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Thank goodness it's Friday. This week was kinda rough (maybe because the holidays are all over?), but here are some things that brightened up my mood over the last few days:
Barbie has kind of a negative connotation these days, and I absolutely understand why (between the unrealistic body proportions and the lame career fields, it's no surprise she isn't seen as a feminist trailblazer)... but that being said, I will always love Barbie with all my heart. This Barbie-inspired line by Wildfox is what pastel Mattel dreams are made of.
(I mean, the birthday sweater is VANILLA SCENTED!!!)
This coat is pretty Barbie-esque, too (and very Valentine-y):
Truly, the '90s are back in full-force, and this iPhone backup charger is sparkly nostalgic goodness:
I could use a bit of sparkle in my life right now... and these Kate Spade gold glitter glasses(!) would certainly do the trick.
Speaking of Kate Spade, this hot air balloon skirt from their newest line is adorable:
And of course, I'm dying over this coordinating hot air balloon purse (and a couple of other fun novelty bags I found this week):
This red dress is so darling!
Good news, Twin Peaks fans: there is an iPhone case that not only looks like Cooper's tape recorder, but it will apparently turn Siri into Diane? I can't tell if this is real or how it works, but I remain hopeful. You can get this phone case here.
I adore these three dresses from Pinup Girl Clothing (two are coming soon):
Someone please buy me this sweatshirt:
Revamp Vintage has a ton of amazing pieces, but goodness, I'm going ga-ga over these green beauties:
And here are some links I loved this week:
I can't possibly be the only one who gets incredibly nostalgic for computer games from my childhood (even though they gave me anxiety)... did you know that over 2,500 MS-DOS games (INCLUDING OREGON TRAIL AND CARMEN SANDIEGO) can now be played online?! Check out all of the titles at the Internet Archive.
- I loved this piece about breaking up with your breakup.
This piece on 21 Oddly Satisfying Disney Moments is SO spot-on for me!! Numbers 6 and 10 were some of my favorite animation moments as a child.
Evidently, Joni Mitchell is modeling for Saint Laurent, which is pretty cool.
And finally... this list of 15 places in London for afternoon tea pretty much sealed the deal that I need to go there... especially since our one local teahouse just experienced a bad fire! :(
That's all for now! Have a great weekend!
xox Sammi
This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking on one of these links, I may receive a small commission, which helps to run my blog. I link only to items I absolutely love, from companies I wholeheartedly support. Thank you for supporting The Soubrette Brunette!


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Ačiū visiems tiems ir toms, kurie kartas nuo karto ar nuolat paskaito tai ką publikuoju!>
It's the end of the year and I'm very happy, because this year was the first year of my Makeup Demon blog! So today I'm going to share top 5 posts of this year and I hope next year my blog will have more readers, followers and fans :) I also hope that I will post more interesting topics, reviews and makeup photoshoots.
Thanks to everyone - readers, guests, followers and friends!
Top 5 posts of Year 2012:
1. Review: Essence fix & matte! translucent loose powder - great product for everyday :)
2. Photoshoot makeup tips - advices to make your photoshoot makeup preparation easier:
3. Review: L'oreal Studio Secrets Anti-Shine Mattifying Primer - the product I wouldn't buy again...
4. Party/Fashion makeup - black eyes - black, bold eyes makeup inspired by few commercials
5. Review: Mascara applicator tool 3in1 - your little helper - useful, handy tool for everyday use :)
pictures by Makeup Demon

subset: commoncrawl


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by Deb Baker/Hannah Reed
These last days of February have ushered in my sun sign – Pisces. I haven't paid much attention to the Zodiac, other than the occasional horoscope, since I was in my 20s.
But this time around, in 2014, for some weird reason, when the path of the sun crossed into my sign, I went back and re-read the list of personality traits using www.astronomy.com – yup, that's me. Artistic (check) left-handed (check, actually, I just threw that in), an emotional sponge (oh, yeah)… and on and on. One of my very favorite colors is even cool water blue for the fish in water that my sign represents!
My personality matches my sign so perfectly, it's almost scary. And believable.
All this got me thinking...
As those who have read my posts for a while know, I divorced last March. We've managed to remain friends. Actually, we are better friends than we were mates. So my thought is - Did the incompatibility of our signs have anything to do with our split? He fits his – Sagittarius – just as well as I fit mine. And according to the experts, that's not a good combination for Pisces. Or for Sagittarius.
I'm also supposed to stay away from Gemini and Aries, as our personalities clash. But another Pisces would work. So would a Cancer or Scorpio. I've read about them and like what I see.
I can't believe my mind is going here! Is there some truth to this sign business? What do you think?


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~In November of 2008, 4 year old Ben was diagnosed with DIPG, an incurable killer. After meeting Ben and seeing his love of life in the face of such terrible circumstances, Becker and Rene decided to focus the first Hogs For The Cause on raising money to help Ben and his family. That first year was a success and Ben continued to battle DIPG, all the while with a smile and more often a joke. Tragically, Ben lost his battle a week before Hogs for the Cause 2010. Ben's story only solidified Becker and Rene's desire to do whatever they could to help families who are struggling with the financial burdens of taking care of a child with brain cancer.
~Retweet @ Editilla the Pun~Ticket Contest! Offering 2 tix @Hogs4TheCause --Lucky Winnah answers question HOW MANY PIGS DOES IT TAKE TO CHANGE A LIGHT BULB? cont->@ Editilla the Pun~ just Reply tweet today/Wed I'll pick Lucky Winnahs' via DM and leave 2 Names @ Will Call desk #PIGFUN! #nola
Sean Payton talks contract extension --for himself!~WWL
Metro New Orleans area community meetings for Tuesday, March 22
~HERO CANAL CLOSURE MEETING~Thursday, 6 p.m. open house and 6:30 p.m. presentation, at St. Paul's Benevolent Association Hall, 128 E. St. Peter St., Oakville. The Army Corps of Engineers will explain plans to temporarily close the easternmost part of Hero Canal in Plaquemines Parish as part of a levee tie-in project.~Also~Corps dredge suit judgment upheld~Dredging News
More oil washes up on Grand Isle
~Daily Comet
Worker notes delayed health effects from oil leak~Amy Wold
And now, a word from our sponsors… Crossroads Anthem Version
~Disenfranchised Citizen
Gotta be the full moon – the howlin' and jowlin' "media narrative" about the dismissal of the Farese bar complaint filed by Zach Scruggs ~slabbed


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Prices, specials, features and availability subject to change.
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Nestled in a country setting in New Stanton that is close to Rt 70, Rt 119, Toll 66 and the PA Turnpike. We offer spacious 1 and 2 bedroom apartments. Select kitchens feature BRAND NEW Granita countertops, maple cabinets stainless steel appliances and Asian Plank flooring. All kitchens are equipped with range, hood refrigerator dishwasher and disposal. With neutral carpet air conditioning, new windows serene views ample closet space off street parking and 1.5 baths in the 2 bedroom units makes Timber Ridge the perfect place to call home. Call for Details. Prices and availability are subject to change.
Our lease terms are: Please call for our Leasing terms.. (Please note that lease terms may vary, are subject to change without notice, and are based on availability. Inquire with property staff for complete details).
Admin fee is $175.00
Ancillary fee $150.00
Pets Accepted. Call for service animal policy.
156 units
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I lived at Timber Ridge for one year. Decent place for the amount of rent. Office staff was always helpful and Read More always completed repair work on time. They need to renovate their kitchen which still has old electric stove and dish washers.
January 21, 2014
no problems
January 14, 2014
This residence is quiet, clean, with friendly neighbors. We have a fabulous view !! Love the location : best o Read Moref both worlds quiet countryside, yet, there are cities and shopping malls nearby. Love the on - site laundry, the dishwasher, the air conditioner, the electric heat, the sliding glass doors on the french patio windows. Not only does the county buses stop here, but within a short distance we can get on the PA Rte 76 Turnpike or the Rte. 66 Turnpike or, Rte 119 .
January 03, 2014
Wonderful place to live, very quiet and peaceful. When the bad weather hits, our lot is the first to be plowed Read More!
December 31, 2013
It was a very nice quiet place to live, I never had an issue with other tenants or staff.
December 24, 2013
Monday-Thursday: 8:30am-5:00pm
Friday: 8:00am-4:00pm
Saturday-Sunday: Closed
A.R. Building Company
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It was yet another experience for me to be there. Travelling to the South was my first time and probably not my last! SarBay Fest reach 70k guest during the 2 day festival and it was craaaay! The people there were amazeball, they're so hyper, dancing, and the best part was meeting new people from there. Love 'em! To make the long story short, take a peek of what we did. SarBay Fest was probably a year ender for most of us!
If you're wondering why I don't have photos from the Foam Party is because it rained that night! But we partied there, jive to the music and enjoyed!
During our trip and stay at General Santos City and we were at SM! It's huge!
And these were some of the people we met last night.
The shirt I ordered from SarBay!
"WHAT HAPPENS IN SARBAY, STAYS IN SARBAY"One word: Amazing! Aaaahhhh I know, we didn't make it until the second day/night of the festival because we already left the venue. I saw the photos from last night and it was awesome! Fireworks, dancing people and party. We will definitely going back there and it's gonna be epic. By far, I'm speechless. Hahaha! I am so tired though I slept for more than 24 hours already. Lol. I really had fun though, I can't spoil everything we had for some reasons. It's damn! This experience is massive. 'Til the next SarBay Fest! ;) Kisses!


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So you may be thinking to yourself that you want to learn more about how to be tall. It may seem like the impossible to you because it has been a long term goal for you and you haven't had much success in achieving the height you were hoping to be. Even for the very tall amongst us height can be an issue because just as some want to be taller, others want to be shorter. Self-image is something that will always be a hurdle to overcome but it is something that is seldom an accurate reflection of reality and so we all suffer as a result. I challenge you to find someone that can say with sincerity that they are happy with every aspect of their physical appearance. This may not be comforting to you in terms of feeling better about your height but it might help you to start to gain a little perspective on the matter.
It may not be that you actually have a height issue but it doesn't matter how many people you meet in your life you won't be convinced. You may have done a great deal of research into faddy methods that claim to tell you how to be tall when really they might not work for you at all. It is always the best policy to approach your doctor or a trusted medical professional for advice and an honest opinion about what your options are. They will be able to give you all of the help, support, information and guidance you need to work out what the problem is and what you can do yourself to improve it. It might mean that you need to start working on feeling better about yourself or it might mean that you can start to work on a realistic plan that will teach you how to be tall.
Few people consider the importance of what they eat when they think of how to be tall. It may be assumed that what you eat only affects your weight but the nutrients you get from your food keep your body healthy too and can have an impact on how to be tall. Now turn your thoughts to the amount of exercise you take, and the quality of that exercise. Stretching exercises and some other forms of workouts can improve your height by lengthening your spine and strengthening the muscles that support it. How about the fluids you take in. Do you drink enough water or are you lacking in your water intake? Whatever you do to support your quest in finding out how to be tall though, will fall flat unless you take the time to rest your body and make the most of all of your hard work, which is where getting a full night's sleep comes into play.
Natural growth is fuelled by the human growth hormone which is secreted from the pituitary gland and acts to directly and indirectly support a number of bodily functions, not least of which is your ability to grow and repair damaged tissue etc. You need the human growth hormone not only in terms of how to be tall but in terms of keeping your bones strong too. Keeping this in mind, it isn't hard to see why it is important to us.
If the human growth hormone is important to us then obviously we will want to learn what we can do to increase our ability to produce it in greater quantities. The hormone naturally declines overtime and as such we become less able to grow as we reach adulthood. Improving the levels we produce through a concerted effort to life healthier lifestyles that incorporates exercise and a balanced diet will work towards this aim. It is also a good idea, in any case, that we reduce the levels of stress we reach in our day-to-day lies too. We all get worked up and stressed out sometimes but by reducing the extent to which this is a problem will help.
Some good news in all of this though is that you should aim to rest and take the time to get some sleep because it is during your resting periods that the body starts to make the most use of the hormones it produces. Without rest we could actually go against all the hard work we have put in.
The general idea is to get as much information as possible about what you can do to simply live healthier, reduce stress, get sleep and feel better about yourself. If nothing else you might start to feel a little bit more confident in your own skin whatever height you might be. Talk to your doctor to ensure that whatever changes you want to make will actually work for you and give you the benefits you are hoping for. Some things might not be suitable for you, such as the exercises you want to start doing so it is best to get some advice first. A doctor can give you their opinion based on your own history and unique set of circumstances, because everyone is different.
You could also ask about whether supplements such as HeightGrowth Plus Grow Taller Pills will help you. Your doctor will be able to talk you through what will work and what won't so you will have all of the information you need to make sensible choices.


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I woke up this morning thinking that I might take a walk into Centro and look around because it was cloudy but not really raining. But once again my day had other plans for me. I took a shower and did my hair and everything (something I seldom bothered with) when Simone F told me that they would be going to the country side where their family houses are just to organise things for the next weekend and if I wanted to come I was welcome. I was a bit unsure of going but I am very glad that I did.
We first went to Simone F's parents house to pick up the keys. They live in a part of Firenze called Poggio Imperiale, on top of a hill. It is much quieter and private there and the houses have bigger plots with bigger gardens.Their house over looks a lush green little valley were you see a house on a hill every here and there, beautiful. It had just stopped raining so everything was still crisp, fresh and clean. I met Simone F's parents and we had a quick caffé before leaving.
We listened to typical italian opera and some classical music as we drove past beautiful little house in the more remote parts of Florence on our way to Piandiscò. We had about 20 min of highway on our way there which gave me a chance to see some of the old castles still standing on the hills. It shows you why you see all these beautiful but elaborate villas on top of hills, for the view and the meaning behind it. The places you pass through is so incredibly beautiful that it inspires awe with a twinge of sadness( I have no idea why these views bring tears to my eyes and tugs at my heart, there is nothing sad about it yet I feel sadness weighing down on me). I guess thats what they would call heartbreaking beauty. The hills look as if mother nature has thrown a thick lush blanket over them in these chilly times. The trees were full and heavy while the ground smiles with the abundance of new life spurting all around. It was magical.
Before we reached Piandiscò, we passed through a small town called Vaggio, here you can see the true essence of what it is to be an italian by heart. It has not the outer pretence of fashion and style and elegance of cities like Firenze and Roma but it has a much more basic and natural charm. The country houses we were going to are just just on the other side of Piandisco, a typically stylish little Italian villages which holds a beautiful old pieve (small town church) 1100 BC.
When we reached the right turn of to their place I looked to my left and through the tree i could see all the way down this steep mini canyon that was so lush and green with trees and nature. Their place is beautiful. There are three houses, a big one with three stories then there is a smaller one in a simular style and then next to that one is a beautifully quaint little typical tuscan house. At the side,descending into the canyon, is a path way that leads to an old cellar where they use to store wine. While I was stitting there with my back against the big house, I had the little lush canyon to my left, in front of me I could see fields of olive trees and to my right hand side sat the two smaller houses with a big lawn and soccer field and swimming pool(with a sona) beyond it. The sun had just come out and I basked in the welcome warmth thinking to myself how this place is perfect in its imperfection. The lawn is over grown with daisies and other beautifull plants growing everywhere but it carries effortless grace and natural beauty.
We then go through the houses deciding which is more suitable for the party and of course we settle on the big house. So we start cleaning it and it pleased me greatly to see everyone of us get thoroughly involved with the sweeping, mopping, dusting, moving ect. When we were almost done, Angela started making lunch. They were on a high protein diet but they always keep me in mind when they cook which is extremely nice of them. She made a pasta with tuna, garlic, salt and olive oil; there was a big bowl of salad and then Simone F had made a fire in the fireplace in the kitchen were he then prepared a proper Florence steak(which is famous in Italy for being very rare and very thick) and some delicious sausages. We didn't have bread because the shops were already closed but we still had our balsamic vinegar and olive oil for the salad. It was an amazing simple meal.
We cleared and chilled in the sun for a while. I found a tennis ball and entertained myself for 30 min by throwing it in the air as high as I can and then catching it again, Simone F wacked some golf balls and other things and Angela went flower picking.
On our way back we stopped at a petrol station were we went to the cafe for some caffe. I politely turned down and espresso and chose to walk around the area a bit but when I met them at the car later they had managed to buy me something in anyway. It was a typical italian biscuit called Cantuccini, they gave me a pack of softer ones and a pack of harder ones for tea. While gobbeling them down in the car on my way back I thought to myself that I will go running tomorrow weither it rains or not.
When we got to Firence it was 4pm so we had an hur to kill before picking Camilla up at 5pm. They then took me to Piazzale Michelangelo, it was on a hill over looking the whole of Firenze. They then took me to San Miniato which was just next door, it was undescribable. You walk up with these big stone staircases on each side which brings you to the courtyard at the churches entrance. As you stand facing the church you have small areas of tombs and lawn and graveyard on you right. To your left you have a little 'Monk Pharmacy' as they call it. Inside you have a monk behind the counter with all sorts of aromas drifting around you. There was beautiful mens chior music playing in the back ground and a cookie caught my eye, it was called Bruto Ma Buono ("Ugly but good"). When we walked out there is a passage way just next to the entrance to the shop. It leads you on a beautiful root behind the church towards Piazzale Michelangelo(unfortunately it was closed this day). We the went inside the church. Words fail me. As you step in you tread on a marble grave which is then followed by more and more. The floor exists out of different marble graves and you find yourself treading softly, respecting the dead. High ceilings starting with marble at the bottom but the higher you go the older it gets and the stone walls show face.The walls are covered in paintings of men and the ceilings are covered with stories. We then went further and descended into a Cripta, were the graves of old family bloodlines lie, families like Galileo Galilei. You then go back up and ascend into the meditation chamers for prayers. This was my favorite part of this church. It was dark and the only light that entered was through a beautiful picture window. The walls and ceilings were covered with painted stories and at the bottem along the ground were dark wooden seats where you could snugly and pray in utter silence. The aromas of this place was entrancing and memorable.
We were running late so we rushed out to the car and sped of to fetch Camilla from school. Simone F took a different road called Viale Dei Colli which took us through a old and beautiful part of Florence. We passed from the one side of the city's centre to the other side through different porta's. The city centre is surrounded by an old town wall which now has different entry points called potra's (like a porthole into an unknown world of magic;) ).
When we got home I immediately pulled the laptop out to write an email before i forgot all I had seen. I can now say with absolute certainty that I am head over heels in love with Tuscany.
Last night we had a meal that existed out of olive oil, balsamic vinegar and black bread; Some sort of meat that is sliced into thin slices; Spinach fritata; a salad with fresh leaves, mozzerella, carrots and some other kind of veg; there was steamed asparogus; a whole bowl of fresh mozzerella; A slab of parmason with some apples and pears, last but not least there was a big bowl of chopped strawberries with a dash of sugar.
Italy Letter no. 3
I woke up this morning thinking that I might take a walk into Centro and look around because it was cloudy but not really raining. But once again my day had other plans for me. I took a shower and did my hair and everything (something I seldom bothered with) when Simone F told me that they would be going to the country side where their family houses are just to organise things for the next weekend and if I wanted to come I was welcome. I was a bit unsure of going but I am very glad that I did.


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Nydia, from A Girl Named Nydia, was one of the first bloggers I found when I started blogging. Her colorful and feminine style, mixed with her beautiful photography in sunny Puerto Rico make for one gorgeous blog. Not to mention she has such a sweet, sweet personality to go along with it! I knew I could ask Nydia for something fun and summery for this week of summer inspiration, I mean, if living in the Caribbean isn't enough, I don't know what is! So enjoy Nydia's Top 5 Sunny Days Essentials, and be sure to check out her amazing blog too.
Who can't wait for Summer? Because if you ask me I'm obsessing over it! But first, we have to be prepared with all the goodies for Summer 2013. Here is small list of my top 5 sunny days essentials.
Dresses: No matter if their maxi or short, a cute dress must not be absent in your wardrobe. They're perfect if you want to look feminine and comfortable for those warm Summer days and nights!
Bright Nails: If your not into wearing bright colors for clothing or you just can't get enough of them, wearing colorful nail polish is just a great way! Maybelline has the cutest collection click here to see them!
High Rise Shorts: If you love wearing denim shorts 24/7 during Summer, adding high-waisted ones will give you an adorable vintage vibe. You can also find them in adorable solids and floral patterns like this one from PacSun!
Braids: We all love those beach styled waves, but let's face it: It's going to be hot (very hot!) And instead of a ponytail or a messy bun be creative with your hair. Try a braid crown/halo for a sweet, soft look or a gorgeous fishtail braid. Don't know how to do them? No worries, click here & here for tutorials!
Hair and Skin Protection: This is the most important part of the whole list. Protecting your skin and hair from the rays of sun is a must for all of us. Neutrogena offers the new Beach Defense Suncreen with a SPF 70. It smells devine, superlightweight and water resistent (up to 80 minutes). For hair, I recommend Garnier's Fructis Sleek & Shine Leave in conditioner! Which would help "calm" your hair if it becomes dry or frizzy!
Hope you feel inspired!


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Water Courses
Initiated in 2006, Water Courses is an ongoing study documenting the ways in which we have transformed or manipulated the natural paths of water in urban environments. From rivers and streams that have been channeled underground into sewers, to open-air bodies of water that have been radically altered over the course of a city's growth, this project serves as a reminder of how we have managed (or mismanaged) these systems and the challenges of balancing development with natural resources.
The project is currently divided into two sections: Sublevels, focuses on the combined sewers of Montreal, and Diversions, examines the effects that flood and erosion control systems have had on the network of creeks in Toronto.


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Excited for a new sugar plum story and I love the Christmas digests. Boo on the Americana. We want the 60s reprinted! Why is ACP ignoring this??
Excited for a new sugar plum story and I love the Christmas digests. Boo on the Americana. We want the 60s reprinted! Why is ACP ignoring this??
Because they're idiots? Or maybe like Gollum hoarding his "precious".
Yeah. I already bought them when they were trade paperbacks (well, the three volumes I could find out of four), and then again when IDW reprinted them as combined hardcovers.
I don't buy the Dark Horse Archie Archives, but I'm pretty sure they reprinted all the 1940s Archie stories from PEP, LAUGH, and JACKPOT, as well as from ARCHIE, too. I only bought the Jughead Archives from DH. Give it a rest with the 1940s and early 1950s already. At this rate it will be the 2030s by the time they get around to reprinting the 1960s!
But the reality is the stories are reprints of reprints of reprints of reprints (of public domain stories).
The 1940s stories are in the public domain?
The 1940s stories are in the public domain?
Copyrights on the 1940s MLJ comics were not renewed at the appropriate times, because when the renewals were due, nobody at the time imagined that there would be any future use for those stories. This is true of a lot of the Golden Age comics. Some characters which are still owned by DC Comics, like the characters formerly published by Fawcett Comics and Quality Comics in the 1940s. Comics published in the 1940s by Fawcett, Quality, and MLJ can be found on public domain comics websites. While the copyrights to those original stories expired when they were not renewed, trademark law is different. Some of the public domain comics have been removed from those sites by request of the respective trademark holders, because lawyers will always find something to contest, and even if some of the people hosting these sites are technically well within their legal rights, they don't want or need (and can't afford) to contend with some legal harassment.
When will the 1950s and 60s stories be in public domain? Then ACP can start publishing them cheaply.


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A revisiting, then, to expound and clarify.
Sessions would have been the best 'top tier' pick by a mile, no one else came remotely close. He was probably asked but declined, either so he could serve as Trump's congressional point man or due to some sword of Damocles hanging over him.
Sessions out? Okay, then Kobach. Or Arpaio. Or Pat Buchanan. Or Virgil Goode. Or Chuck Baldwin. Or James Webb. Or Scott Brown.
I could keep pounding out preferable names and my fingers would fall off before I'd get to Christie, Pence, or Gingrich. But those three and Sessions were the only ones under serious consideration over the last couple of weeks. Pence, in fact, was only initially contacted a few weeks ago, presumably after Sessions declined:
With Sessions out, my contention is that Pence is probably the least bad of the three, and I laid out why here.
That said, there is nothing Pence brings that Sessions doesn't other than youth and better bone structure. While we can trust him as much as we can trust anyone else in congress, cucks trust him, too. Ann Coulter's observation that this pick was a mistake--or at the very least, suboptimal--resonates with me.
Parenthetically, let's distinguish between cucks and #NeverTrump. The latter is a joke, a handful of self-important chiefs without any indians. The former, however, are a non-negligible electoral force. These are dorky church dads and silly soccer moms who have always voted Republican but don't like Trump. Ned Flanders is the archetype. They won't vote for Hillary or even third-party, but some number won't vote at all. I live in Kansas. The circles I swim in are thick with these people. They're everywhere.
I was mocked for pointing this out:
But we're going to see Hillary pick a white running mate instead of wasting the VP spot on blacks, who will vote Democrat more overwhelmingly than tradcons will vote Republican. Too many won't vote at all, though, and it's going to tell in states like North Carolina, Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Michigan.
Gingrich has neither crossover appeal nor tradcon appeal. As a presidential candidate he's a proven loser and Trump wasn't going to pick someone who'd run unsuccessfully before. Parsing Trump's rhetoric over the last several months made that clear. It's why I could confidently put hundreds of dollars on Cruz, Christie, Kasich, Rubio and Carson "No" in the betting markets. Gingrich's congressional history is as antithetical to Trump's message as Pence's was, probably more so (at least Pence opposed No Child Left Behind, one of the very few who did). Gingrich is on record saying he could work with a president Bill Clinton but he never could have worked with a president Pat Buchanan.
Christie's crossover appeal is limited to the Northeast. He's toxic in the cuck corridor as his awful performance in Iowa showed. Trump/Gingrich or Trump/Christie would definitely lose Iowa and could put putatively safe states like Utah or the Dakotas in play. Pence isn't obviously worse than either of them are in Ohio. Kasich is contemptible but he's a popular governor in what will probably be the single most important state in November, and Pence is the most likely of the three to bring Kasich over. Trump's clearest path to victory is to flip Ohio, Florida, and Pennsylvania and hold where Romney did everywhere else.
Cicatrizatic on Pence alienating the crossovers:
I doubt many blue collar voters are going to investigate Pence's various positions, find out he is less hard-line on immigration than Trump, and then abandon their plans to vote Trump. There are very few voters who go to that level of engagement.Add to that Trump's position on trade having been rock solid for decades, and he brings that into a political environment where, for generations, no other serious presidential candidate from either party--with the exception of Bernie Sanders this time around--has been one-tenth as critical of what's passed off as free trade as he has been. If trade is your issue, you weren't wavering on Trump no matter who he picked as VP.
Cicatrizatic again, on the idea that Trump is a closeted white nationalist:
Trump is a pragmatist who read Coulter's book and realized which way the wind blows. He is a good healthy force for steering America in the direction of nationalism. But he is not and never purported to be the embodiment of pure ethnic nationalism.And to that I'd add that he has a subconscious instinct for white preservationism and lacks an instinct to recoil from Alt Right sympathizers, as Sessions' man Stephen Miller illustrates.
Trump is a businessman, a non-ideologue, a negotiator who will by nature compromise to the middle on almost all of his positions. He won't necessarily deport all of the illegals, but will likely deport many of the worst ones. It won't be a 50 foot concrete wall across the entirety of the Mexican border, but rather some combination of wall and security fence.
It is good to stand behind the Trump movement, but the alt-right should not make the mistake of projecting onto Trump their ultimate ideals. He is at best a temporary vessel in the fight against globalism.
The idea that Trump will win the general election, doubling as a referendum on a wall and on a moratorium on Muslim immigration and then be impeached for trying to do what he was given a mandate to do is far-fetched. A more realistic risk is that Pence stages a walkout sometime between now and November and leaving the campaign in apparent disarray.
But Pence is a hollow man, as his impotent flailing when Indiana's 'religious liberty' law was criticized showed and his homely wife confirms. His Cruz endorsement during Indiana's primary has become a running joke. Trump himself made light of it, calling it the the best non-endorsement he's ever received.
He could be a GOPe plant preparing to self-destruct and bring Trump down with him. As far as infiltrators go, though, he can't be anywhere close to optimal for the saboteurs.
On the other hand, Trump just offered Pence more than the GOPe ever could have in Pence's wildest dreams. Is he going to sink beneath the waves of a sinking ship whose moment has come and gone, or is he going to abandon that ship to get on an unstoppable train? That he could barely spit out his promised endorsement of Cruz in between lavishing praise on Trump should give us hope. Asked yesterday about the wall and the Muslim immigration ban, Pence said he supported both.
He is the best cuck convert of the three as well. Gingrich and Christie have been on board for months. Pence is fresher. He creates the perception that people from all over the map are coming around to Trump. As Scott Adams has demonstrated again and again, the importance of the psychology here is difficult to overstate.
My feeling is that Trump isn't going Manchurian candidate here but he's not going Sulla, either. As I've said before, he's being Caesarian, and he has the trap Reagan fell into as a cautionary tale on how to proceed more prudently.
In sum, then, wariness is warranted but mutiny is premature.


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18 March – 20 April
Okay, now that I am two postings behind I am going to write about my time in Bangalore after I returned from my trip to Rajasthan, Delhi, Varanasi and Calcutta. I am hoping to one day be caught up, but know that I this optimism is not based in reality. So this posting contains no exotic travels or interesting destinations. Let's see if it can keep your attention. Hehe.
When I first came back I was utterly exhausted. I think the travel, the heat, the last nights of little sleep (I was staying in a hostel in Calcutta which was conveniently situated smack beside a huge speaker calling Muslims to prayer at 5:20am each morning), and the mental stimulation of the previous weeks (constant new sights, sounds, things to take in, to process and to experience) just wore me down. I therefore, was sort of out of commission for about a week. I did start contacting the organization I had tentively set up a project with, as well as some others. I caught up with Mitali and Lizzy, said goodbye to some IIMB friends (the school year ended so the second years were done and off and the first years were dispersing for summer internships (summer here is April and May), and then we started to receive the onslaught of visitors we had over that month.
As I said, I had to bid farewell to some friends from IIMB. Mitali and I went down to IIMB for the purpose and went out with Vivek and Sonam. The former was done and permanently going to Delhi to work for American Express (I think that makes person number 352 who I know at Amex, including my sister and one of my best friends). Luckily, Sonam (the latter) is only a first year and will be back in June. However, he is one of my very dear friends (for those who have heard this story—he is the one I lugged a guitar from the US over sea and land to India for) so I was going to miss him much.
Here is a photo of us (but Sonam—you look like a dork in this photo. Hehehe)
And then the visitors…the first of the visitors to arrive was a friend of Mitali's friend. A guy she had never met and whose contact to her friend was tenuous at best. But of course, this is how being in another country and how travelling works. People always are happy to help out each other. So, a Thursday morning, when I was in the middle of one of my first classes of yoga (I finally found a yogi!—Rajesh. He has no wrinkles on his forehead and told me it is a telltale sign of a good yogi. Yogis should not have them, he told me. They shouldn't be worried. He reiterates this to me everytime he leaves as I say, "Have a good day" and he replies, "I always have a good day." Hehe), the doorbell rang and Robin entered. And he didn't depart until five whole later. And even that wasn't enough. He came back for 2 more, but I will get to that.
Robin is alsoa an NRI (non-resident Indian), Guju (Gujarati) from New Jersey like Mitali (there are a few names for them, another is "ABCD" American Born Confused Desi (Desi meaning homeland or something, but meaning someone from India)). He is based in NY but was travelling in India for about 2 months. He came to Bangalore because he has relatives here and thought it would be fun to hang out here and go out, etc. So, that is what we proceeded to do. I thought I was good at killing time, but he may be the master of hanging out. I was still in my resting phase and mostly waiting to hear back from the organization mentioned above about my potential project, so it was good timing.
Now, I am not sure if I ever mentioned this before, but Bangalore, you know, it just doesn't have much to do. Unlike the seemingly unending number of sights, ruins, museums and the like in a city like Delhi, for example, one is hard pressed to answer the following question, "What should I do while I am in Bangalore?"
Hmm, hmm, hmm…We could go out to eat. We could go to a club. We could go shopping. Sad to say, but there just aren't sights in Bangalore (trust me, even if the guide book says to go to Tipu Sultan's "Palace", don't. It is nothing!). Well, I guess there is the Bull temple (where I took the picture of the Guru, the Nun and the Rabbi), but in any other city that would just be a temple and not mentioned as anything particular. Bangalore is more of a living city than a city to visit (except if you are travelling through India, are tired, know some friends here (in particular, 3 girls who live in an apartment with hot water, cable, high speed internet, a washing machine and a microwave) and want to take a break). Well, I think you get the gist.
So, what did we proceed to do? Go out to eat. Go to clubs. Go shopping. By the end of the five days (by the way, we didn't realize that it was 5 days until after when Mitali said to me, "Do you realize Robin was here for 5 days?" I mean what the heck did we do for 5 days? Obviously, Mitali and I (Lizzy wasn't here) got along great with Robin—one of those "here-is-our-new-best-friend, did-we-really-just-meet-five-days-ago?" situations, so we all had fun. At the same time, or at least an overlap of time—can't remember all the dates already—we had another visitor. Eric, another Fulbrighter who is here for only 3 months doing a specific professional project and based in Bombay, came to stay.
So we all went out to eat, went to clubs, went shopping (okay, I have to confess—I didn't go shopping, but it sounds better to keep that literary effect going, doesn't it?). And here are some photos to prove it:
This is from a famous Bangalore eatery called MTR
You can't believe how amazing these fresh strawberry shakes are!
So, after going to eat, going out to clubs and going shopping, we had exhausted everything to do in Bangalore and finally, Eric and Robin left as they were both on their way north. Robin was going to Hampi (see my November posting) and Eric was going somewhere and then they were both going to Bombay…or so we thought.
After they left Lizzy came back from wherever she was (can't remember) and I did some work. I realized it was difficult getting things done while you have a guest who has nothing to do but hang out with you. Hehe. Well, Lizzy, Mitali and I decided it was time to finally do something we had been meaning to do for a while…visit an ashram.
An ashram, for the many of you who don't know what one is, is described in my guide book as a "centre for spiritual learning and religious practice." However, the term covers a wide range of places. These are the places that people go to to find their inner self, meditate, learn and practice yoga, study about religious teachings, etc. There are at least thousands, if not more, of them and they all are very different. I do want to go to one for yoga, but the one we were going to this weekend was someplace different.
It is called the Art of Living (trademarked by the way) and is led by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar (not the famous sitar player of Beetles and Nora Jones fame—in fact, I wouldn't be surprised if that was not one of the most popular names in India) and located near to Bangalore. SSRS is a guru who started the ashram and promotes its philosophy. Here is what the website (www.artofliving.org) has to say--- "Life is sacred. Celebrate life. Care for others and share whatever you have with those less fortunate than you. Broaden your vision, for the whole world belongs to you." "Active in over 140 countries the Art of Living Foundation offers unique programs that eliminate stress and help individuals develop their highest potential. The Art of Living reinforces human values and brings people from varied social, economic, geographic, cultural and religious backgrounds together in a spirit of Service and Celebration."
For all of you who think this sounds a little wishy washy and touchy feely, The Art of Living is supposedly the movement that a lot of the young professionals in Bangalore follow as a way to network. Haha. So much for spiritual enlightenment. But he really does market himself and the philosophy to businesses and professionals as a way to reduce stress. He says that "Through out our lives we learn many skills reading, writing, science, music and art but very few of us have actually learnt the true Art of Living. We are rarely taught how to handle our negative emotions - anger, depression, stress. Yet, the quality of our life depends upon the quality of our mind. The Art of Living courses offer simple but effective techniques which eliminate toxins and stresses that accumulate in our systems over time. They are a unique way to harmonize and energize the Body, Breath, Mind, Emotions & Spirit. Developed by H.H Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, these courses offer simple and effective techniques for eliminating stress, resolving conflict, improving health and living life with new joy and enthusiasm - A combination of the very best of ancient wisdom and modern science."
Well, who can't use a little help reducing stress? We wanted to check this dude out and decided this would be the last time for a really long time that we could go together. So we were off…or so we thought.
We had to leave really early in the morning to get there before the 3 day course started. By 6:30 we were already in the taxi and on our way. I will admit that we were all pretty tired and didn't seem to be all too enthusiastic.
On the way, we received an unexpected call. Who could it be? Who would be calling so early in the morning?…It was none other than Robin and Eric. They were back! Their plans got messed up so they were back in Bangalore (Ever read Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie? "Back to Bom"? No way—Back to Bang!). We told them that we were sorry, but we were on our way to an Art of Living course (in fact we were almost there already) and we couldn't see them. Oh well. But then, after we hung up the phone, we started to look over at one another. Well, you know, we could go another weekend… Yeah, I mean, they are not going to be back again... Uh-huh, they don't really have a place to stay…I am not REALLY in the mood to do this thing for three straight days…and so it went. And, after deciding to go, waking up at 5:30am, hiring a taxi, and driving for 40 minutes we told the taxi driver to stop and to turn around. He must have been thinking, "What? Huh? Crazy foreigners!!!" [Gardner (I think it was Gardner, or was it Lizzy?) told me that the word in one Indian language (if Gardner then it was Tamil) for ignorant person is the same word for white person. Close enough to the idea that saying stupid foreigners was redundant. Hahaha.]
Now, I am trying to relay the ridiculousness of the scene. Trying to give the image of how hard we were laughing after our new decision. Trying to illustrate how silly the whole thing was, but I am just not sure it is coming across. I guess it is just one of those, "Guess you had to be there"and for us, it was hilarious (and we still joke about it).
We wound up getting back to our place and in about an hour or two I got sick! The flu or something. See, it was meant to happen! The cosmos was turning me around. Hahaha (really just kidding here—don't think India has got to me that much). But it would have been miserable to be sick there and this way I got to be in my very own bed, sleeping for about 2 days. Actually, it was another force that really caused the coming back to happen…the vortex which exists in the center of our apartment, which keeps drawing people to our apartment and then drawing them back again. In fact, Robin, after he went back home to the US, sent us a card with the below photo and a caption underneath it:
The Black Hole of Bangalore. Hahahaha.
Then they were really gone (well, Eric came back unexpectedly one more time, but I wasn't there so I have nothing else to add on that subject). But then another visitor. This one is really funny. Last year when I went snowboarding with Coz, Stacy and Rebecca in Park City during the Sundance Film Festival, we befriended this group of guys from the West Coast (we were the East coast girls and they were the West Coast guys). We started talking to them because one of them, the tall one who stood a bit above the rest of the crowd was the quarterback of the Cornell Football Team and was our year! What are the odds?! Anyway, Per and I became friends and I kept in touch with him. We hadn't spoken for a while until I got an email in March. He wanted to know if I was still in India? Why, you might ask? Because he was coming to India for 3 weeks for a business school project. He was going to be in Bangalore. Not only that, but the subject was about how a specific company was trying to make and market mobile phones and services for the poor. In other words, how ICT (information and communication technologies, in this case mobile phones) was being used in development. Now this may not sound familiar to you, but it was the original topic I was going to study here in India. Hahaha. Again, what are the odds?! Of course he and his friend showed up three days after Robin and Eric, but they weren't staying with me. I was just laughing b/c I hadn't had any visitors and here they all were squonched up together.
But then there was another, my friend Gardner, another Fulbrighter (see Fulbright conference update) came to visit too. He came the day after Per. It was so funny b/c he was potentially going to come earlier, but couldn't because he had too much to do. So there it was… almost 2 weeks straight of visitors (when there had been none before). Not complaining, just laughing.
Again, I faced the same dilemna—what to do in Bangalore. And not only that, but for the first time it was really, really hot, and not only that, but all of a sudden I had an allergy attack. Anyway, we pretty much settled on the same itinerary as the others…Go out to eat, go out to a club, go shopping.
However, we did do one sort of sightsy thing. We went to he Botanical Gardens, which Bangalore is supposedly known for (it is the "Garden City").
Gardner at the Gardens (hehehe)
The eating--The highlights of the eating were HAMBURGERS. There is this restaurant called Koshy's, which is a Bangalore institution. It is sort of like a diner I guess, and when you go there you will see all the artsy, yuppies, and all these old timers (maybe lefties too, but they don't look it so much) and it is a pretty funny mix. I don't think the food is all that good, but it one of those places where that doesn't really matter much. You just go. Well, I didn't know it, but Gardner filled me in on a little secret (well not really a secret, just something I didn't know), which is that they have real hamburgers! He was so excited that we went there two days (well actually 3, but it was closed for one because it was Good Friday) in a row and on the second day he got 2 hamburgers. I didn't get one that day, but regretted my decision. I am assuming here that you realize it is not that easy to find beef in India. Do I need to elaborate? Land of the sacred cow (though some argue this point).
Shopping--The highlights of shopping where that he got to get another book on Shiva (he is the one who is studying the medieval Tamil Shaivite devotional poetry?!?!?!) and a huge Tamil/English dictionary. Not so interesting for me, but good to have a satisfied guest. And then also we saw the cover of The Economist, which was seemingly mocking Bush. We loved that, but didn't purchase it—too pricey (and too likely to give me stress about the fact that I have three others sitting, staring at me from a pile in the corner, waiting to be read, reminding me that I can never catch up on my reading and even when I do start one it is just about impossible to get through the dense thicket of information).
Now, I to keep with my literary effect I should have told about the highlight of the going to club before the shopping, but I just had to save it for last because we had a really silly night. After having dinner, having 4 or so people bail on our plans, having gone to a very popular club that usually stays open till 2, but was raided on this evening by cops and was closed about 10 minutes after we got inside (just having paid a cover charge, mind you), we almost said forget it and go home. But we gave it one last shot and went to this club I had never been to, but was recommended by the bouncers because they didn't think that the cops would close it down that night (unlike the rest of the clubs I know about). Club X stays open until 6am. Totally unheard of here and obviously the result of exorbitant bribes required by the cops. Well, 6am…that was way too late for me, an old lady...so it wasn't like that was a huge draw…or so I thought.
We proceeded to meet the funniest characters, including this 45 year old, depressed, NRI divorcee who was in India for a few days and I have absolutely no idea how he wound up at the club (we felt really bad about his situation b/c he was a really nice guy), these Swiss business school students studying about outsourcing (what else—isnt' that topic old already?) and the like in India, this guy with hilarious hair that was straight of a fairy tale (we called him the prince) and wound up being half Dutch (can you believe it? What is with that? Cosmic forces, I tell you!), and then these guys who got into a conversation with Gardner about American foreign policy, which made us feel so sad and so bad about the state of the world right now (boo). But then, to top off the absurdity of the night, on our way home (at about 6am—somehow the night just flew by), we got to do something every foreigner dreams of, something every Westerner says, "I must do before leaving India!"…
We got to drive the auto rickshaw home!!!!! Don't ask how it happened, I am not really sure. I was just thanking my luck stars. And here is a picture of Gardner with the driver.
The one of me didn't come out too well. Too bad.
I then had a break from visitors. The next week, I did work on my project (I would write about it, but this posting is too long—as usual—already. In a few postings, I promise!) We went to a party at the woman who serves as the Fulbright Facilitator in Bangalore, since there is no office here, Swetha's, house for a party for her husband.
Here is a photo so you can see her and some other Fulbrighters (and you can get a good view up Lizzy's nose. hahaha--Sorry Lizzy, hehe).
The other two Fulbrighters are Lindsey and Manu, by the way.
And the elections…Bangalore voted on April 20th before many of the other areas in Karnataka and even other states in the south (they need to break it up so that the voting machines and cops and everything can be moved from place to place. In a large country with 1 billion people it just can't all be done in one day). Who knew then that the outcome would be what it is today!—Sonia Gandhi, Italian born housewife, Prime Minister to, leader of, the largest democracy on the planet (that ones for you Lizzy, if you are reading this).
I felt so lucky to be in India during its major elections. Great timing. You cannot believe the banners everywhere, the posters, the speeches and also all the other things that couldn't get done (just forget about it), like anything that required the a government signature or government approval, or even talking to anyone in the government anywhere, until the elections were over. I tried to go to polling places on the day to see the long lines, to view the people exercising their right to vote, to see the special magic marker mark you get on your index finger indicating you had voted so that you could not go in again (my colleague told me that you have to get to the voting place early or else by the time you get there someone may have voted in your name. He also told me about the antics of the obscenely popular Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Jayalalitaa, a former film actress, now a rotund caricature who pays for Tamilians outside of the state to come back to vote for her by giving them sarees, alcohol and trips to their native place –this is not unique, by the way. Oh, there are a million stories), but I couldn't seem to figure it out. Anyway, here are the few photos I took, but they don't capture the omnipresent nature of the pending elections. I may have some more in future posting because, as I said, Bangalore voted early. In Kerala, land of the first democratically elected communist government, they voted after I was there (but that posting is to come).
And then, that very evening, I was off to Chennai. And that is for next time…


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First of all, the way we register voters and conduct elections should be changed to increase awareness and turnout, especially among demographics who have low turnout rates such as youths, minorities, and the poor. Many countries such as Germany and Israel, automatically register voters once they're eligible. Similarly, I believe all US citizens over the age of 18 and without a criminal record should be put on the voter rolls without having to sign up. This will not involve compulsory voting, however, as is the case in some countries such as Australia. I believe, in addition, that election laws should so that the time when polling places are open, early voting opportunities, and voting by mail procedures are consistent nationally. Making Election Day a national holiday would also be a good idea by ensuing that many people who are pressed for time due to work and other commitments have the opportunity to vote.
With regards to Presidential elections, the Electoral College needs to be abolished as soon as possible joining the powdered wig and the musket as an 18th Century invention. While the obvious replacement is to have the President be elected by the popular vote, a problem arises if we implement the system of making the candidate who receives the most votes the winner as that means a party that had split or had a significant third party leeching off ballots (as was the case with Ralph Nader in 2000) will often lose, even if among the top candidates that party is preferred. As a result, implementing a two-round election system (as France does in its presidential elections) would be a better idea. In such a system, if no candidate received 50% or higher of the vote, a run-off election would be scheduled some time later between the top two candidates to determine the final winner. Ideally this would encourage political diversity by allowing more candidates With the President elected directly by the popular vote, candidates would have to visit and campaign in all corners of the country rather than just in a handful of swing states. While some may argue that this will lead to states that have few people being ignored due to candidates looking for the most amounts of voters, this is a nonissue as most small states are (with a few exceptions such as New Hampshire) already safely in the camp of one party such as Vermont which is overwhelmingly Democratic or Idaho which is strongly Republican.
Avoiding the issue of reforming the distribution of powers in Congress for the moment, the structure of House of Representatives also demands change. As pointed out previously, the number of Representatives has not been increased for over a century (with a brief exception when Alaska and Hawaii were granted representatives), the number of people represented by a single Congressman has grown to an average of 710,767. To reform this system, the number of Congressional districts ought to be increased by a large amount-for example were it increased to 800, the number of people in an average district would go down to about 396,485, which still is far higher than most other countries. The 2012 elections for the US House showed another problem, as while Democratic candidates for the House received more votes, the Republicans still retained a safe majority. Part of this was caused by gerrymandering (which should be corrected by establishing a nonpartisan committee to redraw Congressional boundaries on a national level as is already the case in some states such as California) but it was also caused by the way Democratic and Republican voters are concentrated. To ameliorate this, a move towards a German system of a mixed-member proportional system which combines the current representatives elected in geographical districts along with representatives elected on a national level by party. The nationally-elected representatives should be distributed in a manner that will actually reflect the vote totals for Congressional candidates to correct for the geographically elected members.
As stated previously, this series will continue with addressing other fundamental problems our country has along with proposing some solutions to them.


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"In loving memory" tattoos are a tribute to someone who has passed away. These tattoos often include the words "in loving memory" along with information about a deceased loved one.
"In loving memory" or memorial tattoos can include the name of the person who has passed away, along with the person's birth date and the date of passing. Some people choose to have an image tattooed along with the words, such as an angel, angel wings or a cross. Praying hands are also a popular image to go along with the memorial message of the tattoo. In some cases, a parent who has lost a baby will get a tattoo of tiny hand prints as a memorial to the child.


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New Music
Published on February 12th, 2014 | by Matt0
Dirtyphonics – Los Angeles (Ft. Modestep) (Protohype Remix) [Free Download]
Protohype has just released his remix to Dirtyphonics and Modstep's track "Los Angeles" and has given it away for free. The remix keeps the vocals and original flare while Protohype brings in his signature dubstep sound. Have a listen to the track above and unlock the free download at the link below.


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Rikke Koch, Alexandra Instituttet
Rikke Koch has been working within the field of wearables since 2008 when she started the special interest group for intelligent textiles within InfinIT. She works with development of concepts, interaction design and user involvement in the development process. Her focus is on cooperation between industry and academia and she has been involved in developing the prototypes: Climate Dress, Solar Bag, Memory Bag, UV Dress, Hammock, Life Saving Textiles, Yoga Suit.
Previously she has been teaching at the Department of Media, Cognition & Communication at the University of Copenhagen, focusing on development of new technologies, the roles of the user, the societal structures and organizational cultures in shaping the new technology.
Oplæg: Why poetry matters


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LG Mobile will exhibit several 4G LTE smartphones at the CTIA 2012 starting today.
4G LTE handsets are clearly one of the biggest topics at the CTIA 2012. LG will exhibit several 4G LTE devices including the Viper, Spectrum, Lucid and Nitro HD.
LG Viper 4G LTE
LG Viper 4G LTE is the first device to run on Sprint's 4G LTE network(1). The smartphone features dual cameras that allow usage of video chat applications as well as a 1.2GHz dual core processor, allowing users to quickly switch between apps and enjoy HD gaming on a super-fast web browser. It also supports NFC and Google Wallet, allowing for swift and easy transactions while on-the-go. Between May 18 and July 17, LG Viper users who set up their Google Prepaid Card on Google Wallet within 1 week of activating their device will receive a $25 credit to be used at participating retailers. The affordable LG Viper 4G LTE boasts eco-friendly attributes such as a protective casing made from 50 percent recycled plastics, packaging made up of 87 percent post-consumer papers which is 100 percent recyclable, and has received the coveted UL Environment (ULE) Platinum Certification, the highest level of environmental performance for a device that is recognized by Sprint and ULE.
Spectrum by LG
Spectrum by LG sharpens the vision of what is truly superior in mobile technology. Beneath its exceptionally large, extra-sharp 4.5" True HD IPS display is a mighty combination of power and speed. A Qualcomm 1.5 GHz dual-core processor complements Verizon 4G LTE connectivity, allowing you to surf the Web, watch videos, and play games. The Android 2.3 platform (Gingerbread, upgradeable to ICS) is Google integrated and comes with a full range of preloaded apps for a totally seamless user experience.
LG Lucid
Lucid by LG is an avid multitasker packed with high-end features and designed to easily integrate with busy lives. Thanks to the super-fast Verizon 4G LTE network and a dual-core processor, Lucid manages multiple tasks at once. With a 4" Corning® Gorilla® Glass touch screen, high-quality outdoor visibility, and an auto-adjust feature, Lucid looks good in any light. And, with complete customization through game and app downloads in the Google Play store, it is the perfect device to keep you entertained on the go.
LG Nitro HD
LG Nitro HD is a state-of-the-art 4G LTE Android™-powered smartphone delivering a revolutionary visual experience with crystal-clear, high-definition viewing of on-board, user-generated, and web content. Powered by a 1.5 GHz dual-core processor, Nitro HD delivers a seamless, ultra-fast user experience on the AT&T 4G network. The 4.5" True HD IPS display with 329 pixels per inch gives you higher image resolution and text readability, and you'll enjoy undistorted, full-screen viewing with the 16:9 HD aspect ratio. Plus, Nitro HD's 1280p x 720p display lets you see lots of content on a single screen.
LG Connect 4G
LG Connect 4G is powered by Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) and is MetroPCS' first handset to feature a 1.2 GHz dual-core processor, giving consumers a powerful multi-tasking tool for their daily needs and entertainment. Its brilliant 4-inch NOVA display with patented technology from LG, together with a Corning® Gorilla® Glass Screen Protector, provide consumers with unparalleled viewing pleasure and durability. And with a 1.2 GHz dual-core processor and 720p HD video recording, the LG Connect 4G delivers a tremendously responsive user experience when browsing the web and capturing or viewing video. LG Connect 4G is also equipped with a 5MP rear camera with flash and a front-facing camera.
The CTIA 2012 show floor opens today until May 10 in New Orleans.


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- Family School Wellness
- Fentanyl Information Sheet
- VTRA Document
- Spartan Athletics
- Extra-curricular Clubs
School Yearbook
Contribute to the school yearbook!
Come out to our yearbook meetings (Most Tuesdays after school) and help put together the best yearbook yet!
Also, remember to bring your camera to any school activities/games and take pictures of you and your friends! (oh, and don't forget to then give us those pictures!) You can put them into the student share folder under Yearbook 2017, or better yet, upload your photos directly to our yearbook website at Replayit.com The passcode for signupt to Replay-It is found on the distro drive on our server.
Share the story of your year. Together.
ReplayIt.com is a secure interactive website that allows our school community to upload and share the most memorable photos from the year. It's your chance to have more of you and your friends in the yearbook.
Just log on to Replayit.com and get going. When you first head to this website, you'll need to sign up. Start by "finding your school" in the upper right corner. You'll need our school pass code. You can get it from our school server under the distribution drive. The file is called "replayit passcode".
From then on, you can login with your email address and upload photos that you take at school events. The better your photos are, and the more you upload, the greater chance we'll use them for the yearbook.
Yearbook staff login to Yearbook Avenue


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Interpreter needed in Exhibition? (Bangkok)
Hi, I am from Malaysia, I will be going to Bangkok for an exhibition (first time for work). I just would like to ask if I need to engage an interpreter for an Exhibition to explain about my product. It will be an architect's exhibition, targeted audience are mostly from construction industry. Will an interpreter needed? Do working people there speak English well enough?
Kindly advise.


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Product Overview
With minimal bulk, the 105 leather holster provides stability and quick access. Hammer retainer tab makes releasing the retention strap quick and easy. Suede lined with border stitching for durability. Uniquely designed slots help to pull the firearm in close to the hip for low profile and excellent concealability, yet slide on and off the belt easily. Fits belts 1-3/4" wide. Open muzzle design.


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World Bank demands Latin American Indians be listened to
Panama City, Feb 16 (IANS/EFE) Latin American Indians have benefitted less than other people from the region's economic bonanza over the past decade, and so they should be included and listened to, according to a World Bank study released here on Monday.
The latest available figures show that in 2010 there were about 42 million indigenous people in Latin America, representing almost 8 percent of the total population but 14 percent of the region's poor and 17 percent of those considered destitute.
The study, entitled "Indigenous Latin America in the 21st Century," says that thanks to the combination of economic growth and appropriate social policies, more than 70 million people in Latin America emerged from poverty during the period.
Poverty among indigenous households declined in countries such as Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile and Ecuador.
Even so, indigenous people still lag in their access to basic services and in the adoption of new technologies, a key element in societies that are becoming more and more globalised.
"Latin America has experienced a profound social transformation that diminished poverty and increased the middle class, but the indigenous peoples benefitted less than the rest of Latin Americans," said World Bank vice president for Latin America and the Caribbean Jorge Familiar at the official presentation of the report in the office of Panama's president.
He warned that if achieving the objectives of "reducing poverty and pushing shared prosperity" were desired, the region must "fight against discrimination and exclusion so that all Latin Americans have the same opportunities to have a better life".
The World Bank document suggests considering the problems of Indians through a different lens that takes their voices, cultures and identities into account.
"This report acknowledges that the indigenous peoples generally have a more nuanced concept of what development is and why it's important. If the indigenous peoples are to assume their role as key actors in the post-2015 agenda, their voices and ideas must be taken into account," said the senior director for the World Bank Group's Social, Urban, Rural and Resilience Global Practice, Ede Ijjasz-Vasquez, who accompanied Familiar.


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Only a scant two decades ago, the cable industry was a business and technical backwater, a quaint telecommunications afterthought. Telcos ruled the land.
In those days, it was appropriate to characterize the industry by bastardizing a famous quote. Experts essentially said that we should: "Pity the poor cable business. It is so far from God and so close to the telephone industry." (The actual quote, which laments the relationship between the United States and Mexico, is attributed to Mexican president Jose de la Cruz Porfirio Diaz Mori, who lived from 1830 to 1915.)
That has changed, and changed dramatically. While the Bells were broken up and are in the process of being put back together again (maybe), the cable operators have remade themselves. The first step was to rebuild their local area presence, which they did with hybrid fiber/coaxial cable (HFC) designs.
The luck came in the form of the explosion of the Internet. The industry's "coax" proved a perfect conduit for broadband signals into homes and, to a lesser extent, small businesses. This allowed the industry to help drive the transition from dial-up to broadband. This, needless to say, meant big bucks. Later, it enabled the industry to greatly increase its voice offerings.
Two challenges ran parallel to these profitable developments. One was that the industry remained, to some extent, many discrete islands of high-bandwidth connectivity, not an integrated whole in the manner of the phone industry's highly interconnected national footprint. The other was that operators had no cellular presence, a growing problem as mobility proliferated.
The industry is addressing both issues. The challenge of isolation was answered, at least to some extent, by a wave of consolidation. A second positive factor was the emergence of Internet protocol (IP) as the Esperanto of telecommunication protocols, able to give disparate networks at least the chance of effectively exchanging data.
While consolidation and the use of IP are nice, a more robust response to the challenge is the partnership with Sprint Nextel of cable companies representing the majority of homes passed in the United States. This is the beginning of a national multi-provider footprint for cable -- and adds a cellular element to the package to boot.
It's World Series time (at least it is outside of New York), so a baseball analogy is apt: The industry has moved from a triple play (wired voice, video and data) to a grand slam (wired and wireless voice, video and data) offering. The cable/Sprint Nextel group, which goes by the highly creative name "SpectrumCo," intends to lead the charge. It was the leading bidder for capacity in the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) advanced wireless spectrum auction, pledging $2.37 billion for 137 licenses.
The Sprint Nextel deal was not the first step in the cable industry's grand plan. But looking at it in context shows how big a step it is.
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Bicycling in Lake County
With hundreds of miles of beautiful, twisty two-lane roads that rise and fall among trees, volcanic hillsides and vineyards California's Lake County can be a paradise for bicycling - either on-road or off.
We have an organization called Konocti Regional Trails which work out trail maps and pathways for people seeking all sorts of adventure, including bicyclists. Whether you wish to test your tires against asphalt or trails, there are maps on the Konocti Regional Trails map site for you.
There are 11 trails featured from the 102-mile Century ride to a few miles in rural farm country. The Konocti Trails website has 11 maps you can download and more.
We also have a terrific bicycle shop here in Lake County. Main Street Bicycles offers all sorts of bicycles, accessories and great service. They also are avid cyclists and lead Saturday morning bicycle rides. Contact them for more information.
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"Fantastic! I really thought we would have to replace the carpet......Thank You!"
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The rules of crime
You will not be graded on your answers, but attendance will be taken. Good luck.
© Peter Rozovsky 2006
Labels: rules, S.S. Van Dine
"Because Murder is More Fun Away From Home"
Labels: rules, S.S. Van Dine
One of the reasons why most American crime fiction is so bad is that many new writers believe there is a formula – a set of rules – that produces best-sellers. This leads to monastic study of successful works and the typing of poor and lifeless reproductions. Talk of rules for writing crime only encourages the untalented.
Perhaps "rules" is the wrong word. But all genre fiction must adhere to certain conventions -- that's what makes it a genre.
And believe me, the rules ... er, conventions, can't be ignored if you want to sell anything. It's fine to depart from any particular few, but depart from them all and you'll remain unpublished.
To sell, you must understand what sells.
It is a tautology to say that genre fiction is fiction that adheres to the conventions of a genre. Almost all works of so-called literary fiction make use of the conventions of one or other genre. These are simply ways of telling stories, and it is quite possible to write a work without any knowledge of the conventions of the genre in which others subsequently pigeonhole it. As for publishers knowing what sells in fiction, this is only because they know what SOLD in the past. To set out to satisfy these commercial expectations is to choose mediocrity.
Thanks for the comments, anonymous and aaron. The owner of a crime-fiction bookstore lamented to me recently that more crime fiction than ever was being published and that most of it was crap. He didn't elaborate, because I didn't have time to ask him to.
Anonymous: It's hard for me to comment further because you give no examples. So, what formula leads to those poor and lifeless reproductions? And, since you singled out American crime fiction, what are non-American writers doing differently?
Aaronx9: In theory, it should be perfectly possible to write a mainstream "literary" story about an average Joe or Jane who just happens to be a homicide detective, but that's not likely to happen. I think readers of crime fiction can accept that it has certain conventions, even if the conventions boil down to one rule: A crime story is a story primarily about crime.
I have a feeling that British writers are stretching the definition of the crime story more than Americans are these days. But look how much definitions have been stretched already: A few decades ago, we would have been talking about "mystery" stories. Now, the very term mystery has a nostalgic air about it.
Of course it's tautological to say genre fiction is fiction that conforms to the rules of a genre. But it is not tautological to say crime fiction is fiction that is primarily about crime. Or rather, it's a tautology with a wink, acknowledging the fluidity of genre boundaries when it comes to crime fiction, and the wide range of possibilities available to crime writers.
What about a crime story in which the "action" is the criminals sizing up their victims and talking among themselves? No crime is committed, no clue found, no mystery solved. One could argue that such a story defies genre conventions and works because it does. But the convention still lurks in the background, as that thing that the writer defied in order to produce his story. The concept of genre may be a vestige or it may be a marketing tool for publishers or a mental contruct for readers, but it's still with us.
The Anglo-American detective story has captured the imagination of so many writers everywhere that it's hard to imagine a writer turning to crime fiction "without any knowledge of the conventions of the genre in which others subsequently pigeonhole it." The more likely possibility is that he or she will write with full awareness of those conventions, but use them to creative ends. Rubem Fonseca, Paco Ignacio Taibo II and Yasmina Khadra come to mind.
You want examples? Let's start with the formulaic works of Patricia Cornwell. David Baldacci, Sara Paretsky, Kathy Reichs, Jeffrey Deaver and their dozens of clones.
Why is it hard to imagine a writer who knows nothing of the traditions of the Anglo-American crime story? I know people who have never read a piece of crime fiction in their lives. (Yes, I may be mixing with the wrong people.)
And inserting the word 'primarily' into the definition doesn't make the statement any less tautologous.
Happily I have never read any of those authors. I suspect your reading tastes and mine might be more similar than one might expect from this exchange of messages.
You may know people who have never read a word of crime fiction in their lives, but the chances are that Sherlock Holmes is part of their mental landscape. Or maybe Humphrey Bogart in The Big Sleep or The Maltese Falcon. Or maybe just a guy smoking a cigarette and wearing a trench coat. I think you get the idea. These images may be no more realistic than the idea that the streets of America are filled with cowboys and Indians, but they are powerful nonetheless, and they linger in the mind of many writers outside the United States and the U.K. It was no accident that I chose a Brazilian, a Mexican and an Algerian writer as authors who have rung interesting changes on the Anglo-American detective-story tradition.
As for your third point, Blogger unfortunately lacks a font that will let me indicate when I am joking, so I'll be explicit: Drop primarily, and my statement still holds. When I say a crime story is a story about crime, I mean simply that the possibilites are wide open. Crime fiction today does not have to conform to old rules of structure or subject. Possibilities are wide open. Your citation of several crappy writers does not preclude the possibility that other, better writers are doing good, non-formulaic work.
And that, Peter, brings us back to my starting point: the best work is non-formulaic and not governed by any conventions except those that seem to be built into homo ludens when the time comes to tell stories of any kind.
Naming bad writers does not preclude anything. You asked for examples. I cited some best-selling crime writers. Publishers are looking for more writers like these. That is the horror of it.
Publishers may also have trouble knowing what to do with good writers when they get them. Several correspondents (you among them, I think) have recommended Peter Temple's Jack Irish novels. Reviewers and readers invariably mention the humor and wit of the stories. One correspondent even called them droll. Yet I am told that the books are being promoted in the U.K. as having a protagonist similar to Ian Rankin's. Now, Rankin's John Rebus may be many things, but he is not droll. It would be a shame if mis-labeling by publishers gave potential readers the wrong idea about Temple.


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A treat for the fans of trendy cartoon graphics and classic arcade-shooter mix. The task of the hunter … oops! – the player is simple: kill as many ducks as possible. But beware – those creatures can shoot you as well. So, charge your rifle and stand out against the Jet Ducks! Use your mouse to take aim at fowl and be fast enough or another hunter may hit your target in this fun multiplayer shooter.
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Mountain bikes. They've come a long way since drum brakes and five gears (five!) were considered state of the art.
In BikeRadar's latest video, we chart the top five technical developments that have revolutionised mountain biking and made it the cutting edge sport it is today.
Disc brakes and suspension mechanisms are obvious inclusions, but check out what other items of tech make our list.
Plus, there's some excellent riding footage, too, so take a minute and enjoy the video.
Video: Top five mountain bike innovations


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The Trap
- Brian Donaldson
- 13 March 2007
BBC2, Sun 18 Mar, 9pm
Writer and director Adam Curtis gained waves of acclaim and acres of flak for his Power of Nightmares series which suggested that the threat to the West from a network of Arab terrorist cells is nothing short of a politically-motivated fantasy. Now he's back to flatten another myth, that our hard-won post-WW2 freedoms have been nothing but a big fat lie and that through various agencies, we the people have been brainwashed into believing that true liberty exists. The opening episode featured everyone from anti-psychiatry guru RD Laing to anti-society milk-snatcher Margaret Thatcher and on to messed-up mathematician John Nash (played by a jittery Russell Crowe in A Beautiful Mind) as it traced the various interests who sought to break down the established governing structures, not for some woolly notion of the 'public good' as they claimed, but for pure greed and self-interest.
This second episode shows that during the 90s, even when the US and UK moved to the liberal left after periods of upheaval through radical conservatism, there was little change in this programming of the human experience and that people were becoming little more than robots, going unthinkingly along with the prevailing wind of Blair's changes and Clinton's reforms. It all paints a rather bleak yet compelling picture, albeit spoiled by the relentless fast-cutting and barrage of non-sequiter images which somehow signify 'paranoia' or 'distrust' or 'fear'. At the end of one hour, Curtis appears to have wielded, consciously or otherwise, the subtle behavioural and mind-altering techniques he savages in the series.