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Prison tattoos are a category unto themselves. Usually done with some kind of makeshift, homemade instrument and ink, they have a unique look and symbolism. (Sometimes I wonder how people survive the process under prison conditions!)
Recently, a tattoo artist traveled to Mexico, originally with the intent of photographing the tattoo culture there. After he arrived, though, he changed his mind and decided to be a participant rather than an observer. And thus he ended up constructing several DIY tattoo machines (one for each inmate he tattooed).
But he didn't stop there. He also did some hyper realistic paintings of his creations. Thanks to an article in WIRED magazine, you can see the results here.I hope you'll submit my posts to your favorite social media sites. Just don't "submit" them to your own site pretending to be yours. Thanks!


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Peachy goodness made with fresh, scrumptious Pearson peaches, real butter, King Arthur Flour and fresh eggs. Perfect as a dessert with ice cream topped with our maple pecan crumbles.
Due to the perishable nature of our Georgia Peach Pound Cake, you must select 2nd Day Air if shipping to the following states: NY, CT, RI, MA, NH, VT, ME, MN, IA, ND, SD, NE, KS, OK, TX, NM, CO, UT, NV, WY, MT, ID, OR, WA, CA, AZ, AK and H.
Pearson's Peach Cake must be shipped to arrive within 2 days due to the perishable nature of the cake.
Ingredients: Flour, Sugar, Butter (Cream), Eggs, Peaches, Vanilla, Baking Powder and Salt
Contains: Wheat, Milk and Eggs
Servings: 18-20 slices
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subset: commoncrawl


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This project, Untitled: Stories of Creativity, Innovation, Success, is intended to tell those stories via photo essays and short documentary movies.
While in the pre-production phase, though, I discovered that many potential story subjects are unfamiliar with the photo essay or photo story concept. I didn't find much about photo essays online, or at least in one place, so have compiled my own About page defining the photo essay form of photography, with plenty of useful links.


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Kochen? Fast eine Religion (en)
In an interview with the national daily newspaper "Die Welt", Holbein's award-winning chef Mario Lohninger talks about the story behind his profession as a gourmet chef, reveals the challenges of this business and why he loves what he does.
TV cooking shows can almost be seen around the clock. It would be wrong to say, however, that being a chef is high on people's dream lists. They often burn the midnight oil working for little pay. None too pleasant conditions. This business is saddled with recruitment problems. The number of trainees has fallen dramatically over the last eight years: from 42,857 training contracts recorded by the German Hotel and Restaurant Association in 2006, the number had fallen to a mere 23,029 in 2013. The German Chefs Association (VKD) is therefore sounding the alarm. Award-winning chef Mario Lohninger runs two restaurants in Frankfurt and is counted among the crème de la crème of international chefs. During his interview, he talks about the changes in the industry and why he still loves his profession.
Die Welt:
Chefs often make little money and have to work hard. Did you ever have to deal with the fear of losing your livelihood?
Mario Lohninger:
I've never really thought about that. I'm the kind of person who wants to make a difference. But I wasn't determined to stay in that profession right from the outset. I was surrounded by mountains and I was wondering what happened behind them. I knew that this profession had no limits. You can live wherever you want and, for example, work as a hotel manager, too. When I went on to work for the Michelin-starred restaurant Obauer in Austria, I realized that I wanted to be among the top league. But first of all, I wanted to cook.
When did you start your apprenticeship as a chef?
It was in 1988, three weeks before my fifteenth birthday. I went to the Tourism College in Tyrol and I've learned a lot there. Moreover, my passion for cooking was somehow natural. My parents had a restaurant in the mountains of Salzburg. My mom was responsible for the service and my dad took over the kitchen. I was lucky that I was introduced to the joys of the restaurant industry. Our restaurant was virtually always a harmonious place. I learned how to cook classic dishes like Wiener Schnitzel in next to no time.
So the wish to become a chef was there ever since you were a child?
No, I never actually wanted to become a chef. A skiing accident shattered my dreams of becoming a sports professional. Then I said to myself: I enjoy cooking. And this is how I started my apprenticeship.
Today you train budding chefs at the Holbein's Restaurant yourself. Why do you think is that important?
You can't complain about a shortage of new entrants as long as you're not training people yourself.
Do you receive fewer applications today than you did a few years ago?
I used to have at least 15 applicants for one job offer. This number has not been quite so high in the last two or three years. But as long as you're listed in restaurant guides, you will always reach enough interested candidates. It's not only that you notice it yourself, you can read in newspapers and hear from your colleagues that the number of chefs is gradually decreasing. The way I see it, there are various reasons for this problem. One thing is, of course, that we have become a society with pretty low birth rates. But the central issue is that it's fairly difficult to earn money in the restaurant business. When too much money is pocketed by the state, employers can't afford enough manpower. Cooking teams were much bigger when I started my career in the 1980s.
As a chef, should you always expect to work a lot of overtime?
Being a restaurant owner, you cannot simply tell people things like bank assistants would do: "Sorry, we're closed, do your business online." You're happy about every single guest. I try to leave my cooking staff enough space for an easygoing life beside their job, but I always tell them: You have to work hard to be able to work hard. You could even say that this job is like a religion you have to believe in. That's why you need to enjoy cooking and be enthusiastic, otherwise the job is going to be too hard for you.
Published on 24 April 2014 in the online edition of Die Welt. Written by Sylvia Meilin Weber.


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University of Kansas Alzheimer's Disease Center
Alzheimer's Disease Center > LEAP! > Brainpower Blueprint
Brainpower Blueprint
The LEAP! Brainpower Blueprint contains a wealth of practical information to help you prioritize brain health. It is included with the LEAP! Brain Health Boot Camp class and is also available for purchase separately.
This one-of-a-kind book provides evidence-based information on the following topics:
- Brain-healthy eating
- The four pillars of exercise for cognitive health
- Cognitive engagement
- Sleep health: how to promote quality sleep for a rested brain
- Stress management and emotional health
- Socialization and brain health
Every chapter includes practical strategies for everyday brain-healthy living, research highlights that describe interesting and important studies, "did you know?" sections that discuss fascinating facts and statistics, and much more. Take a look inside...
Click here to learn more about our next Brain Health Boot Camp class, where you'll receive the LEAP! Brainpower Blueprint and six weeks of interactive instruction.


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Available ebook formats: epub mobi lrf pdb
David L. Robbins was born on Independence Day 1950. He has written more than three hundred books under his own name and many pen names, among them: David Thompson, Jake McMasters, Jon Sharpe, Don Pendleton, Franklin W. Dixon, Ralph Compton, Dean L. McElwain, J.D. Cameron and John Killdeer.
Robbins was raised in Pennsylvania. When he was seventeen he enlisted in the United States Air Force and eventually rose to the rank of sergeant. After his honorable discharge he attended college and went into broadcasting, working as an announcer and engineer (and later as a program director) at various radio stations. Later still he entered law enforcement and then took to writing full-time.
At one time or another Robbins has lived in Pennsylvania, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Montana, Colorado and the Pacific Northwest. He spent a year and a half in Europe, traveling through France, Italy, Greece and Germany. He lived for more than a year in Turkey. Today he is best known for two current long-running series – Wilderness, the generational saga of a Mountain Man and his Shoshone wife – and Endworld is a science fiction series under his own name started in 1986. Among his many other books, Piccadilly Publishing is pleased to be reissuing ebook editions of Wilderness, Davy Crockett and, of course, White Apache.


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"BOTOX freezes your face."
"BOTOX gives you botulism."
"BOTOX will give you scary trout mouth."
If you only listened to rumors and whispers, you might walk away seriously misinformed about what BOTOX is, how it works and even its safety. Get the scoop about the most common BOTOX myths (along with its popular counterpart, Dysport), and learn the truth about this FDA approved treatment the media loves to hate.
A particularity prevalent myth is the idea that BOTOX is only suitable if you already have a lot of lines and wrinkles. In reality, however, you can use BOTOX as a preventative measure. In fact, it may be easier to prevent deep lines from forming if you take action and try BOTOX before they become permanently etched into your face.
In movies and the media, BOTOX is often strongly associated with women. If you look at statistics, you quickly realize that both genders embrace the benefits of BOTOX and Dysport. In 2014, over 400,000 men used BOTOX, and that number is part of an upward trend.
When most people think of BOTOX, they imagine the cosmetic benefits. To be sure, BOTOX is definitely a viable way to reduce fine lines and wrinkles and seemingly reverse or halt the appearance of aging skin. However, you can use BOTOX for a number of other reasons. Just a few of the alternative uses for BOTOX include preventing chronic migraines and reducing excessive sweating.
Another of the most common BOTOX myths is that the results are immediate. This is routinely shown in television shows and movies, but it is not the case. Although your treatment can take as little as 10 to 15 minutes, your results won't be completely noticeable for 3 to 7 days.
One of the most dangerous BOTOX myths is the idea that a BOTOX injection will be incredibly painful. If you have ever had an injection for a vaccine, you are probably already familiar with the discomfort level. Many people say that a BOTOX injection feels similar to a pinch. Plus, there are numbing agents as well as ice that can help to desensitize the area before your injection, further reducing any worries about discomfort or pain.
Debunking common BOTOX myths helps to expose the truth behind this procedure. To learn more or to schedule a consultation, contact us at Lasky Aesthetics and Laser Center, the premier medical spa in Beverly Hills.


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Bulgarian Rose: a Rare & Exotic Natural Wonder
Did you know there are only two regions on earth where the growing conditions are just right to cultivate rose essential oil? One is in Turkey, and the other is known as "Valley of the Roses" in Bulgaria. The area's mild, but often humid, climate in late spring increases the amount of oil production because there is less evaporation on the petals than in hotter, drier temperatures. This moisture yields a fragrant, full-bodied crop of roses from which a rich and earthy oil is extracted. Once that process is complete, the result is a musky blend that's ideal for aromatherapy, natural perfumery and a host of medicinal benefits.
These healing properties also support a healthy skincare regimen because rose essential oil contains antioxidants and astringents, both of which are known to help the complexion stay fresh, radiant and youthful. The antioxidants reduce the presence of acne, scars, stretch marks and other surface conditions, while the astringents target the skin's cellular depth to lift and tone facial muscles for healthier aging. In addition, rose essential oils purify the bloodstream to remove toxins and correct hormone imbalances that cause rashes, breakouts, flakiness, dullness, or even chronic skin diseases like eczema and rosacea.
The floral scent of this essential oil has just a hint of spice which produces a calming effect on both the mind and body, making this ingredient the perfect addition to your self-care routine. At PHbotanical, the Bulgarian rose essential oil we source for our products is organic and therapeutic-grade to ensure the highest quality for optimum wellness and vitality. And the best part, you don't need to trek all the way to Bulgaria to experience these health benefits. Our locally made products have you covered right here in Sarasota, or wherever you call home!


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The exciting Television Commercials, TVCs, and radio jingles of the grandmasters of data, Globacom, were handsomely rewarded at the just concluded 2018 Lagos Advertising and Ideas Festival (LAIF),where they won 6 gold, 2 silver and 4 bronze medals in various categories.
At the awards, the company's commercial tagged "Rhythm" which related African dance steps with football moves to demonstrate that African football moves were inspired by the rhythm of African dances broadcast during the 2018 World Cup in Russia won gold in three categories, namely Film Corporate Image category, Travel, Tourism and Entertainment category of Film and Best Production Design and Art Direction in Film Craft.
Besides "Rhythm", other Globacom campaigns that won gold medals at the awards recently held at the Landmark Event Centre, Lagos, included "Glo Flatmates", that used the jollof rice challenge between Nigeria and Ghana to promote the Glo Lafftafest organized in Ghana which led in Film Promotions and "Glo Spoken Words" adjudged the best in Radio Telecoms Products and Services as well as Radio Craft (Best Use of Copy).
Similarly, "Glo Rhythm" also won silver medal in Film Promotions, while "The Chase" clinched silver in Best Film Editing in the Film Craft category.
For bronze medals, Globacom campaigns that garnered medals in that category included the star-studded "Glo Laftgasm" in the Film Travel, Tourism and Entertainment category , "Experience the legendary game" which won bronze in the Film Telecom Products and Services, the "Spoken Words" in Radio Craft (Casting and Performance) and "Glo Data Unmatched Unfair Advantage" adjudged bronze winner in the Campaign Category.
"This email, together with any attachments, is for the exclusive and confidential use of the address(es) and may contain legally privileged information. Any other distribution, use or reproduction without the sender's prior consent is unauthorized and strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender by email immediately and delete this message from your computer without making any copies.
Globacom is a Limited Liability Company with registration number 439916 and address at Mike Adenuga Towers, 1 Mike Adenuga Close, Off Adeola Odeku, Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria. Globacom Limited is registered to deliver Telecommunications services."


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A user account is required in order to edit this wiki, but we've had to disable public user registrations due to spam.
To request an account, ask an autoconfirmed user on IRC (such as one of these permanent autoconfirmed members).
Text input keyboard mode control
See also http://www.w3.org/Bugs/Public/show_bug.cgi?id=12885 and http://www.w3.org/Bugs/Public/show_bug.cgi?id=12409 and yet another CSS proposal — 'input-mode'. Mozilla bug: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=746142
Existing kinds of keyboards
- Telephone number input
- Numeric input
- E-mail address input
- Text input
(Images hotlinked from this StackOverflow post: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/773843/iphone-uiwebview-how-to-force-a-numeric-keyboard-is-it-possible )
- Text input with leading capitalisation
- Username / password input? (no capitalisation)
- Text input without capitalisation in a search context (search submission button)
- Numeric input (big 0-9 keys, +, -)
- Telephone number input (big 0-9 keys, *, #)
- URL input (keys for /, "www.", ".com")
- Email input (keys for @, '-', ".com")
Android Japanese IMEs
Existing APIs
XForms uses a model of modifiers ("startUpper", "predictOff", "digits", etc) and script block names ("simplifiedHanzi", "tagalog", "canadianAboriginal", etc).
Example: http://www.w3.org/TR/xforms/#mode-examples
Proposed API
- 'numeric': 0-9, +, -, comma, dot;
Use case: to have a vkb similar to <input type='number'> without the UI and other stuff that come with <input type='number'>. That could be used for other stuff than numbers for example.
- 'digit': 0-9 only;
Use case: to write digits without being numbers like social security number or credit card number.
- 'uppercase': A-Z only;
Use case: obvious, could even be used on desktop.
- 'lowercase': a-z only;
Use case: obvious, could even be used on desktop.
- 'titlecase': uppercase character for each new word;
Use case: obvious, could even be used on desktop.
- 'autocapitalized': first letter is uppercased;
Use case: obvious, could even be used on desktop. Also, that would be a parity feature for iOS autocapitalized attribute.
Except 'number' it's not obvious that we should have input modes similar to input types (like email, tel, url). Actually, we could even discuss the use case of 'number'.
This is intended to be a small set of quite obvious input modes. Some other might be useful.


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If you are in Texas, a must stop is a boot shop! In Austin we have quite a few. Downtown off Congress Ave you can find the wonderful Allen's Boots. Not only boots, but western wear as well (cowboy hats, shirts, belts). Not sure, but maybe you can find a lasso??? It is great to see all the boot styles and colors. Most Austin photographers have taken their share of boot photos…this was my first! Austin is a college town…the University of Texas (UT) Longhorns. The boots above are perfect for the UT fan! Hook em Horns!!
On a side note, I had my speech last nite at the Austin SMUG Meeting. I'd like to thank Jason St. Peter (Blog: 50% Chance of Rain)…he runs the meetings…for letting me speak about IR Photography. I had a wonderful time and it was a great pleasure to meet all the fantastic people that attended last nite! We had a great turnout. It was my first photography speech ever and I loved it! Thanks again everyone! Hope you are all IR experts!
Talke Photography Settings:


text: Trust Square is further expanding at its prominent Bahnhofstrasse location. By the fourth quarter of this year, the world's largest blockchain hub of its kind will cover more than 3,000 square metres and offer over 300 workstations to startups and researchers. The expansion underscores Switzerland's ambition to further strengthen the country's position as a leading location for blockchain innovation on an international scale.


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By JACK WEATHERLY Perhaps a fitting culmination to an erratic weather pattern is that Mississippi's winter wheat yield is expected to rise by double digits. Whether the state would even see a crop at all hinged on a drought that pushed planting to late in 2016. A crop was planted, even though it was smaller than the previous year by ...Read More »
Tag Archives: wheat
State officials expect less wheat acreage to be planted
ACROSS MISSISSIPPI — Excellent summer crop harvests in recent years is partly responsible for a significant decrease in the amount of wheat being planted in the state this fall. Official estimates are not yet available, but Erick Larson, grain crops agronomist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said he expects state farmers to plant less than 150,000 acres of ...Read More »
Wheat producers eligible for Supplemental Coverage Option
MISSISSIPPI DELTA — Wheat growers in Bolivar, Coahoma, Sunflower, Tallahatchie and Washington counties are eligible for the Supplemental Coverage Option that was authorized in the Agricultural Act of 2014. Depending on whether the producer's crop insurance coverage is a yield protection or a revenue protection policy, the supplemental coverage option will provide an indemnity payment when yield or market revenue ...Read More »
Farmers plant more row crops than originally planned
ACROSS MISSISSIPPI — Mississippi producers planted more of the state's major row crops than they planned in March, and the majority of them are in good condition. Every winter, Mississippi producers estimate how many acres they will plant of each crop they intend to grow. The U.S. Department of Agriculture tabulates these in March and issues the planting intentions report. ...Read More »
With clear skies, farmers look to get planting back on schedule
ACROSS MISSISSIPPI — Frequent rains kept farmers indoors through much of April, but clear weather in early May allowed them to play catch-up on row-crop planting. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that planting of most of the state's row crops is back on schedule after the wet early spring. Corn is the first crop planted in Mississippi and much ...Read More »
Cold weather protects wheat crop from freezing?
ACROSS MISSISSIPPI — This year's cold winter slowed wheat growth, so the late-March freeze across much of Mississippi probably did not cause major damage to the state's wheat crop. Erick Larson, grain crops agronomist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said most wheat across the state had not reached a growth stage where it would have been sensitive to ...Read More »
State's winter wheat crop struggling with cool weather
ACROSS MISSISSIPPI — Cool temperatures through March kept some Mississippians comfortable, but they slowed the development of wheat, the state's only row crop grown through winter. Erick Larson, corn and wheat state specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said wheat acreage is high this year, with 420,000 acres planted in the fall. State growers planted 500,000 acres in ...Read More »
State's ag production tops $7B for second consecutive year
ACROSS MISSISSIPPI — Significant production levels and high market prices combined to give Mississippi's agricultural commodities their second year in a row of over $7 billion in total value. Mississippi State University agricultural economists gathered preliminary data from crop production reports, world agricultural supply and demand estimates, industry resources and U.S. Department of Agriculture outlook reports. They predict a $7.3-billion ...Read More »
Wheat crop maturing rapidly, but yields not exceptional like 2011
ACROSS MISSISSIPPI — A rapidly maturing 2012 wheat crop proved to be a timing challenge for Mississippi growers. The state's growers planted 480,000 acres, up from 360,000 acres the previous season. They were inspired by strong market prices and the record-average yields of 64 bushels per acre grown last year. "Harvest is two or three weeks ahead of schedule, but ...Read More »
Ag commodities groups identify priorites for research, education
ABERDEEN — Advocates for agriculture met recently at the North Mississippi Research and Extension Center in Verona to identify priorities for research and Extension Service education programs at Mississippi State University. Scientists from the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, specialists with the MSU Extension Service and almost 250 members of the North Mississippi Producer Advisory Council spent the day ...Read More »


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Blogs and Martyrs
Blogs and Martyrs
This may sound odd, of course, given current thinking about corporations, which are still weathering a crisis of trust on a scale unseen since the Wall Street crash of 1929. But to build trusting relationships and success in a transparent economy, growing numbers of firms in all parts of the globe will have to behave more responsibility and more openly than ever. Firms that exhibit ethical values, openness and candor have discovered that they can better compete and profit. Some figured this out recently, while others have understood it for generations.
Now, when I talk about the Internet, I mean more than the World Wide Web. The Internet extends from Weblogs and e-mail to mobile phones and handheld computers and, just now out of the gate, cameras in mobile phones, wireless communications for specialties like healthcare, education, security and gaming, and communicating chips embedded in everything from running shoes to soup cans to door handles, production lines, diaper boxes and prosthetics. Call it whatever you likethe Hypernet, pervasive computing or ambient intelligence. The point is, the physical world is watching, providing information back to corporate stakeholders. Organizations that wish to sustain high performance in this evolving knowledge economy will have no choice but to create new images of trust, founded in transparency. Today's winners, increasingly, undress for success.
Transparency is not an abstract conceptit has a physical embodiment, the stakeholder web. The Internet has created a web of stakeholders that every company participates in, and these stakeholders are scrutinizing the company 24/7. Most of the time, these stakeholder webs are fairly dormant, until something happens, some kind of important event or activity or information disclosure that triggers an increase in the activity or the size of the stakeholder web.
Some companies don't even realize they have a stakeholder web until they get charged with doing something inappropriate. Home Depot, for example, had a fairly dormant one until one day, the Rainforest Action Network became part of the web and got very active, deciding that Home Depot's suppliers were logging old-growth forests. These activists didn't go to some global government to complain, because there isn't one, nor will there be in our lifetime. Instead, they went to the Internet, and they organized a powerful campaign. As a result, a couple of years later, Home Depot has become a leader in defending old-growth forests. The firm had to get buffto have values and behavior consistent with those of its stakeholder web. This is just one, small example of the force of transparency on an organization.
New strategies, mostly aimed at building trust, must be put in place. But don't fake it, spin or fib. In the transparent society, you've really got to be as good as you say you are, because it's getting harder and harder to control the fallout when conflicts with your story arise. Martha Stewart's downfall is emblematic. Martha was the icon of the pastel-tinged family lifestyle, and her message was trust at the highest level. Her fantasy was how to articulate an aesthetic of caring into daily life. If not Martha, then who? Because of the forces of transparency, and Martha's inability to control the message once the company's stakeholder webs began buzzing, the appearance of hypocrisy hurt the company more than whatever it was that Martha was accused of doing. The Internet makes everything appear much larger. Trust took a double beating. And partly what kept Martha's troubles alive were special sites on the Web and the information machine that churned out "Martha Watch" blogs and parody Web sites throughout her ordeal. She had little control over any of it.
This article was originally published on 10-01-2003


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Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Black Swan and Thrifty Shoes
28 comments
- Chelley said...
I'd keep them red ... but then that's my favorite color! You're so lucky to have great thrift stores there. I always find tons of stuff at the one in CS!
- November 1, 2011 at 5:33 PM
- Unknown said...
Keep them red!!!!! I always have a hard time passing up thrift shoes..in the last couple months I have bought SO many...yesterday I found some that I could NOT pass up for 4.99 even though they are a half size too big? I wanted them that badly I guess! LOL
- November 1, 2011 at 5:41 PM
- Golfjopa said...
Stay with the red - they will look great!
- November 1, 2011 at 5:43 PM
- Becky said...
Love the red.I loved the black swan..interesting movie.
- November 1, 2011 at 6:04 PM
- Annika said...
I really like the red! It matches more stuff than you would think and bright shoes like that can turn the most simple outfit into something way fun!
A Sweet Release
- November 1, 2011 at 6:10 PM
- Jessica said...
Oh I love red shoes! Red and pink shoes always make me happy, especially on a rainy day. Wait, so do yellow shoes...
I say if you don't have red shoes yet, it's certainly time to have them!
- November 1, 2011 at 6:32 PM
How about a lovely shade or coral??
- November 1, 2011 at 6:38 PM
I meant a lovely shade of coral
- November 1, 2011 at 6:39 PM
- Krista & Tyler said...
Keep the red! Its the new fall color, and its always fun to get out of the box once in a while. I did that a few years ago, and my red boat shoes are my favorites!
- November 1, 2011 at 7:31 PM
- Cat said...
I love the red, but if you do decide to change the color, don't use spray paint. It ruins the fabric and cracks horribly (tried that on a pair of brown boots for Halloween one year... my gogo dancer ended up not looking that good from the hem down...) What I use to paint shoes is acrylic paint, and if the fabric is porous enough, it'll soak the paint right in and the color will stay for YEARS.
- November 1, 2011 at 7:54 PM
- mysticgypsy128 said...
I say leave 'em red. I LOVE red shoes. And boots.
- November 1, 2011 at 8:24 PM
- Home on the Range Exchange said...
I'm with everyone else....keep them red!
- November 1, 2011 at 8:58 PM
- Unknown said...
Katy, I LOVE your costume, and the makeup is spot on. Creative, crafty and pretty like everything you post! Love getting your blog in my inbox. Always a treat.
- November 1, 2011 at 9:24 PM
- Unknown said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- November 1, 2011 at 9:26 PM
- Unknown said...
Oh, and DEF keep the red. Not like it's a peep toe sling back satin stiletto. It is a beautiful shoe, and you will get tons of compliments on the color! You can always change the color after you take them out for a spin a few times.
(re-posted due to typo! yikes!)
- November 1, 2011 at 9:28 PM
- μελίτσα. said...
Nice costume...
i think that i'd paint them navy blue... But red is so funny too!
- November 2, 2011 at 1:37 AM
- Clarissa said...
Rock the red! I think a lot of your outfits would look great with these. I've always thought about red shoes as similar to red lipstick, only you don't have to keep re-applying.
- November 2, 2011 at 4:33 AM
- Juliette said...
your costume was great!
I'd say keep the shoes red, but if you really hate the red, I'd avoid spray paint simply b/c I think it'd crack/peel and maybe just make your shoes stiff and/or not let your feet breathe.
What about trying some black shoe polish? You might get a burgundy/burnished copper type of effect... ??? aaaand now I'm thinking of Ron Burgundy!! =P
- November 2, 2011 at 5:46 AM
- Unknown said...
You should wear them for a while before you decide to spray paint. Reach out of your normal bounds! I agree with Juliette that it will probably peel and crack because they look like leather.
Continue the Halloween spirit and go out of your normal boundaries. You just might learn to love red!
- November 2, 2011 at 6:12 AM
- Rebecca @ My Girlish Whims said...
great costume!! you look so different with the funky eye makeup haha
- November 2, 2011 at 7:41 AM
- Ashley J @ MommyByDayCrafterByNight said...
I love it! You look just like her with that eye makeup!! Great job on the costume!! xoxo
- November 2, 2011 at 8:39 AM
- Chelsea Finn said...
Your costume is....AMAZING! It's so legit, I love it. :)
And those shoes! What a great find. I love the red but I think navy would look really good and it would match a lot!
<3Chelsea Elizabeth
- November 2, 2011 at 8:43 AM
- chels said...
I like the red. I don't think I look good in red either, but red shoes are a must in every girls's wardrobe. I don't like red clothes but I love red shoes!
- November 2, 2011 at 9:15 AM
- Marina Lind Schmitt said...
red! red! red! love it when comfy & cute & inexpenisive come hand in hand!
- November 2, 2011 at 11:14 AM
- Allyson McGuire said...
The costume is amazing, and the shoes are precious! I would leave them red...that's what's so great about shoes. Colors that don't look great on (yellow for me) are fine on your feet!
- November 2, 2011 at 2:30 PM
- ltennet said...
Even though you weren't the only one as the black swan this halloween, your costume is definitely one of the best I've seen. I love love love your makeup.
And the shoes are adorable! Maybe instead of spray painting them a different color add a strip of brown leather to them or a bow? I personally love them and think they look super retro and chic.
- November 2, 2011 at 3:36 PM
- Unknown said...
My costume was definitely out of the ordinary... I braided myself a beard! I *could* wear it any day of the week, except it wouldn't exactly be culturally acceptable, so I decided to wear it the one day I could wear it.
And I LOVE thrift store shoes!
- November 6, 2011 at 6:07 PM
- Melissa Alexandar said...
If you haven't painted them yet, I hear Cobalt Blue is the "IT" color this season. That's the color I'd choose if those were my loafers. Ps is that ostrich skin? those look super comfy!
- December 1, 2011 at 8:39 PM


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Hemi Cuda front
Hemi Cuda Interior
In order for a subframe connector to function properly, it should become an integrated unit with the existing subframe and ideally have minimal bends in it and maximum weld contact area with the existing frame and floor pan. A 2x3 example such as those installed in this Hemi Cuda welds at the front next to the torsion bar mounts and passes through the factory floor pan without affecting seat mounting points and continues through the sheet metal and into the existing rear unibody frame assembly. A subframe connector of inferior size and wall thickness as well as a connector with multiple bends in it will bend and distort excessively, nullifying any advantages that could be accrued from the installation.
1970 Hemi Cuda Subframe Connectors
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The government's Age Pension and Seniors Health Card may be available to help you cover expenses and access discounted essentials.
Age Pension
The Age Pension is currently available to any Australian who is at least 65 years and 6 months, and can satisfy a financial means test and residency requirements.
What money you have in super when you're ready to retire can impact your government pension entitlements, so it's important to understand how it all works.
How it worksShow more
The Age Pension is both a regular income stream paid to your bank account every fortnight, and a way of accessing discounts and concessions on life and health essentials.
A Pensioner Concession Card gives you access to discounts on:
- Prescription medication
- Property and water rates
- Utilities bills
- Public transport fares
- Vehicle licensing and registration
EntitlementsShow more
What you are entitled to receive depends on your financial situation.
As of 20 March 2019, the maximum amount you can receive per fortnight is $926.20 for a single person, and $1,396.20 for a couple combined.
If you still do occasional casual work, you may be able to earn an extra $300 per fortnight, up to a maximum of $7,800 per couple ($172 for a single person), that won't be counted towards your assessable income, under the government's Work Bonus scheme.
EligibilityShow more
From 1 July 2017, you can start to receive the Age Pension once you reach 65 years and 6 months of age. After that, the Age Pension age will go up 6 months every 2 years to 67 years by 1 July 2023. To find out when you can apply, check the table below.
To get Age Pension you need to have been an Australian resident for at least 10 years in total. For at least 5 of these years, there must be no break in your residence. Other conditions apply and can be found on the Department of Community Services website.
At what age am I eligible for the Age Pension?
|If you were born...
|Between 1 July 1952 and 31 December 1953
|65 and 6 months
|65 and 6 months
|Between 1 January 1954 and 30 June 1955
|Between 1 July 1955 and 31 December 1956
|66 and 6 months
|66 and 6 months
|After 1 January 1957
|You are eligible for the Age Pension at age...
|You are eligible for the Age Pension at age...
|You are eligible for the Age Pension at age...
|You are eligible for the Age Pension at age...
How money gets assessedShow more
When Centrelink assesses your eligibility for the Age Pension, they look at both your assets and income in two separate tests.
Whichever test results in the lower pension amount will be the test that is applied.
You can earn up to $172 as a single person or $304 as a couple per fortnight, before your income impacts what you're eligible to receive, remembering that the first $300 work income is excluded from this.
For every dollar you earn in excess of that, your payments will be reduced by 50 cents whether you are a single person or a couple.
When applying the income test, they will consider your income stream, super (including defined benefit pensions), bank deposits, term deposits, loans, and your share portfolio.
From 1 July 2018, pensions will reduce when your assets are more than the amounts below^1.
Full pension
|Family situation
|Couple combined
|Illness separated couple combined
|One partner eligible, combined assets
Part pensions
From 20 March 2018, part pensions cancel when your assets are more than the amounts below^1.
|If you're:
|in a couple, combined
|Illness separated couple, combined
|One partner eligible, combined
Pensioner Concession Card
To be eligible for a Pensioner Concession Card, you must be receiving a certain income support payment, such as the Age Pension, and you must meet age and work requirements.
This card entitles you to discounts on approved PBS medicines, bulk billing for doctor's appointments (at doctor's discretion), refunds for medical expenses through the Medicare Safety Net, assistance with hearing services through the Office of Hearing Services website, and discounted mail redirection through Australia Post.
Commonwealth Seniors Health Card
You can get a card if you:
- have reached age pension age
- don't qualify for a payment from Department of Human Services or the Department of Veterans' Affairs
- meet an income test, and
- are an Australian resident currently living in Australia.
You must meet an income test to get the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card, which is reviewed on 20 September each year in line with the Consumer Price Index. There is no assets test.
To pass the income test, you must earn no more than:
- $54,929 a year if you're single
- $87,884 a year for couples
- $109,858 a year for couples separated by illness, respite care or prison
Add $639.60 to these amounts for each child in your care.
Rent assistance
You may be entitled to rent assistance if you receive a Centrelink payment, such as the Age Pension. To be eligible for rent assistance, you must be paying the minimum amount of rent (shown in the table below) for:
- rent, other than to a state or territory housing authority
- service and maintenance fees in a retirement village
- lodging or board
- fees paid to use a caravan site or other accommodation that you occupy as your principal home
- fees paid to moor a vessel you occupy as your principal home.
For every $1 of rent you pay above this amount, you will get $0.75.
From 20 March 2019, rent assistance rates for when you do not have dependent children^1
|If you are
|Minimum rent you need to pay each fortnight
|You will get the full amount if your fortnightly rent is more than...
|Full amount you can get each fortnight is...
Single, sharer
Useful links
- Centrelink: If you'd like more information about the Age Pension or your Centrelink benefits, contact Centrelink on 132 300 or visit the Department of Human Services website.
- Government financial education seminars: The Department of Human Services runs free financial education seminars for retirees who want to understand the pension and other options.
- First State Super seminars: We run regular 'transition to retirement' and 'retirement planning' seminars.
I want to attend an upcoming seminar
The no additional cost seminars offer a great opportunity for you to talk to our experienced team.
Calculate your retirement today
See how your super is tracking today and how much the retirement lifestyle you want could cost.
Source: Department of Human Services ↩


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The canadian federal government attacks Attawapiskat's chief theresa spence in a political smear campaign to avert a hunger strike in regards to the idle no more protests
You tube First Nations Reserve scandal news – First nations people that are living in poverty on reserves they should maybe seriously take a look at there chiefs and band members that are living high on the hog and perhaps ask to audit them its anyones who's first nations right to ask to do so if they feel that they are being mistreated by there other native peers, and look folks the stephen harpers conservative government are no different on what is going on in many native reserves in canada they are just doing the similar perverse money thieving at a government level. "Crooks pointing fingers at the less fortunate crooked, or whatever'.
– First Nations News
Keith Ranville


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Social networks do not drive a lot of e-commerce sales directly (see chart, right), but they do influence shoppers by helping them discover new products to buy. Now some retailers are leveraging that influence to drive sales in stores.
Nordstrom recently announced that it's installing video monitors in more than 100 of its stores to display products being shared on social shopping app Wanelo. "It's a purely customer-driven strategy," said Bryan Galipeau, Nordstrom's social media director, in a press release. "We take a snapshot of that trending category once every week, and we will then match that up against our inventory and what's available in those stores so we're providing a good customer experience."
Brands such as Sephora and Lululemon are now using Wanelo and other social networks to keep tabs on women's fashion trends. A recent report from BI Intelligence noted the following stats about how social drives sales:
- Facebook influences 30% of American women when deciding what professional clothing to buy. Pinterest influences 22%, according to a joint study by Netbase and Edison Research.
- When it comes to clothing for a special occasion, Pinterest influences 28% of American women and Instagram influences 17%.
In the BI Intelligence report, we analyzed the data and spoke to leaders in the social commerce space to understand how their companies are adding value at different stages of the retail and e-commerce "purchase funnel," the long process that ultimately leads to a retail sale.
Some of the latest trends include building social networks around e-commerce platforms, partnering with brands, and otherwise transforming social commerce's strengths for Pinterest-style digital window-shopping. The report looks at the most important way retailers are leveraging social engagement to drive purchases.
Here's how social commerce companies are driving sales:
- It's not about click-to-buy: Social commerce is not simply transactional — it's not just about offering a click-to-buy link next to an offer on Facebook. Social commerce will never be what some have wanted it to be, an "Amazon killer."
- What will help social commerce grow as a sales driver? The key is to help connect the funnel end-to-end, or to connect different mediums — say, social media and TV — to help coax a consumer down the funnel.
- There are a few ways to encourage purchases: Retargeted advertising may be one missing link. It enables social commerce to connect the sales funnel from end-to-end by serving ads that remind users of products they have browsed across the Web but have not yet purchased. Facebook has made huge strides with its retargeted efforts.
- Also: Clever merchandising and user interfaces allow for sticky merchant-to-consumer relationships that can help nudge a consumer toward purchase over time.
- Finally, referrals shouldn't be discounted: Another solution is for social commerce to develop as a sales referral engine, and take a cut of the sales. If social commerce sites have a large enough audience, even a low referral and conversion rate will result in a good revenue stream.
In full, the report:
- Explains how time-sensitive offers on social media can motivate users to snap out of casual browsing or social media-grazing and into a buying mood
- Includes interviews with three social commerce industry leaders
- Discusses why Twitter has a unique opportunity at the bottom of the funnel
- Looks at Pinterest's prospects as a top-of-funnel platform
- Reveals average order values and order volume for a leading social commerce platform
- Breaks down the share of social media-generated e-commerce sales for each social network
- Looks at the demographics of social commerce consumers
- Compares Twitter, Facebook and more traditional digital methods of retail customer acquisition such as search engines
Interested in getting the full report? Here are two ways to access it:
- Subscribe to an All-Access pass to BI Intelligence and gain immediate access to this report and over 100 other expertly researched reports. As an added bonus, you'll also gain access to all future reports and daily newsletters to ensure you stay ahead of the curve and benefit personally and professionally. >> Learn More Now
- Purchase & download the full report from our research store. >> Purchase & Download Now
PS. Did you know...
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Our subscribers consider the INSIDER Newsletters a "daily must-read industry snapshot" and "the edge needed to succeed personally and professionally" — just to pick a few highlights from our recent customer survey.
With our full money-back guarantee, we make it easy to find out for yourself how valuable the daily insights are for your business and career. Click this link to learn all about the INSIDER Newsletters today.


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True Fanerer
Khachanov has great defensive skills for a big guy.
Did you just see the shot of nadal's head he has lost a lot of hair
Now that he is out of that horrendous slump that had everyone comparing him to Jacques Chausette, the previous Bercy champion.
I remember Nadal hitting more to Fed's FH in their 2017 Miami final.I don't see Fed's forehand to the deuce court/Nadal's BH to be the key. Nadal is not going to be hitting to Fed's FH. He's going to be hitting to Fed's BH, like he always does. The key for Fed is his 1st serve Pct. If he can serve the way he did against Tsitsipas in Dubai, high 70's % for much of the match, he'll have a good chance against Nadal.
do you have any idea what you're talking about?
Maybe in a video game made by @Meles called "Diamond Age Tennis 2019"
Win or lose I want RAFA. There's no glory to be had in beating a guy named Karen.It was fun while it lasted. Bring on the Fedal semi. KK will fold like a cheap suit.
@Meles puts all the geriatric players behind a $300 paywall so nobody gets them.
agreed, same for Zverev or MedvedevAbsolutely amazing how well taller players move in recent years.
KK's movement at 6 foot 6 is absolutely no comparison to past players like Todd Martin for example.
He demanded itOf course everyone's favorite the mighty fed gets extra rest for tomorrow
Of course everyone's favorite the mighty fed gets extra rest for tomorrow
Looked like some sort of panic attack (pun)Karen is venturing to the net in bizarre ways for bizarre reasons.
Karen determined to break himself #NextGen


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The garage pole barn shown above has a 12' x 8' overhead door, a 3' x 4' DH window, and an entry door. This pole barn also has a 6 pitch attic truss with a 768 sq. ft. loft.
County: Salem
Project Year: 2005
Building Size: 32' x 48' x 10'
Square Footage: 1536
Roof Color: Brt White
Siding: Brt White
Trim: Brt White


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Penn Medicine's highly anticipated Pavilion blazes a new trail in patient-centered hospital care
The growth of Penn Medicine's campus in the past decade has been nothing short of spectacular. The Ruth and Raymond Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine, the Henry A. Jordan, M'62 Medical Education Center, the Smilow Center for Translational Research, the Roberts Proton Therapy Center and the Abramson Cancer Center all represent pillars of innovation across the full continuum of medicine. But one piece remains to be realized to raise inpatient care to a new global standard. It is with great anticipation that the University-based health system will open its doors in 2021 to the hospital of the future: the Pavilion.
It's a facility worthy of Penn's passionate students and its leading research and clinician teams. And it will rise because of the special partnership between Penn Medicine and its philanthropic supporters.
"Medicine has evolved from big multispecialty departments to service lines with multispecialists in them," explains Michael A. Acker, MD, Chief of the Division of Cardiovascular Surgery and Director of Penn's Heart and Vascular Center.
Under standard hospital design, patients are admitted to a surgical floor or a medical floor, but in the patient-centered Pavilion, patients will be grouped by medical conditions, or service lines, so that all the providers with expertise related to that disease work together around the patient.
Concern for the patient's comfort is reflected in the 500 spacious, all-private rooms in which the patient, family members and the medical team all have designated space. An extra bed in patient rooms lets family members stay 24/7, even in the intensive care unit. Comfortable indoor lobbies and family waiting areas, outdoor plazas and green spaces ease the stress of illness.
Anticipated to be a LEED-certified building, the Pavilion will link the current Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania with the Perelman Center and include a new emergency department. In a truly pioneering approach, the PennFIRST design team—comprised of physicians, architects, engineers, construction managers, financial planners, caterers, housekeeping managers, patients and others—stays involved throughout construction, ensuring that when the Pavilion opens, it remains state-of-the-art.
A stunning addition to the Philadelphia skyline, the Pavilion will enable Penn Medicine to treat more patients in a manner that yields fewer complications, decreased length of stay, improved outcomes and increased patient satisfaction. For a University that is continually setting new global standards in medicine, it's the pièce de résistance.


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Trump did it. He has finally won the gushing approval of CNN, thanks to an illegal missile strike against a sovereign Syria, that has now emboldened ISIS and Al Qaeda, and will surely prolong the suffering of the Syrian people.
And let's not forget that US President Trump has now moved the world inches away from WW3.
CNN is happy…and they are loving Trump.
CNN host Fareed Zakaria tweeted…
[email protected] on Syria strikes: "I think Donald Trump became President of the United States" last night
.@FareedZakaria on Syria strikes: "I think Donald Trump became President of the United States" last night https://t.co/dLipRu6SZu
— New Day (@NewDay) April 7, 2017
Zerohedge adds that for CNN, it took a war and pointed, globalist "rhetoric" for Trump to become President of the United States. Per CNN host Fareed Zakaria on "New Day" this morning:
"I think Donald Trump became president of the United States last night. I think this was actually a big moment."
"Candidate Trump had said that he would never get involved in the Syrian civil war. He told President Obama you can not do this without the authorization of Congress. He seemed unconcerned with global norms."
"President Trump recognized that the President of the United States does have to act to enforce international norms, does have to have this broader moral and political purpose. President Trump realized, as every president has for many decades now, that they have inherent legal authority as commander-in-chief and they don't have to go to a pesky Congress every time they want military force."
"For the first time really as president, he talked about international norms, international rules, about America's role in enforcing justice in the world. It was the kind of rhetoric that we've come to expect from American presidents since Harry Truman, but it was the kind of rhetoric that President Trump had pointedly never used either on the campaign trail nor in his inaugural."
"So I think there has been an interesting morphing and a kind of education of Donald Trump."
The Duran readers: Tell us now…
The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Duran.


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The Multimedia Launch of Velvet Totalitarianism (Intre Doua Lumi) in Romania
I'm happy to report that my first novel, Velvet Totalitarianism, was launched in Romanian translation (by Mihnea Gafita) under the title Intre Doua Lumi (Curtea Veche Publishing, 2011). The presentation will include my talk about the book as well as a book trailer produced by Claudiu Ciprian Popa and a music video produced by Andy (Soundland) Platon (see the below). This was the first multimedia launch, in which a book trailer and music video accompanied the presentations of the novel.
The political commentator Adrian Cioroianu, the literary critic Alex Stefanescu and the film producer Stere Gulea introduced my novel in light of their respective fields. The book launch took place at the Romanian Cultural Institute in Bucharest (ICR Bucuresti) on September 21, 2011 at 18:00 p.m. (Aleea Alexandru nr. 38, sector 1, 011824, Bucuresti, România).
This novel is being made into a movie by the Romanian-American cinematographer Bernard Salzman (http://bernardsalzman.com/)
I'm pasting below the Advance Praise for my novel as well as Diana Evantia Barca's article about it in Catchy.ro and Anca Lapusneanu's article about it (and intellectual freedom) in Revista VIP.
Advance Praise for Velvet Totalitarianism/Intre Doua Lumi
A deeply felt, deftly rendered novel of the utmost importance to any reader interested in understanding totalitarianism and its terrible human cost. Urgent, evocative, and utterly convincing, Velvet Totalitarianism is a book to treasure, and Claudia Moscovici is indeed a writer to watch, now and into the future.
–Travis Holland, author of the critically acclaimed novel, The Archivist's Story, a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers selection.
Claudia Moscovici's first novel, Velvet Totalitarianism, triumphs on several levels: as a taut political thriller, as a meditation on totalitarianism, as an expose of the Ceausescu regime, and as a moving fictionalized memoir of one family's quest for freedom.
–Ken Kalfus, author of the novel A Disorder Peculiar to the Country
(2006 National Book Award nominee), of The Commissariat of Enlightenment (2003) and of PU-239 and Other Russian Fantasies (1999).
Western intellectuals have often blurred the fundamental differences between the imperfect free world they have been fortunate to enjoy and the totalitarian world of communism they never had the misfortune to endure. Claudia Moscovici's Velvet Totalitarianism is a powerful corrective to that ivory tower distortion of reality. Moscovici makes her readers viscerally feel the corrosive psychological demoralization and numbing fear totalitarian regimes impose on those who live under them. At the same time, with style and wit, and informed by her experiences as a child in communist Romania and then as an immigrant in the United States, she tells a story of resilience and hope. Velvet Totalitarianism is a novel well worth reading, both for its compelling narrative and for its important message.
–Michael Kort, Professor of Social Science at Boston University and author of the best-selling textbook, The Soviet Colossus: History and Aftermath
This vivid novel by Claudia Moscovici, historian of ideas and wide-ranging literary critic, traces a family of Jewish-Romanian refugees from the stifling communist dictatorship of their homeland through their settling in the United States during the 1980's. This fascinating and compelling story is at once historically accurate, exciting, sexy and a real page-turner. Ms. Moscovici is as sensitive to the emotions of her characters as to their political entanglements.
–Edward K. Kaplan, Kevy and Hortense Kaiserman Professor in the Humanities at Brandeis University and author of Spiritual Radical: Abraham Joshua Heschel in America, 1940-1972, winner of the National Jewish Book Award
Moving between extraordinary and ordinary lives, between Romania and the United States, velvet totalitarianism and relative freedom, dire need and consumerism, evoking her Romanian experience in the seventies, the emigration to the U.S. of her family in the eighties, and the 1989 uprising in Timisoara and Bucharest that marked the end of Ceausescu's regime, Claudia Moscovici offers her readers a multifaceted book—Velvet Totalitarianism—that is at once a love story, a political novel and a mystery. Love is the last resort left to people in order to counter totalitarianism under Ceausescu's rule. It keeps families united, allowing them to resist indoctrination and hardship and to make sure their children enjoy the carefree beautiful years that are their due. Love gives the protagonist of the novel the strength to overcome cultural differences between Romania and the U.S. and to invent in turn a form of personal happiness in a context that, while far from being as harsh as her initial one, does not lack its own problems.
– Sanda Golopentia, Professor of French, Brown University
Cold historical facts and figures tend to leave us emotionally indifferent. The impact of a nation's tragic events on one single person or family is much better understood and more profoundly felt. This is what makes Claudia Moscovici's book, Velvet Totalitarianism, so very special. Her novel is prefaced by a well-researched history of Romania under communism. Depending on one's point of view, Moscovici's work could be considered as the fictionalized story of a real Jewish-Romanian family under communism, based on her own recollections and that of her family and supported by true historical facts; or a brief history supported by the fictionalized story of a real family. It's a book well worth reading. The novel is a page-turner, witty and well written.
–Nicolae Klepper, author of the best-selling book, Romania: An Illustrated History.
Bernard Salzman's Mihaella: Chekhovian Fiction Meets Kabbalah
When one thinks of Eastern European fiction that tackles the big ontological questions—what is divinity, what is the nature and purpose of existence—as well as difficult metaphysical questions—such as the problem of theodicy, or why suffering exists in a God-created world—one thinks of writers like Dostoievsky and Tolstoy. However, often these questions seem too big for human beings to handle. Even a philosophical character like Ivan Karamzov seemed to give up on finding any satisfactory answers to such questions and, along with that, he also gave up on individual human love. In a famous quote from The Brothers Karamazov, Ivan states: "But it always happened that the more I detest men individually the more ardent becomes my love for humanity." For Chekhov, on the other hand, the balance seems to be tipped in favor of depicting with compassion individual human beings. In the Russian literary tradition it is Chekhov, I believe, who brings large metaphysical questions down to Earth. His short stories and plays stage moral dilemmas in all-too-human characters, which he portrays with some irony and a lot of tender-hearted indulgence.
This is the tone of Bernard Salzman's newest screenplay, Mihaella, currently in development by his film company, Eye Opener Films. This screenplay centers around the character of Mihaella, a young girl who lost her mother and is being taken care of by her uncle, Noah, and his wife Elizabeth. They live in a small town, reminiscent of Russian and Romanian villages where people go through difficult lives and pray to be spared some of their suffering by a divine miracle. Yet when faced with a being as miraculous as Mihaella–a hybrid of girl and angel—how will they react?
The answer isn't simple, as nothing that crosses the boundaries of the explicable ever is. Neither religious dogma, epitomized at times by Father Gregory and some of his followers, nor empirical science can explain Mihaella's mixture of special powers and human vulnerability. She's not able to answer all of the villagers' prayers to heal their ailments, as angels are supposed to do. Yet she grows angels' wings, learns how to fly, and seems a mixed blessing for her new friend, Wright, a handicapped young man. Moreover, when pursued by a group of thugs, Mihaella manages to escape from harm thanks to her angelic demeanor and superhuman powers. But she can't save Wright from being beaten by them, nor his father, Dean, from having his house burned to the ground. The best this human-angel can do is help people save themselves.
Like human knowledge of divine mysteries itself, Mihaella's powers are only partial. And that seems to be why the villagers, including the local priest, regard her with ambivalence. They can accept the supposed certainties of religious dogma or the apparent truths of empirical reality much more readily than Mihaella's hybrid nature and limited–yet clearly extraordinary–powers. When I asked Bernard about the religious and philosophical overtones of his screenplay, he replied that "The script is actually based on a short story I wrote many years ago. There are many universal questions I struggle with and I have spent many years studying Kabbalah in an attempt to understand."
By depicting our human fear of the limits of our knowledge, this screenplay confronts one of the biggest metaphysical questions facing humanity: why does the suffering of innocents exist if the world ruled by an omnipotent and omniscient God? Why does Mihaella's young mother have to die? Why does the sweet and innocent boy, Wright, have to endure so much humiliation and pain at the hands of others? Mihaella offers no easy answers about the nature of divinity and God's ability to answer our prayers. In the Kabbalah, God is, like angels, a liminal being: neither matter nor spirit; the creator of both. God is unknowable to human beings, yet there is a revealed aspect of divinity that human beings can come to know and interact with. In the screeplay by the same name, Mihaella represents this aspect of divinity: one which the villagers must learn to embrace in order to learn the biggest lesson of this upcoming movie: "I think it's not how much you pray, it's how much you love," Mihaella tells Father Gregory. But will he and the villagers get the angel-child's message or chase her away, in their simultaneous longing for the unknowable and fear of the unknown? Watch and see for yourselves when Bernard Salzman's new movie–filled with wisdom and hope–is released.
Claudia Moscovici, literaturesalon
Celebrity Dialogue Interview with Cinematographer Bernard Salzman
Please find below a CELEBRITY DIALOGUE INTERVIEW with the award winning writer / director / producer / cinematographer and artist BERNARD SALZMAN, with whom I'm collaborating on a screenplay and movie of my first novel, VELVET TOTALITARIANISM.
BERNARD SALZMAN has collaborated on over one hundred and sixty projects, including documentaries, features, TV Movies and reality TV world wide, for such clients as: BBC, PARAMOUNT, UNIVERSAL, FOX, ABC, CBS, HBO, SHOWTIME and many others. His companies INNER CIRCLE FILMS and EYE OPENER FILMS, are full service production companies, able to provide production and post production services. Bernard had the honor of being nominated for the Emmy award for a TV movie he made for CBS.
CelebrityDialogue: Did you have formal education in cinematography and production or did you learn by doing?
Bernard: I attended film school where, since I had previously majored in Art, I concentrated in Cinematography.
CelebrityDialogue: How did you enter the entertainment industry?
Bernard: Because of my art training, after graduation I was offered to shoot and direct a series of documentaries about prominent artist – ended up doing 35 films in that series. One of them received a special critics award at a film festival in Stockholm.
CelebrityDialogue: When and how did you establish Eye Opener Films?
Bernard: Eye Opener Films was established in 2007, as a secondary production company dealing mainly with the development and production of feature films. My other company Inner Circle Films, produces mainly commercials, documentaries and reality TV.
CelebrityDialogue: Tell us about your documentaries that you produced and shot?
Bernard: I started my career as a filmmaker, doing documentaries. As I mentioned, I did the series abut artists and following that was hired to collaborate on documentaries dealing with various subjects – archeology, social and political subjects, religion and many others. It became increasingly difficult to fund and market documentaries in the 80's and 90's, therefore my work concentrated more on features, TV movies and commercials. But I always had a soft spot for documentaries and when the opportunity presented itself, I was able to do one of my favorite documentaries – Vegas Striped. It documents the rise and fall of a young man who, after overcoming a traumatic childhood, is able to become a very successful business man, only to loose it all to his gambling addiction.
CelebrityDialogue: Which major commercials have you done? Which corporate clients have you worked for?
Bernard: I have done numerous commercials in Europe and the US. Clients included: Nike, Sony, Pepsi, Kodak, Allstate, M&Ms, BMW, Porsche, Rocawear, and so many others.
CelebrityDialogue: What about your work in features? Which major production houses have you worked with?
Bernard: I had the opportunity to work for major studios and independents alike. Disney, HBO, Showtime, CBS, PBS, Fox, Paramount, MGM.
CelebrityDialogue: Which reality TV shows have you been involved with?
Bernard: I have developed several reality TV shows starting with a show called Man vs Vegas for CMT. Other shows were Raising the bar, The prodigy and recently, At the Pawn Shop.
CelebrityDialogue: Which project got you nominated for the Emmy award?
Bernard: It was a TV movie called My past is my own for CBS – it was about the civil rights movement.
CelebrityDialogue: Which other awards have you won?
Bernard: I received two Best Cinematography awards, a Gold Telly award and a Shine media award.
CelebrityDialogue: Tell us about Love, Blood and Tears.
Bernard: Love Blood and Tears is a project about the Lincoln brigades and their involvement in the Spanish Civil War. These volunteers from all walks of life went to Spain to fight against and prevent the rise of Fascism. Many famous artists have taken part in this, including George Orwell, Hemingway and many others.
CelebrityDialogue: Which other projects are you working on currently?
Bernard: I am trying to raise funds for a feature film that is very dear to me, based on a script and short story I wrote called Mihaella. I have also developed a web based show called Divorce Rehab – I am currently in production with it.
You can find out more information about Bernard Salzman–his movies, commercials, documentaries, shows and art–as well as about my novel, Velvet Totalitarianism, which we're currently collaborating on, on the links below:
http://bernardsalzman.com/ http://fineartebooks.wordpress.com/2011/01/18/the-art-of-bernard-salzman/ http://www.youtube.com/user/ClaudiaMoscovici?feature=mhum#p/u/9/2Db3FI_kv0Y http://www.litkicks.com/ClaudiaMoscovici


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- 2 tablespoons canola oil or peanut oil
- 1 medium or large onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- Salt to taste
- 2 teaspoons cumin seeds, lightly toasted and ground
- 2 teaspoons coriander seeds, lightly toasted and ground
- 2 teaspoons hot curry powder
- 1 (28-ounce) can chopped tomatoes with juice
- 1 pound red lentils (about 2 1/8 cups), washed and picked over
- 2 quarts water or chicken stock
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper (more to taste)
- Cayenne to taste (optional)
- Juice of 1/2 lime
- Heat the oil in a large, heavy soup pot over medium heat and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes, and add the garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, the cumin, coriander, and curry powder. Stir together for about a minute, until the garlic is fragrant, and stir in the tomatoes with their juice. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes, until the tomatoes have cooked down slightly. Add salt to taste.
- Stir in the lentils and water or chicken stock. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes. Add salt to taste and continue to simmer for 15 to 30 minutes, until the lentils have fallen apart and thickened the soup. Using the back of your spoon, mash the lentils against the side of the pot to thicken the soup further. Add the pepper, taste, and add cayenne if you want more spice. Taste and adjust salt. Stir in the lime juice.
- If you wish, puree with an immersion blender or in batches in a blender, holding a towel over the lid to prevent hot soup from splashing out, and return to the pot. Heat through and serve, topping each bowl with a dollop of yogurt and a generous sprinkling of chopped cilantro.


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Huawei Mate 9 Pro: Profound professional
Overview, Design & Features
There's no denying that the Huawei Mate 9 is a great flagship smartphone. Its Kirin 960 processor does an admirable job of keeping everything running smoothly, its Leica dual-camera system is worthy enough to bear the name of the legendary German camera manufacturer, and to top it all off, its battery life is decent enough to last an entire work day.
It does have its quirks, however. Its 5.9-inch display might be a little too big and unwieldy for some, and its Full HD (1,920 x 1,080) resolution is overshadowed by the QHD (2,560 x 1,440) panels of most premium smartphones these days.
Perhaps this explains why Huawei decided to come up with a higher-specced variant of the Mate 9, simply called the Mate 9 Pro.
Apart from being endowed with a 5.5-inch QHD AMOLED dual-curved display, the Mate 9 Pro also has 6GB of RAM (instead of the 4GB on the standard Mate 9), 128GB of internal storage (as opposed to the 64GB on the Mate 9), and a fingerprint sensor embedded within its home button. The rest of the Mate 9 Pro's hardware – including its Kirin 960 processor, Leica dual camera system, and 4,000mAh battery – is identical to the Mate 9.
So, is the Mate 9 Pro what the Mate 9 should've been in the first place? We've spent some time with it to find out.
Design and Features
At first glance, the Mate 9 Pro does look rather similar to the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge because of its curved display. Of course, the more observant amongst you would notice that the curves of the Mate 9 Pro's display are more subtle and restrained compared to those of the Galaxy S7 edge. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, as it means you won't have to consciously remind yourself to hold the device in your hands at a specific position to prevent it from reading your palm as input.
Because of the extra pixels working in its favor, the display of the Mate 9 Pro is noticeably sharper than that of the Mate 9. Colors appear to be brighter and more vibrant as well, a trait we would attribute to its AMOLED display technology. If you're a big fan of displays with gorgeous eye-popping colors, don't be too surprised to find yourself regularly staring into the screen of the Mate 9 Pro just to admire its beauty.
Once you've managed to pry your eyes away from the display of the Mate 9 Pro, the next thing you'll probably notice is the 8MP f/1.9 front-facing autofocus camera situated right next to its earpiece. It comes with a number of different shooting modes, including beauty, panorama, and time-lapse.
The dual Nano-SIM card slot of the Mate 9 Pro is located on its left side. Unlike the Mate 9, it can't be used to accommodate a microSD card. Not a deal breaker, really, considering that the Mate 9 Pro already has 128GB of internal storage for you to work with.
Flip the Mate 9 Pro over and you'll reveal its pièce de résistance – its Leica dual cameras. The imaging combo comprises a 20MP monochrome sensor and a 12MP RGB sensor that works in a rather unique manner.
The former works independently when capturing black and white photos, but when color photos are brought into the equation, the latter would work collaboratively with the 20MP monochrome sensor to essentially capture photos that offer the best of both worlds – vivid colors and plenty of detail.


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Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, holidays & tours
A steep ascent, an endurance-testing adventure and a beautiful locationClimbing Mount Kilimanjaro, holidays & tours available in Tanzania
Custom designed Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania
- Describe your dream trip
- We'll source the best value for you
- Book when you're ready
A steep ascent, an endurance-testing adventure and a beautiful location
If you're looking for an exhilarating challenge, Mount Kilimanjaro is waiting for you. With your trust placed firmly in your guide's hands, you'll have to push through the highs and lows of an intense journey during which temperatures can drop to -20°C. Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro offers Africa's ultimate challenge to test your gear, your guide and your mental and physical fitness. Your mission? To reach the summit at Uhuru Peak. Are you prepared to take on the continent's tallest mountain?
Popular Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania
These popular itineraries can be customised to match your budget and travel dates
Two Peak Challenge: Mount Meru and Kilimanjaro (13 days)
Summit two of Tanzania's iconic mountain ranges in under two weeks
per person
13 days
Machame Route Up Kilimanjaro (7 days)
For the average climber, Machame is probably the most reliable route to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro and the roof of Africa
per person
9 days
More on Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania
Climbing Africa's highest mountain is an epic adventure for those who are prepared to take on a physical and mental challenge. It's a undertaking luring thousands of people every year. But before you sign up for one of Africa's ultimate adventures, we'd like to prepare you for what to expect on the trek to Uhuru Peak.
Firstly, there are four vital points to be addressed:
- Choosing a reputable tour operator
- Preparing your body and mind
- The right gear
- On the climb
Choosing a reputable tour operator
In choosing a tour operator, you have to put your trust in their choice of guides and the support they have at their disposal while leading your journey. Most companies use either sub-contracted or permanently employed guides.
Sub-contracted guides
Most operators employ guides, porters and mountain staff on a subcontract basis, so you'll only know who your guide is a few days before you arrive. The reason for this is that the hiring depends on which guides are available at the time.
Permanent guides
A few companies employ permanent staff and look after them through both the low and peak seasons, but these tour operators are few and far between.
What happens if there's an emergency?
Altitude affects climbers in different ways. Statistically, three out of 10 people will not reach the summit due to some form of altitude-related problem. When booking, it is vital to make sure that the company you choose has the necessary medical, logistical and evacuation support needed should trouble strike. There are only a few tour operators that equip each climbing party with oxygen, oximeters, first-aid kits, a neck brace, stethoscope, mobile phone, satellite phone, portable stretcher and other equipment on every climb – you want to make sure you're embarking on your adventure with one of them.
Discover Africa can advise you about reliable tour operators.
Preparing your body and mind
Getting ready to climb Kilimanjaro is as important as choosing the right tour operator. As exhilarating as the experience is, the journey is a tough one. This ascent is not for couch potatoes.
Altitude training for a Kilimanjaro climb
There's not much you can do to prepare for how you'll respond to lack of oxygen at high altitude, unless, that is, you're able to spend some time in high places, in a dive chamber, increasing your circulation or doing breath-hold training. Breath-hold training is useful for those who don't have access to a dive chamber or an area of high altitude. The easiest way to condition your body to deal with the lack of oxygen is literally to take oxygen away, making underwater breath-hold exercises extremely effective for altitude training. Free-diving or regulated free-diving in a swimming pool will drastically increase your body's oxygen distribution efficiency and help condition your brain not to react so dramatically when you reach the low-oxygen zone.
WARNING! Never practise breath-hold exercises on your own. Always work in pairs, or at least have someone watching you.
Mental fitness
It's the day you've been waiting for, summit day, and quite possibly the hardest one you'll have to face on your trek. Summit day is a 16- to 20-hour experience you'll have to tackle after what has probably been a sleepless night and an empty stomach (because of your loss of appetite). You'll set off at midnight, ascend more than 1,000 vertical metres and descend approximately a further 2,000 metres before returning to your overnight camp late in the afternoon. Preparing yourself mentally for this day is crucial if you are to cope with the amount of time needed to get to the top and the slowness of the pace.
The only way to prepare yourself mentally is to simulate the time it takes to summit. If you are up for the challenge, we'll ensure that you are prepared to climb Kilimanjaro long before you even get to Tanzania.
The right gear
Even if you've chosen your tour operator and have successfully trained to climb Kilimanjaro, you'll experience an extremely uncomfortable journey if you're lacking the right gear. It is essential to be prepared for the worst weather conditions. In the main the climb up Kilimanjaro is cold, with temperatures on rare occasions dropping to -20°C (-4°F).
So, when getting dressed each day, you'll need a minimum of three layers covering your entire body, although your feet, hands and face are obviously the most exposed. Your first layer needs to be tight, your second should provide thermal insulation and your outer layer should be a wind- and waterproof shell. If you're lucky enough to encounter warmer weather, then you can simply shed a layer.
Talk to us about the gear you require. You don't want to pack too much as someone else has to carry your bags.
On the climb
If you've carried out our suggestions successfully your chances reaching that distant Uhuru Peak have increased dramatically. Our final advice is to respect the altitude by following these tips:
- Maintain a slow, steady ascent
- For acclimatisation purposes, walk high and sleep low
- Drink as much water as possible throughout the climb
- Eat even though you have no appetite
- Manage your oxygen intake vs. consumption
Now that you have an idea of what you can expect from the journey, can we help you make your wish to climb Kilimanjaro a reality?
Frequently Asked Questions about Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania
A Grumeti safari is rewarding throughout the year. However, the best time to visit Grumeti Game Reserve is during the migration months of June and July - when massive herds of wildebeest arrive to cross the crocodile-infested Grumeti River… go there.
The best time to visit Arusha National Park is from June to October, during the dry season. It is easier to spot the wildlife - since they normally gather around the waterholes, rainfall is minimal, vegetation is not too thick and mosquitos… go there.
June to October is the best time to visit Mkomazi National Park. During the dry season - when the wildlife viewing is at its prime. go there.
July to October, during the dry months - is the best time to track the chimpanzees in Mahale Mountains National Park. Chimpanzees can be found easily on the low mountains slopes. go there.
June to October is the best time to visit Mikumi National Park. During the dry season, the wildlife concentrate around waterholes and rivers - making it easier to spot them. go there.
There is no need to go overboard with fitness preparation for climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. However, climbing Mount Kilimanjaro is a physical undertaking, so you should prepare yourself accordingly with a Kilimanjaro training program. Being in… go there.
Tanzania is a good birding destination - estimated with 800 species are resident and nearly 200 are regular migrant. However, Migrants are present from November to April. go there.
June to September, during the dry season. The wildlife is easier to spot - since they congregate around the water sources. However, migratory birds can be found. go there.
January and February and from June to August after the rains. The wildlife stay within the park since there is still plenty of water - making it easier to spot the animals as well as the migratory birds are present. go there.
Reviews on our Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania
Discover Africa and Carel has put in such an effort for us to experience the annual wildebeest migration, meticulous planning and accurate predictions with logical and the best accommodation options both sides of the Mara River guaranteed us…
Jates and Hil Oettle
from South Africa
After initially contacting Discover Africa, Karl Svendsen contacted me and we started the process of getting a quote and defining an itinerary for a safari to Tanzania. Karl was extremely professional and timely in his responses and in short…
Fantastic safari and excellent logistics!
from United States
I just wanted to thank Discover Africa and Karl Svendsen - the safari was great - we saw many more animals than expected including cheetah, leopard, many lions and even a three-day old elephant calf. Additionally, we had our own hippo…
Margaret Dean
We had the most wonderful time in Tanzania. We left yesterday and miss it already. We saw the big 5 and felt super lucky to see the lions and leopard with their kill. Our guide was also wonderful. Thank YOU for planning our trip of a…
Debbie Wei
We had a wonderful experience with the Discover Africa team on our trip to Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar. Due to unforeseen circumstances, we needed to head down early and their team were most helpful in arranging exciting new options for us…
Mark Tomlinson
History was made in supporting Chaeli Mycroft to become the 1st quadriplegic female to summit Kilimanjaro. What amazing partners Discover Africa are! Great communications from the home team ensured that getting to Tanzania happened without a…
Zelda Mycroft


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There are many famous gates. Some are reality-based, and some merely virtual. There is the Arc de Triomph, but there is also the gate to Dorothy's Aunt and Uncle's farmhouse, over which an argument about the fate of a small dog sets everything in motion eventually arriving at a pair of ruby slippers, and all that proceeded from their existence. There are the Gates of the Old City, Jerusalem, yet there are the The Great Gates – The Great Gates was the original entrance to Khazad-dûm. It was located in Dimrill Dale. Any Tolkien-savvy human could tell you that! In literature, film, music, art – gates are a rich source of metaphor and drama, they open outward allowing the hero or heroine to begin their journey, and then open inward with their return from their quests. Gates, then, are doorways from where and how we live to where we may discover our own journey. Gates enjoin us to strive, and welcome us to our rest at the completion of our work.
In mythology, and thus in story generally, there must be a seeker, a hero or heroine, and there must be a return, else the quest is without meaning. Our lives today seem far less about individual quests, and more about competing for scarce resources on increasingly un-level playing fields. The gate plays a role as mediator of movement and containment simultaneously. Our lives require both, otherwise, we cannot be whole. We contain our movements, and we also move beyond those fixed states. Growth requires action, and contemplation. Too much of one overbalances the equation, whereas not enough of one makes the equation weak and ineffectual. This computer I am using to write this, inside the place we call the Internet, is completely dependent on the concept and reality of gates. Each logic gate is in a state of 1's or 0's at any instant, and each such choice made by each such gate creates language and action, and by extension, enters our reality through our own interactions with it. The gates swing both ways, so to speak.
When I go out my front gate in the morning, on my way to my outside-world work, I close the gate behind me trusting it will remain steadfast in my absence, be ready to open for me again when I return, and to have protected the lives of the people I share my home with against any and all harm. When I am within it's embrace, I must trust it will extend similar protection to me, yet not be seen as a threat or denial to my neighbors, my community, my friends.
There are gates not understood to be gates, yet gates they are, nonetheless. A memorial stone is a gate, a grave marker is a gate. A diploma is a gate, as is a doctorate. A life challenge is a gate, one which may not open again should the challenge prove too much, or which may lead to many other gates as a consequence of mastering the challenge. A relationship is a kind of gate, as any relationship worth pursuing is, of course, a life challenge of the highest order. This type of gate also opens in the other direction, but may not take you back to the original point of departure.
The gate begins and ends each journey, serves as the start and end of the trip. Open it now, and step through it's portal….


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It felt so good to be at my sewing machine again, even if it was for only few minutes! 🙂 Life has been pretty busy since Thanksgiving and my sewing machine hasn't had the cover taken off of her in quite awhile! After Christmas, I decided it was time to update my craft room a bit and re- organize. Organization can be fun and so pretty! I decided it was time to throw away the old pincushion and make a new one! I loved adding the different layers of colors! They are the same colors that are throughout my craft room. I'm hoping to make a new sewing machine cover in the days…okay..maybe weeks to come! Do you need a cute little pincushion? They make cute gifts for any sewer as well…just throw in some sewing thread and your gift is complete! I for one love a handmade gift!
Cut out two rectangular shapes. You can decide how big or small your want your pincushion. My pincushion is about medium size. I measured my rectangles to be about 8 in. x 5 in. Cut out a piece of batting the same size as your two rectangular pieces. Cut out the shape of a heart on your front fabric piece.
Cut out different colored strips of fabric. I measured my strips to be 8 in. x 2 in. Fold your strips in half and press with a hot iron.
With your batting underneath, lay your strips of fabric one on top of the other until you get your desired look.
Carefully place your top fabric piece ( with the heart cut out) on top of your strips of fabric. Pin in place if necessary and sew around the heart. I sewed around the heart twice for extra stability.
Lay your bottom piece of fabric right side together with your top piece of fabric. Sew around all 4 edges making sure you leave at least a 3 inch gap for turning. Turn your pincushion right side out, stuff with pillow stuffing and hand stitch the opening closed! Perfect!
Happy Crafting!!


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Entry Requirements for Monthly Member Shows (Regular, not Virtual Only)
- Artists may submit up to two images per size category.
- Artists must submit original artwork only, created by them within two years of entry.
- Artwork may not be a copy or likeness of another's work or a recognizable use of another's intellectual property.
- Artwork may not be a copy of photo reference material other than the entrants.
- Artwork done under direct supervision during a class or workshop is not eligible for submission.
- A painting may be exhibited only once in any regular Member Show.
- A painting that has appeared in a regular Member Show may be subsequently entered in a Cash Awards Member Show.
- An artist may have only ONE artwork accepted in each size category in a Cash Awards Member Show.
- A painting that has appeared in a Cash Awards Member Show may not be subsequently entered in another Cash Awards Member Show or in a regular Member Show.
- Artwork previously juried into an SDWS International Exhibition and/or a Western Federation Exhibition may be entered in any Member Show (regular or cash award).
- Printed photographic images are not permitted.
- Adhere to the San Diego Watercolor Society Ethical Art Policy found on the Members Only Forms & Documents page.
- All artwork displayed in the Gallery must be for sale. SDWS receives a 20% commission on all sales.
- Minimum price for paintings selected is $150.
Size categories
- Regular: Framing may not have an outside measure of more than 60 inches on any one side, or be less than 8 inches on any one side.
- Mini: Framing must not exceed a combined height and width of 25.5 inches, nor be less than 8 inches on any one side.
- Artwork must be no less than 80% watermedia, presented in a primarily aqueous manner. Water miscible oils are not allowed.
- Acceptable Mediums: Watercolor, acrylic, gouache, casein, egg tempera, ink, water-soluble pencil or crayon, and collage material (painted by the artist with watermedia). Non water-based media may be integrated, but cover no more than 20% of the artwork.
- Artwork must be presented on watercolor paper, paper-based board, or Yupo or other synthetic paper.
- Frames must be metal or wood, clean, neat, and sturdy.
- Frames must be simple and unembellished.
- Plastic frames and/or wood grained plastic wrapped frames are not permitted.
- MDF (Medium density fiberboard) is discouraged.
- Acceptable metal frames have corner joining kits (e.g. Nielson) with three-inch arch tension spring clips to secure in place. (Metal clip frames may not be used)
- Frame grade, rigid, clear Plexiglas (non-glare Plexiglass is not allowed) is required on all entries and must be clean and free of scratches and dirt.
- No glass is permitted for safety reasons.
- Diptychs and triptychs must be presented within a single frame.
- Framing Tips: Quality local framing resources include Artist & Craftsman, CMI Moulding, and Valley Moulding. Cut-to-Size Plexiglass may be purchased at CMI Moulding, Lowe's, Rideout, and Valley Moulding. The San Diego Watercolor Society sells watercolor paper and foam core at the gallery.
- Top mats are limited to white, off-white, light gray, or black.
- Mats must be clean, well cut, and plain (without embellishments).
- Painted mats and adhesive lining tapes are not allowed.
- Colored under-mats are optional.
- If no matting is used, or artwork is floated, spacers to hold Plexi away from the artwork surface to prevent moisture damage must be hidden.
- Frame backing must be acid-free foam core or clean, acid free-free mat board.
- Black or pressed-wood easel-backs, cardboard, poster board, or lesser quality materials are not allowed.
- Braided picture wire only, secured 1/5 down from top of frame, looped through D- rings, or snap-in hangers for metal frames, pulled taut and twisted with cut ends taped must be used. Other hanging methods are not eligible for submission.
Experimental Show
- Once a year, SDWS holds an Experimental Show which is usually in September.
- This show has a shorter hang time, about 3 weeks, so we can prepare for our annual International Show in October.
- For the Experimental Show only, acceptable surfaces may also include canvas, 3-D objects and anything that can be painted.
- Conventional frames are accepted but not required, however painting surfaces must be sealed for protection.
- Artworks must be able to be hung on a wall or panel with hanging hardware that is compatible with our display wire system.
- Computer generated art, alcohol inks, collage and other non-water based media used may cover no more that 20% of the artwork.
- Printed photographic images are not permitted
Any submission violating SDWS requirements will be eliminated. These SDWS rules allow the presentation of high quality, professional gallery shows. They reflect our concern with safety of the artwork and of people handling the work. These rules are consistent with those of watercolor organizations across the country, including AWS and NWS.
Artists are responsible for providing coverage on submitted artwork. SDWS assumes NO liability (including after sale of the work).
Updated: 03/07/2019
Please contact the Member Shows Director with any questions regarding framing or member shows.


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Gina, Insta'mum and Cheerz'addict tells us her advices in order to create personnalised invitations.
There's a few time, we discovered Gina on Instagram, an Insta'mom addict of our product and hyper creative! We decided to contact her for you and she has delivered here all of her DIY advices to create great invitations thanks to a Cheerzbox.
Take all of your pictures, workshop will start !📎✂🎁
Hi Gina, that's your name isn't it ? Could you tell us more about you (where you from, what you do, how old are you) ?
I'm Gina, 31 years old and from Bavaria, Germany. For the last 4 years I've been working as a product designer for an international sports and lifestyle brand.
But since 13th of February 2016 my job has changed: I'm now mummy of Leo, my little absolutely adorable sunshine. ☀
We discovered on instagram your DIY with our product, how have you heard about us and when did you discovered our brand ?
I've heard about cheerz from several Instagram profiles since I was looking for an inspirational idea for my birth cards. #polaroid
Your creation was so cute, how did you get this idea ?
I love Polaroids! And DIY projects! I think most of my ideas grow in my head. I've studied graphic design and my job as footwear designer forced me searching for trends and new upcoming ideas. So I'm still checking different websites/apps such as Pinterest it Instagram for inspiration and upcoming trends.
Could you explain to our reader how you did it and what you need in order to customize your invitations ?
My birth cards are made from cardboard and inside I printed out our text on transparent paper. To fix it a bit I used black and white bakers twine. 🎀
If you had to create something new with our product, to adapt one of them in one of your creation, what will it be ?
I want to create a handcrafted baby memory book. This is why I already ordered another Cheerzbox 😍
We know that you're well known on Instagram, how did you decided to become a Insts'mom ?
It's so much fun to get to know other mommies and exchange the daily life with them. I already met some of them in real. Keeping in touch with them is neccessary to be an Insta mom.
As well, do you define yourself as an Insta'mom ?
I guess I define myself as an Insta mommy, too. My Insta profile is a mixture of lovely pictures from Leo growing more and more, my creativity and our daily life with lots of advises, tipps and tricks. For me, my Instagram profile is turning into a diary, kinda. But I am not counting my followers. Of course it makes me really happy every time we get positive feedback!
Then, we will try to know you through a "rabbit fire interview"
Cheerzbox or magnets ?
Web or App ?
Reflex or smartphone ?
With or without filter ?
Reading or writing ?
Talking or listening ?
Cheerzcake or cheerzburger ?
#instamom or #mommyblogger ?
And last but not least, could you continue this sentence : What I prefer about Cheerz…
.. It's inspirational, fresh & sooooo cool!