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I am soaking wet from head to toe, and a spider is crawling up my arm. "There's a spider on me," I whine to my coach, Stella Bandu. "Deal with it," she snaps. "You're harsh," I say. She laughs. "Sometimes you need to be," she says.
Steeplechase is a 3km race around a track, and involves clearing 28 hurdles as well as jumping into water. I reckon I could run 3km, at a push, and how hard can it be to jump over a few things along the way? Exhaustingly hard, as it turns out.
We are at the Julie Rose stadium in Ashford, Kent, and Stella has been coaching women's steeplechase since 2001. "I think we'll get you started on the child's hurdles," she says. I should be humiliated, but I am relieved. They are about one-and-a-half feet high and I clear them no problem. She inches the hurdles up until they are high enough to cause anxiety as I run at them (they are still lower than the 76cm hurdles the Olympic women clear). We do the drills - such as scissoring over them starting with alternate legs - that Olympic steeplechasers do.
There are several explanations for the origins of the event. My favourite comes from 1850 when an Oxford undergraduate, Halifax Wyatt, was thrown off his horse during the equine
steeplechase and exclaimed: "Rather than climb back on that damned 'camel', I should prefer to run those two miles on foot!" And so he did. Steeplechase - for men - appeared at the Olympics in 1900 but this is the first year women can compete. "People didn't think 'delicate' women were up to doing steeplechase," says Stella, grimacing.
In the 3km steeplechase, athletes have to tackle the water jump seven times. Stella makes me walk all the way in - it is 70cm deep and freezing - then try to run out of the water as it slopes back up to the track. "See how hard that is? So, when you jump over it, ideally you should clear the water. Or only one foot should land in it."
I take my first run up to the bar (at 70cm, it is only about 6cm lower than the Olympic standard). It is terrifying but I manage to jump up on to it with one foot, and push myself off. I land in the water, fall over and swallow a mouthful of steeplechase stew. A film of dead insects floats on the surface. I lie there, dripping wet (proper steeplechasers only get their feet and ankles wet, if at all) as Stella tells me to get back up and try again.
I could clear 28 (children's) hurdles, but if I had to run 3km and do the water jump seven times, I worked out that it would take me at least 45 minutes (including rest periods). The women's world record is just over nine minutes, held by Gulnara Samitova-Galkina from Russia.
There are two women representing Britain at the Olympics in steeplechase - Helen Clitheroe and Barbara Parker. Athletes, I salute you. You have no fear of competition from me.
Emine Saner
Front crawl
The Crowne Plaza hotel, Heathrow, is a rather unexpected place in which to find yourself having a swimming lesson on a rainy Sunday evening. But I have threaded my way through the crowds of uniformed cabin crew to this diminutive pool because it is the London outpost of the Karen Pickering swim school, run by the former medal-winner, and I want to train with someone who has some idea of what Olympic swimming involves.
My teacher, Shelley Cizek, swam her first race, the 50m butterfly, aged four, and then went on to compete for Zimbabwe at the Junior All-Africa games. Now 31, she hasn't given up on appearing at the Olympics - though she accepts it will have to be as a coach. I am a swimmer of a somewhat different calibre. It's not that I can't swim - I love it, actually, and feel thirsty for a pool if I haven't been in one for a while - but it's been more than 20 years since I was required to achieve anything more than 30 or 40 lengths, at gentle cruising speed.
Cizek asks me to do a few warm-up lengths and then a two-length, timed sprint. The 50m freestyle is the shortest competitive length; generally it's done in two 25m lengths, but Olympic pools are 50m long, so that's only one (which makes a difference to times because being able to give yourself a good push off the wall halfway shortens them). The current 50m freestyle female record, 23.97 seconds, was set by Australian Libby Trickett in March. I do it in 27.44 seconds - which feels brilliant, until I realise that this pool is only 16m long, and I've only really done 32m. My time over 50m at that average speed would be just over 40 seconds. Not quite so great.
But Cizek is bullish. "I reckon we can bring it down to at least 25. OK?" She doesn't seem too shocked by my front crawl, either. She even uses the word "nice". And then - very nicely - she takes it apart. I need to kick quicker, and more from my hips. "All your strength is coming from your arms, which is fine in distance swimming, but when it comes to sprinting, you need to go to your legs." My head's too high, which increases drag. My arms are generally all right, but I only breathe on one side. Lots of people do this, as it is easier, but it unbalances both your body and your stroke.
So we work on one thing at a time. Slowing my stroke down, kicking quicker, pushing off harder, even a butterfly kick underwater - all of that is more or less OK. But breathing on both sides? My spluttering attempts cause peals of laughter.
And these are just the bare necessities. Every single muscle flicker must be perfect, and second nature, for a swimmer to have a chance at the Olympics. Britain's women's team has cameras underwater to analyse every stage of their stroke. They use Aquapacers, which fit under their swimming caps and beep a training pace, like a metronome. Swimmers train for five hours a day, spending 25 hours a week in the water.
Even at my level I realise, pretty quickly, that working on technique can cause a marked improvement - but that's not enough. Speed, in the end, comes down to pure power, and it's infuriating how fast I run into the limits of my breath and strength. The GB women's team do three hour-long weight sessions and a couple of hours of circuits a week (core stability, sit ups, press-ups); sprint swimmer Mark Foster spends about half of his training time in the gym.
I prepare to do a second timed swim, dive start and all. "Ready?" asks Cizek. "Take your marks. Go! Go, go, go, go, go!" I come in at 25.61 seconds, nearly two seconds faster. And I get a small, thrilling sense of why you might want to come back for more.
Aida Edemariam
Shot put
The launching of the shot into the air and its return to earth almost on my toes still haunts me. The worst throw in the entire school year - 2.21m - met with a look of complete contempt from my PE teacher.
Hurling a 7.26kg (16lb) ball of lead as far as you can appears to be a crude test of brute force. Weeds will always be hopeless at shot put. Wrong. Well, sort of. At the desolate Crystal Palace athletics track, Mike Winch explains how shot put is actually a supremely technical event. "You're in a 7ft circle. You're starting at 0mph. You're jumping across the circle and letting go of the shot. The shot comes out of your hand at 40mph," he says. "That's faster than a sprinter out of the blocks. It's the most explosive, aggressive event you can do."
The chief coach of England's athletics team at the 2002 Manchester Commonwealth games, Winch was a shot-putter in the Geoff Capes era. "He was a big bastard, I'm a small bastard and we had lots of good competitions together," he says.
By small, Winch means 16st of muscle packed into a 5ft 11in frame. Capes, the famous World's Strongest Man winner, was 6ft 5in and 23st. It should have been no contest, but Winch's clever technique won him two Commonwealth games silver medals. "It takes eight to 10 years to teach someone to throw properly," he reckons.
Soldiers enjoyed rock-throwing competitions during the siege of Troy. Shot put is also descended from stone-lifting in Scotland, and Henry VIII was a champion at hurling weights. (When someone beat him, he banned it.) The men's world record is 23m, but these days Britain is "pretty crap", says Winch - our shot-putters have to juggle day jobs with training (unlike well-funded sprinters) and there's a chronic shortage of international coaches.
No British men or women have qualified for Beijing. Could I? Winch hands me the shot. It nearly breaks my fingers when I tuck it into my shoulder.
"The weight is resting on my neck," I complain.
"That's because you've got no muscles in your shoulders," replies Winch in a tough-love kind of way. "With five years' weight training you could be 17st and then I'd have you throwing discus 50m."
Shot put is about a continuum of power: rotating yourself from a near crouching position so your acceleration begins in your thigh muscles, passes through your midriff and then your shoulders and fingers, which launch the shot into the air.
"It's a lovely feeling - letting go of the shot and finishing and the shot is still in the air," says Winch. "The great throws are the easiest. Because your sequential development of power is so good, by the time you let go the shot feels as light as a feather."
The basic technique - no gliding or spinning here - is actually a hugely complicated piece of coordination. I'm always forgetting something: not turning my back leg, lifting my back leg, not opening up my hips, not launching the shot at 42°, or falling out of the circle and disqualifying myself.
As a final encouragement, Winch tells me the story of a pill-popping 1970s American putter. "His saying was, 'You've got to put the shot through the hole in the sky.'" Winch ponders this. "He was probably on LSD at the time."
Hole in the sky, hole in the sky. I twizzle for my final throw. It is hardly a moment of transcendence but for a brief second the shot sails skywards. It lands just about 4m away. In one hour, Winch has masterminded my 100% improvement. Only another 19m to go and he will have another champion on his hands.
Patrick Barkham
"See? It's perfectly safe," says John "Jes" Smith, thwocking a sabre hard against my helmet. Inside, my head judders. I am at the University of London fencing club, and around me students are dancing about in fetching white knickerbockers, cutting and parrying and lunging, as Smith, a diploma'd Master of the British Academy of Fencing, talks me through the rudiments of the sport. There are three types of weapon: the foil, which is light and designed for thrusting, its target confined to the torso; the sabre, which is similarly light but, unlike the foil, the side of the blade may also be used and the target is anywhere above the waist; and the epee, which is heavy, and the target is every part of the body.
A bout lasts three minutes. At the Olympics, you fence to 15 hits within three periods of three minutes with two breaks. Competitors are wired up, and the floor is insulated so that when they hit their opponent, a light comes on and a point is scored. If both fencers hit at the same time, it is the fencer on the offensive who gets the point. "In fencing, it's the actual offensive action that counts," explains Smith. "It's about being a move ahead."
Fencing is one of the four sports to have been featured at every modern Olympics, though it has never been a particularly big event (at the 1896 Olympics, there was no bronze medal as there were only two contestants) and it rarely gets much TV coverage. We have three fencers at the Olympics this year: Richard Kruse in the Men's Foil, Alex O'Connell in the Men's Sabre and Martina Emanuel in the Women's Foil. "Europe, being the home of fencing, has all the best fencers," Smith informs me. O'Connell, first to qualify for Team GB, is a second-year classics student at Cambridge. In preparation for the Olympics he has put in 15 hours' training and 10 hours' commuting to training each week, alongside his 40 hours of academic work. He began fencing at seven, when he realised he would never make the school football team, started competing at nine and was on the international circuit at 11.
There is an awful lot of kit involved, even before you get to the knickerbockers: a protective sleeve for your fencing arm, a plastic breast plate, a lame jacket. You also wear a mask that makes you look like a beekeeper and really messes up your hair. Actually I really like wearing the mask; it makes you feel invincible.
Much of the art of fencing involves footwork. Placing one foot forward and the other at right angles, you have to bend your knees and sink low. "Fencing," Smith tells me as I adopt the pose, "is very good for the thighs and the glutes." Maintaining this position, you place your non-weapon hand on your hip and do a little crab-like shuffle, keeping low to the ground. Occasionally you lunge forward, or leap back. All the while, you keep an eye on the handle of your opponent's weapon to try and guess which way they plan to move. "It's like a very fast game of scissors, paper, stone," says Smith, "a very rapid game of bluff."
The first time another blade strikes yours is rather terrifying, but after a short while you begin to learn the tricks: protecting your head, angling the blade, double bluffing. The movements are quick, contained and precise; there is no Hollywood swashbuckling. It is, however, extremely athletic, and even in my relatively sedate introduction, I am soon sweltering beneath my heavy kit as I block and thrust and leap and shuffle and aim my sabre at Smith's head, hoping for revenge.
Laura Barton
"Let me see you do a cartwheel," says Shirley Callaghan, head coach at the Ladywell gymnastics club, in Bellingham. Given it is at least 10 years, probably nearer 20, since I've attempted a cartwheel, I warn Callaghan it is not going to be pretty. With as much gusto as I can muster, I throw myself at the floor. "That's not too bad. By the end of this session I'll have you cartwheeling off the competition-level beam," says Callaghan confidently.
Used by the ancient Greeks as a way of preparing soldiers for battle, gymnastics is one of the nine sports on the original programme set up by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1896 (along with athletics, cycling, fencing, weightlifting, shooting, swimming, tennis and wrestling). The IOC describes the discipline as "a perfect fusion of athletics and aesthetics". And yet, despite its ancient pedigree, gymnastics, especially the women's disciplines, is often dismissed as a frilly distraction between the "real" sporting events.
In today's games, gymnastics is divided into three categories: artistic, which includes floor exercises and equipment such as the beam, bars and the vault; rhythmic (which uses hoops, ribbons and balls and is done only by women); and the trampoline.
My career as a gymnast was short-lived. I won a couple of Baga badges in primary school, did a bit more at secondary school and then the double whammy of puberty and lack of discipline meant my time as a practising gymnast was pretty much over by 14. Before I attempt anything more elevated Callaghan makes me cartwheel repeatedly along a 4in white line painted on the floor. This is supposed to make my cartwheel straighter, and, I imagine, inspire confidence. It seems to be doing neither, but Callaghan is undeterred.
Fifteen minutes later, she places a floor-level beam in front of what looks like a large pool filled with foam squares and tells me to cartwheel off the beam and into the foam. After a couple of false starts (I lose my bottle, convinced I will knock myself out), I manage it. It's a slow cartwheel and it's lacking in grace, but I am unscathed and it gives me heaps of confidence. For the next 20 minutes I keep on cartwheeling into the pit, perfecting my technique, with Callaghan giving instructions at the sidelines: "Tuck your head in, keep your core muscles strong, snap your legs together at the top, twist your hips at the end." There is so much to remember, and throwing yourself around is surprisingly tiring. I had never before thought of gymnastics as an endurance event, but after an hour I'm out of breath and sweating profusely.
"It would depend on the individual athlete but high-level gymnasts would probably train for two four-hour sessions, six days a week," says Callaghan. Of course, they don't just have to the beam to worry about: they've also got to master the vault, the asymmetric bars and a floor routine. Callaghan considers gymnastics woefully underrated in this country. "It's a great base for all sports," she says. Does she think we have any chance of a medal for gymnastics? "If we win a medal it will be wonderful for the sport," says Callaghan, diplomatically.
Now my moment of reckoning has come: it's time to attempt the competition beam. I walk up and down - and soon fall off. First fall over with, I start "prepping" - marking out where my feet need to be to ensure I don't run out of beam mid-cartwheel. Callaghan is patient, encouraging and enthusiastic. I trust her implicitly, and when she tells me I can do it, I believe her. I take a deep breath, swing my arms to get momentum, and go for it. The next thing I know, I'm sitting on a mat on the floor, looking up at the end of the beam thinking, "Wow, I did it." I am ridiculously pleased with myself. I may have missed out on Beijing, but London 2012 seems a distinct possibility.
Hannah Pool
So here I am, sitting nervously in a racing scull in the middle of the Thames outside the venerable Mortlake Anglian & Alpha boat club, going nowhere. The thing is, the slightest movement sends its insanely skinny hull skidding straight out from under you; essay even half a gentle stroke and unless your blades enter and leave the water at exactly the same moment, precisely the right angle, you'll be over. Simple as that, really. It's rather disconcerting.
Until then, I'd been doing pretty well: 15 minutes on the erg, or indoor rowing machine, to sort out the basic action ("Legs, body, hands," says George, patiently, "then hands, body, legs going forward"); a good session on the water in a reassuringly broad-beamed two-man skiff with veteran Dick in the bow and Ian Roots, coach to the stars, instructing me further from the stern; then half an hour on my own in a specially stabilised training scull.
There's an awful lot to think about in rowing. I learned to drop the blades in vertically at the catch; to draw them smoothly through the water using your legs and body on the drive; flick them out cleanly at the finish; and feather them neatly so they lie flat to the water as you slide forward on the recovery. I'd even learned, sort of, to relax, which is apparently the most important thing of all. Ian, who has coached national champions, international medallists and future Olympic squad members, professed himself very pleased.
It was more than 25 years since I had last rowed, in a much bigger boat, an eight, in my first term at university. I had never before sat in a scull. Now, though, I really was enjoying it. Rowing is at once the most technical and the most natural of sports. Getting it right may depend on the perfect alignment of countless minutiae, but you know instantly when you have got it right because you can just feel it - fluid, easy, almost effortless (though rowing uses 86% of your muscles, and when you do it in anger it hurts like hell).
But then Ian took the stabilising floats off the trainer, and my world view changed. Suddenly, the boat was a live thing. And the boat I was in was infinitely more stable than a real racing scull. That is an elegant 27ft long, and a terrifying 12in wide, which basically means you're sitting on it, not in it, and all that keeps you from falling over are your oars. Since you're going to have to move those oars fairly energetically if you want to actually go anywhere, not taking an involuntary swim is a major achievement in itself.
In the real thing, I got absolutely nowhere. In the de-stabilised training scull, with an enormous effort of concentration, a lot of hard work and several near-dunkings, I progressed about 1,000m in roughly 15 minutes.
All being well, Ian explained gently, on the Shunyi Rowing Park lake next week, a young man wearing Team GB colours called Alan Campbell will cover twice that distance in well under half the time. Campbell stands 6ft 3in tall, weighs 15st and has been preparing for this event for seven years. He is an awesome athlete (he trains, famously, by sprinting with a 50kg sandbag in his arms, and sawing through tree trunks one hand at a time).
I'll be watching him with even more respect now I know that he'll be racing flat-out against the best in the world while perched on a sliver of carbon fibre whose natural inclination is to pitch him straight into the water.
Jon Henley
High jump
There are no women competing for Britain in the high jump at the 2008 Olympics, and before my intensive coaching session, I was confident this omission could be my ticket to Beijing. But after an hour of hitting the bar so many times that I was beginning to feel like the punch line in a bad joke, the reason was painfully clear - the event is one of the most technically demanding of the athletics on offer at the games.
To even qualify for the event, which was part of the first modern Olympics in 1896, female athletes must jump a vertiginous 1.95m and male contestants have to clear 2.30m. To get to this height, says Andy Paul, coach at the Birchfield Harriers athletics club, you need "controlled speed, explosive power and mobility in the air". And in Birmingham's Alexander stadium, the training home of Tom Parsons, one of the country's three Olympic high jump hopefuls, Andy is showing me the basics.
We start with coordination skills, and I quickly learn that even taking three running steps and jumping in the air on my left foot is beyond me. Reassuringly, Paul explains that this is not unheard of, at least among the youngest athletes, who can start jumping from the age of nine. "When it comes to a technical event, you need to have started to develop the basics early on and a lot of kids come to sport now lacking basic skills. You end up trying to explain what, 10 or 15 years ago, people would have just learned by playing in the street."
We move on to the run-up, takeoff and foot-plant. High jumpers must approach the bar running at a curve, so their speed is controlled and the last foot they put down, or plant, gives them the power to propel them over the bar, which is where technique comes in.
"No offence to my sprinting colleagues, but in those events you just point yourself and run. In high jump you have to transform horizontal speed to vertical height in the takeoff," says Paul. To help with this, high jumpers wear shoes with four spikes in the heel to steady them as they leap upwards.
Trying to remember which leg to jump off on, how close to the bar to jump and all the while concentrating on getting my arms in the air and bringing my right knee up to propel me into the air is so confusing that all I manage is a little hop. Yet Andy is undeterred, and decides I am ready to try the Fosbury flop.
First used by Dick Fosbury to win gold in the 1968 Olympics, this is the dominant style in high jump and requires you to twist your body in the air so you go over the bar headfirst. It's pretty tricky and as I continuously thud down, dragging the bar with me, I am relieved to have a £3,000 high jump "bed" under me instead of the thin crash mats I remember from school.
In the Olympics the athletes are allowed three attempts at each height to clear the bar, and the winner is the one who jumps the highest. If there is a tie, then the jumper with the fewest misses at the best height wins.
Most high jumpers reach their peak in their early 20s and train six days a week for between one and three hours a day. Their training focuses on their legs, core muscles and flexibility. But the week before the Olympics, the British hopefuls will have cut down their gruelling winter training - including running, weights and lots of plyometrics (jumping and bounding) - and will be down to doing jumps every few days to perfect their technique.
At the end of my training session, and after pleading to be allowed multiple "last jumps" to get it right, I finally clear the bar. I'm elated, and even when Paul points out that my 1.1m jump is about average for an eight-year-old I don't care - it's a complicated sport, but addictive.
Homa Khaleeli
It's a sunny afternoon in Peckham, south London, and I am about to step on to a BMX bike for the first time in 25 years. This is the first year that BMX will feature as an Olympic sport. It's too late for me to compete in Beijing, but I could be in the running for London in 2012. CK Flash runs Peckham BMX club, the No 1 club in the country, and as an Olympic scout coach, CK is looking for fresh talent. He is in luck. I hop on to my BMX, called Bronx, and ride gingerly for a few minutes before careering into the kerb. "I think I'm a little rusty," I say. "Do you think I need kneepads?" "Not for the speed you're going at," says CK.
The track in Peckham is 120m long and with its ramps, slopes and table tops it is fiendishly technical. Olympic BMX riding, though, is not judged on being able to do fancy tricks - it's all about speed. There are no points for death-defying jumps. In fact the lower you jump, the faster you go. Professional BMX riders typically spend three hours a day in the gym working on their leg muscles, followed by another three hours on the BMX track, where they focus on their riding technique.
I push forward, standing on the pedals as the bike bounces along the first three jumps. Then I slam on the brakes. "You don't really expect me to go down that do you?" I say pointing at a steep incline that doesn't so much slope as plunge with suicidal relish. "Just stand up on your bike and roll down," he says. Six times I reach the slope and each time I balk. CK is getting frustrated, I am getting frustrated, the photographer who wants a shot of me not looking hopeless is getting frustrated.
To make matters worse I am joined by members of Peckham BMX club. The kids - and I have T-shirts older than some of them - fly past me in a blur of fearlessness. As they hurtle around the track I slowly master the slope. I roll down with my feet on the ground, then with one foot on the pedal and finally while standing and with both feet on the pedals.
It's time to see what I have learned. CK has the stopwatch and as he nods I start pushing on the pedals. I'm over the first bumps, rolling down the slope, standing as I ride. I reach the bottom and pedal hard towards the steep ramp. The bike begins to slide but I push harder and heave myself towards the table-top, rolling down the other side before pedalling furiously to the finish. My shirt is dripping in sweat and I have a crushing pain in my lower back, but I did it. "In 32.6 seconds," says CK smiling. My overwhelming jubilation is dampened slightly when five-year-old Callum completes the same track in 18.2 seconds. CK tells me that Olympic contenders would clock a time of around seven seconds. At 37, it's possible my best BMX years may not be ahead of me and I tell CK that, despite my evident potential, I will not be pursuing it as an Olympic ambition. He tries not to look disappointed.
Sarfraz Manzoor


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So things I liked this week:
1. This home depot/Disney mashup video. It's really charming and funny for anyone who likes Disney. I'm totally a Disney Princess Superhero, like maybe a combination of Belle, Hermione, and the Scarlet Witch? But I grew up in the 80s and 90s during the great disney revival so will always have a soft spot for Beauty and the Beast, the Little Mermaid, Aladdin, and the Lion King (in addition to the classics).
2. Dressing up. Anyone who encountered me during real life for the last couple of weeks heard me freaking out about finishing my dress in time for a work related College of Medicine black-tie event. It was the first one I'd ever had to go to and because I have inherited boxes and boxes of formal fabric I had to make a dress (that'll be it's own post at some point). I've never been to formal things really, and my style leans toward the casual and eclectic (the more colors the better). The event was a fairly ordinary awards dinner, it was fun to get dressed up and go. It was held at the Cowboy Hall of Fame which has some really beautiful artwork.
It was also surprisingly good to hear about and from the two awardees this year. I hadn't heard of them before, but I haven't been particularly involved in the College of Medicine until recently, so that's not surprising. One awardee was Jeanne Hoffman Smith who was apparently a pioneer in mental health and social services in this area, and the other was Dr. Andy Sullivan, a highly regarded pediatric orthopedic surgeon. He was one of the many dedicated first responders after the tragic Oklahoma City bombing in 1995 and actually performed an on-site amputation on a women trapped in the debris of the collapsed building, thus saving her life.
3. This week I just finished another one of the Harry Dresden books by Jim Butcher. I'm really enjoying them; they're urban fantasy novels about a Wizard Detective and his police officer sidekick/partner. Lots of fun characters and charming writing, if you like light and witty fantasy, check them out. I think it's better to listen to them in order as there are quite a few recurring characters, but each can stand alone. I started with #1, but then skipped to #8 and #9 since that's what the library had. For anyone out there who is a Buffy/Joss Whedon fan, the audiobooks are narrated by Spike. Alas, the narration is great, but he doesn't sound like Spike, something I was sad about in the beginning.
4. I'm still liking blooming flowers; my Christmas cactus is done, but my poinsettia is still going strong. I rescued it from church after 12th night, and it was pretty droopy after the whole Christmas season, but I've transplanted it and it perked back up. I'm determined to keep it alive all year, but who knows how that will go!
5. I love seeing everyone's posts from the women's marches and protests. It was wonderful to see (and continue to see) my instagram feed and blogs filled with pink hats and kind, compassionate women standing up for things that are important to them.
Thanks to LeeAnna for hosting I Like Thursdays! Keep postive everybody!

subset: commoncrawl


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I know, I've been gone far too long! Lots of things happening in my life at the moment. School holidays have just finished, new puppy in the house and looking for a part-time job.
So, those are my excuses but here is the next installment in the world that is Lisa Hawson Art Blog.
This is Ted's Happy Ending, which was my final piece for Illustrating Children's Books.


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Types/Chapters of Bankruptcy
by, 10-07-2011 at 06:01 PM (1109 Views)
There are several different types of bankruptcies. The first basic difference is voluntary and involuntary bankruptcy. These two types of bankruptcies are exactly what their names suggest. A voluntary bankruptcy is when a debtor voluntarily files a petition of bankruptcy, commencing the bankruptcy proceeding on his or her own. An involuntary bankruptcy is when a creditor, or multiple creditors, initiates the bankruptcy proceeding.
Once bankruptcy proceedings have been initiated, there are three different types of bankruptcies: liquidation, reorganization, and adjustment.
Most bankruptcies filed by individuals are liquidation bankruptcies. This type of bankruptcy is governed by Chapter 7 of Federal Bankruptcy Law. Under a liquidation bankruptcy, the debtors non-exempt assets are sold and the proceeds are used to pay creditors. Federal Bankruptcy Law lists the property that is exempt from liquidation in 11 U.S.C. 522. However, Federal Law allows states to create their own exemption. There are some federal exemptions that states cannot opt out of and apply in all jurisdictions. If property is exempt, it will not be liquidated and the debtor will be able to keep that property. If an asset of the debtor is not exempt, it is part of the bankruptcy estate and will be sold/liquidated. The bankruptcy estate includes all assets that are not exempt and that will be liquidated. An impartial trustee is appointed at the beginning of a bankruptcy case and is responsible for overseeing the liquidation of the debtors nonexempt assets in a way that is most beneficial to creditors.
A reorganization bankruptcy can be filed by an individual or a business, but it is more common for businesses to file reorganization bankruptcies rather than individuals. Debt reorganization is governed by Chapter 11 of Federal Bankruptcy Law. A Chapter 11 debt reorganization case involves court oversight of a plan, filed by the debtor, to repay his or her debts. There are four main types of debt reorganization: debt forgiveness, debt refinancing, debt conversion, and debt assumption. Debt forgiveness is a contractual agreement between the debtor and creditor which reduces or stops the debtors obligation to the creditor. Debt refinancing, or debt rescheduling, is when the terms and conditions that had previously been agreed upon between the debtor and creditor in regard to the amount owed are changed. Debt conversion is when the debtor exchanges another asset, or piece of property, with value for the same debt with the same creditor. Debt assumption is when a third party takes on, assumes, the debtors debt, relieving the original debtor of his or her obligation. The third party then becomes liable on the debt.
Finally, an adjustment bankruptcy is for individuals who have a steady monthly income. Debt adjustment allows the debtor to adjust his or her debts in order to pay the debt over time. This may have the effect of reducing payments. Generally, this type of bankruptcy allows homeowners to stop foreclosure proceedings in an effort to cure delinquent mortgage payments.


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Home › magazine › product features › Hagleitner dispenser offers adjustable timing
Hagleitner dispenser offers adjustable timing28th of October 2011
Hagleitner's mechanical hand towel dispenser XIBU touchTOWEL features adjustable timing for paper delivery - optimising paper consumption. The hand towel is dispensed with a cut length of 24 cm.
Use of the second, upper paper roll is also automatic in that it moves automatically into the lower position. Without opening it the service team can see from the fill level indicator whether a second paper roll can be installed - the dispenser does not have to be empty.
Also in the XIBU series is an air freshening system, foam soap dispenser and toilet tissue dispenser.
Tel: +43 50456. Email: email@example.com


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email@example.com quality product, professional service, being the core supplier in laser industry! www.khxyq.com
Design is the possibility of pursuit of new.
If lack of invention,
the design loses its value;
if lack of creation,
products lose their lives.
Design requires seeking for new,
unconventional changing and difference,
otherwise, design will not be called design.
Shenzhen Konix Technology Co., Ltd is one of the largest silicone flexible keyboard, silicone electronic drum kits and roll up piano producer in china ....Learn More


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Fatima House is a school for girls near Tegucigalpa, Honduras. The school is a residential type, operated by Carmelite sisters and offers an education for girls at high risk for exploitation. The girls come from villages where they would have no opportunity to receive an education and could end up on the streets should they look for employment.
Our Lady of Fatima Parish decided in 2001 to assist the sisters in opening the school and raised the funds to purchase a closed Ray-O-Vac factory on 40 acres of land and renovate it to provide a safe environment for the young girls that would come to live and learn at Fatima House. Since its opening in 2003 the Parish has contributed to the day to day operations of the school and has sponsored the costs to provide for many children.
Father Norman MacPhee, pastor at Our Lady of Fatima, when the project started has traveled with other parishioners every year or so to visit the school and see how it is developing. The first group of young girls arrived in 2003 and are now young teens in high school and looking at a promising future. During our visit in May 2014 we were greeted by our 50 girls who are enjoying their education thanks to so many generous donors. The sisters have included children from a neighboring community in their school. This opens the door to new financial support, from tuition, and gives the Fatima House girls more interaction with children their own age. The school now has over 150 students up to grade 9 and the girls then go to the high school in the city to complete their education. It is always a delight to be there among the children and see their faces and feel their joy.
In response to the need the sisters build homes for homeless families and in 2010 they expanded their outreach to a 100 home plan to give families a hand up. A number of generous families in Our Lady of Fatima Parish have sponsored homes to assist in this community project. The sisters have overcome many infrastructure hurdles and are currently at the stage of laying the pipes for sewage drainage. The land is tiered, and compacted pads are in place for home construction. We would hope to see families moving into completed homes within the year. It has been a challenge to work within the governmental control but tenacity and prayer have prevailed and the sisters can see construction close at hand.
There are many ways to support Fatima House and Homes;
- sponsoring a child at $40/month or $480.00/year
- donations as a gift to others- cards are available at the church office
- in memoriam cards are available at the local funeral homes
- sponsoring a home at $1300.00
donations are always accepted and are tax deductible.
Committee members for 2014: Wanda Fedora, Colleen MacLean, Mary Aucoin, Anne Frances Gillis and Cleo WIndsor
Photos from the trip in spring 2014.


text: I want to join three ispconfig servers. They all run the same software base etc (Services (nginx, mysql, pureftpd, dovecot, (different php versions but as fpm))) with ispconfig 22.214.171.124 I found no where infos on how to join existing configs to a master server. They all should keep theire existing panel but be managable by every panel Is there a chance to achive this?


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|The Pulse Portal by David McCarty
|BMIR camp at Burning Man
|The Space Whale (under construction) by The Pier Group with
Matthew Schultz, Andy Tibbetts, and Android Jones
|Clearly I've been chasing all the geekiest Art Cars. There's a perfect landspeeder out
here this year I NEED to get a picture of.
Burning Man's 2016 art theme is inspired by the Italian Renaissance of the middle fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries, when an historic convergence of inspired artistry, technical innovation and enlightened patronage launched Europe out of medievalism and into modernity. Our story will focus on the republic of Florence, for it was here, in a city-state of about the same size and population as Black Rock City, that humanist ideals, a rediscovery of science, and funding from a newly moneyed class of entrepreneurs fueled a revolutionary cultural movement that redefined Western civilization.The Burning Man Journal goes on to talk about the historic role of patronage in artist's lives, and how that relationship between patron and artist was most frequently the Catholic Church, until the rise of the merchant class in Renaissance Italy began to challenge that artistic monopoly and commission more and more works for themselves and for the glory of their cities, instead of just to god.
|A model of Leonardo's tank design in real life, rolling around the desert
(yes, I know it looks like a Dalek)
|page from Leonardo's notebook
|Art Planes are the new Art Cars
Labels: article, Lauren Panepinto, LP


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Mackinac County Airport
Virtual brochure and information for the Mackinac County Airport, one of many online travel brochures for tourist information in St. Ignace, MI. Provided by your source for Mackinaw Information and Mackinac Information.
Virtual PDF brochure of the Mackinac County Airport
Mackinac County Airport
Paul Fullerton, Airport Manager
1220 N. State St.
St. Ignace, MI 49781
Phone: (906) 643-7165
Fax: (906) 643-6386
Sheryl Schaier, Office Manager
Great Lakes Air, Inc.
Flights by reservation only by calling: (906) 643-7165
Charter Airplane Rides! Rides daily... Be sure to bring your camera!
Great Lakes Air is a full service fixed-base operator (FBO) at the Mackinac County Airport in St. Ignace, MI.
Services include:
- Air Tours around the Mackinac Island and St. Ignace area daily.
- Passenger and freight charter service from St. Ignace to Mackinac Island and the surrounding areas.
- Flights to meet commercial flights arriving in Pellston, Traverse City, Detroit, and Chicago.
- Single and multi-engine flight charters.
- Full service maintenance.
If you have new or updated information about this virtual brochure, please contact us.


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Following his visit to Bhutan, the FIFA President flew past the Himalayas and Mount Everest into Tribhuvan International Airport in Nepal, where he was greeted by Youth and Sports Minister Kamala Roka, state minister Gopi Achami, National Sports Council member secretary Yubaraj Lama and All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) President Ganesh Thapa .
Blatter then met the country's President Dr Ram Baran Yadav and Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai. The Nepali President said he was happy to receive Blatter and his delegation and publically declared a sincere appreciation of his efforts at FIFA.
"The contribution that you have given to world football for over three decades at FIFA is really remarkable," Dr Yadav told Blatter in a meeting at Shital Niwas. "Your intention to bring football to under-privileged country is also noteworthy," added the President. After a ten-minute meeting with the Prime Minister in Baluwatar, Blatter said he was happy to be in Nepal following an overwhelming reception.
"I am absolutely revitalised after being so warmly received," commented President Blatter. "It was a fantastic Nepali welcome."
It was then time to move to the Dasharath Stadium for the opening of the AFC Challenge Cup, the biggest footballing event which Nepal has witnessed. The FIFA President commented that it was a big day for Nepali football. "To host the AFC Challenge Cup is a huge achievement for this country," he said, while Nepal's Prime Minister turned to Blatter, commenting; "Your visit will promote the sport here."
*Blatter calls for gender equality *In the FIFA President's inauguration speech, which coincided with International Women's Day, he affirmed FIFA's commitment to supporting and developing the women's game in Nepal and stated the parallels between football and supporting women's rights in that both are about fair play, respect and discipline.
The AFC in collaboration with ANFA and SAATHI - a non-government organization that focuses on the issue of domestic violence against women and children - established a campaign under its Dream Asia project entitled "Our Goal: Stop Violence Against Women" which was launched yesterday. The Dasharath Stadium was decked out with banners and flags promoting the campaign while players from all teams publicly pledged their support for women's empowerment.
I'm sure Nepal can go further in international football and FIFA is helping.
Although Nepal's day ended with a 2-0 defeat against Palestine under the floodlights, Blatter saw tremendous positives in the game and his visit.
"Nepal played well after conceding the goal and I'm sure they will continue to progress," he said. "I'm sure Nepal can go further in international football and FIFA is helping. There is going to be an extension to the current ANFA Academy under the auspices of the FIFA Goal Programme, plus we are going to provide more assistance to women's football in Nepal. In 1995, I had said that the future of the football would be feminine, so let's encourage women's football in the world."
Blatter commented on the 'Our Goal: Stop Violence Against Women' programme. "I was happy to see the way this was being initiated," continued the FIFA President. "My sincere thanks go to the AFC, ANFA and SAATHI. I will personally help ANFA and SAATHI on this project. We should respect women. We shouldn't harm them. Women are our mothers. How can we harm our mothers?"
Football creates awareness
SAATHI President Bandana Rana responded: "Nepalese women are facing violence in different forms like physical harassment, domestic violence, women trafficking, rape and violence. SAATHI has been working to promote gender equality and to stop violence against women for 28 years. Football is the best medium to create awareness among people in Nepal, as the game is popular in the country."
President Blatter also inaugurated the FIFA Goal Programme in Nepal by lighting an oil lamp in a ceremony held at the ANFA Complex, Satdobato, Lalitpur.
AFC Acting President Zhang Jilong, AFC vice-president and ANFA President Thapa, FIFA Executive Committee member Manilal Fernando, plus SAATHI President Rana were also present.
Children from SAATHI sheltered homes and ANFA academy boys participated in an exciting 30-minute footballing exhibition. The ANFA President revealed that a women's footballing academy will open in the near future.
Thapa said: "Under the GOAL project, 150 players will be based in three academies. We are working hard for the development of Nepalese football. We have started semi-professional football, but local FAs have also initiated different programmes for the promotion and development of the game. An academy for women will be developed soon."
The FIFA President and his delegation now travel to India to meet with Indian President, Prativa Patil, where she will be joined by Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and other senior officials.


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Concierge Delivers on its White Glove Promise!
7 Months In, SMS Masterminds' Concierge Program Proves Success
San Luis Obispo, CA- SpendSmart Networks, Inc. (OTCQB:SSPC) dba "SMS Masterminds," is regularly adding new features while updating our current processes and platforms. We recently introduced several new platforms and services, including the Concierge Program.
For our licensees, building their business has many challenges. Our licensees are wearing many hats as they take their services to market: cold calling, selling, campaign setup, ongoing account management, billing, etc. To better support our licensees with our world class "white glove service", our team members put their heads together to come up with something that would give our licensee network a big boost: our Concierge Service.
On March 1, 2015, SMS Masterminds launched its Concierge program. This program was introduced as a way to free up our licensees to do what they do best – meet with local merchants and sell great loyalty reward products.
"This is the aim of Concierge, to make you and your company effective, efficient, and prosperous." Said Concierge Team lead Kenny Selke. "The goal here, my goal, is to free up your time from sitting at your computer setting up a new client, and get you out selling again! All the while, you can rest assured KNOWING that your campaigns are being set up in a logical, thorough and effective manner. The process is simple, our licensees submit a simple form with the merchant's basic company information and what campaign they are interested in having created. Once that form is received our concierge department takes the reigns and begins working tirelessly to set up new accounts, campaigns and websites for the merchants. This allows both the licensee and the merchant to focus on running and growing their businesses."


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No brewery is more synonymous with hoppy than Stone Brewing Company. Stone's beers are, for the most part, unapologetically bitter. Stone Ruination 2.0 is not only one of Stone's finest, it is the defining West Coast IPA. Bright, clear, and unfettered by malt balance; Stone Ruination 2.0 is bitter perfection from first sniff until the long aftertaste of the last sip fades. The strikingly clear golden orange liquid evokes images of ocean waves shimmering under a slow-setting sun. Perched atop the beer is a dense, creamy head whose bursting bubbles delight the nose with aromas of tropical fruit, melon, pineapple, and pine. The only sweetness detected is that of tropical and citrus fruits coming from the hops rather than any sugary malt sweetness.This carries to the flavor of this medium-bodied beer. After a slight carbonation burn, there is just a fleeting hint of tropical and citrus sweetness. As the beer flows towards the back of the tongue, the bitterness usurps any control the sweet fruitiness was trying to assert with a piney and resinous strike. This unrelenting assault on the taste buds continues as it flows towards the throat. The hints of citrus hops are overshadowed by a dominant piney and grassy finish that builds to a tongue-scorching hop bite long after the liquid is gone. The main contribution from the malt in Ruination 2.0 is to bump the ABV to 8.5% and take the IPA to an imperial level. The beer is a year-round release from Stone and is available in 6 packs of bottles. It goes great with spicy Thai food, sharp cheeses, and bitter chocolates. I only wish this beer came in cans making it pair better with bikepacking (though the gargoyle cap has been on my stem since last summer). But there is always the stainless mini-growler option to take it from the tap to the trail. Ruination 2.0 is not for everyone nor is it meant to be. Hop heads unite, and raise a glass that is both a toast to our common love of the hop and a thank you to those that will still brew a beer that is not a tasteless, profit-oriented conglomerate sell-out. Cheers, Alex Bikepacker Friendliness (the glass doesn't lend itself to the trail)…6/10 Aroma (a hop bouquet)…9/10 Flavor (bitter is beautiful)…10/10 Style Appropriateness (THE West Coast IPA)…10/10
3 Comments
Love that top cap!!
What is it with cyclists and beer? Go to any bicycling internet space and find me a review of a Chardonnay. Or a Grenache. Dare ya!
BTW Stone is on my short list.
Pingback: New Belgium Citradelic Tangerine IPA - Bikepackers Magazine


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The latest Arizona Vegetable Integrated Pest Management Update from the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension in Yuma, Ariz.
Botrytis leaf blight on onions
By Mike Matheron, UA Extension Plant Pathologist
Botrytis leaf blight, caused by the fungus Botrytis squamosa, is a disease that can occur in Arizona and California desert onion plantings.
Initial symptoms on leaves are the appearance of small white sunken spots about 1/8th inch in diameter surrounded by a light green halo from 1/16 to 1/8 inch wide. The presence of this halo is diagnostic for leaf blight and can help distinguish between leaf blight lesions and necrotic spots caused by herbicides, mechanical damage, or insect feeding sites.
With age, the halo may disappear and the lesions may expand in size to a width of about ¼ inch and a length of about 5/16 inch. Development of these spots requires a wet leaf surface (due to rainfall, dew, or sprinkler irrigation) for at least 20 hours.
Under prolonged moist conditions at temperatures ranging from 54 to 76 degrees F., the fungus can develop rapidly and cause blighting and eventual leaf death. Botrytis leaf blight can cause quality loss on green onions where foliage condition is a primary market factor. On a dry bulb crop, premature leaf death can result in yield loss due to smaller bulb sizes.
Effective management of Botrytis leaf blight with fungicides requires initiating applications when the disease symptoms first become visible.
In growing areas with frequent periods of foliar moisture due to rainfall, dew, or sprinkler irrigations, establishing plantings in single rows spaced at least 12 inches apart, compared to multiple-row plantings, can facilitate more rapid leaf drying and reduce infection. A rotation with non-susceptible crops will also prevent the buildup of the pathogen in the soil.
Contact Matheron: (928) 726-6856 or email@example.com.
Carryover of vegetable herbicides to wheat grown in rotation
By Barry Tickes, UA Area Agriculture Agent
Almost all herbicides used on lettuce, cole crops, and melons have restrictions on how soon wheat can be planted in rotation after use. Experience has demonstrated that safe intervals can vary considerably based upon many factors and are almost always much longer than they need to be.
The most important factors are the rate applied, irrigation practices, and tillage. For example, when the herbicide Kerb was banded at two to four pounds per acre after planting and incorporated with furrow irrigation, it was common to see treated strips across the wheat fields which followed. This is uncommon now with lower rates that are chemigated.
We still see some Balan injury at the ends of fields or in overlaps especially when Sudangrass is planted. Wheat is not very sensitive to Prefar and carryover injury is uncommon.
Contact Tickes: (928) 580-9902 or firstname.lastname@example.com.
Adult whitefly sampling with a vacuum
By Marco Peña, UA Research Specialist
Those involved in vegetable production know that whiteflies damage and kill crops by sucking sap, spreading viruses, and excreting a sticky substance called honeydew.
In 1992, the sweet potato whitefly (SPW), Bemisia tabaci, was considered an occasional virus vector. Today the SPW is one of the main pests in desert melons and vegetables.
Spraying is a fairly effective control method. But whiteflies could develop resistance and new biotypes have been discovered recently. John Palumbo, UA research scientist and extension specialist, is conducting efficacy experiments developing new methods to improve whitefly population management.
There are different methods to monitoring the adult SPW. Yellow sticky traps can monitor adult flight activity. Sampling for adults and immature SPW should be centered on young foliage.
The most practical method to sample for SWF is to turn the leaves carefully when the insect is active in the early morning. This method is also used in UA experiments for evaluating the efficacy of the new chemicals against SPW.
I would like to describe a different method used by researchers inside and outside the UA to sample cantaloupe whitefly efficacy with a vacuum. This is done at the Yuma Agricultural Center using a heavy duty two-gallon cordless wet dry vacuum powered by an 18-volt battery. Plastic cups are properly labeled with the treatment and replication number for insect collection.
Cups are placed in the suction hose. The cups have a nylon mesh at the bottom which prevents the insects from going into the vacuum deposit. Each plant is vacuumed for three seconds. Usually five plants are sufficient with a good whitefly population. Lids are placed on the cups.
To identify by species and count numbers, the cups are placed in a freezer for about one hour. The contents are then evaluated under a stereomicroscope. The data is analyzed by the researcher. The lower numbers are the most efficacious products for whitefly control. Recommendations are available to pest control advisers and growers.
Contact Peña: (928) 782-3836 or firstname.lastname@example.com.


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But snapped this morning, a first glimpse of the new bike parking zone in the Baynard House car park on Queen Victoria Street.
No bike stands in there yet but I hope those will be installed this week. And hey presto, 76 new bike parking places.
It's a shame these spaces are being taken from motorbikes and mopeds rather than cars. But by my reckoning this is about four car parking spaces. So, that's maximum 16 people at a push. And now it will be used by up to 76 people instead.
Our petrol-head transport minister Philip Hammond talks about about using the existing network more efficiently. Well, Mr Hammond. Perhaps you can do the mathmetics yourself?
|Photo thanks to http://www.localdatasearch.com/


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Hi, I'm Theresa…and I am an addict! A craft addict that is. From as long as I can remember, I have been involved in some form of crafts. From making mud castles as a child, to drawing, painting, and crocheting through adulthood. I have been scrapping for just under five years, and my style ranges from simple to eclectic, to shabby chic.
I live along the gulf coast in southern Texas. I am married to the most loving and irritating man for 21 years. We have 3 children, and four beautiful grandchildren who are my inspiration.
I am honored to be a part of the design team here at The Paper Variety, and hope to inspire you play along with the challenges.


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Although we don't believe in timing the market or panicking over market movements, we do like to keep an eye on big changes -- just in case they're material to our investing thesis.
What: Shares of Taseko Mines (NYSEMKT:TGB) slumped 10% today after the Canadian government blocked the development of its New Prosperity gold and copper project in British Columbia for the second time in just over three years.
So what: In a statement late Wednesday, Minister of the Environment Leona Aglukkaq concluded that New Prosperity "is likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects that cannot be mitigated," adding to the already high degree of uncertainty over the project's future. In fact, Taseko had already changed up its development plan for New Prosperity after the federal government rejected it in 2010, suggesting that management is running out of options as to what it can do to ease the environmental concerns.
Now what: Don't expect New Prosperity to die without a fight. "Saying no to this project, which is so important to so many people, is not an acceptable conclusion," said Taseko Vice President of Corporate Affairs Brian Battison. "The existing judicial review will continue to run its course. We will be giving consideration to other courses of action which may be available to us." So while Taseko remains far too risky for average investors, resource-savvy speculators might want to pounce on today's plunge on the hopes that management can keep New Prosperity alive.
Brian Pacampara has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.


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I started using my brand new S9 AutoSet in the mid of March 2012.
On June 09th 2014 during the night the system suddenly blew with maximum flow. I could not reset the machine so I had to give it away for to fix it. Those guys told me that a flow sensor is out of order, which obviously could not be repaired or changed. So I had the choice to pay for a new motherboard which was not really cheaper than a new machine. I asked for guarantee or at least for good will. But this was refused, ResMed would not pay for this.
So I've got some questions:
- Is there someone somewhere on the planet who's got trouble with his S9 within let's say the first two and a half years of using? And what happened with guarantee or good will?
- Is there anybody who has a ResMed cpap machine with an identical fault of suddenly blowing with full flow?
- Does someone know if this sensor really cannot be changed? And if no where can I get me such a sensor?
Thank you for your help.


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Flaunt Nails Like a Diva with Maybelline Colorshow Go Graffiti Blueberry Bombshell
Hello Everyone,
I have another NOTD to flaunt today.. :D. I have been pretty late to try these Go Graffitti nail paints but even now I am enjoying these so much that I have share my excitement with you guys!! I have loved the Maybelline Colorshow Go Graffiti Blue Beats but today I have even better brother to show you, it's the Maybelline Colorshow Go Graffiti Blueberry Bombshell.
Price: Rs.145
Maybelline Colorshow Go Graffiti Blueberry Bombshell:
While Blue Beats was sort of a clear gel with holographic shimmers this Blueberry Bombshell actually has a color to it.
Blueberry Bombshell: It is light lavender colored polish with a good amount bright yellow hexagins suspended in the formula. The texture is a bit thick so you have to go for thin layers or it will squishy at places. The color pay off is very sheer and I have to apply 2 coats to get the color on my nails but the holographic shimmers are in abundance, so instead of layering 3-4 coats of this nail paint, I prefer to use a base color and then apply 2 coats of this nail polish.
The hexagonal holograph shimmers can be adjusted a bit during application so you can manage to have them as per your liking 🙂
Here I have used 2 coats on my last 2 fingers and over 1 coat of Maybelline Express Finish Turquoise Lagoon on the rest. I am really impressed with the staying power of this nail polish as it has been 4 days and I haven't experienced any chip or wear from the edges.. that too even without a top coat!!
That means I am all set to add more of these in my collection.. <3
Rating: 4.5/5
Have you tried Maybelline Colorshow Go Graffiti Blueberry Bombshell Nail Paint? Which is your favorite from the collection?


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Weekend Notes From The Polemarch of New Orleans
UPDATE: Is Glenn Reynolds a machine?
Off on travel until Monday. But…
Here's the transcript of Michelle Obama's speech from May 2, 2008 which I discussed on last night's Hannity & Colmes.
Senator Obama is running as a biography/character candidate, not as a candidate of accomplishment because he has accomplished little except obtaining office. As a biography/character candidate the four corners of that biography that illuminate Obama's character –Michelle Obama, Pastor Jeremiah Wright, the unrepentant terrorists Bill Ayers and Bernadine Dohrn, and Obama's mentor, financier, friend and neighbor Tony Rezko— are all extremely relevant to the debates of the next six months, and we need to know much more about each corner of the square within which Obama has moved.
Last night Alan Colmes warned me that attacks on Michelle Obama will backfire. I agree. But analysis of the campaign speeches she gives in support of her husband's candidacy and delivered, we have to assume, in order to convey her husband's platform and plans to potential supporters, are not only relevant to the campaign, but central to them given how indifferent to specifics Senator Obama has been from day one.
Stanley Kurtz has written a crucial piece in the Weekly Standard on "The Trumpet," Jeremiah Wright's magazine, which had to have passed though Obama's hands for two decades. Don't miss it. (And which MSM outlet will be the first to get the copy of The Trumpet with Obama's picture on the cover? Won't that story/interview be interesting? Note that the magazine's publisher wouldn't release it to Kurtz.)
Speaking of a future biography/character candidate –one with real accomplishments– the transcript of my interview yesterday with Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal will be posted here. Here's the audio.
Be sure to read Randy Elrod's response to the latest Evangelical Manifesto and comment on both.
Michael Barone has a column out on Douglas Feith's War and Decision in which Barone makes the important point that we are just now beginning to understand the decisions that followed 9/11 and led to the successes and the setbacks since, and that Feith's book is an important insider account of those years.
I will be visiting the Hoover Institution as a Media Fellow next week, and am watching Peter Robinson's magnificent interview with Thomas Wolfe as prep. I will dragoon Peter to co-host as much of the show as he can be persuaded to do next week. Howard Mortman and Victor Davis Hanson will also be about, so a fine week of broadcasts ahead.
It will be the week of decision on the polar bear listing, one of those controversies of which the MSM is barely aware but which has far reaching consequences for American industry and economic growth. Like the civil war raging in Lebanon (Michael Totten has the best coverage of course) or the heparin not-quite-effective-recall or the Rezko trial, the MSM doesn't understand the many moving parts of a complicated story like the push to list the polar bear as threatened, and is staffed by folks of truncated curiosity which combines with contempt for their audience to produce hours and hours of nonsense. FNC works to bring panels of smart people of differing opinions together to discuss complicated subjects for decent stretches of time, as does CNN occasionally, but generally it is a wasteland on cable and worse on the big 3. Talk radio and C-SPAN are pretty much alone in allowing someone like Jindal to appear and discuss many subjects for a half hour or more, which is why radio is the most powerful form of serious media left. (C-SPAN doesn't make much of an effort to add pacing, but it is still valuable beyond belief, as when it airs the full Michelle Obama speech.)
How can the world's most advanced economy blessed with an explosion of technology produce such genuinely mediocre broadcast news day after day?
Why doesn't Peter Robinson's interview with Tom Wolfe air on some channel? Why isn't there a fast-paced but comprehensive program covering the polar bear debate, or featuring Totten or Michael Yon explaining what they saw going on in Lebanon or Iraq?
The answer of course is that broadcast execs don't believe such programming is possible or that it would bring them ratings (and that PBS is so institutionally left-wing as to have no clue about building an audience of other than Bill Moyers groupies.)


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Hello Crafty Friends!
If you have been following my blog for a while you probably know that I really really like making gift tags. A lot. Last fall I did a series of Christmas Tags and once all of the tags were posted to my blog I picked a random commenter to receive a set of them. I thought it would be fun to do that again just without the Christmas theme this time.
So, over the next couple of weeks I will post six different tags and once all are posted I will pick a winner. Just leave a comment on one of the posts to be included (you can comment on all of posts for more chances). There may be some other goodies included with tag prize package… perhaps some ribbon! ;)
Without further ado, here is the first set in the series:
These little cuties feature the Cattitude stamp set from There She Goes clear stamps. I used a couple of different cat images and two different sentiments. So each tag is a tad different from the others.
There is a lot of little details on these tags. I layered more of the Nostalgia designer paper that I used on yesterday's card on Candy Bar cardstock, notched the corners with a Corner Chomper and then added stitching with my sewing machine. Stitching around the notched corners was a bit… awkward. I won't be doing that again. ;)
I'm a big fan of Pom Pom trim so I added some (using a mini stapler to attach in place) and then layered a sentiment flag on top with foam dimensional tape. To finish I added a few rhinestones along the bottom and then added Brown Sugar Baker's Twine to the top of the tag.
On the tags that used the image of the kittens in a basket I doubled up the kittens for extra dimension. Here is a side shot so you can the detail:
Hope you like the first tag in the series. Be sure to comment if you would like to win one. :) I'll be back in a few days with the second set of tags!
Stamps: Cattitude (There She Goes).
Paper: Taffy, Banana Split, Candy Bar (Bazzill Card Shoppe), Choice Snow White (TE), Nostalgia designer (My Mind's Eye).
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Copic markers.
Accessories: rhinestones (Bo Bunny), white pom pom trim (American Crafts), Brown Sugar Baker's Twine (Divine Twine), Corner Chomper (We R Memory Keepers), foam dimensional tape (TE), heavy duty white thread and sewing machine, Tag, You're It Die (MFT).


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Backlog status
What I'm playing or have recently finished:
Wrath of the Lich King
Left 4 Dead
Team Fortress 2
Gears of War 2
King's Bounty
Fallout 3
Lock's Quest
Tomb Raider: Underworld
The World Ends With You
Drill Dozer
Metal Slug 7
Geometry Wars: Galaxies (that's the DS one)
What I've recently gotten but haven't played or have barely played:
Space Rangers 2
The Political Machine 2008
The Witcher: Enhanced Edition
S.T.A.L.K.E.R Shadow of Chernobyl
What I still hope to get, in no particular order:
Far Cry 2
World of Goo
Defense Grid
Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People, Season 1 (35 bucks for the whole season now)
Immortal Defense
Some GBA games and DS games; I cannot access my Amazon list for a while
One racing game for the 360 (wouldn't want to get burdened with too many games to catch up with!) from the following list:
Midnight Club: Los Angeles (leaning towards this one)
Need for Speed Undercover
Burnout: Paradise
Baja: Edge of Control
I think that, apart from these lists, the list I have on Amazon, and the games I will receive for Christmas, I will be well-covered for the first half of the year. Yes? Also, hooray! I see patterns erupting. Someone needs to hire me to be the casual MMO guy. I don't know of any casuals who understand or care about MMOs. I also haven't seen anyone compare the vast range of tower defense games that came out in 2008. Along with the downloadable revolution, tower defense has really come of age recently; Lock's Quest is awesome so far and I'm enthused about chewing on the many others.
It's a good thing I haven't gotten a Playstation 2 yet.


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The Quick Take
Brand/Name: Girly Bits Banana Hammock
Color: Medium yellow
Formula: Green/blue flecks in a yellow jelly base
Finish: Glass fleck/jelly
Price: $10-12 CDN for 15mL
Seen at: Girly Bits, Harlow and Co., Llarowe, Mei Mei Signatures
Note(s): As of this writing, the Slap Dash collection is only available at Llarowe. I purchased mine at the Girly Bits website but that seems to be down while Pam is on vacation.
The Fun Facts
If you've been reading this blog for a while, you'll know yellow isn't particularly on the top of my must have list. This would easily join the rest of my unhappy yellows that only see the light of day when nail art beckons...except it had a secret. One that once I knew would change the status quo forever. Okay, so maybe that was overly dramatic, but hear me out here. It has green shimmer that looks like blue/aqua in certain lighting (usually low lighting)! Maybe the shimmer isn't exactly as pronounced as I'd like it to be. But just knowing that this yellow has something that your yellow doesn't...well, that definitely changes things. I never thought I'd say it, but this is actually a yellow I'm super excited to wear. Now, let's talk about that name: Banana Hammock. If this brilliant yellow isn't enough to sway you, I'm fairly certain that tongue in cheek name will. Doesn't it just bring to mind Magic Mike-esque images? *grin* (Scaling it back to PG now.)
***All nail swatches were done with OPI Natural Nail Base Coat and three coats of Girly Bits Banana Hammock unless stated.
(Also, notice how shiny it looks even without top coat!)
Banana Hammock's consistency leans a little towards the watery side of the spectrum. It's not so bad that it's unwieldy but you definitely have to make sure you don't have too much polish on the brush to prevent flooding your cuticles. With this sort of formula, you'll want to work with thin to medium coats anyway. The first coat might look scarily streaky but that's just because of the jelly formula. Add on a couple more and you've got the opacity of a creme! You might notice that there's a ghost of the nail line if you look closely at the swatches but it's hardly noticeable in person. I'd also like to note that the brush works wonderfully with the consistency, provided you don't have too much polish on it. Dry time was average with this polish.
Top coat is pretty moot in terms of shine, but a definite must for protection!
The Quick Take
Brand/Name: Girly Bits Arctic Sunrise
Color: Sky blue
Formula: Blue jelly base with pink/purple glass flecks
Finish: Glass fleck/jelly
Price: $10 CDN for 14mL
The Fun Facts
What more is there to be said about the glorious color that is (sky) blue? Arctic Sunrise is a stunning addition to the blue nail polish family. The pink/purple shimmer that adores the limelight (unlike it's cousin in Banana Hammock) really brings this pretty blue to life. Now, the idea of a pink shimmer with a blue base might seem familiar to the Sinful Colors Cinderella lovers out there. But let's make this clear: they're not dupes. At all. In fact, dare I say, Arctic Sunrise towers over pale Cindy. The vibrancy of the sky blue base provides such a better contrast to the pink/purple shimmer. To be quite honest, this is exactly what I had wanted Cinderella to be. (Sorry, Cindy.) The name also brings to mind winter sunrises where the clouds are tinged with pink against a blue sky. Possibly one of the few things I do like about winter!
***All nail swatches were done with OPI Natural Nail Base Coat and three coats of Girly Bits Arctic Sunrise unless stated.
The consistency of Arctic Sunrise echoes that of Banana Hammock. It's a tiny bit runny but far from the point that it becomes hard to work with. Flooding your cuticles if you're not paying attention can be a distinct possibility, otherwise, it applies like butter. The first coat also appears streaky but it evens itself out nicely with three thin to medium coats. The brush works well with the formula and dry time is also average.
As with Banana Hammock, top coat only adds just a bit more shine to an already innately shiny finish.
The Lowdown
I am a huge fan of these new additions to the Girly Bits line. Both Banana Hammock and Arctic Sunrise are unique colors that will, unquestionably, get a lot of love. The quality with which these nail polishes are created echo Pam's superb workmanship. The colors are carefully chosen so that it stands alone among your army of blues and yellows. The jelly finish adds a squishy factor that I'm partial to, without any of the opacity issues. It also serves to allow the shimmer to really shine through. The consistent consistency of the formula between two different shades, albeit just a touch runny, speak of superb quality control and careful precision. The small personalized touches like a handwritten thank you note adds that human touch; yours is not just another order.
As for value for price, it can be a little pricey (and over my self-imposed $10 per bottle limit) if you purchase from stockists. This is why I prefer to purchase straight from the source. $10 is reasonable for a full-sized 15mL custom mixed bottle of nail polish, and it's in the same range as my other favorite indie brand, Cult Nails. Availability might be an issue (nothing new in the indie nail polish world). Right now, only Llarowe seems to have the new collection in stock while the Girly Bits website is down while Pam is on vacation till August 14th. Then the question becomes if you can wait that long. If not, I've heard good things about Llarowe even if I haven't shopped there myself.
Kudos to Pam for another collection that exceeds expectations. In fact, I have my eye on a couple more colors (Hello, Jelly Shoes and Cu Blue) so that should really say it all. Girly Bits is definitely on the rise and a veritable brand to watch!
Hammie echoes my sentiments. He's impressed that both colors are unique (at least as far as our collection and Google is concerned) despite being summer staples. He says the contrasting shimmer colors are what raise this yellow and blue to new heights. The squishy finish just adds even more to the table. Unsurprisingly, he scores Banana Hammock and Arctic Sunrise:
Yay for the long weekend! Any fun plans in store? We'll probably just stay in and meet up with friends we haven't seen in a while. Then maybe do a movie marathon or two and catch up on our favorite series while we plan our next trip later this year. Fun times! Have you tried any Girly Bits nail polishes? Which one is your favorite (mine's a toss up between Stormy Skies and Arctic Sunrise)? Do you support the independent nail polish movement?


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The independent learnings of a new teacher in love with books.
My blog title is quoted from a classmate who asked me this once. Believe it or not, I've also heard it as a teacher :D
Friday, March 18, 2011
Friday Blog Hop!
5 comments:
I am also a one book at a time reader. Since I read purely for enjoyment, I want to give my undivided attention to what my current read is.ReplyDelete
Hopped in to say hi. I am with you on the one at a time read, although I do listen to a book whenever I cannot physically be reading one. Have a great weekend!ReplyDelete
I read one at a time but will put by the wayside if going slow, in favour of another.ReplyDelete
Not everyone can multi-task and nobody should. When it comes to book sure, I can't read four books simultaneously (or even two, for that matter!) but there are times I'll juggle as many as four books at a time depending on the subject matter, the urgency or more often both.ReplyDelete
The real trick to this is what KINDS of books to juggle. Hop on over to my blog and learn the method behind my madness - http://www.howardshermannet
Howard Sherman
Hopping through. I read multiple books at a time b/c my attention span is too short.ReplyDelete
My Hop


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The fundamental 3-dimensional space objects that form the basis for all operations in computer graphics are the point and the vector (sometimes called a free vector). These objects are often confused when studying the field and frequently students are taught that points and vectors are ``essentially'' the same. However, they are very different. Namely,
For a pdf version of these notes look here.
Geometrically, we draw points as dots and vectors as line segments with arrows. We will generally draw vectors by attaching them to a specific point, but it should be emphasized that any vector is positionless. We will denote points by capitalized bold letters such as and , and will denote vectors as lower case letters with an arrow above such as and .
In computer graphics we utilize an affine space. This space is made up of a set of points and a vector space . The points and vectors of this space are related in a fixed, but simple manner by the following axioms. We illustrate the axioms by utilizing the affine space of 2-dimensional points and vectors. In this example we represent points componentwise by utilizing parenthesis (e.g. ) and vectors by utilizing brackets (e.g. ).
Several axioms exist that relate the points and vectors in an affine space. In general, the points are thought to play the primary role in the space, while the vectors are utilized to move about in the space from point to point. The general axioms are as follows.
The point is frequently written as , and the vector is frequently written as .
From the three axioms, we can deduce that affine spaces have the following properties.
This is an immediate property of the head-to-tail axiom with .
We note that both the left- and right-hand sides of this equation are vectors. This therefore states that the additive inverse of the vector is .
We note that both the left- and right-hand sides of this equation are vectors. This axiom is illustrated in the affine space of two-dimensional points and vectors in the following figure.
We note that both the left- and right-hand sides of this equation are vectors. The axiom is illustrated for the affine space of two-dimensional points and vectors in the following figure.
It should also be noted in this case that the vectors are free and positionless. The two resulting vectors have the same direction and magnitude, and therefore are equal.
We note that both the left- and right-hand side of this equation are points. This is just a direct result of the definition of the vector .
We note that the left- and right-hand side of this equation are vectors. This axiom is illustrated for the affine space of two-dimensional points and vectors in the following figure.
We note that these axioms show that points and vectors are two different entities. In particular, vectors can be added, but points cannot. Vectors can also be scaled, while points cannot. Many people look at points as playing the primary role in the geometry, while the role of vectors is to allow movement from point to point.
There are operations on points which are fundamental to the nature of the computer graphics field. These operations are the affine combinations which arise from the following operation:
Let and be points in our affine space. Consider the expression
We note that if then is somewhere on the line segment joining and .
This expression allows us to define a basic operation on points. We utilize the following notation
We can generalize this to define an affine combination of an arbitrary number of points. If are points and are scalars such that , then
To construct an excellent example of an affine combination consider three points , and . A point defined by
In fact, it can be easily shown that if then the point will be within (or on the boundary) of the triangle. If any is less than zero or greater than one, then the point will lie outside the triangle. If any is zero, then the point will lie on the boundary of the triangle.


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So glad you're here! I've worked in events for many years and I've come to realize that weddings are where my heart lies. I have a keen eye for detail and adding those little touches that make all the difference, including the stand-out moments you—and your guests—remember forever.
My diverse event background has provided me with a unique opportunity to showcase my organization, seamless transitions with day-of coordination, and all while keeping calm and direct with the pressure and last-minute adjustments that sometimes pop up.
I want you to enjoy your day and have fun in the process!


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Chain Mail and the Movies
Remember those days when you'd get those letters from some asshole in Madagascar that said if you didn't copy the letter and send it to 200 people, you'd have bad luck for 7 years? (I think my sister actually did it once) I just got one from my brother Kiyotoe aka Cp aka The Dragon who got it from someone else. The punk. I have to fill out this movie thingy or else I'll be suffering some serious bad luck. I mean, I'm not superstitious or anything but I'm doing it just in case. Dammit, man! I wanted to bask in the glory of my blog about old nasty nekkid people for a while. You really know how to mess things up....
1. The last movie you saw in a theatre, and current-release movie you still want to see:
Pirates of the Carribean II- what a shitty flick! I wanted to like it since I really dug the first one but it wasn't happening. The more I thought about it, the less I liked it- sometimes you just have to leave a good thing alone. In fact, I'm starting to feel the same way about The Flavor of Love.... The movie I want to see next is Idlewild. Outkast is the best thing to happen to hip hop since the Roots.
2. The last movie you rented/purchased for home viewing:
Sucker Free City. Spike Lee is definitely genius!
3. A movie that made you laugh out loud:
The Golden Child. "I waaant the kniiiiiife......pleeeese." Ahhhh, Eddie was great back in the day. Nowadays, not so much....
4. A movie that made you cry:
I ain't no sissy like Kiyotoe who could cry watching Bambi. He's the sensative type... (just jokes homes!). I have yet to see a movie in my adult life that made me cry, but when I was a kid I cried at the end of "A Pirate's Movie" Don't ask.....
5. A movie that was a darling of the critics, but you didn't think lived up to the hype:
Star Wars: Attack of the clones. As a kid who grew up with Luke Skywalker, Lando Calrisian and Yoda as heroes, I was expecting George Lucas to come with something a lot better than that shitty half movie- half cartoon. A close second was Brokeback Mountain. I really have to wonder what the Academy folks are smoking when they prop a movie like this up before it even hits theaters. I'm just glad someone else spent their money to rent it.
6. A movie that you thought was better than the critics:
I wish I could answer this honestly but I rarely read what critics say about anything, much less listen to their opinions. If there's a movie I want to see, I go see it. Then again, most films I see are "crazy indy movies or subtitled" as some would say and they don't normally get the attention of the Eberts of the world.
7. Favorite animated movie:
Charlotte's Web is something I could watch even as an adult!
8. Favorite Disney Villain:
That big crazy steroid-injected rat from the The Secret of Nihm! I get the shivers just THINKING about that scary mofo. I don't think that was Disney though- DAMN! Alright then, that scruffy, knife wielding Mongolian fucker from Mulan. For claiming to be a "child friendly" organization, Disney sure puts out some violent films!
9. Favorite movie musical:
The Sound of Music. I just might be a sissy for that one. Are men even supposed to like musicals?
10. Favorite movies of all-time (up to five).
In no particular order (drum roll please...)
1. The Color Purple
2. Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
3. The Usual Suspects
4. Good Will Hunting
5. Bamboozled
honorable mentions - 25th Hour, Four Brothers, Twin Falls Idaho, The Idiots, and Being John Malkovich
Tag five bloggers to answer the movie meme: Pigeon Toes, Muerto de Risa, AmbanDenva, Woozie, Rock and my favorite Russian-Igor (I know you're #6 and don't have a blog yet, but you can post here as a guest if you like....)


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Thursday, 28 September 2017
Critical Week: Into the woods
Also heading for cinemas are the documentary Earth: One Amazing Day, which puts stunning footage from the BBC's Planet Earth II up on the big screen, with some added scenes. The Unseen is a British film set up as a Hitchcockian thriller about a couple haunted by the death of their son. Double Date is a British comedy thriller that's gleefully grisly and funny without being scary. And Furious Desires is a collection of lusty short films from Brazil, Mexico and Italy.
London Film Festival offerings included Colin Farrell and Nicole Kidman in the surreal thriller The Killing of a Sacred Deer, the witty and pointed black comedy Brigsby Bear, Michael Haneke's offbeat comical drama Happy End, Aidan Gillen in the improvised comedy-drama Pickups, the simply gorgeous Chilean drama A Fantastic Woman, the powerfully moving French drama 120 Beats Per Minute, the cleverly scary Icelandic thriller Rift and the thoughtful Finnish romance A Moment in the Reeds. There were also two Israeli films: the sharply inventive Foxtrot and the gently moving romance The Cakemaker. More on those coming soon.
Up this week are Denis Villeneuve's Blade Runner 2049, Kate Winslet in The Mountain Between Us, Jessica Chastain in Molly's Game and Josh Hartnett in 6 Below. The 61st BFI London Film Festival officially kicks off on Wednesday, and press screenings include Julianne Moore in Wonderstruck, Emma Stone in Battle of the Sexes, Cate Blanchett in Manifesto, Carey Mulligan in Mudbound, Clio Barnard's Dark River, Sean Baker's The Florida Project and Michel Hazanavicius' Redoubtable. My daily LFF updates will start next Thursday.
Posted by Rich Cline at 22:42
Labels: colin farrell, domhnall gleeson, goodbye christopher robin, happy end, isabelle huppert, jake gyllenhaal, margot robbie, nicole kidman, stronger, tatiana maslany, the killing of a sacred deer
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I hope you're all having a wonderful holiday season.
Here's a little update on what i've been busy with
these past few weeks.
Visited my brother in the USA for Christmas,
and brought my dad & his dog along.
We did what most people do during the holidays here...
eat too much, drink too much, sleep in too late. ;-)
(Some would say that's what the holidays are all about!)
not a worry in the world.
This was taken a few days ago, the day after we got home.
Our shed, seemingly buried deep in the snow.
In 10 days, we've had 5 snowstorms.
My husband, clearing out the driveway.
This was taken this morning, on our way to town for coffee.
Isn't it beautiful - the blue sky & snow in the trees?
And yes, a few nights ago, there was even a little bit of art.
I can't tell you how good it was
to come back to the little studio
and pick up the paints again
even if i wasn't inspired to paint anything fabulous.
I could not wait to be surrounded again
with books and paints and paper and good music.
While i was gone, i missed blogging,
and painting
and my books & journals.
They say absence makes the heart grow fonder
and i believe this goes for life in general (not just for lovers!)


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Getty Images
Jeremy Fowler of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports that the Cardinals have released interior offensive lineman Rex Hadnot.
Hadnot, 30, was Arizona's starting right guard for all 16 games in 2011. The Cardinals have replaced him with Adam Snyder. Hadnot's release took Arizona off the hook for a $1.5 million base salary.
Hadnot is a backup-caliber lineman, but he can play both guard spots and center. That versatility should help him find a new job in unrestricted free agency.


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Stories tagged with: thanksgivingFound 29 stories matching your search criteria.
Displaying page 2 of 3 total pages.
THANKSGIVING: Giving thanks 'in' & 'for'
Michael Kelley ponders whether there is a difference in giving thanks "in" all circumstances and giving thanks "for" all circumstances. Read More
THANKSGIVING: Should you 'thank' your way to thankfulness?
Michael Kelley ponders whether it is possible to "thank your way into a spirit of gratitude, or is doing so disingenuous and fake?" One key, he notes, is to remember that "true gratitude is rooted not in circumstance but in the character of God." Read More
The first Thanksgiving: myth and realityPIPPA PASSES, Ky. (BP) -- When Americans think about the first Thanksgiving in the fall of 1621, they tend to reflect back to images of smiling Pilgrims and Native Americans huddled around a large table filled with copious amounts of food.
In addition, there is the image of a Pilgrim elder offering an extended season of prayer over the feast. Read More
At Thanksgiving, immigrants & refugees cherish freedomATLANTA (BP) -- Dung Duong remembers the long walk from South Vietnam to Cambodia as he, his father and brother fled life at the hands of the communists who had overrun their nation 15 years earlier.
The year was 1989 but thoughts of that suffering -- including losing friends who took to the open sea in small boats and were never rescued -- remains with him to this day. Read More
Thanksgiving sweetened by Baptist children's homesNASHVILLE (BP) -- In one Tennessee household, this year's Thanksgiving table will include an unusual centerpiece: the letters Y-E-S made of black pressed wood.
With a new 10-year-old daughter in their house, Jennifer and Rusty plan to place the letters on their table as a reminder of what God does when believers say "yes" to His will without knowing precisely where He's leading. For them, saying yes led to adopting a child through the Tennessee Baptist Children's Homes. Read More
Platt livestream cites thanksgiving as IMB's aimRICHMOND, Va. (BP) -- Thanksgiving is among the central aims of missions.
That was International Mission Board President David Platt's assertion in a Nov. 21 Thanksgiving livestream event that included an update on the IMB's financial status and interviews with personnel serving overseas.
"When we go and proclaim the Gospel and people receive the grace of God ... they will give thanks to God for His grace, and He will receive glory through that," Platt said, basing his comments on 2 Corinthians 4:15, a theme verse for the presentation. Read More
THANKSGIVING: Not just a holiday or shopping melee
Thanksgiving shouldn't be a once-a-year event for Christians but a "many-times-a-day experience," John Weaver writes. "Jesus rose from the grave, making His abundant and eternal life possible to those who trust in Him." Read More
Study: What are Americans thankful for?NASHVILLE (BP) -- When Americans count their blessings at Thanksgiving, God will get most of the credit, a new study shows. And money might be the last thing on their minds.
Nearly two-thirds of Americans (63 percent) say they give thanks to God on that day, according to LifeWay Research. Fifty-seven percent give thanks to their family. About a third (31 percent) thank friends. Eight percent thank themselves, while 4 percent thank fate.
Most Americans are thankful for family (88 percent), health (77 percent), personal freedom (72 percent) and friends (71 percent). Fewer give thanks for wealth (32 percent) or achievements (51 percent), the study shows. Read More
ANALYSIS: God in Thanksgiving proclamations
NASHVILLE (BP) -- Each fall since 1863, the sitting U.S. president has issued a proclamation declaring a national day of Thanksgiving. Though perhaps viewed by some as merely a pro forma holiday ritual, these proclamations evidence the rich American tradition of government leaders' officially invoking God's guidance and care.
Without violating the First Amendment's prohibition of establishing an official American religion, these proclamations highlight the validity of official and public ... Read More
Study: Thankfulness still priority at ThanksgivingNASHVILLE (BP) -- For Americans, Thanksgiving is about faith and family, and not much else, a new study shows.
More than half (56 percent) tell LifeWay Research the most important part of the annual holiday is "being thankful to God for my blessings." Nearly 4 in 10 (39 percent) say "time with family and friends" tops their Thanksgiving priorities.
Times of prayer and thanking God for the harvest stretch back to the Protestant Reformation in Europe and continued as Pilgrims and Puritans settled in America. While Abraham Lincoln tried to establish a settled day for the holiday, Thanksgiving was not set as the fourth Thursday of October until 1941. Read More


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What's the difference between a business that consistently makes it into the top spots on search engine results pages (SERPs) and those that get stuck in relative obscurity on Page 2 or beyond?
Increasingly, they are separated by little more than a smart, well-executed SEO strategy (and the right website content to support it, of course). Furthermore, considering that a Forrester study once estimated that 93% of all online experiences begin with a visit to a search engine, SEO is a component of your online marketing strategy that you can't afford to ignore.
There's No Way To Game The System!
The days of gaming the system through shady "black hat" practices are long gone, thanks to ever-evolving search engine algorithms and their more-semantically driven search criteria. But there are still plenty of legitimate techniques that can boost your rankings while also providing the highly relevant search experiences that today's audiences demand.
If you are looking to shore up your searchability and get better results from the search traffic you earn, here are some important considerations to keep in mind:
When it comes to achieving marketing success through online search, there's a lot more to think about than meets the eye. This is why many businesses turn to SEO experts like Prove to make sure they aren't missing out on a single opportunity to gain a competitive advantage. If your online presence is less than stellar, let's talk! Our scalable SEO solutions help small and large businesses stand out among your competitors.
Prove is a new kind of customer acquisition, retention, technology and analytics agency. We are redefining the way marketing works, by having a single-minded focus on results. Our approach minimizes marketing risk and maximizes short-term and long-term results through a disciplined process. Our philosophy is to leverage the power of Mass Personalization to increase ROI while reducing marketing costs.
We call it Acqretention™, the process of converting an anonymous audience that is always just a click away from the competition into Connected Prospects. In this way, we support direct response results, but we retain the engagement of prospective customers who are earlier in the buying cycle.
Our approach involves a framework that ensures marketing success we call Little Bets. We get into market quickly and generate learnings through extensive testing, then go big with the winning ideas, messages, offers, channels and technologies. We'd like to do that for you.
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