text:
mono as in one or me. rail as in to vent or complain. thus monorail.
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now closer to 90 than to my birth, as e-love would say.
i turned 45 last sunday. i took the friday before off work, not so much for my birthday but mostly to prepare for my everyman wrap party happening saturday night, although i snuck some troy-centric things in along the way, namely burnt butter pasta at the old spaghetti factory for lunch. because of the early prep, the saturday party went off anxiety and issue free. sunday offered more leisure-time and some visiting of friends (some who had a new labrapoodle puppy--i'm now deciding between getting one or two for our home). we then went out for my ritual birthday dinner at cafe natasha and their mystically good beef kabobs. because we had leftover mama nat ice cream pie from the party, we returned home for desert (instead of the usual stop at ted drewes). at the dinner table, my family sang happy birthday and marty and boys gifted me a new bike pump to replace the broken one i've been cussing at for over a year. my twelve-year old daughter then handed me a three sheets of type-filled paper and instructed me to read aloud.
Bella will now read the rest of your birthday present to you (please hand this back to Bella).
You're officially 45 (when I first made this list I thought that it was 43!). It's either that or 99 or 100.
This is my birthday present to you. I started making this March 25th (knowing that it would take this long to come up with 100 thankfuls for you). I thought of it the day that you listed off 40 things you were thankful for about our utah ski trip. It was also a day or two before the VOICE VOTED OUT EXACTLY ALL OF THE GOOD SINGERS!, but you'll hear more about that later.
Before I say anything else I must make you promise that if we are fighting or throwing insults at each other, you promise that you will not refer back to this. Promise?
Below is a list of 100 thankfuls I have about you:
while tempted i will not bore you will all 100 items. here are a few from the start and end, with a few from the middle sprinkled about.
I'm thankful that you were able to see right from the first time you met mom that she was the woman you had to marry.
I'm thankful that you didn't give up when mom didn't instantly fall in love with you, or soon, or later, or really later (but she did eventually fall in love with you, it's a miracle).
I'm thankful that your mother picked you to be the child she adopted, otherwise none of this would have happened... wait, no, if your mother's mother never gave birth to her then she wouldn't be alive to adopt you, no wait, if you're mother's mother's mother never gave birth to your mother's mother ... never mind, the butterfly effect ;)
I'm thankful that you thought up the "$15 credit" thing. As I've heard your friend say, it was the best investment and phone call you ever made.
I'm thankful you and mom got married, when she eventually realized that you can't judge a book by its cover.
I'm thankful for all the potty jokes you and the boys share. Mostly I'm thankful for that because then my brothers don't come to me with their potty jokes.
I'm thankful that you would go from one edge of the world to the other for me.
I'm thankful that you're my someone who I get to joke around with and make crude and mean comments to. Everyone needs someone like that in their lives.
I'm thankful that you have the Troyscripts. I know that I have my moments when I probably make you hate that you made them in the first place (like, when I come home and tell you that the kids at my school found them).
I'm thankful that you've helped me develop into the amazing writer I am today ... maybe I'm not amazing, but I'm thankful that you've helped me become interested in writing.
I'm thankful that you gave me tons and tons and tons of advice about boys, maybe a little too much.
I'm thankful you let me get a bikini.
I'm thankful that you're able to look past all my flaws (not that I'm admitting I have any).
I'm thankful that you lived another year, and that you chose to spend it with us.
I'm thankful that you're the man you are today.
I'm thankful that you love me.
if you'll please excuse me a moment. i'll be off crying (again) for a bit.
1 year ago
2 years ago
3 years ago
4 years ago
5 years ago
6 years ago
7 years ago
in-house paparazzi
it was alex who woke me up. i had spent the night in his bunk bed. he had slept in my spot next to marty.
he told me it was saturday. he told me it was time to get up. finally relenting and beginning to move he told me that when i got out of bed he would be able to see my underwear. i agreed adding that the only reason he would see underwear at all is because i slept in his bed and not my own (i'm not devoid of respect). so the first thing i did on this particular saturday was awkwardly climb down a miniature wooden ladder while being taunted with a chant of 'i can see your underwear. i can see your underwear.'
what little energy i possessed at the moment was spent safely navigating the indiana-jones like ladder. once down the chant followed me as i groggily ambled to the bathroom. at some point i decided to see how long it would take for the taunting to die on it's own, naturally.
i thought using the restroom might put me over the hump but all that achieved was having alex pause to lean around to watch me pee. then the lambasting changed from 'i can see your underwear' to 'i can see your penis'. my penis was surprised by this early-morning audience. it certainly hasn't happened enough in its meager opinion. the cry continued until my penis went back into its quiet house on its even quieter cul de sac. back to the underwear chant.
things surely got to the point of intervention. i wanted to. needed to. three minutes in the morning are like two hours after seven pm. but i gritted my teeth. then i brushed them. and before my electric toothbrush pulsed marking the end of my brushing time, the chant was magically done too.
i was off to a good dad day.
monthly archives
more accurate than a blood test.
sometimes our kids become unglued. when this happens, in our home, they are sent to their room. marty has all these calm, mature lines for such moments like, "kids who need to cry do so in their room, my living room is for happy people" or "you need to go to your room until you're able to make good and respectful choices to those around you". sometimes you have to help a child to their room but mostly they go on their own volition.
i find children claiming to be cured of the evils that afflicted them are not as cured as they might think or say. similar to the other baubles in my modest collection of knowledge, it took me longer to procure this particular gemstone than it probably should have. in defense, let me say you too may have been fooled when a cute pig-tailed girl of four calmly approaches you, says she feels all better now and can she go back to playing. one might even applaud their own parental acumen at righting a world that almost went all sideways and screamy. it is only when the small, adorable child rejoins the others, mostly siblings, calmly sits down, carefully selects a block and then brains the unsuspecting mark in the temple that you know a few bad clouds might still be lurking in the folds of their demeanor.
after being burned by this scenario more than once, i created a test for my recently pardoned children. when a freshly quieted child comes to you and gives the "all clear" sign, ask them to come right before you. when they do, stare into their eyes. the stare begins the test. a child not fully ready will not be able to hold your stare for more than a few seconds. they will try but will uncomfortably avert their eyes before long. this child needs to cook in their room a bit longer. for a child that holds your gaze, wait about ten seconds and then carefully place your three middle fingers on the center of their forehead and give them a gentle nudge, a nudge strong enough to push their forehead back about three inches. the cured child will smile and ask what you are doing and why did you just push them in the head. the un-ready child's eyes will flare with contempt and their miniature frame will lunge at you, their small fingers unmistakably targeting your carotid. this child is not ready.
for what it's worth, i've yet to meet the child who can successfully fake their way through the stare and push test.
our last homage to photography, for now at least
it's a wrap
in the third year of the everyman, to thank my judges, i decided to host a dinner for them. early on i only had five judges and could fit my entire judging panel (and their spouses) around my dinner table. so marty and i (mostly marty for sure) prepared a scrumptious home style dinner and we had a dinner party.
now, the thing i hadn't considered in all this (as there always has to be that one pesky unseen) was something about how i chose my judges. early on i didn't want any overlap in the interest or approach of my judging panel. thus, i carefully hand-picked people who were distinct from my other judges, the only commonality between them being a genuine love for photography. it wasn't until they all stood in the same room looking at one another that the flaw in my dinner-party math came to light. aside from this joint interest in photography, these people did not share a single interest in common.
i had a school teacher, an accountant, a graphic designer, an IT manager, and a guy who sold 50's toys on ebay for a living. these people sat in the living room where the long silences were broken only by short one-word answers to desperate attempts at conversation. when dinner was served the awkward stillness persisted but just played out in the dining room. when we all sat and dishes were politely passed i frantically—in my mind at least—tried to get something started but as i scanned the room any question asked of one was not of interest to their neighbor. someone actually commented about the weather. this is the point i physically felt the desperation of the moment. i couldn't believe a dinner party hosted by marty and i resorted, minutes into the meal, to a mention of weather. fingers slipping from the last handhold, i flailed for something.
so, what did folks think about the photo that won landscape?
oh, i thought it was lovely. such a unique take on an often-shot subject.
lovely? unique? it was trash. i can't believe it placed let alone won.
i wouldn't call it trash but i thought it maybe shouldn't have placed as high as it did. the clear winner of the event for me was macro/abstract.
for me it was black and white.
finally. something i can agree with.
and here or shortly after here the table broke out into the most vigorous discussion our dining room has ever seen. the din from multiple heated and excited conversations that involved various combinations of people moved about energetically and held through the rest of the evening. i was astonished both at how powerful this one shared experience between these greatly varied people could be and how sad it was i didn't anticipate the potential sooner. i'm a dolt.
since that initial dinner, the everyman 'wrap' party has taken place every year, save one given a puke-illness my kids brought home from school. i've had judges skype from italy and i've had judges drive in from tennessee (where i paid for their lodging at a fancy nearby hotel, thus making them feel like a for-real celebrity). the annual wrap parties stand as one of our yearly highlights and one of my more favorite parts of the everyman.
another semi-related story to the everyman deals in the buildup to the contest. in discussing the early motivation to get art, i mentioned going to an art fair and buying some photos for my newly purchased (and bare) home. during the transaction i struck up a conversation with the photog's wife who also served as his manager. she mentioned the newly forming web and their need to get her husband's work online but confessed they were having problems with it. having recently gotten into the game i gave her my sympathy admitting there was a lot of mystery to in using this new medium well, especially in the arts. but i waved my arm towards their wall of photography and said their task was simpler than most as the biggest thing they had to do was stay out of the way of her husband's amazing photography and let the art wash over the user. she conceded to the sense of the approach but gave the oft-used 'easier said than done' in reply. looking over the man's stunning work hanging on the temporary panels of his booth, various treatments for porting the images to the web came to mind. i asked her if she would be interested in an exchange—a web design for some prints (the prints were quite pricey for a fellow who just bought his first home). i added if they didn't like my suggestions they wouldn't owe anything in return. if they did, i would let them determine the quantity and size of prints they felt fair in exchange. she smilingly agreed.
as is the way with true inspiration in a matter of days i had produced a site design i thought would suit them well. i packaged up several screen shots and emailed them to the woman. as is the case whenever you share your artistic creations i sat back and awaited their reaction. none came. not after a day. not after three days. not after two weeks. i obviously took the silence as a solid rejection of my work and will say it injured my confidence in the craft and vigor for the trade more than i'd like to admit. i tried to push the failure out of my mind but the taunting notion routinely skipped through the forefront of my awareness like a teasing classmate.
then on a bored weekend night months later—i said it maimed me to embarrassing degrees—i pulled up the photog's site to try to see what they could like in their present design that my work did not improve upon. after the page loaded i stared at not the faltering design i had looked to replace, but the design i had sent them, albeit a clumsy implementation of it. i stared at the page using my design for several minutes trying to make sense of what i was seeing. i scrolled to the footer and about pages looking for a mention of credit. i found none.
Anger took the Rejection that had been moping around my brain by the collar and threw her out the front door with a flailing kick in the ass. the few times Recognition's bright face dared to knock on the door to celebrate the acceptance of our design Anger turned her away with a rough push in the shoulder.
i talked to marty about what happened. she told me to call them and say that its a sad world when one creative steals the work of another creative and especially after one supported the other by buying their work. i silently listened to marty's prudent advice but instead said things like, "nah, it doesn't really matter" or "if you have to say those words to an adult they won't matter". so i did nothing. well, that's not entirely true. every month or two i'd pull the website up and look at my design and feel the anxiety of emotions that sputtered and flared.
then the email campaign began. every few months i'd receive an email from this photographer announcing his latest prints and inviting me to see them on his newly designed website. to add to it, they even modeled the email campaign using my design. after the third email, i sent a polite request to be removed from their list and the following email exchanges took place.
Tuesday, December 3, 2002 5:13 PM
please remove me from your newsletter.
Tuesday, December 3, 2002, at 10:27 PM
Are you the designer in Kansas City (or maybe it was St. Louis) who spoke to me several years ago about creating a web site?��If you are, I've been trying to find you!��Please reply and let me know if I have the right guy.��Thanks.
Tuesday, December 3 2002 @ 11:01 PM
yes. i would be that guy.
Wednesday, December 4, 2002 11:38 PM
Yea! I'm so glad it's you.��Whit and I have been feeling terrible about losing your information after my brother used your design for our web site!��We would like to compensate you for the wonderful mock-up that led to our site.��Originally you said that you would be willing to trade your work for some of Whit's work.��Is that still OK? We'd like you to pick some images (if you're still interested) and let us send them to you at our expense.
I'm sure you've been steaming over this the past 18 months.��Please know that we never meant for this to happen.��We are really grateful for the design.��We really are good people who would never dream of "stealing" someone's idea and not compensating them accordingly.��Let us know what we can do for you.
Louise (and Whit) Bronaugh
Thursday, December 5, 2002 11:40 PM
well, this is a pleasant surprise. truth told, i was a little uncertain of what to make of the situation. i checked back on your site a few weeks after sending the mock-up and thought it looked reminiscent of my suggestion. your email somewhat restores my faith in the world around, and at a nice time with the holidays and all.
your brother's execution of my vision is to be applauded. your site is very nice, professional and i think conveys whit's work respectfully. hopefully it has proven to be an effective aid to your business. and, in perusing the site i saw that whit went to college at colorado state. i grew up in fort collins, just a couple of miles west of the campus. i used to skateboard on the sidewalks around moby gym quite frequently and worked several jobs at campus west in high school. great place. miss it dearly.
given the time that has passed, i'm somewhat compelled to pass on your offer, but i am hopelessly enamored with whit's work and would love a few more of his photos adorning my walls. last christmas, my brother-in-law bought a whit original for his wife after seeing his works in our home. i'm not sure what's appropriate but will list two and let you decide what's fair.
sunrise, sunflower
delicate innocense
thanks for the email and taking the time to follow up. i appreciate the gesture.
your lost web guy,
the two things i learned from this ordeal are:
every time i get myself worked up over something, it is almost always for naught in the end.
when marty is kind enough to offer advice, i should be sensible enough to use it because it is, also, almost always spot-on counsel.
a few historical exhibits
in honor of the
everyman release
, i'm devoting the week to everyman related matters (that add to details missed in the everyman story told
a few months back
). today i'm sharing two of the most noteworthy bits of history:
1. the original photograph
i can put hands on every single image ever entered into the photo contest, but miserably, i have lost the image that began it all—the image from chris mcgrath's coffee table taken of his brother in law taking a giant bite from a plum. the only remnant i have from what i sometimes call "the original entry" that sparked it all is from the 1st everyman where i used the image in the masthead.
2. the kottke explosion
then there was the post heard around the web. every time i the tell the story i obviously mention how simple and unadorned the mention that brought the everyman to the world was. jason kottke's wonderful brevity allows me to repeat it, verbatim, in each re-telling. what that pithy three-word link did for the everyman speaks to the power and potential of the world wide web which can still surprise when we see it flex its muscles in ways we weren't expecting.
the wait is over.
a new GALLERY IMAGE was posted today.
a new TROYSCRIPT was posted today.
that's the kinda boy i'm talking about
one last minecraft note related to
last week's story
. to the obvious question of why, if alex was so excited about this herobrine mansion map, did he not play it before. the reason alex had never played the map before is he had heard that installing such add-ons (e.g. maps, mods, and skins), while a great enhancement to the regualr game play, could sometimes cause computers to crash and since his mom was letting him use her computer to play the game, he didn't want to do anything to mess it up. so even though he ravenously wanted to install the map, this young boy never did so because he did not want to cause problems for his mother who was generous enough to share her computer with him. he instead settled for hearing about it, watching videos of other people playing it, and hoping that one day he might get access to a computer, more his own, that he could install such things onto and not worry about inconveniencing someone.
it's safe to say this boy is slightly more conscientious than i was at ten ... or maybe even forty.
bella wants to marry this guy. i'd like to steal his talent and iniative.
minecraft update
a quick recap.
i talked about making a change in my approach with alex. in short, i made the decision to allow alex's interest to direct our time together instead of me pushing things i deemed more worthwhile for alex and his development (yeah, i know, what a big-time ass). presently, one of alex's premiere interest is a game called minecraft. as a rule, i'm reasonably derisive towards video games believing them to be an unfortunate use of young minds primed and ready to learn real things with a never-to-be-had-again ability or rapacity. in putting aside my agenda and deciding to support my son in his interest, i called one of my best friends, bookguy, who i knew played the game and asked his advice. bookguy defended this particular game saying it was better than most and iterated through the reasons why, a key one being the intensely creative nature of the game which craftily blends lego-like building with dungeons and dragons-like adventure. bookguy also pointed me to a few things to accelerate and amplify our experience.
so monday night, the first night of the new troy, alex helped me install the game on my computer. he then schooled me on the basics and helped me to build, or craft rather, my first house, complete with a roof and bed. i backed away from the computer after night one feeling good about our progress.
on tuesday night i suggested to alex we try to load one of these maps my friend told me about AND to try to get the local network gaming figured out, another bookguy tip. alex inquired about the map and i said i had one in mind. i pulled up the webpage bookguy directed me to and the second it appeared on the screen, alex lost it, and i mean completely.
herobrine's mansion! herobrine's mansion! that's the map we're getting?
i think so. if we can get it figured out.
oh my gawd dad! that is like the most amazing map ever made for minecraft.
that's what i hear.
oh my gawd! oh my gawd! i can't believe this is happening. this is amazing!
and happen it did. we got the map installed, the texture add-on in place, and the networking figured out. alex and i, with anthony enthusiastically watching, ran around a mightily impressive world made by some mightily impressive dude. there were lots of excited explanations by alex and re-spawnings by dad (namely because i kept hitting the bad guys with a piece of steak instead of my sword). let's just say a certain corner of our house was much more lively than it has historically been for a routine tuesday evening.
when i later put alex down for bed he thanked me for playing minecraft with him and getting the maps and figuring out how we could play together. he then said, "dad, this was the best day of my life" and from the dreamy seriousness in his voice i felt that he was not embellishing his mood, not one iota.
had you told me on sunday afternoon that i would be experiencing this moment forty-eight hours later, i would have wondered what major life event had occurred. it just turns out the major life event was a quiet ten minutes of thought. i knew i wanted something more from a very important part of my life, i just didn't know it was so close at hand.
but, there is a bad side to this story. the unfortunate side effect to injecting an ok life with a plunger-full of awesomeness is it can make ten year olds curse like a target stock boy. it peaked as my minecraft character dropped into the newly installed herobrine world when alex, awe in his wide eyes, shouted in my ear, "ohhhh! this is awesome!! this is so fricken' awesome!!!"
i would have chastised him, but i agreed.
innovation is in the air.
the last seven days floated more innovative ideas before me than any other week in the history of troy. a few you may have heard or seen as well, assuming you too are not enforcing a news embargo, but a few will be new to you.
item one told of "the coach that never punts or kicks off" (
) but instead runs on every fourth down and only does onside kicks. it seems he read this study by some harvard prof who has the math to support the approach, and this coach has seen a great deal of success from it. i'm confident i'm not the only one wondering if this is all true, as it seems to be for skill levels found in the sub-college ranks at least, i'm left wondering how has no one seen this before?
for the second item, a friend over lunch told me of a teacher at his kid's school who has his students learn the lessons at home via web videos (e.g. what is the pythagorean theorem?) and do their homework in class where, if confused, they have access to the teacher and others learning the same concept. when i mentioned this to marty she had heard of it, being in the industry and all, and said the practice is called 'flipping' the classroom. given all the great web fodder out there,
, i can see this as being a highly profitable approach, especially if it means my kids not having to turn to me for help with things i didn't understand the first time around.
the third bit of inspiration i bumped into came from the mother of one of my former students. she told me that when her three boys were young they got very little television. she policed this in the following way:
each boy would pour over the weekly television listing that came in the sunday paper where they circled two hours worth of television from the offerings.
the marked up schedule would then get posted, like on the fridge, for reference. then everyone knew when they had to be home for tv, being the pre-tivo age, and the boys would look forward to their windows of time.
alternately, and probably more importantly, they could look at the movie section of the same paper and direct their two hours at a theater movie instead of television.
i can just imagine the excitement and anticipation surrounding this ritual and how it would make special something that for must of us has become a completely numb and expected part of life. i'm anguished i didn't learn of this practice ten years ago. i find it beautifully thoughtful, inspired even.
the last item comes from my own desk. perhaps all the innovation happening around me moved me to keep up. the everyday problem i held in my hand dealt with alex and the time we spend together. it's not that our time together is strained, it's just not as vibrant and easy as i would describe my relationship with my other kids. as such, i sat down to reflect on this and inside ten minutes came to the conclusion that i was trying to push alex towards things i wanted him to do instead of leveraging one of his many interests. when i considered how i would feel if someone did that to me, i concluded i would think:
1. that the person was an ass.
2. and that the person might be acting a bit like their own father.
these two lines of thought put a quick end to that. minutes after this epiphany i called bookguy, a fellow i knew to be a minecrafter (minecraft being one of alex's core interest at the moment), and asked for some advice. then, minutes after getting home from work, i sought alex out and after the usual check on the day i asked him if he could do me a favor. being the helpful man he is he of course said yes and gave me his attention. i asked him if he would teach me how to do minecraft like he does. his late in the day expression brightened more than a little bit.
if a doctor's mandate is to do no harm i think a father's mandate could be 'don't be a dick' because who wants a selfish dick for a father. i wouldn't be surprised to learn twenty years from now that those ten minutes of reflection might be ten of the most important minutes i spent in regard to my boy aleo.
those are four examples where things that happen everyday were re-thought and from those re-contemplations, life got changed. these thinking organs we got are pretty dang impressive. so think. think hard. improvement is everywhere.
gotta pay to play
bella interrupted me doing dishes.
she asked me to log her on to a computer.
i told her it seemed selfish of her to expect me to quit my chore because she wanted to play on the computer.
she thought a moment and offered to continue the dishes, silverware actually, while i got her set up.
i complimented her smart problem solving. she came to the sink, i stepped back and she assumed my spot.
before i left the kitchen i saw her blanching at the task. it looked as though she was just going to bide time until i unlocked the computer and returned. seeing this in the cards i called from the next room that it seemed fair for me to type one letter of the password for every piece of silverware she washed. i heard an exclamation of understanding from the kitchen as well as a clatter of jostled silverware. she counted off the pieces she washed and i in turn wondered aloud why we ever chose such ... a ... long ... password which prompted more clatter and action from the kitchen.
that ole barter system must stand as one of man's finest creations.
what i would put in a time capsule shot into space.
please rise
last week, bella became the president of her school's national junior honor society. i could spend this time going on about how proud we are of her or how anyone who knew me in junior high, if told i would go on to to have such a child, would have called the notion daft, ridiculous, and silly—students and teachers alike—but instead i'll just share the speech i saw days after the event, an event i didn't even know was happening.
when i asked her about what the role involved she described the meetings, what they talk about and her place in it all. when done and after a brief pause she added that parents weren't allowed to attend. she is smart!
her stump speech.
some call them flaws, others call them character.
to the person who expressed surprise that there is enough of a slope in my garage to cause a car to roll out, my garage (house too) is 89 years old and there is nary an even, flat, or straight surface to be found on the entire lot. and should you luck into a proper plane, give it five months and you'll find it is not what it was. that is one of the exciting charms of owning an old home.
the other selling point of an old home is it will never change its status on you-you start with an old home and you'll end with an old home. buy a new one you have to deal with modern constructions schizophrenia of saying:
it's a new home.
it was new when we bought it.
it's about ten years old now.
it was built in the 90's.
before you get to say the magically constant, "yeah, we live in an old home". those who know know my struggle with transitions know what a boon this claim is for me. and i'm not saying it's healthier, i'm just saying it's easier.
a new TROYSCRIPT was posted today.
love it or leave it
In design, where meaning is often controversially subjective or painfully inscrutable, few things are more apparent and lucid than the presence of passion. This is true whether the design of a product delights you or leaves you cold; in either case it's difficult not to detect the emotional investment of the hands that built it.
Enthusiasm manifests itself readily of course, but indifference is equally indelible. If your commitment doesn't encompass a genuine passion for the work at hand, it becomes a void that is almost impossible to conceal, no matter how elaborately or attractively designed it is.
i recently shared this Khoi Vinh quote with a young man who works for me that has been in a bit of a funk recently. i told him that this was something i read every morning before starting work to remind myself of the import of my daily effort. i then added that as i've gotten older i've discovered that a lot of design and technology theory seems to be fully relevant to our personal lives too (and near-surely any industry you can imagine). i find the above example to be abundantly and beautifully evident of this observation.
droppin' the hammer.
over the last few weeks i've taught alex how to work the stick shift in my car. so now when we we're driving, and he's next to me obviously, i'll hit the clutch and call out a gear, like second or third. alex then moves to action changing the stick accordingly and then acknowledges the change by repeating the gear i called for. i'm struck by the cleanliness and efficiency of our dance which has come about most naturally. we're already so good at it, we're able to insert the calls and responses right in the middle of conversations with only the slightest pause in thought or acceleration.
tuesday morning when i entered the garage to take the boys to school, they were both in the car and waiting for me. one of them had already hit the garage door opener and when i slid into my seat alex already had his hand on the stick ready to go. seeing this i cautioned him to be careful to not pull the stick out of gear when i wasn't in the seat (explaining it is possible to do when the clutch isn't engaged lest he thought otherwise). to his question of 'what would happen?' i explained if the car was parked on any sort of grade, it could start rolling forward or backward depending on the slope. fortunate to the moment, there is a slight grade out of our garage so i told him to go ahead and pull the car out of gear. he looked at me with uncertainty. i nodded and said it was ok. so he pulled it from first gear and the car started slowly rolling forward. alex looked up at me. i said if this ever happened when i wasn't here he needed to pull on the emergency brake and pointed it out. as we talked this through, the car's front end moved out of the garage and began rolling faster due to a steeper grade when exiting. i said, "alex pull the brake". more speed. some panic out of alex. more speed. "pull the brake!" panic. more speed. "pull the brake alex!" his hand reached for it, gripped the handle and lifted up with as much force as his slender arm and coursing adrenaline would allow. the car lurched to a stop in the middle of the alleyway and a few feet from the opposing curb. anthony looked up from his book with piqued eyes. alex looked at me with wide eyes. i held out my gimme five hand. after he slapped my hand i smiled big and complimented the successful handling of his first car emergency. he turned from me wearing that glow of earned pride so special to see in one's children.
wednesday morning when we met in the car for school, both boys asked if we could do that rolling thing again where we had to use the emergency brake. we did.
monday's riddle
bookpimp reminded me i forgot to post the answer to monday's bonus riddle. apologies.
The riddle
you go into the woods and get it
you sit down to search for it
and you bring it home with you because you can't find it?
what is it?
The answer
Click to expose >
A splinter.
the scoop
for those who know of my practice of not reading news or websites, save a few friends, i have new evidence of how diligent i am to this practice—i just learned two weekends ago that james gandolfini died several months ago. an article i read mentioned his passing. i re-read the sentence three times wondering if there were two james gandolfinis or if i was mis-remembering the name of the recent sopranos star. even at that point i didn't look it up on-line but days later asked a teacher at the boys' school when it occurred to me in a semi-related conversation. after expressing some shock at my ignorance, the teacher confirmed the information. after learning of my news embargo, he offered to let me know if any more celebrities of merit died.
in thinking on that later, i have one friend who sends me funny news stories and another who sends me everything about circumcision. maybe i just need to find a few more genre specific folks to filter through the deluge of news and send me the items they know would be of interest to me. heck, i'd be willing to make an annual steak dinner for anyone who provided such a time-saving service.
halloween 2013 answers
i promised answers to the jokes
posted last week
. here they are:
: how do you tell if you have a dumb dog?
: he only chases parked cars
: saying the word 'parked' proved quite effortful for anthony and caused a lot of people to scrunch their faces in thought while they ran through the options. it was neat seeing the moment they got it as their countenance relaxed going from strain to smile.
: what do you call an elephant in the arctic?
: lost
: i continue to marvel how easily alex carries himself with strangers. in the early days he seemed to be a guy who would be forever fearful and intimdated by unknown folks, especially grown up ones, but recent years have exposed a quiet charisma in him that is so unassuming it for-sure sneaks up on most people.
: what do you ghouls and ghosts wear?
: boo-ties
: while you might have expected more from bella, on this day, all her focus is given to better, faster coverage of the homes she hopes to hit. i need to tell her that some people reward smart jokes with extra candy.
while trying to find their jokes last week, here's a riddle the kids stumped me with.
you go into the woods and get it
you sit down to search for it
and you bring it home with you because you can't find it?
what is it?
i'll let that slide through your fingers for a bit before the reveal.
halloween 2013 debrief
for those that might not know, st. louis has a tradition where the trick or treaters have to (are supposed to) have a joke to tell before getting candy. this ritual initially annoyed me but has grown on me over the years. here are the kids' jokes this year:
how do you tell if you have a dumb dog?
what do you call an elephant in the arctic?
what do ghouls and ghosts wear?
i'll let you chew on those over the weekend. i'll post the answers next week.
marty has started telling bella (12) she is getting too old to trick or treat, news that proved reasonably devastating to both bella and i. for bella, more than the dressing up or the boons of the candy, she loves the challenge of hitting as many houses as possible in her allotted window. obviously she has gotten dramatically better each year, namely through good planning and strategy. the last two years she's graduated from the orange plastic pumpkin container to the pillow case to carry her candy, the inside sign of a real gamer. as for me, i'm one who believes, that like with many facets of life, one's entry into and out of halloween deals more with their personal love of the ritual than an actual age. so as long as one is willing to engage in the rules and requirements of the tradition, one is eligible to play. i feel i aged out of the dressing up thing at around seven but surely know several people, my age, that haven't lost their love of it yet. more on bella's status as a pillowcase carrying participant in years to come i'm sure.
something that has become my favorite part of halloween in our home is the post-trick-or-treating trading session that happens just inside the doorway. bella introduced this practice a few years back and early on it proved to be little more than her figuring out how she could get her favorite candy from her brothers' bags. in this routine, each kid dumps out their bucket and starts assessing the stock, pulling their favorites aside. this obviously leaves a less coveted circle of candy before them which they start offering for trade.
does anyone like almond joys? almond joys here.
yes. yes. i want them.
what do you got?
i got ... i got ... i got skittles.
ok. skittles for almond joys. here's three. you got three?
their hands exchange the goods quickly and begin the desperate search for the next trade. now that everyone is older, the bartering is much more even, heated and raucous. last night we had three extra kids over and the decibels hit new heights--although this happens with birthday party pinatas too and while there are more kids, there is less variety which makes things a bit more sedate. last night's trading was a furious affair given the ages of the kids and volumes of candy. the craziest bidding war happened when bella raised a mini pack of swedish fish over her head with both hands looking like she cradled a sacred chalice above her. she loudly called out "swedish fish! i've got one bag of swedish fish here!" this announcement silenced the room as everyone stopped and stared over bella's head. they then looked down and started calling out candy names. when someone said kit-kat bella lit up and said yes. when someone heard her response, they yelled "i'll give you two kit-kats". you know what happened next. the one bag of swedish fish ended up going for eleven kit-kats to alex. when bella stepped over the segregated ponds of candy to alex's spot, he counted out six kit-kat packs in her hand while she held the prized swedish fish in her other. when he stopped at six she looked at her hand.
whoa buddy. where's the rest?
you bid eleven.
there's only six here.
but there's two in each pack. that's twelve. so really, you're getting an extra one.
(after a pause) ok. since you're my brother, i'll let that slide. but next time, no funny math.
i felt bad for anthony as he had problems reading the candy names so just had to hold things over his head and in a tinny voice shout, "i have these. does anyone want some of these?". his small call couldn't compete with the din of the room so i'd see what he had and tell him the name so he could upgrade his marketing to, "i have a heath bar. does anyone want a heath bar?" which usually did better to get the attention of the frenetic, sugar-addled audience.
and this, this post-collection ritual, is mostly why i think bella should be allowed to continue trick-or-treating. what would ever happen to the candy trading-floor were she to be benched. she brings an attitude and fierceness to the affair i don't think will be easily replaced. and bella and i are not the only ones thinking on her potential forced retirement. while we were between houses with a lit porch light anthony told me that because this was bella's last year trick-or-treating they, the three kids, were going to create a 'candy bank' they each put candy into each year so that when mom said they were all too old to trick-or-treat anymore, they would still have some halloween candy. i wonder how a limited supply of stock would amp up the trading floor. i could see it getting physical right quick.
and speaking of cogent points made by my seven year old, while playing twenty questions with anthony's classmates at his room party earlier in the day, anthony raised his hand. when i called on him his question was mildly different than the others kids questions. one kid's first question to a new game was not 'is it an animal' or 'is it bigger than a breadbox', but "is it an ardvark?". when i said no it was not an ardvark, the next kid i called on asked, "is it blue?". when i said no it was not blue, the hands continued popping up. when i called on anthony, he asked, "what kind of matter is it?" all the adults all looked at each other and then to me for the answer. here i had the embarrasing task of having to say i wasn't sure aside from the fact that the thing i was thinking of did have matter. my first grader then assisted me by adding, "no dad. i mean is it solid, liquid, or gas?". now that i could answer but wished he said that in the first place so i didn't have to so publicly reveal to the room why i chose the liberal arts over the sciences. they say with modern studies there comes a point where parents will not be able to help their kids with their homework. i think that point has come at an embarrassingly early age for me.
he's got three speeds, they're all just the same
at parent-teacher conferences, alex's teacher said that one concern he had about alex dealt with the slow pace in which he did his work. he went on to say that in most cases it doesn't matter but it will in testing and as he progresses in years and the work becomes more complex. in turn, i told the teacher that were we to record alex leaving our house under three different circumstances, once on a normal no-hurry outing, another before trick-or-treating, and a third when the house was on fire and lives were in jeopardy, that he the teacher, nor marty, nor i, based on alex's pace, gait or countenance would be able to discern the difference between the three scenarios. there's just no rushing the boy. but, if he, the teacher, were able to find a trick to put a little giddy-up in the boy's tempo, there was a shiny five dollar bill and loaf of homemade banana bread in it for him.
in many ways it sucks we have to grow up
if you distract anthony from his work or play, he will, in a very exasperated manner, turn and say
dad! stop it! you unconcentrated me! ahhhh!
and yes, there are waving arms involved.
i do love me a good life story
the story i'm after starts at the 28:10 mark (which the video should start at or close to).
take four heroin-laced aspirin and call me in the morning
i'm a recentish convert to flossing. since drinking the lemonade—not that i would ever admit to drinking such a sugar-rich beverage where my dentist could see—i've been a consistent four-five times a week flosser. then i read an article by dr. oz where he likened skipping flossing to only wearing deodorant under one armpit. this visual seems to have been the missing bit of tutelage necessary to upgrade me from a four-to-fiver to a six-to-sevener.
as for why i still sometimes only hit the mark six times a week, the nights i miss i'm surely sprawled across my bed in a parenting coma. in such moments, not flossing is the least of my problems as in the past i've crashed with the milk still on the counter, water running on the lawn, and once with our home's front door standing open, yes, like all night.
parenting coma's prove more severe than food or real comas, reason being, when you come out of a parenting coma in the morning, the kids are still there.
a new GALLERY IMAGE was posted today.
a new GALLERY IMAGE was posted today.
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Oct 1, 2013
This omnibus data set contains questions about photo and video creation and sharing, and also measures of Instagram and Snapchat use on cell phones.
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Jul 1, 2013
This omnibus survey contains questions about consumption and creation of online videos.
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This omnibus survey contains questions about anonymity online.
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May 1, 2013
This data set contains questions about online dating and non-internet users. Questions about technology and existing relationships are not included, and will be added when that report is released.
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Jan 1, 2013
This omnibus survey contains questions about device ownership and cell phone usage during purchase decisions.
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Dec 1, 2012
This omnibus survey contains questions on people's Facebook habits and attitudes.
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Nov 6, 2012
This omnibus survey contains questions about how voters shared who they voted for in the 2012 presidential campaign with others.
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Nov 1, 2012
This survey contains questions about the use of libraries and library services. It was used in the reports "Library Services in the Digital Age", "Parents, Children, Libraries, and Reading", "Young Americans' Library Habits and Expectations", and ...
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Oct 1, 2012
This omnibus survey contains questions about the types of political videos voters watched, shared and recommended during the 2012 election campaign.
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The Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project is one of seven projects that make up the Pew Research Center. The Center is supported by The Pew Charitable Trust.

subset: commoncrawl


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We Want to See Your Wildest Bridesmaids Dresses!
When Bridesmaids hit the big screen, girlfriends rounded up to see the flick that shed light on just how hilarious (and disastrous!) wedding planning can be. This includes shopping for bridesmaids gowns, which as some of you know, is a daunting task that can easily go awry. Thats why wed love to see a photo of the wildest or wackiest bridesmaid dress youve worn! Simply email a photo of you wearing the dress to email@example.com and include your first name, your city and state, and an optional sentence or two describing the horror. Were looking forward to seeing all the frills, unflattering colors, and ill-fitted gowns come our way!
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Big Hair's an Understatement at Badgley Mischka
Bye, Bye Bridal at Monique Lhuillier
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Army Navy Store » Military Bags & Packs » Military Messenger Bags
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A messenger bag (also called a courier bag) is a type of sack, usually made out of some kind of cloth (natural or synthetic), that is worn over one shoulder with a strap that winds around the chest resting the bag on the lower back. Messenger bags are often used by bicycle messengers, though they are increasingly becoming an urban fashion icon. Similar in function to backpacks, messenger bags ensure comfort to people carrying heavy and/or bulky items, while allowing easy access to the contents. These bags were briefly popular towards the tail end of when the Manhattan bicycle messengers business started to die out due to the invention of the fax machine just a year shy of the first Macintosh. Messenger bags typically incorporate features that make them particularly suitable for cycling, such as fittings that make it easy to adjust the shoulder strap, quick release buckles, an adjustable hinged buckle, and the ability to attach a variety of accessories, such as lights, phone holsters, or U-locks. Messenger bags have also become fashionable in urban environments, among cyclists and commuters. Many college and high-school students make use of them for fashionable and functional purposes, especially those who commute on bicycles. Compared to a backpack, it is much easier to place and remove text-books, notebooks, laptop, essays and supplies from a messenger bag because they lie on the side of the body, granting the wearer better accessibility. Materials used in messenger bags are often more durable and water-resistant than other over-the-shoulder bags. Contemporary bags use thicker gauges of canvas and tarp shielding for the inner waterproof lining. Messenger bags are considered to be unisex but predominantly more popular with males. Messenger Bags are also known as black military canvas shoulder straps carriers, laptop protective gears, notebook handbags, replica school backpacks, cheap bikers discount active attire, government issued luggage bags, classic Manhattan style, etc. Messenger Bags are commonly misspelled as netbook travel size equipments, etc.
We offer special low pricing for bulk orders and cheaper prices on large quantities for wholesale Olive Drab - Heavyweight Classic Messenger Bag. Our online army navy shop is always open to take your order to purchase and buy the Olive Drab - Heavyweight Classic Messenger Bag on sale at the cheapest and lowest price at our army navy store. We carry unique army navy clothing, military clothing, army gear, military surplus, camo clothing, vintage fatigues, emt ems uniforms and army supplies. GalaxyArmyNavy.com is the online military store and army navy shopping catalog.
army navy store military store camouflage clothing military clothing vintage fatigues military surplus tactical clothing wholesale army navy


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Textured Lambswool Sweater by JG Hook®: Crafted in oh-so-soft, 100% lambswool, this superb quality sweater features popcorn stitch and cable details in front and smooth jersey stitch on the sleeves and back for a more flattering fit.
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Q: How long will it take to feel the positive benefits of Osteo-Sport?
A: If taken at the recommended dosage, you should feel some reduction of joint and tendon pain within a few days. In order to experience the full healing and repair effects of the compound, 2-3 weeks of usage is often necessary. Long term users report continuous improvement over time.
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Q: What makes Osteo-Sport different than other bone and joint health products?
A: Osteo-Sport employs a completely different approach to joint support. Rather than focusing solely on the long term healing benefits of glucosamine and chondroitin, Osteo-Sport combines short, intermediate, and long-acting factors that have been scientifically proven to aide in joint tissue repair while also cushioning, lubricating and reducing inflammation quickly. The result is faster, more complete relief than any other product has delivered before.
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Q: Im not an athlete but still need a joint support product. Will Osteo-Sport work for me?
A: Absolutely. Athletes put greater stress and demands on their joints, tendons, and muscles, so many times traditional products dont deliver adequate relief. Osteo-Sports multi-angle approach provides benefits to more different types of joint-related issues than any other product so not only will it work for less active people, it will work better than what theyve been taking in the past.
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Q: Has there been any scientific research on the healing potential of Osteo-Sport?
A: There are dozens if not hundreds of studies on the constituents in Osteo-Sport that provide conclusive evidence of their effectiveness. Many of these are cited and referenced in the Osteo-Sport technical write-up found on this web site.
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Q: Is it safe to use Osteo-Sport for long periods of time, or should I cycle it?
A: Osteo-Sport is very safe and can be taken continuously for both new and old injuries. It also serves as a great preventative supplement, as it helps keep connective tissue healthy and less prone to injury.
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Q:Why is vitamin C necessary in the formula?
A: Vitamin C is an important part of the Osteo-Sport formula, because it converts proline to hydroxyproline, the main substance needed for the formation of collagen which is what aids in the natural development of tissue remodeling.
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Q: Who can benefit from taking Osteo-Sport?
A: This product is useful for any male or female over the age of 18 and who is had or currently has bone, tendon, or joint issues. It also can safely be used by anyone who is simply looking to maintain good connective tissue health. Virtually everyone can benefit from this product.
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Q: What supplements do you recommend while taking Osteo-Sport to maximize results?
A: We recommend whey protein supplementation, with a goal of attaining 1-1.5 grams of protein per day per pound of bodyweight. Additionally, we strongly encourage the use of an essential fatty acid product with omega 3/6/9 and a good multivitamin with minerals.


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Alastair Aitchison
Alastair Aitchison is an independent developer, trainer, author and consultant specialising in spatial data reporting and analysis. His work has been used by the House of Lords, the police, political parties and various media agencies.
Creating High Performance Spatial Databases
So you heard about the new spatial functionality in SQL Server 2008, rushed back to your database and added geography and geometry columns to all your tables, eager to create the next Google Earth-beating application. You then click the Execute button and wait. And wait. And wait some more. (You get the idea). Spatial data is a rather unique beast, and designing efficient spatial queries requires specific techniques when compared to other, more traditional types of data. In this session, we look at how the SQL Server database engine satisfies spatial queries, the theory behind spatial indexes, demonstrate the effects of altering the bounding box, use the spatial system DMVs and stored procedures to your spatial database
Google Maps? Build your own Mapping, Geocoding, and Routing service
SQL Server spatial features have not yet made it into mainstream usage and many developers still ask "But *why* would I use them?". In this session, I hope to answer that question by replicating the functionality of Google Maps using only SQL Server.
Blog posts
Keeping Track of Targets in a Trigger
12 Dec 2013
Unity provides the OnTriggerEnter() and OnTriggerExit() events that fire whenever a collider enters or exits the designated trigger, and also an OnTriggerStay() that fires in every frame in which the collider is within the trigger. However, it doesn't provide a … Continue reading →
Custom Unity Terrain Material / Shaders
07 Dec 2013
I love Unity – it's one of those environments that's actually a pleasure to program in, but its terrain system seems somewhat lacking behind its other features, requiring quite a lot of hacks and workarounds to get desired appearance and … Continue reading →
Sepia Shader
02 Dec 2013
I found this techrepublic page, which gives a conversion algorithm from a standard RGB image to a Sepia image tone as follows: You can obviously tweak these values if you like – there is no exact formula (Sepia itself being … Continue reading →
Lighting Models and BRDF Maps
26 Nov 2013
A Bi-directional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) is a mathematical function that describes how light is reflected when it hits a surface. This largely corresponds to a lighting model in Unity-speak (although note that BDRFs are concerned only with reflected light, … Continue reading ...
Procedural Terrain Splatmapping
14 Nov 2013
If you try searching for information on how to assign textures to Unity terrain through code (i.e. derive a "splatmap" of textures based on the terrain heightmap profile itself), you'll probably end up being sent to this post on the … Continue reading →


text:
Christmas in Malaysia
In Malaysia, Christmas is celebrated on a small scale. This is because only 10% of the population are Christians and the majority of people are Muslim. However, in the last 10 years businesses have taken the opportunity to promote the event to sell more goods and to hold lots of end- of- year sales. Christmas Day is the only public holiday in Malaysia.
When Tina was little her mother would cook a western-style meal of chicken casserole, baked or mashed potatoes, pumpkin, carrots and peas. In recent years her family has also had roast turkey or beef. She likes this food as on most other days she has Asian meals and rice. Her dad always prepares fruit cocktail or shandy to drink at the Christmas meal and they often ask close friends to come to share the food. They also ask people who do not have the opportunity to have a special meal at this time eg, a disabled child or a lonely, elderly person.
Christmas Preparations
Tina and her sister Bella put up a Christmas tree and decorate it with colourful little toys. The gifts they have bought for each other are placed under the tree. After their Christmas Eve dinner, her family goes to Midnight Mass and when they get home they open their gifts. On Christmas morning they sleep in and then they visit their friends to celebrate Christmas and continue to feast.
Santa Claus is not a very important part of Christmas celebrations in Malaysia. Asian houses are not built with the chimney concept as it is very hot and humid. However, some men dress up in Santa suits and sit in the malls giving children presents.
Christmas in Sweden
Christmas is a very important holiday in Sweden because it is the celebration of Jesuss birth. Several weeks before Christmas Eve people decorate the streets and shops. Families decorate their houses by setting up stars and candles in their windows, placing red table cloths on their tables, put out Santa Claus and decorating all their houses in red. EVERY family has a green tree in their house that they decorate and place presents underneath it. Some people sing Christmas carols and dance around the tree on Christmas Eve.
Food is an important part of Christmas celebrations. All the family members usually get together to eat a big dinner where there are many different dishes to choose. The main dishes are Christmas ham, meat balls, small sausages, different kinds of fish, potatoes, salmon, a special Christmas anchovy and sliced potato dish called Janssons temptation and home made candy. The food is good, but the children like the presents that they give to each other!
Click here for carols sung in Sweden at Christmas (in English!)
Christmas in England
Christmas is celebrated in England with people giving and receiving presents to family and friends. Many people share a Christmas meal of roast turkey, roast potatoes and a large choice of vegetables followed by Christmas Pudding and Mince pies. They may also organize parties where beer, wine and sometimes champagne are served. Not many people go out at Christmas, unless they are going to families as on Christmas Day no shops or amusements are open.
Christmas celebrations are not just on 25th December as people celebrate on Christmas Eve and the day after Christmas which is called Boxing Day.
Santa Claus is part of the Christmas festivities and small children believe he brings their presents down the chimney on Christmas Eve. No body ever gets to see him in their homes, though, because he only comes when everybody is sound asleep. Children believe that he lives in the North Pole and it is a tradition to leave a glass of sherry for Santa and a carrot for his reindeers. There is lots of excitement on Christmas morning as children get up VERY early to open their presents. In the weeks before Christmas, Santa also sits in Santas grotto in shopping malls where lots of different Christmas carols are played and sung. Children can go and get a small present from him.
Click here for some special recipes from the Midlands.
Christmas in Australia
Christmas preparations in Australia begin early in December when people put up decorations in their houses which include door wreaths, artifical Christmas trees, nativity scenes and send Christmas cards to friends and relatives. Many start shopping for gifts and baking Christmas cakes and puddings. People who have real Christmas trees put them up with lights and decorations closer to Christmas Day. Shopping Centres and large Department stores always have Santa Claus sitting in a special chair handing out small gifts to children. Lots of different Christmas carols are played in Shopping Centres, schools and churches. School holidays start about 20th of December for five weeks as it is Summer so everyone really looks forward to this time of the year. On Christmas Eve some people go to church at midnight. Others go early on Christmas morning. Children believe that Santa Claus comes in the night and places their presents under their Christmas tree so they get up very early to open the presents. They often leave a glass of Coca Cola or milk for him and some carrots for his reindeers.
Families often get together for Christmas lunch, but before they start they exchange gifts. A traditional meal consists of a roast turkey and cranberry sauce, ham, lots of baked vegetables or salads for the main course. Then people have a Christmas Pudding with brandy sauce. Later in the afternoon they may slice up some Christmas Cake with coffee. People often have wine, beer, punch and champagne with the meal. As Christmas Day can sometimes be very hot some people prefer to have cold meats or seafood. Some families also have their main meal at dinner time. The next day, Boxing Day is a public holiday so people relax again and often go to the beach or watch a cricket match.
Katharina Surikow's friends often go to church on 24th of December and then the evening meal is a large meal with family and friends. Her parent's follow the Russian tradition of having twelve different dishes of food on the table. Each dish represents one of Christ's disciples. After the meal the children receive their presents which have been placed under a REAL, green tree. Christmas Day is a much quieter day.
The food her family prepares includes fish, seafood, salads and vegetables.The adults usually have the traditional Russian drink, Vodka.Two dishes that are always served are Siliotka and Piroshki which are small meat-filled yeast pastries which her grandma makes.
The 6th of December is St. Nicholas's Day and it is common for children to put a shoe on the windowsill the night before.If the child has been good , St. Nicholas or his helper, Knecht Ruprecht leaves a small present.
Click here for recipes for Christmas Cake and Pudding.
Click here for directions on making a Christmas wreath.
Christmas in Germany
Christmas in Germany starts early. People light one candle on every Sunday and have a "Adventskalender". On the 6th of December they have St. Nicola's Day, but they still have to go to school. On the day before Christmas families decorate their own Christmas trees with candles, balls and tinsel. On the evening of the 24th December families give gifts to family members and friends. They also sing Christmas carols and eat lots of yummy food like ducks with dumplings.
Before they give presents on Christmas Eve they go to church. The day after Christmas Day people have holidays.
Christmas in America.
Christmas trees with special ornaments and an angel on top and other decorations are put up in homes about one month before Christmas Day. Electric candles are hung in windows and greenery (some fake and some real ) in other places. Christmas stockings are hung on the mantle of the fire place, one for each member of the family including pets. Some families also place a nativity scene under the tree with the gifts which are usually opened on Christmas morning.When children are in bed on Christmas eve Santa Claus flies through the night in his magic sleigh pulled by reindeers, lands on the roof tops, slides down the chimney and fills the stockings with small gifts and bones and treats for pets. The true reason Christmas is celebrated is for the birth of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of all.
Families get together for the midday meal or dinner. The foods eaten include boiled lobster, salads. breads and a variety of desserts. Sometimes roast of beef instead of lobster is eaten.
Click here for a special recipe for Stollen made in America.
Click here to go on the Christmas Toy Hunt
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text: The best Polynesian ar tisans have combined their talents to bring to life traditional Polynesian crafts: woodcarving, bamboo and pandanus weaving, tapa cloth-making and mother of pearl engraving, providing an authentic Polynesian style to this deluxe resort hotel. The InterContinental Bora Bora Le Moana Resort has 60 individual bungalow suites. 12 A/C bungalows sit on the magnificent white sand beach and 48 A/C bungalows out over the lagoon. All...(more) |


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The first rule about traveling between America and England aboard the Queen Mary 2, the flagship of the Cunard Line and the world's largest ocean liner, is to never refer to your adventure as a cruise. You are, it is understood, making a crossing.
The second rule is to refrain, when speaking to those who travel frequently on Cunard's ships, from calling them regulars. The term of art — it is best pronounced while approximating Maggie Smith's cut-glass accent on Downton Abbey — is Cunardists.
The third rule, unspoken, is to not fling your champagne flutes into the roiling North Atlantic. My wife, Cree, broke this one. It was our second night aboard the ship. We were crossing, in January, from New York to Southampton. I was in black tie. She was in an extraordinary little black dress. We'd been flailing about, in the ship's ballroom, to an adroit orchestra. We were happy, and tipsy.
We pushed open a door to the promenade deck. The icy wind heartlessly X-rayed us, but it was impossible to pull away from the railing. The North Atlantic in January is no joke; its heaving beauty is mesmerizing. It's a volcano of sorts, one that seems to demand an offering. Better a champagne flute than to leap over the railing yourself.
This stemware-tossing impulse is, apparently, an old one. Evelyn Waugh, in his travel book Labels (1930), described being alone on a boat deck at night in the Mediterranean, champagne glass in hand.
"For no good reason that I can now think of," he wrote, "I threw it out over the side, watched it hover for a moment in the air as it lost momentum and was caught by the wind, then saw it flutter and tumble into the swirl of water."
Waugh added, "This gesture … has become oddly important to me."
If travel makes you a bit reckless and sharpens your senses, being aboard the Queen Mary 2 in winter doubles this sense of intoxication. The churning ocean, splashing up the sides of the elegant dining room's windows, two feet from your bottle of white burgundy and your tuna tartare, flips the switch on your survival instincts. You find yourself ravenous: eating a bit more; planning to stay out a bit later; dwelling a bit more upon sex.
What is it about ships (and trains and planes) and sex? We were left to ponder this question with fresh avidity after an unfamiliar QM2 waiter approached Cree early one afternoon while she was reading alone by a window in the ship's pub.
This waiter, Cree reported later, was quite good looking, in a manner that resembled the actor Andy Garcia. He stood weirdly close.
He made small talk and ended by remarking, "If there's anything I can do to make your trip more enjoyable, let me know."
He walked away, then he strode back to Cree 15 seconds later and whispered, making eye contact, "Anything."
This sotto voce invitation was a great gift to us — to Cree, to me, and to a friend, Will, who was traveling with us — because for the rest of the crossing we lasciviously uttered, at least hourly, what we decided should be the new Cunard motto: "Cunard. Anything."
We boarded the QM2 at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal in Red Hook on a Thursday, for what would be a seven-night passage to Southampton. The liner can easily complete this voyage in six days, but it slows down, like a power ballad, to save fuel and to extend its passengers' enjoyment.


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Is there a known limit on the number of files BRU can handle in a directory?
I have the following problem: if I try to use BRU on a directory with too many files, BRU will crash while loading up the files.
Some of my photo folders have over 10,000 files. BRU switches to the folder, starts displaying the file list (side slider becoming smaller & smaller), then crashes before the end, without any message.
I use win XP SP3 and BRU 22.214.171.124. the problem occurs on a 500GB NTFS drive holding 334 GB of files, mostly *.jpg
I cannot pinpoint exactly how many is "too many", it does not seem to be consistently reproducible. I suspect it depends on the status of the system, how long it's been up. (resources issue?)
What is reproducible is that it will handle folders with few entries (<1,000) with no problem, and will choke on the biggest ones.
After it choked on a big folder, then it will choke on smaller ones that it could handle before. Until next re-boot.
Did anyone else meet this problem?
Is there a known limit to the number of files? any workaround?


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By a County Press reporter
Monday, January 14, 2013
Runners take part in Race for Life 2011 on the Isle of Wight.
CANCER, we are coming to get you — that is the rallying cry for Race for Life 2013 on the Isle of Wight.
Registration for the Cancer Research UK fundraiser opens tomorrow (Tuesday), and Isle of Wight women are being urged to take a stand against cancer by signing up and raising money for vital research.
Regional event manager Elizabeth Frisby said: "Come on ladies, please play your part by entering Race for Life. Together, we can hit cancer where it hurts. There are more than 200 cancers and we won't give up until we find cures for them all.
"It's fighting talk, and we mean every word we say. Cancer, the Isle of Wight is coming to get you."
Following the cancellation of last year's Race for Life, organisers are determined to make this year's event the best ever. It has been moved forward, ahead of the Isle of Wight Festival, and will be held at the Medina Leisure Centre on Sunday, May 19.
Organisers hope to raise £50,000 this year, and are appealing for 1,200 women to take part.
"Race for Life is non-competitive. It's not about being fit or fast. Most women are able to walk 5km in an hour while chatting and having fun.
"Or they can choose to jog, run or even dance around the course if they prefer," said Elizabeth.
"It's an amazing way to celebrate life but also remember those who have been lost to the disease. Participants may be decked out in pink or fancy dress but what's inescapable is the power and strength that comes from thousands of women joining together to confront cancer.
"Don't be fooled by the tutus and tiaras. Isle of Wight Race for Life is cancer's worst nightmare.
"We are very grateful to everyone who signed up last year and in the past, and hope this year will bring everyone back to complete last year's cancelled event. Thanks to them, Cancer Research UK has been able to make progress against many forms of the disease.
"But the battle against cancer never stops and for this reason we need everyone to return to the fight in 2013 and bring new recruits with them."
To enter Race for Life, visit www.raceforlife.org or call 0845 600 6050.
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by Mike Crowe
14th January 2013, at 18:15:11
Keith, you can line up to support and sponsor them :-)
by Keith McNallyohanly
14th January 2013, at 17:39:16
Line up to help fight cancer...But only if you're female
Any views or opinions presented in the comments above are solely those of the author and do not represent those of the Isle of Wight County Press.
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Haba Toys, Moby
Regular Price: $24.98
Special Price: $21.98
Haba Miro ... a perfect non-toxic clutching toy for your little one.
This Haba Miro clutching toy is the perfect size for little hands. With its small bell inside and bright colours it will surely bring a smile to your baby's face. Perfect clutching toy and also great for babies who are teething to suck on.
Made in Germany of smooth beech wood and painted in non-toxic paint.
Learning Skills: Early Motor, Sensory, Independent Play
Size: Approx. 4" (10cm)
Age: 6 months+


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Can anybody tell me what this "Private Mail" message is that sits above the forum pages? Sometimes it says I have two new messages and sometimes it says I have three. When I click on "View" it asks me if I want to "download."
Um, no?
What is this, and how is it different from my main account private messages and the forum board private messages that I'm already getting


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McKenzie Xtreme Series Pronghorn Antelope Target
Item # 421336
Key Features
Made with E-Z Flex soft foam material
Designed for quick and easy arrow removal
Economical target with replaceable core
Measures 36"H x 46"L
Our Price $449.99
Availability: Sold Out
- Additional freight charge of $10.00 per item.
Prices, promotions, styles and availability may vary by store and online.
back to topProduct Description
Made with E-Z Flex soft foam, McKenzie's Xtreme Series 3D Pronghorn Antelope Target is designed for shooters who want the quickest and easiest arrow removal. Its E-Z Flex core can be replaced as often as necessary without replacing the entire target, making this high-quality target the most economical choice for any shooter. Measures 36"H x 46"L. Additional $10.00 shipping charge.


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More than just a Pet Tag
Utilizing Mobile Technology to make your companion's life easier.
What's New:
A Collar Above and MobiPetTags
September 15, 2011
MobiPetTag Systems, the leader in mobile Wireless Pet ID Tags and "A Collar Above" the leading manufacturer of custom designed cloth and leather dog and cat collars, have agreed to combine MobiPetTags' metal (Al & SS) Wireless Pet ID Tags with "A Collar Above" dog and cat collars. Now owners can doubly protect their companion with MobiPetTags' "Safe-Attached" on-collar Wireless Pet ID Tags with an integrated collar from "A Collar Above".
Current News:
Natural Disaster's Hidden Costs
May 9, 2011
When Tornados, Floods or Hurricanes occur; pets, horses and other animals can be separated from their owners and families by miles and for extended periods of time. Pets can be adopted out during the separation in an attempt to help the wondering animal. So when the original owner tries to reclaim their family member – ownership may have to be proven on the spot to get your family member back. Same thing may occur for horses and other animals. For these reasons, MobiPetTags has announced an additional "Pet ID Photo" option for MobiPetTags customers, where they can keep up to 10 photos of personal pet photos specifically taken for identification purposes. All of the photos are available in seconds from our customer's "Pet Information Page". Thus if you are ever separated from your companion by events beyond your control you will always have at your finger tips the proof you will need to get your companion back with your family.
Disaster Preparedness Links:
International Travel Preparedness
Recent Events:
MobiPetTags Goes International
April 25, 2011
MobiPetTags is launching programs into Canada, Australia, Turkey and the
Netherlands. We are very excited to announce that our international Pet Parents
can now purchase selective products to help them provide the protective critical
information for their companions when and where they need it. They can now
travel anywhere in the world and feel safe that they can protect their family's
WILLO Bookmarks


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March 6, 2011
New carved mugs on etsy
I've listed a few new mugs from the firing in my Etsy shop. The secret about the mug is the surprise on the bottom! I had fun making this new form, leaving more area for carving, and I also decided to carve the bottom. I'm working on this new "joy" stamp. I always have used a JT stamp, but I think it's time for a change and use my name. It just seems to fit.
Although I love the earth tones of a wood and soda kiln, dare I say I'm loving the pooling amber and sage green glazes in the carving pattern? I've been feeling a pull in this carving direction and might even try some new things that are brewing underneath...maybe in the gas kiln that is up at the studio.
Until then, I'm still loving the contrast with the rich red wood fired stoneware below the pooling glaze.
8 comments:
- barbaradonovan said...
I love surprises like that on the bottems of pots. I carve a quick little image on the bottems of pots also. Lovely pots.
:) - Sunday, March 6, 2011 at 11:59:00 AM EST
- Trish said...
Love the mugs and the carving anywhere you put it.:)T.
- Monday, March 7, 2011 at 1:26:00 AM EST
- TropiClay Studio said...
Really jazzed about the new designs and carvings! They look great!
- Monday, March 7, 2011 at 3:39:00 AM EST
- laura weant johnson said...
gorgeous, beautiful!!! i have to have one...or two....
- Monday, March 7, 2011 at 7:36:00 AM EST
- Joy Tanner said...
thanks for the comments!
- Monday, March 7, 2011 at 9:19:00 AM EST
- lucyfagellapottery said...
Really nice mugs! The carving really creates a dynamic surface. Great contrast too between the carved and un-carved!
- Wednesday, March 9, 2011 at 7:01:00 PM EST
- Michael Kline said...
these are beautiful, Joy! keep on with the patterns!
- Friday, March 11, 2011 at 12:27:00 PM EST
- Allison Kruskamp said...
What fun!
- Monday, March 14, 2011 at 2:23:00 PM EDT
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Short-Toss Pitching Screen
JUGS Short-Toss Pitching Screen
JUGS Sports has created a line of fixed-framed protective screen products that you will surely be able to find one that fits your need. The JUGS Fixed Frame Short-Toss Screen is perfect for your practice from youth to adult to work on hitting fundamentals from close distances. Short toss drills will help improve a hitter's bat speed as they have a shorter reaction time from the close distance.
The short toss screen is 6.5' H x 4' W so it will give you plenty of protection. The hallmark of a JUGS Fixed Frame Protective Screen is its durability. JUGS Fixed Frame Protective Screens come with Forever-Tight carriage bolts so your screen will not come apart during practice or during transport. Bolt together assembly with all tools supplied make for fast and easy assembly and the netting slips over the frame like a pillow case providing a double-thickness of 691-90 ply, Poly-E netting which is the strongest screen available from JUGS. The JUGS Fixed-Frame Short-Toss Screen also comes with top of the frame overhang that will protect you from ricocheted balls. All JUGS Fixed-Frame Protective Screens come with heavy-duty bolt-on legs. The JUGS Fixed-Frame Protective Screens come weather treated and with a 1 5/8 powder-coated steel frame, so they are built to last.
All of the fixed frame products weigh 35 pounds so they are portable and easy to move or store when practice is over. JUGS Fixed-Frame Protective Screens come with a one year guarantee on both the netting and frame.
- Bolt-together assembly
- Weighs less than 35 pounds
- Assembly tools supplied
- Double-thick 691-90 ply, Poly-E netting
- 1 year guarantee on netting and frame
- Weather treated
- 1 5/8 powder-coated steel frames
The first JUGS product, a curve ball pitching machine, has developed into one of the most revolutionary training aids for all phases of the game of baseball. Other JUGS products which have spun off of this original concept are causing just as much excitement in their respective areas. Throughout the research and development of every JUGS product, John Paulson's methodology remained consistent - observe how athletes practice their respective sport, then develop machinery that would help these athletes improve to their highest possible level. Now, teams in seven other sports are enjoying better practices because of JUGS products.
Unique-Sports has been a trusted resource for JUGS pitching machines, JUGS Batting Cages, JUGS protective screens, and JUGS pitching machine accessories for over 13 years. Unique-Sports is an invaluable on-line resource for baseball players, baseball coaches, baseball youth leagues, and scholastic baseball programs across the United States. The Unique-Sports team is comprised of former baseball players, current baseball players, baseball coaches, and sports enthusiasts that have hands on experience in the use and benefit of the JUGS products we sell.
If you have any questions about this JUGS product please do not hesitate to contact us at 1-800-297-0747. A member of the Unique-Sports team will be happy to research any JUGS product or another product line you may be interested in, help you customize a solution for your exact needs, or make recommendations based on your budget or intended use. We have the lowest prices on-line…guaranteed!
Our prices, selection, and quality are unbeatable - but our love of the game... that's what makes us UNIQUE!
About JUGS
JUGS ball-throwing machines are a common site on high school and college practice fields across the country. In fact,over 85,000 teams use a JUGS machine at their practices. That means the most widely used practice machines in the world are made by JUGS.
Choose the one that best fits your needs and see how JUGS & Unique-Sports can help you become the athlete you can be. Don't forget, we offer FREE shipping on every order....that is what makes us Unique!


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By Rusty Brauner, Mandevile, Louisiana
Located on the shores of Lake Pontchartrain, we live just north of New Orleans. I've spent years clearing out our 1.6-acre property and made many mistakes along the way. But with each mishap, I became better at creating an easy-to-care-for landscape.
For example, I learned the hard way to consider the mature size of trees before investing lots of effort and money into sun-loving flowers and shrubs. As my sun gardens withered and disappeared under the shadows of the towering pines on my property, I was left little choice but to learn about shade gardening.
Eventually, I nurtured a humble, shade-tolerant yard beneath the trees until August 29, 2005, when Hurricane Katrina raged through.
As the whole nation now knows, Katrina left behind a notorious amount of destruction and heartache. After evacuating for 2 weeks, we returned home to a disaster.
The violent wind had flattened and uprooted more than three dozen of our trees. And when the trees came down, they crushed everything beneath them, including our house, deck and gardens.
Our first priority was securing our home; then we could begin cleanup in the yard. This was overwhelming for one man with a chain saw, so we hired a crew to help. But when their equipment rolled through, the tractors destroyed even more of my yard.
It was heartbreaking to see all that work (and money) crushed by fallen trees and by tractors. But considering the tremendous destruction Katrina had done over the entire region, there was little time for self-pity. It was time to start over...yet again.
Caught up in the rebuilding frenzy, I decided our yard would be bigger and better than before.
After cleaning up countless limbs, pinecones and tree stumps, truckloads of soil were used to fill stump holes and wheel ruts.
I also constructed meandering trails around the yard that intersected at key spots. And so I could later install fountains and a waterfall, I made sure to run electricity to those specific locations. Now that the framework was finished, it was time for spring planting.
I chose trees of different heights to add more dimension to the yard. Tall trees like pine, cypress and magnolia tower over the dogwood, Japanese maple and crape myrtle I planted.
Shrubs, annuals and perennials were next. Oakleaf hydrangea, ginger, caladium and coleus proved to be a few of my favorite shade plants.
Today, our yard is a daily lesson of trial and error. I've learned that just because plants are listed in our hardiness zone doesn't mean they'll grow. One plant may thrive in cooler temps, but won't survive the summer heat. I've also found that simple things like the quality of your soil can have a huge effect on the end result.
Another unwelcome side effect after Katrina were the Southern pine beetles that infested our region. They attacked pine trees that were stressed by storm damage. I have lost four more mature trees to the beetles since the storm.
My garden is still suffering from Katrina's effects. But through it all emerged an overall pride in our backyard and a strong will to rebuild better than before.
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Letter: 'Rain tax' is unconstitutional, reader says
Our politics has reached a new low when the elected representatives who have sworn to uphold the Illinois State Constitution and the U.S. Constitution choose to ignore it.
The Illinois General Assembly passed House Bill 1522 – the rainwater tax – and Governor Quinn then signed it in July. This law applies only to Peoria and DuPage counties. Whereas the taxpayers in Peoria will vote whether to accept this tax, DuPage residents do not have the same opportunity, according to the law.
This law does not provide equal protection, therefore, it is unconstitutional.
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updated | rating | ||
pc ps3 Looks like it's that time again, kids! Time for another indie bundle to tempt your wallet and Steam account. Some of Britain's most successful independent game developers have come together in a show of jolly-good cooperation... | 10-06-2011 | ||
ps3 El Shaddai is not Spanish for "the Shaddai." In fact, Latin America may be one of the only regions not represented by El Shaddai in some way. The game features British and American voice actors (including at least one Harry P... | 08-16-2011 |
updated | rating | ||


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My husband and I flew over from Antigua for a 2 day stay on Barbuda. We loved the Palm Tree from the start. After a glitch trying to rent a car, we were able to explore this great island at our leisure. Cerene was very helpful directing us to the things we wanted to do. We enjoyed breakfast in her... More
- Also Known As:
- Palm Tree Guest House Barbuda/Codrington
- Official Description (provided by the hotel):
- Comfortable living in beautiful Codrington, Barbuda. ... more less


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Secret Agent Man explains why agents sometimes have to pass on talented actors.
Secret Agent Man
- Advice
- Advice
An Agent's Uncensored Notes From a One-on-One Workshop
Secret Agent Man had a hilariously rough night at a recent workshop—and now he's sharing his notes so you won't make the mistakes others did.
- Advice
When Should You Give Up Acting?
Administer a reality check every five years, says Secret Agent Man, to decide if you should continue to pursue your dreams.
- Advice
The Special Joys of Pilot Season in L.A.
Don't worry about not having representation or a lengthy résumé. Agents like Secret Agent Man just love to help out passionate newbies during the busiest time of the year.
- Advice
How To Understand What an Audition Means for the Big Picture
Secret Agent Man needs you to look past the chance to act and see what each audition could mean for your future career.
- Advice
How To Survive The Aftermath of Your Audition
Secret Agent Man breaks down how to react when the audition has ended and you're back in the real world.
- Advice
3 Major Points of Guest-Star Bookings
From dressing rooms to billing, Secret Agent Man explains what a guest-star booking entails.
- Advice
To Succeed, Capitalize on Opportunities When They Arise
Secret Agent Man breaks down the reasons actors don't succeed, and how to avoid those common mistakes if you have the talent.
- Advice
The Dragons of Scam Artists and Bad Teachers in Acting Careers
Secret Agent Man continues crying out that actors need to beware the dragons of con artists and unprofessionals.
- Advice
The Logistics of Moving to L.A.
Secret Agent Man breaks down your first few months in L.A.—and your priorities shouldn't be what you think they are.


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Custom Solutions for Every Testing Need
LitePoint delivers intelligent testing solutions for a dynamic wireless ecosystem. We collaborate with developers, component manufacturers, and industry leaders to create agile systems capable of analyzing the entire landscape.
From the Common Device to the Newly Conceived, We Streamline the Process
Our platforms are driven by software: simple in design and intuitive in operation. Most importantly, they perform directly out of the box – no complex hardware or custom programming necessary, just the results you expect with efficiency you have only imagined.


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Are the Kardashian-Disick family headed Down Under?! Kourtney sure looks like she is rockin' a hat straight out of the Outback!!
Seriously though, I've no idea where they are headed but Kourtney Kardashian, her baby daddy Scott Disick, and their adorable little boy Mason as they prepared to depart from Los Angeles International Airport in California on Wednesday, December 29th, 2010.
It seems like it was only yesterday that the reality star was pregnant with Scott's seed and nearly two weeks ago he just welcomed his first year of life. In no time we will see the youngest Disick with a reality television show of his own!
Similar Posts:
- Kourtney Kardashian hangs with her boys
- Kourtney Kardashian takes Mason to party!
- Kourtney Kardashian is a busy bee
- Kourtney Kardashian spends the day with her boys
- Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick ignore wedding rumors


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Secure your mobile workforce with integrated, proactive security to protect systems against sophisticated malware and zero-day threats. Centralized policy-based management, access control, and auditing help keep your assets safe and compliant.
Former Product Name: Total Protection for Endpoint Standard Edition
Use your grant number to download new software, upgrades, maintenance releases, and documentation.
Need help? If you experience difficulties locating your product, or require assistance with your grant number or licensing, please click here.


text:
Video: Lee Corso shoots a gun on College GameDay
Lee Corso has had an interesting past two weeks. Last weekend he was cut on the face after he pretended to stab each member of the GameDay crew with a sword after picking USC. For an encore, this week he picked Oklahoma State and fired off two pistols and a rifle. Terrifying.
This actually isn't the first time this has happened. Corso shot some guns after he picked Oklahoma State a few years ago as well.
Question: Why does everyone keep giving Corso weapons?
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DOUGLAS COUNTY, COLO. -- The Douglas County Internet Crimes Against Children Unit arrested 32-year-old Sean Scott Tuesday for sexual exploitation of children.
Deputies from the Douglas County Sheriff's Office and Pueblo County Sheriff's Office arrested Scott, who is from Pueblo. Detectives said they found a computer sharing several images of child pornography and traced it to Scott's home.
Scott's bond is $100,000


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Do you have an event you want listed on visitpittsburgh.com?
It's easy, just fill out a Event Submission Form and you'll be notified when your event is up for visitors to view.
Carrnivale Theatrics is proud to bring the non-touring premiere of Next to Normal to Pittsburgh June 22-July 1 at the new Hazlett Theater. This ground-breaking musical has been hailed by Rolling Stone as " Breathtaking" and "The future of the American musical".