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Danielle Walker's Against All Grain Makes It Easy To Fall in Love with Paleo Cooking
Cookbook: Against All Grain: Meals Made Simple by Danielle Walker
Overall Impression: Beautifully presented and clearly explained, Meals Made Simple is a delight for Paleo newbies and longterm Paleo-ites alike.
I'm naturally quite skeptical of gluten-free and dairy-free foods, but I am equally eager to expand my culinary repertoire. I have also become increasingly curious about the Paleo diet, especially as my husband and I love to entertain and have more and more friends who are gluten- and dairy-free. So when I received Against All Grain: Meals Made Simple, I was hoping it would win me over with mouth-watering, uncomplicated recipes. I was not disappointed.
Recipes I Tried
- Quiche with Bacon, Zucchini, and Chard, p. 58
- Chicken Waldorf Salad, p. 100
- No-Cook Chocolate Pudding, p. 268
- Basic Cauli-Rice, p. 218
- Mayonnaise, p. 248
Cooking From Meals Made Simple
Against All Grain is more than just a cookbook — it is also a guide to understanding the Paleo lifestyle and living gluten- and dairy-free without compromising convenience.
Opening with an essay chronicling her own harrowing battle with an autoimmune disorder, and the saving grace she discovered after cutting out gluten, dairy, processed foods, and commercial sugars, Danielle Walker continues with shopping tips, ways to keep it simple, snacking tips, and tear-out guides that include a Paleo cheat sheet. Perhaps most impressively, she includes an 8-week plan for two months of simple Paleo dinners — including complete shopping lists.
The recipes are straightforward and easy to follow, and I like that there are often tips for using leftovers from other recipes in the book. While many cookbooks leave a trail of half-used jars of obscure ingredients scattered across your kitchen (I'm loath to admit the number of half-empty coconut milk cans I've tossed…), Danielle actually makes it seem easy to stock your kitchen with versatile Paleo staples, all of which can be used in countless ways.
Danielle's food philosophy is anything but restrictive, and her creative entrées reveal her passion for eating real, delicious food — without spending endless hours in the kitchen. True to her word, her recipes are simple: it doesn't take much to whip up dinner.
Of the recipes I tried, the dairy-free breakfast quiche has to be my favorite. I thought whole milk and butter were required for puffed, mouth-watering quiche. I was wrong. The chicken Waldorf salad was also a hit with house guests, and made a light and fresh filling for lunch wraps for several days.
What Could Be Better
We don't eat that much meat, so my excitement waned just a bit when I flipped through the book and saw how so many recipes call for meat, like lamb, steak, and fresh salmon. I know, I know, it is a Paleo cookbook, so I really have no place being disappointed; it's just personal preference.
The recipes can also get pretty pricey, although not outrageously so — and Danielle openly admits that in prioritizing the health of herself and her family, she does not skimp on groceries. I completely agree that it's impossible to overrate quality food, but the prices might deter those on a budget. To be fair, the majority of ingredients (meats, vegetables, spices) are easy to find.
Final Takeaway
Impressively comprehensive, truly simple, and beautifully produced, Against All Grain: Meals Made Simple provides a detailed guide to eating gluten-free and dairy-free without sacrificing hours in the kitchen prepping for meals. More than a cookbook, Danielle Walker's new cookbook will have you creatively rethinking your everyday staples.
Find the book at your local library, independent bookstore, or Amazon: Against All Grain: Meals Made Simple by Danielle Walker
Apartment Therapy Media makes every effort to test and review products fairly and transparently. The views expressed in this review are the personal views of the reviewer and this particular product review was not sponsored or paid for in any way by the manufacturer or an agent working on their behalf. However, the manufacturer did give us the product for testing and review purposes.


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The novelist and music legend Nick Cave is sprinkling a little rock'n'roll glamour over publishing's latest front in the battle for readers, by releasing an iPhone version of his new novel, The Death of Bunny Munro. The text, which scrolls downwards on chapter-length virtual pages, is accompanied by readings and music specially recorded by the author himself.
"Bunny Munro was perfect for this kind of thing," said Cave. "Being a musician as well, I've been able to provide all sorts of other things to make it as interesting an experience as possible to read this book on the iPhone … The strangest thing for me is that almost all musicians feel that we are chasing the tail of something beyond our grasp with music downloading and so on but, quite by accident, with the publishing of this book I'm suddenly involved with something that is taking the bull by the horns and that's quite exciting."
Cave's multimedia version is just the latest in a wave of new initiatives from publishers trying to vault over misgivings about ebook devices and aim directly for a reader already in everybody's pocket – the mobile phone. The full-colour, touch-sensitive screens of the latest handsets are winning over those who doubted whether screens could ever match the convenience of the traditional paperback, and setting off a race between publishers to get their authors into a new market.
According to Penguin's digital publisher, Jeremy Ettinghausen, the latest mobiles have opened up a new world of possibilities.
"The iPhone has been a bit of a game changer," said Ettinghausen. "Publishers have been used to thinking of mobiles as unsuitable for reading anything longer than a text," he continued, but the latest phones offer a totally different reading experience.
Over the past year, applications such as Stanza, Book Search, Classics and eReader have put millions of titles into the hands of iPhone users, but Penguin's ambitions are considerably wider.
"We're platform agnostic," said Ettinghausen. "We don't believe either phones or laptops have the answer. We believe people want to read our books on whichever platform they're using, and we're working hard to make that happen."
Penguin is just one of clutch of publishers who have recently signed deals with the ebook distributor Gospoken.com, which began distributing ebooks to mobile users in January after starting in 2008 with mobile audiobooks. They join Simon and Schuster, Hodder, Random House and Faber in a new generation of mobile reading.
"The iPhone has stolen so much of the press that it's easy to forget that many, many times more people are using something else," said Faber's head of digital publishing, Henry Volans. "Gospoken specialise in reaching that other audience."
According to Volans, Faber is treating ebooks as a core part of their business, rather than creating a separate department.
"The people working on the production process for books also work on the ebooks," he said.
Almost 200 Faber titles will be available via Gospoken, a mixture of leading titles from the last six months and gems from the backlist including poetry from Seamus Heaney, Alan Bennett plays and Giles Foden's novel The Last King of Scotland.
"It's becoming pretty straightforward to clear rights," said Volans. "Agents and authors are realising it's just another way of publishing their material." Decisions about file formats are also becoming easier, he continued, with a critical mass developing around the format also used by Penguin.
Like Canongate, Faber is also looking at using mobile phones' capabilities for audio and video, but it's not just rock stars getting the multimedia treatment. According to Neal Hoskins, the publisher of children's press Winged Chariot, animation is at the heart of his company's plans for mobile editions.
"Picture books are meant to be handled and touched, and you can mimic that really well on modern high-resolution touch screens," he said. The emphasis on picture rather than text makes for an easier reading experience, he continued, and they're perfect for "a darkened bedroom, just before bed".
"A lot of illustrators are already working digitally," he said, "and there's always a fear that you're not going to get the vibrancy of the original when you send it off to the printers." With a high-resolution backlit image this is no longer a concern.
Winged Chariot is due to bring out Sylvia Van Ommen's wordless picture book The Surprise (published today) as an application for the iPhone later this month. This luminous version slides flat across the screen, and includes a delightful animation of a sheep riding on a Vespa. A dual language edition of Feridun Oral's The Red Apple is due to follow later this year, with a series of books specially commissioned for the iPhone due in 2010.
"There are 40m people with these devices," he said. "As a publisher, you'd have to be mad to ignore it."
It's a point echoed by Ettinghausen, who quotes Woody Allen's dictum that 90% of success is turning up. "There will be lots of false trails and false starts," he said, "but this is just the beginning."
Cave said that although he owns an iPhone, he doesn't read books on it and the impetus for the Bunny Munro app was "very much Canongate. I've suddenly found myself at the cutting edge of the way we may read books in the future but it's all been something of a surprise to me.
"I see the paper copy as the real book. I sat down and wrote a novel, and that was difficult enough in itself without considering what the music would be. However, as a songwriter, I do have a naturally musical way of writing and [the book] has lent itself well to being scored, musically. It is a unique situation where you can write a novel and make music to it as well; it can be a different way of taking in a piece of literature."

subset: commoncrawl


text: Having Bro. Michael Edens with us this month reminds me of an event that took place during my days at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. This event began on October 10, 1981, with the birth of our daughter, Hannah. She was four weeks early with an emergency Caesarian Section. Gilda's womb had ruptured before the doctors could get to Hannah causing her to inhale embryonic fluid which placed her in grave danger. Gilda was in the hospital in Galliano, Hannah was rushed to


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We are currently accepting new patients.
We offer a range of clinics and services at the practice.
We offer home visits to patients who are housebound or too ill to attend the surgery.
Repeat prescriptions will be ready for collection within 48 hours.
We hope that you will find this website useful and an aid to finding out about the services that we offer.
We would like to improve the services we offer therefore if you have any ideas or comments please do not hesitate to let us know.
94 Lewisham Road,Smethwick,Warley,West MidlandsB66 2DD
Click here to access SystmOnline
If you're not feeling well, visit your pharmacist first. They can treat a range of minor conditions without the need for a doctor's appointment.
Pharmacy First leaflet (.pdf) Pharmacy First poster (.pdf) Participating Pharmacies (.pdf)
As from 1st September we will be working in collaboration with Lodge Road Surgery and Victoria Health Centre to provide with Evening 6.30-8.00pm on weekdays and Weekends 9.00am-12.30pm appointments. These appointments will be booked on first come basis.
Dr. S. Tillu and Dr. H. Singh
To learn more, please ring our reception on 0121 555 5635.
The practice would like to thank the various advertisers who have helped to
produce this Website. However, it must be pointed out that the accuracy of any
statements cannot be warranted, nor any products or services advertised, be
guaranteed or endorsed.


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If a pregnant woman is not yet showing during an interview for a new job, she is not legally obligated to disclose her pregnancy to the employer, says Elizabeth Bromstein of Workopolis. If the pregnancy is obvious, Bromstein recommends having a solid plan in place to discuss maternity leave. The employer will want to know how long the employee needs off and whether she wants contact while absent.
Job hunting while pregnant is not much different than regular job hunting, says Bromstein. Employers are not legally allowed to discriminate against a potential new-hire for being pregnant, but there is usually no way to prove that a woman's pregnancy was the cause for denial if she doesn't receive the job. While there is no law obligating a woman to disclose her pregnancy during an interview, experts recommend broaching the topic during the later stages of negotiations once a woman has been offered a position and has decided she would like to accept it.
The employer may resent the woman for being secretive if the pregnancy comes as a surprise after she has already been hired. Employers are forced to accommodate a pregnant employee during her doctor visits, delivery and maternity leave. It helps if an employer is able to prepare for this in advance. Employers may respect a woman more for being upfront about her pregnancy, says Bromstein.


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JULIE'S CLIMB – A Children's Book
A cautious young girl learns to overcome her fears and develops into a skilled mountain climber. Her curiosity leads her into a dangerous situation. Rescue comes from a very unlikely source. "Julie's Climb" is a tribute to all young people who follow their adventuresome spirit.
Here's an Excerpt!
Julie began to move very slowly, searching for small crevices to hold onto while carefully sliding her feet, feeling for the next little crack in the rock. It was a very slow process and she began to realize how tired she was. She felt her sore fingers start to lose their grip, and her legs began to shake. She was in big trouble without a rope to help her rest.
Then she heard a deep voice come from above her.
"Can I help you, little girl?"
Julie no longer considered herself a little girl, but this was no time to argue the point.
"Who are you and how can you possibly help?" Julie asked.
Buy your copy of Julie's Climb today for just $14.95, and inspire the young people in your life to reach for great heights!


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SnapStream's BeyondTV 3.5 is going to be released tomorrow! See this announcement thread on SnapStream's forum.
Some features of note:
-Multi-tuner support
-Beyond TV Link support
-Search by Keyword
-Sort by Series
-a new decoder and encoder
-a new HUD
-Portable Media Center Support
-tvtv support for European customers
Download it tomorrow to check it out (either the trial, or existing BTV3 users get the upgrade FREE!). Stay tuned next week for a very special byopvr only SnapStream announcement.


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A drug-saturated, ego-obsessed, musical and literary roller coaster ride, Keith Richards' 469-page tome, Life, published by Little, Brown and Company (564 pages counting the index), has been touted as a memoir of Proustian proportions, his madeleines a trove of letters and journals kept for nearly 50 years. One of pop music's iconic figures, Richards has not only been there, done that, but lived to yak about it, with a lot of help, no doubt, from author James Fox.
Life, which has exploded onto the 24/7 Twitterati culture with the force of a Scud missile (is that oxymoronic or merely outdated?), has received non-stop coverage, from the sacrosanct New York Times to the little peeps' comments on Amazon. And though the book – the Citizen Kane of rock memoirs – has recently been bumped from its perch atop the NYT bestseller list by another well-known dude (let's just call said dude an erstwhile war-mongering president), the two tomes have little else in common – aside from the fact that both men reportedly received the non-paltry advance of $7 million and that in their tellings, they also each renounce addictive substances in order to achieve some kind of redemption.
Dealt a winning hand(s): the gnarly, gorgeous guitar-picking appendages of Keith Richards
But I gotta say: I loved Life. By turns frank, hilarious, disarming and astonishing, its narco-induced anecdotes, riffs about the actual music-making and the inevitable inside dish on the Stones, including Richards' symbiotic/psychologically-charged relationship with Sir Mick Jagger, the book, well, rocks. Indeed, I found myself relating on many levels: "All the good ones die on you," writes Richards about yet another crony who goes down from drugs, among whom were Billy Preston and Gram Parsons. (Keef, as he refers to himself in letters written to a beloved aunt, did not cotton to original Stones' guitarist Brian Jones, so there's no love lost in those tawdry tales.)
The crack guitarist (no pun intended – Keith says he never did crack cocaine, that he didn't like the smell of it, the ritual behind it…), who certainly has had more lives than any cat in creation, writes about being a junkie for years, but maintains that that was three decades ago. In other words, 'Goodbye to all that…'
And hello to Richards, he of the volcano-pitted face, who certainly must be the luckiest guy in the world. Sure, he had his run-ins, i.e., drug busts, with the law, including in Arkansas and Canada, but he was like Teflon, man, with no time spent in the Big House. (Curiously, it's no consolation to the very dead Jim Morrison that Florida's departing governor, Charlie Crist, wants to posthumously pardon the former Doors frontman for two criminal convictions received after some, er, very bad behavior at a 1969 concert in Miami.)
Okay, so not only did Richards not die from drugs, including cigarettes, or at the hand of a disgruntled fan, nor from any of the nasty stuff that's plagued other rock idols, this guy still rules on guitar, writes killer songs and, well, lives in Connecticut, canyabelieve, with a beautiful wife. Not exactly to the manor born, but to the manner gotten at a very young age.
From the horse's mouth.
As to Richards' vast fortune (and it his huge, unlike what he says about the size of Jagger's manhood, or "tiny todger"), some of the money – he even hawks Louis Vuitton luggage – goes to various worthy causes, with Life now adding exponentially to the piles. While leading and living to write about a most incredible journey befitting a multi-platinum, zillion-selling recording artist, Richards also narrates a brief introduction to Life the Audiobook. Clocking in at 23 – count 'em – 23 hours – this CD has the one and only Johnny Depp bringing the rock God to, if it's possible, earthly life. Talk about a pair of post-modern pirates!


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This novel! Oh my gosh. This is one of those novels I've been looking at and putting back down for at least a year, but I finally decided to take it home and read it and it was so good. Based on the description, it sounds like a novel that could easily turn into a cliche and be a very predictable Lifetime movie style tear jerker, but it was so much better than that.
Victoria grew up in the foster care system, and despite several placements, she never made it out of the system. There was only one time that she was close but even that one failed. Now she is 18, and she is on her own. After an initial few weeks at a halfway house of sorts, she is homeless and jobless. She is cynical, skeptical and doesn't trust anyone but she loves flowers, and the Victorian language of flowers. Her gift with flowers helps her get a part time job at a local florist, and her life seems to be coming back together.
Her work with flowers reintroduces her to a person from her past, the nephew of Elizabeth. Elizabeth is the woman that almost adopted Victoria, and was her last chance at a home, and she is also the one that taught her the language of flowers. The novel tells the story of Victoria's adjustment to life on her own, while also telling of her life with Elizabeth. As Victoria begins to figure out some things in her life, she also becomes overwhelmed by a secret from her past, and the relationships she is developing with the people around her, causing her to withdraw. As the reader, it is easy to both root for her, and be frustrtated with her decisions.
The author has worked with the foster system and youth in it, and has a son who was in the system so I think that definitely provides an air of authencity and depth to this narrative that could have easily become melodrama in less capable hands.


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The Many Voices of O Holy Night [VIDEOS]
Another one of my favorite Christmas songs is O Holy Night. It is a beautiful song and just makes you feel warm and fuzzy. Here are the different versions that have been recorded through the years.
Martina McBride (My Favorite)
Jennifer Hudson
Susan Boyle
Carrie Underwood
Josh Groban
Mariah Carey
Celine Dion
Nat King Cole
Glee Cast
This Amazing 7-year old.


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Crawford Art Gallery presents Her Fanciful Digression by artist and filmmaker Michelle Deignan, as part of its ongoing screening series by Irish and international artists.
Her Fanciful Digression (2012) is set in a ubiquitous landed estate in England, where lingering shots of the 'natural' landscaped gardens offer a sympathetic background to the narration of an imagined meeting between Irish feminist Anna Doyle Wheeler (c.1785–1848) and her contemporary, English landscape painter John Constable (1776–1837).
Echoing Doyle Wheeler's and Constable's meanderings through their host's parkland, the film follows two male apprentice romantics, adhering to the tenet of which Constable proffered his students to observe, sense and draw with one's memory of the natural world around them.
e-flux » Announcements
// From our friends at E-Flux


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Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays! It's a time to think about and thank all those that you are thankful for. The colors that surround us are absolutely gorgeous. Digging up old family recipes and even creating new ones fill my heart with joy! Remembering loved ones that you wish you could say hello to again. It's just a fabulous time of year for me!
It was certainly busy at school. We got to enjoy the older classes perform their Thanksgiving Program. We also were able to make some awesome stuff! I have to admit, we didn't get to all that we planned for. We had a few sick kiddos that came back to school at the last minute and the things we did were just too awesome for them to get passed up. A couple days, I even snuck out of work, and headed to CVS to get some last minute pictures done!! :)
First we made sure everyone had a "Thankful" picture. The paper was found at Hobby Lobby. It was my lucky day, for it was also half price!! A teacher's favorite thing to hear!
Thanks to Pinterest and a couple other ideas put into one, we came up with this awesome turkey craft! This I must say was a huge hit! Pictures were taken of each child wearing a silly turkey hat that was purchased after Thanksgiving at the Christmas Tree Shoppe! This handprint, accordion legged turkey had so much personality and was a huge hit!!
Now mind you, getting a picture of everyone in the class is not an easy task. We have children that come two days here, three days there, sometimes four, and on occasion all five days!! Somehow, God was with us and we were able to get pictures of everyone. Unfortunately, with that, we had to go a day or two without a new craft. Especially since, we decided on TWO picture crafts!!
Lastly, we made a footprint and hand prints turkey. Now it was my idea to turn this into our felt board story that we have been doing all month. The kids love the song and love learning their colors in English and Spanish, but this one was WORK! This turkey was so time consuming I honestly didn't think we would get this finished. And some of the kiddos still had their turkeys hanging in the hallway on Friday, when we left.
All of the projects took at LEAST two days to complete! This is what I am sad about, for usually we manage one craft a day!! I feel like we just missed something! :) Now, my parents loved what they got and commented over and over how much they liked it. It was just not my norm!
Next, we will begin our Christmas Items. I hope we can do better with more stuff to send home!! :)
May you all have a very Blessed Thanksgiving!!
Until next time,
Sherry :)


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Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Confession Tuesday
And don't let my fella get started on the pitfalls of the blogosphere (I made the mistake of sharing my topic for today). He thinks our virtual islands are eroding community and the network we say we want. He thinks cultivating community was better when message boards were the preferred medium for interaction. He argues that a message board community centralizes activity, responses are concentrated and this combination creates a distinct tone and allows for an intimacy that is difficult to replicate in a patchwork of blogs. I agree to a point. I also understand and enjoy the appeal of blogs.
I think each kind of community has its pros and cons. For today, I want to focus on a big sore spot for me: comments. Now, as my mother would say, some folks act as if they have no home training. Weren't we all taught that when you go to someone's house you greet the hostess and other guests? And weren't we taught that when we are the host, it is our job to greet everybody and make our guests feel welcomed? In my mind, our blogs are our virtual homes and as such, we should acknowledge our guests. And since we are communicating online, the only way to acknowledge someone is to comment. If a guest shows up at your home, takes the time to read and comment to what you took time to write, you the host should acknowledge the response. Now if you're inundated with responses, write a reply to the group, but say something. Honestly, if you can't be bothered to respond, I can't be bothered to read you. It goes both ways, sweetie.
And dear reader, I'm sure you have run into those folks who like to hear themselves talk, but for the rest of us regular folk, we really do want to hear from you. Your comments matter. And for me, I write expressively to interact with you. We are friends and peers. I already know what I think. I blog (a very public activity) because I'm want engagement, discussion, feedback. Talk to me. I promise I will thank you for taking time to comment, and I'll respond thoughtfully to questions or comments that ask my opinion.
I realize we have lives outside of our islands. I'm not arguing a reader should comment to every post nor that a blogger should respond to every comment, but I am making a case for more exchanges and replies than not.
And my last peeve is about what I perceive as a greater interest in getting attention rather than giving it: when you participate in a meme, remember to give what you want- comments. Don't drop a link for others to read you, and then fail to make a real effort to comment to several other participants. We shouldn't have to rely on tracking widgets to learn if we're being read. Exercise your digits and crank out a few dozen keystrokes. Comment, people. That's all I'm saying.
What's your view? I have very thick skin and prefer candor so tell us how you really feel.
If you want more confessions, visit January's place.
28 comments:
- Serena said...
great post about the lack of commenting in the blogosphere. I try my best to comment upon posts I read, even if it is to say great review or something mundane. I feel like I took the time to read the post, so I should say something. I really hate when I have nothing come to mind for a longer comment....although maybe that just proves I like to hear myself talk...ugh...anothe faux pas. LOL
Anyway, I really liked this engaging post and agree.
- March 31, 2009 at 10:42 AM
- susan said...
Hi Serena,
I feel guilty, too, about not writing something more substantive than "I enjoyed this" but when I weigh it against not letting the writer know I read and enjoyed their post, I leave the simple comment. Thanks for weighing in.
- March 31, 2009 at 10:51 AM
- Thinking Aloud said...
I wholeheartedly agree!
I even make a special effort to comment on posts that have 0 comments. I want the Blogger to know that someone is listening and what they had to say is worthy of a response. I know that it is sometimes a bit disheartening when you go to your dashboard and it reads,"No comments to be moderated".
- March 31, 2009 at 10:53 AM
- cupcakewitch said...
I think sometimes it is hard for people because they read SO many things on the Internet everyday... I love getting comments but I like it when they are above the usual "nice review"...
Its a hard debate though, quantity vs. quality...
- March 31, 2009 at 11:20 AM
- Deborah Godin said...
Interesting thoughts here. My guess is that many blog readers have experienced reading a post where they just want to move on without saying anything, for whatever reason. Or maybe they simply leave a more generic or "calling card'" comment, just to say they were there. I leave those from time to time myself, but the real fun is finding a post that is so intriguing I *need* to leave a detailed comment. That happens the vast majority of the time with blogs I follow. On the other hand, I don't keep track of who comes to my blog with widgets or whatever. Even if I knew, I don't think I'd mind if some folks didn't leave a comment. Or perhaps if I *did* know about it, it would lead to the kind of dissatisfaction you describe! Anyway, I'm always delighted when I get interactive comments or feedback.
- March 31, 2009 at 11:31 AM
- Giggles said...
Hi Susan I have left a few comments on your blog only to have them returned to my email. Not sure they even got published.So I'm wondering if you get all the comments you're suppose to!
People blog for different reasons, some for traffic, others for creativity, some as a journal.
I started my blog as a legacy for family. Comments are just a bonus! Blogging has bloomed into something completely different and wonderful than first intended. If there is a return email address, I will respond to comments, if not, then I don't.
Most of my blogger friends don't and there is an unwritten rule that bloggers are creative busy people that often blog and read on the run, apologizing as they go!
Enjoyed this post, great perspective. In a perfect world I would respond and comment on each and every blog,unfortunately at this juncture that's impossible! If a post really touches me then I make a point of commenting!
Sincerely Giggles
- March 31, 2009 at 11:32 AM
- susan said...
The point I want to stress is support your peers. Extend some courtesy. While the generic comments are generic, they are at least a communication, an acknowledgment, the reader is saying, "I want you to know someone is listening."
My spouse's problem with blogs is that we are engaging each other less than more. Our blogs are personal islands. Blogs create a space for one-way communication.
Part of the hoopla about the Internet was that it provided the means to connect. Are we interacting less now that we are spending more time accessing information?
- March 31, 2009 at 11:32 AM
- susan said...
Giggles, there is an issue with my mail that I haven't been able to resolve. If you comment here, I reply. If you want to reach me via email, skip the email function and cut & paste my addy into an e-mail. I will respond.
I don't want us to get distracted here. Nowhere do I say comment to everything or everyone. I am asking for a greater level of engagement and acknowledgment especially when we're talking about personal blogs. If a blog exists as a portal of information or as zine or resource site or journal, then I agree; I don't think a reader needs to comment every visit.
I am referring to blogs and network of bloggers who are interested in fostering community among peers. I am talking about bloggers who are reinventing what used to exist in message board communities.
And frankly, anyone who is too busy to acknowledge readers isn't someone I want to read. I don't expect a writer to thank me excessively for just showing up, I do think it is common courtesy to acknowledge your audience.
- March 31, 2009 at 11:42 AM
getting ready to post my own confessions for the day (trying to get back in the practice!).
i'm guilty of both lurking without leaving comments and sometimes allowing comments to sit on my blog without responding. i go through phases: chatty and not. sometimes the chatty lasts for weeks; sometimes the not chatty lasts for months.
it doesn't bother me if people comment or not on my blog or if it's a community -- i am really posting for myself. the writing helps me. the poetry helps me. the ranting helps me. having a teeny tiny audience (which comes and goes casually) focuses my brain and makes it easier to have the conversations with myself i need to have. if there's at least the appearance that i have a sounding board, it's more like a conversation. whether it is or not doesn't matter to me. i'd do it even if no one were listening.
it's ONE thing in my life i'm very laid back about.
- March 31, 2009 at 12:02 PM
- farmlanebooks said...
I think the problem is that I am reading too many blogs now. It would take an extra hour or more to comment on every post I read.
I do like message boards, but have found them to get bitchy, and quickly degenerate into places which aren't nice to be. Blogs, as you say are like people's houses, so everyone seems to be nicer on blogs.
- March 31, 2009 at 12:59 PM
- susan said...
Hold up. Back up, friend. The idea is to comment more not to every post.
Maybe I should start a challenge where we challenge ourselves to comment to one post by 5 bloggers a week.
The call is to support not to make anyone feel guilty or burdened.
Honestly, I think we can find ways to address this without suggesting extremes.
- March 31, 2009 at 1:07 PM
- Amias said...
My dear Susan, one need not have an opinion on this topic, when you have made it so clear that even my seven year old "over achiever" granddaughter can understand. I so agree with you!
- March 31, 2009 at 1:40 PM
- farmlanebooks said...
Great - I already far exceed your challenge, so I can relax a bit! I do try to comment as much as possible, but sometimes I get a bit overwhelmed by the number of great posts I read each day. I often feel guilty about not leaving comments when I have enjoyed reading the post, but if I can't think of anything helpful to add then I don't bother.
Posts like yours add to my feelings of guilt - hence the comments!
- March 31, 2009 at 3:42 PM
- susan said...
Guilt doesn't serve anybody. My aim is to foster community. My husband doesn't like blogs because he feels they allow us to further distance ourselves from each other. Everybody is talking but who is listening?
I honestly believe like Claudia. People crave engagement. I want connection and whether we openly admit it or not, I think this world would be a nicer place if we made just a little effort to remember what we were taught. Be kind to one another.
- March 31, 2009 at 3:46 PM
- ...deb said...
I go through guilt feelings all the time about this.
Sometimes I start thinking about what I think, what I want to say in response, and then the light goes out. Either because I have to get to something else, or I go to sleep, or get off onto another thing i absolutely must do.
I wish I were better.
And like Carolee, I go through more-chatty less-chatty times.
And your posts is getting me to thinking, and I will want to come back and say more, but ... I might not.
I think it is great when bloggers respond directly to each persons comment.
I always want to better at it.
- March 31, 2009 at 3:48 PM
- susan said...
Deb, but you've already said plenty. Thanks for responding.
- March 31, 2009 at 4:13 PM
- January said...
I have to say, I agree with Giggles and Carolee.
I started blogging to stay connected with my creative side. The comments are a bonus for me. It's hard to keep up and check in with responders. But I do, even if it's just a short, quick response. And sometimes I just read without responding because I don't have anything to say—it's unfortunate but it happens.
But this is one part of my life that is very laid back.
- March 31, 2009 at 5:21 PM
Susan, I'm really glad you posted on this subject. Being relatively new to the blogosphere and never having enough time to figure things out, I often wonder about the ettiquette! My guy is quite skeptical about the value of online interaction. He thinks I should be more out in the world with "real" people... that may be true, but you can find like-minded people a lot faster online... There are certain blogs I love to read, when time permits - like yours - but I don't always comment, partly because I feel I am learning and don't always have something interesting to say, or something that will contribute to the discussion. But I definitely hear you, I really enjoy it when people comment, and acknowledging comments seems the respectable thing to do.
- March 31, 2009 at 6:30 PM
- Steph Su said...
This is a great topic for discussion. I agree that the point of having a blog should be fostering a community. I may not always be able to respond to each commenter's individual comments (that seems to be something you're wonderful at, though, Susan!), but that's because I can't seem to figure out how to keep track of where I have commented. Thus, I find myself not usually checking back on posts that I've commented on, to see if the blogger has responded to my comment. If I want to respond to someone's comment on my blog, I'll usually just write on his or her blog.
But yeah, it really bugs me that some of those well-worshipped bloggers do not deign to comment on others' blogs. In those cases I think it's pretty one-way. Sure, I understand that there are far too many blogs out there to be able to comment and build a strong relationship with them all, and so comments sometimes ARE unidirectional. But it never hurts to try to explore as many blogs as possible. You never know if you'll stumble upon a jewel, or a person with similar interests and attitudes.
Oh, etiquette. *sigh* Why don't they have a class on basic manners in secondary school?
- March 31, 2009 at 7:15 PM
- Shalonda said...
Great post Susan!
I am so glad you wrote this. Sometimes I think we all need a reminder. I created that challenge for myself and so far I've failed. I think that your challenge to comment on at least 5 is definitely reasonable and one that we should all be able to accomplish.
I think that part of my problem is that I tend to be a lurker (like I am on your blog)--reading tons of blogs, but not commenting on enough of them. But I love to receive comments so I need to make sure that I'm leaving them as well.
And I love that you always comment back to your commenters. It's something that I try to do, but again am not always successful at.
I think you have the right idea here, we all love comments, so we need to leave them, especially because this is supposed to be an interactive community.
Great post, Susan! And I accept your challenge!
- March 31, 2009 at 8:00 PM
- susan said...
January and others,
I hear you and you make a specific distinction: your blog is a personal, creative space. I'm making the argument, that you also made your blog a public space, you invited readers to check out your work. You provided the option and in my opinion, you extended an invitation for communication with the comment option. If readers take time to comment, common courtesy dictates we reply. And how is the point loss that I am not advocating 100% response? Are we too busy to acknowledge each other? Are we becoming islands to ourselves, oblivious to everyone around us?
I will say for the last time, I am advocating we make time to connect with one another. That requires nothing more than saying thank you.
- March 31, 2009 at 8:00 PM
- susan said...
Readers, friends, lurkers. This is a plea to be kind to one another. Make someone's day and leave a comment.
My blog roll has 100+ blogs (I also participate in discussion forums and trading sites). I regularly make my rounds to all so clearly I don't comment to all bloggers all the time either. In fact,with all the political and most of the poetry blogs, I rarely comment because I can't put an intelligent sentence together. Still, I make a point of letting these blogger know that I'm reading them even if I can't say something impressive.
- March 31, 2009 at 8:12 PM
- missalister said...
Oh Lord, well I'd for sure better comment! ;-) Now, now, it's not only because of your topic, but because I truly enjoyed this. I was on the rollercoaster with it. I know the high priestess Susan speaks of! I said to myself. Then, Ooh, I hope she's not talking about me! Same with the talking to hear oneself talk.
Ah, well, I agree with what you've said here as a whole, and I make an effort to adhere to it. Although I realize, as a human, sometimes perspective gets skewed—and the things I do can look better from the inside than from the outside—the desire is there as is the recognition of community as life-thriving.
I'm burning the candle at both ends these days with work and school and helping my aging parents, so I don't comment as much, but on my site, at the very least, my goal is to give commenters a personalized response that's real if not one that makes them want to come back for more.
- March 31, 2009 at 10:42 PM
- susan said...
Hi Miss, trust me, none of you here are the priestess. She is someone who has complained about a lack of support and feeling marginalized by fellow peers at the same time confessing that she does not comment to her own readers and fails to comment when she leaves her personal space.
Thanks for coming by and weighing. Real life does limit what we can do, but who was it who said do what you can?
- March 31, 2009 at 10:52 PM
- Claudia said...
Hi Susan, this post has been on my mind since you put it up yesterday! Thank you for starting this conversation - sometimes we all need to be reminded about issues of courtesy and mutual respect (especially in cyber-space where anonymous tempers flare so often).
My sister and I originally started our blog thinking that if no one else reads it but us, that would be okay. But I have since come to appreciate the dialogue and sometimes, yes, I just want to know - is anybody out there? anybody listening?
I also see your fella's point about the way blogs have become self-contained "islands" - that is always a danger - but sometimes my daily life and the routine of work/home has become so isolating that interacting is the only...uh, er...canoe? life raft? that I have.
And one last point: I have found that I personally appreciate those blogs that let it be known out front that they aren't really interested in comments (or in the case of mammoth bloggers like Andrew Sullivan - simply don't have the time to respond). If you're not interested and the blog is personal journal, then why not turn the comments feature off? Or get a tumblr blog that doesn't have a comments feature?
- April 1, 2009 at 4:22 PM
- susan said...
Claudia, that's what I said to my guy: if you don't want interaction turn the comment feature off. When a blog functions as a media outlet, prompt hub or similar function I get limited interaction or no interaction.
Thanks for responding.
- April 1, 2009 at 8:02 PM
- Carleen Brice said...
I don't always leave a comment when I visit a blog, and I sure don't mean any offense by that. Sometimes I just don't have anything to add to the conversation. So that's my addition to this conversation. :)
- April 3, 2009 at 12:47 AM
- Lana said...
I really enjoyed reading your thoughts on blog etiquette. I know I'm always very excited to get comments of any sort (though I tend not to respond individually to the calling card types). It's great to know somebody is dropping by.
Lately I've been doing my best to 'speed up' my response time and to make an effort to visit & comment the blogs that are leaving comments (which is how I found this one). So I'm with you - more engagement brightens both our days :-).
- April 3, 2009 at 1:44 PM


text:
Oldest Dinosaur Embryos
Dinosaur embryos found 30 years ago in South Africa have been dated at 190 million years old. According to the Physorg.com article, this pushes back the dates of some of the earliest known dinosaurs and land vertebrates by 100 million years. "It is also the oldest known embryo of any land-living animal, pushing back the boundary by about 100 million years, as the oldest known recognisable embryos date back about 90 million years," Raath told a press conference at the university to announce the discovery. […] The journey of this discovery dates back nearly 30 years when a cluster of seven eggs were found by South African palaeontological legend James Kitching around 1977 next to a newly-made road at Golden Gate national park in central South Africa. Raath said the fossils were "lying on the shelf" at Wits University as there were nobody with the training and skill to remove the rock from the eggs and embryos which are only a few centimetres long.
Similar Posts on Geology News:
- Earliest Human Footprints Found in Mexico?
- Newly Discovered Bird Like Dinosaur
- Geology Links for August 13th, 2010
- Dinosaur's Diet: Grass!
- Geology Links for January 19th, 2009


text:
Thoughts On The New Victory Patterns' Patterns
As if I didn't have a large enough sewing to do list.
went ahead and realeased some of the most beautiful, on trend, and modern sewing patterns I've ever seen.
The back of the
blouse is really beautiful. It's so graceful.
kept really classy casual with the front pocket and tie neckline here.
This is another version of the
. That collar, It's perfection. I know large peter pan collars have been quite popular this past year. This is a really refreshing modern take on that. Also a super A+ pick on the textile.
Detail shot on the
dress/blouse. The details are great! I love the little seed stitch accenting.
is the only version on the hi-low trend I can dig.
Here's the beautiful tulip wrap dress that is
Really lady like and flattering. I'm thinking in black this could be the perfect LBD. Timeless.
Here's the wrap top version of
There's something very ballerina about it. Beautiful photograph also.
Once again
has killing it style wise. I feel pretty honored to be sponsored by such a wonderful company!
I cannot wait to sew these up.
Sew along anyone?


text:
By IVAN MORENO
Associated Press
ERIE, Colo.
Unnoticed amid dozens of tract homes in the Denver suburbs, a nondescript industrial building is suddenly in the middle of the gun control debate in Colorado.
The company, started in an ex-Marine's basement in 1999, is in a standoff with Colorado Democrats who want to restrict the size of ammunition magazines after mass shootings in a suburban Denver movie theater and a Connecticut elementary school. Magpul has issued lawmakers an ultimatum potentially worth millions: Pass the bill, and the business will move.
It's a bold threat from a company that, by its founder's admission, has distanced itself from politics.
The warning from Erie-based Magpul underscores the political pressures Democrats are weighing as they advance the strictest gun-control measures lawmakers have ever considered in a state that still prides its frontier spirit. Other gun-control proposals include universal background checks, a ban on concealed firearms on campuses, and holding assault-weapon sellers and owners liable for shootings.
Opponents need only three Democrats in the Senate to vote no against the magazine proposal to defeat it, and two have already said they won't support the bill. But most Democrats are not budging.
The bill would make it a crime to have magazines that can carry more than 15 rounds, with a stricter limit of eight for shotguns. People who own larger magazines now would be allowed to keep them.
As the debate unfolds, states have made overtures to Magpul, including offering to pay their moving costs. The company won't name the states, but Wyoming and Texas have expressed interest in netting the $85 million the company projects it will spend in Colorado next year in payments to suppliers, subcontractors and service providers. Magpul said the move would also impact its 200 employees, plus an additional 400 who work for suppliers and subcontractors.
Fitzpatrick said the bill's requirement that all magazines have serial numbers adds enough production costs to make it worth leaving. He also said smaller magazines can be easily connected to each other _ magazines can be hooked up to make a 60-round magazine, for example _ and the company fears it would legally liable if people were to do that.
Democrats have tried to ease Magpul's fears, amending the bill to make clear that the company can still manufacture magazines of any size, as long as they're sold only out-of-state, to the military or law enforcement.
Republicans who oppose the restrictions argue Democrats are sending mixed messages about gun control to keep a company in Colorado.
Magpul argues that limiting magazine sizes will not reduce gun violence, and that criminals will find ways around laws, including going to other states to buy larger magazines. Magpul officials note that some of their products sometimes end up in California, which limits magazine sizes to 10 rounds.
Supporters of the proposals say Magpul is bluffing and that a move would prove too costly.
Fitzpatrick said his company is serious.
Sens. Lois Tochtrop and Cheri Jahn are the two Democrats voting against the bill. Both say they don't believe it addresses the main problem _ mental health _ and Tochtrop also cited Magpul's potential departure.


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text:
WAHOO, Neb. — Thursday's flash freeze was outdoors. Friday's was in the Wahoo gym.
Platteview's two-man cold front — 6-3 Garrett Kirwan and 6-10 Nebraska recruit Brady Heiman — swooped in on Wahoo after the Class C-1 No. 1 Warriors had taken a 10-point lead in the third quarter.
Still ahead 42-34 with 4:51 left, Wahoo missed 22 of its final 23 shots — on its home rims. Got outscored 8-0 the remainder of the third quarter and, after scoring the first three points of the final period in a packed gym, gave up the final 15 points in a 57-42 win.
"Garrett gave us a tremendous amount of energy," Platteview coach Tim Brotzki said. "He rebounded, he guarded and he sprinted the floor and I thought the second half he was the difference."
In the fourth quarter, Kirwan had six of his eight points, five of his 11 rebounds and both of his steals.
"That's his job. He's a physical guy," Heiman said. "His job is to go in and get every rebound, and he did his thing tonight."
So did Heiman, the preeminent shot-blocker in the state. He was one swat from a triple-double. He had game highs of 16 points, 16 rebounds and nine stuffs.
"Teams do try to challenge Brady," Brotzki said. "It's tough for opposing teams to get in the lane and make buckets. We have a big luxury with Brady in the middle of our zone."
Class B No. 3 Platteview (10-2) favors man over zone defense, but played a 2-3 in the second half along with some soft pressure. Wahoo (10-1) shot 56.5 percent in the first half, 19.4 percent in the second.
"Heiman was terrific in the fourth quarter and just dominated us with his defensive presence," Wahoo coach Kevin Scheef said. "We got stuck. We couldn't score the ball in the fourth quarter, missed some shots. We were there still with three minutes left but couldn't make the plays when we needed to."
Kirwan's free throw with 4:21 left gave Platteview its first lead at 46-45. Heiman's dunk off an assist by Wayne State recruit Nate Thayer made it 48-45.
Thayer's free throw, a putback by Kirwan and another Thayer free throw made it a three-possession game with 1:26 left.
Heiman had five blocks in the final quarter.
Evan Kingston had 14 points for Platteview and Thayer 11, but they were a combined 8-of-39 shooting.
Platteview's seniors never have lost to Wahoo in the regular season. But Wahoo has won the rematches in the Capitol Conference tournament finals the past three years.
Were a rematch to happen this year — and it would be stunning if it doesn't — the game would be in Syracuse on Jan. 27.
"There's a lot to learn," Scheef said. "The biggest piece is just how much better we have to get bodies on people to check them out and let have only one shot. If you don't check out Heiman, you're not getting that rebound, and we didn't do it consistently enough."
Platteview (10-2)…………9 17 16 15—57
At Wahoo (10-1)………..13 18 11 3—45
P: Matt Kingston 1-3 2-2 5, Evan Kingston 4-18 4-5 14, Garrett Kirwan 3-5 2-4 8, Nate Thayer 4-21 2-4 11, Brady Heiman 6-10 4-7 16, Nathan Michaels 1-3 0-0 3. Totals 19-60 14-22 57.
W: Billy Hancock 1-10 0-0 3, Will Shanahan 4-12 1-2 9, Brendan Lacey 4-13 1-1 8, Cameron Quick 4-7 1-2 9, Dylan Egr 2-3 0-0 4, Blake Lacey 3-5 0-0 8, Winston Cook 1-2 0-1 2. Totals 19-52 3-6 45.
3-point goals: P 5-25 (M. Kingston 1-3, E. Kingston 2-10, Thayer 1-8, Heiman 0-1, Michaels 1-3), W 4-18 (Hancock 1-8, Br. Lacey 1-6, Bl. Lacey 2-4), Total fouls: P 10, W 19. Fouled out: none. Technicals: none. Turnovers: P 10, W 15. Rebounds: P 43 (Heiman 16), W 33 (Shanahan 11). Field-goal percentage: P .317, W .365. Free-throw percentage: P .636, W .500. A: 1,200.
Wahoo girls 51, Platteview 42
Holding Platteview and Creighton recruit Payton Brotzki scoreless until the second quarter, Wahoo scored the game's first 18 points, including two 3s by Elle Glock and one by Taryn Scheef.
"You can't give them that lead and expect to win," Platteview coach Ron Coughlin said. "It looked like we just came off Christmas break, so I don't know what was going on.
"At the end of the game I told them if we had come out the first half like we did the second half we'd be fine."
Brotzki, a 5-11 senior, had 16 of her 21 points in the second half. Class B No. 4 Platteview (10-3) got as close as 45-40 on a 3 by Pittsburgh volleyball recruit Sabrina Starks with 1:44 left.
Wahoo coach Linda Walker said the Warriors did fine with their man defense on Brotzki, starting with Halle Reeves on her, even in the second half when she started to find gaps to squeeze through.
"Down the stretch, which is what I'm most proud about, is when they did squeeze in on us we didn't panic or anything," she said.
Reeves led Class C-1 No. 5 Wahoo (11-2) with 14 points. Glock had 12 and Scheef 11.
Platteview girls (10-3)………0 9 12 21—42
At Wahoo (11-2)……………13 9 12 17—51
P: Peyton Brotzki 21, Sabrina Starks 8, Halle Johnson 5, Emma Lewis 4, Anna Koehler 2, Madelyn Soupir 2.
W: Hallie Reeves 14, Elle Glock 12, Taryn Scheef 11, Kendal Brigham 7, Kyla Swanson 6, Brianna Brabec 1.


text:
We had a fairly low key weekend that was filled with just enough stuff to make it interesting!
Grace participated with her brownie troop to help clean up a local park.
Saturday afternoon we held a "family garden clean-up" session. The children's garden was in sad shape after the tough winter we had. As I inspected the garden I was worried that it was in too rough a shape for us to make a dent in one afternoon! However, I needn't have worried because with all four of us working it was done in no time! The best surprise of the afternoon? Working to clean the garden turned out to be really nice family time. The children talked about all sorts of topics and really were a huge help in the clean-up! Being back in the garden made me excited to do a few new things in the garden this year!
I had to share this photo of Harris. This is what Harris dresses like to go to church on Sundays. Of course, I think he is always adorable but you know what makes him over the top adorable on Sunday mornings? The pen he puts in his pocket so that he looks like his Dad.
P.S. I also went to a flea market on Saturday morning and scored 15 old spoons for a project I'm working on! It was fun to wander the aisles and see all the treasures/junk that everyone was selling!


text:
I continue to breathe oxygen!
I know you are were worried about me. Since you knew I was starting insanity and knew right and well that I could die...it had you worried.
I have actually survived 4 days of pure insanity. AND (!) I'm still managing to go to the gym and do my normal routine there every morning. Hubby hasn't been going to the gym at nights, because he wants to give it everything he can on insanity (my feeling, not confirmed or denied by him). You see...his schedule...he works 8am-8pm (currently) and so if he doesn't get up and do insanity before work (he did this yesterday. I was so proud.) Then he does it when he gets home at night, BUT roughly 45 minutes of insanity quickly makes the night turn into past bedtimes. And to think if you added on another hour or so AT the gym...he would be lucky to get to bed before midnight.
Fit test time. I about died! I remember it being slightly easier the last time I did this. But I'm connecting that to the fact that I was attempting P90X a few weeks prior to when I started insanity. I made it through the fit test...not with results I expected. I honestly thought I was in better shape than I felt while I was doing the test. I've been pushing myself for the past 4 days to do my best during the workouts. Hubby and I did one together on Tuesday (our living room isn't exactly ideal size for 2 people to do insanity...but we made it work. Yesterday Hubby was at work all day, and he got up before work and completed his workout because he knew he wasn't going to have anytime after work. So I busted out insanity alone...unless you consider the puppy thinking I was playing and was jumping around with me a workout partner?? Today was considered the recovery day. Slower movements, more stretching ("yoga-ish" moves I can actaully do!) and breathing. I think I would rather do the Pure Cardio (15 minutes straight of 15 moves that definitely take your heart rate to another level) rather than recovery. It just simply burns...squats and lunges! OW! I also have learned that I don't have very strong shoulders (I'll take that into consideration when I'm wandering the gym for some weight to lift).
Tomorrow is PURE CARDIO day! Yay! :)
I'm off for some quality snuggle time with Remi Roo.


text:
The Students' Society of McGill University has settled a three-year legal battle with the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA), agreeing to pay $35,000 to the federal student lobby. SSMU confirmed the settlement earlier this week, although the agreement was finalized last May.
McGill undergraduates voted to leave CASA in October 2005. Following SSMU's withdrawal, CASA claimed that SSMU had failed in membership dues for the year, and filed a lawsuit of $28,000 against the Society. The case was due to be heard in court last December, but was postponed to May when SSMU changed legal counsel.
Max Silverman, who served as SSMU VP External from fall 2006 until spring 2008, argued that since McGill undergraduates had disaffiliated from CASA in October of that year, they were not obligated to pay eight months' worth of fees to the Alliance.
"Because we left in the fall of that year…and for us the school year is eight months long, it didn't make sense that we should have to pay all eight months for only one month of membership. I know that basically that was our moral claim to the money," Silverman said.
In 2007, SSMU had offered to pay CASA $8,000 to settle the claim. Silverman considered the offer to be a reasonable compromise since the Society had already paid its first installment of fees – understanding that CASA had planned for the revenue in its budget.
CASA national director Arati Sharma said that while CASA does not often go to court when members leave, unpaid membership dues are cause for legal action.
"We are a small organization and don't have a large budget, and so when a school leaves and doesn't give proper notice, it significantly impacts our budget, impacts our work here in Ottawa for the rest of our membership, and means that we have to pursue legal action," said Sharma.
SSMU president Ivan Neilson said that although last year's executive had finalized the terms of the settlement, he welcomed a conclusion to the case.
"It doesn't serve our interest to have the organization be burdened with legal battles unnecessarily and we are happy to have reached a decision," said Neilson.
Neilson also said that while SSMU's former legal counsel had recommended legal action, Rena Kermasha, the Society's new legal representative, decided to settle out of court after having reviewed the facts.
"Most cases that get introduced into the court record end up being settled, and it's not a reflection of good faith or bad faith, but a question of leverage," said Kermasha.
"[In this case], both parties were interested in negotiating, which is why we ended up settling outside of court."
The financial cost of the case, however, is not limited to the $35,000 settlement. According to Jose Diaz, SSMU VP Finance, the case will eventually cost SSMU approximately $70,000 in legal fees.


text:
This is a nikoli original easygoing party game. We will be very happy and not mind it a bit if you use this game at a home party.
Please check the results of the 24 hour janken - 2nd world championship.
Results of The 24 hour janken
The rules for 24 hour janken
The janken world championship lasts from 00:00:00 to 23:59:59 JST (UTC +9 h) on one date.
You enter the janken championship at your entry time (when you post the entry form). Your entry time is expressed in JST (Japan Standard Time, 9 hours ahead of UTC). The year, month, and day will be ignored in the entry time. If there are several entries at the same time (the same hour, minute, and second), they are eliminated from the championship. The entrants who are not eliminated become challengers and challenge the present "king" by the janken rules.When the challenger wins:
The winning challenger assumes the throne, and this new king will face challenges from the following entering challengers. The (new) king keeps the hand for the next challenge (that input in the entry form). The hand (rock, paper, or scissors) cannot be changed.When the king wins:
The king has defended the throne and stays on the throne. The challenger is eliminated from the championship.When it is a tie between the king and challenger:
The king and the challenger both leave the championship. There is now no king on the throne.When the throne is empty:
The next challenger will become king and assume the throne by default.When the king is on the throne at 23:59:59:
The reign of this king is from the throne was assumed (the entry time) to 23:59:59.
Among all who were kings during the 24 hours, the person with the longest reign is the champion. Similarly, the 2nd place, 3rd place, and other places are decided by the length of a reign. If there are several reigning kings with the same length of reign, the earlier participating king will get the higher rank.


text:
Sunday, November 15, 2009
256-Perfect Pair
For day 256 we were to use ric-rac and buttons. So I made a Christmas tree. You can check out the challenge at 365 Cards.
Posted by Janice W. at Sunday, November 15, 2009
3 comments:
That is so adorable. Gosh, you've been busy!! All these fantastic cards, I dont know how you do it.ReplyDelete
What a great tree! I might have to CASE this one. Love it!ReplyDelete
- Anonymous11/17/2009 9:55 AM
You've been busy... I miss a day or two and I miss a lot when it comes to your blog. I'm with Heidi . . how do you do it?ReplyDelete
The tree card with the cute buttons and ric rac is super sweet. what a great idea.
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
I am kicking NaNoWriMo butt, people! I'm proud enough of myself that I had to brag for just a second so here it is. I hit 45,000 words last night! Woohoo! Yes, that obviously means I'm writing a little more than the averge 1667 words you need daily to complete the 50,000 by November 30th. I'm averaging 2500 a day or so, and that just means I'll finish early.
The problem is this: the story I had originally envisioned, with all the plot twists and turns, is basically already written. It took less words than I thought, and while I'll need to go back and add some details in later, to connect it all, its not going to take me to 50,000 so here's where it gets interesting. Kind of like a 'Choose your own Adventure'. If you never read one of those, you should find one and give it a go. BIG THANKS to Gramma and Poppi for providing me with one when I was a kid. It was the coolest concept I'd never thought of before it fell into my hands. Anyway, now I've gotta decide, do I draw out the "wrapping it up" that I'm doing now to hit the 50k or do I spin a whole new twisted tale, right off the first one, making it all a part of the complete story? If I do the second, it'll no doubt have a cliff hanger, and need a second book.(Which I'd been trying to avoid, since I already had two other stories I was in the middle of before NaNoWriMo started.)
This is the dilemma and most likely, the answer will come the minute my fingertips touch the keyboard again. So here's a general idea of what I'm working on...
High school junior, Tara Young, wakes up a murderer with no memory of the killing and a strange guy in her room. His name is Wes and he's a werewolf. So was Tara's victim. Tara learns she is a 'Hunter' - a werewolf killer - and struggles with the decision to embrace her destiny as such, or turn her back and live a normal life. In the midst of this monumental decision, a werewolf with a grudge makes it hard to do anything but simply stay alive.
Let me know what you think!
http://www.nanowrimo.org/ if you want to check it out!


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We are nearing the end of the 12 Days of Gifts event. We are now on day 10, and Apple has removed the 4 songs of yesterday and posted a new item to download. Today's gift is a free episode of the popular children's television series Sesame Street for the USA and Canada, and 3 mini-movies from Despicable Me Presents: Minion Madness, this one is available for European countries.
Despicable Me Presents: Minion MadnessFor those unfamiliar with this mini movie, it consists of three new mini-movies from the creators of Despicable Me. You can download the videos in 720p and 1080p resolution and playback it on your iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV. The 3 mini-movies are along 13 minutes long.
Sesame StreetSesame Street shouldn't need too much of an introduction, everyone knows it already. One of the most popular kids shows of all time. The video is 55 minutes long, and the HD version is 1.85 GB.
Again, remember that each gift is only available for 24 hours and it varies depending on your country or region. If you are interested in getting Despicable Me Presents: Minion Madness (EU) or Sesame Street episode (USA), be sure to grab the 12 Days of Gifts app from the App Store or download directly from the link below.
iPhone/iPad: dowload Sesame Street (free, USA and Canada, 1.85 GB)
iPhone/iPad: download Despicable Me Presents: Minion Madness (free, EU, 3 mini-movies)
Our full list: 12 Days of Gifts


text: hi. (oooh, my first post, i'm all tingly...) i have a w2k3 server and have enabled apple file and printer sharing. on my dv400 slot-loading imac running 9.2.2, i go to chooser|appleshare and see the server, but when i try to connect, i am not prompted for authentication. i get the message, 'the user authentication method required by this server can't be found. please check the appleshare folder in the extensions folder and try again.' when i check, i don't have an appleshare folder in the extensions folder, just the extension itself. i do have several appleshare folders in various system folders throughout on the hd, but they all are either empty, or have 3 files in them: afpload, check_afp.app and sshhelper. so, what do i do now? i'm basically just a lowly pc user, so please talk slow and use small words. fyi, when i got this imac, i intialized the drive so this is a clean install (9.1) that i've upgraded to 9.2.2. tia! p.s. i'm thinking of doing this... http://www.technowarehousellc.com/g4upforslloi.html so i can upgrade to osx. anyone have any experience with this company or input on whether it's even worth it?


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Knot for Everyone Inclusive Wedding Services


text:
[Via Thabiti Anyabwile]
Scene 1:
"But Peter declared, 'Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.' And all the other disciples said the same." (Matt. 26:35)
Scene 2:
"Then he began to call down curses on himself and he swore to them, 'I don't know the man!' Immediately a rooster crowed. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: 'Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.' And he went outside and wept bitterly." (Matt. 26:74-75)
It is far better to pray for our hearts than to boast or trust in our hearts.
Our hearts do not deserve our confidence, Jesus does.
Our hearts will not keep us from falling away. Only Jesus will.


text:
My main reason for being a libertarian is that government, by humans, enshrines human folly and creates inhumanity as the natural hierarchy is subverted by bureaucrats. These rent seekers acquire and dispense power based upon hiding examples of folly and are thus destined to fall over festooned with stupidity and protesting loudly that they were doing their best!
Fewer laws means more rights and fewer tragedies?
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Posted by Fungus the Photo! at 10:37 PM
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