text:
Sparkling atmospere in this very welcoming room with a queen memory mattress (mt.1,40). Thought for longer stays, has a wide illuminated walk-in wardrobe, a reading separate corner and view on the internal courtyard and the city. Wifi, flat Tv, silent air-conditioning and Led lighting.
Bathroom with tempered glass shower box, hairdryer and full courtesy line.
All our linen are professionally washed and hygienically treated.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
It has to be said evenings aren't Isobel's favourite time.
She enjoys her bath, that much is true. But, otherwise, she could very well shout the whole evening through.
Unfortunately for PD this the only time he gets to see his darling daughter - not ideal for bonding.
I think the witching hour is actually 5-6 though: whatever Isobel does then sets the tone - if she doesn't take a nap it is unlikely that she will until ten.


text:
tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46101062453231283682018-05-27T21:16:41.580-04:00Stark Raving InsaneSharing my insanity.Starkhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4610106245323128368.post-1525374746915098232009-07-09T21:23:00.002-04:002009-07-09T21:25:34.124-04:00ProjectsSo I've been working on several projects that are taking so much of my time, but I'm finding myself highly unmotivated.

The ideas are in my head, swirling around in a vortex of crazy creativity. I just seem to lack the motivation to actually get them out of my head.

What I need is a suction cup to slurp the thoughts out and translate them to paper.Starkhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4610106245323128368.post-91860527635208757022008-10-15T04:22:00.001-04:002008-10-15T04:23:42.128-04:00Must SeeNathan Fillion Awesomeness.

<embed width="448" height="365" src="http://www.spike.com/efp" quality="high" bgcolor="000000" name="efp" align="middle" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" flashvars="flvbaseclip=3041858&" allowfullscreen="true"></embed>
Nailing Your Wife | Girls | SPIKE.com
Starkhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4610106245323128368.post-83507430109748825762008-08-30T03:53:00.003-04:002008-08-30T04:12:14.394-04:00Getting my Geek OnSo those of you that know me, know that I enjoy a good LARP. For those unfamiliar with the term it stands for Live Action Role Playing. It's basically a form of role playing that forgoes the use of dice and requires the player to take all of the actions.

I started years ago playing V:TSM (Vampire: the Masquerade) at the University of Michigan Union. I spent every other Friday pretending I was angst-filled, blood-sucking freak. I felt weird playing at first, thinking it was far too geeky. That is until I saw some of the other people playing. I wonder if they were as geeky as I thought or was I just ashamed that others might see me that way. It was fun, but it really was just a gateway to bigger and better games.

The V:TSM game lead to me being invited to play in a fantasy LARP called KANAR (Knights and Nobles and Rogues). KANAR was amazing. Imaging being a dashing knight, a devious thief, a peaceful cleric or a powerful magic user. KANAR let you live out those dreams. I played KANAR for nearly eight years before I basically called it quits. Moving 200 miles away and developing a hatred for the game will do that to you.

I started to feel the withdrawal symptoms and began looking for some relief when I got invited to a LARP called Final Haven.

Final Haven (and Winter Haven) have a very different view on what a Fantasy LARP is and I will admit I am still getting used to the differences between FH and KANAR. But the big thing I enjoy, good role playing, is abundant at FH/WH.

Recently one of the Game Masters at FH came up with the idea of running a Firefly/Serenity based LARP. I joined up as one of the assistant GM's and so far things look really interesting. Airsoft combat, good old fashioned heroing, and sense of hopeful hopelessness.

If things go well and the turn out for this little endeavor is good, there are plans to make it a continuing event. Hopefully we can find support and interest to run the game at least four times a year from this point on.

So if you're interested in trying out the Firefly LARP, and you have September 5th - 7th free, you should click  right here. Register and start getting information on what you need to do to play.Starkhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4610106245323128368.post-71555057468033171792008-08-19T18:44:00.005-04:002008-08-19T18:52:08.587-04:00Casting the Justice LeagueI was surfing the interweb and came across this brilliant blog.

Faust's Fantastically Fantasmagoric Forum

I would have to agree with them all and find the choice for J'onn J'onzz to be truly inspired.

And I think Mr. Braun will love the choice of Aquaman.Starkhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4610106245323128368.post-38240004921670267642008-08-16T15:58:00.002-04:002008-08-23T15:06:39.840-04:00Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest 2008 ResultsAn international literary parody contest, the competition honors the memory (if not the reputation) of Victorian novelist Edward George Earl Bulwer-Lytton (1803-1873). The goal of the contest is childishly simple: entrants are challenged to submit bad opening sentences to imaginary novels. Although best known for "The Last Days of Pompeii" (1834), which has been made into a movie three times, originating the expression "the pen is mightier than the sword," and phrases like "the great unwashed" and "the almighty dollar," Bulwer-Lytton opened his novel Paul Clifford (1830) with the immortal words that the "Peanuts" beagle Snoopy plagiarized for years, "It was a dark and stormy night."

Winner: Vile Puns

Vowing revenge on his English teacher for making him memorize Wordsworth's "Intimations of Immortality," Warren decided to pour sugar in her gas tank, but he inadvertently grabbed a sugar substitute so it was actually Splenda in the gas.

Becky Mushko
Penhook, VA

Runner-Up

The Jones family held their annual family reunion on Easter going through over six dozen spiral-cut, hickory-smoked hams and several bottles of a fine Australian shiraz, before Farmer Jones, the head of the family, took the leavings back to Manor Farm to slop Napoleon and his other champion hogs but the seventy-six ham bones fed the pig's tirade.

Michael L. VanBlaricum
Santa Barbara, CA

Dishonorable Mentions

Jan Svenson, having changed his fortune in the annual "Scandinavian King of the Beach" in Santa Cruz with a bottle of black hair coloring and thus standing out in a sea of fair-haired rivals to win the coveted title, realized the ironic truth of the old adage "That in the kingdom of the blonde, the one dyed man is king."

Matthew Chambers
Parsons, WV

Dimwitted and flushed, Sgt. John Head was frustrated by his constipated attempts to arrest the so-called "Bathroom Burglar" until, while wiping his brow, he realized that each victim had been robbed in a men's room, thereby focusing his attention on the janitor, whose cleaning habits clearly established a commodus operandi.

Jay Dardenne
Baton Rouge, LA

Nell Gwynn, a descendant of the famous English actress and friend of King Charles II, decided she would help French aristocrats, who were being decimated by the guillotine during the French Revolution, cross to safety in England by hiding them under her voluminous skirts and putting off French customs inspectors by confronting them with a face and arms covered with angry red pimples, earning for her the sobriquet of Scarlet Pimple Nell.

Alec Kitroeff
Psychico, Greece

Grand Panjandrum's Special Award

Upon discovering that Miles Black, the famous phrenologist from Yorkshire was going to take up yodeling to lonely goats in Bali, James White decided to balance four planks of wood on a beer keg and call it an abstract work of art in the style of a famous fourteenth-century architect, just going to prove that people will read any old garbage if they think there will be a good pun at the end of it.

Stefan Croker
Bury, Greater Manchester, UK
Starkhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4610106245323128368.post-4180822364536944292008-08-13T00:47:00.003-04:002008-08-13T00:51:56.969-04:00It was great when it all beganI'm a huge fan of the Rocky Horror Picture Show. There is something decadent about the fun provided by such a simply made movie.

Apparently someone at MTV things it needs to be remade. Someone at MTV needs to get a clue and stop the insanity.

Only you can prevent the travesty.

Riff, Magenta, Frank, Brad and Janet need your help.

Starkhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4610106245323128368.post-2094951897676383242008-08-12T16:40:00.001-04:002008-08-12T16:42:22.857-04:00The Question - Part 2<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/EN_OVZrINss&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/EN_OVZrINss&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

Here is part two. Amazing what an imagination and a video camera can do.Starkhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4610106245323128368.post-26317486255228299512008-08-07T13:42:00.001-04:002008-08-07T13:44:52.554-04:00The Question
<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/oeBU_jzMf5A&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/oeBU_jzMf5A&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

Sometimes you find something amazing online. When that happens you share.

Starkhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4610106245323128368.post-40466807780782856412008-07-30T00:34:00.005-04:002008-07-30T00:56:39.680-04:00Seperated At Birth
Take a close look. This guy is Vlad Taltos. He's a character from a book. He's a real bad ass. People fear him.

Now look at this guy. Are they related? Are they the same person? You decide.Starkhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4610106245323128368.post-77198828237270617772008-07-30T00:25:00.000-04:002008-07-30T00:26:00.977-04:00ChampionBack in 1984, I was introduced to what would become one of my favorite hobbies, role-playing. At the time I was a tried and true comic book nerd. This was about 7 years before "fanboy" became the word to describe the nerd nirvana of waiting in the First Edition, crushing on Holly, the girl working behind the counter, and deciding if your budget (re: allowance) can afford both X-Men and Batman this week.

I used to sit and draw pictures (okay trace was more accurate) that I thought were amazing and redesign my own superheroes. Like everyone my age, I wanted nothing more than create my own comic book, become famous, and have people drooling slavishly over my work. Hey what's the use of fame if it doesn't get you drool?

So imagine my joy when I heard that someone was offering a free "How to Create a Comic Book" class at the local library. I signed up as soon as I could. An event that had a profound experience on the rest of my life. I met others just like me, crazed and fanatic. I discovered I was never going to be an artist. See tracing and doing line copies of other peoples artwork is not a talent (DO YOU HEAR THAT MR. LEIFIELD. YOU HACK.) Gone was the dream of creating comic books. Granted I still hoped to be a comic book writer, but all the fame and fortune went to the artists.

It was at one of these "classes" that I met Paul. He was everthing you imagine a gamer should be. He also had a copy of Champions, the Superhero Roleplaying Game. My prayers were answered. I could create an unlimited number of costume clad, do-gooders. I could delve into the angst and grist of being a night stalking vigilante, determined to strike fear into the hearts of criminals. I could be the last cousin of a dying planet, teleported to Earth and imbued with powers to protect the mortal man. The possibilities were endless.

My forst character was a teen-age girl, cheerleader with the ability to shot energy from her hands. Top that Tim Kring.

Years followed, every weekend gathering at John's house, gathered around a small table, a pile of 6-siders before me, stopping villain after villain from robbing the bank. It was amazing. I also learned something about myself. I had a talent for telling a story. I've recieved complements on how well I draw a person in, on how fun I make the story, all the things a person likes to hear. It just took me until recently to be proud of that fact. For too long I was sef-depricating, resisting any complements and ignoring any critques. I became defensive.

It's time to stop being defensive and start being offensive. Or whatever.Starkhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4610106245323128368.post-72880226503941571412008-07-29T16:52:00.002-04:002008-07-29T16:56:53.553-04:00FlightAdmit it, you've always wanted to fly. It's got to be incredible, the wind rushing past your face, the feeling of speed as you slip through the air, flying higher than the clouds.

I dream about it a lot. But mostly I want to be Nova and not only fly but be strong and damn near invulnerable.

So if you know of any alien empires looking to imbue an earthling with superhuman powers, send them my way. I'd appreciate it.Starkhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4610106245323128368.post-50387937558765491042008-07-29T13:32:00.004-04:002008-07-29T13:42:41.223-04:00An old DreamThis is a dream I had about a year ago...

So I just woke up from a dream. One of those dreams that seems so real until you look closely at the details and realize "Hey I'm fucking dreaming."

So I'm rocking out and partying with some friends, pretty much having a good time, but nagging me in the back of my head is the fact that the girl I'm with is acting all cold and distant. (Okay first off the girl in question in my dreams is never a specific girl, either real of fictitious, she's always sort of an amalgamation of women I know, it's kinds creepy and it makes all kinds of sense at the same time.)

Needless to say her distance isn't too much of a problem at first after all it's a cool ass night hitting the bars, just acting rockstar.

But things start to mellow out and get to that point in a night when a guy likes to have a special someone give him a hug or snuggle against him, not like end of the night, but sort of that "hey I know you, we're going to leave here together, let me get a kiss" kinda time. But no, she's acting like shes got better things to do, and i get that distinct feeling she's playing games. (BTW: I hate women who play those little "jump through my hoop" games. It's so tacky. It's like rewarding a dog for doing a trick and smacks of reward for payment. I can get that from a hooker.)

So I turn to Jonny Rotten and Sid Vicious (see I told you it was a dream), and they start laughing at the whole situation and Sid punches David Bowie in the face.

Anyways I realize that she (the girl I'm with) is playing these games because it makes her feel all gooey inside knowing that I'm frustrated. It also dawns on my dreaming mind that women have this habit of doing things (all kinds of things; some smart, some stupid) in an attempt to get any visible emotional response out of a guy. Some women start fights with their guy just to know that he can be angry. Some will get melodramatic to get their guy to show some form of caring. (Note: Remember this was all in a dream so I'll plead insanity on anything held against me.) I then realized she wanted me to make her feel special the whole night, not just rock out.

And that's when it dawned on me, why the fuck should I have to treat her any different they I had been? I mean hell she was with me how much more special does she need to feel? Doesn't being with me count for shit. Fuck making a girl feel "more" special when I'm around. I'm not there to build up her self-worth and self-esteem. I'm there as proof that those things do exist in her.

Once all this hit me (and it hit the dream me and the real me at the same time), Jonny and Sid quit beating on Bowie and they all started singing "fat Bottom Girls" (thats what I get for leaving my music running while I slept).

So I think the moral of this dream is not really as harsh as it came across. But a cautionary warning to myself. I think I understand it and maybe, just maybe it will help me out in the long run.

To any ladies I may offend, get over it! It was a dream.

Peace!!! (I'm going back to sleep.)

Pretty weird.Starkhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4610106245323128368.post-11767373023582816942008-07-28T19:09:00.012-04:002008-07-29T13:42:24.313-04:0010 DVD "Must Owns" - TV ShowsOne of the greatest inventions of the last 20 years has got to be the DVD. Granted that would mean DVD players would have to be on the list too, but I really don't want to count it. I mean without DVD players we would still be using VCR's (VHS because I'm an American and not techophile enough to be a fan of Beta), and we'd be reminded to be kind and rewind.

Those little silver disks are a reminder of advancing technology and really bad Dolph Lundgren movies (if you haven't seen "I Come In Peace" you are missing a classic in aliens and cops and why DVD's are awesome weapons).

So I watch a lot of television and there have been some amazing shows out there for everyone to enjoy. I know we each have our favorites and sometimes tastes do not cross very well, but I think that there are some shows that could appeal to any audience, provided they can overcome the initial resistance of "genre" love.

I mean how many NFL football players will admit that they watch "The Gilmore Girls"? Actually I wouldn't be too surprised to find out that Terrell Owens is all about Rory's love life. I've watched a few episodes myself and found them interesting. Maybe I need to make that a thing to get into. Besides the mom on that show is kinda nice to look at.

Okay so here are my Top Ten TV Shows to own. Some of them are "genre" shows but I think the quality and writing transcend those barriers.

1) Babylon 5
J. Michael Straczynski created a show that was intended to run for 5 years then end. In a day of television uncertainty, Babylon 5 made each episode important to the story that was being told throughout those 5 years. Everything effected everything. Amazing sub plotting, plotting, foreshadowing and exposition. And it had space battles, weird aliens, mysterious cults, and psi cops. Also no one gave a speech like John Sheridan. Except Ivanova's "God sent me" moment, but who's keeping track. I can see how having to wait 5 years may have driven several people insane (Braun I'm talking to you). Watching them back to back is easier on the soul and sanity.

2) Angel
I didn't add Buffy to this list for two reasons. One I think that Angel was a far better show overall and two, I find it hard to still publicly admit I watched every episode of Buffy and like everything except Season 1 and Season 4. (Season 1 was the show was still learning what it was going to be. Season 4 just plain sucked.) Angel on the other hand, got it right and kept it going that way. Joss Whedon caused an intense session of "man crying" with the Season 1 episodes "I Will Remember You" and "Hero". Talk about kicking a guy in the gonads and then stomping on them when he's on the ground throwing up. I love you Joss. Really, I do. So guess what? At the height of this show's success, it being one of the highest rated shows it was canceled by FOX. I just hope Angel got to fight his dragon.

3) Firefly
Cowboys in space. Gritty science fiction. Ron Glass as a preacher. Joss Whedon proving once again that he should be made a saint. There is no word that can describe the awesomeness of this show. Maybe I'll make one up. How does "fanfriltastiawesomazingohmygawdarn" sound? Hey if Walt Disney can make up words why can't I? Anyway the show is about flying around in space, doing your own thing, while avoiding the totalitarian regime in charge. Hey maybe that's why FOX canceled it. They were afraid that people would see the Bush Administration as a bunch of "purple bellies" trying to take away individual freedom in exchange for false hope and utilitarian thinking. Or maybe I'm reading too much into it, maybe somebody at FOX is simply a retard.

4) Space: Above and Beyond
How can you go wrong with space Marine pilots battling alien invaders? It had all the workings of a typical sci-fi t.v. series. Characters that were heroes, but not superhuman. Bad guys that were Evil (note the capital "e"). Romance, mystery, suspense. And they weren't afraid to rip your heart out and kill a main character. Pathos the likes of Shakespeare. But alas, poor Horatio, the show was canceled in its second season. A casualty of the FOX programing genius'. You may begin to notice a trend.

5) Dr. Who (the new series)
I was never a big fan of the original run of Dr. Who even though I watched pretty much every tom baker episode. There was something unbelievable about the show, but not in that "amazing" way. The special effects were horrible, the stories were too simple. I wanted more. Jump forward two decades (I write things like that and realize just how old I am. Not good) and along comes the new Dr. Who series. It is exactly what Dr. Who should have always been. Yeah, part of it is the special effects budget grew from $12 to millions of dollars. I'd like to think that the writers of the show understand that the fans they are writing for aren't stupid and instead create a show that appeals to our intelligence. It also doesn't hurt that the good Doctor has some rather attractive companions in Rose and Martha. I mean the last time he had a cute girl as a sidekick his name was Adric.

6) Heroes
My biggest weakness is all things superhero related. There is something reassuring about people who risk their lives to protect normal people. Besides I wear glasses and so does Clark Kent. No, Lois, I'm not Superman either. Heroes is like a comic book written by Chris Claremont and Kurt Busiek, in other words, beyond amazing. There are so many great characters it's hard to know who is better. I identify with Peter and Hiro in a geeky, outcast sort of way. Emo and Geek, does that say something about me? Oh no, time for therapy. Watch the show, understand that you will be left wanting more every second, own it on DVD and you can do without the commercials. They are evil.

7) Stargate SG-1
Indeed. I could stop right there and assume you're hooked, but somehow that would be a cop-out. This show originally appeared on Showtime based on the movie "Stargate". It took a while to get into stride, a lot of good shows needs some room to run. Remember that FOX Programming Director. Once underway it became a thing of beauty. The great thing about the show was that it never took itself too serious, like some sci-fi shows tend to be. Ten seasons of action, excitement and adventure.

8) Law & Order (all of them)
This show has been on for around 100 years. It's so good it pre-dates television. Between the four shows (yes there were four shows, one of them lasted only one season because of the death of Jerry Orbach). The cast list is huge, the stories intriguing, the acting always above the expected.

9) Scrubs
I had never heard of this show until a young lady who Rocks! clued me in on the utter hilarity that ensues every episode. Everything about the show is done well, from the music, the stories and just plain silliness. And it handles the seriousness of hospitals very well. I'd rather go to Sacred Heart and let J.D. be my doctor before I let Dr. McDreamy and the staff of "too-busy-diddling-each-other" get their sexy hands on me. (Really i wouldn't want either near me because they're both fictional. If I had a real hospital emergency I would want a real doctor, though I will admit Sarah Chalke could take my temperature anytime she wants to.) They even have a musical episode. How can you deny the greatness of Scrubs. A. Musical. Episode.

10) Coupling
Anyone with half a brain knows that British comedy is typically better than American comedy for several reasons. One because they actually aren't afraid of being raunchy for the sake of a joke. Two because they don't care who laughs. And three because they have accents. Anyone with an accent is just plain funnier. (This is a truth understood by anyone from Michigan, the lower part, where accents do not exist. We can, however, hear everyone else's very clearly. I mean everyone else, even you dirty people from Ohio.) Coupling is about six attractive friends and their interactions with dating, sex, drinking, sex and sex. Sort of a "Sex in the City" for both genders. The show was so good they tried to make an American version that lasted for 3, count them, 3 episodes before being canceled. (NBC this time. FOX dodge a bullet.) And for you "Pirates of the Caribbean" fans out there, a certain non-pirate actor plays the main character in Coupling. (No not Orlando Bloom or Johnny Depp you drooling, crazy women!) Learn about "the Sock Gap", "the Giggle Loop" and "Crazy Jane". It's Brilliant!
Starkhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4610106245323128368.post-88121362459621506342008-07-28T16:48:00.004-04:002008-07-28T18:05:08.830-04:00AddictionsEveryone has at least one. Some us have dozens, the really cool ones have hundreds.

Be it smoking, drinking, drugs, strip clubs or comic books, addictions take over your life. Throughout my life I've stared the addiction monkey square in the face and sat by while he cleanly tried to scratch my eyes out and eat them like snack food.

I didn't drink until my 21st birthday, were I let some friends ply me with mass quantities of beer and liquor. They made me "Drink the Alphabet", a daunting task even though I made it the the letter "M" before the bar closed. After that I did a lot of drinking, heavy drinking, the kind of drinking that leads to blacking out and waking up in bed with unknown women.

Yeah I know some of you might be saying "How is that bad, you moron?"

I woke up between to cute girls, neither of them completely dressed and I still had my clothes on. Something might have happened, something fun, but I was still clothed. So nothing REAL fun happened. Damn the vodka!

During this heavy drinking I engaged in another addiction. Let's just say it was very herbal in origin. I was in love. I was able to get silly, eat all the pizza and potato chips I wanted and still be cool. What was not to like? It was a social icebreaker.

It was also a gateway.

I tried a a lot of other things. A lot. Now fortunately I'm terrified of needles but those options were open to me. I got wild, did some crazy things, and don't regret a single moment of any of it. I do regret the days after. Hung over, confused, sweaty and wondering if I made a jackass out of myself. Definitely the best way to spend a Sunday morning. Or Tuesday afternoon. Or the month of May. Or pretty much 1992 to 1997.

Then one day I had a revelation. So it wasn't so much a revelation but an irrational bout of paranoia and dread. I stood waiting for a cab to take me home early one morning, heavily dazed by the amounts I had just smoked, when I swear that everybody was looking at me. The problem was I was on the street alone. Nobody around at all. That was when I decided to stop that little habit. That was 11 years ago.

I stopped drinking after waking up one to many times, feeling like I had just fought eight rounds with Randy "Macho Man" Savage. I realized I was getting to old to hang like I had when I was in my 20's. I hate headaches. So drinking became a thing of the past. That was 8 years ago. Now I will admit that I do occasionally drink, but no where near the level I once did. I've also discovered I now have the alcohol tolerance of a twelve-year old girl (provided of course her name isn't Drew Barrymore). Yep I'm a cheap date.

One of the things I discovered as a replacement for these addictions, a plan that doesn't involve Twelve Steps, but does have a very strange support group, is Live Action Role-Playing or LARPing.

I've given up drunken nights of bar hopping for dressing up in clothes that went out of style back in the 15th century. I've set down the bong pipe so I can pick up a sword, ironically made of PVC pipe and foam padding, so I can whack the hell out of someone dressed pretty much the same way. No more hang overs and hallucinations for me anymore. Now I have bruises and sprains, torn ligaments and dislocated fingers, mosquito bites and broken pinkie-toes.

I'm just glad I became worried about my sanity and well-being.

PeaceStarkhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4610106245323128368.post-36144711530283031872008-07-28T15:02:00.003-04:002008-07-28T15:10:12.486-04:00First TimerI've been contemplating starting a blog for a while. I read about a dozen each day, enjoying the ramblings and thoughts of others, while remaining silent in my own mind. Enough is a enough.

Anyone who knows me will tell you I'm argumentative and opinionated. Of course I counter with I just like to debate, thus proving them right.

So here I am, hopefully each day, with something interesting to say or talk about or maybe just plain share.

I've got views on everything so we'll just see where it goes. Hopefully the ride will be more like a roller coaster and less like a trip in the back of van driven by a guy in a ski mask.

PeaceStarkhttp://email@example.com


text:
Four fonts walk into a bar, The barman says "Oi - get out! We don't want your type in here
A woman walks into a bar and asks the barman for a double entendre. So he gave her one
A man walks into a bar with a roll of tarmac under his arm and says: "Pint please, and one for the road."
A pig goes into a bar and orders ten drinks. He finishes them up and the bartender says, "Don't you need to know where the bathroom is?" The pig says, "No, I go wee wee all the way home."
A penguin walks into a bar, goes to the counter, and asks the bartender, "Have you seen my brother?" The bartender asks, "I don't know, what does he look like?"
A bear walked into a bar and says, "I'll have a beer......and some of those peanuts." The bartender says, "Why the big pause?"
A termite walks into a barroom and asks, "Where's the bartender?"
Shakespeare walks into a bar and asks the bartender for a beer. "I can't serve you." says the bartender. "You're Bard!"
This bloke walked into a pub, and said to his mate "your round." The Other one says "so are you, you fat bastard"
Two hydrogen atoms walk into a bar.
One says, "I think I've lost an electron."
The other says, "Are you sure?"
The first replies, "Yes, I'm positive..."


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Who knows what will appear here? The angst and triumphs of a fledgling novelist, book and movie reviews, green living tips, card making and paper crafting--and yes, sometimes, rants or raves about life in this great day and age. Come and join me on the journey!
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Doily Card with No Red
The tree base is Soft Suede edged in Always Artichoke and is punched from the new Build A Cupcake punch. The folded doilies were all crumpled and then inked (direct-to-paper)--the top one in Wild Wasabi, the middle in Garden Green, and the bottom in Always Artichoke. They were then folded and inserted inside each other (just a tip--Sticky Strip is really needed to hold it all together without crushing the ruffly parts).
It's tactile but not girly; Christmasy but not red...hope you like it ;-)
5 comments:
Whoo...hooooo Linda!ReplyDelete
I've been waiting all week for someone to make a 3D doily tree and - unless I've missed an entry - thought it wasn't going to happen. But you did one for me and what a beautiful example it is! Thank you for sharing with us at Bah! Humbug!
Max's Craft Creations
Bah! Humbug! Challenges DT
I like it, I like it, those snowflakes really set it off, great bling.ReplyDelete
oh wow love your tree - how clever is that? It looks stunning. Congrats on making Max's day.ReplyDelete
Ann xxx
Bah! Humbug! Dt
ok ♥WOW♥! now that is an AWESOME card all round...and amazing bit of engineering...AND...a brilliant use of absolutely NO RED at all! love this! clever AND gorgeous! well done, you! ♥♥♥ReplyDelete
Ok. I'm going to admit this. I am not a fan of doilies, but here's the thing with your card....this looks WONDERFUL!! And honestly, had I not known you'd used doilies I wouldn't have guessed so "wooooooo!!!" to YOU! :DReplyDelete
Love the background and your choice of colors in this beautifully designed non-red card! Superb!


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...and thus, I'm not blogging.
Why am I distracted? No, it's not because of my ongoing bout with not being a thriving member of the working world. It's the election. Politics. The general state of the financial world.
All of these things are distracting me from actually writing about what's going on from day to day in the world from a social point of view. That's frustrating. I have Blogger open automatically every day (thank you Morning Coffee plugin for Firefox) and I stare at it for a couple of minutes while my head spins with lots of things I could say, yet nothing I really want to get into, before I close it and move on.
I'd love to talk about the state of the financial world, but I can't. Not without going into the politics of it. And if I went into the politics of it, I'd get called out for slamming one side or the other, or playing favorites or some other nonsense.
So I avoid the topic. And I can't talk about the election, because that's politics too. I don't want to talk about the mess in the sports world because I hate the Raiders and that's all I need to say about that. I could talk about administration of a rather large crafting community, but I don't want anyone to take anything I say about that wrongly either, so that topic is verboten.
So what does that leave? Well, I could talk about the kids but that gets boring after a couple of sentences - they're fine, straight A students and one of them runs cross country (first meet tomorrow, so maybe I could talk about that) and is learning percussion in beginning band. I could talk about DH, but there's nothing to say there either. Good guy, takes good care of the portfolio, listens to me when I ramble during the day and leaves me alone when I play Dance Dance Revolution as my non-gym day cardio.
Don't want to talk about my stitching. That's only happening once or twice a week and I can't talk about the model anyway (which is the only thing I'm working on).
I could talk about my health worries, but so far the test results are clean and why borrow trouble? Oh, for those who don't know, I'm having a minor female plumbing issue and we're trying to get down to the bottom of it. So far, just a mystery now and the reigning opinion is slightly wonky hormones probably due to a combination of stress and kicking my workouts up a few notches.
I don't want to talk about business nor do I want to jinx something else I've been thinking about diving into. And no, if you email me I won't share what that something else is either. Neither will I reveal it if you call me. That's how cautious I'm being about it because I don't know that it's something I'll actually do, although DH says to Go For It. And he said so enthusiastically, which is a little frightening.
So, there you have it. I'm distracted with lots of things going on, and yet almost nothing to talk about. I figured I should say something here so you know why it's so quiet...
...maybe this will get me thinking about other things I could talk about again.


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Alagappa Performing Arts Academy (APAA), in collaboration with the Alagappa University offers an online degree program in Bharathanatyam. Here is how they introduce their program…
"Bharathanatyam students spend years learning the art and perfecting the practice to perform the 'Arangetram' that can take from 5 to 7 years. If a student were to pursue academic studies during this time, they would be able to complete post-graduate collegiate education. However in the pursuit of learning Bharathanatyam, dancers are not awarded degrees or certifications for their accomplishments.
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The gargoyle begins to take shape!
We've been working hard to be ready for OFFF but I have done some work on the new wheel too. I really wanted to show Teresa how her idea is taking shape. She will be able to see this progress on Saturday. Sometimes I am able to bring unfinished wheels to shows, and it helps people get a glimpse behind the scenes, so to speak. The gargoyle needs some refining, but the beauty of my construction process is that it allows so much room for modifications. While carving wood is a subtractive process, my method is both subtractive and additive. I can sculpt any part bigger using my trusty epoxy. The feet of this creature are totally carved though, and I am happy when I can do this. One thing that is new to this wheel and an effect I'm sure I'll use again is the wing suggestions on the handle area behind the gargoyle's head. The big wheels will have paintings of castles on them. If any of you make it to OFFF, please stop by and visit. We'd love to see you!


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Season Finale – Club Night
We've added this extra night as a "club night" with the same format as on Waitangi Day.
Plus we're running the Modified Championship which was rained off earlier in the season. Theses are the winged V8 monsters that are guaranteed to provide plenty of action as they race for the Wellington Champion title.
All classes will be racing so this is an ideal chance to take the kids for a night at the Speedway without breaking the bank.
Adults you get in for the kids price!
Classes running: Modifieds (championship)' Superstocks, Stockcars, Saloons, Minisprints, Streetstocks, Productions & Youth Ministocks.
Note the earlier start time of 6pm with gates open at 5pm. Bring a blanket and picnic – food and drink available on site.
Excitement under the lights at the Max Motors Wellington Family Speedway Te Marua - SH2 just north of Upper Hutt.


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QDoc 2018 is a wrap! Stay tuned for 2019's festival dates...
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FROM THE HEART OF RACHELLE D. ALSPAUGH--A place to document my journey through God's story, a place to share the songs He puts on my heart
About Me
Rachelle D.
- I am a wife, daughter, mother, bilingual teacher, poet, author, women's Bible study teacher, world traveler, orphan advocate, and an adoptive mother. Our adoption journey has been filled with a lot of hurt and loss, along with even more hope, grace, and healing. Through it we have experienced more of God than we ever bargained for and have watched Him miraculously redeem our story when we surrendered all the broken pieces to Him.
Monday, March 19, 2012
My request
Lots and lots of you have been telling me over the last few days that you finished reading my book. I appreciate all of your kind comments, which have really encouraged me. However, if you would please do me the favor of going to Amazon.com or westbowpress.com and leaving a short review (anonymously), I would greatly appreciate it! Thank you!!!!!!
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


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The Great Gatsby
what are the various markings of the upper class in the novel? What distinguishes it from the other classes?
Society and class
Society and class
The upper class, have big mansions and a seemingly endless supply of money. They come from both old money and, like Gatsby, new money. They tend to drink a lot and spend a lot of time at leisure. They tend to have very superficial and entitled views of the world.


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Take note we purchased Andrew Morrison's plans for the hOme, to have rights to his design. We have now adjusted several areas to make it work for our household of three (sometime 4 😉 and four cats and 1 dog.
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Sunday, September 04, 2005
4 Comments:
- At 8:59 PM, shizzknits said...
Love the mini poncho. Very cute
- At 7:38 AM, Shar said...
I love your color combination. My vote is for 1 flower. .
- At 10:29 AM, Mitchypoo said...
This is beautiful!! And I love the 3 flowers and right where you put them. Good colors too. Have a pattern?
- At 5:31 PM, Noeysmommy said...
The pattern is on the Interweave Knits website - Staff Ponchos.


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I haven't been a Johnny Cash fan for very long. I'm ashamed to admit it, really, because his catalog has always been one of those holes in my CD collection that I know is there but have no idea where to start filling it in. His career began in an era where "records" were singles, not "albums," so there are so many different collections of his work, it was too overwhelming to go out and pick one. So I only have "American III," "American IV," and "Live at San Quentin"—and, of course, I love them.
But after seeing "Walk the Line," I must have much, much more, because this movie is so stunning, it must be considered one of the greatest movies about rock and roll of all time.
It all starts with Joaquin Phoenix, who spent a year and a half in vocal training to sing like Johnny Cash. Yes, he does all his own vocals and the results are unbelievable. Phoenix disappears into the character, not only through Cash's throaty inflections in both singing and speaking voices, but also the way he holds the guitar and attacks the microphone onstage. He commandeers the same commanding presence that only a person dubbed the "Man in Black" could manage. There are times in this movie—much like Val Kilmer's portrayal of Jim Morrison in 1991's "The Doors"—that just listening to the music, it's hard to tell whether or not that's actually Cash. It's a shame that Jamie Foxx won an Oscar last year for a similar role (albeit an inferior performance, compared to Phoenix), because I doubt the Academy would give back-to-back awards for a music biopic, no matter how deserving.
But as good as Phoenix is, the emotional center of "Walk the Line" is actually found in Reese Witherspoon's June Carter, the woman who would eventually become not only the love of Cash's life, but his path to salvation, as well. Witherspoon also does all her own singing and is equally as fabulous in this role, unarguably the best of her career. When she and Phoenix take the stage for the first time, the screen crackles with energy that sustains the rest of the way.
Everyone knows Johnny and June went on to get married and spent the second half of their lives essentially inseparable. "Walk the Line," directed by James Mangold ("Girl, Interrupted") and with a script approved by Cash himself, shows us how they got there.
It opens with John as a young boy who can't tear himself away from the radio, much to his father's chagrin. When tragedy strikes the family, John takes the brunt of his father's drunken, abusive anger (played well by Robert Patrick). From there we jump ahead to John's early adulthood, as he struggles to make ends meet with a wife (Vivian, played by Ginnifer Goodwin) and children. The first great scene in the movie comes when Johnny and his two buddies audition for label-owner Sam Phillips (Dallas Roberts), who helps Cash find his real voice and starts him on the road to superstardom.
(On a side note, "Walk the Line" also highlights pop music in its infancy, when the unbelievable lineup of Cash, Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison, and many more all toured on the same bill, traveling from hall to hall in a caravan of cars. In an era when you have to choose sides between "sellouts" or indie "cred," it's so refreshing to look back on an era when music was just about talented artists wanting to put their work in front of the public and entertain them. Where did it all go wrong?)
Trouble finds Johnny early and often on the road, as childhood guilt and access to fame, fortune, women, and, most importantly, drugs lead him on a self-abusive path to near-destruction. Life on tour shreds his marriage and his career, leaving June—who no matter how many times she was hurt never quit seeing the good in him—to pick up the pieces. The film's climax is Cash's legendary performance at Folsom Prison, which is filmed so well, you'd swear it was a documentary. This film is meant to be turned up loud.
People's real lives don't lend themselves to making great movies, because nobody's story ever has an actual dramatic arc to it—especially one that can be boiled down into a couple hours. That's why biopics are so hard to pull off—inevitably they become just a series of scenes, rather than a seamless whole (see last year's "Ray" or "The Aviator" for proof).
But that challenge is what makes Mangold's work here such a triumph. John and June's story is so transcendent and the performances so brilliant, you don't have to be a Johnny Cash fan to love this film. It's the best thing I've seen this year.
Grade: A
Monday, November 21, 2005
'Walk the Line'
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Italy, we left on boxing day and came home nine days later. THE END!!! lol
Ok ok i'll tell you, we landed in breath taking Venice. The whole city is on water no cars, busses, trains, bike or scooters just your two feet and a hart beat to get around. So we put the foot falcons into drive and discovered this romantic city. The high lights for me were seeing the 400 square metres of golden mosaics in San Marco cathedral, Ducale's palace and the amazing Prosecco. (Italian white wine) This photo was taken about 4pm in the afternoon on Boxing day in Venice.
Then we got on the train and headed to the hart of Tuscany Florence. Brunelleschi's Duomo is the city's signature building and it is just amazing! We wandered the streets of Florence for three days so much to see it's a must of you are heading to Italy in my humble opinion. The only draw back is the beggars they are every where and it's sad and frustrating to see. The photo below was taken on this bridge that you walk over and lined on both sides are gold shops, so much gold! I just though that this was an amazing photo and had to share.
Then back on the train to Pisa. (Trains are so cheap and fast to get around as the Euro start hit's speeds of 300km) Now this is the sad part, while on the train my camera got stolen by these two beggars, and it's never to be scene again.
The river that splits Pisa, we walked from our hotel to the Train station to get our tickets for the next day and when walking back were gob smacked by this amazing photo op. The lights on the still water looked amazing and we just had to have a photo of it.
Pisa is a cool place to we stayed the night there and I was glad that we did. Most people just make it a day trip which made it a peaceful place in the evening. Our hotel was as close as you could get to the leaning tower about 50m you could see it from our hotel window. Boy that towers on a lean, you don't realise until you actually see it in real life.
Naples or was it a war zone, rubbish, homeless people, stray dogs and bin on fire were our first impressions of Naples. We did however stay there for two nights. While there we made the short train trip to Pompeii. Pompeii would have to be the high light of my trip it was just amazing words cant describe the tradegy and amazement of the ruins there.
Now the disappointing. Apart from my camera being stolen (lucky we had joshes) the results of scrapbooker of the year are out and I didn't win or make the top 10.
Today I went to the hairdressers, below is my before and after shots, what do you think of my new do? I've wanted to get all my hair chopped off for a while now so it was time to do so.


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Hi all! It's me, Kaylee, again. Yes, I did address this post to the average person as I am probably the most average person you will ever meet. I don't have any specialized skills nor am I truly amazing at anything. If you are a top-of-the-line designer just turn your head away... like right now. I know these ideas are not the most spectacular so no need to judge but for those who are like me, an average person, this post is all for you!
I enjoy decorating and trying to make things cute while on a {very}limited budget. I love beauty in the world and am all about seeing beauty in things and helping create beautiful moments out of events but definitely do not have the money to make things exactly as I imagine them to look. Needless to say I have finally figured out how to beautify my world without spending too much dough. Here are a few of my tips/ideas I've done to decorate for the holidays or big parties.
I think Lindsay may have mentioned that we threw an anniversary party for my grandparents over Thanksgiving break. I took the liberty to be in charge of all of the decorations for the big event because, as I previously stated, I wanted it to be beautiful.
The event was in my grandparents LDS church building in Park City, UT. A really nice thing about our church is you can reserve the building to host events at it for little to no charge at all. Plus it has tables, chairs, a kitchen and usually audio/visual equipment. Lucky for us, our grandparents ward had bought brand new white tablecloths that they let us borrow for the event!
This is what I did for all the tables. I used about 12 yards of butcher paper that I bought from a local craft store for $8 total for the place mats. Then I cut out each table mat and wrote "What I love about the Olsens:". I made about 90 which took a lot of time as you could probably guess. The greenery on the plasticware is juniper branches that I had just trimmed off from a juniper bush in our neighborhood {those babies are sooo full, you couldn't even tell we had trimmed anything off}. I added cinnamon sticks to it too. The cinnamon sticks can be kind of pricey but Clark found some in the candy container section at our grocery store where you fill a bag and pay by the lb which is so much cheaper than buying pre-packaged bags! I tied it with jute-looking yarn that Clark actually already had. The lanterns really tied it all together which my lovely sweet mother-in-law of dreams {She will get this if she reads this, right Michele?}so graciously let us borrow. My sister-in-law printed off old pictures of my grandparents and my aunt bought some frames for us to put on the table along with the lanterns.
Tip 1: If you can borrow items from people you know, you will save a lot of $$!
Tip 2: You can save a lot of money also by finding things you have around your house/neighborhood
I also made a banner to place above the food table. My sweetie mother-in-law also let me borrow the muslin material to make the banner and even cut out the rectangles and sewed the edges for me! The muslin was actually very cheap. She had previously used it for my sis-in-laws wedding and had bought it for $1 a roll at Walmart! Can we say what a steal!? I made the font by printing off each letter on a 8x11 piece of paper from Word using the "Stencil" font. Then I just cut out each letter and used it as a stencil. I had some white paint at home so I didn't need to purchase that either. I made the puff balls from a 20 sheet tissue paper package from Michaels. My sister-in-law helped me make these and I think they turned out so cute! Let me know if you want to learn how to make them, they are actually very easy!
Tip 3: Don't be afraid to ask for help. Being an average person, I do not know how to do some things so I went to my very experienced in-laws that were so sweet to offer their time and talents to help me out with this!
Tip 4: Have people help you with the set-up. Having other people there not only helped everything go by faster but also allowed the event to have a touch of other peoples ideas and creativity to made things more beautiful than I could have imagined!
^^^ Some of my sweet set-up crew for the big event^^^
I don't want to give too many details about this just what I did and how easy it was.
Tip 5: Check out the dollar store before you go to any other store to purchase decor. If you can be creative there is usually something you can find and make more beautiful plus it is soo much cheaper!
^^^ The lovely back drop I made from a white table cloth from the $store and red paint that I already had. Let me tell you, this was the most fun part of making the decorations! I did make the banner too just from black poster paper from the dollar store, the red paint, and ribbon I had at home.^^^
^^^ Spooky book shelf with a few Halloween touches^^^
Tip 6: Add decorations to what you already have in your apt.
^^^ I made the chalk board from an old frame I wasn't using and chalk board spray paint. EAT DRINK AND BE SCARY^^^
These really are not anything super special, I just wanted to show off my gorgeous Christmas tree!
^^^Because we have super tall ceilings we HAD to get a huge tree this year! We got ours at Smith's Market Place (local grocery store) for $50! It is over 8 feet tall and is the fullest real Christmas tree I've ever seen. I am so proud of it and love it so much. Smiths actually had better prices on their real trees than a local tree farm^^^
^^^ Because our tree was so full, we had to trim off some branches to fit it in the tree holder. I decided to make a wreath out of the extra branches and think it turned out quite beautiful if I say so myself. We use the jute/yarn to tie it together, and as you can see I put a big gold bow in the top. So easy and came along with the tree... can't get much better than that!^^^
^^^ Remnants of our very first Christmas tree and cinnamon sticks^^^
Oh, so my sisters told me I needed to put this on the blog. Here is my gingerbread house that got first place at work! Let me know if you have any questions and ill tell ya how I built it but I did not buy any extra materials at all to put it together. I just used what I had at home (cut up a box to support it, the extra butcher paper place mats from the anniversary party, the cobwebs from Halloween, Easter eggs, tissues and paper... that's pretty much it!)


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EDISON, N.J. – Erik Compton didn't want his season to end this way, 6 over par just eight holes into the first playoff stop, but his body was simply unwilling.
Slowed in recent weeks by the gout and a respiratory infection, Compton withdrew from The Barclays on Thursday and ended his season.
"On the course today it's like, man, I can't do this. I would have hated to make the playoffs and not show up [at The Barclays]," Compton told GolfChannel.com.
Compton is 122nd on the FedEx Cup point list and will not qualify for next week's Deutsche Bank Championship.
The two-time heart transplant recipient also withdrew from last week's Wyndham Championship when he awoke Saturday morning and was unable to walk because of the effects of gout.
"I felt it coming on Friday, and Saturday morning I got a full-blown attack," he said. "I couldn't even walk to the bathroom."
Compton flew home to Miami and saw his doctor on Monday who put him on a double treatment of antibiotics for the respiratory infection and the gout, which is a common ailment suffered by transplant recipients. When he teed off on Thursday at Plainfield, he hadn't touched a golf club in nearly a week.
"You have to be healthy, and I know it's important to start [next season] fast," said Compton, who plans to be ready to play by the Frys.com Open in October to begin the 2015-16 season.


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Device networking
Based on the globally widespread LONWORKS-Technology a communication of the most different devices with each other can be realized from any location. In a manner of speaking, the decentralized approach of our LONWORKS solutions creates the intelligence on site and can be integrated even into the smallest devices.
Thus failures remain local and do not interfere with the entire system anymore. The danger of human failure is reduced to a minimum by process automation and independence of the products; maintenance times are reduced by timely damage alarm, allowing for easy failure detection. Due the subdivision into partial functions the software is also considerably more stable than elsewhere, while the steadiness of the integral system is independent from the complexity of the shortcuts and independent from the integrated customized software.
The access to all components within the network (Teleservice) is another advantage of our solutions, allowing for trouble shooting, maintenance works, process controls and remote monitoring, resulting in a higher capacity utilization and avoidance of down times.
The integration of new components into our systems and products is considerably easier as well, as there are no more needs to modify the integral system – just the component to be exchanged.
Do to state-of-the -art development tools we are in a position to simulate our ideas prior to realization., enabling us to recognize and master problems in time.
All in all, iPLON enables your systems and products to communicate, thus making them more sophisticated for all fields of business, better to operate and more efficient.


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Today we decided to get a little extra energy out by making a Crash Pile. I think I saw this idea on another blog not too long ago. Unfortunately, I don't remember which blog. The gist is that you take as many cushions, pillows, soft blankets, etc. you can find and dump them in a giant pile on the floor. Then, you take turns jumping into it. Bennett loved it. His eyes lit up the second I jumped into it and he realized what it was for.
After we took the cushions off of the couch we realized how badly the couch needed vacuumed. It's been a while...I got the vacuum out and Bennett immediately ran and got his toy vacuum to help me. He was pretty excited when I let him help with the real vacuum.


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Discussing long-term care insurance with Joel Johnson on the Dec. 9 edition of Better Money.
Online Public Inspection File
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Vogue Tyre & Rubber Co. Recalls Certain Tires Affecting United States
It has come to SimpleTire's attention that Vogue Tyre & Rubber Co. (Vogue) has issued a recall on the following tires:
The following statement was released on February 7, 2018:
Vogue Tyre & Rubber Co. (Vogue) is recalling certain Signature V tires, sizes 245/40R20, 235/45R17, 225/50R17, 225/45R17, 235/55R17, 245/45R17 and 235/65R18, and Signature V SCT tires, sizes 285/45R22, 275/55R20. These tires have incomplete Tire Identification number (TIN) codes on the intended outboard sidewalls in that they are missing date codes. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 139, "New Pneumatic Radial Tires for Light Vehicles." Missing T ...[more]Read More


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The U.S. ABS primary market had another strong week, pricing upwards of $13 billion in new issue for the second week running, with nearly $6 billion more set to price either late last or early this week. The real estate sector continued to dominate with more than $10 billion priced as of Thursday evening.
Countrywide Home Loans Inc. tapped the market twice last week, accounting for nearly half of volume in the sector. On Wednesday, the mortgage lender came with a formidable $3.2 billion series 2004-10 offering. The mixed-collateral deal was primarily senior/subordinate except for a fixed-rate AF5B tranche wrapped by MBIA. The 7.08-year AF5B class cleared at 105 basis points over Swaps, compared to its un-wrapped AF5A counterpart, which priced at 110 basis points over.
The deal priced largely in line with expectations across the credit spectrum. The 6.6-year triple-A rated floating-rate notes priced on target at 50 basis points over one-month Libor, while the 6.26-year triple-A rate fixed-rate notes also came with expectations at 55 basis points over.
There was some widening down in credit on the 4.64-year split-rated MV8 class coming in at 185 basis points over one-month Libor versus guidance in the 180 basis point area over. Also cheapening was the 5.85-year BF notes with that priced at 290 basis points over Swaps after being talked in the 280 basis point area over Swaps.
Countrywide was also in the market with a $1.73 billion HELOC transaction backed by a full Ambac wrap. The 2A class notes with a 2.54-year average life priced slightly outside at 30 basis points over one-month Libor relative to talk in the 29 basis point area over.
GMAC Mortgage was in the market with a $174.91 million fixed-rate FGIC wrapped offering via Bear Stearns backed by high LTV MBS. The 2.42-year A2 notes priced at 62 basis points over Swaps.
New Century Financial came with a $2.4 billion deal via joint leads Citigroup Global Markets and Morgan Stanley. The 5.32-year mezzanine classes all priced on the tight side of guidance. The single-A plus M4 class cleared at 105 basis points over one-month Libor versus talk in the 105 to 110 basis point range, while the single-A rated M5 notes came at 115 points over versus guidance in the 115 to 120 basis point range. Meanwhile, the single-A minus M6 notes came in five points inside of expectations at 130 points over one-month Libor after being talked at 135 to 140 basis points over.
AmeriQuest Mortgage tapped the market for $1.64 billion in senior/subordinated home equity via Deutsche Bank Securities. The double-A classes priced outside of talk, with the 4.92-year double-A plus M1 notes coming in at 70 basis points over one-month Libor relative to talk in the 60 basis point area. The 4.88-year double-A rated M2 paper also widened 10 points outside of expectations at 75 points over one-month Libor after being talked at in the 65 basis point area over. There was widening at the bottom of the capital structure as well, with the 4.81-year triple-B rated notes pricing at 200 basis points over one-month Libor versus guidance in the 190 basis point area over.
Rounding out the mortgage-related sector, U.K. mortgage lender Bradford & Bingley made its first appearance in the U.S. term ABS market with a $765 million offering via Credit Suisse First Boston and HSBC Securities. The 2.96-year 2A3 Class notes cleared at 18 basis points over three-month Libor.
Nelnet Inc. was in the market with a $2.02 billion student loan transaction backed 100% by FFELP loans via Citigroup, JPMorgan Securities and Morgan Stanley. The transaction priced in line with expectations in all classes. The five-year triple-A rated A3 notes priced on target at nine basis points over three-month Libor, and the seven-year A4 notes also priced in line with talk at 13 basis points over Libor.
VW Credit Corp. priced a $1.5 billion 2004-A backed by prime retail leases via joint leads JPMorgan and Wachovia Securities. The 1.05-year fixed-rate A2 notes priced to yield six basis points over EDSF versus guidance in the seven basis point area over. The 1.7-year A3 notes came right in line with talk at 12 over EDSF. The fixed-rate 2.32-year triple-A rated A4A notes came with guidance at 12 basis points over EDSF, while the floating-rate 2.32-year triple-A rated A4B notes were on target at 10 basis points over one-month Libor.
At week's end, UBS was still shopping its first multi-seller home equity transaction off of its MASTR dealer shelf (see ASR 9/20/2004). The 2.64-year triple-A rated A1 notes were being talked in the high 30 basis points over one-month Libor area.
IndyMac Mortgage had a pair of home equity offerings in the queue, a $407 million 2004-B home equity deal and a $500
million HELOC. AmeriQuest also had a $2.7 billion offering from its Park Place Mortgage Securities shelf.
Additionally, Citibank's Hedged Mutual Fund Fee Trust, subprime auto lender Consumer Portfolio Services and time-share financier Sunterra, each had smaller sized deals circulating late in the week.
Copyright 2004 Thomson Media Inc. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.thomsonmedia.com http://www.asreport.com


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Splendour Festival Returns to Nottingham With Headliner Jess Glynne.
Recognised as the city's biggest summer day out and shortlisted in the final three for Best Festival in the National Live Music Business awards, organisers DHP Family and Nottingham City Council are keen to replicate the success of last year which saw 20,000 festival goers sprawled across Wollaton Park.
Aside from the three music stages, there's comedy in the courtyard, a kids' area and entertainers out and about in the crowd, the festival is a fantastic day out for all the family.
Splendour Festival will be held at Wollaton Park in Nottingham on Saturday 23rd July.
For more information visit the Splendour Festival website.


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MP3 track of the day: These boots were made for walking -Nancy Sinatra
Weather: nice and cool in the morning and in the evening, however it got very hot in the middle of the day with little cloud for protection.
I turned over and reached for where I had put my watch. Reading the clock face, eyes half open, I was shook into action when my watch read 9:15am … I wanted an early start today! I got out of bed, got ready (which included a quick dip in the freezing cold shower), and then looked at my watch again now fully awake … 8:15am, oh good.
I went downstairs to reception to inquire about the cost of breakfast; it was quite expensive and looking at it there wasn't much I wanted. Instead I opted to visit the local 'Seven-Elven' for a banana cake, bottle of water and a large packet of crips. I munched as I went on my way to the river front.
Most of Bangkok's main tourist sites lie on the river front (and if you think about it, so do most cities) and so does my guesthouse, just a lot further down the river. Luckily there's a river ferry that runs very frequently (though it does stop at 6pm) and only costs fourteen baht (20p) per trip, no matter how far you travel. I boarded the boat and we traveled up the 'Chao Phraya River' towards the Grand Palace; all was going well and the views from the boat were lovely. The boat was packed, there certainly weren't enough life jackets for all (so I strategically positioned myself near some … just encase) but due to being early in the morning it was a breezy and cool trip. I was however a little worried that, due to arriving at the dock just as the boat pulled in, I hadn't paid for my ticket. I spoke to a French couple and they said that you purchase your ticket on-board, and so it came to pass.
I saw the towering white walls of the palace before the boat docked; once off I followed the sea of tourists around 1/3 of the grand palace to the entrance gate. I was wearing my knee-length shorts which, I thought, would be fine to get me into the palace as I had been wearing these when I went into 'Wat Traimit' yesterday …
… no, they weren't fine. Apparently I had to wear full length trousers. I was however allowed into the courtyard of the grand palace and so I took a few sneaky photos and saw the changing of the guard. I also checked out the price of admission which was 350 baht (£7) which I thought was very expensive indeed. I found a place that I could borrow something to cover my legs however I wasn't sure about the admission price, I decided to move on and have a think about it.
Next stop was 'Wat Pho', the temple that housed the worlds largest reclining Buddha. At fifty baht for admission it was well priced; I paid my money to a lovely lady in the ticket office and went in (no problems with the shorts here!). The grounds of 'Wat Pho' where quite extensive and there were many statues, monuments and pillars to feast ones eyes on before evening seeing Buddha himself. The temple was extremely beautiful and around every corner was a photo opportunity. I eventually arrived at the building that housed this forty-five meter long monster; I took my shoes off and followed the crowds paying close attention to the location of my wallet (there were signs all around the temple telling tourists to be aware of 'non-Thai' pick-pockets … shouldn't I be aware of the Thai pick-pockets as well?). The Buddha was pretty cool, and huge! It took me a while to get all the way around him due to the crowds taking forever to do the circuit. Once out I put my shoes back on and headed out, past the lovely lady within the ticket office.
My next port of call was 'Wat Arun', a Khmer style temple that is, apparently, Bangkok's most famous building. As it was located across the river I took the boat there for a closer look; I didn't pay the fifty baht entrance fee however, and instead I just stood at the perimeter gazing up (the fifty baht let you climb the stairs up the temple sides and not actually inside it as you can't … seeing that it was really hot I didn't fancy paying to get even sweatier). I didn't stay long and I was soon back on the boat heading for the main part of Bangkok.
Due to not going into the Grand Palace I had done everything I had planned to do today … and it was only 12pm. I therefore decided to look at things that I had planned to do tomorrow so that I could free up tomorrow to go to the grand palace. First up was the National Museum.
It was a long, hot, hard walk to the museum; my guide book stated that it should cost me fifty baht to enter however, once there, a sign said 200! I ummed and arred asking myself 'was this something I really wanted to do?' the answer, of course, was no. Before leaving the museum grounds I went into the cafe to have a Pepsi; once there I got chatting to a lady from Belgium who's English was superb. What's more it seems as though she knows a thing or two about Belgian chocolate and so she gave me the names of two chocolate companies that I had to try when I go back to Brussels … it all sounded good.
After our chat she went into the museum and I went to see the final thing circled within my guidebook in this area, the Royal Barge Museum. Located on the other side of the river, the Royal Barge museum held, funnily enough, the Royal Barges. My guidebook stated that it would only cost thirty baht to enter (plus 100 baht for a camera license … looks like I won't be taking any photos then!) and so I went in search of this museum. For once the museum was very well signed, which was good as at one point I had to turn off a main road and walk down this lane. The best way I can describe where I found myself would be a possible site location for the slum in 'Slumdog Millionaire'; there was houses built out of rubbish on either side of this narrow path, there where dogs lying around and I dread to think what was in the water that flowed past these houses … all-in-all I didn't like where I found myself and so I quickened my pace.
I finally made it to the museum to find out that it was 100 baht to enter and 200 baht for a compulsory camera license. Again I asked myself if I really wanted to have a look, the answer was no; as I left to go back the way I had come (sharpish) I did get a quick glimpse inside and it looked okay. I got back to the main road in record time and with a sigh of relief. I decided to get the water ferry all the way back to my guesthouse as I still couldn't find anywhere for lunch (plus I had been to everywhere that I wanted to go today). As I made my way to the ferry dock I stopped, double-taked, and saw a British red London bus … just sitting on a drive way ... I took a photo.
The boat ride was lovely and again I went past sites along the water front heading back to my guesthouse. I wasn't sure which peer I had got on so, to play it safe, I got off a stop or two early and walked the rest of the way to my accommodation. Once at my guesthouse I immediately sat down for food; I was really hungry, and the menu looked delicious, and not too expensive. I decided that I would push the boat out; firstly I ordered my main meal of 'sweet and sour' chicken with rice (normally I don't go for 'sweet and sour' however this looked, and was, delicious) and a glass of orange juice. I decided that I would eat this and, if I was still hungry, I would order an appetizer of spring rolls (slightly the wrong way around but still) for a dessert thing.
I ate my mains and I was still hungry, the problem was that there were no staff around. I gave up waiting to order my spring rolls and just paid for my meal, my next stop was the train station and so I would pick something up on-route. I dropped my bag off in my room and went towards the train station.
There was a lady singing in the air-conditioned railway station; onstage she had ten, or twelve, young Thai ladies in very short skirts … I watched for a while before finding the 'train information' office. Now last night I had googled 'River kwai day tours' and found that one particular website (www.themaninseat61.com) advertised a tour that the Thai train company ran … it actually took you across the bridge. It ran on weekends only and it should cost around 200 baht … though this is only transport and there are no guides.
I went up to the information office only to have the wind knocked out of my sails; I was told that the trip wasn't happening this weekend due to the holidays and that the next trip was the 8th January 2011 … I couldn't wait in Bangkok another ten days for this trip … I was a little gutted. The only good news was that the train to Chang Mai (my next stop) leaves from this station and the times look pretty good (there is a 8:30am train that arrived in Chang Mai at 8:30pm). It was pretty cheap to boot. I didn't book anything as I need to get a trip to the River Kwai sorted first … I left the train station with my head held a little low.
The Bridge over the river Kwai, apart from Elephant trekking this was one of the only things that I wanted to see in South East Asia, let alone Thailand. I ummed and arred my options; I could just go for the tour offered at my guesthouse … but at 1,800 baht (plus you have to visit a tiger temple and a market) it didn't sound that good and time would be short. I could get the bus to Kanchanaburi (where the bridge is) myself and stay there a couple of days; however there is no public transport, that I know of, to the Bangkok south bus station and so it could be another 300 baht taxi ride just to look at buying a ticket. Add onto that accommodation, which looks expensive, (at least 700 baht per night) and this option was even less inviting than the first. After a little while I decided to head to another guesthouse I had researched, encase the one that I am staying in was full, to see if they did tours. It was quite a walk away but I thought that as I walked I might find a travel operator … and I did!
'Prasertsri Tours' the office was called; I opened the two big glass doors in front of me to be greeted by a very happy looking lady (well of course she was looking happy, I was a potential customer). I don't know why but at that point in time I came over all 'Yorkshire' ... I told her "...Look I don't want any of your fancy floating markets, tiger temples melarky … I just want a day trip to the bridge over the river kwai...". 'No problem' she said and she pulled out a folder, turned the pages to 'Bridge over the River Kwai day tour', and I had a read.
It all seemed good; early pick up of 6:30am – 7:00am and a late finish of 7:30pm. In the middle of the day a train ride over the bridge, access to the cemeteries, the museum and lunch … all sounded good, apart from the price ... 1,500 baht! Again I ummed and arred and asked myself if I 'really wanted to go' … the answer was yes. However as I questioned myself the lady gave me a 'special price of 1,200 baht' to which I replied '...1,000 and you have a deal!...'. There we were, across this small table an experienced British traveler versus a young lady who had spent her entire life ripping off foreigners. We settled at 1,100 baht.
I walked away from the office satisfied; sure it had cost a little bit more than the trip offered by the train company, however this one had an English speaking guide and lunch. There was however a worry (what's new); the trip I had booked was on the 1st January (so no partying for me) and it wasn't from my guesthouse … so I hoped the mini-van driver could find me. Also what's to stop them not turning up, do I have a leg to stand on … they could just lie and say that I wasn't ready on time. It was a risk worth taking I thought and no tour I've booked so far hasn't happened … touch wood.
I headed back to my guesthouse for a meal and an early night. Tomorrow back to the Grand Palace (as I think I will have a look around, even though it's expensive) and then off to Vimanmek Palace, another palace far away from the grand one however entry price is included on my grand palace ticket. After that I'll head back to my guesthouse to prepare for the trip to the river kwai the following day and also to have a chilled out afternoon. My tour happens on the 1st January and so on the 2nd, if everything went to plan, I shall look at booking a train ticket to Chang Mai for the 3rd January. I am looking forward to leaving Bangkok, it's too busy for me even though there is a lot to do; its also quite poor ... it makes Kuala Lumpur look positively brand new (which was quite a shock when I first arrived as, with Thailand's booming tourist scene, I was expecting Thailand to be richer than Malaysia)..
Must remember to wear trousers tomorrow.
Toodle Pip!