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70 Year Old Grandmas Look 40 Again: You Will Not Believe Their Transformations!
Is This The Answer To All Our Eye Bag Problems? You have to see it to believe it.
– Let's not waste any time–Kate has told you everything you need to know. Many have tried to discover the secret of looking staying young: is it botox, face lifts, or just good lighting? The truth is much simpler (and cheaper!) than that. It isn't their make-up that's causing them to look decades younger. After many years of trying, our sources finally uncover the truth behind the anti-aging secret that has taken Hollywood by storm – and it's one that clever women around the world have been secretly using too.
"The Miracle Anti-aging Breakthrough – Because It Works!"
The Best Skin Solution You've Never Heard Of
Instead of throwing away precious dollars on expensive anti-aging skin Creams that make big promises and don't work, one reader has discovered a skin product that erases years off her face for only a few dollars. Read on to find out how it works!
"Lauren di Fiores was able to remove over 20 years of aging from her face with just 1 simple product!"
Lauren, a 72 year-old grandma from Louisville, KY, is a perfect example of how a little smart thinking and ingenuity can help you avoid unnecessary health risks and save you thousands of dollars in doctors' bills.
Like most women, Lauren didn't have the extra cash to try out every celebrity endorsed anti-aging "miracle Cream" out there, let alone splurge on expensive elective medical procedures, like plastic surgery or face-lifts.
Before trying this simple trick, she admits she used to spend almost an hour every day on an extensive skincare regimen consisting of over 6 different products, with seriously disappointing results. Each product made big claims promising to erase wrinkles and return her youthful skin; and while Lauren followed all their usage instructions to the letter, she saw no real results.
Frustrated and let down, she considered going so far as to take out a substantial loan for Botox injections, and even contemplated a highly risky and very expensive facelift procedure. But the high cost (ranging anywhere from $5000 – $20,000+) and the horror stories of unfixable botched procedures convinced her that cosmetic treatments were not the solution she was looking for. She was determined to find a safe and affordable anti-aging solution that would give her real results and not leave her digging her way out of a huge financial debt.
Lauren's Solution:
After a year of doing thorough research and speaking to other women about their own skincare habits, she learned of a product that was yielding real results and helping women take years off their skin: L'Amour Wrinkle Cream.
After only a few days of adding L'Amour Wrinkle Cream to her daily skin routine, she saw noticeable results in the mirror. After just two weeks the proof was staring her right in the face: this was giving her real results.
Using L'Amour Wrinkle Cream, Lauren's results were noticeably better than what you'd find at medi-spas for $5,000 or more. This removed virtually 90% of all her wrinkles and problem areas. It tightened her face and neck, removing all signs of sagging, aging, and dehydrated skin. Lauren was able to see these dramatic anti-aging results simply by using a free sample of L'Amour Wrinkle Cream .
Her friends, husband, and family were all shocked. They were convinced she'd been secretly getting Botox, because her skin looked 20 years younger almost overnight! Soon, word got around as her friends starting using Lauren's secret, and not long after, her easy discovery was featured on The Doctor Oz Show!
Lauren is now one of hundreds of women that share the same incredible story. Using this method, she effectively erased 20+ years from her skin. It's changed her life and completely astonished everyone around her, even total strangers!
How does it Work?
Through her research, Lauren discovered that the real secret to L'Amour Wrinkle Cream are two key ingredients:
- Vitamin C
- Hyaluronic Acid
These are both natural ingredients that work together to erase wrinkles and fine lines at the cellular level – below the surface of the skin – which is why they're so effective.
Vitamin C is the key to maintaining healthy, youthful skin. It's a powerful antioxidant that slows the rate of free-radical damage, which causes skin's dryness, fine lines, and wrinkles. It helps combat and even reverse time's effect on your skin, because it produces collagen – a protein which makes skin appear plump and firm. Applying Vitamin C to the skin topically is up to 20 times more effective than taking it orally.
Hyaluronic Acid works by binding to moisture. It can hold up to 1,000 times its weight in water, making it an excellent natural skin plumper. Hyaluronic Acid helps your skin repair and regenerate itself after suffering from dryness, environmental stresses, or irritation.
After seeing Lauren on the Dr Oz show a growing list of A-list celebrities that appear to be ditching their expensive Botox treatments for L'Amour Wrinkle Cream include: Kim Kardashian and Kate Middleton:
People Everywhere Are Talking
"I'm 48 yrs old and my face has unfortunately been showing signs of age, dark spots and wrinkles. I decided to give this product a try as the reviews were so good, but I had reservations because I've been disappointed with things that have had good reviews in the past. This stuff works. I don't know if it's because my face was in such horrible condition that just two nights of use and I could tell the difference in the size of my pores, my skin tone was more even, and my face was smoother and not so bumpy looking. I definitely would continue to use this product." Lannie Semira from Lakewood, New York
"I am 57 years old and I do NOT expect any lotion or Cream to make me look as I did in my 20's; however if I use L'Amour Wrinkle Cream on a regular basis I absolutely can tell a difference in my skin tone and the overall appearance of my complexion. I checked it out and the reviews were great so I decided to give it a try. L'Amour Wrinkle Cream is light, fragrance free, & non-greasy. It has a fair amount of retinol, green tea, and Vitamin C plus it is packaged properly so that the beneficial ingredients are not exposed to the light, air, & bacteria that destroys them. The free trial was great, it allowed me to try it before I bought it.." Zoe Clara from Miami, Florida
"Better than ANY other face Cream I have ever tried. Don't spend your money on expensive department store crap. Your paying for advertising and packaging! This Cream is the best and cheapest. Have been using it ever day for the past year and I'll keep using it. I Wish I could give it 10 stars."
June Witwicky from Los Angeles, California
Dr. Richard Peters, a prominent dermatologist based in Beverly Hills, California, revealed to us that L'Amour Wrinkle Cream is the celebrity secret to youthful skin because it contains the purest and most powerful forms of Vitamin C and Hyaluronic Acid. Best of all it's all-natural, perfectly safe for all skin types, and has no nasty side effects.
What Vitamin C & Hyaluronic Acid do is get rid of all the old, dead layers of skin and help your skin generate fresh new ones. Our tests show that you can erase almost 20 to 30 years off your face in less than 14 days. But the key is to choose the Creams and serums that contain the highest and purest quality ingredients, since they're not all the same.
Lauren's Story & 14 Day L'Amour Wrinkle Cream Results:
"The trick is that L'Amour Wrinkle Cream contains high concentrations of pure Vitamin C and Hyaluronic Acid in just the right concentrations. I also discovered that it contains all sorts of anti-oxidants, an ingredient called Dermaxyl (also known as facelift in a jar) and Ester-C (the active anti-aging compound in Vitamin C). The instructions were easy to follow but very specific: they're important to follow precisely because it does make a visible difference. You apply just a light coat of L'Amour Wrinkle Cream on your face and neck after washing and drying your face just before bed time. I saw results almost overnight, but after 14 days, the results were literally shocking. I looked how I used to look 20 years ago!" – Lauren
Day 1:
After the first day of using L'Amour Wrinkle Cream, I was surprised at how wonderful it made my skin feel. It felt like every last pore on my face was being tightened and pulled by a gigantic vacuum cleaner.
I don't know how else to describe it! I could feel a warm tingling sensation on my cheeks, around my eyes, and on my forehead. I looked in the mirror and saw that my face looked a bit rosy – the result of revitalizing blood rushing to the surface of my skin to renew my face. After L'Amour Wrinkle Cream was absorbed into my skin, my face looked firmer and had a beautiful glow to it.
Day 5:
After five days of using L'Amour Wrinkle Cream, I was shocked at the drastic results.
The lines, dark spots, and wrinkles – without question – were visibly reduced in size right before my eyes!
I was astonished by the results, and literally felt 20 years younger again. It was like watching all my wrinkles and fine lines vanish right off!
Day 14:
After 14 days, not only had all my doubts and skepticism absolutely vanished – SO DID MY WRINKLES!
The lines on my forehead, the loose, sagging skin on my neck, my crows' feet – even the age spots on my face had COMPLETELY disappeared. I've never felt or seen anything tighten my skin with this kind of force before, no matter how expensive the product!
After the 2 weeks, my skin not only stayed that way, it actually improved every day until it became as beautiful and radiant as it was 20 years ago. By this point, all my friends and family were shocked. They couldn't believe the difference, and were convinced I was lying about not getting botox!
Will This Work For You?
There are plenty of skincare gimmicks out there, and most of them are ridiculously expensive. With so many options it's only natural for you to be skeptical about the results, and so I challenge you to do what I did: try it for yourself! Conduct your own study and see the incredible results in your mirror at home. You won't believe YOUR before and after!
Once you've experienced this anti-aging skin savior for yourself, please leave your comments below and share your success story with others, like Lauren did. Document the progression and prove to the world that you don't need to spend thousands of dollars to LOOK AND FEEL GREAT.
For your convenience, I have provided the links that Lauren used to sign up for her Free Trial of L'Amour Wrinkle Cream. Use the links below and you will get the lowest possible shipping price as well.
Remember, L'Amour Wrinkle Cream comes with a 100% satisfaction guarantee or full money back. With the discounted shipping costs you will be on your way to smooth skin for under $5. But hurry, these incredible free trials won't last forever.
We rarely do these write ups because the reality is that there is just a bunch of rubbish out there claiming to be that next big anti-aging breakthrough. But this was just too good to keep away from the public.
Try it out and send us your thoughts!
Would you like to share a consumer tip for next week? If so, please send us an email.
Please remember to keep comments respectful. Abusive
comments will not be tolerated, and will result in both the removal of
the comment as well as a permanent ban to the user who posted it.
*Only registered users can comment.
(Showing 1-20 of 47)
Posted by Diane
My friends and I have all been waiting for L'Amour Wrinkle Cream to hit the news. At least 5 of us have all used L'Amour Wrinkle Cream and we all use it daily. This stuff truly is incredible and has changed all of our lives. Good luck to everyone who takes advantage of this wonderful opportunity.
Posted by Michelle
Helen, i saw this product on oprah and rachael rays
show. however, i didn't know how to order it and came across
your site where you found it in stock which is great
because i don't want to pay for something i didnt know worked. i'm
currently on my 2nd month on this stuff and i have to say.. this
stuff works and my results are unbelievable thank
you so much for putting up this article and doing the test.
Posted by Cara
I have not been able to find this in stock for 2 months! Thanks for the free trial, that will save me. Thanks Fit Mom Daily! Love, Cara
Posted by Michael
Hey, Helen, I saw the report on TV and realized the
L'Amour Wrinkle Cream WORKS EVEN FOR MEN!!! I am definitely going to order it before they sell out again! Thanks for
sharing the tips and you should mention how great this is for us men too, don't forget it next time. LOL!
Posted by Laura
There is a big stir going on these days. I am seeing L'Amour Wrinkle Cream all
over… I picked up the trial and am gonna put L'Amour Wrinkle Cream to the test. Thanks for the links.
Posted by Dorothee
My daughter and I have wrinkle issues. I really hope this is the answer. Thank you Fit Mom Daily.
Posted by Rhia
My husband and I both need to look younger because we are going to be seeing family we haven't seen in 25
years. Already ordered it and we are both going to try this
out, thanks. – The Higgins family
Posted by Stephen
I've been seeing L'Amour Wrinkle Cream all
over. I even heard my mom talking about this a few days ago
since one of her friends has 10 years younger after just 2
weeks! I definately have to try this, thanks. P.S. – for all
male readers out there, I found out that this works for
anyone. so give it a try!
Posted by Nancy
This stuff is amazing! My best friend Jessica uses it. i
couldn't believe it and had to do some research on my own
which is how I found this news article. I can't believe they
are managed to find some in stock for us! I know Jessica spent is about to run out so I just linked her to it. This is a godsend, thanks so much!!
Posted by Amy
I was a bit skeptical when I first read about this
but as I researched more and more I found out that L'Amour Wrinkle Cream is indeed what Rachael Ray and many scientists say it is. It's one of the secret anti-aging products that
nobody seems to want to share. I'm not surprised many
celebrities know about this.


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One of the joys of being a Home Support Worker ( from 1987-2000) was getting to know a generation whose parents had been the first European settlers in this area. History is shallow here, apart from the First Nations which is a whole other story. The European history of Eastern North America is a bit older.
One of my most memorable clients was a gentleman from Quebec, who told me the story of his grandmother.
She was born somewhere in Ireland in 1834. At age 14 she and her family set sail for Canada, like so many fleeing the potato famine.

subset: commoncrawl


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1. The Crossing
2. Day After Day
3. Mariel
4. All My Love
5. Por Que No? (Why Not?)
6. Chasin' Yourself
7. Bessie
8. Randy Jones
9. Hold Fast To Dreams
Concord Music Group
Say the words "jazz piano" in almost any conversation, and two other words are bound to follow almost immediately: Dave Brubeck.
Now in the eighth decade of his life and the sixth of his career, Brubeck remains one of the most prolific and influential jazz artists of any generation. An innovator since his earliest recordings, Brubeck has spent most of his life gathering and mastering an infinite cross section of musical and cultural nuancesfrom every corner of the globe and from every facet of the melodic and rhythmic spectrumand grafting them to the American jazz tradition. Despite its unconventional 5/4 time signature, his infectious but legendary "Take Five" has become one of the most familiar melodies in the American jazz canon.
More than forty years after "Take Five"and the pivotal Time Out, the 1959 Columbia album that spawned the trackBrubecks exploratory instincts remain as passionate and insightful as ever. The Crossing, his twelfth release on the Telarc label, is inspired in large part by his affinity for world travel and the wealth of experiences that have come with it. The nine tracks represent the organic cross-fertilization of cultures at the core of all great art.
Brubeck opens the set with the complex, multi-rhythmic title track, a piece crafted to capture the tension and momentum of a mighty cruise ship pulling out of the harbor. Its followed by the much quieter, dreamlike "Day After Day," which Brubeck wrote to honor the 50th birthday of his saxophonist, Bobby Militello. "It has the kind of chord progression that Bobby likes to play on, and sort of a bossa feel, and the bass ostinato is reminiscent of the Spanish guitar," says Brubeck.
Further in, Brubeck pays tribute to the two most important women in his life with "All My Love" and "Bessie." The first is a luminous and romantic ballad written for his wife, Iola, during a vacation on Maui in 1998. The second was composed in memory of Olga Johanna Elizabeth Rengstroffsky Ivey Brubeck, better known in Brubecks family as "Bessie." "Someone asked me how come an 80-year-old man would write a piece of music dedicated to his mother," Brubeck recalls. "I can only say that maybe it takes that long to understand how much the mother nurtures the man. She started me on piano when I was so young that I cannot remember a time when I did not play."
Other highlights include "¿Por Que No?" ("Why Not?"), a composition that juxtaposes a Latin rhythm and an otherwise classical structure, and "Randy Jones," a tribute to the drummer who has been the rhythmic driver of Brubecks quartet for the last 20 years. The set closes with the noble melody of "Hold Fast To Dreams," the theme from the suite of vocal settings of Langston Hughes poems that Brubeck composed in 1998.
Originally a student of classical music, Brubeck led a service band during World War II, and later led an experimental octet comprised of classmates from Mills College who explored unconventional time signatures and polytonality. By the 1950s, hed scaled back to a quartet, which scored a huge hit in 1960 with alto saxophonist Paul Desmonds "Take Five." The group disbanded in 1967, but Brubeck worked steadily throughout the 70s and 80s with a variety of musicians, including saxophonists Gerry Mulligan and Jerry Bergonzi, and his sons Darius (keyboards), Chris (electric bass and trombone) and Danny (drums).
The Crossing is the latest chapter in Brubecks prolific 13-year association with Telarc. He was a guest artist on the labels Big Band Hit Parade (CD-80177) in 1988, then released an ambitious ten albums on Telarc between 1994 and 2000. Just a few months after the release of Double Live from the USA and UK (CD-83400) in early 2001, he brings all of his creative and innovative powers to bear at The Crossing. Step to the other side and hear what has made Dave Brubeck a legend in jazz piano.
All Music Guide Review copyright
Although just shy of 80 at the time of the two studio sessions which make up this CD, Dave Brubeck still has the drive that he had some 40 years earlier, both as a performer and composer. Longtime drummer Randy Jones, veteran alto saxophonist Bobby Militello, and the talented young bassist Alec Dankworth all shine in support of the tireless pianist. All nine compositions appear on disc for the first time, starting with "The Crossing," Brubeck's lively musical vision of a passenger ship getting underway for a long trip across the ocean, though a ship's engines would burn out if they kept up with the intensity of this piece. During "Day After Day," Bobby Militello brings to mind the late Paul Desmond with his soft lyrical solo, though he has a sound all his own.
"Mariel" continues Brubeck's tradition of writing songs for his family members; this lovely ballad, dedicated to his fourth grandchild, starts with a lush piano solo before suddenly intensifying into an up-tempo cooker. "All My Love," a warm ballad dedicated to Brubeck's wife, Iola, speaks softly of his love for her without requiring words. "Por Que No? (So Why Not?)" is a catchy Latin-flavored piece that ought to get an audience up and dancing when played during a Brubeck concert.
"Chasin' Yourself" is highlighted by Militello's turbulent solo, while "Bessie" is a gorgeous melody dedicated to Brubeck's mother, who inspired his musical career. "Randy Jones" showcases the drummer in a well-deserved tribute to Brubeck's sideman of over 20 years. The finale, "Hold Fast to Dreams," was originally conceived as a part of a suite which set Langston Hughes' poems to music. Overall, this is yet another memorable release by Dave Brubeck.
Ken Dryden
Copright Rovi Corporation


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It is currently 19 May 2019, 15:20
Oh no! Forgot!Thrifty tips, ideas, news & experiences on anything around the home to shopping to re-cycling etc.
3 posts • Page 1 of 1
Oh no! Forgot!
Just realised that we forgot all about frugal Feb this year! Will have to do Miserly March and Austerity April to make up for it.
Re: Oh no! Forgot!
Oh no we didn't.
Richard, after some lobbying decided to go with frugality throughout the year type threads
Ali Woks My World
Re: Oh no! Forgot!
Ever on trend!
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8 Things To Do With Rice Water
If you are interested in the Asian culture, you must have heard about rice water and its vast applications. Asian women have been using it as a beauty solution for ages. It contains invaluable ingredients that make the hair stronger, helps you fight skin issues, etc. Sometimes, they add some essential oils to rice water and the pleasant scent lingers for a long time. If you have never used rice water for your beauty rituals, you are probably suspicious towards the benefits it brings and you prefer to stick to the skin tonic of a popular cosmetic brand. Well, it would not hurt to experiment. Even if you are very careful about what you apply to your skin, rest assured that rice water is completely harmless. Plus, it has a few applications around the household you can also take advantage of.
- You have tried different cleaning approaches but nothing was able to remove the splash of sauce from your t-shirt or the fruit juice from the towel? If the pieces of fabrics are white, treat them with bleach and then boil them for 10 minutes in rice water. If they are colourful, go ahead and submerge them into the rice water without treating them with bleach. Then, you can proceed with the standard laundry ritual. Rest assured the stains would be gone for good.
- Rice water has antibacterial properties and therefore, it can be used for disinfecting surfaces, items of furniture, chopping boards and even cleaning dishes and silverware.
- In order to remove unpleasant smells from the chopping board, sanitise the silverware or remove rust from the knives, you have to simply submerge them into rice water and let them sit overnight before you proceed with tossing them in the dishwasher.
- If you have booked painting services, but you cannot stand the smell of the new paint, you can treat the newly painted surfaces with rice water. Soak a cloth in rice water and wipe down the surfaces. Of course, make sure the paint is fully dried before you do that.
- Here is a homemade recipe for a dishwashing cleaning solution containing rice water. If you have the patience to prepare the solution, you can expect fantastic results. You will need the water you get from the first rinse of the rice before you start cooking as well as some brown sugar. As for the quantity of the brown sugar, you can experiment, but make sure you add 100 gm to every 2 litres of rice water. Mix the substances well and wait seven days for the solution to get ready for use. If you consider the smell too obtrusive, you can add a few drops of your favourite essential oil or a few lemon peels.You still have to add some dishwashing detergent for making the dishes clean, though. The rice water solution does not produce any lather, so you are supposed to add some dishwashing liquid.
- It would be unforgivable not to discuss the beauty purposes of rice water in detail. As for its benefits for the skin, rice water can be used as a facial cleaner and toner. You just have to substitute your regular face cleaning product with rice water and apply to your face. The rice water promotes the cell growth, keeps your skin unblemished and radiant, helps you fight eczema and acne. It is also the perfect solution for relieving irritated skin. If you have exposed yourself to sunlight for too long, use cool rice water to relieve the burnt areas.
- Rice water brings numerous benefits to your hair as well. One of the ingredients of rice water is inositol, which strengthens your hair and reduces surface friction. If you rinse your hair with rice water, it will become shiny, strong and healthy. If you want even a better effect, you can add a few drops of essential oils. (Lavender and rosemary are the best.) Shampoo your hair as usual and rinse with the rice water solution. Massage your scalp for a few minutes and rinse. It is up to you how often you will treat your hair with rice water, but if you want to get great results faster, you are advised to perform that beauty ritual at least twice per week.
- The above solution can also be used as a hair conditioner. Apply the rice water but also add essential oils solution to your roots. Let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes and rinse with plain water.
Believe it or not, the rice water is also suitable for drinking. It is said to have a number of health benefits. Probably one of the reasons why Asian women preserve their beauty throughout the years is that they drink rice water and green tea instead of fizzy drinks, containing tons of sugar. It does make sense, right?


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Life is incredibly dangerous and there are horrible, gruesome deaths lurking behind every corner. To distract ourselves from that terrible thought, we decided it would be fun to have you vote and decide what's the absolute worst way to die.
The official voting period has ended. See the results below.


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|winter walk by cirtus frukt
Mercury (in Capricorn) stations direct on Monday evening and we can finally begin to move forward with whatever has been holding us back since January 5th.
(Do I hear a Hallelujah?!)
People who have been awol will suddenly reappear. Calls and emails get returned. Situations that have been dead in the water (including New Year's resolutions) will suddenly begin to show signs of life. Maybe the delays of this past month start to make some sense. Maybe not. Either way we start to get unstuck.
There might still be some glitches early in the week as the energy shifts forward, but for the most part the Mercury retrograde delays are behind us (Mercury doesn't truly get to new territory until Valentine's Day when he gets back to Aquarius) and the stuff Capricorn rules - authority figures, business, goals, career - and our Capricorn natal house aided by attractive Venus will be "all - or most - systems full steam ahead".
The other big aspects this week are (1) Mercury squaring Uranus and conjuncting Pluto at the end of the week (Friday and Saturday) - this is the 3rd time we've had this aspect since December 19th and 20th, so something set into motion then winds up. Maybe 3rd time is the charm. It could be a communication, some information or a decision made now ends something or removes some obstacle that allows us to move on.
EXAMPLE for Aries - (Sun in whole house astrology or rising) - Mercury in your 10th house of career joins Pluto and squares Uranus (in Aries) - this is about big changes in a professional or public situation. There could be a final decision regarding a career matter or maybe an out of the blue announcement. Any delays with career and authority figures will end now.
(2) Jupiter retrograde (in Virgo) makes his second exact conjunction with the North Node of our collective destiny. This entire week we have the opportunity for fated connections to our future. This is also big energy for endings - hopefully we don't lose another rock star!
EXAMPLE for Taurus (Sun in whole house astrology or rising) a retrograde Jupiter connects with the North Node in your 5th house of creativity, children and romantic love. This is a push to develop something in one of these areas (just like last week!). This is about what you want - just work with Virgo - details, organization, small steps, careful adjustments. Combine this with Mercury lighting up your 11th house of hopes and dreams (and friends) and it's looking good!
MONDAY - void Moon in Leo - good day to play in the snow, good day for creative work & production TUESDAY & WEDNESDAY - Moon moves into Virgo - organization feels good. If Monday was a snow day this is a perfect Moon to get back to work. It's good energy to get our acts together with Virgo stuff - health, paperwork, employees, co-workers, pets, habits. THURSDAY & FRIDAY - Moon moves into Libra - emotional stability comes through partnerships, relating to someone as an equal, seeking balance or justice. Aspects with Pluto could have us focused on Pluto themes - other people's money, debts, taxes, sex, death, birth. Endings could make the end of the week a bit stressy.
xo all - back Tuesday or Wednesday with some big picture 2016 stuff!


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Today Ubisoft, one of the world's largest video game publishers, announced that it would release a special Legacy Edition for Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2, the follow up to the massively popular squad-based action franchise, and next generation smash hit of 2006.
This exciting new Legacy Edition will include the original game, and an additional disk containing all the GRAW 2 downloadable packs available on Xbox Live to date! It includes:
- 32 additional maps, a combination of new maps and best of maps!
- New exciting game modes and a large variety of exclusive ground-breaking missions
- Exclusive additional weapons that enrich the tactical possibilities in Single Player
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 Legacy Edition is scheduled for release on the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft in April 2008 and will be available in stores at Mid-Price.
For more information about Ubisoft, please visit www.ghostrecon.com or www.ubi.com.
About Tom Clancy:
With over 80 million books sold, Tom Clancy is arguably the world's most recognized author. His works include fiction such as The Hunt for Red October, Clear and Present Danger, The Sum of All Fears, Rainbow Six, Red Rabbit, and The Teeth of the Tiger. Clancy also writes non-fiction works about weapons and various military units. Four of his books have already been adapted into highly successful feature films.
About Ubisoft:
Ubisoft is a leading producer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment products worldwide and has grown considerably through its strong and diversified lineup of products and partnerships. Ubisoft has offices in 21 countries and sales in more than 50 countries around the globe. It is committed to delivering high-quality, cutting-edge video game titles to consumers. Ubisoft generated revenue of 547 million Euros for the 2005–2006 fiscal year, an increase of 3 percent over the previous fiscal year at constant exchange rates. To learn more, please visit www.ubisoftgroup.com.


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|46 Colours for a Large Wall (1951) (via)
and the story about him going to art school on the GI Bill and then being in Paris, painting those squares of colour for a few years ... that was a new experience for him, and it was new for me to come across it. So there's a conjectured link.
And this quote, which I found on Sheila's blog, links up for me too. I've condensed the full quote to make it more minimal ...
"My eye picks up things ... but I'm not searching for something. I just find it ... and it always surprises me."
The two important words that I've left out are "in nature" - "My eye picks things up in nature". Seeing again the landscape where he lives, the nature that surrounds Spencertown, makes it important to remember that the ... replace those words (as well as others). He also says of "nature" - "something that has the magic of life".
From the Colour Squares he moved on to large shaped canvases in solid colours. And works on paper like this -
... which I feel I "understand" and find interesting to look at. Not looking for anything, but finding surprises.
And satisfyingly simple drawings of plants ... look here.
And this surprising (or maybe not so surprising) spatial drawing (via) -


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Nobel Peace Prize for AWOL War President
March 27, 2011 by SARTRE · Leave a Comment
William Jefferson Clinton was called the first black president. Now it can be said that Barry Soetoro is the first female president. What justifies such a label? Clearly, Barack Hussein Obama has no cojones. The Ipanema vacationer practices his African samba carnival dance while carnage rains from tomahawk missiles. Humanitarian altruism acts as cover for a remote controlled marionette doing the bidding in the Soros world of his sorcerer mentors. This commander in chief runs from his own shadow.
Aggressive Power and Immoral Authority
March 25, 2011 by SARTRE · Leave a Comment
Another sad chapter from a desperate imperial empire lays naked for the entire world to see. The pretense that an international community of nations has arbitrary authority to remove any government that conflicts with the master plan of total global enslavement exposes the utter failure of legitimacy. By what moral mandate do belligerent nations have to insight regime change, when the facts clearly demonstrate that conflicting tribal factions are engaged in a civil conflict?
Weird Global Warming and Nuclear Science
March 20, 2011 by SARTRE · Leave a Comment
The catastrophic disaster that swept Japan into a new stone age is truly an earth-shattering milestone. Worldwide grief and empathy is real and deserved. If this occurrence were only, a script out of a Godzilla B movie, or just lyrics from a ringtone song, the hurt or the aftermath would not be so horrible.
no place to hide ain't got no protection
it can be sorrow, blood, and destruction
but it can give you incredible emotion
The Rule of Gold after the Financial Collapse
March 13, 2011 by SARTRE · Leave a Comment
In a secular world, the operative "Golden Rule" is "He Who Has the Gold Makes the Rules". The condition of the global financial banking system is untenable. The aggregate amount of debt worldwide is anyone's guess. The introduction of derivatives and counter claims pushes the chain of obligations into the unknown. All that is left is for central banks to create mountains of uninterrupted counterfeit money to roll over and delay the inevitable. The IMF chart of World Currency Reserve is a skyrocket line to oblivion. It does not reflect a healthy stockpile of treasure, but certainly manifests a new debt machine running to infinity. The Bullion Vault explains this reality in the following manner.
Is Gaddafi an Oil Robber Baron?
The struggle for control over oil resources is one of the most dominate factors in economic history. A timeline of the oil robber barons is compelling, especially when viewed from the perspective of muckraking Ida Tarbell. In the History of The Standard Oil Company, Tarbell influenced public opinion and provided pressure for government regulation of the oil monopoly. Martha R. Gore writes in The "Joan of Arc" of the Oil Regions Who Exposed Standard Oil, "In November 1906, the federal government took Standard Oil to court, charging it with obstructing interstate trade, a violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890. The result was the breakup of Standard Oil and the end of its power to destroy its competition and control of the American oil market".


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Dear Friends,
A friend wrote to me from Japan yesterday and told me that the suicide figures in that country – in common with the other countries in the developed world – have reached suicidal proportions. In the hope of being able to help someone somewhere, who has got lost in the mists of the illusion of our earthly existence, to see their way forward in life more clearly again, I would like to share my reflections on the two sister subjects depression and suicide with as many people as possible. It seems to me that the best way of doing this is by opening on this Message Board a new thread that is dedicated to this theme.
If you yourself are feeling depressed and at times possibly even suicidal, how about taking a printout and sitting down in a quiet place somewhere to read it? Should there be someone around you who is in that state, to show your love and concern for them you could present them with a printout, in the hope of reaching them and getting through to them on some level. To my mind, the least we can do is try; that's what my reflections are about.
Depression is one of the many mysterious conditions that are presently raging in our world. It surely is one of the most mystifying illnesses that have plagued humankind, possibly ever since we descended deeper and deeper into the suffering and pain that thus far seems to have been an inevitable part of life in physicality. The more we lost the contact with our Source, the deeper the suffering and the stronger the soul's longing and yearning to return to the state of Heavenly bliss, of the oneness with God, that is its true home.
In a society that no longer has a centre – although we are slowly regaining it – life may frequently appear hopeless and pointless. Many these days live in a purely material existence that lacks the inner direction of knowing that this life serves a higher purpose. They know not why they are here and what they are meant to do. This can be such a frightening experience for some that they start looking towards what on the surface looks like a way out, namely suicide. It is by now reaching epidemic proportions, as the relevant statistics reveal, especially among the young. At the threshold of the Aquarian Age this is hardly surprising because among the souls now coming in are a great many highly evolved and therefore extremely sensitive ones. Unbeknown to their earthly self, their soul has chosen one of its most difficult experiences ever, that of having to face and coming to terms with existing in over-materialistic societies.
When such souls run into the difficulties this presents, many initially turn to a pastime that has become extremely popular these days and that is intellectualising the emotional/spiritual problems of the human psyche. The abundance of books that have been written in this vein speaks volumes in itself. On the surface of things it may appear is if such an approach could offer a quick fix to the solution of all human problems by explaining them away intellectually, thus creating a shortcut on our way to enlightenment. To find it is every soul's birthright but not through spending its time by playing with words. They are part of the illusion of this world and unless they are followed up by right thoughts and deeds, at best they will count as nothing; at worst they will rebound on us and work against us.
The spiritual pathway – more about it in the chapter 'The Resolution' – is a narrow one and the only safe way of treading it, to my mind, is by turning towards our inner guidance; it alone can tell us what is right or wrong in any given situation. Apart from that it is important never to forget that we do not have to walk on the Earth alone. God and the Angels are with and our Guardian Angel is always there to help us even in the smallest endeavour. They know when we are ready to find out more about God, ourselves and the world we are living in. And when that moment comes, they guide us towards the right people and places.
More than anything else a depressed soul is crying out for is knowledge of the cause of its suffering. Equipped with this it becomes possible to work our own way out of this prison that was built through sheer ignorance, i.e. the lack of understanding. That is what my life has taught me and will now attempt to share my learning with you. It is true that we all create our own suffering. Yet, we do not do this because we are masochists by nature but for very sound spiritual reasons.
The first step of any journey is the most important one; the road to recovery is the same – it is a journey. To enable us to get going on this one it is essential that first of all we become aware again of the fact that we are all eternal beings who cannot die. It was and still is a wonderful revelation to me that everybody's life continues after our spirit and soul have parted company with our physical bodies, and that we go into what is known as the world of spirit. Although I personally have no taste for this kind of thing, a great deal of evidence is by now available that it does exist. It is the place – better the level of life – where we go at physical death to recuperate and recover from the stresses and strains of Earth life. Death of the body is but one single phase of life and means nothing more than a transformation that moves the human soul onto the above mentioned level; life always goes on with an uninterrupted flow.
When one feels depressed and maybe even suicidal, there is no point in giving in to the accompanying thoughts and feelings, because on the other side of the veil of consciousness, one still has to face oneself. The difficulties one was trying to leave behind have to be tackled, because they are there for a purpose. As they came into our life to teach us something, they will always be there and waiting to be resolved. They will not go away on their own, but eventually – one way or another – must be faced, worked with and hopefully resolved by none other than ourselves, in one of our coming lifetimes, probably the next one.
That is why I feel it is better by far to make an effort at finding resolutions and healing our troublesome relationships – especially the most difficult one, the one with ourselves – whilst still on this side of life. If that is not possible on our own, it will do us good to swallow our pride and have the wisdom to reach out for a helping hand, either on this or the higher level of life, ideally both. I admire anyone's courage, wisdom and determination to find healing for their condition, because that is never an enterprise for the faint hearted. And I applaud any effort that is made to do so because I believe that we are all in this life together to seek healing for our soul. It is the very reason why we are here.
By the way, none of my beliefs are gleaned from other people's publications. They are intuitive knowledge that comes from my inner guru – to my mind, the only reliable one in the whole of Creation. It is my Highest of God Self who knows the way of all things and to all those who are willing to pay attention to theirs, it is waiting at all times to give feedback as to what's right or wrong in any situation. There's a snag though! As it can only be accessed through the world of our feelings, many men seem to have difficulties with their inner teacher, because they have never been encouraged to stay in touch with and acknowledge their feelings.
Depression is caused by suppressed and unexpressed feelings that have accumulated in our subconscious in the course of this lifetime and there are also likely to be remnants of unresolved issues from previous ones; we all have them. Reasoning unpleasant feelings away with intellectual jargon and arguments is counterproductive; it is unlikely to bring either the wisdom or the healing which the human soul is constantly in search of, so that it may find release from its prison of darkness and depression. The only thing that can bring that is about is staying with our feelings, going with them and experiencing them and then, as one gradually finds out, getting rid of them once and for all. From this process alone can wisdom come and our understanding of life grow, which is after all the main purpose of every lifetime on the Earth plane. And at last our soul finds peace and healing.
There is no other way because that is how the great wisdom of our Creator made us to be. Every soul is here to get to know, each through its own experiences, the fullness of life, its ups and downs, its pain and sorrow, as well as its joys, so that it may grow in understanding. If we deny ourselves that, what would the point be of being here? It is a shame that many have to come to this realisation through the experience of depression and feeling suicidal. So much of Earth's suffering could so easily be avoided, if only we knew! Ah, but without living through it we would never find out! And that is the only way of getting where we are going, back home into our true nature and the oneness with God.
If we deny our experiences, the feelings they bring and the learning that comes from them, what would the point be of being here? There wouldn't be any! It is a shame that many have to come to this realisation through the experience of depression and feeling suicidal, when a great deal of Earth's suffering could so easily be avoided, if only we knew! Ah, but without living through our experiences we would never find out anything; we would not learn, we would not grow! As that is the only way of getting where we are going, back home into our true nature and the oneness with God, we might as well get on with it.
'That is all very well,' I hear you say. 'But what happens to all those who do not yet have any idea of all this and therefore go ahead and commit suicide? The Universe is with everybody; it knows the way of all things; it knows everybody's heart and soul better than we ourselves do; it knows our past, present and future. Above all, it knows when a soul has suffered long and hard enough to have learnt its lesson and cannot take any more. Apart from being omniscient it is also omnipotent, as well as merciful. Whenever a soul has reached that point, the Angels are allowed to take it back home into the world of spirit, where it is tenderly administered to and receives healing, until it is ready to be confronted with itself and its life lessons.
The Universe never judges us; we ourselves do this, but you can about this in more detail in other parts of my jottings. It does not call anyone back, unless the purpose of any given lifetime has been fulfilled, at whatever age this may be and in whichever manner the soul has passed on. It is important not to cling unto those who have moved on, because the only thing that can do is to hold both parties back in their evolutionary progress. If we love someone, we have to let them go in peace. To talk about anyone's earthly demise as 'untimely', to my mind, means to doubt the great wisdom and love of our Creator. The Great Spirit, the Father/Mother of all life, is the Highest authority over everything in the whole of Creation and the only one who has any true power. Nothing is beyond or outside Its will, therefore, any soul's departure from the Earth plane cannot ever come about without Its consent; this applies to any kind of death, therefore also to all suicides.
At the same time, quite literally, no-one is beyond the love and the mercy of God. After all, this is the only one in the whole of Creation who can truly appreciate when the soul's mental and spiritual struggle has been going on for long enough. When it goes beyond the amount of suffering that is good and reasonable for that soul's growth to endure, the Angel of death comes and releases it. I believe that, even in the case of suicide, the manner and the moment of our death are predestined; and that the whole experience is always intended to provide valuable lessons for the soul that passes on, as well as for those it leaves behind. Considering that nothing in God's Creation can ever be truly lost, in the final analysis, suicide is but one way of returning to the world of light.
White Eagle tells us in 'The Way to the Age of Spirit' from 'The Lightbringer': 'It is true, there is no death. When you have passed the great barrier, you will be amazed and say: 'But I did not feel anything! Am I dead? I feel exactly the same.' There is no difference, except you have taken one dress [your physical body] off and left it behind. You are no longer interested in it. That is all that death means. You are eternal and as you are today, so you will be tomorrow. As you create yourself, and build the spiritual atoms into your soul, you will be able to enjoy the fruits which the Lord has prepared for you, in the higher state of life.'
What then is it that is stopping us from trying to escape wholesale from our experiences on this side of the veil, whenever the going gets tough? The loving wisdom of our Creator has provided that deep within the very core of every soul memories are stored of the sacred knowledge of God's true nature and of our own, as well as that of our true home. None can get away from themselves and their final destiny. It is the same for every soul, namely to become so highly evolved that it will be possible for its energies to fully merge again with those of its Source. Please tell me, who in their right senses would want to get away from that? But doesn't that yet again highlight the importance of taking ourselves and our character in hand? The closer the soul comes to the light of the knowledge of its true being, the more it realises that taking its own life, when things seem to difficult to handle, never has been and never will be an escape route at all. But like all lessons of Earth, the one of suicide can only be learnt through first hand experiences. That is why every soul has to end its earthly existence in this manner at least once.
The Age of Aquarius is a time for the rebirth of the human spirit. Aquarius is one of the Air signs; they rule the intellect. We are all here to become aware again of our own true nature and that of God. During this age, it is every soul's birthright to find spiritual wisdom and truth that comes directly from the Source of our being. No matter how diverse everybody's way of and outlook on life may be, we are all on the same pathway. Every human being is a child of God, the Universe, as some prefer to call it, because we all contain a spark of the Divine. This spark is now trying to come alive and the spirit, the Highest Self, is trying to break through in everybody. But as in most people the inner connection with God has been buried underneath layers of unexpressed and suppressed feelings, especially our deepest and innermost fears, great difficulties are encountered; more about this in a moment.
Before God every small earthly self stands alone and has to face the arduous and heroic task of working its way through all its fears; the fear of God and of life, of the unknown and going forward no matter what, and the fear of death. Rising above all of them is the most difficult and final test each soul must pass on its way home into the full realisation of its true nature. No soul can or has to do this on its own; God and the Angels are waiting to be called upon by each one of us to come to our rescue. Help will not come to anyone on its own but has to be asked for. The human love and devotion we give to them are the solvent that will release us from all our inner prisons; it is the only one.
Interestingly, the latest research reveals that antidepressants may not be as effective as the pharmaceutical industry and the medical profession had once promised and hoped for. This does not surprise me one bit because they never did offer any solutions whatever. To bring depression and suicidal thoughts to an end, reliably and permanently, in my view cannot be done by pumping our bodies full of chemicals. As a crutch they may be helpful and even necessary for a while, to mask and suppress the most unpleasant symptoms. This will have to suffice until one feels strong enough to start looking for alternative ways to get to the underlying emotional/spiritual soul issues that are the roots of our problems.
Many of the most unpleasant feelings that accompanied past life traumatic experiences are now stored in our subconscious, where they have been slumbering for a very long time. Those that were too unpleasant and difficult to face at the time remained unacknowledged and were therefore suppressed. Now they are holding up the soul's spiritual progress and are waiting for their final resolution. Until we work our way through them by acknowledging and feeling them, they cannot be released.
As this process cannot be delayed forever, at certain times in our lives they will refuse to be pushed away and begin to demand our attention more urgently. Ever more loudly they know at the door of our conscious mind, but the earthly self does not understand what is at stake, especially when strong fears rise to the surface. Too frightened of its own feelings, it naturally shies away from them; the more it does this, the deeper it sinks into depression. It goes to the doctor, hoping that s/he may have some kind of magic wand; but all that conventional medicine has to offer is chemicals!
To my mind, it is much preferable to get to work on our feelings in the here and now, as unresolved issues that are left behind at the end of any lifetime have to be brought back into every subsequent one. Our problems will not go away on their own; time and again, if need be, they must be faced until they have been resolved, so that our consciousness can finally be cleansed of them. That is why, to me, the only sensible solution for ending depression is through seeking healing. Judging by my own experiences, the best way of doing this is through finding a better understanding of ourselves, and becoming aware that evolution is the purpose of all life throughout the whole of Creation, including that of the Earth.
Some wonderful moments of revelation are in store for us when we lift our eyes and start to look beyond the end of our own noses and suffering, and recognise why we are here. As the vision slowly clears, we begin to distinguish that there is so much more to Earth life than meets the eye. And a sense of security begins to develop with the increasing realisation that there really is such a thing as a benevolent higher force at work behind our present existence that takes care of all humankind's needs on all levels of life. It is so gentle and loving that it never forces anyone to do anything against their will, but it is at all times trying to coax the human soul, individually and collectively, forward and upwards onto ever higher levels of perception.
Depression is something I have been struggling with for at least thirty years, possibly the whole of this lifetime. More than likely the things I am wrestling with to this day are unresolved issues from past lifetimes. I am a very private person and not given to public confessions. But I am willing to make an exception to show you that any knowledge I am sharing with you here has grown organically inside me. My overall message for anyone feeling suicidal is: Don't! There is no point; you've got to come back and do it all over again. Take it from me; it will be even more difficult, as your feelings will then have been buried under yet another layer of the fear of facing yourself and your issues. No matter what kind of situation you are now in, there is always a way forward. You cannot see it? All you have to do is ask and it will be shown to you. 'Seek and ye shall find,' is true here, possibly more than in any other aspect of life. Knock at the door of your Highest or God Self and ask for Its help, and it will be opened unto you and help will come!
That in truth is what all depression is about. The direct inner connection with our Highest Self we once had, in the course of many lifetimes has been buried under layer upon layer of the rubble of our soul memories of past traumas; each new lifetime piled yet another layer on top. All of them together are now nothing but excess baggage from other lifetimes that is waiting to be worked through and released; that is the only purpose they now serve. Letting go of mine always feels like the peeling of an onion; as skin after skin falls away and dissolves, my inner connection with God becomes ever clearer – yours will be the same.
To paraphrase 'Desiderata': You are a beloved child of the Universe, the same as the Sun, the Moon and the Stars. You are a precious and unique being of light. Whether you are as yet aware of this or not, we are all on a spiritual pathway; all that means is to rediscover that we are spirit and soul, only temporarily encased in matter. You are here to become aware that all life is subject to Universal laws and to learn to conduct your life responsibly and in accordance with any spiritual knowledge you may find. Do not miss the opportunity the Universe is offering you. Your depression is in truth an Angel in disguise. Take its hand, as it reaches out for you and walk with it to find the gift it is trying to bring you. The knowledge of your true nature is your passport to immortality! To find it, that's what you came into this lifetime for. Don't throw this chance away or you could be very sorry when you return to your true home, the world of spirit.
You have a right to be here. You have a right to find happiness and healing, and to become a healer in your own right, who can show others that their lives and their experiences are valid and worth living, the same as yours. We are all responsible for our own lives and my advice to anyone feeling suicidal is: Don't give up; go for it! Find healing; walk that wondrous journey of discovery hand in hand with God and the Angels; they are waiting to be called upon by you. Know that you are loved. No matter what you think, do or say, you are loved. For one thing, I love you; that's why I wrote this. God bless you and keep you safe, always.
THE ANGEL IN DISGUISEThere is nothing I can give you that you have not,But there is much, so very much that –While I cannot give it – you can take.No Heaven can come to us,Unless our heart finds rest in today: take heaven.No peace lies in the futureThat is not hidden in this moment: take peace.The gloom of the world is but a shadow.Behind it – yet within everybody's reach – there is joy.There is a radiance and glory in the darkness,Could we but see; and to see, we have only to look.I beseech you to look.
Life is so generous a giver, but we –Judging its gifts by their covering –Too often cast them away as ugly or heavy or hard.Remove the covering and you will find beneath ite living splendour, woven with the love,Wisdom and power of the Divine.Welcome it, grasp it,And you touch the Angel's handThat brings it to you.Everything we call a toil, a sorrow or a duty,Believe me, the Angel's hand is there.That gift is there and the wonder of anOver-shadowing presenceThat protects us, is joyous too.
Be not content with these joys,For they conceal even greater gifts.And so, at this time, I greet you –Not quite as the world sends greetings,But with profound esteem and with a prayerThat for you, now and forever,The day may break and the shadows flee away.
Fifteenth Century Prayer
Recommended Reading:
? 'Depression – the Way out of your Prison' by Dr. Dorothy Rowe? 'Beyond Fear' by Dr. Dorothy Rowe? 'The Courage to Live' by Dr. Dorothy RoweThe first book is my all time favourite; reading it, many years ago, truly was a life-changing experience for me. However, there were no bright flashes of enlightening, but a gradually awakening understanding within me that we always have choices in life; and that we do not have to put up with circumstances that are no longer right for us and possibly never were.
Over some time, this led me into the realisation that this freedom of choice brings with it the responsibility of acting on our knowledge and learning to choose wisely. To me, the greatest beauty and attraction of Dr. Rowe's writings always has been that she does not come across as one of those 'oh, so spiritual' writers. If anything, she is the opposite. Her writings are in a class of their own; although they are of a deeply spiritual nature, she insists on telling her readers that this is not so. And she is right; on the surface of things, her books are not spiritual ones. It's hard to explain, but if you have never read any of her works, you really have missed out on something.
With Love and Light,


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Today's the final day in the Quilts & Creativity Art Week, and I'm concluding with a bang: quilts from the Gee's Bend quilters. I've featured works of art from the Big Canoe Fine Art show in honor of my own art quilts that are on display at the Ann Litrel gallery in Woodstock. Previously I featured works of sculpture, glass, and wood.
Even though the Gee's Bend quilters are from our neighboring state of Alabama, I've managed to miss every gallery showing of their quilts. When they were at Atlanta's High Museum of Art, our family was in the middle of a move. When a play based on their story was featured in Dahlonega, I was teaching. I've finally gotten to see their quilts in person!
More pieces from the show:
Gee's Bend quilters rely on simple designs and piecing, coupled with bold color schemes for a dramatic impact.
This is a Housetop design, a variation of Log Cabin, often seen in Gee's Bend quilts.
The exhibit is in a show home in Big Canoe, and this is one of its closets. This would be my dream closet, full of about $35,000 worth of Gee's Bend quilts, at least.
So much of color is intuitive – even with no formal art training, this quilter used the complementary colors of yellow and violet for vivid contrast.
A bold interpretation of a Bow-Tie quilt, done in black and white solids. Wow.
The red fabric in this quilt is satin and it practically glows. You can see the sheen in the photograph, but it's even greater in person.
The fine art show included some smaller Gee's Bend quilts in the $500 price range for people who wanted to start their art collections at a smaller scale.
This quilt was my personal favorite, as it had so much going on I could have looked at it for hours and admired the fabrics and piecing. The quilting was a simple cross-hatching, just perfect for a quilt that had such busy piecing.
The Big Canoe Fine Art show continues through July 19, and you can stop by and say hello to my husband David of Peagler Custom Homes. He has two gorgeous homes, one on the golf course, and another on the lake, that are themselves works of art.
Tonight I'll be at the Ann Litrel gallery from 5-9p.m., and I'll be speaking on "Color Artistry in Quilt Creation." Hans Rueffert, the local Jasper chef and Food Network star will be cooking up dishes across the street at FoxTales Book Shoppe and signing his visual feast of a cook book, Eat Like There's No Tomorrow. I own a copy of his cookbook and you should too. Hans found out he had stomach cancer after his stint on Food Network and has a philosophy on life that is not to be missed. Tonight's Friday Night Live theme is Beach Party. See you there!


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Our Belief
Abbot's Kitchen
St David's
Services & News
Friends of the Abbey
Music Foundation
Stones Museum
The Friends of Margam Abbey seek to bring together in love and loyalty to this house of God all those who value the beauty of this place of worship who have an interest in its history, and who wish to ensure its preservation.
What the Friends do.
Through their membership they act as a strength and support to the Vicar and Parochial Church Council who bear the heavy responsibility for maintaining and preserving this precious heritage.
By their subscriptions and donations Friends provide financial support to areas of parish life supporting the Vicar and Parochial Church Counci
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Take a look around our facilities and see the products we manufacture.
BATHROOM vanity counters
The common fitted Western-style kitchen, developed in the early 20th century, is typically an arrangement of assembled unit cabinetry covered with a more-or-less continuous quartz countertops work surface. The "unfitted" kitchen design style may also include detached and/or varied granite and marble countertops surfaces mounted on discrete base support structures. In the kitchen isPrimary considerations of granite & marble choice and conformation are durability, functionality, hygienics, appearance, and cost. Kitchen Countertops can be made from a wide range of materials such as Quartz, Marble and Granite and the cost of the completed kitchen countertops may vary widely depending on the material chosen.The durability and ease of use of the material often rises with the increasing cost of the material but some costly materials are neither particularly durable nor user-friendly. Some common Kitchen countertops materials are as follows: Natural stones, Granite, Marble, Silicate mineral: Quartz, engineered stone
For countertops stone seeker you can use these bathroom countertops ideas as advices to decorate your own bathroom countertops. Stone on the Bathroom may be considered as smallest room in the house, but it really can be difficult job for interior detailed. The style you decide on for your bathroom will often affect the materials you use. And when you say about bathroom, of course, you never left out the style for countertops as well. A countertops may be made of various materials with different function, durable and aesthetic. There are a lot of styles of countertops from the fiber glass, concrete, kasota stone until marble countertops. The large style options may give you different choice and base on your interest. Bathroom countertops ideas will give you an advice and design ideas to decorate or remodel your bathroom countertops. 1. Choosing countertops material Choosing the right material is key considerations for durable and stylist countertops. You have to know various type of countertops materials before you decided it. For some references you should use manufacture quartz,marble and granite, glass, or solid surface. The quartz is stand out for durability from other possible material. Quartz It is super hard and non-porous that is resistant to mold and mildew. Bathroom quartz countertops should be fit with whatever interior design of the bathroom. You can rely on the various imitation look of the stone types from quartz and match it with the bathroom .Granite be made from beautiful, durable, and natural stone.Granite and marble are high heat-resistant. Even though it made by stone but never doubt the smooth texture it gave you.If you love this Marble And Granite Countertops Bathroom Vanity you can download and save the picture by right click on the image above. Please dont forget to share this architecture ideas with your friends via the social link below. You can share it via facebook, twitter, pinterest and more.


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Out of Luck vs. Colt-45 – 6 F.J. 619 (November 14, 2014) – Fantasy Football Trade Rejected (P.Manning/L.McCoy/A.Peterson)
Out of Luck vs. Colt-45
Decided November 14, 2014
Cite as 6 F.J. 619 (November 2014)
Factual Background
A fantasy football league called the Armchair Quarterbacks League (hereinafter referred to as "the AQL") is a 10-team PPR redraft league hosted on Yahoo. Trades are approved automatically upon acceptance without any commissioner approval or league vote initiated. GM's who dispute a trade for violating the league's integrity through collusion or roster dumping are responsible for purchasing the Court's services.
Out of Luck, currently 6-4 in 4th place and in playoff contention traded Phillip Rivers (QB-SD) and Adrian Peterson (RB-MIN) to Colt-45 (3-7 and in last place) in exchange for Peyton Manning (QB-DEN) and LeSean McCoy (RB-PHI).
Procedural History
Numerous managers in the league disputed the trade believing that Colt-45 is making a dump trade, or even worse colluding with Out of Luck. Currently Out of Luck is 108.92 points behind the team with the most points for the season. The team that ends the year with the most points wins $600.00.
Issues Presented
(1) Should the trade between Out of Luck and Colt-45 be approved?
When presented with allegations or suspicions of collusion, the Court will look at the evidence in the light most favorable to the accused. This is because acts of collusion within a fantasy league are one of the most serious fantasy sports crimes that can be committed and can undermine the integrity of a league more so than almost anything else. See Team Zero vs. Samcro Reaper Crew, 3 F.J. 177, 179 (October 2011).
Before we delve into the analysis of collusion, we must address an inherent problem in the AQL which is a possible source of the dilemma in this case. The fact that Colt-45 was able to still make trades with a 3-7 record in this redraft league is problematic. Clearly he is not building for the future or selling off assets to stockpile draft picks because the AQL is not a keeper league. At 3-7, he is mathematically eliminated from playoff contention and any money prizes. This entire scenario could have been avoided if there were rules in place prohibiting teams out of playoff contention from making trades. See The KO Show vs. #CommishJinx #GonnaBBBepic, 6 F.J. 605 (November 2014) (holding that the Court's typical threshold for teams in redraft leagues to be eligible to make trades is that they should be mathematically alive for a playoff berth). We recommend amending the rules for next year to apply such a restriction.
Collusion is defined as a secret agreement or conspiracy between at least two parties especially for fraudulent or treacherous purposes. See Steel Curtain vs. Rusty Trombones, 3 F.J. 201, 203 (November 2011) (holding that a secret agreement between teams to use the first waiver position as a means to move a player to another team further down the list was collusive because its purpose was to circumvent the established rules). Without a confession or some form of written proof, the Court will rely on circumstantial evidence and weight the totality of the circumstances surrounding the trade(s) being made. See John Doe vs. Richard Roe, 3. F.J. 197, 200 (October 2011).
We must consider the facts and circumstances of the case to determine whether, more likely than not, there was malicious intent that rises to the level of collusion. Outside of written proof or verbal confirmation, there is no way to definitely prove the existence of such conduct. Regardless, the Court can draw inferences from the evidence presented and the circumstances surrounding the trade whether collusive conduct is present. See Tiger's Blood vs. Hulkamaniacs, 3 F.J. 58, 61 (July 2011).
The only evidence we have been presented with in support of an allegation of collusion is the potential $600.00 winnings that Out of Luck can achieve if he ends the season with the most total points. While this is a financial incentive for Out of Luck, there would need to be some form of quid pro quo for Colt-45 in order to determine collusive behavior between these teams. See League Commissioner vs. Judges, et al. 3 F.J. 223, 225 (December 2011) (holding that having a financial interest in more than one team is an indicator of collusion). However, there is no tangible evidence submitted which would lead us to believe that there is a mutual agreement in place to either share these winnings or assist Out of Luck in his pursuit of that prize. We would be merely speculating about any underhanded agreement in place between the two parties, and that is not sufficient enough to determine a finding of collusion.
Just because we do not believe these two teams are colluding does not mean we find this trade fair and equitable. In fact, our conclusion is just the opposite. Typically the only circumstances where we will reject a trade are: 1) if the deal is made in violation of league rules; 2) if the deal is made through collusion; 3) the deal is so grossly lopsided that is has a detrimental effect on the whole league; and 4) if the deal makes absolutely no sense and/or fails to improve at least one of the team's rosters in any capacity. Grand Theft Votto vs. That Wimpy Deer, 6 F.J. 39, 42 (April 2014). We believe scenarios 3 and 4 apply here.
When analyzing the fairness and equity of a trade, the Court will consider each team's individual needs to assess whether the trade subjectively made sense from each team's perspective. See Cajun Crawdads vs. Carson City Cocks, 1 F.J. 41, 42 (June 2010) (upholding a trade for Jason Bay because of the Carson City Cocks' desperate need for a starting outfielder due to the demotion of Cameron Maybin). It does not appear this trade improves Colt-45's team in any capacity. The AQL is a redraft league so we are not even considering any potential long-term benefits afforded. Willie McGee's Beauty Parlor vs. Sizemore Matters, 4 F.J. 29, 30 (April 2012).
The approval or rejection of a trade is based purely on its fairness, free from collusion, and in the best interests of the league. Whether a trade is intelligent or popular will not be part of the analysis. See 4 Ponies vs. Beaver Hunters, 3 F.J. 26, 27 (June 2011). The virtue of a trade is measured in both quantifiable criteria and subjective needs of the teams involved. See Carson City Cocks vs. Stud Muffins, 3 F.J. 23, 24 (May 2011).
This trade of Peyton Manning and LeSean McCoy in exchange for Philip Rivers and Adrian Peterson does not pass the initial "sniff test" where an objective analysis could be provided to equate the value and performance of the players involved in this deal. This deal is so grossly lopsided that doing any type of statistical comparison would be a waste of judicial economy. See Tiger's Blood vs. Hulkamaniacs, 3 F.J. 58, 60 (July 2011).
Lopsided trades throw off the competitive balance of the league and create a slippery slope for future trades. The Court has no issues with the idea of trading superstar players so long as the package in return is equitable and makes sense given the needs of both teams. See 4 Ponies vs. Beaver Hunters, 3 F.J. 26, 29 (June 2011). However, there is no rational basis for Colt-45 to make this trade. As good as Philip Rivers has been this year, Peyton Manning is infinitely better and more valuable for the rest of the season. In addition, Adrian Peterson has missed all but one game and his status for the remainder of the season is in serious doubt. While LeSean McCoy has had a disappointing season thus far, he is still an elite running back and far more valuable than a player who isn't even active right now.
A trade will be rejected when the Court cannot objectively ascertain any benefit to one of the teams and the net result in no way makes a team better now or in the future. See Los Pollos Hermanos vs. Little Stumps, 3 F.J. 192, 195 (October 2011); see also Speedboys vs. Kramerdogs, 5 F.J. 109 (July 2013) (rejecting a trade of Paul Goldschmidt, Adam Wainwright and Rafael Soriano in exchange for Bryce Harper, A.J. Burnett Trevor Rosenthal, and Archie Bradley). We cannot comprehend any justifiable argument as to a potential benefit towards Colt-45 in making this trade. Allowing this trade to go through would have a detrimental effect on the league and it undermines the AQL's integrity. Based on the foregoing, the Court rejects the trade between Out of Luck and Colt-45.


text:
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text:
Mesothelioma is a rare disorder and is often misdiagnosed. It is a disease that derives directly from the mesothelial cells in the serous membranes. But it is not uncommon for other growths to appear in the mesothelium, both cancerous and non-cancerous.
Tumors of the mesothelium can be benign (non-cancerous) or cancerous. A malignant tumor of the mesothelium is called malignant mesothelioma, but because most mesothelial tumors are harmful, the disease is often called merely mesothelioma.
Benign Tumors
Although uncommon, the mesothelium of certain female and male reproductive organs may develop a benign tumor called an adenomatoid tumor. In men, cancer starts in the area where the sperm is carried from the testicles and in women it starts in the fallopian tubes. Another type of benign tumor that begins in the female reproductive organs is called benign cystic mesothelioma.
A type of benign tumor that used to be called benign fibrous mesothelioma can form in the pleura around the lungs. It is now known that this type of tumor starts in the tissues under the mesothelium and therefore is not a type of mesothelioma.
It is typically not cancerous but can progress to cancer in some cases. A similar disease that forms in the peritoneum is called a fibrous tumor of the peritoneum. These types of tumors are often removed surgically, and no other treatment is needed.
Malignant Tumors
The most common form of malignant tumors in the mesothelium are metastatic tumors. That is, the tumors start in another part of the body, and then cancer metastasizes and spreads to the mesothelium. The ratio is between 7: 1 to 20: 1 for the occurrence of these types of tumors versus mesothelioma. Mesothelioma derives directly from the mesothelial cells and does not migrate into the mesothelium from other organs.
The most common metastatic tumors that grow in the pleura derive from, in descending order:
- breast
- lung
- ovary
- stomach
- large intestine
- pancreas
- thyroid
- kidney
For the pericardial tumors from metastases, the most common originating organs are lung, breast, and thyroid. In the peritoneum, the ovary, stomach, large intestine, pancreas, and chest are the most common sources of metastatic tumors.
Not all diseases of the lung and mesothelium involve tumors.
Patients with asbestosis, pleural thickening, and interstitial lung disease typically suffer from breathing problems caused by the growth of fibrous tissue, and from pleural effusion, or buildup of fluid, in the pleural space.
To learn more about diseases of the lung and mesothelium, click on the links below.


text: LINGUIST List: Vol-21-4729. Thu Nov 25 2010. ISSN: 1068 - 4875. Subject: 21.4729, Review: Applied Linguistics: Knoch (2010) Moderators: Anthony Aristar, Eastern Michigan U <aristar at linguistlist.org> Helen Aristar-Dry, Eastern Michigan U <hdry at linguistlist.org> Reviews: Monica Macaulay, U of Wisconsin-Madison Eric Raimy, U of Wisconsin-Madison Joseph Salmons, U of Wisconsin-Madison Anja Wanner, U of Wisconsin-Madison <reviews at linguistlist.org> Homepage: http://linguistlist.org/ The LINGUIST List is funded by Eastern Michigan University, and donations from subscribers and publishers. Editor for this issue: Anja Wanner <anja at linguistlist.org> ================================================================ This LINGUIST List issue is a review of a book published by one of our supporting publishers, commissioned by our book review editorial staff. We welcome discussion of this book review on the list, and particularly invite the author(s) or editor(s) of this book to join in. If you are interested in reviewing a book for LINGUIST, look for the most recent posting with the subject "Reviews: AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW", and follow the instructions at the top of the message. You can also contact the book review staff directly. ===========================Directory============================== 1) Date: 25-Nov-2010 From: Mark Brenchley [schlemihl at gmail.com] Subject: Diagnostic Writing Assessment -------------------------Message 1 ---------------------------------- Date: Thu, 25 Nov 2010 00:43:48 From: Mark Brenchley [schlemihl at gmail.com] Subject: Diagnostic Writing Assessment E-mail this message to a friend: http://linguistlist.org/issues/emailmessage/verification.cfm?iss=21-4729.html&submissionid=3792816&topicid=9&msgnumber=1 Discuss this message: http://linguistlist.org/pubs/reviews/get-review.cfm?subid=3792816 Announced at http://linguistlist.org/issues/21/21-1087.html AUTHOR: Knoch, Ute TITLE: Diagnostic Writing Assessment SUBTITLE: The Development and Validation of a Rating Scale SERIES TITLE: Language Testing and Evaluation 17 PUBLISHER: Peter Lang AG YEAR: 2010 Mark Brenchley, PhD Candidate, Graduate School of Education, University of Exeter SUMMARY 'Diagnostic Writing Assessment' details a recent study aiming to ''develop a theoretically-based and empirically-developed rating scale'' suitable for diagnostic contexts (p. 5). To this end, Knoch has conducted an empirical comparison of two trait scales. The first, that of the Diagnostic English Language Needs Assessment (DELNA), pre-dates the study; the second was purpose-built and tested as part of the study. To address the overall research problem, three specific questions were posed and addressed: 1) What discourse analytic measures successfully distinguish between writing samples at different DELNA levels? 2) Along what axes do the ratings produced using the two rating scales differ? 3) How do raters perceive the two scales? The first chapter provides a brief overview of the study, in which Knoch draws attention to the lack of clarity regarding ''how direct diagnostic tests of writing should differ from proficiency or placement tests'' (p.13), a situation particularly true of rating scale design. It is to this latter that the study is addressed. Knoch investigates whether an empirically developed scale would be ''more valid for diagnostic writing assessment'' than an intuitively developed scale of the kind typified by DELNA (p.15). In chapter 2, Knoch situates ''diagnostic assessment within the literature on performance assessment of writing'' (p. 35). Diagnostic assessment is described and distinguished through both content and purpose, with reference to features identified by Alderson (2005). Diagnostic tests, for example, should be expected to ''identify strengths and weaknesses'' (p. 21) and to provide ''a detailed analysis and report of responses to items or tasks'' (p. 21). Chapter 3 provides a definition of rating scales and focuses on issues relating to their design, Knoch discussing how such scales relate to diagnostic contexts. She argues that many current rating scales are significantly flawed, often developed, for example, on the basis of a single theory of writing development. She considers this to be a particular problem, our understanding of writing being ''not sufficiently developed to base a writing scale just on one theory'' (p. 68). In chapter 4, Knoch synthesises a taxonomy of linguistic constructs from the various theories and models of writing development discussed in the previous chapter, arguing that such a taxonomy provides ''the most comprehensive description of our current knowledge about writing development'' (p. 71). Eight potentially relevant writing constructs are identified, including Accuracy and Cohesion (p. 75), and used to evaluate the current DELNA scale. She then further analyses the available literature in order to determine what specific measures have successfully identified writing development within these constructs, and to determine which measures might be suitably operationalised for the pilot study of phase one. Chapter 5 outlines phase one. For the pilot study, Knoch catalogued 15 writing scripts randomly selected from the University of Auckland's 2004 DELNA administration. She coded them according to the specific linguistic measures identified in chapter 4. From these scripts, Knoch determined a subset of measures that successfully distinguished between different DELNA levels. This subset then served as the basis for the main study, in which 601 randomly selected DELNA scripts were analysed according to these measures. Chapter 6 presents the analysis of the main study from phase one. Of the 26 linguistic measures identified by Knoch through the pilot study, the main study identifies 17 - those which successfully differentiated between the various levels of ability according to the original DELNA levels. These included percentage of error-free t-units, the number of hedges, and the number of propositions (p. 168). Chapter 7 summarises the results presented in chapter 6, which are used to devise a new rating scale for investigation during phase two. Knoch discusses the success of each specific measure in turn, subsequently outlining a fresh trait scale for that measure. She argues that the new trait scale offers more explicit descriptors than the original DELNA scale, often stipulating fairly precise quantitative measures (e.g. ''11-15 self-corrections'' (p. 172)). The new scale is, therefore, arguably more objective and less open to rater subjectivity. Chapter 8 presents the methodology for the empirical study comprising phase two. 10 current DELNA raters were asked to use both the DELNA scale and the new scale to rate 100 randomly selected DELNA scripts. Their ratings were subjected to a Rasch analysis and further analysed according to five hypotheses designed to evaluate their respective superiorities. Finally, the raters were interviewed and asked to fill in a questionnaire about their experiences, affording feedback as to the raters' own particular evaluations of the two scales. Chapter 9 presents the results from phase two and addresses the two research questions framing this phase. The individual trait ratings from both scales are directly compared so as to determine their respective superiorities according to the five hypotheses outlined in chapter 8; the scales are then further compared overall. In terms of the individual traits, Knoch determines the new rating scale to be generally superior, noting in particular that the new scale resulted in a reduced halo effect and greater success in identifying learners' strengths and weaknesses. She also notes, however, that, analysed as a whole, ''the existing scale resulted in a higher candidate discrimination'' (p. 229), and attributes this to the new scale ''assessing different information?not measured by the existing scale'' (p. 230). Finally, Knoch presents and discusses the results from the rater interviews, demonstrating a general preference for the new scale. Chapter 10 discusses the results of phase two. The two scales are compared according to various aspects relevant to rating scale validity, these aspects defined in terms of ten distinct warrants. She finds the new scale to be clearly more valid on those warrants covering a scale's Construct Validity (the extent to which the test actually assesses what it is meant to assess), Reliability (how consistently the same script is rated by different raters), and Authenticity (how the test scores generalise to actual language use). The DELNA scale, on the other hand, is deemed to have greater validity on the two warrants covering scale Practicality (how easy a scale is to operationalise). In chapter 11, Knoch summarises the findings of the study and discusses its overall implications in both theoretical and practical terms. She argues the new scale to be ''more suitable in a diagnostic context'' (p. 298), presents a model of performance assessment, and argues the need to distinguish between analytic scales that have been intuitively developed and those that have been developed empirically. EVALUATION A more extensive account of research recently published as Knoch (2009), 'Diagnostic Writing Assessment' represents a constructive contribution to the literature on diagnostic language assessment. The study as a whole is well-conceived, planned, and executed. Each stage is thoughtfully conducted so as to serve as the empirical foundation for the succeeding stage, and the results are carefully analysed and presented in a form which makes them easy to engage with. Knoch is, further, both aware of the inherent difficulties of rating scale research and displays a clear understanding of the limits of her study. Finally, the study's conclusions, primarily that an empirically-developed scale with more explicit descriptors is more appropriate for diagnostic purposes since it more reliably isolates distinct aspects of learner proficiency, are measured, plausible and supported by the empirical evidence as presented. A particular virtue of Knoch's study is the explicitness of the construction process, allowing for a clearer understanding of the basis of the resultant scale. Given the fundamental role rating scales play in operationalising the relevant linguistic constructs and evaluating test-taker proficiency, such explicitness is vital. Yet, as Knoch herself notes, and despite this state of affairs noted as far back as Brindley (1998), ''there is surprisingly little information on how commonly used rating scales are constructed'' (p. 42). Hence, it is often difficult to evaluate the rationale and validity of assessment scales, substantially hampering an understanding of the nature of these scales in general. Not so here. Indeed, if productive research in this area is to take place, then assessment scales need to be presented and investigated in much the same manner as Knoch has done - openly, explicitly, and methodically. A further virtue is Knoch's comparative approach to rating scale validation. Rather than evaluating a single scale in isolation, Knoch's study ascertains the respective worth of two scales, using each to illuminate the validity of the other. This is an approach that yields some interesting results. Thus, Knoch notes that while ''most individual trait scales on the new scale were more discriminating?as a whole, the existing scale was more discriminating'' (p. 222). This discrepancy prompted a Principal Factor Analysis of the two scales which leads her to conclude that the new scale accounts ''for not only more aspects of writing ability, but also for a larger amount of variation of the scores'' (p. 228). Significantly, this is a conclusion prompted by the contrastive nature of the study, a fact which marks such an approach out as a fruitful avenue for further research into assessment scales. A final desirable quality of Knoch's study is her synthetic approach to language assessment. Firstly, the study is firmly contextualised within the framework of current literature. This feature is, of course, perhaps to be expected given that the study was undertaken for doctoral purposes. Nevertheless, it ensures the study is firmly and properly grounded, drawing on a broad basis of theoretical and empirical writing. Secondly, and more interestingly, Knoch synthesises her linguistic constructs from a range of available models on writing proficiency. This is significant since, as she herself rightly notes, ''no adequate model or theory of writing or writing proficiency is currently available'' (p. 104), a situation which calls into question the validity of any rating scale based on only one such model. Knoch's response circumvents this difficulty, resulting in a construct taxonomy which has broad theoretical support yet which is not tied to any one particular theory per se. Consequently, her study can be pursued as a more open and empirically-driven investigation of rating scale construction and validity, one which cuts across the various models as well as having the potential to productively feed back into them. Her results demonstrate this to be a promising approach which would allow rating scale research to develop with its own measure of independence and integrity. 'Diagnostic Writing Assessment' is not without flaw, of course, and there are several features worth drawing attention to. Throughout the study, for example, Knoch is careful to control for the possible variables, something she makes clear herself (p. 186). This methodology did not, however, extend to rater selection, all of whom were drawn from a pool of current DELNA raters (p. 185). Consequently, although the raters received training on the newly-devised scale, they would have been substantially more familiar with the DELNA version, a factor that could have had a significant effect on the rating outcomes. It would have been perhaps preferable, therefore, to have selected raters who were equally inexperienced on both scales, though this may have been unavoidable given the inevitable labour constraints of a PhD study. Further, Knoch makes clear that the goal of the study is to devise and investigate an ''empirically developed rating scale'' (p. 15). To her credit, she generally succeeds in this, each component empirically constructed, researched, and feeding into the next. It is regrettable, therefore, that, following the results of the pilot study of phase one, Knoch does not select a greater number of measures for the main study than she actually does. So, for example, although ''error-free t-units, error-free clauses and errors/clause'' (p. 113) were all found to distinguish successfully between different levels, only the ''percentage of error-free t-units was selected for the second phase of this study'' (p. 113). Knoch's choices are mostly not without reason; this particular measure was selected, for example, because it ''might be the easiest for the raters to apply and is unaffected by the length of the script'' (p. 113). Nevertheless, since the study is decidedly empirical in intent, it would have made more sense to take on all the measures empirically identified by phase one. These could then have been further investigated during the two main studies to see how they actually affected the raters and rating scores, rather than being eliminated a priori. Finally, though Knoch's analysis is generally sound, there are a couple of points regarding the statistical methodology of the study. The first is a somewhat minor one. This is simply that no breakdown is provided according to the native:non-native (47%:53%, respectively) profiles of the study cohort. These are groups likely to display different proficiency characteristics and needs, something particularly significant for a diagnostically-oriented assessment scale. Hence, it would have been relevant to explore the extent to which these groups were differently handled by the two scales. It is true, as Knoch notes, that ''it is very difficult to establish the language background of students'' (295); nevertheless, even a brief exploration would have provided an interesting further dimension for comparing the two scales. The second point is more substantial and concerns the fact that the pilot study bases its conclusions on an analysis of only 15 writing scripts. This is quite a small sample, one for which ''no inferential statistics were calculated and the data was not double coded'' (p. 112). This sample size makes her use of means questionable since it renders the mean vulnerable to outlier scores. It also often results in mean scores that are distinct but fairly close together (as in the case of 'grammatical complexity' (p. 115)) and in standard deviation scores that overlap (sometimes significantly, as in the case of 'number of words' (p. 115)). As a result, there is a residual uncertainty as to the accuracy of the selected measures, reinforcing the point made above about carrying all of the successful measures forward. That this may indeed have been a significant factor is suggested by the fact that the success of the pilot study in identifying clauses-per-t-units as a successful measure was not replicated in the main study (p. 173). Consequently, it would have been helpful either to have utilised a larger sample or to have included the individual scores alongside of the means so as to present a more detailed picture of the data; both would have improved the general empirical rigour of the study. Nevertheless, it is to Knoch's credit that the above criticisms are only available precisely because of the study's explicitness. It is also worth remembering that 'Diagnostic Writing Assessment' is a PhD study and as such is inevitably bound by all the labour constraints such a study entails. Indeed, in this context, Knoch's work is particularly impressive, the end product a mature piece of empirical research that extends our current understanding of diagnostic rating scale design, raises relevant and important issues, and serves as a useful staging post for future research in this area. REFERENCES Alderson, J. C. (2005) Diagnosing Foreign Language Proficiency: The Interface Between Learning and Assessment. London: Continuum. Brindley, G. (1998) Describing Language Development? Rating Scales and Second Language Acquisition. In Bachman, L. F. and Cohen, A. D. (eds.), Interfaces Between Second Language Acquisition and Language Testing Research. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 112-140. Knoch, U. (2009) Diagnostic Assessment of Writing: A Comparison of Two Rating Scales. Language Testing 26(2), pp. 275-304. ABOUT THE REVIEWER Mark Brenchley is a beginning PhD candidate at the University of Exeter, researching the developmental relationship between spoken and written syntactical competencies in British secondary school students. ----------------------------------------------------------- LINGUIST List: Vol-21-4729 ----------------------------------------------------------