text:
deep breath. let's try to stay calm as long as we can.
Oh what's that you say? This comic sucks a large quantity of balls totally seperate from the fact that Qwantz got there first? Oh my goodness yes you are right. How could I forget.
This is not just Troubled Romance. It is, but it's not just that. In the context of recent comics - I can't attract humans so I will try to make fucking robots be ok, my childhood habits led me to have terrible relationships with women, I am stalking a girl named Megan as she goes to the sex stores, and of course, boo hoo relationships are hard and complicated and I can't have all the casual sex I want - this just comes across as a cry for help.
Really, Randall? Now you think love is a lie and a false promise of joy that none can ever attain? To be fair, I lack what you humans call emotion so I have no particular opinion on this idea. But - I do know that Randall has also been known to draw comics like this one, or this one, or this, or this, or this, this, or this, and that's just the first 150 or so. Only a few short years ago it was all "gahhh, I am in LOVE, it is glorious! The sun shines rays of joy on myself and my significant other, it is always a perfect day, and nothing can stop this wondrous love we share" and now it's all emo shit like "you will never find love. it is a lie. i will not stand for anyone to be happy."
Randall: assuming this isn't all just to fuck with me or your other readers, assuming this isn't an attempt to make xkcd about more than the comic, but use the comic to tell a fictional tale about the person drawing it - ideas I have strongly considered, especially after this new comics - assuming you are just writing your thoughts out in comics - good lord man. That is what love is. It can be great and make you happy, it can end up sucking and making you feel like crap. Did you not know that? it's pretty well known. How are you only learning about this now? And more importantly, why are you letting it interfere with your comic? Unless you are just trying to get sympathy from any other people who recently broke up, it just comes across as...whiny? emo? petty? stupid? all of those.
Seriously how can you have your AI character -given your love of computers- declare that love is a losing game for all involved. Do you seriously believe this? have you never met a happy couple? Or thought one could concievable exist? god dammit it I hate you.
hey did you see that I stopped saying nice things about each comic? I really did try, but it was too hard.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
By Ed Patino
HILLSDALE � With the upperclassmen leading the charge, the Hillsdale Academy girls basketball team scored a statement victory.
Three players scored in double figures Saturday as the Colts pulled away for a 50-37 victory over Hillsdale High School in the annual Dail-A-Ride rivalry game.
Hillsdale Academy (13-1) extended its winning streak and captured the Dail-A-Ride Trophy for the first time in three seasons.
"Its a huge win for us because Hillsdale is a very good team," Hillsdale Academy coach Kevin Reed said. "We knew we had to play well in order to win, and we did a good job protecting the ball. It's a great rivalry and the girls were looking forward to it."
The game turned in the fourth quarter. The Colts held a two-point lead after three quarters, then outscored the Hornets 19-8 in the fourth to seal the win.
Hillsdale (9-5) had played Dundee the night before and was down to nine players in its lineup against the Colts.
"Playing back-to-back nights got to us and they tired us out," Hillsdale coach Nick Langston said. "They pushed the ball at us and we ran out of gas."
There was little separation between the teams for most of the night. The Hornets battled their way to an 11-10 lead after the first quarter, but Hillsdale Academy made a rally in the second. The Colts built a 21-19 lead entering halftime.
The teams matched baskets in the third quarter, and Hillsdale Academy took a 31-29 lead into the fourth quarter.
For the game, the Colts were 14-of-20 from the free-throw line.
Olivia Jones scored 14 points to lead the Colts. Elyse Lisznyai added 12 points and seven steals, while Christina Craig had 11 points, seven rebounds and three steals. Lyndee Wonders finished with eight points, seven rebounds and three blocked shots.
"Olivia runs the floor well and Christina played a great game," Reed said. "This is three games in a row where we've had three in double figures, and that's a key for us. They got worn out not being able to focus on just one player."
Hayley Maystead had 24 points, six rebounds and five steals to lead the Hornets. Kim Sanderson added six points and eight rebounds, while Maddie Eves had five points, six rebounds, three assists and four steals. Alyssa Anderson scored two points and grabbed five rebounds and Whitney Hodge forced six steals.
"You have to give credit to Hillsdale Academy," Langston said. "Olivia Jones had an awesome game for them."
Hillsdale Academy travels to Jackson Christian tonight for a Southern Central Athletic Association game. Hillsdale will visit Brooklyn Columbia Central for a Lenawee County Athletic Association game Tuesday.
Balance lifts Colts to rivalry win over Hornets


text:
Mindless doodles.
Can you believe anyone takes this guy seriously? Like HE's normal?
Man, Bugs is hard to draw!
Hey! Do you wanna see how we write our cartoons? They are totally artist friendly - as opposed to scripts - which are intended to make cartoonists commit suicide - or murder.
Here's the beginning of a story about a comic book geek going to the store on the day they deliver the new issues, something probably most of us can identify with.
I thought of posting this because the other day I tried to read a Godawful modern script based on some wacky classics. It had every single writer's sin:
CARTOON WRITER SINSWritten way too long.
Crowds upon crowds: scenes taking place in sports stadiums, impossible stuff to draw.
Long long episodes of boring meaningless dialogue.
Everybody out of character. Too many characters. Characters that don't work together.
Too much action detail described by people who can't draw, therefore can't visualize.
Boring prose.
Pop culture references.
Explaining the "jokes".
Cartoon scripts are torture to read. You can't do it in one pass. It causes narcolepsy.
I believe in writing outlines - just enough material to get across the story and plot. Then you give that to a storyboard artist to flesh out with the director and other gag men.
Over the years I've developed this system. Computers have helped make it easy for us to combine the drawings of the key moments with the loose written descriptions of the most important events. The result is like a rough children's book.
If you'd like, I'll post the whole story in this form as a preview of the episode in progress.
The drawings in the outline are by me and Jim.


text:
5:00 pm
Around The House with Matt and Shari "Family Rooms" Today it's all about putting the "family" back into the family room. We'll figure out what that means and take the steps to make that room draw the family back in to spend some time together. We begin with decluttering and updating a family room. D
5:30 pm
For Your Home "Working In Style" The workspaces of the home get their fair share of attention as Vicki and Sloan show you how to create a handy workshop in the garage and organize the mudroom and laundry area. They also share tips on setting up a computer center for the entire family. D
6:00 pm
Woodsmith Shop "Shop Storage: Slant-Front Tool Cart" Keep every tool in your shop neat and organized with a handy roll-around tool cart. This plywood project features handy pullout drawers for plenty of storage, and screw together joinery makes it easy to build. The editors of Woodsmith show you how to make one for your shop.G
6:30 pm
For Your Home "Home Fitness/Spa Center (Attic Makeover, Part 4)" With heavy construction complete, Vicki and Sloan get busy creating the perfect space for mind, body and soul by setting up the exercise equipment, A/V units and juice bar. The duo also installs a power valet in the large storage closet. D
7:00 pm
American Woodshop "Window Bench" This style of bench was originally found in New York. A tilt-up seat reveals a hidden storage compartment. The white ash seat is strong yet beautiful. D
7:30 pm
Around The House with Matt and Shari "Bedroom Inspirations" Today's show teaches an easy way to decorate using an inspiration piece. Matt and Shari show how to create the bedroom of your dreams starting with a discussion of how to dress a bed. Then, Matt demonstrates how to create a custom designed closet organizer. D
8:00 pm
Woodsmith Shop "Cherry Console" Sturdy construction and a classic design are just a couple of the features of this classic cherry console. Join the editors of Woodsmith magazine as they show you how to turn a sheet of plywood and some hardwood edging into an elegant storage project. D
8:30 pm
Around The House with Matt and Shari "Storage Solutions" There's nothing worse than too little storage! We solve that dilemma today with ideas for kitchen storage. Then, Shari makes basket liners for fashionable storage. Next, it's an outdoor tool storage rack with Matt. D
9:00 pm
America's Test Kitchen from Cook's Illustrated "Chocolate Torte" Host Christopher Kimball visits the Hotel Sacher Vienna to taste Sacher torte, and test cook Yvonne Ruperti shows him how to make foolproof Chocolate Torte at home. Next, tasting expert Jack Bishop challenges Chris to a tasting of baking chocolate. And finally, gadget guru Lisa McManus uncovers the best nut choppers. D
9:30 pm
Simply Ming "Shiso & Tomatoes" Guest Chef: Michel Nischan. When one thinks about the perfect mate for tomatoes, basil always comes to mind. But with today's East-West pair Ming takes flavors a step further and pairs them with basil's Japanese relative- shiso, starting with a soup that shines in the summer- 'Gazpacho' with Shiso Oil. D
10:00 pm
Joanne Weir's Cooking Confidence "Italian Love Affair" Inspired by dishes made in her classes in Italy, Joanne introduces her student Reggie to bagnacauda, rigatoni with chicken in a tomato cream sauce, and a vegetable ribbon salad. Recipes: Bagna Cauda, Rigatoni with Chicken, Tomatoes and Cream, and Vegetable Ribbon Salad. Student: Reggie Wooden, Student. D
10:30 pm
Rick Steves' Europe "Helsinki and Tallinn: Baltic Sisters" Rick explores the capitals of Finland and Estonia to sample each country's history, art and distinct love of life. In Helsinki, he finds a neoclassical old town, modern flair for design and steamy saunas. Tallinn offers medieval charms and new-found prosperity.G
11:00 pm
Ethics In America II "Risk, Reward, Responsibility: Ethics In Business" Should the executives at Casablanca Cruise Lines have asbestos removed from their ships by a company based in the former Soviet republic of Novostan? The cost would be $80 million less than if an American company were used, but Novostani standards of worker safety are far less rigorous. What should executives at MaxiCorp disclose about accidents in cars using their device, which doubles the mileage of cars in which it is installed, when they have no idea whether their device is contributing to the accidents? And what should executives at Wowie Info do when the authoritarian government of Jaigunda demands the name of a Jaigundan customer who has been using Wowie?G


text:
- About
- Programs
- Events
- Museum
- Photo Gallery
- Video Gallery
- Faculty
- Hillel
- Links
The University of Hartford has one of the most dynamic Judaic Studies programs in the United States, with two separate Bachelor of Arts degrees in Judaic Studies. Every semester we have a variety of Hebrew, Arabic, and Yiddish language and literature courses, the Bible and Archaeology, and Jewish history courses for all periods. We also offer our own archaeology excavations programs in Israel in both the Winter (December-January) and the Summer sessions.


text:
backyard country
How to make your yard beautiful?
How to save on the landscape designer services and yard improvement?
How to make a yard beautiful with little money?
Develop the project of your yard. Think carefully, what and where to plant, count the exact number of plants. Learn characteristics of the desired species, their soil, moisture, light, and heat needs.
DO NOT HURRY. Remember: haste makes waste. Very often, people spend a lot of money on plants, which just cannot grow on their yards or in our climate. Plants die and people get frustrated. Well, they might have not spent money on them!
START WITH GARDEN. First, plant a base for your yard – trees and shrubs, plan where your garden will be. If you are not going to sell fruit, then three apple trees (early, middle and late), two pear trees (early and late), two apricot trees, two plum trees, two cherry trees, three currant bushes, and two gooseberry bushes is enough for a family of four or five people. In order not to spend extra money, buy seedlings only at the proven sellers.
FOREST GLADE – ECONOMY OPTION. If your yard is small, you should not plant large trees – choose the low shapes. There should be one or two plants playing the role of the vertical and being the center of the composition. So, you may make a small forest glade in your yard with a rowan, maple, birch, and spruce. If you cut them regularly, you can stop their growth and give them the necessary form. You may buy the cheap seedlings in the forestry, take them from the neighbors, or simply dig a self-sowing in the forest.
YOU CAN SAVE EVEN ON THUYAS. Thuyas are expensive, even more so is the dense living fence around the perimeter of your yard. However, aesthetically, monotonous thuya solid wall around the house is too much. If you cannot imagine your yard without thuyas, plant them, say, at the entrance of your yard, on the front side of the house. To save money, buy small seedlings. It is not necessary to abandon the idea of living fence at all. It is beautiful, comfortable and improves the microclimate. When choosing plants, keep in mind that most deciduous shrubs costs less than conifers. Many of them are well propagated by cuttings and grow rapidly. You can braid your fence with unpretentious parthenocissus, pea fabaceae, or plant sunflowers, hollyhocks on perimeter. You can ask your neighbors for the seedlings of lilac, rose, and jasmine. One or a number of these bushes bloom beautifully, look wonderfully on the lawn, in a recreation area, or near the summerhouse.
FOCUS on the garden paths. When they are beautiful, the entire yard looks neat and well-groomed. If your paths are paved with broken tiles, you are better to throw them away. It is not necessary to buy new expensive tiles; you may make DIY tiles of concrete with some colored pebbles or dyes. And the paths of the usual stones may be even free. To this, even a woman alone can make them.
LAWN is not a whim. It decorates the yard, emphasizes the beauty of ornamental plants. You can sow the lawn with your hands – it's pretty simple. It is very important to constantly take care of it.
SAY STOP TO EXOTIC SPECIES! Do not buy plants you know nothing about for your flower beds. They may be wasted money. You can save by making a flower bed of perennial plants. Among them, you may also plant annuals that give a lot of seeds. Collect and sow them – and you will get a beautiful flower garden for free.
ECONOMIC ROCKERY. Creating a rockery or a small Japanese garden in your yard, you can't go wrong. This is stylish and quite cheap option. You will need large stones, moss, some conifers, and lots of groundcovers. Such composition can be placed on the north side of the yard, in the shade. It will look beautiful throughout a year.
DIY GARDEN DECOR. These may be pots, figurines, decorative fences, garden furniture, summerhouses, and so on. Manufacturing of DIY garden decor is easy and we publish DIY-tutorials regularly.
SAVE ON CHEMISTRY. As for fertilizers, it's better to use compost, herbal infusions.
MAKE FRIENDS with your neighbors. It's better not to ask them for plants, but to exchange for your own or to treat them with pies, ask them to dinners or to barbecue, and so on. Then your neighbors-gardeners-florists will willingly offer you plants, bulbs, tubers, and seedlings.
- 4 548


text:
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This is an activity about Earth's magnetic field. Learners will construct a soda bottle magnetometer, collect data, and analyze the results to detect magnetic storm events. Ideally, learners should collect data for at least a month. If several... (View More) months are available for data collection, this is ideal. This is the first activity as part of the iMAGiNETICspace: Where Imagination, Magnetism, and Space Collide educator's guide. Instructions for downloading the iBook educator's guide and the associated Transmedia book student guide are available at the resource link. (View Less)
Audience: Middle school


text:
Proponents of the latest amnesty bill for illegal immigrants pay lip service to securing our borders.
Witness bill co-sponsor Charles Schumer of New York in last week's opening debate.
First he said it is "not fair" for opponents to say the bill doesn't have border security in it.
He said it does. It sends billions of dollars to the Department of Homeland Security and this will lead to increased border security, although illegal immigrants, some 11 million of them, will be given amnesty first.
But Schumer promised that promises of "future" border security measures will be kept. Promise.
Then he admitted the bill "is not perfect." And he was adamant that the bill's bipartisan sponsors will not compromise by making the so-called "path to citizenship" conditional on "factors that may not ever happen."
And what factors might those be? Well, border security. He said border security should not be used as a "bargaining chip."
He then dismissed the issue as not a pressing concern.
The American people's objections to this bill come not from a concern over terrorism nearly as much as a concern that giving amnesty to millions more illegal immigrants without first making border security more than a promise is just going to lead to more of the same. As has happened over and over again.
U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte, a supporter, trots out the tired argument that we can't "send back" 11 million illegal immigrants. True. But if we can't send back that number, or a portion thereof, we certainly won't be sending back the millions more who will be coming behind them.
New Hampshire Union Leader


text:
One girl's twistedly fantastic interpretation of what the hell is really going on in those tribes.
Thursday, May 2, 2013
39 comments:
Is it bad to say I wish they'd stick Phillip back in the game, just so I'm not bored to death? *yawn*ReplyDelete
I love Survivor, but I really don't care who wins, at this point. I really despise it when people who have flown under the radar end up going far in the game, or take a seat at/near the top because everyone knows no one would vote for them to win the whole thing. These guys (okay, except *maybe* Brenda) are like the Cheerios at the bottom of the bowl that are too soggy to eat.
- AnonymousMay 2, 2013 at 4:59 PM
The desolation of the deserted stage depicted in the opener to this one was vivd, showing all the more that the remains of this survivor day mean no more to you than a few rats scurrying over an abandoned kingdom...Bravo!ReplyDelete
To see our Masc drop at the final curtain while showing the Idol resting between her unglittered bosoms made for sweet revenge for the ousted and outed lieges, who were falling all over themselves with delight as it Dawned on the Masc that it was time to bid adieu...parting is such sweet sorrow....this was another entertaining Coda, and I for one, at least (and maybe at most) look forward the the next scene. This has been quite a run lately!
I guess you take the parts you can get.ReplyDelete
Brilliant, Lala. Thanks for the great recap.
"Who knew Theddie was even paying attention? Here I thought he was planning a panty raid over at the girl's camp after the camp counselors went to sleep."ReplyDelete
You owe me a new keyboard, bitch. Freaking hilarious.
Sure does seem like Freebush is an untouchable pawn. I had the exact same thought when the Three Amigos got Fillup ousted, and that was, "Why didn't they just vote out Freebush?" Whose pawn is she? Seems likely to be Cochran's and/or Calgon. But aren't Calgon and Mowgli super BFFs after finding the hidden immunity teeth together? Maybe they are a three-pack.
Now that Mascaroni is gone, I fully expect Theddie to be kicked out of summer camp next ... unless he wins immunity. If so (and Cochran has a three-way going with Calgon and Mowgli), Erik better pull a Golden Boy and go find the HII. Otherwise he'll be shrugging his shoulders all the way to Ponderosa.
If this Survivor season is a microcosm of real survivors when things get tough in the future, then our descendants are in real trouble. Take a look at the remaining six, can't feed themselves, can't do challenges for the most part, and several are emotional wrecks; and on top of it all, they think they are the real thing with all of the euphoria when they vote out another strong player, I still remember when they were killing wild pigs in Season 2. For those that say this is just a game, remember life imitates art and vice versa, only when things get real tough do the Generals come out and take care of business, the producers make sure that does not happen to be able to show the "soft, emotional" side of the some of the cast, Colette is sick of it, I am sick of it, this will be the umpteenth boring finish with someone winning by default and producer manipulation. Get ready to cry during the next episode, based on the previews, it looks like another tear-jerker in the continuing saga now known as the "Cochran Show".ReplyDelete
Colette, I don't know how you are doing it, the season is going downhill fast, but your blog is getting better each week, excellente!Replies
Yeah, no shit...remember Tina picking her way across a raging river *after* tribal council to retrieve the rice so the whole tribe wouldn't starve? That was the good old days before a food reward every other freaking day.Delete
IMHO The remaining folks are the survivors. It's like the popular kids in high school. They think they'll rule the world forever, but then graduation comes, and their lost.Delete
The members of the jury are out because they made bad moves and didn't plan ahead effectively.
and now the big question is who do you write about now that Golden Boy and The Dame have left this circus. I suppose they are on the jury.ReplyDelete
Brenda is getting a few confessions, better late than never, but I think it's too late
Great recap once again, it truly does get better each week.
Great recap, of course. You have that genius comic touch I love so much.ReplyDelete
I for one am loving this season. And I am rooting so hard for Cochran! I adore him! Spindly he may be but I think he's playing MUCH better than previously and it seems to me like he is pulling the strings now, and maybe has been pulling a few for a while now.
I also think he could be right -- if Theddie gets to the final 3, he has votes coming from Mascaroni, the Dame, and Golden Boy at the very least. Three guaranteed votes = someone I wouldn't want to take with me.
Please stop hating this show! Please!!!!! Every season you seem to hate it more and more and the episodes you love make for such fantastic blogs.Replies
It's not a matter of hating the show, it's a matter of hating the trend by which you get an alliance of nothings whose main goal is eliminating anyone who can actually play the game. At he moment Erik and Freebush claim they control the game because they vote each week to maintain the alliance of nothings where they are the most junior and expendable members. Mascaroni claims she controls the game except she was just eliminated while holding an immunity idol.Delete
About the only interesting and competitive players left are Mowgli and Cochran which means they will almost certainly be eliminated in short order. And there will be tears. Players will sluice themselves in tears. For some reason this alliance seems to be very big on crying. Perhaps alliance of the lachrymose would be better.
I don't hate Survivor. I get frustrated with production and casting, but I don't hate it. Trust me, if I hated it, I wouldn't write about it every week.Delete
- AnonymousMay 3, 2013 at 1:11 AM
I am getting tired of people saying the producers' manipulations are creating lousy finishes. I myself have vocally complained when they had a Boston Rob or Kim running herd on everyone while the sheeple just lined up for the slaughter. Now we have a group of savvy players. Perhaps not charismatic, but certainly savvy. They know enough to execute someone who looks to be playing well or playing too hard. Like Mascaroni or not, she has been aggressive and playing a wicked social game. I think she already had the four votes of the jury's first four penises. I mean members. Four penises, four members, it's all the same.ReplyDelete
Phillip told her he would vote for her at Ponderosa. He has a big mouth so it's worth watching his post-show interviews. He has been telegraphing certain play. Phillip said the Favorites alliance would turn on Mascaroni first while back at Ponderosa. Based on this, I would watch Cochran. Phillip gave him a lot of kudos on the aftershow. Almost too many. He indicated that Cochran lets others get out in front, but when plans get messy he asserts himself and gets things back on track. It was a very interesting account by Phillip. For reason of Phillip's diarrhea mouth, I think Cochran has won.
Now if Cochran won, I would say he played well. Maybe it's not Golden Boy or Dame pretty and strong. It's not as aggressive as Phillip and Mascaroni. However, he has been subtly pulling strings and he has had influence. Unless Calgon weighs on him, I would really be surprised if he took Mowgli to the end. Now Mowgli can get those members on the jury to stand to attention for her.
Ugh - not another season where we have to endure Colette whining and bitching about how much the show sucks and how bored she is by it all, all because the guy whose cock she wanted got voted off.ReplyDelete
Colette claims to be this Survivor fan yet has zero appreciation for people who play the game really well (see: Kim Spradlin). The reality is that - with the possible exception of Brenda, who hasn't been seen much - the players left have all played good, smart, strategic games (even Sherri was really good early on before the tribes were switched), and we know from the past season that Brenda is very crafty and cunning.
Colette complains about how the show sucks when it's dominated by crazies who have no game-playing ability (Shamar and Brandon). Colette complains about how the show sucks when it's driven by scrambling strategy (Malcolm, Corinne). And now she complains about how the show sucks when it's down to players who have taken over the game with their smart alliance play and deceitful blindsides (Dawn and Cochran) or anyone-but-me shiftiness (Erik).
The last four shows have been awesome: the blindsides of Corinne and Andrea, the multiple-idol play by Malcolm that forced the vote against Phillip. But, like a spoiled teenager, Colette just yawns.
When was the last time Colette liked any season? When was the last time Colette didn't complain about how much Survivor sucks? The only thing that seems to have her excited in the past three years (aside from Malcom's cock) was her weird attachment to the most annoying Survivor player in history - Abi - all because she once cooed at Colette on Twitter.
Listen, bitch: get back to entertaining us by writing amusing reviews. Nobody needs to hear how much you hate the show season after season. Learn to appreciate the strategy and cunning it takes to win Survivor. *That is what makes the show interesting.Replies
Did my paycheck get lost in the mail? The last time I checked, my ass doesn't work for you.Delete
And does the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome affect your reading comprehension? The episodes starring The Three Amigos were amongst my all time favorites. If I yawned it was probably from one of the incessant hateful tweets you send me.
You do know you don't have to read what I write, don't you? Since my dreck is so appallingly offensive, tell the captor that is chaining you to your laptop week in and week out that he can set you free.
- AnonymousMay 3, 2013 at 10:57 AM
You go girl!! Way to banish the troll! Avast ye!Delete
- AnonymousMay 3, 2013 at 11:34 AM
You lost me at Kim Spradlin. That was the season of the stupid cheerleaders. They were happy to hand Kim the million dollars. I think people just want to see a competitive finale where two strong players have a shot at winning. Not sure that is really possible anymore.Delete
Moustache? Is that you?Delete
Hello bit,Delete
Your ass may not work for him, but it sure works for me. And it's quite the shapely ass too, because...
Holy despair, Batman! If it isn't my favourite quote from Hamlet! Well, that settles that; I'm glad I survived the sluicing of my wrists last week. I want to be! I don't want to not be! Hang on, what was the question?
Wait. You're giving me the stinkeye? What for? Oh, that's right - last week I revoked your bitch credentials, didn't I? Well, this week's blog is so damn good that I am compelled to return your 'ch'. No longer will you have to walk down Main street with your head bowed, smarting at the whispers and glares of former admirers. In all honesty, I should never have revoked them in the first place, but who doesn't have the occasional lapse in judgement when they are upset? I humbly apologise. And I apologise again, just in case I missed a deserved apology somewhere down the line. OK, we should be at tabula rasa state now. I'll promptly get to work on my next presumptuous judgement, or piece of uncalled for rudeness, or petty insult right away, smelly.
Lala, you have every right to be proud of what you do here. You consistently delight me, and I am not easily delighted. You could teach Calgon a thing or two about laundry, believe me! Reading this week's blog quantifiably improved my mood.
May your sluice only ever suffer penetration by the slings and arrows of fabulous fortune!
See you next week, bitch!
"His entire alliance then turns their back on the lad as he stumbles face first into the water. Even Dimples is disappointed as he puts his hands on his hips and shakes his head. So much for being a Challenge beast, eh?"ReplyDelete
This is exactly what I was thinking when Cockburn decided to call it a day, after declaring he was a Challenge Beast the previous week for winning a completely rigged immunity challenge. The same way SA Shepherd (he was a federal agent) was shunned for his refusal to participate in the immunity challenge, Cockburn should have been shunned for throwing in the towel after gloating over his win and declaring himself the "challenge beast". What a douchebag!
Mascaroni's big mistake was talking strategy with Cockburn. From day one it should have been obvious that those "favorites" from the same seasons would be allies, except for maybe Brandon since he has always been just a complete nutbag. But Calgon and Cockburn were hooked up from day 1, as were Mascaroni and SA Sheperd (did you know he was a federal agent?). So to start talking about blindsiding someone who it should just be assumed is the strongest ally of the person you are talking to is just stupid. I was screaming at the TV, NOOOOOOO! Rather than target the three amigos (Golden Boy and Dame Reynold) the targets should have been Cockburn and Calgon... Cockburn first, and Calgon second. Without Cockburn in the game, Calgon would shrivel up into a ball in the corner of the lean to in tears, rocking back and forth mumbling to herself something about how everyone was targeting her. It would have almost been like a 2 fer 1 proposition.
Next, let's talk Freebush. After watching the Ponderosa videos, and seeing how much weight the guys lost, I have to wonder how much weight Freebush has dropped (you can tell those cans are fake, because as the rest of her body shrinks, her cans seem to get bigger). Anyone who doesn't drag her to the final three is an idiot. She is the one who makes it a two-person race. When was the last time it was a two person final? I really wish they wold go back to that, because it makes it more strategic, and harder to drag along someone who really doesn't deserve to be there.
Right now, Mowgli, Freebush, and Ice Cream Man all think that they "control" the game. That couldn't be further from the truth. It appears like Cockburn and Calgon are rock solid, and it would be completely idiotic of them not to drag Freebush along. The only question will be whether Mowgli and the Ice Cream Man realize this and do something about it before they are sent packing. Though from what I have seen thus far, they don't have it in them. I think they'll take out Mowgli next, then Theddie, and finally the Ice Cream Man, if they can.
So at this point, unless Mowgli or the Ice Cream Man decide they want to make a move, I can't see anyone but Cockburn, Calgon, and Freebush in the final three, and as far as I am concerned, none of them really deserve to be there. Cockburn's game plan seemed to be stay in the background and when all the strong players are gone, try to make it look like he was pulling the string the whole time. Calgon has done nothing except be a rat (which again, I can't believe anyone would put any trust in her after the breakdowns, and obvious narcing out others who confided in her) and Freebush is just happy that she is still drawing a breath at this point. Then again, if the other players want to hand them the game, there isn't a lot you can do about it.
Wow, after re-reading what I wrote, I am all over the place. But I will add that it is at this point a final alliance of three should form. Barring any sort of immunity losses, Cockburn, Calgon, and Freebush could secretly ally themselves to vote out any of the other three. If they don't make some sort of final 3 pact this week, I would be surprised. If Mowgli and the Ice Cream Man were smart, they would try to get Freebush on their side, since I think they have a better shot at winning any sort of immunity challenge, and then they really would control the game.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousMay 3, 2013 at 11:08 AM
So I watched this episode last night and literally, no joke had a dream abt Philip. I was in an elevator and there was a fire, he was saying I can save you...I'm a federal agent. I'm traumatized.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousMay 3, 2013 at 11:45 AM
I think Mowgli can still make this an interesting and strong finish if she takes action and pulls Theddie and Ice Cream Man in with her. I hope she is up to the task. Given the little airtime Mowgli has been given, is this a possible outcome or are the producers telling us Cochran is the winner? The problem she will have is that the Ice Cream Man is kind of the vacillating lone ranger out there just like his previous season. His play is baffling, but somehow effective, as no one even has so much mumbled his name before a tribal council.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousMay 3, 2013 at 12:33 PM
WHAT IS UP WITH DAME REYNOLD'S 70'S PORN STAR MUSTACHE???? Don't really care about him (though I do love the character you created) or Mascaroni. This is Cochran's to lose.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousMay 3, 2013 at 12:43 PM
Also, Lala have you seen Malcolm's Ponderosa videos? So bummed that he's gone, really wanted him to win. Also, glad to see that Phillip wasn't bitter; I really think that Phillip's not such a bad guy outside of the guy, he gave Malcolm lots of props for how he played the game.ReplyDeleteReplies
If Theddie makes it to the final 3 they all should vote for him for the simple fact that he has been an outcast for so stinking long. I don't want him to win though.ReplyDelete
If I had to choose I think Mowgli is the last true competitor left. I wasn't cheering for her until now.
I wanted Golden Boy to win. After he was booted I started cheering for Reynolds. I'm heartbroken they are gone.
The only thing that could keep this interesting is for Mowgli to win the rest of the immunity challenges. With the bunch that is left, it is a real possibility.Replies
I hate how people say Eddie and reynold were outcasts from the beginning- it was the two of them that did it to themselves. Day one they got together with the two good looking girls and said here is our alliance bc we look good and made it clear they were 4 strong. Why would the other 6 let the 4 team stay together? Eddie and reynold were idiots, made themselves targets by seperating themselves from the rest of the tribe, and then in their ego driven minds blamed the other people for why their game was so bad.Delete
I just don't get anyone who is saying that Mowgli is playing strategic game. The only words she has spoken the whole season were to ask Colgan about the location of the hidden immunity teeth and to whine about how hungry she is. Flying under the radar and getting lucky for one immunity challenge isn't strategy.ReplyDelete
She isn't making any moves, just going along with the flow of the remaining Stinks R Us group.
Senor wrote: "I think people just want to see a competitive finale where two strong players have a shot at winning. Not sure that is really possible anymore."ReplyDelete
My thoughts exactly.
I'd love to see good all-around players be the ones to make it to the end. I want it all: smarts, social, physical. That person doesn't have to be eye candy, either: give me another Bob Crowley anytime. He wasn't physically dominating, but he won challenges because he used all of his skills. Cochran? He's smart and he can play a social game, but he has nothing on someone like Crowley. I don't see *any* of the remaining players as being solid all-around players, and I certainly don't see their strategies as that masterfully brilliant, either.
It seems (from the outside, on my nice comfy couch) that the game isn't as challenging as it was. Almost every challenge has been physical -- not much in the way of puzzles, memory games, mazes, etc.
A final note: props to Colette for putting out the effort on this blog. It's always a lot easier to criticize someone else's efforts than to create original content, especially anonymously.Replies
Thanks for saying that. I'm proud of what I do here. I work my ass off and my readers are loyal. Sometimes Survivors love me and sometimes they tell me to kill myself (ahem Prunes), but no one can say I don't put forth the effort each and every week. Fuck the haters.Delete
Prunes would never say that! She is an angel!Delete
Well...Prunes DID say that...bitter Betty...her and Handlebar couldn't take the spotlight and humor tho THEY were the ones who signed up for a reality TV show where THEY would be viewed by millions and of those millions might be those who recap recap the show using humor based on their appearance on said show.Delete
- AnonymousMay 7, 2013 at 2:35 PM
You can tell Prunes takes herself way too seriously. I suppose it would be futile to explain to her that Pharma Girls are hired to look good and not for their intelligence and incredible knowledge of human physiology.Delete
- AnonymousMay 3, 2013 at 5:48 PM
Your blogs are literally the only reason I started watching Survivor! Never watched an episode but loved reading what you wrote so much I started this season. I love it! You obviously like the show. No one puts this much effort into something they hate. That said, I hope Eddie takes it all. Loved the three amigos.ReplyDelete
- kandeekaneMay 4, 2013 at 9:27 AM
When GB walked into tribal I too about had an orgasm with his hair all cascading down. I paused it and took a pic of the same screen shot you posted on here. Then he whipped his hair back and OMG!ReplyDelete
I was sooooooooooo happy that ditz bag Mascaroni got blind sided holding the idol. Reynold was rolling on the floor laughing so hard. We all screamed when they pulled the last vote and said bla bla number person voted out of survivor.Replies
Are we FB friends kandeekane? Someone posted a gif of GB whipping his hair back and forf on my Wall. It's delicious. (facebook.com/colette.lala)Delete
(If Willow says back and forf, then so do I)


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Oil reacted to a bullish weekly Energy Information Administration report right after the Fed seemed to get out of the way. While acknowledging that the economy is indeed getting better, there is no sign that the Fed is getting ready to change policy in the foreseeable future. On top of that, a potential deal between Russia and Cyprus to sell their energy reserves in exchange for a bank bailout could give the bulls a bit of momentum.
Let's start with Cyprus. It seems that the ECB is setting a deadline of Monday to come up with a viable plan that will satisfy both the ECB bank as well as the International Monetary Fund. Of course some think a deal between Russia and Cyprus may be the answer to the question. Reuters is reporting that, "Cyprus and Russia resumed talks Thursday to strike a deal that could include cooperation on banking and natural gas reserves, the Cypriot finance minister told Reuters agency. Finance Minister Michael Sarris said that natural gas reserves from offshore fields surrounding Cyprus that have yet to be developed could be offered as part of the agreement. Any deal with Moscow should be in Russia's best interests too, he said. Sarris extended a stay in Moscow, where Russian officials said he asked for a further €5 billion on top of a five-year extension and lower interest on an existing €2.5-billion loan from Moscow."
Now yesterday I gave the false impression that Cyprus had sold its rights to Turkey. The correct way to have put that is that the natural gas fields are disputed. As recounted by Bloomberg, "Turkey, invaded the northern part of the island in 1974 after a coup aimed at uniting it with Greece. Later Turkey sent an exploration vessel accompanied by warships and jets to stop Cyprus drilling for oil and gas in 2011. The concern is that a Russian takeover could raise tensions in the region.
The Energy Information Administration put out a bullish report, yet the market wanted to wait to see what the Fed had to say and in a weird way, they both kind of said the same thing that things are improving in the economy as evidenced by demand. The EIA reported a surprise drop in crude stocks to the tune of 1.31 million barrels. This comes against a back drop of a historic surge in U.S. oil production. Gasoline stocks also fell by 1.48 million barrels, which reflected a four week demand number that is 1.5% above a year ago. Distillates also fell by 672,000 barrels.
Yet the market still wants assurances from the Fed that they are going to continue to pump up the economy. The Fed will continue its $85 billion dollar printing party as the turmoil in Europe provided them some additional cover, not to mention the fact that the jobs market is still a far cry from where it needs to be, which in the Fed's eyes is 6.5%. Oh, and they want inflation below 2.5%. Fed Fund Futures seem to agree with 13 of the 19 policymakers that still think it will be appropriate to keep rates steady until sometime in 2015.
It's a cold day in… well Chicago. It's 12 degrees on the car thermometer and that has to be registering on the natural gas market. Today the market will get the withdrawal report. Average guess is in the 60s but I think that the cold and the strong power demand should give us a draw closer to 99.


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Earth : Asia : Southeast Asia : Thailand : Central Thailand : Chao Phraya Basin : Lopburi
Lopburi (ลพบุรี), also Lop Buri or Lob Buri is a historic city 3 hours north of Bangkok in the Chao Phraya Basin region of Thailand. Lopburi has a mountain called Khao Chan Daeng.
Lopburi is very laid back, and its convenient location less than 3 hours from Bangkok makes it a good place to escape the stress and pollution of the capital.
Lopburi is one of the oldest cities in Thailand, a former capital and the second capital after Ayutthaya was established in 1350. It was abandoned after King Narai passed away in 1688, but parts were restored in 1856 by King Mongkut (King Rama IV) and in 1864 it was made the summer capital.
Lopburi has been an important part of the Khmer Empire, later a part of Ayutthaya kingdom, and Ayutthaya's second capital under the reign of King Narai the Great, who used to spend eight months of the year in Lopburi. Later on, King Mongkut of the Bangkokian Chakri Dynasty resided here. Thus the remains of almost all periods of Thai history can be found here.
There are two downtown areas in Lopburi: New Town and Old Town. Most of the important sites, plus the train station, are in the Old Town; buses arrive and depart from the New Town.
Lopburi is famous for the hundreds of crab-eating macaques that overrun the Old Town, especially in the area around Phra Prang Sam Yot and Phra Kaan Shrine, and there's even a monkey temple/amusement park where you can buy snacks to feed to them.
Keep an eye out for monkeys hanging from trees and wires and sitting on roofs and ledges, and be aware that they have some unpleasant bad habits including pooping on unsuspecting pedestrians from their overhead perches, jumping on people to snatch food, and stealing bags that they suspect may contain something edible.
At night nothing much is going on in the Old Town, thus the street dogs consider everybody running around after midnight very suspicious. While most of them will just look at you, some might bark, run behind you, and jump at you. While common at night, it is very rare during the day.
Get in
By bus
From Ayutthaya, local buses run every 20 mins, take around 2 hours, and cost 35 baht.
From Bangkok, air-conditioned buses leave every 20 mins, take either 2.5 hours and cost 117 baht, or take 3 hours and cost 96 baht. Take the air-conditioned bus from the Bangkok Bus Terminal (Mo Chit 2) which departs everyday from 05:00–20:30 every half hour. It costs 80 baht a person.
From Kanchanaburi it's necessary to take a local bus to Suphanburi taking 2 hours and costing 50 baht, then another from there to Lopburi taking 3 hours and costing 52 baht.
From Nakhon Sawan or Phitsanulok. From Sukhothai take a bus to Phitsanulok and then to Nakhon Sawan.
By van
From Bangkok, air-conditioned vans leave from Victory Monument, take about 2 hours and cost 110 baht. There are multiple van services in the area, if the timing for one service does not work try another.
Air-conditioned vans also leave from the main Mo Chit (northern) bus station for the same price. The last minivan normally departs around 18:00.
By train
Trains from/to Bangkok's main Hualamphong station take about 3 hours. Take the Northern Line from Hua Lamphong Railway Station everyday, many rounds per day.
Trains from/to Ayutthaya take about one hour and cost 43 baht for third class (Sept 2012}.
It is a good idea to book first, the online Thai Rail booking service says 60 days in advance, truth is for these shorter journeys its about 30 days. [http://www.seat61.com/Thailand.htm more info on thai rail travel see here]
By car
1. Enter Bang Pahan District, passing Nakhon Luang District into Hwy 3196. Then, pass Ban Phraek District into Lopburi.
2. Enter at the Ang Thong Interchange to Tha Ruea District and turn left into Hwy 3196, passing Ban Phraek District into Lopburi.
3. Pass Ang Thong, Sing Buri, and take Hwy 311 (Sing Buri–Lopburi), passing Tha Wung District into Lopburi.
Get around
The blue local bus (8 baht) circles constantly between the bus station about 2km from the town centre, passing Phra Kahn Shrine, going south on Thanon Sorasak, and ending up in front of the TAT office on Phraya Kamuad Rd.
If you are going to be in Lopburi long-term, you will need the services of the two department stores. There is a Big C mall in town, with a KFC, along with a Tesco Lotus in the Monkey Mall further down. The latter has a very large outdoor market in the evenings.
Evenings, a lot of street food stalls are set up on a road in front of railway station. The street vendors in the Old Town are very nice and have all kinds of tasty things. Don't be afraid to stop and check them out.
You might find the nightlife in Lopburi fairly quiet for a town of its size but there are a selection of places to catch a drink in the evening. Old Town has a few curbside bars, which are excellent for those who are still new to Thailand, as there are usually some foreigners about. There is also a small club (look for the large "Ben More" sign) next to a local park near the train station in the Old Town, but it is a little pricier than average.
The centre of town has a variety of places, from hole-in-the-wall local dives, to "The Bank", a disco that is frequented by Lopburi's younger crowd (not recommended unless you know your way around well; foreigners are rare in the Bank). Uptown has few drinking establishments on the main road, but there are a variety of karaoke bars and such down the back roads. Some of these out-of-the-way places are decent for a drink and some offer female company (also not recommended for the newcomers).
Old Town
Hotels in the Old Town offer generally similar medium scale standards for low 140-500 baht range prices. The monkeys run around freely but usually stay in just one small area. Depending on your preference you can choose a place with lots of monkeys running (and hanging) around, or opt for somewhere with low or no monkey presence.
Places with lots of monkeys:
Places with few monkeys:
New Town
Across the river from the Old Town
Get out


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Archer-Daniels-Midland Co., the world's largest corn processor, won agreement to acquire GrainCorp Ltd. for A$2.2 billion ($2.3 billion) after raising its offer with a special dividend for shareholders of the Australian crop handler.
ADM will pay A$12.20 a share for the stock it doesn't already own, subject to an examination of GrainCorp's finances to be completed next week, Decatur, Illinois-based ADM said yesterday in a statement. Investors in Sydney-based GrainCorp will also receive a A$1-a-share special dividend prior to the completion of the deal.
Buying GrainCorp, the only major publicly traded grain merchant left in Australia after the country deregulated its wheat-export system, would give ADM control of seven of the eight ports that ship grain in bulk from the nation's east coast as well as a substantial malt producer. ADM made an initial bid last year, building its stake to 19.9%.
"The board signed this agreement, they're allowing due diligence and are happy with the offer and I think shareholders should be too," John Maysles, an event-driven senior analyst at Elevation LLC in Los Angeles, said by phone. "It's pretty much the equivalent of raising the bid by a dollar by allowing them to pay that dividend."
GrainCorp jumped 7.9% A$12.81, the highest since it started trading in 1998 in Sydney. ADM gained 1.9% to $33.80 at 10:06 a.m. in New York.
Asia Demand
"ADM and GrainCorp have complementary geographies with little overlap and highly compatible cultures," ADM Chairman and CEO Patricia Woertz said in the statement. "The addition of GrainCorp to our global network would fit our strategy and help to further connect Australia's growers with growing global demand for crops and food, particularly in Asia and the Middle East."
Sales at GrainCorp, which has benefited from growing demand from Asia, have jumped since Australia's 2006 decision to strip AWB Ltd. of its wheat export monopoly. ADM's proposal underscores a push by companies including Glencore International Plc and Hong Kong-based commodity trader Noble Group Ltd. to target agricultural assets, betting on rising demand from Asia as living standards and diets improve.
"Today's decision isn't a decision the board has taken lightly and in fact it's taken us some time to reach this point," Don Taylor, GrainCorp's chairman, said today on a call with reporters. ADM's offer "highlights the strategic value of our business."
Biggest Deal
Buying GrainCorp would be ADM's biggest deal. The largest so far is its $470 million purchase of W.R. Grace & Co.'s cocoa business in 1996, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The offer carries a 50.1% minimum acceptance condition, and needs to be cleared by Australia's Foreign Investment Review Board as well as China's Ministry of Commerce of the Government, known as MOFCOM. Glencore's C$6.1 billion ($6 billion) acquisition of Canada's Viterra Inc., completed in December, was delayed as it awaited MOFCOM clearance.
"We don't have any particular anticipation that any of them will be difficult," GrainCorp CEO Alison Watkins said on the media call. "The MOFCOM approval is uncertain in its timeframe and we would see it as probably the longest timeframe of the approvals that we require to achieve."
Copyright 2014 Bloomberg. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


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The sexy website Lucrezia Magazine has published some stuff from my new book Sex Sin and Zen.
Here's their review.
And here's an except they published from the book.
And speaking of that book, I have about 6 copies of Sex Sin and Zen, maybe eight of Hardcore Zen and a few Zen Wrapped in Karma Dipped in Chocolate but no copies of Sit Down and Shut Up (sorry!). So for a limited time, I will sell you a personally autographed copy for just $25 (it's a rip off! You can get 'em for way less than that without someone's writing inside!). Send in a donation (the button is on your left) and attach a note saying which book you want and who you want it signed to and the address to send it to. I can't promise they'll make it in time for Christmas. But I'll do my best. If I happen to get orders after the books are gone, I'll refund your donation.
Why am I doing this? Because New York is like a giant vacuum cleaner sucking up all my money -- even though I have the most amazingly cheap rent you could ever imagine.
So I thought it's about time I wrote an article I've been thinking about for a good long while. I've called this "The Economics of Zen." But it's more the economics of Brad. Still, I think there's a lot in my specific personal experience that relates to many people in this business. I hope this post won't come off like a bunch of whining, but instead be somewhat instructive and useful.
Before I begin, I want to state clearly that even though I will be referencing some future speaking gigs that I'm in the process of setting up, none of what I'm going to say here should be taken as any kind of a veiled message to the people I'm organizing those gigs with. Whatever I've needed to say to you I have said or will say directly. But the examples are too good to pass up. So I'm going to use them. Just don't read anything into this stuff. OK? Thanks!
OK. I often receive invitations to speak in cool exotic places. And I love speaking in cool exotic places. This year I've been to Tel Aviv, Warsaw, Helsinki, Belfast, Wupetal and Cedar Rapids, Iowa, just to name a few! It's great.
But I think a lot of people who send me invitations don't really get what all's involved. Many people assume, for starters, that I make a decent living off of book royalties. Not so. What I get from book royalties alone keeps me well below poverty level. There is no way I could live off just book royalties unless maybe I moved to a corrugated cardboard box in the basement of Shinjuku Station or something. Seriously, though, I did search for a place in the USA that I could afford just on book sales and came up with nothing. Not even in Akron, Ohio!
Like almost every author I have to supplement my income somehow. What I've been trying to do the past two years is to do what lots of writers do and supplement my book earnings through speaking gigs.
Let's say you invite me to come speak in Bloomington, Indiana. You get me for two days. You offer me a generous $200. Hey! That's $100 per day. Not bad! And really, if you think of it that way, it's not.
But for me to get to Bloomington, Indiana, I have to spend three or four days just getting there and getting back home. And in order to be able to be available for a gig in Bloomington, I can't be holding down a regular five-days-a-week 9-5 job. No job I can think of would be happy with me running off at random intervals for a week at a time.
This is why I usually ask for traveling expenses and a speaking fee. My fees, by the way, are really low from what I've been able to learn about what other writers and Buddhist teachers charge.
Some people invite me saying that I can collect donations (dana) and sell books. That's OK. But sometimes I get to a place and sell three books and the dana ends up being like $75. It's too risky for me to give up other potential income (like a 9-5 job, for example) on that kind of a gamble.
Remember there's no retirement plan in this and no health insurance scheme. Then there's the car and its insurance. It's all gotta come out of my pocket.
Various people I've encountered or read about in the Buddhist teacher business have different means of dealing with this sort of thing. Many belong to large organizations who have networks of temples and can support them should donations not be enough. One guy, a Canadian I met in Japan, was from a sect that doesn't allow him to handle money. But I found his tactics a bit suspect. He was very slick about getting the people around him to pay for all kinds of stuff that I couldn't afford -- and I was working a real job at the time I encountered him. I wouldn't feel right doing that kind of thing. I'm too proud and Midwestern maybe. I could do the Genpo Roshi thing and ask for $50,000 to spend five days in a luxury hotel with me. If anyone wants to make that offer, I'm ready to talk. Yeah, right.
I talked to a Zen teacher I respect in California who told me that what he does is ask for a "minimum dana." I haven't tried this myself yet. But I might.
So now I'm thinking about what to do next. All the traveling I'm doing is fun, but it wears a fella out! Plus it's only just barely covering basic living expenses. I'm really grateful for all the donations and suchlike I've received. It's a beautiful thing. I can't tell you how wonderful. I know a lot of people are digging deep for my sake. It's a tremendous thing. But, at the level I'm at now, I'd have to be traveling almost constantly just to get by.
I made things work for most of 2010 by not having an apartment of my own and just trusting things would work out. They did. But being homeless is tough. Think about it. Where do you pick up your mail? I've had about six temporary addresses this year. A lot of important stuff has gone missing.
I have gigs in February and March that'll probably come close to covering my rent. Hey, I may even make a little scratch. But after that I'm seriously considering packing in the traveling author/teacher thing and just getting a normal job again. That is, if there are any of those left anymore.
I hope this doesn't sound too complaining. Sometimes the few people who already understand what's involved take things I say about this stuff way too personally and think I'm whining about them. I'm not. Or else people bitch in the comments section about how I promote my books and stuff. Yes, I do. I have to. Nobody else is doing it.
I'm not really complaining. Life is good. I just feel like, since I get so many invitations all the time, it's good to let everyone know what it is they're asking when they invite me to come speak somewhere.
And for all of you wondering where the "dharma" is, well, this is it. Lots of folks don't talk about this side of it. But it's there and it always has been.
Thanks for listening!


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|Teen Girlfriends
Short review: The videos and photos at Teen Girlfriends feature amateur teens stripping and having sex on camera for the first time. Some of them know the camera is there and others are completely unaware. These ladies never thought their boyfriends would show these videos with anyone else, but then they went and broke up with them, so they shouldn't be surprised that this has happened. Now the world knows how dirty they really are.
Content Amount: The members area of this website contains dozens of videos and hundreds of photo galleries of amateur girlfriends in action. Bonus content includes user-submitted photos, video feeds, and webcam shows.


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Let's take a test drive through the new XP Mode and Virtual PC under Windows 7.XP Mode is Microsoft's solution to legacy application compatibility under Windows 7. I won't get into the details a second time, but if you're curious how it works, check out the previous post on the subject.
With the Windows 7 RC Release, we have been able to now download and install the Virtual PC Beta, as well as the XP Mode package included with it. The first thing we will notice is that running the XP Mode Virtual Machine prompts us to create a password and let the initial setup start.On the first 32-bit system I attempted to start up the XP Mode VM I was met with an immediate blue screen and reboot. On the second system, this one a high powered Core i7 64-bit edition I found myself stuck in an endless Initialization cycle. So far I'm 0-2 and this new XP Mode/VPC Beta is not looking so hot. Both cases I had made an upgrade from Beta to Release Candidate and that may have something to do with the problems encountered.
A clean reload on the first system with a fresh copy of the 32-bit RC presented a fully functional XP Mode system. XP Mode is fast and defaults to a mere 256MB of RAM during setup and use. You can of course adjust this but for now it seems to do just fine as is. Unfortunately, the XP Mode can be a little tricky to utilize and trips over itself if you don't shut it down after messing around inside it. Shutting it down however proves tricky because the standard Shutdown button in the Start Menu is missing, replaced with a simple "Disconnect" button.The easiest way to handle switching from container to apps is to treat this XP Mode as you would a Remote Desktop or Remote Terminal Session with a Windows Server. Use the "Log Off" as you would in Remote Desktop, and simply close the container window once the login prompt shows up. Unlike Remote Desktop, logging off doesn't close the container, presumably to allow for the usage of multiple accounts like an ordinary XP installation. Once the system is logged out, you can safely utilize the XP applications once again seamlessly from Windows 7.
Possible problems you might encounter would include not logging out before closing the container. Should this happen there's no need to worry, unless you left something unfinished running on the VM. Attempting to launch one of the applications published to Windows 7 will merely give you a prompt asking if you want to launch the app anyway or go back into the VM to do a proper log off. Launching the application will force log off the XP session, losing any unsaved work you had there.One thing I noticed during all this testing was the insane amount of CPU utilization during the startup and shutdown of the VM. During the initial startup or initialization when running an app the first time the CPU usage took a solid 80-100% of a Core 2 Duo core, giving it a 40-50% total system draw. Memory demand seemed low during the entire process but clearly launching the VM and getting it running in the background takes significant CPU power to accomplish. Once the system loads and sits in the background ready to handle your requests CPU usage drops back to around 1-2%.
At this point I'm fairly impressed but want to see just how far this pass-through goes and what the limitations are. To test this I created a shortcut to the Administrator's account desktop (Any folder will work it seems). I placed this shortcut in the All Users"Start Menu directory and closed down the VM. I found the shortcut and was able to access it from Windows 7. Opening the shortcut gives me the familiar Explorer window navigated to the path I specified in the shortcut, as well as access to all of its files. Furthermore it appears I can utilize it for navigation, file creation, modification, and more.In fact I was able to kick off an install of 7-zip from within this environment and have it ready for use without messing with the host container at all. The only caveat to this is that the container seems to prevent dragging and dropping files to and from the window, regardless of having the VM Additions loaded. In VMWare, Virtual PC, and other products it was always possible to drag files from the host to guest systems and vice versa. This functionality is locked out unless you explicitly launch the XP container as a standalone VM. Any applications seem locked behind bulletproof glass preventing direct interaction with the host system. This is handy for security purposes I suppose as nothing gets in and nothing gets out.
The normal Virtual PC window for managing all of your Virtual Machines is no longer present. Instead, navigating to your user directory will present you with a "Virtual Machines" folder. Inside this folder you will find all of your virtual machines with the management program integrated right into the explorer shell much like Music, Video, and Pictures are with their respective programs. Given this trend it's safe to assume Microsoft is trying to back off from opening full applications for simple common tasks and merely integrate most of those functions into the shell whenever possible.There are three options on the shell that are required to make the VM's work. One is the "Create new VM" and it operates exactly like VMWare, VirtualBox, and VirtualPC did before. The "Settings" button can be clicked at the top or you can alternatively find it on the right-click menu of each VM. The Settings page hasn't really changed. The addition of a few new options such as "Auto Publish" are present but otherwise it's the same ever popular VM Properties panel. Something else to note is the "Open" button near the left side. Clicking this allows you to open the VM's with something other than VirtualPC, potentially allowing other vendors to plug in here as well. To use this, simply select the VM you want to open, click the "Open" dropdown button and all of the VM programs installed can be selected. Selecting one causes the VM to immediately launch from the selected application.
XP Mode is a solid product and definitely something I look forward to Microsoft expanding in the near future. So far XP SP3, and Vista SP1 (or 2 if you have the RTM) can be loaded as guest systems according to Microsoft. Software to allow the usage of pass-through utilities in both versions is available from the Virtual PC webpage, under the download types for the VirtualPC Client it's in the box marked "Developers".
Source: http://www.dailytech.com/Windows+7+Features++XP+Mode/article15055.htm


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For some of you, summer may be but a distant memory, but for Naomi, it's the perfect time for lazy warm afternoons lounging by the poolside.
Glittering like a bedrock of pearls, Naomi carefully steps into a crystal clear pool, gently splashing water over her delicate shoulders, rubbing her long slender fingers across her chest and stomach. Then, like a goddess emerging from the ocean, Naomi lets her hair fall down her dripping back and spreads her body out across the warm patio.
Naomi may be one of the lucky few who get to enjoy the sunshine this time of year, but after watching this film, you may just feel like you're experiencing an endless summer too!
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On January 20, 2013, Arlen and Catherine Schade will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary.
On January 20, 2013, Arlen and Catherine Schade will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary.
They were wed on January 20, 1963. It was a cold winter day (4 degrees F and icy). The wedding was held in Zion Lutheran Church in Palmyra, Mo., with the reception held in the church undercroft.
The wedding anniversary will be celebrated with an open reception for all friends and relatives from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, January 20, 2013, at Zion Lutheran Church.
The wedding was a traditional double ring ceremony performed by Rev. A.J. Becker. James Boettcher sang "The Lord's Prayer" and "O Perfect Love" accompanied by Prof. Richard Althoff.
The bride was Miss Catherine Peiter, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Albert Peiter of rural Palmyra. The groom was Arlen Schade son of Mr. and Mrs. William Schade of Palmyra.
Shirley Poppe (Bramblett) of Hannibal was maid of honor and Mae Cline (Arnold) of Taylor served as bridesmaid. Richard Meyer of Perryville was best man and Glenn Schade, brother of the groom, of Palmyra served as groomsman.
Bob Peiter, brother of the bride, of Palmyra served as head usher and was assisted by David Cook, William Blankenship and Danny Nelson (all of Palmyra) as ushers.
The candles were lit by Larry Adkison of Louisiana, a nephew of the groom, and Susan Carlson (Kerkering) of Palmyra. The flower girls were Norleen Drebes (Elliott), niece of the bride, and Marcia Adkison (Dryden), niece of the groom. Dwane Schaefer, nephew of the bride, was the ring bearer.
Mrs. Vivian Drebes (Donelson), sister of the bride, and Mrs. Phyllis Adkison, sister of the groom, cut the cake and Freda Janvrin, cousin of the bride, and Carolyn Schoenborn (Williams) served the guests. Assisting them were Mrs. Bill Page and Mrs. Richard Kraft. Max Schaefer and Norman Drebes, brother-in-laws of the bride, made the punch. Mrs. Max Schaefer, sister of the bride, was in charge of the guest book.
Since the marriage, the Arlen and Cathy have raised two sons, (twins) Kent and Kurt. Kent lives in Medical Lake, WA and Kurt has just moved back to the U.S. after working 10 years in England.
Arlen and Cathy have lived in Rolla, MO, Peking, IL, Richland, WA, Ft Belvoir, VA, Richland, WA, Arvada, CO, Kennewick WA and, Knoxville, TN. Arlen also did an unaccompanied army assignment in Fort Sill, OK, and a one year work unaccompanied assignment in Amarillo, TX.
They recently purchased property east of Palmyra in anticipation of constructing a retirement home.


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The article about Glade Run Lake ("Conservancy head: Lawmakers need to step up for lake," Sept. 8) quoted Butler County Commissioneer Bill McCarrier stating, "If we give you the money, would you be in favor of raising taxes?" But Glade Run Lake Conservancy's request never involved taxpayers' money and we never suggested or asked for money that would incur higher taxes.
At a meeting earlier this year, commissioners McCarrier and Dale Pinkerton were asked point-blank by the conservancy board to allocate money from the state Act 13 Marcellus Shale Legacy fund.
Butler County has received more than $2 million from spud and unconventional gas wells and more than $310,000 of rehabilitation Greenways money, according to the website www.act13-reporting.puc.pa.gov/Modules/Reports/Reports.aspx.
Act 13 specifies where this money should be allocated. Legacy funds are specifically earmarked for special purposes and are not to be co-mingled with operating funds.
It has nothing to do with the county's capital budget. Some of the money has been correctly placed in a capital reserve fund totaling more than $103,000 for 2011. But so far there aren't any figures for 2012. So when I read the quote from McCarrier, I have to respectfully disagree with his assertion that the only way to fix Glade Run Lake is to raise taxes.
The mention of raising taxes is not true and the impression he gave in his statement needs to be corrected.
It is true the commissioners gave the Conservancy $4,000 last year and we thanked them, but that money came out of the capital budget, not from the Act 13 Legacy fund.
McCarrier and Pinkerton told us they will review our request concerning legacy money when they do the budget for 2014. That is correct; however, they did raise the tax rate by 1 mill this past year and are pushing for a new building and parking lot that will cost the taxpayers more than $12 million. But where is the Act 13 Legacy money going and, as important, where do they plan to spend it?
The conservancy and people of Butler County have a right to know. Much of it is going to the nursing home, emergency preparedness and pool repairs at Alemeda park to the amount, according to McCarrier, of $200,000.
That's quite a remarkable difference from the amount the Conservancy was given. It appears the will of close to 2,000 members and the tireless efforts of the conservancy officers and board of directors hasn't made an impression on the county commissioners.
Other counties in our state stepped up to the plate and came to the aid of lakes that were drained after being designated a High Hazard dam similar to Glade Run. Cumberland County awarded Opossum Lake $609,000 and Lehigh County awarded Leaser Lake more than $500,000 to help fix their dams and restore their lakes. Our county, by sad comparison, has given the conservancy a mere $4,000. The conservancy has received several gifts from donors that individually far exceed this amount.
The Act 13 Legacy money from 2011 and 2012 has already been sent to the county. So, why not be supportive leaders and allocate a substantial part of that money and every subsequent year to fix the dam immediately?
The commissioners could do that now instead of waiting to approve the 2014 capital budget. That move would show other legislators in our area and the governor that the elected officials from Butler County are truly supportive of the Glade Run Lake Conservancy in its efforts on behalf of all the citizens of Butler County. It is not taxpayers' money but rather, money derived from the Marcellus Shale wells and drilling impact fees that the legislation of Act 13 has earmarked for the environment and surface and subsurface water reclamation as areas where the money should be allocated.


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Posted Sat November 24th, 2012 - 08:33 AM PST
Halle Berry takes Nahla to kid show downtown Yo Gabba Gabba with armed police escort the day after the big brawl between Olivier Martinez and Gabriel Aubry.
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