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Monthly Archives: June 2011
Drum shade purchased from walmart for $14.99. If you look at the high end stores these lamp shades start at $99 a bit to much for my budget so I desided to create my own for less!
Lamp shade before
Lamp shade after
Here is how:
When purchasing your lamp shade make sure to get one with the shrink wrapper around it, it will serve as your pattern. Pin to a piece of burlap. When cutting the burlap make sure to cut 1 inch bigger than the plastic so that you can fold in the burlap when gluing it to the shade.
I surged the burlap all the way around so it would not fray, burlap freys very easy.
Before you attach the burlap to the shade transfer the image unto burlap using Lesley Riley's Tap Transfer Artist Paper
You will print image using an INKJET printer unto the transfer paper. Make sure to set printer on mirror image or t-shirt so that the word does not come out backwards.
Once printed cut out the image using an exacto knife
Iron image unto the burlap following the transfer paper instructions
using a hot glue gun, glue the burlap securing at the edges of the lamp shade
once the glue is dry cut off excess to create a neat edge and glue trim all the way around on the bottom and the top
I noticed when the lamp shade was placed on the lamp that once the light was turned on the image would not show through. My solution was to create a shield behind the word using some matching fabric and I hot glued it to the inside of lamp shade behind the wording.
completed project
Not feeling to crafty? this lamp shade can be purchased in my Etsy store
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04/06/11 Side Table Brought To Life
Found this little beauty at the Salvation Army for $20. Was originally $39.99 but purchased during the 50% off day. Here is the before and after.
Did a light sanding with an electric sander, cleaned it to remove dust and used KILZ 13 oz. Original Primer Sealer Spray purchased at Wal-Mart and painted with white cheap spray paint from Wal-Mart. Took the hardware that was tarnished and cleaned each piece with Tarn-X. The bottom of the legs were also tarnished and were hard to clean so I purchased a small bottle of gold paint from Michael's and WALA they match the hardware. Who said gold for decorating was out of style!
This table will be used in my daughter's bedroom as a night stand. Will post pictures when room is complete.
Thanks for stopping by!
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01/06/11 Southern Hospitality Homegoods Shopping Spree Giveaway
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01/06/11 Before & After
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01/06/11 Family Gallery
Vinyl words purchased on eBay for $14 , 8 x 10 $2 frames from Wal-Mart and tutorial from PRUDENT BABYhttp://www.prudentbaby.com/2009/10/diy-cameo-silhouettes-three-ways.html
Great conversation piece!
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Right now I'm rereading Why Did I Ever, a 200-page novel told in about 500 fragments. It's about a middle-aged woman with two messed-up adult children, several ex-husbands and a job as a script doctor, which she is about to lose. She also has a speed habit, which explains the fragments. Here are a few of them:
Rifling this copy of Rolling Stone, I say, "Here's a full-page ad for the U.S. fucking Army. And do I hate Jann Wenner for running this ad? No. It's they who don't write him letters saying, 'Cancel our subscriptions, Butterball! You better rethink!"
That fat man driving around with his little pooch? Now why don't I know him or someone like him? That man, I bet, could make me very happy.
"What's with the bandage?" I ask the Deaf Lady. "Did you hurt your hand?"
"This? Just a mattress fire."
"Oh, don't tell me," I say.
She says, "Calm down, I made sure it was out."
"When did his happen?"
"Uh, yesterday."
"You couldn't mean yesteday. Yesterday -- "
"All right, all right. Then the other day it was," she says. "Get off my ass."
I hear her and deep down I realize that God put the Deaf Lady next door to me for a reason.
I shouldn't be, at this late hour, but I'm up in my room, walking all around, and I've got my hammer but not a goddamn thing to nail.
And I wasted too much time and spent too much time painting in here and painting everything. Yellow and red? It looks like a Midas Mufflers.
Sometimes I read a book and wish I could just call up the writer and take her out for a sandwich. Some writers seem like long-lost friends. It would probably creep them out to know it, though.

subset: commoncrawl


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- Seat Height-29"
- Seat Width-11.5"
- For your safety, Please read our Instruction Guide for this type of Seat Cane.
Wow! A high quality seat cane that is called the Cadillac of all the seat canes, a cane that doubles as a seat. The handles and seat are made of nicely sewn faux leather with the shaft also covered with faux leather. There is a removable rubber tip allows you to rest on solid surfaces such as concrete or tile. This tip unscrews and reveals a metal spike that makes the seat easy to rest on when you are outdoors on soft ground. The small silver plate on the side unscrews and attaches to the bottom of the cane for balance and security. The silver plate works well for when you're sitting outdoors. This hammock chair cane will give you piece of mind always knowing that a place to rest is always at hand wherever your feet might take you.
This cane is manufactured by Royal Canes


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Toronto Junction Events: Summer 2013 in the #JunctionTO
Outdoor Cinema + Junction Farmers Market + Junction Flea
Collage credit: thejunctionbia.ca
Come visit the Junction, Toronto's best kept secret!
Type of attraction: history, culture, art, nature, gastronomy and beer!
Here are some of the events on tap for this summer:
Free Summer Screenings in The Junction Outdoor Cinema 2013
Every second Friday in July and August beginning around 9:30pm at the Junction Train Platform!
Info: The Junction BIA: Junction Movie Nights 2013
The Junction Flea - Toronto Outdoor Antique Market
Every second Sunday at the corner of Dundas and Keele at Indian Grove from 9 am - 4 pm
Info: The Junction Flea
The Junction Farmers Market
Saturdays at The Train Platform on Dundas West and Pacific Ave from 9am - 1pm
Info: The Junction Farmers Market
If you would like to know about news and happenings in the Junction please follow the Junction BIA's newsletter - The Junction Tracks
#JunctionTO is a destination!


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Karl suggested we drive to Black Mountain and run to the top of Mt. Mitchell. Twice. There is a trail that runs from the Black Mountain Campground to the top of Mt. Mitchell, which is the highest point east of the Mississippi River. The trail is approximately 5.5 miles long with a low point of 2,995 feet and a peak of 6,684, for a total elevation gain of 3,689 feet. On top of that, it is a pretty technical trail. Naturally, I said yes. Who wouldn't want to do that? Besides, it was a great way to simulate the double crossing of Hope Pass between miles 40 and 60 of Leadville. Well, as good a way as us east coasters are going to get.
So at 4am we left Raleigh for the 4-ish hour drive to the Black Mountain Campground. We arrived shortly after 8am, got our gear together, made a pit stop, and headed for the trail head. The campground office, store, and restrooms are conveniently located between the parking lot and the trail, which made the morning much more pleasant.
We started off at a light jog, and very soon the trail pitched up. Like a couple of morons, we kept running for the first little while in a gross overestimation of our abilities. Very quickly it became apparent that this "run" was going to be a power hike to the top. We slowed our pace to a brisk walk, which was as fast as we could manage with the incline and the roots and rocks that were omnipresent.
As we were getting an early start, we kept rounding corners and finding patches of young hippies and hipsters camping just off the trail in campsites of varying complexity and sophistication. Many of them were just beginning to stir and seemed as surprised to see us as we were to see them.
As we climbed higher we encountered fewer hippie nests until we were very alone on the mountain. We got extremely lucky with the weather. We chose July 5th for our adventure, not because of the holiday, but because that was when it fit with my training schedule. Normally July in North Carolina is hot. Hot and steamy. Stupid hot. Not today. It never got out of the 60s and at times became downright chilly. This was right up my alley as I function much better in colder weather.
The trail is marked by blue blazes, which should be easy enough to follow, but we managed to miss a turn on the way up and added another half mile to our first trip. This was a minus, plus, minus situation. The first minus was the extra half mile. The plus was that the gradient was a little more gradual. The second minus was that the trail was WAY more overgrown than the more direct route, and at times I joked that I felt like I was running the Barkley. (Side note: I am VERY aware that climbing Mt. Mitchell on a marked trail is no comparison to Barkley. I'm not a moron.)
Eventually we met back up with the blue trail. Fortunately, Karl had studied the route and knew about the split and that it would rejoin, so we didn't have to back track. I was in no way prepared and was relying completely on his knowledge. He will be crewing and pacing for me in Leadville next month so I figured it would be a good opportunity to put my trust in him. That and I'm lazy and disorganized.
We made it to the top in about two hours. We posed for a picture and explained to some tourists what we were doing, which made them feel lazy and us feel superior.
After that we hit the rest rooms, refilled our bottles, and headed back down. I was excited to go down because I knew it would be a rest from a cardio point of view. We ran when we could but had to hike most of it because of all the rocks and roots. I didn't want to risk a fall and an injury that could sideline my training. The trip down seemed to go much faster than the trip up, but in reality was only about 10 to 15 minutes faster.
We got to the car, refilled bottles, sat for a few minutes and ate, then headed back up. Not too far into the return trip I began to feel nauseated. I could tell I was running out of gas and pushing too hard. Karl was beginning to open up a gap. He noticed it too and asked if I was okay and slowed his pace. Here is where I learned a valuable lesson. I dialed my pace back just a bit and made myself eat a gel and drink some water. Sure enough, in just a few minutes, I began to feel better. Aha! Nutrition and hydration are important. Who knew? Oh, wait. Everyone knows that.
After that, I got my second wind and began to feel really good. In fact, I felt as though I was getting stronger as the day progressed. We made it back to the top, this time taking about two hours for the slightly shorter, steeper trail. We hit the snack bar, watched the tourists, posed for another picture, and headed back down the mountain.
|The woman who took this one asked if we were brothers. Nope, just a couple of morons with matching beards.
As we got closer and closer, I got faster and faster, feeling more and more encouraged and excited. I also realized this was my one chance to train on a mountain before Leadville, and I wanted to push myself as much as I could. When we were about to bottom out, the trail smoothed out and allowed for running, so I broke into a fast run for the last quarter mile or so. It felt great to open it up. I felt light and strong and happy. Karl was right behind me as we reached the dirt road that led back to the camp ground and the car.
We loaded into the car as quickly as we could and headed out. There is no cell phone service at the trail head, and we wanted to let our families know we were alive and on our way home. We had to drive for about twenty minutes before we finally got service. 4 hours later we found ourselves back in Raleigh. We had started at 4am, driven 4 hours, run/hiked over 22 miles in just over 8 hours with a total elevation gain of 7,378 feet and a total elevation loss of 7,378, and driven 4 hours home. It made for a long day, but an amazing adventure.


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It's with a great deal of regret that I am announcing the closure of Etherbeat Radio.Subscribers were tipped off via e-mail on Friday that this was going to happen--and I got confirmation this morning that the site was closed for business (see above).
Proposed legislative changes are signalling a new climate for internet radio in which enthusiast stations like Etherbeat can't survive. Besides this, I've just found it to be too much about business and paperwork lately and not enough about music AND I'm all out of cash! So it really is time to move on to something different...
The promise of the Internet, for creative types, has always been that with enough connectivity, there is an audience for every taste.
There might not be twenty-five people in your hometown who would have cared to listen to Etherbeat (I'm betting there were a lot more than that) but worldwide, the potential audience might have easily numbered in the millions.
Whatever else it was, Etherbeat was a labor of love, and largely a one-man show; JC poured his heart and soul into the operation, and while there were shortages of cash at the end and exasperation with the legislative machinations currently underway, there was never any shortage of love. You could hear it in the music every day.
As I wrote to my Congressional reps a few months back:
Internet-based broadcasters are filling a culturally important role by providing high-quality alternatives to the homogenized dreck that flows over the public airwaves. They are offering music lovers a choice and presenting an incredibly diverse palette of musical styles and options to their listeners.With Etherbeat gone, the dreck quotient just went up a little.
The mourners are checking in.
For me -- well, my days will be a little longer without Etherbeat streaming through the speakers of my work PC.
JC, you're the reason I bought a subwoofer for my work rig. ;-) And let me tell you, brother, you sold a lot of records... I can't tell you how many CDs I bought after first hearing an artist on Etherbeat.
Be well, and good luck with whatever's next for you.


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How To Apply: Undergraduate Studies in Education
Application Procedures
We will be open for applications from Freshmen for Fall 2017 on October 1st - November 30th.
Transfer Students:
We are currently open for applications for Spring 2017 from August 1 - 31.
We will be open for applications for Fall 2017 from October 1 - November 30.
- Review the campus catalog to familiarize yourself with the academic offerings of the University.
- Review the Undergraduate Studies academic programs.
- Visit the campus admissions page and follow the instructions to apply.
Academic and Program Services
Phone: (916) 278-6639 | Office: Eureka Hall 401
Phone: (916) 278-6639 | Office: Eureka Hall 401


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Oops, you forgot something.
The words you entered did not match the given text. Please try again.
Scouts can work with their families on earning belt loops and pins any time throughout the year. Scouts can earn these achievements on a wide variety of subjects. Dianne has a book that you can look through and see if there is anything you'd like to work on with your son. Ask to see the book at any den meeting.
Create a Free Photo Album at Webs.com


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Stella SKJELDAL
died: 19 September 1984
in Baltimore, Maryland
This is the same death date and place of death for my Great Aunt Stella ANUSZKIEWICZ.
Further research yielded the following:
Stella SKJELDAL
born: 25 October 1905
died: 19 September 1984 Baltimore City, MD
source - SSDI
(my Great Aunt Stella was born in Poland between 1905 - 1908)
Leonard SKJELDAL
born: 14 March 1905
died: September 1905 Maryland
source: SSDI
Stella SKJELDAL was Naturalized in 1945 and she lived at
116 S. Broadway, Baltimore, Maryland.
Leonard SKJELDAL was Naturalized in 1948 and lived at the same address.
Headstone of Leonard & Stella SKJELDAL
in St. Mary's Cemetery, Baltimore, Maryland
So these two are definitely related to each other.
Apparently Leonard was a Merchant Seaman because I find several Passenger Lists where he is listed. All of these lists say he was born in Norway.
I find all of this very promising because my Uncle Vince had told me years ago when I first started doing research that my Great Aunt Stella had married a Norwegian man by the name of Leonard. He is also the one who gave me the death date and place of death for her (My Mother had also told me she had died in Baltimore, but she did not know the date.)
I have a gut feeling that this is Great Aunt Stella and her husband but I have not yet been able to find a documented connection. I could send for Stella SKJELDAL's death certificate, but Maryland's prices are more than double what they are here in Pennsylvania. I have been trying to find a marriage certificate but so far no luck with online records.
But I feel this is a very promising lead!
I made a phone call to St. Mary's Church. They gave me the number to the cemetery itself. I was surprised to find that St. Mary's Cemetery is a Redemptrous Cemetery. They could not give me much info. I was able to get the exact location of the grave, but that was about it.
The woman I was talking to had suggested talking to the parish rectory, and to also try St. John Newman, since they also use the cemetery. Will have to give both Rectories a call when I get a chance.
I have not yet called either of the rectories in Maryland. I do have a VERY promising bit of information that I believe points in the right direction. I decided to run a Google search on Leonard Skejdal. I came across a link for the My Heritage website. This is another pay site, and unfortunately, I do not subscribe to it. However, the site does let you see a little of what they have for the name you are researching. There were 3 of these such links for Leonard from a newspaper "The Capital" (Annapolis, Maryland), two of which were obviously obituary (not enough info in the little blurb to get anything out of it) but...a link dated; January 22, 1953 had some blurbs about other stuff then this....
Jan. 22, 1953
.....Helen Knana her daughters, Gloria & Diane and MT, and Mrs. William Schutter their son Louis of Philadelphia were weekend guests of Mrs. Marie Skjedal...
I believe this could be another link to confirming that Stella SKJELDAL is Stella UNCORT (ANUSZKIEWICZ).
I wrote to both cemeteries asking for information about Stella SKJELDAL. Neither one had any information. The only thing either could tell me was that the grave was owned by Mrs. SKJELDAL - no first name on the deed; and that Leonard was not Catholic, which I find odd considering that you usually need to be Catholic to be buried in a Catholic Cemetery. However, when I called Our Lady of the Field's (another church that was recommended for this cemetery), and had told the woman I was talking to that i was surprised that Leonard was buried in a Catholic Cemetery, she told me there were exceptions but did not say what they were, but that it was up to the priest that was officiating.
So, with that being a dead end - no pun intended - I decided to go the route of the Division of Vital Records for the State of Maryland. Looking through their website, I printed out the form to be mailed in. Along the bottom of the form was a phone number to call for 'genealogical purposes'. So I called - it was the phone number for the Maryland State Archives. Spoke to a very nice gentleman, and then ordered a copy of Stella SKJELDAL's death certificate. It should be here in about 10 days. Hopefully this will answer once and for all that Stella SKJELDAL is Stella ANUSZKIEWICZ-UNCORT.
The gentleman that I was talking to also gave me some insight on how to pronounce SKJELDAL. He had said that in most Germanic & Norse (Norwegian) names, the 'kj' sound is usually pronounced as an 'sh' sound. He said he was guessing, but that he believed the SKJELDAL surname would be pronounced as: Shell - dahl.
I received the Death Certificate from Maryland - Stella SKJELDAL is Stella UNCORT!!
However, there is no new information to be had from the Death Certificate. It lists her father as Stanley Uncort; mother as Alice ZIGMONT (same surname as I have had for her, just spelled different). The informant was her sister, my Grandmother Helen Uncort Kahana Bacican.


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"If asked to serve on a jury deliberating a violation of state or federal drug laws, we will vote to acquit, regardless of the evidence presented. Save for a prosecution in which acts of violence or intended violence are alleged, we will — to borrow Justice Harry Blackmun's manifesto against the death penalty — no longer tinker with the machinery of the drug war. No longer can we collaborate with a government that uses nonviolent drug offenses to fill prisons with its poorest, most damaged and most desperate citizens.
Jury nullification is American dissent, as old and as heralded as the 1735 trial of John Peter Zenger, who was acquitted of seditious libel against the royal governor of New York, and absent a government capable of repairing injustices, it is legitimate protest. If some few episodes of a television entertainment have caused others to reflect on the war zones we have created in our cities and the human beings stranded there, we ask that those people might also consider their conscience. And when the lawyers or the judge or your fellow jurors seek explanation, think for a moment on Bubbles or Bodie or Wallace. And remember that the lives being held in the balance aren't fictional." (via BG5000)
The Wire will end on Sunday, but, in my opinion, it will forever be the most socially relevant and under-appreciated series ever on television.
Thursday, March 06, 2008
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You are already familiar with the way we work in language lessons: we are connected, aren't we? and this year the connections stretches to other areas, with Vicent and Diana joining us. In Catalan, you are reading a book from Roald Dahl, Boy, an autobiography. In the book you will find lots of descriptions of the characters that appear in the book as well as many anecdotes. With Magdalena, your Catalan teacher, you had to write a composition including an anecdote. Yesterday, on our outing to La Caixa, we listened to a journalist, Ramón Lobo, who talked about his childhood, his family and his life. He also ilustrated his talk with anecdotes, in fact he told us so many anecdotes that after an hour we were a bit lost. He has had a very interesting life, hasn't he? He talked in a very colloquial register, he was not academic, as if he was talking to friends.
In Ramon's talk, war conflicts were in the background. He talked about his childhood and about his family, and when he talked about wars and conflicts, he mentioned very often how children lived the experience of war.
If you only had seen a picture of Ramón, you could describe his looks and maybe guess some traits of his personality from his expression or the way he dressed. Now you have much more information: his voice, the way he talked and, of course the things he said.
You have to write a description of Ramón Lobo. You must include facts, such as age, job, looks, personality, and you must also talk about his life. Remember that when writing about someone's life it is good to follow some kind of time line. You must also include some anecdotes and the parts of his talk that impressed you most.
Organise your writing into paragraphs, use the spellchecker, check the power point on descriptions and the one on adjectives and comparatives to make your writing more inteeresting.
Homework: Friday 5th of November. You must write about 150 words. open a google doc and put a title:
Your full name followed by Ramon Lobo's description and biography.
If you need more information you can read waht he writes about himself in his blog: http://www.ramonlobo.com/about/
Here follow some hints to help you write your composition.
In the description you must include:
- Biographical facts
- Looks and personality
- Why you are writing about him
- What were the aspects of his talk that impressed you most.
- Write a draft/ diagram (guión, esquema) before you start writing.
- Taylor's model will help you to remember that you must structure your writing into clear paragraphs. Do not mix different aspects of Ramon's life, personality and work in the same block of information.
- Visit his blog, or run a search on the Internet to find out extra details you would like to include.
- Do not try to include everything he said in his talk.
- Follow a time line when you write about his story: childhood, school, university, first job, current job, plans for the future.
- Leave at least one paragraph to talk about the content of his talk at La Caixa, conflicts around the world.
- End your composition with a personal comment on his job and on the kind of person you think he is
- Do not write the composition in Spanish or Catalan and then translate it into English. Write in English from the beginning. Simple sentences first, then try to link them using connectors or relative clauses.
- Use the spell checker to correct mistakes, not the translator.
- count the words. (you have the tool in your word processor)
- when you write, activate a bilingual dictionary such as http://www.wordreference.com/ and a monolingual dictionary such as http://dictionary.reference.com/ This way, you can look for new words or expressions and avoid repetitions. For example, do not repeat interesting many times, try to look for alternatives.
1. absorbing, entertaining. Interesting, pleasing, gratifying mean satisfying to the mind. Something that is interesting occupies the mind with no connotation of pleasure or displeasure: an interesting account of a battle. Something that is pleasing engages the mindfavorably: a pleasing account of the wedding. Something that is gratifying fulfills expectations, requirements, etc.: a gratifying account of his whereabouts; a book gratifying in its detail.
1. dull.


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Scrapbook/Journal: Give child a cheap notebook (picked up at back-to-school sales and squirreled away by practical mama). Provide scissors, tape, crayons and pencil. Label the page with school year and teacher. Show how her how to arrange valentines, collage-style. She might cut pretty bits from
each or line them up like gallery next to each friend's picture. Add stickers or decorations.
Pirate Treasure Box: If Johnny B Goode made a particularly nice valentine box for school, save and use to store special stuff--treasures, awards, collectibles, tchotchkis, trinkets, medals, feathers, rocks, keys, bits of a disused bird's nest---so dear to a boy's heart. Or decorate a box using valentines, old maps, scrap aluminum foil, colored plastic, pictures, recycled bin fodder to and magazines. Water down school glue and paint over decorations to to "laminate" or decoupage. He could use his box as a "mailbox" too.
Jewelry box: Repupose old pasteboard, metal or wooden boxes. If decorations are peeling, scrub them off, down to basic box shape. If box is wooden, sand down blemishes. If metal, clean rust and grime with scrubber or Mr. Clean white sponge. Dry thoroughly. Paint box or decoupage valentines on with thin glue. Glue on flowers, faux gems, sequins, ribbon or lace if desired. If clasp is broken, glue a button on the bottom of the opening and a loop of yarn to the top. Loop yarn over button to close.
Picture frame: Buy a wide-edge photo frame or cut your own. Measure opening to fit picture and cut from cereal box. Cut inner edge with decorative scissors. Paint frame or cover with plain covered fabric or wrapping paper. Cut pictures from valentines or magazines. Use decoupage method to decorate edge with cut valentines.
Bookmarks: Decorate cardboard strips cut from dry goods boxes. Paint with fabric paints. Decoupage valentines on bookmark and write message ("Grandma-You're my Valentine Year-Round", "Dad I'm always thinking of you.") Give as Mother's Day, Father's Day or Grandparents' Day gifts.
Any of these would make a lovely gift for a lonely senior friend or shut-in. Why not pay it forward in the upcoming Easter holiday? Find a lonely old person and share your time and talent. You can find more recycled crafts at my blog Green Crafts.


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The Dragon Trip has introduced a new Japan backpacking tour with opportunities to go off-the-beaten-track with adventure leaders and explore the destination's countryside and cultural experiences.
Travellers can see the main sights in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka on a 12-day round-trip Tokyo tour for £1,499, with opportunities to explore the countryside and its shrines, along with temples and hiking trails.
Immersive adventure activities include climbing the Takaosan Mountain, viewing Mount Fuji by pirate ship and hiking through a bamboo forest. There's also a karate lesson, a calligraphy class, a visit to the sumo district, an anime masterclass, trips to local bath houses and karaoke.
Alex Seigel, director for the company, said: "Having taken more than a thousand people around China, we were constantly being asked if it was possible to do a similar trip in Japan. The destination is the perfect place for adventure travel, with a myriad of options for cultural discovery, hiking and sampling new cuisine.
"There seems to be an increasing trend in adventure travel for people looking for opportunities to get under the skin of a country and really discover it. We have found travellers really want to do activities that go beyond the standard tourist options and enable them to have genuine experiences."
The price includes all transport, accommodation, guiding, plus the majority of activities, but excludes meals, drinks and flights. Two departure dates are available on August 8 and September 12.
Call 0203-817 5974 or visit thedragontrip.com for further information.


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Am I excited? Very, has watching 'Up In The Air' made flying all the more easy for me? NO!
I'll have to be in at Sydney International Airport in a few hours, but not without one last Male Umbrella post!- Just reflecting on the past week I thought at the end of the post i'd share a picture from last weekends celebrations! It was for my mate's (Patrick) 21st! (What am I wearing you might ask?: Arthur Galan Shirt, SABA Black Skinny, SABA pants, Aquilla Shoes)
What am I packing for Hong Kong? Temperatures are about 14-19 degrees celsius, so I have packed a few shirts that are nice on, and even better in case things get messy, as well as a few basic v-neck sweaters for layering! Have packed a pair of rubber sole slip on loafers for a more dressy look and top this off with a light scarf and a electric blue cardigan, and I'm ready to go off to HK in search of anything TOM FORD, ZARA, H&M and RALPH LAUREN. Hopefully i'll buy sensibly whilst taking in the culture of the beautiful Country my parents used to call home!
(N.B. the photo below is of Monique and myself in Sydney's infamous Kings Cross. Enjoy!)
On a final note, to really get me in the mood (to travel and shop) I have to thank Joanna and Rowena for taking the time to take a picture and send me the photo of the D&G window display they came across during a recent trip to Taiwan. Good choice ladies! (N.B. Such a glamourous display, the bow ties speak for themselves whilst the updated smoking jacket and the shawl like slim lapelle is breath taking! I just realised how much of D&G I see in Tom Ford's collection- makes me think who is influencing who? )


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If really pressed, Owl will mumble she wasn't a fan of the Bush administration because none of her friends were, and ever since Obama moved into office, Owl has been filled with worry. The president! Is he getting enough sleep? Does he need a vacation? What if he spaces out during a meeting? Owl spaces out during meetings all the time, but she makes up for it by pestering her coworker for a briefing and suffering mild pangs of guilt. If Obama spaces out during a meeting, millions of Americans suffer.
|Presidential material?
Curtis Sittenfeld's American Wife is loosely based on Laura Bush's life, and it deals with exactly the sorts of political questions Owl worries about—in other words, what is it like to be first lady?
For Alice Lindgren, habitual people-pleaser and bibliophile, it means struggle, often times an internal one that she can not share with anyone including her husband, especially her husband.
Alice never expected or wanted to be first lady, she is a victim of circumstance. Circumstance and love, because part of staying within her marriage means allowing her husband to go after his dreams even if they are not precisely her own dreams.
Unlike Lee Fiora in Prep, Alice is completely likeable protagonist, someone who has the ability to read people, someone whose desire to please is so great she can act on what she reads, but someone who will, when push comes to shove, do the right thing even if it means upsetting her nearest and dearest—the worst nightmare of any people pleaser.
Sittenfeld starts Alice's story in her childhood and dumps in a heaping tablespoon of trauma drama. Normally Owl would not be a fan, but Sittenfeld is A) following the trajectory of Laura Bush's life and B) quickly kaleidoscopes outwards to the really interesting events that form a person's character, in other words, the mundane.
American Wife focuses heavily on the mundane, that is to say on the ordinary events that fill most lives: living with in-laws, raising children, dealing with your spouse. However, Sittenfeld knows how a single dinner party can be fraught with enough emotional tension to fill a movie, how much venom can be injected into the politest catch phrases. When Alice takes her housekeeper to see a play, it isn't just about going to a play, there's a commentary on racism and classism, how little and how much power an individual has to change someone else's life.
Sittenfeld fills each of these events with nuggets of wisdom that linger in the reader's mind long after they've finished the book. Ah, yes, that! I've felt that. Even when she ventures into the extraordinary (living at the White House), what she must have used her imagination to flesh out, Sittenfeld's insight rings true:
The part about being famous that nobody who hasn't been famous can understand is the criticism. Sure, sticks and stones and all of that, but the fact is that many people have probably wished at least once or twice that someone would be completely honest with them. How does this dress or this haircut really look? What do you truly think of my wife or my son, the house I built, the memo I wrote, the cake I baked?
In reality they don't want to know. What they want is to be complimented and for the compliments to be completely honest; they want all-encompassing affirmation that's also true. That isn't how unvarnished opinions work. People's unvarnished opinions are devastating…
With that kind of incisive analysis, Sittenfeld could have had an alternate career as a highly successful therapist. Thank God she decided to write.
American Wife is also the story of a marriage, which is refreshing because most books are about the process of getting married and then end by going 'they lived happily ever after, kthanxbye.' After all, post-marriage is when you get to figure out, oh man, the spouse's feet really smell—and then you have to deal because you can't divorce someone just for having smelly feet.
American Wife is full of smelly feet moments, full of give and takes, compromises and then compromising compromises with maintaining a sense of self, a reminder that while the first lady and her husband maybe the voice and face of America, first and foremost, they are just—like you and me—ordinary human beings.
This may not be comforting, but it will certainly change the way you read the newspaper.


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|Trump and Manafort
On a leafy side street off Independence Square in Kiev is an office used for years by Donald J. Trump's campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, when he consulted for Ukraine's ruling political party. His furniture and personal items were still there as recently as May.
And Mr. Manafort's presence remains elsewhere here in the capital, where government investigators examining secret records have found his name, as well as companies he sought business with, as they try to untangle a corrupt network they say was used to loot Ukrainian assets and influence elections during the administration of Mr. Manafort's main client, former President Viktor F. Yanukovych.
Handwritten ledgers show $12.7 million in undisclosed cash payments designated for Mr. Manafort from Mr. Yanukovych's pro-Russian political party from 2007 to 2012, according to Ukraine's newly formed National Anti-Corruption Bureau. Investigators assert that the disbursements were part of an illegal off-the-books system whose recipients also included election officials.
In addition, criminal prosecutors are investigating a group of offshore shell companies that helped members of Mr. Yanukovych's inner circle finance their lavish lifestyles, including a palatial presidential residence with a private zoo, golf course and tennis court. Among the hundreds of murky transactions these companies engaged in was an $18 million deal to sell Ukrainian cable television assets to a partnership put together by Mr. Manafort and a Russian oligarch, Oleg Deripaska, a close ally of President Vladimir V. Putin.
[A]n examination of Mr. Manafort's activities offers new details of how he mixed politics and business out of public view and benefited from powerful interests now under scrutiny by the new government in Kiev.
Anti-corruption officials there say the payments earmarked for Mr. Manafort, previously unreported, are a focus of their investigation, though they have yet to determine if he actually received the cash. While Mr. Manafort is not a target in the separate inquiry of offshore activities, prosecutors say he must have realized the implications of his financial dealings.
"He understood what was happening in Ukraine," said Vitaliy Kasko, a former senior official with the general prosecutor's office in Kiev. "It would have to be clear to any reasonable person that the Yanukovych clan, when it came to power, was engaged in corruption."
The developments in Ukraine underscore the risky nature of the international consulting that has been a staple of Mr. Manafort's business since the 1980s, when he went to work for the Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos. Before joining Mr. Trump's campaign this spring, Mr. Manafort's most prominent recent client was Mr. Yanukovych, who — like Mr. Marcos — was deposed in a popular uprising.
Before he fled to Russia two years ago, Mr. Yanukovych and his Party of Regions relied heavily on the advice of Mr. Manafort and his firm, who helped them win several elections. During that period, Mr. Manafort never registered as a foreign agent with the United States Justice Department — as required of those seeking to influence American policy on behalf of foreign clients — although one of his subcontractors did.
While working in Ukraine, Mr. Manafort had also positioned himself to profit from business deals that benefited from connections he had gained through his political consulting. One of them, according to court filings, involved a network of offshore companies that government investigators and independent journalists in Ukraine have said was used to launder public money and assets purportedly stolen by cronies of the government.
The role of the offshore companies in business dealings involving Mr. Manafort came to light because of court filings in the Cayman Islands and in a federal court in Virginia related to an investment fund, Pericles Emerging Markets. Mr. Manafort and several partners started the fund in 2007, and its major backer was Mr. Deripaska, the Russian mogul, to whom the State Department has refused to issue a visa, apparently because of allegations linking him to Russian organized crime, a charge he has denied.
Mr. Manafort continued working in Ukraine after the demise of Mr. Yanukovych's government, helping allies of the ousted president and others form a political bloc that opposed the new pro-Western administration. Some of his aides were in Ukraine as recently as this year, and Ukrainian company records give no indication that Mr. Manafort has formally dissolved the local branch of his company, Davis Manafort International, directed by a longtime assistant, Konstantin V. Kilimnik.


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Fox Rothschild Expands Denver Office With Addition of Taxation and Wealth Planning Partner Jennifer E. BendaJuly 1, 2015 – Press Releases
Fox Rothschild LLP is pleased to announce that experienced tax practitioner Jennifer E. Benda has joined the firm's Denver office as a partner in the Taxation and Wealth Planning Department.
A former Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Benda is a skilled tax attorney who handles tax controversy and income tax planning and compliance matters.
"Jennifer's addition is a strategic expansion of our tax controversy and income tax planning and compliance services to clients in the region," said Rick Rubin, Fox's Denver office managing partner. "Her background and experience as both an attorney and a CPA will help provide a beneficial perspective that will be an asset to our clients in solving their issues in a timely and cost-effective manner."
Benda serves as a steadfast advocate for clients, developing relationships with IRS personnel and IRS Appeals and state departments of revenue, and leverages these relationships to successfully resolve her clients' tax matters. While she recognizes that out-of-court solutions can be more beneficial to her clients, she is prepared to take cases to court when necessary to ensure her clients are treated fairly.
Benda's decade-long tenure as a CPA prior to entering the legal field enables her to provide additional benefits to clients in cases involving valuation or accounting issues and to effectively solve complicated tax issues.
Benda received her J.D., with honors, from George Washington University Law School in 2005, her M.S. in accounting from Texas A&M University in 1995 and her B.B.A. in accounting from Texas A&M University in 1994.
Prior to joining Fox Rothschild, Benda was counsel at Baker & Hostetler LLP. She was also a CPA for 10 years before entering the legal field.


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We will discuss all things hockey. While this will be Pens-centric, the rest of the league is still of interest to us. We are in no way, shape, or form affiliated with, endorsed by, or cared about, by the Pittsburgh Penguins, the NHL, or anyone else worth their salt.
Tweet us @Shootin the Puck.
Contact Us


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Bridgeport grenade probe continues
BRIDGEPORT -- Although the explosive device recovered Wednesday from the Margaret E. Morton Government Center turned out to be a WWII-era smoke grenade, city officials Thursday said they are taking the threat seriously.
Mayoral spokeswoman Elaine Ficarra said the city has "strong" security in place for government buildings, but "will review our plans, as we do on a regular basis, to see what else we can do to make the environment as safe as possible for our employees and the public. "
Police said they are investigating to determine who initially delivered the grenade, and are reviewing video surveillance footage.
At 11 a.m. Wednesday, a man, who has not yet been identified, handed a bag containing some papers and a cardboard coffee cup with a plastic lid to a city contractor-employee outside the Broad Street building with instructions that it be delivered to the city's Office of Internal Affairs on the second floor. The employee used his key card to enter the locked State Street entrance to the government center and deposited the bag in the OIA office.
When detectives examined the cup they found it contained the grenade-type device.
The building was then evacuated and the State Police bomb squad called in.
State Police Sgt. Donna Tadiello said the bomb squad retrieved the device and examined it before transferring it to another location where it was exploded. She said it was determined to be a fused BK-2, otherwise known as a Beldkorper BK-2. The device is a German smoke grenade consisting of an outer glass bulb and an internal glass vial both filled with chemicals, according to an Internet search. The grenade is thrown and upon impact it breaks causing smoke.
Valerie Leas-Sorrentino, business manager of Local 200 of the Laborers International Union, said she has some questions about how the evacuation was carried out from the center, but has so far received no complaints from city employees.
Ficarra said they have a security guard at the public entrance to the government center as well as a number of cameras paid for with $3 million in funding from the federal Department of Homeland Security.
"Our Bridgeport Virtual Shield is the latest strategy in protecting all of the city's critical infrastructures and hazard specific areas by deploying video sentinels or networking into existing units to assist in the monitoring of all city's critical infrastructure," she said. "The expectation is that it will serve as a persistent crime prevention tool in the community."
A survey of city offices in New Haven, Hartford and Stamford show they all have similar security features with either a guard or police officer and surveillance camera. None have metal detectors and Ficarra said Bridgeport does not anticipate putting any at the government center.
firstname.lastname@example.com; 203-330-6308; http:// twitter.com/dantepfer


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Springtime is in the air... or should I say summer? I don't know about your corner of the world, but in mine, it's been downright balmy. And I say, bring it. We've had an exceptionally mild winter. I've kept most of my itchy sweaters and clunky boots stashed... and I prefer to keep them that way. Break out the bare legs and ballet flats... here's to an early spring!
A few things I'm loving right now...
Saturday, March 24, 2012
March loves
2 comments:
- Emily, Resplendent Tranquility said...
Lavender polish! I bought a new bottle but haven't used it yet. Perhaps this weekend.
- April 3, 2012 at 2:03 PM
- Erin Cathleen said...
Me too! I went with Sally Hansen's because it cost about half as much as Essie's... and is the exact same shade. Pretty!
I think we need to plan a springtime meetup, perhaps in your neck of the woods or NYC! What do you think?
- April 9, 2012 at 11:25 AM
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|No, silly geese...this aren't mine!
I first learned about these scrumptious treats while in Paris with 3 girlfriends of mine on our Europe Backpacking trip a few years back. I have never heard of them before, but DAYYUM they were good (and expensive, I might add). I brought some home for my family and we all enjoyed them.
And then I forgot about them. There was nowhere here (that I knew of) where I could buy them, and as you do as an angsty 21 year old fresh out of University, you move on to more important things (Boys....boys....and boys...and maybe the occasional job search).
They were recently brought back into my awareness last year when we received a gift at the office of a Macaron TOWER. It was INCREDIBLE. Then, as I started getting more into baking and food blogs and the like, I can't get these stupid things out of my mind!
So, I started off by doing a little (okay A LOT) of research. I watched video after video, read blog after blog, and found the below (not intimidating at all) image:
FINALLY I plucked up enough courage to give it a shot. Why all this pressure, you may ask? I have issues...clearly!
Anyway, the good news? They turned out SO SO yummy! The gnache was yummyscrumbos, and the cookie has the desired taste and consistency.
The bad news? They were a WEE bit flat (which I know is because I over-mixed them by exactly 1.6784 folds)
Anyway, I DID learn a lot, so throughout this post/recipe, I'm going to share some tidbits with you so that when you attempt this at home, you will hopefully have more success than I did!
Basic Macaron
Recipe From: Cake Journal
Everything Else: The Internet
First, Words of wisdom from the kind lady of Cake Journal - "You might know that macarons are highly unreliable cookies, even if you have made them several times. The results can vary from time to time, and sometimes you have no idea what went wrong. It takes some time to figure out what works for you, in your kitchen and oven. But don't give up! They are definitely not impossible to make and once you get the hang of it you'll be able to make them without even thinking."
Got that? Okay, here we go!
Tools you will need (best to lay these all out ahead of time):
- Strainer/Sifter
- Parchment Paper
- Bowls
- Round Tip (thick)
- Piping Bag
- Spatula
- Hand or Stand Mixer
1 & 1/8 cup of ground almonds (you can grind yourself OR buy them pre-ground. I reccomend the latter)
3 egg whites that are room temperature
1 & 1/2 cups powdered sugar
4 tbsp regular sugar
If you have almonds grind them in a food processor. Sift to get rid of any lumps.
Now, this part should have come with the stipulation that your food processor should be an AMAZING, high quality one. Mine is good, but not for this kind of thing. I ground a whole bag of almonds and got MAYBE 1/2 cup worth of the ground almonds that are required. I tried grinding a little at a time, a lot at a time and just for a long time (that resulted in Almond Butter...there is a line, folks). It just wasn't up to snuff. SO I recommend you just buy them pre-ground. The rest was just lumpy. As you can tell, I was off to a really good start. Also, I was at this step for about 45 mins. Just save yourself the trouble and buy ground almond.
Mix the powdered sugar with your ground almonds in the food processor. I had to do this in multiple batches because my food processor is quite small. This also made QUITE a mess. This was part of the massacre.
In a separate, large bowl, whip the egg whites (I used a hand mixer). As they start to foam, start adding the sugar, one tablespoon at a time and continue to mix until it is stiff and glossy. You can tell it is ready if you turn the bowl upside down and the merenge stays put. Go ahead, try it, it's fun!
|I know, it looks like boobies.
Fold the almond and icing sugar mixture into the merange, a little bit at a time. IF YOU WISH, add food colouring at this point! RIGHT NOW, otherwise, it's too late. Also, only use either a powder or a gel food colouring otherwise it will get too watery. Fold until fully mixed. It is VERY, VERY important that you do not over mix (I did). If you're not sure, Cake Journal says it should flow like a ribbon when you hold the spatula. I thought my did, but apparently flow like a ribbon and gush like a river are 2 different things. Who knew?
If you're not sure, put a dollop on your parchment paper. If it SLOWLY flattens, you're golden. If it liquifies, you're past the point of no return and your cookies will be flat (like mine were). In my defense, I made a last minute choice to make my cookies green and because I added my food colouring so late, I overmixed my batter. Green was also an unfortunate choice as you will see below. Second part of the massacre.
Once your batter is ready: put batter into a piping bag that has the appropriate tip. I didn't have the right tip, so I used the disposable piping bags instead and just cut a wider tip.
TIP: if you have a hard time holding the bag and filling it at the same time, Cake Journal had a great idea - put the bag in a tall glass, that way it stays up and is less mess when you have a runny, gooey dough like mine!
Next, pipe the batter onto your parchment lined baking sheets. The cookies will flatten (or again, in my case, liquify into a green, gooey mess) so you only need to make them 1 inch across.
This is where the green colour was an unfortunate colour. As I was piping, I put too much batter into the bag, so it was all coming out the top like flubber. It truly looked like toxic waste. I was going to take a picture, but my hands were so covered in goo, it was impossible.
As you can tell, me in the kitchen is also a comedy sketch.
Leave them for 1 hour in which time a skin will form.
As this point I looked around my kitchen and it actually looked like I had murdered the cookies. Batter was EVERYWHERE, icing sugar COVERED the counter, I had bits of ground almond under my feet, and green slime on the cupboards.
What next, you ask? I swear on my life, this is what happened next. I went down to the basement to do laundry, and what do I see? My hot water tank was GUSHING, and I mean GUSHING boiling hot water. Hubby wasn't home. Molly wanted to drink the water. You know what my first thought was? "I wonder if I can just leave it?"
No, Lisa, you cannot. Go get the landlord...NOW. So I did, he came and he fixed it. TA-DAH!
Back to the recipe. When there is about 10 mins left, preheat your oven to 300 degrees F. Let them bake for about 10-12 mins (mine only took 8). Be sure to watch them closely as they WILL burn quite quickly. If you don't think they are done, touch the top of the cookie and if it wobbles, it isn't ready!
|Sort of?
Let the cookie cool completely by removing them from your baking sheets and put them on a cooling rack. If they don't come off, put them back in the oven for another minute or so!
I have to say, they turned out really well all things considered. My only beef was that they were flat and even still they have the texture that is described in the "perfect macaroon" specification above!
I whipped up a quick thing of ganache (recipe to come later but can be found here) and voila!
Like I said, totally pleased with myself, and they were soooooo soooo good! Just need to keep the above in mind for the NEXT time I make them (in 10 years when I build up the courage to do it again!)
- Lisa
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Jets Coach Trips Player: Dolphins Players React
The Miami Dolphins players weren't happy with the New York Jets, specifically assistant coach Sal Alosi for tripping Nolan Carroll on the sidelines during the game. The words "cheaters" and "What did you expect?" were the common reaction from the players.
Here's a sampling of the reactions on the video (via Jeff Darlington):
-Karlos Dansby says the trip should be the first video shown on ESPN's "C'mon Man!" Monday night.
-Channing Crowder says he would break that "old man's legs" if he tripped him.
-Nolan Carroll had very little to say and obviously didn't want to stir the pot.
The Jets assistant coach has apologized and the NFL confirmed they were reviewing the matter.


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On 10.03.2009 00:06, VDR User wrote: > I've been using vdpau-enabled xine in VDR-1.7.4 (via xine-0.9.0) for > some time now so if he's only saying it's possible then that's old > news. But if he's saying vdpau will be supported in VDR core, then > that's pretty big news in my opinion (although I don't believe that's > the case).
Why should any special output device get support in VDR core, if I'm permanently being pestered to remove even support for DVB devices from the core code? Klaus _______________________________________________ vdr mailing list email@example.com http://www.linuxtv.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/vdr


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You are currently browsing the monthly archive for March 2010.
I just finished The Triumph of Politics: Why the Reagan Revolution Failed by David Stockman. Of all the books I've read about politics, foreign affairs, economics, etc. I've read since getting interested in government, this is one of the most memorable. I kept shutting the book and saying to myself: "No way!" And despite its being a 400 page book in which about 350 pages are about the formation of a federal budget from January 1980 to December 1980, I found myself laughing at the style, the anecdotes, and, ultimately, being very sympathetic to someone who is in many ways my ideological opposite.
After reading The Education of David Stockman and Other Americans by William Greider, I figured that Stockman's book would offer a series of mitigating factors that would blunt the severity of the budget fiasco described in Greider's book. I figured I would be reading apologetics for Reaganomics. In fact, Stockman's book actually makes all of the bad things in Greider's book appear incalculably worse. He savages most of the senior Reagan administration officials, does worse to the supply-side "central committee", and ultimately portrays Ronald Reagan as a dangerously incompetent actor responsible for a fiscal crisis unimaginable in previous years. According to Stockman, for eight years in the 1980's the US was led by a man who could not understand very elementary concepts about governance, mathematics, and, finally, responsibility. I've read books about Reagan before, and he is certainly never (aside from the hagiographies) depicted as an intelligent man, but in Stockman's book he is shown to be a dangerously (for lack of a better word) stupid man. The anecdotes about Reagan not understanding that he could not cut taxes while not cutting spending without generating huge deficits were incredible. And a particular anecdote involving then Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger using cartoon characters to convince Reagan that he should increase defense spending was outrageous.
The depiction of the congressional deliberations leading to the tax cut and the subsequent attempts to cut spending are worth reading. I'm not going to get into the depiction of Congress because I'm too busy with other things. I'll leave you with a chart I scanned from the book. It shows the costs of Kemp-Roth:


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Saturday, June 27, 2009
Who's coming? meet Jake and Grandmere Mimi!
Are you coming? Please let us know in the comments!
We just learned that Grandmere Mimi will attend. And of course, Jake/Fr Terry will be making an appearance!
I will have a folder or paper with "Friends of Jake" on it. Look for it in the bar at the Hilton before the Integrity Eucharist, after the Eucharist so we can meet and walk over together, or at Bar Louie. Better yet, bring one too! Most of us are not known to one another, so please keep your eyes peeled for "Friends of Jake" signage.
If you are recognizable (one of our blogosphere's stars), please keep your eyes open for hesitant shy people who might be trying to connect!
14 comments:
- Grandmère Mimi said...
...please keep your eyes open for hesitant shy people who might be trying to connect!
Folks like you, IT? I shall be watchful for you and the other shrinking violets. I'm just wondering who they might be.
- June 27, 2009 at 5:38 PM
- Ann said...
I will be there- probably not until after the Eucharist as I will be coming off the floor of the House of Deputies at 6 and heading directly for the Eucharist. Those who get there early might save seats for us. See you there.
- June 27, 2009 at 7:45 PM
- Ann said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- June 27, 2009 at 7:45 PM
- Jake said...
well, I'll try to make it...
HA! Be there with bells on!
- June 27, 2009 at 9:55 PM
- Elizabeth Kaeton said...
I'll be serving at the IntegrityUSA Eucharist - which will TOTALLY ROCK THE HOUSE (be there or be square) - and then head over to Bar Louie.
I've been pushing this event among my IntegrityUSA friends - many, many of whom are friends of Jake - so expect an influx of people after the Eucharist.
As Mickey would say, "See you real soon (giggle)."
- June 28, 2009 at 4:36 AM
- IT said...
So, the eucharist is at 6.30. Ann is implying we need to get there early for seats. Comments?
- June 28, 2009 at 11:24 AM
- Tom Sramek, Jr. said...
I'm planning on being there after the Eucharist at Bar Louie.
- June 28, 2009 at 12:51 PM
- Elizabeth Kaeton said...
Last Triennial Eucharist, the place was PACKED 1/2 hour before the Eucharist started. There were about 100 people in the undercroft - but the good news is that +Gene chose to distribute Eucharist there.
You couldn't have fit another person in the choir with a shoe horn, and people were standing along the outer aisles of the sanctuary and the Narthex was also packed.
So, um, yeah. Get there by 6 at the latest. It is NOT to be missed.
- June 28, 2009 at 3:11 PM
- Sarah Dylan Breuer said...
I'll plan to be there! Looking forward to it. :)
- June 28, 2009 at 3:29 PM
- it's margaret said...
I'm planning on being there IT! --I'm working as a volunteer for the whole two weeks. And I am off on that Friday evening, so, I hope to meet you then. Looking forward to it!
- June 28, 2009 at 6:12 PM
- PseudoPiskie said...
I'm jealous! Oh well, maybe next GC.
- June 30, 2009 at 4:26 AM
- Allie said...
I'll be there too! Can't wait to see everyone!
- June 30, 2009 at 7:58 PM
- Mary said...
I'll be there after the Eucharist.
- July 2, 2009 at 3:59 PM
Shoot, I can't be there on the 10th but I'm there all day volunteering on the 11th.
- July 4, 2009 at 11:16 AM


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Whoa, October is over?
Well check out some of the highlights from last month!
I met with Jamie and Navy mid Oct and we got to know each under the fall
trees of Irvine Regional Park. Jamie was just one of those souls that
you've swear you've known for years but its the first time your meeting!
It was so easy to get the perfect shots with these two, the practically
melted into one another and gave, what seemed, effortless emotion to
the camera. Perfect.
So excited to capture their Gatsby inspired wedding next year!
Friday, November 1, 2013
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Saturday, June 12, 2010
The Squaw-Path (1967)
Another one of those characters is Geronimo. He was an Indian character paired with his son, Little Feather. They didn't make the cut, too, and only appeared in two shorts: Geronimo and Son (1966) and The Squaw-Path (1967). Below is the second and last short in its entirety.
Not the strongest from this era, but it's rare, and that's good enough for me.
1 comment:
Wow, The Lip Syncing in this One is Really Poor, Check out 2:17 to 2:22 and you'll see what i mean, or they were using a rather splicy print for the source of the telcine for jerry beck's bootlegged dvds consisting of extremely rare 1960s Paramount shorts for Serious collectors, Or was it just an animation error, Never Mind that, Howard Beckerman has some good and pretty funny character drawings here that remind me of roger ramjet (the lady of this cartoon, in particular.) and the backgrounds are very colorful and well done, But The Animation here (credited to Al Eugster and Nick Tafuri) is Still Very Cheap and Lazy and dosen't appear to do much justice to Howard Beckerman's work (His animation on the Trip and The Plumber had WAYY More Effort to it and Had Life and Moved much Faster and Better than here) and i like the opening titles and the paramount cards in this film, they look very specific in each cartoon in this era and brilliantly colored in this cartoon, this was an awesome era for Famous studios since the war days (1942-1945) and don't get me started on those Crappy, Bland, Hideously animated, Sloppily and Amateurishly Drawn and Overwhelming (just IMO) Casper, Herman and Katnip, Little Audrey, Buzzy and those Disgusting Baby Huey cartoons or those Horrid (with the Huge Exception of Irv Spector and Eddie Lawrence, whom at LEAST put a bit Effort into their films) Seymour Knietel Modern Madcaps from the late-50s- early 1960s (the Ultimate Cheap animated and Amateurish Drawn and Eyesoreingly Bad of those Has Got to Be Zippy Zepyhr who appeared in Robot Rival [as for Mike Kazaleh on cartoonbrew for the Last screen song post saying that by the late 1950s-early 1960s Morey Reden had become Paramount's Laziest animator, Here, After Seeing Robot Rival, I Consider Morey Reden to Be Paramount's WORST animator and did not animate as well along with Nick Tafuri whose animation of Casper in the 1950s was Horrible, watch the end of Fright from Wrong were he said that mean pill was to teach him a lesson and you'll see what i mean] and I Think appeared in one more, And So Tibet [seeing that Marty Taras animating that one is pretty sad, though i haven't seen that one yet].
GRRREAT (Tony Tiger style) Upload, Baker and I Hope You'll Upload More of these Rare Cartoons.
Yours Truly, Asim
- June 16, 2010 at 5:48 PM


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Logic Synthesis With Verilog HDL part 4
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Logic Synthesis With Verilog HDL part 4
[ Team LiB ] 14.5 Verification of Gate-Level Netlist The optimized gate-level netlist produced by the logic synthesis tool must be verified for functionality. Also, the synthesis tool may not always be able to meet both timing and area requirements if they are too stringent.
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Nội dung Text: Logic Synthesis With Verilog HDL part 4
- [ Team LiB ] 14.5 Verification of Gate-Level Netlist The optimized gate-level netlist produced by the logic synthesis tool must be verified for functionality. Also, the synthesis tool may not always be able to meet both timing and area requirements if they are too stringent. Thus, a separate timing verification can be done on the gate-level netlist. 14.5.1 Functional Verification Identical stimulus is run with the original RTL and synthesized gate-level descriptions of the design. The output is compared to find any mismatches. For the magnitude comparator, a sample stimulus file is shown below. Example 14-3 Stimulus for Magnitude Comparator module stimulus; reg [3:0] A, B; wire A_GT_B, A_LT_B, A_EQ_B; //Instantiate the magnitude comparator magnitude_comparator MC(A_GT_B, A_LT_B, A_EQ_B, A, B); initial $monitor($time," A = %b, B = %b, A_GT_B = %b, A_LT_B = %b, A_EQ_B = %b", A, B, A_GT_B, A_LT_B, A_EQ_B); //stimulate the magnitude comparator. initial begin A = 4'b1010; B = 4'b1001; # 10 A = 4'b1110; B = 4'b1111; # 10 A = 4'b0000; B = 4'b0000; # 10 A = 4'b1000; B = 4'b1100; # 10 A = 4'b0110; B = 4'b1110; # 10 A = 4'b1110; B = 4'b1110; end endmodule The same stimulus is applied to both the RTL description in Example 14-1 and the
- synthesized gate-level description in Example 14-2, and the simulation output is compared for mismatches. However, there is an additional consideration. The gate-level description is in terms of library cells VAND, VNAND, etc. Verilog simulators do not understand the meaning of these cells. Thus, to simulate the gate-level description, a simulation library, abc_100.v, must be provided by ABC Inc. The simulation library must describe cells VAND, VNAND, etc., in terms of Verilog HDL primitives and, nand, etc. For example, the VAND cell will be defined in the simulation library as shown in Example 14-4. Example 14-4 Simulation Library //Simulation Library abc_100.v. Extremely simple. No timing checks. module VAND (out, in0, in1); input in0; input in1; output out; //timing information, rise/fall and min:typ:max specify (in0 => out) = (0.260604:0.513000:0.955206, 0.255524:0.503000:0.936586); (in1 => out) = (0.260604:0.513000:0.955206, 0.255524:0.503000:0.936586); endspecify //instantiate a Verilog HDL primitive and (out, in0, in1); endmodule ... //All library cells will have corresponding module definitions //in terms of Verilog primitives. ... Stimulus is applied to the RTL description and the gate-level description. A typical invocation with a Verilog simulator is shown below. //Apply stimulus to RTL description > verilog stimulus.v mag_compare.v //Apply stimulus to gate-level description. //Include simulation library "abc_100.v" using the -v option > verilog stimulus.v mag_compare.gv -v abc_100.v The simulation output must be identical for the two simulations. In our case, the output is
- identical. For the example of the magnitude comparator, the output is shown in Example 14-5. Example 14-5 Output from Simulation of Magnitude Comparator 0 A = 1010, B = 1001, A_GT_B = 1, A_LT_B = 0, A_EQ_B = 0 10 A = 1110, B = 1111, A_GT_B = 0, A_LT_B = 1, A_EQ_B = 0 20 A = 0000, B = 0000, A_GT_B = 0, A_LT_B = 0, A_EQ_B = 1 30 A = 1000, B = 1100, A_GT_B = 0, A_LT_B = 1, A_EQ_B = 0 40 A = 0110, B = 1110, A_GT_B = 0, A_LT_B = 1, A_EQ_B = 0 50 A = 1110, B = 1110, A_GT_B = 0, A_LT_B = 0, A_EQ_B = 1 If the output is not identical, the designer needs to check for any potential bugs and rerun the whole flow until all bugs are eliminated. Comparing simulation output of an RTL and a gate-level netlist is only a part of the functional verification process. Various techniques are used to ensure that the gate-level netlist produced by logic synthesis is functionally correct. One technique is to write a high-level architectural description in C++. The output obtained by executing the high- level architectural description is compared against the simulation output of the RTL or the gate-level description. Another technique called equivalence checking is also frequently used. It is discussed in greater detail in Section 15.3.2, Equivalence Checking, in this book. Timing verification The gate-level netlist is typically checked for timing by use of timing simulation or by a static timing verifier. If any timing constraints are violated, the designer must either redesign part of the RTL or make trade-offs in design constraints for logic synthesis. The entire flow is iterated until timing requirements are met. Details of static timing verifiers are beyond the scope of this book. Timing simulation is discussed in Chapter 10, Timing and Delays. [ Team LiB ] [ Team LiB ] 14.6 Modeling Tips for Logic Synthesis The Verilog RTL design style used by the designer affects the final gate-level netlist produced by logic synthesis. Logic synthesis can produce efficient or inefficient gate- level netlists, based on the style of RTL descriptions. Hence, the designer must be aware of techniques used to write efficient circuit descriptions. In this section, we provide tips
- about modeling trade-offs, for the designer to write efficient, synthesizable Verilog descriptions. 14.6.1 Verilog Coding Style[2] [2] Verilog coding style suggestions may vary slightly based on your logic synthesis tool. However, the suggestions included in this chapter are applicable to most cases. The IEEE Standard Verilog Hardware Description Language document also adds a new language construct called attribute. Attributes such as full_case, parallel_case, state_variable, and optimize can be included in the Verilog HDL specification of the design. These attributes are used by synthesis tools to guide the synthesis process. The style of the Verilog description greatly affects the final design. For logic synthesis, it is important to consider actual hardware implementation issues. The RTL specification should be as close to the desired structure as possible without sacrificing the benefits of a high level of abstraction. There is a trade-off between level of design abstraction and control over the structure of the logic synthesis output. Designing at a very high level of abstraction can cause logic with undesirable structure to be generated by the synthesis tool. Designing at a very low level (e.g., hand instantiation of each cell) causes the designer to lose the benefits of high-level design and technology independence. Also, a "good" style will vary among logic synthesis tools. However, many principles are common across logic synthesis tools. Listed below are some guidelines that the designer should consider while designing at the RTL level. Use meaningful names for signals and variables Names of signals and variables should be meaningful so that the code becomes self- commented and readable. Avoid mixing positive and negative edge-triggered flipflops Mixing positive and negative edge-triggered flipflops may introduce inverters and buffers into the clock tree. This is often undesirable because clock skews are introduced in the circuit. Use basic building blocks vs. use continuous assign statements Trade-offs exist between using basic building blocks versus using continuous assign statements in the RTL description. Continuous assign statements are a very concise way of representing the functionality and they generally do a good job of generating random logic. However, the final logic structure is not necessarily symmetrical. Instantiation of basic building blocks creates symmetric designs, and the logic synthesis tool is able to optimize smaller modules more effectively. However, instantiation of building blocks is
- not a concise way to describe the design; it inhibits retargeting to alternate technologies, and generally there is a degradation in simulator performance. Assume that a 2-to-1, 8-bit multiplexer is defined as a module mux2_1L8 in the design. If a 32-bit multiplexer is needed, it can be built by instantiating 8-bit multiplexers rather than by using the assign statement. //Style 1: 32-bit mux using assign statement module mux2_1L32(out, a, b, select); output [31:0] out; input [31:0] a, b; wire select; assign out = select ? a : b; endmodule //Style 2: 32-bit multiplexer using basic building blocks //If 8-bit muxes are defined earlier in the design, instantiating //these muxes is more efficient for //synthesis. Fewer gates, faster design. //Less efficient for simulation module mux2_1L32(out, a, b, select); output [31:0] out; input [31:0] a, b; wire select; mux2_1L8 m0(out[7:0], a[7:0], b[7:0], select); //bits 7 through 0 mux2_1L8 m1(out[15:7], a[15:7], b[ 15:7], select); //bits 15 through 7 mux2_1L8 m2(out[23:16], a[23:16], b[23:16], select); //bits 23 through 16 mux2_1L8 m3(out[31:24], a[31:24], b[31:24], select); //bits 31 through 24 endmodule Instantiate multiplexers vs. Use if-else or case statements We discussed in Section 14.3.3, Interpretation of a Few Verilog Constructs, that if-else and case statements are frequently synthesized to multiplexers in hardware. If a structured implementation is needed, it is better to implement a block directly by using multiplexers, because if-else or case statements can cause undesired random logic to be generated by the synthesis tool. Instantiating a multiplexer gives better control and faster synthesis, but it has the disadvantage of technology dependence and a longer RTL description. On the other hand, if-else and case statements can represent multiplexers
- very concisely and are used to create technology-independent RTL descriptions. Use parentheses to optimize logic structure The designer can control the final structure of logic by using parentheses to group logic. Using parentheses also improves readability of the Verilog description. //translates to 3 adders in series out = a + b + c + d; //translates to 2 adders in parallel with one final adder to sum results out = (a + b) + (c + d) ; Use arithmetic operators *, /, and % vs. Design building blocks Multiply, divide, and modulo operators are very expensive to implement in terms of logic and area. However, these arithmetic operators can be used to implement the desired functionality concisely and in a technology-independent manner. On the other hand, designing custom blocks to do multiplication, division, or modulo operation can take a longer time, and the RTL description becomes more technology-dependent. Be careful with multiple assignments to the same variable Multiple assignments to the same variable can cause undesired logic to be generated. The previous assignment might be ignored, and only the last assignment would be used. //two assignments to the same variable always @(posedge clk) if(load1) q
- //whenever control = 1, out = a which implies a latch behavior. //no branch for control = 0 always @(control or a) if (control) out
- The downside of horizontal partitioning is that global minima can often be different local minima. Thus, by use of bit slices, each block is optimized individually, but there may be some global redundancies that the synthesis tool may not be able to eliminate. Vertical Partitioning Vertical partitioning implies that the functionality of a block is divided into smaller submodules. This is different from horizontal partitioning. In horizontal partitioning, all blocks do the same function. In vertical partitioning, each block does a different function. Assume that the 4-bit ALU described earlier is a four-function ALU with functions add, subtract, shift right, and shift left. Each block is distinct in function. This is vertical partitioning. Vertical partitioning of the 4-bit ALU is shown in Figure 14-8. Figure 14-8. Vertical Partitioning of 4-bit ALU
- Figure 14-8 shows vertical partitioning of the 4-bit ALU. For logic synthesis, it is important to create a hierarchy by partitioning a large block into separate functional sub- blocks. A design is best synthesized if levels of hierarchy are created and smaller blocks are synthesized individually. Creating modules that contain a lot of functionality can cause logic synthesis to produce suboptimal designs. Instead, divide the functionality into smaller modules and instantiate those modules. Parallelizing design structure In this technique, we use more resources to produce faster designs. We convert sequential operations into parallel operations by using more logic. A good example is the carry lookahead full adder. Contrast the carry lookahead adder with a ripple carry adder. A ripple carry adder is serial in nature. A 4-bit ripple carry adder requires 9 gate delays to generate all sum and carry bits. On the other hand, assuming that up to 5-input and and or gates are available, a carry lookahead adder generates the sum and carry bits in 4 gate delays. Thus, we use more logic gates to build a carry lookahead unit, which is faster compared to an n-bit ripple carry adder. Figure 14-9. Parallelizing the Operation of an Adder
- 14.6.3 Design Constraint Specification Design constraints are as important as efficient HDL descriptions in producing optimal designs. Accurate specification of timing, area, power, and environmental parameters such as input drive strengths, output loads, input arrival times, etc., are crucial to produce a gate-level netlist that is optimal. A deviation from the correct constraints or omission of a constraint can lead to nonoptimal designs. Careful attention must be given to specifying design constraints. [ Team LiB ]
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Image courtesy of sumetho / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
I'm mad. Is that wrong? I'm mad at the government. I'm mad at our so-called leaders. I'm mad at President Obama. And I'm mad at every cotton-picking person in this country.
Okay, maybe that's taking it a bit too far. But I am pretty ticked off at the world right now. Why is it that the world has seemed to have gone crazy?
Oh, I know. I'm not supposed to get mad, be disrespectful, or voice my opinion because I'm a Christian. Or something like that.
The truth is there are probably certain things I'm saying right now that I shouldn't. I shouldn't even be thinking them. But I'm human. Flesh and blood. Christians have feelings and emotions just like anyone else. The mature ones, the ones that are walking closely to God, live under the control of the Holy Spirit. I think I would do good to be controlled by the Holy Spirit than my crazy thoughts.
I just can't understand why right seems wrong and wrong seems right to so many people. Somehow under the guise of political correctness things have been turned upside down. I guess it's like when the Bible states how every man does what seems right in his own eyes. It's utter chaos.
We have a president that seems to care nothing about anything other than his own agenda. If it doesn't fit within the scope of his plans then the media and his faithful minions group together to squash his detractors.
Take the Affordable Care Act for example. Despite not having the full support of the American people and knowing how unpopular this law was and is, President Obama and his minions had to use some form of political maneuvering to get the thing passed. It wouldn't have gotten passed had it not been for some unethical procedural moves. The thing is is that this law should have been under heavier scrutiny. It should had been more difficult for it to have been passed. It affects something like a fifth of the economy! And even beyond the financial implications are several spiritual ones as well. Abortion is the first thing that comes to mind. But despite all this, the liberals forced it down our throats and now we're having to "find out what's in the bill" a little bit over time.
It makes me mad to think that we have a runaway government that does whatever it seems to please. We have a president that pretends he is a Christian talking about Jesus being his Lord and Savior and even promoting the idea of dignity of every human being. Then in the same token, before a different crowd, he asks God to bless Planned Parenthood, the consistent killer of unborn children. Where's the dignity in that? There's no accountability and not enough people to care to turn this monstrosity around.
No, unfortunately we live in a world that would rather live in its own vomit. So to speak of course. The Bible mentions this in the same way a man returns to his folly. People are quite content with the sin in their lives and would rather not give it up. Some make jokes about this saying things like they'll be partying in hell with their friends. If only these people truly understood hell. It's not like any of us do, mind you. But the Bible does give us a glimpse of what it'll be like and it's not good.
Perhaps the most distressing thing about hell is the absence of God. And what is God? Or rather what are the characteristics and attributes of God that will be missing? Love, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, patience, longsuffering, and God's grace are only a few. What people fail to realize is that God's presence is felt every day in this world. God has not removed Himself but His presence is everywhere, for saints and sinners alike. God is still holding the balance of the universe together. He is being patient, He is being faithful, He is being loving every day.
Some might think that there is no God because there is so much bad in the world. People hurt, suffer, and die. Many people go through unbearable pain. There is a lot that can't be explained away even with Judeo Christian theology. I think that stuff like this happens to draw us closer to God. It's through the sorrow and the misery that gets us to realize our utter dependency upon God. No matter what we think about the bad in the world, the reality is that we brought this upon ourselves through our sinful natures.
What we should really ask ourselves is why should God show good to us? Why should we have the opportunity to find peace, love, and joy? We have sinned against our Creator! We deserve what we deserve. The Bible says that the wages of sin is death. So if we're to be mad at God, we should probably first look at ourselves, our own misguided thoughts and behavior, in the mirror. If anything, we should wonder why God would lavish His love on such an unlovable people? Why would God send His one and only Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for our sins to save us?
We're such an ungrateful people. Instead of opening our eyes and realizing the extent to which God has gone to love us and restore us so we can have a relationship with Him, we push God aside. We say no thank you and decide instead to wallow in our sin. Some joke about hell and think that will be such a fun place to be with no rules or restrictions. Heaven, of course, is some boring place where angels just sit on clouds playing the harp. Who cares about that?
The question is is hell that great a place? Is hell some place where anyone wants to be? Think about that. Hell is going to be a complete surprise to so many people. Unfortunately, by saying no to God, they're actually saying yes to hell. We may not have all the facts about hell, but God does give us an idea of what hell is like through science. What is cold? Isn't cold the absence of heat? What is darkness? Isn't darkness the absence of light? In the same sense, there is something significant that happens when God is removed from a place. If God is all the things that was described above like love, kindness, and goodness, what happens when these attributes are removed? Think about the worst nightmare you've ever had. Amplify that experience a thousand fold. I think that's what hell is going to be like.
It sounds scary. And it should. It should cause us to think about our situation and where we are in relation to God. In fact, it should cause us to fear God, who in turn controls not only the destination of our body, but our soul and spirit as well. The Bible says that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom.
Again, I can already hear the laughter and the mocking regarding hell. Statements about who needs God and who cares about heaven anyway because it's going to be so boring. However, if God isn't present it's going to be about the worst place anyone could imagine. The Bible says it's a place where there'll be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
I guess these are the reasons I am mad. I'm mad at a world that refuses to grow up. In fact, it seems like it's very much the opposite. More and more it seems like we live in a world where adults are acting more like children. And the children? Well, it's getting so bad with them that the word entitlement is becoming more common by the day.
People are turning away from God. The world is going down the cesspool of sin and despair. Doesn't anybody else see this? Of course I know some do. There are actually quite a few godly men and women who are devoting their lives to making a difference in others. But more and more it seems that the rest of the world doesn't care. Maybe that's just the United States. To be fair, I shouldn't make such a blanket statement for the whole world because I generally only see the depravity taking place here. I see the news on TV of course and read many blogs and articles about the depravity in other parts of the world but I experience it here in the United States.
So why do I go from talking about the government and its corruption to talking about sin, hell, and depravity? It goes to the state of our culture. It's what we as a people tolerate. We elect people who represent our ideals and how we view the world. We basically get what we deserve. You may think that these elected officials in no way represent you and what you believe but why do we then tolerate them? These people would not be consistently reelected to office if we weren't okay with how they're representing us. No, I think that they represent what is going on in our culture. We tolerate them like we tolerate sin. And sin in turn takes every advantage and destroys everything good in our lives.
But it isn't just the government that makes me mad. Hollywood and the main stream media make me mad as well. They promote homosexual lifestyles as being the norm. They produce films and TV shows that pull at people's heartstrings to sympathize with the plight of the homosexual's mores. And of course the sexual depravity began with the open onslaught against Biblical principles regarding heterosexual lifestyles. They promote casual sex, adultery, pornography, the sex slave trade, and sympathy for the child molesters. You say you don't believe any of this? Then you're not paying attention. Look at how they're defending Woody Allen. How much attention is given to the sex trafficking taking place at the Super Bowl?
To be fair, not all Christians have responded to sin appropriately either. There seems to be for some a deep hatred toward those with sinful lifestyles. These people don't correctly reflect the attitude that Christians should have toward our culture. The Christian church has enough to deal with when it comes to judging people within its own community, which is appropriate. The goal there is to restore and train those within the church toward godliness. But the goal toward those outside the church is to reflect God's love and draw people into a relationship with the Savior Jesus Christ.
I believe many in the culture look at Christians as being hateful and self-righteous. There may be some truth to that view and that is to the shame of the Church. Not to provide excuses but many Christians are still in the growing process themselves. Many are infants spiritually speaking. It would do us well if the leaders in the Church would take appropriate measures to reign in hateful and ungodly behavior when engaging our culture. Some local churches do this very well. Many do not.
I am mad, that is true. Maybe I'm mad because I know things will progressively get worse. The pursuit of righteousness will seem to go by the wayside. People will continue to love evil more than good. People's hearts will grow cold and their thoughts will be far from God. The Book of Revelations shows us what that will be like.
I am mad. There's a Biblical reference to having an anger that is righteous. It involves a perspective toward sinful attitudes such as hating sin. I think the issue is not not being mad. The issue is one not sinning in that anger.
But then again, maybe I shouldn't be mad. I know who the ultimate Victor is in the end. I know that God is patient and not willing that any should perish but come to repentance. That's where I should direct my energy. I can't do much to change the nature of sin and how people seem to be drawn to it. But I can commit myself to living for Christ and making much of Jesus. Only Jesus can change a person's heart. If I live to introduce others to Jesus then I can have hope that the culture, government, and people can change, albeit one person at a time.


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Sunday, July 16, 2017
Screen Cleaner
Geri turned me on to this screen cleaner. She said that she got it from City Mill.
You can use it from inside of your house without even having to remove the screen.
It has pokey things that dig out the dirt.
She gave me a demonstration.
Wow, yah!
12 comments:
- Honolulu Aunty said...
Wow is right!
I have that but mine doesn't work as good as yours. I must be doing something wrong.
Which reminds me, I need to clean my windows. Not something that I look forward to but after it is done, it feels and looks wonderful.
- July 16, 2017 at 8:01 AM
So funny...just bought one from Longs couple weeks ago.
Geri's screens must be cleaner than mine (I don't do windows and screens) so while it did clean somewhat, still had residual gunk, but the fiber cloth got most of it off. It is better than taking off the screens and having to wash, hose, dry, re-install.
K, pau with the kitchen and bathroom. I guess dining room can wait until next year and living room year after, then bedrooms.:(
- July 16, 2017 at 10:43 AM
- K and S said...
- July 16, 2017 at 11:57 AM
Yes! I can attest to it! I think they sell it at Longs too.
- July 16, 2017 at 3:23 PM
- jalna said...
Aunty, I love when you can see through the screens. LOL.
Hahahaha, V . . . me too . . . screens can wait.
Cool yah, Kat.
Easier than taking down and hosing the screens yah, Izsmom.
- July 16, 2017 at 5:13 PM
- Kalin's Mommy said...
While purging our house Saturday I came across this, I was going to donate it, but someone still wants to hold onto it. I really didn't know what it was until I read your blog!
- July 17, 2017 at 6:35 AM
- jalna said...
Hahahahaha, Mich! What a coincidence! Good thing "someone" wanted to keep it.
- July 17, 2017 at 7:51 AM
- Kay said...
I like it! I like it! I will mention this to Art since he washes the windows... which... ahem... needs a cleaning right now.
- July 17, 2017 at 8:40 AM
- celia said...
Thanks for this post Jalna. Note to self, get this screen cleaner to get the job done.
- July 17, 2017 at 12:30 PM
Wish it's really this easy! I have 14 windows!!
- July 17, 2017 at 2:11 PM
- Leslie's pics said...
ooooh i need to get that for Randy!! Perfect for his birthday...hehe I'll make him clean screens for his birthday! :)
- July 17, 2017 at 2:55 PM
- jalna said...
Great Kay!
Welcome, Celia.
We have a lot too, Susan.
LOL, Les!
- July 18, 2017 at 7:29 AM


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Ok so I will admit it when it gets cold and my alarm is going off I always lay in my cozy, warm bed debating about wearing a warm sweatshirt or getting dressed in warm layers. I know that a sweatshirt is super easy and usually thought to be slouchy. Well good news!!! Sweatshirts can now be super chic when worn correctly!!!
Wrong way to wear a sweatshirt:* Don't wear your sweatshirt too baggy (unless it is a sweatshirt dress)
*Do not ever pair your sweatshirt with sweat pants unless you are in your bed and it is 40 degrees. You will look super frumpy and this look is always featured on What not to Wear. Plus 9 chances out of 10 you will see everyone as soon as you walk out of the house so save yourself from inevitable embarrassment.
*Do not wear your sweatshirt to formal occasions (it isn't that chic of a style)
Right way to wear a sweatshirt:
*Do wear a cute fitted sweatshirt with feminine details like lace, bows, sequins etc on them.
*Do remain balanced by wearing a sweatshirt with skinny jeans, boots, skirts, leggings...
* Do make sure to wear at least a bra underneath (trust me I do know people who walk out of the house and skip this step... this will make you look frumpy)
* Do accessorize your sweatshirt. A sweatshirt in my opinion is sporty so balance that out with something chic.
*For sure try a sweatshirt dress on with cute tights and boots don't forget to top off with a necklace and you will look like a winner!!!
TADA those are my go to rules for how I can get away with stepping out of the house with a sweatshirt on. I also like to wear a polished ponytail as opposed to a messy bun. I try to make my look intentional rather than lazy and poof it works every time!!!