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Dear family,
I love you.
To all of my uncles and cousins and aunts and friends and fiances of groomsmen, thanks for celebrating with us at our shower. It really meant the world to us, and we couldn't be part of a better family.
Patrick always teases me about how I call everyone a cousin. Second cousins, children of second cousins, third cousins, tenth cousins – all cousins. I refer to my mom's cousin's wives as "my cousin so-and-so" and I refer to all of my great aunts as "my Aunt so-and-so." And then I'm stuck explaining the dynamics of having a family as marvelous and Irish as ours. Yes – Irish – that means everyone is somebody's cousin, and we're all related and that means we'd do anything for each other. Because what's the most important thing in your life if not family? And that is how it goes. And that's how our family has always worked.
I was glad that Patrick was finally able to meet my extended family, and he was finally able to see why I go on and on about family events, why I love all of them so much and why saying "cousin" is just so. much. easier.
I wanted to reach out to all of you – my family – particularly those who took part in arranging the most lovely wedding shower for Patrick and me. It was a little strange being back near my old neck of the woods with Patrick, it felt like the merging of two lifetimes.
I like that this family has always been close-knit and ever loving. I hadn't seen so many of you in so many years that my heart filled with joy to see your smiling faces. I'm grateful for the way you welcomed Patrick with hugs and handshakes and Irish smiles. And it felt like home.
I was so impressed with the attention that was put into every detail. The font of our cake mirrored our save-the-date card. And the color was absolutely perfect. This cake was delicious, by the way, and Patrick and I were able to take the top layer home with us to Orlando. I have to admit I ate most of it myself.
The favors were adorable! Honeydew-scented Yankee candles wrapped with lace and bows. Not only did it keep with the color scheme, but they smelled delicious and made for perfect little keepsakes to remember the day.
And then there were gifts. Oh so many gifts!
After the event was over, I told Patrick we should get married more often. We REALLY cleaned up at this thing! Thanks again for the generosity and thoughtfulness that went into the planning and purchasing of gifts. I'm so very grateful. And thanks for all the lime green wrapping paper, that makes me smile.
One of the most beautiful and artistically made gifts was this gift from my cousin Beth. Who, for the record, is actually my mom's cousin. Though only Patrick cares about making that distinction. It's a full set of four bath towels, four hand towels and four wash cloths. You'd never guess, right? BECAUSE IT LOOKS GOOD ENOUGH TO EAT.
The topper is engraved with our names and wedding date, and it will most certainly be on display at the wedding. Thanks, Beth. And thanks for helping so much with the planning process. All of your effort will be forever remembered among the many happy memories from that day.
To my Aunt Sally – Mastermind, Shower Planner Extraordinaire – Thanks for putting in all of the time and effort to throw us such a great shower. Your generosity is unparalleled. I'm touched that you'd put in so much planning to honor our wedding. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. And yes, of course you're my favorite.
So here's to family: ever growing, ever changing, ever loving, perfect-just-the-way-you-are family.
Thank you to Jennifer Keane and Beth Matijevic for capturing these beautiful photos.


text:
Often times we have sort of a hazy idea of where we would like to go in life and what we'd like to do, but sometimes the haze is just so thick and dense we don't know which way is up. With all of life's distractions coming at us a zillion miles an hour, it's no wonder we find ourselves off course every now and then.
How do we get out of this rut when we find ourselves in this particular scenario? Try asking yourself a few of these power questions to get the ball rolling. Just a few minutes of contemplation will help steer you back to your dreams.
1. What do you want? Seriously. What do you REALLLLLLY want?
2. Truthfully acknowledge the direction you are headed. No judgment, simply acknowledge.
3. Close your eyes, breathe, and see it happening in your mind's eye. Do this every day for at least 3 minutes. Feel it unfolding just the way you'd like it to. You are the co-creator here, so what do you want to create?
4. What are 1-2 things that you can do today to move towards your desires?
5. If you find yourself making excuses, write them down and then put them in a bowl and burn them to pieces. They are useless to you and don't serve you in any way.
6. Only FOCUS ON WHAT YOU DO WANT! Don't talk about all of the stuff you don't want and don't hang around others that do that either. This just creates more resistance and pity parties.
7. Check in: Are your thoughts, words and actions still in alignment with your vision?
8. Raise your chin, let go of everything that's happened before this moment and go forth in Confidence. No one can take away your dreams unless you let them.
9. Do one thing this week that you wouldn't normally do, just for the FUN of it! It doesn't have to have anything to do with your dream, but it should be FUN!

subset: commoncrawl


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ALAN ALDA'S Joe Tynan isn't altogether believable as a politician, but he's a warm, sensitive, intelligent character, around whom an uncommonly well-meaning movie has been fashioned. Mr. Alda's screenplay for "The Seduction of Joe Tynan," which opens at the Gemini 2 and other theaters today, is ambitious enough to touch on even more aspects of this man's life than it can comfortably handle — especially because Tynan's main problem is how to keep his wife, children, mistress and dizzying career from running away from him. The film, like Senator Tynan, is in danger of being spread too thin.But Mr. Alda offers someone who genuinely cares about his diverse interests, even when they conflict, and who has a natural talent for making sound choices. The title is a bit misleading, and so is any notion that the film is about politics. For one thing, Mr. Alda's Tynan, while certainly human enough to have his head turned by sufficient flattery, isn't passive enough to be seduced. For another, he isn't chilly enough to pay single-minded attention to political life. Mr. Alda plays Tynan's professional smoothness to the hilt, but he never gives the man enough ruthlessness to match his alleged charisma, or enough charisma to explain his status as a budding national hero.A crucial scene at the end of the movie shows Tynan, about to make a nominating speech at the Democratic National Convention, more eager to have a heart-to-heart talk with his wife than to make the speech. Indeed, as he steps out before an auditorium full of cheering delegates, the thing that gives him the greatest satisfaction is his wife's smile. Implausible as this may be in the arena of national politics, it seems applicable enough to a more generalized kind of fame, which is perhaps what Mr. Alda meant to consider in the first place. In any case, Tynan's colleagues in the Senate are so well played that the film's wheeler-dealer scenes work nicely enough on the level of simple character study. And his complicated home life could just as well be that of any man who is suddenly more celebrated than he ever expected to be.Barbara Harris plays Tynan's bright, pretty, admirably self-sufficient wife, with whom he is very evidently in love. Meryl Streep, more stunning with each new appearance on the screen, has an equally tangible hold on him as a cool, clever, irresistible labor lawyer with whom he is thrown into professional contact. It can't remain strictly business for long. But Miss Streep's remarkable accomplishment is to keep both Tynan and the audience perpetually off balance, to turn a predictable affair into a source of constant surprise.The director, Jerry Schatzberg, achieves the most subtly impressive scene in the film when, as Miss Streep realizes during a private conference in the Senator's office that their flirtation is about to become something more, he simply trains the camera in closely on her astonishingly versatile face."The Seduction of Joe Tynan" bends over backwards too far to make sense of this romance. Miss Streep, who is supposed to be married, is given an unnecessary scene with a husband who's always traveling and altogether neglectful of her; however, she has already made her character too alluring for this to make sense. Similarly, Mr. Alda is able to decide, with unconvincing ease, how to solve the problem of having two marvelous women in his life.Midway through the movie, once the conflicting forces at work on Joe Tynan have been explained, the whole thing switches into too high a gear, rushing through solutions that are simpler than the problems at hand. In a quick and mystifying montage, Tynan is seen gearing up for a possible Presidential campaign; then, just as abruptly, he's back home in Westchester County, trying to cheer up his troubled teen-age daughter. The optimism of Mr. Alda's screenplay is surely admirable, but by this stage of the story something more complex is called for. Joe Tynan, after digging himself into what ought to be a gigantic hole, suddenly sprouts wings and flies away.The principal thing that keeps "The Seduction of Joe Tynan" engrossing is the level of acting it sustains throughout. Rip Torn brings a new dimension to political sleaziness in the role of a skirt-chasing (and catching) Southern Senator, and Melvyn Douglas is suitably alarming as an elder statesman on the verge of senility. Miss Harris is particularly graceful in avoiding the stereotype of the politician's wife. Just as Miss Streep does, she shows the audience something new.
Coping With Fame
THE SEDUCTION OF JOE TYNAN, directed by Jerry Schatzberg; written by Alan Alda; director of photography, Adam Holender; film editor, Evan Lottman; music by Bill Conti; produced by Martin Bregman; released by Universal Pictures. At the Gemini 2, Second Avenue and 64th Street; 34th Street East, near Second Avenue; Trans-Lux 85th Street, at Madison Avenue, and other theaters. Running time: 107 minutes. This film is rated R.Joe Tynan . . . . . Alan AldaEllie . . . . . Barbara HarrisKaren Traynor . . . . . Meryl StreepSenator Kittner . . . . . Rip TornSenator Birney . . . . . Melvyn DouglasFrancis . . . . . Charles KimbroughAldena Kittner . . . . . Carrie NyeSenator Pardew . . . . . Michael HigginsJanet . . . . . Blanche BakerJoe's Secretary . . . . . Maureen AndermanJerry . . . . . Chris ArnoldReporter on Television Screen . . . . . John BadilaArthur Briggs . . . . . Robert ChristianEdward Anderson . . . . . Maurice CopelandWoman Representative at Party . . . . . Lu ElrodContinue reading the main story


text:
A US blog on issues of general interest. The current monthlynotes series is "Can Credit Consumers Survive the Credit Reporting Industry?"
Thursday, September 30, 2010
24: Obama Accounting: National Referendum to Save the American Democracy.
Wake up to the seriousness of the issues facing the United States of America. The American Democracy depends upon an aware electorate, voters who educate themselves on the issues and the politicians whom the voters select to represent them in government.
Participatory Democracy is the best system of government. But its survival depends on honest, aware representatives who understand the issues and vote in the legislature with the will of the people.
Politicians like William Jefferson Clinton, one of Barack Obama's Democratic Party mentors, recently on the campaign trail, took the power from the people by saying: "We need individuals who think and do what's right for you".
Obama clearly follows this political dictum. A majority of Americans rejected Obamacare, including the IRS penalty for those who disagree with Obama mandate to purchase insurance. But, Obama and most of the Democrats pushed the bill through the House of Representatives and the Senate.
The question for the Republicans is: "wasn't there a way to keep this bill in committee to discuss the objections, or to delay its passage?" Some estimate it will take as long as 2 years to repeal the bill. Meanwhile, many Americans have lost coverage or are forced to pay more for coverage, as many in the insurance industry also find the rules too expensive to continue to do business.
Some years ago Ross Perot proposed a national computerized referendum for voters to directly participate in government. The idea was dropped. Perot later sold some of his computer business and developed other interests.
Many politicians and bureaucrats would prefer to make rules for the people and spend the money out of the people's wallets, taxes and more, like mandated insurance. Obamacare is a good example of legislation that should not have been passed by proponents over the people's objections. It also can be a good starting point for the development of a National Referendum Participatory Democracy.
It may be an essential part of the plan to save America, from a change to a communist "state capitalism" of elite politicians and bureaucrats seeking personal profit from "public service", paid government work.
Ecuador today faces a "state of seige" by a police insurgency. Over 800 police, angry over discontinued medals and bonuses at promotion and an additional 2 year wait to 7 years between promotions, attacked Ecuador President Rafael Correa. Police shoved the President, doused him with water, then tear gas during his speech at a police barracks in Quito, Ecuador.
Correa, still recovering from knee surgery 1 week ago, was taken to a Quito hospital. Leaders from Ecuador and Venezuela President Hugo Chavez fear that Correa is held by rebel police in the hospital. Peru President Alan Garcia has shut the border with Ecuador, until Correa's "democratic authority" is restored.
Political rivals have denounced the police insurgency. General Ernesto Gonzalez, Commander of Ecuador's armed forces, declared loyalty to President Correa. The government has put the military in charge of public order, suspending civil liberties, and allowing soldiers to carry out searches.
Schools and business have shut down. Looting has been reported in the capital. At least 2 banks have been sacked.
Police insurgents have shut down the Mariscal Sucre airport and have blocked highways to the capital with burning tires in the nationwide police "strike".
The Organization of American States (OAS) fears a "coup d'etat" is in progress, in the fifth year of democracy under President Rafael Correa in this South American country of 14 million.
Americans in Ecuador are instructed to stay where they are, if safe.
This is an frightening illustration of a police insurgency, rioting state employees, willing to destroy their country to protest budgetary benefit cuts. Ecuador has 40,000 police officers.
Americans must seriously consider downsizing government to maintain peace at home in these volatile and difficult financial times.
9/30/2010 Corrections: One political opponent, Mayor Jumi Nebat of Guayaquil, called a news conference to denounce the police insurgency. The airport was closed by the military pictured on runways. The police blocked highways to the capital city with roadblocks of burning tires.
Graphic: Chase's Calendar of Events, 2010.
Other references: Yahoo!News AP, 9/30/2010.
Email email@example.com or firstname.lastname@example.com to comment or request a copy of this or other blogs in the "Obama Accounting" or other series posted my mary for monthlynotesstaff on http://monthlynotes.blogspot.com until available on http://monthlynotes.blogspot.com (and two through six) on www.google.com
Posted by mary for monthlynotesstaff at 2:40 PM
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Catalan Language and Culture II
Module code: SP3151
Module co-ordinator: Dr Anna Vives
Module Aims
This module explores the artistic production and cultural activity in the Catalan-speaking lands throughout the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. It also focuses on language skills, which will be developed through reading, writing, speaking and listening activities about a number of content texts in Catalan.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the module, you will be able to discuss knowledgeably and critically a range of different materials on Catalan culture. You will also gain a solid knowledge of the historical evolution of both the Catalan culture and language and be able to present informed opinions in written and oral forms. You will gain a solid reading knowledge of Catalan as well as foundational grasp of spoken Catalan.
Teaching and Learning Methods
Language classes will focus on both oral and written skills through comprehension, translation and thematic discussion. Cultural lessons will combine short lectures on a specific topic and seminars based on different content texts set for discussion beforehand. The cultural topics will be introduced by following the chronological narrative of Mercè Rodoreda's novel La plaça del Diamant (we will use the translation into English by David H Rosenthal), which will be compulsory reading. One-hour lessons will be devoted to language skills and two-hour lessons will have a component of culture and a component of language.
Assessment Method
- Language coursework (50%)
- Essay of 2,500-3,000 words (50%)
Key texts
Recommended for purchase:
- Mercè Rodoreda, The Time of the Doves, trans. David H Rosenthal (Graywolf Press, 1989)
- Josep Miquel Sobrer, Catalonia: a Self-Portrait (Indiana UP, 1992)
- Catalan dictionary: English-Catalan, Catalan-English (Routledge, 1994)
And these are recommended for reference:
- Antoni Ferrando and Miquel Nicolàs, Panorama d'història de la llengua (Tàndem edicions, 1993)
- Robert Hughes, Barcelona (Harvill Press, 2001)
- Dominic Keown (ed.), A Companion to Catalan Culture (Támesis, 2011)
- Kenneth McRoberts, Catalonia: Nation Building without a State (Oxford UP, 2001)
- Anna Poch and Alan Yates, Teach yourself Catalan (Hodder & Stoughton, 2004)
- Arthur Terry, Catalan Literature (Ernest Benn, 1972)
- A Companion to Catalan Literature (Támesis, 2003)


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Thursday, July 17, 2008
A Secret Revealed
This is the latest bit I've added to it. Looks a bit bare at the mo but once everything starts growing I'll have to do a lot of pruning to keep it from turning into a jungle. I garden on heavy clay, which is not the easiest soil to garden on as it turns to concrete in the sun and mud in the rain, but it is fertile, very fertile. So together with the loads of rain we get, the moderate temperatures and the fertile soil, many plants grow with wild abandon at Bliss.
And now, gentle reader, something that you all have been waiting for, it's time for the big reveal, TADAAAAAAA, may I present my wildflower meadow to you:
Lovely isn't it, and such a butterfly and bee magnet too. I love watching my pretty meadow
with all its lovely delicate flowers waving about in the breeze.
And there are many kinds of flowers in my meadow too as you can see here.
There is something magical about wildflower meadows, don't you agree? They conjure up childhood images of warm summer days, laying on your back in the meadow watching the fluffy clouds in the brilliantly blue sky float by, bees buzzing, birds singing, the wind rustling, weaving daisies chains to wear on your head, picking posies for your Mum, and just simply being there, happy to be alive because the sun is shining and all is right with your widdle world.
And, before you get jealous, you haven't heard the best bit yet; everyone can have a wildflower meadow like mine.
See? Your own mobile bliss meadow TM, a little bit of heaven on earth, what more could you possible ask for?
And what did this little bit of heaven cost me? Less than a dollar and very little work. Does it get any more blissful than that? I don't think so. :-)
copyright 2008 Y.E.W. Heuzen
Garden art and landscape architecture rely on sensitivity to convey experiences which are authentic. Garden art and landscape architecture are the antidote to virtual reality.
Sven-Ingvar Andersson
39 comments:
- gintoino said...
LOL you really tricked me into thinking you had a meadow. Very nice idea of a mini movable meadow. Wild flowers look so nice don't they?
- July 17, 2008 at 11:33 AM
- Entangled said...
You had me fooled too! And if the butterflies didn't come to your meadow, you could chase them with it ;-)
- July 17, 2008 at 11:56 AM
- Green thumb said...
Hmmm...That was a beauty! My dear Yolanda, with your talent I think, you have a bubbling career in Movies waiting for you. The last time I was so convincingly decieved in this manner was while watching 'Jurassic Park'. So, i guess its time to tell a certain Mr. Spielpberg to move over and make way for YE:-)
- July 17, 2008 at 12:00 PM
- Tracy said...
LOL! You tease, Yoland...I was fooled too! But I LOVE the idea of a mobile wildflower meadow--genial! I love wildflowers--they are such happy things! Enjoy...Happy Days ((HUGS))
- July 17, 2008 at 12:12 PM
What a wonderful idea for a mini meadow! I had pictured vast spaces but how compact! I'll have to try that next season.
- July 17, 2008 at 12:18 PM
- guild-rez said...
Not only have you created a mini wildflower garden, you matched the colour of the cart with flowers as well:)
-Cheers Gisela
- July 17, 2008 at 12:32 PM
- Brimstone said...
Je border gaat hard!
En je zette me echt op het verkeerde been met je bloenwei :-) Leuk idee!
- July 17, 2008 at 12:40 PM
- Brimstone said...
bloemenwei :-))) Wilde veel te vlug.
- July 17, 2008 at 12:41 PM
- Cheryl said...
Hi Yolanda.....beautiful mini meadow....and you are right that little plot will be heaven for the bees and butterflies. I hope that people look at the things that you do and think hhmmmm maybe I could do that.
Lovely border Yolanda....look forward to seeing the jungle....
- July 17, 2008 at 1:45 PM
- Robin's Nesting Place said...
I was wondering where you would put a meadow. I'm looking forward to watching your new boarder garden grow.
- July 17, 2008 at 2:00 PM
keek wel een beetje ongelovig naar je bloemenwei... ik weet dat de grond bij jou veel te vruchtbaar is - leuk gedaan. Ben heel nieuwsgierig naar de nieuwe border!
- July 17, 2008 at 4:14 PM
- Frances, said...
Hi YE, what a creative use for an old wheelbarrow. I even have one of those, but it is filled with the sedum collection. There is probably something around here that could be planted like that. Hey how about that metal tub with the holes rusted through? Perfect, thanks for yet more inspiration.
- July 17, 2008 at 4:23 PM
Yolanda, you are a genius.
- July 17, 2008 at 6:09 PM
- Yolanda Elizabet said...
Hi all and welcome to meadow-y Bliss!
* Alexandre: but it is a meadow, although a very tiny one. ;-) Wildflowers are wonderful, I love them to bits.
* Entangled: LOL thanks for the visuaL!
* Green Thumb: move over Stephen Spielburg! ;-)That was one of the best things ever said to me, so I thank you and my ego thanks you.:-)
* Tracy: it's a fun idea, isn't it? I know that many would love to have a wildflower meadow and now they can. ;-)
* Casbah kitten: excellent idea and good luck with creating your own mobile bliss meadow TM. ;-)
* Gisela: but of course, I am, after all, a designer. ;-)
* Brimstone: ja, die border schiet al lekker op. Dat weitje was een uitprobeersel dat aardig gelukt is.
* Cheryl: I just wanted to show that everybody (well, almost everybody) can have their own wildflower meadow. It's so simply and cheap to make and bees and butterflies just love it.
* Robin: well, now you know. ;-)
* Gerti: tis ook maar een mini weitje maar de bijtjes en vlinders zijn er blij mee en ik ook.
* Frances: sounds like a plan! :-)
* Nikkipolani: hardly, but thanks for the lovely compliment.
Thanks all for your wonderful comments. It's great to know that people enjoy my blog.
- July 17, 2008 at 8:20 PM
- marl1 said...
Ik zag dus al meters wuivende wilde bloemen voor me....;-))))maar wie het kleine niet eert...Ziet er mooi uit en mochten we slecht weer krijgen :-o, kun je dit zo voor het raam rijden- super!
@ verlengsnoer:misschien bedoel jij een haspel? Die hebben we, daaraan gaan 2 van die lange verlengsnoeren, anders komen we niet bij de heg.(contactdoos zit in het midden v.d. tuin.)En-- hoe lang? Ik ga er vanuit dat degene die de chaos maakt, deze ook weer helemaal zelf oplost..;-)))
- July 17, 2008 at 8:58 PM
- walk2write said...
Your mobile meadow is truly a "moveable feast" for the eyes. Do your cats try to hide in it? I know mine would.
- July 17, 2008 at 9:14 PM
- Reflection Through The Seasons said...
Hello Dear Yolanda....
What a brilliant idea..... Your wonderful, weeny, wild flower meadow creation! I shall certainly remember this little gem for next year. I have in mind just the spot too. Thanks for that Yolanda. Have a great weekend. Marion
- July 18, 2008 at 7:35 AM
- Kim said...
I LOVE your meadow! What a clever idea, and so lovely, too. I think I might try one next year.
- July 18, 2008 at 1:10 PM
- Naturegirl said...
Oh Yolanda you are such an inspiration and a tease I might add!
I LoVe your idea of this portable meadow garden! I was thinking as I read your prose.."boy does she have a huge property to be able to do this"!
Ta da...a minature..smart thinking!!
Loved it!! Have a bliss filled weekend.
- July 18, 2008 at 2:09 PM
- The Garden Faerie said...
I love your meadow and especially your mobile bliss meadow! :)
~ Monica
- July 18, 2008 at 4:46 PM
- Flighty said...
What a great idea for a compact, managable wild meadow! xx
- July 18, 2008 at 4:50 PM
- Jessica said...
- July 18, 2008 at 4:57 PM
- Ewa said...
This is really a wonderful idea! Where do you take the ideas? they are so daring and effect is really great.
Thank you YE,
- July 18, 2008 at 6:17 PM
- MrBrownThumb said...
Very nice. It looks like a field of candy. I can see why the bugs love it.
- July 18, 2008 at 6:52 PM
- Annie in Austin said...
You fooled me too, Yolanda - what a great idea! In a garden with shifting shade patterns you could keep moving the meadow to stay in sun and keep the blooms coming. And instead of looking at the tired remains of dead annuals, you can wheel it out of sight to replant it.
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
- July 18, 2008 at 7:44 PM
- Chookie said...
What a superb idea for a wildflower meadow! And are these wildflowers that grow in your area?
- July 19, 2008 at 1:20 PM
- Rosehaven Cottage said...
I am stunned! Your wildflower meadow photos were looking so much like the one I played in as a child in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado... and then you revealed how big it truly is! I have absolutely NO excuse now for not having one! I even have an old wheelbarrow in the back garden that would do the trick.
- July 19, 2008 at 8:26 PM
- Strawberry Lane said...
What a feast for my eyes! I had visions of vast meadows filled with those beautiful flowers.
Tomorrow, the wheelbarrow comes out from behind the barn. It will be filled with rich soil, thanks to our beautiful Royal. And this California girl will finally have a meadow filled with memories of childhood days in Nebraska ... and wildflowers.
Thanks so much for the inspiration!
- July 19, 2008 at 11:03 PM
- Rose said...
Like everyone else, I was completely fooled! I had visions of acres, or maybe a half acre of of meadow:)
What a wonderful, clever idea! I'm sure I have something large hidden away in a shed somewhere I could use for a container. I have a feeling there are going to be mini-meadows all over Blog Land!
- July 20, 2008 at 3:44 AM
- Gail said...
Everyone has said this before me, but I do want to tell you that this is a very clever post! It goes without saying that is a great flower meadow ...could the color of the wheel barrow be any better for the plants you've chosen. My favorite blue!
- July 20, 2008 at 3:45 AM
- Libbys Blog said...
LOL!!!! Very impressive, I was trying to work out where you had planted it? Very clever idea though. Lovely flowers too!!!
- July 20, 2008 at 7:55 AM
- Lisa at Greenbow said...
You funny girl. I just love your meadow. It is truly one that many can aspire to. Your new jungle is coming along quite good too. Can't wait to see it fill in.
- July 21, 2008 at 2:07 AM
- marga said...
Hoi Yolanda
De nieuwe border ziet er al fantastisch uit.........tjonge, wat gaat dat hard hé.
En wat een leuk idee.....en verplaatsbare bloemenwei. Grandioos idee.
- July 21, 2008 at 10:02 PM
- Karin A said...
Your wildflower meadow is really beautiful! What a great idea. Anyone could do it, don't you think so? I'm really fond of wildflowers but I don't have a place to grow them in the garden. Might try this next year. :) Exceting with your new border. I know what gardening in heavy clay means...
- July 23, 2008 at 9:59 PM
- ipod battery said...
You are really very naughty.
- July 24, 2008 at 7:03 AM
- Do you need help planning your finances said...
I remember in my childhood i use to chase butterflies all day long.
- July 25, 2008 at 10:36 AM
- richtsje said...
Haha! da's een geweldig idee zo, met die wilde bloemen!
En een border aanleggen zoals ze dat op tv doen, dat is schrikbarend idioot. Inderdaad, planten moeten ook de kans krijgen om te groeien!!
- July 29, 2008 at 6:52 PM
- Barbara said...
Super idea and presented in a funny way! I liked this post, Yolanda!
- August 1, 2008 at 8:53 PM
- Jane said...
I love your meadow too and all your beautiful flowers and cats! It's a wonderful blog altogether.
Best wishes from Wales, Jane
- August 18, 2008 at 9:42 PM


text:
It's time to walk the walk…
May 8, 2008
This really only applies to activists in Kansas right now, but the Democratic Party has a great new tool that will be going nationwide at some point. Here is the text that is in the email if you use the "Invite a friend" option.
I've decided to help Democrats win in 2008 by contacting 25 voters in my neighborhood this year. As a Neighborhood Volunteer, I've signed on to be part of a massive nationwide mobilization of volunteers to elect Democrats at all levels of government. Democratic candidates need people like us to reach out to our friends, family and neighbors to talk about their plans for the economy, health care and our foreign policy.
This election is so important. I urge you to join me, and the Democratic team, by signing up to be a Neighborhood Volunteer in your neighborhood:
The Neighborhood Volunteer website gives us everything we need to conduct voter contact: lists of voters in our neighborhoods, flyers to pass out and information about what is happening in the 2008 campaign.
The website is easy enough to use that you can get started in your neighborhood TODAY. Most importantly, the program is extremely convenient. You can talk to your neighbors whenever you have the time. Will you join me to bring change to our community and our country?
When you sign up, the system creates a walk list of voters in your neighborhood with a brief questionnaire and a map that shows you where the houses are. Talk is good, but it's also pretty cheap. If you want to change things, if you want to get the power out of the hands of the corporations that have stolen it and back into the hands of We the people like it's supposed to be, this is a good start. I know I was surprised at how many democrats are living in my neighborhood. We can talk the talk, let's walk the walk.
Bread, peace, and freedom!
Update: I have only contacted 5 of the 25 that I got to start and I'm already in first place for voter contact in our district. Let's get off our asses people!


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Originally posted by MeesterB
Doesn't that Savage guy have a new show on mtv where he goes around to colleges and talks about sex?
Yeah, watched 5 min of it and realized he is a super-douche. I bet he feels so hip and cool going around talking about sex. He must know it all.... douche.
Speaker Pelosi adds her voice to the chorus of Americans across the country as part of the It Gets Better Project to tell LGBT youth: you are not alone, it gets better.
Flashback: Nancy Pelosi Teams With Anti-Christian Bully Savage
As part of the It Gets Better Project, Vice President Joe Biden offers a message of support to LGBT youth who are being bullied. November 17, 2010.
Flashback Biden Teams With Anti-Christian Bully Savage
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton delivers a message to the LGBT community that "Tomorrow Will Be Better," at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., October 19, 2010.
Flashback: Hillary Clinton Teams With Anti-Christian Bully Savage
Originally posted by zerotime
I think the speaker could have done a much better job discussing the topic, but I believe the argument that Christians are giant self-serving hypocrites is a valid argument. When a "Christian" is challenged on gay rights they point to scripture. Okay, scripture doesn't support gays. But why are these same Christians not so adamant about defending the other thousands of Biblical Laws?
Don't let cattle graze with other kinds of Cattle (Leviticus 19:19)
Don't have a variety of crops on the same field. (Leviticus 19:19)
Don't wear clothes made of more than one fabric (Leviticus 19:19)
Don't cut your hair nor shave. (Leviticus 19:27)
Any person who curseth his mother or father, must be killed. (Leviticus 20:9)
If a man cheats on his wife, or vise versa, both the man and the woman must die. (Leviticus 20:10).
If a man has sex with a woman on her period, they are both to be "cut off from their people" (Leviticus 20:18)
Pick up sticks on a Saturday = being stoned to Death.
"When a woman has a discharge of blood, which is her regular discharge from her body, she shall be in her impurity for seven days, and whoever touches her shall be unclean until evening." -- Leviticus 15:19-20
This is just a tiny lists. There are literally pages and pages of this insanity. These are all laws written in the Bible by "God".
edit on 30-4-2012 by zerotime because: (no reason given)
Originally posted by voidla
Threads like these make me worry, not for ATS but for the people of the Earth.
It seems truth and intelligence get's knocked for being mean or hurtful.
The amount of stories where a religious or bigot (or is a word you can take away in some cases) has bullied another person (not necessarily gay) and where were you all? The ones calling someone a bully, a hypocrite. Where were you?
You were cheering them on. For free speech and all that BS.
This website is like the Daily Mail. Most of the time it's fully of country-bashing, people hating, and usually religious people. Sometimes it's got comments from people of intelligence, fairness and open-mindedness.
I'm not being any of those things in this comment, because no one here is looking "at both sides".
Originally posted by zerotime
reply to post by longjohnbritches
Why does it matter what Jews do? We are talking about Christians. And it isn't just one Book. Gods "laws" are in every single book of the Bible. Only a tiny handful are listed as a sample. Like I said, there are pages and pages of this insanity. People try to wash these crazy laws away with any sort of excuse.
edit on 30-4-2012 by zerotime because: (no reason given)


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It's been a while since I've posted an OSF clip. There was a hiatus for the meme originators and then things fell off for a bit. So it's nice to be back. This week's motto is: "If I Could Sing I'd Want to Sound Like…"
As a cis woman who's a soprano I'm always fascinated by males who can sing falsetto in the tenor range 2-3 octaves above their base register. Not to mention we have individual quirks to our voices and no two people will sound exactly the same even if they are singing the same note.
Jeff Buckley
Marvin Gaye


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Warm-Up: Instruct students to examine the image. Ask, "Which row correctly identifies the lettered substances in the process?
This question challenges students to both activate prior knowledge about cell respiration and also figure out how to read and interpret information in a table. Many students will struggle with the format of the response choices even though they might have been able to identify the correct response had it been presented in narrative form.
Giving students opportunities to experience different formats better prepares them for variations of responses that they will likely see on summative assessments.
If students are noted to need assistance with the interpretation of the table, provide guidance on how to read the table without giving students the correct response. Allow 2-3 students to respond to the question. Ask students to explain their answer choice. This practice of requiring an explanation for answer responses helps students think about their own thinking and sometimes help them correct themselves.
Display this graphic organizer on a LCD projector. Ask, "What process is depicted?" Ask them how they know. Look for students to identify a number of reasons that lets them know that the image is cell respiration. For example, they could note that the image shows a mitochondrion, which lets them know that the process is cellular respiration. Or, they could note that the process has 3 reactants and 2 products, which suggests that the reaction is cell respiration.
Explain that the first 6 numbered blanks are intended to reflect the reactants and products of the chemical equation for respiration. Think aloud as you identify the term that fits each of the first 3 numbered blanks on the organizer. It's important to share your thinking so that students will be able to see how you process the information that has been taught in order to complete the task. Build in a few "almost" mistakes that you self-correct so that students will see how to evaluate their own responses to ensure that their thinking lines up with what they've learned before they commit to a response.
After modeling the first few answers, give students to 5 minutes to complete the remaining numbered parts of the organizer. Allow students to work with a seat partner to complete the task. Walk around the room as students are working to note comments that suggest clear understanding or misconceptions. Make a note to clarify any misconceptions that are heard while walking around. After the allotted time, review the correct responses with the class using a digital pen to write the correct responses on the organizer that is displayed on the LCD projector. This review helps reinforce key concepts from the prior lesson, cell respiration, part 1 before students conduct the lab.
Share a brief video clip, When Muscles Give Up then ask students to recall a time when they had to participate in rigorous exercise for an extended period of time. Ask students to share what their muscles felt like or tell what type of advice coaches gave them. Allow 2-4 students to respond and stop the responses once someone shares a similar comment to one of these two comments "The coach told me to stand upright and breathe through my nose" or "The coach told me to stand up and put my hands over my head."
Pause for emphasis, and then ask students to think of possible reasons why a coach might give these instructions. Take 4-5 comments from the group. Quickly jot each reason on the board. Engage the entire class in the discussion by asking students to raise their hand to show agreement with the comment that reflects their opinion. Look for students to recognize that there is a relationship between muscle function, oxygen intake and carbon dioxide production.
Inform students that today we are going to examine how exercise affects carbon dioxide production.
Before students perform the close read of the lab, display a summary of cell respiration lab using a LCD projector. Provide both verbal and visual instructions to address the needs of different learner types.
Explain that bromthymol blue is an indicator. Allow students to tell you what they think an "indicator" does. Look for students to identify that an indicator "shows". Affirm that bromthymol blue is an indicator that tests for the present of carbon dioxide. Explain that the bromthymol blue will change color form blue to yellow in the presence of carbon dioxide. Demonstrate the correct procedure for blowing into a test tube of bromthymol blue. Show students how to blow gently into the test tube, making sure that you point out that the hand should cover the top of the test tube as you blow into the solution. Make sure that students know that the term, exhale means to blow air out of the body. Remind students of the safety procedures for the class and the requirement that students wear safety goggles at all times while conducting the procedure.
Inform students that the lab will be conducted in small groups of two, with each student completing his/her own lab analysis and conclusions. Decide beforehand if you will assign the student groups or whether you will allow students to select their own groups. Because this lab involves close work with a chemical, I assign the work groups to eliminate the potential for "horseplay" among students.
Review the two roles, recorder and lab subject:
– Records time it takes for the solution to change from blue to yellow in each of the two trials
– Adds the data to the Group Data Table
Lab Subject
– Runs in place or performs jumping jacks for the timed period
– Blows into the test tube after each exercise period
Distribute copies of an endurance and muscle fatigue article. Instruct students to perform a close read of the article after completing the first 4 questions in the analysis/conclusion portion of the lab. Inform students that the information in the article will help them respond to the analysis questions that follow the lab procedure.
Distribute copies of the Cellular respiration Lab. Instruct students to take 5-7 minutes to perform a close read of the lab. Instruct them to write down any questions that they have as they read the lab. The close read strategy allows students to read with a purpose, in this case to learn what the lab will require them to do and know. At the end of the allotted time, give students an opportunity to ask their questions so that you can provide clarification and eliminate confusion about the procedure.
Instruct students to formulate a hypothesis before beginning:
I predict that exercise will __________________________ (increase/decrease/have no effect) on the rate at which Carbon Dioxide is produced.
Walk around while students are conducting the lab to look for appropriate safety procedure (wearing goggles, no horseplay, etc…). Listen to student comments and redirect their thinking with inquiry questions, as needed.
Allow students to share their responses to the question, "What is the benefit of athletic endurance for an athlete?
This is a higher level question that may stump students. However, it's a good assessment of the depth of learning and the connections students made as a result of the instruction.
Be prepared to guide students to identify that endurance athletes build stronger hearts that allow oxygen to get to the muscles more efficiently, which also increases the removal of waste and carbon dioxide from the muscles.
A guiding questions might be:
Does an athlete have a more efficient heart? If so, what's the benefit of a more efficient heart when we consider the process of cell respiration?


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Leslie Osborne
Assistant Professor
Department of Neurobiology
The University of Chicago
947 E. 58th St., MC0928
Chicago, IL 60637
Email: email@example.com
Phone: (773) 834-7989
Fax: (773) 702-3774
Research Summary
Computational and physiological mechanisms of sensory-motor processing
Research Statement
Reacting to what we see and hear seems instinctive to us, yet little is known about how the brain transforms information from our senses into plans for action. Theories of brain function allow us to make quantitative predictions of behavior by tracing the flow of information through neural circuits, from sensation to action. Sensory information is represented in the brain by the activity of large populations of neurons. Decoding these distributed patterns requires a rulebook that maps neural activity both to the sensory stimulus and to the resulting behavioral response. A powerful approach to solving this mapping problem lies in analyzing variability in both neural responses and behavior.
Variation in how our brains record what we see, and program how we act, creates variability in our behavior. It is difficult, if not impossible, to swing a golf club the same way every stroke, or to hit a baseball on every swing. An analysis of such variation can reveal more than the overall level of precision in the system, it can tell us about the brain's underlying computational processing as well. Because neural responses are probabilistic, fluctuations in responses to repeated stimuli allow us to describe the input-output function. Quantitative analysis of fluctuations in behavior shows us how the underlying neural signals were read out to produce movement. Understanding where noise arises in the brain has implications for advancing research in neuromotor control and in developing therapies for disorders where control is impaired, like Parkinson's disease.
In my lab, we focus on an eye movement behavior known as 'smooth pursuit' that allows our eyes to track moving targets. Precision is at a premium in pursuit since failure to exactly match a target's motion causes its image to blur as it slides across the retina. We find that pursuit can be a reliable read-out of the target motion the brain perceives, giving us a means to infer the visual activity that gave rise to the behavioral response. Through simultaneous multi-electrode recording of neural activity in extrastriate cortex and high-resolution recordings of eye movement, we are working to uncover the mechanisms by which visual information is represented in the activity of cortical populations, translated into motor commands, and how the whole system learns and adapts in order to maintain precise behavior.
Select Publications
L.C. Osborne and S.G. Lisberger (2009) Spatial and temporal integration of motion signals in smooth pursuit eye movements in monkeys. J Neurophysiol 102(4): 2013-2025
L.C. Osborne, S. E. Palmer, S. G. Lisberger, W. Bialek (2008) The neural basis for combinatorial coding in a cortical population response. J Neurosci 28(50): 13522-13531
L.C. Osborne, S. Hohl, W. Bialek, S.G. Lisberger (2007) Time course of precision in smooth pursuit eye movements of monkeys. J Neurosci 27(11): 2987-2988
L.C. Osborne, S.G. Lisberger, W. Bialek (2005) A sensory source for motor variation. Nature, 437(7057):412-416
L.C. Osborne, W. Bialek, S.G. Lisberger (2004) Time course of information about motion direction in visual area MT of macaque monkeys. J Neurosci. 24(13):3210-3222


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Mick Hucknall Tribute
Mick Hucknall Tribute Red Mick is a superb tribute artiste. His visual and vocal likeness to the real singer is really quite extraordinary. Red Mick is the only Simply Red tribute used by Pontins Holidays, Grosvenor Casinos and Jumpin'Jaks. His clients also include Chicago … Continue reading →


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Saturday 19th
We continue with Matthew. Today's reading is Mt 4:23- Mt 5:4
Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.
You can read the rest of the passage here
Where does your happiness come from?


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When your sponsors pledge you per unit, they need a reasonable window in which to pledge money. If I am going to give you $2 per mile, I am not comfortable pledging you between 1 and 1000 miles. I will need to know a minimum and maximum that is reasonable and comfortable to make my pledge. 20-45 miles is more reasonable for me to pledge. This is why we suggest a maximum for you based on your minimum. Use small windows in order to maximize your donations. REMEMBER: these units cannot change once you have started your page. Even if someone goes over the max units, they will only receive the max allowed. Also, if they fail to reach the minimum, they will still get the minimum amount. This is to help sponsors know what they will pay.
Why do we have to set minimum and maximum limits?Follow
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