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Another killer crusty grindcore album from mighty Phobia. I have nothing to complain, this album is just perfect for my listening. The music is just solid and tight with the drum are in par with machine gun bursting. The guitar is raw, heavy but to the point with no bullshit solo, reminding me to the real grindcore attitude. The vocal and the bass department all are perfect. Just because they are good, I don't even know what to write. 18 tracks in 20 minutes is just not enough for me !
Available from www.willowtip.com


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Oz, The Great and Powerful (Sam Raimi, 2013)
What have we done to deserve this? Disney, which owns the rights to most popular fairy tales and all of Marvel Comics and Star Wars and probably the Meditations of Confucius, has picked up a nasty habit of turning Victorian-era properties into unwatchable crap. First came "Alice in Wonderland," which updated the story by making the heroine an adult who's frustrated with her life and responsibilities at home, and goes on an adventure ending in a CGI-heavy clash between two fantasy armies. Now comes this, which crafts a prequel to "The Wizard of Oz" (which had plenty of pre-written sequels ready to go, in book) by… making the hero an adult who's frustrated with his life and responsibilities at home, and goes on an adventure ending in a CGI-heavy clash between two fantasy armies.
The description is too kind. This is the rare "quest" movie that has no momentum, or even really interesting scenery. After a shot of the strange fauna and flora of Oz, we plunge into a world that looks like the 1939 movie, only shinier. Instead of "Alice"'s sprightly, perfect queen played by Anne Hathaway, we get a sprightly, perfect good witch played by Michelle Williams — you know, the other actress in "Brokeback Mountain." (And the white queen, with her unexplained daintiness that she dropped when people looked away, at least had a gimmick.)
James Franco seems bored as Oz, and why wouldn't he be? The plot consists of him setting up the "The Wizard of Oz" by having a one-night stand with a clingy Mila Kunis, who turns into the Wicked Witch out of horny revenge. And Zach Braff plays a wacky sidekick! I left that part til the end, to spare you.
Side Effects (Steven Soderbergh, 2013)
The third collaboration between Soderbergh and writer Scott Z. Burns is surprisingly formulaic. In "The Informant!" they pulled and stretched the cliches of the crime movie to create a black comedy, identifiable as such because they cast comedians in every minor role. "Contagion" was the best disaster film in a decade, a scientifically-accurate-ish portrait of a plague that ISN'T stopped in the nick of time by wise scientists.
"Side Effects" is… basically a "Scooby Doo" episode. Jude Law plays a sleazy-seeming psychiatrist who prescribes an experimental anti-depressant for the sad wife (Rooney Mara) of a disgraced (but still pretty rich) stockbroker (Channing Tatum(. One night, after he tells her he has a bead on a job in Houston, she murders him in what appears to be a trance. SPOILER: Turns out she had started a lesbian affair with her shrink (Catherine Zeta-Jones — yes, her and Rooney Mara, and it's good) and faked the depression and the trance in a complicated scheme. The problem, beyond the throwback misogyny of the plot, is that the unraveling of said scheme makes zero sense. Mara just admits it after Law keeps bugging her and dangling threats over her head. Maybe Mara thinks she's outsmarted him? But no, there's no scenario in which she isn't better off taking her cushy psychiatric hospital sentence and shutting the fuck up.
Mama (Andrés Muschietti, 2013)
A surprisingly Asia-influenced, surprisingly decent ghost story about two cute tykes abandoned by their parents and raised by a jealous, selectively murderous monster. Jessica Chastain slums pretty well as a reluctant adoptive mother (she's rather be playing in her rock and roll band, as you can tell by the tattoos on her arm) who goes full on Ripley-get-away-from-her-you-bitch as the horror creeps in.
Stoker (Chan-wook Park, 2013)
A twist-free psychological drama about a wealthy family (Nicole Kidman, Mia Wasikowska) adjusting to the death of its patriarch with the help of a long-forgotten uncle (Matthew Goode), who you know is the villain from the minute he walks onscreen. There's one very good erotic piano-playing scene, and… gosh, that's about it.
Warm Bodies (Jonathan Levine, 2013)
A cute, credulity-challenging love story about a zombie who falls in love with a live girl, becomes human, and SPOILER helps bring the rest of zombie-dom back to the land of the living through the power of love. This is the credulity-killer — how, exactly, would these bodies be in shape to re-join humanity after even a day of gas-bloat and rigor mortis?
Oh, damn it, I'm thinking too hard. It's science fiction, and pretty smart about how it inverts cliches, though there's no real drama or twists. The filmmakers over-rely on the old "I left this damsel alone for a second — now she's gone, and in trouble!" trope. Then they over-rely on it some more. But the cast is winsome (Nicholas Hoult has grown up into a fun actor) and the ending is effective pap.
Jack the Giant-Slayer (Bryan Singer, 2013)
Nicholas Hoult is also in this. It's a better fantasy rethink than "Oz," but almost anything would be.
It's a Disaster (Todd Berger, 2013)
You'll either like this plot description or you'll run far, far away. So: Four yuppie LA couples, the sort of thirtysomethings you see deciding between mid-priced wines at Whole Foods, meet up for brunch. The meal is destined to be awkward, because the hosts are picking the right moment to announce their impending divorce. Then it gets truly awkward: Terrorists have set up a dirty bomb downtown, and it's extremely likely that these people who kinda-sorta tolerate each other will all die together, in a few hours.
Trust me, it's funny. David Cross plays the slightly older, safe-seeming boyfriend on his third date with Julia Stiles, the girl who keeps picking insane beaus. The rest of the cast are mostly comics, though not people who'd leap out at you on a marquee, and they've mastered the bitchy, self-obsessed miens of childless upper-middle-class climbers. Only twice do they interact with the world outside the brunch, and both scenes are hilarious — one ends with them effectively murdering two friends for constantly showing up late, even on the day when that habit meant they'd die a slow death in the sun.

subset: commoncrawl


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Do you want to join the chorus of old ladies in The Ladykillers when the black comedy visits the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough?
It doesn't matter whether you're male or female, if you're aged 16 or above and feel confident in appearing on stage and in a dress, this is your chance to perform in the show
The New Vic, Newcastle-under-Lyme and Hull Truck Theatre are touring a new adaptation of Graham Linehan's Ealing classic to Scarborough in May and they are looking to recruit six 'old ladies' to perform throughout the run.
Anyone interested in taking part is invited to a friendly group audition at the Stephen Joseph on Saturday April 25 from 11am-1pm, run by Hull Truck's Tom Bellerby.
He said: "We're very excited to be involving the community in this production of The Ladykillers. The community chorus will be involved in one key scene in which Mrs Wilberforce invites her friends to what she thinks will be a wonderful musical recital by her musician acquaintances who aren't musicians at all but a motley collection of crooks."
Those selected for the volunteer community chorus will be invited to rehearsals on Saturday May 2 and Tuesday May 5 with Tom Bellerby and Hull Truck artistic director Mark Babych.
Successful applicants must also be able to commit to all local performances from Tuesday May 5 through to Saturday May 9 which includes evening performances at 7.30pm each night except Thursday when there is an earlier show at 7pm, plus matinees at 1.30pm on Thursday May 7 and 2.30pm on Saturday May 9.
The Ladykillers, by television writer Graham Linehan (Father Ted, Black Books, The IT Crowd), sees a motley crew of misfits pose as amateur musicians to rent rooms from the sweetly eccentric Mrs Wilberforce.
The police have no idea that they're planning a daring robbery but Mrs Wilberforce is not so easily deceived. Criminal mastermind Professor Marcus decides that there's only one way to keep the old lady quiet – Mrs Wilberforce must face the music. And he doesn't mean a string quartet...
For an application form or for any further information please contact the SJT OutReach department on 01723 370540.


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The Faculty of Science Centennial Centre for Interdisciplinary Science (CCIS)—a vibrant environment for learning and discovery.
Undergraduate and graduate programs, degrees, and admission information.
Dan Riskin ('97 BSc), host of the Discovery Channel's Daily Planet.
University of Alberta
Edmonton Alberta T6G 2E1
Phone : (780) 492-5286
Fax : (780) 492-0714
Office Hours
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Fun stuff
Great ideas for fun dates!! Gina really brings up some interesting ideas for creative, out of the box dating! Not just dinner and a movie....
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text: At Charles Clinkard, we stock a wide range of wellington boots for women from popular brands like Barbour, Joules and Hunter. They are must-haves for the autumn and winter when the weather gets wet and the ground gets muddy. Going to a festival this summer? Don't be without a pair of our essential patterned women's wellingtons to look stylish while you keep your feet dry. If you are looking for something that will keep your feet snug, take a look at our warm lined wellingtons for some extra insulation. Make sure you order the right-sized wellingtons by taking a look at our helpful size guide. Shop today.


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The Indian U-16 National Team for boys ended their six-week Training Camp in Goa with a convincing 7-0 victory against Sporting Clube de Goa's U-18 team.
Striker Daniel Lalhlimpuia scored a brace while Sayan Dutta, Rupert Nongrum, Isaac Vanmalsawma, Vinith Rai and Viveka Nanda scored one apiece for the winners.
Earlier, the boys also played against Brazil Football Academy's U-18 team and won 8-0. Rupert scored a hat-trick while Daniel scored a brace. Kamalpreet Singh, Sarthak Golui and Klins Mendes scored one each.
The final phase of the Preparatory Camp for the AFC U-16 Championship to be held in September resumes in Goa on June 1 when the batch of U-16 Indian boys presently based at IMG Academy, Florida joins the home-based U-16 National squad. Mr. Colm Toal, Head Coach Youth Development, will stay charge of the Camp.
Copyright © 2012 - All Rights Reserved - indraneelghosh.com


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Radiohead, $1000 haircuts and all
Posted by paulrivas on:
When Radiohead tickets went on sale at 10am a few months ago, I was able to buy one ticket, by phone. That was at about 10:20, and the guy on the other end said there were none left. I later discovered that in another part of town, my friend James Garza, kept at it and successfully bought two tickets online at 10:45. Ni modo.
When the concert date rolled around, Rivas Cultural Services was able to get my beloved Clare a last-minute free pit ticket, but due to being tired after a too-long day of work, she understandably bowed out. If I myself hadn't changed my mind 99 times about whether or not to go with my one ticket, I would have had a difficult time believing the woman I love would turn down a free pit ticket to see Radiohead right here in Santa Barbara.
The Bowl is quite a schlep for us now that we're living off Fairview as opposed to Anapamu. Not to mention less comfy now that the lawn is concrete, and more expensive every time. At Radiohead, it seemed to me that nothing remained of the old days, when I could count on there being 20 people I grew up with chatting desultorily in the pit. This time around, it was all south coast freeway dwellers. While I know there were several friends of mine in attendance, I spied none, whereas Rivas Cultural Service's star Spanish student's mom said she saw plenty of people she knew who live in L.A.
Now, great show aside - does anyone not think it was a great show? - I was so disappointed by the the band members' apparent $1000 haircuts and $600 t-shirts, I almost went out and spent a bunch of righteous indignation dollars, the kind Bill Hicks warned of. What, did the band stop at Blue Bee Donkey on the way to the Bowl? I understand that Radiohead is a top act worldwide, and I'm willing to concede that their not dressing themselves is part of the price of their achieving greatness. But if Santa Barbara hadn't been the lost stop on the North American tour, and the band hadn't been as inspired by this fact, the joke would have been on us, folks.
[Painfully honest disclosure/hypocrisy: I own two Blue Bee t-shirts, each bought for $24 at a 50% off sale.]


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FINAL: Bruins 3 Blue Jackets 1
The Bruins didnt play down to their opponent or get the proverbial case of limp dick in this one. The Blue Jackets only had 14 shots on net in this game and the Bruins did what they were supposed to do....yawn.
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Renowned permaculturalist Paul Wheaton is teaching a Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC) course and an Appropriate Technology Course (ATC) back to back, from May 28 through June 10 and June 12 through June 23. The classes will primarily focus on homestead-scale permaculture. The PDC course will be geared primarily toward design, with various projects that'll enhance students' design skills.
- RELATED STORY: 12 Permaculture Gardening Secrets
Billed as a "permaculture extravaganza," the courses will include no less than eight guest instructors, including the redoubtable Tim Barker, author, natural builder, educator and conservationist Thomas J. Elpel; master gardener, farmer and consultant Helen Atthowe; botanist, educator, writer, researcher, rocket mass heater innovator, natural builder, and boat aficionado Ernie Wisner; science and art educator, curriculum developer, writer, illustrator, researcher, and rocket mass heater innovator Erica Wisner; biodynamic farmer, author, and natural beekeeper Jacqueline Freeman; Sepp Holzer protégé Zach Weiss; and architect, artist, and entrepreneur Davin Hoyt.
Tickets for these upcoming classes sold out long ago, but in order to accommodate those who aren't able to attend, Wheaton and his team decided to stream them live.
That's where you come in.
- RELATED STORY: Root 'N Roost Farm Permaculture
Paul Wheaton has launched a kickstarter campaign to raise money for the equipment to make the live stream happen. If you're interested on getting these courses on film, head on over to the campaign page and contribute. There's tons of tiered and stretch goal rewards to be had.
5 of the Best Water Filtration Systems for Your Next Outdoor Adventure
Five next-generation water filtration systems for drinking clean on the go.
by Laura Lancaster / May 8, 2017


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Houzz. Now, a past client has seen my photos of her project and is demanding that I remove them. There was no clause in our contract either way, although I'm certain that case law has established that the rights to the architectural design and drawings remains with me, the professional who created them. But what about images of the completed project? Thanks for the link to Houzz.com, where we spent several hours deciding whether we liked our home office (photo) better than the posted ones (we did).
Right, you had a question. Image copyrights are owned by the person who created the image - the photographer. If the image contains separately copyrightable material--for example, there's artwork within the image, or the architectural design is copyrightable -- then permission is required from the photographer and the artist or architect whose work appears in the photo. There are many exceptions to these rules, for example, if the exterior is publicly viewable or the reproduction qualifies as a fair use. We wrote about many of these issues in this post on architectural photos. The only other issues that might arise would be contractual (did you agree not to post images?) or privacy (did you invade the client's privacy in some way by posting the images?). Assuming these are standard interior shots without client identification (as commonly seen on Houzz), we doubt that the latter issue will arise.


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Getting to know: Matthew Sales at Camden Council
Fri 28th March 2014, 4:07 pm
Matthew Sales, Camden Council's interim head of community investment and regeneration is attending Sitematch London this week. Here he gives a glimpse into his life outside the council – from a trip to the Indian subcontinent to enjoying the anthemic sounds of Arcade Fire.
1) Famous or otherwise, which person do you consider to be your biggest inspiration and why?
My grandad – because he had great manners, which I try and sometimes fail to replicate.
2) If you could visit any country in the world, where would you go and why?
Probably India. I was there for six months in 2009 and it would be wonderful to visit again.
3) Which book or film has had the biggest influence on your life?
Geography text books at school – it stimulated my interest in places, spaces, people and change, that I've taken into my career.
4) Briefly describe your most memorable sporting moment.
London 2012 was a fantastic event and Mo Farah's two gold-winning runs will live long in my memory .
5) What are your three favourite albums and why?
Arcade Fire – The Suburbs – Just beautifully written songs.
De La Soul – 3 Feet High and Rising – The standard for hip-hop albums.
Any Elbow album – really enjoying their latest release, The Take Off and Landing of Everything.
Latest News
Interview: James Bishop from U+I
Ealing Council's leader to join panel


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While the traditional gumbo recipe includes seafood, this version is loaded with vegetables and chicken. It's even better for you than the original and tasty, as well. Try serving this on a cold, blustery day to boost morale.
Here in Alabama it's sleeting and there is the merest chance of snow. For me it's the perfect night to enjoy a bowl of my Grandmother Somerville's Vegetable Gumbo. Her recipe calls for two hours of simmering, but I have a stash in the freezer so that's what we'll be having tonight.
In a large stockpot, saute the onion and garlic 2 Tbsp of oil. Once the onion is translucent, add the broth and the frozen okra, and bring the pot to a low simmer for approximately 1 hour. After an hour, use the back of a spoon to smash all of the okra pieces against the side of the pot. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for another hour. Serve with gluten free crackers, and a salad or sandwich.
This recipe makes a lot of soup, so we usually freeze the leftovers for quick weeknight suppers.


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What To Tell Your Daughter When She Asks Why You Wear Makeup
I face the mirror with makeup brush in hand and my 4-month old daughter beside me. She sits in her favorite chair and watches me with a mixture of interest and awe. I look back at her, my innocent baby who, to me, embodies perfection in a 16 pound package.
I gaze down at her face and think of the questions she'll likely ask me one day, and the assumptions she may make about my actions and habits. I wonder what I will tell her when one day she asks "Why do you wear makeup Mommy?" Possible answers run through my head.
Do I tell her that I wear makeup as a way to make myself look pretty? Or would telling her that seem like I was trying to convince her that physical attractiveness should be a woman's main goal life? Should I tell her it's to cover up things we sometimes feel insecure aboutin our appearance? Or would that subconsciously suggest that parts of her might too be bad to be honest about? Then I switch gears: do I start by telling her about social expectations about women and objectification, and the role feminism should play in her life? Or would that further confuse her in the process?
In other words, my question became this: how do I answer this question without promoting the double standards, contradictions and insidious feminine oppression created by our Disney-princess-promoting, hyper-image-conscious and patriarchal society?
To answer my question, I went back to basics, asking myself what my ultimate intentions are. In short, I want to be able to give my daughter an honest answer that is also empowering.
That intention sounds simple enough, and yet I realize that I don't even really know my own answer for why I wear makeup. I too am in need for an answer that is empowering.
I found myself pondering this recently as I read David Deida's book Blue Truth. In it, he explains that "the feminine is excruciatingly sensitive to the way adornments can serve to amplify or diminish … your heart's display of light." Reading this, something clicked. My answer came to me. The feminine power within me loves to be adored and adorned. I put on makeup as part of self-celebration. A celebration of what I am at my core — beauty, light, love.
I don't wear makeup to make myself look better or to cover myself up. I do it because it's available to me as something fun and whimsical. Think about other kinds of adornments and decorations in other walks of life: we celebrate achievements and holidays with parties, gifts and decorations — all of which are intended to enhance the joy and positive energy of the celebration.
In other words, garlands and banners bring something tangible and glitzy to a fun event. It's the same with makeup. The achievement of simply being is a wonder in and of itself. So the celebration of makeup, if you desire it, can simply honor and enrich your daily experience and make it fun. But again: only if you want to.
As long as honesty is on the table, though, I'll admit that I sometimes wear makeup because it is expected in certain situations, and/or because I feel the sting of comparison. It can be challenging living in a culture that places such a high value on appearance — particularly for women. I am no spiritual saint who is completely immune to societal pressures. I try to be adaptable and compassionate with myself during these moments, not feeling a pressure to make all my actions and behaviors match my purely political and philosophical belief system.
But on the days when I desire to wear makeup — and they are not every day — it often brings me joy and good old fashioned fun to enhance the radiance of my skin as a reflection of the radiance that I am. I enjoy adorning my face as an expression of my love for who I am and the love that I am. It brings me pleasure to highlight the sparkle in my eyes and the flush in my cheeks which are products of the delight I experience in my life. I feel powerful and passionate in a strong red lipstick — because I am powerful and passionate at my core. I feel glowing and luminous with a bronzed and dewy complexion — because I am glowing and luminous at the center of my being. I am these things too when I am bared faced. I see the makeup as a visual amplification of what is inside.
Of course, not everyone can or should agree with the way I feel about makeup. But this is how I see it, and I think it is both honest and empowering. So if and when my wonderful daughter asks me why I wear makeup, I'll answer simply: because who I am is love and light. It feels fun to celebrate what is inside by decorating the outside sometimes. There's no pressure to do this, and there are no right answers. So tell me, daughter of mine, what feels fun and good to you? What would display your heart's light? Let's go do that.
Graphic Design by MBG Creative
And are you ready to learn more about how to unlock the power of food to heal your body, prevent disease & achieve optimal health? Register now for our FREE Functional Nutrition Webinar with Kelly LeVeque.


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Double Chocolate Cookies
Well my class schedule is now official and I couldn't be more excited about what I'm taking. Lots of literature, dance and art- what could be better? It will be incredibly busy... but I'll figure out a way to handle it. In fact, you know what the best way to handle stress is? Bake cookies. Especially chocolate cookies. Take my word for it, it's incredibly therapeutic.
My friend and I were just going to make plain chocolate chip cookies, but when we found cocoa powder in the pantry, we decided the more chocolate the better. They ended up delicious and had a great, crumbly-on-the-outside and chewy-on-the-inside texture.
Double Chocolate Cookies (adapted from here):
makes about 2 dozen
2 cups unbleached flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
big handful of vegan chocolate chips
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup water
1. Preheat oven to 350°
2. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, cocoa powder and salt. Stir in chocolate chips.
3. In a medium bowl, combine sugar and oil. Then add the vanilla and water.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until combined (you may need to add a little extra water if dough is too dry).
5. Roll dough into tablespoon-sized balls and place them on an un-greased cookie sheet. Flatten them down a little- they don't spread much.
6. Bake for about 10-12 minutes. Take them out when they're still a little soft, as they will harden as they cool.
The weather here has been gross and rainy, but these cookies make the perfect rainy day snack.
Also, while I eat cookies and start studying and everything, I have been revisiting this song and the whole album it's on. It's one of my favorites! My friend and I listened to it as we baked these :)
Oh and just so my readers know... I'm still not super happy with the theme of my blog. So if stuff keeps changing I apologize and promise I will be content soon!
9 comments:
- Lauren10.9.11
Love the song and the cookies look delicious! Wish I could eat some right now before I go to present at a conference-- calm the nerves with chocolate. Yum.ReplyDelete
Sounds like awesome teaching :D. these cookies look really good - for some reason I have problems with baking cookies, I think it's the recipes. This clearly works though, so I may try it.ReplyDelete
Cookies can be difficult... everyone has different preferences on what kind of consistency they like! Let me know if these work out for you :)ReplyDelete
Whoop Beirut! They played at a festival I was at last summer, they're awesome live too :)ReplyDelete
Your cookies look very scrummy too..
Just checking in and I love this newest look to "That's So Vegan"! Need to find a recipe for something to bring to my first writer's group on Wednesday. Suggestions?ReplyDelete
If you're looking for something sweet, not too labor-intensive, yet unusual, I would recommend the plum cake I posted about earlier!ReplyDelete
- Janet19.6.12
I am in love with your blog! As an aspiring vegan baker, you have been very inspiring to me! Could you explain why you separated all your wet ingredients before mixing them in to the rest of the dry ingredients? What happens if you don't? I'd like to start concocting my own recipes and I never would have thought to do that!ReplyDeleteReplies
Hi Janet! Thank you so much for your kinds words- I'm so happy my blog has been an inspiration for you.Delete
The reason I mix wet and dry ingredients separately often is so that you can fully combine the sets of ingredients without compromising the texture of the result. When you over-mix wet and dry, cookies and cakes can turn out too dense or tough and there is not enough air to let them rise or expand. By separating them, you can mix each bowl until the ingredients are fully incorporated! The chemistry of cooking is a fascinating thing.
- Anonymous13.5.13
Your blog is beautiful and those cookies are just the best I have ever made! I keep on baking them for my friends and family who can just not picture that this is vegan!ReplyDelete
I published them on my blog too and added a banana inside! What a perfect match!
Carry on your wonderful job, I'll be following!


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Information reaching our desk now is to notify all students that the long awaited TMA 1 is finally out on the portal.
All students are hereby endeavor to solve and submit your TMA to avoid stories that touch after the closure.
As failure to submit between the stipulated periods makes you to lose 10 marks out of 30 marks for a course.
1) Questions are customised(encrypted) with your MATRIC NO
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Just as the characters in Game of Thrones unequivocally know Winter is coming, we also know Change is coming with President Trump. During his speech to Congress on February 28th very little details were revealed of his new tax plan. According to Mick Mulvaney he expects a full budget proposal will not come until May. Summarized below is a review of President Trump's proposals in the past as we speculate what changes might come for our tax system. Note we do not discuss the House GOP's blueprint which differs from Trump.
Personal Income Tax
Trump wants to consolidate and simplify the current tax brackets. Whether the impact of the proposed changes will be good, bad or ugly will depend on your present tax situation. Notice in the table below the capital gains rate may actually increase for many taxpayers from 15% to 20%. Those in the higher end of the 28% bracket will see increased tax rates for both income and capital gains.
Other notable proposals would be to repeal the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) and the 3.8% Medicare Surtax on net investment income. The personal exemption would be eliminated and in its place the standard deduction would be increased to $15,000 for single filers and $30,000 for married filing joint. On the other hand for those who itemize, deductions would be capped at $100,000 for single filers and $200,000 for married filing joint.
Corporate Taxation
A big portion of Trump's focus has been to slash the corporate tax rate from 35% to 15%. This would apply only to C corporations and not pass thru entities. Most small business owners in the United States are pass-thru entities and will not benefit from this reduction. These small business owners may benefit from the breaks given on personal income tax rates.
Estate Taxation Currently, each person can transfer $5.49 million free from gift or estate taxation. Any wealth above the limit is taxed with the top federal estate and gift tax rate at 40%. Trump has suggested eliminating the estate tax. Instead estates would be taxed if capital gains exceed $10 million. This could reduce the benefit of holding on to low basis asset for the basis step-up at death.
Planning Strategies
The ultimate change to the tax landscape is still to be determined. As changes are announced we will send new updates. The tax changes would most likely become effective in 2018 but some speculate they could be retroactive to 2017. Here are a few strategies to begin discussing with your financial planner and tax advisor.
Submitted by Petra Chien, Wealth Strategist, First Bank Wealth Management. Petra may be contacted at 424-343-5209 or via email at email@example.com.
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I'm sure Australia has about 50 Gigawatt of capacity now and uses a average of 30ghw
this is huge....
Swiss private equity firm Partners Group has announced that it is investing AUD$700 million in the development of the Grassroots Renewable Energy Platform in Australia, a 1.3 gigawatt (GW) renewable energy platform which will be made up of wind, solar, and battery storage assets built across the country in the next four years.
On Monday, Partners Group announced that it was teaming up with local developer CWP Renewables and will invest AUD$700 million (USD$527 million) into the development of a large-scale renewable energy platform which includes two projects already under construction, the announcement of imminent construction of a third project, and the promise of more, to a total of 1.3 GW.
"In Australia's energy market, a significant transition away from fossil-fuel power is now underway," said Haan. "The compelling economics of renewables and the age of older coal plants is driving that change, the speed of which is ramping up. While it is true that political instability has delayed the transition in the past and the sector is still somewhat fragmented, the Grassroots platform is aimed at this transition and its business plan is robust enough to deal with any likely outcomes from the current political debate. We believe Grassroots has the scale and the competitive edge to succeed and become a significant renewable IPP in Australia."
The nature of the country's political apathy has therefore forced developers and financial backers to look to other means and avenues to support the great potential of Australia's renewable energy resources.
"We have long emphasized the attractiveness of the Australian renewable energy sector," said Benjamin Haan. "However, as competition from low cost-of-capital buyers has driven down returns for operating renewable assets, we have focused instead on opportunities to build assets and expand them into platforms with the aim of exiting large, stabilized core assets in the longer term. The Grassroots platform allows us to aggregate a number of projects and build a platform of significant scale. Our 1.3 GW project pipeline also means we can be selective and develop Grassroots into a platform of quality renewable assets which will be attractive to core investors."
Despite our dodgy pollies they r going ahead


text:
I spent the day working on college work. My butt hurts from sitting in front of a computer all day. MEOW
I did however go to Atlanta, Lenox Square yesterday. I went on a hunt for a CHANEL hunt, or Prada. I found a couple of Prada purses that were ok. I found a CHANEL purse I wanted , but at 2250 dollars, I had to pass. Why do I have to have such expensive taste?
I need the lotto numbers or a real sugar daddy.
I'm off to bed...dreaming of the finer things in life.
Monday, June 08, 2009
I spent the day working on college work. My butt hurts from sitting in front of a computer all day. MEOW
Posted by Meow Meow at 11:43 PM 18 comments
Labels: shopping
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Well, I t has been quite awhile since my last post. A little over 7 months now. I guess we all get so busy with our daily routines that we let go of our outlets. I need to come back to this outlet because it was good for me to express my thoughts.
I have missed several of you. I will come around and check to see if you are still thriving in blogger world or if you too have let day to day activities/jobs/duties take over as well.
Well, I spent five years at my current teaching job. Today, I cleaned out my room and turned over my keys. I have many emotions. ....
I have several people that I will miss dearly...several of which I will keep in touch with over the years.
Some were very very sweet to me today. One in particular came to me ...one of the coaches. He and I haven't spent much time working together, he is a retired principal that teaches history now. He came and wished me well, shared his sweet words with me and hugged me goodbye. He was so thoughtful. I was moved.
On the other hand....my co-workers aren't much for goodbye. We went out last night and celebrated ione of my assistant principals getting married. We had a ball. I organized about 15 staff members and put it together. I was thrilled in how it turned out.
I have always been one who resists change and I am a bit nervous about moving to a new school in August. So start praying for me please!!!!
Posted by Meow Meow at 6:53 PM 1 comments
Labels: work
Friday, October 03, 2008
Posted by Meow Meow at 11:31 AM 3 comments
Labels: grad school
Friday, September 26, 2008
Hello All
It has been quite busy in my world. Today I stayed home sick. My tummy gave me fits afte dinner yesterday. So I saw it best to stay home. I also skipped my night class Thursday. Hubby had a conference to speak at today in North Alabama. So I have had he house to myself...which has been kinda soothing. OMG is it an adjustment from not having a roommate for ten years and then one you are supposed to share everything with~ it seems much easier for him.
I went and bought the Sex and the City movie when it was put on shelves Tuesday. I really loved those girls. Their "issues" were real life and easy to relate too.
I am watching Amy Wives now...but it's just a runner up. The characters are real but not as loveable.
Has anyone seen any great movies lately? I wanna curl up with a few this weekend, Hubby and I wee going to see the new Nicholas Sparks book to movie with Richard Gere this weekend...
Posted by Meow Meow at 5:22 PM 3 comments
Friday, August 29, 2008
I'm off on MONDAY--wahoooo
Happy 3 day weekend! I am damn sure happy to be able to sleep!!!!!!!!!
Hope your Labor day is fun, relaxing and full of love!
Posted by Meow Meow at 2:23 PM 3 comments
Monday, August 25, 2008
Happy Birthday to me.
I want to live in a tree
That way housing would be free
No one could see
How crazy these kids make me
Posted by Meow Meow at 1:18 PM 3 comments
Labels: giggle
Monday, August 18, 2008
Sorry that I have been away for SOOO long...I am back to work now...and should have a few more posts these days.
My kids this year are really LOW academically, which concerns me...Last year my kids were the highest in the sixth grade! Wahoooo we beat out 2 other teams.
Married life has its challenges....mostly because I haven't had a live in in ten years....huge difference for me.
Nothing happening exciting with me....I have another college course that starts this Thursday night for me. Ughhhh. It's a Psychology course, which I think I will like. I know the teacher. I am wanting it to be on another night...I am so damn tired by Thurdsday, I wanna go home and fall into bed.
OK..I will try to make it around to a few blog friends in the next couple of days.
Hope all is well in your world.
Posted by Meow Meow at 2:18 PM 3 comments
Labels: work
Thursday, July 03, 2008
Busy Busy Busy Yes, I am.
College --a Educational Research class is killing me. Although the Professor is quite the cutie! That helps when you are stuck in a 6 hour course.....and he knows the hubby...and he may be someone I want to work for in the next year...
Less than a month and I am back at work. YIKES
I have an obsession with several of the purses in the Sex & the City movie. I want one--a real CHANEL. I've been shopping on line. I joined Bag Borrow...the site mentioned in the movie...Can I say I am in love with the idea but not with their prices. I'd rather buy a new one...yes, I am talking several thousand...but it would be mine *all mine**
Good news for now for my mom. Her doc did a CT scan and found a suspicious spot on her right lung. We have been praying feverishly and he told her today...there is nothing to worry about right now, go back and see him in 3 months. They had given her basically 2 ideas:
1. It is lung cancer
2. it is scar tissue starting to form after her breast cancer surgery
Thank you Jesus.. I am on my hands and knees right now thanking him we did not here the word cancer again...keep her in your prayers.
Sorry to my regular blog buddies, I have been busy and neglecting all of you. I just need some sporadic time to sleep, shop, pray and work on college course work. Besides, I am still adjusting to having another person in the house 24/7. It's been a learning experience..and a patience pusher. I love him though! We are coming up on 3 months July 12....
Posted by Meow Meow at 5:44 AM 3 comments
Monday, June 23, 2008
I feel obligated to blog...however the last few weeks have not been full of free time. Today was really busy for me. My new step daughters are here with us. We spent the day together...We had pizza for lunch, went to the mall, drove over to my aunt's house to say hellO. We went to see daddy at work....they are at the neighborhood swimming pool right now with daddy. I'm taking a quiet break and need to get to work on college classwork. As I have classes Wed and Thursday....this summer course work is killing me. I want quiet time, sleeping in late and lots and LOTS of money.
We did get a new flat screen tv for the bedroom. We have a 46inch in the living room. So we boight a 40 inch for the master bedroom. We have it hooked up but we need a new HD reciever for the bedrom from Direct TV.
How in the hell is my summer 1/2 OVER ????????
Wish me calm tranquility~ and the ability NOT to shop. I have soooo much to pay for still. I have run wild for the last few months and my credit cards are paying for it and my interest rates are sharing a rapid heart beat as they accrue interest.
Much love
Posted by Meow Meow at 6:28 PM 3 comments
Labels: kids
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Posted by Meow Meow at 12:37 AM 6 comments
Labels: Sex
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Sorry ya'll. I have had the last 2 days off no work or college classes...I have been a homebody and lazy as hell. I need downtime and lots of love from kitty cats~
Work was the worst two months I have had. I have to change schools this next school year. I put in for a transfer 2 days late and my principal refused to sign it. I'll have to train a new teacher in the fall and pray that *H* actually comes back.....I just don't even want to think about it.
Married life has it's ups and downs. I am having the hardest time simply because I am not accustomed to having a roommate. It's the little things that I have a rough time with....like finding a sticky remote control, extra dishes, the inability to clean a stove after he cooked.
On the other hand, the ability to wake up next to the man I LOVE, the sweet notes he leaves around the house just because and eventually the few hundred dolars of savings I'll get each month. I am still paying wedding bills, his ring and we're splitting our new bedroom set..but still owe 3000 grand on it. I deserve a pay raise damn it. Teachers are not paid enough to deal with what we do...............
I am addicted to the tanning bed....Its the first year in my life I have ever been in one. I like looking tan!!!!!!! I am geting lots of compliments which is very cool.
Posted by Meow Meow at 7:52 PM 6 comments
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
I made it.
My boss has really pissed me off.
I am so in need of down time.
Posted by Meow Meow at 3:10 PM 6 comments


text:
Insight: Capitol Chat / 26th Annual Creek Week / Author Wendy Wood / Grammy Winner Sharon Isbin
Capitol Chat: California's Minimum Wage
Capitol reporter Ben Bradford joins Insight to talk about the approval of California's $15 minimum wage.
Sacramento County's Annual Creek Week
There's a county-wide effort called Creek Week to educate residents about their community creeks. Organizers explain how the program got started, why it's important and how people can get involved.
Author Wendy Wood On Altruism
Author Wendy Wood joins Insight to discuss her new book, which explores responsibility and altruism through essays and interviews.
It's Not Rocket Science For Classical Guitarist Sharon Isbin
Grammy Award-winning classical guitarist Sharon Isbin talks with Insight's Beth Ruyak in advance of her appearance this weekend at the Mondavi Center for Performing Arts at UC Davis.


text:
New Challenge Winners Take to the Road in Honduras
The grand prizewinners for this year's New Challenge accepted their social innovation award with obvious glee—virtually. Cristina Handal, a graduate student at Parsons School of Design Strategies, and Marco Zelaya, from the Urban Policy program at The Milano School of International Affairs, Management, and Urban Policy were tuning in to the announcement ceremony via Skype. Both are in Honduras, already hard at work on Y Corn, their collaborative project that had just won $10,000 from the social innovation competition.
Using a sustainable economic model, Y Corn seeks to empower women who own small businesses on the roadsides of Honduras. These women, named the "eloteras" for the corn-based edible products that they sell, often struggle with unsanitary and unsuitable working conditions. The project's goals are to improve infrastructure and access to clean water and shelter, all while building a support system through classes on finance, marketing, and water management.
Executive dean for The New School for Public Engagement David Scobey and New School president David Van Zandt announced and presented the awards at a panel and celebration event on Wednesday, March 13. In all, $30,000 was awarded to seven project winners. For more information on the projects of all winners, visit the New Challenge website at http://newchallenge.newschool.edu/.


text:
My Mother-in-Law loves fairies so I hope she will like it. Full details of everything I have used are listed below.
The inside has been decorated to complement the front and I used the same verse as the one I used for my Mother.
I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:
Crafter's Companion Challenge 22 - Spring
Glitter Geeks Challenge Week 11 - Mother's Day
Simon Says Stamp Challenge - a BIT o'GREEN!!!
Little Darlings Challenge 19 - Spring is in the Air
Delicious Doodles Challenge 15 - The Wonder of Life
Kaboodle Doodles Challenge 110 - Show us some Green!
Thank you for stopping by today, don't forget there is a new challenge over at Willow Sketchie at the moment and now you can either follow the sketch OR the theme and the theme this week is EMBELLISH IT, it couldn't be more simple.


text:
All my life I wanted to face my fears. But gradually. Not, you know, by being thrown out of an airplane into a vat of tarantulas. #140novel
"I love you!" "Why." "Does it matter why?" "If you love me because I've got dissociative identity disorder and you like my other self, yes, it matters." #140novel
The dark fae-folk, the ones that steal children, don't steal anymore. Our society gives them infants in exchange for career luck.
Luke spent twelve years in the jungle searching for a cure. He found the flower in his mother's backyard--the day of her funeral.
I coughed, scratching on thru the swamp; dank weeds slick with urine tangled my bare ankles. I lost my resolve. But I found hers. #140novel
I screamed, plummeting sixty stories towards the dino-infested zoo. I screamed cuz my parachute opened. I hate my job that much. #140novel
(May 9)
I found her in a dumpster; married her same day. She stopped drugs, got a job, grew rich--& left me because I'm a trash collector.
What got me about this guy wasn't his Mohawk, piercings, or leather. It was his worn copy of Trumpet of the Swan by EB White. #140novel daw
(May 9)
I came. I saw. I ran away screaming as the giant scorpion whipped its stinger at me. I returned with bug spray. I conquered. #140novel
(May 12)
You can read some other twitter-length short stories from me here, and if you like very, very dark horror about feminism and death, you can read that here, and if you like sad flash fiction about mothers you can read one here, and if you like dialogue-heavy flash-fiction about scifi and speech impediments you can read that here, and if you just want to choose a free short story your own dang self you can do that here.


text:
(photo by Nancy Thomas)
In an upcoming series on PRI's The World, we'll look at the global perception of black skin color. We speak with a cognitive psychologist who has studied initial reactions to skin phenotypes, political scientists, a refugee from Darfur, historians, Chinese students, a development specialist from Yemen, African expats, Latin American activists and others.
There have been many attempts to understand blackness. Among the most classic explorations was Frantz Fanon's "Black Skin, White Masks". (see video clip) Fanon observed that the most common view of black skin –which exists in hues from tan to charcoal and shades of gray –was a denial of recognition. Other perceptions at the time of the Algerian Revolution, and still in force today, are heavily weighted down in stereo-types.
So we ask these questions: Can anything or anyone change the universal or global perception of blackness? Is it even necessary in a world where perceptions of race and racism are changing, albeit slowly? Does the fact that race is a social construct in any way mitigate anti-black skin prejudice? And does the ascendency of prominent individuals of African descent (Obama, Mandela, Rice, Powell) connote "post-racial" progress, or merely obfuscates what some regard as an immutable negative frame of reference to black skin color?


text:
Victims seek public release of documents in archdiocese bankruptcy
Lawyers for sex-abuse victims in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee bankruptcy are asking the judge to make public all records involving credibly accused priests, depositions and other sealed documents, saying the move is needed to protect children.
They accuse the archdiocese of using the bankruptcy's broad protective order, which is intended to shield victims, to deny police detectives in an ongoing investigation access to information about a now defrocked priest.
"This is exactly why the public is served by relief of the protective order," said victims attorney Jeff Anderson, whose firm asked Bankruptcy Judge Susan V. Kelley on Thursday to modify the order to allow the limited release of information, while still protecting the identities of victims.
Jerry Topczewski, chief of staff for Archbishop Jerome Listecki, said it's the archdiocese's policy to cooperate with civil authorities. He attributed its failure to provide information about former priest Jerome Wagner to the Fond du Lac Police Department last fall as a breakdown in internal communication involving its newly hired victims advocate.
"It's in our best interest," said Topczewski. "The bottom line is if the Fond du Lac Police Department had been directed to our attorneys, they would have gotten the documents they wanted," he said.
Topczewski could not explain why they were not provided in the month since the initial request. "That's a good question," he said.
Fond du Lac police are investigating allegations that Wagner molested a minor between 1997 and 2001, before he was restricted from ministry in 2002. He was later defrocked and appears on the archdiocese's list of credibly accused diocesan priests.
Anderson, who has advocated for the release of church documents in lawsuits and bankruptcies around the country, says claims in the Milwaukee bankruptcy identify more than 100 accused offenders, 75 of them priests, who have not been publicly named by the archdiocese. Their identities remain under seal as part of the protective order, creating what victims have alleged is a public safety crisis -- an accusation the judge has roundly rejected.
Topczewski said the majority of those priests belong to religious orders, over which the archdiocese has no authority. Victims argue that the archdiocese bears responsibility because it grants the faculties required for a priest to function in its geographic area.
- 'Jesus Calling' gets book bump as Walker touts it on campaign trail
- New Covenant Church plans new sanctuary
- Interfaith community explores faith, forgiveness in Rep talk-backs
- Christian symposium to address "city transformation"
- ISIS, Ferguson and marriage equality among top religion stories of 2014
- Anti-Christmas billboard targets Milwaukee-area's closeted atheists
- Priests join abuse survivors in call for papal investigation of Milwaukee archdiocese
- Salvation Army Christmas Dinner needs 400 more volunteers
- $20,000 anonymous gift pushes Redeemer Lutheran's boiler campaign over goal
- IRS wins appeal v. Freedom From Religion Foundation over tax-free housing for ministers
Roman Catholic
ELCA Lutheran
The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod
WELS Lutheran
Episcopal Church
Unitarian Universalist


text:
Sounds like we'll never know:
"Louis Cannon, president of the Washington chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police, who was not on the scene, said the congressman had appeared intoxicated when he crashed his Ford Mustang into a barrier on Capitol Hill.
Cannon said the officers involved in the accident were instructed by an official "above the rank of patrolman" to take Kennedy home and no sobriety tests were conducted at the scene."
(Italics are mine)
This sounds a bit familiar...


text:
Come, Little Brother… Come, Little Sister.
July 1, 2014
Biology was always my favorite class in high school. Freshman year Introduction to Biology was taught by C.A.R. Johnson, a quirky old fellow that had a lot of love for his subject, and for his students. C.A.R. always enjoyed taking his classes out for walks around Lake Ellen, behind Glenbard West High School, to show us the many varieties of trees that grew in that picturesque setting. He had a variety of stock phrases that he would use… some as teaching aids, and some as a way to keep the group together, and listening. "Tree of Heaven… smells like the OTHER PLACE". "Xylem and Phloem… food flow through 'em." "Slippery Elm… leaves like sandpaper!" These stock phrases worked like a charm, to glue these little facts into our brains. When some of the kids would start to wander off, he would draw us back together, saying, "Come little brother… come, little sister."
Years later, I would find myself following another person on nature walks, but this time it was on the beautiful barrier island, Camp Lulu Key, in southwest Florida, in the 10,000 Islands National Wildlife Refuge. The person leading these walks was another interesting character, known as John "Crawfish" Crawford. John is a Marine Educator with the University of Georgia's Marine Extension Service (MAREX). The thing that initially drew me to Camp Lulu Key, was the gathering of fellow kayakers to the remote island for the New Year's celebration, far away from the dangerous roads and loud gatherings on "amateur night". We partied, to be sure, but the next morning, we would always be there to do the cleanup. Our motto was to always leave it as we found it, or leave it BETTER. We picked up the remains of the night before, as the tide was on its way out, leaving 100 yards of tidal flats where the water had been, just hours before. The morning of New Year's Day, during my first trip to Lulu, I noticed John. He was wearing his trademark white rubber shrimper's boots and walking out from his campsite, which was nestled amongst the red and black mangrove shoreline. A small crowd was quickly forming behind him, following his every move. "Hmmm… interesting…", I thought, as I quickly stashed the trash in my tent, and joined the group.
It was more than just "interesting", following Crawfish onto that tidal flat… it was fascinating. He would pause, pick up a live shell, and then talk about it for a bit. He would tell the common name, like "lightning whelk", and then go on to tell its Latin name (Busycon contrarium), and some of its particular traits. The "contrarium" part of the Latin name was due to the fact that, unlike most other whelks and conchs which, when held "crown up", had their opening on the right, the lightning whelk had its opening on the left… giving this shell its other common name, the "left-handed whelk". Crawfish had a wealth of knowledge about the shells, crabs, sponges, and other invertebrates. Like a sponge soaking up water, I tried to learn all I could while following, listening, and asking questions.
My friend, Kent Van Slyke, holds a live lightning whelk (Busycon contrarium), which we found crawling along the tidal flats recently, on Pavilion Key, in Everglades National Park. In the second picture, you can see the whelk's "operculum" – the "trap door" that protects the animal from predators, covering the left-handed opening and the soft animal inside.
Fast-forward. I've picked up a lot of bits of information over my 25 years of kayaking in SW Florida & beyond, through observation & investigation on my own, sharing with other knowledgeable people, and through my studies with the Florida Master Naturalist Program (FMNP), associated with the University of Florida. My instructor for the Master Naturalist Program was Cindy Bear-O'Connor, who is the Site Coordinator at the Randell Research Center, an ancient Calusa Indian shell mound at Pineland, Pine Island, FL. This is an outstanding program, which I would highly recommend to anyone that is interested in furthering their knowledge of the many varied Florida ecosystems.
You could say that I am now, a "version" of C.A.R. Johnson and John Crawfish Crawford, and myself, combined. I don't claim to have the extensive knowledge of either of these two men, but I will say, quite proudly, that I know more than most. It is my pleasure to be able to share that knowledge as a kayak guide for Everglades Area Tours, in Chokoloskee FL, at the doorsteps of Everglades National Park and Big Cypress National Preserve. It is a true pleasure to open up some eyes, while showing off the amazing abundance of life in this tremendously diverse natural area. If you'd like to follow along with me, subscribe to my blog, or come join me on a kayaking trip, and see nature's beauty through your own eyes.
Come, little brother… come, little sister!
Trip Report Excerpt – Whitehorse Key, November, 2007
May 22, 2012
One of my favorite parts of wilderness kayak camping with the local clubs, is sitting around a nice campfire, talking, sharing food & drink, and the story-telling. Stories of past trips – some funny, some dramatic. Some tell an occasional bawdy joke or two, or… ten. Some tell stories of tough conditions & how we got through them. On this particular Friday, the stories continued into the night, through the shared blackberry brandy & warm duck (isn't it supposed to be "cold duck"?). Bit by bit, the circle got smaller as people drifted off to their tents, to rest up for the next day.
Saturday, to me, is the "payoff day". You plan for days, or even weeks. You wake up in the pre-dawn hours, load the car, drive, pack the kayak, paddle 10 miles or so, set up camp, and after all of that – on the first day, you're almost too tired to do much of anything. On a one-night trip, you have to do the whole thing in reverse almost as soon as you wake up! But if you're out there for 2 or more nights, you have ALL DAY Saturday, to explore, take pictures, fish, or even simply lie on a beautiful, quiet beach and read… whatever you want to do. I wanted to go fishing.
I paddled out between Whitehorse & Gullivan keys at first, hoping to find some of the mackeral that we had seen on our way out on Friday. I didn't find the mackeral, but I did catch & release some ladyfish and spotted sea trout. The spotted sea trout were out of season, but I toyed with the idea of keeping some anyway. It's a dishonorable, yet time-honored tradition among campers, to call it "mystery-fish", or "camp-meat". People that wouldn't otherwise even go so far as to jaywalk, have been known to do this. I thought, for a while, about keeping a ladyfish and using it for shark bait, but then I thought that I'd much rather catch a nice snook or redfish, so I didn't. Pete had mentioned the Four Brothers Key area as a possible fishing spot, so I headed over that way.
On my way to Four Brothers, I hugged the shorelines, casting my tipped bucktail jig under the mangroves at all of the likely points, but having no luck. I continued this way, working the shoreline until about 2:00 or 2:30… getting more & more frustrated at not finding the snook & reds. The afternoon heat was steamy, so I loosened my sprayskirt from the cockpit, to let the air circulate. It was a calm day, with no power boat traffic, so I didn't need the sprayskirt to keep waves from crashing into the boat. I finally came into an area where I was catching some ladyfish and… uh… ummm… a kind of fish that shall remain unidentified, but let's call them "speckled-mystery-sea-mullet", OK? I wanted something to share with my campmates, and that seemed to be all that was available. I put them on a stringer, and clipped it to a bungee on my kayak's deck, to keep them alive and fresh. Hopefully, I would catch a redfish or snook, and release the "mystery fish" alive.
After fishing the shoreline along the full length of Four Brothers Key, I decided to try a hidden lake in the center of an un-named island just to the north. My chart showed that there was a mangrove-lined creek that entered the lake from the north side of the island. The creek was easy to find, and quite picturesque, with the mangroves even forming a shady overhead canopy as it wound its way into the interior of the island. It was a fairly deep creek, with a good amount of flow from the outgoing tide. As I made my way to the hidden lake, a beautiful pink roseate spoonbill took flight ahead of me, flashing the bright slash of red on its shoulder. There were other wading birds working the shallows, as I entered the lake. Now that there was room enough to cast again, I made a few tentative casts, while watching for the telltale signs of snook popping the surface, or reds tailing.
I sat there, close to the opening, trying to decide which part of this fairly large hidden lake to fish first. I was about 15′ from the mangroves to my left, and maybe 50′ to 75′ from the mangroves to my right. As I sat there, pondering my plan, I saw a large wake coming from the mangroves to my right, and heading straight for the bow of my kayak. All that I had on my mind, at this point, was snook & reds. My first thought was "Snook! BIG snook!". The wake crossed under the tip of my bow, and did a 90 degree turn to the left, no more than 2 feet from the side of my kayak. I positioned myself to cast behind me, to place my lure ahead of the fish, to "lead" it, when the wake seemed to disappear.
At that moment, it all happened. The left side of my kayak lurched underwater, and I was pulled upside-down instantly. I instinctively knew what it had happened. A shark had grabbed the fish on my stringer and pulled me down. My spray skirt had been off, so in an instant, the kayak was half-full of water, and I was dumped into the water with the shark, with my kayak drifting away from me. I took a couple of quick strokes & grabbed the kayak, scrambling to pull myself up onto the hull of my upside-down boat. I wanted to be OUT of that water, and NOW. My only thought was, how much my kicking, lily-white legs must look like fish on a stringer.
The thing I didn't realize was, the huge splash that I made, and the solid resistance of the weight of the kayak against the stringer of fish, must have scared the shark off. All I knew was, it was somewhere close by. As I climbed onto the kayak, it sank at my end, filling it with more water, so I did the "cowboy crawl" toward the center of the boat, to balance it, all the while, keeping my arms & legs on top as much as possible. If you think that it's any easy thing to do, balancing on top of a 22-inch-wide, upside-down sea kayak, then I invite you to try it yourself, sometime. You could say, that I was "highly motivated". I reached around to the front deck, where I had the stringer clipped, and unclipped it, then I threw the clip away from the kayak. I didn't want that shark to start pulling the kayak around again, since I had a pretty tenuous grasp on the boat at this point.
Now that I was in a "relatively safe" position, I had a chance to assess my situation. I was unhurt, balancing on top of my upside-down kayak, still holding onto my fishing rod! I never let the rod go, through the whole ordeal. To this day, I have no idea how I did that. As I looked around for signs of the shark, I could see my paddle, chart, and water bottle drifting slowly toward the creek, with the outgoing tide. I was in a hidden lake, where no passing boat could ever see me. Even a plane flying overhead in a search pattern would have to have a tremendous amount of luck to spot me. I got there on my own, so I was going to have to get out, on my own.
My paddle. It was floating toward the mouth of the creek. I was going to need that paddle to get back to camp, and there was only one way to get it back. I had to swim for it. I hadn't seen the shark's wake since before everything started happening, and all was quiet, so I decided to go for it. I slipped back into the water & swam over to the paddle, still with a firm grip on my fishing rod, using the smoothest stroke possible, so as not to make attractive vibrations. Then I swam back to the kayak with the paddle. Nothing was happening… I wasn't being bitten! So, with feelings of trepidation, I decided to stay in the water & swim the kayak to the mangrove shoreline.
The mangroves were thick, with no beach area to speak of, and the water was fairly deep right up to within about 6′ or so of their roots. There were enough roots to keep me from sinking into the muck, so I started emptying the water from my kayak. It was then, that I saw that the stringer was still attached to the kayak, having gotten tangled up in the deck bungees! I pulled on the stringer, and to my horror, I saw that the fish were still there! Shark bait!!! I quickly stuffed them into the cockpit behind the seat, and continued to empty the water out, as quickly as possible. You have no idea of the relief I felt, when I was once again able to climb into that kayak. I sat there trying to calm my breathing, and slow the pounding of my heart. After a few minutes, I finished clearing the water out with my sponge, then paddled back out the creek, in a vain attempt to find my chart and water bottle.
I had spare charts, a submersible GPS and VHF radio, and they were both still functioning properly. At this point, however, the emergency situation had passed, so there was no need to call anyone. I knew exactly where I was, so I headed back to camp by the shortest possible route. Somehow, I just didn't feel like fishing any more that afternoon.
After getting back to camp, I took my first good look at the "spotted sea mullet" that were on that stringer. There was a bite mark that measured 5 1/2″ wide, cut cleanly about 1″ deep on one side, with small lacerations matching that size on the other side. I "guesstimated" the size of the shark to be in the 5′ to 6′ size range.
After relating my story at camp, a few people asked me if I was done with kayak fishing, or if I would do it differently. No – I am not done with kayak fishing, but I AM done with stringers. I was aware that a shark could come along & grab fish off of a stringer, but for some reason, I thought that there would be more warning – like tugs on the line, that sort of thing. It was that scene in "Jaws" that had me fooled. Do you remember the scene, where the guy throws his wife's roast off of the dock, tied to an inner tube? That gigantic shark gave a couple of feeble tugs on it, before shredding that dock to pieces. That, my friend, was FICTION. This was REAL. That rushing wake was my only warning, and I didn't recognize it as the only warning that I would be given.
There's always a few stories that come out of each camping trip, and that's mine, for this particular trip. I learned from it, came out of it unscathed, and hope that by sharing it, that others will learn from it too. If you use a stringer in salt water, YOU. ARE. TROLLING.
Anybody else up for some kayak camping, and fishing? I am… but don't expect me to provide you with any "mystery-fish-camp-meat", OK? Karma… is real.
The Battle of Fisheating Creek
May 8, 2012
"The Battle of Fisheating Creek" sounds like it may have taken place at an obscure Civil War battlefield, but this is a battle that is being waged today, between one of Florida's cattle baron families, and the public. The creek has been traveled by the public since the early days of Florida's settlers, when the waterways were the highways that were used for trading and travel. These days, it is used for recreation, by paddlers, campers, hunters , fishers, birdwatchers, and photographers. It has been immortalized in stunning black and white photos by the world-famous photographer, Clyde Butcher.
Fisheating Creek is well-known amongst the kayakers and canoers of south Florida, as a great place to see the kind of scenery and wildlife that you might only expect to see in old-time photographs. You can still see the real natural beauty of this place, just a little over 100 miles south of the city that "The Mouse" built, Orlando. Fisheating Creek is a nature photographer's paradise, with majestic cypress trees, spanish moss-covered live oaks, and the tea-stained red-brown, yet clear water, twisting and turning throughout its length.
Here, you can get up-close to nature in its beauty, with great blue herons that squawk at you angrily, as they give up their fishing spot, and hot-pink roseate spoonbills, swishing their heads side-to-side as they search for shrimps and small fishes in the shallow waters. Sometimes, as you glide silently amongst the cypress trees in the narrow channels, you get a hint of what is to come. Downy feathers cling to the bushes, and an earthy odor of guano tests your senses, just before a flock of a hundred white ibis fly up, with their "grumpy old man call"… awk, awk, awk, awk… like an old geezer complaining about kids invading "his" sidewalk with skateboards. The limpkin looks at first, like the older brother to the ibis, because of its general shape, and the long, somewhat curved bill. But they are larger, they are colored brown with white specks, and they are louder as well. Their cry will wake you out of your reverie, and if you're fast enough, maybe you can snap a shot before he takes off with his apple snail meal.
Of course, being wild Florida, there are gators, big and small. You might not see any for a few miles, but then again, you may see enough that you will lose track if you try to count them all. These gators are wild, and wary, and are unlikely to approach humans. They are much more likely to watch as you approach, then silently slip into the water, still watching, with just their eyes and nostrils protruding above the surface. If you get closer… poof! They submerge and wait for you to go past, before quietly surfacing again.
In the 1980's, Fisheating Creek's natural beauty began to be known by more than just the local residents. People came from miles away, to paddle its pristine waters, and camp & fish on its shores. They recognized the creek for the treasure that it still is, mostly, to this day. That was perceived as a problem by Lykes Brothers, the big cattle company that owned hundreds of thousands of acres on both sides of the creek. They claimed ownership of the creek, and erected fences and felled trees across the waterway, to restrict access.
The Battle of Fisheating Creek had begun, and Lykes Brothers had fired the first shots. These were answered by people such as Becky Hendry, and then Ellen Peterson, through the organization that came to be known as "Save Our Creeks". David Guest, now a lawyer for Earthjustice, filed a lawsuit against Lykes. Working with Guest, Monika Reimer searched through nearly a century's-worth of records, until she found a hand-drawn map from the 1920's that proved conclusively, that Fisheating Creek had historically been a navigable waterway along its 50 mile length. It was the evidence that was desperately needed, to stop Lykes in its tracks. In 1997, it was decided in court, that Fisheating Creek belongs to us, the public.
In the 1997 agreement, it was decided that exotic vegetation that had clogged Cowbone Marsh, about halfway between Rte. 27 and Lake Okeechobee, would be removed, to restore the natural flow of the creek. That task was turned over to the Florida Game Commission. According to Earthjustice, the money that was appropriated for this purpose, was misspent, and instead, was used to buy swamp buggies for hunters and fishermen. The Army Corps of Engineers got involved, and brought their own "solution" to the Cowbone Marsh "problem". Their plan is to dump 50 million pounds of sand in the marsh, and build several roads through it, effectively splitting the creek, creating a lake, and cutting the flow of water to the lower part of the creek, and Lake Okeechobee.
David Guest and Monika Reimer are in the process of filing several legal actions to prevent this, but in the meantime, a series of dams have already been built across Cowbone Marsh. As recently as July 2008, I paddled from Lake Okeechobee up to Cowbone Marsh. At that time, the flow of water was still getting through the marsh, and I was able to paddle my kayak the 9 or 10 miles to get to where it was blocked by water hyacinths. In September 2009, I kayaked from the Fisheating Creek Outpost by Rte. 27, nearly 12 miles downstream, to where thick grasses had blocked navigation from the other side of Cowbone Marsh. At that point, I had paddled all but 1 or 2 miles of Fisheating Creek, from the mouth, to approximately 36 miles upstream. I was eagerly anticipating being able to "connect the dots" after the exotics were removed.
On my last attempt to reach Cowbone Marsh via the mouth of the creek, the flow of water had trickled to almost nothing, as a result of the dams that had been built at the marsh. Only a mile into the trip, the water was so shallow that I had to get out and walk my kayak for a hundred yards at a time. This is a kayak that can easily float in 8″ to 10″ of water. After slogging through the shallows like this, for 2 1/2 miles, I gave up the effort and turned around.
Pic #1 of the dams at Cowbone Marsh.
Pic #2 of the dams at Cowbone Marsh.
Pic #3 of the dams at Cowbone Marsh.
Now I hear about this misguided plan to change Cowbone Marsh, and Fisheating Creek, forever. These closed-door decisions have been made, with zero input from the REAL owners of the creek, you and me… the public. I am just one paddler, but this doesn't just affect me. It affects every member of the public that might want the future generations of, not only Florida residents, but of the USA and the world, that want to have the natural beauty of Florida's still-natural waterways to remain pristine, for the people, and the animals, to enjoy.
What can you do to help? Visit the following links, and donate your money, or your time. They will both be needed, and you can help.
Earthjustice: http://earthjustice.org/features/campaigns/into-the-swamp
Save Our Creeks: http://www.saveourcreeks.org/index.html
The Big TUR—–tle – excerpt from a trip report.
April 6, 2012
Here is that part that to some, may seem like a dramatized fiction… but it happened just this way. Today's trip has provided Jim Baldwin with a "catch phrase", and a story that I am sure that he will be telling, for years to come… and it will go, something on the order of: "Did I ever tell you about the time I was in the 10,000 islands, and…?" Yes. It's that good.
The day was beautiful… as I mentioned, the tide was with us; we were making great time; we had gentle breezes & good temperatures, and a layer of clouds that kept us from burning up under the hot sun. We had just finished checking out Panther Key, and had started to go around Gomez Point, at the outer tip of Panther. The water was shallow, and we were occasionally bumping our paddles on the bottom, so we were edging away from the shoal, but still in fairly shallow water. Mullet were jumping and splashing here and there, and an occasional ladyfish even jumped high enough for us to clearly distinguish them from the crazed antics of the bellyflopping mullet. Jacks boiled the surface in their schools from time to time, and suddenly, out of nowhere, one made a 10′ long jump, about 3′ out of the water, and sailed over Brenda's kayak deck, just in front of where she sat in her cockpit! "Jumping jacks" is nothing out of the ordinary, but the funny thing about this one was, it went over sideways! I think everyone in the group witnessed the fish's great leap, and we talked and laughed about it for several minutes afterwards.
We were still abuzz over the excitement of Brenda's fishy encounter, when I saw something small and round break the surface of the water, maybe 20′ in front of Jim's boat. I pointed, and told him that I thought that a small sea turtle had surfaced just in front of his boat. Jim peered in front of his kayak, and gave it a couple of strokes forward, to close the gap. Then he started to say, "That's a BIG TUR-"
I've got to break into this story here, to explain something. There are moments in a person's life… moments in time… when the events of a few fractions of a second couldn't possibly fit into the actual amount of time that they are supposed to have taken. For example: In the fraction of a second between the time that Jim said the two syllables, "tur" and "tle", I had enough time to realize, before he finished the word "turtle", that this, indeed, was the complete word that he was about to say. I not only had enough time to think that, but I ALSO had enough time to clearly enunciate, in my mind, the complete thought… "This is extremely shallow water. We are past turtle egg-laying season, aren't we? And, we aren't really anywhere near a beach that any proper-thinking, self-respecting turtle would lay it's eggs on – we're on the outside of a shoal! So-o-o-o… why in the heck would there be a BIG turtle here?" In the next nano-second, STILL before Jim had a chance to utter the 2nd half of the word, "turtle", our entire group watched with amazement as Jim's kayak started to rise out of the water and pitch over to the right side, as a volcano of water began to erupt under him. Sitting, as I was, 10 or 15 feet to his left, and maybe 20 feet behind him, I lost sight of the red color of his boat's deck as the entire white underside of his kayak appeared, seemingly suspended, over the surface of the water. The stop-motion nano second ended, as Jim completed the word: "TLE!!!!"
The funny thing about this is, as we had been paddling down the 3 mile canal from Port of the Islands, Brenda, Pete and I had been telling Jim and Paul some of our manatee stories, about our own encounters, and those of our friends. One of these, had been the story of a friend who had encountered a manatee in very shallow water. It had not only bowled him over, but it had cracked his fibreglass kayak hull as well. Up until today's encounter, though, I think that Jim and Paul had been having a difficult time believing just how fast, and how incredibly powerful, a very scared manatee can be.
Think about it for a moment. You take a kayaker in a 40lb. kayak, and you take a half-ton manatee… put the manatee under the kayak and scare the hell out of the manatee. Who do you think will come out the winner in that little conflict? Ask Jim. He'll tell you. And, don't forget to say to Jim, if you're ever kayaking with him…
"That's a BIG turtle!!!"
(note: Have any doubts about this story? Watch the accompanying video. See just how difficult it can be, to spot a manatee. Then, watch the "eye-opener" at 2 minutes, 14 seconds into the video)


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Wedding day is amongst the most important days in a woman's life. You must want a perfect bridal look in your wedding day. A perfect bridal dress just isn't enough apparently. We still have to have the perfect location, the sparkling silverware, the classy invitations, the fresh flowers. Getting all this ready is just not a joke. Now, how do you st… Read More
The peach sherbet bridesmaid attire Melissa ordered from us turned out truly incredible at her wedding!Emma and Ben's gorgeous wedding is now highlighted on their own photographer's blog! Their midnight navy bridesmaid attire from FHFH turned out certainly beautiful at her wedding! Check out the blog submit:FHFH bridesmaid dresses in Kitty's beauti… Read More
Beginning your hunt for an engagement ring in Dallas, Texas can result in one of the most essential purchases of your whole life. Buying an engagement ring can be a little complicated task. After all, Dallas has lots of great jewelry shops that sell quality stones in a wide range of cuts and settings. Not to mention you are purchasing something tha… Read More
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Ancient ruins. Destructive chase sequences. Acidic one liners. They're all present and correct in this, the final trailer for (the slightly delayed) Uncharted 4: A Thief's End.
Nathan Drake's final adventure takes a more personal tone, embarking on a globe-trotting journey in pursuit of a historical conspiracy behind a fabled pirate treasure that ties to his family's past. You know, standard Drake stuff.
Arriving on the PlayStation 4 on 10 May, from what we've seen of Naughty Dog's latest slice of adventuring, this could prove to be one of 2016's only "lock the doors, turn off your phone and play until morning" titles.


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Fuel in your pocket. Pocket Fuel e liquid is just that. They've got some seriously nice flavours enjoyed by ourselves here in Fog Mansion that includes Candy Cane, Menthol Mist and Blue Raspberry.
The prices you see below are all competitive and for the pleasure of having it delivered to your door it is just £2.99 shipping.


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Syracuse came into today's ACC Tournament quarterfinal game in Brooklyn with a chance to solidify their spot in next week's NCAA Tournament and take their name out of the dreaded bubble discussion. That did not happen, as the Orange lost a hard-fought battle to NCAA Tournament bound Miami, 62-57.
So now, like last year, Syracuse and coach Jim Boeheim must sit and wait impatiently for the NCAA Tournament selection committee to decide whether the Orange are worthy of a tournament bid.
Boeheim has been through this before, of course, and when asked by ESPN reporter Dana O'Neil about what he thought of his team's NCAA Tournament prospects, he attempted to brush the question aside without answering.
"It doesn't matter what I think," Boeheim said in response to what he thought Syracuse's NCAA Tournament chances were. "I expect the committee to make a decision," he said sarcastically.
However, when pressed once more, he couldn't help himself.
"The facts of the case, last year we had three good wins," he started. "This year, we have three good wins, three teams in the top ten when we beat them. I see all the time on the bracketology thing, it says 'Syracuse has six top fifty wins and so does [another] team.' Well that team doesn't have any wins against the top twenty."
That's a pretty good argument for someone who doesn't think his opinion matters. Boeheim also had some thoughts on conference strength.
"[The ACC is] universally felt to be – I think by everybody – the number one conference in the country, we finished seventh," he argued. "Other conferences are talking about getting sixty percent of their teams in the tournament. If we're the best conference in the country, then we should get more than fifty percent in the tournament."
Well then, I guess Boeheim does have a strong opinion on what the selection committee should do.
I tend to agree with Boeheim on this one. I think they should and will get in, but it will be close and they could end up in the First Four in Dayton. The Orange currently have an R.P.I. in the low 80's. That would be the highest R.P.I. ever for an at-large. However, Syracuse is used to that, last year they had the highest R.P.I. ever for an at-large in the mid 60's.
So, last year's committee looked past the R.P.I. in Syracuse's case and I predict they will do so again. It will be hard for the committee to look past the fact that Syracuse was above .500 in the nation's best conference, like Boeheim argued. It will also be hard for the committee to look past the Orange's wins over Duke, Florida State and Virginia, again, like Boeheim argued.
So, expect Syracuse to sneak into the 68-team field again this year, but Boeheim and company will be sweating on Selection Sunday. Maybe, just maybe, the committee was watching Boeheim's reluctant (wink, wink) rant today.
Follow Jamal Murphy on Twitter: @Blacketologist


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At Eagles Nest Clubhouse, when we say affordable, we mean it. We can meet your budget while providing an elegant and stylish wedding. From the wedding ceremony to the reception, we can handle it no matter the size your event.
The Eagle's Nest Clubhouse is the perfect venue for your wedding ceremony. Whether you decide to have it outdoors, in our open air gazebo or pavilion, or indoors in one of our beautiful banquet rooms, our knowledgeable catering staff can help you plan everything. We offer many amenities and upgrades and have long time, great working relations with many vendors.
Your wedding reception is as important as your ceremony. Our packages are designed to meet any wedding expectations, but in case you have budget restrictions, a package can be designed specifically for you. From the table settings to the amenties and extras, we will help make it the best.
We know you are busy and that it's sometimes hard to find the things you need, so we offer suggested vendors that we have found to be reputable. Ask our catering staff for suggestions


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When a mystery teenage boy emerges from the River Thames drenched, distressed and unable to remember anything about himself, he becomes the focus of worldwide media speculation. Unable to communicate, the River Boy is given paper and a pencil and begins to scribble. Soon a symbol emerges, but the boy has no idea why he has drawn it even thought it's the only clue to the mystery of his identity...
As the boy begins to build a new life under a new name, the hunt for his real identity begins.
A hunt which will lead him on a dangerous QUEST that he has only one year to complete ...
1. The quest
I love what I call quest stories, and I'm not ashamed to admit that I really loved Dan Brown's Angels and Demons and its sequel The Da Vinci Code. Books like this are my guilty pleasure, and since then I have been spoiled for choice in this area, with great series from the likes of Andy McDermott, Chris Kuzneski and Scott Mariani, but as I have often asked in the past - with so many books in this genre published for adults, where are these mystery-adventure-conspiracy-thrillers for younger readers? Thus, for this reader at least, Genesis by Helen Dennis is a very welcome addition to my bookshelf.
2. The mystery
Helen Dennis is no stranger to writing mystery quest books. I am quite a fan of her middle grade Secret Breakers series, and Genesis is even better. Written, I believe, for a slightly older audience (although certainly suitable for readers from age 10+), the much loved tropes that can be found in adult examples of the genre are all present and correct: a protagonist who has lost his memory, another character drawn into the mystery almost by accident, strange symbols that suggest more than a hint of alchemy, a secret and ruthless organisation bent on gaining sole possession of whatever lies at the heart of the mystery. Put all these together and there was no way I wasn't going to love this book.
3. Mental health issues
Jed, the main character, having suffered severe memory loss is central to to the plot of Genesis. However, it is not this that I am referring to in this case. In order to aid his healing and hide him away from the press, Jed is 'welcomed' in to the family of Kassia Devaux. Kassia's family life is less than conventional - her father died a numbers of years earlier in an accident and her mother's behaviour is symptomatic of someone suffering from a number of mental health conditions. She suffers from severe anxiety, OCD and possibly BPD, and much of this is manifested in her attitude towards Kassia and her deaf brother Dante. She is over-protective, obsessive about cleanliness around the house and has pretty much mapped out Kassia's future for her. It's important that young readers experience characters with such illnesses in the stories they read, and not just in contemporary 'real life' stories where mental illness of a character is central to the story. It's another example of what we mean when we cry for more diversity in books for children and young adults (as is Dante's disability).
River of Ink: Genesis was published in the UK last week, and my thanks go to those fab people at Hodder for sending me a copy. The sequel, Zenith, is due out in June so fortunately we only have six months to wait to find out what happens next.


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The 12-hour beach party will celebrate the Pollo Tropical opening and will feature surfing simulators, music, prize giveaways and one lucky winner will receive Free Pollo Tropical for a Year. Grand Opening Beach Party festivities begin at 9:00 a.m. and will run through 9:00 p.m.As part of the festivities, the first 100 guests in line for the restaurant to open at 10:30 a.m. will have a chance to win Free Pollo Tropical for a Year! A winner will be chosen in a random drawing from the first 100 guests in line.
The first 100 guests will all receive a Create Your Own Family Meal coupon valid for their return visit.The new Pollo Tropical location in Viera will feature its famous Grilled Chicken, Create Your Own TropiChop® Bowls, savory Mojo Roast Pork, and Guava BBQ Riblets. In addition, guests can enjoy Caribbean Fajitas, Create Your Own Family Meals, Kids' Meals and side dishes like Caribbean Corn Souffle, Macaroni & Cheese, yuca and much more.
The complimentary Salsa Bar is stocked with all of the fresh, favorite sauces the brand is famous for – including the Spicy Poyo Poyo Sauce, Cilantro Garlic, Fresh Salsa, Salsa Fuego, Curry Mustard, Guava BBQ and more. The new Pollo Tropical also features the "Pollo on the Go" drive thru. Pollo Tropical in Viera will open daily at 10:30 a.m., seven days a week."Pollo Tropical is excited to open its second location in the Melbourne area," said Danny Meisenheimer, Chief Operating Officer. "Our quality food and unparalleled value can now be enjoyed in the Viera community."
For more information about specific event times for the Pollo Tropical Grand Opening Beach Party in Viera, visit www.pollotropical.com.


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As mentioned in my intro post. This car has had everything robbed ignition wise from under the hood. I ordered a Multi relay but is the ignition on the FI model a standard 12V ignition to coil and a ground or is it something else?
Does anyone have pics of the factory mount of the coil and wiring? Trying to go backwards on everything. I found what I assume were ignition parts in the trunk but am not getting spark if I wire it directly to the battery.
Having trouble getting pics to upload but I found an ignition control module and Magneti Marelli coil in the trunk. Haven't found how to test the control module to determine if it is bad.
Thanks in advance


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Anyone who knows anything about Christians and Christianity knows that they're offended when God's name gets used in vain. Recently, Donny Long and Heather Deep called Monica Foster to confront her about all of her slander and other BS. A recorded phone conversation was posted which proves that Monica Foster IS NOT a true Christian believer. Monica Foster blasphemied God's name when she told Heather Deep to take a gun and blow her brains out.
It is a prohibition of blasphemy, specifically, the misuse or "taking in vain" of the name of the God of Israel. Exodus 20:7 reads: "Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain." (KJV).
Furthermore, the Bible, which Monica Foster claims to live by, states that anyone who misuses God's name can never be forgiven of it.
Of course Foster isn't a true Christian because if she were, she wouldn't be slandering people, stalking people, trying to ruin people's lives, and prostituting herself.


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Cellular health is one of the most important aspects of living a healthy lifestyle. There are few people who spend time focusing on their cellular health, although many studies show the benefits of improving cellular health over a long period of time.
Elysium Health is a new company within the health industry. It was created by Dr. Leonard Guarente in 2014. The goal of the company is to help people live healthier, longer by translating advances in science and technology into clinically-validated health products that work.
Dr. Guarente works as the director of the Paul F. Glenn Center for Biology of Aging at MIT in addition to his responsibilities as the chief scientist at Elysium Health. He has conducted significant research on the genetic and molecular causes of aging during his career.
Basis is sold in subscriptions as well as individually. An ongoing monthly subscription costs $50 per month. The most popular deal that people purchase is the six-month subscription for $270, which ends up as $45 per month. An individual jar of the supplement is also available for purchase for $60.


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Regent Seven Seas Cruises Winter Collection for 2012/2013 is open for reservations
Posted on October 19, 2011
Regent Seven Seas Cruises is pleased to announce that our Winter Collection for 2012/2013 will open for reservations on Wednesday, October 19, 2011.Read More »
As the most inclusive luxury cruise experience, we continue to feature generous savings and amenities in our value-packed cruise fare including 2-for-1 Fares plus additional bonus savings, FREE Roundtrip Air, FREE Unlimited Shore Excursions, FREE Luxury Hotel Package, FREE beverages including fine wines and premium spirits, FREE…
Regent Seven Seas Cruises announces two exciting new Seven Seas Society benefits
Posted on October 6, 2011
Regent Seven Seas Cruises announces two exciting new Seven Seas Society benefits, adding even more value to your Regent Seven Seas Cruises experience.
Seven Seas Society members who have achieved Silver Level or higher will now enjoy Priority Online Shore Excursion Reservations and Priority Online Dining Reservations in Prime 7 and Signatures. These new benefits are available beginning with voyages departing on May 30, 2012.
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When is it the new year for you? I chatted with a friend in early January about when the new year really kicks in. For some the new year starts on 1st January. That makes sense.
For some it is a little more fluid. The new year starts when they go back to work after the Christmas break, which may be before 1st Janaury or sometime in January.
In my head the new year starts on the 27th December the year before. There's Christmas. Then there is that gorgeously quiet and still day that follows Christmas. And then on the 27th December I put my head back up and I am into my new diary for the following year. I am finished with the previous year's diary. Tired of the old, bent out of shape, scribbled all over one. Ready to open the brand new, crisp and clean diary. (And I must boast...this year I have THE perfect diary.)
But then there is tomorrow, when for us, school returns. And then all the midweek school, church and community activities kick into action. It's feeling a bit like New Year's Eve around here. Except that we won't be staying up until midnight. And it must be true because today I wrote two cheques and almost put 2012 on both of them!