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Media Contact: TPWD News, firstname.lastname@example.com, 512-389-8030
April 8, 2013
San Jacinto Festival, Battle Re-enactment Set for April 20
Event to Mark 177th Anniversary of Texas Independence
LAPORTE – Hundreds of history re-enactors will recreate the events leading up to the Battle of San Jacinto that won Texas its independence with booming cannons, cracking musket fire, thundering hooves and battle cries at San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site on Saturday, April 20.
The dramatic battle re-enactment takes place at 3 p.m. Saturday and serves as the centerpiece of the admission-free San Jacinto Day Festival, being held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the grounds surrounding the San Jacinto Monument. Sponsored by the San Jacinto Museum of History, Texas Parks & Wildlife and the San Jacinto Volunteers, the festival is a full day of music, entertainment, food, games and fun set amidst living history.
The battle re-enactment, the largest in the state, is presented by hundreds of members of the San Jacinto Volunteers and other living history organizations from across the state. It dramatizes the decisive battle in which Gen. Sam Houston led his Texian soldiers to victory over the Mexican Army to form an independent Republic of Texas, eventually leading to Texas statehood and almost one million square miles of Mexican territory becoming a part of the United States. The re-enactors will dramatically interpret the Runaway Scrape (Texians fleeing from the advancing forces of Santa Anna), the cannon duel and the final battle between the two forces.
"Presenting this living, dynamic reenactment of Texas history for free, would not be possible without our presenting sponsor H-E-B, as well as The Dow Chemical Company, Vopak, Pasadena Strawberry Festival and LyondellBasell," says Larry Spasic, San Jacinto Museum of History President. "Just as important are our partners who help us coordinate this event, including the volunteers from San Jacinto College, Deer Park ISD, Hampton Inn & Suites Deer Park, San Jacinto Volunteers and La Porte EMS."
All festival activities are updated continually on the San Jacinto Museum of History website at http://www.sanjacinto-museum.org. Entertaining and educational activities scheduled include:
- Solero Flamenco presents a "fiery, passionate and virtuoso flamenco performance," led by founders Irma La Paloma and Jeremías García.
- Last Chance Forever, The Birds of Prey Conservancy, shows its magnificent birds including hawks, owls, eagles, falcons and vultures.
- Dan Barth will use his Medicine Show Wagon to tell the tales of special 19th century cure-all elixirs, and entertain with a little magic.
- New this year: Mary L. Kelley Scheer—an author and professor at Lamar University—will present a talk on "The Women at San Jacinto" at 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. in the Monument's theatre.
- New this year: Rocking T Chuck Wagon: Featured on a Food Network special from the Lincoln County Cowboy Symposium in Ruidoso, N.M., the Rocking T chuck wagon competes in events throughout Texas and the Southwest.
- Nonstop entertainment on the Main stage with Galveston's Brandon McDermott playing their brand of lively Texas/Red Dirt Music; the Lunar Rollers out of Austin playing Americana, rock and country; and San Jacinto Day Festival favorite Liz Talley & Texas Swing sharing their pure country, honkytonk and great Texas shuffle music.
- The Celtaire String Band performs Americana period music using a variety of instruments including the fiddle, penny whistle, guitar, mandolin, spoons, scrub-board and limberjacks.
- Blacksmiths, weavers, spinners and other demonstrators will give visitors a full sense of how life was in the early 1800s. Sutlers (civilians who sold provisions to military posts) will be on hand to sell or show their wares.
- Visitors can wander freely among the Mexican and Texian camps of the re-enactors to learn what the soldiers of that day were doing prior to the battle in 1836.
- Texas Parks & Wildlife Department will offer archery classes for young people
- Visitors can also visit the restored marshlands and look for otters, great blue herons, osprey, mottled ducks and American avocets. The marsh is historically important because it barred the escape of many of General Santa Anna's troops during the 1836 battle.
- Texas Independence Square Dancers—square dancers from various groups throughout Texas—will demonstrate square dancing and give lessons.
- Visitors can browse through the vendor area to admire unique hand-crafted items, Texas products and history-related items.
- Festival goers can view the latest lobby exhibit "Measure This!" – an exhibit that features measurement systems that have historically been used in America and literally shaped everyday objects.
- Battleship TEXAS, the first battleship memorial museum in the U.S., is located in the park and open for visitors. Fees for the Battleship TEXAS are $12 for adults, $6 for seniors, $3 for school and youth groups with a reservation, and free for children 12 and younger.
The Children's Area will includes a 55-foot train flying Texas and U.S. flags, a petting zoo, archeological dig and crafts areas created by gifted-talented specialists from Deer Park Independent School District. In the military camps, a few lucky children will be chosen to stand with the cannon crew and pretend to load the cannons and will be presented with cannon soot to wear on their noses as a badge of honor.
The San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site is located just 22 miles east of downtown Houston. Take Highway 225 east to Independence Parkway north and continue for three miles.
Do not take the ferry on I-10 because only one ferry is operating right now and the wait will be lengthy. Parking is not being allowed at the battlegrounds this year, so visitors should park at the first marked parking lot they come to and take a shuttle to the festival.
For more information about the San Jacinto Museum of History or the San Jacinto Day Festival and Battle Re-enactment, call (281) 479.2421 or visit www.sanjacinto-museum.org. For more information on the Battleship TEXAS, please contact the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department at (281479.2431.
NOTE: Media should contact Dianne Powell at 210-887-8777 for photos, advance interviews, media parking passes, etc.
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(5.4.16 i)


text:
" Brand: VTech / Age: 3 Years+ / Available in different colours. "
* Prices may differ from that shown
The problem we faced when deciding what camera to buy our children was the need to be tough from horse play, but also offer a good photo reolution.
Nothing worse than the poor children taking the photo and then seeing it fuzzy on the pc - so so so many cameras have low resolution when made for kids, and vtech are as guilty as any company - until this camera.
The camera cost us £35 from Toys R Us, so we felt the price was attractive. The we discovered that this camera has a 2mp resolution, so great for an eventual photo print.
The camera has two viewers to look through - to help the little ones eyes I suppose focus better than through one - and soft handles on either side for the best grip, as well as a bouncy material for when the camera falls on the floor.
As you can see, a good looking fun camera for girls. t comes with clip on replacement face plates to suit your child's preference for a quick make over.
Functions -
There are different frames to frame a photo, there is 'The Scream' and a device to squeeze and stretch a photo. The frames include flowers, gems, prison bars and even a dinosaur's teeth and mouth.
Video recorder -
Yes, the camera also has a video recorder setting as well as - though not on par with a NDS LIte - several games. Simple catching balloons and pick up item games .
Workings -
The camera takes batteries, as you cannot charge it, but the batteries last a long time before you need to change them. You also get a USB cable to upload the photos on to the pc.
There is a SD card slot for maximising the amount of photos you can take, though we find the internal memory is fine.
For my son's sixth birthday I was looking for gift ideas when I stumbled across the vtech kidizoom plus camera. I was aware that a couple of my friends had purchased them for their children and that they were pleased with the product and so I bought it for the reduced rate of £30.00 from my Littlewoods catalogue.
==What is it?==
The kidizoom plus is a digital camera which is designed for use by children aged from three years. It comes in both a blue and a pink variety and it was the blue one which I bought for my son.
The camera itself is quite chunky and around twelve centimetres I would say at a guess in length. The ends of the camera are wider than the middle part and make the camera very easy for small hands to hold on to. I like the fact that it has this as I feel that children can take a more focussed photograph if the can hold the camera with two hands with ease.
The front of the camera features the vtech name as well as the kidizoom plus name. The camera has stars and different coloured blue stripes which make it look a little more child friendly and fun. We are told that the camera is a 2.0 mega pixel and has a 2x digital zoom as well.
The back of the camera features lots of buttons and can look a little over bearing but you soon get used to the features and will tend to use some buttons more than others. The main buttons for use are the power button, the function button, the flash, the zoom and delete for all those awful pictures than your child takes of you!
There are two viewfinders on the camera so the child could use either side for this or they can also use the digital screen to see what they are going to take a picture of. My son always uses the screen rather than the viewfinders purely because this is what he sees me doing with my camera I think. There is also a dial on the top of the camera which is similar to those used on some other digital cameras which can be used to switch between the modes available on the camera.
As well as being able to take pictures on the camera you can also use it to record movies, edit your photos and play games.
==Our experience==
My son was very excited when he opened his present to find this camera inside. He was keen to have a go with the camera immediately and so we needed to remove all of the packaging. It comes packaged in one of those plastic packs which are incredible difficult to open but we got there eventually with some scissors and perseverance!
My son was able to take pictures with the camera easily from the onset. He was able to work out how to use the zoom function too. Now, the pictures are never going to be exceptional quality and some of them can be slightly fuzzy and lack focus but for a child's camera I think that it isn't all about the photo quality and that a lot of focus must be placed on the fun and independence they get from taking them. My son is happy with the pictures he takes and it gives him a sense of pride in his work too.
My son's favourite feature of the camera is the function button. This is represented with a "M" on the camera and with this feature you can add stamps, frames or funny faces to the screen and you can ensure that you take the picture in the perfect place for the added feature rather than mess about adding them on later. My son loves to take pictures of us using the funny face templates as he can give us fat faces, distorted features or alien heads to name just a few! He also likes to add us different hats and things and is always amused by the results he gets! It is very simple for my son to view back his pictures as he just needs to push the arrow up on the back of the camera and it switches from camera mode to photo album mode and it is here where he can delete photos he does not want anymore.
The movies function is something that is used regularly by my son and he often does this when you are not looking so you really need to watch what you are doing or saying! He has caught a few people out saying something embarrassing whilst he sneaks along using this feature! The videos are quite clear to watch to be honest and the sound quality is really good.
There are five games built in to the camera and these are as follows:
Dance with me
Fast match
Bounce around
Chicken Pix
The games are quiet basic but my son does like them regardless. He particularly enjoys bounce around whereby you need to clear bricks by bouncing a ball against them. The addition of games to the camera is a good feature and particularly useful for when we are travelling and have taken the camera with us as it helps to entertain my son in the car or whatever.
Although you can insert a SD memory card to the camera it does actually have a build in memory of 256mb and apparently this allows us to store up to 500 photos so as yet we have not felt the need to purchase a memory card and I don't think that we will bother to be honest.
The batteries provided with the camera have lasted around six weeks with my son using the camera occasionally and so I would advise getting some rechargeable batteries as it needs four to work and this would become quite costly if you were to have to replace them quite frequently.
The camera can be connected to your TV or computer using the included camera leads but we have not connected it to the TV yet. It is simple to connect to the computer and once you have done this you can also use the software provided on a CD-ROM to edit your photos and such like. The CD-ROM is easy to install as you just need to follow the instructions on the screen. It is rare that we connect the camera to the computer but it is a useful tool to have just in case we want to use it.
Although I have always allowed my son to take pictures using my digital camera I am still pleased that I purchased the kidizoom plus for him. The reason for this is that I have seen the fun my son has had with the camera but also the sense of achievement he has when taking pictures of whatever he likes, whenever he likes. I do not delete the pictures from my son's camera like I would from my own so he knows that it is all his property and I think he likes that. My son is looking forward to taking his camera to London when we visit in the summer and I am looking forward to seeing what grabs his attention whilst we are away!
The camera can be bought for around £24.00 from amazon and I think for the camera and all the added extras that are included that it is a really good price which most children will enjoy using in my opinion.
Thank you for reading my review!
I bought this camera for my 4 year old's Christmas present last year as she was always fascinated by my camera. I was attracted by the different functions and the fact that it claims to be durable, and thought that at around £60, it was well priced.
The camera features two viewers and soft handles on either side so that children can hold the camera and see easily. It can be tricky for young ones to learn to close one eye and focus through a tiny viewer, so V-Tech have cleverly solved this problem. The camera also looks fantastic - the chunky design and bright colours are very appealing to children, and the camera comes with two front plates that can be altered whenever your child fancies a change.
The camera has loads of fun functions. It can stretch the subject into a range of shapes, although this can be a bit scary for little ones - seeing Daddy's face stretched into 'The Scream' can either be incredibly funny or rather upsetting depending on your child's personality. There are a number of different frames too. These range from just pretty flowers or gems to prison bars and even a dinosaur's mouth. These functions will keep your child amused for hours.
The camera also has a video recorder setting and has several games. And it is indeed very durable - even my 18 month old son hasn't managed to break it yet.
The only downside is the terrible picture quality. It's quite disappointing for a child to have so much fun taking the pictures to only see a dark, grainy image when they view them.
Since my daughter has been able to grab things she has been obsessed with digital cameras and has often tried to play with mine, frequently leaving greasy finger marks on the lens. So last year, with her being older and more in control (she was 3 at the time) we decided to buy her a camera for herself. My husband wanted to buy her just a cheap 'adult' digital camera but I felt she would not get as much enjoyment from that as she would from a child orientated camera. So I did a bit of research and found that the Vtech Kidizoom Plus would be the best option. RRP is £49.99 but I managed to get it on offer from Amazon for £35.
Reviews on this camera were very mixed and they ranged from people saying they were wonderful to others saying they were complete rubbish so I was not quite sure what to expect, but overall I have been really pleased with my purchase and would definitely recommend to other parents of children who love to take pictures - lets be honest most under 5s are not too bothered about the end result, they are more interested in pressing the buttons.
**The Camera**
Basic Info
A 2 megapixel camera with a zoom function, video option, 5 mini games, photo editor where you can warp the photos or add stamps or frames to your pictures. It has a dual viewfinder, a bit like looking through binoculars (so your child doesn't have to close one eye), a colour screen, built-in flash, 256Mb of internal memory (can store up to 500 photos), and an SD card slot for extra memory if you need it. Included with the camera is a USB cable, a TV cable, and software for editing on the computer, and also 2 changeable face plates if you feel like a change of look.
So that is the basics of the camera, if you wanted to know what you get for your money.
The camera is obviously designed with children in mind, it's bright and chunky and has soft easy to grip handles at either side, it's the perfect size for little sticky hands. The dual viewfinder is a great idea but my daughter does not use this, she just prefers to use the screen. I think it must have also been designed with 'dropping' in mind because ours has been dropped quite a few times on our laminate floor and has not fallen apart, it hasn't even been damaged, it just tends to bounce. The buttons are all a good size and located within easy press-able reach for children.
On the rear of the camera are 9 buttons plus a dial/wheel selector which allows you to easily select the mode you want.
The dial has 6 functions - camera, video, view pictures, settings, games, and photo editor.
The 9 buttons are as follows - On/Off, delete, OK, Flash, 4 way direction button, Mode, Volume, Zoom in and Zoom out. These are all pretty self explanatory and it is easy to determine once you are using the camera which button does what. My daughter quickly found her way around the camera, and to be honest most of the buttons on the back she does not tend to use, unless she is playing a game.
There is a large capture button on the top of the camera to take photos with, but you can also use the OK button on the back and I have often seen my daughter using this OK button in preference to the one on the top, I guess it's just easier that way.
Well to be honest, the picture quality is not the best, most of the shots tend to come out blurry, but I find the reason for this is because it is difficult for a 4 year to grasp the fact that they have to keep the camera still before and after pressing the button in order to get a clear picture. We do get the occasional crystal clear photograph, but this is quite rare and is usually when I have taken the picture.
What adds to the blurriness is the fact that you can press the capture button and there is at least 1 second before the picture is actually taken, so my daughter will press the button and expect the picture to appear straight away, but whilst the camera is processing she meanwhile has moved onto something else, and the photograph just ends up being a blur of where she has moved the camera to and from. But this is not with every photo she takes, depending on her mood she sometimes has patience and sometimes doesn't. Her better pictures are usually from when she is photographing her toys, a still subject is better that a moving one in my opinion!
The flash is also not particularly good, most of the time it doesn't even activate, even in a dull room, and when it does activate it tends to white out the complete photograph so you end up with just a white screen. So it's probably a good thing that it doesn't work most of the time.
However, despite the vast majority of the photographs being poor quality, this has not bothered my daughter in the slightest. I actually uploaded about 200 of her pictures to the computer recently (most of them being of me in close range or her toy dogs) so she could look at them, and she looked at about 3 pictures and soon lost interest. For my daughter, it is all in the act of taking the photographs rather than the end result, although sometimes when she takes a funny photo (more on this later) she does enjoy looking back on it and having a giggle.
The video option is lost on my daughter; it's just too much for her to understand. I think this is because the screen still looks the same as when she is about to take a photograph, she cannot grasp the fact that she is taking a video so ends up pressing the button over and over again, taking several 1 second long videos, and then getting frustrated when nothing is happening like she thinks it should be. I think perhaps if there was a large video icon that showed up on the screen once a video was in progress might improve this feature for me daughter. As it is she doesn't use it.
**Fun Times**
Photo Editing
My favourite part of this camera is the fact that you can alter and modify images whilst they are still on the camera. There are a few ways you can do this; first of all there is the face warp. This is where you can alter the shape of someone's head, there are several different shapes you can use and to be honest it's the most fun I have had in a long time, forget my daughter, I would buy this camera for myself on the sole basis of this feature! You can either modify a photograph after you have taken it, or you can have the shape on the screen while you are actually taking the photograph, so you really can get the perfect shot. I now have numerous photographs of my husband with an oversized head, or obscenely large mouth and nostrils, or even a squashed face. Unfortunately, he doesn't find it as funny as I do.
You can also add stamps or frames to your pictures; the stamps are in the form of funny hats, glasses, moustaches, you get the idea, and the frames are just different patterns around the edge such as hearts, flowers, sea life, and even jail bars!
I think this adds an interesting angle to the camera, and it adds a bit of extra fun for the kids (and the adults) when they get bored of taking normal photographs. Things such as this are always a good extra when something is aimed at the younger market.
There are 5 mini games included on the camera which are all really simple, but have varying levels of difficulty for young children, I don't know the exact names of the games but they are as follows:
Jigsaw - a basic shape matching game - very easy
Fast Match - matching moving symbols - very easy
Chicken Shot - taking pictures of moving chickens - easy
Dancing - pressing arrows in the correct sequence - quite difficult
Ball - catching a ball with a moving plinth to destroy bricks - very difficult
My daughter loves to play all of these games, but she really struggles with the dancing and ball games, these require quick reflexes which she just has not quite got the hang of yet. But the other three games she loves to play and because they are very simple she does not need any assistance from me and will sit for 5-10 minutes at a time quietly playing on her own.
I wasn't sure whether I liked the fact that games were included with the camera, but since we've had the camera I've changed my mind because once the photo fun is over for the day, she can then get more use out of it by playing the games, so I think it just means you get more for your money.
I really like this camera and so does my 4 year old daughter. The entire camera is easy to navigate and most things are pretty self explanatory, not once has my daughter come to me to sort something out (apart from when she gets angry with a game). Everything she needs is easily accessible from the jog-wheel, and the face warps (a most used feature) have a shortcut from the 4 way direction button and she knows how to activate this.
Although the picture quality is not all that great, it doesn't seem to matter because my daughter doesn't often go back to look at the photographs anyway, all the fun of the camera tends to be in the actual taking of the photographs rather than the end result, I don't think my daughter is aiming to take the perfect picture. Unless she has been face warping everybody, and then she has usually spent more time taking the photograph anyway so these particular photos usually come out quite good, and she does tend to look back on these and have a giggle.
I would definitely recommend this camera to parents of children who like to mess about with digital cameras. It is definitely a better option than buying them a cheap standard digital camera. First of all because the Kidizoom is bigger and easier to handle, so less likely to get fingers in front of the lens, and it also doesn't break when dropped. The games and photo editing also add novelty value to the camera and it is definitely value added because it not only allows a child to be creative, and improves concentration, but it also makes them think about the actual photograph they are taking, rather than being snap-happy taking pictures of anything and everything - we have about 100 pictures of our fish tank thanks to my daughter!
One of the downsides is that I find myself saying 'CHEEEEEESSEEEEE' several times a day.
Available in blue or pink
RRP £49.99 but shop around to see if you can get it cheaper. It is available on Amazon and Toys R Us.
Takes 4 x AA batteries included with the camera. The first set ran out after a couple of weeks (due to constant use) but the second lot have lasted a lot longer due to more sporadic use.
My little girl received her first toy camera when she was around six months old and it quickly became one of the more popular toys she had! As she got bigger I replaced her first camera with one that she could look through and see what she was "taking pictures" of and we got to the point where whenever I was using my digital camera she would show a huge amount of interest and would want to use it herself. Initially I gave her an old camera to play with as mine was far too expensive to let her get her little hands on! It was then I decided to have a look around for some form of camera that would actually let her take pictures but wasn't going to cost too much in case of breakage!
I soon came across the V-Tech Kidizoom camera which is a specially designed digital camera for children aged three and above. The camera was said to be sturdy which would cope with the bumps, knocks and drops that come with an excited child! Immediately looking at the design of the camera you can see that it is designed for a child - with its chunky design, the bright pink casing and large coloured buttons. There is a fabric strap you can attach to the camera which makes it easy for the child to carry.
As I say, the camera is a chunky design, the sides stick out to make them more like handles to enable the child to have a better grip of the camera. The "handles" are made out of rubber which means it won't break when it is dropped but I wouldn't say it is a soft rubber as such. The front of the camera looks like a standard camera, with the lens in the centre surrounded by a bright colourful background. There are two holes for the child to look through in order to take the picture which I think is a brilliant touch as it means if a child unfortunately has a problem with one eye they will still be able to use this camera with both ease and comfort. Also, a child may find using a particular eye easier than the other so they really have covered the bases with the design of this camera. The flash is situated in between the two eye holes and above that is the familiar V-Tech logo.
The reverse of the Kidizoom camera does look a little busy, and maybe even a little daunting at first. In the centre of the back you will find a large colour screen which makes it easy for the child to see exactly what they are taking a photograph of. I think this is a great feature as it is quite a hard concept for a three year old to grasp that they are required to look through the top of the camera to see what they are photographing. Surrounding the screen are all the function buttons:
* Arrow buttons to navigate round the menu
* M - Menu button
* Sound button
* X - Delete button
* Power on/off button
* Flash on/off button
* OK - alternative button to press to take photographs and also for menu options
At the top of the right hand side you will find the zoom buttons and on top of the camera is the usual button to take the photograph. On the back of the camera between the eye holes you will see a small dial with 6 different pictures.
1) Camera - this is simply used to take the photographs so you must ensure the dial is pointing to the camera picture in order to use it.
2) Video camera - this is where you can use the Kidizoom as a video camera.
3) Photographs - this is where you can view the photographs that have been taken, you can also delete photo's with this option.
4) Console - this is where you will find the mini games on the camera. The games include Matching Pairs and Tic Tac Toe.
5) Picture - this is the photo editor option where you can add a frame, stamp or special effect to your photograph.
6) Settings - the general settings for the camera.
I am not a very technical person, so specifications on cameras and the like don't really mean all that much to me but it is very simple with this camera. It is a 2 mega pixel camera, with 2x digital zoom and 256MB storage which equates to approximately 500 photo's. If you require more storage there is an SD slot in which you can put a memory card to expand the storage available. The camera requires 4 AA batteries and I would personally advise from experience that you purchase Duracell as they can run out quite quickly once your child become snap happy! Another option may be to purchase rechargeable batteries, but I haven't gone down that route as yet as I am happy so far with standard.
So, onto using the camera, my daughter had literally just turned three when she received this so I wasn't entirely sure just how easy she would take to using it. I needn't have worried as within minutes she was snapping away with no problems at all! The large button on top of the camera makes it very easy for little fingers to take the photograph and as I said earlier, the child can either look through the eye hole or simply look at the LCD screen. The camera has the flash inbuilt so if the light is a little low the flash will kick in - alternatively you can turn it off should you so wish. As it happens my little girl isn't overly keen on the flash so she will quite often turn it off but this does have an effect on the photo quality.
It is simple to view the photographs on the Kidizoom camera, your child can view them by pressing up or down on the cursor or turn the dial to the picture mode and they can then scroll through them. Another way of viewing the photos is to connect the camera up to your tv using the supplied cable, this isn't something we have done but it is am option for you to consider should you so wish. The final way of viewing the photographs is to transfer them onto a computer and this is done by loading the software onto the computer and then connecting the camera with the supplied USB cable.
There is the option to print your photo's once they have been uploaded to a computer but I haven't done this as yet because we have only had the camera a few weeks. I am unsure as to how the pictures would look with it only being a 2 mega pixel camera, but I would imagine it would be roughly the same as having them printed from a mobile phone. That said I don't think a 3 year old child would be overly concerned with the quality and I would imagine they would be thrilled with their own photo's however the quality.
There is a Kidizoom travel bag available to purchase also for safer carrying for your child, and this costs around the ten pounds mark. The camera is also available in blue or black so it is suitable for a little boy also.
My daughter absolutely ADORES this camera, she uses it every single day and that is with complete ease. I really thought I would have to sit with her and go through it step by step with her but I was completely redundant and if anything she was showing me!! I have to say our favourite thing with this camera is the option to take funny photo's - in the standard camera mode you can press menu and there is a funny face option and in there you will find eight different ways of distorting the face of the person you are taking a photograph on. To say we had a laugh on Christmas Day with that is a real understatement - the whole family were involved in this and some of the pictures that came out were verging on frightening but just hilarious.
One thing I really love about this camera is being able to see things through my daughters eyes - she gets very snap happy and while many of the pictures she takes are just random (quite often of the floor or walls!), there are pictures she takes of us without us knowing and its nice to sit and look through them, seeing what she sees.
We have found the durability of the camera is really good, it has already been dropped numerous times, and even stood on and there is no damage so far whatsoever. The only way I think this camera could be improved is if they made it without batteries and it could come with a mains charger, but this can be overcome by just purcashing rechargeable batteries.
The price of the Kidizoom Camera is currently around £40 which I would say is a great price. I never thought there would be a digital camera for toddlers but V-Tech have come up with this fantastic version and I really cannot recommend it highly enough. It is my little girls favourite birthday present and I am regularly having to delete lots of random photo's to enable her to be able to take more!
Thank you so much for getting to the end of my review! I hope you found it useful :)
"Say Cheese Mummy" is the words I hear more often than not these days since buying my daughter the Vtech kiddizoom plus camera.
Available in blue, pink and other limited edition designs, the camera is designed for children ages three and over.
*Look and design*
We have the pink version of this camera, and it's very much aimed for girls, with flowery designs and patterns dotted over the casing. The camera appears sturdy and isn't too heavy for small hands, but has rubber casing around the base area where the camera is held. This also helps should the camera be dropped as I have found out.
There is a small screen area on the back of the camera for the picture taker to see their prey. It's not too small to be able to get a good portrait, leaving enough room surrounding the screen for the variety of buttons which have various actions attached to them.
*Ease of Use*
When we first got the camera we let our daughter play with it to get a feel for how to use it. It didn't take her long to pick up the functions and how to view the pictures. So much so that she shows me how to delete pictures on the rare occasion I am allowed to play with it, and she's three and a half!
There seem to be a lot of buttons, but each one does have its use, for example there is a delete button, arrow buttons that have many features including playing the games.
Overall I think Vtech have made the camera well for the age group.
As well as being a 2mp camera, there is also a small selection of games for the user to play. These are simple catch balloon, pick up item games that my daughter hasn't quite got the hang of yet, but still enjoys playing. I think these are a nice touch to give added features, but perhaps they aren't really necessary in the world of handheld computer consoles etc.
A quirky feature is the frames and effects that can be added to each picture.
A video camera is also included which my daughter loves to use, although she hasn't quite grasped the concept of only pressing the capture button once to let the video record. As a result we usually end up with lots of two second videos.
The pictures you have taken can also be viewed via the camera screen. All of these functions are accessed by a dial at the top of the camera. This is very easy for small hands to operate, and doesn't appear to flimsy or clumsy for children.
For such a child friendly camera, I was pleased to find that you can take and store over 100 photos within the camera memory itself.
This is the one area where the camera lets itself down, and that's the power supply. Taking four AA batteries, we learnt quickly to supply recharchables as they do drain quite quickly when played with a lot.
The camera comes with a CD and leads to connect to a PC. There is nothing very special about adapting your pictures on the computer, all of which can be done on the camera. I think the only good aspect of having the connection to the PC is that you can then transfer pictures from the camera to the PC to free up memory on the camera.
We bought the camera six months ago for £49.99 and I think it's worth every penny for a budding David Bailey. There are lots of offers available for the camera so do shop around.
We have been really pleased (as has our daughter) with this camera, and it's one of the best purchases we have made in terms of money spent against playability and enjoyment. I fear that once she gets past perhaps five then she may want something that looks more grown up, but two years for the price is well worth the money.
My little boy was always playing with my camera so I decided to buy him this camera so he had a camera of his own. When I got it home and we unpacked it I wasn't disappointed. It's a great little camera for younger children it learns them how to take pictures, edit them and he can even put peoples faces into funny little captions and hats etc. Its easy for him to hold and as you would expect gets dropped and threw about but the camera itself is unaffected as its housed in quite a thick rubber casing. You can also play games on it but my little boy hasn't got the hang of this yet. The camera takes batteries, you can't charge it, but the batteries last a long time before you need to change them. You also get a USB cable so that you can upload the pictures onto the PC to view/save them to file. The only downside is the picture quality isn't that good if you wanted to print the pictures. They come out looking grainy but for a teaching aid I would definitely recommend.
My daughter has been asking for a camera for a long time, but the main problem that made me cautious about buying one is that she doesn't have a very good track record when it comes to looking after her toys - always dropping them, leaving them on the floor to be stood on, or forgetting to bring them in for outside. When I saw an advert on TV featuring this Kidizoom camera being chucked about by a toddler, I decided that perhaps this might be good for my daughter.
It came in one of those annoying plastic packets that require scissors to open, and along with the camera, there was also a disk to install software, an A/V cable and a USB cable, and the instructions and warranty .
The camera requires 4 AA batteries, which were included mand already installed - I was relived as the compartments for the batteries (one on either side of the camera) require one of those tiny little cross headed screwdrivers that I know I own but can never find.
Don't worry about the cables and the disk - they're not important until later . And actually, the instructions are not that important either - although clear and well written, the camera itself is so simple, and laid out in such a common sense manner, that my daughter was taking photos and shooting movies within minutes with a minimul amount of help from me .
The design of the camera is very good - the slight rubberising of the outer handles and their curved nature makes this easy to keep a good grip on, and the buttons and dials are large and clear, and don't feel loose or fragile . I particularly liked the spinning dial used to change modes . The camera has two choices for viewing what you are photographing - two little eye holes at the top, or alternatively on the little 1.8" TFT screen on the camera itself.
At 2 Megapixels, this isn't going to set the world alight with brilliant photographs, but actually I found they do come out really clear, and quite detailed. Sure, there are a few blurs where my daughter has tried to capture something that is moving, but overall the photos are good enough for my daughter to be very impressed with them - especially as she can add borders, stamps, and other special effectts. She was very chuffed with her kaleidescope photo of the guinea pigs, and laughed her head off when she managed to put mummy in prison . I'm pleased that the camera has an inbuilt flash, which helps in darker environments. Video shooting was just as easy, with the camera easily picking up movement and recording sound .
The camera has 16mb or internal memory, which I found got full quite quickly as my daughter really enjoyed shooting movies . However, this wasn't a problem, as once the software for the camera was installed on my computer (an easy and painless process) data could be easily trasferred to my PC via the USB cable and stored there, so she never loses her photographs or videos .
There are also some games on the camera - making it great for taking on holiday to keep her amused on otherwise boring game journeys. She loves having her own games console, and particularly enjoyes one of the games that is very similar to dance dance revolution .
Overall, my daughter has been very happy with this camera - and if my daughter is happy, then I'm happy . She's dropped it no end of times, and it shows no signs of wear or tear, barring a small dent in the rubber on one side. This camera currently costs 43.99 from amazon.co.uk, and is available in pink and blue . Perhaps my one criticism of this camera is that for those families with more than one child, who may wish their children to share a camera, there is no unisex colour scheme .
A great toy for my daughter, decent enough pictures and a sturdy toy . 4 stars
I bought this for my 3 year old daughter at christmas. I paid about £50 from Very and I did think it was a little expensive for a childrens camera that she wouldnt really know what to do with! It is a nice size easy grip for her to hold and big buttons to navigate through. It is easy enough for her to take photos. However, it is a little tricky to operate some of the advanced features so she does require some assistance. There is the option to change pictures to put a frame around them and make faces look disorientated. There is also an option to make videos. The picture quality is fairly good and it also has a flash. Its great for kids as if its dropped its so durable that it wont break whick is a must for a 3 year old with a £50 toy! It is still one of my daughters favourites and although it is expensive i think that it is worth it in the long run as she will probably still play with it in another few years time.
I bought the Vtech Kidizoom for my daughter's 3rd Birthday. Some of the reviews for this toy worried me a little as they were so bad, but she was so adamant she wanted one that I had to go ahead and get one.
We've had it a year now and it's been great. The camera itself is made of very sturdy plastic. Ours has been dropped and thrown loads of time without any damage. It comes with interchangeable plates for the front so your child can change the design as they wish. It's a 2 megapixel camera with a built in flash. The picture quality is reasonable, certaainly good enough for most 3 & 4 year olds! My daughter was most excited by the fact that she had a working camera of her own, could take pictures by herself and could even add effects to them, such as angel wings, false noses, moustaches etc. The camera is well designed and within a couple of weeks she had completely mastered it and even knew how to use the video functions. Again, not the best quality, but my daughter was just thrilled to have her own "camcorder".
Once you've taken the photos, the camera is supplied with all the leads so that you can either download them onto a computer or connect to a tv screen to watch them.
The camera also has 4 simple built in games, like tic tac toe, which are a fun extra and easy for small children to master.
The camera takes 4 batteries. We've been using rechargables and had no problems - it takes several weeks of sproradic use for them to run out.
All in all a great toy for a young child.
I bought this camera for my step sons 4th birthday and nearly a year later he still loves it, it hasnt got a mark on it and he takes it everywhere! It doesnt take the best of pictures compared to a 'real' dig camera but for a child its more than enough. He very quickly learnt how to use it, he loves to take a picture then add features to it, silly faces and making the picture wobbly are his favourite. It has 3 games installed on it which he likes to sit and play in the car keeps him entertained. It has software to install on the computer which i found easy to upload and use, a usb lead to transfer data from camera to pc. It has space for a memory card but we havent had to use one yet theres enough memory for him. It takes 4 AA batteries which i woud recommend be rechargable has it does seem to go through batteries rather quickly. The most important thing to me when i purchase a new item is that they like it and enjoy it which my step son indoubtably does so for me it was a bargain, it also keeps him off my camera!
For the past few months everytime that I would get my digital camera out 3year old little little boy would be straight by my side showing a keen interest in helping his mummy take photographs, Unfortunately my digital SLR is not a toy and is a little too expensive to let a 3year old loose with and after a near mis-hap at christmas it was decided that I would look around for a digital camera designed specifically for children in mind, one that can withstand the heavy hands of my 3year old son and the likely hood of being dropped by him.
I decided to look around online and started to compare different camera specifications and prices and thats when I discovered the V-Tech Kidizoom camera.
Designed specifically for children of 3plus V-Tech have come up with a camera that is suppose to be tough, durable and would withstand being dropped by its younger users.
Now from its ergonomical design you can tell that this camera has been designed for children. Its bold colours, big chunky design which makes it easier for the child to grip with little hands, its large brightly coloured buttons, large 1.8 tft colour screen and its double optical viewfinder which makes it so much easier to focus for those who are a little too young to grasp the concept of being able to close one eye to be able to focus makes you realise just how much thought has been put into the camera design.
Now one of the main reasons for opting for the V-Tech camera above others was because of its specifications.
The camera has:
-1.8 tft color LCD screen
-16MB of inbuilt internal memory
-Photographic and Video shooting modes
-Inbuilt Auto flash
and an inbuilt photo workshop to allow your little ones to edit, transform, add frames and add stamps to the images which they have taken.
Now children these days are beng introduced to technology at such a young age that its amazing some of the technology available out there for them and this camera is no exception.
Now before I continue I would like to bring to your attention and raise the issue that the name of this camera is a little misleading, the name 'Kidizoom', this digital camera does not have a zoom feature included at all, so if you are thinking that the camera does because of VTechs poor choice of product name it not.
The Camera itself runs off of four AA bateries,I have found that by using a decent quality battery brand and with daily use from my son that the batteries have a relatively good life and thats even with the flash activated, although I have decided to purchase some rechargabes to make it easier and cheaper in the long run.
You can find the batteries housed on the underside of the camera split between two seperate compartments. These compartments are located each side of the camera. To access these compartments and to be able to insert and remove batteries you will find yourself needing a small cross head screwdriver as there is one screw per compartment securing the batteries safely.
Now I do understand that this is a safety feature for this camera but it really can be a big pain when you find yourself needing to change the batteries when you are out for a day, that as well as needing to carry around a spare set of batteries you also find yourself needing to carry around a small cross head screwdriver to be able to get into the battery compartments to change them, not something I usually or really want to be carrying around in my handbag and Im pertty sure that some would consider it as being a lethal weapon.
Whilst Im talking about the batteries I feel that I really need to mention that if you do allow the batteries in this camera to die completely you run the risk of loosing the videos and photographs that your little one has taken and are stored on the internal memory. Now I really consider this a poor design feature, especially with the progression of technology that is out there today, you dont find this happening to general digital cameras so why should a childs camera be any different and unfortunately my three year old son does not understand the battery warning indicator so is unble to let me know that they are running low, a poor feature I feel.
The camera itself boasts a 16MB inbuilt internal memory, this allows the camera to store upto 200 photographs or 5minutes of video footage. Now being a childs camera you may believe that this is sufficient enough but believe me this is not the case, as soon as your child gets hold of the camera it is not long before you find the memory full up from the random photo taking sessions.
Now thankfully V-Tech give you the option to expand the memory, you can additionally purchase a SD card ( you can go up to 2GB in size) which then would give the child more freedom to shoot to their hearts content without the worry of the memory being used up so quickly.
Another benefit of using a SD card and changing the photo storage option to SD card means that you will not run the risk of loosing the photos and videos taken if the batteries do die as they are being stored directly onto the card itself, A great option in my eyes for saving tears.
The camera itself is pretty simple to use, enough so that my three year old son dosnt have any problems, The menu is straight forward and easy for him to use unaided. You will find picture Icons used for each catergory of the menu so this wont be a problem for those children who cannot read, its an ideal feature.
The menu includes:
The option to change between Photograph and Video shooting modes
Photo workshop - This allows the child edit photographs which they have taken, they can add frames, stamps, distort and manipulate the images and their is even an option to be able to add a 10 seconds voice tag to a photo.
Games - This camera has included three simple games for the child, Tic Tac Toe, Rotating Puzzle and Matching Pairs.
And the Memory manager which allows the changing between Internal and external memory for image and video storage, it also allows you to review the remaining space too.
Now to use the camera is extremely straightforward and simple. The Big bright orange buttons on this camera are simple and labled clearly. You will find Five buttons
-Volume control
-Confirmation button
-Delete button
and the shutter button and there is also a four way directional cursor to aid the child to scroll through the cameras menu and the photographs with ease.
When taking a photograph or shooting a video the child has two viewing options. They can either look through the double optical viewfinder or the LCD screen, to take a photograph or start shooting a video all they need to do is press the large shutter button.
You will also find that the camera has an in built auto flash so this allows photo capture in most light conditions.
To view the photographs that the child has taken you have three options:
1. you can view the photographs and videos on the camera itself by reviewing the images by either pressing up or down on the directional cursor which my son just loves to do.
2. You can connect the camera up directly to your TV set using the AV cable which is supplied
or 3. You can upload the images to your PC. This can be done by loading the supplied software and using the supplied USB cable or by removing the SD card from the camera and using the SD card slot on your PC.
Now the only problem with the later option is that the SD card slot is located in the same compartment as one of the sets of batteries, this means that you need that small cross head screwdriver again to be able to access it, although to be truthful I do prefer to upload this way as it means I can also format the SD card from the PC instead of having to delete each individual image on the camera seperately which is extremely time consuming.
Now another downside to this camera is the photograph and video quality. Photographs are only taken at a 0.3mp resolution at a size of 640 X 480 and videos at a size of 160 X 120, although the sound quality to the videos is pretty good.
Now even though it is a childrens camera I feel that this is extremely poor when you compare to the general cheaper branded digital cameras out there on the market, for roughly the same price you can get hold of a 8MP / 10MP camera but unfortunately because they dont offer the durability that this camera does its not really an option and VTech know that. This poor quality means that these images are really only to be viewed,although the camera does give you the option through the memory manager to change the pixel size of an image to 2MP from 0.3MP for the purpose only of being able to print but its still not the greatest of quality.
Taking all if this into account I think this would be an off put to older children so feel because of this its better suited for younger children as its the whole taking the image thats the fun for the child.
So the Verdict:
All in all this is a good camera from V-Tech, what it lacks in quality it makes up with durabillity. Its extremely tough and hard wearing, its withstood being bashed about and being dropped onto a paved patio by my son and still works perfectly fine.
Although most of the photographs are complete randoms and of poor quality this is still truly a great insight into seeing the world through my three year old sons eyes, It allows us to see what he sees, what interests him and he feels is important for him to photograph. It has provided hours of entertainment and fun for him since we purchased this camera and although it does have its downsides I am glad that I bought this for him, the entertainment value is well worth it.
A great camera for smaller children, this V-Tech Kidizoom camera retails at £59.99p and can be found in most stores that sell Childrens toys. You can also purchase an additional camera case designed and matching to this product which is great so that your little one can carry it around, this retails at approx £10.00p
As a photographer a camera was something i really wanted to buy my 2 year old for christmas espcailly after she started showing an interest and was lining up her dolls and teddies and telling them to smile whilst pointing a plastic camera at them!
I read the reviews and decided to pick this camera over the fisherprice one, and i'm glad that i did.
Although the quailty of the photos aren't great, it is good enough for a child to see what they have took and view them on a pc.
It also has a video option and games and photo editer, all of which are very easy to use and you can add frames and silly faces and hats when you take pictures -my daughter particuly likes taking a picture of me with a pigs nose!
Its deffently hardwaring, my daughters camera has been thrown around, down the stairs and is still in one peice with no problems.
Price wise - at full price its a little expensive when you think of the decent quailty you could for the same price with a normal camera, but this is for children so you have to face you need an unbreakable camera and pay the extra.
My daughter had been nagging me for one of these because her best friend had one. I must admit I was a bit dubious about how long she would be interested in it, but I gave in and bought it anyway. They retail at about £50 from most places. I got mine from Amazon when it was on special offer and managed to get it for about £42 which I considered a bargain.
The camera itself is very girly. Bright pink with interchangable faces, my daughter loved the look of it. They also make a blue version and a camouflage version for those who are not fans of pink! The advantages of this camera over a normal camera are many. Firstly, it is very sturdy, and more able to take drops and knocks than a regular camera. Secondly, the controls are a lot easier and on screen menus a lot simpler for young children to understand and control, with minimal parental help.
One reason that my daughter loves the camera so much is because it not only takes pictures, but also captures video too. The camera has limited memory, but memory can be enhanced by adding an SD card, which can store lots more pictures and video. The camera takes four AA batteries which are added by unscrewing a special compartment so that the child cannot get the batteries out accidentaly.
The camera had lots of fun features, like cartoony add ons and games where you can make jigsaws out of your pictures. The photo quality isn't fantastic, but adequate for a kids camera. Some photos she has taken with it are actually better than the ones that I have taken on my camera which is higher resolution. The camera also has it's own flash, and the camera can be connected to the PC or TV with special cables that are included with the camera. This enables to view your pictures and video on a big screen and edit them further, if desired.
Then, a few months ago, the unthinkable happened. The camera ceased working. we tried changing the batteries and resetting it but nothing worked. I got in touch with vtech, the manufacturers, and had to send it to them for "inspection". A short while later, I was extremely pleased that they had sent a replacement and that this was an upgraded model to the previous one, the kidizoom plus. In my view this was excellent customer service on their part. The new camera is lasting well and is still her favourite toy.
3 cheers for vtech!
I purchased the V-tech Kidizoom camera for our daughters 3rd birthday as she loves looking at photos and had showed a big interest in our camera. So 9 months on, how has it fared?
My daughter has used it on various days out, trips and generally around the house taking random shots. She has lterally taken 100's of photos - most of them absolutely rubbish but she has had fun doing it so thats the main thing.
To be honest I was dubious about spending so much money on a childs camera of which I had read many bad reviews but I managed to find a voucher code so I eventually paid around £30 for it rather than the RRP of £50.
The camera comes in either blue or pink (we have the pink one!) and comes with an interchangeable faceplate to the front. It is rather chunky and therefore easy for little hands to hold and get to grips with. The buttons on the back are large and chunky so very easy for small children to get the hang of. There is a dual viewfinder making it much easier for children to look through as they often find it difficult to shut one eye for a few seconds while the photo is taken. If they don't want to use the viewfinder there is also a 1.8'' LCD screen to look at your subject as well as the taken photos.
The camera has 16MB of internal memory but has a slot for adding an SD card to make a bit more space. We added a 32MB card to it as we had one lying around. However although my daughter loved taking pictures there was a long dealy of about 5 seconds between pressing the shutter button and the picture actually being taken. We accepted that it was just a bit of a design fault but trying to get my daughter to keep the camera still until the picture was done was virtually impossible hence we had loads of pictures of feet, the floor, the sky, walls and other random bits. After I saw another child with the same camera which took the pictures instantly I started to think that ours was faulty so I emailed V-tech. They replied about 3 weeks later saying that if you have a memory card inserted, if it' too big it will slow the camera down and advised that we took the memory card out. The camera can only hold a card up to 2MB which is pretty useless in my opinion! So we removed our larger card (blaming hubby I might add) and hey presto it worked perfectly. It was much quicker and took the pictures straight away. Just wish I had done this to start with as I didn't realise until a good while after had the camera.
So what other features does the camera have? It is only a 2 megapixel camera which means that the quality of the pictures are pretty poor. This does not bother my daughter int he slightest though and she is happy snapping away. The name suggests that the camera 'zooms' as in kidizoom but there is no zoom facility here. The new edition the kidizoom plus does have a zoom function on though. There is also a movie function to take a 5 minute film as well as built in photo editing software. This is quite fun and my daughter loves to give daddy devil horns and mummy a piggy nose that kind of thing! This can be done both pre and post shot. As well as adding these features you can also add fun frames such as snowscene or curtains as you would get in a theatre. There is also a distort function where you can distort your taken photo.
The camera also has 3 games on, they are all very basic but my daughter enjoyes them and can play them and operate the camera alone. The games on here are tic tac toe played with starfish and shells, a simple pairs game and a kind of rotate the pieces to make the jigsaw game. There are also sound effects to accompany everything on the camera which is quite fun. I like the fact that there is a 'click' sound when you take the photo so you know that you have pressed the button!
The camera also comes with an AV and USB cable so that you can view them either on the TV or computer and there is a PC CDROM with further editing software. A wrist strap is included as well to give you a fighting chance of not dropping it. Ours has been dropped a number of times and still works so the chunkyness and rubbery kind of handles do the job and protect it well. It takes 4 AA batteries which last pretty well - at least a few weeks with it beig used all the time. there are 2 encased in either side of the handles - you will need a small screwdriver to get them get them in and out.
So would I recommend this camera? Yes! for a young child it is fine. With 2MP it is obviously not for a professional but it serves its intended purpose well and gives us a good view of things through the eyes of a toddler. Very durable and easy to operate for a child and my daughter loves it.
Easy operation child's first camera.

subset: commoncrawl


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Biscuits and Sausage Gravy
Biscuits and gravy is one of those foods that just reminds me of home. My dad used to make this for us on the weekends. When I first met Hubby, he had no idea what biscuits and gravy were. Crazy Northeasterner! He fell in love the first time he had my dad's biscuits and gravy. And it's so simple to throw together when you're half asleep on a Saturday or Sunday morning.
I like to use the flaky buttermilk store bought biscuits. You could definitely make your own from scratch if you wanted. We also like our gravy pretty thick. Feel free to add more milk to thin out your gravy if you prefer.
Biscuits and Sausage Gravy
Yield: 4
1 pkg sausage
2 cups milk
3 Tbsp flour
fresh ground pepper
8 biscuits
While biscuits are baking, make sausage gravy.
Brown sausage in a skillet. Add milk and flour to pan and whisk together to form a gravy. Add more milk to thin the consistency out, more flour to thicken the consistency. Season with pepper to taste.
Serve gravy over biscuits.
Recipe from my dad
Check out my week of Family Favorites here.
11 Responses to "Biscuits and Sausage Gravy"
I've actually never had biscuits and gravy, but this sounds yummy, so I would definitely like to try it. I never realized it was so easy to make. Thanks for sharing!
Wait – that's all it takes to make biscuits and gravy?
I want that now
mmm….. I just decided I am going to make this on Thursday when my boyfriend gets home from sea. =)
Thank you for sharing. =)
I'm with One Ordinary Day! You're the third or so blog in the past day I've seen post about biscuits and gravy. I'd say that's a sign!
Yummy is all I can say!
I just moved to Southwestern Virginia a few months ago, and biscuits and gravy are an everyday delicacy around here.
A couple of tips from my grandma…use hot sausgae because it gives it a TON of flavor without making the gravey actually hot. (The milk and flour tone it down)
And to avoid the whisking, after browning the sausage, add just the flower. It will make a roux from the fat that has cooked out of the sausage. THEN turn it on high and add the milk. No whisking, no lumps. I guarantee it! ;D
Sounds perfect! We went to some breakfast place on Sunday and I had sausage and biscuits on my mind, and they didn't have any! How can they even call themselves a breakfast place??
Hi, my children just finished eating your biscuits and gravy. All three of them loved it. I loved it as it was super easy and fairly quick to make. Thanks!
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Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles was carted off the practice field with an apparent sprained foot during Monday's practice, the Kansas City Star reports. Charles was taken to be treated in the locker room after getting hurt running in red zone drills, and coach Andy Reid said X-rays were negative.
Charles is coming off an exceptional 2012 season in which he gained 1,745 yards from scrimmage. He is the lifeblood of the Chiefs' new offense under Andy Reid, and his presence as a runner and receiver is critical to the success of quarterback Alex Smith.
Given the speedster's all-purpose excellence, he's also the mid first-round favorite of fantasy football owners in 2013. Charles rebounded better than ever in '12 after a torn ACL in his left knee cost him the last 14 games of the 2011 season.


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This is a completely hypothetical thread. Hopefully it can be fairly positive in nature. The point is to pick the lineup of 5 guys that you'd most like to see play together for 10 minutes or so. Whether or not we would win games with these guys on the floor is irrelevant. It's more of an "I'd really enjoy watching these guys play" than an "I think these guys would be really good together."
My Lineup
PG - Marquis Daniels
SG - Mike Dunleavy
SF - Danny Granger
PF - Shawne Williams
C - Jermaine O'Neal


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What Time Is It?Science brain teasers require understanding of the physical or biological world and the laws that govern it.
In the year 2100, a family went out into space for a vacation exactly one light-minute away from home. They used an advanced telescope to look at their clock. The child, Sam, was so exact at time. If it's 9:59, he stays up one minute until ten. One night, Sam looked through the telescope and saw the clock showed 9:59. But his dad said it was ten and he had to go to sleep. How is that possible?
The clock back at home was their ONLY time source.
HintThink about the properties of light.
AnswerThe clock was one light-minute away, so it took the light one minute to reach the telescope. The display was how it looked one minute ago. You have to add one minute, and therefore it was Sam's bedtime.
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The Do's and Don'ts of Adhesive
After you've played around with different adhesives, it's time to focus on the importance of choosing the right one and what to watch for. Here are a few Do's and Don'ts for Adhesives: Do use adhesives that are photo-safe and acid-free. Don't use your child's glue stick. Be sure to check any type of adhesive for the words acid-free. In fact, glue sticks are not the best scrapbook adhesive. While perhaps they are very inexpensive, and some are even acid-free, however the glue often dries and becomes brittle. I've had several items come off layouts that I've used glue sticks … Continue reading


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Is renters insurance worth it for college students?
NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- With pricey tuition to pay and books to buy, renters insurance isn't exactly something that tops most college kid's list. But in some cases, that could be a big mistake.
Students who live on campus typically don't have to worry about renters insurance: Their parents homeowner's policy should cover the loss or damage of most items as long as the policy includes so-called 'off-premise coverage.' (Just be sure you understand the limits to this coverage and the deductibles that apply.)
However, once you move off-campus and start paying rent, you are no longer covered by mom and dad's policy if there is a fire or someone breaks into the place, said Laura Adams, senior insurance analyst at InsuranceQuotes.com, a Bankrate company.
And you shouldn't expect the landlord to cover anything either. "Landlords typically cover the building and not the tenant's belongings," said Adams. "They will not replace any damaged or stolen items."
Also, if one roommate has a renters insurance policy, don't expect it to cover all of your stuff, too. Most rental insurance policies only cover the belongings of the policyholder. Although roommates can purchase a policy together if they'd like, said Adams.
So what does renter's insurance cover? There are three basic types of protection: personal possessions, liability and additional living expenses.
Personal possession protection covers your belongings if they are lost or damaged due to a fire, vandalism or theft among other things.
Liability protection kicks in if, say, your dog bites the neighbor, or someone slips and gets hurt while at a party at your place. It not only helps cover any medical expenses but, in some cases, can pay for your legal fees if you get sued.
In addition, if you are displaced by a storm or a fire, the policy will typically cover the cost of a hotel, or a temporary rental until you can move back home.
The cost of renters insurance is typically pretty affordable -- on average, it costs $184 a year -- but the amount will vary depending on the location and size of the rental unit and how much coverage you need, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.
Students should shop around and make sure they get enough coverage. To determine how much you need, take inventory. Create a spreadsheet, take pictures or create a video inventory of all your belongings -- including clothing, electronics, jewelry and furniture, among other things -- and keep it in a safe place. Even if students only have a few possessions, ensuring they can be replaced if stolen or damaged is one less thing to worry about.
"If you can't afford to replace everything," said Adams. "You are really rolling the dice if you don't have renters insurance."


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A trade that has been speculated on for over a year is now completed.
By day's end, the Atlanta Falcons will trade backup quarterback Matt Schaub to the Houston Texans, according to NFL sources. The Texans will surrender a second-round draft pick, and there could be other compensation involved.
The trade has massive ramifications. The Texans have their quarterback of the future, which David Carr no longer is. The Falcons are reaffirming their faith in Michael Vick, who now also needs a new backup. And the Texans are out of the Brady Quinn derby, leaving the Detroit Lions, Cleveland Browns, Minnesota Vikings and Miami Dolphins as possible landing spots.
The trade, once officially completed, validates the Falcons' commitment to Vick, whom new Atlanta head coach Bobby Petrino told the first time they met, "You're my guy."
Since then, Petrino and Vick have been working together closely on an almost daily basis, prepping for the coming season.
The Falcons, who quietly had been entertaining offers for Schaub this offseason, had tendered their backup quarterback a $2 million offer, meaning that any team that signed him to an offer sheet would have to surrender first- and third-round draft choices to the Falcons. Of course, the Falcons also could always trade Schaub, and that is the course of action the team has pursued.
The Texans will be acquiring a quarterback that has thrown only 161 career passes, 81 of which were completed, with six touchdown passes and six interceptions. But Schaub long has been considered a quarterback worthy of starting, and he was the top bargaining chip the Falcons have.
Now they've decided to cash it in.


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An Evening with Tom Cruise
Monday, December 17, 2012
Out of respect for the families who lost loved ones in Newtown, CT, we are postponing tonight's fundraising event with Tom Cruise to benefit the 50th anniversary fund which supports K-12 education and new artist programs. We extend our love and condolences to our neighbors. Our community grieves with yours. Information about ticket refunds will be provided shortly.
Fresh from his biggest worldwide success to date with Mission: Impossible—Ghost Protocol, we are pleased to welcome three-time Academy Award nominee Tom Cruise for a career-spanning conversation and a special advance screening of the hotly anticipated Jack Reacher.
Jack Reacher
Christopher McQuarrie | 2012 | USA | 130m
From The New York Times bestselling author Lee Child comes one of the most compelling heroes to step from novel to screen—ex-military investigator Jack Reacher (Tom Cruise). When a gunman takes five lives with six shots, all evidence points to the suspect in custody. On interrogation, the suspect offers up a single note: "Get Jack Reacher!" So begins an extraordinary chase for the truth, pitting Jack Reacher against an unexpected enemy, with a skill for violence and a secret to keep. Written for the screen and directed by Oscar-winner Christopher McQuarrie (The Usual Suspects). Co-starring Rosamund Pike, Richard Jenkins, Werner Herzog, David Oyelowo and Robert Duvall!
Proceeds from the event will go to the 50th Anniversary Fund, which supports education and emerging filmmaker initiatives. Find out more here.


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Pre-General Availability Draft: 2017-09-22
view_name [, view_name] ...
DROP VIEW removes one or more
views. You must have the
privilege for each view.
If any views named in the argument list do not exist, the statement fails with an error indicating by name which nonexisting views it was unable to drop, and no changes are made. Prior to MySQL 8.0.3, the statement returns an error indicating by name which nonexisting views it was unable to drop, but also drops all the views in the list that do exist.
IF EXISTS clause prevents an error from
occurring for views that don't exist. When this clause is given, a
NOTE is generated for each nonexistent view.
See Section 188.8.131.52, "SHOW WARNINGS Syntax".
RESTRICT and
CASCADE, if
given, are parsed and ignored.
-- CREATE view1
CREATE OR REPLACE ALGORITHM=MERGE VIEW view1 AS
SELECT id FROM mytable WHERE id < 5
-- DROP view2 (not existing) and view1 (existing)
DROP VIEW view2, view1;
-- Do some statements after drop
SELECT id FROM mytable LIMIT 0,5
-- Now, what happens ?
-- An error is generated for view2
-- (ERROR 1146 (42S02) at line 2: Table 'mydatabase.view1' doesn't exist)
-- view1 is dropped
-- It means, that even if a drop fail in a multi drop view statement, other drops are executed, independently. That is a noticeable particularity.
-- Execution is stopped
-- Of course, if a multi drop view statement fails, other statements after it (create, drop, select, alter...) will not be executed, as expected.
Tested with 5.6.4-m7-log.


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Chocolate and Peanut Butter Pops
Remember those dipped Oreos that I posted last week? Well those aren't the only pops that I made to celebrate baby B's arrival.
I made these peanut butter and chocolate pops as well. You really can't beat the combination of peanut butter and chocolate. And, the Ritz crackers provide a great crunch to these guys. I definitely enjoyed them more than the dipped Oreos, but Hubby prefered the Oreos.
My mom used to make these when I was young only she didn't put a stick in them. Adding the stick did prove to be a big difficult. I had a few that wanted to slide off the stick as I was dipping them in chocolate. Dipping the stick in chocolate prior to sliding them into the peanut butter seemed to help quite a bit.
Once again, my sister L and mom helped me to write a "B" on each one. Then we put them each in a cellophane bag with some ribbon. As I mentioned last week, my brother and his wife were able to take these treats to work to share their excitement about baby B.
One Year Ago: Rhubarb Rolls
Two Years Ago: Chocolate Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Chocolate Peanut Butter Pops
Ritz crackers
creamy peanut butter
chocolate for dipping
lollipop sticks
Melt a small amount of chocolate in a bowl. Spread a small amount of peanut butter on a Ritz cracker. Dip the tip of a lollipop stick in chocolate and place in peanut butter. Top with another Ritz cracker. Set aside until all crackers are sandwiched together.
Line a cookie sheet with waxed paper. Melt a large amount of chocolate in a bowl. Dip peanut butter pop into melted chocolate. Tap stick on edge of bowl to encourage extra chocolate to drip off. Place on wax paper.
Repeat for all Ritz sandwiches. Once tray is full, place in refrigerator for a few minutes to help the chocolate set up.
6 Responses to "Chocolate and Peanut Butter Pops"
Love these! Isn't it amazing how anything that's been dipped in chocolate can bring rave reviews??
What a phenomenal sweet/savory treat!
I like the white with the red B – nice Red Sox feel to it!
Can't believe you used Ritz crackers! What a great idea!
I was just talking about making chocolate dipped oreos. They sound fantastic!
Mmm, these look amazing! Must try these!


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For Ethiopian Airlines, winning a reputation as a world-class airline hasn't come easy in a continent not known for its commitment to service or stellar safety record. Seemingly against all odds, it has managed to do just that, all the while expanding its fleet to 48 aircraft and its route network to 83 international and domestic destinations. With 43 airplanes on firm order, Ethiopian Airlines has laid a foundation that might indeed make it the continent's flag carrier to watch in the next decade.
CEO Tewolde GebreMariam eyes the Brazil-China axis as a seam of emerging market growth that will serve the airline well. "If you draw a line between China, India, Africa and Brazil, and you are located in the middle of that, these are the regions that [enjoy] really fast GDP growth as emerging markets," he said. "We are looking for fast growth in the BRIC region."
GebreMariam holds no illusions about the difficulties facing his airline in today's environment, however. "I think one of the most difficult challenges we are facing…is profitability," he said. "On the supply side, the oil price is going up and staying at its highest level for a long period of time. On the demand side, we have excess capacity. It's very common now to see…airlines flying to destinations in half-empty airplanes."
Still, the airline's fleet has grown to become the envy of its neighbors. It recently took delivery of five Boeing 777-200LRs, and it holds orders for 12 Airbus A350-900s and 10 Boeing 787s, putting it well ahead of several "developed world" players. "We are expecting two of the 10 Dreamliners to be delivered before the end of 2012; five of them will be delivered [by] the end of 2013," said GebreMariam.
Founded in 1945, the airline is 100-percent government-owned and based at Bole International Airport in the capital, Addis Ababa. It serves 66 international destinations, 41 of them in Africa, seven in Europe and 17 in the Middle East and Asia. Washington D.C. accounts for its sole Americas destination. The airline also operates a 24-route cargo network.
Meanwhile, with eight Boeing 737-800s and five Bombardier Q400s on order, and five 737-700NGs, six 737-800s and eight Bombardier Q400s already in the fleet, domestic and regional business stands as a growing priority. "There are 18 airports in Ethiopia, 14 of them asphalt," said GebreMariam. "We have plans to link regional capitals with neighboring countries like Sudan, Kenya and Djibouti."
Mesfin Kassa (not verified)
May 28, 2012 - 3:02pm
I am eager to see Ethiopian Airlines as the African continents's Flag carrer with the way it is expanding.
Emporor Haileselassie had a dream to make Ethiopia the symbol of African Independence so does Ethiopian Airlines.
I believe the CEO has a lot to during this difficult period for Airlines and I would like to see it fly to canada from where the Bombardier air lines are purchased.
All the best.
Mesfin A kassa.
Alem (not verified)
May 28, 2012 - 4:01pm
Ethiopian Airlines played a vital role by staying a proud of Africans and many developing countries in the Globe. Its success goes over a couple of years continuosly.
Even in this difficult period of time the world Aviation sector faced in, Ethiopian is embarking in to the profit margin and has made a series of purchase for the latest fleets... Hopefully, the management of the Airline and its employess will give their best to maintain the profit momentum and of its growth..
It is indeed a benchmark for other sectors in Ethiopia and also beyond, whether they are private-ownend or public Enterprises.. so that, they could bring sucess in their endeavour!!!
Viva Ethiopian and keep walking,, - flying in your case!!!!
God bless you
Aschalew G. Nigussie (not verified)
May 28, 2012 - 5:56pm
I am proud of the Ethiopian success in the field of aviation. It is growing in size, profit and quality service delivery.
I am wondering if our achievement in the aviation sector can be replicated in other sectors as well. Producing educated mass (not just graduates from universities without libraries, labs and professors), level playing field for business for all Ethiopians (not just for the few!), efficient tax code and customs procedure, transparent government where every Ethiopian has the benefit of being Ethiopian citizen, national military composed of all ethnic Ethiopians accountable to the nation and independent of any political party, a parliament with sane politicians who can voice for the voiceless and debate without fear and without subordinating their duty to their personal interest, independent judiciary, a law enforcement with minimal corruption, etc.
Long live ETHIOPIA
Mariam (not verified)
May 28, 2012 - 10:52pm
Ethiopian Airlines was supported by TWA when it started and it is model company as far as Ethiopians taking charge of every aspect of the company from Aviation Training, to Engineering. This was indeed the dream of the Emperor Haile Sellassie, to relieve Ethiopia from poverty. I hope many more corporations can replicate the model of excellence and self sufficiency. Africa is still burdened by its negative image and Ethiopian Airlines continues to demonstrate Ethiopian Exceptionalism.
Goorsha (not verified)
May 29, 2012 - 12:06am
Ethiopian Airlines (ETA) is really doing great things. We are all proud of ETA.
The company could really make so much money and increase investor value if it get listed on the New York Stock Market.
ETA Management should seriously consider getting listed on the NYSE.
I will surely buy ET's stocks. Getting listed will allow Ethiopians to get a share or two of this great national company.
May God bless Ethiopia!!!
MIretab (not verified)
May 29, 2012 - 1:55am
I think the patriotism of our ancestors is highly reflecting on Ethiopian by it's dedicated employees .
Long live to Ethiopian!
aytal (not verified)
May 29, 2012 - 5:32am
During the monarchy or DERG system, EAL was not affected by politics and competence was the measurement. Unfortunately in fascist Meles Ethiopia like Hitler´s Deutsche über alles - Tigrians first and foremost policy and not competence, Ethiopian airlines will endanger not only its reputation but also the safety of its passengers. Please say no to fascist Meles state terrorism and his ethnic politics in Ethiopia. http://www.ethiomedia.com/2012_report/3847.html http://www.ethiomedia.com/2012_report/3814.html
Getachew (not verified)
May 29, 2012 - 7:24pm
I am proud of Ethiopian Airlines in many ways. Adding more flights and new routes are all a plus and makes the airlines profitable among other major airlines. The airlines must focus in area of safety, employee's relations and customer service too. I see a big weakness in the area of customer service and employee relations. If the Airlines management ignored this area it easily will lose many customers for Lufthansa, KLM and emirates in the next 20 years. The airline biggest asset is not the airplane but its employees and keeps them is the key for its growth. Ethiopian airlines lost highly qualified pilots, mechanics and other key team member for many African countries, and this is a major blow for the airlines. If you don't fix your problem now someone will take care of your customers tomorrow. Purchasing the latest dream liners or equipment alone does not make you profitable. If Ethiopian airlines management has a vision to grow I encourage them to focus how to keep the best of the best employees, and pay them competitive salary too. Second, improve your relationship with your loyal customers too. I don't think EAL is focusing on customer service at all. "If you do build a great experience, customers tell each other about that. Word of mouth is very powerful. "Jeff Bezos, CEO Amazon.com
BERHANU TESSEMA (not verified)
June 3, 2012 - 10:19am
Thanks for carrying such interesting article.I hope ETHIOPIAN is in the right way of success as the country does it in its development programme.


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Exclusives, Special Signing, Collectible Giveaways, More...
To insure your action figure collection, get in touch with Collectibles Insurance, the official insurance company of the Figures.com network. Say "Figures.com" to get 5% off your first term premiums.
To buy action figures, take a look at BigBadToyStore.com, Toynk.com, PastGenerationToys.com, BriansToys.com, ToyWiz.com, and MonkeyDepot.com.
For action figures, statues and sculptures, go to CSMooreStudio.com.
Shout! Factory makes its foray at New York Comic Con 2012 with a stellar lineup of home entertainment products, exclusives, special signing, collectible giveaways and interactive fan activities at Shout! Factory booth (# 843) throughout the entire convention at the Javitz Center. Fan favorite icons Joel Hodgson (MST3K and Cinematic Titanic), Crow T. Robot and Tom Servo from Mystery Science Theater 3000 will celebrate the excitement of this pop culture gathering with Shout! Factory on Saturday, October 13, 2012 at 3 PM. Loyal fans and convention attendees will have the opportunity to get up-close and personal with Joel and the hilarious robot pals from MST3Ks Satellite of Love.
Poised to whet the appetite of convention attendees and pop culture enthusiasts of all ages, the Shout! Factory booth will showcase the latest offerings from fan driven product lines, along with a host of fan interactive activities, special VIP guest appearances, daily prize sweepstakes and more. Shout!s resident geek guru and producer Brian Ward will be on-hand for a meet and greet. The Shout! Factory Store, located in Shout!s booth #843, will feature an array of collectibles and upcoming home entertainment offerings, including Scream Factory Presents They Live Collectors Edition, Marvel Knights Animation: The Astonishing X-MEN Blu-ray Collection, My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic: Royal Pony Wedding, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Complete Series, Mystery Science Theater 3000 releases and more.
Preliminary schedule.* Additional VIP appearances will be announced as we get closer to NYCC.
* Thursday, October 11 and Friday, October 12, 2012
Come by Shout! Factory booth (#843) for meet & greet with Shout!s producer Brian Ward on Thursday at 2PM and Friday at 10 AM
* Saturday, October 13, 2012
3 PM MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000 signing and meet & greet at Shout! Factory booth (#843) with Joel Hodgson
* Come by get your very own My Little Pony Friendship is Magic: Royal Pony Wedding tiara. My Little Pony Friendship is Magic: Royal Pony Wedding is available on DVD now from Shout! Factory, in collaboration with Hasbro Studios.
* KAIJUDO: Rise of the Duel Masters creature masks and posters. KAIJUDO: RISE OF THE DUEL MASTERS CREATURES UNLEASHED DVD hits home entertainment shelves everywhere on December 4, 2012 from Shout! Factory, in collaboration with Hasbro Studios and Wizards of the Coast.
* Exclusive Lithograph of John Cassadays original pen and ink sketch from his cover art illustration for the ASTONISHING X-MEN Blu-ray Collection is a gift-with-purchase. This home entertainment collection debuts in stores nationwide November 13, 2012 from Shout! Factory, in association with Marvel Knights Animation.
* Shout! Factory is also offering a limited edition NYCC exclusive poster featuring MST3Ks Manos The Hands of Fate as a gift purchase of any MST3K product at the booth
Source: Edited Shout! Factory PR


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Mortgage REITs Strengthen, Lifting OAKS Back Toward IPO Price
The mortgage REIT sector has been gaining Tuesday, continuing what's been a strong 2013 after a prolonged late-2012 slump following the Fed's QE3 announcement. The Market Vectors Mortgage REIT Income ETF (MORT) up 0.93% on the day to $29.58, and the iShares FTSE NAREIT Mortgage PLUS Capped Index Fund (REM) up 0.72% to $15.46. Annaly Capital Management Inc (NLY) is up 0.75% to $16.14 and American Capital Agency Corp (AGNC) is up 1.12% $32.18. The sector strength is a particularly welcome development for Five Oaks Investment Corp. (OAKS), which is up 1% to $14.64, still well off the $15 price at which it went public on Friday.


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SANFORD, Fla. - The state on Tuesday filed a motion for inquiry after a photo showing George Zimmerman attorney Don West and his daughters eating ice cream cones with the caption, "We beat stupidity celebration cones" was apparently posted on Instagram the same day Rachel Jeantel testified in court.
The testimony of Jeantel, considered as the state's star witness, concluded on June 27--the same day the photo was apparently posted on West's daughter's Instagram account, according to the motion.
The photo shows West posing for a picture with ice cream cones with his daughter, who posted the picture on her Instagram account "including references of to the 'stupidity' of the witness and in this murder trial, 'dad killed it,'" according to the state's motion. The caption to the photo reads "We beat stupidity celebration cones #zimmerman #defense #dadkilledit."
The state claims it was taken and posted after Jeantel finished testifying last Thursday, but the defense spokesman said it was definitely taken Tuesday, before Jeantel was called. A comparison of West's tie in the photo and in court on Tuesday also appears to support Tuesday being the day it was taken.
"The defense counsel's spokespersons have admitted that the posting was certainly 'insensitive' ... and co-counsel further admitted that he was "not ... proud" about the posting of the photograph and caption but intended to simply 'move on,'" the state wrote in its motion.
The state is asking for the judge to ensure witnesses and court proceedings are "treated with respect and not as occasions for inappropriate jokes." The motion also seeks the judge to conduct an inquiry into the matter, if Judge Debra S. Nelson deems it appropriate.
West responded to the motion on Tuesday, saying a judge should inquire of state why it state the ice cream cone was a response to Jeantel when it was taken prior.
"Without conducting an adequate investigation to verify its allegation or even having the decency to contact undersigned counsel to inquire if what it was about to file in the public record was accurate, the state filed its motion for protective order/motion on inquiry," West wrote in the response.
West said the metadata of the picture establishes the picture was taken at 6:38 p.m. on Tuesday, June 25, 2013--the day before Jeantel testified-- in the drive-thru of a fast food restaurant.
"The tie I am wearing in the photo matches the tie I wore in court that day," West said, calling the picture a "private family moment."
West said he never authorized the release of the photo and didn't approve of any caption associated with it. In the motion, he says he became aware of it on June 28 in the late afternoon.
"I authorized the release of basic facts surrounding the photo to the media and apologized for my daughter's immature and insensitive behavior and confirmed I did not approve of what happened," West said, adding that he stops for ice cream after court on the way home, calling it his "guilty pleasure."
It's not clear how West's daughter's private posting was accessed, but it came to light after it was posted to Twitter.
"Now as a of its irresponsible filing, this matter will again be featured in the public arena and will rekindle the animosity that has resulted in the threats of violence we received over the weekend--there have been a number of vicious threats posted online directed towards my family and I have personally received emails threatening rape and other violence," West wrote in the motion.
West closed his motion by saying he concurs "in the state's request for inquiry. The Court should conduct an inquiry of the state."
Jeantel testified that she was on the phone with Trayvon Martin during the altercation between Zimmerman and Martin, moments before he was shot.
Zimmerman is charged with second-degree murder in Martin's death and is pleading not guilty, claiming self-defense.
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