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Minnesota: Toughest Winters in the USA?
Wear it like a badge of honor. A Marvel super power. We should all be wearing capes. According to Thrillist, Minnesota has the worst winters of any state in the union: "All of your good high school hockey players end up starring for NHL teams in other cities. Ice fishing can't be that cool, really. And so we think that – despite all appearances – Minnesota does, in fact, have the most miserable winter in the United States."
But hey, we beat out Michigan, Alaska and North Dakota!
Consider today's biting wind chill of 30 below 'overpopulation insurance'. Thanks to a nearly endless supply of 'fresh air' Minnesota will never become L.A. with lakes.
Ground blizzards south/west of MSP slowly subside today as winds ease up; the mercury reluctant to rise above 0F. Teens and low 20s return next week – flurries late Sunday; maybe a couple inches early Tuesday. No polar air next week, but temperatures average 5-15F below average into the third week of February.
An early spring this year? No sir. Punxetawney Phil may have some explaining to do.
Arctic Slap, Not a Stranglehold. I hesitate calling this another "polar vortex", but rather a more traditional Canadian cold front – one that is fairly typical for early February. You'll feel the sting of wind chill today, with double-digit negative numbers Saturday morning before temperatures recover. Maps above: Praedictix and AerisWeather.
Minnesota: Most Miserable Winters in the USA? Yeah, so what? At least we don't have earthquakes, volcanoes, sandstorms, hurricanes or rising sea levels. We'll take our chances with occasional blasts of polar air. Just slap on another layer or two. Thrillist explains: "…Parts of northern Minnesota see up to 170in of snow in a winter. One hundred seventy inches! That's like two and a half times the height of Kent Hrbek!! It can get down to -60 degrees, a temperature at which frostbite can occur in fewer than five minutes. There are no chinook winds or moderating oceans to temper things outside of a small area by Lake Superior. Your sports teams never win championships. All of your good high school hockey players end up starring for NHL teams in other cities. Ice fishing can't be that cool, really. And so we think that — despite all appearances — Minnesota does in fact have the most miserable winter in the United States..."
Early Spring? I Doubt It. GFS guidance looking out 2 weeks (at 500mb) shows a gyre of cold air over central and northern Canada; pieces breaking off and hurtling south of the border into the third week of February. We'll see blips of relative warmth (a few 30s from time to time) but no, spring is not right around the corner.
Praedictix Briefing: Issued Thursday, February 7th, 2019:
- Snow and ice are impacting parts of the central United States this morning. Several areas of this region will see greater impacts with this system, which could include ice of up to a third of an inch or blizzard conditions. Ice Storm Warnings have been issued from Kansas into southeastern Iowa, and Blizzard Warnings are in place from the Red River Valley into northern Iowa, as well as across parts of the upper peninsula of Michigan.
- Winter Storm Watches have been issued from Friday into Saturday for Seattle, with 8-12" of snow possible.
Road Conditions. Due to heavy snow and blowing snow, no travel is being advised across parts of eastern North Dakota, north-central South Dakota, and northwestern Minnesota. Meanwhile, parts of I-94 from Fargo westward is closed due to near zero visibility caused by heavy snow and blowing snow. Here are links to local DOT agencies for the latest road information:
- North Dakota: http://www.dot.nd.gov/travel-info-v2/
- South Dakota: https://www.safetravelusa.com/sd/
- Minnesota: https://hb.511mn.org/
- Wisconsin: https://511wi.gov/
- Iowa: https://hb.511ia.org/
- Nebraska: https://hb.511.nebraska.gov/
- Kansas: http://www.kandrive.org/kandrive
- Missouri: http://traveler.modot.org/map/index.html
Snow And Ice Continues. Snow and ice will continue to impact parts of the upper Midwest and Great Lakes today, pushing more into the Great Lakes as we head through the overnight hours tonight into Friday. This snow and ice will impact the next few rush hour periods across the region.
Blizzard And Ice Storm Warnings. Numerous winter weather alerts are in place from the central Plains into the Great Lakes this morning, including Ice Storm Warnings from Kansas into southeastern Iowa, and Blizzard Warnings from the Red River Valley into northern Iowa, as well as across parts of the upper peninsula of Michigan. Breaking down some areas under alerts this morning:
- Wichita, KS: Winter Weather Advisory through 9 AM for up to an additional tenth of an inch of ice this morning and snow up to a few tenths of an inch.
- Joplin, MO: Ice Storm Warning until Noon for total ice accumulations of two-tenths to four-tenths of an inch and sleet up to a half an inch.
- Kansas City, MO: Ice Storm Warning until Noon for total ice accumulations of two-tenths to four-tenths of an inch and snow up to a half an inch.
- Ottumwa, IA: Ice Storm Warning until Noon for total ice accumulations of one-tenth to two-tenths of an inch and up to an inch of snow.
- Des Moines, IA: Winter Weather Advisory through 6 PM for 1-3" of snow and ice up to a tenth of an inch.
- Omaha, NE: Winter Weather Advisory through Noon for up to an additional half an inch of snow. Blowing snow is possible.
- Mason City, IA: Winter Weather Advisory through Noon with a Blizzard Warning from Noon to Midnight today for total snow of 1-2", a light glaze of ice, and blizzard conditions. Wind gusts up to 45 mph.
- Sioux Falls, SD: Winter Weather Advisory through 9 AM with a Blizzard Warning from 9 AM to Midnight today for up to an additional inch of snow and blizzard conditions. Wind gusts up to 45 mph.
- Grand Forks, ND: Blizzard Warning through 9 PM for an additional 1-3" of snow and blizzard conditions. Wind gusts up to 40 mph.
- Fargo, ND: Blizzard Warning through 9 PM for a total of 3-5" of snow and blizzard conditions. Wind gusts up to 40 mph.
- Minneapolis, MN: Winter Weather Advisory through Midnight tonight for 3-5" of snow with blowing snow.
- Duluth, MN: Winter Storm Warning through Midnight tonight for 4-9" of snow.
- Marquette, MI: Winter Storm Warning from 10 AM today to 7 AM Friday for 9-12" of snow as well as blowing snow.
- Sault Ste. Marie, MI: Winter Storm Warning from 10 AM to 10 PM today with a Blizzard Warning from 10 PM tonight to 7 AM Friday for total snow accumulations of 1-3" of snow with localized amounts of up to 6". Ice accumulations of a tenth to two-tenths of an inch. Blizzard conditions expected tonight with winds gusting to 35 mph.
- Madison, WI: Winter Storm Warning until 6 PM tonight for up to 3" of snow and a quarter to a third of an inch of ice.
- Milwaukee, WI: Winter Weather Advisory through 9 AM for up to an additional tenth of an inch of ice.
- Traverse City, MI: Winter Storm Warning through 7 PM Friday for up to 2" of snow (isolated 4" amounts) as well as one-tenth to three-tenths of an inch of ice.
- Grand Rapids, MI: Winter Weather Advisory until 7 PM Friday for periods of freezing rain this morning with up to a tenth of an inch of ice, and then snow tonight into Friday with 1-3" of snow expected.
Forecast Ice Potential. Ice accumulation of at least a tenth of an inch through Friday will be possible from central Missouri northeastward into northern Michigan. The heaviest overall additional ice totals of at least a quarter inch will be possible from southern Wisconsin into northern Michigan. This ice will cause slick and dangerous road conditions, as well as the potential of power outages and tree damage.
Forecast Snow Potential. The heaviest snow is expected from western Wisconsin into the upper peninsula of Michigan, where snow totals of at least a half a foot will be possible. This will greatly impact the evening commute tonight across the region.
Peak Wind Gusts Today And Tonight. Strong winds gusting up to 45 mph today and tonight across parts of the upper Midwest are likely to cause whiteout conditions across the region, especially in areas under Blizzard Warnings.
Winter Storm Watch For Seattle. Meanwhile, as another system moves into the west coast, snow is expected to start late tonight into Friday across the Pacific Northwest, including in the Seattle metro. Due to the expected snow, Winter Storm Watches have been issued from Friday into Saturday afternoon across the region.
Graphic: NWS Seattle
Expected Snow Scenario. Right now from Friday into Saturday snowfall totals are expected to be about 8-12" in Seattle. The heaviest snow is likely across the region Friday night into Saturday morning. This snow, just like the snow that hit the region earlier this week, will cause travel headaches Friday into the weekend.
D.J. Kayser, Meteorologist, Praedictix.
14 Billion-Dollar Weather/Climate Disasters in 2018. Details via Climate Central: "Hurricanes hit the U.S. especially hard, leading 2018's near-record list of 14 billion-dollar weather and climate disasters. Hurricanes Michael and Florence combined for at least $49 billion in damages — over half of the total from the year's included events (cost estimates will be updated over time). In addition, the Western wildfire season was the most expensive ever, with total damages of at least $24 billion. Even the sheer number of billion-dollar events is telling — only 2011, 2016, and 2017 have had more. Unless we rapidly reduce our climate-warming emissions, these costly climate disasters will only get worse."
NOAA NCEI has more details here.
January Was Warm – Yes Warm! – Despite That Cold Snap. Rain in late December, more rain in early February, with a brief polar vortex sandwiched in-between. Here's an excerpt from a story by Eric Holthaus at WIRED.com: "This January should be remembered for its unusual warmth, not its cold. Yes, it's so cold right now that even hardy Minneapolis is shutting down schools, but even with these few days of extreme cold, Minnesota should end up with a near "normal" month thanks to weeks of unusual warmth. It was in the 70s and 80s as far north as Maryland on New Year's Day. Alaska has been so warm that they're canceling sled dog races. So far this month, there have been 651 record daily highs across the United States, compared to 321 record daily lows—a roughly 2-to-1 ratio. And that's just in the U.S. Globally, the ratio of record highs to lows was about 20-to-1, with new all-time records in Namibia, Chile, and Reunion Island..."
Photo credit: Anthony Souffle/AP.
The Meteorological Culprits Behind Strange and Deadly Floods. I found a story at Eos interesting; here's a clip: "…The researchers examined extreme floods across several decades in the conterminous United States, using annual flood peak observations from more than 8,000 U.S. Geological Survey stream gauging stations. They developed a statistical framework they call the "upper tail ratio," in reference to the upper tail of a statistical distribution, where rare events reside. The upper tail ratio is defined as the peak discharge for a flood of record, divided by the stream's 10-year flood magnitude. The 1903 Heppner Flood registered an upper tail ratio of 200, topped only by the 1976 flood caused by the bursting of the Teton Dam. The team discovered that record floods share many traits…"
Photo credit: "A new study categorizes the 1903 Heppner Flood in eastern Oregon, shown here, as a "strange flood," which stems from uncommon flood agents or extreme conditions." Credit: National Weather Service.
Apple, the iPhone, and the Innovator's Dilemma. Can Apple pull another rabbit out of their hat? That remains to be seen, according to WIRED.com: "…The Innovator's Dilemma, of course, is about the trap that successful companies fall into time and time again. They're well managed, they're responsive to their customers, and they're market leaders. And yet, despite doing everything right, they fail to see the next wave of innovation coming, they get disrupted, and they ultimately fail. In the case of Apple, the company is trapped by its success, and that success is spelled "iPhone." Take, for example, Christensen's description of the principles of good management that inevitably lead to the downfall of successful companies: "that you should always listen to and respond to the needs of your best customers, and that you should focus investments on those innovations that promise the highest returns..."
Image credit: Apple.
Hawaii May Ban Cigarettes to Anyone Under the Age of 100. CNN.com has the story: "The legislature finds that the cigarette is considered the deadliest artifact in human history." So begins the text of a new bill introduced in Hawaii's State House, calling for a phased ban on cigarette sales in the state by 2024. Hawaii has some of the most restrictive cigarette laws in the nation. In 2016, it became the first state to raise the age to buy cigarettes to 21. Now, its new bill calls for raising the cigarette-buying age to 30 by next year, up to 40, 50 and 60 in each subsequent year, and up to 100 by 2024. That would effectively clear Hawaii's store shelves of cigarettes, although tourists could still bring them in…"
Have You Ever Had a Plane Crush? USA TODAY reports: "Delta Air Lines and Coca-Cola have apologized for in-flight napkins that urged passengers to write down their phone numbers and pass them onto their "plane crush." The instructions on the front of the napkin read: "Because you're on a plane with interesting people and hey… you never know." The back has a spot for a name and phone number, with small print saying: "Be a little old school. Write down your number and give it to your plane crush." The airlines confirmed the offending Diet Coke napkins were being removed, telling USA Today: "We rotate Coke products regularly as part of our brand partnership, but missed the mark with this one… We are sorry for that and began removing the napkins from our aircraft in January..."
FRIDAY: Windy and numb. Feels like -30F. Winds: NW 10-20. High: near 0
SATURDAY: Cold start. Fading sunlight. Winds: SE 7-12. Wake-up: -13. High: 8
SUNDAY: Clouding up. PM flurries possible. Winds: NE 7-12. Wake-up: 3. High: 16
MONDAY: Mostly cloudy, light snow late. Winds: E 10-15. Wake-up: 7. High: 23
TUESDAY: Couple inches of snow may fall. Winds: NW 10-15. Wake-up: 19. High: 22
WEDNESDAY: Mix of clouds and sun, colder. Winds: NW 10-20. Wake-up: 7. High: 13
THURSDAY: Sunny start, more wet snow late? Winds: SE 10-20. Wake-up: 2. High: 21
Climate Stories…
2018: 4th Warmest on Record. Climate Central has the details: "At long last, the government is open and the year-end climate reports from NOAA and NASA are out. As expected, 2018 was the fourth-hottest year on record globally, and another near-record year for U.S. weather and climate disasters. All of the years on record that were hotter or more disaster-filled came in the past decade. To bring context to the global goal of limiting warming to 2°C, we compare the global temperatures to an earlier, pre-industrial 1880-1910 baseline. 2018's global temperatures were 1.90°F (1.06°C) above that baseline — more than halfway there. This made 2018 the second-warmest year on record without an El Niño event, behind only 2017…"
It's (Still) Getting Hot: More perspective from Climate Nexus: "Last year marked the fourth-hottest year on record as the world heads into what is likely to be the warmest decade since record-keeping began, scientists from NOAA and NASA confirmed on Wednesday. Data shows that the Earth's temperature was more than 1 degree C above preindustrial levels on average in 2018, and 18 of the 19 hottest years have occurred since 2001. The UK's Met Office predicted that 2018's toasty temperatures are likely to be the norm over the next decade and and that annual temperatures until 2023 will average 1 degree C or more above 1850-1900 levels. "We're no longer talking about a situation where global warming is something in the future," NASA's Gavin Schmidt told the New York Times. "It's here. It's now." For more, scroll down to the Denier Roundup." (AP, BBC, New York Times $, Axios, The Guardian, Reuters, CNN, CBS, WSJ $, Vox)
Will "Everything Be OK"? The Jury Is Out. Dislocation and disruption will be the new normal, it seems. Here's an excerpt of an Op-Ed at The Washington Post: "…Everything will be okay. We say it even when we don't believe it. Maybe we should stop saying it. There is opportunity in this acceptance. Marvel thinks we need courage, not hope. We must know what's coming, we must realize it will hurt, and we must be very strong together. Hold the problem in your mind. Freak out, but don't put it down. Give it a quarter-turn. See it like a scientist, and as a poet. As a descendant. As an ancestor. "It is an immense privilege to be alive at this time," Alice Major says from Edmonton. "We owe it to ourselves to try as hard as we can to understand what's going on. And to give meaning to it. . . . Only by understanding our lives as meaningful can we hope to create meaningful change..."
Ways to Help Kids Cope With – and Help Combat – Climate Change. Here's an excerpt of a helpful post at The Washington Post: "…But the tone has shifted. The feeling is more dire. I don't know what kids are supposed to do with the sobering fact that their planet is changing for the worse. According to Laura Kastner, a clinical psychologist and professor in the psychology department and the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of Washington, the way to teach kids about environmental issues is not by overwhelming them with data or presenting them with projected outcomes they can see no way of changing. It's by being realistic with kids and also teaching them agency and action. It's what Kastner describes as the "both-and." The idea of first acknowledging that, yes, climate change is happening, and there are things we can do to help…"
Image credit: "As the tone surrounding climate change becomes more dire, our conversations about it with children grow more important." (Jon Cannell/For The Washington Post)
The Cautious Case for Climate Optimism. David Wallace-Wells writes for Intelligencer: "…Every year the average American emits enough carbon to melt 10,000 tons of ice in the Antarctic ice sheets — enough to add 10,000 cubic meters of water to the ocean. Every minute, we each add five gallons. If the task of reversing all that seems incomprehensibly big, it is. The scale of the technological transformation required dwarfs every technological revolution ever engineered in human history, including electricity and telecommunications and even the invention of agriculture 10,000 years ago. By definition, it dwarfs them, because it contains all of them — every single sector needs to be rebuilt from the foundation, since every single one breathes on carbon like it's a ventilator…"
U.S. Coastal Regions Prepare for Storms Due to Climate Change. Energy Journal at The Wall Street Journal has the story: "…Louisiana's Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards pledged $55 million in state surplus and about $300 million in offshore oil revenue for coastal and levee improvements. The moves reflect a growing recognition by some lawmakers that communities aren't sufficiently prepared for increasingly intense storms and weather events that scientists attribute to rising sea levels and other major weather events that many scientists attribute to carbon emissions from fossil fuels, which have been linked to rising global temperatures and more extreme weather patterns. About a third of the U.S. population lived in coastline counties along the Atlantic or Pacific oceans or the Gulf of Mexico in 2016, according to the Census Bureau…"
Image credit: Fourth National Climate Assessment and NOAA, 2018.
Study Shows Climate Change is Fueling Conflict and Mass Migration. NexusMedia has the story: "The United Nations' chief climate scientist recently said that planetary warming threatens "a multitude of security impacts." For years, U.S. military officials have called climate change a "threat multiplier," warning that rising temperatures would fuel political instability, conflict and mass migration in the decades ahead. But, until now, experts had not established a firm link between climate change, political violence and displacement. New research has found strong evidence that climate change is spurring conflict, which is driving people to abandon their homelands and seek safety elsewhere. It should come as no surprise that rising temperatures are worsening droughts, heat waves and floods, leading to shortages of food, water and other resources, resulting in conflict in many regions of the world. In so doing, climate change is an indirect cause of migrant exodus, according to scientists…"
Photo credit: "UN peacekeeping troops march during a military parade in Paris, 2008." Source: Marie-Lan Nguyen.


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Visit SCS
You're invited to Visit the SCS Campus!
Come and discover why families choose Seattle Christian School! SCS invites you to visit our beautiful K-12 campus and see our students and teachers in action.
Review the options below to determine the best way for you to learn more about SCS.
Campus Tours
One great way to learn all about SCS is with a campus tour. Tours are by appointment only and are done within the time slots listed below. This allows us to make sure we can give you access to the classrooms, teachers, and other faculty that can best answer your questions about SCS. Email us with the form below or call Dawn Gorder at (206) 438-5401 to schedule your student's visit.
Tour Options*
Kindergarten: Tuesdays and Thursdays at 1:30
Elementary (1-6): Mondays at 9:00 and Wednesdays at 2:00
Secondary (7-12): Mondays at 10:00 and Wednesdays at 1:00
*Please remember to call or email to schedule your tour as staff and faculty will only be available if we have confirmed attendees!
Open House
Attending an Open House at SCS is the perfect opportunity to meet our wonderful faculty and staff, tour the facility and discover how students thrive academically, grow spiritually, soar in athletics, and excel in the fine and performing arts! No RSVP necessary, just come and enjoy! Please contact Dawn Gorder at (206) 438-5401 for details on our next Open House.
Warrior for a Day
Prospective students are invited to see firsthand what Seattle Christian is all about. Students are paired with a SCS student host and will have the opportunity to observe classroom discussions, meet teachers and students, and explore all that our 13-acre campus has to offer you!
Email us with the form below or call (206) 438-5401 to schedule your student's visit.
Get In Touch
To arrange your visit at SCS, contact Dawn Gorder in Admissions with this form or by calling (206) 438-5401.

subset: commoncrawl


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The Fly is a poem that encourages readers to disregard propaganda and fake news ("The Red Cross sells the things we knit"/"Our camps are evil - men unfit.") that is undermining the war effort. The poem runs above a listing of the top causes of death - pneumonia, influenza and tuberculosis are all included. Elsewhere on the page there is encouragement to follow more wheatless days (more can be sent to the AEF) and meatless Mondays.
Source: "The Fly," The Daily Ardmoreite, Ardmore, Oklahoma. January 28, 1918. Page 4, Column 5.


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Benjamin Franklin witnessed the first hot air balloon lift a human being off the surface of the planet in France. The person standing next to him said "well what use have we for that?"
Franklin responded, "what use have we for a new born baby?"
When you see something for the first time, don't discount it if you don't understand the application. All inventions have use and purposes. All ideas have some merit as long as the seed of the idea is set in good soil and fertile ground. Meaning that all positive ideas, no matter how misunderstood, eventually will find their way into applications as long as someone persists in believing in that idea.
So if you have unique ideas don't hide them. Share them and don't be afraid to look like a kook or a goofball with some off the wall new outlook or angle on something nobody has ever expressed before. Because I guarantee you that there will be people around you , probably the people closest to you who will scoff and pshaw your brilliance as a passing comment.
Don't let that stop you. It just means they don't think the way you do and that's OK.
So build your empire in your mind. Let your imagination run wild and write it out in a form as though you have to present it to the board of directors. Then stand back and take a look at what you've done and you'll realize that you are a pioneer, a ground breaker, an innovator. Believe in yourself!
Believe in your ideas. Our imaginations were given to us not just to take us away into fantasy land and help us escape from trauma but to help us break free from the bonds that have been holding us back from achieving our dreams and making them real. But we first must envision them in a realistic way without obstacles or doubts, including the idea that yes you can get going out from under that mound of opposition you've been putting your focus on.
Imagine it first, you have to believe it if its ever going to become a reality. And I can tell you that anything is possible with patience, perceverance, faith, failure, yes failure, and then getting back in the saddle and remembering your dreams and doing all it takes to make them happen.
Dreams seem far out of reach because they are so far off when we first imaging them, but the more we dream the same dream the more we become a part of that dream and the more we begin to notice that we are surrounding ourselves with the things that we have been imagining.
Believe, imagine and make it happen.


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The Speed of Light
This poem has been constructed with the "erasure" method; the original source material was a pamphlet from the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA) about James Turrell. The words appear in the same order that they appear in the pamphlet, but as I deleted the majority of the text, most of the word combinations / lines sound completely different from the original text.
Link: The Speed of Light
Text Message
This poem is a response to an ongoing "Word Challenge" series at Eclectica in which poets must write a poem containing four pre-chosen words. The words for this challenge were: BORROW, PHONE, LOST, and NOTHING.
Link: Text Message
Learning to Read a River
I wrote this poem while sitting beside the river in this picture, which I took while in residence at The Anderson Center in Red Wing, Minnesota.
Link: Guilt Free and Learning to Read a River
The Fire Next Door
This poem is based on something my siblings and I witnessed as children. I am honored that One Sentence Poems nominated it for a 2017 Pushcart Prize.
Link: The Fire Next Door
Link: Michael Meyerhofer's review of "The Fire Next Door" in Red Fez magazine
How Quickly the Body Forgives
I wrote this poem at the Anderson Center in Red Wing, Minnesota, after a minor biking accident, and I took the photo of lilacs along the bike trail to town.
Link: How Quickly the Body Forgives
The Red Devil
Doxorubicin, one of the chemo drugs I took for my cancer, is nicknamed "The Red Devil" because it is bright red and has horrific side effects. Obviously, we need a cure for cancer, but we also need less toxic drugs to treat cancer patients.
Link: The Red Devil
What Hurts
I wrote this pantoum at I-Park in June 2016, and I'm thrilled it found a home in Muse/A Journal.
Link: What Hurts
I wrote this poem while in residence at The Anderson Center in Red Wing, Minnesota, and it was published on Entropy's website while I was still there!
Link: Headlines
Where I Come From
This poem was selected as Deep South Magazine's poem of the day on April 25, 2017.
Link: Where I Come From
The Miracle of Hands
This poem appears alongside "Reflection" and "Everything, Just Noise" in The Wild Word Issue #15: And So We Love (2017).
Link: The Miracle of Hands and other poems
Why We Couldn't Stay
I wrote this poem (which is based on a true story) at I-Park in Connecticut, and here I am reading it at I-Park's Open Studios in June 2016. It was selected as Deep South Magazine's poem of the day on April 3, 2017.
Link: Why We Couldn't Stay
Something Closer to Joy
Poem about my grandmother making biscuits, published in Whale Road Review, Issue 6 (2017).
Link: Something Closer to Joy
My Mother After My Fourth Round of Chemo
Poem published in Calamus Journal, Issue 4 (2017). This photo was actually taken around the time the poem was written.
Link: My Mother After My Fourth Round of Chemo
My Father Holding His Father's Hand
Poem published alongside "My Younger Sister Riding Shotgun" in Juxtaprose Literary Magazine vol. 10, December 2016.
Link: Two Poems by Sara Hughes
At Twenty and At Sixty
Companion poems, "At Twenty" and "At Sixty," published in Eunoia Review on October 7, 2016.
Link: At Twenty
Link: At Sixty
A Simile for His Name
The controlling image for this poem was inspired by a "poem-in-a-bottle" project I conducted at I-Park in June 2016. I wrote the poem in one sitting and it was published in One Sentence Poems on September 2, 2016.
Link: A Simile for His Name
My Twin Sister in the Print Shop
Poem first published alongside "My Father Counting Change at Closing" in Right Hand Pointing Issue 99: Bone Fire (2016). Web.
Link: My Twin Sister in the Print Shop
The Kingdom of Childhood
This poem is one of four published in Atticus Review in February of 2015. Other poems include "How We Learn," "The Makeout Party," and "Your Laughing, or My Trying to Make it Happen."
Link: Four Poems in Atticus Review
The Tire Swing
Poem first published in decomP: a literary magazine in July 2015. This site also features an audio version of the poem.
Link: The Tire Swing
Watching an Old Springsteen Concert on TV
Poem first published in the anthology, Love Poems and Other Messages for Bruce Springsteen. Ed. Jennifer Bosveld. Columbus: Pudding House, 2009. Print.
Link: Watching an Old Springsteen Concert on TV
Painting Blackbirds
Poem first published in Review Americana vol. 9.1 (2014). Web.
Link: Painting Blackbirds
What You Must Understand
Poem first published in Stone River Sky: An Anthology of Georgia Poetry. Eds. Carey Scott Wilkerson and Melissa Dickson. Mobile: Negative Capability Press, 2015. Print.
Link: What You Must Understand
Four Poems About Twins
"One Song," "Twin Speak," "The Conjoined," and "Study Abroad." First published in The Collapsar Issue 6 (2014). Web.
Link: Four Poems by Sara Hughes
Pretend You Don't Owe Me a Thing
Poem first published in Rattle: Poetry for the 21st Century vol.10.2 (2004). Print.
Reprinted on Rattle's website in November of 2012.
Link: Pretend You Don't Owe Me a Thing


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Condominium living is a popular option for many as it can be a relatively carefree housing option and London Ontario is no exception and by following these tips, it will definitely be carefree!
Most newspapers now include a condominium section which recognizes the increasing number of people who already live in—or aspire to live in—a condominium.
The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) has created a guide to help you become an informed condominium buyer and to help you make the best choice. At the end of the CMHC Guide you will find full definitions of some of the terms used.
It will identify important questions to ask—and the people you should be asking—before you make this important purchase.
At the end of the report, there is a selection checklist to help you narrow down the choice between the different types of condominiums you might see.
Another great Condos in London guide is one that I have been providing to Londoners for the last 15 years, in it you will see price ranges and styles of condos, neighbourhoods, specific buildings or complexes, local London Ontario links and telephone numbers, maps and tips.
I hope you will find it as helpful as hundreds of clients have.


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At garage sales, I always keep an eye out for turtlenecks. I don't like the way I look in them; rather, what I do is bring them home and snip off the "turtleneck" part, which I then wear as a stretchy headband! Just make sure you cut so that the seam is still attached to the neckline of the shirt. That way, you have a finished edge on what is left, and your new headband stretches nicely. :)
By Brianna Southworth from Dutch Harbor, AK
Add your voice! Click below to comment. ThriftyFun is powered by your wisdom!


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The United Nations of Tatreez/
By: Nadia Abuelezam
I didn't grow up embroidering or knowing how to do any Palestinian handiwork. I only really started to appreciate Palestinian tatreez when I was older and understood it's importance. The stitches weave the present and the past together. It is tradition, it is culture, and it is politics all summed up into fabric. It is primarily a women's craft, the women's voice and story looping through history, conflict, and war.
When I heard about the exhibit "Palestinian Embroidery: Threads of Continuity, Identity, and Empowerment" at the United Nations General Assembly in New York City from Wafa Ghnaim (#11: Wafa, Missiles, Wheat, and Gardens), I wasn't sure what the exhibit would contain. But on the last day the exhibit was open, my husband and I made the trek into New York City to it at the United Nations General Assembly. After getting our guest passes and walking into the UN compound, my heart was racing. "Was this exhibit going to represent Palestinians in a good light? Would it be stuffed into a corner where only people looking for it could find it? Were there going to be others looking at it? Maybe it was only a poster board worth of material, maybe it wasn't worth the trip?"
After walking into the lobby, the exhibit stood prominently and proudly on the left hand side. I was so excited and thrilled to see the rows of artwork, embroidery, and pictures illustrating and highlighting the history of embroidery in Palestine and the influence tatreez has had on fashion, art, and politics. Since the exhibit has ended, the pictures below aim to show you some of the work that was on display, in case you were not able to see it in person.
I felt empowered by this exhibit. I felt empowered when I walked in and saw "Palestinian" written prominently in the lobby of the United Nations General Assembly. I thought "that's me!" Those are my people. We are more than victims, we are more than people fighting for their homes and their land. We are more than just political pawns in a larger and seemingly never ending war. We are a people with history, culture, and tradition that has survived centuries.
So, yeah, maybe it was just an exhibit in the lobby of the United Nations General Assembly in New York that only a few hundred or thousand people saw. But for me, it was a symbol of something more, of tides changing, of recognition which may, someday, turn into rights, freedom, and undeterred existence.


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The night is always darkest just before sunrise. Words that resound today, as the people of Botswana pay their last respects to Sir Ketumile Masire, the second president and one of the founding fathers of the republic of Botswana.
It could not be truer as we, in this article, reflect on the 18 years of public service by the late statesman and his contribution to the economic prosperity that we still relish in today.
The southern African development community, preceded by Southern African Development Co-ordinating Conference (SADCC) was a creation of the forefathers, leaders of the Frontline States was established on 1st April, 1980. The "community" was therefore formed before the presidency of Masire, but as vice president, he was part of the leadership that is responsible for the formation of what is now known by the acronym SADC.
According to the SADC website, the southern African region had a combined GDP of US$20 billion from 1980 to 1992. This grew from 1992 to 2012 to stand at a GDP of US$471 billion, a feat made possible by cooperation that induced the growth of the economies in the region.
Economic prosperity or growth is ordinarily measured by the growth in gross domestic product (GDP). According to Statistics Botswana, with data sourced from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) world economic outlook, the economy of Botswana during the 18 year rule under President Masire grew at an average of 4.5 percent. This was quite a remarkable feat as compared to neighbouring countries and regimes before and after Masire. South Africa, which had a GDP which was estimated to be 77 times larger than that of Botswana, had a GDP with an average growth rate of -7 percent. At this time, it was also estimated that 80 percent of all imports into Botswana were from South Africa. This is a commendable achievement and prudent fiscal management for the leadership under President Masire.
Under President Festus Mogae, the average growth rate of GDP was dampened to 3.8 percent whilst in the current regime, according to World Economic Outlook statistics, the growth rate of the economy as measured by GDP is at an average of 2.2 percent.
The government under Masire prioritised, just like the current government, employment creation and universal education. As noted by Grossman in 1972, education is the most important determinant of human capital. Therefore the goal of achieving universal primary education is also related to economic growth, health, gender equality and a whole host of other indicators.
The country has been a beacon of light in the region, the continent and the world as it provides free of charge education from primary level to tertiary level. This, most experts agree, was a step in the right direction for the development of the country and growth of the economy.
Botswana has always been known to have enormous foreign exchange reserves this is due to budget surpluses that were known at the time to easily run into billions of dollars. This feat was commendable as reserves set aside served as security for the rainy days.
Social and economic commentators though argued that for such a small country, it made no economic sense to have such huge reserves and it was a sign of a government that relied heavily on the private sector as they failed to invest into the country. That is, more could have been done in terms of investing in human capital as even today, the country is known to be lagging behind in terms of skilled labour and human capital productivity in the public sector.
Botswana had the second highest HIV prevalence rates in the world in 2011 at 23.4 percent just behind Swaziland at 26 percent (UNAIDS, 2012). This result can be attributed to ARVs which prolong life thus increasing prevalence rates. When the disease was first diagnosed the estimated median survival time was only 12 months, but after the introduction of ARVs, this estimate rose to five years as time went by and health care improved.
Therefore, the duration of a disease affects prevalence positively. Prevalence will most likely remain higher for longer periods if life years increase and this is bound to have an effect on health expenditure. An indicator that was effectively dealt with, by the leadership of President Mogae.
The national health policy of Botswana, first drafted in 1995, notes that the country has a sparsely distributed population with around 3 persons per square kilometre. With a GDP per capita of BWP 14,232, the country has an estimated life expectancy of 46.5 years. This was due to the damning effects of HIV at the time and hence, economic prosperity was achieved during Masire's presidency but was rolled back by the lack of growth in human capital due to the disease. Provision of the public good was a priority for the government, according to International Energy statistics, an average of 0.185 million kilowatts was installed from 1980 to 1998. This has remained a priority in the budgets as the electrification projects are today a mainstay of the national development plans.
Sir Ketumile Masire's presidency is characterised not only by economic growth, but by the two referendums that today are a variable, among others, that determine foreign direct investment flow into the country. The referendum that replaced the Supervisor of Elections with the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), is an achievement that most today would agree that if not for it, democracy with which Botswana attracts foreigners, would be a far-fetched dream. It is therefore commendable that Sir Ketumile Masire played a role in the development of this country.


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Welcome to the new normal. Technology is everywhere and effects everyone and everything. To keep up with the changes and information that impacts the equestrian world, I hope you will enjoy the stories, profiles and insights this blog features. In addition, stay connected on social by joining the Twitter, Instagram and Facebook pages!
All tagged Alexa Anthony
The Tech Equestrian recently caught up with Alexa Anthony, CEO of Magic AI Corporation and parent company to StableGuard™ to find out more about how their monitoring and alert digital system is transforming horse safety.


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Auntie Made Me Cum.With Her Feet This is the second part to come from Made Me Cum Series Read the first one to understand the background of this story. ___________________________________________________________________________________ I had wiped all the cum off my mums feet now and they looked as good as new, i kissed them and gave them a little massage and put her shoes back on.
We then both walked into the restaurant and found the rest of the family sitting round the table singing me happy birthday. the restaurant was a local so it was a relaxed atmosphere and there was music playing in the background the same as any normal meal until i released my aunt was walking funny as she was going to get her food from the carvery.
i walked over to her a i was thanking all the family for my various presents. i asked her "aunty, why are you walking funny?." "i broke the bottom of my heel on the way in" "oh ok bet thats not very comfortable?." "no it not, but we are in public so i have to wear my shoes" she looked slightly embarrassed i had noticed but seem not to mind as it was hurting her. i suggested she walks around barefoot, but she refused as she was like my mum and took really good care of her feet properly more than my mum.
"i can't walk barefoot my feet will smell" i tried to reassure her "its ok we are family im sure we can deal with it" "okay its your birthday and if it is okay with you i will" she slipped her broken heel off and rubbed her feet "ah thats better," she stretched her toes out and rubbed her feet. then looked at me then down at her feet implying i should look at her feet. "do you like the nail color?." i really did it was the all black look that i really like, i nodded and laughed it off and walked back to my table.
during the meal mum kept looking over at me and seductively eating her food mimicking it was my cock. i was getting slightly hard from this and seeing my aunties barefeet. nothing much more happened at the meal until we drove back to my aunties as she has a swimming pool in her house. mum and i got into the car and started up the car but mum waited for all the other family cars leave the car park and she said, "do you want to drive to your aunties?.
as you are learning and its your 21st?." i jumped at the chance and ran around to the other side of the car but mum didn't move. erm mum can you get out please. she smirked and got out of the car slowly and as she got out she grabbed my semi. "i saw you looking at auntie feet" "sorry, she looks after them as much as you!" she smiled and walked round and got in the zoey foxx asshole pounded by throbbing dick on the couch side.
we drove to my aunties and pulled up outside.
"Hun im going to go talk to your auntie, you go and wait in the pool" i obliged and got into my shorts and jumped in the pool. minutes later my aunty came into the pool room and walked into the pool and swam over to me. i wondered what this was all about, was there a supervise present? my auntie was wearing a tight dark brown bikini, her breast were smaller than my mums around 32d but still big enough too see a big cleavage.
her pussy looked thicker than mums as you could see the lips outline in the bikini and it had a thonged back. my aunt has tanned skin with clear tan lines. "your mum spoke to me and said she had pleasuring a lusty thick jock hardcore and blowjob your her feet" "erm. yes" "its okay your mum and i love attention to our feet, its our thing" "ok i noticed yours at the restraint i told mum" "oh did you now, what did she say?" "that you take more care than her" "serious.
her feet are amazing i wish i could have mine half as nice as her's, and from what ive heard she can use them well too." i thought to myself should i answer her properly and tell her what happened, or would mum even tell her?." "oh ive never tried feet before, especially mums" "well i guess today may change that" i was in shock was i going to get two of the best footjobs of my life in one day?
just as i was getting hard, the rest of my family came in and jumped into the pool. my aunt looked shocked and swam away from me pretending to do lengths. as my family continued to play i noticed my aunt in the corner of the pool pointing me to go over to the hot tub. i swam over and jumped and waited. the next thing i feel is my aunts feet rubbing the top of my head as she stands on the edge of the hot tub. i opened my eyes and pretended to be shocked she chuckled "i thought I'd find you here" i just laughed back and grabbed her foot and licked the sole and a few toes she was looking around trying to look normal but let out a little moan "i think i should come in, someone might see" i moved over and she sat opposite me we had light chit chat about my work and what she is doing then i felt it her feet sliding up the inside of my shorts, thanks to the water my sensitive head was fine to be touched.
i felt her soft toes rubbing all over the head, i just looked stunned and started to pull my shorts down and get my cock out. i could see each soft black toe sliding up and off the end of my throbbing head. i tilted my head back and saw other members of my family coming over to the hot tub so i turned on the bubbles so no one could see. with this she picked up the pace. she whispered "my told me you have already cummed today, so i guess it wont be long" i could see her pulling her bikini bottoms down and aligning her bum with one of the jets on the hot tub.
she was moaning gently. but stopped when another member of my family got in. i expected her to stop but she continued faster and was having a chat with a straight face whilst i keep having to put my head in the water to let out a moan. my mum could see that the member was disturbing something and called them over to the BBQ and they got out.
My aunt put herself back onto the jet and asked me to turn lisa tiffian ebony chick blowjob fuck glory hole up as i did she started rubbing my cock so fast.
i was so close to cumming i though she was but as matures go they moan and moan and just keep on moaning as if they are going to cum but it takes them very long.
she told me its ok just cum in the tub and no one will notice are you ready for my finishing move, i think its better than your mums. "ok aunty" in my mind i was doubtfully, with that she slide her big toe over the end of my penis and began gently forcing it into the tip of my penis whisly her other big and first toe was forcing back my foreskin and squeezed.
i screamed into the water as i began to cum and my auntie pushed her big toe completely covering the hole.
i felt so amazing like i was cumming. then my auntie told me that i hadn't cummed and proved it to me by turning the jets off, i has to cummed at all, she told me as soon as she moved her big toe i would cum more intense than that. i didn't believe her but she move slightly then quickly moved her big toe off my penis head and forced the shaft skin so tight against my balls. immediately rope after role of cum floated in the pool i curled up and almost sank in the tub in pure delight.
"WOW THANKS, YOUR FINISHING MOVE IS GOING TO TAKE A LOT OF BEATING!" "thanks babe, anytime you need a good realse come round, only feet though" "i wasn't thinking anymore, i think thats all i could handle" i wanted more though but knew I'd have to wait, or maybe not at all. i thanked my auntie again and got out of the tub and jumped back in the pool to continue sunny leone xxx she sucks nipples a man wild day so far.
was there still more to cum. ________________________________________________________ thanks for reading comments are much appreciated + what you like and didn't + what more stories would you like in the future Hiddenpassion5 x


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About a week ago on Facebook we promised to share some recipes with you all. We asked what recipes you were most interested in and Fried Chicken was one that we thought was appropriate since #1. July 6th is National Fried Chicken Day and #2. We're planning to do another Southern fried pop up dinner on July 14, 2017!
Here's the Fried Chicken Recipe.
Here's the brine recipe for a Dairy Free version. I use this brine for all birds.
The Buttermilk marinade time is important because it is like a brine. It tenderizes the chicken and infuses it with the flavors from the marinade. The dairy free brine recipe is a perfect example of this flavor infusion, a technique we're fond of at Café Avalaun. The flour is a perfect blend to achieve the cravable crispy texture and flavor.
For the frying. In the old days a cast iron skillet was the best and still is the best. The method would be a bit different because you'd have to turn the chicken to complete the cooking process. If you are keen on this, then go for it. I recommend considering a table top electric fryer. A gadget you'll find many uses for. The pot on the stove method also requires a thermometer to monitor the temperature. A common mistake is to have the temperature be right where you want it at the time you immerse the chicken and then it drops down really fast to around 250º. Then you end up with greasy soggy chicken. Also do not crowd the chicken into the oil. Two things might happen. The oil could boil over and you'd have a nasty grease fire on your hands or the temperature drop thing will happen. I say do it in batches and then flash your chicken in a 400º oven for about 8-10 minutes once all of it is done. This is how we do it at the café since we only have one fryer and we couldn't conceivably cook 40 birds inside a 2-hour window in order to serve everyone.


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5 Things You Need To Know (Valentine's Day)
NewsRadio 570 WSYR's Mark Wainwright gives you the top 5 things you need to know for your Tuesday morning:
1. The National Security Adviser Quits - Michael Flynn talked too much, too soon, to the wrong people. Read More
2. The Dam Thing Could Blow - California Lake Oroville dam hanging by a thread. Read More
3. "Playboy" Gets Back To Its Roots - The models will, once again, bare it all. Read More
4. So Close, So Painful - Orange lose to Louisville in OT. Read More
5. Can You Hear Me Now? - Verizon caves to the competition.


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A dark, quiet room, enough space and a comfortable mattress – that's all many of us need to make sure we get a good night's rest. But beyond the lack of light imposed by the setting of the sun, for most of human history that kind of comfort was unheard of.
You might have the impression that our ancient ancestors huddled in caves creating nesting out of grass and leaves. But mattresses, in one form or another, date back to before the ancient Egyptians. Of course, the quality of these mattresses varied wildly. Whilst a rich Roman may have reclined on one made of feathers, many people of lower social status endured a rough mattress stuffed with reeds or hay.
During the 18th century, however, things began to change. People began to favour raised beds, which kept the sleeper away from vermin, and the first mattress stuffed with cotton was introduced. In the coming centuries, more and more people would be able to achieve a comfortable night's sleep.
It was only with the advances of the industrial revolution, that the comfort offered by a superior mattress became available to the masses. The first coil spring mattress was invented in 1865, and in 1881 in Sealy, Texas, Daniel Hayes patented the first method for compressing cotton into mattresses. Finally, instead of lumps, bumps and scratchy materials, the Sealy mattress created a new benchmark in smoothness and support.
Nowadays, a new level of intelligent design goes into our all-important sleeping environments. Solidly constructed bed bases support mattresses fabricated to aid the body, back and posture. And new materials, such as memory foam (first created by NASA) and durable, cooling latex are taking sleep to whole new levels of support and comfort.
With the prospect of straw stalks poking into them every time they rolled over, you might expect that up until the 19th century most people had their sleep disrupted. While we can't say for sure that sleeping on a hay mattress would interrupt your sleep, there are indications that people did not sleep in one solid block during the night.
There's a wealth of historical evidence which suggests that throughout history, humans have slept in two distinct phases during the night – waking up in the middle. During this waking period, there are records of people doing everything from household chores, to praying and chatting to the neighbours.
This bi-modal sleeping pattern was first referenced in Homer's Odyssey,'1 and continued well until the 20th century. So, if you're in the habit of waking up the middle of the night and tossing and turning until morning – this might not be down to discomfort, anxiety or a restless sleeping partner. It could be an evolutionary hangover, with its roots in segmented sleep.2
As our waking hours have extended, thanks to electric light and the many distractions of modern life, we're now working later and staying up longer – reading, browsing online, watching TV or enjoying a night out with friends. How could we possibly wake for an hour or two in the middle of the night now? Overall, the time which we can devote to rest and relaxation has reduced, although we still need it.
Why our bodies need sleep is a question humans have been grappling with for centuries. The answers have ranged from far-fetched, to strangely prescient.
The ancient Egyptians believed that sleep brought them close to death and offered them an opportunity to commune with the gods. They closely examined the deeper meanings of dreams.3 Aristotle, on the other hand, felt that sleep was purely physical. He speculated that we fall asleep as result of vapours rising from the stomach, gathering in the head, cooling and flowing down towards to heart.
The Greek physician, Galen, came closer to our modern understanding of sleep, observing that the loss of consciousness occurred in the brain and not the heart. Nowadays we understand much more about the processes that trigger sleep and wakefulness, and the critical functions we rely on sleep to perform. However, the vital role of sleep is still something of a mystery.
We still might not understand why our bodies need sleep, or exactly what happens to our brains when we get it – but we do have a better idea of how to best set ourselves up for it.
Comfort, stability and temperature control are all vital elements of a good night's sleep. And your mattress is an essential component in this. With the development of new technologies, such as latex, memory foam and roll-up mattresses there's something to suit every sleeper.
But is this the end of the line, or could the future hold even sweeter dreams? Sealy – still at the forefront of sleep technology – recently teamed up with a renowned futurologist, taking a closer look at the future of sleep. And – taking a leaf out of the NASA inspired memory-foam innovation – Sealy beds of the future look positively space age.
With levitating mattresses, fabric which contracts like muscles in the body and beds designed to monitor the body's biological signs as possibilities – the future of sleep is a far cry from a hay-stuffed mattress on a hard floor. While the current range of Sealy mattresses might not take your blood pressure as you sleep – the innovation behind Sealy memory-foam mattresses, patented spring systems, and smart fibres points to even greater innovations to come. The world has had a taste of the future of sleep, and it wants more.
So, whether you're tucking in at night on a soft, pocket sprung mattress, a cosy memory-foam double or a cool latex king-size, take a moment to count your lucky stars. There's never been a better time to get a good night's rest.
1 http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/interactive/timeline
2 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-16964783
3 https://vanwinkles.com/ancient-interpretations-about-sleep
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Style Inspiration: To The Max
Details: Rick Owens Jacket (old) | Theory Maxi Dress | Balenciaga Boots (old) | Hermes Bag | Celine Sunglasses | Balenciaga Bracelet | Hermes Bracelet
For a chic Fall look, style a maxi sweater dress with a black shearling leather jacket, and lace-up ankle boots. Pull the look together with a black leather handbag, oversize sunglasses, and stacked leather cuff bracelets.
And that's it! I'm loving this quick and easy outfit idea. There's nothing like a few wardrobe basics to create a stylish look.
xo, Danielle Nicole


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X Men Costume - News
Storm's Costume From The First X-Men Movie Is for Sale
The best available option for sating this oddly specific thirst would probably be buying this: the costume Halle Berry wore as Storm in the first X-Men film. Of course, if you're a dude, this isn't likely to fit very well. If you are a lady, however
The X-Men TV Series Could Feature Quicksilver
Played by Evan Peters, Quicksilver was undoubtedly the most pleasant surprise of X-Men: Days of Future Past. Following some pretty poor-received costume reveals, the speedster was under much scrutiny before he ever hit the big screen, but the Pentagon
Hollywood Costume exhibit showcases iconic wardrobe
While many outfits are displayed in "scene III," at the center of it all are the superheroes. Costumes from The Dark Knight Rises, Man of Steel, Captain America, Iron Man 3, and X-Men: Days of Future Past create the very center of the room. With Spider
'Maleficent,' Groot Top List of Hottest Movie-Inspired Halloween Costumes
Jennifer Lawrence is represented twice on the ladies' list: Katniss from "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 1" and Mystique from "X-Men: Days of Future Past" are the second- and third-most popular costumes. The Black Widow, Scarlett Johansson's
How Original Is Your Halloween Costume Idea? Check These Charts.
Using Google Trends, attempted to predict which costumes would be popular this Halloween. Google Trends gives search terms a score between 0 and 100, with 100 meaning highest popularity. While the tool can't tell you exactly how many people will
Costumes for the entire family
Pinterest is another great resource for Halloween costumes, Perera says. The latest kids' movies continue to lead the costume inspiration. According to the survey, Canadians think Disney's Frozen will beat Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and X-Men: Days
Costumes bring characters to life at New York Comic Con
This year, Darius is attending the convention as different characters on different days, including Mystique from X-Men and Rita Repulsa, a villain the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers faced early in the series, which she will wear for the costume competition.


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No order to halt probe of Oando – Adeosun
The Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun said on Friday the government had not ordered a halt to an investigation of oil company Oando after she suspended the head of the Securities and Exchange Commission last week.
Forensic auditors have resumed work at the oil company, Adeosun said in a statement, adding that the ministry had approved the original decision to carry out the audit at Oando.
The minister suspended SEC Director General Mounir Gwarzo last week over allegations of financial impropriety, a month after Gwarzo started an investigation into Oando's shareholding structure and froze trading in its shares.
Lawmakers are probing the suspension, saying that they would look into whether the ministry had interfered with the SEC's work.


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Franchises for Sale in Barstow, CA
Discover business opportunities, in or around Barstow, with well-established brands, who are looking for people like you to help them grow.
As of the 2010 United States Census, Barstow, located in the Golden State, had a total population of 24,596 people. This makes Barstow the two hundred fifty nineth-most populated city in the state of CA.


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Surface-enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) of rhodamine 6G (R6G) adsorbed on biharmonic metallic grating structures was studied. Biharmonic metallic gratings include two different grating components, one acting as a coupler to excite surface plasmon polaritons (SPP), and the other forming a plasmonic band gap for the propagating SPPs. In the vicinity of the band edges, localized surface plasmons are formed. These localized plasmons strongly enhance the scattering efficiency of the Raman signal emitted on the metallic grating surfaces. It was shown that reproducible Raman scattering enhancement factors of over 105 can be achieved by fabricating biharmonic SERS templates using soft nano-imprint technique. We have shown that the SERS activities from these templates are tunable as a function of plasmonic resonance conditions. Similar enhancement factors were also measured for directional emission of photoluminescence. At the wavelengths of the plasmonic absorption peak, directional enhancement by a factor of 30 was deduced for photoluminescence measurements.
©2008 Optical Society of AmericaFull Article | PDF Article
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text: It's been awhile…and it might be a bit longer as I'm off to Tokyo tomorrow. (Woo hoo!) But thought I'd leave you with this fun mushroom. Not the best photo in the world, but I have a huge deadline today and just wanted to take this for fun. Excellent tutorial on how to make these here.


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Fibre has had a long history with Future Society. Being amongst some of the most veteran of the collective, he has been an incredibly active and dedicated part of our family. In the past he has partaken in many releases, notably Future Society Volume I, the first Single Series, and the split EP known as Virtues with Aritus. While Fibre took some time away from Future Society during the second half of 2016 to focus more on his own musical endeavors and work on his upcoming label, Montaime, he is back with two stellar singles! One of the tracks features Moe Collective Founder and FSC member Discandy and the other is a remaster from Fibre's Winter Club Record single, Don't Stop Me. Check it here!
Not only do we get this wonderful release, but we have the pleasure of getting into the mind of Fibre and asking him some questions! Be sure to check further releases in the future for interviews as we will be making these more frequent.
Question 1: A new direction.
You've taken somewhat of a turn away from Future Funk and have been focusing on a different style, could you elaborate what kind of music that is, who is inspiring you, and where do you want to take your sound?
After two EP's and a couple of singles, I was already making music for around 4 years, and was starting to get bored. Music began to feel formulaic and I started to lack inspiration. It was frustrating, since I still wanted to make music, but I wasn't able to satisfy my own measure of quality.
After I finished 810 (the single), I planned to start composing more. Over 10 months, I started to develop my sound into something much more unique and far less limiting. I started incorporating elements I would've never had the capability of including. I started to seriously pick up instruments and study music theory.
I haven't released any of those songs yet, but the people that have heard them so far have enjoyed it! There is definitely a lot in the works right now, including some collaborations, a compilation and a solo EP. I don't think it would've been possible to develop my sound into the way that it has developed without the inspiration of French Touch/Disco artists such as fusq, Suken, Bazz, Billboard, the Sexy Brut team, and the Future Funk artists that continue to push the barriers of what the genre is defined as. It has definitely been an exciting experience to communicate with new artists, get help from them, and really get to know them as people.
Question 2: 810 an adieu to the old, ushering in the new?
After taking a break from the Future Society family, you released a stellar album on Business Casual known as "810." There are tracks you've posted in the past on the album as well as some newer material. It was a sort of farewell to your older style, so what does the album particularly mean to you and how did it represent yourself as an artist?
810 was written over the course of the summer while I was visiting and meeting new members of my family that I had never met before. I spent a lot of of my days spending time with my family, and spent probably half of every night sampling, programming percussion and writing baselines. I was in another country, so I was only able to bring a pair of headphones and my laptop. I left my keyboard at home, and basically penciled the notes in for whatever I was producing. It was painstaking, but 810 is a representation of the type of Future Funk music I quite accidentally developed as a part of the scene. The title track is especially important to me, as it was finished on my 18th birthday, and it was the last song to be completed in the EP. It represented the grassroots origin of the FIBRE project. 810 serves well as an outro, but it also ends in a very ambient way, and echoes off into silence. It completes the EP, but also leaves the listener wanting more.
Question 3: Montaime and it's goals.
Montaime seems to have been looming around for quite some time now, I know personally that you've been working quite hard on it and assembling a stellar compilation. Could you tell us more about Montaime and what it's objective is as a new label?
Montaime is a project that I've been working on with some close friends for a while now. It's been in the works ever since mid last year, and it is a label that focuses mostly on the "French Touch" blanket term. The term covers the majority of French House/Funk/Disco music, but it has developed over the years. It is essentially a niche, but you can totally consider acts such as Daft Punk, Justice, Breakout, Mr. Oizo, SebastiAn, Mr. Flash, etc as a part of that. Essentially, my friends and I got together to mash micro samples and synths together into a banging record. There are hints of future funk on that compilation which is cool, but a lot of it is way different from what most House/Future Funk labels are doing. I feel that this is going to bring some of the French Touch community together and get us talking in between ourselves more. I would say that some of the tracks on the compilation are even Ed Banger-like in style :) It's going to be cool to see how it unfolds, and hopefully it will make way for new projects down the line in between these artists. But for the most part, it is like throwing yourself in a pitch black room. You don't know exactly if it will be as successful as you expect it to be, so we are trying to take it one step at a time. We are also planning to do a small vinyl run for this compilation, which will be super tight!
Question 4: Fibre's inspirations and recommendations.
Be it Future Funk, Disco House, French Touch, etc, what would you recommend to newer producers who want to get into this sort of funk/disco inspired music that we all make?
Future Funk:
SAINT PEPSI - Hit Vibes
SUPERSEX420 x TENDENCIES - Split EP
Amherst - Like New
Future Society Volume 2
Keats Collective Volume 5
VANTAGE // - Metro City
Moe Shop - Pure Pure and Moshi Moshi
Disco House:
The Phantom's Revenge - Charlie
Melee - VII (esp Miss Fine Love)
Le Phunk - Club Flamingo EP
French Touch:
Suken - Linear Love Story
Fonkynson - #followme
fusq - Lost Station EP
Bazz - Pudding EP
Breakbot - By Your Side
Daft Punk's entire discography
Roule/Crydamoure discography
Vulture Music discography
Lemaitre - Relativity 1, 2 and 3
Justice - †
SebastiAn - Total
SebastiAn - Remixes
Mr. Oizo - Lambs Anger / Stade 2 / All Wet
Mr. Flash - Sonic Crusader
DJ Mehdi - Lucky Boy
Uffie - Sex Dreams and Denim Jeans
This isn't French Touch, but Capsule's entire discography is tight. Especially "phony phonic." Phenomenal album. The Avalanches' "Since I Left You" is also a big inspiration for me. Obviously, most of the Ed Banger discog as well.
Question 5: Plans and upcoming releases.
Being the ambitious artist that you are, there seems to be a lot of opportunities and ideas coming to life in the future for you, could you tell a bit about what your plans are in the coming months?
For 2017, I have a solo EP in the works which is very post-French Touch influenced. I also have a couple of singles and a compilation track coming out on my label Montaime! If everything goes to plan this will be the first time a song of mine gets put on wax, so its exciting. I'll also be working with several artists on collaborations. That's all I can say for now!
Thank you for the words, I'm personally very excited about what Montaime's future holds as well that solo EP in the works! If you want to hear more of Fibre's music be sure to check out his Soundcloud and social medias.
Thanks for reading~
- Fibre -
- Future Society -


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Toby Dawson: 'Turning casual skiers into world-class athletes is biggest challenge'
U.S. ski champion Toby Dawson, an Olympic bronze medalist at the 2006 Turin Olympics, says the hardest part of training Korea's freestyle ski team for the 2018 Games in PyeongChang is turning amateur skiers into top-tier competitors.
With three years to go until the Olympic torch reaches Korea, there's still a lot of work to be done, he says.
"Some of the skiers I have are now becoming athletes," he told Groove Korea in an interview in Seoul. "They were kind of like weekend skiers, what we would call weekend warriors" — those who loved to hit the slopes but weren't training or going to the gym.
"So to change these guys into world-class athletes has been the biggest challenge."
Dawson is currently working with three skiers with the Korean Ski Association and four who are on the pro ski team launched by Grand Korea Leisure, the company that operates the Seven Luck Casino.
While the athletes already have some competition experience — one of his skiers, Seo Jung-hwa, competed in the 2010 Vancouver Games — Dawson says that it takes more than a place at the starting gate to become competitive in their field.
The 2014 Sochi Olympics were a disappointment for Korea's athletes, as they finished 13th in the medal table, missing their top-10 target. With just eight medals earned, three of them gold, it was Korea's lightest medal haul since Salt Lake City in 2002.
There was, however, a glimmer of hope: Choi Jae-woo became the first Korean skier to achieve a top-12 placing in mogul skiing — a new Korean record for the sport.
Dawson, a Korean-born adoptee to the U.S. who lobbied hard in 2011 for the PyeongChang bid to host the Winter Olympics, was appointed head coach of the freestyle ski team in April 2012.
His next goal is to see Korean skiers on the medals podium. "The whole reason I came to Korea is to search for a medal," he says.
Preparing for the PyeongChang Games is a huge life change for his skiers, with an array of technical elements for them to learn as they maintain a schedule of daily strength and endurance conditioning. To help with the adjustment, Dawson is using his connections in the field to arrange for practices alongside the U.S., Swedish and German national teams.
Off-season training takes place in Honolulu's Trampoline Camp, and the team also trains in water ramp jumping at Hakuba 47 Resort in Japan and on snow at Perisher Resort in Australia, Zermatt Resort in Switzerland and Ruka Resort in Finland.
Back in Korea, Dawson takes his skiers to Phoenix Park in Gangwon Province — which will host the Games' freestyle snowboarding events — to get used to the area, the slopes and the gradients.
"The better we get to know it as a team and me as a coach, I think the better situation we'll be in when we come to the 2018 Olympics," he says. The trainees who are cut out for PyeongChang, he says, are now starting to show some real progress.
Beyond the Games, Dawson wants to use his background, technical knowledge and network of ski coaches — including his former competitors — to produce a strong Korean roster for freestyle skiing and establish grassroots junior programs in Korea to help the sport grow.
"The U.S. Ski Team does a great job in educating and keeping regional teams up to date through seminars (and) online tutorials," says Dawson, adding that prominent ski resorts, such as Vail, Aspen and Summit County in Colorado, have junior, development and competition programs that allow young skiers to develop and get to train and watch older athletes compete.
But "these opportunities were not presented (in Korea)."
Introducing these programs, Dawson says, "will make the sport even better, because it makes the dynamic (of) one country more competitive in a sport that not a lot of other countries are competitive in."
Looking ahead to the 2018 Games, Dawson says that for his skiers, the questions of whether each individual athlete is focused and ready to compete have become integral to the team's training. "If an athlete is thinking about the process and being prepared," he explains, "he's going to have a higher chance (of reaching the podium)."
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Today's guest blogger is Gus. Welcome, buddy.
Once upon a time there was a talking bull that went up and talked to an old man. An old rainbow came and trapped them in a cave. They got scared. A bug came and bit them. Somebody's dad came and saved them. They all went to go eat cookies.
(Yes, I am one of those moms, but it's my blog, so get over it.)


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The Pickle Pie Club meets every month at 9:30 to 3:00, join anytime. Projects in these classes are Not for Sale - available only to Club Members.
Cost: $15.00. Includes the pattern & design for project. Students will bring their own supplies.
Time: 9:30 AM to 3:00 PM
Project: Sew Handy Aprons
Stitch up a handy apron to keep your supplies close at hand while sewing, quilting, crafting, and more.
They feature a pretty monogrammed applique with the letters built into each design, several pockets to
stash your tools and notions, and a ribbon tie. The optional clasp lets you hook on a key or other items.
Two easy hooping allow for fully lined pockets.
Supply List:
Pickle Pie Pattern: Sew Handy Aprons
- Fabric 1: Extra Large ½ yard, Large, Medium Small: ¼ Yard
- Fabric 2: Scrap
- Fabric 3: Extra Large: 1/3 yard, Large, Medium, Small: ¼ Yard
- Fabric 4: Extra Large, Large: ½ Yard or fat quarter, Medium: 1/3 Yard or fat quarter, Small: n/a
- Grosgrain Ribbon
- 1" Hardware (optional)
- Fusible Mesh Cutaway Stabilizer
- Fusible Webbing
- 1/2 " Wide Fusible Seam Tape
- Microtex Needle, Size 80/12
- Thread
- Machine in good working order
- Basic sewing basket supplies
- Bring a lunch


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Reports have come out and revealed Arsenal target and Liverpool stopper Pepe Reina's Anfield career seems to be drawing to a close with Brendan Rodgers suggesting he has already left the club.
The Spain international joined Napoli on loan last summer after the Reds brought in Simon Mignolet from Sunderland.
Reina proceeded to post an open letter to the fans on the club's official website shortly after his reunion with former boss Rafael Benitez was inalised.
And Rodgers believes Reina's letter confirmed his desire to leave Anfield.
"He's already written his letter," Rodgers said.
"He wrote a goodbye letter didn't he? I was surprised a loan player wrote a letter.
"I would suspect that he should come back but obviously Pepe made it very clear when he went to Napoli that he was looking to move." (Daily Express)
The Gunners have been looking for an experienced shot stopper and may feel Reina could be a good buy


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(#) Cove Chatter 100 Ranking | *CC 100 Honorable Mention
Fresno (24) – 24-man active roster is the limit for the PCL.
C: (3) Andrew Susac
1B: (21) Angel Villalona
2B: (11) Joe Panik
3B: (20) Adam Duvall
SS: Nick Noonan
LF: Roger Kieschnick
CF: (16) Gary Brown
RF: Javier Herrera
DH: (50) Chris Dominguez
Bench: Guillermo Quiroz
Bench: Brandon Hicks
Bench: (44) Jarrett Parker
SP: (2) Edwin Escobar
SP: Mike Kickham
SP: David Huff
SP: *Chris Heston
SP: Jason Berken
RP: Mitch Lively
RP: George Kontos
RP: Dan Runzler
RP: Adam Reifer
RP: Jake Dunning
RP: Brett Bochy
RP: (15) Derek Law
Top 50: 9
Honorable Mention: 1
Fresno didn't provide much help to the big club last year, but that could change this season. Admittedly, this isn't the most exciting pitching staff in the world, but you're always going to see former MLB guys like Berken trying to get it back together in AAA. I do think Escobar and Law will get the PCL assignment out of Spring Training, as Sabean was still talking about both of them at FanFest last weekend. These are the two arms everyone is getting hyped up about, and it'll be interesting to see how they respond.
There've been quite a few knocks on the Giants farm system for its lack or positional talent this winter, but this Fresno lineup has a chance to answer some of these questions in 2014. The potential infield of Susac, Villalona, Panik and Duvall would all be making their first trip to AAA, and combined with Brown in CF they make up 20% of the organization's top 25 prospects. All eyes will be on Brown, who has a lot to prove after falling on his face last year, but there will certainly be plenty of folks keeping tabs on Susac and Panik as well. If both guys can stay healthy, I think they'll have nice seasons in Fresno. Susac in particular seems primed for a breakout campaign, but he's got to stay on the field. Panik needs to shake the utility label, which I feel was placed on him very early. His season in Richmond wasn't nearly as bad as some folks are making it out to be.
Overall, this is a group that should be much improved on offense, while the success of its pitching staff will hinge on the performance of guys like Kickham and Heston, both of whom didn't quite live up to expectations last year. Heston himself was DFA mid-season but went unclaimed. Obviously, Escobar and Law are the arms to look for, but Kickham needs to show some improvement this season as well. If he does, it could go a long way to boost a Fresno staff that struggled in 2013.
(Don Davis/Fresno Grizzlies)


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Starts in 5 Days, 17 Hours
September 26, 2019 7:00 pm
More Dates
This is very exciting news, Wonderful Willow Friends.
Featuring… Twilight Paint
Twilight Paint now has a new time and date.
Every other Thursday evening at 7pm. With Heather
December dates: Feb 7th
The cost for this event is ONLY $35 Friends.
A deposit will hold your spot and they fill up fast


text: Fell St. January 18, 2012October 7, 2014 • Charlotte Castillo I left Tahoe this morning and spent my last night in San Francisco catching up with dear friends. We ate homemade lasagna, played Madd Gabb and drank. A lot 🙂 (Visited 22 time, 1 visit today)LinkedinPinterestemailFacebook Related posts: No related posts.


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Almost one in five businesses has unwittingly breached the Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA) at least, once according to a survey of "a nationally representative sample of 516 senior decision makers in small and medium businesses" conducted by BSI, the British Standards Institution. Of these, nearly half admitted to breaching the Act on several occasions, while an additional 18% said they were not sure whether they had or not [in this context, "breach" means "the illegal transfer of information to a third party, failure to hold information securely or neglect of other legal obligations"].
This survey, which seeks to reflect the way British businesses manage the personal information they hold on staff and customers, including sensitive data such as racial or ethnic origin, trade union membership and criminal proceedings, was carried out to mark the publication today of a new British Standard on data protection — BS 10012 — which is designed to help organisations put in place a framework for maintaining and improving compliance with data protection legislation and good practice. Among its other findings the survey reveals that
• 65% of businesses provide no data protection training for their staff.
• Nearly half of those surveyed admit that there is no one in their business with specific responsibility for data protection.
• 15% of businesses are not confident that their data sharing practices conform to the DPA and worryingly, almost 5% of these frequently share data regardless.
• 18% of businesses said that data protection is less of a priority in the current economic climate.
Mike Low, Director, Standards, BSI, is quoted as saying:
"The five million small and medium sized businesses in the UK form the backbone of the British economy. These organizations are handling vast amounts of personal information on a daily basis and while it is encouraging that some already have appropriate data protection measures in place this survey shows that there is still a long way to go".
Gordon Wanless, Chairman of the Data Protection Forum, adds:
"BS 10012, launched by BSI today, is the first standard of its kind in the area of Data Protection and is expected to be used widely by both public and private sector organizations".
The new British Standard (full name "BS 10012, Data protection – Specification for a personal information management system") has been developed to establish best practice and aid compliance with data protection legislation. Rather than prescribing exactly how operations should be run, it offers a framework which will enable effective management of personal information. The idea is that it can be used by organizations of any size and sector to create a tailored management system which includes procedures in areas such as training and awareness, risk assessment, data-sharing, retention and disposal of data and disclosure to third parties.
BS 10012, was developed by a panel of experts including representatives from industry, government, academia and consumer groups. A three month public comment period produced a high number of comments all of which were considered by the panel before preparation of the final version of the standard.


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Yes! This is a breakthrough! I've actually started referring to myself as being middle aged without breaking into tears/a cold sweat/shivers.
I mean technically I am 39. I may live beyond 78 but I may not. So technically I am middle aged . It's a fact. So why has it been so so hard for me to accept and come to terms with? It's just a term, a couple of words. Why did I get myself all in a spin about it?
Well before I ponder that, I'm not alone. The Office for National Statistics in the UK reports that 40- to 59-year-olds are the most anxious age group. At 39 I'm headlong hurtling into statisticsville. So to identify whether I am likely to be the owner of a full on midlife crisis, I have found an article on the 40 signs of a midlife crisis ( must be true then) to identify if I am full on mid life crisis ready.
The top 40 signs of having a midlife crisis
1 Desiring a simpler life – Uh oh number one and I'm not going well. I started wanting a simpler life about five years ago. So I hit number one like a head on collision. ✅
2 Still going to music festivals like Glastonbury –Well I went to my first ever festival aged 36, we were on the waiting list for Kendal Calling and we've talked about going to Deer Shed festival next year so tick that box again. ✅
3 Start looking up old boyfriends or girlfriends on Facebook – here's one I'm not guilty of. Phew….I was starting to worry. Quite honestly I don't care what they're up to although there's a teensy weensy part of me that hopes the horrible ones got their comeuppance. ❎
4 Realise you will never be able to pay off your mortgage – thanks to simple living (number 1 contradicting number 4 here) we should be OK on this one but we live in a little house and if we'd gone large, I would not be so confident ❎
5 Joining Twitter so your bosses think you 'get' digital – well I'm a Tweeter alright but not for work, only for the mindful hub (@mindfulhubuk in case you're interested) so maybe half a point?❎
6 Excessively reminisce about your childhood – Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Button Moon, no technology, phones as big as bricks in our student days, spaghetti hoops, penny sweets. Those were the days…✅
7 Take no pleasure in your friends' successes – Aw sure I do. That would just make me a shit and not a very good friend. Bring on success for the friends. (Noting that success to me is not a massive house with a massive mortgage or a massive car with a massive leasing payment). ❎
8 Splashing out on an expensive bicycle – aha I hate cycling. Ask my wife about the time we tried to ride a tandem. No mid life crisis to see here obvs. ❎
9 Sudden desire to play an instrument – Aged 34 I borrowed guitar off my Dad with the aim of becoming the next Meatloaf. Needless to say I'm not…big tick ✅
10 Fret over thinning hair – hell yes. It is definitely getting thinner. Cue me trying to thicken it up with hair products. Definitely a minimalist fail too on this one ✅
11 Take up a new hobby – had to think about this one. Not recently but never say never ❎
12 Want to make the world a better place – Oh yes but this is nothing new. I was the kid at school who put up posters on school notice boards about animal testing and laboratory animals. I was the early adopter vegetarian aged 13. I've always wanted to make the world a better place, I just have a more jaded view now of whether others want to do the same ✅
13 Longingly look at old pictures of yourself – I'm not sure I even know where the old old ones are. Thanks to the power of Facebook we are all enshrined in our youth, but I don't have the time to trawl through them all anyway!❎
14 Dread calls at unexpected times from your parents (fearing the worst) – now my Mum calls me more from her mobile not so much but when phone calls were rare always ✅
15 Go to reunion tours of your favourite bands from the 70s and 80s – No, No and thrice no. Gary Barlow and co (90s I before a dear reader writes in) may have ripened in their mid life but kajagoogoo and Black lace not so much ❎
16 Switch from Radio 2 to indie stations like 6 Music – I'm starting to think I went through a mid life crisis early doors. I switched to Capital (for those who don't know what this is it's an urban radio station) a few years ago but now firmly back to Radio 4 and our local radio station ❎
17 Revisit holiday destinations you went to as a child – difficult as we actually live near where we went on holiday. My parents moved up to Yorkshire where we'd been holidaying for years as kids, and so I can't really avoid it but not for reminiscence sake ❎
18 Cannot envisage a time when you will be able to afford to retire – Me and at least half the country ✅
19 Read obituaries in the newspapers with far greater interest — and always check how people die – I have definitely taken a greater preoccupation with death. See my post on my phobia here ✅
20 Obsessively compare your appearance with others the same age – It's so hard to tell these days what age women are that I can't even tell if they are a comparison❎
21 Start dyeing your hair when it goes grey– Been doing that since at least 30 ❎
22 Stop telling people your age – When they start guessing I'm older than I am I will. Until then guess away (and make sure you knock at least three years off) ✅
23 Dream about being able to quit work but know that you'll Just never be able to afford to – Only every day ✅
24 Start taking vitamin pills – Herbs count? If so yes yes yes and probiotics✅
25 Worry about being worse off in your retirement than your parents – I don't have to worry. I know I will be!✅
26 Want to change your friends but don't meet anyone new that you like – Nah I like friends. Not sure I meet that many people often I want to call a true friend now though. A bit 50/50 on this one ✅❎
27 Think about quitting your Job and buying a bed & breakfast or a pub – Does a mobile coffee van count? ✅
28 Flirt embarrassingly with people 20 years your Junior – I don't flirt. I don't think I'd even notice if someone was flirting with me ❎
29 Look up your medical symptoms on the internet – Oh yes, every ache and every pain. NHS Symptom checker is the equivalent of that medical dictionary your Nan used to have. NEVER look up your symptoms. You'll always end up with a life threatening disease even when you just have heartburn. Take me from me one who's been there ✅
30 Start thinking about going to church but never act on it- Nope I was put off enough by Sunday School ❎
31 Always note when politicians or business leaders are younger than you – I notice when they're talking crap? Does that count? ❎
32 Contemplate having a hair transplant or plastic surgery- Despite all the struggles I have with accepting myself and with self love I can honestly say I feel we're born with our bodies, and it's our job to learn to love them not change them through surgery ❎
33 Take out a direct debit for a charity – Definitely thinking my 30s was a mid life crisis.Had one then, but at the moment finances dictate a tightening of the belt ❎
34 Can't sleep because of work worries – Yep, although meditation helps with this ✅
35 Hangovers get worse and last more than a day on occasions – One of the biggest reasons I don't drink much anymore. Again another early 30s realisation✅
36 Constantly compare your career success with your friends – If I did this I'd hold my head in my hands. So I don't❎
37 Worry about a younger person taking your Job – They're welcome to it!❎
38 Take up triathlons or another extreme sport – I did have visions of running a 10k. Then I tried running. Then I stopped❎
39 Find that you are very easily distracted – Always but that's nothing new. I'm always easily distracted✅
40 Realise that the only time you read books is when you are on holiday – I find it harder to get time to read a book now but I still make time.❎
So the final result is I could well have been having an undetected mid life crisis in my mid 30s. This is a relief. I've ticked 19 and a half out of 40. Inconclusive. I can sleep easy knowing I have a way to go before I can be called out on a mid life crisis!
Did you tick lots of these? Check out this article on how to survive a mid life crisis. In all honesty this was just a bit of fun, but it is good to know I am not a walking talking stereotype completely all the same. Are you going through a mid life crisis at the moment? Even a mid life moment which is what I'm calling my moments of worry before turning 40? Let me know what you're doing to cope with it?


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LapLogic Aerogel ExtremeEDGE DiskGO 160GB Network HDDGelaSkins for DS and PSP
Global Win FKP-32
Full Load
OCZ Gladiator w/Arctic Silver
OCZ Glacier 2 w/Arctic Silver
>> OCZ Monster 3 <<
From the numbers, the Monster 3 dissipates enough heat to produce some good temperatures. The heatsink was slightly warm to the touch but nothing that will burn your fingers. Overall, the OCZ Monster 3 kept this chip cooled at stock and at overclocked speeds. Compared to the all copper Gladiator, this cooler dissipates heat just slightly lower.
In comparison with the price and performance, this would be a better bargain for the budget user. Then again, why not spend a little bit more and get the all copper goodness : )
LapLogic G800/W800 Aerogel Extreme
Mahogany USB Drive
EDGE DiskGO 160GBNetwork HDD
GelaSkinsDS and PSP


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Friday 5: Books You Need to Read/
First grade was a good year for me. I had a lot of friends, I was well-liked by my teacher (and the boys in the class. I never went through the boys-have-cooties phase), and I was put in a second grade reading class. Basically, I felt like a boss. Now, middle school was a whole other (awful) ordeal so we'll just stick with the glory days.
Reading came easily for me and I enjoyed it. Later on in life it faded to the background of my hobbies as clothes, driving and makeup (white eyeliner, anyone?) took the spotlight. It wouldn't be until college that my love for reading was rekindled.
Most of the books I read are either Christian fiction or Christian living, I have a preference for books that would elevate my view of and love for the Lord. Rather than trying to have a number of books I aim to read in a year, I've started shooting for at least one chapter of a book each day, separate from the Bible. It helps me stay motivated to actually read.
Here are five books (other than the Bible) that have had a significant impact on my life:
A short, concise book that will challenge you to be a better steward of what God has entrusted to you. It reminds us to fix our eyes on eternity and not the things of this world. This book had such an impact on me that it has its own post, so check that out for more about why I love it.
Scazzero brings together two important components: emotional health and spiritual health, and explains how integrated they are, that you can't have one without the other and be healthy. Each chapter could easily be its own book, but there is great depth and content for personal reflection, and practical steps to take.
After reading this book, I felt like my personal "craziness" made more sense and I was more comfortable in who the Lord made me to be.
I'm currently nearing the end of this book, but it's so good I give it a strong recommendation before even completing it. So often we hear sermons on prayer or read books on prayer and can feel a sense of guilt that leads us to temporary action. But rarely is it a lasting change of heart.
In A Praying Life, Miller reminds us of our deep dependency on the Lord and paints a beautiful picture of the intimacy prayer is in our relationship with God. It moves me, not just at an emotional level, but at a heart level that desires to transform my prayer life.
What Christian woman hasn't read this book and absolutely loved it? A story that's based on the book of Hosea in the Bible, shown through the eyes of Angel, a prostitute, and Michael, the Godly man who pursues her. You will cry–like that weeping, unattractive cry where you're gasping for air (this is not an exaggeration, at least for how I was during the book).
It's a raw, honest book that portrays some ugly evils of our world and the brokenness of those who go through them.
A tip a friend gave me the second time of reading through (yes, I read it twice) is to imagine yourself as Angel and Michael as God–you will be humbled, in awe and amazed by this representation of how deeply your Heavenly Father loves you.
Men, I've heard from numerous guys that they really enjoyed the book, too. So don't think it's only for the ladies!
Rivers gets a second shoutout today because she is that remarkable of an author. Her books stir this desire in me to want to read the Bible–I can't say many fiction books do that for me. And the historical and Biblical accuracy of her books allows you to imagine the lives of many of those we read about in Scripture.
In this three-part series, you will see your lack of boldness and courage for the Lord, while simultaneously feel a zeal and passion for Christ that you haven't before. Hadassah, a young Jewish girl and the main character in the book, will cause you to weep as her journey with God mirrors what so many of us experience.
The first two books in the series are my favorite, but you'll want to read all three. The Mark of the Lion series also warranted a second read-through, which is saying a lot given how long they all are.
It's good to read books that give us a deeper understanding of God or theological development, but I firmly believe you'll walk away from reading these books and marvel at God's love and provision for you.
(Disclosure: all links are Amazon affiliate links. If you purchase a book from these links, I'll receive a small commission.)


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"Merlin" Art Slingshot in Hanging Cache
"Merlin" Art Slingshot in Hanging Cache
This slingshot's antler-like skeleton is driftwood, gathered on the shores of South Manitou Island. From its place on the beach, it faced the ominous wrecked hull of a ship inhabited by flocks of leering cormorants. Over the years, it became imbued with a very special sort of magic, and thus was named: The Merlin Slingshot.
Navy blue leather attachments, a stone leather pouch, and phlox blue bands evoke the sea, sand, and sky, while the gold accents highlight the wood's unique, undulating, naturally ergonomic shape.
The hand-built shadowbox and mitered frame are made from fragment douglas fir, and the backing is reclaimed plywood. The frame opens and closes on hinges and is held by a tiny latch. The back of the shadowbox has hanging attachments, so it's ready to hang on your living room wall.
Frame measures 20 5/8 x 16 5/8 inches. 3 5/8 inches deep from back to front of frame.
If you have any questions about this special piece, please email me: firstname.lastname@example.com.