text:
Milos Solution Platform (External Blog)The Milos Solution Platform is .NET's premier platform for building business applications. This blog is meant for developers who use or evaluate Milos. This blog is used to share tidbits of information provided by the Milos developers at EPS. Many of the posts put the spotlight on new features. We generally recommend that all Milos users (developers) at least scan this blog to keep up with the Milos news.
Milos Solution Platform (External Blog)
The Milos Solution Platform is .NET's premier platform for building business applications. This blog is meant for developers who use or evaluate Milos. This blog is used to share tidbits of information provided by the Milos developers at EPS. Many of the posts put the spotlight on new features. We generally recommend that all Milos users (developers) at least scan this blog to keep up with the Milos news.
Saturday, September 08, 2007Query SimplificationAs some of you may know (although not all... which is what we are trying to address), the Milos DataService classes provide a simple way to query multiple records by multiple field names. For instance, if you want to query all customer with a last name of "Pronger" and a first name of "Chris" and active status, then you have been able to simply do this (in a business object):
string[] fieldNames = new string[] { "FirstName", "LastName", "IsActive" };object[] parameters = new object[] { "Chris", "Pronger", true };IDbCommand command = this.DataService.BuildQueryCommand("Customers", "*", fieldNames, parameters, DataRowProcessMethod.IndividualCommands);DataSet customers = this.ExecuteQuery(command);
This is nice, but a lot of people do not know that this functionality exists. Besides, there really is no reason why people would have to know about this somewhat hidden method on the DataService. For this reason, we added a few convenience methods right on the business object that are easier to discover:
string[] fieldNames = new string[] { "FirstName", "LastName", "IsActive" };object[] parameters = new object[] { "Chris", "Pronger", true };IDbCommand command = this.GetQueryCommand("Customers", "*", fieldNames, parameters);DataSet customers = this.ExecuteQuery(command);
Or, to make things simpler yet:
string[] fieldNames = new string[] { "FirstName", "LastName", "IsActive" };object[] parameters = new object[] { "Chris", "Pronger", true };DataSet customers = this.Query("Customers", "*", fieldNames, parameters);
There really is no particular reason for using GetQueryCommand() over Query(), unless you want to first retrieve the command object and then make further modifications on the object (which is hardly ever done). So just use Query().
The values in the field and filter list are all handled as "and" parameters. Also, all fields are used "as is" with no added wild cards. For instance, passing in "Pron" as the last name will not include "Pronger" in the result set. However, it is possible to pass in "Pron%" which will include "Pronger"s, assuming the database understands that wildcard character.
Posted @ 1:02 PM by Egger, Markus (email@example.com) - Comments (6)
Saturday, September 08, 2007Query Simplification
As some of you may know (although not all... which is what we are trying to address), the Milos DataService classes provide a simple way to query multiple records by multiple field names. For instance, if you want to query all customer with a last name of "Pronger" and a first name of "Chris" and active status, then you have been able to simply do this (in a business object):
This is nice, but a lot of people do not know that this functionality exists. Besides, there really is no reason why people would have to know about this somewhat hidden method on the DataService. For this reason, we added a few convenience methods right on the business object that are easier to discover:
string[] fieldNames = new string[] { "FirstName", "LastName", "IsActive" };object[] parameters = new object[] { "Chris", "Pronger", true };IDbCommand command = this.GetQueryCommand("Customers", "*", fieldNames, parameters);DataSet customers = this.ExecuteQuery(command);
string[] fieldNames = new string[] { "FirstName", "LastName", "IsActive" };object[] parameters = new object[] { "Chris", "Pronger", true };DataSet customers = this.Query("Customers", "*", fieldNames, parameters);
Wednesday, July 18, 2007Milos and O/R Mapping: Stored Procedure calls
It's been a while, but let's continue with the series on Milos and O/R Mapping. This time around, discussing Stored Procedure calls.On the last installment of this series we've seen how to execute queries by running individual SQL statements (dynamic SQL). Executing Stored Procedures is not that much different: the main difference is that instead of using the ExecuteQuery method, we use the ExecuteStoredProcedureQuery method. For example, the following method in a business object would execute a stored procedure named GtPaymentsList:
public DataSet GetPaymentsList(){ IDbCommand command = this.NewDbCommand("GetPaymentsList"); command.CommandType = CommandType.StoredProcedure; return this.ExecuteStoredProcedureQuery(command);}
In case the stored procedure only processes some data and does not return anything to the caller, a method such as the one below will do the job of calling the stored procedure:
public void ProcessPayments(){ IDbCommand command = this.NewDbCommand("ProcessPayments"); command.CommandType = CommandType.StoredProcedure; this.ExecuteNonQuery(command);}
Another aspect of using stored procedures is that we may want all data access in our business objects to go through stored procedures. By default, when we use business objects and entities, Milos uses "individual commands" (dynamic SQL), which means it creates the SELECT, UPDATE, INSERT, and DELETE commands on the fly, depending on what the business object needs. Alternatively, the object can be set so that instead of creating SQL on the fly, Milos can look for Stored Procedures that follow a naming convention (we have code generators that create the necessary stored procedures). In order for that to work, all the developer needs to work is to code-generate the stored procedures, and configure the business object class, by adding the following line to the Configure method:this.SetDataAccessMethod(EPS.Data.DataRowProcessMethod.StoredProcedures);
Milos can also be set so that the only data access method permitted is through stored procedures (which means that anything going through the data access layer has to be a Stored Procedure call). This can be set by adding the following configuration setting:<add key="AllowedDataMethod" value="StoredProcedures"/>That is it for now. :)
Wednesday, June 06, 2007Recent Grid Enhancements
This upcoming build of Milos has some enhancements to all our grid controls that I know some of you have been waiting for:
In general, quite a few optimizations have been applied to the grid.
Wednesday, June 06, 2007More Databinding Stuff
Today or tomorrow, we will have a new Milos build. It includes a number of improvements (and some fixes) for WinForms databinding. (Some of which have been discussed before).
Here is a list of a few other things that are included:
Not quite databinding, but still related: Milos data edit classes have been cleaned up a bit and optimized. We also added quite a few convenience methods that make it easier to reload data and the like.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007Milos Training: many videos are now available online!
We've created a bunch of videos to help us training new team members on Milos, and we figured these videos should also be helpful for our clients who are using Milos, as well as for those who'd like to check out what kinds of things are part of Milos. Below is a list of the videos currently available, in the respective order they should be watched. We are going to have more videos coming up soon. Stay tuned!
If there are things that you really would like to see explained in videos, please send us an email, and we will definitely consider it.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007Improvements to the Business Object / Entity generator
One of our main tools in Milos has always been our Business Object / Entity generator, that's available within the EPS Developer Services tool. That feature had some crucial limitations, though, so we've revamped it, including a number of fixes and improvements that we are sure a lot of users are going to appreciate. I'll list some of them here:
The main point is: the new generator gives us everything we used to have, plus a LOT more, so this is definitely the way to go moving forward. There is only one thing we don't have on the new tool yet: it doesn't auto-update yet. Since it's a VS plug-in, we couldn't just use ClickOnce out of the box. So, if you're creating and working with business objects and entities, send me an email soliciting a copy of the plug-in, and I'll send it to you (of course, you have to be a Milos user to request it. My email is my first name at eps-software.com). I'll put you on my mailing list to receive updates, until we get the auto-update feature into the plug-in.Also, the installation and usage of this plug-in has been documented in videos. I'll post a blog entry about this shortly. Make sure to check it out!
Thursday, May 17, 2007Data binding simplification
Milos controls support native data binding. It has been like that since the beginning of (Milos-) time. So for instance, if you want to bind a textbox to a property on a business entity, you can simply set up the binding by specifying the name of the entity and property you want to bind to, using the ControlSource property of the textbox.
Note: This feature has been implemented and has undergone almost complete testing, so it will most likely show up in the next Milos build...
Saturday, May 05, 2007Milos and O/R Mapping: Static and Dynamic Queries
Following the series about Milos ORM capabilities based on this article, up next is the support for Static and Dynamic Queries. Milos does support both.
Essentially, every business object class inherits an ExecuteQuery method. This method takes a Command object. The SQL statement can either be defined during compile-time, with only the parameters filled in at runtime, or any other part of the statement could be built on the fly (like the WHERE clause, or the ORDER BY clause). Below are some ways one could execute queries from within a Milos Business Object.
IDbCommand command = this.NewDbCommand("SELECT * FROM Customers");
DataSet results = this.ExecuteQuery(command);
IDbCommand command = this.NewDbCommand("SELECT * FROM Customers WHERE PK_Customer = @PK");
this.AddDbCommandParameter(command, "@PK", someGuid);
DataSet results = this.ExecuteQuery(command);
A few things to notice so far:
For some simple queries, one can use some of the helper methods provided by the Milos Business Object. The benefit of using such methods is that we let Milos decided whether to build the SQL statement to be sent to the database, or to call Stored Procedures instead (depending on how the business object is set to process commands). That makes it also easier to swap between using direct SQL statements and stored procedures, or even swap between using different backends, such as SQL Server or MySQL. See some examples below:
DataSet results = this.QueryAllRecords("Customers");
If the business object is set to process commands using "IndividualCommands", Milos will create the CommandText as SELECT * FROM Customers. On the other hand, if the object is set to use "StoredProcedure", Milos creates a CommandText such as "milos_getCustomersAllRecords". The prefix ("milos_") is configurable, and the other parts of the name of the stored procedure follow a naming convention so that Milos knows what store procedure to look for (we have tools that generate those stored procedures for us!).
The QueryAllRecords method also allows for some customization of what gets retrieved:
DataSet results = this.QueryAllRecords("Customers", "PK_Customer, CustomerName", "CustomerName");
Milos would create the following statement for the call above: SELECT PK_Customer, CustomerName FROM Customers ORDER BY CustomerName
Of course, if the business object is set to use Stored Procedures, then the list of fields and ORDER BY clause on the method call are ignored, and the query in the stored procedure dictates the results.
DataSet result = this.QuerySingleRecord("Products", "PK_Product, ProductName", "PK_Product", 10);
Milos translates the call above into this:SELECT PK_Product, ProductName FROM Products WHERE PK_Product = 10
DataSet results = this.QueryMultipleRecordsByKey("Customers", "CustomerName", "State", "TX");
The call above is translated into this:SELECT CustomerName FROM Customers WHERE State = "TX"
This helper method is also great to get all the children rows for a specific parent, like this:
DataSet results = this.QueryMultipleRecordsByKey("Orders", "OrderDate", "FK_Customer", someGuid);
that translates into SELECT OrderDate FROM Orders WHERE FK_Customer = someGuid
On the next post, we'll talk a little more about Stored Procedures. Stay tuned!
Wednesday, April 18, 2007EPS CodeRush Custom Templates
I have personally be using CodeRush for about 2 years now, and I've been creating custom templates for some things that I do all the time, both for .NET in general and for Milos things. Since we're now getting other EPS developers to use CodeRush too, and I know there are many of our clients also using CodeRush and Milos, I'll be sharing here my custom templates. This is important for both beginner Milos users learning how to use the framework, as well as for advanced users who already know what to do and want to do it quickly.
You can download our custom templates here. There is a 6-minute training video on how to share templates among developers here. A brief how to goes here:
Here's a list of some the templates we currently have, and what they expand to (I will not list all of them, since some I may still be tweaking or may end up droppng it from the list). Notice that everything in italic on the expansion indicates the pieces that the developer has to key in (the template will usually create stubs for it if possible):
Template: eq (as in Execute Query)
IDbCommand command = this.NewDbCommand("select * from SomeTable");
return this.ExecuteQuery(command);
Template: eqp (as in Execute Query with Parameter)
Usage: same as "eq" template, except that this one will add the necessary call to add a parameter to the query.
IDbCommand command = this.NewDbCommand("select * from SomeTable where field = @id");
this.AddDbCommandParameter(command, "@id", "aa");
return this.ExecuteQuery(command);
Template: esp (as in Execute Stored Procedure), and espp (as in Execute Stored Procedure with Parameter)
Usage: same as "eq" and "eqp", but it expands to a call a Stored Procedure instead.
Template: ndbc (as in New DB Command)
Usage: within a method on a business object class, expands to the line necessary to a get new DB command using Milos (pastes content from the clipboard, such as s SQL statement into the code).
IDbCommand command = this.NewDbCommand("Select * from table");
Template: acp (as in Add Command Parameter)
Usage: within a method on a business object class, expands to the line necessary to add a parameter to a command object.
this.AddDbCommandParameter(command, "@param", "value");
Template: ubo (as in Using Business Object)
Usage: within a code block, expands to a using block, and all the developer has to do is to type the main name of the business object (such as Customer); the template will take care of properly naming the type and variable with the right casing.
using (CustomerBusinessObject customerBO = CustomerBusinessObject.NewInstance())
Template: ube (as in Using Business Entity) and unbe (as in Using New Business Entity)
Usage: same as "ubo", except that it will create the using block wrapping a business entity. "ube" expands so that it calls LoadEntity (to load an existing row from the database), whereas "unbe" expands so that it calls NewEntity (to create a brand new row on the database).
Template: nbo (as in New Business Objects), nbe (as in New Business Entity), and lbe (as in Load Business Entity).
Usage: all these templates will declare a variable, name it, and instantiate it, depending on what main name for the class the developer types. NOTE: these templates should only be used in case the objects are not to be disposed by the method creating them. Favor using the "ubo", "ube", "unbe" templates instead, since the using block disposes the object automatically.
Expansion (respectively):
CustomerBusinessObject customerBO = CustomerBusinessObject.NewInstance();CustomerBusinessEntity customerBE = CustomerBusinessEntity.NewEntity();CustomerBusinessEntity customerBE = CustomerBusinessEntity.LoadEntity(pk);
Template: cbr (as in Class Business Rule)
Usage: expands to a class definition that inherits from the Milos BusinessRule class.
private sealed class CustomerCreditMustBeHighBusinessRule : BusinessRule
public CustomerCreditMustBeHighBusinessRule()
: base("Customers", RuleViolationType.Violation)
public override void VerifyRow(DataRow currentRow, int rowIndex)
this.LogBusinessRuleViolation(currentRow, rowIndex, "Balance", "Credit must be high.");
Right now, our custom templates only support C#; we will work on support for VB as well. We are also considering creating templates using Visual Studio's "Code Snippets" (for those who aren't using CodeRush), but we don't have a timeframe for that yet.
We are certainly going to create more custom templates as time goes by, and as we do, we'll make it available, and post the updates to this blog so that everybody can be aware of it. If you think of any template that would be really helpful to have, shoot me an email, and I'll see if we can implement it.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007Milos and O/R Mapping: Object Inheritance
As mentioned in the "Top 10 Must Have Features in O/R Mapping Tools" article, inheritance is one of the core concepts in object-oriented programming, and relational databases don't support such concept. Milos Business Objects do support means for that, though. This can happen in two ways:
In fact, Milos has a NameComponents module, which has a set of classes to be used for "names" (or contacts) manipulation (that includes business object, entity, and UI controls). That way, we don't have to recreate that functionality over and over again. We then subclass those business object/entity classes, to extend it into special classes such as Employee, Customer, and anything else that is-a specialized version of a contact in the application.
I'd like to mention that I'm keeping the posts on this series short, since my main focus at this point is to mention whether or not (and a little bit of how) Milos supports those "top 10 must have features"; when we're done with the series, I'll spend some more time into actually posting more details on each of those features. Stay tuned!
Friday, April 13, 2007Milos and O/R Mapping: Relationships and life cycle management
Following the series based on this article, this next installment covers how Business Objects module in Milos deals with Relationships and Life Cycle Management. So here we go (again, basing the contents off of the aforementioned article):
For all these scenarios, we have code generator (that runs as a plug-in for Visual Studio) that facilitates a lot the creation of the objects, already configured to be used right away. In a couple of days I'll be posting about a new version of our code generator that's coming out soon.
Monday, April 09, 2007Milos and O/R Mapping: Transactional Operations
Following the series on Milos O/R Mapping features, this post tackles transactional operations. Essentially, our business objects automatically wraps up saving operations into transactions. Nothing special has to be done by the developer to enable this.
In more specific scenarios, the developer may want to start a new transaction and control it manually. The BusinessObject class provides methods such as BeginTransaction, EndTransaction (commit), and AbortTransaction (rollback). Those are wrappers around the connection object to deal with transactions.
There are also other scenarios where the developer may need to save many entities wrapped up in a single transaction. For that to happen, an "atomic save" has to be used. In other scenarios, a business object may need to "see" some data that has not yet been comitted from a transaction. For instance, a BusinessRule object (which is associated with a business object), may need to validate some data based on some other data not yet commited by a transaction created by another business object; in such case, both business objects must share the same data context so that one can "see" the uncommitted data of the other. Check out this other post on "Atomic Saves and Transactions" for a quick example on this.
We currently don't have a strong support for COM+/MTS transactions.
Thursday, April 05, 2007Application Form Face-Lift
The most recent version of Milos (deployed just a few days ago) has updates the the look and feel of some of our "Office controls". An easy way to see the updates is to look at a new version of the OutlookApplicationForm (which replaces the older EPSOutlookApplicationForm... the two are almost compatible and one can move from one to the other with very little effort).
(Click on the image to get a zoomed view...)
Some things to note here: The form now picks up more accurately on the current Windows color scheme (gray/black in this example). It also renders in more of a glassy appearance. It isn't quite like Vista glass (for that, you need our WPF components), but it is pretty cool looking. Note the details, such as the headers of the panes ("One", and "Content...") are rendering in a glassy look. (The old gradient look is still supported). The same is true for the category bars ("One", "Two", "Three") which are now also sporting a glassy look. And so are the column headings in the grid.
Here's what this looks like on Windows XP (blue, green, and silver default themes):
Again, click to enlarge the images.
Monday, April 02, 2007Milos and O/R Mapping: The use of your existing domain objects
Keeping with the series on O/R Mapping capabilities in Milos, basing it off on the features listed in this article, the next in line is "Feature 2: Use your existing domain objects".
A core part of Milos is its Business Objects and Business Entities. The Business Entity is the "domain" object; this is the object that represents one row of data from a table on the database. This object has properties that expose some or all the columns from a table, and it also has collections to represent the child data of the given entity (modeling one-to-many and many-to-many relationships). For instance, a CustomerBusinessEntity is an object that models one customer from the database; it has properties such as Name, DataOfBirth, Ssn, Addresses (this one being a collection containing all of the customer's addresses), etc.
The entity is very handy to gather data from the user or displaying the data (this is done by binding the entity to UI controls). Of course, the entity can also be used entirely programmatically, feeding its data through code (as opposed to getting it from the user).
The entity's counterpart is the Business Object. This object is responsible for offering some services to the entity. This includes retrieving data from the persistence layer (database), validating data against business rules before pushing it back to the persistence layer, and executing other sorts of business logic (like processing some data according to some business logic). This object can also be seen as a "factory" object, producing data for business entities to consume. Following our previous example, a CustomerBusinessEntity's counterpart would be a CustomerBusinessObject, which knows, for instance, how to load a customer from the database by a given Id, retrieving the customer's main data along with child data.
A business object can stand on its own, whereas a business entity depends on a business object to do its job.
We have a tool that's part of Milos, called EPS Developer Services, which automates the creation of business objects and entities; the developer creates those objects based on a "main" domain from an existing database (such as a Customers table along with its child tables).
Currently, the tool always creates the pair (the business object and the business entity). The developer can, however, create the entities manually, even though it's just much easier to have the tool generate the code for it. If the scenario is such so that there is no table on the database to feed that object (which is the case when the developer is writing code test-first, designing the objects without worrying about how they will end up persisted in a database), the tool allows the developer to create an entity from scratch visually, by adding properties, collections, etc. This feature has been available in Alpha version for a few months now, and there's an update to it coming out soon.
On this new version of the Developer Services tool, we're also allowing the developer to regenerate code without wiping out custom things created since the original generation. I'll save more information on this for another post when we ship this new version (in the next few days).
Thursday, March 29, 2007Milos Business Objects and "Flexible Object Mapping"
The Milos Business Objects and Business Entities provide features that fall well into the "Flexible Object Mapping" category (see "Feature 1: Flexible object mapping" in this article).
If you want more info about any of those items, email me, and I'll post another entry here with more details.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007Milos and Object-Relational mapping (ORM) toolsEvery once in a while we get asked whether Milos has ORM tools, or how does Milos fit with ORM. Recently I've run accross this article: Top 10 Must Have Features in O/R Mapping Tools. It's a good quick read to learn a little about ORM tools. As I was reading the article, I was mentally mapping the features mentioned in the article to how they're are (or are not) implemented in Milos, and figured some of those may not be as clear to Milos users out there. Over the next days I'll be posting to this blog many entries where I'll take each one of those features and explain how they exist (or not) in Milos. Make sure you read the article first, and then keep tuned for the upcoming posts. ;)Posted @ 10:33 AM by Lassala, Claudio (email@example.com) - Comments (252)
Thursday, March 22, 2007Removing Collection Items by Primary Key
Boy, we've had tons of small improvements lately, quite a few of which are worth blogging about. Here is another one: It is now easily possible to remove items from a business entitie's sub item collection by its primary key. Here is an example:
This works with all key types (Guids, ints, strings).
Wednesday, March 21, 2007Checking Certain Types of Business Rules Only
The Verify() method on business objects and business entities now has a new overload which allows to check a certain type of business rule only:
Note that this checks all rules of the specified type, or rules derived from that type.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007Minor Empty Field Business Rule Enhancement
The empty field (required field) business rule has been enhanced to also consider Guid.Empty as a missing field. (Empty guids are really all 0's, so they were previously not considered empty in this rule).
Also, a minor change has been made to make sure null-values and System.DBNull are detected as empty in all cases.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007StringHelper.ToFile() and Encoding
The latest version of the StringHelper class now features and overload of the ToFile() method that supports the definition of encoding settings.
EPS.Utilities.StringHelper.ToFile(actual, "Test.txt", Encoding.Unicode);
The following example writes a string in the default Windows codepage:
EPS.Utilities.StringHelper.ToFile(actual, "Test.txt", Encoding.GetEncoding(1252));
If your international special characters do not come out write, then it is probably an encoding issue, which you can solve by specifying the encoding.
More Posts: Newer Posts - Older Posts
All My Blogs:
My personal blogs:
Dev and Publishing
Travel and Internat. Living
Other blogs I contribute to:
Milos Blog (US)
VFPConv. Dev Blog (US)
VFPConv. Dev Blog (DE)
Blog Archives
All Blog Posts
2010 November (1)2009 July (2) February (2) January (1)2008 December (1) October (3) June (1) April (3) February (1) January (1)2007 December (1) October (2) September (2) July (1) June (2) May (4) April (6) March (8) February (3) January (2)2006 December (2) November (2)
This Blog is powered by MilosTM Collaboration Components.


text:
The iPod: I reconsider it
My wife asked me a while ago: "When the iPod came out, you mocked it extensively, saying it was a stupid waste of money that did things only a litte better what CD players that were MP3-cd enabled did. Have your feelings changed?"
Yes. This is due to many factors:
1. When the original iPod came out, it was 4, 6 or 10 Gig for $399. That's crazy-stupid high, especially considering my/our idiot-techie-crap disposable income budget at the time. Now, it's $199 for 60 gig.
2. The alternate uses for it have become more obvious. At that time, I didn't know how a simple 256 megabyte USB flash drive would make my life better in almost every way. The idea of a bigger storage space to haul around? Awesome.
3. It's cool-looking. The pictures didn't do it justice, and since I don't haunt Best Buy and don't lurk in the music section of stores in general, I didn't see it. In the stores, they're bolted down with all kinds of anti-theft bars. Holding one in your hand is like holding a tiny, perfect baby bunny rabbit.
4. It's become apparent that the UI and overall ergonomics is improved. Jeff Atwood over at Coding Horror once said that making something 10% easier will double your market share.
5. Enough of my hipster friends got them that I think of it as a reasonable accessory now.
6. There are more price points, now that there's a Shuffle. Also, the Shuffle matches exactly how I listened to mp3s at my old job using my work laptop, minus the work laptop.
7. I installed iTunes and used it. There are some things I don't like, and there's a certain something I can't put my finger on. It's "good enough" software, q.v. the Rise of Worse is Better. Also, I don't have a huge music library, so there's no danger of me encountering the iTunes crazy-huge music library problems. Windows Media Player's blue-on-black default scheme angers me, as does the link to buy music from the Wal-Mart Music Store.
8. I purchased one song from iTunes, so I see how handy that could be for a single person with money to spend and who didn't mind having to re-rip the file before having an mp3, universally accepted as the music format for non-weenies everywhere.
9. Bittorrent has changed how I look at file sharing in general. I'm not stealing music - I'm using it to get linux distros and public-domain works, BUT I can tell that there's a huge number of giant torrents full of entire discographies. The fact that less-skeevy filesharing is out there means I can visualize the average non-crazy person having a music library on their computer and accumulating enough music to appreciate an iPod.
10. Computers got faster, and hard drive space got cheaper. A few years ago, I had a 30 gig hard drive, with maybe 15 mp3's on it (an album of Sneaker Pimps remixes and the two Tae Kwan Leap sketches by The Frantics). Today, I have a 160 gig hard drive, with another 80 gig hard drive on the table next to it, waiting to be installed. My collection of music ripped from my CDs has likewise grown.
11. Half.com made it seem not retarded to buy used CDs, and the idea of buying music NOT online fell away completely.
12. My overall salary increased by almost 200%. Our total household income increased by over 300%.
13. We networked our computers, and I got over my fear of swapping/adding hard drives.
14. My physical CD purchases slowed to almost nothing, so the idea of ripping everything I buy seems much less onerous now.
15. Oh, yeah, and CD-ROM drives are now 10-40 times faster.
16. Oh, yeah, and burning software became cheaper or even FREE, depending on what you like. Also, they got better. Also, the music databases work better.
17. Oh, yeah, and blank CDs now cost 1/20th of what they cost when I was making that comparison.
18. I have a full-time job now where I COULD listen to an iPod, if I so desired.
19. John Gruber. Oh, Daring Fireball. Truly, I heart DF. See also http://daringfireball.net/2006
/12/apple_universal_conjectural _transcript
20. Macs stopped being so goddamn pricey (I remember when you couldn't get a Mac for under $3000. At that time I was bitching about the iPod, you couldn't get a Mac for under $1899.)
21. Vista seems determined to drive normal people out of computing.
22. I started using WMP instead of WinAmp. I stopped fighting The Man and just used whatever was at hand.
23. My car stereo STILL won't play burned CDs and is becoming flaky about playing normal CDs, so the idea of buying a good digital music player and integrating it into my car makes a little more sense.24. We bought a house, then refinanced to a lower interest rate, so I can't think of an iPod as half-a-year's-principal any more.
25. I got older, and so did my friends. I'm less of a judgmental firebrand now.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
A few years ago, I sat with a beautiful young woman as tears streamed down her face. Six months before our meeting, her world was full. A loving husband, a healthy toddler, fun friends, and a new home...Read More
A sepia tint covers the photograph of her sunscreen-lathered face at the beach. This same coloring alters the picture he took of the dinner he made last night, and discolors their new puppy in the snapshot of him snoozing at the foot of the bed...Read More
Sometimes we like what life serves up—and sometimes we don't. But most of the time, it simply depends on the attitude of the person holding the spoon...Read More
I used to have a fear of heights. I think it has something to do with the fact that my dad held my little brother over the Grand Canyon when he was three, and I was 10...Read More
If you need an awesome book to read, try "Lioness Arising" by Lisa Bevere. It is powerful and will...Read More


text:
Property Features
- Unipol Accredited
- Close to Leeds University
- Fully Furnished inc large TV
- Central Heating
- Double Glazing
- Whitegoods: Fridge/freezer, Washer
- Unipol Code Supporter Agency
Deposit: £200
Property Summary
Situated in a popular student area within a fifteen minute walk to Leeds University Campus and only 5 minutes walk to Hyde Park Corner.
This seven bedroom terraced house provides luxury, high specification student living in one of the best student areas in Leeds.
This property has been professionally developed to provide 7 double bedrooms and three bathrooms all presented to a high standard and giving substantial living space throughout each floor.
The open plan kitchen consists of a modern high gloss panelling with integrated oven, hob and fridge freezer provision for seven persons.
The property benefits from Unipol Accreditation.
The lounge boasts a large screen TV included in the inventory and has space for the dining table to be set for when the household gets together for group meals.
Each bedroom has a quality desk, bed, wardrobe and draws.
Externally the property has a front garden and rear yard which gives opportunity for useful bike storage space.


text:
Monday, May 23, 2011
Re-collect: Rome.
I trekked to Cacio e Pepe, guidebook in hand. I had starred the restaurant as a place to try. A table for one, alone. I decided to try the restaurant's eponymous dish. Cheese (pecorino) and pepper. Plain and simple.
I remember being transported by this dish. The fresh pasta. The simplicity of its sauce. And filling. When the waitress came to ask me if she could get me anything else, I was saddened to say no. But truthfully I was happy to give my high praises and thanks for a delicious meal. A delicious memory.
*Re-collect may just become a regular feature/snippet, resurrecting old photos, recalling old memories. Re-collecting those memories that remain twinkle every now and then in the mists of memory.
1 comment:
- ewa monika zebrowski said...
A lovely post!
Makes me hungry for Rome too...
The sights, the smells, the tastes, the colours...
And the ever melodious language...
- 2:52 pm
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I honestly do not understand the big fuzz around Evangelion.
It is surely a complex story, with clean drawings and an impressive setting, however, I find the plot lacking the proper bite that would have made me more interested and some passages are definitely too slow or too heavy.
The introspective part (considering also the characters' age) as well as the absurdity of the motives behind some of their decisions were too ridiculous in my eyes.
Possibly because I have never watched the anime, but just read the manga (which has been published quite slowly), but I have found hard to make a sense of all the story and some details have made me very confused.
I must confess I have not really got a proper grasp of the whole background or what has happened at times. I would have appreciated a linear plot, although I know it is quite common that in this sci-fi manga, the world elements as well as the history provide a usually interesting depth, despite being not always clarified properly.
Maybe watching the anime will make me reevaluate and understand better the world of Evangelion? I do not exclude giving it a chance, but as for the manga, I haven't been impressed.
Fate/Stay Night n. 20 by Datto Nishiwaki
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is one of the few manga based on a videogame that I really fully enjoyed when reading it.
I enjoyed the drawing style, even during some of the combats (when I usually lose myself and do not understand what is happening) and I mainly enjoyed the plot and the setting.
The story is interesting and the fact that there is mentioned something happening 10 years in the past, doesn't leave the reader completely confused (also because there is a manga focusing on what had happened then!).
Despite the fact that the action take place with a quite intense pace, there are pauses which gives the possibility to enjoy some more comical moment as well as more reflective or romantic atmosphere.
I do not know how much is really taken from the videogame plot, but the story develops unvealing mysteries and parts of the background, in a very strategic way. I did get slightly confused with the role of some characters, but despite that the whole setting is built in a very intelligent matter.
The role of the heroes, the mechanices behind the Graal battle and how history and modern times are connected makes everything pleasant and intriguing so much that I could think of reading everything again, if I had the possibility, to spot new details and understand even better everything.
The characters are also far from being trivial (and they could easily be flat being taken out from a game) and, despite some minor over-reflective parentheses, they leave some a good memory behind them.
View all my reviews


text:
Ahead of its release on May 19th and following Empire's recent reveal of new images, EW has unveiled additional looks at the film, including Michael Fassbender's "Spock-like" android Walter.
In addition to revealing new images from Alien: Covenant, EW also spoke with Michael Fassbender about playing two androids in the upcoming film, including how he wanted Walter to be different than David:
"I wanted Walter to be more Spock-like—devoid of human characteristics or emotional contents that are programmed into David."
You can check out the new images below, and to learn more about Alien: Covenant, visit EW.
Alien: Covenant synopsis: "Ridley Scott returns to the universe he created, with ALIEN: COVENANT, a new chapter in his groundbreaking ALIEN franchise. The crew of the colony ship Covenant, bound for a remote planet on the far side of the galaxy, discovers what they think is an uncharted paradise, but is actually a dark, dangerous world. When they uncover a threat beyond their imagination, they must attempt a harrowing escape."
Directed by Ridley Scott, Alien: Covenant stars Michael Fassbender, Katherine Waterston, Billy Crudup, Danny McBride, Demián Bichir, Carmen Ejogo, Amy Seimetz, Jussie Smollett, Callie Hernandez, Nathaniel Dean, Alexander England, and Benjamin Rigby. 20th Century Fox will unleash Alien: Covenant in theaters on May 19th. In case you missed it, check out our previous coverage of Alien: Covenant:
Images from Twentieth Century Fox via EW:


text:
XEvil 4.0 + RCModule: NEW best software complex for CAPTCHA's automatic solution
1. Incredible Intellect: "XEvil" can bypass more than 9000 of any types of Captcha,
including so popular, like Google-captcha ReCaptcha-2, ReCaptcha-3 (in XEvil 4.0 Ultra only!), Captcha.Com, SolveMedia, Bing-Captcha,
Facebook-captcha, Ucoz-captcha, Google-captcha, VBulletin-Captcha, SMF-Captcha and a lot of other
2. High speed and precision: in speed 1/100 second per image (only 1 second in DEMO version!),
XEvil can recognize and solve wide types or captcha with high precision,
without depending of difficulty, distortion, noises, fonts, colors.
3. Very easy User Interface: just 3 main buttons to start recognition,
it so easy to use XEvil with a wide spectre of SEO, SMM, Analytics,
Mass Registering/Autosubmit/Sending/Bruteforcing/Bitcoin Earning Software.
4. Changeable: logic of XEvil written with Lua - easy language,
so if it's needed, you can modify functionality as you want.
just google for "XRumer + XEvil".
Free XEvil Demo version is available!
See Ya!
ReCaptcha-2 DEFEATED!?
1 post • Page 1 of 1
- Posts: 312
- Joined: Sat Sep 29, 2018 1:27 am
- Location: Russia
- Contact:
1 post • Page 1 of 1
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest


text:
Michael Doyle
Fifth Form pupil, Michael Doyle, recently competed in the Shrewsbury Amateur Swimming Club's Open Meet in Wolverhampton.
Over the weekend Michael was hugely successful winning nine gold medals and two bronze. He also achieved three personal best times and received the Top Boy award.
Michael is a keen sportsman, swimming regularly and completing triathlons in season. Not only this but he is part way through training as an ASA Level 1 Judge, he is an ASA qualified Timekeeper and Aquatic Helper and he helps at the Oswestry School pool after school twice a week.
Certainly a busy and talented young man.


text:
The 2-Minute Rule for braceletThanks, I feel I'm gonna attempt it. (I just still left a dozen or so balls of crochet thread unbought at an estate sale this weekend...crap.)
You should be mindful with this particular phase. The melted wire is amazingly hot, and It is doable for getting burned, so you might also check out utilizing a soldering iron or Wooden burning tool for that melting step if you wish. Or perhaps use a little something like a butter knife, the aspect of one's lighter, or the knurled part of a tool to flatten out the melted conclude of the wire to finish it.
When I did SC I walked up the stairs with purpose and failed to decelerate,, some younger Adult men did phone out to me, but I just retained up my pace and eyes ahead and actually experienced no challenges.
Many thanks for commenting about your expertise with them. I hope that people will adhere to your lead instead of let them contact their arms or intimidate them.
I really like this pattern! I'm not incredibly utilized to dealing with wonderful thread so it is a small new and I don't have the right hook for this pattern but as a substitute I used a D hook and two strands of thread and it turned out good! Many thanks for Placing time into this sample!
Rated 5 out of five by Petitepois from Appreciate this Obtain I think this bracelet is not simply attractive but has served me. I felt the prayers of these After i obtained them.
- snap a photograph of them and threaten to phone the police. Exhibit them you are not someone that is usually pushed about if confronted.
Considering that 1895, founder Daniel Swarovski's mastery of crystal chopping has outlined the corporation. His enduring enthusiasm for innovation and structure has created it the globe's Leading jewelry and accessory manufacturer.
I just acquired some tiny spherical tigers eye beads, & was planning to make a bracelet very similar to your precise design and style & offer it in my etsy shop, but i fell in enjoy with it in advance of i concluded it, so I am holding it.
Took place to us way too previous 7 days. My GF And that i examine them ahead of the excursion and knew how to proceed. The first time one of these grabbed my wrist looking to get my hand away from my pocket and unsuccessful whilst I shrugged him off. Then he acquired intense. No problem... was prepared to conquer his wide nose a bit broader. ;) But I used to be in a position to go my way... The good news is for everybody. The final day of our trip we achieved the string men once more.
He replied that the weaving from the cotton/wool thread all-around your wrists or fingers is often a sort of voodoo excellent luck spell Which soon after casting it within the bracelet ritual they certainly demand from customers and hope payment!
I've manufactured quite a few bracelets for my excellent nieces and buddies, each slightly different. I love generating the bracelets and everybody I have produced them bracelet mala lotus for loves them. Thank you very much for your pattern.
Asking for 10 minutes to perform some sociological investigate, I was in the position to convince Stéphane to let me observe the bracelet men when they chosen their targets.
Swarovski jewellery genuinely boosts Imaginative self expression. From timeless daywear towards the Daring, glamorous, and fashionable jewellery and evening luggage, Swarovski launches new collections over a quarterly foundation, featuring anything For each will need and flavor.


text:
- loretolavarelloAsked on February 05, 2014 at 03:07 PM
Dear Jotform support team,
I have just created a form with a notification template. The problem i have is that the notification is arriving incomplete. I don t if it is because the form or the template is too long?. Can you help me please.
The form is the following:
- JotForm SupportBDAVIDAnswered on February 05, 2014 at 03:35 PM
Hi, upon checking your account I can see that your form submission is set to hide empty fields:
1) Go to My Forms
2) Click on the form, and the on Submissions
3) Click on the gear Icon, and uncheck the Auto Hide Empty Fields
Also, I cloned the form and filled out some of the fields, and I did not get the Empty ones because the Auto Hide Empty fields is checked (enable). So that might be the reason why you are not getting all the responses, since submitters might no be filling out all fields.


text:
Klagenfurt Vacations, Tourism and Travel
Travel Tips
Klagenfurt is a great city, the capital of Carinthia province. And it definitely looks like a capital city, although a little bit provincial. There are large streets, big pedestrian zone, big and important train station (Of which I liked the fact that there was a shelf with free maps of the city by the Tourist information center) and many many attractions like the Cathedral, the Parish church, the House with the parliament of the province, the old and new city halls and, of course the fountain with the symbol of the city – the "Lindwurm" (Wyrm is probably the best translation) [more ]
All Travel Tips
Klagenfurt - Top Locations
Top Rated Attractions
|1. Landhaus Klagenfurt
|2. Klagenfurter Dom
|3. Neuer Platz
|See all Attractions in Klagenfurt


text:
Winter New Member Happy Hour
February 20, 2018
5:00pm to 6:30pm
A happy hour reception providing new members and existing members an opportunity to mix and mingle. Join the Pacific Council for complimentary beverages and appetizers.
If you have any questions, please contact our Membership Department at firstname.lastname@example.com or (213) 221-2021.


text:
Next we are headed to the Westin in Buckhead.
Sunday, November 16, 2014
Indian Wedding today in midtown Atlanta.
First stop is the ceremony at this beautiful church off Ponce
Saturday, November 15, 2014
Wedding tonight at Villa Christina :)
Sunday, November 9, 2014
Engagement photo shoot in Athens today
Friday, November 7, 2014
Wedding tonight at Ashton Gardens!
Filming another beautiful wedding here at Ashton Gardens :)
Thursday, November 6, 2014
Engagement photo shoot in Helen Georgia
Just arrived at a horse farm in Helen for a beautiful fall engagement shoot in the colorful Georgia mountains. Pics to follow later this evening on Facebook and Pinterest
Sunday, November 2, 2014
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)


text:
iheartfaces .
Thursday, April 11, 2013
I heart faces photo challenge WIND
Posted by Jodie Mae at 10:05 AM
2 comments:
- Carrie Hetu said...
I love the beauty of your photos here.....what a beautiful family you have. May your sons remission be very, very long lived, your story truly touches my heart.
- April 14, 2013 at 9:09 AM
- Heather said...
Greetings Jodie! Great pictures! My name is Heather and I just have a quick question about your blog! My email is Lifesabanquet1(at)gmail(dot)com
- September 16, 2013 at 1:17 PM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
Your shopping cart is currently empty.
World Models Sport &
Scale Kits
Hawker Tempest
Mustang E.P 40
FW 190 Special Offer
The U.K's Best Selling Hitec Servos
Genuine Tower Pro Servos
Spektrum Servos
Savox Servos
FlyZone Indoor & Park Fly
Micro Super Cub
Any Link RC Adaptor
Ben Buckle Kits
Elf Biplane
Super Sixty 4CH
The World Models RangeTWM 1/5th J3 Piper Cub
TWM 1/4 Super Cub
TWM J3 Cub 48/52
All Lipo Bags,Sacks &
Li Po Safes Inc World Models
NEW Hard Case Li Po Safe
NEW-Medium Li Po Safe
New-Small Li Po Safe
The Wings Maker ModelsUltimate EP KitHandyKing 40 EP
Sunrise Low Cost Aerobatics!
50cc Large Scale Paulistinha
Ogar Scale E.P Glider Kit
Radio Control CarsExpert RC Car Staff!
AquaCraft Scale RTRBillings BoatsHorizon Hobbies Pro Boats
Last 90 Days
Last 365 Days
Latest Sales Items
The Paradise is the ultimate in RC relaxation at the lake!
Not only does the Paradise sailing boat come with a factory-fi tted 2.4 GHz RC-system, even the rigging is taken care of. There is no need for any tools, and sanding and painting have also been done for you. As the Paradise is powered by the wind alone, all you need to get under way are some ''AA'' batteries and a trip to the lake!


text:
Revenue from the recently passed California gas tax is already being used to fund or accelerate roadwork projects through the state, including several in the High Desert.
Caltrans recently unveiled a new interactive map called "Rebuilding California" that appears to show all the construction projects to improve infrastructure and roads all over the state.
Everything from pavement overlay to bridge and culvert replacement can be seen through the map — and officials are investing funds from the recently passed Senate Bill 1 to boost these projects, moving construction timelines forward by as much as a year.
SB 1, the road repair and accountability act of 2017, invests $54 billion over the next decade to fix roads, freeways and bridges in communities across California and puts more dollars toward transit and safety, according to Caltrans.
Generally, the new funding will double transportation dollars for local communities, with each community determining for themselves how they will utilize the funds, said Caltrans District 8 spokeswoman Terri Kasinga.
"So far, in District 8 alone, over $1,000,000,000 will be allocated towards revitalizing the transportation infrastructure in Riverside and San Bernardino County because of SB 1," Kasinga said.
And the funds are already being put to work — Kasinga said more than 200 major "fix-it-first" projects statewide, collectively worth over $5 billion, should be going into construction a year earlier than planned. Caltrans has also expedited design work on 50 additional pavement projects, worth $243 million, expected to go into construction as soon as this spring.
"While these projects are not directly funded through SB 1, they are being accelerated due to the passage of the bill, and the additional revenue we expect to receive," Kasinga said.
The boost is already being felt in the Victor Valley, according to Caltrans, which lists several local roadworks projects here in which SB 1 funds will be invested to.
In Adelanto, future projects include renovating and replacing asphalt on Adelanto and Rancho Roads and widening Bellflower Road as it approaches Palmdale Road, which is expected to begin early this year, according to city engineer Brian Wolfe.
The additional SB 1 funding has allowed the town of Apple Valley to double their efforts to maintain their streets, with resurfacing projects planned for Cronese, Kasota, Mandan, Shoshonee, and Tao roads, town spokeswoman Gina Whiteside said.
"With the SB 1 funding, we are able to include all of these long segments in a single year," Whiteside said. "Otherwise, they would likely have been completed over several budget cycles."
Hesperia noted at least one project that directly benefited from the influx of SB 1 funds. The city's 2017-2018 Annual Street Improvement Program, already in the city's budget for the year, got a helping hand from the revenue already being collected through the tax.
City spokeswoman Rachel Molina said the program consists of removing and replacing asphalt on Main Street from Hickory to Fifth Avenue, starting in early February and expected to be completed in about 45 days. The extra SB 1 dollars let the city extend that all the way to Third Avenue as well.
"Without those funds, the project would stop at Fifth Avenue with the remainder of the project would be required to be planned for next year," Molina said.
Yet despite the benefits of having additional revenue for local infrastructure — Wolfe called it "essential" — the bill has not come without its healthy share of detractors from the day it was introduced. Many have opposed the tax hike, locally and statewide, citing California's already higher-than-average taxes.
"Senate Bill 1 or the so called Road Repair and Accountability Act is a joke," Victorville city councilman Eric Negrete said. "Senate Bill 1 should be called the Diverting Road Repair Tax Revenue Again Act."
Caltrans only listed one road improvement project for Victorville in its "Rebuilding California" map, the Village Drive Pavement Rehabilitation project from Mojave Drive to Air Expressway. Yet city spokeswoman Sue Jones said the city was seriously considering the use of the funds at all, as they seemed to come with a steep price.
"When we applied for the funds, we didn't understand the unfair, negative impact it could have on the City's General Fund," Jones said, explaining that in order for the city to receive $700,000 in SB 1 funding, it would have to spend over $500,000 from its general fund.
Caltrans notes on its website that SB 1 funds will be split equally between state and local investments, with a total of $26 billion to be spent on local streets and roads statewide. Many of their local roads funds are matching funds and grants.
"As usual, we have yet another naïve and misguided tax coming out of Sacramento that will not do what it is supposed to do," Negrete said.
Yet the city acknowledges SB 1 could be a useful source of revenue for the $5 million project, which will rehabilitate approximately 3.5 miles of Village Drive between Mojave Drive and Air Expressway. Sidewalks, ADA-compliant access ramps, curbs, gutters and bike lanes will all be added.
"We would have undertaken this road improvement project regardless," Jones said. "SB 1 could be a helpful supplemental resource, but we are evaluating if we want to use the funding."
Visit http://rebuildingca.ca.gov/map.html to view the "Rebuilding California" interactive map, which allows you to search for projects by location, and for more information on SB 1.
Paola Baker may be reached at 760-955-5332 or firstname.lastname@example.com. Follow her on Twitter at @DP_PaolaBaker.


text:
gonna go make soup now
just so you know
I made soup tonight...
Two types of squash, red pepper, udon noodles, ginger, chilli, garlic.
I've never actually made a soup myself, always from a can...
teach me scout, teach me
what soup would you like to make..?
And I shall instruct you
hmmmm ok, what abouuuuut
something involving rice, something spicy. does such a thing exist?
I made a lovely spinach and potato soup with green chillis and rice
It didn't really need the rice but it was for a long hike one day up in Scotland and it was perfect.
Well all soups have an onion base, mainly, but I'm allergic to onions so I forgo that bit.
Just fry the onion in some butter, fry anything like garlic, ginger, chilli at this point. Pour on boiling water, add stock cube, add all your chopped up veg. Boil. Blend. At this point add your cooked rice/noddle type stuff.
Just make it up as you go along, pretty much anything works in soup. if you want specific recipes PM me. I'm a soup addict :-)
(Courgette and green chilli would be pretty good with rice)
Does anyone mind if i jag my soup recipe?
Thanks, tips would be appreciated. Cauliflower will be my next ambitious step.
I made a soup last night for my flu-ridden girlfriend
it was a kind of french onion soup, but without the french onions. I used red onions, port (instead of red wine and brandy) and a fair bit of thyme. It tasted really nice.


text:
Sheila, So sorry for your stressful week. But my goodness! I'm so glad they found that aneurysm before something dreadful happened. And happy to hear the tumor was benign. Tell your dad he's in a strangers thoughts and prayers tonight.
As for the alpaca....I'm only getting the fiber...not the whole critter, though I'd give something very precious belonging to dh to have one! They're sweeties!
Littlechick & Cottage-- The fiber is going to get all washed and brushed and then spun up into yarn. I have lots and lots of presents to make for lots and lots of people. Handspinning is not really an "instant gratification" type hobby. But I love the softness of the fiber, playing with colors (do lots of dyeing) and seeing the different types of yarns I can make. But I tend to knit socks, hats and scarves b/c they don't take long. Sweaters will be sometime down the road.
Fuzzy-- I loved reading your story about "Dude". I'm grandmom to a beautiful angora bunny that belongs to my DD. (I get the fur) How cool that he would greet you with little bunny kisses...Beach Gal...did you read that??? Tell your BIL to make sure he gives Dude lots of TIMOTHY hay, as they need lots of fiber. And plenty of green veggies and water so he doesn't get wool block. (kinda like hairballs in cats).
Peggy-- Sorry you're feeling down, but just take a look at those stats of yours!! That is just TOO AWESOME, girl!
The rest of you gals....have a great evening...I'm off to bed with a good book!
Catch you in the morning!


text:
tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6078698061883704408.post5505956867840128880..comments2018-06-20T22:24:44.420-05:00Comments on Privet and Holly: EnoughPrivet and Hollyhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6078698061883704408.post-44551922543201848592014-04-11T05:02:56.423-05:002014-04-11T05:02:56.423-05:00The task that I find most daunting, that of packin...The task that I find most daunting, that of packing for our trips, will never be looked at the same, after my blog visit here. You shared your heart in a real way, and once again I was drawn in. I can't imagine getting the news you received during vacation. I am sure my thoughts would have been taken there again and again. I wondered if my list would reach or exceed the 43 things on Fiona's list? Good words to reflect on today. Beautiful photography and challenging words. Thank you!Just a little something from Judyhttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6078698061883704408.post-33058068607792721972014-04-09T05:17:43.843-05:002014-04-09T05:17:43.843-05:00Gosh I can't even imagine getting a call like ...Gosh I can't even imagine getting a call like that. It does make you think though. I would be upset about losing some of my heirloom items and photos but really, as long as we were ok, life goes on I suppose.
I hear ya about the packing thing - it's always worse packing for a cold destination when sweaters and warm stuff takes so much space!lisaroyhandbagshttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6078698061883704408.post-21416084118826452182014-04-07T04:17:43.112-05:002014-04-07T04:17:43.112-05:00Oh my goodness, how very sad for your neighbor. At...Oh my goodness, how very sad for your neighbor. At least they are all right (I presume, since they weren't home?).

The first thing would be to make sure the cat was o.k. There are some very very old photographs of my grandparents and great-grandfather, and my books. And my books - but there are too many - yet there's some sacrilegious about burnt books (the mere thought physically hurts). Joytihttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6078698061883704408.post-27783608144852327112014-04-06T20:55:58.508-05:002014-04-06T20:55:58.508-05:00Wow. What a loss. I'd say I can't imagine,...Wow. What a loss. I'd say I can't imagine, but I almost could. Our house was ALMOST burned once, when we were remodeling and the guys who refinished our hardwood floors put all of their oily rags into a dumpster on a hundred+ degree day. The bags combusted when we weren't home, and our neighbor saw flames leaping into the trees above. Thankfully they were home, called the fire department, grabbed a garden hose, and saved our house. But it shook me up for a while.

I've thought a lot about what I would have lost if our house burned to the ground, and I can honestly say that, because my children and husband were with me, I'd have lost nothing. That's not to say that I wouldn't grieve, but I would have what really matters most to me--my family.Shelly W.https://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6078698061883704408.post-51114933580080008742014-04-06T09:52:41.079-05:002014-04-06T09:52:41.079-05:00I can only imagine the shock of this Suzanne. How...I can only imagine the shock of this Suzanne. How very sad.. As time goes on I think our priorities change and we realize what truly matters and what does not. When I was a 12 year old and living in CA we almost lost our home to a brush fire in the mountains that was consuming neighborhoods. We evacuated a-midst flying flames and the wind and smoke was blinding. I held my kitty (she went potty on me!) at the doorstep as my parents scrambled. I recall my dad yelling "I'm getting the photos" .. People were screaming and scrambling as we drove away. The outcome was good. My parents were able to get back, water down the house and we were okay. We left with ourselves, the animals, and our photos.

I hope you enjoyed your vacation despite this horrific news and I pray that the family receives the support and assistance they need to recover from this.

xxleslieLesliehttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6078698061883704408.post-40899647568309993672014-04-05T15:53:36.425-05:002014-04-05T15:53:36.425-05:00I'm so sorry to hear about the loss of your fr...I'm so sorry to hear about the loss of your friend and neighbor's home! I would have to think about my number too, but like you, the most important things are my family and pets. Lovely images, and I'm glad you had a wonderful trip with your family!

xo KatLow Tide High Stylehttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6078698061883704408.post-27313846022844421412014-04-04T17:36:18.442-05:002014-04-04T17:36:18.442-05:00I'm truly sorry for your friends. That must be...I'm truly sorry for your friends. That must be devastating and such a shock. :-( When I decided to change my life and move to Australia, I had to let go of 90% of my belongings, maybe more. It was absolutely gutting yet utterly freeing and cleansing at the same time. Once the letting go was done and I headed off to my future with two suitcases and a carry-on, I felt like I could take on the world. :-) Rambling Tarthttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6078698061883704408.post-71066752080235170692014-04-04T15:55:04.859-05:002014-04-04T15:55:04.859-05:00on the one hand i don't think i would miss a t...on the one hand i don't think i would miss a thing if the humans and animals are safe, and on the other hand, i think i would grieve it all. i really like our sofa and spent a lot of time shopping for it. i have earrings i couldn't replace and art made by my kids and nieces. a few other things. this is a good exercise, suzanne. how is that our belongings come to own a part of us? i mean, i still see a pair of killer jeans and believe with all my heart they are going to change my life. true!

happy weekend.

michelemichelehttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6078698061883704408.post-55101234634389764642014-04-04T11:13:52.702-05:002014-04-04T11:13:52.702-05:00I needed to read this today. We are on vacation: w...I needed to read this today. We are on vacation: were in an accident on our way down here to Fl. The car is in Charleston, SC being repaired. We now have a rental car. At each stop (there have been many) my hubby moans about how much I have packed and brought that we have to lug into each place we go. What can I say, I like to be prepared:) I can not imagine the shock of losing your home to a fire. There are so many MEMORIES within the walls of a home...........Pinky at Designs by Pinkyhttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6078698061883704408.post-41307001941393546812014-04-04T08:58:23.754-05:002014-04-04T08:58:23.754-05:00I have photos that I would hate to lose. Otherwis...I have photos that I would hate to lose. Otherwise, just my life and my husband's. Oh, and our dog, M'selle, of course.

Love,
MaryMary Timmershttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6078698061883704408.post-28215547556634420642014-04-04T00:48:27.622-05:002014-04-04T00:48:27.622-05:00I think the shock would feel like being robbed. Pe...I think the shock would feel like being robbed. Personal. Unforgiving. So sad. Then you count your blessings. The older you get the less things matter. Only the mementos. Irreplaceable. Grief. Thoughts. From one who has given away most of her things and is free to travel,I am sorry for your friends. xo JennyJenny Shorthttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6078698061883704408.post-18526836105510731002014-04-03T22:40:09.087-05:002014-04-03T22:40:09.087-05:00I am sorry to hear about your neighbor's home,...I am sorry to hear about your neighbor's home, Suzanne...I'm sure that would be hard to go through. Other than family photos and a few family heirlooms, all is replaceable here, too. Your photos are BEAUTIFUL!!Linda @ Itsy Bits And Pieceshttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6078698061883704408.post-49138200125181495222014-04-03T21:21:35.224-05:002014-04-03T21:21:35.224-05:00I feel so bad for your neighbors...to come home an...I feel so bad for your neighbors...to come home and see ashes, or maybe a skeleton of their home. I have never really thought about what I would miss. I've joked that I would carry my Hoosier cabinet out on my back if we had a fire! But honestly, it's sad to lose anything you love, but you go on.

XO,
JaneBlondie's Journalhttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6078698061883704408.post-19806300841956213332014-04-03T19:42:09.426-05:002014-04-03T19:42:09.426-05:00That's quite a question. I'd like to say ...That's quite a question. I'd like to say that I'm not attached to things but maybe just a few...mostly things from my mom, I'd guess. Obviously the family comes first. How horrible about your neighbors. It really does make you think, whether you want to or not. Thanks for the beautiful photos. (Oh, and jealous of your vacay, we have stayed put.) Charm Bracelet Diva {at Home}https://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6078698061883704408.post-18317277343861418812014-04-03T18:39:49.674-05:002014-04-03T18:39:49.674-05:00Life with meaning, people who make me love them an...Life with meaning, people who make me love them and the entire world, memories and moments of gratefulness, contentment and fullness of the heart. It is plenty! You are right again, there is more to life than things. Thank you for these heartwarming photos and always inspiring words! Sylviahttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6078698061883704408.post-68492563267030153362014-04-03T17:02:14.964-05:002014-04-03T17:02:14.964-05:00An extremely thought provoking post, my friend. On...An extremely thought provoking post, my friend. One that I shall be pondering for a bit. xoDiannahttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6078698061883704408.post-33268673536081046582014-04-03T16:32:01.248-05:002014-04-03T16:32:01.248-05:00Just said a prayer for your neighbors. That would ...Just said a prayer for your neighbors. That would be extremely hard. I am so sorry for the hurt they are experiencing as well as their friends like you that hurt for them and will for some time.Bonniehttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6078698061883704408.post-62258827851123279842014-04-03T15:42:25.139-05:002014-04-03T15:42:25.139-05:00I love your photos they really do capture southern...I love your photos they really do capture southern california. My favorite is of your daughter on the beach...I love her clothing...it reminds me of how I like to dress.

A few months ago our neighbors, a few blocks away, house burned down. It is really hard to witness...and it made me think too. I believe the treasured items that I would not want to lose can be counted on my two hands...I do not think it would be more than that. I too would only care that our family and pets were safe. None the less, home is where the heart is and to lose our home would be devastating. Seawashed Kerriehttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6078698061883704408.post-9862621535677699852014-04-03T14:08:18.693-05:002014-04-03T14:08:18.693-05:00As usual, all of your photos are exquisite, but th...As usual, all of your photos are exquisite, but that hummingbird one?! Amazing. Wings down. Incredibly hard to do!

43 things is interesting--it's also the number an online web movement uses for goal setting! (http://www.43things.com)

I've had these kinds of ponderings, too--what really matters? The digital world makes this a different issue for me than when I was a kid because I can have so many of my photos in such a small space. But still...if you had to start all over...what would that mean?

So sorry for your neighbors. Prayers for them as they rebuild.
xo
~firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6078698061883704408.post-90376031568097310092014-04-03T13:08:36.936-05:002014-04-03T13:08:36.936-05:00It's strange but I was thinking about this ver...It's strange but I was thinking about this very thing this week while watching about the devastating mudslide in our neighboring state of Washington. I thought of the lives lost, the homes, everything and decided that all of 'this'(things) really is a bonus...things we can do without. Things we can accumulate again if we will it.
I love this post dear friend and am always thankful how much your posts make me dig down within and think.
much love...Junehttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6078698061883704408.post-66138566787980842032014-04-03T12:55:03.086-05:002014-04-03T12:55:03.086-05:00Your spring break looks lovely! I'm so sorry ...Your spring break looks lovely! I'm so sorry to hear about your neighbors. It is certainly not easy to lose everything like that, even though I'm sure they feel blessed that no one was home or hurt. I would be very sorry to lose irreplaceable old photos (which is why I need to scan them and upload them somewhere)…..and items from loved ones who have passed on. There is so much sentimental value in some things aren't there? Lisa @ Shine Your Lighthttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6078698061883704408.post-45242737217482784522014-04-03T12:55:00.389-05:002014-04-03T12:55:00.389-05:00Your spring break looks lovely! I'm so sorry ...Your spring break looks lovely! I'm so sorry to hear about your neighbors. It is certainly not easy to lose everything like that, even though I'm sure they feel blessed that no one was home or hurt. I would be very sorry to lose irreplaceable old photos (which is why I need to scan them and upload them somewhere)…..and items from loved ones who have passed on. There is so much sentimental value in some things aren't there? Lisa @ Shine Your Lighthttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6078698061883704408.post-18550973836171014722014-04-03T10:28:08.109-05:002014-04-03T10:28:08.109-05:00Oh so hard for your neighbor! My heart just aches...Oh so hard for your neighbor! My heart just aches, but so thankful no life was lost. People and relationships....the rest is just "stuff." The important things remain. If I know you, you will be there with a cup of tea, a warm hug and a listening ear. XoMary Boyumhttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6078698061883704408.post-59959960531396224702014-04-03T09:36:37.082-05:002014-04-03T09:36:37.082-05:00OH my heart hurts for them. And yes...everyone com...OH my heart hurts for them. And yes...everyone comes to a place in their lives where they suddenly do a double-take. Usually it's like a whiplash.. and you are left reeling before you can really stop... a LIFE-Check incoming. What is most precious in all of this journey? I think the one thing that would be devastating would be if I had left my pets behind while out of town, and lost them....No comfort would come in the immediate present. (we use a petsitter, rather than board our senior buddies) Thank you for a moving post Suzanne. It makes many people think about this kind of horror, without having to experience it first. sending BIG BIG hugs to you girl. Love your writing gifts. xoxo <3Juliehttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6078698061883704408.post-40182454510578343192014-04-03T07:31:05.857-05:002014-04-03T07:31:05.857-05:00Anita, they think the fire started at the gas mete...Anita, they think the
fire started at the gas
meter, near the porch
of their house. Scary
stuff! xoPrivet and Hollyhttps://email@example.com


text:
Some of you may remember this idea from last year --> Old post.
I haven't given up on her! She's one of the favorite character's I've made.
The not-so-happy-bride. I think marriage is a big commitment for both sides, and I don't like that bride-characters are usually portrayed as extremely eager. I'd be a nervous wreck, even if I did meet the right person. Although, I wouldn't be a Bridezilla.
This is a real place!! They've been trapped in one lake for so long without predators that they evolved without stingers.


text:
The Would-Be Terrorist's Explosive Tell-All Tale
Monday, July 24, 2006
JIDDAH, Saudi Arabia -- When Abdullah Thabit recently saw a photo of one of the Sept. 11 hijackers for the first time, he felt a jolt of fear, and then a sadness so intense that tears streamed down his cheeks. The hijacker, Ahmed Alnami, was from Thabit's home town, and he looked familiar.
Thabit is the author of "The 20th Terrorist," which recounts his years as a religious extremist. He thinks he could easily have been in Alnami's place.
"I felt like someone who'd gotten off a boat just in time and then watched it capsize with him and the others onboard," Thabit says. "I love Nami, but I hate what he did. And it terrifies me that that could have been me."
In "The 20th Terrorist," published in Syria in January, Thabit, a 33-year-old school administrator, chronicles his life among extremists led by a loosely knit group of public school teachers in the southern Asir region of Saudi Arabia who recruited him when he was in the ninth grade.
That the book went on sale in Saudi bookstores last month is an indication of how far the country has come in the five years since the attacks. It was a bestseller for several months on the Arab online bookstore Neelwalfurat.
Fifteen of the 19 hijackers were Saudi, but for months after the attacks officials here denied any Saudis were involved. And until recently, criticism of the country's religious establishment and educational system has not been tolerated.
Since his book came out, Thabit has gotten favorable fan mail, and in March Prince Khalid al-Faisal, governor of Asir province, where the majority of the Saudi hijackers came from, bought 50 copies of "The 20th Terrorist" in Lebanon. The prince then invited the heads of Asir's education departments to his weekly salon and distributed it to them as mandatory reading.
But many other Saudis are angry about the book's revelations. Thabit was bombarded with hundreds of nasty e-mails each day from people calling him a traitor and an infidel. Some threatened to kill him. Then came the menacing phone calls. That's what finally spooked him. On April 3, in the middle of the night, he packed his bags, got his wife and two daughters into his Ford Grand Marquis and drove the 420 miles from Abha, in southwestern Saudi Arabia, north to Jiddah on the Red Sea, where he now lives.
Thabit continues to receive death threats. "They are like a mafia, a gang, and I am revealing their secrets. They want to silence me," he says.
"The 20th Terrorist" is one of he first books to describe how extremist teachers in Saudi public schools used apparently innocuous after-school activities such as soccer training, Koran memorization lessons and camping trips to separate teenage boys from their families and slowly indoctrinate them in takfiri ideology -- the belief that all those who don't follow the same puritanical extremist views are infidels.
Thabit recounts in detail the cultlike atmosphere of the extremist group he belonged to, and how it instilled loyalty to the group, and hatred and mistrust of the enemy.
"We were taught that our Islam was correct and everyone else, including our families, was going to hell, a hell that resembled a slaughterhouse. And I wanted to be one of the select few who made it into heaven," he says.


text:
Hi ladies I'm 18 weeks tomorrow just wondering if I should be feeling movements by now? I we have 12 year old but I can't remember when I first felt movements on him. Feeling a little worried as I had a silent miscarriage last may and I'm extremely anxious as a result. Thanks for any replies xx
My placenta is at the front and only now (20 weeks and 4 days) I finally started feeling something - either very low or right at the belly button - like air bubbles burst. I guess those are kicks and baby moving around. She is very calm baby I have to say. I only feel her when I guess, I squeeze her a bit too much, lying down or bending uncomfortably.
There will be another week or two. But the week 21 scan is almost here and I will get to see all the beauty moving again.
So do not despair. I guess it is all normal.
Hi, I'm 20 + 5 and haven't felt any movement yet. I think my placenta is at the front and this is the reason why, really hoping to start feeling movement soon. The doctor said that it could still take a few weeks :( I'm really hoping I begin to feel something soon as the lack of movement is making me very anxious
Hi. Hope you are feeling something by now. I was 21 wks before i got anything proper
Oh great thank you. I'll try to sit back and relax a bit!
I couldn't feel any movement on my last pregnancy until about 26 weeks. I'm now 19 weeks on #2 and still can't feel anything. I think it can sometimes depend on the position of the placenta.
Any time from now but it's still pretty early so don't be worrying. By 22 weeks should feel definite movements x
www.RollerCoaster.ie - For the Ups & Downs of Pregnancy & Parenting
Copyright ©2000 - 2019 Rollercoaster.ie.
All content is copyright Rollercoaster.ie.
Reproduction of any part of the content in any form is prohibited.


text:
Please understand that High Risk Training is a small business which keeps classes small for the benefits of the students, and so, no reservation will be held for you and you will not be registered for the class until deposit has been received.
2) Course Payment
If your class is canceled, your payment is fully refundable. If you cancel at least 21 days prior to the first day of the class, half of your deposit is refundable. Or the full deposit can be applied to reserve another available class space in the future.
If you cancel with less than 21 days remaining before the beginning of you class, your deposit is totally NON-REFUNDABLE.
3) Returns
Our return policy lasts 30 days. If 30 days have gone by since your purchase, unfortunately we can't offer you a refund or exchange. To be eligible for a return, your item must be unused and in the same condition that you received it. It must also be in the original packaging. To complete your return, we require a receipt or proof of purchase. Please also include a note with a reason for the return and your e-mail address.
4) Terms
By accessing this web site, you are agreeing to be bound by these web site Terms and Conditions of Use, all applicable laws and regulations, and agree that you are responsible for compliance with any applicable local laws. If you do not agree with any of these terms, you are prohibited from using or accessing this site. The materials contained in this web site are protected by applicable copyright and trade mark law.
5) Use License
Permission is granted to temporarily download one copy of the materials (information or software) on High Risk Training LLC's web site for personal, non-commercial transitory viewing only. This is the grant of a license, not a transfer of title, and under this license you may not:
This license shall automatically terminate if you violate any of these restrictions and may be terminated by High Risk Training LLC at any time. Upon terminating your viewing of these materials or upon the termination of this license, you must destroy any downloaded materials in your possession whether in electronic or printed format.
The materials on High Risk Training LLC's web site are provided "as is". High Risk Training LLC makes no warranties, expressed or implied, and hereby disclaims and negates all other warranties, including without limitation, implied warranties or conditions of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement of intellectual property or other violation of rights. Further, High Risk Training LLC does not warrant or make any representations concerning the accuracy, likely results, or reliability of the use of the materials on its Internet web site or otherwise relating to such materials or on any sites linked to this site.
In no event shall High Risk Training LLC or its suppliers be liable for any damages (including, without limitation, damages for loss of data or profit, or due to business interruption,) arising out of the use or inability to use the materials on High Risk Training LLC's Internet site, even if High Risk Training LLC or a High Risk Training LLC authorized representative has been notified orally or in writing of the possibility of such damage. Because some jurisdictions do not allow limitations on implied warranties, or limitations of liability for consequential or incidental damages, these limitations may not apply to you.
The materials appearing on High Risk Training LLC's web site could include technical, typographical, or photographic errors. High Risk Training LLC does not warrant that any of the materials on its web site are accurate, complete, or current. High Risk Training LLC may make changes to the materials contained on its web site at any time without notice. High Risk Training LLC does not, however, make any commitment to update the materials.
High Risk Training LLC has not reviewed all of the sites linked to its Internet web site and is not responsible for the contents of any such linked site. The inclusion of any link does not imply endorsement by High Risk Training LLC of the site. Use of any such linked web site is at the user's own risk.
High Risk Training LLC may revise these terms of use for its web site at any time without notice. By using this web site you are agreeing to be bound by the then current version of these Terms and Conditions of Use.
Any claim relating to High Risk Training LLC's web site shall be governed by the laws of the State of Ohio without regard to its conflict of law provisions.
General Terms and Conditions applicable to Use of a Web Site.


text:
Monday, 30 September 2013
Dimensional Hallowe'en
7 comments:
Love the striking red behind the master. Makes him pop right out of there. EEEKK!!!! xxDReplyDelete
This is superb. xReplyDelete
j'adore c'est superbe !!! Aurane/DT-T4SReplyDelete
Great project, Love that spider.ReplyDelete
Thank you for joining us at 613 Avenue Create
Huggsss, Angelique
Oh my, that Nosferatu always makes me feel a chill up my spine. I'm more of the Frank Langella sexy vampire type girl. LOL However, you achieved a good bit of spooky here with the coffin and the spider in its web. It works perfectly for the Opus Gluei Halloween theme and I'm delighted you came over to play with us!ReplyDelete
Eeek! I think that is what he is saying when you open the coffin! Great webs and love this coffin! Awesome piece.ReplyDelete
This is great. Love the spider you added. Perfect creepy detail. Thank you so much for playing along with us at OPUS GLUEI.ReplyDelete


text:
Why Great Staff Sometimes Leave
We've all been there; a fantastic member of the team comes to you and says that they have been offered an unbelievable opportunity…somewhere else. You're gutted. And with that comes the instinctive response to pay them more and/or give them more power or a better title.
But is that really the solution?
The short answer is no.
When a star member of your team is offered an opportunity elsewhere, they are rarely moving on just for the money. More often than not it's about personal growth, development, variety and new learning. It might be that they have just outgrown your business and want a fresh challenge. If this is the case, then what can be gained by keeping them with you? It would only stifle their enjoyment and enthusiasm for the work.
So when someone wants to leave, ask yourself if it's right that they should stay. Not just right for you and the business, but right for them too. And don't take it personally; it might just mean that you have developed them so well that their horizons have widened. Isn't that a wonderful thing?
To be able to let someone go gracefully, it's important to have plans in place to replace them, training and development designed that allows another to move in to that role and/or a recruitment strategy that attracts the right people for your business.
If you haven't got that yet, have a free coaching session where we can help you plan.


text:
I'm reading Valjarevic's "Diary of Another Winter" on the subway and am thoroughly enjoying myself. Apart from the fact that it made me want to write some more, the book has had therapeutic effects. I guess I am learning things. At least I am aware of my problems and willing to try to resolve them. I have to learn to be more patient and to appreciate the little things in life, to see the beauty in the ordinary. And I think I'm starting to get there.
Oh and the elections are over and I didn't get to say anything about that. Eventually I did go and vote to give Boris another chance. And honestly, I am happier with the results than I thought I would be. Although the country is going to hell and I'm glad I'm not there, at least the end of that ghastly coalition government is in sight, and with it hopefully the end of kostunica. So that would be one big problem out of the way.
But Serbia would not be Serbia if it didn't find something to be divided about. And I'm not talking about politics or Kosovo independence but Eurovision. It's the time of the year when we decide who will represent Serbia in… hm, Belgrade. On YouTube there is a heated discussion, full of insults and aggression over who should sing in the Arena in May.
Surprisingly, having in mind all the additional media attention, no really big names on Beovision this year. The overall quality of the songs is lower than ever. I guess everyone is saving their better work for some more exotic location. Not as much fun when you can take a taxi to the venue and not get to stay in a fancy hotel free of charge. Some names are popping up as potential winner, so here's my view on the three main contenders.
Ridiculously named Beauty Queens, the back-up vocals from our entry last year, have another Molitva-esque power ballad, and look like they are ready to pose for a bridal hairstyles catalogue. I think not.
The much lauded favourite, another ethno hit from the Zeljko Joksimovic, stands a good chance of winning, but I hope it won't. Apart from the fact that I think this song is actually about Kosovo, it's just another in a long line of songs with the same recipe. The lyrics don't really make much sense, but you add a few archaic words, some tears, dreams and stuff, a touch of rural through the mentioning of a domesticated animal, crop or something similar, a tone of religiousness, and superimpose that on an unidentifiable world music tune from somewhere between Iran and Ireland and you've got a Joksimovic Eurovision hit. But, really, this is getting a little old.
My personal favorite, and the only actually decent piece in the lineup is the even more ridiculously name Zoe in Groove Land or whatever. It's catchy, positive and fun, and I hope they win. With a touch of calypso it has a sort of Little Mermaid – Under the Sea vibe. So if we fail to join the EU, maybe we can eventually join the Caribbean Union. In the spirit of the omnipresent US election, in my neighborhood: I am Reluctant Dragon and I endorse Zoe.


text:
RYAN McBride admits it was an 'emotional moment' when leading Derry City out onto the Brandywell pitch against Dundalk on Friday night as captain, on the fifth anniversary of his late mother, Noreen.
It's a difficult time of the year for the Brandywell lad but he claims it was a special night as his extended family gathered in the stands to watch him lead out his hometown club for the first time.
And given it was the weekend of Mothering Sunday, it was particularly poignant for McBride who had his mum in the forefront of his mind throughout the game.
"It's a tough time of the year for me personally," said the Derry skipper. "It was her anniversary on Thursday but it was an honour for me to lead my hometown club out onto the pitch.
"All my family were here watching me so it was a proud moment for me," he said.
"It was a big moment for me and I think she would have been looking down on me saying 'I'm proud of you', so I'm over the moon about it.
"Obviously it was a pity about the result," he added.
McBride, who returned from suspension to partner Shane McEleney in central defence, produced a typical lionheart performance on the night as City were under the cosh for the majority of the first half. His night even looked like it would come to a premature end early in the first half when he took a tumble over the back of David McMillan, but he carried on regardless.
In fact the defence as a whole, including, of course, Gerard Doherty who made two superb saves, were excellent during that opening 45 minutes as they soaked up wave after wave of Dundalk attacks.
However, McBride admitted it was a 'stupid mistake' from the central defensive pairing which resulted in the winning goal for the 'Lilywhites' in the second half as Dane Massey ran into space and drilled Ronan Finn's pass into the far corner.
It was a big moment for me and I think she would have been looking down on me saying 'I'm proud of you', so I'm over the moon about it. Obviously it was a pity about the result,Ryan McBride
"They just got a lucky break. Our man didn't follow the runner and it's these simple things that either win or lose a match.
"I thought the gap between myself and Shane was a bit wide for the goal. It's stupid mistakes that are costing us. And we have to learn from them in training and take that into the next match."
McBride actually felt Derry were the better team overall but he was disappointed with their lack of ingenuity in attack as Dundalk keeper Gary Rodgers, was largely untroubled throughout the 90 minutes.
"I think first half was a bit poor from us to be honest. I think defensively we played well but in terms of creating chances, it just wasn't good enough.
"In the second half, apart from obviously the goal, we battled well throughout the whole half. We just couldn't get the goal in the end.
"It was a big step up from Galway definitely," he added. "Dundalk are not champions for nothing. They have some great players and they work hard. They're a fit team as well. Things just didn't work out for us."
McBride believes Derry can bounce back in Sligo.
"Drogheda beat Sligo on Friday night so we're both going into the next game after a loss so we'll have to go down there and give 110 per cent and make sure we get a result."


text:
So, you've got yourself a team of dedicated Biology grads, or you've taught yourself all the basics of Molecular/Synthetic Biology. It's time to make a start-up !
But wait, aren't you forgetting something?
- Knowledge workers Check.
- Tons and tons of ideas Check.
- a workspace/large-sized dorm room Check.
- equipment che…wait, what ?
Yes, there's a large difference between a Software startup and a Biotech startup… the equipment needed to test your humongous collection of semi-viable ideas !
For a software startup, the equipment needed are easy :
- Code monkey(s).
- Computer(s).
While a Biotech company, on the cheap, will at least need the following to test their ideas:
- PCR equipment
Many Biotech projects will be manipulating DNA — operons for metabolic pathways, genes for specific molecules… — and to do that you need to be able to manipulate the specific piece of Genome you've decided to test, modify, or study. To do that, a PCR is essential, and there are several to choose from. Going from "industrial/lab" strength to DIY/biohacker grade.
- Reagents, Culture media, etc…
(this is highly dependable upon the idea/project, but since you're doing Biotech, it's very probable you at least have a few cell cultures to take care of).
- Basic Lab Equipment (test tubes, Erlenmeyers, etc…).
- Microscope(s).
(This depends on whether you need to observe something in-vivo or not, or if your project requires it).
There are many probably other basics I'm missing, like safety & health equipment, etc…
So, how would a wannabe-bioentrepreneur get started ? How can you validate the ideas if you're low on funds ?
There are several options, depending on how much you/your team can muster together, if you have jobs on the side, etc… :
- "Collaborate" with a local university.
This works particularly well if you can get your hands on an interested professor or researcher, who might plea with the administration on your behalf to grant you access to their equipment.
- Work in a hackerspace.
Hackerspaces adapted to this kind of work are slowly creeping up all around the world, they tend to be very well versed in open source and open hardware (OpenPCR, etc…) and can be a good place to validate the ideas in themselves (when validated, you'll still need market research and probably funding at some point, if you plan on launching a product).
- Buy time for specific parts of your experiment on University or industrial equipment, using ScienceExchange, a marketplace for experiments !
So, that will be all for today,
Have fun !
I'm currently going through the Fizzle introduction courses, and the one I'm in — Finding your Subject — has led me to evaluate a dozen or so possible subjects with a Weighted Decision Matrix (fun little tool, I'll probably use that again in the future !).
I've narrowed it down to one of these (or a combination…):
- Biotechnology.
- Crowdfunding.
- Wearable Technology (+- App Development).
The final part of the course is to write 5 blog posts ( + a hypothetical product outline) on each of the ideas.
This is number 5/5 of the Biotechnology subject.
PS: The Fizzle Show is an excellent podcast, go listen !