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| by Justin Thomas |
While I've never wet myself while laughing, I came close during Hot Fuzz on opening night. Frank and Skinner have hopped into a police car and are attempting to make their escape with Danny and Nicholas firing their guns whilst in high-speed pursuit. A swan suddenly appears in the road. Frank pulls the wheel hard to the right, the car lifts into the air and flies over Sandford in slow motion. Aaron A. Aaronson looks up in amazement. The car crashes past the Model Village. My bladder remains intact but I can barely see through the tears I'm laughing so hard.
Afterward, it bothered me because the first viewing convinced me I'd just seen a well-constructed movie with the exception of the Model Village. I didn't get why it was there. It was a surprise and I thought they'd missed something even though everything else was so tightly wound. Subsequent viewings showed me Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright set up the joke just fine in the screenplay but I missed the clues.
In the whirlwind trip from Nicholas Angel's going-away party to his entry to the Swan – the hotel, not Sandford's Most Wanted, – there's a quick road sign indicating the direction to the Model Village. It's not a "Welcome to Sandford – England's Model Village" but an actual model village. That's clue one. Clue two comes when one of the Andys tells Nicholas, "If you want to be a big cop in a small town, f*ck off up to the Model Village." Again, the actual model village. It's hidden well but if I had really been paying attention I wouldn't have been so surprised when it happened, and it's precisely what makes Hot Fuzz work so well in terms of storytelling.
The story, even with its layered absurdity, absolutely works. As with Shaun of the Dead, the screenplay is constructed in such a way the payoffs, both in the jokes and in the story, are established well enough that everything is earned. There are no cheats and it avoids Shaun's sticky wicket. It is not boring. While the screenplay is the easy target when a movie doesn't work, typically everyone up to and including the best boy gets the credit before the screenplay when a movie does work (generalizing, I know, but it feels that way). Hot Fuzz is so tight there is no way the movie could work if it didn't start from a perfect screenplay. (I know, I know, the hoodie infestation subplot fell to the floor in editing, but that doesn't mean it didn't work at the writing stage.)
I kinda like it here
I've tried to sniff out the influence of Monty Python on Pegg and Wright, and I believe I found it in Hot Fuzz. For you heathens in Buford Abbey who might not know, Monty Python wasn't about jokes but about setting utterly absurd situations in normal, everyday life. Why were there Vikings in the shop selling Spam? Because they didn't belong there and it was funny. Why set that very American genre of the buddy cop/action movie in a quaint English village? Because it doesn't belong there and it's funny. Why have Angel uncover the sinister plot of land speculation, murder and baked beans when the Neighborhood Watch Alliance actually killed people for trivial reasons such as building a house that hardly kept with the village's rustic aesthetic? Because it's absurd and, consequently, funny. That's a direct line back to Flying Circus.
But the sinister plot of the N.W.A., whether it's what Nicholas and Danny uncovered or doing the necessary things to win Village of the Year, isn't the story. Hot Fuzz is about getting Nicholas to the point where he says "I kinda like it here," and everything else is just the MacGuffin. It's a really fun MacGuffin, but all the sinister plot does is get Nicholas interacting with Danny and Sandford to the point he learns he doesn't need to be the Sheriff of London. Danny's a huge part of that but so is the rest of the crew at the Police Station, and once they stop being blinded by Frank, they get in line, become police officers with whom Nicholas would be proud to serve and the put an end to the N.W.A. All the mechanics of the plot do is serve to tell the story of how Nicholas gets comfortable living in Sandford.
Everyone and their mums is packing 'round here.
Nothing comes out of left field in Hot Fuzz. Everything is set up early and, if necessary, often, so that when the payoff hits the payoff is earned. There are no points where everything gets bogged down for the heavy emotional moment from which the movie can't escape. It's similar to a house of cards in that every moment is there for a reason; if one were removed, or altered, the entire thing might come falling down.
The movie opens with a massive amount of information as to why Nicholas Angel is a super cop, but the first time we learn about who he might be as a person comes when Janine accuses him of being unable to switch off. It happens again when Danny tells him to switch off that big melon of his. The payoff happens when Nicholas finally switches off and lets Sandford's Finest know that, even though manpower might be a bit sexist, he knows Doris doesn't mind a bit of manpower. It's mostly character development but it also illustrates how the change didn't happen for no reason (an example where that occurred would be Norm in Avatar).
Another example would be when in Roper's shop, Danny tells Roper they're just looking for the one swan. Later Danny has to tell Roper they're just looking for the one killer, which is the clue Nicholas needs. Both shots are set up identically with virtually identical lines to allow the audience to make the same connection.
In Shaun, Ed describes to Shaun what the events Z Day will be in drinking terms. Bloody Marys in the morning, a bite, a couple, a little princess and stumble back to the Winchester for shots. "Have you ever fired two guns whilst jumping through the air?" "Have you ever fired one gun whilst jumping through the air?" "Have you ever fired your gun whilst in high-speed pursuit?" "Have you ever fired your gun up in the air and gone 'ah?'" Danny describes everything that will eventually happen but it's not forced or out of context because he's happened across the super cop and wants to know about proper action. And sh*t.
One more for the road, and it's a doozy: in the pub, Nicholas wants to know who's packing, one of the Andys says farmers, who else, the same Andy says farmers mums. Hot Fuzz is so well put together the first person in Sandford to pull a gun is the farmer's mum.
I think you would have made a great Muppet...
Hot Fuzz picks a moment to get heavy just like Shaun did, but how Hot Fuzz handled it could make a case for Pegg and Wright knowing they made a misstep in the first movie. Nicholas and Danny have that heartfelt scene where they get down to brass tacks as to who they are. Nicholas used to drive around his pedal car and arrest his friends, which built his sense of right and wrong and rule of law. Danny listens, is concerned and knows Nicholas needs to learn how to switch off. It's a heavy moment because not only are they connecting, they're connecting over why they became police officers and they both have something ugly in their backgrounds that caused it. Nicholas had a bad uncle and Danny lost his mom. It slows down, the music goes soft, then Danny stabs a fork into his eye with blood splattering everywhere. He reveals the joke and they get back to drinking while Nicholas switches off. Finally. The scene gets heavy but doesn't last long and the heaviness is countered with a laugh. There in that scene, dear reader, is Pegg and Wright learning.
Morning, Sergeant
During his first run through the village everyone greets Nicholas with, "Morning, Sergeant." Later in the movie, at least a solid fifteen minutes later, Nicholas chases Peter Cocker through the village and we get one last "Morning, Sergeant," which adds a layer of humor to the excitement of the chase. It's so slight it might be easily missed but it also illustrates how nothing was left to chance. It helps make Angel just running through a bunch of gardens more than a boring run through the gardens.
There are two massive sequences of information dump: one when Nicholas and Danny attempt to solve the crimes and one when Nicholas finally meets up with the killers. Both could be squashed by the amount of information but by adding layers of humor and style Hot Fuzz gets away with it. While going through those murdered and the Sandford Bloody Citizen, each character murdered has things that can get a laugh while also describing why the N.W.A. decided to kill each one. Eve Draper had an appalling laugh, the cause of her death sentence, but Danny gives the "fingers..." to provide one for the audience. Martin Blower wasn't necessarily a bad driver but was unquestionably a bad actor. And the payoff comes in after identifying a plausible plot, Danny gives up and says maybe they weren't murdered.
And the midnight meeting of the N.W.A.? The chanting of "the greater good" substituted just once with "crusty jugglers" does it. It's long but there's a good, non-boring laugh in there supporting the insanity of them killing people because of reasons they think might prevent them from winning the all-important Village of the Year award.
Wow. I'm sorry about the length of that. I'll get out of here in a moment.
There are too many things in Hot Fuzz that match too well for them to be happy, on-set accidents. Please note that Frank and Danny wear the same cowboy outfits at the fete they wore in their photo with Danny's mum. That one might be easy, but the farmer's mum one isn't. Pulling off the scenes of exposition isn't. Establishing a character so well that we absolutely buy that he'd stop during a high-speed pursuit to grab the escaped swan, because that's also his duty, can't happen on set. Or maybe it can, but maybe not leaving it to chance by starting with a solid blueprint might help a movie's chances.


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The Chronicles of Edinburgh, Part XVIII – Night
Lady Gaga freaks me out. She does. Her videos especially. She's just so…odd. Anyway. I don't know what this has to do with anything – point is, what I was going to say reminded me of her one song…
I seem to like night more than any other part of day.
Well, I like morning too, but I can't get up early enough to appreciate it 99% of my life.
Yeah, it's creepier and darker and everything seems just a little more intense, but that's what makes it exciting, don't you think? The idea of night, darkness, all that theatrical stuff.
But without the theater.
It's just cool – lights are brighter and shinier.
And in the winter months, I can always look up and see my old friend Orion keeping me company wherever I am.

subset: commoncrawl


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Gilda Sansone
Latest advertisements of Gilda Sansone
Biography of Gilda Sansone
Born in the Campanian town of Pompei on 4 April 1987, Gilda Sansone had always dreamt to be a model. This dream should become true. In a casting interview for Italia's Next Top Model she stated that, as a child, she was charmed by the models on the billboards and hoped to be one of them one day. To achieve her goal, in her early teen-age years, Gilda took part in a few beauty pageants and eventually won the title of Miss Ondina Sport in 2005. After her win on Italia's Next Top Model Sansone also got back to school to graduate in Social Studies.
After the show Gilda got a contract with d'Management Group in Milan and did a photo shoot for her spread in Italian Elle magazine, both part of her prize. Soon after her win Sansone also became the face of the 08/09 collection of Oxjho urbanwear and walked in Alta Roma Fashion Week for the Superior Institute of design of Naples. In late April 2008 she also moved to New York for a while, there she did a shooting for her appearance in the Lavazza Espresso Experience 2009 Calendar, working alongside with Italian top model Eva Riccobono and renowned photographer Annie Leibovitz.


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Tasty Bakery and Café opened its doors in September 2016 in the heart of Mikocheni Centre a neighborhood with a rich history of beautiful homes, creative residents, and small local shops and restaurants.
Tasty Bakery was started out of passion for good pastry and coffee. She is determined to give customers value for money with the best kind of pastry and bites available.
The space in a new building was a hidden gem and a perfect space for a cozy European-style pastry shop & café with local influences. With ample seating space inside and a few chairs outside we offer a warm environment that is both pleasing and comfy as you enjoy your snack & coffee on your way to work or from work.
We hope the neighborhood will embrace Tasty with our amazing quality pastries, food and drinks. We intend to keep the same relaxed and chic atmosphere which also has free wi-fi and has ample parking space available.
Tasty is proud to be known as the best scratch bakery in town. The staff is wonderful and the talented chefs create delicious, fresh food using the best ingredients. Handmade crepes, grilled paninis, salads and soups are offered for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The pastry selection includes croissant, macaron, cupcakes, decorated sugar cookies, tarts, crepe cake, and many seasonal offerings.
Tasty Bakery and Café is a few doors down from Shoppers Plaza. It's there that Tasty's creative cake team bakes and decorates original works of art for weddings and special occasions.
Finally, Tasty Bakery and Café also offers catering - breakfast and lunch trays, box lunches and pastry trays. Both on-site and off-site catering.
Tasty Bakery and Café shares a commitment to the community, and a passion for excellence in food and service.
Learn about new items, custom picked just for you.
Notification for member sales, events and promotions.


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Motorists are advised that the Omagh Half Marathon is due to take place today, Saturday 26th March.
The event will move off at 11am from Omagh Leisure Centre and move through the town and out onto the Crevenagh Road, Hospital Road, Killyclogher and Gortin Road side of the town.
Motorists are asked where possible to avoid the Old Mountfield Road, Mountjoy Road and Gortin Road between 10.30am and 2pm.


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To take part at it I did some aptitude tests,a language test, and I also filled in lot of forms. But at the end I'm here ready to go.
Personal blog of a wanderlust damsel. Exchange student in the Netherlands with Afs.
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Top 100 International Blogs
http://en.bab.la/news/top-100-international-exchange-experience-blogs-2016 Thanks to everyone that voted for me! 11 out of 100, I think it...
mercoledì 20 maggio 2015
Afs, Intercultura
I know very well Afs because I went with it in Australia for two months. I think it's very good because it gives you advice and also help you to understand the experience you are going to make with meetings and formative camps. It supposes to follow you step by step during your year abroad with volunteers. I think I made the right decision to choose this association. Anyway I will tell you during my time abroad.
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Some Thoughts On Breaking News
I spent the entire day today sitting in front of the computer analyzing pictures of dyes transferring between cells. Not terribly fascinating to most, but it did give me the opportunity to watch CNN and have various reactions to the day's events. Here they are, upchucked, in no particular order:
- Happy Martin Luther King Day. Today on Jack Cafferty, Cafferty wondered why the disparity between Whites who claim we have "come so far" since King's dream while Blacks largely believe that there haven't been many steps forward taken. Hmm, Cafferty, could it have something to do with white privilege and Whites choosing to hide in the belief that the only acts that constitute racism are violence and hatespeech?
- Speaking of MLK -- is anyone else irritated by the fact that the South creating a simultaneous day to honour certain Confederate dead actually holds enough weight such that certain ignorant colleagues of mine actually have the gall to actually speak of both days and both honourees in the same sentence? Let's keep shameless, racist agendas where they belong: in a place where we do not dignify them with verbal reference.
- Bush usurped the memory of MLK and Rosa Parks to further his own political agenda. He called for greater participation in the political process which we all know is him paving a way for a series of useless and even painful pieces of legislation all under the guise of "equality". This from the same president who has had one of the worst records as far as dealing with the issues of people of colour and civil rights (if not the worst, and that's including all those presidents who supported slavery). This from the president who, until a month ago, refused to support renewal of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Cliched though it's become, Bush does not care about black people; and a whole lot of hand-waving on MLK Day isn't going to help save his image when he left thousands of Black Americans to die on the streets last year.
- Wire-tapping is illegal, and thank God Gore had the nutsack to say it. If only the rest of the Democratic party had these cajones, I might almost forgive Al for the lacklustre performance that gave us this whole problem in the first place.
- A guy got sucked into the turbine of a 737. That just sucks.
- Finally some concrete evidence supporting the idea that the Chinese discovered The New World before Columbus. This map seems hard to argue against, should it be proven to be authentic, and I'm approving the inevitable correction to the history books. What this means, in a practical sense, though, I have no idea -- beyond a lot of dick-waving by the Chinese, I'm not too sure why anyone would really care. It's not like we're about to disband America, nor will this mean that the Native Americans (who we all can agree found The New World long before either party in question) will finally get their land back.


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Court records identified the guy accuseded of killing another man and kidnapping his ex-girlfriend Wednesday early morning in west Las Vegas.
Joseph Fernandez, 27, deals with charges of murder, first degree kidnapping, home invasion, theft, battery with a lethal weapon, and conspiracy.
Officers reacted to the shooting in the 3300 block of Robin Nest Court, near Desert Inn Roadway and Hualapai Method, at 3:49 a.m. Wednesday after next-door neighbors stated they heard a female yelling in the driveway.
Getting here officers found Terrell Jones with numerous gunshot wounds, authorities said. He was taken to University Medical Center where he was noticable dead.
Cops said the Fernandez went to his ex-girlfriend's home, kicked down a door, shot Jones inside and abducted the woman.
Fernandez entrusted to the female in a gray BMW. He took his ex-girlfriend to Jessica Tolentino-Arciga's house near Torrey Pines Drive and Tropicana Opportunity and repelled. According to Fernandez's arrest report, he struck his ex-girlfriend numerous times in the head, pointed a weapon at her and told her she would be killed if she didn't stop shrieking. He and Tolentino-Arciga forced the woman onto a bed, the report stated. Fernandez sent out Tolentino-Arciga to the house where Jones was shot to see if police had gotten here, cops said.
The victim was able to escape to a close-by Walgreens and call for 911 aid.
Soon, Fernandez's vehicle was spotted by Metro's air unit in the area of Jones Boulevard and Russell Roadway driving quickly and erratically. Officers utilized the PIT maneuver to basically make the suspect's car spin out on northbound Interstate 15 and Tropicana Avenue. Fernandez was nabbed and carried to University Medical Center after he complained of chest discomforts.
Cops likewise took Tolentino-Arciga from the apartment or condo off Torrey Pines and Tropicana into custody. She is charged with conspiracy to kidnap and accessory to murder.
Police stated they are checking out the relationship between the suspect's ex-girlfriend and the guy who died. Private investigators said they believed he was an acquaintance, not a boyfriend.
Detectives also stated the thought shooter was in a bike gang and his ex-girlfriend had a limiting order versus him given that Nov.
. Copyright 2018 KVVU (KVVU Broadcasting Corporation). All rights booked.


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Today I am showing you another project I made while I am the Guest Designer for Inky Antics Stamps this month.
I wanted to make a couple mini album's for my little grandsons, so I was tickled to see Benson fly into the scene-perfect for what I had in mind! I colored him up and added him on to the front of the mini with pop dots- Adding in a few embossed clouds and Lukeys name in red to finish up the front page.
Thanks for stopping by-tomorrow I hope to show off Benton again, so be sure to stop back
Luke's Album
Cardstock: Riding Hood Red, Kraft, Garden Green, Night of Navy & Miscellaneous
Designer Papers Inside: Basic Grey Wander & Imaginisce Let's Roll
Silhouette-Cut Files: Mini Album January-December Pages, Clouds
Copic Markers: E31, 33, 34 & 37
Miscellaneous: Bind It All, Pop Dots, swiss dots embossing folder


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HIGH DOSE CHEMO AND STEM CELL TRANSPLANT. Part 2.
I HAD A LYMPHOMA/25 focused on the proposed preventative treatment to block a return of the Non- Hodgkin"s cancer that is now in full remission. This Hub, based on my research and again, owing a great deal to the British Leukaemia Research Charity, is all about the extensive preparations that have to be undertaken prior to treatment being administered.The purpose of these is to ascertain the general fitness and wellness of the patient, given the intense nature of the treatment to follow. It is good to know these are usually done at the local Hospital to reduce travel time and costs.Many of the tests follow the tests undergone before the CHOP treatment which has brought about the remission of my cancer.
These involve Blood Tests, Kidney Function tests, Lung Function tests, Heart function tests and also recommended is a Dental Check up so any minor work to be done is completed prior to treatment due to the risk of infection post transplant. At the same time it is not advised to have any major Dental work undertaken as cavity healing can delay the start of treatment.There is also information on the cosmetic effects of Chemo to consider, especially regarding hair loss. At the start of my CHOP treatment, I had my step son shave my head to allow all to get used to the look. This was a good step to take. Already following the end of CHOP it is now regrowing and this would also occur around 2 months after transplant treatment.The NHS offers a free wig/toupee for those who wish it, but I did not feel any need for that and have noticed, when in the Chemo Centre that many ladies of all ages apparently see no need for the wearing of a wig either.
One key effect of high dose treatment is to render the patient infertile and this can be upsetting for younger patients than myself. As with almost everything in the fertility area it is not 100% certain that infertility will follow and contraception continuance is recommended where applicable to the circumstances of each patient.Men wishing for a family later can store semen prior to the start of treatment but options for females are more difficult apparently.
Standard tests for Blood are carried out to give required information on Blood Counts, Group, Kidney. Liver and Bone functions, Iron levels, and Clotting. Where required the need for immoglobins and paraprotein will be also revealed. Kidney Function is vital and tests are given to ensure that the function is able to perform as required under treatment. 2 ways can be used, one called EDTA clearance involves the injection of a radioactive dye into an arm. 2/4 hours later blood tests are then taken to complete the procedure. The second method is to collect Urine over a 24 hour period. The vessel used for collection is provided by the Hospital and is returned with the collected amount when a blood sample is also taken.
Heart and Lung function tests are pretty standard. Heart measurement is done by either a MUGA Scan or an Echo. MUGA involves two injection in the frighteningly named NUCLEAR MEDICINE Department. The injections are about 30 minutes apart following which pictures of the heart are taken. ECHO involves stripping to the waist and taking up a position on the side of the body. Gel is then put around the heart area and a probe is then moved around the area producing an image on an attached monitor for print off. I had this test prior to CHOP in this way just as my Lungs were tested by a series of blowing activities into various tubes as directed by a Technician, I am sure my results post CHOP and INTRATHECAL will not be as good as they were then as the drugs seem to have taken atoll which I hope is but temporary.Subject all being well, the next step is Hospital Admittance for the main events and these will feature in the next Hub, some of which may not fit easily with those of a nervous disposition.
Lethargy Continues.
The above deals with potential events but currently, I am still battling through the after effect/side effects of my final INTRATHECAL Treatment. I am now on day 8 following the dose and around now the side effects will, if as previously start to fall away. Headaches this time have been minimal, though it feels as if an old style Diver"s Helmet has been fitted on me.Finger tingling is already reduced to manageable, but toes still suffer and seem unusually cold, as if circulation is suffering. I shall report this if not improved in 3 days, as by then most effects should have minimised. That will hopefully include the lack of energy that besets me currently and the desire to sleep ,especially and strangely, after Breakfast! Any movement beyond the totally normal saps strength and induces breathlessness and this is my major concern currently as my mouth ulcers are already, thankfully, subsiding. A few more days will provide a clearer picture and determine future action on this front
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Summer season (May to July) is the warmest season of the year, falling between Spring and Autumn.
Weather in the Summer grows warmer, and in some areas, the heat translates to drier temperatures. This hot, dry time of the year demonstrated the continuous growth of the Yang (阳) energies that have started in and growing steadily over the 3 months of Spring.
The Yang (阳) energies will continue to grow and gain strength over the next 3 months of Summer and every day, the weather gets warmer and warmer until the Yang (阳) energies reach the peak at Summer Solstice.
Summer Solstice
The Summer Solstice is the day with most daylight hours in the year. It occurs once annually. It usually takes place on 21st June but can occur between 20 to 22 June for certain years.
The significance of Summer Solstice marks not only the longest day of the year, it also marks the peak of the Yang (阳) energies' growth.
This is a very important observation point about Nature. It symbolizes the transition between the 2 binary forces of Nature (Yin 阴 and Yang 阳).
As with all things, the Yang (阳) energies that have reached the peak, will start to decline. This is also the time, the Yin (阴) energies will be ushered in, which will gradually gain strength as the Yang (阳) energies decline.
The other significance is the union of the Yang (阳) and Yin (阴) energies which are, akin to the joined couples in marriage. It is the formula for abundance and the bearing of fruits as a result of that union.
Seeds planted in Spring are full of Yang (阳) energies that finally bear fruits. Dreams you acted upon since Spring (if you have done so), would also come to fruition.
In Synch With Nature
The way to live right is to be in sync with how Nature lives hers.
Read on and we'll share with you 5 simple yet powerful tricks you could easily do to be in sync with Nature.
1. Sleep
In Summer, we should try to sleep between 9pm and 11pm (solar time), and wake up between 5am and 7am (solar time).
2. Emotions
There is a reason why Nature gets warmer and warmer in Summer. The natural intent is to get you to sweat. You heard it right! Don't loathe the heat, get out there and sweat it out!
On the same token, don't bottle up your feelings, frustrations, angers and worries. Release them out in appropriate ways, otherwise, you may be paving the way for illnesses to surface in Autumn. So, don't sweat the small stuff!
3. The Pitfall of Air-conditioned Environment
It's the body's natural response to open up the sweat glands on the skin to allow sweating to take place, when you need to.
It's ironic that, the more Nature wants us to sweat, the more we want to hide in the comfort of the air-conditioned environment. When the body senses the coldness, it blocks the sweat glands from sweating.
Now, how many times in a day, do you transit in and out of air-conditioned environment to the outside under the sun? Your body keeps turning on and off the sweat glands, and over a prolonged period of time, the sweat glands would be out of order.
If the sweat glands are out of order, it also mean the Lungs System is also out of order. This gives rise to the various commonly seen skin disorder conditions, skin allergies, etc.
Cool yourself down adequately before entering the air conditioned environment.
4. The Pitfall of Cold Drinks
We know it's heavenly to have a nice icy cold drink in the midst of the Summer's heat. Read on and it may change the way you view those cold drinks.
In Summer, our Stomach and Spleen Systems are naturally at their weaker states. For those who have not lived in sync with Nature in Spring, Summer is the time where these areas may give rise to health issues. The commonly seen issue is diarrhea.
Cold drinks are going to aggravate the situation further! They will trigger and expedite frequent diarrhea in those weaker persons.
Excessive cold drinks are also going to hurt the Lungs System. When the Lungs System is hurt, it's going to aggravate the skin disorder conditions further.
5. Live Right
So what happens if you do not live right in Summer? It's going to hurt your Heart and Lungs Systems. When they are hurt, the symptoms will only show up in Autumn, especially, coughs, eczema and even frequent skins allergies.
The easiest, quickest and most damaging ways to hurt the Heart and Lungs Systems are not sweating enough, air conditioned environment and cold drinks.
Here are 4 tips to care for the 2 systems:
Heart Care Tip #1
Heart Care Tip #2
Lungs Care Tip #1
Lungs Care Tip #2
There you go, just 5 simple but potent tricks to see you through Summer!
Live Right and You'll Live Bright!


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Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999)
Felicity Shagwell
Basil Exposition
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Young Number Two
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Mike Myers has so much charisma and cheese that he usually can carry all roles. I'm actually sick of his Scottish accent though. Nailing about 4 role in these films, he literally is the film. So it boils down to whether you li... read more
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"This might surprise you, but I'm one of the few people who didn't like the first Austin Powers movie, mostly because I found the title character irritatingly crude. Austin Powers 2, on the other hand, is funny as hell. There's not nearly as much annoying low-brow humour, and it builds on the recycled jokes from the original so cleverly that, if anything, they're even funnier this time around. The characters are great, particularly Mini-Me, who steals every single scene he's in. :) It was a toss-"
" More of the same. More babes, bigger boobs, sexier and more revolting and sick jokes. Heather Graham is perfectly cast as eye candy girl agent from the 1960s. Disgusting new character Fat Bastard is so revolting that he ruins much of this film with bad language and puke-worthy behavior (which probably was the point)."
" as Assassin"
" Directed by Jay Roach Starring Mike Myers, Heather Graham, Seth Green, Robert Wagner, Mindy Sterling, Rob Lowe, Michael York, Verne Troyer, Jerry Springer, Steve Wilkos, Jennifer Coolidge, Gia Carides, Muse Watson, Kevin Cooney, Brian Hooks, Clint Howard, David Koechner, Kevin Durand, Tim Bagley, Jeff Garlin, Rachel Wilson, Carrie Ann Inaba, Will Ferrell, Bree Turner, Burt Bacharch, Elvis Costello, Willie Nelson, Woody Harrelson, Charles Napier, Kristen Johnston, Tim Robbins, Laura Kinnear, F"


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Right guys, we are going to try something new! This beautiful original Paper Panda papercut is called 'Settled' and was recently displayed at a National Trust exhibition in York. We are going to offer this piece in a blind auction - basically, all interested bidders submit sealed bids, so that no bidder knows the bid of any other bidder. The highest bidder pays the price they submitted and wins the cut! Got it?
So all you have to do is email us (email@example.com) with your bid using the subject 'Settled', and keep your fingers crossed! Bidding starts now and will close at 8pm on Sunday night, 15/10/17. Good luck! x
Cut from a single sheets of hammered paper, floating and framed in a handmade Paper Panda beech wood box frame.
Signed and dated on the mount and the reverse of the papercut, finished with the engraved Paper Panda plaque on the reverse.
Edition: 2/3
Size: 12x15"
Certificate of authenticity included.


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Course handouts are now available
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Programme Updates. Programme Overview and - Video Symposium on Challenging Cases now available.
(results will display both Free Papers & Poster)
Mid-term PresbyMAX® results
Poster Details
First Author: E.Sunay TURKEY
Co Author(s): U. Dinc O. Kavalcioglu A. Akyurt
Abstract Details
Back to Poster listing
To evaluate the mid-term results of the micro-monovision PresbyMAX® treatment for presbyopic correction.
Veni Vidi Eye Center, Istanbul, Turkey
The data of 252 patients (504 eyes) who were called for the postoperative ninth month examinations were evaluated in this prospective pilot study. The ablation pattern was created by Schwind Amaris 500-E system with micro-monovision PresbyMAX® application software. All cases were undertaken with LASIK technique.
Pre-operative median of refraction spherical equivalence was +1.75 +/- 0.71 D (between -5.00 and +5.00 D). The mean addition necessary for near reading of 20/20 at 40 cms was +2.25 +/- 0.25 D. The post-operative ninth month median of refraction spherical equivalence was -0.39 +/- 0.32 D (between -0.28 D and + 0.51 D) and the addition when necessary for near reading of 20/20 at 40 cms was +0.62 +/- 0.17 D (null to +0.75 D). 201 patients had an uncorrected distant visual acuity (UCDVA) of 1.0 (79.7 %), 33 cases (13.0 %) an UCDVA of 0.8-0.9 and 18 patients (7.1 %) had an UCDVA of 0.6-0.7. 237 patients (94.0 %) had an uncorrected near visual acuity (UCNVA) of >/= 20/30, 12 cases (4.7 %) had an UCNVA of 20/40 and 3 patients (1.1 %) had an UCNVA of 20/60. Corneal spherical aberrations uniformly turned to 'negative' in all cases due to the treatment.
PresbyMAX® is a bi-aspheric cornea modulation technique which enables a multifocal refractivity and therefore increases the depth of focus without affecting the far distance vision. During PresbyMAX® excimer laser procedure, in the central portion of the cornea, a hyper-positive area for near distance vision is created and the pericentral cornea is ablated for the treatment of ametropia. The dominant eye is emetropized for far distance vision and the defocus of -0.875 D is obtained. PresbyMAX® procedure changes the spheric aberation negatively. This finding indicates a formation of multifocal surface of the cornea after the procedure. PresbyMAX® seems to decrease effectviely the presbyopic symptoms and correct far distance refraction in the same treatment session in most of the treated patients having presbiopia without symptomatic cataracts. Further evaluation is necessary to understand the long term benefits of this procedure. FINANCIAL INTEREST: NONE


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Marché might be one of the swankiest restaurants in Menlo Park, but it is also one of its most neighborhood-friendly restaurants — especially when it comes to its bar. John Sanders has worked behind Marché's bar for eight years and has gotten to know its steady stream of regulars, one of whom is even responsible for developing Sanders' palate for wine and spirits. Meanwhile, it is another regular who is responsible for its signature cocktail: the Chi Chi Rodriguez. It was inspired by a friend who wanted something with tequila, and who also happened to be very fond of Arnold Palmers. Though he has been at Marché for eight years, only recently has Sanders begun to develop the restaurant's cocktail program that focuses on all those classic concoctions such as the Marché Manhattan, which features Michter's 10-year-old rye whiskey, Carpano Antica vermouth, a dash of orange bitters and an orange twist. 898 Santa Cruz Ave., Menlo Park, (650) 324-9092, www.restaurantmarche.com
Where are you from originally? I was born in Abilene, Texas. I grew up in Bakersfield, and I've been living in the Bay Area ... it'll be 13 years in October.
So Bakersfield ... You know it's odd. It definitely has a small-town mentality, but the population of Bakersfield is approaching 500,000 people. A lot of people don't realize it's as big as it is. People who travel Interstate 5, at the turnoff for Bakersfield, there's a huge truck stop; a lot of people think that's Bakersfield, but it's not.
When you order a cocktail, what will it be? A well-made Manhattan is a drink to behold, and a well-made martini, even though it sounds fairly simple, is actually really easy to mess up.
How do people most often mess up a martini? I see all sorts of mistakes. Say you just rinsed out your mixing can with hot water, you immediately put ice in it, the ice begins to melt, you're going to get a watery drink. People shake entirely too much as far as I'm concerned. I rarely shake drinks unless it has fruit in it.
For someone at home who is making a martini, what's your biggest piece of advice to them? Ice. Ice is the biggest key. Trying to make a drink with the ice cubes [typically made in an ice tray], you can get one or two of those in the shaker, plus the booze, but they're not really conducive due to the size of the ice to making proper drinks. You should really have ice no bigger than [the size of a marble]. And you can make ice at home with anything and everything. If you're having a cocktail party at home, go buy a bag of ice because it's a lot smaller than these huge blocks that you're going to get from the trays in your freezer. The other thing is if you're using ice in your freezer that you froze three months ago, it's going to be kind of gross. If you melt it and pour it into a glass, it's going to taste like the turkey that's in there. It's amazing how much flavor the ice will pick up that's in the freezer.
Squeeze orange with citrus press. Shake all ingredients including orange rind and strain into chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lime twist and enjoy.


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On our 40th anniversary trip to Mexico last fall, one of my favorite "meals" was the night we had pickled carrots in Oaxaca City. The day had been full, beginning with a long run (Dave)/walk-run (me) through the streets and up the many (!) stairs to the amphitheater. Later, we met Pablo, guide extraordinaire, for a visit to a potter and some weavers. We had wonderful barbecue and mole at a roadside cafe where the family/owners were making fresh tortillas over an open fire. Gotta love that Oaxaca food! We had also visited Monte Alban.
Not needing much food, we decided to walk to the zocola to watch for live music and maybe couples doing Danzón. We found an outside table at our favorite restaurant and couldn't decide what to eat. Some wine might be nice while we decided….and they brought a plate of the most delicious pickled carrots with our wine. While we worked at our computers, documenting the day, and watching the activities around us, I consumed the entire plate of carrots.
When the waitress came around again, I told her I only wanted another plate of carrots.
Now, I have not perfected the recipe to recreate those wonderful carrots. Of course, the ambiance and aura of the day contributed to my enjoyment. But, Dave and I have scouted around and experimented and have made a pretty successful batch of pickled veggies that carry the same flavor and crispness. It is a common Mexican dish and as my husband often says, "Good and good for you."
We put some fresh dill, a few peppercorns, and a teaspoon each of mustard and celery seeds into a quart jar that has a spring-loaded lid that seals tight, bought at IKEA for the very purpose . Then, we packed in cauliflower florets, carrot sticks, garlic cloves (10), asparagus spears, and a few jalapeno slices (for authenticity).
For the brine, got 4 cups of water boiling, then added 2 cups white vinegar and 6 teaspoons of salt. When the salt was dissolved, we poured the brine over the veggies and spices and let it cool. Then, sealed it up and put in the fridge for several days.
I sneaked a taste the next day and it was good. Waiting for a few weeks to really dig in, while @CopperCanyonGuy was in Copper Canyon, made the veggies even tastier. They lasted well and were gone after two months. We'll do this again with other veggies.
Maybe some day, with only carrots, if I can find the big ones like the ones that were sliced into big discs…like the ones that we dined on in Oaxaca.


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Gotemba : Japanese teenager Ryo Ishikawa won the Taiheiyo Masters on Sunday after shooting a 5-under 67 to hold off Australian Brendan Jones, who sank an eagle putt on the last hole. The 19-year-old Ishikawa carded seven birdies against two bogeys at the Taiheiyo Club`s Gotemba Course to finish at 14-under 274.
Jones was two shots back after also shooting a 67. It was Ishikawa`s third win of the season on the Japanese tour.
Jones, who won this event in 2007, pulled to within one stroke of Ishikawa when he made a 30-foot eagle putt on the par-5 18th. But Ishikawa birdied the final hole to secure the win.
Bureau Report


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There are a plenty of variations on the theme, but sometimes the original one is irreplaceable..
His Highness GF Hamburger
-bread buns-
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp yeast
1 tsp baking powder
½ cup of sunflower oil
300ml lukewarm water
500g Schar Mix B flour
1 egg
sesame seeds
300g minced beef meat
1 tbs baking soda
1 tsp salt
½ cup of mineral water
Bread buns
Bread rolls are very easy to make. The dough is prepared the same way you would when making bread. So.. if you are ready we can start.
Put a lukewarm water 1 tsp of flour and sugar into a bowl and sprinkle it with yeast. When yeast starts growing, add salt, egg white, baking powder, flour, oil, and knead the dough. You can use only bread mix flour, or you can mix it with other kinds of flour. Devide the dough into 5-6 pieces, depending on how big buns you want to get. Keep in mind that dough will get bigger on a high temperature. Make round shapes of every piece and place it in a pan. Brush Every bun with egg yolk and sprinkle it with sesame seeds. Bake them for 20-30 minutes on 250ºC .
Mix the meat with baking soda, mineral water and spices (I used salt, pepper and curry) and leave it in fridge for about an hour. The baking soda in meat acts similar to yeast in the dough. The meat will grow. While the butter is melting in a frying pan, shape your burgers relative to the rolls size. Keep in mind that meat will get smaller on a high temperature. Fry the burgers on a medium heat for about 15-20 minutes.
Now when you made all parts, it is time to get them together. Add some of your favorite side dishes, and the magic can begin!


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Egg Number Four for the Norwich Peregrine Pair!
End of March 2014 Round Up
The fourth egg arrived at 03:30 am this morning: the moment of the 4th egg being laid (not at all obvious) is captured in the video clip below and then the first glimpse of the full clutch as she moves to settle on the eggs for incubation:
0610 am this morning. First daylight view of all four eggs. Male comes in to take over incubation after female departs. The feather on his beak suggests that he passed food to her – probably in mid air, a spectacular sight – just before is came to the box.
The video clip captures this:
Lin Murray, Press Officer for the Hawk and Owl Trust who run the Peregrine webcam and the Watch Point says:
"We are delighted that the Norwich peregrine pair seem to be taking the egg laying stage in their stride this year. We have four lovely eggs with the possibility of a fifth to come in the next 48 hours. However, this is only the start of a long and arduous couple of months for these birds and their family. Mother Nature is fraught with danger so we wish these gallant birds well. Stay tuned!"
The Round Up of the Week So Far
Well that's what you might call a 'Whirlwind Week' for the Hawk and Owl Trust's peregrine team for Norwich Cathedral. It started peacefully enough, albeit with the residual tension of a possible re-visit by the intruding falcon from the week before. Then, taking us a bit by surprise, our resident female laid her first egg of the season at 15:04 on Thursday 18th – some 3 days earlier than last year. This was accompanied by much euphoria in our camp, very quickly followed by the realisation that what seemed to be a sizable chuck of the rest of the world was doing the same thing and clamouring for information. The team sprang into action in a blur of tweets, Facebook posts, phone calls, YouTube video clips, SMS messages, webcam images and emails, all trying to feed the insatiable mass with the facts they craved.
Any thoughts that interest in the Norwich Cathedral Peregrines might have ebbed over the winter were instantly dispelled. Quite the contrary in fact. Our faithful following public are if anything more enthusiastic than ever. It's grown into quite a global community now and set to grow further if the response to Twitter and Facebook are anything to go by. Our posts to Facebook alone this week have reached almost 100,000 people. It is really satisfying for the team to see that so many people are truly interested in watching the 'story of life' unfold for this pair of wild peregrine falcons and playing their part in the complex interweave of the natural world.
Meanwhile, amidst all this human kerfuffle the peregrines just got on with it. Tending the egg and making sure it didn't get to warm or too cold. Right from the start the little male quickly showed that he was a 'new man' and keen to play his part in rearing his offspring. Too keen for the female on occasions as she would make it clear with 'that look' if this didn't meet with her approval and she wanted to incubate the eggs. Being about one third smaller than the female he has little choice but to concede, although he does try to tough it out now and again. He never wins though.
A tad over 57 hours later, just as we were starting to get some semblance of order restored in the office, the second egg arrived. Once again there was little drama from the female and once again the little male showed great interest in the new arrival. He clearly has a strong parental instinct and a close bond with his female who by now was allowing him to guard the egg when she needed to stretch her wings for a while.
Then on Sunday, almost 60 hours to the minute since the second egg was laid, the third egg arrived. The now common ritual of the male coming to the nest shortly afterwards to inspect the new arrival was repeated.
At this stage the eggs are not being fully incubated by the adults so it is common to see them left completely uncovered for quite a while. This is quite normal for peregrines, as they will not start full incubation until around the time that the third egg is laid. Until then the parent birds will ensure that the eggs are kept warm enough to remain viable. This strategy ensures that the eggs hatch at closer intervals than they were laid. Last year the first three eggs hatched within 19 hours.
The adult may not be in the nest at times but be assured that they are not far away. Probably sitting on a 'crocket' on the cathedral – the little protrusions that adorn the spire – watching out for marauding black backed gulls looking for opportunities to steal and egg or, later, a chick. Its a risk of life that all animals in the natural world have to cope with, even apex predators like the peregrine falcon. Being the fastest bird in the world doesn't provide any benefit in this regard.
Remember, live streaming video from the nest cam is on the Hawk and Owl Trust web site www.upp.hawkandowl.org/live/. Up-to-the-minute updates are posted on our Facebook pages at www.facebook.com/HawkandOwlTrust and tweeted by @hawkandowluk.
The 2014 Norwich Cathedral Urban Peregrine Watch Point in Cathedral Close will be open again from Tuesday 1 April 2014 at 10.00am.


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Wednesday, September 19, 2012
check out this giveaway!
Unraveled Design and just entered to win one at Perfectly Imperfect ...you need to check out the etsy shop!!! Here's the link to the giveaway if you want to enter too! Giveaway!
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Happy first birthday, Miss Violet!
Has it really been a year? In so many ways it feels like the year has gone by so s-l-o-w-l-y! I have definitely been blessed in being able to stay home with Violet. Doing so has come with its own set of challenges, but I am very grateful! Ever since Violet was born she has done things with a very dramatic flair, letting you know loudly that she is in need of your attention. If her personality continues to blossom and grow as it has in the past year, the term "shrinking violet" will never be used in reference to our Violet Jane!
Everywhere we go, people ask, "Is she always this happy?". She thrives on the attention of others and has a very dramatic set of faces to go along with her very big personality. She and I could not be more different in that respect. I hate being the center of attention and having strangers look my way... there is no getting around that when Violet is with me! She literally commands the attention of those around her. If you ignore her, she'll just keep making faces and laughing at herself until you do look at her.
Aside from the hilarious faces and quirky smile, she has quite the bag of tricks with which to amaze. She can clap on command, raise both hands in the air and say "ahhhhhhhh", make growling lion sounds, say "dada, baba, mama" and just today "diddy" (kitty). She can wave hello and goodbye and often does it to anyone who will look without being asked. She gives wonderful kisses and hugs and sometimes will come up to me if I am on the floor with her and wrap her arms around my neck and lay her face next to mine and say "ahhhhhhh".
She isn't walking yet but sometimes we will catch her standing by herself until she notices and then grabs for the closest sturdy object or sits down. Cruising and crawling are the preferred means of transportation. As of this week, she will only accept one handed assistance in walking, instead of both hands, so that's a step! Everyone tells me I won't be so excited when she actually is walking, but truthfully, I am exhausted from carrying her everywhere. She's a big girl!
She LOVES beans. It's just not natural for someone to love beans this much. Maybe it was all of the Mexican food I ate while pregnant? She also loves anything Italian and carbs of any kind. She is definitely her Mother's daughter!
Whether it's nap time or bed time, there is no time for cuddling. She pushes away to get into her crib and finds her blanket and pink stuffed elephant, snuggles up and closes her eyes. We are truly blessed that she is such a passionate sleeper and still taking two naps a day and sleeping through the night on her own.
The girl loves animals! She gets so excited when she sees a dog or cat in person or on TV. We don't have any pets and I definitely give myself a huge guilt trip over it! I know she would go bonkers over having a dog. "It's too much work, Kristin, it's too much work!", I say to myself. She is obsessed with books! Violet loves having Mama and Dada read to her, but the best is when she is sitting by herself and jabbering her own little language as she turns the pages, "reading" to herself. Truly heartwarming! Oh yeah, she is still extremely averse to bubbles. We are talking tears, people.
Violet has been a life changing experience for Adam and I. While we definitely feel 100% more confident now than we did a year ago, we still rely heavily on God to give us direction in her life. We feel incredibly humbled to be responsible for her little life and pray every day that God would call her to Himself at a young age and she will be a woman of great character.
I am so grateful for the opportunity to be Violet's mother. She is constantly a challenge to me and I am continually being broken and changed because of her. As a good friend once told me, "children make you become the person you always should have been." As this first year of her life passes by and we continue on this journey of growing together, I am so excited about what is to come.
Sweet Violet, Mama and Dada and all of your family love you so much. You are incredible.
(side note: we are expecting again! looks like it's time to rename the blog... little baby Salvia is due March 8 of 2012. hello, adventure!)
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Another three months flies by!
Oooooh, really? January was the last post, huh? Ok, fine! I give up all aspirations of being a regular blogger. It's hard for me to blog when I just put up all of the photos on Facebook anyway. I feel like I can't justify doing it twice.
Anyway, Violet will be EIGHT months old on Saturday. As my sisters would say, "that's cray-cray!" (translated: crazy for those of you not in my family).
Here are some of my favorite photos taken of her since I last posted:
isn't this gorgeous? this is violet at about six months wearing the christening gown made by my great grandmother Ruth. photo courtesy of Adam Barnes Fine Art Photography.
Miss V in the heirloom dress from my Mom.
Her Easter dress that I just knew would be too small by Easter. Somehow we managed to wrangle her back into it this past weekend!
One of my favorites from her 7 month photo shoot.
We had Violet baptized this month at church and my parents were able to fly in from Texas for the occasion. side note to my baptist friends who may be concerned: we attend a reformed presbyterian church which baptizes infants. this is not to say we believe it "magically" gets our baby into heaven. it is simply a sign of God's covenant with our family and an affirmation that we agree to raise her in a Godly manner, trusting the Lord for her salvation one day. in my eyes, it is very similar to a "baby dedication"... i didn't post this to get into a debate over theology, but to celebrate a special day in our life. since adam and i both grew up baptist, i felt the need to explain!
Lauren and I hosted a brunch at her home after church to celebrate our little girls. Love this shot of my litle family (thanks, Mr. Barnes!).
Lauren and I with the babes.
Love these shots of Vi with Adam's Mom and my parents.
Violet as the easter bunny...
she and that chicken did not get along...
Some of my favorite things about Violet:
She has finally started "army" crawling! She lunges forward on her belly while dragging her body along by using her arms and toes. She can push up into full plank position, but only for a second.
She is terrified of BUBBLES. Hah. When she even sees me getting ready to blow bubbles, she turns her head away and squinches her eyes closed. Heaven forbid one lands on her and pops, GAME OVER.
Actually, lately she seems skittish about everything! From lawnmowers to the wind blowing, the most random things make her bury her face in my chest and close her eyes (that just started this week and I am secretly loving it!).
She says "baba" and "dada" and many combinations thereof, like most babies, but has recently started saying "BOO!". She knows it will get a reaction from us and loves when we pretend to be scared, although one time she got a little carried away and kept doing it over and over. Eventually she started shaking and screaming like a crazy person and then crying because she had scared herself. Hey, that's real charisma for you.
Up until recently, she didn't care much about eating solids, but now if you mix plain yogurt into anything, she will eat it heartily! Who would have thought that green beans and yogurt tasted so good??
She loves her daddy and gives him open-mouthed kisses on command. Sometimes with tongue as added bonus. It's a-d-o-r-a-b-l-e. EVERY time she does it, Adam gushes, "OhhhhHHHhh thank you Violet, that's SO sweet!!". Every time. She gives me kisses sometimes, but hardly ever on command like with her daddy.
my all time favorite shot of Vi with Adam... a few days shy of 8 months old.
She weighed 21 lbs at her 6 month checkup... not sure what she weighs now but she's still going strong, I am sure!
i love this squishy bundle!
The girl hates having her face cleaned. I am sure it's that way with most babies, but she makes a gurgly noise in the back of her throat and squinches her eyes when she sees me coming at her with a wipe. Every time.
I am sure every mother says this, but I love coming into her room after she wakes up from a nap and seeing her gasp in delight that I am there to pick her up. Lately, she has started lunging forward as fast as she can to get closer to me when she sees me walk into her room. I keep looking with anticipation to her next big "milestone", but then remind myself that she is already growing so fast and I need to cherish these little moments with her now! She won't be a baby forever!
So there's the update! See ya again in another three months, I'm sure!
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Four and a half months... look how far we've come!
As promised, a full Violet post! Two days blogging in a row?? Watch out, internet!
Violet is now four and a half months old and truly a little bundle of joy. Or... an enormous bundle... she weighed 18lbs, 4 oz and was 26 inches long at her check up this week. I am out of breath after carrying her for an extended period of time... time to start using the stroller more often! I have been really lazy about taking quality photos of her lately, but I
did snap this gem a few days ago during her morning nap...
She is such a good sleeper! Her schedule is almost always like clockwork during the day and she sleeps from 9pm-7am without fail. The newborn days were filled with evenings of bouncing and rocking and shushing, trying to get Violet to stop crying! Thankfully, those days have passed and Violet is such a happy baby.
I did a little 4.5 month photo shoot with her yesterday and here are some of my favorites.
Showing off her new skirt/legging combo from aunt mary beth!
My little doll baby.
The best feeling ever is when I walk into her room in the mornings and start talking to her but she can't see me. I see this huge smile break across her face and she starts kicking her legs, waving her arms up and down like a penguin and panting! It's hilarious. Babies truly make you feel like you are the most important person in the world.
Another funny development with Violet is her "o" face.
She first did it when Adam was just talking to her and making faces, trying to get her to copy him. She started doing it over and over and eventually figured out that she got a great reaction out of people when she did it. It is so funny because she'll be making eyes at someone and start smiling at them. Out of nowhere comes the "o" face and she loooooves all of the attention it causes. No sound actually accompanies it, she just stares you down waiting for you to laugh. :-)
One of the milestones doctors look for at this point is rolling over. Violet can do it (she has 4 times in the past 2 months) but she just never wants to! Her doctor said she finds that chubbier babies have a harder time getting over. That makes sense... Vi has a lot going on!
Violet loves baby dolls and anything with a face. She especially loves seeing herself in the full length mirror. She is enamored with herself! She talks and raises her eyebrows and stomps from side to side like a sumo wrestler. She is constantly making us laugh!
Bath time is still not something Violet enjoys very much. I have yet to see a smile in the bath tub! She will splash a little and stare intently as the water is poured over her, but that's about it! I can't wait for her to actually start having fun in the water!
One more thing Vi is famous for is her "pouty face". She usually whips this out around Adam to get attention or strangers that make her uncomfortable. This morning Adam was playing with her and using her stuffed animal to make barking noises, pretending to give her little bites. She did NOT like that game and here is her reaction.
...and the look she gave Adam after...
DRAMA! Hahaha I hear girls are amazing that way. Can't wait! :-)
That's all for now... not a lot going on considering it is an arctic tundra outside! So ready for spring!
Friday, January 14, 2011
Hello again!
Last time I wrote was somewhere along the lines of when this photo was taken...
Wow, it's been awhile! I am a major procrastinator with blogging and can't make any promises that it will get better! In true Kristin fashion, here follows a long post trying to play catch up where we last left off.
Violet almost 4 months old showing off her Christmas dress!
Violet enjoyed her first Christmas with her Texas family. We were so blessed to be able to spend two weeks there with my family and V loved every minute. I am not sure I held my baby other than to feed her the whole time!
Of course, Vi looked jollier than Santa himself.
Christmas was wonderful and I was able to spend it with the people I love most! Violet was more than spoiled with presents and showered with love the entire time... I think she already has a special place in her heart for Texas!
Christmas morning in her Christmas hats! It was so cute watching her grab and pull the wrapping paper as if she really knew what she was doing.
Yes, all of the girls did wear matching onesies... don't hate!
Violet loved spending time with her Great Grandmother Ruth!
My birthday is a few days after Christmas and we celebrated the big 3-0 with a shopping trip to Anthroplogie and an amazing dinner at Smith and Wollensky in Houston. AHmazing!!!
My Mom's favorite thing to say was "do you want me to hold her???" :-)
My parents threw a huge party for New Years and Violet was rocking her little black dress. We ate and danced and could barely stay up until midnight.... Miss Violet doesn't sleep in so I knew I'd be up at 7am like clockwork no matter what!
Happy 2011! I have the greatest family!
It was so sad leaving everyone. We love Virginia but miss our Texas family terribly. Can't wait to go back!
Adam celebrated his 29th birthday (yeah so, I'm a cradle robber!) this month and we are finally taking a break from all of the partying and gift giving.... until Valentine's Day of course! :-)
Violet is 4 and a half months old now and another post full of photos will follow all about her!!
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Violet at 10 weeks old.
Hello, again!
Well, I believe we last left off with a 4 week old Violet and the insanity of life with a newborn. Oh, how far we've come!
Violet began sleeping through the night at 5 weeks, and that has made all the difference in the world. It's amazing what a full night's rest really does for the psyche!
Weeks 6 and 7 were still challenging and V began her "cranky time" in the evenings. At first I freaked out because I didn't know why we couldn't make her happy! Once I heard that almost all babies go through this, I decided to calm down and just take it one day at a time. I was expecting too much out of my baby... why couldn't I just be happy with her sleeping through the night?! Thank goodness for Adam. He was here to bounce her and rock her and do such a great job of calming her as well as give me a much appreciated break!
Vi came down with her first cold at 8 weeks and it broke my heard to hear her breathing like a little pig with her congested nose. I got the cold too, just in time for our visit to Texas. Cold or no cold, we weren't missing out on Violet finally getting to meet her aunts and Grandpa and other Texas friends. The flights were nerve wracking because I just knew she was a ticking time bomb! Luckily she slept through all of the flights and the only hard part was lugging Violet and all of our stuff through the airports and finding places to feed her. We had SUCH a fantastic time visiting family and Violet loved all of the attention!!
Violet with her aunts and Grammy!
Four generations
Violet looks like my baby picture!
Violet sharing a laugh with Grandpa.
We also got to visit with my good friend Michelle and her family.... loooove this shot!
I was so sad to leave Texas but can't wait until we are back at Christmas!
In other news, Violet took her first bath with no tears on Sunday! Up until then, she HAAAATED baths.... nothing soothing about them! Here's a shot post-bath in her robe... ready to call it quits for the night. She's still rocking a bit of the attitude... but hey, no tears!
Side note: She still abhors having her clothes changed and riding in the car for any amount of time!
Another wonderful development was when I tried putting her in the Exersaucer for the first time last week. I was amazed at how she could "stand" propped up in it and loved figuring out all of the toys! She LOVES anything with a face on it. She'll stare and smile and talk to it! She has started reaching for toys and touching them. It's so funny because before I had a baby, all of these little achievements would have sounded so lame to me if it was someone else telling me about their baby. Now I see how every smile and coo is life altering!
She has been "fake" laughing now for a few weeks and I can't wait until it develops into real baby laughter! She had her first 2 shots today at the Dr. and only cried for a few seconds! I had prepared myself for a full on meltdown. Violet has become so much happier of a baby and I love how she interacts with us now and is able to entertain herself already! Here are a few shots I took of her today at 10 weeks old. I just love her. :-)
A few stats: Today at her check up (10 weeks old) she weighed 14lbs, 5 oz (almost exactly double her birth weight) and was 24 inches long. That's 95th percentile on both counts! She is a "little porker" according to the doctor, but hey, you gotta love those baby thunder thighs! I love that the doctor said, "don't worry, it's no indication of what her thighs will be like as a young lady." Hah!
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Eagle High Plantations (Eagle High) which is owned by the Peter Sondakh controlled Rajawali Group has not obtained its Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) certification despite publicly stating that it is working towards obtaining its first certification by 2016. In early 2014, the Human Rights Working Group (HRWG) became an official part of the RSPO structure, to ensure that the responsibility of businesses to respect human rights in the palm oil sector by applying due diligence to human rights and develop action plans to avoid human rights violations.
It is no secret that Eagle High's practices have been marred in controversy due to its unsustainable palm oil cultivation practices, its blatant disregard for regulations in the name of short-term profits for its stakeholders, illegal burning, human rights violations and so on which has resulted in them not being able to obtain the RSPO certification.
A New York Times report states that the Rajawali Group is accused of using of child labour in their plantations and children who are as young as 6 work in Rajawali owned plantations to support their families. According to Indonesian law, the minimum age for hazardous work, including jobs on plantations, is 18. A spokesperson for Eagle High blamed the plantation workers for allowing their children to come to work in the plantations and further questioned Indonesian labour law by suggesting that children who are 15 years old should be able to work in the plantations to help their families. It is clear that the management of Eagle High prefer playing the blame game instead of implementing and enforcing rules or to assist their workers by providing childcare facilities or access to education for the underage children. Further, Greenpeace reported that the only action taken by the company to eliminate this was limited to advising workers not to bring children to work and providing some educational support on the matter.
To further add to the accusations of human rights violations, Greenpeace also reported that in September 2013, PT Tandan Sawita Papua (owned by Eagle High) reportedly sacked four casual labourers after they took strike in protest of the company allegedly doubling the daily targets for workers who did not have permanent contracts, resulting in these workers having unmanageable workloads. About 7 months later, another two employees were imprisoned for demanding better working conditions. The two men were reportedly summoned to the police station, where they were held for around two weeks until they agreed to sign statements accepting their dismissal from the company and also agreeing not to make further demands. These incidents clearly show that the company is taking advantage and abusive of their workers who are dependent on the company for their livelihood. These workers are also helpless and are unable to enforce their rights as the company is clearly in collusion with the local police.
There has also been a number of incidents reported that suggests repressive treatment of company workers. The most serious of these was the fatal shooting of a 22-year-old company employee, Marvel Doga, by the state security forces in December 2015 as he was demanding his unpaid holiday allowance. Beyond the apparent excessive use of force, the incident raises questions as to why state security forces were on call to protect the plantation instead of the company's own security personnel? Is violence a common occurrence on the plantation which necessitates the presence of state police?
In response to the fatal shooting, Eagle High's spokesperson once again placed blame on the deceased, stating that he was "drunk and violent, poured petrol everywhere and threatened to set fire, and he had with him a bow and arrow" when nearby state security forces tried to incapacitate him. Eagle High also claims to have paid "thousands of dollars" to his family in compensation for this unfortunate incident.
These various reports prove that Eagle High and Rajawali do not care about the law or welfare of their employees, often taking advantage and bullying its employees who do not know any better. Employees who dare speak up are terminated or even worse, killed.


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Uncommon Catalysts: Final Fantasy VI and the Female Protagonist
Metaphor Publications is pleased to present Uncommon Catalysts a series of guest articles sourced in the catalytic intersection between fantasy fiction and role playing games (RPG, or RPG's). Irregularly, we'll be reaching out to irregular writers and gamers and getting their irregular perspectives on how fantasy/speculative fiction and RPG's compare, contrast, overlap - and lead to new ways to enjoy both.
Our third offering comes to you from Alexis Radcliff, author of the steampunk novel A Vanishing Glow and gamer. We were so pleased that Lexi accepted our offer to write for this series, because the more diverse voices we have in this fiction/gaming dialogue of ours, the better and richer all our offerings will be for it. In the article below, she lays out her argument for nominating Final Fantasy VI as "the most forward-thinking and mature game of its generation." Don't be afraid to tell us what you think in the comments!
What is it that was so special about Final Fantasy VI? This game, more than any other, is the one I hear referenced in awed tones of teary nostalgia by a generation of RPG fans who grew up with a Super Nintendo in their living room. It's also, in my experience, overwhelmingly the RPG from that time period that female gamers liked best. It's not the battles or the dungeons that they rave about, but rather the personal, deeply touching stories: Final Fantasy VI, with its strong themes revolving around love and belonging, demonstrates characters of startling emotional complexity and depth for its time. More than that, it features two incredibly strong and nuanced women as protagonists in an era when female video game characters were too often written as cardboard caricatures in supporting roles.
Today I want to discuss the character arcs of those women, Terra Branford and Celes Chere, and take a look at how Final Fantasy VI was ahead of its time in terms of its complex and thoughtful treatment of its entire cast of multi-dimensional, deeply compelling characters.
Terra Branford
Terra's journey is an ongoing search for love and acceptance in a world that fears and rejects her simply because of what she is: a being with magical powers, a result of her being only half-human. The symbolism of her heritage is poignant. Terra literally feels less than human as she struggles to understand how, and even whether, she can truly love someone.
When we meet her, she's a victim and slave of a controlling and abusive state. Terra is confused and afraid at first, but as she learns more about her origins and finds her confidence, she increasingly becomes more opinionated and assertive, though she still yearns to feel love and questions whether she's capable of it.
It's not until the second act, when the world has ended and Terra finds herself thrust into a role as a protector and mother-figure to a group of orphaned children, that she truly discovers her own capacity for love. She decides that the children are worth fighting for and steps up to fulfill her heroic destiny so that they can grow up in a world where hope exists.
What I love about Terra's character arc is that they could have easily taken it in a direction where she discovered the meaning of love by getting swept off her feet by one of the men, but the writers instead chose to explore the love of an adopted mother for her children as being sufficient and fulfilling for Terra's character. Terra doesn't need romantic love to make her life complete. Her children and her willingness to use her strength to fight for them are enough for her.
Celes Chere
Celes's initial setup, on the other hand, has a classic love-story "will they or won't they" aspect to it, though Celes is no simpering princess. When we meet her, she's introduced as a magitek knight and a former general who's about to be executed as a traitor for standing up against the evil actions of the Empire. The charismatic thief Locke releases her from captivity. Though she presents a hard exterior and appears to value the power and prestige of being a general, we also get to see flashes of her femininity at times, and we come to discover that she values both justice and loyalty.
Celes has problems with trust and vulnerability. She slowly opens up to Terra, bonding over their use of magic, and deepens her relationship with Locke, but her feelings are hurt when she's accused of being a double agent and Locke voices his doubts about her. Her decisive moment is when the emperor eventually offers her the chance to rule the world with him: she rejects him and defends her friends, preferring the relationships she's formed with them to the offer of power he presents.
When the second act opens, Celes's story takes a left turn: she develops a grandfatherly relationship with the aging mechanic Cid in a world that seems destroyed and devoid of hope. Though they agree to care for one another, this ends in tragedy when Cid grows ill and dies.
Celes spirals into despair and attempts suicide by throwing herself off a cliff in a moment of weakness. She wakes up on a beach, her attempt thwarted, and finds a wounded bird wrapped in Locke's bandana. She realizes her friends might still be alive and sets out as the central figure of act two in order to gather her friends and try to restore hope to a hopeless world.
There are many things to like in Celes's story arc: Her actions make it clear that she has a romantic interest in Locke, but it's not the defining trait of her character. Celes is strong and decisive, tough and uncompromising. She stands up for what she believes in even to the point of risking her own life, and is driven more by duty and compassion than romantic attachment. Her character, with her moral complexity and slowly broadening vulnerability, is both realistic and sympathetic.
Love and Family: Ongoing Themes
Not only the women of Final Fantasy VI grapple with themes of love, family, and belonging. The entire cast struggles similarly: the brutal mercenary Shadow silently pines for a daughter he was forced to abandon, Cyan battles with survivor's guilt after all his friends and family are poisoned, and Sabin and Edgar worry about whether they've lived their lives in the way their father would have wanted for them. Each of the characters have their own tragedies to contend with, all of which tie back to the important relationships of their past, romantic or otherwise. This serves to remind the player that love and family are deeply human concerns rather than just feminine ones, which is a message other games of this time period rarely conveyed as well.
Between this sentiment and the game's extremely strong and well-drawn women, cast as pivotal plot characters rather than supporting players nearly a decade before it was in vogue, Final Fantasy VI might have been the most forward-thinking and mature game of its generation. It demonstrated to a generation of gamers that it wasn't only men who were capable of taking heroic, leading roles in RPGs; women could do it too, still be feminine, and end up being every bit as awesome as the guys were.
About the Author:
Alexis Radcliff is an author, gamer, unashamed geek, and history junkie who spent the better part of a decade working in tech before dedicating herself to her first love, literature. Be sure to check out her novel A VANISHING GLOW, an exciting blend of steampunk and flintlock fantasy with mature themes.
Alexis lives and works in the Portland area with her adorable (if surly) cat and her equally adorable fiancé. When not writing, she spends her time reading, running, playing way too many video games, and thinking too much about everything.
Lexirad.com | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon


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im speechless!!! :'(
like a dream.. just like a dream..
tsunami in Japan yesterday -> 11th March 2011..
when i watching breaking news, and see the WAVES!! its creepy! oh god..
the tsunami japan 2011 :'(
and the morning, i wake up, i felt the tragedy its just like a DREAM O.o
its feels like.. ever happened but its happened!! *you know what i mean?!*
i felt its just DREAM!! like that tragedy is not happen but its happened.. "im weird!"
"Their high priority togetherness
Always cooperate
Always able to think quickly handle problems
Work hard
Always cooperate
Always able to think quickly handle problems
Work hard
Mutual cooperation
Great spirit
They have the strength to move forward
They have great courage
Power of Japan!!
Power of Asian!"


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Dreams are fraught with messages of a symbolic nature. When you are in your dream state, you'll see symbols everywhere: the sun and moon, animals and buildings, fire and water, and so on. Each has a specific meaning for you; some commentary from God on changes you should be making in your life or opportunities you should be seeking.
Why doesn't God simply say in a clear voice, "Ahem, Liz, you need to stop dating that man, he's bad for you"? Because symbols are the language of God, God wants you to interpret and understand His communication and in doing so, come to understand His nature. If He just told you what you needed to know, you wouldn't be motivated to investigate, learn and grow. So He relies on symbols to give you a path to follow. Symbols are the voice of God in action.
Dreams are God speaking to us in images as our minds are at rest; they are a continuance of God's messages to us on Earth during our waking hours. Each dream is a letter from God, but if you don't remember your dreams, that letter remains unopened. If you remember the dream but do not act on it, it becomes a letter read but thrown away like so much junk mail. God sends you dreams because he intends for you to act on them and change something about your life.
Your conscious mind goes to sleep so God can visit you and send you information you would not hear when you are awake, when your mind is constantly "filtering" what it can receive. The most important skill to
develop as part of this teaching is the ability to remember and understand your dreams, so you never receive a letter from God that goes unopened. Each night you have 4 to 6 dreams, but you don't always remember them.
However, you can train yourself to remember your dreams, to fully live in your dream body and become a dream catcher, someone who not only recalls but exercises control over his or her dreams. That's power, the power to tune your personal receiver to the pure source of inspiration and life-changing vision in the cosmos, the God within you.


text: Pinch to zoom I'm in! Plush Velvet Fowers by Candy Bows £3.25$5.80€3.76$4.41 This item is no longer available free gift wrap Favourite Favourite View your favourites we're sorry we're sorry, This item is no longer available buy a gift card PRODUCT DETAILS made in britain free gift wrap Luxurious velvet is folded and pleated and hand stitched with small crystal detail in the centre to create these gorgeous unique flowers. Attached to a velvet lined clippie they are perfect for special days, and make excellent pressies for christmas, stocking fillers...... product code: 76451 see more see less DELIVERY This product is dispatched to you by Candy Bows. First class post RETURNS You have 28 days, from receipt of cancellable goods, to notify the seller if you wish to cancel your order or exchange an item. Please note: goods that are personalised, bespoke or made-to-order to your specific requirements, perishable products and personal items sold with a hygiene seal (cosmetics, underwear) in instances where the seal is broken are non-refundable, unless faulty. Read more about our returns policy.Should you choose to return or exchange your order you will need to deliver the item(s) to the UK, where this seller is based.


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Remember (Irving Berlin song)
"Remember" is a popular song by Irving Berlin, published in 1925. The song is a popular standard, recorded by numerous artists.
In the lyric, Berlin uses an interesting poetic technique by extending the sound of the word "forgot" into "forget me not" then placing the original word (forgot) and the base form of its opposite (remember) at the end of the next two lines:
Remember we found a lonely spot,
And after I learned to care a lot,
You promised that you'd forget me not,
But you forgot
To remember.
This makes for a very satisfying ending (lyrically).
Film appearances[edit]
- Alexander's Ragtime Band (1938) - performed by Alice Faye
- So This Is Love (1953) - sung by Kathryn Grayson
- There's No Business Like Show Business (1954) - sung by the cast and later by Ethel Merman and Dan Dailey
Recorded versions[edit]
- Betty Carter
- The Ray Conniff Singers (Young at Heart LP)
- Bing Crosby included the song in a medley on his album On the Sentimental Side (1962) and he also recorded it for the album Bing Crosby's Treasury - The Songs I Love (1968 version).
- Cliff Edwards
- John Fahey (instrumental)
- Michael Feinstein and Liza Minnelli
- Ella Fitzgerald
- Benny Goodman (instrumental)
- Erskine Hawkins
- Billie Holiday
- Julie London
- Hank Mobley (instrumental)
- Moon Mullican and the Modern Mountaineers
- Red Norvo (instrumental)
- Joshua Redman (instrumental)
- Patrice Rushen
- Dinah Shore in the medley: 'Remember / All Alone / Always'
- Frank Sinatra
- Andy Williams
- Hank Mobley (Instrumental)
- Thelonious Monk (Instrumental)
- Sarah Vaughan and Billy Eckstine (1957)
|This pop standards-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.


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Games We Built
With 10 years of custom game development experience and dozens of titles in our portfolio — proprietary and on-demand — our enthusiasm for creating more compelling, more technologically advanced games shows no signs of abating. What's more, the success of our clients encourages us to go the extra mile in exploring new opportunities, technological know-how, and promising gaming trends. Check out some of the games we built, and enquire for a free quote!
EON Break
Eon Break is a metroidvania-style Unity-driven game featuring Nikola Tesla as the main character. He's fighting disgusting mutants, infiltrates into Nazi research laboratories for alien technologies, travels in time, and operates powerful fighting and shield devices.Learn more
Educational Gaming Experience for Afterschool ActivitiesME-GAMES is a large-scale educational quest gaming project funded by the US government. To deliver the title, zGames partnered with REESSI, Inc., a private research and evaluation firm. The app shall be used in an afterschool program for distressed and under-resourced schoolchildren to help them work out behavior strategies and identify...Learn more
Dungeon Kings
Dungeon Kings is a turn-based, roguelike, arcade multiplayer PVP game. The gameplay encourages players to attack other players, build defense, explore dungeons, and fight insidious creatures.The game's architecture relies on the GaaS model, meaning the gameplay is fit for continuous content scale-up. Dungeon Kings has been soft-launched in France in a base gameplay version.Learn more
Lucky Swipe!
Unity-powered match3-puzzle with gambling elementsFollow Lucky Leprechaun on the adventure to the rainbow's end — to turn your luck around, find a pot of gold and make a fortune. When relaxing match3 meets hardcore gambling and real fun makes real money — that's what we call Lucky Swipe! It is a brand-new mobile game for iOS with advanced game mechanics!Chase screech beetles across the...Learn more
Quicky's World: Augmented Reality
Augmented Reality enabled, Quicky's World is a fun packed mobile adventure game that features the famous NESQUIK rabbit engaged in a variety of entertaining activities, including games, puzzles, virtual biking, and skateboarding, on a mission to retrieve the NESQUIK secret formula. The title also provides some tips and tricks on nutrition and fitness.zGames was involved to update the Vuforia...Learn more


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Trees don't worry much about time.
Here is one of my favorite trees. I call it the dragon tree. I am guessing by the size of the trunk that it is at least 150 years old. The trunk of the tree grew horizontally across a large rock, gradually turned like a great serpent towards the edge of the rock and when it reached the edge and good light it turned 90 degrees skyward. It must have taken 50 years to find just the right spot to grow. I wish I had that kind of patience.
Trees don't mind sharing. This tree started as two trees growing side by side, twins.
At some point they decided they could be a bigger tree if they joined up. Today it stands as one of the tallest trees on my property. (Please ignore that old fat man in the picture).
Trees like to smell good. When the creek floods, a lot of debris flows down from a community several miles upstream. Sometimes the trees will grab and hold onto things they like.
Trees don't hold ill will.
I have watched tree die a slow but graceful death over many years.
When a sapling it must have thought how lucky it was to be growing in such a wonderful place above the grassy banks of a beautiful creek. It died because of the clear cut timbering that went on upstream a number of years ago. Subsequent erosion of the hillsides created yearly flash floods that have cut away the banks of the once narrow creek that ran through my valley. Many trees have lost their hold and have fallen. In all my visits to this tree, however, I never once heard even a mutter of disdain for the men and chainsaws that set in motion the mechanism of its death.
Note: I did hear it snicker once when it saw me in shorts for the first time.
*Irene note: Any questions about this blog? Send me an email at
Quiet Places
2 days ago


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Housing Selection
First-year students are housed in Woodcrest, Xavier, or East Residence Hall.
Returning and transfer students are housed in East Residence Hall, the residential houses, West Residence Hall, the Cabrini Apartment Complex, or Valley Forge Apartments.
Most students are housed in double-occupancy rooms with one roommate.
- Some students are housed in single-, triple-, and quad-occupancy rooms.
- Single-occupancy rooms are reserved first for students with a documented medical need.
- Members of the Honors Living Learning Community (LLC) are housed in East Residence Hall.
- Xavier Hall houses all other LLC students, as well as many non-LLC students.
Because of the diverse needs of students, Residence Life cannot guarantee placement in a particular building or area.
New Resident Students
First year students complete a roommate questionnaire during Summer Orientation and are assigned housing.
Housing assignments and roommate information are available in mid-July for incoming students to view on their "myhousing" portal at portal.cabrini.edu.
Returning Resident Students
First-year students, sophomores, juniors, and non-graduating seniors can apply for housing for the next year each spring.
Current resident students may apply for housing, receive a lottery number, and participate in Housing Selection during the spring semester.
Housing selection is open to ONLY current Cabrini residential students who meet the following criteria:
- complete the housing application by April 25, 2019 and
- register for class by April 25, 2019, and
- are in good academic, disciplinary, and financial standing
The Housing Application is available on the Cabrini Portal (portal.cabrini.edu) beginning March 25, 2019 at 9am until April 25, 2019 at 11:59pm.
Students who do not meet the Housing Selection criteria may place themselves on the housing waitlist.
Only students who are currently in housing, complete the housing application and register for fall 2019 classes will receive a random, computer-generated lottery number that determines the order in which they will select housing.
Housing Selection Important Dates:
Monday, March 25
Housing Application available only to current residential students
(accessible through students' Cabrini Portal by visiting their "myhousing" portal)
Tuesday, March 26
Housing Information Session for Students @ 8:00 p.m.
Location: East Residence Hall Lounge
Monday, April 1
Special Housing Accommodations Paperwork due
Students requesting special accommodations must submit their paperwork by this date.
Students who currently receive accommodations must submit their continuation documentation by this date.
Wednesday, April 3
Housing Information Session for Students @ 9:30 p.m.
Location: West Residence Hall
Monday, April 8
Housing Information Session for Students @ 7:00 p.m.
Location: Xavier Hall
Wednesday, April 10
Housing Information Session for Students @ 6:00 p.m.
Location: East Residence Hall Lounge
Monday, April 15
Housing Information Session for Students @ 6:30 p.m.
Location: Dixon House
Wednesday, April 17
Housing Information Session for Students @ 4:00 p.m.
Location: Woodcrest Hall
Mon-Wed. April 22-24
Students approved for special housing accommodations meet to discuss housing options.
Students who are approved by the DRC will have an individual meeting with the Assistant Director of Residence Life to discuss housing options.
The Residence Life office will reach out to approved students to schedule a meeting.
Thursday, April 25
Housing Applications Due @ 11:59 p.m.
Friday, April 26
Lottery numbers are available for viewing on students' "myhousing"
Students may begin to select roommates and suitemates on their "myhousing" portal
Monday, April 29
Rising Sophomore Housing Selection
current freshmen select rooms
Tuesday, April 30
Rising Junior Housing Selection
current sophomores select rooms
Tuesday, April 30
Rising Senior Housing Selection
current juniors and seniors select rooms


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WEEK 1: Making Our Kindness Right!
Day 2, April 5-6, 2015 [Read Psalm 119:9-16]
The energy of today is Discipline in Loving-Kindness, so just for today replace every critical thought with a thought of appreciation.
~Karen Berg
How necessary are those boundaries, defined with love. This is the essence of 'tough love', or parenting, or dog training (which I'm in the midst of). Personally, if I don't remember to set those boundaries, to exercise restraint, I have a tendency to just give and give and give…and then end up exhausted, or frustrated. Self-care is discernment, well applied.
Blessings to all for careful self-care for this day of counting. Remembering, that, in the grand scheme of things, YOU count.
Rabbi Min Kantrowitz
Biblical Affirmation and Mediatations For
Everyday after sundown, starting from the second evening of Passover – until the night before (what we call) Pentecost; the following blessing is recited just prior to stating the count of the omer:
Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the Universe who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us concerning the counting of the Omer.
Today is Day 2 of the Omer.
After this blessing is affirmed and the count declared – it is tradition to recite this short prayer:
O Compassionate One! May Christ return for us the Service of the Temple to its Place, speedily and in Our time! AMEN.
STEP 4: Read, Meditate and Live (1)Karen Berg's Quote above and (2)The following Scriptures:
Scripture Verses For Day 2:
Exodus 29:46 (NASB) – They shall know that I am the Lord their God who brought them out of the land of Egypt, that I might dwell among them; I am the Lord their God.
Romans 12:1-2 (KJV)
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Submitted by:


text: The Last Few! Bellise Navidad 3/30/2014 03:00:00 PM Add Comment Every Girle' , Girle's , Keira & Anna Copeland , Meet the Girle's , Mia Reese , Spring Collection 2014 , Taylor Fleetman Edit Here are the last few pics of the EG girls for the Spring Collection. Which is your favorite? Hope you enjoyed!! Love, EG SHARE THIS POST SHARE TWEET SHARE PIN IT


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I thought I'd share a few shots of "Spring" I captured recently.
These first few photos are of a baby Dove that has taken up sunning it's self in a small flower bed by our front window. It sits very close to the house behind some lilies and my bird bath while it's mother stands guard at the front of the flower bed.
I just love how they coo and talk back and forth.
We've never had doves so close to the house before but they are so pretty, I hope they stick around!
The other set of pics I wanted to share were of some lilacs youngest ds brought me on Mother's Day. They grow out at our farm and are just beautiful.
We have a single purple and a double white lilac.
Both smell amazing!!
I wish I had smell-o-vision so you could smell them too!
I had promised to share pics of my Double Daffodils but alas the entire time they were blooming it was raining here...for like 4-5 days straight. They never did bloom very nice because they were constantly being pelted with rain/hail so I guess that will have to wait till next year.
Has Spring arrived where you live?
I hope you're enjoying whatever season it is in your part of the world.