text:
Young interior designer, Christina Clemente, finds herself caught up in an intense affair with her charismatic client Jackson Plummer. Jackson quickly becomes the cure to Christina's loneliness and a surrogate father to her young daughter Bianca.
When Jackson suggests moving from the city to an isolated farm in the mountains, Christina is uncertain about uprooting their lives. But she soon forgets her hesitation as she absorbs herself in restoring their rambling century-old house, Bartholomews Run, and becomes obsessed with solving the mystery as to why it was abandoned.
Little does she realise that the dark truths hidden in Bartholomews Run's history have echoes in the present. As her once effervescent child transforms into a quiet sullen teenager, Christina increasingly struggles to connect with her.
Because Bianca has a secret.
And the monstrous truth threatens to destroy them both.
The Making of Christina will have you questioning how well you know the people you love, the price of truth, and how easily it could happen to you.
"Jaffe has been likened to Liane Moriarty and the comparison is a fair one. Veering towards more popular, commercial fiction, she knows how to create and animate the domestic dramas of easily relatable characters and exploit the darkness seething beneath the gloss of surface civilities."
The Australian
Paperback available at Booktopia, Angus & Robertson and all good bookshops
eBook available on Kindle, Kobo & iBooks
The Making of Christina
Personalised signed copies available for a limited time
$19 each or $35 for both novels + postage


text:
District: No. 3 [320198] Worker: Daisy Whaley Subject: EX-SLAVE Storyteller: Lindsay Faucette Ex-Slave Church Street, Durham, N. C. [TR: Date Stamp "JUL 2 1937"]...
Read more of Lindsey Faucette
Martin Luther King.ca
Most Viewed
Execution Of Ten Martyrs At Lewes
James The Great
St Stephen
History Of Christian Martyrs To The First General Persecution Under Nero
James The Less
Least Viewed
Execution Of Ten Martyrs At Lewes
James The Great
St Stephen
History Of Christian Martyrs To The First General Persecution Under Nero
James The Less
Is Forcibly Detained
Feb. 22. Fearing for the safety of Asaad, since hearing that he has
not written to his friends, we this morning sent a messenger with a
short note, to find him, and ascertain his state.
23. The messenger returned, saying, that he yesterday went to the
village, where he understood the patriarch was, and found that he had
just gone with a train of twenty men, and Asaad in company, to Der Alma.
In the morning, he rose, went to that convent, and chanced to find Asaad
alone. After some conversation, in which they were providentially not
interrupted, Asaad handed him a hasty line, and he returned. The line
was as follows:
"Much respected brother,--Your note has reached me, and has added
another proof to the many I have had already, of your kind regard to me.
I now beseech you once more, to pray for me, that I may be delivered
from the dark devices of men. I find myself reduced to quite an
extremity. One or more of three things are before me; either to be
thought mad, or to commit sin, or to offer up my life I call upon God
for deliverance. I cannot now write fully, but the bearer will tell you
of all."
The messenger said, that the emir of that district had threatened to
send him to Bteddeen, to be imprisoned. Asaad replied, that he was ready
to go to prison and to death. He was engaged in daily disputations with
the patriarch and others. His countenance wore a shade of melancholy,
and his eyes were red with weeping.
When it was proposed by the messenger to interfere with English
authority for his rescue, he said such a course might exasperate his
enemies, and cost him his life: it would be better to wait a while, and
leave it for Providence to open a way for his escape.
This assurance of his steadfastness was like a cordial to our spirits,
and was not without a good influence on some that are about us. By the
grace of God, he will witness a good confession before the dignitaries
both of church and state, and by the same grace, he may open the eyes of
some of them to the truth as it is in Jesus. To him that was with Daniel
and with the three children in their dangers, we commend him.
24. Called on the consul to inquire what could be done for the
protection or relief of Asaad. He recommended a course of moderation and
forbearance, and said it was not customary to extend English protection
to natives, when abroad on their own business.
26. Two young emirs from Hadet called. I asked one of them "Where is
Asaad Shidiak at present?"
He replied, "He is with the patriarch."
"And is he contented there?"
"Not very well contented. But what should he do, poor fellow, necessity
is laid upon him."
This remark proves to us, that it is not a secret among the priests and
emirs, that Asaad is detained against his will.
March 1. A youth called this morning, and said Asaad Shidiak sent me
salutation. He showed me a line he had received from Asaad the day
before, saying, "If you will pass this way about midnight, I will go
with you to Beyroot." Owing to some circumstance, the young man did not
go to the convent, and now he proposed to take a horse, by which Asaad
may escape to-night.
As we had not perfect confidence in the youth, we did nothing, but
having ascertained his plan, left him to go on as he chose. In the
evening, we had a season of prayer, particularly on his account.
Escapes And Returns To Beyroot
Visits The Patriarch
Viewed 2819

subset: commoncrawl


text:
My name is Stefan Lang, my profession is to build, repair, tune and sell pianos. I have a workshop and a store for pianos in Aachen, Germany: PIANO LANG AACHEN
In my sparetime I compose little pieces for my instrument, mostly in a very romantic style.
My most successful video on YouTube is a little composition dedicated to a friend who wrote the most beautiful lyrics I ever read. He passed away of cancer on August 18, 2009. He was only 27 years old. You can find the piano piece here on my website (Valse Triste).
Most of my compositions are written in this style. I hope you like it!


text:
Want to build your own 24/7 FAQ knowledge base?
LibraryH3lp subscriptions include unlimited independent internal or public-facing knowledge bases.
Files sent through the system by either operator or guest will appear for the other party as a link in the chat transcript area. Clicking the link will start a download of the file. Files sent by operators or guests can be a maximum of 20 MB per file; files of any type can be sent. Files are regularly deleted from our server.
Operators might want to send a guest a file for many reasons, especially if the guest is stuck on some kind of technical problem, and the operator can resolve it by sending the guest a file of the needed item, such as a PDF of an article. This provides more instant gratification than sending e-mail.
Operators can send files to any guests that arrive through a queue, whether the guest is on a website chat box or even texting.
Sometimes it may be useful for a guest to send an operator a file during a chat. Guests using a website chat box can send operators files. Currently, guests on IM networks like AIM, etc, probably will not be able to send files to operators.
Operators using an external client such as Pidgin should click on the "chat management link" that displays at the top of each chat and begins, "For transfers, etc...". That link takes you to a page that looks something like this:


text:
Urnex® Full Circle™ Grinder Cleaner Tablets
Like all Full Circle™ products, Full Circle™ Coffee Grinder Cleaning Tablets are completely phosphate free, made entirely of renewable, sustainable and naturally occurring ingredients. When ground through your coffee grinder, Full Circle™ patented, food safe grinder cleaning tablets are an easy way to remove the coffee residue and oil that lead to bitter tasting coffee—all without removing any parts of your machine. Cleaning with Full Circle™ grinder cleaning tablets is far easier than opening or disassembling a grinder. Cleaning a grinder is a challenge because water cannot be used on the burrs or around electric motors. It is recommended to use Full Circle™ coffee grinder cleaning tablets once a month or when switching between flavored, decaffeinated, and regular beans.
Write Your Own Review


text:
Direct-acting antiviral therapy prolongs survival in HCV-infected HCC patients
Use of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) to treat hepatitis C virus (HCV) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients with documented response to therapy appears to yield a significant reduction in mortality, as shown in a recent study.
The retrospective study included 797 patients with HCV-related HCC, among whom 383 (48.1 percent) received DAA therapy. All patients achieved a complete response to resection, local ablation, transarterial chemo- or radioembolization, or radiation therapy.
There were 43 deaths that occurred during 941 person-years of follow-up in the DAA group in comparison with 103 deaths during 526.6 person-years of follow-up in the nontreated group (crude rate ratio, 0.23, 95 percent CI, 0.16–0.33).
Inverse probability-weighted analyses revealed DAA therapy to be associated with a significant decrease in the risk of death (hazard ratio [HR], 0.54, 95 percent CI, 0.33–0.90). This protective association differed by sustained virologic response (SVR) to DAA therapy, such that mortality risk was reduced in patients who achieved SVR (HR, 0.29, 0.18–0.47) but not in those without SVR (HR, 1.13, 0.55–2.33).
Median time from HCC complete response to DAA initiation was 7.7 months, with 20.2 percent of participants treated within 3 months, 21.5 percent between 3 and 6 months, 25.5 percent between 6 and 12 months, and 32.9 percent >12 months after HCC complete response. A total of 79.4 percent of DAA-treated patients achieved SVR, while 11.5 percent had treatment-failure and 9.1 percent had no documented assessment of SVR.
The present data suggest that HCV-infected patients with a history of HCC may benefit from DAA therapies, according to researchers.


text:
Author: posey (vendor name: mrgoldy)
Extension Repository: GitHub Repo & GitHub Pages
Extension Version: 1.0.0
Requirements: phpBB 3.2.x
Screenshots:To do list:This phpBB 3.2.x extension will allow users to create teams. They can upload a team image (logo), set the team's website, location and type: open | request | closed (similar to groups). The team tag will be displayed infront of their username on the Viewtopic page. Membership functions (joining, leaving, inviting, promoting, demoting, etc..) is fully ajaxified.
- Notifications
- Teams list ordering
- Teams list pagination
- Detailed viewonline
- Space between Team Tag and Username
- Team tag before username on Index and Forum / Topic list
- Make team default
- PM to team
- Ultimate Points integration
- root/ext/mrgoldy/ultimateteams/readme.md


text:
ALERT: Impact of COVID-19
Due to the recent developments with the COVID-19 pandemic, we have implemented strict measures to protect the community at large and our employees alike. Currently, we have very limited telephone support staff and you may experience longer than normal wait times. However, we have many self-help resources available on our support site, and you can always reach us through e-mail. We greatly appreciate your patience during this time.
A factory reset returns the TV to its original, out-of-the-box state. Performing a factory reset will remove all stored personal data relating to your settings, network connections, Roku data, and menu preferences. Once completed, you must repeat the guided setup, reconnecting to the Internet, re-linking your Roku account, and reloading streaming channels. If applicable, you must also repeat the antenna TV setup (channel scan) and input configuration.
NOTE: Click hereif you cannot access the menu options.
The TCL Support Team is here to help.Contact Us


text:
Congress is considering a bill that would significantly alter America's health care sector, which is 1/6th of our economy and impacts every American. This bill has had no hearings and very limited debate. This is in contrast to the 79 hearings that were held to discuss the Affordable Care Act. Republicans released their bill only 48 hours before holding committee markups, while Democrats released the initial draft of the ACA 30 days prior to the first committee markup.
Every American deserves to have their voice heard by Congress in this critical debate about their health care—both supporters and opponents. Civic engagement with Congress is enshrined in the Constitution. Americans worry that when they call or email their member of Congress, their voice could potentially be ignored. ResistRepeal.org is an effort to increase transparency and accountability and assure Americans that they have a voice in their government.
This site will tally and prominently display the opinion of any American who speaks out on this bill through PopVox.com, a leading non-partisan platform for civic engagement and legislative information. In addition to tallying and prominently displaying all public sentiment, like on this webpage, PopVox allows any person sharing their opinion on Popvox to also deliver that opinion as an email to that person's individual Representative in Congress, as well as their two Senators. PopVox uses numerous security mechanisms to ensure opinions left are from real people with real addresses.


text:
A tool I utilize to help stir-up stagnant energy in my life, move through perceived limitations and manifest the life I desire is a 100 day challenge of chosen tasks, principles and/or whatever else is fitting at the time. The challenges I have done to date and the one I just began on January 1st have almost entirely been comprised of daily ritual type items towards better health and lifestyle. However, as I write this, I absolutely recognize and vow this is a tool which could just as effectively be used to grow your business, heighten your relationship(s), harness a budget strategy and beyond. The possibilities are only as limited as your imagination and commitment.
The overarching idea of this challenge is to dissect out parts of your life that may need help and begin to focus on them. My aim is to eat this elephant one bite at a time and really iron in the small daily actions that make a difference and lead to big results in areas I have chosen to focus. You can always do 1 more action and in that way the game is always winnable! In the past, my 100 day challenges have been of 1 or 2 items. This round I have chosen 6 and they are listed below:
- No nuts. The rules: Do not consume any nuts and/or nut butters at home (this does not include coconut, hemp seeds, flaxseeds, chia seeds). This also means I may not buy them as a snack when outside the house, however, if I am out to dinner and they come on a salad, no biggie. Why: I want to see and feel the health impact of reducing the anti nutrients, molds, etc., as well as the density of nuts. I also was relying on them too much as an easy go-to food.
- 5 minute rebound/lymphasizing. The rules: Simple enough…hop on the rebounder for a minimum of 5 minutes everyday. Why: The numerous health benefits associated with rebounding both internally and externally, to ensure I stay active throughout the day and help myself take occasional quick breaks to reenergize.
- 5 minute body care. The rules: This can be anything from stretching, rolling, mobility, sauna, massage, and the list goes on. Why: It is part of developing a healthy structure, I need it, there are positive mental/emotional effects and it provides another opportunity to break up the days duties and recharge.
- Deep breathing/quiet time/meditation. The rules: At some point each day set time aside to focus on cadenced breathing, sit or lay in quiet stillness and/or work on meditation. This first week I have been taking 20 deep breaths everyday. Why: For the several physical, psychological, spiritual benefits associated, to grow myself in these practices and tack on another regenerating break opportunity.
- Have 1 green drink a day. The rules: Everyday have a drink loaded with green goodness. This can be a green smoothie, a green juice, a wheatgrass shot, or even a simple scoop of green foods in water. Why: The health benefits and to ensure consistency.
- Give something away. The rules: It must be intentional. Somedays this will be as simple as a hug and other days I will really stretch myself. Why: To take me outside my comfort zone and encourage myself to take actions I may not typically take if I weren't conscious about it. To level up my giving and strengthen my connectedness.
There it is friends! Everyday for the next 100 days I am committed to these actions. Now, the catch, if you choose to develop a challenge of your own, is if you happen to miss a day due to choice, forgetfulness or whatever…you must restart the challenge at day 1! Put yourself on the line to make great changes in your life. Set rewards along the way, anchor an accountability system and consider the repercussions of not fulfilling on your word. I recommend you establish rules or else it will be too easy to cheat as well as your why or else you will lack motivation.
For me, the items listed above are ones I'd like to have as foundations in my life and therefore the requirements are merely starting points. I plan on working to increase the durations and magnitudes along the way and beyond. The important thing…it got me started and I am committed.


text:
"Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth." Mathew 5:5
It was late afternoon and the sky blazed with a multi-hued crimson sunset as Tom sheared through the wires of the fence. The wires were quite rusty now, he noticed as he looked down the long fence line. It reminded him of how much time had passed since the Great Reaping, which is what his small group of survivors had called the tragedy. He pulled the wires aside and strode towards the sound of the old metal windmill pump still clanking away in the far corner of the field. Even though he passed quite a few bleached skeletons of cows as he neared the windmill he saw a few live cows huddled around the trough that was still being fed small spurts of gushing water. One let out a loud "Arrrrrrghhhhh" and eyed him suspiciously. It was distantly answered.
As he scanned the rest of the sweep of the field he estimated that in total there were about a dozen cows still living. They stared at him with curiosity, it had been a long time since they had seen a human, but they did not appear to feel threatened by him, continuing to casually whisk flies from their backs. The windmill and good pasture had allowed them to survive the last 5 years or so since all the people had disappeared. It would have happened quite quickly out here in the country where the eating of meat had been sacrosanct. The farmer and the family died, usually in the space of a few days or weeks, leaving the livestock still pastured. Like ghost farms stuck in a timeless loop. Not so many of the sheep and cows had been as lucky as this lot, but animals are longer lived than people usually realised so he still found a few to set free to roam at large, maybe breed if they found a rare bull or ram. But first he had to cut down fences and open gates to increase their pasture. They may just remain near the water anyway, as long as the windmill pumped water.
It had been Tom's self-appointed task to range out from the settlement of survivors and set the animals free. He patted a couple of the cows as he returned from opening the gates into the other fields and headed back towards his car. The dusk was deepening and the quiet of the night had begun bringing it with it a soothing insect chorus. No point in going further, a waste of battery charge to use the lights at night. Here was as good as anywhere else these days, everywhere was the same, silent and empty. Tom found the sounds of the cattle comforting, the noise of other sentient beings nearby in the darkness.
Tom lit himself a small fire and heated some canned tomatoes and chickpeas, settled some native tubers around the smouldering coals and remembered back to the beginning. "the meek shall inherit the earth" was a adage he had never really understood before the Great Reaping. It had always puzzled him how it was possible for the meek to inherit the earth. Mistakenly he had thought that meekness amounted to cowardice and the inability to stand up to dominating forces. Not being Christian or of any other faith except a general spirituality, he hadn't pondered the statement too long. Now he thought he understood it completely.
The media and social nets at first had reported isolated incidents, but from all over the world. People began to haemorrhage internally and drop dead in the space of a few hours or a couple of days. At first it seemed random, and the fact that people were dying randomly around the world kept the authorities and scientists bemused. However, it was soon discovered that the pandemic was not from a disease that was born on the wind or transferred by touch or mucus like the Ebola that had previously been a concern. The virus, a lifeform similar to a virus consisted of the DND molecule of RNA strands that the mass-media called the "Deadend virus", was incorporated into the individual cells of all of humanity.
People were told not to panic that a cure would be found in time, even as the loss of life continued mounting. But the cure never came, the Deadend virus was too quick. Even the scientists were dying no matter what precautions were taken. They did have time to discover though that DND had entered the human body through the gut. Originating as an ocean organism, it had made its way into the human food chain. After fish had been turned into stockfeed feed for cows and pigs, the organism had infected the cattle and pigs and then all the rest, silently sleeping within them, yet un-harming them. DND had quickly spread somehow into all the other livestock animals, and then into anyone and everyone who had eaten meat or any animal products in the final five years before the Great Reaping event. Lying in wait it had reacted with the DNA in the human genome where it switched genetic markers on and off, until finally creating a lethal combination. It some people this was a quick process, in some a slower, but for all people it was inevitable. The virus turned the human DNA against itself, and it was unstoppable.
The USA, Europe, Argentina, Australia; the big dairy and meat-eating countries were the fastest effected, the more meat and animal products a person had eaten in the final 5 years, the faster DND flicked those genetic switches. It had only needed a tiny trace of animal protein in any product for the infection to take hold. Unfortunately, at the time animal products were put into everything edible as a way of getting rid of much of the waste from the meat and dairy industry. Whey powder was dumped into every possible product, also animal fats and milk powders, eggs and gelatine, a person had to be dedicated to avoid whey powder alone. So it wasn't long before all nations were losing population so rapidly that civil life fell apart. The nations of our worldwide civilization just stopped in the space of a few weeks. Then no more news was to be had.
Ironically, veganism as a life choice had been having a massive upsurge, boosted publicly by young squeaky clean bright eyed millennial facebook-utubers of the early twenty-first century. There were going to be some very smug survivors, perhaps even as much as 5% claimed the disintegrating media. But Tom remembered the last vegan meeting he attended that had been organised over the internet before it collapsed. They had met in a park in the centre of the city, one of the few spaces that had been kept clean of corpses. By then few people roamed the streets, no restaurants operated, although some bars were still serving a dying customer base, some people partying, some drowning in sorrow, most waiting out the inevitable. At that last meeting it was noticed that many of the younger vegans, and a few of the older ones had not come. Those that had swapped to veganism too late, or those that had indulged a cheat day, or just not been diligent enough in reading the miniscule print of ingredients on the packages of processed food. These too had died.
It had come as a big surprise to the vegetarians to find that DND was also carried by milk, cheese and eggs, which by this time, the philosophy hijacked by industry, had become a main ingredient in vegetarian food. Tom was thankful for his youthful rebellious ways as he had been vegetarian as a teenager but when he became part of the politicised fringe of the grunge punk movement in the 80's he had become vegan. Firstly, for the atrocities of the meat industry, which only got worse as time went on, but also because after the scare of the madcow disease in the 80s, he decided to learn that lesson from industrial meat raising practices and foresworn all animal products since. He was old school, he was safe. He was pleased to see how many young children were surviving, raised from birth in vegan families, these kids would hold the future for humanity. A more compassionate future he was sure. Amid all the death and sickness, this little waning group of health and vitality stood out like an entirely different species. There remained a couple of hundred long term vegans, mainly women in the early twenties and above. Whatever new society would grow out of this chaos, it was going to be very different to the one left behind. To begin with it was going to be very female orientated, a good thing since the male oriented world had imploded.
It was decided as a group that attacks upon vegans by enraged omnivores was a growing problem, and the city would soon have further difficulties of older known diseases emanating from the rotting corpses mounting up in the streets and homes of the city. It would be best to move as a group to some suitable farm land where fresh vegetables could be grown to support the whole new community. Even though tins and packets of chickpeas, lentils and other staples of the vegan diet would last for many years, fresh vegetables were going to be of a growing concern.
Tom had been one of a dozen chosen to leave the city by car in search of good land that was already unoccupied and to report back. All could see that the end was near for a functioning society and the search needed to take place before petrol supplies ceased. He had travelled south towards the greener land, where aside from beach and foodie tourism, forests and pasture had been the mainstay of local industry. Here in a small town that had always been a haven of hippy-drop-out-free-life-stylers he found a few people still surviving as a small scattered community of organic farms, that had once supplied the city weekend market. Around Charlotte River township where there had been many small local producers of organic veggies, handmade gourmet foods such as cheeses, chocolates and cured meats there was both the fertile land and the infrastructure available.
The rest of the community from the city soon made the journey south and took over the small desolate farms. Fences were torn down and what livestock that had managed to survive were let loose to roam. The few local survivors and the new city people worked together to start raising enough crops to feed all of them. The city by this time had become a ghost of its former self and the few shadowy people still left were those that had been vegan before or those that had been born since the Great Reaping. Those he occasionally met he encourage to head south to Charlotte River.
Tom had been instrumental in organising the cutting down of the fences and the freeing of the livestock, but he had not settled into any particular farm, did not partner with anyone, and lived with a small mix of other older misfits in the town, where they worked at trying to maintain essential services and equipment. He was charged with trying to find radio contact with other survivors around the world, but over the years there had been fewer and fewer short radio contacts with other groups. India had been the last. Until now only silence.
As the new community thrived he turned his thoughts to the animals still left possibly surviving and suffering on the farms and stations to the north and inland, where the red dessert was vast and life more difficult. With this in mind, and a hankering to see what was becoming of the corporatized world that had died, suicided on its gluttony of greed, ease and luxury, he returned to the city where he sought after the experimental hybrid car at the university, and began to make sorties further and further from Charlottes River.
By the firelight, leaning back, watching the unpolluted night sky, the bright stars and the occasional meteor, and even more surprising the occasional satellite still passing smoothly overhead, he chuckled lightly to himself. The meek shall inherit the earth. But the cows are meek, the sheep are meek, and he had used to think that they were innocently slaughtered the way meek humans would always be. But Tom had come to realise that the meek did not mean the cowardly or the weak. That meek had always meant something different in the ancient days. Meek had meant those who were unwilling to create death and suffering for the other sentient beings. Meek meant a person who had a profound respect not only for the earth, but also for all the others that lived upon it. It meant knowing that there exists an equality between all sentient beings, that all have a right to exist in their own way without human interference, control and exploitation. A cow wandered quietly over and stood puffing just outside the fire light. The cows eat grass and they are wonderfully meek, the vegans eat plants and could also claim that title. Truly, as the prophets foretold, the meek had inherited the earth. Now a new earth could begin, one shared by all. Tom lay back on his swag and gave a tired sigh, a good day's work and a lifetimes realisation concluded, he was content as he drifted off to sleep, outside with all other sentient inhabitants.


text:
Is anyone still out there?
I haven't been writing on here for a couple reasons. I didn't want to promote IMVU which kind of pissed me off, and I have had to work more and couldn't put much time into this. And also because I just focused on my own imvu time and began doing even more pictures and videos of that. This just wasn't any big deal and I didn't figure it mattered if I continued. But I'll ask you, does this matter? Do you really even care if I write more about IMVU or virtual relationships? (there are a few things in the past couple years maybe I could write about if I can get back into the mood again.)
You can tell by the dates that I haven't written much in a very long time. I was tempted to turn the blog into a hate site, documenting how IMVU SUCKS because they surely do. I love the people more than I can possibly say, but hate the corporation more than I can possibly say too. They seem to intentionally screw the the system and the customers so badly that I just can't stand to look like I'm representing it. So I figured it's better to say nothing than to continue to do anything that promotes them.
They'll probably retaliate against me if or when they see this and when they do that, I'll ramp it up and and post the million horror stories about IMVU screwing their customer base both out of stupidity and to force them to spend a few bucks, because they figure you're addicted because of the people, so they can so anything. But for now, I have to share the latest one, that happened to a friend of mine.
One of my best friends was chatting with her wife who was on her cell phone. When her wife closed the chat she hit the flag button by mistake. It happenes, I've even blocked my spouse by mistake (losing all the shared rooms) because the links are so small and close together and there's no confirmation, if you hit the wrong thing on your phone, bamm they're gone.
Later that day my best friend gets a note from IMVU saying they're banning her for two weeks because she attempted to get users passwords. She is the sweetest person I know, doesn't go to random rooms or talk to people she doesn't know, honestly and truly a wonderful soul. And they're accusing her of trying to hack other people's accounts?! Everyone knew it was so completely wrong.
Hello, *********. We have evidence that you recently asked another user for their password and/or other account information. We have temporarily disabled your account for 2 weeks due to this Terms of Service violation. You will be able to login 2 weeks from the date of this e-mail.
Her wife who flagged it by mistake has written IMVU to say it was a mistake. IMVU has the conversation and knows there was no attempt to get anyone's password, that is a blatant lie. There are THREE issues exposed here:
1. IMFU assumes anyone is guilty without even reviewing the accusation at all. They say they have evidence yet the evidence shows exactly the opposite except they didn't actually look at it. And of course there's no appeal process.
2. Even if you do prove you're not guilty, which is made intentionally hard since they won't show you the evidence or the accuser, they don't care. In this case the accuser says it was a mistake, but they STILL DON"T CARE and are leaving her banned.
3. They intentionally bann users in order to force them to make a new avi and buy AP and credits and if you're a developer to ultimately steal and continue to sell all your assets without having to pay any commission. So unfortunately they make money by attacking their customers, and as they're base shrinks they do it even more.
IMVU is hurting two people in this case, both my friend who they banned and her wife (also my friend!) who made an honest mistake, all because IMVU cant' be bothered to look at the content of a complaint, and because they can't be bothered to fix even such an obvious mistake.
Two additional points here:
* They use the excuse that you were attempting to get users passwords (hacking) even when they know it's not true at all! It's just their standard broad excuse that they use for anything.
* You can get anyone banned anonymously by flagging any conversation. I probably shouldn't say this out loud because it's totally true and very dangerous. But hopefully if enough people abuse it you'd think they'll have to change their policy. But unfortunately in the end the sad truth is they JUST DON'T GIVE A FLYING FRACK ABOUT THEIR CUSTOMERS and are happy to err on the side of hurting their customers to get them to spend a few bucks more.
If you wonder why I don't post much here any more it's because IMVU corporation SUCKS and I don't want this to just be a complaint about IMVU. I love the people and the system isn't bad, but the people that run it are driving it into the ground.
Happy Valentine's Day xxx
Valentine's Day is a holiday of Romance and Love. Romance is love in its active state, ignited and inspired. Valentine's Day may feel like a holiday forced on us by the "greeting cards factory's, jewelry stores and floral greenhouse industries", but the truth is that we have accepted it because we recognize and value its purpose.
Love that never inspires romance is stagnant and stale. Valentine's Day is an opportunity to ignite our existing relationship with romance, and love with an added dose of romance will result in a stronger, longer lasting and far more satisfying relationship.
As we watch how the the sun go down,
I just want to let you know,
my love for you will last forever,
and I'll never let you go.
You are the one I've been searching for,
the one I have finally found,
without you my darling in my life,
my world wouldn't turn around.
The love and joy you bring into my heart,
which is so very true and kind,
is something in no other,
I could truly ever found.
Today isn't just an ordinary Valentines Day,
it's all about me and you,
about the loving feeling we both share,
and how it is continue grow.
It isn't all about the chocolates,
neither about a dozen roses,
it's about the love we found,
and how much we've been blessed.
Everything will happen with a reason,
I believe this statement is true,
that's why you were sent to me,
and why I was sent to you.
I've never been more happy,
as I am with you,
even through rough times,
we'll always make it through.
To be with you for eternity,
is all I want for me and you,
and I'll promise you, with all my heart,
you're my one and only, true love!
Happy Valentine's Day…xxx
Take Human Bites
When we chat we talk in short sentences or phrases. We don't always punctuate everything or spell everything perfectly and we don't talk in full paragraphs. So when you talk in ceremonies, weddings or things, even if you're copying and pasting do it in smaller bites. It gives it more of a spoken feel and makes it feel more real and a better rhythm.
When you write in smaller blocks, it fits into the bubbles better, and you know you're going at the right pace. If you paste a big block it's harder to know how fast the user is reading and it's easy to go to fast or too slow. And if you paste more than two bubbles it doesn't show the whole thing in the bubbles. I like to video things and like to watch the bubbles in a crowded room because it's easier to follow the thread and the right person.
If you're copying and pasting, it's really not much more effort to copy and paste a few more times. It's not a big thing, but its especially important for screen shots and videoing because you only see the bubbles. This is just one of my pet peeves and I have it in a list of tips for IMVU weddings but not in its own post. So remember take Human Bites! I also like vampires too, so it works that way too ;)
IMVU is like Living in Disney World
I just got back from Disney World and can't help but make a comparison here with IMVU. For me IMVU isn't just like going to Adult Disney World. It's not even like getting a season pass for the Adult Disney World. It's like falling in love with the top ride designers, and living out every fantasy you can imagine with people actively trying to design the most amazing things ever, all to make you crazy head over heels in love! That's all it is. And guess what, it totally works!
They think I do a lot, I just ride and have the absolute time of my life!! And Love them more than I ever thought was even possible! That's all… It's just being head over heels with the most amazing people who constantly push your buttons and seem to be able to make you more and more in love every day… ALWAYS!
Then it's sharing your heart and soul with the Queen of Happiness and better friendships than you ever had in real life. It's more than passion, it's honestly loving and sharing friendships, laughter, and tears. It's almost unlimited sexy clothes, music and people that want to love and be with you all over the place. The only downside is there's never enough time to see it all. It never closes and never gets old. It just gets better and better every day! It's totally addicting and gets better and better every day.
Dispatches from an IMVU Scientist: Making RL better!
We often worry about not letting imvu interfere with rl but a good friend of mine thought imvu helped her do better with her rl relationships by making her more open and communicative. How true! Here are some ways recently that I thought about on a recent trip to the Carribean:
1) Communication is key – to everything… Too often we hide what we really mean, sometimes to protect the other person's feelings. But at least in my book, more communication is always better.
2) Don't be afraid to ask for what you want…. I have this problem that I don't like asking for things. I don't want to impose. I think of that Mel Gibson movie, What Women Want, where it takes a man getting magical powers (from a toaster of all places) to read women's thoughts, to make them happy because girls often don't say. So like #1, communicate. (I'm embarrassed to admit what I learned to ask for that made me think of this. But feel free to ask. It was totally only something that I got used to asking for on imvu before I was able to ask for it in rl.)
3) Be sexually adventurous. Imvu gives you so many ways to push boundaries. Explore in a safe environment. Last month, in our little island trip, we had a little bungalow, with a private pool on the deck (basically a glorified bath tub but still), it was hidden by trees but still public and I did things I would never have imagined myself doing just a couple years ago.
4) Be aware of other's feelings, validate them before stating your own– I mean, this is not just an imvu thing. A friend of mine who has been separated from her husband for like 4 years but still trying to make things work, said that was the biggest thing she learned from counseling. That in a fight, before you make your own point, its important to validate the feelings of the other person. That was the best piece of advice I got from my brother's ex-'s mother who was a life coach years ago, but imvu has given me lots of practice. In a fight, we worry so much about our own point of view, because we just want to be heard. So one good way to calm the tension is to make sure the other person knows they are heard. Tell them you get it. That's usually all any of us want.
Making the world smaller
IMVU is very international and it's great to get to know and see things through friends all over the world. Looking at the statistics a moment ago I noticed something I thought was interesting. Even with all the turmoil we hear about there, the Ukraine was the third highest country by visitors today. It doesn't really prove much but I just thought it was interesting how we can reach people all over the world. I pray for the people of the Ukraine and the Dutch and everyone who lost family and friends!
Getting married right NOW!!
Wow, super excited and nervous and anxious all at the same time. I'm worried about the size of the room and how many people can fit. So it'll be important to have the link for JOINME readily available. If the link's here it's available. I'll take it down when it's not active any more.
Wow it was so wonderful!! Going to bed so happily married!!!
How to be better at IMVU Sex
The first most important thing is the attitude of wanting and trying to please your partner. When you put that first everything else tends to work out. The ones that don't seem to be trying are the ones I remove or avoid. And even people that aren't that great or are just ok can get better if they're really trying and want to please the other person.
The second most important thing to do to be better at passion is to open up and really let your heart flow. You have to put yourself into your AVI and learn to feel and express even the details as much as possible. Use lots of adjectives and paint a vivid word picture of every little detail and action.
Sexiness comes from your mind and the words you use are more important in great passion then sexy poses, triggers or voice boxes or anything else. But that doesn't mean that the other things don't help or add to it. So set up and use sexy poses and dress sexy and use sexy music or sounds appropriately. Sex and great love here doesn't come from those things but doing all of the smaller pieces right definitely adds to the quality and excitement.
There are a few other things you can do that can help you to do a better job that I don't tell most people about. The best secret trick is to use Dragon Naturally Speaking or any voice program that allows you to talk instead of having to type. I don't do this during regular chats, but in passion I like to be able to have my hands free so I can enjoy it and still do a good job making it fun and sexy for my partner.
I also use a couple other tricks that I don't talk about as much. I use a program that helps in typing things, kind of like an auto correct. This allows you to expand a couple of letters into phrases or even whole sentences. I got a gaming keyboard that has a programmable macro keys. I even got a foot pedal so I can just tap the pedal instead of having to use the keyboard for a couple things.
I made a database of all of the best lines I used or could find. A little bit of preparation can help make it very powerful and a lot easier. Some of the macro programs can automate a lot of it. I don't find that I use those type of macros or the prepared lines as much once I got good with Dragon, because I'm with the same people fairly frequently and I don't want them to feel any of it is canned or less than less sincere. The point though is that you should try to find a few ways to shortcut and make it easier to do a good job.
One of the things that I do which not everybody does is music. If you search a little bit and work at it you can put together some very hot sexy IMVU music mixes that will add to the feeling of passion.
Make or even find a couple IMVU rooms that have fun themes and use them with some friends. A generic looking room, or even worse the default room is kind of a turn off. But a very sexy room that's different and exciting will definitely make someone want to come back again and so will real powerful love! Follow up afterwards with a note or two, to stay on their mind, and don't sound like you're gonna come track them down, but let them know if you appreciate it.


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I stopped initially using electronic cigarettes for a couple of weeks, switched to patches for another week or so and since then just a few drags of the e cig every 5 or 6 hours. I only have a few cartridges left so that will be it once they are gone.
I know some people think that using e cigs isn't stopping, but its the same principle as patches or gum, you use them to wean yourself of tobacco.


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James Earl Anderson, 69
James Earl Anderson
of Bremerton, ID
Nov. 1, 1944
to Jan. 25, 2014
James Earl Anderson (Jim) passed away Friday, Jan. 25, 2014, from MS complications. Born in Detroit, Mich. Jim Grew up in Lake Orion.
Jim served as a Navy corpsman during the Vietnam War. He served nearly three decades as a teacher and participated in computer science programs for National Geographic. Jim raised his family on a farm in Poulsbo, and loved the outdoors.
Despite struggling with MS, Jim had an indomitable spirit to live life to the fullest. In 2004, he won five medals at the VA Wheelchair Games. When he moved to Bremerton, he became a patron to the local Bremerton Admiral Theatre. Many people greeted him and his faithful service dog, Raffle, wherever they would go. His sense of humor was infectious.
He is survived by his wife Jackie; siblings Mark, Helen, and Norma; sons Joshua, Joey, Tim, Peter, and Jonathan; his daughters Eliza and Samantha, and his grandchildren Hannah, India, James, Rose, Lynn, Emilia, Mackenzie, Skyler, and Rowan. Those that called him a friend found him to be honest and true. He loved his friends and treated all of them like family members.
A public memorial service will be held at the Admiral Theatre in Bremerton at 10 a.m. on Feb. 16th. A reception for family and close friends will be held immediately after the memorial service in the community room of the condos where Jim lived at 400 Washington Avenue in Bremerton. The entrance is on the left side of the building just down the stairs.
Donations to honor the memory of Jim Anderson can be made to the Paralyzed Veterans of America and the MS Society.


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Recently we have delivered a skid mounted unit to a customer in South-East Asia for the preparation of pizza and pasta sauces.
The unit consists of two 600 liters steam jacketed cookers where the ingredients are mixed together and heated up to the required temperature of 95° C.
Water can be dosed automatically by means of a flow meter, other ingredients are loaded manually from an operator platform into the cookers.
After a pre-set cooking time the sauce is transferred with a positive displacement pump to further use in customers products.
In case a cold end product is required for further use, the product is lead through a Terlotherm, type T 2-6 scraped surface heat exchanger where it is cooled down with ice water to 10° C.
The unit is suitable for CIP cleaning and is further equipped with simple PLC controls.
Terlet BV, Twentepoort Oost 55 D, 7609 RG Almelo, The Netherlands
Tel: +31 88 78 78 200 E-mail: email@example.com
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Tell me the name of the author. Each one is worth 10 points and the title of the quiz is your only clue 🙂 You have until Friday afternoon.
No cheating. No Googling, researching, or looking at other commenter answers. Yes, we're going by the honor system Your first answers will be the only ones accepted. Play every week or just one time, you are always welcome It only takes once to be eligible for a prize.
Current Leaderboard here. Last week's What Book is that? Quiz answers here.
1. His last three books have tackled controversial topics and have become bestsellers. His critics complain he does not write well and his conspiracy puzzlers are inaccurate, but he's laughing all the way to the bank. Dan Brown
2. His famous books for kids one about a mouse and one with a spider are classics over 50 years later. For adults he wrote a how-to with his pal Strunk. E.B. White
3. She writes erotic, paranormal romances. Shayla Black
4. She is considered by some to be one of the founders of the chick lit genre. Her latest book is Promises to Keep. Jane Green
5. He's written books about Alaska, Katherine, and towns made of paper. John Green
6. Two books about a street in New Orleans have been published with another promised. Oh, and she's written 10 other books mostly set in the south, her latest on a beach. Karen White
7. This romance and thriller suspense author has written almost 70 novels, 50 of them being NYT Bestsellers. Her latest about a tough customer. Sandra Brown
8. This British Nobel Prize winner is best known for his book about young boys stuck together on a deserted island. William Golding
9. The editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan Magazine is the author of the Bailey Weggins mystery series and a new stand alone novel that asks you to use your library voice. Kate White
10. This favorite children's author wrote many classics including one about a tree that couldn't stop giving. Shel Silverstein


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Thanksgiving. Just thinking about it makes the button on my pants give way. I am a weak woman when it comes to a good feast, and I will eat until I am downright uncomfortable--and then maybe throw in a piece of pie.
Unfortunately, that strategy has led to some painful lessons, and as I get older I find myself less able to overindulge in food the same way I am less able to overindulge in booze; both cause a massive hangover. In some ways, the food hangovers are worse--at least I can eat myself out of a booze hangover.
Holidays like Thanksgiving also pose challenges for those of us who are trying to maintain or lose weight. I know some people like to throw caution to the wind on holidays, but that plan just doesn't work for everyone--certainly not for me. Sure, I still overindulge, but by making healthier foods and healthier choices I avoid total caloric meltdown.
Here are two of my secret weapons for keeping Thanksgiving manageable.
Eat This, Not That Eat This, Not That might be a gimmick, but it's a successful one. The line of Eat This, Not That books and articles--written by editor-in-chief of Men's Health, David Zinczenko--cover a variety of food substitutions designed to help people make healthier food choices. With titles like Supermarket Survival Guide, The Best (and Worst) Foods in America, and Eat This, Not That! For Kids, along with the general guide Zinczenko updates yearly, the franchise is incredibly popular and is often cited in diet and fitness magazines. Naturally, Men's Health online has an entire section dedicated to the Eat This, Not That concept.
I knew Thanksgiving was calorie-laden, but this Men's Health "Top Swaps for Thanksgiving" made me a little queasy. The article cites the caloric-intake estimate for Thanksgiving given by the Calorie Control Council. Care to guess how many calories the average American will eat on Thanksgiving? Seriously, any guesses?
The answer is 4,500 calories. FOUR THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED CALORIES. Oh, and 229 grams of fat. That number is stunning. I happen to think it is entirely possible to enjoy Thanksgiving without eating 4,500 calories in one day, and I can't speak for anyone else, but I know would enjoy it more if I didn't. So what are the Eat This, Not That Thanksgiving swaps?
• Choose white turkey meat over dark turkey meat, and skip jellied cranberry sauce for homemade to cut calories, sugar, and fat. • Cook up a healthier green bean casserole by skipping the mushroom soup, and skip the stuffing entirely to shave calories and fat. • Enjoy mashed potatoes with turkey gravy instead of candied sweet potatoes. • Go for a dinner roll instead of reaching for the buttery cornbread. • Pick pumpkin pie instead of pecan (I think I just heard thousands of Texans gasping) to shave calories, sugar, and fat.
Not willing to part with your favorite, be it stuffing, dark meat, or pecan pie? Just eat less. Or pick one indulgence and then make healthier choices for the rest of your plate. There is no way I would give up stuffing cooked in the bird, so I usually opt to skip on any kind of bread, and eat salad instead of green bean casserole.
"Healthify" Your Recipes
One of my favorite online recipe resources is "Eat Better America." I found the website several years ago when I was still living in Alaska, and a white wedding dress loomed on my horizon. I admit to not being much of a home cook, and I found this website at the beginning of my journey toward being able to do more than boil pasta. It has been an invaluable tool for me, particularly when looking for healthier versions of favorite dishes. I don't always follow the recipes exactly, but I like the tips and the substitution suggestions. Some of the recipes are downright incredible, like this one for Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins.
Having attended a lot of potluck Thanksgivings (and Christmases), I have had the opportunity to test-drive some of these recipes, particularly the side dishes. Generally when a recipe calls for something canned I try to substitute fresh to reduce the sodium even further. The recipes are basic, so I also tend to go crazy seasoning with herbs and spices to customize them to our tastes. Here are a few that were especially successful:
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• Warm Caramelized Vegetables (Potatoes & Asparagus, or Green Beans): This one was a huge surprise, as I don't have much of a sweet tooth, but I loved it. I think this would be a nice sub for candied sweet potatoes. • Tangy Onion Flowers: These are pretty and fun. Kind of like the blooming onion from Outback Steakhouse but not, you know, trying to kill you. • Sweet Potatoes with Apples and Onion: Very light and fresh, but definitely needs zing. I love adding lots of crushed red pepper and paprika. • Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls: Considering all the butter and fat at the Thanksgiving table, a little extra fiber may go a long way. • Pumpkin Desserts: Ranging from Pumpkin Panna Cotta to Pumpkin Crème Brulee, there are dozens of healthy recipes to satisfy the craving.
Look, you don't have to strip your entire Thanksgiving buffet of butter, sugar, salt, and calories, and I'm not advocating a Thanksgiving dinner comprised of steamed-broccoli, served with unseasoned boneless/skinless chicken breasts. But I know I'm not the only one on the lookout for ways to keep Thanksgiving on the reasonable side of 4,500 calories, and I'm hoping some of you will have some tips to share for making Thanksgiving less gut-busting, but still delicious.
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De-Mystifying the Indirect Water Heater
Indirect water heaters have now been around for decades, but many consumers still have a lot of questions about them. Just how efficient is an indirect water heater? Wouldn't using my boiler year-round for my hot water cost more than just using a standard water heater? Below, we'll break down everything you need to know about the indirect water heater, and what it means to your wallet.
What is an indirect water heater? Indirect water heaters get their name from how they function: they get their heat "indirectly" from the home's boiler via connective piping. The piping circulates hot water (usually 180-200° F) from the boiler to a heat exchanger within the water heater. The boiler water then surrounds the coils of the heat exchanger, and the result: domestic hot water.
If your home is heated by a boiler, whether it's oil or gas, heating your domestic hot water with an indirect water heater is a cost-effective option:
- Higher efficiency: While the average gas water heater rates between 60 to 70% efficiency, high efficiency boilers can reach 96% efficiency. When you use your boiler as a heat source to produce your hot water, your hot water efficiency equals your boiler's efficiency, which translates to greater savings.
- Less heat loss: Indirect water heaters are well insulated and lose very little heat during extended standby periods, which means that you won't have to waste water waiting for it your shower to heat up. Just hop right in!
- Better performance: While many standard water heaters fall short when hot water is needed in multiple places at once (like when the shower and dishwasher are running simultaneously), an indirect water heater is powered by the boiler, and can produce 2 to 3 times the amount of hot water as a standard water heater.
- Long lifespan: Indirect water heater tanks are made from highly durable stainless steel to prevent corrosion and wear, and most manufacturers offer lifetime tank warranties on their models.
But how is an indirect water heater more efficient if I now have to run my boiler year-round? Your boiler will only fire when you need the hot water. When it does fire, it's still producing hot water at a higher efficiency rate than a typical water heater.
If you aren't getting the efficiency or performance you expect from your existing water heater, ask your Bioheat® fuel provider about installing an indirect water, or visit our NYSEC Member List Map to find a provider in your area today.


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You Are Here Now
Eivind Natvig
Eivind H. Natvig spent 2011-2012 in a state of self-imposed homelessness staying with friends and strangers across the country; this and a variety of journeys from 2008-2013 make up the material of his series You Are Here Now.
This is another Norway. Not the traditional beauty of fjords and spring-images of blonde girls. Clichés. This is the beauty of everyday life and dull realities. Something hard to define. It's an outsider's view, like window shopping. Frames stolen from a movie about Norway that's never been made. If you take a look and freeze it, there is a lot of beauty there. It's full of things so normal that they've become invisible to us as individuals, as a culture. It is about the little things. To stop, look and engage with your surroundings. Absorb what you see, the place you are. You Are Here. Present.
What I show is my Norway. I hope that we can learn to see. See the obvious, details, excerpts. Not just the bold letters at the news stand. But our own time's complex simplicity. Old nostalgic black and white images from our time, in colours and emotions.
This is a dive into the exotic world of everyday. These are the views of an insider, an introverted view of the known, but a foreigner's account of his homeland after years of travelling in other continents and cultures. It is about a wonderful exotic and strange society, even for a Norwegian.
[My sources of inspiration] begin with Lars Tunbjörk. It was after a long stretch in South Asia that I returned to Norway and was immersed in his universe of mundane moments. The book was Vinter and it unlocked the magic of the everyday. The insignificant moments. Within days of digesting this I sat in my car and went exploring. A short playful week resulted in images which are included in the book. Tunbjörk's world stayed with me during the years as I travelled thousands of kilometres through Norway – his keen eye and the freedom of not showing what the world looks like, but using the power of photography to share how one perceives the world.
The most important inspiration has been the encounters of hundred of random people across the country – specks of their knowledge rubbing off on me and infecting my work and life. These people have shared and given generously of themselves.
On paper Eivind H. Natvig was the epitome of the young, up-and-coming photojournalist; he spent years traveling all over the world. His photographs were revered far beyond the Norwegian borders. He photographed people making their mark on the landscape as well as being part of it–people at work and play, wealthy people, poor people.
He shows Norway as both an exotic and strange place, but at the same time somewhere mundane and trivial. The images have something both for the enthusiastic tourist and the native suffering from wanderlust. The images are full of juxtapositions – they refuse to make a stand or to take sides. But then again, it might not be a question of taking sides. Natvig currently divides his time between working on long-term projects and a life in the mountains and on the ocean.
nineteensixtyeight presents a selection of 15 images from the series You Are Here Now, available to buy in our shop.


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The Pink Panther Movie Review (7/10)Posted on March 5th, 2006 filed in Movie Reviews | Send to a friend:
The infamous Inspector Clouseau, immortalized by the genius of the late Peter Sellers, is back. Steve Martin plays the bumbling, fumbling, inept, idiotic, repressed and uniqely french accented inspector and the result is a mixed bag. Great for some, disappointing for others.
The movie is quite funny and even hilarious at times. Mr. Martin shines as a matter of fact and performs some of his funniest to date. What haunts him however is that, a good portion of the audience, namely fans and cult followers of the Sellers' Inspector Clouseau, will come to theatres expecting, quite unreasonably if you think about it, a reincarnation of Peter Sellers, and for many this is the only reason why they came to the movie theatre in the first place, only to be disappointed that this is not the case.
So it is no surprise that those that are not familiar with the original Pink Panther series, find the movie hilarious while the others find it a flop.
In my opinion, Steve Martin manages to capture the essence and spirit of Sellers' Clouseau but executes and delivers his own version of the character. In that regard, he succeeds well. I may even dare to say that current movie is funniest than many of its predecessors. Try to watch the original 'The Pink Panther' and see for yourself how unfunny it is (Other than the spectacular Sellers of course) in today's standards.
In addition, Martin's Clouseau has his own vulnerable and humane moments like when he finds out his boss was playing and using him all along. The sorrow in his face reaches from across the screen and that's something we never saw in Sellers' Clouseau.
The script is no academy winner but I doubt anyone coming to this movie is there for the plot. In addition, no plot of any prior Pink Panther movie is really that movie's strong point.
Jean Reno is well cast as Clouseau assistant and is quite reminiscent of the old Kato.
Kevin Kline disappoints however as Dreyfuss, the pivotal character in the original series. Undoubtedly, the genius behind Otto of 'A Fish Called Wanda' should have delivered more.
Beyonce role is quite marginal and her dialogue is almost non existent. Besides her looks and a song, there's not much to talk about. Not sure why she was even included in this movie.
The movie remains loyal to its time and place and captures some of what is French (Cycling, fast food dislike,..) as well as what is sooo 21st century (Viagra, ringtones,..).
Overall, I had fun throughout the movie and like others in the theatre really enjoyed my time. The trick is to keep in mind that this is not a remake but rather another installment in a well cherished series. Steve Martin has proved himself and is well worth becoming the new star of an undoubtedly more titles to come in this movie franchise. I, among many others, shall be waiting.
3 Responses to "The Pink Panther Movie Review (7/10)"
Martina Says:
July 10th, 2007 at 3:55 pm
You know it is really interesting that you should say that in your review!
I got tired of my boyfriend telling me how funnnnny the original Pink Panther is, so I finally rented it and watched. Well, please, let me tell you I didn't even laugh…perhaps it was funny then and Steve Martin is funny now!!! So please all of you who have Peter Sellers idealized, do me a favor and watch the old movies now and you will have a sad change of heart!
Henry Says:
July 18th, 2007 at 11:46 am
Pink Panther is an excellent light comedy….I have heard a lot about Peter Sellers and Inspector Clouseau from my older siblings who are a huge fan but I was too young at the time, and so as you said I went into the movie without any expectations and laughed my eyes out!
Steve Martin is truly Hilarious, even days after watching the movie, I'd honestly start laughing on my own just by remembering the Hamburger scene…. Some of it is silly humor, but I cannot think of anybody that would give a better performance than Steve Martin….
This movie is suitable for all the family; adults, teens and preteens, however, I have to admit that my eldest, a big fan of Peter Sellers, left the theater saying that it used to be funnier!
Jamie Says:
July 15th, 2007 at 4:49 pm
I am a huge, huge fan of Beyonce…Her music, her style, her dancing, her acting, everything!!!!
However, I have to admit, that I was a tiny weeny bit disappointed by her role in Pink Panther… She did look glamorous like she usually does, she looked a bit fake and as if afraid t o show too many expressions on her face, even her body was not too flattering…..but of course the soundtrack is AMAZING!!!!
Other than that, my friends and I loved the movie!


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Blog Archives
But One Story of Sacrifice
The month is April and the year 1945. The war with Germany is fast coming to an end. For now, the bombing continues but a victorious end is in sight for the Allied powers. There is just one month of armed conflict still to play out between the Germans and Allied forces. Towns and cities across Europe have already been liberated and some of history's most shocking atrocities uncovered across the continent. At the end of the month Adolf Hitler will commit suicide after the Battle of Berlin, his reign of terror at an end, but his crimes left behind, leaving an indelible mark on that period of history.
Now imagine this: You are twenty years old, having just waved your teenage years goodbye the month prior. You are an Australian stationed with No. 462 squadron in Norfolk, England having previously been based in Yorkshire. You have been a long way away from home for a couple of years and overseas for almost one. You have been flying in a combat situation for a very short period of time.
Imagine your parents, at home, across the other side of the world, in relative peace and safety, though not completely at ease as we know. Imagine the ever-present worry they are experiencing, contemplating what every knock at the door might mean for your family. Imagine how difficult it would be for them to focus their family at home, the four other boys now growing into fine young men and looking forward to long and fulfilling careers.
Now back to Britain…
The date is the 10th of April. One day ago you returned from a very brief period of leave. You are back into the regimented lifestyle of the air force and likely to have to return to the skies at any time. You are a Mid Upper Gunner and late in the previous year you were promoted to the rank of Flight Sergeant. You have experienced flight in Tiger Moths, Ansons and Wellingtons, but now you are a part of a crew which man a Halifax bomber.
The 10th of April will be the day you find yourself back flying over enemy territory in Germany. You and your Halifax crew have been tasked with flying in a special duties operation over Leipzig. You partake in all the usual pre-flight rituals, tasks and briefings and then you take to the skies from your staging base.
From the beginning of the mission everything is as usual. You make the journey over the seas in the big, menacing flying fortress that is the Halifax, a big gun of the fleet. Your patrol has commenced over enemy territory and then something happens. Your plane is brought down in the dark of the night.
Back in Australia, on the 13th of April, your parents get a knock on the door. They have received a telegram to inform them that you are missing after your mission over Germany. One can only imagine the emotion they are going through. Should they think the worst and presume you were killed in action? Or do they hold out hope that you may have made it out alive?
After a month, your parents receive news: One of the crewmen has survived but he has no news about your whereabouts. This is where the tragedy, the hopelessness of the situation must surely start to sink in for your family, or does it? For months you are still considered missing, along with the rest of the crew of the aircraft.
Your parents finally receive official notification in November of 1945 that your death was presumed to have occurred on the night of the 10th of April. Your parents have been through the horrors of war first-hand, something that so many parents across the globe had to contend with over the period of World War Two. Your mother has not taken it well and has found your passing hard to believe.
This is the true story of my great uncle John Mickle Tait. His is but one tragic story in a war that saw over 39,000 Australians lose their lives. Let us hope that we and those who follow us never again have to experience the tragedy, death, division, conflict and horror that our forebears did.
Lest We Forget.
What ANZAC Day Means To Me
On the eve of ANZAC Day, the day when Australia takes a day off work to pause and reflect on what ANZAC Day means to them I thought that I would take some time t0 explain what this day of memorial means to me as an Australian.
To me, first and foremost ANZAC day is about remembering the landings at Gallipoli on the 25th of April, 1915, the first time we fought as a nation for Queen and country.
This was a day where we went to war and faced incredible challenges, landing at the place now known as ANZAC Cove, in a hail of gunfire, our young men having to dodge heavy fire from troops fighting for the Ottoman Empire, now known as Turkey.
Australia sustained heavy losses in this campaign, thanks largely to unforgiving terrain and the well-prepared and alert Turkish troops that were able to pounce and inflict devastating losses on our troop deployment to this far-off land. This mission inflicted a heavy toll of dead and wounded in the Australian contingent, with 26,111 casualties, 8,141 of which were fatalities, a truly devastating statistic for a campaign that ended just 8 months later on December 20, 1915.
As the acronym subtly suggests, the day is one to also remember our fallen friends from "across the ditch" in New Zealand, who went into combat with us during that part of World War One. They too sustained heavy losses with 2,721 soldiers killed, about a third of the Kiwi contingent of 8,556 troops that landed on the shores of Gallipoli on April 25.
ANZAC Day has evolved to mean much more than just the first combat mission we undertook under the Australian flag with our allies. Now it is also about remembering the troops past and present who have served and died or been wounded under the banner of Australia in all operations from Gallipoli onwards, including in World War Two, Korea, Vietnam, East Timor, the Solomon Islands and more recently Afghanistan and Iraq.
To me, commemorating ANZAC Day has nothing to do with glorifying the act of war like critics of the day and of participation in conflict in general suggest, it is purely and simply about acknowledging that loss and the part that the past has played in our identity whether it was positive or negative, which in itself is an inherently subjective judgement anyway.
The day beginning with the dawn service is one that should be beyond politics. Yes war and conflict is a truly sad and unfortunate reality in the world, but the people involved have been sent there by government to participate because those in power have decided for a reason, be it sound or not, that our presence has been required in a particular theatre. To diminish the loss of life and the injuries sustained by questioning war on this day is folly.
There have been both "good" and "bad" wars, if I can phrase it that way, but we cannot rewrite history by arguing against the pros and cons of each particular conflict we as a nation have been involved in prosecuting, but clearly we should take lessons from them.
ANZAC Day is also a day to reflect on events of history and to learn about our involvement in the the politics of the world and our place in the history of it. To learn about history will help us understand the future as many have said in the past and that knowledge translates into the power to shape our future, another cliche also apt when thinking of ANZAC Day.
The day is also one of a more deeply personal nature for me, for although I never met him, my grandfather's brother, John Mickle Tait was shot down over Leipzig in the plane he was Air Gunner in over Germany in April 1945 as the second world war involving Germany was coming to an end, a loss that came devastatingly close to having been avoided, just weeks prior to German surrender.
There is no doubt that there will be differing reasons, some deeply personal, some based on a learned history which will colour your the way you go about your ANZAC Day. For me it will be to first and foremost remember the loss to my family in World War Two. But it will be to also remember all of those who have served, in all wars and to learn more about our history.
Lest we forget.


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The man expected to win Bolivia's elections came home to a hero's welcome in his jungle valley hometown Sunday. Women in petticoat skirts and bowler hats lined the cobbled streets throwing coca leaves and confetti, men set off homemade fireworks, and Evo Morales voted at a green schoolhouse here.
"He was the smartest of us all. He has seen more of the world than us, and now, he will be our leader," said Cleto Rodriguez, a coca farmer and old friend of Mr. Morales.
Morales was expected to come out the winner in Sunday's election, in a close contest with conservative former president Jorge "Tuto" Quiroga, who has vowed to get tough on coca and keep Bolivia on its free-market track.
But, neither candidate here is expected to win a majority of the vote with five other candidates on the ballot. Without a majority, the newly elected congress would choose the president between the top two vote-winners in mid-January. The congress is often pressured, but is not required, to choose the person who received the most votes.
Morales, an Aymara Indian street activist, has promised to decriminalize coca and renegotiate longstanding natural-gas deals with foreign companies working here. He would be the first Indian president in Bolivia, a country where Aymara and Quechua Indians make up a majority of the population of 8.5 million.
A festival-like atmosphere prevailed at one polling station in the sprawling city of El Alto that overlooks the capital of La Paz. Parents brought their children with them to the polls, and, despite the fact that it was still morning, ice cream vendors did a brisk business circulating through the crowd.
Throughout El Alto and the rest of the country, normally busy roads were left free for pedestrians. Starting 72 hous before the vote, laws here banned nearly all vehicles from the roads as well as all alcohol sales.
The national electoral court has said it could be several days before the final results are certified. But the night before the vote, Morales was looking beyond election day.
"Of course there will be calm after the vote," promises Morales, in response to concerns that his supporters will take to the streets if they feel the election does not go their way.
"The national airline might go on strike for all I know," he jokes, speaking to the traveling press at a festive barbeque Saturday night, "...but that would be the only reason for the airport to shut down."
In June last year, massive strikes organized by Morales's political party Movement Toward Socialism (MAS) shut down the city, including the airport, for days.
At the barbeque, wearing a "Morales 10" shirt and sweating profusely after a pre-dinner game of squash, the candidate turns more serious: "Yes, of course," he tells the Monitor, mopping his face, "there can be dialogue between Washington and myself. It will be complicated, because we have different world views, but the door is open."
Asked if he is considering traveling to the US for an official visit if elected president, he admits that he has not been invited.
His first trip if he is elected, he says, will be to visit former South African President Nelson Mandela in Johannesburg. Next on his agenda: China and Spain. "Harvard University has invited me to speak," he notes, "... but no one in Washington has expressed any interest yet."
Asked if he had immediate plans to visit his friend, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, he says no, but makes it clear he admires the man. "You can't compare me to [Cuban revolutionary] Che or Chavez," he says, "... because I am not on their level. I am just beginning the struggle ... but I admire and aspire to learn from them."
But Morales has a warning for Bush: "That Chavez!" he chuckles, "... giving out cheap fuel in the Massachusetts! Watch, he will be more popular than Bush in the US soon!" he says, and raises the final glass of the evening. "Of that, I am sure."
Seated at a long table heaped high with coca leaves and surrounded by locals chewing the stimulant, Morales gave his last press conference Sunday, stressing that the US needs to work with whatever government is elected here.
"If the US wants diplomatic relations, they have to be on an equal basis. The relationship cannot be one of subservience," said Morales before he left the Chapare region to fly back to La Paz Sunday.
• Bill Faries contributed to this report from El Alto, Bolivia.
• Ms. Harman is the Latin America correspondent for the Monitor and USA Today.


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Due to an editing error in the April 23rd Reporter, an item was published in the Neighborhood Notables section about a May 3rd open house event at Neponset Health Center. There is no open house scheduled at the health center this year. The Reporter... Read more
After almost a dozen public meetings concerning 10 community center-based preschool and after-school programs slated to lose teacher funding, Mayor Thomas Menino has granted yet another concession. The five preschool programs under threat, including the... Read more
The Dorchester delegation in the state House of Representatives joined the majority of their colleagues this week in support of hiking the sales tax to 6.25 percent from 5 percent, as Gov. Deval Patrick threatened to pull out his veto pen unless his tax... Read more
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Bike trail graffiti: A worker paints over a racist slogan along the Neponset bike trail near Butler Street MBTA station on Tuesday, April 28, 2009. Photo by Ed ForryVandals left a spray-painted trail of racist insults, swastikas and obscene images up and... Read more
St. Ann's Color Guard 2009 Champs St Ann's Colorguard has won the Eastern Mass. Circuit championship. The competition - held on March 28 - was filled with excellent guards that pushed St. Ann's to bring out their best work in order to win. This win... Read more
Savin Hill Shines: More than 80 people helped clean Savin Hill Park on Saturday, April 25, 2009.Over 80 people showed up to work at the 25th annual Savin Hill Park Clean Up (now part of Boston SHINES), on a beautiful, sunny April 25. Over 300 bags of... Read more
St. Margaret Street Fire: One firefighter was injured in the Saturday blaze. Above, firefighters work on the roof of 39 St. Margaret St. Photo by Adam Pieniazek A two-alarm fire caused $350,000 in damages and brought at least eleven fire trucks and over... Read more
A flurry of neighborhood clean-ups are happening across the city today. The event —dubbed Boston Shines and coordinated by Mayor Menino's office — will target parks, sidewalks and other public spaces. Anyone can turn out for the morning activitiesâ... Read more
Supporters of the Boston Globe and its hundreds of workers in and outside of the newsroom angrily denounced the New York Times Company on Friday and warned that the Globe's demise would disemploy hundreds of people at a time of recession. Hundreds of... Read more
Mike Durant: Savin Hill resident and BC High junior plays on USA's under 17 rugby team.Mike Durant's got a healthy dose of rugby in his blood. His grandfather — the legendary Dr. Thomas Durant of Melville Avenue— played well into his 70s. His... Read more
Fr. James Fratus: The well-loved pastor at St. Brendan's parish passed away after a battle with cancer on April 8, 2009.They knew he was ill. The cancer — diagnosed last fall — was a serious threat, but one that Father James Fratus seemed to tackle... Read more
For the second time in five years, Boston parents will have a chance to speak out on how to change the student assignment plan for the Boston Public Schools. But the series of five community meetings next month takes place amid dramatic changes in... Read more
Ayanna Pressley: Candidate for city council at large.It's the "Obama effect", say many political observers, and Boston is not immune. Out of 18 individuals now indicating their intent to run for council at-large, 11 are people of color, likely setting a... Read more
The plan to build on a long-vacant lot at Bloomfield Street and Geneva Avenue is up for neighborhood approval again, in a meeting that was originally scheduled for tonight but has been rescheduled for May 7. Matt Thall, interim director of the non-profit... Read more
It could be the high population of firefighters living in the neighborhood, spreading their bravery like osmosis, or maybe just a local sensitivity to smoke in the air, but here's another story of neighbors helping out in times of conflagration. At... Read more
Lew Finfer did not mince words. Hours after House leaders released their version of the fiscal 2010 budget last week, he blasted out to his network an e-mail titled, "Public Safety and Youth Programs DEMOLISHED by House Ways and Means budget proposal.â... Read more
Chief Kenny Black Elk, aka Kenneth Barber, and the Greater Four Corners Action Coalition are planning an "Earth Awakening†at Geneva Cliffs this weekend. "We give thanks to the earth, thanks to the moon and of course we give thanks to the creator,â... Read more


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« Monday media highlights | Home | Tuesday talking points »
Hockey becomes a punchline for MMA
By Zach Arnold | January 29, 2007
I watched the NHL All-Star Game on Wednesday night (it aired on The Versus Network). Apparently, I may have been the only one.
Monday morning, the NHL's ASG TV rating (0.7) is being used as a comedy punchline by the American sports media (who compared the 0.7 rating to ratings of Andy Griffith Show re-runs, which supposedly drew higher ratings on cable). When I first saw the ratings story, I knew that Spike TV would immediately mock the NHL and compare the NHL rating to the rating that UFC drew on Thursday night. Spike TV comes through with flying colors.
Topics: All Topics, Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 15 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
15 Responses to "Hockey becomes a punchline for MMA"
It's sad that the NHL has so little following after the rule changes made it much more fun to watch.
The rule changes came several years too late. They also should have expanded the ice size.
I love hockey. I think the Olympic hockey tournament is one of the best events in sports. But I can't get into the NHL anymore.
The other problem is the league charges way too much money for tickets. That killed the fan base.
Interesting to note that the Spike press release claimed "Heath Herring shook off some ring rust to win a decision over Jake O'Brien" …. Oooo-kay.
The NHL All Star game (on TV at least) is pointless. Plus Gary Bettman is a douche simply because he singlehandedly ruined hockey by trying to take it to markets that aren't even interested in hockey, and not to mention a bunch of other things.
So it isin't surprising that the NHL All Star game did so poorly. Even my friends in Canada say they don't watch it cause of how boring it is.
Oh yeah, bring back the Whalers. 😛
LA Kings tickets cost as much as Lakers tickets. I went to a game last year and had fun, but $50 for nosebleeds at a hockey game isn't so swell. I got discount tickets for UFC 60 in the same section for $120 though, so I guess I shouldn't be complaining too much. I had more fun a the hockey game.
Ya all forget hockey IS a Tier II sport to the American media. In Canada, it's bigger than the NFL is in America (per percentage of viewers. Shit like the Super Bowl probably rakes in more viewers than there are Canadians). The NHL bigwigs (i.e. Gary Bettman) put WAY too much pressure on NHL TV ratings in the states.
And Zack, no disrespect, but everything in LA costs more than it should.
Just a off topic note: UFC.com is using Adobe flash player 9 and it may require people to upgrade. DON'T UPGRADE. Flash player 9 is a piece of crap. It can fuck up a few people's pcs.
The NHL sould have stayed on ESPN for less money. Going with OLN/VS was a really stupid move.
But the products on the ice is better, and Sidney Crosby is the star that the NHL needed. People are going to come back. It's just gonna take some time.
I think it is safe to say that the UFC is more popular than hockey (as a whole) at this point in time. Wow, how the mighty NHL has fallen. Kind of sad actually.
Anybody else notice that the press release says Heath Herring *won* his fight against Jake O'Brien? Haha that is a good one. I guess they figure, if they can pull off the UFC myth, why not just change the outcome of a fight.
The NHL will comeback but the ASG isn't really a good indicator of overall popularity. Diehard hockey fans(Like myself) don't even care about it. The rules change helped a lot and it will grow again. They just need to fold some useless markets that have diluted the overall talent pool. The salary cap should help. Crosby and other new superstars will help in the states. Montreal was starting to have less and less and attendance now it is pretty much ALWAYS sold out, even against crap teams.
But yeah VS sounds like a pretty bad idea.
Speaking of ratings, it was reported in the Wrestling Observer that UFC 66 got slightly over 1 Million PPV buys. WOW!!!
The NHL is run by fools. They put their All Star Game on Wednesday during the downtime between the NFL's Conference championships and the Super Bowl. The game should have been on Sunday on NBC when there was no football on TV for the first time since September. Bonheaded move.
If UFC 66 got over 1 million buys I suspect UFC 68 with Randy vs Tim will do similar numbers. The Liddell vs QJ and Cop vs Randy or Tim fights should also do spectacular numbers.
LOL Great catch Armen!
Hockey becomes a punchline for MMA – good stuff. Spike TV, please drop the horrible TNA.


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Milk Pudding with Strawberry Sauce
(Cilek Soslu Muhallebi)
Strawberry Sauce:
500 gr strawberries, washed, cut in 3 or 4
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp honey
Place strawberries in a pot and pour the sugar and honey on top. Heat it up for a minute, then turn the heat down to medium-low. Cook for about 20 minutes. Let it cool. Start to cook Milk Pudding.
Milk Pudding:
2 + 1/2 cup 3.25% whole milk
1/4 cup cream, 35% (heavy cream)
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp mastic, roll glass on the mastic to make it powdery (or use mortar)
1 tbsp + 1 tsp rice flour
2 tbsp corn starch
Place 2 cups of milk, cream and sugar in a medium sized cooking pot. Melt the sugar over medium heat. Dissolve the corn starch and rice flour in 1/2 cup of milk and add into the pot. Then add the powdered mastic in it. Stir constantly to make it thick enough. Pour into the individual serving bowls. Place 2 teaspoon Strawberry Sauce over the tops. Let it cool down and sprinkle some sliced almonds on top. Keep it in the fridge before serving.
You can also serve the Milk Pudding with Strawberry Sauce with a big dollop of ice cream and some sliced almonds at the top.
*If the strawberries are tasteless and hard to eat, make this delicious Strawberry Sauce. Put the leftover sauce into a jar with the lid closed and keep it in the fridge as a topping for ice cream:) I do this all the time. Also try sprinkling sliced almonds on the ice cream with the Strawberry Topping.
4 servings.
Labels: Dairy Desserts


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Webscale and transmission network operators' interests are aligning as the 5G era dawns
Webwire: Apple shares top $600; PayPal enters m-payment sector
March 16, 2012
Apple shares briefly topped $600 during Thursday's NASDAQ trading, one month after breaking the $500 mark. At $600, Apple's market capitalization is $550 billion.
PayPal has entered a mobile payment market, launching a new dongle allowing merchants to take payments from iPhones. Android support will also be added soon.
Chinese internet company Tencent Holdings has revealed it may slow down investment spending in the future, after the company reported its weakest full-year profit growth since 2005 due to high costs from recent acquisitions.
Canadian operator Wind has slammed plans by the government to set spectrum caps on 700-MHz and 2,500-MHz auctions, claiming it will leave players without the airwaves needed to compete.
US operator T-Mobile has petitioned the FCC to require that all 700-MHz LTE devices are interoperable with other networks.
Swedish authorities have ramped up their investigation into file sharing website The Pirate Bay, requesting information from the site's hosting provider.
US President Barack Obama is using an online documentary on a YouTube platform to raise funds and support for his re-election campaign.
Customers like freedom
Should operators cater to customer preferences with SIM only plans?
5G and data center-friendly network architectures
Matt Walker / MTN Consulting
Webscale and transmission network operators' interests are aligning as the 5G era dawns
The launch of 5G by South Korean operators serves as a first benchmark for other operators around the world