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Scream has officially ended its first season, and to say the finale (titled Revelations) was a wild ride would be a massive understatement. After introducing an assortment of questions and suspects, we learned just about everything we could have hoped in the first season finale, and it was stellar conclusion that gave plenty of horror based fun. From beginning to end, it feels as if it's creating an authentic horror finale with a true cinematic experience by driving viewers up the wall using nerve wracking suspense, and satisfying chase scenes that are the backbone of slasher stories. Emma is faced with multiple suspects in the finale episode and instead of following one persons lead, she takes in all of the information offered to her and come up with her own conclusions; something that is generally not always done well with leading characters. This makes Emma's character more enjoyable, and exhibits that she is skeptical enough to know she shouldn't completely trust everyone. The scene with Emma taking her mother to find Sheriff Hudson (resulting in his death) was a surprisingly devastating death to me. I've been one of the viewers who have harbored anger towards Daisy for her constant lies that endangered her family, but in this moment you could feel her grief. It's also worth mentioning that the shocking way to go from possibly safe to victim was a major reason it felt extra depressing. The emotional events could also lead to more in-depth stories for Kieran, providing us a chance to see additional layers to one of the series most strikingly mysterious characters.
Having the finale play out at a party is crucial to horror, especially the Scream series which claimed the rules include there must always be a party. The atmosphere gives characters a chance to interact in ways previously unused, including Brooke and Audrey who have one of the most legitimate moments to discover different aspects of each other. A chase scene during the party with Brooke leaves viewers on pins and needles, anxious over the fate of the fan favorite, while the scene uses the Scream approach all the way through. Brooke and Jake's relationship cycles completely in the finale episode, bringing them back around to address all of their issues and problems; the horror that unfolds gives the pair a better chance to recognize just how important they are to each other. One of the most key moments (character wise) is Jake pulling Brooke out of the freezer, completely fearing the worst for the sassy blonde. The scene with the two during the ending shows they have both decided they can move forward from their past, and be together without any drawbacks. The evolution of Jake and Brooke felt like it was achieved extremely well in this finale, and I literally couldn't have asked for a better direction for the two. Keeping the jock and popular girl alive in a horror story bends the rules, but like Piper says, "It's 2015" and I'm relieved they took the time to shake things up!
After giving each character killer potential, we finally discover the woman behind the mask is actually Piper Shaw, crime podcaster who is also the half-sibling of Emma. The reveal was something I had speculated for a few weeks, and it felt like it was a proper way to incorporate a killer – using a half sibling as the spark for the re-vamped murders. In episode 6, I had a feeling Piper was included when the killer followed them to the warehouse where Mayor Madox was blackmailed; no one else would have been aware of their location unless they were tipped off. (pats self on back) Piper's demeanor changes from the moment she removes the mask, and gives us a psychopath show-down that the Scream films always used phenomenally thanks to the accomplished actress Amelia Rose Blaire. When you go back to take in other hints, it is completely plausible for Piper to have been wielding the knife, and the scene felt well executed which was my main hope (aside from specific characters living!) Her explanation of Branson being a cover/fall-guy made perfect sense, and the evidence against him was included to get Piper out unscathed, hoping to achieve revenge for her father Brandon James. Having the father discussion with Emma in episode 6 that eventually led to the reveal of her father gave Scream credibility for knowing what their goals are, and effectively following through.
The shocking inclusion of a twist that Piper mentions (She notes a surprise for Emma before being killed) gave the finale a proper way to close out the season, but reveals Audrey's suspicious communication with Piper and evidence stolen from the Police Station, giving us our possible partner in crime. Audrey had shown questionable behavior all season, but her actions in the final moments practically peg her as a problem. Even with my previous doubts, I can't help but wonder how that could be explained otherwise, and that's another smart trail for the writers to tempt us with into next season. That being said, I also am very reluctant to assume Audrey is the killer because the writers could be throwing us off with a secret of Audrey's. First, Audrey could very well be killer number 2 with a second season honing in on a killer's POV. Another option could mean that Piper and Audrey are relatives of some sort. The photos of Brandon James, letters with Piper, and the DNA in the mask could be additionally acknowledging a bloodline connection, and we still don't know much about Audrey's father who had a blocked number on his cell phone.
The best thing about the Scream finale is that it completely goes against the typical horror rules in its ending. In most other horror series and films, a mass majority is expected to meet their demise in the finale arc but Scream made the bold choice to deviate from that path. After every character goes through their own trauma in the finale, they assemble and it becomes clear that we have our official group. In this moment I realized, the first season was used to create our core group from the survivors, almost like a taste of what's to come. Just when I felt like I had a grasp on the series, the survival curve ball makes me re-think possibilities for season 2. Now I'll be spending my time wondering who else could be behind the murders to assist Piper, so season 2 please come back soon? The finale episode lived up to the final stretch of a horror film in its episode's runtime, and provided just enough twists and surprises to make this an episode that feels like an excellent payout for the viewers. The Scream finale provides blood, humor, character development, and an excellent new take on a horror conclusion.
Overall Grade: The Scream finale earned itself a solid 'A'
Aedan's Final Thoughts:
-Fans of the Scream franchise should appreciate the desire to honor moments in the original film, but created an unexpected conclusion that takes the series into its own direction, I commend Scream for that.
-I've never been so relieved to know that a majority of a series cast will return for another season. I was practically planning the characters' funerals in my head, but I was thankfully proven wrong! In addition to having a cast of wonderful individuals, they are all diversely skilled at their roles and this new formed group feels like one of the best ensembles on television. Who doesn't love the Scream Team?!
-I'm pleased the killer ended up having a sensible motive to the story, and there were just enough hints leading up to the reveal that will make it a great re-watch. Kudos to Amelia Rose Blaire for her portrayal of Piper unmasked, I love a good unveiling and the scene was executed nicely.
-The chase scene with Brooke was a major nod to the Scream film, and I was jumping with joy that it didn't end with her receiving the Tatum treatment. Also, who doesn't love Carlson Young's portrayal of the queen-bee, she's a dazzling addition to Scream
-After being a fan of Jake from the beginning, I genuinely appreciated his scenes in the episode. Jake has the ability to bring humor into every nail-biting scene without question and it's a relief to know we'll be seeing the talented actor Tom Maden make a comeback next season, this is a major win for the Jake!


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A quickie.
Who makes sure that her husband has someone on staff specifically to hold her bag while she watches him at work? This is the employee's only job responsibility. This person does nothing else but hold the bag. There's no multitasking here. Because the bag can't be put away in a room or on a table. It must be held. But not by her. Because she photographs much better when she has her hands free. This is Status. This is Respect. This from a woman who claims she's down with down home living. Not high maintenance? Please.
Hands free
A quickie.

subset: commoncrawl


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40km, Flat/Hilly, Easy, Sealed/Unsealed, Loop ride, Cycle Path, Short sections quiet roads.
This wonderful loop takes you on a journey along the Yarra, Plenty and Darebin Rivers with views to the Dandenongs. Follow the artists of the Heidelberg School who painted early Australian landscapes and visit the Heide Museum of Modern Art. Learn the aboriginal history. love the cafes and parks.
Best Things about This Ride
- A loop ride on this easy cycle path.
- Riding through the bush along the rivers and beside billabongs.
- Views to the Dandenong ranges.
- The history of early Australian landscape art.
- Fun parks for the kids to play.
- Lots of places to stop for a coffee
- The ever changing landscapes
- Wetlands and bridges
- Lots of greenery to really enjoy – you wont feel you are in a big city.
Things to Watch out for
Cycle this route anytime – in winter pick a sunny week and you will love it!
Ride Overview
- Short DescriptionA beautiful ride through the Banyule Bushlands along rivers and creeks with views to the Dandenongs. You wont feel you are cycling in the city!
- Trip PlanningLoop Ride
- RegionMelbourne City
- Startparking Belford Rd Kew; Darebin Station
- Distance40km
- Time4 hours
- GradientFlat/Hilly
- GradingEasy
- AccessCar or Train
- TrafficCycle paths and quiet roads
- SurfaceSealed/Unesaled
- SeasonsAll - pick a sunny day in winter
Banyule Bushlands
Banyule Bushlands
Banyule Bushlands


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- Details
- Reviews
The Simply Automated ZLK-01S-I Label Kit allows you to use your standard laser or inkjet printer to custom label each button of your scene controller. Designed to match the color of the 4 Button with 4 Lightpipe Light Almond faceplate, you can use any text, font or icons for limitless labeling options!
Label kits are also available in:


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ballin becker 20 Oct 2007 00:27
I personally think we could have a much much MUCH better website for such an amazing club. We should have someone host it off freewebs.com and start and make the code themselves for the website, maybe in php so it's amazing.
Unfold Website by ballin becker, 20 Oct 2007 00:27


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It's FRI-day!! And no one wants to think on a Friday.
[Tangent: best game show ever was Family Feud – yup, even better than The Price Is Right. I even had a play-at-home cardboard and paper version of FF when I was little!]
So let's do a survey. It's been a whole one week + since the last one, so let's hop to it.
This ABC-style questionnaire is a popular one of late in the blog world. I found it first on Janetha's website, but Angela and Gabriela (among others) also have shared their answers.
A is for Apple. What's your favourite variety? I ♥ apples a lot! I like any and all crisp, crunchy, hard apples. At the top of my list: Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, Fuji, Gala, Granny Smith; Red Delicious if they're crisp and sweet (they can be mealy and mushy). In my fridge right now…
B is for Bread. Regardless of nutrition, calories, or whole grains, what is your favourite type of which to have a big slice? Preferring GF carb choices, I didn't like rice bread all that much. But I do love the rice bagels (hey, also a B-word!) from Healthy Foods and More. Here are two more breads that stand out in my mind: my Auntie Anne's homemade bread that she always served with dinner when we were over, and Beer Bread – this one was an oft-made recipe when we were teens. It went exceptionally well with BBQ'd steak and caesar salad. [I thought I had the recipe, but I can't find it – it's so good, I would have posted the how-to's right here, right now. You'll just have to trust me on this!].
C is for Cereal. What is your favourite kind currently? (just one!).
No fair! With a cupboard like this…
…and, clearly, a refined cereal palate, this is a near-impossible question to answer. But I'll go with Barbara's Peanut Butter Puffins.
D is for Donuts. What kind do you fancy? Hmmm…another toughie. In general terms, anything with chocolate; specifically, chocolate glazed from Tim Horton's.
E is for Eggs. How would you like yours prepared? Poached if I don't have to do it; microwaved-scrambled if I do have to make them.
F is for Fat-Free. What is your favourite fat-free product? This salad dressing:
The Brother and I simply call it "Red."
G is for Groceries. Where do you purchase yours? I live right across the street from Valumart, so 80-90% of my food purchases are made there. However, I also frequent health food stores and the market, when I can. Rarely do I drive anywhere to get groceries, which is kinda cool.
H is for Hot Beverages. What is your favourite hot drink? Haha! Had you asked me in early January, I would have replied, "I do not like hot beverages." But since then…the previously dormant inner coffee giant has roared to life. Coffee it is! [Specifically, Starbucks Via individual packs].
I is for Ice Cream. Pick a favourite flavour and add a fun topping. Since childhood, I have loved chocolate chip ice cream. The best, to this day, remains Baskin Robbins. (BR even beats my Marble Slab cone). Let's sprinkle on rainbow sprinkles for some fun.
J is for Jams or Jellies. Do you eat them, and if so, what flavour and kind? I don't favour jams nor jellies. How can I be my mother's daughter?!
K is for Kashi. Name your favourite Kashi Product. Kashi Go Lean Crunch [A cereal question? If there was a buzzer involved in this quiz, I'da been Quick Lightening in my response!]
L is for Lunch. What is yours today? Well, it's < 7 a.m., so yesterday's lunch (at the store): cottage cheese; rice bagel; apple with peanut butter; nuts and chocolate chips.
M is for Microwave. What is your favourite microwave meal or snack? Breakfast!! Oatmeal cooked in the microwave with peanut butter then spooned on top.
N is for Nutrients. Do you like carbs, proteins or fats best? Carbs! Specifically veggies, fruit and cereal.
O is for Oil. What kind do you like to use? Canola. Healthy and mild in flavour.
P is for Protein. How do you get yours? Here's my five most frequent sources: tofu, seafood, cottage cheese, peanut butter, eggs.
Q is for Quaker. How do you like your oats? I like GF oats microwaved with peanut butter. [Dad would have a much more in-depth answer to this question. He is Hot Cereal King].
R is for Roasting. What is your favourite thing to roast? Can I say my skin? As in being outside in the sun?! Joke! I love portabella mushrooms, roasted.
S is for Sandwich. What is your favourite kind? DEFINITELY the 'wich I had at thrive juice bar when I went there with Angela and Odette. It was a grilled portabello, tempeh and spinach sandwich on a GF bun. Note to self: go back there asap.
T is for Travel. How do you handle eating while travelling? On a plane, small snacks frequently as I can get a nauseous stomach easily.
U is for Unique. What is one of your weirdest food combos? Oh, this one is easy: a can of tuna mixed in a flavoured yogurt cup (like Danon or Silhouette). I used to eat this at the store all the time and everyone sneered at it – til they tried it, then they'd report back that it was delicious. AND I got the idea from the Food Network!
V is for Vitamins. What do you take? I take Vitamin C (chewable), Calcium (chewable) – – > because they taste good. Also glucosamine – taken that for years.
W is for Wasabi – yea or nay? Never had it, so I guess that's a nay!
X is for X-Ray. If we x-rayed your belly right now, what food would we see? Since it's < 7 a.m., you'd find leftovers from last night's dinner!
Y is for Youth. What food reminds you of your childhood? Boy, have you got 30 minutes? The stories and items I could recount…! Here are five: homemade hamburgers; homemade macaroni and cheese; homemade cookies; homemade blueberry pie; homemade iced tea.
Z is for zucchini. How do you prepare it? Rinse it under cold water, cut into rings, eat raw (dipped in "Red!")
Wow – that ended up being longer than I anticipated! It's actually almost breakfast time!…
Take the first two letters of your first name, and answer those questions! I'd be CEREAL and APPLES for Cathy!
Best game show ever?? Can you believe I've never watched Wheel of Fortune!


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The Middle East Institute was pleased to host the opening of an exhibition featuring Palestinian-American artist Manal Deeb's most recent series, Metaphors.
Informed by her experience growing up under Israeli occupation in Ramallah, the works in Deeb's series act as metaphors for her identity as an Arab-American woman, daughter, mother, and artist living outside of her homeland. The complex layering of self-portrait and Arabic poetry in her paintings expresses memories from her childhood and reflects her ongoing journey of living in exile.
Deeb's multimedia work includes painting, photography, video, calligraphy, and music, among others. Her art has been shown in many solo and group exhibits in New York, Washington, D.C., Chicago, London, Cairo, Dallas, Boston, Delhi, Rome, Los Angeles and Fairfax, Virginia.
Deeb was present at the exhibition opening to answer questions and meet attendees. The exhibition will continue at the Oman Library until May 31st, 2016.
The Artist in the Press:
"Manal Deeb's own countenance appears in nearly all of her artwork... but it's hard to distinguish it. The Palestinian-bred Fairfax artist superimposes photographs, calligraphy, and fabric patterns on her face, constructing a visual metaphor for how women's identities are overlaid with societal expectations and political circumstances. Most... blend realism and abstraction. Imagery derived from the paintings also is an element in the ... collages, which are intricately layered with forms and textures to suggest the land of her birth. All these and more, Deeb suggests, create her self." - Mark Jenkins, Washington Post


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Vi ctims stand up FCB Cape Town has helped The Western Cape Government (WCG) to send a number of powerful messages to the people of South Africa in the last few years, each in its own uniquely creative way. The partners' newest campaign reminds people that abuse is not the right response for the help that emergency medical staff (EMS) provide.
Too often paramedics are hindered, or even prevented, from doing their job. Worse, their own lives are sometimes threatened. And "sometimes" is becoming a daily occurrence for too many of them.
Head of Emergency Medical Services, Dr Shaheem de Vries, explained, "EMS staff are faced with very difficult decisions every day – life and death decisions. For many in the emergency services, some of the bravest and most courageous of these decisions is also the one they make the most often. That is, the decision to come to work.
"This is as a consequence of what has become a daily threat to EMS providers who may, when responding to a call, be stabbed or shot at by criminals intending to rob them of any valuables they possess. It's hard enough to deal with knowing that your decisions can make the difference between life and death, but to know that you have to make these decisions in a situation where you yourself could be at risk is virtually untenable.
"The EMS staff are incredibly brave people, and we and the citizens they serve, want to acknowledge and thank them."
The campaign includes a documentary and an anthem.
In the documentary, stab victim, Ashraf Solomons, is given the chance to say thank you to the paramedics who saved his life and are therefore a reason why his daughter is alive today also.
The anthem is a free verse poem narrated by a number of people whose lives have been saved by paramedics.
"The injured person and the attackers are from the same community, which means that an attack on an EMS, is an attack on that community," noted FCB Cape Town chief creative officer, Mike Barnwell.
"We hope that by telling the stories of real survivors, the perpetrators of the attacks, as well as the community at large, will come to understand that, when they attack the EMS, they are attacking their mother, their father, their brother or sister, daughter or son."
Agency: FCB Cape Town
Chief Creative Officer: Mike Barnwell
Copywriter: Amy Thompson
Art Director: Karabo Makena
Managing Partner: Account Leadership Nadja Srdic
Account Executive: Teagyn Gracey
Head: Electronic Production: Lauren Trevelyan
Producer: Julie Gardiner
Production Company: Butterfly Films
Director: Felix Seuffert
Executive Producer: Anna Telford
Post Production House: New Creation Collective
Music: Pressure Cooker House
Client: Western Cape Government (Health)
Client: Head: Dr Shaheem de Vries, Emergency Medical Services
Hellocomputer & FCB Cape Town: 5 simple questions can change bullying behaviour
FCB Cape Town: Texting and walking is funny. Texting and driving? It Can Wait


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BSRA 9: Bridlington 26th - 27th Oct
National, regional, local...if you have a scooter and want to rally, ride or meet up, post it here!
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Just posting to give a heart felt thank you to Vfm and all the crew who put this rally on. It was great to see the spa heaving with people enjoying the bands. Sounds and Pressure room was a great treat, that man knows what he's doing! Dean Orton was very helpful with advice too and gave us time.
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i have some new cards up at kerri bradford studio today. i knew when kerri asked us to focus on cards this month, that i wanted to make some birthday cards. that's the one kind of card that i always need, but never seem to have on hand.
for my "happy birthday" cards, i started with the loopy card base from the for you kit, and added on a few rows of circles using the envelope insets from the signed, sealed, delivered kit. i cut it out of tone-on-tone pattern papers, and then adhered graph paper to the inside of each card.
i cut it out of tone-on-tone pattern papers from bo-bunny, and then adhered graph paper to the inside of each card. i have a definate obsession with graph paper lately.
then i adhered a threaded button in the center of each cut out circle. all of the buttons i used are from basic grey. they make some of the best buttons, and i love the colors.
the first card was my more "boyish" card. although my girls told me the buttons aren't "boyish". oh well, the colors are and that's good enough for me. this card is the "girlish" version.
when you open up the card, you're just lifting the pink piece on top, with the loopy borders. so the buttons will actually be on the inside of the cards, in two neat little rows.
for my sentiments, i spent forever looking for the perfect "happy birthday" stamp, and couldn't find one that would work. then i remembered these "happy birthday" rubons from pebbles. i LOVE these, and they're perfect for card making, since you get so many in each little package. i added the rubon to a label sticker from my mind's eye, and adhered it to the card front, along with a piece of ribbon from pebbles.
for my next cards, i wanted to use the tear-away envelope from the signed, sealed, delivered kit. i love the idea of tearing off that little strip, to get to what's inside of the envelope. i also took a little inspiration from robyn's cards that she shared a few weeks ago, since i love how she added them right to the front of her cards.
for my actual card base, i just used a regular old card. all of the papers are from amy tangerine's first collection.
i resized the envelope, so that it would be the perfect size for a gift card. we are always giving out gift cards for birthday gifts, so this will come in really handy. i cut these from some graph paper. to add a little something to the tear-away strip, i used a teeny tiny stamp from technique tuesday.
i added a few stars to the cards, embellished with threaded clear buttons. i'm sure there are stars in several of kerri's kits, but the first one i found during my search was from the christmas countdown kit. i also used a sentiment stamp from hero arts.
i had a few extra stars left over, so i also added one to the front of each envelope, along with a "Celebrate" sentiment from the all about you kit. the envelopes for all of the cards are also in the tear-away style. i cut them from kraft cardstock, and then lightly sprayed them with white misting spray from studio calico.
i love that i have a few birthday cards on hand now. i made 2 of the second style, which means i have 4 cards. only problem is that i have 3 birthdays in the extended family, during the next week. which will leave me with only one spare card. guess i'll have to make some more cards one of these days :)


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The timetable for the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union is still uncertain. Yet, first implications for key policy areas and the cooperation between EU member states are already becoming apparent. To what extent is foreign and security or economic policy, cooperation in labor market or migration policy already affected today? What will be the consequences of Brexit? And in how far will US elections have an impact on the European foreign policy agenda?
We will be discussing with experts from science and politics in a series of workshops on 24 and 25 November 2016 at the Hertie School of Governance in Berlin, including Norbert Röttgen MdB, Jamie Shea (NATO) and Cathryn Clüver (Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School).
For more information on each of the sessions and to register for the individual workshops please follow the links below:
24 November 2016
12:30 – 2:00 pm Workshop: EU foreign and security policy after Brexit
4:00 – 5:30 pm Workshop: The economic consequences of Brexit for the UK and EU: A losing game?
6:15 – 7:45 pm Panel Discussion: What does Brexit mean for Europe's security architecture?
25 November 2016
8:30 – 10:00 am Workshop: Brave new world? What Trump and Brexit mean for European foreign policy


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'8 things I wish I knew when I started out' from the AJ Woman Architect of the Year 2013
Brooks, set up her own practice Alison Brooks Architects in 1996. It is the only practice to have won the Stirling Prize, the Manser Medal and the Stephen Lawrence Prize.
Speaking at the AJ Women in Architecture Winners Talk held at the Zaha Hadid-designed ROCA London Gallery, Brooks shared her top tips for starting a practice.
Alison Brooks
8 tips for starting a practice: Things I wish I knew when I started out
- If you're working in an office now, treat it like your own office
When I started with Ron Arad, that's what I did. If something needed doing, I would just do it. Don't wait to be asked. It's a great way to learn about running a business
- Be experimental
Don't be afraid to try new things. It's the best way to learn
- Be part of the architectural community
Go out, make contacts, ask questions and become part of the industry. Later on, these people will help and support you.
- Get a business loan to inject steam your business
When I started out, I didn't realise you could get a business loan. During the early days, I was paying staff using my overdraft and my credit card. But you can get a business loan and invest in a decent printer, better IT… So invest in yourself, and pay the loan back over time
- Treat every project like it will be your last
If you pour your heart and soul into projects, you will do better work
- Get a professional photographer to photograph your finished work
We wouldn't have got nearly as much publicity if we didn't get professional photos taken. It's an investment, and it's worth it.
- Do competitions regularly, they will be your portfolio pieces, your research and development
After Accordia I thought I was in danger of becoming trapped as a housing architect. So I entered some competitions. This was a way to get into public projects, and if you don't win then the work you do is good for research and development. Competitions will give you the confidence to tackle a building type you've never encountered before
- Hang on to your idealism and values
As Deborah Saunt said, 'Hang on to your idealism and values, and be yourself' - that's a great piece of advice. If you stay true to your values then architecture doesn't seem so much of a struggle
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C4: Don't put the lid on 1MDB investigations
KUALA LUMPUR: The Center to Combat Corruption & Cronyism (C4) has urged the Attorney-General (AG) to urgently concede to requests for Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) by countries investigating the 1MDB Scandal. "We remind him that he must work for public interest, as he's paid by taxpayers," said the NGO's Founder Director Cynthia Gabriel in a statement.
C4 Center, elsewhere, called for the following:
Firstly, the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) should open fresh investigations into the USD681 million in Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's account.
"The US Department of Justice (DoJ) has revealed that the USD 681 million in Najib's private bank accounts was from 1MDB monies," noted Gabriel.
Secondly, outgoing MACC Director Abu Kassim should tell the people all recommendations to the AG on details of its investigations on 1MDB.
Thirdly, the police should inform the people the status of their investigations on the Scandal.
C4 was taking its cue from statements issued by the US Attorney-General (AG) and the Department of Justice (DoJ) on the 1MDB Scandal.
"It was truly disturbing that the police and the AG in Malaysia were clearly failing the people by trying to put a lid on the 1MDB investigations," said Gabriel.
She lamented that the local authorities were leaving it to the US to recover Malaysian assets and hunt down the kleptocratic corruptors involved in the scandal.
On a brighter note, the NGO was encouraged the provisions of the international cooperation chapter, a key pillar of the United Nations Anti Corruption Convention (UNCAC), was being strongly enforced in the multi country investigations of the 1MDB Scandal.
"This was made known following the DoJ's civil forfeiture suits that were filed by the US Government," said Gabriel.
Already, MACC has confirmed that it was working with the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in tracking down a key business figure, believed to be Jho Low.
In its detailed and meticulously drafted civil lawsuits on 1MDB, continued Gabriel, shocking details have been revealed on how the people have been massively defrauded.
"Billions of public funds were stolen for private enrichment."
The C4 statement expressed confidence that the civil lawsuits filed last week in the US, on USD 1 billion worth of assets, was a prelude to more concrete actions that would be taken by Washington.
"It furthers the global perception that it was serious about thwarting cross border corruption, money laundering and financial crimes," summed up Gabriel.


text: I'm thinking about participating in Google Code Jam competition. A while ago (back in school i guess) many of us use to be crazy about all kinds of regional and national competitions and i know that there are quite few "medalists" here. I wonder if we still have the will, speed ++ 😉


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Our saga of servitude continues with the following question:
Remember the shiny metallic flake paint job on Hotwheels? Well I'm trying to
achieve something like that with armour on my Juggernaughts. I want them dark
red with the gold metalic shine to differentiate it from Bloodletter skin. Every
mix I've tried just ends up being dark red.
Sounds like a very cool idea which I've never actually tried. However,that
won't stop me from bloviating! My first idea would be to paint a metallic
gold base coat and go over it several times with red ink until you got the
look you were going for. The trick would be to make it look a red yet but
transport enough you still see the gold shining through. Second idea would
be to use Vallejo metallic medium. I would paint the skin the dark red,
fully highlighted, you were going for. Then I would try out a red wash mixed
with the metallic medium to gain the metallic look. I would experiment with
the mix until you got it just right. Here is a clip on youtube that
captures what I'm saying.
your best best may be to tap the one resource that knows how to do this
better than anyone - the model car builder community.
Interesting question. At first I was going to suggest just simply buying a red metallic paint, but a thorough search of the acrylic paint lines geared towards miniature painters did not seem to yield any results. Do any readers know of one?
I'd suggest a quick rummage through your local craft store paint section for any likely candidates, otherwise your best bet is Tamiya Clear Red. A few coats of this stuff over a silver metallic basecoat looks great. I think a gold base would work just as well.
You could can also get good results with GW washes too. Metallic base + 1 wash Ogryn Flesh + 1 wash Gryphonne Sepia + 5 or more coats of Baal Red to taste will do the trick.
Do Not Miss 2020 Week 18
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Chris Reilly, founder of New Flight Digital Media, joined Lisa Marie Latino in the #HipNJ studio to discuss his entrepreneurial venture.
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Two members of Abolish Human Abortion challenged me to discuss whether or not Christians should be making a secular case for the pro-life position. We were going to meet on a Google Hangout, but I wasn't able to make it because I seriously need to upgrade my equipment. However, these two individuals, Darin and John, decided to have the Hangout anyway and discuss this issue, despite the fact that I wasn't there to defend it. They also want a response, so I will give them one. I don't have much of a desire to continue a dialogue with them making videos, so if they don't wish to continue discussing via text, at least until I can have a Hangout with them, then I probably will not respond again. Responding to videos is just too difficult to do on a blog, especially since they don't have all of their points laid out in any sort of logical progression; they're basically just having a discussion. Remember what Solomon wrote in the book of Proverbs, chapter 18, verse 17: "The first to plead his case seems right until another comes and examines him." You can view their video here. The relevant portion starts at around 4:30 in the video. They talk a bit about their experiences outside an abortion clinic prior to that. This is the article in question that they are responding to.
It's important to note that there are many areas in which members of AHA and I (and the Christian members of the larger pro-life movement) agree. We agree that souls need to be saved, that we must use the Gospel to bring people to salvation, that abortion is a great moral evil, that God is the ultimate grounding of objective morality and objective truth, and many other things. I'm also not saying that we should never use the Gospel in our discussions. Many of my discussions on abortion naturally lead to discussions of morality and God. My actual argument is that we do not need to use the Scriptures to make a compelling argument for the pro-life position, and indeed it would actually be foolish to do so if you're talking to someone hostile to Christianity.
So what I'm going to do is make the argument that we can, in fact, make a secular case for the pro-life position, and that it's not dishonoring to God to do so. Now, bear in mind that my argument is not that we should never bring God into the conversation. My argument is that relying on religious arguments is not necessary to make the pro-life case, and is necessary if you're having a discussion with someone who is hostile to Christianity (or religion in general).
Jesus told us that the first and greatest commandment is this: "love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength" (Mark 12:30). God has given us the ability to reason, and by forsaking the use of the reason that God has given us, by forsaking the life of the mind, you are dishonoring God. In Isaiah 1:18, God told the Israelites, "Come now, let us reason together...though your sins are as scarlet, they will be made white as snow." God didn't quote Bible verses at them, he was telling them what he was going to do. In fact, there was a time before the Scriptures even existed. What did people do for truth then? Presuppositionalists confuse the Word of God with God, Himself.
Remember that Paul told us, "For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more. To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law; to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some" (1 Corinthians 9:19-24). We have to meet people where they're at. In fact, one of my favorite passages on apologetics is Acts 17. In the former portion, Paul reasoned with the Jews with the Old Testament, because they took the Old Testament seriously. But in the latter portion, Paul didn't reason with the Roman philosophers with the Scriptures, because they didn't respect the Scriptures as an authority. He argued through philosophy, even quoting a secular poet, to convince them of the truth of Christianity.
There are many more examples that I could give (e.g. Paul used eyewitnesses as evidence of the Resurrection, and Jesus used his miracles as evidence that he is the Messiah), but I think this is sufficient. The thing I noticed as I was watching the video is that Darin and John never actually support their assertion that we can't make a purely secular apologetic for the pro-life position. They use two or three Bible verses out of context, but I don't think a single thing they said actually related to the position they were supposed to be defending. I have made a Biblical case for my position. If Darin and John can't make a Biblical case for theirs, then it is not fair to accuse me of dishonoring God and trying to take the moral high road on this. Otherwise, by using philosophy and not the Bible to make their case, their case is ultimately self-defeating.
In fact, they seem to conflate making the pro-life case with evangelizing, but these are two completely different discussions. They seem to believe that making a case for the pro-life position just is evangelizing and converting people to Christianity, but this is mistaken. In fact, at about 10:30 into the video John actually concedes that you can convince someone to be pro-life by making a secular case. But this is exactly what we are discussing here: can you make a convincing pro-life case apart from the Scriptures? The answer is clearly yes.
This article will take place in two parts, since there is much to respond to. The statement was made regarding AHA responding to Jonathon Van Maren's article about their revisionist history. T. Russell Hunter did, indeed, respond (and that's probably putting it charitably) with a long, rambling video in which he ate a sandwich, and Jonathon responded to that, as well. Hunter has yet to continue the discussion, and he has yet to keep his promise about amending the website to more accurately represent the position of incrementalists.
So now that I've outlined a brief case for my position, let me respond to Darin and John's statements.
Statement #1: "What the pro-life movement needs now, more than ever, is unity among its supporters and proponents, even ones who disagree with us on spiritual issues." (7:28)
I stand by this statement. Jesus, Himself, said, "Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand." Surely Darin and John don't disagree with this statement. When it comes to the pro-life position, we need to be united, not divided, even with those who disagree with us on spiritual issues. I'm not talking about having atheists and agnostics serving in positions on the church board. But as my friend Neil Shenvi asked, would Darin and John oppose Christians and atheists working together to build projects, pilot aircrafts, fight wars, etc.? He seems to be okay with having secular friends, but on issues where we are saving lives and not saving souls, what is the problem with working together with people who hold to different faiths or no faith?
Now, Darin made the comment that we build our foundations on what the Word of God says. I agree with this, of course, and I think I have the stronger Biblical case for my position. He asked, "what is the Word but a sword that divides flesh and spirit?" I actually don't know what he means by this. Jesus said that he came not to bring peace but a sword, but it wasn't to divide flesh and spirit. It was a doctrine that divides, that puts father against son, husband against wife. Not that we're to go out looking for trouble, but the Christian faith is one that is unpalatable to someone who loves the world.
Now I really think Darin is grasping at straws when he says that if you put aside your differences you're not following Christ as king, you're following an issue as king. This is just semantic nonsense. One of the reasons I am an outspoken pro-life advocate is because God wants me to stand up for those without a voice. If I accept atheists as my colleagues even though they don't follow God, I'm not placing the issue above God. I'm following my Christian calling and accepting help from anyone willing to offer it. Darin might as well say that the Israelite spies stopped following God as Lord and started following their own safety as Lord when they accepted help from Rahab the harlot while spying on Jericho.
Darin additionally said, "When God says, 'do not murder,' that's your foundation for truth." Well, that may be, but I would ask Darin: What is murder? Who counts as human beings? Can he point to anywhere in the Bible that gives a description of what murder is or what a human being is? No. Sure, we know that human beings are made in God's image, but is that image there right from the start? How do you know? Through philosophical reflection we know that murder is the unjust taking of human life, and we know that the unborn count as human beings because the science supports it, and we know, again through philosophical reflection, that what makes us valuable (the imago Dei) is present from fertilization because they have the same inherent nature as we do.
Statement #2: "I am not saying that pro-life Christians should leave the Gospel out of all their conversations, I am merely arguing that it is not necessary to make the pro-life case." (9:50)
So here the question seems to be not so much can you make the pro-life position apart from the Bible, but should you? I have already made a Biblical case that using your faculties of reason alone is not dishonoring to God. After all, all truth is God's truth. But how do they justify their case that arguing apart from the Scriptures is dishonoring to God?
The argument they seem to use to support this is the argument that you're dishonoring God if you're not evangelizing. This is something I agree with. Jesus told us to go into all the world and make disciples. This is an important part of Christianity. But it's a red herring. This tells us nothing about whether or not we should be making the pro-life case apart from the Scriptures. All this tells us is if we're not evangelizing, we're dishonoring God, which is a statement I fully agree with. As I stated earlier, many of my discussions on abortion lead naturally to discussions about morality and God. You can use arguments apart from Scripture to make the pro-life case, then making someone pro-life can usually make them more receptive to the Gospel because then you can talk about what really makes us valuable, being created in God's image. They still have not shown why it's dishonoring to God to argue apart from the Scriptures.
Darin quotes Colossians 2, in which Paul wrote that in Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. But notice: it's the treasures of wisdom and knowledge that are hidden in Christ, not wisdom and knowledge, themselves. One can know things apart from Christ, even if there is no ultimate grounding for logic and morality apart from God. Paul was writing to warn against false doctrines and philosophies that were creeping into the church. Paul never warns against philosophy, just the vain philosophies of man.
I don't deny that God is required for the existence of logic and morality. What I deny is that belief in God is required to recognize them and use them. God gives us the tools we can use to discover true things about the universe, even if we don't understand why we have these things. You can use a hammer even though you have no idea who made it or don't remember who gave it to you.
John made the comment that as the author of reason and logic, we need to bring God into the conversation if we're going to discuss reason and logic. But I see no reason why this necessarily must be the case. It's true that we owe God everything, but it's not dishonoring to God to use reason apart from Scripture because God gave us that reason. God is the God of all reality. That means that all reality, not just the Scriptures, point back to God. You can use your reason to argue for God's existence because if God made the universe, then surely the universe is evidence for God's existence, as arrowheads are evidence for certain Native American tribes.
John made a similar statement that you can't even reason without God, but this is clearly false. You can't come to many true conclusions about the universe without God (e.g. the obvious one, that God exists), but you can clearly reason without God. He also says that you have no justification for being pro-life, but again, I find this to be false. I think the desire to treat all human beings equally, no matter what their stage of development, is very good grounding for being pro-life. I also find it to be true, even if they can't ultimately ground what really makes us valuable.
These gentlemen seem to forget that slavery was abolished in the United States without making it a Christian nation (in the sense that we didn't make it a Christian theocracy). Blacks and women were also made equal without making the U.S. a theocracy. Many slavery abolitionists and civil rights pioneers were heavily influenced and spurred on by their religious convictions, but they argued through reason for human rights, not by arguing that our nation had to repent and turn from its wicked ways. By making this a religious argument, AHA members are playing right into the pro-choice lobby's hands because unless there are good secular reasons to abolish abortion, our government won't do it because of their belief in the separation of church and state.
Darin next uses a verse out of Proverbs, that "...the fear of God is the beginning of knowledge..." (Proverbs 1:7). But this doesn't show that we must begin with the Bible before we search for knowledge, as presuppositionalists believe. That's question-begging. If you can't prove the Bible is true, then how can you prove what it teaches is true? It seems that the presuppositionalist runs into the same problem as the atheist who tries to use reason. Rather, by fearing God and knowing the Word we will be able to discern what is true from what is false. You won't find things like gravity or the Pythagorean theorem in the Bible, but if Darin and John are correct, then we can't trust those ideas because they're not found in Scripture. But by staying grounded in the Word, we can know when someone presents to us a false doctrine or false idea.
Minor corrective note: Scott Klusendorf did not develop SLED. Stephen Schwartz did in his book The Moral Question of Abortion.
John asserts that what LTI's whole ministry is about is not bringing God into the issue, but that's an oversimplification. The speakers in LTI believe that a strong Biblical case can be made, but if you're talking to someone who doesn't take the Bible seriously, then you need to use science and philosophy to make your case. Plus, if you listen to Scott's presentations, he always talks about the forgiveness that we can find in Christ before showing the abortion video (at least I don't think I've seen one where he hasn't). Also, it isn't about bringing more people into the pro-life camp. It's about training pro-life advocates to make the pro-life case well, and change hearts and minds on the issue so that we can eventually see abortion made illegal.
Darin makes the common statement that you're "in the world, but not of it." However, this is a pastorism and not actually found in the Bible. Even if it were, I fail to see how it would argue against using philosophical arguments, especially since, as I noted earlier, even Paul quoted secular poets to make his argument.
Statement #3 (off Facebook): "God is the God of all reality, not just the God of the Bible. I think a compelling Biblical case can be made for it, but even if not, so what? God has given us minds to reason, surely he expects us to use them." (19:05)
Darin and John seemed to misunderstand my comment. My comment was not saying that we can make a compelling Biblical case without the Bible. That would be silly. My point was that we can use science and philosophy to make a case that lines up with Scripture.
Statement #4: "AHA has this grand idea that they're 'engaging the culture' by refusing to use secular arguments alone, refusing to make arguments apart from the gospel of Jesus Christ. While I commend their passion to see souls saved, this actually presents a complete ignorance of their culture. People are not going to be convinced by Biblical arguments (in fact, arguing that God exists because the Bible says so is a logical fallacy, circular reasoning -- you need to have secular arguments as to how you know God exists in the first place)." (20:50)
Now John talks about a brief exchange he and I had in the comments, where he challenged me to give him secular arguments for God's existence. I provided two: The Kalam Cosmological Argument and the Axiological (Moral) Argument. Now Darin asked John what the Scriptures say about arguing to God, and John never gives any sort of Biblical explanation against this, just his own feelings on the matter. He still has yet to respond to my defense of those arguments as being reliable.
John tries to escape the charge of circularity by arguing that it "flows out of God's nature," but he seems to have misunderstood the point. The problem is John is assuming the Bible is correct, but he has no way of knowing that it's correct. I have a way of knowing it's correct because I believe there are good reasons to believe it's correct that are not found in Scripture. But John and Darin have no way of knowing that because they're starting from a book that they can't even prove is reliable. So when I say this is a circular argument, it's because the argument goes like this: How do you know God exists? The Bible tells me he does. How do you know the Bible is accurate? Because it's God's word. See? This just goes around in a circle. You have no way of knowing whether or not it's true.
So John tells me to read Bahsen and Van Til. Well, I might tell him to read William Lane Craig and Alvin Plantinga. Simply throwing out theologians and philosophers who agree with us is just an appeal to authority.
That covers the first four statements that Darin and John took issue with. I'll continue with the last four statements in part two.
*Special thanks to Neil Shenvi for giving me his thoughts prior to this exchange with AHA to help me prepare.
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Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Responding to AHA's Presuppositionalism, Part I
2 comments:
It's much better to make a Pro-Life case without religion. Christianity, for example, has centuries of blood on its hands so saying that God or Jesus said abortion is a sin will go nowhere, nowhere at all.ReplyDeleteReplies
Christianity does not have blood on its hands. There have been those, like Hitler, who abused Christianity to control the masses, but Christianity is a religion of peace. I don't think you want to go down this road because atheism is responsible for the bloodiest century in human history (the 20th).Delete
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Katie Couric is trying to talk past her program being stuck in third place (see Monday's chat with Peter Johnson in USA Today), but she really let the fangs show a bit in her interview for the November issue of Good Housekeeping magazine. When asked about published rumors of feuding with Matt Lauer and "high-handed" diva treatment of her staff, Couric grew angry, and sounded a lot like Hillary Clinton:
"I think there are a lot of angry, frustrated people, and I think that sometimes they happen to be writers," she says. "Our society still has a difficult time accepting strong powerful women and not typecasting them as evil, power-hungry lunatics." So, she has decided, "I'm going to be on a blackout for the first few months." Bad press, she says, "can suck your spirit dry."
Notice that other than Couric protesting "I love Matt," she doesn't say the reports of diva behavior are untrue. Isn't it weird for media people to decry other media people as spirit-sucking sores of negativity? How does Couric think Rush Limbaugh feels thanks to her applying bad press to him, and calling him "heartless"? There's more talk of the demands of feminism:
"It's a little daunting to be somehow the personification of one giant leap for womankind." Couric said being a woman means "there are things I care about that maybe Charlie Gibson isn't that interested in, like hormone replacement therapy."
In the pursuit of ratings, is there a network anchor that hasn't done a series of in-depth reports on hormone replacement therapy? This is a sexist and demeaning remark. It's like Gibson doing an interview with Men's Health magazine and saying that naturally he's better and cares more than Couric about covering prostate cancer.
Couric also discussed how her newscast wouldn't so stuffy, and well, objective:
"This is not your grandfather's newscast...I think people are ready for an anchor who's multidimensional, who's not so detached...I hope I do this job with humanity and heart. And intelligence."
"Humanity and heart" sound a lot like "covering things from the correct point of view, not balancing out the humane with the people who are heartless." In a separate box in the middle of the Couric pages, Good Housekeeping asked "some notable women" about how Couric should pursue her new job. Madeleine Albright said "persevere" in pressing your strongest beliefs:
"You will find your strongest beliefs ridiculed and challenged; principles that you cherish may be derisively dismissed by those claiming to be more practical or realistic than you. But no matter how weary you may become in persuading others to see the value in what you value, have courage still – and persevere."
Condoleezza Rice sounded the opposite note, cautioning Katie to question herself when she feels the most assured of how she is right and her critics are dead wrong:
"There is nothing wrong with holding an opinion and holding it passionately. But at those times when you're absoultely sure that you are right, go find somebody who disagrees. Don't allow yourself the easy course of the constant 'amen' to everything that you say."
The magazine also asked for advice from ultraliberal Hillary pal Marian Wright Edelman, Oprah Winfrey, her poet pal Maya Angelou, the CEO of Avon, an executive at Disney/ABC, and actress Meryl Streep, who seemed to think Katie had all the answers to life locked in her heart:
"Take your heart to work, and ask the most and best of everybody else too. Don't hlet your special character and values – the secret that you know and no one else does, the truth – get swallowed up by...complacency."
The weirdest moment in the article came when Katie discussed her daughter Ellie:
"She has 'a really good head on her shoulders. Now watch her get busted for drug smuggling!' Couric can't resist a comic moment, leaning into the tape recorder and urging her older child to wait at least a year before messing up: 'Come, on Ellie, work with me here,' she says."
Despite the love being offered to Couric by the article's author, Jenny Allen -- who began with smoochy prose about how 'Even without makeup, she looks radiant and rested, her caramel-toned skin glowing' -- she professed a lot of doubt about her show succeeding.
-- "I may lay a big fat egg. " She shrugs and gives a little laugh. I just hope this is fun. I said to the people at CBS, 'this better be fun.'"
-- "I'm just going to have to feel it out. Some things are going to work and some things aren't...I believe in noble failure."
-- In ten years, "I hope I'll be sitting on the beach writing a book," she says.


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I stopped in at Archiver's with my SIL yesterday and picked up one of their beautiful card samples. I was trying to figure out how they achieved such a soft coloring that resembled chalk. I found out that they sponged ink into the image using daubers on a shimmery white paper. This is my first attempt at that type of sponging technique. I actually used the tiny sponge daubers that are for chalks rather than the large fingertip daubers. I also picked up the Essential Glue Pad and stamped the Swirly Gigs (TAC) with it and sprinkled it with Dazzling Diamonds.
Additional pic .
Stamps: Ruffled Butterfly (Stampendous), Whirly Gigs (TAC)
Ink: Regal Rose, Cameo Coral, So Saffron, Stazon Black
Paper: Regal Rose, Shimmery White, So Saffron
Accessories: Polka Dot Gingham, Dazzling Diamonds, Essential Glue Pad
15 hours ago


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Your New June / July Local Playlist
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Little Red Kings – Said to Me
''Little Red Kings are a group of five dedicated musicians based around Norwich, Norfolk. A vision of alternative roots rock brought the five band members together, and with a powerful live show they haven't looked back. Their music combines a gritty roots quality, reminiscent of British classic blues rock bands of the 70's, with strong melodies and elements of modern alternative rock''.
Exploits – Tell Her This Lie
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This local band play a heavy, bluesy version of indie-punk, combining Libertines-style songwriting with the English humour akin to early Blur and the Kinks. Although only in their infancy as a band, having only played together for six months, the group have already established a reputation as one of the more crazed live acts on the circuit.
Finn Doherty – Feel So Good
Nearly 18 months after the release of his debut, Heritage & Parenting, singer songwriter Finn Doherty launches his highly anticipated new mixtape, The Choice That You Made, with "Feel So Good" as the lead single. With influences ranging from KT Tunstall and Lucy Rose to Green Day and Arctic Monkeys, Finn's songs are full of catchy melodies and eccentric progressions. His music has been described as "electronica indie pop", heavily influenced by alternative rock and hip hop.
Falling From Trees – Simple Rules
"Simple Rules" is the first track from the band's brand new five track EP Sleepless Nights. Formed in late 2013, Falling From Trees began life as an acoustic three-piece comprising brothers Adam and Leo White on guitars and backing vocals, and sister Rebecca White, on lead vocals. In 2017 the trio expanded to a five piece, adding Joey Scampion on bass guitar and Sam Ball on drums, shifting from their previous folk inspired sound to a more rock orientated approach. Sleeples Nights was described by Altwire as "an early offering of what will hopefully become a long series of ventures musically, this is a body of work to be proud of in the years to come and as a reintroduction to Falling From Trees, Sleepless Nights is exactly what it needed to be.
Blue Alatar - Rise of Pandapopolis
"Rise of Pandapoppolis" is the first single for Blue Alatar's debut album, Irradiated Hamster Alert, due for release on September 8th, 2018. Tracks are composed by guitarist and music educator Liam Taylor, who draws influence from a variety of artists and styles - from world music, to classic and contemporary rock, to film composers, , and psychedelic artists. Listeners can download this single, for free, from BlueAlatar.Bandcamp as of June 22nd, 2018.


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I got this in addition to the mini nude set from JS and I am set on liquid lipstick for a long time. This is honestly the best liquid lipstick formula in existence. It doesn't dry the hell out of my lips or feel heavy. It lasts literally all day and has a perfect applicator to make it so easy to apply. Iove the color doll parts from this set and wear it all the time. The color wifey is also beautiful for a really bold red lip. Beyond happy with this and honestly it's a steal for the price.
I wanted to buy Anna Nicole and Unicorn Blood for some time now but I wasn't sure about paying 18$ each. I initially bought Wifey and it is absolutely beautiful and it lasts loooonngg hours. I suggest you scrub the lips first so the application goes on smoothly as these lipsticks are super matte and cracked or chapped lips will show. Since I am a lipstick lover I thought it was a great deal to pay 6.50 per lipstick. At the end of the day, I purchase lipsticks frequently, so the fact that they are mini is a plus. They are basically half size of the original. Package is a dream which I wouldn't expect less coming from Jeffree...I highly recommend this collection. You won't regret it!
Jeffree Liquid Lipsticks are my favorite formula💄 Colors are rich in pigment and they dont dry your lips, they also smell delicious!!! The colors in these collection are beautiful... Also thanks to Beautylish for such an amazing customer service. I'm happy of how fast the delivery was and how perfect was the details of packaging, I also appreciate the lil welcome note. Thank you, ill be purchasing more stuff soon!! <3 <3
I bought these as a gift for my sister and mother at Jeffree's website. Very beautiful box and for $52, these colors are so worth it I may get his Blood Sugar pallette later on
I love this formula, and I love the minis! I've never completely finished a lipstick and this way I get to try many! Keep the minis coming!
Having never saw any product from Jeffree Star in person, I was sceptical about purchasing these. I was blown away by the product. Nothing compares in my opinion. I am impressed not only by the well done packaging but most importantly the quality of the products. Jeffree Star has famously critiqued other brands and he made sure he brought it his line. I am hooked!!
I'm obsessed. I already had Doll Parts, Calabasas, and Wifey (from the Star Family collection), but I wear those so often it's good to have backups. All of these shades I've been dying to try but wasn't ever sure if I should buy the full on normal size so this pack is really worth the price. Anna Nicole was everything I hoped it would be, bright and almost neon orange. Prom Night is bright pink with more blue undertones instead of dying really neon pink, which I really like. And then I get Redrum and Watermelon Soda and Unicorn Blood in the same pack? Oh baby, you had me at hello.
I am obsessed with Jeffree Star lippies, I cant get enough of them!! Every colour in "love me. Love me not" is beautiful and stunning! Also amazing selection And they are great for travelling! :) can't wait for mama jeffree to can come with more 🤤 I plan to owe every single lippie one day 🙌🏽🥰
A gorgeous set containing many of the shades I had been wanting to try. So far I've tried four of the eight, and almost all of them work on me. The formula of the lipsticks are great, though they feel just a little bit more drying than usual. Overall, a great purchase, and I can see myself buying a full size of some of these shades in the future!
/ 35
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/ 53
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/ 144


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EP In-Situ Barriers
on the M180, United Kingdom
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Auto Publishers Price Starting at
*Based on model year EPA mileage ratings. Use for comparison purposes only. Your atual mileage will vary, depending on how you drive and maintain your vehicle, driving conditions, battery pack age/condition (hybrid only) and other factors.VIEW OUR INVENTORY
Uncompromised off-road ability; rugged and retro looks; strong powertrains; all-weather traction; distinctive Trail Teams Edition
For 2013, the FJ Cruiser is essentially carry-over, although the Trail Teams Special Edition is now offered in a Cement Gray exterior color, in place of last year's Radiant Red. For the rest of the lineup this year, the FJ Cruiser gets new power outside mirrors with illuminated markers--as a standard feature--and there'a a new Magma Red exterior color.


text:
Here at Go2Tanzania we make every safari a 'special safari' entirely tailored for you but 'what is a safari'. To give you an idea of what you can expect on safari we have put the following guide together.
- You will be met at the airport by your guide who will be with you and become your best friend throughout your stay on Safari. Let us know your interests and we will match the guide that best suits.
- You are then transferred to your overnight lodge or hotel in a four wheel drive vehicle, this vehicle is just for your family/group. The Hotel/Lodge will be hand picked especially for you.
- The four wheel drive usually has air conditioning although it is rarely required as once on safari the roof is opened to allow the best viewing experience.
- After your night in the hotel/lodge you will be transferred to the game reserve, usually within 2hrs 30mins on tarmacked roads. The area of the reserve will be chosen to make sure a 'Game Rich' experience. Again the area chosen will be selected for your interests.
- Once at the game reserve gates your permits will be checked by the game reserve authorities, we will have sorted all these out for your complete peace of mind.
- Once in the game reserve you can expect to see a fantastic show of wildlife. These may include Elephants, Buffalo, Leopards, Lions, Rhino's, Hippos, Wider beast, Flamingoes, Giraffes and….. so many more to mention!
- You can expect to get up really close to the animals (within a few feet), and because you have your own guide you can stop and see whatever you want.
- Our expert guides will ensure your safety and make sure the animals are not upset by your safari presence. This does not stop us from getting you real close to the beautiful animals. Although the animals are wild our guides do not carry guns, the only shooting we do on our tours are with a camera.
- Photographs and viewing of the animals is best through the open roof of the 4 wheel drive, you might want to climb on the seats so easy to remove footwear is a good idea.
- Your guide will take you to the best spots, these might be on the Savana or a watering hole. The tracks can be a bit rough at times so for the ladies a 'sports bra' is a good consideration!
- We make sure there is contingency plan in place for the unlikely event of a breakdown ensuring minimal disruption and making sure you can carry on with your safari.
- You can choose to whether to take a packed lunch with you to maximize your time out on safari or alternatively you can return to the camp and take a more leisurely lunch and perhaps cool off in a plunge pool before venturing back out (if you want to).
- The safaris can start at whatever time you like, you do not have to start early in the morning if you don't want to, the beauty of having your own guide is that you choose. The animals are most active early in the mornings and in the evenings when the sun is cooler and you may want to consider this when thinking about when you want to Safari in the day.
- Once back at the camp there is the opportunity to shower (the water is carried in especially for you) before your evening meal, dependent on the camp the dinner is usually a three course meal. Vegetarian meals are available. Soft and alcoholic drinks are also available.
- Although it is called a camp, the beds are 'proper' beds and the facilities are far above basic, with plenty of water and toilets available.
- The camps very in size from 3 tents to 80, let us know what you prefer and we will sort the best camp for you.
You are free to wander round the camp during the day, in the evening the local Massai people guard the camp although there is very little risk from animals they do sometimes become a little curious. You will often see curious animals in and around the camp.
- The safaris experience usually last between 5 and 14 days. Most of our safaris are all inclusive, the only extras are tips for your guide (recommended £20 per couple) and camp staff (£5 to £6 per day), all these are discretionary.
For more information on how we can make your safari truly memorable call Christine on +44(0)1524 242018


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The Royal College of Nursing is extremely proud of the diversity of the nursing community
As an RCN member you can work with us to improve equality in the workplace, raise awareness, provide (and receive) support and celebrate diversity and promote equality of opportunity.
Find out about the Pride events we are attending this year.
The RCN diversity champions programme recruits and develops leaders and role models for diversity and equality of opportunity.
We now have over 500 registered diversity champions who help change attitudes and practice in their workplace.
To find out how to become a diversity champion, please email the RCN diversity team.
This RCN membership group acts as an influencing and lobbying agent to prompt lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) equality within the RCN and the health care sector. The network has a formal business meeting at Congress each year and membership of the network enables additional access to the RCN's renowned political leadership programme.
For more information please email the RCN diversity team.
The RCN's Principles of nursing practice tell us what patients, colleagues, families and carers can expect from nursing. Principle A states: 'Nurses and nursing staff treat everyone in their care with dignity and humanity – they understand their individual needs, show compassion and sensitivity, and provide care in a way that respects all people equally.
The Library and Heritage Centre is collecting material to better reflect our LGBT+ members, making sure our collections represent the diversity of nursing to this and future generations.
Find out more about our plans, or get in touch to share your story.
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text:
I am a cancer destroyer.
I am a cancer obliterator.
I am the Cancer-nator!!!
I am Cancer-free!
I am a cancer destroyer.
I am a cancer obliterator.
I am the Cancer-nator!!!
I am Cancer-free!
… and another polite euphemism.
This one is 'a shadow' … where no shadows ought to be.
It could be something.
It could be nothing at all.
I have wrestled since coming home,
To find an emotion that rings true.
Then I watched this video.
It makes sense now.
Thank you Hecatedemeter for standing in the middle of my path this very night.
"Poetry is a matter of life, not just a matter of language" – Lucille Clifton, 1936-1010, writer, educator, poet.
The last phase of my cancer treatment is over. Everything is looking good, but I'm not really going to celebrate until I see the results of the final scan, which won't be until 4th December – talk about your hurry-up-and-wait!
It's been a very interesting and intense week-and-a-half for all three of us here on Widder Island. First came daily visits to the hospital for shots and tests to prepare my body for 'the deed', then the 'deed' itself, wherein I voluntarily ingest poison.
Segue: When I was growing up and as a young adult, the world shivered on the brink of nuclear annihilation. It's a daunting thought even now to remember that many of us didn't think we would live through those times. That U.S. and U.S.S.R pissing contest prompted my younger self to learn about nuclear radiation and what, if anything, she could do about it. Turned out, not a lot, but she did gain a very vivid understanding of the effects of radiation on the human body.
Fast forward to last Friday: I'm looking at this plastic cup encased in layers of lead sheeting with a huge white pill in it. This is my radiated iodine. This is what will kill any last remaining cancerous thyroid cells in my body. The irony does not escape me.
Nor did the fact that the technician who delivered this contraption backed off almost to the other side of the room once he'd put it in front of me. A slight exaggeration, the room was small. I felt like saying, "Yeah, this stuff is poisonous to healthy people, what do you think it's gonna do to me!" But I didn't. I swallowed my horse pill and got out of there too.
Then we came home to our separated life. Separate bathroom, separate bedroom, separate food. Separated from any contact by a 1 meter buffer zone between me and all that I am used to touching. We knew it would be an inconvenience, possibly a logistical conundrum, and Widdercat would certainly not approve.
But it turned out to be more than that. It challenged how we, I, lived.
Try this for a moment. Everything you touch or come near will be poisoned by your presence. You must pay attention to how far away you are from your family, and it is your responsibility to keep that distance. Flip a light switch. Turn on a tap. Open the door to go outside. Do you do these things, knowing your touch is poisonous, or ask someone to do them for you? Or don't do them at all? – also a choice.
By late Saturday my tongue felt like it'd been scorched, and my throat, in the empty place where my thyroid gland used to reside, felt swollen and sore to touch.
My stomach wasn't too happy either. In fact my entire digestive system … well, you can imagine the rest of that sentence. I was surrounded by my life, but almost completely isolated from it.
Thankfully I could use my computer (the radioactive isotope used has a very short half life) so long as no-one else (of any species) used it, but I had the attention span of a gnat on speed, so I read a lot (my TBR pile is significantly smaller) and slept in three-hour bursts.
Now I'm trying to get my brain out of neutral and engage the think gears. I have high hopes that tomorrow I'll be able to NaNo my allotted span of words. With what I've already written I'll need to hit 2500+ words per day to make the finish line on time.
And Widdercat? … She didn't come near me. It was only last night (Wednesday) that she approached me for cuddles. Try and tell me she didn't know what was what!
"There's an old folk saying that goes: whenever you delete a sentence from your NaNoWriMo novel, a NaNoWriMo angel loses it's wings and plummets, screaming, to the ground. Where it will likely require medical attention" – Chris Baty, accidental founder of NaNoWriMo
I actually woke up with some energy this morning. I was so shocked I had to lay down and rest for half an hour!
A while ago I decided to use this years NaNoWriMo to kick my brain/Muse/typing skillz, back into high gear, then, last week I get news that my radiation therapy is scheduled for the first week of … you guessed it … November!
I won't be able to go anywhere near short people, pregnant people and four-legged people for about two weeks, or touch anything that isn't disposable or washable. I don't think my keyboard is included in either of those categories, but pen and paper might.
This reduces my NaNo time down to two weeks-ish and a daily word count of 3500. I'll be working on Book 2 of my 'Gallery' series with the plan that it'll be ready for me to self-publish along with Book 1 when I get the rights to it back from my publisher. (no pressure, right?)
So, all this is a convoluted reference to the topic at hand. The things we have to clear out of the way just to get to the starting line, which I call, getting back to zero.
Sometimes it's something as simple as wanting to go for a walk in this chilly Autumn afternoon. first I have to stick my nose out of my Hobbit House in order to determine how many layers to put on, find my shoes, keys, notepad and pen in case I get an 'idea.' etc, etc, just to get back to zero – walking out the door.
The same with writing. Because of the reduced time-frame I need to really get my outline nice and tight, check out all the shinies on the NaNo website – I'm 'Widder' if you're playing there this year – then get through the fun time that is my radiation treatment (it's called an 'ablation' for reasons that are unfathomable).
Yep, November's looking like a walk in the park, once I get back to zero.
"Two fundamental literary qualities: supernaturalism and irony" – Charles Baudelaire, 1821 – 1867, poet, essayist, art critic, and translator of Edgar Allen Poe into French
And a bonus … I came across this via the WPBeginner blog … how to add maps to your blog.
P.S. Does anyone else think of Robin Williams as Mork from 'Mork and Mindy' whenever they say 'NaNo' out loud?
One of the (many, I'm discovering) downsides of this combination of healing from thyroid cancer and menopause, is vaginal dryness. It's uncomfortable, annoying, irritating, time-consuming, frustrating, and on occasions downright hilarious. (nope, not going to give any examples of that last one)
So like any citizen of the 21st century, my first port of call was to 'google' possible remedies. Among the tens of thousands of results, was this gem, from which a wonderful sentence stood out like a sore thumb.
And I quote: (the emphasis is mine)
"Exciting movies that keep you in suspense stimulate the central nervous system, increasing blood flow to the gentiles which in turn lubricates the vagina."
I personally would like to thank all the persons of non-Jewish persuasion who offer this service.
The moral of this story is, of course, check for typos before you publish. (emphasis mine) because the one that gets through (and there will always, always, be ONE) will be the most embarrassing.
"A good editor doesn't rewrite words, she rewires synapses" – S. Kelly Harrell, author and modern shaman
It's been a busy time, this healing.
Have you ever had a major illness/ accident – we'll call it 'X' – and it's taken up all your energies, physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual, to overcome? Then, when you're at your lowest ebb, you catch a cold, or a paper cut gets infected, you stub your little toe, you suddenly experience menstrual cramps that you'd forgotten how bad they could be because you haven't had a period for eighteen months and have no tampons or pads in the house because you never wanted to see one ever again and it's the middle of the night and you live on an island in the middle of nowhere and your voice squeaks through at least three octaves because the swelling from your thyroid cancer surgery is still pressing on your vocal cords and sneezing hurts and the hottest of summer days have finally arrived and you hate the heat you came to Canada for the snow for goodness sake and the family at the end of your road are having a familyreunionandtherearepartiesdownbythelakeandBBQ'severywhere,
andyourcatbityoufornoreasonexceptthatshe'sveryoldandcrabby …
These things we will call 'x's'; the little yappy 'x's' that nip at the heels of the mighty 'X' and really annoy it and slow down its ability to bounce back as someone (me) would like.
July 2013 is a month that I am truly glad to see the rear end of as it heads out across the lake and disappears over the horizon, never to be heard of again.
Bring on August!
A funny thing happened the other day …
But first, the biopsy results are in and it looks like I dodged a bullet. The cancer cells were merely using my thyroid as a staging area. An invasion of my lymphatic system was immanent – which has now been terminated with extreme prejudice. One or two cells may have escaped into the hills, but rest assured we will flush the little buggers out and nuke 'em.
… back to the funny thing. I've been following Susieee Mac's blog, 'Don't be a Hippie … Then and Now' for a long while. As usual, every time she posts something, I get an email, click on the link and away I read.
Not this time. Google Chrome kept telling me it couldn't find her. I knew it was lying because I could search for her and she came up on the top of the list every time, but when I clicked on a link, GC (Google Chrome) closed its eyes tight and reiterated that Susie DID NOT EXIST!
I emailed Susieee and asked if she had recently taken on a non-corporeal existence. She checked all the corners of her mama's wonderful jungle garden and emailed me back to affirm that she was indeed, still-corporeal. What's more, everyone else on the planet agreed with her – except my GC.
I cleared my cache, rerouted my router, modulated my modem, changed search engines, tried the link on the two other computers in the house, consulted computer clouds, talked to techies – nothing worked.
It is a puzzlement, a paradox, a conundrum, an illogicality, an enigma.
Has anyone else had something like this happen?
'For me, writing a novel is like solving a puzzle. But I don't intend my novels as puzzles. I intend them as invitations to dance' – Mohsin Hamid, writer.


text:
City of Words by Steven J. Carroll
Book Description:
The all-powerful ruling authority, the Common, implants sensors into its citizens, sensors into the eyes and into the ears. They can see what you see and hear what you hear, and everything is monitored and recorded. One wrong word, or action, and you can lose your citizenship, which means death.
This is the world that Alpha has survived in for thirteen years, and he's good at it. At the School, he's an instructor rank, the highest ranking, which means almost no mistakes, for years. But now everything is unraveling. The Common has set their sights on him, systematically testing him to determine his allegiances. And what's worse, they're bringing Theta into this, the only person in the world that he cares about, and they might even kill her to get to him.
And the only way that this gets resolved, and the only way he can keep Theta safe, is if Alpha finds a way to escape the School. But how can you run from an enemy who can watch you at all times, an enemy who knows everything about you? When a single misspoken word can destroy you?
My Rating: 3.5/5
Before I get to my review, I would like to start off by saying that I received this book for free as a giveaway winner via Goodreads.com (sponsored by the author/publisher/other individual or entity) and by no means does this impact my review. Although I am super grateful and excited for any opportunity at receiving a book for free, I am also very strict with being honest. And with that, I thank you!
This book was good. Not great, but good. It starts off strong; the first chapter had me hooked and that's always a good thing! It was intense and had me wondering what happens next. If you like dystopian/sci-fi genres, then I would definitely recommend this book for you, although I wouldn't recommend to anyone who dislikes younger reads. The only reason I say that is because I find Alpha to be a little too whiny, even for my taste. Not saying that every leading male character has to be brooding and strong willed and oh-so-dreamy, but Alpha was a little much to take sometimes. Like a fly that keeps flying around your face that you can't get rid of. Eventually the fly lands and you don't seem to mind it's presence anymore. You accidentally bump it's new found resting place and all of a sudden he's back to flying around your face for the next 10 minutes or so. That is Alpha in a nutshell! One thing I don't understand about him though is how can he go from this whiny person one minute to willingly getting his neck cut open the next and then back to being whiny? (This particular scene though was wonderfully intense – just kind of makes me think Alpha pretends to be stronger than he really is or just likes the attention when he whines).
The Enjoyable Things:
Can I talk about this cover first? I am a cover snob. I'm sorry, if you put effort in to your writing I feel like you need to put just as much into the appearance. I am a
"judge a book by it's cover" type of gal. Why would I want to read your book if you clearly don't put any effort to initially draw me in? Make me pick up the book with just the picture – make me want to read the book jacket! But this is a completely different conversation for another day. Getting back on track, this cover is great! It's what made me read the book description in the first place. It really captured my eye and I love the idea of holding a picture of a 'before world destruction' over the 'after math'. Kudos for the outer display!
Another thing I enjoyed in this book was Chapter 22 in particular! Without spoiling anything, I really enjoy who they introduced here. I, personally, did not see it coming and that always makes for a fun read :]
The Not So Enjoyable Things:
I really feel that this book should've been a "book 2" because I don't feel like there was much background info before things started falling apart and they – Alpha & Chi – were on the run. THAT or they should add a few more chapters to the beginning. I'd really like to know more about where they came from, where they were growing up and I'd definitely like to know more about Alpha and Theta's relationship. I want to believe Alpha on this whole 'saving Theta' quest but all I can think of is puppy love because I don't know much about them.
Which leads me into their age. I don't know their age. How can I draw a picture in my head if I don't know how old I should be picturing these people? Being whiny makes me think Alpha and Theta are younger but they can't be THAT young to be going through what they're going through, they were too mature in certain areas. On the back of the book, it says "This is the world that Alpha has survived in for 13 years," so at least I know he's 13+ .. but I can't imagine he's only 13. If this was explained, I completely missed it, so don't quote me that it wasn't – I'm not entirely certain. HALP!
I did enjoy the scene where Alpha and Theta are thrown up against each other to fight – I got so excited reading about it but then it seemed to fall flat. I was really engulfed in this build up but felt like it went no where. Again, this is a scene where I feel like Alpha's whiny and unruliness comes in to play. He just needs to stop.
One last thing I'd like to point out because it was hard to stay enveloped in the book when this happened (and it happened frequently) but at the same time, I was informed that this in an ARC so it may or may not be something that will change. So instead of saying "this is awful blah blah blah" I would like to consider this a suggestion: There are a lot of areas where the writing seems to repeat itself. I don't need to be reminded you're in a forest 10 times in the same 2 sentences. I got you were in the forest the first time (exaggerated example but sometimes I felt this to be true). It would be great to change this in the final print/version because it really took me out of the story.
Example from the actual book pg. 199-200 end of paragraph into the beginning of a new page:
"…..They considered their labors menial and ignorant, and so the Leaders of the Common made plans to forcibly confiscate the land from the farmers. And so, the Leaders sent out messages, this was before the days of implanted sensors……"
All in all, I would recommend this book – and being at the end it quotes "End of Book One" I would definitely be interested in getting my hands on book 2 and seeing where this story goes!
2 thoughts on "City of Words by Steven J. Carroll"
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[…] Books = (free) 1.) Waking the Dead by L. Sydney Fisher; signed paperback 2.) City of Words by Steven J. Carroll;signed […]