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A pacing wolf in mourning,
the big bad wolf has lost her little girl.
No smells of dinner cooking
no light waiting in the window
no brushing of my tangled fur
no couch TV…
The walls mock me,
"Mad thing! You believed!!
that boots were ballet slippers
and woods could be a family
Who gave you X-Ray vision?
Get some glasses please."
I slink from all those carolers
whose voices fill the air,
the trails lose her scent now,
with this mind, a drunken guide.
It just takes one to hear a falling tree
and I hear roaring dominoes
as forests tumble down around me.
In my castle floating on the hill
There is no room without her,
no room that doesn't show me
her passage through my life.
It was never my intention to eat her
and destroy her
but I'm a wolf and so one day…..
that's just how the story goes.
Karima Hoisan
December 15, 2013
Costa Rica
*footnote: The illustration is from http://www.deviantart.com entitiled "Wolfenchanter"

subset: commoncrawl


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Our markets
school estates
Multi-building school estates that have grown organically, sometimes over hundreds of years, present their own individual energy management challenges. We understand these very well.
We also understand the normal day-to-day workload imposed on school senior managers and their staff, so we strive to get our work done without imposing an undue additional burden.
And we understand the need for school governing bodies to be careful with risk and finances, so we pay a lot of attention to risk reduction for our client schools. It can only help that we have two current chairmen of school governing bodies in our team.
Our experience in the Education Sector is extensive and has covered the entire range of our low-carbon project services, as well as reducing energy costs in schools through an innovative online energy procurement system. In short, we have lots of ways to improve energy efficiency in schools.
It's also worth noting that to date, for every school that has asked us to look, we have found energy tax reductions and been able to return previous expenditure to the school, as well as secure future operating cost reductions.
It's our view that schools should be leading the charge on the switch to low-carbon, for a host of reasons, and we're keen to help save energy in schools – in a responsible and prudent manner.
See Our Approach for an explanation of all our services.
The case studies on this website give specific examples of work done. Readers should also see the page on low-carbon strategy, which offers a framework for action.
rural estates
Those who manage or own rural estates are faced with a plethora of often conflicting opinions on investment in energy infrastructure. Government direction has been at best circuitous in recent years, leaving the market confused, cautious and even suspicious.
Our role is to provide unambiguous and impartial advice on the merits of any future investments in low carbon or renewable energy. With legislation increasingly shifting from carrot to stick for those operating off the gas grid, the need for a proactive strategy to reduce consumption, improve energy efficiency in rural estates and switch to low-carbon technologies is increasing. We help our clients build and implement these strategies. In particular we can:
- Model the financial and technical merits of a switch to low-carbon technologies to support existing power and heat supply.
- Consider how best to use available land to take advantage of the rising demand from the National Grid for support in managing peak-demand periods.
- Assess the best funding options for any investment, including community energy projects.
See Our Approach for an explanation of all our services.
The case studies on this website give specific examples of work done. Readers should also see the page on low-carbon strategy, which offers a framework for action.
Kinetrol Solar PV– one of our commercial estate projects.
commercial estates
Our perception is that to date most business owners we have met have not been especially focused on 'renewables', simply because paybacks looked unattractive and the Government kept flip-flopping regarding support for low-carbon technologies – or so it seemed. The recent period of low oil prices also kept utility costs at bay. So, the general and understandable view was 'why bother'? Our engagement with this market has therefore been infrequent to date.
Things are changing. Energy prices are on the rise and Government policy is better signposted. A legislative shift is in train, from encouragement through generous subsidies towards a more mandatory compliance-based approach. Arguably, the need is greater than ever for well-informed investment decisions.
We work across all aspects of energy efficiency and cost reduction, including procurement, energy auditing and compliance (e.g. commercial EPCs, ESOS, TM44), and programme management of new heat and power projects – using conventional or low-carbon technologies.
The key remains realising a meaningful return on investment, whether it be via an immediate reduction in operating costs or through a relatively quick payback leading to quite substantial longer-term improvements in the balance sheet. We have a range of financing options to enable this.
See Our Approach for an explanation of all our services.
The case studies on this website give specific examples of work done. Readers should also see the page on low-carbon strategy, which offers a framework for action.


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Good Morning Friends! As you are reading this I am spending a rainy Tuesday in Newport with my mother and sister. My sister is going to College next year (omg!) and is highly considering Salve Regina in Newport as her home for the next four years. Can we just talk about how exciting it would be to have my little sister living up here in the Ocean State? I know she is going to love it as much as I do. Newport is one of my favorite places in the world, and if you are not from the East Coast or are not familiar with the little Ocean Town then you are missing out. But I will share some pictures and places with you another time. Today I am talking about another subject – hair.
My hair journey has been an interesting one. When I was little my hair was pin straight. When I transitioned into those awkward teenage years my hair was curly. However, that did not fit into my punk rock vibe and I straightened the life out of it. Literally. Not to mention I bleached it and dyed it pink and blue. Through high school I decided to try the dark on top bleach blonde underneath trend. Then when I was about to move up to Rhode island for college I got rid of the blonde and went back to my brunette roots. By my Junior year of College my hair was long, thick, and beautiful. So naturally I decided I should bleach it again and go for the oh so popular ombre look. (For the record, I have never dyed the top of my head before. It is all natural up there and I plan on keeping it that way until the eventual grey hairs of old age creep up on me). I kept that going until a year or so after I had graduated from college. I had been promoted to my first Event Manager job and I wanted to look a little more professional. So back to brunette it was. During this hair appointment the very persistent hair stylist told me that my hair was dead and she needed to cut it off. I told her I did not want to cut that much length off of my mid-section length hair. Needless to say she did not listen to my request and cut it just below shoulder length. I was furious.
This is where my frustrations began. Currently my hair has not grown back to it's former glory, and has been stuck in this weird mid length for over two years. Also, the back of my hair is way shorter than the front of my hair. I admit this is my fault – using so much heat on my hair has caused it to break and has been stunting it's growth for quite some time. Add in my lack of water consumption and there you have it. Dry/Dull hair. And frankly I am sick of it. So I came up with a plan.
As of today, I have gone three weeks with little to no heat on my hair whatsoever. I have not taken out the hair dryer or curling wand once. The only time I have used my hair straightener is to fix the flyaways that frame my face – and ONLY after spraying on a heat protection spray. Once a week I use a hydrating hair mask (usually on Sunday's) and let it sit for a couple of minutes. When I get out of the shower I spray my hair with a strengthening and detangling spray and brush it with a wide tooth comb or wet brush. Then I separate the hair into two pieces. I take each side, lightly twist it, and pin it to the top of my head. I then wrap my head in a headband to keep it in place while I sleep. The next morning I take it down, brush it out, spray it with a heat protector, fix any flyaways in the front of my hair, and smooth with a styling cream. And that's it. I can already feel a HUGE difference. My hair feels softer, looks shinier, doesn't smell like burnt hair, and lastly *fingers crossed* is growing. Especially the back, which is what I really need. I plan on getting a trim very soon to get rid of the dead ends, and continue this process for the rest of the winter.
My hope is by May my hair will continue to get healthier, stronger, and longer. At that point I might toy around with the idea of lightening the ends a bit – not bleach blond, and not ombre.. just some lighter brown layers to add some dimension and life to my hair. But that is down the road. I still have a long way to go on this journey.
Do any of you have some hair tips to promote growth in your hair? Would you guys like an update in a couple months on my progress? Let me know, I would love to hear from you!


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It's now 1536. Anne Boleyn has lost the child she was carrying and her marriage to the king is falling apart. The members of the court see this, and it's only a matter of time before, and it's common knowledge that the king is very interested in Jane Seymour. Following Henry VIII's instructions, Cromwell begins to plot Anne Boleyn's downfall.
Cromwell dreams that Anne Boleyn is tied to the table and presented to him at an elaborate feast, in her coronation gown. He picks up a dagger and stabs Anne through the heart. Cromwell knows that he must engineer Anne Boleyn's death.
Cromwell goes to visit Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, who are having lunch together. Anne is playing with Elizabeth and tries to capture Henry VIII's attention, but Henry VIII is indifferent to her. After Henry VIII leaves and Elizabeth is taken away, Anne Boleyn questions Cromwell about his actions after Henry VIII was injured in the joust. Cromwell insists he was acting in the best interest of the government, but Anne sees it otherwise. She accuses Cromwell of forgetting that she was instrumental in his rise, and she tells him that he ought to remember that.
Anne Boleyn's enemies who remain faithful to the Catholic church are beginning to approach Cromwell for an alliance. They seek Cromwell's help in removing "the concubine," as they call Anne Boleyn, and in ensuring that Henry VIII marries Jane Seymour, who will then gently convince Henry to return to the Catholic church. They are reluctant to approach Cromwell because he is a Protestant, but he tells them that he is pragmatic about the whole matter of religion.
Lucy Worsley: It doesn't matter if The Tudors and Wolf Hall are historically inaccurate and a bit silly http://t.co/B761rJqSbP
— Natalie Grueninger (@OntheTudorTrail) May 8, 2015
Anne Boleyn flirts with Mark Smeaton, her court minstrel, and a few other gentlemen in front of her ladies. Lady Rochford, whom we know has no love for Anne Boleyn, is disgusted with the whole interplay of courtly love between Anne Boleyn and the men who come to visit her. Anne mocks Lady Rochford as being too old for such flirtation. Lady Rochford's claws come out; she brings up the incident in which Anne's dog fell to his death from the window, and she tells Anne that she deserves the same fate. This angers Anne, who springs up from her chair and strikes Lady Rochford across the face. There is an exchange between Norris and Anne Boleyn in which she implies that he loves her and that he would marry her if Henry VIII died, but Lady Rochford sees the opportunity for Anne's undoing.
Lady Rochford tells Cromwell about the incident and Henry VIII's anger with Anne because of it. Lady Rochford implies that George Boleyn and Anne are engaging in an incestuous relationship so that Anne might become pregnant again. She lets Cromwell know that Anne and Henry VIII engaged in some sexual relations before their marriage, and that these were tricks Anne supposedly learned in the French court. She tells Cromwell that Anne is engaging in other adulterous affairs with Mark Smeaton, Henry Norris, Francis Weston, and William Brereton. Cromwell decides to question Smeaton about Lady Rochford's allegations.
Cromwell invites Mark Smeaton to dinner at his home. He questions Smeaton about Anne's unhappiness, and Smeaton tells Cromwell that Anne Boleyn is in love with him and that Weston and Norris are jealous of her attraction to him. When Mark refuses to speak further, Cromwell reluctantly has him tortured. Smeaton confesses to sexual relations with Anne Boleyn. Cromwell informs the king of this discovery.
Mark Smeaton, Henry Norris, George Boleyn, Francis Weston, and William Brereton are arrested. The gossip quickly makes its way around court. Soon a warrant is issued for Anne Boleyn's arrest, and Cromwell and Norfolk are both present when Anne is arrested. Anne is taken to the Tower of London to stay in the Queen's Rooms, where she had stayed the night before her coronation.
Cromwell goes to visit Henry VIII that evening, and Henry VIII seems surprised at Anne's adultery. Henry VIII looks back on the things he has done to raise Anne Boleyn high, and he blames her for the things that he had to do and the people who died as a result, like Wolsey. Henry VIII is unwilling to take responsibility for his part in the whole affair.
Good Night, People of the Page. "Wolf Hall" was splendid tonight, a masterpiece of close ups, and silent… http://t.co/4WO41IsT92
— Anne Rice (@AnneRiceAuthor) May 11, 2015
Cromwell confronts all of the young men who have been arrested and accused of adultery with Anne Boleyn. All of them deny their guilt. Cromwell acts ruthlessly, playing all of the men against each other, preying on their respective weaknesses, and getting them to speak so that their words might be used against them in trial. They all confess to adultery with the queen. Cromwell goes to visit Anne, and she has been hysterical. She is unsure what to make of the entire situation, but she knows deep down that Henry VIII has had Cromwell engineer this whole charade so that Henry might be rid of her. Anne asks Cromwell if he thinks she is guilty of the charges, but Cromwell remains silent. Anne tells Cromwell that she has a little neck, so her execution will not take long at all.
The four young men accused of adultery with Anne are executed. Anne and George Boleyn are tried for adultery, incest, and treason. The charges are based on flimsy evidence. Cromwell has twisted Anne and George's words and actions so that they might fit the narrative of the accusations. Anne and George are found guilty and are to be executed.
Cromwell and his son attend Anne's execution. She still seems to hold a tiny bit of hope that she might be spared. Cromwell speaks with the Frenchman from Calais who is to execute Anne, and the Frenchman will hide his sword so that Anne will not be frightened before her death. Anne gives her famous speech before kneeling in front of the executioner, who decapitates her with a clean sweep of his sword. Anne has been granted the mercy of a quick death. Anne's body and head are placed in a wooden arrow box so that she might be buried. Cromwell silently watches the entire scene play out. Later, he returns to Henry VIII, who welcomes him with a large grin and open arms. We see Cromwell's face at the end. It seems he has some remorse for what he has done, and that he knows that he's now in over his head.
This was a very well-done series and I thought it was wonderful. All of the characters are very compelling, but I was especially intrigued by the transformation of Cromwell's character. He was capable of being ruthless, and, at first, he didn't mind it, but the political machinations and intrigues forced Cromwell's hand. He was ruthless when he might not want to be. True, at the end, it seems he was resolving some personal vendettas, especially with Anne. But when all is said and done, he sees the results of his actions and feels some remorse for it, though there is no going back now. It almost makes you wonder who the true villain is in this story: the events in which Cromwell became embroiled, or Cromwell himself.
I hope you enjoyed the recaps of Wolf Hall, series one. The second series will be back next year, and that will cover the events in the second novel, Bring Up the Bodies. Hope to see you then!


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The Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) and consumerization of IT phenomena have benefited enterprise end users in many ways. But these trends have also created "IT anarchy."
IT anarchy is a state in which an enterprise ends up with thousands of consumer devices and applications to manage. Collectively, this can create unnecessary expense, management complexities, security risks, and regulatory compliance challenges-the very things the IT department is tasked with preventing.
The BYOD and consumerization of IT trends show no signs of abating-this year, mobile device use in enterprises is expected to grow 20 percent according to IDC. Something's got to give in this chaotic post-PC era, however. And that's why enterprises are looking for integrated solutions.
Enter: the suite. An enterprise suite is an integrated, comprehensive bundle of tools-a kind of Microsoft Office for end-user provisioning and management. It streamlines the individual management of an enterprise's many disparate, stand-alone pieces-the tablets, smartphones, computers, operating systems, applications and feature-specific services, such as file sharing. At the same time, a suite gives mobile enterprise users secure, consistent, 24/7 access to their desktops, applications, and data from any device.
There are dozens of vendors selling mobile device management, file sharing, desktop management, remote desktop access, desktop virtualization, and other systems. But more recently, suites designed to consolidate these and other functions have emerged from start-ups and established vendors alike. CIOs are taking notice-and it's easy to see why.
The proverbial "iceberg tip"
Let's say a team within an enterprise suddenly needs to share large files with contractors outside the firewall, but the enterprise solution doesn't have a feature that meets the team's specific needs. So the team signs up for a consumer file-sharing service.
Over time other teams do the same thing and an enterprise ends up with multiple file-sharing services across multiple departments. All these particular (and sometimes redundant) services add up in costs, complexity, and security risks, not to mention potential regulatory compliance nightmares. For example, that $10 per month, per user cost of a consumer file-sharing service is the proverbial iceberg tip, representing only 20 percent of the service's total expense to an enterprise. Much greater are the implementation, training, operating, and maintenance costs.
In contrast, a suite can cover all desktop uses, whether it's file sharing, application delivery, tiered access to information, or secure access to desktops on mobile devices. It all comes together in one common, secure management platform, reduces those 'below the iceberg' costs, and often delivers more functionality than many stand-alone products it replaces.
The CIO's challenge with suites
Moving to a suite can mean asking end users to part with their preferred devices, applications or services-and therein lies the CIO's challenge. To succeed, CIOs must demonstrate that a broad-based enterprise solution can meet most, if not all, end-user needs. The CIO must help users and decision makers understand the real goal of IT, which isn't to give every user a specific product to solve a specific problem but to ensure that the entire organization is lean, efficient, productive, secure, and compliant.
From IT anarchy to business growth
We're moving toward a consumer-computing environment split almost into thirds between Microsoft, Google, and Apple, according to Goldman Sachs-a big departure from the Wintel dominance of so many years. And as we've seen, enterprise IT is increasingly mirroring what's happening in the consumer realm. For example, AT&T is gradually getting rid of in-store computers and counters, CNET reports. Instead, retail store employees roam sales floors with iPads-bringing the BYOD trend full circle.
For CIOs, it's time to evaluate all the different solutions you have in place. Are they creating complexity and unnecessary costs? Do you truly understand the risks that come from having all these individual consumer products and services? And most importantly, how can you transform "IT anarchy" from something to be tolerated and managed into something that can be leveraged for business growth?
Erik Frieberg is vice president of End-User Computing at VMware. He has more than 20 years of experience with cloud, IT infrastructure, SaaS, application lifecycle management (ALM), databases, and security software.


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"Everything that is strong in me has gone into my art work." – R. Crumb
I love Mark Hoggencamp, the subject of the recent documentary Marwencol. It won't be giving too much away to say that in 2000, Hoggencamp slipped into a coma after being severely beaten by 5 men outside a bar in upstate New York. Upon waking up, he had sustained significant brain damage and had to relearn basic life skills. As a means of coping with what happened to him, he became obsessed with creating a miniature WWII Belgian village in his backyard called Marwencol, populated by an international cast of soldiers, with some Barbie dolls thrown in the mix for romantic possibilities.
The world he creates has its own mythos, and the documentary switches between the world of Marwencol and the real world of Mark Hoggencamp. In Marwencol people fall in love, and/or are kidnapped, tortured, saved. In one of my favorite story lines, the male soldiers are captured from the Hoggencamp Bar, and it's up to the women of Marwencol to save them from the evil German Secret Service. Although the stories involving the world of Marwencol are engaging, it's really Hoggencamp who's the star of this documentary. In time, the film becomes less about the actual art Hoggencamp is creating, and more about the mysterious forces that have compelled him to become an artist and to create such an utterly fascinating and unique world in his own backyard. Through Hoggencamp's art we experience how one invidual has chosen to process the experiences of his life—the good, the bad, the violent—in order to create a safe place in his world that feels like home.
Mysterious artistic forces are also present in the work of outsider artist Henry Darger. For folks unfamiliar with Darger, he was a reclusive custodian working in Chicago, Illinois. He became famous for his posthumously discovered 15,145-page, single-spaced fantasy manuscript called The Story of the Vivian Girls, in What is known as the Realms of the Unreal, of the Glandeco-Angelinnian War Storm, Caused by the Child Slave Rebellion, along with several hundred drawings and watercolor paintings illustrating the story. His unusual life and work are the subject of the 2004 documentary In the Realms of the Unreal, as well as the books Darger and Henry Darger: Art and Selected Writings. The poet John Ashbery also wrote an entire book length poem based on the work of Darger, entitled Girls on the Run. We can never know the mysterious forces that compelled Darger to create the fantastic world of the Vivian Girls, or why Darger chose to deal with his childhood experiences through his obsessive and highly idiosyncratic art, rather than, say, taking up sports or drinking.
That kind of inscrutability is also found in the work of Mingering Mike, an imaginary recording artist. Dori Hadar and a few other record collectors were digging through flea market crates some years back, when they came across a huge stack of albums by an unknown recording artist by the name of Mingering Mike. However, when they pulled the "records" out of their sleeves, they discovered they were instead cardboard cutouts, grooves carefully drawn on with marker. An entire career was documented through faux album covers and track listings: "soundtracks to films that didn't exist, instrumental albums, a benefit for sickle cell anemia, a tribute to Bruce Lee . . . songs protesting the Vietnam War," a comeback album, and so on. These covers and more can now be glimpsed in the book Mingering Mike: The Amazing Career of an Imaginary Soul Superstar as well as on his website.
Another musical outsider (one who actually plays music) is artist Daniel Johnston, who sings what is possibly the most heartbreaking song I've ever heard about a cow. In The Devil and Daniel Johnston we're witness to his childhood in West Virginia (he was always manically filming himself), quasi-fame in the Austin, Texas indie-rock scene of the mid-80s, a brief appearances on MTV, and eventual spiral into mental illness. Johnston is talented but mentally unstable, and the film questions the shaky line that exists between genius/creativity and mental anguish. The early, manic episodes in his 20s may have inspired some of his best song writing, but may have at least partially led to his later heavily-medicated existence, living with his parents and playing shows on the rare occasions he feels up to it. And yet, for all his limitations, Johnston has lived an interesting life of fame and infamy—he's friends with members of Sonic Youth, Kurt Cobain was one of his biggest fans, and his artwork regularly sells for thousands of dollars in the LA art world. There are certainly worse ways to make a living, crazy or no crazy.
Notorious comic artist Robert (R.) Crumb sports his own brand of crazy, but may actually be the most well-adjusted artist in this post. He's highly successful, married to a fellow cartoonist, owns a country house in France, and appears to be a pretty loving dad to his daughter Sophie. And he's definitely the most well-adjusted member of his immediate family. Fairly early in the documentary Crumb we are introduced to his two sibling brothers (mom is briefly viewed as well) and it becomes apparent that his childhood was less than rosy. Crumb and his brothers drew mind-blowing comics as an escape from their chaotic childhood, but it was only R. who would turn his talents into a means of permanent escape, while his oldest brother remains at home with his mom and never leaves the house, and his youngest brother is holed up in a seedy residence hotel and spends his days sitting on a bed of nails (I kid you not.) Whether or not you're a fan of Crumb's work, this is an amazing documentary about an eccentric individual and the world of underground comics.
How about you, do you have a favorite (or least favorite) outsider artist?


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We have a winner. That's ever-alert state Sen. Leland Yee of San Francisco. He quickly issued a statement this morning after news of the Aurora theater massacre broke. His bill, SB249, would tighten the state's already-stringent assault weapons ban. [Hat tip: Political Blotter]
| Politics
First Bay Area pol to use Colorado tragedy to push an agenda?
Friday, July 20, 2012
By Ron Russell | 2:12 PM
|New at Bay Area Observer:
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Holy hello, my little blog! I have been neglecting you!!! It is not that I have been sitting on my buttocks, watching Soaps all day and eating Bon Bons! With dance competition season and baseball season (hubbie's the coach), school auction and art project deadlines, traveling to LA, etc., our lives have been in a whirlwind!!!
However, I did have a Sunday morning to myself a few weeks ago and tried wallpapering for the first time. Did you see my post on Instagram? I was SOOO EXCITED to complete something and see the results so fast! Oh. My. Gosh. I had to share it with my friends INSTANTLY because it really was SOOO EASY!!! And SOOO SATISFYING. Once you are done, you not only see the difference, you can FEEL how it transforms the room. Warning: once you do one room, you are going to want to do another, and another, and another. (Yep. I personally have already started researching ideas for our guest bath that is under construction at this very moment. 🙂 )
Did you grow up with wallpaper? I did! My first bedroom was green and white gingham. Our kitchen had a vertical stripe with rows of little repeating flowers. And our main bathroom had a big floral print my mom had nervously picked out ("Should I go for it? Oh what the heck!"). I knew from watching my dad install that particular bathroom, that it would be a tricky task but with patience and some time, it could be done!
I didn't set out to wallpaper my daughter's room. Nope. If I hadn't gone into Target to get some mason jars for a flower arrangement, I would have never found this peel and stick wallpaper tubes from their new line, Opal House. Oh the joys of the unexpected discoveries!!! 🙂
Once I recruited my 8 year old son to help me pull the massive, solid wood, handmade bed away from the walls (made with love by my dad, Cliff Monroe), I cracked open a roll of paper and started going at it!
In researching "How To Wallpaper" on the internet, I had read that you should pencil off the width of your paper so that it stays straight as you stick it down the wall. I did just that (24″ wide hash marks) but it wasn't necessary. I felt by using the left wall (and later, following the pattern on the previously stuck sheets) I didn't need to continue that process.
To start, there is no glue! These sheets are like large stickers that peel off really easily. I simply peeled off the top edge of the roll and got it straight along the top edge of the ceiling. Then I merely used my left hand to gently smooth the sheet to the wall from left to right while my right hand held the sticker away from the wall. If there was a bubble or wrinkle, I would simply pull the sticker back off and re-smooth out the paper.
There was a suggestion to use a plastic smoother from other's that have wallpapered before. I tried that and I felt it didn't work quite as well in smoothing the stickered-paper to the wall. Maybe because our walls are textured? Not sure. But, I had more success in just using my hand to smooth and press the paper into place.
Trimming the Baseboards
Once the full sheet was stuck to the wall, I used the plastic edge to cut into the corner where the wall meets the baseboards. From there, I used a credit card as my straight edge and an exact-o knife together, and trimmed off the access paper.
To start the next row of paper, I had to line up the pattern to what was already on the wall. This was probably the trickiest part. My "waste nothing" brain had a hard time cutting off a few feet of paper just to line up the pattern. 🙂 After finishing the project, I now have quite a bit of miss-matched pieces. I will have to find something fun to do with it all. Maybe we can line the drawers of my daughter's dresser? or cover her bulletin board on the opposite wall with the scraps. Or simply customize a few composition books. We'll see.
Trimming the Ceiling
To trim the ceiling, I used the same technique I used for trimming the baseboards. I simply lined up the credit card against the ceiling and ran an exact-o knife parallel to the card and made a cut along the entire edge of the paper. Pull the strip off and you are done! (well…with that section 🙂 )
My daughter and I have been designing this room together and I can't tell you how excited I felt once this wall went up! It fulfilled both of our needs and vision for the space. She has been gravitating toward graphic prints with animals where as I was trying to get a more softer, feminine balance to the 'tween' room. Before the wallpaper went up, these plain, robin's egg blue walls made the room feel too cool and not like a warm blanket hugging you when you walked in the door. Now, with this whimsical, soft, light accent wall, the room now has a fun and airy feminine vibe that both Jillian and I are digging. I am so pleased.
One more detail down! Now, on to more details such as bed-skirt, curtains, wall-hangings, keeping it CLEAN :), etc.
But truly! If you have a powder room, or a wall in your house that needs a little umph!, try a removable wallpaper. It's so easy, and low-commitment. Heck, if you don't like it next month, you can just peel it right off!!!
Happy wallpaper hanging!


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You will receive complete financial information on your HOA each month. Documentation of Cash Flow, Balance Sheet and Owner Summary Reports will be included. All income will be shown, as well as all itemized expenses. We will assist with annual tax returns and with any past-due HOA fees that may be owed. We collect dues, make deposits, and pay your bills.
We are also available to help you evaluate potential rental investments, or if you are considering selling your current investment. We can assist you with the buying or selling, or simply act as your consultant for a nominal fee.Scheduled, advertised and regular meetings are a very important part of any active and effective HOA. We will facilitate, host and attend your Quarterly and / or Annual Meetings with financial, budget and "State of the HOA" reports. We will also notify ALL Owners in advance of any HOA meetings... they should be there!! They need to know!
The Homeowner Association has certain responsibilities in maintaining the HOA. Some HOA's provide grounds care; others do all exterior maintenance. It is important to have a governing body preparing for these expenses (budgets, reserves, etc) and it is often helpful to have a Property Manager "steer" the group to keep financial stability for the HOA as an entity. The Property Manager will NEVER tell you what to do, but they can facilitate doing what you intend to do. This is accomplished with good financial reporting, collection of bids for work to be done and by good communication with elected board members for goal-setting and planning.We have worked with hundreds of reputable vendors... let me be a resource to your HOA.
Click on the links to the right for information about the services we provide.


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I decided to learn the programming language Python. I was steered towards the MIT OpenCourseware 'Introduction to Computer Science and Programming' 6.00 course, taught by Prof. Eric Grimson and Prof. John Guttag (they say it is a course about computational thinking.)
As the first lecture felt a bit basic, at great personal risk of uncovering 'a spoiler', I skipped on to the course summary in the last lecture to see if it was worth sticking around. I found it inspirational. Prof. John Guttag explains computation in the context of 'The Scientific Method'. I've since realised that his explanation maps with great accurately onto Agile iterative methods. Agilists aren't engineers, we're scientists again. Engineering Project Management uses experience of similar previous projects. Why would you ever write similar software twice? Most of the work is already done. Every change to a computational system should be R&D.
Every Scrum Sprint is a suite of computational experiments. The Product Owner is our test subject. This feels right. I never felt like a computer scientist. In James Gleich's 'The Information', he explains that Alan Turing introduced Babbage's mechanical Difference Engine when talking to non-specialist, to emphasise that computing is an abstract concept, independent from computers and electricity. I've always had a computational scientist trying to get out <Woo asplodes>.


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Quran Chptr 10-42&43 (Pt-11, Stg-3) (L–1283)–درس قرآن
Hearers and seers should be attentive
Surah YUUNUS – 10 (JONAH)
In the name of Allaah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
|42. And of them are some who listen unto thee. But canst thou make the deaf to hear even though they apprehend not?
43. And of them are some who look toward thee. But canst thou guide the blind even though they see not?
|42. Wa minhum-many-yas-tami-'uuna 'ilayk. 'Afa-'anta tus-mi-'us-summa wa law kaanuu laa ya'-qiluun.
43. Wa minhum- many- yan-zuru 'ilayk. 'Afa-'anta tahdil-'umya wa law kaanuu laa yubsiruun.
God Almighty commands: It seems that some people listen to the Holy Qur'aan, but because heartily they are not attentive unto it, so it is useless to listen. If someone is hearing something, but he is thinking about any other matter, then he is deprived of understanding. What will he gain from such Word, which has he been listening?
Like this, some people look at the Messenger of Allah Almighty (grace, glory, blessings and peace be upon Him), but because they are not attentive, therefore, there is no difference among them and the blinds. It is impossible to guide such people by showing practical examples.
Ear and eyes can help the human beings at such time when their hearts are also attentive with them, otherwise; whether they have ear and eyes or do not have; it is equal. Verily he will never come unto that direction; for which you advise him and show him practical patterns, whose heart is estranged from such side and it has been obstructing him from being attentive.
Speech and writing are useful at such time when the heart of someone is attentive towards it and he tries to understand it. Otherwise, you continue speaking or writing, but only those people from the hearers and seers will reap advantage who not apparently only, but will hear and look with full attention.
Transliterated Holy Qur'an in Roman Script & Translated from Arabic to English by Marmaduke Pickthall, Published by Paak Company, 17-Urdu Bazaar, Lahore, Lesson collected from Dars e Qur'aan published By Idara Islaah wa Tableegh, Lahore (translated Urdu to English by Muhammad Sharif) . https://youtu.be/Oh3runYP0DY


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The Tarocchino Bolognese of Giuseppe Mitelli Published by Giordano Berti
The Tarocchino Bolognese engraved by Giuseppe Mitelli is a unique treasure. Just as the Visconti-Sforza deck was a luxury item commissioned by an aristocrat from a prominent artist in Cremona, this exceptionally beautiful deck was commissioned around 1660 by Count Bentivoglio of Bologna from a prolific Bolognese artist. Read more


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Japanese simulation game, Princess Maker 2 has been a long time coming to Western audiences since its initial 90's launch in Asia. CFK Co, LTD had announced that an updated version of the game translated into English would be launching on Steam in early October. A surprise turn of events has made the game available today, moving the launch date up and removing the opportunity for pre-orders of the game.
The updated English version of the game is available to purchase on Steam now. Princess Maker 2 Refine has enhanced graphics including higher resolution full-color graphics.The game is fully voiced in Japanese and supports English, Korean and Chinese text as well. Complete with trading cards and other compatibility improvements the game is finally ready for English speaking players.
Developed by Gainax, creators of Neon Genesis Evangelion and Gurren Lagann, this simulation game was part of a series of titles that allows players to role-play a father raising his daughter in a magical kingdom. Choose between schooling, part-time jobs and social outings to raise your daughter into a fine young woman, triggering story events along the way depending on your choices. Players will also need to manage their finances and their child's health in order to succeed.
Princess Maker 2 was considered the best of the franchise during its original release and although there had been plans to bring it West they were never realized. After waiting decades to play the game in English, Korean publisher CFK received so much interest in the game that they decided to speed up its release and make it available now. The game will cost $19.99 but a 20% discount lasting until October 5th makes it available for $15.99 on Steam. Visit the game's website here for more information about the title and staye tuned for a review of the game coming soon.


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Belgrade in the nineteen-nineties, following the breakup of Yugoslavia, became a hive of homeopathic strangeness and Eastern Orthodox-tinged New Age awakening. No one has quite explained why, though there are theories that suggest that it was a reaction to decades of Communist repression of spirituality. Much of the world learned of this subculture's existence ten years ago, when Radovan Karadžić, the Bosnian Serb nationalist and architect of a genocidal war against Bosnia's Muslims, was finally captured after years of living underground. He was found in Belgrade, where he'd become a bearded bioenergy healer called Dragan Dabić, with a column in a national magazine and a book in the works touting a new form of sperm-rejuvenation therapy.
There are a number of ways to understand Novak Djokovic, who, on Sunday, won his fourth Wimbledon crown. This is because Djokovic is as complicated a tennis player as there is. But surely one way to understand him—the way he thinks and feels and goes about his sport and life—is as a man informed by the Serbian alt-medicine-cum-spiritual-scene of his youth. He has used biofeedback as part of his training, and a podlike hyperbaric chamber to recover after matches. He meditates and does yoga. He says "inner" and "yin-yang" a lot. He has written a cookbook that prescribes drinking only room-temperature water and eating only honey from bees that feed on New Zealand's manuka trees. (Two spoonfuls a day.) In that cookbook, he also quotes what he calls his favorite Serbian proverb: "When nothing hurts, put a little stone in your shoe and start walking."
At Wimbledon, two years ago, some sort of stone got into one or another of his Asics. Djokovic was the No. 1 player in the world and held all four major titles when he lost, shockingly, to the American Sam Querrey in the third round. There were rumors of marital strife. By year's end, he had lost his top ranking, begun the process of parting with several of his coaches, and hired a former Spanish player named Pepe Imaz, who believed in the power of long hugs. In a video, seated next to Imaz, Djokovic declared, "We need to be able to look inwards, and to establish this connection with a divine light."
Last year at Wimbledon, he was forced to retire during his quarter-final match due to an elbow injury—an injury that would eventually require surgery, from which he was believed to be only slowly recovering when he arrived in London a few weeks ago. Imaz was gone, and his longtime coach, Marián Vajda, had returned, and whether Djokovic took time to visit the Buddhapadipa complex near the All-England Tennis Club, which he normally does, is not known. What is clear is that the psychic, emotional, and physical tests that Djokovic has faced—and, given his mentalité, might even have welcomed to keep him on that Serbian seeker's path of his—are, for now, behind him. He's back. All the way back.
On Sunday, Djokovic defeated South Africa's Kevin Anderson in the men's final, 6–2, 6–2, 7–6 (3), in a match that appeared to be over in its first half hour. Anderson had spent a total of nearly eleven hours on court defeating Roger Federer, in the quarter-finals, and John Isner, in the semis. It would be hard for any player to recover from that, much less one who's six feet eight, thirty-two-years old, and out in near-ninety-degree heat. Anderson was obviously stiff-legged, and said to be foot sore. He lurched toward balls not all that far from him, and sprayed and shanked mid-paced balls with mistimed forehands. Djokovic returned the way he does when he is playing well—near peerlessly—but otherwise seldom raised his play above a solid level. He sliced his backhands to get his tall opponent bending. And he kept his groundstrokes toward the center of the court, for the most part, knowing that a player as big and tired as Anderson would have a harder time getting out the way and to the side of a ball than running outstretched toward one. It did get interesting late in the third set—Djokovic saved five break points that would have been set points—but neither spectacular nor dramatic, really.
For those qualities, go back and watch the final two sets of Djokovic's victory over Rafael Nadal, in their semifinal match, which began on Friday evening, was suspended after three sets, and resumed on Saturday. It's the best men's tennis that there's been this year. Djokovic's elbow problems notwithstanding, that should come as no surprise. During this fortnight at Wimbledon, as at every major, there surfaced the longing for Federer-Nadal—it was the tenth anniversary of their epic day-to-night Wimbledon final—but Djokovic-Nadal is the rivalry of the decade, and, arguably, of Open-era tennis. They have now played each other fifty-two times. (Djokovic holds the slightest of leads, 27–25.) They battle fiercely on all surfaces, as Rafa and Fed no longer do (because Fed skips clay). The side-to-side stretching of the court! The defense-to-offense shots on the run! And, as their semifinal stretched to a second day, after being stopped on Friday night by a local curfew, both of them got more daring with their point-creation patterns, and bolder about coming forward to the net to finish points. The Saturday half of their match was approaching the two-and-a-half-hour mark when Djokovic finally broke Nadal at love to take the fifth set, 10–8. That is, the two last sets of Djokovic's victory over Nadal took a little more time than all of Djokovic's win over Anderson. But, in its drama, it felt a lot shorter. It felt like a great final, which, in its way, it was.
When the actual final reached its end, Djokovic began that thing he does now with the crowd, extending his arms toward them—one portion of the stadium, then another, then another—exhorting them to roar, applaud, acknowledge him, share the love. (This is said to be something that he got from Pepe Imaz.) But he stopped after one try on Sunday, in the direction of his box. Maybe he was tired. Or maybe, for this moment, anyway, he was not in search of anything more than what he'd found.


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So many changes take place in your skin and body as you age, and some of these changes are more outwardly visible than others. If you notice the effects of years of sun exposure, wrinkles, and loss of elasticity in your face, laser skin resurfacing may be just the treatment you need to look and feel younger. Dr. Cecil Yeung of the Yeung Institute is a leading facial plastic surgeon who provides expert laser skin resurfacing to women and men in Houston and the surrounding areas. Reverse the outward signs of aging. Call or schedule an appointment online.
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A CO2 laser uses high-energy, broadband lightwave (BBL) technology to vaporize the top layer of your skin. The carbon dioxide (CO2) light waves are effective in treating the top layer of your skin while the deeper layers remain unharmed. Your skin heals quickly after the treatment, and the results are long-lasting and effective, so you enjoy younger-looking, smoother, evenly toned skin.
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Laser skin resurfacing treatments are typically well tolerated and a relatively quick process that Dr. Yeung performs in his state-of-the-art Yeung Institute, so you'll be in a comfortable, private environment with top-notch medical professionals. Before beginning the laser resurfacing treatment, Dr. Yeung gives you a local anesthetic and topical cooling treatments to minimize any discomfort. During the procedure, your skin feels immediately tighter as the warm, sharp laser pulses vaporize the top layer of your skin.
Dr. Yeung treats all areas of your face. Afterward, your skin may look and feel as if you have a mild sunburn. It typically subsides after a couple days, so you'll need to stay out of the sun while your skin recovers. In most cases, you return for a follow-up visit with Dr. Yeung.
You will notice an improvement in your skin's texture and tone, and see fewer wrinkles. Dark spots fade and acne scars virtually disappear.
Call or schedule a consultation with Dr. Yeung today to see if skin resurfacing is right for you.


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First, some housekeeping.
To those of you who have been wondering where I've been the last two weeks, you should give my Facebook page a like because that's where all the Penprints PSA stuff goes up.
NOW. My Bullet Journal.
In past posts, I've spoken of why I love The Way of the Bullet Journal. Then, I showed you The Way of the Bullet Journal so you could
begin life anew start your own Bullet Journal. And today, at long last, I'm taking you on an ultra secret (okay, this is the internet, so it's not a secret, but whatevs) picture tour of my own Bullet Journal to conclude this thrilling Bullet Journal trilogy.
So, let's begin.
My Bullet Journal is a chunky little dude I picked up at Staples at the end of last year. It's split into three sections: lined, grid, and blank. I used up the lined part for January to May and tried to use the grid but HATED THE GRID WITH A PASSION. So I migrated my essential collections and such to the third, blank section at the start of June and have been there ever since.
The Basics: Index & Key.
My poor little index is still pretty bare because I don't log my daily/weekly spreads in it. I just put those in a lump of with all the other logs from that month (e.g. June logs: 7-33). Also, I haven't added all my collections to it yet because…
there's actually no good reason I haven't logged all my collections in my index.
My key is also kind of bare, but I liked the idea of having a legend for all my little Bullet Journal signifiers (and I want to put a skeleton key doodle at the top of the page so it's extra swanky).
(Also, these pages are kind of thin, so everything just looooooooooves to bleed through. So, be aware, there is some pretty awful bleeding in this tour. I'll try to get a journal with thicker pages next time.)
Goals for 2017 is my first collection, and I like to have it right after my key so that I can flip straight to it and review my goals for the year. A lot of purple exploded on this page because purple is sublime.
(Also, I have no delusions about my Bullet Journal–some of the pages look nice, and sometimes things go very
very wrong with my handwriting, especially when I'm trying out new styles.)
My summer bucketlist (aka: In Summer) is my only other collection at the front of my journal (that's the welcome page for June adjacent to it, btw).
The rest of my collections are in the very back of my journal so that they don't get lost in the monthly logs. This over-the-top, flowy-arrow-thing collection is just a little reminder of what I like to put in my monthly spreads. I don't use every element every month, but I like having a place to flip back to when I'm starting the month to consider my options.
I'm including this collection in this tour so that we can all be honest about the fact that I hardly plan for this blog except that if it's gonna happen, by sweet goodness, it's gonna happen on a Monday.
And it's also a little heads up that November's gonna be a postless month. Guys, please, don't cry. It's a long way off, and I'll be posting every Monday (maybe) until then. I'll probably start using pencil in this collection just because I change my plans seven hundred and twenty-two times every Sunday night.
As for other collections, I have a collection of children's book ideas, birthdays of friends and families, flash fiction ideas, blog post ideas, reasons I love my Bullet Journal (is anyone here surprised?), and one of 30 day challenges.
Monthly Spreads.
The first 3-6 pages of each month is where I set up my monthly spreads. Here, we have my welcome page on the left with a mini-calendar so that I can just see what days of the week fall on what dates, and after a day is over, I cross it off. Also, I record any momentous events that occur in the month in my welcome page (e.g. – when I signed a contract with Splickety Publishing Group for my flash fiction The Necklace, I logged that on my welcome page for March).
On the right, we have my writing logs for July (those are supposed to be little ink pots with little quill pens if anyone was wondering).
Here are the other two pages of my July spread. On the left, there's just events and tasks for the month.
On the right, it's my version of a habit tracker; I call it a habit former (I'm so clever, guys). This is where I look back to my goals for 2017 and divide them into bite-sized chunks for the month. Each tiny box represents something; in Savings, each box is $50 put into my savings accounts; in Food Diary, each box represents a day I keep my food diary; under Herbs, each box represents one watering of my herbs; and so on and so forth. My monthly habit former is the main thing that keeps me (semi) on-track for my yearly goals.
Week-at-a-glance (aka: weekly spread).
So here's my week-at-a-glance spread. I start each week off with one of these. That little half page there, that's my new love (we've only been together for about two weeks, but we're going strong; I could see this turning into a long-term relationship). It's called a Dutch door, and I use to list alllll my major tasks/unusual tasks for the week in the middle of my week-at-a-glance so that ALLLLLLLLLLLL my weekly stuffs are within a half page turn.
Basically, to make a Dutch door, you just have to cut out half a page from your journal, and it's kind of scary at first (you know who you are, sensitive, bookish, stationary people). But I love it.
And here's the other side of my week-at-a-glance. Basically, Dutch door = pure genius. ANYWAY, my week-at-a-glance is where I sort my tasks and events into their appropriate days and still have everything necessary for the week in one place.
Daily Spreads.
The daily spread is where my Bullet Journal loses all its color and turns into a lean, mean, scheduling machine. This is where I sort out my daily tasks into a schedule that is completely flexible. Usually, I put the next day's schedule together the night before, but if I can, I try to put the tasks into each day at the beginning of the week. SO, at the end of each day, I mark each box accordingly: completed (yay!), started/in process (eh), migrated to another day (there's still hope!), or cancelled (*weeping*).
I only do daily spreads for Monday through Friday because Sunday and Saturday are usually very fluid. And then under my Friday spread, I have a mini future log where I input tasks for the next week and beyond.
And that's it, kids! That's my Bullet Journal as of July 2017!
Do you have a Bullet Journal? If not, are you going to start one??? If so, what does your Bullet Journal look like?
With love,
P.S. – So this is the end of the thrilling Bullet Journal trilogy, but I'm pretty sure we all know that prequels and spin-offs and sequel series will be happening because it's the Bullet Journal.
P.P.S. – We're all going to really casually ignore the fact that the lovely pen vanished after the first two pictures. #oops
P.P.P.S. – I took these pictures at my favorite coffee shop while sipping some yummy chai.


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I recently finished a couple more class samples for display in the shops where I teach classes. These show students what they will learn in my beginning quilting class. This is the class most suitable for quilters who have either never sandwiched and quilted a quilt, or have done a few and not been satisfied with the results.
The first quilt is on a dark rusty brown fabric, mostly quilted with a copper colored rayon thread:
The other sample was done on an ombre fabric and I really like the result. Thanks to Susan Travis from Creative Union for suggesting this fabric from her sale rack!


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If there is a silver lining to be found in the end of the summertime—besides our soon-to-be declining electric bill!—it's that we are on the precipice of the fall television season. Thank goodness. In an effort to get you and your DVR prepared, here's the Observer's fall TV previews. First up, CBS!
Accidentally On Purpose (Mondays at 8:30 p.m., premieres September 21)
What CBS says: "Accidentally On Purpose is a comedy starring Golden Globe Award winner Jenna Elfman as Billie, a single woman who finds herself "accidentally" pregnant after a one-night stand with a much younger guy, and decides to keep the baby and the guy."
What we say: It's like Knocked Up … but with cougar jokes! Ouch. Accidentally On Purpose has one of the most enviable time slots of the fall—sandwiched right in between How I Met Your Mother and Two and a Half Men—and the added bonus of being the charming Ms. Elfman's first television series since the long-forgotten Courting Alex in 2006, but we can't say our hopes are high for this hackneyed sitcom to last very long.
What we'll say six months from now: "Did you hear CBS is developing a show about a 40-year-old virgin?"
NCIS: Los Angeles (Tuesdays at 9 p.m., premieres September 22)
What CBS says: "NCIS: Los Angeles is a drama about the high stakes world of undercover surveillance at the Office of Special Projects (OSP), a division of NCIS that is charged with apprehending dangerous and elusive criminals that pose a threat to the nation's security." Chris O'Donnell and LL Cool J co-star.
What we say: It will never cease to amaze us that NCIS, a series starring Mark Harmon of all people, is one of the most popular shows in America. Outside of our parents, who is actually watching that show? That aside, this spinoff promises to offer whatever it is that the patriarchal series offers, albeit in a sunnier venue.
What we'll say six months from now: "NCIS: Los Angeles is a hit? Who is actually watching that show?!"
The Good Wife (Tuesdays at 10 p.m., premieres September 22)
What CBS says: "The Good Wife is a drama starring Emmy Award winner Julianna Margulies as a wife and mother who must assume full responsibility for her family and reenter the workforce after her husband's very public sex and political corruption scandal lands him in jail."
What we say: Political scandals never change (see: Sanford, Mark), so The Good Wife feels like it's on the cusp of immediacy even though it could have been made ten years ago. Ms. Margulies, a year removed from the dud that was Canterbury's Law (we barely remember it either) has always been a transfixing small screen presence, but we're more excited about the supporting cast which includes Christine Baranski, Josh Charles and, as the bad husband, guest star Chris Noth.
What we'll say six months from now: "It's pretty surprising that Mark Sanford still hasn't resigned."
Three Rivers (Sundays at 9 p.m., premieres October 4)
What CBS says: "Three Rivers is a medical drama that goes inside the emotionally complex lives of organ donors, the recipients and the surgeons at the preeminent transplant hospital in the country where every moment counts. However, dealing with donor families in their darkest hour and managing the fears and concerns of apprehensive recipients takes much more than just a sharp scalpel."
What we say: Because what America needs now is yet another doctor show! Three Rivers has already gone through some turmoil—co-star Julia Ormond was replaced after the pilot was picked up—and the premise could not feel more rote. If only Alex O'Loughlin—formerly a vampire on the canceled-but-beloved Moonlight—was be allowed to flash his fangs, Three Rivers might work. Vampires are so hot right now.
What we'll say six months from now: "Now that Three Rivers is canceled, we're hearing Alex O'Loughlin is in line for NCIS: Transylvania."


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Metsblog, about an hour or two before Matt Harvey took the hill on Tuesday, reported: HEY! Harvey has the longest home-run-drought streak of any pitcher! HEY! Everyone! Harvey! No dingers! WOOOT! As we all remember, Harvey let up a 1st inning dinger to Chase Utley.
Today, Metsblog has done it again. In regards to Dillon Gee, tonight's starter, they report: He's gone at least five innings in 47 straight starts, the longest active streak in the majors.
This is classic Metsblog. Classic idiot Cerrone not knowing the game of baseball at all. He just doesn't understand baseball. He's not a part of it. Like nearly everyone else in the media, he's just a pawn. He's a bitch/lackey/writer first, and baseball fan/player second.
Metsblog went on to say: Hey, and Gee has NEVER NOPE NOT ONCE EVER been jinxed by a stat posted on our site! Never!
Matt Cerrone is the kind of guy to go up to a pitcher after the 6th inning–when he's all alone and everyone else is on the opposite side of the dugout–to say, "Hey! You've got a perfect game going! Wow! There haven't been many of those in all of history! This could be historic! You only need 9 more outs! Perfect game in the making wow you're doing so well so far!!"


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CFP: Text and Hypertext: Dictionaries and their Readers/Users (3/15/06; MLA '06)
Call for Papers
MLA 2006 Convention, Philadelphia
Lexicography Discussion Group
Text and Hypertext: Dictionaries and their Readers/Users
Increasingly, dictionaries appear in multiple forms, printed and
web-based, that elicit different responses from their readers. Papers
addressing the changes in the needs and expectations of dictionary users
and the differing requirements of multiple media welcome.
Abstracts due by March 15, 2006 to Felicia Jean Steele (steele_at_tcnj.edu).
Newcomers to the Modern Language Association welcome, although all
participants in convention sessions must be MLA members by 7 April 2006.
From the Literary Calls for Papers Mailing List
Full Information at
or write Jennifer Higginbotham: higginbj_at_english.upenn.edu
Received on Tue Feb 07 2006 - 13:17:00 EST


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Key for gentle skin cleansing
METEO LOGIC® Micellar Water especially formulated for the face and eyes, brings together cleansing efficacy and gentleness for the skin. An all-in-one, it cleanses, soothes, and refreshes your skin.
Meteo Logic® Micellar Water's cleansing agents are organized into micelles to leave the skin moist, free of impurities and traces of make-up. In addition, alpha-bisabolol, a soothing agent, guarantees softness and comfort. It leaves the skin perfectly clean and toned, ready to be moisturized
Its cleanser is made up of micelles (tiny spheres of oil) that leave your skin feeling fresh, free from impurities and traces of make-up, while alpha-bisabolol a soothing agent, guarantees soft relief. The skin is perfectly clean and toned, ready to be moisturized.
The Micellar Water is a great partner for the other skincare products in the Meteo Logic® range
- Cleanser and make-up remover
- Includes soothing and moisturising active ingredients to help reduce skin reactivity
- Tested under dermatological and ophtalmological control on sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers
- Ease of use: no rinsing is needed
- No added fragrances
- Apply carefully with a cotton pad on the face and eyes. Renew application until pad is clean
- No rinsing needed
- Daily use, morning and evening
- Avoid Contact with the lips
Aqua, Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate, Glycerin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Powder*, Bisabolol, Gelidium Sesquipedale Extract, Maris Aqua, Potassium Olivoyl PCA, Gluconolactone, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Hydroxide, Ethyl Lauroyl Arginate HCl, Calcium Gluconate, Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder*, Bisabolol*, Gelidium Sesquipedale Extract, Maris Aqua, Potassium Olivoyl PCA, Gluconolactone, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Hydroxide, Ethyllauroyl Arginate HCl, Calcium Gluconate
*Ingredients from organic farming
99.5% of the total ingredients are from natural origin
22% of the total ingredients are from organic farming


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A lovely wine evening with new and old friends in NY last year
Well, as I posted here, those of us lucky enough to have "special" or older bottles are really responsible for their well being, besides just owning them! What is the use of having many great bottles and watching them all die?? So, in that light, a friend of mine decided to start a monthly tasting evening, where your entry fee is a good bottle of wine and he would take care of the rest.
It was with this in mind, I entered with a 2006 Four Gates Cabernet Franc, which was not in tune with the evening's theme, but was entry fee enough to let me partake of the festivities. The wines and food enjoyed that night were:
Wines and Food Enjoyed
Golan Heights Winery, Yarden, Blanc de Blanc, 2005
Golan Heights Winery, Yarden, Blanc de Blanc, 2007
Home Cured Bresaola
Panko Crusted Chicken Strips
80-hour Sous Vide, Dry Aged Prime Short Ribs
Rustic Cornbread, Beer Braised "Bacon" Baked Beans, and Red Cabbage Slaw
Wine List
Château Léoville-Poyferré, Saint-Julien, 2001
Château Léoville-Poyferré, Saint-Julien, 2003
Château Léoville-Poyferré, Saint-Julien, 2005
Carmel, Limited Edition, 2003
Galil Mountain, Yiron, Syrah, 2004
Golan Heights Winery, Yarden, Katzrin, 2000
Golan Heights Winery, Yarden, Katzrin, 2003
Golan Heights Winery, Yarden, Katzrin, 2004
Hagafen, Prix Reserve, Cabernet Sauvignon, MJT Block, 2002 Magnum
Hagafen, Prix Reserve, Cabernet Sauvignon, MJT Block, 2005
Wine Cellaring and what it means
Now, to be fair, as great as the wines sound, and many were, some were just there. Why? Well, for many reasons. First, wine is a living organism, and like all of us, they can have a bad evening! Secondly, wine being a living organism, needs to be cared for with great care. A wine fridge or a real cellar is the correct manner to hold and care for a bottle of wine. Leaving the wine above the oven, fridge, or lying about – is not how to keep a bottle of wine! Why? Because the wine is constantly evolving, great wines that are meant for the cellar take time to come around.
Let us take a step back and explain what a cellar worthy wine is? Let us take a perfectly good wine; like the 2012 Peraj Petita Mevushal wine, this is a wine that is ready to enjoy now. The second you open the bottle it is ready, it does not need time to breath, it does not need time to come together – the wine is ready to dance. Why? For many reasons, but the main point here is that the wine was built for early drinking, the varietals, the quality and the aging of the must (wine juice), mean that the wine was made for early drinking.
This is a question I get ALL the time – can you age this wine? WHY? Why age a wine that is not meant for aging. Aging is all about making a wine that is truly not ready for drinking to become ready – without doing horrible things to it, like throwing it in a blender or other fast aerating devices. If the wine is not ready to drink, think 2006 Domaine Roses de Camille, then wait. Same goes for the 2007 Four Gates Merlot that I had this past week, it is a wine that I had to force into a happy and dancing mood. I was happy I did, but it has time, and I should have drunk a wine that needs to be enjoyed soon.
In the end, if you like a wine the way it is cellaring may well not improve anything for you. You cellar a wine that is too young, too tannic, too acidic, too all over the place, in hopes that it will come together and make itself correct. I STRESS, hope it will all come together. You can buy a 200, 500 or 1K dollar bottle of wine and you may be buying a dud or you may be buying a masterpiece! You have no way of knowing, sure you can use a device like the coravin, but that does not mean the inert air left in the bottle will not decay and lead to further oxidation of the wine.
In the end, buying a bottle of wine that is not happy now and hoping to enjoy it later, is why we freaks cellar wine. Now, if you have such a wine, and the time has arrived to enjoy it – please do so. Use tools like Cellar Tracker, where the community comes together to crowd source for you notes and drink by dates, both of which are imperative to keeping a large cellar healthy.
Wine Event
Anyway, getting back to the evening, I arrived with bottle in hand, and YC was deep in thought in front of his sous vide machine, in the kitchen where he was also tending to the; Home Cured Bresaola, 80-hour Sous Vide, Dry Aged Prime Short Ribs, Rustic Cornbread, Beer Braised "Bacon" Baked Beans, and Red Cabbage Slaw! He was not working on all of them at the same time, much of that work was done hours ago, and instead at this point in time, he was intently gazing into the water bath and figuring out when to remove the ribs and start the final process of finishing/caramelizing the ribs.
I left him to his mad science, and I entered the hallowed grounds where the tasting would be taking place. The table was set for 12, quite beautifully, with many glasses, plates, and all the accoutrement needed to enjoy the festive meal that was to start soon.
While we waited for the other guests to arrive, fashionably late, I took some pictures and then I sat down and YH was kind enough to pour me some early bubbly and I was happily ensconced in my seat with cold bubbles in my hand, not much more you can ask for in life. As the guests all finally arrived the festivities were kicked off. First to hit the table was all the food, which I must say was insane! Please understand, I love going to restaurants and enjoying haute cuisine, but this cut of meat that was placed on my plate – looked more Fred Flintstones (AKA Dino) sized than human sized! I was staring down at a chunk of rib that looked that it came from a carnivore, rather than a placid grass-eating machine. Either way, while I was staring at this side of beef, the wines started to come at me hard and heavy. Please understand that the table was seated with people of means and great responsibility, in other words, they were here to have fun, but not for a long night's affair. So, when the desire is to taste 12 wines, I would say that many if not almost all of them were there to drink the wines, while a few were there to taste the wines and enjoy the evening. That is in no way a slight to anyone, it was very much like what happened at both of the Bernstein dinners, after 4 or 5 wines, you stop wanting to write notes and start wanting to just drink wine!
So, with that in mind, that was what happened, within a span of two hours or less, the wines, food and desserts came and went! That said, the clear head and shoulders winner of the evening was the 2000 Yarden Katzrin wine – sick and insane are not enough to describe the quality and joy of this wine. The rest were very good to lovely. Of course, to me after the Katzrin, and one or two others, the bubbles won the evening! Yarden continues to CRUSH the competition in the world of kosher bubblies! The 2005 and 2007 Yarden Blanc de Blanc (BdB) were fantastic and absolutely lovely! Overall, even with many wines some multiples of the Yarden wines, in terms of cost, the Yarden wines overshadowed everything else on the table, it was not even a competition. It goes to prove that the Yarden winery has the ability to produce some of the very best wines in the country. Sadly, the past few years they have taken a detour from their tour de force wine making ability, but I hope they return quickly to their roots.
To say that the French wines were a disappointment would be an understatement, these were three of my favorite wines on planet earth, and they all had a very bad day. Why? Who knows, poor showing, bottle shock, bottle variation, poor storage, or just plain darn bad luck. Whatever the reason, the wines were there but not enjoyable. The Carmel wine was either corked or DOA, which was a shame. Of course, to call a wine – which I scored an A- a disappointment is a bit harsh, but it is the cruel reality of tasting wines. These are wines that when in a better mood, are scored a clear level or two above that. What can I say; they were not doing their thing that night.
The final wines were California wines, Hagafen wines, but I and Hagafen Cabernet Sauvignon never see eye to eye. Sometimes, I get some great wines and sometimes they taste plain and staid to me, I guess that is something I need to fix one day.
The meal was just delicious, the sous vide ribs that were hand torched and seared were off the charts, in size, flavor, and quality! This was some truly good grub! The theme was meat in picnic basket style, with baked beans, purple slaw, and rustic corn bread – the only thing missing was the checkered linen and straw basket. The meal was lovely, the meat was rich and soft, with a bite to the texture, but with perfectly pull-off the bone texture. The rest of the sides were up to task and overall the dish came together quite nicely indeed. The Bresaola was off the charts and disappeared before anyone could say boo! I was not there, but I have pictures from other folks, who watched YC go at the Dino Ribs with a flamethrower and a smoking cast iron pan! I hope he also used this as a release point for whatever aggravations he may have had that day! The outcome though was fantastic! The meat was caramelized to a point of crunch without tasting or feeling over cooked – BRAVO!
I must pass along my personal applause to my host for putting up with a bunch of loud, opinionated people all talking about wines that he served at his table. Sure, these were not all his wines, though more than a few were. Also, setting up this shindig is no small feat, and I am sure it is hard to separate comments on the wine from the effort placed into putting it together. To be fair, everyone was very respectful of our host, who was very so deserving! I just hope that anything I post here will not mean that I am uninvited from all future get together(s).
With that – my man thanks to the host, hostess (who was absent for the evening but was stuck with the aftermath), and the chef of the evening. The food, atmosphere, and wine were truly impressive! My many thanks to all for participating and bringing the entry fee for us all to enjoy! My wine notes follow below:
2007 Yarden Blanc de Blanc – Score: A- to A
Same as last time, deep, mineral, and attack that is almost hedonistic.
2005 Yarden Blanc de Blanc – Score: A- (and more)
This is the best that this wine has shown, in my opinion. The nose on this pure Chardonnay sparkling wine is ripping with toasty notes, nice mineral, slate, dirt, and tart fruit. The mouth on medium to full-bodied wine is rounding out now, it is not a pure aggressive and hedonistic wine, like its younger brother, rather this is a rich and rounding mouth with great tart apple, quince, all coming at you with layers of small mousse bubbles, and brioche. The finish is long and acidic, ripping with mineral, toasty notes, light bitter notes, and spice.
2001 Chateau Leoville Poyferre, Grand Vin – Score: A-
I have had this wine a few times now and each and every time I have had them they showed better than they did this night, and very differently to boot, but this bottle was still nice in its own right. The nose on this wine started off hot with good rich dirt, mineral, and great berry fruit, and raspberry. The mouth on this medium bodied wine showed nice tannin, tart plum, sweet cedar, and mouth coating tannin. The finish is long and sweet with chocolate, tobacco, cherry, and more dirt.
2003 Chateau Leoville Poyferre, Grand Vin – Score: B+ to A-
I have had this wine a few times now and each and every time I have had them they showed better than they did this night, and very differently to boot, but this bottle showed itself well enough in its own right. The nose on this wine showed rich dirty notes, sweet notes, and bramble. The mouth on this medium bodied wine was screaming with sweet cedar, along with lovely tannin, plum, cassis, and tray fruit. The finish on this rich and dirty wine is deeply mineral based with chocolate, sweet herb, and nice tannin lingers.
2005 Chateau Leoville Poyferre, Grand Vin – Score: A-
I have had this wine a few times now and each and every time I have had them they showed better than they did this night, and very differently to boot, but this bottle showed the best of the min-vertical we had this night and almost as good as what I have had in the past. The nose on this black colored wine is rich with loamy dirt, great tart fruit, heat and bramble. The mouth on this full-bodied wine showed nice tannin, along with layers of richly concentrated blackberry, cassis, plum, cherry, all coming together with nice tannin, and sweet oak. The finish is long and chocolate infused with tobacco, sweet herb, and tart fruit.
2003 Carmel Limited Edition – Score: N/A
The wine could not be scored well or enjoyed from the fact that it was corked, so I will not bemoan spilt milk.
2004 Galil Yiron Syrah – Score: A-
The nose on this wine showed it was clearly on the edge, showing date, roasted animal, chocolate, with screaming ripe strawberry, and raspberry. The mouth on this medium bodied wine showed nice layers of sweet and concentrated blueberry, boysenberry, blackberry, plum, and sweet fruit. The finish is long with tart fruit, rich chocolate, with crazy blue and black fruit lingering with licorice, and tart fruit.
2000 Yarden Katzrin – Score: A
WOW! What a wine! Clearly this was the best wine of the evening, but it may well be one of the best wines I tasted in 2013. The wine is a blend of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc. The nose on this still black with hints of garnet colored wine starts off with crazy herb, mineral, floral notes, along with lots of red fruit, and freshly shaved pencil. The wine is throwing serious sediment so be careful. The mouth on this full-bodied, rich and layered wine, starts with lovely sweet tannin, then comes at you with layers of concentrated sweet fruit, black plum, cassis, blackberry, chocolate, and more sweet cedar. The finish is long and sweet with nice vanilla, chocolate, more mouth draping tannin, black tea, and sweet herb – BRAVO!!
2003 Yarden Katzrin – Score: A- (Sweet/New World)
This wine is a blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc. The nose on this sweet wine starts with vanilla, blueberry, root beer, and more sweet fruit. The mouth on this full-bodied wine is very sweet but it is well structured and nice with more blue and black fruit, nice mouth coating tannin, green notes, and spice. The finish is long and mineral with crazy draping and lingering tannin, sweet tobacco, and more graphite.
2004 Yarden Katzrin – Score: A- (Sweet/New World)
This wine is a blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Merlot. The nose on this sweet wine starts off with crazy sweet blueberry (almost blue bubble gum like), blackberry, ripe fruit, along with crazy root beer, and more sweet notes. The mouth on this full-bodied wine shows such sweet notes that it does make you take notice, with date, lovely tannin, with a great fruit structure, chocolate, and more concentrated sweet blue and black fruit. The finish is long and sweet (yes there is a theme here), with lovely and sweet mouth coating tannin, good mineral, tobacco, and sweet licorice.
2002 Hagafen Cabernet Sauvignon, Prix, Magnum format – Score: A-
What can I say, I have never really fallen in love with Hagafen Prix Cabernet wines, whether they are young or old. The nose on this purple colored wine showed rich mineral, lovely blackberry, butterscotch, and spice. The mouth on this medium bodied wine shows with a good fruit structure, tart fruit, nice mouth coating tannin, black fruit, black plum, and sweet oak. The finish is long and chocolate driven with nice tannin, great mineral, sweet herb, cinnamon, and cloves.
2005 Hagafen Cabernet Sauvignon, Prix, MJT – Score: NA
What can I say, I did not really get this wine, maybe it was me, or maybe it was the wine, not really sure.
Posted on March 11, 2014, in Food and drink, Israeli Wine, Kosher French Wine, Kosher Red Wine, Kosher Sparkling Wine, Kosher Wine, Wine, Wine Tasting and tagged Blanc de Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmel Winery, Chateau Leoville Poyferre, Hagafen Winery, Katzrin, Limited Edition, Prix Reserve, Yarden Winery. Bookmark the permalink. 2 Comments.


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Sardinia is known, not surprisingly, as "The Island of the Wind." And especially in the West Coast where the Hotel Da Cesare is, the mistral and the sirocco give strong emotions throughout the year for sports lovers and wave sailing. Also in the most warm months a timely and consistent thermal breeze creates the perfect conditions for sailing and learn to sail up and dowwind Since the end of spring and summer months in a more timely and consistent thermal breeze creates the perfect conditions for sailing between loose and have fun and upwind.
You can hire a charter boat or start to learn the basics of this magical sports.
A unique and perfect possibility, thanks to the variety and proximity to several spots, for experienced riders and beginners.
If you love this sport, you can venture on, train, compete, attend events and competitions, in one of international golf courses with 18 holes of "Is Arenas", located just 5 km from the Hotel Da Cesare.
A few steps from your room, the beatiful Flamingos will give Sal'ePorcus pond welcome. Only one of many wonders that the territory in which the Hotel Da Cesare is located, provides those who decide to choose as his residence.
L'iniziativa di Sa Mora Sail nasce dalla passione per il mare, il vento e dall'amore per la natura. Abbiamo sempre praticato sport acquatici e velici, amiamo il mare in tutte le sue forme e colori, il vento è il nostro propulsore vitale e senza questi elementi ci sentiremmo snaturati.
You can use almost all the winds, and all beaches within a few kilometers from the Hotel Da Cesare, spot for radical wave riders, surfers, sup riders like Capomannu coast, and long and spacious beaches where you can have fun in total safety with your boards, sails and kites.


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The subject of this article is a person who may be the most avaricious billionaire ever. He was widely known for his heartless refusal to pay ransom after his grandson was kidnapped—as well as for his decision to put payphones for the guests at his mansion to use.
This person's name is J Paul Getty. He was the richest man in the entire world and he was worth $1.2 billion back in 1966, which is worth roughly five times more in today's money.
When the Mafia managed to kidnap John Paul Getty III, his 16-year old grandson, the stingy businessman decided that the whole thing was simply a fraud, designed by his grandson to get a chunk of his grandpa's money.
The Italian gangsters who abducted the boy decided to cut off one his ears, after which they mailed it to his grandfather. You will be able to see the whole story in the upcoming movie All the Money in the World, which will be premiere in a few days. Getty's character was supposed to be portrayed by Kevin Spacey, but he was replaced by the 88-year-old legend Christopher Plummer, who managed to record all of the featured scenes in just nine days.
If you think that the aforementioned unpaid ransom epitomizes Getty's personality, you are just seeing the tip of the iceberg. The fact that he put money above anything, even his family, was best shown in the situation with his terminally sick son.
The story of his son Timmy is actually the one that likely reflects J Paul Getty the best. Timmy was born by Getty's fifth and last wife Teddy, who died in April 2017 at the age of 103. Teddy Getty Gaston was a singer, and in her memoirs she revealed just how big of a scrooge her husband was. Getty Sr. allegedly did not like the fact that he had to pay the medical expenses for his own child after the boy's brain tumor caused him to go blind.
Timmy was fighting for his life, and during that time he was not visited by his father a single time in four years.
The heartless man attended neither Timmy's birth, nor his funeral. When the boy passed away at the early age of 12, his father simply sent a note, saying that he was sorry for being so busy.
Despite everything, the boy loved his father. Teddy's book, entitled Alone Together, reveals and details Timmy's affection for his dad during his last days.
She wrote that Timmy was not aware that he was the son of the world's richest man. He heard people saying it, but to him he was just the father he loved, and he missed him very much.
Sometimes, as the boy was sitting quietly, he would ask his mother if his daddy really loved him. It seems that Timmy wanted a normal father and son relationship like those that exist in many other families.
The one thing Teddy did not forgive her husband for was that he did not visit Timmy even once during his illness, and that was the reason she divorced him in 1958. She wrote him numerous letters, begging him to come at least once to bring some comfort to their son, but Getty never returned. Four years prior to their divorce, she wrote to him and said that she realized he had no concern for her or their son.
In 1958, Getty was extremely busy sealing the deal to receive oil rights in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, which was surely going to make him the first American billionaire.
Getty did not only fail to return to his American home. It was even worse – he constantly promised to visit his son after every operation in the hospitals of New York. He did not do so, but he did find time to complain about the expensive medical bills on the phone, and he did so while Timmy was in excruciating pain in the next room.
That was the time Teddy felt completely alone—it was the hardest time of her marriage. She and Timmy needed Getty.
When the boy was diagnosed with the brain tumor in 1952, most of the family members gathered to wait for him upon the Queen Mary's arrival in New York. Getty had promised to cross the Atlantic, but there was no sign of him; they soon learned from the ship's captain that he never went on board, and he did not even bother to tell his family about the change in his plans.
After a couple of days, Timmy needed to undergo one of many operations he went through. Later the same year, his father wrote a letter, saying that it was better for his son to stay away from doctors, except for an occasional routine visit, which should cost no more than 10 dollars. When Teddy bought a pony for her son to comfort him, Getty said that he was not going to pay for it.
Teddy probably knew just how stingy her husband was since the beginning. When they first met in 1935, she was attending an opera singing class. Getty said that he would pay the bill, but only if she would return to him 10% of all earnings she would make with opera singing.
When Getty decided to move 3,500 miles away in Surrey, he gave Teddy a big set of diamond jewelry, and just when she thought he was finally being romantic, he made her promise that if she was to divorce him some day, she would return them.
She did end up divorcing her husband, but she never returned the jewels.
In her memoirs, Teddy wrote that she could not figure out why her husband never visited their son, and she revealed that his decision not to do so killed her inside. When Timmy passed away, Getty begged her to stay and that he would make her richer than any other woman, but she was far too hurt to continue to be his wife.
Fifteen years after the tragedy, Getty proved that he was still the same man and nothing had changed.
After the abduction of his grandson in 1973, he agreed to pay a part of the money the kidnappers asked for, but it did not happen before his accountant team assured him that the money he would pay was deductible from his taxes.
The ransom was paid more than five months after the boy's ear was cut off.
The story of the kidnapping was major news across the world in the 70s. Getty's family members could never forgive him for being the scrooge he was. Teddy eventually married William Gaston, and their daughter Louise Gigi Gaston is now a movie director working in LA. Last year Gigi shared in a social media message that her mother died in her arms.
It seems that Teddy was the complete opposite of her ex-husband—family was everything to her.
H/T – Source