text:
Central European countries vie to position themselves as transit hubs in China's ambitious Eurasian trade corridors. The enthusiasm is tempered by concerns that the new transportation lines will ultimately increase the region's trade deficit with China.
In the modern days of the Silk Road, Chinese leaders are followed not by camels but by cargo trains. The formal openings of new cargo routes were key to Xi Jinping's visit to Germany in 2014 (Chongqing-Duisburg connection) and to Warsaw earlier this year (Chengdu-Warsaw line). This past weekend, Premier Li Keqiang visited Riga to attend the 5th Summit of Heads of State of Central and Eastern European countries and China under the so called 16+1 format, which was set up in 2012. Once again, a train was the star of the show when Riga's Central Station welcomed the arrival of the first pilot container train from Yiwu – a commercial hotspot in Eastern China.
The Yiwu-Riga freight train connection is one of many railway routes through the Eurasian continent that were completed within the past two years. According to a representative of the China Railway Express Company, who spoke at the Riga summit, the number of block trains between China and Europe increased from 80 in 2013 to 815 in 2015. For Beijing, Central Europe is the entry point for China's flagship Belt and Road initiative, which, among multiple objectives, is supposed to boost railway and maritime freight flows between China and Europe.
For the region, the transit of Chinese goods to the rest of the EU is a welcome economic boon. At multilateral summits like the one in Riga there is a sense of competition as almost every country in the group vies to become the main regional hub for the Chinese goods. Apart from the obvious economic benefits that come with being a transportation and logistics hub, the host countries can also expect new investments into supporting infrastructure – built and financed by China.
More trains go West than East
Yet there is a growing sense of disappointment in the region. Some had unrealistic expectations regarding the feasibility of some projects. Others fear that Central Europe's relationship with China is becoming increasingly unbalanced in China's favour.
At least so far, the pilot route to Riga only runs in one direction – from China to Europe. Overall, the number of westbound trains is at least twice as high as that of trains leaving in the opposite direction – which has the potential to deepen Central Europe's trade deficit with China. Despite China's increased attention to the region under the 16+1 format, the region's exports to China (10.6 billion USD in 2014) are dwarfed by imports (64.9 billion USD). To make things worse, most of the China-bound trains carry goods from the Western European countries rather than the region's own products, underlining a shared feeling in the region that it lags behind in terms of market access for its exports to China.
For Central European EU member states the disappointment starts much earlier as very few of the proposed Chinese infrastructure projects have so far materialized. With the exception of the Belgrade-Budapest railway line, there is no Chinese infrastructure project currently underway in the EU - and even the future of this project is uncertain due to possible legal challenges in Brussels, according to an Hungarian press report.
At the first 16+1 summit in 2012, China had offered a 10 billion USD credit line and set up an investment fund to support infrastructure construction in the region. But the EU member states soon realized that Chinese money comes with some unattractive conditions attached. Chinese financing offers don't allow for competitive tenders but favour Chinese subcontractors. Furthermore, Chinese banks require sovereign guarantees for the projects they finance, shifting the risks onto the recipient states. Both requirements run against EU and national rules which are designed to promote open competition and fiscal stability.
China tries to sweeten the deal
Sensing the disappointment among Central European countries, China tries to sweeten the cooperation with new initiatives. At the summit, Premier Li announced yet another regional investment fund run by ICBC, a commercial bank from China, and based on the co-financing with the region's major financial institutions. . Li also proposed the so-called "Three Seas Initiative", a Chinese plan to connect ports in the Baltic, the Adriatic and the Black Sea through a network of railways, roads and inland waterways. This is an attractive proposal to Central European countries, where the density of roads and railways is much lower than in the Western part of the continent.
By increasing infrastructure connections and heralding potential investments in the region's maritime ports, the initiative may further increase the potential for the transit of Chinese goods. But it falls short of addressing regional concerns over the growing trade deficit and to convince Central Europeans that they have entered a mutually beneficial relationship with China.


text:
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Waukegan High
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
How to burglar-proof your home prior to leaving for vacation.
Question: What can we do to keep our home safe while we are away on vacation?
Answer: Burglars prefer to commit their crimes when people are not home. Making your home appear to be occupied when you are not there is a great way to discourage a would-be burglar while you are on vacation.
MORE TIPS: How to talk to an officer if you're pulled over
Here is a list of simple ways to make a burglar think you are home even when you are not:
• Close all window blinds.
• Leave a radio tuned to a talk station. Set it close to the front door and turn it up just enough so that it can be heard outside, but not loud enough that you can make out what is being said. To a burglar, it sounds like people inside the house talking.
• Leave outside lights on. Lights on timers both inside and outside are even more effective.
• Ask a trusted friend or relative to pick up newspapers and other items left on your driveway or by your front door.
In addition to making a burglar think you are home, do not unintentionally inform everyone when you will be away.
Here is a list of ways to avoid unintentionally telling others when no one is home:
• Do not put voice messages on home or cellphones that mention being on vacation.
• Do not use automatic "out of office" replies on e-mail that let everyone know you are out of town.
• Do not make posts on social media that let people know when you are on vacation and how long it will be before you return home.
Burt Anzini is a lieutenant in the Surprise Police Department. Send questions for your community's police or fire/medical departments to email@example.com.


text:
LONDON — For a time, Pakistan's journalists were seen as messy champions of democracy: brave if sometimes flawed truth-tellers who helped oust the military ruler Gen. Pervez Musharraf and held up a critical mirror to their tempestuous country.
But a vicious gun attack last weekend on Hamid Mir, the country's most famous television newscaster, seems to have changed everything, setting off a divisive media battle in which the truth itself has become bitterly contested.
At issue are claims aired by Geo News, Mr. Mir's employer and the largest station, that the military's powerful spy agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence directorate, was behind the April 19 attack in which Mr. Mir was shot six times as he traveled to a Karachi television studio.
Even staunch ISI critics thought the station's personalized attacks, which singled out the ISI spy chief as the culprit, were hasty and premature, especially at a time when Islamist militants were also targeting reporters.
But rival stations took the controversy a step further, using it to cudgel Geo and question Mr. Mir's motives — one station even suggested he engineered the shooting as a publicity stunt — at a time when the ISI was formally trying to have Geo shut down for good.
The vituperative exchanges have exposed troubling aspects of Pakistan's oft-lauded media revolution: Along with the military's concerted campaign to muzzle the press is the heavy hand of querulous media barons who, driven by commercial concerns and personal grudges, may be endangering the sector they helped create.
"The way this has played out is extremely disturbing," said Zaffar Abbas, editor of Dawn newspaper, one of the few media outlets that have stayed out of the dispute. "I've never seen the media like this, really going after one other. If better sense doesn't prevail, whatever we have earned in press freedom will be lost."
The stakes are high on all sides. Since 2007, when television coverage played a key role in fanning the street protests that led to the ouster of General Musharraf, the news media has grown into a powerful factor in Pakistani society. Television news has widened public debate and exposed abuses, but it has faced sharp criticism for shoddy reporting and for giving a platform to Islamist extremists.
The exploding market has also turned prime-time talk show hosts like Mr. Mir into powerful figures, and made fortunes for a handful of newly minted media tycoons.
For reporters, however, it has been a perilous time: Some 34 journalists have died in the line of duty since democracy was restored in 2008, said Mustafa Qadri of Amnesty International, whose report on media freedom is due to be published April 30.
"It is supremely dangerous to be a reporter in Pakistan," he said.
The military, in particular, has squirmed under the media's relentless scrutiny. Tensions have been bubbling for some time between the Jang Group, the country's largest media conglomerate, and the ISI. Jang is owned by Mir Shakil ur-Rehman, a reclusive editor who lives with his two wives in Dubai, where he keeps a tight grip on a media empire that includes Geo News, several sports and entertainment channels, and a stable of newspapers in Urdu and English.
Last fall, Mr. Rehman came to believe that the ISI was sponsoring a new television station, Bol, to dilute his commercial and political clout. His newspapers ran hostile reports about Bol, prompting competing media organizations to hit back with stories that painted Geo as sympathetic to Pakistan's old rival, India.
Senior figures at Geo claimed the spat had put their lives in danger. In November, Mr. Rehman's son Ibrahim, who is chief executive of Geo, said he had received warnings of an attack by "the ISI or one of their proxies." Mr. Mir claimed the ISI tried to lure him away from the station, and had threatened his life.
The tensions erupted publicly after last weekend's attack on Mr. Mir. His brother, Amir Mir, who is also a journalist, accused the ISI of orchestrating the shooting in an emotional denunciation that was broadcast for hours on Geo, often against a backdrop of a photo of the ISI director general, Gen. Zaheer ul-Islam.
The ISI leadership, stung by the unusually open challenge, reacted angrily. On Tuesday, the military leadership sought to have Geo shut down and its editors prosecuted for "a libelous and scandalous" campaign that it said violated the country's media law. On Thursday, television viewers in major cities found that Geo had disappeared from its usual position on their cable television sets. And on Friday, posters appeared across central Islamabad that praised the ISI and carried glossy photos of the spy chief, General Islam, a first in a country where many citizens fear to say the letters ISI out loud.
Few doubt the ISI, which has a dismal record of attacks on the press, is capable of such an attack. The spy agency's media cell, infamous among journalists, is known to bribe select journalists with money, vehicles or other inducements. Critical reporters have been subjected to harassment, abduction and torture. In May 2011 the body of an investigative reporter, Saleem Shahzad, was found in a canal south of Islamabad after he was abducted by presumed ISI agents.
But other groups are also targeting journalists, in particular the Pakistani Taliban and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, the dominant political party in Karachi, according to Amnesty International. Both of those groups have infiltrated Geo.
In 2012, the militant group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi recruited a junior reporter at Geo to help plan the assassination of a news editor and a prominent talk show host at the station, said a former Geo manager with direct knowledge of the case. The plot was foiled when the reporter confessed.
A second Geo employee was identified as a militant after the Taliban assault on Karachi's Mehran naval base in June 2011, the former manager said. The station also believes that insider information played a role in the death of Wali Khan Babar, a Geo reporter who was killed by the M.Q.M. in 2010, a current Geo manager said.
The controversy over Mr. Mir's shooting is unlikely to be resolved. In the past two decades, Pakistan's courts have produced convictions in just two fatal attacks on journalists: Daniel Pearl, the Wall Street Journal reporter killed in 2002, and Mr. Babar, the Geo reporter.
"Even if we discover who pulled the trigger on Hamid Mir," said Mr. Qadri of Amnesty, "it's very unlikely that the people behind them will be found out."
Unlike in the Musharraf era, when journalists united against military attempts to muzzle them, virulent rivalries between the businessmen who own the major stations have pulled the news media apart.
Mr. Rehman of the Jang group has a rancorous relationship with Sultan Lakhani, who owns the smaller Express media group, which includes a television station and several newspapers. (One of those papers, the English-language Express Tribune, prints The International New York Times in Pakistan.) A third station, ARY, is owned by a family of gold dealers that has little love for Mr. Rehman.
"The control of the owners and their say in what happens has increased tremendously," said one editor, speaking on the condition of anonymity. "No editor or journalist can take a stand against them."
The turmoil has partly obscured the plight of Mr. Mir, who has an ambiguous history with the ISI. He shot to prominence after interviewing Osama bin Laden in 1998, and was initially seen as sympathetic to the pro-jihadi agenda of the Pakistani military and the ISI. But in recent years he has championed the cause of Baluch nationalists, angering the army, and highlighted human rights abuses during military operations.
He is now under close protection at a Karachi hospital, where flowers are piled outside his door and doctors report a steady recovery. In a statement issued through his brother, Mr. Mir vowed to "continue the fight for the rights of people till my last breath and last drop of blood."
Other journalists, however, worry that something greater is at stake: Pakistan's hard-won press freedoms. The furor over Mr. Mir's shooting could result not only in the closing of Geo, but also in greater restrictions on the entire media.
"A lot of us liberals feel a dilemma," said Abbas Nasir, a former editor at the BBC and Dawn newspaper. "We're disgusted with the way Geo has behaved in recent years. But we also know the consequences of letting the boots shut down the media. And that's got to be the bottom line."


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LCLD and Frost Brown Todd LLC cordially invite you to the January 2017 Group Mentoring Program Event: Mentor & Mentee Reception.
Frost Brown Todd LLC
400 West Market Street, Floor 32
Louisville, KY 40202
Please join law student Mentees from the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law, LCLD Mentors from Frost Brown Todd and UPS, as well as law school and legal profession resprestantives for an evening of networking. Refreshments will be provided and we hope that you will be able to join us.
Business casual attire suggested.
RSVP to Beverly Heavrin at email@example.com or 502.779.8675 by Tuesday, January 17, 2017.
See below for photos from the event (photography by Sara Abner, Frost Brown Todd).


text:
Product Description
|Payment & Shipping Terms
|Supply Capacity
|Payment Terms:
|Production Capacity:
|Min. Order:
|1 Piece/Pieces
|According to customer...
|Means of Transport:
|Ocean, Air, Land
|Delivery Date:
|within 7 days
Dissolving Frac ball
Dissolving Frac ball Using the schematic diagram
Main material: Aluminium magnesium alloy nano materials
Working in the water under 150℃.
Compression strength: 70MPa under the range of 1/4, 1/8.
Low density(1.85-1.9g/cm3).
Dissolution medium: 3-5% KCl or NaCl solution.
Melting temperature: According to the temperature of oil-field, higher temperature, the speed of dissolving more faster.
Cracks, scratchs, chips could not be allowed on the ball's surface.
Size: Diameter 18-100 mm.
Tolerances of diameter: ±0.02-0.03 mm
For fracturing horizontal well of a large bridge plug piecewise.
For fracturing well of open hole packer sliding sleeve.
For fracturing well of multistage packer.
For wells of low pressure and easy to cause negative pressure.
Test conditions of Dissolving balls:
1. Dissolution medium(Test liquid): 3-5% KCl or NaCl solution.
2. Temperature of test liquid: 70-90℃
3. The total volume of test liquid: 2-3L
4. Time: Replace the dissolution medium(test liquid) every 5 hours later.
5. Before replacement of test liquid, record the changes of the ball's diameter and weight.
6. After testing continuously about 7 to 15 days, it can observe the best effect.
Effect and Use:
(1) The product can be used in the opening of layered fracturing sliding sleeve.
(2) Because of the low density of the ball (1.85 1.9 g/cm3), flowback faster, it can return ahead of completely dissolved.
(3) The speed of dissolution related with the working temperature and the structure characteristics.
(4) It can be dissolved in the KCl or NaCl, it is recommended to use 3% KCl or NaCl .
Category: Dissolving Frac ball


text:
ParkIt Management Employment Application
Comments are closed.
Your payment and personal information is always safe. Our Secure Sockets
Layer (SSL) software is the industry standard and among the best software
available today for secure commerce transactions. It encrypts all of your personal
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be read over the internet. (Etc.)
We respect and are committed to protecting your privacy. We may collect
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receive and record information on our server logs from your browser including
your IP address, cookie information and the page(s) you visited. We will not sell
your personally identifiable information to anyone.
Copyright © 2011 PARK-IT MANAGEMENT | Design by Bartlett Tech


text:
I Heart You, Valentine
February 8, 2011
3 Comments leave one →
Bryn permalinkFebruary 9, 2011 12:10 am
wow. if i knew this person named pooja, i would suggest she quit her job and pursue professional photography, if she is not already doing so.
can we get a pic of the pocketbook w the stuffed dog?
pooja permalinkFebruary 9, 2011 11:26 pm
yeah. i think maybe this person named pooja dreams about that everyday. but instead is at the office at 11:26pm


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Canoe Paddles
All Chief Louie paddles are made from either pine
or spruce and engraved with the Chief Louie Paddle Company logo.
We have eight sizes available,
from our 10" mini paddle to a full size 60" paddle.
Custom Engraving
With the technology of a state of the art laser engraver, Chief Louie can customize your paddle with almost anything; photos of family or pets, company logos, names, dates, family crests, clip art, clan symbols...the options are endless.


text:
WWK has been a leader in variable life insurance for decades. The company is also a major player in the field of property insurance, something approximately one million customers have grown to appreciate. Extraordinary growth, however, has been accompanied by several challenges for the IT systems and their availability. Late in 2010, it was time to make a decision. The Fujitsu concept, featuring two BS2000/OSD S175 business servers that alternately shared productive tasks, convinced WWK. The first server went into operation in early 2011.
2Seiter_Fujitsu_WWK_eng_051111.pdf (308 KB)
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text:
Lagos Zoo
The idea was maturing, to the
extent that Paul has always maintained a strong connection with the
animals, in particular with the horses and birds.
Many times were requested visits to the Farm, by tourists and schools, and from this adventure, which is an exhausting work at the level of conservation, education and nature protection, was a natural step. And because it is located in the Lagos Council, Lagos Zoo Park was born. Thus, all nature lovers can enjoy this space of leisure, Educational and Conservation simultaneously.
"I want to thank this dream of mine to all those who always taught me that in life there are no impossible." Paul Figueiras
Built in the end of
1997, the Lagos Zoo was inaugurated on the 16th of November 2000,
with the sponsorship of Maria João Abreu and José
The design of the spaces, the movement of land, planting trees, logs and rocks and extreme care in details according to the species, the Zoo Park Lakes, had the recognition that today enjoys the good animal welfare residents, architectural simplicity and call to reflection.
For a direct Link to Lagos Zoo website just click on the picture!


text:
Straightforward, high-quality golf insurance designed by golfers, for golfers.
Worldwide protection for you and your family.
£5 million worldwide liability and £25,000 non-negligent third party property damage cover as standard.
Worldwide, 'New for Old' golf equipment cover for you and your family up to £10,000.
Cover for your own golf buggy including Road Traffic Act liability for all eligible drivers.
Carefully selected range of medical benefits, spectacles and Hole in One cover.
Our partner, Hiscox, is a highly respected, A/A* rated, insurer who pride themselves on "superior claims handling [...] based on fairness and common sense".
*23 September 2015 (Hiscox)
Delegated authority to deal with and settle claims resulting in fast and efficient claims service. Most damage claim settlements are agreed within 5 working days.
Many thanks Margo, Fantastic Service! I'm so glad I made the choice to use your company. (On damaging his putter on Wednesday, Brian had a replacement before his Sunday championship.)
May I say many thanks for your prompt and efficient service in dealing with my claim. I will certainly recommend your company to my friends and colleagues.
Cheque received. Many thanks for your help and your speedy response.
I have today received a settlement cheque for the above, and I am writing to thank you for your expeditious handling of the claim. It is very refreshing to encounter such service and assuming I am still golfing next year ensures my renewal through yourselves.
Many thanks for the very friendly and helpful way in which you dealt with me.
Many thanks for all your help and invaluable advice…Insurance always seems a bit of a minefield to the 'outsider' and you have always made it easy for me! Thanks again.
I just wanted to let you know that my new golf trolley arrived this morning which is perfect timing. Thank you and Carrick Neill very much for the fast, efficient and excellent manner in which my claim was dealt with, I am very impressed with your service.
May I say many thanks for the excellent customer service you have given me.
A great, no hassle service. Everyone was very helpful in assisting with my claim, will certainly be recommending to family and friends.
I apologise for the dealy in formalising this claim due to our moving house […]. Thanks for dealing with the acceptance of my claim on the phone in such a quick and efficient manner. I have recommended your Company to several friends here.
The service from Carrick Neill […] was astonishing. The postman tried to deliver it last Wednesday (i.e. only a day after I had paid the excess and only two days after I had reported the loss to you). I am extremely grateful and impressed by the support I have received and the speed of response from all concerned. Thank you so much to everyone.


text:
Option Hand Pack 1 for girls (Milk color)
女子用オプションハンドパック1 (ミルク色)
Option Hand Pack 1 for girls (Milk color)
女子用オプションハンドパック1 (ミルク色)
- Free Shipping on orders over 60,000 yen 6万円以上の買い物に世界のどこでもへ送料無料
- Ships worldwide in 2-5 business days 2〜5営業日以内に発送 (送料日本全国一律)
- Also available at Mirai Store Tokyo ミライストアに在庫あり
- Learn about Shipping & Warranty 出荷・保証についてはこちら
- Don't buy until you read this! ご購入の前に必ずこちらをお読みください
- Release Date 発売日 - 2015/03/14
- This skin tone is この肌色は MILK MILK
Option hand parts for Smart Doll girls which include "point" "peace" "clasp" and "thumbs up/down."
These parts are now made from soft vinyl which makes them easier to put on so you don't need to carry around that portable hairdryer anymore...
Be careful not to leave the hands in jean pockets for too long as there is a high risk of staining.
This product is sold as a set of 4 pairs - we do not have plans to sell them separately. All hand packs are available here.
Customer photos from Instagram / Twitter #SMARTDOLL ユーザーのインスタやツイッター 写真 #SMARTDOLL
Add your photo or video!
(What is this?) Add your photo or video!
(What is this?)


text:
Social Policy Review 25
Analysis and Debate in Social Policy, 2013
Distributed for Bristol University Press
- Contents
- Review Quotes
Notes on contributors
Gaby Ramia
Part One: Contemporary debates and developments in the UK
1 Introducing Universal Credit
Paul Spicker
2 Reconciling fuel poverty and climate change policy under the Coalition government: Green Deal or no deal?
Carolyn Snell and Harriet Thomson
3 Doctors in the driving seat? Reforms in NHS primary care and commissioning
Elke Heins
4 Financing later life: pensions, care, housing equity and the new politics of old age
Debora Price and Lynne Livsey
Part Two: Contributions from the Social Policy Association/East Asian Social Policy Research Network Conference of 2012
5 It's time to move on from 'race'? The official 'invisibilisation' of minority ethnic disadvantage
Gary Craig and Maggie O'Neill
6 Corporations as political actors: new perspectives for health policy research
Ben Hawkins and Anne Roemer-Mahler
7 Square pegs and round holes: extending existing typologies fails to capture the complexities of Chinese social policy
Dan Horsfall and Sabrina Chai
8 The Earned Income Tax Credit as an anti-poverty programme: palliative or cure?
Phyllis Jeroslow
9 Social policy and culture: the cases of Japan and South Korea
Nam K. Jo
10 Load-shedding and reloading: changes in government responsibility – the case of Israeli immigration and integration policy, 2004-10
Ilana Shpaizman
Part Three: Themed section: work, employment and insecurity
11 'What unemployment means' three decades and two recessions later
Adrian Sinfield
12 Precarious employment and EU employment regulation
Julia S. O'Connor
13 How do activation policies affect social citizenship? The issue of autonomy
Silke Bothfeld and Sigrid Betzelt
14 Modernising social security for lone parents: avoiding fertility and unemployment traps when reformind social policy in Northern Europe
Anders Freundt, Simon Grundt Straubinger and Jon Kvist
15 Women, families and the 'Great Recession' in the UK
Susan Harkness
Sociology: General Sociology
You may purchase this title at these fine bookstores. Outside the USA, see our international sales information.


text:
A palate cleanser
As I've mentioned before, I sometimes just pull random books off of the shelf if the cover tickles my fancy. That's precisely how I ended up reading Comics Squad #3: Detention by Jennifer L. Holm & Matthew Holm, Jarrett J. Krosoczka, Matt Phelan, Victoria Jamieson, Ben Hatke, Rafael Rosario & Jorge Aguirre, and George O'Connor. (Please excuse me while I take a nap after copying down all of those authors.) As you might have guessed, this is a collection of comics by different authors all centering on the theme of detention. I'm obviously not the right audience for this because 1. I'm too old to get detention and 2. Even when I was old enough for it I never got detention. So while I didn't feel as overwhelmingly into this collection as a typical middle grader I still enjoyed it overall. That being said, there were some that stood out more than others and when I looked back through them I realized they were all by the same artist: Matt Phelan. I immediately added his works to my TRL (look out for that post in the near future). If you're interested in trying out a wide variety of illustrative styles and author's voices then this is a really great way to do that. It's definitely a mixed bag so you'll come away with hopefully at least one author/illustrator that you'll want to check out further. It was a light, fast read that served as somewhat of a palate cleanser after some of the denser books that I read previously. It's a 6/10 for me but I wouldn't say no to more books in this series (which do indeed exist if you didn't guess by #3 in the title).
What's Up Next: The Imaginary by A.F. Harrold with illustrations by Emily Gravett
What I'm Currently Reading: The Little Virtues by Natalia Ginzburg


text:
Nicaragua nation-branding
Nicaragua Nation-branding Strategy. EuropeAid/134393/D/SER/NI. Ministry of Industry and Trade of Nicaragua. Key expert appointed by McCann Erickson. 2014-2015
We were appointed as key expert as part of the cross-disciplinary team built by the global brand firm McCann Erickson (prime contractor). Initially, our mission consisted in the definition of the governance model as well as capacity building to all the stakeholders involved in the process. To that aim, our initial work plan included the following tasks:
- International benchmarking about organizational models in integrated place branding.
- Stakeholder analysis and audit focused on roles and expectations.
- Draft proposal on governing system for the Nicaragua brand, including multi-level governance and articulation with sector-oriented marketing initiatives.
- Support to the contracting authority in the negotiation with involved stakeholders.
- Final proposal on governing system, including: kind of platform, roles of the different entities, leadership, decision-making, workflows, check-list for monitoring, etc.
- Training sessions on meaning and scope of place branding.


text:
The game is being rebuilt on a new engine.
Posted By Rohan Philip | On 27th, May. 2014 Under News | Follow This Author @GamingBoltTweet
Those of you that are fans of Basement Crawl, rejoice! Because Bloober Team will rebuild the game right from scratch on a new engine, and not only that, Team Bloober will release it for free to people that previously owned the game.
The game's developer Marc Colhoun stated in an interview that, "Usually, what you will see at this point is a lot of marketing talk and maybe a patch," Colhoun said in an interview with Gamespot.
"Rather than accepting defeat on this and issuing a patch that kinda fixes this or kinda improves that, we have decided to just come out and explain to you where we are right now and what we plan to do. We have been rebuilding the game, completely from scratch and on a new engine."
"I know that this isn't really the way things are usually done in the industry, but I think that if you have put a bad product out to people it is your job to do what you can to fix that," he added. "Even if it means going back to the drawing board on a game that has already been released."
The team will work efficiently make the new version of Basement Crawl much better, will reach out to people who have played the original game and will hear their experience and feedback into account.
Basement Crawl was released on Feb. 25 on PlayStation 4 in North America and Feb. 26 in Europe. It was nothing short of a disaster and was the lowest rated game on the PlayStation 4.
Contact Us About Us Staff Advertise With Us Privacy Policy Terms of Use Reviews Policy Hooked Gamers Community Policy


text:
Ring & Post: December 2018
We're working to #EndBikeTheft, plus two gift ideas and warm up to Bike Winter.
Standing Committees should represent the whole city
Here's a template to e-mail the Mayor, Striking Committee, and Toronto City Council, telling them you want fair representation on each of the new Standing Committees.
Steve's bike theft story
When Steve and his partner's bikes were stolen off their porch, searching for them become a part-time job.
Why $50,000? Here's our budget to #EndBikeTheft
Tackling bike theft is a huge endeavour. Here's a breakdown of what it will take to deploy 529 Garage, educate, and engage.
Bill 57 is a recipe for more congestion
Bill 57 proposes removing walking and cycling considerations from the Metrolinx Act.
#EndBikeTheft: Our Action Plan
We've already raised $5,000+. This holiday season we're inviting you to help us put the wheels in motion to #EndBikeTheft.
Help us raise $50,000 to #endbiketheft
We're raising funds to bring 529 Garage to Toronto. Here's the backstory and how you can help.
Join us tomorrow for our special Members' Night at MEC
Get 10% off store-wide at our Member Appreciation Night on Dec. 5 from 5-9PM (400 King St. W.)
The results are in: it's time to #BuildtheGrid!
This municipal election has been a whirlwind. Here's a recap, and a glimpse of how we'll be working with our newly elected Council over the next four years.
Ring & Post: October 2018
#BuildtheGrid election campaign updates, along with Get Lit! announcements and highlights from our biggest Ride for Safe Streets yet.


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The Columbus Swiss Singers took a winter break, reconvening March 8 at their new rehearsal site, the fellowship hall at St. Paul's United Church of Christ, 225 East Gates Street (map).
Because of a scheduling conflict at the site, the chorus will not rehearse on the first Wednesday of the month until further notice; however, rehearsals will be held on the other Wednesdays at 7:30 pm. New singers are always welcome!


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© ZA Dental 2018 | www.zetadental.co.uk | Privacy | Terms & Conditions | Cookie Policy | All rights reserved. Contact: email@example.com.


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James 1:22-25 – Doers of the Word
Are we doers of the Word? Do we put into practice what we hear and read from God's Word? What's our response when we hear the Word of God preached? Do we implement the Word into our life?
James 1:22 – "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves."
How many of us remember, at one time or another, hearing the Word preached from the pulpit and saying, "Amen, I really hope brother or sister so and so was listening. They really needed to hear that." We often think the Word applies to everyone but us. Let's maintain the attitude, "Lord, Is there something you want me to get from this? Is there something you want me to do?"
I'm reminded of a story I heard of a young minister just starting out. He took his first pastorate. On his first Sunday he preached a really powerful sermon. The people were so excited. The leadership of the church thought, we made the right decision choosing him to be our pastor. His second Sunday service came around and the people were excited as to what they would hear this Sunday. He stood in the pulpit and began to preach the same message he had preached the previous Sunday.
The people and leadership in particular were a bit perplexed but thought it was surely an oversight on the pastor's part. His third and fourth Sunday sermons turned out to be exactly the same. Being a bit frustrated, the leadership asked to meet with the pastor. In their meeting, they confronted him that he had preached the same message at each service. The young pastor looked intently at them and said, "Have you put it into practice yet?" They were pierced to the heart and convicted by the young pastor. They had not been doers of the Word.
The Word of God only benefits us if we put it into practice in our daily lives. The writer of Hebrews said, "For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the Word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it" (Hebrews 4:2). The Word of God only profits us if we mix it with faith, "Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone" (James 2:17). Jesus said, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 7:21).
I remember a story I heard of a businessman who went on an extended journey. He left one person in charge and said he would be sending him daily instructions on what he was to do. He did as he had said and sent regular directives. He expected responses and updates on how things were going but heard nothing. This went on for some time. Finally, he decided he had better return and find out what was going on. When he arrived back at his business, he saw people at their leisure and hardly doing anything. As you can imagine, he was not only extremely frustrated but very angry. He approached the man he had placed in charge and immediately began to vent his frustration toward him. The man looked at him as if to say, "What is wrong? Why are you so upset?" The businessman asked, "Did you not receive all the instructions I sent you?"
The man replied, "Yes we did. They were wonderful. Each set of instructions were read over and over, I even put portions to memory. Once I had thoroughly studied them, I shared them with the rest of our employees. In fact, we took time daily to study and discuss them together. We all really enjoyed your directives." The businessman looked at him and said, "If you thought so much of the directives I sent, why didn't you do what I told you?"
Isn't that like many of us? We study God's Word regularly and have Bible studies on a weekly basis, but do we give heed to what God says? Like the businessman, the Lord is going to return one day and we will have to give an account for what we did with God's directives. He will ask, "Why didn't you do what I told you?"
James 1:23-24 – "For if anyone is a hearer of the Word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror, for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was."
He gives us an analogy of a person looking in a mirror. We see ourselves clearly while gazing at ourselves in the mirror but as soon as we walk away we forget what we saw. Try it some time. Look at yourself in the mirror, walk away, and try to remember exactly what you saw. It's really hard to do. We can look at someone else and after they are gone we can remember specifics about what we saw when we looked at them.
We can remember exactly what they looked like. Yet, we can hardly remember a thing about ourselves. What a spiritual truth! It's so easy to see and remember imperfections in others but how easily we forget the imperfections we see in ourselves. We can hear a message preached from the Word, God clearly speaks to us and we walk away and so easily forget what He revealed to us.
The word "observes" or "beholds" in verse 24 refers to a glancing look. To best understand this, let's illustrate it with a picture of a young boy out playing. He's playing as hard as a boy can, goes inside briefly for something, looks in the mirror and sees the reflection of himself. He notices dirt all over himself. His face is filthy and his clothes are a mess.
Does he get all concerned about what he looks like? Do you imagine him getting in a frenzy trying to clean himself up? No, of course not. He's a young boy. All he wants to do is hurry up, get back outside and play more. Yes, he saw he was caked with dirt all over but he hardly flinched over it. It was just a glancing look in the mirror and right back out to play.
Isn't that like most of us? We see ourselves in the mirror of God's Word, we see the imperfections, we may see something God is requiring of us but it's just a glancing look and we are quickly back out to play forgetting all about it or we simply rationalize it away. We never get around to putting into practice the revelation God has given us. We are forgetful hearers.
James 1:25 – "But whoever looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues therein, he being not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in all he does."
The word for "looks into" is parakypto in the Greek which means to stoop over and look into, to gaze carefully by the side of, to peer or to peep into, to bend over for closer look, investigation and examination of something. This is not a passing glance as in verse 24. Unlike verse 23 and the illustration of the young boy who simply made a passing glance of himself in the mirror and quickly runs back out to play, this can be illustrated by the boy a few years latter, a teenager about to go on his first date. While preparing for his date, he looks into the mirror and sees a pimple on the end of his nose.
Do you think he gives a mere glance at what he sees in the mirror as he did when he was a young boy? I think not. Worried about his upcoming date, he picks at it and covers it with makeup so it's not as noticeable. There's no way he gives this a passing glance. On the contrary, he gazes carefully at the imperfection he sees in the mirror, bends over for a close look, investigation and examination in hopes of finding a remedy before his date.
This can also be illustrated with the story of the disciple's investigation into Jesus' empty tomb. There are three words in the original language which will give us tremendous insight. One of those words has a similar meaning to our word parakypto. Mary went to Jesus' tomb early Sunday morning and saw the stone had been rolled away. She quickly ran to tell Peter and John. They ran to see what had taken place. John being a little younger and faster arrived at the tomb first. Peter followed closely behind.
John, "stooping down and looking in, saw the linen cloths lying there yet he did not go in" (John 20:5). The word used here is blepo and means to glance at something and indicates only that the object impressed itself on John's eyes. He didn't examine what he had seen or quite grasp what had happened. It goes on to show how Peter looked at everything in the empty tomb, the linen clothes, the handkerchief that had been around Jesus' head, and he even noticed how it had been neatly folded, in a place by itself.
John 20:6 – "Peter came, following him, went into the tomb and saw."
The word used in verse six is theoreo and means to take careful notice, to contemplate, to behold with intelligence, to scrutinize over. Something caused Peter to puzzle over what he had seen (like an empty cocoon retaining the shape or contour of Jesus' body). How could the body get out of the clothes without unwrapping them?
Then John, "went in also and he saw and believed" (John 20:8). The word used here is Noida which means to see with understanding and believe, to get a mental picture of, to realize what has taken place. John now understood the meaning of what he saw, that Jesus was alive and therefore believed that He was risen from the dead.
John initially looked in the empty tomb first, but only glanced at what was inside. It merely made an impression on his eyes. Peter went in afterward scrutinizing and puzzling over all he saw. Because Peter so pondered over all he saw, John went in the second time, saw and believed. If we will look into (parakypto), stoop over for a closer look, gaze carefully into, and investigate the Word of God, we will pave the way for others to see and believe. Let's not simply give God's Word a passing glance. When we look intently into the Word of God and put it into practice, we will be blessed in all we do. We will also pave the way for others to see as well.
Joshua 1:8 – "This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it, for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success."
Psalms 1:2-3 – "But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law does he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth his fruit in his season, his leaf also shall not wither and whatsoever he does shall prosper."
Luke 11:28 – "Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it."


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It is a hilarious film in which the hero is a wedding planner. He incurs losses because of the heroine, who employs him at one point. She wants him to stop her wedding to a guy, who her parents approve, by saying that their horoscopes do not match.
However, the hero double-crosses her when he gets to know that the bridegroom is willing to offer him more money to ensure that the wedding happens. Later, as the arrangements for the wedding are on, he realises the wicked nature of the bridegroom and decides to stop the wedding with the help of his family members.
How his family comprising his mom and uncle, help him stop the wedding is what the film is about.


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An Introduction To Immediate Advice On Best Security System For Home
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Have some questions? Here is our most frequently asked:
Do you weigh the laundry when it is wet?
No, not at all. We weigh after we have washed, dried and folded it.
Where do you provide laundry service?
We service areas within a 10 mile radius of our physical address. Are you outside of this range? Call us for consideration.
Can you handle dry cleaning?
Yes, we do; however, the delivery time will take a few extra days.
Is my laundry processed with other laundry?
EW! No, that's gross. All laundry is processed separately and NEVER mixed with other laundry.
When do you charge my credit card and how often?
We charge your credit card every time you have a delivery. You are only charged for the services you received, nothing more, nothing less.
What's the turn-around time?
You will have your laundry back within 24 hours (Mon – Fri).
Can I include my bed sheets in the Home Style Laundry Delivery Service?
Yes, of course. Your bed sheets are weighed with your order
Do you pick up and deliver to area hotels and motels?
Yes we do! All you need to do is contact us at (712) 322-6668 and one of our qualified staff members will assist you in setting up your pick-up. Put your dirty laundry in a plastic bag, leave it with the front desk or concierge service and advise them that a valet from Home Style Laundry will be by to pick it up and deliver back to you as scheduled.
What happens if you attempt to pick up my laundry and it was not prepared?
You can cancel your pick-up for the week. To avoid any fees, please call or email us 24 hours before your scheduled pick-up day. There is a $10 missed pick-up fee and applies when you fail to cancel a scheduled pick-up.
What if there is bad weather?
In the event of inclement weather, our delivery service may be delayed. Affected customers will be notified by text or email.
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At Home Style Laundry we use all name brand products. However, if you wish to send a specific detergent along with your laundry we will be happy to use it and return it in your laundry package.
How do I cancel my service completely?
You can cancel service by email: email@example.com or by calling us at (712) 322-6668.
Will my information be private and safe?
Yes. We protect your information and privacy. We do not share your personal or financial information with anyone!
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Hello everyone!
My what a world we live in… I have started multiple, varied drafts with the intent of positing, but I always run into a brick wall. Part of the reason for my absence was my attempt to keep everything political off of this site, with various, small exceptions; politics has been a major piece in my life during the last few
days weeks. Before that, it was the new year and forming schedules/plans etc.
Politics… despite myself, I cannot keep it entirely away from this blog at the moment. Some horrible things are happening, and some good things as well. If I am going to be entirely honest, and I wish to be, then I cannot ignore the small cavern that it has hallowed out in my life. So, this post is the beginning to a larger contemplation/discussion about art and life in these times (yes, writing will return to this blog, I promise). Hopefully you will bravely bare with me.
One of the running themes of these last few weeks has been reminder after reminder of how important art is, especially when the world is in turmoil. To be honest, society has always been flecked by turmoil, but I think the *ahem* recent events in this certain country of mostly-united states have brought so much social injustice and hate to the surface.
Stepping sideways…
A week and a half ago, my family and I went to a Writer's Resist event held in a small coffee shop where people could hardly spread their elbows. Writer's Resist is an initiative created to share work regarding civil rights and equality (I highly recommend checking their website). It was wonderful to hear people speak about the importance of paying attention to the world around us, and share snippets of poetry/non-fiction, and short stories.
Last wednesday, I had the privilege of hearing a Lannan Foundation interview with China Meiville; he is an author whose work I have admired for a long time, although I have not read as many of his books as I would like. His writing crosses genres and breaks many of the barriers between reality and fiction that, I think, we are taught to stay within. He is extremely active within political and academic circles, and much of his creative work deals with government in one form or another.
I apologize for the fact that I do not have any direct quotes to share with you (I am starting to wish that I had taken notes), but one thing that he did speak of is using his writing as a way to explore concepts and ideas. Hearing him speak about his work, as well as snippets of government in general, was kind of a push forward to 'oh my gosh, I need to work more.'
Now, the last major event to mention: did you hear of the Woman's March on Washington that occurred last saturday? After our local sister march ended, one of the first speakers was a poet: she also spoke of the importance of work. It is creative work that leads us forward. Art is something that we cling to.
My mom often quotes one of her collage teachers: "Art teaches people how to feel." I used to scoff. Such a concept always felt corny or impossible, but it is a potently valid point. Art does shape culture, so let us create a culture where no one has to hide as they walk down the street; where we recognize the fact that we all come from the same ancestor, and that none of us are perfect. We cannot expect to love everyone, but we can try not to be drugged by hate– and we fight. We peacefully protest, we speak out, we find some way to become involved, we stand for our rights, and we do not let those who want some of us dead kick us to the ground and stomp us into bone-dust.
So, art… let's use art to maintain some sort of sanity; whether it is our own, or the sanity of an entire town. Let's keep our art close, and follow the art of others. Let's make art; we need it.
I hope to be around more often, especially as this year really picks up.
Until next time my friends!


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Write here: Disney told you one version of Snow White - here's what really happened
By Kylie Leung Wei-nam, 17, Our Lady of the Rosary College
She is coming. She has hair as black as ebony, lips as red as a rose, and skin as pale as snow. She is called Snow White.
Night is fast approaching, and my pen is flying across this piece of paper. My words shall detail the truth that has been hidden for too long: the truth of Snow White. It isn't anything like the fairy tale about the lovely princess and the evil queen that you've heard before. Now that she has found me … I must get these words out, because by sunrise tomorrow, one of us will be dead.
It began, as you've been told, once upon a time in a kingdom. Snow White lived there, as did her stepmother, the queen. The king, who had died a short while before it all began, had told his wife that the mirror in her room was enchanted, and would answer all her questions truthfully.
The queen, the real queen, was not obsessed with her own beauty. It was out of pure curiosity that she asked the most famous question in all of history: "Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest one of all?"
"Snow White," the mirror replied.
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The queen was not jealous of Snow White's beauty. She was pleased to hear the reply, as she thought the girl spent too much time hiding in her room. She summoned Snow White to her room, in the hopes that she would hear the mirror's compliments and be happy. When the princess entered the room, though, the queen noticed something chilling.
She could not see Snow White's reflection in the mirror.
Everyone knows, of course, what creatures do not have a reflection. Vampires.
She looked at Snow White again. Skin as pale as snow – too pale by far. Paler than that of a normal, living person. Lips as red as a rose … or as red as blood, perhaps.
"Why do you ask me to come here, stepmother?"
Were those fangs the queen could see behind her lips?
The queen put a hand over her thundering heart.
Write here: Memories that last a lifetime
"Nothing. I just wanted to ask you how you felt. Your father has just died, and, well … You may leave now."
Snow White began to leave, turning just as she stepped through the door – and caught a glimpse of the mirror. The queen saw her stepdaughter's eyes flash before she closed the door behind her.
The queen sat down on a chair, shaking as she thought of what she had just seen. If her father had only known …
And then it struck her. The king. Everyone had thought he died because of his age. But there had been something strange about his body – two tiny puncture wounds on his neck. She had not thought much of it at the time, but now she wondered … were they the result of a vampire bite?
There was only one way to find out, and she turned to the mirror. The answer she received was the one she expected, but the one she dreaded.
Snow White was a vampire, and she had killed her father – and now that the queen knew, she could well be her next victim. With her stepmother dead, Snow White would become queen. The queen knew she could not allow this to happen. Trembling with fear, she made the hardest decision she had ever made.
Snow White needed to die.
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The queen called for her huntsman, gave him a wooden stake, and told him to drive it through Snow White's heart.
"Bring me her heart," she said, for only then would she believe the princess was dead.
The huntsman went and came back, a heart in hand, and the queen believed it was over.
That was, until she heard of the news of a girl, with ebony-black hair, snowy-pale skin, and rose-red lips, who lived in the darkest part of the forest with seven undead dwarfs.
That was when she knew that the huntsman had fallen for Snow White's charms and had not been able to bring himself to kill her. Snow White still lived, and she had vampire dwarfs under her command.
The queen realised then, that she could not trust anyone else to kill Snow White. She would have to do it herself. But she knew she would not be able to stab her through the heart – vampire or not, she was still her stepdaughter.
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Then, it occurred to her – vampires cannot eat garlic, because it hurts them. She scooped out the insides of an apple and stuffed it full of garlic. She would trick Snow White into eating this apple, and she would surely die.
Disguised as an old woman, the queen made her way to the darkest part of the forest, where even the sunlight did not touch the mossy ground. She knocked on the door of the cottage, and lowered her head as it opened. The queen fought hard not to tremble as, voice deepened and croaky, she asked Snow White if she would like an apple.
"I cannot sell them all, lovely lady," she said, "but cannot bear to see them go to waste, so I am giving them away."
That was when she realised the flaw in her plan – vampires do not eat food. They only drink blood.
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There was no way that Snow White would accept the apple!
As Snow White moved to shut the door on the old woman, the queen tried to shove the apple down her stepdaughter's throat. The vampire's eyes widened – and then narrowed. She grabbed the queen's wrists and tightened her grip on them. The queen screamed as she felt her bones grinding together.
Suddenly, as if by some miracle, some of the trees above moved in the wind, and a small ray of light filtered though the thick foliage, landing on Snow White's lovely face.
The vampire screeched, and moved away, smoking as she did. The queen, emboldened by this, moved with her, and smashed the garlic-stuffed apple into Snow White's mouth.
The princess gagged, and fell down.
The queen would have stayed to make sure that she was really dead, but at that moment she heard footsteps. It was the seven dwarfs that Snow White had turned into vampires – they were coming. She fled.
Write here: A new perspective, a sunrise bringing hope, a daring jump, a fresh start
The rest of the story is almost the same as the fairy story you know. Snow White was placed inside a glass coffin, and a prince passing by saw her and fell in love with her. He ordered her coffin to be brought to his castle, and the journey dislodged the garlic-filled apple from her throat, waking the princess. Here's where the truth and the fiction differ – Snow White didn't just marry the prince, she turned him into a vampire. Later on, the prince became known by the name Dracula.
The queen died not long after Snow White woke up. She killed her, of course – killing the only person left alive who knew the truth and was against her.
However, what Snow White did not know was that the queen had a true daughter, one from her previous marriage. Before she died, she had told her daughter the truth about Snow White. Her daughter passed this knowledge onto her daughter and, in turn, that daughter passed it onto hers.
From mothers to daughters, they passed this knowledge on and on and on, until it was passed onto me. For generations, we have tried to warn people about Snow White. Tried to help people flee before they fell victim to her thirst for blood.
2018 summer short story: What it's like to have ADHD
But now, Snow White has found out the truth.
And now, the sun has sunk beneath the horizon, and the last rays of light are fading. Once darkness covers the land, she will come and try to kill me.
I have donned a necklace of garlic, and I have sharpened a stake of wood. I'm ready to kill her the moment I see her. But, just in case she lives and I am killed, remember this. Remember my warning.
Beware the girl who has hair as black as ebony. Beware she who has skin as pale as snow. Beware her lips, as red as a rose. Beware –
She is here.
Edited by Ginny Wong
Write here, right now
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He's been behind the decade's biggest comedies, but this patron saint of arrested development started out the old-fashioned way: by menacing Steve Martin.
Author David Carr Illustration Stanley Chow
NOT LONG AGO, I WAS IN LOS ANGELES AND HAD LUNCH WITH JUDD APATOW, the wildly successful producer-writer-director who has had a hand in hit films The 40 Year Old Virgin, Knocked Up, Superbad, Anchorman and Get Him to the Greek. As you might expect, we had something of a Hollywood power lunch. There was a very nice grilled salmon with Thai chili sauce and a grilled pork dish I remember with some fondness. This being Judd Apatow, however, we weren't actually in Hollywood. We were in a nondescript three-story office building in a part of Santa Monica you won't see in the movies, and we were eating out of plastic takeout containers.
That's how Apatow, 43, rolls: No gilded reception area and fluttering posse of assistants with headsets, just a conference table piled with papers from all his various projects and a lot of talk about movies. A Jewish kid who grew up in Syosset, New York, idolizing comedians, he's never been much for the showbiz part of show business. That sensibility is reflected in his characters: schlubby, floundering man-children and the women who, for whatever reason, love them.
Apatow was nominated for a bunch of Emmys in the mid-'90s for his work on The Larry Sanders Show, but he really came into his own with 1999's short-lived but critically beloved NBC sitcom Freaks and Geeks, which he produced, cowrote and codirected. A funny, often wince-inducing and surprisingly sweet look at the lives of outcasts in a suburban high school, it was canceled after one season. Later, Apatow moved into films full-time, scoring his first big smash with 2004's Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy. Since then he's become something of a one-man comic- industrial complex. His next production, Bridesmaids, starring Kristen Wiig, comes out in May. (He's also working on an as-yet-unnamed Pee-wee Herman film, slated for 2011.)
We had an interesting conversation at lunch, but, schlub that I am, I didn't bring a tape recorder, so I called Apatow back a few weeks later to talk a little more about how he became the king of a certain kind of comedy.
HEMISPHERES: You were fanatical about comedy from a very young age, right? You had a radio show in high school and interviewed all kinds of big names.
APATOW: The interviews that had the biggest impact on me were with people like Jerry Seinfeld, Jay Leno, Garry Shandling and Paul Reiser, because they all had this skill, and they were superfunny and nice people. It felt like this is what a grown-up version of me might look like if I worked hard and stayed on my path.
HEMISPHERES: You've become a producer known for a golden commercial touch, but you first came to prominence with Freaks and Geeks, which lasted one season. People still talk about that show as one of the best that ever snuck onto a network schedule.
APATOW: It was a funny dynamic. It was so clear that we were going to get canceled. The network stopped giving notes, and we responded by shooting the types of episodes that the network would have absolutely no interest in. In the end, it feels like a miniseries. We were lucky. We said most of what we wanted to say because we knew it was going to end.
HEMISPHERES: Did you decide afterward that you needed to be more commercial?
APATOW: Nothing changed about my work—in fact, most of the movies I've made star the cast of Freaks and Geeks—but for some reason the culture has embraced the goofy guys and goofy women, so suddenly there's a place for me.
HEMISPHERES: You work with the same people over and over— Seth Rogen, Will Ferrell, Paul Rudd, Jonah Hill, Jason Segel.
APATOW: It's hard to find people you're both in sync with and like spending a lot of time with. When I made Funny People with Adam Sandler, it was the first time we got to hang out every day since 1991.
HEMISPHERES: You lived with Sandler. How was he as a roommate? Did he leave the cap off the toothpaste?
APATOW: He was a great roommate. It was a very fun time, because we all knew that he was going to be a big star. There was just an energy around him that was undeniable. He was very charismatic, his stand-up act was experimental and strange, and he never cared if he did well or bombed. He wasn't making movies yet. Janeane Garofalo and Ben Stiller were around in those days too, before they had done anything that people remember. We all used to hang around and try to figure out how we were going to get into the business.
HEMISPHERES: You're editing a book to benefit a charity, right?
APATOW: The writer Dave Eggers cofounded a nonprofit tutoring, writing and publishing organization called 826, and one day I was talking to him about how he could raise some money for it. I told him I could put together a book of all of my favorite pieces of humor. So now we have this book called I Found This Funny. It is a humor collection, though several pieces aren't funny at all. I spent a year putting together this almost-five-hundred-page book. We have the pilot to a sitcom that Conan O'Brien cowrote for Adam West twenty years ago called Lookwell. It's about a retired actor who once played a detective on television trying to solve actual crimes with an honorary badge made out of Lucite. It's one of the funniest television pilots I have ever read. There are excerpts from Steve Martin's memoir about being a standup comedian, and short stories from Raymond Carver and James Agee.
HEMISPHERES: How did you swing the rights to all that stuff?
APATOW: We just begged everybody to do it as cheaply as possible. I find it's much harder to convince the dead people to give it to us cheap than the living ones.
HEMISPHERES: You can't threaten to kill them, for one thing.
APATOW: Exactly. You never know when a dead writer's great-great-great-grandson's nephew wants to get paid. But even the dead people came around eventually. I have been inspired by Eggers' level of giving. For someone who is very productive as a writer and a publisher, he makes a lot of time to tutor kids and run all of these tutoring organizations around the country. I think teachers can have a huge impact on a kid. In eleventh grade, I had a teacher who asked me to write my autobiography as an assignment. I was embarrassed about my own life, so I made one up about how I was actually in the CIA, undercover at the school and how I was having all of these romances with the teachers. I thought I was going to get in trouble but she pulled me aside one day and said, "You're very funny. You could write like Woody Allen. You should pursue that."
HEMISPHERES: Speaking of formative experiences, you have a pretty good Steve Martin story.
APATOW: I always feel bad for Steve when I tell the story.
HEMISPHERES: So stipulated—can you tell it anyway?
APATOW: Okay. When I was a teenager I would always drive by Steve's house. One day he was out front and I asked him to sign a piece of paper for me. He said he didn't sign autographs at his house because he didn't want everyone to start knocking on his door, which is a completely reasonable request. I asked him if he could step out on the street and sign it, and he said sorry. I put a letter in his mailbox the next day that said I think you're the funniest guy in the world, but if you don't send me an apology I'm going to send your address to Homes of the Stars and you're going to have tour buses passing by twenty-four hours a day. I told him you wouldn't live in that house if I didn't buy all of your records and go to all of your movies. It was a very nasty letter, but it was also probably funny. So six months later in the mail, he sent me his humor collection Cool Shoes, and he signed it, "To Judd: I'm sorry, I didn't realize I was speaking to THE Judd Apatow." This is 1981. That was when I decided to be a comedian. I realized that he didn't just send me a note—he sent me a book, and it felt like he took extra time to do something extra funny and kind.
HEMISPHERES: So he's funny and nice.
APATOW: Steve Martin is the funniest man in the world.
DAVID CARR, who covers media and culture for The New York Times, will happily sign autographs in front of his house. For a small fee.


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I have always been a Smith & Wesson fan, especially for their handguns – from the tiniest J-frame pistols to Dirty Harry's Model 29, Smith & Wesson delivers, and delivers well.
The pistol in question for today's review is the Airweight .38, Model 37. If you are familiar with this particular firearm, then you know how many other models are similar, if not almost identical, to the Model 37. I happened to get my hands on one of these cool little revolvers.
Smith & Wesson Model 37 Airweight: My first thought was, like, "Whoa…"
It's small – real small, folks – and also extremely light. I didn't feel like I was holding a pistol at all; it felt more like a toy. A poor choice of words, I know, but they are the first that come to mind. Some sources say it's one pound, one ounce, others say it's 0.94 of a pound. It really doesn't matter which one of those are correct, because light is light, and one pound is extremely light for a pistol.
The grips and size of the butt are sufficient, but barely. I have rather small hands and the grip still feels a bit small to me but then again, the entire firearm is minute. The handgrips are wood, and about 3.75-inches long, which is just enough to get a decent grip on the pistol. There are aftermarket grips available, though, which thicken things up for you meat fingers out there.
The Airweight model 37 is the younger brother to the Model 36 "Chief's Special", an identical gun but with a steel frame instead of aluminum. The 37 came out in '51 and went largely unchanged until Smith & Wesson finally dropped them all together in 2006.
In the mid-1950s, the Air Force ordered a specialized version of the Airweight for military police use. This version implemented not only an aluminum frame, but also an aluminum cylinder and barrel. Testing proved that the cylinder and barrel failed pretty quickly due to heat warping, and the model was discontinued.
There have been a few variations of both the Model 36 and 37 throughout the years, such as the Model 36 Gold, which, as you can probably guess, had gold accents throughout the pistol. In later years, Smith & Wesson began offering the tiny pistol with thicker grips, understandably.
The Smith & Wesson Airweight features a two-inch barrel for massive concealed-carry effectiveness. It probably wouldn't be your first pick for shooting cans off the fence at 50 yards with it, but for up close and personal encounters, the Airweight is hard to beat.
One thing that is unique about the pistol is that the firing pin is actually located on the business end of the hammer, which is something you don't see every day. I kind of like the design, myself, if for nothing else than its simplicity. It's also a great conversation piece because it's highly likely many of your friends have never seen one.
The tiny cylinder holds five rounds-just enough to get you out of a bad situation. The cylinder release is on the left side of the frame and takes a little force to slide so the cylinder opens. Because this is often used as a pocket pistol, I find it a well thought-out feature. The last thing in the world you need, should you have to pull the Airweight in self-defense, is an open cylinder.
Why is the gun so light?
The J-frame is made completely of aluminum, that's why. Only the cylinder and barrel are constructed of steel. The aluminum frame can handle .38 Special loads just fine, but I wouldn't recommend trying the +P rounds because the added oomph can allegedly cause the frame to stretch.
There is some heated debate about the +P ammo, though. Many say that the higher cylinder pressure will damage the gun, but there is also the school that says the +P ammo of today is on par or even weaker than the factory loads back when, and so it's completely safe to use them. I try to err on the side of safety, though, so the regular .38 Special rounds will work for me.
Shooting and handling
Obviously, a one-pound, aluminum .38 is going to have a significant amount of recoil. Didn't think that a little .38 could make your hand sore? Think again. The Airweight packs a punch, even with regular factory loads. For most of us, this isn't a gun we'll enjoy shooting all day at the range.
It is a double-action pistol, meaning that it can be operated with or without the hammer pulled back. The pull in double-action mode is quite heavy, but in single-action, it seems just right. Again, because this pistol will easily fit into even the smallest pockets, I think that a heavy trigger pull is a great idea. Many a toe has likely been saved because of it.
Also, because the gun itself is so short, the front and rear sights are closer together, which will effect aiming when it comes to longer distances. Most range reports say that a shooter can average three-inch groups from up to 15 yards. Most shooters say they feel the Airweight could hit a man-sized target at 25, but most accuracy will be out the window.
Used Airweight pistols in really good shape will sell for roughly $450, but my bet is that you can pick one up for much cheaper at a gun show or auction. Keep your eyes open, because deals do come around.
Depending on the age and condition of the pistol and how delusional or not its seller is, I have seen them for as low as $250 and as high as $750. It's probably fair to ask $450 for a perfect piece, in my opinion, but more than that and things just get silly.
The Airweight I have is an older model from the '80s, but the bluing has held up very well, only showing bare steel on the trigger guard, which is common for holstered guns. Because of the steel cylinder and barrel, the gun is a tad nose-heavy, but nothing out of control.
I would personally rate this little pistol very high on the pocket-carry list of available makes and models. The only possible negatives are its extremely short barrel (but again, it's meant for close-up action) and the extended hammer, which could possibly catch on clothing if the shooter isn't careful.
That being said, you can't really go wrong with the Airweight. It's light, it will shoot .38s all day long, it's tiny, and it's a great conversation piece when gun enthusiast friends come to visit or at the range.


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Massachusetts municipalities can now receive a designation as a Housing Choice Community, which gives preferential access to Commonwealth grant programs as well as a new grant program open only to Housing Choice Communities.
Modeled after Massachusetts' successful Green Communities program, Housing Choice Initiative creates a new system of incentives and rewards for municipalities that deliver sustainable housing growth; creates a new technical assistance toolbox to empower cities and towns to plan for new housing production; and proposes legislative changes through An Act to Promote Housing Choices to deliver smart, effective zoning at the local level. The initiative is aimed to produce of 135,000 new units by 2025. Read a press release here or more details here.


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Blizzard conditions to impede travel in south central Minnesota today and tomorrow
MnDOT warns motorists of difficult travel conditions
MANKATO, Minn. – (10 a.m.) The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) warns motorists in south central that forecasted winds will result in significantly reduced visibility and that roads will likely remain in poor winter driving conditions throughout the day and into tomorrow.
The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a Blizzard Warning for all of southcentral Minnesota. Strong winds and whiteout conditions are likely, especially in open areas. The NWS reports that blizzard conditions exist when the combination of strong wind, low visibility and heavy snowfall significantly impact daily life. The forecast can change throughout the day and that conditions can improve or worsen.
"Our snowplow crews are working to improve travel conditions," said Chase Fester, maintenance operations superintendent. "We need motorists to do their part, keep a safe distance from the plow trucks and reduce all distractions and concentrate on driving."
A plow's sole purpose is to make the roads as clear and passable as quickly as possible. Plow operators have much to monitor and control while on duty, and their ability to see behind them is limited. They travel more slowly than the posted speeds as it is more effective for clearing snow. Their vision can be hampered by the snow clouds they create while plowing,
MnDOT advises motorists to check road conditions before traveling. For real-time traffic and travel information in Minnesota, visit www.511mn.org or get the free smartphone app at Google Play or the App Store.
Motorists can practice good winter driving habits by following these steps:
- Allow extra time to get to your destination.
- Turn your headlights on (not simply the automatic setting) and wear your seatbelt.
- Be patient behind the wheel and remember snowplows are working to improve road conditions.
- Stay back at least 10 car lengths behind a plow, far from the snow cloud.
- Stay alert for snowplows that turn or exit frequently and often with little warning. Anticipate that plows may also travel over centerlines or partially into traffic to further improve road conditions.
- Slow down to a safe speed for current conditions.
- No texting, emailing, or internet while driving – it's the law.
For additional tips on safe winter driving, go to www.mndot.gov/workzone/winter.html.


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The Wiggles facts for kids
The Wiggles is an Australian-based children's music group. The group is made up of four members. The Wiggles all wear different colored shirts. Anthony Field formerly wore green, and now wears blue, Simon Pryce wears red, Lachlan Gillespie wears purple and Emma Watkins wears yellow. Murray Cook, Jeff Fatt, Sam Moran, Greg Page, and Philip Wilcher are former Wiggles. The group performs on stage as well as on their own television series. The have also made a movie. The Wiggles have won many awards for their work. Both girls and boys really enjoy The Wiggles in their early years. This year The Wiggles will be celebrating their 25th birthday.
In the 14th season, Greg Page was replaced by Sam Moran.
In the new generation, Sam Moran, Murray Cook, and Jeff Fatt were replaced by Emma Watkins, Simon Pryce, and Lachlan Gillespie.
Main characters
- Greg Page (lead vocal): Greg is the lead singer and the first teenaged Wiggle, who loves to sing and dance. Greg drives The Big Red Car. . He is the yellow character.
- Anthony Field (backing vocals and instrumentation): Anthony plays the guitar, drums, and sings and dances. He loves eating. His favourite food is fruit salad. He especially loves apples. When Anthony is happy he says "Wahoo!" Anthony wore green from the creation of The Wiggles in 1991 to 1995 and has worn blue since 1996 because he turned invisible in shots that were green-screened.
- Murray Cook (backing vocals and instrumentation):Murray plays the guitar. He is the red character.
- Jeff Fatt (keyboards and accordion): Jeff plays keyboards. His favorite color is purple. Jeff loves sleeping. When he dreams he even dreams of being asleep. This leads to the others saying, "Wake up, Jeff!
Minor characters
There are several other characters who are friends with the Wiggles.
- Dorothy the Dinosaur is a large green dinosaur with yellow spots. She wears a floppy white hat and likes to eat roses. Dorothy is 5 years old. She is very wise for her age. Her birth is November 3.1991 She loves dancing, and is known to do ballet, Irish, Scottish, and line dancing. She loves her birthday as The Wiggles always make it a very special fun day for her. Dorothy has a heart of gold and is a very friendly dinosaur.
- Captain FeatherSword is a friendly pirate who wears a coat, hat, eye patch and a sword made of feathers. His birthday is on February 4.
- Wags the Dog is a tall, brown, furry dog with floppy ears and a happy face. He likes eating. Wags is said to keep The Wiggles up all night if he gets hungry. Wags also enjoys digging in his garden. Wags can only talk to the audience, but The Wiggles understand him when he barks. Wags is a good Tango dancer. He believes everyone is his friend and is said to love having a good time. His birthday is October 27.
- Henry the Octopus is a fun-loving octopus with purple skin. He wears tartan clothes, a straw hat and black polished shoes on the end of every tentacle. Henry likes to wave to all his friends at the same time. This is easy for him to do since he has eight tentacles. Henry lives under the sea. He is the leader of the Underwater Big Band.
Studio albums
Each album is listed with the year it was first released. Source: National Library of Australia
- The Wiggles (1991)
- Here Comes a Song (1992)
- Stories and Songs: The Adventures of Captain Feathersword the Friendly Pirate (1993)
- Yummy Yummy (1994)
- Big Red Car (1995)
- Wake Up Jeff! (1996)
- Wiggly, Wiggly Christmas (1996)
- The Wiggles Movie Soundtrack (1997)
- Toot Toot! (1998)
- It's a Wiggly Wiggly World! (2000)
- Wiggle Time! (2000)
- Yule Be Wiggling (2000)
- Hoop Dee Doo! It's a Wiggly Party (2001)
- Wiggly Safari (2002)
- Wiggle Bay (2002)
- Go to Sleep Jeff! (2003)
- Whoo Hoo! Wiggly Gremlins! (2003)
- Top of the Tots (2003)
- Cold Spaghetti Western (2004)
- Santa's Rockin'! (2004)
- Sailing Around the World (2005)
- Here Comes the Big Red Car (2006)
- It's Time To Wake Up Jeff! (2006)
- Splish Splash Big Red Boat (2006)
- Racing to the Rainbow (2006)
- Christmas Classics (2006)
- Getting Strong! Wiggle and Learn (2007)
- Pop Go the Wiggles! (2007)
- You Make Me Feel Like Dancing (2008)
- Sing a Song of Wiggles (2008)
- Go Bananas! (2009)
- Hot Poppin' Popcorn (2009)
- Let's Eat (2010)
- Ukulele Baby! (2011)
- It's Always Christmas With You! (2011)
- Surfer Jeff (2012)
- Celebration! (2012)
- Christmas Crackers! (2012)
Crunchy Munchy Honey Cakes (Coming Out Soon...)
Concert and compilation albums
- Live: Hot Potatoes (2005)
- Hot Potatoes: The Best of the Wiggles (2009)
- Big Birthday! (2011)
- Celebration (2012)
- Hit Songs and Rarities (2012)
Dorothy the Dinosaur albums
- Dorothy the Dinosaur (1999)
- Dorothy the Dinosaur's Memory Book (2000)
- Dorothy the Dinosaur Meets Santa Claus (2001)
- Dorothy the Dinosaur's Rockin' Christmas (2002)
- Dorothy the Dinosaur's Travelling Show! (2003)
- Dorothy the Dinosaur's Beach Party (2004)
Images for kids
Sam Moran and wife Lyn on Australia Day 2009


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Corpus Christi TX (February 24, 2014) — Wes Sims was re-elected to a tenth consecutive two year term as President of the Texas Farmers Union (TFU) during the organization's 112'h annual convention. in Corpus Christi. Sims, a family farmer and cattle producer from Sweetwater, was first elected in 1996 to lead the Texas family farm and ranch group.
The TFU delegates also re-elected Mike Oldham, a farmer and cattle producer from Smithville to his 6th term as Vice President. Also elected as District Directors were Pam Oldham, a cotton and cattle producer from Shamrock; Christi Barnett, a wheat and hay producer from Merkel; and Terry Priesmeyer, a rice and cattle producer from El Campo.
President Sims reported the convention passed several Texas Farmers Union 2014 Policy Statements including support urging the State of Texas to push for better technologies in the desalinization of ocean water, recycling of wastewater, recycling and conservation of fracking water, and the strict conservation of water for recreational purposes. Also, Texas Farmers Union strongly urges that any funding for these plans should not be taken from the State's Education Budget.
TFU strongly supports that in the event farmers, ranchers or landowners water is confiscated by the state, federal or any other entity, they will be duly compensated for that year, future loss of production, decrease in property values, and any other financial hardship that arises from this action.
"TFU believes," Sims stated, "that Sequestration was a threat to the Congress to force them to work for a defined reduction in expenditures, not believing it would ever be implemented. These cuts have weakened the ability of some agencies to perform their duties; therefore, TFU urges the immediate repeal of Sequestration."
Since the Texas Legislature did not adequately fund Texas public education, the Delegate Body of TFU's Convention requests the Governor and the Legislature of the State of Texas to adequately fund Texas Public Education. "Several other issues were addressed by the delegates," said Sims, "and they can be found at TexasFarmersUnion.org."
Established in 1902 at Point, Texas — the Texas Farmers Union is the states' oldest general farm organization that represents family farmers, ranchers and rural interests working to improve the quality of life for rural people through education, cooperation and legislation.
Texas Farmers Union, P.O. Box 738, Sweetwater, Tx 79556


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Right at England's heart you'll find the bustling city of Coventry, where the city centre's development probably represents progress more than many other UK cities. Even the canal which runs through the city is a work of modern art, and a casual stroll through Millennium Place feels like a walk into the future.
Coventry's past rubs shoulders comfortably with it's shiny present. The legend of Lady Godiva, the poignant preserved relic of Coventry's mighty Cathedral, destroyed by the Luftwaffe, stands alongside the defiant new edifice with pride. Coventry is also a fine place to shop, with a brilliant market place and shopping centres.
The green and pleasant county of Warwickshire possesses all the attractions, history and heritage you could ask for to enjoy a relaxing break. Warwickshire, with it's castles and cathedrals is, after all, Shakespeare County, and in literary and cultural terms Stratford-Upon-Avon could be considered the hub of Britain's dramatic and poetic past, present and future.
Then download safely
Microsoft Silverlight


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I'm not really in favor of this getting old stuff. I've no reason to doubt that it beats the alternative by a mile — at least for now — but apart from a certain bemused perspective on things that formerly seemed much more important, I'd gladly trade the mature philosophy for the steel trap memory of my callow youth.
We used to live in an apartment building that sported an elevator lined with mirrors. It was the only elevator in the building, so it was also the one everyone used for moving things in and out of the three upper floors. The previous Formica lining, far and away more durable than mirrors, was pretty well beaten up after a couple of years. One need not speculate for long to discern the eventual outcome for the mirrors.
While we reflected on the pending optical disaster we had the privilege of observing our increasingly decrepit corporal selves in halogen-lit starkness twice a day or so. You must understand that there was a time when I — and most assuredly my ex-model wife — had no fear of mirrors, and were in fact known to frequently seek them out. In my case, at least, that's no longer true. I don't exactly shy from them as if threatened with a sharpened stake but, on the other hand, that business of having no reflection in mirrors must comfort an aging vamp along about the third millennium or so.
In my case, I still half expect to see the 18-year-old who used to swim two or three miles every now and then just because he could — the same sonofabitch who could walk into Sears, buy anything off the rack, and walk out looking like an ad in Esquire. The reality isn't actually all that bad, it's just not who's supposed to be there.
My wife (clearly a much healthier person than I emotionally) just adjusted her blouse and checked her makeup. I tried to ignore the old guy standing next to her, handsome and distinguished though he may have been.
Callow youth beats distinguished in a fair fight every time.
P.S. At least she is still beautiful.


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What do you think this is? Why it's a 2x2 rib knit sideways! I really don't know why it's sideways, but it's part of my winter hat, which is unfortunately useless in the warm weather we have been experiencing in the last week. I knitted this a couple of weeks ago using non-worsted yarn (I don't know if there's a term for that). This is less complex compared to the cable knit hats I made for my mom and sister, but it's so comfortable and simple.
I had two problems with this knit. The fact that it wasn't worsted made it a pain if I had to reverse my knitting when I made my mistake. When I did the gathering cast off, pulling the yarn through the loops was a delicate process. Pull too hard, or have the working yarn touch the loop edges too much made the yarn break because of too much tension.
I also prefer super bulky for hats just because my knit stitches are close together and form a v shape. With bulky there is a little space in between. I know if I really wanted a v shadow I would used the twisted stockinette (e-wrap) stitch but it is so messy looking.
A majority of people have rib knit stitch hats in the wintertime, and most of the time they are made with acrylic yarn. It's a great simple pattern to knit and gives some stretch. It also doesn't take that long but you have to be used too knitting peg by peg.


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One Week Madness..
I guess I haven't blogged (in a sense of that word) for a week. I have been too busy with just about everything else. Really. And even though it is a weekend, it still isn't enough for me to catch up on writing. So here's a recap of the (last) week.
Catching Robert Langdon at Glorietta Cinema 3! :P
Movie night! I loved Angels and Demons. But as I have said in the reviews, too many changes were made. Too many messed up names and too many messed up scenes that rather damaged the essence of the story in the book. As Sir Hec said, "Buti nalang hindi ko sha binasa kasi yung mga book readers, paglabas sa movie laging daming comments!". So the verdict? I still look up to the book version. Because the Vatican did not give Langdon the last copy of Galileo's book, instead, he got the Illuminati Diamond as a reward. :P And that's what I REALLY WANTED TO SEE! Seriously.
Chuck and Blair, Chuck and Blair whoooo! *grins sooo wide*
A not-so-busy day but also ending up for me to be so plakda afterwards. Oh, but I was so happy that night because Gossip Girl's finale is soooo good with Blair and Chuck. :) Bad news, Season 3 airs on August 31. What a teaser that is. :P
That is where I used to work, taken inside my (current) boss' empty room. :D
My first month in RCBC Savings Bank. Yay! I was so giddy for no reason at all. Well, just the fact that I survived first month. So I hope to do well in the following months...
Hon and I's Third Anniversary! Whoop-de-doo!
Thursday is a LOVE day, especially for myself and Hon. After the past year, travelling together, making special moments, discovering our quirks and surpassing trials (can we say detractors?), WE HAVE SURVIVED.
And even though we do not have the perfect relationship, I am hoping that this will last forever and ever. And if anyone tries to declare war with me again regarding this, BRING IT ON. hahaha. :P
One of my super hectic days. Really. Felt like superwoman this day. Because we will be having the auction the day after this, I had to make sure that last minute preparations are smoothly delivered. Good thing the ROPA group decided to go on ocular mode during the morning so Miss Rose and I didnt have to go there after office. After work, I met up with my family to go to EDSA Shangrila Hotel where my cousin and his family were checked in. Apparently, they will be going to Disneyland. *gushes*. So envious. hahaha. :P
Xzeno = Love :)
So anyhoo, I was preparing for Xzeno's Party of the century for like a month, so we could all go to Embassy Superclub because Kstin specifically requested for it. We were all in the guest list when the bouncers didnt let our three companions in because they dont have Valid IDs, whereas some foreigners only presented ONE ID and they all went in without putting a fight. Kstin even tried paying for the three but still to no avail, they still couldnt go in. Hello Justice! I feel so bad because I have been looking forward to that day and they ruined it for me. Seriously. So we just went to Pier One. No dress codes, no Identification cards required and so and so. But still, we were all yearning for Emba because we were so close to partying there already (we actually went in already for heart's sakes!). But anyway, I guess we have to try again next time.
Good thing they were all okay with that. I guess what's important is were all together and spending time with Kstin again. :P
Got home at 2AM. Thanks to Hon, Deo and his trusty car. I got here safe and sound. hehe.
Auction Day. Since I am working at Marketing Department specifically in Loans, I had to wake up early to make sure that the venue is all set up, the bidders and officemates have enough breakfast for the auction, check the sound system, powerpoint, backdrop, ads, etc. It was stressful but fun. I am really happy because Miss Rose helped me. BIGTIME. I would be so lost without her.
And I am officially a lucky charm now. Sold properties went higher. So cool. :P
We welcome Baby Gabriel Inigo to the world!
BFF Maro's first baby, Gabriel Inigo is born last Saturday, so we went to Mary Johnston today to visit her and her baby. I have a new inaanak! hehehe.
She said she didnt have a rough time during her labor. LUCKY HER! hehehe. And I am so happy for her. Sobrang fulfilled na yung life niya. She has a successful career, a very loyal husband, and now a baby boy. Baby girl nalang. hehe :P
So that's all for now. haha. As if naman konti yun. :P
Till the next blog! Have a nice week everyone! :)