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School finally wrapped up here last week — July 6th was the last day. Although the school year extends a few weeks beyond what we're used to in the States, I never felt that end-of-the-year slog we always seem to get in June at home. The last few weeks of school were full of so many activities and events, and the children were still getting homework assigned right up until the last week, so the end of the year felt less like a drag.
Having now finished our first year of British schools, I am overwhelmingly proud of what my children accomplished. All four of them made good friends, threw themselves into school activities, and achieved impressive grades and phenomenal feedback from their teachers.
Bridget finished in the top three of her class, with such high marks in every subject it seems hard to imagine a way she could improve academically. She participated in the school production of MacBeth, she did equestrian lessons throughout the entire school year, she joined the Drama Club, the CSI Club, the Football (soccer) Club, and a singing club. She ran cross-country for the school in regional competition. She just knocked every single thing out of the park. And she did it in a school environment MUCH closer to what I experienced in college than in elementary, middle, or even high school at home. She had 17+ different teachers, 13+ subjects, and had to make her way around a large campus with the correct materials for each class every day. I was completely amazed by her organization and responsibility and willingness to try new things. And I am simply astounded by her academic achievements.
Gabriel has blossomed this year perhaps more than any of the other kids. More than one time in this school year he said to me that he felt like "he mattered" at his school — that his presence there made an impact. I can think of nothing that I want more for my kids than to feel like they matter. He improved vastly in his academics from the beginning of the school year to the end, and he worked hard and constantly to do so. The expectations placed on him here were much higher than those he was accustomed to, and he rose to the challenge. He discovered a love of history that I would never have expected, to the point where our dinner conversations are often initiated by Gabe telling us about a specific period or event in history while the other kids chime in and Matt and I sit there with big, stupid grins on our faces. Gabe also made the A-team in every season — all in sports he had never played before (soccer, field hockey, and cricket). He joined the school choir and sang with them in the play put on by the Year 6 kids. He loved singing and loved the play so much, again surprising me with an interest I would not have expected from him.
Owen was my toughest nut to crack, not seeming as affected by the major changes when school first started or as engaged in the new environment. He certainly dove in, joining the running club, the chess club, and making the A-team in soccer for his year, but he didn't seem to make the connection that more effort was required, particularly in the classroom, for him to be really successful. Partway through the school year, though, he received a student report — essentially a long-form report card in which each of his teachers from all of his subjects wrote out a few sentences describing Owen's strengths and weaknesses. Across the board teachers said that he was doing passably well, but certainly not reaching his own potential. They said that he rushed through work and didn't fully apply himself to the best of his own ability. I made him read it. He spent the last half of the school year more engaged and trying harder to do well on his assignments than I have ever seen him. He made the A-team in hockey and cricket as well, and he brought all his grades up and his effort marks up in almost every class. He was a changed man after reading that report, and I can't wait to see him get back to it when school starts again in the fall.
Then there was Quinn, who, in his first year in full-time school was thrust into an environment that none of us was familiar with. When he started the school year, we realized he was a bit behind his peers, who already had a full school year under their belts since British schools start at age four. He met with a remedial specialist for the first term up through Christmas to catch up in areas where he was lagging. In those three months, he not only caught up, he surpassed his peers and amazed us all. He has found that he loves math especially and is also thrilled with learning new languages — his French and Spanish classes are some of his favorites. He was a Wise Man in the Christmas Nativity play and was completely comfortable and happy on stage in front of 200 parents. He made friends as quickly and happily and easily as he always has and knew every kid in his grade and the grades above and below him in no time. Quinn, as always, loved everything he did and made us all love it too because of his enthusiasm and joy.
I know that this school year could have gone very differently; there are more strict expectations within the school here and a higher standard for behavior, effort, and academics. My kids could have balked and made the year miserable for all of us. But they didn't; they embraced the changes, grew more mature and responsible across the board, and threw themselves into their new life with abandon. I am so grateful and so proud of them all.
The weather is finally hitting the 70s pretty consistently, after the rainiest June anyone here can remember, July has been nicely sunny, and we're all ready for some relaxation! On to summer vacation!
Also, here are some of my thoughts on why the British school system we're in is so awesome.


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Beryl to hit near Jacksonville as moderate TS, will bring rain relief to SE U.S.
Subtropical Storm Beryl formed yesterday as expected, and is now a well-defined area of low pressure due east of Savannah, Georgia. Thunderstorm activity is a bit lacking this morning, and the circulation is a bit naked. The reason Beryl looks worse today is because she has become vertically stacked beneath the upper low that was to her west yesterday, and thus she has lost baroclinic support, and is being forced to use tropical processes (thunderstorms) to maintain herself. Ship reports indicate she hasn't really weakened, but she definitely has not strengthened since last night either. A recon plane will investigate her in a couple of hours to better gauge her strength. As discussed previously, the limiting factor for Beryl is dry air being entrained from her west. She has more moisture available than Alberto did, but it will still be difficult for her to sustain heavy convection over her center. Beryl will be moving over the Gulf Stream tonight, with SSTs 1.0-1.5C warmer than what she is currently over, and that should help her increase convective activity. Popcorn convection bands are apparent in visible imagery wrapping in towards the center, indicating that the environment is still unstable enough to allow thunderstorm development if enough moisture convergence is present. Again, warmer waters will likely help that later today.
Beryl should reach peak strength prior to landfall, and then weaken slightly just before landfall as she moves over the cold shelf waters off the coastline. Beryl's peak intensity should still reach near 60mph if she can develop convection tonight. If she fails to do this, her maximum winds will remain near 45mph until landfall. The ECMWF last night showed Beryl deepening to 997mb before landfall, supporting the idea that she can still strengthen slightly into a moderate tropical storm. Models are coming into tighter agreement on landfall right in the center of the window outlined yesterday, near Jacksonville, Florida plus or minus 30-40 miles or so. After moving inland, the blocking ridge that forced Beryl into the coast will break down in the face of a longwave trough moving across the northern U.S., and this should bring Beryl out to the northeast near the coastline of the Carolinas. If she makes it back over the water, redevelopment may be possible. Some models develop her into a stronger tropical cyclone as she moves out to sea than she ever was before landfall. The outer banks of North Carolina may have a blustery day if this occurs. For all of the southeastern states, this track will bring a few inches of rainfall to the drought-stricken areas that need it badly. It isn't enough to bust the drought, but it's rain.
Overall, Beryl is not a significant threat wind-wise, and will be more beneficial than not with her rainfall. A moderate tropical storm is expected at landfall, near 60mph in strength. This is a bit stronger than the NHC's peak intensity forecast of 50mph. After Beryl, the Atlantic should be quiet for at least a couple of weeks, and significant activity may not return until the 2nd half of June due to an unfavorable pressure pattern over North America. Alberto and Beryl are not signs of an above-average season since they were not purely tropical developments, and 2012 should still come in at the end as a near-average season.
We shall see what happens!
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Friday 9 December 2011
December 09, 2011
Bosnia War Victims Praise New Jolie Film
Hollywood star Angelina Jolie's directorial debut, "In the Land of Blood and Honey," tells the story of an ethnically mixed couple that is torn apart by the country's civil war. Initially, victims' groups resisted the film. On December 8, Jolie brought the film to Sarajevo for a special screening.
December 09, 2011
'I Believe Iran Can Help Us,' Says Wife Of Captured FBI Agent
The family of American Robert Levinson, the former FBI agent who disappeared in Iran in 2007, has publicly released a video, which they said they received a year ago. The tape shows Levinson, looking haggard, talking about his captivity, and asking the U.S. government for help. More than four years after his disappearance, Levinson's wife, Christine, says his captors have still made no demands.
December 09, 2011
Nationalists Vs. Liberals: Old Schism Could Fracture Opposition Protest Movement
As Russia gears up for mass nationwide demonstrations on December 10, the presence of nationalist voices is unsettling some of Russia's ethnic minorities who are otherwise sympathetic to the movement's goals. It's a potential division that unnerves liberals and that the Kremlin is more than eager to exploit.
December 08, 2011
The Consequences Of Hiding From History
Twenty years ago today, the dissolution of the Soviet Union was declared. In a new book, journalist David Satter argues that the continuing failure to understand the roots of communism's human tragedy reinforces the authoritarianism of Russia's government today.
December 07, 2011
Will U.S. Move On Global Gay Rights Hurt, Or Help?
Gay-rights activists have welcomed a U.S. move to call on government agencies to lead the fight to combat antigay discrimination abroad. But others have warned it may make the struggle for gay rights even harder in parts of the world where anti-American sentiment is rising.
December 06, 2011
First Person: Life In Russia As A Non-Russian Child
Aida Kasymalieva reports from Moscow for RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service. This summer, she brought her 5-year-old daughter, Bermet, to Moscow from the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek, where she had been living with her grandparents. This is Kasymalieva's account of her daughter's experience of life in Russia.


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Containers by Reaves provides 12, 20, 30, and 40 cubic yard roll-off containers for your construction or demolition projects. Our long history in the roll-off container business means that we are uniquely qualified to provide optimum service – we understand the needs and challenges of today's construction and demolition projects. While our business is geared to the professional contractor, we also provide these same containers for residential customers.
We provide heavy-duty containers which are optimized for the construction/demolition environment. Our drivers are experienced and are eager to provide excellent, efficient service. We feature a flat-rate pricing structure – you never have to worry about someone placing a bucket-load of dirt or piece of concrete on a load and doubling the cost of disposal. We will work with you to provide dedicated trucking on your site to improve efficiency. We also have after-hours and weekend capability as well due to our access to a company-owned landfill.
Roll-Off Container Guidelines:
Our roll-off containers are built for the storage and transportation of construction and demolition debris only. We can accept lumber, bricks, blocks, slabs, packaging, pallets, tree/yard waste, non-asbestos fiberglass insulation and roofing, metals, etc. If you have a question about any material to be placed in the container, please call us BEFORE placing it in the load.
Do not overfill the container! The following conditions constitute an overfilled container:
- Any debris that is higher than the sides of the container.
- Any dirt or concrete in a 12-yard container or a 40-yard container; dirt and concrete cannot be placed in these size containers.
- Any dirt or concrete which fills a 20- or 30-yard container more than ½ full
- Our containers can weigh a maximum of 15 tons; the above guidelines assume loosely packed material. If you are filling the containers with dirt, please be sure to keep the overall level below these guidelines.
- If we are called to service a container and cannot service it because it is overloaded, your account will be charged a fee for the unsuccessful attempt. The container will not be serviced until it meets the proper guidelines.
The following types of hazardous materials cannot be placed in the container:
- Household garbage, including food waste
- Materials that contain asbestos
- Refrigerants including Freon or any appliances that contain refrigerants (refrigerators, air conditioners, etc.)
- Fluorescent bulbs (either whole or broken) or ballasts
- Railroad ties
- Mercury, or anything containing mercury (particularly thermostats)
- Liquids, including liquid paint
- Tires
- Batteries
- Any sort of electronics (computers, monitors, copiers, printers, televisions, microwave ovens, etc.)
The containers and the trucks hauling them can be very heavy. Many residential driveways are not constructed to handle the weight of the truck/container. We will attempt to place the container in the desired location, if it is safe to do so. Our drivers will work with your on-site personnel to place the container in such a way as to minimize damage to surrounding/underlying property.
Any damages resulting from the container or the truck is the sole responsibility of the customer.
Customers should never attempt to move a container on a site as damage may occur to the container or we may not be able to access the loaded container without property damage.
We will provide a container which is functional and structurally sound to your site. If a container is damaged while on the job site, the customer will be held responsible for the cost of the necessary repairs needed to return the container to service.


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I've even decided to get another container hire to put all kinds of food products in it because I plan on putting together a store in the other country that will have a lot of American goods, and I'm only putting in canned goods so far but plan to put in other goods that will have a shorter shelf life, right before I ship it off. Getting a container hire couldn't have been a better choice because not only is my house no longer clustered but I can find things in my home and don't have to walk around a lot of appliances and things that have been overtaking my house for months.
I didn't even pay a lot of money for the container hire, and they are going to pick it up from my property when I'm ready to ship it off, so I'm happy to know that I don't have to do anything but fill the container when I'm ready, and the fee for the ANL containers is more than reasonable. I'm already planning to buy a plane ticket to go to the other country to pick up my goods once they get there, so I'm very excited.


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Navigation Menu
Fundamentals of Online Searching
This lesson will introduce you to basic concepts for formulating searches of library online catalogs, periodical indexes and the World Wide Web.
Library catalogs, indexes to periodicals, and the World Wide Web are all databases. They have structural similarities and underlying organizational principles for the information they contain. The telephone book, your address book, and the grocery store are databases of a sort too. All of these have an internal organization that helps you find what you need--whether it be a telephone number, an address, a particular kind of soup, a book of poetry criticism, or an article on television's effect on young children.
When you are looking for chips and other snacks in Bruno's, you are searching a database. The aisles of the grocery store are organized by type of food. The telephone book has two kinds of organization--the residential and business sections are arranged alphabetically, the yellow pages by category. The online catalog and periodical indexes are organized primarily by title, author, and subject matter.
Finding the information you need to investigate and support your thesis will be more effective and efficient when you know and take advantage of the structure of a library online catalog or a periodical index. We generally understand how grocery stores or music stores are structured. You don't look for sour cream and onion Tostitos in the dairy department. You don't look for a CD by Destiny's Child in the classical music section of the shoe store.
The next sections will introduce you to the organization of library online catalogs, periodical indexes, and the WWW, and introduce fundamental concepts necessary to make the most of your searches.


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Price: $189.95
Bib Overall Unlined Duck Size 52-60
Carhartt Style # R01X Unlined Bib is made of heavy 12-ounce, top quality spun cotton duck. It features a variety of handy tool and utility pockets as well as a hammer loop. Double knees are provided to accommodate knee pads Working Concepts Soft Knees Knee Pads and, of course, feature cleanout bottoms. Back pockets are reinforced.


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We can help you support your learners to succeed and progress with our new suite of flexible, multi-pathway vocational qualifications.
We wanted to make sure that our qualifications are what your learners, teachers and trainers really need. So we have developed them with the support of further education colleges, training providers and adult community learning providers. They are consistent with the principles for study programmes for 16-19 year olds. In addition, they are relevant - particularly in the case of the smaller qualifications - for adults, including those who are unemployed.
All the learning units and many of the vocational units, in the new Level 1 qualifications come with free exemplar learning resources, which include unit content and information, tutor guidance, schemes of work, lesson plans, classroom activities and assignment briefs.
The entry level Award and Certificate in Skills for Vocational Studies have been designed to provide a flexible approach to study. They combine units from across 12 vocational pathways alongside learning and employability skills, English, maths and ICT.
Offer your learners a flexible approach for successful study with our suite of Level 1 Skills for Professions qualifications. These are available in 12 vocational pathways and include a range of learning and employability skills units to suit the different needs of your learners.
The level 1 Award and Certificate in Skills for Vocational Studies combine units from the 11 vocational pathways in the Level 1 Skills for Professions, with additional units in maths and engineering. They provide a particular flexibility that enables learners to study units from more than one vocational sector.
The aim of the Level 1 Certificate in Learning and Employability Skills for Progression to Vocational Study is to provide learners with the skills and knowledge required to progress to vocational study in any sector. It combines learning units at Level 1 and employability units at Level 2.
This suite of qualifications provides learners with the opportunity to consolidate and extend their learning in preparation for higher level vocational courses, Access to HE Diploma courses, apprenticeships or employment within one of 9 vocational areas. Their size makes them ideal to be delivered alongside GCSE English and/or maths.
Find out more about each qualification by clicking on the leaflet image or link to the qualification guide.
Enquire now!
Agricultural, Environmental and Animal Care
Animal Care
Applied Science and Technology
Building and Construction
Business, Administration and Finance
Creative and Digital
Early Years
Early Years and Social Care
Hair and Beauty
Health and Social Care
Health and Science
Hospitality and Catering
Information, Communication and Technology (ICT)
Public Services
Retail and Customer Service


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For the first few months of life, your baby won't be able to see much beyond your face, nor will your baby be able to distinguish between many colors. This is normal in infant vision development. When they're very young, babies are still strengthening their eye muscles and still learning how to use their eyes properly. These tips will help you encourage good vision in your baby and will help you recognize signs of problems.
Strengthening Your Baby's Vision
In the first year of life, strengthening your baby's vision involves giving your baby new and different things to look at, and encouraging your baby's eyes to work together as a pair. Below are some exercises that will help you with this:
- Hold your baby in different positions while breast feeding.
- Move your baby's bed on a regular basis to give your baby new things to look at.
- Put black and white patterns on the walls above your baby's crib and in rooms where your baby spends a lot of time.
- Talk to your baby while you walk around the room.
- Give your baby lots of tummy time. Get down on the floor with your baby to encourage him or her to look up at you.
- Show your baby age-appropriate toys. Hold each toy within arm's reach to encourage your baby to look at the toy, reach for the toy and take the toy.
- Hang a black and white mobile above your baby's bed. Activate the mobile on a regular basis.
Recognizing the Signs of Vision Problems
Being able to recognize the signs of infant vision problems can help you get your baby the medical treatment he or she needs. Here are a few of the warning signs:
- Sensitivity to light.
- One of your baby's eyes has a white or light spot (not red) inside the pupil that appears in photographs taken with flash.
- One of your baby's eyes is consistently "lazy."
- Your baby's eyes won't move together.
- Your baby's eyes are crossed.
It's important to note that some crossing is expected and acceptable. In addition, baby's eyes can appear crossed sometimes when in reality they're not. This is because of the structure of the baby's face, and is something that babies grow out of. You can tell whether or not your baby's eyes are actually crossed by looking at the reflected light in your baby's pupils. If the pinpoints of light appear in the same position in each pupil, the eyes are straight.
Many vision problems can be corrected or reversed if they're caught early enough. If your child shows any of the above signs of vision trouble, contact an optometrist like one from Montgomery Eye Center who gives eye exams right away.Share


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Updated: Dec 29, 2015
If you've been missing Jill Larson (Opal) now that ALL MY CHILDREN has ended, then be sure to check out Season 2 of the Web soap THE BAY! Larson will appear as Helen Kruegar, a feisty defense attorney who's brought in during a murder mystery.
"We are ecstatic to have the talented Jill Larson join us in Season 2," enthuses director/creator Gregori J. Martin. "This is my second time working with her. She is a powerhouse and I can't think of a better actress to play this part."
Larson shot her first scenes today, October 28, and will appear on THE BAY in early 2012. To check out the Web series, visit www.thebaytheseries.com.


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It was fun while it lasted.
The passionate battle fought recently over the redesign of 2 Columbus Circle, the curious white marble structure built by Huntington Hartford to house his art collection, was reminiscent of the preservation wars of the 1960s.
When was the last time you saw preservationists marching in the streets? Or best-selling writers like Tom Wolfe venting about a building project on the editorial pages? At least we were reminded that architecture is not just about exquisite baubles for the superrich. It can still feel threatening.
Now, with the opening this weekend of the newly renovated building as the Museum of Arts and Design, the public will finally be able to judge for itself whether it was a sin to disfigure the 1964 original.
Already a few things are blazingly clear. Designed by Brad Cloepfil of Allied Works Architecture, the renovation remedies the annoying functional defects that had plagued the building for decades. But this is not the bold architectural statement that might have justified the destruction of an important piece of New York history. Poorly detailed and lacking in confidence, the project is a victory only for people who favor the safe and inoffensive and have always been squeamish about the frictions that give this city its vitality.
Granted, Edward Durell Stone's original building was not without its flaws. The art galleries, which stepped up around an elevator core, were dark and cramped. The blank marble facade senselessly blocked out stunning views of Columbus Circle and Central Park.Continue reading the main story
Yet as many observers have pointed out, Stone's building occupied a crucial niche in the city's architectural memory. Its vague evocation of opulent Venetian motifs was a brazen attack on the prevailing Modernist orthodoxy. That the challenge came from one of the Modern movement's foremost practitioners in New York only sharpened the sting.
By contrast, Mr. Cloepfil's redesign is part of a long-term effort to clean up Columbus Circle's once-gritty image, with mixed results. The chiseled towers of the Time Warner Center, completed in 2003 just to the west along the circle, look great in the skyline, but they are planted atop a dismally generic urban shopping mall. The renovation of Columbus Circle, on the other hand, was a nice surprise: a deadening traffic island has been transformed into a grand public space encircled by fountains and benches.
Sadly, the Museum of Arts and Design will only reinforce the suspicion that city officials are more intent on sanitizing the city for jittery tourists and business interests than safeguarding the public realm.
Mr. Cloepfil retained the form of the building, with its gently concave facade, but wrapped it in a new skin of glazed terra-cotta tiles. A single incision cuts up and across the facade as if it were unzipped.
The architectural challenge was to reshape the building's identity without ripping out its soul. But seen from across Columbus Circle by daylight, the new exterior looks sterile. The scale and site of the building, a modest structure on a tiny piece of land surrounded by gargantuan towers, demanded something bold; Mr. Cloepfil's tendency is toward the precious.
At ground level, for example, he decided to keep all of Stone's original so-called lollipop columns except one and wrapped the entire base in glass. As a result, the columns look meek and lifeless, as if they had been embalmed.
Above, the thousands of terra-cotta tiles have an attractive candy-coated gloss, especially at dusk, when they glitter in the reflected light. But their diminutive size makes them seem slightly fussy and out of place.
The cut is a more confident gesture — until it reaches the top, where it dissolves into a band of windows. (In Mr. Cloepfil's defense, he says he demurred at creating this vast expanse of glass, but the museum insisted on it.)
The disappointments continue inside, where Mr. Cloepfil demonstrates his practical skills, but none of the virtuosity — a feel for materials and structure, for the play of light across surfaces — that can elevate a design from mundane concerns into the lofty realm of art.
Mr. Cloepfil cleans up the convoluted circulation route through the building, for instance, which allows him to create more generous spaces within a limited floor plate. He removed two emergency staircases that had been tucked into the building's back corners, replacing them with a single stairway behind the elevator core. He also carved windows into the northeast and northwest corners of the gallery floors. The windows allow light into the galleries without sacrificing wall space, provide gorgeous views up Broadway and out over Central Park and allow the galleries to breathe, an effect that is a bit like loosening a corset.
But the critical strategy here is the incision, which runs across the gallery floors and ceilings as well as up the exterior facade. The power of this idea arises from its violence. If its relentless logic holds, it will have a destabilizing effect on the viewer, as if the very structure that holds the building together is being cut away.
Yet Mr. Cloepfil undermines this gesture through the carelessness of his detailing. At the point where the incision turns from the wall and cuts across the ceiling, for example, a section of drywall is left at the corner; the result reads as two separate slots of glass instead of a continuous cut through the building.
Similarly, narrow strips of wood separate the glass channels that run across the gallery floors from the window frames, which makes the incisions feel decorative rather than like a clean surgical cut.
These are not minor details. They are critical to how ideas are conveyed; when used effectively, the impact is visceral and immediate. The mind doesn't take time to interpret, step by step, the architect's intention. This is what separates pedestrian work from serious architecture.
You can't help but think of Gordon Matta-Clark, who famously carved up abandoned New York buildings with a power saw in the 1970s. His works, though considered art, were often a harsh commentary on his era, a reflection on the disintegration of the fragile social fabric that bound the city together. Yet by cutting structures apart and allowing the light to flow in, he was also illuminating dark, forbidden corners, exposing their beauty and fragility.
In Mr. Cloepfil's hands, the same gesture is mild and timid. Harsh edges have been smoothed over. We're left with an image of a New York that has been scrubbed of any real meaning.Continue reading the main story


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21 September (Part 2) - Parking outside schools. Always a problem
When I was at school only one teacher regularly brought his car to school (a lime green MG) and I
have no recollection of any pupil being driven in by a parent. Certainly I never
was even though my father owned a car and it was about 12 miles by road from
home to school. But times change and now 'the school run' is a problem everywhere.
Bexleyheath Academy in Woolwich Road is no exception and the head teacher
has been engaged in a campaign to make access to his school safer.
On June 18th 2014 his efforts were featured in the News Shopper. Councillor Don Massey told the paper he was pleased that students were taking the issue seriously; so presumably he was fully behind their efforts. But was his sound bite translated into real action? Nope! Afraid not. Here is what the head teacher wrote to parents a couple of days ago…
All the ideas put forward, zebra crossing, 20 m.p.h. zone, speed humps, mini-roundabout, were rejected. The head teacher reported that his pupils felt they were "simply not listened to". Well that is what Bexley council does and they will have learned a good and useful lesson.
Personally I think that humps and 20 m.p.h. zones are a waste of money but it's hard to think of a reason not to have a pedestrian crossing. It's a busy road and it's a big school. It must be the cuts again.
Click images for the complete documents.
Note: The letter from the head teacher was reconstructed from a text file. The layout varies from the original document.


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Robert-François Damiens
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
Related e
Robert-François Damiens (9 January 1715 – 28 March 1757) was a French domestic servant whose attempted assassination of King Louis XV of France in 1757 culminated in his notorious and controversial public execution. He was the last person to be executed in France by drawing and quartering, the traditional and gruesome form of death penalty used for regicides.
Early life
Damiens was born on 9 January 1715 in La Thieuloye, a village near Arras in northern France. He enlisted in the army at an early age. After his discharge, he became a domestic servant at the college of the Jesuits in Paris, and was dismissed from this as well as from other employments for misconduct, earning him the epithet of Robert le Diable (Robert the Devil).
Damiens' motivation has always been questionable: historians often describe him as mentally unstable. From his answers under interrogation, Damiens seems to have been excited by the schismatic uproar which followed the refusal of the French Catholic clergy to grant holy sacraments to the Jansenists, a sect which was considered heretical. He appears to have planned a punishment for the king, upon whom he placed ultimate blame.
Assassination attempt
On 5 January 1757, as the king was entering his carriage, Damiens rushed forward and stabbed him with a knife, inflicting only a slight wound. He made no attempt to escape, and was apprehended at once. He was then tortured to force him to divulge the identity of his accomplices or those who had sent him. This was unsuccessful. He was condemned as a regicide by the Parlement of Paris, and sentenced to be drawn and quartered by horses at the Place de Grève.
Torture and execution
Fetched from his prison cell on the morning of 28 March 1757, Damiens allegedly said "La journée sera rude" ("The day will be hard"). He was tortured first with red-hot pincers; his hand, holding the knife used in the attempted assassination, was burned using sulphur; molten wax, molten lead, and boiling oil were poured into his wounds. He was then remanded to the royal executioner, Charles Henri Sanson, who harnessed horses to his arms and legs to be dismembered. But Damiens' limbs did not separate easily: the officiants ordered Sanson to cut Damiens' joints with an axe. Once Damiens was dismembered to the applause of the crowd, his reportedly still-living torso was burnt at the stake.
After his death, the remains of Damiens' corpse were reduced to ashes and scattered in the wind. His house was razed to the ground, his brothers and sisters were ordered to change their names, and his father, wife, and daughter were banished from France.
Because France had not experienced a regicide for a century and a half, Damiens' infamy endured. Forty years after his death, Arras' most notorious citizen was used against another Arras native, Maximilien Robespierre. The polarizing dictator of the French Revolution was described frequently by his enemies as the nephew of Damiens. Though completely untrue, the libel held considerable credibility among royalists and foreign sympathizers.
The execution was witnessed by famous 18th-century adventurer Giacomo Casanova, who included an account in his memoirs:
- We had the courage to watch the dreadful sight for four hours ... Damiens was a fanatic, who, with the idea of doing a good work and obtaining a heavenly reward, had tried to assassinate Louis XV; and though the attempt was a failure, and he only gave the king a slight wound, he was torn to pieces as if his crime had been consummated. ... I was several times obliged to turn away my face and to stop my ears as I heard his piercing shrieks, half of his body having been torn from him, but the Lambertini and Mme XXX did not budge an inch. Was it because their hearts were hardened? They told me, and I pretended to believe them, that their horror at the wretch's wickedness prevented them feeling that compassion which his unheard-of torments should have excited. --Book 2, Volume 5, Chapter 3
The philosopher Cesare Beccaria explicitly cited Damiens' fate when he condemned torture and the death penalty in his classic treatise On Crimes and Punishments (1764). Damiens's execution is also described and discussed at length in the introduction to Michel Foucault's study of systems of punishment, Discipline and Punish.
Thomas Paine in Rights of Man mentions Damiens' execution as an example of the cruelty of despotic governments; Paine argues that these methods were the reason why the masses dealt with their prisoners in such a cruel manner when the French Revolution occurred. An allusion to Damiens' attack and execution, and Casanova's account of it, are used by Mark Twain to suggest the cruelty and injustice of aristocratic power in chapter XVIII of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court.
Science fiction writer James Morrow draws on the incident for the trial of God in his novel Blameless in Abaddon. There is also a description of the death of Damiens in Peter Weiss' play Marat/Sade. The incident figures prominently in Hanns Heinz Ewers' frame story "The Execution of Damiens".
The execution is referenced by Charles Dickens in A Tale of Two Cities, Book the Second, Chapter XV.


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Robert Chambers (criminal)
Robert Chambers
Robert Emmet Chambers, Jr.
September 25, 1966
|Other names
|Preppy Killer
|Known for
|Murder of Jennifer Levin
|Home town
|New York City, New York, U.S.
|Criminal charge
Selling a controlled substance
|Criminal penalty
|Selling a controlled substance - January 25, 2024; his maximum release date is October 15, 2026
|Criminal status
|Released after serving manslaughter term; currently incarcerated for selling a controlled substance
Robert Emmet Chambers Jr.[1] (born September 25, 1966) is an American criminal and convicted murderer, nicknamed the Preppy Killer by the media after the August 26, 1986, New York City Central Park strangulation death of 18-year-old Jennifer Levin. Chambers was charged with second degree murder. He claimed the death was accidental and the result of "rough sex", and later pleaded guilty to manslaughter at the end of his trial.
Early life[edit]
Robert Chambers was raised by his mother, Phyllis (née Shanley), a nurse who emigrated from County Leitrim, Ireland, to New York City. He was an altar boy and attended a series of prep schools on scholarship, since his mother could not afford to pay private school tuition. Chambers did not prosper in an environment in which many of his classmates were considerably better off than he was, and had problems with poor grades and antisocial behavior, including stealing and drug abuse. Among the schools he attended were Saint David's School, Choate-Rosemary Hall, the Browning School and York Preparatory School.
Chambers was accepted by Boston University, where he completed one semester but was asked to leave because of difficulties, one involving a stolen credit card. He subsequently committed other petty thefts and burglaries in connection with his drug and alcohol abuse. Unable to hold a job, he was issued a summons for disorderly conduct one night after leaving Dorrian's Red Hand, a bar located at 300 East 84th Street in Manhattan. Chambers destroyed the summons as the police were leaving the scene, yelling, "You fucking cowards, you should stick to niggers!"[2] He later entered and was discharged from the Hazelden Clinic in Minnesota, an addiction treatment center.
Killing of Jennifer Levin[edit]
Jennifer Levin's half-naked corpse, covered in cuts, bruises and bite marks, was found by a cyclist in Central Park near Fifth Avenue and 83rd Street, behind the Metropolitan Museum of Art.[3] Clothing from Levin's upper body had been pushed up around her neck, and her skirt was around her waist.[2] The medical examiner's office determined she had been strangled. Police noted there were numerous cuts and bruises on her neck, both from the strangulation and from her own fingernails as she clawed at her killer's hands. Later, Chambers hid and watched as police officers surveyed the scene. Investigators found Levin's underwear some 50 yards (46 m) away.[2]
Police were given Chambers' name by patrons at Dorrian's Red Hand, who had seen him leaving with Levin. When authorities arrived to question Chambers at his home, he had fresh scratches on his face and arms, which he initially said were "cat scratches". He was taken in for questioning.
Chambers changed his story several times: "his cat had been declawed"; he "didn't part from Levin immediately upon leaving the bar"; "she had parted from him to purchase cigarettes" (it was later discovered that Levin did not smoke). In the final version of his confession, he claimed that some time after he and Levin had left the bar, she had asked him for "rough sex", tied the 6 ft 5 in (196 cm) Chambers' hands with her panties, hurt his genitals as she stimulated him, and that she had been killed accidentally when he freed his hands and pushed her off him.
Confronted with this explanation, Assistant District Attorney Steve Saracco said: "I've been in this business for a while, and you're the first man I've seen raped in Central Park". The rape scenario was considered to be highly unlikely in light of the fact that Chambers was more than a foot taller than the 5 ft 4 in (163 cm) Levin, and at 220 lb (100 kg), he was almost double her weight.
Before booking, Chambers was permitted to see his father, to whom he said, "That fucking bitch, why didn't she leave me alone?"[4]
Archbishop Theodore Edgar McCarrick of Newark, New Jersey, later Archbishop of Washington, wrote a letter of support for Chambers' bail application. He had known Chambers and his mother because she had been employed as a nurse by Cardinal Terence Cooke. McCarrick was close to the Chambers family and had served as Robert's godfather at his baptism. Chambers had secured bail through his family and the owner of the bar, Jack Dorrian, who put up his townhouse as collateral for a bail bond.[5] He then remained free on bond for the two years leading up to his trial, reporting regularly to family friend Monsignor Thomas Leonard, a former teacher.
Chambers was charged with, and tried for, two counts of second-degree murder. His defense was that Levin's death had occurred during "rough sex". He was defended by Jack Litman, who had previously used the temporary insanity defense on behalf of Richard Herrin for the murder of Yale University student Bonnie Garland. Prosecutor Linda Fairstein stated: "In more than 8,000 cases of reported assaults in the last ten years, this is the first in which a male reported being sexually assaulted by a female."[6]
The case popularized the strategy later colloquially termed the "rough sex defense". The defense sought to depict Levin as a promiscuous woman who kept a "sex diary"; however, no such diary existed. Levin, instead, kept a small notebook that contained the names and phone numbers of her friends and notations of ordinary appointments. Such tactics were met with public outrage, with protesters (some calling themselves "Justice for Jennifer") demonstrating outside the courtroom.
With the jury deadlocked for nine days, a plea bargain was struck in which Chambers pleaded guilty to the lesser crime of manslaughter in the first degree, and to one count of burglary for his thefts in 1986. He was sentenced to serve five to fifteen years, with the sentence for burglary being served concurrently.
In April 1988, the tabloid television program A Current Affair broadcast a home video showing Chambers at a party when he was free on bail. He was shown in the video playing with four lingerie-clad girls, choking himself with his hands while making loud gagging noises, and twisting a Barbie doll's head off, saying in falsetto: "My name is ... Oops! I think I killed it."
Chambers served most of his 15-year sentence at Auburn State Prison, but was later moved to Clinton Correctional Facility due to several infractions, which cost him all his time off for good behavior. He assaulted a correctional officer and was cited repeatedly for weapons and drug infractions, some of which resulted in additional criminal charges. Ellen Levin, Jennifer Levin's mother, also petitioned to have his parole denied. Nearly five years of Chambers' term were served in solitary confinement.
In 1997, Chambers sent an untitled essay he wrote to prison anthologist Jeff Evans. The piece, subsequently titled "Christmas: Present", appeared in the book, Undoing Time: American Prisoners in Their Own Words.[7] Written while Chambers was incarcerated at Green Haven Correctional Facility in Stormville, New York, the essay is an entry from one of his journals, which he calls "a record of the meaningless hope and frightening losses of a person I don't even know".[8]
Chambers was released from Auburn Prison on February 14, 2003, after having served the entirety of his prison term due to his numerous infractions. His release was a media circus, with reporters staking out prime sections of sidewalk opposite the prison as early as thirteen hours before his 7:30 a.m. release time.[9] The same day, Dateline interviewed Chambers, who continued to claim that he strangled Levin accidentally in an attempt to stop her from hurting him during rough sex. He also falsely denied that he had been disciplined in prison.[10]
The owner of Dorrian's Red Hand settled with Levin's parents on their claim that the bar had served too much alcohol to Chambers. A wrongful death lawsuit, which Chambers did not contest, provides that he must pay all lump sums he receives, including any income from book or movie deals, plus ten percent of his future income (up to $25 million), to the Levin family.[9] The family has said all the money it gets from Chambers will go to victims' rights organizations.[11] Ellen Levin became an activist for victims' rights, helping to secure the passage of thirteen pieces of legislation.
After leaving prison, Chambers settled in Dalton, Georgia, with his girlfriend Shawn Kovell, who had appeared in the Barbie doll video made before his sentencing. The two lived there for eight to nine months. He found a job at the Pentafab dye factory. Chambers and Kovell moved to an East 57th Street Sutton Place, Manhattan, apartment in New York City, when the death of Kovell's mother in autumn 2003 left it vacant. Chambers found a job at a limousine company in Queens, and later in a New Jersey sports trophy manufacturer's engraving plant.
Drug charges[edit]
Shortly before Thanksgiving 2004, Chambers was stopped in his Saab for driving with a suspended driver's license on Harlem River Drive at 139th Street. A search of the car he was driving found glassine envelopes containing an unknown substance. Chambers was charged on November 29, 2004, with possession of heroin and cocaine, driving with a suspended license, and driving a car without a valid inspection sticker.
Chambers pleaded guilty in July 2005, and on August 29 was sentenced to a reduced sentence of 90 days in jail and fined $200 for the license violation. The judge added ten days to the time prosecutors and Chambers' lawyer had agreed on because Chambers was an hour late for the hearing. He had faced up to a year in jail if he had been convicted after trial.[12]
On October 22, 2007, Chambers was arrested again, this time in his own apartment,[13] and charged with three counts of selling a controlled substance in the first degree, three counts of selling a controlled substance in the second degree, and one count of resisting arrest.[14] Kovell was also arrested on one count of selling a controlled substance in the second degree. The New York Daily News reported:
Cops said Chambers, 41, struggled with officers who tried to handcuff him on the felony charges. One detective suffered a broken thumb in the fracas.[15]
Commenting on his new arrest, former Assistant District Attorney Linda Fairstein, who had prosecuted Chambers for Levin's death, said:
Doesn't surprise me. I always believed his problem with drugs and alcohol would get him in trouble again. He's had the opportunity in prison to detox and take college courses, to straighten out his life, but that clearly is of no interest to him. He's learned nothing in the last 20 years.[15]
Chambers and Kovell were charged with running a cocaine operation out of the apartment. The two had previously been given notices for not paying rent, and the phone had been disconnected.[16][17] Chambers appeared in court on December 18; according to the New York Post, his lawyer filed "new papers elaborating on his psychiatric defense".[18] The filing claimed that Chambers had become an addict at the age of 14 and was, by 2007, using ten to twelve bags of heroin a day. It was also reported that he also used cocaine, was smoking marijuana and taking prescription drugs. Chambers planned to plead insanity. Prosecutors countered that Chambers was a drug dealer and had sold as much as $2,800 in heroin at a time to undercover police. Chambers faced life in prison on the drug charges.[19]
On August 11, 2008, the Manhattan DA's office announced that Chambers had pleaded guilty to selling drugs. On September 2, 2008, he was sentenced to nineteen years on the drug charge.[20] As of March 2019, he is at Sullivan Correctional Facility, New York State Department of Corrections DIN (Department Identification Number) #08A4763. His earliest release date from prison is January 25, 2024; his maximum release date is October 15, 2026.[21]
In popular culture[edit]
- The Sonic Youth song "Eliminator Jr.", from their 1988 album Daydream Nation (1988) is about the Chambers case.[22]
- The song "Jenny Was a Friend of Mine" in The Killers' album Hot Fuss (2004) was inspired by Chambers' defense of the Jennifer Levin murder charges, in which Chambers claimed he had no motive for the murder, and that he and the victim were "friends".[22]
- In 1989, the Chambers case was the basis of a TV movie titled The Preppie Murder, starring William Baldwin as Chambers and Lara Flynn Boyle as Levin.[22]
- In 1990, the television series Law & Order based the episode "Kiss the Girls and Make Them Die" on the case.[22]
- Mike Doyle has stated that his character, Adam Guenzel on Oz, (1997–2003) was based on Chambers.[22]
- The 2003 Law & Order: Criminal Intent episode "Monster" was based on both the Chambers case and the Central Park Jogger case.[22]
- In the novel American Psycho, protagonist Patrick Bateman - wealthy, preppy serial killer - mentions trying to start a defense fund for Chambers.[22]
- AMC released a three-part mini-series "A Preppy Murder: Death in Central Park" in 2019. It originally aired from November 13th to November 15th.
- ^ Lambert, Bruce; Baker, Al (October 23, 2007). "'Preppy Killer' in Drug Arrest". The New York Times. New York City: New York Times Company. Retrieved November 20, 2007.
- ^ a b c Gado, Mark. "A Killing in Central Park: The Preppy Murder Case—Robert Chambers". Crime Library. TruTV. Retrieved November 20, 2007.
- ^ Raab, Selwyn (August 30, 1986). "Lawyer Weighs Plea of Insanity in Park Slaying". The New York Times. New York City: New York Times Company. Retrieved May 19, 2008.
- ^ Gado, Mark. "A Killing In Central Park: The Preppie Murder Case—'The First Man Raped in Central Park!'". Crime Library. TruTV. Archived from the original on October 26, 2007. Retrieved November 16, 2007.
- ^ "License Is Suspended At Dorrian's Red Hand". The New York Times. Associated Press. November 25, 1987. Retrieved November 20, 2007.
- ^ "We Remember: Preppy-Killer Robert Chambers". Gotham City Insider. October 23, 2007. Retrieved 2007-11-20.
- ^ Northeastern University Press, 2001
- ^ Evans, Jeff (2001). "Christmas: Present". Undoing Time: American Prisoners in Their Own Words. Boston, Massachusetts: Northeastern University Press. pp. 136ff. ISBN 1-55553-458-9.
- ^ a b "In Statement, Chambers Says He Regrets His Actions". New York Times. February 14, 2003. Retrieved 2007-11-20.
- ^ "Coming up on Dateline NBC". Dateline NBC. February 14, 2003. Archived from the original on December 7, 2003. Retrieved 2010-10-14.
- ^ Wolfe, Linda. Wasted: The Preppie Murder. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1989. ISBN 0-671-64184-0
- ^ Sabrina Tavernese (August 30, 2005). "Drugs Send Chambers, '86 Killer, Back to Jail". New York Times. Retrieved 2007-11-20.
- ^ "Preppie Killer Arrested". WCBS NewsRadio 880. October 21, 2007. Retrieved 2007-11-15.
- ^ Bruce Lambert; Al Baker (October 23, 2007). "'Preppy Killer' in Drug Arrest". New York Times. Retrieved 2007-11-20.
- ^ a b Alison Gendar; Leo Standora (October 23, 2007). "Preppie killer Robert Chambers, girlfriend in coke bust". New York Daily News. Retrieved 2007-11-20.
- ^ Alison Gendar; Tracy Connor (October 24, 2007). "Robert Chambers, Shawn Kovell: From preppies to druggies". New York Daily News. Retrieved 2007-11-20.
- ^ Laura Italiano, Erika Martinez and Lukas I. Alpert (October 24, 2007). "Chambers of Horrors: 1986 Killer Kept Hi-Rise Crackhouse in Constant Filth: Cops". New York Post. Retrieved 2007-11-20.
- ^ Italiano, Laura (December 19, 2007). "Preppy Primps for Court Date". New York Post. Retrieved 2007-12-19.
- ^ Laura Italiano (March 12, 2008). "A 'Dirty Dozen' Druggie 12-Bag-A Day Preppy". New York Post. Retrieved 2008-03-12.
- ^ http://www.wnbc.com/news/17370538/detail.html
- ^ New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision – Inmate Information – Robert Chambers
- ^ a b c d e f g Gunderman, Dan (August 26, 2016). "A look at pop culture references to the 'Preppy Murder' tragedy that rocked New York 30 years ago". NY Daily News. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
Further reading[edit]
- Benedict, Helen. Virgin or Vamp. Oxford University Press, 1992. ISBN 0-19-506680-4.
- Carr, C. "Who's on Trial?" Village Voice, October 27, 1987.
- Freedman, Samuel J. "Sexual Politics and a Slaying: Anger at Chambers' Defense." New York Times, December 4, 1986.
- Johnson, Kirk. "$150,000 Bail Set in Park Slaying Case." New York Times, September 30, 1986; "Levin's Last Night Recalled by Friend," January 21, 1988; "Chambers, With Jury at Impasse, Admits 1st Degree Manslaughter," March 26, 1988.
- Kunen, James S., Alen Carter, and Kristina Johnson. "Art Imitates Death in the Preppie Murder." People Magazine, September 25, 1989.
- Margolick, David. "Accused of Putting the Victim on Trial, a Top Defense Lawyer is on Trial Himself." New York Times, January 22, 1988.
- MSNBC Television. Headliners and Legends: Robert Chambers. 2001.
- Riley, John. "An Aggressive Defense, or Obscene Quest." National Law Journal, April 13, 1987.
- Shipp, E. R. "Decision to Bargain." New York Times, March 26, 1988.
- Taubman, Bryna. The Preppy Murder Trial. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1988. ISBN 0-312-91317-6.
- Uhlig, Mark A. "Jurors Describe 'Wild Shifts' of Opinion." New York Times, March 26, 1988.
- Wolf, Marvin J., and Katherine Mader. "The Right Sort of Friends," in Rotten Apples: Chronicles of New York Crime and Mystery, 1689 to the Present. New York: Ballantine Books, 1991. ISBN 0-345-36278-0.
- Wolfe, Linda. Wasted: The Preppie Murder. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1989. ISBN 0-671-64184-0
External links[edit]
- Crime Library article (detailed coverage)
- Current Affair video
- Interview with Levin's mother on CNN's Larry King Live
- Excerpt from Wasted by Linda Wolfe (a true crime book about the case)
- 1966 births
- Living people
- 20th-century criminals
- 21st-century American criminals
- American people convicted of burglary
- American drug traffickers
- American people convicted of manslaughter
- American people of Irish descent
- American prisoners and detainees
- Criminals from New York City
- People from the Upper East Side
- Prisoners and detainees of New York (state)
- Central Park
- Browning School alumni


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Visiting Vienna soon, or thinking about it? If the latter, don't think about it anymore and get tempted with the things you can do in Vienna featured in the list below. I really liked Vienna, I've visited twice. It has beautiful architecture and a royal feel, but is relaxed at the same time. My advice is to visit Vienna on a weekend if you live in Europe and for one or two days if you are doing a trip around Europe or Austria. Anyways, these are my bucket list items for Vienna!
The Best Things To Do In Vienna
Do a walking tour of the city of Vienna
One of the things I love is to do a walking tour as soon as I arrive to a city to get an idea of its vibe, and what I would want to do with the rest of my time there. If you are also one of those, book this walking tour as soon as you get to Vienna.
Grab lunch at the Naschmarkt
Vienna's most popular market, the Naschmarkt is just awesome. Stop here for lunch. There are fresh fruits, vegetables, spices and foods of all world cuisines. The middle eastern food in offer is amazing. Plenty of options for veggies and vegans like Neni am Naschmarkt.
Eat at one of the best Würlstelstands in Vienna
Don't worry, you'll see Würlstelstands immediately in the city, they are pretty much everywhere in Vienna. They are literally sausage stands that also sell beer (& pretzels!). I recommend the one in front of the Albertina which you'll quickly identify as it has a bunny on top.
Watch a show at the Vienna State Opera House
Vienna is all about music. If you stay a few days and meet some people, there is no doubt that you'll meet people who want to devote their life to music. As such, you can't miss a show, either opera or ballet, when you visit Vienna. To get a ticket, go to the last minute ticket office at the side entrance and get a "standing only" ticket for a few euros.
Walk along the Danube
On the Vienna walking tour I did, the guide mentioned walking along the Danube was something he recommended. Essentially street artists in Vienna have an implicit agreement with the council where they have a free pass to paint the walls of the Danube's river banks with the condition that they don't paint the walls of the rest of the city. And the result is a colorful walk along the river
Try a pastry from Demel
Hopefully you are visiting Vienna on a cold day, if so make sure you get a hot chocolate and a pastry from the famous and historical chocolaterie and pastry shop, Café Demel.
Admire Gustav Klimt's "The Kiss" at the Belvedere
Austria's most famous painting and an Art Nouveau piece all those who have ever loved must see is in Vienna. Don't just go to the Belvedere Museum to see The Kiss though, hang out for a bit, it's a great museum.
Eat a Wiener Schnitzel
All non veggies must try this finger lickin good Austrian classic when visiting Vienna. Just know that the original wiener schnitzel is made of veal, not pork, and it's eaten with potatoes.
Walk around the Museumsquartier
The Museumsquartier is a beautiful place to stroll around in Vienna. Relax at it's courtyard and maybe visit Leopoldmuseum while you are at it.
Learn about the father of psychoanalysis at the Sigmund Freud Museum
A must for psychologists or Freud fans, the museum is where Freud lived for 47 years in Vienna and where he produced most of his writings.
Visit Schönbrunn Palace & Gardens
This gorgeous baroque Palace is really close from Vienna's city center, and is just a lovely visit. Relax in the gardens and admire the beautiful rooms. Just make sure you don't leave it for the late afternoon as it closes 17.30 or 18.30 depending on the time of the year.
Admire the beautiful St. Stephen's Cathedral
Probably the most original cathedral I've ever seen, and it is mostly due to its ornately patterned, richly coloured roof. A unique Vienna sight.
Pass by the Hundertwasserhaus
Do you like original, out-of-the-box architecture? Then don't miss the Hundertwasserhaus, an incredibly quirky, colorful and kitsch residential apartment complex in Vienna built by artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser.
Try the famous Sachertorte
Probably one of the most touristy things to do in Vienna, yes. But who could say no to chocolate cake? The Sachertorte consists of a dense chocolate cake with a thin layer of apricot jam on top, coated in dark chocolate icing, served with unsweetened whipped cream. Where to get it? Both Demel bakery and Hotel Sacher fight for the title of the "Original Sachertorte" so guess any of them would work.
Have a coffee in a kaffeehäuser
Coffee houses have always played a really important role in Viennese culture. They are and have been the meeting places for respected musicians, writers, philosophers and artists. Visit at least one of these: Café Schwarzenberg, Café Prückel, Café Central, Kleines Café or Kaffee Alt Wien.
Stuff yourself with apple strudel
Because, who doesn't love it? You can enjoy this delicious Austrian invention in Vienna at some of the cafés listed above such as Café Prückel and Kleines Café. Good apple strudels are also served at Café Eiles, Café Mozart, Café Amacord and Café Landtmann. That's a lot of apple strudel.
Where to stay in Vienna
If you are backpacking or just looking for fun in Vienna, then Wombats Hostels are the bomb. I'm going to make quite a statement but I think it's the best hostel I've been in my life, and I don't usually do hostels, or generally like them. I guess I'm too old for them. But Wombats in Vienna over-exceeded my expectations. It was really clean, the room and locker to keep your belongings safe open both with the card key which I found super technologic, and all of the rooms have a bathroom ensuite inside. There is a nice bar on the hostel where I met a lot of people in like, two seconds, and they even give you a free welcome drink. Breakfast is just awesome, you pay very little for it and it's just super complete. They do a free walking tour of Vienna as well. If you want to book this hostel, know that there are two locations: Wombats The Naschmarkt which is near the market mentioned above and where I stayed, and one close to the Westbanhof Train Station called Wombats The Lounge.
If hostels aren't your thing or you are looking for something more luxurious then I've pre-filtered the best hotels in Vienna for you here.
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So I am probably the last person to jump aboard the Tom & Serg bandwagon, but boy was it worth the wait. Having heard nothing but glorious things about the quirky Al Quoz-based cafe, I finally got round to going.
I'm not actually much of a breakfast person. On your average weekday, I tend to start the day with coffee. And then more coffee. And then perhaps finish it off with a coffee. I know breakfast is the most important meal of the day and bla bla bla, but it's just not my thing. At the weekend, however, I like to make a point of going out for breakfast at least once, so I figured it about time that I started writing about it. I'm hoping it will give me a mental kick in the behind to get out and discover some new places as I am notorious for going to the same haunts over and over again.
We sat on the ground floor, near the front of the restaurant. At 8:30am, it was a little under half filled, but the atmosphere didn't suffer. Despite being at the back-end of AL Q, it still felt hustling and bustling, like it could have existed in somewhere like Soho, London.
Something that really came across about T&S was the feeling that the staff genuinely enjoy working there. They were all so smiley. I guess whether it was the real deal or not doesn't even matter, because it did the trick and really added to the cheery atmosphere of the place.
I had barely even touched my seat before a menu appeared in front of me. A relatively small selection of options, but a good enough selection that there was something for everyone. Our drinks orders were taken, and arrived within a few minutes. I went for a flat white. No idea why – because I have never ordered one before but, alas, it was highly enjoyable. Good coffee is vital. The food could be the most exquisite on the planet, but if the coffee is terrible, then what's the point?!
To munch – I ordered the scrambled eggs on toast, with goats cheese, basil, and roast field mushrooms. I am an absolute goats cheese fiend, and would never have thought to eat it at breakfast. It was a beautiful combo, and also – unlike many other "rustic" restaurants – the toast wasn't too thick. My breakfast date (my lovely mum) had the poached eggs on zucchini and ricotta fritters, with smoked salmon, cherry toms, and hollandaise sauce. Again – genius breakfast idea. Fritters instead of toast.
The real cherry on the cake was the affordability. I'm young and usually pretty skint, so rarely have the cash to spend on fancy shmancy excursions. 50 dirhams for breakfast and coffee, however, is right in my price-range. Cheaper than MORE, and I honestly think that the food is better.
In the words of good old Arnie – I'll be back! Can't wait to test out more of the menu!
Other Breakfast Club reviews to check out:
– The Roseleaf Café
– La Brioche
– 261, The Els Club
– jones the grocer
Follow #CAKE on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!
ps. For a consistent stream of food-related babble from yours truly, then follow #CAKE on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!


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This year has been pretty strange so far. The world is a giant trash-fire, but there's been great news for my friends in terms of their writing careers. It can be hard to reconcile the two things, holding sadness and joy in my heart at the same time, but I'm learning to just kind of roll with things.
I'm so incredibly excited for my writing friends. Two of them are self-publishing their work, and it's awesome to see their stories out in the world. One just got published with a small press this past week. And two more have signed with agents. My heart is filled with pride for their successes, and I can't wait to see more stories from them!
As for my writing… I'm still tootling along. I'm putting my writing career dreams on hold for a while, though, because I've decided to take the plunge back into academia. I was accepted into a PhD program which starts this fall, so while I'm planning on writing here and there, school will be my life for at least 4-5 years.
I have a goal to finish the novel I'm working on before heading off to school in ~3 months. Not sure if I'll meet that goal, but we'll see! Moving planning has been taking up a huge chunk of my time.
And next weekend, I'm off to a haunted weekend full of ghost hunting and metaphysical talks. I'm pretty excited about it!
So, lots of changes and exciting things coming up in the next few months. Life is funny because I never know what it'll throw at me next.


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Nearby commercial establishments put tables and chairs into the street. Beer and mixed drinks in cans seem to fuel the spiritual rites.
Next week I am talking at Shibaura House's Community Herb Garden talk event. Herbs can be used for flavor, food, medicine, and perfume. Even in small urban spaces, herbs are very tough and can be used in daily life. This balcony lavender attracts Tokyo butterflies.
On our balcony, I observed this honeybee harvesting daisy pollen. It was so enthralled with its work that it hardly seemed to notice me and my camera.
This dill has been providing a nice flavor to our food for the past months. It tastes so expensive, and it's fun to walk a few steps from the kitchen and grab some leaves. This ceramic pot is from the first series I made when I first came to Tokyo four years ago and began studying at Shiho ceramic studio.
Compared to the last photos, this narrow street in Shimbashi, an older business district that's no longer Tier A real estate, allows pedestrians to take full use of the street and offers an amazing variety of products, signs and even foods spilling out of the shops.
I love this elegant cherry tree in bloom at a highway rest stop. In the background, you can see a row of cherry trees lining the highway. I am rarely a car passenger in Japan, but I was my in-laws on a day trip last weekend.
In the United States, highway rest stops have a bad reputation: dirty, few food options, insufficient toilets, and an atmosphere of decrepitude and crime. In Japan, they are immaculate, constantly renovated, over-supplied with clean toilets, food options that rival a large mall, and endless rows of souvenir edible gifts for people you will visit or for friends and family back home.
I like how this very common and hardy camellia brings some life to a concrete patio in a Nakano back street. I wonder who placed it there and keeps it well pruned.
I can easily imagine a jungle growing between these older commercial buildings, a living food alley with scent and maybe a small creek bed. As it is now, this space between buildings functions as a giant chute for capturing rainwater, which then travels many kilometers and must be processed, alongside sewage, before being released into Tokyo Bay.
At least someone working or living there is decorating and enjoying the space.
Thanks to Mr Bas Valckx, who works in culture and design affairs at the Netherlands embassy, last month I had the great pleasure of meeting Mr Ito Masaru, who has created Shibaura House as the headquarters of his advertising agency, Kohkokuseihan, and a new community space between Rainbow Bridge and Tamachi station in Minato-ku.
The building, designed by prominent Japanese architect Sejima Kazuyo of SANAA and completed in the summer of 2011, is as stunning as one could imagine: floor to ceiling glass walls, each floor plate unique, a form that combines transparency, simplicity, and elegance. There's a sizable roof and three outdoor areas, a rectangular balcony and two curvy, double height voids.
But I was even more impressed by Mr Ito's vision for work, community, and art. He kindly gave Bas and me a tour, which included rental areas, his company's office, meeting spaces, and a ground floor cafe open to the public. Mr Ito is extremely knowledgable about urban planning, art history, and even permaculture.
His reason for creating Shibaura House and his plans for its future are inspiring and unconventional. He told me that his motivation for creating Shibaura House was to create the very opposite of the advertising business that he runs. And while he is pleased with how the building turned out, he is eager now to make it more alive, with more soil, people, and activity.
Too often, even in Silicon Valley, I have seen companies seek to wall themselves off from neighbors and outsiders. Global icons like Facebook, Google and Apple locate their employees in office parks, making their facilities off limits to non-employees and promoting secrecy over collaboration. I think Mr Ito's bold vision suggests new ways to use real estate, to operate a company, and to become a vital part of local neighborhoods.
The neighborhood context is very diverse and layered: close to canals and the Tokyo Bay, near a main water processing facility, and neighbors with a variety of architectural styles from post-war, 70s residential, to more recent projects. As Bas reminded me, the area is reclaimed land from Tokyo Bay from the Edo period.
I'd love to see more plants, wildlife, and agriculture at Shibaura House. Things like bee hives, chicken coops, urban satoyama plants. It would also be great to see Shibaura House engage its neighbors with with local food, plants, and wildlife habitat connecting buildings and waterways with green walls, roofs, and sidewalks. I am eager to see how Shibaura House grows and takes shape in the coming years.
I've written before how Tori no Ichi is one of my favorite festivals, with its focus on seeking spiritual intervention for a prosperous year. Perhaps Asakusa is a more traditional place, but I particularly love attending the festival at Hanozono shrine, mid-way between Kabukicho, Ni-chome, and the department stores. The crowd is Tokyo's most beautiful people: the world of late night drinkers, huge hair for men and women, animal prints, and shiny fabrics.
If it weren't for the food stalls, it would be easy to miss the entrance on Yasukuni Dori, with the fiver rows of lanterns barely competing with the neon, fluorescent signage, and hundreds of taxis.
The focal point of the festival are the "kumade," which are good luck rakes made of bamboo, rice, (often artificial) pine, and paper and plastic good luck charms hot glued. There are dozens of stalls, and the most expensive ones need to be carried out by two men. The one below cost 300,000 yen (almost US $4,000).
In addition to kumade sellers, there are many regular festival food stalls, and also make-shift drinking establishments with tables and chairs. I like how the one below wraps around a mature tree.
The convergence of spirituality, drinking and materialism is dizzying. The proprietress of this food and drink stall is wearing a headband full of cash.
Almost anything can represent good fortune. I love how this Kewpie doll, the mascot of Japan's #1 mayonnaise, also has a headband of cash and a full body tattoo. There seems to be an even higher than usual correlation between this festival and the yakuza who are its sellers and celebrants.
Even the children's cartoon Anpan man (his head is a round anko bread that can be eaten when necessary) can be incorporated into the rake.
One of my favorite times in Tokyo are the September festivals, with portable shrine carrying and yukata-clad dancing happening in small groups up and down the main roads that pre-date the west-bound Marunouchi subway and Chuo train line. These photos are from Ome Kaido and Itsukaiichi Kaido.
The fall festivals connect city life with agrarian traditions, and by bringing the shrines into the road they literally bring the local spirits into view. I like the music, the costumes, chanting and dancing. But also the festival food stalls, lanterns, and crowds of seniors and high schoolers.
Spurred by the energy crisis post-Fukushima, there's been a notable increase in the number of mid-rise office and retail buildings with green walls. In an over-built city, vertical surfaces are the largest potential area for gardening, farming, and habitat creation.
Tokyo has far more vertical surfaces than roof areas, and we are only at the very beginning of creating an urban forest.
I have been following this topic for a while, and have watched this idea spread from notable public spaces like Suginami's ward office (world's largest green curtain) to apartment balconies, flower shops, and now commercial and retail spaces. This wide distribution across Tokyo and across building types is very exciting to see.
Some questions I have include:
The answers will come from experimentation and diffusion. The photos, from top to bottom, are four green walls I've recently seen:
1. Hasegawa Green Building in Shiba Koen
2. Office mid-rise in Shinjuku Gyoen-mae (2 photos). The company that created and maintains this green wall is called Ishikatsu Exterior (石勝イクステリア).
3. Oimachi retail building near station.
4. Daimon office building.
This tomato starter plant, also bought at Shimachu, is flowering and already has several mini-tomatos despite its tiny size. So much engineering to create commercial food, even the ones we grow ourselves.
My friend Matt sent me this intricate sakura weather map: it shows the updated forecast for the start of cherry blossoms across the Japanese archipelago. Even if you can't read Japanese, it's impressive to see how much weather forecasting amplifies cherry blossom season.
Today I also heard from Twitter's @Matt_Alt that there are big signs at Inokashira park Big asking visitors to refrain from holding cherry blossom viewing parties there. This is one of Tokyo's most famous parks, and one of the most popular places for young people to celebrate spring with all night and all day drinking parties.
It's now just over two weeks after the horrific natural and man-made disaster that began with the East Japan great earthquake. With looming energy shortages, national mourning for the dead, and continued fears about nuclear fallout, Tokyo life will not be the same. Yet it is still impossible to fully know what will emerge in the coming months and years.
Will these events increase or reverse Japan's hyper-urbanization? How will people respond to new concerns about food and water safety? Can the government and industry regain trust and provide leadership? How can civil society contribute to rebuilding the country and restoring Japan's international reputation?
And can public spaces and local businesses flourish in a time of anxiety and uncertainty?
Pink Tentacle has assembled a collection of historic new year's cards (年賀状, nengajou) from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Seeing all these different rabbits featured in vibrant designs with national and cultural messages is a delight and inspiration. The one above is from
1927 1915 (via Twitter's @hizaga). I wonder whether we'll be seeing more rabbits this year in Tokyo: as food, companions, or wildlife?


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This costume is smooth. This costume is cool. But most importantly…this costume is inexpensive! Keith Stone, the popular mascot from the Keystone Light commercials, is a quick and easy costume anyone can put together in a hurry and on a budget.
First thing you will need is a mullet. We aren't talking a Dog the Bounty Hunter mullet. It's a shorter and "cleaner mullet." You will need to purchase this mullet wig and cut it down to about jaw level.
(80s brown rock mullet)
If you don't have a black baseball-style cap, this may be an inexpensive alternative.
(FBI hat)
If you can't grow your own, you will also need to purchase this suave mustache to complete the look.
(Cop mustache)
If you don't have an old black t-shirt lying around, I suggest purchasing one. T-shirts can obviously vary in price, but for this Halloween, I would suggest this one.
(Costume T-shirt)
The remainder of the wardrobe is pretty straight forward and simple. Throw on a pair of old blue jeans for pants. Shoes or boots also work with this costume; wear what's comfortable. You are also going to have to find some sort of vest or cut the sleeves off this jacket and make your own!
(Adult Adventure jacket)
Any most importantly, you need the ULTIMATE Keith Stone Accessory: a case of Keystone Light!
Mike Kinney is a staff writer for HalloweenCostumes.com


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If you have worried about your senior loved one living on their own in Southwest, FL, it might be time to consider in home senior care. Begin the process by taking a short survey to help you better understand when the time has come to pursue care options.
Get Custom Elder Care Catered to Your Loved One's Unique Needs
Comfort Keepers is one of the leading home care agencies in the United States, helping family members throughout the United States of America find home care for their aging parents and loved ones. Our custom care management plans offer the proper mix of non-medical home care services for your senior loved one and are unique to each of our senior clients. During an initial in-home consultation, a senior care expert will assess the state of your senior loved one's home and health. After they have gathered as much information as possible, our staff in Fort Myers, FL will create a unique care plan for your loved one and match them with a suitable, high-level quality home care provider. All of our caregivers are handpicked and will work to engage with your senior loved one to elevate their quality of life.
Our in-home care services range from Alzheimer's Disease and dementia care to respite care for family caregivers to end of life care, and much more. We specialize in home care for senior patients transitioning back to their home after a hospital stay. While Comfort Keepers proudly provides these quality services, we also offer a special service called Interactive Caregiving. Interactive Caregiving goes above and beyond as it raises the well being and quality of life to a higher level for older Americans than that of typical in-home care providers. Interactive Caregiving is so much more than light housekeeping, household chores, medication reminders, grocery shopping, and meal preparation. Our home health aides strive to fully engage your senior loved one - both mind and body - and turn everyday caregiving into a meaningful experience of hands-on care.
Along with an active mind and body, Interactive Caregiving emphasizes a range of home health care needs including social interaction, senior nutrition, and safety in the home. Loving in-home caregivers will encourage your senior loved one to maintain a healthy diet. Caregivers may also suggest some home improvements to reduce your senior loved one's risk of falling, such as removing carpeting or installing floor lights. Overall, our senior care services will make a positive difference in the life of your senior loved one.
Loving Quality Care for Seniors in Fort Myers, FL
Family members can breathe easy. Our care services program can help you if you are a family caregiver that needs assistance with your loved one. Whether it is an elderly parent or grandparent that needs care, our care coordinator will craft a unique plan that addresses the needs of your loved one specifically while being inclusive of the entire family.
If you decide to work with Comfort Keepers, our client care coordinator will visit your parent and get acquainted with their condition, wishes, needs and wants. With this information in mind, we will make a customized care plan that enables your loved one to maintain the highest possible level of independent living in their own home. This plan is always evolving in order to continuously provide the best care; as your parent's condition changes, so will our home care plan.
We are offering a full range of in-home care, companionship care, and personal care services to support independent senior living in Fort Myers, FL & surrounding areas. If you have any questions about the senior home care Comfort Keepers provides, including anything about care costs, eligibility requirements, criminal background checks of the caregivers, or anything else, please contact our senior care coordinators today.
To learn more about the home health care services available to your senior loved one, contact us or call 239-900-9771 to schedule a free in-home consultation. If you have any questions about our payment options, be it Medicaid, Medicare or private pay, please contact our team right away.
Learn how Comfort Keepers can help your loved one stay active, feel connected, and remain socially connected through our new technology solution, the grandPad senior tablet, designed specifically for seniors.
Our Locations
1 Fort Myers
12480 Brantley Commons Ct #101, Ft. Myers, FL 33907
Call 239-900-9771
2 Naples
Collier County Naples, FL 34109
Call (239) 774-4700
3 Port Charlotte
Port Charlotte and Punta Gorda Area Port Charlotte, FL 33953
Call (941) 235-9111


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Bocce Set
Great, easy to learn outdoor game, play it anywhere.Includes:
- Eight 100 mm PhenoTech bocce balls with scoring
- One 50 mm pallino
- Official easy-to-follow rules and instruction pamphlet
- Durable/convenient carry/storage bag for fun you can take anywhere
Customer satisfaction is our top priority. If you are not satisfied with any item on this page, return the item within 30 days of receipt to receive a refund of the purchase price of the item (excluding shipping). Items must be returned (at customer's expense) in new, unused and resalable condition, in the original packaging to obtain a refund.
Damaged goods will be replaced or refunded. Please contact Customer Service within 90 days of receipt for shipping instructions.


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Preparation Time : 20 minutes
Cooking Time : 10 minutes
Prepares : around 20 small lemon size Undrallu
Shelf Life : 2 days
Biyyam Pindi (Rice Flour) : 3 Cups
Bellam (Jaggery) : 1 CupIdly Maker
Step 1 : Heat 250ml water in a pan.
Meanwhile boil 1 Cup jaggery to 100ml water till it gets melted.Step 2 : Mix 1/2 cup Biyyam Pindi in 125ml water, add flour water into boiling water by keep on moving, let it cook for 3-4 min in medium flame till it is thickenStep 3 : Add 3 Cups rice flour in a wide plate, add cooked flour and mix it once
Step 4 : Add melted jaggery water to flour mix and make it a smooth doughStep 5 : Apply little ghee to idly platesStep 6 : Take little dough and make small rounds like laddu. Put them in plates and cook in a idli maker or steamer for 10 min in high flame, 10 min in low flameSweet and smooth Undrallu are ready :)Vinayaka Chavithi special Undrallu ready for Nayivedyam :)
Vinayakuniki Undralla Danda or maala kosam chinna undralluUndralla Danda or maala is ready for our little "Ganesh"You can also try these varieties of Kudumulu & Undrallu for Vinyaka Chavithi:
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Youth College
A New Generation of Leadership
The NAACP believes strongly that future leaders must be developed today, and such development is ongoing in the Youth and College Division, created in 1936. Today there are more than 400 Youth Councils and College Chapters actively involved in voter registration. The NAACP has one of the largest organized groups of young people of any secular organization in the country. Some 67,000 youth are involved with the NAACP through its Youth Councils and College Division.
Its objectives are to inspire, motivate, and create interest in civic activities; provide young people with an understanding of pertinent issues; develop organizational skills for implementation of community-related activities; and encourage active participation in these activities. Youth units attend NAACP conventions, sponsor tutorial programs, conduct voter registration drives, hold black history essay contests, and host Mr. and Miss. NAACP pageants.
There are more than 12,000,000 registered African American voters. Believing that 'a voteless people is a hopeless people', the NAACP's voter empowerment efforts work tirelessly to achieve full political empowerment for African Americans.


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Practical .NET
You can turn on logging for your Entity Framework code with a single line. Configuring it to write to a file takes only a little bit more effort.
Assuming that you're using Entity Framework 6, you already have a logging tool that can give you some insights into the SQL your queries are generating and the time they take to run. The Database property of your DbContext object has a Log property that will give you that information. To turn on logging, you just have to set the Log property to a method that will write to a log. This example sets up logging to write Entity Framework messages to to the Debug window:
Dim db As SalesOrderEntities
db = New SalesOrderEntities()
db.Database.Log = AddressOf Debug.WriteLine
In C#, you won't need the AddressOf keyword.
You don't have to touch your code to make this change and you can also write your output to file by making some changes in your config file. To turn on logging to a file from your config file, just add a reference to the DatabaseLogger in the System.Data.Entity.Infrastructure.Interception namespace and point it to a file with XML, like this:
<interceptor type=
"System.Data.Entity.Infrastructure.Interception.DatabaseLogger, EntityFramework">
<parameter value="C:\Logs\MyApplication.txt"/>
Here's what the output looks like (slightly edited):
Opened connection at 08-Nov-16 12:15:51 PM -05:00
[c].[Id] AS [Id],
[c].[FirstName] AS [FirstName],
[c].[LastName] AS [LastName],
[c].[CustCreditStatus] AS [CustCreditStatus],
[c].[CreditLimit] AS [CreditLimit],
[c].[RenewalDate] AS [RenewalDate],
[c].[Valid] AS [Valid]
FROM [dbo].[Customers] AS [c]
-- Executing at 08-Nov-16 12:15:51 PM -05:00
-- Completed in 3 ms with result: SqlDataReader
Closed connection at 08-Nov-16 12:15:51 PM -05:00
when I used the First method on one of my tables.
About the Author
Peter Vogel is a system architect and principal in PH&V Information Services. PH&V provides full-stack consulting from UX design through object modeling to database design. Peter tweets about his VSM columns with the hashtag #vogelarticles. His blog posts on user experience design can be found at http://blog.learningtree.com/tag/ui/.
Now that Visual Studio 2019 v16.4 has shipped, the dev team is turning to new priorities in the v16.5 preview round, including the IDE's "Find in Files" feature, which is getting a modernization revamp.
Xamarin mobile developers using Visual Studio gained some functionality common to other IDEs as XAML Hot Reload for Xamarin.Forms was introduced with the new Visual Studio 2019 v16.4 release.
Scaffolding support for ASP.NET Core projects heads the list of new features added to Visual Studio 2019 for Mac version 8.4 Preview 4, helping developers get head starts on projects with automatically generated boilerplate code.
Microsoft's HockeyApp -- the strange-sounding tool for continuously building, testing, releasing and monitoring apps -- has scored its last goal, being retired and sent to the permanent bench in favor of Visual Studio App Center.
Microsoft announced Azure Functions 3.0, its event-driven, serverless cloud computing platform, has reached version 3.0, ready for production -- with a catch.
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If you are trying to lose weight, detoxify your body, eat to starve cancer, or simply just eat healthier, a customized meal plan can facilitate all of your health goals. Take the guess work out of knowing the best foods to put in your body everyday.
This service is a great idea for anyone who wants to learn healthy, balance eating and a great adjunct service for clients that have received an initial consultation. We put together the best 7-day or 14-day meal plan together with you to help you get going, get inspired, or work through dietary restrictions. We take into consideration your dietary needs, medications, allergies, likes and dislikes, and your personal health goals. This is a great way to explore new foods, healthy recipes and new tastes.
7-Day: $95 (includes meal plan, 14 recipes, & shopping list)
14-Day: $125 (includes meal plan, 30 recipes, & shopping list)


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Keeping your teeth clean and in perfect health while wearing braces is never an easy task. It takes a bit more work than usual, but if you commit yourself to maintaining great oral health it's something you can have.
There are a few tips that Dr. Jason Howell has to help you clean your teeth more effectively. These are tips that you should continue to follow even when you don't have braces anymore.
Brush for the full two minutes twice a day
How often do you brush for the full two minutes twice daily? When you're running late for work in the morning or too tired at night to brush, it's easy to just brush for 30 seconds and call it good. If you really want to clean your teeth well, you'll brush for the full two minutes twice a day.
Use the right kind of toothbrush
A good toothbrush can provide a deeper clean. Brushes with small, rounded heads and soft bristles are far more effective at removing plaque and other debris that build up in your mouth. The best kind of toothbrush to use is an electric one since it moves in a circular motion which is the best way to clean teeth.
Flossing removes the debris from between your teeth that can't be reached by a toothbrush. It's important to always floss once a day because brushing only cleans around 65% of a tooth's surface. Flossing covers the other 35%. Mouthwash is also a great way to add more fluoride to your teeth, strengthening your enamel, killing more bacteria, and helping you have fresh breath for longer.
If you need any more information, just call us today at 208-893-5151.


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Our challenge runs from the 1st of the month until the last day of the month. Each month we will always have a photo inspiration so that anyone can play along, but if you use products from the MHKDesigns store, you can link up ANYTHING! If you didn't catch it, yesterday I shared a tutorial on how to create the effect I've used on my card today!
Here's this month's inspiration~
And here is our DT inspiration~
|Using Get Well Flowers digi and
French Country papers
|Using Marvelous digi
|Using Beauty digi
|Using Sit A Bit digi
|Using Blossoming and
Thankful Thoughts digis
|Using Mum's the Word, Marvelous digis,
Stenciled Roses, Rosy Posy and
Pawsitively Perfect papers
|Using Mum's the Word digi.
|Using Marvelous and
Lovely Ladies digis
|Using Chicken In, Marvelous,
Beautiful Bottles, Pretty As A Pitcher digis
and Very Distressing, Country Farm papers
The prize for this challenge includes~
Link up below for your chance to win these products! Make sure to review our challenge rules before you do to make sure you'll be eligible for the prize, first, though! We can't wait to see what you create for us this month! HUGS and happy {digital} stamping, all! :)


text:
Daniel Clements
Daniel commenced his tertiary education studying for his Bachelor of Science degree and worked for the Royal Children's Hospital in their research laboratory.
Daniel then switched careers and joined CDB as a full time trainee accountant in 1988 in Business Services and tax.
Daniel commenced part-time studies in the Bachelor of Business Degree and after qualifying, continued with his Professional year studies to gain entry to the Institute of Chartered Accountants.
Daniel has worked with a broad range of clients over his many years with CDB including from individual taxation clients to industries including clubs and associations, non-profit entities, service businesses, manufacturing, tourism, property, medical and others. Daniel has also been responsible for establishing and heading CDB's finance division (providing lending and leasing services) which commenced in December, 2004.
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System was operating normally. Powered off. Started the next day and received a repeated Enlightenment pop up saying that there was a problem reading/writing to its .config file. Sorry I didn't think to take a screenshot of that at the time.
Powered off and rebooted. The boot screen displays as normal and the first few lines of the boot sequence run, and then this appears. Obviously, I couldn't take a screenshot so this is hand copied:
- Code: Select all
/dev/sda2 contains a file system with errors, check forced.
Inodes that were part of a corrupted orphan linked list found.
/dev/sda2: UNEXPECTED INCONSISTENCY: RUN fsck MANUALLY.
(i.e., without -a or -p options)
fsck exited with status 4
The root filesystem on /dev/sda2 requires a manual fsck
BusyBox v1.27.2 (Debian 1:1.27.2-2) built-in shell (ash)
Enter 'help' for a list of built in commands.
(initramfs)_ <blinking cursor>
How to get through a manual fsck so I can boot and try to figure out what's wrong with Enlightenment? Thank you.


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This year a corner of my kitchen will be turned into our school! I am looking forward to continuing to teach Eben his letters, numbers and reading.
I asked around to a lot of homeschooling friends on how I should go about doing Kindergarden. The big advice they gave me was to have fun while making sure he learns letters, numbers, simple math and reading. For a number of years now we have been doing lots of fun activities together so I know that he really enjoys learning though games like this and this. So we will continue to learn through games but the one thing he doesn't enjoy too much is sitting at the table and learning to write. That is what I am really focusing on this year is getting him use to holding a pencil (crayon or maker) and writing.
To practice writing I went out to the local dollar store and found lots of little books for Kindergarden age. Then at Costco I bought 200 extra strong page protectors. That night I took all the books apart and put them into the page proctors and then into different binders.
We have Phonic books
Math books
I love this Canada math book. Look at the pattern section it is so Canadian.
I picked up this book even though its for grade 1. I thought if we want to we can do some of these activities towards the end of the school year.
The point of putting all my worksheets into these page protectors is so they can be used again and again. When I want Eben to do a page I simply take it out of the binder and he uses a dry erase marker. I also put lots of fun activities I printed off line into the protectors as well. So find some printable fun check out my school board.
What are some resources you use for homeschooling??