharks. The Australian Coastguard found the net by chance just off the coast in Port Phillip Bay. If this was intentional, this is truly an evil act and those responsible should be held accountable. If this was an accident by way of forgetting to bring in a net, it is still negligent, irresponsible and, of course, tragic. I'm sure this was very upsetting for those who had to remove the bodies from the nets. The penguins are said to have probably been from the Phillip Island colony. The Australian Department of Sustainability and Environment is still investigating into whom is responsible for these little penguins' deaths.
Unrelated Photo Credit: Andrew Matthews at flickr


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She hurls herself into the front seat, always juggling accessories: phone, backpack, shoes, an open container of yogurt. She turns the radio off, no matter the song, because mom music sucks unconditionally. She then punches the sync button, undoing the setting linking driver and passenger temperatures.
She adjusts her side of the car either all the way up to HI or all the way down to LO. Fiery hot or icy cold; there seems to be no middle ground for a teenager.
I drive in silence, reminding myself that this insistence on autonomy is a necessary part of growing up, and that my music, in fact, does not suck. I'm also confident that someday our settings will be synched again at a pleasant 72 degrees. I only hope we don't have too many more miles to go before we get there.


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Monday, May 30, 2011
Cheapening English Words
My best friend, Michelle Nevada told me about some students who attend traditionally black universities. They got fed up with people calling Israel an "Apartheid" State because this cheapens the word Apartheid, cheapens the experience the South African Blacks went through under the cruel minority White regimes of the late 20th Century (over 40 years).
Apartheid, by the way, isn't the only word that is being cheapened these days. Every anti-Israel bigot is saying that Israel is committing "Genocide" against the "Palestinian" people (by the way, from the early 20th century, possibly even earlier, until 1948, when Israeli statehood was declared by the United Nations, the "Palestinian" people were Jews living in "Palestine"). I submit to you readers that if Israel is trying to commit "Genocide" , which Webster's on line defines as, "the deliberate and systematic destruction of a racial, political, or cultural group" Israel's been doing a really bad job of it (I saw this way of putting this as a comment on line to someone saying that "far too many Palestinians have been killed" though true numbers were missing -- I submit to you that the reason these figures are hard to come by but the number of people killed on the Israeli side are relatively easy to locate is that anti-Israel anti-Semites want to obfuscate the true numbers because the true numbers don't mesh with their bigoted tirades). The "Palestinian" population has grown over the years we've supposedly been "committing Genocide" possibly by as much as tenfold, but even by conservative estimates, at least 4-5 fold) whereas the Jewish population plummeted (by about 1/3) during the holocaust. And, I might add, Israel's supposedly been committing this horrible anti-Palestinian Genocide for 60 years, whereas the Nazis managed to decimate the Jewish population of Europe in 7 or so years. Do they really think that a country as technologically advanced as Israel wouldn't be able to accomplish what the Nazis did if they wanted to? (I might add, if we were trying to commit Genocide against the "Palestinian" people, why would we heal them in our hospitals, using precious time and supplies that could serve our own people. I also might add that countries like Haiti (post earthquake), Chile (miners incident) and Japan (post earthquake, tidal wave, nuclear meltdown, etc.) have all lauded Israel and how quickly Israel sent out humanitarian aid -- I don't recall any of them telling of aid from Egypt, Syria, oil-filthy-rich Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, etc.
I remember, in the days of the 6 day war and the Yom Kippur war all the political cartoons comparing Israel to David and the Arab countries to Goliath and how Israel winning those wars was comparable to David slaying Goliath. I think today's cartoon should be a huge David (representing the "underdog" 22 Arab/Muslim nations in the Middle East) and a tiny Goliath (representing the "evil" tiny little, struggling to survive against her enemies, nation of Israel). The way we're fighting these days, worrying too much about "political correctness" and public opinion (both home and abroad) and a sanitized militaristic proto-Arafat-in-a-suit and not enough about the survival of Israelis in general and Jews worldwide, "David" might defeat us.
Words are very important; they sway public opinion Israel is definitely losing the war of "public opinion". We need to stand up to the word-perverts. We need to reestablish the proper meaning of words, to make sure the world understands that the "Palestinian Authority" practices a prejudice and hatred far closer to both Apartheid and Genocide than does the multi-ethnic, multi-racial, multi-cultural, multi-religious Israel.
(Thank you to my Facebook friend Valerie for starting me on this by linking to Anna O'Leary and her "Israel is committing Genocide" tirade on Facebook)
Posted by compugraphd at 3:30 AM 0 comments
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Osama in the way they moved.....
So Osama is dead. And, while I rarely am glad that someone is dead, in this case I am. Osama would have continued to spend his life killing people, whether actively or by encouraging and helping others kill. With his death, we have taken a step toward showing the terrorist world that we can and will defend ourselves. I find this gratifying and encouraging. It is important for us to continue fighting these terrorists; we must continue to whittle away at Al Qaida and other terrorist organizations.
What I don't really understand through all this is the people who think that by killing Bin Laden we are throwing fuel on the fire, that we are angering the terrorists into killing more people. Really? Do they really think that the terrorists aren't killing everyone they can? Do they really think that all the people in the world don't walk around with a target on their backs simply because they choose to live their lives in a free and open society. These people want to kill us all. They will kill as many people as they can with our without Bin Laden. The only way to get them to stop is to fight back. The only way we have a chance of continuing our way of life is to remove the impediment. If that means killing terrorist and their leaders, then that's what we need to do. And we can't back off from our fight because if we do, freedom of choice in any shape manner or form will disappear from this country and our world. This is what the Islamists want. This is their goal. They are not builders, the are destroyers. And, unless we attack, unless we take on our enemies, unless we defend our citizens and friends and guests those destroyers will destroy us and our lifestyle.
Always remember, though, that the only thing that we can do that will make them kill more people is to allow it to happen. The only way we can change what they do is to actively prevent them from reaching their targets. We need to remain vigilant and we need to clearly show the terrorists and the Islamists that we won't allow them to take away the freedom our founding fathers and mothers fought hard for. We need to be worthy of that heritage and fight tyranny in any form. And that includes fighting terrorism.
Posted by compugraphd at 8:56 PM 0 comments
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Happy Birthday Anna!I can't believe my little Anna is growing up so fast! Where has the time gone?!
We had a simple birthday for her. She seemed to know it was her birthday because she was extra good and sweet today. Or maybe I paid closer attention to her since it was her special day. Today made me love this sweet girl even more!
I went visiting teaching in the morning so I decided to have a special birthday lunch at McDonald's for Anna. We never stop for lunch so it was a special treat. Anna was very excited and stood up on the bench and sang everyone a song.
I tried to get Anna to say birthday or cheese but these are the faces I got. Silly girl.
Macy was excited about her happy meal too.
After Anna's nap she watched Frozen, her favorite. She didn't want to sit down but wanted to be right up in the action. I love watching her face as she watches the movie. She is so enthralled and looks joyful.
I made Anna a simple cake but it was delicious! I followed a tip to make a box cake taste like a bakery cake: add milk instead of water, use butter instead of oil, and add 1 tsp vanilla.
Macy took a picture of the birthday banner.
This was Anna dancing as we sang her Happy Birthday. All day she was telling me about blowing out the candles by saying, "Birthday" then pretending to blow out the candles. But when the real time came she wouldn't blow it out!
I tried getting her to smile with her cake but that didn't happen. (Yes her shirt is too big. Yes it is Macy's shirt.) We had the Elder's over and our neighbor Parker to help us eat cake.
After cake and ice cream we put together her wagon which was a present from Granny Dot.
I was about to put the girls in the bath when Macy reminded me about Anna's present's from us. Ja was at a meeting so I tried talking Macy into waiting until Ja could be there but she said, "No, Anna wants to open then now." Macy helped open the first present...
Which was a doll stroller! Anna loved it instantly and walked around frantically trying to find a baby to put inside. We had to convince her to come back and open the next present...
because we knew it was a baby doll! Anna immediately tried to rip the baby from the box.
I think she would have been more thrilled with this Frozen book if she had opened it first but it was second class to the baby and the stroller. She glanced at it then moved on.
Anna immediately put her presents to good use. She was so cute carefully putting her baby in the stroller.
And she made sure her baby had her bottle.
I couldn't get a good shot of her because she wouldn't sit still long enough for a picture.
I think this cute smile shows how happy she is with her birthday presents!
Anna took her baby in the bathtub with her after this!
Today the girls both took their babies and strollers for a walk around the neighborhood. My two little mommies! They also took them with us to Anna's doctor's appointment. They walked into the office with their babies swaddled in blankets carrying them very still because the babies were sleeping.
Anna is still on the peanut side. She is 21 lbs (1st percentile), 33.5" (51st percentile), and head circumference is 17" (0%). She is healthy overall but we found out she does not like the doctor! She screamed on the top of her lungs as the doctor was checking her out. She also screamed when I had to take her shoes off to weigh her. She was crying out for her shoes and wanted them back on as soon as she got off the scale. The doctor said, "She may be little but she is feisty!" That's my Anna and I wouldn't have her any other way! I love her to death!


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Pam posted a great parable about politics today and I wanted to pass it on.
A 3rd grade class held a mock election last year to learn about our political system. The first candidate for class president stood up for his speech and laid out his detailed plan for improving the 3rd grade class. The applause was strong as he sat down.
Then the second candidate stood up for her speech and simply said, "If you elect me, I wil give you all Ice Cream." Thunderous applause drowned out any discussion.
No matter how much the class tried to discuss the "how", or the cost, or any logistics of where the Ice Cream would come from, it always boiled down to "She will give us free Ice Cream."
Can anyone guess who won the Class Election?
Yep, little Miss Ice Cream.
Funny how half our country went Ga-Ga for free Ice Cream last year and now that it is time to pay up, it's not that easy. We really should take a closer look at what we are promised.
More to come.


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Copyright Keith H. Burgess. Australia.
Polypore Fungus grows worldwide. This is one of my main sources of plant tinder for flint & steel fire lighting & the fire-bow fire lighting method. Take a good look at the images supplied on this page, & next time you are in the woods, see if you can spot any.


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The Santa Rosa County Legislative Delegation consisting of Sen. Greg Evers, Rep. Doug Broxson and Rep. Mike Hill, will hold a special public hearing regarding the recent controversy over the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance in classrooms.
Delegation members want input from the public and interested parties regarding proposed legislation affecting the Pledge of Allegiance in our schools. Any member of the public is welcome to attend. To request an appearance form to be placed on the agenda, individuals should contact Rep. Doug Broxson's office at (850) 916-5436 or send an email to email@example.com no later than noon on Monday, Dec. 14.
The public hearing will take place Dec. 15 from 6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m. at Pace High School in the Freedom Hall located at 4065 Norris Road in Milton.
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Next year, for the first time, "Internet Use Disorder" will be listed in the appendix of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and the treatment, if not the cure, is nature.
Segments of society are becoming increasingly addicted to the massive array of new technology we have created.
"It's a basic cultural recognition that people have a pathological relationship with their devices," says Stanford University psychologist Kelly McGougal, who consults with tech company executives. "People don't just feel addicted, they feel trapped."
When we get into the great outdoors, the illusion of control that technology provides disappears and we are deflated, humbled and awed all at once.
In the vast "natural cathedral", we are reminded of a world much larger than we are; a world that predates us, will outlive us, and at whose mercy we exist.
To escape our "post-industrial self-absorption" we need to leave our iPhones at home, and go take a walk in the woods.
Even companies such as Google, Facebook and Twitter are now teaching their employees meditation and "mindfulness" and warning them of the dangers of constant texting, tweeting and web surfing.
You will be a bit saner when you return to the endless conversation.


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Another great ending to the Masters. I wonder if today, sitting around the well-pledged libraries of the clubhouse if the members are just congratulating themselves? Someone takes a sip of Scotch, gazes lovingly at a life-sized oil painting of Bobby Jones and says, "We run the perfect golf tournament." It'd be hard to argue. We're on a run of years now with scintillating finishes and memorable shots and it's all happened without Tiger Woods sliding into his 5th green jacket. For a sport that seems to be reliant on individual star power, the Masters and Augusta National pull themselves above that level most years.
What I'll take away from the event this year was the quality of the golf of the playoff. My Masters' playoff memories include Scott "Choke" Hoch, Len Mattiace making a thousand on 10, Ray Floyd splashing down on 11, Kenny Perry squandering his chance at history and of course, Bubba's awful tee shot before, "THE HOOK." The Masters makes people choke. Jason Day all but admitted it in his post-round comments. The playoff is even worse. Perhaps this is why a Masters sudden death playoff has never extended beyond two holes. You either see something miraculous, or someone gives it away.
If you want to be picky, I suppose you could criticize the shots Scott and Angel Cabrera hit into 18 on the first playoff hole, but that would ignore the inherent difficulty of that shot. And then Cabrera nearly holed his chip, Scott made a nervy 3-footer and they were off to the 10th. Cabrera's monster iron off the 10th tee was something from another era. Thirty years ago professional golfers carried 2-irons to "get the ball in play," and now they're practically extinct. Whatever souped up driving iron Cabrera hit in the playoff was something to behold. Of course, his putt ended up teasing the edge like Oosthuizen's last year, but there was no choke in Cabrera. When the guy shows up–he's there to stay.
And, Adam Scott has always been a great ball-striker. He's the kind of guy who would make a 2-handicap quit the game if they had to hit balls next to him on the range every day. We've been hearing, "if the guy could ever make some putts," for years. Last year, when Scott gave away the Open Championship you had to wonder if the cumulative impact of his missed putts was starting to take hold on the rest of his game (Sergio-itis). But, Scott found the putting stroke late Sunday and made two of the more memorable putts in Masters' history, the first of which, I thought he had no chance to make.
I've always had Scott in the category of guys who I thought could eventually get a major (Hey, I picked him 3rd–not bad?). It's a group populated by guys like Dustin Johnson. Eventually, these guys are just too good to not put it together for one week. Greg Norman was the most snake bit player in the history of the majors and he gave away plenty too, but he still went out of his mind a couple of times and won the Open twice. One of these days, Dustin will get so far out in front that he can't blow it, or he'll lip-in a crucial putt when he needs it, like Scott did on Sunday. These guys are too talented to not win a major, where as players like Lee Westwood and Luke Donald–you wonder.
I'm sure it's a relief for Scott this morning to be free of "the label." He's been a guy who has been pigeon-holed his entire career. First, he was the guy with Tiger's swing–an automatic and unfair heir apparent. Since then, he's been replaced by an even younger group of Australian golfers and become the favorite of women who are stuck on the couch watching golf. An honorable distinction, but I doubt something Scott aspired to. Now, he's a major champion. He's a guy that could have, should have won 2 of the last three majors. It'll be interesting to see where he takes it from here.
Some other things of note…
Disappointing Performance by the Top of the World:
Rory and Luke Donald were never factors, Tiger got lost in controversy and didn't meet his own standards and I'm not sure if Phil Mickelson even played the event. Did anyone see him? It's strange to me how someone like Mickelson can have a week like he did. The guy has owned the course in the past. You're telling me Fred Couples (god that he is) can get around with relative ease for 3 of 4 rounds, can play in the last group Saturday and end up 13th at 53 years old and Phil someone with a (better?) set of similar skills and a decade younger finishes with 77-76-73? I don't get it.
Speaking of the Tiger Rules Controversy:
First, I don't believe that Tiger intentionally took a bad drop. He knows that every eye is on him and he would have never admitted to it in his interview after the round. In fact, I wonder if as those words were coming out of Tiger's mouth if he didn't have an alarm go off in his subconscious saying, "OH Fudgesicle." I think he was flustered, or enraged by that terrible break and made one of the bigger bonehead moves you'll ever see. Joe LaCava failed miserably here too. There's really no question Tiger took a bad drop, the question is whether he should have been disqualified. Prior to a rule change a couple of years ago, Tiger would have been out, but a new rules allows the DQ to be waived under "exceptional circumstances." That's quite vague wording for a rule, but that's golf's style. I don't know that Tiger's free pass falls in line with the spirit of the rule, but you can certainly shoe horn it in there. Bottom line, he didn't win anyway, and we'll forget about it soon enough.
Closing Shot:
I think they've found a nice balance in the setup at Augusta. I looked at scores on Friday and wondered how hard they could make the course if they wanted to…I'm quite certain with some moderate changes +10 would win. But, the balance they seem to be at now is that we're seeing less eagles and maybe fewer "runs," but the course is still vulnerable to a hot back nine, you simply have to be playing near perfect golf to take advantage. So, a guy like Scott who is closing well can still make the needed birdies, while someone like Brandt Snedeker, who is leaking oil, is quickly shuffled toward the back of the pack. It may not be perfect, but it's working for me.
That it for now–See you at Merion!


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Yesterday, I discussed my struggle to write first thing in the morning. My kids have inherited my (and Mr. Geeky's) struggle to get moving in the morning. I mean, I don't mind getting up, but I want a couple of hours before my brain has to really kick into gear. That's one of the reasons I get up earlier than necessary. I can drink coffee, eat breakfast, and generally warm up to the day. Doing the writing thing isn't exactly the same thing, but I'm still working on it.
The kids have to be prodded a couple of times before they rouse themselves. Like me, they relish every extra minute in bed, snuggling under the warmth of the covers before having to emerge into the harsh realities of the world. If I had my druthers, school wouldn't start until at least 9:30. Next year is going to be painful since Geeky Boy begins middle school and has to be there at some ungodly hour.
Making matters worse at the moment is my utter lack of attention to such basic housekeeping chores as laundry and grocery shopping. Thus, a few minutes ago, I was regaled with, "I don't have any socks" and "I need pants." I responded with "Dig through that basket there" and "Just wear shorts; it's going to be 70 eventually." Health and Human Services is on their way, I'm sure.
Someboday would call this laziness, I suppose. I just choose to direct my energies elsewhere. I guarantee someone who rises at 5:00 a.m. is not going to be awake at midnight reading something. Why is it that our society sees early rising as a virtue and staying up late as a sign of sloth? Is this Ben Franklin's fault? Can I help it if he didn't know the wonders of good lighting at night?


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eBay India (www.ebay.in), India's leading eCommerce Marketplace, today announced the launch of Global EasyBuy - The International Online Shopping Destination - which provides Indian shoppers with instant access to an unprecedented 18 million products. Global EasyBuy (www.ebay.in/geb) is aimed at redefining the Indian retail landscape and will provide savvy Indian shoppers access to the world's hottest labels and coolest brands from the comfort of their home. Global EasyBuy takes variety and access to international products to new heights. Mr. Kashyap Vadapalli, Director - Marketing, eBay India unveiled Global EasyBuy at a launch event in Mumbai on October 8, 2009
Global EasyBuy is a pioneering service in the country that enables Indian shoppers to purchase directly from international eBay sites, pay a single price (inclusive of product cost, shipping and any applicable duties) in Indian Rupees and get assured doorstep delivery. It provides access to highly desirable, international brands, hard-to-find gadgets & gizmos and prized toys and many other popular categories. Shoppers are spoilt for choice with access to products from - Prada, Michael Kors, Diane Von Furstenberg, Alexander McQueen. Vera Wang, Marc Jacobs, Juicy Couture, BCBG, Stella McCartney, Victoria's Secret, YSL, Baby Phat and many more in the Clothing, Shoes, Accessories, Health & Beauty categories. Hard-to-find Electronics, Gadgets & Tech Gizmos such as eBook Readers, Apple Laptops & Desktops, Graphic Pen Tablets, Turntables, Weather Devices, Palm Pilots and GPS devices are instantly found. Unique and prized collectibles along with many more surprises in Books; Musical Instruments, Home; Mobile Phones; Camera; Computers and Sporting Gear categories complete the shoppers' delight .
Mr. Kashyap Vadapalli, Director - Marketing, eBay India states, "Motivated by a steady pattern of purchases made by Indian buyers directly from global eBay sites over a period of time, the concept of Global EasyBuy emerged with the aim to make international shopping an uncomplicated, easy, enjoyable experience for shoppers. Nothing short of a retail innovation, Global EasyBuy is a first-time offering that breaks barriers for international online shopping and allows anyone anywhere in India, to shop with ease from an unrivaled range of the biggest international brands whilst enjoying the eBay advantages of trust, safety and price competitiveness."
Four easy steps to start buying on Global EasyBuy:
So log on to www.ebay.in/GEB and start buying today.
About eBay India
eBay India (www.eBay.in), India's leading online marketplace, is India's biggest online trading community where anyone can sell or buy almost anything. eBay India is a trading platform offering auctions, fixed price and classifieds modes of person-to-person trading. There is a wide range of products listed on eBay India in an array of categories including Technology, Lifestyle, Collectibles and Media. eBay India is a 100% subsidiary of eBay Inc.
For all media enquiries, please contact email@example.com


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Hi everyone!!
I was just sitting here on this lovely sunny Sunday afternoon and thought I would show you another shaped card - an Easel Card. This shape is really popular at the moment and so easy to achieve. Use can use any size card but I find the best size cards to use are either a square, A5 or 7x5. I'm going to show you below how to do a square one.
First of all I gathered all my bits and pieces that I wanted to use together
I used a new toppers set we have in stock from Kanban which gives you an A4 backing card along with various toppers and tags plus other bits and pieces
I cut the A4 card down so that I had a 144mm x 288mm square card base
I then folded it in half and scored the crease and then folded the front of the card back on itself and scored it to give the easel shape
Thats the basic shape of the card done - now its the fun part!!
Using a small cuttlebug folder I embossed "Its a Girl"
Then using low tack tape I taped the nestie shape - cutting side down - on top of the embossed wording so that I could get it exactly in the middle.
I then cut it on the Cuttlebug - using A Plate, C Plate, nestie - cutting side upwards and card face downwards and then B Plate
Once it was cut, I then embossed it using A Plate, B Plate, Nestie - cutting side upward with card on top, tan mat, shims of card and B Plate
I then left it in the nestie but turned it over so that the embossed side is facing you. I then inked it using Lulu Lavender memento ink and a finger dauber (this enbables you to ink the inside of the embossed cirle, leaving you a white border).
Using the piece of card that was left over after I cut down the A4 piece of card I cut a scallop circle to mat my embossed wording onto and used the rest of it to mat and layer on the front of my easel card
It was then just a case of putting my card together
As you can see by raising the circles on foam pads it creates a stopper for your easel. You could use all sorts of things from buttons to brads and any sort of sentiment raised on pads.
The card then lays flat inside the envelope for posting.
Go on have a go - its really easy and very effective.
Lots of Love :)


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Project PowerPlayby Staff Writer / Pittsburgh Penguins
The past two years the Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation has aided in the construction and planning of 12 Dek hockey facilities around the area. The initiative is known as Project PowerPlay. The objective of Project PowerPlay is to promote fun and organized physical activity in the form of hockey. As hockey continues to grow in the area, the demand for playing surfaces only increases and the Penguins Foundation has laid down a plan to help fuel this growth.
Each rink is complete with a sports court that has all the proper hockey regulation lines and faceoff circles as well as surrounded by boards and a fence. There is also a roof to be placed over the benches and each facility is to be equipped with a scoreboard.
To date 4 of 12 rinks are completed and ready for use. Those rinks include Banksville Park, Hazelwood YMCA, Richland Township Community Park, and Riverside Park in Oakmont. The sites are selected and considered based on need, utilization, supervision and location which generally lie near a park or community center.
The facilities are state of the art and are fully intended to continue to foster and development the game of hockey in the area. The Pittsburgh Penguins will continue to provide ongoing support for all of these facilities now and through the future. If you would like more information on Project PowerPlay please visit http://pittsburghpenguinsfoundation.org .


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Even though we sequestered the calves at night, we weren't getting half of our cows' production. Some of the cows were better than others, but a few of them would hold back their milk. Their teats would go dry while the udder was still bulgingly full. Hmmmmmm...
With our ever-growing herdshare requirements, something had to give, so one morning I shooed the cows back out of the barn after milking and moved the calves to a newly fenced off part of our yard. The mooing ensued. Momma cows were angry. Kids were angry. I just felt like a jerk.
The bellowing followed me back into the house when I sat down for my other job (the one that actually makes money). Despite the heat, I had to close the windows. The bellowing came through the walls -- a constant reminder of my cruel and abusive actions. It really didn't stop until about the third day. I'm sure the neighbors loved it even more than I did.
The new combine worked beautifully on our oats, which we forked from the hay wagon into the combine, essentially just using it as a threshing unit. We discovered, however, that the hull-less oats have small hairs around the seed which the fan on the combine sprays all over. Think itchy fiberglass-dust. Even after putting everything through the wash, we could all tell when we put on the same clothes we were wearing on threshing day.
Though this is still a small-scale operation, it's much bigger than most anything we've done before. "Real" farmers use massive propane or natural gas grain dryers to get their grain down to a suitable moisture content for storage. In our case, I had to cycle it through the oven in small batches, which took nearly a week. Not sure how they did it before the advent of grain dryers. Corn is easy -- just put it in the corn crib while it's still on the ear, but with oats.....? Maybe leaving it in the shocks a while longer was the trick.
Earlier in my life, I joked about writing a "cookbook" which would contain only meals that could be prepared and consumed in under 5 minutes. I didn't see a whole lot of point in spending time on anything related to food. Food was fuel, and who would want their life to revolve around gas stations?
Now every day of my life is devoted to food in one way or another. This is exactly what our ancestors have done for centuries, though most of us born in the 20th century have been lead to believe that it's below our dignity to grow or process our own food in the age of machinery and cheap labor from illegal immigrants. I think that this is what people should be doing instead of looking in vain for some sort of fulfillment from watching TV, or having a "hobby". I think we're all programmed to focus on food, whether we realize it or not. I think it's why fishing and hunting are so popular. While I was growing up, my stepmother would use up her vacation time by picking berries. At the time I thought she was wasting her precious vacation. Now I think she's on to something.
I've felt a bit frustrated as of late with my own inability to ditch my pickup truck for good. I know full well that we're teetering on the edge of human extinction if we haven't already committed ourselves to it. I also know that most of the gasoline I'm burning here in Michigan is probably coming from tar-sands, making it *extremely* carbon intensive and damaging -- much more so than the gasoline from conventional oil that was running my car just a few short years ago. Reading articles like this makes me all the more determined to do something, but then I start to think about trying to haul lumber home, or feed, or fencing, or....
The truth is that 99.9% of my ancestors had none of these "needs" that I claim to have. I really shouldn't have them either, but I doubt that I could live like my ancestors in the society that we've built for ourselves. There's no doubt about it -- our lives in most countries are fully dependent on fossil fuels in hundreds of different ways. Choosing the low carbon option at this point -- as we should -- will mean the death of *billions* of people on this planet. The other option -- and the one which we look to be following -- will mean the death of all 7 billion of us along with most other life on the planet. We don't have good choices at this late stage in the game.
Next time you're wondering why no politician is capable of doing anything substantial to combat global warming, just ask yourself how long you think they would live if they actually did do something substantial, such as phasing out all fossil fuel use over the next year or two. They'd be hanging from a light pole in a matter of minutes, I suspect. This sort of change has to come from the grass roots, or it will never come at all.


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Open up to playing Games - Learn like never before!
Today, my Agile Mentor Vinayak Joglekar, showed us one concept by making us play a game.
So far, I liked playing games, but felt ridiculous to initiate one. Yes, I call myself an Agile Evangelist, but there was a ice breaking required.
Vinayak is Founder and CTO of our firm Synerzip Softech. He helped us start a group named Agile Evangelist. We meet every monday at a coffee play to discuss things.
Today we played a Game which showed us the basic principles of Kanban.
Here is the premise of the game. There are two designers who keep designing module, they pass it to the two developers. The developer in turn pass it to one QA who passes on to one Deploy Person.
The key thing of the game is the productivity factor introduced by giving each person a dice. Along with dice each designer is given a set of cards.
The flow of cards is from Designer -> Developer -> QA ->Deploy (From right to left)
How it is played?
Understand the purpose of Dice and Cards.
Dice show the productivity of a person each day. People have good days and bad days, and his does effect their productivity. The cards represent the amount of work they got done.
Each person rolls the dice and for each dot on the dice they pass those many no of cards.
This means if Designer rolled dice and had 5 dots, he will pass five cards to the Developer. If developer rolled the dice and he had 2 dots, he can pass 2 cards to the QA. If QA rolled the dice and it had 4 dots, he can still only pass 2 cards as that's what he had.
Also, at any given time, a person can keep rolling the dice and he may not have any cards to pass, so he waits until he has cards to pass on.
Phase 1
Be Super man and take max items on your plate
1 Dot = 1 Card
2 Dots = 2 Cards
3 Dots = 3 Cards
4 Dots = 4 Cards
5 Dots = 5 Cards
6 Dots = 6 Cards
In phase one each person rolls the dice and passes those many cards to person on left. So if a person constantly roll 5 he will keep passing 5 cards to left. Now it the person on Left, constantly rolls 2 he will keep passing 2 and more cards will pile up with him.
Why does this happen? Think about it for a while.
Phase 2:
Be a Normal person (and wear your underwear on the inside)
1-3 Dot = 1 Card
4-6 Dots = 2 Cards
We have learned our lesson, we take limited work on our plate at time.
Play this version to see what is the result.
Overall, we observed unlike before any time, a person does not have a pile of cards with him/her. The person's mood does not effect his productivity so much. Overall we limited the threshold of work a person can pass on (meaning process).
At last, the moral of the study. Don't try to be Superman, wearing your underwear on the inside , is more comfortable.


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But now the days are short, I'm in the autumn of my years
And I think of my life as vintage wine
From fine old kegs
From the brim to the dregs
It poured sweet and clear
It was a very good year
- Ervin Drake, IT WAS A VERY GOOD YEAR
What can one man say to another, when one of them is staring at the abyss? No bottle of wine, no glass of scotch, no draught of beer will assuage the pain, the fear, the anger.
I knew my father by his likes and dislikes. He liked John Wayne movies. He was a Sean Connery Bond man. He liked the New York Giants, the New York Knicks, and the New York Yankees. We shared those passions. His father was a DiMaggio, Crosetti and Lazzeri fan. He was a Mantle man. And I was a Nettles, Pinella, and Jackson guy.
In his youth my father, Philip Ferdinand De Vito was a cross between Dean Martin and Elvis Presley. He was always a dude. Always with a dozen suits, countless shirts and numberless dress shoes. He was always a sharp dressed man.
He had one steadfast rule - he felt sugar and sweetness had no real place in the world of alcohol. No matter he medium, he preferred his beverages dry. "Don't give me any of that sweet shit," he would repeatedly say.
He usually only had one glass of wine at dinner. He only drank a "nip" of beer. He usually only drank Manhattans or Rob Roys (light on the vermouth, little more on the bitters). He loved a couple of drinks before dinner. If he went to a restaurant, he would often prefer to go to the bar first, have his cocktails and chat with the crowd before being seated. He was excellent in this way, and could strike up a conversation easily with confidence. A talent and confidence I do not possess, and am very jealous of. He once came to one of my sons' baseball games, and by the end of one game, introduced me to several people in the town where WE lived, including famed sportswriter Clifton Brown, who I'd sat next to for several seasons, without knowing. My dad introduced me after one game!
My father loved cars in his 20s and 30s especially. He drove a list of cool cars: a long line of Cadillacs (including a light metallic blue El Dorado convertible with a white rag top), Thunderbirds, a Jaguar coupe, and many others. He always wore a pair of huge dark sunglasses while driving.
My father was a swinger. He was The Cool Guy. He was tall, at 6'2" and weighing in at about 200 lbs. He was Steve McQueen. He was Dino. Money. Cars. Looks. He loved to party. He could talk sports and politics with the guys. And he was an elegant dancer, much admired by the ladies. I only begin to realize now that had we met when we were the same age he would have been one of the cool guys, and I would have been the bookish geek. Nice guy, college boy, but probably not cool enough.
He was not a perfect man. But I loved him terribly despite it. For many years he gambled to the extreme. Thousands of dollars on baseball and football. Occasionally on basketball. My memories start in the kitchen. No matter how early you got up, he was always up first. Listening to scores on the radio. Cursing or celebrating as need arose. He played the pick three and pick four religiously. He won several times, big, and blew it as easily as he had made it. He often paid his debts with those winnings. I spent my childhood, sitting in the passenger seat, as we drove through Trenton in those days – it was like something out of the movie Diner or Tin Men - making drop offs mostly in Chambersburg, in the shadows of the massive, abandoned Roebling steel works. I would sit all alone in the showroom of a vending machine company, or at the bar with a Shirley Temple, or sitting in front of a gas station, for what seemed like an hour, while he went into the backrooms, to meet bookies and shylocks. I would sit and look around in absolute silence.
I loved my father no matter what. He has been and will be forever be, the voice in my head. He was loving and encouraging. There was no question, he cursed at me too. But there was always love, nothing but love, no matter how angry he might be. And he could be terribly comforting in my times of sadness or disappointment.
When I was a child I lived in Connecticut with my mother. I grew up in Southport and Westport and Greenwich. It was as picturesque, as Norman Rockwell as anyone could ask for. But he would make the two-and-a-half hour ride, to pick us up, bring us back to New Jersey with him, and then bring us back, usually for a three day weekend, without complaint. I remember watching him from the back of a station wagon. I as supposed to be asleep, since he would pick us up or drop us off early, often doing so before he had to be at work (he always tried to hold on to us for as long as he could).
He would take us to numerous family visits, Grandmom Kate, Grandmom Connie and Pop-pop Joe Rue. And of course we went to many of the best little small Italian restaurants that studded Chambersburg at the time. We could never just walk in and sit down for dinner. You had to first say hello to at least three or four tables of people, and have at least one drink at the bar, whether they asked you to wait or not. More often, he would, in his favorite restaurants, order his appetizers at the bar, and have them waiting for him at the table when he finally chose to sit down. And there were very few restaurants that wouldn't cook him something off menu or make something special just for him. There were several restaurants where he would just ask for his special salad, and they would bring him a concoction of antipasto with an extra addition of tuna fish and several other ingredients, and no cucumbers (which he hated). He walked into a dozen professional kitchens like they were his livingroom, and often knew the families, the chefs, and several people on the line. He might stay back there a good fifteen minutes or so talking food and sports, and he was always welcomed. Sometimes, if the chef or owner might be in the back, and he would in fact be summoned to the back of house. He loved it.
The second time I blew out my knee, in high school, I was in the hospital gurney, all trussed up, waiting for a parental signature, before they could put me under and force my knee back into place. My father rushed into the room. It was just a week before my 18th birthday. He raced in and wheeled around. "You had to do it again, didn't you, jerk off!" he swore at me.
The doctor told him he had to sign the consent form so they could put me under and repair my knee, and my father bellowed, "Fuck him, let him suffer!" Of course, he signed the papers instantly. For the rest of our years together, we laughed about this story.
My father loved the Rat Pack. Sunday mornings were spent listening to William B. Williams, a disc jockey who played Sinatra, Dino, Sammy, Tony Bennett, and the other crooners of the era. As any son does, I refuted my background, and rebelled. I listened to loud music in 70s, punk rock in the 1980s, etc. In fact, I eschewed everything he stood for, I was embarrassed by him – for a while. I suppose my sons will do the same to me one day. It is happening already, as it should and must. But one Sunday morning, in my mid-20s, searching for something to listen to, alone in my apartment in New York City, with fresh H&H bagels and a fresh Sunday Times, I stumbled upon William B. Williams by accident, and left it there, humming along with the classic American standards. It was then I knew I was my father's son, like it or not.
He was proud of my love of wine. He was not as swept up by its geekdom as I am. I once decanted a 1979 Mouton Rothchild only to watch him pour himself a full glass like it was iced tea. I wanted to scream. I explained to him that it was a treat for everyone to share. That we should all have just a taste. He shrugged. "I got there first."
He always wanted a nice glass of dry red or a cool glass of white. Always dry. Tasting a glass from the first bottle of homemade wine I produced (a sweet, dessert wine) made him wince, but he smiled and told me it was good anyway. He gently put it down and found a nice dry red to drink without saying anything. He was such a sweetheart.
In his later years, my father took on more of an Anthony Quinn type aspect His face broad and weathered, his voice loud and booming. As I grew older our tastes converged, and I made dry reds and whites he liked and was proud of. Those he drank, and never failed to mention to friends about his son's winery, or about the books I had written. A father's pride.
Several months ago he was diagnosed with Stage 4 Liver Cancer. His prognosis was not good. 2-4 months. When I first talked to him, not sure what to say, he shrugged his shoulders. "It's all part of life, kid. We all gotta do it." Privately, I cried. He said on several occasions, "I'm gonna see my dad." He was a better man than me all the way to the end. He rarely showed emotion. Angry yes. Weakness, rarely. He wanted no wake. To him, there was nothing worse than yet another stiff at a party.
A few weeks ago I was trying to help him shave his weathered face, bristling with gray, He clutched his belly in pain. Looking to diffuse the moment, I told him that it reminded me of the movie, "The Bucket List." He angrily asked what the hell I was talking about. There was real anger in his eyes as he grimaced again. I reminded him that in the movie Nicholson was throwing up on the floor of a bathroom. Jack was doubled over in pain from chemotherapy. When he finally stood up, he looked in the mirror and said to himself, "Boy, somewhere, some lucky guy is having a heart attack." My father burst out in his classic, loud laugh, slapping the bathroom counter and guffawing. It had done the trick. And he hugged me.
We sat with him a few few days ago, and in the hospital, hospice ward, watching him slowly fade. A big, strong handsome made laid low by time and disease. An endless parade of family and friends. All came to bid farewell. He slept through most of it. He would wake up saying the dog needed to be let out, or telling us to answer the door, Nonsense. After words, when he was given morphine, he fell asleep comfortably for the first time in days, when the rest of us decided to go out to dinner. Of course, we all went to the bar first. We all ordered cocktails.I can't drink Rob Roys or Manhattans. I had an Old Fashioned (he didn't like those - too sweet) but I toasted him nonetheless. The appetizers could wait.


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Synopsis: In San Francisco newlyweds are being stalked - and slaughtered. Enter four unforgettable women, all friends...Lindsay, a homicide inspector in the city's police department...Claire, a medical examiner...Jill, an assisstant D.A....and Cindy, a reporter who has just started working the crime desk of the San Francisco Chronicle. Joining forces, pooling their talents, courage, and brains, they have one goal. To find, trap, and outwit the most diabolical and terrifying killer ever imagined.
Date Published: March 5, 2000
Published By: Grand Central Publishing
Number of Pages: 462
Rating: 3/5
This was my first time reading a James Patterson novel. Below are some thoughts:
-Definitely a page turner but not as compelling as some thrillers I've read in the past (The Girl on the Train, Gone Girl)
-The writing is straightforward, workmanline. It gets the job done. It's not like I was in raptures over the brilliance of the prose but it wasn't cringeworthy either. Well, sometimes it was, particularly some of the dialogue.
-There was a pretty decent twist at the end that I didn't see coming but then he added another...and another and that's when it fell apart for me. The first twist was perfect. It totally blindsided me but, in the context of the story, it made sense. That's what a good twist does - it comes as a surprise but when you look back at what you've read so far, it fits perfectly. The second twist was okay but it didn't make quite as much sense as the first one. The last twist was just fucking stupid. Revealed in the last two pages it was like 'Here's what was really happening all along! HAHAHAHA, isn't that clever?' No. It's not.
-James Patterson does not understand how women really experience sexism. Throughout the book, the women are so proud of themselves for creating their own 'Women's Murder Club' and the whole 'No Boys Allowed' thing and 'Look at us being kickass women who don't need no man' and just going on about it. It was infuriating because A) Patterson is clearly trying way too hard and B) in my experience, women aren't actually like that. Women don't actually think to themselves 'Goddamn controlling men' (actual line from the book). We recognize that sexism is an ingrained part of our society, perpetrated by both men and women and that blaming individual men for it is ignorant.
-While it is refreshing to see a book that features a strong friendship between four smart, accomplished women, it is riddled with cliches. The women hug each other, call each other 'sweetie,' hold hands, go out for drinks and talk about sex. It's like Sex and the City but with murder. I'm not saying female friendships are never like that but it's really stereotypical.
-Speaking of stereotypes....Claire, the sole black female character seems like the stereotypical Sassy Black Girlfriend. It's annoying and borderline offensive. To be honest, I didn't think any of the four women went beyond tired stereotypes.
So, in conclusion, my first experience reading James Patterson was not horrible but it wasn't amazing, either. It's meant to be a quick, enjoyable read (aka brain candy) but if you're looking for a top-notch thriller, look elsewhere.


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Henna for Teens
February 28, 2011
Thinking 'bout getting inked? Come join us at the Mission Branch Library for a free organic temporary tattoo! Unravel the mystery of henna and its ancient/traditional uses, learn how to apply it, and have all your questions answered by SF's natural henna artist, Charitie Bolling. All participants will receive a free design for participating. Refreshments will be provided. Bring a friend and get entered into a raffle for a chance to win a gift after the workshop! Space is limited! Don't miss out!!
Ages 12-18~For participants under 18, a signed parent/guardian form must be returned prior to the workshop. To reserve your space and/or request a form contact Nicole at 415.355.5738 or email@example.com


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Strange doings at the Tel-Aviv airport this morning.
"Police spokesman Shlomi Sagi confirmed that a policeman guarding the airport committed suicide just as Mr. Sarkozy was about to board his plane. Officials said he shot himself in the head."
Shades of The Manchurian Candidate…
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Posted by Red Tory at 1:32 PM
Subscribe to: Comment Feed (RSS)


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Home ownership is part of the American dream, and it's natural to get excited when you're able to make that dream a reality. When you're looking to buy a home, emotions can play a prominent part in your final decision. But home ownership is a substantial long-term investment, and it pays to take a step back and consider your potential home purchase choice from an objective standpoint. Before you make your final decision, go through this helpful checklist and consider each point.
Is the home the right size for your family and stage of life? Often it's assumed that the bigger the house, the better. But remember that houses with lots of square footage cost more across the board. Everything will be more expensive: property taxes, heating and cooling bills, electricity bills, roof repairs, exterior painting and flooring. And lest we forget the mundane, every square foot needs to be cleaned. Bigger houses equal longer cleaning hours.
Does the home offer enough privacy for your comfort? Smaller lot sizes mean tighter boundary lines between homes. Walk around the house and look out each window. Will you be able to open your bedroom curtains without exposing yourself to the neighbor? Could you enjoy your outdoor space without being on display? If privacy is important to you, don't compromise on this point. Hedges can be planted but they take time to grow. Fences are expensive to install and sometimes aren't high enough to block distant views.
Is the home environmentally safe? Radon air and water tests are useful, but there are other potential environmental hazards in a home. Ask your home inspector to specifically check for mold (especially if the home has central air conditioning), rodent or insect infestation, and inferior wallboard. Ask about lead paint if the house is older, and check along basement baseboards for signs of water infiltration. Water damage is one of the most destructive things that can occur in a home. If you see water stains along the walls or in the attic near rooflines, investigate further.
Are the home's operating systems in good working order? Even before you invest in a home inspection, you can easily check the mechanical operation of the plumbing. Don't be shy about flushing toilets and turning on water taps, including the tub and shower. These simple acts communicate volumes about the quality of the water and the water pressure. Turn lights on and off as you walk around the house. If appliances are expected to be included in the home purchase price, test each of them. Turn on the range knobs to ensure they heat up as expected. Operate the microwave. The refrigerator doors should have a tight seal. Turn on the washing machine for a moment and let the dryer spin a few times to make sure they work. Visually inspect the water heater, furnace and any air conditioning units. If these units appear dirty or rusty, chances are the system has not been maintained. Quality Elizabethtown KY home inspectors will check these things but be sure to ask anyway.
These tips don't represent the exciting part of looking at a home to buy in the Fort Knox Kentucky Area. It's much more fun to fantasize about the amazing kitchen and imagine your kids or dog frolicking in the backyard sunshine. But spending some time going over each home purchase tip before you buy your new home can safeguard you from costly surprises after you've bought your home. Make your American dream a happy reality, not a nightmare.


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Posted by: Andy Mervin GeorgeHonda Malaysia today unveiled the third-generation Honda City compact sedan in Kuala Lumpur.
The all-new City comes with numerous firsts in its class, combining style, performance and practicality, but more on that as you read on.
Not just the regular City car for the ladies here
There are two variants available, these being tagged Grade E and Grade S. The Grade E comes with additional paddle shifters, rear reclining seats with an underseat tray and 16-inch sport alloy wheels.
Exterior style-wise, the City adopts what Honda calls an 'Arrowshot Form' design outlook from end-to-end. Strikingly, the front end resembles a transformable robot from an animated movie, whilst the tail lamps look very much like those found on the BMW 3-Series.
The i-DSI block is history, so the new City goes about its business with a single powerplant choice, this being a newly-developed four-cylinder 1.5l i-VTEC engine which pushes out 120bhp at 6,000rpm and 145Nm of torque at 4,800rpm. Compliant with Euro 4 level emission standards, the City is deemed the most powerful compact sedan in the market to date.
The advanced i-VTEC engine is now mated with a five-speed automatic transmission with Shift Hold Control and is the first in its class. Gone too is the CVT (Continuous Variable Transmission) gearbox, an omission brought about by the rougher style of driving encountered here, according to surveys carried out by Honda Japan's R&D division.
Compensating for the absence of a manual transmission gearbox (a five-speed manual is available in both Thailand and Singapore) are the paddle shifters in the Grade E, which provides the driver with a sportier means of changing gears.
Functional minus the clutter, and it brings out a gutsy feeling in you
The steering wheel is now of the tilt and telescopic type, and the footrest is now wider as the accelerator and brake pedals have been shifted more to the right. The car comes with EPS (Electric Power Steering), and safety comes in the form of dual SRS airbags and front seatbelt pre-tensioners and load limiters.
Stopping power is reinforced with ABS (anti-lock braking system) with EBD (Electronic Brake Force Distribution), while BA (Brake Assist) amplifies the driver's foot force with minimal pedal input.
Entertainment for the occupants inside the City is provided by an advanced audio system that is compatible with MP3 players, iPod, USB memory or a mobile hard disk drive. In the Grade E variant, you get a six-speaker system with steering wheel audio controls, while the Grade S makes do with a four-speaker arrangement.
The all-new City does not compromise in rear passenger convenience with a fold-down armrest that also houses integrated cup holders.
Another first in its class, the City's rear trunk is able to contain a whopping 506l of cargo, which is equivalent to being able to store four nine-inch-wide golf bags.
As mentioned, the Grade E's rear seats can be folded in a 60:40 split configuration for extended luggage carrying capacity, and is fitted with an underseat tray to stow away wet umbrellas or footwear.
There are a total of five colours to choose from – Alabaster Silver Metallic, Bold Beige Metallic, Polished Metal Metallic, and new colours Crystal Black Pearl and Deep Lapis Blue Metallic. Unfortunately, a striking signature colour called Habanero Red Pearl, as well as a very pretty Tafetta White, is not available.
The Honda City is manufactured in Malaysia, with 30% of the parts sourced locally, including the seats and instrument panel, while the rest are from Japan.
Get into the City and it makes you happy
According to Atsushi Fujimoto, managing director of Honda Malaysia, the previous City was still doing quite well into the end of its run, having registered a total sales volume of 8,000 units from Jan to Nov this year. With the arrival of the new one, Honda Malaysia is targeting to sell about 1,500 units of the new City on a monthly basis, and pre-launch bookings have been brisk, with more than 1,500 orders to date - as of launch time, the waiting period is a month, though that is surely to change if more orders come about.
The City rolls in at RM84,980 for the Grade S and RM89,980 for the Grade E (both on the road, with insurance) and comes with a three-year warranty or 100,000km and six months free service or 10,000km, whichever comes first.
A Modulo accessories package is available to spruce up the City's exterior, and this consists of front, side, rear and trunk spoilers, all for an additional RM4,750.


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Over the next couple of weeks I'm going to do a series of posts on the topic of fall fashion with the inspiration I have gleaned from the pages of the fashion Bible (Vogue magazine). Each post will be a different fall fashion trend. Here's the first one:
It was big for Spring now it's back for Fall!
The look: jackets with brass buttons, shoulder epaulets, cargo pants, studs, combat boots, double breasted coats, capes, military pins, cross body satchel bags, marching jackets, utility jackets, and camouflage
The colors: army green, black, gray
Try this: mix your military pieces with more feminine ones for a stylish balance
The inspiration:
How I rock it:
My favorite coat- an Express peacoat. I got this 4 years ago for half price and I still love it!
tan uniform shirt from Volunteers of America $.99
wide brown leather belt from Target $4.00 on clearance
Donna Karan army green silk skirt from Goodwill $2.99
gold star w/ coat of arms necklace from Ohio Thrift $14 on half price day
green military jacket from Forever 21 $24.00
(I've had this for like 5 years and love wearing it over summer dresses)
sheer floral print dress with satin bow from Goodwill $4.99
black marching jacket from Forever21 $27.80 (from last winter)
light pink tiered ruffle skirt from Goodwill $4.99
This jacket looked equally chic with a frilly skirt as it does with light ripped up skinny jeans
Tan jacket from Goodwill $3.99
Navy/ white t-shirt from Goodwill $2.99
full denim skirt from Goodwill $2.99
brown leather belt from Goodwill $1.49
I know this is still kind of summery but I wanted to feature something you could wear now going into fall!
Green military jacket from Forever21 again but wanted to show it in a different way.
military style pin- gift from my brother from the Curiosity Shop on N. High street in Clintonville
What to buy for fall:
Celebrity Pink Cargo Olive Skinny Pants from Zumiez.com $38.00Pin It
Delia's $89.50
Delia's $69.50
Delia's $89.50
Delia's $69.50
Stay tuned! There are many more fall trends to come........!


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Punishment From A Distance
Some thoughts on non-spanking punishments when you're not even there.
And I don't mean writing lines although that is a popular one. There is a punishment that I've handed out only a couple of times in my life but that provides me a headspace when I'm not even in the vicinity of the person being punished.
R, the woman for whom I'm "daddy", was being her bad self and very willful emailing back and forth with me. I was conveying to her how displeased I was about something she had done and what was going to happen to her once I got a hold of her. She was being very resistant to even the notion that she needed punishment and I told her she needed to be punished right that minute. "Good thing you're over there", she said.
I told her that I was not happy with her behavior and that part of her punishment was going to be carried out without me even being there. I told her to get up and go to her bedroom, closing the door behind her. Then I said that she had to go to the far corner of the room, take her jeans and panties down, and stand facing the corner for ten minutes. I told her to then come back to her computer and tell me she had done it.
Can I prove that she did it? Nope. She could have just sat there at the computer doing whatever she wanted for ten minutes and then lying. However, if the headrush for her was as strong as the one for me then I would expect that she did it just to give herself that feeling of being punished she likes so much.
What was the excitement for me? The idea of controling someone and making them do what I'm telling them to do even if I'm not there really gets to me. It's a slightly weaker version of the headspace I have when I'm physically Topping someone – that sense that at that moment, I'm in charge of what's happening.
11 Responses to "Punishment From A Distance"
Subspace is a wonderful thing…remote control or one on one.
Top/subspace from a distance is great when there is real time to back it up.
In my newb days, I had some on line friends who would try to dictate corner time. And as I was a newb, I actually went along with it (hangs head in shame). I remember it was quite a rush, but then when the nature of the game revealed itself, it felt empty and embarrassing.
Glad the newbie days are done, that is for sure.
I have never been involved in a long distance puishment relationship – although I do have one person who is going to spank me at SL for certain bratty behaviors I have exhibited (haha chris). I think it takes two to let this form of punishment work…and it sounds like she was iinto it which is key. If someone sees it as silly it wouldn't work – but then again they probably wouldn't be involved in that kind of relationship anyways. (heads to the corner for 10 minutes).
"I'll have to make a note to expand upon this in some future article." Please do, Rad. This is ever so interesting and quite frankly, being controlled from afar floats my boat.
I have been sent to the corner via long distance. It was effective and I was subdued when he called me back. I had a top delighted by the knowledge that when he suggested something he might do in a discipline scene with me, I did it myself so I would know what I was in for…talk about mindspace!
long distance relationship gifts…
Punishment From A Distance « Radspace…


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Avengers of the Moon: A Captain Future Novel
Allen Steele
Science fiction
An enjoyable retro-pulp adventure, but I think you have to have a deep fondness for the original--at least the general style and genre--to fully savor it. Steele updates the science, but he doesn't (much) update the writing conventions, and the result has a certain hokey quality. It reminded me of nothing so much as Isaac Asimov's "Lucky Starr" novels; if you're looking for books that a typical mid-teenage reader might like, Avengers of the Moon fits the bill.


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From MEMS technology to the nuances of "Things to Wear". We are finding more ways to stay connected. The notion of the funnel of "Big Brother" is now beginning to be inverted to "Big Individual". Small personal devices link to Clouds and virtual life tools, specifically tailored to the individual. Big Brother has No Clothes and No teeth. But who is really paying close attention to this transformation. Well, I am. I hope you are as well. Let me know what you think about the death of the Big Brother syndrome.
This is the start of the Internet of Things (IoT) and leading to the Internet of Everything (IoE). Energy independence and fair costs based upon the new energy economy. SD1 Incorporated and it's new LEXI™ Bundled services platform is the forerunner of things to come.
Stay Tuned.
Internet of Things (IoT), INTEL and INTEL stakeholders and developers. Internet of Everything (IoE) Cisco and Cisco stakeholders developers.


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The meaning of the Latin word, septem is seven.
The word septimus means seventh.
Originally, September was the seventh month of the calendar.
Birthstone ~ Sapphire
Flowers ~ Aster and Morning Glory
Noteworthy Days
September 3 ~ an annual holiday to celebrate the achievements of workers.
Labour Day has its origins in the labour union movement, specifically the
8-hour movement which advocated 8 hours for work, 8 hours for recreation
and 8 hours for rest. The first Monday in September is designated for this day.
September 9 ~ Grandparent's Day is a secular holiday officially recognized
in a number of countries...honouring also other seniors and seeks to strengthen
relationships between the generations.
September 11 ~ Patriot Day is recognized on this date every year in the
United States. It is designated in the memory of 2,977 killed in the 2001
terrorist attacks. On this day, the President requests that the American
flag be flown at half-staff at individual American homes, at the White
House and in all US government buildings and establishments.
September 16 ~ Rosh Hashanah and September 25 ~ Yom Kippur
are considered the two most sacred Jewish holidays and are known
as the High Holy Days.
September 22 ~ First day of Autumn, which in the Northern Hemisphere,
begins at 10:49 am (EDT) during the autumnal equinox
Sarah Morgan Bryan Pratt wrote: It is the summer's last great heat.
It is the fall's first chill.
They meet!
September 30 ~ The Harvest Moon is the first "full moon" closest to
the first day of autumn.
September is also one of the best times of the year to see the white band
of the Milky Way stretching across the sky. It is best viewed from a dark
location on a moonless night away from city lights. The white band is
the edge of our galaxy. Our sun is one of countless stars making up the
Milky Way. Venus and Jupiter are the brightest planets in the September
sky. You can see Venus in the eastern sky at dawn. Jupiter rises in the
north-east around 10 pm and can be seen all night. Mars and Saturn can
be seen low in the south-west at dusk. Uranus rises in the east shortly
after sunset and is visible all night. Neptune is low in the south-east
at sunset and sets in the south-west around 4 am. Some of you may be
interested in this zodiacal light...night-time display.
September Musing
September, you fill me with your colurs so bright.
The mellowness of you fills me with delight.
When I wake to morning mists,
Swirling leaves and autumn sights,
My soul is filled with a million lights.
My life began one September day,
A half century away;
And every year that passes by,
You, September, always brings me joy.
There is a quietness in the air,
Crisper days without a care.
Summer has gone...and left us more
September nights to truly adore.
(Lynda Robson)
Merle Baird-Kerr … written August 31, 2012
Comments welcome … scroll down (may enter as "anonymous")
or e-mail...firstname.lastname@example.com


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This topic contains 5 replies, has 4 voices, and was last updated by TyMac 2 years, 1 month ago.
May 24, 2016 at 12:21 am #39897
I just created a partial configuration on several different machines and the results after "Update-DscConfiguration -Verobse -Wait" are not the same as they were when the LCM was not configured as such. I'll commit a change for one of my config scripts and deploy the scripts to the pull server and run the aforementioned command on a node but the configuration changes will not automatically occur. It will occur several minutes later however... presumably on a normal LCM config check.
Is this expected behavior for partial configs?
You can see below that the check is running "successfully" – but the changes do not occur on the run as they did before:
PS C:\Users\Administrator> Update-DscConfiguration -Verbose -Wait VERBOSE: Perform operation 'Invoke CimMethod' with following parameters, ''methodName' = PerformRequiredConfigurationChecks,'className' = MSFT_DSCLocalConfigurationManager,'namespaceName' = root/Microsoft/Windows/DesiredStateConfiguration'. VERBOSE: An LCM method call arrived from computer WIN-F3BTDUDK8NO with user sid S-1-5-23-1974293225-1548797301-293546912-500. VERBOSE: [WIN-F4BTDUDK7NO]: [] Executing Get-Action with configuration 's checksum returned result status: GetConfiguration. VERBOSE: [WIN-F3BTDUDK8NO]: [] Checksum is different. LCM will execute GetConfiguration to pull configuration . VERBOSE: [WIN-F3BTDUDK8NO]: [] Executing GetConfiguration succeeded. Configuration DSCConfigDesktopApps was pulled from server. VERBOSE: [WIN-F3BTDUDK8NO]: [] Executing GetConfiguration succeeded. Configuration DSCConfigSystemBase was pulled from server. VERBOSE: Operation 'Invoke CimMethod' complete. VERBOSE: Time taken for configuration job to complete is 5.001 seconds
May 24, 2016 at 5:57 pm #40020
Indhu Krishna SivaramakrishnanParticipant
Can you please share the metaconfig on this target node?
May 24, 2016 at 11:08 pm #40056
Arie HParticipant
Did you happen to leave the ConfigurationID=" in the LCM script by any chance ?
LCM setting script will help indeed.
May 25, 2016 at 4:01 am #40075
What do you mean exactly by "metaconfig"? You want the .mof?
ConfigurationID=" is not in the LCM config:
[DSCLocalConfigurationManager()] Configuration SampleRegistrationMetaConfig { Settings { RefreshFrequencyMins = 30; RefreshMode = "PULL"; ConfigurationMode = "ApplyAndAutoCorrect"; AllowModuleOverwrite = $true; RebootNodeIfNeeded = $true; ConfigurationModeFrequencyMins = 60; } ConfigurationRepositoryWeb ConfigurationManager { ServerURL = "https://xxxxxx:8080/PSDSCPullServer.svc" RegistrationKey = "xxxx-xxxx-xxxxx-xxxx-xxxx" ConfigurationNames = @('DSCConfigDesktopApps', 'DSCConfigSystemBase') AllowUnsecureConnection = $false } PartialConfiguration DSCConfigDesktopApps { Description = 'Add desktop applicaitons' RefreshMode = 'Pull' ConfigurationSource = '[ConfigurationRepositoryWeb]ConfigurationManager' } PartialConfiguration DSCConfigSystemBase { Description = 'Config baseline system' RefreshMode = 'Pull' ConfigurationSource = '[ConfigurationRepositoryWeb]ConfigurationManager' } } SampleRegistrationMetaConfig -outputpath C:\dsc Set-DscLocalConfigurationManager -Path C:\dsc -Verbose
May 25, 2016 at 5:51 pm #40178
Nitin GuptaParticipant
This is a known issue in WMF 5. 0 RTM which is already fixed in windows internal builds. Workaround is to use
Start-DscConfiguration -wait -verbose -useExisting
after performing Update-DscConfiguration.
May 27, 2016 at 2:18 am #40511
That worked! Thanks!!!
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