text:
|Welcome to Paul & Kathleen's Lazy Daze RV Website about their Mexico Trip
Wagonmaster's wife driving a 43 ft RV on the train
|Home | About Us | Daughter Christina's blog | Daughter Kathleen's blog | Kathleen's cycling websites | San Felipe: Tides, Weather | AVC Mexico Tour | Feedback | contacts (private) | Two 1 Minute Training Programs
Click Here to See Kathleen Swim With the Sharks
$2800 - 2 BR - 1150sf - 429 Euclid - Oak - Onsite Pkg Soon
Door To Enclosed/Secured Porch
Enter secured 2 BR Apt from porch Stairs go to landing
Landing to top floor
Kitchen 8 x 13
Kitchen 8 x 13
Enter 18 x 27 Dining/Living Room From Stair
Years ago a tenant made an area the size of the bright part of the carpet in the photo into a great fenced play area for their child to explore
Bath 11 x 9.5
3 x 3 Shower at Left
Tub Not Used - Save Water
Bedroom 1 - 11 x 18
BR 1 Closet 6.5 x 6.5
Bedroom 1 - 11 x 18 - 3 Windows
Bedroom 2 - 10 x 14 - 1 Large Window
Bedroom 2 Closet 4 x 6
Bedroom 2 - With Rug
Kathleen and Paul are owners and live on site. So you'll get quick response to your needs and access to your washer/dryer in the basement.
3/16/04 - Fun in La Paz
We are happy again today to have as our co-editors, Ann and Pat Goddard. There are some grandchildren of whom Pat and Ann are very proud,
Ben & Cale with Lucy
Pierce Evan Emily
3/16/04 La Paz
La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico. What a day to wake up to! It is March and at best it should be spring-like weather with maybe some sun, a little rain to start the flowers. Ah, but this is spring as it should be. The sun is peeking in the window already taking the crispness from the morning air. It is 7:00 A.M. and comfortable to be wearing shorts and sandals, with the promise of another day in the 80s. For those of us who have spent much of our lives north of the 45th parallel, this type of attire is reserved for late June through August.
Eager to start another day of learning, our tour bus will pick us up at 9:00 A.M. to see the sights of La Paz. Why weren't high school history classes this much fun? Carlos is our guide for today and as is true with most Mexican tour guides he is well versed in the history of La Paz and all of Mexico. La Paz is the largest city in and capital of BC Sur. Until 1842, Loreto, where we will be tomorrow, was the capital of all of the Californias. A hurricane destroyed Loreto and the capital was moved to La Paz.
Just a week ago we landed at the ferry terminal about 10 miles east of La Paz and drove through the town on our way to Los Barriles and Cabo. Today we learned why the ferry docks outside of the city. The Bahia de La Paz is very shallow and because sand carried by the tidal currents fills in any channels, it is not practical to dredge out a ship channel to the downtown area, although it would boost the tourist trade.
As we ride through La Paz the names on street signs tell the history of struggles the Mexican people have endured to be self-governing, and how much importance they place on their heritage. We traverse streets with names like Constitucion, Independencia, 16 de Septembre (their independence from Spain in 1821), 21 de Agosto, Cinco de Mayo (Mexico's defeat of French invasion in 1862) and Revolucion de 1910 (reminding us of Poncho Villa from Chihuahua). We stopped at La Paz's central plaza, Plaza Constitucion. Across the street stands one of the most beautiful churches we have visited.
Nuestra Senora Del Pillar De La Paz or Our Lady of Peace. The corner stone for this building was laid October 6, 1861. The Jesuits first established the mission in 1720 but abandon in 1734 due to Indian hostility, then reopened in 1735.
From the church we drove along the waterfront and then to the central market. As in previous cities one can buy most anything in the central market. Carolee Day was in deep negotiations for Baja tee shirts, and Sherryll Compton stocked up on a week's supply of fruits and veggies. As we walked through the meat market we all swore to become vegetarians.
Ann and I had some spare time before the bus left, so we strolled along the street. We came upon a high wrought iron fence with a familiar song playing loudly in the courtyard. First we saw a group of little first or second graders lining up to return from recess. The little girls in their plaid skirts were just bouncing and giggling to the beat of the music. Farther along, some older children, maybe a fifth grade PE class, were dancing to the music. Their teacher was waving her arms and wiggling her hips. Oh! We remember this dance! Jim Compton taught it to us in La Junta - It's the chicken dance in Spanish.
Next we stopped at The Weavers, a group of artisans that weave rugs, tapestries, wall hangings, placemats and cloth. They also trade with other groups throughout Mexico and have articles from other regions for sale. We watched as a man spun cotton into yarn and then used it to make a rug with a turtle pattern.
Another man was weaving 400 yards of white cotton cloth for a hotel. The looms were very rustic and looked to be made with scraps of wood and wire. The pieces they produced were utilitarian yet attractive enough to be hung or displayed as art. The people were warm and cordial and as we have seen throughout Mexico businesses are family affairs. A young child sat on the counter and watched as her mother waited on customers.
On the way back to the RV park Carlos explained the origin of the term gringo. He claims that during the war with the U.S. over Texas, the Texas troops wore green uniforms. Their general, Sam Huston, would call out to them "Green! Go!" as he would call them to action. The Mexican soldiers began referring to Texas troops as "Green Goes" which soon became gringos.
Later that evening we carpooled to the waterfront for dinner at the Bismarck II restaurant. It was an open-air restaurant with a palapa roof and plastic tables and chairs. The floorshow was one of the most awesome sights we have seen. As we sat enjoying a drink while our food was being prepared, we looked across Paseo Alvaro Obregon, the street that borders the Bay of La Paz.
The sky turned pink, then red and then lit on fire like we had never seen before. Each minute it became more beautiful and more of us got up from our chairs to walk out into the street and across to the beach to try to capture in our cameras and our minds this perfect evening with a warm breeze and a colorful display in the heavens. We returned to our seats to enjoy food that one would never expect from such an unassuming establishment. Once again Mexico has surprised us with her beauty and her warm hospitality.
Pat and Ann Goddard
|Next Earlier Item
|Next Later Item
|Home | About Us | 2007 Travel | Feedback | AVC Mexico Tour | Here We Are |San Felipe: Tides, Weather | Internet Via Satellite
5/19 - AS YOU LIVE your values, your sense of identity, integrity, control, and inner-directedness will infuse you with both exhilaration and peace. You will define yourself from within, rather than by people's opinions or by comparisons to others.
Ironically, you'll find that as you care less about what others think of you, you will care more about what others think of themselves and their worlds, including their relationship with you. You'll no longer build your emotional life on other people's weaknesses. In addition, you'll find it easier and more desirable to change because there is something--some core deep within--that is essentially changeless. - from 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
|Paul & Kathleen Smith | 173 Rainbow Dr #7329 | Livingston, TX 77399-1073 | (510) 386-8973


text:
Something happened up at Chautauqua last night.
There was a break-through-- under all that magnificent timbering. I thought I heard a new orchestra and a new music.
It seemed to me a break-through into a maturity and authority and capacity for greatness that I have not fully experienced before, and it was for Wagner's Tristan and Ring with soprano Jane Eaglen, Of course, it might just have been me and my enthusiasm for this music. I was loaded for bear, I admit. But, for me this was one of the finest moments among all the fine moments I have known in Boulder, since I was first taken to Chautauqua, new-born, back in '26.
Conductor Michael Christie, was out of the body as he built, phrased, and defined that great music. He was beautiful in ways he could not himself know, unable, like us, to see himself at work. His ability to sustain himself and his orchestra in so huge a work is remarkable. He is an authorized Wagnerian now-- and one of note.
Like many others, I went worrying about Jane Eaglen and her Isolde and Brunhilde. But I ought not to have. She was grand, thrilling, in generous control of the music, the hall, and us in the audience. It was fine to see her looking superb and to hear her. Those big moments that she and Christie built up out of the orchestra and her heroic voice knocked me right up out of my seat.
I have always wanted to be, in Bernard Shaw's phrase, "the Perfect Wagnerite". And last night I came to my Wagner and heard him fresh, true, immensely powerful and intelligent-- almost with the thrill of that first time so long ago when I heard Flagstad and Melchior with Toscanini beating time.
And to think we otherwise might not have this magnificent thing, this orchestra, but for the great old Chautauqua hall standing there since 1898, a hall of such acoustic and architectural perfection. Just think! And but for the enlightened vision of the City of Boulder it might have been "scraped off" and we not have this superb Wagnerian orchestra.
So, I have to tell you that it was some evening of concert-going last night! And now the season must end come Friday with Mahler's Fifth.
Come one, come all! I know the best seat in the house, but I'm not telling.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Brief History of JAM
During the Council Meetings of the New Zealand Branch held in Nelson at the 1996/97 Summer School, a proposal was put forward to form a Junior Associate Membership Committee. This was agreed to and the Inaugural committee comprising of Raynor Stratford, Katharine Hoskyn, Wendy Jaeger, Deanne Corps and Debbie Roxburgh began its first year.
Junior Associate Membership had been in existence in the New Zealand Branch for ???? years and was administrated by the Secretary. As Junior dancing was becoming more wide spread throughout New Zealand, the increased membership dictated the need for this Special Interest Committee, to help in the expansion and encouragement of dancers and groups.
The Committee's first task was to update the register of young dancers and to produce their first newsletter for 1997. Registration involved Clubs/Classes and dancers and resulted in 187 members and 16 Classes receiving newsletter number 2. By the end of 1997 ( newsletter number 4 ), 318 JAM Members in those same 16 Classes were registered with the New Zealand Branch.
The newsletters each contained a "Word" from someone special e.g. the Branch President, JAM Convenor, Vice-President, a Councillor. Each newsletter contained a competition which could be entered by all age groups. Competitions included finishing a story about Fluffy McDermitt, designing a LOGO for JAM, deciding on a name for the newsletter, and drawing Fluffy McDermitt. Other items for inclusion have been - dances, advertisements, stories about experiences, and a special "Do you know?" page.


text:
Ants, Mice, Rats, Roaches, Silverfish, Fleas, Earwigs, Scorpions, Millipedes, Termites, Bed Bugs, Fire Ants, Mosquitoes
Let Us Put Your Pests To Rest!
Trust the experienced professionals at Lavender Pest Control to eliminate and prevent pests in your home or business. We can help with:
Check out our blog for up-to-date seasonal information, events, and more. Call or contact us now to talk to a pest control specialist and schedule an appointment. Ask about our Military and Senior Citizen Discounts.


text:
Sunday, January 31, 2010
A Flaws recording: the Mountain Goats, 2009-11-28
As for the show itself - the sound mix and quality left a bit to be desired, as John's vocals were way low in the mix for most of the show. You will notice on the recording that it is rather difficult to distinguish John's vocals in the mix, and the effect was even more pronounced at the venue - the recording actually does a better job of capturing the vocals than my ears had at the time. The beginning of Handball, sadly, is a total washout in the vocals department. By the midpoint of Handball the vocals were turned up, but sadly John struggled for the rest of the show to be heard over both the thundering band behind him and the loyal and enthusiastic audience in front of him.
And speaking of the band - to add to the mixing woes, Peter's bass appears to be turned WAY up at this show. This show really is, I think, the loudest I had ever heard Peter play at a tMG show. Again, this is not a bad thing, and leads to some amazing moments - just listen to See America Right, and check out the awesome, foreboding, frighteningly bowel-shaking growl of Ezekiel 7 and the Permanent Efficacy of Grace (this performance of which is easily the best of the three shows I caught on this tour). It did, however, cause some problems with the recording - because i was recording with built-in mics and no bass filter, the loud rumble not only dominates the sound of the recording but also contributes to a recording that is decidedly less crisp and more muffled than my DC recording. I did what I could with it, but ultimately I didn't want to tinker with it too much, so apologies for the somewhat iffy quality of this one. (Hint: it seems to sound a lot better through headphones.)
Other highlights of the show include a rare performance of Going to Michigan, the violin-and-vocal rendition of Going to Bristol, and the surprise second encore of The Best Ever Death Metal Band in Denton. As before, the show is streaming below and you can download it in multiple formats from the good folks over at archive.org. Enjoy!
Old College Try
Palmcorder Yajna
Romans 10:9
Deuteronomy 2:10
Enoch 18:14
One Fine Day
From TG&Y
Song for Dana Plato
Going to Michigan
Going to Bristol
Hebrews 11:40
Psalms 40:2
Song for Dennis Brown
See America Right
This Year
Ezekiel 7 and the Permanent Efficacy of Grace
No Children
The Best Ever Death Metal Band in Denton
the Mountain Goats - 2009-11-28, Theatre of the Living Arts, Philadelphia, PA
Other Flaws recordings on archive.org:
the Mountain Goats - 2005-05-04, First Unitarian Church, Philadelphia, PA
the Mountain Goats - 2005-05-05, Knitting Factory, New York, NY
the Mountain Goats - 2005-05-07, Northsix, Brooklyn, NY
the Mountain Goats - 2005-07-02, Old American Can Factory, Brooklyn, NY
the Mountain Goats - 2005-07-04, Fulton Mall Parking Garage, Brooklyn, NY
the Mountain Goats - 2009-03-21, Sixth & I Historic Synagogue, Washington, DC
the Mountain Goats - 2009-11-27, 9:30 Club, Washington, DC
the Mountain Goats - 2009-11-28, Theatre of the Living Arts, Philadelphia, PA
Britt Daniel - 2010-01-23, Sound Fix Records, Brooklyn, NY
Britt Daniel - 2010-01-23, Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY
Thursday, January 28, 2010
A Flaws recording: the Mountain Goats, 2009-11-27
I went into this show with mixed feelings - this was possibly the least excited I had ever been for a tMG show. While most of the other 4AD material - much of which is often dismissed on seemingly purist grounds by other longtime fans - had endeared itself to me, their new album, Life of the World to Come, had not taken hold. I tended to like the piano-based tracks, which to me signaled a new direction that had started with the Satanic Messiah EP, but most of the guitar-based tracks (barnburner "Psalms 40:2" notwithstanding) just felt uninspired and, worse, uninspiring to me. As much as I appreciated and admired the overall work of recently-added drummer Jon Wurster, the past couple of tours have made the dusting off of older songs awkward, as Wurster seemed to often get in the way rather than helping to propel these songs. Add in the fact that the previous two shows were canceled due to sickness, and all signs were pointing to this being an underwhelming concert experience.
Of course, at this point I should know better than to believe that JD and company would let me down. John's piano playing, which had seemed so reluctant and unsure at the March 2009 NYC show that marked his first time playing piano on stage at a Mountain Goats gig, had progressed by leaps and bounds, as evidenced by his energetic dash to the bench at the start of 1 Samuel 15:23, rocking out and pointing into the air like he was Elton John or Billy Joel. From that first moment all of my doubts and misgivings were instantly erased, and as you can hear below, the show was fantastic; John was in high spirits and energy; the band, augmented by Perry Wright of the Prayers and Tears of Arthur Digby Sellers and at times by Owen Pallett (who at the time was going by his old stage name, Final Fantasy), was capable of both muscular force and tender nuance. Best of all, the LOTWTC material worked better live. Finally, I had started to grasp some of these songs and see beyond the polished veneer of the studio versions.
Notably, John did come out during Owen's opening set to sing a violin-and-vocal arrangement of the tMG classic, "Alpha Omega." While I did record Owen's set, Owen's recordings are not yet approved for hosting on archive.org. I will be e-mailing Owen's management to request permission to place these recordings on archive.org, at which time I will update this post with that information.
1 Samuel 15:23
Old College Try
Psalms 40:2
Love Love Love
Deuteronomy 2:10
Enoch 18:14
Genesis 30:3
Song for Dana Plato
Cobscook Bay
It's All Here in Brownsville
Hebrews 11:14
Isaiah 45:23
Hast Thou Considered the Tetrapod
Song for Dennis Brown
Romans 10:9
This Year
Ezekiel 7 and the Permanent Efficacy of Grace
No Children
You can download my recording of this concert in MP3, Ogg Vorbis, or FLAC formats from archive.org. You can also stream the recording below, but due to anomalies in the way archive.org seems to decode and stream the tracks, i strongly encourage you to download them if you like it, in FLAC if you are able.
Finally, I want to thank DC friends new and old who helped to make the show such an enjoyable experience, including Shannon, Zach, Colin, Neal, Owen, Lexitron, Natalia (although I didn't get to see you this time around, it was fun looking for you!), and anyone else I may be forgetting.
the Mountain Goats - 2009-11-27, 9:30 Club, Washington, DC
Other Flaws recordings on archive.org:
the Mountain Goats - 2005-05-04, First Unitarian Church, Philadelphia, PA
the Mountain Goats - 2005-05-05, Knitting Factory, New York, NY
the Mountain Goats - 2005-05-07, Northsix, Brooklyn, NY
the Mountain Goats - 2005-07-02, Old American Can Factory, Brooklyn, NY
the Mountain Goats - 2005-07-04, Fulton Mall Parking Garage, Brooklyn, NY
the Mountain Goats - 2009-03-21, Sixth & I Historic Synagogue, Washington, DC
the Mountain Goats - 2009-11-27, 9:30 Club, Washington, DC
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
The king's new clothes.
He didn't lose his way on his own, though; no, he was in fact led down the wrong road, given the wrong directions when he clearly should have made that left turn back at Albaquerque. See, Cameron was a perfectly capable director for a certain type of film; The Terminator showed that he had the chops to craft a satisfyingly exhilirating sci-fi action film with an interesting concept and a low-medium-sized budget, Aliens allowed him to stretch out and proved that even when allowed to indulge himself, he still kept the results compelling and strictly in service of the film, The Abyss gave Cameron more license to explore his creativity and ambition, while also providing a retrospectively prescient setting shift to the earth's oceans, and Terminator 2: Judgment Day was Cameron's opportunity to really wow the audience with cutting-edge special effects (which still are impressive even by today's standards, mind you), while also turning his first breakout success into a franchise with a whip-smart concept and tight execution, creating that rare sequel which is at least equal to (and arguably better than) its predecessor. Cameron could have quit in 1992 and secured a legacy that would be remembered and celebrated in filmdom.
After phoning it in with by-the-numbers yet well-executed Arnold Schwarzenegger action vehicle True Lies, however, Cameron decided to indulge one of his pet obsessions: the Titanic. I can skip over this step of the story, because you all know it. Top-grossing film of all time, Oscars, "king of the world," et cetera.
The catch is, though, that while Cameron's "king of the world" proclamation at the Academy Awards ceremony seemed to be too tongue-in-cheek to be sincere, the joke was on us; he was in earnest when he claimed this title. No longer content with being a groundbreaking and innovative filmmaker, Cameron now fancied himself a vanguard of contemporary filmmaking. Soon afterward, rumors began to swirl of a new science fiction project called Avatar. Allegedly, this film was going to completely revolutionize filmmaking and the way we think about film. The common wisdom also dictated that in order for Cameron to be able to fully realize his vision, the audience would need to wait several years before the technology could catch up to his imagination.
In the ensuing years, one could be forgiven for thinking that perhaps Cameron had indeed gone into retirement; for a triumphant Oscar winner, his career was intriguingly low-key for the next 10 years. He created a short-lived television series (albeit one that did have at least one minor cultural impact in that it turned Jessica Alba into a household name), Dark Angel, and directed a handful of mediocre underwater documentary films that later proved to be, presumably, on-the-job training in shooting in the IMAX format. It was not until late 2008 that the hype wheels for Cameron's new feature film project began publicly turning again; early word was that this was a juggernaut that was going to shock and awe everyone who saw it and that would indeed change the face of filmmaking forever. About ten years in the making, Cameron's Avatar was finally going to see the light of day.
This just about brings us up to the present. During the summer of 2009, the first teaser left many, myself included, underwhelmed and fully prepared to call shenanigans on the whole project. The visuals looked overly synthesized and oddly flat and lifeless, and the lack of any revealing of plot or characterization left the film looking like a flimsy, Hudson Hawk-on-steroids-sized flop. A full trailer with some more tantalizing visuals and further revelation of plot and thematic elements made the film look somewhat more appealing, but critics still seemed to harbor a slightly-more-than-healthy level of skepticism and were by and large sharpening their knives in anticipation of December 18.
It's unclear exactly what happened at this point, but the end result is that several critics, many of them with their heads typically at least somewhat reliably on their shoulders, began to praise the film. And not just the super-high-priced visuals and 3d filming, but the film itself. The story. The characters. Two prominent bloggers have suggested it is the frontrunner for the Academy Award for Best Picture (and hey, we all know the Oscars are bullshit, but some of us idealists would like to imagine that they still have at least a shred of credibility). Hell, it even won an award for best picture of 2009 already. It's like everyone gave in, drank the Kool-Aid, and abandoned their skepticism, objectivity and ability to think independently, and bought into Cameron's self-created myth. (Thank [insert deity here] for critics like J Hoberman - an endangered species!)
You can doubtless tell from my tone where I stand on Avatar. I am going to begin, however, by talking about what Cameron does well in the film, how it succeeds. After all, if you don't have anything nice to say you shouldn't say anything at all, right? Plus, we here at Flaws are not in the business of unrestrained hatemongering. (Plus, I figure if I start my appraisal with positive points, I won't be accused of mindlessly buying into some barely-visible backlash). Technically, this film is indeed a marvel. Let's be honest here: if one is going to see Avatar, one should do it right - that is, the way it was intended to be seen: in IMAX 3D. The teaser and trailer only reinforces this; on a computer screen, television screen, or even standard movie screen, the film looks flat and unexciting. Seeing it in IMAX 3D, however, is a completely different kind of experience - Cameron has truly created a completely immersive world in which the viewer can get lost. The strange and beautiful flora and fauna of Pandora enticingly dance toward you and draw you in, the color palette is suitably rich without being overwhelming, and even the sound design and mixing helps to entrench the viewer into the environment. This is not so much a film as a sensory experience. This being the case, there is no doubt in my mind that this film will not play well on DVD or BluRay, and to those who bought a bootleg: congratulations, you've missed the point and completely ruined the experience for yourself.
Unfortunately, however, this is where Avatar's successes end. After spending so much money creating such a beautiful and enchanting world, Cameron either neglected or did not deem it appropriate to populate this world with memorable or believable characters or a compelling or original storyline. Rather than develop actual characters to inhabit his planet (and, seriously, Pandora? I know that James Cameron has never been known for subtlety, but still…), Cameron instead decided to invest even more money into hiring a USC linguistics professor to create the language spoken by the Na'vi. I would not criticize this decision and this added layer of realism that is often neglected or dismissed by most filmmakers if Cameron had seen fit to give his Na'vi lines worth translating into a new language. Instead, we get, as many critics (even those who give the film the highest praise) have pointed out, a Na'vi translation of Dances with Wolves.
Speaking of which, can we talk about the jaw-droppingly astounding yet head-scratchingly perplexing tonal and attitudinal balancing act this film pulls off? It kind of manages to be New Age shlocky, environmentalist, anti-imperialist, militarist, and offensively racist - all at the same time. It's kind of breathtaking, but not in a good way. Ostensibly, the film's message is supposed to be one of environmentalism and respect for native peoples and their beliefs, with an anti-imperialist/invasion bent. In the process of delivering this trendy neo-hippie moral, however, Cameron employs enough explosions, violence and destruction to satisfy a hormonal teenage boy's lust for such things for at least 48 hours. A look at Cameron's output reveals that yes, he does indeed have a hard-on for explosions to rival Michael Bay, but unfortunately that propensity feels at odds with what he seems to be trying to communicate with this film. The fact that the characters are not well developed means that we only root for "the good guys" because they spend the most time on screen and because the score (composed, surprise surprise, by Titanic culprit James Horner) tells us that we are supposed to. Most problematically, however, is the treatment of the Na'vi themselves. The "bad guys" of the U.S. military often refer to them derisively as "savages," and we are meant by association to see them as quite the opposite. However, the portrayal of the Na'vi in this film is tainted at all levels by the myth of the "noble savage" that has often dogged Western perceptions of native peoples, and contributes to an overall holistically racist view of this alien species. White guilt and condescension do not add up to equal egalitarianism, James.
There are other problems I have with the film, including the fact that, in addition to the interplanetary racism, the film portrays seemingly the entire American military force as being composed exclusively of white males (with the somewhat marginal exception of pilot Michelle Rodriguez), as well as the need of most filmmakers in general to anthropomorphize their alien creations to a ridiculous degree. I recognize that this is partially the whole "god creating man in his image" issue, but seriously, with the talent and imagination that Cameron obviously has, not to mention the ludicrous amount of capital he dumped into the making of this film, I somehow expect more. All these complaints, however, can be seen as me overintellectualizing the film.
Let me address, then, the one issue I have with the film that is inescapable and not so prone to overthinking: its length. You must understand, I am often something of a sucker for long movies. Honestly, I am. I love me some epics. And here's the thing - from my point of view, two hours and forty-six minutes is not even particularly long. I am quite used to watching 150-minute films, so really, an extra sixteen minutes should not be a chore or feel indulgent. Remember, I am a fan of both Kubrick and Kurosawa.
Somewhere in the past decade, however, Cameron has forgotten how to effectively pace a film. Between the action and the explosions and the seductive visuals, this film should have flown by, in theory. It should have left me disappointed that it ended, salivating for more and willing to plop down another fifteen dollars to see it again. The last word to describe it should have been dull. Instead, I found that it felt longer than Gone with the Wind.
Let's extrapolate this a bit further. The film felt shorter than the Ultimate Cut of Watchmen, which is in truth about an hour longer. Earlier this year, I went to see the roadshow presentation of Steven Soderbergh's Che. That film, I believe, clocked in at four hours and forty-two minutes, almost a full two hours longer than Avatar. It was methodically, deliberately paced, and it included an intermission.
Avatar felt just as long as Che had felt.
This is ultimately Cameron's failure - he delivered the world that he had promised his audience, but he forgot the two most crucial aspects of a successful narrative film: identifiable characters and a compelling story. While he has changed the face of filmmaking, what he has ultimately given us is a first stepping stone, a building block that may eventually lead to something truly great. As impressed as I am with what he has achieved, I am disappointed in the critical discourse that has found itself entranced hopelessly by Cameron's illusion, and I find it distressing that all of this mostly unchallenged praise is only encouraging him. It is seeming increasingly likely that Avatar will indeed go on to be named Best Picture of the year, and that upsets me more than I care to admit. It's frustrating to feel like you are the only one who can see that the king of the world wears no clothes.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Six inches forward and five inches back.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Don't let the preachers and teachers and hipsters fool you; there ain't no rips in the fabric.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Revisionism: This list goes to 11.
- Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest
- The xx - xx
- Yo La Tengo – Popular Songs
- Dirty Projectors – Bitte Orca
- The Flaming Lips – Embryonic
- John Vanderslice – Romanian Names
- Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion
- Vic Chesnutt – At the Cut
- The Mountain Goats – The Life of the World to Come
- Antony and the Johnsons – The Crying Light
- St. Vincent – Actor
I'm coming home, I'm coming home.
Hello there, internet. It's been a while. I'd be lying if I said that I always had a good time during my absence, but I'd also be lying if I said that it was all doom and gloom. I will just say that a good, head-clearing, life-redefining catharsis can be a positive thing every now and again. Now that I am more or less back to being settled after all that, I hope to maintain a more regular presence here (and, hey, maybe even over at my other blog as well!) in 2010.
I won't spend a whole lot of time, as I've already lost over 6 months. There is a lot that I want to touch on, but for now I will ease my way back in by picking up right where my last entry left off and try to give all you beautiful, beautiful people a kind of hastily-written, knee-jerk, and likely shortsighted yet completely honest retrospective of what were, to me, the highlights of the year in music. Before I attempt to rank them, here is a brief, chronological rundown of some of the contenders
- Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion: Everything I said last time continues to hold true about this album, although as the year progressed this seemed to become a bit less of a standout in my mind. In a way, the move of dropping Fall Be Kind so late in he year, when critics would be finalizing their end-of-year lists, was an ingenious move that guaranteed a strong bump in this album's status; it gave critics an opportunity and excuse to re-evaluate the album and rediscover what was so great about it. As for myself, I have not heard Fall Be Kind yet, but if it is anywhere near as good as I have heard, I know I am in for a treat.
- Bon Iver – Blood Bank: This one didn't make so big an impact on me at first, but it grew on me. Short and sweet, and if you try to tell me that "Woods" is not the best and most inventive use of Autotune ever, then I will call you a goddamned liar. In fact, "Woods" may be my favorite song of Vernon's. No lie.
- Antony and the Johnsons – The Crying Light: Another one that took some growing. While I would not describe its predecessor as fragile, there was a certain stateliness to it that gave it a disingenuous veneer of delicateness. The Crying Light quite simply eschews any pretense of fragility and presents itself as an audacious, bombastic, and stunningly ambitious record that demands to be listened to on its own terms.
- Various Artists – Dark Was the Night: This was definitely the year of the all-star indie rock collaborative compilation album, and of all the examples, this one remains the first and the best, even if it was eventually lost in the shuffle when the year-end retrospectives came out. You can't argue with great music for a great cause.
- The Mountain Goats & John Vanderslice – Moon Colony Bloodbath: These two need to collaborate more often. I would love to see their long-rumored Comedians band come to fruition.
- Casiotone for the Painfully Alone – Vs. Children: Nine months later (ha ha), I still think the smoother and more embellished production was the right decision for this album. Sue me.
- St. Vincent – Actor: I sincerely hope that the title of this record is another Arrested Development reference. Geeky pop culture references aside, I have three points to make that I didn't make last time. 1) Here is where you will likely hear the most compelling and freshest-sounding guitar playing of the year. 2) I DARE you to listen to "Marrow" and not dance. I don't dance, but I can't resist the urge to move when I hear that song. 3) Umm, yeah. I'm kind of in love with this woman. That is all.
- John Vanderslice – Romanian Names: Definitely one of my top five of the year. Everything I said before, or in my recommendation on the other blog, holds true. Rather than repeat myself, I will just entreat you to please read what I've already written about this album and, for the love of God, go listen to it!
- Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest: It cannot be stressed enough that 2009 was, improbably, Grizzly Bear's year. I don't know how or why it happened, but I'm not complaining. It's fun to watch deserving bands have semi-meteoric rises.
- Rhett Miller – Rhett Miller: I was not a fan of Rhett's previous two solo albums. I was prepared to ignore this one. Then I saw him live, solo acoustic, opening up for his own band, Old 97's. I was floored by how good these new songs were. These were genuinely some of the best songs I had heard from Mr. Miller in quite some time. I expected the studio versions to be overproduced to the point of being unlistenable, but surprisingly found the album presentation to be tasteful and appealing. "Like Love" would possibly be my single of the year if the label would see fit to release it as a single. Is anyone listening? Seriously, people: a 7-inch of "Like Love" with a live version of "Another Girlfriend" on the flip. Get it into the right hands and it could be a hit. Screw it, I'm gonna start my own label. Grumble grumble grumble.
- Dirty Projectors – Bitte Orca: I continue to be amazed by this album. Inaccessible artsiness has perhaps never been so appealing. I can admit when I'm wrong about a band (although I'm still not delving into the back catalog just yet).
- Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse – Dark Was the Night: Besides appearances from two other artists with albums on my 2009 shortlist (The Flaming Lips and Vic Chesnutt), the involvement of David Lynch and the multimedia nature of this project/experiment ensured that it would be intriguing. It's a shame that the legal grey (album) area of this (non)-release means that most people will never get to hear it.
- Dinosaur Jr. – Farm: Perhaps not quite as strong an album at the end of the year as it had seemed when I first listened to it, but I maintain that these guys have still got it. As far as reunion albums go, this is one of the best. I wish I could say the same for the new Mission of Burma, which seems like a bit of a misstep to me.
- Wilco – Wilco (the album): Not necessarily one of their best albums, but one has to admire the cultural currency that Wilco has achieved, and which they use to their advantage most effectively here. Wilco has reached a place where the band can do whatever they please. They have a comfortably sized fan base that allows them to make a living off of music, and that is loyal enough to ensure that wherever the band goes, the audience will follow. This album was not profound, but was a great jab back at the critics who accuse them of self-importance or lacking a sense of humor. The juxtaposition of songs such as the murder narrative "Bull Black Nova" ensure that tension remains part of the dynamic. Oh, and "I'll Fight?" One of the best songs of the year, I don't care what anybody says.
- Yo La Tengo – Popular Songs: This one came out of nowhere. Over the years, Yo La Tengo has consistently proven that it is capable of anything; on this album, it sets out to prove it in the space of four sides of vinyl. Progressing from spy-movie-strings-embellished psychedelia to warm indie pop to Motown bass and organ genre exercises to almost ambient soundscapes, the band here blend disparate sound palettes into a surprisingly coherent, engaging, and fun album. The pacing feels a bit odd with its obviously front-loaded tracklisting, placing the three long and quiet tracks at the very end, but that is ultimately the only criticism I am able to level at this almost-perfect album.
- Vic Chesnutt – At the Cut: Hyperbole and discussion of the tragedy of his recent loss aside (that is another topic for another blog post), this is one of the most visceral and heartbreaking albums of the year, perhaps of the past several years. With members of Godspeed! You Black Emperor, A Silver Mt. Zion, and Fugazi as his backing band, Chesnutt crafts stunningly haunting and uncomfortably frank collection of odes to pain and death. The fact that "Flirted with You All My Life" was intended to be Vic's "breakup song" with death and to signify that he was done with suicide attempts gives the album an even more grim and oppressive shadow to an already overwhelmingly powerful album.
- The Mountain Goats – The Life of the World to Come: I have a complicated relationship with this album. This is my Get Lonely; the album that I just did not (and to this date still do not completely) get. Seeing the songs performed live have helped with some of it, but I still have problems. I have problems with some of the ultra-glossy production touches. I have problems with what seems to me at times like lazy songwriting; a lot of the guitar songs sound like conscious attempts to write a tMG song. Ultimately, though, I recognize that there is something compelling about this album that is pushing me to make the effort to try to get it, which is a sure-fire sign of a worthy piece of art. Even if I can't keep all of those damned Bible verse track titles straight.
- The Flaming Lips – Embryonic: I was ready to give up on the Flaming Lips. The Soft Bulletin was, I thought, one of the best albums of the '90s, hands down. I was disappointed in Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, but I stuck with them. I flat-out hated At War with the Mystics. It sounded awful and the songwriting – well, I would criticize the songwriting, but I remain convinced that there are no actual songs on there. I was hopeful concerning Embryonic, but cautiously so. I am happy to report, however, that this is perhaps an unprecedented return to form. The album is noisy, scattershot, rough around the edges, and certainly not for everyone. What it reminds me of the most, however, in spite of all the noise and sound experiments and utterly unique touches, is early Pink Floyd – think a cross between Barrett-era soundscapes such as "Astronomy Domine" and "Interstellar Overdrive" with, say, Meddle. It's a completely psychedelic album, and it's not too much of a stretch to imagine that if Pink Floyd were just starting today, with access to contemporary technology and musical influences, they may have sounded something like this.
There were, of course, other albums that caught my ear and tickled my fancy this year, but these are the ones that stand out the most standing here, almost a week into the new year. And now to rank the top ten:
- Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest
- Yo La Tengo – Popular Songs
- Dirty Projectors – Bitte Orca
- The Flaming Lips – Embryonic
- John Vanderslice – Romanian Names
- Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion
- Vic Chesnutt – At the Cut
- The Mountain Goats – The Life of the World to Come
- Antony and the Johnsons – The Crying Light
- St. Vincent – Actor
As for what I am most looking forward to in 2010, here's a taste of the albums coming out just in the first quarter:
As for what I am most looking forward to in 2010, here's a taste of the albums coming out just in the first quarter:
Owen Pallett, Beach House, The Magnetic Fields, Spoon, Shearwater, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, Los Campesinos!, Retribution Gospel Choir
I have missed you all, and I hope you enjoyed slogging through this monster of a post (4 full pages in Microsoft Word!). I will talk to you all again soon – maybe even tomorrow? In the meantime, I invite you all to weigh in with your thoughts on my list or with a list of your own.


text:
How does CertaPro® determine how big is a territory?
CertaPro® gathers demographic information and then designates specific zip codes to form a territory based on single-family dwelling units and average income levels, among other factors.
CertaPro® gathers demographic information and then designates specific zip codes to form a territory based on single-family dwelling units and average income levels, among other factors.
The rate and amount of salaried employees an owner will hire is determined mostly by the rate at which you want to scale your business. Most owners begin by hiring an Office Associate and a Residential Sales Associate as they start to scale the business.
CertaPro® has a critical path to help you determine what infrastructure is needed at different levels of volume, so you scale profitably!
You will have two one-week training sessions at the corporate headquarters in Oaks, PA (near Philadelphia). Training consists of a combination of classroom, video, online and field learning as well as Pre-Calls/Webinars. The Pre-Calls will occur before the training sessions at the corporate office. Our corporate trainer will take you through the classroom and virtual training, while your Development General Manager will support you after you start operating. Typically, you will work with your Development General Manager over the phone and through field visits over the next 18-24 months.
The CertaPro® franchise agreement is for a period of 10 years.
Typically, each franchisee drives a wrapped Pick-up or SUV.
You will purchase most of your items needed for a first year business from a local paint supplier such as Sherwin Williams.
Initially, franchisees operate their franchises from their homes, although if you reside outside your Territory, you will be encouraged to rent a small office within your Territory as soon as possible. Within the first six months of starting your business, you may want to secure office space for an Office Assistant; the office space must be located in your Territory.
Leads are generated for your business in several ways. Internet, Previous Customers , Word-of-mouth, and Direct Mail are among the top methods for attracting customers.
Our parent company is FirstService Brands, which also owns BrandPoint Services, TeleLink Services (TLS), California Closets, Paul Davis Restoration, Pillar-to-Post, and Floor Coverings International.
Good. We seek assertive individuals who possess leadership, tenacity, attainment, introspection, and precision. This opportunity is about organization building and scaling a large business. This is not about picking up a paintbrush; it's about running a professionally managed business.
That is good. This means you have a very strong market with a lot of demand. Remember, you are taking market share from your competition when you begin your franchise. The more fragmentation that exists, the more opportunity for you.
Many states and localities require you to obtain a painting or home improvement contractor license or registration before you begin operating your franchise.
Our targeted customers are seeking value and are not driven only by price. Of course, they want a fair price for our services based on the value they perceive to be purchasing when selecting CertaPro®. Most of us do not purchase services or products based on price alone. CertaPro® delivers "Certainty®" to the customers at a competitive price.
This is CertaPro®'s General Advertising Fund, which is used to build and support the CertaPro Painters® Brand on a national and regional basis level.
Dave Herchko – CertaPro® of North Huntingdon, PA
The franchisor leads the brand and provides programs and strategies for all to follow. All franchisees are very cooperative and supportive of each other which is the culture that has been created, encouraged, and supported.
Dave Strahl – CertaPro® of Chagrin Falls, OH
I am constantly amazed by how whatever I need to learn in regard to growing my franchise is right out in front of me as soon as I realize that I need to learn it.
Janae Nezerka – CertaPro® of Shawnee Mission, KS
Greg and I are very pleased with our Franchise System. We are a family.
Paul Guenette – CertaPro® of London, ON
One of the great things about being part of the CertaPro® family is the ability to leverage the strong Marketing Department. Whether it be the "on the ground" support of the Regional Marketing Managers throughout the year, the disciplined annual planning process including webinars and breakout sessions at the conference, or the great support of our grass roots marketing strategies – we have the ability to position ourselves in a dramatically superior fashion relative to our competition.
Ed Villamana – CertaPro® of Fairfield, CT
There are many forms of training and a very defined Path of what needs to be done. This is based on the CertaPro® experience and quality process of Continuous Improvement. In 6 months I have attended 5 classroom training sessions, multiple web based and weekly monitoring. It's a great Brand!
David Barron – CertaPro® of Ottawa, ON
Corporate has built a very trusting and collaborative environment between franchisees which is invaluable to our local learning and development.
Lee Sapata – CertaPro® of Louisville, KY
There are a lot of franchises out there, but there are not many that truly prepare their franchisees like CertaPro®. Success is truly ours to lose!
Richard Webber – CertaPro® of Morristown, NJ
In my opinion, the operational systems and procedures are what gives us our competitive advantage. This, coupled with the professional consultative service, make us the most professional in the industry.
Sheri Osburn – CertaPro® of Augusta, GA
I have more support than I thought would be provided. I have access to the training team, my assigned support GM, and all of the corporate office's marketing team. There are no walls to prevent me direct access to ask for advice and offer my thoughts. Feedback is welcomed – begged for – by the corporate office.
Armel Roy – CertaPro® of Nova Scotia
Overall the communication is clear and transparent. The vision and goals are always clearly known, which is nice and appreciated!


text:
Alternate version to feature more Beijing footage and Fan Bingbing appearance
Marvel Studios will release a different version of Iron Man 3 in China.
After collaborating with the Chinese government to make the film, which included shooting several sequences in Beijing, the Chinese version will feature extra footage shot there specifically for the release, while Fan Bingbing will also appear. It's not known if she will be playing herself or whether the appearance will serve as a taster of her role in X-Men: Days Of Future Past.
Bingbing is among the biggest stars in the country, and was recently added to the cast of the forthcoming X-Men film by director Bryan Singer, who made the announcement via his Twitter page. She'll play Blink, a purple-skinned mutant with powers of teleportation. The Chinese government keep a tight lock on the number of foreign films screened in the country each year, while its censors are similarly strict over the content of those movies.
American film studios know shooting part of a film in China will dramatically increase the chances their film is let through by the Chinese censors, however. China's film market has grown significantly in recent years, and many expect it to rival the US in terms of box office numbers within the next 10 years. Iron Man 3 opens in the UK on April 26. Watch the latest trailer below.


text:
More than being behind the camera
Contrary to what most people think about what a wedding photographer Cambridge does during a wedding photography shoot, it is not always all about being behind the camera all of the time. This is something that can stress you out and really take a toll on you if you don't turn out to go ahead and get this done the right way. You need to really pace yourself and make sure that you are able to prepare for it. There will be certain moments that will absolutely require your full time and attention.
These moments usually include but are not limited to the getting ready part, the bridal walk, the exchange of vows and I do's, the kiss that comes after that, the first walk as man and wife, the first dance, the cake cutting, the toasts and speeches, and so on and so forth. However, there are a lot of other moments during the wedding photography shoot that will not really require you to be behind the camera lens all of the time.
Learn how to pick these moments and take this time to relax a bit.
You can't spread yourself too thin because you might not have enough stamina and energy to make it right until the very last parts of the wedding photography shoot. One example is when the guests are eating. No one really likes getting their pictures taken when they are eating so you should take this time to maybe grab a few bites yourself and to rest for a bit just in time for the rest of the programs scheduled during the reception party. Wedding photography should be all about balance and you should start that off with yourself.
Some experts in wedding photography will probably say that this isn't really too much of a requirement but you should seriously consider investing in a flash bracket at some point or so during your wedding photography career. Lighting and shadows are two things that can really affect your wedding photography shoot a lot.
Getting a flash bracket will help you more or less get the shadows within your control one way or the other.
Try to see if you can pool enough funds for it, if you can help it. More than that, you should also try to figure out if you will be able to learn about the settings and know how to manipulate it and make it work for the photos that you are taking. Practice as much as you can because it will all pay off in the end. It will really show in the wedding photography images that you take if you have the lighting and shadows down pat.
Make sure that you don't forget about the train on the dress of the bride.
There are a lot of brides who can do without a train. However, if the bride chose a dress that includes a train, you can be quite rest assured that that train is pretty special and that you should treat it as such during your wedding photography shoot.


text:
Sherman (Enriquez) and Jigs (Rivera) are a couple for three years. But as it turns out both of them are top. Jigs is getting bored of not having to have sex with his partner Sherman. Jigs asks Sherman to bottom for him but Sherman does not want to. Jigs then brings up a conversation if having a threesome is acceptable for Sherman. Sherman is not pleased with the idea at all and avoids the topic altogether.
Sherman is the breadwinner working at a clothing department store, while Jigs is dreaming to have a job abroad but Jigs has difficulty acquiring a Visa. The couple have a housemate Lyn (Jessica Ruiz) whose boyfriend is Joel (Luna). Joel often visits Lyn at home and Sherman often catches the couple in sexual encounters. This leads of Sherman having sexual attractions for Joel.
Kiko (Reinoso) is a High School student who recently becomes a new neighbor of Sherman and Jigs. Jigs becomes acquainted to Kiko and suddenly became friends. As Sherman goes home from work, Jigs introduces Kiko to Sherman. Kiko upon seeing Sherman suddenly developed feelings for him. Jigs notices Kiko's attraction to Sherman. So Jigs asks Sherman in private, if Kiko will be okay as their threesome partner, Sherman is indifferent as he doesn't respond. Jigs sees this as a good opportunity for the deed. Kiko makes his moves on Sherman by visiting Sherman's home as often as possible.
Kiko plays Playstation 3 with Jigs, brings food for the couple and even hangs out for night out drinks. One night after a round of drinks, Sherman is wasted. Jigs makes Kiko touch Sherman and a threesome happens between the three. Jigs still wants to have sex with Kiko, Sherman doesn't want to and Kiko will still do anything even offer his body to Jigs just to be with Sherman.
Tensions rise and the plot thickens. Where will the relationship of Jigs and Sherman go? Twists and turns happen for the couple, there is even police involvement, drugs, jealousy, pride and even to the point Jigs devices a plan to lure Joel to Sherman.Aba! Mukhang exciting. Ano kayang klaseng mansanas ni Adan ang tinutukoy nila? Kaya kung naintriga din kayo tulad ni akez, sugod na sa Robinsons Galleria, Remar Cubao, Roben Recto o Isetann Recto sa June 20 at panoorin ito. Para mas todo tayong masabik, heto ang trailer...


text:
"It's not just for me, it's for HER", Bethany pointed at her 6-year-old daughter who was having lunch with us outside HelpAround's offices last week. "If my sugars ever go too low and I pass out, I would want her to press ONE big button on the iPad in order to alert my husband, my mom, and our neighbor".
Since we developed Diabetes Helpers, we've seen thousands of strangers stepping up to help each other, but we also learned how much fear our users have to cope with. We came to realize how imperative it is for anyone to get a hold of the people they trust the most, in times of distress. This is why we built Alert.
The app is very simple: pressing a big red button or shaking the phone allows anyone to alert and conference-in the people they trust. And we designed it not only for the diabetes community, but for anyone living or caring for someone at risk of experiencing physical or emotional distress: Asthma attacks, severe allergic reactions, addiction relapses, panic attacks, dementia-related confusions, Crohn's flare ups, and the list goes on and on. In all of these moments, our fine motor skills deteriorate and our thinking can become muddled, which makes it difficult to properly navigate a smartphone. So we made it as easy as a shake of the phone to send an alert.
We hope you like it, and we hope it makes you feel safer and closer to the most trusted people in your lives.
— Yishai & Team HelpAround
Alert is available for download on iOS, and Android mobile phones.


text:
I review the first season of the eight hour True Detective, HBO's serialized crime drama starring Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson.
Chances are, you'll have probably heard of True Detective by now. It's one of this year's most hyped series, and the start of a new anthology, American Horror Story-style series following different characters each season. For the first season, released in eight individual episodes towards the beginning of the year, True Detective reopens a case started in 1995, fifteen years later, calling into question the fact that the crime really was solved back then. The split narrative between the past and the present allows us to get insight as to just how much the case has changed the two leading characters, Rust Cohle (Matthew McConaughey) and Martin Hart (Woody Harrelson) as it basically shapes their lives. We don't know why Cohle left the department and we don't know what events that forced them on their separate ways. The mystery itself is tantalising and unpredictable, and as the series pulls back the layers, it remains one of the great mysteries of 2014.
Oscar award winning actor Matthew McConaughey puts in a fantastic performance as lead Rust Cohle, the eccentric with plenty of problems. Both characters in fact are incredibly unique and extremely well developed, with their own flaws making them far from perfect lead characters. For example, a quote in The Locked Room is great at describing the characters. Martin asks Rust "You Ever Wonder if You're A Bad Man?" and Rust replies, "No I don't wonder Marty. The world needs bad men. We keep the other bad men from knocking at the door." The show itself is full of great dialogue not just limited to the one that I've presented as an example here, expertly delivered by the various characters. Harrelson's Martin is just as developed as his partner Rust Cohle, and it's great to see how these characters interactions continue to change over the course of the series, ever changing and ever shaping, rather than in the case of some shows, where the connection between the characters hardly ever change over the whole series, let alone in a whole season.
The cinematography of True Detective is excellent and the show itself looks amazing. There's a really long tracking shot towards the end of the fourth episode that is one of the highlights of the series and probably one of the best moments of television that you'll see this year. It's just exceptional. Like True Blood, True Detective is also set in Louisiana and it's incredibly distinctive. The landscape looks great and it really helps give True Detective that iconic landscape feel that really helps it appeal to fans of the likes of Justified, Banshee and Longmire. It's amazing just how much work is put into the detail of the series (the soundtrack is also amazing as well, and the opening theme, Far From Any Road, is just perfect) to make this series look spectacular.
However, as good as True Detective is, and don't get me wrong, it's good – one of my Top 5 favourite series from 2014, in fact, it doesn't quite hit the mark in all the places. For example, the ending itself is rather underwhelming after some great build up, and it's safe to say that the series isn't exactly the fastest moving series of all time either, with a couple of filler episodes that really shouldn't be there in a series that's only eight episodes long.
However, despite that though, True Detective still manages to stand out as one of the best television series of 2014 thanks to a blend of good acting, great development and good plotting for the most part. The split narrative between the past and present, currently being deployed in Showtime's The Affair, is excellent to see and the amount of work put into this season is excellent. Its well worth you time to catch up on especially as it's only eight episodes long. Highly Recommended.


text:
Hank Jr. Fires Back With 'Keep The Change'
Hank Williams Jr.'s departure from ESPN last week came on the heels of an interview the country superstar did on Fox & Friends where he compared President Obama to Hitler. ESPN suspended Hank's opening song from last week's game and then later in the week severed their ties with him completely. Williams issued a statement apologizing for offending anyone and said his comments were misunderstood. Williams even received some support from The View's Whoopi Goldberg and Joy Behar. You just knew Hank was not going to take this lying down and has since written a song about the ordeal called 'Keep The Change' which blasts ESPN and Fox. The song is done in typical Hank Jr. fashion, but is a little different in that the song is very angry and on the surface appears Williams is trying 'cash in' on the controversy.
Don't get me wrong, I am a huge fan of Hank Jr.'s and feature his music very prominently on the Saturday morning classics show, but this song really doesn't make a lot of sense. Williams claims his First Amendment rights were trampled on, which they were not. He had every right to say what he did and ESPN had EVERY right to cut their ties with him and his song, so, where is the First Amendment violation? The musical quality of the song is great, but the message is a little muddied.That being said, Williams had every right to record this song and get it out there and I defend his right to do so with every fiber of my being. I just wish the song had a little less blame and finger pointing.
You can hear the song and read a complete review of the song from Taste of Country.com by clicking here and make your own opinion... because after all, our right to an opinion is what America is all about whether you agree or disagree with the message.


text:
Baking & Desserts
Better cookies, bars and squares
Chocolate Caramel Cookies
Photography by Matthew Kimura Image by: Chocolate Caramel Cookies <br> Photography by Matthew Kimura
Baking & Desserts
Better cookies, bars and squares
Ever notice how Grandma's cookies and squares are always softer, lighter and more melt-in-your-mouth delicious than anyone else's? Her secret ingredient, of course, is an extra cup of love. But after years of practice, she also knows every trick in the book for making flawless baked goods.
To help you shave some trial-and-error time, we've compiled the Canadian Living Test Kitchen's best tips and tricks to better cookies, bars and squares. Happy baking!
Better bars & squares
• To line cake pan with parchment paper, cut piece of parchment larger than pan. Place pan on top of parchment and cut corners diagonally to corners of pan. Fit into pan, neatly overlapping cut corners.
• Check bars at first of the times specified if there is a range given.
• To make neat presentation, lift uncut batch of bars out of pan using paper liner to grip; with large knife, trim off edges before cutting into bars (use ruler for accuracy).
• Cut bars depending on the occasion: small squares are appropriate for afternoon tea and after-dinner coffee; large bars for bake sales and snacks.
Better cookies
• Bring all ingredients to room temperature before starting.
• Make cookies the same size and shape for even baking and browning.
• Use rimless baking sheets with slightly slanted lips so that heat can circulate around cookies. Rimmed sheets are less suitable, but if they are all you have in your cupboard, use them. You can turn them over and use the flat bottoms. Heavy, shiny sheets are best. They bake cookies evenly, prevent bottoms from browning too quickly and do not warp.
• Line baking sheets with parchment paper, silicone baking liners or grease as directed in recipe.
• Bake one sheet at a time on rack positioned in centre of oven. However, to bake more than one sheet of cookies at a time, position racks in top and bottom thirds of oven and rotate sheets from top to bottom and from front to back halfway through baking time.
• If you have only one or two baking sheets, let the sheets cool completely between baking the batches. Hot baking sheets will melt cookie dough, resulting in changes to the texture and shape of cookies.
• Always check cookies for doneness at the earliest time called for.
• Let cookies cool completely on rack to prevent soggy bottoms.
• Store crisp and soft cookies separately in airtight containers.
Scrumptious recipes to get you started
Now that you're in the mood, why not try your hand at a few of our favourite recipes?
• Bake-When-You're-Craving Chocolate Toffee Cookies
It's easy to serve fresh-baked cookies on a moment's notice when logs of the make-ahead dough are on hand.
• Almond Cookies
A mini ice-cream scoop is a quick way to form these nutty balls, a favourite recipe of Shanta Solanki of Woodbridge, Ont.
• Gingerbread Cookies
The balance of spices and the two kinds of molasses give these cookies a most appealing taste that does not fade, even when the cookies are several weeks old.
• Butter Tart Squares
Careful -- they're addictive!
• Puckery Lemon Bars
For those who prefer a tangy treat, serve these citrusy tidbits.
Could your cakes use a little oomph? Find our best cake tips here.
Page 1 of 1


text:
Middle West Pubnico Postal Codes
Middle West Pubnico city is located in Nova Scotia, Canada
You can search for the Middle West Pubnico NS postal codes by its streets and block numbers
Middle West Pubnico Area Code is 902 and Time Zone is Atlantic (GMT -04:00).
Middle West Pubnico Postal Code - Nova Scotia
Middle West Pubnico Postal Code is a six-character string that forms part of a postal address in Canada. Like British and Dutch postcodes, Middle West Pubnico - NS postal codes are alphanumeric.
The first three characters (alpha-numeric-alpha) of the postal code which represent a geographic area in Middle West Pubnico.
The last three characters denote a Middle West Pubnico local delivery unit (LDU). An LDU denotes a specific single Middle West Pubnico address or range of addresses, which can correspond to an entire small town, a significant part of a medium-sized town, a single side of a city block in larger cities, a single large building or a portion of a very large one, a single (large) institution in Middle West Pubnico, Nova Scotia, such as a university or a hospital, or a business that receives large volumes of mail on a regular basis
If you want to send a mail to Middle West Pubnico City, you should use the corresponding Postal Code.


text:
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Barry M: Spring Green
9 comments:
Very pretty! I love a spring green!ReplyDelete
I absolutely love it! I don't own any green nail polish :/ReplyDelete
my blog♥mfashionfreak
oh wow this one is really pretty on you sweetie!ReplyDelete
shel xx
This comment has been removed by the author.ReplyDelete
Sarah: Thank you, I do too! :)ReplyDelete
FashionFreak/Mihaela: I love it as well! There are tons and tons of green polishes out there. I hope you find your perfect shade! :)ReplyDelete
Shell: Thank you! I'm in love with this color :) How are you?!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousAugust 28, 2011 at 7:24 AM
That is a very pretty polish. I am a new follower. I have to say, I love your blog. I love finding new blogs to stalk. I hope that you will enter my giveaway as well!ReplyDelete
This comment has been removed by the author.ReplyDelete
Your comments, feedback, input, questions, and/or suggestions are greatly appreciated. I take time to read each and every comment and try my best to respond at my earliest convenience. Please do not leave your blog link in this comment box asking me to join/take a look at your blog. If you do, I will still read your comment, but it will be immediately deleted. Instead, please e-mail me at email@example.com and I will gladly oblige. Thank you!


text:
Over the coming months we'll be looking at a range of subjects within gaming in a semi-chart show flavoured Top 7 (though there's no real countdown nor order to the lists). Neither will these be the definitive seven: as with any "Top" list, there'll be argument, disagreement and outright fisticuffs (and that's just here at the office).
So first up its the Top 7 moments that have changed the industry.
1. Nintendo dumps Sony
This one's akin to swinging a punch at your soon-to-be-ex-best mate, only to inexplicably punch yourself in the crotch.
Back in the early 90s Nintendo asked Sony to help design a CD-ROM version of the SNES. But by the time a prototype was ready Nintendo got cold feet and went elsewhere (it wouldn't make the shift from cartridge to disc until 2001). Understandably Sony decided not to be left swinging in the wind and carried on with development regardless.
Both were decisions that'd ultimately change the gaming landscape: Nintendo's unwanted bastard grew up into the industry-altering and mainstream-swallowing behemoth that was PlayStation, while the once-infallible Mario creator spent many years trying to dispel the notion it was behind the times.
2. The Analog Stick
You could argue for the SNES six button controller that became industry standard. You could even make a pitch for the Wii's motion control, that's yet to be bettered by competitors. Even without mentioning the analog stick, its clear that (CD-ROM aside) Nintendo's been the trendsetter for the console industry.
It mightn't have been the first to try, but Nintendo's was the most important. It's the company's analog stick, taking pride and place in the middle of the N64's three-pronged controller, that gave us a deeper, more precise control over our gaming characters as they transitioned to 3D - and has been adopted in every console and third-party controller ever since.
(Though ask yourself - when was the last time you did anything but hold that stick all the way down?)
3. Sega bows out of the hardware race
Considering where it was back in the 90s, the news this week that Sega was closing its European branches and concentrating on only four key IPs just shows how far the company has fallen.
Back in the 90s, the Sega Vs Nintendo war dominated industry headlines and divided gamers as strongly as any football club allegiance. Even dodgy calls with Mega Drive add-ons such as the Mega CD and 32X wouldn't shake the faithful. The Sega Saturn still has loyal followers today, and one of the best game catalogues on record. 1999's Dreamcast was supposed to change the company's fortunes, offering the first globally-available console with online capabilities and arcade perfect gaming: it instead proved the company's hardware epitaph. The Dreamcast was discontinued in 2001, barely two years after it'd launched.
Wolfenstein might have been the original, but it was follow up Doom that perfected the idea. Famously - truth or not, it still makes a great story - banned from offices worldwide as productivity dropped dramatically and ported onto more formats than any other game (it even came out in the Jaguar and Game Boy Advance for christsakes!), the FPS granddaddy also highlighted the PC mod scene with user-generated levels. If you've got a favourite FPS, it's here because of Doom.


text:
So you have heart problems? Stay away from this game because it is intense.
Escape From Tarkov is a hardcore open world FPS featuring RPG elements in the fictional war-torn region of Tarkov. Join one of two ideologically opposed Private Military Corporations: corporate backed USEC or Russian-created BEAR. Complete story-driven quests either alone or with comrades, raiding huge locations to unravel the mysteries driving the war. Monitor your status by ensuring your blood pressure, toxication, stamina, tremors, and more are stable. Level up and train nearly 100 skills in RPG fashion to enhance your character's prowess and survive the harsh reality. Form a clan with other players and hunt down vagabonds or create a trade network to reap enormous profit.
It features simulator like gameplay, figuring out how to reload your weapon will also not be easy in the first few matches. But wait! If you want to test their game you need to fork out €34.99. Game Video Here The first few matches I spent more time trying to figure out the stash then actually playing. You need to manage your inventory. If you die you lose! don't try to be Rambo it will not work! The more rogue like you are the better! At the moment there are 3 maps that you can play. Scenarios and ambient graphics are awesome with some dynamic environment weather which still needs some improvements. Overall it's a great game to try if you are an FPS player.


text:
Spot The Logical Fallacy!
See the first installment of our favorite game. As is frequent in the evolution of games shows, the set of rules has been simplified.
It's time to play everybody's favorite game: Spot The Logical Fallacy! Each week (or whenever we get round to it), we pull quotations from popular culture and news reports from around the world which contain logical fallacies. It is your job to spot them.
You could win valuable prizes!
Give yourself 10 points for every fallacy you discover. You must keep track of your own points. Send examples of fallacies to email@example.com.
- Carlin Romano, writing in the Chronicle of Higher Education, opened a piece descrying the lack of book reading among college folk (a state of affairs which we are as concerned about as Romano is), with these words:
"Over the next 10 years, scientific experts will be dealing with 'extreme weather.' No one knows how weird and dangerous it will get."
Hint: this is a variant of Repeated "It's worse than we thought!" fallacy.
- On one of your host's endless flights to and fro across this Great Land, while watching the miniature television ensconced in the seat in front, I happened upon a performance of joke teller Gilbert Gottfriend. He was standing in front of a large audience. He spoke of a dream in which he had a conversation with Jesus.
I was talking to Jesus, and I said, "Jesus, I feel like no one will ever accept me." And Jesus looked at me and said, "You know what my theory is? Accept me or go to hell."
The audience not only laughed, but applauded vigorously, cheered, and whistled, praise they did not award to any other joke (or attempt at a joke) by Mr Gottfried.
Hint: this one is subtle. Who is making the fallacy? Is this mistake in logic unconditionally a fallacy? Or was the audience's reaction merely the result of petulance?
- Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal (D), nearly echoing Bill Clinton's (D) infamous "It depends on what the meaning of word is is", said he meant to say that he "served during Vietnam" but did not mean to say (as he said repeatedly) "served in Vietnam":
On a few occasions, I have misspoken about my service and I regret that. And I take full responsibility, but I will not allow anyone to take a few misplaced words and impugn my record of service to our country.
Hint: The discovery of the fallacy comes in analyzing the frequency of statements a person makes which are lies. How low can this ratio be so that that each of the lies are not lies?
- The Pope is visiting England, a, it must be admitted, somewhat mundane event, but one which is causing intense fits of conniption among elite intellectuals of that once great land. One of these intellectuals is a man named Peter Tatchell, who in honor of the Pope's visit created the television show The Trouble with the Pope.
According to a summary of the program by Frank Furedi"
'I am shocked that he has embraced Catholics accused of being soft on Nazism', says Tatchell. Getting carried away with his melodrama, Tatchell warns: 'This is a pope to fear.'
Hint: Does this classic even need a hint? It is included to show that even the "best minds" are capable of gross idiocy.
- Netflix, a movie delivery service, runs a series of nausea-inducing "And now for the bonus round" radio commercials, in which a smarmy emcee asks a contestant, "Revenge is a dish best served cold. How is justice best served?". The contestant responds with something logically unrelated: "With a side of fries." The emcee says, "Correct."
One to two more questions of the same sort are given. That is, there is a straightforward question followed by a response that is not, in any way, logically related to the question. The answers are always "Correct."
The emcee's last question is of the form "What company best delivers movies in the mail?" The contestant responds, "Netflix." This answer too, is "Correct."
Hint: What does this final answer imply?
20 thoughts on "Spot The Logical Fallacy!" Leave a comment ›
Mr Tatchell never had one of the "best mindsâ€, and he admits himself that his mind has never recovered fully from the beating he received from some of Mugabe's thugs.
#4: "The Pope is visiting England, a …" I searched for some time but have been unable to locate an England, b. OTOH, it's been nearly 50 years since I've studied geography and there may be new paradigms. I guess it doesn't actually have to exist. Around here, one of the county seats is located in a place called Upper Marlboro. There is no corresponding Lower Marlboro or even a plain old Marlboro. Few if any know why it's an "Upper". Having their seat in an" Upper" position doesn't say much about the rest of the county though.
The audience was undoubtedly being polite and had stored up their politeness until it exploded as described. False politeness is not truthful, hence it must be fallacious. So the answer to #2 is "the audience".
I missed class most of this month so I want a pass on the other questions.
#1 Scientists don't "deal" with anything. They ponder, guess, research, formulate, theorize, hypothesize, strategize and apologize. But they never "deal" with stuff. That's for lunkers.
#2 Our host is wasting funds using over-priced airlines.
#3 Attorneys' General in general are like all other politicians. Buffoons and liars.
#4 The Pope's travel agent has relatives living in Upper Marlboro and owes them a visit.
#5 Emcees are mindless geeks with passable faces. Unless they're blonds.
England is a country located on the island of Great Brittain, which together with Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, form the United Kingdom.
The English have great antithapy toward the pope stemming from a schism in the 16th century, and periods of violence in the Reigns of Catholic Monarchs Mary, and James II.
More geography, I used to live in a city wich had a 'B' street, but niether an 'A' nor a 'C' street.
Exteme weather, weathmen have devised new metrics to make it sound hotter or coler than it really is. — 87 degrees, feels like 92!
Godfreid 1) No one will go to hell if they don't like Gilbert, 2) He is Jewish.
Blumenthal, 1)I take full resposibility but I don't deserve to be punished.
2) I have admit that I exagerated my service, but I won't let anyone impunge my record. Impunge or clarify?
Justice with a side of fries — no food or drink inside the courtroom.
1. The pope is in England. Many years ago we used to burn Catholics. For a while Catholics burnt Protestants. Now we get along, unless you happen to be from N Ireland where they still try and burn each other or you wish to be King and Catholic. In which case we will say no and invite the Dutch to kick you out.
This confusing I've no doubt to our colonial cousins and it is not helped by the current soon to be king wishing to be a Muslim and a Tampon.
2. Peter Tachell is not an intellectual. He is a loud mouthed poofter who many years ago was treated very badly. He is now on the brink of being bonkers enough to qualify for that title of 'national treasure' which means he can then say and do anything and the response will be 'ohh its dear Peter doing his thing again'. When he dies we will indulge in a period of national mourning and bury him in St Paul's cathedral.
Check out Dawkins if you want to see the depths the 'intellectuals' plunge to.
3. Britain is a strange place.
Prof. Briggs,
I know I need to think carefully to avoid fallacious arguments and to spot the fallacies, but thinking gives a headache, please note, which is a reflex action in my case.
So I'll guess that all those people either lied or imagined things, and made no logical fallacies.
Do I win any valuable prizes with physical properties? Personal satisfaction is invaluable.
Ah, Peter Tatchell. A brave man indeed, over the years, as a gay rights activist. And also a complete idiot. Global warming isn't enough for him. In 2008 he penned an article warning of the extreme dangers we all face from falling oxygen levels!
If you read the article, just be aware that Ian Plimer, claimed as an authority in support of his case by Tatchell, denies having made any statements that could have provided such support.
"Many years ago we used to burn Catholics". Who's "we"? When was that? Name some examples.
The pope's fallacy is an historical one, when he told the audience that nazism was an expression of "extreme atheism", and the result of what would happen if we entered a world without religion, etc. It's called the Godwin fallacy. Or sorts.
Anyway, it was tasteless beyond belief. I guess we atheists are the new jews.
About the fallacy of Jesus I don't get it… isn't the joke funny because of the fallacy?
When you rely on '(D)' in number 3 to bulster your argument, you are using the ad hominem fallacy.
#1 – "No one knows how weird and dangerous it will get.â€
But let me get this straight: You're absolutely certain that it Wll be weird & dangerous.
#2 – Sorry, Mr Gottfried, but a) theories are repeatable & provable & b) I'm fuzzy on my Christian theology, but I think there' a difference between accepting Jesus being The Way to Eternal Life and the non-acceptance being the way to Hell
#3 – ". . . impugn my record of service to our country. . . . "
The first thing that strikes me about the series of statements & then the required damage control, is that he is impugning his record himself. For him to decide to "improve" upon it, he must have found it wanting.
I have similar observations about those who advocate a cause and exagerate the severity of the situation. The truth must not be severe enough to prompt others to action.
#5: If straightforward questions result in answers that make no sense (and are deemed correct), then the answer Netflix makes no sense either (and would be deemed incorrect by all but the insane and advertising morons). I've hated that damn commercial forever because of this (even though I like Netflix….)
b) I'm fuzzy on my Christian theology, but I think there' a difference between accepting Jesus being The Way to Eternal Life and the non-acceptance being the way to Hell
There is a difference in that, yes. But if you only read the bible you would see that it preaches both theories. I know, most christians don't like to see how their own religion is so evil in that respect, they think already in wishy washy neo-age terms like "if your karma is good, god will accept you too…", but that just isn't compatible with either jesus' teachings nor the churche's stance. Deal with it.
It seems that the comedian was noting that Jesus' acceptence of him (or anyone) is conditional & ultimately based on extortion. Believe & be saved…or else. In this regard it is fundamentally no different than organized crime's use of "protection money": pay us a protection fee….or else. Nobody would presume that anyone paying such "protection money" is doing so out of fondness for the criminal's services.
Too easy:
"What company best delivers movies in the mail?â€
The contestant responds, "Netflix.â€
This answer too, is "Correct.â€
…which is to assert that Netflix is in the mail delivery business & competing with the likes of UPS, FedEx, etc. when it is a responsive customer service provider of a sort that employs mail deliverers.
Luis Dias,
Your last question reminds me of the Two Ronnies Mastermind sketch, in which Ronnie Corbett's special subject is answering the question before last: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0C59pI_ypQ.
Luis Dias:
Which statement does your "it" in "it was tasteless." refer to? The Tatchell statement as quoted by Frank Furedi and requoted here, or your paraphrase of the Pope's speech to some audience?
Curious, because it then beggars your application of Godwin's Law:
1) The Pope's speech (ending any discussion of the contents of the speech. Which appears, from your description, to be exempt, prima facie, from Goodwins Law).
2) The statement by Tatchell making a Nazi reference (hereby ending any further discussion of the Pope's visit)
3) The use of a 3rd party quote containing an accusation of Nazism, on a blog no less, which renders any discussion of the fallacy topic as closed.
1. "No one knows how weird and dangerous it will get.†Then how does Romano know that "… scientific experts will be dealing with 'extreme weather'â€? Romano is contradicting himself with this statement because he just stated that "no one knowsâ€! This means that it could become 'extreme' or it could become rather docile.
2. Gottfriend is saying that no one will willingly accept him, but Jesus is stating that he forces people to accept him through threats and coercion. This statement implies that maybe no one will ever willingly accept either of them.
3. Blumenthal begins his statement by saying that he misspoke about his service, but then he backtracks and states that people are impugning his record of service. So which is it? Did he serve or didn't he serve during the Vietnam War? He can't seem to make up his mind on this one…
4. Tatchell first points out that the Pope is supporting Catholics that open to/forgiving of Nazism, but then Tatchell states that we should 'fear' this pope. It seems quite the opposite. The Pope seems rather open-minded and forgiving compared some of the predecessors, leading me to believe that there should be less fear of this Pope.
5. Netflix doesn't deliver movies in the mail. The US postal service, UPS, FedEx, etc are the ones that deliver the movies. Netflix just provides the movies.
Congratulations to anyone who can spot even one logical fallacy. I can't figure out what the arguements are, never mind how they violate the laws of logic.


text:
Every autumn a new range of fashion must-haves tries to bridge the gap between every woman's summer and winter collections. So, what should you be adding to your wardrobe this season to guarantee you'll be on trend while the autumn leaves are falling?Capes
As recently as just a few years ago, ponchos enjoyed a major fashion comeback with the hippie revival. So, it's little surprise that women's capes are now lighting up the catwalk and the high street too. Whether it's a cape or a cloak, every woman's wardrobe should have the more sophisticated version of the hippie poncho. Easily thrown over a sweatshirt, t-shirt or blouse, the cape is the perfect accompaniment to any outfit.Camel coats
One of Vogue Magazine's must-buys for autumn 2010, if you're only buying one item this season, it's got to be a camel coat. It's not the style that matters here, it's the camel colour that's been such a hit on the catwalk. Combine the latest colour with this season's top styles – shearling, military and trench jackets – to get the ultimate look this autumn.Military dress
The military look has been on the high street for a few seasons now, after many bands incorporated military styles into their stagewear. This autumn, however, it's not only the military coat that is a must-have for every woman. It's the first time the military look has really been 'dressed up' after featuring in many collections before as a casual style. Now, choose from a range of military items, from dresses to blazers, to create an outfit that'll look great wherever you wear it.Leather skirts
Making a comeback in both tops and skirts, leather was big news on the catwalks showcasing this season's autumn/winter collections. Leather skirts can be worn with virtually any top to create an individual look for any occasion. This season, the leather skirt will be one of fashion's hottest items, from the pencil skirt to one of autumn's other hot properties – the 1950s style wide skirt.Comfortable cardigans
Every woman's wardrobe needs a comfy cardigan that makes them feel good whenever it's worn. Like a hug from a loved one, this staple piece of clothing will make you feel god no matter what else you're wearing. Perfect for slipping on when you're lazing on the sofa or when you're out walking, the cosy cardi is this season's ideal combination of style, comfort and warmth.
What's Fashionable in Women's Clothing This Autumn
Every autumn a new range of fashion must-haves tries to bridge the gap between every woman's summer and winter collections. So, what should you be adding to your wardrobe this season to guarantee you'll be on trend while the autumn leaves are falling?Capes


text:
Coffee with Cream
Egg Hunt
Easter Baskets
Homemade Kale Chips and Date Bars
Leisurely Lunch
Patio Time
Have a very happy Easter!
And a very Happy Easter to you, Sarah.
Greetings from the Périgord,
Have a fabulous day!
Wishing you a wonderful Easter!
All the best,
Sounds like a perfect day!!!!
Happy Easter from Catalunya!
I am missing my kids at Easter (they're all grown up), so enjoy the little ones. It goes by so quickly.
I did still buy candy for them, though...
Love the Rabbit image! Hope your day was eggsellent!!!