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Big laughs and small dramas. Heavy touch and light impact.
Will Reiser was in his early twenties and working as a writer on Da Ali G Show when he was diagnosed with cancer. 50/50 is his cathartic, fictionalised and very funny account of the experience, written under the stewardship of exec producers Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen. But if their influence can be felt in the film's unexpected and generous laughs, it's also there in its failure to balance that humour with human drama.
That's not to say that 50/50 isn't an emotional ride, with Joseph Gordon-Levitt staring soulfully into the middle distance as Adam, a nail-biting, pussy-whipped neurotic who, to his shock and horror ("I don't drink, I don't smoke, I recycle"), is diagnosed with the Big C.
His journey through the gruelling stages of chemo, hair loss, grief, despair and rejuvenation is never less than compelling and is handled by director Jonathan Levine with a devil-may-care brio that tiptoes the fine line between comedy and tragedy.
But there are two different films here – or at least two separate tones – moving in parallel without ever actually cohering. The first is an unabashed bromantic comedy in which Seth Rogen takes centre stage as Adam's best mate Kyle, who refuses to see his friend as a victim and instead uses Adam's cancer as the perfect excuse to hit on girls. And so Rogen gets all the juicy lines, giving full vent to that shaggy charisma and shamelessly stealing scene after scene until, eventually, you realise he's just mugged the entire film.
With Rogen off screen, that second film is allowed to emerge, and it turns out to be an often quite touching if somewhat uneven cancer drama that hits all the usual movie beats (girlfriend who can't take the pressure; therapist falling for patient; pop music as an emotional crutch), but nevertheless manages to introduce a note of quiet tenderness in the final third.
Credit for that goes in large part to Anjelica Huston, who really nails the delicate mixture of pathos, warmth and vulnerability needed to tie the script's disparate parts together. Mother to a cancer patient and wife of an Alzheimer's sufferer, Diane is the subject of the film's sharpest observations but also its most sympathetic moments. And while Anna Kendrick's turn as a young therapist is bogged down by clichés, at least it offers her the opportunity to display a smile that slips effortlessly from brittle to dazzling and back again.
Indeed, Adam – with his shaved head and hollow eyes – is the only character who isn't hiding behind a mask; whether it's blokey bonhomie, professional concern or parental strength. 50/50's mask is a patchwork of stylised slo-mo, Radiohead and marijuana gags designed to convince you that it's anything but a run-of-the-mill drama. And yet, weirdly, despite all the posturing and protesting, the film's conventional moments are actually its best.
Sounds tough but original. Not sure if this can really work.
Big laughs and small dramas. Heavy touch and light impact.
It's not a major landmark on anybody's résumé, but it's nothing to be ashamed of either.
By Jordan Cronk


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The Vision
Nebraska Innovation Campus (NIC) is a research campus designed to facilitate new and in-depth partnerships between the University of Nebraska and private sector businesses. NIC is strategically located adjacent to UNL and provides access to talent, resources and success through UNL research faculty, students and facilities.
NIC provides the opportunity for private sector companies to become an intimate partner with the University of Nebraska. NIC is a conduit that connects the talent and abilities of individuals, companies and the university.
At full build-out, NIC will be a 2.2 million square foot campus with up to 5,000 people working, living and playing in uniquely designed buildings of quality construction that promote positive energy, foster interaction and collaboration, and stimulate ideas, sustainability and innovation. Amenities will be provided that benefit those working on campus.
NIC is operated by the Nebraska Innovation Campus Development Corporation (NICDC), a private 501 (c) (3) corporation.

subset: commoncrawl


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The Hall of Famer Greg Maddux once explained his pitching success by pointing to a road a quarter-mile off. At that distance, he observed, you couldn't tell whether a car was traveling 55, 65, or 75 miles per hour. So it was in pitching. Unless the batter is tipped off by a hitch in the delivery or an anomalous spin, he's left guessing at whether the ball will come at 80, 85, or 90 miles per hour. "You just can't do it," Maddux explained, "except for that [expletive] Tony Gwynn."
Indeed, Tony Gwynn got more hits off Maddux over the course of his career than off any other pitcher, compiling a .415 average and never striking out. Maddux can be forgiven the career blemish, for Gwynn was the greatest hitter of his era. His career average (.338) was the highest of any player to enter the league after World War II by 10 points. The San Diego Padres's number 19 is 19th on the all-time hits list, with 3,141, and no hitter born after 1900 got to 3,000 hits in fewer at bats. Gwynn won eight batting titles, ranking behind only the dead-ball phenoms Ty Cobb and Honus Wagner. Not since Ted Williams hit .406 in 1941 has a hitter come so close to a .400 average as Gwynn did when he finished at .394 during the strike-shortened 1994 season.
Gwynn died last week of salivary-gland cancer at the age of 54. Baseball fans will remember Gwynn as Maddux does: as the exception. Gwynn was a prewar contact hitter in an era of Bash Brothers and home-run chases. With his career covering almost the entire "Steroid Era," Gwynn was one of the first players to speak out against the rampant use of steroids and amphetamines.
As baseball writers have universally attested, Gwynn was, as a superstar, neither a cantankerous recluse nor an overmanaged corporate icon. His voice may have been more distinctive than his batting stance: high, nasal, and ready to explode with laughter. It was a wonder such an exuberant man could be so patient at the plate. Most of all though, Gwynn is an exception because he never left the San Diego Padres. Though free agency obliterated expectations of loyalty, leading countless players to take their talents elsewhere, Gwynn, a southern California native who attended San Diego State University, routinely took a hometown discount to stay with his oft-hapless Padres. He became Mr. Padre. America's Finest City's finest.
Hitting was Gwynn's obsession and vocation. There are two great contradictory myths we like to tell ourselves about sports. One is that the great ones are simply naturals. Beyond the way it corrodes meritocracy, such a view is flat wrong: Most of the greats are obsessive workers. But its opposite is wrong too: Greatness does not come to every hard worker. Gwynn's greatness was in making the most of his natural gifts. A star point guard at San Diego State, he had exceptional hand-eye coordination and quick wrists. But he also spent the last half of his career with what he called "a body by Betty Crocker." Gwynn had small hands, compelling him to use a smaller, swifter bat, good for singles but not for home runs. Gwynn nicknamed his slender bat "Seven Grains of Pain," but he couldn't use it against power pitchers, otherwise it'd snap. When Ted Williams first saw "Seven Grains," he snarled that he could pick his teeth with it.
What Gwynn did best in the team pursuit of runs and wins was spraying line-drive doubles and duck-snort singles across the diamond, advancing runners, and hoping he would be advanced. When George Will needed a subject for the chapter "The Batter" in Men at Work, he chose Gwynn. Will recounts a story of Gwynn pleased by an out and distressed by a home run. He explained to Will that even though he'd made an out, he kept his shoulders square just long enough and swung with his hands leading the barrel of the bat by the right number of inches. On the home run, he complained, he had come forward with the barrel of the bat and had swung a millisecond too soon. Repeating the same swinging action several times a game over a 162-game season means a ballplayer must rely on muscle memory. Given baseball's relentless and gradual averaging out, a well-timed swing led by the hands would produce more runs than an early swing with the hands behind the barrel. Gwynn was never seduced by swinging for the fences. He set his sights on more solid ground: generally swinging for the 5.5 hole between the shortstop (6 on a scorecard) and the third baseman (5).
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The Wanted, Carly Rae Jepsen And More Rock AAKD 2012!
Prior to the US Open's occurrence, a family-friend event called Arthur Ashe Kids Day occurs. Each year, events such as face-painting happen for the younger crowd and performers come to entertain all. Previous acts have included Demi Lovato, Justin Bieber, and The Jonas Brothers. On August 25, 2012 - Arthur Ashe Kids Day took to Flushing, NY once again. This time, the performers who were deemed the entertainers for the night included The Wanted, Carly Rae Jepsen, and Mindless Behavior. Check out the images from the day's events!
mcleodglenAnyone knows where i can get the belt like that?Aug 26, 2012from the photo: The Wanted @ AAKD


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Sudan's cardinal survives assassination attempt
Catholic World News - October 12, 2010
Cardinal Gabriel Zubeir Wako of Khartoum survived an assassination attempt on October 10 while celebrating Mass, according to Sudan Catholic Radio.
During the Mass, a man carrying a dagger ran towards the cardinal. The cardinal's master of ceremonies apprehended the man and took away the dagger. The cardinal was not injured, and Hamdan Mohamed Abdurrahman is now in police custody.
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The Northeast Ohio Management Information Network (NEOMIN) is one of 21 Information Technology Centers (ITCs) providing technology shared services to Ohio's K-12 schools through its membership with the Ohio Education Computer Network (OECN).
NEOMIN provides five core services for Trumbull County and Ashtabula County schools.
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April 11, 2012
Stories this photo appears in:
Spring Fest to make downtown debut Saturday
The free event will be conducted Saturday in downtown Albany.
Things to do downtown this week
A list of things to do downtown this week
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In additional experiments, the team tested how well their method compared to acid, a common way to break down cellulose. The metal chlorides-ionic liquid system worked ten times faster than the acid and at much lower temperatures. In addition, the paired metal chloride catalysts allowed Zhang's research team to avoid using another compound under investigation, a mineral acid, that is known to degrade HMF.
Optimizing their method, the team found that they could consistently achieve a high yield of HMF -- the method converted about 57 percent of the sugar content in the cellulose feedstock to HMF through this single step process. The team recovered more than 90% of the HMF formed, and the final product from the process was 96% pure.
In addition, the metal chlorides and ionic liquid could be reused multiple times without losing their effectiveness. Being able to recycle the materials will lower the cost of HMF production.
"This paper is a tremendous breakthrough. By combining the cellulose-breakdown and sugar-conversion steps, we are very close to a single-step method of converting raw biomass into a new platform chemical -- a chemical you can readily turn into a transportation fuel or for synthesis of plastics and other useful materials," said PNNL geochemist and study coauthor Jim Amonette. "Advances like this can help reduce our dependence on fossil fuels."
|Contact: Mary Beckman
DOE/Pacific Northwest National Laboratory


text: It has unique designed for SEO optimization with faster page loading. It can be used as a started theme for development of any website. It has lots of theme hook to help developer for further development. The flat look starter theme having a lot of theme functionality to manage logo fav icon and social media profile etc. The theme can be used for any kind of blog or news websites. This is fully responsive theme, works perfectly with any mobile devices or tablet.View Project View Project Demo


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This weekend Kerry Katona (pictured) attended Pop4Diabetes, an annual event organised by JDRF supporter Iris Board. The night was a chance to raise awareness of type 1 diabetes while celebrating some truly inspirational children and was hosted at the Marriot High Cliff Hotel, Bournemouth.
Over 200 guests enjoyed a champagne reception, followed by a three course meal and an auction at the fundraising event. Iris' son Shane, 23, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes aged 10 years old and performed his new song 'Believe' on the night. The single will be released on World Diabetes Day (14 November) and profits will go to JDRF.
Kerry Katona awarded the 'Child of Courage' awards to children who have overcome the life changing diagnosis of type 1 and said:
'I was delighted to be asked to attend such a fantastic event. I enjoyed meeting the children at Pop4Diabetes and hearing more about their type 1 stories. I was amazed at how many people in the UK live with type 1 diabetes and what it entails to ensure that their type 1 in kept under-control. JDRF is an amazing charity and I would strongly urge people to donate to this great cause, in order for JDRF to one day find a cure for type 1 diabetes.'
The awards were split into three categories; junior for children aged between 5-11 years, senior for children aged between 12-16 years and the Christopher Hall Memorial Award which was introduced two years ago to celebrate the life of six year old Christopher. His family were on hand to present the award alongside Kerry.
For further information about Pop4Diabetes, please visit www.pop4diabetes.co.uk or for more information on JDRF and type 1 diabetes www.JDRF.org.uk
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Information from the Highway Code specifically for cyclists:
You MUST NOT cross the stop line when the traffic lights are red. Some junctions have an advanced stop line to enable you to wait and position yourself ahead of other traffic (see Rule 178 of the Highway Code).
If cyclists are caught jumping red lights they may be given a £50 Fixed Penalty Notice.
Information for all road users:
When there is an advanced stop line at a junction motorists, including motorcyclists, MUST stop at the first white line reached if the lights are amber or red and should avoid blocking the way or encroaching on the marked area at other times, e.g. if the junction ahead is blocked. If a vehicle has proceeded over the first white line at the time that the signal goes red, it MUST stop at the second white line, even if the vehicle is in the marked area (Rule 178).
You MUST stop behind the white 'Stop' line across your side of the road unless the light is green. If the amber light appears you may go on only if you have already crossed the stop line or are so close to it that to stop might cause a collision (Rule 175).
You MUST NOT move forward over the white line when the red light is showing. Only go forward when the traffic lights are green if there is room for you to clear the junction safely or you are taking up a position to turn right. If the traffic lights are not working, treat the situation as you would an unmarked junction and proceed with great care (Rule 176). Green filter arrow - This indicates a filter lane only. Do not enter that lane unless you want to go in the direction of the arrow. You may proceed in the direction of the green arrow when it, or the full green light shows (Rule 177).


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Today the wrestling world is mourning the death of Brad Armstrong, who died today at the age of 51. According to several news sources Armstrong had visited a doctor the week before for some type of issue and was found dead in his home today.
Brad is a member of the famous Armstrong family. His father, "Bullet" Bob Armstrong is a WWE Hall of Famer and a legend from the old territory days.
I always thought Brad was an excellent performer in the ring and I still think he had one of the best dropkicks in the business, but he didn't quite have the charisma to really become a big star. He was missing that "it factor", whatever that is.
I read some comments made by Steve Austin about Brad and I think they sum it up perfectly. He said something along the lines that Brad could have a great match with anybody and was very smooth in the ring. If you walked into the locker room and saw that you were wrestling Brad Armstrong, you knew you were in for an easy night. He compared Brad's ability in that respect to Ricky Steamboat, who is well regarded for being able to have a good match with anyone at any time.
I told a friend today that I would have liked to meet Brad. He seemed like he would have been an easy guy to talk to and he probably had plenty of stories to tell about the 'good old days'.
Rest in peace, Brad.


text: It's amazing what happens at dinner when multi-million dollar deals are at steak. I am a firm believer that guys with class and clout close more of those deals, because they understand whats classy and sexy. Not many people come in and order $700 Bordeaux, even though we're in a mecca of multi-million dollar business. I can only pay hommage to the wine gods for sending this table my way, because I love Bordeaux, even though I cannot afford to drink what my palate has grown to love. I am however, developing some weird other skill to find wines that perform at a fraction of the 1st growth wines at a fraction the price. One the nose, bouquet, med+ intensity, loads of spice, cardamom, clove, pencil shavings, tomato leaf, sandlewood, asian spice, very classic basement-like chalky earth, no perceivable oaky quality, and deeper than the last thousand $100 bottles of wine I have tried. On the palate, dry, med+ intensity, medium tannin, very well balanced, incredible length. Not massive and structured, but more perfumey and elegant. I am happy that these wines keep finding me, but they also keep setting the bar higher and higher. I need to inherit a massive fortune to cellar this amazing wine. If you have this, I am jealous, it will deliver for another decade or two.


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A couple of weeks ago I had Sea Bass in Saor at The Market restaurant in Gloucester.
"You know – Saor," Oliver said to me, "that sauce with the sweet, red onions?"
I didn't know what Saor was, but I vaguely thought it was something Indian.
Feeling challenged, I googled it when I got home, and learned it wasn't Indian but Venetian, which I should have guessed becauses the Venetians are famous for doing interesting, unexpected things to fish, particularly recipes that "keep." I'd had dishes like this in Italy: delicate fried filets marinated in white wine and vinegar, like the method "in Carpione," which The Lake Como way of preserving a large catch of lavarelli – Italian trout.
I'm always looking for a fish dish that is more a recipe, something that can be made ahead, particularly in the summer time when being outside feels more important than cooking, and it doesn't feel right to rush home from a day at the beach and start throwing pans around. Most "make-ahead" recipes are dreary pasta, meat, cheese assemblages that substitute distinct flavor for shelf-life.
This recipe, which may seem odd, not what we usually do with fish, is brilliant because it is made 48 hours in advance, but loses none of its delicacy or freshness for its hours in a "marinade." I tinkered with the Market's version, but decided the Venetians knew what they were doing; the real virtue of the dish is in its original form.
Here are the basics: Dust fresh flounder/sole fillets in flour and quickly fry in shallow oil. Cook a batch of red onions at a low heat for a long time so they are never rushed, and become "dolce." Add some wine to that, and then the vinegar and raisins. Layer fish fillets with the onions and toasted pinenuts.
The magic of it all is that after two days the fish is cool, light, still completely delicate. There is no puddled marinade anywhere, just a vapor of wine and vinegar. The onions and raisins are plump, and the toasted pinenuts a last crunchy, earthy note.
It takes a little time to assemble; I made mine on a recent long, rainy day, but today is gorgeous – we're headed for the beach, and dinner is made. The rose – the last required ingredient to this meal – is chilled.
Pesce in Saor (Venetian marinated fish) – adapted from the New York Times
- 2 pounds fish fillets, preferably flounder, sole or whitefish
- 1/3 cup flour
- 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- Salt to taste
- 4 medium onions, very thinly sliced (about 4 cups, loosely packed)
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 1/2 cups white-wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons golden raisins
- 3 tablespoons pine nuts
Rinse fish fillets quickly under cold running water. Pat dry with paper towels. If very large, cut into pieces no more than 5 inches long.
Dredge fillets in flour and shake off excess.
In a heavy skillet over medium heat, heat 1/4 cup olive oil with the vegetable oil. When the surface of the oil begins to crackle, add fish pieces in one layer, and saute until golden brown, turning once. Drain fillets on absorbent paper, sprinkle with salt to taste if desired and set aside.
Discard the oil in the skillet and wipe clean. Add remaining 1/2 cup olive oil, and place over medium heat. When the surface of the oil begins to crackle, add the sliced onions. Let sizzle for 1 minute, then reduce heat to low, and cook onions slowly, stirring frequently, until golden brown and very soft, about 45 minutes.
Add wine to the onions, and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Then add the vinegar, and simmer 15 minutes longer. Stir in the raisins, and cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes more, or until the raisins are plump. Remove from the heat.
Arrange a layer of fish pieces in the bottom a glass dish. Cover with some of the onion-raisin mixture, and sprinkle a few pine nuts over the onions. Continue layering fish, onions and pine nuts, ending with the onion-raisin mixture. Pour the remaining liquid in the skillet over the fish. Cover the dish with saran wrap and refrigerate at least 48 hours. Bring to room temperature before serving. Can be served as an hors d'oeuvre or as a cold main course.
6 to 8 servings


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Bloggers and Narcissism
July 18, 2013 by Stephanie O'Dea · 9 Comments
original photo credit: The Secret of Narcissism
This is part of the Business of Blogging Series. You can see all of the posts, here.
I've done a bit of speaking this summer at various conferences, and I've said a few times to the audience (and been met with great laughs), "Let's face it. Bloggers are narcissistic."
While I do love laughter responses, I'm completely serious when I say that in order to be a good blogger, or to put yourself out in the public eye, you've got to have a part of your personality that believes that You Are Better Than Others.
and this is a challenge. It's a struggle for me, and I know it's a struggle for many of my friends. It feels wrong, it feels fraudulent, and it feels deceitful to decide when you wake up in the morning that you are going to make and write about THE WORLD'S BEST BEEF STEW.
or the best way to fold a fitted sheet.
or write about a completely ordinary trip to Walmart but in a way you just *know* your readers will appreciate.
or heaven help you, post a #selfie on instagram.
I wasn't raised to seek the spotlight, I was raised to sit quietly with my hands folded while the grown-ups talked and not to interrupt. And that is how I'm raising my children. Nobody likes a know-it-all who interrupts. Blogging is about interrupting.
gah. It's loud, it's annoying, and it feels icky.
So what do you do? How do you balance the self-doubt, the negative voices, and the twingy feeling that you are doing something wrong when you decide to put your heart and voice online?
I can tell you that it gets easier, but I can also tell you that I personally stress and analyze every time I write anything online. This is the list I weigh in my head before posting (on any of my sites, on facebook, on twitter, and even on pinterest)
1) How does this help my audience? (and helpful can just be a feel-good moment. there doesn't need to be a lifelesson in everything you put online, nor does it have to be a how-to tutorial.)
2) Am I writing this only because so-and-so has written about (kale) a lot and I feel like in order to stay relevant I need to write about (kale)?
3) Am I jumping on the bandwagon about a certain event that has a lot of drama and I want people to link to me when they, too, write about this certain event?
4) [related to #3] am I stirring an already-bubbling pot? Is that what I want to be known for? Pot-stirring?
5) In 3 days, will I still be proud of my writing?
6) Am I writing this because I'm getting paid to write about it (like a sponsored post)? Have I told my audience this truth?
7) Will my writing be search-engine-friendly? If not, how can I massage my words to help with SEO?
8) and then back again to #1…. am I being helpful to my audience?
If you respect your audience, they will respect you.
If you jump in front of the
camera keyboard every single time any fleeting thought passes through your head, you might gain lots and lots of followers initially, but they will leave in the longrun. Build a lasting legacy — something that you enjoy, that you can see yourself working on as your life's work.
As for the negative thoughts? Embrace them. Listen to what they have to say. Maybe you are posting too often, and without anything valuable to offer your readers. Maybe you are only tweeting 7 times a day because some expert told you that's how many times a day you should tweet. Maybe you are solely only writing about the latest conference drama because you want to be in the spotlight and want to be someone "in the know."
and if after some soul-searching you realize that you don't like your current path, then tweak it a bit.
But don't let the voices win. We ALL have something to offer. We are all on this life-living journey together, and we all have something to share and to teach. Differing perspectives are fantastic — that is how we, as readers, as humans, make decisions. That's why we read Amazon reviews — our culture needs to know as much as possible about pretty much everything right now. Right this instant. We can't even wait to get home to our desktop, we have to whip out our phones in the middle of the store and tweet a picture to the masses to see if these shoes are actually a good buy.
This is a great time to be writing online. Do not let self-doubt or shyness prevail. Yes, bloggers are inherently narcissistic. We have to be.
And that's okay. Just make sure to acknowledge it.
Patience, and Other Blogging Virtues
May 1, 2013 by Stephanie O'Dea · 22 Comments
This is another installment in my The Business of Blogging Series.
I have been blogging full-time since 2008, and have been hesitant to share my successes "out loud" with very many people because I worry about 1) jinxing it and 2) being show-offy
and I'm not a show-offy person, and I worry a lot about karma and good will and even feng shui.
But I've gotten to thinking about why I do what I do and why I started what I started. And honestly, I just like helping people. Specifically other moms.
I like to help people.
I wrote the proposal for the Totally Together Journal way back in 2004 (I was pregnant with my second). I wanted a way to help other mothers, and thought I could be of service in some way. It took YEARS to get that book to the market.
In the mean time, I started the slow cooking site, and wrote the corresponding cookbooks. The very best part of my day is waking up to Thank You emails and tweets. I love that I can somehow help other busy families get healthy, satisfying, budget -friendly (and gluten free, to boot!) meals on the table. I am proud of that.
I worry sometimes about being too proud. I worry about being a braggart, and I worry that others will feel that my success isn't warranted or that somebody handed me something. I worry that someone, somewhere will think that I must "know someone" and that's how I got on tv or got book deals, or how I get a lot of people to my website.
and so I don't talk about my achievements.
or yet I haven't, much.
I'm beginning to realize that while I can't write HTML to save my life, I actually do know a lot about blogging.
I spent last Saturday in Los Angeles with Adam. We flew in so I could speak at the Latina Lifestyle Blogging Convention about Ethics and Blogging (they knew I'm Scottish…!).
And I realized, I know an awful lot about blogging. An awful lot. I've learned through trial and error and have been very lucky in my blogging and social media endeavors.
And I figured that EVERYBODY who has blogged for as long as I have has achieved similar results, and am finding out (through talking to friends/acquaintances) that this is not the case.
I make a very good living at this. And I'm having fun.
I make over 100k directly from my websites.
and I do this all, from home, in my pajamas, while I care for my children.
And it's not that hard.
This post is titled PATIENCE. Because I truly believe that ANYONE, ANYWHERE can have this level of success if they map out a business plan and are patient. The money is out there. The opportunities are out there.
Don't worry about what so-and-so is doing. Don't compare your site to anyone else's. Learn how to write for SEO and give your readers what they want.
I want to help —- my hope is that I can somehow help other people/moms create additional streams of income for their family's budget.
I feel incredibly fortunate to be living the life I am living, and I would like to help.
If you have questions about future installments for this series, please let me know in the comments below. I've finally gotten the green light from Adam to talk candidly (sort of. LOL) and I would really like to offer any help I can. oxox steph
OH! and I should probably explain the above photo of the grape vine. I planted that vine 4 years ago, and the leaves promptly all fell off. I kept watering and fertilizing it even though it looked like a dead stick. For 4 years. And this spring? Not only are there leaves, there are teensy tiny grape bundles! Patience. It's a virtue! :-0
This is part of the Business of Blogging series.
Part 1: The Business of Blogging
Part 2: Figuring Out Your Internet Voice
Part 3: Writing for Search Engines Doesn't Mean Selling Your Soul
Part 4: Is Self-Esteem Tied into Sitemeter?
Part 5: Patience, and Other Blogging Virtues
and other stuff:
Creating a (non-cheesy) Vision Board
Working from Home with Small Children in the House
Making and Keeping New Year's Resolutions
February 22, 2013 by Stephanie O'Dea · Leave a Comment
We're approaching the end of February. Do you know where your New Year Resolutions are?
I've gotten pretty good at making and keeping my resolutions each new year — and while it's still not super easy for me to stay on track, each and every year I have a bit more resolve to keep on course.
It doesn't matter that we're near the end of February — there is still plenty of time to get your new year goals and resolutions back on track. If you've fallen off the wagon, here are some tips to climb back in it and buckle up; there's a long road ahead until the end of the year.
If you haven't made any new year resolutions or goals for 2013, or don't like to because you don't think that's "your thing" — okay. But you also can't change for the better in any way unless you make the conscious decision to do so. And regardless of your personal journey or path, I believe we all could do a bit better each year.
This is it.
You're not going to get today back again, and it's okay to want tomorrow to be slightly better.
How to make New Year Resolutions that You'll Keep:
1) Write it down. This is such a simple step, yet the majority of people don't do it. Yes, there are plenty of people who have stuck to their resolve to lose weight or get out of debt by not writing down their goals, but if you DO write it down you have a greater chance of success. And who are we to fool around with statistics? If it feels hokey, don't worry about it. You don't have to share what you've written down to anybody — just keep it in a notebook or folded up in your purse.
2) Tell Someone. I know. In suggestion number 1 I said you don't have to share your written resolution or goal list with anyone and now I'm telling you to tell someone else your personal wishes and dreams. I promise I'm not losing my mind— you still don't have to share your written out list, but you DO have to share what you're working on.
Accountability to someone else is a much stronger motivational drive than an intrinsic one. This means that you are more likely to disappoint yourself than you are someone else. That's just how human nature is. We are also much more forgiving to others than we are to ourselves —- so if you veer off track, having a supportive someone in your corner is just who you'll need to confide in and who can help you retain confidence.
This is what I did with the slow cooker site, and what Jen did with her cocktail site. We told the Internet — it's a pretty big group to be held accountable to!
3) Review your resolutions every single day. However you do this is up to you. You can pull out your list of goals, or rewrite them every morning. Some people have excellent results by writing their resolutions out as if they have already happened. For instance, if your goal is to lose those final last ten pounds, you might start your day by thinking about how thankful you are that you can fit into the dress hanging in the closet. You can go a step further and visualize yourself wearing it and hear in your head all the complements you'll get from your friends.
I have a vision board. I make a new one every year, and I keep it in the bathroom. It's personal, and I have sayings and quotes, and magazine cutouts on it. I only share it with Adam, and even he kind of rolls his eyes a bit at how particular some of my visions (picture cutouts) are. But that's okay. Because my vision board makes me smile and keeps me focused on what it is I'm working towards — I look at it quite a few times a day, and somedays it spurs me on to take action on a certain writing assignment or to go do a few pushups. Other days I just zone out. I've decided to believe that even on my zone out days my subconscious is working on something. 😉
4) Pretend you've already succeeded. Or fake it till you make it. This might seem phony at first, but you'll get used to it in practice. If your New year's Resolution was to work out every morning, act like a person who works out every morning. What time does that person wake up? What does she wear? Does she sleep in her workout clothes and works out before getting dressed for the day? What does she eat? Do you need different food in the house?
If your resolution was to write every day on your All American Novel, start acting like a novelist. What does a novelist do? Does she get up before everyone else in the house and write for an hour? Does she have a set of index cards with character names and traits? Does she spend 3 hours a day surfing facebook or pinterest, or does she buckle down and work?
5) Reward yourself. This doesn't need to be elaborate, nor does it need to be expensive, but you have to find a way to celebrate the tiny steps and milestones along the way. Day to Day life is hard enough as it is — trying to change or adapt is even harder, even if you know it's for the better.
Human nature is to find the easiest and least resistant path. It's easier to lay around on the couch than it is to lace up your shoes and go for a walk. So reward yourself. Walk to the grocery store and after making a few laps get yourself a pack of sugarless gum. If you've gotten through the entire day without yelling at the kids, take a bath. Paint your toes. Do something just for you that's a reward. And there is no harm in using the reward as motivation to keep to your goals — "if I don't use my credit card but instead pay it off, I can use the extra savings in our vacation fund."
I'm sure you see what I mean.
You don't have to be in the first week of January to decide to be a New You. Or a Newer Version of You.
You can do this. I know you can.
and it's not too late.
It's never too late to accomplish anything you put your mind to.
Use an Ironing Board to Create a Homemade Standing Desk
February 13, 2013 by Stephanie O'Dea · 9 Comments
For the last week or so, I've been using an ironing board as a desk. I wish I was smart enough to have thought of this as a DIY alternative to a standing desk — but I'm not. It just sort of happened.
I've wanted a standing desk for a while — I've scoured pinterest and DIY sites for ideas, have looked at websites advertising these type of desks (WAY expensive), and even have sent Adam links to how to make them at home using cheap wood and laminate.
So I put this idea on hold.
But then last week happened, and we each had different work trips to go on, and we had unexpected company, and the ironing board that I set up in the corner of the master bedroom got left up. And the computer armoire where I plug everything in at night (my current work desk is the kitchen table, but we have a computer cabinet where we hide everything at night so the "work day" is over by dinner time) got a bit cluttered so I needed another flat surface for charging the laptop.
And I used the ironing board.
And then left it on the ironing board while I was answering email in the morning, and even used it as a table for the last slow cooker recipe I photographed —- and although it's not the prettiest thing in the world to keep up in the master bedroom, it might very well might be the most practical thing I've ever come up with.
What I like about standing versus sitting:
* I'm burning calories — there are studies that prove that standing exerts more energy than sitting
* I'm naturally stepping or swaying while I work — my pedometer (this is the one that I LOVE, and it's cheap!) is showing that I've added a good 2000-3000 steps to my day with very little effort on my part
* I am now finally ergonomic. Since I've never owned a desk chair, my table to chair to floor ratio (don't even know if that's the actual terminology, but I'm going to assume you know what I'm talking about…) hasn't ever been proper. I'm exactly 5 feet, so there are very few chairs that allow my feet to sit flat on the floor the way they are supposed to. And our dining chairs are a bit large in the seat, so my knees are at a funny angle if I lean all the way back, which causes me to perch on the edge of the chair while I write, causing my shoulders to slump. With the ironing board, it's adjustable, so I can raise the keyboard to the actual right spot for my eyeline and shoulders/wrists.
* BUT. My wrists aren't supported, I know. Honestly, I've never had supported wrists or elbows, so that's not an issue for me, but I can see how it would be for others.
* The other really big benefit is that I'm not spending as much time on the computer. It's just not as comfortable to stand at an ironing board and read gossip sites, or twitter, or online news as it is to curl up with the laptop on the bed or couch. But that is something I need to work on, personally, anyway. I waste a lot of time on frivolous Internet surfing, and my time could honestly be better spent sticking to my to-do list and goals.
(this might actually be the biggest benefit)
So there you go! Super simple (and actually kind of stupid) brilliant idea!


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HandmadeGold-plated silver Spiked hoop designButterfly fastening for pierced ears
Product code: 388015 - Need help? Contact us


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Ho ho ho! The Green Kangaroo has a gift for you! Order your holiday cards before the end of November and receive FREE custom postage stamps and FREE gift tags!
Also, in the spirit of giving, we are partnering with local Wake County, NC schools and charities this holiday season! 25% of proceeds from each individual holiday card order will be donated to the school or charity you select. Help support your school! For more information regarding this opportunity, contact us.
Visit our Holiday Collection to view our NEWEST designs and start shopping!


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Gauntlet Hair, the Denver-based noise pop duo consisting of Craig Nice and Andy Rauworth, finds itself asking an inevitable question on its new album: What genre are we? Stills, the follow-up to the pair's self-titled debut album, explores a variety of sounds and textures that could be found under the "noise pop" umbrella. At the same time, the record finds the group stepping outside predetermined genre lines and stretching the limits of pop to explore more abrasive styles like industrial and grunge. When done properly, in a consistent manner throughout the album, experimentation is a great tool. Gauntlet Hair, however, often finds its auditory chemistry lab running amok.
Gauntlet Hair opens Stills with the album's lead single, "Human Nature." The track proves to be a loose anchor that ties the various musical traits founds sporadically throughout the rest of the record. Minimalism inundates the song, from the simple five stanza lyrics, to the repeating gothic synthesizer lurking in the background. Layering repetitive electronic drumbeats and a synth melody alongside Rauworth's weary vocals produces a powerful and haunting auditory effect. It provides the type of catharsis the band has excelled at in the past.
Contrasting the minimalistic, slower pace of "Human Nature," the album proceeds to a jangly, upbeat spell on tracks "Spew" and "Simple." The songs echo the pop friendly characteristics of the album single, but their complexity proves to be a rift in the album's pace. While the slower, lackadaisical tempo and layering techniques heard on "Human Nature" appear on several tracks throughout the album, "Spew" and "Simple" assert musical energy and force to create an almost danceable energy. The bass line on "Spew" grabs the listener unexpectedly with a groovy, shuffling directness, layering distorted vocals, hollow synth melodies, and bouncy, high-pitch guitar riffs that pervade the remainder of the track.
Having explored jangle pop sounds and murmuring electronic beats, Gauntlet Hair calls it quits with the musical mad science experiment after touching on the dark sounds of industrial rock. "Obey Me," a short break with one repeated lyric ("I belong to you and those who obey me"), uses clanking piano chords and reverb-drenched guitars to evoke feelings of isolation and fear. Near the end of "Obey Me," the song begins to transition to the following track with the tinny, guitar riff heard throughout "Heave." The gothic, metallic sounds of the dual guitar riffs flood the listener; Rauworth's vocals add to the harsh, factory texture of the track, resembling emotionally charged shouts of angst that complement the track instead of the sleepy, effortless sound found on most of the album.
Stills is undoubtably an attempt to display Gauntlet Hair's range and ambition. It's a darker, angrier album and it shows that the duo is adventurous, but the experiments don't quite cohere. Nice and Rauworth have grabbed from an impressive array of influences, but the results are confusing, leaving the question of "Who is Gauntlet Hair?" unanswered. Hopefully, by album number three Gauntlet Hair will have a more satisfying answer in store.


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Sunday, 17 June 2012
TA-DAA!!! Meadow Felt Finished!
40 comments:
- Lesley said...
wow,stunning!What an inspiration your pieces are. I'm afraid I'm still at the 'very small' stage with my felting, especially when embellishing with stitching too!
Lesley x
- 17 June 2012 at 23:13
- Noelle the dreamer said...
I had no idea it was this large! Absolutely beautiful work Fiona!
- 17 June 2012 at 23:29
- Claire said...
And what a lovely Ta-daa it is Fi.......it's gorgeous and I would love to wander in a meadow full of beautiful flowers like yours.....
I'm also oohing and aahing over you wonderful collection of coloured threads.......
You have me thinking about making a felt garden piece but I best not go there yet!! Too many UFO's to crack on with.
I'm sure someone will give this piece a lovely home where it can be admired and enjoyed for many years to come.
Wishing you a blue sky and sunshine week,
Claire x
- 17 June 2012 at 23:45
- Carol said...
Absolutely wonderful piece of art Fi. Who wouldn't want to gaze at that beautiful meadow of colour every day? I imagine it looks even more lovely in real life.
Carol xx
- 18 June 2012 at 00:22
- Meu jardim de crochê - Jeanne said...
Fantástico. Lindo. Maravilhoso. Parabéns. Sou tua fã aqui do Brazil!
- 18 June 2012 at 01:18
- Deb @ Paper Turtle said...
What an amazing work of art. It's just fabulous!
- 18 June 2012 at 01:19
- RetroSandie said...
It IS a stunning work, Fiona!! Just beautiful. I'm sure it's going to fly right out of the gallery for you!! Since this project was so large...maybe now you need to do something - mini??
- 18 June 2012 at 06:05
- Marie Vickers Art said...
Well now, this is just beautiful! Absolutely gorgeous! You are a very talented lady, no doubt about it.
Marie :)
- 18 June 2012 at 07:00
- The Vintage Gardener said...
Absolutely beautiful!
- 18 June 2012 at 07:27
- Annie said...
Oh Fi that is truly wonderful. I'm sure it will fly off the wall. I can just imagine how much you'd like to keep it.
A x
- 18 June 2012 at 07:50
- tülin said...
Müthiş !
- 18 June 2012 at 07:51
- KC'sCourt! said...
Julie xxxxxxx
- 18 June 2012 at 08:06
- Maggie said...
Absolutely blooming wonderful! I too, would hate to part with it, perhaps you ought to do one, just for you, in your spare (?!) time.
- 18 June 2012 at 08:25
- wendz said...
That's beautiful. I hope it sells quickly - and when it does, I believe whoever buys it will indeed cherish it and love gazing at it. It's a joy to look at.
- 18 June 2012 at 08:57
- dosierosie said...
It is amazing! How on earth do you get the shape of the flowers so perfect.
- 18 June 2012 at 10:04
- greenrabbitdesigns said...
Beautfiul work Fi, I don't think it will be too long before it's snapped up!
Vivienne x
- 18 June 2012 at 10:04
- daydream in colour said...
xx Susan
- 18 June 2012 at 10:25
The most stunning felt ever.
- 18 June 2012 at 11:43
- Kim @ Lavender Fields Forever said...
- 18 June 2012 at 12:05
- sandiart said...
That is mahoosive. Did your sewing machine quiver a little at the 'largeness' of it!? Just keep making gorgeous works like this, they will sell no doubt. You should have your work exhibited in a big London gallery...honest.
xx Sandi
- 18 June 2012 at 13:30
- Betty said...
It is truly beautiful - I would love to have one - it must have taken immense patience and be so difficult to part with. I bet someone is going to snap it up at the exhibition. Betty.
- 18 June 2012 at 16:28
- Twiglet said...
Totally beautiful!!
- 18 June 2012 at 17:19
- The Weaver of Grass said...
What next? Surely another piece along the same lines Fiona. It is absolutely exquisite and I do hope that somebody snaps it up quickly.
- 18 June 2012 at 19:18
- millefeuilles said...
Dear Fiona,
I love it! Words fail me. The colours are sensational and the subject matter is close to my heart.
- 18 June 2012 at 19:52
- Kandi said...
It's very beautiful, well done I'm sure it will be snapped up really soon! xx
- 18 June 2012 at 20:21
- Pearly Queen said...
It's just beautiful!
- 18 June 2012 at 21:33
- chocolatefrog said...
Glorious! Just bursting with colour and life. I hope you get a fair price for all that's gone into this.
- 18 June 2012 at 22:02
- Little Blue Mouse said...
It's absolutely gorgeous!
- 19 June 2012 at 00:03
- Charlotte said...
Claire (Sweet Birdy that she is) directed me here. I love the way your felt shines and glows with colour. I am also very interested in the machine work. I will scroll back through your posts as I want to know your secrets...tee hee.
Claire suggested you would be a good teacher to help me with a project I have on the go right now.
- 19 June 2012 at 06:46
- Riddlers cottage flowers said...
- 19 June 2012 at 06:53
- Alchamillamolly said...
Hi Fi Wow Wow Wow - this is gorgeous - you are so talented I am sure that cards would be good.
I have been flicking back on your blog - what did you do with your sofa in the kitchen - I can't remember?? Will have to come and see you again - I would love to come to your crochet class but just a bit too far for an evening. I can't wait to see what you come up with next. Have you thought of doing some small felt pictures ie about A4 size ????
- 19 June 2012 at 07:46
- Sue said...
Such a glorious work of art, really beautiful!
- 19 June 2012 at 21:18
- Stacey Moore said...
Just seen this in the Gallery, I really like it! Well done! Ive just dropped in some cockerel drawings maybe you could do some felt animals with embroidery something different just an idea. Hope to see you soon :)
- 20 June 2012 at 17:19
- Wendy said...
Oh wow, it's just beautiful!
- 20 June 2012 at 17:46
- Karoline said...
It's stunning, congratulations
- 22 June 2012 at 13:54
- Connie said...
WOW!!! I have never seen anything quite like this . . . it is stunning. A true master-piece. I'm sure you have a lot of time into it, but you certainly have a work of art to be proud of. I feel a need to follow your blog . . . not because I'll get a idea that I can use in my own projects, but because you are amazing. Connie :)
- 23 June 2012 at 08:45
- Two Wednesdays said...
It's beautiful - I am sure it will be snapped up very quickly.
- 25 June 2012 at 16:42
- Jak said...
Absolutely stunning, did you use an embellishing machine to do this? The reason I ask, is because I bought one a couple of weeks ago, but as I'm in the middle of moving house, I have only had a little play!.
Jak x
- 26 June 2012 at 11:09
- Just-Do said...
I always admire your work, but this is truly amazing. So many details. I enlarged the images to see everything even better, and I just keep looking and looking.
Indeed: what next??
- 27 June 2012 at 11:16
- ymme said...
Ik sta vol bewondering van uw originele viltwerken!
- 18 August 2013 at 09:42


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The S&P 500 - A Second Quarter Road to NowhereJul 11, 2012
Chad Karnes, CMT
Frustrated with your 2Q performance? The S&P 500 is down since March, but that doesn't mean you can't make money from it.
If you are like me, then you are likely impatient and dissatisfied when an investment does not do as expected. For an investor, one of the worst things to occur is to invest capital and have it not perform, or even worse lose money.
At the end of the 1Q, on March 30, 2012 the S&P 500 (SNP: ^GSPC) was sitting at the $1409 level while the price of the SPY (NYSEArca: SPY) was $140 and the IVV (NYSEArca: IVV) was $141. Since then, here's a sample of the seemingly positive news items over the past few months:
"Health Care Ruling a Positive" - WSJ in June
· "Greek crisis leads to positive steps" - San Francisco Chronicle in June
· "Federal Reserve releases GDP estimates of 2.3 to 2.6% annual growth" - News release in April
· "March 2012's unemployment rate drops to 8.2%" - News release in April
However, after all of that new information, the S&P 500 at $1341 still sits well below where it did before any of that news. The market has returned poorly for long term fundamental investors since the beginning of the second quarter.
For many investors, a few months could be considered a very short time frame and may not change an investment thesis. For others, a few months is an eternity and even though the market is down since the first quarter, it does not mean the market has not provided opportunity for profiting or for better entry and exit points for both shorter and longer term investors.
These investors could have benefited by looking at the shorter term swings of the market. Many would have been better off waiting, instead of putting capital to work as they did at the end of the 2Q.
Some Simple Math
In the second quarter, the S&P 500 has actually moved more than 170 points. "But, you just said the S&P 500 has performed poorly since the first quarter," - are you contradicting yourself?
Here is the difference: using monthly opening and closing prices of the S&P 500, the market has actually moved many more points than the static change of down 68 points since the first quarter. This calculation is performed by adding up the total difference between the open and close of each month this quarter. This shows that on a monthly basis the market has fluctuated quite a bit over this time and has provided ample opportunities for profits. We can see this in the charts as well.
This calculation assumes that prices only moved in a straight line from the open to the close. Using only the opening and closing of each month is actually greatly understating the total movement since we know that the markets do not move in a straight line and indeed cover lots more ground. The chart below from the ETF Profit Strategy Update shows the price ranges moved in the S&P 500 since March 30. Notice the different peaks and valleys marking shorter term tops and bottoms throughout the time period. Also of note is some of our chart analysis that accompanies our commentary.
Click here to learn about more ways to take advantage of different time frames.
Shortening the Time Frame
A shorter term investor can take advantage of more price movements of the market, or a longer term investor can take advantage of the shorter term to help him or her find a better time to put capital to work. For more aggressive traders, levered ETFs such as the ProShares Ultra S&P 500 (NYSEArca: SSO) or ProShares UltraShort S&P 500 (NYSEArca: SDS) also can be used to take advantage of shorter term time frames. This past month alone, the ETF Profit Strategy Update identified signals to be short on July 5 and long on June 27 capturing two nice moves that longer term investors did not. These signals would have helped an investor improve profits and timing, even though the longer term investor likely has negative returns since April 1.
The ETF Profit Strategy Newsletter continuously researches markets such as the US Dollar (NYSEArca: UUP), Dollar Index (NYBOT: DX-Y.NYB), the Euro (NYSEArca: FXE), Euro Index (CCY: EURUSD=X), SPDR Gold Shares (NYSEArca: GLD) and Gold Spot Price (Comex: GCQ12.CMX), The iShares Barclays 20+ Yr Treasury Bond ETF (NYSEArca: TLT) and the ProShares UltraShort 20+ Yr Treasury ETF (NYSEArca: TBT), and others in order to capitalize on multiple time frames.
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Hola Friends! I love spaghetti with meat sauce. Always have. I make mine with brown sugar so it is a little bit sweet and uses a base of Prego. Prego is one of the cheapest spaghetti sauces out there and I love it (with a few additions). On a side note, I am not sure why I do this and it is totally dorky, but I always say "She is prego-ragu", if someone is pregnant. Weird, but true.
Anyways, I used to think my recipe was the best – until I tried this one at our good family friends, Debbi and Steve's house. Debbi is a wonderful cook - not to mention a great singer, dancer and hula hooper . She is the appetizer queen (I am hoping she will send me some of those recipes soon)! Her and Steve very graciously organized my dad's memorial reception and hosted an after party at their house…where they served this amazing chicken and Italian sausage pasta sauce. Which is actually a recipe of Debbi's friend Leslie. As soon as I ate the first bit, I asked for the recipe. I only made a few changes, which is really strange for me. It is fantastic and super simple to make for a crowd. I served mine with ravioli, but you could use your favorite pasta. Caesar salad recipe will be posted next.
Italian Sausage and Chicken Pasta Sauce
Printable recipe here
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon butter
1 White onion chopped
10 Large mushrooms sliced
3 Garlic Cloves minced
5 Links of uncooked (spicy or mild)Turkey Italian sausage cut into ½ inch pieces
4 Skinless Boneless Chicken breasts cubed (sausage and chicken is easier to cut if it is a little bit frozen
16 oz can diced tomatoes
1 Quart Prego Spaghetti sauce
1 T. Italian Seasoning
¼ cup dried basil
¼ cup dried oregano
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
6-8 servings of your favorite pasta
In a large stockpot, saute onion and mushroom in the olive oil and butter until soft and onions are translucent. Add garlic and sauté one minute more.
Add the chicken and sausage pieces and cook over med- low heat until the meat is browned and cooked through.
Add the tomatoes, sauce, seasonings, brown sugar and vinegar.
Stir well. Simmer over low heat for at least 20 minutes up to an hour stirring occasionally. You shouldn't need to season with salt because the sausage has quite a bit of salt already.
Use over cheese ravioli or your favorite pasta. Sprinkle with parmesan and enjoy.


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I'm not show-offy.
where do I sign? Are there any dues?
Quote from: cui bono? on October 31, 2006, 07:43:48 PM where do I sign? Are there any dues? nope.
Come be a member!
Quote from: Opoto on October 31, 2006, 07:40:17 PMCome be a member!Didn't go native, then?
huh, loser?
Page created in 0.208 seconds with 18 queries.


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Chrome extension and website
Asked on Jul 10, 2014 - 20:51 UTC
Is there a known bug with the caching? Recently I've been seeing incorrect due dates - as in, some of my todos are wrongly coming up as days or weeks in the past. Then when I sign out and back in again, this has fixed itself.
I've seen this on both the website (via Chrome), and also the Chrome extension.
All responses
Replied on Jul 10, 2014 - 21:48 UTC
Hi Dan,
We are dealing with a fair amount of sync/due date issues which we are looking into. We have yet to confirm if its directly related to Chrome.
I'd suggest clearing the cache and offline data for Chrome and see if it continues.


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Work No. 792 (2007) begins from a small green Lego baseplate. Attached to the foundation is a red rectangular brick. Atop this brick is a smaller brick, still rectangular, but white. The structure rises with alternating colors for twenty-two bricks. From this point, the size of the bricks shrinks once again and rises another eighty-eight square bricks. Just shy of the final 111th brick is a single yellow block with two small white eyes.
Creed's choice of two works to flank the entrance to Skyscraper materially and structurally reflects a relative simplicity. Work No. 792 and Work No. 916 (a stack of nine empty cardboard boxes descending in size from smallest to largest) are a sort of parenthetical to the exhibition. They remind us of one of the most generative stages of a structure's development. Marked by the playful nature of childhood, these stacks are also the eager moments of the architect's first rendering; a space of imagination; a gesture that suggests a drive to heights that complement the extreme angles one is willing to crane one's neck in order to see to the top.
The stacks reflect the skeletal nature of our tall buildings—of their ability to wear and shed various skins. The alternating colors of the Lego bricks are no matter; they can be marble or glass, steel or concrete. The height, the direct rise of Work No. 792, is a hanger for our vertical desires. As an advertisement for the feat of ascension it is also a bit of a weary warning. These stacks are only models. They can be only childhood imaginings. In the same moment of possibility we find the projects that languish, those that must remain unbuilt, left as visionary (or just childish) dreams.


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The Museum of Russian Art Presents "Masha and the Bear," Original Children's Play
What: In celebration of the upcoming holiday season, The Museum of Russian Art (TMORA) presents "Masha and the Bear," an original, educational adaptation of the classic Russian fairy tale. "Masha" is the story of a little girl who gets lost in the woods, is made a servant by a big bear and ultimately tricks the bear into taking her home.
TMORA's play is geared toward children 12 and under, but audiences young and old will enjoy the interactive performance, which features Russian words and phrases interspersed with TMORA's original sing-along music.
"Masha and the Bear" is TMORA's third children's play presentation. "Snegarouckas and Babushkas" was the museum's successful inaugural play, followed in 2006 by the popular "Peter and the Wolf."
Who: The cast is composed of seven accomplished Twin Cities actors, several of which are returning for their third season at TMORA. Heading and directing the cast is local talent Eric Webster, who has recently been in local productions such as "We Gotta Bingo" in the role of Bucky Fuller, the bingo caller, with the Actors Theater of Minnesota, and in "Tony and Tina's Wedding" as Tony at the Hey City Theatre.
When: Saturday, Nov. 3, 10 and 17
Performances at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 4, 11 and 18
Performances at 2 p.m.
Tickets are $12.50 per person and can be reserved by calling The Museum of Russian Art at 612-821-9045 ext. 75. Seating is limited and reservations are required. All children must be accompanied by an adult.
Where: The Museum of Russian Art
5500 Stevens Ave. S., Minneapolis
(Intersection of 35W and Diamond Lake Rd. Exit 46th St. due to road construction.)
The Museum of Russian Art, a non-profit, educational institution, is the only museum in the United States dedicated to the preservation and exhibition of 20th century Russian art and artifacts.


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A study of analyst recommendations at the major brokerages indicate that GNC Holdings Inc (NYSE: GNC) is the #14 broker analyst pick among those stocks screened by The Online Investor (http://www.theonlineinvestor.com/) for strong stock buyback activity. To make that list, a stock must have repurchased at least 5% of its outstanding shares over the trailing twelve month period. In forming the rank, the analyst opinions from the major brokerage houses were tallied, and averaged; then, the list of stocks with strong buyback activity was ranked according to those averages. GNC Holdings, Inc. operates as a specialty retailer of health and wellness products. It operates through three segments: Retail, Franchise, and Manufacturing/Wholesale.
Galena Biopharma (NASDAQ: GALE), a biopharmaceutical company developing and commercializing innovative, targeted oncology treatments that address major unmet medical needs to advance cancer care, recently announced the European Patent Office notified the Company of an intention to grant a Pharmaceutical Use Patent for NeuVax(TM) (nelipepimut-S). The patent covers the use of NeuVax as a vaccine for the prevention of relapse in breast cancer patients with an immunochemistry (IHC) rating of 1+ or 2+ for HER2/neu protein expression and a fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) rating of less than 2.0 for HER2/neu gene expression.
Immunomedics, Inc. (NASDAQ: IMMU), a biopharmaceutical company primarily focused on the development of monoclonal antibody-based products for the targeted treat
|SOURCE FN Media Group LLC
Copyright©2012 PR Newswire.
All rights reserved


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After all that hard work, the money from the dosomething grant is officially used! This previous weekend I had a blanket party. With a goal of 100 blankets we worked for several hours and ended up making 101 blankets! Not only did we meet our goal, but we exceeded it! I would like to thank everybody who helped make the blankets, donated money, Sacred Heart Parish for letting us use their gym, and dosomething.org for the grant. Thank you all.(:
About Me
- Operationasisterslove
- My name is Allie and I am 19 years old and I have a sister with NF1. Operation A Sisters Love, is a project I started as a result of my sister spending much time in the hospital. She was given a blanket while there and it gave her so much comfort I decided other kids needed a blanket when they stay in the hospital. So I told a few people about my idea. They must have liked it because I was getting donations from a lot of people which enabled me to make more than 50 blankets before my first donation to the American Family Children's Hospital in Madison Wisconsin. I would like to become big enough to service more hospitals with blankets and other comfort items to the children.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Blanket Party, Jan 2011
Posted by Operationasisterslove at 6:22 PM
1 comment:
we live in Woodbury Mn and would love to enlist the help of our daughters kindergarten class. would you be able to find a place to donate the blankets we make? any pointers on how much fabric to purchase? i'd love to give all of the children an activity to do over their spring break!!ReplyDelete
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Exhibit shows life in Coweta during WWII
by Sarah Fay Campbell
The first exhibit at the Newnan-Coweta Historical Society's McRitchie-Hollis Museum opens Saturday, and will run through May.
"Victory at All Costs" interprets life on the Coweta home front during World War II.
"I think it is going to be a great exhibit and we can't wait to share it with everybody," said Jeff Bishop, NCHS coordinator.
Hours are 10 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday.
Curators have selected objects from both the NCHS's permanent collection and items on loan from members of the community to help tell the story of how Newnan and surrounding communities "geared up" and adjusted to life in Coweta during WWII, said Keri Adams, co-curator for the exhibit and interpreter with the McRitchie-Hollis Museum.
Items on loan include medals and personal telegrams from the Beers family, a Navy uniform worn by Clifford Glover Jr., 1940s-era toys from Tom Camp, and a program from the ceremony in which Newnan Cotton Mills received an award for wartime production.
These items and more are staged throughout the Peniston-Arnall-Thomasson Home, now the McRitchie-Hollis Museum, at 74 Jackson St.
"The 1937 home-turned-museum is the perfect venue to house a World War II exhibit about how Coweta was impacted during the war," said Adams.
"It was easy to imagine" the residents of the home "sitting in the living room listening on the radio to the announcement that Pearl Harbor had been attacked," Bishop said. "We thought — this is a great opportunity to make this all come to life." In addition to a wide variety of artifacts, visitors will also see more than 50 informational panels.
And there will be several "QR" codes that can be scanned by smartphones. "You can scan the QR code and then suddenly Roosevelt is there on your phone giving the address," Bishop said. Next to a poster about the need to recycling kitchen scraps is a code that will send visitors to a propaganda video by the War Department.
Visitors with smartphones will also be able to see a few propaganda videos made by Walt Disney.
The home was built by the president of Arnall Mills, Ellis Peniston, and his wife, Mildred Arnall Peniston. The exhibit highlights letters written by Mildred to her nephew and Newnan native Dr. Ellison Cook III while he was stationed in Europe as a medic during the war.
The exhibit was nearly complete when Peniston descendants came to visit, bringing the letters. They were written on Mrs. Peniston's stationery, with the address of 74 Jackson Street.
"This really brings it home," Bishop said. "You can really imagine Mildred sitting at this desk and writing to her nephew… it really brings to life the story of … people living on the home front and fighting the war on the home front."
Donating the letters were Mildred Arnall Cook, Mary Frances Waters Engle, Nora Catherine Cook and Jeanne Kresch Cook Overacre, who recently made a visit to the home.
The exhibit also features a hands-on activity for children and art work from a class of the Young Artists of Newnan and Coweta County that is inspired by WWII-era hats donated to the NCHS by State Representative Lynn Smith, which will be displayed alongside the art as well. Students have researched the history of the individual hat styles. There are a selection of games from the World War II era, including several Slinkys. "We have some Slinkys and we have some stairs," Bishop said. Children will also get to experience playing with jacks and pick-up-sticks.
"I'm excited we can involve kids, not only experiencing it from an audience standpoint, but also in curating part of an exhibit," Bishop said.
Additionally, McRitchie-Hollis staff is planning public programming for the exhibit in the upcoming months.
Admission to both the museum and the exhibit is $5 per adult, $2 per child 12 or younger and seniors, and free to all NCHS members.
Parking for the museum is located in the old Newnan Hospital lot on Carmichael Street.
Those needing more information about the exhibit or museum, or would like to join the Newnan-Coweta Historical Society, should call 770-251-0207 or email email@example.com .


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Ho, Ho, HoedownItem #: HL.04490342
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Arranged by John Moss.
Easy Music For String. Voicing/Format: Score & Parts. Band Level: 2. 9x12 inches. Published by Hal Leonard. (HL.04490342)
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With a musical tongue-in-cheek, John Moss gives us an very easy program number based on Up On the Housetop, mixing the familar carol with a foot-stomping barn dance styling. It's a country Christmas all the way.
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Is your iTunes library an unorganized mess? TuneUp Media is the perfect program to fix up your music library. If you have tons of tracks that have missing song information and just say Track 01, Track 02, and so on, this program can take care of those. Same goes for any track that is labeled with "unknown artist."
This powerful program for iTunes or Windows Media Player digitally listens to your music and then identifies all your songs and fixes the song information. How cool is that? And on top of that, once all your song details are all correct, you can set the program to go back through your library to add in any missing album cover art.
I will now give an overview that goes over all the things that TuneUp Media does. First and foremost, this program is great for fixing up and organizing your iTunes library. It adds in all the correct tags for all your songs, and can even add in missing album art if you choose. What really sets TuneUp apart from some other programs is that it actually goes in and digitally identifies your songs. So if you have a bunch of songs that are missing labels completely, it will still fix those and add in all the correct information.
This feature is truly a time saver, because it prevents you from having to go in and listen to all the songs that are labeled Track 01, Track 02, and so on, just to figure out what they are. I know I had a bunch of those from when I uploaded different CDs into my library, and they can truly be a pain to identify later on. With TuneUp, you just push a button and it goes through all your songs and adds in all the missing information.
Another great feature that has just been added is that TuneUp will now remove duplicates! They were working on adding this feature for a long time, and now they have added what they call the deduper, which is just their name for the duplicate remover tool.
There are also some other pretty cool features, especially for music lovers. You can get concert alerts that notify you whenever an artist in your library is coming to play in your city. I have missed out on some of my favorite bands before because I had no idea they were coming to town. Well now I never miss a concert because I get these awesome alerts from TuneUp.
The program also features something called the Tuniverse, which is basically just a bunch of extra features that enhance your listening experience. When you are listening to a song, you will see a bunch of other options that are related to that song. For example, you can click on relevant Youtube videos, wikipedia artist bios, the latest information from google news, song and album suggestions from Amazon, and even view relevant Ebay auctions. Sometimes I find some cool things in the Tuniverse while I'm listening to my music.
If you are into sharing what music you are listening to with your friends, you can even tweet that out with TuneUp or share your music information on Facebook. These features are pretty cool if you like to tell friends about new music that you have just discovered.


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- Financial Information and Services
Student Spotlight
Petey Goes to College
Yorkie Service Dog of ECE Student Beth Kraimer Becomes Great Addition to CWE
Fall 2012 marked the first time Petey attended college. The service dog of ECE student Beth Kraimer, the Yorkie has been deemed the unofficial mascot of the Center for Worker Education (CWE). The nine-year-old Yorkie accompanies Kraimer everywhere she goes. "He has changed my life completely," says Kraimer. "He's my therapy dog and we volunteer at Beth Israel for many years. Petey's been featured in the hospital's video campaign."
At Beth Israel Hospital, the volunteer dog often gets recognized and stopped in the hallway. The same can be said at CWE. Petey has especially been known for his fashionable outfits and sporty footwear. Kraimer has at least 30 pairs of dog shoes for Petey to keep his paws clean. His wardrobe varies and on any given day be seen in tees and track suits to rain gear.
Kraimer, who for 30 years served as a licensed massage therapist, decided to pursue her lifelong dream of teaching children. Petey accompanies Kraimer to class. "He became an instant star," says Kraimer. "Not only does he relieve the stress of everyone he comes in contact with, but he puts a smile on everyone's faces too."
Petey, like CWE students, works very hard. In addition to being a service dog, he models. Petey has been seen in Vogue and Cosmo. He has modeled for Ralph Lauren, Michael Kors, Saks Fifth Ave, Target, Juicy Couture, just to name a few. Petey's been featured on TV and has posed for five published books. He even is the inspiration behind a pet fashion line called Petey's Closet.
Once class starts, it is all business. Petey maintains quiet with an occasional snore during class. "Everyone looks forward to seeing Petey at school, even the students we haven't met yet all smile," says Kraimer. As Kraimer becomes more involved in her field of early childhood, she plans to write a book about her dog. She hopes "Petey's Busy Day in New York City" will one day be introduced into classrooms across the world so Petey can live on forever.
CWE Wins First Prize at the CUNY-Wide Annual Student Speech Contest
ECE Student Christopher Nickerson becomes first CCNY Student to Win
City College Division of Interdisciplinary Studies at the Center for Worker Education sophomore Christopher Nickerson, 27, took top prize in the 2013 Student Speech Competition during the City University of New York (CUNY)-wide annual speech competition, marking the first time one of City College's students has come out on top.
"Third-Party Candidates...: Freedom of Choice in America" was the title of Nickerson's speech, which he gave at York College at the meeting of the CUNY League of Active Speech Professors (CLASP), which sponsored the competition. Nickerson attended the competition with his entire family and speech teacher Dr. Robin Levenson.
An Early Childhood Education (ECE) major, Nickerson gave a political persuasive speech discussing the reasons why the U.S. should have more than just the democratic and republicans debating during the presidential elections. He stressed the importance of third-party candidates and offering choices when running for public office. Nickerson was the next-to-last contestant and blew everyone away with his presentation. He mesmerized the judges with his enthusiasm, persuasive powers, articulation, and use of language, voice and body in his well-documented and delivered speech.
"I was so proud to have coached him. We worked tirelessly outside of class this semester, and all our hard work paid off. This top prize is quite a coup for Chris and CWE, as City College has never won the contest before," said Dr. Robin Levenson, Adjunct Assistant Professor at CWE who sponsored and coached Nickerson for the contest. Nickerson's speech came from a shorter version of a speech he had written during Levenson's Foundations of Speech class given last fall. "We are so lucky to have him in our Department."
According to Dr. Levenson, Nickerson practiced rigorously and was able to practice his speech in front of Prof. Andrew Aprile's Sociology of Education class. Nickerson competed against top speech students throughout CUNY including LaGuardia, York, City Tech, Bronx Community College, Baruch and Queens College.
CWE students and faculty were invited May 8 to a special ceremony to congratulate Nickerson in winning First Place at the CUNY CLASP Speech Competition. All who attended were able to hear Nickerson deliver his winning speech. Nickerson's engraved CLASP trophy will be on display at the Center for the year.


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But, I have a post today and even though I absolutely despise bananas, I LOVE banana chocolate chip muffins. I know, it really doesn't make any sense, but it is true.
So, if you have yourself some bananas that you are just going to throw out, hold your horses and make up some of these muffins...they're divine.
What you'll need---
1/2 cup of oats
about 1/2 cup of water
1/2 cup margarine or butter (whatever you have on hand)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup sour milk or buttermilk if you have it
3 bananas that have seen better days
1 1/2 cups of flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
about 1 cup chocolate chips
What you'll do---
Step 1: Pour the 1/2 cup of water over the oats and let them sit. You need enough water to cover the oats so they can soak it up but not enough that the oats are swimming. I usually use warm water.
Step 2: Cream the butter and sugar.
Step 3: To the creamed mixture, add 2 beaten eggs and 1/4 cup sour milk and mix well. If you have buttermilk just use that. If not, you can sour your milk by added about a tbsp or so of vinegar to regular milk.
Step 3: Take your bananas and mash them up (**Note: I only had 2 bananas and the recipe still works fine without any changes. The muffins just end up not as banana-y).
Doesn't that look tasty?
Step 4: Add the mashed bananas and the oats to the rest of the mixed ingredients and mix well until you get a nice soupy-looking mess...yummm!
Step 5: To the soup, add the flour, baking soda and salt and once again, mix well.
Step 6: Now stir in the chocolate chips. I like to do this by hand so my mixer doesn't pulverize them. Also, if you coat the chocolate chips in some flour they won't sink to the bottom of your muffins. I had this happen last time so I made sure to coat them so they stay suspended in the batter. Thanks to Paula Deen to that tip!
Step 7: Fill up your muffin tin. I like to use paper liners so clean up is easier. And, if you spray the liners with a little cooking spray, the muffins won't stick to them when you gobble them all up...just a tip. Oh and a good idea to preheat your oven to 300 now too!
Step 8: Bake the muffins at 300 for 25-30 minutes or until they are set and just browning around the edges. These are moist muffins so they won't really brown. Just keep an eye out for when the muffins look firm. It should take about 25 minutes.
Step 9: Enjoy!!!
Yummm...stacks of muffins!!! :)
I love these muffins and they are so easy to make. That and if your bananas go bad you don't have to throw them out...you can use them up! I let my husband take some to work with him this morning so I wouldn't eat them all. After doing this post I'm kind of regretting it...... ;)


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Reminger Launching Kentucky Office View Count: 116
Cleveland, Ohio's Reminger law firm will open an office in Louisville, Kentucky on July 1st.
Managing partner Donald L. Miller II and partner Paul A. Dzenitis will oversee the new office. Another 14 lawyers will the firm's clients.
It will be Reminger's third office in the state, and the firm's tenth office overall.
Reminger Company, LPA is a full service law firm with offices located throughout Ohio and Kentucky.
Reminger Launching Kentucky Office by Erik Even
Tagged: Donald L. Miller II, kentucky, launch new office, lpa, new offices, Ohio, Paul A. Dzenitis, Reminger, reminger company


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Latest Weather Blog
WBRZ and LSU present Tigerama 2012
BATON ROUGE - On Tuesday, Oct. 23, LSU fans will once again have a chance to witness one of those special events, as the Tiger Band will present this year's annual Tigerama concert at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
Doors will open at 5:30 p.m., and dress for the event is tailgate attire. The evening includes performances by the LSU Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Winds and Tiger Band, featuring the Golden Girls and Colorguard, as well as the LSU Cheerleaders.
A special VIP reception and silent auction event will take place from 5:30-6:30 p.m., prior to the concert beginning at 7 p.m. The auction will include but is not limited to special LSU collectibles, LSU and Tiger Band experiences and unique, one-of-a-kind items.
The $100 VIP ticket price includes pre-event entrance, access to the silent auction and complimentary catering, live musical entertainment, pictures with members of the Golden Girls and Colorguard and reserved "front and center" stadium seating.
General admission seating cost is $20, with a special $10 ticket price for elementary, high school and college students. All proceeds from the Tigerama auction, reception and concert will go directly into the Tiger Band account with the Tiger Athletic Foundation, for use by the Tiger Band.


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Necklace, lampworked glass / red agate (dyed / heated) / acrylic / waxed cotton cord, multicolored with silver-colored foil, 29x24mm puffed oval / 31x12mm oval / 34x24mm flat rectangle, 19 inches with lobster claw clasp and 2-inch extender chain. Sold individually.
Item Number: K11-3106JE
Stardust acrylic beads, foil-lined glass components and shimmering cotton cord combine for one incredible necklace. The lightweight style fits comfortably at 19 inches and can extend to 21 inches. Pattern on the pendant is on one side, the reverse side is a solid, shimmering blue. Colors can include light blue, gold, black, clear, copper and brown. In each lot of handcrafted items, colors, shapes and sizes may vary.


text: One-time friend of War Horse, Empire's second sexiest actor, slinky dancer and all-round good guy, Tom Hiddleston has the versatility befitting of a God of Mischief. "Acting is an act of imagination," he explains of The Avengers' challenging sound stage work. "It is supplying the truth for things that aren't in fact there. But that's the job, that's the discipline, and I love it. It's just like playing as a kid, just with bigger toys." Like this Chitauri Sceptre.


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But that's not really what I'll miss about Shea Stadium.
That honor belongs to the summer of 1995. Chris had just graduated from college and most of his friends were still in school or scattered around the country. The job market was tough and he could only find work in a Long Island factory that made make-up cases.
He was miserable; he was brilliant and wildly overqualified for the position and missed fraternity life. I didn't care. His asylum was Shea Stadium and he let me tag along. I was 14 years old and I couldn't think of anything I'd rather do than head to Mets games -- lots of them -- with my older brother.
He got off work around 6:30, so we never made it for the first pitch. The Mets stunk that year, and by the time we got to the game, they were usually already losing. We didn't care: The score gave us leverage with the scalpers in the parking lot desperate to get rid of their last few tickets, and we could always find a pair for 10 bucks.
Attendance was sparse that summer and it was easy to sneak down to the loge section. We'd sit in right field in home-run territory and hope Todd Hundley would hit one our way. We'd fantasize about the futures of the Mets' young pitching staff -- Generation K call-ups Bill Pulsipher and Jason Isringhausen and dominant Triple-A force Reid Cornelius -- and Chris would fret about how Edgardo Alfonzo was the first Met younger than he was (at least according to the roster).
And we spent a lot of time reminding Jeff Kent of how much he sucked.
Thanks to a strong September, the Mets made a late run and finished in second place in a terrible division. We didn't care that they ended up six games under .500. Second place was exciting to Mets fans then, and the players seemed pretty geared up about it too. Except Kent, of course. He was a jerk throughout.
That offseason, Chris moved to Boston. He found a job and a girl and eventually -- sacrilege! -- a Red Sox hat. A couple of months after we found out his melanoma had spread to his lymph nodes (wear sunscreen, kids), we went to a Mets-Sox game at Fenway and Chris, in a misguided attempt to impress his future wife, actually rooted for the Red Sox. We watched one of our favorites from 1995, Carl Everett, get tossed from the game for head-butting an umpire, and Chris cheered when his replacement, future Met Brian Daubach, hit the go-ahead home run.
It felt like my still-beating heart was being ripped from my chest, like in Mortal Kombat, except more gruesome and without the awesome music.
Of course, losing him as a Mets fan paled in comparison to losing him as a brother, and as a human. But the good thing about memory is that it's selective.
I can forget about that game like I can forget about Chris' illness, and the chemo and surgeries and tumors and all the horrifying things that went along with it.
And just like that, I can forget about how Shea Stadium stunk like crotch and peddled crappy food for exorbitant prices. And I can forget about all the heartbreak. In 27 years as a Mets fan, there's been no shortage of that.
When I remember Shea Stadium five, ten, or god willing, 50 years from now, I'll remember the summer of 1995 and my brother Chris, inextricably linked. I'll remember praying for Chris Jones to get an opportunity in a big spot and revering all five of Alex Ochoa's tools.
I'll remember speeding to the park in Chris' white Buick station wagon, inherited from our grandfather, and careening over the divide that separated the Interboro Parkway from the Grand Central because Chris always missed the exit. And getting lost in Flushing and buying fireworks off some kid on the corner.
And I'll remember being inside, craning to see the scoreboard from the right-field porch. Leaning over the bullpen wall and calling out to John Franco on the perch. Heading up to the empty upper-deck section and starting a mocking two-man wave. It wasn't pretty, but it was damn fun.
I understand that shaving 10,000 seats in capacity is a sound business decision, and that luxury boxes and high ticket prices at Citi Field will pay for Johan Santana and everything. But Shea's charm, to me, always rested in how two kids could show up on any given day, pick up a pair of upper-deck tickets on the cheap, and take in a Mets game. I suppose it shouldn't matter to me now, credentialed for the press box and without my brother to sit with, but it does.
Because to me, being a fan has nothing to do with sitting in cushy seats with reasonable legroom and cupholders and many fine dining options. And it has nothing to do with showing up to see a competitive team, as the Mets seem to field every year nowadays. Being a fan is sticking through the summer of 1995, trying to see promise in failure, finding the purity in a game with no postseason implications, and maintaining hope and passion and faith in a team that's just not very good.
Chris taught me all of that, and no matter what happened to him or what will happen to Shea Stadium, I'll always keep them both close. Because though this career -- one that Chris never got to be a part of -- forces me to fake some degree of professionalism, I'll forever be a 14-year-old kid at Shea Stadium, just thrilled to be watching baseball at a bargain rate.
And though he's probably headed for the Hall of Fame, Jeff Kent will always suck.
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Domaine Fouet Saumur Blanc 2009
Chenin Blanc from Loire, France
Winemaker's Notes
Situated in the commune of Brézé, one of the most reputable for its white wine soil, our Saumur Blanc is a lively wine and of great freshness. It releases strong aromas of white flowers, and of a particular note we call "flintstone."
Our Saumur Blanc goes perfectly with first courses, shellfish and fish. The ideal serving temperature between 52 and 56°
Critical Acclaim
The Wine Advocate - "Julien Fouet's 2009 Saumur behaves rather like a blend of Sauvignon and Chenin, smelling mouth-wateringly of ripe honeydew melon, apple, lime, mint, and brown spices Like a luscious melon and lime sorbet (except, of course, dry) it coats and refreshes the palate, with salt, iodine, and apple pip bitterness offering counterpoint. This finishes with a persistently mouth-watering interplay of fruit and mineral as well as a delightful overall sense of levity. It may be that, just as many Sauvignons from outlying areas of Touraine benefited especially from the ripeness of 2009 when compared with wines from better-known appellations that sometimes took on too much weight or alcohol and lacked brightness, so this delightful Saumur exhibits ravishingly ripe appeal yet also lift, brightness, and transparency to mineral nuance that are generally missing from 2009 vintage Chenin Blancs of more celebrated appellations. In view of the short plastic stopper used to seal the bottle, I would plan to savor this versatile, outstanding value over the coming 6-9 months. "
Domaine Fouet Winery
Situated in the wine - producing commune of St Cyr en Bourg, the Domaine Fouet perpetuates the family tradition of six generations. At the heart of the SAUMUR CHAMPIGNY appellation, Patrice and Julien Fouet are today responsible for a wine producing domain of some 15 hectares, combining modern techniques and respect for tradition.
With concern for respect of the environment, the vines of the Domaine are not chemically weeded but treated to encourage the grass between the vines. In addition to the ecological aspect, this technique offers qualitative advantages in the wines: reduction of output, increased natural alcohol level, and reduction of rot.
From the pruning of the vines (low output), to bottling (without filtering), everything is put in place to obtain the best possible quality of wine, a reflection of the SAUMUR CHAMPIGNY soil and of our experience. All these qualitative measures enable us to obtain many awards in various competitions (Guide Hachette of wine for exemple). View all Domaine Fouet Wines
About LoireChenin Blanc, Muscadet and Sauvignon Blanc. For reds, Cabernet Franc takes center stage but the region also has plantings of Pinot Noir and Gamay. The AC of Cremant de Loire is popular – these are the sparkling wines of the Loire, usually made with Chenin Blanc.
Notable FactsAs for which grapes you find in which regions… Starting on the Atlantic Coast and moving east - Muscadet hails from the region of the same name, within the larger Nantes district, right on the Atlantic coast. The wines are dry, citrusy and pleasant, but rarely powerful or intensely aromatic. Just inland from Nantes is Anjou-Samur, home to Savennières, an excellent source of dry Chenin Blanc. To the east is Touraine, where you'll find the popular white region of Vouvray - Chenin Blanc shines in Vouvray, which can be dry, off-dry or sweet – the majority of those found in the states are a lovely and food-friendly off-dry. In the same district, Cabernet Franc makes delicious, delicate and elegant reds from Bourguil and Chinon. Finally, in the Upper Loire area, Sancerre and Pouilly Fumé turn out Sauvignon Blancs of razor sharp acidity and minerality.
About France - Other regionsWhen it comes to wine, France is a classic. Classic blends, grapes and styles began in the country and they still remain. Think about it - people ask for a Burgundian style Pinot Noir, they refer to wines as Bordeaux or Rhone blends - Champagne even had to pass a law to stop international wineries from putting their region on the label of all sparkling wine.
The top regions of France are: Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, Languedoc-Roussillon, Loire, Rhone. And these regions are so diverse! It makes sense that wine regions throughout the world try to emulate their style. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah are no longer French varieties, but international varieties. They may not be the leader of cutting edge technology or value-priced wines, but there is no doubt that they are still producing wines of great quality and diversity.
Customer ReviewsSign In to Add Your Review0 }div>
Alcohol By Volume GuideMost wine ranges from 10-16% alcohol by volume. Some varietals tend to have higher (for example Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon) or lower alcohol levels (Pinot Noir and many white varietals), but there is always some variation from producer to producer. Some wine falls outside of this range, for instance Port weighs in closer to 20%, while Muscat and Riesling are usually a bit below 10%.
Wine Style Guide
Light & Crisp
- Light to medium bodied wines that are high in acid and light to medium fruit. Typically no oak.
Fruity & Smooth
- Light to medium bodied wines with lots of juicy fruit, typically medium acid and medium oak.
Rich & Creamy
- Full bodied wines that have typically undergone malo-lactic fermentation and/or spent time in oak.