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The vast scope and complex, interwoven themes at work in this magnum opus makes it a novel that does not translate easily into a screenplay. Despite this, however, a film adaptation of Atlas Shrugged is now in the works with actress Taylor Schilling in the starring role as Dagny Taggart and Paul Johansson directing. The finished product should be quite interesting, and I actually look forward to watching it. The first question that comes to my mind is how much screenwriter John Aglialoro will end up cutting the climactic speech delivered by character John Galt (to be played by director Paul Johansson). In the edition of the book I have on my shelf, this speech begins on page 923 and ends on page 976, making a total of 56 pages of John Galt talking uninterrupted (which took Rand two years to write). In the screenwriting business, one minute of screen time per page is the general rule, especially in dialogue-heavy scenes. This means that if Paul Johansson gives the entire speech (which is important to the plot) completely uncut, about half a movie would be out of the way before getting to any of the actual plot.
Atlas Shrugged takes place in a bleak, near-future America ("Twenty Minutes Into The Future" as TVTropes.com puts it), that is completely governed by incompetent and evil people bent on draining the productivity of the few remaining brilliant innovators in society. This intellectually-competent and productive remnant go on strike; they disappear one by one from society as public resistance to ever-increasing government control of industrial production grows weaker and weaker. A mysterious figure known as John Galt orchestrates this massive strike behind the scenes, and his name, which is spoken as a catchphrase throughout the novel, is immortalized in the form of a question among the general public: "Who is John Galt?" One of the few remaining noble and brilliant people is Dagny Taggart, a drop-dead-gorgeous and atheistic transcontinental railroad executive who struggles to live up to her ideals and keep her business afloat in a global economy plagued by increasing government encroachment. Every other protagonist in the story, including key characters like Henry Rearden and Francisco d'Anconia, are also brilliant inventors, businessmen and industrialists who alone contribute to social stability (hence the title, which refers to the Greek myth in which Atlas carries the sphere of earth on his back; the removal of the movers and shakers of society is equated to what would transpire if Atlas were to tire of the weight and shrug, i.e., upheaval on a global scale).
There are many villains in the story, far more than there are heroes. All of these villains are reminiscent of the "second-handers" in The Fountainhead; they seek to leech off the ideas and accomplishments of the movers and shakers, reaping the benefit that comes from them without having to work. It is in response to this that John Galt abandons society and founds his own hidden society in the middle of nowhere, which he calls Galt's Gulch. From this base he convinces the geniuses of the country to join him in establishing an experimental version of a libertarian utopia, which he considers to be a type of Atlantis. The world deteriorates more and more as the individualists gradually diminish in number. Galt and his society of noble heroes remain sequestered in their secret haven until society collapses entirely, at which time they emerge to rebuild the infrastructure from the ashes. The novel ends with John Galt declaring, "The road is cleared . . . we are going back to the world." He then raises his hand over the "desolate earth" and traces in space the sign of the dollar. The narrative evokes no remorse for the fate of those who experienced the crumbling of society. In fact, the message conveyed is that they all deserved it, since the vast majority of the people in the world are incompetent and needed to be "cleared" from the heroes' path to success.
The ultimate moral of the story represents one of my major misgivings about certain key elements of Ayn Rand's philosophy. This is a philosophical worldview that makes no attempt to understand the complex ways people think and behave, and opts instead to make sweeping blanket statements that portray the masses as idiots who deserve any calamity they might experience. In Rand's universe, people are stratified into three main groups: There are the geniuses, the individualists who typify the noble hero archetype. There are the second-handers, who hold back the accomplishments of the geniuses. Then there are people who are themselves not particularly brilliant or heroic, but who are not evil or stupid either. They are merely useful to the heroes; they carry out the mundane work that the heroes are too important to bother with. In Atlas Shrugged, Dagny's assistant Eddie Willers is one example of a character that fits into this category. He is treated as a good person who serves a purpose for those above him.
This outlook is very characteristic of cults. Like John Galt and his followers, they cut themselves off from the rest of the world and declare themselves to be a chosen few who are far more intelligent and far more deserving than everyone else. To the Objectivist who would deny that Ayn Rand thought in these terms, a particular passage from Atlas Shrugged should make them uncomfortable. About halfway through the novel, we are treated to a sequence involving a train wreck that leaves no survivors. This is shown to be the end result and natural consequence of sustained negligence and incompetent workers over a period of time. On the receiving end of the tragic consequence is a train filled with random people who are merely going about their daily lives. Still, in setting up this train wreck scene, Rand goes out of her way to convince the reader that every single one of these random people deserved their fate. This is how she does it:
It is said that catastrophes are a matter of pure chance, and there were those who would have said that the passengers of the Comet were not guilty or responsible for the thing that happened to them.
The man in Bedroom A, Car No. 1, was a professor of sociology who taught that individual ability is of no consequence, that individual effort is futile, that an individual conscience is a useless luxury, that there is no individual mind or character or achievement, that everything is achieved collectively, and that it's masses that count, not men.
The man in Roomette 7, Car No. 2, was a journalist who wrote that it is proper and moral to use compulsion "for a good cause," who believed that he had the right to unleash physical force upon others - to wreck lives, throttle ambitions, strangle desires, violate convictions, to imprison, to despoil, to murder - for the sake of whatever he chose to consider as his own idea of "a good cause," which did not even have to be an idea, since he had never defined what he regarded as the good, but had merely stated that he went by "a feeling" - a feeling unrestrained by any knowledge, since he considered emotion superior to knowledge and relied solely on his own "good intentions" and on the power of a gun.
The woman in Roomette 10, Car No. 3, was an elderly school teacher who had spent her life turning class after class of helpless children into miserable cowards, by teaching them that the will of the majority is the only standard of good and evil, that a majority may do anything it pleases, that they must not assert their own personalities, but must do as others were doing. (p. 558).
There are two whole pages of this listing exercise, in which Rand progresses through various sections of the car, describing the passengers as she goes. We are introduced to thirteen more people in all as Rand points out the terrible ideas each held to. Her style and method is strikingly reminiscent of the act of placing public figures under a microscope, such that one can always find something wrong with anybody under scrutiny. Rand forgets, ignores, or denies that we are all in fact flawed in some way, shape or form, and concludes with this:
These passengers were awake; there was not a man aboard the train who did not share one or more of their ideas. As the train went into the tunnel, the flame of Wyatt's Torch was the last thing they saw on earth. (p. 560).
In setting up this disaster, Rand does not hide well the delight she takes in killing off a train full of people whom she deems worthy of death. The indelible impression left is a promotion of oligarchical ideas, and this promotion is obvious throughout the novel. The intelligent are in a class of their own and alone enjoy the right to rule society, as illustrated by the ultimate victory enjoyed by the separatists at the end of the book. While I do support the argument that society will always be better off if the more intelligent people operated in government, I also object to oligarchy in any form. Rand makes no distinction between intelligence and qualification, which I argue is a necessary and important distinction. Just because Person A happens to be much more intelligent and knowledgeable in one area than Person B, this tells us nothing about whether or not Person A is equally knowledgeable and qualified in another area, which Person B might be more qualified in. For example, if a brilliant student were to graduate from a prestigious university with a Ph.D. in electrical engineering, and then placed in the position of President of the United States, that electrical engineering genius would end up looking far more stupid than she really is, and vice-versa. Thus, what we need to concern ourselves with is placing people in various positions that fit their qualifications.
Rand's approach is a black-and-white one that disregards such complexities and stratifies society into the homogeneously intelligent and the homogeneously daft. The character of John Galt is a perfect example of this. The impression given by this character is that he is the best at everything. He is not a physicist, a chemist, a mathematician, or an electrical engineer. He is a scientist. He is a super-genius who knows how to invent and engineer, and he is the world's most powerful demagogue. He also emerges the victor of the love triangle, getting the beautiful girl (Dagny) in the end. He has no specific qualifications, he is simply qualified at everything. At the same time (or perhaps because of this) he gives the impression of having an abrasive and haughty personality; whatever his qualifications might be, his is not the sort of character most people would want to be overseeing the world. For one thing, he does not do anything particularly beneficial to society with the resources he is privy to. He is predisposed only to benefiting himself, which he must be if he is to be a hero in the Ayn Rand universe. But here we run into another inconsistency that destroys the credibility of the story. The notion that an individual working towards his own self-interest is likely to benefit him in the long run is simply an unjustifiable notion. The social sciences suggest very strongly that an individual working toward the self-interest of the group as a whole (to which that individual belongs), is more beneficial to the individual in the long run. This by no means precludes the possibility of an individual working toward his own self-interest in conjunction with exercising an active social awareness. This, of course, Ayn Rand flatly denies. Her heroes are the type of people who hoard money. Her villains are the type of people who invest parts of their money to social causes in hopes of receiving meaningful returns on it. Her ability to carry out the mental gymnastics necessary to make long-term victors out of the hoarders is one truly impressive aspect of her fiction, and one which kept me reading all 1100 pages.
Among the several themes that emerge over and over again in Atlas Shrugged (and in Rand's other fiction) is the concept of a society being completely taken over by stupid, lazy and altruistic people. In fact, this premise is utilized in almost every single work of fiction she produced. Of course, one might reasonably argue that this is a device applied to a fictional, future society that is taken to an extreme, and that science-fiction authors do this all the time. But this is not just one work of fiction we are talking about. When nearly every novel Rand ever wrote involves the premise that the vast majority of people in the world are incompetent leeches who hold back and drain the life and production out of the few intelligent people, it ceases to be simply a device any longer. And it becomes less and less credible and convincing as a plot device with increased use. Did Rand ever stop to consider the likelihood that characters who are stupid and lazy could take total control of the world's infrastructure? Apparently not, because in Atlas Shrugged, the intelligent, greedy and ambitious protagonists struggle in a losing battle against the incompetent and lazy, forcing them to flee the world stage and establish their own secret society. This internally inconsistent concept is impossible for any thinking person to buy into, and the "suspended disbelief" that science-fiction stories often ask the reader to employ simply cannot drown out this inconsistency.
Another very interesting consideration that is occasioned by a reading of Atlas Shrugged is that the novel may represent more of a venture into pure escapism on Ayn Rand's part than she would ever want to admit, even to herself. In my review of her earlier bestselling novel The Fountainhead, I pointed out that Rand's characters in that novel are avatars of certain key ideas, personifications of concepts whose participation in the plot is a device to illustrate a philosophical system. Atlas Shrugged continues this treatment of characters, and takes it even farther. The characters here are not only avatars of ideas. A few of them (especially John Galt, Dagny Taggart and Henry Rearden) are idealized versions of Ayn Rand herself. This is not surprising or unusual. After all, the people that Rand idolizes in her novels and elevates as the truly great and noble heroes of the world are inventors, businesspeople, engineers, industrialists, etc. But unlike this class of characters, Rand never contributed anything brilliantly innovative or tangible such as Rearden's miracle metal, Dagny's Transcontinental railroad, or Howard Roark's architecture. Instead, she wrote a lot of books. One can easily imagine why Rand might want to fantasize about fitting in with the class of people she most admired.
In the entertainment world, there is a name for the concept of writing a character who is basically a stand-in for the author, only much more idealized and perfect in every way. TVTropes.com, a comprehensive wiki site that catalogues thousands of devices and conventions that fiction writers rely on to tap into their audience's expectations, uses the term "Mary Sue" for this particular device. This term, as the wiki entry explains, originated in fan fiction circles and referred to writers who inserted versions of themselves as characters in another author's universe.
The name "Mary Sue" comes from the 1974 Star Trek fanfic "A Trekkie's Tale". Originally written as a parody of the standard Self Insert Fic of the time (as opposed to any particular traits), the name was quickly adopted by the Star Trek fanfiction community. Its original meaning mostly held that it was an Always Female Author Avatar, regardless of character role or perceived quality. Often, the characters would get in a relationship with either Kirk or Spock, turn out to have a familial bond with a crew member, be a Half Human Hybrid masquerading as a human, and die in a graceful, beautiful way to reinforce that the character was Too Good For This Sinful Earth. (Or space, as the case may be.)
The prototypical Mary Sue is an original female character in a fanfic who obviously serves as an idealized version of the author mainly for the purpose of Wish Fulfillment. She's exotically beautiful, often having an unusual hair or eye color, and has a similarly cool and exotic name. She's exceptionally talented in an implausibly wide variety of areas, and may possess skills that are rare or nonexistent in the canon setting. She also lacks any realistic, or at least story-relevant, character flaws — either that or her "flaws" are obviously meant to be endearing.
She has an unusual and dramatic Back Story. The canon protagonists are all overwhelmed with admiration for her beauty, wit, courage and other virtues, and are quick to adopt her into their nakama, even characters who are usually antisocial and untrusting; if any character doesn't love her, that character gets an extremely unsympathetic portrayal. She has some sort of especially close relationship to the author's favorite canon character — their love interest, illegitimate child, never-before-mentioned sister, etc. Other than that, the canon characters are quickly reduced to awestruck cheerleaders, watching from the sidelines as Mary Sue outstrips them in their areas of expertise and solves problems that have stymied them for the entire series.
In other words, the term "Mary Sue" is generally slapped on a character who is important in the story, possesses unusual physical traits, and has an irrelevantly over-skilled or over-idealized nature.
Although "Mary Sue" refers specifically to female characters, both John Galt and Dagny Taggart in Atlas Shrugged possess almost all the attributes of an author-written Mary Sue. These characters actually fit more into the closely-related subcategory of this trope, known as the "Purity Sue," which can be male or female without too great a difference, although there is a strong tendency towards the latter in all but its earliest incarnations. A "Purity Sue" is a character that is intentionally made by the author to possess overwhelmingly positive traits with little to no flaws that that affect them in any significant way.
According to the Purity Sue entry on TVTropes.com,
Dagny Taggart from Atlas Shrugged is a somewhat scary example of a fully grown Mary Sue in a serious, influential piece of work. She is and has everything Ayn Rand could ever hope for, a total personification of her values — she's a brilliant though underestimated businesswoman, more beautiful than anyone else in the room without even trying - even the simplest of dresses seems 'indecent' on her. She is the linchpin of all the important changes in the world, the last and most important part of the puzzle, the one everyone wishes they could reach, the one everyone looks to. She has multiple lovers and moves on from one to the next without any warning or explanation given — or needed, as each of these lovers peacefully acknowledges the others without the slightest surprise or jealousy, with the impression given that they're going to quietly bear never-again-requited candles for her indefinitely.
Technically, John Galt is a closer fit. It's Dagny's failure to embrace the Objectivist Ideal until the very end that moves the plot along and causes her and everyone else a world of misery and trouble. Galt faffs about with his sunny-shiny hair, and everyone confesses their love and adoration to him at every turn, and Dagny falls in love with him before first sight. Then again, this is Ayn Rand; she never denied that this was the case.
The TVTropes page devoted to Atlas Shrugged is definitely worth reading in its entirety, as it provides a helpful and comprehensive overview of what works and what does not work in the world of the novel. Other important tropes listed for this novel that are used liberally throughout include the Author Filibuster (As the page itself says, "Eventually the question you ask stops being 'Who is John Galt?' and becomes 'When will John Galt shut up?'" This trope is seen both in John Galt's 56-page speech and in other, shorter filibusters scattered throughout the book), and Anvilicious which is defined as "a writer's and/or director's use of an artistic element, be it line of dialogue, visual motif, or plot point, to so obviously or unsubtly convey a particular message that they may as well etch it onto an anvil and drop it on your head." Whether or not the reader may agree with the anvils in the book, it is clear that without them, Atlas Shrugged would be a completely different book and probably not as successful. Unfortunately, the reliance on anvils to make the story what it is detracts from its value, both artistically and philosophically, in a number of irredeemable ways.


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The club, 1642, was what she herself describes as a "hole-in-the-wall" in an unlikely spot on Temple Boulevard just west of downtown Los Angeles. It was already crowded by the time we arrived, at nine, just before the band, The Hi-Fi Honeydrops, started its first of three sets. We bought a glass of wine (for me--a sparkling water for Ellie) and settled in at the prime table Emily had kindly reserved for us.
We had no idea, of course, what to expect. I have known Emily only as the wonderful young person who shows up a couple of times a week and does her best to keep me organized. She also comes and stays in the house with George when we go out of town; she has grown to like it here, and finds Ellie's study a good place to practice on her tenor saxophone; for this reason, George is the only one in the family to have heard her play, and he has not let on how good she is.
I knew that Emily was a musician, of course, when she came to work with us a while ago. I just did not know how accomplished a musician she actually is. I had a hard time picturing this very petite young woman with a tenor saxophone, which had to be almost as tall as she is. I'm very glad, now, to have seen and heard her play. Not only, I discovered, does she play the sax with enormous dexterity and skill, she sings with a full-throttle voice I would never have imagined emerging from her throat! I'm certainly no music expert, but to my inexpert ear the band, led by her friend David Elsenbroich, were at once highly disciplined as an ensemble and individually talented musicians. They tackled everything from warmly familiar numbers like "Blue Skies", "Stars Fell on Alabama," and "Stormy Weather" (bravo, Emily!) to Latin and country music. I'm particularly partial to the latter, and loved their lively rendition of Bob Wills's "Rose of San Antone."
Ellie and I both loved the evening, loved the energy, loved the sound. Still somewhat weary from our recent travels, we had forewarned Emily that we'd stay only for the first set. As it turned out, we were so thoroughly engaged, we stayed on for nearly the whole length of the second. As I told Emily before we left, I'll have to treat her now with much greater respect!

subset: commoncrawl


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The last couple installments of gadget and technology expo the Consumer Elecronics Show (CES) were hardly worth the trip. Two years ago, the iPhone launch eclipsed the event and made many of us wonder if Apple was becoming THE consumer electronics market. Last year, it was the Palm Pre which was the belle of theball, though the device kind of flamed out by the end of December, and Las Vegas is too far out of the way to go to see one product anyhow. In2009, the mood further recalled Comdex, an earlier big failed show, and many of us suspected that CES would soon be history. But here's the good news: This year CES came back with a vengeance, and while the shadow of the coming Apple tablet, rumored to be called the iSlate, did create a little cloud over the show, it was a very little cloud indeed.
A number of products stand out in my mind as potential game changers at the show this year, and following, we'll take each in turn.
Lenovo's U1
Lenovo made a number of interesting moves including making a major commitment to AMD in its new products, but perhaps the most interesting moves it made took the form of two disinct offerings: The Skylight and the U1. The Skylight was a paper-thin, ARM-based smartbook that appeared to be both unique and potentially very useful as the market moves away from the existing PC model and to the Web for applications and services. But even more amazing was the U1, a laptop PC which shifted form from a small netbook to an ARM-based smart tablet when you removed what appeared to be the typical integrated netbook screen. This was just incredibly cool to watch and since both devices could arguably use the same WAN connection, it would make them vastly cheaper to keep connected than having both a WAN (cellular) connected notebook and tablet. Lenovo was doing a little butt-kicking.
Dell's Tablet and Super Netbook
Dell snuck out a 5" tablet and started showing off its new cell phones, wih both based on the Android platform. Both are very attractive devices and bring into question (since you can put a 5" tablet in a jacket pocket) why you need the 10" tablet Apple is rumored to be bringing out. But my favorite notebook as the show was Dell's M11X. Using a similar ID to their massive gaming notebook lines, the M11X was an ultra-portable gaming machine. At 4lbs, I would actually carry this thing and it has hybrid graphics giving it an estimated 6 hours of battery life when not in gaming mode (more like 2 hours if in gaming mode), but that's the cost of performance. I wanted one badly.
The views expressed here are solely those of the author and do not reflect the beliefs of Digital Trends.


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Look for Mazda Motorsports Support at Select SCCA EventsFor 2018, Mazda Motorsports is making an effort to put more people on the ground at the events Mazda racers attend, starting with Southeast Conference SCCA U.S. Majors Tour dates. David Cook, Mazda Motorsports Manager of...Read more
Updated 2018 Road Racing Contingency ProgramsTOPEKA, Kan. (April 10, 2018) – There have been some late additions to the 2018 SCCA U.S. Majors Tour® and Regional contingency sponsorship programs. The group of corporate partners includes auto makers, tire manufacturers,...Read more
2018 Tire Rack San Diego Match Tour Fast NotesThe tale of two Match Tours: Last weekend, drivers partied on the East Coast at the Tire Rack Charlotte Match Tour. This weekend, it was the West Coast drivers at the Tire Rack San Diego Match Tour. Known for pizza parties...Read more
Perseverance Pays Off Sunday at Hallett Hoosier Super TourJENNINGS, Okla. (April 8, 2018) – Over a race distance, perseverance is sometimes the key to victory. That was certainly the case Sunday during 35-minute Hoosier Racing Tire SCCA® Super Tour challenges on the 1.8-mile,...Read more
'18 Hoosier Super Tour: Hallett Winner VideosIt's a track that has been part of SCCA racing for many years and a favorite of many drivers, Hallett Motor Racing Circuit. The 1.8-mile, 10-turn road course in Jennings, Oklahoma, played host this weekend to Round 4 of the...Read more
Winners Battle Back Sat. During Hallett Hoosier Super TourJENNINGS, Okla. (April 7, 2018) – The word "invigorating" applied to both the weather and racing Saturday during the opening day of Hoosier Racing Tire SCCA® Super Tour competition at Hallett Motor Racing Circuit, a race...Read more
At A Glance: '18 Hallett Hoosier Super TourStorylines/Things to Watch:Hello Hallett! -- The fourth venue of the Hoosier Super Tour season, Hallett Motor Racing Circuit is a 1.8-mile, 10-turn road course found in Oklahoma's beautiful, rolling Osage Hills. There are...Read more
Tire Rack Street Survival Circle of Excellence Award WinnersTOPEKA, Kan. (April 5, 2018) -- Recently, several SCCA® members were named Circle of Excellence award winners for their work with the Tire Rack Street Survival (TRSS) program. Jim Wiles, of the Cincinnati Region, received an...Read more
Updates to Tire Rack ProSolo '18 Contingency ProgramsTOPEKA, Kan. (April 4, 2018) – There have been some late additions to the 2018 Tire Rack SCCA® ProSolo® contingency sponsorship program. A full rundown of contingencies can be viewed at...Read more
Gettin' Hooked on RallyCrossIf you're reading this, chances are something about rally racing has interested you. Was it photos of rally cars throwing waves of gravel? Or stories of race cars speeding through forests? Or maybe it was videos of cars...Read more


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Sunday, February 06, 2011
Sunday Potpourri: Eating Babies, Pat Tillman And UND Zephyrs
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6 comments:
The Nanooks got swept at home, by unranked Ferris State no less. The series between UAA and Ua_ should be a good one.
- February 6, 2011 at 9:54 PM
Interesting video Donald. Makes you realize how different kids are today than when most of us were growing up. :-/
It also reminded of those 13 & 14 year olds that compete in the annual 'world texting competition'... or the parents you see on tv who brag about how many text messages their kid sends every day (as if it were some huge achievement)
I hadn't thought about the connection between kids that are continuously in front of the tv, computer, Xbox, and other electronic devices and games who become bored to tears with teachers, desks, and books.. but it makes sense.
Aside from all the technology... the advertising for "must-have toys, sweet cereal, theme park vacations, etc".. is so true.
I lived with only one parent when I was a kid and felt lucky when my mom could afford brand-X sweet, crappy cereal once in a blue moon.
Damn. Some of the kids they showed in that video are spoiled rotten.. :p
- February 7, 2011 at 1:24 AM
- Dirty said...
I like you though Donald. Maybe you'd like me if you got to know me!
Your nickname suggestion will never work. I don't particularly care for it but that isn't the real problem. Instead of being a cookie cutter nickname like Eagles, Wildcats or Bulldogs, it has personality. Therefore it will make someone somewhere upset for some reason and can't be used.
- February 7, 2011 at 6:52 AM
- Donald Dunlop said...
I do like you Dirty. What makes you think I don't?
- February 7, 2011 at 8:00 AM
- Dirty said...
It was a take off of a quote from The Simpsons. I quote The Simpsons entirely too often thus going over people's heads who aren't completely obsessed with it.
- February 7, 2011 at 8:29 AM
- Donald Dunlop said...
"Trust me on this Mr. Simpson, that motorhome is the finest motorhome you'll ever own."
- February 7, 2011 at 8:50 AM


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If You Build It – AMAZING Standup Comedy @UCB East
Kara Klenk (SpikeTV, Comedy Central) and Nick Turner (Too Cool for School, Improv.com) will be hosting another amazing edition of "If You Build It" Sat. night at UCB East Theatre. Each show promises 3-4 comics plus a major headliner doing a longer set. This week's lineup includes:
- Sean Patton (Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Montreal Comedy Festival, Comedy Central)
- Gabe Liedman (VH1, Gabe and Jenny, Big Terrific)
- Andy Haynes (Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Montreal Comedy Festival)
- Barry Rothbart (The Tonight Show, IFC)
- Christine Nangle (Saturday Night Live, UCB)
- Kenny Zimlinghaus (Sirius XM Radio)
Doors open at 8:30 p.m. Show starts at 9 p.m.
For more information on If You Build It, check out the show's website at www.ifyoubuilditcomedy.com.
To learn more about Kara Klenk, visit her website at www.karaklenk.com.UCB East Theatre: 155 East 3rd St. at Avenue A
This listing also appears at http://newyork.nearsay.com/nyc/east-village-les/arts-culture-if-you-build-it-top-standup-comedy-ucb-east-sat-nt.
Daniel Bennett Group To Perform at Tomi Jazz Club
Daniel Bennett Group returns to the popular Tomi Jazz Club in midtown Manhattan Sat. night for a chill night of live jazz and Japanese-inspired cuisine.
The Daniel Bennett Group consists of Daniel Bennett (alto saxophone and flute), Mark Cocheo (guitar) and Brian Adler (drums). Its sound is a unique blend of jazz, folk and world beats.
See my recent review of the Daniel Bennett Group at http://newyork.nearsay.com/nyc/upper-west-side/nightlife-daniel-bennett-group-steve-kuhn-delight-jazz-fans-triad.
$10 cover charge and $10 food/drink minimum.
For more information on the Daniel Bennett Group, visit www.danielbennettgroup.com.
Tomi Jazz: 239 E. 53rd St. (lower level), betw. 2nd & 3rd Aves.
This listing also appears at http://newyork.nearsay.com/nyc/hells-kitchen-midtown/nightlife-daniel-bennett-group-tomi-jazz-sat-night-0.
Sunday, October 23
Hot Soup's on Sunday Night @UCB East!
Produced and hosted by David Cope (Last Comic Standing), Andy Haynes (Late Night with Jimmy Fallon), Mark Normand (Last Comic Standing), Matt Ruby (MTV) and Sachi Ezura (MTV), Hot Soup is a weekly standup comedy showcase every Sunday at the new UCB in the East Village.
This week's lineup includes:
- Sean Patton (Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Montreal Comedy Festival, Comedy Central)
- Dan Soder (Comedy Central's Live at Gotham)
- Barry Rothbart (The Tonight Show, IFC)
Doors open at 8:30 p.m. Showtime at 9 pm. $5 cover. No drink minimum.
This is gonna be big - come for the comedy, and stay for the boo off!!
UCB East Theatre: 155 East 3rd St. at Avenue A
This listing also appears at http://newyork.nearsay.com/nyc/east-village-les/nightlife-hot-soup-s-sunday-night-ucb-east.


text: March - bead journal project page.Not good ----- I like the colors and I like the design but, I sure don't like them together. Seems with such a severe design the colors should not be so playful and, conversely, with playful colors it should not be such a severe design. Of course I didn't realize this until I was finished and I had it mounted on its square. For me, these colors need polka dots, ruffles, spirals, etc.; the design worked with a very deep colored circle against a mid toned ground, with a bundle of gold bars banded in red could be very dramatic. Oh well.


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Open Water Analytics is the home of the community projects for EPANET and SWMM, and related tools and technologies. We are an open community for the exchange of information and ideas related to computing and analysis in the water & wastewater industries. This informal collective in an umbrella that covers many groups and projects; members with varying affiliations work together to craft the current and future development of these mission-critical software tools.
- Visit the Forums to connect with others, find answers, and share ideas.
- See the Software Projects related to scientific computing in water-related fields.
- Check out the Open Source EPANET Documentation and Code Repository for the latest developments on this exciting project.
- Check out the Open Source SWMM Documentation and Code Repository for the latest developments on this project.


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Philip J. Berg announced today that the Supreme Court has "set dates" by which Obama and the DNC must respond to the Writ of Certiorari — on or before December 1, 2008.
Today, the blogosphere erupted with news about the lawsuit filed by Philip J. Berg, which compelled Obama to produce his original, long-form Hawaiian birth certificate to prove his elegibility to become President of the United States. A press release on the ObamaCrimes.com website states:
Mr. Berg remarked today, "I look forward to receiving Defendant Obama's response to the Writ and am hopeful the U. S. Supreme Court will review Berg v. Obama. I believe Mr. Obama is not a constitutionally-qualified natural-born citizen and is ineligible to assume the office of President of the United States."
The NEIN Blog offers further explanation of Mr. Berg's announcement:
What this means is that on or before 1 DECEMBER 2008 Barack Hussein Obama II must respond to the writ of certiorari, and since the Berg v Obama case hinged primarily on the question of Obama's place of birth, it is almost inconceivable that Barack Obama will thumb his nose at the Justices of the Supreme Court and he is absolutely compelled to provide a vault copy his original birth certificate.
Another very salient fact to consider at this time is that, despite all of the pronouncements of the print and broadcast media, Barack Obama is not yet the President-elect of the United States. Barack Obama can only become the President-elect after the Electoral College convenes on 15 DECEMBER 2008 in their respective state capitals around the nation and casts their votes to elect the President and the Vice President. As you can see this election day occurs two weeks after the required response to the Supreme Court granted Writ of Certiorari.
While the mainstream media has chattered on endlessly about the very important talk of what kind of dog Obama's daughters will be getting and whether Michelle Obama should have that worn "that" dress, there's been little if no talk about Obama's questionable campaign donations, potential voter fraud in key states like Ohio and Florida, Obama's relationship with Tony Rezko — and, of course, nothing about the lingering issue of his proof of citizenship.
We will watch and wait and hope for "change."
This post has been amended to reflect updates on ObamaCrimes.com — U. S. SUPREME COURT AWAITS RESPONSE TO BERG'S WRIT OF CERTIORARI FROM OBAMA, DNC and Co-DEFENDANTS — and The NEIN Blog.
From ObamaCrimes.com, 11/10/2008
Mr. Berg has not received notification of any such order or anything similar to it, nor is it posted on the Supreme Court website.
From The NEIN Blog:


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October 26, 2007
Highlights of the VSB Council Meeting - October 19, 2007
VSB President Howard W. Martin Jr. has appointed task forces that will:
At its regular meeting on October 19, 2007, in Norfolk, the Virginia State Bar Council heard the following significant reports and took the following actions:
Delinquency Collections Almost Doubled
The number of attorneys who miss membership obligation deadlines has remained constant, even though the Supreme Court of Virginia doubled late and reinstatement fees effective this year. They will pay a projected $230,000, VSB Executive Director Thomas A. Edmonds reported. More than 1,481 active, associate, and corporate counsel members were sent notices that threatened administrative suspensions if they did not comply by October 10, 2007.
Studies of Council Size and Disaster Legal Relief Are Underway
- consider whether the size and composition of the VSB Council should be changed. The council currently comprises seventy-eight representatives.
- study a proposed model rule that would allow lawyer volunteers to provide pro bono legal services in another state in which a disaster has occurred.
Rules Change Proposals Approved
The council approved amendments to Part 6, Section IV, Paragraph 13 of the Rules of the Supreme Court of Virginia. The changes address provision of available dates for disciplinary hearings; a clarification that Disciplinary Board sanctions imposed pursuant to an agreed disposition cannot be appealed; and notification of clients when an attorney has been suspended. The proposals will be submitted to the Court for its consideration. The proposed changes can be viewed by going to the VSB home page at www.vsb.org and clicking "Proposed Rule Changes??? in the "Resources??? box.
Increase in CRESPA Bond Proposed
The council approved a proposed amendment to the Consumer Real Estate Settlement Protection Act that would increase from $100,000 to $200,000 the surety bond that lay and attorney settlement agents must carry. The VSB's Public Protection Task Force recommended the change because real estate prices have increased since the CRESPA statute went into effect twelve years ago. In some cases of attorney defalcation, losses have exceeded the amount of the bond. With the Court's approval, the proposal will be submitted to the General Assembly. The task force estimates the cost to attorneys would no more than double the current cost of $375 to $500 annually.
Notification Proposal Rejected
The council by a vote of 7–54 rejected a proposal by the Public Protection Task Force that insurance companies be required by statute to notify third-party claimants or judgment creditors when they issue settlement checks to attorneys for the claimants. The task force recommended the proposal as a way to prevent lawyers from forging client endorsements and stealing funds. The measure was opposed by Charles J. Zauzig III, president of the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association, and other trial lawyers on the council. They contended that notification would interfere with the attorney-client relationship, represent an inappropriate attempt to regulate the insurance industry, and open clients to ex parte manipulation by the companies responsible for paying the claims.
Mandatory Malpractice Insurance Proposals to Be Developed
The council by a vote of 38–21 directed the VSB Special Committee on Lawyer Malpractice Insurance to develop one or more proposals "for mandatory malpractice insurance for Virginia attorneys engaged in private practice drawing clients from the general public.??? The recommended proposal(s) will be considered at a subsequent council meeting. Debate ranged from proponents who contend the burden on attorneys of requiring insurance is outweighed by the public protection needs of their clients to opponents who say that, with about 90 percent of Virginia lawyers reporting that they are insured, the bar doesn't have a problem. Questions to be resolved by the insurance committee include what will be done with lawyers who are unable to obtain or afford insurance because of past claims or their areas and types of practice.
New Executive Director
Karen A. Gould was unanimously approved as the VSB's next executive director effective December 1, 2007, subject to approval by the Supreme Court of Virginia. Gould, a Richmond attorney, was president of the bar in 2006–07, and has served as chair of its Disciplinary Board, Mandatory Continuing Legal Education Board, and Budget and Finance Committee. She was recommended unanimously by a fourteen-member search committee chaired by past president Philip V. Anderson.
Outgoing Director Honored
Thomas A. Edmonds, executive director and chief operating officer of the bar for almost nineteen years, was honored by the council. Edmonds will retire effective December 31, 2007. The council recognized Edmonds for many achievements, including implementing the Fastcase legal research system as a VSB membership benefit; modernizing the agency's computer system; increasing the professional regulation staff to address increased disciplinary caseloads; opening disciplinary hearings to the public and including lay members on all hearing panels; quadrupling the Clients' Protection Fund and increasing the claim amount paid by the fund; and collaborating with the Supreme Court of Virginia to offer educational programs for lawyers who represent indigent defendants and for solo and small-firm practitioners.


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It's been a while since my last proper post and here are the culprits . . . . . .
Poxy Cygnar Long Gunners. These have been an absolute pig to paint.
If it was not for their utility and effectiveness on the battle field they would have found themselves on ebay long ago!
They are that frustrating mix of inaccessible areas, poorly sculpted detail and tucked away sections which destroy your brushes trying to access.
They are among the worst miniatures I have ever painted. Not as bad as those dreadful Willy miniatures but certainly up there with the early GW plastics. At least the GW plastics have the saving grace of being cheap as chips and blend into a mass army.
|we are ugly but are better looking then Cygnar long gunners!
The Long Gunners have none of these excuses. They cost a bomb (£30 for ten), and are generally fielded in armies of under 20 figures.
The majority of the casts are horrific and most of the figures look like they have been hit in the face with a shovel!
|when did John Merrick sign up?
and whats with the stupid elf, bat ears?
The only possible saving grace is the leader who has at least a bit of personality.
I did find myself caring less and less about these figures and in the end settled for giving a one coat highlight for the flesh and metal. The blue cloth got two highlights and to be honest I begrudge them that.
|The one nice cast in the set of ten!
There are another four which need finishing up but I cannot build up any kind of enthusiasm to start on them. It's so bad I am actually CONSIDERING BUYING SOME MINIATURES as proxies!
The only reason I did perservere with them was because in the games I have fielded them they have more than proved their worth. Recently in a game against Ed (which I have not blogged) they held their own against the opposing gun mages and have nearly caused the downfall of more than one caster due to their combined range attacks while sniped up.
|The time they nearly got Lylyth. If only I remembered they had two shots!
Numbers time.
Miniatures painted / sold this year = 114
Miniatures bought this year = 18


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He was first found hanging on one of our table name signs. He was swinging back and forth all day long!
His second place was on top of our Beach Behavior board, he was keeping an eye on the fish and hoping that noone would have to move theirs that day. He does not like to have to tell Santa about anyone moving their fish.
Candy Cane's third place was at the top of our cabinets. He was hanging on the handle to the top cabinet and reading who in our class has made it to counting to 50 and to100! He was excited to see so many kids counting so high!
The fourth and final spot this week that Candy Cane was found was in the tree in our calendar area. We think he was trying really hard to hide himself behind the leaves, but we were too smart for him and found him right away! We think we saw the leaves rustling around throughout the day. We can't wait to see what he is up to next week!


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Some photos of the two seem really close up and clearer than clear. How'd these paps get such vivid shots? There was even one of them @ the counter picking out chocolate! Kinda weird.
Was it all planned and staged so they can get buttloads of free candy? Or these paparazzi really have top of the line, maximum zoom lens cameras.
However the shots were managed, Blake and Penn look really pretty.
The couple then attended the premiere of 'Australia' the following evening.


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New section on my blog: Food in the News. I'll post links to articles/podcasts about food that I find interesting! Yay!
Deep Fry and Don't Forget the Stick is a NYT article that talks about the craze of deep-fried anything (alligator, grapes) and how people like to eat food off of a stick. I feel like I miss out on the fried food on a stick experience because around here, it's usually chicken-on-a-stick that's popular. But apparently in Minnesota, I can get fried cheese curds on a stick…
Extensive article on Indian Vegetarian Food in NYC on the NYT.
Russ Parsons, a food writer for the L.A. Times, and author of the book How to Pick a Peach: The Search for Flavor from Farm to Table, spoke on NPR about how fruit is handled in the U.S., where to buy delicious fruit and how to store it. Check it out, here


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New Diamond shipping list is out, and here's what I'll be getting Wednesday:
Uh...that's it?
And knowing how my comics shop is, I might not even get that! They've gotten me the last couple of issues right on time, so I don't think I'll need to worry. Still- one comic? There isn't even a tempting new title coming out this week, except perhaps Tomb of Dracula 1, which isn't all that tempting.
Might be a good time to perhaps pick up an issue or two of some title I've been ignoring...or maybe I should just give my gasping checkbook a needed respite.


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Tag Archives: solution
Getting the most out of Settlers IV; Initial Configuration Guide
*Blows the dust out of the Blog* Well well well! Look who's back! And with something that I have wanted to do for a very long time! How about I tell you about the best way to install and configure … Continue reading
Posted in Sin categoría Tagged english, error, error solution, german, guide, installation, iv, pack, play, settlers, settlers iv, solution 1 Comment
Texture swapper for tropical textures
So yesterday (well, technically today) I told you how to play DNW with an english Settlers IV installation… Anyway, on the comment section of GOG's announcement video, I remembered that, like a year ago, I found a pretty useful mod that allowed … Continue reading
Posted in Mods, Tweaking the game Tagged die neue welt, english, error, error solution, expansion, german, german expansion pack, gold edition, iv, new, pack, play, settlers, settlers iv, settlers iv new world english, solution, swapper, texture, texture swapper, texturen, texturenwechsler, the, the new world, the settlers iv, wechsler, world Leave a comment


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Crave #2
Gabriel and Shay are convinced that they can make their relationship work. Knowing that Shay is half-vampire, Gabriel thinks that his coven will embrace her as one of their own, but instead they view her as an abomination, a thing that doesn't belong in either world.
And they want her dead. Now Gabriel must make the ultimate decision - watch his love be killed by his coven or defy the people closest to him, the people he has spent centuries with to save her.
Thanks to Melinda Metz & Laura J. Burns I have (2) copies of Sacrifice to giveaway. To enter leave a comment along with your email address. This giveaway is only open to U.S. residents. The winners will be announced on October 1st. Good Luck!


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Status: Closed
Know more about this business than we do? Cool! Please submit any corrections or missing details you may have.Help us make it right
Be the first SILive.com user to add photos or videos of Wah Yoan Restaurant
The service was fast and friendly. I love their food especially their General Tso's Chicken is the best out of all the chinese place I've eaten. I would recommand this place to everyone.
Wah Yoan Restaurant is located at 804 New York Ave, Union City, NJ. This business specializes in Chinese Restaurants.


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Answer: She sits down at her desk with a pile of old necklaces, hacks them to death with pliers, strings them together and Voila! A new necklace!!
What to do with a pile of old mixed chains?
Join them all together in a loop perhaps?
The finished product!!
The necklace's first outing to a friend's 21st...it even lasted the night!
Now to see how long my handiwork lasts beyond this first outing...uh oh! And then to source some more old chains to expand my repertoire ;) Does anyone know where you can get piles of old broken pieces of chain?
We have a few more DIY posts lined up in the next few days, so watch this space (for want of a less daggy phrase)!


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NEW YORK -- The Morris Claiborne story fell into the laps of America on day one of the NFL Draft Thursday night, the same way Claiborne found himself a Dallas Cowboy.
The Cowboys didn't interview the LSU cornerback at the Scouting Combine in February. They didn't spend time with him at the LSU pro day, or bring him into Dallas for a pre-draft visit, or schedule a visit to see him on campus. "I never heard from them -- not one time, ever,'' Claiborne said Thursday night.
Meanwhile, when the Cowboys did their mock drafts and draft scenarios early this week, the scouts and club officials in the room debated who they would trade up for if given the opportunity. There was only one player who was a resounding yes: Claiborne. Not safety Mark Barron if he was still on the board; they'd determined if he fell to them at No. 14, the Cowboys would take him. But in none of the draft models did Claiborne fall as far as No. 6. Dallas chief operating officer and director of player personnel Stephen Jones already determined at 14, Claiborne was a pipe dream, so why fly him in or spend time in Baton Rouge with him. Waste of time.
But when Claiborne began slipping, Jones picked up the phone and called St. Louis COO Kevin Demoff, who had the sixth pick. "The Rams told us we wouldn't necessarily have to pay full retail to move up to No. 6,'' Jones said. "Now there's no way we'd have given three picks. But we found out they'd take our two for us to move those eight slots. We cherish that second-round pick. But this was a great player, and if we had a chance to get him we thought we really should. We had Claiborne our top-rated defensive player.''
Then dominoes fell. Jacksonville, at seven, traded up ahead of St. Louis to take wideout Justin Blackmon. He would have been the Rams' pick. So now the Rams, at six, lost the player they really wanted and had four players to choose from. Two were defensive tackles -- Fletcher Cox and Michael Brockers. When Jones called, Demoff agreed to the deal. Because the Rams thought they could get one of these players in the group at 14 if they traded down, it wasn't a tough call.
So why did the Cowboys, with no personal contact, feel so good about Claiborne? "We have an impeccable relationship, our scouts and coaches do, with LSU coaches,'' said Jones. "We felt we knew everything about him.''
Everything, Jones said, including the reported learning difficulties stemming from Claiborne scoring a four (out of 50) on the IQ-type Wonderlic Test. "We studied that,'' said Jones, "and I can tell you we had absolutely zero issues with it.''
The Wonderlic story for Claiborne is a strange one. He claims he scored a four because when he took the test at the Scouting Combine, he found out it had nothing to do with football. He said he filled out 15 or 18 of the 50 answers, then put the test away and didn't finish. "I came to the Combine for football,'' Claiborne said Thursday night, "and I didn't see any football questions on the test. So I didn't finish it. That test doesn't tell me who I am.''
Jones said the LSU coaches told Dallas scouts Claiborne had no issue with learning the defense or adjusting when the need arose. And not that a 20-minute conversation on draft night can prove much about intelligence, but Claiborne showed little evidence of an awful test score when he met with reporters Thursday night. Affable and humbled by the pick, he said he was hurt when followers on Twitter made fun of his low score. (After posting a couple of notes on Claiborne on Twitter Thursday night, I got some lunkheads making fun of Claiborne too. Amazing how cavalierly cruel people can be in the anonymous world of Twitter.)
"Some people,'' he said accurately, "are just heartless.''
Back to the stunner of Claiborne slipping until Dallas could get him. The Cowboys never spoke to him in draft season until owner Jerry Jones called him Thursday and said: "Do you want to be a Cowboy? If this deal goes through, you're going to be a Cowboy.''
"Yes sir,'' Claiborne said -- still not believing for certain that he was talking to Jerry Jones, the owner of the Dallas Cowboys.
When he realized it, he was blown away. And he still seemed stunned an hour later, standing in the bowels of Radio City Music Hall, explaining how a kid from Shreveport -- half Saints country, half Cowboys country -- felt about being drafted by the legendary team that hadn't had anything to do with him all winter and spring.
"Amazing,'' he said. "Amazing. Following in the footsteps of Deion Sanders.
Talked to Minnesota GM Rick Spielman after round one. He told me there was another team -- Tampa Bay -- interested in moving to No. 3. And before the round began, Spielman was in talks about swapping picks with Cleveland at four and Tampa Bay at five.
Cleveland had two picks in the fourth round (100 and 118 overall), the second pick acquired from Atlanta in the Julio Jones deal last draft day. The Browns also had two picks in the fifth round (139 and 160 overall), the second one part of the Brady Quinn deal with Denver two years ago. And the Browns had three seventh-round picks (211, 245, 247 overall), the final two compensatory picks awarded by the league.
Was Spielman bluffing? Would Tampa Bay have made the move up? I'm not so sure. But after the Browns lost Robert Griffin III to Washington because the Redskins made a better "final'' offer for the second overall pick in March, you can be sure Cleveland wasn't going to get caught short again.
"Cleveland had house money to play with,'' Spielman said. "Why not use the house money they built up from making good trades to get something they really wanted? Because there was a legitimate threat behind them, they moved up and did what they thought was best.''
Spielman took advantage of a team that started the day with a league-high 13 choices. The Browns traded their lower fourth-round pick, a five and a seven to ensure getting the player of their dreams. Heckert couldn't risk failure. Imagine how sick they would have been in the Browns draft room if they had blown the pick because they wouldn't add, say, the 139th pick in the draft to the pot.
"This is a great kid, I guarantee you, and someone played a cruel joke on him,'' McCartney said. "It is unreal that someone would do that, but it happened.'' Sanu told McCartney after the draft not to worry about him, he'd be fine, and some team will draft him and get a good player. McCartney's right. Sanu must be a good kid, to respond to something that hurtful with an attitude so hopeful.


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Miss World 2011 - Scotland - Jennifer REOCH
Name : Jennifer REOCH
Age : 22
Height : 182
Languages : English & French
Jennifer has a degree in Scottish law and French Language. One day she hopes to travel the world and embrace many different cultures. Jennifer is a keen sportswoman and enjoys athletics, netball and horse riding.
Tell us a little something about your Country ?
Scotland is a small but brilliant country. It has a rich and diverse culture and despite its size, produces some of the world's greatest inventions, successful actors and performers and world class sporting talent. It is a beautiful country full of friendly people.
Future ambitions ?
I would love to travel the world. I have been lucky enough to visit many different places around two continents but I would love to explore all the other exciting places that the remaining continents have to offer.
Describe yourself
I like to think I'm an outgoing, friendly and confident individual and will always aim to do what I can to help other people. Also, with my determination to succeed I will always do my best as I feel it is important to be myself.
Personal Motto?
Failure is not an option.
Favourite food ?
Italian cuisine is probably my favourite.
Favourite Music / Books ?
My favourite book of all time is 'The Great Gatsby' and my favourite song is by Baz Lurhman, 'Everybody's Free (to wear sunscreen)'. It is quite an obscure song choice but full of great life advice. In general music tastes however I enjoy a wide variety of music.
Do you have any pets?
Yes, my family have two guinea pigs and a pet goldfish.
What is the proudest moment of your life or most memorable day?
I have been lucky enough to have had many proud moments in my life so far from speaking in the European Parliament as part of the Euroscola Programme to becoming Head Girl at my high school.
Special Talents ?
I can play the violin and throughout my time at school I was involved in various dance classes including tap, contemporary and hip-hop.
Any other interesting facts ?
I was an active member of the Student Television Society 'GUST' at University. I organised my University graduation ball for over 150 people. I did a tandem skydive for my 21st birthday.source: (Thank you and credits to
and all sources for the information and pictures)Source URL: http://cfzlmsjmni-video.blogspot.com/2011/10/meet-miss-world-2011-contestant_7740.html
Visit Film Sejmi Video for Daily Updated Film Sejmi Video Collection


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Carmichael is certainly not stupid:
"At 13, when most boys are fretting about the perils of girls and middle school, Post was attending Cal State Los Angeles, working on degrees in computer science and applied mathematics. At 18, Post was entering USC Gould School of Law. At 22, Post became a member of the State Bar of California."But what holds him back is a $2,756 monthly loan payment.
In Carmichael's words,
"It's like some sort of nightmare where someone gave me a bank mortgage but forgot to add the deed to the house," Post quipped.Indeed, Andrew, indeed.
Carmichael, who now works as a computer programmer, graduated in 2010 with no job prospects as an attorney. So, he did what every law school tells unemployed and unemployable graduates to do. He hung out his own shingle.
Things were not going well:
"I was never really impoverished," Post said, "just terribly inconvenienced by not being able to collect on a legal bill or a programming bill I'd sent out two months earlier. What little stable income I had wasn't enough to get by on. There were times when I had to decide on whether to buy enough gas to get back to court or buy lunch."
Post struggled to avoid feeling discouraged.
"The last time I went into court, I was wearing something that I got at Goodwill," Post said. "The two lawyers on the other side were each wearing suits worth more than my car."Post now makes between $80,000 and $96,000 as a programmer, so he is doing a lot better than most J.D.'s. The financial advisor told Post to build up an emergency fund, and throw extra money at his debt, while continuing to live at his parents' place for at least the next six years to pay off his debt in full. Luckily, Post is a child prodigy, so he will only be 30 when he is free of the shackles of debt slavery.
There are a couple of things that don't portend well for future law graduates stuck in Post's position. First, Post has the option of living with his parents and having them subsidize his basic living costs. What will happen to future generations of graduates whose parents are still living in a small apartment, still paying off their own debt? Second, Post has other marketable skills that enabled him to get a well-paying job. Most J.D.s are humanities graduates who go to law school after realizing that an undergraduate degree in Post-War Soviet Literature is not going to pay the bills. What will people without specific marketable skills who have such a huge debt load do when the only jobs available are at traffic firms paying $20,000 with no benefits?
All the while, professors are laughing all the way to the bank, producing increasingly useless "legal scholarship" and getting huge "research stipends" every summer so they can take lavish vacations disguised as research trips. ScamDeans are touting the latest way to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear: "practice ready curriculums".
A large problem arises because a great deal of the public still thinks that no matter what, lawyers can hang out a shingle and make a good living. I was talking to a friend this past weekend who said as much. When I responded that most self-employed lawyers are now trying to fight for bottom of the barrel clientele who will ultimately try not to pay you, he was genuinely surprised.
Many people assume that students go to law school because they solely make the decision to do so. We overlook the great many students pushed into law school by their families or spouses. It is easy to go to law school as a way to extend the inertia many people fall into while in college. When a person you trust tells you, "Go get a law degree. John's kid just graduated and now has a job in [eminent BigLaw firm]", it is easy to just go along with it.
I think that the scamblog movement is important, but we also need to educate the general public about what a cesspool the legal profession in general has been for a while. Until parents are disabused of the notion that Junior can major in anything as an undergrad because he can always buy a ticket to the upper class by going to law school, nothing will change. So the next time you hear someone bragging about their kid enrolling in law school, make a point to try and dispell the myth of the legal professions as golden ticket. It may make you unpopular with those who don't want to believe you. But, stopping even one person from ruining their life by going to law school is worth it.


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outside my window . . . the grass is starting to poke out from under the landscaper's straw. I feel hopeful that we might actually have a yard of grass rather than mud one day.
I am listening to . . . my oven's creaks and whooshes as it heats up.
I am wearing . . . brown sweater, medium blue top, jeans, fluffed-but-unwashed hair.
I am reading . . . The Wives of Henry the VIII (A Fraser) and Major Pettigrew's Last Stand
I am thinking . . . about how tired I am and that it might be tired to start taking melatonin again! It really does help me sleep better.
on my iPod . . . catching up on a few podcasts today while I do my baking.
around the house . . . oh, the weekend has put our house is a bit of disarray. At some point today I sure hope to get it straightened up. Little E's room needs some SERIOUS attention this week.
from the kitchen . . . batches and batches of sweet treats today for an open house (eldest son's school).
real education in our home . . . tomorrow a friend is coming to give a lesson in water colors.
rhythm and beauty in our home . . . I am trying to determine how to cozy up our kitchen eating area. The area is large and open and has lots of windows and light. I love that, but it lacks something cozy and anchoring.
the church year in our home . . . Ash Wednesday is this week, and of course that means the beginning of Lent. Trying to decide where to place our family altar. I moved during the holidays to make room for some special decorations and never put it back in its original location. I like where it is now, but it isn't a place we can gather as a family, so I'm considering a change to that.
one of my favorite things . . . fancily painted fingernails on cute little girls.
the week ahead. . .
:-: Today: open house for eldest son's school
:-: Tuesday : water color lesson, and Shrove Tuesday pot luck at church
:-: Wednesday: Ash Wednesday services
:-: Thursday: a special birthday!
a picture thought . . .
|Down at the creek a few weeks ago. Still some icy bits to crunch through.


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Free Abdalkarim
(scroll down for updates) In case you haven't heard already, an Egyptian Blogger got arrested by the egyptian police seemingly for what he wrote. Here is what Alaa, who knows more then I know about this, has to report. Abdolkarim Nabil Seliman is a 21 year-old Egyptian student of law at the Azhar University, Damanhour Campus, a women's-rights activist and a correspondent for Copts United. In addition to writing at Civic Dialogue, he also publishes at a blog he maintains. On Wednesday 26 October 2005, Egyptian State Security took Abdolkarim from his home, and confiscated hard copies of his writings. He is now on his way to an unknown detention. Three Egyptian bloggers visited Abdolkarim's family. The family attributed the state security raid to his writings, although it was not clear if his blogging is directly related. According to his brother, Abdolkarim's relations with Islamist Fundamentalists in his neighborhood of Moharram Bek, Alexandria, are tense. It is possible that the fundamentalists have filed a security complaint that led to his detention. Abdel Karim's writing, if you can't read arabic, is very very critical of Islam. So critical that Big Pharaoh is wondering if he was a convert to christianity or something. Abdolkarim could be a convert to Christianity or someone who left the Muslim faith, and I was stunned when I saw that he posted his picture on his blog. Anyway, he will be in a very serious situation if a case was levied against him. If sent to court, the charge of "izderaa el adyaan" or "blaspheming religion" can be applied leading to his imprisonment. What's interesting is that he went to Al Azhar University and lived in Alexandria, which could mean that the people who did file a report against him are islamists. If that were the case , given the upcoming elections, the recent riots and his connections to Copts-United, it's very well possible that they arrested him as a pre-emptive measure to stop another riot that could be started by the MB in Alex. The egyptian government would never take the side of Free speech against secterian relationships stability. Figuring it's safer to arrest just one blogger who the majority of egyptians would disagree with and with his writing, then to deal with another riot over his right to free speech, which doesn't exist in our country. It kind of makes sense for them to do it, for they have no shame or fixed morals or principles to stand by and defend, and the fact that, again, many egyptians wouldn't mind him getting punished for what he wrote. If you find this statetment to be harsh then please go over to the comments section in Alaa's post and see for yourself what some people had to say about his arrest. Hell, Alaa is being attacked in his comments section for starting the free Abdal Karim campaign. This attitude that some people have drives me nuts, because this is about free speech and civil rights, not about who said what about Islam. We should support him, not because we agree with what he said, but because if we don't rally out and support those who get detained and arrested for writing what they believe in- no matter how unpopular their opinion may be- we will be the ones arrested next. If you violate the rights of one of our own, then it's like you violated all of our rights. I may not agree with what many egyptian bloggers have to say, but if they were in that same situation as AbdelKarim I would be doing the exact same thing I am doing right now, for I may not agree with what you have to say, but I will fight for your right to say it. This isn't something that should be compromised on, or we might as well all take our blogs down and hide in our homes, waiting for that 3 am visit by Amn el Dawlah like a bunch of scared rats. If you are unwilling to live life like this, as any self respecting human being wouldn't, then you should support the immediate release of AbdalKarim. It is not a matter on which we can compromise. Update: Toman Bay has a different take on the whole thing after reading what AbdelKarim wrote: Following my own principles, I don't think that the government represented in Amn El-Dawla should prosecute the guy (they are doing it for purely political reasons, to appease the masses who may sympathize with Muslim Brothers especially before the parliamentary elections; just as they did when they arrested some rock kids as Satan-worshippers, to balance their crack-down on Islamist terrorists in the mid-90s), and his freedom of expression should have been protected; but you won't see me walking in any rallies supporting him, as he and similar enticers (whether Muslims, Christians, or Jews) are as much a menace to freedom of expression as Amn El-Dawla is. I respectfully disagree of course, because at the end of the day what he did was write an article. He wrote words, opinion, of what happend. That could never even measure against getting detained for writing something, especially in a country like Egypt where he has no rights. Here is the AP story on what happend. Egyptian police have detained a blogger for his anti-Islamic and anti-government writings and confiscated his books and copies of his articles, his family and other bloggers said Thursday. Abdolkarim Nabil Seliman, a 21-year-old law student at Al-Azhar University, was arrested on Oct. 26. His whereabouts are not known. "A group of seven police officers knocked at the door at 3 a.m. and asked about Abdolkarim,'' his mother, who identified herself as Yousseria, told The Associated Press by telephone from Alexandria. [...] "He is stubborn, he has ideas that contradict the true religion and he posts that on the Internet, serving no one but himself,'' his mother said when asked about his writings. Seliman belongs to a pious Muslim family - his parents were performing umra, or a minor Islamic pilgrimage, in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, just days before his arrest. He is also a student of Al-Azhar, the world's highest seat of learning for Sunni Muslims. Another blogger, Malik Moustafa, closely followed Seliman's detention and accused followers of the fundamentalist Islamic Salafi movement in Alexandria of being behind the arrest. Moustafa said the arrest followed articles in which Seliman accused the Salafis of inciting the latest sectarian tensions in his neighborhood of Mouharm Bay. Seliman was detained three days after posting an article to his blog commenting on the violent riots that erupted when thousands of security forces clashed with streams of angry Muslim worshippers in front of a Coptic Christian church over a play put on by Christians deemed offensive to Islam. [...] In addition to his anti-Islamic writings, Seliman posted several articles blatantly attacking Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak regime and describing it as a "symbol of dictatorship.'' See, This gives me more of a reason to be supportive of his release. The same could easily be said about me. I mean, I have never gone as far as he did in his articles, because I don't believe what he said in them to be true, but I have been both critical of things that have been done in the name of Islam and of the regime before. I would make an equally easy target for them as he did. But if we let them have the easier targets first, then it's only a matter of time before coming after the rest of us. You know? There is something fishy about this guy though: He had his face, name and telephone number up on his blog. He was practically daring them to come after him. I am not one to blame to victim here, but I can't figure out why he would do such a thing. There is a fine line between courage and stupidity, and from his writing he doesn't seem to be stupid to the degree that he can't imagine someone to recognize him or come after him for what he wrote. Hmm..... Update: Mostafa Hussein has more information on this: In an email sent on the day of his detainment he wrote to Milad, in response to a survey about Egyptian bloggers that he doesn't mind his name being mentioned in it. He says that although what he writes is considered very sensitive by many. Freedom of expression is in jeopardy if religion is going to be considered a red line. He says in the email that he was once attacked by some thugs as a reaction to what he writes and publishes. Almost everyone in the blogosphere do not support his opinions at all. Yet, a lot stand against his detention by security forces. Malek says (Arabic) that such acts weaken the images of Islam. As a civilised debate would reconstruct all his invalid opinions. Other believe in his right for a free trial. While some see that this is totally against freedom of speech. However, the comments of some anonymous posters and non-bloggers consider his detention a right thing and that the security forces did a good job. Accusing the bloggers who started the campaign, that they are trying to blindly copy Western democracy. Ibn abdel aziz warns (Arabic) that the security forces might be dividing the blogosphere, when they take away someone outspoken against Islam, Muslims would cheer. If they detain a radical Muslim; secularists and Christians would cheer. One by one they would divide bloggers. Indeed. Update: InstaPundit is on the case and wants his readers to cause trouble.


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Don't worry, I have no intention of turning this into a cooking blog, but here's another thing I've learned:
I've always had problems cooking brown rice. It never cooks in the time I think it should. I've let it cook for 2 hours and it was still crunchy. Yesterday, my sister and I were talking about beans and she mentioned that you need to add 1/4 tsp baking soda to the water when soaking beans if you have hard water, otherwise the beans don't soften correctly. I decided to try it with the brown rice. I put in 3 c water to 1 c rice and 1/4 tsp baking soda. The rice was tender in 45 minutes. I was very happy.
The one unknown in the whole process is that I've gotten a new range since the last time I cooked brown rice, so it is possible it is somehow cooking different. I think I'll stick to adding baking soda though. I'm not scientific enough to cook rice for an hour to see if it come out all right without the soda.


text:
If you want to convert a file, whether its a document, an image, music or video, here's a free service from Zamzar which supports Numerous file types and convert them to multitude of other file types. The conversion chart is listed here, with an impressive number of file types spanning documents, images, audio and video. A new feature even lets you plug in an online video and download it as the file type of your choice.
You should check this and the conversion chart, it includes almost all the file types commonly used and convert it to almost any other type.
"You can convert almost anything into pretty much anything else", that's what the BBC programme Click had to say, about Zamzar.
Here's again the category chart showing the details of the conversion support:
Document formats
Image formats
Music formats
Video formats
Convert your WMV file, youtube files, convert to ipod files, docx files, wpd files, iphone format, Zune format....... the list goes on. You have to check this. And if your file format is not listed , you can contact Zamzer and they will do their best to add it.
Zamzar has been featured by the "PC Magazine" as one of the top 100 undiscovered websites for 2007. Yes, many do not know about it, though it has been launched quite some time back and its not new. I was also not knowing about it, until I read about it on Channel10.


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Status: Closed
Know more about this business than we do? Cool! Please submit any corrections or missing details you may have.Help us make it right
As a home renovations company, our work ranges from large additions to simple window installations. We specialize in all aspects of the remodeling industry including kitchens, baths, basements, attics, siding, windows and doors. Our staff is highly skilled and treats each and every client with respect. With a combined 40 years experience and a love for what they do, we are proud to call them...
Kitchens, Bathrooms, Decks, Window, Siding
Troost Bros., Inc. are home improvement contractors, serving all of Staten Island. We were founded in 1996 on Staten Island where our partners were born and raised. We have a long history in the community, and a strong interest in its continuing growth.
The company is Fully licensed and insured. We offer free estimates.
Published by User Uploaded
They do terrible work and have no integrity. They acknowledged that the work that they did on my home was not done correctly but said they didn't have the money to fix it. They also work with incompetent subcontractors. They're being sued and have had multiple complaints filed against them with the Department of Consumer Affairs. (Edited June 22, 2014)
Professional,honest, reliable & competent are just a few words that come to mind when describing Jeff, Scot and their staff. They made my home renovation a happy and stress free experience. Their work is top shelf and I have recommended them to my friends. KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK TROOST BROS!!
Troost Brothers Incorporated is located at 740 Delafield Ave, Staten Island, NY..


text:
You know what it's like to play in the Super Bowl?
We do!
And so can you!
Our restaurants and our teams are voted #1 in our markets year in and year out. It is fun to play on a winning team and we want to keep it that way. How do we keep it that way?
Confidence. Passion. Winning. That's what we're all about at Baumhower's.
We only recruit the best of the best. We strive every day to be, as our mission statement reads, "The Best" in the business. When a group of like-minded individuals come together for a common goal, GREAT things happen. We are a TEAM here at Baumhower's and we want YOU to be our star player. We are always looking for Great people, looking to do Great things, and who are hungry for GREATness. Every day is Game Day at Baumhower's and there is no better feeling than to put your skills on display, for all to see, with the game on the line.
Thank you for your interest in us! Baumhower's is part of Aloha Hospitality's exciting restaurant concepts which also includes Bob's Victory Grille, and Dauphin's.
When were you last excited about going to work? How would you feel about a job where you make people happy? That's what we've been doing at Aloha Hospitality for over 25 years!
Click here to apply at Baumhower's or any of our other locations across the state right away.
Click here to learn more about the opportunities that await!


text:
Out with the old, in with the new.
I'm in a reflective mood today. I always get reflective on New Year's Eve. When I was single, I would spend New Year's Eve night reflecting on the past year, writing a poem or two about the year to come, finding a Bible verse to take with me into the New Year, and heralding the New Year in with a prayer. It was a sweet time of communion and reflection.
But now that I'm married with a kid, I'm lucky to make it to midnight. But I still like to remember the year past and anticipate the coming one. I strive to be aware of my life and the things God is doing with it. I long to have a healthy perspective on time and how I am spending it. I want to live my life on purpose with purpose.
I find I can do all this best through writing.


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We were blessed to be able to visit our friends who live in Redding, CA this past week. We took the scenic route, visiting the Grand Canyon, Zion National Park, and travelling up the very beautiful and picturesque highway 1 along the Pacific coast. Lots of memories. Lots of pictures.
All in all a wonderful trip!


text:
I know every Tuesday is Anti Procrastination Tuesday ..so if you have a ToDo list...go over there and link up so we can all tackle our lists together.
I have watched and watched ladies just have at thier Doozy Lists...and really getting things done!
So I have decided to make my own Doozy List...and see what happens! I am sure it will grow as the days go on and I have time to think...
My Doozy List
* get scrappy stuff organized
* clean out old clothes
* have a yard sale
* get rid of old stove in garage
* make a master shopping list
* make a two week menu
* make birthday and anniversary cards more often
*discover desire to read Bible more often
* have Bible Study at my house
* have a scrapbooking crop with friends
* numerically order fav websites/see if I can delete one.
*keep nails done
*start gym/workout
*start tanning
*clean out car
* buy frames for all pictures and hang them
*read Simplify
*make laundry detergent
*keep up with laundry...one load a day!
*start planning Lyla's birthday
* make appt with "woman" dr
*clean off computer desk
* go through files and declutter
*make recipe binder
*finish control journal
* make cupon binder
*make a will
* make final decisions on kitchen, bedroom, scrappy room design
*scrap more often
*learn to quilt
*buy wood to make more country signs
Wow...OK..so I thought my list was going to be really short since I was just thinking of things off the top of my head..but maybe not! OMG! Well maybe it will be better since it is in writing (or typing) and I can physically see what I want to do.
Alrighty............now all that is left to do is link this up to Amy @ New Nostalgia!!
Have a great day!


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But on 9th February I was involved in yet another car accident!!!! I must attract these foolish drivers to crash into me, as yet again this was not my fault. Luckily the bloke has admitted fault but it was pretty clear that he was to blame. He cut across two lanes of traffic from a side road, and crashed into my driver's side car door, scraping down the while of the right hand side by the time I had emergency stopped!
Anyway, this is such a huge set back. I have again got whiplash as well as a strained wrist, according to the doctors. I feel so achey and stiff and want to be able to take my head off just to rest it. My head pain has increased and my neck is very tender and sore to touch. My shoulder muscles are tight and tense.
On top of this I had an email from work saying that they have got information about my further surgery. How?? I can't believe that it's ok to discuss someone's private medical information without them knowing!!!!! They said the surgery wait is 6-8 months too!!!! This is far too long for me to cope with. I really don't know what I am going to do if I have to wait for most of this year just to get back on track and hope I can get some of my life back and begin to move forward.
I've emailed my consultants secretary, which is where my work got this information from, so I'll just have to see what they reply.
I truly hope I get some good news. I need it!!!


text:
Kevin is currently in the thick of bar studies, and plans to sit for the Indiana bar exam in about five weeks.
Watching him try to congeal so many subjects at once brings back memories of when we both studied for the California bar exam together. I remember agonizing over making outlines to help me conquer all that massive amount of information. At the end of the bar study time, I felt like everything had really come together thanks to my meticulous outlines.
After I passed the bar, I couldn't bear throwing those outlines away. They represented too much work and sheer agony.
So, I kept them. Five years later, I still knew exactly where they were when Kevin asked if he could skim them.
And, apparently, one outline was particularly helpful to him the other day in organizing the subject matter. I couldn't believe it. These days, I feel like Mommy Brain has completely taken over. As much as I try to use my brain by reading good books, I feel like my mind is dull and tired most days, at least compared to where it used to be with all that scholastic exercise.
Kevin told me my Wills and Probate outline was a lifesaver. That was the absolute nicest and most wonderful compliment this Mommy, full of thick brain fog, could have possibly received this past week. I really needed that in my life. Yes, somewhere buried deep down, I do have a brain and it has been known to work from time to time.


text:
Harry Styles jokingly Instagrams a not-so-sweet sign from a "fan." Classic.
When you're in a famous boy band like One Direction, and when you're arguably one of the cutest members of One Direction, haters are obviously going to come out of the woodwork with things like hate mail, rampant side eyes, and worst of all, mean-spirited signage (like the one in the above photo). And while most people might emotionally crumble and cry into their chicken dinners, Harry Styles is not most people. See how Harry's brushing that "Dirt Off Your Shoulder" like Jay-Z? So, let's be perfectly clear: When you're as perfect as Harry, you are NEVER shaken.
The "Kiss You" singer posted the expletive-baring photo on Instagram with the caption "Possibly the best sign at a show ever." And while it's easy to take this sign while performing at face value (and Harry COULD HAVE sobbed uncontrollably to his 12 million Twitter followers, saying stuff like "Do you believe this ISH?"), the sign may have another meaning. It's been reported that this poster was actually meant for the paparazzi! Now we can definitely see why Harry held onto this sign. We could totally picture him wearing it like a sandwich board as he's going about his daily business -- it's paparazzi repellent! See, that Harry h8ter did him a FAVOR!
Photo credit: @harrystyles


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Wednesday, May 18, 2011
A (kind of) fat/health rant
So, I'm trying this better healthier greener living thing. The green stuff I had covered, but healthy, not so much. I don't eat that badly but i'm sure I could make changes and cut backs. So, I'm trying for the 29887545788th time to cut out sodas. So far, so good. Day three and I don't want one! Plus, I'm eating even healthier (which is so much easier to do with all the yummy summer fruit!) and I've found a new liking for working out. I did 3 miles in 30 minutes on the elliptical on Monday, weights yesterday, and I plan to do 3 miles again today! I've also rediscovered my passion for the challenge of cooking healthy alternatives to the unhealthy stuff I crave!!
(cue rant...)
Please understand that my goal is not to get "skinny", but healthy. I am happy with myself I'm pretty fat-positive. I think we have the wrong idea when it comes to beauty and health regarding body size. There is nothing wrong with being thin, but I don't think it's something a naturally more filled out person, like myself, should aspire to. Some people are naturally thin and some, like me, are built like Russian gymnasts. I'm naturalky more muscular, and I may never be thin like I was when I was a starving teen, but I can strive to eat better and work out without it becoming an unhealthy obsession. An by the way, just because you are skinny doesn't mean you are healthy, just like being chunky or big doesn't always mean you are unhealthy. I have great blood pressure and a good cholesterol level, for instance.
I also get aggravated at fat-positive women who shun diets and excersise because they think it's being done to lose weight. There is nothing wrong with wanting to live a healthy lifestyle. Again, as long as it's being done for the right reasons. Let's NOT strive to lose half our body weight for some dude/girl, or some silly outfit or event, and instead focus on getting healthy so we can live past 55. And let's not revoke fat-positive cards because someone wants to live healthy. Sound good?
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
3 comments:
Dude cutting out soda is REALLY hard for the first month but after that trust me you kinds just DON'T want to drink them. And If/When you do it is like 2 sips and your sick of it. I think I am going on about 2 years or more of "not drinking soda" I will have one maybe once every 3-4 months but that is about it.ReplyDelete
PS since you are uber north if you want a work our buddy ;) txt me I just have weird hours because of work
Dena, you rule. If you wanna go to the gym with me and Allen, let me know, because he has an unlimited guest pass and I'd love for you to come with us!ReplyDelete
Totally has to agree with the above soda comment. Every great once in awhile, I think I wanna try one again. Two sips in, I generally start to feel like I'm going to explode and decide a nice iced green tea with some honey tastes sooooo much better. Also, I love your rant. And your healthy curves. And your blog. So, take that, Jiggity Saw. <3ReplyDelete


text:
a love affair with cookbooks.
very little makes me happier
than getting a new one,
sitting on the couch,
reading it cover to cover,
mentally bookmarking the
as you can imagine,
such a habit is big and bulky
and despite buying a large
bookshelf to house them all,
the collection has expanded
slightly out of control.
yes, they're on shelves.
but the books are also on the floor
of larry's closet.
and they're on the bed in our second bedroom.
not to mention that i'm pretty
sure there's a few in the kitchen,
our bedroom and probably
in places i cannot even imagine.
yes, i love cookbooks.
and that's why it meant so much
to me this morning when i
found out that my cranberry sauce
will be featured in food52's.
thank you for voting and
supporting me, the blog,
and of course, the cranberry sauce.
so in honor of today's news
(ok, that's not true,
we were going
to do this anyway),
i have a giveaway.
and no, it's not a cookbook.
or exactly food related.
you may have noticed the
very cool new logo
not lazy. rustic. has
been wearing since sunday.
well, here's the story
behind it. well, ok, wait -
one other story first.
i've talked about lauren
several times before -
how we met in camp,
have stayed friend's since
and have super bowl get togethers.
but, here's the real beginning.
we had already had the towel experience.
but then, a couple weeks later
we were out playing kickball.
i was put in the outfield. sadly, i was always
put in the outfield. nothing ever went out
there. ever. so i sat on the ground and
used a broken twig to dig in the dirt.
lauren - who i think was supposed to
be covering second base - came over to
me and said,
if i were you, i'd stop digging.
otherwise, you'll dig too far and
some old man from china is
going to start pulling on the other side
and you're going to end up in china
with no way of getting back home.
we were 10. but, i listened to her.
and since then, she's been there
to support me, snap me out of funks
deeper than outfield-relegated isues,
pack me up for college when i
could not handle the thought of
leaving my family and friends,
cleaned my room (looking at it
like a challenge, not a nightmare),
helped larry put our bed together
when we moved into this
apartment 3 1/2 years ago
and encouraged me to start this blog.
and finally, i have a small
opportunity to support her.
earlier this year,
lauren and her sister, stephanie,
started AnaStella (look, i even capped
for them) - invitations and stationary
with style & spark!
everything is beautiful, from their
wedding and shower invitations to
moving announcements to save the dates
and stationary. and now, logos!
i contacted lauren last week with a
very vague...does stephanie do logos...
i want something...not sure what...
is this even a possibility? type of of e-mail.
a minute later i got back an e-mail:
she already designed one for you,
she didn't send it?
i really had no idea what i was looking for,
i knew i wanted something that represented
not lazy. rustic. but that's about it.
when i saw the design - one that stephanie
made for the fun of it weeks before - i knew it was perfect.
stephanie conveyed more about the blog
through her logo, than i could have with words.
and, so, to celebrate the new logo,
lauren and stephanie are offering one
custom stationary set to a winner
chosen at random. check out their
website and their page on esty.com.
then e-mail me
by wednesday, november 26.
please include your name,
complete mailing address,
which style you would like and how
you would like them personalized
(they can print initials or names).
the winner will be notified by the
end of next week.
exciting day, right?


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Friendly Staff. Beautiful Smiles. Welcoming Environment.
*We offer free Wi-Fi at our office for our patient's convenience.
Practice Philosophy:
We hope you can find everything you need. Dr. Brett Patel D.M.D. and Dr. Alpa Patel D.M.D. are focused on providing high-quality dentistry, and patient satisfaction - we will do everything we can to meet your expectations.
With a variety of dental and cosmetic procedures available, we will work with you to maintain or improve your oral health and to help make your smile beautiful. We're sure you'll be happy working with us. Look around our website and if you have any comments or questions, please feel free to contact us.


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"USSA" = United Socialist States of America Obama is hell bent on installing with his Marxist (Communist) and Moslem allies - based on his personal very non-American radical ideology.
As violent Islam entrenches and infiltrates British courts - and society - bullies non-Moslems to leave neighborhoods - this "picture" of Queen Elizabeth has done the rounds of the Persian diaspora in Europe.
BTW, it also depicts one of Oba-Hussein's primary dreams - to see this happen. He cannot stand Britain, which politically disrespected his father and the MauMau terrorists, banned his brother from visiting there on his way to the Oba-Hussein's inauguration and he has shown it in every way. Recently elevating France (ignoring history and reality) to being named as a stronger ally than Britain.
And he is clearly trying to make this entrenchment and infiltration take place and find deep roots in America with his policies, executive orders and choice of senior administration personnel.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Coming to Londonistan Eurabia and USSA
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text:
But this doesn't mean everyday outfits have to be bland. I am rather strange, and enjoy adding a bit of character to my outfits both modern and vintage. Thus, this outfit came about; I wore it once thinking it would be warm and sensible, several people complimented me on it. Some picked up on the way it has a certain mid-century-explorer vibe (similar to the tough girl in a man's world outfit, I guess) and some just liked the faux fur boot.
It isn't super glamorous, it's not designed to make me look 'thin', or 'young'. It's just a practical, thrifty outfit made with thrifty items which I intend to wear again and again...value.
|Ah, the usual grumpy blog face.
I softened it, but the expression's
still hard.
The jumper is thrifted (Topshop), about ten years ago. How's that for value - slightly faded, but not so much that you'd turn it down. It's nicely cut with a semi turtleneck and works wonderfully tucked into trousers (New Look sale, £8) or with a skirt. The jacket was free, something my sister didn't need when she went to work in Spain for a year. She's back now, but hasn't demanded it back so it's mine now. Serves her right for 'borrowing' on my Sindy doll back in the day. Oh yes, it all comes out now, doesn't it?
|Just as well
|Look at that chunky Ray Mears style detailing
|Don't be shocked by the rocks that I got.
|Dunno how I managed, these
have lasted a week! Glued
on flowers and all!