text:
Be of good cheer!
The Night
On the night that Christ was born
The rivers, one hears, ran fine
And sweetly between their banks,
Filled not with water but wine.
And any man who drank
Of that beneficent tide
(Though he had stooped in anger
To drink), grew pacified,
Loving even his foeman
As dearly as his bride;
Wholly at peace with himself,
The world and everything.
While the trees in the forest blossomed
As if the winter were spring.
Crochet a Bunch of Grapes for your own Wreath of Christmas Legends!
Thursday, December 31, 2009
The Night
Be of good cheer!
Posted by MedievalMama at 12:31 PM 0 comments
My Little Darlin's are Growing Up!
Posted by MedievalMama at 11:09 AM 0 comments
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Canticle of the Bees
I thought it appropriate to read this poem on the Feast of the Holy Family (I should have posted it yesterday), since it is also appropriate to eat milk and honey on this feast. This is a beautiful poem! May we hear the bees and all see God one day.
The Canticle of the Bees
Bees in winter
Weather keep,
Rapt, a garden-haunted
Dream of summer,
Still as stone,
Save on Christmas Eve,
When that honey-havened
Roused by bells
From every steeple,
Wake and sing
With one accord
To the Lord.
"Praise Him,"
Sing the choiring bees,
"Lord of limes
And locust trees,
"Him Who has
Dominion over
Fields of amaranthine
"By Whose providence
We fare
Daily through
The throbbing air
"And return
In drowsy flight
From the pastures
Of delight,
"From the many-petaled
When the shadows close."
So, at least,
The legend goes.
Visit them
When bells arrive.
Cup your ear
Against the hive.
You may hear them
Singing thus,
But multitudinous:
Lord of all
Things that flutter,
Fly or crawl,
"Now Your Star
Has shone again,
Bless Your swarming Bees.
Wondering, walk there.
Do not fear them.
But remember
As you near them,
Only the pure in heart
Shall hear them.
Crochet a Bumble Bee for your own Wreath of Christmas Legends!
Posted by MedievalMama at 12:32 PM 0 comments
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Ballad of the Rosemary
Rosemary has always been one of my favorite herbs and now I know why! And tiny baby clean smell is one of the most intoxicating fragrances on earth. I LOVE this poem! Hope you do too,
Ballad of the Rosemary
Rosemary, lily, lilac tree,
Kind in the dooryards thrive all three,
But the kindest of them is rosemary.
When Mary rode to Egypt
Who bore the Christmas King,
Flowers along the wayside
Began their blossoming.
To fill His path with fragrances
The lilac lifted up
Her proud and plumy branches,
The lily spread her cup,
And only the green rosemary,
Born petal-less and mild,
Grieved that it owned no benison
Of sweetness for the Child.
The evening fell in perfume,
In perfume rose the day.
Said Mary, "Out of weariness
We'll make a moment's stay.
"Beside this running river,
Here where the willows lean,
I'll set the Baby sleeping
And wash His garments clean."
But when the clothes were wholesome,
Where could she hand them all?
"The lily breaks beneath them,
The lilac stands too tall."
So on the trembling rosemary
She laid them one by one,
And strong the rosemary held them
All morning to the sun.
"I thank you, gentle Rosemary.
Henceforward you shall bear
Blue clusters for remembrance
Of this blue cloak I wear;
"And not your blossoms only,
I give you as reward,
But where His raiment clung to you
Which clad the little Lord,
"All shall be aromatic,"
Said Mary, "for I bless
Leaf, stem, and flower
That from this hour
Shall smell of holiness."
Rosemary, lily lilac tree.
Sweet in the doorways thrive all three,
But sweetest of them is Rosemary.
Posted by MedievalMama at 12:33 PM 0 comments
Monday, December 28, 2009
The Pine Tree
We tried in vain to find a cross-section of a pine cone that bore "the imprint." I wonder if it has to be a certain genus of pine. No matter, the poem is still a beautiful reminder of that creative power of the Infant God.
The Pine Tree
The pine was mortal, once, like other trees
That lift their boughs in air;
Wearing in summer its green fripperies,
In winter going bare
And desolate of birds.
But that was in an old, forgotten age
Before the words
Of Wise Men stung King Herod to such rage
That his loud armies went
About the land to slay the Innocent.
Then there was consternation and no joy
In Israel. Joseph and Mary, flying
Into another country with the Boy
Came when the day was dying,
Houseless to the edge of a green wood
Where valorously stood
A needled pine that every summer gave
Small birds a nest.
And half its trunk was hollow as a cave.
Said Joseph, "This is shelter. Let us rest."
The pine tree, full of pity, dropped its vast
Protective branches down
To cover them until the troops rode past,
Their weapons jingling, toward a different town.
All night it hid them
When the morning broke,
The Child awoke
And blessed the pine, his steadfast lodging place.
"Let you (and your brave race)
Who make yourself My rampart and My screen
Keep summer always and be ever green.
For you the punctual seasons shall not vary,
But let there throng
A thousand birds to you for sanctuary
All winter long."
The story tells us, too,
That if you cut a pine cone part way through,
You find it bears within it like a brand
The imprint of His hand.
Crochet a Pine Cone for your own Wreath of Christmas Legends!
Posted by MedievalMama at 12:34 PM 0 comments
Sunday, December 27, 2009
The Stars' Story
This explains why we go to so much trouble over decorating these Christmas trees. It took John 6 hours to get our pre-lit fully operational!
The Star's Story
When the great Star shone
From its mighty station
So shepherds, tranced,
Knelt down in the dew,
It was not alone
In its jubilation.
The little stars danced
By the thousands, too.
They danced on high
In that peerless hour,
Till giddy with praising
The Christchild's birth
They reeled from the sky
And fell in a shower,
Burning and blazing,
Down to earth—
Slid in astonished
(But leaning to listen
Along the way)
To lodge in a burnished
Pine tree's branches
Where still they glisten
To this very day.
For if you believe
What pale and shaken
Travelers tell,
On Christmas Eve
Those little stars waken
As bright and burning
As when they fell.
Look out of the West
When the year's unwinding.
Perhaps they will dance
And you may see
A pine that is dressed
In light so blinding
It dazzles the glance.
And that will be
The world's first, merriest
Christmas tree.
Crochet a Star for your own Wreath of Christmas Legends! You can add a picture of the baby Jesus, or crochet two backs and omit the picture.
Posted by MedievalMama at 12:35 PM 0 comments
Saturday, December 26, 2009
The Stork
I should have posted this yesterday, but we got busy rearranging furniture!
The Stork
When Christ was born on Christmas Day
The birds and the beasts knelt down to pray.
In wonder all,
Adoring, kneeled—
The ox in his stall,
The fox in the field,
While badger and bear and each wild thing
Flocked round the manger where slept a King
Housed in a stable at Bethlehem.
And the long-legged stork was there with them,
Her feathers white,
Her crest held high,
And awe in her bright
Compassionate eye.
"Alas," she mourned, "how poor His bed
Who rules the universe overhead!
"Though cozily curled
Sleep all my breed,
The Lord of the World
Lies hard, indeed.
"Unpillowed is He who should wear a crown."
Then out of her bosom she plucked the down.
The plumes from her breast
She tugged and tore
That the Child should rest
Like a beggar no more
But fine on a pallet fit for a prince.
And blest has the stork been, ever since—
For the gift she gave of her body's wear,
Blest on chimneys, blest in the air,
And patron of babies
Crochet a Stork for your own Wreath of Christmas Legends! Just change the colors.
Posted by MedievalMama at 12:36 PM 0 comments
Friday, December 25, 2009
An Irish Legend and The Birthday
Both these legends "happened" to us. John's grandmother died one Christmas morning when Rachel was only three. Rachel was very close to Gramma, and we didn't want to spoil her Christmas by telling her right away that Gramma had died. We actually decided to put it off for at least a week (we were living in Okinawa and it really wasn't pressing). Before the octave was up, Rachel told us that she'd dreamed that Gramma was in jail and the "jaws" were going to eat her, but Rachel took the key and set her free. Think what you wish, but we believe Rachel saved Gramma with the prayers she had so piously been saying everyday for her.
The second legend involves Cæli. When she was very young, before I had even read this poem, she insisted that she had been to heaven one evening with the angels--for a party! No one familiar with the legend could look into her blue eyes and doubt that it's absolutely true!
Merry Christmas,
An Irish Legend
Whoever's born on Christmas
Is favored from the start;
Has laughter and good fortune
And a contented heart;
Is loved by noble company,
Has all that should suffice.
But he that dies on Christmas
Goes strait to paradise.
Crochet a Shamrock for your own Wreath of Christmas Legends! Crochet two together for a stuffed Shamrock.
The Birthday
One Christmas Eve, some say,
Tall angels chosen for their sweet address
And reassuring aspect, take their way
To earth. There in all gentleness
They lift on either arm
A few most fortunate children sleeping warm
In their December nurseries, kiss them twice,
And bear them off to visit Paradise.
It is the Christ Child's Birthday and the East
Is lit by a bright star. These children come
As playmates for Him, keepers of His feast.
They bring with them such pandemonium,
Such singing and such laughter
That Heaven shakes to its remotest rafter.
Along the tasseled floors
They drive their rainbow hoops like charioteers.
They toss gold balls; make kites of meteors;
Listen with Him to the melodious spheres
Chanting in chorus; climb the unfading trees
Of that celestial weather;
Reach forth to touch the spinning galaxies;
Then all together,
Bidding their Host affectionate goodnight,
Blow out the stars like candles where they burn,
And drowsily return
(Nodding upon soft pinions in the flight)
To their accustomed beds.
Yet when they seek
To tell that journey and the Birthday games,
They falter in the tale. They cannot speak
Such wonders by their names,
So presently fall silent. Parents, shaking
Incredulous heads can only shrug and smile,
Saying, "They dreamed a dream who now are waking.
They will remember nothing after while."
But they are wrong. That child whom Christmas captures
Grows beautiful and wise,
Possessor all his days of arts and raptures
And heaven-dazzled eyes.
Crochet an Angel for your own Wreath of Christmas Legends!
Posted by MedievalMama at 12:37 PM 0 comments
Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates
Posted by MedievalMama at 1:00 AM 0 comments
Children's Choir Singing Come Thou Long Expected Jesus
Posted by MedievalMama at 1:00 AM 0 comments
Beautiful Rendition of Carol of the Bells
Posted by MedievalMama at 1:00 AM 0 comments
Thursday, December 24, 2009
O Come, O Come Emmanuel
Posted by MedievalMama at 6:00 PM 0 comments
Creator Alme Siderum
Posted by MedievalMama at 5:54 PM 0 comments
Story for an Educated Child
This is a medieval legend from a book of poems that I LOVE! I usually send them out by e-mail every year. This year I decided to just post them on the blog. There are 15 of them, so I'm starting today, Christmas Eve, and we'll end on Epiphany (I'll post two tomorrow!). I've been wanting to make a little "ornament" for each legend and affix it to a wreath to make our own "Wreath of Christmas Legends." Maybe one of these years. Anyway, I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!
This one got Caeli so excited she told the check out boy at the grocery store that she was going to Midnight Mass and at midnight she and McGregor were going to sneak out into the barn and listen to the animals talk in Latin. Poor guy stood in flabbergasted astonishment as she rattled on. He had no earthly idea what to make of it all and only said, "Well, enjoy your service," as they parted. John was laughing so hard he had tears streaming down his face. Children do make Christmas!
Story for an Educated Child
It used to be, when the world was young,
Animals spoke a Christian tongue,
Articulating clearly.
And still do those of peaceable bent
Practice the kind of accomplishment
On Christmas evening, yearly.
With human wit, in a human voice,
The beasts of the barnyard all rejoice
From Vespertime to Matin,
Recounting tales of the little God
Over and over. But isn't is odd?
The speech they speak is Latin.
The strident Cock lifts up his crest,
Stuttering, "Christus natus est!"
Till midnight splits asunder.
Laborious from his stable box,
"Ubi? Ubi?" lows the Ox,
Bemused with sleep and wonder.
The somnolent Sheep, adrift from dreams,
Bleats "Bethlehem!" and her quaver seems
Half question and half promise.
Then Ass that wears by an old decree
A cross on his back for prophecy,
Brays forth his laud "Eãmus!"
And there they gossip while night grows gray
And curious stars have slipped away
From shimmering thrones they sat in.
So many a child might brave the cold
To hear them talking. But I am told
He mustn't be more than six years old.
And who at six knows Latin?
Christus natus est! Christ is born!
Ubi? Where?
Bethlehem! Bethlehem!
Eãmus! Let us go!
Croche a Rooster for your own Wreath of Christmas Legends!
Posted by MedievalMama at 1:57 AM 0 comments
Sunday, December 20, 2009
The Feast of Sts. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Patriarchs
For today's feast of Sts. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob we've made a beautiful triptych with card stock, glitter glue, and gold spray-painted masking tape.
Posted by MedievalMama at 1:27 PM 0 comments
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Befriend a Saint
"After our first gathering around the Advent light, and the singing of the first Advent hymn, an air of expectancy spreads over the family group; now comes the moment when the mother goes around with a bowl in which are the little cards with the names of the new saints. Everybody draws a card and puts it in his missal. This saint will be invoked every morning after morning prayer. Everyone is supposed to look up and study the life story of his new friend, and some time during the coming year he will tell the family all about it. As there are so many of us, we come to know about different saints every year. Sometimes this calls for considerable research on the part of the unfortunate one who has drawn St. Eustachius, for instance, or St. Bibiana. But the custom has become very dear to us, and every year it seems as if the family circle were enlarged by all those new brothers and sisters entering in and becoming known and loved by all."
Using this list of Companion Saints, we're each going to draw a new saint every First Sunday of the month and keep a picture of and a prayer to that saint in an album. I've made a document with different pictures of All Saints to use as the covers for each of our albums. I think we'll try to celebrate each saint's feast day as well, having the family member who's saint friend it is tell us a little about each saint. In this way we hope to increase our familiarity and deepen our intimacy with many of our lesser known spiritual family members.
Posted by MedievalMama at 4:46 AM 0 comments
Friday, December 18, 2009
The Expectation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The lovely little music book, The Story of the Redemption for Children, contains a song to commemorate the Annunciation on this the second day we celebrate the Incarnation of Our Lord during the year.
The collect for the day is:
O God who didst will that Thy Word should,
by the message of an Angel,
take flesh in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
grant unto us, we beseech Thee,
that all we who do believe her to be in very deed
the Mother of God,
may be holpen by her prayers in Thy sight.
O maiden of maidens,
how shall this be,
since neither before nor henceforth hath there been,
nor shall be such another?
Daughters of Jerusalem,
why look ye curiously upon me?
What ye see is a mystery of God.
And to commemorate her perpetual virginity:
Gaude Maria, Virgo, cunctas haereses sola interemisti:
Rejoice, O Mary,
by whose mighty hand the Church hath victory
over her foes [every heresy] achieved,
since thou to Gabriel's word of quickening power
in lowliness hast listened, and believed
-- thou, still a virgin, in thy blessed womb
hast God Incarnate of thy flesh conceived,
and still, in heaven, of that virginity remainest
after childbirth unbereaved.
V. Blessed art thou that hast believed,
for there is a performance of those things
which were told thee from the Lord.
Posted by MedievalMama at 1:46 AM 0 comments
Labels: Marian feasts, music
Thursday, December 17, 2009
The Story of the Redemption for Children
Those of you with pianists in the home will love this book of sheet music, downloadable in PDF, which tells the story of the redemption in song. The illustrations are darling and the children can't help but learn the lyrics.
Happy Singing!
Posted by MedievalMama at 4:25 AM 0 comments
O Antiphon "House"
After looking in all the local craft stores for one of those adorable little wooden curio houses for our O Antiphons, I finally decided to make up my own design, all those little houses being apparently used up. I got a wooden plaque from Walmart and Caeli and I painted it gold.
I used eight little matchboxes for the "windows." I used this document for the inserts for each drawer. Seven of them have the O Antiphon for each day printed in script, and the eighth has a lovely image of the Holy Family, for Christmas Day. I cut strips of pretty cardstock to cover each matchbox.
I used a different color for each box.
Then I taped ribbon to the backs of each drawer leaving a little "tail" with which to pull the drawer out. I cut the ribbon long enough to that I can slip it through the matchbox cover and tape it to the back side so that when I pull out the drawer the ribbon will keep it from falling all the way out.
I slipped the ribbon through the opening of the matchbox cover, slipped the drawer in as far as I want it to go when it's opened, and taped the ribbon to the back of the cover. The drawers are going to be pulled downward after their mounted to the plaque, so I inserted the Antiphons oriented for this arrangement.
This picture might make it a little more clear.
Then I folded the strips of deco paper to fit each matchbox and taped it in the back of the cover.
I wrapped ribbon horizontally all the way around the box and taped it in the back. This helps keep the paper in place. Then I inserted ribbon vertically all the way through the opening in the matchbox cover and tied a bow in the front of the box to make it look like a little gift.
Once all the matchboxes were arranged and glued to the plaque, I glued the symbols for each antiphon underneath the closed gift box so that the Antiphon will cover the symbol after I open the drawer.
With all the windows closed you can see the symbols for each antiphon.
Today with the first window open:
Here it is as it will look Christmas morning with all the little windows open.
I hotglued a gold mesh ribbon, tied in a bow, to the back with which to hang it on the wall.
Posted by MedievalMama at 1:40 AM 1 comments
St. Lazarus, brother of Sts. Martha and Mary Magdalene
For a few years now I've thought Lazarus would make a really cool boy's name, but I'm not sure I'm the one to do it. Maybe we'll find out come April. To celebrate the feast of this dear friend of Our Lord, we're making rag wrapped ornaments on Styrofoam eggs, the egg being symbolic of life and the rags an allusion to St. Lazarus's burial cloths.
And for dinner, St. Lazarus Corpses.
Posted by MedievalMama at 1:04 AM 0 comments
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
St. Adelaide of Italy
St. Adelaide is the Patron of Large Families (among other things) and Italian so that makes her especially dear to our large, Italian family. To celebrate we're building a Gingerbread Church (or maybe a white chocolate church with our Pampered Chef gingerbread mold) since she devoted much of her life to building and restoring churches and monasteries.
Posted by MedievalMama at 1:04 AM 0 comments
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
St. Christiana (Nino)
Make staple-less paper chains to adorn your Christmas Tree in memory of St. Christiana, a slave girl in Iberia, who called upon the power of Christ to heal the sick. (We'll post our own pictures later!)
Happy Day!
Posted by MedievalMama at 1:04 AM 0 comments
Monday, December 14, 2009
The Feast of St. John of the Cross
We had buckets of matchsticks left over from our Saints of Advent Countdown Calendar so we decided to make a matchstick cross to celebrate the New feast of St. John of the Cross (on the Traditional calendar it's celebrated on November 24, but I had to do something with all these matchsticks!).
We started by burning the tips of about 200 matchsticks. It didn't take as long as we thought it would and made the house smell so nice--that is if you like the smell of burnt matchsticks.
Then I drew the two lines of a cross on a piece of cardboard and glued the first four matchsticks to the lines so that the ends all touched without leaving a gap. Then I glued four more matchsticks in an X shape radiating out from the angles of the cross formed by the first four matchsticks.
Once that's done and the matchsticks are set, the glue relatively dry, you're ready to go to town. Caeli and I took a few minutes to glue all the other matchsticks into place.
We still have to add another row to the top and sides and two more to the bottom.
Then I cut the cardboard around the dried-in-place matchsticks and taped a paper clip to the back for a hanger.
St. John of the Cross, pray for us!
Happy day!
Posted by MedievalMama at 10:04 AM 0 comments
Labels: crafts, matchsticks


text:
Here is few important big news on release of much awaited EID release Sultan starring Salman Khan and Anushka Sharma.
Makers have confirmed the release date of Sultan as Wednesday that is 6th July, 2016. Thus, film will enjoy 5 days extended opening weekend and there is no doubt film will break all opening record in one go. Craze for film is humongous among movie lovers and all are eagerly waiting for the flick.
Coming to film advance booking it will start on Sunday that is 3rd July, 2016. Film should register one of the best advances of all time and definitely the best of the year. Film has every potential of earning big at box office and if content is positive then sky is the limit.

subset: commoncrawl


text: No one knows the origin of this phrase that started in the early 20th century. If it had started in the 1920s, when it was at its height of popularity, one might have thought it was a way to bid farewell to the year 1923. But both "23" and "skidoo" already existed as slang for getting out (or away) in a hurry. Speculation about the origin includes the California mining town of Skidoo that had 23 saloons; going to town to hit them all might have been done without wasting time. Another thought is that construction workers at the Flatiron Building on Manhattan's West 23rd Street used the phrase to signal each other that an attractive young woman was passing. But no one knows for sure.


text:
We've been feeling a bit devilish these past couple of weeks, and when friends Erin and Jeff arrived at the cottage decked out in their fabulous 50's costumes, we went right into the vintage kitchen and got baking! And they brought along a wonderful Cavalcade chef's hat and clap-board so we could really make this video legitimate! Cooking with friends is one of life's greatest pleasures, and I can't think of a better way to celebrate our precious time together.
Here's an old recipe that is a variation on a standard oatmeal cookie which includes cocoa in the batter. These are easy to make – don't even need to haul out your mixer. These bake well on a parchment lined cookie sheet, but if you don't have any parchment paper just give your sheets a spray with Pam.
Serve these chocolaty treats at your Halloween party or anytime! Hope you scare up a lot of fun – Happy Halloween!
Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
1 ¼ cup flour
1 ¼ cup sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 egg
¼ cup milk
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/3 cup butter, melted
3 cups rolled oats (old-fashioned or quick)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In another bowl, combine egg, milk and vanilla and whisk to combine. Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well until combined.
Add melted butter and oats. Stir to combine – batter will be thick. Prepare baking sheets and line them with parchment paper or spray with non-stick spray. Drop batter by the tablespoon onto prepared sheets – you should get a dozen on a standard size baking sheet. Bake in oven for 10-12 minutes.
Remove from oven and immediately transfer cookie to cooling rack. Makes about three dozen.


text:
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With humble beginnings as apprentices in their home town of Braidwood, both Daniell and Troy have grown to become energy efficient building leaders in their region.
Dan and Troy joined GHA in 2013 to give their fellow residents the opportunity to build homes that would save them money on their energy bills.
The South East NSW team are highly experienced on building in all types of landscapes such as coastal homes, on rural properties and general suburban areas.


text:
Although there are a variety of resources to guide the actions and decisions made by mental health professionals, many situations encountered within the mental health system exist between the lines of ethical codes.
Philadelphia, PA (PRWEB) June 24, 2014
HealthForumOnline (HFO), a nationally-approved (APA, ASWB, NBCC, CA-BBS) provider of online continuing education (CE) for mental health professionals is pleased to announce a new CE course entitled, Ethical Considerations for Mental Health Professionals Working with Children and Families, to its extensive library of online CE courses for psychologists, social workers, counselors, and other allied healthcare professionals.
The need for an ethical approach to working with children and families in a therapeutic context is crucial. Although there are a variety of resources to guide the actions and decisions made by mental health professionals, many situations encountered within the mental health system exist between the lines of ethical codes.
Although many professional and government organizations have addressed the unavoidable occurrence of ethical dilemmas when working with clients by developing codes of ethics, the potential still exists for professionals to encounter situations with no easy solution. Ethical codes are simply frameworks for addressing difficult topics and situations with clients. Professionals may still feel without clear direction after consulting one of the codes of conduct, especially when working within the family system (1, 2). The need for considering potential ethical concerns prior to their occurrence is critical for the professional to best help the family through these difficult situations.
Working with minors presents a variety of concerns related to confidentiality and privacy because many actions require parental consent or family sessions where private information is shared across family members. A variety of concerns related to multiple relationships may erupt, due not only to the family system creating multiple relationships, but also because the therapist frequently needs to interact with other systems involved with the family, such as the school, Children and Youth Services, or other local agencies.
This course is designed to help mental health professionals working with children and families to better handle ethical dilemmas when they occur by increasing awareness of potentially confusing scenarios, and enabling professionals to begin developing a plan for preventing and addressing ethical concerns with clients from the start of the therapy process. Ethical concerns that commonly occur while working with children and families along with brief suggestions and recommendations for prevention are discussed along with appropriate actions resolution. Throughout the course, a variety of scenarios are considered to demonstrate the relevant areas of ethical codes, as well as to highlight areas in need of clarification. A review of the relevant ethical codes put forth by the major national sanctioning organizations for mental health practitioners (i.e., American Psychological Association, Association for Social Work Boards, National Association of Social Workers, American Counseling Association, National Board of Certified Counselors, American Association of Marriage and Family Therapist) is additionally provided as a professional compass in this domain.
By the end of the course, participants should be able to identify ethical dilemmas related to child and family therapy, and identify potential paths to take to reduce the impact of ethical concerns. Lastly, current ethical models for family therapy are provided for clinical integration. Major topics include 1) informed consent and client rights, 2) multiple relationships and managing boundaries while working as part of a treatment team, 3) confidentiality, 4) diversity issues, 5) child protection issues, and 6) suggestions for best practice and web-based resources.
Psychologists, social workers, counselors, and other allied health professionals can choose from HFO's 19 categories of continuing education (CE) topics related to health psychology and behavioral medicine containing over 90 online CE courses that are fast, convenient and cost-effective. For more information on this course, other online CE courses in our Pediatric Behavioral Medicine category, or a complete listing of titles in our online CE resource library, visit HealthForumOnline.com.
1. Badzek et al., (2013). Ethical, legal, and social issues in the translation of genomics into health care. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 45(1), 15-24.
2. Pavlish et al., (2011). Early indicators and risk factors for ethical issues in clinical practice.


text:
Couch Potato
The next time your parents said that you're a couch potato, show them this spudderific creation to instantly mash their complaint.
Neat-O fact: the term "couch potato" became popular in the 1970s to describe people who liked to vegetate in front of the "boob tube." Tom Iacino of Pasadena substituted "tuber" for "potato" to come up with the term.
View more fun pics over at our NeatoPicto Blog


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- Related links
- Contact information
- For information on Wisconsin's natural communities, contact:
- Ryan O'Connor
Natural Heritage Inventory Ecologist
Stream--Fast, Hard, Warm
State Rank: SU Global Rank: GNR what are these ranks?
General natural community overview
Warmwater streams are flowing waters with maximum water temperatures typically greater than 25 degrees Celsius. Visit the Warmwater Streams and Warmwater Rivers community pages for more information.
What are conservation actions?
Conservation actions respond to issues or threats, which adversely affect species of greatest conservation need (SGCN) or their habitats. Besides actions such as restoring wetlands or planting resilient tree species in northern communities, research, surveys and monitoring are also among conservation actions described in the WWAP because lack of information can threaten our ability to successfully preserve and care for natural resources.
Threats/issues and conservations actions for natural communities
There are no photos available for Stream--Fast, Hard, Warm at this time. Please consider donating a photo to the Natural Heritage Conservation Program.


text: Watch this video! I order you to. This is sooooo cool. I am going to learn how to make a balloon bass. Probably will not be good at making music(just like my guitar t-shirt that I am not smart enough to figure out yet). But, I will give it a try. How about you try, submit me your video and I will post it here.


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Perrie Edwards thanks 'incredible' Cheryl Fernandez-Versini for 'great advice'
Little Mix star grateful to X Factor judge for support following her split from Zayn Malik last year
PERRIE Edwards has thanked "incredible" Cheryl Fernandez-Versini for supporting her through tough times.
The Little Mix singer is grateful to the X Factor judge for her "great advice" following her split from ex fiancé Zayn Malik last year.
Cheryl's wise words have helped the 22 year old cope after she was reportedly dumped by the 1D star in July.
She told The Sun on Sunday: "Cheryl is incredible. She has been a very good friend to me, particularly recently.
"She is the nicest person in the world. She knows what we've gone through and has great advice."
The former Girls Aloud star - who is rumoured to be divorcing her husband Jean-Bernard - recently enjoyed a night out with the Little Mix girls so they could let "their hair down".
Perrie added the night was the perfect way to unwind with her bandmates as well as Cheryl's best pals Nicola Roberts and newlywed Kimberley Walsh.
She said: "It was a lot of fun and one of those nights where all the girls just wanted to let their hair down.
"Nicola was saying we should all have a girlie night at Cheryl's, have something a bit more low-key."
Perrie has also addressed her rumoured fling with model Jack Greystone after the pair flirted online.
Kate Wright and Rio Ferdinand enjoy fun couple workout
Charlotte Crosby UPSET over bullying comments
Love Island: Alex and Alexandra KISS after recoupling
Cheryl reveals new music as Nicola Roberts LEAKS never before heard song on Instagram
Girls Aloud reunion rumours emerge ahead of band's 20th anniversary
Cheryl's best friend Kimberley Walsh says she's in a 'good place' after Liam Payne split
Kimberley Walsh hints Cheryl's split from Liam Payne was because of work
Cheryl is 'good' after shock Liam Payne split according to best pal Nicola Roberts
She said: "I have been talking to him and he's lovely but he lives in Canada so I'm not sure how it would work."


text:
At the Boom Boom Room's biggest baby shower event in Beverly Hills last month, celebrity mom Tisha Campbell received a bbabybling Blue Beach Turtles gift set. The "Martin" and "Everybody Hates Chris" actress stated "Oh, it's so cute!" And the gift sets are definitely cute. The sets include a bib and a 100% pima cotton onesie. Other celebrities who have received bbabybling sets include Halle Berry, Christina Aguilera, Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, Gwyneth Paltrow and more.
Check them out and get your own set at www.bbabybling.com.


text:
All I need now is a little time on my own, taken away by the long, mind-blowing outros of these two tracks, and a pair of polka dot stockings, obviously.
All I need now is a little time on my own, taken away by the long, mind-blowing outros of these two tracks, and a pair of polka dot stockings, obviously.
This story is about alien abduction, or better, alien intrusion.
Not so long ago I was alone at home on a Sunday afternoon.
Suddenly I heard this noise coming from the living room, kind of a drum sound on the sly. I resorted to all my bravery, I opened the door and I saw them: they were standing around the table, totally absorbed in tinkering with some electronic devices, their mothership was parked behind my sofa (I still wonder how they made that trick), they wore headphones and they didn't even cast a glance at me...
I didn't know what to do so I did nothing.
They stayed for a month, feeding themselves with pizza, beer and cigarettes, then they disappeared leaving me this:
A feeling of solitude and uncertainty takes the shape of little synthpop gems in the latest work of the parisian duo Employee Of The Year.
Concision and attention to details combine into a refined and evocative style that wraps the listener in a sweet bubble of smooth melancholy.
This song is like comfort food.
Something to make you feel warm and safe, that fills up your body while it empties your mind.
A voice sweet and fresh like vanilla ice cream on a beat soft and tempting like a chocolate cake.
Fuel to fire. Sugar to diabetes.
And the little crack I noticed on the ceiling, when I reopened my eyes after you loved me, that was the greatest view.


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As far as I know, all these pictures are in the public domain. Most of them are from copyright-expired books in the Google library. If you see one that is still under copyright please let me know!
Sunday, February 23, 2014
Saturday, February 1, 2014
Aunt Charlotte's Stories of German History
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The Romance of Nature
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Labels: seasonal
Standard Catholic Readers
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Labels: ilustrated readers
Baby's Birthday Book -- Kate Greenaway
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text:
Article: Joo Won's waiting lady BoA 'always pretty'
Source: Star News via Nate
1. [+738, -97] Remember guys, it's BoA, not BOA ㅋㅋ too scared to ever write BOA after she got so mad over it last time when barely anyone cares about the difference...
2. [+639, -73] Journalist-nim! How can you write it as 보아? It's BoA.
3. [+432, -73] I have a feeling they'll break up a few months before his discharge~
4. [+78, -10] I seriously see her so differently ever since she made that BoA fuss ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ totally shattered my image of her as being humble and gentle, who knew she'd be such a whiner on SNS sigh
5. [+73, -14] It's BoA, not BOA!!!!!!!!
6. [+69, -10] Journalist-nim, she might sue you for writing 보아 or even BOA
7. [+64, -15] She's looking older lately
8. [+62, -11] Let me put my life on the line for a second... Woooow~~~ it's bOa~~!
9. [+58, -11] She kinda looks like Kahi
10. [+57, -11] BoA used to be the icon of youthful beauty before but I guess not even she can beat the hands of time. She looks way older than her age now ㅠ
11. [+51, -10] She seems really old but she's only 32 years old
12. [+49, -8] Here I go.. BoAh!!!!!!!!!
13. [+41, -8] Just stylize it right for her, it's BoA ㅋㅋ it's the same thing as how we'd think it's weird if someone wrote HoT instead of HOT ㅋㅋ


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Monday, October 31, 2005
What SMS Marketing Needs
A successful SMS mobile marketing campaign will include a reason/incentive to send a text BUT ALSO a reason to KEEP texting. A free ringtone, screensaver, cruise may be enticing to START a campaign, but what will brands offer to KEEP the contact with the consumer.
From Brand Republic Advertisers turn to SMS
The majority of small- and medium-sized companies using text messaging as a marketing tool increased their turnover by 10% or more, according to UK and US research.
Tim Hatton, Textalert spokesman, said: "Businesses are finding that SMS can give them a significant competitive advantage for very little outlay. Compared to other forms of direct marketing, text messaging is cheap, very effective and enjoys the highest recall rate of any advertising channel."
3 comments:
- Matt Massey said...
Well there are companies like KIBI out of Israel that will keep you coming back with their interactive cards that allow you to download new ringtones and other mobile content weekly. It's a business model I can see getting real big, real fast when it hits in North America.
However, I believe that we jump all over these marketing bandwagons like say SMS and BlogMarketing as the next big marketing vehicles.
Look at web-based marketing...we've already learned to ignore 99% of the marketing we see online
SMS is really just a tactical execution of a Direct Marketing Strategy (I'm oversimplifying of course). Really what SMS enables is the ability for marketers to develop one-on-one personal relationships with their customers or prospective customers.
- 10:20 AM, October 31, 2005
- Scott Shaffer said...
Advertisers want you to initiate the interaction via SMS. That gives them permission to market to you.
AS an advertiser, you can't annoy your user with a coupon or service offering too frequently.
When you combine a recurring info service WITH your brand, then the user wont get annoyed.
In my opinion, cross-marketing is how most brands will be able to market to mobile user without getting OPT-OUTS.
- 10:29 AM, October 31, 2005
- Orange Park cell phone marketing said...
Thank you for sharing and for this nice information. I really appreciate your work, keep it up.
Orange Park cell phone marketing
- 1:13 AM, December 17, 2012


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http://nrhatch.wordpress.com/ , has a wonderful entry today about fantasizing your idea of a perfect meal. This idea was initially given to writers, but it can apply to anyone who might like to drift off into "Fantasy Land." Writers (or anyone) are to invite 12 guests (plus themselves) to any setting on the planet (or even in a galaxy far, far away) to share fabulous food, laughter and love, and convivial conversation. Can you imagine who would be on your guest list (of 12), what would be served, where the dinner would be, etc? Give it I try - I have!
The Perfect Company, The Perfect Food, The Perfect Location: My Fantasy Dinner
1. Location: It would be in my own dining room, with all the guests seated around the dining room table that I inherited from my Mom. There will be candlelight, but the room will be light enough so that each guest's face can be clearly seen, and the room will be quiet enough that each person can be heard. The weather will be a perfect 72° F, a light breeze, and low humidity, just the right weather for taking a walk after our meal. The dinner will start before sunset, and as it will be early summer, the twilight will last for several hours, before yielding to a beautiful, starlit night with the moon riding, full, low, and golden. OK - can you see it now?
2. My Guests: Needless to say, all twelve gave me their positive "R.S.V.P." well in advance, so that I know exactly how much food will be needed, so that nothing will be wasted. I must make the following disclaimer - since most of my family (extended) would automatically be my first choice as guests (we always have SO MUCH FUN when we are all together) - I am not including them at this particular party. I couldn't choose just one or two, so they will all have to settle for either quietly listening at the door, (an impossible task for many of my family), or waiting for my word-for-word description the day after!
On my list (in no particular order) will be St. Luke (writer of the Gospel): I can imagine no one whose presence, conversation, comments, observations and compassion would be more welcome. He was not an eye-witness to the earthly life of Christ, but through his total commitment, he had first-hand knowledge of Christ. As a gifted literary artist, he produced what many, including myself, consider the most beautiful book in the world. Some of you who know me will be surprised that Jesus Himself is not first on my list. We have a sign posted in our home between the kitchen and dining room that says: "Christ is the Head of this house; the unseen Guest at every meal; the silent Listener to every conversation." Christ is always present with us, and since we invited Him in long ago, He needs no further invitation!
Next: Albert Einstein. After reading his biography by Walter Isaacson, I have become fascinated with the complete man. Flawed and brilliant; awed in the presence of God, yet often agnostic; deep lover of music and his favorite violin (though not greatly accomplished at playing it); he was also a great wit and enjoyed good conversation, good company, and friendly argument while at the same time standing firm on his wide variety of convictions. What a guest!
Eleanor Roosevelt: A brilliant, well-spoken woman, who enjoyed her life in the midst of her own suffering. She was betrayed, yet triumphed; tolerant and compassionate; and she enjoyed the company of many people from diverse backgrounds. She became for me the standard against which I measure every other First Lady, both before her time, and since.
Maeve Binchy: She is one of the still living I will invite. She is a favorite novelist of mine. Her novels are completely character-driven, and often revolve around a group of people who may or may not be related (by blood or friendship), but whose lives intersect in some fashion or another. Since she is Irish, her novels are set in Ireland primarily. I am always sorry to reach the end of her books - I feel like I've made friends, and that our relationship has ended too soon. Besides, what a book she could write about my dinner!
Father Francis Chisholm: Yes, he's a fictional character, but this is my fantasy, remember? If you haven't seen Gregory Peck's portrayal of this man in the wonderful movie, or better yet, read A. J. Cronin's beautiful novel, "The Keys of the Kingdom," then I highly recommend this beautiful story of a Scottish priest who becomes a missionary in China. Of course, he will look exactly like Gregory Peck - I can see him in no other way, and as I said, this is my fantasy! Father Chisholm had all the character traits that one could ever wish for in a clergyman: he was familiar with the teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius, adopted a simple way of life, and advocated ecumenical cooperation between all Christians. His tolerance was viewed with suspicion within the institutional Church by his superiors, as most prophets in their own time are, but he remained a genuinely happy man.
Mahatma Mohandas Gandhi: Brilliant, gifted, compassionate; a blessed peace-maker; in spite of his flaws, he was a man who lived his faith instead of merely preaching it. Here are a few of his memorable quotes below, that speak so well of his life:
"Be the change you want to see in the world."
"Whenever you are confronted with an opponent, conquer him with love."
"Nobody can hurt me without my permission."
"There is nothing that wastes the body like worry, and one who has any faith in God should be ashamed to worry about anything whatsoever"
"Nonviolence is a weapon of the strong"
"I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ."
Who wouldn't want such a person in their midst? Besides, I could introduce him to the true Christians at my table!
Jim Henson: His character and creativity delighted me from the very first Muppet I saw, and his legacy continues to delight and inspire me. My understanding is that in his private life, he rarely spoke in the voice of the beloved "Kermit the Frog," or any of his other creations, but he was a wonderful conversationalist, and was able to impart his imagination and inspire it in others.
Rachel Carson: Who could resist, especially in this day and age, having a passionate conservationist and ecologist as their guest? I am looking forward to hearing her comments on and recommendations for the Gulf Oil Disaster. I am certain she would have a few choice words, and her passion for the natural earth would be wonderful to be around!
Jane Goodall: Oh, the places she's been, and the people (and animals) she's seen! I hope she brings along her scrapbook!
Maya Angelou: Writer, poet, activist, actress, teacher - so many talents all rolled up into one, she is sure to be an equal among all at this gathering. I want a copy of the poem she will write for, on, and about the occasion. She never fails to inspire and enrich.
Amy Tan: A superb novelist, her novels are peopled with wonderful Chinese characters, both historical and present-day. As a woman of Chinese descent, she has great insights into the life of her characters, and she has given me so much pleasure, brought forth countless tears, and elicited so many smiles, provoked so much thought, I cannot wait for her arrival.
Ella Fitzgerald: The quintessential American musician, my desire is to not have her perform, but to relax, enjoy the company, and to talk about her life and times, her struggles and triumphs. Of course, if she wants to scat a bit, who am I to stop her?
It seems I leaned more heavily on the living than I thought I would, (1/3), but fantasies being what they are, the mind wanders around a bit. My guest list tomorrow might be completely different! Now, on to the menu:
Although they were definitely asked not to bring anything, they will of course each bring along their favorite wine or beverage of choice, which will be deanted, if necessary, and served with the meal - if they so choose.
Appetizers: I will serve a few assorted favorite hors d'oeuvres, among which are mushroom turnovers - small, flaky cream cheese pastry crescents wrapped around a filling made of seasoned portabella mushrooms, shallots, wine and olive oil; bite-size quiche Lorraine; and the perfect pimiento cheese, made with a deliciously sharp Vermont white cheddar cheese, and served on waffle toast points. (Waffle toast, an invention of my Mom's, is buttered bread, the best available, in any or several varieties, that is toasted in a waffle iron, then each square cut diagonally into fourths. Besides wine, iced darjeeling tea with mint and lemon will also be available.
Starter: A very light fruit salad, cool and refreshing to the palate after eating the appetizers. Made with the very freshest of local organic fruits, all in season (in my fantasy, all fruits are available, locally grown, year-round!). Crisp Red Delicious apples, perfectly sectioned oranges and grapefruit, green and red grapes, and a perfectly ripe cantaloupe - all combined with a tiny splash of cointreau.or Grand Marnier.
Main Dish: Moving more in an ethnic direction, and using my father's recipe, handed down to me, I will prepare and serve Seafood Gumbo - rich, thick, and loaded with shrimp, oysters, crab, and scallops. It will be spicy hot, but not too hot, but dried peppers and Tabasco sauce will be available, along with extra filé on the side. This will all be served over rice - good old Louisiana white rice, a bit sticky, but thoroughly cooked. There will be oyster crackers at each place, to put a finishing touch on the gumbo, if desired. Also, there will be a beautiful side salad, made with several lettuces (no iceberg), fresh non-refrigerated firm, ripe tomatoes, sliced and seeded cucumbers, scallions, sliced sweet peppers, shredded carrots, fresh green peas, (uncooked), and garnished with a bit of chopped egg. All served with freshly-prepared, slightly sweetened balsamic vinaigrette.
Dessert: served after a walk around and through our beautiful water gardens (this is a fantasy, remember?)A most excellent , not-too-sweet Rice Singapore. (My Mom used to laughingly call it "just a little rice pudding.") Rice Singapore is one of those perfectly wonderful, though time-consuming dishes to prepare, but worth all the effort! It's made with rice cooked in cream, sugar, vanilla bean and fresh-ground cinnamon. It is served chilled, with ripe strawberries, and it truly does melt in your mouth.
The invitation will direct the guests to wear whatever they are most comfortable in, and should probably be loose-fitting, or have an elastic waist band.
One final note: I will mention again, that in this fantasy, there will be no waste of any kind. All food prepared will be consumed - either that night, or the next day or two - and guests will be free to eat as much or as little as they like, except I will perhaps encourage Mr. Gandhi to eat abundantly! No need for fasting here in my perfect world.
Alright, everybody - now it's your turn! Send me your ideas for the perfect Fantasy Dinner!
Hope you eat not too much nor too little, but just enough . . .
7 years ago


text:
Okay, some of asked for explanation of it.
Im less financially able to help people who cant cover my costs associated with helping them, so people are being unhelped. at least by me when my costs arent covered.
Theres a core, i ended up behind with my own bills, by my failure to recognise exactly what harm that little bit here and there could add up to.
Took advice.
The result? If people cant cover a fiver, a tenner, or whatever it costs me to help , then i cant help.
And i have stuff to repair from not having that rule.
So that button can repair my situation, and can help people too simultaneously.
I wont put amounts here, cos thats not who i am or why this post is made.
So even however cryptic this is, it is a help fund, so i can continue to help people .
And im not hiding the fact either that it will help me too. IT WILL HELP ME TOO. but that must be balanced, by more of my own small income can be spent on my stuff, my repairing, and my stuff. Essentially not causing the same issue as before.
I hope that explains.
And ... can you help?
Theres another route that i see if you help me on a thing I need to do for me over and above all that. Click This one if its purely to help me , suggested amount set, but you can ammend that accordingly >CLICK >>>
THIS One IS purely for ME.


text:
"Balancing traditional appearance with modern technical performance and comfort"
Constructed from selected European Redwood from sustainable sources, all sections are double vacuum treated with preservative and primed with white microporous primer unless otherwise specified.
Sash windows in this profile can be 1 pane, 2 pane, 6 pane, 8 pane and so on. Arched and Swept Headed sashes, Venetian Windows, Bay Windows and horizontally sliding "Yorkshire Lights" can all use the same profiles for the sliding sashes.
Sashes can be supplied unglazed but are generally supplied ready glazed, with traditional linseed oil putty bedding and face pointing. 4 mm float glass is used as standard; various glass types are available on request including safety glass, patterned glass and special glass where faithful reproduction of historic detailing is required.
The patented Ventrolla System is built into all new case and sash windows to make them draughtproof beyond the highest requirements of BS6375. They will also open and close easily. Ventrolla "Sash Removal System" is fitted as standard to facilitate long term maintenance.
Brass centre catch and sash lifts are fitted as standard; many decorative and security options are available to order. Sashes are normally hung on cords, pulleys and weights. Spiral balances can be fitted if required.
Windows are made as reproductions of originals and are therefore suitable for Conservation Areas and Listed Buildings. It is advisable to check each specific case with the Planning Authorities. We can provide any samples and drawings that may be required in applying for permission to use our windows.
All joinery and Ventrolla systems are covered by a written 5 year warranty.
Ventrolla Draughtproofing System – Winner of Design Council Award 1986
Sashworks Conservation Windows – Regional Winner of John Logie Baird Innovation Award 2000


text:
|Every stitch by hand - hand pieced, hand quilted and even the binding seamed by hand before hemming on the back.
|The deck furniture is dripping with rain. I just opened the deck door a crack to poke my iPhone out for the pic.
|Every stitch by hand - hand pieced, hand quilted and even the binding seamed by hand before hemming on the back.
|The deck furniture is dripping with rain. I just opened the deck door a crack to poke my iPhone out for the pic.
|A conspiracy of ravens.
|An erratic on the beach (a granite boulder dropped by a retreating glacier during the last ice age).
|Delphinium menziesii (Menzies' Larkspur)
|Acer glabrum (Douglas Maple)
|Walking towards Tree Island across the sand bars at low tide.
|There were so many eagles on the shore that we lost count after about 75.
|Pelvetiopsis limitata (Little Rockweed)
|Gigartina exasperate (Turkish Towel seaweed ) and Dendraster eccentricus (Eccentric Sand Dollar)
|Ulva spp. (Sea Lettuce) and red seaweed.
|Lathyrus maritimus (Beach Pea)
|Plectritis congesta (Sea Blush)
|Walkers have placed a row of Polinices lewisii (Lewis's Moonsnail) on a log.
|Fritillaria lanceolata (Chocolate Lily)
|Lupinus littoralis (Seashore Lupine)
|Malus fusca (Pacific Crab Apple)
|Walking back to Denman Island across the sand bar from Tree Island, exposed at low tide.
|Anthopleura elegantissima (Aggregating Anemone)
|Anthopleura elegantissima (Aggregating Anemone)
|Rock on the beach is the landmark for the stairs.
|The stairs up from the beach.
|A steep climb up.
|Line quilting in the solid diamond shapes. The walking foot is a great help.
First I quilted in the ditch along all of the major seam lines to hold the quilt nicely together, then I put on the binding. This makes the quilt so much easier to handle as I twist it around underneath the machine. In this afternoon's photo, I have line quilted all but the solid half diamonds on the left side of the centre. This has been the hardest part, and I know that the many border strips will be much easier as I will not need to struggle with all of that fabric under the machine.
|I quilted the large patterned diamonds in a wandering line that I did with the feed dogs engaged and the walking foot.
|My beautiful Sudasi garden plate
|Raven by Bentley LeBaron
|Painted bowl by Sudasi Gardner
|A tall pot from Beardsley Pottery
|A whimsical tea party sculpture by Patti Willis
|One of Bev Severn's exquisite dragon's eggs
|Manfred Rupp was a long time potter on Denman Island who died while still making wonderful pieces.


text:
As stated in Celebrating Distinctions the feelings, perceptions, and relationships to Israel are among the most difficult to characterize and understand, because there is simply no consensus among Bay Area LGBT Jews about these issues as they relate to Israel. Across all demographic groups, and regardless of whether people identify as Zionist or not, Bay Area LGBT Jews express confusion and concern about the complexity of Israel's politics. This echoes national studies that find LGBT Jews less connected to Israel and more ambivalent about their relationships to the Jewish state than non-LGBT Jews (LGBT Study Page 25 Cohen, Aviv, and Kelman 2009). Complex relationships and feelings among American Jews regarding Israel are not new (LGBT Study Page 26 Cohen 1985, 1989, Liebman and Cohen 1990, Waxman 1992). As American Jews have become more integrated into American culture and anti-Semitism plays a less salient role in people's lives, many Jews now see the United States, not Israel, as the center of the Jewish world (LGBT Study Page 26 Cohen and Kelman 2008, Aviv and Shneer 2005).
This blog is limited to a few experiences about how this Bay Area LGBT Jewish Community experiences Israel as well as how this particular blogger visited Israel in the summer of 2010. To learn more about how you can connect with what is happening in the Bay Area LGBT Jewish Community on Israel:
- Take a look at the posts focused on Israel on this blog
- Connect with A Wider Bridge
- Find out what LGBT Jewish events related to Israel are happening in the community via the Federation's Israel Center


text:
I have a momentous and grand announcement!
[insert title here] has turned three!
If you do persist in living beneath a stone and ignoring my advice (why? I am a benevolent and wise queen) you may still have failed to note that [insert title here] is the blog of Ashley, whom you should go and follow pronto. She is a top gal, marvellous writer and all round great human type thing, and I am sure you will join me in a rousing chorus of Happy Birthday to her blog.
~rousing chorus of Happy Birthday to her blog~
Like all the best birthdays, this one has a party involved. And like all the best parties, it is fairytale themed.*
*It is also the only fairytale themed party I have ever attended, virtually or otherwise. But the point stands.
As well as many fabulous fairytale themed posts, there is a ball!
|Incidentally I'm enjoying the colour scheme, which also matches her blog. Didn't I say she was fab?
As ever I'm extremely late to the party, but midnight has not yet struck!
1. What would you wear to a fairytale ball?
Ellen Terry as Lady Macbeth by John Singer Sargeant
This has everything to do with the fabulous gown and nothing to do with my desire to be Lady Macbeth and my occasional wont of walking round the house reciting her speeches aloud.
Seriously, though, green is my favourite colour, and look at the material. And the sleeves.
OK but this is amazing. Chartreuse is not only a beautiful colour but a beautiful word. And the neckline?? <3
My style, my colour, I love it.
Right OK but this???
And finally this. I'm done.
(And no, I obviously wouldn't wear them all at once, don't be facetious.)
2. What shoes? (I don't mean to be tedious, but this is Cinderella's Ball.)
3. What is the most necessary accessory?
A. Shoes!
B. Your royal signet ring.
C. Wildflowers for your hair.
D. This beauty doesn't need accessories.
E. A red cape.
F. Your crown.
4. What is your favorite fairytale?
Good question. Probably Beauty and the Beast, because it actually has good morals about a) not judging by appearances and b) maybe talking to someone before you decide to marry them? I love the other fairytales but when you break down their messages they're at best silly and at worst dangerous.
5. At the ball, you would
A. Eat cake.
B. Dance.
C. Talk to ALL THE PEOPLE!
D. Find a nice quiet corner from which to Sherlock people.
E. Spy out your rival's resources.
F. A combination of B and C.
I like dancing A LOT. I was a cripplingly shy twelve-fifteen-year-old and I was really self-conscious about EVERYTHING -- my body, my face, my voice, my smile, my eyes, my nose etc etc etc [list every trait here] -- and would rather have died than dance in front of anyone. So I think I have like a store of dancing I didn't do for three years that I must now use?
|This is what I look like but the good news is I NO LONGER CARE I JUST LOVE DANCING.
Then there's talk to ALL THE PEOPLE, which again I was once too shy to do and now do copiously. (Everything day I'm thankful I'm no longer fourteen. What an awful age it was.)
I'm not sure whether this is a ball avec beverages, but I have found that when other guests/friends are a little (or a lot) inebriated it is easy to have very candid conversations. Last party I was at, I had two Jesus conversations with slightly tipsy pals. (Obviously I am never drunk because I am a Christian, but I'm just saying, when others are it can be an opportunity to evangelise.)
In conclusion, friends at parties = good.
6. You see a dwarf with his beard wedged under a boulder. He's mistreated your help before, so you
A. Leave him. He deserves it.
B. Point and laugh.
C. Steal his gold.
D. Help the little folk out.
E. Trim his beard. It's obviously a nuisance. (And whilst I am keen on such beards as displayed by Johnny Depp, Ben Whishaw and James Macavoy, they are not good for practical purposes.)
7. Do you know anyone who reminds you of a particular fairytale?
Um. I like this question but it's hard. One of my friends quite recently shaved her head to raise money for the refugee crisis so ... Tangled, anyone?
8. If someone asked to marry you when they first met you, your reaction would be
A. Um, yes. Nobody's cuter than them.
B. Depends. Do they have a lot of money? Are they a serial killer with a lot of money?
C. RUN! They're clearly a lunatic.
D. Love at first sight means wed at first sight.
E. You can't say 'yes' to everyone who asks to marry you. They should get in line.
F. You fly solo.
9. Your true love will
A. Give you a library.
B. Fetch your shoes for you.
(I choose both, they're both very very important.)
C. Be a shallow walnut head. They're easier to manipulate.
D. Find you immortalized in a glass casket. They're too late.
E. What is this strange concept called true love?
F. Oh, right. You fly solo.
10. Name three big events in your life, or something that took you three tries to get.
All right.
Event #1: following Jesus
Event #2: falling in lurve for the first time
Event #3: deciding to be a writer and finishing my first novel.
I'm sorry that Event #2 is so
buuut I am reading Les Mis at the moment (about Marius and Cosette) and planning a post on the topic of insta-love, first love, true love etc etc (hey, it is February), AND SO whilst in Heathrow Airport this morning (I travelled back from Chile yesterday and today) I was meditating upon my youth and that is why that one is in there. As a part of my misspent youth. I was trying to pick three events that shaped the person I am today so ... yeah.
A postscript: you guys may be interested in Event #4, which is that I got an offer to Durham University! I need to get 3 As in my exams with an A1 in English and if I do I am sure as heck going!
11. Name something that you have seven of.
Harry Potter books!
I have eight, because I have the (freaking beautiful) illustrated Philosopher's Stone ...
I have seven Skulduggery Pleasant books, because I have six of the nine novels (and if you want to send me number one, four or five, go ahead) and the short story collection.
And if you're thinking I could've considered items that weren't books, you obviously don't know me very well.
12. Who is your nemesis?
A. A step-mother
B. A giant
C. A wicked witch (Bellatrix Lestrange)
D. A dwarf who's name is either unknown or impossible to enunciate without a glossary
E. The Big Bad Wolf (Not just any wolf, The BBW)
F. That insufferable youngest step-daughter of yours
13. When you meet your nemesis, you dress
A. As formidable they.
B. Innocent and sweet.
C. Like a warrior. Let's weapon up!
D. Rags; it's all you've got.
E. Like a huntsman.
F. With the intimidating superiority of an evil queen. (What one needs to face up to Bellatrix. Esp. if Narcissa is in tow.)
14. Who are your allies?
A. Seven dwarves
B. Your fairy godmother
C. Jack the Giant-Killer
D. ALL the forest animals
E. Not to be obvious, but dragons are the way to go
F. Your prince charming. . . or knight in shining armor, your preference
15. Do you have any retelling recs for us to either watch or read?
I absolutely love Enchanted.
I recently watched it again for the first time in years and I love Amy Adams and wow, it's so beautiful and funny and life-affirming and the songs are great and gee, I just love it.
I also LOVE Penelope, which I don't think is a retelling but has a fairytale-esque theme. Quite aside from the fact that I'm in love with James Macavoy, it is a wonderful film.
(And, can Edward Scissorhands get a shout-out? It's sort of a Beauty and the Beast retelling, and it's Johnny Depp and Tim Burton and amazing cinematography and just-- yeah. I have a lot of emotion for that film.)
16. What is your favorite song from a Disney princess movie?
Is Mulan a princess movie? I know it's counted as one, but she isn't a princess, and nor does she become one. That withstanding, it's got to be A Girl Worth Fighting For.
Honorable mentions must also go to A Whole New World, How Does She Know You Love Her?, Love is an Open Door and For the First Time in Forever.
You know you want to.
That was hugely enjoyable!
There is still time to link up -- click here.
Thank you massively to Ashley for a great ball (though I may have to get up and do some dancing now, I've been in this chair for a while) and for being a great friend. *cue touching music*
Happy blogoversary and many happy returns!


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Never before have I jumped out of my seat and celebrated a goal in a video game…..scored by the computer. A shot from the point by Chris Pronger that was redirected down low by Todd Bertuzzi on goal sent my goalie scrambling for the loose rebound. Scott Neidermeyer comes flying in and absolutely nails the puck into the top shelf for the goal.
So I've played the demo about 20 times now, tried new things every game and have finally come to the conclusion that the true sequel to NHL 07 has fixed nearly every aspect of the game.
Here is my list of positives and negatives:
I'll start with presentation:
+ 60 Frames per second in 1080i. Holy cow this game looks good. It's smooth with zero choppiness.
+ A lot of new commentary from Gary Thorne and Bill Clemment. I hate Thorne, but it's nice that everything didn't get recycled from last season.
+ Replays have your exact controller movements on the screen as they happen. Don't know how you did something? It will show you! Nice touch.
– Again the opening and ending of the game is lame. This could be just for the demo though.
+ The most important thing in a hockey game ever for me is passing. You can finally cycle the puck. Keeping the puck down low and continuing to play behind the net is such a treat when the CPU has someone there to receive it. Defensemen don't leave the zone anymore so you can send it up high to them and utilize an intragal part of your offense.
+ Super Deke's aren't overdone. In fact, I have trouble succeeding with non-superstars. They aren't over the top and work quite infrequently. Even when they work, you don't gain a huge advantage.
+ Powerplays. Oh my goodness, talk about earning a powerplay goal…7 passes putting the defense out of position and a shot from the point with a perfect screen makes you feel pretty good.
+ Good looking goals. Not a huge improvement here, but the goalie are MUCH better mainly because there are few if any of those goals that trickle in after a few seconds. There have been a couple weak goals, but in many cases there was a screen. Besides, bad shots go in on occasion in real life right?
+ I use classic controls and they do EVERYTHING that regular controls do. The main difference is the shot button mapped to A instead of RT. But this year they added a saucer pass button to the RB. Excellent.
+/- Shootouts seem different. Perhaps it's the high default game speed, but I seem to get to the goalie awfully quick when trying to deke. It seems like the use of the right thumbstick becomes noticably different in the shootout. I can't pinpoint it. However, placing shots on wristers is much more effective this year. I've scored several goals, namely with Teemu Selanne where I reared back and put a shot above Emery's glove.
– Players seem TOO good about staying onside. Sure it's annoying when the CPU jumps offside, but it happen in real life wheras in never happens in this game. Could be attributed to the default settings.
– Passing might be too good. Again, this could be the easy difficulty, but I shouldn't be able to make 30 tape to tape passes in a row with no problems. I tried it out and was able to hold the puck in the zone for nearly 10 game minutes.
– At the same time, why can I not pass the puck EXACTLY where I want it. I've tried to send it off the boards to get it back to the point, but it either shoots in straight into the boards back to me, or straight to the pointman. There is no inbetween. How about some sort of 2kish pass aim assist slider?
+++ This is where the new skating engine really shines. It should no longer take a novice to NHL 07/08 50 games to figure out how to survive defensively. You can now hold out your stick and move it around on the ice, similar to NHL 2k's game. It's not as effective as 2k, but it's still good. Players now glide when you let up on the left thumbstick as well. Defensive placement is very important as well.
+ Hitting is way down. Again, a lot of this can be credited to the new skating engine. Lining up a body check is tough. If you don't have the right speed and timing, you don't hit your opponent or you bounce off of him. The NHL isn't a 200 hits per game checkfest, so why have video games continued to make them that? Thank you EA for making this realistic. This is definitely one category that the sliders will be interesting to play around with.
+ Penalty Killing. The CPU is smart. They pass it around and look for the open man. If you have a player out of position, the CPU exploits it. I'd suggest icing the puck on the PK whenever possible. Not only does the clock now go at normal speed when it's in the other end of the ice, but you can get a much needed line change. I can only imagine how hard you have to work on the PK on a harder difficulty setting. I'm getting excited just thinking about that.
+/- Quick whistles. I don't know why, but sometimes the goalie will catch the puck, or grab it on the ice, and the whistle will blow immediately like it's supposed to. There is no way to get rid of it. Other times, there will be no whistle for several seconds. In both situations I've had opposing skaters near me and far away. It seems random. Obviously I'd prefer the quick whistle because that's much more realistic. I hate being tempted to drop the puck when there are two opposing players hovering over my netminder.
– What's with the CPU making your player controlled skater go backwards automatically? Even at center ice? This is probably the biggest problem defensively. I'm trying to skate back to have a 3rd guy help out, and he's turning to skate backwards? What? I thought that's why the left trigger was there on defense!
– Protecting an empty net is near impossible now. All of a sudden when there is an empty net, everyone becomes freaking Gordie Howe from center ice. Last year it was tough to score an empty net unless you were in the zone. Now they don't miss at all. If you don't hack the puck handler when you have no goalie, you're screwed.
Other parts of the game:
– Fighting. What the hell happened? Why did these rock em sock em robots replace the guys who were supposed to go at it? The fighting in 07 was pretty good and could've used a slight improvement, mainly in difficulty. The fighting in 08 turned into something a monkey can do. Why must these game companies make something good a significant downgrade???? NHL Hitz turned the best fighting engine ever into a button matching sequence mini game. Definitely a huge let down EA. Thankfully fighting is always optional and must be mutual.
+ Playing as the goalie was actually quite fun. Try it for a few games. The controls are pretty easy, but it could take awhile to master. I can see this being loads of fun online.
+ Sliders. Though they can't be changed in the demo, there are a plethora of them, most of which are the same as last year. This game NEEDS to be slowed down to 0 first and foremost. I cannot wait to play around with these slider sets.
Remember that this is a demo, and a few things in the actual game may be slightly different. I think with the ridiculously fast game settings, combined with the fact that it plays great, we'll be able to tweak the game to play a near perfect version of simulation hockey for the first time ever in the history of video games. What I need to see improved the most are the defensive A.I. being more aggressive and closing down the neutral zone. I'd also like to slow the game down yet maintain the ability for players to move around at a quick pace where necessary.
This is a video game so nothing is going to be perfect. Judging this demo, I'd say that EA officially nailed it this year.
Remember that there will be the three Elite leagues and the AHL in this game as well. I cannot wait to have a true minor league system with the actual jersey's of AHL teams and their players. Now I can beat the Rockford Icehogs in the virtual world too!!!! YES!!!
EGM already gave this game scores of 9.5, 9.0 and 9.0. By the way, that's better than Madden got.
I think this is the runaway sports game of the year.


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Tonight, our taste buds were more giddy than a bunch of BYU students at a ward slip-and-slide.
We found the real happy valley: Indus Valley. Two weeks ago, an SUV slammed through their outdoor seating area, but they used their curry power to rebuild the corner and continue business. And business is booming, attracting some of the local notables--like us!
When you come to visit us, and if you like good Indian food, I promise we will go here. Absolutely incredible...we strongly recommend:
- Kashmiri Roganjosh: "Tender pieces of Lamb cubes simmered in an exotic sauce of Green and Black Cardamoms, Kashmiri Chillies, Cloves, Cinnamon leaves, Mace, Coriander, Ginger, Garlic, Onion, Yogurt and Fennel."
- Malai Kofta: "Dumplings made with an array of vegetables and Cottage Cheese and cooked with a delicate gravy made with fresh Tomato puree, Onions, garlic, Red Chili Powder, Coriander, Ginger, Turmeric, Cloves and Cinnamon."
- Vegetable Biryani: "Biryani is an Exotic preparation of marinated meat or vegetables mixed with the Basmati Rice ans slow cooked in a closed thick bottomed utensil. This method of cooking is popularly known as "Dum" cooking by which all the flavors, nutrients and aromas are retained. Lavish use of spices, herbs & saffron makes this a very delicious Rice preparation."
- Mango Lassi: "Delicious King of the fruit-Alphonso or Kesar Mango Pulp churned with homemade Yogurt."
- Nan/Garlic Nan


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Warm. Spicy. Soft. Comforting.
If you're looking for a last-minute (or another) dessert for Christmas, I suggest you try this Guinness Gingerbread.
Cooking. Eating. Sharing. Enjoying.
Warm. Spicy. Soft. Comforting.
If you're looking for a last-minute (or another) dessert for Christmas, I suggest you try this Guinness Gingerbread.
The first cookie I remember baking is a Snickerdoodle. I'm not sure where I got the recipe (maybe from the back of the bag of sugar) or even how old I was (I think maybe 11) – I just remember baking the cookies and being impressed that I had actually baked something from scratch.
I still love to bake cookies. Every year for Christmas, I bake cookies and give them to family and friends. I mean, really – what's better than a cookie? It's a perfect-sized treat. I know the popularity of cupcakes has exploded over the past few years, but I still think that a freshly-baked cookie is unbeatable.
My favorite is a tie between chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin. Honestly, I can't decide which I love more. A warm chocolate chip cookie with a bit of a crispy edge and a gooey center is perfection in the form of a dessert. But a perfectly-spiced oatmeal raisin cookie with just the right amount of cinnamon and brown sugar is warm and cozy and homey and delicious. So you can see why I have a hard time choosing. Throw a peanut butter cookie into the mix and I'm just at a loss.
So when I came across a recipe for Chunky Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Chocolate Chipsters, you can imagine that I had to make those cookies immediately. These cookies combine all of my favorite tastes into one warm, soft, slightly gooey cookie. It's easy to mix up a batch of dough, bake a few cookies and freeze the dough to use later. That way, there's always only 13-15 minutes that stand between you and these delicious cookies.
Chunky Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Chocolate Chipsters
Slightly adapted from Baking: From my Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan
3 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup (packed) light brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 cups store-bought chocolate chips or chunks
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone.
Whisk together the flour, baking soda, spices and salt.
Working with a stand mixer, with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter, peanut butter, sugar and brown sugar on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition, then add the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add the dry ingredients, beating only until blended. Mix in the oats and chips by hand.
Cover and chill the dough for about 2 hours (if you have time). Drop rounded tablespoonful (or use an ice cream scoop) 2 inches apart onto the baking sheet.
Bake for 13-15 minutes. The cookies should be just firm around the edges. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes. Transfer to a cooking rack.


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We are very excited to invite all of our high school students and their friends to join us at River Valley Ranch in Manchester, MD for Winter Meltdown weekend February 16th-18th!
This is an excellent opportunity for students to experience a retreat that is exciting, relevant, and engaging with lots of fun activities (paintball, zip-line, archery tag, ropes course, horses, etc.) and is also deeply impactful and spiritually challenging. (Speaker: Rob Stansberry,Theology and Rhetoric teacher at Cary Christian School). Students will have the opportunity to connect with their RSM D-Team leader and each other on a deeper level, building God-centered friendships that will last. They will encourage each other, worship together, and pray for each other as they experience this action-packed, crazy-fun weekend! Please consider this an opportunity to invite a friend who may not be attending RSM currently or who may not even know the Lord. We know that God has exciting things in store!
The retreat fee is $160 and includes lodging, meals, and free-time activities. Registration is available online (requires payment via debt/credit card). You can also register using our printed registration form.
Print our Winter Meltdown Information and Registration Packet (includes FAQ's, What to Pack, Retreat Rules, Registration Forms, etc.)
For any questions regarding this retreat, please contact our RSM administrator Christine Seese at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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PS You Got This!
About This Show
Welcome to P.S. You Got This! The podcast is designed to educate, inform and entertain you about the entrepreneurial journey. Three Lovely Ladies sharing their experience about getting to the place they enjoy the life they love. The show shares topics from Kristie Keever, Lacy Boggs and Terra Bohlmann. These Lovely Ladies share episodes filled with Branding, Words that work and Systems that provide growth. Stay tuned, subscribe and share your thoughts. Learn what it takes to succeed in business! P.S. You Got This!Read more »


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Team Draft Needs: Cincinnati Bengals
By: Mark Solway
Posted: 2006-04-17
Category: Washington Redskins News
Cincinnati Bengals
2005 Results: 11-5 (1st place AFC North)
2006 Projected Cap Status: $16,600,000 (as of 03/10/06)
2005 Season Recap: A solid 11-5 regular season and division championship were as far as the Bengals would go in 2005. They wound up facing their division rivals the Pittsburgh Steelers on the Wild Card weekend, and bowed out to the eventual Supr Bowl winners after just one playoff game. Of course, star quarterback Carson Palmer going down definitely didn't help. Their offense clearly estalished itself as dominant as long as Palmer is at the helm.
Despite a fairly porous defense, the Bengals were able to forge a strong regular season on the strength of the play of that offense. Once mired in the bowels of the NFL, the Bengals are emerging with some real star quality under the tutelage of Marvin Lewis.
Team Needs:
Tight End - It may be the only chink left in their offensive armor so it only makes sense to try and fill the void with a top flight prospect like Leonaerd Pope or Marcedes Lewis.
Defensive Tackle - The Bengals run defense was suspect last year ranking 20th in rush defense and giving up 115 yards per game. Sam Adams was brought in but a longer term solution is a definite need.
Wide Receiver - There's Chad and then there's everybody else. Chris Henry had a good rookie season but is it enough to call it a corps of good receivers? While it might not be a pressing need, Cincinnati will likely spend an early-to-mid-round pick on a WR.
Defensive Back - Everybody figures that Lewis would have the defense firing, but in reality, it was their biggest downfall last year. Not only was the run defense in the bottom third of the league, but their pass defense was actually worse (26th). Depth and nickel slots can be addressed in the mid rounds of the draft.
2006 Draft Picks: 1st Round #24
Free Agency Status:
UFA - Carl Powell DE, Reggie Myles S, Marcus Wilkins LB
RFA - Kelley Washington WR
Re-signed - Rashad Bauman CB, Anthony Mitchell S, Hannibal Navies LB, Tony Stewart TE, Kenny Watson RB, Jeremi Johnson RB, Scott Kooistra OG
Acquired Sam Adams DT (Bills), Dexter Jackson S (Bucs)
Lost Jon Kitna QB (Lions), Matt Schobel TE (Eagles), Kevin Walter WR (Texans), Duane Clemons DE (Released), Kim Herring S (Released)
Enjoy? Click Like, and/or help us share it!
Help us out. We spend a lot of time trying to bring Redskin fans fresh Redskins content, please share our content with any of the social networking platforms that you belong to - there are over 300 links when you click the '+' button - at the very least, click the Like button!


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What still bothers me is that governments in both the United States and Europe have not resolved their problems with the solvency of their banking systems.
The question remains about how long these problems are going to be carried along.
This morning we read, "Ireland's Largest Banks Given Failing Grades." It is assumed that the government is going to take over the banks and the price tag is going to be a minimum of about $35 billion. (http://professional.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703806304576234180828120692.html?mod=ITP_moneyandinvesting_0&mg=reno-wsj)
Following up on this there is the article about the bank problems in Spain, "Spain May Take Over CAM as Deal Talks Fail." Here again we have the possibility of nationalizing another bank. Moody's Investors Service estimates that the minimum needed to get the Spanish savings banks adequately capitalized at between €40 billion to €60 billion. (http://professional.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703806304576234912073054934.html?mod=ITP_moneyandinvesting_2&mg=reno-wsj)
On a smaller scale, we have another fiscal crisis in Portugal as it became known that the government's financial figures were incorrect and that budget matters are worse than was expected. This news came a few days after Portugal's credit rating had been downgraded once again. This, and the concern that Portugal may not be able to meet bond repayments falling in April and June, has raised new issues about the solvency of the Portuguese banking system.
In addition, we are still awaiting the results of the recently administered "stress tests" of European banks. There is substantial concern about what these "tests" might show.
And, question marks still hang over the health of the smaller banks…that is smaller than the biggest 25 commercial banks…in the United States banking system. The number of commercial banks on the FDIC's list of problem banks was just under 900 on December 31, 2010. In all of 2010, 157 commercial banks failed while mergers occurred for 197 other banking organizations, many of them not exactly healthy.
This means that almost 12 percent of the commercial banks of the United States are on the problem list of the FDIC. Some put the number of commercial banks that are facing severe operating difficulties at 40 percent of the banking system.
I have argued that a major reason for the quantitative easing on the part of the Federal Reserve is to provide sufficient liquidity for the "smaller", "troubled" commercial banks so that the FDIC can close or arrange mergers for as many of these banks as possible in an orderly fashion.
The concern over the health of the commercial banks in American and Europe is real.
And, now we are seeing just how extensive the financial crisis was in both Europe and the United States in 2008/2009. These banking systems collapsed together. And, the banking systems have continued to fail to resolve their issues together.
The release of the Federal Reserve statistics on borrowings from the Fed's discount window, "Fed Kept Taps Open for Banks in Crisis", is amazing in many respects. Some of the biggest borrowers, it turns out were from Europe. The Fed certainly became the worldwide "lender of last resort." And, the Fed added large amounts of "junk" in the process. (http://professional.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704530204576235213193119194.html?mod=ITP_moneyandinvesting_0&mg=reno-wsj)
The problems arose from real estate lending and the problems that continue are related to real estate lending.
The question that remains concerns the depths of the problems that still exist in the European and United States banking systems.
People I know are still in shock over the sale of the Wilmington Trust Company in early November 2010, a bank that everyone thought was in pristine shape. (http://seekingalpha.com/article/234027-wilmington-trust-sold-at-45-discount)
This subject came up again in discussions I was a part of during the past weekend.
The concern? How many more situations like that of the Wilmington Trust Company are there "out there"?
This is the worry that we cannot seem to shake.
And, the debate always seems to come back to one thing: Why is the Federal Reserve acting in the way it is? Injecting $1.5 trillion of excess reserves into the banking system does not make a lot of sense…unless the banking system is less solvent than we are being told.
There is a lot of discomfort… in both Europe and the United States…when it comes to looking at the banking system. Unfortunately, we may never understand how bad off the banks have been until we get more and more information in bits and pieces as things work themselves out.
Friday, April 1, 2011
The Health of the Banking Systems in Europe and the United States
Posted by Mase: Economics and Finance at 7:30 AM
Labels: bank solvency, Europe, European bank solvency, Ireland, Irish banks, Problem Banks, Spain, Spanish banks, United States
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Ten hidden controls of the iPhone headphones
The iPhone headphones (or any headphones with a mic and remote) can control your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch in up to 10 different ways.
It's never too late to discover that those boring, all-white headphones Apple threw in with your iPhone can do a lot more than adjust the volume.
In fact, any headphones that include a remote (or have a remote adapter attached) can be used to control your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch in up to 10 ways.
There are all the ways you can use your headphones as a remote controller, allowing you to perform useful functions without taking your iDevice out of your pocket.
1.If you're listening to music, toggle pause or play by tapping the center button once.
2.To fast-forward a song, tap the center button twice and long-press on the second tap.
3.To rewind a song, tap three times and long-press on the third tap.
4.To skip a song, double tap.
5.To go to the previous song, triple tap.
6.If you have an incoming call, tap the center button once to answer. Tap again to hang up.
7.To ignore an incoming call, long-press the center button. You'll hear two beeps to confirm that the caller was sent to voice mail.
8.If you're on the phone and you get a new call, tap the center button once to switch calls. To end that new call, hold the center button down for 2 seconds.
9.You can achieve supersteady shots by using your headphones as a shutter release. Tap the volume-up button to capture a photo.
10.For iPhone 4S owners: prompt Siri by long-pressing the center button.


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Leather Blog
Friday, 6 January 2012
My new News Blog. http://is.gd/0IioaZ
Monday, 9 May 2011
Leather skirts.
Well, I think we've all dreamed of go together or fuck a girl carrying a mini skirt or hot pants, leather, or simply to keep a hot pans or skirt. This Asian girl looks too sexy in that mini skirt and of course filed, the blonde girl with her hotpants, both in black leather.
Would you like a girl with these characteristics?
Wednesday, 4 May 2011
Black leather gloves for driving.
These are my black leather gloves that I use to drive or ride a bike now that we are inautumn in my country, is really cold and go to work or to school are really good, especially if you go on bike outdoors , or simply to drive are really good, give comfortand give a lot of wealth. If you drive your own car or just drive the car of your parents,the girls really like, if you are riding a motorcycle gives you a very good image of rockstar.
The Argentine pair of leather that I bought on a trip to Mendoza, crossing the Andes,cost at least $ 80, actually cheaper than in my country which cost about $ 150.
Tuesday, 3 May 2011
My Wallet.
This is my wallet before was traveling alone with my money in their pockets, but in acraft fair I just fell in love. It took me about 50 dollars and are unique designe, is so perfect.
Leather things are too expensive ;_;
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Alright, a few games ago, we were owning, and the game was mostly over. I decided to screw around, and build a manamune on darius. THis was followed up by a FH, and it gave me a giant boost to my mana and my armour. I wanted to know if this is viable on other mana-heavy tops that spam like panth and nasus. Any input would be great, thanks!
P.S. When ever i visit the skins/trivia pages, then skin arts wont show up. Sometimes they appear if i click on them and the other window pops up, but mostly its just blank. Is this me or Lol wiki?Read more >
A LONG time ago, i used to play Nocturne as mid. He dominated low HP AP casters with his shield and high DPS. Haven't tried this build lately at all, but i kind of hope it is still viable. As I haven't done it in a wile, i have no idea if he will be stopped by newer mids like Ziggs and others. I plan to test this over the next few days that i have off for summer, but mostly it would use a wit's for the MR and AS, then some AD item, maybe hexdrinker/maw for the extra MR or a Bloodthirster for sustain. Anyway, any comments would be nice, and i should get another post in later with a complete build.Read more >


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GrandStay Hotel & Suites
- Hotels & Motels
With its charming décor and comfortable amenities, GrandStay® Hotel & Suites in Stillwater, MN is the perfect hotel for your next trip to Minnesota.
To give you a little information about our hotel:
- Free wireless internet
- Free hot breakfast with a rotating menu of scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, ham, French toast, and breakfast burritos. As well as our every day selections of donuts, muffins, cereal, Belgium waffles, yogurt, fruit, oatmeal, bagels, English muffins, and breads. We serve Farmer Brothers Coffee all day.
- Our indoor pool and hot tub are open from 7 am to 10 pm for kids and until midnight for adults.
- Each room has Bath & Body Works bathroom amenities (shampoo, conditioner, lotion, soaps)
- Our rooms are beautifully renovated and all employees are trained to be very friendly and accommodating.
- We have over 200 channels through DirecTV for viewing on large HDTVs in all rooms.= INCLUDING NFL's SUNDAY TICKET
Room types include: Two Queen Sized Beds, ADA Two Double Beds, Queen Deluxe Suites, One Bedroom King Suites, King Whirlpool Suites, and our One Bedroom King Whirlpool Suite. All rooms have refrigerators and microwaves in them.
High quality service is engrained in each employee of the GrandStay. We will do whatever we can to ensure your complete comfort and the enjoy-ability of your stay.
- Indoor, Heated Pool and Whirlpool
- Whirlpool Suites, Seperate Bedroom Suites
- GrandStart Breakfast with Farmer Brothers Coffee
- Really Clean Rooms, Great Service
- Free Wireless Internet, Guest Business Center
- Accepts less than full week's stay
- Continental Breakfast
- Handicap Accessible
- Hot Tub/Whirlpool
- Indoor Pool
- Laundry Facilities
- Major Credit Cards
- Meeting Room
- Pets Allowed in Lodging
We are located at the intersection of Highway 36 and Washington Ave next to Midwest One Bank. North Side of Highway 36. Close to Walmart, Target, Cub, Office Max, and Perkins.


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A quick post to show you my diary 2013. I made it these three last days and I must say I love the result! It's perfect!
Here are some pics...
A page to keep the pictures from the month
Each month is the same
Two envelopes for memories
- Kit Cap sur le Scrap, January 2013


text: Bob, When you go to the analog options for the card, what is the video device listed there? And what is the audio device too? For the first adapter, mine are /dev/video0 and /dev/dsp1, also my vbi device is /dev/vbi1. Jesse. Bob Sully wrote: > OK, I think this damn thing is going to make me bald pretty soon. > > I *cannot* get this card to find the NTSC channels in Myth. > I have gotten some help with getting the drivers configured correctly from > the forum at pcHDTV.com. > > It will scan the digital (QAM-256) channels on the DVB side of the card, > but just sits there and does nothing when I tell it to scan in NTSC > channels on the v4L side. When I attempt to scan on the analog side, I > see this error message in the originating terminal window: > > Channel(0)::Open(): Can't open video device, error "No such file or > directory" > > There are no permission problems. Both of the devices in /dev/v4l/ have > the current user ("mythtv" in this case) as the owner. > > I have "open DVB on demand" set on. > > I can watch the NTSC channels with tvtime. They're ugly, but watchable. > > So, I'm convinced that I have a configuration error SOMEWHERE in my Myth > setup, but damned if I can see where. > > Could someone who has this working please give me a clue as to the proper > configuration in mythtv-setup (and, if necessary, the setup in > mythfrontend)? ... It'd definitely be appreciated. > > Once I get by this problem, I simply need to relabel the QAM-256 channels > in the database, and I'm running. > > Thanks > Bob > >


text:
I am a little irritated these days. My medium does not get sufficient time for me to awaken within him and allow me to work. His drive is getting a little hazy and he a little pessimistic. I have to find out a way though, I have to learn how to make him strong. Some words in here are just dedicated to him, and I hope he reads these whenever he feels like giving up.
All the best my friend, but you need to grow up! Cheers.
When u know that you are not strong enough to knock the opponent out, prepare to survive any amount of blows and and be strong within to tire the opponent.
I respect alcoholics. At least they do not consciously do bad things.
Bravery is only a controlled form of a valuable insanity towards something thats worth fighting for.
To have a contended life, always follow this belief system : You never have tried hard enough yet, if you haven't yet achieved what you want.