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Attention German readers! Two of my classic Silhouette Romances are now available in the EU in German language editions.
Romana Extra #29, which is on stands now,
contains the German translation of Going to the Castle, the first book I ever published. Set in the fictional country of San Rimini, it tells the story of a crown prince reluctant to marry and the refugee camp worker who helps him see the world--and his role in it--in a new way.
Romana Extra #30, which will be released on Tuesday, June 16, contains the German translation of Falling for Prince Federico, which is set in the same fictional country as Going to the Castle. It features the crown prince's younger brother, who is a single father to two rambunctious boys, and the woman he hires to help care for them.
I haven't seen the German editions yet, so I look forward to hearing what you think of the translations (particularly those of you who've read them in English already and then try the German versions!)
CORRECTION (posted three hours later...) The book being included in Romana Extra #30 this coming Tuesday is NOT Falling for Prince Federico as I originally thought. Instead, it's another book in the same series, The Prince's Tutor. It's the book that immediately followed Going to the Castle, and is about the family's youngest--and wildest--sibling, Prince Stefano di Talora.
My guess is that, with the first two books in the series now being released in German, the others--including Falling For Prince Federico--won't be far behind. If and when I get more info, I'll share it here ASAP.
Friday, June 12, 2015
Now Available in German...
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Worst experience
Eco sport was damaged internally due to use of very poor material inside of the car and Ford India had denied from taking responsibility of using low grade material. Ford is saying that our car got an outside impact but we are sure that there was no accident happened And not even 06 months passed since we bought car. Very very disappointed with Ford.
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Dear Monument Australia visitors, we are a self-funded, non-profit organisation, dedicated to recording monuments throughout Australia. Over time the costs of maintaining this website have risen substantially (in fact they are probably larger than those of many companies who exist for profit). In the past we have borne all the costs associated with maintaining the website but we are now having difficulties in paying the monthly expenses.
If Monument Australia is useful to you, please make a donation to keep this historical and educational resource available. Your help would be greatly appreciated.
Henry LawsonPrint Page
Sculpture commemorates Australian poet and short story writer, Henry Lawson. The sculpture was commissioned five years after Lawson's death by the Henry Lawson Memorial Fund organising committee. In June, 2007, the statue was loaned to the National Gallery in Canberra for the exhibition George.W.Lambert Retrospective : Heroes & Icons', which ran from 29 June until 16 September, 2007. The statue was reinstalled on 19th September, 2007.
Henry Lawson (17 June 1867 – 2 September 1922) was an Australian writer and poet. Along with his contemporary Banjo Paterson, Lawson is among the best-known Australian poets and fiction writers of the colonial period, and is often called Australia's "greatest writer.
In the presence of a large number of people in the Domain last week his Excellency the Governor Sir Philip Game unveiled the memorial statue to Henry Lawson. The Statue, a fine study in bronze of Lawson, accompanied by a 'swaggy' and a sheep dog, was the last work of the late George Lambert. It is situated on a green knoll in a secluded part of the Domain by the road leading to Mrs. Macquarie's Chair. It is thought that this is the first statue of an Australian poet to be erected in the Commonwealth. "Henry Lawson was indeed the voice of Australia, proclaiming far and wide the ideal which in the simple dialect of the bush, is called- 'Mate-iness', said Sir Phillip Game.
In accepting the statue on behalf of the Domain trustees, Mr. Dunn said that Lawson was typically a defender of the people, equally at home in the city or in the bush. Master Henry Hauptmann, of Sydney High School, recited one of Lawson's pieces, 'Waratah and Wattle.' A good example of the regard in which Lawson was held among his mates of the bush was provided by the presence at the ceremony of Mr. Jim. Graham, the companion of the poet's Leeton days. The expenses of his journey to Sydney were collected by the office staff of the Leeton Irrigation Commission, so that they could be represented at the unveiling.
Windsor and Richmond Gazette (NSW), 7 August 1931.
|Mrs Macquaries Road, Botanic Gardens, Sydney, 2000
|GPS Coordinates:
|Lat: -33.86655
Long: 151.218572
Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate.
|Monument Type:
|Monument Theme:
|Monument Designer:
|George Lambert
|Actual Monument Dedication Date:
|Tuesday 28th July, 1931
1867 - 1922


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Trying to ease my way back into the sewing room. Made this sweet shirt for Carolin which she loves. I do too!
Pattern is the Family Reunion Dress/Shirt pattern by Oliver & S. Great pattern and great fit. I made a size 6. Carolin is quite tall and thin so I worried it would be too wide, but it is fine. It's an easy pattern to follow and makes a classy little shirt. Does anyone use the term 'blouse' anymore? Because that is what my mom would call it.
The photos are terrible quality - quickly snapped at the bus stop this morning. You can see a bit of the detail in the shot below. The fabric is a thrifted vintage print. I've had it on my shelf for years and about a month ago my friend pulled it off the shelf remarking at how much she loved it. I contemplated giving it to her but I decided to use it myself! There is still a piece left though so you are welcome to it, Jen! :-)
The buttons are from ButtonMad. I won them quite some time ago. Handmade in South Africa and absolutely gorgeous. They are Carolin's favourite part of the shirt.
All in all a rewarding sew to get back into the groove. September is always a busier month (for many moms I think) but I am doing a bit of sewing every day, just for fun!


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Current Newswire:
Android holds 75 percent worldwide smartphone market share in Q3Nov 02, 2012, 15:00 (0 Talkback[s])
Out of the 181.1 million smartphones that were shipped in Q3, Android handsets accounted for 75% of the total shipments with 136 million units shipped. It's a significant improvement over the last report, which puts its market share at 68%.
IDC research manager Ramon Llamas said that Android continues to become to "growth engines of the smartphone market" and has "effectively outpaced the market" since its arrival in 2008. No prize for guessing who the biggest manufacturer is that has been dominating the landscape in the past year.
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Job Boards - Misconceptions and Realities: Part 3
I've been quite delinquent in posting the third part of this series, so my apologies.
So why are so many Recruiters frustrated with the Job Boards? Part of the problem I believe is that recruiters in general have been conditioned by the Job Boards over these past several years to think that the more efficient that you make the job posting process, the better. Think about the job posting lifecycle in most organizations (particularly those whose ATSs are integrated with Job Boards):
The process of creating and posting a job Req is primarily viewed as an administrative function with very few if any touch points by the Recruiter, and has been automated to the extent that the view is commonly, "Post it and they will come, and do it ASAP" (when the reality is more like "Post and Pray".
Manager creates the Req > Manager sends the Req to HR to be posted > HR puts the Req into the ATS (if the Req wasn't created in the ATS in the first place) > The approved Req is posted to the company website and multiple job boards with the push of a button > HR/the Recruiter sits back and waits for the resumes to flow on in.
If Recruiters want to be more successful with their postings on the Job Boards, they need to take more ownership of the postings they put out there. They need to ensure that the posting delivers a clear and compelling message. They need to follow up quickly and directly (preferably a phone call rather than an email) with qualified candidates. They need to take a more strategic view of which job boards are right for what jobs, and only post jobs where most appropriate.
Efficiency is important in anyone's Recruiting process, but not when the efficiencies enable the recruiting function to overlook what the job posting says, where it is being posted, and how candidates are followed up with. My complaint with the major Job Boards is that they have always been focused on quantity, rather than quality, with moving faster rather than moving smarter. Let's face it, quantity and efficiency means more dollars for the Job Boards. It is up to us as Recruiters to take responsibility for the quality of the postings we place on the Job Boards, and the process we use to ensure that we are using the right Job Boards for the right Jobs, and that the best candidates are being followed up with in an effective manner.
One final note. I am a firm believer that technology is too often the scapegoat, when the real culprit is typically the use of technology. Too many recruiters see recruiting technology as 'plug and play', when the reality is that you will only get out of any resource a reflection of the effort that you put into it. The Job Boards set themselves up as the 'silver bullet' solution, and most everyone has been left disappointed as a result. The Job Boards can train Recruiters on how to post jobs and search resumes, but maybe they need to do a better job on training Recruiters how to be better Recruiters, in particular, how to more effectively engage candidates with their job postings and their follow-up.
That's enough preaching from me on this subject. I hope you have found some useful insight here and encourage you to comment of course (am I on target, or full of it?). Until then, happy posting!


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Upcoming in the next version:
1/ Big speed increase for mobile version. I've compiled my own customised version of proguard (the java obfuscator) . This results are great, and games run noticeably quicker. I'll have some precise data to back this up in due course.
2/ Decent standalone application version with menubar and windows .exe launcher for ease of use. Essentially the menubar is the final feature lacking from the rewritten javagear present in the original. It works better than the original though :)
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
Monday, June 02, 2008
JavaGear Updates
So you've probably noticed that there have been a few minor updates to JavaGear recently.
I'm also working on implementing 'save state' support. It's a feature I've wanted for ages, but is mind numbingly dull to code. I've finally summed up the courage. It works, I've just got to hook up some UI for it now.
Any other feature requests are welcome.
I'm also working on implementing 'save state' support. It's a feature I've wanted for ages, but is mind numbingly dull to code. I've finally summed up the courage. It works, I've just got to hook up some UI for it now.
Any other feature requests are welcome.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
JavaGear ME 0.92 Released
JavaGear for MIDP2 Compatible mobile phones.
Also contains a standalone J2SE (PC compatible) build of JavaGear.
New Features:
- Screen rotation
- Screen can be enlarged with SCALE option (before it was only shrunk)
- Lightgun emulation (touchscreen devices and with mouse on J2SE version)
- SRAM is saved (Phantasy Star etc.)
- NTSC/PAL selection
- J2SE: Pass window size as command line parameter
- Uses less memory than previous version
Improved Emulation Accuracy:
- Z80: Fixed bug in FDCBxxyy, DDCBxxyy opcode timings
- VDP: Fixed VDPbuffer bugs in accurate version (not used by any games)
- VDP: Accurate mirroring of ports (not used by any games)
- VDP: Fixed bug in line interrupt setting
- Fixed bug in GameGear auto resizing code
Sunday, May 11, 2008
JavaGear Android Port
I've started to port JavaGear to Google's Android platform. The results are good, although it runs seriously slowly in the emulator. Based on the J2ME version, it will presumably run faster on an actual device.
There will be updates to the existing mobile version of JavaGear in due course. I'm hoping to add Lightgun support for touchscreen handsets.
There's still some debugging on the Android version to be done in the meantime, and I've got to merge the Android code into the main source tree, as it's forked at the moment.
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This song was written for the Battle of Vimy Ridge. The video, performed by a host of Canadian country music stars, was filmed in 2010 and produced by award-winning Canadian producers Tom McKillip and Kevin Churko
Bold and Mighty Productions was very proud to be one of the lead organizers of a Christmas show tour to Alert, Nunavut in 2014.
The Department of National Defence (DND)/ Personnel Support Program (PSP) has a long tradition of providing show tours for Canadian Armed Forces members serving overseas and in isolated locations.
Over the course of a six-month rotation, a Canadian Armed Forces Show Tour plays an important part of every major operation and is always a big morale booster. Feedback from these shows is always spectacular. CAF show tours bring a small piece of Canada to our deployed members wherever they may be stationed.
In October 2014 Bold and Mighty Productions joined with the Calgary Flames in a special pregame presentation featuring Canadian country music star George Canyon and the members of Calgary's own HMCS Tecumseh Band performing the national anthem together.
Canadian Country Music Association "Producer of the Year" (and nine-time BCCMA "Producer of the Year") Tom McKillip continues to collect accolades for his cutting-edge production work in the Canadian music industry. In 2007 Tom served as the musical director for the re-dedication of the Vimy Monument, commemorating Battle of Vimy Ridge. The moving performance by the Canadian Armed Forces Band with Canadian icon Susan Aglukark left an indelible mark on Tom, and served as the inspiration for the creation of Bold And Mighty Productions.
Born in Nakina Ontario, Tom lives in Maple Ridge with his wife Lynda and oversees the career of 'One More Girl', a successful Canadian country-pop duo formed by his daughters Carly & Britt.
Jim is an historian specializing in Canadian military, Aboriginal and comparative colonial studies. He spent more than 30 years as an armour officer in the Canadian Armed Forces and has served on numerous missions including Iraq, Afghanistan, Egypt, Sierra Leone, the Central African Republic and Germany. Jim has led many national commemorative ceremonies including the 2007 re-dedication of the Vimy Memorial in France. He is one of only two soldiers ever to have been awarded two Meritorious Service Medals.
Born in Penetanguishene, Ontario, Jim lives in Ottawa with his wife Mitcha and their 3 children Chai-Yai, Edwin and Tippa.
Canadian country music award-winning songwriter Mike Norman was a brilliant musician and incredible man. Mike was a co-founder of BMT, but sadly passed away in 2010. As a performer, he played with many different artists including Lisa Brokop, Colin James, Bif Naked, Jim Byrnes, The Ennis Sisters, The Moffatts, Michelle Wright and Johnny Reid to name just a few. Mike appeared on over 75 albums as a session musician, and was named the SOCAN Songwriter Of The Year for his work on Aaron Pritchett's chart topping hit 'Lucky For Me'. Mike's vision and work ethic inspire and guide us everyday.
David joins the Bold and Mighty team after a 39 year career with the Canadian Armed Forces. His last nine years there were as the Canadian Armed Forces Inspector of Reserve Bands. He has enjoyed a lifetime of musical achievements as a Lead Trumpet Player, Soloist, Director of Music and Musical Producer. His long list of credits include producing the 90th Anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge in France, the annual Musical Salute to the military at the CNE in Toronto, the Celebrate Me Home Gala in Kitchener-Waterloo and the Royal Visit to Canada in 2012.
David was born in Clinton Ontario and resides in Ottawa with his wife Cindy.
BMT is heavily dependent on quality research and historical interpretation. This work is done by a team of full and part-time researchers, augmented by university coop students. Our current team includes:
Thanks to a generous grant from the Department of Canadian Heritage, Bold and Mighty Productions has been able to proudly commemorate the role of Canadian men and women in the World Wars.


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So, last night (technically this morning) around 3am i went to go use the bathroom, only to find this nasty creature chilling on the wall right next to my door.
I screamed, but will spare myself the embarrassment of sharing the details of just how much of a baby i really am when it comes to roaches. Especially huge ones like that. And why, why is it always my room?? Although, housemate G did share a horrifying story about how, sometime last week, he put on his shoes one morning to walk to the bathroom, and suddenly felt something wriggling under his bare toes. Pulled his foot out of his shoe to find a cockroach who had tried to make the shoe its home. I would've been mortified, and while i have been checking my shoes frequently since the whole roach-falling-out-of-the-A/C incident, that story has made me check and double-check my shoes thoroughly each time before putting them on.
The mosquitoes too are still pretty relentless. Just smacked one to death in my room.. If there's not a blood-smear, sometimes i leave their dead bodies there for a bit in hopes that other mosquitoes will take that as a warning to GTFO. Seriously. Because i'm sick of being itchy and sick of walking around looking like i've got some sort of weird disease, because my ghostly skin tends to over-react to the bites and they turn all sorts of shades of red and purple as they heal.
|Ain't that just attractive?
Today was my day off, and since i had a bit of money saved in my wallet from the week i decided to go on a mini shopping-spree.. it had been a while since i'd been able to just do some fun shopping! So i hopped on the train to Shinōkubo- the Korean town of Tokyo- and did a little shopping there. Got a few little gifts, then against my better judgement i decided to walk to Harajuku instead of taking the train. It was overcast all day (signs of the approaching typhoon) and not hot, but man it was humid as all hell! Took me about 40 minutes (found a Japanese Communist Party Central Committee building along the way, and though i had stopped to get a picture of it, as soon as i had gotten my camera out a security guard had come out of the building and i was afraid he would start heckling me if i took a picture..), and by the time i got to the store i was wanting to go to i felt like i had just sat in a sauna with my clothes on, and my humidity-sensitive hair was in a frizzy disarray.
Anyway, my store of destination was the Thank You Mart, where everything is 390yen. This is a bit of a play on words, since the Japanese pronunciation of "thank you" turns into "sankyuu", thanks to the lack of 'th'-sound (amongst many other sounds). Well, san means 3, and kyuu means 9.. add a 0 on the end- cuz 39yen couldn't buy you crap- and you get a Sankyuu (390yen/thank you) Mart! I seriously love these stores, i go in there and i go crazy, because there's so much cool stuff and, oh what? It's only 390yen?!?! GIMME! *random note- typhoon is creeping in now, it's pouring pretty good!* I have to practice self-restraint and limit myself to getting 1 outfit per visit, and maybe an accessory, and tell myself that i can always get more next week after i get paid. Came away this time with a pretty good outfit, methinks. Two tank-tops (i thought they looked good layered), a pair of shorts, and a cool scarf since i'm a scarf addict and the 5 i have with me just aren't enough!
|Btw- i know i've been in Japan too long because i just noticed the Engrish on the shirt when i posted this. Yay Athretics!!
Don't mind the ugly, smelly bear-skin blanket it's on- i keep that folded up under my fitted sheet to give me some cushioning against the probably 20-year-old mattress that has been worn down to just springs.
Not really bear skin, but it looks and smells like it could possibly be.
And it's probably been over half of my life since i've owned a pair of shorts this short. However, the style here is to wear tights or leggings with shorts, which is something i figured i could do since wearing just short shorts like that makes me feel naked and makes me realize how ghostly and translucent and stickly my legs really are. The leggings i tried on at the Thank You Mart were faaaaaar too tight though, so these shorts will have to wait til i can find a good cute pair to wear with them.
Oh, and that scarf- it's huge!
|Can totally hide myself with it!


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AnonD-391522, 01 May 2015Does anyone know how to change the SIM card on this phone? It is underneath the battery, just like on any other phone, lol.
princess ㇬, 31 Jul 2014Its slow and I always have "low storage" it doesn't even have a camera. I seriously ... moreif you wanted a front camera then buy one that has it but the phone shows you that it dont have one so y would u expect more than what the phone brings lol stupid
Anonymous, 22 Jul 2014This is easily the worst and slowest phone I've ever used. Giving it a rating at 0/5 stars is ... morethe speed on the browser of the phone is based on ure signal or wireless speed dont blame the phone for your wifi connection or signal and fyi a mobiles internet is always slow no matter the phone model and if your carrier has 2G only in your area well ofcourse it will be slow.... stupid people
Pierson Jnr, 23 Mar 2015Can you please help me with how to take a screen shot??? looks like I have exhausted all means... moreto take a screenshot you press the power on button and the volume down button at the same time, holding them down till it makes a very loud snap and youll see the screenshot being shrunk - there is an odd delay before it registers the frame you want so if you are working with a video then you need to start pressing the buttons about 2 seconds before the frame you want
AnonD-171981, 17 Oct 2014I like this phone, great bargain. To take a screen shot press vol- & power will store in g... moreI tried the screen shot but it's not working. I really need it badly....Please!!!
Can you please help me with how to take a screen shot??? looks like I have exhausted all means.
There are some applications too that work with relatively low memory android phones as compared to mine but my S730M can't run such apps. eg: special font styles app.
I paid 30$ for it and another 35$ to get it unlocked.For less than 70$,as a pay as you go phone it's decent.Its a basic cheap smartphone.As for battery life,yes it does discharge fairly quickly but I just turn all the settings down n it's fine.You get what you pay for so people should do their research before buying something.I knew what I was getting with this phone because I did some checking and knew the phones limitations.Im happy with it.You want all the bells n whistles,go spend 300$.People are so spoiled these days!
overpower, 20 Jan 2014overclocked it to 1ghz now I can play chaos rings 2. Good phone if you know how to mod itHate it overpower help me out here need a site to find info on rooting this phone facebook gavin from clovis ca. Im the only one that will show up friend request me
This phone is no good is slow it lags a lot it freezes it as no mobile data. Apps cannot move to sd card it Sucks!!
I like this phone, great bargain. To take a screen shot press vol- & power will store in gallery. Save batt power goto settings display brightness(set to 20%) most of batt is from display/music/video/speaker.Get the 220.127.116.118 driver for usb,the default MTP one doesn't let you see the files.Got alot of HD space to use which is awsome I have downloaded other apps to view different video file types. Many newer games will run well, I decided on this phone because of the good specs and my tablet runs android(ics). Find a small mobile repair shop see if they got batteries buy one and throw it in your bag because battery life on this device isn't great.
This thing is crap. The screen stops working. It's super slow and apps keep crashing. As always I use my APPLE to Google what's wrong with this piece of garbage
My 1st smart phone. I love it! Price was affordable, and it does what I need it to. I don't spend my whole life on the phone. I have a computer.
This phone is crap. Keeps freezing all the time, it's slow and useless. Don't waste your money.
I'm having the same issues as many others here. The apps stop working frequently and even when they do work, they're glitchy. The apps change position on the home screen all the time and reception is crap. Also, the GPS shows that I live in Louisiana but I live in northeast Georgia. Even calling my provider couldn't figure out why. In all the only thing this phone is good for is the occasional phone call. Rating it a zero would be a compliment.
This phone was the worst phone ever made. It was slow as hell. I would literally take about a minute and half to open any app. It would also make me miss phone calls. The battery life aND camera sucked. And forget about the alarm clock. It goes off a couple minutes after when it's supposed to.


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InFocus SP-LAMP-026 Replacement Lamp - for IN35, IN35W, IN35WEP, IN36, IN37, C250, C310, C315, X8 ProjectorsItem#:� YYI2-L40621 �|�Model#:�SP-LAMP-026
- Price:
- $401.99
- Shipping:
- Currently out of Stock (Details)
InFocus Replacement Lamp for IN35, IN35W, IN36 Product Details
InFocus SP-LAMP-026 Replacement Lamp
It makes sense to keep a spare lamp on hand because you never know when you will need it�until you turn on the projector. You might be preparing your quarterly presentation in the executive boardroom, warming up for a sales pitch for your most important customer, or sitting down to watch a film with your family. Suddenly the excitement of being prepared is interrupted by the realization that the lamp in your projector is just a little too old, or maybe it was damaged during your recent trip. If you have a spare lamp, you can change it immediately. Problem solved!
- Replacement lamp for InFocus IN35, IN35W, IN35WEP, IN36, IN37, C250, C310, C315, X8 Projectors
- A quality InFocus product
Manufactured by: InFocus
Warranty provided by: InFocus
UPC No: 797212673473
Mfg Part No: SP-LAMP-026
Box Size:
( Length:0, Width:0, Depth:0)
Shipping Weight: 0.7000 pound(s)
Click here for full warranty and support information
- InFocus logos are registered trademarks of InFocus. All others trademarks and copyrights mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners.


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Although colleges and universities will accept home educator's transcripts, if your child is thinking of attending any sort of trade school they require - with no wiggle room due to their licensing procedures - that the students have a recognized accredited diploma or GED. In 2014 the GED test will be significantly changing - content as well as presentation of testing - so for anyone who is thinking ahead to their child(ren) taking the GED test I wanted to share the following information I received in an email correspondence I had with the GED Testing Service -
----- Original Message -----
Subject: Re: ? regarding 2013 testing
Thanks for your inquiry. Because the 2014 test is significantly different in structure from the current 2002 test, test-takers who have not passed the entire battery by the end of 2013 will need to start over and retake all content areas beginning in 2014. As a result, it is extremely important for test-takers who have started the test battery to complete it prior to 12/31/2013.
Publishers are currently working on materials that will support the 2014 test, and those should begin to be released in 2013. For insight into what is changing on the test, please visit our web site and click on any of the links for the 2014 test. In particular, you might want to take advantage of the content comparison document that we have created, which shows the main differences in content between the two tests. That can be downloaded from the following link: http://www.gedtestingservice.com/uploads/files/2487f6e1ca5659684cbe1f8b16f564d0.pdf.
Martin D. Kehe
VP, Products
GED Testing Service
Good Day -
I am curious how those who take the test in 2013 would be effected if they fail a portion of the test?
For instance a student takes the test in the fall of 2013 and passes the science and math, but fails the social science and english portions, would they be grandfathered into the old test or would they have to retake the social science and english in the new format?
When will the 2014 test prep materials be released or is it not enough of a significant change in materials to warrant any concern in this area?
Thanks for you timely response.
This could make a large impact on those who are planning ahead and I will be sure to update as more information on test prep resource become available.
Here are some links that explain some of the new information -


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Energy Online
Welcome to online billing! With convenient Direct Debit payments and up to 6% discount off our standard rate, Energy Online is our best deal! Manage your account, view bills and monitor usage, simply register below.
I already have an Energy Online account
Login to your Energy Online account
I'm new to Energy Online and would like to register
Manage your account online and pay with the convenience of Direct Debit. Energy Online saves you time, money and paper! It's quick and easy to activate, here's what's in it for you:
- It's our best deal, with up to 6% discount
- View bills, payments and monitor your energy usage
- Submit meter readings online and estimate your next bill
- A greener option with no paper bills, everything is available online


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When most people hear buying in bulk they think of large packages of food at Costco or filling plastic bags with food and writing down numbers at the whole foods bulk section.
In reality buying in bulk can mean no packaging at all! When we bring our own jars to the store we are refusing single use plastic bags, we are saying no to packaging and we are saving money all at the same time!
We should all love buying in bulk and remember that zero waste bulk shopping is never complete without bringing your own jar. Start by weighing your jars at the store and labeling them with said weight. Now you are ready to shop for your favorite foods!
When buying in bulk we can also directly manage the amount of food we are buying.
Just when you thought it couldn't get any better buying in bulk also dramatically shrinks the carbon footprint of your meals, as bulk goods require less overall transportation before arriving at the grocery store.
Check out this bulk buying study conducted by Portland State University to find out the average cost savings when buying in bulk.
FACT: Organic bulk foods on average cost 89% less than their packaged counterparts. Bulk foods also prevent a significant amount of packaging from entering landfills


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Sunday, January 2, 2011
Christmas Pudding
In our house one of the things we always have no matter how hot it is is Christmas Pudding and Custard. I am assured by my darling husband that I make a spectacular Christmas pudding. He was raised with a traditional family and the Christmas Pudding was a big deal so high praise indeed.
The fruit and nut types change without notice but the pudding basics stay the same. This year I didn't use pineapple I used dried plums (yes prunes, my husband hates prunes but he never notices the dried plums).
Aussie Christmas Pudding
This pudding should be cooked no more than 2 weeks before Christmas then placed in an airtight container in the refrigerator. May also be frozen for 1 month.
100 grams sultanas
100 grams currants
100 grams dried apricots
50 grams dried apple
100 grams dried pineapple
50 grams dates
(Total of 500 grams dried fruit of any choice or commercial mixed fruit can be used.)
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup orange juice
¼ cup rum (Alcohol of choice can be used i.e brandy or grand marnier)
125 grams butter (or that yellow poison margarine)
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon vanilla paste or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup plain flour (Gluten free flour is fine, also almond or coconut flour)
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups fresh cake crumbs (Or fresh bread crumbs)
1 green apple peeled, cored and grated.
2 eggs - beaten
Grated peel of 1 orange
1 cup macadamias –chopped
½ cup ground macadamias
Grease and flour a 2 litre pudding bowl or stainless steel bowl.
Chop fruit into pieces the size of the sultanas. Place all fruit in a large saucepan with sugar, juice and brandy.
Heat to a simmer, heat and stir well for ten minutes. Remove from heat.
Chop butter into pieces and mix into hot fruit. Add spices and vanilla and mix well. Put a lid on the pot and leave to cool.
Add all other ingredients to fruit mixture and mix well. Place into greased and floured basin. Cover with lid or with circle of bake paper and three layers of foil. If you are using the paper/foil cut a piece of string long enough to go around the basin three times. Tie tightly and knot.
Fill a large pot with boiling water. I use my large pasta pot with the insert in place. Carefully place the pudding in the boiling water cover with a lid and boil. Water should be 2/3 to ¾ up the basin. Replenish boiling water as necessary. Pudding should be boiled for 4 hours.
The pudding can also be cooked in a slow cooker. Place the basin in the slow cooker add 1 litre of boiling water. Put the lid on and put the cooker on high and cook for 6 hours. Replenish water as required.
After time take the lid or foil off the basin let it stand until cool. Cover and refrigerate or freeze.
On day of service recover tightly with foil and steam for two hours or put it in the slow cooker with 1 litre of boiling water for 2 hours.
This pudding doesn't really need this unless you want it hot.
Turn out onto serving plate and serve with custard and cream.
1 comment:
- Jules Woolford said...
Christmas Pudding is my most favourite, but I never get to make it anymore as Andy hates it - and I would just eat the lot. This sounds amazing - I wish we could get taste and smell blogs!
- January 3, 2011 at 4:40 AM
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Keep up with the latest developments and legal issues in the telecommunications and emerging technology sectors, with exclusive access to a comprehensive collection of telecommunications law news,...
A bipartisan group of senators Oct. 25 urged the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice to investigate the proliferation of mobile phone applications that allow people to stalk others.
The so-called "stalking apps" are designed to run secretly on a victim's phone and are often marketed as being "undetectable," the senators said in a letter to the agencies.
"Stalking apps are dangerous," they said. "We ask that you quickly determine if they are also illegal. If so, we ask that the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission use their full force to investigate and prosecute those behind the development and marketing of these products for illegal stalking."
The letter was signed by several members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, including Sens. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), Al Franken (D-Minn.), and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn).
Based on 2006 data, the Bureau of Justice Statistics has estimated that more than 26,000 persons are victims of GPS stalking annually, including by cell phone, the letter noted.
The senators cited a specific case involving a St. Louis County, Minn., woman who was tracked by her abuser through her smartphone.
The example was drawn from testimony submitted by the Minnesota Coalition for Battered Women and the National Network to End Domestic Violence to the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology, and the Law, which is chaired by Franken, according to the letter. In May, the subcommittee held a hearing on protecting mobile privacy.
Franken has since introduced legislation (S. 1223) that would require mobile device service providers to get prior consent from customers before collecting or sharing their "geolocation" data.
The letter is available at http://franken.senate.gov/files/letter/111024_letter_DOJ_stalking_apps.pdf.
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Lorenzo Palmer Sanger was born on 2 March 1809 in Littleton, New Hampshire, the son of David Sanger, Jr. (1782-1851) and Mary (Polly) Palmer (1783-1854).
Lorenzo P. Sanger was a canal builder, working his way westward from New York to Illinois assisting his father until the Illnois and Michigan Canal was completed in 1842. Lorenzo then engaged in railroad construction and stage lines, as well as mercantile business. In 1846-48 he served as state senator from the 15th district of Illinois (Galena). In 1851 he moved to St. Louis, Missouri, where he was involved in rail construction until 1857. He then moved to Joliet, Illinois, where he built the Illinois State Penitentiary using local limestone. After completing the Penitentiary in 1860, he opened a limestone quarry in Joliet.
Sanger married Rachel Mary Denniston (25 October 1809-9 February 1870) of Denniston's Town (New Alexandria), Pennsylvania on 3 February 1830. She was the daughter of William Denniston (1783-1850) and Sarah Cooper (1782-1870), and was great-granddaughter of Arthur Denniston (1730-1798), a New Jersey native and pioneer settler of Denniston's Town.
The Sangers had three children:
The 1860 Census, taken when the Joliet penitentiary was nearing completion, shows five family members [all but W.D.] living in a house on the prison grounds! Two years later, his daughter Louise married his business partner William Alexander Steel (1836-1879). Sanger served as a colonel in the U.S. Army during the Civil War, and returned to the canal business after the war, when he and his brother James enlarged the Illinois and Michigan canal between Joliet and Chicago. He began traveling to California for his health as early as 1869; after his wife's death in 1870, he moved to Chicago, where he was cared for by his cousin Marcia C. Palmer. He died 23 March 1875 in Oakland, California. He and Rachel were both buried in Oakwood Cemetery in Joliet.
COL. LORENZO P. SANGER (deceased), Joliet; was born in Littleton, N.H., March 2, 1809. When but a small boy he accompanied his father's family to Livingston Co., N.Y., at that time a vast wilderness in the then Far West, and, like other pioneers, could only obtain the common log schoolhouse education in the winter, and in summer worked on a farm or in a saw-mill. When the Erie Canal (termed at that time, in derision, "Clinton's Ditch") was begun, his father, David Sanger, took a contract on the Canal, at Rochester, and afterward at Black Rock, about 1824, where he remained until the Erie Canal was completed. At this time but three steamboats were running on Lake Erie, and Lorenzo P. Sanger went on the Pioneer as steward. In the fall of 1826, his father removed to Pittsburgh, Penn., and engaged in heavy contracts on the Pennsylvania Canal, and continued until completed, finishing near Johnstown, Lorenzo having charge of a part of the work. When about 20, he took a contract to build a lock near Livermore, Penn., and was known as the "boy contractor." When this was finished, he went into the mercantile business at Blairsville, Penn. He married Rachel Denniston, of Denniston's Town, Westmoreland Co., Penn., Feb. 3, 1830, and, the same year, removed his store to that place. About 1831, he joined J. Noble Nesbit at Freeport, Penn., in sinking a salt well. After drilling several hundred feet, they struck a large flow of salt water, and with it what the salt men termed "that infernal American or Seneca oil," since known as petroleum; and as the value of the oil was not then known, the well was abandoned and he lost all. From Freeport he went on to the Beaver Canal and built a lock and dam twelve miles above Beaver, at the mouth of the Kanakanesing Creek. When this was completed, he removed to Miamisport, Ind., and engaged in heavy contracts on the Indiana Canal. His work was on the Indian Reservation, and was completed amid many discouragements, the country being almost a wilderness and very unhealthy. In 1835, he started in the then fashionable way of traveling, viz., on horseback, to St. Joseph, Mich., and joined Gen. Hart L. Stewart, now of Chicago, in merchandising and warehouse business, and steamboating on the St. Joseph River. At the letting of the Illinois & Michigan Canal, in June 1836, Stewart, Sanger & Wallace contracted to dig Sections 156 and 157, on the heavy rock excavation above Lockport, Ill. The next season, he removed permanently to Illinois, and followed the Canal to La Salle, where he built Lock No. 15. He next formed a company and took the contract to improve the rapids of Rock River at Sterling, Ill. In March, 1843, he joined Smith Galbraith in a line of stages from Chicago to Galena, via Dixon, and the next year purchased Galbraith's interest. While at Galena, he was elected State Senator. In 1847, Frink & Walker, Sanger & Co., Davis & Moore, and Neil, Moore & Co. united and formed the Northwestern Stage Co., embracing Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Missouri, Mr. Sanger removing to St. Louis and taking charge of the western division until 1851, at which time the firm of Sanger, Camp & Co. contracted to build the western division of the Ohio & Mississippi Railroad, after completing which, Sanger, Stewart & Truesdail took the contract for building the North Missouri Railroad from St. Louis to Macon, Mo. Both of these roads were heavy enterprises, through comparatively new countries, and involved the engaging of hundreds of subcontractors. Both have become important trunk lines. In 1857, the State of Illinois let to Lorenzo P. Sanger and Samuel K. Casey, under the firm name of Sanger & Casey, the contract to build the State Penitentiary at Joliet, and in June, 1858, leased to them the convict labor of the State, the convicts then being confined in the Penitentiary at Alton, the commerce and discipline of the latter being in charge of W.A. Steel until July 1860, when the last of the convicts were removed by him to the new Penitentiary at Joliet. During the last named year, he removed to Joliet, and, in 1862, to a farm one mile northwest of the city. Having, during his busy life, been the employer of tens of thousands of men, and the nation at this time being in the midst of the war of the rebellion, President Lincoln wrote to Gov. Yates to send Mr. Sanger a commission as Colonel and request him to join the army in Tennessee and Kentucky for staff duty or whatever his health would enable him to do. This was done, and Col. Sanger immediately threw up his business and joined the army in Kentucky, where he remained until his health was almost completely gone, when he was compelled to return home in a prostrated condition, from which he never fully recovered. In 1865, Col. Sanger and W.A. Steel, under the firm name of Sanger & Steel, opened quarries north of and adjacent to Joliet, which proved to be the best limestone yet found in America, and which they developed into a very large business, employing from three to four hundred men and a hundred horses, the canal and railroad also passing through their works. Though Missouri, Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana and Illinois patronized their works largely, the United States Government was their heaviest customer for material to build the Rock Island Arsenal, Marine Hospital in Chicago, Custom Houses at Des Moines, Iowa, and Madison, Wis., etc. The same year, 1865, Sanger, Steel & Co. took the contract to deepen the twenty-one rock sections of the Illinois & Michigan Canal. This was to remove solid limestone sixty feet wide and ten feet deep, the object being to remove permanently the lift-lock in Chicago and Jack's lock near Lockport. Col. Sanger died in Oakland, Cal., where he had gone for the benefit of his health, on March 23, 1875, and was buried in Oakwood Cemetery in Joliet. He had three children – Maj. W. D. Sanger, who served as an aid on Gen. Sherman's staff in the late war, and died in St. Louis in November, 1873; Frances Louise, wife of Hon. W.A. Steel, of Joliet, and Henry A. Sanger, now of Florence, Ala. Col. Sanger, although a man of unyielding purpose and rugged character, was kind-hearted in his public dealings, and exceedingly tender in the private and domestic relations of life.
Another valuable citizen (now deceased) must be credited to the Canal, Lorenzo P. Sanger, who was one of the old 1836 contractors, and also subsequently one of the firm of Sanger & Casey, who built the Penitentiary, and of the firm of Sanger & Steele, who so largely developed our stone industry. He was one of the most driving, energetic, enterprising men we have ever had. During the war, he threw all the weight of his political influence, which was not small, on the side of the Union, and would himself have participated actively in it had not the weight of years been too much to allow it. He died in Oakland, Cal., whither he had gone for his health, in March, 1875. His body was brought home for burial, and rests in Oakwood, beside his wife, who died some years before him.
Lorenzo P. Sanger, a well-known railroad contractor of Illinois, who left that State a short time ago for his health, and took up his residence in Oakland, died at Tubbs' Hotel yesterday morning. His last moments were soothed by the ministrations of his only son. Mr. Sanger was 66 years old at the time of his death. His remains will be embalmed, and sent to Jolliet [sic], Ill., his late home.
[Oakland Tribune, 24 March 1875]
[ Sanger family | Warren Steel | UM Home ]


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Hard cover bound in linen with full-colour dustjacket
596 pages; 647 illustrations, including 508 in colour
Irish artists and writers have played a fascinating role in the story of modernism, and The Moderns traces this by bringing together exceptional examples of painting and sculpture, photography, film, architecture, literature, music and design, of Irish significance, in an exploration of the development of modern Ireland through its arts in the period from the 1900s to 1970s. Its broad interdisciplinary context proceeds from the recognition that art forms are not mutually exclusive and that the understanding of one may inform another.
// From our friends at E-Flux


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Metrics (such as ligand efficiency) and rules (such as the rule of three) seem to be some of the more controversial topics around here. If you aren't experiencing metric-fatigue, it's worth checking out a recent (and free!) "Ask the Experts" feature at Future Med. Chem., in which four prominent scientists weigh in on the utility of the rules of five and three.
Monash University's Jonathan Baell (of PAINS fame) notes that, as of early 2013, the original 1997 Lipinski et. al. rule of five paper (and the 2001 reprint) had been cited more than 4600 times! Baell holds that, of the properties covered by the rules – molecular weight, lipophilicity, number of hydrogen-bond donors (HBD), and number of hydrogen-bond acceptors (HBA) – the property lipophilicity is probably the most important. Although he agrees that rules can be too strictly applied, he also asks:
What sum value is represented by the dead-end investment that the world never saw because of application of a Ro5 mentality?
I think this is a good, often-overlooked point. It is easy to find examples of drugs that violate the rule of five or programs that were killed by rule-bound managers with limited vision, but, as GlaxoSmithKline's Paul Leeson says, "there is massive unexplored chemical space within the Ro5, which is available to innovative chemists." Why not put much of the focus here?
Of course, readers of Practical Fragments are probably thinking as much about the rule of three as the rule of five, and one of the main criticisms of that rule, particularly by Pete Kenny, has been the fact that it is not clear how to define hydrogen-bond acceptors: do you count all nitrogen and oxygen atoms, including for example an amide –NH? I think the common-sense answer would be no, and Miles Congreve, the first author on the original rule of three paper, seems to agree. He also notes that the number of hydrogen bond acceptors seems to be less important in general than the number of hydrogen bond donors, which is negatively correlated with solubility, permeability, and bioavailability.
Given last year's poll on the maximum size of fragments people allow in their libraries, it looks like most people are already capping molecular weight well below 300 Da, which skews the other parameters toward rule of three space. That said, Congreve does warn that commercial fragment libraries "contain too many compounds that are close to 300 Da, rather than containing a distribution of compounds in the range of 100 – 300 Da," a statement borne out by by Chris Swain's analyses. Of course, the larger you get, the more possibilities there are, and the optimal property distribution of a fragment library is still a matter of debate.
Ultimately I think many people will agree with Leeson, who says that "there are probably sufficient metrics in the literature today," and with Celerino Abad-Zapatero, who notes that "additional rules will not be the answer in the long run." On this note I promise no more posts on metrics or rules – for at least a month!


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The beta-lactams, which are widely used, top the list of usual suspects in C. difficile disease, according to Usha Stiefel, M.D., of the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Cleveland.
But treating patients with an enzyme that inactivates the drugs in the intestines -- before they are given beta-lactam antibiotics -- is a "novel approach" that might prevent disease, Dr. Stiefel told attendees at the Interscience Conference on Anti-microbial Agents and Chemotherapy.
In murine trials and some European phase I trials, this approach appeared both safe and effective, she said.
The enzyme, a recombinant version of beta-lactamase that resists degradation in the intestines, blocked the activity of the antibiotics in that region, which prevented the overgrowth of C. difficile that leads to disease, she said.
Dr. Stiefel noted that studies in dogs have shown that the enzyme remains in the intestinal lumen and has little or no systemic activity.
Dr. Stiefel and colleagues tested the enzyme in mice and found that it almost completely prevented antibiotic-associated overgrowth of C. difficile.
The animals were treated subcutaneously with one of two beta-lactam antibiotics -- ampicillin (Principen) or piperacillin (Pipracil) -- at doses comparable to human therapeutic levels, she said.
Some of the mice also were given the beta-lactamase enzyme orally. A third group was given the antibiotic, the enzyme, and tazobactam, which blocks the activity of beta-lactamase. Control mice were given normal saline.
After 24 hours the mice were sacrificed and their intestinal contents were inoculated with one of four strains of C. difficile and cultured for another 24 hours.
At the end of that time, the growth of C. difficile in cultures from the animals given saline was "not significantly different" from what was seen in cultures from the mice given antibiotics plus the enzyme, Dr. Stiefel said.
On the other hand, C. difficile growth in cultures from the animals treated with the antibiotics alone was significantly greater (at P<0.0001) and was not different from that seen in cultures from animals given the drugs, enzyme, and tazobactam.
Dr. Stiefel said that such a procedure might be used in patients for whom there was no substitute for beta-lactam antibiotics, although she said it will take five or 10 years of study before the approach could be used in humans.
She noted that if the idea works it might be applicable -- through different mechanisms -- to prevent the adverse effects of other classes of antibiotics.
The study provided "interesting data," but has a long way to go before it's ready for prime time, according to session chairman Mark Wilcox, M.D., of Leeds University in England, who was not involved in the research.
In an interview after the presentation, Dr. Wilcox noted that the idea would only be useful if the sole antibiotic therapy for a patient consisted of beta-lactam drugs.
If, as is often the case, patients were on "polypharmacy," the enzyme treatment would have no effect, he said.
Dr. Wilcox added that the study showed only that the enzyme prevented overgrowth of C. difficile, but didn't have provide information on what toxins might have been produced by bacteria that did grow.
"It's the toxins we are really concerned with," he said.
|Several of the co-authors of the abstract are employees of Ipsat Therapies Ltd., the developer of the enzyme used in the study.
- Reviewed by Zalman S. Agus, MD Emeritus Professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Primary Source
Interscience Conference on Anti-microbial Agents and Chemotherapy.Source Reference: U. STIEFEL et al "Orally Administered ß-Lactamase Enzymes Represent a Novel Strategy to Prevent Colonization by Clostridium difficile" Presentation number K-607.


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Spirn, Nahum
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Alshich on Avos
406 pages, Hard CoverAn anthology of the Alshich's commentary on Avos, adapted from his commentaries on Tanach. Among the Alshich's themes are many of the principles and key concepts of Jewish faith. The Alshich's style has made it difficult for all but the mos.. See more
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This couple from San Francisco probably takes the cake for the most inventive Halloween costume this year.
Reddit user BritishRacingGreen and his girlfriend dressed up as shiny, plastic green army men complete with homemade telephone box, toy pistol and bazooka props, roaming the city and posing with people for photos.
Their elaborate getup was the result of hours of meticulous preparation, which included coating their clothes and props in primer and spray painting them green, and applying green makeup to their skin.
A staggering eight cans of primer and around six cans of paint were used for BritishRacingGreen's suit alone, and donning it wasn't without its discomforts. "(My suit) was so stiff that it was hilarious trying to get our shoes on. I didn't realize until the end of the night that my arms were totally cut up on the inside from bending my arm. Ouch! And taking a pee? A military-grade challenge for sure."
Judging from how cool they looked, all that effort and pain was worth it.
Check out some pictures of the duo in action and their preparation process.
[via My Modern Met and BritishRacingGreen]


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Yum Yum Cake I
Cooking Recipes Catalogue
If you like citrus cakes and pineapples you will like this cake.
INGREDIENTS (for 2 servings):
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 tablespoon orange zest
2 teaspoons lemon zest
5 eggs
2/3 cup milk
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup reserved pineapple juice
1 (3.5 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
1 (3.5 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
1 cup milk
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 (15 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
10 maraschino cherries, halved
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), grease and lightly flour a 9x13 inch pan.
In a small bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
Beat shortening for 30 seconds, add sugar, lemon and orange zest and beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Add pudding mix. Add flour mixture, alternating with milk and juices beating well after each addition.
Pour into pan. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 to 45 or until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Cool in pan.
To make the topping: Mix vanilla pudding with milk and set aside. Beat cream cheese until smooth, add cool whip, then pudding and mix on lowest speed until well combined. Spread on top of cooled cake. arrange pineapples and cherries on top.


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Police Chief John Jenkins said the incident occurred around 7:45 p.m. in the parking lot of the health club. Jenkins reported a 16-year-old female was leaving the club when allegedly she was attacked by a male subject who grabbed her in the parking lot. "At this time we are not able to determine what his intentions were," he said.
The victim struggled with her assailant before managing to break free, Jenkins said. She then ran to her vehicle, got in and locked the doors and drove away. At this point, according to the victim, she then observed the male subject flee.
Jenkins said authorities do not have a description of the suspect other than that he was wearing a black jacket or coat, and was older than the victim. The chief asked anyone with information on the incident to call the department at 732-1777.


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Greyhawk 937 CY: The Age of Steam
Spencer Dawnshroud
Tattoo Monk
Age: 20
Height: 5'9
Weight: 150
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Brown
Skin: Olive
Ethnicity: Flan
Class: Tattoo Monk
Worships: Pelor
Homeland: Realm of Greyhawk
Birthday: Coldeven 17th (Flesh)
Spencer Dawnshroud believes that there is a way to balance the new world and the old. Beory can be respected and preserved and the new technology propagated. But all things serve Pelor the Morninglord; Nerull the Nightfather and the Oerth Mother Beory.
Spencer is a Tattoo Monk who channels his internal life force through his martial art and powers magical tattoos put on by others in the Dawnshroud family.
A peacemaker at heart, Spencer believes that he can reach the good in most people.
Spencer works often with his younger brother Taylor who is a guide and archeologist. He is proud of his brother, and to him he represents the heart of bringing back the old ways. Spencer will joke but he can be serious, so he feels Taylor knows best the true heart of the mystical connection to Oerth and the past. It is not that it is bad to be serious but his brother has a way of becoming part of things and the flow of memory and Oerth that Spencer believes he will do great things.
He feels that his leanings toward accepting the new technology while preserving the old ways and Taylor's understanding and connection with what the Flan truly are will help them find the balance needed to end the constant tension between some races.


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SFIG News
SFIG Calendar
Advocacy Outlook
Industry News Highlights
When: Sunday, February 8, 2015 from 3:00-5:00 p.m. PSTWhere: Deuce Lounge at the Aria, Las Vegas NV
Presented by SFIG with the generous support of:
The launch event will feature a poker workshop and will provide participants with everything they need to know to win at the poker table. We hope that not only will you leave with an understanding of how to play poker, but also the knowledge of how to apply the principles of poker to succeed in the corporate world. Through interactive poker tutorials and play, participants can learn about how poker principles build confidence and strengthen negotiating tactics to help women play to win. No previous experience playing poker is necessary.
Invitations are forthcoming and will be sent to all industry women who registered for Women in Securitization. If you have not yet signed up it is not too late and we encourage all industry participants, both members and non-members alike, to register for Women in Securitization.
Women in Securitization connects the women of our industry to peers, mentors and sponsors, and ideas that will positively influence industry perceptions and practices to facilitate an environment in the securitization community that encourages women's advancement. For additional information on the event or Women in Securitization please contact firstname.lastname@example.com.
Title VIII would permit holders of CLOs – many of which are community and regional banks – additional time to either divest or amend any remaining legacy CLO issued prior to January 31, 2014, to conform to the Volcker rule by July 21, 2019. Notwithstanding this bill, any CLO issued after January 31, 2014 continues to have to comply by July 21, 2017, allowing the Volcker rule to remain fully intact.
"This bill is a common sense solution that will help prevent needless investment fire sales by banks who have made prudent investments in their local businesses and communities, and helps ensure continued funding can be delivered by those banks in support of the real economy," stated Richard Johns, SFIG's Executive Director.
THURSDAY, January 15, 201510:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. (EST)
TUESDAY, January 15, 20152:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. (EST)
MONDAY, January 19, 201511:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (EST)
TUESDAY, January 20, 201510:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. (EST)
TUESDAY, January 20, 20152:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. (EST)
WEDNESDAY, January 21, 201510:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. (EST)
THURSDAY, January 22, 20153:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. (EST)
MONDAY, January 26, 20152:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. (EST)
TUESDAY, January 27, 201510:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. (EST)
TUESDAY, January 27, 201511:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (EST)
TUESDAY, January 27, 20152:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. (EST)
TUESDAY, January 27, 20153:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. (EST)
SUNDAY, February 8, 2015 – WEDNESDAY, February 11, 2015The Aria Resort and CasinoLas Vegas, NVRegistration available here
SUNDAY, February 8, 20153:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. (PST)The Deuce Lounge at the AriaLas Vegas, NVSign up for Women in Securitization here, invitation to follow
If you would like to participate in the work SFIG is undertaking through our committees as highlighted below, please e-mail firstname.lastname@example.com. For specific inquiries on any of SFIG's advocacy efforts, please contact the staff member listed for the related project.
The RMBS 3.0 Task Force released its Second Edition RMBS 3.0 Green Paper in November. Following the successful SFIG/IMN Private Label RMBS Symposium, the Task Force will continue its efforts to address key issues specific to private label mortgage securities through work streams relating to (1) Representations, Warranties, and Repurchase Enforcement; (2) Due Diligence, Data, and Loan-Level Disclosure; and (3) Role of Transaction Parties and Bondholder Communications. We encourage members to participate in any or all of the working groups to contribute towards the mission of RMBS 3.0. For additional information on RMBS 3.0, or to join the Task Force, please contact firstname.lastname@example.com.
The GSE Reform Task Force has been actively engaging the Federal Housing Finance Agency ("FHFA") in recent months on several fronts, including SFIG's response to the proposed structure for a single agency security. SFIG has also submitted comments on guarantee fee pricing and FHFA's Strategic Plan for 2015-2019. The Task Force previously reviewed various proposals in Congress including the Johnson-Crapo bill, with SFIG staff summarizing members' recommendations in a briefing book, and the PATH Act. If you would like to learn more about SFIG's activities in these areas, please contact email@example.com.
The Mortgage Loan-Level Disclosure Task Force is studying the recent Regulation AB II release of Schedule AL and comparing it to SFIG's Schedule L submission to the Securities and Exchange Commission in February of 2014. SFIG also continues to have weekly Mortgage Industry Standards Maintenance Organization calls to go through data elements that lenders should deliver in securitizations. We will also be conducting an analysis of the data elements included in SFIG's Schedule L submission in order to determine any privacy concerns. Please contact firstname.lastname@example.com for additional information on SFIG's work on this topic.
The Volcker Task Force has been working with SFIG's various asset class and legal counsel committees to identify areas within the Volcker Rule in need of clarification, particularly questions regarding covered funds and the loan securitization exemption. Please contact email@example.com to participate on the Task Force.
The Risk Retention Industry Guide Work stream is creating best practices and developing consensus positions around several areas within the Credit Risk Retention final rule. Please contact email@example.com with any questions.
SFIG's Chinese Market Committee continues to hold regular calls focusing on a high-level description of SFIG's partnership with the Chinese Securitization Forum, potential upcoming educational discussions and sharing recent market developments in China. If you would like more information on SFIG's work with respect to Chinese securitization, please contact email@example.com.
SFIG's Shadow Banking Task Force has established the following agenda:
The Task Force will have its first full meeting in the coming weeks, and members from across asset classes are encouraged to participate. To register your interest in SFIG's Shadow Banking Initiative, please contact email@example.com.
The Regulation AB II Task Force will focus on the disclosure and offering process requirements within the final rule. Two work streams have been formed to develop a comment letter on the proposed rules that remain outstanding and to produce an industry guide for critical elements of the final rule. Monthly task force calls will be held to identify and address key questions regarding the implementation of the final rule. We will also be holding biweekly calls for the asset-level committees. SFIG members who are interested in joining this task force or asset specific committees should contact firstname.lastname@example.com.
The Regulatory Capital and Liquidity Committee is addressing industry concerns related to the Federal Reserve Board's Final Rule on the Liquidity Coverage Ratio ("LCR"). This committee will also review the BCBS final standard for the Net Stable Funding Ratio ("NSFR") and develop a comment letter when U.S. regulators release their proposed NSFR. To become involved in SFIG's advocacy on the Final LCR rule or NSFR, please contact email@example.com.
The Derivatives in Securitization Task Force recently commented on the CFTC's proposal on margin requirements for uncleared swaps, as well as the prudential regulators' proposal regarding margin and capital requirements for covered swap entities. SFIG also submitted a comment letter at the end of June, advocating for asset-backed securities issuers to qualify for the "low-risk financial end user" designation proposed by prudential regulators in the original proposal. SFIG members who are interested in learning more about this initiative should email firstname.lastname@example.com.
The NRSRO Due Diligence Industry Guide Work stream is continuing to review the due diligence elements of the Final Rules on NRSROs. The working group meets biweekly on Thursdays at 3:00 p.m. (EST) and members interested in learning more should contact email@example.com.
The Money Market Fund Reform Working Group submitted a comment letter on October 13th regarding the Securities and Exchange Commission's July 23rd proposal which includes, among other things, possibly amending rule 2a-7's issuer diversification provisions to eliminate an exclusion that is currently available for securities subject to a guarantee issued by a non-controlled person. SFIG also submitted a comment letter in September 2013 on Money Market Fund Reform. If you are interested in joining this working group, please contact email@example.com.
The High Quality Securitization Task Force is currently developing a response to the BCBS-IOSCO consultation on its criteria for identifying simple, transparent and comparable securitizations. Comments are due on February 13, 2015 and the task force will meet on Tuesdays at 10:00 a.m. (EST) until then to formulate its views. SFIG's comments will build off of those sent to the European Banking Authority on January 14th (available here) regarding their proposed criteria and to the European Central Bank and Bank of England last summer (available here) regarding the development of a sustainable securitization market in Europe. To join the High Quality Securitization Task Force and contribute to the BCBS-IOSCO comment letter, please contact firstname.lastname@example.com.
In May, ESMA asked the industry to review the proposed rules, which take effect in 2017 and are part of measures to revamp how banks create and sell structured products. ESMA received 330 responses during the consultation period, which ended August 1st, according to its website. Under the new rules, banks must identify the target market for their products and annually review their policies for handling conflicts of interest.
They must also make extensive cost disclosures for each security they issue, from the amount that goes to hedging risks and distribution to profit margins, according to the document. "Every difference between the price of a position for the firm and the respective price for the client should be disclosed" in the documents investors receive, ESMA wrote. Banks argued that a breakdown of profit shouldn't be included since it's not a cost or a charge. Most respondents also warned against requiring distributors to inform issuers about customer experiences with products, according to ESMA's report. They said the cost to distributors would outweigh the benefits and even cause some of them to limit the number of issuers they work with.
SFIG is pleased to share this edition of its newsletter with our members, as well as our supporters in the structured finance community. To ensure that you receive future editions of the newsletter, please visit our website or email us to learn more about membership opportunities.
Contact Information
Richard Johns Executive Director
Kristi Leo Investor Relations
Sonny Abbasi Director of MBS Policy
Sairah Burki Director of ABS Policy
Michael Flood Director of Advocacy
Mary Robinson Policy Manager
Alyssa Acevedo Policy Analyst
Amanda Bateman Policy Analyst
Jennifer Serpas Office Manager
Allison Creswell Executive Administration
1775 Pennsylvania Ave. NW Suite 625 Washington, DC 20006


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Yesterday, a hopeful candidate for the next provincial election asked me the following question, "Anna, would you be willing to write a list of ways that the provincial government can make it easier for small businesses to succeed in Nova Scotia?"
I dropped to my knees, broke down in tears and through messy sobs of joy muttered, "You mean….. you mean, you actually want to speak directly to a small business owner to understand how to make things better? Wouldn't you rather just hire consultants and create an economic development committee of billionaires? " Once I moved past my initial shock, I rose to my feet, blew my nose and pulled the following list out of my pocket. You see, I have been walking around for eight years just waiting for someone to ask me this question.
I will reveal that it was an NDP hopeful who relieved me of the list in my pocket, but I am sharing it here, incase the Liberals or Conservatives would also care to listen. As small business owners, we are ready to accept help across party lines. Here's my list.
1-Please stop taxing small home-based businesses with commercial property taxes.
Yes, in Nova Scotia, even in exclusively residential zones, PVSC can and will assess the portion of your home used for the business with a commercial property tax rate. This rule applies to every home-based business, including home offices, with only one exception – Bed and Breakfast establishments of four rooms or less. If your home-based business is not being taxed with a commercial property tax rate, it is because PVSC does not know about you. However, they are trying to find you and if they do, you will get a significant increase on your property taxes. Let me try to explain how damaging this rule is.
Imagine that a hat maker has hired a Syrian Refugee to sew hats in his own home. Now, let's say this man is succeeding and heads over to Town Hall to apply for a development permit and a sign permit. One year later his landlord will find that his property taxes have significantly increased. Uh oh….What's a landlord to do? Increase the family's rent or tell the man that he cannot run his business in his home? Both options are equally bad. Welcome to Nova Scotia. Landlords frequently avoid this scenario by prohibiting home businesses. Business owners avoid an increase in property taxes by not applying for development permits. Everybody loses. Most home-based businesses stay underground to avoid burdensome regulation. If regulation is avoided it benefits no one. Municipalities end up with unpermitted and potentially unsafe businesses and business growth has been prevented.
There's a very simple solution. Amend the provincial tax legislation to state that home-based businesses that use less than 25% of the home are assessed with only residential property taxes. It's already been done for bed and breakfasts. When the business grows they will either move to the commercial zone or pay commercial property taxes on the portion of their home used for the business.
2-Accessibility grants.
All across Nova Scotia there are beautiful, abandoned churches, fire halls, homes and other heritage buildings just waiting for some creative entrepreneur to breathe new life into them. Many starry-eyed business owners have considered buying such properties only to discover this little thing called, "Change of Occupancy Classification." This means that if what was once a church (assembly) becomes a sewing store (mercantile) all the barrier free access rules in the building code will apply. Now, don't misunderstand me. This is a very good thing. We want to work towards a province that is accessible to all. But the cost of the renovations is often a non-starter. So, many of these beautiful buildings remain beautiful, but empty souvenirs of days gone by. If the province were to provide accessibility grants to businesses wanting to restore these old buildings, it would revitalize rural Nova Scotia while simultaneously preserving heritage buildings. Good for business, good for tourism, good for heritage and good for people.
3-Think Local.
I'm scared to mention the Ivany report. It's almost like confessing that you still believe in Santa Claus. But there was this little line in there that spoke to me, "We can do it ourselves." In the murky world of economic development, focus tends to gaze outwards. If only we could attract this business or that business all our problems would go away. Meanwhile, you have small to medium sized local businesses that are jumping up and down shouting, "Hey, over here! I'm doing it already. If you wouldn't mind just throwing a tiny bit of money this way, I could hire someone, or expand." All across this province there are small businesses that are succeeding. Look for them and then talk to them. Ask them what they need to grow. It's usually not that much. Invest in people that already love Nova Scotia. They are the ones committed to making it work. Nothing against Ikea or Target, but when the going gets tough, they will hold no allegiance to this province. Supporting small, local businesses is diversifying your investment. If one doesn't make it, they don't take down a whole community with them.
4- Put the answers in one place.
There are many steps to opening a business. It's very frustrating for business owners to walk in circles trying to understand what they need to do in order to be in compliance. Often businesses are opened that do not have the proper permits; not because of negligence, but because no one has explained to them what is necessary. It's not uncommon for a fire marshal to give one directive and a building inspector to give another one. We need to create a culture of communication between various departments, between the province and its municipalities and between the municipalites themselves. It's unacceptable to have 51 interpretations of a rule in one tiny province. I have more than once been asked for advice by prospective business owners. When businesses are seeking out regulatory advice from the local hat maker, we know we have a problem. It needs to be someone's job, at the provincial level to help new businesses navigate the system.
5- Regulation needs to come in small, medium and large.
This particularly applies to food handlers. I have heard from many food vendors who cannot prepare food in their own kitchens. They are asked to install commercial kitchen in order to meet health and safety standards. I am not anti-regulation. Regulation is a good thing, but Grandma baking cookies in her kitchen to sell at the local Farmers market should not be facing the same rules as a restaurant. Safety comes in different sizes. We don't require a person knitting socks in her home to have a sprinkler system; why does someone baking 200 cookies a week need a commercial kitchen?
6- Home Business in Public Housing.
This is an issue that I know nothing about, but as a province we need to look into this. New public housing rules prohibit home businesses. When I first heard of this rule, I assumed it was because of municipal land use regulations, but Public Housing is owned by the province. If we want to lift people out of poverty we need to allow them to run small, appropriate businesses from their homes. Someone sewing or cutting hair creates no safety hazard. People working from home keeps parents with their children and keeps communities safer.
So, there you have it. I hand over my list to the politicians. Thanks so much for asking. That piece of paper was getting heavy.


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"Van Gogh" Workshop for Kids... January 22, 2013. A huge success... nobody ate paint or cut their ear off... and everyone created a "Starry Night" Masterpiece!
What a JOY it was teaching these young artists today at the "Van Gogh" Workshop. They were superb artists and students! Thank you kids for a GREAT day! A special thanks to the parents for allowing their children to go on this "Van Gogh" adventure with me!
In Art,


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Single poster - Mantra of Ravi Babu
18 September 2012
Ravi Babu is a director who is not after commercialism. When every director want to emulate the success of the likes of Rajamouli, Puri Jagan, Seenu Vytla and VV Vinayak with proper commercial formatted films, Ravi Babu wants to be different. He doesn't make films for everybody. He sets the genre first and make films that cater only to that genre. If it attracts masses, then it's a bonus.
He also makes sure that the publicity is different and sticks himself to limited designs and trailers. He used puppies and other animals to design the posters of Nachavule. He used kids listening to iPods for the posters of Nuvvila. he has used an elephant holding the red-saree clad heroine by force for the poster design of his latest film Avunu. Like his films, he makes sure that the trailer and poster design are meant for the target audiences. If you look at poster designs of other films, they are pretty similar. They use songs for posters and trailers during music launch. Then they use action oriented designs and trailers as the film releases. After the film is released, they usually use the sentiment scenes and character artists in designs/trailers.
If you look at Hollywood films, each film has a signature design and people do remember the film by that classic design even after decades. Hero sitting on the bench (Forrest Gump), the threshold effect black and white face close up (Godfather), black and white design of hero standing with a gun (Scarface) are the few of the examples.
One must appreciate Ravi Babu for trying to stick to his style despite other directors becoming big with commercial films. May be one day, he will rise the bar and equals the commercial directors without compromising on his style.


text: Hey does anyone have or know where I can find old MW keynotes? I wanting to go threw memory lane and can't seem to be able to find them threw Google. Did anyone save these threw out the years and put up a web page so others can enjoy? Thanks


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After a year of living in Tennessee, I am finally getting out of the house and meeting people. One of my many obsessions on the Internets is Craigslist.org, and knowing how much of a sucker I am, I always avoid the Pets section. For some reason, I decided to visit the forbidden section and saw an ad asking for help with rescued Arabian horses. I could not believe my eyes!! I have been a horse fanatic since I knew what one was. I read every single horse book in the school library and would spend hours drawing from them. I would draw on just about anything I came across, including my school desk. While my teacher did admire my artwork, she was not too pleased with the chosen medium. Arabians have always been my favorite horse by far, and I would dream of having one of my own. Working with these horses is like a dream come true for me. I have spent the last two weekends giving them baths and nursing wounds from neglect. I can't wait to go out there tomorrow and see how far they have come in a week. Volunteering is such a rewarding experience, and I have always tried to be involved with some sort of animal rescue group. Never in a million years did I think that I would have the opportunity to work with the horses of my dreams!! I didn't want to bring my camera out so I took some pictures with my cell phone. The first three mares are the rescues. They already look so much better than they do in these pictures. I can't wait until I can show them completely recovered.
|Get Your Own!
Rob and I have also been doing some landscaping. Check out the new entertainment center for the cats. They sit at the window watching the birds all day. And you know I just had to buy the birdfeeder with the faery!
I have been knitting. I am nearly finished with a sweater for my friend Debbi. I will get you a picture really soon I promise. I am also in the process of stringing the beads to make Bauble. Unfortunately, I ran out of beads and have to wait until they come in the mail to finish stringing the 3.5 yards of beads. I haven't worked on my shawl lately because I have been a bit distracted and I do not want to screw it up. Ariann and Deli are snoozin' in a basket at the moment. I have Oragina screaming for a swatch, and I just bought more beads for another Bauble. I am making myself tired just thinking about all this stuff. I'm goin to bed!


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LISTVYANKAN, Soviet Union — Secretary of State James A. Baker III netted new Siberian friends for America today with little more than a handshake, but fish from Lake Baikal refused to take his bait.
Home advantage was apparent as Baker took to Lake Baikal with his Soviet counterpart, Eduard A. Shevardnadze, in a break from two days of weighty superpower talks.
The secretary of state came home empty-handed. But Shevardnadze landed two, restoring Soviet pride lost last year during a similar outing in the United States.
Baker, an expert fisherman, took Shevardnadze fishing for trout in Jackson Hole, Wyo. The score on that occasion was three fish for the United States and none for the Soviet Union.


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Thyroid malfunction in males, eitherhyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism, presents with many of the same symptoms as in women, including intolerance to heat and cold, vocal changes, irritability and increased nervousness, weight loss or gain, dry and coarse hair, vision problems, sleep disturbances and more. The conditions that men experience from thyroid issues depend on the underlying cause and type of thyroid problem; hypothyroidism, characterized by low thyroid hormone production, causes the body to use energy more slowly than usual and may trigger weight gain, while hyperthyroidism, oroverproduction of thyroid hormones, generates anxiety and speeds metabolism, potentially causing weight loss.
Thyroid diseases occur in people of all ages and affect men and women. However, according to the Cleveland Clinic, women have a five to eight times greater chance of developing thyroid issues than men. Thyroid diseases, however, present many identical symptoms in both genders, and stem from the same causes. In men and women, hypothyroidism might develop from thyroiditis, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, iodine deficiency and non-functional thyroid gland. Symptoms of underactive thyroid include dry, coarse hair, weight gain, forgetfulness, fatigue, cold intolerance and vocal changes. Hyperthyroidism stems from Graves' disease, nodules, thyroiditis and excess iodine intake. Symptoms include weight loss, nervousness and irritability, disrupted sleep, enlarged thyroid gland, sensitivity to heat and vision disturbances. To identify thyroid problems and rule out other conditions causing similar symptoms, doctors perform a simple thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) test.


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This year we finally have a mantel-like set up that is perfect for seasonal decor. I am extrememely excited about all the decorating I will be doing this fall and winter!!! While decorating for Halloween I was able to find a lot of figurines and stand-alone items, but not a lot of affordable Halloween style pictures that could rest in the background. So I decided to make some!! I went with simple black and white so that I can reuse it for other occasions if I need to.
I painted the canvas board with several coats of black acrylic paint. Then I used washi tape to create the design I wanted. You can see clearly here that the stripes are not even, but apparently I couldn't tell while placing them!
Washi tape works really well, although I know it is expensive. The main reason I chose to use it is because I have a lot of Washi tape that I basically will never use unless I use it for projects like this! You could also use regular masking tape. Here is the finished piece on display:
I intentionally wanted a shabby, imperfect look on the painting, which I got by rubbing the excess paint off the brush before painting. You can start with a really thin coat and build up as you go.
For my second project I once again started with several coats of all black paint. After it dried I took some fake spider webbing (from Target - $1!), cut it, and wrapped it around the canvas. Simple as that!
I secured it with a clothespin for two reasons: One, because it was the quickest way to get the webs to stay in the exact positions I wanted them using only my two hands, and two, so that I can remove the webbing and use this canvas for another purpose if I want to.
Here's the finishes product, along with a Halloween themed print I got from the thrift shop for 40 cents!
I made one more smaller canvas with the stripes in opposite colors, to put on the third shelf. I also kept up some framed pieces that weren't Halloween themed but I thought still fit :)
Did you make anything this year for Halloween?
felt pumpkins - Target
stackable boxes - HyVee
"spooky" decal - Target
"trick or treat" and "Happy Halloween" signs - Target
pumpkin mug - Thrifted
halloween bears - Dollar Tree
hanging bats and skulls - Target
white owl - Michael's
jack o lanterns - Target
Yes, I basically live at Target.