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My Little Scythe
Variant Designed by: Hoby & Vienna Chou
Original Game of Scythe Designed by: Jamey Stegmaier
Original Game of Scythe Published by: Stonemaier Games, Albi, Crowd Games, Delta Vision Publishing, Feuerland Spiele, Fire on Board Jogos, Ghenos Games, Maldito Games, Matagot, Morning, PHALANX, and Playfun Games
Edition: Variant/Playtest
Number of players: listed at 2 -4, we have played games with 4
Time of Play: listed 30-45 minutes, we had an hour in our first session due to teaching adults and children
Reviewed by: Jason Elliott from PaladinElliott Productions
The story so far:
All of the players are whisked away to Hasbro's My Little Pony and the world of Equestria. You will have control over one to three ponies that will endeavor to find, collect, and transport apples and magic gems to either their personal barn, or the communal barn, Sweet Apple Acres. Along the way, they will find and complete quests, bake pies, engage in pie fights, and share pies with other ponies to win friends and allies. You will need to judge your movements carefully and think strategically about your strategy. You will need to collect gems, apples, pies and friends to be the first to complete four achievements and declare victory over the other competing ponies!
Our final thoughts on this Variant/Prototype:
As many of you know, I am a husband, and father of two little ones (Arnold 8, and Talia 6) and I always give family games a look because of this. That being said, it does not get more family friendly then this. We all worked on putting this game together, from discussions on what to use in building the print and play, to choosing which ponies would be part of it. In fact, we built the stands in such a way, that we are still able to use our ponies in other games, adventures, and battles!
It is amazing to teach a game such as this to an 8 and 6 year old. It is also phenomenal that everyone that hasn't won still truly smiled and had fun because they are playing with My Little Pony in such a way that brings the adult world completely in harmony with the children's world. Everyone, mom, dad, and kids, all had lots of fun. On top of that, the learning curve didn't overwhelm everyone. The printout had 4 pages of rules, and that was it!
This has been in high demand here since it was first played. Will I play it with just adults? Absolutely! Will I play it with my kids? Count on it! This game jumped up fast to number two for Sunday night games with the kids, in a very short period of time! In fact, this one might have set a record for how fast it won everyone over!
If you don't like My Little Pony in any way shape or form, then you might want to pass, because it is chock full with My Little Pony goodness. People who are looking for a way to bridge simpler games to more complex games will find this as one that will fit that bill. If you are looking for games that can be played in under an hour, you got that right here, and again, we were just shy of an hour, game time and teaching time combined in the first session. I have to give it a 10 out of 10 through Boardgamegeek. Why? I think every single time someone says to me "can we play this?" I will say yes, whether its kids, adults, or both.
Mechanics and concepts found in this game:
This is by far a very direct children's game theme, using that of My Little Pony. You will have resource management with the apples, spells, friendship, gems, and pies. If you love strong themes, then you are in luck because it is all the My Little Pony you can handle. Cartoon and Fantasy connections are readily available, and if you have watched at least one episode, you will be right at home with the characters in the game.
The game allows for varying styles of play and competition. There are achievements for resource gathering, battling other players and completing quests. The pie fights are relatively simple with a blind bidding process and the ability to add special spell cards to increase your pie total. The pony with the most pies in the fight wins, with the attacker winning ties. With the ability to use resources to make more pies and to add spell cards, there is the need for little ones to be able to do some simple math.
Building the print and play allows you to go out and choose/buy/print what characters from the Ponyverse you personally want to use (which we loved). Being a print and play you are free to choose how much you want to invest into it, so we went all out, miniatures from the stores, along with eraser miniatures, all kinds of tokens we had from our stockpiles to make up the apples (apple erasers), magic gems (from table topper decorations-Dollar Tree), Compass Faces and Arrows (Michael's Craft Store), metal flat washers for the bases to adhere to magnets, glued within milk jug caps in the four colors needed (red, blue, green, and yellow), star beads (Michael's), colored Chess pieces for action tokens, and generic pawns, for Friendship and Pie level trackers. You truly get out what you put into this print and play! You have dice you need to add, 3 d6's- blue for Magic Gems being found through the search option. 3 d6's- red for Apples being found through the search option, and 1 d6-gold for Quests being found through the search option.
You will have a degree of area control, and you choose where to go with two spaces of movement if not carrying anything, or 1 space if you are encumbered. Not one of these is overpowering in any sense, but you need to be aware of all of these playing into a truly wonderful themed experience.
What components have to be built/accounted for:
-The main game board (ours as a 24 by 36 inch, covered with clear packing tape, and backed by foam mats)
-Player boards (printed out, covered with clear packing tape, framed with foam mats)
-Quest cards & Magic cards (printed out, cut out, and placed in sleeves)
-Pie Fight Dials (printed out, cut out, taped to cardboard, and used miniature plastic rods to hold them together)
-My Little Pony minis ( these were of the 2 inch variety, from the eraser packs and toy packs, which we got from a local Target store)
-We had the Blue Dice, Red Dice, and Gold Die, in a huge supply o'dice
-We had the action tokens and regular pawns in our huge supply of extra game pieces and pawns
-We had apple erasers, plastic gems, star tokens, and miniature compasses (like you would use for scrapbooking) in our home supply as well
This is a print and play where you could truly invest a little or a lot, depending on how far you wanted to take it. Yes, we wanted to take it pretty far!
Winning conditions for the game:
You want to be the first player to claim four achievements. Play immediately stops when this has happened. Each Achievement is worth one point. Achievements can be earned as follows:
-If you raise your Friendship level to 10
-If you recruit your Third Pony
-If you complete your Second Quest
-If you deliver 4 Apples to either your starting barn or Sweet Apple Acres Barn
-If you deliver 4 Magic Gems to either your starting barn or Sweet Apple Acres Barn
-If you win one Pie Fight (this is the only achievement that can be done twice by the same player)
-If you reach 10 Pies on your Pie tracker.
Game Setup:
First: everyone picks their color from red, blue, green, and yellow (take your corresponding Action token, Friendship tracker token, Pie tracker token, 3 color bases, 4 Achievement tokens, a player board) and 1 pony to start with.
Second: everyone places their Friendship tracker tokens on 3, Pie trackers on 3, shuffle all the Magic Cards and deal one to each player. Place the Magic Cards and the Quest Cards (once shuffled) where they belong on the board. Magic Cards you have are secret knowledge. Make sure you place your starting pony on your starting color barn.
Third: roll all seven of the dice, they will tell you where to place materials. So if one of the red dice says 5, place one Apple on the Apple 5 spot. If one of the blue dice says 3, place one Gem on the Magic Gem 3 space. If the gold Quest die says 6 you place one Quest Compass token on the Quest 6 space. The symbols are easy to see, and you do not add up the dice. Rolling the seven dice means seven tokens go out on the board to start the game. Finally, remember that every pony, even though they look different, are still the same for purposes of this game, so no special individual powers.
How to play:
You will only be allowed to perform one action each turn. You will never be allowed to repeat the same action from one turn to the next turn, you must always choose something different.
Here are the choices:
Move- Pony or ponies, all that you have, can move 2 spaces if they are not carrying any Apples and/or Magic Gems. If they are carrying, then they can only move one hex.
Search- You choose four dice (you could say, I want to roll 2 of the Apple dice, 1 Magic Gem die, and 1 Quest die) and you place materials out where the rolls dictate. Thematically you and Gabby the Griffon are helping find materials throughout Equestria. YOU GAIN 1 FRIENDSHIP for doing this.
Make Pies (Baking Pies)-You don't move any ponies and spend two of the Apples you have collected on the board (a hex where you have a pony and there are enough Apples there) to make two Pies. It must always be remove two Apples and go up two Pies on your Pie tracker.
Make Spell (Conjure Spell)-You don't move any ponies and spend two of the Magic Gems you have collected on the board (a hex where you have a pony and there are enough Magic Gems there) to draw one Magic Spell card. There are no Magic Spell Card hand limits in this game.
Make Pony (Craft an Invitation)- You don't move any ponies and spend two of your Pies from the Pie tracker to recruit a second/third (depending on your situation) Pony to your team. You must meet the Friendship tracker requirements as a prerequisite to perform this action. To recruit your second pony you must have a Friendship of 4 or higher, and for your third and final pony you must have a Friendship of 6 or higher. Going below these levels once you have recruited does not remove your pony. Once they are with you, they stay with you.
Things that can happen from these actions not yet mentioned:
Move into another occupied Pony space, this automatically starts a Pie fight. The losing pony or ponies (yes you can have more than one battle for your side) must go back to their starting barns, leaving behind any resources they have been moving along. You would do this to stop somebody from pulling ahead, or winning the game. You have a Pie Fighting Dial that goes up to 7, and you are allowed to use one Magic Spell card per pony in the battle for your team. Any Pies you throw in the fight are removed from your Pie tracker. You add up all of your numbers against your opponent. Attacker wins in ties. Example, I have Rainbow Dash and my Pie tracker is at 5. I decide to throw 3, (opponent doesn't get to see until both players reveal at same time) and I added a Magic Spell card of 4 (values range from 2 to 5). So I have a total of 7 Pies (keeping 2 in my Pie tracker reserves). My opponent didn't have a Magic Spell card and used 6 pies, so I win. They have to move their ponies back to their starting barn, and I get to stay there with all of the resources sitting there.
Move, or stand somewhere where Apples and/or Magic Gems are, then you have the option to say you are carrying them with you, or leaving them. If you carry them, you move them on the board with your pony. If you spend them, you spend them from the hex where one of your ponies is standing.
Move Apples and/or Magic Gems into either your starting barn or the Sweet Apple Acres Barn in the center of the game board. This will complete an achievement (you need four achievements to win). You must deliver 4 Apples at one time, or 4 Magic Gems at one time. Extra of these don't move in with you, and stay in the last known space before going into the barn. 4 Apples is worth one achievement, and 4 Magic Gems is one achievement, so delivering both sets would put you half way to winning the game.
You may move or be standing somewhere when there is an available Quest Compass token. You, as a free action, can say that you go on the quest. Take the top card from the quest pile, and choose one option (as long as you meet the requirements, if requirements are listed). We describe it as each card has three options. One will be a freebie option, one will be choosing the light side, and one will be choosing the dark side.
In conclusion, the whole family had a lot of fun playing the game and are looking forward to playing more often. There has already been talk of other characters we want to add (Spike the Dragon, in particular). If you are looking for a great family game that helps bridge the gap from basic children's games into the realm of games requiring more strategic thinking and competition/battle mechanics, this is the game for you!
Thank you so much for taking the time to read my review of:
My Little Scythe
I hope you will check out my PaladinElliott Blog at:
check out some of my videos at:
and check out my Ready To Game Podcast at Soundcloud and/or
and remember I am always….READY TO GAME!!!
RET. SSG Jason L. Elliott (PaladinElliott)


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"Godfrey-Smith decided to connect this biological concept with his interest in the philosophy of mind, particularly in nonhumans. In 2010, he began a project with Alexandra Schnell, a graduate student at Macquarie University in Sydney, to conduct behavioral observation studies that address whether octopus intelligence differs from that of other species. Do octopuses learn differently? Does the decentralization of neurons mean cephalopods have multiple minds or competing consciousnesses?"
A companion blog for the book This Is Philosophy of Mind: An Introduction by Pete Mandik, from Wiley-Blackwell Publishers.
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Octophilosophy | The Scientist
Octophilosophy | The Scientist:
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subset: commoncrawl


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I was thinking Lard but the stuff at my store has been H-bombed (hydrogenated). I admit I have yet to check Whole Foods. Is that something that I can just get from a butcher? If so, do I have to do anything to it before I can use it? Thanks in advance or any guidance!
A couple of weeks ago there was another question about lard, and it was highly educational. http://www.food52.com/foodpickle... Please read boulangere and chefjune's responses. You can actually render your own lard, as you will find out. Also included is a reference about the health benefits of lard.
Thanks for the link. I knew I had read something somewhere... :)
Thank you SKK, I was looking for that one I got my lard am working now on testing the recipe and wanted to read what was said about working with lard. Perfect timing!!
Spectrum Organic makes a fantastic non hydrogenated shortening that is amazing. Great for baking and frying. Killer fried chicken fingers are my favorite for a fry- up night. Don't forget to make some fried pickles too!
Duck fat.
It makes fantastic fries. It can be difficult to find in quantities.
This is a nice source that does mail order. Shipping is a bit pricey but you can boost the order up with some duck leg confit and other items without adding to the base shipping cost.
Just IMHO---I disagree with their storage time on the duck fat. When kept in the 'fridge. Mine was good for months. I also used another storage jar to re-use the fat...adding a few spoon fulls of the 'fresh' fat to fill it out. I thought it got better with use and time.


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What to knit when you're expecting
Are you a mum or a grandma-to-be? With the impending arrival of a new baby, how about creating something extra-special and unique
It's January, time to save money and learn new skills, so why not kill two birds with one stone by taking up knitting? You'll be in starry company – Hollywood A-listers Sarah Jessica Parker, Cameron Diaz and Catherine Zeta-Jones have all been spotted knitting between takes on set. Tempted? Then take a peek at Nikki Van De Car's lovely new book What to Knit When You're Expecting. We love this striped boatneck sweater – it's both stylish and simple.
Both the back and front of this sweater are worked in exactly the same way. In fact, the construction is as simple as it could possibly be, but the lovely texture of the yarn and the bold stripe pattern make it stand out, while its wide neck, light weight and roomy fit make it comfortable and practical.
For a list of knitting abbreviations, look here
BACK/FRONT (Make 2)
Using MC, CO 49 (53, 57) sts.
Work in double moss stitch for 4 (8, 8) rows as follows:
Rows 1 and 4 (RS): * pl, kl, repeat from * to end.
Rows 2 and 3: pl, *kl, pl, repeat from * to end.
Small and large sizes only
Work rows 1 and 2 of double moss stitch pattern.
All sizes
*Change to CC. Work 6 (8, 10) rows in st st.
Change to MC. Work 6 (8, 10) rows in st st.
Repeat from * until 5th (4th, 4th) CC stripe is complete.
Using MC, work straight in double moss stitch until piece measures 21cm (25cm, 28cm), ending with a WS row.
Next row (RS): work 12 (14, 15) in a pattern, cast off 25 (25, 27) sts, work to end (of left shoulder).
Leaving sts for right shoulder on the needle, and continuing with double moss stitch pattern as set, work left shoulder for 2.5cm (2.75cm, 3cm).
Next row: Cast off left shoulder sts.
Next row: Attach yarn and work right shoulder in double moss stitch pattern as set to match left shoulder.
Cast off right shoulder sts.
SLEEVE (Make 2)
Using MC, CO 30 (34, 36) sts.
Work in double moss stitch for 6 (8, 10) rows as follows:
Rows 1 and 2 (RS): *kl, pl, repeat from * to end.
Rows 3 and 4: *pl, kl repeat from * to end.
Change to CC. Continue to work in st st, in stripe pattern as set for back/front, with 6 (8, 10) rows per colour.
At the same time, work increases as follows:
*Work 7 (7, 8) rows straight in st st.
Next row: work 2, ml, work to last sts, ml, work 2.
Repeat from * 6 times more. 44 (48, 50) sts.
Work 2 (4, 2) rows straight.
Cast off all sts.
Weave in ends.
Using new MC, sew shoulder and sleeve seams. Starting at bottom hem, sew to 10cm (12cm, 13cm) from shoulder seam. Set sleeves into armholes.
Block lightly as desired.
What to Knit When You're Expecting, Nikki Van De Carr, £14.99
0-3, (3-6, 6-12) months (shown in 6-12 months)
1 (2,3) x 50g balls Rowan Felted Tweed DK (shade: 165 Scree) for MC
1 (2,3) x 50g balls Rowan Felted Tweed DK (shade: 159 Carbon) for CC
1 x pair 4mm knitting needles
Tapestry needle
19.5 sts and 31.5 rows to 10cm over st st using 4mm needles


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Answer: Option
Angel Falls in Venezuela is the world's tallest above-water waterfall at 979 metres (3,212 ft). Niagara Falls is the collective name of three waterfalls and are the widest, most powerful falls in North America. Victoria Falls, on the Zambezi river along the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia, is among the largest waterfalls in the world. Rhine Falls near Schaffhausen, Switzerland, are among the largest in Europe, at 150 metres (490 ft) wide.


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Urges an increase in public spending to stimulate economy and a review of the current tax structure
The Hong Kong Government is set to record a consolidated budget surplus in the region of HKD 50 billion against a deficit of HKD8.5 billion originally estimated by the Government for the fiscal year 2011/12.
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- Ends -
About KPMG
KPMG is a global network of professional firms providing Audit, Tax and Advisory services. We operate in 150 countries and have 138,000 people working in member firms around the world. The independent member firms of the KPMG network are affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative ("KPMG International"), a Swiss entity. Each KPMG firm is a legally distinct and separate entity and describes itself as such.
KPMG China has 13 offices (including KPMG Advisory (China) Limited) in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenyang, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Fuzhou, Xiamen, Qingdao, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Hong Kong and Macau, with around 9,000 professionals.


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Thursday, February 16, 2012
One thing that must get done is to make a patch for my nightgown. Georgie fancies himself a ripper, extraordinaire and tore a hole in the back of my nightgown when it fell off the hook onto the floor. Nothing is safe from his little hobby. Since flannel nightgowns are as scarce as hen's teeth, I decided just to patch the ones I have. My other one has a rather remarkable patch, made after I tore it on a nail. So now my nightgowns have patches fore and aft. There's something endearing and homey in a patch. It makes me feel connected to those pioneer women. Or was it Ma Kettle?
Another way I'm filling my days is sorting through my grandmother's button box, stringing the matching buttons together. It takes so much time to seek out matching sets in the big box when I want to sew something. I found this very pretty cameo among the buttons. I was trying to figure out how to create a chain for it, when I struck on the idea to string some cheap little beads and an some pearls from an old necklace. Very pretty and sweet. By the way, isn't that a pretty slip Madame the Bust is modeling? The picture doesn't capture the pretty lavender color. I love old vintage slips and snap them up whenever I find them at the thrift stores. They just make you feel like a lady when you wear them under a dress. Plus they make nice summertime nightgowns. They usually only cost a dollar or two. And it's fun to experiment with dying them pretty colors to match your wardrobe.
And here's a picture of my little tuffet:
21 comments:
- AnonymousFebruary 16, 2012 at 9:21 AM
First of all, your footstool (I just realized "little miss muffet....sat on a tuffet"...now I can picture that!) is beautiful! That would cost so much to buy. Smart!ReplyDelete
The cameo is beautiful too. So rare these days too.
I love your lace. silly georgie. Pets can get away with alot due to their innocence! ha.
I have a favorite nightgown that must be 20 years old. I had another, but it eventually was so thin that it became rags for cleaning....same with old sheets....they get so soft and thin and comfy. I agree...why do we feel we have to be busy and Produce all the time! We have lost the privilege of being contemplative. I always marvel at the movies such as Sense and Sensibility and how they had time to visit. At least when I was young, we did visit relatives on Sundays, frequently.
I'm glad you have such common sense Jane! love,andreaReplies
Thanks Andrea! A long long time ago I discovered my way to minister to others is not the same as others. The very fact that I don't fill my entire day with activities, allows others to feel to drop in and cry on my shoulder. For old men to stop and talk to me in the grocery store. They're lonely and I guess I look approachable. Because I'm not so dogged tired and busy, I notice little nuances in others behavior that perhaps would go unnoticed if I was too busy. Once picking up on someone's mood, kept them from committing suicide. Perhaps God uses me in a different way then most, but He still uses me!Delete
Sounds like your Georgie and my Zoey have the same hobby, LOL. I too have a stack of mending that I look forward to getting stitched back up. I love button boxes, when I was a child we would go to garage sales on weekends for fun, and us kids would get a few coins to spend. I loved most, when I would find little boxes with buttons and coins and little pretty rocks to go through and pick out how to spend my coins, some of the best treasure hunting ever. What a great idea to go through and match up the buttons on strings, a couple of years ago I went through my button collection and made up baggies of color groups, but that is about as far as I got. Your Cameo is pretty, what a great idea to string it up with beads, looks nice! After this post I feel the need to get out my buttons and bits and bobs just to look through them all. Hope you and Georgie enjoy your quiet week. :)ReplyDelete
- AnonymousFebruary 16, 2012 at 12:17 PM
Hmmm..that is nice to hear! (or in this case, read!) I guess people can sense it, for sure! I feel more at ease talking to the elderly. I think it is because when I visited my grandma, when I was young, (which was every day as she lived close by, so I would walk over) she used to send me over to the elderly neighbors on each side of her house, and tell me to say hi to them! (as they were usually on their porch or working in their yards). love,andreaReplyDeleteReplies
It's the strangest thing Andrea. Elderly people will just come up to me a start telling me their life story. One time I was just walking down the street and this old gentlemen screeched to a halt, jumped out and tapped his leg. "Hear that? It's wooden" he said. Then he went on to tell me how he had some sort of infection as a baby and they amputated his leg to save his life. After I listened to his story for about 45 minutes and drove off! I never saw him before or since. Strange! Another old man came up to me and started talking in Italian! Guess he thought I knew the language. I just smiled and replied yes when he said capisce, which is the only Italian word I understand! My husband has the same sorts of things happen to him. People are always telling him their most intimate problems. It's really strange because both of us are very private people!Delete
Hi Jane, loved your post today about mending. My mother-in-law loves to do the mending and I haven't had to sew a button on since she came to live with us 12 years ago. I have a favorite apron, with autumn leaves on it that I have worn just about every day for the last 24 years. When Barkley was a puppy he was jumping and playing, and tore a hole in it with his sharp little baby teeth. Unbeknownst to me, Mom took it upstairs and spent the whole evening mending it for me. She sewed up the hole and used some embroidery floss to blend it in with the original design. It came out beautifully! I really treasure my little patched up apron and the love she put into it. Have a lovely evening ahead! Delisa :)ReplyDeleteReplies
Hello Delisa! Hope this means you are feeling better! What a lovely mother-in-law you have. My patch isn't so nearly as carefully stitched, but it does have snazzy little reindeer on it! I'm sure Barkley would never rip up anything on purpose. Georgie has a very naughty streak, I'm afraid. Barkley really needs to give him a good talking to on how to behave like a gentleman! To Georgie's credit, he does a bang up job on apologizing.Delete
- AnonymousFebruary 16, 2012 at 2:06 PM
Just think...when you are in heaven you will probably meet all of these people and it will all be to your credit! love,andreaReplyDelete
Oh Jane...what a lovely nightgown! :) Like you, I feel called to add such special touches to my clothing. It makes it more mine. Your cameo is just so precious. I started collecting them for awhile now, I don't have that many...but the ones I do have, I enjoy wearing from time to time.ReplyDelete
Peace be with you my friend, thank you for sharing.
I appreciate the term 're-purposing.' There is something quite satisfying about neatly mending an item of clothing so it can continue to be useful. I learned how scarce flannel nightwear is when my late Mother yearned for 'real flannel' pajamas. I located some good quality cotton flannel in pretty florals prints and made her several sets.ReplyDelete
I have a little footstool similar to yours which needs a new cover. I'm sure I have some suitable fabric somewhere in my stash bins.
I do sometimes feel 'guilty' if I'm not keeping at the housework, there's always more that could be done. I love to spend time puttering with my sewing or reading and I tell myself that as long as the basic things are done and good meals on the table I have EARNED the right to putter!Replies
Well I figure because I'm never sick, I can take a sick day from time to time. I'm sick of housework! Ha! I priced some flannel nightgowns in the catalogs. $70! That's about half of what I spend in a year on clothes. Did I mention I'm very frugal?Delete
dear janeReplyDelete
what a lovely post.......i love it.
the footstool is gorgeous.i love all your photos......they are wonderful.
i wish you a lovely weekend,
love and hugs,
Lovely necklace and gown! It makes me think of Edwardian clothes!ReplyDelete
Alone for two weeks?? I would be listening to opera and soaking in the tub until I had to go refill the wood stove for more hot water! LOL Sounds like heaven!
I like your idea of stringing the buttons. I have the same problem when I need one... Ah, one more thing on the list to do! LOL
Enjoy your quiet time, Jane! You have earned it!
My blog log in was acting up yesterday, and I think it must have caused my comment to not be posted. I really enjoyed this post, and was thinking of buttons, and mending all day yesterday. :)ReplyDelete
I was rewarded The Versatile Blogger award this morning, and decided to pass one on to you as well. You can check it out over at my blog. :)
That cameo is beautiful! It must be valuable. Great idea with the pearls. I bought a vintage slip at the second hand store, and I think I might look there again for more. I have to admit, I DO feel guilty if I am just sitting--which I rarely do--just at the computer, I do feel as if I must accomplish many things during the day. Guess I'd better get over that, huh?ReplyDeleteReplies
I don't know why it was in the button box, Joy. As a result it has a little black spot on it, not sure how to get it out. Those slips are just so beautiful, unlike the plain shifts that the stores offer now days. Ah! Just feel like a lady when I wear one. And how the were cut on the bias really does nice things for your figure! Well now, don't feel guilty if you like to keep busy! Just different ways for different people!Delete


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- By Pamela Dillon Contributing Writer
Parents, grandparents, and their wiggling babies converged on all three Dorothy Lane Market locations on Saturday, July 9, for the 28th annual DLM Diaper Derby.
At the Centerville/Washington Twp. store on Far Hills Avenue, 11 babies took turns behind the starting line in three heats. Two babies from each heat qualified for the semifinals. Some grinned, some finished; some cried, some didn't finish.
Ten-month-old Preston Maggard won his preliminary round and the finals, where his two competitors were just too pooped from the first round to move at all. Preston's grandparents Steve and Cindy Maggard of Springboro were there to cheer him along. Cindy was holding, of all things, a small portable keyboard at the finish line to get him excited about crawling.
Preston received a check for $100 that he promptly waved in a victorious frenzy to the delight of his parents, Chad and Molly Maggard of Miamisburg.
"We started training yesterday, and he goes to mommy's races, so he's used to this," said Molly Maggard, while Dad was promising the check would go right into Preston's college account.
Madison Stephens won Second Place, and Sawyer Brown of Centerville won Third Place. Kimberly and Matt Brown where there with their two older sons, Jacob and Liam. All first through third finishers received free diapers, baby wipes and bibs.
Nine-month-old Mackenzie Shooter, wearing a cute white hat and a T-shirt with "Here Comes the Star" on it, had a huge cheering section. Her parents, both sets of grandparents, and maternal great-grandparents were there to support her. She qualified for the second round but was too tired from the first qualifier to move at all. But her family and all the other participants received a gift bag for competing.
"We had her working out on her bouncer this morning, she was stretching out and she's had a quick massage. She's been in training all week," said her mom, Lauren Shooter, who lives with her husband, Greg, in Centerville. "My brother Scott Lewis is 25 now, and he was in one of the first contests in Oakwood. So we are carrying on the tradition."
Grandparents John and Terry Lewis of Washington Twp., said they had a picture of Scott's race from 1991.
The Diaper Derby got its start in 1989 at the Oakwood Dorothy Lane Market, as part of an ad campaign for a diaper company.
Second set of grandparents, Ken and June Shooter of Washington Township were there, as well as great-grandparents James and Jean Hodge of Bellbrook.
Fred Pfeiffer of Dayton, eight-year store director of DLM Centerville/Washington Twp., said, "It's a fun thing to do, and it's a great way to get young families to try the healthy food at DLM."
Winners at the other two DLM locations: Oakwood, Evan Kettler (First), with parents Jonathan and Heather Kettler; Nicholas Rabe (Second), with mom Abby Rabe; and Murray Brochu (Third), with mom Jenny Brochu. At Springboro, per customer resources director Jo Ann Potts: Miles Barnhart (First), with parents Toby and Jennifer Barnhart; Allison Mills (Second), with mom Ann Mills; and Sam Miller (Third), with parents Caleb and Natalie Miller.


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The Project: Time Off coalition, an initiative aimed at driving culture change around Americans using vacation time to the fullest, recently completed its latest survey analyzing paid time off (PTO) trends in the United States. The results – in 2015, approximately 55 percent of Americans didn't utilize all their PTO, which means employees didn't take advantage of 658 million vacation days.
It can be difficult to justify taking vacation time, regardless of your industry. But, as the study reveals, not taking the PTO you earned could be costing you money and job satisfaction.
What's stopping Americans from taking time off from work? Project: Time Off lists the top six barriers it identified in its survey:
While not directly tied to your salary or hourly wage, PTO is part of your employer's benefit package, which does translate to money in your pocket. In 2015, Project: Time Off found Americans essentially lost $61.4 billion in benefits by not using their PTO. The implications are bigger than your individual benefit offering, too. The overall cost to the U.S. economy due to unused PTO comes close to $223 billion.
Not taking time away from your work actually decreases your overall job satisfaction. Project: Time Off suggests planning your vacation time out in advance each year. According to the survey, employees are happier across the board, in categories such as professional success, relationships with families and friends, physical health and more, when they utilize the time off they earn.
UnityPoint Health Wellness Manager, Stefanie Spilde, emphasizes the health benefit that can come from making an effort to step away from the work environment.
"Taking time off helps to remind us who we are outside of work," Spilde says. "Oftentimes, our interests and hobbies get put by the wayside when we feel bogged down at work. Time off helps you revive your relationships with family members and friends, who may take a back seat at times."
Spilde also says for those who continue to not make taking time off a priority, stress can continue to negatively impact their health.
"Time off from work can help decrease your risks of many chronic conditions, such as heart disease, depression and hypertension. High levels of stress can lead to chronic inflammation, which is associated with every major age-related disease. Although everyone has stress, those that live the longest are proven to take time to down shift to shed stress," Spilde says.
Picking up for a week or more at a time can be difficult and not always feasible. But, Spilde says even taking a day off here and there can start to make a big difference.
"Nothing can lead to an anxiety attack faster or contribute more to feeling rundown than working a million days all in a row. Taking even one day off can help you reset mentally and make it easier to have a clear head once back at work."
Worried your job could be contributing to your stress levels? Contact your UnityPoint Health provider to make sure your stress isn't negatively affecting your health.


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Share the post "This is why you fail when you face a challenge"
So you've kicked off a new project or set a new goal. You've wrapped your head around what needs to happen to complete it and you're committed. Heck, you've already announced your aspirations on social media. Now it's time to put your plans into action and start working towards success!
Envisioning the milestones and rewards can be both exciting and daunting. And while the idea of success is motivating, the challenges ahead can be intimidating. But that's okay. You just need to overcome the challenges, right? Wrong!
Here's the kicker.
I believe that we sabotage success simply by using the word challenge. By definition, a challenge is a call to take part in a competition or a duel. To further define this, these are two events that result in either a winner and – here's the kicker – a loser! Thus, whenever we enter into a challenge there's a risk of failure. That's the bottom line. But why risk it if we don't have to? Why do we use a word associated with failure to describe the tasks along a path to success?
Here's the alternative.
Challenges have their place and they certainly have a purpose. They make us stronger, they teach us perseverance and they make us humble. But it is up to us to distinguish between a challenge and a mere obstacle. This is especially important when it comes to achieving personal and career goals.
Here's my point.
There is no definitive winner and loser when we face an obstacle. We can ready ourselves to overcome obstacles. And we can approach them knowing that they are just steps toward success.
Perhaps some of your own challenges are merely obstacles!


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Adoption and Orphan Care
by Davy Mast
According to Show Hope, an organization founded to care for orphans, over eighty-one million Americans have considered adoption. If just one in five hundred of these adults actually adopted, every waiting child in America would have a permanent family. Every year more than 23,000 children age out of foster care, leaving them without families of their own.
Why is this subject not given more attention in our churches and why does it seem that non Christians are more enthusiastic about adoption than professing Christians? Why are there so many cautions given when parents start considering adoption? Are there things we believe about adoption that are not accurate? What is God's heart in connection with adoption? I believe that God is wanting us as a church and as individuals to become actively involved in providing homes for His children.
Recently, I spent a day with Strong's Concordance and read every verse in the Bible that refers to the fatherless. According to Strong's the word fatherless appears in the Old Testament forty-two times. The law teaches that His people were to take care of the fatherless, the widows, and the stranger or aliens. Based on Old Testament Scripture, God has a special place in His heart for the less fortunate. On the other hand, the only place the term fatherless appears in the New Testament is in James 1:27.
Here are three of my favorite Old Testament references regarding the fatherless:
Psalm 10:16-18 "The Lord is king forever......Lord, thou has heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear: to judge the fatherless and the oppressed, that the man of the earth may no more oppress.
Psalm 68:4-6 "Sing unto the Lord, sing praises to his name, extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH(Lord) and rejoice before him. A father of the fatherless and a judge of widows, is God in his holy habitation. God setteth the solitary in families: he bringeth out those which are bound with chains: but the rebellious dwell in a dry land."
The Hebrew word for solitary as it is used in this passage is yachiyd, which means "united, sole by implication, beloved, also lonely".
Isaiah 1:17 "Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow."
Then we have the New Testament Scripture reference in James 1:27. "Pure religion before God and and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world".
The Greek word for visit as used in this passage is episkeptomai which means "to inspect, (by implication) to select; by extension to go to see, relieve".
Is James just encouraging us to visit orphanages, nursing homes, and widows, or should we be doing more? Based on the Old Testament law and examples in Scriptures, I believe that orphan care should be done by the church and by families. It is easy to say and even believe that we should take care of the fatherless and widows, but it is much harder to take action.
We would rather keep orphan care at a distance. It is too messy and disrupts our schedules and life style. Instead of having this nice little Christian family, we are afraid we will be seen as dysfunctional and out of control. It is easier to support and send money to orphanages or other organizations and let them take care of the orphans.
While it would be easy to say all Christians should be involved in orphan care in order to live out "pure religion", there are other Scriptures that tell us additional things we should be doing. Jesus said the two greatest commandments are to love God and others, not just orphans and widows. However, in Matthew 25, Jesus says he will judge us based on how we gave food, water, and clothes to the needy and how we visited those in prison. There is no question that God asks His children to be actively involved in caring for the vulnerable.
In his book, Orphan Justice, Johnny Carr makes the following statement: "Man made orphanages for children, but God made the family for children." I agree. Orphanages fill an important role in caring for the fatherless, but they should only be providing temporary care. The goal should be to get these children into homes. Not just any homes, but Christian homes. Both orphanages and the foster care program are designed to help and protect vulnerable children. What they do is necessary to orphan and foster care. I believe we, as Christ followers, should then step up and be willing to provide homes for these children.
The only orphanage I have had direct contact with has been the Light of Hope Orphanage in Choix, Sinaloa, Mexico. This orphanage is under DestiNations International and directed by Lenn Miller. Lenn says the following on their website, and I think he says it well:
"Here's an analogy that I believe puts it in perspective. What we are doing as an orphanage is like trying to care for fish out of water. Over the years we have tried to improve our care of the fish. Maybe before, they were flopping around on the cement, so we improved our care by moving them onto grass so they wouldn't damage themselves as bad. Then we figured out that they do even better by pouring water on them and keeping the grass moist. But we've still found that they aren't thriving.
"We're still trying to improve our care, and we should. But I'm convinced that they won't truly thrive until we find them little ponds. The ponds are homes. Not just any pond will do. They need ponds with the elements that will enable them to thrive. Those would be Godly homes. Christian homes. Many of these children are broken. They don't need broken homes. They need wholesome homes."
Our foster care system is trying to take care of the orphans and other abandoned or at-risk children. While it is easy to criticize Social Services and what they are doing wrong, they are doing a lot of good in protecting children and providing homes for them. However, Social Services is a government organization and they have a different belief system and point of reference than we have as Christians. This is why we need more Christian families to be involved in foster care.
I believe it is time for us as a church, as followers of Christ, to be willing to risk and open our homes to these children. Imagine how many children could be reached if there would be a waiting list of Christian families ready to adopt as soon as a child is placed into an orphanage or foster care! Adoption and foster care is hard work and the adoption process can be painfully slow and tedious, but if we delay or do nothing, these children continue living without a family.
Here are some questions we hear when we discuss or pursue adoption. These are only a few, but I would like to give some input on how I believe these questions have influenced and kept us from action.
1) Do you have any idea of what you are getting into? Maybe we don't know what we are getting into. This is not a decision we should make lightly, but we do this out of obedience and a love for God and His children. We need to count the cost and be prepared to work with hurting children, but if God calls us to adopt or foster, He will also supply our needs.
2) Why would you adopt when you have your own children? It is easy for us to see adoption as a second choice. Many couples adopt when they can't have biological children. We applaud them for adopting, and rightly so, but we start believing that adoption is the last resort or a secondary option. I personally believe that existing families with children are excellent candidates for adoption. What better environment for the abandoned child than an existing family with an established routine, culture, and identity?
3) I don't think I could handle adopting a child and then watching them rebel and not making a decision for Christ. I think this idea has paralyzed many of us from seriously considering adoption. The truth is if we don't adopt these children most of them will never have the opportunity to even know of Christ and therefore choose Him as their Savior. God is not asking us to make Christians out of anyone, including our biological children. When you adopt and foster, you are opening your life and heart to pain and possible rejection. But you are also opening your heart and life to so much more. Most adoptive parents I speak to today will verify this.
4) What if one of our biological children loses out spiritually because of adopting, especially if we adopt an older child? I believe that is the wrong question. The question should be, "Is God calling us to adopt, and if He is, can we trust Him with our children?" The same thing can be said for those who are called by God to live in the inner city or on the mission field.
5) Why are so many adoptions not successful? Let's re-define success. A friend of mine who works with troubled boys defined success this way: "Our job is to show Christ to these boys and if we do that, that is success. Their outcome doesn't determine our success." My prayer for all of our children is that they all become Christians and embrace our beliefs. But their decision alone does not determine success. When fostering and adopting children, we love them as Christ loved us and trust God to help us do it well. We all know this, but it is sometimes hard to separate the outcome from success.
Early in our adoption process we attended an adoption seminar. One of speakers at the seminar was adopted as an older child and is now married with sixteen children, two by birth and fourteen by adoption. One of her teenage daughters was sitting in front of us. She was from Ethiopia and I couldn't help but notice the dyed streaks in her hair. I immediately wanted to put her in the "definitely rebellious and not successful" category.
After the talk, I spoke with the daughter and was blessed by her positive attitude and the way she related to both me and her mom. Here was a child who didn't have much chance of a successful and productive life, but someone invested and took the risk of adopting. This girl has now grown into a respectful and productive individual who belonged. I could not label this as "not successful". This is an example of where I initially allowed my preconceived ideas to judge unfairly.
The Psalmist creates a beautiful picture of family in Psalm 127, when he writes:
Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep. Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are the children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.
God is the one who designed children to be in families. He designed the father to be the mighty warrior who protects and guides the arrows.
God is still in the business of building homes. Some children are in orphanages or the foster program because their parents died or were killed. Others have been abused or abandoned by those who were supposed to protect them. Some are handicapped and need extra care. Some are HIV positive or have mental handicaps.
These children are the arrows and are waiting for someone to pick them up. If we as Christians don't pick them up and take them into our homes, someone else will. Satan has people watching for these vulnerable arrows. He will use child traffickers, prostitution, gangs, drugs, alcohol, and many other tactics to further damage these arrows. God wants us Christians to pick up these arrows and give them homes.
God has called all Christians to be a part of building His kingdom. One of those ways is caring for the fatherless and widows. Is God calling you to be involved in adoption and foster care as a way of building His kingdom? Building His kingdom requires obedience. Obedience requires faith. Faith begs us to risk and step into the unknown and trust God. As Christians, God has adopted us into His family. God doesn't ask us to do this perfectly and He allows us to make mistakes. And while we wait and do nothing, the homeless are still homeless, and the orphans are still orphans. Is God asking you to step out in faith and risk for "one of these"?
All Scriptures quoted from KJV
Show Hope statistics from www.showhope.org
Strong's Concordance
Carr, Johnny, Orphan Justice, p. 63
Miller, Lenn, "'Fish' out of Water", http://www.dnimexicoteam.com/adoption.html


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Red Wine Braised Brisket
D'Artagnan | Yield: Serves 6-8
Our Angus beef brisket is slow-cooked in an entire bottle of red wine and other aromatics in this deeply satisfying recipe. Hearty and rustic, it's the perfect dish for a chilly weekend.
- 1 Angus Beef Brisket Flat, about 6 pounds
- Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
- Neutral oil, we used grapeseed
- 2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 3 stalks celery, chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, smashed
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon anchovy paste
- 1 bottle dry red wine (750ml), we used Cabernet Sauvignon
- 1 large can diced tomatoes (28 ounces)
- 1 container Veal Demi-Glace
- Bouquet garni, made with 3 sprigs thyme, 5 sprigs parsley, 1 bay leaf
- 4 carrots, thickly sliced
- 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley, for garnish
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Generously season brisket on both sides with salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add about 2 tablespoons oil and heat until shimmering. Sear brisket until deep chestnut brown in color, about 5-6 minutes on each side. Remove brisket to a plate and set aside.
- Pour off all but about 1 tablespoon of oil/rendered fat. Add onions, garlic, and celery; season with salt and pepper. Sauté until vegetables start to soften and garlic is fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add tomato paste and anchovy paste, stirring to coat vegetables; cook for about 3 minutes more. Stir in wine, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom and sides of the pot. Bring mixture to just a boil. Stir in tomatoes, veal demi-glace, and add bouquet garni. Add brisket to the pot fat-side up. Cover and move to the oven.
- Braise until brisket is tender and spreads apart easily with a knife, occasionally spooning wine mixture over the meat, about 3 to 3½ hours. Uncover the pot, remove bouquet garni and discard. Add carrots, covering them with the cooking liquid. Continue to cook until the carrots are tender, sauce is thickened, and brisket is browned and has a nice crust, about 40 minutes more.
- Before serving, skim excess fat off the surface of sauce if needed. Remove brisket to a cutting board and slice against the grain. Serve with carrots and a generous portion of sauce. Garnish with fresh parsley.


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Howard, Magic ousted by Hawks in overtime
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) —There was something about playing Orlando last season that brought out the best in the Atlanta Hawks.
That trend apparently has trickled into a new year.
Using most of the same blueprint that allowed them to dominate the Magic in both the regular season and playoffs last season, the Hawks used their size and some timely free throw shooting late to grind out an 89-87 overtime victory Friday night.
Josh Smith had 23 points and 19 rebounds, and Joe Johnson scored four of his 14 points in the extra period and added five assists for the Hawks, who won their fourth straight regular-season meeting with Orlando dating to last season. Atlanta won its second straight overall since snapping a three-game losing streak.
"This team knows our offensive and our defensive schemes, and we know their schemes. We just gotta try to outplay them," Smith said. "Tonight we were able to come in and play up to our ability and play with a certain kind of physicality."
Ryan Anderson led the Magic with 21 points, and Dwight Howard had 18 points and 18 rebounds in Orlando's first meeting with the Hawks since being eliminated by them in last season's playoffs.
The Magic dropped their second in three games and lost for the first time this season to a Southeast Division opponent.
"There's really not too much I can say other than we had opportunities and we could have executed a little better," Magic point guard Jameer Nelson said. "Obviously if we made some shots, it would have been a different story. But we played hard, I thought, and played together and stuck together."
Atlanta — much the way it did in the playoffs — enjoyed matchup advantages against Orlando at every position except center, and the Hawks continually pestered the Magic both inside and on the perimeter. With both Al Horford and Jason Collins out because of injuries, the Hawks' remaining big men managed to stay out of foul trouble throughout.
The teams traded baskets to open the extra frame before two straight baskets by Johnson put the Hawks up 87-83.
Anderson hit a 3-pointer from the wing to cut it to one and Smith threw it away on Atlanta's next touch. But Hedo Turkoglu missed a jumper from the corner and forced the Magic to start fouling with less than 24 seconds left.
Marvin Williams hit 1 of 2 from the line, giving the ball back to the Magic with 15.8 seconds to play. Jason Richardson drove to the basket and was fouled but missed the second free throw. Zaza Pachulia won a scrum for the rebound and put the Hawks up 89-87 after his trip to the charity stripe.
The Magic got two looks from 3-point range on their final possession — one by Nelson and another by Richardson — but Smith finally pulled down a rebound as the horn sounded.
Was this the gutsiest win the Hawks have had this season?
"It was without a doubt," Hawks coach Larry Drew said. "Coming in here a little short-handed and a little depleted, I thought our guys did a great job in just responding to the challenge. We really wanted to come in here and play with aggression … I thought we really did a great job."
Atlanta carried a seven-point advantage into the fourth quarter and it grew as high as nine before a pair of free throws by Anderson cut it to 73-70 with less than 5 minutes left in regulation.
That momentum was almost immediately halted, though, after three consecutive Magic possessions ended in turnovers. The Hawks capitalized on each and pushed their lead to 78-70.
The Magic scored six straight points, including back-to-back layups by Nelson, to cut it to 78-76. Following a missed jumper by Smith on the other end, Orlando called a timeout with 12.2 seconds to play.
Nelson drove to the basket and floated a layup attempt over Smith and Johnson that trickled of the rim, but Howard was there to dunk the rebound.
The Hawks had 1.2 seconds to get off a shot, but Jeff Teague didn't release his jumper before the regulation buzzer.
"I don't think that our energy was very good at all, but we picked it up in the fourth," Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said. "We just didn't play very well, that's the bottom line. We didn't play very well, but we stuck in there … We just didn't get it done in the end."
Atlanta's schedule doesn't get any easier, with Friday starting a stretch that will see it play six of its next seven games on the road. The trip includes matchups with Miami, the Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago and surging New York.
Forward Marvin Williams, who had 13 points and six rebounds, said that despite missing Horford's presence in the middle, the Hawks are still developing chemistry with the pieces they have.
The Hawks started the season 7-4 with Horford and are 11-6 since he went down with a torn left pectoral in early January.
"I think we're just trying to keep our head above water," Williams said. "I think when Al went down everyone collectively tried to put forth just a little more effort. You can't really fill that void, but we're trying our best."
NOTES: Howard was whistled for his eighth technical of the season for arguing a
charging call in the third quarter. He is now five away from a one-game
suspension. … Richardson has made at least three 3-pointers in each
of the Magic's last five games. … Anderson, who entered Friday's game
leading the NBA in 3-pointers made, said he has been invited to
participate in the All-Star 3-point contest.


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We are not getting any real communication from the SS, but other than this we are really, really happy with the progress so far. I am excited.
|I love the two step roof adding a bit of perspective
|An imposing view, large side acces
|Stacker and sliding doors to alfresco - one of the main reasons we chose the Fowler Homes Monaco
|Sitting room window highlights the park and hides the roof tops
|I moved this window to avoid the two storey house next door, now it looks out to the park
|Master Bedroom WIR on left, ensuite or right
|View from Master Bedroom windows, 10.38mm lam glass to reduce neighbourhood noise ingress
|Amazing view from Bedroom 2, you can see skyline on the South Coast at night
|Bedroom 2 view framed by the large awning window


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Welcome to Matthews Plants
Here at Matthews Plants we pride ourselves on providing the best selection
of plants anywhere in Essex.
With over 20 years of experience providing the the most extensive range of plants to the gardeners all over the South East and with a plant list in excess of 3000 we are confident that you will find exactly what you need.
Our website has been designed to be easy to use, whilst providing all the plant information and growing advice the modern gardener needs.
Throughout the year we aim to have a good selection of new and exciting varieties of plants and planted containers, so please check regularly to keep abreast of our latest additions..
Thank you for visiting Matthews Plants online.


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North Central Texas InterLink, Inc. North Central Texas InterLink, Inc.
Here's a sample of our volunteer opportunities:VIEW AS
Mission Statement
InterLink bridges the gap between business and education by providing knowledge about industry trends and future high skill/high demand career opportunities in North Texas, to be used by school and college districts to prepare the regional workforce of the future.
This will prepare a quality workforce with a globally competitive advantage, which supports the region's economic development activities.
Since 1987, InterLink has been working with businesses to determine the workforce needs of the future which we relay to secondary and post secondary education decision makers. They use this information to develop Career and Technical Programs in their school districts.
Students are informed of the opportunities for employment in dynamic careers which will help them to be successful in their futures, and employers will have a skilled and knowledgable workforce.
This information
Might be out of date
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Court plea seeks ban on 'Go Nawaz Go' slogan
Petitioner Raja Zeeshan Advocate in a petition in LHC has pleaded for ban on the slogan adding that the slogan being chanted in every nook and corner of the country and has caused political chaos in the country that could lead to civil war.
The petitioner said that 'Go Nawaz Go' slogan has triggered clashes between the workers of political parties at various places, which could spark a major incident anytime.
He pleaded to the court for an immediate ban on the divisive slogan.


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Having a Physical Moment…
It's popular to prescribe seeing oneself not as a human having a spiritual moment, but as a spirit having a human moment. While this is true, it's not enough to say "human" without insisting on including sensation. To be incarnated as a human is to be entrusted not only with a brain and a heart, but also with a physical body. Of the many realities we experience, this may be the only physical reality. Is it our inexperience with the physical that so often leads to our mistrust and denial of our physicality? Ascetics deny it by declaring it "illusion" and by avoiding the sensations that affirm it. Many see it as a separation from spirit, yet spirit is fully here with us in our "human moment" whenever we choose to notice.
When we locate ourselves exclusively in the head and heart we forget how very wonderful it is to be in the physical, what a joy to be able to partake of the sensations of this world. Of course that includes sex , but there is so much more! The scent of the evening breeze, the soft prickle of grass, the shock then the gradual numbing of feet wading in a cold river, the shushing of the leaves as the wind dances through them – there is so very, very much to experience here, so much that can bring a wild joy to the heart.
Sensation is a very particular way of sidestepping the tyranny of the brain; that is why sex has been a sacrament and a path in so many religious traditions, and demonized in those that deny personal agency when connecting with the divine. Personal connection with the divine is unruly, uncontrollable. It encourages individuals to seek their own path instead of following rules and books of instruction. It is dangerous to established religions that seek a governing role in lives.
We like to pretend that connecting to the divine means being without appetite, being untouched by the physical. It's a philosophy well suited to dividing the self against the self, to establishing a war within that can be mirrored in an external war against the 'other,' yet there is nothing so peaceful, so blissful as a human perfectly satisfied in her/his physicality.


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To be wronged is nothing, unless you continue to remember it.
That line from Confucius sums up my attitude about the people who have wronged me in life. People have wronged me, but it takes some effort to remember those wrongs. This is because I never think about them. Nursing slights and holding grudges is a ridiculous thing. It gives life to things that are dying and should die.
I edit people out of my life. The people who know me figure this out at some point. I suspect the people who find themselves out of my life think I hold some grudge or ill will towards them, but I don't. The reason people find themselves put out of my life is because they have demonstrated a propensity to cause harm to others and to me. It's like that manager who said, "I don't fire people. They fire themselves." Likewise, people put themselves out of my life.
I have had a lot of people in my life who live under the delusion that people will always and everywhere tolerate their crap. So, they are crappy people who persist in their crappiness. They believe that the rest of the world will just put up with that crap forever, and they are shocked when someone like me doesn't put up with it.
No single act can put someone out of my life since this would be pettiness and a lack of charity. When you deal with people, they are certain to disappojnt you at some point. We are fallen beings, and we sin. Love covers the multitude of these sins.
I believe each person has a weighing machine, and the weight of each person's actions determines if they remain in or leave my life. The repetitive nature of someone's actions does more to tip that balance one way or the other than a single act. People lacking self-awareness often ask, "What did I do?" They only see the immediate transgression and not the accumulation of transgressions. They are blind and will always remain this way.
Once someone is out of my life, the burden is upon them to tip the balance back the other way. Since they can't make it up to me, they must labor and do some general good to others, go to church, do works of mercy, etc. By doing these things, they show they are no longer evil and wish harm upon others. Such a dramatic change in life can only push me to accept those people back into my life. I am forgiving, but I am also prudent.
I never thought up this system. It invented itself out of necessity. The bad experiences of my life pushed me to think and act in these ways. Looking back, I understand that this is how God deals with me. My weighing system is very much like how I relate with God. God is patient with me, but I know that my repeated sins do damage and can end my relationship with Him. So, I endeavor to maintain that relationship. I live a life of perpetual penitence. Do good. Shun evil. Pray always. Help people whenever you can and never expect anything in return.
The people I feel genuinely sorry for are the "collaterals." It is rare that any relationship you have with others is in isolation. For instance, you can't cut it off with someone without also cutting it off with their spouse. Similarly, there will be those who insist on you tossing your scales and putting up with crap. These people are not necessarily bad people, but they are lax in their tolerance for crap. I find these people are doormats or driven by ulterior motives in their insistence that you not break it off with crappy people. So, they share the fate of the shunned as an inevitable consequence of what can only be considered stupidity. As I am fond of saying, ignorance is not the same as evil, but they are first cousins. There is a reason the Book of Proverbs is included in the Bible. You have a moral obligation to not be stupid.
Don't allow or tolerate crappy people in your life. My biggest regrets in life flow from my inability to adhere to this simple wisdom. Bad people will bring you down. This is why you need to surround yourself with good people. I love the notion of the lone wolf against the world, but this is more fantasy than reality. Good people are not loners. They have relationships, and those relationships strengthen them. And if you are really wise, you will seek out people who are better than you, and this will improve you. Finally, there is God. Seek God. This has the double effect of making you better but also making bad people flee from you. This is why government charity and NGOs fail at helping the poor where the Church succeeds. Religion is a moral force that no secular endeavor can match, and this moral force is what tips the weighing machine in people's lives.
Bad people destroy themselves. This is the point that needs to be made and hammered in good and hard. People drown in their sins, and their only real desire from you is to not let them drown alone. They wish for you to drown with them. You might fool yourself into thinking you are helping these people, but you are not. These people see you as nothing more than a flotation device. The moment they use you up, they will think nothing of tossing you like a sack of wet garbage. They will consume you and then dispose of you. People who feel some guilt over letting people drown in their sins should stop feeling guilty.
I have suffered greatly because of bad people, but that suffering has given me an incomparable gift. It has liberated me from any guilt or possible remorse over these people. I can cut it off with anyone and not ever think about it again. I could fire someone who needs firing, and I would be at peace with it. I could kill a criminal or home invader in the most violent way possible and sleep well that night.
I was reading on another site an answer to a question. How can it be Heaven when we know and see people in Hell? I found the answer unsatisfactory mainly because it dwelled on theory instead of experience. The simple answer is that justice is satisfaction. It is satisfying to see people get what they deserve even if the people are ones we know and love. Similarly, mercy is satisfying in the same way. The bottom line is that on Judgment Day, we will all be granted what we loved and desired most. For me, this is God. For those in Hell, it is eternal damnation.
It boggles the mind that anyone would seek and yearn for eternal damnation. But the ones who don't get it have never had contact with truly evil people. I have. Trust me, they want Hell. Not only do they not resist Hell, they fly into Hell in much the same way they destroy themselves in this life.
People bring Hell with them. It isn't about letting these people into Heaven. These people are in Hell because they are Hell. In this life, this state of being is mutable. In the afterlife, it becomes fixed. This is why it is better to not think of Hell as a place so much as a state of being. You can escape a place. You can never escape yourself.
Hell is a good point to transition to other more pleasant thoughts.
An apostle who does not pray regularly and methodically will necessarily fall into lukewarmness...and he will then cease to be an apostle.
This quotation comes from Saint Josemaria Escriva. Escriva looms large in my spirituality and life. This particular quotation burns more fiercely than others because it touches on a personal struggle of mine. I find it hard to pray on the regular. I have a plan of life that I follow, but I must confess that I have been neglecting it lately. I am struggling against sloth in my prayer life and laziness in general. What is wrong with me?
There is one thing I know. Your effectiveness in work, family life, apostolate, etc. flows from the quality of your prayer life. If you get your prayer right, the rest will follow. Even Jesus made it a point to be apart in order to pray.
I will honestly admit that I pray more than the average Christian or Catholic. I do not say this to brag but merely to point to how awesome having a Plan of Life is. Striving to live that plan and failing will still do wonders for you. But succeeding! That would really be awesome.
Praying more has been my New Year's Resolution. I pray that I will pray more. Please pray for me.


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A baby's crib.
Sometimes I'm thankful for the most random things.
A curl on the back of Kitty's neck, the fence around our backyard keeping our rambunctious puppy in a space where she can go crazy, a cold bottle of water straight from our second fridge (in the basement!) after an intense workout. (Seriously, that last one is half the reason I get motivated to work out anymore. Not having to prep a water bottle, no matter how lazy and #firstworldproblems that makes me sound, is 100% worth it. But I digress.)
Yesterday afternoon it was the crib that has held our baby while sleeping for almost 2 years now.
We saved up to buy a fancy-looking crib, and at the time I don't think I realized how often I would be interacting with said crib. Sure, she slept in our room for the first 3 months in a hand-me-down bassinet, but since that point I've purposely gone to this crib at least 4 times a day for the last 2 years. (More frequently when she napped a lot as a wee babe, now down to two straggling naps a day plus morning & night time.)
I'm extremely grateful for it.
I'm thankful beyond words that I've been blessed to be a mother to a wonderful little girl. I know too many friends suffering the pains of infertility to ever take it for granted again. I'm blessed that we have a warm, safe space to lay her down to sleep in, night and nap after nap - because there are too many moms out there worried about their babies in much more dangerous situations than I'll ever encounter. I'm especially grateful that she's a good sleeper - this crib has not often been the source of contention (although, sleep regressions are terrible and we definitely didn't escape them).
Mostly, when I look at her crib, I'm thankful for Kate's little life - that even though it's not been very long on this earth so far, that God chose to give her to me, to us. She's brought us more joy than I could ever possibly have imagined before I became a mom. (Heck, sometimes David and I have back-and-forth conversations that are just the cute words and phrases Kate says, and it cracks us both up.)
It's a blessing, all of it, even though motherhood's no easy ride. I need to remember that more.
What are you thankful for today?


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David Johnson was 16 years old when he faced his first criminal charge in a North Carolina court that considered him an adult.
He remembers being overwhelmed by the proceedings, uncertain of what it would mean to take a plea or to spend years in prison — and to end up with a permanent criminal record. After all, he says, he was just a kid . . .
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The flickering image of tackle Mike Utley making a block on film is at once eerie and then heartening to Detroit tackle Roman Fortin, Utley's best friend and teammate with the Lions.
Fortin was watching Utley's work in film of the Lions' Oct. 27 game against Dallas in preparation for this afternoon's National Football Conference divisional playoff game against the Cowboys at the Silverdome. A scant three weeks later, Utley was paralyzed from the chest down after making a block in a game with the Los Angeles Rams on Nov. 17. Utley, confined to a wheelchair, is now a undergoing rehabilitation at Craig Hospital in surburban Denver.
"One of the hardest things with Mike is that we'll be watching film and we'll see him making blocks," Fortin said. "He probably gets more praise now for doing the things that usually get lost, because he's not playing. It's like we all get a lot of gratification as an offensive line when we're watching film and seeing him do something great."
Fortin said he calls Utley two or three times a week to check on him.
"He doesn't get real philosophical on things and he doesn't want anybody to feel sorry for him," Fortin said. "When I talk to him, he just says, 'Keep winning.' " Lions Keep Winning
That is exactly what the Lions have done, winning the last five games after Utley's injury, going 12-4 for the season, finishing undefeated at home for the first time since 1962, winning the N.F.C. Central Division and making the playoffs for the first time since 1983. In a season that has been filled with one twist after another, the Lions have not only survived, they have excelled.Continue reading the main story
Nose tackle Jerry Ball said the seeds for the team's success were planted during a bonding period in training camp. He said Utley's injury has galvanized that bond.
"That was one thing that made the seal tighter," Ball said. "Mike Utley was a great inspiration to the team. It was an emotional thing, but it was something that had to be managed. The thing that proves the success of the team is how you manage your behavior in those type of situations.
"You're talking about a teammate, someone that you know, who will never experience the feeling of walking again. That's something to deal with. But you have to continue to play, even though the next thing you think in your mind is it could have been me and it still could be me."
The Lions have dedicated the season to Utley. Their resolve is evident by the symbols of support for him: T-shirts bearing Utley's likeness and the words "Thumbs Up, No. 60, Mike Utley" hang in players' lockers in the Silverdome. Coach Wayne Fontes wears a blue hat with the same statement and he mentions Utley whenever he addresses the media.
"We're concerned about him," Fontes said. "It made this a stronger team, win or lose. It bonded this team. It had nothing to do with winning. Friendships became much stronger, feelings became much stronger."
It was not such an easy season to begin with for the Lions. Running back Barry Sanders missed most of training camp in a contract dispute and then missed the first game of the season with a rib injury. The Lions lost to the Redskins, 45-0, and a few of his teammates grumbled that Sanders didn't want to play hurt. In the next game Sanders was still limited by the injury and had only 42 yards on 18 carries. Linebacker Mike Cofer suffered a season-ending knee injury in the third game of the season. Starting quarterback Rodney Peete tore his Achilles' tendon against the Cowboys on Oct. 27 and was replaced by Erik Kramer, a refugee from the Canadian Football League who had never played in an N.F.L. game.
Three weeks later Utley was injured. Then, in the 13th game of the season, against the Jets, Ball and tackle Eric Sanders suffered knee injuries and were lost for the season and the playoffs. The Lions go into today's game with nine starters, including three receivers and three linebackers, who are injured.
No one, outside of the Lions, thought that they would perform this well. The team finished 6-10 last year and Fontes was one of those coaches on the hotseat coming into this season. He responded by restructuring the run-and-shoot offense to include more participation from Sanders. Fontes was voted N.F.L. coach of the year by pro football writers.
"There's a fine line between wanting to win and expecting to win," said linebacker Toby Caston. "In the past we wanted to win, but we somehow couldn't put it together. Now we expect to win and we find ways to win. That's probably why people aren't giving us the respect that we deserve, because we win ugly."
"We're slowly getting the respect that we deserve," Fontes said. "When a team's been down for a while it takes time. We've gone through a lot of adversity. If we don't get any from the outside, I'll give it to them."
To linebacker Chris Spielman, it doesn't matter what anyone outside of the team says anyway.
"We understand that what outside people say and predict has no influence on what we do," Spielman said. "It has no influence on our preparation and what we do on the day of the game. They don't run the ball, punt, tackle or protect. They just write, film and talk."Continue reading the main story


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School Children Move Towards Tsunami Preparedness in MyanmarJan 29, 2018
School evacuation drills were organized in the outskirts of Yangon on 28 January. More than 300 students, teachers and principals participated in a tsunami evacuation drill to assess the schools' emergency preparedness.
The drills involved 2 schools - Kaungyangon High School 1 and Letkokkon High School 1. The schools adopted an innovative evacuation model based on a good practice from Japan, where older students take care of younger ones. This helps to minimize the risk of harm, reduce fear and panic among younger students during the drill.
The evacuation drills were organized following a fictional scenario of an 8.0 magnitude earthquake that prompted a tsunami warning. The schools had 30 minutes to line up the students and walk them to safe areas. Students of Kaungyangon were evacuated to a nearby monastery, while those from Letkokkon were evacuated to a cyclone shelter.
Myanmar is prone to earthquakes, being located on one of the two main earthquake belts of the world and consequently people living in coast areas are very vulnerable to tsunamis.
The evacuation drills are part of a Government of Japan funded regional project for strengthening school preparedness for tsunamis in Asia and the Pacific, implemented by UNDP in 18 Asia-Pacific countries.
"Today's drill has planted a seed that we hope will help schools, students and their families to be better prepared to respond to tsunamis. I am grateful that with the support from the Government of Japan, school children in Myanmar have joined others across the Asia Pacific region in learning how to remain safe during tsunamis," said Peter Batchelor, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Country Director in Myanmar.
"Japan's experiences and robust systems in ensuring community preparedness at all levels for mitigating the devastating impact of tsunamis offers concrete lessons and valuable pointers for similarly vulnerable countries. The Government of Japan is happy to support UNDP in sharing these lessons and supporting school children in Myanmar and in other countries across the region to be better prepared for potential tsunami occurrences in the future," said Kazuyuki Takimi, Counsellor/Head of Economic and Development Assistance Section, Embassy of Japan.
In Myanmar, the project is supported by the Relief and Resettlement Department, under the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement and the Ministry of Education. The non-government organisation Seeds Asia is supporting UNDP to implement the project.
"The Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement is deeply committed towards tsunami awareness; we observed Tsunami awareness Day on 5th November last year. We think that it is crucial to raise community awareness not only on frequent disasters but also on infrequent disasters that can have a potential catastrophic impact. We do believe that 'Awareness does save lives'," said Dr Ko Ko Naing, Director General of the Relief and Resettlement Department.
The regional project for strengthening school preparedness for tsunamis in Asia and the Pacific is implemented by UNDP, in 18 Asia-Pacific countries: Bangladesh, Cambodia, Fiji, Indonesia, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor Leste, Tonga, Vanuatu and Viet Nam. It contributes to the achievement of the Sendai Framework's targets to reduce lives lost, numbers of people affected, and economic damage from natural and human-induced hazards. It also aims to achieve UNDP's goal to help vulnerable regions to adapt to climate change by integrating disaster risk measures into national strategies.Contact information
Shobhna Decloitre
Communications Specialist