text:
Who Will Win NHL Awards
The Sedins are identical twins but their NHL MVP odds are not quite identical.
And neither is the top choice according to online sportsbook Bovada. That honor goes to Alexander Ovechkin at 4/1 odds, followed by young Tampa Bay sniper Steven Stamkos at 11/2.
Former MVP Sid Crosby will start the season on injured reserve, but oddsmakers still respect The Kid's clout, making him third choice at 13/2.
Three players on Canadian teams check in on NHL rookie of the year odds, but it's Philly prospect Brayden Schenn topping the odds list at 3/1. The No. 1 pick from last year - Oiler Ryan Nugent-Hopkins - is 7/2, while Ottawa blueliner Jared Cowan is 10/1 and Montreal's Alexei Yemelin is 15/1.
Ryan Miller and Tim Thomas lead the way for goalies, with each at 5/1 on the Vezina Trophy odds list at Bovada.
The season starts Thursday, so check the latest puck lines and moneylines at Bovada and check out fun player props as well this season.
See the rest of the candidates to win other major NHL awards below.
Who will win the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL's Rookie of the Year?
Brayden Schenn (PHI) 3/1
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (EDM) 7/2
Gabriel Landeskog (COL) 11/2
Nino Niederreiter (NYI) 7/1
Adam Larsson (NJ) 8/1
Tim Erixon (NYR) 10/1
Erik Gudbranson (FLA) 10/1
Jared Cowen (OTT) 10/1
Ryan Johansen (CBJ) 15/1
Alexei Yemelin (MTL) 15/1
Field (Any Other Player) 3/1
Who will win the Hart Memorial Trophy as the NHL's Most Valuable Player?
Alexander Ovechkin (WAS) 4/1
Steven Stamkos (TB) 11/2
Sidney Crosby (PIT) 13/2
Daniel Sedin (VAN) 12/1
Henrik Sedin (VAN) 14/1
Pavel Datsyuk (DET) 14/1
Anze Kopitar (LAK) 18/1
Jonathan Toews (CHI) 18/1
Corey Perry (ANA) 25/1
Martin St. Louis (TB) 25/1
Evgeni Malkin (PIT) 30/1
Jarome Iginla (CAL) 30/1
Brad Richards (NYR) 30/1
Joe Thornton (SJ) 40/1
Any Other Forward 11/5
Any Goaltender 11/2
Any Defenseman 30/1
Who will win the Vezina Trophy for being the NHL's top Goaltender?
Ryan Miller (BUF) 5/1
Tim Thomas (BOS) 7/1
Roberto Luongo (VAN) 15/2
Henrik Lundqvist (NYR) 8/1
Carey Price (MTL) 9/1
Marc-Andre Fleury (PIT) 10/1
Pekka Rinne (NAS) 10/1
Martin Brodeur (NJ) 10/1
Ilya Bryzgalov (PHI) 12/1
Miikka Kiprusoff (CAL) 14/1
Jaroslav Halak (STL) 16/1
Cam Ward (CAR) 16/1
Antti Niemi (SJ) 16/1
Tomas Vokoun (WAS) 18/1
Jonathan Quick (LAK) 20/1
Jonas Hiller (ANA) 25/1
Jimmy Howard (DET) 33/1
Corey Crawford (CHI) 40/1
James Reimer (TOR) 40/1
Semyon Varlamov (COL) 40/1
Craig Anderson (OTT) 50/1
Field (Any Other Player) 30/1
Who will win the James Norris Trophy as the NHL's best defenseman?
Shea Weber (NAS) 4/1
Zdeno Chara (BOS) 9/2
Nicklas Lidstrom (DET) 13/2
Mike Green (WAS) 7/1
Drew Doughty (LAK) 10/1
Duncan Keith (CHI) 10/1
Kris Letang (PIT) 12/1
Keith Yandle (PHO) 12/1
Christian Ehrhoff (BUF) 15/1
Dan Boyle (SJ) 15/1
P.K. Subban (MTL) 20/1
Lubomir Visnovsky (ANA) 20/1
Dustin Byfuglien (WIN) 22/1
Dion Phaneuf (TOR) 25/1
Andrei Markov (MTL) 25/1
Chris Pronger (PHI) 30/1
Mark Streit (NYI) 35/1
Tobias Enstrom (WIN) 35/1
Field (Any Other Player) 9/1
Who will win the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL's points leader?
Alexander Ovechkin (WSH) 7/2
Steven Stamkos (TB) 7/2
Daniel Sedin (VAN) 11/2
Martin St. Louis (TB) 17/2
Henrik Sedin (VAN) 14/1
Pavel Datsyuk (DET) 16/1
Corey Perry (ANA) 18/1
Ryan Getzlaf (ANA) 18/1
Sidney Crosby (PIT) 18/1
Anze Kopitar (LAK) 25/1
Evgeni Malkin (PIT) 30/1
Nicklas Backstrom (WAS) 30/1
Henrik Zetterberg (DET) 30/1
Jonathan Toews (CHI) 30/1
Joe Thornton (SJ) 35/1
John Tavares (NYI) 40/1
Patrick Kane (CHI) 40/1
Jarome Iginla (CAL) 40/1
Bobby Ryan (ANA) 40/1
Zach Parise (NJ) 40/1
Matt Duchene (COL) 45/1
Brad Richards (NYR) 45/1
Eric Staal (CAR) 45/1
Rick Nash (CBJ) 45/1
David Krejci (BOS) 55/1
Derek Roy (BUF) 55/1
Jeff Carter (CBJ) 85/1
Ilya Kovalchuk (NJ) 85/1
Dany Heatley (MIN) 100/1
Jaromir Jagr (PHI) 100/1
Field (Any Other Player) 25/1
Who will win the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy as the NHL's Top Goal Scorer leader?
Steven Stamkos (TB) 7/2
Alexander Ovechkin (WAS) 4/1
Corey Perry (ANA) 9/2
Evgeni Malkin (PIT) 6/1
Sidney Crosby (PIT) 13/2
Jeff Carter (CBJ) 10/1
Rick Nash (CBJ) 15/1
Daniel Sedin (VAN) 15/1
Zach Parise (NJ) 18/1
Ilya Kovalchuk (NJ) 20/1
Bobby Ryan (ANA) 25/1
Jonathan Toews (CHI) 25/1
Jarome Iginla (CAL) 25/1
Patrick Marleau (SJ) 30/1
Henrik Zetterberg (DET) 30/1
John Tavares (NYI) 35/1
Jeff Skinner (CAR) 35/1
Field (Any Other Player) 12/1


text:
Millions of people live, work, and play in the city. Like any city, it has its share of addiction problems—only bigger that other states in many instances. A heroin addiction is nothing to take lightly. It can consume a person's entire life. Careers disappear along with friends and social networks. Life takes a turn for the worse for the addict. When it gets to this point, the only viable solution is to find a treatment center for heroin addiction in New York that can treat all aspects of the disease. Some addicts will try to quit cold turkey, and this is never recommended. Withdrawal symptoms can be harsh, even deadly.
Effects of heroin addiction include the following: an immediate rush when using, shortness of breath, vomiting, drowsiness, coma, and even death to name a few symptoms. It is the most notorious drug in the world, and is the leading cause of drug-related deaths. This is one of the main reasons why no one should ever try to detox alone. It should always be accomplished in a safe, clinical environment.
What Rehab Offers
Rehab from heroin addiction offers inpatient and outpatient treatments for struggling addicts. The first important act is for an addict to admit their drug addiction. Then, then next step is to find a rehab center. Inpatient treatments are generally required to help someone hooked on heroin. Doctors will conduct a thorough physical and mental assessment, and then design a treatment plan designed for the individual. Doctors will screen for co-occurring mental disorders as well. Mental disorders include schizophrenia, depression, and anxiety. It is necessary to treat these symptoms to help prevent relapse down the line. The first year following rehab is generally the most challenging.
Heroin is such that mere hours after an addict's last fix, the addict craves more. They will also experience painful withdrawal if they do not get their fix. It becomes a vicious cycle where a junkie can shoot up several times or more a day. They stop eating, sleeping, and maintaining positive relationships. They will lie, cheat, steal, beg, and borrow to get the money for their next fix. At this point, the addiction has completely taken over.
Beyond Detox
After detox and removing the harmful bodily poisons, the patient is ready for continued counseling and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). These modalities help patients to understand the connection between their thinking and behavior. Positive, controlled, thoughts begin to produce different results. However, recovering addicts have a long way to go regardless of their rehab progress. Recovery is an uphill battle, and can last for a lifetime.
Beyond rehab, aftercare can continue to provide patients with support and medications. Groups like Narcotics Anonymous, and other similar organizations, are free to join. The only entry requirement is a commitment to getting well and a desire to participate in daily activities. Rehab works. All it takes is for the addict to take the first step and enroll in a clinical program.
Media Contact
Company Name: Elite Rehab Placement
Contact Person: Admissions
Email: email@example.com
Phone: 844-707-5678
Address:903 Calle Amanecer, Suite 240
City: San Clemente
State: CA
Country: United States
Website: www.eliterehabplacement.com

subset: commoncrawl


text:
They may have brought home the bacon – $17 billion in 2009 or over 10 times bigger than last year's expected foreign direct investment – but more than an economic force, overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) have evolved into a social phenomenon that the country's next president needs to resolve decisively.
The Filipino diaspora has fostered a "culture of migration," Professor Mary Lou Alcid of the University of the Philippines' College of Social Work and Community Development said in a campus forum last February. This has resulted, she noted, in "transnational Filipino families" with the father in Saudi Arabia, the mother in Hong Kong, the daughter in Taiwan, the brother in Dubai, and the youngest left in the Philippines.
In the May elections, migration experts believe that voters should pick a candidate who can resolve the problem of large-scale labor deployment abroad which results in the break-up of families, abuse of OFWs, the spread of infectious diseases, and other ills.
However, about a month before the polls, migrant groups say no candidate has come up with specific strategies to address these problems. FULL STORY.


text:
Verizon's Vickie Lonker on the importance of partnering
At our recent OSS/BSS User Group conference, 61 operators and more than 250 delegates met to share experiences and insights into hot topics and discuss product and service updates. Before delivering her keynote presentation, Vickie Lonker, VP of Enterprise Products at Verizon, spoke to industry analyst Dez Blanchfield about the importance of partnering for success and collaborating with the right people, a big topic at the meeting. Read on for my summary of the video.
Partnerships are key for delivering value to the customer
As soon as the conversation began, it was clear that partnerships would be a main focus. According to Lonker, "If we wait to do it all by ourselves, we won't deliver solutions as fast as the market demands."
As customer demands continue to increase, industry partnerships will become critical to get solutions to market swiftly and efficiently. Lonker explains that partnerships can deliver value on top of networks and on top of core competencies. She states that, "It's all about how partnerships can help deliver value to the end user customer that ultimately, all of us serve in our respective industries."
Operators can get ahead of the race thanks to their partnerships
Key partnerships bring key differentiation and Lonker pointed out, "Some of our points of differentiation are really because of the work we've done with Ericsson."
Lonker says that, for example, a Verizon SD WAN solution by itself wouldn't deliver value, calling the approach 'swimming without a life guard.' For customers to a get full end-to-end experience that delivers the performance that their applications desire, orchestration is vital. It means connecting to a network and it also means connecting to a deployment model (the cloud or hardware that sits at the customer edge, for example). This cannot happen without good partnerships, and for SD WAN, this means a lot of co-development between Verizon and Ericsson.
5G will unlock the challenges of digital transformation
How does 5G fit here? According to Lonker, "5G helps unlock the potential at the edge for industry, which will accelerate Industry 4.0 and the potential we have in that space."
How is Verizon juggling the digital disruption driven by competitors and customers, while tackling its own digital transformation challenges? Lonker explains that 5G will enable services and solutions for future enterprises and in particular for IoT. It will also bring wireless solutions to the forefront for business customers versus where most of the attention has been in the past, which has been with consumers.
In addition, the development of mobile edge computing will push the cloud much closer to the user, which is how operators will be able to deliver the low latency and new solution sets that'll be required to realize 5G use cases. Lonker sums up by claiming that this is why Verizon's partnership with Ericsson is so important. "Ericsson is not only our partner in the 5G space, but also what we do with SDN around orchestration. This is the critical intersection of those two things that in the past has often been disparate."
What do you think?
I am interested in hearing your opinions on the benefits and challenges of partnerships as our industry moves into the future. Please engage with us on Twitter and LinkedIn or contact us.
Related links: Orchestrating Enterprise Virtual Networks.
Related links: Ericsson Dynamic Orchestration.


text:
This is just how a climbing rose should be: hanging in luxuriant flounces and reaching in all directions. The white climbing rose is Lamarque and it is growing across the front of the home of respected rosarian, Walter Duncan, in his beautiful Heritage Garden in South Australia's Clare Valley. The garden is open to visitors. http://theheritagegarden.com.au
'You can almost never have too many climbing roses,' says Monty Don, well known English broadcaster and garden writer. I absolutely agree. In fact, I agree with everything Monty Don has to say about gardens and have kept an eye on his writing ever since 2008, when he won me with his television series Around the World in 80 Gardens.
He is an interesting man. He is a self-taught horticulturalist and came to gardening in a round-about way after a series of jobs and an unsuccessful attempt at writing fiction. Of himself he says: 'I was – am – an amateur gardener and a professional writer. My only authority came from a lifetime of gardening and a passion amounting to an obsession for my own garden.'
One of the obsessions in his own garden, other than his passion for organic gardening, is his roses and he writes about them frequently. I have a similar obsession and having just pruned my climbing roses I was interested to read what he says about these particular plants. 'Just let them grow', he says. 'Allow them to grow as big as they really want to, rather than being constantly curtailed and clipped to stay within the limits imposed by our back gardens. If you have room on your house or a suitable tree (an old apple tree is perfect), try growing a rose up it so it can grow untrammelled, and if this is not practical, then pergolas, arches, fences, walls and bowers are all ideal for training a rose over.' That's his very good advice.
My first garden was a tiny space behind a tiny terrace house. I was new to gardening but my head was full of wild fantasies about what I would grow there. I would have trees and flowers and a pond and vegetables, and the flowers would be mostly roses, masses of them. When the more practical aspects of what would actually fit into this tiny space finally dawned on me, I settled for one small-growing tree, a 'pond' contained in an old Chinese bowl, some vegetables in pots and three climbing roses. But the climbing roses did have masses of flowers, so my fantasy came true in a small way. Continue reading


text:
Last March, Playtone partners Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman optioned the screen rights to American Idiot, the Broadway rock opera based on the music of Green Day. Playtone has a first-look deal with Universal Pictures — now the studio is in negotiations to acquire the project. Deadline reports Dustin Lance Black (Milk) is in talks to write the script. Michael Mayer, the man behind the stage musical, will direct the movie as well.
The musical tells "the story three lifelong friends, forced to choose between their dreams and the safety of suburbia." Watch a clip from the show after the break.
The cast performing "Holiday" on Late Show with David Letterman:
Green Day lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong's voice is so idiosyncratic. It's weird to hear classically trained singers sing these familiar tunes. It's like Adultz Bop.
Universal is surely inspired by the $600 million worldwide success of Mamma Mia to turn to Broadway for material. The studio also has adaptations of Les Miserables and Wicked in the workds.
Here's how the American Idiot stage show opens, including the song selections.
The musical opens on a group of angry youths unhappily living in suburbia (identified as Jingletown, USA) and saturated with TV. Fed up with the state of the union, the company explodes in frustration ("American Idiot"). The musical then focuses on three best friends: Johnny, Will, and Tunny. The three feel threatened by their mundane lives. Johnny (aka Jesus of Suburbia) goes to commiserate with Will ("Jesus of Suburbia"). Tunny shows up to join the party. When the three of them run out of beer, they head to the 7-Eleven, where Tunny exposes the do-nothing go-nowhere quicksand of their lives ("City of the Damned"). They get riled up, and Johnny challenges his friends to engage ("I Don't Care"). Will's girlfriend Heather appears. She is pregnant and doesn't know what to do ("Dearly Beloved"). Johnny borrows money from his mother and buys bus tickets to the city for himself and his friends. Heather reveals to Will that he is going to be a father, so he decides to stay home ("Tales of Another Broken Home"). Johnny and Tunny depart for the city with a group of other jaded youths ("Holiday"). [Wikipedia]


text:
"Prepare to be challenged, prepare to be inspired" – regional workshop on Nature-Based Solutions in Asia's agricultural sector hosted by ICEM in Hanoi
Sheraton Hotel, Ha Noi, Viet Nam – 24-25th July
Nature-Based Solutions (NBS), defined as the use of natural processes and/or elements to increase ecosystem health of human-altered systems, have strong potential to achieve the triple goal of reducing damage to ecosystems, meeting increasing demands and enhancing resilience to climate change in Asia's agricultural sector. Primary purposes of NBS can be production, structural engineering (green infrastructure (GI)), bioremediation, or conservation. Although certain practices that fall within this definition have long been utilised by farmers, there is an advantage to bringing them under the umbrella of NBS, together with innovative measures which are emerging from other sectors like urban planning and design, where the concept of GI is more commonly applied.
Natural ecosystems are multifunctional, and their processes and elements are therefore excellent at providing multiple benefits. Riparian buffer zones, a conserved strip of vegetation between a stream or river and adjacent agricultural fields, for example, can filter pollution from agricultural runoff and subsurface flow, protect river banks from erosion. Additionally, they can increase resilience against climate change by decreasing the impact of floods or even droughts and high temperatures (mostly through the provision of shelter and shading by trees), and providing tree-based produce which can diversify the food and income of rural communities.
From the 24-25th July 2019, ICEM with the Government of Vietnam and FAO, convened a regional workshop "Potential for applying Nature-Based Solutions and Green Infrastructure in Asia's agriculture", with the aim to exchange knowledge and experience on challenges and opportunities with current and potential NBS in the agricultural sector. The workshop is part of the FAO funded project "Identifying Green Infrastructure and Nature-Based Solutions for More Resilient Rural Communities". As part of the project, ICEM is […]


text:
Due to the sheer volume of entries and, quite frankly, lame excuses as to why you lot failed to submit entries for the last Shooting Challenge, I've decided to make things a lot easier with this week's challenge. It's still a lot of fun; there's room for plenty of experimentation, but the challenge doesn't require as much time and effort on your part. Perfect for this heatwave, you could say.
If you were in attendance at last week's unofficial Giz meet-up at Intel's Triptych party, you'll already have had prior knowledge as to this week's challenge, and so I'm expecting some class submissions from you guys.
This week I want you to look into the light and capture a stunning silhouette. I'm going to be an utter bastard now; images of shadows will not be accepted -- they must be silhouettes.
Shooting a silhouette is quite straightforward and you can get some pretty amazing images especially if your composition is spot-on.
So, what is a silhouette? Basically, it's an image where the main subject is in complete shadow because of a strong backlight. The light source can be anything from the sun, a light bulb, street lamp or even a camera flash. As long as there's a strong light behind your subject and your camera or phone app exposure value is based off the light source and NOT the subject, you can achieve a strong silhouette.
Things to think about:
• Composition – Think about where your subject is placed in the image and try to observe the 'rule of thirds'*
• Time of day – Consider shooting at sunrise or sunset for some stunning background colours.
• Clouds can also add drama to images (see our week one Shooting Challenge winner)
• Metering – Set your camera/phone to center or spot metering and get set your exposure off the light source.
• Flash off – Don't shoot with the flash on; all you'll do is light up the subject.
*I'll be covering the rule of thirds in a future Shooting Challenge, but if you check your camera or phone app, you should find that it can display a grid of nine equal-sized sections on the screen. Ensure that your subject is placed along one of these lines or at the intersections to achieve a good composition.
If you find that your silhouette isn't quite right, import the image into your photo editor of choice and adjust the Shadows/Highlights and/or Brightness/Contrast settings.
The Observation of Trafalgar was taken by myself at The National Gallery (which is FREE and well worth a visit if you are interested in viewing some stunning paintings by artists such as Monet, van Gogh, Degas, Picasso and Constable to name but a few) on a recent trip to London. I was walking up a flight of stairs from the cloakroom and instantly saw an opportunity that I didn't want to miss. Even though I had a backpack with two cameras (one film, one digital), my Galaxy SII was in my hand and so instinctively I went for that, as I didn't want to miss the 'shot'.
My app of choice was Vignette (my go-to photo app on Android) and captured a couple of images with no filter settings applied. Picking the better of the two images, I applied the Ilford Black & White filter in Vignette, and whacked it up on Flickr.
When I got home, I looked at the image again and knew it could be improved to make it more dramatic. Opening B&W image in Photoshop, and observing the 'rule of thirds', I extended the canvas 200 per cent to the right so that the main body of the image was in the left hand side and everything else to the right was black. This image was then exported from Photoshop and imported into Aperture and using Nik Software's Silver Efex Pro 2 plugin I applied a filter and added a couple of control points to bring out the detail on Big Ben and Nelson's Column.
Job done…
If you need further inspiration, have a look at the Silhouette Flickr Group.
- Submissions MUST be your own work.
- Photos must be taken after the challenge was published; so no portfolio shots please. Those who were at the recent Gizmodo UK / Intel meetup and took images at the event are permitted to submit those.
- Explain, briefly in your submission email, the equipment, settings, technique used and the story behind the shot. Please ensure EXIF info is intact (if image was taken digitally).
- Email submissions to email@example.com, not me.
- Please ensure your image is at least 600px wide and less than 3MB in size.
- Save your image as a JPG, and use the following naming convention FirstnameLastnameSilhouette.jpg
- Don't forget to include a shooting summary (see above).
- Send your best photo (only one submission per person) by Monday, August 6th at 10am UK time with "Go into the light" in the subject line.
- Anyone can enter, regardless of location.
- The most important rule — HAVE FUN!
Martin Snelling is a Hampshire-based man about town who works in the videogame industry. A keen photographer, Martin shoots on film and digital; he blogs here, and tweets here.


text:
Today I have Author Michael J. Lee stopping by on
his tour for My Frankenstein.
1. Who is Michael J Lee?
I'm a writer, consultant, blogger, gourmet, movie nut, history buff. Though if you really want to know who I am buy a copy on Amazon (grins) Seriously though I believe to write a good story is to tell people who you really are. You put a piece of yourself into your work. The pieces of that I put in into My Frankenstein were obviously my love of classic horror tales and movies but also my generosity. That's what turned it from a horror story into a paranormal romance as you'll see in the next answer.
2. Where did you get your inspiration from for My Frankenstein?
Initially it began as just another Frankenstein variant, something that Hammer might have produced back in the day. It started as a screenplay. But before I even wrote the first words it changed considerably. It changed because in order for that idea to really come to life I had to be more generous with my characters. I had to give them more emotional depth and they had to have very strong relationships with each other. That's when it really came alive. And those relationships just took the story naturally into the realm of Paranormal Romance. It's a little ironic because in the story Viktor bestows life on his creation but he isn't very generous with it.
3. Do you ever have to struggle with your characters at any point to get them where you want them to go?
If I'm really struggling with my characters it's usually because they want to go someplace even more amazing than what I had originally intended. That's an excellent place to be in the creative sense. Your characters are so developed they have wills of their own. When that happens the best thing to do is let them take the reigns!
4. Do you ever have problems with writers block? If so how do you get through it?
I suffer writer's block in two ways, during the concept phase and during the execution. If I'm blocking during the concept phase it's usually because the concept isn't working. It may sound cool but I haven't really gotten into its beating heart. If I've really got the concept, the story should just be flowing out of me. It should be taking me down corridors I didn't even consider. Then it comes time to turn this into a real story, the execution phase. Now I rarely get stuck during the execution. That's because I just write what is coming to me, whether that's the beginning, the middle, or the ending. But it's just getting started sometimes that's the drag. Especially if this is in the beginning or the middle and the end isn't clearly in sight. The only way to get over that is to just jump in and write. Just like the water is only cold until you jump in, the blank page only deters you until you start writing.
5. While working on a story, do you directly onto the computer or are there notebooks and plot ideas jotted down in various places?
A little bit from column A ,a little from column B. When I'm in the concept stage I write down stuff in notebooks. Usually it's just a few notes and character names. When I start on the manuscript I move to the computer. I write out everything I can think of creating a longer and longer treatment or synopsis. Slowly I fill in the details and dialogue until a synopsis morphs into a rough draft. From there I keep adding until I reach the point where it's time to start taking stuff away.
6. Do you have any future releases we should watch for?
Yes. My next book is From
With Blood! Russia
7. What do you do when you're not writing/editing or thinking about writing/editing?
Sleep. Eat. Stuff that would be crude to mention. Seriously my hobbies are cooking, history, movies, plus I like a good bar with a nice selection of alcoholic beverages.
Thanks for stopping by today, Michael!
Here's more about My Frankenstein and where you can find Michael.
In a small village in early 19th Century young Eva is enthralled by the new young baron, Viktor Frankenstein. Viktor promises to transform the traditional little town into a beacon of science and gives the book loving Eva access to his fantastic library. Eva becomes his student and assists him in a secret experiment, though she is kept in the dark about its ultimate aim. Soon after that Viktor introduces Eva to his "cousin" Adam. Adam is horribly disfigured with stitches running across his face. Viktor claims he is mute and simpleminded, but Eva takes pity on him and sets out to teach him to speak.…
What follows is a combination of tragic romance and classic horror as Eva is pulled between Viktor, who grows jealous and takes murderous steps to ensure his secret, and Adam, who possess tremendous strength and rage yet deep inside is innocent and vulnerable.
In his debut fantasy novel, Michael J. Lee retells the classic story by Mary Shelley as a dark romance with steampunk overtones.


text:
An electrifying collection from Justin D'ath, author of the bestselling Extreme Adventures series.
An electrifying series from Justin D'Ath. Author of the bestselling Extreme Adventures.
Colt Lawless is on the run, suddenly famous, and more than a little superhuman. But can he save the last animals on earth?
A kidnapping, a bird-napping and an offer of help from a mysterious stranger. That's just the start of a wild ride that leaves Colt (aka Superclown) and Birdy (aka Clowngirl) abandoned on remote, rat-infested Plague Island. When Birdy gets bitten by a ghost rat, she has only a few hours to live - unless Colt can crack the code of Enzyme-C. . .


text:
Dr. Erich Schulte: The yacht owner saving your skin
by Olivia Falcon
Beautician and yacht owner Erich Schulte is 64, has spent thousands of hours in the sun on his beloved boat, yet hardly has a wrinkle. He shares his secrets with Olivia Falcon and tells us why he makes the best anti-ageing products.
An Arctic wind is blowing through London when I meet Dr Erich Schulte, the German skincare guru and, as it turns out, lifelong sailor. In spite of the sub-zero temperature, Schulte arrives in deck shoes, navy chinos and a blue and white striped blazer, dressed more appropriately for cocktails on the deck of his 21 metre explorer than a city rendezvous.
He is fresh off the plane from Dubai, where he has been lecturing on his award-winning QMS Medicosmetics skincare range – and where the luxury seven-star Burj al Arab Jumeirah hotel has just introduced Schulte's products to its Talise Spa. He greets me with a ferociously firm handshake and fresh-faced smile that shows no trace of jet lag or the kind of weather-beaten skin you might expect from an avid sailor. He clearly takes care of his complexion, which is not so surprising considering that he advises the German government on European legislation on skincare. At the age of 64 he also seems to have energy levels that would put a fit 30 year old to shame. So what's his secret?
We meet at the QMS store and spa near Sloane Square. It has become a mecca for well-heeled Londoners, who come for his collagen-boosting facials that work wonders to erase signs of fast-paced lifestyles. Flicking through a book of press cuttings, I see Schulte's passion is not limited to boats: a collection of cars and bikes, including a Bentley Continental and two Harley-Davidsons, is tucked away in the garage of his Marbella home. "I used to have a Beechcraft Bonanza plane, too," he adds, "but I didn't have the time to renew the pilot's licence."
It's his passion for the open sea rather than the open road or skies that takes up much of his time these days. This year he plans to circumnavigate the British Isles in his boat, Med Adventure, for a second time. He did it in 2010 – and in only three weeks. "On this trip I want to take it at a more leisurely pace," he explains, "to revisit places like Rick Stein's restaurant in Padstow a few more times."
Schulte is full of tips on where to drop anchor in the Mediterranean and reveals that his favourite restaurant is a tiny taverna in Vathy Bay off the Greek island of Ithaca – "for the best fish in the world". His love of sailing, he says, started when he was very young. "One of my first memories was when I was four years old, sailing on Lake Wörthersee in Austria. I remember that sensation when wind filled the sails and the boat inclined towards the water. This was the moment when I was bitten by the bug."
Schulte nurtured his passion at boarding school in northern Germany, where he joined an after-school club to clean, paint and fix up old boats. He was 14 years old when he first raced in the Kieler Woche festival and went on to spend all his spare time captaining catamarans. In 1980 he became European champion in the Hobie Cat 16 B category and now holds the German equivalent of the Yachtmaster Ocean qualification.
"As my income became bigger so did my boats," says Schulte. "In my 30s I had a Swan 46. Then I wanted to travel more and decided to go for a motor boat, but when wind gets up you have to slow down." The need for speed eventually led him to the door of naval architect René van der Velden.
On Schulte's instructions, the Dutchman created a "no-nonsense, go-anywhere boat", a bespoke explorer vessel that Schulte named Med Adventure. "This is not a gin palace," he says. "It's a beast that carries 23,000 litres of fuel - so it can easily do a 5,000-mile trans-Pacific crossing without refuelling, with two Caterpillar engines, which give it a maximum speed of 13 knots and a cruising speed of 10 knots."
Since Schulte received Med Adventure in 2003 he has sailed her to every corner of the Med, up to the Norwegian Sea in the Arctic Ocean and completed that trip around England, Wales and Scotland in 2010, which began from St Katharine Docks, near Tower Bridge, in London. He would return there two years later, mooring Med Adventure in that same picturesque dock for the duration of the London 2012 Olympics.
The boat has only two cabins (a huge master and a guest), with additional berths for two crew, but this suits Schulte just fine. "I only like to cruise with my family," he says. Schulte has been married to Yvonne for 26 years and has three daughters and five grandchildren. He also has a Lymington Scow aboard, on which his grandsons can cut their teeth.
Schulte began his career as a craniofacial surgeon at Göttingen University medical centre, treating victims of road traffic accidents, healing burns and excelling at traumatology (bone fractures). "I learnt how to move the tissue and muscles and got a real feel of the facial structure," says Schulte. This work sparked his interest in the ageing face and he would go on to set up a successful cosmetic surgery practice in Marbella.
Ever the perfectionist, he was driven to develop a way of improving his patient's skin post-surgery. He started researching ways to deliver collagen into the skin to rejuvenate it from the inside out. "Collagen is responsible for elasticity in the skin," explains Schulte, "and from the age of about 25 years old it decreases dramatically. But the problem is collagen's structure makes it very tricky to penetrate the skin barrier."
His breakthrough came when he developed a method to condition natural collagen in such a way that it can be reintroduced into the epidermal layer. This patented delivery system is at the cornerstone of the innovative QMS Medicosmetics brand.
The real proof of his work came in 2000 when Schulte himself was the victim of a horrific accident. Holidaying in Mallorca, he and a friend were blown off the back of a Zodiac RIB while trying to start a faulty engine. Suffering third-degree burns, both men quickly covered themselves in Schulte's collagen serum before heading to hospital. Schulte shows me photographs of his shocking injuries and then pulls up his trouser leg to reveal what is now remarkably scar-free skin.
Having been a beauty editor for 15 years, I've seen and heard it all when it comes to wonder products, but I'm impressed. Schulte and his collagen serums seem to be the real deal. No sooner has he stopped talking than he's heading out the door, on to his next adventure – to Venice to check out his latest QMS spa venture at the new JW Marriott hotel there. "It's probably the only spa in the world with its own boat dock," he winks.


text:
In Stock and Ready to Ship!
Osteo Bi-Flex. Osteo Bi Flex Advanced can help rebuild, lubricate and protect your joints while helping to control annoying joint flare-ups.
Wet n Wild Eye Pencil Dark B...
Schiff Move Free Advanced Pl...
Natrol Maca 500mg 60 Capsule...
Emergen C Tangerine Vitamin ...
#1 Doctor Recommended Brand***
Proud sponsor of the Arthritis Foundation
The Only Leading Brand with Joint Shield
The key ingredient in Joint Shield is a potent extract of Boswellia serrata called 5-Loxin, which is 10 times more concentrated for the active ingredient AKBA than typical Boswellia extracts. The 5-Loxin in Joint Shield helps with joint flare-ups.
Osteo Bi-Flex Advanced Triple Strength with Joint Shield is a potent synergistic combination of the latest in Joint Care Science, specifically designed for those individuals who are serious about protecting and strengthening their joints.* Boswellic extracts have also been shown to significantly improve knee comfort, knee mobility and increase walking distance.*
Osteo Bi-Flex is manufactured under the highest standard for product quality, including purity and potency.
Overexertion, the natural aging process and everyday wear and tear can take their toll. Annoying flare-ups can strike at any time. Now there's a different choice to support healthy joints.*
The "Next Generation" in Joint Care
Osteo Bi-Flex Advanced Triple Strength with Joint Shield is a revolutionary formula that contains the unique ingredient 5-Loxin. Taking 5-Loxin shows improvement in joint comfort within 7 days.**
By targeting a distinct pathway in the body, its mechanism of action supports cartilage by guarding against the action of enzymes that affect joint health.* Additionally, Osteo Bi-Flex Advanced Triple Strength with Joint Shield™ helps protect cartilage and helps with annoying flare-ups while renewing the cellular components within joints.*
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
**This statement is based on a recent human study, using an objective measure (Biomarker analysis).
*** Based on the results of the National Disease and Therapeutic Index syndicated report among physicians who recommend a branded Glucosamine/Chondroitin or Glucosamine supplement, March 2008.
Crospovidone, Vegetable Magnesium Stearate, Cellulose Coating, Cellulose (plant origin), Silica, Titanium Dioxide Color, Caramel Color
For adult use: take two (2) caplets per day with food. As a reminder, discuss the supplements and medications you take with your health care providers.
Note: You have the option of taking two caplets together or spread throughout the day.
You have no items in your shopping basket.
Currently you have 0 items in your shopping cart.
Sub Total: EUR 0.00Checkout


text:
How to make my computer faster?
Just as an automobile will be, it is important that a computer system provides service at regular intervals. There are many factors to install and software have a large number and there may be a malfunction in computer performance, including uninterrupted debris, spy software, and virus infiltration and you can read in this article How to make my computer faster. On this occasion, a piece of hardware that is failing may have an effect on a slow normal operation. These issues will be found during a typical servicing.
Ways of How to make my computer faster?
The Windows registry is being described as close to a computer DNA. All information keys are stored in this file are called. Each key computer works a different way of storing information about hardware and software installed on the computer, including the global and user settings and follow Make My Computer Faster.
So that the computer can understand what the program is, and how it works, each part of the software that has been installed adds the key to the registry. In most cases, the keys that are kept in the registry are good, but in some situations, a misguided key can be installed and How to make my computer faster. It has the ability to create confusion as Windows attempts to read and understand bad data. Also, individual software is uninstalled; they are left behind leaving a dislocation of keys in the registry key system registry.
Make My Computer Faster
How to Make Computer Fast With Bugs? This software is physically harmless, performing data or illegal activities; it is more difficult to detect these files than to a standard virus. Starting the software as one, and the nature of the duplicate itself reduces the initial impact on the operating system. Once many thousands of these files are present, the RAM memory is filled with infected files by attempting to replicate itself again and solution for Make My Computer Faster. Unfortunately, the only way to increase the speed of the computer is to remove every worm in the file system.
The solution for Computer Faster
How does the virus and how do I have to make my PC faster? Virus is a form of sewage that spreads through a computer network or the Internet. Depending on the stress of the virus, it may affect many sub-groups within the computer. Typically, most viruses work in a harmful function by removing a portion of data or applications and How to make my computer faster. This will sometimes have to render the operating system unusable. Popping up messages from other forms of viruses like the user, often saying they are infected and include annoyance as the need to download a piece of software to remove viruses.
CommentsNo comments yet
Suivre le flux RSS des commentaires
Add comment


text:
The Hippocampe Beach and All-Terrain wheelchair is the ideal way to enjoy outdoor activities. Versatile and comfortable, it adapts to most activities, letting you enjoy those moments of relaxation and sharing with relatives and friends.
Built for comfort and leisure, the Hippocampe allows you to reach all terrains. From Ubud to Uluwatu or Kuta to Canggu, from tarred roads to lush rice paddies, from paved sidewalks to sandy beaches, the choice is yours.
Whether it's splashing in the waves, leisurely making your way along the stunning Bali beaches, exploring the densely-lush forests or taking in the spectacular sights of the hidden temples and waterfalls, this all-terrain wheelchair provides many possibilities of enjoying nature at its best. Discover new joys, create lasting memories and make your adventures unforgettable with the Hippocampe Beach & All-Terrain.
Bali Beach Wheels donates a portion of all profits to charitable causes and related projects.
Contact us for purchasing options.
All hire options include the following accessories as required.
Adjustable headrest
The height and depth adjustments adapts to all body types.
Adaptable back
Adjusts in height and incline, making it perfect for those using it.
Mixed harness
The elastic neoprene makes it comfortable, water resistant and aids in support and positioning.
Waist Belt
Easily correct the position of those using the wheelchair.
Movable armrests
Adjusts in height and incline, making it perfect for those using it.
Parking brakes
The elastic neoprene makes it comfortable, water resistant and aids in support and positioning.
Balloon wheels
Venture onto softer sand with the balloon wheels – quick and easy to be swapped.
Transport bag
The fold-able wheelchair fits snugly into the transport bag and provides added protection during your travels, from car to plane or island hopping.
Jl. Bimasena Lingk Anyar Kelod
+62 877-6508-5812
+62 877-6508-5810
Email / Social
Email – firstname.lastname@example.com
Facebook – BaliBeachWheels
Instagram – BaliBeachWheels
Official suppliers and distributors of


text: In a far land long ago ther was a fortris made awt of medel. The walls were glimring with lots of gosts that had dide at the forchris. Inside thar was bat people they wrent frendle and a little boy was wocking and it was a storm he neded a sheltr. And went into the fortris a bat saw him and to be kintinyood? The bat startid to atak. Mor bats kame they were as big as a tall gronup. But they wrent smart and the boy thot he throo rocks at them but they were to strong he was capchrd. They brot him to the chefe and was brot to to ex-a-q-ting zone. - Logan, 1st and 2nd Grade Storyville Fall 2015


text:
Family-friendly mysteries that offer heart, fun, and a puzzle to solve. If you're looking for a mystery without the gore, these are for you. Cozy mysteries offer you all of the crime solving without the messy clean-up.
NOTE: You can find my books on Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo
Enjoy warm characters, a close community, and so much more. Cats, dogs, family, and friends all come together in quick, easy reads. Whether you like something a little witchy, something set in the 1920's, or maybe something tropical, be sure to check out a Molly Dox cozy mystery today.


text:
HomeNew Members - Joining
New Members - Joining
You can join on-line by clicking the relevant link below.
- Membership for New Zealand residents
- Membership for Australian residents
- Membership for residents of other countries
Download a membership form from one of the 'Joining Form' links below - note there are separate forms for members within New Zealand, Australia, and Other Countries. Please print, complete and post the completed form to our Membership Secretary.
- Membership form for New Zealand residents (pdf)
- Membership form for Australian residents (pdf)
- Membership form for residents of other countries (pdf)
Within NZ by
- Direct Credit through your own internet banking (reference = your name) or
- Credit Card or
- Cheque - payable to "The Ornithological Society".
From overseas by
- Credit Card or
- PayPal
If you have any queries, please get in touch with our Membership Secretary


text:
Easy Ottoman Slipcover
I found this gorgeous table cloth on clearance for $7.00! The best part about using a table cloth for a slipcover......NO Hemming Required!! I measured the ottoman and cut out my pieces..making sure to utilize the hemmed edge of the table cloth.
The sides are sewn together first. I tried it on the ottoman to make sure it fit.
The top was sewn on next and the seams pressed. A quick and easy project! Now I need some new pillows ; )
Linking up Here
Designer Garden: VIP Party
{ Amy }


text:
The Best Side Dishes at Boston Steakhouses
Sometimes it's fun to just assemble a meal out of various small plates and sides, forgoing the typical appetizer-entree route. At Boston steakhouses, options abound to make this an easy alternative. In addition to classic sides like asparagus with hollandaise, unique dishes emerge to take side plates from accessory to star. Here are some of the best steakhouses in Boston for some seriously standout sides.
Abe & Louie's: Sure, there are all the classics, like Brussels sprouts with brown butter and mashed potatoes and steamed asparagus enriched with hollandaise. But with a menu this expansive, you can rest assured that there will be plenty of uncommon options to savor as well. For instance, harissa-spiced carrots come with mint and feta, while potatoes au gratin gets punched up with salty prosciutto. Cauliflower fans in particular will find lots to love here, as one dish purees the stuff to make it resemble mashed potatoes, and another dish offers a cauliflower "steak," a thick and meaty slice of cauliflower grilled to achieve smoky, unctuous perfection.
Boston Chops: With small plates like crispy oxtail croquettes and chicken fried sweetbreads, it should be pretty obvious that this iconic steakhouse does things very differently. The side dishes are no different, as the restaurant offers exciting, original enhancements like a poutine-style twice-baked "loaded" potato for optimal comfort, an eggplant rollatini with tomato and mozzarella, creamed spinach gratine, spicy broccoli and much more.
Bokx 109 American Prime: At this Newton steakhouse, ingredients like truffle Brie sauce and parsnip fries tip you off to the fact that the side dishes — or any of the dishes, really — are far from average. Here, Brussels sprouts get the sweet-and-savory addition of maple and bacon, a buttery cauliflower gratin features a fragrant truffle-Brie sauce, mac & cheese gets beefed up with short ribs and Boursin and french fries come in all forms, from sweet potato to parsnip.
MET Back Bay: It's quality over quantity at this Back Bay stunner, easily one of the most glamorous and contemporary of Boston's steakhouses. Of the abbreviated side dish selection, one plate stands supreme. The namesake MET hash brown is a decadent assemblage of fontina cheese, Virginia ham, sour cream, a fried egg and gherkin pickles on a bed of finely shredded, crispy potatoes. While mashed potatoes and truffle-scented french fries are also on hand here, this mighty presentation is a wholly individualistic way to present the mighty spud.
The Bancroft: Grilled asparagus, mushrooms and creamed spinach are all present and accounted for at this chef-driven steakhouse, but the key difference is how upgraded and vibrant each ingredient gets. Like the asparagus served with black truffle butter, or the mushrooms that get sauteed and served with brioche and green garlic butter. The creamed spinach features a fried egg, while roasted cauliflower gets enlivened with Marcona almonds and a sweet yellow raisin butter.


text:
Lake Superior commercial fishing
This content is written by Tom Goniea, Senior Fisheries Biologist. Early History A state-licensed commercial fishery has been a part…Read More
Lake Superior Pizza
Grand Marais is the type of laid-back harbor town that embodies the word "vacation." With its amazing beach and harbor, lakeside living…Read More
Photos of Lake Superior
Photographer Shawn Malone captured this Fata Morgana of an ore boat on Lake Superior on May 22, 2015 in Marquette, Michigan. Related…Read More
Lake Superior School District
In 1971, the school district in Grand Marais, MN received a Title grant to open the former Isabella Job Corps facility for use as…Read More
Lake Superior open
What sweetness is left in life, if you take away friendship? Robbing life of friendship is like robbing the world of the sun. A true…Read More
Ice coverage on Lake Superior
Near the southern shores of Lake Superior, fragments of ice still speckled the water's surface this Memorial Day weekend. These vestiges…Read More
Ashland Lake Superior Lodge
Fishing Enjoy 23, 161 Acres of Water, 966 Lakes, 400 Miles of Streams May, June and September for the Best fishing! SPRING AND FALL…Read More
Lake Superior Big Top Chautauqua
Nestled at the base of, 3 miles south of Bayfield, Wisconsin, Big Top overlooks Lake Superior and the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore…Read More
Lake Superior Driving School
Scholarships LSSU Scholarship applications must be postmarked by February 12 to be considered for the following academic year. Application…Read More
Ice cover on Lake Superior
Cold temperatures and snow across the Great Lakes in November is certainly nothing out of the ordinary, but this morning, a layer of…Read More
Lake Superior fishing regulations
Seasons by water Type Minimum Size Daily Possession Limit (Notes 2, 3, 4) Open All Year: (Note 4) L. Superior, L. Michigan, L. Erie…Read More
Lake Superior Credit Union
Lake Superior Credit Union of Ontonagon, MI has 1, 278 members and assets of $6 million. The credit union, opened in 1959, has 3 full…Read More
Lake Superior campgrounds
Campground & Camping Reviews Lake Superior Circle Tour Early morning at the Bay Furnace Campground, near Munising, Michigan…Read More
Hotels on Lake Superior in Duluth MN
From $112 Check In 16 00 Check Out 11 00 Upscale, all-suite, downtown Duluth, extended-stay hotel Located near Canal Park 4 floors…Read More
Lake Superior Facts
Reference: The moon rises at sunset at Split Rock Lighthouse, on the North Shore of Lake Superior in Minnesota. Credit: Igor Kovalenko…Read More


text:
June 6, 2013
Lee Johnson, Fuller E. Callaway Professor of Music, has been named grand marshal
of the annual Sweet Land of Liberty parade.
Sara Hudson, co-chair of the parade, said Johnson was a natural choice.
"He has accomplished so much in the music industry and has done so much for both
the college and community," she said. "Also, he and his family are very military
oriented. He and his wife are veterans, and their children currently serve in the
Hudson said Johnson exemplifies what the Sweet Land of Liberty parade is all about
– patriotism, music and community.
"Lee is an outstanding person, both in his professional life and personal life,"
she said.
In honor of Johnson, this year's parade theme is "Of Thee I Sing."
The annual Sweet Land of Liberty Parade will be at 10 a.m. July 4 and is open
to youth 19 years and younger. No adults are allowed in the parade except those
designated by the committee. Floats must be made by the participants, although
they may have adult supervision.
Participation is free and registration forms are available from Troup County Parks
For more information contact:
Media Relations
Communications & Marketing
601 Broad St.
LaGrange, Ga. 30240


text:
« AnteriorContinuar »
SOME of the incidents in this play may be supposed to have been taken from The Arcadia, Book I. chap. 6, where Pyrocles consents to head the Helots. (The Arcadia was entered on the books of the Stationers' Company, Aug. 23d, 1588.) The love-adventure of Julia resembles that of Viola in Twelfth Night, and is indeed common to many of the ancient novels. STEEve Ns.
different stamp from the rest. HAN MER. Tø


text:
Urbansitter Babysitting $75
- Item Number
- 158
- Estimated Value
- Sold
- $50 USD to rsbfe99df
- Number of Bids
- 3 - Bid History
Item Description
$75 gift card towards UrbanSitter!
"As busy parents, we know that life is a balancing act and you need childcare that's reliable, trustworthy, and available' even at the last minute. That's why we've completely reinvented the process of finding a babysitter, so with a tap you can hire the sitters most trusted by your local community of parent-friends and neighbors.
We've also eliminated the hassle that comes along with hiring a babysitter, from scheduling to payment, so all you have to do is say "yes" to date nights, parent-teacher conferences, time for yourself and time with friends. At UrbanSitter, we celebrate parents who take care of their kids and themselves. Our hats are off to you' the ones who pull off the world's greatest balancing act."
Special Instructions
Gift certificate expires 12/31/2018
Donated By:
Synergy School stores data...
Your support matters, so Synergy School would like to use your information to keep in touch about things that may matter to you. If you choose to hear from Synergy School, we may contact you in the future about our ongoing efforts.
Your privacy is important to us, so Synergy School will keep your personal data secure and Synergy School will not use it for marketing communications which you have not agreed to receive. At any time, you may withdraw consent by emailing email@example.com or by contacting our Privacy Officer. Please see our Privacy Policy found here PrivacyPolicy.


text:
Words have no value in this harsh exchange. Too loud. Noise. Hurt talks. Like a wild burning fire fueling itself. Feeding itself. Watering itself. Loud noise. Two puppets of Pain in this game. But if this is the only way .. okay, Yell. Do it again and again. Too loud. If this is the way You can deal then be it the way. Exhaust me.
- by tonkadella Emotional Exhaustion Can Lead to Noise Sensitivity


text:
It has been a couple of weeks since I last posted a blog
so I decided it was time to get caught up.
I have tried to keep up on the reading of blogs but I
got a little behind on that also.
Right before Christmas I was busy getting some last minute
Stitching done.
Last year I wanted these stockings done, but never got
around to it. And I got the last one stitched on
on Christmas Eve this year. The girls all picked out there own
color they wanted.
The other project that I was working on was
pillow cases for each of the grandkids.
I should have said 6 grandkids and 1 son
Trey & Gavin got John Deere pillow cases
Kyla got butterflies
Kacee got princess
Kynzie got Tinkerbell
Sharlee got Minnie Mouse
and my son TJ got a Farmall pillow case
they all loved them.
Then I started a bread cover for the New Year
Isn't this just the cutest!
This was a little bit fussy with lots of half stitches
but I had fun spending a couple of evenings
stitching it.
And now that Christmas is over and the house
is cleaned back up I started stitching again on my Santa that
I had planned to have done by now. HaHa. It looks like it will be
for next year.
I have added the green section since I last took a
picture of this Santa. I will continue to work on him
until January 1st when I will be starting the
2012 Crazy Challenge. I will be doing 15 new starts and
will make a list of my WIP's (I think there are about 10 of them)
and work on finishing them up also.
Here are some pictures from Christmas Day here on our farm.
Kacee with her princess bank
Gavin was picking up the wrapping paper
Trey got the Cowboy Hat that he wanted
Kacee and Kynzie playing with their new paper dolls
My oldest daughter Jill and her daughter Sharlee
Daughter #2 Kay and her boyfriend Travis
and Kynzie stuck her head in at the last minute.
Silly girl!
And the little girls relaxing and watching Minnie Mouse
Well that just about does it for now.
I hope everyone had a great Christmas, I know that I did!
And I look forward too all the great stitching in the
New Year.


text:
|This Product is IN STOCK at our US Florida Warehouse
Typically it will ship one to three
business days after you place your order.
Wholesale Llama / Alpaca Fur Toy Standing 4" - IN STOCK at US Warehouse.
These cute alpaca figurines are great to give as souvenirs. They are hand-made in Peru by high skill artisans.
Under extreme wear or force, button nose and eyes may be pulled off.
These bears are not for infants and very young children.
This product hasn't received any reviews yet. Be the first to review this product!


text:
Set of 48 speech bubbles, categorized into standard, double, triple, comic and assorted types. Buyer receives the vector file (EPS), set of 48 Custom Shapes for Photoshop, 3000×5500 (300 dpi) PSD file of 48 shape layers with basic Layer Style (color/stroke) applied. Same size JPG also included.
Easy to adjust using the sub-select tools in chosen application.


text:
As Donald Trump cities to expand his reality TV audience, his campaign has moved to a critical point: the selection of a vice president. As you know Trump bolstered excitement in conservative America with his (or his family's) choice of Indiana Governor Mike Pence. The selection is literally a rave and wave move for American bigots as Pence is probably the most regressive Governor in the nation. The National Committee To Preserve Social Security & Medicare (NCPSSM) pegged Pence as an enemy of Social Security and Medicare.
As we hear rumors of an RNC/GOP election platform which may include a prohibition on pornography along with rumors of a promulgation of religious dogma, Pence's selection should not surprise. Yet, there was a surprise during yesterday's unveiling of Pence as Trump's co-carnival barker.
Trump introduce Pence and quickly left the view of all viewers as Pence mumbled through his comments. Is Trump so weird and anti-tradition he would fail to show support for Pence via standing within feet; as is customary? CNN's Donna Bash joined a discussion of the odd nature of Pence's introduction.
Crooks & Liars
CNN Shocked By Trump's Handling Of Pence Introduction
Is there a possibility Trump wanted to run-off stage to feed his addiction to Twitter? While the following Crooks & Liar's piece relates to Trump's Twitter addiction (and Elizabeth Warren's success in irritating Trump), assuming the New York carnival barker needed a Twitter fix, may not be a leap.
Before the Crooks & Liars piece, a critical question. Do you Trump supporters not recognize his outside of the norm addiction to Twitter? What about Trump's addiction do we find in other uber wealthy people (Internationally)? Thus, even you supporters must admit to behavior well outside of the norm probably denotes and unbalanced mind.
Donald Trump Can't Stop Angry Tweeting Like A 10 Year Old, Warren Continues Her Endless Taunting
On the eve of the Republican National Convention, one would expect the presumptive nominee to be focusing on meeting with his team, perfecting his speeches, talking with speakers and resting. That would be if the candidate was moderately sane, functioning at above a 3rd grade level and capable of a modicum of self control. Apparently, Donald…


text:
Spartite is the modern answer to the ancient problem of mast support and sealing in the partners. Spartite is a pre-measured two-part polymer poured into the cavity between the mast and the partners while the mast is in the boat.
Each kit comes with complete instructions and materials for the yard or yacht owner to build a simple mold out of even the most complex partners or mast collar. Spartite makes a one-piece, perfect fitting mast chock that replaces archaic wedges.


text:
May 21, 2013 - At this May's SME produced Mfg4 event manufacturing professionals got a firsthand look at some of the latest manufacturing technology used in the Aerospace, Defense, Medical, and Energy industries. The technology on exhibit ran the gamut from 3D additive manufacturing solutions, to gigantic milling machines and to the CAM software that runs them. And SolidCAM stood out from the rest.
As each of the almost 7,000 attendees entered the exhibit hall they only had to glance to their left to be pulled into the action surrounding SolidCAM's impressive booth. Above the booth three 70" high-resolution displays blasted out iMachining in action braced on top of a gleaming aluminum 'Space Needle.'
Brendan McKenna, who is Eastern Regional Sales Manager for SolidCAM and managed the booth said that, "The aluminum structure was built by SolidCAM's in-house team of engineers and programmers and they used iMachining to fabricate it in record time."
But, the real action was taking place at two computer stations topped with 40" displays. The SolidCAM booth was staffed with a crew of five seasoned CAM programming and machining professionals. This team fits the typical profile of SolidCAM's sales and support team who all have years of hands-on machining experience.
Manning the SolidCAM Booth at Mfg4 2014
From Left to Right:
Jeff Walters, (Application Engineer-NH), Tim Falcone, (Sales, New York), Jestin Fuqua, (Application Engineer- CA),
Brendan McKenna, (Eastern Regional Sales Manager), Scott Niell, (Application Engineer- SC).
These experts worked in shifts or in tandem non-stop at each computer station helping people who wanted to take a deeper look into SolidCAM and learn how it might help them solve some of their machining problems. Demos featured ease of programming, full integration into SolidWorks with instant two-way associability, tool path sheets, simulation accuracies, and of course iMachining was demoed and compared with standard machining and, the simulations were run using set-up numbers provided by each guest.
Brendan said that, "For every single presentation, we show a standard pocketing cycle or contouring operation on our part with their parameters. Then we show them what we can do with iMachining, and quite frankly, most of the time people are absolutely blown away! They see the time savings and these efficiencies really excite people."
After people learned a little about iMachining the most frequent question heard in the booth was, "Do I have to go out and buy a new machine to use iMachining? The answer was always an emphatic "no!" And then to prove the point the SolidCAM rep would run an iMachining simulation using the booth visitor's machine parameters and watch as they were 'wowed' by the results.
Over the show's three days the booth's glass jar filled quickly with business cards and each day a random drawing was held with three seats of SolidCAM Xpress CAM software awarded to the lucky winners. Congratulations!
Missed the Show? Get Your free Drill Chart Now
Everyone who stopped by the booth was offered a free 5x8 laminated plastic Drill Chart. One side is a fractional conversion chart that converts fractions to decimals while the other side includes a drill chart that presents drill sizes for multiple tap holes and that also includes a standard drill index showing the decimal equivalent for most all commonly used drill sizes.
If you couldn't make it to Mfg4 or if you didn't pick up one of these useful charts, you can get one mailed to you now by clicking this link.
Visit SolidCAM at IMTS
Come to Chicago's
IMTS during the week of September 8th – 13th and visit
SolidCAM's booth E4992, meet the crew, and experience the excitement of learning how your company can reap the benefits of reduced cycle times and extended tool wear.
About SolidCAM
SolidCAM provides a powerful, easy-to-use, integrated CAD/CAM solution that supports the complete range of major manufacturing applications, including iMachining 2D and 3D, 2.5D Milling, High Speed Surface Machining, 3D Milling/High-Speed Machining, Multi-sided Indexial 4/5 axis Milling, Simultaneous 5 axes Milling, Turning, advanced Mill-Turn and WireEDM. SolidCAM's patented, unique revolutionary iMachining technology saves 70% in CNC machining time and more and extends tool life dramatically. The iMachining Technology Wizard provides a reliable partner in automatically determining speeds and feeds and other machining parameters. iMachining provides unbelievable savings and increased efficiency in CNC milling operations, translating into profits and success. All SolidCAM customers worldwide, who bought iMachining, are enjoying immense savings!
SolidCAM has been a Consistent Growth Leader in CAM. Along with a worldwide direct sales channel from our many international SolidCAM offices, we also have a worldwide CAM distributor network in 50 countries. The industrial user base includes more than 19,000 seats installed. Our SolidCAM professor videos provide hundreds of easy to follow tutorial videos which are available on our website.
For more information:
David Heller|HTS Creative
Email Contact


text:
As I think about what I believe regarding personal development, or self-knowing, or whatever you want to call it, I keep coming back to Ben & Jock's "Train Station Story" in The NEW Manual for Life. The point of the story is 2-fold. First, the destination of all of the trains is the same – death. Second, given the destination, it's stupid to stand around in the train station, waiting for the "right" train.
Many, many people (me too, sometimes) have their lives on hold, waiting for the clouds to clear and for their "special" path to become clear to them. And I have to say, while each person's path is unique (as in "only that person can walk it") no one is special. Nor is any path special. In fact, it seems to me B & J are right: there are only two states in life – standing around waiting, or on the train, riding.
Engaged or disengaged.
Turned on or turned off.
The solution to one is to do the other.
We refuse to believe it because it seems altogether too simple. A friend showed up on Monday, complaining that she was emotionally dead. We talked about her choices, did a little Bodywork, and while on the table her eyes popped open and she said, "I'm going to make a plan and give it to my husband. I'm so excited!" (The weird piece was that she almost went to annoyance because she judged that I wasn't excited enough – about her plan!)
Anyway, in the course of an hour or so, her whole life changed.
Well, no, it didn't.
Nothing changed, except her approach to her issue of "I'm so bored." Actual work (getting on the train) is still required of her, and the jury's out as to what she does next.
So, what does this have to do with sex, love and compassion? Everything. As I've said the past 3 weeks, Osho suggested that there is a continuum from sex through love to compassion, and that seemed, to me, like a nice analogy. To put it another way, developing and maintaining a solid, compassionate relationship requires fortitude, dedication, and a willingness to ride the train.
In a sense, we ride those three trains simultaneously. Sex, for example, needs constant nurturing, appropriate to our age, energy and "turned-on-ness." Where I go wrong is to assume that my sex life is indicative of my love life, or my level of compassion. Each level builds on the one before it, and each level is independent of the other two.
And thus it is with all of life.
In other words, a relationship is not a contest. It's a journey. Some days it's blue skies, other days it's raining. Whining about the gray days is silly. The path isn't meant to be easy, as there are ups and downs to all of life. The key is the willingness to stay engaged no matter what.
I see a lot of people who consider themselves pretty far up the evolutionary – enlightenment ladder. And yet many of them suck at relationships. I think it's because they, at some deep level, refuse to understand the work that is involved in maintaining a top-notch relationship. They figure they are so wise and deep that it should "just happen." The truth is, anyone can have a great relationship when nothing is wrong. The mark of wisdom is the ability to stick it out and work it through when the walls are crashing in. Hard work, especially for people who think they have it all figured out.
I much prefer the state I find myself in – where I'm not sure I know much of anything, but am committed to the ride and to the "working through" of the next bump in the road. I'm committed to doing a lot of my work through intimate relationships, and primarily with Dar. That's my "path." It's easy when there are no issues, and excruciating when there are, and yet, because of my commitment to the process, excruciating does not equal difficult. It does equal persistence.
The self-reliant person simply shows up for the ride and owns the totality of their experience. I am who I am, and my reality is what I continue to create for myself. The stories I tell myself about that reality are just that – stories. Like my friend, on Monday. Her "actual" life details were no different when she left from what she brought in. All that changed was the story she was telling herself.
I encourage you to stay the path and dig in deeply – your life is all you have, and pissing it away in anger, boredom, ennui or confusion is simply pissing it away. There's nothing noble about this. Instead, grab your life with both hands and give it, and you, a shake.
Then, get on the train!


text:
Get a Quote
Non-Disclosure Agreements: Non-Disclosure agreements are usually not a problem, so long as they do not have extremely broad non-compete language in them. A few of our clients are competitors with each other, and we assure each client complete privacy with regard to their intellectual property, whether under a signed non-disclosure contract or not. We've been in this business long enough to know that you can't stay in a business like this without treating ALL client information as 100% confidential.


text:
Pieces on the problems in academia seem to be endless. Forbes were hugely criticized as outdated after they claimed that University Professor was the least stressful job; and the difficulties of academia in the new funding climate were laid bare. Yours truly wondered whether it was unethical to bring the brightest and best students into such a harsh work climate. And now a well known academic blogger has joyfully kissed goodbye to academia and feels 'liberated and happy'.
It is true that academia has become extremely challenging. For those not in the know, the financial crisis has reduced funding, and when your job relies on securing government funding there is increased uncertainty. The federal funding rate has decreased from 33% to less than 10%. That is, less than 1 in 10 grants gets funded (even less if you are lowly beginner like me), which means that you have to submit four times as many grants. So you spend your time writing unfunded grants, rather than say, doing the Science you love. Yet to stand out, you are supposed to be producing more Science than ever; which is somewhat of a challenge since the Earth, rather cruelly, has not decided to rotate on its axis just a little slower, and so give you more hours to the day.
It's difficult. I had many comments on my last post (some in private) with people desperately grateful to feel heard and understood. People who spent much of their private time crying. But we're not leaving now, right (or at least I am not)? So we have to find a way to make it work. Which is a roundabout way of saying that I have changed jobs. In early February, I handed in my resignation. It was a long (5 month), and very difficult decision. I have only been in my current position for 18 months, and I have many, many wonderful things to say about my Department. Clearly there is some fantastic research going on there. There is also a reasonable amount of money, a Chair with an open door, and a collection of kind-hearted people. Saying goodbye to the people who had thrown me a beautiful baby shower just 4 months after meeting me was not a trivial undertaking.
However. As much as there was somewhat of a personal fit, there was not a professional fit. After 18 months, I did not manage to establish a research team with any of my colleagues. Science no longer operates in a vacuum; the image of the mad Professor sitting alone in their laboratory at all hours awaiting their moment of genius does not apply to bad funding climates where one has to be collaborative, with fingers in many pies, conducting safe (fundable) Science.
I think I came in with the wrong attitude. I tried to give my time freely; I sat on committees, gave lectures, organized seminars, never turned a student away. In my work I never turned a project down; I offered myself as free statistical labor and Chaired working groups. I think it is hard to take that this did not work out.
It was actually a very difficult time for me; I take these things hard (too hard I think), and spent a lot of time crying and scared to do anything.
As it happens, I have been working with colleagues at Baylor School of Medicine. I guess it is a better fit there. They really like my Science, and have bent over backwards to try to make my ideas feasible and fundable. There were some amazing and exciting moments in which we would have a discussion about what I thought needed to be done in the behavioral genetics of obesity, but how I felt these ideas were just not practical. I vividly remember my colleague Sheryl coming into a meeting the week after such a Discussion and saying triumphantly 'I can do it! I can design the study you need!'. And she did. I have written grants with the behavioral group and been blown away by how much support and feedback they have given me, and by how many doors they have opened (even when I was not 'one of their own'). I loved that after submitting a grant I heard the words 'So… what is the next project we will work on?'. I see their papers come out and am jealous I did not work on that project. (<- this is always my no. 1 tip for people looking for an academic institution – do you wish you were on the papers coming out of that place?).
So, when they invited me to interview last August (yes, that long ago). I agreed. I was quite surprised when they offered me the position, and even more surprised about their willingness to accommodate my concerns about funding, and the kind of start-up and support I would need. It took a lot of thinking about; the group at Baylor are very successful, well-known people. I really spent a lot of time thinking 'ummm… why would they want me? And will I be a giant failure in comparison?'. Baylor require substantially more grant funding than UT, even than UAB (although no formal teaching) which, as outlined above, is a difficult thing in today's financial world.
I discussed things with my School. Ultimately, and it hurts to say this, they did not make an effort to keep me. The words were there, but when I asked if we could have a meeting to discuss my 5-year goals, what I needed to do to get there, and how I could make this path happen I was told 'No. Just stay if you want to, and go if you don't'. So, I picked to go to the people who had laid out concrete ways to support to me.
It was phase 2 of a difficult time. My fear had been all along that it would be hard to live up to the academic credentials of the people at Baylor (they are really awesome), and there was some feeling that I would not however, I have been really spoiled in my training so far; have always been told to push myself because I can achieve anything I put my mind to – that I am as capable as everyone as anyone else, and that success goes to the persistent: so persist! I was hugely respected by my PhD mentor Jonna, and given lots of analyses to lead at a young age. I was pushed by my postdoc mentor Donna to follow my dreams and by my postdoc mentor David to reach for the stars and keep trying. I was trusted with opportunities and made to feel good. And ultimately, I do best in an environment in which I have to strive to keep up – I do well if I feel I am not 'making it' and thrive in competition.
That is the environment I have chosen to gravitate back to – whether rightly or wrongly. The group at Baylor do demand high productivity, but they also love to see people follow new ideas and try new things. They love thinking about how they can push the boundaries of Science. I have a few collaborations there already and am enjoying working with people who make things happen – who turn ideas into projects.
So, from today, I was a member of The Children's Nutrition Research Center, at Baylor College or Medicine. I promised myself that if I made the move, I was not going to live in fear of not living up to their standards or getting funding (that part of my life is over, right?). I am so excited to keep my epidemiology going (which is somewhat 'safe', and the result of an amazing mentor at UVA – where I would also move in a heartbeat) but also to explore new ways to bring epidemiological approaches to conceptualize and understand our eating behaviors.
And I have a BAD-ASS office, which currently has two fish tanks (one salt water, one freshwater) and a whole tray of plants.
I am excited because I can see productivity on the horizon, collaborations, and new Science. I feel valued and respected, even though these are people that I have so much to learn from. And coming full circle to the title of this post: if you are in academia I encourage you to evaluate yourself and ask: do you have this? Are people excited for you to be a leader in Science? Do they recognize your unique needs and try to meet this? If you want independence: can you see that? if you want to be a part of team rather than a leader: do you have that? My old office mate Claire (very wise young lady) inadvertently prompted this move as well. She said that she and her husband were going to stay in Science until it was 'wasn't fun anymore'. Junior academics: are you having fun? I moved to have fun. Nothing is guaranteed anymore, so you might as well enjoy yourself on the way up or out.
The resolution to the problems in academia seems to me to be to find your happy place and stick it out as long as you can. I hope that this is what I have taken a step in this direction.
Image credits


text:
Air Lease Corp to Sell Convertible Debt
Air Lease Corp. announced plans to sell $300 million in convertible senior notes, proceeds of which be used to buy aircraft and for general corporate purposes.
After the markets closed on Monday, the Century City aircraft leasing company, which went public in April, said the notes will pay interest semi-annually and be convertible into Class A common stock before they are due in 2018.
The company, founded by billionaire Steven Udvar-Hazy, said it expects to grant initial purchasers an option to purchase up to an additional $45 million in notes. The interest rate, conversion rate and other terms will announced at the time of the offering's pricing, which the company has not yet set.
Air Lease said it is seeing strong demand for its aircraft due to worldwide airline expansion. Last week, it reported net income of $18.3 million (18 cents per share) on with revenue of $72 million. Analysts had expected profit of 15 cents.
Air Lease closed down 8 cents, or less than 1 percent, to $23.08 on the New York Stock Exchange, prior to the announcement. It fell 1 cent in after-hours trading.
For reprint and licensing requests for this article, CLICK HERE.


text:
'Like' us on Facebook@Muskoka Silver LiningsGet Your Discount Code!
Plus Check-out Our Canadian pet products Specials for more Savings!
Pet Stairs
Pet Stairs are an attractive, affordable way to help pets reach their favorite places. Their modern styling blends well in any décor. Made to be the perfect size for couches or beds. The stairs can also be used for pets needing help into vehicles.


text:
The recent Tea Party hysteria has been an embarrassing study in Republican confusion. It's not easy to distill a theme from the anti-government grab-bag of complaints, from "Stop Socialism," to "Hands off My Medicare," and from "The Fed is the Problem" to "Obama Kills Babies." As near as I can tell from the speeches and signs, any institution that existed prior to the crisis (except fundamentalist churches) is destroying America, and any institution which is trying to use government power to solve the crisis, whether a capitalist bastion like the Federal Reserve, or those dirty commies in Congress, is also destroying America.
If you try to make sense of these protests in terms of the old 20th century divide between liberal democracy and socialism you risk having your head explode. In spite of all the blather from the AM radio crowd, this is not about decent hardworking Americans working to protect their capitalist economy. This is about decent, hardworking Americans wasting their energy to protect a dead, rural, notion of American identity against the growing power of global capitalism.
More than two centuries later, we still can't get past the battle between Jefferson and Hamilton, between agrarian independence and the urban profit machine. The battle is made more comic/tragic by the fact that few of us know which side we are on. This battle is so old and has taken on so many forms that we have mostly lost track of its origins. But its shape is still the same.
Hamiltonian capitalism needs intelligent regulation in order to maintain transparency in markets and keep shirkers, moochers, and frauds from bringing down the system. It needs central banking, roads, airports, canals, environmental protections, and other infrastructure. Jeffersonian rural life just needs a national defense, a few courts, and a place to sell my cotton.
We Republicans, who, at least according to our websites, are the defenders of free market capitalism, are doing everything in our power to cripple our financial institutions. We fought government efforts last year to avert the collapse of the financial system – a collapse brought on in large part by our refusal to use the tools of government to impose reasonable rules in the financial marketplace. We fought the stimulus package. We are fighting efforts at job creation, efforts aimed at using capital markets – small business loans, to foster business development.
We are fighting efforts to bring even the most limited transparency to the derivatives markets that brought our banking system to its knees. Now our Congressional leaders are waging a campaign to eviscerate the Federal Reserve, the last institution independent from Congress which can help rebuild the broken capital system. If there were any real socialists left in our political system, they would be cheering us.
We call ourselves capitalists, but act like 19th-century, populist Democrats. Why? It's not nearly as much fun to face the difficult questions of how to protect Jeffersonian values in a Hamiltonian world as it is to hunt for conspiracies. When politics is entertainment, Beck and Coulter set the agenda. Plus you get to go to a (tea) party. How cool is that!
Jeffersonian-style limited government is to capitalism what salt water is to your goldfish – not so good. As a political party we need to decide whether we love capitalism or hate it. Sound, vibrant markets require intelligent regulation. When they work properly they provide the fuel for innovation and business growth that has made America a financial superpower. We can't have the power of capitalism with a Jeffersonian attitude toward regulation.


text:
I have a very simple way of evaluating Korean restaurants: success is based on the banchan it serves. More often than not, banchan is dismissed as "those free side dishes that come with the meal," and as a result, become tasteless, unrecognizable piles of vegetables or seafood doused in red pepper paste. In my opinion, banchan is the true taste index because it represents the chef's ability to work with the fundamental ingredients of Korean cooking– garlic, red pepper, sesame oil, soy sauce, ginger, scallions– and to create variety despite these shared ingredients. In theory, if the chef gets the banchan right, the bigger dishes should deliver.
In the restaurant that is my parent's house and through the chef that is my mother, I am reminded of this every time she cooks Korean food for me. My mom's banchan is simple and fresh, and the main ingredient always comes through. She turns sesame oil, salt, scallions and red pepper flakes into magical fairy dust that transforms broccoli and eggplant into dishes that can make me forget about every other dish on the table (all of which, as you now know, do pass the taste test).


text:
May 8, 2009
VIDEO: It Wasn't Just Pelosi. "The leak clearly shows that some in the CIA have resolved not to take the heat for waterboarding all by themselves, and shows what a miscalculation Obama made by releasing the legal memos. Until that time, the CIA appeared content to let people talk about Bush-era tactics in academic terms, especially since the agency had dropped the procedures in question several years earlier. After the release of the OLC memos prompted talk of prosecutions, that all changed, and now Obama knows how Bush felt when the CIA decided to leak damaging information to the press."
UPDATE: TPM Muckraker: Docs Show Rockefeller Was Briefed On "How The Water Board Was Used."
Plus, Josh Gerstein: 40 Hill briefings on interrogations disclosed.
Also, from Greg Sargent: Hoekstra's Office: He's Seen Documents That Prove Pelosi Was Briefed On Waterboarding.
Hoekstra spokesperson Jamal Ware says that Hoekstra is now seeking the release of the memos and notes that comprised the basis of the documents that came out today that claimed Dems had been briefed on enhanced interrogation techniques.
"He has seen documents that would clarify exactly what the Speaker was briefed on," Ware tells me, "including whether she was briefed on all enhanced interrogation techniques that had been used."
Asked if those techniques included waterboarding, Ware replied: "Yes."
That ups the ante considerably.
ANOTHER UPDATE: Moe Lane watches the moral-superiority bubble deflate.
And Jules Crittenden comments. "OK, I think we're ready to start those torture prosecutions."
MORE: The Hill: Hoekstra considers hearings on Pelosi, interrogations.
STILL MORE: Allah is pitiless: "Two defenses of Pelosi's lies circulating in the nutrootsphere today, one dumber than the other. . . . Anyway, they wanted 'truth' and now they've got it."


text:
Do you have a mermaid in your life? My daughter Daniella for her second birthday asked for a Mermaid Party, ok not quite 🤣 pretty much her sister Beverly decided for her. Anyway I made it happen and I have to say it was a very savvy decoration. My girls were so happy with the set up and I loved it too. In this post I share what I used in case you are looking for some ideas.
As I shared today on my instagram (@beverlyic) my youngest daughter Daniella said to me "Mami, I am a big girl now not a baby anymore" Seriously she was right, I looked at her and my heart sank for a little bit. It was those moments of happiness and sadness all mums have when we realise our babies are growing way too fast.
Thanks to this, I decided to make an album for her and I found these photos of her Mermaid Party from her second birthday that I never shared with you, so here we go, just a quick little mermaid party decoration that I liked at very low cost.
We had so much fun doing these photos before she smashed the cake, I have to say it's so cute seeing your kids innocent shine, she was running around wearing her mermaid costume yelling "I am a mermaid, I am a mermaid" it was so cute indeed.
As you can see Beverly, eldest sister, was at the stage that she also wanted everything lil'sis had, so seriously to avoid more hassle I let her be part of Daniella's birthday and she also wore a mermaid costume too.
Party Decoration details:
Etsy - cake topper
Kmart - backdrop
lovecrushcrowns- crown
kmart - balloons
Spotlight - bunting
Woolies - cake
all photography by me ❤


text:
I walked home from Darling Harbour yesterday afternoon, dreading the extensive mental to-do list that I needed to attend to later that night. I was drained and overwhelmed, not only by a never-ending array of steep stairs that stood before me, but because with every trouble that I attempted to wrap my head around, another issue flared up. I felt imprisoned within my own Catch-22 rut; cleaning up the clutter and making more mess in the process.
Herein lies the problem: When I feel engulfed by the fiery flames of intense pressure, my mind works like one of those large popcorn machines you find in cinemas. As heat forces popcorn to burst around its display container, somehow extreme stress causes haphazard thoughts to spring up and violently ricochet throughout my mind. And indeed, like popcorn, those thoughts are usually over-salted with pessimism and grief.
POP. Workplace drama…POP. University fees…POP. Health scares……
I contemplated cabbing the rest of my journey home as I begrudgingly walked over the very last step. I shuffled the song choice on my iPod from a something little less Katy Perry energetic to something a little more Coldplay solemn, turning up the volume when –
"Excuse me"
I turned around to see a casually dressed young man with a camera hanging securely around his neck. His tanned arms were wrapped around the waist of his beautiful partner, who was holding a crumpled up map of Sydney. Their smiles were almost as bright as the sun's afternoon rays.
"Could you please take a photo of us?" He asked excitedly, handing me his Nikon, "and can you try to get the harbour in the photo?"
As I captured their Sydney memory with the press of a finger, I was struck with a sudden realisation. Something finally hit me.
I am standing on the Harbour Bridge.
I am overlooking Sydney Harbour.
People travel from across the globe to stand in this very spot.
And I am here.
This is what I saw:
My popcorn thoughts were interrupted by the extraordinary panorama perspective around me. Like mixing paints, the clear harbour water subtly changed colours as each wave was kissed by the sunlight. I watched in wonder as deep sapphire blues blended with sea green pigments, forming the flawless aquamarine oceans that surrounded the stunningly crafted Opera House. I witnessed an exquisite vignette paint itself before my eyes.
Sometimes the most breathtaking sight is the one that sits right before you, the one you're overlooking or underestimating. Sometimes your way out, your escape, is the blatant route that you often ignore. My Catch-22 rut of popcorn thoughts ceased with an expected pause…..a pause that appeared out of the blue…. out of the blue ocean of Sydney's majestic harbour.


text:
Transcendence may seem like your typical "scientist creates artificial intelligence, scientist dies, scientist is loaded into AI device and goes rogue" movie. But this new featurette is showing a whole slew of insanity. Does Johnny Depp become a living god? Check it out.
This new look at Wally Pfister's film raises more questions than answered them. Does Johnny Depp's character find the power to flay skin from human flesh? Are we all just inside his brain? Does he have rogue infected soldiers, like in the final Matrix movie? We need answers! Either way, this looks like a much more of a straight-up action movie than we ever anticipated. Fingers crossed for this one.


text:
I am considering hosting a gathering for fans of Yamato/Star Blazers. The recent death of Derek Wakefield has led me to realize that none of us physically see one another much any more, and how that fact can lead to regret. I'd like to see you guys and gals again, but the usual method of doing this (conventions) just doesn't work for me. I haven't done a convention in a long while, so seeing my fellow fans at cons is right out. (Besides, at a convention, I'm working, not hanging out.)
My question: would any of you be interested in attending a "Yamato Party USA"?
I realize that travel in this age of Homeland Security is both expensive and unpleasant, not to mention costly, and I don't expect those of you outside of the North Texas area to sell the furniture in order to pay for the trip, but, still, you'd be welcome if you did come. I'm thinking of something like a Friday/Saturday/Sunday thing -- nothing formal, just a get-together, a few beers, a few brats, MY LITTLE PONY COSPLAY (just kidding about that) -- you know, like we used to do before we all got old.
Or is it a stupid and impractical fantasy? Please let me know what you all think.


text:
Started as a really quick sketch of of some random Engineer but, as things progressed, I decided to try and think of a name for him.
But what? Definitely not Steve… Eric? Geoffrey?
Anyway so, based off some of the things I've read from various interviews regarding language used for the Engineers, I'm deducing that they have names that sound like mashups of Mesoamerican, Egyptian (sorry it's the loincloths for some reason), and Babylonian. These three are just really sticking hard to me. So after looking around online, I managed to mash up recorded names that we know of.
So here's Anishuu. Holding a canister of death.
Alternate title: Bartender, I'll take that shaken, not stirred.
Because the canisters remind me an awful lot like a martini mixer.