text:
Yes, I'm having a fat girl moment here.....Just deal with it.
From the day after Thanksgiving to the Day before Christmas Eve, there is countless meals made and given to our department... not to mention the parties.
So, you get used to having breakfast waiting for you at work, and an interesting lunch....
Saves you some money too... since you only have to take part in making 1 of these meals for 1 of these days.
The days after Christmas is almost like FAMINE has struck our office.
I brought my lunch, but still... my body is craving sustenance, and what I brought will not cut it.
I could run out, and grab something else.
(I just don't want to spend extra money on something filled with Fat and Calories that I don't need.... and with money I shouldn't be dropping because I'm weak in the knees over food.)
I just.
I guess I should have packed more.
I brought a small salad, and a small thing of Pasta w/ Broccoli Rabe Pesto.
It's portioned appropriately.
Should be nutritious and tasty...
I just want, A BURGER with Bleu Cheese and Bacon and HOT SAUCE, with thick Steak Cut Fries... and a large cold ice water.
Yup, can you tell?
I'm STARVING.
At 11:15 I ate the pasta (I couldn't wait.)
and now I'm holding out until noon for the salad.
Tomorrow I'll bring stuff to snack on... Stupid Stomach....Stupid Body Demanding food.
What about you?
Does the Holiday season mess with your normal Eating Patterns?
When you're starving... what is your Top 1 want?
Does it change depending on the circumstance? or month? or season?
Speaking of hungry type subjects.
Last night, I attempted to make Store Bought, Tollhouse brownie bites.
I followed the directions exactly.......
and guess what.
*shakes head in dismay*
All I wanted was fresh baked SOMETHINGS!
Grrrrrrrr Argggggggg.
I'll just use pictures until lunch time.
Aw crap.. that didn't work, now I'm even MORE hungry.
Oh well....
What is everyone else having for lunch?


text:
erotic art refers specifically to sexual techniques one does to add pleasure for one's partner(s), in contrast to sexual acts that give pleasure only for oneself
by Figleaf23 January 14, 2009
Professor Sex says: The shakey shakey, Rite of Shiva, rusty trombone, throat job, flanjitsu, and cunt grab are all examples of the erotic arts.
by Figleaf23 November 24, 2009
Erotic art covers any artistic work that is intended to evoke erotic arousal or that depicts scenes of love-making. It includes paintings, engravings, drawings, sculptures, photographs, music and writing.
by Comictroll May 12, 2015
The vengeful act of crapping on a lover's chest while they sleep.Buy the plush

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The month of May
Trip Start Apr 15, 2003
136Trip End Sep 01, 2011
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Much of May has been filled with normal settling in things. We've continued to unpack and continued to try to find places for all of our stuff. We really don't understand why it doesn't fit easily. The apartment here is bigger than our apartment in Chicago and we put some of our stuff in storage so the only logical conclusion is that it multiplied while on the boat here. Either that or we just aren't organized yet.
After a month we've also had an opportunity to observe much more of daily life. Here are some of our observations to date. Feel free to skim and read what is interesting - we won't be insulted if you don't read every word of every one.
To get started:
BEER (of course we start with the most important!)
Many of the bars and brown cafes are owned by or have exclusive contract with Heineken and therefore only serve Heineken and Amstel brands of beer. These are fine, but not very interesting. However there are a handful of beer cafes (so far we've found 4) that serve a variety of Belgian and non-Heineken Dutch beers. These are great places to try different varieties, each of which has it's own unique flavor, body, and alcohol content. The % alcohol is always listed on the beer menu and can vary dramatically - from 4.5% to 12% -- so it is important to know. After a month of trying many of these beers we've decided that it is really not wise to have more than 1-2 per day. 8% (the average) really is quite a bit stronger than the 3.5% to 5% we're used to in American beers. The four places we've found so far are very small. The smallest has seating for 10 and the largest probably has capacity of 40. Most do not really serve food beyond nuts (which must be purchased - not given for free), olives, or a cheese plate. However we have found one that has a very nice food menu as well. Our current ritual is to go there after Melanie's Weight Watcher's meeting on Tuesday nights.
The good news is, there are 2 meetings a week in Amsterdam and both are in the evenings so can be attended after work. One meeting is half way between home and one of our favorite Belgian beer restaurants (see the beer section for details) and the other is in a very inconvenient location. The bad news is they are (of course) in Dutch. The other VERY bad news is that shoes must be worn for the weigh in. So in addition to trying to always wear clothes of comparable weight from week to week shoes must be factored in as well.
Nutritional labeling is not required for packaged food here so it is difficult to know what the point values are of many things. Although it is fair to guess that beer, chocolate, cheese and bread are not low in points. Melanie bought the book with point values of the Dutch food, but the difficulty is knowing what they call something in order to look it up. Interestingly, point values are measured to the closest � point, instead of full point here. This is probably because the Dutch tend to eat very frequently but in very small portions.
So far she has successfully maintained within range of goal weight despite all of the high fat food. This is probably due to an increase in exercise - not least of which is running up and down the stairs to get something on a different floor in the apartment. Even the kitties look skinnier from this activity!
SPORT and FITNESS
The Dutch are very active people. From the very first day of work one of the first questions people would ask was what sport Melanie was interested in. There are rowing clubs, sailing clubs, racquet clubs, soccer clubs, you name it. ABN AMRO sponsors many clubs for employees to participate in various sports and it is pretty much assumed that a person will have some activity of interest.
The Dutch recognize that physical fitness is an aid to mental fitness and creates, rather than destroys, energy. In a recent meeting at work there was a discussion that we were coming onto a difficult period with some very tight time frames. In America that would have meant working very long hours without break and ordering in junk food for dinner. Here, the manager made a point that everybody should be extra diligent to maintain their activity level as the energy would be necessary to get through the rough period.
Generally in the Netherlands all stores are closed on Sundays, Monday mornings, and by 6:00 p.m. every other day of the week except Thursday. As Melanie found out when living in temporary housing, this isn't just a rumor - it's really true. In the center of Amsterdam (not all of Amsterdam, mind you), some stores are open later and the grocery and other limited stores are open on Sunday, but in general it is still the rule that Monday mornings everything is closed. Thursday is shopping night, when the stores stay open later, but not all of the stores stay open later. In general, the store that we are really counting on going to on Thursday is the one that does not stay open. So far the pet food store and the flower market are the notable examples.
The grocery stores do not provide shopping bags. It is expected that you will bring your own bag. If you do not, you will need to buy one for 16 cents. Most people bring a backpack for carrying things home. We never go out without a backpack anymore - just in case we decide to stop at the store.
Laundry here takes FOREVER. Each load is about half the size of a typical American laundry room load and takes over 1 hour to wash and over 1 hour to dry. Plus, for some goofy reason, at the end of the final rinse cycle, the washer just stops with the rinse water sitting in the drum. It then takes manual intervention to select a spin cycle and get the thing moving again. This is by design. I know this because, for once, I have an English instruction booklet. This means that when Chris was tasked with doing one load of laundry it took two days :) Day 1 a.m. - start wash. Day 1 just before bedtime - remember that laundry is still in washer. Start spin cycle. Day 2 a.m. - do nothing. Day 2 noon - remember that washing was started yesterday. Put wash in dryer. Day 2 p.m. - Melanie asks about the wash. Removes from dryer, folds and puts away.
Well, that should be enough to start. Future entries will include one on food, one on biking, something on the weather (it rains a lot) and time (it stays light REALLY late) plus anything else we can think of. We'll also provide update of of our travels from Amsterdam to other parts of Europe. Any specific topics of interest, feel free to email us!


text: Just had a new deck built on my log cabin. My question is, i am not sure what stain to use. The pressure treated lumber has a fantastic grain to it, and i am not sure if i want a dark red stain to match the house, as i still want to see the grain. I have used Behr premium on my old deck, but i had to re apply almost every year. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks. Bunker


text:
The Heir of Redclyffe HTML version
Chapter 12
Her playful smile, her buoyance wild,
Bespeak the gentle, mirthful child;
But in her forehead's broad expanse,
Her chastened tones, her thoughtful glance,
Is mingled, with the child's light glee,
The modest maiden's dignity.
One summer's day, two years after the ball and review, Mary Ross and her father were
finishing their early dinner, when she said,--
'If you don't want me this afternoon, papa, I think I shall walk to Hollywell. You know
Eveleen de Courcy is there.'
'No, I did not. What has brought her?'
'As Charles expresses it, she has over-polked herself in London, and is sent here for quiet
and country air. I want to call on her, and to ask Sir Guy to give me some idea as to the
singing the children should practise for the school-feast?'
'Then you think Sir Guy will come to the feast?'
'I reckon on him to conceal all the deficiencies in the children's singing.'
'He won't desert you, as he did Mrs. Brownlow?'
'0 papa! you surely did not think him to blame in that affair?'
'Honestly, Mary, if I thought about the matter at all, I thought it a pity he should go so
much to the Brownlows.'
'I believe I could tell you the history, if you thought it worth while; and though it may be
gossip, I should like you to do justice to Sir Guy.'
'Very well; though I don't think there is much danger of my doing otherwise. I only
wondered he should become intimate there at all.'
'I believe Mrs. Edmonstone thinks it right he should see as much of the world as possible,
and not be always at home in their own set.'
'Fair and proper.'
'You know she has shown him all the people she could,--had Eveleen staying there, and
the Miss Nortons, and hunted him out to parties, when he had rather have been at home.'


text:
Three things that went right and wrong in Game 4
|06.10.10 at 11:56 pm ET
The NBA finals are once again tied after the Celtics defeated the Lakers, 96-89, in Game 4 on Thursday night. (Recap.) The Celtics had six scorers in double figures, led by 18 from Glen "Big Baby" Davis, who was dominant down the stretch, and 19 from captain Paul Pierce. Game 5 is Sunday night back at TD Garden.
Sparkplugs off the bench: One's called Big Baby and the other looks like, well, a baby on the floor, but supersubs Glen Davis and Nate Robinson certainly didn't play like their labels Thursday night. The duo combined for 30 points, but it was the pure energy each provided for the C's off the bench in the fourth quarter that helped the team to victory. One of the greatest video clips from Game 4 was Davis slobbering with Robinson on his back after Davis made a layup on which he was fouled. That one play electrified the TD Garden crowd and pushed the C's towards an incredible run in the final quarter, in which Boston outscored the Lakers, 36-27.
Rebounds, rebounds, rebounds: Boston found a way to win again because they were able to keep the Lakers big men off the boards. After being outrebounded 43-35 in Game 3, the Celtics won the battle down low 41-33 in their win in Game 4. All five starters had more than five boards, and Davis added five of his own with four of those coming on the offensive end. By winning the rebounding battle, the C's were able to take away the size advantage that the Lakers utilized perfectly in their wins in Games 1 and 3.
Paul Pierce's play in the first quarter: Pierce was the only member of the Big Four without a truly dominating performance in any of the first three games, and several of his critics had said that he needed to step it up if the team was going to succeed. Pierce held up his end of the bargain by going off for 10 points in the first frame while the offense undeniably went through him. The rest of the team managed only nine during that time.
Poor first-half shooting: The C's had more than their fair share of quality shots in the first half but shot just 41 percent from the field. The C's missed several open jumpers and even some layups. Those misses translated into just 42 first-half points and a three-point deficit that could have been much larger had the Lakers not had their own offensive struggles.
Allowing Kobe to hit some big 3's in the third quarter: There was a time in the third that it seemed like Kobe Bryant just couldn't miss from behind the arc. The C's were giving him just enough room to pull the trigger, and that's something you simply cannot do against Bryant. He was 5-for-6 at one point from deep and seemed to be in place to endanger Ray Allen's finals record for 3-pointers in a game. He eventually cooled, but the three-straight 3's he made to close out the quarter allowed the Lakers to stay ahead going into the fourth.
Timing could have been everything: Although they certainly didn't affect the outcome, Rasheed Wallace and Nate Robinson both had ill-timed technical fouls in the fourth quarter. Wallace's technical came after the team had garnered an eight-point lead in the fourth. It very well could have sucked away all the momentum the team had gathered over the previous two minutes and change. Robinson's T two minutes later threatened to do the same thing. If the C's want to continue to thrive in the final stanza, they cannot pick up potential game-changing T's in close games.
Latest from Bleacher Report
- Isaiah Thomas to Play vs. Wizards After Missing 2 Games with Knee Injury
- Ray Allen Not Invited to Rajon Rondo's NBA Title Celebration After...
- Isaiah Thomas Will Miss Next 2 Games for Celtics with Knee Injury
- Al Horford, Avery Bradley Out vs. Suns with Elbow, Hamstring Injuries
- Avery Bradley Returns from Achilles Injury for Celtics vs. Hawks
- Isaiah Thomas Criticizes DeMarre Carroll for Flagrant Foul in Celtics vs...


text:
Love does not see with the eyes but with the heart. (Shakespeare)
"If we can dream, we can do." (Walt Disney)
TWITTER: Shanti2511
Radio Host Big Boy Meets MJ in January 2008, at the Palms Hotel, invited by Michael Jackson, to listen to Michael's new music that Michael recorded for "Thriller 25." Have a listen'!
In honor of Thriller 25, here is "Billie Jean"!
Billie Jean 2008 - Michael Jackson (Feat. Kanye West)
Bubs I hear it and you know I am no music expert. It seems that beat is really very generic. How many songs can we find with it? It would be even more hilarious if we could find it earlier than the Hall & Oats one. Now by the author's ^^ logic, this song you just posted should be a number 1 and change pop.
How does that refute what I said about Michael recording demos of Billie Jean before the Hall & Oates song was even released?
It in no way relates to what I said in my post and is just the same thing that has been said over and over again in this thread. I guess the theory is that if you copy and paste a large essay then there will surely be something in there that will prove me wrong, even without looking.
Please ignore this. Double posted.
Michael Jackson Billie Jean HOME DEMO Rare [HQ]
Billie Jean [ Home Demo 1981]
Recorded - March 1981 "I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)" by Daryl Hall and John Oates.
Haha that is so cool! Mixed 91 times...he sang through a cardboard tube
" " A star can never die. It just turns into a smile and melts back into the cosmic music, the dance of life."I like that thought, the last one I have before my eyes close. With a smile, I melt back into the music myself" - Michael Jackson
Some of those I didn't know Thanks for sharing!
Here is Hall and Oates explaining about Michael Jackson being inspired to write "Billie Jean." Billie Jean was inspired by "No Can Do," is not in the same category as "Blurred Lines." There is a difference between being inspired and out right stealing a song. Curtis Mayfield inspired Hall and Oates.
I wish no one ever covered BJ a masterpiece like this must be the only released one. The best thing wich can happen to BJ is to be performed live by MJ!


text:
Anyone for Paella? ci?
Trip Start Oct 13, 2009
21Trip End Ongoing
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Writing this now from the in out hostel 12km ouside of Barcelona City. Its just a 15 min train journey to the Centre.
Arrived in Barca last night, tired, hungry and at 3 30 in the morning. 25euros by taxi to here, so waited for the subway metro to open at 5am.
Met a nice Canadian girl in the interim, then got the WRONG F!*king train, which took me about 20kms the wrong way so had to come back.
Tip in barcelona, There are 4 types of train in Barcelona,
The national one that takes you too other parts of spain
The Subway metro underground
The city train that take you to the place the Subway doesnt!
And the FGC ferrocarrils, which looks like a tram, but on a track..so essentially another train...which goes, i guess where ever the other 3 dont!
So, now ive got that sorted, i hope, im ok.
THe hostel is set at the top of a small mountain, god, walking up was a killer.
But the view is amazing. Ill add some pics on this blog later.
Any way, sun is shining, its about 25 degrees and im gonna into barca to get some supplies,
Spanish phrase book
Deodorant and shampoo
And some spanish food, ....anyone for paella?


text: So, to nite i was driving home from dinner wth some friends and my mom around 9:30. Im driving my truck and we had just pulled out of the shopping center. As i was at a stop light, ready to turn and get on the freeway, i hear squealing tires and a split second later....... BANG! First thing tht i did was check my mirror and i just glanced and noticed some young looking kid on his cell fone, so obviously im pissed. I pit it in park and jump out ready to yell when i notice the car looks familiar. Then i look up and it turns out the driver is a friend of mine from water polo who graduated last year. I culdnt belive it at first. This was my first car crash while driving and to top it all off it was with some one who i know personaly. Luckily no one was hurt and allthough the rear bumper on my truck is done. the rear drivers side fender is only pushed in a little and the tail gate wont open and is slightly bent on the bottom corner wher the fender dug under it. Im so glad my custom exhaust went untouched and my tailights and tailgate are mostly okay. I cant say the same for my friends 4runner tho. hes lucky it had a bull bar or else the radiator suports wuld be gone. but still' both lights on his car were smashed in. the bull bar bumper and grille were all smashed in as well and the hoods bent up and locked in by the smashed in bull bar. Hopefully ill get my truck fixed in the next week so i dont have to drive around with the bumper looking like that and i can open my tailgate


text:
the failure is an easy fix...
The air pressure forces the wat/meth along the throttle valve stem and into the electronics portion...To fix: just pop the cover and gently rub down the circuit board with rubbing alcohol and allow to dry. The wat/meth cause some corrosion of the contacts on the board depending on mixture and other times the contacts are just wet.
IF this does not work then go to a junkyard and get another circuit board (its part of the cover) and pop that on. Much cheaper than buying a whole new throttle body.
Now dont let all this discourage you. it's a 5min fix and it happens after a LONG time of using meth...usually happened to me every 3~4months and i was running about 1100cc at full spray


text:
Map (Skyrim)
52,178pages onAdd New Page
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this wiki
|Warning – The popup script has recently been edited. If you encounter any errors on this page, refresh your cache (ctrl + shift + R). If you continue to experience errors errors, delete your cache completely (ctrl + shift + delete).
Interactive Maps of Skyrim.
Click on one of the links below and a map will be loaded onto the page below the table.
Interactive Maps
North West
South East
| Click on one of these links to have that location highlighted on the map
(note: this will take a little longer for the page to load)
↑ Click A Link Above To Load That Map ↑
Original Map
Full list of locations can be found here
Danish description of locations and map can be found here: Skyrim map (danish)


text:
This year, we've witnessed the value and the power of Big Data in politics. We've seen the phenomenon throughout the last few weeks, from Nate Silver, to the failure of Orca – through it all the story being told is that Obama's data was better than Mitt's. A story in the Washington Post today indicates that the Democrats are looking to maintain that edge in the near future.
Democrats are now pressing to expand and redeploy the most sophisticated voter list in American political history, beginning with next year's gubernatorial races in Virginia and New Jersey and extending to campaigns for years to come. The prospect already has some Republicans worried.
The Obama campaign famously used big data to mount an information campaign that was lodged in to many data points, including Twitter, Facebook, web apps and other social channels. By gauging sentiment about candidates and correlating this information with troves of voter demographic data, the operation was able to deliver on its mission to get people out to vote. Every facet of the campaign was in some way, shape or form – driven by the data. Now the party is looking at bringing this same data and operations back to assist them in upcoming races.
There are a couple of issues with that. First off, there is a factor where people may be burned out on politics – non-presidential elections historically have a significant drop-off in raw vote totals. Could Big Data overcome that tendency? Perhaps, but another factor to consider is the amount of data that is available will likely drop. Will people be talking about a local election as much? Probably not. Recall that the Big Data proposition is a real-time operation, the value of static data from the last few months will naturally fade and get stale, due to many reasons but you could be looking at natural voter burn-out, changing issues and the realities of a different type of race, different candidates, and issues altogether. It could be tricky to make the effort focus on local.
Re-tooling this operation for further utilization for other political races will not be as easy as turning the systems back on and plug in a new name. There are dozens and dozens of engineers to consider as well as other factors in such a fundamental re-engineering of the program. Granted, there is a lot of valuable information to be had and a potential edge, but such an operation requires major funding that may not be so easily accessible. As I mentioned recently, the Republican Party is sure to mount their own data efforts, starting now. The Democrats are surely going to roll on and build on their past success. Big Data is the new face of American Politics, but the question is whether it is ready for the non-presidential level. We will keep watching for signs of the execution of a re-focused data operation until the next presidential election, where Big Data will surely be front and center from the get-go.


text:
Holla Pointe lets 'er rip clean out of the socket
Roots electric harmonica-guitar duo goes extreme
Dave Good 7 p.m., May 24
(Page 2 of 2)
Wednesday, December 26
Crowned: The Mother of All Pageants
CW 8:00 p.m.
Lump my compassion into the dirty snow banks and heaps of discarded pine trees. Tinsel hangs around my ears and I weep. Ring that bell in my face once more and I'll sock you in the beak. Is there anything as sad as the day after Christmas? A whole year left. A whole year. I'm going to get drunk.
Thursday, December 27
The Office
NBC 9:00 p.m.
Now what do we do? Hold our breath until New Year's Eve, I guess. Go into work, but don't really work . See who can eat the most cookies or watch a full DVD of The Family Guy on his desktop computer without getting caught by middle management. Start a betting pool on when the big girl going through a divorce is going to lock herself in a storage closet with a bottle of vodka and cry herself to sleep. You know, fun things.


text:
Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water throughout the day.
Check for ticks after being outdoors. If you find a tick attached to your body for more than a day, look for symptoms of Lyme Disease.
No one ever plans to get lost, but it does sometimes happen. Each year, Georgia's park rangers spend numerous hours searching for hikers who did not return on time, slipped on waterfalls, got off the trail or encountered other problems. Follow these tips from the pros for a fun and safe hike.
Each hiker should have these items:


text:
Molecular Diagnosis of Genetic Diseases
Volume 5 of the series Methods in Molecular Medicine™ pp 169-183
- John M. OldAffiliated withInstitute of Molecular Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital
* Final gross prices may vary according to local VAT.Get Access
The hemoglobinopathies are a diverse group of inherited recessive disorders consisting of the structural hemoglobin variants and the thalassemias. They can occur at very high carrier frequencies in the malarious regions of the world and are regionally specific, with each population having a unique combination of structural variants and thalassemia mutations. Therefore, knowledge of the ethnic origin of a patient is usually essential for the quick identification of the underlying molecular defect(s) in the globin genes.
Protocol Metrics
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- Title
- Hemoglobinopathies
- Book Title
- Molecular Diagnosis of Genetic Diseases
- Pages
- pp 169-183
- Copyright
- 1996
- 10.1385/0-89603-346-5:169
- Print ISBN
- 978-0-89603-346-7
- Online ISBN
- 978-1-59259-589-1
- Series Title
- Methods in Molecular Medicine™
- Series Volume
- 5
- Series ISSN
- 1543-1894
- Publisher
- Humana Press
- Copyright Holder
- Humana Press Inc, Totowa, NJ
- Additional Links
- Topics
- Industry Sectors
- eBook Packages
- Editors
- Rob Elles (1)
- Editor Affiliations
- 1. Regional Molecular Genetics Laboratory, St. Mary's Hospital
- Authors
- John M. Old (2)
- Author Affiliations
- 2. Institute of Molecular Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
Continue reading...
To view the rest of this content please follow the download PDF link above.


text:
Great subwoofer!!!
For it being a 4 inch thick subwoofer it sure does thump. It great where space is a issue. I got it in a custom ported box in my SUV and it gives it the nice full sound I love to have. I've played with a few shallow mount subwoofers now and this one is up there next to Kicker's CVT's. And I really love the CVTs! Only down fall on me is I wish they made these in a DVC setup or even a 2 ohm version, but at this point it doesn't bother me cause it's a great subwoofer in my vehicle.
Pros: Doesn't need a whole lot of space. Can handle some power. Looks really expensive and nice
Cons: Wish they would of made a DVC version or a 2 ohm version.


text:
I had my first rhinoplasty with dr.perry, I thought we were on the same page but obviously not, He promised me if I wasnt happy we would do a revision. The plan was to bring in the bridge and remve the bump, and reduce the tip, a year later my nose looks only 1centimeter smaller in the tip area I still have a bump and still sticks out alot. I was so unhappy about it and I told him my concerns , He told me he didnt see anything wrong with it and totaly dismissed my concerns. He had the audacity to tell me " why worry about that lets work on something else, didnt you want a breast aug"?? WOW!! ..so at the end he told me to go to someone else
NOT Happy - Houston, TX
I had my first rhinoplasty with dr.perry, I...
Only reason I went to him was because he was cheaper than the other 2 docs ive seen.
Was this review helpful? {{ voteCountOthers + ' other' + (voteCountOthers == 1 ? '' : 's') }} found this helpful


text:
A Glimpse
2nd Place in Derby #344: Purple, with 276 votes!
People always say they want a sneak peek behind the scenes here at Shirt.Woot. They say they want to know about our process, how we come up with our designs, how we produce the actual shirts. They want the nitty-gritty. They want to know what turns our gears. They want to know how the magic happens.
Well, here it is! Right here in this design! There's a cat, it's cute, it gets printed. Done and done! We're gonna take the rest of the day off.


text:
I've never really seen any cheap ammo. But, I have seen less expensive ammo.
If you happen to have a firearm that you've shot a lot of rounds thru, and you know it functions just fine, then yes, go ahead and buy some less-expensive ammo and see if it cycles fine.
But, if I buy a new gun, I'm gonna put good ammo thru it, if for nothing else, just to make sure that the gun functions correctly.


text:
NEW YORK, Monday—On Saturday last Norman Thomas was 70 years old. He has led American socialism in this country for a half century. He still seems full of vigor and enthusiasm. He is no more afraid of new ideas today than he was 50 years ago.
It seems to me that men who have had a purpose, and have really worked for it, come to their older years still with a vitality and an interest in life which is lacking in those who have been less dedicated. Though he has not been elected to public office, Mr. Thomas has seen many of the ideas that he tried to persuade people to accept finally become acceptable in the most conservative circles. So I think he must have the satisfaction of feeling that he has done something to make the world a better place for the majority of people to live in.
* * *
I was very glad to see the other day that the U.S. tax court has ruled that recipients of grants from philanthropic organizations for fellowships in research and study are exempt from paying income tax on them. This will affect 32,000 foundations throughout the country and will make a vast difference to many thousands of scientists, scholars and artists who have benefited from grants and fellowships in the past. This decision reverses one taken by the Commissioner of Internal Revenue in 1951. It took the stand of a courageous man who brought suit to get this reversal of the '51 decision.
* * *
The National Epilepsy League is making a great effort to draw the attention of the general public to the fact that further research is needed in epilepsy, and that people who suffer from epilepsy must be better informed as to where to go for treatment. Like so many other branches of medicine, they feel there is a lack of trained people in the field.
We need more neurologists. There is only one for every 650,000 persons in this country. Failure to train more neurologists and provide more clinical facilities for treatment is a waste of manpower for many epileptics could be made self-supporting if they knew help was available and received treatment.
The National Epilepsy League is selling this year a little Christmas card called "Little Christmas Town." The cost of this card is $1.50 and a whole dollar of it goes to the actual work carried on for epilepsy in this country.


text:
Quality Control in the Food Industry, Volume 4, Second Edition (Food Science and Technology)
This book is the final volume in the second edition of this well-known classic of the food industry. It covers quality control in alcoholic beverages, soft drinks, tea, coffee, food additives, and packaging.
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Kenyan Bill proposes stiff penalties for poaching
Posted Saturday, September 3 2011 at 16:33
Kenya plans to expand its national reserves and game parks in order to boost its wildlife numbers.
The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has said this will be achieved if the Wildlife Bill 2011 is enacted.
Among other things, the bill seeks to encourage individuals and communities to give up more land for the setting up of such facilities.
The proposed law also pushes for higher compensation for property, crops, livestock and injury caused by wild animals, a contentious issue between the service and communities.
The Bill is currently undergoing public scrutiny with stakeholders having been given up to the end of last week to provide feedback.
"We have no more land to create national parks. Hope lies in the hands of communities or private individuals. That's why there's a need to design sufficient incentives for the group to change their land use for conservation," said KWS managing director Julius Kipng'etich.
KWS, which did not give the number of new wildlife facilities to be put up, said it had already secured one million acres of land from communities for the parks, including Tsavo, Amboseli and Laikipia national parks and Northern Kenya, in the past five years.
Kenya relies on its game parks to draw hundreds of thousands of tourists every year, with tourism among the top foreign currency earners for East Africa's biggest economy, alongside horticulture and tea exports.
The tourism sector's half-year revenue rose to $450 million from last year's $390 million, with tourist numbers jumping by 13.6 per cent to hit 549,083 from 2010's 483,468.
Nairobi expects arrivals to grow by 20 per cent in the second half of 2011, driven by peaks in July through to October.
Tourism earned Kenya $817.7 million in 2010, up 18 per cent from $694.4 million the previous year.
"We also have an incredible range of wild habitats, each with its own unique range of species, including the spectacular wildebeest migration in Maasai Mara," said Najib Balala, Kenya's Tourism Minister.
KWS said it was lobbying the EAC member countries to harmonise penalties to curb poaching across the region, saying Kenya had set pace with the proposed law. The proposed penalty on wildlife hunting and wildlife land encroachment is expected to reduce poaching incidents.
Wildlife hunting faces a fine of not less than $20,000 and five years imprisonment while grazing livestock in a national park faces a fine of not less than $2,000, a two year imprisonment and confiscation of the livestock.
The government of Tanzania has also decried the low sentences imposed on poaching crime, which is perceived to have risen in recent years.


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THEY threatened to blow the biggest lead in Super Rugby finals history, but the Brumbies have advanced to the semi-final after a thrilling win over the Chiefs in Canberra.
The 32-30 victory avenged last year's grand final loss to the two-time defending premiers, but the Chiefs nearly pulled off one of the great comebacks when trailing 22-3 after 29 minutes.
Check out the Match Centre for full scores, stats and video highlights
In an astonishing game, the scores were level at 25-all by the 55th minute, but a rolling maul try from flanker Jarrad Butler proved the decisive play.
Butler's first Super Rugby try was converted by Christian Lealiifano, while Gareth Anscombe's 77th minute try for the Chiefs wasn't converted by Chiefs skipper Aaron Cruden.
"You don't knock a side like that over easily, it was a really pleasing performance," Brumbies captain Ben Mowen said.
Watch full video highlights of the Brumbies thrilling win over the Chiefs
Both sides scored two quick tries while their opponents had a player sin-binned early in each half.
Brumbies winger Henry Speight, who was otherwise superb, was sin-binned in the 48th minute.
Chiefs halfback Tawera Kerr-Barlow dived over the line from close range soon after, and then centre Tim Nanai-Williams, who had been sin-binned in the fifth minute, raced over in the 55th to even the scores.
Aside from his yellow card, Speight was a wrecking machine with ball in hand, creating a raft of breaks and running for an incredible 186 metres.
He has yet to play an international but Speight must now be considered among the best wingers in the world.
Brumbies halfback Nic White was also superb, scoring his side's first try, having a hand in the next two, and making a try-saving tackle on Chiefs winger James Lowe with six minutes remaining.
The 15-metre rolling maul try to Butler put the Brumbies back in the lead with a quarter of the game remaining.
After being run down in last year's decider, the Brumbies' demons seemed to be resurfacing as Lealiifano missed two late penalties, but they held firm to advance to the final four.
Holding a 22-10 lead at the break, the Brumbies' advantage was wiped out as the Chiefs surged back in the second stanza with sharp attacking play.
But hopes of a three-peat were dashed when the Brumbies wound down the clock in possession and five-eighth Matt Toomua booted the ball out on the siren.
The Brumbies are now one win away from their second successive grand final appearance.
They conceded an early penalty but the Brumbies pounced after the fifth-minute sin-binning of Nanai-Williams, scoring two tries in four minutes with the one-man advantage.
White crossed a minute after Nanai-Williams's yellow card, with the Brumbies using a rolling maul from a lineout close to the line.
The Chiefs' short-side defenders were caught too deep and flat-footed as White simply snatched the ball from the back of the maul and waltzed over untouched.
White then sparked the next try to Robbie Coleman, catching a Chiefs chip-kick and countering quickly.
White found speedster Jesse Mogg who raced down the sideline attracting three tacklers before feeding Coleman on the inside, and the winger finished a scintillating move.
The Brumbies' third try, in the 21st minute, was even better, coming after 16 phases of attack.
Mowen shrugged off three tacklers before he was pulled down near the line, and White's superb pass to Coleman allowed the winger to return the favour for Mogg.
Coleman's deft short pass found Mogg swooping down the sideline to touch down.
The Chiefs had only had a quarter of the ball after a quarter of the match, and had to score next if they were to mount any case for a title defence.
Eventually they found the line, in the 35th minute,
Midfielder Bundee Aki barged over from close range after a series of thrusts at the line left the Brumbies' defence stretched.
BRUMBIES 32 (Jarrad Butler, Robbie Coleman, Jesse Mogg, Nic White tries Christian Leali'ifano 3 cons 2 pens) bt CHIEFS 30 (Bundee Aki, Gareth Anscombe, Tawera Kerr-Barlow, Tim Nanai-Williams tries Aaron Cruden 2 cons 2 pens) at GIO Stadium. Referee: Craig Joubert. Crowd: 14,284.
Replay all the Brumbies v Chiefs action in our match blog below
Originally published as Brumbies edge Chiefs in thriller


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The Needlecraft Barn has been a staple of downtown Morgantown, W.Va. for over 30 years. The store currently features needles, hooks, yarn, threads and various other handcraft supplies.
Cecilia Graves purchased the store from its previous owner 3 years ago. Graves' love for teaching and handcrafts explains the range of classes offered consistently inside the shop. A former professor and debate coach, she has combined her former profession and her lifelong love of creating.
The Needlecraft Barn offers a variety of classes including sock knitting, pictured in the above video.
In the late 2000s, the Great Recession, combined with record-high oil prices, led many Americans to not travel great distances or not travel at all. In some cases, people still decided to take vacations and trips, but on a smaller scale, sticking closer to home.
I wanted to find out how this trend affected West Virginia's public lands, specifically the state's state parks, state forests and state wildlife management areas as well as the four National Park Service units in the state: Harpers Ferry National Historic Park, New River Gorge National River, Bluestone National Scenic River and Gauley River National Recreation Area.
(Click here to see a larger version)
West Virginia does not charge an entrance fee for its state parks, so it relies on traffic counts to estimate the total number of visitors per fiscal year. The National Park Service has a similar measurement tool, but keeps figures by calendar year. I was also curious about overnight lodging, so I used the most recent fiscal year to see how many people used overnight lodging in state-owned properties, including the number of out-of-state residents using said facilities.
Annual attendance figures were averaged from 2007 the beginning of the Great Recession to the most recent fiscal year to find an average annual increase or decrease in visitors for each property. The data showed that of the 46 state-owned properties, all but five properties had an average annual increase in visitors. However, only one federally owned property had an average annual increase.
Total attendance at West Virginia-owned parks increased every fiscal year from FY2007-08 to the present. Out-of-state visitors made up a majority of cabin rentals and lodge stays for state properties, while state residents comprised most of the camping reservations.
This data could suggest that West Virginia is becoming more recognized as a tourist destination, particularly in regards to the jump in total attendance and the percentage of non-residents that stay overnight in cabins and lodges. State facilities that do not provide overnight lodging also seem to be least favored among prospective visitors. For example, of the five state properties to report a decrease in average annual attendance, three Cathedral S.P., Fairfax Stone S.P. and Droop Mountain Battlefield have no overnight facilities.
In addition, Canaan Valley Resort is influenced by third variables unique to the property. Because the park has a ski area on the property, its visitor numbers are likely influenced by winter conditions. Therefore, if winter conditions are not ideal, or people feel they can get better deals at other privately owned ski resorts nearby, Canaan Valley may not see as many visitors.
There are other ways to break down the data not shown on this graphic, like taking federal overnight lodging numbers into account, or looking at the number of users of specific activities, like rafting or boating, for example (though these numbers may not necessarily be available). Still, the data does suggest a strong future for West Virginia's state-owned properties.
The ramp, also known sometimes as a wild leek, is a wild onion native to North America growing anywhere from South Carolina to Canada. The bulb of a ramp resembles that of a scallion but it's the broad flat leaves of the ramp that set it apart. The word ramp comes from "rams" or "ramson," an Elizabethan dialect rendering of the wild garlic, according to John Mariani, author of "The Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink."
West Virginia is well known for ramps and you can see this celebrated in the many festivals and events held throughout the spring season. Among the most notable festivals are those in Richwood, Barbour County and Elkins.
Ramps grow in the spring time and are usually ready for harvesting in mid-April. All you have to do is go out into the woods and find a good moist area that doesn't receive a whole lot of sunlight, and you can usually find ramps. While digging them, keep in mind to dig around the ramp and be sure to get all the way down to the roots.
A TIP FROM MY GRANDFATHER: Never dig all the ramps from one area, only a few from each patch. Digging all the ramps out of an area will likely lead to them not growing there again.
Don't let that stop you from enjoying the wonderful and unique flavor of the ramp. Ramps can literally go with any dish that calls for onions. Just simply exchange the onions for ramps, and you won't be disappointed.
However, ramp season isn't long, so here are some tips and recipes that I've come across over the years, so that not a single ramp goes to waste.
1) As I said before ramps go with anything that onions go with, so the first dish I would recommend is simple. Fried Potatoes and Ramps: simply grease a pan, add potatoes let them cook, then add the ramps later either chopped or whole along with some salt and pepper.
2) Ramps also go great with eggs, either fried, scrambled or in an omelet. I would recommend a ham, cheese and ramp omelet.
3) If you're feeling crafty, a personal favorite of mine is sausage and ramp gravy. Simply follow a recipe for any gravy and add finely chopped ramps before serving.
4) A creation of my own and maybe my favorite way to eat ramps would be the rampdog. Take your favorite hotdogs or bratwurst and slice them half way through long ways. Place a few ramps in the hotdog or brat then wrap in a slice or two of bacon. Once you have a few done, wrap them all in aluminum foil to keep the bacon from separating from the hotdog/brat and place it on the grill over low/medium heat for about 20 minutes. Place it on a bun. Add toppings of your choice, and there you have it.
5) A local favorite of the Elkins area is the Rampburger. Before making your hamburger patties chop up some ramps, and add them to your burger. Mix it well and then make your patties, place them on the grill and add the toppings of your choice.
If you're wanting to keep your ramps throughout the year, placing them in a bag and freezing them is always an option. But here are a couple of other ways that I believe work a little better.
1) Pickled Ramps: This is an easy and tasty way to have ramps all year long. When cleaning your ramps, cut off the leaves and place them aside for other uses; place the bulbs in a pot of lightly salted boiling water for about 30 seconds then transfer the ramps to ice cold water before placing them in jars. In the meantime, bring a pot of 1 cup of vinegar and 1 cup of water to a boil, depending on how many jars you're planning to make. This amount will make about two medium size jars. Place all the spices (coriander, peppercorn, mustard seed and fennel seed, one teaspoon of each) in the jar with the ramps. Pour the hot vinegar and water mixture into the jar. Screw on the lid. Let it sit for up to a week. Then enjoy.
2) Here's a good way to use those leaves you cut off for the pickled ramps. If you have a dehydrator then great. If not, you can use your oven. Place the leaves and/or any ramps you have left over in the dehydrator and let them sit for up to four hours or until crisp. Remove them and use a mortar and pestle to finely crush the ramp into a spice that can be used in any recipe. If you don't have a dehydrator, you can also use your oven. Just turn it to a low 95 degrees and follow the same process.
West Virginia is ranked 47th in the nation in health according to the United Health Foundation. This ranking is down from 43rd in 2011 and includes rankings at 43rd for teen birth rate, 48th for physical activity and 42nd for children in poverty. We have a serious responsibility to concern ourselves with healthcare.
Nurses are an integral part of healthcare, and in West Virginia they are in the one of the 10 lowest paying states. They handle the majority of patient interaction, interact with the family and often work strange (and long) hours. Their engagement and investment in patients is inspiring. Alex Shaver, featured above talking about the moment she knew she wanted to be a nurse, spoke glowingly about her profession at 9 p.m. after working a 12 hour shift at Ruby Memorial Hospital.
Ben Gazsi is an art sculpture major at West Virginia University and has been creating his own pieces for the past three years. Before finding his passion in art he attended architecture school but quickly found out that wasn't the right path for him. So, Gazsi decided to give art a try and has since found a knack for creating things out of nature.
"People walk by branches, grapevines and moss without even glancing at it. I want to take these things and make something that people will recognize as something creative," Gazsi said.
When you first meet Ben you wouldn't really picture an artist but when you step into his two story home your thoughts immediately change. The walls are covered with drawings, pictures and artwork that he's done. There are tables with lizard and fish tanks, plants in every corner and on the window sills and four energetic dogs running around the house.
Last year Ben did a piece at Coopers Rock State Forest using natural materials such as grapevines, logs, branches, leaves and moss. He named it "The Giant". With the popularity of "The Giant" throughout the year Ben decided to do another sculpture using the same materials and is planning to revel it on Earth Day.
1. The culture
The people, rich history and beautiful landscape of are enough reason to go there any time of the year. A festival with sugary goodness just gives you one more great reason to make the drive there this weekend.
2. The Events
The Maple Syrup Festival has become a popular event in West Virginia, drawing in more and more people regardless of the weather. There are pancake feeds, craft shows, wood chopping exhibitions and several others. Take a look at the for this year.
3. The Pancake feeds
There will be three pancake feeds during the course of the weekend, and I would recommend going to each one and stuffing as many of those delicious and warm pancakes down as possible. The American Legion Hall has one on both Saturday from 9-4 and Sunday from 9-3. The Pickens School also has one on Saturday from 9-5, so you have plenty of time to get some pancakes, plus its only $7.50 for adults and $5.50 if you are under the age of ten.
4. Ham and Bean Buffet
The Ham and Bean Buffet is another food event must. In past years, they've had several different kinds of ham including maple syrup ham and smoked ham. Top that off with a heaping pile of beans and a warm, buttery slice of corn bread, and you have a country meal that you can only get in Pickens. The buffet Starts at 5 p.m. in the American Legion Hall and only cost $8.00 for adults and $5.00 for children under ten.
5. Wood chopping Exhibition
If you've never been to a wood chopping exhibition I would recommend this over everything else, except maybe the maple syrup. A bunch of guys with axes and two-man cross cut saws going through logs like butter is truly an amazing thing to watch. You can catch this event outside the American Legion Hall at 1p.m.
6. Square Dancing
There's no better way to end a long day than a good ol' fashion square dance. Musicians gather at the American Legion Hall to pick some tunes and call out dances, so that even the beginner can jump in and dance. The locals even go out of their way to show you a thing or two out on the dance floor. It's nothing but a good time and goes from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. at the American Legion Hall.
7. The After Parties
Don't be afraid to talk to a few strangers and see what's going on after the square dance. Chances are someone will mention a house close by where all the locals will be going to continue the party. More food, music and stories will be shared with anyone, so don't be bashful. They'll welcome you in like you're family.
8. The Drive
The drive itself is one of my favorite parts about going to Pickens. There are a few routes, but each one is a beautiful drive through the mountains of Randolph County. If you're coming from Interstate 79, here's a detailed map to get you there . If you're coming from the Elkins area here's another map . Also, here's another list of directions from the .
9. Helvetia
is another great small town, just a few miles away, with a rich culture and history. If you have the time I would recommend making a stop at The Hutte for a bite to eat. It's a small yellow building located in the center of Helvetia. It's a truly unique restaurant with great food, great people and a great atmosphere. It even appeared on the Discovery Channel's, .
10. The Maple Syrup
Finally the maple syrup. This is worth the trip alone. People from Pickens collect sap from the thousands of maple trees in the area and turn it into delicious maple syrup to make this entire festival possible. Knowing the that goes into making maple syrup makes you appreciate its sweetness even more. So get on down to Pickens this weekend, and try some out for yourself. takes place March 16th 17th.
Al Anderson, 75, grew up in the small town of Osage, W.Va. In the early 50s, he was recognized for his voice and was asked to join a local band. From there on, he never looked back. Anderson sang blues all over the country from the east coast to the west coast. However, he primarily did gigs throughout the West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Maryland area.
"We were in high demand," Anderson said. "If you wanted our band you better book us a year in advance."
Even at the age of 75, Anderson is still belting out tunes. He recently recorded his latest album this past year titled "Al Anderson and his Rock and Soul Revue." You can find a copy for ten dollars in his shoe shine shop in Osage.
Anderson is a man who is really passionate about what he does and where he comes from.
"You see, I didn't play no instruments. All I had was my voice, and you got to protect your voice," Anderson said. "All these people try to change your voice with this new technology but I don't allow it, not me, no."
Anderson now lives in Osage and runs his own business, Al's Shoe Shop. At the age of eleven, Anderson started shining shoes as a means to make some change to see movies and get snacks. It became a vocation and he has stories from each shop he worked at throughout his life. Anderson even came up with his own motto about shoes.
"If your shoes are dirty, then you're probably pretty dirty too… You seem alright though, your shoes are clean."
Anderson is an incredibly passionate man who cares deeply for the things that he does and tries to do them to the best of his ability. He says he'll be that way until the day he dies. He doesn't want to just sit around in a chair watching TV as life passes him by; he wants to shine shoes and sing the blues.
"Shoes and music, it's all I've done, but it's kept me pretty busy."
As a graduate student in Journalism, I have spent the last five years hearing about how as journalists, we are on the cusp of something amazing and terrifying.
WVUncovered is a class where we are constantly trying out new tools and strengthening ourselves in areas that are not our expertise. Learning to adapt to new forms of media is a skill every new journalist must have; our profession is in no way stable and doesn't look like it will ever be.
The Internet and Mobile are two separate things, and while we are still coping and attempting to find our place as journalists on the Internet landscape, mobile is interrupting.
Change isn't necessarily bad; on the contrary, change brings out innovators and new forms of journalism. Years ago we couldn't have possibly envisioned the work one-man-bands could bring us in television news. But steering away from huge ideological and social issues that can be and are discussed for hours at any J-school and newsroom across the country, let me focus on this.
While the platform for news consumption is changing, so are the tools for news gathering.
Mobile tools are amazing. With the recent emergence of "Vine," (sorry Android users) I've seen the medium I love most come to life in social media. If you follow @WVUncovered on twitter, you may have noticed a number of posts with Vine links thanks to our lovely VISTA Kaitlynn Anderson.
I've heard different reviews of photo sharing services like Instagram and burning hatred vs. indifference from photographers. I have heard print journalists who love blogs as a platform and others who believe they will destroy print media's readership.
I've yet to hear the negatives about vine from broadcast journalists, but maybe that is because the platform has such limitations.
This is not the end of my mobile love. Because serious reporting doesn't happen in six second intervals, but there are tools for serious reporting on mobile platforms.
Enter audio production. Really, an audio recorder that provides a decent sound was something I was curious about. So I searched, read articles, and embraced my budget (which is nothing). And after several failures, I finally happened upon the Hindenburg Lite.
The free app allows you to email yourself recorded audio files and you can watch levels while recording. I've had some trouble with the marker's it claims to provide (where you can mark the audio when something important is said), but for basic audio it's impressive.
Now I'm not saying my iPhone can replace the sound collected with a good mic and audio recorder. But it is coming miraculously close, and for natural sound or on-the-fly interviews, it more than cuts it. My main complaint is it will not record calls.
I'm also addicted to my mobile Google Drive. Google drive is great in the first place, for sharing documents, and for someone who bounces from computer to computer like I do, it makes life so much easier (Macs and PCs don't like to talk for me for some reason. I've formatted my drive but this just takes the guesswork out.
The mobile app for Google Drive is amazing. It includes a folder for your shared documents and is an easy, clean, user friendly design. I have zero complaints, which is something new for me. It's even great for taking notes because its saves automatically.
These are just a few of the mobile apps designed to make our lives as journalists easier, and the field is just developing. And while the consumption of our content is changing, so should our tools. What are your favorites? Do you have an opinion on Vine?
This past weekend was our Immersion Weekend in Shepherdstown, W.Va. I was lucky enough to cover the National Conservation Training Center, a project of the Department of Fish and Wildlife Services. Deputy Director for Operations of Fish and Wildlife Services, Rowan Gould, was one of my interviews for my print article. One of the hardest parts for me about multimedia is how much content can be gathered and how little is visible in the finished product. Above is a story from my interview with Gould, the man on the right in the photograph above. He and Steve Case are looking at the original document from Theodore Roosevelt, creating the first Bird Reservation on Paris Island. The document is located in the Historical Archives of the National Conservation Training Center.
The WV Uncovered Blog is designed to engage discussion on both the project's upcoming assignments, and to question the strategies we, as journalists, use to tell people's stories.Subscribe to the RSS feed


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Class mate!
Whats up just came back from our yearly watering hole in Ossoyoos at the I'Nikamip camping. Last day had a flash flood of which a foot of water came up on our tent trailer of which the Manager was more concerned about his staff feelings than the safety of the campers. Even though this is our 26th year camping there.
I see your moving around again.
Hey price me out how much a dimond cost 2k.
Cheer, say Hi to Janice and family
One dark night in the middle of the day.
Trip Start Jun 30, 2008
80Trip End Dec 31, 2009
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July 22nd we got to witness a 'partial' Solar Eclipse that lasted about 6 minutes.
Last July, only days before leaving on our family trip around the world I went to China with my two partners to investigate a new building material. While there I met a very good man who has become a very good friend. It was for this reason we made every effort to return to visit Ivan and his family.
Ivan was waiting for us at the bus station and then taxied us to our hotel room that he booked for us at a 50% discount. Once in our room we realized that Ivan had come earlier to our hotel room to put the air-conditioning on and had one of our family photos professionally framed in one room and ceramic plates with Janice's parents and James and Monique embedded in each of them in the other room
Once we rested we were treated to a magnificent traditional Chinese dinner only to be topped off with two large boxes of firecrackers being set off in the middle of the street outside of our hotel. We were amazed how close we were and how loud they were. Sophia said "they are just like the ones they set off in Summerland!" We laugh when we imagine what would happen if we did this outside the Vancouver Hotel or any hotel anywhere in Canada. We would most likely be arrested and charged! In any case, Ivan and his family sure made us feel welcome to his City and his family.
Our friend Susan (with her boyfriend) came to Rugao City to meet our family as we were not able to go to her city. Sabrina was able to finally meet Susan in person as I had introduced them to one another a year earlier. Although our stay was brief we all missed leaving Susan, Ivan and his family especially Monique who became good friends with Ivan's daughter Mary. We all learned a lot about generosity and servanthood and look forward to lifelong relationships.
We were picked up at the bus station by our friend Barry Bao who had arranged and delivered us to our apartment in the 'heart' of Shanghai. I chuckle when I say 'heart' because with Shanghai's 20 + million residents I think you would think anywhere would be the heart!
We spent one day at the museum and bookstore and another at the Barbie Temple (six story building of everything Barbie) and double decker city bus tour.
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Class mate!


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Hows the Tag Heuer holding up?
Mine you say? yes its fine:
Kata beach
Trip Start Sep 03, 2012
90Trip End Jan 10, 2013
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We had some lunch in a place called wine collection restaurant which was a very nice place, then headed back on the last bus at 4.40.
In the evening we went to the buffalo steak house for tea, which had just opened as it had been closed since June. The steaks were amazing and not too badly priced at £10 for a ribeye and £12 for a fillet. Plus they had cheap wine and beer!!
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Hows the Tag Heuer holding up?
Yes its good thanks. Thats not too bad, the one I nearly got is on there http://www.tagheuer.com/html.php/int-en/luxury-watches/tag-heuer-grand-carrera. The one I actually got doesnt seem to be there, its like this one though http://sadiqabad.olx.com.pk/tag-heuer-pendulum-wrist-watch-th045-iid-393958930


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Emmy The Great
About Emmy The Great's T-Shirt
True love stories of young romance rarely translate into real-life sugar-pop song scenarios. And if the dino tryst didn't give it away, Emmy the Great's perception of the world starts at the peripheral of convention. Much like the rad t-shirt design she's created just for us. That insane line-work, the dinosaur love triangle - now you can rub up against it every day. Note: the green ink on this t-shirt glows in the dark!
About The Band
Emmy the Great is a moniker adopted by Emma-Lee Moss, a UK singer-songwriter who was born in Hong Kong but has lived in London since the tender age of 12. She writes her own material: raw, witty and confessional lyrics, graced with deliciously catchy melodies. The skilful wordplay and unflinching honesty of her demos gathered her a cult following long before her debut album "First Love" even dropped. And her spiritually-themed follow-up, "Virtue", was on everyone's top 10 list of 2011 (including ours!). Emmy has also collaborated alongside the likes of Lightspeed Champion, Elizabeth Sankey of Summer Camp & even a Christmas album with Tim Wheeler... Wow, she really is Great, huh? Okay, buy her shirt now
About The Cause
Trekstock supports the practical, everyday needs of young adults living with cancer through support, age appropriate information and health and wellbeing interventions. With your help, no young adult will have to face cancer alone.
Registered Charity No. 1132421 www.trekstock.com
The bands behind the shirts (Good people rock!)
- alt-J
- Amanda Palmer
- Andrew Bird
- Animal Collective
- Au Revoir Simone
- Bastille
- Beach House
- Best Coast
- Bloc Party
- Bon Iver
- Broken Social Scene
- Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
- Daughter
- Devendra Banhart
- Dry the River
- Editors
- Elvis Perkins
- Emmy The Great
- Freelance Whales
- Grizzly Bear
- Hayden
- Holly Throsby
- Hot Chip
- Jay Reatard
- John Grant
- Joseph Arthur
- Keaton Henson
- King Creosote
- Laura Veirs
- Little Boots
- Local Natives
- Metric
- Metronomy
- My Brightest Diamond
- Of Montreal
- Patrick Watson
- Purity Ring
- Ra Ra Riot
- Rilo Kiley
- Sharon Van Etten
- Stars
- Tegan and Sara
- The Decemberists
- The Maccabees
- The Magic Numbers
- The National
- The New Pornographers
- The Shins
- Tokyo Police Club


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love the blue tin cookies. also choco chip, peanut butter cookies not store baked or bought. make myself from scratch
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love the blue tin cookies. also choco chip, peanut butter cookies not store baked or bought. make myself from scratch
Here are some spritz cookies that I made just the other day, and they came out just right. http://www.recipelink.com/msgbrd/boa.../DEC/6718.html It's from a recipe booklet that came with a Mirro Cookie press in the 1950's. I used the flower design and put half a candied cherry in the center of each one. They look and taste very festive. I had to immediately hide them in the freezer or they'd be gone by now.
Do not use parchment because it will pull up as you lift the press, and do not grease the cookie sheet. The finished cookies do not stick on the sheet, and the dough needs to cling as you lift the press each time. Watch them closely as they bake because they tend to brown faster than the recipe said. Enjoy!
Here's one we love and make every year. It gets better after a few days when the flavors have time to blend.
Egg Nog Cookies
Recipe By :
Serving Size : 52 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Cookies, Drop
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
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1 cup butter -- softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons rum extract
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Vanilla Rum Frosting
1/4 cup butter
3 cups sifted powdered sugar -- divided
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon rum extract
Cream butter; gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add egg; mix well. combine flour and 1 1/4 teaspoons nutmeg; add to creamed mixture, mixing until blended. Stir in the flavorings.
Shape dough into medium sized balls. (I like to press them with a fork making a criss cross design.) Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on wire racks.
Spread frosting on cookies and sprinkle with nutmeg. Store in an air tight container. Makes 4 1/2 dozen.
For frosting: Cream butter; gradually add 1 1/2 cups sugar, beating well. Add remaining ingredients and remaining sugar. Beat until smooth. Makes 1 1/2 cups.
"Yum! Yum!"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I had an electric cookie press for a number of years, but eventually went back to the old one because the electric one had a very narrow tube and was more trouble to fill and clean.
I'm pretty sure that any dough that works in a press will also work well with cookie stamps or the bottom of a glass, and that might be the most efficient way of making molded cookies when you take into account assembly time and the fact that the old cookie press isn't supposed to go into the dishwasher.
I'm editing to add that you can also use a disc from one of these presses as a stamp. I saw that idea in a magazine one time, and it's a time saver over using the press, or rescues your effort when for some reason the press won't work right for you. It's not the same look, but some of them, such as the Christmas tree, dog, camel and wreath (or flower?), look quite nice. Just press the disc on a small dough ball until a little of the dough comes through and lift straight up.
I buy every one I can find at garage sales, estate sales, auctions, and antique shops. I figure I have enough to last me till I die. I sent one to my daughter's house and one to my granddaughter's. They live 10 hous away from me but when I go to visit, I can make cookies with them. and, they do break sometimes so that's why I have extras. Every time I buy another one, my DH says, don't you have one of those? If I die first he'll have a few to get rid of cause he loves to eat those cookies but doesn't have a clue about how to make them.... ha ha
One of my family's favorites
Molasses Chocolate Lace Cookies <o:p></o:p>
2/3 cup butter (do not use margarine)
2/3 cup Pillsbury's Best All Purpose or Unbleached Flour
2 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
1 cup sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup milk
¼ cup molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 (11 ½ oz.) package (2 cups) milk chocolate chips
Heat oven to 375º F. Line cookie sheets with foil. Melt butter in medium saucepan over low heat; remove from heat. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. Stir flour and remaining cookie ingredients into melted butter; mix well. Drop by level teaspoonfuls about 3 inches apart onto foil-lined cookie sheets; spread thin with rubber spatula.
Bake at 375º F for 5 to 7 minutes or until lacy and golden. Cool completely on cookie sheet (at least 15 minutes). Peel foil away from cookies.
Melt chocolat chips in small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Spread thrin layer of melted chocolate on flat side of half the cookies. Top with remaining cookies. 3 ½ dozen sandwich cookies. <o:p></o:p>
Another favorite:
8 ouncesalmond paste
<LABEL><INPUT id=cbxIngredient name=ctl00$CenterColumnPlaceHolder$recipeTest$reci pe$ingredients$rptIngredientsCol1$ctl02$cbxIngredi ent type=checkbox>1 1/2 cupsbutter, softened
<LABEL><INPUT id=cbxIngredient name=ctl00$CenterColumnPlaceHolder$recipeTest$reci pe$ingredients$rptIngredientsCol1$ctl03$cbxIngredi ent type=checkbox>1 cupwhite sugar
<LABEL><INPUT id=cbxIngredient name=ctl00$CenterColumnPlaceHolder$recipeTest$reci pe$ingredients$rptIngredientsCol1$ctl04$cbxIngredi ent type=checkbox>4eggs, separated
<LABEL><INPUT id=cbxIngredient name=ctl00$CenterColumnPlaceHolder$recipeTest$reci pe$ingredients$rptIngredientsCol1$ctl05$cbxIngredi ent type=checkbox>2 cupssifted all-purpose flour
<LABEL><INPUT id=cbxIngredient name=ctl00$CenterColumnPlaceHolder$recipeTest$reci pe$ingredients$rptIngredientsCol1$ctl06$cbxIngredi ent type=checkbox>1 teaspoonalmond extract
- <LABEL><INPUT id=cbxIngredient name=ctl00$CenterColumnPlaceHolder$recipeTest$reci pe$ingredients$rptIngredientsCol2$ctl01$cbxIngredi ent type=checkbox>1/4 teaspoonsalt
- <LABEL><INPUT id=cbxIngredient name=ctl00$CenterColumnPlaceHolder$recipeTest$reci pe$ingredients$rptIngredientsCol2$ctl02$cbxIngredi ent type=checkbox>4 dropsred food coloring
- <LABEL><INPUT id=cbxIngredient name=ctl00$CenterColumnPlaceHolder$recipeTest$reci pe$ingredients$rptIngredientsCol2$ctl03$cbxIngredi ent type=checkbox>4 dropsgreen food coloring
- <LABEL><INPUT id=cbxIngredient name=ctl00$CenterColumnPlaceHolder$recipeTest$reci pe$ingredients$rptIngredientsCol2$ctl04$cbxIngredi ent type=checkbox>1 1/2 cupsapricot jam
- <LABEL><INPUT id=cbxIngredient name=ctl00$CenterColumnPlaceHolder$recipeTest$reci pe$ingredients$rptIngredientsCol2$ctl05$cbxIngredi ent type=checkbox>1 poundsemisweet chocolate, chopped
<!-- Add class btn-disable before user checks ingredient-->
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<!-- Directions, Prep/Cook/Ready Times, KitchenView button -->Directions
- Grease 3 - 13 x 9 inch pans. Line with wax paper. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
- Combine almond paste, sugar, butter, egg yolks and almond extract. Beat for 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Beat in flour and salt.
- In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. With a wooden spoon, fold into the almond mixture.
- Divide dough into 3 -1 1/2 cup portions. Add red coloring to one of the portions, and green to the another. Spread the batter in the 3 separate prepared pans (keeping the colors separate).
- Bake for 15 minutes, or until edges are golden brown. (Each layer will be 1/4 inch thick). Remove cakes from pan immediately. Cool thoroughly.
- Stack layers in a 9 x 13 inch pan, spreading apricot jam between layers (no jam on top layer). Place second 9 x 13 inch pan on top and weigh down with two 5 pound bags of sugar or flour. Refrigerate overnight.
- Melt chocolate over hot water and spread over cake. Allow to set. Trim edges and cup into 1 inch squares.
I stumbled across the Betty Crocker website. There is a white chocolate macaroon cookie that is addictive and scrumptious. You take their pouch of sugar cookie mix and add coconut, butter, white baking chips and coconut extract to. After cooled you melt some more white chips and a spoon of shortening together and drizzle a glaze over. Hubby who HATES coconut can't get enough of these babies. Another good recipe is this section is the mint chocolate chip cookies.


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Setting Up the ATLAS Grid Environment
As a US ATLAS user, you will likely use your grid certificate to copy data files or to submit jobs over the grid.
At the US ATLAS BNLTier 1, we recommend that you take advantage of the following script, which will setup all the environment variables necessary for you to use the certificate for the grid.
To source the script from BNL, for OSG clients:
source /afs/usatlas.bnl.gov/osg/client/@sys/current/setup.sh # or setup.csh if you prefer
To verify the environment:
After sourcing the script, verify your certificate installation with the command:
voms-proxy-init -voms atlas
You will be prompted to enter your grid pass phrase for this certificate. Once you enter the pass phrase, a grid proxy will be created for you.


text:
Create a free account to check out faster, store multiple shipping addresses, view and track your orders in your account, and much more.
Please enter your password to continue.
Remember those bursting fruit snacks you used to love as a kid? Well, consider this body cleanser a similar—but much healthier—treat for your skin. It contains innovative micro-beads that burst on contact and release a host of nourishing vitamins like A, C, and E. The result is cleaner, smoother skin starting with the very first time you try it.
Prior to using Peter Thomas Roth's Mega-Rich Body Wash, I've always used bar soap. I'm very glad that Birchbox sent me a sample of this in one of the boxes! I really like the scent and the beads of this wash. Don't think I'll be going back to bar soap for a long time.4
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text:
|Thread Tools
Looking for color scheme recommendations for 1955 Mercury station wagon
So it's going to be a while before I get to this, but I've been working on a station wagon, but since getting married it's been little progress and priorities change, so now it's going to be restored as a fun car. I want to keep the original fake wood, no body changes, but I'll be putting in a modern interior out of an SUV and powering it with a 390.
It was originally a white car, but since I'm now planning not to go original, I'm more open to color choices.
I have some opinions, but I'll keep them to myself to see what kind of suggestions I get. Attached below are literature pictures of the '55 Mercury Monterey station wagon and the seats I'm looking to put in.
Popular non Red two-tone color combos of that period were. Turquoise and White, Coral (pink shade) and White. Coral and Charcoal (had one). Med Blue and White. Yellow and White.
That era had some great colors, which would be unusual enough to draw more attention than a common color... and also create the feeling of the fifties. :-) Here is a Mercury color chart from '55...
I favor the "Persimmon" (coral color)... the light mint green... and the soft "Yukon Yellow". I personally think they are unusual enough, and have a strong vintage feel.
Last edited by TucsonJay; 03-29-2011 at 09:26 PM.
Nothing wrong with the period colors or color schemes. In fact, metallic paint just never looks right to me on any of the vehicles from the solid color era. You are fortunate to have such an unique body style to work with. Relatively speaking. there were not many of those made.
I should also add that on this chart, I believe the color names with "poly" means a metallic.
Okay... There are some pictures floating around the internet of a few options and the pictures of '55 or '56 Mercury Monterey station wagons I've seen are not what I am looking for. So here's what I've found:
There is a turquoise s/w that has been restored and was sold at auction in 2006 for $115,500 and then again in 2008 for $50,600. I also saw it listed for sale without any indication of when it was listed, and the listing shows at $44,000. It's easy to know that it's the same vehicle because this was not an original color on the exterior, and doubly so for the interior. In fact, it's amazing that they went to so much trouble on this restoration to create the original embossed leather pattern on a color that was not made in 1955 or 1956. Original interiors came in red, blue and green for the station wagon, Montclairs also had a black/white and yellow/white interior available, and in these colors you could get styleweave or chromatex inserts. I think the turquoise looks great on the exterior, but it gets a little overbearing when its carried into the interior. What's more, I find it odd that the photos from the auction site show correct white air cleaner and valve covers, but the $44k site shows an all yellow engine.
Then there is a red station wagon out there. This particular car has a red that is more bright than the original 1955 Carmen red, which I know well because for 1955 all Mercurys had the wheels painted red and I've found a real good Imron match that I used on 2 sets of wheels I painted about 15 years ago for this car and another hardtop. I'll be using this color when I get around to restoring my Sun Valley which is going to be done 100% original with a few original accessories added in. The red station wagon that's out there does not have correct original engine colors either and the wood grain of the panel is darker and looks closer to the Ford s/w wood grain. When they restored the interior, they altered the shape of the inserts so they just go straight across. The tough thing about sorting this out, on my car they actually did this on the second row and I have no reason to doubt that it's original because it has the chromatex. My car was missing the small section of the second row and the third row seat, so I had to get those out of a Ford. I think the Chery/Maple woodgrain that is correct and original to '55 Mercury looks better than the darker walnut panel used on this car and on the Ford.
I don't think two tone works for this car, it doesn't really have a good clean break, particularly at the rear, and even if you did that there isn't enough exposed metal below the wood section to make it look right - it would be imbalanced and look like it has too much color above the wood side trim. For '55 the Mercury 2-tone was basicly that the roof was one color and the body another, and it was only single colors for the Monterey wagon. The Custom wagon you could get the 2-tone with the second color between the belt line and the roof drip rail, but on Monterey that is painted wood grain. I prefer the wood grain.
I was leaning towards a darker metallic, maybe blue. I don't care for the pastel colors FoMoCo had in '55-6, I hadn't considered yellow but I could go for a darker metallic yellow perhaps more like the 1955 Ford. If I did that I'd consider a black and yellow interior, given the seats I'm planning for I'd go for an interior sort of styled like the Thunderbird interior with the yellow around the outside and a black insert. But I'd have to see the yellow with the wood, the framing might get lost in the yellow I'm thinking.
My issue with the dark blue was that I wasn't sure about coordinating the interior with it. A white interior would look good with it, but I've seen how hard it is to keep white leather clean. I'm not sure a dark blue interior would look right. Maybe a dark green metallic with a dark green would look good, but I'd have to see it with the wood grain to see how the reddish hue of the cherry wood matches.
I did see some pictures of a dark brown metallic on a '57 Ford Country Squire and I was impressed with how nice it looked, I never would've thought of somewhere I'd expect brown to look so good but it just worked with the wood trim. There's also a black one that looks pretty good, but then black is getting a little too basic for what I'm after.
I like the Mercury body, it has a little more length on the front end than the Ford. The body is the same on both, it's just different front sheet metal and the lost length makes the Ford's proportions look a little off and the Ford comes off to me a little stubby.
1955 Mercury station wagon
If you have a color in mind say so. But don't post why this color will work with that, but not with this.JMO
I'm really not settled on a particular color, maybe more like a mood. I'm a mechanical engineer, so I can do function better than form, and I think what I'm after is something that works for a coordinated interior and exterior given the particular wood colors and shapes I intend to keep as oriignal since I know I like that. I get the sense that it's probably a formal type of mood I'm going for and that probably means a darker color.
I have gotten an idea to consider that I had not thought of, namely the idea of yellow. I would probably have to go with a darker yellow than the '55 stock colors with a metallic or metal flake, I think I've seen this with black and yellow on something and yellow with a black/yellow interior sounds like it could work.
I'd say it's probably between Yellow with yellow/black interior, or a dark blue theme or a dark green theme. The next step would be trying to figure out how to get those ideas into picture form.
So I'm not a great photoshopper, and all I have to work with is "paint", so I fiddled around with some options to try to superimpose colors on the '55 Mercury wagon with the wood trim and it worked okay... The interiors maybe didn't work as well, but FWIW here's what I came up with:
I think I'm leaning towards the dark red where I might've been leaning towards dark blue before. I like the dark yellow, but I'm not sure how the interior would work out.
55 merc wagon
My vote would be for an "era" match.
Coloring book...
Just a thought, but it seems to me that a lighter color would allow the wood trim to be more pronounced, while a dark color would make the "overpower" wood and make it lose its effectiveness as the major trim/style element of the car.
Start with the wood - that color seems to be fixed. Now tone with that - to either blend with or to contrast with/emphasize the wood color - your choice.
Then work from that design statement to choose the interior you want to complement the exterior
White with woodgrain......... I'd stick with that. It's classic.
Y'know- for a guy who writes things for a living - I sure can screw up a post on here!
"[QUOTE=Dave57210]Just a thought, but it seems to me that a lighter color would allow the wood trim to be more pronounced, while a dark color would make the "overpower" wood and make it lose its effectiveness as the major trim/style element of the car."
That should read (in part): "while a dark color would "overpower" the wood and make it lose......."
Sheesh - maybe its a good thing that I quit my job last week - if this is how I write, I shouldn't be there anyway!
And I agree with Hippie - white & woodgrain would look classic!
See, what I understand well are functional things like how to improve vehicle dynamics or ride, but what I just don't naturally have a knack for understanding aesthetics.
So what I'm reminded of is some principles I read about a while back for how a big person might want to dress to create the illusion of being less big... Wearing clothes that are complimentary to the background blends you into the background and makes you look bigger. Or was it black is slimming?
So it's interesting you mention complimentary or contrasting colors... I thought the blues or the reds or the yellows went with the wood, and the panel is Cherry woodgrain which is a red - which would be complimented by the red or contrasted by the blue... And the yellow would compliment the lighter frame wood which I believe is maple.
Maybe I'm rambling again. I guess what I mean to say is thanks for the feedback, I need these kind of suggestions to figure out how to go about brainstorming concepts for a theme.
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In observance of Memorial Day, the IBAT office will be closed starting at noon on Friday, May 22, through Monday, May 25 and will reopen for regular business hours on Tuesday, May 26.
With solidarity, the IBAT family says, "thank you," to the families of those who have been lost in current and past armed conflicts. We are eternally grateful for the ultimate sacrifice that has been made by many for the freedom we enjoy.
Happy Memorial Day and God Bless America!


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Short Stories
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The Bird Who Fell from the Sky
by Gabrielle Bryant-Gainer
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Once there was a bird world filled with light
And every bird had the gift of dream & flight
Then one day a man tore the light from his wing
And now the birds are used as offerings
For the humans who cover the earth in ash and oil
And through them all good things may spoil
But one day the birds shall come again
Find the flight that was stolen from them
And soar through the galaxy on magical wings
To see the distant planetary swings
Of all the world united under one solitary beak
A beak of hope for all who chose to believe
In Chirp, the greatest traveler ever seen
Who could travel at night
through the waves of light
and see all that was once unseen
My name is Chirp, and I am a bird. I've been flying in circles around this planet for eons. I have grown as old as the great redwood tree because I know more than you do, my fledgling, about the aerodynamics of space travel, the distance between our galaxy and the distant world of Urania. You laugh, scoff, and mock me. But one day you shall see my birdy powers in action.
I am also quite versed in poetry. Uni-verse, humans who have named everything after a single poem, forget the powers of their own minds. Oh the sky, the seas, the places I've been are nothing compared to the short little beaks on your faces. Look there, my wing points to a sparkling star somewhere and none of the other birds have ever flown so high.
As the big sun settles down over our forest tree tops, I slip into our little love nest. Lark, my dear wife, huddles over my fledglings when it begins to rain. The big oak tree protects us from all the harm of the predatory earth. But you'll see. You'll see the powers of the bird one day. What a little magic flight can do.
I close my eyes in a blink; then I begin to soar again. They call it space travel, but I call it bird travel. I lift out of myself and still I sleep in their reality. I'm traversing the chirping tones of the galaxy; seeing with my own bird-eyes the unique world of space.
I read the minds of humans, and learn their secrets. To my friends, I am the quiet bird-sage of the village. To family and relatives, I'm just a quirky Chirp. But they know, deep down I'm sure, that I am more than that. If only they could understand and feel the astral wind as I fly around in virtual realms.
Once, a long time ago, birds were much larger than humans or even the great buffalo. They had teeth the size of your head, and they soared through an ancient earth unknown to ours. There, where the prehistoric worms and bugs could feed a bird village.
I traveled there, once, when I was a mere fledgling myself. That was when the great gift of dream flight was new to me. I would wake up in my nest and jump off into the sky, only to wake up later safe at nest and unharmed. I saw giant beasts, cats as big as mountains, bugs as tall as skyscrapers, and a world frightening and mysterious.
I also saw our greatest ancestor, who was ten or perhaps twenty times as big as I. He spoke to me, for he had the gift of dream flight as well. He told me that one day all the birds would have the gift of dream flight again. That one day we could soar into space just as we flap our wings and fly.
Oh yes, I can see it now. Great skyscrapers and towers billowing smoke, statues falling over, and the night gone black. Our future is sometimes bleak my little beaks. Yet, we still have hope. We must make ourselves known to the humans who control this world with their doings.
We have to overthrow the humans, to destroy their towering cities and get rid of their machines that turn the world into inky black evil! We must take back our land, my bird-feathered-friends. We must take away their need for destruction by destroying that which destructs! Chirp! What I am saying, chirp, is that it is time for the birds to take back what has been theirs all along. With my bird gifts I can aid in the fight to win back the universe.
For I AM the greatest bird who's ever existed.
One day we shall make it to the great bird-land, and all shall fly freely in glory for the new world of freedom flyers will make headway. I am the bird who can see the future and the past! All hail the revolution, chirp!
To all who stormed across my dust-scorned cities
and in a speckle of dust
I was a lost and hopeless cause
I give my silent awe, at the mocking bird bystander
Whose shadow knows now only nods and applause
I was never broken, though I wandered
through memorized templates of time&history
and yet I knew no home, of mine was no memory
To all who gathered my dreams and dispersed
Like ripples on a waving sea, it was I!
You took from those streets, it was me
Who clothed you, who took you into my heart
We are the stars you've forgotten, we are the specks
That you've learned to leave nameless, we are each
the homeless dreamers, those strangers
whose dangerous lives entwine
no one will ever meet us, though we dance
as if there were no broken lines
for someday the bird will fall from the sky
and we will hover, you and I
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Member Comments
Wow! This is a stunning piece; part poetry, part prose poetry; wholly unique; what a striking poetic gift from God.
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